Seems to me an underserved market for takeout is places that give you a huge pile of good pasta, sauce, and if you want, meat. Stuff that you could cook, mostly, but don't want to. These places exist, of course, and are valuable, precisely because they never exist in quite the variety of pizza or Chinese places. So with a new day job comes new lunch options, and I was pretty psyched to find that Comella's was nearby, when wandering looking for what to eat. So i perused their sizable menu, and settled on pasta with white wine-cream-sauce type of stuff and broccoli and chicken. And it was tasty, if a little watery, and there was plenty of it. While i've had better, i'd go back plenty, except it came to like $13, which is kinda tough to do for lunch. Maybe i picked from the wrong side of the menu or something. The gold standard for a brick of cheap pasta was always Ravioli's further up the hill in Newton. The best takeout pasta is Blackjack in the Fens, which is better than a lot of restaurants, but spendy. Comella's is somewhere in between, but maybe i can do better the next time and improve their marks.
(3)
Jamie S.
Being from CT, I was not familiar with Comella's and found it through Yelp. Comella's is a cool concept for quick Italian. This is cozy cafe style place with a chalkboard menu. The menu has all of the traditional Italian dishes from entrees to sandwiches to salads. We had the chicken parm sandwich, pesto chicken sandwich, and a side of pasta with marinara. All items were satisfying and presented as you would expect them to be. They also serve beer and wine. If I was in the area, I would probably check them out again.
(3)
Bill L.
Worst experience ever!!! Ordered food from here last night, came out to $96....for that price they could have given me a box to help carry the food and the girls at the counter could have been nicer, they were clearly high school girls with attitudes. Found HUGE HAIR in my calamari (which wasn't even the worst part of it). The worst part being the calamari has zero flavor, was TERRIBLY overcooked and literally i had to gnaw on it to even eat it. Ive had easier times digesting rubber bands. The wings we ordered were boneless honey BBQ wings.....from my picture you can see just how much sauce they give u, literally not even a coating...and the dipping sauce was broken and fishy. Called to tell them about the hair....they didnt really care they offered to refund my $7.99....ok?? SO SICKENING!!!!! Very dissapointed, check out my pictures to see for yourself.
(1)
Ayelet R.
I really like the concept of Comella's: a simple and small space with a huge variety of pasta dishes that don't cost an arm and a leg. The atmosphere feels very homey, and as a huge pasta lover, it's pretty hard to resist. I considered getting gnocchi, though I figured it's probably the packaged frozen kind, so instead opted for the sweet potato ravioli. The ravioli itself was so so good - the pasta was soft and thick (I can't vouch for it, but it seemed like it was handmade) and the filling was delicious, lightly spiced to bring out the best of the sweet potatoes. I like that you can choose which sauce to go with it, and I opted for the pesto instead of the standard marinara sauce that it usually comes with. I usually love pesto and while I did enjoy this one well enough, I also thought it was too salty and oily, so much that it kind of detracted from the taste of those delicious ravioli. If there is a next time, I think I'll opt for a different sauce. My mom had the eggplant mess, which I wasn't super impressed by - though we were told that it would include a variety of pastas as well as stuffed shells, it actually only had penne. Though I suppose if it changes day to day, it might be worth another try. I also ordered an Aranciata San Pellegrino which was totally warm. On the plus side, free WiFi!
(3)
Gregory F.
I would give this place maybe 2 stars: they serve up almost everything in a real acidic tomato sauce, twice as expensive as the local pizza place (although this comellas doesn't serve pizza) but generally put together enough and a notch above in quality and presentation. To be clear, 12 something for takeout pasta. Stay away from scampi (1 part canola oil to 1 part shrimp). The reason for the one star is my 5 year old, who actually likes the spaghetti and meatballs (I think they are the high point of this place as well), needed to use the bathroom and they didn't let her so we had to leave mid-lunch. The counter guy was uber polite and asked the guy in the back, who shook his head. Again, this is $27 lunch for two, which consisted of a kids meal, a sandwich, an orangina and two beers. And 4 or 5 tables but nowhere for your kid to pee. So I guess you could call it mediocre and live with it because you're in west newton and its slim pickings, but just don't go there with kids (or adults) who can't hold it when they really really have to go.
(1)
Liz B.
I love Comella's for take out (not bad for eating in, but small and sort of a takeout ambiance...). It's Italian red sauce food, and it's great! I almost always get a Mess (pasta dish) to share with the family and a meatball or chicken parm sandwich. Their pizzas are great and cost $5! You can't get food this good for this price anywhere!
(4)
Dot T.
Sooooo bad! I know this is an area where there are not many good reasonable priced places to eat.. but this is not one of them!!! Had limited time and decided to try it. Oh boy do old yelp reviews come true. They talked me into the "mess" claiming it was an assortment of pasta as opposed to just ziti and we'd love it. Ok for $1 more we tried it. We got ZITI. .. ONLY ZITI. When I went to pay and asked for an adjustment of the bill, the 15 year old girl looked like a dear in headlights and had clearly been prepped to say "it comes with extra cheese even though the pasta is the same". ..BS.. there was No...zero. .zilch. . cheese as it was and I clearly asked before ordering and was told by the same 15 year old "yeah at least 5 different pastas. .everyone loves it". I stated these facts and she was not budging on the price. I wasnt going to argue with a kid and the "manager didn't come in for 2 days according to her schedule. So $2 down. Didn't realize until after we left that I was also overcharged on my meal $2 because she put down both grilled and breaded chicken even though she suggested breaded which I got, not both So much for an innocent 15 year old. The garlic bread was cold and not even cooked. Clearly they prep it early and throw it in the oven for a few minutes...too few. I can't believe people think this food is good! It's prepared, half canned, mediocre food heated to order which makes it less than mediocre. They take plates of prepared pasta microwave it with standard sauce and throw whatever on it. .. a chicken cutlet... or half a cutlet I should say. And collect the money. The owner is making a killing serving bad for food lazy people in a dead area I guess. ... it's a niche. .we won't be back though. If you're not lazy in a dead area go somewhere else.. please. .. yuck
(1)
Lily L.
Comella's is the best comfort food in the world. Their "messes" are anything but -- they are just perfection! I also highly recommend a caesar salad with breaded chicken! And the garlic bread! not really a spot to dine-in, but you can if you feel like it... Really great for takeout, family gatherings, etc.
(4)
Eric W.
Haven't been here in a while, but do recall that I really enjoyed their pasta and meatballs. Standard cheese pizza is also extremely affordable.
(4)
Adam L.
Comella's is awesome! They have great sandwiches, messes (pasta with mixed in meats/veggies/etc), and the best fettuccine alfredo! Their prices are good, and the staff is very nice. I go to Comella's when I am feeling like eating home made food, that is cooked by someone else :)
(5)
Buddy F.
This restaurant is the greatest! Finished up a lasagna loaded with meat and cheese, even the noodles tasted fresh. Cheese was stringy, hot, bubbling.
(4)
Scott T.
We were turned off at our brief Comella's experience. First, when we called they said that they did not accept reservations, but not to worry because they wouldn't be busy and there were plenty of tables. I can only assume she had been joking, because the place had maybe ten tables total and all but two were taken. We asked the girl behind the counter if we could combine the two tables to accommodate the three of us - she said no problem. So, we combine them and start to sit down when one of the waiters rushes out and scolds us, proceeds to separate the tables, and rushes off without so much as suggesting what we should do. With no place to wait, we awkwardly stand around for a couple of minutes and then decide to head to Vecchia Roma, who welcomes us and provides a five-star meal. We won't be back to Comella's again, sorry!
(1)
Holly K.
By the time I made it to Comella's I was starving!! Luckily my friend and I were able to snag one of the few seats available there and put our stuff down before we ordered. Not having any idea what a "mess" was, the cashier was happy to explain it to us. I ordered a mess with sausage. Finally our food came out and my friend and I dove in. Unfortunately, there was no sausage to be found! The line was too long and I was too hungry to bring it back and wait for a whole new one to come out. My friend ordered the meatball mess, it seemed like instead of taking the time to make the two separate orders they just doubled up on the first instead. The mess was good, it could have just used a touch more seasoning. I will go back and hopefully my order will be correct and a bit more seasoned!
(3)
Victoria M.
Great comfort food, great prices without the crazy wait times and attitudes of those other Italian places. If you're never tried their "Messes" then please do-so. You can add "Mess" to practially anything on the menu, so good!
(5)
Vivian C.
This place is on the same block as the West Newton movie theater, and across the street from Lumiere. Order at the counter, situation yourself at one of a number of small tables (perhaps 8 or so? each set with a pair of chairs), and your food will be delivered rather soon on plates along with double napkin wrapped silverware, and non-too-hot. I had heard that their shrimp was pretty fresh and their meatballs tasty, so I ordered the Bear's mess ($11.99 according to the menu online) with its shrimp and eggplant with a $1.50 for a meatball not quite the size of a tennis ball while my friend the lasagna lover selected the lasagna (surprise!) which came on pasta $6.99 - we got it with ziti. The Eggplant part of Bear's arrived as a nice thick slab of thin breaded eggplant, while the shrimp was a scattering of maybe 5 good sized shrimp. As for the mess itself, I was told that they make a new version every 2 hours. Ours arrived with a tasty sweet tomato meat sauce on ziti with no visible vegetables. I preferred this sauce over the simple meatless tomato sauce that arrived with the lasanga ziti plate. Two dessert options were available the night of our visit - cannoli or tiramisu. Wish I could have tried them, but didn't have the room for either as the two of us had polished off both entrees. Not a bad choice for a quick meal, but if you want your food made for you fresh, this definitely ain't it.
(3)
Horrible F.
who puts avacado's on an italian sub? Horrible Won't be going back
(1)
Kza W.
I didnt know what to get and was told by an employee what seemed to be a good fit for me based on what I asked for; sausage,meatballs & chicken with allot of garlic... And it was EXCELLENT
(4)
Christina K.
I dont know how they stay in business, awful food and they are so cheap with the sauce!! Always pay for extra meat sauce but still it doesn't cover all the pasta. Just had their Italian sub and the meats were so dry and tasteless. Omg!!
(1)
Rick L.
Good food, friendly service, although the only pizza place I've heard to run out of pizza on busy weekend nights.
(4)
Chaya B.
It's between a 4.5 and 5 stars. Their sauce/gravy is what makes this restaurant so yummy! I usually order the veal mess with meat sauce. Recently I got turned on to the pizza. Best deal ever! An 8 slice cheese pizza $5.00. I have also had the white pizza with shrimp. Scampi on pizza, is their anything better? Thin crust pizza, not greasy and no burnt air holes. My only critique is the choices of drinks, some what limited. If you eat in and ask for water it's a little plastic cup, and no wait staff for a refill. My locations: West Roxbury, Chestnut Hill and West Newton.
(4)
Karen W.
Comella's is a great take-out Italian restaurant. Orders are ready within 10-15 minutes for pick-up or eating in their table area. They also remember your phone number and name so you don't have to say your name more than once - yay personalized service! They offer hot and cold sandwiches, ravioli of many types (lobster, asparagus, sweet potato, goat cheese, and squash for example), many noodle and sauce combinations, lots of entrees (calamari parmesan, lasagna, stuffed shells), and a few desserts (tiramisu and canoli) which are tasty. They've also recently started serving beer and wine with meals, and offer lots of drinks including San Pellegrino orange (my favorite!) My favorites are their entrees with mess or ziti on the side, and any type of mess. So delicious and filling, and always different! A mess is a vegetarian tomato sauce base with included ingredients which vary day to day - veggies, shells, ziti, lasagne, battered fried eggplant, etc. You can order a mess as a side, or as a main dish you can order it with any type of meat or combination (meatballs, shrimp, sausage, etc) or wth veggies, lasagne, stuffed shells, etc. So good! A single portion fills anyone I've taken here absolutely to bursting, and would feed two easily. They have many portion sizes, so it would make a great place for a big family take-out order to share. They do automatically add cheese to the sauce, so if you want a lighter dish, tell them to hold the cheese :) It's a great place for a cheap, quick meal that fills you up with warmth on a wintry evening. The atmosphere is a bit lacking, but it's a takeout place - bring it home to have some more atmosphere if you like, but it's great for friendly talking over a meal. Try it out!
(4)
Ben P.
A great little hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant! It's a small place with only a few tables to sit at if you want to eat there. Parking isn't great; you're limited to on-street parking or finding a lot behind the bank. 'casual environment' is an understatement. However, once you get beyond that, I think you'll be awesomely surprised! As I am a vegetarian, my ability to review italian restaurants is somewhat limited. They offer Italian 'Mess'es which my family has frequently enjoyed. What stands out to me, however, is their homemade fusilli. You might be thinking: "oh, that's the spiral pasta in the supormarket!" Not at the place! Their fusilli is a long noodle with a cross section of an 'S'. It's totally delicious! I am always very particular about pesto sauces as I don't like creamy sauces. Their pesto is a tightly packed oil-based sauce. It's very dense in basil-y goodness! More basil = more yummy! I've gotten the marinara sauces in the past, but not recently enough to detail beyond "delicious". Their dishes don't come standard with bread. However, you can get a slice of garlic bread as a side. The garlic bread is a 1" thick cross section of a loaf of bread. Think of this more as "two slices". If you get a half loaf, which they'll tell you is 4 slices, it will really be a hearty section of bread. It is delicious though! I've always liked packing pesto or marinara sauce onto the bread for extra flavour! In the past, they have offered military discounts. I forgot to ask about it the last time I was there. For a cheap, but awesome meal, I would definitely recommend!
(4)
Rachel K.
I had a great time on my first trip to Comella's. For a low-key, small restaurant that seems to primarily do take-out business, I was happy to see wine and beer on the menu as my boyfriend and I were popping in to eat dinner. Alcohol always wins bonus points in my book ;-). The garlic bread, simple + basic, but extremely hit-the-spot delicious. Also to my surprise, I was able to order two types of raviolis in a "single order" ... I was pretty excited about this. Each on their own sounded too plain, but combined? Perfect! I am still wondering if the goat cheese ravioli actually has goat cheese in it, as I couldn't taste any. This was a disappointment; they must use other cheeses and use the sliiiiightest amount of goat cheese. The eggplant raviolis, however, were superb. My go to sauce is always a light sauce so I was pleased that they serve an "oil/butter/garlic" sauce. The sauce was good but a little heavy on the garlic! Service was extremely friendly and timely. Comella's will most likely become a regular in my take-out rotation.
(3)
Kelley V.
Loved the Italian mess with sausage, meatballs, onions, peppers and mushrooms! My daughter and I should have split a single order though as I was more than full just eating half. Great casual place that served homemade food in fast food time. I'd go back if I'm ever in this part of the country again. My only criticism would be the quality of the fresh tomatoes in April. But then again, I'm comparing it to our produce back in California and that's probably not fair.
(4)
Heather S.
Delicious food at amazing prices, fast! I had an eggplant sub for dinner for $5.25. It was the best five bucks I've spent in a long time! The eggplant was soft but not mushy and not greasy. The sauce was delightful -- a perfect mix of sweet and spicy. Though, there's a small dining area, I took it to go. The staff was friendly. The only setback is no delivery service. But, for good food, cheap, and fast, I'll count my blessings!
(5)
Laura T.
This place is the definition of 'hole in the wall' but the food is awesome! I had some sort of 'mess' which was a mix of different kinds of pastas with sauce and then whatever you wanted on top (eggplant, meatballs, sausage, chicken, shrimp, etc). I was really surprised by the quality of the food... it's just like Mom used to make! One point off for the horrible parking situation and the fact that they don't have a bathroom (that's a real minus for me!). I will definitely be stopping by again if I'm in the area and looking for a quick and inexpensive meal.
(4)
l. a.
Any time I tell people that I live in Newton, they ask me if I've eaten at Comella's. Usually I smirk and admit that I had not. Well, this past weekend I've finally tried it and I am a fan! I am such a fan that I went two days in a row and plan to eat there again tomorrow for lunch. :) I am very critical when it comes to Italian food so I was definitely nervous about this tiny place on Washington. ESP when my food arrived at my table and the pasta was mixed into the sauce and the mozzarella cheese wasnt melted. However, once I mixed it all together and closed my eyes it was G-R-E-A-T. 4 stars for Comellas.
(4)
Matthew A.
I stopped in here after many Yelper recommendations. When I got here I was a bit shocked by how small the dining area was and how BIG the menu was. I brought a bottle of wine (BYOB) with me but I instead took our order to go as our home would be much more comfortable and nice than the small and plain dining room. HUGE PORTIONS and the lasagna and chicken parm is to die for. GO Comella's!!
(3)
P C.
Though we loved this place at first, after ordering here 3 or 4 times over the last few weeks, we found the overall quality inconsistent. Pasta being over-cooked and mushy is a pet peeve of mine. The other problem I have is with the food being too heavy. I love pasta and red sauce, and I can pack away two platefuls if I want to....but if I eat to much Comella's I feel a little ill. I'm not sure if it's too much cheese or too much oil in the sauce....but something is not sitting well.... I can eat twice as much at Bertucci's or Paparazzi's and not get that feeling. So, I'm downgrading from 4 stars to 3
(3)
David B.
I am a coward. I was just too chicken to try "The Mess" but the meatball's and everything else I have tried was good. The place is very small with tables to have lunch or dinner. The menu above the counter takes some time to go through so take your time and do not be shy to ask questions. Like most areas in Newton/Waban parking in this area is hard to find especially on weekends.
(3)
Glenn B.
Great food! Terrible parking situation in their W. Newton location. Eggplant parm is incredible and really enjoy being able to sit and eat or order for take out. Wine selection is fair. Good, fast service. Always crowded and very few tables! Great deal for food that tastes like it's been cooking all day! Very homey.
(4)
Keith M.
I had a ceasar salad and the Eggplant mess. The salad was large with plenty of homemade croutons. The dressing was a bit watery though. A few good pieces of eggplant on top of a mess of ziti, et al. Plenty of sauce. Too much? Decide for yourself.
(3)
Jillian Q.
This is another example of how I wish yelp would allow half stars. I would definitely give 3.5 but it's not quite up to 4 stars in my opinion. My husband and I went for lunch last weekend when we were craving something other than pizza. The selection at Comella's is vast, with lots of homemade pastas and classic Italian-American choices. We waited a while at the front counter for someone to notice us and we placed our order and sat down. Two other groups came in an placed orders at the front as well. My husband and I ordered two pasta dishes (more about that in a bit) and the two other groups has pasta and sandwiches - I noticed this because BOTH groups got their food before us. Anyways, I ordered the goat cheese ravioli with pesto sauce and my husband ordered the gnocchi with tomato sauce. We were asked when we placed our orders if we wanted cheese on top and, honestly, who is going to say no to that? My raviolis were really good but it was interesting because they had roasted red peppers combined with the goat cheese filling. Now, for me this is not a big deal at all because I LOVE roasted red peppers but I could see someone like my husband ordering them and being absolutely appalled. I even asked the girl if these were the correct raviolis and she said they were. Although I really did like the raviolis, I was NOT a fan of the pesto. It's hard to describe - it was almost a pool of oil in the bottom of the bowl with rough cut basil on top. My husband's meal, though, was pretty impressive. The sauce was fantastic, I kept stealing off his plate. The garlic bread was also warm and yummy. We are definitely going to go back again. The pastas themselves were delicious, but I'm not going to get the pesto again. Comella's was a great deviation from our normal pizza on Saturdays routine.
(3)
Julie R.
Nice staff, terrible food.
(3)
Adam Z.
My first time going here was last Wednesday. Where to start.... the pasta here is fresh and great! The portion are decently big. The sauce is semi blend I had spinach ravioli with red sauce and it could have used some fresh pepper and garlic but maybe it was just me. The prices are very fair. I'm giving them 4 stars and am only taking off one because there inside is set up like a small pizza shop. I wish there were more resturant, dinning roomy in feel that way I could sit there and enjoy a meal in peace without patrons walking in and hitting me chair left and right. Give this place a good try I'm sure you won't regret it.
(4)
Dana W.
There aren't words. So delicious. So cheap. So perfect.
(5)
Jim K.
Rib sticking good Italian food. Try a mess, with your favorites added to it. I like iron mike's mess - chicken, meatballs, sausage, and veggies. The mess is like a goulash of Italian pasta and could include everything from lasagna to eggplant to ziti. It changes from time to time so you never know exactly what you'll get. This location has a few tables and is kind of cozy. Good portions and also great if you need a lot of food for a party or meeting.
(5)
Susan K.
Italian fast food basically. Alot tastes like junk you might throw together at home with left overs and some old boxed pasta... Price ok. Good in a pinch- when there is no time to throw anything together-- also platters are really reasonably priced
(2)
Billy Su B.
Comella's is the place to go if you want a simple, yummy, quick dinner before or after a movie next door :) I just want to clarify: don't go here on a hot date, or for some huge occasion, or to have your last meal on earth. Carlos in allston is better for that. this is quicker, simpler, and the ambiance just feels very "drop in and grab a bite to eat" to me. The lasagna, the chick. parm, and the meatballs are my favorites. I saw someone on this board rating angrily about how uninspired their gnocchi was...and quite frankly, this just isn't the place to order gnocchi, you know?? it's a delicate thing, gnocchi. 9 restaurants out of 10 can't "gnocchi" their way out of a paper bag. it can so easily go awry.. personally, i don't bother to order it unless i'm at an establishment that either A. Boasts it, or B. charges 35 dollars for it in which case it OUGHT to be amazing. point: don't order gnocchi at a casual zip in and out joint, order it at Carlos or Maria's in the North End or something... mistral, WHATEVER ALSO you can have some wine with your meal, which was a surprise to me, as west newton seems to be particularly stingy with their liquor licenses...
(4)
Stephanie C.
I was visiting a friend that lives in Boston, and he brought me to Comella's for lunch.. Now being from New York AND 100% Italian I was a little skeptical at first.. It's a small place, but very clean... the choices of food are listed on the wall.. and there were SOO many different things to choose from. I was shocked at how reasonable the prices were too.. which also lead to some more skepticism... I mean, how good can Chicken Parm be for $10?!? I was SO very wrong. I ordered a safe choice and went with the Chicken Parm ... my friend ordered one of the "Mess" dishes- which they are known for. We sat down and waited about 10 minutes before our meal arrived. The portions were huge! I took one bite and fell in love! Everything was soo incredibly delicious!!! I was really surprised! When I go up to Boston to visit I will definitely make my friend take me back ~ If only they had a place like this in New York! Staff was friendly, portions are huge, reasonable prices, quick and absolutely delicious!
(5)
Megan A.
As a recent transplant from Maine, I was looking for a substitute for my former addiction- cheap, fast, Italian-style food. Comella's was first on my list. I never had to look anywhere else. My visitors have all found something to eat there, and they've all found it easily. No oven in the apartment, so the first stop was for lasagna. Thumbs up for that and the messes. I ate the cheese ravioli so quickly that I gave myself a stomach ache (and do not regret it for one second). Even my mother had no complaints about her sandwich or her salad, and she usually has a few words about any salad she doesn't make herself. I'm no expert and it's not fine dining, but when I can walk in, place an order, and walk out with said order in under 10 minutes and have everyone happy is a good place in my book.
(4)
Kristen H.
Yup, even their messes are good! And the one in Belmont has pizza! Always delicious. Good meatballs too. I love their sauce. And this is coming from an Italian who is VERY picky about sauce!
(4)
pete k.
Whoa - how the heck have I not reviewed Comella's yet? Guess the time has come. I - LOVE - THIS - PLACE . I have had take-out here many times, and sampled many different items (generally though, its a Mess of some sort). I've never been disappointed in the food, the service, or the portions. The worst part of the experience is just choosing one thing over another. The latest score (last night, and its still on my mind) was 2 entrees - fresh beef raviolis and the eggplant parm w/ stuffed shells. From experience, I know that just one "single" is enough for 2 people, but its so hard to limit yourself to just one choice. Lets start with the rav's... Umm.. wow. That was the first time I'd had the ravioli, and I will be back. I WILL sample the squash, eggplant, asparagus, and lobster ones before long. There are probably a dozen different kinds, btw. The eggplant is a stacked brick of a masterpiece - layered with pasta, cheese, and breaded eggplant heaven. It was unlike any eggplant dish I've ever concocted or ordered - I could almost (ok, not really) go vegetarian for that dish, if I really had to. The stuffed shells were chock full o ricotta - definitely hard to not try and fit the whole damn shell in your face. And there was a nice layer of ziti in the dish too, just for kicks. Fantastic. Comella's t-o-m-a-t-o sauce most definitely does not compare to any jarred sauce I've tasted, by the way. The chicken parm, sausages, and meatballs are all top notch as well. Ordering is usually about a 10-15 minute wait, so you could call ahead. They have a nice HD TV in place now though if you choose to wait - and, as I observed last night, you could always get a glass of wine while you wait (that guy was a genius)! If money is tight, a "single" sized entree, with a salad, could easily feed two people for $15 - $20 and it'll be way better than most Italian restaurant meals. Parking is always a pain on Washington Street, but you can just turn up Highland Ave and park behind the bank.
(5)
Margot D.
I want to have a big party, just so I can order take-out from Comella's and impress everyone. This place ROCKS!!! Great little place in cool West Newton, and there is no better place for a quick meal before or after a movie next-door. I'm a huge fan of "the mess" since it leaves enough leftover for lunch the next day!
(5)
Erica Y.
A decidedly neighborhood joint. Small cozy environment, high school kids taking your order, etc, etc. I was feeling something Italian that was lighter but full of fresh flavor, what I got was a "mess" that was more on the heavy comfort food side...tasty, but not quite the experience I expected. On a side note, no longer BYOB. I asked and the high school girl just pointed to the wine bottles, so I take that as no more BYOB.
(3)
Kristine M.
I usually love The Mess, but sometimes the ratios are better than others. They also make great meatballs, sandwiches, fusilli...I've never been disappointed there. You can also get frozen messes to reheat later. Great value, great food and for a cheap price. My only wish is that they had more seating. It can get crowded. They have wine there now, so I'm not sure if it's BYOB anymore. Also, someone suggested parking behind the CVS -- don't do that!! It's a private lot!
(5)
Mike F.
I Had Comella's tonight for the first time after seeing it on the Phantom Gourmet. I am now a devoted fan of their meatballs. We walked into a small dining room (seating for about 16), with 2 tables for 2 set up outside. The decorations were nice with christmas lights strung over sparkling water bottles creating a light green glow. The left wall has a chalkboard menu and the right is dotted with black and white photos of who I assume are Gene Comella and his family. I ordered a Sam Adams Boston Lager with Aunt Issy's Mess and my date ordered a glass of pinot grigio with Nephew's mess and meatballs. Ok, so it was basically counter service, not a waitstaff. So we get our meals in less than 10 minutes and !SHOCK! I received Aunt Shirley's mess (just a plain mess with stuffed shells; no veggies, meatballs or sausage). After checking with the girl at the counter, she realized that she had misheard me and offered to add in the extra ingredients at no extra charge, I politely declined but this definitely won points with me. So the sauce is great, nice and savory with a hint of sweetness, not too salty and the spices let the tomato shine through. The ziti in my mess was a little overdone, but it actually worked well with the thickness of the sauce and the texture of the ricotta in the shells. On the other hand, my date's mess was GREAT!! The eggplant was nice and tender, but not oily like I've found most restaurants to do it. The sauce was (as previously mentioned) excellent and the meatballs.....fantastic. Really. They were soft but held their shape and were juicy but not underdone. The flavor was nice and beefy with just the right herbs and spices to create that "It's been homemade and simmering in sauce the whole day" taste. Try them, you won't regret it. The Wrap-up: Fast service, great food, great price. I will definitely be back for the meatballs....I'm serious about these things.
(4)
Kevin P.
As an Italian I wouldn't really call this place good Italian food. It is a better fast food version of what you would get at Bertucci's or Olive Garden. It is just really good Italian comfort food. (Not that there is anything wrong with that.) I like their Marinara very sweet compared to some of the other places around here. The prices are reasonable and the portions are a really good size. it is a great place to swing by and order out from. Dining in is possible but the place is super tiny. My only complaint about the food was the lack of cheese on their Chicken Parm, they sprinkled some over the entire plate but not a covering on the Chicken Parm itself.
(3)
Annie I.
i am not a huge fan of the food here generally, and i've eaten it frequently--mostly because i think it is mostly flavorless. especially the messes. but i LOVE the lasagna and the chicken parm, and the garlic bread is delicious. definitely wear stretchy pants and take-out, the seating is limited.
(3)
Kelly R.
Comella's is a favorite neighborhood haunt of mine and my husband's. We always share a single Grandpa's mess (supposed to feed one, but we can't finish it in one sitting between the two of us!), a garden salad with yummy dressing and optional gorgonzola cheese, and a half loaf of some of the best garlic bread I've ever had. For about $17, we eat very well, and have enough left over for one more meal (for one). The value is unbelievable. My only wish is that they accepted American Express. I agree with other reviewers on the meatballs - the sausage is also phenomenal. I also agree with those who recommended takeout over dining in, at least in the West Newton location. Actually - husband just walked in the door with our mess! Time to eat...
(4)
Betsy T.
I am Italian (first generation American as a matter of fact). I make homemade pasta and sauce (pasta is a way of life). I love Comella's (especially the mess). All that being said I want to clarify a few things. NEVER by Gnocchi someplace like Comella's, go to a REAL restaurant like Fiorella's. Comella's is great for their mess (I always get one style or another - and it can feed me for DAYS), their meatballs (HUGE in size), and their 'classic' Italian/American items (eggplant or chicken parm., lasagna and subs). I have a few male friends that come up from Connecticut to visit and I always get Comella's. I could cook but why bother when their food is so good, fresh and hot? ONCE more I have never gone beyond the basics, I haven't even ventured into the ravioli's. Lots of good reviews on the ravioli's - but I repeat, stay away from the gnocchi. I make a good gnocchi, and I only eat them in restaurants down the North End or at Fiorella's. OH! I always do pick up.... AND if you are doing a group larger than 4 - you WILL need pick-up... I so wish they delivered...
(5)
Germain W.
I am genuinely puzzled by the high ratings for Comella's. My gf and I just got back from dinner at Comella's. And right now, we are cooking at home...... why? well... because we are still hungry! We basically took 2-3 bites of our food at Comella's and and just couldn't continue. Yes, it was that bad. My spinach gnocci was overcooked and all soggy. The sauce tasted like some cheap store-bought tomatoe sauce. My gf ordered shrimp and veggie pasta... I could not believe how bad her dish was. They literally boiled everything in water and served it (without seasoning). I mean, I would have expected they at least toss the shrimp in olive oil, garlic, salw & pepper to brown them before mixing them in with the pasta... but noooo... that would have been too much to ask. Bertolli's would have tasted better than what we had tonight at Comella's.
(1)
John B.
Can't give them 5 stars since I've only had one dish, but I can say that the chicken parm is definitely worth five stars. The sauce is fantastic and I assume they must use it in a number of their recipes. When we visit Wellesley again, I'm insisting on ordering from Comella's.
(4)
Hayley B.
I've had their bright pink menu lurking in my house for the past couple months and FINALLY took the opportunity to grab takeout from there. I don't eat takeout often so when I do I want it to be great and it met my expectations! I got my go-to, which is Eggplant Parm, and after reading the reviews on here I got it with "mess" - totally loved the eggplant parm and liked the mess, next time I will try a "mess". Really delicious sauce, thinly sliced eggplant (the way I like it) piled high, the perfect amount of cheese and a portion big enough to last me for 2 hearty meals, or 3 regular meals (I ordered the single serving). I will definitely be back. Parking is tight on the weekends but spots open up quickly enough with some patience.
(4)
Kate K.
Yum yum yum yum yum, thats basically I have to say :) I have a hard time going to other italian places bc I love Comella's so much...you def have to try it!
(5)
Rick K.
Love Ma's mess! Really good food. Terrific service.
(4)
Carrie M.
Once a month my friends and I go to dinner & Target. Seriously, one shopping cart, three girls armed with a shopping list, fun! We try to eat somewhere different each time, preferably somewhere none of us have tried before. I generally use Yelp to help choose the location. Thank you Yelp for the reviews on Comella's! The lasagna was AMAZING, and I don't even like lasagna! I liked that they serve it with pasta (we chose ziti) so that it's not just a cheese overload. And the tomato sauce was so fresh and delicious. The sweet potato raviolis just melted in my mouth, and the plate of them was huge! Even better that you can pick your sauce for them (we went with the garlic and oil). Speaking of garlic, make sure you get an order of the garlic bread with your meal - yum! The portions are huge, we split two dishes between the three of us and still had leftovers (and one person was eating for two!). We liked it so much we were trying to figure out when we could go back, and that's totally against our dining rules. Sometimes though, rules are meant to be broken, right?
(5)
Michael G.
This place is great for those nights you are tired and dont feel like cooking. Call ahead for fast hot food you can bring home. Good, cheap italian plates that can feed the whole family. Cant go wrong with the sausage and meatball mess.
(4)
Jack S.
Can't understand why this place has such high ratings, they microwave the food. Menu is good in theory, but in theory, communism works. It's italian food, but its mediocre quality, and just zapped together in the microwave real quick.
(2)
Sarah P.
I have been back to Comella's a couple times since my positive experience there, and unfortunately, each experience since has been poor. Most recently my fiancee and I ordered two dishes for take-out. Pasta with chicken and alfredo sauce for him and chicken parm with extra marinara for me. Both were total failures. His alfredo sauce was like nothing I have ever seen--it was gloppy and stuck to the pasta in little chunks. Even after he heated it up, he couldn't get the sauce to mix with the pasta...it just stayed stuck to the linguine in little bits and tasted like a grainy but soft mixture of Parmesan cheese and butter. My chicken parm had barely any cheese on it and all the sauce for the pasta was soaked up by the very heavily breaded chicken cutlet. And they forgot to include the extra marinara I ordered. I won't be returning to this place.
(1)
Rusty Shackleford D.
I've had more Italian food than anyone I know, and this is the best Italian take-out I have ever had. Their customizable "mess" is their signature dish but you can get it almost any way you like. They have multiple locations in the Boston Suburbs. This location is tiny and on a busy road in the West Newton Village of Newton. OverallFood is really good. Highly recommended.
(4)
Erica T.
If you are hungry, eat here! Quick yet friendly service here. You'll get your food in less than 15 minutes. I usually get the chicken parm with pasta which is huge and fantastically good! I usually cannot finish it, but most of it and not enough to take home. Their garlic bread is really good too. Home made I suppose. The mess looks really good, if you like a lot of cheese and other Italian ingredients! Overall, no complaints!
(4)
Jimmie L.
We've heard for ages about this "mess" that you get when you go to Comella's, and since we were driving up from RI back to Newton last night, and didn't feel like cooking, we figured we would give Comella's a try. I have to say, we weren't as impressed as everyone else on the list. I LOVE the idea of the 'mess' but not the execution. I was hoping that it would have more pasta in it, and less cheese in the sauce. I suppose it could have been the 'mess' that was made yesterday, but we weren't "wowed" by it. The value was definitely there. For the amount of food we got (mess, salad, garlic bread) we didn't spend a lot of moola. So in that regard, it was spot on. If I didn't feel like cooking, I probably wouldn't go back to Comella's as a first choice, there are too many other places in Newton that I would get take out from before Comella's. I will be trying it again, tho, because reviewers that I trust have given it 5 stars, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt. NOTE: parking behind CVS across the street is your best bet for this busy section of West Newton.
(3)
Jonathan S.
Comella's is awesome. The small dining space is clean and comfortable, but I prefer to take out. There's a guy at the small wine shop across the street who asks me if I'm "in sales" every time I go in (I'm not)...kind of odd (offensive?), but still a good 1-2 punch: mess from Comella's + a cheap bottle of wine from the guy across the street = perfectly relaxed and slightly drunken evening at home. Also, I think they have a magic stove (microwave?) because seemingly nothing takes more than 3 minutes to emerge from the kitchen.
(5)
Nat P.
Well this review is of the "mess" I got the Grandpa mess with sausage and meatballs. First in terms of sheer volume of meat the mess gets 5 stars. And really that's the problem. There's too much meat and not enough pasta and cheese. The cheese is ricotta and not mozzarella which I prefer. The meatballs were first rate but I disliked the sausage's texture. Also the sauce is somewhat acidic. Because of all the sauce and lack of pasta a slice of toasted italian bread would be nice. I realize this place is very popular and stars are a subjective thing. Maybe the shells would be more to my liking. Very small place so you'll likely either do take out or wait if you want to eat here on a Friday or Saturday. Like Jillian Q. I'd give it 3.5 stars
(3)
Anino X.
Oh man do I love this place. The Mess is a great "mystery" dish, especially if you're the type that digs extra-cheesey goodness in their pasta. I've also tried the fusili (homemade no less) and the sandwiches are pretty huge, especially if you go with the meatball/chicken combo. The portions are immense and the area's a bit crowded so grab your order to go.
(5)
Deborah K.
Tonight I had the most unbelievable experience at this restaurant. 20 minutes after receiving my dinner and glass of wine, my party was told that "the girls" had to leave because it was closing time. "Would we, as customers, please finish and leave"! We were threatened by the owner who said, "I am calling the police" because, "you refuse to leave"! We were harrassed and finally left! Others on the sidewalk had just experienced the same treatment! We all agreed that we would spread the word and this would be the end of Comellas for us!
(1)
Jen J.
Great place for good, reasonably priced, Italian take-out. They make a really tasty red sauce and you definitely have to try the mess. The menu is quite extensive with choices/combinations of chicken, veal, shrimp, sausage, meatball, and veggies. I love everything I have tried! My favorite is probably the sausage because it is really fresh and has a nice kick to it. The meatballs are good and huge! I'm also a fan of their stuffed shells. I can't leave out the chicken and veal though; they slice the chicken and veal cutlets thin and pile them on. So GOOD! You'll find yourself wanting to eat the whole plate, but you'll most likely have enough for another meal. This is the perfect place when you're not in the mood to cook after a long day of work and you're craving something yummy, but don't want fast food or have to wait 20 minutes for a take-out order. There are some small tables with limited seating. It can definitely be a cute, romantic spot for a late dinner. They also serve wine. There is a new location in Wellesley near the Whole Foods on Washington Street.
(5)
Robert L.
I went to Comella's this week based on the previous reviews. They were right on the mark. Except for the date bit. A little cramped inside but good food choices, excellent service, and reasonable prices. Not much more you could ask for.
(5)
Michael S.
Great food, but NOT a BYO joint. I recommend any of the messes, but am fond of Grandpas. If you want BYO, the Wellesley location still is....a 'single' mess will get you 2 1/2 meals out of it and is $8-$12. Parking can be tight, don't park in the CVS lot, try behind the bank directly behind Comellas or on the street, if you can find it.
(4)
Dom M.
So my gf and I walked around the area popping in and out of places looking for a bite and we went for Comella's. We've been in Newton for about a year but hadn't been so we were probably due. First problem was that ordering ahead makes a little more sense since after I ordered I looked like a dope standing in the middle of the place. (all the tables were full). It was fast though so I got out of there pretty quick. Portions are a good size. Shrimp scampi was good, though a little light on the shrimp. Grandpa's mess was really good. The sausage was incredible. I didn't dig the lasagna. The cheese was just too rich and something about the sauce. Ill probably go back and try a few different things.
(3)
Melissa M.
F Yes! I love you Comella's. I love getting a parking spot on the street and swinging open the screen door and hearing it slam behind me. Reminds me of being a kid and coming into the cottage. No one yells at me when I slam the door here, they don't even notice because they are too busy making love to their chicken parm. I love your sumptous meatballs that swim in the succulent homemade meat sauce. I love that you serve pellegrino and pour a mighty fine chianti at a reasonable price. I love that when I went there an adorable 14 year old was working behind the counter on a school night! I hope his parents are the Comella's otherwise that is just mean. You order at a counter and take a seat at their very tiny seating area (maybe 12 people can fit in all). Then the nice girl will bring you your delectable food. If I worked their I'd want to be paid in Chianti and meatballs. I'll be back!
(5)
Jonathan R.
Can you say comfort food? The Mess is delicous. My personal favorite is the Eggplant and Chicken Parm Mess, it is excellent. Generous portions at a reasonable price.
(4)
Jose G.
thoroughly impressed with everything my family has ordered from this place. now i can say for my coworkers as well. ordered the lasagna party platters for this past weekend and everyone was quite enamored by their deliciousness. i have had several of their messes and their meatball/sausage sandwich and they are all very delicious. I have been to both the west roxbury and newton locations and they deliver consistent products. overall i strongly encourage
(4)
Nicole S.
What a tasty veal parm sandwich for just 7 little dollars! And there was so many options! We weren't sure about this "bucket" thing. Do I want lasagna in a bucket? Perhaps I'll have to go back and find out!
(4)
Jen and Tim S.
Tim got a "mess" I got chicken parm - delicious!!! The service was incredibly friendly ... we just moved to the area and it felt like they were inviting us to be their new regulars. I had a great glass of wine, too (though it cost $6/glass which seemed high considering the surroundings). Can't wait to get take out from here on a chilly night. It's incredibly affordable!
(5)
Julie A.
I will add to this review when I have gone a few more times, but my first impression was good. Reasonably priced, great menu, and very tasty. It's the type of place where you order from behind the counter so it's quick. My 3 star rating is because my dish was lukewarm at best.
(3)
cara c.
so friggin' good! my friend and i were famished after a day of working out at the gym, and what better way to undo all the hard work we did than eat a giant plate of pasta? i ordered the tortellini...it was so fresh and the marinara sauce was out of this world good. would definitely recommend.
(5)
Laura M.
This teeny little restaurant will serve up a lot of food from an extensive menu. Tastes just like something from my Italian grandma's kitchen, AND it's pretty cheap! I don't go out for Italian very often because I'd generally rather just cook some for myself, but my boyfriend loves their eggplant parm (I think he likes it better than mine, grr...) so every once in a while I indulge him, and I never regret it. I'm a big fan of their various ravioli stylings, myself, which I can justify ordering because homemade ravioli is kind of a pain to produce. Total comfort food.
(5)
Dana B.
I used to work here so maybe I am biased but the "mess" is spectacular. It's a tiny little place with lots of charm located right next to the West Newton cinema. Last I knew it was BYOB and there is a liquor store across the streets. It's priced really well and the portions are very generous. It tends to get really busy and crowded on the weekends or just before movie time.
(4)
Jean N.
This is a wonderful place to go! The menu is gigantic, and the prices are fairly reasonable, especially considering the great portions you are served. The food is ready to go or on the table within 10 minutes of ordering, and it was unbelievably good. The only downside is that parking is somewhat limited (on street if you can find it, or in another store's lot illegally.) The service is pleasant, the restaurant is clean, and the atmosphere is pleasantly casual.
(5)
Rachael K.
This place feels like a hole-in-the-wall pizza joint or sub shop but there is quite an extensive Italian menu and good sized portions. Prices were a bit more than I expected for the ambiance of the place but were good considering the portion sizes. If you're eating in you order at the counter and they bring the food to the table (a few tables outside too). We had chicken parm and lasagna, both with mess (a mix of different kinds of pasta/shells/eggplant parm served how you think of getting something with pene). They were good but nothing to write home about. Maybe we should have been a little more adventures with our selections because it's hard to make chicken parm and lasagna exciting!
(3)
Melanie S.
Who's hungry? If you are and you are craving Italian food and you happen to be in the vicinity of Newton, stop by Comella's and order the "mess". You will be hungry no more...and your wallet will not suffer for it.
(5)
michelle w.
This restaurant came recommend from friends... boy they were right! We got take-out and ordered 1/2 bucket of Grandpa's Mess (a tray full of pasta with cheese, meatballs and spicey sausage-- Delish!) I will be frequenting this place for take out for sure! Only wish I had discovered it sooner!
(5)
Reid F.
I'm not sure about everything they serve, because when I go to Comella's, I only order the veal parmagiana with the homemade fusilli. I know that sounds silly, because the menu is huge, but it happens to be the best veal parm I've ever had. If I went every day, I might order something else. Then again, maybe not.
(5)
Geneva B.
Comella's is home to the best italian food you'll ever eat. Bring a date! It's incredably inexpensive! I go there whenever i can. Every item on the menu is delicious! (And it has a VERY long menu.)
(5)
Leslie K.
My parents are low-carb people. After visiting them, I always feel like stuffing my face into a huge plate of pasta. Let me tell you, there is no better place to do this than Comella's. I got the meatball mess (delicious red sauce, a huge, juicy meatball, on top of their "mess"). Boyfriend got the chicken parm -- he's Italian and proclaimed it delicious as well. A ton of food for little money. They also serve beer and wine, and their entire menu is available for takeout.
(4)
K D.
So yummy, we order from Comella's maybe once a week - - I love the Sammy's mess. I usually only order out and take home that delicious garlic bread! We don't usually eat there since it is so small, and whenever the door opens it is freezing. I took take out to my aunt when she was at the hospital and it brought a big smile to her face.
(4)
F C.
Great food, reasonable prices, I highly suggest the eggplant parm. with mess. There is something special in everything they make. People used to tell me that everything there tastes great, however, I was a skeptic until I tried it. No regrets! There is really something amazing in their sauce.
(5)
T T.
Still Amazing! BUT, get the stuffed shells with eggplant and mess ($6.99, you get a huge amount of the amazing eggplant, mess and flavorful stuffed shells.
(5)
Will H.
Ah mess, you are so yummy. Seriously, the Nephew's mess with meatballs (which is eggplant and meatball mess) is incredible. They also have really good garlic bread. Comfort food, a little on the heavy side.
(4)
J C.
Mmmm tasty. Came here for lunch after reading some of the reviews. I don't know what they put in this mess (GrandPa's Mess), but it sure is good. With a rich tomato sauce and plentiful meatballs, sausage and cheese, I will definitely return here to try out the other items on the menu. Service was quick. Place is small. Passed by this place countless times and am glad to have finally tried it. A future 5 star may be at hand...
(4)
Emilia D.
For good, cheap, friendly, fast Italian, trek out to Newton for some great stuff. Comella's is a Newton institution, and they have just opened up a Deli a few doors down...but Comella's itself cannot be beat. Their mess plates are a huge serving of pasta, meats, sauces, and cheese. If you are hungry, get one plate for yourself, but if not its best to share. Highly reccomended! Very chill, very fun, great relaxing date spot.
(5)
Laura R.
For the best homeade fussilli you will ever eat, come to Comella's! Fast, fanstastic food, this place gives feel good italian a new name! The resturant is a little hole in the wall, with small tables and not much decour to speak of, but the huge menu with pasta galore makes up for it! Try one of the messes- a combination of every pasta (and meat) all put together in a surprisingly yummy concoction! It is located right next to the West Newton Theater, so grab a date for a pre-movie meal!
(5)
Christina V.
Not a fan of this place and it's unfortunate because I work next door. It's a great concept, homemade pastas and messes but the food just isn't good. I've had a variety of things and there's always something not great about it. One time I got gnocchi with oil and garlic and it was so drenched in oil and encased in garlic I had to go back. The salads are often sad looking. The chicken is pounded SO thin there's barely any meat left. I used to go here often for convenience but can't stomach it anymore.
(2)
Dan R.
Up until tonight, I knew the name Greg Comella as a football player for the New York Giants. He played with them for four years (including their 2000 Super Bowl loss to the Ravens) during his seven year NFL career. His career stats include 17 carries, 95 receptions, and one touchdown. But after tonight, I'll also associate his name with some super tasty Italian food and his string of twelve restaurants around Boston. We enjoyed a great take-out meal tonight. Huge trays of chicken parm, lasagna, ziti, Caprese salad, and dessert in the form of mini chocolate chip cannolis. I have nothing but kind words to say about all of the choices. The chicken cutlets were moist and tender, the lasagna was cheesy and delicate, the pasta was perfectly cooked, the garlic bread was fresh and excellent, and the red sauce was very flavorful and delicious. The Caprese salad was a real winner- crisp and fresh Romaine, beefy tomatoes, and thick slabs of very good mozzarella. And let's not forget dessert, the cannolis were sweet and fresh and were a perfect way to finish off this gargantuan meal. The entrees and salad was served in the "half bucket" size. Each was advertised to serve "3 to 4" but that seems pretty far fetched unless they are 3 to 4 competitive eaters. The trays were huge. Touchdown Comella!
(4)
Alexandra R.
I wish that there were a Comella's in NYC- this place is out of control AMAZING! Every time I am in Boston I make sure to go here because it is such a treat. The red sauce is nothing short of magnificent, and it is highly addictive. Some of my favorite dishes are the eggplant parmigiana, chicken parmigiana, meatball and pasta platter, and the garlic knots. You should go out of your way to check this place out!
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : No Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : No Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Rob C.
Seems to me an underserved market for takeout is places that give you a huge pile of good pasta, sauce, and if you want, meat. Stuff that you could cook, mostly, but don't want to. These places exist, of course, and are valuable, precisely because they never exist in quite the variety of pizza or Chinese places. So with a new day job comes new lunch options, and I was pretty psyched to find that Comella's was nearby, when wandering looking for what to eat. So i perused their sizable menu, and settled on pasta with white wine-cream-sauce type of stuff and broccoli and chicken. And it was tasty, if a little watery, and there was plenty of it. While i've had better, i'd go back plenty, except it came to like $13, which is kinda tough to do for lunch. Maybe i picked from the wrong side of the menu or something. The gold standard for a brick of cheap pasta was always Ravioli's further up the hill in Newton. The best takeout pasta is Blackjack in the Fens, which is better than a lot of restaurants, but spendy. Comella's is somewhere in between, but maybe i can do better the next time and improve their marks.
(3)Jamie S.
Being from CT, I was not familiar with Comella's and found it through Yelp. Comella's is a cool concept for quick Italian. This is cozy cafe style place with a chalkboard menu. The menu has all of the traditional Italian dishes from entrees to sandwiches to salads. We had the chicken parm sandwich, pesto chicken sandwich, and a side of pasta with marinara. All items were satisfying and presented as you would expect them to be. They also serve beer and wine. If I was in the area, I would probably check them out again.
(3)Bill L.
Worst experience ever!!! Ordered food from here last night, came out to $96....for that price they could have given me a box to help carry the food and the girls at the counter could have been nicer, they were clearly high school girls with attitudes. Found HUGE HAIR in my calamari (which wasn't even the worst part of it). The worst part being the calamari has zero flavor, was TERRIBLY overcooked and literally i had to gnaw on it to even eat it. Ive had easier times digesting rubber bands. The wings we ordered were boneless honey BBQ wings.....from my picture you can see just how much sauce they give u, literally not even a coating...and the dipping sauce was broken and fishy. Called to tell them about the hair....they didnt really care they offered to refund my $7.99....ok?? SO SICKENING!!!!! Very dissapointed, check out my pictures to see for yourself.
(1)Ayelet R.
I really like the concept of Comella's: a simple and small space with a huge variety of pasta dishes that don't cost an arm and a leg. The atmosphere feels very homey, and as a huge pasta lover, it's pretty hard to resist. I considered getting gnocchi, though I figured it's probably the packaged frozen kind, so instead opted for the sweet potato ravioli. The ravioli itself was so so good - the pasta was soft and thick (I can't vouch for it, but it seemed like it was handmade) and the filling was delicious, lightly spiced to bring out the best of the sweet potatoes. I like that you can choose which sauce to go with it, and I opted for the pesto instead of the standard marinara sauce that it usually comes with. I usually love pesto and while I did enjoy this one well enough, I also thought it was too salty and oily, so much that it kind of detracted from the taste of those delicious ravioli. If there is a next time, I think I'll opt for a different sauce. My mom had the eggplant mess, which I wasn't super impressed by - though we were told that it would include a variety of pastas as well as stuffed shells, it actually only had penne. Though I suppose if it changes day to day, it might be worth another try. I also ordered an Aranciata San Pellegrino which was totally warm. On the plus side, free WiFi!
(3)Gregory F.
I would give this place maybe 2 stars: they serve up almost everything in a real acidic tomato sauce, twice as expensive as the local pizza place (although this comellas doesn't serve pizza) but generally put together enough and a notch above in quality and presentation. To be clear, 12 something for takeout pasta. Stay away from scampi (1 part canola oil to 1 part shrimp). The reason for the one star is my 5 year old, who actually likes the spaghetti and meatballs (I think they are the high point of this place as well), needed to use the bathroom and they didn't let her so we had to leave mid-lunch. The counter guy was uber polite and asked the guy in the back, who shook his head. Again, this is $27 lunch for two, which consisted of a kids meal, a sandwich, an orangina and two beers. And 4 or 5 tables but nowhere for your kid to pee. So I guess you could call it mediocre and live with it because you're in west newton and its slim pickings, but just don't go there with kids (or adults) who can't hold it when they really really have to go.
(1)Liz B.
I love Comella's for take out (not bad for eating in, but small and sort of a takeout ambiance...). It's Italian red sauce food, and it's great! I almost always get a Mess (pasta dish) to share with the family and a meatball or chicken parm sandwich. Their pizzas are great and cost $5! You can't get food this good for this price anywhere!
(4)Dot T.
Sooooo bad! I know this is an area where there are not many good reasonable priced places to eat.. but this is not one of them!!! Had limited time and decided to try it. Oh boy do old yelp reviews come true. They talked me into the "mess" claiming it was an assortment of pasta as opposed to just ziti and we'd love it. Ok for $1 more we tried it. We got ZITI. .. ONLY ZITI. When I went to pay and asked for an adjustment of the bill, the 15 year old girl looked like a dear in headlights and had clearly been prepped to say "it comes with extra cheese even though the pasta is the same". ..BS.. there was No...zero. .zilch. . cheese as it was and I clearly asked before ordering and was told by the same 15 year old "yeah at least 5 different pastas. .everyone loves it". I stated these facts and she was not budging on the price. I wasnt going to argue with a kid and the "manager didn't come in for 2 days according to her schedule. So $2 down. Didn't realize until after we left that I was also overcharged on my meal $2 because she put down both grilled and breaded chicken even though she suggested breaded which I got, not both So much for an innocent 15 year old. The garlic bread was cold and not even cooked. Clearly they prep it early and throw it in the oven for a few minutes...too few. I can't believe people think this food is good! It's prepared, half canned, mediocre food heated to order which makes it less than mediocre. They take plates of prepared pasta microwave it with standard sauce and throw whatever on it. .. a chicken cutlet... or half a cutlet I should say. And collect the money. The owner is making a killing serving bad for food lazy people in a dead area I guess. ... it's a niche. .we won't be back though. If you're not lazy in a dead area go somewhere else.. please. .. yuck
(1)Lily L.
Comella's is the best comfort food in the world. Their "messes" are anything but -- they are just perfection! I also highly recommend a caesar salad with breaded chicken! And the garlic bread! not really a spot to dine-in, but you can if you feel like it... Really great for takeout, family gatherings, etc.
(4)Eric W.
Haven't been here in a while, but do recall that I really enjoyed their pasta and meatballs. Standard cheese pizza is also extremely affordable.
(4)Adam L.
Comella's is awesome! They have great sandwiches, messes (pasta with mixed in meats/veggies/etc), and the best fettuccine alfredo! Their prices are good, and the staff is very nice. I go to Comella's when I am feeling like eating home made food, that is cooked by someone else :)
(5)Buddy F.
This restaurant is the greatest! Finished up a lasagna loaded with meat and cheese, even the noodles tasted fresh. Cheese was stringy, hot, bubbling.
(4)Scott T.
We were turned off at our brief Comella's experience. First, when we called they said that they did not accept reservations, but not to worry because they wouldn't be busy and there were plenty of tables. I can only assume she had been joking, because the place had maybe ten tables total and all but two were taken. We asked the girl behind the counter if we could combine the two tables to accommodate the three of us - she said no problem. So, we combine them and start to sit down when one of the waiters rushes out and scolds us, proceeds to separate the tables, and rushes off without so much as suggesting what we should do. With no place to wait, we awkwardly stand around for a couple of minutes and then decide to head to Vecchia Roma, who welcomes us and provides a five-star meal. We won't be back to Comella's again, sorry!
(1)Holly K.
By the time I made it to Comella's I was starving!! Luckily my friend and I were able to snag one of the few seats available there and put our stuff down before we ordered. Not having any idea what a "mess" was, the cashier was happy to explain it to us. I ordered a mess with sausage. Finally our food came out and my friend and I dove in. Unfortunately, there was no sausage to be found! The line was too long and I was too hungry to bring it back and wait for a whole new one to come out. My friend ordered the meatball mess, it seemed like instead of taking the time to make the two separate orders they just doubled up on the first instead. The mess was good, it could have just used a touch more seasoning. I will go back and hopefully my order will be correct and a bit more seasoned!
(3)Victoria M.
Great comfort food, great prices without the crazy wait times and attitudes of those other Italian places. If you're never tried their "Messes" then please do-so. You can add "Mess" to practially anything on the menu, so good!
(5)Vivian C.
This place is on the same block as the West Newton movie theater, and across the street from Lumiere. Order at the counter, situation yourself at one of a number of small tables (perhaps 8 or so? each set with a pair of chairs), and your food will be delivered rather soon on plates along with double napkin wrapped silverware, and non-too-hot. I had heard that their shrimp was pretty fresh and their meatballs tasty, so I ordered the Bear's mess ($11.99 according to the menu online) with its shrimp and eggplant with a $1.50 for a meatball not quite the size of a tennis ball while my friend the lasagna lover selected the lasagna (surprise!) which came on pasta $6.99 - we got it with ziti. The Eggplant part of Bear's arrived as a nice thick slab of thin breaded eggplant, while the shrimp was a scattering of maybe 5 good sized shrimp. As for the mess itself, I was told that they make a new version every 2 hours. Ours arrived with a tasty sweet tomato meat sauce on ziti with no visible vegetables. I preferred this sauce over the simple meatless tomato sauce that arrived with the lasanga ziti plate. Two dessert options were available the night of our visit - cannoli or tiramisu. Wish I could have tried them, but didn't have the room for either as the two of us had polished off both entrees. Not a bad choice for a quick meal, but if you want your food made for you fresh, this definitely ain't it.
(3)Horrible F.
who puts avacado's on an italian sub? Horrible Won't be going back
(1)Kza W.
I didnt know what to get and was told by an employee what seemed to be a good fit for me based on what I asked for; sausage,meatballs & chicken with allot of garlic... And it was EXCELLENT
(4)Christina K.
I dont know how they stay in business, awful food and they are so cheap with the sauce!! Always pay for extra meat sauce but still it doesn't cover all the pasta. Just had their Italian sub and the meats were so dry and tasteless. Omg!!
(1)Rick L.
Good food, friendly service, although the only pizza place I've heard to run out of pizza on busy weekend nights.
(4)Chaya B.
It's between a 4.5 and 5 stars. Their sauce/gravy is what makes this restaurant so yummy! I usually order the veal mess with meat sauce. Recently I got turned on to the pizza. Best deal ever! An 8 slice cheese pizza $5.00. I have also had the white pizza with shrimp. Scampi on pizza, is their anything better? Thin crust pizza, not greasy and no burnt air holes. My only critique is the choices of drinks, some what limited. If you eat in and ask for water it's a little plastic cup, and no wait staff for a refill. My locations: West Roxbury, Chestnut Hill and West Newton.
(4)Karen W.
Comella's is a great take-out Italian restaurant. Orders are ready within 10-15 minutes for pick-up or eating in their table area. They also remember your phone number and name so you don't have to say your name more than once - yay personalized service! They offer hot and cold sandwiches, ravioli of many types (lobster, asparagus, sweet potato, goat cheese, and squash for example), many noodle and sauce combinations, lots of entrees (calamari parmesan, lasagna, stuffed shells), and a few desserts (tiramisu and canoli) which are tasty. They've also recently started serving beer and wine with meals, and offer lots of drinks including San Pellegrino orange (my favorite!) My favorites are their entrees with mess or ziti on the side, and any type of mess. So delicious and filling, and always different! A mess is a vegetarian tomato sauce base with included ingredients which vary day to day - veggies, shells, ziti, lasagne, battered fried eggplant, etc. You can order a mess as a side, or as a main dish you can order it with any type of meat or combination (meatballs, shrimp, sausage, etc) or wth veggies, lasagne, stuffed shells, etc. So good! A single portion fills anyone I've taken here absolutely to bursting, and would feed two easily. They have many portion sizes, so it would make a great place for a big family take-out order to share. They do automatically add cheese to the sauce, so if you want a lighter dish, tell them to hold the cheese :) It's a great place for a cheap, quick meal that fills you up with warmth on a wintry evening. The atmosphere is a bit lacking, but it's a takeout place - bring it home to have some more atmosphere if you like, but it's great for friendly talking over a meal. Try it out!
(4)Ben P.
A great little hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant! It's a small place with only a few tables to sit at if you want to eat there. Parking isn't great; you're limited to on-street parking or finding a lot behind the bank. 'casual environment' is an understatement. However, once you get beyond that, I think you'll be awesomely surprised! As I am a vegetarian, my ability to review italian restaurants is somewhat limited. They offer Italian 'Mess'es which my family has frequently enjoyed. What stands out to me, however, is their homemade fusilli. You might be thinking: "oh, that's the spiral pasta in the supormarket!" Not at the place! Their fusilli is a long noodle with a cross section of an 'S'. It's totally delicious! I am always very particular about pesto sauces as I don't like creamy sauces. Their pesto is a tightly packed oil-based sauce. It's very dense in basil-y goodness! More basil = more yummy! I've gotten the marinara sauces in the past, but not recently enough to detail beyond "delicious". Their dishes don't come standard with bread. However, you can get a slice of garlic bread as a side. The garlic bread is a 1" thick cross section of a loaf of bread. Think of this more as "two slices". If you get a half loaf, which they'll tell you is 4 slices, it will really be a hearty section of bread. It is delicious though! I've always liked packing pesto or marinara sauce onto the bread for extra flavour! In the past, they have offered military discounts. I forgot to ask about it the last time I was there. For a cheap, but awesome meal, I would definitely recommend!
(4)Rachel K.
I had a great time on my first trip to Comella's. For a low-key, small restaurant that seems to primarily do take-out business, I was happy to see wine and beer on the menu as my boyfriend and I were popping in to eat dinner. Alcohol always wins bonus points in my book ;-). The garlic bread, simple + basic, but extremely hit-the-spot delicious. Also to my surprise, I was able to order two types of raviolis in a "single order" ... I was pretty excited about this. Each on their own sounded too plain, but combined? Perfect! I am still wondering if the goat cheese ravioli actually has goat cheese in it, as I couldn't taste any. This was a disappointment; they must use other cheeses and use the sliiiiightest amount of goat cheese. The eggplant raviolis, however, were superb. My go to sauce is always a light sauce so I was pleased that they serve an "oil/butter/garlic" sauce. The sauce was good but a little heavy on the garlic! Service was extremely friendly and timely. Comella's will most likely become a regular in my take-out rotation.
(3)Kelley V.
Loved the Italian mess with sausage, meatballs, onions, peppers and mushrooms! My daughter and I should have split a single order though as I was more than full just eating half. Great casual place that served homemade food in fast food time. I'd go back if I'm ever in this part of the country again. My only criticism would be the quality of the fresh tomatoes in April. But then again, I'm comparing it to our produce back in California and that's probably not fair.
(4)Heather S.
Delicious food at amazing prices, fast! I had an eggplant sub for dinner for $5.25. It was the best five bucks I've spent in a long time! The eggplant was soft but not mushy and not greasy. The sauce was delightful -- a perfect mix of sweet and spicy. Though, there's a small dining area, I took it to go. The staff was friendly. The only setback is no delivery service. But, for good food, cheap, and fast, I'll count my blessings!
(5)Laura T.
This place is the definition of 'hole in the wall' but the food is awesome! I had some sort of 'mess' which was a mix of different kinds of pastas with sauce and then whatever you wanted on top (eggplant, meatballs, sausage, chicken, shrimp, etc). I was really surprised by the quality of the food... it's just like Mom used to make! One point off for the horrible parking situation and the fact that they don't have a bathroom (that's a real minus for me!). I will definitely be stopping by again if I'm in the area and looking for a quick and inexpensive meal.
(4)l. a.
Any time I tell people that I live in Newton, they ask me if I've eaten at Comella's. Usually I smirk and admit that I had not. Well, this past weekend I've finally tried it and I am a fan! I am such a fan that I went two days in a row and plan to eat there again tomorrow for lunch. :) I am very critical when it comes to Italian food so I was definitely nervous about this tiny place on Washington. ESP when my food arrived at my table and the pasta was mixed into the sauce and the mozzarella cheese wasnt melted. However, once I mixed it all together and closed my eyes it was G-R-E-A-T. 4 stars for Comellas.
(4)Matthew A.
I stopped in here after many Yelper recommendations. When I got here I was a bit shocked by how small the dining area was and how BIG the menu was. I brought a bottle of wine (BYOB) with me but I instead took our order to go as our home would be much more comfortable and nice than the small and plain dining room. HUGE PORTIONS and the lasagna and chicken parm is to die for. GO Comella's!!
(3)P C.
Though we loved this place at first, after ordering here 3 or 4 times over the last few weeks, we found the overall quality inconsistent. Pasta being over-cooked and mushy is a pet peeve of mine. The other problem I have is with the food being too heavy. I love pasta and red sauce, and I can pack away two platefuls if I want to....but if I eat to much Comella's I feel a little ill. I'm not sure if it's too much cheese or too much oil in the sauce....but something is not sitting well.... I can eat twice as much at Bertucci's or Paparazzi's and not get that feeling. So, I'm downgrading from 4 stars to 3
(3)David B.
I am a coward. I was just too chicken to try "The Mess" but the meatball's and everything else I have tried was good. The place is very small with tables to have lunch or dinner. The menu above the counter takes some time to go through so take your time and do not be shy to ask questions. Like most areas in Newton/Waban parking in this area is hard to find especially on weekends.
(3)Glenn B.
Great food! Terrible parking situation in their W. Newton location. Eggplant parm is incredible and really enjoy being able to sit and eat or order for take out. Wine selection is fair. Good, fast service. Always crowded and very few tables! Great deal for food that tastes like it's been cooking all day! Very homey.
(4)Keith M.
I had a ceasar salad and the Eggplant mess. The salad was large with plenty of homemade croutons. The dressing was a bit watery though. A few good pieces of eggplant on top of a mess of ziti, et al. Plenty of sauce. Too much? Decide for yourself.
(3)Jillian Q.
This is another example of how I wish yelp would allow half stars. I would definitely give 3.5 but it's not quite up to 4 stars in my opinion. My husband and I went for lunch last weekend when we were craving something other than pizza. The selection at Comella's is vast, with lots of homemade pastas and classic Italian-American choices. We waited a while at the front counter for someone to notice us and we placed our order and sat down. Two other groups came in an placed orders at the front as well. My husband and I ordered two pasta dishes (more about that in a bit) and the two other groups has pasta and sandwiches - I noticed this because BOTH groups got their food before us. Anyways, I ordered the goat cheese ravioli with pesto sauce and my husband ordered the gnocchi with tomato sauce. We were asked when we placed our orders if we wanted cheese on top and, honestly, who is going to say no to that? My raviolis were really good but it was interesting because they had roasted red peppers combined with the goat cheese filling. Now, for me this is not a big deal at all because I LOVE roasted red peppers but I could see someone like my husband ordering them and being absolutely appalled. I even asked the girl if these were the correct raviolis and she said they were. Although I really did like the raviolis, I was NOT a fan of the pesto. It's hard to describe - it was almost a pool of oil in the bottom of the bowl with rough cut basil on top. My husband's meal, though, was pretty impressive. The sauce was fantastic, I kept stealing off his plate. The garlic bread was also warm and yummy. We are definitely going to go back again. The pastas themselves were delicious, but I'm not going to get the pesto again. Comella's was a great deviation from our normal pizza on Saturdays routine.
(3)Julie R.
Nice staff, terrible food.
(3)Adam Z.
My first time going here was last Wednesday. Where to start.... the pasta here is fresh and great! The portion are decently big. The sauce is semi blend I had spinach ravioli with red sauce and it could have used some fresh pepper and garlic but maybe it was just me. The prices are very fair. I'm giving them 4 stars and am only taking off one because there inside is set up like a small pizza shop. I wish there were more resturant, dinning roomy in feel that way I could sit there and enjoy a meal in peace without patrons walking in and hitting me chair left and right. Give this place a good try I'm sure you won't regret it.
(4)Dana W.
There aren't words. So delicious. So cheap. So perfect.
(5)Jim K.
Rib sticking good Italian food. Try a mess, with your favorites added to it. I like iron mike's mess - chicken, meatballs, sausage, and veggies. The mess is like a goulash of Italian pasta and could include everything from lasagna to eggplant to ziti. It changes from time to time so you never know exactly what you'll get. This location has a few tables and is kind of cozy. Good portions and also great if you need a lot of food for a party or meeting.
(5)Susan K.
Italian fast food basically. Alot tastes like junk you might throw together at home with left overs and some old boxed pasta... Price ok. Good in a pinch- when there is no time to throw anything together-- also platters are really reasonably priced
(2)Billy Su B.
Comella's is the place to go if you want a simple, yummy, quick dinner before or after a movie next door :) I just want to clarify: don't go here on a hot date, or for some huge occasion, or to have your last meal on earth. Carlos in allston is better for that. this is quicker, simpler, and the ambiance just feels very "drop in and grab a bite to eat" to me. The lasagna, the chick. parm, and the meatballs are my favorites. I saw someone on this board rating angrily about how uninspired their gnocchi was...and quite frankly, this just isn't the place to order gnocchi, you know?? it's a delicate thing, gnocchi. 9 restaurants out of 10 can't "gnocchi" their way out of a paper bag. it can so easily go awry.. personally, i don't bother to order it unless i'm at an establishment that either A. Boasts it, or B. charges 35 dollars for it in which case it OUGHT to be amazing. point: don't order gnocchi at a casual zip in and out joint, order it at Carlos or Maria's in the North End or something... mistral, WHATEVER ALSO you can have some wine with your meal, which was a surprise to me, as west newton seems to be particularly stingy with their liquor licenses...
(4)Stephanie C.
I was visiting a friend that lives in Boston, and he brought me to Comella's for lunch.. Now being from New York AND 100% Italian I was a little skeptical at first.. It's a small place, but very clean... the choices of food are listed on the wall.. and there were SOO many different things to choose from. I was shocked at how reasonable the prices were too.. which also lead to some more skepticism... I mean, how good can Chicken Parm be for $10?!? I was SO very wrong. I ordered a safe choice and went with the Chicken Parm ... my friend ordered one of the "Mess" dishes- which they are known for. We sat down and waited about 10 minutes before our meal arrived. The portions were huge! I took one bite and fell in love! Everything was soo incredibly delicious!!! I was really surprised! When I go up to Boston to visit I will definitely make my friend take me back ~ If only they had a place like this in New York! Staff was friendly, portions are huge, reasonable prices, quick and absolutely delicious!
(5)Megan A.
As a recent transplant from Maine, I was looking for a substitute for my former addiction- cheap, fast, Italian-style food. Comella's was first on my list. I never had to look anywhere else. My visitors have all found something to eat there, and they've all found it easily. No oven in the apartment, so the first stop was for lasagna. Thumbs up for that and the messes. I ate the cheese ravioli so quickly that I gave myself a stomach ache (and do not regret it for one second). Even my mother had no complaints about her sandwich or her salad, and she usually has a few words about any salad she doesn't make herself. I'm no expert and it's not fine dining, but when I can walk in, place an order, and walk out with said order in under 10 minutes and have everyone happy is a good place in my book.
(4)Kristen H.
Yup, even their messes are good! And the one in Belmont has pizza! Always delicious. Good meatballs too. I love their sauce. And this is coming from an Italian who is VERY picky about sauce!
(4)pete k.
Whoa - how the heck have I not reviewed Comella's yet? Guess the time has come. I - LOVE - THIS - PLACE . I have had take-out here many times, and sampled many different items (generally though, its a Mess of some sort). I've never been disappointed in the food, the service, or the portions. The worst part of the experience is just choosing one thing over another. The latest score (last night, and its still on my mind) was 2 entrees - fresh beef raviolis and the eggplant parm w/ stuffed shells. From experience, I know that just one "single" is enough for 2 people, but its so hard to limit yourself to just one choice. Lets start with the rav's... Umm.. wow. That was the first time I'd had the ravioli, and I will be back. I WILL sample the squash, eggplant, asparagus, and lobster ones before long. There are probably a dozen different kinds, btw. The eggplant is a stacked brick of a masterpiece - layered with pasta, cheese, and breaded eggplant heaven. It was unlike any eggplant dish I've ever concocted or ordered - I could almost (ok, not really) go vegetarian for that dish, if I really had to. The stuffed shells were chock full o ricotta - definitely hard to not try and fit the whole damn shell in your face. And there was a nice layer of ziti in the dish too, just for kicks. Fantastic. Comella's t-o-m-a-t-o sauce most definitely does not compare to any jarred sauce I've tasted, by the way. The chicken parm, sausages, and meatballs are all top notch as well. Ordering is usually about a 10-15 minute wait, so you could call ahead. They have a nice HD TV in place now though if you choose to wait - and, as I observed last night, you could always get a glass of wine while you wait (that guy was a genius)! If money is tight, a "single" sized entree, with a salad, could easily feed two people for $15 - $20 and it'll be way better than most Italian restaurant meals. Parking is always a pain on Washington Street, but you can just turn up Highland Ave and park behind the bank.
(5)Margot D.
I want to have a big party, just so I can order take-out from Comella's and impress everyone. This place ROCKS!!! Great little place in cool West Newton, and there is no better place for a quick meal before or after a movie next-door. I'm a huge fan of "the mess" since it leaves enough leftover for lunch the next day!
(5)Erica Y.
A decidedly neighborhood joint. Small cozy environment, high school kids taking your order, etc, etc. I was feeling something Italian that was lighter but full of fresh flavor, what I got was a "mess" that was more on the heavy comfort food side...tasty, but not quite the experience I expected. On a side note, no longer BYOB. I asked and the high school girl just pointed to the wine bottles, so I take that as no more BYOB.
(3)Kristine M.
I usually love The Mess, but sometimes the ratios are better than others. They also make great meatballs, sandwiches, fusilli...I've never been disappointed there. You can also get frozen messes to reheat later. Great value, great food and for a cheap price. My only wish is that they had more seating. It can get crowded. They have wine there now, so I'm not sure if it's BYOB anymore. Also, someone suggested parking behind the CVS -- don't do that!! It's a private lot!
(5)Mike F.
I Had Comella's tonight for the first time after seeing it on the Phantom Gourmet. I am now a devoted fan of their meatballs. We walked into a small dining room (seating for about 16), with 2 tables for 2 set up outside. The decorations were nice with christmas lights strung over sparkling water bottles creating a light green glow. The left wall has a chalkboard menu and the right is dotted with black and white photos of who I assume are Gene Comella and his family. I ordered a Sam Adams Boston Lager with Aunt Issy's Mess and my date ordered a glass of pinot grigio with Nephew's mess and meatballs. Ok, so it was basically counter service, not a waitstaff. So we get our meals in less than 10 minutes and !SHOCK! I received Aunt Shirley's mess (just a plain mess with stuffed shells; no veggies, meatballs or sausage). After checking with the girl at the counter, she realized that she had misheard me and offered to add in the extra ingredients at no extra charge, I politely declined but this definitely won points with me. So the sauce is great, nice and savory with a hint of sweetness, not too salty and the spices let the tomato shine through. The ziti in my mess was a little overdone, but it actually worked well with the thickness of the sauce and the texture of the ricotta in the shells. On the other hand, my date's mess was GREAT!! The eggplant was nice and tender, but not oily like I've found most restaurants to do it. The sauce was (as previously mentioned) excellent and the meatballs.....fantastic. Really. They were soft but held their shape and were juicy but not underdone. The flavor was nice and beefy with just the right herbs and spices to create that "It's been homemade and simmering in sauce the whole day" taste. Try them, you won't regret it. The Wrap-up: Fast service, great food, great price. I will definitely be back for the meatballs....I'm serious about these things.
(4)Kevin P.
As an Italian I wouldn't really call this place good Italian food. It is a better fast food version of what you would get at Bertucci's or Olive Garden. It is just really good Italian comfort food. (Not that there is anything wrong with that.) I like their Marinara very sweet compared to some of the other places around here. The prices are reasonable and the portions are a really good size. it is a great place to swing by and order out from. Dining in is possible but the place is super tiny. My only complaint about the food was the lack of cheese on their Chicken Parm, they sprinkled some over the entire plate but not a covering on the Chicken Parm itself.
(3)Annie I.
i am not a huge fan of the food here generally, and i've eaten it frequently--mostly because i think it is mostly flavorless. especially the messes. but i LOVE the lasagna and the chicken parm, and the garlic bread is delicious. definitely wear stretchy pants and take-out, the seating is limited.
(3)Kelly R.
Comella's is a favorite neighborhood haunt of mine and my husband's. We always share a single Grandpa's mess (supposed to feed one, but we can't finish it in one sitting between the two of us!), a garden salad with yummy dressing and optional gorgonzola cheese, and a half loaf of some of the best garlic bread I've ever had. For about $17, we eat very well, and have enough left over for one more meal (for one). The value is unbelievable. My only wish is that they accepted American Express. I agree with other reviewers on the meatballs - the sausage is also phenomenal. I also agree with those who recommended takeout over dining in, at least in the West Newton location. Actually - husband just walked in the door with our mess! Time to eat...
(4)Betsy T.
I am Italian (first generation American as a matter of fact). I make homemade pasta and sauce (pasta is a way of life). I love Comella's (especially the mess). All that being said I want to clarify a few things. NEVER by Gnocchi someplace like Comella's, go to a REAL restaurant like Fiorella's. Comella's is great for their mess (I always get one style or another - and it can feed me for DAYS), their meatballs (HUGE in size), and their 'classic' Italian/American items (eggplant or chicken parm., lasagna and subs). I have a few male friends that come up from Connecticut to visit and I always get Comella's. I could cook but why bother when their food is so good, fresh and hot? ONCE more I have never gone beyond the basics, I haven't even ventured into the ravioli's. Lots of good reviews on the ravioli's - but I repeat, stay away from the gnocchi. I make a good gnocchi, and I only eat them in restaurants down the North End or at Fiorella's. OH! I always do pick up.... AND if you are doing a group larger than 4 - you WILL need pick-up... I so wish they delivered...
(5)Germain W.
I am genuinely puzzled by the high ratings for Comella's. My gf and I just got back from dinner at Comella's. And right now, we are cooking at home...... why? well... because we are still hungry! We basically took 2-3 bites of our food at Comella's and and just couldn't continue. Yes, it was that bad. My spinach gnocci was overcooked and all soggy. The sauce tasted like some cheap store-bought tomatoe sauce. My gf ordered shrimp and veggie pasta... I could not believe how bad her dish was. They literally boiled everything in water and served it (without seasoning). I mean, I would have expected they at least toss the shrimp in olive oil, garlic, salw & pepper to brown them before mixing them in with the pasta... but noooo... that would have been too much to ask. Bertolli's would have tasted better than what we had tonight at Comella's.
(1)John B.
Can't give them 5 stars since I've only had one dish, but I can say that the chicken parm is definitely worth five stars. The sauce is fantastic and I assume they must use it in a number of their recipes. When we visit Wellesley again, I'm insisting on ordering from Comella's.
(4)Hayley B.
I've had their bright pink menu lurking in my house for the past couple months and FINALLY took the opportunity to grab takeout from there. I don't eat takeout often so when I do I want it to be great and it met my expectations! I got my go-to, which is Eggplant Parm, and after reading the reviews on here I got it with "mess" - totally loved the eggplant parm and liked the mess, next time I will try a "mess". Really delicious sauce, thinly sliced eggplant (the way I like it) piled high, the perfect amount of cheese and a portion big enough to last me for 2 hearty meals, or 3 regular meals (I ordered the single serving). I will definitely be back. Parking is tight on the weekends but spots open up quickly enough with some patience.
(4)Kate K.
Yum yum yum yum yum, thats basically I have to say :) I have a hard time going to other italian places bc I love Comella's so much...you def have to try it!
(5)Rick K.
Love Ma's mess! Really good food. Terrific service.
(4)Carrie M.
Once a month my friends and I go to dinner & Target. Seriously, one shopping cart, three girls armed with a shopping list, fun! We try to eat somewhere different each time, preferably somewhere none of us have tried before. I generally use Yelp to help choose the location. Thank you Yelp for the reviews on Comella's! The lasagna was AMAZING, and I don't even like lasagna! I liked that they serve it with pasta (we chose ziti) so that it's not just a cheese overload. And the tomato sauce was so fresh and delicious. The sweet potato raviolis just melted in my mouth, and the plate of them was huge! Even better that you can pick your sauce for them (we went with the garlic and oil). Speaking of garlic, make sure you get an order of the garlic bread with your meal - yum! The portions are huge, we split two dishes between the three of us and still had leftovers (and one person was eating for two!). We liked it so much we were trying to figure out when we could go back, and that's totally against our dining rules. Sometimes though, rules are meant to be broken, right?
(5)Michael G.
This place is great for those nights you are tired and dont feel like cooking. Call ahead for fast hot food you can bring home. Good, cheap italian plates that can feed the whole family. Cant go wrong with the sausage and meatball mess.
(4)Jack S.
Can't understand why this place has such high ratings, they microwave the food. Menu is good in theory, but in theory, communism works. It's italian food, but its mediocre quality, and just zapped together in the microwave real quick.
(2)Sarah P.
I have been back to Comella's a couple times since my positive experience there, and unfortunately, each experience since has been poor. Most recently my fiancee and I ordered two dishes for take-out. Pasta with chicken and alfredo sauce for him and chicken parm with extra marinara for me. Both were total failures. His alfredo sauce was like nothing I have ever seen--it was gloppy and stuck to the pasta in little chunks. Even after he heated it up, he couldn't get the sauce to mix with the pasta...it just stayed stuck to the linguine in little bits and tasted like a grainy but soft mixture of Parmesan cheese and butter. My chicken parm had barely any cheese on it and all the sauce for the pasta was soaked up by the very heavily breaded chicken cutlet. And they forgot to include the extra marinara I ordered. I won't be returning to this place.
(1)Rusty Shackleford D.
I've had more Italian food than anyone I know, and this is the best Italian take-out I have ever had. Their customizable "mess" is their signature dish but you can get it almost any way you like. They have multiple locations in the Boston Suburbs. This location is tiny and on a busy road in the West Newton Village of Newton. OverallFood is really good. Highly recommended.
(4)Erica T.
If you are hungry, eat here! Quick yet friendly service here. You'll get your food in less than 15 minutes. I usually get the chicken parm with pasta which is huge and fantastically good! I usually cannot finish it, but most of it and not enough to take home. Their garlic bread is really good too. Home made I suppose. The mess looks really good, if you like a lot of cheese and other Italian ingredients! Overall, no complaints!
(4)Jimmie L.
We've heard for ages about this "mess" that you get when you go to Comella's, and since we were driving up from RI back to Newton last night, and didn't feel like cooking, we figured we would give Comella's a try. I have to say, we weren't as impressed as everyone else on the list. I LOVE the idea of the 'mess' but not the execution. I was hoping that it would have more pasta in it, and less cheese in the sauce. I suppose it could have been the 'mess' that was made yesterday, but we weren't "wowed" by it. The value was definitely there. For the amount of food we got (mess, salad, garlic bread) we didn't spend a lot of moola. So in that regard, it was spot on. If I didn't feel like cooking, I probably wouldn't go back to Comella's as a first choice, there are too many other places in Newton that I would get take out from before Comella's. I will be trying it again, tho, because reviewers that I trust have given it 5 stars, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt. NOTE: parking behind CVS across the street is your best bet for this busy section of West Newton.
(3)Jonathan S.
Comella's is awesome. The small dining space is clean and comfortable, but I prefer to take out. There's a guy at the small wine shop across the street who asks me if I'm "in sales" every time I go in (I'm not)...kind of odd (offensive?), but still a good 1-2 punch: mess from Comella's + a cheap bottle of wine from the guy across the street = perfectly relaxed and slightly drunken evening at home. Also, I think they have a magic stove (microwave?) because seemingly nothing takes more than 3 minutes to emerge from the kitchen.
(5)Nat P.
Well this review is of the "mess" I got the Grandpa mess with sausage and meatballs. First in terms of sheer volume of meat the mess gets 5 stars. And really that's the problem. There's too much meat and not enough pasta and cheese. The cheese is ricotta and not mozzarella which I prefer. The meatballs were first rate but I disliked the sausage's texture. Also the sauce is somewhat acidic. Because of all the sauce and lack of pasta a slice of toasted italian bread would be nice. I realize this place is very popular and stars are a subjective thing. Maybe the shells would be more to my liking. Very small place so you'll likely either do take out or wait if you want to eat here on a Friday or Saturday. Like Jillian Q. I'd give it 3.5 stars
(3)Anino X.
Oh man do I love this place. The Mess is a great "mystery" dish, especially if you're the type that digs extra-cheesey goodness in their pasta. I've also tried the fusili (homemade no less) and the sandwiches are pretty huge, especially if you go with the meatball/chicken combo. The portions are immense and the area's a bit crowded so grab your order to go.
(5)Deborah K.
Tonight I had the most unbelievable experience at this restaurant. 20 minutes after receiving my dinner and glass of wine, my party was told that "the girls" had to leave because it was closing time. "Would we, as customers, please finish and leave"! We were threatened by the owner who said, "I am calling the police" because, "you refuse to leave"! We were harrassed and finally left! Others on the sidewalk had just experienced the same treatment! We all agreed that we would spread the word and this would be the end of Comellas for us!
(1)Jen J.
Great place for good, reasonably priced, Italian take-out. They make a really tasty red sauce and you definitely have to try the mess. The menu is quite extensive with choices/combinations of chicken, veal, shrimp, sausage, meatball, and veggies. I love everything I have tried! My favorite is probably the sausage because it is really fresh and has a nice kick to it. The meatballs are good and huge! I'm also a fan of their stuffed shells. I can't leave out the chicken and veal though; they slice the chicken and veal cutlets thin and pile them on. So GOOD! You'll find yourself wanting to eat the whole plate, but you'll most likely have enough for another meal. This is the perfect place when you're not in the mood to cook after a long day of work and you're craving something yummy, but don't want fast food or have to wait 20 minutes for a take-out order. There are some small tables with limited seating. It can definitely be a cute, romantic spot for a late dinner. They also serve wine. There is a new location in Wellesley near the Whole Foods on Washington Street.
(5)Robert L.
I went to Comella's this week based on the previous reviews. They were right on the mark. Except for the date bit. A little cramped inside but good food choices, excellent service, and reasonable prices. Not much more you could ask for.
(5)Michael S.
Great food, but NOT a BYO joint. I recommend any of the messes, but am fond of Grandpas. If you want BYO, the Wellesley location still is....a 'single' mess will get you 2 1/2 meals out of it and is $8-$12. Parking can be tight, don't park in the CVS lot, try behind the bank directly behind Comellas or on the street, if you can find it.
(4)Dom M.
So my gf and I walked around the area popping in and out of places looking for a bite and we went for Comella's. We've been in Newton for about a year but hadn't been so we were probably due. First problem was that ordering ahead makes a little more sense since after I ordered I looked like a dope standing in the middle of the place. (all the tables were full). It was fast though so I got out of there pretty quick. Portions are a good size. Shrimp scampi was good, though a little light on the shrimp. Grandpa's mess was really good. The sausage was incredible. I didn't dig the lasagna. The cheese was just too rich and something about the sauce. Ill probably go back and try a few different things.
(3)Melissa M.
F Yes! I love you Comella's. I love getting a parking spot on the street and swinging open the screen door and hearing it slam behind me. Reminds me of being a kid and coming into the cottage. No one yells at me when I slam the door here, they don't even notice because they are too busy making love to their chicken parm. I love your sumptous meatballs that swim in the succulent homemade meat sauce. I love that you serve pellegrino and pour a mighty fine chianti at a reasonable price. I love that when I went there an adorable 14 year old was working behind the counter on a school night! I hope his parents are the Comella's otherwise that is just mean. You order at a counter and take a seat at their very tiny seating area (maybe 12 people can fit in all). Then the nice girl will bring you your delectable food. If I worked their I'd want to be paid in Chianti and meatballs. I'll be back!
(5)Jonathan R.
Can you say comfort food? The Mess is delicous. My personal favorite is the Eggplant and Chicken Parm Mess, it is excellent. Generous portions at a reasonable price.
(4)Jose G.
thoroughly impressed with everything my family has ordered from this place. now i can say for my coworkers as well. ordered the lasagna party platters for this past weekend and everyone was quite enamored by their deliciousness. i have had several of their messes and their meatball/sausage sandwich and they are all very delicious. I have been to both the west roxbury and newton locations and they deliver consistent products. overall i strongly encourage
(4)Nicole S.
What a tasty veal parm sandwich for just 7 little dollars! And there was so many options! We weren't sure about this "bucket" thing. Do I want lasagna in a bucket? Perhaps I'll have to go back and find out!
(4)Jen and Tim S.
Tim got a "mess" I got chicken parm - delicious!!! The service was incredibly friendly ... we just moved to the area and it felt like they were inviting us to be their new regulars. I had a great glass of wine, too (though it cost $6/glass which seemed high considering the surroundings). Can't wait to get take out from here on a chilly night. It's incredibly affordable!
(5)Julie A.
I will add to this review when I have gone a few more times, but my first impression was good. Reasonably priced, great menu, and very tasty. It's the type of place where you order from behind the counter so it's quick. My 3 star rating is because my dish was lukewarm at best.
(3)cara c.
so friggin' good! my friend and i were famished after a day of working out at the gym, and what better way to undo all the hard work we did than eat a giant plate of pasta? i ordered the tortellini...it was so fresh and the marinara sauce was out of this world good. would definitely recommend.
(5)Laura M.
This teeny little restaurant will serve up a lot of food from an extensive menu. Tastes just like something from my Italian grandma's kitchen, AND it's pretty cheap! I don't go out for Italian very often because I'd generally rather just cook some for myself, but my boyfriend loves their eggplant parm (I think he likes it better than mine, grr...) so every once in a while I indulge him, and I never regret it. I'm a big fan of their various ravioli stylings, myself, which I can justify ordering because homemade ravioli is kind of a pain to produce. Total comfort food.
(5)Dana B.
I used to work here so maybe I am biased but the "mess" is spectacular. It's a tiny little place with lots of charm located right next to the West Newton cinema. Last I knew it was BYOB and there is a liquor store across the streets. It's priced really well and the portions are very generous. It tends to get really busy and crowded on the weekends or just before movie time.
(4)Jean N.
This is a wonderful place to go! The menu is gigantic, and the prices are fairly reasonable, especially considering the great portions you are served. The food is ready to go or on the table within 10 minutes of ordering, and it was unbelievably good. The only downside is that parking is somewhat limited (on street if you can find it, or in another store's lot illegally.) The service is pleasant, the restaurant is clean, and the atmosphere is pleasantly casual.
(5)Rachael K.
This place feels like a hole-in-the-wall pizza joint or sub shop but there is quite an extensive Italian menu and good sized portions. Prices were a bit more than I expected for the ambiance of the place but were good considering the portion sizes. If you're eating in you order at the counter and they bring the food to the table (a few tables outside too). We had chicken parm and lasagna, both with mess (a mix of different kinds of pasta/shells/eggplant parm served how you think of getting something with pene). They were good but nothing to write home about. Maybe we should have been a little more adventures with our selections because it's hard to make chicken parm and lasagna exciting!
(3)Melanie S.
Who's hungry? If you are and you are craving Italian food and you happen to be in the vicinity of Newton, stop by Comella's and order the "mess". You will be hungry no more...and your wallet will not suffer for it.
(5)michelle w.
This restaurant came recommend from friends... boy they were right! We got take-out and ordered 1/2 bucket of Grandpa's Mess (a tray full of pasta with cheese, meatballs and spicey sausage-- Delish!) I will be frequenting this place for take out for sure! Only wish I had discovered it sooner!
(5)Reid F.
I'm not sure about everything they serve, because when I go to Comella's, I only order the veal parmagiana with the homemade fusilli. I know that sounds silly, because the menu is huge, but it happens to be the best veal parm I've ever had. If I went every day, I might order something else. Then again, maybe not.
(5)Geneva B.
Comella's is home to the best italian food you'll ever eat. Bring a date! It's incredably inexpensive! I go there whenever i can. Every item on the menu is delicious! (And it has a VERY long menu.)
(5)Leslie K.
My parents are low-carb people. After visiting them, I always feel like stuffing my face into a huge plate of pasta. Let me tell you, there is no better place to do this than Comella's. I got the meatball mess (delicious red sauce, a huge, juicy meatball, on top of their "mess"). Boyfriend got the chicken parm -- he's Italian and proclaimed it delicious as well. A ton of food for little money. They also serve beer and wine, and their entire menu is available for takeout.
(4)K D.
So yummy, we order from Comella's maybe once a week - - I love the Sammy's mess. I usually only order out and take home that delicious garlic bread! We don't usually eat there since it is so small, and whenever the door opens it is freezing. I took take out to my aunt when she was at the hospital and it brought a big smile to her face.
(4)F C.
Great food, reasonable prices, I highly suggest the eggplant parm. with mess. There is something special in everything they make. People used to tell me that everything there tastes great, however, I was a skeptic until I tried it. No regrets! There is really something amazing in their sauce.
(5)T T.
Still Amazing! BUT, get the stuffed shells with eggplant and mess ($6.99, you get a huge amount of the amazing eggplant, mess and flavorful stuffed shells.
(5)Will H.
Ah mess, you are so yummy. Seriously, the Nephew's mess with meatballs (which is eggplant and meatball mess) is incredible. They also have really good garlic bread. Comfort food, a little on the heavy side.
(4)J C.
Mmmm tasty. Came here for lunch after reading some of the reviews. I don't know what they put in this mess (GrandPa's Mess), but it sure is good. With a rich tomato sauce and plentiful meatballs, sausage and cheese, I will definitely return here to try out the other items on the menu. Service was quick. Place is small. Passed by this place countless times and am glad to have finally tried it. A future 5 star may be at hand...
(4)Emilia D.
For good, cheap, friendly, fast Italian, trek out to Newton for some great stuff. Comella's is a Newton institution, and they have just opened up a Deli a few doors down...but Comella's itself cannot be beat. Their mess plates are a huge serving of pasta, meats, sauces, and cheese. If you are hungry, get one plate for yourself, but if not its best to share. Highly reccomended! Very chill, very fun, great relaxing date spot.
(5)Laura R.
For the best homeade fussilli you will ever eat, come to Comella's! Fast, fanstastic food, this place gives feel good italian a new name! The resturant is a little hole in the wall, with small tables and not much decour to speak of, but the huge menu with pasta galore makes up for it! Try one of the messes- a combination of every pasta (and meat) all put together in a surprisingly yummy concoction! It is located right next to the West Newton Theater, so grab a date for a pre-movie meal!
(5)Christina V.
Not a fan of this place and it's unfortunate because I work next door. It's a great concept, homemade pastas and messes but the food just isn't good. I've had a variety of things and there's always something not great about it. One time I got gnocchi with oil and garlic and it was so drenched in oil and encased in garlic I had to go back. The salads are often sad looking. The chicken is pounded SO thin there's barely any meat left. I used to go here often for convenience but can't stomach it anymore.
(2)Dan R.
Up until tonight, I knew the name Greg Comella as a football player for the New York Giants. He played with them for four years (including their 2000 Super Bowl loss to the Ravens) during his seven year NFL career. His career stats include 17 carries, 95 receptions, and one touchdown. But after tonight, I'll also associate his name with some super tasty Italian food and his string of twelve restaurants around Boston. We enjoyed a great take-out meal tonight. Huge trays of chicken parm, lasagna, ziti, Caprese salad, and dessert in the form of mini chocolate chip cannolis. I have nothing but kind words to say about all of the choices. The chicken cutlets were moist and tender, the lasagna was cheesy and delicate, the pasta was perfectly cooked, the garlic bread was fresh and excellent, and the red sauce was very flavorful and delicious. The Caprese salad was a real winner- crisp and fresh Romaine, beefy tomatoes, and thick slabs of very good mozzarella. And let's not forget dessert, the cannolis were sweet and fresh and were a perfect way to finish off this gargantuan meal. The entrees and salad was served in the "half bucket" size. Each was advertised to serve "3 to 4" but that seems pretty far fetched unless they are 3 to 4 competitive eaters. The trays were huge. Touchdown Comella!
(4)Alexandra R.
I wish that there were a Comella's in NYC- this place is out of control AMAZING! Every time I am in Boston I make sure to go here because it is such a treat. The red sauce is nothing short of magnificent, and it is highly addictive. Some of my favorite dishes are the eggplant parmigiana, chicken parmigiana, meatball and pasta platter, and the garlic knots. You should go out of your way to check this place out!
(5)