Pastoral ARTisan Pizza + Kitchen + Bar

Reviews 10

JE

Jeremy Krantz

The wife, a friend of ours and I had lunch at Pastoral earlier today. We arrived just past one and walked into what was a fairly busy restaurant which was about 60%-70% full and were promptly seated. We were hungry and looked forward to our meal there. The wife has celiac and was happy to see that they had gluten-free crusts available at a $2 surcharge which we happily went for. She ordered a gluten-free, pepperoni pizza ($17), our friend got the Blance one ($16) and I went with their Proscuitto one ($18). We also ordered a few beers and a cocktail for the wife. Service was painfully slow. We waited at least 15 minutes for our drink orders to be placed and at least another 10-15 for our drinks to finally arrive. Luckily, by that point, our pizzas were nearly ready and arrived a few instants later. The pizzas, gluten-free and regular, were all pretty tasty and we didnt have any soggy or burnt issues that other reviews have mentioned. However, at least in my case, the prosciutto was just three small pieces and while it was pretty good, it definitely wasnt even close to being worth $18. Maybe $14 on a good day, and especially for a so-called lunch menu. Our bill for the three, single sized pizzas, the two beers and the cocktail topped $85+ which is pretty damn pricey for lunch. Had this been the best Naples-style pizza in town, then maybe that would have been okay but they have nothing on Posto (Somerville) or Gran Gusto (Cambridge) and again, like I said, this was the lunch hour were people want a quick, cheap and small meal, which definitely wasnt. On the upside the decor is neat and the craft beer selection and cocktails pretty solid. Plus its in Fort Point which is another plus, especially on a nice day like today where the windows were opened. If they were able to bring the prices down and improve the service, Id totally give them another shot.

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CH

Cheryl Casavant

I went to Pastoral, with my family, to celebrate my birthday last Saturday, the 5th. It was an amazing experience! Todd Weiner is a chef to love! We experienced Todds chefs choices throughout the evening; all cooked to perfection with tastes that blended so well. We had the famous Artisan Pizza; one from their regular menu and one from the specials menu; we ate every bite! I especially enjoyed Todds Bolognese Sauce...best Ive ever had. The entire table got to enjoy it. The wine selections worked well with all of our food choices. We chose a red-blend and the white gavi. The Staff at Pastoral is attentive, friendly and extremely helpful with suggestions of both, food and wine. The prices are more than reasonable for the quality and dedication you receive. And, yes, the atmosphere is a little loud...but its the beautiful sounds of people thoroughly enjoying themselves! My family thanks all of you for a wonderful, memorable birthday evening!

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RY

Ryan Wittig

My wife and I ate here after a Yelp event because we werent able to get enough samples... So far I think this place is awesome. They may still be ironing out some kinks, but I hope Bostonians embrace this place because they have some food that I havent seen anywhere else in the city. We particularly love the roasted vegetables here. We had a roasted beet and fire roasted artichoke. Both were absolutely delicious and reasonably priced. We sample some pizza and it was reaaaallly good. Its hard to beat Napolitano wood fired pizza. We also samples the octopus which I found to be delicious. I had a few glasses of this red wine blend called the Troublemaker, which is now one of my favorite wines. This is the type of place that you could come and have a few glasses of wine and some bites and get out paying $50-60. We need more of these kinds of options! Try it out.

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JO

joanna shannon

Great place for after work drinks. The decor is a combination of rustic yet modern. One of the walls near the bar is an old garage door that opens when its nice out giving the illusion of alfresco dining. The beer list was solid featuring many local brews. We got the octopus (calamari) which was very nicely done. In addition to frying the main part of the dish, it came with a fried lemon laid on some delicious roasted kale. The whole dish was edible instead of the usual wasted garnish. Next I had the wood fired pomodoro pizza which automatically comes without cheese! The crust was perfect and the sauce had a definite kick with the chili. Bonus points for the early 90s playlist!

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NA

Nathaniel Gopen

Ive been here a few times. I came on opening night and it was a huge disappointment. I had been so excited for the opening since Neapolitan pizza is my favorite! I was able to get a reservation which was cool, the space is nice, the service was good, but the pizza was not. The gluten free crust was like concrete and even the regular crust was just OK. I went back again for late night pizza - which is awesome that they are open for food late, and it was good, but again nothing that great compared to what Ive had before. Service was still good late night!

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BR

Brian Staruk

Great lunch spot in historic Fort Point, Boston. This is a chef-owned restaurant so every single plate is carefully made and guaranteed to please (if you like pizza, of course). For the takeout/work lunch crowd: things can get a bit hectic right at noon, but if you show up at 11 or 1 youll have no problem getting in and out. For the sit-down/non-work crowd, there is almost always seating available and the waitstaff are pleasant and professional. A true 5-star establishment. If you want pizza, and are in the neighborhood, check it out!

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FR

Frederick Wright

Docking them a star just because it is such a noisy spot, with acoustics that prohibit normal conversation. Otherwise, the bright, clean, fresh Northern Italian food and playfully curated Italian wine list really makes for an enjoyable evening. Our table particularly enjoyed the perfect thin crust pizzas, which somehow retain a marvelous chewy texture despite being paper thin. The pasta that I got was also delicious with an airy combination of foraged mushrooms, rock shrimp, and lemon-ricotta ravioli that was slightly overcooked.

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MI

Michael George

I had a bad experience, though it could have been purely circumstantial. For starters, I was seated right by the door where there was a cold draft. I was a little buzzed and feeling adventurous and ended up making some poor choices from the menu. I got the "horseneck" beer cocktail... never again. I have yet to have a beer cocktail that doesnt taste like the basement floor of a frat house. For food I got the lemon pizza with jalapenos and bits of tuna. What was I thinking? Maybe I just trusted the menu. DONT.

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JO

Jonathan Bugbee

Pizza chef let us try the andouille sausage before ordering so thats a plus. Unfortunately pizza was burnt and therefore crust had a bitter taste. Ordered a beer, ten minutes later I received it, only three tables in the place and a few at the bar so not sure why. Other than the overdone crust pizza was okay. Its not pizza in the sense that pizza hut, little Caesars and papa johns is pizza, its more like flatbread with toppings, which there were many interesting and tasty varieties available.

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RO

Robert Flannagan

My new favorite pizza in Boston. Thin crust (crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside). Sauce is perfectly smokey) roasted. Toppings do not overwhelm. The veal meatball is simply awesome. Gluten free options for those who do not like gluten on their gluten (not me). Street level. Perfect location. I look forward to warmer weather with the doors open, wood fired pizza, ice cold local brew and great friends.

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