Marco Polo Restaurant & Tavern

I preface my review by saying that it may very well be slightly tainted by nostalgia, and I'm not afraid to admit it.  My parents took me here eons ago to celebrate my 13th birthday, so I've always had a soft spot for this eatery.  Still, Marco Polo is one of my favorite places to have a nice Italian dinner.

The Man brought me here to celebrate my most recent birthday - he had actually picked the restaurant in advance!  It was a Tuesday night so it was not crowded.  There were a few tables in use and a small crowd at the bar, but the noise level was very moderate and the waitstaff was very attentive.

First off, it gets a little confusing in terms of parking if you're coming from Springfield Avenue onto Morris.  The parking lot for Marco Polo is actually past the restaurant itself.  However, the lot is decent sized so parking isn't usually a problem even if the restaurant is crowded.  The interior of the restaurant makes me think of what an American diner might look like in Italy - light wood paneling, booths lining the walls, an abundance of mirrors and lights, but all still tastefully done.

We were seated at a booth in the back corner of the restaurant and our server came over promptly to deliver menus. Another staff member came over to bring us glasses of water as we settled down to look at the options we had for the night.  Tuesday is "Italian Night" here, which seemed a bit silly to me since it's an Italian restaurant, but we went along with it.  I ordered the eggplant parm special (comes with salad, toasted Tuscan bread, and a side of pasta) while The Man decided on the manicotti.

After a short wait, my salad was brought out. When I was most of the way through, our waiter brought over a warm plate of toasted bread with chopped garlic, olive oil and a bit of dried herbs on top.  OMG GARLIC BREAD, REAL GARLIC BREAD!  I can't even begin to describe how wonderful the warmed garlic smelled or how it just melted in my mouth.  For someone like me who eats cloves of raw garlic as a snack, this was heaven.  They could have told me there was nothing else to eat after that, and I still would have been happy.  Thankfully, our entrees were not far behind!

Two large plates were set out in front of us, pasta and sauce sending up divine aromas.  My eggplant was perfectly breaded (not too much breading, but not too little), with the sauce and cheese creating a soft cocoon of deliciousness.  The Man's manicotti was also perfectly cooked with the noodles holding up to the cheese and sauce heaped around them.  The portion sizes were very generous.  The Man just barely finished his entree (even then, only out of principle because he only had a few bites left when he started feeling full) and I had enough left to bring to work for lunch the next day.

Our waiter was lovely, attentive, and very sweet.  I didn't catch his name, but he's an older gentleman with an accent.  He took great care of us without ever being intrusive.  The prices are reasonable, especially for the amount of food you get.  While I can see things could get a bit loud in here if there's a big crowd at the bar, it's a great place for a quiet dinner.  From past experience, lunchtime gets a bit hectic in there, so I much prefer evenings.  Can't wait to come back again!

A reliable go-to spot.  Portions large, good for 2 meals.  I always appreciate cold beer in a frosted glass here.  Calves liver with onions was cooked just right, great flavor and tender.  Chicken piccata was tender, juicy and very flavorful.
Family friendly

Dependable and solid option for a family dinner spot. We go to Marco Polo once every few months with our kids or with our kids and our parents. The food is consistent and the service is always attentive.

The downstairs decor isn't much to write home about as it looks a bit like an upscale Denney's. Upstairs is a bit nicer.

Not the place my wife and I would look to go on a date night. But, it is a place where we're happy to have a solid, dependable meal that we know all of us will like.