Polcari’s

Mussels were good. Italian Wedding Soup was delicious. The veal and pasta was horrible. Disappointing.

Yes, sadly Matthew is correct. The Polcari’s at the Salem location is closed.
I had heard a while ago that the Garabedian’s were not renewing their lease.

Went to get a pizza and to our surprise, Polcari’s was closed!
Not sure what happened but it looks like this location is gone for good, as they notified Unilocal about it.

After shopping in Salem, I stopped in at Polcari’s Salem (the place closed up soon after I dined here) for dinner since I wanted some «North End» style Italian food. I took a peek at the takeout menu (moderate prices here) before deciding to dine in to avoid home meal cleanup.
I was promptly seated in a booth and the friendly waitress took my drink order, gave me a high five for finishing my shopping, and brought out a fresh baked herb bread loaf with olive oil/​spices for dipping. The bread was really good!
For dinner, I ordered the Schiaffettoni (ski-​uf-​fet-​tony) ($ 14.50), which was a good sized portion of jumbo rigatoni cooked al dente tossed in a garlic cream sauce with sweet caramelized onions, toasted walnuts, and fresh spinach. The tasty and rich pasta dish was very filling and I had a portion of my meal boxed up. I passed on the offer for dessert.
I enjoyed a solid good dinner with great prompt service. My dinner was served to me in under 10 minutes and the waitress checked up on my dinner and I was given refills on the ice water. Why didn’t I stop at Polcari’s of Salem sooner? The Unilocal reviews were mostly 2 – 3 stars and I kept this restaurant as a back burner meal option. Not anymore, but I’ll have to drive to the Saugus or Woburn locations.

May I preface this with, Polcaris is almost always busy evenings, dinner rush is completely normal to them. That’s pretty much all they are open for…
They are still some of the worst Italian Salem. Actually. They are the worst italian in Salem. I’ve eaten here a few times. Last time was Valentines Day, and our first choice was Tuscan Kitchen, they were obviously booked… It was nice, the staff were all dolled up, the place was romantically lit. They gave every girl flowers, which was really a great touch.
Then the food came. Absolutely terrible. Picatta is, according to them, poorly boiled pasta with a plain chicken breast and some lemon slices. My girlfriend got something soupy… but it was supposed to be a pasta dish. Way too much sauce. The drinks were good, and we got a bit tipsy and tried to enjoy ourselves despite the terrible meal.
we’ve eaten there for takeout, pizza, whatever. Each time it’s just MEH. But you think on Valentines day you’d be able to get your crap together and make something decent. I can cook better at home.
The staff is always nice, and the restaurant itself has a good atmosphere, it’s just the most important part, the food, is weak.
Like Chef Boyardee, fast food preparation.

We decided to stop in and try it because italian sounded good. The hostess was nice and quick to seat us. Our waitress was very sweet and attentive. However the food left much to be desired. Everything tasted the same and was very bland. They need to work on thier house marinara seasoning. Also found it very odd they decorated with barilla pasta boxes on some shelves.
While prices were reasonable and portions were large, we will try somewhere else next time in hopes of getting some flavor to our food.

My family had gone here after a long wet day at Canobie Lake Amusement Park. In the mood for Italian we stopped here and prayed for good food. We were seated quickly and the waitress was pretty friendly. The prices were a little steep, but it was probably better than spending ridiculous money on unhealthy park food.
I got a huge bowl of the minestrone soup which was delicious with all kinds of vegetables. My mom and sister got the italian wedding soup, which they enjoyed, but they said there was an awful lot of meatballs and little broth. My dad and I shared the puttanesca pizza with olives and artichokes and it was delicious. My sister got the pasta Alfredo which was decent.
For dessert I got the chocolate torrone, which was something I had never tried before, but was yummy. The rest of my family enjoyed their desserts as well. We walked by tables with bread and dipping oil, which we were however not offered, which was a down side.
For a chain restaurant, the food wasn’t that bad. I don’t know if it was because we were super hungry, but it all tasted very good. This place is a safe bet for delicious pizza.

I was in the mood for Italian, and have passed this location and the one on Rt 1 numerous times, always saying, ‘Hey, you know we should try that sometime’ to my friend. Well, we finally went in last night, and we were not disappointed. First off, the location is great. Easy to get on and off the road, and plenty of parking. It appears they share a space or work with (I couldn’t quite figure it out) Regina’s Pizza. The kitchens are side by side, and huge. It was interesting to watch food being prepared from our booth. We also were able to see two televisions showing the Red Sox, but as most know, they aren’t so fun to watch this season.
Our waitress was super nice and attentive. My friend got a birra and she was funny when she asked to see his ID. I ordered an angel hair pasta dish with spinach and tomatoes, and he ordered a lasagna. The food took a little longer, but our waitress was nice about it. They gave us a huge loaf of bread. So big that next time we’re going to half it and ask them to take the other half away so we don’t ruin our appetites! The food was so good! We halved it because the portions are massive. I hadn’t asked for chicken with mine (it costs almost $ 5 more) and they came over right away and said there had been a mistake, asked if I wanted it taken away, and then said they wouldn’t charge me for it. Wow, that was very nice! I actually wasn’t going to complain because I figured it was an innocent mistake on their part and not a big deal to me, so this was very cool that they came over so fast without any prompting. The lasagna tasted homemade. I loved it. In fact, it became my meal and my friend took my pasta dish. That was good too, don’t get me wrong, but this lasagna was irresistible!
Prices were fine. It’s not cheap, but you don’t feel like you’re overpaying for frozen junk. You can tell someone is back there and actually making this food as opposed to sticking it in a microwave to warm up. I would definitely go back. In fact, I’m going to have the rest of the lasagna for lunch today!

My wife and I go on Saturdays for lunch after shopping. Except for the host this is a good restuarant. We go when it is not crowded and the annoying little host took us to the bar to seat us instead of the restaurant section. We wanted to be be comfortable so asked to be seated in the restaurant section. He said OK but I thought you would prefer the quiet side in a very haughty and arrogant tone. To spite us (I think) he sat us between a table with an infant (noisy) and a table with two little kids. All this despite the fact that the restaurant was virtually empty.
We went again last weekend and insisted on picking our own table. The annoying litle man brought our food to tha table and I asked him to remove the plate with the dipping oil so we would have more room. Instead of taking the dish away he said I’ll tell your waitress to come get it — he walked away empty handed and he did not tell the waitress.
The waitstaff is great, the food is good and plentiful and the price reasonable. Polcaris — GET RID OF THAT ANNOYING LITTLE MAN or send him to charm school. Given the plentiful dining choices in the area losing customers because of him seems a shame. Maybe he’s relateded to the owners

They know how to treat their customers right. Service has always been fantastic, friendly and attentive. My kids and I love going there for our pizza night, yum. My friends and I really enjoy the trivia, wine/​beer choices and the food, of course! Especially the dipping oil, it’s the best in the world! Whether you are out with the family or a group of friends, t’s the place to be! Wishing they would do wine tastings at the Salem location tho!

We decided to try the bar area, which was kinda cramped and uncomfy. The service would have been faster if done by a snail.
The food was decent, but the salad had WAY too much dressing… get it on the side if you can.
My silverware setting had dried food on it. gross.
Not a good experience tonite. Next time I will NOT sit in the bar area.

Very good pizza. The entrees seem to be a bit blander than they were a few years back (at least at the Salem location — it’s been a while since trying the Woburn spot.)
They used to have an entrée with a meatball the about the size of a grapefruit.
The kitchen seems to take their time in getting the food out, no matter what you order. Service wasn’t all that impressive — they didn’t drop our food on the way to the table, which is nice.

I have often gone to the Polcari’s in Woburn but this was my first time in this restaurant.
We walked in on a Friday night and was seated right away. Waitress was right there to take drink orders. I looked over the menu and noticed that there was no Mac and Cheese on it. It’s my daughters favorite. It is homemade not the orange Kraft stuff. She said it was only served at lunch but would ask the chef anyway. She came back and said that since it was a kid asking he would make it special for her.
I was never so thrilled. My daughter was so excited and it was cooked perfectly. She texted my husband from the table with a photo of her mac and cheese letting him know it was made JUST for her.
I had veal saltinboca and it was very very good.
I really have never had a bad meal at any Polcari’s. Portions are always good, Price is reasonable, wait staff and hostess are always friendly.
I honestly can’t think of any negative aspects to this place. After reading other posts i’m not sure if they just had an off night, or if my own expectations are lower than others. However i enjoy going here and look forward to our return visit.

Polcari’s…as an offshoot of Boston’s Pizzeria Regina, your expectations for phenomenal pizza are high. The truth is Polcari’s, as in their flag ship Pizzeria Regina in the North End, has great pizza. You will pay for it however. The last time I checked, a large cheese pizza was over $ 20.00. The food on the other hand is run of the mill mediocre red-​sauce fare. A good friend of mine used to work in their pizza kitchen and he agreed that the food is overpriced, overcooked, slow, and not that good. Another reviewer mentioned Pizza King in Lawrence. They are on to something here because Pizza King of Lawrence is one of the last standing New England-​style pizzerias that serve terrific pizza.

I heard from a reliable source that if you want some good pizza you should go to Polcari’s. So of course I had to check it out. Walking in it looks like your typical chain pizza joint, nothing too fancy, some old pictures on the wall some cozy booths you know the deal. First off I have to give them credit for having Birra Moretti, it’s good stuff however not many places carry it including Italian joints. So I was looking over the menu and decided to go with the pollo polcari. I have to admit I didn’t expect much from the looks of the place but the pizza as actually quite good. It had a nice thick crust, the sauce was flavorful, adequate toppings and thankfully no grease oozing over the sides. Just good quality pizza. The only bad part was it took forever for the pizza to come out. Granted it was a friday night but this was a little ridiculous. Would go back.

Not really impressed. The food was ok. The service wasn’t amazing. Nothing to make it memorable or worth going back. Sorry.

I tried another chain as a result of location, and Pizza Regina being an option is ideal. I was impressed with the wait staff, prompt and courteous. The witty banter was light and uplifting and the service was great.
The atmosphere is standard chain style, nice enough to enjoy the low key lighting. The food arrived quickly and plenty hot. The over all quality was good and flavorful with pricing to match. I wish I had something bad to say, like most other reviewers, but my experience here was better than most restaurants and I can’t complain. (3.5 stars would be better, but how is ½star made?)
Overall the quality, service and food were worth a return trip. Nothing bad to report and if you’re looking for a quick meal with quality service and light ambiance, this is the spot. They also have well know Pizza, so there’s easy alternatives if a full meal is not needed.

We are big fans of the hot crusty bread and oil they serve before the meal. We add salad to that and we are pretty much satisfied! Other than that in my opinion you can’t go wrong with the Classico pizza. It has everything we love on it and it comes out perfect every time!

I heard this place was really good, so I went in with high expectations. I was disappointed with the uneven service and quality.
The bad:
— the purported «chef made» Italian dressing seemed like the generic bottled stuff — yellow and kind of gelatinous
— the Carbonara. I knew there was trouble when I heard one cook shouting out the ingredients to the other. It should have had much more flavor of bacon, eggs, and cheese. Instead, it mostly tasted like onion-​y alfredo.
— the wait… it took 2 hours from start to finish. Our dinner took more than 30 minutes to come out. I heard our waitress call for the Carbonara twice. They were doing a brisk takeout, so maybe this was just a fluke.
The Good
— Hey, it’s Pizzeria Regina. It doesn’t get better than this!
— These people know how to make sauce. Sweet, with just the right amount of basil and fresh tomato taste.
— The side of meatball and sausage. Yum!
I’ll go again and try something off the regular menu next time.

Being ancient, when I see the word Polcari’s, I think of the corner at North Station. Very different kettle of fish these new incarnations are.
I went to the Saugus Polcari’s when it first opened, and the waitress left in the middle of our meal without telling us (her shift ended)…and we waited so long we got the meal on the house (it was mother’s day and I had my mother with me).
When we went with my daughter to this Salem Polcari’s last month, the food was very good, but they had a tv on in the dinging room! I asked the waitress twice if she could turn it off and put on music (yes, I’m pushy that way). About five minutes before the 6 of us left, she stuck some coins in a jukebox. Made for a sub par experience, overall.