Tried this place with my boyfriend after his roommates recommendation. Had the kalamari, bruschetta, bacon stuffed dates and a steak and cheese pizza.
Service was okay, we would ask her for a recommendation and she just said that "everything is to die for". Kalamari was started, a little greasy... .Bruschetta and pizza were amazing and the dates were different, in a good way - a bit too rich after eating the kalamari, but were enjoyed later that evening.
I thought that perhaps I'd have a family dinner there next week or choose it for the next girlfriends get together spot, as I thought the menu selection was amazing and the food was so great, but unfortunately when we received the bill, our server had charged us for 5 sodas (there was just the two of us), even though they offer free refills. Asked for more water and never received it
Overall, food was great, but the service didn't match. I think the price point is fine, since the food really looked fantastic (didn't mind checking out neighbors dishes and desserts!) - but service was subpar and I don't think I'll be returning due to service alone.
Too bad, desserts look A-MAZING!
Went in to use a Groupon and try another restaurant in the area. Â We were seated quickly but, toward the back of the room-with the serving area, kitchen and rest rooms right there-very noisy and distracting while tables were empty near the front of the room.
The waitress came right over, before we sat down to take drink orders-we opted to wait until we viewed the menu. Â She explained how to use the groupon and told us "this is the last night to use it, in a very annoyed tone. Â (Actually the purchase value is still good.) Â
We ordered-both us wanted to try the pizza but, even though it would have saved the restaurant money, as the maximum value was $52.85 for 2 entrees and an appetizer-we had to review the soiled menus again and select another option. Â It took over 20 minutes to get our appetizer but, the mini lamb chops were fantastic. Â Our meals took another 10 minutes and the server tried to first deliver them to the table beside us, but, the pasta with bacon, cream sauce and broccoli was great. Â My guest had the scallops and ravioli and loved it as well. Â We really could have used some bread with the wait (thinking crusty italian bread).
The food was delicious and filling-no room for dessert! Â When it was time for the bill we were delivered the bill for those next to us. Â I almost choked as they cleaned the table beside us-ammonia smell was overwhelming.
I really like to use the Groupon to try out new places but, we won't be back to this one, not comfortable with the rude service, poor service and the cleanliness and mistakes.
Went on a Friday night and had an 8PM reservation. Â The restaurant was busy but not overly crowded. Â We waited 30 minutes for a table to open up. Â The manager did buy a round of drink around the 20 minute mark.
PRO's
-The martini's are mixed well and they offer a nice selection.
-The food is fresh and prepared well. Â We split the Caesar salad and Tuna Ceviche.
Wife had surf and turf and they prepared the steak to the correct temperature . Â I had the Crusty Crab pizza and was blown away w/ the amount of crab. Â
CON's
-Expect to pay Boston prices for drinks and entrees
-Service can be downright slow. Â After the rush was over, the wait staff was hard to get a hold of.
I'd go back for the food but only if I didn't have to be anywhere and prepared for a long, leisurely dinner. Would definitely try to get there early to avoid the rush and check who's playing. Â
Bonus to the Mgmt for recognizing the long wait for a table and picking up a round.
Went out for dinner at Ritual on a slow Tuesday night to use up a soon to expire groupon, and came away with an overall very good experience.
We vacillated between stuffed dates and the chocolate covered bacon for a starter, and decided to go for the dates, leaving the bacon for another night. Four dates came stuffed with manchego bacon and almonds, with a kind of reduction drizzled on the plate. They were very solid, with good flavors, and as far as I can tell, Ritual is the only place the serves stuffed dates in the area.
Entree for the girl was cocoa rubbed duck breast, and I went with the rack of lamb. Both plates arrived with cold mashed potatos and vegetable medley, and the meat a little cool(although both were done to our wants, medium rare for the lamb, medium for the duck) upon checking in the waitress immediately took our plates back to the kitchen, and returned with warmed sides(they also rearranged our proteins, as we had already begun eating. Ritual may have some of the prettiest plated food in the city). My lamb was excellent, very well seasoned, with a wine reduction. The advertised honey/almond crust was understated, but all in all a very very tasty bite. The girl's duck was also well seasoned, with a hazelnut cocoa sauce served alongside the meat. Very tasty but unfortunately did not have the crispy skin that makes the difference between good duck and great duck.
For dessert we went with the fried cheesecake, which ended up being gratis to make up for the initially cold plates. It was also very good, and the raspberry and chocolate sauces underneath were delicious.
Service was very attentive and friendly, and responded correctly to our situation when we brought it to their attention. We did not have any alcohol, but plan a booze and apps visit next time.
I feel like the prices are a little high...not exorbitantly so for good product, but possibly just by 10% or so. The decoration is nice, and I counted representations from at least 3 religions on the walls. It seems like the restaurant is trying to figure out what it is, and if they are able to stick around, I think that the food, which is already at a high level, will get even better.
I've wanted to try Ritual for quite awhile since I had seen the menu online and thought it looked really good. Â We bought the Groupon, which meant they essentially took off $52.00 from the final bill. Â I made reservations for 6:30 on a Friday night which were not necessary as when we arrived, the place had about 8 people (though it did pick up around 7:30 or so). Â We asked to be sat at a table with banquette seating on one side and chairs on the other. Â Unfortunately, the hostess sat us near the end of the bar area where all the servers were standing around talking because there were no customers yet. Â This was distracting for me but my husband didn't mind. Â
In agreement with some other reviewers, our server wasn't very good. Â We told her right away that we were going to take our time to order each course (after we finish app, then we'll order soup/salad, once that's done then we'll order entree, etc.). Â She didn't seem to get this and as we just started our app, she asked what we wanted for dinner. Â My husband repeated what we wanted to do so I think after we told her a second time, she got it. Â Honestly, I think she was bored and just wanted something to do. Â She never introduced herself, asked us if we had even been there, etc. Â She rarely smiled. Â She just want not very personable, which was disappointing for us. Â The food runner was more pleasant than her.
As for the food, we enjoyed it and I thought it was enough to bring us back. Â We started with the bacon & blue cheese dip. Â Nice chunks of bacon and pieces of blue cheese, creamy, and warm. Â Served with toast points and awesome pita bread. Â Then, my husband had the beet salad, which was not what we thought it would be....no greens, just stacked beets with goat cheese, balsamic vinegar, etc. Â He very much enjoyed it. Â I had the "famous" onion soup which I thought was excellent. Â Yes, it does have some sweetness to it due to the Vidalia onions being caramelized but there is some sherry in there too that offsets the sweetness and it had a rich beefy flavor. Â It had much more depth to it than a standard onion soup. Â I would definitely get it again. Â For entrees, hubby ordered the crusty crab pizza which had great flavor but he was disappointed that the crust was a bit soggy and not strong enough to hold the amount of toppings. Â He couldn't pick up slices and eat like a regular pizza, he had to use a fork. Â I ordered the beef short ribs which were quite good. Â It was served with a polenta cake that seemed a bit gummy but it wasn't enough to destroy the dish. Â The meat just fell off the bone and the sauce it had been roasted in was delicious.
Overall, a pleasant visit. Â I think we would return and sit at the bar and/or come at a later time in the evening when the servers weren't as bored and pushy to get you to order.
First time visiters. Â Found the service friendly and prompt always topping off our drinks. Â Had the Posiden chawda which was packed full of seafood and nice and creamy. Â Had the surf &turf. Â Perfect piece of tenderlion on a bed of mashed with couple scallops and shrimp. Â Would definitly return.
Review Source:I'm very surprised at the low reviews. In scanning the reviews, I can identify with service not being great, but it's not bad either. She was busy and covering an area larger than she should have been, so while we did have to wait a bit, it wasn't bad at all. The food more than made up for it -- I love trying exciting new ideas and food combinations and Ritual was a great experience. I came in very skeptical of the chocolate-covered bacon but wow, it's perfect! For dinner, I received the stuffed filet of sole, which was good, but I wouldn't say it separated itself from any of the other stuffed sole (of which I've ordered my fair amount). But the fish and stuffing were light and made of quality. My wife ordered the chicken veronique, and oh my god, I really wish I had ordered that too. She slurped it up immediately and I kept grabbing bites of it. It was fantastic. I intend to return to see what else this menu has.
Review Source:I had read the reviews of this place before I bought the groupon that they offered, so I had low expectations. The groupon was a great deal ($25 for one appetizer and two entrees) so I got it. After eating here I had to write a review because I thought the food was fantastic and the service was fine. It did take slightly long for us to get out second drinks, but nothing that I would really complain about. We got the crab cakes (really good), sliced beef tenderloin, with gorgonzola potato cake (amazing.. cooked perfectly), and the seared jumbo sea scallops with lobster ravioli (really good but didn't top the sirloin). We came pretty late, about 9:30, and I wasn't really hungry so my boyfriend ended up eating most of the food, and he was in heaven. Pretty expensive for us, so I think we will only be returning for special occasions, but it's really good food! The atmosphere is dark.. my boyfriend said it reminded him of Fangtasia on Trueblood. and they were playing goo goo dolls and lifehouse, but even that couldn't stop us from wanting to eat here again. If they do another groupon I will definitely grab it, and we'd go here for a birthday or anniversary dinner.
Review Source:Chris and gang are the bomb!
This was my first visit to Ritual and I will definitely be going back! Â We called to arrange a graduation luncheon and Chris opened early for us. First really awesome thing. Â We have a number of food issues - GF, nut allergies, vegan, no pork - and they were fabulous about making sure that our needs were met.
Chris helped select a menu for the event based on the dinner menu and everything that I could eat (I'm the GF person) was fabulous! Â The waitstaff was great and the experience and cost for a party of 18 was perfect! Â
I see that others have had a less than excellent experience and I can't speak for a typical night but I would absolutely go back and eat here again. Â I travel a lot for work and experience many types of restaurants and this is in my top tier for style, quality, service, GF sensitivity, cost.
:-)
I've been to ritual a couple of times and the service is really hit or miss. Best service ever from Melissa the bartender- hands down. Sometimes with other servers/bartenders the service is slower and the drinks not as good.
When I first started going there I loved it, most of the food I have had there is very good and we were so happy with how much food we got for the money. However, every time I go back the prices are raised (and not only a little either). The martini list which used to feature a bunch of $5 martinis now only has 3, the rest have been increased to $8 or $10. Some of the portions have also shrunk. The Poseidon chowder (which is delicious!!) has shrunk in size by half.
Overall, I do really enjoy the food, most of it is VERY rich and well done, however I now have one martini instead of 2 (or 3!) and try to go when I know I'll get good service (Melissa bartends Wed. night!)
Not impressed. Went on Saturday night for dinner (not late mind you) and they were out of pizza. All of them. You're joking right? Not to mention that they were also out of basically everything that you'd want to eat which was really annoying. I was visiting for the weekend so I definitely will not be returning when I'm back in Worcester.
One more thing. Don't let their "best onion soup" fool you. SUPER sweet, so much so that I couldn't finish it because it was like drinking syrup. Far from what constitutes the best onion soup.
drinks great, but pricey
service, um, i'm trying to be understanding b/c nickelback was playing, but we had 430 reservations. our table was def. ready when we needed it. our friends sat at bar longer, b/c i was running late.
orders toga party dip, which was fantastic, nice assortment or dill, hummous, beet spread, pita chips, olives, sundried tomatoes, crostini, i would def order this again!!!!
lobster rangoon, were meh, just not good.
our friend ordered the choc. bacon, he ate all 4 pieces so it must have been tasty, no one else at the table ventured to try it.
i had salmon which was flavorless :( i ate two bites and didn't finish it, the waitress didn't even ask if something was wrong with my place of food in front in me, not eaten. i didn't complain, b/c i ate good amount of apptz.
he had the crusty crab pizza, which was delicious
my friend had the stuffed sole which she enjoyed.
can't remember the other entree that our friend ordered, but he was also happy.
at least three times, a "helper/server" came to our table with the wrong drink, the wrong entree, and put it down in front of my friend, and then picked it up and gave it to the table next to us...i would have been annoyed if that was my dish and they put it on someone elses table then took it back and dropped it off to the person sitting next to me...
had a hard time keeping up with our drinks, granted it was a busy night, but they should staff for concerts at the dcu center, seems like common sense to me...
would i go back, yes,
but i wouldn't drive out of my way to return.
Wasn't really sure what to expect given its modest exterior, but was really impressed
with the atmosphere upon walking in. The place has a relaxing but upscale lounge vibe with mood lighting and a zen feel. Service was great, and the wine/drink list had a great selection so we were pleased. The most impressive part of our Ritual experience was the food. We had the beef tenderloin and sea bass, and both were above and beyond. We were comparing it to some of the more pricey restaurants in/near Boston. Will definitely be returning soon!!!
It's restaurant week and we can't wait to sample the food!
My friends and I checked out the menu out online beforehand. The website was good and showed the dishes they are serving this week.
We had the tiger sushi rolls for appetizers. The crunchy tempura crust was delicious! Just the right crispiness and rich flavors. Not too greasy to the tummy and not too hot for the lips. Â I then tried the Cioppino, which I thought was decent though not the best. The meaty taste was there and the flavor profile was good. My buddy had the breaded chicken with mozzarella which was yummy. We capped it off with the bread pudding which my friends said is 'to die for'. I agreed. The dessert was fabulous.
In summary, I had a great dining experience. For 25 bucks, this is a great deal to sample good food.
NOTE: Â I've been to Ritual several times and I always leave happy. Â This one of the better restaurants in Worcester. It's chic and close to the city center. The quality of food is consistently tasty and, IMO, on par with some of the good Boston restaurants.
The noise can be insanely loud at times and it would be difficult to hold a conversation. Also, the service can be slow at times. But, this place is also a vibrant bar scene. It's not too much different than many places in Boston.
I definitely recommend trying this place out. I will come back again to try the braised short ribs. I would also recommend the Kobe sliders to anyone to try (it's only on the regular menu).
I was there for an event, and the group that I was with had maybe 30 people. Â We had mostly apps, but they were amazing. Â The chocolate-covered bacon was strangely delicious. Â All of the food had interesting, but well-balanced flavors. Â Â I had similar experiences as other reviewers with regards to service (you're not doing me a favor making me a drink, dude, I'm paying you money) as well as ambience (I was yelling at the top of my lungs at 6:30 on a Tuesday and still not being able to have a conversation with the person with me.) Â You definitely come here for the food.
Review Source:I noticed my review was removed from this sight. I'm not sure how that happens, but I'm considering never visiting this sight again because of this action. I have a right to my opinion, even if roid rage MM disagrees. I stand by my last post. I've been to Ritual at least 10 times, now. I've even been there during concert nights. I've had amazing service, delicious food, and wonderful drinks. I wish the Ritual crew all the best! PS. I AM NOT AN OWNER, related to the owners, or basing my review on my personal opinion of anyone whom works there. Mind your own business MM! Â I'm just simply new to YELP. Good Luck to you all at Ritual.
Review Source:Worcester. City of many disappointments. But once in a while you find a place that you expect is going to be bad.. because really, how can all the hype be true? But it ends up on your top favs list.
Ritual is located perfectly close to my haunt, Cigar Masters on Commercial and is a nice place for dinner downtown... which may just be unheard of in Worcester.
I've only actually been to Ritual on special occasions, and only recently so I can only speak of it from a standpoint of expecting the best. (For Worcester's standards that is)
New Years Eve there was a beautiful Prix fixe Menu that our party enjoyed but, since have changed their menu to more refreshing options with serious Mediterranean,/ Eastern European influences. I found this out , actually prior to a Valentines day dinner, because I had  emailed the restaurant via their website to ind out if they had a prix fixe menu and within an hour was provided the new updated menu. (Brownie points for customer service) You will find familiar titles on the menu and dishes that you wont have trouble pronouncing the names of, but out of the ordinary ingredients will appear.
Grape leaves, chocolate bacon and dodoni Feta with Shrimp, are things that jumped out at me when I browsed the menu.
GET THE CALAMARI!!!! For that, there are no words.
For valentines dinner I had a Fillet wrapped in bacon, accompanied by your everyday garlic mash and what Ritual calls a vegetable orgy. Its a nice slaw of carrots and other root veggies, buttered and it comes with a bunch of their other dishes.
My beau had a supposedly mouthwatering pork tenderloin, that may have also included being wrapped in bacon (loves). The drink menu here is not lengthy but has good choices. I never see Moscow Mules on any drink menu west of  95 so it was a nice surprise! And I ordered several of them. Nice selection of flavored vodkas and the beers on tap are all good with food.
I don't really go here for the night scene, as the aforementioned Cigar masters is so close, but from what I hear its an older crowd.
I really like the decor in this place, and ladies, the bathroom is NICE here. (Also a rarity in good ol Worcester) Â But the reason this place doesn't get a 5 star review is it makes me miss a another place that looked and felt the same, (See La Boheme review) and the nostalgia just killed me. Its definitely a romantic setting fit for dinner for 2. If you are going in a group, go in couples. This really doesn't feel like the singles scene.
I love Ritual so far, I can't wait to try more stuff on the menu.
Food was average, understaffed, EXTREMELY loud, and the people at the bar were extremely obnoxious (and apparently were regulars according to someone). Â
We first were placed right next to the area where all the waitstaff was hustling and bustling literally inches from us for 5-10 minutes before we requested to be moved. Â Also - the right hand side of the restaurant was twice as loud as the left.
We had to wait FOREVER for someone to come by. Â some things were good others were average. Â the spicy crab app was great - I will give you that. Â The panko crusted sea bass I got for 30 bucks was atrocious. Â It had the consistency of applesauce inside the panko crust. Â The kicker is... seabass is naturally delicious! Â All the chef has to do is not overcook it and it will be some of the best fish you've ever had!
I probably will never return - and to top it off, this place is pricy!
This place has so much potential. Â I've been here several times now and each experience was completely different. Â My first visit was with a few friends on a Saturday night. Â We didn't go for the food but we heard the DJ was really good so we went for the dancing. Â Only one problem. No dance floor. Â The grape hubba bubba martini that I order was pretty disgusting but the food smelled amazing. For my second visit I decided to try the place for lunch since I work a block away. Â Service was outstanding at lunch. Â Our server was great, we were seated right away and our food was piping hot; just how I like it. Â My husband and I both had burgers. Â I had the salmon and he had something with bacon. Â I enjoyed the salmon burger and would probably order it again. Â For my third and probably final visit, my co-worker and I went for dinner after work on a Friday and the service was not so great. Â We were seated right away but had to find a place for our coats. Â I found the coat closet by the door but it was pretty dark and dingy (some sprucing up would be nice). Â After waiting 10 minutes for our waiter I had to ask the hostess to send him over. Â He apologized but gave some lame excuse...tried to be funny but fell a little short. Â I ordered another martini but again was disappointed with the flavor. Â We had apps for dinner. Â The chocolate bacon is nothing to go out of your way for, seaweed salad with scallops was not very impressive, mini kabobs were very tasty but SO small. Â What we really enjoyed was the hummus platter. Â Three different types of hummus, carrot, beet and I think regular chickpea hummus with tatziki - they were all good but I loved the carrot and beet hummus. Â Overall, the food here is good, not worthy of the high price tags but good. Â I would probably consider going again if they did some sort of $5 appetizer special. Â One tip would be to either train the waitstaff or hire a whole new one for the nights/weekends. Otherwise a great place to go in Worcester if you want to feel like you're not in Worcester-and that's only because of the decor.
Review Source:I went here on a Friday night and it was the usual loud and crowded scene which I usually don't like, but I was willing to live with it.
HOWEVER...the bartender (a silver-haired young man) was insanely rude. Â First, I ordered a glass of water. He looked at me like I was insane, and walked away. Excuse me if I want to stay hydrated while I drink. Next, I ordered a shot of 151 Rum because my friends had never tried it and we were going to split it. His response? "We haven't carried that since high school, when that was cool to drink." A pleasant, "Sorry, we don't carry that anymore" would have been sufficient.
Needless to say, I left. Â Why pay $10 for a martini that I could make at home while being insulted by some guy trying to be cool and snarky but coming off as a jerk. I'll never go here again.
We came for dinner last night, thanks to a LivingSocial coupon, and had a great time!
Personally, I thought the atmosphere was great. There were a couple of groups there, including a ladies-night-out group of at least a dozen at the next table, and I was impressed that the noise wasn't too terrible. Our reservation was at 9p, so that might  have had something to do with it, but it WAS Friday, so it was nice to be able to sit in the bar area and not have it be total insanity.
Our waitress was attentive and helpful; she had a suggestion for my glass of wine which turned out to be delicious, and she was easy to locate, which is nice. And she was non-obtrusive into our all-too-rare date night, which is also a plus.
We had the Poseidon Chowder, which was fantastically good. I had seared scallops with lobster ravioli in black truffle butter sauce, which was delicious. Husband had duck with cocoa and hazelnut crust, which came with a tiny chocolate souffle, also yummy and not overpoweringly chocolatey. We did save room for dessert - white chocolate bread pudding, which I would definitely not complain about eating again.
I would definitely eat here again, or come for drinks, because the appetizers looked great but I knew I would end up eating too much if we ordered one. And the martini list was intriguing, so maybe next time I'll have one of those. There were other things on the entree list that looked interesting enough to make me come back again, too.
I definitely recommend.
We love food and we were intrigued by this relatively new restaurant in Worcester. Four of us went for dinner last evening. The loud, pulsing music, dim lighting and the  large-screen TVs almost made us turn around before we were seated. What is this place?
Now to the food. Our appetizers consisted of the Caprese salad, Beet salad, and the Antipasto Art. The tomatoes in the caprese salad were cardboard. There were no artisanal cheeses in the Antipasto. There was a bland feta and a cow's milk pedestrian mozzarella. The beet salad was OK. Nothing above average for appetizers.
Our entrees consisted of Chilean Sea bass, Seafood Risotto, Duck Breast, and the Seared Scallops . The risotto was watery, without discernable cheese or taste, and lacked  seasoning. There was no creamy mouth-feel that is found with good risotto. There was a good amount of sea-food but the shrimp were overcooked. The duck was over-cooked without evidence of cocoa or a hazelnut demi-glace and accompanied by a molten flourless chocolate cake. Why, we are not sure. The sea bass was cooked perfectly, topped with a few bread-crumbs and utterly without seasoning. It was very bland. The accompanying risotto was exactly as above. My scallops were cooked just right and succulent. But the sauce was too sweet and we could not detect a hint of Truffle. The ravioli were devoid of lobster.
Desserts were Carrot Cake, Molten Chocolate cake and the White Chocolate bread pudding. The Molten Choc cake was very good. The bread pudding actually didn't really have bread. The carrot cake was good but the frosting was sickeningly sweet and couldn't be eaten.
The wait staff was unpolished.  They reached across the table and diners to  place entrees.. And what is "Delish". Our waitress used it often.
We and our friends and by word of mouth our large extended families in Worcester will never be back.
I came here during restaurant week awhile back.. That was my first and last time there.
This place is so dark, a very "ritual-like" atmosphere.. which made it hard to even read the menu! The food took SUPER long, and although our waitress was nice.. we barely saw her throughout the night. It wasn't busy that day either.
I was hoping that the food would be well worth the long wait, as I was super super hungry that day. Turned out, it wasn't. I was highly disappointed. The Poseidon Chowder was probably the close-to-satisfactional food that I enjoyed. Yes, it had flavor, but it was so liquidy.. like melted icecream liquidy. My bf ordered Seared-Duck Breast, and I ordered the Carbonara. Overall, the food did not win me over.
I and several others went to Ritual recently for dinner to discuss some business. I was initially skeptical, as from what I understand, this is a fairly new establishment, and I was unsure of exactly what type of restaurant this was. It's Restaurant Week in Worcester, so we all figured we'd try their prixe-fixe three-course offering for $23.11. I started off with the gazpacho; it was quite good and was a reasonable portion, although I must say I'm a particularly big creme-fraiche fan. For the second course, I had the chocolate bacon. Yes, it sounds weird, but it wasn't at all disgusting. However, there was far more chocolate than bacon, and the chocolate was the only thing I could really taste. For the main course, I had the Petit Medusa, a petit filet mignon with caramelized onions and a variety of vegeatables. Despite the small portion (this seems to be a recurring theme here), the filet mignon was cooked to perfection and it was excellent. For dessert (not included, of course), I had the chocolate lava cake, with caramel and chocolate filling and vanilla gelato. This was, by far, the highlight of the meal. A bit pricey for sure, but the food and atmosphere are certainly worth the extra expense.
Review Source:Great new spot in Worcester.
The atmosphere is nice, very different from the normal Worcester restaurant. It's dark but warm, and has a bar right in the center of the place that makes it very lively.
The service was excellent. When we went, I was so hungry that the waitress was nice enough to bring me free pita bread which wasn't even on the menu. It was much appreciated!
I had the Statler Chicken and it was good overall, the chicken was a bit dry. However, this place is known for it's Greek flair, so maybe I made the wrong choice. My boyfriend had the Chicken Marsala and he said it was excellent.
If you go, definitely get their mixed drink with Pinnacle Whipped Cream. I forget the name of it but it has Pineapple and grenadine in it. It was amazing!
Came here for lunch. The Asian decor did not match the type of cuisine they offer which is Mediterranean. I was confused by whoever came up with the design concept. There were Asian buddha statues and an old fashioned Chinese wooden door with knob handles. Perhaps, they wanted the place to look trendy? Eclectic? Anyways, enough about the decor.
Poseidon Chowder: sort of like lobster bisque but with an assortment of seafood chunks, tasty
The Medusa (hanger steak sanwich): the meat was not seasoned with salt or pepper, had to request salt and pepper, it was ok, liked the onion strings that it came with, tasted better the next day as microwaved leftovers : )
Porcini Mushrooms Pasta: tasted plain and sour, not a fan of sour tasting food, wouldn't recommend it
Constructive Critism: Please include herbs in your food! It adds more flavor, and makes food taste much fresher. Your dishes didn't have any herbs. If you just add scallions, parsley, basil, cilantro, rosemary, etc it would make a world of a difference
Will come back and give them one more chance to impress me with their food.
My birthday night celebration started with a great tapas style meal at Ritual in Worcester. With parking a constant problem on Main Street the idea of free valet was a wise choice. The environment was upscale and an eclectic mix of people and decore. It had a great bar in the center of the room and was flanked by generously sized tables. The front windows opened accordian style up to provide a nice airy feel while maintaining the rich and intimate appeal of the darker interior with walls flanked by large wooden doors and greek and indian artifacts.
As a group we decided to order a bunch of tasty appetizers and some great drinks instead of ordering individual entrees. I will review each of the appetizers.
Drinks: In addition to all the appetizers we also had some great drinks.
We all started off with a French 75. It was a mix of Tanqueray Gin, Cointreau, Champagne, Peychaud's Bitters, Orange Bitters, Lemon Juice and a Twist. It was excellent but at $12 it was a bit on the steep side price wise. We also tried the
Blueberry Field. It was a mix between Stoli Bluberi, Triple Sec, Gourmet Basil Syrup, Blueberry puree, White Cranberry Juice. At $9 it was a perfect drink to enjoy. It was ligh but rich tasty and sweet with a little bit of tang. It was definitely my favorite.
Spanakopita: They were light and tasty and not overly seasoned. They were the perfect mix. The ingredients were very fresh and they were cooked until golden brown.
Domaldes: Like the spanakopita the great leaves were very fresh and light the mix of rice to beef was perfect and it literally melted in my mouth. Grape leaves are an acquired taste and were not loved by everyone. However as a person who enjoys them these ranked high.
Chocolate Bacon: This isn't anything I have ever had before. It was interesting and a good plate to share amongst a group of friends. I don't think I would or could have eaten it by myself. It was a very rich chocolate and a perfectly cooked piece of bacon. Definitely an explosion of unique flavors all perfectly matched for a rich tasty treat.
Kobe Sliders: These were by far the best treat of the night.
Each order came with two Kobe Beef Sliders. They were so juicy and tasty that they were a bit messy to eat. The burgers were cooked perfectly to order and the smell was intoxicating. I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into them. They were so good everyone had to have one and it resulted in two more orders being placed immediately. The gorgonzola and roasted red peppers complimented the flavors of the beef and the accompanying biscuit bun.
A definite order again appetizer. I can see myself going for just them and a cocktail.
Party of Screwers: This was my least favorite appetizer. They were tasty and well thought out. However, compared to the other rich and tasty appetizers whose portion sizes were significant these were definitely on the small side and left me a little dissappointed.
Truffle Frites: I am a hugh fan of anything truffle oil and had to try the truffle fries. They were very good but as noted by the others a little on the soggy side. I would have liked to have seen them baked and presented on a plate rather then sitting in truffle oil in a basket. With that said they didn't last long and were quickly eaten.
I moved to Massachusetts about a year ago for a job and have been teaching at a college in Worcester since January. Â The area really hasn't impressed me at all, but this place along with a couple of other places on Main St. are definitely my go-to places for food and drinks and this place will probably become one of them.
One of my colleagues had suggested this place to me and I went here last Friday for lunch as an end to a week-long orientation for the new faculty members and was pleasantly surprised to be in a place that had a nice ambiance and food selection.
There were about 10 of us and we were seated right away because it was lunch hour, and I'm guessing this place is more poppin' at night. There was a good selection of hot and cold "sandwitches" and pizzas. Â The pizzas were a good size, and should probably have been split between at least two people, and the sandwitches were delicious...I had "The Exotic" which was one of their lamb sandwitches.
Our food was a little slow in coming out but the waiter apologized saying it was just busier than usual for lunch time. I did have to ask for the drink menu, but then again, it was 12:30 in the afternoon on a school day, so maybe that was a little odd? Haha!
Their drink menu included wines, cocktails and $5 martinis!!! I had something called "XRated" which was on the fruitier side, and the lycheetini at the waiter's suggestion, which was much stronger than I anticipated, but still very good. You can't beat a $5 martini!
Food was great, and service overall was really good. Though I might be slightly biased because I thought the waiter was really cute!
I'm actually planning on going back here in a couple days for a lunch meeting, and my other colleagues want to come back in a couple weeks to celebrate the end of the semester. Â I'm looking forward to trying the other things on the menu!
Came up to visit from Atlanta and after walking in I can easily see this place in Midtown, a part of the city that is trendy. Â Â
The pesto Pizza I had was not only beautiful but extremely tasty. Â I also had the Caesar salad. Â I prefer not to have anchovies on my caesar but that is how upscale places serve it.
I am a little biased because I have seen this place change faces from the days of Walshy's so for WORCESTER I give it 5 stars. Â
Worcester desperately needed some downtown help and this place is great start. Maybe someday downtown will become vibrant and classy.
I was looking forward to trying a new Worcester restaurant and a unique menu. Boy was I disappointed!!! The service was terrible...45 minutes to bring out a cup of soup??? And the soup wasn't that good! We ordered some tapas for the table and barely touched it. The food was cold and sounded much better than it tasted.
When we mentioned the slow service, instead of apologizing, the waitress became defensive and rude. We won't be returning.
I tried Ritual again last night. Â It was a slow night and we sat at the bar. Â The drinks were great and the bartenders were really nice. Â The food again was just ok. Â We started with the spanakopita. Â It was pretty good, but a fairly small portion. Â I got the pesto chicken pizza after hearing good things about the pizza. Â It was so charred on the bottom and sides that most was inedible. Â So the amount of pizza I actually got for the price was not worth it. Â
I'll go back for drinks but probably not for food at this point.
Lunch yesterday....got there a little early so got to sit right in the big open window spot (unfortunately it was a little too cool for them so they got closed)....big and dark and red is the feeling, very attractive, drinks were good (my dirty martini wasn't) and food very interesting, I had to try some of the different apps they offered so we had bacon with chocolate and pistachios (yummy) and a cheese-steak  dip (very good...I had the burger which was excellent, cooked as I asked and with whatever toppings you want (bacon and blue cheese) wife had the medusa, a sort of steak and cheese sandwich, very good, waiter was pleasant and they even put a bottle of water on your table.  nice experience!
Review Source:New bar and restaurant in Worcester.
Food and drinks are great. Â Menu includese $5 and $7 mixed drinks, and some unique appetizers. Â Entrees are pricey but good.
I've only had BBQ Chicken Pizza but was good.
Service - first time, really good. Second time, was okay. Â Slower service (it wasn't that busy) but friendly service.
EDIT: I have a suspicion that the only real reviews on this place are mine and Bill's. Â The other people just joined in March (when this restaurant opened) and have exactly 1-2 reviews each (to make them appear legit)....just saying. Owners should not be posting their own reviews.***Subtracting one star for that****
EDIT 2: Â I flagged those other reviews, and 3 have been filtered due to questionable sources. Exactly.
Very good new restaurant in Worcester. Nicely done. This is exactly the type of establishment DT Worcester needs. I sure hope it survives..DT Worcester is a bit tough on businesses. Â This place has very nice higher class and ancient greek themed (decor) restaurant. Â Pretty interesting actually. Â The Food is good, and seems to be very promising. Â I am going to share this will my coworkers. Â To Bill below.. you were there on the night of Elton John (me too)..what do you expect? Â Every restaurant was packed to the hilt. I was across the street at the Irish Times and couldn't even get served. Â Had to walk 5 blocks from here to find something that wasn't absolutely crazy. Â Your review seems unfair and a little spiteful . I don't value it at all. Â I found out today, it's only been open for about three weeks too. Â I have asked her to provide me for paper menus to bring to work. I may use them for catering some meetings. Â They didn't even have paper menus printed yet. Â So as a first impression..pretty darn nice. Looking forward to their growth.
It would have been the perfect night  except for our experience in this so called food establishment. We were waiting in line to start and a young lady attempting to look stylish in New York Glasses (in Worcester) said rudely This line is for reservations only; and started to seat the couple behind us when I said Excuse me we do have reservations she stated oh well "why did you not say so...i would have walked out but getting a bite to eat with a concert going on would have been impossible. I had pasta that was soggy and overcooked, my wife had chicken that was dry.  the only good thing was the espresso but that does not make it worth going back..stay away stay far away.
Edit to MM above mind your own business the establishment is horrible; deal with it ...You should value my reviews because they are honest, I call them as I see them and in this economy it is my duty to make sure customers know what they are getting if I enter an establishment...
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
