Luciano’s Cafe At Maxwell

My company recently had our employee holiday party at Union Station/Luciano’s and it was beautiful! The venue is absolutely breathtaking being in the grand hall of the station. They put up curtains to hide you from anyone who might be using the station for transportation services. They have uplighting already set up, so no need to pay extra with a vendor for it (see photos).
We had cocktail hour with stationary & passed hor d’oeuvres in the restaurant area where the bar is. The service was great, however there were only 3 bartenders which seemed like it would be enough but there was often a bit of a wait for a drink. However, we did have 155 guests so it was a big crowd. The bartenders were very courteous though and pleasant to deal with once you had their attention.
We chose a buffet service including salmon, roast beef and chicken. All dishes were delicious considering it was buffet. The food was a reasonable temp again for buffet (I personally like my food piping hot but never expect that with buffet). The tortellini salad was my favorite thing there, very light and fresh for a pasta based salad!
A couple of things to mention — the sound in the venue has a bit of an echo, because you are in this train station grand hall. There isn’t anything you can do about it and it didn’t ruin our time, I just figured others planning might want to take this into consideration.
Also, the dessert selection with our buffet was very small. We knew it would be assorted desserts but they were tiny little pastry samples that came out on deviled egg dishes. We didn’t realize that would be our dessert selection and had we known we would have paid more for a different dessert option. Just an FYI to people. That being said, the small pastries were delicious.
The bathrooms are in the public area and only unlocked once your event starts due to outsiders being able to use them. They were however clean and I didn’t run into anyone that wasn’t a party member while there. Again, just another FYI, there is no private bathroom area.
Another FYI — parking. The garage is behind Union Station located on Franklin Street and you can park then enter through the back of the station. If you bring your ticket in, the restaurant will validate it for $ 1 (our company paid for people to park so covered that charge). Just keep in mind, it is a public garage so use the same caution you would anywhere.
Martin is the person I dealt with in organizing this event and he was great at answering questions during the planning process. The only thing I wish is that he had been on site during the whole event (maybe he was but I couldn’t find him) so that any questions we had could be addressed to him. I ended up mostly dealing with one of the bartenders who was very pleasant, but it would be helpful to have an event planner there to help.
Overall, we loved the venue, food, and atmosphere! It was really fun and all of the employees seemed to love it as well. Thank you Luciano’s for helping make our party a success!

I hosted my daughter’s bridal shower here on Dec. 12^th and everything was fabulous! Marton was great to work with and attended to every details. The restaurant was beautifully decorated for Christmas, the wait staff and bartender were very attentive and the food was exceptional! The day exceeded my expectations. Well done!

we went for mothers day brunch. everyone thought this was one of the better locations we have been to, and the price was very reasonable. they offered a complimentary mimosa to everyone at the table. the subsequent ones were $ 5. I think they should try a $ 10.00 unlimited mimosa option like they do here in DC. We also had gone to the bar to order drinks and shots, and the staff there was amazing (taller caucasian man, shorter hispanic lady). The bacon could have been cooked a little more but i do understand people like things different. I didnt like that the omlette lady cooked the omlette on one side then folded it, i like both sides being well done even though i asked for it well done… but it was no biggie. there was so much else to choose from, it wasnt a big hit. the turkey was so juicy. the ham was good. the eggs were not that wet soggy mess you see at typical buffets. I am gluten free and I still had a lot of options. Everyone in my party liked the deserts, the french toast sticks, the pancake crepes, and more. Noone complained about anything but the bacon. From older great grandparents to young kids, including peanut and wheat allergies, everyone had something good to eat. We already decided as long as they do not raise the price, we will be back. They do validate for parking in the garage, but you have to ask as noone knew about this prior to me asking. It was pretty, well presented, well staffed, and I am excited to go back
Justin was the male bartender’s name. Great service!

Poor imitation of a restaurant, hosted office holiday party in 12/19,while nicely decorated evidently they only have a kitchen to reheat from Maxwell Silvermans super disappointed

My review is for the drinks — I’ve never eaten here. I came in because I take the train in to Worcester every day from Boston, where I work, and I’ve been intrigued by the loungey, Frank Sinatra vibe. Have been in 3 times, and on visit one, I got into a discussion with the bartender about whiskey drinks. I’ve been in 3 times and he’s made me incredible drinks each time, taking into consideration that I do not like sugar or sweet drinks but love a good whiskey or bourbon. I would highly recommend stopping in some time, if you’re the sort of person who enjoys a well-​made cocktail by someone who really cares about the history of drinks and different liquors and who takes pride in making a great drink to please a customer.

I attended a private party this month and had a mixed experience. Joey the waiter was great. He had some great tips on which drinkers were great and responded quickly to our requests. The bartenders were terrible: rude, slow, and couldn’t keep up with drink orders. I waited 20 minutes for a beer. Nice setting, in a beautiful building, so the place has potential, but the service behind the bar needs to improve.

We had a mercy lunch after my grandfathers funeral at Luciano’s.The food, service, and bartenders were great. The staff made planning the event as simple as could be. The food was amazing and fresh. Could not have asked for a better experience during such a challenging time.

Terrible food small portions high prices… fly’s included. What they served us was two plates of disappointment and a good size bill. Lol

We have eaten there twice. Enjoyed the food and atmosphere very much. One of the best burgers I ever had. My wife had the twin lobsters and steamers using a Groupon. It wasn’t her favorite place for seafood but she enjoyed it as well. Nice seating and friendly helpful staff. We’ll go again.

Vegetarians, beware of Luciano’s and Maxwell Silvermans. Although they operate restaurants in one of the most vegetarian-​friendly cities in the United States, they have virtually nothing to offer us, and they will not provide substitutions.
It’s 2013. You have a restaurant at the forefront of Worcester’s ‘Restaurant Row’. And there are 20 colleges nearby. In the 2^nd largest city in New England. Know your demographic.

Just went here for a party and thought the décor was really nice and fun. But the service gives a 1 star because I had ordered 3 glasses of wine that night. Each time I paid with my credit card, each time it was $ 6 dollars. Except the last time, I was charged $ 8. I asked if the prices had gone up over the night since I was drinking the same type of wine each time I went to the bar. They apologized and gave me a new bill for $ 6. I just checked my credit card bill online and I was still charged the $ 8 for that last drink! I didn’t sign the slip for $ 8 either.
Shame on You!
Also we had a birthday cake they had brought out and cut for everyone, but there was no silverware. We were waiting for the waitstaff for quite a while before we could ask them for forks, but by that time I had already ate my piece of cake with my fingers.

All in all, not too bad. Been there a couple of times for drinks and a light dinner. Stuck to the sandwich menu but was rather happy with it. The Casablanca is particularly tasty. Service can be a bit slow, but not so much as to be annoying. I’ll be going back again…

My wife and I have eaten there twice in the last year or so and were thoroughly impressed each time. Most recently (about two weeks ago) we met there after work and decided to eat at the bar. The bartender was very friendly and made very good drinks. She also allowed my wife to sample a few different wines to help her find one she liked.
For an appetizer we had the Cherry Duck Wings. They were excellent. The sauce was flavorful, but not overpowering, and the wings themselves were very good sized and the meat was very tender.
For dinner I had the Petit Filet, cooked rare, just as I asked for it. My wife had the Sesame Encrusted Tuna, also cooked rare but seared nicely on the outside. I believe both dishes were $ 15 each, which I think is a terrific bargain. The quality of both the tuna and filet were excellent.
We had a Groupon that we bought specifically because we had been there before and were pleased with the food. This visit was at least as good as the first. It would have been a great value even without the Groupon. We will certainly be back.
Oh, and you can park for free in the Union Station garage. Just ask to have your parking ticket validated.

Went on a Groupon. $ 20 for $ 40. The atmosphere was really nice. There was 25 minute wait to be seated, so we ate at the bar. The bartender was very attentive. Made a mean Martini and Cosmo. Took our dinner order. We had calamari appetizer, served with a hot pepper relish. It was OK, somewhat greasy, but the peppers made up for it. My husband had a ceasar salad, which was awful. An over abundance of anchovies killed it. And the dressing very bland. I had the tuna steak, rare, encrusted with sesame seeds. A tad overdone, I requested RARE. but ok. I did finish it. My husband had the chicken and dumplings. The dumplings looked like mini fried quesadilla’s, and tasted like they were fried in old oil. EEK! The chicken was just chicken tenders with gross white gravy over it. Very salty. He didn’t eat it. The bartender did take it off the tab, even though we didn’t ask. The saving grace… Tiramisu for dessert. I would only go back for the drinks and dessert. Dinner, no way.

We went to Lucianos using a groupon which was a very good buy. The menu is limited but covers most food choices, ie. beef, chicken, fish, pasta. The atmosphere is very warm and the interior décor relaxing. It is also surrounded by the beautiful hall of Union Station. Our server was wonderful and extremely pleasant despite her being over worked since there appeared to be a lack of adequate staff to support the dinner crowd. We had the petite fillet and salmon meals and they were both very good. It did take a while to get our salad, due to the kitchen being busy with an event in Union Station. It will be worth another try to see if they can earn a 4 star rating.

Decided to give this place a try last night despite the mixed reviews. First off, the décor is lovely and union station makes for such a nice venue. However, the rest of our dinner was rather disappointing. The service was atrocious. My pre-​dinner martini came in a plastic cup and tasted like hawaiin punch. They were not busy at all and had several waitresses on staff but none of them could keep our orders straight including bringing extra glasses of wine to the table (i.e. more than the number of people sitting there) and bringing the wrong wine (red when we ordered white) and then still charging us for the mix up. When dinner arrived we sat with empty glasses and had to repeatedly ask for refills. Waitress said it was due to the long line at the bar however there was no one there. The dinner menu is uninspired but the food was decent. It would have tasted better had I been able to enjoy it with a glass of wine. On the bright side the prices are not that bad and I haven’t contracted a norovirus yet.

My parents had gone before, spent an hour of waiting at the bar, only to have the service person forget they were waiting. Finally got seated (plenty of seating available) and waited another 45 minutes. Needless to say they left and had no review of the food.
I recently went with a group of 4. Drink orders were fine after a slight wait. My Dirty Martini came in a plastic martini glass and a lime green sword through my olives. Classy. We ordered the Oyster shooters, which were delicious, and a salad as appetizers. Our friend received her entrée as the appetizers came out. She waited as long as she could before her food got cold and finished her meal still with waiting time until the three other entrees came out. My boyfriend got the Shore Dinner. Cold lobster and steamers. Our friend got the steak, in which there were no sides and over cooked. I got the Copper Delight, which was decent, but, the red gravy was not your grandmothers homemade gravy. Cold. Service was slow and the presentation was poor. I do not recommend this resaurant. It would be nice to sit at the bar and enjoy the décor which is beautiful inside. Not for dinner.
Also there are no Restrooms in the restaurant. You need to walk out into the hallway of Union Station for a public bathroom. Hmm.

I was a victim of the unfortunate 2011 Easter Brunch food poisoning episode that sickened an alleged, approximate 200 people. I missed two days of work and was completely incapacitated with stomach problems and extreme malaise and muscle weakness. The Worcester health department believes the illness was caused by Norovirus and spread by a sick employee who was handling the food.
The buffet style brunch was insipid and pedestrian. Nothing about the food was remarkable. I will add that the service was below average and what I remember most was that the complimentary bloody Mary and mimosa were not cold, but rather served at room temperature. I would have given the actual event 1.5 to 2 stars. Below is why this place and all of the owner’s restaurants get 1 star in my book.
What annoys me most is the owner’s reaction to this unfortunate incident. Initially, he was extremely defensive (quoted from Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
«Gus Giordano, owner of Luciano’s Cotton Club at Union Station said the restaurant is fully complying with city health inspectors, adding, „We’re assuming it’s something airborne. This is the train station, it could have been anything. I have a reputation in this business, it’s on the line. I would put my life on it that it wasn’t food poisoning.“»
Ok that’s fine to be incredulous as the owner, but remember this story breaking in the newspaper might have been the first people had reason to suspect Lucciano’s was the cause of their illness. Later in a more recent article after the cause was determined, the owner states the following:
«Mr. Giordano was a bit skeptical of the high number of people with symptoms. When the story about the illness first hit the newspaper, the number of requested refunds went from 33 to 233, and he believes some of the requests were fraudulent. He has given fewer than 30 refunds for the $ 22 brunch, he said»
That sounds like a horrible attitude from the manager. I don’t doubt the number ballooned after the story went public. Norovirus is extremely contagious and has been known to sicken insanely large numbers of people in enclosed areas. If I hadn’t heard about it from my family, I’d have assumed I caught something the next day or so in Boston and never would have traced my illness back to Easter in Worcester. The worst thing you can do is treat customers like this. Even if there were a few people trying to cheat the system, so what? You obviously screwed up by letting a sick employee touch food that went out to 100’s of people. Take some responsibility and offer refunds unconditionally to anyone who feels it’s worth it to come forward and prove that they ate at Luciano’s on Easter. That would at least earn my respect.
FYI — I did not request a refund as $ 22 is not worth the hassle to me, but others may feel differently.

I want to review Luciano’s Cotton Club & Banquette and Conference Center as a wedding venue. (Although we did enjoy the dinner we had there.)
We were extremely pleased with our recent event at Luciano’s! We hosted a semi-​formal cocktail style wedding reception for 130 guests here. We rented the entire restaurant and also some additional space that opened up into the Banquette Hall. The hall was partitioned off by a curtain and we had our DJ and some additional tables set up in that space. It was SO beautiful! They lit the space and curtain and really made the space look elegant, eclectic and fun!
It was great!
We have many thanks owed to the restaurant manager, Yvonne. She helped us create the event, soup to nuts. She spent a lot of time with us going over food options and it is worthy to note that she was willing to work within our budget.
Yvonne helped us envision the event by creating a custom event schedule for the entire reception. (When we enter, when we cut the cake, when we eat, when we start the dancing etc…). The schedule was flawless and we preferred it to the one the DJ has presented so we went with it! Yvonne really went above and beyond to make our night special! She has an amazing understanding of weddings and event production — her skills and our lack of knowledge really paired up! (What would we have done without her???)
On the night of the event, things went really smoothly… and to our eyes… it seemed perfectl! (Yes — we were completely stress free on the night of the wedding while Yvonne took care of all of the details! AMAZING!!)
As for the DJ, the sound was only ok in the beginning (its a big space that lends to echos) but the DJ quickly made adjustments. Soon after the music sounded great and kept people on the dance floor for hours!
After the event we leaned about a few very minor things that seemed a bit off. (I only mention them so that no one else has to worry about it.) We hosted a beer & wine bar at our expense and learned after the event that guests were charged for sodas. We had never thought about this (and would have preferred that the sodas were added to our bar tab). It seemed silly to not be included. To be fair, we had said «beer & wine only» so this is a hard one to place blame on the venue. We just wish it had been discussed. Too late, oh well. Also, people had to go to the bar for coffee service — would have been nice to have it out on the table so that people knew it was available.
Although there were these small negatives, we felt that there were equally other small details that were unexpected and GREAT! For example, every cake plate had a little heart hand drawn on it with red icing — HOW CUTE!!! Also, they saved our cake top even though we hadn’t discussed it. This was very awesome (since we had heard stories of venues throwing it out!)
Overall, we think we had a 5 star event and could not have been happier that it went so smoothly. Almost all of our guests’ responses were over the moon — and we could not have been happier! We thought the food was great, and want to thank the chef as well!
Thank you, Luciano’s and Yvonne, for making our night so special!