The Most Delectable Restaurants in Boston

"My knowledge of the North End isn't worth squat, so I asked a true Bostonian what restaurant he recommended for unpicky tourists like Jamie W and me. He said pretty much any place is really good. He may be right because we completely lucked out with this popular spot run by the Giorgio family. They've obviously figured it out since they've been in the same Salem Street brownstone for almost three decades.There was an hour wait for a table, so we figured we'd wait in an even more ridiculous line at Mike's Pastry to stock up on after-dinner cannolis. Our timing proved fortuitous because our table was ready just as the cannolis got packed in twine. We could tell this was the kind of Mamma Mia-style place where portions were elephantine and pasta sauces, meatballs, and sausages tasted like they came directly from her kitchen.We toyed with starting healthy with salads, but who were we kidding? We were facing a basket overflowing with rustic Italian bread (photo: https://yelp.to/YhuhZuawGZ) accompanied by a plate covered in a pool of olive oil saturated with melted butter, minced garlic, and peperoncini (photo: https://yelp.to/MJMf6Yjmui). Jamie was in the mood for pure comfort and ordered a $6.99 crock of Pasta Fagioli, a housemade tomato-based soup.It was earthy hearty with pancetta, cannellini beans, and pasta (photo: https://yelp.to/sOdQLrKq8_). I went for the $12.99 Stuffed Mushrooms, a tasty quartet of caps stuffed with their signature mushroom breadcrumb stuffing (photo: https://yelp.to/9elIc2QCwk). Our gigantic pasta plates came next. They offer 21 different sauces, so they were serious about their pasta. It's unusual to see puttanesca on a menu, so Jamie seized the opportunity.He ordered the $26.99 Linguini in Puttanesca Sauce with one of the biggest Meatballs I'd ever seen (photo: https://yelp.to/rBoNyvlPUf). The puttanesca was a spicy marinara sauce with sautéed anchovies, garlic, olive oil, capers, onions and black olives. The meatball had a nice consistency that was almost melty. I went for the $26.99 Penne in Bolognese Sauce with a whole Italian Sausage (photo: https://yelp.to/Ags4GAVG_Y).The Bolognese was a hearty, meaty sauce made with ground beef, pork, and veal simmered for hours in a combination of red wine and cream and combined with San Marzano tomatoes. Really delicious and it took the heft of the penne to absorb the sauce. We had massive amounts of leftovers to take back to the hotel. I should mention the $2.99 Diet Cokes were also gigantic, 32-oz fountain drinks (photo: https://yelp.to/MKWITB1zo1). Whew, we was stuffed.FOOD - 5 stars...big plates of Italian loveAMBIANCE - 4 stars...a bit squeezed at our table but not too loudSERVICE - 4.5 stars...our server was great, the front staff not so muchTOTAL - 5 stars...now I know a North End restaurant I can recommend unequivocallyRELATED - Exploring Boston? Here's my collection of places I've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3XtfnFc"

"Awesome. I drove by this location hundreds of times and never stopped in until I read the "Yelp Best In.."designation and saw the award recognization outside. Since that time I'm in at least once a month and I live part time in Las Vegas. The plain cheese pizza is certainly one of the best I've had in the country. It's light, crispy and very flavorful. It's cooked in an old school Neapolitan wood fire oven. I've also had each of the topping options - all excellent.I don't have a favorite because each of my go to dishes is exceptionally awesome. The Prima Vera is popping and exploding with fresh flavor. The SPAGHETTI CARBONARA comes with the raw egg on top. The Black Truffle pasta is rich and lip smacking good. Seating is limited but I've never had a problem. Outside sidewalk seating is available in the summer."

"Went to Boston's famous "Southie" neighborhood to check out a pizza place that is a local favorite. Picco Pizza is a restaurant that has a small menu, limited space and a ton of heart. The brick oven style pie we ordered was absolutely terrific and I could not find a single thing wrong with it. The crust is so light yet chewy it reminded me of sourdough bread. Prior to that we started with an amazing salad that had mangos, peanuts and avocado with chili peppers. We could not leave without trying their famous homemade ice cream and I was not disappointed in it either. I chose chocolate malt and passion fruit ice cream with whipped cream. Heaven!!!"

"Service: Top notch and attentive, no complaints there. I went right near 5 pm, so dodged the dinner rush that came in as I got my food.Ambiance: cozy place, medium amount of seating. I got my own two person high table so plenty of room. I get why restaurants do low lighting but ki d of wish they didn't lol felt basement like, but kind of goes with the brick oven vibe.Food: Veal Parm was great, came out hot with sides still bubbling. Spaghetti was nice and soft, but not overcooked, definitely tasted fresh. Definitely on the top list of North End places."

"We came here for a quick meal. The service was good. The food came out reasonably. We got carnivore, classical margarita and mushroom & Fontina. We always got drinks. The pizza tasted delicious. You could taste the smoke from the brick oven. You can taste the Quality in the ingredients. Price was fine. Would come back"

"Ahhh! Ernesto's pizza is just top tier. I've tried their pizza in Assembly Row before and it was divine. Just yesterday, we got a whole pizza with sausage, jalapeños, and ricotta cheese. Chef's kiss!!I highly recommend trying either locations. And honestly, I am not even a pizza person (I know it sounds crazy) but EUREKA! Ever since I have tried Ernesto's, I have been obsessed."

"When I first walked in, I was amazed by all the sights and smells. The place is a grocery, restaurant, gelato shop, and coffee shop, all in one. There were stands with paninis, desserts, meats, and cheese. One of the restaurants in there, you pick a table, scan a barcode, order food/drinks, and they bring it out to you. When I think of Italy, this place shows me a snapshot of it (never been to Italy). Now why did I give it three stars? The woman at the counter that helped us get out paninis was not pleasant; she was impatient, rude, and not customer service friendly. The panini I ordered was the premade mortadella and cheese; it just was okay. The products in the stores overall seems quality. They had self checkouts and security. In conclusion, a nice place but seems that some of their employees may need customer service training."

"WOW! Absolutely blown away by this pizza. Heard great things going in but I was truly so impressed. First of all, $2 slices are insane. And for a good sized slice! The pizza is Sicilian, so square and thick. The tomato sauce was exquisite. By far the best part. The pizza had so much flavor even though it was just cheese and sauce. They must season the sauce really well. They only offer the one flavor but that's all you need.I also got one of the panzerotti. This is a mozzarella stick surrounded by mashed potatoes and fried. Very good and reminded me of a McDonald's hash brown with the flavor of the crust a bit. It was around $2.5. Would DEFINITELY return and HIGHLY recommend."

"Sometimes it takes a while for redemption.After a concert nearby, she wanted some late-night eats and decided on something easy like pizza. I went for the buffalo chicken pizza. The slice was quite large and had a good amount of chicken. The pizza itself wasn't too burnt and was baked nicely. Also an important aspect was that the pizza was warm.Service was quick but informative and nice. Good spot for a cheap bite around an area that's getting more and more expensive for eats."

"Pizza was great! Ordered spicy chicken pizza and split it with the eggplant pizza. Both were deliciously made but the eggplant pizza could've used some more toppings. They were both made to order it came out in a timely manner. I personally wasn't a big fan of the spicy broccoli appetizer. It just tasted like pickled broccoli with peppers and nothing more."

"Great service, friendly staff and fresh foods. We wanted to try a few cocktails but went with normal drinks. Iced teas and lemonade were great and refreshing. Fish N Chips were on point. My littlest broke bestie loved the kids grilled cheese. Will stop by again next time we are in Boston."

"We come to Boston every year and honestly I found one place that we always frequent. So I was a little hesitant to venture out to a new (to me) place in the North End, when I already had my go to.It's a quaint restaurant just like so many. They were able to accommodate our table of 6 the morning of a Saturday night. Once we go there it was only a 5 minute wait and the shuffled us off downstairs to the basement. Wow was it cool though. Live the history of these restaurants.Our server was Adriana and she was incredible! She checked on us frequently and so friendly, but never imposing. We started with the pumpkin ravioli and it was out of this world amazing! How could anybody top that. Then my dinner came. I had ordered the sausage carbonara. If it tasted nearly as good as it smelled...then I would be happy. Words can't even explain how amazing it tasted! Fresh and savory but that sausage was unbelievably good. I now have a new favorite! Can't wait to come back next year."

"There is not a shortage of outstanding food options on the north end. People often flock to the fan boi favorites. This spot right here is a straight contender. They are accommodating from the outside in. No reservation on a busy Saturday evening, no problem! I highly recommend the outdoor seating in the back. Italian music in the air, a light breeze, and all shade, yes please. The food, fuhgeddaboudit! Sauces were flavorville. PRO TIP--save the bread and get the sautéed calamari. Dip the bread in the sauce. You're welcome ;) Seafood, as fresh as it gets. Pizza, Portnoy would blush. All around home run! I love the North End and this place is one of the reasons why!"

"Wow! 5 star is just right. Thank you Kyle for fab service. Also every employee was super friendly. Aaron we are looking for you tomorrow. The pies are excellent. Ordered the oyster bombs plus 1. Excellent. Fresh nicely presented and shucked. The flatbread salad perfect for two. Plenty. The 'Roni pizza we twisted with arugula on top and hot honey. Perfect. Wanted more. Taste texture excellent. Large beer selection. Tripping Animals was tasty. had a couple Dipa's...just not my fav but the Pinot from Williamette was awesome. Atmosphere...vibe is great. Coming back to get our pre race pizza. Totally don't miss this fab place."

"See this place on Guy Fieri s DDD We were in the area so decided to go for lunch , very cute small little place but well worth it . We got a Cesar salad to share plus we ordered a cheese pizza with pineapple . Really good Pizza !!!!!"

"On a cold and rainy Sunday, the Red Sox game we were at got rained out in the 7th inning. We were craving some hot pizza and decided to trek all the way to the North End to get it. It took us one hour to get there, but we made it!It was late in the afternoon, so not quite dinner yet. There were only 3 other tables occupied when we walked in, so we were seated right away. I love that Locale is tucked away in the back of Hanover, so it's way less busy than the front part by Mike's. Our server came over right away and took our order since we were starving. We ordered the caesar salad, the cacio e pepe pizza, and the meatball pizza. Holy cow, it was amazing! To start, my husband and I both agreed that the salad was probably the best caesar we've ever had. The romaine was so fresh and crunchy, and the dressing wasn't too heavy. We ate the whole thing. My cacio e pepe pizza was phenomenal. I loved the freshly cracked pepper on top and all the cheese. I thought I'd have a slice or 2 left to take back to our hotel room....but I was wrong since I ate it all lol. My husband loved his meatball pizza too.Service was fast and friendly, but since it was mostly empty they just left us to hang out and take our time which we appreciated. We agreed we will 100% be coming back the next time we're in Boston!"

"We lived in Brighton, near here, many years ago, and finally had the chance to check this placeout. Casual spot, reasonably priced. We liked the sauce, cheese and toppings; not as much the crust - a bit like the frozen pizza type, but overall, pretty good and not too heavy."

"We had reservations for 4 on a very busy holiday so we ended up having to wait about 10-15 minutes even though we were on time, so definitely recommend them if possible for especially large groups. Seats are tight as with most places in the North End. Everyone was in love with the flavor and authenticity of each of our dishes. The Lasagna della Casa was meaty and hearty. Spaghettini with Meatballs was juicy and simple. The Frutti da mare had a fair amount of calamari, and clams but a prominent seafood taste. My Baked Eggplant Parmigiana had beautiful layers and a taste that matched. Overall, we had a great experience including the food as well as the service. Our waiter was efficient and patient. We were greeted by the owner upon our entrance and exit. Would absolutely come again!"

"Just want to come back and talk about their meatballs. Found out today they are rolled fresh there in their kitchen. MmmmmmmMy friend Jermaine put me on to here and I own him my taste buds for it. Guys go eat these meatballs and tell me I'm wrong?They are super sweet too I got chicken parm and asked them to chop the chicken up in tiny pieces for me so it's thru out the past and they said yes and they did it. Last thing....THEIR MEATBALLSSSSSS"

"Yummy yummy Pizza!My friend and I were craving pizza and decided to try this place on a Friday night. The modern decor is very nice! There is plenty of seating for small and big groups. The restaurant has a very nice brick pizza oven that is visible from the seating area. The menu has several appetizers and pizza options. There are also alcoholic beverages and even cocktails to choose from. I decided on getting a cider with my pizza and I think that was a good choice because it went so well with my food. For pizza I ordered the Diablo pizza which was covered with tons of sausage and slices of jalapenos. And I also ordered their margarite since the pizzas are personal thin crust size. The margarite was perfect! The thin crust was nice and crispy and there was tons of melted cheese. Both pizzas tasted great and the waitress was very nice and attentive. I will definitely come back and try their other pizza specialties!"

"This is the real deal- Best Sicilian pizza I have ever had. Don't love that they are cash only, but the pizza is delicious."

"Ordered a sandwich from Big Daddys Pizza & Sub Shop on Sunday evening. A perfectly fine spot when in the area, the pizza looked a bit better than the sandwiches.Quality: My order from Big Daddys Pizza & Sub Shop got the job done. I went with a Chicken Cutlet Sandwich, which I added some cheese and spicy peppers to. I could have used a bit more protein, but what was there was pretty good. It did not hold up well the next day, immediately soggy, however it was not too much of a surprise.Quantity: Sandwiches are large and can shared between two.Value: $14 for a Chicken Cutlet Sandwich. Ambiance: Big Daddys Pizza & Sub Shop is located in the Brighton area of Boston. It is a small, simple spot. When you enter they have a few tables near the large wrap-around windows. There is a ordering area behind it with the pizza slice options on display. Definitely more of a take-out spot, but if you can't wait, you could certainly eat your food there.Crowd: A few orders waiting to be picked up and a couple people eating slices at the tables inside.Service: Order was ready right on time.Parking: Easy to find nearby parking."

"Quick order Italian at Casa Razdora. If you don't want to go to the North End and want your pasta, this is the spot. I ordered online and headed over to pick it up. It was the middle of the lunch rush and rather than "cut the line" even though I was only picking up, I waited anyway. There really isn't enough room to split "ordering" from "paying" here so keep that in mind.My pasta was hot and fresh and ready. I brought it back to the apartment and dug in. Nice fresh marinara sauce with penne noodles. Very hot, very fresh. The meatballs were quite good, tough a little small. Flavorful and delicious.I'll order from Razdora again, for sure."

"I had scialatielli and tiramisu.I had never eaten this kind of pasta. Thick, short, and sticky. Actually it reminded me of home made Japanese udon. A variety of seafood in the dish and all tasty. Tiramisu is big and delicious. Only it was ok was bread and olive oil."

"Twice in one day, liked it that much!The brunch options were great, the food was delicious and the service was fantastic. We came in at 10 am for brunch and again at 7 pm for some drinks and a bite as we were staying next door. The portion sizes are very generous, and prices range anywhere from $7-$29+ so you really don't feel skimped, it's definitely value for money.The ambiance was spot on. Not only was the decor unique, the music, lighting, color, and character of the restaurant all come together so perfectly. The coolest piece is the bar - over 12,000 shiny pennies make up the bar top. The restaurant still shows its historic tavern character but has been brought into the new age with its design and modern layout. Zander is the best, they made sure to look after us and kept the drinks coming! Will definitely come back when visiting , a solid 5 stars!"

"I visited bar Cino on a Friday evening as part of dine out Boston, Boston's restaurant week. On entering, the space feels grand and inviting, yet still homey and cozy.There were no tables available, so I took a seat at the bar. The bartender was attentive, and must have refilled my water glass around 10 times. Throughout the evening.I started with the bruschetta, which frankly was unlike anything I've had before. I believe it was topped with cooked peaches, which added an incredible sweetness and lightness to the already well seasoned crostino.But my second course was the star - the corn and squash pizza. The pizza was grilled rather than baked with a thin crust. It came out soft and crispy, and it was quite rich. The orange sauce on the pizza added a touch of salt, and I was overall delighted with this dish.And finally, I ended with a roasted banana dessert. This was good, but it paled in comparison to the first two courses. Certainly worthwhile, though, given the fresh whipped cream.Overall, I definitely recommend bar cino, and I will definitely be returning."

"Now this is a great, neighborhood bar and hangout. -good craft beer selection on tap and in the frigid. They had my favorite Fiddlehead IPA and an Exhibit A IPA on tap. Prices were reasonable for being so close to Fenway park. -Friendly staff and good service. - good spacing to sit for drop-ins or groups of 2-8. - good place to watch the Sox play. Note they only sell beer and wines: they don't do hard liquor."

"I'm pretty surprised at all of the 3 and lower star reviews here. I've ordered from Mike's a number of times, and while it is true that every time I've ordered for delivery from the restaurant, the drivers have taken an extremely long time to deliver the food, it's always been great, and in fact it's actually been pretty excellent. I am docking 1 star because of the delivery time, but surprisingly the food is still always hot and tasty despite taking a long time to get here.Today, I submitted an order at 12:33 which was supposed to arrive at 1:05-1:15, but in actuality it arrived at 1:50ish. That's not too bad, but like I said it has been pretty consistent with my past experiences. I've ordered subs in the past which have been pretty good, but this time I decided to get a Keto Pizza with cauliflower crust.Cheese pizza with cauliflower crust (keto) - I've never actually had cauliflower crust pizza before so I'm not sure how normal this is, but this was possibly one of the best crusts I've ever had on a pizza of any kind. It was perfectly crispy on the exterior, but wonderfully chewy in a way that had some bite but not too much chewiness if that makes sense. It was a really hearty pizza, and the dough texture was simply the best I've ever had. The sauce was also wonderfully tomato-ey with nice acidity and sweetness - it didn't taste like your typical marinara sauce from a jar or a can. The cheese was pretty normal, but they put a good amount on top so the ratio of cheese to sauce to crust was perfect. And I said it earlier, but that crust really was something special - it was thin but had the perfect bite to it.I would 100% order this again, and although the delivery time can get a little annoying, the actual quality of the Keto pizza is worth the wait. 4/5 stars!"

"Food: it was amazing. We only ordered a couple of things since it was already late in the night. We ordered the Margarita pizza, Calamari, Bruschetta, and Insalata Mista. It was plenty of food to share for two. They start you out with bread and drinks and the food doesn't take too long after that. The bread they serve is indescribably good! The pizza was amazing. You can taste the difference from a pizza chain restaurant and this one. The sauce wasn't overwhelming and the crust was crispy outside and soft inside. Ambiance: I like that it's not too big. It's intimate. Ive never been to Italy but, it feels like this could be a restaurant in Italy. (Decor, music, and staff).Service: our server was very attentive and polite. I can't complain. I'd come back again."

"We ordered half meat lovers, half cheese. I'd say everything about this pizza is perfect: sauce to cheese ratio, large chunks of sausage, sliced generously, crispy, fluffy crust. Came here on a recommendation and it delivers!! $24 for a large that fed three with plenty of left overs."

"I had the falafel pizza while visiting Boston. It was tasty and good value for money. Their menu was intriguing (basically, pizza with an Indian flair, as well as Indian dishes) and I wish I lived closer so I could try more of their meals. I've had Chicago Pizza with a Twist and this reminded me of that, only yummier. This place is obviously a family-run affair, kind of a little hole-in-the-wall that isn't big on ambience but is fine for what you get. Service was polite and efficient. Make sure to specify you want everything vegan if you are a vegan."

"Pros:-Solid pizza!-They included free garlic knots with our delivery orderCons:-Order mixup: we ordered one NY style crust cheese and one Neapolitan style cheese to see which we liked better (and to help others as I wanted to see a side by side photo as I was considering ordering but couldn't find one), but they seemingly gave us two of the same type--we're assuming both Neapolitan because it's square?-Relatedly, I wanted to email them a photo to ask them to confirm type of crust we got, but their website is only partially filled out and the rest is a template so I couldn't find an actual email addressDespite the wrong order and difficulty to get in touch to send a photo, we were happy with the pizza and would definitely order again!"

"Family lives a block away and I make sure to go at least once whenever I come home. Super friendly, excellent food, seating is limited but who cares when youre grabbing lunch/dinner. Not much parking, but theres space to pull over and run in/grab your food. Amazing pizza, amazing subs and wraps. Ive ordered a good portion of the menu over time and everything has been great. Cant say enough great things."

"My new favorite pizza spot. I had no idea this gem would be hiding on Newbury. You don't imagine you're going to find a pizza place this good in Boston. This area is home to many expensive and trendy restaurants, but you can't go wrong with the old faithful pizza option. The pizza is crisp and awesome. Forget about all that nonsense around the "flop" that you hear about in pizza reviews. This pizza is what pizza should be. It's not swimming in cheese and oil. It's the ideal combination that tastes like a real chef made it. This is high quality dough, cooked to a perfect crisp. The toppings are awesome. This isn't your grandfather's pizzeria where they slap some pepperoni on a slice. This is pizza made with love and passion. I was really impressed. The owner is a super nice dude too. I will make a point to frequent this place because it's awesome. Staff is so freaking friendly too. The inside is small but has a few tables. It's definitely worth taking the time to come here. The pizza is that darn delicious."

"If I could give this place 10 stars I would. The chicken tenders are 100% the star of the show. Ordered a chicken tender sub with honey mustard (Ma Magoo's honey mustard is unmatched to others) American cheese and lettuce and it was the ultimate *chefs kiss*. I'd also like to mention that I did online order for delivery and not only was it an easy process (sometimes these online order websites are a pain) but it came FAST! We got fries also and they were delicious and CRISP. How much do you hate soggy fries when getting them delivered?I love that Ma Magoo's is a small biz and I'll be supporting them over and over again!"