What a great family restaurant this is ! From the beginning you come in till the moment you leave you feel yourself really as a guest. Being with a big group (14 persons with a small kid) it appears that is not a problem at all. On a wonderfull patio you feel good in a fast moment. The hostess was very kind and patient and had great advices about the food. Unbelievable how quite it can be on a patio at the Eliot Road. We absolutely. come back an other time. read more

Went here the other night with some coworkers after work. It was a nice day so we sat out on the patio. I was afraid that since we were close to the road that it would be distracting but they had a fountain outside which drowned out the sound of traffic and was actually quite pleasant. The waiter started us off with some bread with a sun-dried tomato aioli. I really liked that! We ordered the bruschetta which was probably my favorite part of dinner. It had balsamic vinaigrette on the bread and there was a but of a spicy kick to the tomatoes, I enjoyed it. For the main dish I got the agnolotti boa, which was mushroom ravioli in a tomato cream sauce. It was okay, just not impressive. read more

Over the top ratings but quality of food is nothing spectacular! Run of the mill super XL portions suave is loaded with cheese and a cream based sauce and veggies but not much flavor! And this was their most popular pasta ! Calamari with marinara sauce was ok. Just another Italian restaurant . Not worth going back ! read more

We went here for dessert last night and it was delicious! The butter cake lived up the it's reputation. Can't wait to go back for dinner next time. read more

Caffe Boa - Butter cake was delish! - Italian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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We were actually going to eat next door at Sanaka(sp?) but the wait was too long so we decided to pop in to look at their menu. From the outside Caffe Boa looks like a dingy maybe mom and pop type restaurant, but the inside was a different story. Very cute and romantic place. We opt to sit inside since it was a little cold outside. They had live music with a gentleman playing acoustics outside too. It was loud so if you want to talk, ask to sit inside. Next, the food -- we ordered two of their specials - the clams with linguini and blacken salmon, the bow tie pasta, and their lasagna. They gave very large portions and I like that they use expensive ingredients. For example, the bow tie pasta I asked for shrimp instead of chicken and they were colossal shrimps. They were very generous with the clams too. My favorite was the blacken salmon. The jalapeño sauce was to die for! I also really liked their mix veggies with the salmon. It was hearty - they had carrots, brussels sprouts, green beans, onions, asparagus, bell peppers, and broccoli. YUM! The basmati rice that came with it was also delicious and tastes really good with the jalapeño sauce. Only bad thing was our server, who also was the bartender forgot our bread and silverware and we needed to ask another server (this Asian girl), who was SUPER nice. Almost wished she was our server because our server seemed a bit overwhelmed even though he didn't have many tables and one couple at the bar. Overall, good team work because where our server lacked the other people made up for. Even the busser towards the end was very attentive and cleared our plates promptly multiple times. Will be back whenever when we come back into town. read more

The food was pretty tasty. Beef mediallions, ravoli, etc. The service lacked something to be desired though. Took forever to get bread for the table and waters. No nice greeting with a smile. Too crowded. Servers were moving tables around and bumping into my table & chair. It's was over-priced. Not sure it's worth it to go again. read more

Outstanding food and service. We had a party of 8 And the staff was so accommodating. Each of us ordered a different entree from the filet mignon to the gnocchi. Very generous portions. Everyone walked away happy and full. Bravo! read more

Really wanted to give this place another chance but was again completely disappointed. We ordered Voodoo Penne and Boa Bowtie with gluten substitute. The bowtie came out with just peppers, onions and chicken. When I asked about the other vegetables listed, the waitress told me that they had a big catering order that probably used all the vegetables. Well, I think I should have been told that when I ordered because I certainly would have made another selection. I know she was making this up because my husbands Voodoo Penne had asparagus, and artichoke hearts on his pasta but none on mine. She told me she would check with the kitchen but she never reported anything back to us. Also I ordered a glass of wine at 5:45 and asked if we could still get it at the happy hour price. Happy hour is over at six. She said no problem. But that didn't happen either. I was charged 12.00 for a glass of Chianti. This restaurant is in my neighborhood and we love to give locals our business, but every time I go here, there is some issue with our order. We love the live music but this place really needs to focus on delivering what is on the menu. read more

Cafe Boa has a delicious collection of dishes, some with strong or spicy flavors, others more finely tuned and nuanced. I was struck by how extremely fresh their cheeses and other ingredients were. It is a perfect atmosphere for romantic dinners or lunches with friends I always get the Shrimp Adriatica before my meal. One odd note: their menu recently removed the titles of items, which increases the difficulty in ordering somewhat. I knew some of the names of things, as did our waiter, but when I ordered by reciting the description of my selection both he and I kind of rolled our eyes at the ridiculousness of the situation. Also, if you're there on a Friday or Saturday night, and you elect to sit on the patio, know that at 9pm the nightclub upstairs and across the parking lot will begin to blast you with music. It probably wouldn't be so bad except that the music Cafe Boa plays is quite noticeably good. read more

Very Nice Atmosphere, As Far As The Food The Only I Had So Far Was The Shrimp Bisque It Was Good Not Great But Good. But I Will Go Back To Try A Few Other Things read more

Caffe Boa - Homemade Shrimp Bisque - Italian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Been there for Mother's Day dinner. Love the patio and the atmosphere. I had the blackened salmon dish from specials and it easvery good, cooked just right on a rice bed and sautred veggies. The staff is always friendly and the food is really good. read more

Caffe Boa - Italian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Just left Caffe Boa. We chose to go there because the web site advertises happy hour until 6:30. We had already ordered two glasses of wine prior to 6, then right at 6:00 we ordered two appetizers that were suppose to be 1/2 off during happy hour. We were informed, "sorry, happy hour ended at 6 and they are now full price." I said, really, your website advertised happy hour until 6:30. Waiter said sorry, too late, it ends at 6. Suprise, happy hour ends at 6, not 6:30 as advertised. And it was straight up 6:00 on the dot - really? So, dissapointed we still went ahead and ordered entrees for dinner. Food was excellent, and ambience nice. But, bill came. Shocked by prices and that the wine ordered during happy hour was not at happy hour prices, but full price. Paid bill, but waiter probaby was not happy with tip. False advertisement. Not customer friendly. Good bye. read more

Oh--nope. No need to go here if you want. There are other things to go to. Flavors are normal. The wine is almost always available. They'll be happy to take your purchase. Go if you need to. read more

Reserved a table for 11 but our party emerged to 13. They accommodated us immediately as the restaurant was really slow. Food was excellent but service was horrible, waitress was rude and management was unconcerned with our concerns. 9 people were done eating before 4 even got their food. We were there 90+ minutes and not once were our water glasses refilled, if we needed a cocktail we had to flag down the waitress. Great product but the service caused a dark, unpleasant shadow on the entire evening. We (as well as the other 11) will never visit this place again. read more

I have to say I had one of the best meals in my life here. I ordered the sunfish which was the special of the day. Everything was cooked to perfection. I was totally impressed! read more

We ate on their beautiful patio, the food was delicious, and we had a very attentive server.

Don't go here, it's that simple. I made a reservation on Tuesday for the upcoming Sunday, my wife's birthday. I'm booked on-line, and received a confirmation. We were called at 4:45 on Sunday, an hour and 15 min prior to our reservation, and informed that our table was no longer available due to a private party booking. Seriously, an hour and 15min prior to our reservation. I called back and spoke to the manager, she expressed her apologies, even said she could squeeze us in, with the private party of a bunch of kids, but that was it. We have been going to Cafe Boa for over 15 yrs, and have heard recently that they were closing. We wanted to throw them some business, but after this, we're done with Cafe Boa, we'll never go back......ever. We're part of a group of 3-4 couples that eat out every month to 6 weeks, and Cafe Boa was on our list of favorites, but no more. We got a reservation at Va Bene for 6:00, had a great meal, and enjoyed ourselves in spite of the treatment by Cafe Boa. The treatment of faithful customers by this place does not warrant our support. I'd give Cafe Boa 0 stars if I could. read more

Very good pasta, and excellent bread with some amazing yogurt dip. Outstanding coffee (Folger's?). Good service. A bit pricey, but the quality is there. I could eat there weekly, actually. Good for any romantic date, too (my date was happy). read more

Could not even give this establishment a complete try. We went in for an early dinner. Yes, we were greeted by a host / server / bartender. When I stated we had never been here before, the reply was a tad sarcastic being "We've been here 22 years.". Well, then why not SELL your establishment and tell us about your Happy Hour Specials / Drink Specials / Soup of the Day / Dinner Specials etc. etc. Nothing on the menu stood out as something to try. Especially if the staff can't be bothered to suggest their best sellers. Won't be going back. read more

Awesome service. Friendly staff! They had a large party in there and the people at the party were very abusive and the manager handled it with class. The staff remained calm and got the food out smiling the whole time . A+ read more

I just had a memorial together in 3 days for my good friend and held it at Caffe Boa. Scott and Jamie did an outstanding job of helping me put together this very memorable event. We had 135 people to out party on 4-26-18 and their staff, service and food quality was excellent. They also provide live music guitarist that set the the mood. My favorite restaurant in Ahwatukee. read more

Hi, I came to Tempe from out of town and happened upon Caffe Boa. WOW. I wanted everything on the menu, but being solo, I didn't have anyone to share with. I got my choices down to Mushroom Risotto and Mussels. The waitress talked to the chef and he made, from scratch, a Mussels Risotto dish that was out of this world. While waiting I enjoyed 3 oz glasses of wine from their wine list. I urge you to give this place a try. read more

Eh. Decent wine, decent food. I enjoyed our trip there, but thought the pricing was a bit much for just "okay" food. May be back, may not. Cute little place but there a lot of those with better pricing. read more

Food always good, never great. My big complaint is that the menu items have been the same since 1995. Very nice employees. Service always good and very friendly. read more

I am writing this review as I work my way through this dinning experience. I have enjoyed Cafe Boa in the past, but it has been years. So far we are off to a good start. The restaurant is decorated in soothing colors, clean and relaxing. The server is very nice and knowledgeable about the menu. Wild Salmon with Basmati Rice and sautéed veggies sounds great. Thanks! Uh oooh! The tea is weak on tea on heavy on hibiscus or jasmine or dandelion, whatever they flavor it with. Oh, and did I mention it's empty...... and they aren't terribly busy and I'm sitting at the bar. Tick-tock, Tick-tock...for as long as this is taking I'm concerned that my Salmon will be over cooked. It's not that busy people. Tick-tock, Tick-tock...the wait staff must sense it, because they are leaning half way through the kitchen window looking for food. I guess this is why they have a decent beer and wine selection, gotta keep you happy during the wait. Too bad I'm only drinking iced tea. Tick-tock, Tick-tock...as I sit and watch larger tables that came in after me being served their food. It's Salmon not rocket science. The Salmon is a beautiful piece of fish and nearly perfectly cooked. The fish is great but I'm confused on where the chef was going with this dish. It has a "corn relish" on top that is really just corn. It all sits on top of a bed of rice and veggies. The veggies are nicely cooked but they have a Asian flavor that doesn't match the rest of the dish. Well, I was going to rate it a 3 star until I got my bill and saw they charged me $19.95 for that dish. Definitely not worth it. Hi all, The owners response to my original review is below. I did reply back to him directly, but I don't think it will be shown to all so I am adding my response here.Enjoy the reading. Dear Scott, Really Scott? "Tea was full at all times, never empty as you stated" You want to call me a liar? Not a good plan for salvaging relationships with potential customers. Trust me when I say it was empty....I know. "we understand that you were by yourself" This means there is only one dish to focus on, it's easy. "the ticket time on the Grilled Salmon was not unreasonable" If this is the case then why was the waiter appologizing for it and why were other tables of 3 people receiving their food before me? If the ticket time was appropriate in your judgement then it is likely that either the server failed to submit the order in a timely manner or you have a IT/ticketing system issue. "Your dish, as you stated, was perfectly cooked" Yes the salmon was perfectly cooked and it was a georgeous pice of fish, but beyond the Salmon there was little flavor and what flavors there were, they did not blend together to make a satisfying dish. It was for this reason that the price was unreasonable. It was not a good dish. "Perfect service and not even a 15% gratuity, really?" Ohhh, I'm sorry you must have missed the part about the empty iced tea, long wait, other more complex orders for a larger group of people coming out before mine, a main dish that the flavors didn't blend well and ice tea that I didn't like. I am a tipper that over gives and you have to work hard to get less than 20%. That tip was an earned tip plus a generous donation considering the experience. Your response has helped solidify my 2 star rating of Cafe Boa. Gary S. Hi all, One last update from me. I thought you might be interested in seeing the private note that the owner of Cafe Boa sent to me as a response to my last posting. Cheers, Gary S. From: Scott R. Owner To: Gary S. "I apologize for my following tone, but your response warrants the following: My response isnt to make you change your rating, it really doesnt matter to me, most normal people know when some reviews are legit and reasonable and some are just ridiculous and silly. We have thrived for 16+ years, no thanks to people like you. The fact of the matter is that your experience was Flawless, we serviced you with perfection,.. you were just looking to trash our establishment. Most of your comments above arent worth responding to, they are so silly. We served you in a timely manner, albeit not as fast as you wanted, a high quality meal with friendly service and in return you sit there at our Bar during your entire meal, typing on Yelp any flaw you could find, wow, kinda sad, really. If you are a food critic, ok then I would understand, otherwise, get a life. We will be here for another 16+ years, you can count on that." Hi all, Dear Scott R., Using my full name in your public reponse is yet more proof of your poor ethical standards. So all reading please be aware that if Scott R. doesn't take well to your critical feedback that he will take your name from your credit card receipt and try to smear you online. Good luck Scott! Gary S. Gary S. read more

I enjoy the food and the atmosphere here but the service is on and off. Some visits, we are served with a friendly face and efficient attitude, but I've also been for lunch and felt completely forgotten about, even though we were one of two tables in the restaurant. However, I am going to take it as an off-day and won't hold it against them! I really enjoy their salads and pastas. Everything is hearty and homey. It's a welcoming environment for the suburbia-ville area! read more

I live in the local community and love Boa. First & foremost, Scott the owner is there most nights and creates an inviting and connected space for his patrons. The knowledgeable staff are good looking, friendly and always anticipating our needs. The outside patio is lovely with the ambient lights and live music. The bar has been remodeled as of recent and the new chef is fabulous! I highly recommend this restaurant for food, drinks, wine list and local residents. read more

The only thing I miss about living in Phoenix is that I can no longer frequent Caffe Boa. You just can't go wrong here. The food is outstanding. Don't let the strip mall fool you. This place is a gem. read more

I am going to gush about this place....sorry...I might go overboard, sue me. I absolutely love Caffe Boa. This is NOT associated with the one on Mill. Please disregard them when comparing the two. Its apples and oranges. This site does not get barely enough pub, which is truly a damn shame. Well, lets change that! ~Fud/Drink~ I have attended here a couple times. Each time, the food has been exquisite. No other way to put it. Their take on European-American values along with their blended emphasis on using local and sustainable foods, they do it perfectly. Last time we went was for Valentines Day 2012, and I had the Seared Ahi Tuna. It is hard to explain how beautiful the flavors were in this dish. They crashed in my mouth and unleashed flavors I haven't tasted in many years. I tried a bit of my fiance's beef dish, and was floored at the tenderness and flavor as well. The management tends to include many new options from time to time, so when you stop in after a while, expect to see new options that taste great. The wines here are paired perfectly for the foods on the menu. They also place such a fine emphasis on sustainability with their wines, by the way. They have a wide variety as you would expect. The owner makes sure to keep up with his stock and changes it up from time to time in turn with his menu. Finally, everyone loves the different desserts on the menu, its just not my thing. But from everything I have heard, they are just as good as the dishes that you just ate. The chef here has perfected the more elegant sides of a Euro-American dish, it is such a pleasure to eat here. ~Atmosphere/Service~ Sterling S. is spot on with the ambiance. I say awesome too much in my reviews, so he said it more me. Tucked inside of this small venue is a beautiful room and patio which is intimate and inviting. I highly suggest this spot anytime you need to take your special someone out for a extra-special night. The waitstaff are also spot-on. I haven't had a single bad experience with anyone here. They treat you very well, and seem to have ESP...because they come back at the right time. If I have a question about something on our bill, they take the time to answer my Questions, and do not huff if I ask for help splitting a portion of the bill. As with any fine-dining establishment, they are highly knowledgeable of their menu, but they also keep a keen tab on the wines as well. Ask them for a good wine to pair your dish with, and they will have an answer. ~Extras/Rating~ I have a couple things to note. They do have mid-afternoon happy hour specials on food and drinks.They also have enough area on the patio outside to offer live music from time to time. The live music is always paired well with the quiet interior, and sets the mood well. Finally, they offer every few months a specific wine/food event, normally wine-related. They update their website from time to time for these events, but I suggest you call ahead of time to see what is going on that day/week and in the future. They get a 5 star rating because of the high quality food, enchanting service and ambiance, variety of events, and the general charm the site exudes. I can't think of a finer food establishment in Ahwatukee, its a gem. read more

Long-time fans of the Mill Ave location...we finally made it out to the original (I think this was the original, anyways). Overall, pretty darn good. The food is on par with the tempe location. The pastas were delicious - I really liked the Boa Bowtie pasta. Wines were solid and complimented the meal nicely. As with the Tempe location, the best part for us is always the Shrimp Adriatica appetizer. We could just eat a big bowl of that with bread. The sauce is amazing, the shrimp is well cooked. The only downside was that it was just regular french bread (or similar) - the tempe location has the fancier, tastier varieties of fresh baked bread. But the quality of shrimp and sauce was the same. Service was slow at first (we went late on a Sat night as they were slowing down), but was friendly, made great recommendations and were very helpful overall. By the end of the meal, I had forgotten about the slow start. Think we just walked in at an awkward time, which as I said, they really made up for by the end of the meal. Also, the warm butter cake was decadent. Maybe not as good as Mastro's butter cake, but it's on the way there. Really tasty, very fresh. I could have used some fresh whipped cream or a little vanilla ice cream to go with it, but that's a personal thing. On a side note - the Zinfandel they are currently offering (think it was like $6-7/glass) is fantastic. I was impressed at the quality compared to the price. We'll definitely be back. read more

Had dinner at Caffe Boa last night with the girls. It had been a while so I thought it was time for an update to the review. Not surprisingly, it is still a solid 5 stars. Of the six ladies at the table, every single one of us commented on how good our food was. I had the spicy rigatoni which I have to say is now my new favorite dish. The bruschetta was very tasty as always and I was pleased to see they now have a crostini made with brie that was amazing. Everyone found a wine that was to their liking and that plus the food plus the good weather made for a very relaxing evening on the patio. I of course had the Strawberry Basil martini and it was delicious as always. read more

This was my first visit and from the experience I will be back many more times. I had the special seared scallops in a leak cream sauce, melt in your mouth goodness. My husband had a more classic dish and it was just as good as mine. We got the bruschetta to start and it was flavorful and the bread was nice and crunch. The patio was a very nice surprise, you don't feel like you are in a strip mall. They have a decent wine selection and next time I am hoping to save room for desert. read more

It's a favorite of mine, my family and many of my friends. In all the years I've been going here I've yet to have a bad experience. Service has always been great and the food, oh the food :) It's one of the few places where I have a hard time deciding what to eat, every dish I've ordered has been great so while I stick with the usual at other places, at Caffe Boa I'm always excited to try something else. If I had to choose a favorite dish or something to recommend to newcomers, it's the pasta dishes, now which one is up to you! read more

Love Cafe Boa, took out of town friends to brag on it, yikes, epic fail. They ran out of bread, mixed up our order and the pasta putenesca tasted like tomato sauce with a couple of calmata olives, did not eat it. I'm hoping it was a bad day, going to give it one more try. read more

Great little find. Inside and outside dining options. For a starter I ordered the Calamari Insalata - very good (1/2 portion), For Dinner the Agnolotti Boa -Raviolis - Excellent, for dessert we shared the homemade Cannoli - PERFECTO! read more

I had dinner here several months ago and we were not pleased with the experience. Our biggest complaints were that we found a rubber band or some foreign object in the food and the service was bad. Someone from my party sent an email to the owner expressing her concerns and never received a response, so here's a Yelp review to say that we won't be back. read more

Waste of time. My wife and I had 7:00 PM reservations on the patio. The restaurant even called to confirm our reservation. We arrived at 6:45 PM and were told it would be a few minutes. We finally left at 7:45 PM because we had yet to be seated. What's the point of having a reservation if they don't save a table for you? Can't comment on the food, but with service so poor, we won't chance going back. read more

Just to clarify: this review is for the Elliot Rd. restaurant in Ahwatukee. The only way I can make sense of the glowing reviews here is to conclude that those diners don't get out much or they're friends with the owner. They also obviously really appreciate that the staff pays attention to regulars (who wouldn't?). However, in the past four years, I've eaten here probably a dozen times, and experience was such a let down that months would go by before my husband and I would say, "Eh, let's give it another shot." Okay, no more. Everything about this restaurant is consistently inconsistent. The service is friendly but inevitably the server screws up our order. The ingredients seem thoughtfully chosen but the preparation is way off (overcooked, undercooked, something left off of the plate, etc). One of our dishes may be really good and the other barely okay. Even the space is confused. Half of the dining room faces the bar, so diners are forced to deal with whatever game they have the giant TV tuned into. I don't know about everyone else, but I don't usually pay $75 for a bottle of wine at a sports bar. Which leads me to the wine. By the glass? Forget it. The offerings are no better than what you'd find at a nice pizza joint. Bottle offerings are pretty unforgettable, too, and I get the sense that the owner is counting on his patrons not realizing that they're paying too much for what they get. Much of the wine list looks like it's taken straight from the shelves at the local Fry's market. But why would I want to drink Rex Goliath, Rodney Strong, Bogle or even Lindeman's at a restaurant that bills itself as a "Euro-style bistro and wine bar"? It's true that the dining experiences in Ahwatukee are mostly limited to chain restaurants and modest mom-and-pop joints, so it's nice to see someone trying to up the ante. Now if only Caffe Boa would actually do so... One more note: I know there's an ongoing grudge between this restaurant and the Mill Ave. establishment of the same name. I'm familiar enough with both to say this: the Mill Ave. restaurant far exceeds this one in terms of ambiance, food and wine. Alas, it is also run by someone notorious for not treating his employees very well. I've never heard one bad thing about this Caffe Boa's management. read more

This is a small intimate restaurant, where the lighting is dim and music soothing. Perfect for my postponed Valentine's Day date night. I tried this place on Friday night. Thankfully I had called ahead and made reservations, because it was PACKED! The menu is limited but there were also 5-6 meat/seafood specials if you are not a pasta fan. Try the tiramisu for dessert, you will not be disappointed. Best part of the night was listening to the solo guitar player, who started at 7pm. Only downside of the evening was the drunk older women at the table next to mine who kept grabbing the waiters for a hug and then one of them knocked over and shattered her wine glass. Overall, the food was good, atmosphere was great (intimate + romantic). read more

Love Caffe Boa! The food, service and ambiance are impeccable! Family owned and operated businesses are the best! You can always feel it in the air and taste it in the food! My husband and I have been going here for years! Highly recommended!! read more