Giacomo’s Ristorante

Simply amazing. This is a no frills joint, where you get quick and no nonsense service with delicious food. I had the Shrimp/​Scallops over linguine with the fra diavolo sauce. And it was great, but my shrimps were a little bit over cooked. I would recommend having just the scallops, because they were perfectly tender and buttery. The service was not wonderful, but the food was so I will overlook it for now.

My family wanted to eat here since forever, last visit to Boston which was 5 years ago.
To beat the crowd we arrived early and got the last table!
Had three different kinds of seafood pasta with special sauce each.
Yeah, here you choose not only your noodle, you choose sauce also, not like hot or less spicy level, here you have lobster based or, kind of serious choice.
Anyway our seafood was awesome. Everyone around our table watched our food enviously. They all looked great and tasted wonderful. I especially, as always, liked linguini with clams in white sauce. It was almost the best I ever had level, and I had plenty of vongole in my life. Wine was not the best but goes well home style excellent pasta.
I didn’t look around the decos much. Place is tiny like in Italy or France with tiny café style tables and chairs.
Behind the high counter is the kitchen, it could get warm inside.
Service was friendly.
Extremely popular place mostly for the food.
On the way out lots of people were on line waiting.
Cash only. Merlot, Cabernet or Pinot, all $ 20 for a bottle.

This place was such a great experience! We highly recommend it! We were in town for a family
Vacation and we waited for about 45 minutes for a table of 8. Not too bad considering they don’t take reservations and they only take cash. The food was incredible! If you get a chance to go, I’d say get there at 6 and you’ll be seated around 7. You have to go!

Wow one of the best Italian restaurants I’ve been to. It is very small so you end up eating Ina crowded room. You also have to wait outside in a line. But all this is worth it. A gem in Boston.

I really love the house special pasta!!! That is for two, but really a big size for two. But you have to wait super long time for this restaurant. Or you can go there before 4:30 pm to wait before opening

Word on the street was that this was the place to eat. Check out the 2000+ reviews…
My experience was slightly less than stellar. After waiting for an hour for a table we were rushed to a corner table. Our server introduced herself, Donna, I think. We started out okay quickly placed an appetizer order and then our dinner choices.
Donna apparently is an aspiring middle relief pitcher as she seemed hell bent on throwing everything she brought on the table with a lot of heat and little accuracy, starting with the bread. I checked to see if she was working with shorter than normal arms that may require the toss service style. However, after examination she appeared to be within two standard deviations of the average arm length.
The meals themselves were good, not amazing. We chose the frutti di mare and the stuffed chicken special. The server didn’t deliver our meals, so they were placed gently in front of us.
She did not check on us throughout the meal and when it was time to go, again the check was thrown, without as much as a word. Well… that put me over the edge. The bill totaled $ 50.29 but all we had were 3 $ 20s. No way was I leaving the customary 20% and was going to leave 10% (about $ 5). I had to ask for change and she again (!!!) threw the change at us. We did have a $ 1 bill so she got exactly what she deserved, a total of $ 51.30, netting her a well earned gratuity of $ 1.01.
Part of me feels bad and I was willing to over look a slight or two, but the service was just horrible and unapologetic. I would think a place like this would be able to provide better servers, as dining out is more than just about the food. I guess I just don’t get this place. I won’t be back.

Sure the line is long and you will probably be asked by 50 people «why are you standing here» or «why is this place so good» but the quality of food and atmosphere you get here are 200% worth it. Who needs menus, they have a chalk board with all of their classic menu items including their variety of homemade sauces. Home made pasta, fresh fish and quick service. Best of all, the food isn’t terribly expensive but it is cash only.
Head to this gem and you will not be disappointed, just bring a good attitude and patience and it will all be worth it.

Worth the 30 minutes wait.
Cash only.
Get the fried calamari, fresh as hell. Get a large if you’re hungry.
Lobster ravioli was freaking amazing, get the cheese.
Fettucine with prosciutto and peas was really good.
Ask for extra bread at the end to scoop up all of the sauce.
This place is very small and can be crammed, don’t go with groups of 2+.
Oh my god this place is amazing!!! I’ve never had such great Italian food, let alone such delicious calamari. Holy hell calamari was so worth. It wasn’t chewy like I expected and the tentacles wasn’t nasty like I thought. I’m salivating writing this review.
I can’t wait to come back here again. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would bang.

Giacaomo’s is hands down the best Italian Restaurant I’ve been to in the U.S. and it’s one of my favorite restaurants in Boston. I’ve been coming here for years when I went to college in Boston and when I travel here for work, and every single time has been short of amazing. Both tourists AND locals line up outside and down the street for Giacaomo’s, so you know it has to be good. Below are my tips on making the most out of your experience here:
1. Get here half an hour before they open. Every time I’ve come at 4pm (opens at 4:30pm
M-​Thurs), I’ve always been seated as soon as they open
2. Get the calamari appetizer
3. Get the Homemade Fusilli with Lobster meat and Shrimp with Fra Diavolo
4. Get the Butternut Squash Ravioli (even recommended by Rachel Ray)
5. Portions are HUGE, so be mindful of that when ordering
6. Get a bottle of wine because it’s relatively inexpensive
7. Don’t ask if they accept credit card, because they don’t
8. Don’t be offended if the servers rush you to order or take your plates away quickly. They’re just trying to get you in and out as quickly as possible since the lines are always so long
9. Come with just one other person or don’t come in groups larger than 4. It will take longer to seat you
10. COME HUNGRY
Can’t wait for my next visit to Boston! I’ll definitely be back!

I would highly recommend going to the South End location as they take reservations, and you will need them! The restaurant is small so even with a reservation you might have to wait depending on how slowly people are eating.
I got the veal parmesan, the meat was tender and the outside was crispy, just like it should be. The sauce is great, not to sweet and just the right amount of savory!
If you want good Italian food without the long lines in the North End, this is the place to go!

If they offer you the seat at the bar, TAKE IT.
The wife and I were waiting in line about 45 mins.
If you know me in person, you know one restaurant rule I have: I never wait in line.
I decided to make an attempt to try something new by waiting in line for the wife, and I’m glad I did. We stood there people watching the people walking around after the Boston Gay Pride parade. After 45 mins we got to the front of the line, however, the couple in front of us refused to take the bar, so we grabbed it.
Oh, you stupid stupid people.
The bar is the best seat in the restaurant; it overlooks the entire restaurant, and the prime location as it is tucked into the corner, thus preventing servers and other people from bumping into us. We got to watch the chefs (cheves? why the hell is the plural of words ending in ‘f’ so stupid in English?) cook their dishes, people watch the others outside, and to be away from the hustle and bustle of the restaurant.
The food is fantastic, the service polite, and the prices reasonable for such a quaint location.
Don’t be like that stupid couple and be sure to take the bar if it comes.

It doesn’t get any better than Giacomo’s on Boston’s North End. Yes, you have to wait in line but it’s more than worth it. Tony is great and makes you feel right at home as a single diner. The problem here is deciding what to order. I went with Shrimp, Scallops and Lobster in their special Fra Como lobster sauce. Unbeatable on any level. Just go eat here. Period.

While visiting Boston we stopped into Giacomo’s Ristorante on a recommendation from friends and we had an absolutely wonderful meal.
Décor: They say «the smaller the better» when looking for a place to eat in the North End of Boston and that is no truer than with this place. In fact, I think you’ll find, at any given time, more people in line outside than eating dinner inside. This place is small but quaint. Actually, it’s adorable (there, I said it). There are maybe 20 tables total plus two «VIP» seats at the bar — which is where we were lucky enough to sit. Everything about this place is fun and enjoyable: the elbow-​rubbing closeness of the tables, the chalkboard menu, the old Italian man (who must be the owner) working tables and supervising the kitchen, and the Italian music that is perfect. The place is filled with outstanding smells (from the kitchen that is part of the dining room) and has a real homey feel to it; so warm and inviting. We used to live in NYC and this reminded us of a true NYC-​style restaurant (and what I’d imagine a place in Italy, though I’ve never been).
Bathroom: it’s small and relatively clean but it gets the job done
Staff: Since there will most likely be a line, here’s how it works: you line up and every now and then a staff member will come out and run down the line to note how many groups of how many people. As a table inside opens up she simply pokes her head out and says the number needed: «Two? Two?» The line then polices itself for which party gets to go in. Once inside they seat you at a table and your waiter approaches to greet you and get things started. All the staff is all about business but they are all super nice. The old guy, who has to be the owner, is right there in the thick of things too — which makes it even more fun! We really enjoyed our waiter and the bus boys are top notch. GREAT staff!
Food: This place has one of those menus where you know that everything is good but you still have to choose… we started with the calamari (delicious) and a Caesar salad (YUM) before moving onto our main course of butternut squash ravioli (outstanding! this was on recommendation from our waiter who actually picked it over the lobster ravioli) and shrimp and sallops over linguini (so tasty and HUGE portion). We didn’t end up getting any dessert because we were way too stuffed.
Value: The prices are not bad at all here and so you feel like you’re really walking away a winner given everything else I’ve mentioned.
We came on a great recommendation and now absolutely love this place. If you haven’t been, go now!

Amazing .
If your kid does not know what to get. Get him just the fettuccini Alfredo.
Our family loved it.

Giacomo’s on Hanover Street is a necessary stop while in Boston. The food, the service, and the prices are all excellent. We arrived 20 minutes before they opened for dinner to find a line already outside; luckily, we arrived early enough to join the initial seating. I suspect the waits are pretty long after then.
The service is on top of everything. The waitresses were concise, friendly, and knowledgeable.
We ordered a couple specials. We started with the burrata. The burrata had a perfect balances of flavors. It was placed over diced tomatoes, drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette, and topped with fresh basil. It was delicious! I’d recommend it if it’s on the menu when you dine.
For the main course we split the house special of half a lobster over linguine featuring the giacomo house sauce with scallops and shrimps substituted for clams and mussels. Based on this entrée, I highly recommend any of the seafood entrees over the linguini with the giacomo sauce. As a matter of fact, I’d probably recommend almost anything over the linguini with giacomo sauce. It was one of the most fantastic sauces that I’ve tried!

We are not from Boston and came here on a whim. It was a bit overwhelming. You wait outside in line which wasn’t too bad for us. We got there at 6pm on a very pleasant June Saturday and waited for 45 minutes for a table of two.
Once we got seated, it felt like a rushed meal. You order quickly, get served quickly and expected to eat just as fast. Everyone is super loud inside as well.
The food was pretty good — the seafood was the best part. Seafood was fresh and tasty! The pasta and sauce was fine. I don’t usually talk about price but this price point was really good — $ 20 bottle of wine/​dinners is great especially with seafood. I’d probably make a stop when I’m back in Boston because the food was excellent for the price.

The place opens at 4:30 and we were third in line at 4pm on a Thursday night! At 4:30, we were seated promptly into a cozy corner and our waitress came by immediately to take our order. We ordered our food and it felt like they brought our food out in a manner of minutes! Even though this place has long line, they run an efficient shop!
Amongst the 4 of us, we ordered the mozzarella with marinara (great appetizer!), the butternut squash ravioli, fettuccine with prosciutto and peas, and the Zuppa Di Pesce for two! I only had room to eat the Zuppa, so my review will be about this dish only: the Zuppa contained shrimp, calamari, clams, mussels and lobster, served over linigiune with our choice of sauce. We opted for the Fra diavolo, which was a mix of the spicy marinara and beschemel sauce. Yum! I opted out of the scallops because I’m allergic, so they added more of the other seafood items to supplement. My seafood eating partner in crime (Brandon K!) and I seized the challenge and ate through the mounds of shellfish, noodles, and sauce! I’m proud to say we finished leaving only a couple noodles left on the table.
I highly recommend this place if you are looking to eat seafood in the north end. The Zuppa di Pesce is well worth the $ 55! Just make sure to have enough cash, this place does not take credit cards!

Our Memorial Day weekend trip to Boston was fabulous and Giacomo’s was the icing on the cake. We decided to come 15 mins before it opened since that seemed like the smart thing to do. There was already a line of about 35ish people. The tiny restaurant seems like it can hold about 30 people. We were able to get seated about an hour after we arrived. People were literally seated, shoved their faces, pay (cash only!) then leave. Very efficient!
I’m not sure what authentic Italian food tastes like considering I haven’t been to Italy but this must be it. We ordered the small calamari as our appetizer and it was amazing. I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t had calamari in a very long time or just because it was amazing here, but it was delicious. My BF ordered the lobster ravioli which was sooo good. The sauce was so creamy and delicious. I ordered the lobster and shrimp fusilli with Giacomo’s sauce. I’m not a huge fan of red/​tomato sauce in general but this was really good. The portion was very large and the food was served steaming hot.
All in all, it was definitely worth the wait and being cramped in there. Our waiter, who I think was the owner was wonderful, funny and Italian! It’s cash only, which I think should be advertised somewhere for tourists who have no clue. Thanks to Unilocal though, we came ready. Love this place!

Love this fast paced restaurant for a quick authentic Italian dinner. My only issue with it, is that it is so fast paced… Servers don’t look like they are enjoying themselves… there is a mad rush to get you in and out as fast as possible. Food is fantastic but don’t expect to linger as they do not encourage it. No reservations and tiny cramped tables.

This place has a good amount of charm going for it but I’m not sure I can agree with the «worth the wait» bit everyone keeps repeating. We waited in line about 30 minutes as a table of 2. This wasn’t a big deal (but the wind gusts were outta control!) and one of the servers brought out a plate of warm bread which was a surprise and much appreciated gesture. I’m torn between 3 and 4 stars here.
The food was yummy (lobster on point) but its a tight tight restaurant and feels a bit hurried due to the ever growing line outside and how quickly the food comes out. Also, the house Chianti was crap (bummer!!) Is this really the best Italian Boston has to offer???

We sat in a window seat and got lucky and didn’t have to wait. This restaurant does not take reservations and the wait can be rather long. The menu has a lot to choose from. We had all ready had appetizer at another place in the north end so we just ordered our entrees and a bottle of wine. The wine is pretty inexpensive by the bottle. We had a Sangiovese that was good. Their red sauces are all lobster based. You can have any sauce on your pasta. I ordered the shrimp and scallops pasta with a scampi sauce. It was really good. The place is small and crowded the waiters very attentive. You can feel rushed, they bring your food our very quickly. I really loved my meal and will definitely return

We waited 1.5 hr to get seated on a Wednesday. Eventhough the food is amazing, the dining experience is not there. They rushed people in and out. We had the House Special and it was enormous. The ladies next to us was staring at our plate. We couldnt finish it. We packed it home and it still really good after heating up.

Giacomo’s is a well-​known Italian restaurant in the North End that attracts tourists and locals alike. A huge seafood restaurant that offers four to five vegetarian options? Let’s go wait in line.
The wait was 25 minutes in 40 °F weather with ten people in front of us. Look, waiting in the cold rain builds character, right? Now on 40 °F rainy Sunday evenings, you now know the wait is an average of 2.5 minutes per person in line. Data, guys, data.
The eggplant parmesan was tasty, but reminded me of school lunch. One plate came with enough eggplant for two people. Expect classic Boston Italian: eggplant, breading, marinara, cheese. The side of pasta wasn’t very good. I don’t buy the idea that «This is classic Italian, have your pasta and sauce and stand in awe of of carbohydrates and tomatoes because this is what ‘real’ Italian is.» The broccoli was more steamed than sauteed. The burrata was a high point. The bread is absolutely top notch.
I regret not ordering the portobello tortellini on the specials menu. The eggplant parmesan was a lot of marinara. Perhaps I have marinara fatigue — I’ll ask my GP and let the Unilocal fam know what he says.
The servers were kind when I was seated, but don’t expect a hostess to take your name here. Get in line. Do the servers have to yell at people? Probably not. But if people are paying for a «classic, cash only, Boston Italian» experience, give the people the stereotypes they want!

Small restaurant expect a wait.
Lobster. Ravioli. Oh. My. God. YUM. Exactly what I expected. So creamy and good
Shrimp scampi zoli– basic pasta. Good but I wish it had more sauce. It needed more sauce.
Garlic bread– knocked down a star because they forgot our order AND they burnt it! Took them forever to bring it out, basically mid way of our meal and it was all burnt so we couldn’t even really eat it.
CASH ONLY! You can phone order and pick it up Togo.

We arrived at 6:45 and waited about an hour, which we were okay with because we had a late lunch. So if you don’t want to eat at 4, just prepare yourself, mentally and physically!
The service here is understandably… pushy. A part of me felt like the whole tough love talk was a bit of an act to build an ambience, but it got old fast. We get it: you guys are extremely busy and cramped in this insanely small place… but we also waited for an hour to eat some good food. I’d like to do that while being respected, not to while listening snark remarks and yelling over our heads. Even more annoying when servers suddenly get extremely nice when the bill is handed to you.
However, the food was wonderful! The house special for two was more than enough for the two of us. I think each of us can boast a huge appetite but the platter was huge! It WILL fill you up. There were two girls next to us who ordered the house special, garlic bread, AND calamari. Eek, they basically took everything home. Unless you must have certain appetizers, we felt like the dish itself was plenty enough, as it had so much variety– pasta, scallops, lobster, clams, mussels…
The plates for shells were replaced very promptly, and although it was cramped, the place was cute. (Just be sure to sit down with ample breathing space, as later on, you may not be able to adjust accordingly.)

Came here based on a recommendation from a friend (we were from out of town visiting). Tip: they don’t take reservations & is cash only (conveniently enough, there’s an ATM right outside). The lines get LONG. we waited for about 45 mins outside in the cold — not to mention it was snowing. Once we finally got inside, we were seated very close to two other people. For being so popular, they should really think about expanding the place or opening up another one at a new location. Now onto the food…
My sister is allergic to both shrimp & lobster, so we were very limited on what we could. Their specials for the day had burrata, which was delicious. We also got fried calamari which had the perfect level or crispy & tenderness. We ended up getting the scallop linguini pasta with scampi sauce. It looked very bland when they came out with it, but tasted a lot better than it looked (lol so don’t let looks deceive you!). They were very quick on bringing out our food — understandable because there was still a long line outside even when we were leaving.
Not sure if I’d come again, but definitely a more touristy place to eat at while you’re at Boston.
Why four stars? Being from a different town, I’m not used to restaurants being cash only/​long lines (you can’t even write your name down and explore). Not that I should complain about it because that’s just the way it is at many places in Boston… just a little inconvenient especially if you’re on a time crunch.

We’d ended one of our tours and decided to eat a late lunch here. Came around 3:45 and there was already a line. We waited for forty five minutes and were one of the first customers to get in! When seated, the waitress was very no nonsense, motherly, and quick. I loved her!
We ordered quickly since we knew it’d take a while to get our food since everyone was trying to order at the same time.
Got the fried calamari to start– get the small portion if there’s only two people as it’s plentiful portions. Best calamari I’ve had– very tender, batter so light and crispy, and came in their specialty fra diavolo sauce. This is absolute must.
Butternut squash ravioli was another of their specialties! Creamy and buttery!
Linguini with mussels over their fra diavolo sauce was absolutely delicious. Their mussels were so tender and the sauce gave a nice spicy kick.
This is the best Italian restaurant I’ve been so far!
Cash only

We tried Giacomo’s the first day we visited Boston because it was recommended by a friend. They open at 4:30pm and we got there around 4:10, and there was already a line forming, even in the cold weather! It was definitely worth the wait! For appetizers we ordered the caprese salad and fried calamari. The salad was delicious, had the right amount of balsamic and was very fresh. The calamari wasn’t anything special, just like any other one we have had. My boyfriend ordered the butternut squash ravioli, which he loved! It was sweet, but not overpowering, and it had some sliced asparagus also, and he was able to finish that along with the appetizers. I got the lobster ravioli, and it was so creamy and you could taste the lobster that’s inside the ravioli. Very good! I totally recommend it.
Service was very quick, we were in and out of there probably in about 40 minutes!

Make sure you close the front door before you try to enter the restaurant through the second door! Nonna locked me out, because I had the front door open still. Here’s a glimpse of the customer service, which I wouldn’t say is necessarily bad. It’s more like tough love.
Locals say there’s usually a wait long enough to get you hangry, so we decided to get dinner at 9:30pm on a Friday evening and waited only 5 minutes.
We had the SHRIMP AND SCALLOP LINGUINE with GIACOMO SAUCE. There was a fairly generous amount of scallops and shrimp. The Giacomo sauce is «lobster based tomato with a hint of bechamel» but I couldn’t taste any hint of lobster. Also, the sauce didn’t seem to really stick to the pasta.
We also had the BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI, which seemed to be the more memorable of the two. The prosciutto, mascarpone cream sauce was delicious with the sweet ravioli.
Giacomo Ristorante is definitely good to try at least once, but it seems somewhat overhyped.

Tourist spot? No way. But… who cares if it is?! Good Italian is good Italian. I had been wanting to try Giacomo’s since I moved to Boston in August but never found someone willing to go try it with me. Lucky for me, my Dad is a foodie and he came to town to watch the Bean Pot Tournament … The timing couldn’t have been better. Anyways, I digress.
We came by at 4:20 on a Saturday night — risky bet since Giacomo’s opens at 4:30 and I’ve heard the line forms LONG before they open. The line was already growing but wasn’t too bad. So we gave it a shot. When the restaurant opened, we were the LAST 2 people to make it into the restaurant before it was FULL. Score!
They seated us at the corner of the bar and promptly greeted us and took our orders. We decided to try the calamari and split a Caesar salad to start. The calamari was so tender and fresh — perfectly breaded and a HUGE portion for $ 11. The Caesar salad was HUGE too and more than enough for two people.
For our entrees, I ordered the shrimps and scallops over linguini with Fra Diavlo sauce. My Dad ordered the special of lobster meat and shrimp over fusilli with the Giacomo sauce. My dish was phenomenal (and enough for 3 meals!). My dad loved his dish as well! I could go on …
Synopsis: get there early, restaurant is small, loud, and hustling, service is FAST, and the food is GOOD. All you need to know! (Oh, and cash only!)

I felt like I won the lottery tonight! We had a reservation at Panza across the street, but saw there was no line at Giacomo’s so we figured we would give it a shot. They could seat us immediately! We quickly cancelled our reservation and rushed to see what 4 stars with over 2000 reviews could get us.
The dining room is tiny, noisy, and you are sitting on your neighbor’s lap. However, the Ceasar salad was excellent and the simple pasta, protein, and sauce was amazing. I got the shrimp and Scallops with Fracomo sauce and it was pretty awesome.
Prices were ridiculously cheap for both the entrees and the wine. 3 of us ate entrees, salads, and split a bottle of wine for $ 100. Service was what I would call «abrupt» but — in a weird way — I think it added to the charm. I wish I could open a restaurant that only accepted cash, did not take reservations, and offered «abrupt» service and have it be as popular as Giacomo’s. Check it out if you are in the North End.

Adorei!
A comida é bemmm servida e super saborosa. O restaurante é pequeno tem treze mesas. Experimentei uma massa com lagosta e molho vermelho mais bechamel — excelente! O preço é super bom pelo que serve. Só tem que chegar cedo para não ficar na fila. A moça que nos serviu estava meio atrapalhada, mas parace que era uma exceção aos outros atendentes.

Pa’ chuparse los dedos …
Bien servicio…
Súbito…
Delicious…
Presentación magnífica !!!

Beaucoup d’attente
Pas de reservation possible
Prix assez élevé sauf pour le vin avec des bouteilles (un peu chaude) à 17 $
Tres bons plats (un plat principal par personne suffit vue les quantités)
Pas de regret pour l’attente (presque une heure)
Nous avons passé un très bon moment et nous y retournerions si cela était possible

Every restaurant in the North End was quiet on rainy Wednesday night except for Giacomo’s. The Italian food here is heavenly. You have to order the Zuppa di pesce! Just look at the Unilocal pictures. Seafood paradise. Lobster, scallops, mussels, and shrimp. The fra diavolo sauce is savoring and mildly spicy. My group was totally satisfied. 3 guys were able to finish the supersized zuppa di pesce and a chicken parm dish. Other Unilocaler say it could fill 4 people but I say the zuppa is perfect for two active people.
For a party of 3, we had to other 3 dishes otherwise we would be charged $ 10. The zuppa di pesce counts as two. The chicken parm was $ 15 so why not and it turned out to be delicious. Space in Giacomo’s is very limited. You will be sitting every close to other patrons and we had a cool experience. Everyone admiring each others order. The service is very quick and straight to the point. It is a busy environment with long lines, so they have no time for nonsense. My group finished in less than 45 mins.