A favorite of area families and hungry tourists, delivering gargantuan portions of straightforward Italian fare in kitschy environs.
Outdoor Patio Dining
Takeout and Catering
Free Valet Parking
Vinny T's of Boston celebrates great homemade Italian food with family and friends. But food is only part of the whole Vinny T's experience. Vinny T's of Boston is inspired by the neighborhood Italian restaurants found in Boston's North End, Manhattan's Little Italy and South Philly circa 1945. From the music to the black and white checkered tablecloths, guests cannot help but appreciate the restaurant's old-style ambience.
Welcoming guests with open arms and attentive service, Vinny T's serves the comforting Italian specialties and favorites many have come to love. Enjoy robust food, including traditional items like homemade lasagna, veal marsala, and mussels fra diavolo, as well as signature items such as chicken carciofi, linguini frutti di mare, and penne alla vodka. Antipasti possibilities include golden fried calamari, homemade baked clams oreganata and bruschetta caprese.
The Scene So long as there are families in search of kid-approved Italian fare served family style, Vinny T's will remain profitable. Few patrons look up from their troughs of pasta to notice the faux Italian decor (checkered tablecloths, pictures of Italian-Americans icons like Frank Sinatra). Solo diners, a rare sight because of portion sizes, flock to the hospitable bar area where there's always a game on the TV. Pleasant servers try to maintain straight faces when delivering laughably large pasta platters.
The Food As one might expect, the restaurant sacrifices quality in favor of quantity--expect too much pasta, not enough meat. Most items are available in two misleadingly titled sizes: "per uno" (enough for two people) and "per due" (enough for four). While decent steaks and chops are offered, most everyone wisely sticks with pasta dishes like lemony chicken piccata and rich lasagna. Desserts--try the creamy, reasonably authentic spumoni--are equally humongous.
Even though its a chain, the food is quite good. Much better than Macaroni Grill or Olive Garden. Everything I've had has been tasty - Calamari Diavlo, Penne and Meat Sauce, Cavatelli and eggplant. It's not quite North End, but the next best thing. I've been to the downtown, Lexington and Brookline locales and they've all had the same high quality.
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this place has HUGE portions. you will want to take home everything and have it again the next night; the service is pretty good, no complaints. the food quality is decent. family dining style
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HUGE portions...they will tell you this upon arriving, but I thought I'd mention it again. The fetuccini alfredo is brilliant, and the half portion lasts me at least 2 days after I take it home. The wine is excellent, and the garlic and oil with bread at the beginning of the meal is the best part. The only unfortunate thing is how noisy it can get! You think it would be a great place to take your guy or gal on a quiet, romantic date, but I have been when you literally have to yell across the table to chat. Other than that, nice atmosphere, wonderful food, and not horrible prices for the portion and quality.
PROS: Good atmosphere, wonderful food
CONS: Can be noisy
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Latest reviews by Citysearch:
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Will never go there again.
By mmllkk
7 of us went there for the marathon yesterday. I've never seen such a group of rude people before. 1st, they want to charge us $50 per person to sit on the patio. It's empty, no one is there. Then we are inside at the bar, and the front runners go by, so we walk out onto that patio to cheer them on. I hear Jose the manager, and another employee flipping out that they should charge us $35 dollars to walk out there and that the patio will go over capacity. Again the place is still empty. 1/2 the poeple out on patio are workers. So, we left and went on to another place up the street. Spent about $1K total there for the rest of the day. They charged zero to get out on the patio. I will never go to Vinny T's again.
Pros: Rude staff, Rude staff, Rude staff Cons: There are none
Posted 04/21/08
they're too proud of their homemade pasta to provide whole wheat substitute
By freewilly7
love their rhode island calamari -- they do it w/a bit of sauce (it's slightly moist instead of fried dry) w/pickled chili peppers.
other than that, dishes are ordinary. had a little bit of a problem that they are too proud of their handmade pasta to offer whole wheat substitute. would still patronize when the stars align, but definitely not a crazed fan.
p.s. i heard they used to have lucky drawings and my colleague once won a free dinner. don't know if they still have that going on.
:)
Pros: family/kid-friendly Cons: no whole wheat substitute for pasta
Posted 04/11/08
Don't bother ordering takeout
By pnkseashel
I called to order takeout and the man who answered told me they didn't offer takeout. When I asked why it said online that they offered takeout he took my order. When I showed up to pick up my food 35 minutes later, he hadn't even put my order in. When he turned around to put it in, I asked if he had ordered my food and he said yes, when I asked again, he said no and laughed in my face.
Don't bother ordering takeout, because it obviously isn't a priority for them.
Posted 11/02/07
Consistently good
By cbolek
This place always leaves you satisfied. The RI style Calamari is fantastic as is the Fried Mozarella. The Warm Tomato/Spinach/Goat Cheese Salad always hits the spot on a cold evening. The Chicken Marsala is the best I have ever had especially the day after as a leftover. Finish it off with a Chocolate Bomba, a piece of Chocolate Cake in a vanilla creme anglaise and they will have to take you out of there in a wheel borrow, but as one happy camper. The portions are generous to say the least. There are few better places to go out to eat with a large group in Boston, bar none.
Posted 04/17/07
Picky Italian eater
By bigc1962
I was impressed the first time I went, that I went the next night with a cleints that they could not believehow everything was, how friendly the staff were and the portion and priced. Awesone experience
