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 PHANTOM APPROVED
Viga is one of Downtown Boston’s best lunch spots, where customers queue up for hot Italian fare like pizza, pasta, and eggplant parm on grilled focaccia. It’s no cutting-edge sandwich shop, but a constant mob filters through the cafeteria-style chaos for hot, satisfying food that’s ridiculously cheap.
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Viga in Downtown Boston is a cafeteria-style café with a colorful atmosphere that gets absolutely mobbed during the lunch-only hours. Customers queue up out the door, but once inside, you push toward the station you want to order from and yell out your order. There’s limited seating below the crooked vintage posters, but most people take it back to the office. |
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The Italian menu offers hot and cold takeout like pizza, pasta, wraps, and sandwiches. Customers can help themselves to warm breadsticks while waiting. |
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Phantom kicked off the Italian feast with a floppy New York-style slice of margherita pizza smothered in tomato slices, stretchy mozzarella, and a boatload of basil. The reheated chicken basil calzone was doughy instead of crusty, but the herbaceous flavor exploded out of the thick, cheesy stuffing. |
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From the sandwich counter, the slightly dry chicken parm hit the spot with golden fried cutlets and chunky red sauce. The BBQ steak wrap formed a hearty one-handed meal loaded with peppery grilled steak, rice, and caramelized onions; and the lively Pavarotti on hearty grilled foccacia layered three kinds of Italian meat, plus provolone and roasted red peppers. |
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Dessert turned into a sugary splurge with a chewy six-inch oatmeal cookie followed by a moist, cakey black & white cookie and one wacky-fun cereal square made from fruit loops and gooey marshmallow. |
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Sandwiches on hefty breads are satisfying, but you can always pick up some chips or sweets by the register. |
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Service can be chaotic with everyone yelling their orders, but the kitchen staff is super quick so the wait flies by. |
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The shiny, limited seating was somewhat clean, but most customers opt for takeout. |
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Value scored a PERFECT 10! Five to seven bucks will score a hot, filling sandwich that’s tasty, too. Pizza is a steal at $2 per gigantic slice. |
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Viga is one of the best lunch deals in Boston with locations on Devonshire and Pearl Streets in the Financial District and Stuart Street in the Back Bay. |
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Review Date:
1/21/2007 |
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