I have eaten here 3 times in the past few months and I really like this place! I love the cozy and pretty dining room. I have always had great service from very nice people and never had to wait for a table. I have had both chicken and shrimp dishes with the fresh homemade pasta. Worth the extra money. The pasta is fresh tasting and has that bite and chew you expect from homemade. Nice, fresh tasting sauces that are not heavy and over-powering. I appreciate the fact that I get 2 meals for the price of one. I can never finish a serving and always bring half my meal home. The only negative about this restaurant is their bread. It's boring, airy, supermarket Italian. Those great dishes deserve a better bread to sop up the sauce. Give Iggy's a call, folks. One last thing....I always find street parking close to the building. read more

Don't bother. I wouldn't even give this a star, but I had to. RUDE, RUDE, RUDE! I was taken there for my birthday. Since they don't take reservations and I had a cast on my leg, my party called first to see if they could take us - If not, we understood. They said, no problem, please come on by. They said we may have to wait 10-15 minutes, but that would be it. Well, an hour and a half later, we were finally seated. No apology, nothing - just them stating how busy they were. They seated people that came in AFTER us.. We told them how we called 3 days earlier but they didn't care. I had a huge cast on my leg and had to sit so uncomfortably in the crowded bar while only half of my party could wait in the bar and half waited outside. Our huge error for staying and not going somewhere else. We never look for free stuff, but they didn't even give us a free drink or dessert! They don't care about their patrons. I will never, ever go back there. and the food is just ok. I have never, ever been treated so horribly. read more

This place is a great local place. Went there with my husband on a Saturday night. The service was excellent and so was the food. The interior is cozy, they had some yummy specials and the prices were fine. I would definitely go back. My husband said the last time he went they sat at the bar and the bartender was really great and they ended up having a good time. Will be back. This place is also family friendly. read more

Sat for 40 minutes with no bread, only two of us got our drinks (how long does it take to pour a glass of wine?) and no one asked us for our order. I understand it's a Friday evening but it's not crowded and at these prices I expected better. read more

Been there several times, each time the service gets worse. Will not go back. The food is ok, but in combination with the rushed poor service, its not worth the visit. The service was rushed, inattentive and pushy. We sat down and were immediately asked if we were ready to order, half way through the poorly served meal, the dessert menus were dropped off, as they were taking the dishes off the table, the waitress dropped off the bill, not bothering to see if we really wanted dessert. Not an inexpensive meal, too many good places to be rushed out of a mediocre restaurant. read more

Terrible service, not returning anytime soon. My husband and I went there for the 1st time and had one of the worst experiences. We sat in the bar area at one of the high tops. Our waitress Sandy introduced herself to us, took our order and never returned the entire night!!! Not once did she ask us if everything was ok, fill our waters or if we needed another drink. Our dirty dishes also sat in front of us. I had to track down the waitress for our bill. Very displeased. read more

What a disappointment. My wife received a special birthday certificate in the mail to this local restaurant. We had been there a few years ago and didn't love it but thought we'd give it another try. When we presented the $20 certificate, the waitress brought the owner over who said they won't honor it because it was only a promotion and the provider failed to get permission to extend. As someone who deals with the public in my job, I thought the restaurant should have done the right thing. Thru stuck to their guns, and not only did they not honor the certificate, they didn't even offer us a complimentary dessert. Needless to say this was our last visit to Artichokes. read more

Food was very good, but our experience was ruined by the bartender who thought it was appropriate to tell vulgar jokes. Don't, just don't.

Happened to come on Saturday at 5:30pm (forgetting it was the Saturday before Valentine's day) and the place was already packed with a one hour wait time. It even took the hostess by surprise because I called earlier in the day to see if they take reservations (no) but she said if we come at 5:30 we should be okay for a table. Our waitress was very sweet. There were four of us and the entrees were delicious. However, I ordered off the menu based on a previous photo posting in yelp, the eggplant cavatappi. Although other dishes had homemade fresh pasta, mine clearly was not. It looked like it was the dried pasta from a box. In retrospect, I should have made sure before I ordered it that it would have homemade pasta with the eggplant. Also, the artichoke appetizer and the ones in the dishes are canned. Surprising considering the name of the restaurant. I would go back and try it again but specially ask about ingredients in the dish before ordering. For the prices, I would expect fresh vegetables and pasta. read more

Waited for over 3 HOURS for our food! And they ran out of bread! Worst service ever. I wish I could wright something nice about this place but honestly....I can't. read more

This is a great place for friends to get together before seeing a movie, or just for a girls night out! The cozy atmosphere is great for socialization. the pasta is delightful and so is the chicken parm! Don't miss out on this perfect place!!! read more

Excellent food! Very personable friendly staff. Some reviews talk about slow service and this is true at times, as it gets quite busy and everything is made to order so it's not a place to stop in when in a rush. read more

Birthday meal gone bad!! WOW, has this place gone down hill. Service was horrendous and food had NO taste. Five of us went to celebrate my birthday and, oh yeah, the waitress spilled my wife's dish all over me and the table while reaching across me to serve her.Come on, really? Five different meals and five dishes with no flavor. Not sure what happened but this used to be a great place to go. The only positive thing I can say is that Linda, the hostess, was awesome! But we will NEVER go back. Sorry Artichokes. read more

I have been a fan of Artichokes for years. I recently visited their Wakefield location and, as usual, they didn't disappoint! Food was delicious, our server was awesome and the drinks...yum! If you're looking for an intimate experience, request to be seated upstairs. If you like a more 'lively' environment... Head to the bar. All around wonderful restaurant read more

Another great experience at Artichokes. Such a great atmosphere! We think Joe at the bar is wonderful. We had the meatballs and warm salad for appetizers...both delicious. For dinner, the chicken parmigiana was tender and the sauce was the best. We think the Bolognese pappardelle was a hearty portion and outstanding. We will be regulars here for sure. For dessert... go for the cannolis... melt in you mouth amazing! read more

Artichokes is a hidden gem. From the street you may not notice it but it is amazing. Best Italian food for a fair price. Service is awesome and the bar is great. Love the vibe and the food. The chicken marsala is the best Ive ever had. read more

Called at 4 to make a reservation. "We don't take reservations but at 6:30 you should be fine". Arrived at 6:30. "1 hour 20 minute wait but that's on the long side." Go downstairs to the poorly-lit, poorly-staffed, overcrowded bar. Wait 20 minutes for our drink order TO BE TAKEN. Wait another 15 minutes for our drinks to come. Drinks come one at a time. Go upstairs twice to check on our table. "You're next". "You're next". No one ever comes down to tell us how long the wait is or to reassure us or to apologize. It's all on us. It gets so bad we are actually laughing otherwise steam would come out of our ears. At 9 pm we are finally taken up stairs and seated at the tinest table. The three men are each 6' tall and are crammed into "little bear" chairs. Wait another 10 minutes for our server to come over. No hi, no sorry for the wait...just a "can get you a drink ?" Order drinks.. wait again. Drinks come. (getting bored reading this? tired? think how aggravated we were at this point). Takes our app and dinner order (we order them together because we don't want to lose her). Asks me what kind of pasta I want with my meal. I say none because I don't eat pasta, especially not at 9:30 at night. Does she offer an alternative, a vegetable or small side salad? Absolutely not. Wait another 25 minutes for our meal to come. It's adequate. Ate quickly because we couldn't wait to get out of there. Artichokes in Wakefield? NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER AGAIN. WE ARE STILL PISSED OFF AT THE WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY (bill was over $300 for 5 of us and only 3 drank alcohol). We were kicking ourselves that we didn't go to the 99 or Blackhorse Tavern..anyplace but Artichokes. I'm only giving this place one star because I have to to Post. it deserves no stars. read more

This was our 2nd time there and our last. The male bartender was so loud and obnoxious. He ruined both of our visits. Not only could he not make the drinks we ordered but he was offended that we corrected him. Front desk staff was great though. read more

Went here for a birthday dinner with my husband. I don't usually choose to eat at Italian restaurants because most aren't authentic (I have an Italian background). We ordered bruschetta to start which was absolutely plate-licking delicious. My entree was lobster ravioli. They were satisfying, but the cream sauce was oily, which is a pitfall of many italian restaurants. Cannoili for dessert was a bit too sweet (not authentic). Overall the meal was good, but for the price (our bill was over $150 with a cheap bottle of wine) I would expect much better quality. read more

My husband and I live in Wakefield and decided to try Artichokes for a date night a few weeks ago since it's always looked so nice from the outside driving by. We decided to sit in the basement since we heard there was live music starting at 8pm and thought that would be fun! There are very few tables down there as well which makes for an intimate atmosphere. Our waitress, Melissa, was pretty attentive at first and served us drinks and took our order. Once we had put in our first round of drinks and food order, it started to go downhill. Melissa was too busy talking to the bartender behind the bar to notice that we had empty glasses and we continued to have to get up to ask if she could bring us another round. Our food was nothing out of this world, but it was definitely good Italian food. Once we had finished our meals we sat there for a good 30 minutes waiting for a check or for her to see how we were doing - nothing... We had to get up again to ask for our check. Once Melissa brought over our check we weren't feeling that generous and decided to leave a little less than a 10% tip. In my eyes, her job is to earn her tip and we felt like we had to beg to get service. Once we got up, again, to bring her the check (since she never came back over) we were pretty much ready to leave. One bit of advice - don't leave any guest check on the table if Melissa is your waitress!! I usually throw them away, but forgot to this time. A few days later after checking our bank statement, she had decided to leave herself a nice 25% tip on us. We were of course very upset that she forged this and were able to get in contact with the manager. She seemed understanding at first and even went through the trouble to find the check and send a picture of it to my husband's cell phone for confirmation. He sent back his license with his signature which was completely different than the signature on the forged check under his card. Once she investigated more, the manager came back to us saying that Melissa said "we were in a rush and seemed to have been in an argument and she was doing us a favor by signing the check with a tip". Clearly no truth to the story - it's almost like she's done this before and had something ready to go when confronted. In my world, any sort of forgery is illegal and if any guest, even accidentally, leaves a blank check no waiter or waitress is allowed to sign it. Needless to say, the manager never called us back even when we tried to make it easy and just wanted to get the tip money back that we didn't sign for. We ended up getting our bank involved and are waiting to hear back. It's a pain to have to go through that, but it's the principle of it all! Neither of us will be going back to this restaurant given the management and lack of respect we were given. Not worth it!!!!! If you are still interested in dining here, be sure to triple check your bill and never leave a blank copy of anything! read more

I've tried a number of Italian restaurants in the area and this is the best I've found so far. The food is excellent! The only slightly annoying part is that they don't have call-ahead seating and on the weekends, the wait can be long. Overall though, I'm extremely happy with the place and can't wait to return! read more

Quite a few years ago when the restaurant was in Malden, the owner/manager refused to seat our party because of my mother's wheel cahair, which she said would take up too much room. It's still hard to believe that this woman, despite our explaining how important this night was to my mother, refused to budge. My mother died a week later. Needless to say, none of our friends patronize Artichokes, we have all chosen kindness over good food. read more

My girlfriend and I went last Saturday when it was bone chilling cold. The hostess was very nice and helpful with holding a table while I had to look for parking during a busy night. Our waitress, Suzanne I believe was her name, was very nice and accommodating. I had the pappardelle bolognese and my girlfriend had the eggplant appetizer which were both very good and the portions are very big. The dirty martini's are also great. The music selection, modern hip hop, was a little odd but we still had a good time. read more

My family of four (wife and two adult males) "dined" at Artichokes on December 23, 2009. We heard some good things about this restaurant so we selected it for our annual Christmas Holiday celebration. Decor was impressive as was the menu. Prices were moderate and the food was very good. However, our experience was less than satisfactory primarily because of the staff. Waitress seemed to be pre occupied and generally disconnected. Apparently Artichokes was into the Christmas spirit as the client facing staff was dressed up. I appreciate their effort but a middle age waiter dressed in an elf outfit that looked like red flannel pajamas just doesn't work. The biggest disappointment however was our waitress billed, or attempted to bill us for a pasta dish that she originally led us to believe was part of the standard menu. When we pushed back she said "I'll remove it from the bill and take it out of my tip". Real class act...she misleads us then tries to put us on a guilt trip. Questionable service at best especially for a new restaurant that's trying to promote itself as "upscale". Maybe our experience was an aberration and we really liked the food so my wife and I decided to give it another try. The bad service wasn't an aberration. This time we sat in the bar (real nice environment), as with our first experience the food was very good, as with our first experience the service was terrible. At least the bill was correct. Our take is Artichokes has the potential to become a class restaurant if they can get their wait staff act together. If they can't then they're nothing more than a well appointed, expensive neighborhood bar. Bottom line is if you want good food in a pleasant environment and can be patient with crummy service you'll enjoy Artichokes. Stay away, at least for now, if good service is moderately important to you. I doubt we'll be returning in the near future. read more

I will never step foot in here again. I went in to check it out when it first opened thinking I might plan an evening out. I was 'greeted' by the big burly owner who was so rude. Based on some reviews here they can keep their food. Head over to Cafe Jags when in Wakefield where you will be greeted like they really want your business. read more

Artichokes in Wakefield has put mulch at the base of their trees around the front and sides of the restaurant. 3 newly planted trees on Yale street will most likely die. Mulch kills trees.... Might be a good restaurant and they might want to look good, but they are killing the trees.... Get Smart! read more

The other night, my lovely daughter asked if I would like to go someplace local , since my birthday was coming up and she said she would like to start the celebration sooner. Of course I agreed, so she took me to one of her favorite place in her hometown, Artichokes! What a lovely, comfortable and inviting setting! The people were so polite and warm, they remembered my daughter and were polite and cordial and friendly, seeing she was expecting they treated her extra special. This lovely place is charming, the decor classy and warm. I ordered zuppa di pesce, which became one of my favorite dishes since my first one I had in Naples Italy, and I have to say this was just as good if not better! I will definitely make Artichokes one of my frequent getaways for when I want to chill out and relax over a delicious meal and a glass of fine wine in a soothing classy environment very close to home! read more

I gave this restaurant a 2 as opposed to a 1 solely because my father loves the food here and I think he usually is a good judge... However, I have eaten here twice and was unimpressed both times - I have yet to figure out what the hype is about. What really took the cake and compelled me to write a review was our third visit on New Years Eve. I have a 17 month old son and our good friends have a 15 month old daughter who we often go out to dinner with and bring the kids. As full time working parents we want to take them along as opposed to getting a sitter because they've been with a sitter all week! This usually works out just fine for us. We have never had a problem. I made a reservation the day before for 7 people plus 2 highchairs- 9 in total since we had some other friends with us as well. I clearly stated the need for 2 highchairs to the person on the other end. They repeated me and everything seemed very clear. When we got there we had a table with 9 chairs. We asked for a couple high chairs and to our extreme disappointment they did not have any! Not only that - they did not carry a cup with a lid much less a kids menu of any kind. We could have gotten around most of this but anyone with a toddler knows your lucky to get through a meal with them strapped down let alone alone on your lap! Not to mention my toddler will not let you feed him AT ALL. He would prefer to not eat then to have you feed him. It was clear within the first 5 minutes that there was absolutely no way it would work out. The waitress was very nice and apologetic but the management seemed very non-nonchalant and made nothing of the fact that they had ruined our new years eve plans. Luckily we went next door to Sabatino's and after hearing our story made every effort to get us in within 20 min. The food at Sabatino's was amazing and everyone was so nice that it made Artichokes look even worse to us in comparison! Artichokes could use some nicer customer service ( with the exception of our waitress ) and a little bit of a clue! You NEED to tell someone if you don't have a high chair when they call and ask for one - or better yet get over yourself and get some! Not having high chairs basically tells me you are not kid friendly and don't want children there. Its not a 5 star restaurant and last I checked every other small business out there is trying to accommodate and keep their businesses afloat. Go to Sabatino's instead! This place is SO overrated! read more

Went on a Monday night. They were slow but nice. Martini list was not good and the waitress took 10 min to bring me the wrong drink. The only thing that made this a somewhat enjoyable experience was the food being good.. even though the menu is very small and not at all descriptive. read more

Went Saturday night and attempted to arrive early but still didn't get to the restaurant until close to 7:00 there was a long wait for tables but we were able to get seats in the bar area. I had the special Lobster and veal over fucilli pasta, one of the best meals I've had in a long long time, the sauce was amazing. We also had mussels that I would highly recommend. I go into the North End all the time and haven't had a meal this good in a few years. read more

Tonight, 1-27-11.........I went there at 430 pm when they first opened with my 11 month year old son and wife. I entered and was greeted by 3-4 women who where all in good moods. I asked for a table for 2 and a high chair or booster seat. The hostess said they did not have them. One female worker mentioned to the hostess they she should bring in her booster seat from her car. ( she ignorded the worker) They then stated we should sit at a booth with our child which was out of the question. (that would have lasted 2 minutes) I stood there and said to my wife "we will have to go elsewhere". We drove across the street to sabatino's which I have never been and spent over a hundred dollars and got great service,great food and a beautiful high chair to put my child in who was a rave review with customers and staff. If artichokes don't like children coming then place a note on the front door and tell people before they walk in. REQUEST TO ARTICHOKES-----BUY SOME HIGH CHAIRS AND BOOSTER SEATS read more

Mediocre at best. Service rushed. However, orders are not as it took more than an hour for entrees to arrive. This place seems to have their regulars and, if you're not a part of that coveted crowd, good luck to you. The food is ok if you ever get the correct order but zero stars for rude, inattentive staff and the 'regulars' who are a bit trashy. read more

I have been going to Artichokes since they opened in Malden prob 7-8 years ago. The food is always so fresh and cooked perfectly. The veal chop special is to die for. My wife loves the lobster ravioli and compares all others to Artichokes. My only problem was there wasn't anywhere to wait for your table, until now their new space in Wakefield is GORGEOUS!!! Plenty of room in dinning area as well as the bar area. I was so impressed that not only did the food quality not suffer but it actually went up. I love it here!!!!!!! read more

One of the worst meals I have ever eaten. I have read bad reviews about the service amd although it took over 20 minutes to get our drinks after the order was taken, that poor service pales in contrast to the horrible food that was served. It is pretty hard to mess up a salad but even the salad was tastleless and horrible. I could not wait to get out of that restaurant. We had a gift certirficate so despite what I had heard by word oif mouth we went. The wait was shorter than they first said and I have to say the service was pretty good but my gosh the food was almost inedible. I only ate the shrimp from my fusilli alla maria and the eggplant appetizer was not cooked. The tomato sauce was horrible, what the dickens do they put in it. I could not ear it. In almost 50 years I have never not been able to eat a meal but I culd not eat this. DO NOT GO TO THIS RESTAURANT. read more

The food was amazing; however the service was one of my worst experiences. I've been wanting to try Artichokes for awhile. I live in Melrose and am always looking for a great new place. We should have known things would turn badly when we walked in the door and the hostess was unfriendly. At first, we were one of the only parties in the whole place, yet we went ignored most of the night. Our waitress (short dark brown hair, upper 40's) made everyone feel very uncomfortable by her rushed and harsh attitude. She seemed always in a huff and had short, annoyed responses to anything and everything. We all loved our food, and ordred drinks...and still even left a good tip. However my friends and I ended the night walking to our cars talking about how uncomfortable and bizarre the whole experience was at Artichokes. read more

Everything I've ever tried at Artichokes has blown me away. Their drinks are strong and food is amazing. Expensive but worth it.

Restaurant is very attractive and surrounded by ample parking. Hostess and bar staff immediately greeted our party and we were seated immediately(table or 4 at 6:30 11/22/13). Menu and specials were an impressive yet not overwhelming selection. Wine list was fantastic! Service was very good and dining is encouraged. It was so nice to enjoy a meal and not have a pushy waitress looking for the next party. Prices are high but the experience was worth it. read more

Worst dining experience of all time. Stay away!!! Artichokes does "NOT" take reservations. They hold you captive all night. Went there last Saturday night (March 29th), at 7:15. We were told to wait downstairs, in the basement bar til we could be seated in the dining room. After eating buffet style cheese and crackers for an hour and a half, we were finally seated in the main dining room. I got the Veal Bellabocca. My friend ordered the Veal Combo. Both of our wives had the Frutti de Mare. Good service, but very long wait to be served. We all "thought" the food was ok. Finally got out of there at 10:35. When we got home, my wife started feeling ill. She was up all night vomiting. Sunday morning, my friend called me. He told me that his wife was up all night as well, also vomiting. I called the restaurant, and spoke with the manager, Maria. Told her that both of our wives, who ordered the same seafood dish, got violently sick. Maria did not say sorry. Instead, she told me about a stomach virus going around. If I still thought the girls got food poisoning from her restaurant, she wanted to see the hospital records. I would not give my leftovers to my dog. read more

The food is excellent but must say the staff is very unprofessional. I feel it's extremely important and key to a successful business to make customers feel welcome. The waitress could not be bothered engaging our group in any way. As much as I enjoyed the food, not sure I would return. read more

I have been going to Artichokes since it opened in Malden many years ago. We went last night and I ordered the same meal I have ordered every time I go. Chicken Margarita. I could never bring myself to order anything else because that was so amazingly delicious. I don't know if they have a new chef or just a bad night but last night the Chicken Margarita was awful. No flavor at all. It was as if they just poured chicken stock on the plate and added chicken and ziti. I will say that the bartender brought the food back to the kitchen, but they did basically nothing to improve it. Very very disappointed. I love the atmosphere of this restaurant especially during holidays and the entertainment on Wednesday nights makes you want to go back. I just don't know what I would have to eat the next time. read more