Parm
140 Dartmouth Street, Boston
(617) 751-1113
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The only thing good about this place is their outdoor patio. The server we had literally had no idea what she was talking about most of the time. My friend has a gluten allergy and asked before hand if they had a gluten free menu (they did not) and then asked if our server could point out what appetizers are gluten free. Our server said that the sweet and sour cauliflower was gluten free. We ordered it and it came to our table and upon first look the cauliflower was clearly battered and fried. Obviously this is not gluten free. Thankfully my friend has a gluten allergy and does not have celiac, however, if she did have celiac and did not notice the batter on the cauliflower that would be a dangerous situation. We had to ask another server if the cauliflower was actually gluten free and he said no. When we told our server that the cauliflower is in-fact not gluten free (which we should not have to tell our server that works at this restaurant that a dish is not gluten free), she made up a lame excuse of “sometimes they don’t batter the cauliflower”. So when people order the cauliflower they get a different dish each time? What? Thankfully they took the cauliflower off the bill, only because we asked. The food was very subpar and not hot. They have a very limited drink menu and could not make basic drinks. At the end of our meal we asked if we could split the check and she said that we had to split it evenly. Which normally would be fine but I worked in restaurants for years and used the same POS system they used, Toast. You can easily split the checks with that system I used to do it every single day when I had a serving job. Either our server was lazy or this restaurant literally doesn’t train their servers. Never coming here again. Very disappointed.
Just sat at the bar for 15 minutes while the 2 bartenders standing right in front of us refused to acknowledge us. No hi no what can I get you no I’ll be right with you not a single word as if we weren’t blatantly sitting in front of them menus closed waiting to order as they chatted and walked back and forth multiple times. Got up and left and they still didn’t say anything. Are we invisible??
My friend and I had 35 minutes to wait for our train at Back Bay, and decided to sit at the bar here. We were actively ignored for 15 minutes while the bartenders stood directly in front of us and talked to each other. They did not acknowledge us at all
Got chicken Parm to go. The vibe of the place is cool and the staff is nice. I was looking forward to trying the food but the chick Parm sandwich was really poor quality unfortunately - the cheese wasn't even melted. Wasn't expecting that.
2 out of 5 stars
Disappointing food, undertrained staff, and an awkward ending.
Stopped in on a Thursday night around 7 PM, and the place was nearly empty—which in hindsight should’ve been the first red flag. While the bartender was friendly enough, it was clear they hadn’t been properly trained on either the food or the spirits behind the bar. Basic questions about the menu and drink options were met with blank stares or vague guesses.
The food didn’t do much to turn things around. The meatballs were fine—basic and just okay. The chicken Milanese was dry and underdressed, lacking seasoning and seemingly forgotten by the kitchen after frying—no salt, no finish, just bland. The shrimp piccata was the biggest letdown. The shrimp were rubbery, overcooked, and tasted a bit fishy, suggesting they were past their prime and maybe left in the pan too long in an attempt to mask that fact.
Another strange element: the blowers and fans in the room were so loud it felt like we were dining inside a wind tunnel. You could barely hear the music in the background over the constant whooshing noise. Not sure if anything can be done about it, but it definitely made for an odd, almost industrial-feeling atmosphere that didn’t match the vibe they seemed to be going for.
But the worst part of the experience came at the end. Instead of discreetly presenting the check and letting me review and pay in peace, the bartender brought over a handheld Toast device and hovered while I completed the payment—including selecting the tip. This practice is becoming more common, and I absolutely hate it. It’s tacky, awkward, and creates an uncomfortable pressure dynamic. I always tip, and I tip well—but having someone stand over me while I do it feels presumptuous and low-class. It left a sour taste in my mouth that eclipsed everything else.
Parm might look the part, but between the underwhelming food, untrained staff, uncomfortable atmosphere, and awkward service model, I won’t be going back.
The food was absolutely delicious. My boyfriend and i are traveling from out of state and wanted to stop for a quick lunch after being exhausted from traveling.
Louis was super friendly and attentive. I had a Moscow mule which had the perfect balance of sweet and sour. My boyfriend and i split the bolognese and the meatballs with broccoli. Both of which were the best Italian food I’ve had since returning from my vacation in Rome.
I wish i had an Italian restaurant near me that was this delicious and reasonably priced. Definitely will be coming back on my next trip up to Boston.
We were a large group of 10 and we were seated outdoors. Our server Alejandra could not have been better. We enjoyed our large family celebration.
This restaurant was truly incredible. Our food was divine and quick. The genovese was creamy and bright, the spicy vodka sauce was perfectly balanced, and the chicken parm was the best we'd ever eaten. Not only was the food amazing, our server, Valentin, was all ears to answer our questions and give helpful and accurate suggestions as we ordered. He was kind, generous, and a pleasure to speak with. If you go, ask him about the mocktails! This is a must-stop Italian restaurant in Boston!
What a delightful dining experience! The food was wonderful and so was the service! The manager checked in on our table and we just had the nicest time! Will definitely be back!
A very cozy place with excellent customer service. Delicious and fresh food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
I guess mileage may vary here, but the Chicken Parm was good and came fast. The Cannoli was good. Don't know if it was fresh filled in the spot, but the pastry was crisp.
I save 5 stars for "otherworldly", but I'd give the place a sold 4.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Luis was great and friendly! pasta Genevese is spot on!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Rotini Genovese
I love this place. This is our go to place for Italian food in the area. The service is fantastic and very attentive! Best Caesar salad I’ve had in a long time. Aranchini flavors are delish and feels light and not greasy. Meatballs are solid will not disappoint. Penne scampi was incredible the sauce and homemade pasta yum! My boyfriend got the vodka sauce + rigatoni with chicken parm and he, a snobby Italian guy, thought it was delicious! Overall this place surpassed our expectations. And the prices are more than fair for the high quality of food and service, especially in this area!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Unfortunately, I would not recommend this location to anyone.
Overall the service lacked a lot. The staff were polite but very inattentive. We were seated immediately upon walking in but then waited over 10 minutes before our orders were taken even though the restaurant didn’t seem very busy. And once we got the food, it took another 40 minutes before the server came over again for the bill (I had to call her over).
Again, she was very polite. Just not very attentive.
The food was okay. The Italian fries were surprisingly good. The mozzarella sticks were ok.
The salad was disgusting, in my opinion. It’s either an acquired taste or something in it was expired. I couldn’t bring this up to the server because.. well she didn’t come to our table to check in and it just got to the point where we wanted to leave.
I do also want to mention a little confusion with the menu. The salad says 11/17, which I assumed the regular salad was $11 and if you added the protein, it increased to $17. I got the salad, as you can see, with no protein, and was charged $17. Just a little confusing.
The restaurant itself looked very nice inside. Seemed pretty clean from where I was sitting. I liked the atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 1
Didn’t answer phone or help for a birthday dinner order. Placed a delivery order. But, Parm was unusually slow for pickup unfortunately. Pickup driver waited 20 minutes when it was supposedly ready. Then, they forgot all the meatballs! 0 meatballs! Would have really appreciated they answer the phone to clarify the cause for delay because it was for an important birthday order :(.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
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