"Tempe's enduring Mill Avenue bistro: house-made pasta and an all-natural wine list in the brick-and-beam Casa Loma building, family-run since 1994 and still the date table downtown."
About Caffe Boa
Caffe Boa opened on Mill Avenue in 1994 and is one of the few family-run restaurants left in downtown Tempe. Founded by Jason Wisnewski, it is now owned by Jessalyn Italiano and Zachary Powell, who both worked their way up at the restaurant before taking it over in 2021. It sits in the historic Casa Loma building, with original brick and hardwood floors.
The cooking is Italian with a New American hand and a wine list built on small and all-natural producers. For the wider field see the Tempe dining guide.
The Kitchen
The pasta is made by hand in house each day, and the kitchen leans on local and organic produce. The ravioli zucca, butternut squash with toasted hazelnuts, sage and goat cheese, and the three-meat lasagna are the dishes regulars return for, alongside a coniglio of Istrian pasta with slow-roasted rabbit. Dry-aged steaks anchor the heartier end.
See more of the city's fine-dining tables in the Tempe guide.
The Room
The room is a converted historic house of brick and beam on Mill Avenue, warmer and more grown-up than the student bars around it, with a serious wine bar at its centre. It seats a couple on a date as readily as a group of friends, and the mood is relaxed rather than formal. Weekend evenings are busy, so a reservation helps.
What to Order
Start from the wine bar, take the ravioli zucca at 21 dollars or the lasagna at 28, and add a dry-aged steak from 45 dollars if you are settling in. The handmade coniglio with rabbit is the one to order if it is on. For other options, see the fine-dining picks across Tempe.
Best for a First Date or a Relaxed Dinner
Caffe Boa suits a first date or a relaxed dinner with friends: a grown-up Mill Avenue bistro with a real wine list and handmade pasta. See more first-date tables and the Tempe dining guide.
Not for
Not for a hushed tasting-menu evening or a quick student-budget bite: Caffe Boa is a relaxed Italian wine bistro on a busy Mill Avenue, built for a sit-down dinner with a bottle rather than a formal degustation or a grab-and-go meal.
Frequently Asked
Who owns Caffe Boa in Tempe?
Caffe Boa opened on Mill Avenue in 1994, founded by Jason Wisnewski, and is now owned by Jessalyn Italiano and Zachary Powell, who both worked their way up at the restaurant before taking it over in 2021. It is one of the few family-run restaurants left in downtown Tempe, serving Italian and New American food with a wine list built on small and all-natural producers.
Where is Caffe Boa located?
Caffe Boa is at 398 S Mill Avenue in downtown Tempe, in the historic Casa Loma building with original brick and hardwood floors. It is a sit-down Italian bistro and wine bar rather than a quick-service spot, warmer and more grown-up than the student bars around it. Weekend evenings are busy, so a reservation helps secure a table.
What should I order at Caffe Boa?
The pasta is made by hand in house daily, so start there: the ravioli zucca, butternut squash with toasted hazelnuts, sage and goat cheese at 21 dollars, or the three-meat lasagna at 28. The coniglio, Istrian pasta with slow-roasted rabbit, is the one to order if it is on, and dry-aged steaks from 45 dollars anchor the heartier end.
Is Caffe Boa good for a date?
Yes. Caffe Boa is one of the longer-standing date tables in downtown Tempe: a grown-up bistro in a historic brick building with a real wine bar, handmade pasta and a relaxed pace. It suits a first date or a quiet dinner for two more than a loud group night, and the all-natural wine list gives a couple something to explore together.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Caffe Boa
Via cafeboa.com - Mill Avenue
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Practical Information
Address398 S Mill Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281
NeighbourhoodDowntown Tempe
CuisineItalian / New American
SignatureRavioli zucca; three-meat lasagna
PricePasta $21-30; dry-aged steaks from $45
OwnersJessalyn Italiano & Zachary Powell
Founded1994
