The 10 Best Restaurants In Amherst Massachusetts

As a town hosting residents from five local colleges, Amherst, Massachusetts has more restaurant venues than many towns twice its size. Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 restaurants downtown.

1. The Black Sheep Deli

Deli, American

Located on Main Street in Downtown Amherst within a five minutes’ walk of the Emily Dickinson’s former house (now the Emily Dickinson Museum), The Black Sheep Deli is a focal point in Amherst for writers, musicians, and visual artists, hosting music and open-mic events on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Their range of home-baked breads and pastries are particularly popular, as are their gourmet sandwiches and salads, which all made from locally grown produce. With its blend of fast service and casual atmosphere, it’s the perfect place to meet with friends, listen to music, and relax.

2. The Lone Wolf

Restaurant, Vegan

Located on downtown Main Street, The Lone Wolf features a comprehensive breakfast menu with a commitment to locally grown produce, grass-fed beef and cage-free eggs. By far the most popular breakfast-restaurant in the area, it is a great patron of local artists. Its hardwood paneled walls are covered with tasteful works of paintings, sculptures, and drawings.

3. Baku's

Restaurant, African

The only African restaurant in downtown Amherst, Baku’s is as much prized for its rarity as for its delicious take on Nigerian home-cooking. Its menu choices range from the quintessential fried plantains and black-eyed peas to main courses like of lamb, goat, beef, shrimp and salmon. Located in the town center on North Pleasant Street and owned and operated by a native Nigerian chef, Baku’s fills an important and too often neglected niche. With its commitment to providing the best Nigerian cooking from all locally grown ingredients, Baku’s has long been a favorite among town residents and visitors alike.

4. Pita Pockets

Pita Pockets

Famous for its friendly, family-run atmosphere and exceptional take on such Mediterranean favorites as the falafel, kebab, house-made pita bread and gyro, Pita Pockets is your best bet for fast, high-quality dining at a reasonable price. Conveniently situated on North Pleasant Street in Downtown Amherst, its late-night hours make this a favorite with college students who are easily enticed by free falafel samples.

103 N Pleasant St, Amherst, MA 01002 +1 (413) 256-3600

5. Crazy Noodles

Market, Restaurant, Asian, Fusion

This Asian-fusion restaurant combines elements of Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. It is well-known for its stir-fry lunch specials and Red Devil Curry Bowl. This place provides comfortable, divan-style seating, quick service and healthy-menu options. Additionally its tasteful decor and subdued lighting bridges the gap between relaxed and formal, making Crazy Noodles the perfect place for family lunches, romantic dinners, or late-night take-out.

6. Atkins Farms Country Market

Bakery, Deli, Market, American

Flanked on all sides by luxurious dark-green mountains and farmsteads, Atkins Farms Country Market has a comfortable seating area for in-store breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. Hosting all locally grown organic produce, a massive salad bar, deli, bakery, and fish-market (all for here or to-go), this market is a particular favorite of local residents. It is also popular with visitors of the nearby Yiddish Book Center and Eric Carl Museum.

7. Moti

Bar, Restaurant, Mediterranean

Moti - Persian Mediterranean Restaurant, Amherst

Tucked away on the inside corner of Main Street and readily distinguishable by its famous glass-cased cylindrical fire-beacon, Moti specializes in Mediterranean and Persian-style cuisine. It has a dark-tile floor, open fireplace and dark and ambient red lighting perfect for its metamorphosis. After 9pm, Moti becomes an up-style bar and night-club, hosting a various clientele from college students to adult professionals. With its extravagant baskets of homemade pita bread, served with a cohort of hummus dips and sauces, and delicious salads and kebab plates, Moti is as well-noted for the quality of its food. It is also known for its late-night atmosphere, making this a must-visit for restaurant- and bar-goers alike.

8. Chez Albert

Restaurant, French

Conveniently situated on Amherst’s bustling North Pleasant Street, Chez Albert is Amherst’s premier French restaurant – so named by the 2015 Advocate Newspaper’s Best of the Valley Readers’ Poll. This place has a gourmet prix fixe menu approved by the most finicky foodies as well as modern and unpretentious decor with clear lighting, Chez Albert is a local favorite for romantic dinners and family gatherings. Popular menu-items include beef short ribs with potato puree and au Jus, seafood stew and saffron risotto, and veal blanquette with spring vegetables.

9. Osteria Vespa

Bar, Italian, Seafood

Located immediately opposite Amherst Cinema and surrounded by the High Horse Bar and Amherst Coffee, Osteria Vespa is the perfect accompaniment to a pre-dinner movie and digestif. Specializing in northern Italian cookery, Vespa has a long menu catalogue of salads, risottos and seafood. Popular dishes include the grilled line-caught atlantic swordfish and seared day boat scallops.

10. Mission Cantina

Bar, Restaurant, Mexican

Set amid the rolling uplands and pastures of rural Amherst and within walking distance of Hampshire College, the Eric Carl Museum and the Yiddish Book Center is Mission Cantina. This is Amherst’s most popular venue for Mexican cuisine and cocktails. Featuring a quirky, hardwood paneled interior, low lighting, and a festive atmosphere, Mission Cantina is a popular resort for late-night diners and bar-goers. It is locally famous for their deliciously daunting loaded nacho platter.

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