Welcome !
Hi everyone ! this is a blog dedicated to Giacomo's restaurant,where,as everybody knows, you can find the best italian food in Boston that money can buy!! The site is not paid or supported by any business ..it's just meant to help the customers with all the information i can provide and if anyone wants to leave their thoughts on the site , you're more than welcome ! I'll happily answer all the questions and do some research for the ones that really need to know !
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I need the owner to contact me. I do not understand why the wait-staff was rude to me tonight.
ReplyDeleteCan u please provide a way of contacting you?I am sure that our management will look into the issue...you can post your email or telephone number here...I will not publish it...but just forward the info to our managers...or you can call the restaurant on Monday, Thursday, Friday and ask for Richie
DeleteThis place is ABSOLUTE A DISASTER!!! Definitely THE WORST dinning experience I have ever had.
ReplyDeleteLast Friday, Sept 16th, 2011. I went there for dinner. We were really looking forward to it because of the good reviews on yelp. We got there around 7:30pm. There was a line outside of the restaurant. We waited in line for 30 mins to just to talk to the host and have our names down. The host, JOHN, told us it would be1.5 hours to 2 hours wait. We were a little surprised since we already waited 30 mins in line. However, since we already had our minds set on this place, we agreed to wait for another 1.5 to 2 hours. The host told us there is a bar next door. We went to the bar that the host mentioned, there were no seats, so we decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. After 1 hour+ walk, we went back to the restaurant and the host, JOHN, told us that he was looking for us 45 mins ago. We said you told us the wait was gonna be 1.5 to 2 hours. Then, he said very IMPATIENTLY that there is nothing he could do for us, we have to wait again and there were 3 people that were in front of us. I told him it was not our fault that we were not there when he called our name because he just told us the wait was 1.5 hrs to 2 hrs. I wouldn't expect him to call our name after 15 mins if he told us the wait was 1.5 hrs to 2 hrs. I was explaining to the host, JOHN, but he wouldn't listen and just walked away. When I was trying to get his attention again, he said you are welcomed to leave, you do not have to stay. OMG, how rude was that. We already waited for an hour and half, so why the heck would I want to leave. Then, I was trying to talk to him again, THE MOST UNBELIEVABLE THING CAME OUT OF HIS MOUTH, he said, WE DO NOT LIKE YOU, YOU CAN LEAVE NOW! I couldn't believe my ears, I have not had anybody told me to leave the restaurant ever especially it was their fault. How rude was that?! I was very very mad. I know this place is popular, I get it, but nobody should ever treat their customers like this. He was the rudest staff I have ever encountered. We wasted almost 2 hours waiting. It was almost 10pm and we were hungry and the host just told us to leave after almost 2 hours wait. I am so surprised that this place is still in business. No matter how good your food is, THE ATTITUDE AND THE BAHAVIOR JOHN DEMONSTRATED IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE. Dinning is NOT only about food; it is about the entire experience.
The valet guy was extremely nice though. He witnessed our entire experience and he felt very sorry for us. He wouldn't take money from us for parking, but it was not his fault so we had to put money in his pocket at the end.
We left the restaurant extremely angry and humiliated. I do not know how they still managed to stay in business with TERRIBLE SERVICE like this; I had to assume that the food must taste like it's from heaven right? Out of curiosity, we went to the north end location the second day. We waited about an hour in line. No complains since we got a seat. We ordered calamari, mozzarella marinara, mussels, lobster ravioli, swordfish pasta. The food was definitely below average.
I agree with the above comment.
ReplyDeleteThis site claims not to be affiliated with the restaurant, but I am skeptical. The criticism is deserved and the restaurant should hear it.
I live in Boston and eat out often. I went to Giacomo's in Oct. 2011, at the insistence of family members visiting from out of town. It was the worst restaurant experience I have had in a very long time.
Feel welcome? We did not. We waited in line for 2 hours, only to be herded inside and packed together with like cattle. No one goes here but tourists.
The service felt like we were in a diner. The waitress was not rude, but she rushed us. (All those people standing in line outside.) She handed us plates, which we then passed around. There was no room for her to walk around the table. We cleared too. Service? I do not think so. And, we were so close to the other diners (tourists only) that we were forced into a communal experience. No personal space. And, the place is loud.
The food was boring to terrible. I ordered pesto which contained no basil. There was tortallini covered in glue. Lobster pasta reportedly was OK (because the lobster was relatively fresh), but the sauce was not. Even the bread was bad. Tomatoes were the worst quality. Summary: Bad ingredients make bad food. You give Italy a bad name.
And, you do not take credit cards. Very inconvenient.
There is good Italian food in Boston--but not here.
Tourist trap! Fleece the customers!
I wouldn't go back on a bet. And, just today, I advised a friend (party of 5) to skip it.
You are absolutely wrong. Please don't listen to these people. They must be expecting Ritz Carlton. This is a fun place to dine with the best Italian food in Boston. I am Italian, I know Italian food. This is not a touristy place. They customers are 90% local. I have been going there for 15 years.
DeleteIf you are expecting tuxedoed waiters and exotic atmosphere this is not the place for you.
These people do not understand Italian food. They said the bread was bad. This should be a clue to who these people are. They don't know what Italian bread is suppose to be like. Great Italian bread has a thick crust.
Don't let this review stop you from going. It is crowded, noisy and very busy. Don't go there for atmosphere, just great food
I hope this owners and president of this restaurant realize how many valuable customers out there will probably never come back or be recommended to a place that is disrespectful, arrogant, rude, and unprofessional. This has been the only restaurant I've ever made recommendations to friends from all around the world, but after last night's experience, I wouldnt even recommend to the locals. My reservation for a party of 8 did not exist last time even though I've confirmed it last week with a hostess. Upon arrival the hostess working at 9pm on June 4th was rude, arrogant, and unprofessional about handling a customer complaint. On top of that there were no managers or owners to talk to about the issue. You've made the worst decision when you left the restaurant in the hand of the hostess. Her \ words were exactly "Calm down its only a dinner." Im sorry but its not just a dinner, it was my brother's graduation dinner. Can you understand that? First approach in running a customer driven business, reassess your staff. Starting with those at the front door.
ReplyDeleteYou are wrong. They are not rude or arrogant. They are busy and efficient. If you want tuxedoed wait staff you're in the wrong place
DeleteOMG! And I was looking for some places to take my wife on our first trip to Boston. But 3 reviews and all negative? Strike three and yerrrrrr OUT!
ReplyDeleteI would give the BackBay location a try on a weekday...
ReplyDeleteWe had the best experience at Giacomo's in the North End tonight. We live in Texas but have made it a tradition to come up to Boston each year while visiting Connecticut for the holidays. Each year we also go to Giacomo's in the North End for dinner, as its the best meal in Boston. This year had been an especially hard holiday season because we are from Newtown, CT and went to Sandy Hook Elementary School. Needless to say it was a fun distraction to come to Boston to celebrate the holidays. That being said, our waitress Donna was so sweet and fun that we gave her a Sandy Hook School bracelet to thank her for her kindness. She was so appreciative tht she told the other waitress who then came to our table an gave us a donation to the town asking us to pass it on. These are the random acts of kindness that keep us all moving forward. Thank you Giacomo's :)
ReplyDeleteI know they do not do reservations but what about catering? My parents love this place and they have a big B-day coming up and I would love to take all there (20 people, italian family) or have them cater it. Any suggestions??
ReplyDeleteI would say,if you intend to have dinner around the time the restaurant opens,you can call in a large take out order,you just have to come pick it up from the restaurant. I would suggest calling ahead and setting up the details of the order with Richard Talieri, our manager and picking up the food from the southend location on 431 Columbus Ave.
ReplyDeleteIf I came around 7:30 on a Saturday, about how long would I have to wait in line for a table for 4?
ReplyDelete7:30 for all the restaurants in the area is the rush hour peak time...so...I would say 20 to 40 minutes ...you have to factor in the weather, season, whether there's a game at the Garden or a show, holidays, children's vacation ...
ReplyDelete