RACHEL SHUSTER

Located at 358 Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, The Woo Bar and Grill is bringing the city delicious eats and drinks with some flair.

Co-owners Jon Pittsley and Edinei Rocco opened the spot in December of 2019, and it’s been non-stop ever since. “We took over the building on October 31, opened on December 26 and it’s been crazy since then,” Pittsley says. “We thought, ‘Oh, it’s going to be nice and business will trickle in, but as soon as we opened it’s been BAM!” Pittsley adds.

Prior to The Woo Bar and Grill, Pittsley, who has lived in Worcester for 30 years, worked in Natick at Dolphins for 23 years, as well as some time working in nursing home in Northbridge and a pizza place. “My dream was to open a small, pub-style bar,” he says.

Two years prior to opening, Pittsley and Rocco talked about opening a place together. “We tried to lock this location in for over a year,” Pittsley says. “My partner [Rocco] fell in love with this location. He loved that it was small enough, but big enough.” The perfect space size called for the perfect staff size – small! There is parking in front but additional parking in the back. “We have a small staff of about 3-4 people working at a time who share everything including service for the whole space,” Pittsley says. “Our servers/mixologists just nail the service. I couldn’t be happier with the staff we have. They take the time to listen and see what guests want.”

As for the menu, The Woo Bar and Grill offers great pub-style food and drinks with a Brazilian flair, made from the best quality products. “My partner is originally from Brazil, so we have some Brazilian dishes,” Pittsley says. “We can’t keep the yuka soup on the menu!” Menu items include appetizers like Brazlian favorites chicken coxinha and yuka fries, soups, salads, pizza, sandwiches and “Woo Plates.” “These are our smaller versions of entrees like pasta and meatballs, chicken marsala and check stir-fry,” Pittsley says. They also have specials, including some Brazlian dishes.

As for pricing, they try to cater to everyone’s budget. “The reason why we don’t do full entrees is that we try to keep food local and reasonable priced,” Pittsley says. The beef tenderloin is the most expensive at $15.99. The bar also offers a great menu. “Our servers/mixologists come up with craft cocktails,” Pittsley says. “We have a huge list of craft beers as well and keep it all local. We are hooked up with Redemption Rock Brewing Company across the street,” he adds.

The bar is a horseshoe shape and fits around 20-25 people. Cocktails are made with house-made simple syrups, fresh squeezed lime and lemon juice, and fresh ginger. Some of these delicious cocktails include a smoked whiskey sour and a Woo Caipirinha.

Beyond the bar, the space has nine tables and holds about 42 people inside and then the outdoor space holds 24 people. “The space caters to everyone and is very neighborhood friendly,” Pittsley says. “It’s simple, not overwhelming.”

As for events, there is acoustic guitar on Friday nights and trivia on Tuesday nights. The Woo Bar and Grill is open Tuesday – Sunday: 11:30am – 11pm and closed on Monday.