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Giacomo's
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
431 Columbus Ave(between Braddock Park & Holyoke St)
Boston, MA 02116
Neighbourhood: Back Bay
(617) 536-5723
- Nearest Transit:
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Dartmouth St @ Appleton St (10, 170)
Tremont St @ Pembroke St (43)
Tremont St @ W Brookline St (43)
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
A wonderfully crafted 3-course menu for only $39! A wide & delicious selection of appetizers, entrees, and desserts from the regular menu.
323 reviews for Giacomo's
Review Highlights
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"I had the butternut squash ravioli and it was awesome." In 46 reviews -
"The Fra Diavolo sauce is the best." In 17 reviews -
"I always get the pumpkin tortellini and it is amazing." In 23 reviews
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323 reviews in English
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Review from Jarrett G.
Grand Forks, ND
2/12/2012 2 photos
Everything you read here about Giacomo's is spot on.
Don't be surprised to see a line in front of the restaurant as many people are willing to brave it out in any weather to get a seat inside. The food is excellent as well as the prices for North End seafood restaurants. Highly recommend this small but unique restaurant if you're willing to wait. -
Review from Anne C.
5/23/2012
Delicious fresh pasta-- love it! I lived around the corner from this place and it was so great to have a real North End Italian restaurant tucked into a quiet South End location. Great stuffed pastas-- specifically the pumpkin tortellini and the lobster ravioli were some of our favorites.
The only downside about this place (and maybe/hopefully it has changed since our last visit) is that they don't accept credit cards. Both sketchy and inconvenient, but the food is ultimately worth a trip back! -
Review from Jade R.
Boston, MA
Updated - 5/3/2012
I just can't say no to the pumpkin tortellini... (they almost, ALMOST persuaded me to have the special, a mushroom pesto ravioli... but but but I'm just so addicted to the pumpkin). I have a great tip though, it comes with WAY TOO MUCH SAUCE, so this time, I asked for it to be "light on sauce" and it was definitely more enjoyable! I think next time I may even ask for sauce on the side/marinara sauce instead (their marinara sauce is remarkable).
My mom got the chicken piccata, it was alright -- I just feel that if you're going to come here, you have to get something with pasta, something slathered in sauce, something with cheese....
and of course the wine, you can't beat the price!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/16/2012
I love this place with a passion. It's by far one of my favorite italian places in boston. It's… Read more »
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Review from Cami F.
Boston, MA
4/24/2012
Giacomos in the south end has a very cozy feel, minus the crowds or Hanover street but still has a great quality of food! I've loved everything I have tried there- there was one seafood pasta dish that was just amazing! The place is decorated with scenes of italy all over the walls, exposed brick and an open kitchen- really cute!
Since the space is small, I definitely encourage making a reservation, you might have to wait but its definitely worth it! -
Review from Max G.
Needham Heights, MA
4/23/2012
OK. So I hate downgrating this fantasic restaurant. The food here is 5 star. Myself and my girlfriend came here for our anniversary with a 8:00 pm reservation. We were running a few minutes late, so we called to inform the restaurant. We arrived around 8:20 and checked in with the hostess. She said they were cleaning our table and should be ready in about 10 minutes.
We were trying to be understanding because the restaurant was swamped. We allowed 30 minutes to go by, and then I talked to the hostess one more time. I explained that this was our anniversary, we had a reservation, and the hostess said 10 minutes, and it had been 30. The hostess apologized to me and said she "doesn't have a time clock as to when people would get up." She also assured me that we were the next 2 to be seated. The hostess was acting very "sketchy". Every few minutes she would walk away from her post and walk into a dark alley. Maybe she was having a cigarette on the job, I'm not sure.
Another half an hour alapsed and the hostess finally comes out and yells, "Russo, party of 2". Russo isn't my last name, and the hostess had said we were the next 2. So basically, she was lying to me. I went up to her and once again explained that it was our anniversary, and we had a 8:00 reservation and it was now 9:00. She explained to me that they were extremely busy. I asked her what the point of making a reservation if they weren't going to honor it, and she said "you should ask the owners about that, not me."'
At this point, people waiting outside were getting frustrated too. The hostess was calling out random people out of order, and wasn't sticking to the order of which people had arrived. Finally, we were deciding to leave, and the valet stopped us.
The valet who was one of the nicest people I have ever met, said for us to wait. He would talk to the hostess. He went up to the hostess, and explained our situation. At this point, I could head the hostess badtalking myself and girlfriend. The valet came back and said we would be seated in a few. 9:45 p.m., an hour and fourty-five minutes after our reservation, we were seated.
Once inside, we were treated very respectfully, and the food was fantastic. Don't get me wrong, I love this place. I will definatley come back soon. I am sure I will edit this review once that happens. The hostess needs to leave asap. Sorry, but she needs to go. She doesn't understand the simple logic of how restaurants are suppose to be run, and how people should be treated. Overall, a pretty bad experience. -
Review from Danny C.
Chicago, IL
4/18/2012
During my visit to Boston, I had a dream one night of fried calamari. Next thing I know, I woke up chewing my pillow. I then recall my friend recommending Giacomos, so I googled and made a reservation. My group arrived half an hour early but the place was so packed, they weren't ready for us yet. It was also a very small place so We waited around outside for 45 minutes before they were ready to seat us. I immediately ordered a large plate of fried calamari, and it was probably the best I ever had (much better than the pillow too). It was tasty, fried to perfection, and not tough at all.
For the entree, I ordered the half lobster with mussels and clams. The plate was much larger than I imagined. It was very good too, but I think I enjoyed the calamari a lot more. I did have some difficulty eating the lobster, but that's really my fault because I'm used to having everything cut into pieces like at a Chinese restaurant. After fiddling around with the cracker and lobster for a while, I managed to finish my meal. It was messy but I liked it overall. I was still craving something though because I had skipped lunch. So I ordered some kind of chocolate truffle ball for dessert and it was very good too.
We struck up some conversation with the table next to us, and they were surprised by how much I could eat. It was a very friendly atmosphere over there. When the check came, I was surprised that they didn't accept credit cards and that it was cash only. Luckily though, I carried more than enough for my trip and didn't have any problems. I would definitely come back here again, even if it's just for the calamari. It wasn't very pricey either. -
Review from Joanna C.
Irvine, CA
5/8/2012
This is my preferred location. I'd recommend this South End location over the North End establishment if you're looking to get away from the tourists and just want a good meal. If anything, I usually bring my out-of-town guests here instead.
The food is delicious and comparable to the North End location. However, the wait to get in is considerably less than North End, AND they take reservations! (Which I believe is the best part.) Service is always friendly. If you're not with a large group, I'd recommend sitting up at the bar; there is a very attentive and helpful waiter/barman (?) who takes the time to provide you the "extras".
Recommendations:
Calamari: fried to perfection with a jalapeno kick
Frutti di Mare: everything that's good about the sea is in here (shrimp, scallops, calamari, clams and mussels) on top of linguine, stick with the Giacomo sauce (lobster broth-based). OR, try the FraComo which is a blend of the house Giacomo sauce with Fra Diavolo (gives it an extra kick)
Butternut Squash Ravioli: sweet, creamy pillows of YUM with asparagus. The proscuitto mascarpone sauce is a perfect complement.
Lobster Special for 2 aka Zuppa di Pesce : it can feed a family of 4, basically the Frutti di Mare times 2 with lobster on top
Try it all with their birra italiana.
Parking is also easier. It's quieter in this neighborhood, and just a short walk from the Pru/Copley. -
Review from carolina w.
El Segundo, CA
5/7/2012
I went to dinner there on Saturday night with my friends. I was visiting Boston and my friends said this place was a "must" visit. We waited a total of 50 minutes in line, and got seated around 7pm. The wait was worth it.
I ordered the house salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing ($4) as a starter... and the chicken parmesan ($14) as my main entree... and both were amazing. We ordered a bottle of wine ($17, not too bad)... For 4 people, with appetizers, entrees and our bottle of wine our bill was $95.
Great portions, cool atmosphere and worth the hype. -
Review from Olivia R.
Boston, MA
5/6/2012
Take a look at the line out in front around dinnertime: it goes down the street and around the corner. This is not without reason. The menu is relatively small, but I think anyone could find something to eat there. Pretty much whatever you order comes with your choice of sauce; I got the Fra Diavolo, which is a slight spicy, tomato-based lobster sauce. Amazing. Let me say that again: amazing.
Tiny, intimate tables, delicious bread to start off with, and very romantic setting. Make sure to bring cash to pay, but if you forget there is an ATM right across the street. Try to get there early to avoid the crazy lines - but it's worth the wait! -
Review from ava c.
San Francisco, CA
4/20/2012
Solid Italian comfort food. Calamari appetizer is nice and crispy, I liked the deep fried jalapenos that was a nice touch. The butternut squash ravioli is good but a bit overwhelmingly sweet and heavy after a few bites. The tagliatelle pasta with stewed pork ragu (I believe it was off the daily special menu) was excellent. I am usually not a fan of red sauces but this won me over and was perhaps my favorite of the meal here.
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Review from Wayne L.
La Jolla, CA
4/14/2012
I remember waiting in line in light rain.. and wondering if this place was going to live up to the hype. Thankfully, it did. Best pasta I've had - I particularly recommend the Fra Diavolo linguine with shrimp... so damn tasty.
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Review from L R.
Trumansburg, NY
4/13/2012
We were staying nearby for a conference and found Giacomo's via Yelp. We called to make reservations, but the line was busy, so we just walked over. We ended up waiting about 40 minutes for a table, but it was Thursday at around 8, so it was probably to be expected. The maitre d' was a really efficient and chill guy: he was upfront about the wait time, and appeared to be juggling the reservations and walk-ups of about 20 people at once.
It was worth the wait!
We started with a large ceasar salad and small antipasto. The croutons on the ceasar were a revelation, as was the delicious aged provolone in the antipasto. The bread and olive oil were good: the oil was especially fruity.
We got a very pleasant bottle of chianti.
I had the butternut squash ravioli - it was delicious, tender, and thoughtfully studded with asparagus and proscuitto. If I were to go back, I think I would go for something a little more savory... the smells from the other tables were outstanding. Husband got the linguine with shrimp fra diavolo, and he loved it!
We finished with fernet branca (pefetto!) and tiramisu. Husband doesn't usually like desserts, but ate half.
It was loud, crowded, and we had to wait, but in the final analysis, that was not unappealing. Our waiter was great, everyone in there was happy, and we left feeling full of pleasure for $100 cash. -
Review from Steve B.
12/29/2011
I would say that Giacomo's is A-OK.
The princess and I came in last week with friends before heading over to Holiday Pops. They take reservations, which is a plus, and we didnt have any trouble making them the day before for a Monday night. We got there and were seated promptly (actually, princess and friends were seated promptly while I circled for a parking space...which is where I knock off the first star: If you want to do business in the South End (this is not back bay, despite what the description says), then free, or almost free valet is something you need to offer. Almost all of the on-street parking in the area is resident only after work hours, and there isnt a garage in walking distance. Its a cost of doing business, and $12 or $14 valet is ridiculous.
After finding a parking space, I then had to go find an ATM, because they dont take credit/debit, and guess what? They dont have an ATM on site. Seriously? Its 2011. Nobody under 40 carries cash. If you want to cheat on your taxes and do cash only, fine, but have an ATM under the same roof.
I FINALLY made it inside, and was pleasantly surprised that while small, the place was not overcrowded. My dining companions were already seated, so I saddled up and perused the menu before our waiter came over to take our drink orders and tell is about the specials. I opted for a caesar salad to start, and the black pepper linguine with bay scallops and shrimp in a cream sauce. The Caesar was fine, except there were no anchovies, despite my asking specifically for extra anchovies (womp womp). The pasta dish was excellent. The pasta wasnt house made, but it was still very tender but firm, the seafood was cooked well (tiny rock shrimp rather than regular 12-15 count shrimp), even the normally rubbery and easily overcooked bay scallops were not overdone and gave the dish great sweetness. The cream sauce was also great, and not overwhelmingly heavy like some cream sauces tend to be.
With our dinner, we had a bottle of the house Pinot Grigio ($16) which was a great bang for the buck.
Between the 4 of us, we got out of there for about $120, including tip. Where else can that happen downtown?
I think Giacomo's needs to do a little fine-tuning with convenience factors like valet and the cash only/ATM thing, but the food is on point. Service was friendly, though I must say I was a little bothered by my lack of anchovies, but besides that our waiter was good. I'll probably be back sooner rather than later. -
Review from Andi Z.
Brookline, MA
Updated - 12/21/2011
Over the last 6 years Ive been here several times. I truly despise sit down restaurants that are cash only but something needs to be said for the modest pricing that hasnt changed since my first visit way back when.
The seafood specials over linguine are still 14 to 20 and the 20 comes with half a lobster. Its not skimpy on the seafood nor the linguine; you could comfortably split this. A small caesar is anything but, splittable once again and only 5. Wine is 16 and up.
The caesar is refreshing but lacks a little bit of anchovy funk. The fried calamari is mediocre and eating that with the broccoli rabe app, which is a bit better, gave me the feeling that pickled jalapenos were ubiquitos.
The seafood is delicious though, particularly the giacomo sauce. Mussels, clams, its all good, but definitely get it with the giacomo sauce. Its a red but very light on the tomato. You will smell the lobster and seafoodiness as it comes to your table, and it makes for a perfect plate of pasta.
If it werent for how crowded and loud this place always is, I'd give it a much higher rating and come more often.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/25/2008
This is always the place I go when I want to feel like I'm splurging when I'm poor. Most of the… Read more »
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Review from Greg C.
Boston, MA
3/20/2012
Although the temperature inside was a bit warm and stuffy, I thought the food was great.
For the food alone, I would recommend this location. -
Review from Andrew T.
Roslindale, MA
1/1/2012
Giacamo's has always been my favorite place to eat in the North End. You'll almost always see a line of people waiting in the cold, stretching to the end of the block, in front of Giacamo's, and for good reason.
The atmosphere is excellent. A tiny, hole in the wall with exposed kitchen and brick walls.
The menu is excellent, and fun to use, e.g., you can choose your pasta, sauce, and type of fish and create your own dish.
My absolute favorite is the scallops and shrimp with broccoli in garlic cream sauce. It truly doesn't get any better. The fried calamari is also excellent, as is the special with salmon and vodka sauce.
Perhaps my favorite thing about Giacamo's is that you can get the whole experience for a VERY reasonable price. $16 bottles of wine, $7 apps, and entrees around $15 makes for the perfect night out in the North End, if you're willing to wait. -
Review from Sara M.
11/19/2011 4 Check-ins Here
This place is just as good as the North End location - but they take reservations and have valet. Oh yeah.
Husby and I solely go to this one to avoid the long lines. It's a regular in our restaurant rotation since I can't get enough of the mixed seafood with linguine in a fra diavolo sauce. I don't know how they balance the heat, sweet, acidity, and lusciousness perfectly with succulent seafood and al dente pasta. It's pretty f-ing amazing.
Husby loves the shrimp and scallops in Giacomo sauce. We also like to share the calamari if we are feeling especially hungry, which has a great springy chewiness that is never rubbery. I generally cannot finish my plate of pasta (large portions) but every time Husby can't stop himself and complains of the food being too delicious. I like the cute Chinese take-out containers and the leftovers heat well.
In addition, the bread and olive oil is fresh and fragrant, respectively. They have $16 bottles of wine that are decent. The waitstaff is seasoned and 95% of the time pleasant but always efficient.
Cash only but it won't break the bank. -
Review from john v.
Watertown, MA
12/23/2011
Little, intimate, crowded. That is about the only bad thing I could say about it. It was FANTASTIC. The Mrs and I did a Date night there and everything from the Valet Parking, the Wine, to the the rightly sized portions in the meals was perfectly priced. It's the first time I think I ate in boston going soup to nutz for under $100.
Service was friendly and quick, food fantastic, not even that loud for how close it was in there..
Reservations are a must, as is bringing cash. -
Review from Jean C.
11/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was in town visiting my sister and the only request I had was to eat at Giacomo's. I had my first experience at the North End location and since this place takes reservations, I got to try this one as well.
We had reservations for 8pm but they were a bit behind. We waited outside and was seated about 15 minutes after 8pm. The hostess was gracious so waiting wasn't a problem. My sister and I knew we were going to order the Zuppa di Pesce. We had been planning on it for a while.
This glorious plate serves two but should feed more like four. It is a platter full of mussels, calamari, clams, scallops, shrimp and two lobster halves over linguine with our choice of fra diavolo sauce. This dish is to die for. Seriously. Everyone in the place followed that plate right to our table. The seafood was cooked well, the lobster decadent (and messy) and the sauce heavenly. I'm already dying for another taste. Prices are beyond reasonable for the amount of food you get. Bottles of wine are $16! You can't beat that!
Any visit to Boston will always include a visit here. Definitely a great place for a delicious meal. -
Review from Diana V.
Huntington Beach, CA
1/2/2012
Discovered this place by accident walking around Boston searching for dinner while on vacation. It seemed cramped inside but the food was Oh-so-good.
The seafood was abundant, as we noticed with most of the restaurants in Boston; they were NOT cheap with their seafood!
Quiet, intimate place, with very good prices. We went back here the following day and saw a movie being filmed with Mila Kunis and director Seth McFarlane! So we got a bonus-experienced delicious food while star-gazing!
Pro: Great prices/food/service
Con: cash only...reminds me of most Asian restaurants in California; I felt immediately at home! -
Review from Pop A.
Irvine, CA
12/6/2011
When I came to visit Boston I visited this spot.
The only reason why it got 4 stars is because of how cramp this place was but aside from that being crowded obviously meant a good thing. Unfortunately I'm claustrophobic :/
Anyhow I ordered the most memorable& amazing dish ever!.. The butternut squash ravioli! Wow!! To die for. An unexpected delight after dealing with the cold snow outside. It made my tummy happy!! Not to mention their wine list wasn't too pretentious or overwhelming. Easy to chose from a it didn't break our wallets to order a bottle. The butternut squash was so good I can't even remember what the boy ordered hehe.
Sucks when I crave it because it would take me a 5 1/2 hour flight to get there :/
But if you are on the north end of Boston be sure to visit this spot :) -
Review from Vivian C.
11/11/2011 5 photos
The fact that this location of Giacomo's in the South End takes reservations is a definite bonus over the original North End site. My dc also commented that this one was larger. It was a manageable walk from the Copley T stop, and it offers valet parking, so with or without a car, you're good. But it is cash only - just saying.
They started us off with a partially sliced portion of a rustic crusty loaf served at room temperature with a bowl of parmesan and the olive oil on the table. I really liked our server who started off by offering to stabilize our rocky table. Speaking of which, the tables are too close to one another to allow for a private, or even a comfortable conversation - I had to strain to hear my friend's words at times.
Fried calamari came in large or small. We went for the smaller at $7 since we figured we still had the two entrees coming. Good idea! We didn't even finish it. It was mostly fat tender rings with a few legs thrown in. It wasn't oily, but it wasn't crispy either. More tender/chewy, if you like that sort of thing. It was okay... acceptable. The peppers were fried up too, with the green being the spicier of the two colors.
I finally got to try their butternut squash ravioli $15, which definitely was NOT a disappointment. It arrived 9 pieces to an order enrobed in a creamy tasty sauce we ate up with the bread, and sprinkled with tender bits of asparagus. Too rich and sweet to eat all on its own; fortunately we shared both entrees. The other was the frutti di mare (mussels,calamari,clams,scallops and shrimp) $19. There were two good sized scallops and shrimps (no tails... some folks have issues with shells being still on, but not me) apiece, 4-5 each clams and mussels, a handful of calamari rings, and plenty of pasta - tasty but just a tad overcooked. Pasta is cheap, so it is good when a restaurant doesn't skimp on that. And I enjoyed the Giacomo sauce on it (lobster based red with a touch of bechamel).
I gave the dessert menu a quick perusal. The choices were $6.50 apiece, but honestly, we were much too full.
If you want dinner and a show, or to just have a good view during a solo meal, they have 6 stools overlooking their open kitchen. -
Review from JEM C.
Malden, MA
11/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is one of those places that everyone talks about and then you go and are inevitablly disapoointed. It wasnt bad, but Ive had better Italian in the north end and north of the city. I wouldnt come back here, nor would I say its everything the other yelpers found.
That being said, it has valet and takes reservations, even for a large party (which is quite nice). -
Review from Mitch W.
11/6/2011 12 photos
On our last night in Boston, we wanted Italian and since this Giacomo's location took reservations we decided to eat at this location!
Once we arrived at the restaurant, we used Giacomo's valet service. It costs $12.00 and we thought it was interesting that the valet guy doesn't provide you with a claim ticket. You could also park on the street, but there aren't too many spaces.
Once inside, we sat down right away and looked at all the excellent looking food that was on the tables near us. Lots of dishes looked delicious!
I had the shrimp and scallops with linguine in red sauce ($16). You can pick between four sauces and I choose the red. My friend had the clams and mussels in the pesto sauce ($16). Before the entree comes, the restaurant serves your warm bread, which was excellent as well. My dish was excellent, the shrimp and scallops were fresh and cooked perfectly. The linguine was slightly al dente and I couldn't have enjoyed my food any more.
If you're craving italian food, give Giacomo's a try. You'll love the mom and pop feel (seats about 40 people max) of the restaurant and the friendly, efficient service. The restaurant is quite dark, so I had a hard time taking pictures (without a flash).
We were too full to try their dessert.
Xie Xie!! -
Review from Maggie P.
San Luis Obispo, CA
9/15/2011
Oh what? Lobster ravioli with garlic sauce-- marry me!
Food. 5. Freaking 5! Deliciousness. The aforementioned dish was the flavor explosion I was looking for. Lovely Italian style bread, too. Though what is up with the pre-dressed salad?
Atmosphere. 4. Yeah, it is small. Yeah, it is loud. Perfect place to go for a clandestine discussion about inappropriate things. No one will hear you. Just lean in close. Then it also becomes romantic. Speaking of romance, the joint though having the above mentioned flaws is really quite charming because of it's size. It reminds me of low-ceilinged restaurants I visited in Florence (Firenze to those in-the-know). I like to put a positive spin on things.
Service. 4. I can't go right up to a 5, because I only went in to pick up take out. The gentleman that got things ready for me was very kind indeed.
Those things said, this is a very popular joint. There is a reason why every seat was full in the house in the prime time dinner hour when I visited. Make a stop when it is less busy or pick up a meal and your mouth will be so happy you did.Listed in: Boston or bust
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Review from Phil H.
Boston, MA
10/10/2011
What else to say that hasn't been said?
Giacomo's is probably the best value of any restaurant in Boston. Visited with three other people, ordered two appetizers, four entrees, two desserts and a continuous stream of beverages and it came to under $120. And the portions are enormous. I think part of the reason it's so cheap is that they don't log any of the orders and the waiters simply try to remember everything after you're done. Thankfully, we came out on the favorable side of the guesswork.
Definitely a lot more casual than other upscale Italian places - you'll notice right away when you're thrown a can of beer instead of a bottle or draft. But that's what makes Giacomo's so great. -
Review from Mark S.
Updated - 10/25/2011
Still my favorite restaurant. Went this past Saturday night and it was awesome. Service was great as always. We had some young guy with a beard this time. I ordered one of the specials - goat cheese ravioli with light cream sage sauce, cherries, duck confit......there was a bunch of other stuff too but I forgot. I was too busy inhaling my plate. It was ridiculous.
A similar restaurant in Providence would charge 3x as much and be half as good. 3 salads, 4 entrees, 2 bottles of wine was $134.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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4/11/2011
Went again this past weekend. I love this place! I ordered one of the specials which was Fusilli… Read more »
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Review from Jennifer K.
San Francisco, CA
1/28/2012
i wanted some italian food while we were in boston so i thought i'd try out giacomo's. i opted for the one in back bay since the one in north end seemed to have more waiting time and really i didn't want to wait for an hour + in 20 degree weather.
took the t, walked a couple of blocks and got seated upon entering with tables to spare. ordered:
calamari (good but not amazing, the calamari was chewier than i've had)
caesar salad (fantastic dressing - some oozy creamy savory flavor - mmm)
butternut squash ravioli (really good and i tried it bc of the reviews but it's probably not something i'd eat again. i'm not into sweet entrees - i'm more of a salty girl)
gnocchi (pillows of deliciousness, soft, fluffy rectangular pods of yum. obvs this was my favorite dish)
everything was very good. service was normal and overall it was a nice dinner.
the bill came out to about $60 for 2 (it's cash only so just make sure you bring enough $$)
if i'm ever back in beantown, i'd come back to try some of the other fare available on the menu. -
Review from Jean Y.
Giacomo's. You know Puccini's first name is Giacomo, I said.
Dinner was kinda family reunion for us, two people leaving Boston the next day, we, staying till Saturday.
Our reservation was at 7:30PM. Could see waiting line, from far.
Giacomo's is quite small place with nice paintings on the wall and wine bottles, here and there
A bit of orange color lights inviting us. We got kinda mafia table.
A large table separated from other tables. Great!
Wine was excellent. Food was more than excellent.
So we came back to have more of Giacomo's menu while we're in Boston.
This time we got 5:45PM reservation.
That was the only time we could get.
Zuppe di peche was just unbelievable!
We want to come back here again, again.. that kind of restaurant is the Giacomo's.
Definitely recommending anybody visits Boston.
By the way, waiters were very friendly. Our waiter looked like one of the REM guy, with his bold hair and all... -
Review from Gabe A.
Manhattan, NY
9/2/2011
After driving around the entire city of Boston, getting on the highway a good ten times, and nearly giving up, I finally made it too Giacomo's. But not before valeting the car at a nearby restaurant, rather than try to deal with finding a spot on this street.
When we arrived, I was surprised that there was a line out of the door. It was, after all, 9pm on a Tuesday. The wait was very quick, probably less than 15 minutes. Once inside, I ordered a Harpoon IPA and some garlic bread. The vegetarian menu, although small, contained some pretty tasty sounding dishes. I opted for the pumpkin tortellini. The waiter brought it over and told me "You're going to like this!" He was sure as hell right. This is one of the top 5 pasta dishes I've ever eaten. Incredible. The pasta was clearly fresh and made on premise, the filling was sweet and absolutely delicious.
There aren't many places on Yelp that can maintain a 4.5 star review after 600+ reviews. Even then, you sometimes end up let down from the reviews or paying a ton of money. Let me tell you - Giacomo's deserves 5 stars and the price is very reasonable. I hope to make it back soon! -
Review from Kathy Y.
Boston, MA
10/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been waiting to come here for SOOO long from reviews of my NY friends as well as Boston foodies. I finally got surprised coming here for my birthday.
Atmosphere is loud, hard to hold a conversation there. It's small, so tables are kind of cramped, but I found that with most of the restaurants in the South End.
I believe reservations was made, so after checking the car in with valet, the wait wasn't more than just 5 minutes.
I was already happy and excited going in and everything did meet my expectations in terms of wine and food.
I probably should've explored outside my box what i would normally get, but I stuck with my favorites because I had a strange craving.
We started off with:
Fried Calamari with Marinara - a typical appetizer. It was fried perfectly. and marinara was rich and flavorful.
For my main entree:
Chicken Marsala with Linguine - this was delicious. portion is pretty big, i ended up looking like i never touched the plate.
Dessert:
Almond Amaretto Cake?? (well it was cake looking)
this was pretty good, I normally would get tiramisu, but my friend went for that so I decided to try a little somethind different. This was really good, and pretty good size. I think desserts are good enough to share, but that may be because my sweet tooth isn't that big.
For the most part - it was overall a great experience. Service was excellent and the car was already ready for us when we exited the restaurant! I am definitely going to come back to try other things if given the opportunity. I have missed out going in the past because of not being able to make reservations. So it is highly recommended that they are made. CASH ONLY! -
Review from Jes S.
Somerville, MA
11/12/2011
Giacomo's is my favorite restaurant in all of Boston. The food is incredible with very generous portions for a very reasonable price. I have never once has a bad meal here and I have been coming here for close to 5 years now.
The wait staff is always very friendly and accommodating, especially Bill. I have always had great care taken of me when I come in here.
Giacomo's also has a great atmosphere, although a bit small inside the cozy atmosphere allows you to forget you are in the heart of Boston and makes me you feel like you are at a great little restaurant right in Italy.
My top recommendations for dinner are:
*Lemon Fettuccine With Grilled Shrimp And Scallops
*Gnocchi Filled With Roasted Red Peppers And Goat Cheese
*Butternut Squash Ravioli
*Chicken Marsala -
Review from Azita P.
Boston, MA
11/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
My husband and I have been regulars at Giacomo's Back Bay for almost 2 years now. The food is fantastic and it's much more accessible than its counterpart in the North End. The waitstaff is very friendly and know us.
Unfortunately, there is a new "host" who has made our dining experience very unpleasant in the last few months. He has bascially ruined our desire to go to one of our favorite local restaurants. He looks extremely stressed all of the time and has turned us away on several occasions.
I would HIGHLY recommend for Giacomo's to reconsider their "choice" of a host for the weekends and look for someone who is more personable and understands the importance of customer service, especially for those who are regulars. -
Review from Zach W.
Boston, MA
7/17/2011
You like a de sauce? Well, Giacomo sauce was okay.
Really small environment made it hard to turn and look at my friends to chat without bumping the person on the other side of me. Not to mention it was sooooo loud in there. Put some stuff up on the walls to absorb some sound people!!!
The waitress was okay.....although she pretty much asked if we needed anything as fast as possible, didn't wait for a response and then ran away from our table before we could answer. Uhmmm.....can I get some more.....hey where'd she go?
I had the half lobster, clams and mussels over linguine with Giacomo sauce. It was tasty and reasonably priced ($19) but really not that exciting. The sauce left much to be desired, just a tomato sauce really (says its lobster bechamel, but I wouldn't have known). I tried all my friends plates and whatever plate it was that had the lobster mashed potatos (chicken maybe?) was bomb. Everything else was pretty good....not amazing. But, still solid for the price (CASH ONLY BTW).
The wait wasn't too bad, although they did tell us 15 minutes and it ended up being more like 30 minutes.....come on guys.....always overestimate wait time....restaurant hosting 101 right there.
Food: Solid (7 out of 10)
Service: Very mediocre (5 out of 10)
Atmosphere: Less than stellar, too small, too loud (3 out of 10)
Overall: The price, quantity and quality of the food make up for a lot of the other stuff but really it just makes it okay. Nothing amazing. -
Review from Rob I.
Boston, MA
4/12/2012
One of my favs in Boston. Simple. Great food. Great service. Would have given them 5 stars if they took credit cards. Cash is such a pain!
-
Review from Amanda B.
Chicago, IL
Definitely make reservations - otherwise, you'll face a serious wait. The wine list is good - the food is amazing.
"When I think of homemade Italian food, this is what I think of". That was actually said after we had a few bites of our food. The seating is cramped, the atmosphere is very loud. The service is a bit scattered, but still good. Our waiter, Mark, made sure to keep an eye on our table. The only time we waited for anything was when we waited for our check - and that only took 5-10 minutes.
The bathroom is a unisex one-seater - and there's not really a good place to stand while waiting for it without being in everyone's way.
We shared the spicy broccoli rabe as an appetizer. Trust them when they tell you it's spicy. But also trust that it's a must-have. Then I had the seasonal pumpkin squash tortellini. It was almost dessert. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the pumpkin squash and cinnamon were so sweet and almost gooey and just amazing. Highly recommend.
They hubby had a beef gnocchi. Also highly recommend - I'm a huge fan of gnocchi, but this was one of the better treatments of the pasta I've ever tasted. We were so full, there was no way we could even think of ordering dessert. -
Review from Lena K.
Brookline, MA
7/23/2011
Considering I rammed my car into a light pole, I'd say that Giacomo's was the highlight of my night.
But in all seriousness, even if I hadn't been so stupid as to back up into a stationary object, I still would have considered my dinner at Giacomo's to be absolutely wonderful. My friends and I ordered the butternut squash ravioli, mahi mahi, and linguini with mussels and calamari with the fra diavolo sauce, all of which were super delicious. I'd say that out of the three, the butternut squash ravioli was the weakest, but only because the other two dishes were so good.
Also, I was pleasantly surprised that our 7pm reservation on a Friday night was honored. Even though the place was crazy crowded and there were people waiting in line, they still had a table waiting for us and we were seated as soon as we arrived.
The reason why I knocked off one star was because 1) it was really loud inside and I had to yell to talk to my friends who were only a foot away from me and 2) because I felt bad leisurely enjoying my meal with all the hungry people with hawk eyes waiting by the door. -
Review from carprin n.
Waltham, MA
4/1/2012
The 3 stars is not about the food - the food was good, although nothing to write home about. It's affordable, flavorful, and traditional. The service is great - if you get seated. We had a reservation for 4 on Sat at 9pm, and when we got there, there was no table. We had to wait for over an hour, and they were still sitting 8:30 reservations at 9pm! The waitress said what happened was that everyone that works there could take a reservation, and they obviously overbooked. I don't understand - shouldn't there be a system so that people can communicate about how many tables they book for the night? I've been to smaller places (e.g. Cognac Bistro in Brookline) where your reservation is honored no matter what.
-
Review from Alexandra W.
Boston, MA
7/5/2011
Giacomo's was...uneven.
First of all, it was extremely loud and cramped, which is maybe atmospheric, but maybe not for dinner with your future mother in law. (I mean, unless you want an excuse not to talk to her...) Also, when we got there (five minutes late for our reservation, tops, the hostess said "Oh, are you *name*? You're late. I was about to give your table away."
No smile, no friendly.
Waitstaff wasn't great: we had to ask several times for bread, water, having our order taken, including resorting to asking the hostess.
Food? Oh right, they have that here! Calamari good but a bit crispy for me. Sauteed Spicy Broccoli Rabe was swimming in olive oil and REALLY spicy. Maybe too much so.
Pastas with Giacomo's sauce were bland, but the Linguine with White Clam was fantastic. Lots of seafood (HUGE portion of pasta, too.)
All in all, it was fine, and wines by the glass were good deals, but there have just got to be so many other places to try that serve similar food, right?
I was all ready to make this my go-to date place, but it just didn't pass muster. -
Review from Sasha B.
6/13/2011
I had high expectations going into Giacomos, which usually leads to disappointment. But when our waiter came out with a heaping plate of pasta filled with clams, mussels, squid, shrimp, and scallops, topped off with a giant in-shell lobster, I was absolutely sold. The lobster was delicious, not overcooked. In fact, all of the seafood was incredibly well cooked (which doesn't always happen when they're thrown into a pasta dish). One star off because I really love a ton of sauce, and it was a little light there. Also, the noodles were fine, but not the fresh homemade kind. But seriously, for the amount of good seafood, this was such a steal. We shared this plate among 3 of us, and there were leftovers.
We also had the broccoli rabe app (deliciously garlicky!), the tiramisu, and the almond cake. The desserts were amazing, so try try try to save a little room.
In essence: Amazing deal, delicious shellfish, go go go!
