Firstly I will admit I've eaten Italian food in their dining room and bar area years ago. This is my first review of any restaurant not that in person dining wasn't excellent I'm just not the person who does this. I ordered a NY Strip Steak through a delivery service and FINALLY found a good cut and a chef that knew how to treat it! it was SUPERB. Thank you for your obvious talent and I enjoyed that so very much! read more

We've lived in Wayland for years and regret taking so long to try The Villa. We decided to try it out during Musical Bingo. Our kids enjoyed a pepperoni & bacon pizza. We loved the Villa Haddock and the Parmigiana Combo. We also enjoyed our cocktails: a spicy margarita and a dark cherry Manhattan. Peggy provided excellent service. The vibe was cozy and clean. We'll be back soon and often! read more

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Our last experience here in February was delightful (good food and wonderful service) so we decided to head back. Big mistake - starting with the bartender's attitude from the very beginning. We said hello as she cleared the previous customer's plates. No response while leaving a bit of a mess on the bar. She returned with menus but left us hanging when it came to taking our order. Red flag. Then after a bit, she returned because she could not remember our order. The rest of our dining experience continued in this manner. When we gave her the credit card, she put it in her back pocket (luckily in our sight) and finally returned with the bill. The interest thing is that she was quite cordial to the keno players at the bar and appeared to be focused on them rather than the dining customers. Just an overall unpleasant night - I think the owners may want to re-train her. Is it that difficult to find a competent bartender?? Two stars because we enjoyed the food. read more

My son took his girlfriend here on Saturday for Valentines day and while we have been there many times in the past and always had good experiences, the waitress he had yesterday was rude and talked down to the kids and made them feel horrible. It was an experience that he will never repeat and his girlfriend was so upset she will never go back. People shouldn't judge kids just because they are younger, he tipped the 20% even though she didn't deserve it. read more

I love The Villa. The pizza, perfect. You have to try the buratta board, so special. At lunchtime, the "Son of a Peach" burger is delicious. I had lunch with a friend and I suggested she have that and she was so happy when she was eating it ...she said she would never have even considered ordering it unless I mentioned it. Try it, you'll be very happy. The onion rings are worth the trip alone. Fried clams...yum. And Tristan makes a mean Bloody Mary !! Since moving to Framingham, this has been my "go to" place to meet up with friends. Go......Diane read more

The Villa Restaurant - My birthday lunch. - Italian Near Me - Wayland, Massachusetts

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I've been coming here since I was a kid and it's still one of my favorite spots in town. The menu has changed a bit over the years, but the quality has always stayed the same -- consistently delicious! The chicken marsala is a personal favorite, the wedge salad and the braised beef & burrata with pappardelle are also fantastic! My son and husband love the Alfredo, my husband is a local chef and even gave it a shout out in an interview with the Boston Globe! I love that they've started doing weekly specials and fun events. Bingo and music trivia nights are my personal favorites! My mom and I love to bring my son and share a pizza while we play! Such a fun vibe and a great excuse to go out midweek. The staff is always so friendly and hardworking, and they really make you feel welcome every time. The Villa never disappoints! read more

The Villa Restaurant - Braised beef & burrata with pappardelle - Italian Near Me - Wayland, Massachusetts

I'm 73 years old and for 30 years I have traveled extensively in both North America and Europe (I was in sales). As you can imagine, I've eaten at a lot of restaurants. I'm here to tell you that in all those years I have NEVER been served such a wilted salad. The main dishes (eggplant parm and veal parm) looked as if they were plucked from someone else's plate and covered with mozzarella cheese to hide what was below. Your best bet will be to order the veggies. The mini cannolli's were stuffed with a nice filling (probably wasn't made there). The "long-timers" that sat at the bar were eating pizza. If you absolutely, positively have to eat here - have what they're having. read more

Shhhh... This place has GREAT pizza, but they're hiding it from you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ We drive past the Villa frequently and can't help but notice the parking lot is always full. So, a few months ago, we finally stopped in to try it. My partner ordered one of only four pizzas on the in-restaurant menu--a white pizza with spinach and artichokes. She loved it. I had the Veal Parm, one of my faves, and it was 'good.' I wouldn't rave about it, but I liked it just fine. A few months later, we noticed a big pizza painted on the side of the building and a new door/area exclusively for pizza pickup. This left us scratching our heads a little since they only had four pizzas on the menu. We decided to check it out. After speaking with our waitperson, we learned, 'Everyone knows you can order just about any pizza you want here!!!' Lol Of course, we ordered our two pizzas with our favorite toppings (unfortunately, we like very different pizza toppings, so we always have lots of leftovers). Now we know why they had to create a new space for pizza pickup. Our pizzas were fantastic! I had pepperoni, roasted red pepper, and onion. She had a white pizza again, with chicken and broccoli this time. Her son was with us this time and felt like having a burger. Following our lead, he asked the waitperson, 'Can I get a burger here?' And guess what? Burgers only appear on the lunch menu and not the dinner menu, even though you can order them at dinner. Once again, this was something 'Everyone knows.' Well, now we are in the know, and we'll be back!!! read more

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Pizza was awful every slice was a different size, we got 2 to go never Again gone down !!! read more

Knew of The Villa as my parents used to go there back in the day, but I never managed to get around to it. I read up that they had a change of ownership, with there being mixed reviews, however I decided to give it a shot. Went for the first time a couple weeks back with a friend of mine, and overall enjoyed the meal. My friend had the lasagna, which he felt was overly soupy, but not horrible. I had spaghetti with meat sauce and chicken. The portion was huge, leaving me enough to eat the next day for lunch. Don't consider myself a foodie, but I found it to be quite delicious, and definitely filling. Service was good, attentive and responsive. Our waitress took my concerns regarding my lactose intolerance seriously, and checked to make sure nothing I was eating had any milk in it. Overall a good experience, and will most likely include this in my rotation for takeout and dine in. read more

Great Italian-American food joint in Wayland. Came in on a Friday night at 6:15 and were promptly seated. Ordered the parmigiana combo and the fried eggplant appetizer and both hit the spot. We're seated in the bar area, but there's also a traditional seating area as well. Definitely recommend if you've got a hankering for American-style Italian food. read more

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My family and I have bern going to the Villa for years and everything I've had is mostly good, but this is just a review on tonight's takeout meal. Had the Lobster Ravioli and garlic bread. The bread is definitely a must have for your meal, and although not the best lobster ravioli I've ever had, it was very tasty and I liked the sauce, portion, and it was cooked well. read more

The Villa Restaurant - Lobster ravioli - Italian Near Me - Wayland, Massachusetts

I don't know why this restaurant only has 3 and a half stars. If we weren't from out of state this would be a regular spot for us. The place was clean, had a comfortable ambience, and the staff was friendly. Our server, Jacob, was very attentive We got the burrata platter, which was great. It came with the perfect amount of both sweet and salty toppings. We also got the beef and burrata and the pesto salmon. Both were amazing dishes. Even the sides were delicious! Didn't have to add a grain of salt or pepper to anything. For dessert, we had the limoncello cake which was moist and filling. Again, totally wish we could come back read more

Stopped in at the Villa for drinks with coworkers! We didn't get food but the bartender was easy going and the barstools were comfy :) They have a music player in there if you want to contribute to the vibes of the place but they manage it well themselves! I hope to visit again and get some pizza or a sandwich! read more

Note: This is our first visit since the change in ownership. We've been a few times previously and always enjoyed our visit. One of the draws to this place was Keno, and I'm sorry to report that it's gone. Finito. Gonzo. What the hell... That is all. read more

Dinner at the Villa is always great, and now I know it's also a great place for an excellent lunch. Food and service were fabulous. Lunch menu offers many options. Found out that they have Music Bingo and Trivia on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, I'll be back to check them out. read more

Well, we were on way to Franks steakhouse in Natick... decided the Villa on way by might be quicker dinner on errand to Home Depot. We used to eat there but last visits... we stopped as lousy Figured ; been many months, maybe place had gotten better . What a mistake and meal of disaster. Asked to sit bar tables as figured quicker... wrong Ordered the prime rib medium, garlic green beans, the maple butternut squash, and a beer. Wait 10 minutes til waitress approaches for order. She brought French bread and was fresh and boring. Beer never showed up, meal arrives from someone else without a steak knife... he says he'll get a knife? Any steakhouse always delivers a steak with a steak knife when delivered? Knife never shows, no waitress, a flat beer shows later. I taste the maple butternut squash... cold, mushy like reheated, no maple taste... just mush. The garlic green beans no garlic flavor, no Pepper or garlic flavors... again cold mushy overcooked and not grilled green beans... finished the Vegatables...finally I see waitress apologizing to next table as their pizza delivered was wrong...she assures to get a knife... still no knife? I see another waitress or some job supporting I ask her for a knife... knife arrives, now the 36 bucks prime rib was well done , tough as a boot I ask when knife arrived it any horseradish... she states she will ask? Never arrives.. prime rib dry as a winter boot with no juice, au jus or anything to moisten it to make it edible...finish eating ... waiting 15 minutes for check? Again waitress approached next table with a free desert to help them with wrong pizza. Finally brings check and a free desert to go for me for knife escapade... I wait 15 minutes to pay and get change to leave a tip wait ... I eat the desert while waiting.. No one Never comes back... I ask bartender to cash a twenty to pay the bill with my other money I get change and leave the payment on table ... Finally able to Leave and regret the entire visit If food was decent; could overlook the service mess as didn't appear staff was attentive ... a guy with black beard, a manager looking woman walked by without noticing anything amiss... My Frank's steakhouse last visit was a pleasant one with a tender prime rib and same price range? I don't see my return and will drive by on way to Franks .Waitress I don't blame, appeared over worked or no support? Free piece of Tiramisu was a try to smooth things over... but more wrong here than good read more

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THANK YOU for bringing KENO back!!!!!!!!!!! Good to great food, although a bit pricey now with the new owners. Still, having Keno back is worth it. read more

Always delicious! Amazing service, good food portions and the best staff in town. Gives a very family feel.

It was terrible !! Our waiter was not friendly and was not attentive, he had a baseball hat backwards which is very unprofessional. This was our first time here and probably our last. The food was horrible. The chicken Marsala was dry, bland and had no taste. The vegetables looked like they were taken from a garden compost wilted and inedible. It was such a waste of time and money. read more

My paents took me there, I brought my kids there, and have brought my 3 grandchildren there over the last 49 years. Cut to the chase, Chix parm okay, ordered linguie and got soggy fries. Ordered, what used to be great, Stuffed Haddock dinner. no veggies and worst of all, nasty old fish smell. On top of that, "stuffing" 8 glops of old cracker stuffing topped it all off. Will never go again. Too bad, it used to be a go to, now an avoid. read more

For me, the Villa is as old school as it gets. I still recall getting their meatball subs after my summer job in high school, and I'm now retired. So, the Villa holds lots of memories for me. Prior to Covid, the Villa experience was always 5 star, no question. I'm still going with that rating, in hopes that new ownership will not try to fix something that ain't broken. My most recent experience was with takeout sandwiches, so I don't really have a recent benchmark to compare with my 40+ years of pre-pandemic, sit-down full-meal visits. It is my fervent hope that this place will remain a source of red sauce deliciousness as they enter their next phase with their new owners. read more

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Should concentrate as much on the food & service as they do the advertising and promotion's. So disappointing.. just go with the Chicken Parm & beer. read more

It's been awhile since we've been to The Villa. The new ownership did a nice job remodeling the interior. But the food just doesn't measure up to what The Villa was known for over the years. We thought we'd give it a try last night. Walking in on a Sunday at 6 pm and noticing a lot of empty tables should have been a warning. But we went aheItad and sat down anyway. My wife ordered the flounder off the menu. She said the flounder itself was tasty but was dismayed that the green beans served with rice as a bed for the fish were not fresh - they appeared to be canned. I ordered the beef lasagna which had always been my go-to at The Villa. It really seemed lackluster and not up to par with the old Villa's lasagna. And to top it off, imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning with a splitting headache and unquenchable thirst ... signs of MSG being used to boost a dish's flavor. I tend to be fairly susceptible to MSG and just didn't expect it to be used in lasagna. We will not give The Villa another try. read more

The Villa has remodeled. The remodel was extensive and very nice in both the main dining room and bar area. Sometimes, when places remodel, the food changes. Menu has changed, but the food quality is still very high. As were the new prices....at first. Now the prices are marketable equivalents to other restaurants in the area. So I can't complain about the prices. The important thing is that the chicken parm is still amazing. Large enough portion for two, and they are used to splitting the order it bringing you an extra plate to divide it yourself. There are no strange looks from the waitstaff when you do that. Which is great on their part. The waitstaff has changed over in the past few years, but they are all friendly and attentive. I also recommend the Seafood Fra Diavolo. If you don't like spicy food, don't get this out ask them to back off on the heat. Delizioso. I highly recommend revisiting if you looked over this place or had written it off your favorite places. I am there about four times a month, and would not be going there with regulatory if it was disappointing in any aspect. read more

I have been a customer of The Villa for the past 30 years. The new owners have done a wonderful job updating the lounge area as well as the food and drinks menu. The lounge is up to date and the decor is lovely. TVs are many if you need one. We have had new menu items from the specials that have been amazing. Fresh and healthy. My favorite chicken parm is still on the menu but so nice to have lighter options. The blueberry mascarpone lemon cake was amazing! (which you can eat because your meal was healthy ;) Keep the new specials coming! Cheers! read more

The Villa Restaurant - Pan seared cod with cherry tomato and garlic confit over asparagus - Italian Near Me - Wayland, Massachusetts

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Last night my husband and I, and another couple, had dinner at the Villa. It was great! We had chicken cacciatore, salmon, swordfish and haddock piccata and we all liked what we ordered. I had the haddock and it was excellent. Our waiter, Brady, was friendly and very professional. It's not a fancy place and the booths are small but overall, we had a great experience. read more

My wife and I have been going to the Villa for over 30 years and it's always delicious! Last night we went and ordered Adele's antipasto salad, which was awesome as usual, and we ordered a pizza. We asked them to make a chopped clams and bacon pizza with a garlic wine sauce and pizza cheese. They had never made this before but they knocked it out of the park, definitely the best we have ever had. read more

The prices are much higher since the new owners took over. Salads were removed from from what used to come with the main course. (Still a packaged salad with watery Italian dressing.) The bread remains the cold, commercial kind. But the food, overall, is still about the same, the waitresses are generally friendly, the handicapped access is better, and the place is a a bit spiffier and cleaner than before. If they want to charge extra for salad, make it better. And get some real bread. Will be back anyway, but probably not as often. read more

Have been going to the Villa for 30 years. The bar area was a favorite place with comfortable booths and normal table and chairs new ownership screwed that up by installing high tables and high chairs which are extremely uncomfortable. One of the things that made it fun was having a KENO cashier. That is gone and one more reason to despise the new ownership. The food was not as good as it used to be and the place does not draw as many people as it used to. I know that the new ownership won't do anything to restore what was good about the place because the new ownership does not care. I don't know why the Manager chose to work as a restaurant manager. It is horrible what the did to such a beloved restaurant. I am mad that the old management sold this place to a chain type of management. Used to go there about once per week, they better change back or they will be out of business. read more

i had the Villa as a venue for a bridal shower and it was amazing! Guests were wowed by the selection of appetizers and entrees. The burrato board was delicious with the assortment of specialty pizzas to accompany the entrees. Kellie , Katie and Tristan were all very accommodating. I would recommend the Villa for functions and will use them again in the future. Thank you! M Straube read more

I shall start by saying that we have been dining at The Villa for over 30 or 40 years. Our family of five enjoyed the Villa at least once every two weeks or so. Then we were blessed to be able to take our grandchildren there also. We went after the new ownership took over and were so disappointed. The staff were lovely, the food severely lacking. Tonight we thought we would give it another try. Perhaps I judged to harshly. We picked it up to eat at home. We both ordered lasagna. I asked for creamy Italian dressing for the salad. I was informed it doesn't come with salad. Pay another 3 dollars. Alrighty. 2 side salads for $6.00. The salad was decent. The hubs pays for the to go food. He sees another charge $2.00 What is that for, he asks? a $2.00 boxing fee per order. Are you freaking kidding me? Had I been the one picking up the food, I would have left. Without the food. Well, Hubs came home with the food. We live 5 minutes away. the food was cold. The lasagna was the worst lasagna I have ever had. When I think of the amazing food our family has had at the Villa for dinner, both dine in and out, it makes me sad. This restaurant group, took this lovely home town gem, and ruined it. The man on the phone who took the order was lovely. I understand how expensive everything can be. Especially in the restaurant business. However, to raise prices, lower the quality of the food you serve, now charge for salad, charge to put said meal in a container, simply blew my mind. they don't even give you the tiny container of the fake cheese! This makes me sad. I think this is perhaps the third of fourth review I have written for Yelp. All the others were positive. My mother taught me ....if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. I had to make an exception in this case. read more

Here's something annoying: I ordered a couple of entrees for takeout and they added a two dollar "packaging fee". By that logic, they should charge a "dishwashing fee" when you eat on site! read more

The food has gone down since the new owners took over . We have been eating at this restaurant for many years and was always very good but know the food is poor and they have increased prices. The wait staff are still very good but they seem to be changing all the time! Don't mind paying the price for good quality but not for poor quality. Last week ordered a fried haddock and it was absolutely terrible and it was as very thin and dry ( about 1/4 inch thick) I didn't think they caught fish that thin . Sorry you have lost a faithful customer until they improve the quality . The restaurant is clean and friendly. read more

The best Italian around,Hands down. Our favorites are the chicken parm and ziti Alfredo. My family and I have been coming here for over 15 years. We live an hour away now,and still continue to make the trip ! EDIT:New ownership. Good food,smaller portions,higher prices and they DO NOT honor gift cards that were sold before changing ownership. Since the new owners of the restaurant chose to keep the same name, they felt they could benefit from the previous owners reputation and the loyalty of previous patrons. An email should have been sent out to warn people to use them by a certain date. Seems very unfair especially to loyal, long-term customers like ourselves. The manager didn't even care to comp something or anything to make it "right". read more

Cesar salad was not that great, sour and so average. Fried clams and scallops were well done. Tasty and satisfying. Service was very slow and disconnected; however place is clean and smells good. read more

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So good!! The food was delicious and service was excellent!! Has the best chicken parm!

Since the new management took over the food has gone downhill. The remodeling of the dining area was welcome as the old decor was far past it's day, and the service is still great, but great food is the primary reason people select a restaurant. The new management cannot expect to coast very long on the great history of the former ownership. Cutting corners is not appreciated, even for something as simple as real cream for the coffee. No decent restaurant makes patrons settle for artificial creamers. What is next? Margarine instead of butter? We may give the place one more try to see if it improves, but not too soon, as we were very disappointed. read more

Service and ambiance was not good. The staff seemed overwhelmed and was not attentive. Food arrived very slow thus part of the order was cold while other items were quite hot. It was simply not up to par and a major disappointment as this was not an unusual occurrence. The last time the servers were fighting. This was expected to be relaxing night not a major disappointment - not again read more

Service was lacking! Certainly management needs to take the blame. Good training is something that seems, to us, very plain. Seated then waited , and waiting, and waited, til even the water began to complain. Insane! Yet the food is responsible for any stars to appear, for the stuffed shells got rave reviews once escaped from the snare. Kid's pizza was fine for a kid to dine; lasagna was good, for Italian it should! Caesar's lettuce was 'wilty' like wood hiding under grilled salmon that was very good. Will pass next time to a place that checks under the hood. read more

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