Homemade Pasta dishes 28 to 32 dollars…read more Give me a break Pasta is still very cheap to make Plus the size of his dishes

I am not a huge pasta eater BUT since visiting Boston and being turned on to Bistro 5's Spaghetti…read moreChittara, I have been obsessed! I have to travel to Boston on my annual pilgrimage to eat at Bistro 5! Not only is the food amazing, the service is top notch and they always make me feel so welcome. The last 2 times I've gone, they were serving specialty menus BUT when they find out I've traveled from Austin just to eat the Spaghetti Chittara, they have made the dish especially for me (plus an extra one to take home!) Our waiter this time was Aaron, originally from Austin! He was incredible and made a point by calling us by our names and going above and beyond!! The only problem I have (well, 2 problems) are that I can't get it in Austin and I can't figure out how to reverse engineer it so it makes for an expensive dinner counting the travel expenses but well worth it!!

We had dinner at Il Casale in Belmont after a long day of meetings. Our priority was a tall, cold…read morebeverage which, when paired with Italian, can make for a splendid end to the week. Our meetings were at Harvard Business School in Cambridge but finding parking on the other side of the river after 8 pm is an unenviable challenge. We let serendipity guide our search and we happened upon Il Casale in Belmont. Located in a 19th Century converted fire house, Il Casale has high ceilings and brick walls that create a spacious, open interior. Il Casale was busy and, though seated immediately, had to wait a bit for service - understandable on a Friday evening. We started with a 2019 Barone Cornacchia Casanova Montepulciano d'Abruzzo which is an organic, full-bodied red wine with strong nose and hints of black cherry with a spicy finish. We also had an extra dry Hendricks up that, alas, could not be served as a Gibson. The menu is extensive and features the usual cast of characters. The pasta is house made and perfectly al dente. We had the grilled salmon and the chicken parmigiana. Both were solid, if not spectacular. We finished with their version of olive oil cake which was actually very good. Served warm from the grill, the dessert was a very nice end to a pleasant meal. We recommend Il Casale for a well executed Italian dinner.

Just had dinner at the Lexington location and have to say after a few years it's gone downhill…read more Last time we were there the quality of ingredients was a much higher standard. This time we paid higher prices for lesser quality. I had the spaghetti alla vongole (spaghetti with clams) and it had a very metallic taste. Pasta was very dry, not a lot of broth or flavor. Salad left a little to be desired. Prices were high but expected given the current environment, but lack of quality was evident. And $14 for a side of broccoli?? Yikes. They can do better.

Great food and great service…read more We sat outside and it was really great. Waiter came out almost immediately and gave us our menus and took our drink orders. I ordered the Godfather pasta and got the side salad, which was yummy. The pasta was filled with sausage and mushrooms. The sauce on it was amazing. Everything was cooked perfectly. It was a great meal to end off a great day.

Mike's should not be 3 stars... no idea why it is. Is it the best food you ever had? No, of course…read morenot. It suits the need, which is a fast grab or cheap eats after a night out on the town. The pizza slice deal as of Jan 2026 is $4 for a slice and a soda. Where else can you get that? Lunch and a drink for under $5 is unheard of. The slices are also crisp when they come out- not soggy or limp. Don't expect gourmet or the best ambiance/service- it is what it is, but Mike's does it well.

This is the quintessential neighborhood Italian restaurant. Family-owned and operated, cooking…read moredelicious food with love and care. Outdoor dining was a hit during the pandemic, but inside is a perfect cozy Italian dinning vibe. If you're looking for good food, friendly staff, and a classic Italian dinning experience in Arlington, this is your place.

Yummy yummy pasta night!…read more My bf surprised me by bringing me to this nice and cozy Italian restaurant in Arlington heights on Saturday night. It wasn't too busy so we were lucky to get a table. They only have a few tables so making a reservation would be a good idea. Soon after we were seated people started showing up and the tables were starting to fill up. We were served complimentary bread and olive oil which was very good while we decided on our dish. They had a few specials that were not on the menu and sounded delicious but we decided to try their shrimp pasta and their chicken cacciatore. We also ordered the house Nina salad which had delicious pears and a light and tangy vinaigrette dressing. The waiter was very nice and I also think he was the cook since you could see into the kitchen and there were only two people behind the counter. Our pasta dishes came out nice and hot and we quickly devoured them. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the shrimp were nice and juicy and fully peeled. The shrimp pasta had a nice lemony and tangy flavor and there was plenty of sauce. The chicken cacciatore was also very good. The chicken was nice and tender and the pasta was super flavorful. They were even kind enough to bring us more bread so we could finish our sauces! We will definitely be back!

Great service, good food, and awesome place where you can feel relax! Fortunately, I lived in…read moreCalifornia, I will definitely return when I'm in town.

Cash only + BYOB! I was so excited to try this place because it looked incredibly authentic, and I…read morelove a good BYOB. There's no menu, so the waitresses walk you through the appetizers, entrees, desserts, and specials. I started with the shrimp special appetizer, which was good and came with huge pieces of shrimp. Unfortunately, the entrees were a bit disappointing. The eggplant parm was soggy, and the red sauce needed a little more flavor. The pork with vinegar, potatoes, and peppers, however, was phenomenal and definitely the standout dish of the meal. Overall, this place is very expensive. We expected it to be relatively inexpensive, but our three items came to $98. For how authentic and cozy the restaurant feels, I really wanted to love it more. I think I would have enjoyed the experience much more if the prices were more reasonable.

We just recently came here for dinner and I got the penne arriabata and the garlic bread. It was…read moredelicious and so affordable! The staff at the pasta stand was so nice but the bar tender was even friendlier. All in all, an awesome crew over there. It's a very causal vibe so you can definitely come here after a workout class or after work.

This place is tucked away by the The Graphic apartment building on the edge of Charlestown. It's…read morepart of the Foundation Kitchen food hall and shared kitchen space, and you heard it here first, it's only a matter of time until this place blows up. It's soooo delicious I can't believe more people aren't raving about it already!! First off the the food hall itself is really cute. It's pretty cozy with a handful of tables to dine in at, several food stalls, and a bar courtesy of Fermenta where you can grab a drink from their great beer, wine, and cocktail menu while you wait for your food. Rita's is the first stall you see when you walk in the space, and the smell is so intoxicating I knew that was my choice as soon as I walked in. While we were there chatting with the staff (including Rita herself) we learned that it's a family run business, and that they had a restaurant in Rome for years before coming to the U.S.--so you know the food is going to be delicious and authentic. There's lots of pastas, pizzas, and entrees to choose from. I thought the prices were fair and the portion sizes were huuuuge, so you'll definitely walk away with leftovers. We tried the Carbonara, which rivals or even exceeds anything you'll find in the North End, and the Cappricciosa pizza which was equally delicious and pretty unique. We finished it off with two cannolis to go, and those didn't disappoint either. Highly recommend this spot for dine in or take out--I think I'll be a regular myself before long!

Came in right when Porchfest was winding down, and this place was absolutely packed…read more Once I was able to get to the front of the line and placed my order of a few sandwiches, the woman at the counter warned me that it was going to be quite a wait and so that I should get comfortable. I honestly had no problem waiting because the rain outside was coming down pretty heavily and I needed a break from being on my feet all day. We were probably waiting for ~20-25 minutes, and so I went up to the counter to get a Diet Coke. I placed the order with the same woman, and then she asked me if I received my food yet, I said no, and she grabbed a Diet Coke and urged me to just take it for free. Afterwards, she followed me to my table where my partner and her co-worker were seated and asked if they wanted any drinks on the house because of the wait, and was apologizing profusely. The staff were absolutely hustling. They were yelling out names for completed orders, checking if those people were waiting outside, and circling the floor to check in on tables like mine. It was a brutal rush to work through and they managed it as best as they could. To top that off, the chicken parm was awesome - super juicy and the bread was delicious. I'm moving to the area in the next ~2 months, and this place will have me as a regular because of how they handled that night.

I ordered French toasts but it came without my strawberries topping!! I'm very disappointedread more

Consistently excellent food and service!! My favorite restaurant in the Boston area…read more If you go for a birthday, they put a very cool sparkler in your dessert. In the summer, it's great to sit outside and watch people on the bike path below. Just excellent.

It's a very cool restaurant tucked into a corner of Arlington. Really nice place. Happy crowd…read more nice ambiance.