Orzo Trattoria

Rather disappointed with our meals. We ate here last night and found the portions sizes to be very small for the price. I got the seafood risotto and there was basically no risotto at all and minimal seafood. One scallop and 2 small shrimp, rest was mussels. It was $ 25 and not worth it. My husband got a pasta dish with 2 small pieces of veal and small quantity of pasta. Last straw was the small piece of dessert, the place is really cutting corners and we won’t be back.

The erratic reviews should be an indicator of how this place is being run — and they are. Popped in here for lunch today at 1155. Sat at a high top near the bar. Bartender came over for our drink order and brought back a soda water and tap water. We said we needed a few more minutes to order. At 1215, I went to the bar to place my order. She stated she’d come over to get it. And i watched her prep two more drinks. I walked back over and asked for the tab. She asked why and I told her I had been waiting 15 — 20 minutes to place and order and I was done. She apologized and charged me $ 2.68 for the soda water. The other bartender was standing there like a cigar store Indian. Needless to say, I’ll not be back.

We ordered 4 sandwiches to go. The sub rolls were nothing special & may have been a day old. The chicken Parmesan was good but there wasn’t very much meat in the sandwich. My wife thought the veal was a little undercooked. The Caesar dressing tasted like it came out of a bottle. The romaine was ok. The croutons were too buttery.

This place is SO close to having somewhat authentic italian cuisine. I would say the biggest flaw is the canola oil they use to pass off as olive oil. They’ll add garlic to the oil mixture to make it taste richer but it’s a cover up. If I owned an Italian restaurant, I would spend the extra money to have the olive oil imported because I would know that it makes a huge difference in the experience, not the mention the cooking. Cutting corners to save money may fool 80% of your clientele but for us authentic italians who have traveled italy, lived there, and know how to cook properly, it leaves a frown on our faces. So:
switch the canola oil to olive oil
Add an Arrabbiata sauce to your menu
Take the dairy out of your salad dressing and use just imported olive oil and balsamic vinegar
This place is already better than every restaurant in the North End, I stand by that. If you make these changes, you’ll be on your way to the best Italian food in Massachusetts. Take my word for it.

My husband had the lobster diablo over linguine special and I had fusilli with chicken and broccoli Rabe, both were outstanding!
Can’t wait to go back:-)
Kathleen Sannizzaro

My friend and I came here on Tuesday night for the first time. We were sat immediately at a high top in the bar area which was very cozy. We loved the vibe right away. Our server Maureen was very friendly and attentive. I started with a delicious espresso martini that was made with real espresso (always a plus) and my girlfriend had a Cabernet. We shared a Caprese salad and then a Veal Marsala. With our entrée we sipped a glass of Decoy Cabernet. Yum!!! Great menus all around! We will be back.

My husband and 12 year old son dined here last night. My son ordered the gluten free pasta with a grilled chicken breast and light olive oil. This dish is not explicitly on the menu but they were very accommodating. This is by far his favorite gluten free pasta and after trying it myself, I agree. It was the closest in tasting and consistency to pasta made with wheat.
Breadsticks were salted and perfectly chewy and soft. I wanted to try the red sauce/​marinara before committing and the waitress was happy to bring a tasting with the breadsticks. My husband and I both agree that the red sauce tastes very similar to his Italian grandmothers gravy. We loved it!
We also ordered the calamari starter which unlike a previous reviewer, we found to be light and perfectly cooked. For dinner, I enjoyed the chicken parmigiana with twisted pasta and my husband had the veal Marsala with a side salad. Both were fresh and a fair portion size. I even took half of my entrée home.
Drinks and dessert (homemade tiramisu) were quite good and the service was both friendly and attentive.
We will definitely be back (even though it is a half hour up the highway from home)!

I really like this place. I give 3 stars for two reasons. Number one reason being that I am Italian and I’m real picky about Italian food out. Number two reason being that it’s extremely hard for anyone to get 4 – 5 stars from me ;)
I’ve been here a handful of times. Orzo changes their specials but seldom the menu. They have a lot of choices. For appetizers I typically love the mussels or eggplant rollatini. For dinner I try to always try something new. The cacciatore is great and the blackened chicken.
On Valentines Day we had this desert called the spumoni bomb and I am hoping they keep that around because that was awesome!
My boyfriend and I also enjoy a cappuccino with our desert which also is very good there.
Orzo is safe and reliable and you will most likely never have a bad meal there, however you should remember that all restaurants have an «off night». With that said, def give them a try and I’m sure you will enjoy! :)

Dined with another couple on a Saturday night. This was our fist visit but the other couple had been there before both before and after the remodel. We all got very different items and we were all pleased with our meals. The service was very good in both the restaurant and bar area. My feeling is Italian restaurants will do well with good bread and a killer red sauce. Had a taste of my husbands meal with the red sauce and it was fantastic. We had two apps the special shrimp on a bed of orzo, fantastic and the antipasto with the best proschutto I’ve ever had. We will be back. Only one draw back was that the tables were extremely close together. However, what restaurant in Boston’s North End isn’t set up this way.

So disappointing. The bf and I received a gift card to Orzo for Christmas. We had high hopes when we first walked in, the décor and atmosphere is really nice. The service was also great. The bread they brought over was wonderful.
Drinks.meh, they were OK. The food was not good. The BF got fusili pasta with sausage and broccoli rabe. HOLY SALT BATMAN. The pasta dish was SO SALTY. I took one bite and had to chug my martini to get the overwhelming taste of seaweed out of my mouth. We each took one bite of the dish and sadly sent it back, with no replacements. I ordered the rack of lamb, which was not a rack. it was 3 ribs. I ordered the lamb medium rare, it came to the table medium. The mashed potatoes and asparagus was yummy. The lamb was covered in this horrendous red wine sauce. just ruined the entire dish as it was covering everything. We will definitely not be returning to this place. Maybe a good spot to sit at the bar and grab a drink and eat the yummy bread.

Last night we had dinner in the lounge. Calamari appetizer, bread, chicken soup, shrimp scampi, seafood house special, and a kids pasta with meatball. Autumn, our server was great. She made great suggestions with full knowledge of the wine list and what ingredients used in entrée dishes. The comfortable atmosphere, superior service and quality of food all are well worth visiting this establishment. We look forward to our next visit.

Strike two. Another dry and chewy fried calamari… First as take out, last night dining in. Mentioned it to the waitress who could only offer ‘it’s usually good”. Marinara on pasta was off. Not liking where this is heading.

Orzo has decent Italian, and may just be the best place for Italian in North Andover (although it doesn’t have much competition). I usually get the gnocchi, which is good, but not my grandmother’s. The real selling point of Orzo is the crispy, warm breadsticks: you’ll chow down so many you won’t even be hungry by the time your food comes.

would have given a 5 star review, if it were
just about the delicious food. Very tasty tortellini primavera, and shrimp scampi. BUT the bartender was the worst, acted mad at us, ignored us, looked ticked when we asked him for the check. We do not go there often, but there are a lot of regulars, and even with them the bartender was grumpy, no smiles, etc. Wanted to throw up this delicious food, with the mood he was creating! Ha Ha,

This was my first time at Orzo Trattoria and it will not be my last. We met some friends there who recommended the restaurant. It was quite empty on a Sunday night in July so we were able to be seated right away.
The waitress was friendly and attentive and put up with my husband’s corny jokes! My chicken saltimboca was delicious. The portion size was not so large that I couldn’t finish, but certainly large enough to satisfy. My husband had lobster fra diavolo and would have licked the plate if he could have. I can’t speak for my friends that were there, but let’s just say that they both cleaned their plates.
I am very much looking forward to visiting Orzo Trattoria again soon.

I have been coming to Orzo for as long as I can remember. My parents are still regulars, but I hadn’t been in a while until recently. I love their renovations. It looks like a chic, urban Italian place you might find in the North End. The service was great, the staff was friendly, and the portions were on point. I definitely recommend their penne alla vodka!!! I am extremely picky with my pasta (I’m very Italian), and this hit the spot.
Paul & Anthony are also nothing but warm and accommodating! Definitely a good Italian find for a place in suburbia

PIZZA. Yes, that’s right. I went to a place with more pasta and entrée dishes than I could eat in 6 months and ordered a pizza.
I love Unilocal– but this is why sometimes it’s great to wing it out in the world. I passed over this place many times since none (aka ZERO) reviews I saw mentioned any pizza. When I looked at the lunch menu outside the front door… also no mention of pizza. Once I got inside (I’m determined) the main menu didn’t seem to have pizza on it either until… there on the back… on the bottom… a few pies.
Now, if you know me or even if you don’t, you know that I am always in search of pizza. Something you may not know is that I’m in search of my own personal holy grail style of pizza crust. When I was a wee child there was a small pizza shop that opened up in my tiny little town. I’ve since moved far far away and the shop closed down many years ago.
My mouth nearly popped out of my skull upon biting into the pizza from Orzo. The crust is MY holy grail of pizza. After 20 years I have found the same crust again. The toppings were also above par.
Here’s the breakdown:
Crust is cooked on a screen.
Crust has a sweeter than average flavor and a higher yeast content than average.
The above two factors allow for a crust bone with more and larger bubbles than average and a nice crispness to the crust while maintaining a very soft and chewy ‘marrow’.
I ordered the Prosciutto Margherita. This pizza isn’t sauced– so I can’t speak to the quality of it. The prosciutto was not thrown on afterwards… no no. It had been precooked and covered the pie prior to being cheesed and tomatoed with a roll or corner here and there poking out– cooked crispy like lean bacon. The cheese was a mozzarella with spices… maybe oregano, salt and pepper… I’m not too sure– I don’t particularly care either because it was divine. the tomatoes were dark red thick slices and very fragrant. The basil had been roughly chopped but seemed plentiful enough for me.
Obviously– I was blown away by this find. My expectation was a 12″ disc of cardboard but what I got was probably 16−18″ of heaven.
If you like a sweet chewy crust and quality toppings– skip the pasta and go for the pizza here.

Vodka Sauce Pasta… OMG sooooooo delicious!
Expensive for pasta… but I really really enjoyed my meal and thought the atmosphere was chic and nice.
Will go back!

Went in on a Sunday night for dinner.
The bartender waited on us, she looked like she would rather be anywhere but there… must have been a long day.
Had the Chicken Marsala, it was done correctly and was tasty. The portion size was rather small. They give you a small bread basket which was nice. This place changed a bit since my last visit three years ago, portion sizes were bigger.
I’d go again but only if there is no wait… it’s OK, not that good. There’s a lot of restaurants in the area, better selections, bigger portions.

I recently went back to Orzo, and was really impressed. The have done over the décor inside and it is a lot brighter than it used to be, and the menu was changed, and I must say the found was really delicious. As I have mentioned in previous posts this used to be one of our favorite local places and the quality went down hill. The sauces were not the same it was like there was no love in the food, which led us to not going there for quite some time. We went back six months or so ago and it was better, but nothing like my experience the other night.
My wife got the veal chop Parmesan style, it was so tender that when I reached over with my fork to try a piece it cam right off with the fork no need for a knife. It was a light panko breading with the marinara and the fusili wasn’t watery as you might have had a dish when things were not so good. It was even better the next day when I ha it for lunch (wifey doesn’t eat left overs).
I had a pasta special that had scallops, which were five large meaty seared perfectly with just the right crust yet still moist on the inside, the pasta was with olive oil garlic, and the rest of the dish is escaping me now (downside of writing reviews a week or more after dining. Nevertheless, it was that delicious that I told the waitress (new girl with Texas accent really nice) to tell the cook I was very pleased, and I made it a point to speak to the hostess as well and how impressed I was that the food has improved soo much, to the high quality that it used to be.
I will go back soon to sample it again, I hope the current chef at the helm keeps it up and his well thought specials, so it can be a local staple for us again.