Been there for Mother's Day dinner. Love the patio and the atmosphere. I had the blackened salmon dish from specials and it easvery good, cooked just right on a rice bed and sautred veggies. The staff is always friendly and the food is really good. read more

Caffe Boa - Italian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Don't go here, it's that simple. I made a reservation on Tuesday for the upcoming Sunday, my wife's birthday. I'm booked on-line, and received a confirmation. We were called at 4:45 on Sunday, an hour and 15 min prior to our reservation, and informed that our table was no longer available due to a private party booking. Seriously, an hour and 15min prior to our reservation. I called back and spoke to the manager, she expressed her apologies, even said she could squeeze us in, with the private party of a bunch of kids, but that was it. We have been going to Cafe Boa for over 15 yrs, and have heard recently that they were closing. We wanted to throw them some business, but after this, we're done with Cafe Boa, we'll never go back......ever. We're part of a group of 3-4 couples that eat out every month to 6 weeks, and Cafe Boa was on our list of favorites, but no more. We got a reservation at Va Bene for 6:00, had a great meal, and enjoyed ourselves in spite of the treatment by Cafe Boa. The treatment of faithful customers by this place does not warrant our support. I'd give Cafe Boa 0 stars if I could. read more

Awesome service. Friendly staff! They had a large party in there and the people at the party were very abusive and the manager handled it with class. The staff remained calm and got the food out smiling the whole time . A+ read more

Could not even give this establishment a complete try. We went in for an early dinner. Yes, we were greeted by a host / server / bartender. When I stated we had never been here before, the reply was a tad sarcastic being "We've been here 22 years.". Well, then why not SELL your establishment and tell us about your Happy Hour Specials / Drink Specials / Soup of the Day / Dinner Specials etc. etc. Nothing on the menu stood out as something to try. Especially if the staff can't be bothered to suggest their best sellers. Won't be going back. read more

Very good pasta, and excellent bread with some amazing yogurt dip. Outstanding coffee (Folger's?). Good service. A bit pricey, but the quality is there. I could eat there weekly, actually. Good for any romantic date, too (my date was happy). read more

I just had a memorial together in 3 days for my good friend and held it at Caffe Boa. Scott and Jamie did an outstanding job of helping me put together this very memorable event. We had 135 people to out party on 4-26-18 and their staff, service and food quality was excellent. They also provide live music guitarist that set the the mood. My favorite restaurant in Ahwatukee. read more

Food always good, never great. My big complaint is that the menu items have been the same since 1995. Very nice employees. Service always good and very friendly. read more

Love Cafe Boa, took out of town friends to brag on it, yikes, epic fail. They ran out of bread, mixed up our order and the pasta putenesca tasted like tomato sauce with a couple of calmata olives, did not eat it. I'm hoping it was a bad day, going to give it one more try. read more

Waste of time. My wife and I had 7:00 PM reservations on the patio. The restaurant even called to confirm our reservation. We arrived at 6:45 PM and were told it would be a few minutes. We finally left at 7:45 PM because we had yet to be seated. What's the point of having a reservation if they don't save a table for you? Can't comment on the food, but with service so poor, we won't chance going back. read more

Love Caffe Boa! The food, service and ambiance are impeccable! Family owned and operated businesses are the best! You can always feel it in the air and taste it in the food! My husband and I have been going here for years! Highly recommended!! read more

Hi, I came to Tempe from out of town and happened upon Caffe Boa. WOW. I wanted everything on the menu, but being solo, I didn't have anyone to share with. I got my choices down to Mushroom Risotto and Mussels. The waitress talked to the chef and he made, from scratch, a Mussels Risotto dish that was out of this world. While waiting I enjoyed 3 oz glasses of wine from their wine list. I urge you to give this place a try. read more

Eh. Decent wine, decent food. I enjoyed our trip there, but thought the pricing was a bit much for just "okay" food. May be back, may not. Cute little place but there a lot of those with better pricing. read more

Caffe Boa Ahwatukee is a great spot if you have a taste for simple Italian. The food is good, but not amazing, and the menu is quite large. There are always a ton of daily specials written on the chalkboard, which is located on the wall. Prices can seem a bit high for the quality of the item, but I have never had a bad experience with my food or service. (*hint* they have great wine flights) The waitstaff has always been friendly and attentive during dinner hours (I have never been during lunch), but if you make a reservation through OpenTable make sure to double check that they checked you in to your reservation. They always forget! You can eat both inside or outside, and you can usually get a table on the weekends without a reservation! Although - if they have live music on the night you plan on going, you may want to make one just in case. Happy Eating!! read more

We went here for the first time a few months ago per a recommendation & I wasn't very impressed. Staff was very nice & my boyfriend liked his meal but my meal was so-so (I had the gnocchi). This week I thought I would try it again...I ordered the pesto pasta for pick up & it was delicious. Glad I gave it a second chance. read more

4 of us went to the Ahwatukee establishment. It was the absolute worst experience we ever had. No manager on premise. Bathrooms filthy. We had a 7pm reservation. Were sat down 15 minutes late. It took 15 minutes to get water and 35 minutes to get our beverages. After 45 minutes they put bread and dipping sauce on the table but there were only 2 dishes and sets of silverware/ napkins. REALLY!! Then it took another 15 minutes to place our orders. Appetizers came out 30 minutes later. Refills on beverages were close to the end of our painful experience. If Macdonalds was still across the street I was going to purchase a soft drink and bring it back so we could at least drink. The patio was really beautiful. The gentleman handling the music was very nice and personable. The serving staff intentionally avoided eye contact with patrons. The Appetizers were good. The entrees were just okay. Never will I darken their doorway again. Shame on them for advertising like they're something special. We didn't leave until 9:30pm and that wasn't because we were excited about time there. read more

I am writing this review as I work my way through this dinning experience. I have enjoyed Cafe Boa in the past, but it has been years. So far we are off to a good start. The restaurant is decorated in soothing colors, clean and relaxing. The server is very nice and knowledgeable about the menu. Wild Salmon with Basmati Rice and sautéed veggies sounds great. Thanks! Uh oooh! The tea is weak on tea on heavy on hibiscus or jasmine or dandelion, whatever they flavor it with. Oh, and did I mention it's empty...... and they aren't terribly busy and I'm sitting at the bar. Tick-tock, Tick-tock...for as long as this is taking I'm concerned that my Salmon will be over cooked. It's not that busy people. Tick-tock, Tick-tock...the wait staff must sense it, because they are leaning half way through the kitchen window looking for food. I guess this is why they have a decent beer and wine selection, gotta keep you happy during the wait. Too bad I'm only drinking iced tea. Tick-tock, Tick-tock...as I sit and watch larger tables that came in after me being served their food. It's Salmon not rocket science. The Salmon is a beautiful piece of fish and nearly perfectly cooked. The fish is great but I'm confused on where the chef was going with this dish. It has a "corn relish" on top that is really just corn. It all sits on top of a bed of rice and veggies. The veggies are nicely cooked but they have a Asian flavor that doesn't match the rest of the dish. Well, I was going to rate it a 3 star until I got my bill and saw they charged me $19.95 for that dish. Definitely not worth it. Hi all, The owners response to my original review is below. I did reply back to him directly, but I don't think it will be shown to all so I am adding my response here.Enjoy the reading. Dear Scott, Really Scott? "Tea was full at all times, never empty as you stated" You want to call me a liar? Not a good plan for salvaging relationships with potential customers. Trust me when I say it was empty....I know. "we understand that you were by yourself" This means there is only one dish to focus on, it's easy. "the ticket time on the Grilled Salmon was not unreasonable" If this is the case then why was the waiter appologizing for it and why were other tables of 3 people receiving their food before me? If the ticket time was appropriate in your judgement then it is likely that either the server failed to submit the order in a timely manner or you have a IT/ticketing system issue. "Your dish, as you stated, was perfectly cooked" Yes the salmon was perfectly cooked and it was a georgeous pice of fish, but beyond the Salmon there was little flavor and what flavors there were, they did not blend together to make a satisfying dish. It was for this reason that the price was unreasonable. It was not a good dish. "Perfect service and not even a 15% gratuity, really?" Ohhh, I'm sorry you must have missed the part about the empty iced tea, long wait, other more complex orders for a larger group of people coming out before mine, a main dish that the flavors didn't blend well and ice tea that I didn't like. I am a tipper that over gives and you have to work hard to get less than 20%. That tip was an earned tip plus a generous donation considering the experience. Your response has helped solidify my 2 star rating of Cafe Boa. Gary S. Hi all, One last update from me. I thought you might be interested in seeing the private note that the owner of Cafe Boa sent to me as a response to my last posting. Cheers, Gary S. From: Scott R. Owner To: Gary S. "I apologize for my following tone, but your response warrants the following: My response isnt to make you change your rating, it really doesnt matter to me, most normal people know when some reviews are legit and reasonable and some are just ridiculous and silly. We have thrived for 16+ years, no thanks to people like you. The fact of the matter is that your experience was Flawless, we serviced you with perfection,.. you were just looking to trash our establishment. Most of your comments above arent worth responding to, they are so silly. We served you in a timely manner, albeit not as fast as you wanted, a high quality meal with friendly service and in return you sit there at our Bar during your entire meal, typing on Yelp any flaw you could find, wow, kinda sad, really. If you are a food critic, ok then I would understand, otherwise, get a life. We will be here for another 16+ years, you can count on that." Hi all, Dear Scott R., Using my full name in your public reponse is yet more proof of your poor ethical standards. So all reading please be aware that if Scott R. doesn't take well to your critical feedback that he will take your name from your credit card receipt and try to smear you online. Good luck Scott! Gary S. Gary S. read more

My friends and I decided to have a girls night and try Caffe Boa. The foot was good. The lasagna was delicious and a great serving. The drinks were good. I was a little shocked to see it so empty on a Saturday night but it was a great atmosphere. I would go back and maybe sit on the patio. It looks beautiful. read more

I enjoy the food and the atmosphere here but the service is on and off. Some visits, we are served with a friendly face and efficient attitude, but I've also been for lunch and felt completely forgotten about, even though we were one of two tables in the restaurant. However, I am going to take it as an off-day and won't hold it against them! I really enjoy their salads and pastas. Everything is hearty and homey. It's a welcoming environment for the suburbia-ville area! read more

I live in the local community and love Boa. First & foremost, Scott the owner is there most nights and creates an inviting and connected space for his patrons. The knowledgeable staff are good looking, friendly and always anticipating our needs. The outside patio is lovely with the ambient lights and live music. The bar has been remodeled as of recent and the new chef is fabulous! I highly recommend this restaurant for food, drinks, wine list and local residents. read more

The only thing I miss about living in Phoenix is that I can no longer frequent Caffe Boa. You just can't go wrong here. The food is outstanding. Don't let the strip mall fool you. This place is a gem. read more

I am going to gush about this place....sorry...I might go overboard, sue me. I absolutely love Caffe Boa. This is NOT associated with the one on Mill. Please disregard them when comparing the two. Its apples and oranges. This site does not get barely enough pub, which is truly a damn shame. Well, lets change that! ~Fud/Drink~ I have attended here a couple times. Each time, the food has been exquisite. No other way to put it. Their take on European-American values along with their blended emphasis on using local and sustainable foods, they do it perfectly. Last time we went was for Valentines Day 2012, and I had the Seared Ahi Tuna. It is hard to explain how beautiful the flavors were in this dish. They crashed in my mouth and unleashed flavors I haven't tasted in many years. I tried a bit of my fiance's beef dish, and was floored at the tenderness and flavor as well. The management tends to include many new options from time to time, so when you stop in after a while, expect to see new options that taste great. The wines here are paired perfectly for the foods on the menu. They also place such a fine emphasis on sustainability with their wines, by the way. They have a wide variety as you would expect. The owner makes sure to keep up with his stock and changes it up from time to time in turn with his menu. Finally, everyone loves the different desserts on the menu, its just not my thing. But from everything I have heard, they are just as good as the dishes that you just ate. The chef here has perfected the more elegant sides of a Euro-American dish, it is such a pleasure to eat here. ~Atmosphere/Service~ Sterling S. is spot on with the ambiance. I say awesome too much in my reviews, so he said it more me. Tucked inside of this small venue is a beautiful room and patio which is intimate and inviting. I highly suggest this spot anytime you need to take your special someone out for a extra-special night. The waitstaff are also spot-on. I haven't had a single bad experience with anyone here. They treat you very well, and seem to have ESP...because they come back at the right time. If I have a question about something on our bill, they take the time to answer my Questions, and do not huff if I ask for help splitting a portion of the bill. As with any fine-dining establishment, they are highly knowledgeable of their menu, but they also keep a keen tab on the wines as well. Ask them for a good wine to pair your dish with, and they will have an answer. ~Extras/Rating~ I have a couple things to note. They do have mid-afternoon happy hour specials on food and drinks.They also have enough area on the patio outside to offer live music from time to time. The live music is always paired well with the quiet interior, and sets the mood well. Finally, they offer every few months a specific wine/food event, normally wine-related. They update their website from time to time for these events, but I suggest you call ahead of time to see what is going on that day/week and in the future. They get a 5 star rating because of the high quality food, enchanting service and ambiance, variety of events, and the general charm the site exudes. I can't think of a finer food establishment in Ahwatukee, its a gem. read more

Long-time fans of the Mill Ave location...we finally made it out to the original (I think this was the original, anyways). Overall, pretty darn good. The food is on par with the tempe location. The pastas were delicious - I really liked the Boa Bowtie pasta. Wines were solid and complimented the meal nicely. As with the Tempe location, the best part for us is always the Shrimp Adriatica appetizer. We could just eat a big bowl of that with bread. The sauce is amazing, the shrimp is well cooked. The only downside was that it was just regular french bread (or similar) - the tempe location has the fancier, tastier varieties of fresh baked bread. But the quality of shrimp and sauce was the same. Service was slow at first (we went late on a Sat night as they were slowing down), but was friendly, made great recommendations and were very helpful overall. By the end of the meal, I had forgotten about the slow start. Think we just walked in at an awkward time, which as I said, they really made up for by the end of the meal. Also, the warm butter cake was decadent. Maybe not as good as Mastro's butter cake, but it's on the way there. Really tasty, very fresh. I could have used some fresh whipped cream or a little vanilla ice cream to go with it, but that's a personal thing. On a side note - the Zinfandel they are currently offering (think it was like $6-7/glass) is fantastic. I was impressed at the quality compared to the price. We'll definitely be back. read more

Had dinner at Caffe Boa last night with the girls. It had been a while so I thought it was time for an update to the review. Not surprisingly, it is still a solid 5 stars. Of the six ladies at the table, every single one of us commented on how good our food was. I had the spicy rigatoni which I have to say is now my new favorite dish. The bruschetta was very tasty as always and I was pleased to see they now have a crostini made with brie that was amazing. Everyone found a wine that was to their liking and that plus the food plus the good weather made for a very relaxing evening on the patio. I of course had the Strawberry Basil martini and it was delicious as always. read more

I love this place, but tonight a man at the bar was so loud and cursing! There were 6 tables all looking at wonder as to how could management allow this to happen. I asked the waiter to talk to him, and they made the guy leave! Was able to enjoy my stuffed sunfish and Pinot listening to Sade! Love Caffe Boa read more

This was my first visit and from the experience I will be back many more times. I had the special seared scallops in a leak cream sauce, melt in your mouth goodness. My husband had a more classic dish and it was just as good as mine. We got the bruschetta to start and it was flavorful and the bread was nice and crunch. The patio was a very nice surprise, you don't feel like you are in a strip mall. They have a decent wine selection and next time I am hoping to save room for desert. read more

It's a favorite of mine, my family and many of my friends. In all the years I've been going here I've yet to have a bad experience. Service has always been great and the food, oh the food :) It's one of the few places where I have a hard time deciding what to eat, every dish I've ordered has been great so while I stick with the usual at other places, at Caffe Boa I'm always excited to try something else. If I had to choose a favorite dish or something to recommend to newcomers, it's the pasta dishes, now which one is up to you! read more

Great atmosphere, great food, amazing butter cake! We will definitely be back! Food had great flavor. Love the Voodoo Pasta!

I wish I was able to review the food but I can't because my husband and I and ended up walking out after sitting at our table for 20 minutes while the servers and hostess walked by over and over without so much as a hello. After we were seated the hostess said she would bring waters which never happened. Then we watched another table show up, get waters and cocktails and order their food while we sat there totally ignored. Did I mention when I made the reservation I mentioned that this dinner was for our 10th anniversary and hoped it would be special? Yeah it was special considered I think I've only maybe walked out of restaurant 1 other time in my life. read more

Great little find. Inside and outside dining options. For a starter I ordered the Calamari Insalata - very good (1/2 portion), For Dinner the Agnolotti Boa -Raviolis - Excellent, for dessert we shared the homemade Cannoli - PERFECTO! read more

Not good. I went because I've been to Caffe Boa on Mill Ave, they seem to be very different restaurants. One, too much sauce served with the pasta dishes, over powering to the point that I fished my ravioli out of the sauce and ate it off my bread plate instead. It didn't seem to be house made pasta. The appetizer was over salted, I wanted to send it back but our server was so kind and so good at his job that I didn't want to ruin his night. There's room for improvement. The atmosphere is really nice, we enjoyed the fountain on the patio, and the fireplace for warmth. read more

I had dinner here several months ago and we were not pleased with the experience. Our biggest complaints were that we found a rubber band or some foreign object in the food and the service was bad. Someone from my party sent an email to the owner expressing her concerns and never received a response, so here's a Yelp review to say that we won't be back. read more

Just to clarify: this review is for the Elliot Rd. restaurant in Ahwatukee. The only way I can make sense of the glowing reviews here is to conclude that those diners don't get out much or they're friends with the owner. They also obviously really appreciate that the staff pays attention to regulars (who wouldn't?). However, in the past four years, I've eaten here probably a dozen times, and experience was such a let down that months would go by before my husband and I would say, "Eh, let's give it another shot." Okay, no more. Everything about this restaurant is consistently inconsistent. The service is friendly but inevitably the server screws up our order. The ingredients seem thoughtfully chosen but the preparation is way off (overcooked, undercooked, something left off of the plate, etc). One of our dishes may be really good and the other barely okay. Even the space is confused. Half of the dining room faces the bar, so diners are forced to deal with whatever game they have the giant TV tuned into. I don't know about everyone else, but I don't usually pay $75 for a bottle of wine at a sports bar. Which leads me to the wine. By the glass? Forget it. The offerings are no better than what you'd find at a nice pizza joint. Bottle offerings are pretty unforgettable, too, and I get the sense that the owner is counting on his patrons not realizing that they're paying too much for what they get. Much of the wine list looks like it's taken straight from the shelves at the local Fry's market. But why would I want to drink Rex Goliath, Rodney Strong, Bogle or even Lindeman's at a restaurant that bills itself as a "Euro-style bistro and wine bar"? It's true that the dining experiences in Ahwatukee are mostly limited to chain restaurants and modest mom-and-pop joints, so it's nice to see someone trying to up the ante. Now if only Caffe Boa would actually do so... One more note: I know there's an ongoing grudge between this restaurant and the Mill Ave. establishment of the same name. I'm familiar enough with both to say this: the Mill Ave. restaurant far exceeds this one in terms of ambiance, food and wine. Alas, it is also run by someone notorious for not treating his employees very well. I've never heard one bad thing about this Caffe Boa's management. read more

This is a small intimate restaurant, where the lighting is dim and music soothing. Perfect for my postponed Valentine's Day date night. I tried this place on Friday night. Thankfully I had called ahead and made reservations, because it was PACKED! The menu is limited but there were also 5-6 meat/seafood specials if you are not a pasta fan. Try the tiramisu for dessert, you will not be disappointed. Best part of the night was listening to the solo guitar player, who started at 7pm. Only downside of the evening was the drunk older women at the table next to mine who kept grabbing the waiters for a hug and then one of them knocked over and shattered her wine glass. Overall, the food was good, atmosphere was great (intimate + romantic). read more

This place was so neat! The patio was lovely with nice lighting and a live musician, very relaxing! It would be a great place for a date with the dim lighting and the nice, long wine list. I went with a friend and and the food was wonderful. We had the shrimp bisque to start and my friend ordered a bowl so I could try some but the waitress surprised us and split the bowl in two so we each had our own, I thought that was thoughtful (: The voodoo penne was good and if you're a fan of lots of peppers and tomatoes then it would be good choice. What I will say is that this place is pricey, it was over $30 a piece before tipping which I think is about double a lot of places prices for similar dishes. The presentation and preparation of the food was fabulous though, you can tell that they care about how the food looks! I would go back but not too often, it'd hurt the pocket book too much :P read more

They close at 11pm we show up after a show at 1020 and they have people inside but have closed...stuff in front of the door and all. Alright, all we wanted was a night cap! Just go to The Wine Cellar, y'all. read more

If you're looking for something a little more sophisticated than the Olive Garden (or O.G. as my best friend and I like to call it!), head out to Cafe Boa for the best Italian food Arizona has to offer. The cafe and wine bar has a variety of delcious pastas on the menu ( I love the Tortellini Brigantino). They also offer a variety of martinis (my favorite is the pomegranate martini). And their illuminated patio makes for a romantic setting for those date nights. read more

This was the worst. I was put at a table in the middle of everything and was bumped a million times. I used to love this place. I won't be back. Only go if you want to eat 5 ravioli on a plate swimming in sauce. read more

After reading all the reviews of restaurants in the area, we chose Caffe Boa and were delighted at how perfect it was, and yes, the butter cake is as good as everyone claims. We arrived at 5:45 and were surprised at how few people were there on a Sat night. I guess not having a happy hour on Sat was the difference but by the time we left, the place was full. Our server was wonderful, prompt and helpful. The food was delicious with large portions so we all needed boxes. There were gluten-free options also, even pasta. I can highly recommend this place and would go again the next time I am in the Phoenix area. read more

Ok...I wanted to go someplace different. We were in a restaurant rut, so I used yelp to just browse some places in the area. When I saw cafe boa, I realized that I hadn't been there in about 13 years....time to check out the menu. So I checked out the menu online and I was hooked...couldn't wait to get there. We walked in and the ambiance was very nice...romantic, but not overly dark. When we sat down, my husband looked at the menu and said "what can you eat here?"...referring to my wheat allergy, but I had seen the menu online so i said.."oh, just look" and grabbed the menu. My heart sank when I saw something completely different than I had seen online. Where was the Sicilian street corn? Where was the rakija bar? And the farro risotto? And the meat and cheese board? Well, apparently I had seen the menu fit the Mill Ave location and they were drastically different. We were here and already seated, so I had to make the best of it..not much in the gluten free arena, but I settled on the Roma salad with chicken. My daughter had the gnocchi and my husband had the voodoo penne. WOW...the Roma salad was absolutely delicious. The tomatoes were perfect...not gooey...really firm. Large slices of buffalo mozzarella, the chicken was moist, not the standard salad chicken you usually see, and the basil was fresh, all topped with balsamic and some fresh ground pepper...truly wonderful. My daughter enjoyed the gnocchi. The sauce want overpowering, and the gnocchi themselves were quite tender instead of the standard thick globs of dough you often get at restaurants. None of us finished our meals because the portions were generous. An evening that started out tenuously ended well. Although there admittedly isn't much on the menu that I can eat, I'll be back because what is there is exceptionally well done. P.S. maybe we'll hit the Mill Ave location next week for my birthday to check out what looked like an amazing menu. read more

Cafe Boa is a small, classy restaurant tucked away in an unassuming strip mall in Ahwatukee. They have a rather limited main menu, but typically 4 or 5 daily specials. I went here on a quiet Monday night with some coworkers and it wasn't busy at all. The service was prompt and friendly, although they did forget to put our appetizer order through. I had a Hawaiian sunfish that was stuffed with Asiago cheese over a bed of fresh rice and steamed veggies... It was delicious and a very generous portion. The waitress brought us a free dessert for the appetizer mix up, so we were very happy that they took care of us. I will certainly be back to sample more of their specials. read more