I love this restaurant. When I ised to live in Denver I had the opportunity to eat here a few times and it was always great. The staff werr always great and courteous. The food is amazing even though a bit pricy the servings were more than usual. Even though it was pricy the plates are really big and you would either have leftovers or can share with someone. Alot of times a reservation would be ideal, because it can get full.
Review Source:If leftovers is the name of your game, then head to Maggiano's. Â Not only are the portions larger than Elaine's giant freak head (gratuitous Seinfeld reference - you're welcome), but Maggiano's offers a buy one, get one deal. Â They have roughly 8-10 "classic dishes" like baked ziti and lasagna that you can order to have there and then you can choose a second classic dish to be made and immediately boxed up for you to take home. Â You'll be eating leftovers for days.
While it's not my first choice for Italian, the dishes that I've sampled from here have been straightforward, traditional dishes that curb that craving for marinara laden carbs. Â I particularly like their cheese-heavy lasagna, but don't suggest ordering it if you plan on being productive later that day.
We've had several family lunches here with my in-laws, since it's one of their favorite lunch spots, and they've always accommodated our group, though we always make reservations since this place can get pretty busy, especially on Sunday afternoons. Â The restaurant itself is pretty huge and they have a private room, so I could see this as a decent venue for a working lunch or some such.
I've been to the Maggiano's in Seattle, the Maggiano's in Nashville, and now the one in Denver. It seems each Maggiano's has a different style to it - this one is a giant German looking house. The interior is largely the same experience - very good food, but also very busy, and lots of people celebrating a number of different events. It was so busy for a Tuesday night that I'd suggest reservations are a must - we waited 45 without one.
Review Source:I've had Maggiano's only once before and everything was quite different. I decided to stop by by myself for a quiet dinner and a drink and ordered a spaghetti and meatball. It was very, very bland. I couldn't taste anything. The service was nice enough and comped the meal but I went home feeling kind of sick.
Woke up around 1am to start throwing up. Not sure if it's food poisoning or anything like that but all I know is I won't be back to Maggiano's anytime soon.
I ordered takeout.  One meal, the seafood pasta dish was hot, saucy and tasty when we opened it. The other, fettuccini Alfredo was cold and dry. It was like pulling  the extra noodles you made yesterday out of the fridge and serving them cold. It had almost no sauce at all. For that price??  And the salad was surprisingly small, and seemed old.  When I sent a complaint  to their website, all I received, at least so far, was an auto reply that the man was out of the office for a few days.  Not an offer of a free appetizer on next visit or even just an apology.  Want really good Italian nearby, try Pesce Fresco Bistro on Quebec off Arapahoe.
Review Source:I tried three new things at Maggiano's today:
Lobster fondue (an appetizer special) -- good, but not as good as their spinach artichoke dip.
Baked ziti with sausage -- very tasty, would order again.
Cheese ravioli -- great, but another time I'd order it light on the pesto cream sauce and heavy on the marinara.
I was skeptical to go here for a BIRTHDAY PARTY with my fellow Singaporean friends, and their S.O due to the fact of my experience based on the same restaurant but of a different location.
MONDAY September 3rd 2012.
Time : 17:00hrs.
PARTY of 13.
Arrived at this establishment early. Â Took a seat at the "waiting area" while waiting for my friends to arrive. Â Our dinner PARTY was scheduled for 17:30hrs. Â Once everyone was there, we were led to our seating arrangement.
Our Main Server his name is Derek.
From what I could recall, everyone opt for the Family Style Menu. Â These were the items we had :
*  Calamari Fritté
* Â Stuffed Mushrooms
* Â Steamed Mussels
* Â Salad
* Â Spaghetti & Meatballs
* Â Their Famous Rigatoni "D"
* Â Chicken Marsala
* Â Grilled Salmon Lemon & Herb
*  Crème Brûlée
* Â Special Of The Day Dessert : Strawberry Pie
All the food came out piping hot, and when we request for re-fills, our Main Server Derek is so accommodating, and we have Multiple-Refills of every dish from the Appetizers, To Main Entrees and To Desserts. Â Most of my friends also have wine. Â Our beverages are always filled, and everyone managed to take plenty of left-overs.
I like the Calamari, Stuffed Mushrooms and the Grilled Salmon. Â The Grilled Salmon was the best dish for that evening.
What makes that evening memorable was the service by Derek and another server who I could not recall her name. Â Since it was a BIRTHDAY Party for my friend, we even brought the Birthday gurl, a special order of Tiramisu Which Was NOT from this establishment, yet Derek allows us to have it for the evening too. Â Derek was indeed attentive to all our needs that evening. Â We had a ball, so I am indeed impressed with what Derek had done for us personally.
By the end of our dinner, we also have coffee and tea. Â I bet we were the loudest and the largest PARTY. Â All in all, I believe with staff such as Derek and the management, I like to give Maggiano's Little Italy at Englewood location 4 STARS in my books. Â Perhaps I should convince Hubs to have dinner here and who knows my review my differ.
Left the establishment almost at 21:00hrs belly tummy filled HAPPY!
@125/2012
Waited just shy of two hours to be seated. When we originally got here we were told it would be an hour to an hour and a half at the most. Â We stck around because I had heard so many great reviews about this place from co-workers and such. Â It was just my husband and I eating tonight. Â The bartender offered a free drink since we were waiting for so long. Â That was good and everything, but we had already had a few drinks prior and me being the person I am, I need food when I drink. Â Also didn't want to eat at a crowded bar and wanted to actually sit at a table for the privacy among other things. Â Ended up having to make reservations, and around 10 mins before those were to kick in we were finally seated. Â Go figure.
Ok so we were seated, we ordered the special where you get two of most things for one price. Â We got a Caesar salad, I ordered the Bow tie pasta and he got fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. Â The salad to me tasted funny, husband enjoyed it. Â Bow tie pasta tasted a little on the bland side, so I poured a little bit of olive oil on it and it was ok. Â Husband enjoyed his dish. For dessert we had the apple pie (called something differently) and that was pretty good. Â We received two dishes to take home which I cannot comment on because we haven't eaten them yet.
Overall, for the amount of time we waited, I can say I wasn't overly impressed with the food. Â The server staff and the bar staff were excellent, and the food wasn't nasty, not at all. Â It being bland is my biggest complaint. Â So I knocked off a star for the wait time and one for the taste. Â Will I come back? Â Probably, I will order something different. Â If we have the same experience the second time, I'm afraid I will have to call this place something other than "little Italy."
Love this place!!! My father treated me last night to a lovely meal and even though the food was fantastic I think our server Sean top it all what service!!! He took care of my father like he was family my father drinks a lot of coffee and I mean a lot and Sean was there for all my father refills with out missing a beat! Very attentive to my sister and myself love you Sean and I need your schedule to I know when to come and eat!!
Review Source:Maggiano's has this cool deal going on, where if you order one classic pasta meal, you get one to take home for free. Â Now that's a lot of carbs, my friends, but with eggplant parmesan and lasagna, there can never be too much of anything.
The family style meals are a great choice if you have a big group of hungry people, just keep in mind that you should always order 1-2 dishes less than you think you should or you'll have mountains of ravioli to pawn off on other people.
The food is really great and the service is always wonderful...and don't forget to take that to go order home or you'll be hungry the next day at work, wondering why you didn't listen to me, and that's just a sad day for everyone.
We visited again last night for a birthday dinner. Â The food, as always was great. Â Our waitress was really spazzy. Â She just couldn't seem to calm down. Â It really seemed like she could use a glass of wine. Â She wasn't a bad waitress, but she was all over the place with our orders. Â It looked like she had maybe 4-6 tables of customers at most. Â Rather than taking our whole order she took it piece by piece. Â First we got seated in a corner booth. Â No problem, except the corner booth had room for about 5 people. Â We had 6. Â So a little cramped, but no big deal UNLESS.... your waitress has you hold onto your menus until the entrees come out. Â So, in addition to our appetizers (3 of them) we had drinks, water glasses, bread with 2 oil dipping dishes, and menus to dink around with. Â No problem probably if we had a normal sized table. Â Even if we could have given her the menus, we would have had alot more space. Â When the entrees came out, the plates were hot, which was a good thing, but she had so much going on that she was really struggling to get things in the right place and set them down carefully. Â Again, there was not enough space for 6 people's worth of menus, plates, bread, oil dishes, appetizers, etc. Â
Food was great, bill was fair, but large. Â The waitress was spazzy and WAY too excited. Â The space was cramped, and the table far too small. Â So, on this trip, I can't rait it above a 3/5.
Maggiano's just can't seem to work in the mid-sized groups very well. Â Large groups of 10+ are ok, but above 4 and less than 8-10 just have a hard time fitting it seems.
Worst experience of my life!!! Â
-I had a gift card to this place so I thought I'de give it a try. Â Bad Move.
If you are a foodie, this place is not for you.
-Service was terrible. Â We were rushed all night. Â We were given attitude when we asked for a few more minutes to decide what we wanted to order than again when we didn't want dessert.
-Food was nothing special at all.  Sauce tasted like it was out of a jar.  No flavor at all.  This is supposed to be an Italian Restaurant and they don't even use fresh parmesan cheese (I'm almost positive it was Kraft Parmesan (the powder kind)).  Their caesar salad was  over dressed and by no means a REAL caesar salad. The crab and shrimp cannelloni was swimming in that bland cheese sauce.  The sausage that came with the gnocchi was over cooked and had no flavor.  So disappointing.
-The 2 people (I'm assuming the managers for the night) Kept walking past our table talking loudly into their radio, telling the hostesses what table's were available. Â This went on every 3 minutes throughout our whole meal. Â They would say things like "Table 17 has been done with dessert for 5 minutes now, send someone over to check on them, we need that table". Â I don't no about you but that seems like rushing people out the door. Â Those same 2 managers also stopped right next to my table twice during our meal and discussed back of the house issues. Â I don't need to know about who is showing up late for work, who is not cutting it as a server/cook, and especially who is hooking up with who. Â
- Our bill was $75 for a salad, 2 pasta dishes and (3) 7$ glasses of wine. Â
-I don't recommend  this place for anyone.  If you want mediocre italian food, do yourself a favor and go to a place like Olive garden.  You probably won't get the greatest service or fresh tasting food but you will spend half what you will at Maggiano's for the same thing.
-I Will Never Be Back!!!
We thought we'd give this place one last try (for the third time), because we used to like it so very much. Whatever special quality this place had has died. I will never have more than a casual spur of the moment lunch here. My advice? Don't bother... Nothing special here. Oh, and if you're a wine lover... The days of their having an interesting wine selection are over as well. Blech.
Review Source:Wow! Â Yummy! Â This place is not cheap, but there is a reason. Â
They actually had a real ceaser salad. Â Their lasagna was awesome, thier bread is
crisp on the outside, and warm and squishy on the inside just as it should be.
The dessert... oh, the dessert... chocolate cake, but no ordinary chocolate cake!!! Â
This is the Italian Restuarant you should try, forget Olive Garden, and all the others!
General comments  Maggiano's cannot handle groups.  Some overly salty food.
I've eaten at Maggiano's Little Italy several times previously, and have been overall pretty satisfied. Â As a former restaurant worker myself, I understand it's hard sometimes to manage all the details in such a large restaurant and thus keep a good handle on quality. Â So, I am all the more than willing to look away for the few small problems Maggiano's has had when I went here before.
But when I went there today, Maggiano's issues were nothing short of a small disaster, and I would seriously reconsider ever going to this location again. Â The quality issues had to do with:
* being forced to order off a limited  range of offerings imposed by Maggiano's "Family Style" menu
* No lasagne available? Â What Italian restaurant does not serve lasagne for some reason? Â Apparently it's Maggiano's. Â
* long time needed to get this expensive food served
* Care for some food with your salt? Â Go to Maggiano's!
* Are there are any children in your family? Â Make sure they have a job because at ~$30 per-person imposed by the "Family Menu" pricing, you're going to need help paying the bill. Â
My group of 14 had 4 work colleagues' birthdays to celebrate. Â While I can say with confidence that the food was pretty good, and the service was genuinely friendly, there were a few things that made today's trip to Maggiano's a real turn-off-turned misadventure.
Apparently if you have a group of over 4, you have no choice (it's compulsory) but to order off of Maggiano's so-called "Family Menu" - which somewhat harkens one back to a kind grade-school cafeteria menu of limited choices of food brought to you in large portions on large plates. Â You eat what's given to you, no matter how good (or bad) it is. Â
It was explained to us that using the Family Menu (for groups over 4 people) was compulsory as it made it easier for Maggiano's cooking staff to prepare meals in bulk. Â I suppose this is an efficiency of scale postured toward Maggiano's convenience - the customer be damned. Â
OK, so we all decided that life goes on, and ordered off Maggiano's limited Family Menu. Â After all, there's no choice! Â
Unfortunately we were up for the next rude surprise! Â
Guess what? Â Maggiano's had no lasagne today? Â How is this possible? Â When you think Italian food, you think "lasagne". Â No lasagne today at Maggiano's! Â At least not while we were there.
Knowing it's unreasonable to sit down and enjoy a grand meal in just one hour (driving time included) my group had set aside 1-1/2 hours for our meal. Â The length of time it took for them to get us our food was pretty darn slow. Â By the time we got our last batch of food, we were already past our allotted time, thus leaving no time to order desserts, or, just sit around and have a nice chat. Â This was to be a birthday bash, with at least some semblance of cake, like a tiaramisu would have been nice. Â However, having waited so long for our meal, we were left having to hastily pay the bill and run out the front door in a rush. Â Slow service got our gall. Â
After we got back to work, the boss really chewed us out for being late. Â Thanks, Maggiano's!
The baked ziti looked great, but if I had finished it, I might have suffered a heart attack! Â While the American palate is accustomed to loads of salt, there are a few of us who actually can appreciate food for its inherent flavor without a thick layer of salt. Â Guys (meaning Maggiano's), please sample your food or look closely at the recipe you have that calls for so much salt. Â You're killing me with your salt! Â Even my work colleague, an all-American-add-salt-to-every-bite kind of guy commented, "Wow, this food is really salty!"
Based on the experience I've had at this exact same location previously while dining with 2 or 3 other people, I was expecting to pay somewhere around $20 or maybe a little less. Â Don't get me wrong, I've got no problem paying $20 or maybe even more for a really good meal and great service. Â But for the accumulation of errors I witnessed today, $20 doesn't match up! Â Â
We ordered no alcohol or fancy drinks that might thus run up the tab. Â But after receiving the bill and dividing it evenly among all of us, I was made to pay nearly $30 - just for myself! Â And this includes a "25% discount" the manager applied to our bill as a good-faith gesture in recognition of the problems we made known at Maggiano's today! Â Â
The horrific bill really topped the long list of errors, and has pushed my experience today from a pain-in-the-neck to a plain insult! Â I give Maggiano's two stars for effort and for people who seem pretty friendly. Â The other stars are lost to the disaster I saw today.
Sorry Maggiano's, there's a serious breakdown in quality at your restaurant, and you let down 14 people today. Â Maybe I can recommend you for groups of 3 or fewer people. Â
Next time someone suggests Maggiano's, I'll say "Let's go somewhere else!"
I have been to this restaurant once before and since I was in the area I wanted to stop for a glass of wine and look over their small bite menu. I was very disappointed to learn the Tapas style food had been discontinued. I ordered an appetizer instead. It was ok but not the same. The wine was on happy hour special, $5 a glass and not a bad pour. Friendly wait staff nice ambiance. Â If the big mouth at the next table would have toned down the volume on his thoughts on the Civil War it would have been an ok night.
Review Source:We wandered into Maggiano's tonight to check out the happy hour we'd heard about on Twitter. WOW! Â We got our first cocktail and happy hour pricing and then we ordered the special for two people. It would feed 3 or 4 people and included a yummy Margherita Flatbread, two Classic Pastas and the most amazing HUGE and yummy chocolate cake I've ever seen. The special was under $40 bucks and they give you two more classic pastas to take home with you. There's also great freshly baked bread with olive oil and balsamic dipping sauce that comes with the meals. The service was quick, pleasant and well informed about the menu.
We'll be coming back often
I did recieve a message from the owner of the business asking me to e-mail him to make it "right". Â However there is little to be done to fix the seating. Â It is obvious that this resturant relys on volume to overcome the number of dissatisfied customers. Â They've packed the seating so tightly that it is uncomfortable, just to ensure a larger customer turn rate. Â
The lost credit card. Â I cannot express the length that a simple apology would have gone. Â I literally worried the entire 20+ minutes that my card was lost (which was during the appetizer). Â Would I get it back? Â How would I pay for dinner if it didn't come back? Â How could I ask my guest to pay for dinner if your staff didn't find my card? Â Would I find myself the victim of theft in the coming days/weeks? Â I don't think these were "excessive" thoughts or worries but reality. Â And when it finally was returned, not so much as a simple "I'm sorry", let alone an explanation. Â ("Oh we're so sorry it was sitting next to the cash register at the bar" etc).
Either the staff is stretched too thin (too many tables, overcrowding, etc), or they are not properly trained. Â But come on, it takes 2 minutes to grab the pitcher and make rounds to fill 3 water glasses! Â And the turn around on the bill? Â It literally took longer to get my credit card back once the waiter took it to pay the final bill than it took for our food order to be taken and the food to arrive!!! Â And again, an apology for the delay would have gone a long way! Â
Not sure how you fix such basic issues?
It was a pleasure being there. Complimentary valet service was a bonus, but the food and the atmosphere were what counted most. The waiters were warm and courteous, it was a comfortable place to dine at. Just relaxed enough, you know? As for the food, they served decent servings for the cost and I didn't find any of the food lacking. (The bread could've been served warm or with olive oil but that's a small gripe.) All in all I enjoyed my time there.
Now if only that one creepy guy (the one two tables down) would've stopped staring at my table! the guy looked like 'Fiddler on the Roof' on meth. (Had to point and snap my fingers *at* the other patron so he'd stop. Wtf was his problem?!)
Lastly...since I forgot because I'm under the weather...had shrimp scampi and...chicken marsalla? Something like that. Good stuff.
Maggiano's Little Italy served me well. Â My accomplice and I moseyed over to the bar, sat down and were delighted with a taste of Little Italy. Â Or Big Italy. Â Well it was a taste of Italy here in the Denver!
To appetize we started with the garlic bread focaccia and crispy zucchini fritte breaded and sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Â Hearty. Â Delicious! Â We may have felt a little full in the belly after that, but add some wine and beer spirits, we were ready for din din. Â And the taste of Little Italy came through. Â
There were different cream sauces that made the mouth water. Â There was the beef tenderloin medallions served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes in a portabella and balsamic cream sauce. Â Them tenderloins were tender! Â Next came the four cheese ravioli (lightly unfortunately) stuffed with ricotta cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella and provolone slathered in pesto-alfredo cream sauce. Â We were assaulted with goodness. Â And, for some reason, there was a promotion going on where we got a whole other order of the ravioli for free to take home! Â Buy one order of four cheese ravioli get the second one free? Â Yes indeedy!
Were we done?  Nope.  We needed to get our sugary-sweet on.  The mini dessert sampler consisted of crème brulee, apple crostada, chocolate zuccotto cake, New York style cheesecake and Vera's lemon cookies. Â
Finally we were done after a shot of whiskey.  Overall, this mean, and dining experience in general, was well worth it  We consumed food and drink and did not break the bank.  We wobbled out of Maggiano's carrying a hefty to-go bag.  We were beyond satisfied.  I am glad we went.  You should also.  You'll be glad you did.
I get the joy and privilege of eating here once per month for my Colorado Business Women's monthly luncheon.  They really know how to take care of our large group (100+ women each time). The food is always good and the service is fantastic. I have also been here a couple of times with my fiancé and really Maggiano's does a great job with the Italian food. I love their raviolis with red and pesto sauce and the chicken parmesan is some of the best I have ever had outside of my own kitchen.
Because of all this I am planning on hosting our rehearsal dinner at this location this June. I will be sure to update my review once that takes place.
As a final last word I would like to just say...Lemon Cookies!
No.
I think I live in opposite land when it comes to Italian food. Whatever the majority thinks about an Italian restaurant, I'm on the other side of the fence. This place is crap. I've eaten here twice and both times my food was tasteless and mushy and I'm pretty sure everything on my table spent at least 10 minutes under a heat lamp before anyone decided to pick it up and bring it out to me. I can't imagine why anyone would wait in a line to eat here. Service isn't even very good. This place is on par with Macaroni Grill (which also seems to believe that quality time under a heat lamp improves flavor). Dumping a bunch of cheese on something doesn't make it Italian (or good).
I'll pass.
I swear I've written a review of them before, but am more than happy to write another one. I've never had bad food here. LOVE the angel hair pasta with meatballs. The salads are good, tiramasu is good... All the apps are good.
My only complaint is that sometimes the service can be incredibly slow. Lunch here can take 90 minutes, which is a little much if you have to go back to work.
Everyone I work with loves Maggiano's like cereal loves milk. They oooh and aaah over it like they give away lap dances in the back room or something. I eat there when it's provided by my work, but would never pay for it myself. It's an overrated, overpriced red sauce restaurant with $30 steak on the menu.
The last time I ordered lunch from Maggiano's I got the crab cake sandwich. It tasted like white fish mixed with bread crumbs and a few lumps of crab thrown in. Very bland. Today I ordered the bruschetta and a caesar side salad. The bruschetta was stale and the tomatoes had been sitting around for awhile and the caesar salad, except for the jarred parmesan cheese, was pretty tasty once I picked all of the dead rotting lettuce out of it. Yep, there was quite a bit...all on the bottom. It was as though I was given salad that had been packed a week ago and had been sitting in the cooler just waiting to be ordered. I wonder if they learned that from McDonalds?
If I got consistently good service and food from Maggiano's I would give them 3 stars, but the level of service I have received along with the inconsistent food I get from them is not in line with the prices they charge.
Short review - I bet my mom would like it.
Maggianos reminds me of an aging actress trying to get a roll. You see the original elegance but its very frayed around the edges and leaves you wishing you had seen it at its prime.
To start with the wait staff is nice. The host was personable. My waitress was very competant but not very gregarious, I was a bit jealous of the table next to us whose waiter was frriendly and outgoing but since my waitress was prompt, attentive and knowledegeable I was pleased with my service 4 *
The ambiance was intresting. Nice tables but the chairs had rips and my booth had crumbs all over the seats. The lighting was just right and the decor gave a cozy feel but this fly kept harassing my table during dinner which took away from the charm. Â It is a family resturant but the noise level was low enough that we could keep a good conversation going. Â The parking lot was also very large. 3*
The food. I sampled several dishes and am sad to report I would rate this lower then olive garden. I know its a chain resturant but chain resturants can be very tasty. Thats why they make money. I liked the drinks. The ceaser salad was drowning in dressing, slightly wilted but very prettily presented. The appitizer I got was tasty but the tomato still had the woody bit in it from the stem which led to some intresting cough/spit in your napkin moves. The bread was warm and fresh. The entrees had an over whelming flavor of salt and blandness. Â The portion sizes were crazy large. I got through 1/3rd of my plate and had to box it since I ordered their classic pasta i have food for the next week. Â 2*
Over all I paid exactly what I expected. it was okay so if I'm in the area i might have lunch here but I wouldn't drive out of my way to go here again.
Really a review waivering between 2.5-3 stars. Â
I work with a bunch of people who have really bland tongues. As a result, any time we have a team lunch, they all want to go to this place. I've never been overly impressed with this place as I think of it more as an upscale Olive Garden. Whatever I order is usually lacking in flavor.
I guess I'll give this place the 3 stars because of the generous portions. If you're on a diet, stay away or be sure to come with lots of friends. Â They have a lunch special on certain menu items in where you order one in, and you can pick another item for takeout. The last time I did this, I ordered meat lasagna and ordered baked ziti to go. Â I was only able to eat half the lasagna, so I had enough for a dinner to feed me and the BF.
Still, the generous portions do not make up for the lack of taste!! Seriously, these places are the reason so many people are overweight in this country. UGH!
I went here for Valentine's day and it was an excellent experience. Previously, I was not a huge fan of Maggiano's, but they definitely changed my mind on this visit. We ordered the family style dinner and as far as I am concerned, there is no other way to go.
For our appetizers, we selected the stuffed mushrooms and bruschetta and both were superb. The bread on the bruschetta was soft yet crispy and the tomatoes were full of flavor. The mushrooms were equally as good and a hit with the table.
For salads, we selected the Maggiano's and the italian tossed. In my opinion, the italian tossed was by far the best salad and you could enjoy as much as you would like!
For our entrees, we selected Joey Z's pasta (they ran out of italian sausage, so it was not included in our dish), chicken parmesan, seared pork medallions, and chicken saltimbocca. Every single one of these entrees was delicious and each one was cooked to perfection.
To finish up this grand feast, we had boson cream pie and creme brulee with coffee for dessert. These were some of the most tasty desserts ever, so make sure that you pace yourself and save room! Â Let's just say that the creme brulee made my wife a life time fan. And, did I mention, the portions are unlimited?--eat your heart out!
The best part was the price! For a mere $26.95 per person, you were able to eat like a king! The waitering staff was superb and definitely top shelf--doing everything that they could to make a memorable experience. I wouldn't splurge like this every night, but it is definitely a great option for a special night. I hope you have as enjoyable an experience as I did!
Nothing good to say about our experience at Maggiano's.
If you are not in a big party of people you get very little/poor waiter service.
We were a party of 2. Each ordered ravioli dishes- took 35 minutes to get to our table. My husbands had been sitting under a heat lamp for most of that time and had turned into rubber. Sent it back. Didn't get a replacement dish for another 25 minutes. He watched me eat, I watched him eat.
Complained to the waiter. Didn't seem to care.
When we left we asked to speak to the manager- he greeted us with "Oh you're the ones..." And brushed us off.
WILL NEVER GO TO ANY MAGGIANO'S LOCATION AGAIN!
Maggiano's is what it is - overpriced, mediocre Italian-American cuisine. Â It is the kind of place that I would never go to on my own. Â Luckily for me, a bunch of family members were in town at the same time and suggested we eat here. Â
First off, I was disappointed that we made a reservation for 15 and they chose to seat us at two separate tables. Â It defeats the purpose of getting together, when can't at least sit together. Â Lack of space was not an excuse since many dining areas went unused for the evening.
Secondly, service was bad. Â Ten minutes passed before my table received bread - despite the fact that every other table had bread for guests upon arrival. Â Our appetizer was lost and didn't arrive until we finished our dinner - they were nice enough to comp it. Â In addition, some people in our party didn't receive the item that they had ordered. Â Also, our table was given dessert menus, but instead of taking our dessert orders, they gave us the check.
Here's the crotch-kicker with Maggiano's. Â Don't go here if you are trying to lead any sort of healthy lifestyle. Â The over-sized clientele may tip you off to that fact, but in case you are not convinced, just look at their nutritional information. Â Most entrees exceed 1000 calories per serving and many exceed 2000 calories. Â Their Caesar Salad clocks in at 1800 calories. Â Who makes a salad that is nearly 100% of the daily recommended intake of calories? Â They also have a spaghetti & meatball & marinara dish that totals 5020 calories. Â This is great if you are Michael Phelps, but for the rest us - eek! Â
This place is great if you like cheesy design and heavy food. Â But if you don't want to look like one of the classy characters featured in the A&E reality documentary series, Hoarders, I suggest eating elsewhere.
We ate here because we had a gift card but it was fabulous. The stuffed mushrooms are amazing! I love that they have mini desserts. Creme brûlée and the profiterole were delicious! And yes, I ate them both!
Definitely make reservations if you plan on going on the weekend. It's very crowded!
I've eaten at Maggiano's a few times. They specialize in serving mediocre food to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. Their Gnocchi is as heavy as a golf ball and tastes like you're eating doughy lumps and their other pasta is just so-so.
If you've been to Italy for real pasta, you'll be disappointed in this place.
Another pet peeve is how long the wait times are: 1 hour and 1/2 last night, which made us turn around and leave immediately for another restaurant. The lines are always insane and I think that speaks to the price and family style dishes more than it does to the flavor of the food.
In my opinion, they rank in the same category as Olive Garden and Il Fornaio  (although Il Fornaio ranks 3 stars for me because they are a little better. and heck, Olive Garden is cheaper)
The wait time to be served water was over 35 minutes AFTER we were seated. The wait staff was careless and clueless. Â I used to be a fan of Maggiano's having dined at the one downtown, but the last time at this location really ruined the appeal. The baked ziti was ice cold in the center as if it were a frozen dinner. The salads were wilted and in-edible.
I even received a $50 gift certificate to return as an apology. I doubt I'll use it...at least not at this particular location.
I am a fan of Maggiano's! Â I love the classic decor, the rat pack music wafting through the place and the huge plates of Italian comfort food. Â My absolute favorite is the Baked Ziti! Â The ziti is drowned in warm marinara and Italian sausage all doused with healthy helping of melted mozzarella cheese. Â It is a helping and a half (as are most of their dishes). Â The tiramisu is to die for too - love the thick chocolate shavings on the top! Â Every dish is rich and satisfying.
I have also had a party at this Maggiano's - my wedding reception to be exact :) Â Love the private rooms with a huge bar to ourselves. Â You get all the atmosphere of the restaurant with your own staff to attend to you, plus privacy for your personal function. Â I found that the staff was attentive and the food was as yummy as in the dining room - only in bite sizes. Â The guest enjoyed it and we loved the ease of it. Â Maggiano's is a place we would use again for a large party.
I asked my classmates where I could find good quality, homemade italian. Â About 3 people all at once exclaimed, "Maggiano's!! You have to go there- it's the best." I was forwarned to spend a little more money than you'd expect for italian. Â Hey, when it comes to good food, money is worth spending, right? So it was me, boyfriend, and his buddy ready to embark on an italian feast.
Ok, first let's look at the positives. From the moment you walk into the charming cottage style architecture, and the moment you sink into your black leather club chairs, you start to feel the excitement. Beautiful dark wood paneling throughout, family friendly atmosphere, Frank Sinatra in the background and the Yankees playing overhead. Â I thought, "Wow, this is really cool. Â Very old-world feel, yet surprisingly up-to-date and relaxing. Â Both an excellent date place and family oriented, too."
Our server was polite, friendly and upbeat.  She was timely on everything, except for one of my biggest pet peeves. Perhaps it's me, but I get so insulted when you ask for change when you pay cash.  "Do you need some change?"  OF COURSE. What the F - you think you're getting a 35% tip?? I HATE when they ask you that. ALWAYS ALWAYS accept the bill  graciously and JUST RETURN WITH THE DAMNED CHANGE- NEVER EVER ASSUME that the change is yours to keep.  UGH, and I liked her up until that point. Â
Another pet peeve. Â Her co-worker obviously had some anger issues or something because when he brought over our dishes- and mind you- we're sitting at the bar tables- the SMALL round, elevated tables. He has a total of 3 dishes to set. 3. Not 5, not 7, not 10. 3. Â He stands in between my boyfriend and his friend, serves them first, and then glares at me to REACH OVER to receive my HOT PLATE.
HELL NO. Â NEVER REACH OVER your patrons. What- you couldn't take the 2 steps to correctly place my entree in front of me? And you sighed in exasperation? Â F u.
Ok, let's move onto the food, because that's what really matters, right?
Appetizer: stuffed mushrooms. Â (3.5/ 5)Pretty good actually. Large mushroom caps stuffed with sauteed spinach and perfectly seasoned breadcrumbs. Â Great with a squeeze of lemon and sprinkle of parmesan. (Btw, it is NOT fresh parmesan. It's an emptied out bottle of canned parmesan onto a silver serving dish. Â How can you call yourself an italian restaurant and not serve FRESH parmesan??) Fine, I ate it anyway.
Angel hair pasta with marinara. Â It was 90% pasta and 10% sauce. Umm, I realize that it's not a complicated dish, so why the ultra skimpy sauce serving? Â Was there a shortage on jarred Ragu? Because what we did taste, was simply that.
Baked ziti and sausage. Â Definitely tasted store bought (think Barilla and Ragu or whatever's on sale at King Soopers). Â The sauce was so bland and underdeveloped, sausage over-salted and very generic.
Gnocchi in vodka sauce. Â So I'm on a personal quest to find freshly made gnocchi because being freshly made makes all the difference in the world. Â I was told that theirs is prepared with ricotta cheese instead of traditional potatoes. I was a bit dismayed at first, but I thought, "Eh, let's give it a try." Â It had great texture. So great in fact that it didn't even taste or feel like ricotta.
Plus: it tasted like gnocchi
Minus: what was the point then, to capitalize on such a specialty technique that wasn't apparent??
Vodka sauce: watery and frankly, I think they forgot to add cream. Â It was like a big canned of stewed tomatoes was rinsed and then dumped onto my plate. Terrible. Too bad because like I said, I liked the gnocchi.
This whole experience was so frustrating that I didn't even bother to try desserts. Â That's a bad day.
So, if you've never been to Italy, or eaten italian from the east coast or SF's North Beach area, this will impress you. Â Unfortunately, I have had the indulgence of eating in all 3 areas of the world and this just plain sucked.
My husband and I had a "date" here last night. We are the type that usually prefer to sit in the bar area, as theoretically, the service should be better, and the atmosphere is ususally more fun.
Well, Maggiano's is ALWAYS packed on weekends, but we were lucky enough to snag a small hi top in the bar area. I have been here a few times, and I always have consistently good experiences. Last night was no exception. We ordered the mussels (tuscan-style), and the liguinie with clams. The food was delicious and the service was pretty good. Our server was nice, a little slow, but nice.
This is a great "chain' Italian eatery that is always yummy and has good service!
Great service, Ryan! Got a child's size spaghetti and meatball, and the meatball was as big as my 2 year old's head! Ok, it wasn't that big. Huge portion, even for me! Luckily she loves meatballs.
Parking was tricky, mainly because of the snow. Ended up in the next restaurant's lot.
Only minor complaint. Their Specialty item: Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage: Mine had about 4 small pieces of sausage. That was the reason I ordered it. A little disappointing. The ziti and sauce was excellent otherwise, and Ryan's enthusiastic service made me forget to complain. Oh, well, I'll definitely give them another shot.
Oh, the lemon cookies, sounds plain, but they are a great end to a heavy pasta meal.
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