Lucca Back Bay

I have been to Sasso four times now. I am slowly working through the menu. The scallops over oxtail is my favorite followed closely by the duck over green garlic rissotto. The service on all visits has been very good attentive but not pushy. I would highly recommend Sasso

Pros: excellent

Posted 05/29/08

I don't usually write reviews, however I thought Sasso deserved a special mention. I am in pharmaceutical sales and dine out with larger groups at least twice a week. Sasso has become my go to place to hold important events. The management are focused on making sure the evening goes smoothly so you can relax and entertain your clients. At other restaurants I am constantly leaving my seat to check on things. I think the staff at Sasso are exceptional. The food is always fantastic and presented perfectly. If you have an important event or dinner I would strongly suggest you try them out.

Pros: excellent for large parties

Posted 05/29/08

I take business very seriously being a business owner myself. I stumbled into Sasso a month ago looking for a place to eat and was completely blown away. The atmosphere was modern but comfortable. The service was great and the food absolutely dynamite. Such a great experience i decided i wanted to go back for my birthday this past week. The experience wasn't as pleasant unfortunately. The service was poor...the waitress was MIA (missing in action) half the meal. My delicious rigatoni arrived cold , it had to be sent back as with the other person who got the rigatoni , and the portion was really small. When it came back warm...not hot... the food was dropped and the food runner took off....so now i'm left without cheese, as my warm food begins to get cold again. I waited for the phantom waitress to arrive but she never did ...so i had to get up and walk to the front desk to ask for cheese. Just crappy service. and we had to wait 20 minutes to be seated after making a reservation ahead of time. I do like the place. I know that all business can have an off moment.. but my Sasso buzz was definately annihilated after my second visit...i would recommend it....I'll go back but if i don't have an experience like the first one i had ,i'll never go back again.

Pros: atmosphere....food

Cons: inconsistency

Posted 05/17/08

went for restaurant week; wouldn't have gone otherwise.

cocktail: didn't like that ginger (peach?) bellini. doesn't taste like anything. parisien martini, on the other hand, was delicious.

prima: risotto is good, w/the chopped pistachios and all. some didn't like it for being a bit on the chewy side, though.

secondo: i had the arctic char w/beluga lentils, it was alright. others had the beef short ribs but complained that it was too dry. it looked good and came w/a good portion, though.

dessert: johnny cake (which isn't really a cake) looked light and crisp. i had the chocolate bread pudding instead; it was nothing like a bread pudding. looked, felt, and tasted more like a brownie w/soaked walnut instead. too sweet, too. (note: in the rare occasion, i couldn't finish my dessert.) looked at their original dessert menu just now; can't help but wonder why none of those seemingly delicious items was offered.

waiter was friendly yet professional, service was great. impressed when witnessing the boss/manager stepping up to take people in at the reception--when it wasn't even very busy. decor and ambiance are nice and all, but when everything is accounted for, this place just isn't my cup of tea. food wasn't exceptional to make me go again, restaurant week or not. regular menu looks enticing in the antipasti and desserts sections; entrees, not so much.
:)

Pros: ambiance, cozy bar scene, "mezzanine" dining level

Cons: parking (they have valet, tho)

Posted 04/11/08

If I don't eat at Sasso on a regular basis I get withdrawals the food is that good. Do yourself a favor and check out what I think is the best new restaurant to open in Boston for years

Pros: Baked lobster dish

Posted 03/01/08

I don't usually write reviews however I thought Sasso deserved a special mention from start to finish everything was fantastic. I had the augula salad and the scallop dish presentation was great and the flavors were outstanding. The service was super attentive without being over the top. I think it is the best dining experience I have had in Boston for years.

Pros: Beautiful dining room, great service and food

Posted 03/01/08

I live in the neighborhood and I think Sasso is a phenomenal addition. The food is some of the best I have had in the city.

Pros: Great neighborhood restaurant

Posted 03/01/08

Don't know if I was there on an off night or what, but the service was probably the worst I've ever had. The food was nothing special. I can't imagine this place will last long. Better choices in the city for sure.

Posted 02/20/08

I love Sasso. The bar area is great and the food is always amazing. Friendly attentive staff, great addition to the Back Bay

Pros: great place for late night meal

Cons: none

Posted 01/11/08

It's nice to go to a restaurant where they actually seem pleased to see you. Hostess was awesome smiling and friendly. This continued with the waiter who was extremely attentive . The food was very good I had the arugula salad great flavor and then I had the baked pasta with lobster. I still have cravings for that dish, I cant wait to go back and try some other menu items.

Pros: easy to get to, nice staff

Posted 01/11/08

I went to our annual holiday party here in December, it was amazing so I went back with my friends. The food is spectacular and the waiter had a great personality, he made us feel totally welcome. Try the Gnocchi appetizer amazing and I had the pork chop, out of this world. I cant wait to go back. The waiter told me the bar has a good scene later because they serve until 2. My new favorite Italian restaurant awesome awesome

Pros: great food and service

Cons: none

Posted 01/02/08

I eat at Lucca a lot, it is my favorite North End restaurant. I wanted to try their new restaurant out but never made it to the Back Bay. The place is beautiful white marble staircase dark earthy tone it feels a lot like Lucca but has more of an elegance about it. The food is completely different I was blown away by the veal appetizer with polenta and the baked pasta with lobster was a great dish. for dessert try the tiramisu they make it at the table. I am looking forward to going back soon.

Pros: spectacular food

Posted 01/02/08

Ive been there a few times now and really am amazed at how great the staff is. There is really great food in Boston these days and I definitely include this restaurant, but the real difference is the staff. They really know what they are doing. Friendly, know the menu, just very cool. Best bartenders in Boston, late night menu is awesome. I also had a private party and the person who handled the menu and set up was professional and right to the point. I would highly recommend this place to anyone.

Pros: Food, Service, Ambience

Cons: none

Posted 12/01/07

I heard that the new chef at Sasso worked at the French Laundry restaurant in Napa. So I really wanted to check it out. The food was absolutely amazing. I had the rabbit with polenta and the sea bass. It was incredible. The flavor combinations were amazing and the service was great and not to stuffy. The place had a good crowd, however when I mentioned it to other people they hadn't heard of it. Do yourself a favor and check out this hidden gem.

Pros: east to get to, great food and service

Cons: Tough to see from the street you could drive right buy and not see it

Posted 11/10/07

Made reservations for Restaurant Week...only one bar tender (there was a second, but he was busy making drinks for the tables), so right off the bat, had to wait 10 minutes for a drink at the bar (in the spirit of full disclosure, i was waiting for my girlfriend, not b/c our table was not ready). Seated by a very nice hostess... but when we saw the Restaurant Week menu, we noticed that one of four main-course dishes, the one she really wanted to try, had been switched. We asked if the chef could make an acception. An EXTREMELY rude general manager then lectured me as to how Sasso was a "chef-driven" restaurant, and it was his decision to remove that item that night, despite the fact it was on the full menu. That was perhaps the most pompous comment i have heard in a while. Any restaurant is a CUSTOMER-driven restaurant...plain and simple. Given the number of excellent Italian restaurants in Boston, i will never return. The restaurants on Hanover Street also have a much happier atmosphere.

Pros: Not sure... got up and left after being treated the way we were

Cons: The manager was a complete j*rk... made zero attempt to satisfy a request

Posted 08/16/07

If you are looking for a restaurant in Boston that will treat you like a VIP without making you uncomfortable, this is the place! When you walk in the door you are greeted immediately, no need to search for a host....and as my date and I soon found out, the man who showed us our table was one of the owners, talk about hands on service! How rare to have an owner on site to make sure that all was going flawlessly. (We would recommend reservations as the restaurant was very crowded, we waited in the lounge until they could fit us in. The lounge is very comfortable and they cocktail waitress was very good!) Once in the dining room, our server was professional and had a great personality. He was not at all stuffy but certainly not too casual. He didn't "lurk" yet magically seemed to be there exactly when we needed him. And then, there was the food! My date had the tuna tartar and I had the rabbit confit as an appetizer...fantastic. For an entree, my date had the special, a horseradish rubbed salmon and I had the wild boar. Absolutely incredible and my date thought the portion size was perfect!! We shared the pineapple upside down cake for dessert... not your church potluck supper dessert...it was a delightful twist on an old favorite! I would recommend this restaurant to anyone that is looking for a fantastic night out.

Pros: Service and Food

Cons: Can be crowded

Posted 06/03/07

Until recently I used to work in the restaurant industry managing and bartending. I know their other restaurant Lucca very well always busy with a really great atmosphere. Sasso is equally as impressive. I have been here twice for dinner and a few times for cocktails. They get the fact that dining out is supposed to be entertaining. Efficient friendly service not stuffy. You can have dinner and just hang out and enjoy the atmosphere. This is my new favorite restaurant in the city. They also serve food every night until 1 30.

Pros: exceptional atmosphere

Posted 06/02/07

I have been in several times and everything was flawless. Finally a restaurant in the back bay/south end, where everyone is actually friendly and efficient. Try the crudo misto for an amazing cold appetizer. My favorite entree would most definitely be the braised boar and ricotta ravioli. Great bar, lots of fun!

Pros: friendly service, food

Cons: N/A

Posted 05/25/07

Ive dined in the bar and in the main dining room. The bar was a better experience as the service was much better. In my opinion, its the same overpriced, average food, and poor service that existed with the prior tenant in this space, Black FIn. Unfortunately the name change and small face lift didnt improvie my experience. In fact, the best experience was the Vodka promotion night and that was only because drinks were free.

Posted 05/21/07

I liked many things about Sasso, the food was tasty, I had the crudo misto for appetizer and the braised wild boar for my entree, and they were as good as I had hoped for. Our server was great, and very knowledgeable about the food and wine selection, and we even had a table visit from one of the owners who were there, Ted Kennedy. The space was a bit loud, so I would recommend going there with the right crew, but not for a romantic date, however, my experience at Sasso was to my expectations.

Pros: Service, Food

Cons: Loud Space

Posted 03/29/07

After dining several times, we find ourselves still lost in the cold, vast dining room. The food is lackluster, there are definitely far better Italian meals to be had in back bay/south end. Even with the supposed change of chefs, the food still seemingly unchanged. We keep hoping that the experiences would get better, as the service is usually what kept us coming back, but it only covered up the fact that the food, just really isn't that good. As fans of the heralded Lucca, it seems as they just took the same simple mediocre food, upped the price, and took away the cozy ambiance. Wines are very fairly priced, again service has been good. But food lovers be weary !

Pros: service, wine list

Cons: vast dining room, poor food, way over-priced!

Posted 03/06/07