I have been here multiple times since the Niche Hospitality Group opened this place up. The service has always been great and I have never had a bad meal. Just last night I had the steak with asparagus and it was FANTASTIC! The dinner also came with a side salad which was AMAZING! I am not the biggest salad guy but it was good, the dressing was awesome and the veggies were fresh. The waitstaff are great, too. Everyone is very friendly and always helpful with any questions you may have about the menu. The managers are always checking in on the tables to make sure everything is going well and that the food is up to expectations. For all the drinkers...you can not beat the selection of beers on draft or in bottle. There are so many to choose from! They also have a wide variety of whiskeys and bourbons. The Buffalo Bramble is my recommendation for anyone who enjoys a good bourbon drink. All in all, if you are looking for a great place for a date or even just a night out with friends, I would highly recommend Rye and Thyme.
(5)
Jason O.
Server was great and the food is always good. Corn meal fried calamari is good and love oysters. Kids enjoyed their meals as well. Always a good meal.
(5)
Marc C.
My partner and I went to the bar on Thursday night last week for an anniversary dinner, we pigged out and oysters and love their drink selections. The lighting at the bar can be bright but they were nice enough to turn it down for us. Had the veal chop and also the angry Caesar salad it was great.
(4)
Lisa W.
Had a nice lunch here with mom. It was a bit difficult to find as the entrance is not well marked. The food was very good; mom had the chicken pot pie, I had the fish & chips. Everything was prepared and presented nicely. The breading on the fish was light and crispy. The spicy cole slaw was disappointing as it was heavily spiced and had a lot of mayonnaise. The fish was fresh, but may have been a day or two old. The wait staff was courteous and friendly. Will definitely go again and recommend.
(4)
Gary M.
On the spur of the moment ... we decided to stop in the Rye & Thyme. Sunday afternoon, it was not at all crowded, Warmly greeted, comfortable seating, very helpful wait staff. I couldn't decide on the brew, so she brought me a 3 pack sampler. Allagash Ale was surprisingly good and nicely poured with a thick rich head that lasted all during the meal! Best chicken pie we've had in a long long time and the rack of lamb was to die for! What a very pleasant surprise! We'll be back, for sure!
(4)
Amy M.
We enjoyed our meal. The food was prepared well. All the meals were prepared to our requests. The steaks were excellent and the fish was very fresh. The smashed potatoes could have been hotter, they were a little cool but they tasted great. The soup was to die for. The service was excellent.
(4)
Mandy C.
We love this place, especially the outdoor seating. Salmon with summer squash risotto is fantastic! Great kids menu choices too.
(5)
Holly H.
My husband and I made a reservation on OpenTable. No lines or waiting when we walked in, which I thought odd for a Friday night, but the place was busy enough. Our server, Bobby Jo, was great the whole night! I never once felt like we were being rushed out so they could seat other parties. We ordered the potato skins as an appetizer. When it came out I thought it was the wrong order. Not what I was expecting at all. My husband loved it and devoured it! The duck confit was an interesting touch, but I'm not sure I like it on my potato skins. The duck duo special was delicious! The beer battered fish and chips were good, but you can get the same dish almost anywhere really. All in all, this is a nice place. We would definitely come back again.
(4)
Rich P.
Went with the wife on a Monday for lunch... we both took the day off to fix our flooded basement... so wasn't in the best of moods . hahah I was upset the downstairs wasn't open so we went upstairs to the bar.... the bar was spotless .... the bartender was so nice and knew everything we asked about We started off with the wings .... AMEN .... the were awesome.. out of this world awesome I had a chicken sandwich and my wife had a burger ... everything was spot on ... when the bill came I had to look twice cause I expected it to be more $$ .... Fun place for lunch ... we will come back and try dinner soon ..
(4)
Monica J.
The atmosphere was very nice, but that was about the extent of it. We went mid-afternoon, the place was relatively quiet and empty, yet the service was very lacking and left us wanting more often than not. Our meals took quite some time to arrive at the table, especially considering the fact that the restaurant was nearly empty. The food was mediocre quality for the price we paid. While we didn't HATE our experience, we were very disappointed, especially for the price. We won't be returning, and instead will take our money somewhere it will be better spent.
(2)
Deborah P.
service was excellent food was great,just wish they had a bigger selection but it was awesome! the atmosphere was great too would definitely recommend this restaurant....
(4)
Patricia S.
We like this place, but everything can be hit or miss. Nothing has been all hit or all miss, which is keeping my review right in the middle. The food can be amazing, but depends on what you order. We've never loved any of the pizzas we've tried, but the sandwiches are fantastic. The service can be decent. Mostly friendly, with some apathetic moments. Like another reviewer, we also have had food come out that was not what we ordered (and overheard other tables complain about the same issue). But in our case, the waitress was incredibly apologetic. We go when it's nice weather b/c we love the outdoor seating, and we also love their drink selection.
(3)
Miss C.
We went there for an early dinner, was not crowded....maybe 3 other tables if that. We got a gift certificate and needed to use it. Started with one waiter and ended with another waitress, both were fine...if not a little eclectic?quirky? Anyways, my husband tried the bacon appetizer...although a weird choice for me personally, I thought it was good-consisted of thick bacon, gravy and pickled veg. My husband loved it. He got the burger....which didn't seem like much when he got it , but he absolutely loved it and said it was best burger he has had in a long time. They cooked it perfectly (med rare which is HARD to get when out these days) and the bun was good too. I got the flat bread pizza with fig,a glaze and some yummy cheese (I think maybe goat cheese I can't remember exactly) it was really tasty!!! I would return. Oh and Kudos for having Downeast Cider (my favorite right now)
(4)
Amelia H.
We met some friends for a drink at a new restaurant in Leominster. The beer selection was great, and very reasonably priced. We were impressed by that. I did not have the food, but a friend did, and he said it was good. So why did I only give this place three stars? The answer is the service. The service was terrible. I am usually very patient, especially at new places, but this was awful. Our waitress passed our table to serve food to another table at least twice before she acknowledged our presence. It was about 25 minutes before she took our order and then another 15 before she came back with our drinks. At one point we asked what the Dogfish Head was on tap and she said pumpkin, so we ordered it. She was either very wrong or brought us the wrong beer, because we got 60 minute IPA and it was obvious when it appeared on our bill as such. It took forever to get each round of drinks, and was beginning to annoy everyone at the table. Hopefully they can shape up and become a great new establishment for downtown Leominster.
(3)
Kristy C.
Quite surprised to see such a low rating for such a great place. R&T has a plethora of craft beer, an interesting food menu, and overall a very nice ambiance. The "cellar" is fun on the weekends; live music and usually a decent crowd. But all in all, I'm consistently pleased with the beer and food selections here, as well as the service. Everything is great!
(5)
Molly B.
Have been twice, each was a good experience. Burgers are excellent! Beer selection is too! I'll definitely be going back. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that it's a bit pricey for me.
(4)
Richelle P.
Very clean and nice place for pregame . Great selection of beers. Bread pudding and brownies are Delicious,but need more ice cream. Service depends on the staff working that night. Some nights are better than others.
(3)
Haley C.
After receiving a gift card in the mail for the terrible time we had this first time we thought we should at least give it a second try. We really shouldn't have though. We sat inside this time because it was really windy outside and there was barely anyone inside the restaraunt. We were the first people to actually be sitting in the booth and our waitress came over and took our drinks and then came back and took our order. She was being really attentive which was nice but once we got our terrible food it all went down hill. My boyfriend ordered the roast beef sandwich which was flavorless to say the least but the fries were good. I got the dried fig pizza and it would have been great if it wasn't SWIMMING in balsamic! I couldn't even enjoy it because of the over pouring stench from the balsamic. After we ate our waitress proceded to take her sweet time coming over to us and we were still the only people in the restaraunt besides the few men at the bar which didn't even affect her at all! I could see her in the back walking and then stopping for 5 mins to talk to a co-worker or chatting with the host at the front desk. It was just not cool at all because I wanted to get dessert and leave! When we got our dessert my boyfriend got the campfire bread pudding with ice cream. When he started to eat his ice cream these HUGE ice chunks were in it so we just assumed that maybe it was home made and got chunky...but no...its not HOME MADE! IT WAS JUST SUPER FREEZER BURN! We asked the waitress and she informed us of the store bought essence. We still had so much money left on the gift car which was WAY more then that women deserved but we just gave it to her because we didn't want to waste the money on the gift card because we KNEW we would NOT come back!!!!!
(1)
Kim S.
We went for dinner. The food is to die for. I highly recommend the Osso Bucco. Delicious! The atmosphere is very nice. Relaxed and inviting. Our waiter was great and very helpful and knowledgable. As we were leaving we realized that there was entertainment in the basement bar. We were very impressed with this place.
(5)
Lauren S.
This place was a nice surprise! Had beers, raw bar, and appetizers and will definitely go back for more! The beer selection was good and the bartender was knowledgable and made some great recommendations (I love that). They had some great IPAs on tap! Oysters were great! Got the duck potato skins - they were okay, not out of this world like other reviews make them out to be.
(4)
Nathan W.
Excellent service, great food, just a bit pricey. This is not to say I wouldn't return as I felt the experience as a whole was exceptional. I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who considers it.
(4)
Joe M.
great beer selection, and whiskey as should be expected by the name. Good food but service for both drinks and food were very slow. Ordered one beer and a mixed drink along with 12 oysters to start. Mixed drink took over 5 mins, oysters came in 10 but still no beer. 15 mins for one beer on a Wednesday night with 3 other tables there. This is a repeat event, been there several times and always the same. Shame, I want to like this place.
(3)
Amy R.
My boyfriend and I went in for brunch today and were highly disappointed. I ordered the eggs Benedict, he the monte cristo. Both were blah and served with tepid potatoes that had no crunchy outside and were cut so that some were so huge they were undercooked. The Benedict was served on two unnecessarily huge slices of sour dough that hadn't been toasted or grilled in any way. It came with "truffled" duck confit, I'd estimate less than two ounces of dry tasteless meat. There was no seasoning anywhere in the dish and adding salt and pepper did not even help. The herb roasted tomato was black on top, but it least it had some sort of flavor. My boyfriend's brunch suffered the same fate..No care taken to make each ingredient shine. Servers were dressed very casually and side work was being done right the bar for all to see. $50 for a lousy brunch!
(1)
Mike D.
I really dig the Niche group and what they are doing in this area. I love the concept of R and T and I look forward to going back again. We stopped in for a quick lunch and were pleasantly surprised with the Menu there offer. Fun and exciting items paired with a great drink list. We order a flatbread, some app and some oysters and this is what I will say: the oysters were super fresh and really cold just the way I like them. The flat bread was missing something and I couldn't figure what it was so I chased it with salt for a while, just to discover that wasn't this issue. The apps had the same issue there was no "POP" i couldn't quite put my finger on it. I will definitely be back, I really want to try their brunch!
(3)
Jane E.
We returned at the requset of our children who like R&T's menu. Once again service was a big issue! 20 minutes for our waiter to bring over 6 drinks -- I'm talking juice, water, glass of wine -- nothing difficult or time-consuming! I had the burger and fries. They were good. Nothing special, but better than previous meals there. I still would not recomment R&T for dining.
(3)
Alyssa S.
3.5 stars The girls and I dined at Rye & Thyme last Saturday, and I was happy with the service and food. Since we had reservations, we were seated immediately. The restaurant is huge, and I love how open it is. Their cocktails were yummy, and the R&T oysters were awesome. My friends also ordered salads that tasted fantastic, although slightly overdressed. The entrees among us included the Salmon & Dill, Meatloaf, R&T Burger, and Chicken Pot Pie. I recommend this restaurant if you're in the area!
(3)
Renee F.
Can't say enough about how delicious the food is but I'm not going to ramble on about it. I'm working my way through tasting everything on the menu and so far my only disappointment has been in the calamari appetizer which was a little small for two people. I'm a snobby diner so if you enjoy great tasting and interesting, order some of the out-of-the-box items here, like the fig pizza which is to die for. My friends and I love the Draught Cellar for drinks and hanging out with live music or karaoke nights. This place is cool and it can get busy. Make friends with the wait staff and you'll be golden.
(5)
Pamela S.
Visiting from MN, here with family . The food was above standard fare!!! Our server. Kristin , was awesome , food was awesome. Atmosphere relaxing. Would definitely come back
(4)
Leah C.
Rye and Thyme is a great addition to downtown Leominster. The remodel from the previous business is excellent and I'm hearing they are working on the downstairs to be opened later this fall. The food is good/very good. I have been numerous times since it opened and I have always had a solid meal. I've never been blown away by anything I've had but they have a small-ish menu and they do everything on there well. Plus, as a seafood lover, I am a huge fan of their oyster bar. Drinks are great, but their big draw for me and the amount of craft beer they have available either on tap or in bottle/can - stuff that is difficult to find in a restaurant/bar setting. This makes it a great hang-out spot as well for drinks after work or before a night out. The only down side of the place for me has been service and pacing while having dinner. Don't get me wrong, servers are pleasant and helpful, but I think they could be better about getting to the table more often. Food, additionally, can take a while for the major entrees. Overall, I would absolutely recommend Rye and Thyme.
(4)
Heidi R.
Phenomenal! We went to Rye and Thyme on a Friday night. It was busy, but the service was great. Excellent cocktails and the food was fantastic! The fig flatbread pizza was amazing and the homemade ice cream sandwich was quite possibly the best dessert I've had all summer! Get here ASAP!
Lunch today. Requested burger done medium, arrived more than well done. Server never returned so I choked it down. Three strikes. You're out!
(2)
Bonnie R.
Loved it! My husband, my sister and I went for lunch. We split the corn meal calamari (a little dry but tasty), potato skins with shitake mushrooms and truffle oil (delicious), the turkey club (fresh and satisfying), and the meat wood-fired pizza (great crust and beautifully-cooked duck). I maybe wasn't crazy about the tomato sauce on the pizza, too thick and not as fresh-tasting in comparison to everything else, but it didn't put me off eating the last piece! We also thoroughly enjoyed trying the house mixed drinks. I can't wait to come back for dinner to try some more!
(4)
Craig P.
Went last night. We all got the burger, which was the best I've had! Bread and dipping oil was excellent. Planning to go back next time for an entree (they all sounded interesting) and the desserts looked amazing. Will try raw bar as well. Newly expanded bar is great! Can picture sitting there with a drink and oysters for a quick app. Nice job! It's finally looking like Leominster will have a good, solid alternative to all the chain restaurants! Now if we can just add more and perhaps replace some of the over-abundance of banks and pharmacies we have!!!
(4)
Morgan G.
Amazing on so many levels. First of all, I had my sister's bridal shower here and it was AWESOME! Deb Covino is a phenomenal event planner to work with and the staff at Rye and Thyme were more than helpful. I had a few emails back and forth with Deb and we were booked...it was the easiest thing I have ever done. When physically there, the staff helped me move tables, provided me with tablecloths and helped me set up everything. They even provided us with our own bartender downstairs at the bar where the event was. We had such a great experience with the baby shower that my cousins, my mother and sister and I went upstairs to eat dinner afterwards. Here's the second reason why it was amazing...I'm a vegan and they were so accommodating. The waitress was very knowledgeable and they made me my own dish from an existing one with meat - and they charged me less for it! (That rarely happens!) Mike, the owner, stopped by and checked on us to see how everything was going and I told him that I couldn't have been happier with the shower and the dinner experience after. Thanks, Rye and Thyme! I'll definitely be back!!
(5)
Maria S.
We are regulars at your Worcester locations, but walked out of Rye and Thyme today and will not be returning. For some reason, the person about to seat us had an issue with our baby's stroller and wanted us to sit in a booth near the door, rather than one near the windows as we requested. She insisted the stroller would be blocking the traffic. I'm not sure whether she wanted us to sit in a less desirable area, had an objection to a baby in the restaurant, or was having a bad day, but her attitude was bad enough to make us leave. The place was practically empty, too. And, we were going to fold the stroller anyway (not that she asked). I don't understand why she had to argue with us over a perfectly reasonable request, but here is an example of lousy service. Thank you for listening.
(1)
Joanna W.
We only visited the downstairs bar area, but I was impressed by the atmosphere and the beer/cocktail/wine/hard ciders selection. Friendly service. I'm not sure if there is bar food in the bar; we didn't see any, but would frequent more often if there is.
(4)
Amy H.
This is probably going to be my new go-to when I'm in Leominster. Great ambience with an extensive beer and cocktail menu. I had, without a doubt, the best chicken wings I've ever had. They treated the chicken like they were the focal point and not just a hot sauce and blue cheese delivery device like a lot of other wings that I've had. I sat at the bar and had great service. I will definitely go back!
(4)
Bob D.
Rye & Thyme is a relatively new entry in downtown Leominster occupying the space previously held by The Monument Grill. Unfortunately, it misses the mark and in my opinion, It's just "ok". The menu is pretty standard American pub food. Pizzas, steaks, and seafood. No vegetarian choices other than salads which doesn't bother me that much as I am proud to be a red meat eating carnivore. But vegetarians should be aware of the lack of options. I'm not going to give an entire blow-by-blow from hostess to paying the check as I usually just skim those when others write it all out . Instead I'll just give my highs and lows: Appetizers - Highs: Oysters Rockefeller were delicious. Low: Oysters Rockefeller were lukewarm. High: The bacon was high quality. Low If you are going to offer wood roasted slab bacon as an appetizer it should BE a wood roasted slab not sliced like breakfast food. Also, I'd pay $8 for a slab of bacon , which is what the menu states, whereas 4 slices seems overpriced. High and Low: The sweet potato and corn chowder was thick and sweet but under seasoned. More disappointingly, the bowl (a cup is not offered?) was also lukewarm. Entrees- High: The hanger steak was quite tasty and well seasoned and cooked perfectly. This was the high point of the night.and the only reason I give the place 3 stars and not 2. Low: The shoestring truffle fries were crispy but bland and lukewarm, and there was obviously not any truffle oil on them. Low - I've tried to give highs and lows for everything we ate but I can't think of a high for the braised short ribs. A braise should be a slow cooked piece of meat that makes a tough cut of meat tender and adds flavor. If you leave it in too long the meat gets mushy and all the flavor gets washed out. We got the second - overcooked and mushy. Overall, service was slow, the food was ok to meh, and I can definitely think of better places within a short drive to get a much better meal for 2 for $110 (with drinks and tip).
(3)
Sharon L.
I've been to Rye & Thyme on several occasions. When it first opened, I thought that it was a great place. My husband really loved the beer selection and we've sat at the downstairs bar a few times. The last we went there the bar was fairly busy. The bartender (with an Irish accent) came over to our table to take our order. I asked him what apps he recommended and his response was: "I recommend you choose something yourself and quickly. I'm busy." It was very rude and he had me just about in tears. He came back over with our order and gave a half-hearted apology. As a result of his behavior, I will never go back.
(2)
A.S. W.
Stopped here for drinks & dinner. Potato skins excellent as an appie, large craft beer selection & good wine list. Sat at the bar, service was very attentive will be back next time in the area
(4)
M H.
Great food, wonderful menu, easy location, great atmosphere. Started with drinks on the outdoor patio, continued on to dinners that everyone found delicious and then finished up with music downstairs. The music was great as well - Andy Cummings, really enjoyable.
(5)
Cat B.
I'm an oyster lover. To find a place like this in my area is great. The grilled oysters are awesome, as well as the oysters Rockefeller. $1 raw oysters for the summer. They're a little on the small side. Oh well. Order a couple more! Christine was super. I highly recommend this place.
If you're looking for a place to dine, meet up with friends, listen to live music or catch the latest sports game, Rye & Thyme has your table waiting! My first experience eating oysters was here, they were delicious; I've ordered them several times since. Every appetizer and main dish I've ordered has been equally delicious. The food is always fresh, well prepared and well presented and the servers are familiar and helpful with each item including wine, beer or cocktails. I cannot fail to mention the micro-brews that Rye & Thyme offers, draught and in bottles, local and otherwise. The servers are well educated in each brew and spirits offered and will lend you a sample before you order the full glass if you desire. You can choose to sit upstairs at a table, the bar area or at an outside table, weather permitting, or you can find your way downstairs to the draught cellar where there are tables, a large bar, the brew taps and music. My first visit was in December 2012 and since then I've been at Rye & Thyme many times with friends and family and everyone loves the atmosphere, the waitstaff and the food!
(5)
Lisa F.
I want to LOVE this restaurant for its great ambiance and location fairly close to my home, but I'm afraid I just can't. It's ok, food has been edible, service is very hit or miss, and it just doesn't have the impact of Bocado, another Niche hospitality Group restaurant. I have now had three meals at Rye and Thyme. So far, my favorite item has been their lemonade. Their griilled pizzas are not bad, but underwhelming. Perhaps with time things will improve?
(3)
David V.
Came here for lunch in the early afternoon on a Saturday, so it wasn't that busy. The wait to be seated was prompt and the waitress that waited on us was very pleasant. Given the time of day we came the dining room noise was low even though there were plenty of people there for lunch. I'm sure it is a different situation at dinner time. We were seated in a booth, which was very spacious and the bench seats were comfortable. I liked the dark wood decor. I was having trouble deciding on wine and the waitress kindly offered me a sample, which I was not expecting. The selection of beverages was decent. To start, I ordered half dozen Virginia oysters, which were nicely priced at $1. Whoever shucked them did an excellent job... very clean. They had some other oysters at $2, but the Virginia ones were fine. The Italian Sausage Bake came out in a hot cast iron pan. Good portion for lunch and filled with sausage. I enjoyed half there and half later in the day as a snack. Parking was fine for lunch, but I would hate to have to deal with it on the busy nights. All in all a good experience and I'm looking forward to having dinner here in the future and more $1 oysters.
(3)
John A.
This is one of the best restaurants in Central Massachusetts. I've been here 3 times now and I cannot complain one bit. Every cocktail I've had was delicious, particularly the buffalo bramble and the redemption song. The first time was for lunch and I was pleased with their beer selection, $1 oysters and Banh Mi sandwhich. The second time I got the burger, which was HUGE for the price. Third time was my birthday, we had the calamari which was done Rhode Island style with banana peppers and chipotle aioli. We also had the duck confit potato skins which were unbelievable. For my entree I got the angry Caesar salad, no complaints their and for desert I had the cheesecake. I truly cannot think of a reason why anyone would dislike this place. People have different experiences in terms of service, but don't let that deter from this new restaurant with great food and drink choices.
(4)
J M.
Great value for a top notch meal. I have yet to try something that didn't blow me away for the price. Atmosphere is nice and the oyster bar is solid. Beer selection is great and wait staff pleasant. A great addition to downtown Leominster.
(5)
Kevin S.
We had dinner here last night with friends. A nice room and not crowded on this pre-holiday night, we were seated promptly in the area we requested. The waitress was friendly and very attentive. Good service. The raw bar menu is fun. I enjoyed the tuna sashimi and a couple of oysters presented with a bunch of condiments. The oriental carrot salad served with the tuna was great, I want the recipe. They have a selection of about 15 draft beers and a long bottled and canned list. Our waitress knew both the beer (and the food) menu and was very attentive with samples to help with beer choices. I chose the Pork Osso Buco, a generous helping falling off the bone served embedded in excellent mashed sweet potato. I like it. She enjoyed the "Ale Battered fish and chips"; a very large piece of haddock with enough left over for lunch. She said the string fries were good and crispy. The only down dinner note was the grilled asparagus which had kerosene/cigarette smoke flavors and was not a hit. We all shared dessert and enjoyed the tiramisu, chocolate torte and porter brownie. A nice restaurant with easy parking. Good service, interesting menu, well prepared food and an excellent beer selection. What's not to like? We will be back.
(4)
Courtney N.
My friend and I noticed a billboard touting Rye and Thyme and just had to check them out. We went for lunch and really enjoyed the experience. They have a draught cellar but that doesn't open until 5pm so we didn't get a chance to go in. Their beer list is huge and varied. It was hard to pick just one! My friend got a Belgian beer and I tried a hard apple cider. Delicious. For our meals, I went with the egg and bacon skillet (egg, tomatoes, bacon, cheddar and bread all made in a skillet). It was very good. My friend got the beef and ale, and I stole his cheddar potato cake that came with it. Definitely a must try. There were several items on the menu that looked interesting so we'll have to come back. We ended up sharing a dessert (again, another good selection). It was campfire bread pudding. I think it was supposed to taste like a s'mores but it just tasted like yummy chocolate bread pudding which was fine with us. The prices were great for the amount of food and quality. Our waitress was nice. They offer you loyalty cards at the end but I didn't want to give out my personal info so I passed. Might be a good deal if you visit them often though. Definitely worth checking out in you're in the area!
(4)
Anthony F.
My wife and I had brunch today. She had the eggs bennie and I had the chicken pot pie. Both excellent! It was well worth the 45 min drive...thanks Phantom Gourmet.
(5)
Katie K.
The one dollar oysters are fabulous - fresh and delicious. The dried fig pizza was one of the best pizzas I have ever had - tons of creamy, melted blue cheese with sweet figs and apple drizzled with balsamic. SO GOOD. The only miss was the yukon gold potato skins - not a skin in sight, more like a pile of greasy home fries. We can't wait to go back to try more of the tasty looking dishes, but would never order those again.
(3)
Bruce M.
Inconsistent. Been there a couple of times and the first time was great so when we went back we had high expectations. But the food was a couple of levels down, to where it where if it our first visit, I probably wouldn't have gone back, at least not at that expense. My wife ordered the same soup on both occasions but the second time it was completely different. Went from thick and hearty to thin and tasteless. The very expensive steak I had was dry and bland. The menu was small and eloquent with essentially something for everyone. That's why getting it right should be easy and critical. I hope the owners read this because I really want this restaurant to succeed. This area needs great independent restaurants and getting an average review of 3 stars by all reviewers won't cut it. Good luck!
(3)
Tiana G.
Ate dinner there last night. The Caesar salad was great, but my grilled chicken had lots of charred bits on it that tasted burnt. The tiny bits of vegetable were scattered around the plate. I was disappointed in the amount of veggies and they were oily, which made them hard to eat. I would have sent back my meal except I was being treated by a colleague so i didn't want to hurt her feelings since she chose the restaurant. I'd go back for the ambiance and to try a different dish. My friend had the steak and fries. Seemed a bit overpriced, especially since you have to get your salad separately and I couldn't sub the potatoe for a salad. Server was nice enough and food came out pretty quickly, but it was almost empty at 6 pm on a Wednesday night...
(2)
D. W.
My husband and I went for a quiet evening out. It was our first time here but we love Bocado in Worc. We weren't disappointed. Service was excellent and so was the food. My husband got the baked pasta entree and it was enough to fill him up and have some to take home. I had a lobster roll and the bun was a little burnt but the lobster was plentiful. Ask for bread. They have an awesome dipping oil! And if you like some alcohol in your drinks, this is the place to go. Drinks were good and strong. Next time I'm trying the potato skins and some craft brews!
(4)
Elissa B.
Bottom line...none of the food, with the exception of the fries, were seasoned. There was absolutely no flavor to the fried haddock that my husband had or the burger that I had. My husband thinks the haddock was actually cod. I had a taste and it didn't taste like haddock to me, either. The sweet potato and corn chowder looked promising, but again lacked flavor. We were sat right away, but the waiter was just okay. It looked like he could have used a cup of coffee to wake up a bit. We were going to Mezcal, but someone recommended this instead. Bad idea.
(2)
Dennis L.
Prices too high for the area. Ordered roasted chicken looked good coming out but was not cooked bloody. The restaurant was empty the waitress was good the manager came over and apologized . Would not go back.
(1)
Kristen F.
We have been here quite a few times and have always enjoyed our visits, we have sat inside both upstairs and down and outside in the nice weather. We are not huge fans of their menu since there are really only a few things we really ever get, the calamari is delicious and my son loves the pizza, hubby has gotten the burgers and a few other items and he has enjoyed them. We really enjoy both the Draught Cellar and the outside patio, the drinks are very good and the meals we have had are tasty. The bartenders downstairs are nice and friendly and atmosphere is fun, we would love to see some new items added to the menu/maybe specials on the weekends. All in all we have enjoyed our visits there and will definitely be back.
(4)
B E.
I am boosting the review from 4 to 5 stars. Have had several dinners here in the past few months and all of them have been excellent. They really seem to have hit their stride.
(5)
Karen K.
Delicious fish and chips! Great wine and bourbon selections!
(5)
Aly H.
Overall we found Rye & Thyme to be very disappointing. 5 of us went for lunch, we also got two appetizers, so a fairly good sampling of the menu. Not one dish was good. We definitely won't go back.
(1)
Thomas N.
lunch recently.....just opened in what was monument grill.....very nice appearance, nice lamps, lovely curved walnut bar, nice lamps......curve of the bar accommodates a salad/raw bar area......we had martinis, good, we had corn meal crusted calamari, very good thought a tad dry, hamburger was very good and cooked as requested, angry caesar salad with scallops very good and not too angry....oh we splurged and had an ice cream sandwich for desert which was excellent......all the foods looked nice presentation and they were pretty busy for having opened yesterday....dinner menu is similar to lunch with some add'l items.....very nice pretty restaurant and the server was pleasant and accommodating!!!
(4)
J D.
Incredible awesomeness!
(3)
joe t.
I wanted to love this place. For starters they need better signage as to where you're supposed to enter. As it turned out, that confused looking man wandering around the al frescoes while eyeballing their cocktails was me. Luckily a kind waitress helped me find the path to the hostess and assured me I wasn't the only dingbat who couldn't figure out the restaurant's travel patterns. Onward! It's a really nice looking place. Always has been. The interior is dark and comforting and rather warm, in a non-temperature sense. The bar has been niftily spruced up and I plan on spending some considerable time there in the not too distant future. It would be a good place to watch a game if you wanted a quiet/non-yahoo-ish vibe. The bar has been extended, so there's plenty of seats. I didn't sample the raw bar, but they're advertising one dollar oysters for the remainder of the Summer. Good deal! Our waitress seemed to genuinely care that we have a good experience and was very nice, if unseasoned. Which leads me to the steak tartare. (segue!) It was very bland. Extremely bland. I'm not an expert on steak tartare by any means, but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to put something in it other than just the meat. Like salt. Or pepper. Or something. After nailing it with the salt and pepper shaker it was considerbaly better. For entrees we had the shrimp and scallop saute and a meat pizza. The shrimp and scallop saute was served over pappardelle pasta with a nice mix of summer vegetation. The vegetables were perfectly done, crisp with a nice crunch left in them. The pasta was also well done. The seafood was a bit undercooked, but I just ate a plate of raw beef, so it didn't phase me. Tatse-wise, it was lacking. It just tasted under-seasoned. I don't mind a light, clean tasting dish, but there's a difference between that and what this dish was. Lastly, the meat pizza was just not very good. The edges of the pita-ish crust were jarringly hard, as in unedible. The tomato sauce had that "someone went too heavy on the tomato paste" tinny acidity to it and just pretty much killed the pizza for me. The meat in question said to be topping the pizza, was on the sparse side. More duck, please, and less bacon! Ok, so they're new, so I'll go back for sure. It's great looking room with a good waitstaff and the booze seems spot on. The food needs a good tweaking.
(2)
Laura H.
We've been here twice since they opened last month and enjoyed both visits. I started both of my meals with three of the $1 oysters & really enjoyed them both times. During the first visit we both decided to go with pizzas - veggie for me, fig for my husband. The veggie was ok, I think I would have liked it better with fewer green peppers & more red, but that is just personal preference. Overall it was fine though. Husband's fig pizza was fantastic & we both loved that. Hubs tried several of the drinks from the cocktail menu and thought they were all good. Wrapped up by sharing the strawberries romanoff which was excellent - if the serving had not been so large I would say the decision to share might have been a mistake! Second visit, while I indulged in the oysters again, husband had the sweet potato & corn chowder. It was very tasty & we would both order it again. Hubs liked his order of short rib & I loved the burger that I ordered. The burger came with grilled onion on the menu, I asked if they could substitute tomato & they did with two generous slices. Medium well as requested & the garlic mayo was great. Our waiter was fine both times, attentive with the drinks, but not hovering. I'm not sure why the complaints regarding prices. Everything seemed pretty reasonable to us. $10 for each of the personal pizzas, and $10 for my burger - about the same as you would pay at Chili's or similar, but much better. We will definitely be back to enjoy more.
(4)
Holls S.
I could squeeze the Niche group until their eyeballs pop out for opening this restaurant. I moved to L-town just in time to watch Monument slip downhill in quality and service and spent the last several months driving to Worcester to have a decent dining experience. When Rye & Thyme opened I was stoked to find out it was part of a group of quality local restaurants. I can vouch for two well crafted cocktails (says a lot since I don't usually like hard booze so much..more of a wine-o), raw oysters for $1 each (until labor Day - so hurry down!), and a tasty fig flatbread pizza. The prices are reasonable, and almost inexpensive considering the quality. I think the best part about the Niche group is consistency. You're guaranteed to have, well-thought -out dishes/drinks and service.
(4)
Brandon B.
4 Stars for the atmosphere. 3 Stars for the food I spent my time in the downstairs bar for the Rob Roy Open Mic they host every Tuesday and the atmosphere and decor are very nice. A nice upper end bar with a great bartender, Greg. The house and live music levels were great, not too loud. Good selection of beers and spirits, gets to be a little pricey though, especially for the dinner entrees. I ordered the WOOD GRILLED CHICKEN BANH MI SANDWICH which was bland and the chicken was burnt. A friend ordered a chicken caesar salad with no cheese and received a caesar salad with cheese and no chicken. May come back again but it won't be for the food and it's certainly not top of the list.
(3)
Ann M.
Terrible!!! Our first drink order took 15 min and there were very few people in the place. Got some bread 1/2 hour later. Waiter not very friendly at all :-(... Ordered a burger and a pizza, took 45 minutes!! The burger was ordered med/well and came well, well, well done and the waiter never really apologized. It was awful, don't waste your time, just go to Subway it would have be a much better experience!!!
(1)
Nick F.
Been here for lunch two times. First time both the food and service were not impressive. We were sat in the back near a large window with the bartender as our server which did not make any sense because our table was not close to the bar. The lunch staff is either poorly managed or just does not understand that if the restaurant only has 20 people in for lunch,a 20 minute wait for your server to check in on you is unacceptable. The second time I was there on a Sunday afternoon and the service was just as bad with only 4 tables occupied. The only way we were able to get any service was by flagging down the manager who was helping the one working server with a table of 8, which was about half of the customers in the place. I had a pastrami sandwich which was good. My advise is never go to this place on the weekend for lunch/brunch. I will reserve my final judgement on this place until I have experienced a full dinner service.
(2)
Mark T.
It's a nice restaurant with great service. The food lacks panache and seasoning. The oysters were great. (no chef involved) The fried haddock had a soggy batter. We ordered 2 steaks and fries, one medium and one rare, they both came cooked medium and only faintly smelling of the advertised wood grill.The fries were uninspired and unseasoned and the truffle oil that the menu promised was nowhere to be found or tasted! In the chef's opinion three pretentious little spots of what looked like French's mustard passed for plate decoration. Almost everything on the menu is garlic laden and over priced. They are apparently just getting up and running, We'll give them another chance to get it together in a few months. Maybe by then the chef will learn to season the food!
(2)
Beth L.
I said YES to the DRESS celebration today!! Returned after a super slow experience...This time we sat right away and service was great!! Started with a Margarita...too much Lime juice...tasted sour and acidic - Bread with oil was hard. App was the Asian BBQ wings...Delicious! Had the Ceasar Salad, Lamb with shoe string fries, and Mac and Cheese....DELICIOUS and lamb was cooked PERFECT! Mac and Cheese was awesome!! I was stuffed...My fiance got the Fried Chicken...pretty good!! Would love to try Brunch!! Def want dessert next time if we aren't STUFFED!!! We will be back!
(4)
John F.
I was excited to hear that a new restaurant had opened in the space previously occupied by the Monument Grill. For some reason, good restaurants in this area are few and far between so I really wanted to like Rye and Thyme. We arrived on a Sunday at 4:30 for an early dinner after shopping in the area. We were quickly seated in a booth and our waitress told us about the specials and took our drink order. So far, so good. We ordered the calimari as an appetizer while we thought about the main course. It came out in about 10 minutes and was quite good. Nice presentation, served with spicy peppers and had a good flavor that was crisp and fresh. I ordered the half roast chicken with potatoes and green beans while my wife, who is watching her calories, ordered a hamburger without the bun and vegetables. They came out rather quickly and I soon figured out why. It was clear that the chicken had been cooked a while ago (possibly not today) and then heated up and covered with warm gravy. Same for the green beans. They had that limp, tired texture that can only mean they had been sitting around for a while. Kind of surprising for so early in the evening. My wifes hamburger was just ok quality. Not good, not bad. For $12 it should have been better. On the plus side, service and atmosphere were good. They kept the booths from the previous restaurant which I personally don't like much. They're comfortable but they make you feel closed in and cut off from the other patrons. Some people like them, just not me. I gave Rye and Thyme 2 stars because the description says "Meh, I've experienced better". That sums up how my experience went. They have what they need to be an excellent restaurant. If the kitchen starts taking a little more care and interest in what they're doing they can knock it out of the park.
(2)
J M.
We went for dinner last night and were disappointed. I had the salmon, which was excellent, but the accompanying butternut risotto was too salty and the butternut squash was under cooked and hard. My husband had the delmonico steak which was cooked ok, but the "anchovy" butter seemed weird to him. The "roasted" green beans were shriveled and overdone. The service was fine, but overall it was only ok and I'm not sure when we'll be back. The menu is not that enticing to me and if you're going to have unusual food it should be fabulous, and the menu seems a little out of place for Leominster.
(3)
Frank C.
As a family of four, for meals, we ordered a wood-grilled cheese pizza, a salmon dish, the "Steak and Fries" (which is a grade below their "Delmonico"), and the thick-cut porkchop. For apps, we ordered a lot from the touted raw bar. 18 oysters (right now only $1/piece), 12 littleneck clams and the steak tartare. All the food was top-notch in preparation and appropriately priced for how nice a place this is. The oysters are unbelievable at the price. The steak came as ordered (rare) and the quality, given that it was the lesser cut on the menu, was excellent. The salmon was delish. We ordered it rare. The menu has variety for everyone except vegetarians/vegans (beyond a salad). Service was fine as well. Very glad to have this mid-upscale restaruant in town. This place is good for romantic dinner or for the family. Raw bar's excellent. Only quibble: Had to wait for new rolls to finish baking but they were very good. Nice hard crust and soft inside.
(5)
Steven B.
Start off at 3 stars for being average. Deduct 1 star as it is nothing special for the expensive price. They do have live music in the downstairs lounge. So they get a star for that. Back to 3-stars. Probably worth a trip once to try, but I rarely think about this place as a "go to" place with family and friends.
(3)
Jacqueline M.
I am writing this as I am sitting on the patio. We came to Leominster for the food truck festival, lines were crazy long. Switched gears and came to Rye & Thyme. Been here many times. Food is great. Service on patio is terrible. We waited 45 minutes for menus to be delivered. We have been here over two hours waiting for two salads and two pizzas. Unacceptable. Update: they took our food off the bill, but our server was mia most of the night. We watched others come in, get served and leave while we sat there waiting. She never brought us the bread and oil. It wasn't until after we spoke to a manager that she decided to pay attention to us.
(2)
Adam W.
We were driving home from a road trip and saw that this place got decent reviews on yelp, so we thought we'd give it a shot. The dollar oysters weren't bad. Definitely great for what you pay. We also got the Asian chicken wings. Unfortunately, they are nothing like the name implies and were Drenched in bbq sauce. My gf got the chicken pot pie, and it was missing any resemblance of seasoning, and looked nothing like a pie. I'd call it a stew over all. Finally, I got the shrimp sandwich that was supposedly spicy, but lacked any of the characteristics that sold me on it in the first place. Great location and great outdoor seating, but the food needs improvement.
(3)
Andrea D.
This place should have more than 3 stars. It's not a 5-star experience, but it's definitely a solid 4. The place is cool, a little hip and trendy, the service was very nice and fast and the food was incredibly flavorful, served hot and generally delicious. I can't put my finger on why it's not a 5-star experience, but it's definitely worth a try. I had the Chilli (amazing) and chicken pesto pistachio pizza - a little dry but very interesting. My dad had a burger that was pillow-y and perfect - I've never tried anything like it before, and my mom ordered the goat cheese and fig pizza -- very good, but maybe a tad too many grilled apples. We'll probably be back -- all in all though, this place is worth a try. Also great place to go with 6 people because the booths are HUUUGE.
(4)
Heather D.
Wait staff was very nice - I just find the food to be overpriced for the taste/quality.
(2)
Carissa A.
This place is amazing! Fantastic service, even better food. Worth every penny! Got the sampler of oysters, mac and cheese, asparagus, and truffle parmesan french fries. It was quite the experience for my taste buds. Great spot, wonderful ambience even on a tuesday night. Lovely music, such a fabulous beer selection and knowledgeable staff. I can't gush enough.
(5)
moe s.
The food and drinks here are great! The price is a little steep, but definitely worth it
(5)
Rebecca O.
We traveled to find a traditional Pimm's cup. We found it at Rye & Thyme. We also shared a caesar salad (nothing special) and a white pizza (overly salty with a weird sauce). None of what we got was good, memorable, or worth the drive. The building is beautiful but that is all Rye & Thyme had going for it.
(1)
Anne-Marie H.
Always fantastic. Great service and great food. We have never been disappointed with this res
(5)
Julie T.
Fabulous find. Here in town for a softball tornament and didn't want dinner at a chain restaurant. First the atmosphere was wonderful very industrial chic. The beer list was amazing, as was the cocktail. I had a chubby fig, was a little on the set side, but was delicious. Our meals were all spot on. The kids loved the mac & cheese My choice was the lamb lollipops which were amazing. Our husband's steak tips were h The potato skins were so flavorful. The staff was very knowledgeable and very attentive. This is a gem. North End worthy!
(5)
Jose M.
First of all, I'm not a "basher" as some may consider me as a result of this review. We very much enjoy dining out, and expect great food and service, and as I appreciate the reviews from others, I consider myself more of a contributor and I would have happily given them a 5 star rating, had it been earned! Bottom line: if you're a true foodie, and enjoy a great friendly atmosphere, don't bother/skip this place...you'll most likely be disappointed as much as we were...again!! Ok, so let's get this started: it's Sunday 9/6. First off, it's way too dark/depressing, and the bar placement/layout is just not great. And why on earth would you waste 4 awesome bar seats with that damn oyster bar set up?! No one sits there, and they are prime bar seats! Poorly designed...those of us who like to sit at the bar to socialize will be disappointed! Next, our bartender/server was nice enough, but couldn't have been less engaging...perhaps because she was too busy...not staffed properly...or just didn't care. Ok, onto the food..We ordered the R&T potato skins to start. Beware: there are no potatoes skins as one thinks of stuffed skins, and it's one big greasy mess! We sent it back and they did take it off the bill...thanks! For dinner, my husband chose the Caesar salad with chicken (because everything else sounded heavy) which was ok, but why not serve a whole grilled chicken breast, sliced, rather than pulled pieces? I chose the top sirloin "coulotte" steak with a side of Mac and cheese. I'll admit my steak was cooked perfectly as ordered: medium rare. A tad lacking in flavor/seasoning, but a little more salt and pepper helped. The Mac and cheese was presently nicely: in a small square skillet, and was actually baked!!! That being said, it was also a greasy mess! I suspect that the problem here is that it's another "corporate" owned restaurant...lacking in personal touches...and none of the staff actually appeared to be happy to be working there! Hello Amy (the manager), please take note: there is not a lot to like about this place, except for the beer selection, which is good! ;)
(1)
Tom S.
Great beer selection - fresh raw bar - nice full menu selections from burgers, pizza and comfort food to a nice steak. One of my favorites - yet a good 35 min drive. Wish I was closer.
(5)
B M.
3.5 Stars, rounded up to 4 because Leominster/Tri-City is severely lacking in higher-end choices and I need this place to stay in business :) It's pretty good, just over-priced. 5-star prices for 3.5 star food is my only complaint. Oysters were awesome, NY Strip was very good, wife had the swordfish which was pretty good, a bit bland IMO. Will be back, oysters!
My family and I love going to Rye and Thyme for dinner a few times a month. The service, food, ambiance and selection are what make this place great. If you're looking for great food come here. If you come on a weekend, ask for Bobby-Jo. She's the best server around. She pays very close attention to detail, works extremely hard and goes out of her way to make sure your experience is a great one.
(5)
Christa H.
Great beer selection. Awesome atmosphere. The beer and atmosphere are what are saving this review. The food is mediocre at best...if you're looking for normal pub-ish type food this is not your place. Lots of atypical things on the menu (duck confit, etc) and overpriced too. I do have to say that the mac & cheese is delicious though. The only reason we'd go back here is to grab a drink.
(2)
Brandy S.
Sooooo hate to knock stars off, but a couple of things did it for me: 1. Tried to make reservations for our party on Open Table and kept getting the "no reservations available" message. We called and it was no problem, they had availability. I hate....hate...not getting my OT points. Other restaurants were bookable, so it doesn't appear that it was an OT issue. Not sure what the issue was, but....it's minor compared to.... 2. One of our party ordered the chicken pot pie. It had no chicken. Instead it had salmon. He was totally fine with it, but if I had ordered that dish and gotten salmon I would have spent the night in the ER. I don't even know what to say about that except it was just a really unacceptable and potentially dangerous error on the part of the kitchen. Our server didn't seem surprised which tells me a lot and he didn't seem particularly concerned. Salmon pot pie is just weird anyway. Sorry to knock the place down. I like it, but it needs some work.
(3)
Michelle F.
We rode in on a motorcycle and it went downhill from there. Waited over 30 minutes for a table. Then watched ever moment we where there. Will never return!
(1)
Mel D.
Great beer selection and comfort food. They have a great outside patio for summer time get togetherness with friends. $1 oyster are a must!
(4)
Charlene S.
Went here with my husband for lunch celebrating our house closing and it seemed like a good option. Must have been something going on with the wood stove.. it smelled like a fire pit in there. But I didn't mind too much. Caesar salad was good, a bit too much dressing and the typical American gigantic portions. Overall food was good and we'll be back.
(4)
Bill B.
Great atmosphere, shrimp cocktail was ice cold and delicious. House salad was a 10. My filet mignon was cooked correctly to medium rare, however, it was served cool and the mashed potatoes were cold and extremely chunky, not really mashed. My wife got the rack of lamb and got about half way through and said it wasn't quite right, I smelled it and it was definitely bad. We informed the server and the manager took it off the bill (thank you btw). I will propably give it another chance, but I'll stick to the salad and I'll give a burger a try. Seems they have issues once in awhile with the entrees. Too bad, I was hoping to be blown away after the great app and salad but ended up disappointed.
(3)
Andrew H.
Excellent atmosphere. Delicious oysters. Beef was great. Somehow they fell flat on their faces with appetizers. The mac&cheese was not creamy, but greasy and nigh flavorless. The crab cakes were unforgivable. Dense, deep fried blobs of mush. Yuck. It's hard to comprehend how some things could be so good, while others were simply terrible. It wasn't an issue of things being cold or improperly prepared, but just poor recipes. I hope the chef revises, because the atmosphere of this place is great, and it has a lot of promise.
(3)
Janet M.
Great place with awesome food and drinks. Nothing watered down here! The cellar bar is amazing. Great atmosphere and live music that isnt too loud! Love this place!
(5)
Robert C.
I would come every week for their oysters. And crabcakes. A bit pricey on the entrees, blew up my wallet. Can't say much but me personally, I would have a drink and a dozen oysters every once in a while.
(4)
Kenta K.
Had an excellent meal here. Started off with an order of clams and oysters. Both were reasonably priced, if I recall the oysters were a buck each. On the small side, but still quite enjoyable. They have an excellent beer selection and I had a burger as well which was cooked to perfection. Recommended.
(4)
Johnnada S.
The steak I ordered was cold. I ordered a medium steak and received an almost rare steak. The chicken pot pie I also ordered was not the good.
(3)
Muna M.
It's one of the nice places in this area, I liked the burger and my husband enjoyed his steak. They are very friendly and super nice but our waiter slow, could be because they are busy but we had to wait for a while!
(3)
Melanie B.
During my visit, I had the sweet potato and corn chowder for a starter. I added lots of pepper and some salt for flavor. It would have been incredible if it had a little spice like cayenne pepper and paprika. It was just a little bland but was still tasty. For my lunch I had the Waldorf salad. I wish I would have added some salmon to it, but it was ok. The lemon poppyseed dressing was delicious. Definitely made the salad, because without it, it just would have been too bland. Tomatoes and mandarin oranges would be very yummy on this salad. The look of the restaurant was nice and the prices were a little high, but not too unreasonable. Overall, it was good. I would just order something different.
(3)
Shauna L.
We have been here several times since my last review whether it's been for lunch, dinner, drinks and even brunch on each time has been wonderful. I always enjoy the burger and a side salad that's topped with a tasty dressing, cheese and some fresh veggies or I love the flat bread brick oven pizzas or a simple chicken Caesar salad. All are fabulous. But the list time we went was on a Sunday..... Bloody Mary where have you been?! This was the best Bloody Mary I have had at a restaurant! Their brunch menu isn't just brunch, you can get a burger or oysters or pizza on top of their brunch menu. You will see us there again.... Anytime of the day!
(4)
Dave V.
First time at R&T, second for my wife, along with three of our kids. Excellent beer menu. Disagree with earlier review, we enjoyed the corn meal batter on the calamari; the hots as well. Fried oysters were excellent. Angry Caesar salad was better than the plain version, which was, well...plain. Parmesan truffle fries were worthy. Mains were very good. Fish and chips were a hit. Swordfish was excellent (tip-- try it w the horseradish sauce), Osso Buco was hearty and tasty - although a bit dry-- ask the waiter to check w the kitchen before ordering to see if it's on the dry side. Half chicken was very good and steak and fries were a winner. Recommend this place for sure.
(4)
Chantal O.
Fantastic craft beers on draft and well written descriptions pre ordering. Fresh oysters and desserts too! Had a great time sitting at the oyster bar with my sister.
(4)
C B.
First time here... I was impressed! The atmosphere, prices, menu and don't forget the oysters... Delicious! Our server, Bobby, was very attentive to our needs, picked out a great flight of beers to try with our food selection. The Fig pizza--yum, the Potato skins appetizer--yum and again... Those oysters... AMAZING! We will definitely be back and recommend to others.
(5)
Alyson S.
I had a really great feeling about this place but was slightly disappointed. Let's start with the positives! There is ample parking available out back, the atmosphere is great, and the patio seating is wonderful. I went for lunch with a friend and we sat outside on a breezy day but enjoyed the sunshine. The patio is lined with trees that provide a bit of privacy from the street. Our waitress was friendly and attentive making sure we were always set and happy. I really enjoyed those aspects but I got a sandwich with bacon and the bacon was so undercooked in my mind it was inedible. Once I took the bacon off it was a decent sandwich but it seemed to be such an odd thing to have so poorly prepared. My friend had the fish and chips and was pleased. Definitely good food but not worthy of raving about, and especially skip the bacon.
(3)
Natasha H.
My roommate and I have been wanting to try this place ever since we saw it on Phantom Gourmet. We decided to go tonight to have a nice meal out for my birthday. The outside seating is wonderful and the service was good (the only hiccup being that the lemon my roommate wanted in her water was in my tea, which I had asked for with no lemon). The food, however, was so-so. The parmesan truffle fries were good, but I find it odd that they're served with ketchup (Bootleggers has an awesome dill sauce that is perfect with them). The crab cakes were at the bottom of my list. They were in ball form instead of flattened and crisp on each side as one would expect. The taste was okay, but not what I expect in a crab cake. The calamari was good and I was pleased to see the tentacles included, but I'm a firm believer they should always be battered, not cornmeal coated. I could also do without all the peppers they throw on top. My roommate had the oysters, which she said were really good. However, they were not cleaned very well and she had to separate them from the shell herself. That being said, I enjoyed the atmosphere and the service and would like to come back for dinner and drinks at some point and see if it can bump up my opinion of the place.
(3)
Brenda W.
Calamari appetizer was very good, just note that it is very spicy. Ordered the caesar salad with grilled shrimp and it was good.
(3)
Joe P.
We visited for a Sunday brunch, and was pleasantly surprised. Live music, good choice of craft beer, and good food. I ordered the chicken and waffles, served with a chiopotle honey and maple syrup. I can honestly say the fried chicken is one of the best I have had, perfectly good, light breading, extremely tasty. 4 pieces of chicken on top of a giant belgian waffle with a beer at 11 am? Almost perfect. I am not an raw oyster guy, but people I was with loved the raw oysters as well. I will be coming for a return trip in the future. They have live music events, beer dinners, and a draught cellar. Pretty impressive for Leominster.
(4)
Lon N.
Looking at Yelp I'm shocked this place isn't at least a 4 star. First let's start with the ambiance. The facilities as a whole has a hip theme with chalkboard specials and events throughout the restaurant. Our waitress was knowledgable, approachable and gave us great recommendations we might not normally have ordered. The potato skins were unlike any we've ever had based off the suggestion of our waitress. Both burgers we chose (special and shrimp) were outstanding. However, I do admit the fries were on the side of very generic. We also split the brownie sundae and it was moist, savory and sweet which made you not want the experience to end. lastly, the beer and alcohol section was ac eclectic mix adding to our satisfaction. I would highly recommend if you're in the area and we've already made plans to come back.
(5)
Beth L.
I said YES to the DRESS celebration today!! Returned after a super slow experience...This time we sat right away and service was great!! Started with a Margarita...too much Lime juice...tasted sour and acidic - Bread with oil was hard. App was the Asian BBQ wings...Delicious! Had the Ceasar Salad, Lamb with shoe string fries, and Mac and Cheese....DELICIOUS and lamb was cooked PERFECT! Mac and Cheese was awesome!! I was stuffed...My fiance got the Fried Chicken...pretty good!! Would love to try Brunch!! Def want dessert next time if we aren't STUFFED!!! We will be back!
(4)
Steven B.
Start off at 3 stars for being average. Deduct 1 star as it is nothing special for the expensive price. They do have live music in the downstairs lounge. So they get a star for that. Back to 3-stars. Probably worth a trip once to try, but I rarely think about this place as a "go to" place with family and friends.
(3)
Jacqueline M.
I am writing this as I am sitting on the patio. We came to Leominster for the food truck festival, lines were crazy long. Switched gears and came to Rye & Thyme. Been here many times. Food is great. Service on patio is terrible. We waited 45 minutes for menus to be delivered. We have been here over two hours waiting for two salads and two pizzas. Unacceptable. Update: they took our food off the bill, but our server was mia most of the night. We watched others come in, get served and leave while we sat there waiting. She never brought us the bread and oil. It wasn't until after we spoke to a manager that she decided to pay attention to us.
(2)
Adam W.
We were driving home from a road trip and saw that this place got decent reviews on yelp, so we thought we'd give it a shot. The dollar oysters weren't bad. Definitely great for what you pay. We also got the Asian chicken wings. Unfortunately, they are nothing like the name implies and were Drenched in bbq sauce. My gf got the chicken pot pie, and it was missing any resemblance of seasoning, and looked nothing like a pie. I'd call it a stew over all. Finally, I got the shrimp sandwich that was supposedly spicy, but lacked any of the characteristics that sold me on it in the first place. Great location and great outdoor seating, but the food needs improvement.
(3)
Daniel F.
Your pricey meal is clearly a result of paying for the atmosphere. The ambiance is above par however the food is bland and nothing to brag about. A few unique dishes with less flavor than would be expected. After my fourth go around with this place I'm saving my money and buying 3 reasonably priced meals at different venues. I may not receive the flare that rye and thyme delivers but when I go out for a meal I want flavor.
(2)
Andrea D.
This place should have more than 3 stars. It's not a 5-star experience, but it's definitely a solid 4. The place is cool, a little hip and trendy, the service was very nice and fast and the food was incredibly flavorful, served hot and generally delicious. I can't put my finger on why it's not a 5-star experience, but it's definitely worth a try. I had the Chilli (amazing) and chicken pesto pistachio pizza - a little dry but very interesting. My dad had a burger that was pillow-y and perfect - I've never tried anything like it before, and my mom ordered the goat cheese and fig pizza -- very good, but maybe a tad too many grilled apples. We'll probably be back -- all in all though, this place is worth a try. Also great place to go with 6 people because the booths are HUUUGE.
(4)
Heather D.
Wait staff was very nice - I just find the food to be overpriced for the taste/quality.
(2)
Carissa A.
This place is amazing! Fantastic service, even better food. Worth every penny! Got the sampler of oysters, mac and cheese, asparagus, and truffle parmesan french fries. It was quite the experience for my taste buds. Great spot, wonderful ambience even on a tuesday night. Lovely music, such a fabulous beer selection and knowledgeable staff. I can't gush enough.
(5)
Rebecca O.
We traveled to find a traditional Pimm's cup. We found it at Rye & Thyme. We also shared a caesar salad (nothing special) and a white pizza (overly salty with a weird sauce). None of what we got was good, memorable, or worth the drive. The building is beautiful but that is all Rye & Thyme had going for it.
(1)
moe s.
The food and drinks here are great! The price is a little steep, but definitely worth it
(5)
Anne-Marie H.
Always fantastic. Great service and great food. We have never been disappointed with this res
(5)
Julie T.
Fabulous find. Here in town for a softball tornament and didn't want dinner at a chain restaurant. First the atmosphere was wonderful very industrial chic. The beer list was amazing, as was the cocktail. I had a chubby fig, was a little on the set side, but was delicious. Our meals were all spot on. The kids loved the mac & cheese My choice was the lamb lollipops which were amazing. Our husband's steak tips were h The potato skins were so flavorful. The staff was very knowledgeable and very attentive. This is a gem. North End worthy!
(5)
Jose M.
First of all, I'm not a "basher" as some may consider me as a result of this review. We very much enjoy dining out, and expect great food and service, and as I appreciate the reviews from others, I consider myself more of a contributor and I would have happily given them a 5 star rating, had it been earned! Bottom line: if you're a true foodie, and enjoy a great friendly atmosphere, don't bother/skip this place...you'll most likely be disappointed as much as we were...again!! Ok, so let's get this started: it's Sunday 9/6. First off, it's way too dark/depressing, and the bar placement/layout is just not great. And why on earth would you waste 4 awesome bar seats with that damn oyster bar set up?! No one sits there, and they are prime bar seats! Poorly designed...those of us who like to sit at the bar to socialize will be disappointed! Next, our bartender/server was nice enough, but couldn't have been less engaging...perhaps because she was too busy...not staffed properly...or just didn't care. Ok, onto the food..We ordered the R&T potato skins to start. Beware: there are no potatoes skins as one thinks of stuffed skins, and it's one big greasy mess! We sent it back and they did take it off the bill...thanks! For dinner, my husband chose the Caesar salad with chicken (because everything else sounded heavy) which was ok, but why not serve a whole grilled chicken breast, sliced, rather than pulled pieces? I chose the top sirloin "coulotte" steak with a side of Mac and cheese. I'll admit my steak was cooked perfectly as ordered: medium rare. A tad lacking in flavor/seasoning, but a little more salt and pepper helped. The Mac and cheese was presently nicely: in a small square skillet, and was actually baked!!! That being said, it was also a greasy mess! I suspect that the problem here is that it's another "corporate" owned restaurant...lacking in personal touches...and none of the staff actually appeared to be happy to be working there! Hello Amy (the manager), please take note: there is not a lot to like about this place, except for the beer selection, which is good! ;)
(1)
Tom S.
Great beer selection - fresh raw bar - nice full menu selections from burgers, pizza and comfort food to a nice steak. One of my favorites - yet a good 35 min drive. Wish I was closer.
(5)
B M.
3.5 Stars, rounded up to 4 because Leominster/Tri-City is severely lacking in higher-end choices and I need this place to stay in business :) It's pretty good, just over-priced. 5-star prices for 3.5 star food is my only complaint. Oysters were awesome, NY Strip was very good, wife had the swordfish which was pretty good, a bit bland IMO. Will be back, oysters!
My family and I love going to Rye and Thyme for dinner a few times a month. The service, food, ambiance and selection are what make this place great. If you're looking for great food come here. If you come on a weekend, ask for Bobby-Jo. She's the best server around. She pays very close attention to detail, works extremely hard and goes out of her way to make sure your experience is a great one.
(5)
Christa H.
Great beer selection. Awesome atmosphere. The beer and atmosphere are what are saving this review. The food is mediocre at best...if you're looking for normal pub-ish type food this is not your place. Lots of atypical things on the menu (duck confit, etc) and overpriced too. I do have to say that the mac & cheese is delicious though. The only reason we'd go back here is to grab a drink.
(2)
Brandy S.
Sooooo hate to knock stars off, but a couple of things did it for me: 1. Tried to make reservations for our party on Open Table and kept getting the "no reservations available" message. We called and it was no problem, they had availability. I hate....hate...not getting my OT points. Other restaurants were bookable, so it doesn't appear that it was an OT issue. Not sure what the issue was, but....it's minor compared to.... 2. One of our party ordered the chicken pot pie. It had no chicken. Instead it had salmon. He was totally fine with it, but if I had ordered that dish and gotten salmon I would have spent the night in the ER. I don't even know what to say about that except it was just a really unacceptable and potentially dangerous error on the part of the kitchen. Our server didn't seem surprised which tells me a lot and he didn't seem particularly concerned. Salmon pot pie is just weird anyway. Sorry to knock the place down. I like it, but it needs some work.
(3)
Mel D.
Great beer selection and comfort food. They have a great outside patio for summer time get togetherness with friends. $1 oyster are a must!
(4)
Charlene S.
Went here with my husband for lunch celebrating our house closing and it seemed like a good option. Must have been something going on with the wood stove.. it smelled like a fire pit in there. But I didn't mind too much. Caesar salad was good, a bit too much dressing and the typical American gigantic portions. Overall food was good and we'll be back.
(4)
Michelle F.
We rode in on a motorcycle and it went downhill from there. Waited over 30 minutes for a table. Then watched ever moment we where there. Will never return!
(1)
Andrew H.
Excellent atmosphere. Delicious oysters. Beef was great. Somehow they fell flat on their faces with appetizers. The mac&cheese was not creamy, but greasy and nigh flavorless. The crab cakes were unforgivable. Dense, deep fried blobs of mush. Yuck. It's hard to comprehend how some things could be so good, while others were simply terrible. It wasn't an issue of things being cold or improperly prepared, but just poor recipes. I hope the chef revises, because the atmosphere of this place is great, and it has a lot of promise.
(3)
Bill B.
Great atmosphere, shrimp cocktail was ice cold and delicious. House salad was a 10. My filet mignon was cooked correctly to medium rare, however, it was served cool and the mashed potatoes were cold and extremely chunky, not really mashed. My wife got the rack of lamb and got about half way through and said it wasn't quite right, I smelled it and it was definitely bad. We informed the server and the manager took it off the bill (thank you btw). I will propably give it another chance, but I'll stick to the salad and I'll give a burger a try. Seems they have issues once in awhile with the entrees. Too bad, I was hoping to be blown away after the great app and salad but ended up disappointed.
(3)
Janet M.
Great place with awesome food and drinks. Nothing watered down here! The cellar bar is amazing. Great atmosphere and live music that isnt too loud! Love this place!
(5)
Robert C.
I would come every week for their oysters. And crabcakes. A bit pricey on the entrees, blew up my wallet. Can't say much but me personally, I would have a drink and a dozen oysters every once in a while.
(4)
Kenta K.
Had an excellent meal here. Started off with an order of clams and oysters. Both were reasonably priced, if I recall the oysters were a buck each. On the small side, but still quite enjoyable. They have an excellent beer selection and I had a burger as well which was cooked to perfection. Recommended.
(4)
Johnnada S.
The steak I ordered was cold. I ordered a medium steak and received an almost rare steak. The chicken pot pie I also ordered was not the good.
(3)
Muna M.
It's one of the nice places in this area, I liked the burger and my husband enjoyed his steak. They are very friendly and super nice but our waiter slow, could be because they are busy but we had to wait for a while!
(3)
Melanie B.
During my visit, I had the sweet potato and corn chowder for a starter. I added lots of pepper and some salt for flavor. It would have been incredible if it had a little spice like cayenne pepper and paprika. It was just a little bland but was still tasty. For my lunch I had the Waldorf salad. I wish I would have added some salmon to it, but it was ok. The lemon poppyseed dressing was delicious. Definitely made the salad, because without it, it just would have been too bland. Tomatoes and mandarin oranges would be very yummy on this salad. The look of the restaurant was nice and the prices were a little high, but not too unreasonable. Overall, it was good. I would just order something different.
(3)
Shauna L.
We have been here several times since my last review whether it's been for lunch, dinner, drinks and even brunch on each time has been wonderful. I always enjoy the burger and a side salad that's topped with a tasty dressing, cheese and some fresh veggies or I love the flat bread brick oven pizzas or a simple chicken Caesar salad. All are fabulous. But the list time we went was on a Sunday..... Bloody Mary where have you been?! This was the best Bloody Mary I have had at a restaurant! Their brunch menu isn't just brunch, you can get a burger or oysters or pizza on top of their brunch menu. You will see us there again.... Anytime of the day!
(4)
Dave V.
First time at R&T, second for my wife, along with three of our kids. Excellent beer menu. Disagree with earlier review, we enjoyed the corn meal batter on the calamari; the hots as well. Fried oysters were excellent. Angry Caesar salad was better than the plain version, which was, well...plain. Parmesan truffle fries were worthy. Mains were very good. Fish and chips were a hit. Swordfish was excellent (tip-- try it w the horseradish sauce), Osso Buco was hearty and tasty - although a bit dry-- ask the waiter to check w the kitchen before ordering to see if it's on the dry side. Half chicken was very good and steak and fries were a winner. Recommend this place for sure.
(4)
Chantal O.
Fantastic craft beers on draft and well written descriptions pre ordering. Fresh oysters and desserts too! Had a great time sitting at the oyster bar with my sister.
(4)
C B.
First time here... I was impressed! The atmosphere, prices, menu and don't forget the oysters... Delicious! Our server, Bobby, was very attentive to our needs, picked out a great flight of beers to try with our food selection. The Fig pizza--yum, the Potato skins appetizer--yum and again... Those oysters... AMAZING! We will definitely be back and recommend to others.
(5)
Alyson S.
I had a really great feeling about this place but was slightly disappointed. Let's start with the positives! There is ample parking available out back, the atmosphere is great, and the patio seating is wonderful. I went for lunch with a friend and we sat outside on a breezy day but enjoyed the sunshine. The patio is lined with trees that provide a bit of privacy from the street. Our waitress was friendly and attentive making sure we were always set and happy. I really enjoyed those aspects but I got a sandwich with bacon and the bacon was so undercooked in my mind it was inedible. Once I took the bacon off it was a decent sandwich but it seemed to be such an odd thing to have so poorly prepared. My friend had the fish and chips and was pleased. Definitely good food but not worthy of raving about, and especially skip the bacon.
(3)
Natasha H.
My roommate and I have been wanting to try this place ever since we saw it on Phantom Gourmet. We decided to go tonight to have a nice meal out for my birthday. The outside seating is wonderful and the service was good (the only hiccup being that the lemon my roommate wanted in her water was in my tea, which I had asked for with no lemon). The food, however, was so-so. The parmesan truffle fries were good, but I find it odd that they're served with ketchup (Bootleggers has an awesome dill sauce that is perfect with them). The crab cakes were at the bottom of my list. They were in ball form instead of flattened and crisp on each side as one would expect. The taste was okay, but not what I expect in a crab cake. The calamari was good and I was pleased to see the tentacles included, but I'm a firm believer they should always be battered, not cornmeal coated. I could also do without all the peppers they throw on top. My roommate had the oysters, which she said were really good. However, they were not cleaned very well and she had to separate them from the shell herself. That being said, I enjoyed the atmosphere and the service and would like to come back for dinner and drinks at some point and see if it can bump up my opinion of the place.
(3)
Brenda W.
Calamari appetizer was very good, just note that it is very spicy. Ordered the caesar salad with grilled shrimp and it was good.
(3)
Joe P.
We visited for a Sunday brunch, and was pleasantly surprised. Live music, good choice of craft beer, and good food. I ordered the chicken and waffles, served with a chiopotle honey and maple syrup. I can honestly say the fried chicken is one of the best I have had, perfectly good, light breading, extremely tasty. 4 pieces of chicken on top of a giant belgian waffle with a beer at 11 am? Almost perfect. I am not an raw oyster guy, but people I was with loved the raw oysters as well. I will be coming for a return trip in the future. They have live music events, beer dinners, and a draught cellar. Pretty impressive for Leominster.
(4)
Lon N.
Looking at Yelp I'm shocked this place isn't at least a 4 star. First let's start with the ambiance. The facilities as a whole has a hip theme with chalkboard specials and events throughout the restaurant. Our waitress was knowledgable, approachable and gave us great recommendations we might not normally have ordered. The potato skins were unlike any we've ever had based off the suggestion of our waitress. Both burgers we chose (special and shrimp) were outstanding. However, I do admit the fries were on the side of very generic. We also split the brownie sundae and it was moist, savory and sweet which made you not want the experience to end. lastly, the beer and alcohol section was ac eclectic mix adding to our satisfaction. I would highly recommend if you're in the area and we've already made plans to come back.
(5)
Luke B.
I have been here multiple times since the Niche Hospitality Group opened this place up. The service has always been great and I have never had a bad meal. Just last night I had the steak with asparagus and it was FANTASTIC! The dinner also came with a side salad which was AMAZING! I am not the biggest salad guy but it was good, the dressing was awesome and the veggies were fresh. The waitstaff are great, too. Everyone is very friendly and always helpful with any questions you may have about the menu. The managers are always checking in on the tables to make sure everything is going well and that the food is up to expectations. For all the drinkers...you can not beat the selection of beers on draft or in bottle. There are so many to choose from! They also have a wide variety of whiskeys and bourbons. The Buffalo Bramble is my recommendation for anyone who enjoys a good bourbon drink. All in all, if you are looking for a great place for a date or even just a night out with friends, I would highly recommend Rye and Thyme.
(5)
Jason O.
Server was great and the food is always good. Corn meal fried calamari is good and love oysters. Kids enjoyed their meals as well. Always a good meal.
(5)
Marc C.
My partner and I went to the bar on Thursday night last week for an anniversary dinner, we pigged out and oysters and love their drink selections. The lighting at the bar can be bright but they were nice enough to turn it down for us. Had the veal chop and also the angry Caesar salad it was great.
(4)
Lisa W.
Had a nice lunch here with mom. It was a bit difficult to find as the entrance is not well marked. The food was very good; mom had the chicken pot pie, I had the fish & chips. Everything was prepared and presented nicely. The breading on the fish was light and crispy. The spicy cole slaw was disappointing as it was heavily spiced and had a lot of mayonnaise. The fish was fresh, but may have been a day or two old. The wait staff was courteous and friendly. Will definitely go again and recommend.
(4)
Gary M.
On the spur of the moment ... we decided to stop in the Rye & Thyme. Sunday afternoon, it was not at all crowded, Warmly greeted, comfortable seating, very helpful wait staff. I couldn't decide on the brew, so she brought me a 3 pack sampler. Allagash Ale was surprisingly good and nicely poured with a thick rich head that lasted all during the meal! Best chicken pie we've had in a long long time and the rack of lamb was to die for! What a very pleasant surprise! We'll be back, for sure!
(4)
Amy M.
We enjoyed our meal. The food was prepared well. All the meals were prepared to our requests. The steaks were excellent and the fish was very fresh. The smashed potatoes could have been hotter, they were a little cool but they tasted great. The soup was to die for. The service was excellent.
(4)
Mandy C.
We love this place, especially the outdoor seating. Salmon with summer squash risotto is fantastic! Great kids menu choices too.
(5)
Holly H.
My husband and I made a reservation on OpenTable. No lines or waiting when we walked in, which I thought odd for a Friday night, but the place was busy enough. Our server, Bobby Jo, was great the whole night! I never once felt like we were being rushed out so they could seat other parties. We ordered the potato skins as an appetizer. When it came out I thought it was the wrong order. Not what I was expecting at all. My husband loved it and devoured it! The duck confit was an interesting touch, but I'm not sure I like it on my potato skins. The duck duo special was delicious! The beer battered fish and chips were good, but you can get the same dish almost anywhere really. All in all, this is a nice place. We would definitely come back again.
(4)
Rich P.
Went with the wife on a Monday for lunch... we both took the day off to fix our flooded basement... so wasn't in the best of moods . hahah I was upset the downstairs wasn't open so we went upstairs to the bar.... the bar was spotless .... the bartender was so nice and knew everything we asked about We started off with the wings .... AMEN .... the were awesome.. out of this world awesome I had a chicken sandwich and my wife had a burger ... everything was spot on ... when the bill came I had to look twice cause I expected it to be more $$ .... Fun place for lunch ... we will come back and try dinner soon ..
(4)
Monica J.
The atmosphere was very nice, but that was about the extent of it. We went mid-afternoon, the place was relatively quiet and empty, yet the service was very lacking and left us wanting more often than not. Our meals took quite some time to arrive at the table, especially considering the fact that the restaurant was nearly empty. The food was mediocre quality for the price we paid. While we didn't HATE our experience, we were very disappointed, especially for the price. We won't be returning, and instead will take our money somewhere it will be better spent.
(2)
Deborah P.
service was excellent food was great,just wish they had a bigger selection but it was awesome! the atmosphere was great too would definitely recommend this restaurant....
(4)
Patricia S.
We like this place, but everything can be hit or miss. Nothing has been all hit or all miss, which is keeping my review right in the middle. The food can be amazing, but depends on what you order. We've never loved any of the pizzas we've tried, but the sandwiches are fantastic. The service can be decent. Mostly friendly, with some apathetic moments. Like another reviewer, we also have had food come out that was not what we ordered (and overheard other tables complain about the same issue). But in our case, the waitress was incredibly apologetic. We go when it's nice weather b/c we love the outdoor seating, and we also love their drink selection.
(3)
Miss C.
We went there for an early dinner, was not crowded....maybe 3 other tables if that. We got a gift certificate and needed to use it. Started with one waiter and ended with another waitress, both were fine...if not a little eclectic?quirky? Anyways, my husband tried the bacon appetizer...although a weird choice for me personally, I thought it was good-consisted of thick bacon, gravy and pickled veg. My husband loved it. He got the burger....which didn't seem like much when he got it , but he absolutely loved it and said it was best burger he has had in a long time. They cooked it perfectly (med rare which is HARD to get when out these days) and the bun was good too. I got the flat bread pizza with fig,a glaze and some yummy cheese (I think maybe goat cheese I can't remember exactly) it was really tasty!!! I would return. Oh and Kudos for having Downeast Cider (my favorite right now)
(4)
Amelia H.
We met some friends for a drink at a new restaurant in Leominster. The beer selection was great, and very reasonably priced. We were impressed by that. I did not have the food, but a friend did, and he said it was good. So why did I only give this place three stars? The answer is the service. The service was terrible. I am usually very patient, especially at new places, but this was awful. Our waitress passed our table to serve food to another table at least twice before she acknowledged our presence. It was about 25 minutes before she took our order and then another 15 before she came back with our drinks. At one point we asked what the Dogfish Head was on tap and she said pumpkin, so we ordered it. She was either very wrong or brought us the wrong beer, because we got 60 minute IPA and it was obvious when it appeared on our bill as such. It took forever to get each round of drinks, and was beginning to annoy everyone at the table. Hopefully they can shape up and become a great new establishment for downtown Leominster.
(3)
Kristy C.
Quite surprised to see such a low rating for such a great place. R&T has a plethora of craft beer, an interesting food menu, and overall a very nice ambiance. The "cellar" is fun on the weekends; live music and usually a decent crowd. But all in all, I'm consistently pleased with the beer and food selections here, as well as the service. Everything is great!
(5)
Molly B.
Have been twice, each was a good experience. Burgers are excellent! Beer selection is too! I'll definitely be going back. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that it's a bit pricey for me.
(4)
Haley C.
After receiving a gift card in the mail for the terrible time we had this first time we thought we should at least give it a second try. We really shouldn't have though. We sat inside this time because it was really windy outside and there was barely anyone inside the restaraunt. We were the first people to actually be sitting in the booth and our waitress came over and took our drinks and then came back and took our order. She was being really attentive which was nice but once we got our terrible food it all went down hill. My boyfriend ordered the roast beef sandwich which was flavorless to say the least but the fries were good. I got the dried fig pizza and it would have been great if it wasn't SWIMMING in balsamic! I couldn't even enjoy it because of the over pouring stench from the balsamic. After we ate our waitress proceded to take her sweet time coming over to us and we were still the only people in the restaraunt besides the few men at the bar which didn't even affect her at all! I could see her in the back walking and then stopping for 5 mins to talk to a co-worker or chatting with the host at the front desk. It was just not cool at all because I wanted to get dessert and leave! When we got our dessert my boyfriend got the campfire bread pudding with ice cream. When he started to eat his ice cream these HUGE ice chunks were in it so we just assumed that maybe it was home made and got chunky...but no...its not HOME MADE! IT WAS JUST SUPER FREEZER BURN! We asked the waitress and she informed us of the store bought essence. We still had so much money left on the gift car which was WAY more then that women deserved but we just gave it to her because we didn't want to waste the money on the gift card because we KNEW we would NOT come back!!!!!
(1)
Kim S.
We went for dinner. The food is to die for. I highly recommend the Osso Bucco. Delicious! The atmosphere is very nice. Relaxed and inviting. Our waiter was great and very helpful and knowledgable. As we were leaving we realized that there was entertainment in the basement bar. We were very impressed with this place.
(5)
Lauren S.
This place was a nice surprise! Had beers, raw bar, and appetizers and will definitely go back for more! The beer selection was good and the bartender was knowledgable and made some great recommendations (I love that). They had some great IPAs on tap! Oysters were great! Got the duck potato skins - they were okay, not out of this world like other reviews make them out to be.
(4)
Nathan W.
Excellent service, great food, just a bit pricey. This is not to say I wouldn't return as I felt the experience as a whole was exceptional. I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who considers it.
(4)
Joe M.
great beer selection, and whiskey as should be expected by the name. Good food but service for both drinks and food were very slow. Ordered one beer and a mixed drink along with 12 oysters to start. Mixed drink took over 5 mins, oysters came in 10 but still no beer. 15 mins for one beer on a Wednesday night with 3 other tables there. This is a repeat event, been there several times and always the same. Shame, I want to like this place.
(3)
Amy R.
My boyfriend and I went in for brunch today and were highly disappointed. I ordered the eggs Benedict, he the monte cristo. Both were blah and served with tepid potatoes that had no crunchy outside and were cut so that some were so huge they were undercooked. The Benedict was served on two unnecessarily huge slices of sour dough that hadn't been toasted or grilled in any way. It came with "truffled" duck confit, I'd estimate less than two ounces of dry tasteless meat. There was no seasoning anywhere in the dish and adding salt and pepper did not even help. The herb roasted tomato was black on top, but it least it had some sort of flavor. My boyfriend's brunch suffered the same fate..No care taken to make each ingredient shine. Servers were dressed very casually and side work was being done right the bar for all to see. $50 for a lousy brunch!
(1)
Mike D.
I really dig the Niche group and what they are doing in this area. I love the concept of R and T and I look forward to going back again. We stopped in for a quick lunch and were pleasantly surprised with the Menu there offer. Fun and exciting items paired with a great drink list. We order a flatbread, some app and some oysters and this is what I will say: the oysters were super fresh and really cold just the way I like them. The flat bread was missing something and I couldn't figure what it was so I chased it with salt for a while, just to discover that wasn't this issue. The apps had the same issue there was no "POP" i couldn't quite put my finger on it. I will definitely be back, I really want to try their brunch!
(3)
Jane E.
We returned at the requset of our children who like R&T's menu. Once again service was a big issue! 20 minutes for our waiter to bring over 6 drinks -- I'm talking juice, water, glass of wine -- nothing difficult or time-consuming! I had the burger and fries. They were good. Nothing special, but better than previous meals there. I still would not recomment R&T for dining.
(3)
Alyssa S.
3.5 stars The girls and I dined at Rye & Thyme last Saturday, and I was happy with the service and food. Since we had reservations, we were seated immediately. The restaurant is huge, and I love how open it is. Their cocktails were yummy, and the R&T oysters were awesome. My friends also ordered salads that tasted fantastic, although slightly overdressed. The entrees among us included the Salmon & Dill, Meatloaf, R&T Burger, and Chicken Pot Pie. I recommend this restaurant if you're in the area!
(3)
Renee F.
Can't say enough about how delicious the food is but I'm not going to ramble on about it. I'm working my way through tasting everything on the menu and so far my only disappointment has been in the calamari appetizer which was a little small for two people. I'm a snobby diner so if you enjoy great tasting and interesting, order some of the out-of-the-box items here, like the fig pizza which is to die for. My friends and I love the Draught Cellar for drinks and hanging out with live music or karaoke nights. This place is cool and it can get busy. Make friends with the wait staff and you'll be golden.
(5)
Pamela S.
Visiting from MN, here with family . The food was above standard fare!!! Our server. Kristin , was awesome , food was awesome. Atmosphere relaxing. Would definitely come back
(4)
Bob D.
Rye & Thyme is a relatively new entry in downtown Leominster occupying the space previously held by The Monument Grill. Unfortunately, it misses the mark and in my opinion, It's just "ok". The menu is pretty standard American pub food. Pizzas, steaks, and seafood. No vegetarian choices other than salads which doesn't bother me that much as I am proud to be a red meat eating carnivore. But vegetarians should be aware of the lack of options. I'm not going to give an entire blow-by-blow from hostess to paying the check as I usually just skim those when others write it all out . Instead I'll just give my highs and lows: Appetizers - Highs: Oysters Rockefeller were delicious. Low: Oysters Rockefeller were lukewarm. High: The bacon was high quality. Low If you are going to offer wood roasted slab bacon as an appetizer it should BE a wood roasted slab not sliced like breakfast food. Also, I'd pay $8 for a slab of bacon , which is what the menu states, whereas 4 slices seems overpriced. High and Low: The sweet potato and corn chowder was thick and sweet but under seasoned. More disappointingly, the bowl (a cup is not offered?) was also lukewarm. Entrees- High: The hanger steak was quite tasty and well seasoned and cooked perfectly. This was the high point of the night.and the only reason I give the place 3 stars and not 2. Low: The shoestring truffle fries were crispy but bland and lukewarm, and there was obviously not any truffle oil on them. Low - I've tried to give highs and lows for everything we ate but I can't think of a high for the braised short ribs. A braise should be a slow cooked piece of meat that makes a tough cut of meat tender and adds flavor. If you leave it in too long the meat gets mushy and all the flavor gets washed out. We got the second - overcooked and mushy. Overall, service was slow, the food was ok to meh, and I can definitely think of better places within a short drive to get a much better meal for 2 for $110 (with drinks and tip).
(3)
Sharon L.
I've been to Rye & Thyme on several occasions. When it first opened, I thought that it was a great place. My husband really loved the beer selection and we've sat at the downstairs bar a few times. The last we went there the bar was fairly busy. The bartender (with an Irish accent) came over to our table to take our order. I asked him what apps he recommended and his response was: "I recommend you choose something yourself and quickly. I'm busy." It was very rude and he had me just about in tears. He came back over with our order and gave a half-hearted apology. As a result of his behavior, I will never go back.
If you're looking for a place to dine, meet up with friends, listen to live music or catch the latest sports game, Rye & Thyme has your table waiting! My first experience eating oysters was here, they were delicious; I've ordered them several times since. Every appetizer and main dish I've ordered has been equally delicious. The food is always fresh, well prepared and well presented and the servers are familiar and helpful with each item including wine, beer or cocktails. I cannot fail to mention the micro-brews that Rye & Thyme offers, draught and in bottles, local and otherwise. The servers are well educated in each brew and spirits offered and will lend you a sample before you order the full glass if you desire. You can choose to sit upstairs at a table, the bar area or at an outside table, weather permitting, or you can find your way downstairs to the draught cellar where there are tables, a large bar, the brew taps and music. My first visit was in December 2012 and since then I've been at Rye & Thyme many times with friends and family and everyone loves the atmosphere, the waitstaff and the food!
(5)
Lisa F.
I want to LOVE this restaurant for its great ambiance and location fairly close to my home, but I'm afraid I just can't. It's ok, food has been edible, service is very hit or miss, and it just doesn't have the impact of Bocado, another Niche hospitality Group restaurant. I have now had three meals at Rye and Thyme. So far, my favorite item has been their lemonade. Their griilled pizzas are not bad, but underwhelming. Perhaps with time things will improve?
(3)
David V.
Came here for lunch in the early afternoon on a Saturday, so it wasn't that busy. The wait to be seated was prompt and the waitress that waited on us was very pleasant. Given the time of day we came the dining room noise was low even though there were plenty of people there for lunch. I'm sure it is a different situation at dinner time. We were seated in a booth, which was very spacious and the bench seats were comfortable. I liked the dark wood decor. I was having trouble deciding on wine and the waitress kindly offered me a sample, which I was not expecting. The selection of beverages was decent. To start, I ordered half dozen Virginia oysters, which were nicely priced at $1. Whoever shucked them did an excellent job... very clean. They had some other oysters at $2, but the Virginia ones were fine. The Italian Sausage Bake came out in a hot cast iron pan. Good portion for lunch and filled with sausage. I enjoyed half there and half later in the day as a snack. Parking was fine for lunch, but I would hate to have to deal with it on the busy nights. All in all a good experience and I'm looking forward to having dinner here in the future and more $1 oysters.
(3)
John A.
This is one of the best restaurants in Central Massachusetts. I've been here 3 times now and I cannot complain one bit. Every cocktail I've had was delicious, particularly the buffalo bramble and the redemption song. The first time was for lunch and I was pleased with their beer selection, $1 oysters and Banh Mi sandwhich. The second time I got the burger, which was HUGE for the price. Third time was my birthday, we had the calamari which was done Rhode Island style with banana peppers and chipotle aioli. We also had the duck confit potato skins which were unbelievable. For my entree I got the angry Caesar salad, no complaints their and for desert I had the cheesecake. I truly cannot think of a reason why anyone would dislike this place. People have different experiences in terms of service, but don't let that deter from this new restaurant with great food and drink choices.
(4)
J M.
Great value for a top notch meal. I have yet to try something that didn't blow me away for the price. Atmosphere is nice and the oyster bar is solid. Beer selection is great and wait staff pleasant. A great addition to downtown Leominster.
(5)
Kevin S.
We had dinner here last night with friends. A nice room and not crowded on this pre-holiday night, we were seated promptly in the area we requested. The waitress was friendly and very attentive. Good service. The raw bar menu is fun. I enjoyed the tuna sashimi and a couple of oysters presented with a bunch of condiments. The oriental carrot salad served with the tuna was great, I want the recipe. They have a selection of about 15 draft beers and a long bottled and canned list. Our waitress knew both the beer (and the food) menu and was very attentive with samples to help with beer choices. I chose the Pork Osso Buco, a generous helping falling off the bone served embedded in excellent mashed sweet potato. I like it. She enjoyed the "Ale Battered fish and chips"; a very large piece of haddock with enough left over for lunch. She said the string fries were good and crispy. The only down dinner note was the grilled asparagus which had kerosene/cigarette smoke flavors and was not a hit. We all shared dessert and enjoyed the tiramisu, chocolate torte and porter brownie. A nice restaurant with easy parking. Good service, interesting menu, well prepared food and an excellent beer selection. What's not to like? We will be back.
(4)
A.S. W.
Stopped here for drinks & dinner. Potato skins excellent as an appie, large craft beer selection & good wine list. Sat at the bar, service was very attentive will be back next time in the area
(4)
M H.
Great food, wonderful menu, easy location, great atmosphere. Started with drinks on the outdoor patio, continued on to dinners that everyone found delicious and then finished up with music downstairs. The music was great as well - Andy Cummings, really enjoyable.
(5)
Cat B.
I'm an oyster lover. To find a place like this in my area is great. The grilled oysters are awesome, as well as the oysters Rockefeller. $1 raw oysters for the summer. They're a little on the small side. Oh well. Order a couple more! Christine was super. I highly recommend this place.
(5)
Richelle P.
Very clean and nice place for pregame . Great selection of beers. Bread pudding and brownies are Delicious,but need more ice cream. Service depends on the staff working that night. Some nights are better than others.
(3)
Courtney N.
My friend and I noticed a billboard touting Rye and Thyme and just had to check them out. We went for lunch and really enjoyed the experience. They have a draught cellar but that doesn't open until 5pm so we didn't get a chance to go in. Their beer list is huge and varied. It was hard to pick just one! My friend got a Belgian beer and I tried a hard apple cider. Delicious. For our meals, I went with the egg and bacon skillet (egg, tomatoes, bacon, cheddar and bread all made in a skillet). It was very good. My friend got the beef and ale, and I stole his cheddar potato cake that came with it. Definitely a must try. There were several items on the menu that looked interesting so we'll have to come back. We ended up sharing a dessert (again, another good selection). It was campfire bread pudding. I think it was supposed to taste like a s'mores but it just tasted like yummy chocolate bread pudding which was fine with us. The prices were great for the amount of food and quality. Our waitress was nice. They offer you loyalty cards at the end but I didn't want to give out my personal info so I passed. Might be a good deal if you visit them often though. Definitely worth checking out in you're in the area!
(4)
Anthony F.
My wife and I had brunch today. She had the eggs bennie and I had the chicken pot pie. Both excellent! It was well worth the 45 min drive...thanks Phantom Gourmet.
(5)
Katie K.
The one dollar oysters are fabulous - fresh and delicious. The dried fig pizza was one of the best pizzas I have ever had - tons of creamy, melted blue cheese with sweet figs and apple drizzled with balsamic. SO GOOD. The only miss was the yukon gold potato skins - not a skin in sight, more like a pile of greasy home fries. We can't wait to go back to try more of the tasty looking dishes, but would never order those again.
(3)
Bruce M.
Inconsistent. Been there a couple of times and the first time was great so when we went back we had high expectations. But the food was a couple of levels down, to where it where if it our first visit, I probably wouldn't have gone back, at least not at that expense. My wife ordered the same soup on both occasions but the second time it was completely different. Went from thick and hearty to thin and tasteless. The very expensive steak I had was dry and bland. The menu was small and eloquent with essentially something for everyone. That's why getting it right should be easy and critical. I hope the owners read this because I really want this restaurant to succeed. This area needs great independent restaurants and getting an average review of 3 stars by all reviewers won't cut it. Good luck!
(3)
Tiana G.
Ate dinner there last night. The Caesar salad was great, but my grilled chicken had lots of charred bits on it that tasted burnt. The tiny bits of vegetable were scattered around the plate. I was disappointed in the amount of veggies and they were oily, which made them hard to eat. I would have sent back my meal except I was being treated by a colleague so i didn't want to hurt her feelings since she chose the restaurant. I'd go back for the ambiance and to try a different dish. My friend had the steak and fries. Seemed a bit overpriced, especially since you have to get your salad separately and I couldn't sub the potatoe for a salad. Server was nice enough and food came out pretty quickly, but it was almost empty at 6 pm on a Wednesday night...
(2)
D. W.
My husband and I went for a quiet evening out. It was our first time here but we love Bocado in Worc. We weren't disappointed. Service was excellent and so was the food. My husband got the baked pasta entree and it was enough to fill him up and have some to take home. I had a lobster roll and the bun was a little burnt but the lobster was plentiful. Ask for bread. They have an awesome dipping oil! And if you like some alcohol in your drinks, this is the place to go. Drinks were good and strong. Next time I'm trying the potato skins and some craft brews!
(4)
Elissa B.
Bottom line...none of the food, with the exception of the fries, were seasoned. There was absolutely no flavor to the fried haddock that my husband had or the burger that I had. My husband thinks the haddock was actually cod. I had a taste and it didn't taste like haddock to me, either. The sweet potato and corn chowder looked promising, but again lacked flavor. We were sat right away, but the waiter was just okay. It looked like he could have used a cup of coffee to wake up a bit. We were going to Mezcal, but someone recommended this instead. Bad idea.
(2)
Dennis L.
Prices too high for the area. Ordered roasted chicken looked good coming out but was not cooked bloody. The restaurant was empty the waitress was good the manager came over and apologized . Would not go back.
(1)
Kristen F.
We have been here quite a few times and have always enjoyed our visits, we have sat inside both upstairs and down and outside in the nice weather. We are not huge fans of their menu since there are really only a few things we really ever get, the calamari is delicious and my son loves the pizza, hubby has gotten the burgers and a few other items and he has enjoyed them. We really enjoy both the Draught Cellar and the outside patio, the drinks are very good and the meals we have had are tasty. The bartenders downstairs are nice and friendly and atmosphere is fun, we would love to see some new items added to the menu/maybe specials on the weekends. All in all we have enjoyed our visits there and will definitely be back.
(4)
B E.
I am boosting the review from 4 to 5 stars. Have had several dinners here in the past few months and all of them have been excellent. They really seem to have hit their stride.
(5)
Karen K.
Delicious fish and chips! Great wine and bourbon selections!
(5)
Aly H.
Overall we found Rye & Thyme to be very disappointing. 5 of us went for lunch, we also got two appetizers, so a fairly good sampling of the menu. Not one dish was good. We definitely won't go back.
(1)
Thomas N.
lunch recently.....just opened in what was monument grill.....very nice appearance, nice lamps, lovely curved walnut bar, nice lamps......curve of the bar accommodates a salad/raw bar area......we had martinis, good, we had corn meal crusted calamari, very good thought a tad dry, hamburger was very good and cooked as requested, angry caesar salad with scallops very good and not too angry....oh we splurged and had an ice cream sandwich for desert which was excellent......all the foods looked nice presentation and they were pretty busy for having opened yesterday....dinner menu is similar to lunch with some add'l items.....very nice pretty restaurant and the server was pleasant and accommodating!!!
(4)
J D.
Incredible awesomeness!
(3)
J M.
We went for dinner last night and were disappointed. I had the salmon, which was excellent, but the accompanying butternut risotto was too salty and the butternut squash was under cooked and hard. My husband had the delmonico steak which was cooked ok, but the "anchovy" butter seemed weird to him. The "roasted" green beans were shriveled and overdone. The service was fine, but overall it was only ok and I'm not sure when we'll be back. The menu is not that enticing to me and if you're going to have unusual food it should be fabulous, and the menu seems a little out of place for Leominster.
(3)
joe t.
I wanted to love this place. For starters they need better signage as to where you're supposed to enter. As it turned out, that confused looking man wandering around the al frescoes while eyeballing their cocktails was me. Luckily a kind waitress helped me find the path to the hostess and assured me I wasn't the only dingbat who couldn't figure out the restaurant's travel patterns. Onward! It's a really nice looking place. Always has been. The interior is dark and comforting and rather warm, in a non-temperature sense. The bar has been niftily spruced up and I plan on spending some considerable time there in the not too distant future. It would be a good place to watch a game if you wanted a quiet/non-yahoo-ish vibe. The bar has been extended, so there's plenty of seats. I didn't sample the raw bar, but they're advertising one dollar oysters for the remainder of the Summer. Good deal! Our waitress seemed to genuinely care that we have a good experience and was very nice, if unseasoned. Which leads me to the steak tartare. (segue!) It was very bland. Extremely bland. I'm not an expert on steak tartare by any means, but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to put something in it other than just the meat. Like salt. Or pepper. Or something. After nailing it with the salt and pepper shaker it was considerbaly better. For entrees we had the shrimp and scallop saute and a meat pizza. The shrimp and scallop saute was served over pappardelle pasta with a nice mix of summer vegetation. The vegetables were perfectly done, crisp with a nice crunch left in them. The pasta was also well done. The seafood was a bit undercooked, but I just ate a plate of raw beef, so it didn't phase me. Tatse-wise, it was lacking. It just tasted under-seasoned. I don't mind a light, clean tasting dish, but there's a difference between that and what this dish was. Lastly, the meat pizza was just not very good. The edges of the pita-ish crust were jarringly hard, as in unedible. The tomato sauce had that "someone went too heavy on the tomato paste" tinny acidity to it and just pretty much killed the pizza for me. The meat in question said to be topping the pizza, was on the sparse side. More duck, please, and less bacon! Ok, so they're new, so I'll go back for sure. It's great looking room with a good waitstaff and the booze seems spot on. The food needs a good tweaking.
(2)
Bonnie R.
Loved it! My husband, my sister and I went for lunch. We split the corn meal calamari (a little dry but tasty), potato skins with shitake mushrooms and truffle oil (delicious), the turkey club (fresh and satisfying), and the meat wood-fired pizza (great crust and beautifully-cooked duck). I maybe wasn't crazy about the tomato sauce on the pizza, too thick and not as fresh-tasting in comparison to everything else, but it didn't put me off eating the last piece! We also thoroughly enjoyed trying the house mixed drinks. I can't wait to come back for dinner to try some more!
(4)
Craig P.
Went last night. We all got the burger, which was the best I've had! Bread and dipping oil was excellent. Planning to go back next time for an entree (they all sounded interesting) and the desserts looked amazing. Will try raw bar as well. Newly expanded bar is great! Can picture sitting there with a drink and oysters for a quick app. Nice job! It's finally looking like Leominster will have a good, solid alternative to all the chain restaurants! Now if we can just add more and perhaps replace some of the over-abundance of banks and pharmacies we have!!!
(4)
Laura H.
We've been here twice since they opened last month and enjoyed both visits. I started both of my meals with three of the $1 oysters & really enjoyed them both times. During the first visit we both decided to go with pizzas - veggie for me, fig for my husband. The veggie was ok, I think I would have liked it better with fewer green peppers & more red, but that is just personal preference. Overall it was fine though. Husband's fig pizza was fantastic & we both loved that. Hubs tried several of the drinks from the cocktail menu and thought they were all good. Wrapped up by sharing the strawberries romanoff which was excellent - if the serving had not been so large I would say the decision to share might have been a mistake! Second visit, while I indulged in the oysters again, husband had the sweet potato & corn chowder. It was very tasty & we would both order it again. Hubs liked his order of short rib & I loved the burger that I ordered. The burger came with grilled onion on the menu, I asked if they could substitute tomato & they did with two generous slices. Medium well as requested & the garlic mayo was great. Our waiter was fine both times, attentive with the drinks, but not hovering. I'm not sure why the complaints regarding prices. Everything seemed pretty reasonable to us. $10 for each of the personal pizzas, and $10 for my burger - about the same as you would pay at Chili's or similar, but much better. We will definitely be back to enjoy more.
(4)
Holls S.
I could squeeze the Niche group until their eyeballs pop out for opening this restaurant. I moved to L-town just in time to watch Monument slip downhill in quality and service and spent the last several months driving to Worcester to have a decent dining experience. When Rye & Thyme opened I was stoked to find out it was part of a group of quality local restaurants. I can vouch for two well crafted cocktails (says a lot since I don't usually like hard booze so much..more of a wine-o), raw oysters for $1 each (until labor Day - so hurry down!), and a tasty fig flatbread pizza. The prices are reasonable, and almost inexpensive considering the quality. I think the best part about the Niche group is consistency. You're guaranteed to have, well-thought -out dishes/drinks and service.
(4)
Brandon B.
4 Stars for the atmosphere. 3 Stars for the food I spent my time in the downstairs bar for the Rob Roy Open Mic they host every Tuesday and the atmosphere and decor are very nice. A nice upper end bar with a great bartender, Greg. The house and live music levels were great, not too loud. Good selection of beers and spirits, gets to be a little pricey though, especially for the dinner entrees. I ordered the WOOD GRILLED CHICKEN BANH MI SANDWICH which was bland and the chicken was burnt. A friend ordered a chicken caesar salad with no cheese and received a caesar salad with cheese and no chicken. May come back again but it won't be for the food and it's certainly not top of the list.
(3)
Leah C.
Rye and Thyme is a great addition to downtown Leominster. The remodel from the previous business is excellent and I'm hearing they are working on the downstairs to be opened later this fall. The food is good/very good. I have been numerous times since it opened and I have always had a solid meal. I've never been blown away by anything I've had but they have a small-ish menu and they do everything on there well. Plus, as a seafood lover, I am a huge fan of their oyster bar. Drinks are great, but their big draw for me and the amount of craft beer they have available either on tap or in bottle/can - stuff that is difficult to find in a restaurant/bar setting. This makes it a great hang-out spot as well for drinks after work or before a night out. The only down side of the place for me has been service and pacing while having dinner. Don't get me wrong, servers are pleasant and helpful, but I think they could be better about getting to the table more often. Food, additionally, can take a while for the major entrees. Overall, I would absolutely recommend Rye and Thyme.
(4)
Heidi R.
Phenomenal! We went to Rye and Thyme on a Friday night. It was busy, but the service was great. Excellent cocktails and the food was fantastic! The fig flatbread pizza was amazing and the homemade ice cream sandwich was quite possibly the best dessert I've had all summer! Get here ASAP!
Lunch today. Requested burger done medium, arrived more than well done. Server never returned so I choked it down. Three strikes. You're out!
(2)
Morgan G.
Amazing on so many levels. First of all, I had my sister's bridal shower here and it was AWESOME! Deb Covino is a phenomenal event planner to work with and the staff at Rye and Thyme were more than helpful. I had a few emails back and forth with Deb and we were booked...it was the easiest thing I have ever done. When physically there, the staff helped me move tables, provided me with tablecloths and helped me set up everything. They even provided us with our own bartender downstairs at the bar where the event was. We had such a great experience with the baby shower that my cousins, my mother and sister and I went upstairs to eat dinner afterwards. Here's the second reason why it was amazing...I'm a vegan and they were so accommodating. The waitress was very knowledgeable and they made me my own dish from an existing one with meat - and they charged me less for it! (That rarely happens!) Mike, the owner, stopped by and checked on us to see how everything was going and I told him that I couldn't have been happier with the shower and the dinner experience after. Thanks, Rye and Thyme! I'll definitely be back!!
(5)
Maria S.
We are regulars at your Worcester locations, but walked out of Rye and Thyme today and will not be returning. For some reason, the person about to seat us had an issue with our baby's stroller and wanted us to sit in a booth near the door, rather than one near the windows as we requested. She insisted the stroller would be blocking the traffic. I'm not sure whether she wanted us to sit in a less desirable area, had an objection to a baby in the restaurant, or was having a bad day, but her attitude was bad enough to make us leave. The place was practically empty, too. And, we were going to fold the stroller anyway (not that she asked). I don't understand why she had to argue with us over a perfectly reasonable request, but here is an example of lousy service. Thank you for listening.
(1)
Joanna W.
We only visited the downstairs bar area, but I was impressed by the atmosphere and the beer/cocktail/wine/hard ciders selection. Friendly service. I'm not sure if there is bar food in the bar; we didn't see any, but would frequent more often if there is.
(4)
Amy H.
This is probably going to be my new go-to when I'm in Leominster. Great ambience with an extensive beer and cocktail menu. I had, without a doubt, the best chicken wings I've ever had. They treated the chicken like they were the focal point and not just a hot sauce and blue cheese delivery device like a lot of other wings that I've had. I sat at the bar and had great service. I will definitely go back!
(4)
Ann M.
Terrible!!! Our first drink order took 15 min and there were very few people in the place. Got some bread 1/2 hour later. Waiter not very friendly at all :-(... Ordered a burger and a pizza, took 45 minutes!! The burger was ordered med/well and came well, well, well done and the waiter never really apologized. It was awful, don't waste your time, just go to Subway it would have be a much better experience!!!
(1)
Nick F.
Been here for lunch two times. First time both the food and service were not impressive. We were sat in the back near a large window with the bartender as our server which did not make any sense because our table was not close to the bar. The lunch staff is either poorly managed or just does not understand that if the restaurant only has 20 people in for lunch,a 20 minute wait for your server to check in on you is unacceptable. The second time I was there on a Sunday afternoon and the service was just as bad with only 4 tables occupied. The only way we were able to get any service was by flagging down the manager who was helping the one working server with a table of 8, which was about half of the customers in the place. I had a pastrami sandwich which was good. My advise is never go to this place on the weekend for lunch/brunch. I will reserve my final judgement on this place until I have experienced a full dinner service.
(2)
Mark T.
It's a nice restaurant with great service. The food lacks panache and seasoning. The oysters were great. (no chef involved) The fried haddock had a soggy batter. We ordered 2 steaks and fries, one medium and one rare, they both came cooked medium and only faintly smelling of the advertised wood grill.The fries were uninspired and unseasoned and the truffle oil that the menu promised was nowhere to be found or tasted! In the chef's opinion three pretentious little spots of what looked like French's mustard passed for plate decoration. Almost everything on the menu is garlic laden and over priced. They are apparently just getting up and running, We'll give them another chance to get it together in a few months. Maybe by then the chef will learn to season the food!
(2)
John F.
I was excited to hear that a new restaurant had opened in the space previously occupied by the Monument Grill. For some reason, good restaurants in this area are few and far between so I really wanted to like Rye and Thyme. We arrived on a Sunday at 4:30 for an early dinner after shopping in the area. We were quickly seated in a booth and our waitress told us about the specials and took our drink order. So far, so good. We ordered the calimari as an appetizer while we thought about the main course. It came out in about 10 minutes and was quite good. Nice presentation, served with spicy peppers and had a good flavor that was crisp and fresh. I ordered the half roast chicken with potatoes and green beans while my wife, who is watching her calories, ordered a hamburger without the bun and vegetables. They came out rather quickly and I soon figured out why. It was clear that the chicken had been cooked a while ago (possibly not today) and then heated up and covered with warm gravy. Same for the green beans. They had that limp, tired texture that can only mean they had been sitting around for a while. Kind of surprising for so early in the evening. My wifes hamburger was just ok quality. Not good, not bad. For $12 it should have been better. On the plus side, service and atmosphere were good. They kept the booths from the previous restaurant which I personally don't like much. They're comfortable but they make you feel closed in and cut off from the other patrons. Some people like them, just not me. I gave Rye and Thyme 2 stars because the description says "Meh, I've experienced better". That sums up how my experience went. They have what they need to be an excellent restaurant. If the kitchen starts taking a little more care and interest in what they're doing they can knock it out of the park.
(2)
Frank C.
As a family of four, for meals, we ordered a wood-grilled cheese pizza, a salmon dish, the "Steak and Fries" (which is a grade below their "Delmonico"), and the thick-cut porkchop. For apps, we ordered a lot from the touted raw bar. 18 oysters (right now only $1/piece), 12 littleneck clams and the steak tartare. All the food was top-notch in preparation and appropriately priced for how nice a place this is. The oysters are unbelievable at the price. The steak came as ordered (rare) and the quality, given that it was the lesser cut on the menu, was excellent. The salmon was delish. We ordered it rare. The menu has variety for everyone except vegetarians/vegans (beyond a salad). Service was fine as well. Very glad to have this mid-upscale restaruant in town. This place is good for romantic dinner or for the family. Raw bar's excellent. Only quibble: Had to wait for new rolls to finish baking but they were very good. Nice hard crust and soft inside.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Luke B.
I have been here multiple times since the Niche Hospitality Group opened this place up. The service has always been great and I have never had a bad meal. Just last night I had the steak with asparagus and it was FANTASTIC! The dinner also came with a side salad which was AMAZING! I am not the biggest salad guy but it was good, the dressing was awesome and the veggies were fresh. The waitstaff are great, too. Everyone is very friendly and always helpful with any questions you may have about the menu. The managers are always checking in on the tables to make sure everything is going well and that the food is up to expectations. For all the drinkers...you can not beat the selection of beers on draft or in bottle. There are so many to choose from! They also have a wide variety of whiskeys and bourbons. The Buffalo Bramble is my recommendation for anyone who enjoys a good bourbon drink. All in all, if you are looking for a great place for a date or even just a night out with friends, I would highly recommend Rye and Thyme.
(5)Jason O.
Server was great and the food is always good. Corn meal fried calamari is good and love oysters. Kids enjoyed their meals as well. Always a good meal.
(5)Marc C.
My partner and I went to the bar on Thursday night last week for an anniversary dinner, we pigged out and oysters and love their drink selections. The lighting at the bar can be bright but they were nice enough to turn it down for us. Had the veal chop and also the angry Caesar salad it was great.
(4)Lisa W.
Had a nice lunch here with mom. It was a bit difficult to find as the entrance is not well marked. The food was very good; mom had the chicken pot pie, I had the fish & chips. Everything was prepared and presented nicely. The breading on the fish was light and crispy. The spicy cole slaw was disappointing as it was heavily spiced and had a lot of mayonnaise. The fish was fresh, but may have been a day or two old. The wait staff was courteous and friendly. Will definitely go again and recommend.
(4)Gary M.
On the spur of the moment ... we decided to stop in the Rye & Thyme. Sunday afternoon, it was not at all crowded, Warmly greeted, comfortable seating, very helpful wait staff. I couldn't decide on the brew, so she brought me a 3 pack sampler. Allagash Ale was surprisingly good and nicely poured with a thick rich head that lasted all during the meal! Best chicken pie we've had in a long long time and the rack of lamb was to die for! What a very pleasant surprise! We'll be back, for sure!
(4)Amy M.
We enjoyed our meal. The food was prepared well. All the meals were prepared to our requests. The steaks were excellent and the fish was very fresh. The smashed potatoes could have been hotter, they were a little cool but they tasted great. The soup was to die for. The service was excellent.
(4)Mandy C.
We love this place, especially the outdoor seating. Salmon with summer squash risotto is fantastic! Great kids menu choices too.
(5)Holly H.
My husband and I made a reservation on OpenTable. No lines or waiting when we walked in, which I thought odd for a Friday night, but the place was busy enough. Our server, Bobby Jo, was great the whole night! I never once felt like we were being rushed out so they could seat other parties. We ordered the potato skins as an appetizer. When it came out I thought it was the wrong order. Not what I was expecting at all. My husband loved it and devoured it! The duck confit was an interesting touch, but I'm not sure I like it on my potato skins. The duck duo special was delicious! The beer battered fish and chips were good, but you can get the same dish almost anywhere really. All in all, this is a nice place. We would definitely come back again.
(4)Rich P.
Went with the wife on a Monday for lunch... we both took the day off to fix our flooded basement... so wasn't in the best of moods . hahah I was upset the downstairs wasn't open so we went upstairs to the bar.... the bar was spotless .... the bartender was so nice and knew everything we asked about We started off with the wings .... AMEN .... the were awesome.. out of this world awesome I had a chicken sandwich and my wife had a burger ... everything was spot on ... when the bill came I had to look twice cause I expected it to be more $$ .... Fun place for lunch ... we will come back and try dinner soon ..
(4)Monica J.
The atmosphere was very nice, but that was about the extent of it. We went mid-afternoon, the place was relatively quiet and empty, yet the service was very lacking and left us wanting more often than not. Our meals took quite some time to arrive at the table, especially considering the fact that the restaurant was nearly empty. The food was mediocre quality for the price we paid. While we didn't HATE our experience, we were very disappointed, especially for the price. We won't be returning, and instead will take our money somewhere it will be better spent.
(2)Deborah P.
service was excellent food was great,just wish they had a bigger selection but it was awesome! the atmosphere was great too would definitely recommend this restaurant....
(4)Patricia S.
We like this place, but everything can be hit or miss. Nothing has been all hit or all miss, which is keeping my review right in the middle. The food can be amazing, but depends on what you order. We've never loved any of the pizzas we've tried, but the sandwiches are fantastic. The service can be decent. Mostly friendly, with some apathetic moments. Like another reviewer, we also have had food come out that was not what we ordered (and overheard other tables complain about the same issue). But in our case, the waitress was incredibly apologetic. We go when it's nice weather b/c we love the outdoor seating, and we also love their drink selection.
(3)Miss C.
We went there for an early dinner, was not crowded....maybe 3 other tables if that. We got a gift certificate and needed to use it. Started with one waiter and ended with another waitress, both were fine...if not a little eclectic?quirky? Anyways, my husband tried the bacon appetizer...although a weird choice for me personally, I thought it was good-consisted of thick bacon, gravy and pickled veg. My husband loved it. He got the burger....which didn't seem like much when he got it , but he absolutely loved it and said it was best burger he has had in a long time. They cooked it perfectly (med rare which is HARD to get when out these days) and the bun was good too. I got the flat bread pizza with fig,a glaze and some yummy cheese (I think maybe goat cheese I can't remember exactly) it was really tasty!!! I would return. Oh and Kudos for having Downeast Cider (my favorite right now)
(4)Amelia H.
We met some friends for a drink at a new restaurant in Leominster. The beer selection was great, and very reasonably priced. We were impressed by that. I did not have the food, but a friend did, and he said it was good. So why did I only give this place three stars? The answer is the service. The service was terrible. I am usually very patient, especially at new places, but this was awful. Our waitress passed our table to serve food to another table at least twice before she acknowledged our presence. It was about 25 minutes before she took our order and then another 15 before she came back with our drinks. At one point we asked what the Dogfish Head was on tap and she said pumpkin, so we ordered it. She was either very wrong or brought us the wrong beer, because we got 60 minute IPA and it was obvious when it appeared on our bill as such. It took forever to get each round of drinks, and was beginning to annoy everyone at the table. Hopefully they can shape up and become a great new establishment for downtown Leominster.
(3)Kristy C.
Quite surprised to see such a low rating for such a great place. R&T has a plethora of craft beer, an interesting food menu, and overall a very nice ambiance. The "cellar" is fun on the weekends; live music and usually a decent crowd. But all in all, I'm consistently pleased with the beer and food selections here, as well as the service. Everything is great!
(5)Molly B.
Have been twice, each was a good experience. Burgers are excellent! Beer selection is too! I'll definitely be going back. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that it's a bit pricey for me.
(4)Richelle P.
Very clean and nice place for pregame . Great selection of beers. Bread pudding and brownies are Delicious,but need more ice cream. Service depends on the staff working that night. Some nights are better than others.
(3)Haley C.
After receiving a gift card in the mail for the terrible time we had this first time we thought we should at least give it a second try. We really shouldn't have though. We sat inside this time because it was really windy outside and there was barely anyone inside the restaraunt. We were the first people to actually be sitting in the booth and our waitress came over and took our drinks and then came back and took our order. She was being really attentive which was nice but once we got our terrible food it all went down hill. My boyfriend ordered the roast beef sandwich which was flavorless to say the least but the fries were good. I got the dried fig pizza and it would have been great if it wasn't SWIMMING in balsamic! I couldn't even enjoy it because of the over pouring stench from the balsamic. After we ate our waitress proceded to take her sweet time coming over to us and we were still the only people in the restaraunt besides the few men at the bar which didn't even affect her at all! I could see her in the back walking and then stopping for 5 mins to talk to a co-worker or chatting with the host at the front desk. It was just not cool at all because I wanted to get dessert and leave! When we got our dessert my boyfriend got the campfire bread pudding with ice cream. When he started to eat his ice cream these HUGE ice chunks were in it so we just assumed that maybe it was home made and got chunky...but no...its not HOME MADE! IT WAS JUST SUPER FREEZER BURN! We asked the waitress and she informed us of the store bought essence. We still had so much money left on the gift car which was WAY more then that women deserved but we just gave it to her because we didn't want to waste the money on the gift card because we KNEW we would NOT come back!!!!!
(1)Kim S.
We went for dinner. The food is to die for. I highly recommend the Osso Bucco. Delicious! The atmosphere is very nice. Relaxed and inviting. Our waiter was great and very helpful and knowledgable. As we were leaving we realized that there was entertainment in the basement bar. We were very impressed with this place.
(5)Lauren S.
This place was a nice surprise! Had beers, raw bar, and appetizers and will definitely go back for more! The beer selection was good and the bartender was knowledgable and made some great recommendations (I love that). They had some great IPAs on tap! Oysters were great! Got the duck potato skins - they were okay, not out of this world like other reviews make them out to be.
(4)Nathan W.
Excellent service, great food, just a bit pricey. This is not to say I wouldn't return as I felt the experience as a whole was exceptional. I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who considers it.
(4)Joe M.
great beer selection, and whiskey as should be expected by the name. Good food but service for both drinks and food were very slow. Ordered one beer and a mixed drink along with 12 oysters to start. Mixed drink took over 5 mins, oysters came in 10 but still no beer. 15 mins for one beer on a Wednesday night with 3 other tables there. This is a repeat event, been there several times and always the same. Shame, I want to like this place.
(3)Amy R.
My boyfriend and I went in for brunch today and were highly disappointed. I ordered the eggs Benedict, he the monte cristo. Both were blah and served with tepid potatoes that had no crunchy outside and were cut so that some were so huge they were undercooked. The Benedict was served on two unnecessarily huge slices of sour dough that hadn't been toasted or grilled in any way. It came with "truffled" duck confit, I'd estimate less than two ounces of dry tasteless meat. There was no seasoning anywhere in the dish and adding salt and pepper did not even help. The herb roasted tomato was black on top, but it least it had some sort of flavor. My boyfriend's brunch suffered the same fate..No care taken to make each ingredient shine. Servers were dressed very casually and side work was being done right the bar for all to see. $50 for a lousy brunch!
(1)Mike D.
I really dig the Niche group and what they are doing in this area. I love the concept of R and T and I look forward to going back again. We stopped in for a quick lunch and were pleasantly surprised with the Menu there offer. Fun and exciting items paired with a great drink list. We order a flatbread, some app and some oysters and this is what I will say: the oysters were super fresh and really cold just the way I like them. The flat bread was missing something and I couldn't figure what it was so I chased it with salt for a while, just to discover that wasn't this issue. The apps had the same issue there was no "POP" i couldn't quite put my finger on it. I will definitely be back, I really want to try their brunch!
(3)Jane E.
We returned at the requset of our children who like R&T's menu. Once again service was a big issue! 20 minutes for our waiter to bring over 6 drinks -- I'm talking juice, water, glass of wine -- nothing difficult or time-consuming! I had the burger and fries. They were good. Nothing special, but better than previous meals there. I still would not recomment R&T for dining.
(3)Alyssa S.
3.5 stars The girls and I dined at Rye & Thyme last Saturday, and I was happy with the service and food. Since we had reservations, we were seated immediately. The restaurant is huge, and I love how open it is. Their cocktails were yummy, and the R&T oysters were awesome. My friends also ordered salads that tasted fantastic, although slightly overdressed. The entrees among us included the Salmon & Dill, Meatloaf, R&T Burger, and Chicken Pot Pie. I recommend this restaurant if you're in the area!
(3)Renee F.
Can't say enough about how delicious the food is but I'm not going to ramble on about it. I'm working my way through tasting everything on the menu and so far my only disappointment has been in the calamari appetizer which was a little small for two people. I'm a snobby diner so if you enjoy great tasting and interesting, order some of the out-of-the-box items here, like the fig pizza which is to die for. My friends and I love the Draught Cellar for drinks and hanging out with live music or karaoke nights. This place is cool and it can get busy. Make friends with the wait staff and you'll be golden.
(5)Pamela S.
Visiting from MN, here with family . The food was above standard fare!!! Our server. Kristin , was awesome , food was awesome. Atmosphere relaxing. Would definitely come back
(4)Leah C.
Rye and Thyme is a great addition to downtown Leominster. The remodel from the previous business is excellent and I'm hearing they are working on the downstairs to be opened later this fall. The food is good/very good. I have been numerous times since it opened and I have always had a solid meal. I've never been blown away by anything I've had but they have a small-ish menu and they do everything on there well. Plus, as a seafood lover, I am a huge fan of their oyster bar. Drinks are great, but their big draw for me and the amount of craft beer they have available either on tap or in bottle/can - stuff that is difficult to find in a restaurant/bar setting. This makes it a great hang-out spot as well for drinks after work or before a night out. The only down side of the place for me has been service and pacing while having dinner. Don't get me wrong, servers are pleasant and helpful, but I think they could be better about getting to the table more often. Food, additionally, can take a while for the major entrees. Overall, I would absolutely recommend Rye and Thyme.
(4)Heidi R.
Phenomenal! We went to Rye and Thyme on a Friday night. It was busy, but the service was great. Excellent cocktails and the food was fantastic! The fig flatbread pizza was amazing and the homemade ice cream sandwich was quite possibly the best dessert I've had all summer! Get here ASAP!
(5)Kenena P.
I visited Rye & Thyme last weekend on Sunday. I love the other Niche hospitality group restaurants so I had high expectations. My fiancé and I walked in the side door and saw a server leaning over a plate of bacon and eggs eating. She ignored us. The hostess was over to the side and piped in "table for 2?" We were sat outside on the patio and sat there for about 5 minutes. The server came out and asked of we were ready to order. I said we both would like bloody Mary's and before I knew it she was gone. I wanted to specify the vodka so I got up, walked inside & spoke to the bartender. Another 5 minutes passed (which seemed like a while because the restaurant was dead. Us, and one other party of 2 outside). When the waitress dropped off drinks and I said "I'm thinking of ordering the shrimp cocktail". She said "you think? or you are ordering it?". I was a bit put off by her attitude. About 2 minutes later she arrived with shrimp cocktail. Dropped it off and said nothing. When I got her attention after she checked the other table I asked her for side plates and lemons. My fiancé and I sat waiting for a few minutes till she returned. At this point I asked for a check because I didn't know how long it would take and I had to leave shortly after. Like I assumed she took her time bringing the check. I had no choice but to tip her 22% because I had no small bills and I couldn't find her for change- never mind wait for her to run a credit card. The only reason I have 3 stars is because the restaurant is very cute and clean, the bloodies were tasty and the shrimp was fresh. This waitress was having an off day for sure.
(3)Kevin S.
Lunch today. Requested burger done medium, arrived more than well done. Server never returned so I choked it down. Three strikes. You're out!
(2)Bonnie R.
Loved it! My husband, my sister and I went for lunch. We split the corn meal calamari (a little dry but tasty), potato skins with shitake mushrooms and truffle oil (delicious), the turkey club (fresh and satisfying), and the meat wood-fired pizza (great crust and beautifully-cooked duck). I maybe wasn't crazy about the tomato sauce on the pizza, too thick and not as fresh-tasting in comparison to everything else, but it didn't put me off eating the last piece! We also thoroughly enjoyed trying the house mixed drinks. I can't wait to come back for dinner to try some more!
(4)Craig P.
Went last night. We all got the burger, which was the best I've had! Bread and dipping oil was excellent. Planning to go back next time for an entree (they all sounded interesting) and the desserts looked amazing. Will try raw bar as well. Newly expanded bar is great! Can picture sitting there with a drink and oysters for a quick app. Nice job! It's finally looking like Leominster will have a good, solid alternative to all the chain restaurants! Now if we can just add more and perhaps replace some of the over-abundance of banks and pharmacies we have!!!
(4)Morgan G.
Amazing on so many levels. First of all, I had my sister's bridal shower here and it was AWESOME! Deb Covino is a phenomenal event planner to work with and the staff at Rye and Thyme were more than helpful. I had a few emails back and forth with Deb and we were booked...it was the easiest thing I have ever done. When physically there, the staff helped me move tables, provided me with tablecloths and helped me set up everything. They even provided us with our own bartender downstairs at the bar where the event was. We had such a great experience with the baby shower that my cousins, my mother and sister and I went upstairs to eat dinner afterwards. Here's the second reason why it was amazing...I'm a vegan and they were so accommodating. The waitress was very knowledgeable and they made me my own dish from an existing one with meat - and they charged me less for it! (That rarely happens!) Mike, the owner, stopped by and checked on us to see how everything was going and I told him that I couldn't have been happier with the shower and the dinner experience after. Thanks, Rye and Thyme! I'll definitely be back!!
(5)Maria S.
We are regulars at your Worcester locations, but walked out of Rye and Thyme today and will not be returning. For some reason, the person about to seat us had an issue with our baby's stroller and wanted us to sit in a booth near the door, rather than one near the windows as we requested. She insisted the stroller would be blocking the traffic. I'm not sure whether she wanted us to sit in a less desirable area, had an objection to a baby in the restaurant, or was having a bad day, but her attitude was bad enough to make us leave. The place was practically empty, too. And, we were going to fold the stroller anyway (not that she asked). I don't understand why she had to argue with us over a perfectly reasonable request, but here is an example of lousy service. Thank you for listening.
(1)Joanna W.
We only visited the downstairs bar area, but I was impressed by the atmosphere and the beer/cocktail/wine/hard ciders selection. Friendly service. I'm not sure if there is bar food in the bar; we didn't see any, but would frequent more often if there is.
(4)Amy H.
This is probably going to be my new go-to when I'm in Leominster. Great ambience with an extensive beer and cocktail menu. I had, without a doubt, the best chicken wings I've ever had. They treated the chicken like they were the focal point and not just a hot sauce and blue cheese delivery device like a lot of other wings that I've had. I sat at the bar and had great service. I will definitely go back!
(4)Bob D.
Rye & Thyme is a relatively new entry in downtown Leominster occupying the space previously held by The Monument Grill. Unfortunately, it misses the mark and in my opinion, It's just "ok". The menu is pretty standard American pub food. Pizzas, steaks, and seafood. No vegetarian choices other than salads which doesn't bother me that much as I am proud to be a red meat eating carnivore. But vegetarians should be aware of the lack of options. I'm not going to give an entire blow-by-blow from hostess to paying the check as I usually just skim those when others write it all out . Instead I'll just give my highs and lows: Appetizers - Highs: Oysters Rockefeller were delicious. Low: Oysters Rockefeller were lukewarm. High: The bacon was high quality. Low If you are going to offer wood roasted slab bacon as an appetizer it should BE a wood roasted slab not sliced like breakfast food. Also, I'd pay $8 for a slab of bacon , which is what the menu states, whereas 4 slices seems overpriced. High and Low: The sweet potato and corn chowder was thick and sweet but under seasoned. More disappointingly, the bowl (a cup is not offered?) was also lukewarm. Entrees- High: The hanger steak was quite tasty and well seasoned and cooked perfectly. This was the high point of the night.and the only reason I give the place 3 stars and not 2. Low: The shoestring truffle fries were crispy but bland and lukewarm, and there was obviously not any truffle oil on them. Low - I've tried to give highs and lows for everything we ate but I can't think of a high for the braised short ribs. A braise should be a slow cooked piece of meat that makes a tough cut of meat tender and adds flavor. If you leave it in too long the meat gets mushy and all the flavor gets washed out. We got the second - overcooked and mushy. Overall, service was slow, the food was ok to meh, and I can definitely think of better places within a short drive to get a much better meal for 2 for $110 (with drinks and tip).
(3)Sharon L.
I've been to Rye & Thyme on several occasions. When it first opened, I thought that it was a great place. My husband really loved the beer selection and we've sat at the downstairs bar a few times. The last we went there the bar was fairly busy. The bartender (with an Irish accent) came over to our table to take our order. I asked him what apps he recommended and his response was: "I recommend you choose something yourself and quickly. I'm busy." It was very rude and he had me just about in tears. He came back over with our order and gave a half-hearted apology. As a result of his behavior, I will never go back.
(2)A.S. W.
Stopped here for drinks & dinner. Potato skins excellent as an appie, large craft beer selection & good wine list. Sat at the bar, service was very attentive will be back next time in the area
(4)M H.
Great food, wonderful menu, easy location, great atmosphere. Started with drinks on the outdoor patio, continued on to dinners that everyone found delicious and then finished up with music downstairs. The music was great as well - Andy Cummings, really enjoyable.
(5)Cat B.
I'm an oyster lover. To find a place like this in my area is great. The grilled oysters are awesome, as well as the oysters Rockefeller. $1 raw oysters for the summer. They're a little on the small side. Oh well. Order a couple more! Christine was super. I highly recommend this place.
(5)Jessica H.
We had heard that the Niche group was expanding out of Worcester and were curious. When we found out they had DOLLAR OYSTERS, we were sold. A group of 9 of us hit this place up last Saturday to see if it lived up to the hype. We made a reservation, which was no problem even though we called just a few hours ahead. They seated us in a nice little alcove with just one other table. We ordered drinks to start, and while the tap list was decent (about 10 beers) the wine list had very few offerings by the glass. The cocktails looked interesting and well crafted. The only weird part was that the beers were only poured in their basement bar, so our poor server had to run downstairs a bunch of times. *shrug* We came for the oysters, and oysters we had. We ordered 4 dozen for the table and they arrived promptly and looked amazing. Huge, and with lots of interesting condiments to go with: horseradish, lemon, cocktail sauce and a cilantro lemon sauce. In addition to the $1 house oysters (which we ordered) they also offered other varieties at different price points. Everyone agreed that the oysters were totally worth the trip and we all sort of wished we had ordered more. For my entree, my husband and I split a flatbread pizza with fig, gorgonzola and apples. For reasons that escape me, it also had a Béchamel sauce on top. I thought the pizza was basically fine, although nothing great and the Béchamel did nothing for it. Others thought the figs were bad, the apples lacking and the crust weird. (The crust was a little weird. It looked like pita bread. Actually, it sort of tasted like pita bread too...) Other entrees looked nice, and everyone seemed pleased. The service was great, our server was very nice and even split the check up a zillion ways for us. My only complaint would be that she didn't seem to know a lot about the different beers on tap (personal pet peeve), but really, I'm a beer nerd, so I have high expectations. I have to say I would come back in a heartbeat for the raw bar, but I wouldn't order the pizza again. I would try some of the happy hour bar specials though.
(4)Dawn S.
If you're looking for a place to dine, meet up with friends, listen to live music or catch the latest sports game, Rye & Thyme has your table waiting! My first experience eating oysters was here, they were delicious; I've ordered them several times since. Every appetizer and main dish I've ordered has been equally delicious. The food is always fresh, well prepared and well presented and the servers are familiar and helpful with each item including wine, beer or cocktails. I cannot fail to mention the micro-brews that Rye & Thyme offers, draught and in bottles, local and otherwise. The servers are well educated in each brew and spirits offered and will lend you a sample before you order the full glass if you desire. You can choose to sit upstairs at a table, the bar area or at an outside table, weather permitting, or you can find your way downstairs to the draught cellar where there are tables, a large bar, the brew taps and music. My first visit was in December 2012 and since then I've been at Rye & Thyme many times with friends and family and everyone loves the atmosphere, the waitstaff and the food!
(5)Lisa F.
I want to LOVE this restaurant for its great ambiance and location fairly close to my home, but I'm afraid I just can't. It's ok, food has been edible, service is very hit or miss, and it just doesn't have the impact of Bocado, another Niche hospitality Group restaurant. I have now had three meals at Rye and Thyme. So far, my favorite item has been their lemonade. Their griilled pizzas are not bad, but underwhelming. Perhaps with time things will improve?
(3)David V.
Came here for lunch in the early afternoon on a Saturday, so it wasn't that busy. The wait to be seated was prompt and the waitress that waited on us was very pleasant. Given the time of day we came the dining room noise was low even though there were plenty of people there for lunch. I'm sure it is a different situation at dinner time. We were seated in a booth, which was very spacious and the bench seats were comfortable. I liked the dark wood decor. I was having trouble deciding on wine and the waitress kindly offered me a sample, which I was not expecting. The selection of beverages was decent. To start, I ordered half dozen Virginia oysters, which were nicely priced at $1. Whoever shucked them did an excellent job... very clean. They had some other oysters at $2, but the Virginia ones were fine. The Italian Sausage Bake came out in a hot cast iron pan. Good portion for lunch and filled with sausage. I enjoyed half there and half later in the day as a snack. Parking was fine for lunch, but I would hate to have to deal with it on the busy nights. All in all a good experience and I'm looking forward to having dinner here in the future and more $1 oysters.
(3)John A.
This is one of the best restaurants in Central Massachusetts. I've been here 3 times now and I cannot complain one bit. Every cocktail I've had was delicious, particularly the buffalo bramble and the redemption song. The first time was for lunch and I was pleased with their beer selection, $1 oysters and Banh Mi sandwhich. The second time I got the burger, which was HUGE for the price. Third time was my birthday, we had the calamari which was done Rhode Island style with banana peppers and chipotle aioli. We also had the duck confit potato skins which were unbelievable. For my entree I got the angry Caesar salad, no complaints their and for desert I had the cheesecake. I truly cannot think of a reason why anyone would dislike this place. People have different experiences in terms of service, but don't let that deter from this new restaurant with great food and drink choices.
(4)J M.
Great value for a top notch meal. I have yet to try something that didn't blow me away for the price. Atmosphere is nice and the oyster bar is solid. Beer selection is great and wait staff pleasant. A great addition to downtown Leominster.
(5)Kevin S.
We had dinner here last night with friends. A nice room and not crowded on this pre-holiday night, we were seated promptly in the area we requested. The waitress was friendly and very attentive. Good service. The raw bar menu is fun. I enjoyed the tuna sashimi and a couple of oysters presented with a bunch of condiments. The oriental carrot salad served with the tuna was great, I want the recipe. They have a selection of about 15 draft beers and a long bottled and canned list. Our waitress knew both the beer (and the food) menu and was very attentive with samples to help with beer choices. I chose the Pork Osso Buco, a generous helping falling off the bone served embedded in excellent mashed sweet potato. I like it. She enjoyed the "Ale Battered fish and chips"; a very large piece of haddock with enough left over for lunch. She said the string fries were good and crispy. The only down dinner note was the grilled asparagus which had kerosene/cigarette smoke flavors and was not a hit. We all shared dessert and enjoyed the tiramisu, chocolate torte and porter brownie. A nice restaurant with easy parking. Good service, interesting menu, well prepared food and an excellent beer selection. What's not to like? We will be back.
(4)Courtney N.
My friend and I noticed a billboard touting Rye and Thyme and just had to check them out. We went for lunch and really enjoyed the experience. They have a draught cellar but that doesn't open until 5pm so we didn't get a chance to go in. Their beer list is huge and varied. It was hard to pick just one! My friend got a Belgian beer and I tried a hard apple cider. Delicious. For our meals, I went with the egg and bacon skillet (egg, tomatoes, bacon, cheddar and bread all made in a skillet). It was very good. My friend got the beef and ale, and I stole his cheddar potato cake that came with it. Definitely a must try. There were several items on the menu that looked interesting so we'll have to come back. We ended up sharing a dessert (again, another good selection). It was campfire bread pudding. I think it was supposed to taste like a s'mores but it just tasted like yummy chocolate bread pudding which was fine with us. The prices were great for the amount of food and quality. Our waitress was nice. They offer you loyalty cards at the end but I didn't want to give out my personal info so I passed. Might be a good deal if you visit them often though. Definitely worth checking out in you're in the area!
(4)Anthony F.
My wife and I had brunch today. She had the eggs bennie and I had the chicken pot pie. Both excellent! It was well worth the 45 min drive...thanks Phantom Gourmet.
(5)Katie K.
The one dollar oysters are fabulous - fresh and delicious. The dried fig pizza was one of the best pizzas I have ever had - tons of creamy, melted blue cheese with sweet figs and apple drizzled with balsamic. SO GOOD. The only miss was the yukon gold potato skins - not a skin in sight, more like a pile of greasy home fries. We can't wait to go back to try more of the tasty looking dishes, but would never order those again.
(3)Bruce M.
Inconsistent. Been there a couple of times and the first time was great so when we went back we had high expectations. But the food was a couple of levels down, to where it where if it our first visit, I probably wouldn't have gone back, at least not at that expense. My wife ordered the same soup on both occasions but the second time it was completely different. Went from thick and hearty to thin and tasteless. The very expensive steak I had was dry and bland. The menu was small and eloquent with essentially something for everyone. That's why getting it right should be easy and critical. I hope the owners read this because I really want this restaurant to succeed. This area needs great independent restaurants and getting an average review of 3 stars by all reviewers won't cut it. Good luck!
(3)Tiana G.
Ate dinner there last night. The Caesar salad was great, but my grilled chicken had lots of charred bits on it that tasted burnt. The tiny bits of vegetable were scattered around the plate. I was disappointed in the amount of veggies and they were oily, which made them hard to eat. I would have sent back my meal except I was being treated by a colleague so i didn't want to hurt her feelings since she chose the restaurant. I'd go back for the ambiance and to try a different dish. My friend had the steak and fries. Seemed a bit overpriced, especially since you have to get your salad separately and I couldn't sub the potatoe for a salad. Server was nice enough and food came out pretty quickly, but it was almost empty at 6 pm on a Wednesday night...
(2)D. W.
My husband and I went for a quiet evening out. It was our first time here but we love Bocado in Worc. We weren't disappointed. Service was excellent and so was the food. My husband got the baked pasta entree and it was enough to fill him up and have some to take home. I had a lobster roll and the bun was a little burnt but the lobster was plentiful. Ask for bread. They have an awesome dipping oil! And if you like some alcohol in your drinks, this is the place to go. Drinks were good and strong. Next time I'm trying the potato skins and some craft brews!
(4)Elissa B.
Bottom line...none of the food, with the exception of the fries, were seasoned. There was absolutely no flavor to the fried haddock that my husband had or the burger that I had. My husband thinks the haddock was actually cod. I had a taste and it didn't taste like haddock to me, either. The sweet potato and corn chowder looked promising, but again lacked flavor. We were sat right away, but the waiter was just okay. It looked like he could have used a cup of coffee to wake up a bit. We were going to Mezcal, but someone recommended this instead. Bad idea.
(2)Dennis L.
Prices too high for the area. Ordered roasted chicken looked good coming out but was not cooked bloody. The restaurant was empty the waitress was good the manager came over and apologized . Would not go back.
(1)Kristen F.
We have been here quite a few times and have always enjoyed our visits, we have sat inside both upstairs and down and outside in the nice weather. We are not huge fans of their menu since there are really only a few things we really ever get, the calamari is delicious and my son loves the pizza, hubby has gotten the burgers and a few other items and he has enjoyed them. We really enjoy both the Draught Cellar and the outside patio, the drinks are very good and the meals we have had are tasty. The bartenders downstairs are nice and friendly and atmosphere is fun, we would love to see some new items added to the menu/maybe specials on the weekends. All in all we have enjoyed our visits there and will definitely be back.
(4)B E.
I am boosting the review from 4 to 5 stars. Have had several dinners here in the past few months and all of them have been excellent. They really seem to have hit their stride.
(5)Karen K.
Delicious fish and chips! Great wine and bourbon selections!
(5)Aly H.
Overall we found Rye & Thyme to be very disappointing. 5 of us went for lunch, we also got two appetizers, so a fairly good sampling of the menu. Not one dish was good. We definitely won't go back.
(1)Thomas N.
lunch recently.....just opened in what was monument grill.....very nice appearance, nice lamps, lovely curved walnut bar, nice lamps......curve of the bar accommodates a salad/raw bar area......we had martinis, good, we had corn meal crusted calamari, very good thought a tad dry, hamburger was very good and cooked as requested, angry caesar salad with scallops very good and not too angry....oh we splurged and had an ice cream sandwich for desert which was excellent......all the foods looked nice presentation and they were pretty busy for having opened yesterday....dinner menu is similar to lunch with some add'l items.....very nice pretty restaurant and the server was pleasant and accommodating!!!
(4)J D.
Incredible awesomeness!
(3)joe t.
I wanted to love this place. For starters they need better signage as to where you're supposed to enter. As it turned out, that confused looking man wandering around the al frescoes while eyeballing their cocktails was me. Luckily a kind waitress helped me find the path to the hostess and assured me I wasn't the only dingbat who couldn't figure out the restaurant's travel patterns. Onward! It's a really nice looking place. Always has been. The interior is dark and comforting and rather warm, in a non-temperature sense. The bar has been niftily spruced up and I plan on spending some considerable time there in the not too distant future. It would be a good place to watch a game if you wanted a quiet/non-yahoo-ish vibe. The bar has been extended, so there's plenty of seats. I didn't sample the raw bar, but they're advertising one dollar oysters for the remainder of the Summer. Good deal! Our waitress seemed to genuinely care that we have a good experience and was very nice, if unseasoned. Which leads me to the steak tartare. (segue!) It was very bland. Extremely bland. I'm not an expert on steak tartare by any means, but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to put something in it other than just the meat. Like salt. Or pepper. Or something. After nailing it with the salt and pepper shaker it was considerbaly better. For entrees we had the shrimp and scallop saute and a meat pizza. The shrimp and scallop saute was served over pappardelle pasta with a nice mix of summer vegetation. The vegetables were perfectly done, crisp with a nice crunch left in them. The pasta was also well done. The seafood was a bit undercooked, but I just ate a plate of raw beef, so it didn't phase me. Tatse-wise, it was lacking. It just tasted under-seasoned. I don't mind a light, clean tasting dish, but there's a difference between that and what this dish was. Lastly, the meat pizza was just not very good. The edges of the pita-ish crust were jarringly hard, as in unedible. The tomato sauce had that "someone went too heavy on the tomato paste" tinny acidity to it and just pretty much killed the pizza for me. The meat in question said to be topping the pizza, was on the sparse side. More duck, please, and less bacon! Ok, so they're new, so I'll go back for sure. It's great looking room with a good waitstaff and the booze seems spot on. The food needs a good tweaking.
(2)Laura H.
We've been here twice since they opened last month and enjoyed both visits. I started both of my meals with three of the $1 oysters & really enjoyed them both times. During the first visit we both decided to go with pizzas - veggie for me, fig for my husband. The veggie was ok, I think I would have liked it better with fewer green peppers & more red, but that is just personal preference. Overall it was fine though. Husband's fig pizza was fantastic & we both loved that. Hubs tried several of the drinks from the cocktail menu and thought they were all good. Wrapped up by sharing the strawberries romanoff which was excellent - if the serving had not been so large I would say the decision to share might have been a mistake! Second visit, while I indulged in the oysters again, husband had the sweet potato & corn chowder. It was very tasty & we would both order it again. Hubs liked his order of short rib & I loved the burger that I ordered. The burger came with grilled onion on the menu, I asked if they could substitute tomato & they did with two generous slices. Medium well as requested & the garlic mayo was great. Our waiter was fine both times, attentive with the drinks, but not hovering. I'm not sure why the complaints regarding prices. Everything seemed pretty reasonable to us. $10 for each of the personal pizzas, and $10 for my burger - about the same as you would pay at Chili's or similar, but much better. We will definitely be back to enjoy more.
(4)Holls S.
I could squeeze the Niche group until their eyeballs pop out for opening this restaurant. I moved to L-town just in time to watch Monument slip downhill in quality and service and spent the last several months driving to Worcester to have a decent dining experience. When Rye & Thyme opened I was stoked to find out it was part of a group of quality local restaurants. I can vouch for two well crafted cocktails (says a lot since I don't usually like hard booze so much..more of a wine-o), raw oysters for $1 each (until labor Day - so hurry down!), and a tasty fig flatbread pizza. The prices are reasonable, and almost inexpensive considering the quality. I think the best part about the Niche group is consistency. You're guaranteed to have, well-thought -out dishes/drinks and service.
(4)Brandon B.
4 Stars for the atmosphere. 3 Stars for the food I spent my time in the downstairs bar for the Rob Roy Open Mic they host every Tuesday and the atmosphere and decor are very nice. A nice upper end bar with a great bartender, Greg. The house and live music levels were great, not too loud. Good selection of beers and spirits, gets to be a little pricey though, especially for the dinner entrees. I ordered the WOOD GRILLED CHICKEN BANH MI SANDWICH which was bland and the chicken was burnt. A friend ordered a chicken caesar salad with no cheese and received a caesar salad with cheese and no chicken. May come back again but it won't be for the food and it's certainly not top of the list.
(3)Ann M.
Terrible!!! Our first drink order took 15 min and there were very few people in the place. Got some bread 1/2 hour later. Waiter not very friendly at all :-(... Ordered a burger and a pizza, took 45 minutes!! The burger was ordered med/well and came well, well, well done and the waiter never really apologized. It was awful, don't waste your time, just go to Subway it would have be a much better experience!!!
(1)Nick F.
Been here for lunch two times. First time both the food and service were not impressive. We were sat in the back near a large window with the bartender as our server which did not make any sense because our table was not close to the bar. The lunch staff is either poorly managed or just does not understand that if the restaurant only has 20 people in for lunch,a 20 minute wait for your server to check in on you is unacceptable. The second time I was there on a Sunday afternoon and the service was just as bad with only 4 tables occupied. The only way we were able to get any service was by flagging down the manager who was helping the one working server with a table of 8, which was about half of the customers in the place. I had a pastrami sandwich which was good. My advise is never go to this place on the weekend for lunch/brunch. I will reserve my final judgement on this place until I have experienced a full dinner service.
(2)Mark T.
It's a nice restaurant with great service. The food lacks panache and seasoning. The oysters were great. (no chef involved) The fried haddock had a soggy batter. We ordered 2 steaks and fries, one medium and one rare, they both came cooked medium and only faintly smelling of the advertised wood grill.The fries were uninspired and unseasoned and the truffle oil that the menu promised was nowhere to be found or tasted! In the chef's opinion three pretentious little spots of what looked like French's mustard passed for plate decoration. Almost everything on the menu is garlic laden and over priced. They are apparently just getting up and running, We'll give them another chance to get it together in a few months. Maybe by then the chef will learn to season the food!
(2)Beth L.
I said YES to the DRESS celebration today!! Returned after a super slow experience...This time we sat right away and service was great!! Started with a Margarita...too much Lime juice...tasted sour and acidic - Bread with oil was hard. App was the Asian BBQ wings...Delicious! Had the Ceasar Salad, Lamb with shoe string fries, and Mac and Cheese....DELICIOUS and lamb was cooked PERFECT! Mac and Cheese was awesome!! I was stuffed...My fiance got the Fried Chicken...pretty good!! Would love to try Brunch!! Def want dessert next time if we aren't STUFFED!!! We will be back!
(4)John F.
I was excited to hear that a new restaurant had opened in the space previously occupied by the Monument Grill. For some reason, good restaurants in this area are few and far between so I really wanted to like Rye and Thyme. We arrived on a Sunday at 4:30 for an early dinner after shopping in the area. We were quickly seated in a booth and our waitress told us about the specials and took our drink order. So far, so good. We ordered the calimari as an appetizer while we thought about the main course. It came out in about 10 minutes and was quite good. Nice presentation, served with spicy peppers and had a good flavor that was crisp and fresh. I ordered the half roast chicken with potatoes and green beans while my wife, who is watching her calories, ordered a hamburger without the bun and vegetables. They came out rather quickly and I soon figured out why. It was clear that the chicken had been cooked a while ago (possibly not today) and then heated up and covered with warm gravy. Same for the green beans. They had that limp, tired texture that can only mean they had been sitting around for a while. Kind of surprising for so early in the evening. My wifes hamburger was just ok quality. Not good, not bad. For $12 it should have been better. On the plus side, service and atmosphere were good. They kept the booths from the previous restaurant which I personally don't like much. They're comfortable but they make you feel closed in and cut off from the other patrons. Some people like them, just not me. I gave Rye and Thyme 2 stars because the description says "Meh, I've experienced better". That sums up how my experience went. They have what they need to be an excellent restaurant. If the kitchen starts taking a little more care and interest in what they're doing they can knock it out of the park.
(2)J M.
We went for dinner last night and were disappointed. I had the salmon, which was excellent, but the accompanying butternut risotto was too salty and the butternut squash was under cooked and hard. My husband had the delmonico steak which was cooked ok, but the "anchovy" butter seemed weird to him. The "roasted" green beans were shriveled and overdone. The service was fine, but overall it was only ok and I'm not sure when we'll be back. The menu is not that enticing to me and if you're going to have unusual food it should be fabulous, and the menu seems a little out of place for Leominster.
(3)Frank C.
As a family of four, for meals, we ordered a wood-grilled cheese pizza, a salmon dish, the "Steak and Fries" (which is a grade below their "Delmonico"), and the thick-cut porkchop. For apps, we ordered a lot from the touted raw bar. 18 oysters (right now only $1/piece), 12 littleneck clams and the steak tartare. All the food was top-notch in preparation and appropriately priced for how nice a place this is. The oysters are unbelievable at the price. The steak came as ordered (rare) and the quality, given that it was the lesser cut on the menu, was excellent. The salmon was delish. We ordered it rare. The menu has variety for everyone except vegetarians/vegans (beyond a salad). Service was fine as well. Very glad to have this mid-upscale restaruant in town. This place is good for romantic dinner or for the family. Raw bar's excellent. Only quibble: Had to wait for new rolls to finish baking but they were very good. Nice hard crust and soft inside.
(5)Steven B.
Start off at 3 stars for being average. Deduct 1 star as it is nothing special for the expensive price. They do have live music in the downstairs lounge. So they get a star for that. Back to 3-stars. Probably worth a trip once to try, but I rarely think about this place as a "go to" place with family and friends.
(3)Jacqueline M.
I am writing this as I am sitting on the patio. We came to Leominster for the food truck festival, lines were crazy long. Switched gears and came to Rye & Thyme. Been here many times. Food is great. Service on patio is terrible. We waited 45 minutes for menus to be delivered. We have been here over two hours waiting for two salads and two pizzas. Unacceptable. Update: they took our food off the bill, but our server was mia most of the night. We watched others come in, get served and leave while we sat there waiting. She never brought us the bread and oil. It wasn't until after we spoke to a manager that she decided to pay attention to us.
(2)Adam W.
We were driving home from a road trip and saw that this place got decent reviews on yelp, so we thought we'd give it a shot. The dollar oysters weren't bad. Definitely great for what you pay. We also got the Asian chicken wings. Unfortunately, they are nothing like the name implies and were Drenched in bbq sauce. My gf got the chicken pot pie, and it was missing any resemblance of seasoning, and looked nothing like a pie. I'd call it a stew over all. Finally, I got the shrimp sandwich that was supposedly spicy, but lacked any of the characteristics that sold me on it in the first place. Great location and great outdoor seating, but the food needs improvement.
(3)Andrea D.
This place should have more than 3 stars. It's not a 5-star experience, but it's definitely a solid 4. The place is cool, a little hip and trendy, the service was very nice and fast and the food was incredibly flavorful, served hot and generally delicious. I can't put my finger on why it's not a 5-star experience, but it's definitely worth a try. I had the Chilli (amazing) and chicken pesto pistachio pizza - a little dry but very interesting. My dad had a burger that was pillow-y and perfect - I've never tried anything like it before, and my mom ordered the goat cheese and fig pizza -- very good, but maybe a tad too many grilled apples. We'll probably be back -- all in all though, this place is worth a try. Also great place to go with 6 people because the booths are HUUUGE.
(4)Heather D.
Wait staff was very nice - I just find the food to be overpriced for the taste/quality.
(2)Carissa A.
This place is amazing! Fantastic service, even better food. Worth every penny! Got the sampler of oysters, mac and cheese, asparagus, and truffle parmesan french fries. It was quite the experience for my taste buds. Great spot, wonderful ambience even on a tuesday night. Lovely music, such a fabulous beer selection and knowledgeable staff. I can't gush enough.
(5)moe s.
The food and drinks here are great! The price is a little steep, but definitely worth it
(5)Rebecca O.
We traveled to find a traditional Pimm's cup. We found it at Rye & Thyme. We also shared a caesar salad (nothing special) and a white pizza (overly salty with a weird sauce). None of what we got was good, memorable, or worth the drive. The building is beautiful but that is all Rye & Thyme had going for it.
(1)Anne-Marie H.
Always fantastic. Great service and great food. We have never been disappointed with this res
(5)Julie T.
Fabulous find. Here in town for a softball tornament and didn't want dinner at a chain restaurant. First the atmosphere was wonderful very industrial chic. The beer list was amazing, as was the cocktail. I had a chubby fig, was a little on the set side, but was delicious. Our meals were all spot on. The kids loved the mac & cheese My choice was the lamb lollipops which were amazing. Our husband's steak tips were h The potato skins were so flavorful. The staff was very knowledgeable and very attentive. This is a gem. North End worthy!
(5)Jose M.
First of all, I'm not a "basher" as some may consider me as a result of this review. We very much enjoy dining out, and expect great food and service, and as I appreciate the reviews from others, I consider myself more of a contributor and I would have happily given them a 5 star rating, had it been earned! Bottom line: if you're a true foodie, and enjoy a great friendly atmosphere, don't bother/skip this place...you'll most likely be disappointed as much as we were...again!! Ok, so let's get this started: it's Sunday 9/6. First off, it's way too dark/depressing, and the bar placement/layout is just not great. And why on earth would you waste 4 awesome bar seats with that damn oyster bar set up?! No one sits there, and they are prime bar seats! Poorly designed...those of us who like to sit at the bar to socialize will be disappointed! Next, our bartender/server was nice enough, but couldn't have been less engaging...perhaps because she was too busy...not staffed properly...or just didn't care. Ok, onto the food..We ordered the R&T potato skins to start. Beware: there are no potatoes skins as one thinks of stuffed skins, and it's one big greasy mess! We sent it back and they did take it off the bill...thanks! For dinner, my husband chose the Caesar salad with chicken (because everything else sounded heavy) which was ok, but why not serve a whole grilled chicken breast, sliced, rather than pulled pieces? I chose the top sirloin "coulotte" steak with a side of Mac and cheese. I'll admit my steak was cooked perfectly as ordered: medium rare. A tad lacking in flavor/seasoning, but a little more salt and pepper helped. The Mac and cheese was presently nicely: in a small square skillet, and was actually baked!!! That being said, it was also a greasy mess! I suspect that the problem here is that it's another "corporate" owned restaurant...lacking in personal touches...and none of the staff actually appeared to be happy to be working there! Hello Amy (the manager), please take note: there is not a lot to like about this place, except for the beer selection, which is good! ;)
(1)Tom S.
Great beer selection - fresh raw bar - nice full menu selections from burgers, pizza and comfort food to a nice steak. One of my favorites - yet a good 35 min drive. Wish I was closer.
(5)B M.
3.5 Stars, rounded up to 4 because Leominster/Tri-City is severely lacking in higher-end choices and I need this place to stay in business :) It's pretty good, just over-priced. 5-star prices for 3.5 star food is my only complaint. Oysters were awesome, NY Strip was very good, wife had the swordfish which was pretty good, a bit bland IMO. Will be back, oysters!
(4)Sara S.
I've become a bit of a regular here, and for good reasons. John and Ben behind the bar are wonderful. They never forget a face, and take great care of their patrons. The atmosphere (both upstairs and down) is upscale but relaxed at the same time. The live music downstairs is always good. The wine and beer selection is fabulous. There's a dry Rose on there that will knock your socks off, and they have carried a bourbon stout that my fiancé was wowed by, and then couldn't find anywhere else. I don't often order the cocktails, but every time I have, they have been are expertly prepared. The wood grilled margherita pizza and gourmet Mac & cheese are worth the trip alone. And how can you beat &1 oysters?
(5)Jennie P.
My family and I love going to Rye and Thyme for dinner a few times a month. The service, food, ambiance and selection are what make this place great. If you're looking for great food come here. If you come on a weekend, ask for Bobby-Jo. She's the best server around. She pays very close attention to detail, works extremely hard and goes out of her way to make sure your experience is a great one.
(5)Christa H.
Great beer selection. Awesome atmosphere. The beer and atmosphere are what are saving this review. The food is mediocre at best...if you're looking for normal pub-ish type food this is not your place. Lots of atypical things on the menu (duck confit, etc) and overpriced too. I do have to say that the mac & cheese is delicious though. The only reason we'd go back here is to grab a drink.
(2)Brandy S.
Sooooo hate to knock stars off, but a couple of things did it for me: 1. Tried to make reservations for our party on Open Table and kept getting the "no reservations available" message. We called and it was no problem, they had availability. I hate....hate...not getting my OT points. Other restaurants were bookable, so it doesn't appear that it was an OT issue. Not sure what the issue was, but....it's minor compared to.... 2. One of our party ordered the chicken pot pie. It had no chicken. Instead it had salmon. He was totally fine with it, but if I had ordered that dish and gotten salmon I would have spent the night in the ER. I don't even know what to say about that except it was just a really unacceptable and potentially dangerous error on the part of the kitchen. Our server didn't seem surprised which tells me a lot and he didn't seem particularly concerned. Salmon pot pie is just weird anyway. Sorry to knock the place down. I like it, but it needs some work.
(3)Michelle F.
We rode in on a motorcycle and it went downhill from there. Waited over 30 minutes for a table. Then watched ever moment we where there. Will never return!
(1)Mel D.
Great beer selection and comfort food. They have a great outside patio for summer time get togetherness with friends. $1 oyster are a must!
(4)Charlene S.
Went here with my husband for lunch celebrating our house closing and it seemed like a good option. Must have been something going on with the wood stove.. it smelled like a fire pit in there. But I didn't mind too much. Caesar salad was good, a bit too much dressing and the typical American gigantic portions. Overall food was good and we'll be back.
(4)Bill B.
Great atmosphere, shrimp cocktail was ice cold and delicious. House salad was a 10. My filet mignon was cooked correctly to medium rare, however, it was served cool and the mashed potatoes were cold and extremely chunky, not really mashed. My wife got the rack of lamb and got about half way through and said it wasn't quite right, I smelled it and it was definitely bad. We informed the server and the manager took it off the bill (thank you btw). I will propably give it another chance, but I'll stick to the salad and I'll give a burger a try. Seems they have issues once in awhile with the entrees. Too bad, I was hoping to be blown away after the great app and salad but ended up disappointed.
(3)Andrew H.
Excellent atmosphere. Delicious oysters. Beef was great. Somehow they fell flat on their faces with appetizers. The mac&cheese was not creamy, but greasy and nigh flavorless. The crab cakes were unforgivable. Dense, deep fried blobs of mush. Yuck. It's hard to comprehend how some things could be so good, while others were simply terrible. It wasn't an issue of things being cold or improperly prepared, but just poor recipes. I hope the chef revises, because the atmosphere of this place is great, and it has a lot of promise.
(3)Janet M.
Great place with awesome food and drinks. Nothing watered down here! The cellar bar is amazing. Great atmosphere and live music that isnt too loud! Love this place!
(5)Robert C.
I would come every week for their oysters. And crabcakes. A bit pricey on the entrees, blew up my wallet. Can't say much but me personally, I would have a drink and a dozen oysters every once in a while.
(4)Kenta K.
Had an excellent meal here. Started off with an order of clams and oysters. Both were reasonably priced, if I recall the oysters were a buck each. On the small side, but still quite enjoyable. They have an excellent beer selection and I had a burger as well which was cooked to perfection. Recommended.
(4)Johnnada S.
The steak I ordered was cold. I ordered a medium steak and received an almost rare steak. The chicken pot pie I also ordered was not the good.
(3)Muna M.
It's one of the nice places in this area, I liked the burger and my husband enjoyed his steak. They are very friendly and super nice but our waiter slow, could be because they are busy but we had to wait for a while!
(3)Melanie B.
During my visit, I had the sweet potato and corn chowder for a starter. I added lots of pepper and some salt for flavor. It would have been incredible if it had a little spice like cayenne pepper and paprika. It was just a little bland but was still tasty. For my lunch I had the Waldorf salad. I wish I would have added some salmon to it, but it was ok. The lemon poppyseed dressing was delicious. Definitely made the salad, because without it, it just would have been too bland. Tomatoes and mandarin oranges would be very yummy on this salad. The look of the restaurant was nice and the prices were a little high, but not too unreasonable. Overall, it was good. I would just order something different.
(3)Shauna L.
We have been here several times since my last review whether it's been for lunch, dinner, drinks and even brunch on each time has been wonderful. I always enjoy the burger and a side salad that's topped with a tasty dressing, cheese and some fresh veggies or I love the flat bread brick oven pizzas or a simple chicken Caesar salad. All are fabulous. But the list time we went was on a Sunday..... Bloody Mary where have you been?! This was the best Bloody Mary I have had at a restaurant! Their brunch menu isn't just brunch, you can get a burger or oysters or pizza on top of their brunch menu. You will see us there again.... Anytime of the day!
(4)Dave V.
First time at R&T, second for my wife, along with three of our kids. Excellent beer menu. Disagree with earlier review, we enjoyed the corn meal batter on the calamari; the hots as well. Fried oysters were excellent. Angry Caesar salad was better than the plain version, which was, well...plain. Parmesan truffle fries were worthy. Mains were very good. Fish and chips were a hit. Swordfish was excellent (tip-- try it w the horseradish sauce), Osso Buco was hearty and tasty - although a bit dry-- ask the waiter to check w the kitchen before ordering to see if it's on the dry side. Half chicken was very good and steak and fries were a winner. Recommend this place for sure.
(4)Chantal O.
Fantastic craft beers on draft and well written descriptions pre ordering. Fresh oysters and desserts too! Had a great time sitting at the oyster bar with my sister.
(4)C B.
First time here... I was impressed! The atmosphere, prices, menu and don't forget the oysters... Delicious! Our server, Bobby, was very attentive to our needs, picked out a great flight of beers to try with our food selection. The Fig pizza--yum, the Potato skins appetizer--yum and again... Those oysters... AMAZING! We will definitely be back and recommend to others.
(5)Alyson S.
I had a really great feeling about this place but was slightly disappointed. Let's start with the positives! There is ample parking available out back, the atmosphere is great, and the patio seating is wonderful. I went for lunch with a friend and we sat outside on a breezy day but enjoyed the sunshine. The patio is lined with trees that provide a bit of privacy from the street. Our waitress was friendly and attentive making sure we were always set and happy. I really enjoyed those aspects but I got a sandwich with bacon and the bacon was so undercooked in my mind it was inedible. Once I took the bacon off it was a decent sandwich but it seemed to be such an odd thing to have so poorly prepared. My friend had the fish and chips and was pleased. Definitely good food but not worthy of raving about, and especially skip the bacon.
(3)Natasha H.
My roommate and I have been wanting to try this place ever since we saw it on Phantom Gourmet. We decided to go tonight to have a nice meal out for my birthday. The outside seating is wonderful and the service was good (the only hiccup being that the lemon my roommate wanted in her water was in my tea, which I had asked for with no lemon). The food, however, was so-so. The parmesan truffle fries were good, but I find it odd that they're served with ketchup (Bootleggers has an awesome dill sauce that is perfect with them). The crab cakes were at the bottom of my list. They were in ball form instead of flattened and crisp on each side as one would expect. The taste was okay, but not what I expect in a crab cake. The calamari was good and I was pleased to see the tentacles included, but I'm a firm believer they should always be battered, not cornmeal coated. I could also do without all the peppers they throw on top. My roommate had the oysters, which she said were really good. However, they were not cleaned very well and she had to separate them from the shell herself. That being said, I enjoyed the atmosphere and the service and would like to come back for dinner and drinks at some point and see if it can bump up my opinion of the place.
(3)Brenda W.
Calamari appetizer was very good, just note that it is very spicy. Ordered the caesar salad with grilled shrimp and it was good.
(3)Joe P.
We visited for a Sunday brunch, and was pleasantly surprised. Live music, good choice of craft beer, and good food. I ordered the chicken and waffles, served with a chiopotle honey and maple syrup. I can honestly say the fried chicken is one of the best I have had, perfectly good, light breading, extremely tasty. 4 pieces of chicken on top of a giant belgian waffle with a beer at 11 am? Almost perfect. I am not an raw oyster guy, but people I was with loved the raw oysters as well. I will be coming for a return trip in the future. They have live music events, beer dinners, and a draught cellar. Pretty impressive for Leominster.
(4)Lon N.
Looking at Yelp I'm shocked this place isn't at least a 4 star. First let's start with the ambiance. The facilities as a whole has a hip theme with chalkboard specials and events throughout the restaurant. Our waitress was knowledgable, approachable and gave us great recommendations we might not normally have ordered. The potato skins were unlike any we've ever had based off the suggestion of our waitress. Both burgers we chose (special and shrimp) were outstanding. However, I do admit the fries were on the side of very generic. We also split the brownie sundae and it was moist, savory and sweet which made you not want the experience to end. lastly, the beer and alcohol section was ac eclectic mix adding to our satisfaction. I would highly recommend if you're in the area and we've already made plans to come back.
(5)Beth L.
I said YES to the DRESS celebration today!! Returned after a super slow experience...This time we sat right away and service was great!! Started with a Margarita...too much Lime juice...tasted sour and acidic - Bread with oil was hard. App was the Asian BBQ wings...Delicious! Had the Ceasar Salad, Lamb with shoe string fries, and Mac and Cheese....DELICIOUS and lamb was cooked PERFECT! Mac and Cheese was awesome!! I was stuffed...My fiance got the Fried Chicken...pretty good!! Would love to try Brunch!! Def want dessert next time if we aren't STUFFED!!! We will be back!
(4)Steven B.
Start off at 3 stars for being average. Deduct 1 star as it is nothing special for the expensive price. They do have live music in the downstairs lounge. So they get a star for that. Back to 3-stars. Probably worth a trip once to try, but I rarely think about this place as a "go to" place with family and friends.
(3)Jacqueline M.
I am writing this as I am sitting on the patio. We came to Leominster for the food truck festival, lines were crazy long. Switched gears and came to Rye & Thyme. Been here many times. Food is great. Service on patio is terrible. We waited 45 minutes for menus to be delivered. We have been here over two hours waiting for two salads and two pizzas. Unacceptable. Update: they took our food off the bill, but our server was mia most of the night. We watched others come in, get served and leave while we sat there waiting. She never brought us the bread and oil. It wasn't until after we spoke to a manager that she decided to pay attention to us.
(2)Adam W.
We were driving home from a road trip and saw that this place got decent reviews on yelp, so we thought we'd give it a shot. The dollar oysters weren't bad. Definitely great for what you pay. We also got the Asian chicken wings. Unfortunately, they are nothing like the name implies and were Drenched in bbq sauce. My gf got the chicken pot pie, and it was missing any resemblance of seasoning, and looked nothing like a pie. I'd call it a stew over all. Finally, I got the shrimp sandwich that was supposedly spicy, but lacked any of the characteristics that sold me on it in the first place. Great location and great outdoor seating, but the food needs improvement.
(3)Daniel F.
Your pricey meal is clearly a result of paying for the atmosphere. The ambiance is above par however the food is bland and nothing to brag about. A few unique dishes with less flavor than would be expected. After my fourth go around with this place I'm saving my money and buying 3 reasonably priced meals at different venues. I may not receive the flare that rye and thyme delivers but when I go out for a meal I want flavor.
(2)Andrea D.
This place should have more than 3 stars. It's not a 5-star experience, but it's definitely a solid 4. The place is cool, a little hip and trendy, the service was very nice and fast and the food was incredibly flavorful, served hot and generally delicious. I can't put my finger on why it's not a 5-star experience, but it's definitely worth a try. I had the Chilli (amazing) and chicken pesto pistachio pizza - a little dry but very interesting. My dad had a burger that was pillow-y and perfect - I've never tried anything like it before, and my mom ordered the goat cheese and fig pizza -- very good, but maybe a tad too many grilled apples. We'll probably be back -- all in all though, this place is worth a try. Also great place to go with 6 people because the booths are HUUUGE.
(4)Heather D.
Wait staff was very nice - I just find the food to be overpriced for the taste/quality.
(2)Carissa A.
This place is amazing! Fantastic service, even better food. Worth every penny! Got the sampler of oysters, mac and cheese, asparagus, and truffle parmesan french fries. It was quite the experience for my taste buds. Great spot, wonderful ambience even on a tuesday night. Lovely music, such a fabulous beer selection and knowledgeable staff. I can't gush enough.
(5)Rebecca O.
We traveled to find a traditional Pimm's cup. We found it at Rye & Thyme. We also shared a caesar salad (nothing special) and a white pizza (overly salty with a weird sauce). None of what we got was good, memorable, or worth the drive. The building is beautiful but that is all Rye & Thyme had going for it.
(1)moe s.
The food and drinks here are great! The price is a little steep, but definitely worth it
(5)Anne-Marie H.
Always fantastic. Great service and great food. We have never been disappointed with this res
(5)Julie T.
Fabulous find. Here in town for a softball tornament and didn't want dinner at a chain restaurant. First the atmosphere was wonderful very industrial chic. The beer list was amazing, as was the cocktail. I had a chubby fig, was a little on the set side, but was delicious. Our meals were all spot on. The kids loved the mac & cheese My choice was the lamb lollipops which were amazing. Our husband's steak tips were h The potato skins were so flavorful. The staff was very knowledgeable and very attentive. This is a gem. North End worthy!
(5)Jose M.
First of all, I'm not a "basher" as some may consider me as a result of this review. We very much enjoy dining out, and expect great food and service, and as I appreciate the reviews from others, I consider myself more of a contributor and I would have happily given them a 5 star rating, had it been earned! Bottom line: if you're a true foodie, and enjoy a great friendly atmosphere, don't bother/skip this place...you'll most likely be disappointed as much as we were...again!! Ok, so let's get this started: it's Sunday 9/6. First off, it's way too dark/depressing, and the bar placement/layout is just not great. And why on earth would you waste 4 awesome bar seats with that damn oyster bar set up?! No one sits there, and they are prime bar seats! Poorly designed...those of us who like to sit at the bar to socialize will be disappointed! Next, our bartender/server was nice enough, but couldn't have been less engaging...perhaps because she was too busy...not staffed properly...or just didn't care. Ok, onto the food..We ordered the R&T potato skins to start. Beware: there are no potatoes skins as one thinks of stuffed skins, and it's one big greasy mess! We sent it back and they did take it off the bill...thanks! For dinner, my husband chose the Caesar salad with chicken (because everything else sounded heavy) which was ok, but why not serve a whole grilled chicken breast, sliced, rather than pulled pieces? I chose the top sirloin "coulotte" steak with a side of Mac and cheese. I'll admit my steak was cooked perfectly as ordered: medium rare. A tad lacking in flavor/seasoning, but a little more salt and pepper helped. The Mac and cheese was presently nicely: in a small square skillet, and was actually baked!!! That being said, it was also a greasy mess! I suspect that the problem here is that it's another "corporate" owned restaurant...lacking in personal touches...and none of the staff actually appeared to be happy to be working there! Hello Amy (the manager), please take note: there is not a lot to like about this place, except for the beer selection, which is good! ;)
(1)Tom S.
Great beer selection - fresh raw bar - nice full menu selections from burgers, pizza and comfort food to a nice steak. One of my favorites - yet a good 35 min drive. Wish I was closer.
(5)B M.
3.5 Stars, rounded up to 4 because Leominster/Tri-City is severely lacking in higher-end choices and I need this place to stay in business :) It's pretty good, just over-priced. 5-star prices for 3.5 star food is my only complaint. Oysters were awesome, NY Strip was very good, wife had the swordfish which was pretty good, a bit bland IMO. Will be back, oysters!
(4)Sara S.
I've become a bit of a regular here, and for good reasons. John and Ben behind the bar are wonderful. They never forget a face, and take great care of their patrons. The atmosphere (both upstairs and down) is upscale but relaxed at the same time. The live music downstairs is always good. The wine and beer selection is fabulous. There's a dry Rose on there that will knock your socks off, and they have carried a bourbon stout that my fiancé was wowed by, and then couldn't find anywhere else. I don't often order the cocktails, but every time I have, they have been are expertly prepared. The wood grilled margherita pizza and gourmet Mac & cheese are worth the trip alone. And how can you beat &1 oysters?
(5)Jennie P.
My family and I love going to Rye and Thyme for dinner a few times a month. The service, food, ambiance and selection are what make this place great. If you're looking for great food come here. If you come on a weekend, ask for Bobby-Jo. She's the best server around. She pays very close attention to detail, works extremely hard and goes out of her way to make sure your experience is a great one.
(5)Christa H.
Great beer selection. Awesome atmosphere. The beer and atmosphere are what are saving this review. The food is mediocre at best...if you're looking for normal pub-ish type food this is not your place. Lots of atypical things on the menu (duck confit, etc) and overpriced too. I do have to say that the mac & cheese is delicious though. The only reason we'd go back here is to grab a drink.
(2)Brandy S.
Sooooo hate to knock stars off, but a couple of things did it for me: 1. Tried to make reservations for our party on Open Table and kept getting the "no reservations available" message. We called and it was no problem, they had availability. I hate....hate...not getting my OT points. Other restaurants were bookable, so it doesn't appear that it was an OT issue. Not sure what the issue was, but....it's minor compared to.... 2. One of our party ordered the chicken pot pie. It had no chicken. Instead it had salmon. He was totally fine with it, but if I had ordered that dish and gotten salmon I would have spent the night in the ER. I don't even know what to say about that except it was just a really unacceptable and potentially dangerous error on the part of the kitchen. Our server didn't seem surprised which tells me a lot and he didn't seem particularly concerned. Salmon pot pie is just weird anyway. Sorry to knock the place down. I like it, but it needs some work.
(3)Mel D.
Great beer selection and comfort food. They have a great outside patio for summer time get togetherness with friends. $1 oyster are a must!
(4)Charlene S.
Went here with my husband for lunch celebrating our house closing and it seemed like a good option. Must have been something going on with the wood stove.. it smelled like a fire pit in there. But I didn't mind too much. Caesar salad was good, a bit too much dressing and the typical American gigantic portions. Overall food was good and we'll be back.
(4)Michelle F.
We rode in on a motorcycle and it went downhill from there. Waited over 30 minutes for a table. Then watched ever moment we where there. Will never return!
(1)Andrew H.
Excellent atmosphere. Delicious oysters. Beef was great. Somehow they fell flat on their faces with appetizers. The mac&cheese was not creamy, but greasy and nigh flavorless. The crab cakes were unforgivable. Dense, deep fried blobs of mush. Yuck. It's hard to comprehend how some things could be so good, while others were simply terrible. It wasn't an issue of things being cold or improperly prepared, but just poor recipes. I hope the chef revises, because the atmosphere of this place is great, and it has a lot of promise.
(3)Bill B.
Great atmosphere, shrimp cocktail was ice cold and delicious. House salad was a 10. My filet mignon was cooked correctly to medium rare, however, it was served cool and the mashed potatoes were cold and extremely chunky, not really mashed. My wife got the rack of lamb and got about half way through and said it wasn't quite right, I smelled it and it was definitely bad. We informed the server and the manager took it off the bill (thank you btw). I will propably give it another chance, but I'll stick to the salad and I'll give a burger a try. Seems they have issues once in awhile with the entrees. Too bad, I was hoping to be blown away after the great app and salad but ended up disappointed.
(3)Janet M.
Great place with awesome food and drinks. Nothing watered down here! The cellar bar is amazing. Great atmosphere and live music that isnt too loud! Love this place!
(5)Robert C.
I would come every week for their oysters. And crabcakes. A bit pricey on the entrees, blew up my wallet. Can't say much but me personally, I would have a drink and a dozen oysters every once in a while.
(4)Kenta K.
Had an excellent meal here. Started off with an order of clams and oysters. Both were reasonably priced, if I recall the oysters were a buck each. On the small side, but still quite enjoyable. They have an excellent beer selection and I had a burger as well which was cooked to perfection. Recommended.
(4)Johnnada S.
The steak I ordered was cold. I ordered a medium steak and received an almost rare steak. The chicken pot pie I also ordered was not the good.
(3)Muna M.
It's one of the nice places in this area, I liked the burger and my husband enjoyed his steak. They are very friendly and super nice but our waiter slow, could be because they are busy but we had to wait for a while!
(3)Melanie B.
During my visit, I had the sweet potato and corn chowder for a starter. I added lots of pepper and some salt for flavor. It would have been incredible if it had a little spice like cayenne pepper and paprika. It was just a little bland but was still tasty. For my lunch I had the Waldorf salad. I wish I would have added some salmon to it, but it was ok. The lemon poppyseed dressing was delicious. Definitely made the salad, because without it, it just would have been too bland. Tomatoes and mandarin oranges would be very yummy on this salad. The look of the restaurant was nice and the prices were a little high, but not too unreasonable. Overall, it was good. I would just order something different.
(3)Shauna L.
We have been here several times since my last review whether it's been for lunch, dinner, drinks and even brunch on each time has been wonderful. I always enjoy the burger and a side salad that's topped with a tasty dressing, cheese and some fresh veggies or I love the flat bread brick oven pizzas or a simple chicken Caesar salad. All are fabulous. But the list time we went was on a Sunday..... Bloody Mary where have you been?! This was the best Bloody Mary I have had at a restaurant! Their brunch menu isn't just brunch, you can get a burger or oysters or pizza on top of their brunch menu. You will see us there again.... Anytime of the day!
(4)Dave V.
First time at R&T, second for my wife, along with three of our kids. Excellent beer menu. Disagree with earlier review, we enjoyed the corn meal batter on the calamari; the hots as well. Fried oysters were excellent. Angry Caesar salad was better than the plain version, which was, well...plain. Parmesan truffle fries were worthy. Mains were very good. Fish and chips were a hit. Swordfish was excellent (tip-- try it w the horseradish sauce), Osso Buco was hearty and tasty - although a bit dry-- ask the waiter to check w the kitchen before ordering to see if it's on the dry side. Half chicken was very good and steak and fries were a winner. Recommend this place for sure.
(4)Chantal O.
Fantastic craft beers on draft and well written descriptions pre ordering. Fresh oysters and desserts too! Had a great time sitting at the oyster bar with my sister.
(4)C B.
First time here... I was impressed! The atmosphere, prices, menu and don't forget the oysters... Delicious! Our server, Bobby, was very attentive to our needs, picked out a great flight of beers to try with our food selection. The Fig pizza--yum, the Potato skins appetizer--yum and again... Those oysters... AMAZING! We will definitely be back and recommend to others.
(5)Alyson S.
I had a really great feeling about this place but was slightly disappointed. Let's start with the positives! There is ample parking available out back, the atmosphere is great, and the patio seating is wonderful. I went for lunch with a friend and we sat outside on a breezy day but enjoyed the sunshine. The patio is lined with trees that provide a bit of privacy from the street. Our waitress was friendly and attentive making sure we were always set and happy. I really enjoyed those aspects but I got a sandwich with bacon and the bacon was so undercooked in my mind it was inedible. Once I took the bacon off it was a decent sandwich but it seemed to be such an odd thing to have so poorly prepared. My friend had the fish and chips and was pleased. Definitely good food but not worthy of raving about, and especially skip the bacon.
(3)Natasha H.
My roommate and I have been wanting to try this place ever since we saw it on Phantom Gourmet. We decided to go tonight to have a nice meal out for my birthday. The outside seating is wonderful and the service was good (the only hiccup being that the lemon my roommate wanted in her water was in my tea, which I had asked for with no lemon). The food, however, was so-so. The parmesan truffle fries were good, but I find it odd that they're served with ketchup (Bootleggers has an awesome dill sauce that is perfect with them). The crab cakes were at the bottom of my list. They were in ball form instead of flattened and crisp on each side as one would expect. The taste was okay, but not what I expect in a crab cake. The calamari was good and I was pleased to see the tentacles included, but I'm a firm believer they should always be battered, not cornmeal coated. I could also do without all the peppers they throw on top. My roommate had the oysters, which she said were really good. However, they were not cleaned very well and she had to separate them from the shell herself. That being said, I enjoyed the atmosphere and the service and would like to come back for dinner and drinks at some point and see if it can bump up my opinion of the place.
(3)Brenda W.
Calamari appetizer was very good, just note that it is very spicy. Ordered the caesar salad with grilled shrimp and it was good.
(3)Joe P.
We visited for a Sunday brunch, and was pleasantly surprised. Live music, good choice of craft beer, and good food. I ordered the chicken and waffles, served with a chiopotle honey and maple syrup. I can honestly say the fried chicken is one of the best I have had, perfectly good, light breading, extremely tasty. 4 pieces of chicken on top of a giant belgian waffle with a beer at 11 am? Almost perfect. I am not an raw oyster guy, but people I was with loved the raw oysters as well. I will be coming for a return trip in the future. They have live music events, beer dinners, and a draught cellar. Pretty impressive for Leominster.
(4)Lon N.
Looking at Yelp I'm shocked this place isn't at least a 4 star. First let's start with the ambiance. The facilities as a whole has a hip theme with chalkboard specials and events throughout the restaurant. Our waitress was knowledgable, approachable and gave us great recommendations we might not normally have ordered. The potato skins were unlike any we've ever had based off the suggestion of our waitress. Both burgers we chose (special and shrimp) were outstanding. However, I do admit the fries were on the side of very generic. We also split the brownie sundae and it was moist, savory and sweet which made you not want the experience to end. lastly, the beer and alcohol section was ac eclectic mix adding to our satisfaction. I would highly recommend if you're in the area and we've already made plans to come back.
(5)Luke B.
I have been here multiple times since the Niche Hospitality Group opened this place up. The service has always been great and I have never had a bad meal. Just last night I had the steak with asparagus and it was FANTASTIC! The dinner also came with a side salad which was AMAZING! I am not the biggest salad guy but it was good, the dressing was awesome and the veggies were fresh. The waitstaff are great, too. Everyone is very friendly and always helpful with any questions you may have about the menu. The managers are always checking in on the tables to make sure everything is going well and that the food is up to expectations. For all the drinkers...you can not beat the selection of beers on draft or in bottle. There are so many to choose from! They also have a wide variety of whiskeys and bourbons. The Buffalo Bramble is my recommendation for anyone who enjoys a good bourbon drink. All in all, if you are looking for a great place for a date or even just a night out with friends, I would highly recommend Rye and Thyme.
(5)Jason O.
Server was great and the food is always good. Corn meal fried calamari is good and love oysters. Kids enjoyed their meals as well. Always a good meal.
(5)Marc C.
My partner and I went to the bar on Thursday night last week for an anniversary dinner, we pigged out and oysters and love their drink selections. The lighting at the bar can be bright but they were nice enough to turn it down for us. Had the veal chop and also the angry Caesar salad it was great.
(4)Lisa W.
Had a nice lunch here with mom. It was a bit difficult to find as the entrance is not well marked. The food was very good; mom had the chicken pot pie, I had the fish & chips. Everything was prepared and presented nicely. The breading on the fish was light and crispy. The spicy cole slaw was disappointing as it was heavily spiced and had a lot of mayonnaise. The fish was fresh, but may have been a day or two old. The wait staff was courteous and friendly. Will definitely go again and recommend.
(4)Gary M.
On the spur of the moment ... we decided to stop in the Rye & Thyme. Sunday afternoon, it was not at all crowded, Warmly greeted, comfortable seating, very helpful wait staff. I couldn't decide on the brew, so she brought me a 3 pack sampler. Allagash Ale was surprisingly good and nicely poured with a thick rich head that lasted all during the meal! Best chicken pie we've had in a long long time and the rack of lamb was to die for! What a very pleasant surprise! We'll be back, for sure!
(4)Amy M.
We enjoyed our meal. The food was prepared well. All the meals were prepared to our requests. The steaks were excellent and the fish was very fresh. The smashed potatoes could have been hotter, they were a little cool but they tasted great. The soup was to die for. The service was excellent.
(4)Mandy C.
We love this place, especially the outdoor seating. Salmon with summer squash risotto is fantastic! Great kids menu choices too.
(5)Holly H.
My husband and I made a reservation on OpenTable. No lines or waiting when we walked in, which I thought odd for a Friday night, but the place was busy enough. Our server, Bobby Jo, was great the whole night! I never once felt like we were being rushed out so they could seat other parties. We ordered the potato skins as an appetizer. When it came out I thought it was the wrong order. Not what I was expecting at all. My husband loved it and devoured it! The duck confit was an interesting touch, but I'm not sure I like it on my potato skins. The duck duo special was delicious! The beer battered fish and chips were good, but you can get the same dish almost anywhere really. All in all, this is a nice place. We would definitely come back again.
(4)Rich P.
Went with the wife on a Monday for lunch... we both took the day off to fix our flooded basement... so wasn't in the best of moods . hahah I was upset the downstairs wasn't open so we went upstairs to the bar.... the bar was spotless .... the bartender was so nice and knew everything we asked about We started off with the wings .... AMEN .... the were awesome.. out of this world awesome I had a chicken sandwich and my wife had a burger ... everything was spot on ... when the bill came I had to look twice cause I expected it to be more $$ .... Fun place for lunch ... we will come back and try dinner soon ..
(4)Monica J.
The atmosphere was very nice, but that was about the extent of it. We went mid-afternoon, the place was relatively quiet and empty, yet the service was very lacking and left us wanting more often than not. Our meals took quite some time to arrive at the table, especially considering the fact that the restaurant was nearly empty. The food was mediocre quality for the price we paid. While we didn't HATE our experience, we were very disappointed, especially for the price. We won't be returning, and instead will take our money somewhere it will be better spent.
(2)Deborah P.
service was excellent food was great,just wish they had a bigger selection but it was awesome! the atmosphere was great too would definitely recommend this restaurant....
(4)Patricia S.
We like this place, but everything can be hit or miss. Nothing has been all hit or all miss, which is keeping my review right in the middle. The food can be amazing, but depends on what you order. We've never loved any of the pizzas we've tried, but the sandwiches are fantastic. The service can be decent. Mostly friendly, with some apathetic moments. Like another reviewer, we also have had food come out that was not what we ordered (and overheard other tables complain about the same issue). But in our case, the waitress was incredibly apologetic. We go when it's nice weather b/c we love the outdoor seating, and we also love their drink selection.
(3)Miss C.
We went there for an early dinner, was not crowded....maybe 3 other tables if that. We got a gift certificate and needed to use it. Started with one waiter and ended with another waitress, both were fine...if not a little eclectic?quirky? Anyways, my husband tried the bacon appetizer...although a weird choice for me personally, I thought it was good-consisted of thick bacon, gravy and pickled veg. My husband loved it. He got the burger....which didn't seem like much when he got it , but he absolutely loved it and said it was best burger he has had in a long time. They cooked it perfectly (med rare which is HARD to get when out these days) and the bun was good too. I got the flat bread pizza with fig,a glaze and some yummy cheese (I think maybe goat cheese I can't remember exactly) it was really tasty!!! I would return. Oh and Kudos for having Downeast Cider (my favorite right now)
(4)Amelia H.
We met some friends for a drink at a new restaurant in Leominster. The beer selection was great, and very reasonably priced. We were impressed by that. I did not have the food, but a friend did, and he said it was good. So why did I only give this place three stars? The answer is the service. The service was terrible. I am usually very patient, especially at new places, but this was awful. Our waitress passed our table to serve food to another table at least twice before she acknowledged our presence. It was about 25 minutes before she took our order and then another 15 before she came back with our drinks. At one point we asked what the Dogfish Head was on tap and she said pumpkin, so we ordered it. She was either very wrong or brought us the wrong beer, because we got 60 minute IPA and it was obvious when it appeared on our bill as such. It took forever to get each round of drinks, and was beginning to annoy everyone at the table. Hopefully they can shape up and become a great new establishment for downtown Leominster.
(3)Kristy C.
Quite surprised to see such a low rating for such a great place. R&T has a plethora of craft beer, an interesting food menu, and overall a very nice ambiance. The "cellar" is fun on the weekends; live music and usually a decent crowd. But all in all, I'm consistently pleased with the beer and food selections here, as well as the service. Everything is great!
(5)Molly B.
Have been twice, each was a good experience. Burgers are excellent! Beer selection is too! I'll definitely be going back. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that it's a bit pricey for me.
(4)Haley C.
After receiving a gift card in the mail for the terrible time we had this first time we thought we should at least give it a second try. We really shouldn't have though. We sat inside this time because it was really windy outside and there was barely anyone inside the restaraunt. We were the first people to actually be sitting in the booth and our waitress came over and took our drinks and then came back and took our order. She was being really attentive which was nice but once we got our terrible food it all went down hill. My boyfriend ordered the roast beef sandwich which was flavorless to say the least but the fries were good. I got the dried fig pizza and it would have been great if it wasn't SWIMMING in balsamic! I couldn't even enjoy it because of the over pouring stench from the balsamic. After we ate our waitress proceded to take her sweet time coming over to us and we were still the only people in the restaraunt besides the few men at the bar which didn't even affect her at all! I could see her in the back walking and then stopping for 5 mins to talk to a co-worker or chatting with the host at the front desk. It was just not cool at all because I wanted to get dessert and leave! When we got our dessert my boyfriend got the campfire bread pudding with ice cream. When he started to eat his ice cream these HUGE ice chunks were in it so we just assumed that maybe it was home made and got chunky...but no...its not HOME MADE! IT WAS JUST SUPER FREEZER BURN! We asked the waitress and she informed us of the store bought essence. We still had so much money left on the gift car which was WAY more then that women deserved but we just gave it to her because we didn't want to waste the money on the gift card because we KNEW we would NOT come back!!!!!
(1)Kim S.
We went for dinner. The food is to die for. I highly recommend the Osso Bucco. Delicious! The atmosphere is very nice. Relaxed and inviting. Our waiter was great and very helpful and knowledgable. As we were leaving we realized that there was entertainment in the basement bar. We were very impressed with this place.
(5)Lauren S.
This place was a nice surprise! Had beers, raw bar, and appetizers and will definitely go back for more! The beer selection was good and the bartender was knowledgable and made some great recommendations (I love that). They had some great IPAs on tap! Oysters were great! Got the duck potato skins - they were okay, not out of this world like other reviews make them out to be.
(4)Nathan W.
Excellent service, great food, just a bit pricey. This is not to say I wouldn't return as I felt the experience as a whole was exceptional. I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who considers it.
(4)Joe M.
great beer selection, and whiskey as should be expected by the name. Good food but service for both drinks and food were very slow. Ordered one beer and a mixed drink along with 12 oysters to start. Mixed drink took over 5 mins, oysters came in 10 but still no beer. 15 mins for one beer on a Wednesday night with 3 other tables there. This is a repeat event, been there several times and always the same. Shame, I want to like this place.
(3)Amy R.
My boyfriend and I went in for brunch today and were highly disappointed. I ordered the eggs Benedict, he the monte cristo. Both were blah and served with tepid potatoes that had no crunchy outside and were cut so that some were so huge they were undercooked. The Benedict was served on two unnecessarily huge slices of sour dough that hadn't been toasted or grilled in any way. It came with "truffled" duck confit, I'd estimate less than two ounces of dry tasteless meat. There was no seasoning anywhere in the dish and adding salt and pepper did not even help. The herb roasted tomato was black on top, but it least it had some sort of flavor. My boyfriend's brunch suffered the same fate..No care taken to make each ingredient shine. Servers were dressed very casually and side work was being done right the bar for all to see. $50 for a lousy brunch!
(1)Mike D.
I really dig the Niche group and what they are doing in this area. I love the concept of R and T and I look forward to going back again. We stopped in for a quick lunch and were pleasantly surprised with the Menu there offer. Fun and exciting items paired with a great drink list. We order a flatbread, some app and some oysters and this is what I will say: the oysters were super fresh and really cold just the way I like them. The flat bread was missing something and I couldn't figure what it was so I chased it with salt for a while, just to discover that wasn't this issue. The apps had the same issue there was no "POP" i couldn't quite put my finger on it. I will definitely be back, I really want to try their brunch!
(3)Jane E.
We returned at the requset of our children who like R&T's menu. Once again service was a big issue! 20 minutes for our waiter to bring over 6 drinks -- I'm talking juice, water, glass of wine -- nothing difficult or time-consuming! I had the burger and fries. They were good. Nothing special, but better than previous meals there. I still would not recomment R&T for dining.
(3)Alyssa S.
3.5 stars The girls and I dined at Rye & Thyme last Saturday, and I was happy with the service and food. Since we had reservations, we were seated immediately. The restaurant is huge, and I love how open it is. Their cocktails were yummy, and the R&T oysters were awesome. My friends also ordered salads that tasted fantastic, although slightly overdressed. The entrees among us included the Salmon & Dill, Meatloaf, R&T Burger, and Chicken Pot Pie. I recommend this restaurant if you're in the area!
(3)Renee F.
Can't say enough about how delicious the food is but I'm not going to ramble on about it. I'm working my way through tasting everything on the menu and so far my only disappointment has been in the calamari appetizer which was a little small for two people. I'm a snobby diner so if you enjoy great tasting and interesting, order some of the out-of-the-box items here, like the fig pizza which is to die for. My friends and I love the Draught Cellar for drinks and hanging out with live music or karaoke nights. This place is cool and it can get busy. Make friends with the wait staff and you'll be golden.
(5)Pamela S.
Visiting from MN, here with family . The food was above standard fare!!! Our server. Kristin , was awesome , food was awesome. Atmosphere relaxing. Would definitely come back
(4)Bob D.
Rye & Thyme is a relatively new entry in downtown Leominster occupying the space previously held by The Monument Grill. Unfortunately, it misses the mark and in my opinion, It's just "ok". The menu is pretty standard American pub food. Pizzas, steaks, and seafood. No vegetarian choices other than salads which doesn't bother me that much as I am proud to be a red meat eating carnivore. But vegetarians should be aware of the lack of options. I'm not going to give an entire blow-by-blow from hostess to paying the check as I usually just skim those when others write it all out . Instead I'll just give my highs and lows: Appetizers - Highs: Oysters Rockefeller were delicious. Low: Oysters Rockefeller were lukewarm. High: The bacon was high quality. Low If you are going to offer wood roasted slab bacon as an appetizer it should BE a wood roasted slab not sliced like breakfast food. Also, I'd pay $8 for a slab of bacon , which is what the menu states, whereas 4 slices seems overpriced. High and Low: The sweet potato and corn chowder was thick and sweet but under seasoned. More disappointingly, the bowl (a cup is not offered?) was also lukewarm. Entrees- High: The hanger steak was quite tasty and well seasoned and cooked perfectly. This was the high point of the night.and the only reason I give the place 3 stars and not 2. Low: The shoestring truffle fries were crispy but bland and lukewarm, and there was obviously not any truffle oil on them. Low - I've tried to give highs and lows for everything we ate but I can't think of a high for the braised short ribs. A braise should be a slow cooked piece of meat that makes a tough cut of meat tender and adds flavor. If you leave it in too long the meat gets mushy and all the flavor gets washed out. We got the second - overcooked and mushy. Overall, service was slow, the food was ok to meh, and I can definitely think of better places within a short drive to get a much better meal for 2 for $110 (with drinks and tip).
(3)Sharon L.
I've been to Rye & Thyme on several occasions. When it first opened, I thought that it was a great place. My husband really loved the beer selection and we've sat at the downstairs bar a few times. The last we went there the bar was fairly busy. The bartender (with an Irish accent) came over to our table to take our order. I asked him what apps he recommended and his response was: "I recommend you choose something yourself and quickly. I'm busy." It was very rude and he had me just about in tears. He came back over with our order and gave a half-hearted apology. As a result of his behavior, I will never go back.
(2)Jessica H.
We had heard that the Niche group was expanding out of Worcester and were curious. When we found out they had DOLLAR OYSTERS, we were sold. A group of 9 of us hit this place up last Saturday to see if it lived up to the hype. We made a reservation, which was no problem even though we called just a few hours ahead. They seated us in a nice little alcove with just one other table. We ordered drinks to start, and while the tap list was decent (about 10 beers) the wine list had very few offerings by the glass. The cocktails looked interesting and well crafted. The only weird part was that the beers were only poured in their basement bar, so our poor server had to run downstairs a bunch of times. *shrug* We came for the oysters, and oysters we had. We ordered 4 dozen for the table and they arrived promptly and looked amazing. Huge, and with lots of interesting condiments to go with: horseradish, lemon, cocktail sauce and a cilantro lemon sauce. In addition to the $1 house oysters (which we ordered) they also offered other varieties at different price points. Everyone agreed that the oysters were totally worth the trip and we all sort of wished we had ordered more. For my entree, my husband and I split a flatbread pizza with fig, gorgonzola and apples. For reasons that escape me, it also had a Béchamel sauce on top. I thought the pizza was basically fine, although nothing great and the Béchamel did nothing for it. Others thought the figs were bad, the apples lacking and the crust weird. (The crust was a little weird. It looked like pita bread. Actually, it sort of tasted like pita bread too...) Other entrees looked nice, and everyone seemed pleased. The service was great, our server was very nice and even split the check up a zillion ways for us. My only complaint would be that she didn't seem to know a lot about the different beers on tap (personal pet peeve), but really, I'm a beer nerd, so I have high expectations. I have to say I would come back in a heartbeat for the raw bar, but I wouldn't order the pizza again. I would try some of the happy hour bar specials though.
(4)Dawn S.
If you're looking for a place to dine, meet up with friends, listen to live music or catch the latest sports game, Rye & Thyme has your table waiting! My first experience eating oysters was here, they were delicious; I've ordered them several times since. Every appetizer and main dish I've ordered has been equally delicious. The food is always fresh, well prepared and well presented and the servers are familiar and helpful with each item including wine, beer or cocktails. I cannot fail to mention the micro-brews that Rye & Thyme offers, draught and in bottles, local and otherwise. The servers are well educated in each brew and spirits offered and will lend you a sample before you order the full glass if you desire. You can choose to sit upstairs at a table, the bar area or at an outside table, weather permitting, or you can find your way downstairs to the draught cellar where there are tables, a large bar, the brew taps and music. My first visit was in December 2012 and since then I've been at Rye & Thyme many times with friends and family and everyone loves the atmosphere, the waitstaff and the food!
(5)Lisa F.
I want to LOVE this restaurant for its great ambiance and location fairly close to my home, but I'm afraid I just can't. It's ok, food has been edible, service is very hit or miss, and it just doesn't have the impact of Bocado, another Niche hospitality Group restaurant. I have now had three meals at Rye and Thyme. So far, my favorite item has been their lemonade. Their griilled pizzas are not bad, but underwhelming. Perhaps with time things will improve?
(3)David V.
Came here for lunch in the early afternoon on a Saturday, so it wasn't that busy. The wait to be seated was prompt and the waitress that waited on us was very pleasant. Given the time of day we came the dining room noise was low even though there were plenty of people there for lunch. I'm sure it is a different situation at dinner time. We were seated in a booth, which was very spacious and the bench seats were comfortable. I liked the dark wood decor. I was having trouble deciding on wine and the waitress kindly offered me a sample, which I was not expecting. The selection of beverages was decent. To start, I ordered half dozen Virginia oysters, which were nicely priced at $1. Whoever shucked them did an excellent job... very clean. They had some other oysters at $2, but the Virginia ones were fine. The Italian Sausage Bake came out in a hot cast iron pan. Good portion for lunch and filled with sausage. I enjoyed half there and half later in the day as a snack. Parking was fine for lunch, but I would hate to have to deal with it on the busy nights. All in all a good experience and I'm looking forward to having dinner here in the future and more $1 oysters.
(3)John A.
This is one of the best restaurants in Central Massachusetts. I've been here 3 times now and I cannot complain one bit. Every cocktail I've had was delicious, particularly the buffalo bramble and the redemption song. The first time was for lunch and I was pleased with their beer selection, $1 oysters and Banh Mi sandwhich. The second time I got the burger, which was HUGE for the price. Third time was my birthday, we had the calamari which was done Rhode Island style with banana peppers and chipotle aioli. We also had the duck confit potato skins which were unbelievable. For my entree I got the angry Caesar salad, no complaints their and for desert I had the cheesecake. I truly cannot think of a reason why anyone would dislike this place. People have different experiences in terms of service, but don't let that deter from this new restaurant with great food and drink choices.
(4)J M.
Great value for a top notch meal. I have yet to try something that didn't blow me away for the price. Atmosphere is nice and the oyster bar is solid. Beer selection is great and wait staff pleasant. A great addition to downtown Leominster.
(5)Kevin S.
We had dinner here last night with friends. A nice room and not crowded on this pre-holiday night, we were seated promptly in the area we requested. The waitress was friendly and very attentive. Good service. The raw bar menu is fun. I enjoyed the tuna sashimi and a couple of oysters presented with a bunch of condiments. The oriental carrot salad served with the tuna was great, I want the recipe. They have a selection of about 15 draft beers and a long bottled and canned list. Our waitress knew both the beer (and the food) menu and was very attentive with samples to help with beer choices. I chose the Pork Osso Buco, a generous helping falling off the bone served embedded in excellent mashed sweet potato. I like it. She enjoyed the "Ale Battered fish and chips"; a very large piece of haddock with enough left over for lunch. She said the string fries were good and crispy. The only down dinner note was the grilled asparagus which had kerosene/cigarette smoke flavors and was not a hit. We all shared dessert and enjoyed the tiramisu, chocolate torte and porter brownie. A nice restaurant with easy parking. Good service, interesting menu, well prepared food and an excellent beer selection. What's not to like? We will be back.
(4)A.S. W.
Stopped here for drinks & dinner. Potato skins excellent as an appie, large craft beer selection & good wine list. Sat at the bar, service was very attentive will be back next time in the area
(4)M H.
Great food, wonderful menu, easy location, great atmosphere. Started with drinks on the outdoor patio, continued on to dinners that everyone found delicious and then finished up with music downstairs. The music was great as well - Andy Cummings, really enjoyable.
(5)Cat B.
I'm an oyster lover. To find a place like this in my area is great. The grilled oysters are awesome, as well as the oysters Rockefeller. $1 raw oysters for the summer. They're a little on the small side. Oh well. Order a couple more! Christine was super. I highly recommend this place.
(5)Richelle P.
Very clean and nice place for pregame . Great selection of beers. Bread pudding and brownies are Delicious,but need more ice cream. Service depends on the staff working that night. Some nights are better than others.
(3)Courtney N.
My friend and I noticed a billboard touting Rye and Thyme and just had to check them out. We went for lunch and really enjoyed the experience. They have a draught cellar but that doesn't open until 5pm so we didn't get a chance to go in. Their beer list is huge and varied. It was hard to pick just one! My friend got a Belgian beer and I tried a hard apple cider. Delicious. For our meals, I went with the egg and bacon skillet (egg, tomatoes, bacon, cheddar and bread all made in a skillet). It was very good. My friend got the beef and ale, and I stole his cheddar potato cake that came with it. Definitely a must try. There were several items on the menu that looked interesting so we'll have to come back. We ended up sharing a dessert (again, another good selection). It was campfire bread pudding. I think it was supposed to taste like a s'mores but it just tasted like yummy chocolate bread pudding which was fine with us. The prices were great for the amount of food and quality. Our waitress was nice. They offer you loyalty cards at the end but I didn't want to give out my personal info so I passed. Might be a good deal if you visit them often though. Definitely worth checking out in you're in the area!
(4)Anthony F.
My wife and I had brunch today. She had the eggs bennie and I had the chicken pot pie. Both excellent! It was well worth the 45 min drive...thanks Phantom Gourmet.
(5)Katie K.
The one dollar oysters are fabulous - fresh and delicious. The dried fig pizza was one of the best pizzas I have ever had - tons of creamy, melted blue cheese with sweet figs and apple drizzled with balsamic. SO GOOD. The only miss was the yukon gold potato skins - not a skin in sight, more like a pile of greasy home fries. We can't wait to go back to try more of the tasty looking dishes, but would never order those again.
(3)Bruce M.
Inconsistent. Been there a couple of times and the first time was great so when we went back we had high expectations. But the food was a couple of levels down, to where it where if it our first visit, I probably wouldn't have gone back, at least not at that expense. My wife ordered the same soup on both occasions but the second time it was completely different. Went from thick and hearty to thin and tasteless. The very expensive steak I had was dry and bland. The menu was small and eloquent with essentially something for everyone. That's why getting it right should be easy and critical. I hope the owners read this because I really want this restaurant to succeed. This area needs great independent restaurants and getting an average review of 3 stars by all reviewers won't cut it. Good luck!
(3)Tiana G.
Ate dinner there last night. The Caesar salad was great, but my grilled chicken had lots of charred bits on it that tasted burnt. The tiny bits of vegetable were scattered around the plate. I was disappointed in the amount of veggies and they were oily, which made them hard to eat. I would have sent back my meal except I was being treated by a colleague so i didn't want to hurt her feelings since she chose the restaurant. I'd go back for the ambiance and to try a different dish. My friend had the steak and fries. Seemed a bit overpriced, especially since you have to get your salad separately and I couldn't sub the potatoe for a salad. Server was nice enough and food came out pretty quickly, but it was almost empty at 6 pm on a Wednesday night...
(2)D. W.
My husband and I went for a quiet evening out. It was our first time here but we love Bocado in Worc. We weren't disappointed. Service was excellent and so was the food. My husband got the baked pasta entree and it was enough to fill him up and have some to take home. I had a lobster roll and the bun was a little burnt but the lobster was plentiful. Ask for bread. They have an awesome dipping oil! And if you like some alcohol in your drinks, this is the place to go. Drinks were good and strong. Next time I'm trying the potato skins and some craft brews!
(4)Elissa B.
Bottom line...none of the food, with the exception of the fries, were seasoned. There was absolutely no flavor to the fried haddock that my husband had or the burger that I had. My husband thinks the haddock was actually cod. I had a taste and it didn't taste like haddock to me, either. The sweet potato and corn chowder looked promising, but again lacked flavor. We were sat right away, but the waiter was just okay. It looked like he could have used a cup of coffee to wake up a bit. We were going to Mezcal, but someone recommended this instead. Bad idea.
(2)Dennis L.
Prices too high for the area. Ordered roasted chicken looked good coming out but was not cooked bloody. The restaurant was empty the waitress was good the manager came over and apologized . Would not go back.
(1)Kristen F.
We have been here quite a few times and have always enjoyed our visits, we have sat inside both upstairs and down and outside in the nice weather. We are not huge fans of their menu since there are really only a few things we really ever get, the calamari is delicious and my son loves the pizza, hubby has gotten the burgers and a few other items and he has enjoyed them. We really enjoy both the Draught Cellar and the outside patio, the drinks are very good and the meals we have had are tasty. The bartenders downstairs are nice and friendly and atmosphere is fun, we would love to see some new items added to the menu/maybe specials on the weekends. All in all we have enjoyed our visits there and will definitely be back.
(4)B E.
I am boosting the review from 4 to 5 stars. Have had several dinners here in the past few months and all of them have been excellent. They really seem to have hit their stride.
(5)Karen K.
Delicious fish and chips! Great wine and bourbon selections!
(5)Aly H.
Overall we found Rye & Thyme to be very disappointing. 5 of us went for lunch, we also got two appetizers, so a fairly good sampling of the menu. Not one dish was good. We definitely won't go back.
(1)Thomas N.
lunch recently.....just opened in what was monument grill.....very nice appearance, nice lamps, lovely curved walnut bar, nice lamps......curve of the bar accommodates a salad/raw bar area......we had martinis, good, we had corn meal crusted calamari, very good thought a tad dry, hamburger was very good and cooked as requested, angry caesar salad with scallops very good and not too angry....oh we splurged and had an ice cream sandwich for desert which was excellent......all the foods looked nice presentation and they were pretty busy for having opened yesterday....dinner menu is similar to lunch with some add'l items.....very nice pretty restaurant and the server was pleasant and accommodating!!!
(4)J D.
Incredible awesomeness!
(3)J M.
We went for dinner last night and were disappointed. I had the salmon, which was excellent, but the accompanying butternut risotto was too salty and the butternut squash was under cooked and hard. My husband had the delmonico steak which was cooked ok, but the "anchovy" butter seemed weird to him. The "roasted" green beans were shriveled and overdone. The service was fine, but overall it was only ok and I'm not sure when we'll be back. The menu is not that enticing to me and if you're going to have unusual food it should be fabulous, and the menu seems a little out of place for Leominster.
(3)joe t.
I wanted to love this place. For starters they need better signage as to where you're supposed to enter. As it turned out, that confused looking man wandering around the al frescoes while eyeballing their cocktails was me. Luckily a kind waitress helped me find the path to the hostess and assured me I wasn't the only dingbat who couldn't figure out the restaurant's travel patterns. Onward! It's a really nice looking place. Always has been. The interior is dark and comforting and rather warm, in a non-temperature sense. The bar has been niftily spruced up and I plan on spending some considerable time there in the not too distant future. It would be a good place to watch a game if you wanted a quiet/non-yahoo-ish vibe. The bar has been extended, so there's plenty of seats. I didn't sample the raw bar, but they're advertising one dollar oysters for the remainder of the Summer. Good deal! Our waitress seemed to genuinely care that we have a good experience and was very nice, if unseasoned. Which leads me to the steak tartare. (segue!) It was very bland. Extremely bland. I'm not an expert on steak tartare by any means, but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to put something in it other than just the meat. Like salt. Or pepper. Or something. After nailing it with the salt and pepper shaker it was considerbaly better. For entrees we had the shrimp and scallop saute and a meat pizza. The shrimp and scallop saute was served over pappardelle pasta with a nice mix of summer vegetation. The vegetables were perfectly done, crisp with a nice crunch left in them. The pasta was also well done. The seafood was a bit undercooked, but I just ate a plate of raw beef, so it didn't phase me. Tatse-wise, it was lacking. It just tasted under-seasoned. I don't mind a light, clean tasting dish, but there's a difference between that and what this dish was. Lastly, the meat pizza was just not very good. The edges of the pita-ish crust were jarringly hard, as in unedible. The tomato sauce had that "someone went too heavy on the tomato paste" tinny acidity to it and just pretty much killed the pizza for me. The meat in question said to be topping the pizza, was on the sparse side. More duck, please, and less bacon! Ok, so they're new, so I'll go back for sure. It's great looking room with a good waitstaff and the booze seems spot on. The food needs a good tweaking.
(2)Bonnie R.
Loved it! My husband, my sister and I went for lunch. We split the corn meal calamari (a little dry but tasty), potato skins with shitake mushrooms and truffle oil (delicious), the turkey club (fresh and satisfying), and the meat wood-fired pizza (great crust and beautifully-cooked duck). I maybe wasn't crazy about the tomato sauce on the pizza, too thick and not as fresh-tasting in comparison to everything else, but it didn't put me off eating the last piece! We also thoroughly enjoyed trying the house mixed drinks. I can't wait to come back for dinner to try some more!
(4)Craig P.
Went last night. We all got the burger, which was the best I've had! Bread and dipping oil was excellent. Planning to go back next time for an entree (they all sounded interesting) and the desserts looked amazing. Will try raw bar as well. Newly expanded bar is great! Can picture sitting there with a drink and oysters for a quick app. Nice job! It's finally looking like Leominster will have a good, solid alternative to all the chain restaurants! Now if we can just add more and perhaps replace some of the over-abundance of banks and pharmacies we have!!!
(4)Laura H.
We've been here twice since they opened last month and enjoyed both visits. I started both of my meals with three of the $1 oysters & really enjoyed them both times. During the first visit we both decided to go with pizzas - veggie for me, fig for my husband. The veggie was ok, I think I would have liked it better with fewer green peppers & more red, but that is just personal preference. Overall it was fine though. Husband's fig pizza was fantastic & we both loved that. Hubs tried several of the drinks from the cocktail menu and thought they were all good. Wrapped up by sharing the strawberries romanoff which was excellent - if the serving had not been so large I would say the decision to share might have been a mistake! Second visit, while I indulged in the oysters again, husband had the sweet potato & corn chowder. It was very tasty & we would both order it again. Hubs liked his order of short rib & I loved the burger that I ordered. The burger came with grilled onion on the menu, I asked if they could substitute tomato & they did with two generous slices. Medium well as requested & the garlic mayo was great. Our waiter was fine both times, attentive with the drinks, but not hovering. I'm not sure why the complaints regarding prices. Everything seemed pretty reasonable to us. $10 for each of the personal pizzas, and $10 for my burger - about the same as you would pay at Chili's or similar, but much better. We will definitely be back to enjoy more.
(4)Holls S.
I could squeeze the Niche group until their eyeballs pop out for opening this restaurant. I moved to L-town just in time to watch Monument slip downhill in quality and service and spent the last several months driving to Worcester to have a decent dining experience. When Rye & Thyme opened I was stoked to find out it was part of a group of quality local restaurants. I can vouch for two well crafted cocktails (says a lot since I don't usually like hard booze so much..more of a wine-o), raw oysters for $1 each (until labor Day - so hurry down!), and a tasty fig flatbread pizza. The prices are reasonable, and almost inexpensive considering the quality. I think the best part about the Niche group is consistency. You're guaranteed to have, well-thought -out dishes/drinks and service.
(4)Brandon B.
4 Stars for the atmosphere. 3 Stars for the food I spent my time in the downstairs bar for the Rob Roy Open Mic they host every Tuesday and the atmosphere and decor are very nice. A nice upper end bar with a great bartender, Greg. The house and live music levels were great, not too loud. Good selection of beers and spirits, gets to be a little pricey though, especially for the dinner entrees. I ordered the WOOD GRILLED CHICKEN BANH MI SANDWICH which was bland and the chicken was burnt. A friend ordered a chicken caesar salad with no cheese and received a caesar salad with cheese and no chicken. May come back again but it won't be for the food and it's certainly not top of the list.
(3)Leah C.
Rye and Thyme is a great addition to downtown Leominster. The remodel from the previous business is excellent and I'm hearing they are working on the downstairs to be opened later this fall. The food is good/very good. I have been numerous times since it opened and I have always had a solid meal. I've never been blown away by anything I've had but they have a small-ish menu and they do everything on there well. Plus, as a seafood lover, I am a huge fan of their oyster bar. Drinks are great, but their big draw for me and the amount of craft beer they have available either on tap or in bottle/can - stuff that is difficult to find in a restaurant/bar setting. This makes it a great hang-out spot as well for drinks after work or before a night out. The only down side of the place for me has been service and pacing while having dinner. Don't get me wrong, servers are pleasant and helpful, but I think they could be better about getting to the table more often. Food, additionally, can take a while for the major entrees. Overall, I would absolutely recommend Rye and Thyme.
(4)Heidi R.
Phenomenal! We went to Rye and Thyme on a Friday night. It was busy, but the service was great. Excellent cocktails and the food was fantastic! The fig flatbread pizza was amazing and the homemade ice cream sandwich was quite possibly the best dessert I've had all summer! Get here ASAP!
(5)Kenena P.
I visited Rye & Thyme last weekend on Sunday. I love the other Niche hospitality group restaurants so I had high expectations. My fiancé and I walked in the side door and saw a server leaning over a plate of bacon and eggs eating. She ignored us. The hostess was over to the side and piped in "table for 2?" We were sat outside on the patio and sat there for about 5 minutes. The server came out and asked of we were ready to order. I said we both would like bloody Mary's and before I knew it she was gone. I wanted to specify the vodka so I got up, walked inside & spoke to the bartender. Another 5 minutes passed (which seemed like a while because the restaurant was dead. Us, and one other party of 2 outside). When the waitress dropped off drinks and I said "I'm thinking of ordering the shrimp cocktail". She said "you think? or you are ordering it?". I was a bit put off by her attitude. About 2 minutes later she arrived with shrimp cocktail. Dropped it off and said nothing. When I got her attention after she checked the other table I asked her for side plates and lemons. My fiancé and I sat waiting for a few minutes till she returned. At this point I asked for a check because I didn't know how long it would take and I had to leave shortly after. Like I assumed she took her time bringing the check. I had no choice but to tip her 22% because I had no small bills and I couldn't find her for change- never mind wait for her to run a credit card. The only reason I have 3 stars is because the restaurant is very cute and clean, the bloodies were tasty and the shrimp was fresh. This waitress was having an off day for sure.
(3)Kevin S.
Lunch today. Requested burger done medium, arrived more than well done. Server never returned so I choked it down. Three strikes. You're out!
(2)Morgan G.
Amazing on so many levels. First of all, I had my sister's bridal shower here and it was AWESOME! Deb Covino is a phenomenal event planner to work with and the staff at Rye and Thyme were more than helpful. I had a few emails back and forth with Deb and we were booked...it was the easiest thing I have ever done. When physically there, the staff helped me move tables, provided me with tablecloths and helped me set up everything. They even provided us with our own bartender downstairs at the bar where the event was. We had such a great experience with the baby shower that my cousins, my mother and sister and I went upstairs to eat dinner afterwards. Here's the second reason why it was amazing...I'm a vegan and they were so accommodating. The waitress was very knowledgeable and they made me my own dish from an existing one with meat - and they charged me less for it! (That rarely happens!) Mike, the owner, stopped by and checked on us to see how everything was going and I told him that I couldn't have been happier with the shower and the dinner experience after. Thanks, Rye and Thyme! I'll definitely be back!!
(5)Maria S.
We are regulars at your Worcester locations, but walked out of Rye and Thyme today and will not be returning. For some reason, the person about to seat us had an issue with our baby's stroller and wanted us to sit in a booth near the door, rather than one near the windows as we requested. She insisted the stroller would be blocking the traffic. I'm not sure whether she wanted us to sit in a less desirable area, had an objection to a baby in the restaurant, or was having a bad day, but her attitude was bad enough to make us leave. The place was practically empty, too. And, we were going to fold the stroller anyway (not that she asked). I don't understand why she had to argue with us over a perfectly reasonable request, but here is an example of lousy service. Thank you for listening.
(1)Joanna W.
We only visited the downstairs bar area, but I was impressed by the atmosphere and the beer/cocktail/wine/hard ciders selection. Friendly service. I'm not sure if there is bar food in the bar; we didn't see any, but would frequent more often if there is.
(4)Amy H.
This is probably going to be my new go-to when I'm in Leominster. Great ambience with an extensive beer and cocktail menu. I had, without a doubt, the best chicken wings I've ever had. They treated the chicken like they were the focal point and not just a hot sauce and blue cheese delivery device like a lot of other wings that I've had. I sat at the bar and had great service. I will definitely go back!
(4)Ann M.
Terrible!!! Our first drink order took 15 min and there were very few people in the place. Got some bread 1/2 hour later. Waiter not very friendly at all :-(... Ordered a burger and a pizza, took 45 minutes!! The burger was ordered med/well and came well, well, well done and the waiter never really apologized. It was awful, don't waste your time, just go to Subway it would have be a much better experience!!!
(1)Nick F.
Been here for lunch two times. First time both the food and service were not impressive. We were sat in the back near a large window with the bartender as our server which did not make any sense because our table was not close to the bar. The lunch staff is either poorly managed or just does not understand that if the restaurant only has 20 people in for lunch,a 20 minute wait for your server to check in on you is unacceptable. The second time I was there on a Sunday afternoon and the service was just as bad with only 4 tables occupied. The only way we were able to get any service was by flagging down the manager who was helping the one working server with a table of 8, which was about half of the customers in the place. I had a pastrami sandwich which was good. My advise is never go to this place on the weekend for lunch/brunch. I will reserve my final judgement on this place until I have experienced a full dinner service.
(2)Mark T.
It's a nice restaurant with great service. The food lacks panache and seasoning. The oysters were great. (no chef involved) The fried haddock had a soggy batter. We ordered 2 steaks and fries, one medium and one rare, they both came cooked medium and only faintly smelling of the advertised wood grill.The fries were uninspired and unseasoned and the truffle oil that the menu promised was nowhere to be found or tasted! In the chef's opinion three pretentious little spots of what looked like French's mustard passed for plate decoration. Almost everything on the menu is garlic laden and over priced. They are apparently just getting up and running, We'll give them another chance to get it together in a few months. Maybe by then the chef will learn to season the food!
(2)John F.
I was excited to hear that a new restaurant had opened in the space previously occupied by the Monument Grill. For some reason, good restaurants in this area are few and far between so I really wanted to like Rye and Thyme. We arrived on a Sunday at 4:30 for an early dinner after shopping in the area. We were quickly seated in a booth and our waitress told us about the specials and took our drink order. So far, so good. We ordered the calimari as an appetizer while we thought about the main course. It came out in about 10 minutes and was quite good. Nice presentation, served with spicy peppers and had a good flavor that was crisp and fresh. I ordered the half roast chicken with potatoes and green beans while my wife, who is watching her calories, ordered a hamburger without the bun and vegetables. They came out rather quickly and I soon figured out why. It was clear that the chicken had been cooked a while ago (possibly not today) and then heated up and covered with warm gravy. Same for the green beans. They had that limp, tired texture that can only mean they had been sitting around for a while. Kind of surprising for so early in the evening. My wifes hamburger was just ok quality. Not good, not bad. For $12 it should have been better. On the plus side, service and atmosphere were good. They kept the booths from the previous restaurant which I personally don't like much. They're comfortable but they make you feel closed in and cut off from the other patrons. Some people like them, just not me. I gave Rye and Thyme 2 stars because the description says "Meh, I've experienced better". That sums up how my experience went. They have what they need to be an excellent restaurant. If the kitchen starts taking a little more care and interest in what they're doing they can knock it out of the park.
(2)Frank C.
As a family of four, for meals, we ordered a wood-grilled cheese pizza, a salmon dish, the "Steak and Fries" (which is a grade below their "Delmonico"), and the thick-cut porkchop. For apps, we ordered a lot from the touted raw bar. 18 oysters (right now only $1/piece), 12 littleneck clams and the steak tartare. All the food was top-notch in preparation and appropriately priced for how nice a place this is. The oysters are unbelievable at the price. The steak came as ordered (rare) and the quality, given that it was the lesser cut on the menu, was excellent. The salmon was delish. We ordered it rare. The menu has variety for everyone except vegetarians/vegans (beyond a salad). Service was fine as well. Very glad to have this mid-upscale restaruant in town. This place is good for romantic dinner or for the family. Raw bar's excellent. Only quibble: Had to wait for new rolls to finish baking but they were very good. Nice hard crust and soft inside.
(5)