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deadhorse hill

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A historic Worcester gem offering inventive New American cuisine in a rustic-chic atmosphere with exceptional brunch and special events.

Highlights

Must-see attractions

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From TikTok & Reddit

Best Time

Wed/Fri 18-21h

Blue hour photography, calmer galleries

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the dining room

deadhorse hill

Highlights

Highlights

Must-see attractions

A historic Worcester gem offering inventive New American cuisine in a rustic-chic atmosphere with exceptional brunch and special events.

"This restaurant was exceptional in every way - great ambience, friendly and welcoming, professional and thoughtful service, and best of all - beyond belief delicious food and drink."

TIP

Arrive early for no-reservation

No reservations taken, so arrive early or at opening hours to avoid potentially long waits.

Mimosa bottle service

For brunch, opt for mimosa bottle service with high-quality fruit juices and consider hibiscus limeade.

Third hero image

Quick Facts

Open·Closes 9PM

Cuisine

New American

Price

$$$

Phone

(774) 420-7107

Address

281 Main St, Worcester, MA 01608, USA

Insta-Factor

High

Highlights

Discover the most iconic attractions and experiences

Creative New American Cuisine

Creative New American Cuisine

Farm-to-table dishes with a fine-dining touch, featuring inventive creations like creamed herring and suckling pig croquettes.

12 Must-Visit Restaurants in Worcester, MassachusettsThe 11 best restaurants in Worcester
Upscale Yet Intimate Atmosphere

Upscale Yet Intimate Atmosphere

A rustic-chic dining room in a historic building, offering a cozy yet sophisticated ambiance with exposed brick and warm lighting.

Worcester Has Become A Goldmine For Good EatsGoogle Review
Exceptional Brunch Experience

Exceptional Brunch Experience

Indulge in a memorable brunch with imaginative choices, house-made pastries, and creative cocktails like hibiscus limeade.

Google Review
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Insider Tips

from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit

Arrive early for no-reservation

No reservations taken, so arrive early or at opening hours to avoid potentially long waits.

Mimosa bottle service

For brunch, opt for mimosa bottle service with high-quality fruit juices and consider hibiscus limeade.

Don't miss shareable plates

Shareable plates like duck fat home fries and maple sausage are highly recommended.

Plan for tasting events

Follow their social media for special tasting events, like the popular Feast of Seven Fishes.

Tips

from all over the internet

Arrive early for no-reservation

No reservations taken, so arrive early or at opening hours to avoid potentially long waits.

Mimosa bottle service

For brunch, opt for mimosa bottle service with high-quality fruit juices and consider hibiscus limeade.

Don't miss shareable plates

Shareable plates like duck fat home fries and maple sausage are highly recommended.

Plan for tasting events

Follow their social media for special tasting events, like the popular Feast of Seven Fishes.

What Travellers Say

4.6
(491k reviews)

Reviews Summary

Diners consistently praise deadhorse hill for its delicious, creatively prepared farm-to-table dishes and the upscale yet intimate atmosphere. The service is frequently highlighted as friendly and attentive, with staff going the extra mile. However, some guests have experienced long wait times, especially for dinner, and a few have noted issues with food preparation and overly dark ambiance.

"Boston area native’s first time dining in Worcester and I am so pleased, deadhorse hill was wonderful. The decor and interior vibes go well with the fantastically fresh and beautifully plated food and welcoming service.

Huge shoutout to our server Emily who made my birthday celebration extra special and took great care of us. She sent out an extra app for us to try as well as comped our dessert.

The food was phenomenal really but what stood out the most was the dessert, which was a soft serve ice cream and sorbet twist but not just any….grana padano (cheese) flavor soft serve ice cream and chocolate pear sorbet with a balsamic reduction drizzled over top. Now having that for my bday with a candle on it was too fun!

I can’t wait to come back here and try the new seasonal menu items as they rotate in."

Rachel Iacomini

"Food: their menu is selective with high-quality ingredients as well as a rotating schedule when visiting. Just wanted to try the oysters, and they picked these from Maine, which had a very saltwater taste but good meat size. I definitely would come back here to try other food options.
The drinks were fine, we got a Cosmo and espresso martini. I kinda expected a little bit more from it, but there’s nothing wrong with classic making.

Service: there is a 20% gratuity added on already when you start your bill. I think that’s great to make sure that the staff is paid, but I hope that the service is still up to part when that is installed. The bartenders were fine, there’s at least two of them going around making rounds to make sure we’re doing good.

Ambiance: it’s gives rather a sophistic way of going to a restaurant that follows certain protocols to make it unique as they only open for a certain days and hours. It’s rather dark inside, but that’s what gives it the nightly tune for dinner.

Location accommodation: they don’t take any reservations or do takeout. The parking around the area isn’t too bad if you can find side parking, but there is a parking lot right across"

V

"The food and service here were both excellent (huge shoutout to our server Willie for taking amazing care of us!), but the wait time was way too long. Our reservation was at 5:30 and we had a show at 7:00, and we didn’t get our food until 6:30. The restaurant was clearly not prepared for the level of people coming in.

For the food, the caesar salad was tasty—great size and good croutons. For our entrees, I would easily order any of them again. The risotto, burger, and scallops (listed in order of preference) were all delicious. I loved the apple in the risotto and that goat cheese was to die for. The burger was perfectly cooked with great pickles. The scallops went well with the grapefruit (love that combo!).

For the service, Willie checked in on us and gave us updates on how our food was coming. He felt bad for the wait and not only brought us additional fries, but also brought over some mango sorbet, which might have been my favorite of the 3 desserts (chocolate chip cookies were soft and warm by the way, and while I didn’t love the chocolate cake, the homemade whipped cream was very good). We were very appreciative of the info he gave us about dessert, so we were still able to order some and make the show on time.

For the atmosphere, it was definitely loud and after an hour, it got very warm (part of the reason the mango sorbet was so refreshing!). Tables and chairs were comfortable enough (the plate the burger came on was a bit small though).

Overall, the experience was a 4/5 because of the wait times, the noise, and the atmosphere, but the food and service were both clearly the highlights and would be the reason to bring me back… just maybe not before a show!"

Alex Issokson

What People Like

Inventive farm-to-table dishes
Attentive and friendly service
Cozy and upscale atmosphere

What People Dislike

Long wait times
Inconsistent food preparation
Dark ambiance

Frequently Asked Questions

No, deadhorse hill does not take reservations. It's recommended to arrive early or at opening hours to avoid long waits.

Google Review

Popular dishes include fresh oysters, creamed herring, rigatoni, the burger, and dishes from special events like the Feast of Seven Fishes.

Google Review+1

Yes, families are welcome, and the atmosphere is generally lively. Some reviewers have noted it can be loud.

Google Review+1

The restaurant offers a rustic-chic dining room with exposed brick, creating an upscale yet intimate atmosphere. It can be dimly lit and sometimes loud.

Google Review+2

Yes, deadhorse hill is known for its brunch. Popular items include pancakes, Shakshuka, and Chilaquiles, with options for mimosa bottle service.

Google Review

While not explicitly listed, reviewers have mentioned the kitchen being accommodating to dietary preferences, such as adding feta to dishes.

Google Review

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When deadhorse hill co-owner Sean Woods started renovating the space for the new Worcester restaurant and café, he stuck to the foundations. After hacking at the ceilings and walls of the 160-year-old space, Woods discovered the original ceilings of what was once the first floor of the Bay State House hotel: beautiful, black, ornate tin, hammered into tile patterns. The restaurant’s dedication to the history of Worcester extends beyond the ceilings — the name harkens back to the hill on which the restaurant sits, that wore out the horses that traveled through early Worcester.

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Chef Jared Forman has quite a resume: Per Se, Gramercy Tavern, and Momofuku Ssäm are among the legendary NYC restaurants where he worked before opening Deadhorse Hill in Worcester in 2016. There, you’ll find Forman’s fine-dining prowess on full display, albeit in unfussy, farm-to-table trappings fit for a decadent Sunday brunch of suckling pig croquettes with saffron aioli, creamed herring on toast with salmon roe and pickled onions, and lobster Benedict. 281 Main St., Worcester, 774-420-7107, deadhorsehill.com.

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The following day for brunch I finally tried one of Worcester’s most acclaimed restaurants, Deadhorse Hill, which uses seasonal, farm-fresh ingredients to make creative – yet accessible – dishes. The atmosphere was very welcoming, and even though it gets pretty crowded for brunch, we weren’t rushed at all. I had a hard time choosing my meal, so I ended up with two selections – a hearty yogurt bowl with granola and a buttery almond croissant on the side.

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Nestled in the heart of Worcester, Deadhorse Hill offers a tantalizing blend of culinary wonders with a side of urban charm. This quirky establishment beckons food enthusiasts with its inventive dishes, guaranteed to make your taste buds tango with joy. Prepare to embark on a whimsical journey through a menu that brilliantly combines tradition and innovation, leaving you wondering if those flavor explosions were actually fireworks in disguise.

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The farm-to-table strategy at Deadhorse Hill has made the restaurant one of the city’s most buzzed-about restaurants for years. With chef/owner Jared Forman running the show, Deadhorse Hill has consistently cranked out some of the city’s most delicious and ambitious dishes. The rotating menu does a fantastic job of taking simple concepts and elevating them, like with the “1/2 pound prime cheeseburger,” the rigatoni or the roasted cod.

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One restaurant that gets high enough marks to bring food lovers all the way from Boston is Deadhorse Hill (281 Main Street), a casual upscale dining spot in the heart of downtown that is currently offering takeout, prepared foods and meal kits as the pandemic continues. Housed in a former hotel, this restaurant focuses on New American fare and comfort food, while also offering a few top local beers and some classic cocktails.

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Feature: Worcester's Culinary Legacy: From The El Morocco to deadhorse hill

My mind races downtown to deadhorse hill, where just one week ago I was invited into the basement to observe the restaurant’s culinary team while they prepped their own baba ganoush hummus. They had employed the Zahav technique, blitzing lemon juice and garlic for balance before adding sesame-rich tahini. They had emulsified the fat with water and then blended their chickpeas into a state of utter smoothness.

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If you are looking to enjoy food in a place where you can chill with your family members and at the same time click a lot of pictures then do visit the Deadhorse Hill. This place is run by Chef Jared Forman who is associated with the restaurant since 2016. Children enjoy the burger that is made up of American cheese, bacon, red onion, and pickles and they use a special sauce on the bun.

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After a couple of rounds of Pac-Man, head a few blocks southwest for dinner at Deadhorse Hill. The rotating menu, which changes weekly, has been known to serve dishes inspired by Italy (like seafood carbonara); India (fried tikka masala cod); Jamaica (jerk chicken with pineapple hot sauce); northern Africa (ras el hanout lamb shoulder and couscous); and Mexico (wagyu steak with mole).

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Deadhorse Hill, which was once the Bay State House Hotel and headquarters of the Worcester Automobile Club in Worcester, is a chic-rustic restaurant that serves elevated American cuisine using seasonal ingredients from local farmers and fishers. It changes frequently and is dependent on what’s in season. The rustic and spacious dining room features a high ceiling and exposed bricks.

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Situated in downtown Worcester, Deadhorse Hill is a beacon of culinary innovation in the city. Led by Chef Jared Forman, the restaurant prides itself on using locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients to create dishes that are both familiar and inventive. The menu changes frequently to reflect the best produce available, ensuring a fresh and exciting dining experience with each visit.

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I don’t hide my belief that Deadhorse Hill is one of the best restaurants in Worcester and certainly one of my favorites. Chef Jared Foreman had worked at some of New York City’s best restaurants, including Gramercy Tavern, Momofuku, and the three Michelin-starred Per Se. So, when he and his wife decided to move north to her home state, New York’s loss became Worcester’s gain.

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Deadhorse Hill in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts is a must-visit for food lovers seeking a fine dining experience. Led by Chef Jared Forman, who has worked at renowned restaurants in NYC, this restaurant offers a unique and exciting culinary adventure. Indulge in dishes like the mouthwatering suckling pig croquettes and the flavorful creamed herring on toast.

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We are located in what used to be the first floor of the 'Bay State House' hotel which served as the headquarters for the Worcester Automobile Club, who held the Dead Horse Hill Climb from 1905-1911. The hotel itself was a prominent location for social, political, and business meetings, likely in part due to their world class restaurant.

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One popular spot is deadhorse hill, known for its modern American cuisine and extensive wine list. The dim lighting and intimate setting make it the perfect place to relax and enjoy each other’s company. Alternatively, you could try The People’s Kitchen, a farm-to-table restaurant with a warm and inviting atmosphere.

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281 Main St. Worcester, MA 01608(774) 420-7107 Visit Website See Menu Open in Google Maps. Chef Jared Forman has quite a resume: Per Se, Gramercy Tavern, and Momofuku Ssäm are among the legendary NYC restaurants where he worked before opening Deadhorse Hill in Worcester in 2016.

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deadhorse hill is a family-friendly restaurant that provides a quick and professional dining experience. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by a warm and inviting atmosphere that made me feel right at home. One thing that stood out to me was the delicious food.

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One of Worcester’s most popular restaurants is Deadhorse Hill. Deadhorse Hill serves classic American favorites and offers a charming rustic atmosphere. The restaurant also offers a coffee bar for Worcester’s caffeine lovers.

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One of the best restaurants in Worcester, MA, Deadhorse Hill, was opened recently in 2016 by Chef Jared Forman. It was formerly a hilltop hotel. The place is the best dining scene with a rustic and chic atmosphere.

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281 Main St, Worcester, MA 01608Phone: 774-420-7107 Visit Website. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by deadhorse hill (@deadhorsehill)

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- Rating: 4.5/5 (331 reviews)- Price: $$$- Address: 281 Main St Worcester, MA 01608- Categories: American (New), Cafes- Read more on Yelp

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Deadhorse Hill might sound like a location for a Stephen King novel, but it’s really an ode to Worcester’s industrial history.

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