Came in late on a Monday night, got great service and better food. The homemade pasta was awesome, best espresso martini I have ever had, and delicious bread. Will definitely be back read more

Vinny's Ristorante - Chicken Alla Panna and Shrimp appetizer, both amazing and delicious - Italian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

See all

Tasted their food during an East Somerville Foodie Crawl, and finally got a chance to come back for dinner. Warning in advance: "reservation" is a soft concept here. Show up at your reserved time and there may be a table, or it may just be that you're first in line for the next available. I am not sure I think it's reasonable to wait 15 minutes for said alleged reservation. The food, however, was good. Not the best Italian I've had in my life, but really solid. Basic specialties, lots of red sauce, and worth the $1 up charge for the housemade pasta. Pretty reasonable wine list, too. It's hard to find red bottles under $30 back home in West Somerville, and while not 96-pointers, these were firmly drinkable. Overall menu price wasn't bad neither, especially since we walked out with basically another dinner in our boxes. (Fair warning: they're competing with Olive Garden et al on portion size. Better eat like big Anthony, not Strega Nona.) It definitely has rough spots, hence the four stars, but I'd come back. read more

If I could give this place no stars I would but then the post will not post so I had to give it one, the waitress that works here is the rudest server I have ever encountered she ignored us and when she brought us our bread finally she threw it on the table at that point we got up and left, I would avoid this establishment at all cost they are awful. read more

Happened upon Vinny's and glad we did. This place feels authentic. I felt like I was back in Italy and wondered in off a cobblestone street. The front has a retail/sandwich section and a small bar and some tables. Then there are more tables in the back. We had a pleasant server and prompt service, though the poor table next to us waited for their entrees for an inordinately long time. My son is a meatball fanatic and picky about the level of spice...he can't wait to come back to eat more...he loved the homemade pasta too. I'm a pain to go out with to most restaurants and Italian is particularly challenging for me as I'm gluten, lactose, garlic, and onion intolerant...but the chef did a great job! Penne with olive oil, spinach, and grilled chicken with some Parmesan cheese. Delicious and no stomach issues : ) We'll be back soon! read more

Stopped in here for drinks, great service and authentic vibe! Food looked delicious too!! The bread we had was amazing and fresh

One of oldest restaurants in Somerville. Ordered the lamb stew. They really give large portion of food, but the lamb is dry and the soup is too salty. Disappointed. read more

Vinny's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Solid neighborhood spot in one of the more obscure corners of Somerville, with a definite old school vibe that was much appreciated on occasion by this home sick New Yorker on an extended work stay up in these parts. Solid is the key word however as everything was just satisfying enough to make the place work, never really much beyond. I chicken parm was nicely sized as expected, but not really memorable otherwise. The fresh pasta often cited in other reviews was only limited to fusilli on every occasion, though it was tasty nonetheless. Chicken in a dish of penne and broccoli with a light cream sauce was tough and chewy, while the rest of the dish was pleasant enough, albeit unexciting. Nevertheless the place is a good choice when in the area, and a decent value, particularly over on the deli side of the place. read more

Vinny's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Vinny's Superette on broadway in Somerville is a convenience store. Inside there are shelves of groceries, cans of soup, and bags of chips. In the back of the store .... a completely different story. One of the best restaurants in the Boston area. Vinny's at Night opens every evening and serves the most oncredibile Sicilian food ! A MUST. read more

Vinny's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

I have yet to eat a Vinny's entree in one sitting. This is quality, quantity, and home-cooked goodness. Obsessed with the chicken bracciole. And pasta that has its own personality, not just a sauce vessel. Thank you for great takeout! read more

I saw this restaurant on the traveling channel so I had to check it out. Came here on a Saturday night and it was kinda busy. The decor reminds me of a basement at someone's home. It had that "Goodfella" vibe to it. We got seated right away when we first arrived. I ordered the chicken parmigiana with their homemade fusilli pasta. The waiting time for the food was pretty long. It took over 30 mins but thank goodness for the bread, it kept us entertained while waiting for our meal. I was blown away from my meal. The sauce was seasoned very well. The homemade fusilli tasted so fresh and it soaked up the marinara perfectly. The chicken was the winner of the night. It was big and it was a thick piece of chicken. Breaded very well with some amazing seasoning. The portion size was large. Overall all experience, the decor will remind you of someone's basement, the waiting time for your food can be long, food tasted wonderful, fair prices and very large serving portion. Parking can be a pain in the butt. Definitely will come back and try their gnocchi! read more

Vinny's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Went to Vinnys last night for the first time and it was AMAZING! Small place but very comfortable. Our server was also a delight. He knew the menu and answered any questions we had. The food was outstanding!! They were pretty busy and only had 1 chef on but did a great job preparing everything and food came out piping hott! Amazing atmosphere, amazing service and outstanding food! We'll be back! read more

I have been trying to teach my husband and son to cook for ages. They have not been trying hard, but after what they eventually served us at Vinny's tonight, I think they will try harder. We got there and there was only one waiter serving at least 25 people. It took an age to serve what they said was Italian food. It was so tasteless and luke-warm. For three bowls of pasta with bland tomato source and some farm raised miserable "Seafood" it cost over $80 without drinks. We tried to eat it but could not do that to ourselves. If I had actually eaten it, it would have counted as the third worse food I have ever had in my life. read more

We ended up at Vinny's after seeing Yelp reviews and it was a solid experience overall! The bread that they give you in the beginning is really good (I'm starting to understand how good the bread in Boston is). We also started with chicken meatballs as an appetizer (free due to a Yelp check-in!) - two big meatballs in marinara sauce that were really moist and tasty. I think that was my favorite thing out of our whole meal. We ordered the chicken & shrimp special (lemon butter sauce with artichoke, peppers, spinach) and the eggplant parm, both with angel hair pasta. Like others have said, portions were really big. The lemon butter on mine was really good, although I thought it could use a tiny bit more salt. Generous portions of chicken and good shrimp. Eggplant parm, from what I sampled, was also really yummy - again, huge portion. I liked the ambiance - it didn't feel uppity / fancy and wasn't so loud you couldn't talk, but still felt bustling and intimate. read more

I got the pasta al forno and my date got chicken parm. Hands down the best Sicilian food I've ever had and I've tried ALOT. The bread was fresh, the service was amazing and I left full and happy. Highly recommend! read more

I have lived and worked in Somerville most of my life. I consider myself a fussy eater. I could eat a Vinny's sub for lunch. Anything off the menu in the evening. Every day and twice on Sunday! Yum read more

Great service, true comfort food - slightly above average Italian American food. May return for ravioli eventually. read more

It's not just a takeout place. There's a dining room in the back! With its corner door and display cases, it looks alarmingly disappointing from the outside. My initial reaction to this was to say "fuck it" and consider standing up the four other people we were meeting there. But the last Yelp photos I saw of the place clearly showed a beautiful dining room. Why would they demolish a whole dining room in two weeks?? We walked in. There it was: Full dining room and pristine bar. There was no reason to get more panicky than a white man in West Baltimore. The rest of our group arrived and I was eager to watch them walk in. They too stepped in, looked around, probably expecting to see Mr. French from 'The Departed' sitting at one of three tables while a wrinkled old bat manned the bar. They too looked relieved when they saw attractive waitresses and the dining room. Frankly, I would go back and get some of this food again even if it was a one-table affair run by a sweaty, fat man with a resting heart rate of 190. I ordered one of the specials, a seafood version of the Puttanesca from the regular menu. Puttanesca is a light pasta dish with olives, tomatoes, and and a light tomato sauce, at a minimum. The special menu version of this dish allowed you to add shrimp. Which I did, though I didn't get to eat all of them because I've recently learned how to share with people. I gave Miss K one and the girl to my right another one. Before I met Miss K and the group we hang out with, I would have rather donated nine pints of blood than shared a bite of my food. But now I don't mind it. I don't know why. Probably because it's quid pro quo and I get a bite of their food in return, but the visceral aversion to seeing something leave my plate is gone. My seafood Puttanesca was the second best dish on the table. The best dish was the lasagna with meat sauce. And sauce is Vinny's greatest strength. Anyone can cook pasta to a desired doneness but if you throw it into an average sauce, then it doesn't matter how perfectly the pasta is cooked. Vinny's sauce had character. It was well-seasoned, it had a robust, umami-ness to it, and it had that hint, a kiss, if you will, of sweetness that no pasta sauce is complete without. The meat sauce in the lasagna was the same but with the added muscularity of the meat flavors. It was one of the best lasagnas I've ever had and I made a mental note to go back and order that to go if I'm ever in that part of Somerville and/or hungover. If you compare Vinny's to the average North End restaurant (many of which are overrated), they may seem the same through your politically-correct glasses, but let me give you one of the more reliable indicators of quality: Skin tone. Yep. If actual Italians from Italy or girls who look like they belong on 'Jersey Shore' work there, then you can expect better Italian food. Brown, Sicilian skin is coded for by the same genes that code for ragu talent. There's just no way around it. If you burn under the sun, chances are that you've lost the receptors that let you know when the marinara is perfetto. However, it doesn't guarantee shit about tiramisu. The tiramisu was decent but too sweet. This is a mistake that I see people making over and over again. Yes, it's a dessert, but in the words of Ina Garten, you could put sugar on your balls but that doesn't make it a dessert. Tiramisu is allowed to be slightly bitter and biting from the mixture of coffee and alcohol in the savoiardi. Pull back on the sugar in the zabaglione, Vinny. That tiny blip on the radar aside, I have no complaints. When Italian food is done right, it is still in my top three cuisines and something I definitely wouldn't have shared two years ago. read more

How this place gets 4 stars should be a crime!! Should be 5 stars times a hundred! Just unbelievable great

Clean, wait staff super friendly. One of the best chicken Parms I've ever had. Will eat her again and again and again. This place was awesome. read more

They have the worst service in history. I sat at the bar for over 30 minutes watching the waitress and bartender walk buy and serve a 1/2 empty restaurant. When they did finally acknowledge us they handed us the dinner menu with entrees ranging 25.00-30.00 dollars. Now I don't mind paying for good food, but for those prices you should be getting 4 or 5 star service from your waitress. NO THANKS AND NEVER AGAIN read more

Vinny's has that Italian old world feel you want in a really great red sauce joint. Walking in, you pass a deli counter with large jars of vibrant green and cured black olives. The large selection of intriguing meats, cheeses and fresh baked loaves of bread make you want to stop there and not go any further for some of the best Italian food ever! Once you're seated (we like the basement), you get some toasted baguette with garlic, parmesan cheese, olive oil for dipping. If you can hold off filling up on too much bread and oil, order the stuffed eggplant (not Eggplant Parmesan, also very good but not the same). This dish has wonderful layers of thinly sliced eggplant, stuffed with spinach, ricotta cheese and covered with marinara. You get a choice of a side pasta, the house-made Fusilli in marinara was great! The broccoli rabe, sautéed with garlic and onion was a good starter. I ordered the Pasta Al Forno, a mix of homemade pasta noodles, cheese, mushrooms, peas, eggs and onions...delicious! We enjoy Vinny's and the menu is always a wonderful adventure, you can not go wrong! We return often, Thanks Vinny's! read more

See all

So disappointing! I was craving pasta so we tried Vinny's delivery, and it has left much to be desired. We ordered antipasto, not antipasto salad, which was a dollar more, and yet it was definitely a salad with just a few meat/cheese circles. It's not bad I guess but certainly misleading and not worth the price. My fiancé got the chicken alla panna, which featured dry chicken and bland cream sauce. It was better than my Marsala, at least I think that's what I got. I attached a picture because I truly don't know what to make of this dish. It's watery, flavorless, with floating mushroom and sundried tomato bits. I think maybe there's Marsala in it? It's so bland, so I've been salting it between bites. The chicken is a dry flat cutlet with none of the iconic Marsala dredging or breading, so I put it to the side and plan to eat it cold tomorrow when the dryness won't be so offensive. The pasta is cooked ok, more al dente than a lot of places do it, but less al dente then we do at home. Sadly, they failed to honor both our requests regarding the type of pasta. We both got penne. I asked for linguine, which is generally paired with Marsala, so I'm especially confused why my order was wrong. My fiancé wanted to try the homemade mafalda, but apparently we're not meant to know how great their homemade pasta is. The bread is delicious and arrived very warm, so that was a bright light in an otherwise dreary meal. I'm depressed that this was the result of my craving for a nice pasta, and that craving will apparently go unmet. In the meantime, I'll suffer through mine and sneak bites of my fiance's slightly more bearable dish. read more

Vinny's Ristorante - Marsala? Who knows! It's bland, watery, and wholly unrecognizable if it's meant as a stand in for the popular Italian classic. - Italian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

See all

Why go to the North End when you can have Killer Italian food in Somerville. Walk through the Deli and head to the back of the store for a treat about a dozen tables.,Homemade pastas,Red sauce as good as it gets. you will lick your plate clean if you can finish. Huge portions. the weekends will have a long wait. We go early in the week to avoid the crowds. munga baby !!!!! read more

Started w/ their version of Italian salad-great! W/ cappers and a balsalmic dressing. Bread is lite and crunchy w/ a yummy salty roasted garlic/sun dried tomato olive oil dipping sauce. The pasta was lite but w/ a "spring" and the red sauce was heaven--best red sauce I've had, seriously so great. Their homemade meatballs were very soft and lite in flavor, probably traditional w/ beef,pork & veal. The sausage was also very lite in texture w/ slight fennel flavour. It was also nice to get out of the tourist filled area of the "north end" and get into an "working man" neighborhood resturant. There was some board type mtg going on in the family style table up front...it was actually nice to see and even better that they were all eating; family style...lots of passing and sharing. read more

Despite carrying an Italian name, Vinny's ristorante, to me, is more like an sports bar. The food the ristorante serves is basically American family food. The food is average, a little bit to the salty side. I have been there 3 times but I have not yet found any wow dish. Staff is very friendly. Reservation is definitely a must. [They spell linguine as linguini, which makes them seem so unauthentic.] read more

I can tell why the place was full!!! Food was Great and my wife and I had a great experience. First time to Boston and I was told that the locals love it and so do I!! read more

A superb old school red sauce pasta joint specializing in house made fussili and mafaldi pasta. Fresh fish and meat. Chicken cacciatore loaded with mushrooms in a red gravy holds tightly to tender chunks of chicken. My only complaint - it's all bone off and white meat. A pile of fussili absorbs the sauce and sits underneath the meat and gravy. Ravioli filled with cheese are large and flappy while firm enough to hold together well. Handmade, the cheese is plentiful. Fusilli is available with any sauce you'd like. Meatballs are large and served in tart marinara sauce. Packed tightly the mixed ground meat is seasoned well. Chicken Parmesan provides a massive chicken filet pounded out and breaded thickly. Pan fried and served under a generous helping of red gravy, the chicken is juicy with a crackling breading. Veal chops are served stuffed with a paprika gravy. Full bar, desserts and excellent service. Parking can be a challenge but totally worth figuring out. read more

The food at Vinny's is second to none and is an easy pick over the North End any day of the week. The restaurant is located right off of 93 in a quiet neighborhood with plenty of street parking so getting there was very easy. The service was fast, the servers were great, and the food was authentic! I grew up in an Italian neighborhood so having dinner there reminded me of going to my friend's house for dinner with his family when I was young. Highly recommend for family dinners, dates, or truthfully any reason where you want good food and great company. read more

Vinny's Ristorante - Love the quaint setting! Menu looks great and drink menu is extensive! - Italian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Had a great experience last night. There was no dipping oil or butter served with bread but easily used the oil,pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese on the table to make one. Service was great. Meals came out quickly and were delicious. Huge portions. Will go back if in the area again. They took credit cards unlike past reviews read more

Vinny's Ristorante - Braciole and the chicken special - Italian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Excellent service! Everything is house-made and delicious. I had the pasta with cream sauce..the portions are generous and prices are fair. Would recommend! TIP: try the signature marinara sauce too. Delish. read more

Vinny's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Get in your car, and come now. Homemade. Melt-in-your-mouth. Never, ever had better. The eggplant special was INSANE. Friendly service. Just come, I need to go lie down. read more

Vinny's Ristorante - We would like to have shared a photo of our actual meals, but we wolfed it all down immediately. WOW. - Italian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Might be the best eggplant parm dish I've ever had. Service was great too. Place was packed, and deservedly so for a Saturday night...or any night. And whoever came up with their slogan is a genius: "If you don't eat here, we'll both starve!" I think after last night, we're all gonna make it another day! read more

Nice and cozy on the inside. Favorite part of our meal was the aranchini and the homemade fusilli. Bread came out hot too. Everything else was mediocre and we tried several dishes. read more

This place came highly recommended by locals and it did not disappoint. As a recommendation form other posts, I decided to order the home made pasta. You are able to choose your sauce style and here I chose the white cream sauce. It was superb! I definitely recommend this to any out of towner's that may be staying in Somerville and do not want to commute to the North End in Boston to get their Italian food experience. The flavor was matched with the quaint and subtle Italian ambiance of this place. Thank you! read more

Vinny's Ristorante - This dish was delicious! I wanted to post this because I did not really see any photo's that sported a cream sauce styled dish. - Italian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Came here with the guys have been here many times few times with the wife I think they were probably pre Yelp days but have always had great meals here and it would definitely be 5 stars but for the parking it's just a pain in the neck Broadway has meters but not many and seems always taken and side street is resident parking but other than that food and service it's 5 star all the way. Now for the good stuff. We were seated quickly got our drinks and waitress took our appetizer orders we got the mini arancini's they were free with yelp check in we also got few orders of garlic bread and 2 orders of shrimp scampi which I forgot to take a picture of but all of the appetizers were great. For entrees one got Veal Osso Bucco one got Stuffed Veal chops and I got the Lobster Fra Diavolo with Fusilli all the meals were also delicious. The food and service here is really good its a small neighborhood place with fantastic food it's right on lower Broadway before Sullivan Station it's really worth a try don't let the parking scare you the food makes up for it and makes any inconvenience well worth it read more

See all

Very Very good Italian food and the subs are awesome...I love this Place a great place to Hang out and Have dinner and a few cocktail

Solid Italian sub! Meats sliced fresh for my sandwich. I got a small and could only eat half. The rest will go in later! Very good value too. Only $6.15. read more

Vinny's Ristorante - Small Italian sub. Very good! - Italian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Visiting from out of town. Looking for good authentic Italian food. This is the place. Nothing fancy but really great fresh food. The calamari salad was just like my Grandmother (Sicilian) used to make on Christmas Eve!! Chicken Parm, Eggplant Parm and Chicken Saltimbocca just delicious. The homemade fusilli was so light and delicate. You will not be disappointed. read more

When you walk in, you have the feeling of being in a deli (and you are). The restaurant is to the rear and the service is superb. The staff makes sure you have everything you need. The portions are HUGE. Great tasting dishes too. North End quality + Somerville prices = great experience read more

Probably one of the best Italian restaurants in the Boston area. Massive, hearty portions straight outta Nona's kitchen and you can literally (well, ya know) taste the love. Ordered the Osso Bucco and the Beef Bracciola and was blown away by both dishes. The pasta and sauce was so fresh and the meat was melt in your mouth and utterly delectable. The Osso Bucco was the true star, sitting on a bed of dreamy risotto and truly providing a taste of Italy in a snug little corner restaurant in Somerville. The brick walls, cosy seating, friendly staff and bustling atmosphere only add to the experience. One of my favorite date spots in Boston! read more

Vinny's Ristorante - Veal Osso Bucco and Beef Bracciola. Amazing! And the picture does not do the massive portions justice. - Italian Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts