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The Daily Catch
Categories: Restaurants Italian Restaurants Seafood Italian, Seafood [Edit]
323 Hanover St(between Lathrop Pl & Prince St)
Boston, MA 02113
Neighbourhood: North End
(617) 523-8567
- Nearest Transit:
-
Commercial St @ Fleet St (4)
Commercial St @ Battery St (4)
Atlantic Ave @ Commercial Wharf (4)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
315 reviews for The Daily Catch
Review Highlights
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"The best squid ink pasta I've ever had." In 58 reviews -
"Try the calamari meatballs they are delightful." In 20 reviews -
"Lobster Fra Diavolo - this was well worth it." In 6 reviews
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315 reviews in English
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Review from C D.
Boston, MA
5/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Best meal I have had in a long time!! Keep in mind that I am a girl that hates pretense and likes to get down and dirty with a big o' plate of food with fresh ingredients and big flavors, The Daily Catch does just that. Yes it's small and you have to wait in line outside. Yes they serve wine is plastic cups and meals out of saute pans. Yes it's cash only and sometimes they run out of bread. Get over yourselves or go someplace else, their food is freaking delicious.
We were a table of 4 and had the calamari scampi and clams casino for apps and shared the squid ink pasta putanesca and lobster fra diavlo for entrees....where do I even begin, it was all so tasty. Al dente homemade pasta, lot's of garlic, spice and fresh seafood..I was in heaven. Like true Boston girls we weren't afraid to crack that lobster open and suck the meat out of the legs. By the end of the meal we'd killed two bottles of wine, our fingers were dripping with butter and garlic and our bellies were sated. Job well done Daily Catch. -
Review from Josephine H.
Los Angeles, CA
5/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
There's very little seating so be prepared for a wait - it's definitely well worth it though! You can see the cook make your dishes while you're in your seat, and the atmosphere is very fun and casual.
They have amazing homemade black pasta - my favorite is the Aglio Olio (ground squid sauteed with garlic and olive oil). I also loved the calamari meatballs. -
Review from Sarah K.
5/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
LOVE the Monkfish marsala; I go here just for that dish.
Meh on the squid pasta - too rubbery for me. Actually, don't go here if you want pasta. They really specialize in sea food.
Marking off a star because the seating situation can get really clustered, but hey - it's worth sitting with strangers in a hot kitchen to get the good eats :) -
Review from Alex K.
Astoria, Queens, NY
If you go to Little Italy in the North End of Boston... You have to come here.
This was my favorite dining experience of all of my visits to Boston. The open kitchen with all the smells and flames coming from it just a few feet away, the mom and son operation that can be very entertaining, the small 16 seats in a cramped 'everybody's eating together whether you like it or not' atmosphere, and the food... the incredibly simple and outstanding Italian food make this an experience you must have if you visit. There is so much character to this restaurant.
I was lucky to have been with 3 other food fanatics who loved to share so I got to try a good amount of everything on the menu. We started off with the calamari sampler, and the oil/lemon raw calamari was my favorite and the surprise for me of this meal was the calamari meatball. I could not believe how delicious that was with a little red sauce. The ink pasta aglia olio is to die for. TO DIE FOR. Be prepared to have garlic in your mouth for some time. We also had the haddock, a mild tasting white fish baked, the pasta is always on point whether it's cooked in just white sauce, the richest, creamiest alfredo, or with seafood.
I wish I could come here once a week.. I'm so hungry now. -
Review from Joanna H.
Chestnut Hill, MA
Updated - 5/12/2012
So two years later...
Came here around 5:45pm and waited for about 40 minutes. The wait was expected so it wasn't too bad. Since The Daily Catch is a small venue, my two friends and I ended up sharing a long table with 5 other girls. So just a warning, that could happen if you visit around busy hours. However, it didn't affect our experience.
I looked at the Yelp reviews and the Calamari Meatballs were pretty popular so we decided to give it a shot. We also ordered 2 appetizer portions of the Black Pasta Aglio Olio and one appetizer portion of the Black Pasta Putenasca.
I'd say skip out on the Calamari Meatballs. Didn't taste like much, the meatballs or the tomato sauce it was in. The Black Pasta, on the other hand, I will still rave about 2 years later. The pasta is the perfect chew and the sauce are well made. The Aglio Olio had just enough garlic flavor. I was particularly impressed with the Putenasca. I'm not a big fan of olives but the saltiness of the olive puree paired with the fresh and sweet peppers & onions was ingenious.
Service was pretty fast today. A very successful visit.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/9/2010
My friend and I have been longing to try The Daily Catch and yesterday we finally did. We were… Read more »
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Review from Marissa P.
Boston, MA
5/6/2012
Lobster fra diavolo and squid ink pasta, as all other Yelpers already have noted, are both delicious! This is a serious foodie joint - sort of a dive. It isn't the type of spot for somebody who is looking for a nice (fancy) night out because there are no frills here. Water is served in small, disposable plastic cups and waitstaff is not the most attentive, but the food is excellent! It's also extremely cramped, so beware. This is casual, family style dining at its finest.....come hungry and you shall receive lots and lots of great food at a fair price!!!!
Now, only complaint/issue: I got really sick to my stomach literally right after eating here. I do not know whether it was because of the food or because I decided to eat here for my first (and only) meal of the day or because I had drank in excess the night before, but getting that sick certainly detracted from my experience here. For, this I need to remove 1 star.
PS: CASH ONLY! -
Review from Jake T.
Boston, MA
5/13/2012
You love Italian food? The Daily Catch is where you should vist next.
Even though the place is small and tight; it's always packed! ( about 8 tables)
I've visted twice and the staff always make you feel like your at home; you basically sit in a kitchen I would say.
I started off with the calamari and let me tell ya, it was one of the best I had so far that's why I ordered a large the second trip. I also tried the shrimp linguine, it came out in a pan they cook for you; pretty different. The pasta had a good chew to it and also the sauce was well made. Everytime I ran out of water, the waiter would run over and re-fill.
All in all, service was great, food excellent, anything with calamari would be delicious there. -
Review from Steve L.
4/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
A place so good it's okay for food to smell of garlic days afterwards.
The Daily Catch has since 2002 been one of my favorite restaurants. I don't think the menu (chalked on a large blackboard) has been altered since then, given the essentially crayoned pieces of paper trumpeting specials to the menu. That's fine.
The squid ink pasta done aglio olio is perhaps the best in the business. No friend of mine escapes Boston without being treated to this savory, excellently toothed pasta served in the pan it was cooked on. Quick tip - half servings are $10.50, with no premium added for the smaller dish, so it's completely okay to get two half-servings of black pasta - also try the puttanesca, which is a close second.
With essentially five tables in the restaurant, a seat at the window allows gloating at the masses huddled in lines outside who are telekinetically ordering you to chew faster. Resist.
Other winners include the shrimp scampi, anything calamari, and a kitchen-facing seat. And wear clothes you expect to put in the wash the next morning, as clothing will soak up the scent of dinner for days after their Daily Catch adventure.
Cash only. -
Review from Charles F.
Arcadia, CA
5/16/2012
Perhaps its the Boston humor, but there was nothing funny about what happened to a certain customer a few weeks back. There's no need to pick on an oriental brother, especially if he's by hisself. Poor customer service is only acceptable at a Chinese restaurant with a B grade or lower. But most places like that make up for it with cheap prices and tasty food.
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Review from Kathy C.
South Hamilton, MA
5/14/2012
Mmm great black aglio olio pasta - really chewy noodles. But careful, the garlic taste is very present in this dish. Service is great, but the website is not updated. Opens at 12pm, not 11am! What a treat it is eating here. Restaurant is teeny tiny and I ate at a table for two in the corner by the front window, and there was no leg space, because the table sat on top a tile pillar that looked like it belongs in the bathroom. Literally a hole-in-the-wall restaurant with great food and service. Only ate here once but would definitely come again. Cash only!
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Review from Elise K.
The Daily Catch might be the perfect small family business. We arrived for an early dinner and found this place almost full right at opening (of course they only have about eight tables).
The fresh bread was fantastic but then we tried the calamari... to die for. Likely the best I've had in a long long time... We even saw them scooping it out of the bucket - something one might find gross, but seeing the product pre-breaded proved it was super fresh.
I had a linguine with a white wine garlic sauce with shrimp and scallops. The dish was perfectly cooked and garlic heaven for me. It also had fresh broccoli. My boyfriend had the handmade black pasta and our friend had a scallop and linguine dish with red sauce. All were superb. We had leftovers... a lot of them....
I particularly loved that we were literally sitting in the kitchen - no frills. The place really treats customers and staff like family. While we were there the little old lady had a dish and even the dishwasher had something. I recall the little old lady saying "Jose is hungry, make him something good to eat." -
Review from Da H.
Olympia, WA
4/23/2012 2 photos
Very small and very fun restaurant. The tables surround the "kitchen" where 2 cooks prepare all the food. You can watch them as they cook and it's quite a show. (how do they get everything to come out perfectly cooked at the same time?)
Food is excellent. Pasta is al dente, the seafood is not overcooked and the ingredients are fresh. Couldn't ask for more. -
Review from Nida K.
4/1/2012 3 photos
There's a lesson to be learned here: Don't judge a restaurant by its' size.
The Daily Catch is tiny. So tiny that you're practically eating in the kitchen. Although you're eating in close quarters and are probably sharing the table with strangers, there is something in the air that makes you feel at ease. Perhaps it's the aroma of the food or the mom and pop feel to it.
The menu is written in chalk on the wall and they have a wide variety of seafood dishes. I've recently discovered how delicious squid ink is so we went with the Black Ink Alfredo. Who knew squid ink would taste so good? It's kinda weird to think about eating it... If I didn't know any better, I would think it's poisonous or something. The Clams Casino was another dish our server recommended and we scoped it out from the party sitting next to us. It looked good so we ordered it, and it didn't disappoint. Both dishes were absolutely delicious. You can tell that the seafood was fresh and the right effort was put forward into our food.
It's a great restaurant to experience seafood in Boston if you've got a small party. Get the Black Pasta, it's their specialty! -
Review from Aris L.
Los Angeles, CA
4/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
I love this restaurant..they had great foods..the server were really nice..the place is quite small so you will need to queue for a while...we ordered the black pasta, calamari, and the seafood combination..all of it taste good
CONCLUSION = RECOMMENDED! -
Review from Linda C.
Cambridge, MA
3/20/2012
Wow. After waiting for almost 2 hours to get in here, I was expecting to see Jerry Seinfeld in the kitchen...or at least experience an unforgettable meal. I didn't get either one. No sparks, no ooohs or ahhhs....just BLAH. All hype and no YUM.
Will I return? Not even if its the last restaurant open in the North End and I'm hungry. -
Review from Julie B.
Somerville, MA
4/10/2012
I was walking by with my mom & my son...on a Friday around 4ish....
We got in just to grab some Mussels as an appetizer.
The guy that waited on us was apparently one of the owner's...and he was more than friendly! Very family oriented place.... it is tiny in there...but really cozy, though.
Awesome service...delicious food...great price!
Will definitely go back for more! -
Review from Hana T.
Boston, MA
2/29/2012
1. Greasy, chewy, fried calamari
2. Black pasta (supposedly squid ink, but tasted like nothing) was mediocre, and sitting in a pool of oil. If you're to blind fold me to have a taste test between squid ink pasta from The Daily Catch and pasta w/ black food coloring, I wouldn't taste the difference.
3. Shrimp linguine in red sauce- overcooked shrimp. Red marinara sauce seems like something you can get in a can at TJs. Only better.
4. Did someone proofread the sign that says "FRESH" caprese salad (the one on the pink paper)? Don't think I'd ever order a "fresh" salad. Is it a fresh salad or is it a "fresh" salad?
5. What you're paying here essentially is reheating of pasta, not fresh cooking pasta. -
Review from Zig W.
Somerville, MA
5/2/2012
+black pasta
+calamari
+friendly workers
-no reservations
-no segregation of kitchen and dining area...which is cumulatively smaller than the kitchen in my house
-mussels
-ambiance/dollar is about 0 -
Review from Mike G.
New Windsor, NY
3/27/2012
Fellow Yelpers,
I must admit that I was headed to Giacamo's in the North End that was just too long of a wait so my second choice was the Daily Catch. While I had to also wait for a table due to the small sizing of this establishment, I cannot stress to you HOW GOOD THE FOOD IS!!!!!
My wife had the black squid pasta and I had my old mainstay, Linguini whith White Clams. They serve the dishes in the pans they are cooked in which is very cool in itself and both dishes were simply wonderful. I even admit to picking up the pan and sipping the broth as it was so good!!!
Sam the Chef was oustanding while Erinilda was the gracious hostess and server. This team knows how to deliver quality food and at a great price. This is easily one of my favorite restaurants. -
Review from Bex M.
Boston, MA
4/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
holy phenomenal
they don't take reservations and the place is tiny.
we were huddled outside under their tiny awning for a table in the rain.
worth it? heck yeah.
I've never had calamari balls before and boy, have i been missing out.
the mussels were okay, but the sauce was great. we kept refilling our breadbasket to sop up the sauce
The lobster fra diavolo for 2 could really feed 4. It comes in a giant pan. It was pretty good,
BUT the reason why I love this place is...the black ink pasta! the aglio olio - ground squid with garlic and olive oil. Mmmm mmm mmmmm...a few ingredients, some incredible flavors.
I didn't know we could have ordered the fra diavolo WITH the black ink pasta, that would have been GOLDEN.
There was so much food, but we were like goldfish and couldn't stop eating. I may have had to hold back some folks from licking the plate. We are civilized folk so used the bread instead. -
Review from Thien N.
Boston, MA
3/25/2012
The menu changes constantly (hence the name). Their seafood and italian dishes are, by far, one of the best in the north end. The place is quite small (fitting about 20 or less) but it's worth the wait. Try to go during off-hours to avoid the crowd.
The waitstaff is knowledgeable and will cater to your needs when ordering a dish. If you have never had squid ink pasta, try it here. They make their own and it's fantastic!
WARNING: THEY ONLY TAKE CASH. Credit cards are no bueno here.Listed in: Boston Foods
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Review from Ana R.
2/21/2012
You know the score already: no reservations, no credit cards, no exceptions.
I was invited to an early dinner/late lunch (linner?) at Daily Catch, and I felt very privileged and lucky to have the chance to check out this North End staple. Across the street from Mike's Pastry (at which the line was LITERALLY around the block, I'd never seen that before in mid-Feb), The Daily Catch can only be described as a restaurant kitchen surrounded by 6 tables. There are no frills here, no reservations, no name at the door, just stand in line and wait your turn. If you forget and reach for the door handle before your turn, you will surely be reminded by the dozen or so very vocal people that have been waiting to get in, OR the hostess (epitome of Italian-aunt-who-will-definitely-kick-your-ass-if- you-step-out-of-line) will simply kick you out. As one regular told me in line, she once said "If you don't like it, get the hell out".
At 3:30pm, we ended up waiting about 40 minutes, but we missed one table because our group wasn't complete (they will only seat you if everyone in your party is present). However, the next table for four was conveniently bussed and cleaned very slowly, giving my fella enough time to find parking and leg it back to the restaurant. A wink and a nod from the hostess and we were in.
They are well known for their squid ink pasta ($28 with any protein), but our table stuck to regular fare, starting with their famous calamari. Holy crickey. Served with their tangy and tomato-y marinara, this calamari is perfectly cooked, with breading clinging like lichen to a brick wall on every piece. Why can't every plate of calamari be cooked like this? Looking at you, EVERY OTHER RESTAURANT. A small order for 2 ($9.75) was enough to satisfy our table of four.
For entrees, I had the linguini with scallops, fella had the linguini with scallops and shrimp, fella's mom had the same and fella's dad had the haddock. All were priced $19-$22 each. The pasta dishes come in the frying pan, clearly the most rugged pans ever made as they were dented and scrubbed within an inch of their life and still cooked up some perfect scallops. I also tried the shrimp and they were also very well cooked, not rubbery (overcooked). The portions are huge, but I scarfed down most of mine, I couldn't resist their garlicky white sauce.
We stuck to water so early in the day, which came in plastic cups (no ice, which I applaud!), but they gladly brought us a dish of lemon to spritz in the water.
We were all surprised to see how young the cook was (couldn't be a year over 25, could he have been one of the sons?), and he produced plate after plate of delicious, perfectly cooked food, without making a sound. He's a one-man operation, which is good because there would be no room for a sous-chef. The space of the restaurant is 60% kitchen (stove, salamander, counter, storage, dishroom) and 40% seating. There is one waitress, aided by the hostess. The menu is a chalkboard.
Parking is impossible. The North End is pretty much 100% resident parking, with some lots for non-residents strewn here or there. Some side streets near The Daily Catch do have metered spots, but you'd have to have some excellent parking karma to snag one of those. TDC validates 3hrs of parking at the garage at the Garden, but if you're waiting in line for a while, you might get hit with some over-time fees. More convenient to park somewhere else and take the T.
There is plenty of North End atmosphere here (a family-run Italian restaurant in the heart of Boston), and that's all you need when the food is this good. It's not a tourist trap, in my opinion - the line outside was populated mostly by regulars who entertained us with tales of the Daily Catch staff and family.
I've heard the other locations aren't as great, but if you're going for Italian seafood, try this one out. -
Review from Ginny L.
Boston, MA
3/13/2012
My friend and I came here a while ago. We were actually planning to go to Giacomos, but the line was ridiculously long (probably 1+ waiting time). We then decided to give Daily Catch a try. The wait was 40 minutes long. It was a torturous waiting outside in the cold and seeing people inside the restaurant slurping their pasta sauce away..
When we were finally seated, we went straight to ordering the mussels as our appetizer and shared an order of clam pasta. They were in huge portions! I don't know if we were just hungry or what, but the food tasted INSANELY good. Better yet, the chef was a Vietnamese guy! A Viet chef cooking Italian food..that's something special +1 star. We waited 40 minutes outside in the cold and took 20 minutes to finish our dinner.
We left the place pretty much satisfied except we thought the seating was a bit awkward. However, we can't really complain much because that's like the case for all the other tiny restaurants in North End. I will come back again next time to try to the squid pasta! -
Review from William S.
Arcadia, CA
4/26/2012
Didn't stay in restaurant long enough to find out. Very poor service, perhaps even racist. Definitely very very Rude.
I walked into the place and sat in a four seater. I went to use bathroom and Hang my coat on seat behind me and ordered a Haddock. When I left bathroom found my coat on a door knob across from bathroom. I went back to my seat and found 4 new customers on my table. I looked at the boss, she said rudely ("you're over there!!") and pointed to a small table in the corner.
I talked to the politely boss to let her know, she should have talked to me before transferring me. Her waitress yelled at me that they were trying to run a business.
I agree. That's why you ought to treat customers politely!!! Being the only asian in the restaurant at that time didn't help either. Can't say they're racist, but can say....extremely impolite.
I walked out. -
Review from Chris C.
4/10/2012 2 photos
I wish every Italian place I went to was like the daily catch. It's a small place seated with 6 tables and has an open kitchen with the chef cooking everything a few feet away from you. The aromas are simply divine. They have an expansive seafood and italian menu but their specialities include their black ink pasta and lobster diablo (check my spelling). My friends settled on those while I decided to get the clams and calamari combo with red sauce. What's unique about this place is that all of their pastas come out in a stainless steel pan the chef was cooking in. It's a nice touch. My food was flavorful and delicious. This place will have a long wait around dinner time so definitely get here early or you might be waiting an hour. Also, they only take cash as well.
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Review from Anita L.
Boston, MA
2/27/2012
The Daily Catch? Or the Daily Catch a cold? If I have to wait outside in line in the freezing cold for 30 minutes, I expect the meal I receive to warm my heart (figuratively and literally). Unfortunately The Daily Catch did not pass that threshold.
Once we were finally seated at a super cramped corner table, we ordered the fried calamari, the Caprese salad, and the squid ink pasta with the aglio olio dressing. The calamari were more chewy and rubbery than what I've tasted elsewhere. The salad was ok but had more vinegar I would normally expect in a Caprese. The pasta was very fresh and unique because of the ink. The garlic and the ground squid in the sauce added a nice flavor.
While I thought The Daily Catch generally had good food, it definitely did not warrant the long cold wait, the cramming into a tiny table, the drinking from plastic cups, and the feeling of arctic winds every time the door opened. -
Review from Camille R.
Somerville, MA
2/1/2012
I didn't know Italian food could be so good! I've been many times and the food is always cooked just right!
Calamari is always yummy and the portion is so big I'm always full by the time we're through with it. I've had many specials, and the fish dishes. I loved them all. The seafood pastas are always good, too.
The place is tiny. Fits maybe 15 people? A 15-30min is typical. The open kitchen is in your face and food is served to you in the pan they cooked it in. They offer drinks, but no ice so on a hot day between the killer humidity and the busy kitchen it can be pretty brutal. Oh, but the food is so good. -
Review from Len W.
Updated - 12/31/2011
It's been 4 years since I've been back to The Catch! The chef, Jimmy remember me. This is a North End tradition, and has been here since 1974. It has 3 locations, and when I worked in Boston in 1999, I'd been to all three.
This north end location is really a kitchen with 5-6 small tables in front (as DonPaul N said). Thank goodness we came in the off season, because we would not have gotten a table. Parking is on the street (very scarce), or in a city lot a few blocks away.
For a nice lunch, my family of four ordered the fried calamari appetizer, the Alfredo linguine and the special Seafood Linguine. The clams were in the shell, and the broth was divine. Jimmy made the Alfredo sauce from scratch to a rich, creamy perfection.
The family said this was the best meal of their 10-day East Coast vacation.Listed in: Top Restaurants
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/2/2008
This place is SMALL (less than 12 seats), is cash only, and like the rest of the N. end, good luck… Read more »
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Review from Catherine N.
Livermore, CA
4/10/2012
Their food is delicious! I had the monkfish marsala and the fish was cooked to perfection. We also got a giant plate of calamari and could not finish it!! The monkfish marsala came with pasta and it was perfectly good. For great seafood cooked to perfection, come here! It's plain and simple, but delicious. Next time, I want to try the seafood mix with lobster, shrimp, and clams.
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Review from Eric L.
Ventura, CA
3/20/2012
Great food great location and the owner is the waiter he is a real cool guy would go back next time im in boston
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Review from Ashley H.
San Clemente, CA
2/8/2012
The best seafood-Italian ever! The calamari is so delicious (this place is actually the only place where I'll eat calamari), and the squid ink pasta is sooooooo tasty. Mmmm. The ambiance is really casual and chill, as seen in the really tight-knit (literally) size and the drinks served in plastic cups. But the fact that the cooks make everything so delicious make for a really cozy ambiance. The servers are also really sweet!
Similar to Giacomo's, the setting is ideal - in the 'downtown' area of the north end (mmm), right across from Mike's and Vittoria. Loooove it. -
Review from Amie L.
Boston, MA
4/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Cash only!
Very, very small seating arrangement. Great food though. -
Review from Max Z.
Flushing, NY
2/24/2012
It didn't meet my expectations.
Its 10:00 and I'm waiting outside with my sister and my dad. Ridiculously cold, already there for half an hour, moving around in anticipation of this wondrous meal.
We're seated and the atmosphere is very warm. Cozy, home-like. We order.
Calamari appetizer-very good. I love calamari so can't go wrong with that unless you don't fry it or something. At the end I felt like I could taste the batter from the squid though. Marinara sauce is absolutely wonderful.
I ordered the squid ink pasta (with the squid bits mixed in, oglia something...it slips my memory and I'm on my phone and too lazy to check other reviews). At first it tasted pretty good...but eventually, it was just too salty. the garlic and olive oil all over the squid and squid pasta just sort of over-did it. Maybe the bread some of you talked about would've saved the day, but I think they ran out. It didn't meet my expectations.
Sister ordered linguine with clams with red sauce. Spicy in my eyes? I think she enjoyed it, the clams were fresh and I could tell, but I'm not a spicy kinda guy, so I didn't enjoy it.
Dad ordered scallop, shrimp and broccoli linguine. The seafood was great, but the pasta was too salty (again) and some of the pasta was undercooked.
All in all, I was a little disappointed in a restaurant one of my good friends oh so loved. Maybe they just had a bad night and they wanted to go home. -
Review from Jayme M.
Staten Island, NY
2/3/2012
This place is very laid back and chill. Drinks are served in plastic cups (including wine). The menu is on a chalkboard. The kitchen area is open and not closed off from the cafe as are most places on the North End.
The food was very good. The clams on a half shell were better than the oysters at Morton's Steak house (just to compare quality with price). I had 6 cherrystones and they were $8.95 - tremendous in size and taste!
I also had the linguine with seafood in garlc and oil - cooked also very well and served in the pan off the stove.
Its very small - i recommend calling ahead if you're more than 2 pple -
Review from Nanana A.
San Francisco, CA
4/11/2012
We were lucky and didn't have to wait at all for lunch. Sat at the table by the window which is quite cozy. A small place where you may end up sitting next to a patron who is lucky to get a sit in the restaurant.
The 1 waiter who is the owner's son was very nice and accommodating. I order an appetizer plate of black ink pasta with chopped squid ($11.) They were willing to also give an appetizer plate of their clam sauce linguine ($10.) My partner order the broiled scallops ($18.) served with a salad.
Black ink pasta - Was quite different and delicious. I can't describe the flavor, but the texture of the noodles were perfect and it had a great taste. A+
Vongole (clams) linguine - It was a bit bland and had a slightly different taste. The clam meat and noodles were good, but the flavor was a bit off for my taste. C
Scallops - It was delicious and cooked perfectly and the salad lettuce and tomato with a light Italian dressing was crisp and refreshing. A
Try their Italian beer, it was pretty good with the meal.
We would come back again. -
Review from Kimberly B.
Boston, MA
12/9/2011
This place is spot-on. It delivers what it promises (and little else), but the squid ink pasta on their calamari-driven menu is out of this world. House made, it's likely the best these lips have ever tasted. With serious chew, mellow squid ink flavor and thick, slurpy noodles, I get it every time I go...which is often. You get three choices to dress your black linguine: a tangy puttanesca, a rich alfredo (that I think needs extra cheese, which I always sprinkle on top), or their signature aglio oilo--a chopped squid and garlic olive oil sauce. You can't go wrong with any of the three.
The rest of the menu is good, but perhaps not as great. They have native seafood of all sorts like shrimp and scallops, mussels in wine, baked haddock, quirky sides like squid meatballs, and you can order any of these over pasta with your choice of red or white sauce. Groups often opt for the lobster fra diavlo for $70; I haven't tried it yet, but it looks like a seafood lover's dream. Skip the salads as they are unimpressive, but hope there might be a side of garlic broccoli on the menu when you go.
With a couple locations across Boston, the small joint in the North End is the best by far. That said, it's a tiny hole-in-the-wall, so be prepared to wait for a table and smell like garlic when you leave. -
Review from Melody L.
11/30/2011
Dinner at The Daily Catch was the highlight of my trip to Boston. My friends in Boston/have lived in Boston all rave about its Italian food, and Daily Catch was particularly recommended, so I had to try this place. The restaurant is very mom-and-pop-like, with about five tables, a small open-kitchen (you get to see the chef cook, which always amuses me!), one chef, one waiter, little to no decor -- a restaurant with the bare minimum but surely blows you away its delicious, solid food.
The most interesting thing about this place is that the chef is Asian. It's pretty mind-boggling that an Asian guy can make such authentic Italian food. We ordered three entrees:
- Aglio Olio black pasta - this is their signature dish and a must-try; the al dente squid ink pasta, aroma of garlic, and the ground squid all blended flawlessly. We liked it so much that we were tempted to order seconds.
- Putanesca black pasta - a vegetarian black pasta. Not quite as tasty as the aglio olio, but still pretty good
- Lobster Fra Diavolo - it came with generous portions of clams, mussels, shrimp, and a giant lobster mixed with pasta
Huge portions here so don't over-order. We split three entrees among five people and we were all stuffed. We ordered a syrah to go with our food and that was the finishing touch to a perfect meal.
The food was served on the sizzling pan that the chef cooked the entree with and fresh off the stove. The waiter was personable and chatty -- it felt like a dinner party at someone's house. Try to get here early as the wait can get irritating. Also try to come here with no more than 4 people. We had five people so they had to wait until 3 out of their 5 tables cleared up to seat us. Also, tip well -- the chef and waiter were working their butt off!
Glad I took the advice to try this place, it definitely lived up to its hype :) -
Review from Kim L.
12/17/2011
Came out here to explore, my cousin and friend who are live in Boston wanted to try this place.
The wait was a bit long, since they only have about 5 tables in the entire restaurant.
The odd thing is they serve drinks in plastic little cups, even wine. Also, if you are a group of 3 or 5 you will be sharing a table with other group (since the place is tiny!).
I ordered the Linguine with clams in the white wine sauce. They serve it to you in the pan they cooked it in. By far the best Linguine and clams I've ever had, it was so fresh.
I wish they had more places like this in California! -
Review from Rhea K.
San Francisco, CA
4/23/2012
Wonderful food, great people, and good prices! If you don't feel like waiting in the dinner line, have lunch here instead. I stopped in for lunch on a Thursday afternoon and still had to wait, but it was only about 10 minutes. Ordered the calamari meatballs (so good), and got the appetizer portion of the black pasta with aglio olio sauce. The black pasta is a MUST try item. Portions are good and these two dishes kept myself and my boyfriend pretty sated throughout the afternoon. Will definitely stop by again if I'm ever in Boston!
-
Review from Kathleen C.
Chicago, IL
10/4/2011
Sigh....
I really really thought this was THE spot after it had the highest ratings in the area.
I had high hopes even when I entered because it seemed totally authentic. I liked the spot (atmosphere is a 4) and the service is really great. The food, however, fell short.
We tried the calamari meatball which was good, but not overwhelming. I would say it is a solid meatball.
The fried calamari, however, was decidedly terrible. There was so much calamari on the menu that I figured there was no possible way they could overcook it...but overcook it, they did. It was tough and chewy. I was disappointed.
We also tried the black pasta (the one with garlic and olive oil). It started out tasty, and it's obvious that the pasta is homemade. However, it is SO oily and greasy and garlicky that I felt ill later in the day. I think the garlic is overwhelming (I am pretty sure I reeked of garlic for 2 days...) and the oil is so heavy that this dish is a bit much. I appreciate the originality, but I didn't love the execution. Food was a 2.
Service was very good, and the wine was also good with a generous pour. Service is a 4.
Price-wise, I think it can get quite expensive, which isn't exactly what I would expect upon entering. Value is a 3. CASH ONLY
I liked the atmosphere, and it was fun to watch the kitchen. Atmosphere is a 4.
Bathrooms...I'm not sure there is one...and if there is, I'm not sure I'd want to visit it because if it exists, it's in a cave in the back, so I'm going 1 on bathrooms.
I would not visit again...I also didn't realize this spot was a chain until later...
