I have three fail-safe tests to confirm horrible restaurants and my experience at Benevento's a few weeks ago met all of them. 1. Are there typos all over the menu? YES. C'mon, the menu is the liaison between your food and the customer. A well-written menu is the catalyst for customers' orders. Typos on a menu are a sign that the restaurant is totally uninformed, lazy, sloppy, or just doesn't care. And you know it's bad when an Asian kid can spot typos in an Italian-language menu in an Italian-centric neighborhood. 2. Does the server immediately try to sell expensive alcohol to you? Upon being seated, our server told us about their $8/glass & $40/bottle sangria. Not even a "welcome to Benevento's" or an offer of water or anything. She seemed annoyed when we told her we weren't in the mood to drink and trotted off in a huff murmuring something about our water request. We didn't end up getting water until she served out food, 20 minutes later. 3. Is the restaurant blasting music that is irrelevant or inappropriate to their concept? Totally - and then - something even worse. At first they were blasting music from the '80s, and the waitstaff were singing along pretty loudly. But then the radio or iPod connection or something got loose and there was a really loud buzz, and no one moved to try to do anything about it. The buzz continued for several minutes. No one even went to lower the volume or shut the system off. All the other patrons were also like "WTF". Finally the hostess tried to reset the stereo using a feather duster (!) which didn't work. OMG. So she just left it buzzing. It was still buzzing when we finally got our check 15 minutes later and we paid and fled. Food? It was a meh. Not good enough to return for; not bad enough to complain. The service and overall atmosphere was terrible though. read more

I LOVE Beneventos. As a North End resident, this place is a go-to for my bf and I. We started coming initially because of the gluten-free options they offer (my bf has celiac's). You can get any of the pastas and pizzas made gluten free, and they even have gluten free garlic bread. They are very careful in the preparation, so there is very little risk of cross contamination. We come here all the time, and bf has never had a problem. The food is SO good, and the prices are fair. My favorite is the home made gnocchi with pomedoro sauce. YUM. The staff is friendly and funny and they take care of you. They also do carry out, which is great when you want to avoid the herds of tourists and enjoy your feast at home. Check this place out, you won't be sorry! read more

Friendly staff and good food. The eggplant lasagna was great, especially the marinara sauce. Waitress and hostess were very nice. Easy casual vibe, easy to just stop by with a friend or even dine alone. Ramonatic window views of Salem Street and romantic Frank Sinatra music. Nice how its on Salem Street away from Hanover which felt like a tourist trap. read more

Amazing amazing amazing I would give this 10 stars if I could. I have celiac and finding safe food is hard enough let alone mouth watering food. The food here is mouthwatering. The Gnocchi was incredible, great gf garlic bread and the service was excellent. Server was very friendly and knowledgeable. I am not local but travel a lot to Boston and our server made us feel like a regular. I can't wait to go again read more

Benevento's - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

4.5 stars for deceptively delicious gluten-free pasta. 4 stars for enormous portions at reasonable prices. 4 stars for complimentary limoncello. 3 stars for atmosphere (since when is football ambient noise for dinner on a friday night?) read more

Took the family here for a late lunch... Everything was really good... From the pizza the kids shared, the fresh antipasto salad, my wife got the eggplant parm - she said it could have been a little more crispy...but was still quite good, I got the chicken Saltambuca...It was very tasty...and the portions were large...I am a pig - but still had to bring some home because I was full-that rarely happens! I also read a lot of reviews that say the service isnt so great....we had no problems at all...we were seated right away and our server was great and we had our waters refilled frequently...we will definately go here again on our next trip to the north end! read more

Benevento's - Chicken Saltambuca - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Decided to try this relatively new place one very hot night this week. In all fairness to the restaurant, I was more interested in a cold glass of white wine than I was in eating due to the heat. But my companion and I were not disappointed on either count..food or drink. It's a long narrow restaurant that feels to me more like a bar. There are TVs everywhere and music playing so the overall din was a bit high. There is nonetheless a little bit of old-world charm to this place in some of the touches like the woodwork and the tin ceiling..faux or real, I'm not sure...but I thought it looked nice. We each had a glass of white wine served in cute glasses as opposed to wine stems. I liked that as it reminded me of my Italian grandfather who used to drink his (home-made) wine in a juice glass. We then shared a salad of mixed greens with goat cheese and figs. I want to know why oh why they used dried figs in this salad! This was a travesty when luscious, fabulous, FRESH figs are available right now!!. There is a world of difference between a dried and fresh fig and this salad demands fresh ones. The salad would have been a winner otherwise. We then shared a pizza of ricotta, caramelized onions, and grilled eggplant. It was really delicious made especially so by the really creamy ricotta. Yum. The salad, wine and pizza (with 2 slices leftover) only set us back 45 dollars with tip. I'm not sure I'd come here for more than pizza and salad because of the loud bar-like feel. It's not a place conducive to talking and lingering. But we enjoyed our simple dinner. Our waitress by the way whose name I sadly didn't get, was great...kind, helpful and good at what she does. Thank you lovely wait person with the short black hair! read more

Great restaurant that stands out in the midst of the North End, which is bursting with Italian restaurants. They are generous with their wine pours, make some really good vodka sauce and clam linguine, and the service is fast and friendly. The ambiance is a bit confusing, as it's decorated like a nice Italian place but has a bunch of TVs showing the news, but it doesn't take away too much from the experience. read more

For a long time, I resisted going inside Benevento's. It wasn't for any particular reason, except for the fact that this is the space Trani® Brands In-Ject-ibles® used to occupy. As someone who had stuffed his face with more Walnufs®, Shy Guys®, Bust-Outs®, and other Trani® Brand injectible ice-cream-cum-porno-named delectables, it was tough for me to understand how such an unbelievable concept had failed. And yes: I did consider suicide by Tranoli®. You don't even want me to get into explaining how. To cross into the premises of Benevento's felt like entering the mauseleum of an old, dear friend and ordering a pizza to go. Now that's just wrong. And cold. And evil. Unless...Unless what? Unless the pizza totally kicks ass. Which is absolutely does at Benevento's. I haven't ordered anything else at Benevento's besides Pepperoni Pizza. And why would I? It's perfect. Crust is perfect. Sauce is perfect. Pepperoni is perfect. I'm sure they do other stuff to this pizza that I can't possibly comprehend, and that's all perfect, too. Somehow, the pizza is light but at the same time substantial. It's the right size too. Not huge, but not too small. It's almost as though Plato, when he imagined the perfect circle, the perfect square, and the perfect triangle, could have included the Benevento's pizza in his list of perfect, too. If you're really hungry, you could probably house one of these pizzas on your own. But if you're slightly hungry, and your buddy is slightly hungry, it's big enough to share. How could the pizza both satisfy one or two people? My conclusion is that somehow, Benevento's pizzas access the fourth dimension and can simultaneously expand and contract, and may be able to travel through time. As far as these other Yelpers discussing atmosphere, service, pasta, salad, whatever else, I can't speak to that. You guys can get into a salad debate, or a fig debate, or a service debate. But what you can't get into here is a pizza debate. Because the pizza here is IT. I have to finish this review because I'm flying out tonight on a Hercules C-150 with 20,000 Beneveto's Pizzas to drop on Iraq, The Occupied Territories, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Florida's Gulf Coast. Expect world peace and harmonic convergence by Saturday morning. read more

The BEST gnocci i have ever had. Make sure to get a reservation and ask for upstairs, busy busy place but worth it. Cheaper of the options in the North End. Pizza was good also as well as the tortellini bolognese. read more

Benevento's - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

If you have food allergies or sensitivities, DO NOT GO HERE. I went with family and friends today and explained that I'm allergic to both gluten and dairy. I asked if the bruschetta appetizer could be made gluten free, she said yes, and she brought it to the table (only one, so not easy to confuse). She brought one that looked like real bread. She assured me it was not. I had some and my husband was worried it was regular bread. I ordered gluten free dairy free pizza and when it arrived I took a bite and was sure it had mozzarella. She assured me it did not but I ask she check with the chef anyway. I have been dairy free for 10+ years and get very sick with just a bite. She came back and told me that it WAS mozzarella. Oops. O, and sorry, but my appetizer was NOT GLUTEN FREE! So, I told the waitress I was allergic to dairy and gluten, and she served me bread and cheese. They sent a replacement pizza that came after everyone at the table was done eating. I spoke to the manager mostly to explain the dangers of not being careful about food allergies-luckily I won't go into shock but will spend the whole weekend pretty ill. I did not tell her that I am four months pregnant, so it's just going to add to the nausea and stomach discomfort. She offered me a $20 gift card and complained that the waitress was new. WHY WOULD I WANT A $20 gift card?! Like I'm ever going back! I've lived with food allergies for years and have never been so disappointed, upset and sick from a restaurant. Do not go here if you have allergies. It's not worth the risk. read more

Updated review - just applause. Man I love this place. The food is just SO good. We grabbed a seat at the bar to wait for our table and Annette was super friendly about updating us on the status of our table. The owner's sister was behind the bar, and I never felt so welcomed to a place. We are from out of town, and I felt like a regular because of the family feel in this restaurant. You can tell the staff is family because they extend the warmth right to you. We got to watch the open kitchen from our perch at the bar, and it really enhanced our eating experience. Spotless clean, chefs like linebackers moving through a magically choreographed ballet. These guys moved through their stations and made each dish look better than the last as they flew through their tickets. Fresh pies sliding and turning in and out of the pizza oven by a master of his craft. Sunday gravy hitting the fresh pasta out of the pot into the skillets. Just made us hunger for the food even more. I made a wimp move and ate same thing as the last time I was here. I had dreamt about it all year. It was just that good. The pasta carbonara, a side order of a meatball and a sausage. None better. Creamy fresh pasta and sauce, meatball umami ball floating in the sauce, and the sausage was so satisfying. Not too fatty or overwhelming just full of flavor. Again the table service made us feel so welcome, never have I had warmer service at any restaurant. My son ordered the pizza, it was as amazing as it had looked going in and out of that flaming oven. I sure wish we lived closer, and will have to invent a reason to go to Boston, the real reason will be to return here. read more

NICOLE. My goodness. She's the definition of a wonderful server. She helped us with every recommendation, within the restaurant and in Boston. We are traveling from California and told us all the ins and out of this historic city. Thank you for the amazing service and all the recommendations! We love it! read more

Living in the North End, this is my go-to for all occasions. The menu here has everything you would want in an Italian restaurant and for the right price. I wouldn't call it cheap but the price-quality ratio is the best around. All I can say is make sure to order the vodka sauce with the homemade fusilli and chicken and thank me later. read more

I LOVE this place. I live in the North End and it's one of the few restaurants in the North End where I don't feel like I'm overpaying for the quality of the food/drinks. The food is consistently great and very inexpensive. They also give you a great amount of bread which is always good in my book! You can get a carafe or 1/2 carafe of the house wine at a very low price. I recently went with a friend and we split a 1/2 carafe of wine (4 glasses so 2 each) and 2 appetizers and we paid about $18 each including 20% tip! It was so nice to not feel like you're breaking the bank. Definitely recommend!!!! read more

This is the first place I've ever been to that makes totally homemade pasta (barring gnocchi of course). Usually it's just a few "deluxe" items on the menu. It was incredibly delicious and has that special "chew" from being freshly made. Seats were comfortable, waitress was attentive. Prices are middling but then the value is in the huuuuge portions that they serve. A $16 pasta could easily be 2 meals! I'll be back for beer and pasta! (oh boy that does not sound healthy!) read more

This place was amazing!! We had awesome service and it was off the beaten path so it was not so touristy. We were looking for a get a local place to kind of get away from the main stream and we found it. Our friends made reservations here and we had the best time. The food is to die for and the wine was delicious. Definitely check this place out when you have a craving for good Italian! read more

A little bit off the beaten path but worth it Place is small and you may miss it Food is great we order pizza which is their specialty Perfection crust was not flat bread nor was it thick No burning despite using brick oven Also had pasta and meatballs again great was excited to have doggie bag Wifey had anti pasta and raves about the home made vinegrette I would go again and prices were reasonable read more

I will start off by saying I hated our waitress. Why? Because she was a cute brunette my brother adored who annoyed me by referring to me as "cowgirl" when there happened to be one slice remaining of the pizza I ordered. Perhaps she had a been dipping in the bath salts or something, but she neglected to realize that perhaps the other 3 people at my table had eaten some of it. Leaving that wonderful moment out of the evening, the food was awesome. Pizza was a great thin crust with caramlized onions and a few other veggies, can't quite remember. Mom had stuffed eggplant, and although she was a little drunk did say it was the best things she'd eaten. My boyfriend was happy they had some steel cut beer on tap, and loved his food too. My brother, a sour puss for the earlier part of the evening, even perked up there. Mostly because of the dumb waitress, but he was happy all the same. If you go and eat all your food, you risk an insult, but if you don't go you risk not having some of the best food in the north end! Also, this place is owned and connected to Al Dente next door. We like to come here for drinks while waiting for our table because they let you take them into Al Dente when the table is ready. read more

I'm on a quest to re-discover the North End this summer. I'm starting on Salem Street. With that in mind, I pulled up a barstool at Benevento's after being invited by the hostess outside. (This seems to be a common thing nowadays in the North End off Hanover Street - hostesses standing outside the door and inviting people in when they stop to read the menu.) The bar has about nine or ten seats, but it feels very small. There's plenty of music in the background, mostly a mix of classic rock. (No Italian instrumental music like at some other places.) The service is friendly, and what's neat is that you can see all the prep work since there's an open kitchen. There are several TVs strategically positioned so that you can keep an eye on the Sox game if that's your thing. The bathroom was nice for a small-restaurant restroom. I ordered the bolognese with their homemade gnocchi, and a house salad on the side. The salad was fresh and started the meal off well. Then came the entree. I thought that the quality of the ground beef was fine, but the sauce was really so-so. It didn't have much of a spice kick to it at all, so I added a little bit of red pepper flake to make up for that. The gnocchi itself was somewhat chewy (as another reviewer mentioned). It was a decent entree, but it was by no means a memorable meal. I'll probably come back here in the future for another meal, but I might try one of their other offerings. Prices are reasonable for the North End, given that a few neighboring restaurants were charging several dollars more for similar items. It's nice to get off Hanover Street once in a while for more "local" flavor, and this place was good, but it's probably not the absolute best that the North End has to offer. read more

I met up with a friend for dinner this evening. Torn between pizza and really excellent nachos, we decided to go for pizza, and headed in the direction of the North End. It wasn't too crowded, but not so empty that we felt like we were the only ones there. The service was excellent, and our server was very attentive. We each ordered a glass of Cavit Riesling. Great choice! I love Riesling, but I've found that I like some brands better than others. This one is a keeper. We eyed the tables around us, and saw that the pizzas were on the small side, so we sprang for an appetizer as well. We got the spinach crepes, which were 2 tiny pillows of spinach and ricotta cheese. They looked tiny, but they were so full of flavor, that one piece each was plenty! For our pizza, we got the Victoria (Shrimp Scampi pizza) It was probably about a 12'' pie, so we each got 4 slices. At the end of the night, we paid $24 each, which I thought was a really good deal. I think I've found a new favorite North End restaurant! read more

On Saturday 11/26/2011 my family and I waited over 30 minutes outside and then followed the host through to the back of the restaurant, through some curtains and down their basement steps where there were about 6-8 tables. I had a perfect view of a mop and pail in their facility room. The room had curtains that were supposed to hide the view but the staff was not diligent in closing them during their numerous visits to the facility room. And I can't forget to mention that their (apparently) only bathroom was located about 10 feet from our table! The foot traffic to visit the basement bathroom was a turn-off. This setting was substandard but we were hungry and didn't have the energy or inclination to make a comment. The food and service was OK. Our waitress failed to mention any specials and we only realized that there were specials after hearing the waitress mention specials to another group that was later seated in the basement. If you feel compelled go to this restaurant, make sure that you are NOT SEATED IN THEIR BASEMENT. This setting was less than desirable for anyone to have an enjoyable meal and the restaurant should be embarrassed that they even attempt to seat patrons there. read more

Awesome food and courteous bar staff = great time!!! Go in and ask for Amy. read more

If you want to wait outside for 40 minutes after your reservation time, then another 20 minutes for a half cooked pizza topped with "mixed greens" aka salad mix they took from the fridge and put on the pizza after it was "cooked", then go here. If not, then go to the other places in the North End. read more

The service was great from our server. The food was okay but although yelp said they were open until 11 they only serve pizza after 9:30pm thank goodness our server got in some appetizers. Then they started playing country music (I hate country music) I politely asked if they could mix up the music but the owner was there and he liked it so they refused to mix it up. So rude!! read more

Delicious , gnocchis ufff with bolognese omgvery nice place, i went with my family and they loved everything

Our go to favorite spot in the North End. Food is beyond delicious, staff always helpful and professional. Highly recommend.

My friends and I were roaming about the North End on a weeknight and came upon Benevento's after being told that the wait for their sister restaurant next door was 30 minutes. Prices here are definitely cheap for the North End, and the food is actually quite good in terms of quantity and quality. My friends got the Eggplant Parm, the butternut squash raviolis and I think the pasta bolognese. Prices of these three entrees were all in the $10-$19 range and the portions were very large, enough for 2 meals for sure. I'm guessing their dishes considering that my friend who got the parm devoured the plate and my other 2 friends boxed theirs up for lunch the next day. I ordered the lobster ravioli (app size) which I think was $10, and a side of meatballs (came with 2 large meatballs) which I think was about $3-$5. The lobster raviolis were meaty and I could definitely taste the lobster in there, not like in some other restaurants that offer the same. The meatballs were also pretty good and came in a pool of marinara. The portions of these 2 combined, again, were quite large and definitely enough for 2 meals. If you're thinking about getting the lobster ravioli app to share, you could easily share it between 4 people and each get 2 raviolis each as some pre-entree noshing. The biggest flaw I would say that this place has is the service. It just felt extremely awkward. It wasn't rude, or snooty, or inattentive as our waters were kept full and they asked us several times how the meal was, it was just weird and borderline disingenuous. My entire party left with the feeling that the food was good but the service was definitely awkward. Would I be back? Sure, if I was in the area. read more

Outstanding food and service always!! Our favorite restaurant in the North End of Boston!!

Best Italian food I have ever had period! Wow. We were visiting the city and stopped by this place because they have gluten free options. What a meal! We are still talking about it. I had the chicken parm on a bed of homemade pasta and it was fire!! highly recommend! read more

Best Italian meal I've had in years. We had the gnocchi and ravioli and savored every bite.

Fantastic gluten-free options in the North End...It REALLY IS possible!! Food is fantastic (GF and non-GF), as is the service. A BIG winner...especially the pasta w/ vodka sauce! read more

On recent trip to Boston, Benevento was the first stop upon arriving into town. After wandering around the North End for a while, we ended up here. After a check of yelp and confirming a good rating, we decided on lunch here. It was pretty empty when we were there; there was maybe 1-2 other tables there, and we received really good service throughout our meal. I had a glass of house red wine with my meal; which included the sautéed calamari and lobster ravioli The calamari here was unlike anything I've had before it was sautéed really nicely and served in a spicy marinara sauce. I thought that was a great format; as opposed to the fried calamari that I'm used to. The lobster ravioli was equally great, and I loved the sauce it was served with. At the end of our meal, we were given lemoncello shots on the house. What a nice surprise! Overall, a totally authentic Italian experience with great service in the heart of North End. read more

I've ordered food to-go several times now. Clearly, this place has made an impression on me which has been worthy of return visits. Their pizza is great! I've tried a few kinds and have enjoyed them all, although I'm partial to the "Lil Joey". I think they must brush some sort of garlic butter on the crust of all the pizzas to give it a really nice flavor. The pasta dishes are equally as delicious. They come as huge portions and are inexpensive. Standard Italian dishes to choose from. read more

Just OK Italian food. Nothing really wrong, but nothing blew me away either. The bread on the brushchetta could have been better. Probably off the Cisco truck or similar. Wine was served in strange mini beer glasses. Don't think its too much to ask for an Italian joint to have actual wine glasses. If I could do it over again (I can!) I would probably have ordered a pizza rather than the pasta. They looked quite good. read more

Never got past the host with the clipboard. Shitty attitude. Don't bother with this one. read more

This was my second time eat in in at Beneventos. Our first experience was decent. Thr eggplant rollatini was delicious amd the Allagash on tap was what drew us in. My entire opinion of the place changed last night. After a long day at work we wandered outside our apartment and finally decided on beneventos. We were seated at 9:50 and knew exactly what we wanted to order. The table next to us placed their order and the waitress disappeared. She then got to our table at 10pm and told us the kitchen was closed and they were only serving pizza. When she said the same to the table next to us, the three grown women whined and one reminded the waitress that she one the cook and POOF the kitchen was opened for them and them only. We ordered a vodka pizza. She came back and told us they were out of prosciutto. Fine.....we will take it without the prosciutto. Five minutes later she comes back to tell us their vodka sauce is cold and we cant have a vodka pizza. NO PROBLEM. ....we ordered the benevento. 20 minutes pass and she comes over with a cheese pizza telling us it is "Just like the benevento and someone else had taken our pizza". The benevento had caramelized onions, eggplant and ricotta. This was a cheese pizza. At this point, defeated and starving, we ate it. Our check came and we were overcharged. Nothing was removed from the bill as an apology for the terrible service which was fine, but at least charge us for the plain pizza we got. All the while while eating our food I noticed the bartender eating watermelon with her hands behind the bar, and the host drinking at the bar. It is a shame because the pizza is actually very good. My advice....order takeout from them or go somewhere else where they actually care. read more

Authentic North End Italian restaurant. Amazing gluten free options-pasta and pizza! I got the North Ender pizza (pictured). It was delicious! read more

Benevento's - Gluten free North Ender - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Two things you expect at any restaurant: Good food and good service. For Benevento's, serving good food depends on what you are ordering and their service is without doubt--awful! I dined there with my friends last night. Not only was I served the wrong pasta, but was told the kitchen is closed so nothing could be done about it. On complaining, I was first questioned if I ordered the right pasta, which my friends confirmed I did. The waitress showed up 10 minutes later offering to serve pizza instead of the vodka sauce pasta I first ordered. Anyway, the pizza took forever to arrive and the waitress didn't have a sense of guilt so as to take the pizza of our bill. All I got was an apology coming out of a deadpan face. Oh, by the way, the pizza didn't taste out of the world or anything. P.S When you order wine, be prepared to get served in weird looking short beer glasses. read more

Was looking to experience little Italy on my weekend trip to Boston and stopped by Benevento's to do just that! Cute little classic Italian restaurant with relatively friendly staff and an nice menu to choose from. Not a huge fan of the super dim lighting and loud music for a 12pm lunch, but the delicious homemade pasta with bolognese sauce made up for it!! If your looking for a casual, quick, authentic Italian eat- this is a great option! read more