Gran Gusto

Review summary

1. M

   Melissa

   Greater Boston

   7 reviews

   2.0

   7 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   It pains me to write this but I genuinely have no idea how this place has managed to stay in business for this long. I had high hopes for this place and made a reservation to celebrate my husband’s birthday there. I came to regret this. After being greeted by a friendly hostess, we were promptly seated. There we sat, unacknowledged, with a stack of menus for several minutes. Zero interest from the wait staff to see if anyone wanted a drink of any sort, despite several wait staff walking by or standing around just talking amongst themselves. When we flagged someone down, very possibly the owner, he was less than enthusiastic to answer our questions about the menu and even less so to help the vegan member of our party find a suitable option. In fact, he was borderline rude. A We kept having to flag him down just to get anything after placing the initial order for the table. We had to place the orders for cocktails, appetizers and meals all at once. No offer to get the drinks first to allow more time to look over the menu and certainly no offer to answer any questions about said menu. The service was so poor that it was making the entire experience awkward for everyone. There was too much effort required for very little service. The worst part, though, was how incredibly underwhelming and bland the food was. I’ve ever paid so much money to eat something on par with stale pizza from an airport Sbarros. When we were all done with our main courses, and had finally been granted the one chance to order a second drink (after initially being seated), the dessert menus were literally just tossed down onto our table. No being asked how our meals were or whether we even wanted dessert. Just menus and nothing else. If you care about things like the quality and taste of your food, level of service, and value for your money, do yourself a huge favor and go elsewhere.
   

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2. S

   Steve

   Greater Boston

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 1 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Dinner was excellent, I would highly recommend Gran Gusto
   

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3. K

   Katherine

   Greater Boston

   5 reviews

   5.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on 27 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   One of my favorite restaurants. I love the food, the wine and the people that work there.
   

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4. J

   Jane

   Greater Boston

   47 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   47 reviews

   Dined on 20 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We had lunch…all ladies Salads all fresh and tasty Pasta dishes perfect Al dente and flavor outstanding orecchiette and alla puttanesca Margarita pizza just like in Naples Desserts outstanding…pistachio dessert with chocolate amazing, cantucci were plentiful and delicious, ricotta pie the best ever flavors and texture, sorbetto were yummy limoncello and mandarino! Love Gran Gusto
   

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5. B

   Barbara

   Greater Boston

   7 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   7 reviews

   Dined on 16 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   Fabulous food. Wonderful service. The chocolate and pistachio cake was incredible. Multo grazie, Gran Gusto.
   

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6. S

   Stacey

   Greater Boston

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 16 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   A gem of delicious food, with outstanding professional service and warm hospitality. This ristorante never disappoints.
   

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7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Greater Boston

   2 reviews

   4.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 16 November 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 1

   Service was perfect. We sat in a hallway, though. The hallway is a space that is shared with a school in the same building. This is just awkward ambience walking by grade schooler art on the way to the bathroom. The food was underwhelming, too. My partner got the orecchiette (currently served with sausage and brussels sprouts) The sprouts were cut so small and one could barely find them in the dish. The plating was just kind of like what we'd do at home on a weeknight. My partner got the worst gas they've had in years. I got the pollo (chicken) and it was A LARGE AMOUNT OF CHICKEN- nice and thin indeed but incredibly salty and dry. The parts of my dish that were not chicken were halved raw grape tomatoes, shaved parmesan and fresh greens. I would have liked maybe a starch or a cooked vegetable side of some kind. Again, I can do better than that in my own kitchen. The one thing that we both really enjoyed was the meat and cheese appetizer which sounds like charcuterie but had a small nest of olives and dressed arugula in the center with a side of "fruit mustard " which tasted like maybe pear (?) In an applesauce sort of texture with spices. It was a well executed clever idea with like 4 or 5 cured meats which were tasty.
   

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8. R

   Rick

   Portland

   41 reviews

   vip
   3.0

   41 reviews

   Dined on 6 October 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   Everyday, reasonable, Italian. Server was pleasant with a frown
   

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9. J

   James

   Pittsburgh

   10 reviews

   5.0

   10 reviews

   Dined on 4 October 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Gran Gusto is one of our neighborhood favorites, as the food is consistently excellent, the wine list meets our needs, and the service is attentive. Moreover, the prices are reasonable. Keep up the good work, as we will continue to dine there frequently.
   

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10. B

    Bridget

    New York City

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 4 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    I have enjoyed dining at Gran Gusto for many years. I have hosted friends as well as a private family celebration. My husband and I enjoy the atmosphere, the food (of course) and the friendly service. Managers are always ready to make menu and wine recommendations. We never feel rushed and enjoy the neighborhood setting. My husband grew up in Italy and dining here is as authentic as it gets. We used to live 3 miles from the restaurant and now live 20 miles away. The distance does not keep us away!
    

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