UnleashYourAnger.com

I love Italian food.  I really do.  I just love walking over to North End after work with wife and/or friends and hanging out.   Unfortunately, the quality has been declining steadily.

We used to be able to walk on over, and jump into any restaurant and the food and atmosphere to be decent.  Just another flavor of the day.  Recently, however, we can no longer just walk in and expect quality.  Some of these restaurants are just plain crap now, and I mean that for service, price, cleanliness, atmosphere, and the food!

These restaurants are completely spoiled by tourism.  They realized that no matter how poorly they treat customers, how gross the food, how crammed the dining area, how expensive the dishes, they will get more customers.  Well, they may be right, because you don't have to worry about repeaters when it comes to tourists.  This is extremely disappointing to a local like me.  Below are my thoughts.  It's not like I spent a lot of time on this list, but I thought it would spark some feedback from others.  

Worst Offenders IMO:
Strega, Limoncello, Fiore (deck is nice), Dolce Vita

Good, but declining IMO:
Lucca, Bricco, Cibo, Daily Catch

Still Decent IMO:
Pomodoro, Terramia, Mama Maria, Prezza (little overrated), Cantina

Still Strong IMO:
Davide, Giacomo's, Mama Maria, Taranta, Maurizio

Readers have left 31 comments.

1. Smoothy

Totally agree about the tourism ruining them. Pretty good list to start. I am adding Antico Forno as Still Decent.

2. Dave Mucho

Nice list. I went to L'Osteria Ristorante the other day, and the food was great. The service was not so good, but all the restaurants in North End are starting to have attitudes.

3. Snippers

Talking of attitude, Daily Catch has got quite a bit. The seating of the tables seems so random. I know you are busy and trying to maximize the space you got, but I had a party of 4, and they seated two parties of 2 before us. That ain't right.

4. Ginx

Giacomo sort of does that thing with shuffling of the line, but I still love that place. Totally worth the ridiculous wait. I swear that Kabloom went out of business because people stood in front of all day.

5. CoatesX

Cibo's food is overrated. I was there last week, and it was definitely not as good as it used to be. Disappointing indeed.

6. SmashingTomatos

Fiore? That place is crap, crap, crap. The service is absolutely horrible, and the waitstaff are cocky as hell. The food is absolutely disgusting too. You can tell it is from a frozen can.

7. swesson

Smashingtomatos. Wow, check out the CitySearch on Fiore. There are some CRAZY reviews. Thank you for the warning!

8. GatorLover

Can't agree more. Please add Piccola Venezia and La Famiglia Georgia to the HORRIBLE list. I feel the duty to warn others, because those places are victims of the tourist trap. I am sure they became big for past reputations, but they are NO LONGER ANY GOOD.

9. LucyLucca

Hey, Lucca is still decent! I still enjoy going to that place. I do have to admit that it is pricey though. Wait, is that why it's on the list?

10. Guest User

OMG, please stay away from Piccola Venezia.

11. ILoveFood

Great list, but it needs a Over Priced Section, I think. That is a typical result of endless source of tourists.

Prezza
Tresca
Lucca
Maybe Tarranta and Mama Maria's, but they are pretty good. Just too darn expensive.

12. Michael Jensen

Darn it! I like Piccola Venezia. They have quick service and good proportion! Not high-caliber food, but they are affordable. Is there anything wrong with them?

13. SweetMary

How come no one's mentioned Bacco?! Great food, and I love it!!

14. Boscorelli

SweetMary, Bacco is good, but it is overpriced and the service was rude when I was there last. I can't speak for all the waitresses there, but I sure didn't enjoy it.

15. RepublicOfCambridge

Giacomo is awesome. I am glad you listed Davide, because that is my favorite. I took my wife there for an anniversary, and we had an amazing time. Quiet atmosphere, nice quaint feel. Nice Italian music playing, but it's not cheesy. Lighting is nice, and decor is not upscale but "true." Very romantic place, but you could go there after work to unwind. It's a great find. A bit away from Hanover, but it's worth the extra few steps.

16. Guest User

Cool. I was just looking for restaurant recommendations, but this is a pretty good list that summarizes them all. Do you guys recommend any for a large group? 10~15? Tx in advance.

17. Chris

I would like to add to the list of Worst Offenders: Trattoria Il Panino. (note: this is different from Il Panino Express)

I went there with a couple of friends a couple of months ago. The service was absolutely horrible. Rude, slow (waited 45 mins for food after ordering). The food was a joke. My $20 risotto looked like a pile of vomit and tasted like the Atlantic Ocean thanks to a heavy handed salt shaker. I even took a photo of it for posterity, which I'd post here if I knew how.

Is it too much to ask for a little garnish? Or does my $20 just not cover that? I'll never go there again, and do my best to keep everyone I know away too.

18. Bones

Well, what do you guys expect. I don't go to the north end very often becuase all the restaurants there are over priced.

I really like Lil' Vinnies in Magoun square somerville. For my money the food there is as good as any I've had in the north end. The service is always friendly and fast.

19. Guest User

Cafe Pompei, has the rudest staff I've ever seen. The food is decent, and their late night menu is convent and pretty good. However the big bald guy that works there is the most arrogant and rude person I've ever encountered. I refuse to go there anymore, and live less than a block away.

20. Guest User

Paglicua's? Artu's? Those are two of the greatest! As a resident of the North End my whole lifeI have to disagree. Yes, you do have to pick and choose and there may be an occasional off meal, but it is the best Italian food the city has to offer. And here's a tip to any of you that go out to dine: treat your servers like human beings and you will probably get excellent service. Treat them like they barely exist... yeah your meal may not be that great and you probably won't get priority.

21. Guest User

Florentine is total crap. They sell the place with atmosphere but the food might as well have been scraped from a dumpster.

Giacomo's is still the best place around, but they are heavy on the seafood. Secret for the wait: get some beers from the nearby liquor store and drink them from a paper bag while waiting.

Mama Maria still the best, has valet parking and takes a credit card but boy is it pricey. Good place to propose.

22. big man

I haven't eaten at Lucca's in about a year, but it's been fantastic everytime I've been there. I hope it's not really going downhill, but somehow I doubt it is.

23. SwankySniff

We got some Guest Users having good inputs. I did forget Pagliuca in my post. That place is great. Maybe I will give others a chance to add more, and I will update the post.

24. Boscorelli

I couldn't agree more about Giacomo's. Their lobster based pomodoro sauce is exquisite!! (yes, it's seafood based. )

25. Frank Jr.

I am thinking Swanky made this list not just based on taste, but all the different criteria. Services, decor, prices... I liked Lucca and I still do, but their price did noticeably go up. I think most of them on Hanover near the entrance have gone up significantly. Do people remember the old days with the ugly central artery?

26. TheSkeptic

"Tourist Trap" phenomenon is a true one, so I am sure the same applies here. I must say though, places like Cheesecake Factory is much worse on this end. (However, I am a big fan of PF Changs.)

27. Guest User

skeptic, that is kind of a random comment, but i totally agree that Cheesecake Factory is just plain awful. the wait is long, the food is horrible, and the service is terrible.

28. Guest User

Also, I've never actually eaten cheescake at the "Cheescake Factory" because the entrees are so frigging huge I never have room for desert. Ironic!

29. TunaTacoGrande

Assaggio on Prince Street is decent. A lot of the places do lick balls though.

30. TunaTacoGrande

Assaggio on Prince Street is decent. A lot of the places do lick balls though.

31. Guest User

I've been to Strega a few times, and have always found the service to be excellent. In fact, I was just telling somebody this weekend how great I thought Strega's service was.

I think Assagio has some of the better North End food. Every meal I've ever had there has been delicious.

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