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Grilled Guinness Meatloaf from Brew City on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Brew City Grill & Brew House is a staple on Shrewsbury Street, having been around for as long as I can remember. While the menu changes often, the vibe inside really doesn’t; fun bar area on one side and an open dining room where you can enjoy a good meal at a reasonable price on the other.

I haven’t been to Brew City for dinner in quite a while so was looking forward our Foodies gathering. I knew they had a huge selection of burgers – with almost fifty options for cheeses, toppings and condiments – but the entree listing was just as impressive. My dining partner and I started with a jumbo crab cake appetizer that came served over arugula and drizzled with a red pepper remoulade and topped with bruschetta. The salty crab was a nice compliment to the stronger and spicy arugula and the bruschetta was fresh and tasty.

For my meal I stayed away from the burgers and ordered the Grilled Guinness Meatloaf. Two large tender pieces of meatloaf, loaded with mushrooms and onions were topped with a caramelized onion and mushroom demi glaze, adding an even earthier taste to the dish. My meal was finished with healthy side orders of sautéed broccolini and roasted acorn squash which added to this comfort food extravaganza. The broccolini was served al dente and the squash was topped with just the right amount of brown sugar.

You can’t go to Brew City and not have a beer as they feature over 150 different ones with 40 on tap. I enjoyed a few spicy Shipyard Pumpkin Ales that were the perfect match to my meatloaf dinner.

Overall, Brew City was very good, a casual atmosphere with well-prepared food, great service and all at a very reasonable price!

Meatloaf from Wexford House on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

The Wexford House, located on the corner of Shrewsbury St and Rt 9, is a smaller restaurant that seems to be favored by an older crowd. Don’t let that fool you though, the food was good and the service was excellent.

As an appetizer I started with the Baba Ghanouij, which is dish of mashed eggplant with olive oil and spices served with pita bread. This was very smokey and creamy with a very strong, but nice, flavor. Probably the smokiest version I’ve ever had, but it was excellent. The pita was fresh and soft, though probably not quite enough to go with the rest of it. This appetizer was also very large and plenty for 2 people to share as an app, or maybe as a meal for a single diner. Overall, an excellent starter.

For dinner I chose the meatloaf, with mashed potatoes and mixed veggies. This is exactly the kind of place that I expect would do comfort food well and I wasn’t wrong. The meatloaf came in a good sized portion, more than enough for one with the potential for leftovers. It was cooked perfecting with a nice, almost crispy, outside but wasn’t the least bit dry inside. The mashed felt hand mashed, with great texture and the gravy was delicious. The mixed veggies were nothing special, but were cooked nicely and complemented the meat well.