This place is old school Italian from the crooners playlist to the well-prepared simple food. The fritto misto is lightly breaded fried shrimp and calamari with some lettuce and lemon wedges - not covered in sauce or accompanied by heavy sauces like at other places. The fresh bread is rustic with burnished spots on a somewhat flat and dense texture and served without butter but there is a small glass jar of olive oil on every table that works well for a drizzle. Evidence that they take their pasta seriously is that the server recommended I shouldn’t substitute pappardelle in the carbonara because it might not emulsify well. The large pizza oven next to the dining area smells slightly of burnt flour and reminds me of why I put my pizza oven outdoors on my patio. I appreciate that they make handmade pasta and unlike the other Boise restaurants that make their own pasta, this restaurant has knowledgeable people that will give you good advice and attention if you ask.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Fritto Misto Shrimps and Calamari
Vivian Angelino-Corbett
My husband & I visited Vicenzos. 2 weeks ago. I was told the food was delicious, better than any American Italian food. Well, I'm here to tell you, it was the worst Italian food I'd ever had. Where else do you spend $18 and get 2 meatballs the size of a golf ball that came out of a microwave oven? I will not be going back, and I would never suggest this restaurant to anyone.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
Olivia Stands
I cannot adequately express how much we love this place! As a family with very strong Italian heritage and a forbiddance to ever go to Olive Garden, I can say with absolute certainty that this place is the best, authentic Italian food around. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable, Vincenzo is passionate about his craft, and the food is nothing short of amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brandon Probert
Vincenzo was the best Italian I've had in a very long time. My family and I were greeted at the front door by Vincenzo himself and he was a very nice and welcoming man. Excellent service, amazing food, and a quaint atmosphere. This will be our go to for Italian food in the Treasure Valley! Thank you Vincenzo!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vodka Penne, Caprese
Brea Gilchrist
The best place in the area for true Italian. They know not only what is authentic, but they masterfully create dishes to deliver to us clientele. The service is above and beyond knowledgeable, and provide answers to any questions you have. Their entire team honestly cares about your experience. Prompt, professional, and absolutely delicious.
Dietary restrictions: Available to make entree specials not only gluten free, but note of cross contamination. They may not have gluten free pasta, but I've always been impressed by their specials.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vodka Penne, Spaghetti Alla Carbonara, Caprese
Hannah Dupay
I went to Vincenzo’s for an anniversary dinner. It was amazing! It felt like you were actually in Italy! The food was Devine. I had the vodka penne and my partner had the lasagna and carbonara. He licked his plates CLEAN. Vincenzo was very personable and came to our table multiple times to interact with us. It was fun to see how he interacted with other tables as well! He was very funny and made the experience that much more authentic. Our server Caleb was amazing. Our glasses were always full and he was very charismatic and kind. My favorite part was the cannoli at the end. We will definitely be coming back and will be bringing some more people along with us!
The staff was incredibly kind and friendly, the food was excellent, and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cannoli, Fettuccine Alla Burina
William Smith
Amazing every time
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
WhiteBreads Reserve
Drove in from Coeur d’Alene and had the best Italian dinner ever! There was 6 of us and we did family style sharing everything. The carbonara was the best of my life!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ken
The four of us made reservations based on recommendations from a friend. All four of us left with the intention of returning again as lifelong customers! This was the best Italian food we have had in our 10 years here in the Treasure Valley!! A small intimate venue with attentive, knowledgeable wait staff. We chose 4 different entrees and we all shared them. All 4 were winners!
Finally an actual authentic Italian meal! The owner and his team are all wonderful, we had a great time getting to know them they are very friendly. Unfortunately we won’t be in Boise for too long to always come by and enjoy their food, but we will make sure to come when we’re around. Thank you for the great experience and quality meal! :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Rigatoni Alla Siciliana
Jack Old Dude
OK, so I used to live in Santa Monica where Vincenzo‘s first started then I found out since I moved here to Boise that the owner has been here for over five years and has a restaurant here. I said I’d give it a try to my dismay. What a disappointment, when somebody tells me that the swordfish is flown in from Italy and they pick it up at the airport fresh I start to doubt the authenticity of the place so we ended up ordering lasagna and then clams. Let me tell you Chef Boyardee should be proud because he made a better lasagna than this place did the owners wife who says she’s actually the owner was extremely rude unfriendly and should not be upfront of the restaurant taking care of people. It was a real downer. The food was overpriced. The selection on the menu was quite boring and the Pasta was more than al dente was actually tasted rubbery. The lasagna was like thrown on the plate with no attention to its presentation. I would highly tell anyone who thinks about eating at this place to go away and go home and open a can of Chef Boyardee you may be in better luck.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
James McDonough
I want to give honest feedback because I personally feel there’s still room in Boise for a really authentic & great-tasting Italian restaurant (the family & I have tried many in the several months since we moved here). My suspicion is others who have lived in different parts of the country would agree with that.
Before even getting into the food aspect, it can’t be ignored that the atmosphere has a very strange vibe. The best way to describe it is the owner & his wife seemed a little disgruntled & maybe even worn out. Kind of like they used to enjoy this more, but in 2024 it has gone from feeling like a job to actually being work for them to run this restaurant. I wouldn’t say either of them gave off a vibe that they sincerely enjoy operating this restaurant as of August 2024 when I went at least. Can’t speak to before Aug 2024 when we went, but that impression was nearly suffocating throughout the experience there. Look through other reviews here, and you’ll see the atmosphere mentioned repeatedly saying similar things. That needs to be fixed because people won’t care about the food if the atmosphere is so prohibitively awkward that they don’t want to dine there. There was a young man & young woman who also came by the table periodically, and they were both awesome. The owner & his wife specifically are why I give 1/5 for atmosphere. Two examples of a strange atmosphere are the owner asking if we had a reservation when the restaurant was 2/3 empty upon arrival, and those tables didn’t fill up either in the hour we were there. Felt like he asked just to brag about how exclusive the restaurant is in his mind or something. Same with “the chef doesn’t recommend that” for adding additional Parmesan to your food & scoffs if you dare ask for it. Kind of an arrogant, condescending vibe. The food is not good enough to justify acting like that. And, the A+ Italian restaurants I’ve been to elsewhere in the US or in Italy in my life who serve food that would be good enough to act like that don’t act like that. So, make of that what you will.
For the food, it almost feels like a footnote because the atmosphere aspect was so overwhelming. The fresh pasta was good. The fresh bread was good. Better than a typical Boise-area Italian restaurant but also not super amazing either if I compare to the best Italian restaurants I’ve been to in my life. I’m sure the atmosphere probably tainted my view of the food to some degree, too. Hard to separate completely.
It’s a shame because this restaurant is conveniently located for us & also seems to have a potential. But, I don’t feel they’ll realize it due to the atmosphere, which seems to come from the top-down & is unlikely to be remedied in the long-run.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 2
Erika
Absolutely amazing! The perfect outing for showing your friends around town. The dishes are delicious and use home-grown ingredients, the staff is very nice and hospitable, and the food is more affordable than most other fancy restaurants in the area. A strong recommendation for anybody looking for some great authentic Italian food!
Always a treat coming here! Hands down, the Best Italian in Idaho with no doubt. Freshest and most Authentic Italian by far. Every dish is worth considering and ALWAYS save room for the Tiramisu! Nicely done as usual!
This place is old school Italian from the crooners playlist to the well-prepared simple food. The fritto misto is lightly breaded fried shrimp and calamari with some lettuce and lemon wedges - not covered in sauce or accompanied by heavy sauces like at other places. The fresh bread is rustic with burnished spots on a somewhat flat and dense texture and served without butter but there is a small glass jar of olive oil on every table that works well for a drizzle. Evidence that they take their pasta seriously is that the server recommended I shouldn’t substitute pappardelle in the carbonara because it might not emulsify well. The large pizza oven next to the dining area smells slightly of burnt flour and reminds me of why I put my pizza oven outdoors on my patio. I appreciate that they make handmade pasta and unlike the other Boise restaurants that make their own pasta, this restaurant has knowledgeable people that will give you good advice and attention if you ask.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Fritto Misto Shrimps and Calamari
My husband & I visited Vicenzos. 2 weeks ago. I was told the food was delicious, better than any American Italian food. Well, I'm here to tell you, it was the worst Italian food I'd ever had. Where else do you spend $18 and get 2 meatballs the size of a golf ball that came out of a microwave oven? I will not be going back, and I would never suggest this restaurant to anyone.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
I cannot adequately express how much we love this place! As a family with very strong Italian heritage and a forbiddance to ever go to Olive Garden, I can say with absolute certainty that this place is the best, authentic Italian food around. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable, Vincenzo is passionate about his craft, and the food is nothing short of amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vincenzo was the best Italian I've had in a very long time. My family and I were greeted at the front door by Vincenzo himself and he was a very nice and welcoming man. Excellent service, amazing food, and a quaint atmosphere. This will be our go to for Italian food in the Treasure Valley! Thank you Vincenzo!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vodka Penne, Caprese
The best place in the area for true Italian. They know not only what is authentic, but they masterfully create dishes to deliver to us clientele. The service is above and beyond knowledgeable, and provide answers to any questions you have. Their entire team honestly cares about your experience.
Prompt, professional, and absolutely delicious.
Dietary restrictions: Available to make entree specials not only gluten free, but note of cross contamination. They may not have gluten free pasta, but I've always been impressed by their specials.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vodka Penne, Spaghetti Alla Carbonara, Caprese
I went to Vincenzo’s for an anniversary dinner. It was amazing! It felt like you were actually in Italy! The food was Devine. I had the vodka penne and my partner had the lasagna and carbonara. He licked his plates CLEAN. Vincenzo was very personable and came to our table multiple times to interact with us. It was fun to see how he interacted with other tables as well! He was very funny and made the experience that much more authentic.
Our server Caleb was amazing. Our glasses were always full and he was very charismatic and kind.
My favorite part was the cannoli at the end. We will definitely be coming back and will be bringing some more people along with us!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lasagna Bolognese, Spaghetti Carbonara, Vodka Penne, Cannoli
The staff was incredibly kind and friendly, the food was excellent, and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cannoli, Fettuccine Alla Burina
Amazing every time
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Drove in from Coeur d’Alene and had the best Italian dinner ever! There was 6 of us and we did family style sharing everything. The carbonara was the best of my life!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The four of us made reservations based on recommendations from a friend. All four of us left with the intention of returning again as lifelong customers! This was the best Italian food we have had in our 10 years here in the Treasure Valley!! A small intimate venue with attentive, knowledgeable wait staff. We chose 4 different entrees and we all shared them. All 4 were winners!
Restaurantji Recommends
Finally an actual authentic Italian meal! The owner and his team are all wonderful, we had a great time getting to know them they are very friendly. Unfortunately we won’t be in Boise for too long to always come by and enjoy their food, but we will make sure to come when we’re around. Thank you for the great experience and quality meal! :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Rigatoni Alla Siciliana
OK, so I used to live in Santa Monica where Vincenzo‘s first started then I found out since I moved here to Boise that the owner has been here for over five years and has a restaurant here. I said I’d give it a try to my dismay. What a disappointment, when somebody tells me that the swordfish is flown in from Italy and they pick it up at the airport fresh I start to doubt the authenticity of the place so we ended up ordering lasagna and then clams. Let me tell you Chef Boyardee should be proud because he made a better lasagna than this place did the owners wife who says she’s actually the owner was extremely rude unfriendly and should not be upfront of the restaurant taking care of people. It was a real downer. The food was overpriced. The selection on the menu was quite boring and the Pasta was more than al dente was actually tasted rubbery. The lasagna was like thrown on the plate with no attention to its presentation. I would highly tell anyone who thinks about eating at this place to go away and go home and open a can of Chef Boyardee you may be in better luck.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
I want to give honest feedback because I personally feel there’s still room in Boise for a really authentic & great-tasting Italian restaurant (the family & I have tried many in the several months since we moved here). My suspicion is others who have lived in different parts of the country would agree with that.
Before even getting into the food aspect, it can’t be ignored that the atmosphere has a very strange vibe. The best way to describe it is the owner & his wife seemed a little disgruntled & maybe even worn out. Kind of like they used to enjoy this more, but in 2024 it has gone from feeling like a job to actually being work for them to run this restaurant. I wouldn’t say either of them gave off a vibe that they sincerely enjoy operating this restaurant as of August 2024 when I went at least. Can’t speak to before Aug 2024 when we went, but that impression was nearly suffocating throughout the experience there. Look through other reviews here, and you’ll see the atmosphere mentioned repeatedly saying similar things. That needs to be fixed because people won’t care about the food if the atmosphere is so prohibitively awkward that they don’t want to dine there. There was a young man & young woman who also came by the table periodically, and they were both awesome. The owner & his wife specifically are why I give 1/5 for atmosphere. Two examples of a strange atmosphere are the owner asking if we had a reservation when the restaurant was 2/3 empty upon arrival, and those tables didn’t fill up either in the hour we were there. Felt like he asked just to brag about how exclusive the restaurant is in his mind or something. Same with “the chef doesn’t recommend that” for adding additional Parmesan to your food & scoffs if you dare ask for it. Kind of an arrogant, condescending vibe. The food is not good enough to justify acting like that. And, the A+ Italian restaurants I’ve been to elsewhere in the US or in Italy in my life who serve food that would be good enough to act like that don’t act like that. So, make of that what you will.
For the food, it almost feels like a footnote because the atmosphere aspect was so overwhelming. The fresh pasta was good. The fresh bread was good. Better than a typical Boise-area Italian restaurant but also not super amazing either if I compare to the best Italian restaurants I’ve been to in my life. I’m sure the atmosphere probably tainted my view of the food to some degree, too. Hard to separate completely.
It’s a shame because this restaurant is conveniently located for us & also seems to have a potential. But, I don’t feel they’ll realize it due to the atmosphere, which seems to come from the top-down & is unlikely to be remedied in the long-run.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 2
Absolutely amazing! The perfect outing for showing your friends around town. The dishes are delicious and use home-grown ingredients, the staff is very nice and hospitable, and the food is more affordable than most other fancy restaurants in the area. A strong recommendation for anybody looking for some great authentic Italian food!
Always a treat coming here! Hands down, the Best Italian in Idaho with no doubt. Freshest and most Authentic Italian by far. Every dish is worth considering and ALWAYS save room for the Tiramisu! Nicely done as usual!
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