Pasta E Pomodoro

I have yet to have a bad experience in the North End, so I’ll start with that.
Pasta e Pomodoro is on the casual side, which was great for the 4 of us who went for dinner. My fiancé and I enjoyed our appetizers (antipasto and fried calamari, can we be any more cliché?), and our entrees. The other guy with us who is Italian, (my fiancé is also Italian) had stuff to say about everything that came out, but he is just picky about everything, so I didn’t take anything he said too seriously.
The only thing I was disappointed in was the bar selection, but as known, not all bars in the North End have a full bar. Other than that I thought the food was great, atmosphere was relaxing and comfortable and our server was sweet.

I disagree with the owner’s comment and my review about the wait. We were also there early in January with, again, just a few tables and crazy wait time between courses and poor service. With regards to the food I had a mediocre lamb dish if I recall the first time and this time the haddock which was ruined as it was overcooked. Nothing looked appealing and overall we could have cooked with more flavor ourselves at home. Similar to Michael M’s review, the waitress and the sous chef both dashed out during our wait to buy something else. No apologies or acknowledgement of a long delay for drab food, really, just don’t go near this place.

My experience here went pretty well considering they only had 3 people running the place! We decided to give this place a try since there was a Travel zoo promo. At first, we were hopingto try out their mussles appetizer and rack of lamb entrée but that was sold out. After reconsidering, we started off with the caprese and mushroom soup. The caprese was great! The pesto drizzle gave this dish a nice aromatic finish to each bite. Also, they give you a pretty sizeable portion. The mushroom soup was just as yummy. The creaminess didn’t overwhelm the mushrooms and still allowed it to be the star of the dish. Unfortunately, the crostinis were a bit to crunchy for me but that’s just my preference. We then moved on to the seafood scamp and shrimp fradiavlo. I loved the seafood scampi but it could have been sereved without the haddock. It didn’t seem very fresh and a little dried out. But this dish made up for it in the abundance in mussles (which was surprising since they weren’t offering this as an appetizer)! The shrimp fradiavlo packed some nice heat! Definitely enticed the taste buds. Lastly, we finished with a chocolate chip cannoli. Nothing overly special but was a nice finish since we were sufficiently full. In terms of the Travel zoo promo, it was worth the visit. We will go back if we see something new (and available) on the menu!

Like many others on here, I too purchased a Travelzoo deal. It was too good an offer to pass up. Or was it? We made reservations for a Saturday at 6PM, relatively early for North End dining. Arrived about 5:40PM and were seated five minutes later (5:45PM) Immediately a couple was seated right next to us, by next to us I had to keep my left arm on my side as to not hit the person next to me. It was reminiscent of family style seating. After a few minutes the waitress (by the way, only one waitress for a Saturday night?) came over and instantly pointed out three or four things on the menu that they were out of. Mind you, its 6PM on a Saturday, how can you be out of it already? My fiancé then asked, is your pasta homemade, as most pastas are in the north end and throughout the area. The waitress said no, so she decided on the grilled salmon. I got the chicken fridiavlo. We each got a salad to start (it came with the travelzoo voucher). It was difficult to talk seeing we were almost on top of the couple next to us. After twenty-​five minutes passed we realized, wow no salad yet, they are basically pre-​made. We said we would give it a few more minutes. Finally its 6:35PM, no salad, not even a water refill, so we decide this place blows, lets just go. I kindly go up to the waitress and offer up my voucher as payment for the food being prepared. Wait, it isn’t being prepared yet? After thirty five minutes? The chef and possibly owner immediately comes over, trying to persuade us to stay, he will have the food to us in ten minutes. Who wants food prepared in ten minutes, its been thirty five and still no salad. No we just want to go. After five minutes of explaining it to him, we left. The food had not even begun to be prepared. I get a busy restaurant, but this was outlandish. I still have the voucher, the chef okayed I use it past its expiration date. So if anyone wants it, inbox me.

3.5 stars but I’m feeling generous. And def did not have the problems some others described below so maybe my expectations were way lower. Also used a deal (thru Travelzoo) which got you two salads, two entrees and dessert for $ 44. The waiter reeled off a bunch of specials and I asked how much one of them was (wait staff: you should always inform people of prices rather than forcing them to ask) and he said they were all included in the deal. Bread was average. I asked about a certain white wine and got a taste from him, it was crisp and dry and at $ 7 for a good pour, a bargain (all whites were $ 7). We started great with caprese and Caesar salads. Both were very good, Caesar maybe a bit overdressed but a good one. I had a swordfish w/​risotto special that was very good sized and tasty but suffered from too much oil. Friend’s veal w/​pasta was good but he ordered veal Oscar and got veal Francese which wasn’t really Franc, more like marsala. He liked it and didn’t opt to get some crab. If the waiter had just written things down, this wouldn’t have happened. Tiramisu for dessert was very good, a bit more cinnamon than usual but overall a good example of that ubiquitous dessert. The waiter was decent, could have come over earlier to ask about dessert and check but fine and nice. Only two other two tops were there but the north end in general was dead at 7 – 8:30PM on a Thurs. nite. (Zero wait at Mike’s, how often does that happen?) Only complaint was that it was chilly in there but we were also right by the windows. Someone complained about it being cramped but it’s a pretty typical north end restaurant, not a lot of elbow room anywhere there. So not perfect but very glad we went.

I was disappointed. I chose this restaurant because we were visiting from out of town and wanted to bring dinner from the North End to my son and his wife in Brookline and their new baby. Since this restaurant’s website boasts an extensive takeout menu, and I purchased a
coupon, I thought it would be great. They wouldn’t honor the coupon. Two people ordered ravioli with meatballs. There were no meatballs that day. Eggplant with pasta was dumped in the container with pasta on top. My lasagna was extremely salty. Antipasto had several tough and fatty meats. Not a good experience.

Foods good. Over priced for portions
Waiter was horrible. Did not pay any attention to us.
Two employees went out to buy bread and something else for the restaurant while we were there. Food took a long time to come.
Random but toy story 3 was on the tv and an accordion player came in to play one song and left. Wouldn’t recommend to anyone

Went here on a double date and it was amazing! The waiter was a true Italian server, the place was perfectly decorated, the food was fairly priced and great sizes and the drinks were good! Just by checking in on Unilocal we were able to get a free glass of wine too! (Thanks!!) If you are in the North End, don’t want to wait in line too long, and want fairly priced yummy food, this is a great option!
Loved it and can’t wait to return!

I want to start off by saying this place was alright, but certainly not up to the standards for good italian food in the North End.
If you’re visiting Boston, do not go to this restaurant, there are 100s of other, better Italian spots in the North End.
The food was alright, but nothing note-​worthy or memorable.
The place was pretty cramped and the wait staff hardly understood English…
All in all, no reason to go or come back, sorry Pasta e Pomodoro.

Food was pretty good; servers were nice but made a lot of mistakes

My least important point: the food was average at best.
When ordering, we asked how much the chicken parm was (because it wasn’t on the menu… weird.) and we were told $ 12.95. Eggplant parm was on the menu for $ 12.95, so I assumed chicken wouldn’t be more than $ 14.95 (even though I was told $ 12.95).
When I got the check, I was charged $ 19.95 for each chicken parm dish we ordered. I politely asked the waitress why we were charged that when she told us $ 12.95 and she said she had just started there four days ago. That is a fair point, but I would expect the manager on-​duty to fix the situation. Unfortunately, I was incorrect making that assumption.
The manager told me that she’s sorry it happened, understands why I am upset, but that she CANNOT DO ANYTHING about it. It gets worse.
She came over to the table because she overheard me talking to my dinner-​mates about my frustration and how I would write a bad review on Unilocal.She was smirking at the bar and then came over. Understandably, I was a little bit upset and raised my voice. She told me that I needed to calm down because she «is a woman» and because I am a man «she feels intimidated.» I immediately made clear that I was not trying to attack her, I am just voicing my frustrations about the bill. I asked for her manager and was told he could not be there for over a half-​hour and «he will tell you the same thing I am telling you.»
Mohammed (the owner)-I hope that, in this situation, you would not do what the manager on-​duty told us you would do. Also, you need to add Chicken Parm to the menu.
Waitress-​Blame your manager for getting such a small tip. I could not justify spending the extra ~$ 20 that we were ripped off due to your incorrect knowledge of the price of the Chicken Parm.
I cannot recommend anyone dine at this establishment. Aside from all of these service issues, the food was barely average. There are much better options in the North End.

My boyfriend and I came here as part of a Groupon-​style deal that allowed us to try an app, two entrees and dessert.
We really enjoyed the mussels as our dinner app. I ordered the stuffed lobster, which was quite good. The lobster tail came stuffed with risotto, cheese, and the meat from the tail. The rest of the lobster was included, so I was able to enjoy the claws. Unfortunately, that was a special and I don’t think it’s on the regular menu. I believe my boyfriend ordered the lobster fradiovola and said it was just ok. They were out of almost everything for dessert, which is fine because you can find great dessert anywhere else in the neighborhood. We didn’t order drinks but it seemed like they had a full bar.
The ambiance was nice, especially so because we were seated in one of the cute window tables on a beautiful summer evening. Hanover St can be a bit much sometimes but I always enjoy Salem St.
Our server was very friendly and gave us great recommendations and service. It’s not my favorite North End spot but I’m glad that we tried it.

I ate here on the night of 6÷23÷13.
The food was not too bad, the bathroom disgusting, and the strolling musicians, although not part of the restaurant are welcomed in by the management as part of the «charm» of the North End, were kind of annoying in a tiny restaurant.
Kind of overpriced as a general rule but comparable pricing for the neighborhood.
What I did like was it had a large open window with a few tables at the window. The staff was very pleasant and we did not feel rushed or hurried.

I tried Pasta E Pomodoro for the first time last night with four girlfriends, and we had great time. The place is small, but it has lots of windows, so was bright and cozy. Is it the best meal you’re going to get in the North End? No. Is it a good option if you don’t feel like waiting forever or want to get off the tourist filled Hanover Street? Yes.
I know some Unilocalers had issues with using groupon deals or other coupons, but I have a $ 25 voucher from
, and our server took it no problem. Our server was sweet and helpful, but the service was a little slow, as he was the only one serving.
We all enjoyed our meals, and loved our apps. The caprese salad was fresh and big enough to split between the five of us. The stuffed portabello mushroom was amazing. It had a very unique taste that was delicious. My spinach ravioli with garlic cream sauce was sooooo good, and my friends liked the shrip fra diavlo, and stufffed chicken with garlic mashed potatos.
They have a wine list with reasonable prices, and overall, I found the prices fair for the neigborhood and food quality.
I would come back here, check it out for a solid meal.

Now, let me make sure to start this off as I am certainly part of the middle/​lower class. I went here because of a Groupon I bought.
Little Italy is always a fun place to explore, however it’s too small! That explains this place. Very small setting. You can hear every conversation around you. I just didn’t like it, I also was telling my date that I felt like it was a place men bring women to fight or break up with them, because it happened twice while I was there!
The host who was a pleasant man stands outside and greets you to come in and basically direct you a little bit on where to sit.
It’s fancy let me continue to point that out and I was the party pooper that was not interested in drinking wine due to not enjoying it that much. My date ordered a wine and the waitress was very nice, but was a little spacey. We got bread before anything with this olive and something else dip, which was very good, the black stuff that was in the olive oil was sweet and good in my opinion.
Now I am not vegan or veggie, but that’s usually how I only eat is that type of diet, I don’t like eating meat and this place is not too friendly for the vegs’. They had options but being the picky eater that I am I ended up just getting a mixed salad. My date ordered some veal entrée.
The salad was good, however it had too much parm. cheese or something in it that started to make me feel sick, I believe my date enjoyed their entrée though.
Lastly I finished it off with a espresso, for both of us. I’ve been a barista for 2 years and was excited for this, but when it came, I was dissatisfied. She definitely used the same pull for both espresso’s, one was very watered down and disgusting.
It’s nice if you have money and you enjoy that food and being on top of everyone around you and spending a lot of money, but however I have no interest in it.
THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO PARKING! So have fun searching for that, that was another downfall. But I mean, it’s Boston.

The highlight: a friendly, warm host and attentive server. They got us a table for 6 in very little time. I was apprehensive that a place in the North End on a Saturday night would have last minute availability like that, but, we gave it a shot.
Solid performances: Apps. The calamari was fresh, lightly breaded, and perfectly cooked. The accompanying marinara was excellent. The tizi olives were great. The tomato soup is spectacular. They should avoid trying to compete on the New England clam chowder and stick to italian staples — they’re great at it.
The worst: the entrees. The ravioli — there’s no way they’re made in house. They were too dense, were perfectly uniform and boring. The sauce is homemade, and it was good, making up for it, somewhat. The other pasta dishes were okay, though the shrimp tasted a bit past freshly cooked.
The rest: the tiramisu is nice, the wine selection is sparse but reliable.
Overall, if you’re looking for a killer, memorable menu experience, this isn’t the place. If you’re looking for simple, reliable food in a comfortable, welcoming setting, the overall experience will be pleasant enough to do the job.

Dinner here was great! The owner was super nice and talked to us throughout the meal. I had chicken alfredo, and it was honestly the best I’ve ever had (and only $ 14!)
Brunch, on the other hand, was the opposite. It took our food about 40 minutes to come out. and the eggs were runny and almost unedible.
They need to get it together in terms of brunch, but the dinner was so fantastic– I would definitely go back.

This was a great choice for dinner, right down the street from where I live. Salem street is lined with a ton of similar styled italian restaurants that offer about $ 20 per plate dinners.
Despite a slight error on the part of our server, our meal ended up a very positive experience. This is a great stop if you are looking for a small quiet place with its own style, ambiance, rich taste, and.service.

Okay, so I understand some restaurants have good days and bad days. But that doesn’t mean you can treat your customers with disrespect.
I came here today hoping to grab some lunch. but they were CLOSED at 1pm. I take a look for the store hours that’s USUALLY posted in front… but there was nothing. So okay, I bust out my iphone (which has crappy signal btw) and it takes me a little bit to check the hours. 11am-​11pm thursday-​sunday. Okay, so they should’ve been open, but they weren’t. I was gonna let it slide cause maybe there was just an emergency or something.
BUT THEN I see a worker inside. I don’t want to bother him so I call the store. i HEAR the phone from the outside, and I see him look at the phone, then look away. HOW RUDE HUH? So then I figure he might answer if I knock on the door, so that’s what I did. He doesn’t look. I knock again, louder. No lookie again either. SO FINE, I KNOCKED HARD AS BALLS and FINALLY he looked up, gave me a DIRTY face, and resumed doing his activities. WHAT THE HECK. HOW FREAKIN DISRESPECTFUL. AT LEAST OPEN THE DOOR AND TELL ME WHY THE HECK YOURE CLOSED DURING PEAK LUNCH HOURS ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON!
UGH. anyway, two other potential customers came by after me, and they even had a RESERVATION for 1pm, but they were still closed. No warning, no answer, no NOTHING.
Finally, I called them and left a message asking them to call me when they DO, in fact, open up. And surprise surprise, I didn’t get a call back.
I haven’t tried the food yet, but how can I expect much if they don’t even acknowledge their customers?

My friends and I were walking around the North End looking for a nice little place for lunch. We stumbled upon Pasta e Pomodoro and were seated by the owner right next to an open window.
The service was good and the owner was very hospitable. The restaurant’s interior décor needs a little help but I think it gives off a warm vibe regardless.
I got the sweet sausage sandwich and tried the spinach and artichoke dip. The sandwich was good and the dip was buttery and creamy. I would totally get again!