We went for an early dinner at 4:30 and the place was empty - which was fine for us, we were a group of 8, half of which were young kids. The inside of quaint and cozy. The food came out relatively quickly. The bread basket was very appreciated! We got carbonara and ravioli and both were excellent! The service was good, nothing exceptional but they took good care of us, and this definitely felt like a kid friendly place to go to! read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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For a Sunday dinner, I decided to try some classic Italian fare in the North End. Since I had a reservation, I received seating for my party of 3 immediately. Friends and I ordered the Eggplant Rollatini ($16.95) and Fried Calamari ($19.95) to share, and I ordered the Shrimp and Scallops a la Vodka ($35.95) for myself. The Eggplant Rollatini, an appetizer consisting of baby eggplant rolled and stuffed with fresh ricotta, baked and topped with mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce, looked like a cornucopia of marinara and cheese. The marinara and mozzarella, simple and savory, allowed the mild ricotta to increase the depth of flavor, with the savoriness lingering on the palate. The Fried Calamari, tossed with hot cherry peppers and toasted pine nuts served with a side of marinara sauce, tasted as advertised. The marinara dip here could have used a bit more herbs, in contrast to that in the Rollatini which needed no extra. The Shrimp and Scallops a la Vodka, a pasta dish with large shrimp and sea scallops sautéed in olive oil and served with homemade fusilli in our classic vodka sauce, tasted delicious. The plump and juicy shrimp, along with the cooked-just-right scallops, seemed quite fresh. The seafood flavor also seemed prominent in the the creamy vodka sauce. The fusilli, while thick at first glance, lived up to the establishment's namesake - al dente. All of these arrived in significant quantities. My pasta, in particular, had generous amounts of shrimp and scallop. Had I not been walking around all day, I could have had that for two meals. I debated loosening up my belt after finishing everything. read more

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I decided to come here after seeing the positive yelp reviews. The restaurant itself was cozy and welcoming. Our server Charlie was so nice! She kept checking on us frequently. The food was delicious! The portions are pretty big. My Husband and I were able to share. (They do charge a share fee fyi) the vodka sauce was creamy and the meatballs were made to perfection! The sangria was good. Not too strong but that was fine because I was with my daughter lol I would recommend this place to those visiting the area. read more

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Yes would recommend - had pumpkin raviolis - delicious . Husband had frutti de mare - mussels were tainted - removed them from dish and the rest was delicious Service was really good Would return again - even after the mussel issue read more

This was not my first visit to Al Dente, and not my last. The food is fresh, the pasta perfectly cooked, and the service outstanding. It is one of my go-to's when friends come into towns read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Gnocchi - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Came here for a nice dinner in the North End. Started off with the bread, which honestly was nothing special, and then had bruschetta as an appetizer. Unfortunately, the bruschetta itself was rather bland and didn't have the level of flavor expected. For mains, though, the chicken parmesan with homemade pasta was delicious, and the penne vodka was also pretty flavorful. The cheese lasagna wasn't a huge hit with the person who had ordered it, but all in all, good food and good service. read more

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This little Italian restaurant in the North End has been one of my go-to spots for years, and it continues to impress. It has that cozy, old-fashioned feel--like you've stepped into someone's home kitchen. The atmosphere is warm and authentic, and there's a quiet outdoor patio in the back that feels tucked away from the noise of the street. The service is consistently great. Our server was friendly, attentive, and made us feel really well taken care of without being overbearing. We started with a bottle of wine that was both good and fairly priced. The Caesar salad was very generous in size and fresh--easily shareable. They also bring out bread and butter to start, which is a nice touch. For dinner, we had the ravioli with marinara and the penne alla vodka with chicken. The ravioli were large and satisfying, but the marinara sauce really stood out--rich, balanced, and full of flavor. The vodka sauce was one of the best I've had in the city, and the chicken was super fresh and well-cooked. The portions are big, the prices are reasonable, and the food always feels homemade in the best way. It's the kind of place you keep coming back to--and I always do. read more

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4 stars for the food and an extra star for the service. Made a reservation earlier in the day, arrived in time and got seated by the great host right away. Small cosy, traditional, a little noisy but awesome little local Italian in a great part of North End. Food was super fresh, quick and tasty. Puttanesca was nice and tasty, as was the Veal special. The sauces could maybe use just a little more flavor, salt, pepper etc, but with the home made pasta all was very tasty as was the caprese salad. Lots to choose from on the menu. The service from Joanna made the night awesome. Super friendly, attentive, and homely Boston service. Definitely recommend if you don't feel like lining up at the other couple hyped restaurants. read more

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Four of us had Parmesan chicken or eggplant. Was cold in spots when it arrived at the table. Must be microwaved in some fashion, it was not made to order. We were very early for dinner so it wasn't because they were busy. Staff was very good, hope it was just an off night for them. Please serve made to order!! You're small enough to do that. read more

What an amazing experience we had at Al Dente Restaurant on our trip to Boston! The atmosphere, service, and especially the food were outstanding! read more

My boyfriend found this place on our way back after walking the freedom trail. He also gets five stars for this find. It was an extremely hot day and we just needed food, air conditioning and a gallon of water. This place delivered on all three. Our server was amazing (thank you for continually filling my water glass back up!) and so was the food. Highly recommend coming for lunch. They have special lunch pricing, which makes me like this place even more. We had the Caprese salad and chicken parmesan sandwich, both delicious. Their bread went along great with the salad. We'll be back next time we're back in Boston. read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Caprese Salad with Chicken Parmesan sandwich in the distance. - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

First time back this year and the meal was solid. The waitstaff were quick but not the friendliest. The food was plentiful and good, but I was a bit bothered to find they included cheese on top of a pasta dish that had no cheese noted anywhere which was an issue for a member of our party. read more

Don't waste your money. The worst experience of my life. 1. The staff is unpleasant and barely polite. 2. The place is not clean. 3. Finally, the food has nothing to do with Italian cuisine -- it's tasteless and of very poor quality. We didn't touch our plates and sent our order back. We expressed our disappointment to the waitress, who was very rude. We still paid the full bill even though we didn't eat anything. This place is a disgrace and in no way represents the excellence of true Italian cuisine. read more

Amazing as always. We split the eggplant rolotini we also all got homemade pasta dishes. One wax better than the next. We were greated at the end with complimentary lemoncello. So good. Staff was amazing always visit the same spot when I am in the north end read more

Really pleased with my dinner here! We came on a Sunday night and had made reservations prior and we were seated right away. It's a small Italian restaurant on the north end and it's everything you would want from an Italian dinner in Boston :) They serve a bread and butter basket and have a pretty decent wine list. The Cabernet Sauvignon I had was pretty tasty! Their dinner menu was almost overwhelming! So much to choose from but when I'm at an authentic Italian place it's hard for me not to get bolognese! I got the bolognese with fresh rigatoni. The portion sizes were HUGE! You could easily get 2-3 servings out of one bowl. Other dishes that were ordered at the table were the quattro formaggio ravioli and shrimp&calamari fra diavalo. These both looked fantastic and were large portions as well. We took the shrimp&calamari pasta for leftovers and it was so good the next day too. The calamari was cooked perfectly. The waitress was quick and to the point and it was a fast dining service! read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Bolognese Pasta - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Went here for my 28th birthday, did a reservation and put it was for a birthday. Not asking for special treatment but would have been nice to be told happy birthday or something. The waitress was very sweet and helpful though. The place was small, maybe 7 tables and there were no one else in there at the time, I should have known something was up. I had vodka sauce with shrimp and scallops. The scallops were VERY overcooked and tough, sad. The pasta was also overcooked, for a place called Al Dente it sure made things over cooked. It was a sad birthday experience, we wouldn't come back again. Too many good places in the North End. read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Shrimp and Scallops a La Vodka - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Amazing. in the North End area you have hundreds of restaurants to chose from. don't skip Al Dente. clams with red sauce fantastic. a leather shoe would be amazing with their Red sauce too. portions, OMG, great. service and staff were great. a friend who is Boston raised took us here. if locals live it.... you know it's amazing. thank you Rick for bringing us here read more

Food was phenomenal and restaurant was tucked away off the Main Street. Was not too busy but the food did not disappoint. We started with the Caesar salad which was juicy and well drenched in Caesar sauce Tried the Chicken Marsala with Fettuccini which was delightful. We also had the Chicken Parmesan with Fettuccini which was great as well. Location was a bit dark but other than was a great setup to the restaurant. Made you feel at home and prices were very reasonable. Recommend anyone craving delicious Italian food. read more

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I researched a restaurant in the North End (coming from seacoast NH) that I could meet some friends at on a Saturday and make reservations. Of the options, the menu at AlDente looked best. We were not disappointed! The food was excelelnt, service was excellent and the portions were huge. We took enough leftovers home to have a whole other meal! I had the broccoli rabe with chicken, my husband had the seafood fra diavolo, our friends had the bolognese and the scallops and shrimp over pasta. We all shared the grilled fig salad (huge) and I had a huge bowl of minestrone (freshly cut, big chunks of zucchini, squash and carrot) which was like my nonna used to make! I highly recommend Al Dente. read more

First off, I'd like to thank my cousin for giving me the Al Dente recommendation! It definitely was pretty delicious! Alright.. No lie.. I've been thinking about Al Dente's Pesto Penne ever since I got back home. I've even tried ordering from a local spot in hopes that the quality and taste would be some what similar, but was sadly disappointed. I will continue to search for a spot with bomb pesto! OR I just have to make a trip to Boston again and just hit up Al Dente! Service: Friendly. No complaints from me. Price: Not to bad. Definitely paying for the quality. Parking: I definitely wouldn't bring a car anywhere near this area. There are a few parking garages close by that you can park at. Will I be back? Heck yeahhh! When ever I decide to hit up Boston again, I'm for sure going to hit up Al Dente! See you when I see you! read more

Incredible.... Visiting Boston for the weekend and this meal was the highlight. The service here is amazing, our waitress was so kind and went above and beyond to give us great recommendations and make sure we were taken care of. Loved the atmosphere very cozy and comfortable. The food. We ordered the gnocchi with there pesto sauce. Highly recommend. I don't love pesto but this sauce of one of a kind. It was so creamy, I believe it's a pesto/ Alfredo hybrid.. it was out of the world. Pasta is fresh, you do have a to pay like $5 more for it but soooooo worth it. We also got the rigatoni in vodka sauce. Classic and also out of this world. Extra cheese made this 10/10... if you are in the area, pls go here. You won't be disappointed!! Looking forward to my next trip and will be ordering this exact combo again. read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I heard great things about this restaurant but it sadly disappointed. Average pasta for a hefty price with each add on. I would not come back here again. Experience Went on a cold weekday and the restaurant was pretty much empty besides our table and another one or two tables. The restaurant is a mom and pop Italian restaurant but the vibe was lacking, especially since it didn't seem the cleanest. There was also a fruit fly flying around our food the entire time!!! Food Ordered the fettuccine vodka sauce pasta dish with sausage, but did not think it was worth it for $40. Each add on is an additional cost. If you want fresh pasta, an additional $3. If you want chicken or sausage added, it's another $7.95. Shrimp or veal? Forget about it, for a few pieces at best it's another $9.95 to your meal which is outrageous. For average pasta with average portions, especially since the menu prices are fooling you, I will not be paying over $40 again. read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Vodka Sauce Fettuccine w/Sausage - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The food was amazingly authentic! Service was excellent with great staff recommendations. Ambiance was casual and laid back read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Vodka Sauce with Penne Pasta! Loved the lightness of the dish, it was not too heavy - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

What I Ordered: Vodka Sauce with Linguini * they have an option for their house made pasta (would recommend trying that option instead) * sauce is more of a tomato sauce (not as creamy as the ones served at most pasta places) Homemade Meatball x2 * meatloaf texture * served on tomato sauce * on the blander side Eggplant Rollatini * could not taste the eggplant * dishes did not particularly stand out * charges a $9 fee for each person that does not order an item when dining in * each table is served a basket of baguette slices with butter 5/10 read more

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If you want to feel like you're in Italy, Al Dente is a MUST. I found this place via Yelp reviews mentioning they have gluten-free pasta. I also noticed they mentioned several GF options on their website. We came in around 1:30, so we just missed the lunch crowd. It was cozy and quaint, and our waitress immediately took drink orders and gave menu suggestions. She said they offer gluten-free garlic bread, and we pounced on that opportunity. It was amazing. I was debating between alfredo and and chicken parmigiana, and she said the chicken was the way to go. My husband ordered the chicken parmigiana sandwich, and it was ENORMOUS. While waiting on our food, we had a glimpse of the kitchen and heard workers speaking Italian to each other. It was like we were overseas, and we loved it. We ordered lunch portions but were served dinner portions (they didn't charge us for the dinner size). They are HUGE. Next time, we'll split our entrees. Their sodas are canned, not fountain - just a heads up there, and they take credit cards (several places in the North End are cash only). For having a bad gluten intolerance, I never got sick, and the pasta was the absolute best I've ever had. We are already planning our next trip - so we will be back! read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Chicken Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Classic north end fare - good food, oversized portions, limited wine list, small and noisy. Service was good, and my Chicken Venensia was good - rolled chicken stuffed with prosciutto, spinach and red peppers served over red pepper risotto with a gorgonzola cream sauce - a little busy and the risotto a little rushed, but very filling. Wife's order of chicken milanese over cavatelle was just as good, maybe a bit better because it wasn't as busy. It was solid all-around. read more

We were lucky to get a last minute reservation on a Saturday night by calling that afternoon (even though the Yelp reservations said it was booked). Definitely don't expect to walk up to the restaurant at peak dinner hour and be seated without a reservation - but this is typical Boston North End information. The pasta and all the sauces are always perfect here! Just pay the upcharge for the fresh pasta - it's totally worth it. We also ordered the pumpkin ravioli as a starter and WOW that was delicious! Like pumpkin pie filling!! Overall I love Al Dente for their family friendly atmosphere, wide menu, and consistently delicious food. read more

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Great food, friendly service. Had fried calamari, penne alla vodka, veal Valentino, chicken masala. Old Red sauce ambiance. Can't wait to go back! read more

The best penne alla vodka I've ever had!!! Food all around was fantastic. Tight sitting area, but great service & wine selection. read more

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Made reservations for lunch on a Tuesday that were not necessary. The place was empty but started to fill up as we left. Started with the Caesar salad that was fairly average. I had the bolognese with fresh pasta and J had the vodka sauce with fresh pasta. The pasta was fantastic and the bolognese was delicious. V got chicken parm that looked like all chicken parm and W got pesto that he ate every bite of. Quick and friendly service, off the main path on Salem St - a good choice! Ask your server for the olive oil/balsamic/cheese combo for your bread. You won't be sorry. read more

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Everything in this restaurant is good people are kind food is good entertainment is great

Best pasta hands down I've had. Love that you make whatever pasta you basically want. The restaurant is small definitely make a reservation. They only have beer and wine. But definitely you must go! Great service our waitress had been there for years! read more

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Waitress spilled an espresso martini all over my gf ruining her new cardigan. Manager tried to make it better giving free lemoncello shots and $10 off our bill. Food was pretty good. Pasta sauce with meat ball app was great. Dirty wine glasses. For the cost it's not worth it read more

Just good people. Super accommodating for a large group of 8 of us on a Saturday night, when we kept changing our ETA- on that alone, they've earned our goodwill. Our server was super friendly- managed a group of picky kids, picky seniors, and us "normal" diners :-) The food was above-average to fantastic - between us, I think we tried a bit of everything, but our favs were the eggplant rollatini, lobster ravioli, Italian sausage, and penne in vodka sauce. Pasta is fresh and cooked *ahem* al dente, sauces were on point. It's an unassuming spot, like a lot in the North End, but they know what they're doing. read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Sausage & Vodka Sauce Pasta - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Made a same day reservation through yelp. When we showed up, management was rude and there was no table for us. It was freezing out and we had our 2 yr old with us so they sat us at a sister restaurant next door. If it hadn't been so cold or we didn't have our kid with us we would have just walked out. Food was ok. read more

Al Dente has been consistently great for many many years! Love the food, love the atmosphere.... I always go back when I'm in town, followed by a stop at Modern Pastry for dessert. read more

The food was delicious and came out piping hot! We had the minestrone soup, chicken parm with homemade pasta. Our waitress was so friendly, fast and efficient. My husband and I split the entire meal which was plenty! read more

We called for Eggplant Rollatini for appetizer and it was very tasty! Just perfect. For Entree, the Pesto Fettuccini was also very tasty for the first few bites but then it started feeling very heavy because there was a lot of olive oil in the pesto. We could finish only half of it. The service was fast and ambience was good. The place is relatively small in size and was packed. It would be a good idea to plan ahead during the weekend and book a table in advance if you don't want to wait. read more

Al Dente Restaurant - Eggplant Rollatini Pesto Fettuccini - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Come here for the charming, warm ambience and old-fashioned appeal, but perhaps not for the stellar dishes. Enjoyed the gnocchi enough and the pumpkin ravioli was great though very sweet. Wouldn't come back but some of the sweetest waiters around. read more

this place is nostalgic to me and the owner is my favorite. Food is great - if you want some thing sweet the pumpkin raviolis are great.