In my family, birthdays were always a big deal. We celebrated for weeks leading up to it, and certainly the week of it. My daughter recently turned 4. My parents were here from out of town, so the celebrations were even more special — ’cause grandparents.
The biggest question when family is in town is, “Where do we eat?”
The biggest question when family is in town for a kiddo’s birthday is, “Where do we eat that has a great birthday celebration and good food?”
Ladies and gentlemen, I have done the research and now bring you four restaurant options for celebrating your child’s birthday in Boston’s MetroWest.
1. Volturno (Framingham, Worcester)
Volturno originates from Worcester and recently opened a second location in Framingham. They are known for their Neopolitan pizzas. The atmosphere is actually pretty perfect — super kid-friendly, but also great for a date night or girls’ night. We all loved our pizza (get the funghi — yum!), but the highlight was definitely the dessert pizza — a heavenly Nutella pizza with berries and mascarpone cheese.
2. Joe’s American Bar and Grill (Boston, Dedham, Fairfield, Framingham, Franklin, Woburn)
Joe’s has many locations, but the one we go to is located conveniently (inconveniently maybe?) in Shopper’s World. This restaurant is a family favorite when there’s a large group. There’s lots of space for strollers, diaper bags, and wriggly children. Newly discovered this year, Joe’s has a gooey, warm chocolate chip cookie sundae skillet with candied nuts! Perfection.
3. Primavera (Millis)
OK, so this restaurant technically isn’t MetroWest. It’s in Millis — and totally worth the drive! As you can guess, it’s Italian and delicious! It’s family-owned and totally has that great family feel. It is a white-tableclothed restaurant that you still can feel comfortable taking your kids to. My daughter is a huge fan of their kids’ ravioli, which she usually eats over a few days. We love their selection of pasta and non-pasta dishes, and, bonus — they offer $10 entrees on Wednesdays and Sundays (best to make a reservation then). Primavera has a great selection of traditional Italian desserts, but our favorite is the chocolate lava cake with vanilla gelato.
4. British Beer Company (Danvers, Falmouth, Framingham, Franklin, Hyannis, Pembroke, Plymouth, Sandwich, Westford, Worcester)
Another chain restaurant, which we go to in Framingham, this restaurant can please pretty much anybody. From their pot pies to their ginormous fish and chips, extensive beer list, and fabulous salads, everyone should be happy. We always start by sharing the giant pretzel, which is pretty much the biggest thing I’ve ever seen. For birthdays, they bring out a FULL-SIZE CHOCOLATE CAKE. ‘Nuff said.
Readers, birthdays are never something to be taken lightly, and I take my research very seriously. You’re welcome. What are your favorites? We’re always looking to continue the celebration!
