Since opening in 2008, Tavolo has quickly become a staple of the Greater Ashmont MS District. Tavolo is conveniently located next to the Ashmont Station, inside the Carruth Building and is the brainchild of owner & Boston native Chris Douglass. Choosing Ashmont as the place to open his dream restaurant was an easy decision for Chris, he added “Adding another local independent restaurant to the neighborhood made sense! The space was there and working with Trinity was a no brainer – bringing the community together through good food & wine was the perfect recipe!”
Tavolo offers up something he likes to call “Dorchester Italian”. Which simply put, means Homemade comfort food that is approachable & welcoming to all. Simple dishes expertly executed, served in a friendly & welcoming atmosphere. To my pasta lovers out there, Tavolo offers a regionally inspired Pasta Tour on the first Wednesday of every month! It is a must try for all of the diehard pizza fans in Dorchester.
Centering the space is a large family-style tavolo (or table) that embodies our casual, down home approach to food and fare. The menu features a range of both large and small plates that include classic Italian specialties, chef inspired hand-made creations and artisan pizzas which are handmade in house from scratch. The bar has become a “Dot” go-to favorite, serving up a diverse program of fresh cocktails, craft beers and worldly wines. And there’s always something new going on.
Like many other restaurants, Covid caused Tavolo to pivot their business to pivot to heavy take out, curbside pick-up & to go cocktails. The great team at Tavolo put their heads down and did the work necessary to keep the business afloat while not losing staff and maintaining the same hours they had pre-covid. Tara O’Riordan the General Manage at Tavolo credits her staff and the ashmont community, she added “We are blessed to have committed people on our team!” & “the community was very supportive so that made it much easier for us!” The hard work paid off as Tavolo was listed as a top 8 takeout restaurant in Dorchester by Boston Magazine in 2020.
Tavolo is available to host your next private event, To Book Tavolo to host a private event email them at eat@tavolopizza.com or give them a call at 617-822-1918
To make a reservation please visit https://resy.com/?date=2021-11-10&seats=2
Or call them at 617-822-1918, they ask that you don’t (leave your reservation via voicemail)
They also have plenty of space for Walk In’s
1918 Dorchester Avenue Dorchester MA 02124
phone: 617.822.1918
email: eat@tavolopizza.com
OUR HOURS
Sunday & Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday – Saturday: 5 – 10
More on Tavolo’s Community Engagement
Since their grand opening in 2008 Tavolo has played a major role in growing the community in which they serve. Tara O’Riordan, General Manager of Tavolo added “Without the support of our neighbors & guests we wouldn’t be here – that’s a fact! We are always willing to give back to as many local causes that make sense for us. We do a lot of behind the scenes stuff – trays of food for families in need, gift cards to raffles, offering our space free of charge for community organizations. And, of course, during the holidays we have a giant toy box every year. This year we are hoping to adopt a family or two!”
They have sponsored many local events, including this year’s 6th annual Holiday Pop-up Market on November 27th. Similar to the Ashmont Grill, Tavolo partnered with the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance in their 13th annual Taste of Dorchester event that highlighted many small businesses from the Greater Ashmont District. They do a lot behind the scenes that goes unseen and unpublicized, for instance they have participated in community clean up days and are continually looking for ways to promote the community and other small businesses in the District. They do a lot behind the scenes that goes unseen and unpublicized, for instance they have participated in community clean up days and are continually looking for ways to promote the community and other small businesses in the District.
They have partnered with The Boston Home, another non-profit in the greater Ashmont district for their Comedy Night Fundraiser, in which they along with other local businesses put together several gift baskets that were auctioned off to raise funds for The Boston Home. In previous years they have hosted the Dorchester Running Club, Chilli Cook Offs, Local live Music as well as their Oscars Party.
As restrictions loosen the team at Tavolo looks forward to hosting more events to bring the community together & support local small business. In an effort to support other small businesses in the district Tavolo will be hosting a Holiday Sip & Shop on December 5th, Over 25 local vendors will be in attendance. Events like this are commonplace at Tavolo, they want to empower local business by introducing the community to the great products and services that they provide. At Tavolo they are not only concerned with their bottom line, they are heavily invested in the community and do everything they can to support the community & other local businesses.
