Maggiano's Little Italy

(617) 542-3456

4 Columbus Ave
Boston, MA 02116 42.351417 -71.068356

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Neighborhoods: Central, Downtown

MAGGIANOS.COM

Price:

$

Last updated 8.16.11

Category:

Restaurants, Catering

Payment Methods:

Gift Certificate, American Express, Cash, Discover, Visa, MasterCard, Travelers Check

Restaurant Special Features:

Family-Friendly Dining, Family Style Dining, Group Dining, Carry Out

Cuisine:

Italian

Other Locations:

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Maggiano's Little Italy

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

In Short – Family-style portions and red-checkered tablecloths create a casual, congenial vibe, drawing families and large groups to this feast of Italian-American nostalgia set to a Sinatra soundtrack. The made-from-scratch menu is brimming with traditional dishes, from starters like fried calamari, Parmesan garlic bread and Tuscan-style mussels to spaghetti with meatballs and manicotti with chicken and spinach. For those with room to spare, a piece of sweet tiramisu and a strong cappuccino help finish the meal.

Editor's Tips

Save Money:
Half-portions are a good bet; they're still generous and considerably less expensive.
The Extras:
There are private dining rooms available for large groups or receptions.
Know Before You Go:
Make reservations for groups of five or more, or you could end up deep on a waiting list, especially on weekends.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “Big, lively, open spaces fun.”
  2. “The ambiance of the place was nice too which is suprising for a good price restaurant.”
  3. “really liked the atmosphere, too.”
  4. “Great prices and a fun place to go with a big crowd.”
  5. “If your looking for a wonderful romantic dinner or a group function,this is the place to go.”
  6. “Service is top notch and the atmosphere is comfortable with a welcoming environment.”
  7. “relaxed but still nice atmosphere and delicious food right in the heart of”
  8. “The plates are very decent in size and the ambience reminds me of Italy.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “Last night, my friends and I had 3 of the desserts, (which were all wonderful) but the tiramisu is far and away the best I've had in ages.”
  2. “The food was delicious, especially the dessert!”
  3. “The prices were very reasonable and the chocolate zuccotto cake, if you have room, is a must for chocoholics.”
food quality
96.77000045776367% positive
  1. “This place is just plain average as far as the food goes and then factor in crowds so dense you cannot get to the host for questions and I wager a guess that people who love this place don't venture out much.”
  2. “This is a great place to eat as long as you stay away from the meat sauces, they are too salty, and it took me three meals to leanr that it is always that way.”
  3. “sound like this cheesy ad but I'm telling you Maggiano's has got the best Italian food.”
  4. “The food is excellent for both quantity AND quality.”
  5. “If you are looking for this kind of place go to Vinny T's where everything is better, including the bread which at Magianno's tastes like thicker Wonder bread.”
  6. “Our group thought that the service, food and portions were excellent.”
  7. “The absolute best food and service anywhere in Boston.”
  8. “And the unlimited dish opportunity is great.”
  9. “The portions are huge, and we could order a whole 'nother dish and then just take it home.”
  10. “am a New York Italian who grew up with my sicilian grandparents and for them to say the food is great is a very big compliment.”
  11. “Excellent food and service”
  12. “great place for a meal, especially if you have a big group!”
  13. “Great food, poor service”
  14. “had a good pasta (clam linguine w/red sauce) and some family meal items (chicken piccata).”
  15. “Their best salad is the Chicken Chopped Salad with avocado and prosciutto.”
  16. “Great food, lots of choices.”
  17. “Some of the best Italian food I have experienced”
  18. “This is such ordinary food, it blows my mind that anyone in good conscience could call it "one of their favorties" or "outstanding.”
  19. “The place is huge, one of the few Italian restaurants in the city that can accommodate large groups, and the food is delicious!”
  20. “This place as the best Italian food - and I should know.”
  21. “The good: gnocchi melts in your mouth, and the lasagna (with meat sauce) is THE BEST I have ever had.”
  22. “One of the best Italian food resturants I have ever been to.”
  23. “great family style restaurant, yummy food and big portions!”
  24. “grey. The food wasn't bad but I don't think that I'll be back next time.”
  25. “Good but not great food, excellent service however.”
  26. “The food was wonderful and it's beautiful inside.”
  27. “Wrong food delivered, although they insisted that the food was our order.”
  28. “The food was wonderful, the portions large enough to share.”
  29. “Our waitress was extremely helpful and friendly, and catered to our every need, and didn't give us strange looks when we would ask her to wrap up whole dishes for take-home.”
  30. “relaxed but still nice atmosphere and delicious food right in the heart of”
  31. “The food was delicious, especially the dessert!”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “Great food, lots of choices.”
  2. “Nothing fancy here but the portions are huge and the selection is even bigger.”
  3. “good variety of menu choices-don't miss the family style if your party is four or more- a unique family style experience.”
  4. “He was very helpful in recommending many of the excellent selections they offer.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “Maggiano's - Italian Catering & Restaurant is a great place for dinner!”
  2. “Maggiano's is our favorite restaurant.”
  3. “This is a great place to eat as long as you stay away from the meat sauces, they are too salty, and it took me three meals to leanr that it is always that way.”
  4. “The ambiance of the place was nice too which is suprising for a good price restaurant.”
  5. “It is a great place to meet with a big group of people when you are very hung.”
  6. “It really is a great place and definitely worth a visit, and make sure to get a reservation.”
  7. “Maggiano's is my favorite Italian restaurant in Boston.”
  8. “great place for a meal, especially if you have a big group!”
  9. “great family style restaurant, yummy food and big portions!”
  10. “It is now my favorite restaurant.”
  11. “would totally recomend this restaurant to anyone as a night out or a great place to hold a function.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “grey. The food wasn't bad but I don't think that I'll be back next time.”
service
65.0% positive
  1. “Great food, poor service”
  2. “The absolute best food and service anywhere in Boston.”
  3. “Our group thought that the service, food and portions were excellent.”
  4. “Why stay at a place that gives you poor service before you even get in the door.”
  5. “It is a great place to meet with a big group of people when you are very hung.”
  6. “Not good for large groups, bad service”
  7. “This place is just plain average as far as the food goes and then factor in crowds so dense you cannot get to the host for questions and I wager a guess that people who love this place don't venture out much.”
  8. “The worst service ever”
  9. “Our waitress was cold and didn't understand us, but she also did not try very hard.”
  10. “Our waitress was very nice and helpful.”
  11. “An adventure in dining--friendly, outgoing wait staff,”
  12. “The place was crowded but we still got excellent service.”
  13. “One problem, horrible service.”
  14. “Excellent food and service”
  15. “Good Food Fun Place Reasonable$ ATROCIOUS service”
  16. “most recently went with a party of 8, and although we had reservations, we did wait about a half hour to be seated; but after that, the service was great.”
  17. “My friend and I went there for dinner on a sunday night and right from the start the service was terrible.”
  18. “Good but not great food, excellent service however.”
  19. “The waiter was very helpful and nice and met any requests we had.”
  20. “Our waitress was extremely helpful and friendly, and catered to our every need, and didn't give us strange looks when we would ask her to wrap up whole dishes for take-home.”
value
100.0% positive
  1. “The prices were very reasonable and the chocolate zuccotto cake, if you have room, is a must for chocoholics.”
  2. “Huge portions and great prices.”
  3. “Nothing fancy here but the portions are huge and the selection is even bigger.”
  4. “The portions are huge, and we could order a whole 'nother dish and then just take it home.”
  5. “We all ordered half portions which were huge but still fairly priced.”
  6. “It really is a great place and definitely worth a visit, and make sure to get a reservation.”
  7. “Our group thought that the service, food and portions were excellent.”
  8. “The ambiance of the place was nice too which is suprising for a good price restaurant.”
  9. “Great prices and a fun place to go with a big crowd.”
  10. “The place is huge, one of the few Italian restaurants in the city that can accommodate large groups, and the food is delicious!”
  11. “definitely recommend the half-portion sizes, as the regular portions are HUGE (the half-portion is large enough for 2 meals for me).”
  12. “great family style restaurant, yummy food and big portions!”
  13. “The food was wonderful, the portions large enough to share.”
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. “This is a great place to eat as long as you stay away from the meat sauces, they are too salty, and it took me three meals to leanr that it is always that way.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/05/10

Delicious Italian-family-style dining

by gethebassics , Citysearch Contributor at Citysearch

I can't get over how delicious our food at Maggiano's was. We got the mussels, some salmon, lasagna and garlic sticks as an appetizer. Wow-eee! The portions are huge, and we could order a whole 'nother dish and then just take it home. We had meals set for the whole weekend after our night out here. Our waitress was extremely helpful and friendly, and catered to our every need, and didn't give us strange looks when we would ask her to wrap up whole dishes for take-home.

  • Pros: Service, location, portions
  • Cons: A bit pricey for college students
3 Star Rating: Average

02/19/10

All You Can Eat Deliciousness

by gconors at Citysearch

I used to love Maggianos. Especially for a large group, it is still an excellent restaurant to go to. They have an all you can eat option which is really great (and easy on the wallet too). However, over the years I have seen a decrease in the quality of their food. Don't get me wrong though, I will still stop by for some fried mozzerella!

  • Pros: Chicken Parm.
4 Star Rating: Recommended

08/18/08

Good but not great food, excellent service however.

by pinkxg1rl at Citysearch

Went there on a Sunday evening and there was no wait at all. The place was crowded but we still got excellent service. The waiter was very helpful and nice and met any requests we had. And there was another waiter who always made sure our waters were refilled and that there was bread on the table. I was pretty impressed by the quick and efficient service. I ordered the clams and pasta. It was good but I've had better so I dont think I would recommend it too much. I also tried the salmon with crab and it was excellent! We all ordered half portions which were huge but still fairly priced. The ambiance of the place was nice too which is suprising for a good price restaurant.

  • Pros: excellent service, good food & fair prices
  • Cons: none really
3 Star Rating: Average

04/12/08

mecca for family-style meal

by freewilly7 at Citysearch

cute place for couples or family/friends event. had a good pasta (clam linguine w/red sauce) and some family meal items (chicken piccata). tiramisu is on par, but since my sis and mom both know how to make it, i'm not finding this much more superb than theirs. coffee is not what i had in italy, a bit disappointed on that.

always--ALWAYS--packed at meal time. even at reservations, you end up waiting. what's up with that?

:)

  • Pros: has a bar & TV while you wait
  • Cons: you have to wait--reserved or not
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/10/08

Great Family-Style

by jacqui1120 at Citysearch

Huge portions and great prices. You really must ask your wait staff for recommendations. Most of the meals on the menu are incredible but there are a few items that are just average. Pasta does not come with the meat dishes but with the portion sizes you really do not need all that food ( It is enough for 2-3 people). But if you must then it is still worth the $2.95 extra to add on to the meal. Reservations a must. Great place to bring large groups

  • Pros: Price, portions, and family-style
  • Cons: Nothing

The Details on Maggiano's Little Italy

Place Categories:

  • best italian food
  • excellent service
  • great place
  • huge half portions
  • very nice waitress
  • really liked atmosphere
  • unique style experience
  • great prices
  • loved romantic dinner
  • romantic group function
  • nice waiter
  • love maggianos
  • big group
  • great unlimited dish opportunity
  • best salad
  • great taste
  • fantastic family style
  • big crowd
  • good price restaurant
  • best tiramisu
  • good conscience
  • nice ambiance
  • really great option
  • favorite family style restaurant
  • good clam linguine wred sauce

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