224 Boston – Italian Dining, Steaks, Seafood & Sunday Brunch

I loved this place. The food, atmosphere, and service were all on point. We sat outside with perfect weather, the lighting and ambience were 👌🏼. Ordered 3 apps and 3 entrees and nothing disappointed. The burger was a thicky and absolutely 🔥. Shrimp scampi pasta was cooked perfectly. The serving staff were extremely friendly and attentive, even hooked us up with a to‐go box of toasted bread to pair with the leftovers we boxed up. Will definitely be back again.

We stayed at the hotel down the street. Decided to stay in the neighborhood for dinner and this was quite the find. A short walk down Boston Street in a converted house, this place had a cozy atmosphere. There was no wait but soon filled up. Our waitress was great and checked on us just the right amount of times. We ordered a caprese salad to start, this was a surprise, not the usual presentation and it was quite tasty! Dinner was the bolognese for me. I’ve had it many places and also make my own…….this was special. I have to say the best I’ve ever had. No skimping on the bolognese. I got a good three meals out of it and each day I ate it, it got even better! My son got the short ribs. They were exceptional! So tender and flavorful. The potatoes and sauce were delectable and it was served with heirloom carrots. A delightful experience for us both. We would travel from NH again just to eat there! The only thing I have to say is the brownie with ice cream dessert could have been much better. Sure, we ate it, but to me the brownie should have been warm as well the caramel sauce . It came with delicious ice cream as well. The brownie tasted like it was old and it was brittle and turned to crumbs when you tried to eat it, so stale. Maybe a fluke. Definitely would recommend this gem of a restaurant.

First time, a lovely neighborhood restaurant. Great food, awesome outdoor seating. We will be back!

I love this place the food and atmosphere are fantastic. Service has unfortunately gone very downhill on my last few experiences. I realize I’m the only one at the bar right now, but the bartender has had her back to me the entire time while gossiping with a coworker. Unprofessional and pretty cringe-worthy.

Oh man, this used to be a great place, but upon our return it has gone down hill. The food was either too salted or not salted at all, tasteless or just relying on butter or sauce for flavor, but surprise, the sauce was also flavorless. We ordered two steak frites medium rare and medium, and received rubbery tough well done and cooked completely lifeless, fatty, tasteless steak. I sent back mine as it was truly inedible. It came back “correctly” cooked but however it revealed a new issue. Even though it came back medium rare it was still tough, nerve filled and fatty (not even melted type of fatty which is delicious!). It was truly just bad. The steak was STILL chewy, which ONLY HAPPENS if the steak if from either an older cow (thus lived a longer life and not as tender) or from an improperly defrosted steak. This tells me they have poor quality control or buying cheaper meats to sell at a premium. Honestly, I ate it because we were going to pay for it anyway, but for $169 I left annoyed and with a rock in my stomach. Hated it. Another dish on my table was the pork and it was so salted she got a headache immediately. Service however was fantastic and this no where reflects on the waiters and waitresses they were great and not at fault for the kitchen staff. Whoever this chef is needs a reality check because what he’s pumping out is no good. Avoid!

We were staying at one of the hotels near this gem of a spot and were able to conveniently walk to it. It was super easy to get a table for 4. Loved the quiet atmosphere and warm vibes. The drinks were good. The 4 of us each ordered something different and all thoroughly enjoyed! Unfortunately, I forgot to take a before we ate photo so quickly snapped these two. We ordered the short ribs which came out not quite as hot as we would’ve hoped. The flavors were good though. The meat was extremely tender. We ordered the pork chop with scalloped potatoes and brussel sprouts. Excellent. My husband ordered the bolognese and enjoyed his as well. We also ordered the chicken Parmesan which was a good size portion, flavorful and hot. Three of the four dishes came out piping hot which is wonderful! Highly recommend this little neighborhood restaurant.

I took my family here and we all loved the food. They do not have a children’s menu but offered several things for my picky eater. They ended up making him a smaller burger and he loved it. The chicken piccata was great as well.

I tried their brunch - Vegetarian burger, breakfast burrito, French toast and cold brew. Everything was delicious. The French toast was fluffy on the inside and crispy outside The space is cozy and service was friendly Too

Best bolognese ever. If you love bolognese, you gotta try it from here. Service is great & the vibes are unmatched. 10/10

This place is a diamond of a joint. The food is all fantastic and the bartending is better than it should be. The patio offers a great outside spot the sit and the bar and restaurant are cozy. Chicken Parm is incredible and the Chops are even better.

This might be the finest dining experience of the last year for me. I had seen this place on Yelp and just accidentally ran into it while looking for a place for dinner. It's quaint and in a very eclectic part of town. It's obviously popular among the locals and I can certainly see why. From the time we walked until we left, we were treated like honored quests. Our sever, Cammie, might be the very best and most personal server I've ever had. She chatted us up, gave us menu tips and did her job extremely efficiently. The atmosphere of the old Boston building was just amazing. Now, as good as the service was and as cool as the building was, the food was the real treat. We even had oysters and one of each dessert on the menu. The manager/owner even came to our table and she also treated us like royalty. She even invited us back for Sunday brunch and we gladly attend. This place was pure gold and worth every cent of our 180 dollar bill. I'm sort of glad this place isn't in Denver as I would spend entirely too much there. If you live in the Dorchester area and have not tried this place, you really should. The food and the service are absolutely FIVE star.

Got there had reservations and no problem with table. Got seated and waitress was Taylor. Ordered drinks and took forever, others got drinks prior to us although seated after. Had to as where they were and she apologized. I think she forgot to put them in. Food was very good. Finished eating but never asked about dessert or coffee, just presented the bill.

Took my husband here for his birthday. I've always wanted to come, especially since we're locals. Very impressed with the food and service! Intimate and cozy atmosphere! The carbonara was excellent! I can't wait to go back and try more dishes!

Look out for their "specials". We were told "surf and turf" was a special so I ordered it only to find out that it was twice the price of any of the regular dishes on the menu. Surprise! Your entree was $62.....now pay up!

I've gone here on several date nights & birthdays and it has been a romantic and great experience every time. The small patio out front is cute, as is the back room. The menu is expansive and every single meal I've had there has been flavorful and amazing and perfect portion sizes. Servers have been extremely knowledgeable about the menu and really friendly. I've not been blown away by the cocktails I've had here, but they're not bad either. I'm always excited to come back here & highly recommend for a date or small birthday dinner.

I shared carne asada tacos and they were full of flavour and definitely had lime in it. I enjoyed them. For the entree, I had the shrimp scampi. Really nice flavour but the pasta wasn't very infused with the sauce - essentially this pasta would taste better the next day. The shrimp was jumbo and had the tails on which made the meal more messy than I hoped taking off the tails. Overall a nice dish but again the flavours could be more infused. I had a bite of the fried haddock that is simply seasoned not salty and substituted the fries for Greek spiced fries which have a kick and are great. The service was great and we had a very nice server and host. I enjoyed the decor, Southern European vibes with a splash of Irish (the bar gives the Irish vibes). A piece of Europe decor-wise in Dorchester.

It is no longer what it once was and unfortunately we will never be back. It used to be one of our favorites but the quality just doesn't meet the mark. Chewy chicken dinner means the meat is old and it tasted so

We were looking for a quick bite near our hotel before a Red Sox game and this place really delivered. The Oysters were fine. The burger was great. I'd go back to try the pastas. We sat outside on a cute patio where they let us bring our dog. We mentioned that we were kind of in a rush and we were out of there in less than an hour.

The food in the past has been just ok so a group of us come here occasionally out of convenience in our neighborhood. My last visit here however, a lady sitting at the bar who was also handling the hostess duty and claim to be the owner were extremely rude. She talks down to us the moment we came in because we didn't have a reservation on a Monday night. This place has mediocre food at best but with the horrible attitude from the so call owner we decided to leave. She was extremely impatient from the get-go, there were no one behind us. She speaks to us as if she's our mom and we were irresponsible kids for not making reservation. Lady, we're a small group of 35 year old men, we don't need to be lectured. We left confused and laughed about how she must be having a rough day.

Was staying in the area overnight before heading to the airport the next morning. I was meeting friends for a bite so decided on 224. I worked in kitchen there back in the day,so I thought we'd see if it was still doing well,so I check out the menu a week or so ago and find a a diverse menu so lets give it a try! We arrive and are seated to a different menu and now there 224 Boston ristorante?huh? Full Italian menu instead of the tavern style food they had before. who does that? We had no idea, having my favorite Italian spots in the Boston and North Shore area to eat Italian I wasn't really feeling the Italian menu. Needless to say with so many restaurants in that area we decided on another spot, just found it kind of odd. I guess the moral of the story is check the menu before you go,it might be something else next time.

Always a pleasure to dine in and outdoors now with the better weather. Great menu,fantastic drinks, the most efficient staff you can find!!!

This is so-so. I walked in here once about four years ago and it was dead. About four people at the very small bar and that was it. It felt like you wouldn't be able to have a conversation without the whole place being involved. We walked out. More recently, we called ahead and got a yell from whomever answered. No reservations required. Just walk in. Um, okay.... The place was jam-packed but there was no hostess visible. Turns out, she was sitting at the bar mixed in like she was a customer. I thought she WAS a customer. And while it was quickly sorted out, it says something about a place when the workers are chilling when the place is slammed. We got a seat anyway. There are two rooms, a smaller one with a small bar and some high-tops. And a larger room open to the kitchen with large tables and booths. This room was VERY LOUD. Maybe because it has the kitchen and several large tables filled with large groups? I wasn't worried about being overheard by others, including my date. Service was decent. They gave us real menus. Drinks were tasty. I had their faux aperol old fashioned. I like that they're doing creative takes on old standards. Date got a salad with chicken on top (~$22) and I got the butternut ravioli (~$24), so not cheap. The menu says the pasta is "house made" but it's actually made at another restaurant. (I asked!) This should have been my clue that the kitchen isn't all that. My dish was a near disaster, something I would never ever order again. The pasta itself was just okay but the composition of the dish was really bad. When you order ravioli, you expect the squash inside the pasta. And there was squash inside, although it might have been pumpkin. But there were also small mushy cubes of it outside the pasta, which was okay, but most of the dish consisted of slices of butternut squash WITH THE PEEL ON. It's hard to say how negatively this affects the totality of the meal. No one eats the peel of squash and yet they served it like it was a thing. Also weird, the dish was filled with green peas, a fact not mentioned anywhere on the menu. The peas aren't visible in any of the photos, so maybe this was a one night thing? Regardless, if I had seen peas on the menu, I wouldn't have ordered the dish. If I had known it was going to be butternut skins, I wouldn't have ordered the dish. Parking is iffy -- it's a tight neighborhood between Andrew & JFK, so the T might be a good option. If you're in the area, drop by -- but beware of the menu.

I tried their brunch - Vegetarian burger, breakfast burrito, French toast and cold brew. Everything was delicious. The French toast was fluffy on the inside and crispy outside The space is cozy and service was friendly too

I visited 224 Boston for an early dinner right when they opened, 5, and we decided to sit inside. There is a nice outside area with plants all around and a trellis on the property as well. The whole place, especially the interior, is very European which I liked. It's labeled an American restaurant but seemed Italian to me, maybe a bit Irish, Greek, and/or French too. In any case it has a great menu; I went with the pesto ravioli which was excellent, just wish it came with a protein like chicken or shrimp. My companions each got something different and all our portions were great, especially the shrimp scampi. I had one bite of that which also tasted fantastic. This is the kind of place worth visiting multiple times to try the various menu options, as they all looked great to me. The service was very good too. A little slice of Europe in Dorchester that's for sure worth visiting! *Note* The Yelp page for this still advertises lobster mac n cheese and cod cakes, which this restaurant no longer serves since they changed ownership!

Place is awesome. Went here for a Monday night dinner, food was excellent and wait staff was really attentive, although not busy. Well suited for date night, but its also a really relaxed atmosphere and you wont feel out of place in shorts and tshirt. Beautiful interior and good outside seating.

I'm actually in a bit of a shock about my experience here! Firstly, the restaurant can't decide if it's a casual college bar or a fancy romantic place. The music is loud Doja Cat but the tables say Parisian bistro. This is, however, the least of their issues. We were seated at a very small table by a column and so we asked to move to a booth. When we were, we noticed the seats were wet so we wiped them down. Now it begins. Our waitress asked for our order went to the computer, forgot it, and then came back to re-ask what it was. The food came out very under seasoned so we asked for salt. We saw her bring the salt to the wrong table to then come over and bring it to us. The wine we ordered was weirdly warm too. By the way, we also saw a waitress butter a slice of bread and walk around eating it while she was working. I also had a big view of the kitchen area and the cooks were all on their phones and then handling food. Practically every dish has this pesto sauce, but the pesto taste isn't noticeable. Instead they bulk up the dish with flavorless chunks of carrots and peas. My Bolognese was piping hot. You could see the heat coming off of it. Overall really disappointed in the service, the food, and the atmosphere. It felt as though the staff didn't take the place seriously. We already decided we won't be coming back.

Well having to change this review, sadly I might add! The first time we had came we got the opportunity to sit and have a drink or two with one of the owners who told us dog were okay on the patio, showed pictures of our dog had a great conversation. We were told bring the dog anytime she is welcome here and they would love to have her. Got all ready for a great night out and brought the dog to sit on the patio only be told there are no dogs allowed even though we called ahead of time and were told yes dogs on the patio out front. While walking out we were met with another couple who brought their dog and luckily they heard our conversation and they had also called before coming and were told their dog could be on the patio too. Very very poor communication between the staff and owner. Also shows the integrity of the owner and the kind of people who run the place. Love the drinks and food but will not go back just off principal. Petty? Maybe but it is what it is.

I guess a lot can change in a year from our last 5 star review. We've been back since then but now it appears there is a new chef with a new menu that we were not impressed with. Saoirse a new bartender was the only positive on our last final visit.

We have been raving fans of 224 since the 90s. It is a great spot for city dwellers to meet their local friends, or friends from the South Shore who don't want to fight parking in the more congested areas of the city. The menu has a little something for everyone. Comfort food is a the center of their offerings. Have on of their speciality cocktails, the mixologist is always changing up the choices. The open kitchen brings a wonderful warmth to the atmosphere. The staff couldn't be nicer or more attentive from the moment you arrive till the last bite of dessert. They will take care of your every need. If you go in the summer months be cure to take advantage of the outdoor dining in their intimate garden area, always a fun choice!

This place is a great date night spot or a nice brunch. The outdoor booth seating is comfortable and spacious and well lit if you plan to dine outside for dinner. If you're lucky you can dine in their patio garden area. You walk thru the patio are and are greeted by a hostess station The, a small bar, and some high tops. The main indoor dining area has a very interesting layout with an open kitchen and lots of small tables. Onto the food, we started with the mussels and fried calamari. The mussels dish was huge! They weren't the biggest mussels but the plate was full. It felt like 1.5 lbs. The white wine sauce was good and it came with a few slices of toasted bread. Where the mussels exceeded my expectations, the calamari fell flat. The calamari was a little soggy and it was lightly sauced in a sour Asian sauce. I would reorder the mussels but not the calamari. For entrées, everyone got burgers and sandwiches while I got the bolognese. Everyone thought it was ok, but I loved my dish. The bolognese was so creamy and the fresh pasta was cooked al dente. My dish came out last but was hands down the best. The sandwiches came with fresh French fries. They wouldve been great but the they tasted like the oil it was cooked in (something burned). We also went here for brunch, I tried the chorizo breakfast burrito and it was one of the best breakfast burritos I've had in a while. Their home fries are pretty good fyi. I'm basing the rating on my food experience, if the calamari was spot on they would've received a full 5 stars.

Just a walk from out house, it's a great intimate local business to dine at. Menu is limited, but always has delicious options.

Updated review. Much better since my original review a few years ago. It seems that the new(er) ownership worked it out since then. I've been here many times in the last two years. Brunch is fantastic, as well as the dinner. Great food, great service and it's just so nice to have it be a good neighborhood spot close to where we live like it used to be.

Unfortunately, I had a really negative experience here. The google listing has incorrect hours for this business. We arrived thinking we could get a table when they were actually closing. All that is understandable. However we were treated terribly. The staff was very rude and patronizing. It was really unnecessary because they could have just said sorry we are closing. I hope they can improve their hospitality.

Lovely neighborhood restaurant. Excellent food and great service. Our server, Hannah was attentive helpful and friendly. I got the salmon atop polenta and broccolini(yum). Also enjoyed the pork dumplings as an appetizer. Definitely will return!

Both times I've eaten here the experience was wonderful- intimate, inviting, excellent service and just fantastic food. One of my new favorite restaurants in Boston!!

Eaten here a few times. It's right down the street from where I tend to stay/visit when I'm working in Boston. I walk past this place so frequently I almost forget it's there. Was there most recently on Mother's Day with hopes of having a virtual brunch with my mom since I couldn't actually go home to see her. There wasn't anyone inside, but when I made my reservation (not sure if they do walk ins), the lady said they were going to be full. It was really nice out so no biggie. Food is pretty good. Had some Huevos once before and this last visit had an Eggs Benedict. The breakfast potatoes were AMAZING. I mean, the Benny was delicious, but I could've just had the potatoes and been happy. They were the best I've had in a really long time. Average price on food for that type of establishment. Can't complain too much. Especially since the potatoes were *chef's kiss* Anyway, gone a few times, will go back in the future. 4/5 stars

We visited Easter morning so it was not busy. Love the ambiance of this place; very rustic. I had the French toast and my wife had the steak & eggs. Both dishes were fantastic. The crispy Brunch potatoes were very crispy (very good). You are given a lot of potatoes for a side; definitely enough to share. Overall experience was excellent. We will be back!

Dorchester is such sleeper food city. I wish 224 was closer to me. * Grüner 5/5 * Mussels Bianco 5/5 Note that Green Pesto bit on the bread is bomb. I hate Pesto but holy balls. The accent of lemon rhines * Patriot Oysters 5/5 * Savage Oyster 4/5 * Duck Breast 5/5

Came here for dinner with friends and enjoyed the food and ambiance. It's a cute little place in Dorchester, inside looks like an old home because of the size and antique wall decor. I had the salmon with mushroom risotto which was tasteful. My partner had the butternut squash and ate it so fast I didn't notice him chewing, haha. I would come here again and would like to try their steak. We also had a few cocktails.

What a great find - we were staying nearby and 224 saved us from eating strip mall food. Loved the scallops, and the whipped ricotta. Only negative was it seemed like they wanted to rush us out, bringing the bill before we asked for it and trying to clear plates before we finished. If we lived nearby this would be a regular stop.

Went here for breakfast and dinner and to keep it short, really good food. I do think it's worth mentioning a couple things about the breakfast burrito.. Just know that it isn't listed in the item description, but there are red onions in the burrito - I pulled them out. Also, the guac that's mentioned comes on the side, and the potatoes that are in the burrito, are tossed in a cajun spice so it can be a little spicy to some. Regardless, it was really delicious. Will definitely come back. Side note: The sauce in the photo is something I asked for separately, it does not come with the burrito.

One of the best in Dorchester! Great for dinner, a date night or to grab a drink and food at the bar....really delicious food, friendly welcoming staff and feels like you're eating at a friend's house...

We dined outdoors on a Saturday night and had a really nice dinner. Cocktails were reasonably priced and mixed well. The duck dumplings were super yummy, maybe a little strong on one particular flavor we couldn't pinpoint. But I'd still get them again! Nice and thin dumplings with a perfectly pan fried bottom. I ordered the short ribs with roasted carrots and potato purée. Aside from needing a little more salt and pepper on the potatoes this was delicious. The little pearl onions were a nice touch and it was a really generous portion. We also got the salmon with risotto. Similar to the above, aside from needing some S&P this was really good. I was worried the truffle would be too much since most places overdo it, but it was really understated. The fish was cooked on a bit of a cooler temp which was fine with us but something to keep in mind when ordering if you prefer it cooked fully. Looking forward to coming back and maybe trying brunch?

This place has an extremely rude and volatile owner. When asking for a table outside on an extremely hot day, she gave an attitude about me asking if they had a table available. After mentioning that I can wait for a table, she said that they are booked for the rest of the night. My group of three were the only non white tenants in view of the entire restaurant and telling us to f*** off was the icing on the cake. I've normally had great experiences and service here but the owner should be the nicest person to her customers and it was a big turn off that Boston can still have this type of racism in the climate we are in.

Very nice place. Friendly atmosphere with great ambiance delicious food and good service. We went twice while in Boston for a wedding. Highly recommend!

I don't know why people still come here but I ordered the duck. No lie I got two cold ENDS of the duck with completely raw Brussel sprouts. COLD. Entire dish cold, with. Raw veg. I had to use a steak knife to eat the veg. For a dish that's almost $40 that's unexceptional. And our server was absolutely no help. Didn't check in didn't do much at all. I didn't eat anything but the small little serving of duck. I emailed the place to inform them before I left a review but haven't heard back because I'm assuming this is just another restaurant that doesn't really give a f*** about food or hospitality anyone. Oh well.

I had a phenomenal experience at 224. From the moment I walked in I was greeted with a great attitude by the host, and very well accommodated throughout my dinner experience. The drinks were ice cold, the food was fresh and delicious. A great low-key neighborhood type of restaurant where you could go with your friends or take your significant other for a date night. Cannot recommend this restaurant enough!

This local gem is hidden on Boston St and if you're not careful you'll fly right past. Locals know tho. With a rustic bar room, quaint and appealing dining room and outside seating the space is funky and comfortable in that Boston neighborhood establishment way. The food is very good, sometimes slightly inconsistent but never disappointing. The drinks are fantastic. Service is excellent, particularly Christina at the bar.

My daughter booked this for her law school graduation dinner. She chose it because it is around the corner from Dorchester Brewing Company where she was having a party. So I had low expectations. Boy was I surprised! The ambiance is great - like being in an old tavern - and cozy. The service was good and the food was superb. We shared Brussels sprouts, burrata and calamari apps and all were terrific. I had the scallops which came with amazing herb risotto and everyone in our party of 9 liked their food. I also liked my fun tiki drink. Can't believe I didn't know about this place before.

We liked it here! Bread was delicious. Staff is super friendly. Service was great and food came out really fast. The Burrata appetizer was amazing! Probably one of the best I've tried. The food overall was good. We will definitely go again!

We went for brunch on a Saturday. Drinks were good--really good, but the actual food wasn't. The hash featured barely cooked onions and red peppers, which was mystifying and just...disappointing. I have been to 224 for dinner and had a great meal, but brunch just wasn't it for me.

So how do you run out of pumpkin ravioli? Ugh, seriously? That was the only thing I came for & they were out. Sheesh, who is ordering/making food there? Well thankfully I was able to find something else that was vegetarian but it was slim pickens. They totally need more veg*n items. I will say you should totally get the brussels sprouts w/ pesto cause they're delish. I also got the spinach salad which was super tasty. You know what wasn't great, the service. I mean the least you could do is acknowledge we're there, check in to see if we needed anything, refill our water. This is basic stuff really & they fell flat on that. Also, how about you wear your masks properly on your face?

Neighborhood restaurants are usually way better than we expect. This place Is no exception. The food was amazing, the drinks were as well and our was excellent.

The cutest little place ever! I was not expecting what we got. The restaurant itself is adorable. And the outdoor seating is put together so well. The food was out of this world. My boyfriend said the omelette was the best he's ever had. All of the ingredients were so fresh. The staff was very friendly and the drinks were great as well!

I absolutely loved this place! The spicy margarita was delicious. The staff was kind and attentive. I really enjoyed my dinner. I was lucky to find this place!

Great spot. Nice ambiance. Friendly people cool old building. The food is very nice and we'll prepared and cooked to delicate tenderness. The ceviche Devine.

Super cute spot. Went for brunch as soon as they opened and had the place to ourselves for awhile on a Sunday morning. Ordered the short rib poutine and mimosa flight to start. Very happy with both. The fries were amazing. Ordered the omelet and it came with monster home fries and a delicious green sauce on the omelet that really stepped up the dish. Great service and adorable outside patio.