We really want to like this place because it's located right up the Street from us. However, every time we order food from The Pushcart we are disappointed. I ordered the Chicken Marsala, it was extremely dry and the chicken was thick and tasteless. Worst Marsala meal I've ever had. My husband got the Chicken Parmigian which was better, but still not great. We are both Italian with very Italian families, so we know and love good Italian food. This place is way overpriced, they are skimpy, and the food is mediocre at best. Very disappointing. read more

This is the epitome of a family run business and they make you feel at home complete with some of the best Italian food in the area. We have visited them on several occasions and the service has always been warm and on point. they often have one of my favorite dishes on special, "Pollo Carmaleno". This special consists of chicken layered with their addictive ricotta cheese, topped with prosciutto and mozzarella and served over pasta with a killer pink pink sauce (I can't remember what's in it but it doesn't matter because I love it). We started with Pepe's Calamari, lightly breaded and deep fried and served with a spicy and very light sauce. Tonight I had the haddock in white wine and my beautiful date had the Chicken Angelique with marsala sauce. The haddock is always fresh and it's a huge portion and HEALTHY as well. We skipped desert tonight but in the past they have been very very good and sometimes include a nice homemade treat. The dining room is immaculate and tastefully decorated and brings back that North End feel. The owners are super friendly and the staff is very attentive. We love this place! read more

Stopped in here recently after learning that Fat Fingers closed and this new shop opened. I ordered a chicken parm sub which was good but not mind-blowing. I also ordered a caprese sub *with prosciutto* -- got the sandwich for my husband, brought it home -- no prosciutto. I was even charged the extra $2.50 for it. The cashier appeared to be new and asked for some help at the register when I put in my order. I should have checked the sandwiches after witnessing her confusion. Overall, not a bad place for lunch. Their dinner menu looks yummy so I'd definitely consider stopping in again. The restaurant itself is very small -- can't seat too many groups at once. read more

Very nice small Italian restaurant. Easy parking, very nice staff. Accommodated our family on a Saturday night with ease after calling ahead. Service good - food delicious, bread, shrimp florentine special excellent. My sons ate all their ravioli / meatballs. My wife enjoyed her chicken broccoli and ziti (or equivalent). Full liquor license might propel this to 5/5. Definitely recommended for a great Italian meal without the hassle of the North End (minus the charm of the North End neighborhood). Reasonable pricing as well. Worth checking out! read more

I was told to go there by a co work they said the food was awesome there.Well I was there last night I order the Italian wedding soup which had no taste to it what so ever then I order the chicken parm again no taste to it what so ever I told my co worker I went there they felt so bad I said it's not your fault they said it is I said go there the food is good I said dont feel bad at all it's there fault they cant put food out that taste good read more

Sorry, but if you don't order the special, don't bother. Sauce is ok. Nothing great to say. Over priced. IMHO.

$40 for the worst Italian meal I have ever had in a restaurant. There were 5 of us and none of us left happy. I ordered the grossly overpriced pesto and the pesto was oily and insipid. I had to use half the salt shaker and actually opened the cheese shaker to eke out any flavor at all. The service was agonizingly slow, we got the bread and oil (maybe 2 tablespoons of poorly seasoned oil - NOT EVOO) after we had been there over 1/2 hour AFTER we finished our wine. The tartufo was an abomination. Terrible place, will not be back. read more

Excellent. I have taken my signiifcant other there twice for a special occasion. We have pretty high standards for Italian food. Both times our expectations where met and exceeded. The service was exceptional. The Italian Wedding Soup was tops! No need to drive into the North End. It is near-by on Main Str Saugus. We can get there without getting on Route 1, that is a plus. If you live near-by try it. If you don't it is worth the trip. read more

Hands down the BEST fried tomatoes I have ever had. I'm 1/2 Italian so there is nothing that I dislike more than bad, imitated Italian food. This place is delicious from the drink (offer a variety to pick from) to the dessert (ice box cake!). I usually get the pink pesto on just about everything and anything. Staff is so friendly & attentive & cater to your every request. The food is made to order so it's super fresh and hot when it comes to the table. I highly recommend them and bring your family too! The more the merrier. read more

My boyfriend and I frequent the Pushcart. The food is always delicious and the service is awesome! The entree portions are huge! I recommend the linguini with clams, frutti di mare, and the chicken parm! So good!! read more

Unbelievable! I had 3 great appetizers, calamari was amazing, stuffed mushrooms were insanely great and the soup was fantastic! I loved it. The family style dining made me feel at home. It was perfect for my Girlfriend and I and I would take my whole family there. I went back there in a large group and it was a perfect setting for after work as well. The wine selection was great and the food was awesome. I loved the Tomato Sauce. That is something that most Italian Restaurants do not put a lot of emphasis on anymore but at the Pushcart it was INCREDIBLE. I had Chicken Parm and Eggplant Villanese and they were unbelievably delicious! O and I love their Sauce. It was definitely stand out. I also tried the Marsala another time and it was perfect. I've never had anything like this and I eat Italian 3 times a week at least. I am making this my Hot spot. I love the atmosphere. It is exactly what Boston should be about! I'll be going back this week! read more

My friends and I go out four times a year for our birthdays, we love pushcart so much we go every birthday dinner. The food is always delicious and I bring home half of it because it's so much. The atmosphere is quiet and the serviers are very friendly. read more

The place was decent. The food was tasty, large portions, nice layout soft music, easy parking.

We have been enjoying the Pushcart for years, after a recommendation from a neighbor. Tonight was a bit of a last night. We are leaving tha area .& came for our Lemon drop, stuffed mushrooms ( love the artichoke ravioli & antipasto too) & pizza with a glass of Chianti. Perfect as always, TX for the farewell dessert, excellent service & care. We will miss you & will return during family visits. To all you lucky folks still there, the pizza is awesome. The kitchen cares about everything it prepares. Try it. I am jealous already. TX. read more

After much urging from Friends decided to try the Pushcart in Saugus, situated in what was formerly the home of another Italian restaurant -La Vita Mia which has moved to Hamilton Street in Saugus, just entering invoked old memories of great Italian food and specialty dishes, to say I was enthusiastic was appropriate. The waitress arrived very quickly said hello and immediately started telling us about that day's specials which she reeled off fairly quickly and then asked if we would like to order a beverage, I asked for a wine list, she seemed a bit put off but returned with the list and again immediately asked if we would like a beverage, I asked if we could have a minute and she scurried off. At this point my radar was up because even though the restaurant was 80% empty they seated us with a party directly behind us and another directly in front of us, how about a bit of spacing?? 2 Minutes later she was back for our food order!. the entire ordering process was WAY too rushed. We ordered an appetizer of a Caprese Salad and our entrees. The caprese salad was not great, but not horrible either, and definitely OVERPRICED.As for the main Courses, the Pork chops were large and juicy, but were seriously lacking in any flavor at all, in my hurried state to order, I had not noticed that the Italian pork chops with oven roasted potatoes, Peppers and Onion, did not have ONIONS,I realize I missed that - but who serves them like that??,They instead used Mushrooms which added a piquant flavor of eating a mouthfull of rubbery soil to the plate, the entire dish was tasteless and a disappointment -My wife ordered the Eggplant, suffice it to say that the tomato sauce tasted canned and was on the Cold side, which was frankly a sad depiction of an Italian Classic peasant dish, as it was a small, thin portion with the bad, cold tomato sauce and a rumor of mozzarella cheese, VERY DISAPPOINTING and REALLY, you screw up EGGPLANT?? We never were asked if we wanted another drink, My server gave us our check, and returned a full 17 minutes later - although she did have a lively 10-12 minute chat with the people in the booth to our right, I hope she enjoys her upcoming cruise, I heard ALL about it.- yes they fill the room from front to back as more guests arrived -8 full tables up front the remainder of the rectangular dining room? EMPTY. We left with the firm knowledge that we will return to traveling to Hamilton Street to get great Italian food again- Danny- I will have the Pork shank please!! I chose 1 star because you can't go lower and we saw no vermin read more

WE remember this GEM from when it was in the North End......The Service and Food is fantastic will make your order any way you like it..My mother is 85 and has to go easy on Tomatoes Sauces...They make it any way she likes it.....Which makes all of us happy....We have had almost everything on this menu.... Really can't say enough about it......LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT ............ read more

We had a party of 8 that went there a few months ago and everyone enjoyed their meal. We went back recently as a party of 6 to celebrate a birthday. 4 out of the 6 meals were terrible. My wife and cousin got presented with over cooked, yellow, watery haddock which they sent back. My Aunt got the chicken Marsala and only ate the mushrooms and ham off of it. I got the steak Parmesan which I ordered medium rare. As others complained, I cut into mine and saw it was cooked medium rare until I got to the center which was well done. It was microwaved. The last two people got eggplant and veal Parmesan respectively which was OK at best. Obviously there was poor communication between the waitstaff and the kitchen or maybe even a new cook since the last time we went. While they took the fish dinners off the bill, the rest just wasn't worth it for the money and will never go back. If it wasn't for the previous good experience I would have given it 1 star. read more

The pizza is great at the Pushcart! The lasagna is excellent! (Would have been nice if it was made with a meat sauce, but that's just me.) But, the best part of our evening was our server, Steve. He was very attentive and made our dining experience very pleasant. We will definitely be return customers! read more

We have dined here quite a few times now and never leave disappointed. The portions are large but it's the quality of the dishes that make us return. From the overflowing with cheese fried mozzarella to the mountainous chicken parm, you will savor every bite. Unfortunately if you are like us, you will gorge yourself and find a bead of sweat on your forehead by meals end. Service isn't the greatest, otherwise this is 5 star all day long. The bar area does have seating for around 10 with a couple of tvs which is another plus. A must try. read more

My eggplant parm was one of the best I've ever had. Homemade pasta, a great sauce, and huge portions! Wait staff was friendly, too.

Gordon Ramsey, help these people, please! My wife ordered a Caesar salad which was inedible. Dry, tasteless, and complete with blackened lettuce, truly revealing the freshness of the produce. I ordered the veal saltimbocca, my favorite Italian dish, and couldn't have been more disappointed. It was swimming in a thick, unappetizing pool of greasy sauce, which when I tasted it, turned out to be sugary and sweet, made me put my fork down once and for all. Even the coke was flat and warm. Fairly friendly service did not make up for a pathetic fifty dollar meal. I don't think it's too dramatic or harsh to say they should be ashamed. This was dinner on a Saturday night. I can't imagine what Mondays are like, nor will I ever find out. Shame. read more

This place is THE BEST. My family & I cant get enough of the great food. I have been there many times and more than happy with every meal. The food is awesome as is the decore and mostly the staff. I am amazed every time how nice they ALL ARE. My favorite is the chicken masala. Delish and the portions are huge. Love their sauce on the pasta also, Mmmm good stuff. You cant go wrong at this place. Above & beyond fabulous. Cant wait to go back and I live on the south shore, so worth the trip. So yummy I always order a meal or 2 to go for the next nights meals, it is that good read more

First time eating here and my first impression was not great. We ordered a spicy calamari app that was no spicy at all, it was over cook the rings were chewing a micro sized. They threw in a couple of vinegar peppers and called it "spicy" it was awe full for $11.00. My fish dish was ok, somewhat under seasoned,but the portion sizes were pretty good. We may try one more time,but not soon. read more

If I could give this place negative stars I would. Never have I been more disappointed in service in my life. Came with two friends for a "quick" dinner. We were seated promptly, our waitress took 5 minutes to ask what we wanted to drink. We all ordered the same thing, our bread then came, and still no soda. She came over to take our dinner orders, and still no soda. Finally we asked for our drinks. We each ordered salad with pasta dishes. After thirty mins we still didn't have our salads. We finally asked for them, and she then reconfirmed our salads , which begs the question did she forget or was the kitchen really so backed up they couldn't plate some lettuce. We received our salads 10 mins after asking about them, lightly dressed if that. Salads were finished and it was another 45 mins for basic pasta dishes. The waitress kept making excuses about how backed up the kitchen was, but every party in the restaurant even larger parties seated after us were almost finished if not finished with their dinners. If you want a good meal and great service try somewhere else. Nothing was taken off the bill, no manager apologies, no free dessert. Horrible service all around. read more

This is definitely a whole in the wall that you need to try! Service is fabulous. Food is wonderful, chef has no problem making you what you want. My husband and I went right before Christmas and he had a veal special. Cream sauce, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, etc. He absolutely loved it, loved it so much that when we went recently he wanted it again. I was not a special anymore and wasn't on the menu, but the chef was MORE then happy to make him the same dish. Everything here is fresh and tasty. I would highly recommend to anyone! read more

Love their pizza, but everything is always delicious! It's been our neighborhood place since they opened!

Moved to Saugus four years ago tried the pushcart and have never had a bad meal always trying their specials.their pizza shrimp scampi with ricotta and spinach to die for. read more

Great food, great friendly service. A little pricey, but it's definitely worth it. Chicken Parm pizza is the best!

Fabulous experience! My whole family walked (maybe rolled) out of this restaurant commenting on how delicious the food was and how friendly and accommodating the waitress and the cook were. Rosie, our waitress, was very attentive and fun and helpful with recommendations. Laurie, who prepped and made the meals, was delightful with conversation and genuinely interested in getting our responses about our meals! From our apps to our desserts, the four of us were delighted and hope to someday go again! read more

This place is delish. Take a little longer for your food to come out, but well worth it! Waitresses are great, the decor is a little outdated, but thats part of the charm. Hidden gem in saugus! read more

Delicious food ! But terrible service. Whoever works at the bar and handles delivery is absolutely lacking in the customer service area. Wouldn't go back purely because of that. Too bad too... The food rocks ! read more

We heard about this place through a neighbor about 7 or 8 weeks ago and have now eaten there about 5 times. The restaurant is clean and well organized. The waitstaff, busser and hostess are all very attentive. The very friendly manager/owner can be seen checking on customers throughout the diningroom. The Pushcart has a large menu and offers nightly specials. Portions are large and the food is always fresh and delicious. Pushcart is an excellent value. read more

Loved the food here and the service was excellent.I thought having the owner?? come around to check on us was an excellent touch.Very warm and friendly place-my only problem was that we didn't really like the location of our table-right in the middle of the floor-felt like we were on display.They did seat us quickly though and we could have waited for a better seat but once we saw and smelled the food,that was not an option!!! Will be back for sure with friends!! read more

Great Food Family Atmosphere will bring the family here anytime we are in the neighborhood!

Delicious! I've been about 4 times and every dish is so good. Love the Fried Green Tomatoes and have had the Veal Parmesan and it's great. Great service! Love the mom and pop atmosphere. read more

Best italian food around. Whenever I'm in the area I stop in. Joan,the waitress, is always friendly and knowledgable. The other waitresses are just as good. Great family run restaurant. read more

Never been here before. Told it was "awesome". I disagree. I think of myself as a foodee and a snob when it comes to my food. so take this with a grain of salt if you're not: first the bread was cold. sorry guys i like warm bread. means attention to detail for me. the dipping oil was ok. the sangria i had tasted like medicine. the "home made" fusilli was like a lead weight. i could have taken the bowl and clumped it together. the veal and eggplant parm was decent. the sauce bland and sweet. got a garden salad falling off the plate so it was a mess to eat. and of course there was the core of the iceberg as well. (to save money i'm sure again attention to detail) one lone wedge of tomato, 2 count em 2 black olives not kalamatas just canned. i will say the house dressing was good. we didn't have dessert because i couldn't bear it and there was a server who kept asking "are you done with that?" felt hurried. no line so couldn't understand her pushyness. took the bread before we could say no so we had to ask for more. good luck. there were a lot of families. so there you go.... read more

Nine of us went to The Pushcart Sunday afternoon for dinner. Lori was our server. We got there at 5 (we'd made a reservation) and our table was ready. Lori was really on her game - we didn't wait for ANYTHING - we ordered, we received. Our table didn't have ONE complaint about the food - everything was phenomenal!! Imagine? 9 guests, not one bad word about the service or the food!! Tasted great, piping hot, really delicious. This was one of the best dining experiences I've had in a long time, and I dine out a lot. Thank you to Lori (you're wonderful) and the chef at this restaurant!! We loved it - and WILL be back! read more

I can't say enough about Cramaleno's Pushcart! We had my daughters graduation party, which also turned into an engagement surprise for my daughter, and everything was fabulous! The staff went above and beyond for our function, including being in on the proposal! The food was done to perfection, plenty of it, and everyone had the best time! This is our new place for anything, a meal a function, or just a family get together! Thanks to all the staff at Carmaleno's Pushcart....you guys are the best! read more

We had a family reunion at Carmalenos this week, we were a party of 16 and the service was excellent, food was like home and we stayed over 3 hours comfortably. Enjoyed this place, would definitely return!! read more