Everything about this place is great. Go once, you will be happy that you did. Go twice - and you are part of the family. Food is delicious Annette and Paige (co-bartenders and servers) will keep you laughing and happy. Vin and Matt (cooks) will keep you well fed. They are a family affair, and make you feel welcome the minute you walk in the door. Everything is good - Sausage Orecchiette is my favorite. read more

Come hungry! Great pizza with lots of goodies. The Italian ham is delicious! Hot and tasty and good for a crowd. You don't even have to do the dishes! read more

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This is a wonderful family run business. We love the atmosphere. We always get a wonderful meal and wonderful service. We have had family parties and other events in the past. We will go back in the future. read more

We love this restaurant and the family who operate it. We've never had a bad meal and the atmosphere is very much like Boston's North End---without the outrageous prices and the rude crowds of tourists. We have brought numerous family members and friends to Ava Cucina over the years and we've always received repeat requests to take them back during future visits. This place is a gem, and don't forget to ask about Annette's "Mousse of the Evening"! read more

The food is excellent and the staff is great. Delicious appetizers and a great selection of wine. read more

AVA Cucina - Mushrooms and chicken ravioli in a red sauce. Yummy - Italian Near Me - Cohasset, Massachusetts

Nice spot in Cohasset. Great Food- but lacking in ambience.. still gets 4 stars. At the front of the restaurant there is a dark - dank - cold room the has maybe 4 tables-you don't want to sit there in the fall or winter-we froze sitting there. The service was pretty good..I'd recommend giving it a try. read more

The menu looked great. Unfortunately they don't know how to make a standard cocktail, old fashioned and the place looked worn out. Service was good. Lots of food low price. read more

Had a fantastic time at Ava Cucina. The food was excellent and so was the service. We will definitely go back again. What a gem of a local restaurant. read more

What an amazing stop to stop and get some excellent Italian food and feel like you're right at home. The sweetest family run restaurant around. The waitresses are mother and daughter and we're so kind and friendly to my wife and I. On top of that the husband and son who are the chefs cooked up an amazing dish of chicken and Broccoli with Alfredo sauce and it hit the spot for me. It was a Large dish that was filling and delicious. Definitely did not feel like we were paying for an overpriced small dish like 90% of other restaurants in Cohasset and Scituate. Would absolutely recommend giving them a shot, it's worth it! We saw that the reviews were only 3.5 stars so we put off going there for the last year and a half since we moved here. We now regret not taking advantage of their amazing Italian food so close to home! read more

Ordered pasta with clams- however they didn't have clams and served us a plate anyways. Then when we asked about the whole clams they said "we only have chopped clams". Absolutely disgusting, we would have ordered something else! Then tried to charge us 25$ for a plate of chopped clams with linguine. When we spoke to the waitress she said "oh sorry we were out" read more

I agree with those who say this is fake review central. Food is supermarket freezer quality. Insane that it is a four. If duping folks who come in the summer to eat here on a one off is the business model than good for them. Any person who has lived in town for more than five years, and has eaten here a few times, and isn't friend knows better. This place is a solid three, and on a bad night can be worse. Very frustrated by these small town places, with few reviews, that are clearly rigged. Makes yelp a less usefull tool and actually does a disservice and creates a backlash against the local establishment IMO. I see my rating has it at a 3 and half now. No doubt we will see a couple of five and four star reviews appear magically and quickly. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Get Alfredos frozen meals for better Italian. read more

I had a small backyard wedding a few weeks ago and we ordered from AVA Cucina for everyone'a meals. Everyone's meals were awesome and portions were very generous. Delicious food! Will definitely eat here again. read more

AVA Cucina -- which means Grandmother's Kitchen, but is also the initials (AVA) of the husband and wife team who own it -- opened in June 2010 where Bernard's used to be. Vinny Agostino, the owner/chef, has worked side by side for many years with his father, who owns Mezzo Mare in Hull, MA. This is Vinny's first restaurant venture on his own, but he has learned well from the master. The food is nothing short of spectacular, and the atmosphere is somewhere between cozy bistro and relaxed gourmet. The menu is a mix of traditional Italian fare and the chef's own inventions, which are renditions of Italian classics with his unique creative touches. Choices run from moderately priced items the kids will love to higher priced entrees (range $14 to $23). Top shelf pizza's are also available ($10-$15). Every night a handful of chalkboard specials are offered in addition to the printed menu. We had the Misto Di Mare, which was piled high with a generous selection of shellfish, tossed in a to-die-for spicy red sauce (also available in a white sauce) over just enough linguine. Our son had the homemade lasagna and meatballs, which was fabulous, and a portion that could have fed two - but of course he managed to finish the whole thing. The wine list and dessert menu offer an excellent selection as well. Just go. It's a great night out! read more

AVA Cucina - a sign for a wine shop - Italian Near Me - Cohasset, Massachusetts

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A little disappointed with the food. I was very excited to try this restaurant but was disappointed with their food. I LOVE veal piccata so that's what I ordered and it was bland with barely any sauce and the noodles were not cooked long enough. Cute spot and restaurant though! read more

We went there for the first time. We ordered tortellini and calamari for appetizers. The calamari was terrible. We ordered chicken Parm. The chicken Parm was so over cooked it was like eating a piece of cardboard it was horrible. The sauce was ok. I probably will never go back to this place and highly recommend avoiding it read more

Late with my review, we dined at Ava Cucina 8/19/22 before heading to the Music Circus. This tiny Italian restaurant is reminiscent of any of the smaller North End restaurants. We sat at the bar which seats about 9-10 patrons, and were welcomed by the owner, Annette. I ordered the Stuffed Rigatoni, a special of the evening, and it didn't disappoint, so delicious! I wish I could have brought my leftovers with me, but being a very hot night, couldn't chance it being left in my car at the show. my husband ordered the Chicken Parmigiana with ziti, cleaned his plate because it was also delicious! Their homemade sauce is so good! In the past we enjoyed the pizza here, too. Ava Cucina does take reservations, recommended on weekend nights. We look forward to a return here! read more

I love this restaurant! The service is spectacular! My Italian husband loves the lasagna it's to die for he says. The portions are terrific so bring a big appetite. The sausage mediteranio is amazing as well. I always get the salad, stuffed pepper and pasta with red sauce and a big glass of red wine. You are missing out if you don't try it! read more

Not a fan at all ! Ordered chicken broccoli and pasta. Meal had a odd taste to it. Had literally three bites Even the water tasted horrible. Definitely not a "authentic" Italian restaurant. Will not be back read more

Ava is literally one of the worst restaurants I believe that I have ever eaten at. My boyfriend and I bought a Groupon to try Ava in the hunt for a great Italian restaurant on the South Shore. Because we went on the first night of the Groupon service, I will pardon any lapses in service as I am sure that it was more hectic than usual. We ordered the mussel appetizer and when it came out, I was instantly nauseated by the smell and asked the server to take it away and bring us the main course. The owner of the restaurant returned a few minutes later with the mussels and thrust them at our table explaining that she had just purchased them that morning. While I appreciate the pride she took in their food, I found this action to be wildly unprofessional. Whoever it was that named the pizza best of South Shore living clearly has no taste buds. The interior is old and dingy. The food is clearly 75% from frozen food. Overall, this is not the restaurant to try. read more

Had dinner here a few nights ago. We were looking for a local Italian restaurant, so gave this a go. First off, the place was empty. In most cases, that alone tells you how a restaurant is as it was 6:30pm. Started off with the mussels appetizer, cooked in white wine garlic sauce. Tasty, but with a strong onion taste to the sauce. I had the chicken marsala. It was not a chicken marsala that I would normally eat. Chicken appeared to be grilled, or baked, unlike the chicken I usually have in marsala. The marsala itself tasted different too - onion stood out. My dinner companion had the chicken parmigiana with tomato sauce, which tasted - TOO ONIONY. I wouldn't say it was a bad meal, it was OK. But I wouldn't go back. Sorry. read more

By far the best Italian restaurant on the South Shore. I do not know where to start on my food recommendations, but I guess it would have to be the lasagna, then the eggplant Neapolitan, and of course the over sized antipasto. Really everything is good here at this family owned and run Italian eatery. Annette runs the front and her husband spins up some of the best food this side of Italy. I know food and this place is reeeaaaly goooood! read more

Not sure what people ate talking about RE:pizza. We got one and was so excited about "best pizza of south shore". It was not good at all UNDERcooked. We let the waitress know. Calling her over since no one checked in on us. She took the pizza off our bill which was a good thing and the saving grace. Can't say we will be back. read more

Ava Cucina- WOW! How have I not discovered you sooner? Last night we had a fabulous meal at Ava Cucina. As I write this, I am eating my leftover Linguine with Clam Sauce for lunch and it is just as delicious as it was last night. I went with two of my girlfriends; 2 of us started with red wine (delicious!) and the other got the Stella Artois on tap. We sat at the bar, where we were promptly greeted with a warm welcome and hot rolls. For appetizers we got their fried calamari and the special of the evening, mushroom ravioli. Both dishes were superb, and the bartender was even kind enough to bring extra bread to sop up the phenomenal mushroom cream sauce from the raviolis. As I mentioned, I ordered the linguine with a white clam sauce for my entrée and it was fantastic. My mom makes an awesome linguine with clam sauce and this rivaled hers, with lots of fresh herbs, pasta cooked to perfection, a surplus of clams--whole in the shell and chopped! I tried both my friends' dishes, Chicken Parmesan and the evening special, Eggplant Napoleon. Both were served over pasta with Ava's homemade tomato sauce which was excellent. I forgot to mention that before our dishes arrived we were served a complimentary garden salad that was fresh and flavorful. I love when restaurants do this. Despite our full bellies, the bartender sold us on one of their filled-to-order canolis. The shell was crisp and super fresh and the ricotta filling reminded me of Mike's in the North End. We had an excellent experience at Ava Cucina, from the moment we entered to the moment we left with our expertly packaged to-go bags. (Seriously-- they saran wrap, then bag the to-go dish). read more

Just tried Ava Cucina for the first time tonight. I live in the area and wanted to try a new place for take out. We got chicken, broccoli and penne. It was so bland, the chicken was rubbery and dry, and the pasta was soooo over cooked. It was gross. For take out, it was more than we spend at other local restaurants for two dinners, and honestly, a drive thru would have been a better choice. Such a bummer- we won't be going back. read more

Just ate there last night on the advice of a friend. Decent pricing, good atmosphere, and a cute-as-a-button waitress who kept us aptly supplied with fresh water and friendly smiles throughout the meal. Tried the Chicken Gorgonzola, the Spaghetti Carbonara, and a Salami and Pepperoni Pizza. The Chicken Gorgonzola was great, the Carbonarra good, but the pizza was not really my cup of tea. The crust seemed a little doughy and the cheese -- though plenty of it -- was oddly tasteless. I would definitely go back again for the entrees... And the waitress! It's nice to feel welcome and she did a really great job of doing just that. She even called my daughter 'Sweetie,' and that's always going to earn a thumbs up in my books. read more

My friends bought a Groupon for this place and we decided to try it out on a Thursday night. We never would have heard of it if it wasn't for the Groupon, so that marketing device really worked out. I'm glad we did, because it's a fantastic place! It's a fairly small restaurant, but we had reservations, so we didn't wait for a table. I can imagine it getting packed on a Friday or Saturday. They have a great wine selection, with many types from many vineyards, and most of the bottles were very reasonably priced. The apps were great. We had the mushroom caps and the calamari. The dinners were also great; and huge. I had the meatballs and lasagna and it might have weighed in at 5+ pounds. It was excellent. The service was great too. We had a combo of the owner and her daughter as waitresses. They were engaging, helpful and funny. We ended up talking a lot with the owner; finding out all the history of the restaurant and the inner workings. We will definitely go back, Groupon or not. read more

Went there for the first time with my wife and daughter. I really liked the food. The dinner tasted homemade. The woman that waited on us was the owner- she was busy but very nice. Coming from Hanover we will be regulars at Ava because the food is great. read more

Great food, beyond exceptional service, anybody who thinks otherwise is likely high maintenance. Ava Cucina has become one of our regular go-to restaurants. Love it there. Gnocchi in the rustico sauce gets especially high marks! read more

Nice people. The food is not good, not good at all. Got the chicken parm the other night and regretted it all night.

This place falsely advertises. They have one price of their website and I called to place a takeout order and it was way more than what I predicted. When I questioned the amount of the bill she told me that their website prices are from 10 years ago when they opened and they've since raised their prices. Bait and switch! It's 2020 update your website! read more

the place was great. Called ahead. They informed us they had a big party coming in. Could have stuffed the place but turned walk ins away so that the big party (and us) got great service. Home made pasta was awesome and the sauce was perfect. Service was great. Waitress spoke to us like real people and was attentive as heck. Love this gem. read more

Had a wonderful experience here eating for the first time this past Friday. Owner greeted us nicely and she answered all our questions and made somenice suggestions. Best Epggplant parm I ever had with awesome old school marinara sauce to die for. Great wine list. Great Antipasto. And finished off with Expresso. Small famiy owned and operated this place is a hidden Gem. Prices/Quantity and Qualtily of food superb.Will be back. read more

We went here for dinner last night with a groupon. Since we called for a reservation we were seated promptly but that's where the promptness ended. Service was really slow. We started with wine and beer and calamari, which was delicious. The salad and hot, fresh baked rolls were incredible. My husband had the chicken parm and after two bites decided it was not really chicken. My son had the gnocchi which he thought was good. I had the shrimp and scallop carbonarra which was also very tasty. The place was packed and waitresses were friendly - just very disappointed in the chicken parm and slow service. read more

So disappointed - made a reservation and showed up and she said it's for 3- I said no its 2 so she showed me the paper it was written on and said see its 3 - I said well here we are 2 of us and I didn't write it so she made a big deal of having to rearrange things. Mind you there was only 1 other table sat. I ordered the ckn broccoli ziti but wanted a chicken cutlet on it instead of the sautéed chicken and was told no. Again there was only 1 table full at the resteraunt. If not for my Groupon I would have left right then and there. read more

Their food wasn't even that good and definitely not worth the $31 I spent. Waitresses rushed our meal/stay and watched us from the cash register which made the whole experience really uncomfortable. When paying I asked for change back not giving them a tip for horrible service. One of the waitresses gave me back my $9 with the receipt and my partner and I left the restaurant. The other waitress apparently thought we had forgotten to pay the check and ran after us down the street, yelling at us accusing us of stealing. So bizarre, after we followed her back to the restaurant to prove to her, the other waitress confirmed we had paid and the psycho waitress only muttered a single "sorry." Safe to say, I downloaded this app only to give a horrible review to this restaurant's management and service. read more

The rehearsal dinner for the wedding we were in town for was held here, and overall the experience was a good one. They served dinner family style, and dinner started with a typical salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Each table was given a two different pasta bowls, one with a red sauce and one with shrimp and a light broth. The shrimp pasta was amazing, the broth was so good we were all dipping our bread in the bowl to soak it all up. We also had a big plate of their Chicken Parmesan, which was delicious. The rolls were fresh and warm from the oven, the servers/bartenders were attentive the entire time, and made sure we were all taken care of. I would certainly recommend this place for a nice and cozy dinner date. read more

Just had dinner there with my husband and our 5 yr old son....it was sooo good! Very charming atmosphere...great service...excellent food! The bread was hot and fresh from the oven. We had an appetizer special...clams fradiavolo...delish! Hubby had a special linguine carbornara w/ sweet italian sausage...I tried it...it was Aaamazing! I had the lasagna w/ meatball...it was yummy! My hubbs said it reminded him of his Grandma's lasagna :) Our son had penne w/ butter and parm cheese...always a kid pleaser :) We are very happy to have found such an amazing spot so close to home! We'll definitely visit Ava Cucina again and again! read more

The place was cute but our lasagna looked like they had just slapped it together and my husbands was cold on the inside. Wasn't what we were expecting for an italian place. read more

I can't even believe this place is still open. We got the calamari which was mediocre at best, a Caesar salad which was better than average, And 2 pasta dishes. One was a carbonara which had an expectedly cold weird sauce the other was a meatball special which was uneventful. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't great. No other way to explain. read more

Wow! We loved our time here tonight. Such a cute, cozy spot in Cohaset with the sweetest family behind it. Great food, and great people. Will definitely be back before we head home to California. read more