The USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year 2025 list, published today, features 45 restaurants that that run the gamut from glamorous, high-end culinary powerhouses to humble local joints with amazing food.
The list was compiled by USA TODAY Network food journalists from across the country, who joined forces to share their favorite eateries: The ones where they themselves love to eat, and which they recommend to others.
Bocado Tapas Wine Bar in Worcester, nestled in the city’s bustling Canal District, was one of the restaurants that made the list, but Central Mass. has more than a few local eateries that could have made the list. Here are five of our favorites.
Baba Sushi, Worcester
The sashimi plates at Baba Sushi in Worcester are beautiful (and delicious!) works of art.
309 Park Ave, Worcester; (508) 752-8822, babasushi.comTake a deep love of the rich tradition of sushi, add a blast of creativity and an urge to create something new, and throw in a dollop of theatricality and panache, and you have Worcester’s Baba Sushi. The creation of restaurateur and past winner of the Worcester Best Chef competition Wilson Wang, Baba specializes in sushi plates which are literal pieces of art: So beautiful that you almost don’t want to eat them. But you will, because they taste amazing.
Book your reservation now on OpenTable
For many, the best place to start exploring the menu is the restaurant’s famous “oyster shooter,” which features fresh local oyster in yuzu citrus sauce with a dash of Tabasco, black caviar, scallions & a raw quail egg. From there, the menu is a virtual “choose your own adventure,” although the cucumber sashimi ― shiro maguro, tuna, salmon, and Alaskan king crab rolled in hand-sliced cucumber wrap, topped with mango salsa & black caviar ― and the lobster tail tempura ― with cream cheese, greens, wrapped in sesame soy, topped with spicy crab stick, kabayaki and chili sauce and tempura crunch ― remain local favorites, especially when paired with a craft cocktail such as the Empress of Illusion or the Japanese Maple Twist. (Note: Baba also has sister restaurants in Sturbridge and Bristol, Rhode Island.)
How many have you been to? Check out USA TODAY’s 2025 Restaurants of the Year.
Brady’s, Leominster
Bill Brady is the chef and owner of Brady’s in Leominster.
37 Mechanic St, Leominster; (978) 537-7111, chefbradys.comThere are reasons why chef Bill Brady was named “Restaurateur of the Year” in 2024 by the The Massachusetts Restaurant Association. His unassuming Leominster Restaurant has an instantly homey and comfortable vibe, but it also lives up to its self-described claim of serving, “chef inspired cuisine.” The food is indisputably fine dining, but the atmosphere and service have a way of making you feel like you’re in a loved one’s dining room, although few people have grandmas serving Veal Milanese: a crispy, 16 ounce bone-in chop, topped with local greens in citrus vinaigrette, served with a side of saffron risotto. However, if you’re in a more casual mood, you can stop at the adjoining Bar 37, which sports a speakeasy theme, complete with hidden doors. It’s a great place to grab a cocktail and a Brady’s Burger, featuring your choice of 8 ounces of pure beef, deep-fried Southern-style chicken, or black bean burger. (Note: At this time, reservations are mandatory to get a table at Brady’s.)
How we did it: Inside look at how USA TODAY chose its Restaurants of the Year for 2025
Chashu Ramen + Izakaya, Worcester
Owners Tam Le and Son Vo inside their restaurant, Chashu Ramen +Izakaya.
38 Franklin St., Worcester; (508) 304-7183, chashuramen.com
How delicious can a bowl of ramen be? You can find the answer at Worcester’s Chashu Ramen + Izakaya. In a few short years, this purveyor of “modern Asian cuisine” has become a downtown hotspot, and amazing ramen has been at the center of that success.
A bowl of ramen at Chashu Ramen + Izakaya.
Whether you want it with chicken broth, pork broth or no broth at all, owners Tam Le and Son Vo have managed to transform the humble noodle dish into something fantastic, with tasty variations including hiyashi chuka — featuring santaka tare, Cajun shrimp, soy marinated egg, beer braised spinach, fried shallots and scallions — and the spicy bulgogi beef, with santaka tare, sautéed filet slices and onions, spicy butter, bulgogi sauce, fried shallots, scallions, sesame and chili oil. Other favorite offerings include a full sushi menu, the lunchtime favorite “Korean Fried Chicken” sandwich, and a much hallowed espresso martini, the “Kohi Martini.”
Book your reservation now on OpenTable
See last year’s list: USA TODAY’s 2024 Restaurants of the Year.
Fatima’s Café, Worcester
Fatima’s Cafe owners Omai Issa and Fatima Mohamed.
43 W. Boylston St., Worcester; (508) 762-9797, fatimascafe.com
You don’t need to take out a second mortgage to get great meals, especially in Worcester. There are still numerous smaller eateries with food that blows away some of the more ostentatious upscale hipster hangouts. Fatima’s Café, in an unassuming little building on West Boylston Street, is somewhere near the top of the list. Owners Fatima Mohamed and Omai Issa are two of the friendliest, most welcoming people in the local restaurant community, and Mohamed’s handmade African stews — beef, chicken, goat and numerous vegetarian options — served on either chapati or Somali anjero bread remains one of the absolute best and most-comforting bites around.
Suzette Creperie & Café, Worcester
Jean-luc Wittner is the owner of Suzette Creperie.
126 Water St, Worcester; (508) 304-6057, suzettecreperie.com
A restaurant that pretty much only sells crepes? You’d be forgiven for finding the idea credulous. But when you step into the cozy Water Street restaurant — a space that was once the home to Worcester’s iconic Weintraub’s Jewish Deli — you’ll likely become a believer. With a wide range of sweet and savory crepe options, enough to suit just about any palate, chef and owner Jean-Luc Wittner has even managed to have gluten-free and vegan options available. This versatility has made Suzette Creperie a success, and has birthed a sideline business in pre-prepared take-home frozen French dinners and a forthcoming second location in Northampton.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
See the entire list of USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year 2025 here:
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Five Central Mass. restaurants we wish made USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year
