Carmen's Kitchen
1010 Bennington St
(between Breed St & Saratoga St)
East Boston, MA 02128 (617) 567-0611
- Nearest Transit:
Orient Heights (Blue)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
9 Reviews for Carmen's Kitchen
Disclaimer - I'm giving this place 2 stars based purely on the Gnocchi Alfredo, which was unfortunately very tough, relatively flavorless, and completely over priced. The espresso was good, but definitely don't expect a really good meal out of this place.
Great little eatery in Eastie, we had the steak tips and chicken cacchatori. The chicken came in a huge bowl with mushrooms, peppers, and other vegetables and the steak tips were huge. Both had a side of hot hot hot pasta which was huge.
The steak tips were a little too fatty for me, but came out nicely cooked and the waiter was very attentive.
Definitely going again, the cost for 2 people without alcohol was under 40 bucks and we got at least two lunches out of the leftovers.
I remember the old days in the North End when you could get large portions of tasty Italian dishes with enough for lunch or dinner the next day for relatively cheap money. It seems that those days may be gone in that part of town, but a jaunt through the tunnel to East Boston there is this gem that brings back those memories.
We had broccoli rabe with sausage and homemade fusilli and chicken parmigiana sandwich. There was enough of both to have leftovers for another meal.
And don't sweat the $3 toll on the return through the tunnels. You'll more than save from the free on street parking in the area, or you can always swing through Chelsea to avoid the tunnels altogether.
I wandered in here one night looking for something different in East Boston. I ordered Veal Marsala. It was absolutely excellent. Everything there that I have tried has been phenomenal except lamb tips. They were terribly dry and bland. But that is absolutely the exception, not the rule.
The service is generally quite good.
It's so refreshing to find a really tasty place on this side of the Tobin Bridge. The fiance and I have driven by Carmen's for years and always meant to go. Today, we finally gave it a whirl.
It's a small place with about 8 or 9 tables for wait service dining but there's also a take out counter. The menu consists of your usual Italian pasta dishes, as well as pizza, subs, steak and chicken. I ordered the steak tips which were absolutely delicious! Giant, tender beef chunks in a scrumptious marinade served with a salad. And not the kind of salad with brown lettuce and thousand island dressing, but GREEN lettuce with cucumbers and RED tomatoes! My aunt and step-dad ordered a couple subs which were huge and looked really good. John ordered the gnocchi which he polished off pretty quick.
The service wasn't the best I've experienced but it wasn't the worst either. All in all, a yummy dining experience.
Also- it's T accessible!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
This is a great Italian place - easily rivals any North End restaurant, at a fraction of the price of course. East Boston is the major Italian-American neighborhood in the Boston area, so there are tons of excellent Italian restaurants here...Carmen's is tops at the moment. They make their food very fresh and have good espresso for after your meal.
Carmen's rivals the best italian restaurants in Boston, and does it on a consistent basis. They make excellent traditional italian dinner fair, but also have great subs and pizza for takeout. Everything is fresh, authentic, and served to order. My favorites are the veal saltimboca, and chicken, ziti, and broccoli. Great prices, and great food.
Hands down the BEST Italian food in all of Boston. Forget the crowded North End, this place is Parking and T Convenient and East Boston is a fantastic up and coming part of Boston. Their food is excellent.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (2)
This place is great. Family friendly...and did I mention that the food is good, too? A typical story: my parents are in town to meet their new granddaughter, and we need a place to eat. So we load everyone into the car and show up at Carmen's. The baby is squalling, but they seat us anyway. The people at the table next to us laugh and talk about how fast kids grow up, and a couple across the room wheel their son over in his stroller. Turns out he was born on the same day, and we swap contact information. The food comes, and it's the real deal. We dig in. All the waitresses stop by to say hello to my daughter, and she miraculously stays calm through dinner. My parents love it, and they want to stick around for coffee and dessert. My daughter hits her limit halfway through the tiara misu, but someone from the line at the door says something friendly as I duck out to get the diaper bag from the car. Somehow, things settle down, and we all go home full and happy. This one is well worth a try, and it's convenient too - the Orient Heights T stop on the Blue Line is just across the street.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (2)
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Hot and New
- Four Burgers
19 reviews
Neighborhood: Central Square
- Muqueca Restaurant
73 reviews
Neighborhood: Inman Square
- Baraka Cafe
92 reviews
Neighborhood: Central Square
- Cafe Fleuri
21 reviews
Neighborhood: Financial District
- Sweet
48 reviews
Neighborhood: Back Bay