Benevento’s

There are, of course, so many Italian restaurants in the North End. I’ve been to a bunch and this is absolutely one of my favorites. I’ve come here for dinner at least three times, sometimes with only a few people, sometimes with bigger groups. Every time, we’ve gotten excellent service. We’ve only had two waitresses for all of the times we’ve been there — Jojo and Allison. Both were extremely nice, knowledgable about their menu, attentive, and confident in their abilities to accommodate a person in my party who has Celiac.
I got the chicken parmesan, while other people in my party got the cheese lasagna and the fusilli (fresh, made in house). We got pumpkin ravioli as an appetizer for the table. All of this food is outstanding.
This isn’t the fanciest restaurant in the North End, but definitely come here if you’re looking for authentic Italian home cooking and fantastic service.

We really liked this place. Had a reservation on a Friday night and were seated immediately. It’s a smidge bigger than most other North End restaurants so you have a bit more space. It’s also more affordably priced (except the wine list, which doesn’t exactly match the menu). The biggest difference is that the service is much more friendly. We got complimentary limoncello upon our departure.
I had homemade fusilli with pomodoro and shrimp. It was really tasty. My companions each had pizza and they were both delicious as well.
A bottle of wine ($ 38) and our three entrees came to $ 115 inclusive of tax and tip.

I like this little place. We went here to eat on a busy Saturday. I would make a reservation if you’re planning on going on a weekend.
Our waitress was friendly and efficient. I got a chicken tortellini soup and my boyfriend got penne in a vodka sauce. They were both very tasty!

This place is fantastic. First off, they were the only restaurant in the neighborhood that was willing to accommodate our party of 9 reservation on New Year’s Eve. We arrived promptly and were seated 10 minutes later. The drinks were great. They pour a heavy glass of wine and my key lime martini was perfect — I only get fancy drinks like that on NYE and it did not disappoint. The food was incredible. All nine of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals and were talking about them the rest of the night. I ordered chicken, broccoli and ziti — the best I’ve had in a long time. The menu is huge and most entrees are prized in the low to mid teens. Portions are big too, most of us had left overs to take home. I definitely recommend making a reservation — I always walk by this place and there’s usually a wait spilling onto the sidewalk. Hope you enjoy!

My friend and I went to Benevento’s one late night for dinner and we both thought it was delicious. The drinks are kind-​of small, don’t know if they’ve upped their glass game since, but the liquor pours were generous.

Why this place has so many stars… I do not understand. I tried one of their salads and two of their pastas and found the dishes very bland. Either the kitchen had an off night or Benevento’s rating is inflated by the abundance of tourists that are just happy to be eating in the North End. Wouldn’t go back or recommend.

While the staff seemed a bit ill-​equipped to handle the crowd and demand for tables tonight, we had a great meal! My friend and I got there at the perfect time as a table for two had just opened up. Though we did have to wait ten minutes just for them to clean and set the table and seat us, it was much better than the hour and a half wait that was offered to those who arrived after us. I’d definitely recommend getting a reservation.
Our waitress took a little while to get to our table, but I must say she was very friendly and on top of things. Our cocktails (a peach bellini and the blue boom) were delicious, and we were grateful for the bread and butter to appease our growling bellies! We ended up getting the lobster casserole and the lobster ravioli, both of which were generous portions that didn’t skimp on the lobster meat! Delicious. The casserole was rich and flavorful, and the ravioli came in a fantastic sauce that I was happy to sop up with the extra bread! Aside from the bit of disorganization and waiting, we had a lovely experience.

I’ve tried several North End restaurants, and this is my favorite so far. The reason is because it’s old school. Although there are times and places for upscale Italian, I prefer the traditional spaghetti and meatballs kind of fare.
Benevento’s came recommended by a friend who loves their pizza. Interestingly enough, I have never tried their pizza but I have sampled several of their pasta dishes and I’ve liked them all. Their sauces are very rich and tasty, the meatballs have a great spice and texture, and their portions are enormous, which is perfect.
Service has always been good here and although everyone makes mistakes, nothing has been too detrimental.
The only drawback for me is the refills. I’m seeing it more and more at restaurants where you get charged for soda refills and I’m not a fan. Especially since my husband can pound about 5 diet cokes during his meal. I understand it since they’re serving you from cans and not a fountain, but it can definitely add up. However, it’s minor and not a huge hindrance.
Definitely make a reservation when you go as this place fills up.

After living off of dining hall pasta for the past few months, my friends and I were dreaming of good Italian food that didn’t taste like it had travelled a few months ago from some far off factory in the middle of these United States. Our dreams were filled with tender pasta and delicious red wine. Hence, on a day without too much work, we made the trek to Boston/​North End for some much needed R&R — retail therapy and restaurants.
After an unsuccessful attempt to grab a table at Al Dente, we were told the sister restaurant was right next door and essentially served the same menu. We walk in, saw it was relatively empty, and immediately asked for a table without hesitation. The hostess could probably smell the desperation dripping off of us.
We ordered — lobster ravioli, pasta bolognese, and a seafood pasta.
The bread came, it was terrible, we looked at each other hoping we didn’t make the wrong choice.
The food came, it was wonderful, we looked at each other in happiness and contentment.
Seriously, the lobster ravioli was delicious and contrary to the photos, a huge portion. The pasta bolognese was also a huge portion and easily two meals for a normal person. Opt for the house-​made pasta, it’s totally worth it (especially the fusili, so tender and snappy with a great bite). The seafood pasta, my dish, was absolutely delicious. The sauce was so flavorful and the seafood (calamari and shrimp) were incredibly tender. The portion was HUGE and had I not been very hungry, and also a huge eater, it would’ve easily been two meals.
Side note, we sat on the first floor and not the basement. When I went into the basement to use the restroom, I see why some other reviewers would be skeptical about dining here. There was definitely a musk and the ambiance in the basement is definitely not what I want when I’m eating the delicious pasta. But having sat on the first floor, I did not have this issue.

My boyfriend found this place on Unilocal.We ordered a pizza and lobster ravioli. It was delicious and the service was great. The ambiance is a little bizarre.

Passable for the North End. When the bread was grocery store day old quality, shape, density and form nestled between square plastic containers of butter (no oil in sight) I knew we were really in trouble.
Being sat, despite having a reservation, in the basement as so many other reviews mention wasnt helping me forget the bread wasnt coming either. If youre looking for a «blue collar» expirence and desire to mingle among the bus boys and waiters running stock the windowless basement is the spot for you.
The hard to interpret multi page menu (that was physically dirty) seems cluttered and repetetive but there are a fair amount of options.
Bruschetta of wild acclaim: so-​so. More store bought day old standardized garlic bread with a nice topping but when the foundation is weak the house leans.
Down to what you actually want to read, if youre still with me.
Drinks were great and the waitress was friendly and helpful when my first wasnt what I needed.
Main course portion was large even for a guy with a substantial appetite and extremely delicious. Cooked right and came out quick despite the place being very busy.
In summation dont be afraid of this place just tell yourself that they will have a reservation available and you wont be hungry when you leave. Not the hidden gem of Boston but if you must go then eat and cross it off your list with confidence.

Wow. The lobster ravioli was fantastic as was the grilled chicken salad. Ask for Jamie. Great service.

Great restaurant that stands out in the midst of the North End, which is bursting with Italian restaurants. They are generous with their wine pours, make some really good vodka sauce and clam linguine, and the service is fast and friendly. The ambiance is a bit confusing, as it’s decorated like a nice Italian place but has a bunch of TVs showing the news, but it doesn’t take away too much from the experience.

I leave this review as a result of my third visit to this pair of restaurants (once to Al Dente, once here). Both prior visits were fantastic. I’m hoping this last time was a fluke, and that the restaurant isn’t going downhill.
The food was just about the only good part of this experience. Our visit started out with a somewhat hectic seating arrangement that ended up with our party sitting in the basement. I didn’t know Benevento’s had a basement until today! In my opinion they should relegate it to storage. The place was absolutely frigid, and made the 40-​minute wait for our food nearly unbearable. The physically uncomfortable environment left everyone on edge, on top of being hungry.
In addition to the cold, we were treated to busboys walking past our table with dishes every five minutes, a total lack of windows (being in the basement and all), and generally poor service. There was also no cell phone reception in the basement, and they don’t offer wi-​fi.
Our waitress tried to upsell us at every turn, offering homemade pasta for an extra $ 3 and reading off literally every appetizer on the menu, when I expressed my disappointment that the pumpkin ravioli only includes three ravioli for $ 9.
The food, however, was as delicious as always, which is why the review still has three stars. They do have very good pasta sauces and the pizza was on point. However due to the cold atmosphere the pizza had gone cold before we could finish it.
All in all, we enjoyed roughly ten minutes of our visit (the time period our food arrived and stayed warm). The rest was a frigid nightmare.

More casual than a lot of North end places, but was exactly the kind of atmosphere we were looking for. Still nice sit down, but has a bar, a couple tvs, and not pricey.
Bruschetta was amazing and large portion, 6 good sized pieces
Shrimp pizza (Victoria?) was good my date thought, though after seeing some of the pasta dishes going to diners beside us, regretted not getting pasta!
I got the margherita pizza, and made the decision to add sausage. Not my favorite sausage, but the pizza was great otherwise. Chewy crust, fresh tomatoes and mozzarella. Plenty of garlic on everything!
Enough to eat for leftovers the next day for lunch.
Sad that my lemonade was definitely from a mix and not fresh, but I guess that’s common.
Service was good, attentive! I think our server was amanda? Very pleasant and quick.
We’ll be back to try the pastas!

LOVE Benevento’s! My friend lives on Salem St. so whenever we grab dinner we head on over to Benevento’s. Everyone who works there is incredibly friendly, and easy going.
I’ve had quite a few plates here, and they are all delicious. Mussels marinara was wonderful, chicken parm — can’t beat it, and their pizza! I am a pizza lover, and they have some of the best pizza I’ve had!
Definitely recommend stopping here if you are visiting the North End!

I tried the cheese lasagna and eggplant lasagna (my sister ordered the eggplant and we split the dishes) and can say for certain its some of the best I have had and I grew up on amazing lasagna.
The meatballs are also very good, don’t leave without trying them both.

On recent trip to Boston, Benevento was the first stop upon arriving into town. After wandering around the North End for a while, we ended up here. After a check of Unilocal and confirming a good rating, we decided on lunch here. It was pretty empty when we were there; there was maybe 1 – 2 other tables there, and we received really good service throughout our meal.
I had a glass of house red wine with my meal; which included the sautéed calamari and lobster ravioli The calamari here was unlike anything I’ve had before it was sautéed really nicely and served in a spicy marinara sauce. I thought that was a great format; as opposed to the fried calamari that I’m used to. The lobster ravioli was equally great, and I loved the sauce it was served with. At the end of our meal, we were given lemoncello shots on the house. What a nice surprise!
Overall, a totally authentic Italian experience with great service in the heart of North End.

Loved this place. We had such good food! Great location, great environment, great service from Jojo. She’s one of those servers that really makes your whole experience great. Fun, friendly, and conversational but not intrusive. Just enhanced the food/​dining experience.
We ate one of the greatest meatballs ever, some of their homemade sausage, delicious. Eggplant involtini was cheesy, saucy and well proportioned eggplant to cheese ratio with a nice fresh garlicky tomato sauce. Pasta Carbonara with chicken was so rich I would have liked to have taken a bath in the cheesy sauce and mellow salty prosciutto. Veal Saltimbocca had great flavor and a savory sauce. Served creamy limoncello at the end of the meal and it was a complimentary and lovely finish to the meal.
One warning: made an Open Table reservation at 7:30, for 8:00, door guy said he went by the clipboard in his hand… but would do his best. Not sure they should be on Open Table if that’s the case.

Delicious food and excellent service.
Sat at the bar where Amanda Lee took great care of us. We had:
— a couple glasses of earthy/​spicy Italian wine
— a brilliant salad with figs, prosciutto, and arugula
— one very flavorful meatball with an abundance of terrific red sauce
— a generous bowl of tomato-​y minestrone soup
There are so many restaurants to choose form in the North End — this is one I will be sure to remember!