Nothing says leisure like Sunday brunch. Whether you’re looking for day drinks, danishes or a diner special, prepare to be suitably dazzled by Worcester’s brunch scene.
144 North Main Street
You can expect a line of fifty people waiting outside of Armsby Abbey every Sunday morning. Aside from serving as Worcester’s primeval boozy brunch destination, please note that Armsby Abbey is also the only place in the great Commonwealth where Hill Farmstead overfloweth. The menu changes every weekend to reflect the availability of farm fresh ingredients and the creative whimsy of a highly motivated culinary team. Pro tip: Bar customers skip the line when doors open at 10 a.m., so pull up a seat and grab yourself a Bloody Mary tailored to your specifications.
138 Green Street
The craft toast trend is alive and well at BirchTree Bread Co. where dough is prepared in a long, slow process with natural leaven and brought to peak fermentation before baking on the hearth. Daily toast specials range from savory Vermonter-caramelized onion bacon cream cheese to sweet ricotta and chocolate chip cannoli cream. Expect live music every Sunday and parents take note: BirchTree is family friendly.
281 Main Street
It’s impossible to dine at deadhorse hill without gleaning some sort of knowledge of global cuisine. Brunch makes it even easier. From the Japanese Breakfast bowl, to the Mexican Torta, to the Winter Squash Shakshuka, you’ll have traveled the world without ever leaving downtown. Take a peek inside the highly innovative kitchen for a taste of Jared Forman’s brunch acumen.
50 Water Street
Espresso, Macchiato, Con Panna, Pour Over, Nitro Cold Brew…Lock 50 is Worcester’s premier destination when it comes to caffeine. And, nothing pairs better with a coffee concoction than a delicately executed crepe. Unlike the high volume operations cited above, Lock 50 exudes a lazy atmosphere that encourages patrons to take their time. Bring the Sunday paper, sip your mimosa, and take in the Canal District views through sprawling picture windows.
Here’s to the chefs who brave busy Saturday night dinner service only to wake up at the crack of dawn in honor of Worcester’s fastest growing cult following – those who bow down to brunch. You can also find fresh renditions of Sunday brunch at Bull Mansion, The Hangover Pub, and Sweet Kitchen & Bar (where rumor has it that a new beverage director is about to take day drinking to new dimensions.) Or, visit an old standby at Annie’s Clark Brunch where omelets and home fries will never fade.
