Lo Conte's

Hello,\r I had an unpleasant dining experience at this restaurant Friday, August 13, 2010. As you know there are numerous fine dining places in North End. I was hosting my cousin, who was visiting from England and I wanted the evening to be extra special. Before choosing a restaurant for our dinner, I went online and researched multiple Italian restaurants in North End. After seeing a review of this restaurant on one of the news channels (I think it was 7-News), I decided to make a reservation and have our special dinner there. What a disappointment!!!! The service was slow; the waiter barely ever showed up to get us drink refills. The food was not good at all. I ordered Chicken Picata, which ended up being the worst I've ever tried. The sauce was runny, the chicken was tough, and the spaghetti was store made and nothing special. My husband ordered Chicken Cacciatore. He hated the entire dish. The chicken was overdone, he did not like the sauce, and there were too many large slices of onions, which completely overpowered the dish. He also ordered linguini, but received penne pasta instead. My cousin made a special order, she wanted pasta and scallops in light and buttery sauce, instead she got bolognes sauce. None of us liked our food. The restaurant was very noisy, and even though we made a reservation ahead of time we were placed at two mismatched (different height and size) tables. The entire meal cost us $92, which considering the economy is a significant price to pay for a 3 person meal. And yet, I would not mind the bill if the meal and the entire dining experience were worth it. But, the experience at Lo Contes restaurant was far from perfect; I've had better meals at third grade chain diners. I am posting my comment online because I want public to be aware. \r Sincerely,\r A very dissatisfied customer. more

I have fond memories of Lo Conte. My boyfriend took me here for our first Valentine's Day together. He picked it solely on its name and the hilarious jokes he thought he could make. Think about it. We have been here a few times since for other anniversaries and valentine's days. We've brought both our families there, too. What I always tell them before we go is the food's great, the service is not great. We go there because the food is so delicious, that I don't mind so much that the service is not great. The waiters keep themselves sparse, which is alright for the most part except when something is needed. Our defaults are the pesto tortellini and the chicken parm. My BF is sort of a chicken parm connoisseur and calls Lo Conte's ""close to spectacular."" Pros: great classic Italian Cons: poor service more

Was one of my favorites about 5 yrs ago, but quality and attitude plummeted since I've last visited the North End. The marinara sauce has gone down hill, as did the customer service. My friends and I had looked forward to dining at one of our old stomping grounds while I was in town, but I was extremely dissappointed. We waited forever to be seated (w/ a reservation), were rushed to order, and then expected to scoff down below par food. The whole experience was very unpleasant; I'm sorry to say I won't be back. Cons: food was inedible, waiter was rude and pushy more

My friend and I went out for a late dinner on a Sat. night (around 10.20) when they close at 11.00. We were sat right away and the waiter asked us to put an order in as the kitchen was closing. In order to avoid starting out on a bad foot, we quickly placed our order for mussels and the lobster ravioli. He came back shortly thereafter and took our drink order (a bottle of the Sangiovese). Within 5 minutes we received the bottle and food at the same time, which is also not customary, but we were hungry and it smelled delicious - we again decided to let it go and be grateful for such a fabulous meal.\r \r We began eating and within 10 minutes, the bussers were trying to grab the food off the table before we were done! I kid you not, they came 5 or 6 times (a few min apart) trying to remove the food we had not yet finished. We also noticed that the other 2 large tables were not being bothered at all. At one point, I had to literally hover my hands over the food and stearnly stay 'we are not done, do not try and remove our meal'. It was ludicrous! We received the check and paid by 11.15 (the other tables were still there btw) and because we hadn't signed our credit slips (because we were pondering what to leave based on the terrible, terrible service with our last, full glass of wine), the manager came over and told us to sign. He said we could 'sit here all night' if we wanted to - after we signed. We really had no intention of spending much time there as it became apparent we were not welcome, and I said ' I'll sign when I'm ready to, is that ok?' He then began to argue with me and walked off! I was so fed up by all of the rude behavior that I chose to leave a zero tip, which I rarely do, and my friend, very generously, left $5. The next morning, we were still talking about how uncouth the experience was and I decided to hop online and check my cc statement - they had charged a 20% tip for each of us, though we left only 5%. WATCH OUT for these people! THEY ARE THIEFS! Pros: The quality of the food was exquisite. Cons: The quality of the service was so poor, you couldn't enjoy the fabulous food. more

omg this food was so freekin good, i got the chicken marsala uhh heaven on a dish.. like did u just do away with the chicken in the kitchen, freshest piece of chicken i ever had and those mushrooms bada bing. listen my buddy anthony was the waiter he didnt drop no sauce on my table and he gut a tight bum in those black pants. go to locontes if u want a big sausage full of sauce on ur plate Pros: there awesomee Cons: there awesomeee more

My wife and I have been in over 20 times and it gets better each day. It is so good that I avoid eating as mush as I can during the day when we know we are going that evening, so I can eat as much as possible when I get there. You have never had a veal parm until you have tried theirs'. It is so tender, you do not need a knife to cut it. Every dish there is a heavenly experience. Chris the host is the best and this is a place that any person visting the North End must experience, as once you do you will never dine anywhere else. more

We went there on a Saturday night based on the reviews here at CitySearch. The atmosphere was fine, similar to most other North End restaurants where they squeeze as many tables into a small space as possible. We ended up at the table next to the waiter station where we were in easy earshot of all the drama taking place. We started with the calamari that was listed as an appetizer but was large enough to fill two people - it came mixed with hot pepper and a side of marinara sauce. It was an ok start but the watered down marinara sauce was doused with crushed red pepper in a futile attempt to add some zing. For the main course, I had the veal parmaginia and my companion at the tortellini in pesto. This was one of the worst pieces of veal I have ever had a restaurant - it definitely went from the freezer to the fryer to my plate. It was smothered in mozzarella and accompanied by a side of spaghetti with a little of the same bland, watered down marinara sauce on top. I tried the tortellini and in a similar fashion it was easy to taste that it came from a package with another under-seasoned sauce.\r Having been to several other restaurants on Salem Street, it is easy for me to say that you should quickly pass the front door of Lo Conte's and visit one of the other restaurants where you are likely to find superior food in this price range. Pros: Ambience, Location Cons: You can make a more authentic Italian dinner at home. more

I went to this restaurant on a Saturday and was seated promptly. The food was wonderful! The chicken parm was out of this world. The service was good and the atmosphere was very quaint. There was a large menu and all items were reasonably priced. Would definitely recommend and will return again! more

We wound up here one Saturday night in January, because it had a shorter wait than Al Dente. I'm so glad I found this place and I've been back 5-6 times since then, the food is just so good! Sure its cramped and occasionally there's a short wait even when you have a reservation and perhaps some of the waiters aren't the best english speakers, but the prices, portions and taste can't be beat! The pesto tortellini is amazing! I've also had the fried artichoke appetizer which was great. They also have a good list of wines at reasonable prices. I've come here with groups of 4-8 people and they've done a great job of serving all of us and everyone not only loved their meals, but went home with left overs. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed! Pros: Outstanding food, great portions, great price Cons: Tables are a little crammed and they sometimes have a hard time regulating the temp. more

My family and I travel down to Boston from NH just to dine at Lo Conte's. Having dined there at least 20 times, I can say the food is consisently excellent and the service is attentive without being obtrusive. My wife loved the farfalle with eggplant, and my daughter the chicken parm. I'm the wild card...having eaten virtually every menu item and a few off menu(yes they have meatballs off menu) I have never had a bad meal. In addition to the food, LoConte's has an excellent wine list by the glass. Don't plan on lingering over dessert and coffee...the place needs to turn the tables...besides there are great places in the neighborhood for pastry and capacinno.\r \r The food, service, atmosphere and value make this ""the place"" in the No End\r Pros: Food, Ambience, Cons: Can be loud at times more

Went in without high expectations but left very satisfied, and full! You get a lot for your money and it was very tasty. Two thumbs up! Pros: Portions, staff Cons: Kitchen area was in open view more

I went last night to lo conte's with a reservation made on their web site and I'd like to share my experience with you.\r I had Fried Calamari , crispy well done, the best . Then I had Veal Saltinbocca which was just outstanding. I love this type of food and i think lo conte's is the best you can have in North End.\r I'll be back. Pros: food, service, location etc Cons: parking more

We have recently moved back to boston after being away for several years. Our first thing to do was to return to our favorite Italian restaurant... Guess what? It still is as perfect as we remembered! My family and I are so happy to see the familiar faces who actually remembered us. No surprise the place has gotten bigger. They will see plenty of us again, we are home...: ) Somethings never change and I am glad Locontes is one of them.... Pros: The Chicken Broccoli Ziti, is timeless more

\r Family friendly, welcomed our party of 7 with kids etc. and couldn't have been more accomodating even though they were extremely busy. They even suggested doing half portions for the kids when we would have ordered regular sized! The food was great, the portions were BIG and the service was good too. All around a fun and easy dining experience...would highly reccommend to anyone looking for a great place to eat in the North End!! Pros: too many to list Cons: NONE!! more

i went to this restaurant for a friend's birthday. they rushed us to order our food, even though not everyone had arrived yet. and when the rest of the party arrived, they informed them at the door precisely how late they were. half the waitstaff stood near the kitchen and stared at us for most of the time we were there and were not even attentive. we had to ask for refills and such. when our food was ready, it was literally shoved at us! the bill came out to about $300 and with the service they gave us, expected a $50 tip! the lighting was bad also. it was so dark, i could barely see my menu, let alone read it. Cons: service, food, lighting more

I was planning a dinner for a party of 14. We were new to the area so parking and the restaurant was difficult to find. The staff was extremely rude from the moment we walked in. They came to us more than once and complained about our missing party. They offered no sympathy only replying that it was easy for him to find parking so why couldn't we? Our waiter was the worse; he offered no opinions or recommendations from the menu nor did he let us take our time in figuring out what we want to order. We weren't even nearly done eating when our waiter kept coming up to us in attempts to take our plates away to hand us our bill. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. The food was good nonetheless but the service we received by far overshadowed the quality of the food. Cons: horrible service, impatient, rude staff, dimly lit room more

I had initially planned to check out a restaurant further down the street but this caught my eye. I decided to be spontaneous and informed my two dining companions the change of plans. Its interior is a pretty decent set up where you can have intimate dining or large group setup. I chose a shrimp special and it was delicious! The only issue I had was the slightly long wait in getting our food. It took about 20+ minutes. So, if you're there for lunch, account for the possibility of getting back to work a little later than expected. The cute Romanian waiter (Raul) helped make the wait tolerable. Go there early (before or right at noon)...else, it might take some time to shuffle people to their tables. Raul the waiter seemed the only staff person present to sit and serve people on that Friday afternoon. Pros: Food, Service, Seating Cons: Waiting for the food more

Absolutely the best in the North End. Great value! They really treat you like family here! Pros: Food Quality, Service, Value Cons: Crowded sometimes more

I've been to Lo Conte's a few times and have enjoyed it everytime. The food is delicious, the service is excellent, and the price is a real deal. Lo Conte's is one of my favorite North end spots. Pros: Food, Service, Value more

Lo Conte's was the first retuarant I had ever been to in the N.E. way back years ago. Years later- I'm still going there. I have never been disappointed- the food is ALWAYS excellent, the wait staff wonderful, and the prices are just right. It's gotten to the point that everyone knows us there and totally accomodate us. I don't think any of the other ""traditional"" italian-fare restaurants can compate! Try the chicken broccolitine- it's to die for! The chicken with artichokes and mushroom- magnificnet! Veal satinbocca-mmm mmm!! Pros: Good selection, Prices Cons: Wine list-not huge more