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4 Great Places in Central Mass to Dine Outdoors

A group of diners enjoying the weather at Ceres Bistro in Worcester, MA

Central Massachusetts’ all too short outdoor dining season has begun…with many local eateries capitalizing on the good weather and offering dining al fresco!

Dining outdoors means different things to different restaurants. Some restaurants, like Volturno, Lock 50, La Scala, Vintage Grille and The Mill 185 have built large open-air patios outfitted to take advantage of the good weather months. Others like Nuovo, Meze, Brew City and Corner Grille set up tables on the sidewalks in front of their restaurants giving your meal a bit more of an urban feel. Mezcal in Worcester brings the outdoors inside by opening the floor-to-ceiling glass doors while their Leominster location offers patio dining under umbrellas. Looking for waterfront dining? Guiseppe’s in Northborough offers upscale dining on a deck overlooking Solomon Pond and Point Breeze on Lake Webster bring deck dining (and drinking) to a whole new level. Still others like Smokestack, The Citizen and VIA offer covered patios to extend the outdoor dining experience even when Mother Nature doesn’t fully cooperate.

So whether it’s a quiet spot to enjoy a romantic dinner, a sun-drenched patio to people watch or dinner on the deck lakeside with cocktails and friends, there is an al fresco spot to match any occasion and mood!

Here are a few of our favorite places to eat, drink and enjoy the good weather months while they last!

Ceres Bistro

One of Worcester’s most elegant outdoor dining experiences, Ceres Bistro offers full-menu dining in the garden patio surrounded by luxurious plantings, flowers and landscaping. Live jazz on Thursday evenings and drinks at the open-air bar are also popular in the warmer months!

Flying Rhino

For outdoor dining, Flying Rhino has it all. Tables with umbrellas on the sidewalk for that urban feel, a huge outdoor deck for a more casual, relaxed experience and one weekend every summer, they transform their parking lot into a full blown, stick your feet in the sand beach and cookout experience that will make you forget you are on Shrewsbury St. One of the more popular decks in Worcester so get here early if you want a table.

Zorba’s

At Zorba’s Worcester location, you can enjoy a full Greek dining experience under an enormous covered patio that runs the entire length of the front of the restaurant. A summer experience not to be missed is enjoying one of their famous sangrias and a selection of meze’s on this patio! And for when the weather isn’t perfect, Zorba’s patio is covered to make sure you can still enjoy the experience.

NU Café

Located right outside the front door, the big comfortable patio at NU Café features lots of tables with umbrellas to relax and enjoy coffee, fruit smoothies, breakfast and lunch. A great place anytime of the day, the patio at NU Café sits off the street, making it a quiet oasis from the hectic pace of the day.

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Cave Man Pizza from Corner Grille

Caveman Pizza from Corner Grille on Pleasant Street in Worcester, MA

Cave Man Pizza from Corner Grille on Pleasant Street in Worcester, MAWhen looking for a great pizza in Worcester, look no further than the Corner Grille. In an extremely underwhelming and unassuming location on Pleasant Street, if you blink, you may miss this postage stamp of a pizza joint. But don’t let that be a deterrent to a potential hungry, pizza loving customer. This tiny place is cranking out some wonderfully tasty pies, with characters and flavors that are fitting for the venue and it’s lively owners and operators. With various modern and classic décor in the cozy space, it felt like a busy kitchen you might see around the holiday times with family…the fresh smell of baked goods and fresh pizza wafting through the air.

When deciding which pizza to choose for dinner, I decided to get the Cave Man pizza which comes with red sauce, pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, bacon, mushrooms, onions, peppers and cheese. When the pizza arrived at our table, it was a perfect 14″ square of thin crust perfection. The smell of the combination of meats was intoxicating. The pizza was thin but the crust was crunchy and flavorful. Even though there were a lot of toppings in the pie’s description, it wasn’t overdone. The balance between spicy, salty and texture was just right. You need to eat the pizza quickly however, due to the thinness of the crust, the pizza did start to become cold the longer it sat on the table. Another perk of this quirky little pizza spot was that it was BYOB and it was encouraged by the staff! They even offered to run across the street to purchase beer or wine for their diners. Between the ambiance, décor, the at-home smells and killer pizzas, and great service, I will be frequenting the Corner Grille in the future to get my pizza fix…everyone in the city should check it out as well!