My wife and I stop at the B&W about 4-5 times a year, as it's on the way home from our doctor…read moreappt's in nearby Worcester. So, the last week of August, we had the chance to stop in for a late lunch while heading back home.
Consistently very good to great. Pizza's are fantastic. This stop we pasta'd ourselves. She having lasagna, and me, Ravioli and added seared scollops. We started with a shared cranberry, mandarin, feta and spinach salad, which was very, very good. I hope it stays on the menu for awhile.
The lasagna was very good, very cheesy, but my companion mentioned it had a few blackened, slightly burnt, edges, which she doesn't like. (Me, crunchy carbon is good in small amounts. I'm a farm boy, and you learned to eat anything as a kid. Just sayin') It also could have used a tad more spice or pepper for the ground beef in it, as maybe the various cheeses over-powered the meat flavor. My wife said she should have gotten an eggplant parmesan, or the ravioli, as she said she hasn't had her eggplant fix for the month. All in all, still had enough for a portion to take home. The B&W does give you big portions on most meals.
The Ravioli and sautéed scallops were excellent. (Truth be told: If I get pasta, it's often Ravioli.) Cheesy goodness, great ravioli's, nice marinara with a bit of a spice (no need for chili flakes, really), excellent scallops, and not the teeny little ones, either; nice plump medium sized. Had enough for a lunch's worth as takeout, too. Too bad my diet and diabetes doesn't allow for that much cheese more than once a month....
I often order a martini (gin/dry) with dinner, and I have always gotten a very good one here. No change in that this trip. Consistent B+ to A- drinks.
We often skip desserts, but they look great (you can see them in the display when you enter the restaurant.)
Service, often very good. Often I see older servers in the early afternoon, and Tom was on point. Thanks, Tom. That said, we all know, with some reviewers refusing to acknowledge, that restaurant help is extremely hard to find (Ya notice all the signs in the doors lately?), let alone train and then retain.
A good server works HARD. So sometimes a little slack may be warranted. Been there; done that. There is a difference between critique and criticism. Some reviewers should learn it. And those that don't want to tip; stay home. Don't be cheap *&^%#... Just my soap-box. The discussion between wages vs tipping is for another political or social page on reddit, imho.
Extra kudos to them for having restrooms with BOTH a paper towel dispenser and the air-dryer. Choice is wonderful.
Let's talk pricing. It's post Covid, and the world has changed. Most anything is no longer inexpensive. maintaining quality and portions is costly now, and You get what you pay for. Lasagna $16.99. Ravioloi and Scallops $38.99 (market price for the scallops). Cranberry Mandarin salad $13.99. Martini (Tangueray) $11.50. And as there is often a take-homes worth on the meal, I think the prices are on par.
Parking plenty, outdoor seating if you like that, with igloo's in the winter, clean restrooms, often not a lot of kids making noise, bar patrons often not hammered, it's a good family food stop.
We stopped on a Monday around 1pm, and that appeared to be the Seniors day of the week for them, so, they may prep or stock-up more common ordered foods ahead of time the elders tend to prefer. Just a data point to file away.
Also, they open at 11am, 7 days a week - they are probably the only full-fledged, sit-down restaurant with a 15 mile radius that does that.
The B&W maybe just short of an excellent rating for the years we've been going there (as always, YMMV), but as an all-around stop, and the limited alternative's within, say. 30-40 minutes, I 'm going with a solid good+. If there were half-stars, I would add that on.
2 Regular customers satisfied again.