We came here with some friends to check out a neighborhood favorite. It has a Cheers-type feel. Â The owner Mario was there and came to greet us. Â The restaurant is a little dark, but that gives it a intimate, homey feel. Â Overall, the service was pretty good.
The drinks were excellent - strong but balanced.  The food was solid, but nothing to write home about.  It may be simple, but I loved the bread and olive oil.  It was fresh and I kept soaking it up.  For the entrees, I ordered the shrimp and lobster ravioli with a vodka sauce. They were out of the lobster but could do the shrimp.  However, when my half order of pasta came, I thought two things: (1) Other places must skew my portion size because I thought a half order was very small  with four medium sized ravioli (my husband thought the same); and (2) where was the shrimp?!  While they were out of lobster, it didn't seem like they added more shrimp.  Instead of shrimp ravioli,  it was ravioli with some small shrimp.  That said, the shrimp were good.  The pasta itself was okay.  While I think there are other Italian places out there, it is a good neighborhood joint and I would go back.
In a word, it's almost like: home. Not fancy, but a place to nestle in for what tastes like a home-cooked meal. I've been to several other, better-known Italian restaurants in Chicago lately, and, truly, Mario's flavors are the best. Â The Gold Coast location is very convenient for guests of the Public Hotel and Indigo Hotel. Â Both are just a block away. Â I'm hoping Mario's can add outdoor seating this summer!
Review Source:meh.
that pretty much described our experience at marios.
checked out the website and thought this place may be just the italian joint we've been looking for.
thought wrong.
homemade pasta? nope.
food was bland, cold, and didn't have that "wow factor" for 17.95
also not really a homey feel if your not a "regular"
regulars were welcomed with open arms and new customers were shunned.
note : we're not paying any less or tipping any less just because we've never been there before mr. mario
the thing that gets me the most is the price, not acceptable to feel this way and the food to taste that way when your paying almost 20 dollars for a pasta dish.
don't mean to sound harsh but...no thanks.
Great place. Â I've been several times now and the food is always great. Â There's a lot of great pasta dishes and the specials are usually good as well. Â The owner makes an appearance regularly and I believe he's stopped at our table everytime we've been in just to ask about the food and service. Â I don't have any complaints about this place and plan to go back regularly. Â Definitely recommended.
Review Source:Like others, I've been to this restaurant several times because of its location, and it is clearly beloved by its neighborhood regulars. The food is utterly average, unimaginative and tastes unfinished.
On a recent visit, the antipasto salad was a bowl of lettuce and peppers with a few slices of salami and provolone draped around the sides. The soft shell crabs were simply deep-fried with no real seasoning. The sausage and potatoes in the giambotta were dry and bland.
There are dozens of far-better Italian restaurants in Chicago that are a better value. Unless you live in the highrise it sits beneath or live across the street, as my friends do, I can't imagine why anyone would make a special trip here.
I didn't know what to expect when a friend brought me here and said it was a neighborhood joint. Â Sure enough, it was kind of non-descript, in the lobby of a condo building. Â But the place was packed with locals, so I knew it would be decent.
I started with the crab cakes and the house chianti. Â Keep the crab cakes, leave the wine! Â Meaning give me all your wine. Â It was a lovely gem of a chianti. Â However, I have had better crab cakes. Â They were just ok, but the topper was the lemony sauce...super yummy and made the dish.
My friend had a salad topped with grilled chicken. Â She ate it all and said she gets the same thing every time, so I guess she likes it. Â :) Â I had the fish special and it was nice. Â Very flaky and tender fish, delicate caper sauce and sauteed veggies. Â they were nice enough to swap out the usual sauteed spinach for broccoli and carrots and it was great.
Finished with another glass of vino and I was ready for bed! Â Prices were a-ok...decor a bit 80s-ish and could use some updating. Â Overall not bad.
Casual, no hype, homemade food with no pretentiousness.
It can be loud, but most quaint places usually are. Â Dishes we have ordered have been great!
We have sauntered in with worn jeans and have also dined dressed up a bit--but we are always treated the same and the food is reliable!
Clark Griswold says:
Food is good but every time I order Mario's dine in or carry out there is a burn factor. Take out for 2 people costs not $30 not $40 not $50 not $60 but in the $70s or $80s! They jack up prices on ancillary items and beware if you ask for the house wine they will slam you with a couple of $20-$30 glasses while you wait for your food even on a carry out. By the time you notice, pow it's to late! Dag nabbit those sneaky bastards got me again!
Not the best atmosphere but it was a week night to their defense. Grilled calamari appetizer is worth the price. Had the seafood diavola for my entree. It was average but I do like that they have half and pull portion options but the price doesn't align to the portion size. Overall I would dine here again but might keep to the appetizer menu.
Review Source:So glad we stopped in last night.
Great wine and food reccomendation from our server. I had half chicken vesivio which was perfect for me since I'm known to not eat a huge dinner. My boyfriend had the jumbalia  pasta which he instantly fell in love with ...and even ate his leftovers.
Only complaint was that the server totally forgot our coconut shrimp appetizer. Although we had enough food already, I did really want to try it. Maybe next time!!
Even with the server's error I will still return as the food and the bread are amazing !!!
PS Mario takes great care and stops by every table. Nice touch !!
We had a really delicious meal here last night. Â We were staying across the street at Public and wandered in here to see if we could find some tasty Italian food. Â At first, this place has the appearance of a chain diner, other than being very romantically lit with low lighting. Â Once you get into your booth and sit down to look at the menu, the place transforms into an old school Italian restaurant, just the sort you were looking for. Â
We ordered baked ravioli for an appetizer and cleaned the plate. Â The bread looked very ordinary until we tried it and then ate the entire basket. Â My wife ordered the quattro formaggi pizza and it was outstanding. Â I ordered a half order of the Veal Parmesan and was stunned by the gigantic size of what came to my table. Â It was absolutely delicious with bake-melted cheese all over the top. Â I wanted to try a meatball in their meat sauce, so I asked the server if they could bring me one. Â She came back with a little bowl of meat sauce and a meat ball in the middle as if it was a perfectly normal request. Â It too, was fabulous. Â
The only thing I was disappointed with was the fairly limited wine list. Â There just wasn't much to choose from. Â At best, maybe 1-2 selections from each varietal. Â We settled on a Mark West pinot noir at $32, where just a few blocks away, it is sold at Jewel for $10.99. Â I've frequently seen bottles sold in restaurants for 2x retail but this was much steeper than that.
Overall, we really enjoyed our dinner here and definitely satisfied our craving for yummy Italian. Â As others have noted, Mario actually walks the room and engages in conversation with each of his guests to make sure they are satisfied with their experience. Â This is a nice personal touch that you just don't get anymore these days.
This a frequent destination since my boyfriend lives nearby. We have been here over 10 times and always get the Mario's antipasti salad and sometimes the sausage and peppers appetizer. The salad (whole) is big enough for two and has Parmesan cheese, sweet peppers, olives, jalipenio peppers and a whole lot of ingredients I can't remember. There are salami and cheese slices hanging over the sides of the bowl. Nice touch.
Service is usually good and we've sat all over. Dimly lit, older crowd but whatevs. Good fresh baked bread with ground cheese/olive oil. They also don't give you attitude if you ask for a second or...third (we like bread!) helping of bread.
Sets us back about $12 each (with tax and tip)
I live in the area and I'm a Mario's regular but for good reason. I have dinner here about once a week and I'm always happy with whatever I order and the service is always good too. I love the neighborhood vibe and Mario is always there! And I mean really there - walking around from table to table and working the room non-stop. He's a great guy and he has an amazing ablility to remember names! Last night, I brought a friend visiting from Orlando and we had an amazing dinner. We started with the coconut shrimp appetizer and loved it. The wine list is complete and the wine glasses are the real deal. When we left after dinner, my friend insisted on getting a photo of us an the entrance of the restaurant, by the "mario's" sign. And guess who stepped up to take the shot? Mario, of course!
Review Source:The service is mediocre, the food is okay, but there's no "wow" factor here. Â The restaurant itself is pretty intimate and you feel comfortable, but it definitely needs to be revamped. Â It looks like a cheap diner from the early 90's. Â Overall, the food leaves much to be desired for - I've tried the linguini clams, chicken vesuvio, and margarita pizza. Â If you get the full sized portion, the meals are extremely overpriced. Â If you get the half sized portions, you may still be hungry. Â I'd suggest if you're in the Gold Coast area and looking for Italian, stick to Carmine's - you won't miss anything here.
Review Source:Just can't seem to find really amazing italian food in the city. Went here friday night and it was bustling. There was a real cozy and intimate ambience to the place. We started with the grilled calamari which was coated in balsamic and EVOO. Very tasty and high quality as it was not chewy. We then split a margerita pizza and chicken parm. The pizza was decent- it came out a bit colder than it should have (wood oven). The chicken parm was unique in that it was a) Grilled and b) It was sliced.
It was decent- nothing to get worked up over. The dirty martinis were very well prepared and the wine I had was tasty as well. We shared the chocolate cake dessert which was also delicious though a lot sweeter than I'm comfortable with (and i have a huge sweet tooth)
My quest for an A+ Italian restaurant in Chi continues.
Nice atmosphere and Mario seems like a nice guy. The food isn't too expensive, but it's still not worth it. I'm fairly certain it isn't homemade pasta, it's just too bland. The salads look really big, but are mostly just filler. The choice of dishes with good veggies was pretty solid.
Review Source:Eh, not going to work for me.
The place sort of looks like a cross between a sports bar and the dining area of a Holiday Inn. I live in the area and had a coupon to try the food. I didn't get much for my money and found the server's recommendation to be "off" (baked cavatelli with sausage).
There's not a lot of Italian in the area, true, but Mario's doesn't quite cut it.
Mario is my new favorite Italian in the neighborhood. I walk pass it every day but never stopped by. Untill I received a special deal in the mail and visited with family from out of town.
Nothing out of the ordinary on the menu but everything is very good. The service is super friendly, from the smily welcoming hostess to the different servers and runners.
The price is competitive for the area.
The place itself is nice. If you avoid week ends it's nice and quiet.
Will definitely be back!
We don't want you out of town people here anyways! Â There are too many touristy restaurants in the Gold Coast neighborhood with bowls of noodles you could swim in. This place give you an option of half size or full. Â The atmosphere is definitely chill and attacks an older and more sophisticated crowd. Â I love it :)
Review Source:Maybe if this gives a glimpse for entry-level travelers. Â but the food was sub standard. Â Service was "meh", definitely not up to Chicago standards (or neighborhood standards!). Â
Seems to be a place that rests on its laurels along with a group of regulars. Â
If you're not a regular, do not expect good service, a friendly atmosphere, or anything other than a cliched menu. Â No baked ziti, thank zod, but enough of other foods that would make you think you're backstage at a cliche convention
If you're a fan of Euro-style or "Italian-style" pizzas, this is definitely NOT the place for you. Â Somehow they messed that up. Â I'm Danish and can get "more authentic" cooking on our equivalent of Wicker Park.
If you're a fan of soft shelled crabs, their special is definitely NOT for you, either. Â They fail frying 101!!
In short - if you're an entry level traveler, or have some sort of strange Hollywoodized Italy fettish, you might not totally hate it. Â If you're not in that category, please, walk a few more steps down to Division or over to Goethe/Wells and on North and get stuff that's much, much better.
Value = Â low.
Service = fair, not Chicago standards, however
Food = joke
Atmosphere = Sesame Street of Italy.
So, I kind of expected Tony Soprano to walk in at any moment. Darkly lit, dim place with some peeps that really look like they're in character for a mob show. Sinatra-esque music and the bar that's churning out martinis and scotches and heavy on the rocks knock your socks off drinks.
The food was great. The garlic bread really hit the spot, especially for this carb-starved vegetarian. The veggie pasta dish, in a large size, no less, was actually really good and chockful of good veggies. The olio sauce wasn't overpowering and neatly complemented the veggies and perfectly cooked pasta. My other half had some artery clogging past mess that was smothered in cheese and sauce and leid with a wreath of sausage. Our friend had the healthiest of the bunch--an antipasto salad--and he said it was "surprisingly good."
All around a quiet and somewhat upperscale place (pricetag wise) but it wasn't pretentious and no one batted an eye at the shorts and tshirt gang accompanying me. We'll be back for sure!
Not my favorite Italian restaurant in Chicago, but a good reliable place that is on my regular hit list. Mario's is in my neighborhood, and when I'm craving lasagna (that I don't have to make myself) this is where I head. I haven't really branched out from this dish because it's so good and consistent...I can't bring myself to order anything else!
They have many wines that are reasonably priced, and the service has always been friendly. Not an upscale place - they have TVs on playing the games at the bar - so it's an easy choice for a mid-week dinner when I don't feel like getting fancy.
If you live in the area I'd recommend giving it a try!
Is it weird that the best part of the meal was the bread that I was eating dipped in my cheese and olive oil?
I had the burger, it was meh. I think it actually made me a little sick. Â
The "fries" weren't really fries. Â They were in between wedges and and fries. Â However, they were SOOO oily and really really soggy.
To be fair, i could've ordered wrong...my friend liked her lobster and shrimp pasta, but I didn't try it b/c I wasn't in the pasta mood. Â
I don't think I'd go here to eat again, but wouldn't be opposed to stepping in for a drink.
I've literally lived down the street from this place since summer, but haven't had a chance to try it out, I popped in last night for a quick bite and was pleasantly surprised. Given that it's kind of in the lobby of an old school condo building and has a very 1980's lounge feel to it, I wasn't expecting much, but i was definitely impressed.
It was Tuesday so they had the 2 for 1 wine special going on, which was pretty awesome. They have a small but well chosen selection of red and white wines, and both the wines recommended by our waiter were fantastic. We tried the garlic bread, chicken parm, and pesto pizza. I'd say the garlic bread and chicken parm were excellent, the pesto pizza was a bit greasy and really not my bag. The warm apple pie with ice cream was pretty great too. a bit on the pricey side for what it is, but pretty solid food, good service, and good wine.
Not worth going totally out of your way, but if you live around here , definitely worth the visit.
I was back to Mario's again last week....
I do have to say that our service was NOTHING compared to the first time around.  This woman seemed frantic, forgot things that we ordered, and never explained the specials.  Boo  :(
However, we all enjoyed our food. Â We started with the chicken fingers (they're homemade and delicious!) and caprese salad. Â I had the bowtie pasta with a white cream sauce, prosciutto, peas, and tomatoes. Â My cousin had the veal picatta, which arrived in a bath of butter! Â The food was very good, but I wouldn't advise eating here if you're watching your waistline. Â :)
Mario stopped by twice this time, which was again really nice... Â I'm sure to be back, but have my fingers crossed for better service.
Less than average tasting, over priced, Italian food. Â I wish it were better. I really do.
Very nice neighborhood feel. Friendly and accommodating. Good service. Attentive owner. The place is often busy. (? It must be me ?)
This time I ordered pasta with seafood. Pasta was wet ( not drained ) and over cooked and tasteless. Seafood quality (mussels,clams,shrimp)was average. Red sauce flavor was less than average, likey due to the abundance of water from the noodles.
An Italian restaurant should have much better pasta. Previous visits resulted in a meal with too much garlic and meat meal that was dry and over cooked.
I'm sorry to say that after this 3rd and final visit, due to the prices/value/quality, I won't be back.
This cute little neighborhood italian restaurant is a great spot for gold coasters who want some good food in a cozy environment for a fair price. Â I enjoy my experience whenever I go here, which has been about 6-7 times all without any problems.
While I have never had any complaints, I have never been blown away either. Â Although it was nice to have the real Mario come by the table and ask us how we were enjoying dinner. Â It's that little touch gives this place that friendly chicago feel and makes me keep going back. Â Plenty of places can provide simiar food (standard italian dishes) but Mario's does it with that extra friendly attitude that customers appreciate. Â It's a bit pricey depending on what you like, but that is true of most places in the area.
This place is a solid 3.5 overall, so I will give it a 4 since Mario was nice enough to introduce himself and inquire about our meal. Â Customer care goes a long way with me
I like Mario's. Â It's basically a neighborhood restaurant that happens to serve the Gold Coast neighborhood. Â As such it's a little nicer than your average neighborhood Italian joint might be, but the spirit is pretty much the same. Â Consistent food, friendly, personable service, reasonable (for the area) prices.
I like the Chicken Limon best, although when soft shell crab is in season (which I love), they do that very well.
I used to live on Dearborn, and I still make it over to Mario's now and then. Â I think anyone who lives near it in the Gold Coast probably has some memory there. Â I ate there with my friends the day the U.S. launched attacks on Afghanistan. Â It was such a communal experience, with the not-yet-hated President Bush announcing the invasion on the televisions to total silence in otherwise packed room. Â The Gold Coast is one of the more Republican neighborhoods in Chicago, but politics didn't matter for that night - just community, and Mario's was (and is) a great place for community.
I grew up a couple blocks away, and love Mario's. Â
I've been here countless times with my family, and each time the whole gang rolls in, Mario strolls right up to us, asks how we're doing, and if he (personally) can get us anything.
When Mario isn't there, the service is just as amazing. Â
The food is also so so so good. Â You gotta try the soft shell crabs. Â Or, my personal fave, Tortellini Jambalaya. Â SPICY, huge, and delish.
At most restaurants, you get a salad before your meal. Â Not so at Mario's.
The atmosphere is fairly cozy with lots of dark browns. Â A plasma TV rotates pictures of fine art.
But the food was weak. Â I got some beef-stuffed ravioli (the "special") and it just tasted bland. Â Seriously, I've had better Chef Boyardee. Â The sauce had no flavor. Â Mushrooms were just dumped on top, not mixed with the sauce at all. Â And the portion was small, compared to what you'd get at most other Italian joints.
The only reason they can charge those prices is the location, but you'll get more flavor and a better value courtesy of your can opener. Â Skip it.
I lived above Mario's for about 4 years and was just never really that impressed by the food. It is a great spot to grab a drink at the bar (a bar in your building- no matter how crappy- Â with Chicago's winters is probably one of the biggest luxuries of all time). The servers are friendly and Mario is in there all the time watching over things.
They heart of palm salad and roasted mushrooms aren't bad.
I'm with Deepa J. on the great location since this place is super close to where my boyfriend lives. Even though it always seems busy, we were able to get a seat during prime time without any wait. The boyfriend wanted a hearty meal so he ordered the chicken parmesan, which came out well-cooked and flavorful. My baked cavatelli tasted homemade (literally! we make this all the time, so I was a little let down that it tasted so similar) but the sausages on top were delicious and something I definitely don't have at home. We dug into the bread at the beginning (hot, toasty on the outside and fluffy on the inside) so we did have quite a lot of leftovers for lunch the next day. They do make a good tiramisu and it comes as a generous square-shaped portion. However, I wouldn't recommend the coffee. We probably should have gone across the street to 3rd Coast for that instead.
Anyway, I thought it was nice that Mario made the rounds and stopped by each table to ask how everyone's meal was going. He even waited patiently as one lady (a regular?) pulled out her wallet and started walking him through a whole bunch of family photos. Now that's something I don't see everyday.
Marios in my mind treads the boundary between average and good. The biggest selling point is obviously the location, it's a stone's throw from where I live, so a great option to saunter in unplanned.
I wasn't hugely impressed with the fare especially for the price tag that came with it. Did like their tiramasu for dessert though, definitely better than the rather ordinary entrees.
The artificial fireplace and rather dated ambiance apart, have no complaints about the neighborhood feel that it touts itself for. So while I'd be hard pressed to recommend this restaurant, if you live in the Gold coast area and need a change from the typical scene, Marios does provide a reasonable alternative.
The atmosphere at Mario's is wonderful. Â A perfect, neighborhood joint. Â Go any night of the week, and you'll see Mario working the room, making sure his guests are satisfied. Â I like the staff as well. Â They are loyal to Mario and their customers, so you always feel welcome. Â The food is good, but the pizza's are delicious. Â I lived in Rome and fell in love with the paper-thin style pizza. Â For years I searched for a place in Chicago that had such a pizza, and I finally found it at Mario's. Â Recommended.
Review Source:I love Mario's. It is kind of like a Cheers atmosphere, where everyone seems to know everyone. Â The food is good authentic Italian and good sized portions. Â I don't think I have ever been able to finish my whole meal there, and always end up with yummy leftovers the next day. Â The staff is always really friendly and helpful and some of the specials I have had were out of this world. Â One of the most fun aspects of dinner at Mario's is Mario himself coming over to your table and checking on you. Â I love their little pizzas too, and they deliver all around the Gold Coast. Â If you are looking for a place for a nice romantic Italian dinner, check it out.
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