Rino's Place — Restaurant in Boston

I recently watched an episode of Diners Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network and heard about Rino's Place. It's less than 10 minutes from the airport, and I was picking up my wife so we decided to give them a try. Here we go:

The skinny on Wait times: I was a bit nervous as a few reviews indicated wait times between 1-4 hours. 1 hour is ok but 4 hours just wouldn't cut it. I called in the afternoon and was told that Rino's only accepted reservations of 6 or more, but I was welcome to call prior to arriving to get an idea how many customers were ahead of me - which I did as I was driving to the terminal to pick up my wife. I was told there were 2 couples ahead of me (it was 5:20 pm on a Friday) but the hostess would not provide any sort of time estimate or put me on a wait list. When we got to Rino's, after finding a parking space it was 5:35pm. Again, the hostess only volunteered the number ahead of us but no estimate of time. With 4 customers ahead of us, our wait was only 1 hour - not bad for a Friday, at a very small restaurant during prime dinner hours. I did learn later that it's not uncommon to have a 1-4 hour wait. When you consider the number of tables - this makes perfect sense even if I personally am not willing to wait the latter to eat. My recommendation is to stop and get your name on the list, then park your car or even run an errand. The restaurant will call you when your table opens up.

The Staff: Our server was Cheryl, sister-in-law to Chef Tony's wife. From the hostess to the bus boy, everyone was friendly and polite. For those who haven't seen Rino's on the food network - Chef Tony's dad was Rino. Chef Tony is also the owner - as the business was handed down by his parents - the original owners. All meals are specially prepared, and I even got a chance to thank Chef Tony after we ate. In a nutshell, they are very nice.

The food: My wife ordered the Lobster ravioli. I requested to be surprised with a chef's choice. My only requirement was that it paired well with the bottle of wine we ordered. Since my wife had lobster, an Italian Chardonnay was recommended from Cheryl. My meal was a "Rino's Special" which I learned was a combination of chicken, veal, and shrimp laced with mushrooms in a really awesome sauce (I heard the word "Pollo" tossed around). My meal was on a bed of hand made noodles (all the noodles are made right at the restaurant). Im a big guy, and my meal could have certainly be split in half and brought home - but one bite and I was hooked. We did box up half of the lobster ravioli and it was delish the day after for lunch. For dessert, we shared a slice of carrot cake (which is not made by Rino's), and it was moist, not overly covered in frosting, and even contained raisins - something I enjoy in my carrot cake.

My opinion: With careful planning, Rino's is a great place to eat. Once you work through the wait times stopping first before parking, you are in store for a real treat. I absolutely recommend trying them out. Personally -...

GREAT FOOD...HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE I've never written a review before, but after my recent experience I'm compelled to do so. I'd like to begin by saying that the food is outstanding. Wait staff are lovely. That said, customers are put in a position of feeling disrespected and insulted by the absurd process of actually receiving the honor of being seated. We were staying nearby before flying out of of town the next morning and warned by the concierge that there was often a long wait. When we checked in with the hostess, we were told that there were four parties ahead of us, and we should walk 3 blocks to wait at an Irish Pub for them to call us. We checked in by phone every 30 minutes. When we were finally told that we could return to be seated, it was two hours later and the restaurant was nearly empty. We found the experience frustrating, but loved the food. When we returned from our trip, we decided to grab dinner again, and thought that since we'd be arriving at 4:30, we'd have better luck and enjoy an early dinner. Once again, the place was packed (the food really IS that good). The hostess told us that there were 3 customers ahead of us. This time we decided to wait in the car, since it appeared that many tables were finishing up. After waiting nearly an hour, we walked back to check on our table and noted that there were 5 empty tables. One for 4, and 4 for two. We walked in were told to go back outside and they'd let us know when we could come in. After approximately 10 more minutes, she invited us in and sat us at table for 4 (there were 4 tables for two that were also empty). During the hour and a half that we were there eating, the four tables for two sat empty, along with a table for 6. Couples continually came in and were sent to wait. By the time we left, there were 18 couples on the list and it was 6:00pm. At NO point were ANY of the tables for two seated, and in fact sat empty the entire time, along with a table for 6. It was actually heartbreaking to watch frustrated and hungry people repeatedly check in and walk out in complete confusion. About 15 minutes before we left, a group of 8 came in. A gentleman in the party walked back into the kitchen and came out with a smile. Tables were put together and they were immediately seated, while earnest customers waited. They claim to have a system, but clearly do not. Unfortunately, the reality seems to be this. The food is exceptional and the service is good, but if you actually want to be treated with any consideration, avoid this restaurant or order take-out. The frustration and disrespect of paying customers just...

Believe the hype.

This is a cozy, little spot built into the neighborhood, which could be passed by if you're not observant. While the interior seats a couple dozen, the atmosphere makes up for it. So, if you want to eat here make sure you have time. Our party of three was eventually seated after two hours on a Wednesday evening, to give some perspective.

Once we were seated our waiter was very attentive to our table and had a very brash demeanor (in a direct, yet funny way). He joked with us and gave us advice on what to eat. And after we ordered the food was brought out quickly. We ordered an appetizer of fried seafood (scallops, shrimp, and calamari). They were perfectly battered and not overdone. My favorite was the scallops. Salads also came with the meal, which were tasty as well.

My friend and I both ordered the lobster ravioli. Again, the food was quickly brought out. I've never had these types of raviolis before, but I will definitely recommend them to anyone and everyone. First, the portion is huge (I was only able to eat half) so you get your money's worth. The raviolis themselves are large too, about 3x3 inches, and are stuffed with a diced lobster-ricotta mixture. The pasta is thick and the sauce is either homemade or a very impressive premade imitation, light in consistency and full of flavor.

I wanted to give this place all five stars but there were a few things that kept me from doing so. When we were seated the silverware on our table was dirty, not just mine but all three of ours. I did notice a large party seated before all were present contrary to the restaurant's policy. Lastly, when I returned from the restroom (you have to go through the kitchen) I nearly knocked over a waitress when I pushed the kitchen doors open. It was an accident but after that happened our waiter suggested I tell the waitress to not be a stupid b** not once but three times, which made me feel uncomfortable. I'm from the South so I'm not sure if this is just how people up here jest, but the way he said it made me feel he was serious.

Some things to know before you go: you'll have to park on the street as it's in a neighborhood. The wait time is no joke so be sure you have the time. As previously stated the bathroom is in the kitchen...