Get ready to eat your heart out, New Bedford—Love The Ave Restaurant Week is back, and it’s bringing the city’s North End to the forefront of the South Coast food scene. From Friday, June 13 through Friday, June 20, this weeklong culinary celebration invites residents and visitors alike to explore the bold, authentic flavors of Acushnet Avenue—a stretch known for its cultural diversity, tight-knit community, and outstanding local eateries.
More than just a promotion, Love The Ave Restaurant Week is a tribute to the hardworking restaurant owners, chefs, and staff who fuel the city with their dedication, creativity, and flavor. Sponsored by the MassDevelopment New Bedford TDI Partnership, the initiative is part of an ongoing effort to highlight the economic and cultural vibrancy of the North End—starting with what’s on your plate.
A Culinary Melting Pot
Acushnet Avenue—fondly known as “The Ave”—has long been a destination for food lovers looking for something special. During Restaurant Week, diners can enjoy exclusive menu items and special offers at some of the Avenue’s most beloved eateries, offering a mix of fresh local seafood, classic Portuguese comfort food, and bold, authentic Central American cuisine.
Whether you’re indulging in a steaming bowl of moçambique shrimp, digging into pupusas made fresh to order, or enjoying a just-baked sweet bread with your morning coffee, every bite on The Ave tells a story. It’s a story of generations preserving tradition, of immigrants sharing their homeland flavors, and of neighbors coming together around food.
This year’s participating restaurants already include a stellar lineup:
- Taqueria La Raza – beloved for its tacos and vibrant Mexican street food
- Café Europa – a sophisticated spot for Portuguese cuisine
- Casa Lempira – home to rich Honduran flavors and juices
- Karla Saenz – a rising name known for fusion flavors and festive plates
- Praia Vibes – where Cape Verdean culture meets modern seafood dishes
- Morna Lounge & Grill – a fine example of upscale Cape Verdean and Portuguese cuisine
- La Fruta Loca – fresh smoothies, fruit bowls, and Latin-inspired snacks
- Girassol – Renowned for savory Portuguese staples
- Economy Bakery – a North End institution for all things sweet and satisfying
- The Breakfast Klub – a neighborhood favorite with hearty breakfasts and comfort food
And more are joining daily. A full list of participating locations and their special offerings will be posted just before launch at lovetheave.com.
Come for the Food, Stay for the Community
What makes Love The Ave Restaurant Week truly special is that it’s more than a meal—it’s a community experience. Each restaurant is a family, each dish a link to heritage. For many of these business owners, their restaurants are lifelong dreams built from the ground up. Your support during Restaurant Week means more than a full table—it means sustaining jobs, honoring culture, and fueling a local economy.
Acushnet Avenue is one of the most culturally diverse areas in New Bedford. Restaurant Week is a great way to bring people to the neighborhood, celebrate the unique stories behind these small businesses, and show how food can connect us all.
Whether you’re a longtime resident or new to the area, there’s no better time to discover—or rediscover—what makes The Ave so flavorful, so welcoming, and so worth the visit.
Plan Your Visit
Mark your calendar for Friday, June 13 through Friday, June 20 and bring your appetite. From breakfast to dinner—and everything in between—Love The Ave Restaurant Week offers something for every taste and every budget.
Keep an eye on lovetheave.com and Facebook.com/lovetheave for the latest updates, including participating restaurants, daily highlights, and behind-the-scenes stories of the people behind the plates.
Come hungry. Leave inspired. See you on The Ave.
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A (New Bedford) Creative Food Tour
In preparation for the Love The Ave Restaurant Week, and to broadly focus more attention on everything delicious about The Ave, New Bedford Creative organized a unique New Bedford Food Tours outing on Acushnet Avenue on Friday, May 23.
New Bedford Food Tours is the company that conducts culinary tours of downtown New Bedford, Fall River and the North End of New Bedford on a weekly basis. (Get more information here.)
For the special tour, New Bedford Creative invited local artists, photographers, filmmakers and writers to sample the dishes of six participating eateries and share their experience and thoughts via their social media platforms.
The writer of this newsletter was among that group, and we all had a grand time sampling plates and beverages at places such as Taqueria La Raza, Casa Lempira, Morna Lounge & Grill, Restaurante y Tortilleria Guatemalteco, Cafe Europa and La Fruta Loca (pictured). It was also awesome to be part of a creative endeavor to market The Ave in a different way.
So, when you see #LoveTheAve tagged on your Facebook or Instagram feeds in the coming weeks, remember that to be a positive influencer is a good thing – but to be #NBCreative is a great thing.
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Events of Note:
> Acushnet Avenue Community Clean-Up | Wednesday, June 4
Let’s show The Ave some love before Restaurant Week kicks off! Join the Community Economic Development Center (CEDC) for a community clean-up and help keep our streets beautiful and welcoming for all.
When: Wednesday, June 4 | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Where: Meet at CEDC, 235 N Front St, New Bedford, MA 02746
What to Bring: Yourself, your crew, and your community spirit. Dress for comfort and bring work gloves if you have them!Pitch in, clean up, and take pride in one of New Bedford’s most vibrant corridors.
> Day of Portugal Celebration | June 12–15
New Bedford’s deep Portuguese roots come alive again this June! Join the celebration starting Thursday, June 12 with a flag-raising ceremony at City Hall, followed by a public reception at the Camões Hall of the Portuguese Consulate.
The party moves to the North End from Friday, June 13 through Sunday, June 15 at Madeira Field, 50 Madeira Street. Enjoy food, music, culture, and community with nightly entertainment, traditional performances, and the vibrant energy that defines this beloved annual event.
Festival Highlights:
Opening Parade & Ribbon Cutting: Friday, June 13 at 6:30 PM
Live Music & Folkloric Performances: All weekend long
Delicious food booths featuring Portuguese classics
> Patio de Comidas launch | Saturday, June 28
Patio de Comidas returns for the season on Saturday, June 28 from 2-8:00 p.m. in a new location. It moves from Riverside Park to the property by the CEDC, 235 North Front Street, New Bedford.
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IN THE NEWS
Boston Art Review posted a terrific feature story exploring New Bedford with some equally terrific New Bedford partners: With the Commuter Rail extension complete, six artists and cultural leaders, including Lindsay Miś, Meclina Gomes, Hendrick Hernandez-Resto, Andy Anello, Elizabeth King Stanton, and Hadis Tourikarami, shared their recommendations for a visit to the South Coast’s largest city this summer.
All notable, of particular note to the North End are the selections of Hendrick Hernandez-Resto and Meclina Gomes.
Hernandez-Resto contributed “The North End of the city has Acushnet Ave or, as we have dubbed it, ‘The Ave.’ This corridor houses an array of multicultural restaurants and shops along with the amazing Riverside Park.”
Meanwhile, Meclian Gomes commented, “On your way out of the city, stop by Cape Verdean Island Park to soak in public art and check out the tiny library!” Island Park is beside the Cape Verdean Cultural Council at 1186 Acushnet Avenue.
Read the full feature story here.
> For four decades, Joe and Zelia Rego have been a part of the heartbeat of New Bedford on Acushnet Avenue. Their store, Guys & Gals Sportswear, has been providing sportswear, shoes and boutique items to the community since the Regos opened their doors on May 15, 1985. Read the full story via FUN 107 here.
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Grounds for the Growth
A huge THANK YOU to all the incredible presenters and participants who joined the Love The Ave New Bedford MassDevelopment TDI Partnership for Grounds for Growth: A Collaborative Coffee Hour for Small Businesses on Monday, May 12.
It was an inspiring morning of connection, conversation, and collaboration at Restaurante y Tortilleria Guatemalteco on Acushnet Avenue in New Bedford (pictured). Energy and insights made this event a success and a meaningful step forward for our local small business community.
Special thanks to our partners who made this gathering possible:
Office of the MA State Treasurer and Receiver General
Executive Office of Economic Development
Community Economic Development Center
New Bedford Economic Development Council
Eastern Bank
Together, we’re building stronger foundations for small businesses to thrive. Show your support by supporting local whenever and wherever possible!