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Not Your Average Joe's
Category: Restaurants American (Traditional) American (Traditional) [Edit]
291 Turnpike RoadWestborough, MA 01581
(508) 986-2350
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 11:30 am - 9 pm
Thu-Sat 11:30 am - 10 pm
Sun 12 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
42 reviews for Not Your Average Joe's
Review Highlights
"...chilled with oranges, sugar snap peas, carrots and crunchy..."
(in 3 reviews)
"I think that's a really nice touch."
(in 3 reviews)
"AWESOME foccacia bread and oil for starters."
(in 3 reviews)
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42 reviews in English
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Review from Ran D.
Bolton, MA
8/23/2011
Jason B. had me at $20 pitcher of Margaritas.
This place is a great value. Perfect for garbing drinks and apps at the bar. We split 3 apps for a meal, it was great. We're for sure coming back to do dinner.
Rhode Island calamari
a toss of arugula, oven-roasted tomatoes and banana peppers, over focaccia crostini with lemon caper tartar sauce 10.99
thai chicken lettuce wraps
served chilled with oranges, sugar snap peas, carrots and crunchy peanuts in a tangy sesame-ginger vinaigrette 8.99
crab cakes
pan-seared and drizzled with roasted red pepper aioli, with orange sesame vinaigrette dressed organic baby greens 10.99
Each dish was really fresh with creative takes on presentation. Don't miss the lettuce raps, their as good as anywhere. -
Review from Lindsay P.
Pepperell, MA
11/28/2011
Clean, neat, progressive menu, vegetarian options are clear, and there are quite a few!
I was impressed by the veggie menu items and how they showed alternatives to regular menu items so that they could be vegetarian. Nice touch!
The food was good. Bread was very good although they put cheese in teh oil without consulting if you want cheese in your oil. That was delicious for my family but sad for me since they took the oil with them.
I got the cranberry almond couscous and was slightly disappointed to find it filled (yes filled) with edamame. Not that this is not good and filling, it is, but ti wasn't on the menu as such and I really didn't want edamame in my couscous. I am wondering if I should've gotten the butternut squash couscous unless they put edamame in that too.
My biggest peeve is leaving substantive ingredients off the menu description.
Otherwise the rest of the family got burgers and not a speck was wasted.
The wait staff was ok. They could've been faster with the refills and not try to take orders when my mother was in the bathroom.
Average No. A few mistakes away from 4 stars though. -
Review from Timothy R.
Worcester, MA
8/27/2011
Sadly, average. On a good day.
I've been here twice. My latest encounter confirmed my suspicion that this restaurant is not up to par.
The menu is ecclectic American cuisine. However, I found my dish to be very underwhelming. I ordered the glazed salmon with asparagus and substituted roasted vegetables for the potato. The salmon was blah, the asparagus plain, the vegetables were a good variety but very oily. I found the small side of mango salsa to be the best part of my meal; surely not their intention.
Our waitress was relatively inattentive and given how slow the restaurant was at lunch time, this should not have been the case.
My friend ordered chicken fingers and fries, and this came as a hassle because it wasn't a dish on the menu, but both were offered separately. Yet, the menu stated something along the lines of "tell us what you want and we'll accomodate."
Sigh. -
Review from Angela B.
Hopkinton, MA
Updated - 1/20/2012
I am sad to have to write this.... but NYAJ- I think we need to break up. We went last night only to find mediocre service and freezing cold a/c blowing on us- when it is 15 degrees outside, really? I said something to the manager who basically told me to go &&*^$^*. Disappointing.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/21/2008
We've been here a few times. We had tried NYAJ when it was in Framingham but it was a terrible… Read more »
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Review from K C.
State College, PA
11/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Below average food. Average service. Not many choices. The salmon was bland. The flavors in the wonton was, well, unrefined, had very strong ginger overtones. Calamari was too bready. Sugar snap peas tasted dry.
The complimentary bread and the cheese-oil dip was tasty though. All in all... I am not going back there again -
Review from Elfie C.
Watertown, MA
1/4/2012
Food is only ok. We always love the bread. Most waitresses are good. One of the waitresses is terrible. We've had her twice and both times I am left wondering why management has kept her.
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Review from Nancy K.
Northborough, MA
12/19/2011 Seated via OpenTable
NYAJ does not disappoint. Great choice for large party with varied tastes because they truly have something for everyone. Works for families, but just as much fun for couples as well. Food is well above average for a chain restaurant, just innovative enough without being trendy.
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Review from Jason B.
Winchendon, MA
7/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
The margaritas are awesome and you can get 4-5 out of a pitcher for $20.
Chicken caesar is very good and the lemon garlic dressing makes it a bit different than the norm.
Food was pretty fresh and (in some cases) local. The service was friendly but not super fast. -
Review from James T.
Northborough, MA
11/5/2011
I went here on a Saturday night with 3 others after making a reservation through Opentable. When we got there, there was no where to sit while waiting, as they have only a few chairs to wait at and share the waiting area with their takeout business. After waiting 15-20 minutes we asked when we could expect to be seated, and were told that opentable reservations on get the next available table, they didn't actually hold a table for you... Not my experience with any other opentable restaurant.
The food was decent, craft beers were a plus for me but it was very, very noisy. Some dividing glass could help a lot. Overall, given the number of restaurants in the area, decent but not worth a second visit. -
Review from Valerie V.
Boston, MA
5/30/2011
Went to this NYAJ's before hitting a movie at the Westboro theatre. We sat in the bar and liked the atmosphere alot. Its pretty chill but also a little lively. Sort of what you expect to get in the bar area of a chain restaurant where people go to booze. Speaking of booze...the drinks are delightfully cheap! Maybe I have just been living in the city too long but I was impressed. I had a very strong skinny margarita for $6.99 and could have had a whole pitcher of it for $14.99.
The food was solid. No, it is certainly not going to change your culinary life, but it is way better than your usual chain. The selection is excellent too so if you're in a group, there is something for everyone. Last night we shared the Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps. They were good but I thought they needed some sort of sauce to finish the flavor. For my entree I had the Ahi Tuna special which was very good and also pretty light.
The service was excellent. When I wasn't sure about getting the skinny margarita (they are terrible some places!), the waitress offered to bring it and it would be on the house if I didn't like it. She was honest with her recommendations and quick with any requests.
I was absolutely recommend NYAJ's if you are in Westboro and want some nice drinks and solid food at a reasonable price. -
Review from Mike M.
Ashland, MA
3/14/2011
Very good meal for the four of us. We went on a Sunday night and it was pretty crowded.
They were running a wine special, $45-$50 bottles marked down to $27 and it was very good wine. I also had the monthly special beer, some honey dew ale that was pretty good, not overly sweet.
Between the four of us we got the mustard covered chicken, scallops, vietnamese salmon, and steak frites (special). The bread is also good to start, with oil over a LOT of cheese and spices for dipping. Good but a little too much cheese for the ratio.
All the dinners were very good, the red pepper sauce on the steak was very tasty. The scallops were good as well, with a LOT of israeli cous cous. The salmon was good, but the noodles weren't the best. The chicken is one of their name dishes that is good, although I have never ordered it.
The service was good up until the very end where it took forever to say we didn't want dessert and to get the check. No one left hungry at all, and very happy. -
Review from Crystal R.
Thompson, CT
10/8/2011
Great food, great service def a place to go check out. The older lady that seated us was so adorable and classy and a pleasure to chat with!
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Review from Steve R.
Framingham, MA
9/20/2011
Always enjoy my meals here. The food is modern and fresh. They have great pizza as well as great pasta dishes.
Definitely a great place to eat. -
Review from Kate G.
Plymouth, MA
9/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Always good food & friendly service!
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Review from Karen H.
Westborough, MA
9/9/2011
Great food, imaginative menu. I have eaten here many times, and everything has been terrific, especially the canneloni. Pizza amazingly good for a non pizza joint. Service is very good, the waitstaff know the menu well and are quick to offer a substitution if needed. The wine pairing suggestions are very good also.
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Review from Michael G.
Northborough, MA
After eating at Not Your Average Joe's I have quite a lot to say. For starters this was my first time eating here and I immediately noticed that the outside and inside of the restaurant looked great!
It had a very nice atmosphere and the colors were really nice. But beyond that, for dinner I ordered one of their variations of Fettucini Alfredo. It looked nice, and tasted okay. It wasn't anything to go crazy for but it was alright. I thought the chicken was really good though. The dessert was actually really good. I got the Cheesecake and I recommend it, because it was the best thing I had all night!
Next, the service. We went on a Wednesday night and it wasn't very busy at all. Though, it still took quite a while to get us drinks, but the entrees were delivered timely. The waitress was nice, but didn't check in as frequently as you would expect.
All in all, it was an OKAY dinner. The atmosphere was great, the food was okay, and the service was good. Put it all together, and I would could back again. -
Review from Jay E.
East Providence, RI
8/17/2011
I have eaten here one time and it lived up to the name, average food at best. Great atmosphere but the service and the food are sub par.
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Review from Chris C.
11/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
This officially my favorite chain restaurant. The food is always good, the drinks are good, interesting selection of beer/wine and good prices. They also have a lot of deals on a regular basis to bring the bill even lower.
Some of my favorites are the boneless wings, meatloaf, pork and pastas. One of the other nice things is that they will alter any option on the menu in pretty much anyway you ask if they have the right stuff in the kitchen. I think that's a really nice touch. The pizzas are also surprisingly good. -
Review from Jeremy F.
Shrewsbury, MA
1/14/2011
The most average NYAJ's I can imagine. Not bad, but not good either. A valiant effort at gluten-free hamburg buns but definitely dry and crumbly. Burger was literally just that: a bun, patty, token tomato and a scoop of potatoes.
Service was choppy and inconsistent. At times prompt and courteous, and at others we seemed to be an afterthought.
Wouldn't return. -
Review from Marlarissa M.
Auburn, MA
7/27/2011
A chain that has food that is fresh, healthy, with a dash of creativity? Heck yeah!
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Review from Chaz M.
Marlborough, MA
10/12/2011
I have to say I've been to Not Your Average Joe's many times and have almost never had a negative experience. I've been to this location maybe 5-6 times and I find the food always predictable... and I mean that in a good way. I enjoy the pizzas and burgers and apps. The salads are always fresh and a nice selection with a varied menu. The staff are always friendly and attentive. The bread they server with the oil and cheese is addictive (you need to pace yourself when eating it) I came to Joe's tonight after a partcularly bad experience at another restaurant and this restaurant turned a sour night around.. I am definitely a fan and come here if I'm looking for a casual restaurant with predictably good faire.
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Review from Jayde B.
Marlborough, MA
11/2/2010
I have to say this is one of the few chains I will eat at. I am loving this place more and more. Haven't ordered the same thing twice and haven't been disappointed once.
The bread and oil keep me coming back (though I wished they served the bread warm like they used to a few years ago). They have local seasonal specials which are wonderful and fresh and their main menu is always great as well. Something for everyone - even the picky eaters.
Steak tips, pasta primavera, pizza, rosemary scallops, enchiladas, tuna salad, haddock, turkey blt have all made wonderful impressions on my(our) mouth and stomach. :-) Yum! -
Review from Punit S.
Westborough, MA
7/11/2010 1 Check-in Here
Great outdoor patio for this location, didn't actually know that it was a chain restaurant at first but there's a good variety of food and drinks. AWESOME foccacia bread and oil for starters. Stuck to apps for this visit and had the Guacamole and Chips, tasted great and fresh, hate processed guac... Other times I have been, I had the veggie burger which was quite decent. Drinks here are moderately priced, good selection of beers - they have dos xx on tap, a rare find in this area!
Good place to meet with friends, will definitely be going back to this place. -
Review from Kalimuthu C.
Shrewsbury, MA
7/23/2011
I have been a great fan of Joe's creations. I like their bread and cheese dipping and could go on it forever....however I always had preference for their Steak Sirloins but for their mashed potatoes and mustart crusted chicken will keep me going to NYAJ.
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Review from Sean M.
Updated - 7/20/2009
3.421 Stars
For a chain they have some inventive and tasty dishes.
On a recent trip I sampled the Short Rib Stroganoff, very deconstructed presentation and a little heavy on the carrots and light on the shrooms still, a truly inspired dish. The de-boned rib meat was melt in your mouth consistency but had a nice beefy flavor. The Chicken Satay was also cleverly packaged with skewers stabbed into large chunks of pineapple, which I ate, I love pineapple. The chicken was well cooked and juicy, peanut sauce and the other sweet sauce served were a miss though. Crab Cake sliders were an over achiever and a tad heavy, almost a meal unto themselves.
* I am bumping this up...
*can't get past the fact that there is always a loooong wait for
slightly better than average food.
* cocktails read well on the menu, pictures look inviting, but always slightly disappointed in pour and quality.
* watch out bobbled blue hairs and cougars on the prowl at this location.Listed in: The Heart of Metro-West
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/2/2008 First to Review
This location used to be an Applebees, and I have to say NYAJ is an upgrade. They feature a wide… Read more »
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Review from Bethany B.
Worcester, MA
Updated - 12/4/2008
It's the Great Pumpkin Mole, Charlie Brown!
NYAJ's bestowed upon me a free albeit belated birthday gift of a free entree and dessert. With the expiration date of the offer fast approaching we high tailed it to NYAJ's to dine at blue hair time.
I tried a seasonal special of Pumpkin Mole Chicken with corn cakes and sauteed spinach with roasted tomatoes. The pepitas on top added a great crunch too. It was the best dish I have had at a chain restaurant in my LIFE. I was hesitant at first because I do not like traditional mole -- at all. Thankfully our sweet server, Chris F., brought me a sample of this mole so I could make an informed decision. We loved it! Then we had to decide who would get to order it. Well, it being MY birthday (5 months late but whatever) I won. Begrudgingly Hubby chose the Chicken Piccata. His meal was well executed too. There was a faint hint of mustard that actually worked in this version of piccata. We think it's funny that you taste mustard in the piccata but not the "famous" mustard chicken...but I digress.
So with an antsy babysitter at home we had our Peanut Butter thing to-go. It was delicious when I tried it after a jaunt to Boston. I would definitely order it again.
So, go, now, be off and try that Pumpkin Mole! and sign up for the website so that you too can have a free b-day dinner!Listed in: Date Night!!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/15/2008
We started an early date night here last week. Our server Eric was excellent.
We tried a local… Read more »
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Review from Jordan S.
Burlington, VT
4/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
I have to say my experience has been okay with NYAJ, but it wasn't spectacular. The food is decent, but pretty over priced for what you are getting. The food is not that fresh and simple orders were not well prepared. We had an order of steak tips that was quite bland and salads that were lack luster. They do offer margarita pitchers at a fair price, and they are pretty good too. The service can be hit or miss as well, I've been during off-peak hours and still had long waits before the wait staff returned with requests. Give it a shot if you like margaritas, but other than that you won't be very impressed.
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Review from T L.
Broward, FL
2/14/2011
Came here on vacation while visiting family! Pleasantly surprised! Everything was fabulous!
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Review from Len S.
Northborough, MA
4/25/2011
I've been twice. The food is descent and the service is fine but there are other places I'd rather spend the money. Both times I thoughtbthe food lacked flair.
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Review from Ruchika M.
Shrewsbury, MA
3/10/2010
I love the food here and the drinks!
They have a nice outside patio area (which overlooks the parking lot and fountainhead apartments). I have had the spring rolls with peanut sauce (my favorite), meatloaf (very delicious and filling), pizza (during happy hour only 3 bucks!).
Their mai tai's are out of this world. They actually squeeze oranges and use the juice to make it....so fresh and tasty! -
Review from Tasha T.
Boise, ID
8/1/2011
The bread was sooo good. I think it had rosemary in it, and the dipping oil had lots of garlic. I could have had that for dinner. My "Vietnamese salmon" entree was not so good. Maybe I just ordered a weak dish--what can we expect of an Asian-inspired fish dish at a chain restaurant? The salmon was dry and the noodles lacked flavor (even though the server said it would be spicy and there was a slice of jalapeno on the plate). Also, the noodles were broken up into small pieces, making them hard to eat. Others at the table seemed happy with their meals, and the service, wine and dessert were good. But based on my experience, it should be called "average Joe's." If I happen there again, I'll avoid the salmon.
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Review from kathy s.
Westborough, MA
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Review from Bella and Aleksey R.
Framingham, MA
4/3/2010
This place had so many different cuisines on the menu and it seemed to do them all very well. The prices were reasonable given that the portions are pretty generous. I had their seared tuna salad, which was very fresh and full of flavor. Their rolls and dipping sauce are so delicious. This reminds me of the Cheesecake Factory somewhat, but better and not as huge of a wait.
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Review from Chad N.
Westborough, MA
11/17/2008
My wife & I took our 2 kids (ages 4 & 2) here for a Sunday evening dinner. We were seated quickly and the atmosphere was nice. The food was high quality, and my wife & I enjoyed our salmon & flank stake entrees. The Asian chicken roll appetizer was excellent, as was the bread & oil dip they gave us to start the meal. The house salads we received with our entrees were very basic and not that great. The kids seemed to enjoy their pasta (we're always thankful when the pasta of choice is something other than spaghetti, which leads to terrible messes).
Our main issue was the service, which was SLOOOOWWW. Painfully slow. We made the mistake of ordering the kids' meals with the appetizer, figuring that that our entrees would not be far behind. They delivered these items together, and by the time we received our salads the kids had already finished their meals and were getting antsy. We could tell we were in trouble at that point. There were long delays between every portion of our meal, and by the time we received our entrees we were forced to rush through them. I don't think this was a kitchen issue as much as it was our server not understanding how to space the courses properly. She seemed to think she was doing us a favor by drawing things out, which was not the case. We were in the restaurant from 4:05-5:35. Not Your Average Joe's- please fix this! We want to visit you again, but you really need to improve the timing of your waitstaff. -
Review from Heather O.
Melrose, MA
3/9/2009
Had lunch with the ladies there over the weekend. Enjoyed the bread with Olive Oil and Parm/Romano cheese for dipping. My Chipolte Chicken Salad and ice tea were yummy. Refills on our soft drinks were delivered without asking. Reasonably priced bill of $35 for three lunches. (Isn't it amazing how much cheaper going out to eat is when you don't drink alcoholic beverages?) Will be back to try one of the other tempting salads and to score some more of that bread.
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Review from Martha U.
Worcester, MA
Updated - 11/17/2008
I did return for lunch; the service was much better. The salads were prepared the way we asked; portion sizes and prices just right.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/17/2008
We tried out Not Your Average Joe's tonight, knowing they had only recently opened. The menu… Read more »
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Review from Frank J.
Middlesex, MA
5/29/2011
Nice place. Good, fast service although it seemed like I got a bit of the bum's rush from the bartender. Had a very nice piece of fish cooked well, but everything I tried - including the sides and the salad - was just plain extremely bland. Caesar salad tasted like it had a milk dressing. Garlic mashed potatoes....well hell - I'm all for a low sodium diet, but how about a little seasoning here folks!?!
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Review from Jenn S.
3/16/2009
I went to this recently opened location on Saturday night for a friend's birthday. There were apparently 18 of us and the tables we were given were one long one for about 12 people and then another one right next to it for 6 people. So while the 6 of us didn't really get to talk to the other 12 people, we still had a great time catching up.
The host of the party ordered a bunch of appetizers and pitchers of sangria. I tasted a bit of the sangria - very good - and the buffalo wings and quesadilla were very good. I really enjoyed the mango salsa that came with both. And how can you not love the bread + dip?
For my meal, I ordered the Chopped Chicken Salad: romaine, kalamata olives, shredded chicken and vegetables, tossed with creamy sherry vinaigrette and sprinkled with feta cheese. I got it without olives and with the dressing on the side and REALLY enjoyed it. It was a great-looking and -tasting salad that was quite filling. My fiance got a burger and was not impressed - it was ok, but came with very few fries and 2 bottom buns! Someone else got the Super Burger and had a top & bottom bun, so it's not how it's usually done there. While the burgers weren't a huge hit, the other meals at my mini table were: the Mustard-Crusted Chicken (chicken breasts in a three mustard marinade, hand-breaded with panko bread crumbs and pan-seared, served with sautéed green beans and garlic mashed potatoes) and Rosemary Skewered Fresh Scallops (local sea scallops threaded on a rosemary skewer, drizzled with a zesty orange-chipotle chili glaze, served over a succotash of israeli cous cous, apple smoked bacon, sugar snap peas, tomatoes and portobello mushrooms) were 2 huge hits.
For dessert, we got a full cake of the Peanut Butter Thing: Joe's claim to fame - peanut butter and chocolate chunks folded into vanilla ice cream and rolled in oreo cookie crumbs, topped with fresh whipped cream and drizzled with hot chocolate and caramel sauces tableside. YUM YUM YUM. This was DIVINE.
The 2 waiters we had were very organized and accommodating - explaining how the ordering/delivery process of the food would go for such a large table (they did a full circle of the table and the first person to order was the first to get his food). The only major snag in the evening was when the fire alarm went off mid-meal. Everyone in the restaurant had to wait outside for about a half hour (luckily it wasn't TOO cold!!) - I hope no one walked away without paying. And they did generously compensate us for the inconvenience.
I also love that, aside from having every bit of nutritional information you could possibly want on the website, they have a few recipes - including the Peanut Butter Thing!
Although this location is not too close to me, I would go back if I was in the area. And I would recommend it.
Note: a few of us missed the entrance, as it's before the actual restaurant. So be on the lookout! -
Review from Dan D.
Northborough, MA
8/7/2009
High prices. They were out of desserts we wanted. Is this place opening up or shutting down. Way overcrowded, and if you want to drink, cozy up to the bar and spend $10 on an apple martini. But as far as food goes, skip it.
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Review from David G.
Westborough, MA
3/25/2010
Went out with friends last evening to NYAJ's "Winesday" promotion. The manager allowed us to choose from the entire menu of entrees rather than the more limited promotional choices. Our meals were very tasty and the service was very attentive. Definitely will be returning!
