What a difference! The food has improved, along with the atmosphere. It's actually a pleasure to go here now. The owners are very accommodating and hospitable, which is a great change from the bad attitude of the previous owner. read more

Food very good . Portions large. Service attentive and friendly. Prices great! Cozy restaurant

I love it hers, very quaint. The food is delicious, had a bad meal. The service is excellent and the owner has come over to our table almost every time to check on our meals and has a conversation with us. read more

Food, service, owner amazing! This restaurant is the hidden gem of Worcester. The food was absolutely delicious, with huge portions and great prices. Service was great! The owner, Dave, was everywhere. Visiting each table and bar customer. Do yourself a favor, and make Lascala your new favorite restaurant. read more

Nothing amazing about this place, but nothing to complain about. I can see myself coming back here again for the cozy and clean atmosphere, but I doubt it will be something I get a craving for. La Scala has been around forever but they are constantly updating the décor and adding things like a patio. La Scala is also a famous restaurant in Beverly Hills and while Shrewsbury Street is about as far from Beverly Hills as one can get, I have to admit the atmosphere is warm and cozy and as tight as the space is, they do a good job of making it feel open and airy. (high ceilings and exposed brick help). The food was mediocre. Lots of bagged and canned ingredients. The olives in the salads were canned (tasteless) black olives vs. the brined fresh variety. The salad seemed the pre-chopped bagged salad you'd find at the supermarket. The sauce was a typical American-style Red Sauce. Slightly acidic but very typical. Pasta seemed boxed and was not cooked to al dente. No points off there, this is an Italian-American joint vs. Italy-Italian joint. You will be taking food home ... the pasta dishes come in bowl/plates that would feed a table in Italy! Salads are literally a mound so big, a midget could ski down it. You won't leave hungry! Their drink selection is great at the bar. They have plenty of alternative draft beers/bottles for those who are not fans of boring old Bud Light. Props for having Peroni on draft ... I believe they are the only Worcester bar who has Peroni on tap! It's so much better than bottled Peroni. The drinks were also very potent and wine pours were amazingly generous. (although the wine selection was meh ...) Also, they serve homemade tripe! Not to everyone's taste (although if you didn't know what it was made of, you'd probably like it if you tried it) This is something you don't find anywhere else in Worcester. Bottom line ... if you are looking for good ol' fashioned Italian-American food ... red sauce and Sunday gravy ... this is your spot! If you are looking for fresher ingredients and slightly fancier food, there are other options on Shrewsbury Street. I know 3 stars doesn't look like a great rating, but it's actually above average, which I'd say is right on the money. I had no problems at all with La Scala ... I just wasn't blown away by the food. Seemed more about the portion size than the quality but the inviting atmosphere makes up for it. Don't judge a book by its cover ... the inside of the restaurant is much warmer and nicer than the outside which looks more like an office building than a restaurant. read more

Excellent service. We never had to wait for anything - it was awesome! Our shrimp scampi came out of the kitchen within 15 min! We got the caprese salad (generous portion), shrimp scampi (great taste, good portion), and spumoni to finish it off. Everything was wonderful - I can't wait to go back and try their other dishes. read more

La Scala - Shrimp Scampi - Italian Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

So disappointed! Don't waste your money on this place. Fake Italian taste! Go to Mare y monti instead!

Four of us had a 7pm reservation on Saturday. Place is 'cozy', seats max 35/40 people and is noisy enough you can't hear your dining companions. Salads are HUGE and tasty, whether a side salad or small antipasto (essentially side salad is with some meat, cheese, and peppers), one can easily feed 4 people. Dressing is nothing special- lite on seasoning but easily remedied with salt and pepper. Entrees: 2 of us had The Godfather (layered chicken, sausage and eggplant parmigiana). Lots of tasty sauce, enormous portion. Chicken was rubbery though. Also tried Veal Marsala and Veal Parmesan. Both good, not great. At least Veal was way more tender than chicken. Prices are reasonable and service was pleasant if not overextended (multiple requests for water, etc.) read more

Enjoyed our dinner here. Saw in a previous review that they offer a dinner-for-two deal on Tuesdays, so we decided to try it. I enjoyed the chicken a la vodka a little more than my wife enjoyed her haddock, but both were good. Nice portions. Friendly staff. Good atmosphere. I'd go back again. read more

Went for the family style meal on Weds night to celebrate the end of 2016. Most of us had the week off for the holidays. We put in a reservation a week in advance since there were 14 of us. We were served chicken (white and dark meat), french fries, salad, and pasta with sauce. The chicken had good flavor, the french fries were great when hot. I came late so the first order got cold. The salad was great w lots of fixings in it. The pasta needed to be cooked more so I did ask and they did cook it up to el dente and still could have been cooked a little more. We got cannoli and spumoni for dessert. Overall it was OK but I'm not sure I'd go back. It was basic. Nice company. read more

Happened to go here on a Thursday around 6pm, which happened to be quite fortunate as it was relatively empty and because they have all you can eat pasta and salad on Thursdays. We had the Chef's special sauce, which tonight happened to be a simply amazing pink sauce, with sausage and meatball for myself and my friend respectively. The waitress was friendly and the service was impeccable. The food was excellent I only wish I could've eaten more, I'll have to prepare myself for the next all you can eat trip there. read more

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Nice restaurant and staff but not authentic Italian. This is an Italian inspired American restaurant. To start, there are no true aperitivo on the menu except Prosecco. The bread was good but seemed more American style than Italian. I wanted to order pasta fagioli but it was made with chicken stock which is not typical so I didn't order. I got linguine instead. You can tell the cooks and wait staff aren't very familiar with Italian culture. The linguine was broken into small pieces. And the pomodoro was referred to as "red sauce". I got bruschetta which was good. After dinner I wanted an espresso but they don't have an espresso machine. It's a great restaurant; friendly, clean, huge portions, they listen to orders, and good service. But if you're looking for true authentic Italian like your Nonni used to make you, this isn't it. But I will say, I think mostly everyone will enjoy this restaurant. I know I'm in the minority with my expectations. read more

La Scala - Bruschetta - Italian Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

Excellent food, excellent service. Our favorite place in Worcester! Highly recommend

I came out tonight with the folks because Pops was craving spaghetti and meatballs. You get bread and seasoned oil at the get-go, which is a nice touch. I showed up a little late, and when I got there, mom explained the antipasti salad. She was planning on ordering for dinner but was ready to share. I ordered eggplant parm and Dad ordered his penne and meatball and added one meatball. He was serious. We received our food, and I took a bite of my eggplant parm and linguini while it was still hot. Spot on. Perfectly cooked pasta with a breaded eggplant cutlet that had tons of flavor. I turned my attention to the antipasti salad. The salad was perfectly dressed, full of fresh veggies, the perfect amount of protein (including sliced sausage, which was a great touch). Mom added chicken because she knew she'd be sharing, and the chicken portion was pretty good. I didn't have a cocktail, but next time I will. They have a few signatures listed on the wall menu, and a chalkboard with some specials. It's a little easy to miss from the outside, but on the inside I experienced great service, fresh, hot, delicious food, and great atmosphere. I will definitely be back. read more

We are regulars at La Scala and it's always outstanding! Last night was no exception and the pistachio salmon special was fantastic. Great service, fresh ingredients, welcome atmosphere, and nice hosts - what more can you want. We just love the place! read more

Got the "Saprano" one of the best Italian dishes I've had. Service was ok. Good pricing comparatively

went on a Tuesday 2-1 deal!! loved it went on a date with a friend. we had caprese salad to share bread with olive oil 2 chicken parm and a ice cream for desert. all for this great deal. sorry I didn't take pictures :( next. check their deals Monday thru Thursday read more

Cute and intimate, I'd bring a date here. Full bar, bread with olive oil, friendly staff, quality food. It was a Sunday when I went, so we had to choose from the Sunday menu, but everything sounded amazing. We went for the pizza because the price was just too good. The margherita and vegetable pizzas were both rustic and delicious, with the perfect thinness of the crust. My friend had her 5 month-old baby with her, and she hesitated when she saw how classy it looked inside La Scala, preferring to go to a more casual and more spacious setting in case the baby got fussy later. But the waitstaff was so inviting and made us feel very welcomed. They even seemed entertained by the baby. I never really noticed this place among all the other loud restaurant signs on Shrewsbury street, esp when it comes to Italian food, and I only came here because my friend had either a groupon or livingsocial deal. It was hard to find the restaurant, because the sign is kind of small and hard to make out, at least I thought it was. In any case, I may have developed this image of La Scala as the underdog of Shrewsbury Street restaurants because they don't seem cocky and pretentious like the rest, but I genuinely liked my overall experience here and I just hope they continue to do really well! read more

My search for a great local Italian restaurant continues. Although the gal bringing the bread and water was very sweet, the server was almost rude. When I asked for a knife (mine was taken with the appetizer plate), she took her time to get one, and handed it to me. She couldn't be bothered to be sure to actually had it-- no eye contact, not one word, and it was nearly dropped. That was just one of many things to share. Just very strange. There are so many places to go, there is no reason to go back. The food was okay, but not great. The atmosphere was diner-like, but the prices were high. Large portions were served-- but not of meats and veggies-- lots of pasta. Pasta was from a box-- and not a good brand. Disappointing all the way around. read more

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Went there last night for dinner. The service was good, food was great. Would def. go back again. Small restaurant so plan ahead might be a wait. read more

Was looking for a nice late night meal on Shrewsbury St w the hubby last night and we found this gem we sat outside under the moonlit sky and dined on the most delicious Italian meal I've ever had. I splurged on the Pesto Gnocchi with chicken and he had the shrimp scampi. Absolutely HUGE portions and SUCH good value. The food was flavorful, fresh and extremely delicious - like something out of a kitchen on the streets of Rome. The chocolate chip cannoli at the end was THE ICING on the cake- most delicious and savory as cannoli should be. Service was fantastic , and the bill was fair. I would come back here Any time . read more

La Scala - Pesto Gnocchi & Shrimp Scampi - Italian Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

Hands down best Italian in Worcester. The antipasto salad is amazing and the pasta dishes never disappoint. My husband loves the veal! Our monthly date night spot! read more

We were an elderly couple n refused an umbrella Table because we were only two people n wanted to seat us in the sun 84 degrees all umbrella tables were empty owner should b more customer friendly won t go back he could feel free to have a response my e mail ccfagan@charter.net read more

Had a gift card so tried it out, so glad we did! Food was delicious, portions were huge, service was friendly and timely. Can't beat the 2-for-1 Tuesday deal (1 appetizer or 2 soup/salad, 2 entrees, and 1 dessert for $30!) read more

La Scala - Eggplant Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

Came here with my dad last week. Food was delicious! We ordered their signature antipasto with Italian sausage on top. We had a small to split between the two of us and there was more than enough for a starter. We then ordered their muscles in white wine sauce. Fantastic! A huge bowl was put in front of us. The only problem was a lack of room at the table for two! We finally ordered the penne a la vodka with chicken. They brought out a HUGE portion! Glad we both chose to split it! We even ended up taking some home! With everything being so delicious, we both have been craving it ever since! Especially the antipasto! Only downside is that they are closed on Sundays. That just means we need to plan ahead!! read more

My boyfriend and I ate here on Saturday for Valentine's Day. We originally started at a Mexican place down the street named Mezcal but it was a two hour wait and I was hungry and in need of a drink. We sauntered in to this place and were decently happy with the outcome. The place is very small with only about 10 tables and a 10 person bar. We were told 30-35 minutes for the wait for a table for 2, but it ended up being an hour. We enjoyed some very strong mixed drinks for only $6 each while we waited for our table. The bartender could have been a bit more social and friendly but oh well. After we were seated, it took about 5 minutes for the waitress to notice us and take our drink order. I don't think she cracked a smile the whole time we were there. The caesar salad ($8) was plenty big enough to share and was delicious. We waited a bit too long for our entrees (about 30-35 minutes). I had the Pesto Gnocchi with Chicken and the pesto sauce was good but very strong, so only order this if you love the stuff. My boyfriend had the Surf & Turf- Porterhouse steak and stuffed shrimp with garlic spinach. He said it was "ok". After a slice of great peanut butter chocolate cake, our bill came to about $72, which was reasonable for the food and drinks that we consumed. Would we go back? Sure. read more

Appetizers are better than the dinners we got but would return and try other things on the menu! Definitely recommend the fried mozzarella & steak & cheese rolls read more

Went to La Scala on Halloween for dinner. First let me say that my boyfriend is a strict vegetarian. I had noticed many meatless menu options on their online menu but he was a bit nervous still, so I called the restaurant. One of the chefs answered the phone and told me that his red sauce never has any meat and that anything that appears to be meatless on the menu absolutely is! So if you happen to be a vegetarian, you are in luck here! We were seated right away and immediately offered drinks, including their cute Halloween cocktail specials. I had the "Caspertini" and my bf had the "Witches Brew". Both quite delicious and good sized! Bread with a dipping oil came out right away as well and even though we didn't need a 2nd basket of bread, that immediately followed when our 1st basket was empty. We ordered this yummy salad to split. Thank goodness we decided to split it because it was HUGE! This salad could have been a full entree for both of us! It had apples, cranberries, cheese, walnuts (or were they pecans? I forget) and a great light dressing. So good! He ordered the eggplant parm, which came with linguini, and said it was very good. I ordered the porterhouse with garlicky spinach and roasted potatoes. Steak was good, not great, but the sides were a wonderful garlicky yumminess. Both entrees were so large that we both had half to bring home for the next day. We finished the night with a piece of chocolate raspberry ganache cake. Overall for 4 cocktails, the large salad, 2 huge entrees, and dessert our bill was around $85 or $90. We both thought that that was quite reasonable considering all we ordered. Overall a great evening out. We will definitely be back to La Scala! So glad we found this little gem! read more

Went to dinner on a Friday evening with my wife, 2 sisters and their husbands. Coworker' s said this was the best Italian food in Worcester, and we were pleasantly surprised, everyone loved their meals as well as salads, as a matter of fact, my sis commented that the salad was a meal in itself! I had veal,artichoke hearts and cherry people's on home made curly pasta, very good. We will definitely be heading back :-) read more

Last night seven of us went to La Scala for dinner to celebrate my mother's 90th birthday. None of us had ever been there and we were very pleasantly surprised. Everybody was extremely friendly, our waitress, Alyssa was so attentive, efficient and sweet. The food was delicious and very reasonably priced. My mother is extremely picky about her Manhattan drinks and she said it was the best she ever had. The bartender (didn't get his name), also kept checking in to make sure we were good with beverages. Overall excellent experience, we will definitely return!!! Thank you, La Scala! read more

We chose to go out to dinner in Worcester as a half way point to get family together from MA and CT. We found this restaurant online and made a reservation for 8 people. When we arrived we realized we somehow made a reservation for the La Scala restaurant in Indiana! We were sure that with a party of 8 on a Saturday night that we would never get a seat in this restaurant since it was so small. However, the staff there was extremely helpful and friendly and were able to accommodate us. We sat down right away and ordered the antipasto and a pizza for an appetizer, followed by dinner. The food was unbelievable! Our waitress was very attentive and friendly. We had brought in our own small birthday cake and they took it out back and plated it for us on chocolate drizzled dishes. A wonderful experience and you can't beat the price. I am definitely going to come back here! I would recommend making a reservation and make sure you have the correct location when you do :) read more

Always one of our favorite places to eat . Never disappointed. Extremely large portions , always very tasty , Service is excellent. We just went this weekend and I ordered The Godfather. Chicken cutlets layered with grilled sausage and eggplant parm over ziti was very filling and delicious. My wife had the salmon with broccoli and loved it . We will keep going back , very friendly and comfortable. Prices are very modest for the portions , taste and service you get . BRAVO LaScalla read more

I was given a recommendation from an executive at St Vincent's. I was in town from Wisconsin and asked his opinion for a good restaurant. I ordered the Thursday night special: a antipasto salad and pizza for $19.00. I asked the bartender if it was too much for one person he said yes it really was but he would put the dressing on the side if the salad so I could take the rest back to the hotel room. The salad came and it was massive, served on a 12 * 12 plate and probably 5 inches high full if mortedella, salami, cappoccala, prosciutto and vegetables. The house made dressing was fantastic. I ate a 1/4 of it then the pizza came, probably 12*6. It was also excellent. The bartender was excellent as well as the waitstaff. They all conversed with me and very pleasant read more

So this place is (or was) a place where everybody went to get their antipasto with sausage. They always made the best salad which was served in a massive portion for cheap cheap cheap! So we went on Valentines Day in the mid afternoon (only dipshits go out that evening to get a limited menu.....here's the thing about La Scala.....it sucks, $1.50 for 2 pieces of ice cold bread, the place was 15 degrees colder than comfortable, the waitress served two cups of cold soup, the soup was essentially flavorless after they microwaved it.....the antipasto is still good but it's not nearly as good as it used to be. The cold cuts are practically minced and the sausage is cut into 1/4 inch strips and overcooked! The cheap owner didn't put the heat on and we heard two other couples complaining. It's a shame that this place is bad now..... read more

Visited La Scala for my first time this past Saturday. Such a cute place! The inside is quite small though and the bar barely accommodated our party of seven for a pre-dinner cocktail but we didn't mind. We had reservations outside and the outside dining is great. I had the seafood paella which was one of the best meals I've had in ages. Tons of seafood over a perfectly cooked risotto. Another person in our party had the seafood fra diavlo which I'm definitely trying next as it was HUGE. the other dishes ordered didn't look as good though and my companions weren't impressed. The chicken broccoli was dry and had no sauce at all and the chicken Marsala was bland. But mine was great and id definitely recommend!!! read more

Only had dessert tonight. It was lovely. I had Oreo ice-cream cake and my partner cannoli. The special coffee with white chocolate and other things was delightful. Looking forward to going back for a full meal next time. I was salivating when i looked on others' plates. The waitress was delightful and friendly. read more

Really?! No one has reviewed La Scala yet? Something is sorely amiss here... While I will now and forever be a transplant from Boston, I'm doing my best to sample the local cuisine and find some diamonds in the rough (emphasis on "rough", this is Worcester after all). When my boyfriend's parents came to visit, I scrambled to find a place that would show a nicer side of my new hometown without breaking the bank, and La Scala was the end result. It being a Saturday night, we called ahead and reserved the last available table on the patio, which was both a good thing and a bad thing. On the one hand, the weather was perfect and eating Italian food outdoors is almost obligatory. But on the other, the one thing Worcester never ever lets you forget is that it is home to several major hospitals, and ambulances pass by every 5 minutes or so with sirens wailing. Honestly people, is it THAT hard to avoid injuring yourself long enough for us to finish a meal? Anyway, back to the food. We started with the Signature Sausage Antipasto, which may very well have contained an entire square-acre garden of food. It was quite literally a mountain of antipasto the likes of which i have never seen, and between the 4 of us we still couldn't finish it all (although we tried, because it was damn good). Next up was the main course: I got the Chicken La Scala, a delectable combination of thinly sliced chicken and eggplant in a sweet tomato sauce with mozzarella. While they may not have been reinventing the wheel here, the chicken and eggplant were both cooked perfectly (I won't even touch eggplant unless it's well done). The one disappointment of the evening was my boyfriend's dish: the Pesto Gnocchi . The gnocchi itself was fine, but the pesto was downright awful, it was like eating pureed broccoli rabe drowned in olive oil. Maybe there's a fan base for such things out there? To summarize: The antipasto and the chicken were great, avoid the pesto unless you like bitter greens, and get a couple bottles of wine to help you drown out the ambulance sirens if you eat outside. read more

We were fans of the former La Scala - best antipasto ever...but crowded, dark uninviting interior...we stopped going..heard was under new owner and have meant to try for years...finally today was our day! Fantastic Traditional antipasto (not a fan of the sausage..sorry!)...bread with oil and pepper flakes, drinks great (Sunday afternoon, at the bar with baseball game! Perfect!)...Owner was behind the bar and had a fantastic "chef" convo with him...he is passionate and his food shows his ardor...I am NOT a fan of red sauce (or gravy)...but with limited Sunday menu had to get Veal Parm...OMG...veal was fork tender, fried to perfection with homemade bread crumbs....and oh yes..the red sauce...was bright, clean and appropriate! Not overly tomato, nor overly cloyingly sweet, or oily...just PERFECT...I may convert from wine/butter/garlic/caper sauces to this red sauce...the place is small...sit at the bar it is roomy!...small tables and a couple of cozy booths...the outside seating area is awesome even if abutting a parking lot! You will be so captivated by the food you won't hear the ever present ambulances! I am happily awaiting my return...fear it may be a long wait for a seat...but I will wait...no problem! read more

We have become regulars. Never a bad meal or service. The vodka pasta is amazing and the salads are huge. Best value on Shrewsbury Street and beyond. read more

Awesome food, awesome price, awesome ambience. The workers were really friendly and accommodating