Boccis Peace and Pasta

I feel mixed about this place. A lot of good and some not so good. So here's my honest review. Pros: - EXCELLENT flavors and textures on everything - HUGE portions - DELICIOUS meatballs - Impressive housemade dessert (YUM!) - Nice drink selection - Lots of patio seating where pets are allowed (or at least that's what I saw) - Clean restrooms - Offered a 10% off even though they do not have a military discount Cons: - Steep prices - the surrounding area is sketchy and there's only street parking - wobbly booth making us have to lean forward or wobble the entire time - (very uncomfortable) - no fresh parm for extra cheese - it's grated parm - Drinks did not come until after appetizers and just before the meal - If you want more water and no one is coming to refill it, there's a self-serve water station, which the owner made it very clear we could fill it on our own if we wanted more (weird at $30+ per person restaurant - I thought that's what a tip pays a server to do) - the server was friendly, but not very attentive (the owner came off abrupt, but did apologize for being slammed and short staffed after he laughed at us) THE FOOD: - the bread seemed a bit undercooked or did not rest enough before slicing (was edible) - the Caprese starter was disproportionate tomatoes to mozzarella, but was fresh and had great flavor - the small Caesar salad was fresh with good flavor, but only had 3 croutons - the meatball was OUTSTANDING!! Great size (between a golf and tennis ball size), texture was perfect, and the flavor impressive - gobbled up in a flash! - the alfredo was super creamy and delicious - The chicken parmesan was a very large, thick breast cooked perfectly - the spaghetti bolognese sauce was very good flavor and again a huge portion (they ran out of lasagna so I'll have to try my luck in the future) - the housemade dessert (double layered chocolate cake) was divine! No crumb left. Under 21 are not allowed after 9pm and you will promptly be asked to wrap it up and be rushed out. Overall - you're paying the high prices for their delicious food. Service, location, and comfort all needs improvement. Would not hesitate to pick up food for takeout. Would never consider as a fancy place to dine though you would not know it by the prices.

The ambiance of the restaurant itself is incredibly warm and welcoming, as are the staff! Service is fast and attentive with great recommendations. The food is absolutely exceptional; a large variety on the menu and the bread is to die for. My favorite dish is the Alfredo which pairs great with the Caesar salad- the pictures can't do it justice. And for dessert, the best chocolate cake I think I've ever had. Definitely go to Bocci's next time you need a tasty, comforting, filling meal!

We went on a Saturday, without reservations, and naturally the place was packed with an hour wait for two. We were greeted warmly and professionally, and agreed that we would come back another time. 10 minutes later, we decided the smell of the food alone was worth making a call for a reservation to come back the same night. When we came back for our reservation, we were immediately recognized and thanked for coming back in to check it out. 🥹 We loved the whimsical decor, the huge portions, and the fact that the staff seemed genuinely happy to be there, and very obviously cared about what they were doing. Service was attentive, but not overbearing. The food was incredible, and we both had leftovers. My partner said they made a perfect old fashioned, we loved that the complementary bread was obviously baked fresh in house, and hearing the staff sing along to an eclectic playlist while having fun, and still just absolutely killing it was just the icing on a beautiful cake. Keep crushing it!

Anfer and his crew at Boccis absolutely crushed it last night. From the second we sat down the energy was fun, welcoming, and just felt good to be in. The food… unreal. The bread?!? Made in house every day, borderline life changing. The Chicken Alfredo was rich in all the right ways, the Pasta Bolognese was packed with flavor, and don’t even get me started on the Tiramisu — hands down one of the best I’ve had. Every single dish hit so damn hard. You can tell they run this team with heart because it shows in everything they do — the service, the vibe, the food, and the way the whole place just flows perfectly together. Thank you!!

One of the best, if not the best, Italian food I’ve had. Staff were friendly and welcoming. Small place with a lot of character. We had 2 meatballs, lasagna, chicken parmesan, and the bread pudding. All of it, off the charts delicious. My lady is going to have to roll me out of here. So much food and we had a lot to take home with us. Can’t wait to come back! (Lasagna pic was late to the game, 1/2 already eaten)

Passed by this place a lot, decided to try it out. We did the outdoor seating which was nice and relaxed. They gave us bread to start with. We ordered the lasagna and chicken alfredo. Both were delicious. SOME prices are slightly higher compared to what was posted on their online menu. They do charge more if you pay by card, so save a few bucks by paying cash if you can. Overall a great dinner!

I adore this place! This is probably my fourth(?) time here and it's always so lovely. The staff are amazing, attentive, and friendly. I love hearing them laugh from the kitchen. The food is delicious- my boyfriend and I will actually fight over who gets the lasagna (I win most of the time). The food is also always consistent! I know when it comes out of the kitchen, it's going to be amazing. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. And it's just so cute. It's not a big place and I drove by it a few times the first time I came, but so happy I didn't give up. Its like eating at home (but you get better food and don't have to clean up). 💗💗💗💗 This place

My wife and I went on a Wednesday night at 6:30pm. We started with the fried mozzerela, 10/10, would go back just for those. Wife had the chicken Marsala with the wine and mushroom sauce, it was well seasoned and delicious, a TOUCH on the dry side. I had the cheese ravioli with the red and white (rose) sauce, these were perfect, just the right amount of cheese filling, hot, and plenty of sauce. Atmosphere is dark (in a good way) with cool red lighting, quiet(ish), clean, and pleasant. Service was great, we will be back!

We tried this place last week. My uncle had a craving for lasagne and meatballs. We ordered the lasagne with a meatball. This food was GREAT! The meatball was huge, while the serving of lasagne was more than enough. I cant wait to get the opportunity to go to the restaurant and sit down and eat.

Read the great reviews on the chicken parm so maybe our expectations were too high. Hard to park and other places with better chicken parm.

This Italian restaurant is truly a hidden gem! The food, the atmosphere, everything was spot on. The staff was so attentive and friendly, which made the experience even better. All of my friends loved their dishes, and the portions were great. Our waitress brought us some bread, which had good flavor, though it was a little gummy. We also ordered the caprese for the table, super refreshing, and the tomatoes were perfectly ripe. I got the mushroom stuffed ravioli with pesto, and it was delicious. The creaminess of the ravioli with the pesto sauce was exactly what I was craving. The Italian sodas were a hit too everyone loved their cream soda. Definitely coming back!

Food and service were great! Would definitely return when in Portland! All employees we interacted with were super kind, friendly, courteous, and cool. Our waitress was very attentive and nice. We came around 8-9pm and at 9pm and after it's only 21+. Small cozy dim lighting restaurant with comfy booths perfect for date night and a relaxed dinner. Seating is also available outside. We ordered the imported Italian beer, very excellent and smooth. I ordered the scampi pomodoro which was big portions, super yummy, and plenty of shrimp! My man ordered the chicken parm and choice of fettuccine which he enjoyed. We tried each other's plates as well which we were pleased with both dishes we ordered. Great food and great vibes. I love the atmosphere here! Would recommend!

Everyone's food was okay. I had the puttanesca and a glass of wine, partner had the eggplant parm (he said good flavor, squishy eggplant), and a cocktail (the cocktail was too strong without the needed flavor). The girl helping us was polite and engaging. At one point she went on break and someone else checked on us. Service was solid, place was cute, food was okay. Don't need to come back.

Atmosphere: Small and Cozy. Nice for a date night. Food: We enjoyed most of the food and my girlfriend loved it. Meatballs were excellent, portions were generous, fried mozzarella was fantastic. The chicken parm could have been improved had they butterflied the chicken breast. It was a bit thick but overall good. Price: Prices were reasonable. Wine was well-priced. Service: Excellent service. Anthony made us feel right at home. We would likely return just from the hospitality. Parking: I think it was street parking, but we took an Uber since it was raining even though it was otherwise walkable

Delightful and Delish! The eggplant parm was the best I've had, the chocolate layer cake with whipped armeretto flavored frosting, and a beautiful and perfect old-fashioned! The staff was attentive, warm and welcoming! A lovely late night dinner!

I hardly write reviews but always read them. This place was AMAZING. The food was delicious and the workers were incredibly nice. I was happy that they allowed dogs on a leash on their patio so I was able to bring my family and the new puppy.

Arrived on a Sunday just after opening and meet by friendly staff. Ambiance is quaint, booth bench was a bit uncomfortable but was quickly distracted by the delicious food that came to the table. Will be back!

Great food. Friendly service. The lighting outside was fun; helped us find the place on a rainy night. Street parking- not too bad. Ambiance just ok, but would return for the delish food & nice staff.

The food and employees were outstanding. Our waitress was very attentive and helpful. I ordered the chicken Parmesan with spaghetti & marinara, the spaghetti was a very vibrant red, the chicken parm was hot, crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and very flavorful. The entire dish topped with basil was truly delicious and beautiful. Love this place!!

Last night in Portland and was looking for some Italian open late night and came across here. Let me say the Chicken Parmesan was incredible nice and crispy and the pasta sauce full of flavor. It came with focaccia bread that paired perfectly with my pasta! 10/10 I was super satisfied

Friday 9/22/23 Came across this spot on Yelp when looking at the best reviewed Italian spots in Portland and knew I had to go. I ordered takeout over the phone and was met with easy and friendly service. I got chicken Alfredo and bread pudding while my mom got the chicken parm (They also included house bread for free). The fettucine chicken Alfredo was underwhelming and average. The house bread that was included was okay but nothing special. My mom did not like the chicken parm at all. The bread pudding dessert was by far their best item and would've been perfect with some ice cream. All in all, good service and bread pudding aside the food doesn't deliver the expectations I was hoping for.

Visiting from out of town & thought we'd take a chance - so glad we did! Sat outside on their super cute patio with our 2 dogs. The lasagna and salmon fettuccine were delicious! Wanted to try the tiramisu but were too stuffed unfortunately. Thank you to the staff who were super friendly and made our date night special! Next time we are in town we'll be back!

My husband's coworker recommended this place, and we loved it, amazing yummy food and great service! Definitely coming back.

11/10 service, food and casual vibes for Italian food. Not your typical Italian place and offers late night! The fettuccine Alfredo with chicken was AMAZING. Such great seasoning, flavors and quality ingredients. I was surprised I loved this dish so much and can't stop thinking about when I'll get it next. Thank you Anthony

This place offers solid Italian American cuisine. The meatball appetizer was just the right amount of spicy and our entrees were very delicious. Our server was very friendly and the best part is that the price was right! We all agreed that if this place was located somewhere else, like Alberta Street or Division, we would have paid at least half as much for the same delicious food.

First time visiting this gem in inner SE Portland. Great traditional Italian food using quality ingredients. Service was wonderful. Will be back

Best Italian dinner in! Try the, lasagna, Parmesan, and meatballs, they're all top notch! For dessert, if you don't get the bread pudding, you probably never had it before or don't know what good is! This is our new favorite Italian restaurant in Portland since we've been looking and trying them all for 15 years. Where have they been all my life? Frobisher Publitzky. NE PDX

The friendliest people and comforting delicious food. Good iced tea too! Love the eggplant parmigiana. Great place for a family dinner.

Really good fettuccini with chicken. Large portion of chicken cooked perfectly. They thinly sliced fresh basil on top of the dish & grated fresh parm. You could smell how fresh the basil was, as well, as taste it! Got the espresso chocolate or some such & it was really good too. Employees/owners? are very nice!

DELICIOUS & CUTE!! The staff was so attentive and kind. Food was seriously amazing and huge portions. I had the chicken fettuccine Alfredo...and it was one of the best I've ever had.

Dirty, weird menu, old trailer, feels like I'm in an episode of Kitchen Nightmares just waiting for Gordon Ramsay to barge in

10/10 for food 11/10 for music 1000% will be coming again I love when you can see someone's dream come to life, this place exemplifies the ideal. If you want to feel all around passion, flavor, vibes and ambience, this is the spot.

Delicious food, super nice owner, and great service. It's on our must go-to list when we visit Portland. It's a great date night spot, or place to go for a semi-nice (not extravagant) dinner.

Food was decent, the vibe was cute, and the service was good. Highly recommend the triple layer chocolate cake. Restaurant was kind of small but left for an intimate feel.

The food was so good and fresh. Everything tasted amazing and I can't wait to come back and try more! The servers were very nice. Loved the outdoor patio.

We absolutely love Bocci's!!! The food is always amazing, we love the chicken parm, salmon Alfredo and chicken Marsala just to name a few. Drinks are always delicious. The service is always amazing, super friendly and welcoming staff! We take all our out of town friends here to show off Portland food.

they are just a little quant mom and pop vibe restaurant with some of the BEST AND I DO MEAN THE BEST Italian food. Bursting full of flavor and they serve great portion. I am never disappointed and everyone should try the meatballs and the sauce is amazing! PERIODT! This is all I want when I visit my Son

Major Disappointment This place was recommended to us by friends, but we were thoroughly disappointed. Italian food isn't that hard to execute, but both of us walked out saying we'd never be back. My husband said his pasta was "mush", and this from a guy who'll eat anything. My chicken breast piccata was actually burned on one corner, and so tough and dry that it actually cut my gum while trying to chew it. Portland is full to the brim with good Italian restaurants. Pick a different one. This was a waste of time and money.

No words can second how good the food is. From the freshly made focaccia bread to the in house made meatballs and lasagna. They make their own sausage and I'm salivating as I write this review.

Anthony was awesome. Service was great, food was perfect, and they were able to accommodate allergies. Ambiance was chill, calm, romantic.

It was very quiet, late on a Sunday when we stopped in. Our service was fast and friendly and the food is delicious!

One caper and worst experience ever! I heard such good things about this restaurant and I was excited to go with a friend to try it. The bearded gentleman (manager?) was so nice when we came in and was raving about their Pasta Pomodoro and that they could even make it with gluten free pasta. My friends meal arrived at the table first and I was told they had to remake mine because the order did not go thru with gluten free pasta. They said it would take 8-10 minutes. I appreciated that they caught the mistake, but it was a little upsetting because the timing was completely off since my friends meal came to the table without mine. It ended up being over 15 minutes for mine to arrive, but understanding because they cook their pasta fresh. What transpired after that was completely the worst experience I've ever had at a restaurant. First of all the Pasta Pomodoro only had tomatoes and onions, but no olives, no capers, and barely any cheese on top. It was bland and swimming in a watery base. I tasted it and there was no noticeable garlic or basil flavor. I pointed out my disappointment to the waitress who quickly whisked it away. She brought it back and they scattered some olives on top and just a light dusting of cheese, but no capers. When she came back to ask how it was I told her it was really disappointing and shared my concerns with her. I requested that they take my meal off the bill along with the $15 corkage fee (we brought our own wine). That seemed reasonable to me considering how much they screwed up the meal. Most restaurants will accommodate customers if they are not satisfied with a meal. We still paid for my friends meal and salad. The waitress sent the bearded manager over and he asked me what the problem was. I said the pasta is not good, it was late, and there was no capers. He pointed right to one on the pasta that there was 1 caper. I examined the pasta more it was the ONLY CAPER in the dish - ONE CAPER! I was eating the pasta anyways (I was quite hungry at this point) and the manager said if I eat anymore I would be required to pay for it. He went from being friendly when we came in to being down right mean. He pulled the plate away from me and was acting very angry and completely disrespectful. A decent eating establishment would cater to the customers, but he was completely rude. He threw the pasta dish in the garbage. This was a problem on with their staff and he was not apologetic or empathetic at all. I have never been treated so badly at a restaurant. He chose to throw the meal in the garbage over resolving the issue in a professional manner. I will never ever go to this restaurant again. I will never ever recommend this restaurant to anyone. It is beyond me why he would throw out the food when he could have had a customer for life if he would have been kind, considerate, and understanding that the problem was with their staff and their cook. Instead I was punished for speaking up and simply asking for fair compensation for a ruined meal. I was treated like the problem. I would recommend Nostrana at SE 14th and Morrison or Arrivederci on McLoughlin over Bocci's on 7th. Those restaurants will get my business and what I will share with friends and family.

Wowza!!!! Talk about stumbling onto a gem of a restaurant! I'm going to start with dessert as I was blown away - the chocolate cake was incredible. We were so full after dinner but thought we would just have a bite and take the rest home. Didn't happen. We ate the whole thing!!! We split a Caesar salad which was very generous and delicious. My husband is very picky about this particular salad but he loved it. I had the Chicken parm and he had meatball and pasta. We shared them both and I am hard pressed to pick a favorite as both were outstanding. And the homemade bread - oh my!!! We live over an hour away and just happened to be in that neighborhood but we are already planning our next trip into Portland with this restaurant as the destination. I wish I would have taken some pics for this review but we don't bring our phones into places so I did not think of it. Maybe next time, since we will be back very soon!

Total hidden gem, at least for us, it was our first time here. I had the 4 cheese ravioli with Alfredo sauce and my date had the veal parmisan, which isn't easy to find in Portland. Flawless food, it seems like everything is homemade, the Alfredo sauce definitely was and the best I've tasted. The bread they bring for the table was so good, our food arrived pretty quickly, the service was great and everyone was very kind and friendly. The prices are also very fair. Note...they prefer cash and give a discount for paying in cash over card. Highly recommend this spot!

The caprese and meatballs were delicious. The service was friendly. The portions are large. The food overall was needed salt for my taste. The overall ambience did not give Italian vibes. Overall good.

This was such a delightful place to have dinner. The shrimp pasta and bolognese were hefty and really tasty. It was also enough to have dinner the next day. It has a classic feel and seems like a great local business to support.

Weird and bad?????? Food is bland and the ambiance is so strange. Had like hula music playing and Catholic candles and pews. I mean eclectic is fine. But mainly the food was tasteless and made me feel gross.

Amazing. A total hole in the wall gem. Best pasta I've had in soooo long. The caprese was amazing as well!

Absolutely delicious food.. for sure next year, but maybe we'll bring in a cooler and eat downstairs at the tournament. The owners are awesome. That's for making our teams weekend!

We went here on a rainy night and arrived chilled and wet. Friendly greeter, warm and friendly servers, and cozy booths. Bread is served right away, with oil and balsamic for dipping. We ordered the caprese salad, chicken parm with fettuccine Alfredo, and three-cheese ravioli with marinara sauce. Everything was delicious. There was a great small dessert selection but we were full. Loved Bocci's!

Quiet, small restaurant. Awesome vibes. Great service. Amazing food. Thanks for a pleasant experience.

10/10 would recommend Great food Great atmosphere Open late I've had their bread, eggplant parm, spaghetti and meatballs, and the tiramisu. Really tasty. Good portion sizes. The bread is out of this world. Everyone working here is kind.

Amazing food and amazing service Best lasagna I've had in years Our kids loved the spaghetti I absolutely loved the caprese everything was so fresh and delicious I'm pretty picky on my Italian food but this is one of the best in the area 10/10

Consistently great classic Italian food. The Lasagna is a favorite as is the Mushroom Ravioli and Eggplant Parmesan. The people who run Boccis are welcoming and preach peace, love and pasta. How could you not?

First things first: the portions here are HUGE! Also, the free bread with sun dried tomatoes and green olives spoke right to my soul. We ordered the smoked salmon fettuccine and the chicken Parmesan. Both plates were enormous. The Alfredo sauce for the fettuccine was so good; creamy and rich with the right amount of pepper. The chicken was moist and the breading was nearly caramelized. So good. Hot tip: they take reservations! Also, if you pay with cash, it's 10% off - at least for this month. We'll be back!

I had an unpleasant experience with Bocci's. The focaccia bread that came with the meal had a heavily salted exterior but tasteless interior. Their fried mozzarella is also heavily salted and extremely greasy. But the real prize to my first, and last, experience choosing Bocci's on 7th was finding one of the cook/co-owners hairs under the breading of the chicken parm. After reporting my findings, the same co-owner whose hair was found, made a distasteful joke about my concerns and disgust.

Good vibe Good prices Hidden gem Great service Food delish Try it Walked in got a nice table Excellent service