Restaurant Review - Ziti's

Ziti’s

Speedway Shopping Center
290 Turnpike Rd. ( Rte. 9 )
Westborough, Ma. 01581

508-898-2282

It seemed like a very long week. By the time Friday rolled around, I was ready to crawl into bed…the thought of “going out” wasn’t high on my list.

Grabbing a bite was a necessity, and it had been a while since I’d visited Ziti’s in Westborough. Ziti’s is located in the Speedway Shopping Center, former home of BJ’s and the UPS store. My strategy was to go to a restaurant that might be a little less busy because their neighbors had left.

The Speedway Shopping Center is looking a little like the Westmeadow Plaza…with a fair number of empty storefronts. As I turned into the lot, and saw the empty BJs parking area, I was feeling my strategy was ingenious.

There between the former BJs and original Stop and Shop was a glow…the tasteful Ziti’s sign illuminated a fairly active pedestrian traffic area. Darn, other people had the same thought.

I’ve always found the entrance to Ziti’s a little odd. It appears Ziti’s has an entire storefront, and then a partial. Entering the restaurant is through the smaller partial storefront. As you walk up to the building, you see a neon sign for coffee, and a modest liquor selection.

I was greeted immediately upon entering, and a number of tables were proposed. Settling in by the window gave me a prime view of the main restaurant area and the kitchen.

My waitress quickly arrived with a menu, and I wasn’t in the mood to navigate the fairly large selection.

After narrowing down my selection to non-seafood, I asked what’s “The best.”   Immediately, the waitress declared “The Chicken Parm is AWESOME.”

Seconds later, my side salad arrived. Ziti’s has a fabulous salad, and salad dressing. The salad dressing would be my preference for dipping over the oil delivered with the bread. Very tasty.

One thing I noticed as I enjoyed my dinner was the other patrons. There were families of all ages, and people actually saying hi to each other from one table to another. You get the sense Ziti’s is a comfortable, welcoming place, with just the right amount of casual.

With that, a client I’ve been trying to meet started emailing me…at 7:00 on a Friday night!

• “Let’s meet tonight.”
• “I'm doing a review at Ziti's in Westborough. Just ordered. Where are you?”
• “Leaving --  Great Chicken Parm – Green Light. I am 45 minutes out, let’s get together.”
• “Ok, I’ll reposition. See you.”

With that, my evening changed. Suddenly, duty called. But not before my Chicken Parm!

The smiling waitress delivered my steamy chicken parm, with side of ziti.

Recognizing meeting a client at 8PM on a Friday required my top form, I asked if I could have an Iced Mocha to go. The waitress hesitated, and offered she would try and wasn’t sure if they could make one.

As she disappeared to explore getting me come caffeine, I began enjoying my dinner.

While tasty, the pasta and chicken we slightly overcooked. The sauce (or gravy) was welcomed to add back some moisture. The sauce on the chicken parm was surprisingly a little watery, and when it naturally splashed on my shirt, was easily removed with some cold water. Most red sauces don’t budge from my shirts until Ace Cleaners help out.

That said, all in all, a decent meal.

With that, my Sippy cup of to-go caffeine was delivered. “I hope I got it right.”  You had the sense the statement was sincere, not a passing comment. And it was good….

Overall, Ziti’s was a welcomed respite at the end of the week. Note – they take Visa and MasterCard only.

Repositioning to meet the client at a Southborough pub, the client greeted me with, “You know, there are similarities between Ziti’s and s in Marlborough. They share some of the same recipes.”

This kept rattling around my mind, so I called over to Ziti’s and asked. Apparently one brother owns Ziti’s, and another brother is the head chef at Linguine’s, with various family members scattered between the two.

There is also a related Ziti’s in Worcester at 192 Harding Street.

I’ll definitely be adding Ziti’s to my list of go-to places.

Hours

Sunday: 12:00pm - 9:00pm
Monday - Saturday: 11:00am - 10:00pm

Ziti’s gets a GREEN LIGHT…go and enjoy.

About the RAG scale:

       Green Light – Go and enjoy

       Amber Light – Use caution

       Red Light – Save your time and money

The Author

Gary Kelley has lived in Westborough since 1994. His reviews are what he would tell friends, and are not an academic analysis. You can follow him @glkelley or www.garylkelley.com