This restaurant serves terrible food at expensive prices. The atmosphere is very nice and would be great for an expensive date if the food wasn't so bad.
I ordered lobster ravioli and my girlfriend ordered a trio sampler. My lobster was rubbery and the lasagna part of the trio was burnt on one side. Amateurish cooking for $40? No thanks. Never coming back here again.
I feel like I just survived a bad Spaghetti Western - with apologies to Sergio Leone for associating  The Good, The Bad and The Ugly with Romano's Macaroni Grill.  The good - the ice tea was brewed and they gave extra limes and had sweet-n-low and they also provided crayons to draw on the paper lined table.  The bad and the ugly  - I regret to report the food was terrible. I had moma's trio - the first serving came to the table luke  warm with a slab of congealed cheese on top of the chicken parmesan and they sent it back and gave me a new order. The second serving was extremely unimpressive - the cannoli shell was over cooked and hard as a rock. The chicken parmesan and lasagna were bland and not flavorful.  The manager voluntarily comped my order without me asking - which I appreciated - but to be blunt - the food was bad and I wont be back - looks like I'm not the only one who feels that way since the place was 3/4 empty at 7:30 PM.  I took home a doggy bag of left overs - on second thought I couldn't give it to  my dog because someone might turn me in to the Humane Society for cruelty to animals.  I ate at a nearby Carrabbas a few days ago and the food and service was much better. It's kind of sad because Macaroni grill use to have good food. QA staff - you need to stage an intervention before the "grill" goes belly up from mediocrity - you might also want to remove the crayons - customers might start drawing the international pictograph of a skull and cross bones - to warn future eaters of potentially  poisonous food.
Review Source:Burnt on purpose, food and the service...
I came into this location to have a nice dinner with my family. Â Our server took 20 minutes to acknowledge us and then we finally got to order. A full dinner service with 3 servers to take care of the whole place...we thought what kind of place is this location. Â
After being in other locations in Denver and Orlando...we were disappointed already. But the dinner service got much worse...2 of the servers went to talk to each other while the place was full. The employees seemed more worried about their conversation than helping people. Our table finally gets to order, and I get a Chianti BBQ Steak(medium.) Another 20 minutes later, all the food arrives at our table except mine. And another 10 minutes goes by and my steak comes in very rare which I ask for another steak. Â Last straw of the poor service, the kitchen decides to completely blackened my steak. My knife could not make any cuts as the steak is leather...very poor location.
Service is going downhill in a major way at Macaroni Grill. Years ago I actually worked in the front of house at a Macaroni Grill, at this time we worked really hard to make sure people had a really stellar experience, I've been to this location twice in last few months and had very mediocre experiences.
1. The server's don't write their names on the tables upside down in cursive anymore. This was understandably difficult to do so it added some real unique charm to Mac Grill. They don't do this anymore, in fact the last time the server didn't even introduce themselves and was generally inattentive.
2. I went for my birthday with my family recently, I remember when I used to work at Macaroni Grill the whole front of the house staff learned to sing happy birthday in Italian. Most recently on my birthday I jokingly requested this, the server informed me that no one there knew Italian or cared to come to our table to sing.
3. Macaroni Grill waitstaff used to look sharp wearing white dress shirts with ties, now it's these ugly button down shirts with no ties.
4. At Macaroni Grill it used to be policy to clear the table for guests and box up their food for them and bring it out to them (sometimes with an extra piece of bread to make them extra happy!). Now they just bring boxes out to the table so you can box it up yourself (applebees style!). In fact most recently, the waitress brought out the boxes, then asked me if I was going to hurry up and box up my food or if she should just throw it away.
5. The menu has shrunk, Macaroni Grill used to have a big impressive leather bound menu with equally impressive dinning options. Now it's a happy meal style paper menu left on your table that doesn't seem to be nearly as robust.
I give it two stars solely because the food is pretty decent Italian and they have a fairly decent selection of beers and wine. It should be noted though that the prices have definitely increased, be prepared to drop some coin!
Macaroni Grill used to be a really polished experience that was worth every penny where you would be go on date or a special occasion. I had really great memories of working and being customer at Mac Grill and now it feels just slightly classier than a McDonalds or Denny's.
This has to be one of the best places I have eaten. I think it could have used a little more seasoning but other than that the food is really good. The portions are good sized. After eating the little loaves of bread with olive oil with garlic and pepper we were only able to eat half our meals. Our server was great. She helped us to accommodate our young children and "customize" their drinks and food. I can't wait to go back here.
Review Source:So I had a leftover giftcard and we decided to go here. I also printed a coupon out for an additional $5 savings. They had a $25 dinner deal which includes 2 tapas and 2 select entrees.
We chose fried zucchini fritta and mac and cheese bites. OMG, both were amazing. The zucchini was thinly sliced and lightly breaded. Delicious crispy and light. Had a good seasoning too. I could eat an entire basket of mac and cheese balls. Amazing.
Next time thats all we are getting are tapas and salads.
We also had salads- I had bibb and blue. Blue cheese, walnuts, fried and pickled onions, parm cheese, and bibb lettuce. It was good and hearty. My partner had a plain salad. Typical lettuce, carrots, croutons. etc. Came with a house dressing already dressed. He liked it.
Our entrees on the other hand, were less than amazing. Bland, and missing something that took them from blah to wow. My partner had carmela's chicken. Sounded good- carmelized onions, mushrooms, chicken. I had carbonara. Bacon, egg, noodles. A teaspoon of garlic or some parm cheese could have gone a long way. Both ours were tasteless, and we took our leftovers home so we could doctor them up.
I say go for it, but next time we are going all out-Tapas and salads only.
Despite all the subtle changes to the menu that have taken place over the years- some good, some not so good; Â Macaroni Grill remains a pretty good place to eat, and is a good alternative to the usually jam-packed Olive Garden. Their status as an uber-corporate mega-chain means that employee turn over tends to be high, and the service can suffer at times as a result- but largely it's good and quick. The management in-place at this location is a relative constant, running a solid operation and they are visible, trolling about the dining area, chatting with guests and generally helping the waitstaff move orders.
Review Source:Still good.
Honor system wine.
Great service. One of my favorite chains of all time, mostly because it is my children's favorite restaurant. Good Italian at moderate prices.
Then there's the table wine. Not bad at all. Good desserts as well.
It's a wonderful place for a family meal.
I usually get the spinach salad with scallops. This is my lunchtime favorite. I also opt for eggplant - one of those things I cannot duplicate at home, ever, so I always order it when I am out. Two solid, tasty choices here.
Consistent and good.
This is a great location if you have some shopping to do, or happen to be on that side of town and want something dependable.
Stopped in for lunch after just getting back from vacation, and I am glad we did. Have not been to Macaroni Grill in years, so thought it might be nice to check it out again.
Server was Fantastic- Connor took great care of us and was very nice (and nice on the eyes, wink wink).
The mussells were a great app and had the right amount of garlic and spice.
The bread dipped in olive oil is a carb hungry beasts dream!
My main dish was just OK, I went with the Pesto Spaghetti, and after getting it wished I had ordered something else, not that it was bad, it just didn't come out the way I thought when reading the menu.
Will go back again and try something else.
Great Wine and Speciality drink selection!
It should be called Macaroni Hell. Â We had a birthday party there with 20 people so they set the table up and it looked ok, but turns out they just gave us napkins with knives, no forks or spoons. Â Ok, got over that... then just one waiter for the whole table lol. Â He tried his best but its just too big of a table for one person. Â Then we asked for separate checks and turns out they put it all on one then had to figure out how to split them up... I always bring cash to these things so I can just pay mine and duck out. Â So the service was crappy. Took an hour to get a beer. Â Then the whole dinner took a whopping 4 hours. The food looked ok, but I found a piece of plastic in my salad. Â Ooofda.. I didn't mention that cause it woulda been a holy mess and ruin the bday party. Â Note to self....Never go to Macaroni Grille again. Â So it's a typical big box chain.. but funny thing is, the Olive Garden can handle a crowd with no problems or stress. The whole night I felt stressed because you could tell the waiter was stressed. Â Never again. And the manager was no where to be found.
Review Source:My family is big fans of the Macaroni Grill in Seattle and so when our group needed a place to eat this weekend and a location was just down the street, over we headed. Even being a Friday night, we were immediately seated and our server was promptly at our table.
To start, we had the bruschetta and the complimentary bread with olive oil and cracked pepper. The bruschetta arrived deconstructed, which was a nice touch. You receive large pieces of bread, big slices of cheese, and a bowl of tomato mix to add as you pleased. The complimentary bread was fresh and delicious with the oil/pepper mix.
For dinner, I had the pasta milano and my companions had the chicken parmigiana, chicken scaloppine, and mushroom ravioli. My pasta was nice and creamy and had lots of sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms. There wasn't a large presence of chicken, though the pieces that were included were very tender. All of the other meals looked delicious and everyone was highly impressed.
Overall, our drinks were always refreshed and while our server wasn't at our table frequently, we still felt well looked after. I was very pleased to see that this chain offers quality food no matter where you are. Win!
There is something to be said of chain restaurants. They are predictable and consistent. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Some days you just want a comforting menu of items that you did not cook.
I love that you can draw on the paper covered tables. It keeps my ADD manageable. I love a place that serves one of my favorite wines, Ravens wood red zin.
In my most recent trip to Macaroni grill I noshed on their delicious bread while waiting for my tasty calamari. I will say however that the olive oil that is on the table for bread dipping pleasure is less than desirable. The plus side is, the bread needs no dipping.
I ordered the chicken marsala for my main course. I love me some marsala sauce. The noodles were a bit over done for my taste. I like them a bit more al dente. The chicken was tender and marsala sauce had some many delightful cloves of caramelized garlic; I was beside myself.
Final word: When in need of meal that doesn't come from my own kitchen and my own hands, the Mac Grill will remain in the file.
Pleasantly surprised. I had heard that MG did not have great food so I had always hesitated going there. We were visiting family in Colorado and they suggested we go there on Christmas Eve. First the stars were aligned for us, our infant son slept thru the whole meal! So we were able to enjoy our food and conversation. The waitress came by and wrote her name on the table, found that odd but whatever. We were then served warm bread with olive oil Yum. We were also brought a huge bottle of house wine that is served on the honor system, you drink what you want and let them know how many glasses you had. As for the meal I went with a cesar salad (can't get enough since I didn't eat any while I was prego) and the seafood linguine. The seafood was delish, a couple huge prawns, scallops and clams, all fresh tasting and all good! They also have a build your own pasta option that is great if you have vegetarians in your party. Â Our whole party liked their food and left satisfied. Â Overall this was a great experience.
Review Source:I can't believe that my 100th review is going to be of a corporate Italian factory restaurant in Aurora, Colorado, of all places. Oh, how the mighty have fallen . . ..
Having said that obnoxious stuff, I gotta admit, this place wasn't that bad. Actually, pretty good. The servers were nice (even though they insist on writing their names upside down with crayons on your paper table covering).
The food was, in fact, pretty fine. I had the scallops salad for lunch. The scallops tasted fresh. Their covering was suitably delicate and understated, and the spinach was crisp and delicious. Â My dining partner had the shrimp portofino and liked it just fine.
All in all a seriously A-OK experience about which I'm happily surprised. Â Give it a try with an open mind and enjoy yourself: that's my recommendation.
Buon appetito!
My wife and I like this place so much that her boss booked her 25th year of service celebration dinner here. Â We've visited at least once a month since it opened a few years ago. Â Before that, we'd drive to the one at Cherry Creek Mall. Â That one is closed now, soon to be replaced an overpriced, overrated Brio Tuscan Grille. Â Oops, sorry, that's another review.
OK, it's a chain restaurant. Â So what! Â They don't pretend to be anything else. Â The food and service are good, and that's all that really matters. Â And it's definitely a step up from something like the Olive Garden. Â Oops, yet again that's another review.
The prices are very reasonable.  The portions are large, and they don't skimp on the meat, fish, or chicken when you order a pasta dish with one of those ingredients.  The hot, crusty herb bread that comes with every order is almost worth the visit all by itself.  Unless you skip the salad, soup and/or dessert you'll definitely take half of your entrée home.  Everything is always nicely prepared, exactly as described on the menu, and arrives at your table piping hot.  Servers are attentive without being intrusive, and the manager has stopped at our table on almost every visit to make sure everything was all right.
'Nuff said.
I always enjoy a trip to this location. The food is always good, and I've never had poor service here. I really love their house Chianti, and the honor system thing is really cool. I don't think I have a favorite item here, since everything I've gotten is perfect - prepared the way I request, and always comes out nice and hot.
It's a great place to bring the kids, since they can doodle on the tables, or a big group, or just the spouse. The atmosphere is that classic Italian, warm and intimate, and very inviting. I've been to other Mac Grills, and while the food is always good, I've never been wowed with the service like I am here.
Overall, a great place to have a casual night either just as a couple, or with the entire extended family. :)
This is not the Olive Garden! Romero's Macaroni Grill is a great Italian restaurant. I've been there many times with either my best friend, or my family, and I have never been disappointed. This is a great restaurant for kids, or for a romantic dinner for two. The waiters are great, the atmosphere is very traditional (even the menu is written in Italian), and the food is amazing. They have a good selection of food for anyone whether you like fancy Italian, the basic dishes, or the exotic choices. The house bread that they serve as an appetizer is truly the best bread I've ever tasted. The prices can get pricey if you're going to have seafood, but this is Colorado so anywhere you go the seafood will be expensive.
Overall this is one of the best Italian restaurants in Colorado. The dishes range from $7-$15 each and although there are probably better Italian restaurants in Colorado, I doubt you'll find many that offer good food for a good price like this.
My husband has no chain shame, so I indulge him, but we went to the Aurora location. Â Um. Â No love lost. Â
The restaurant itself is nice; different looking than Cherry Creek and easier parking since they don't share with busy Elways, Container Store, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Â
We were greeted immediately and taken to a raised booth. Â The server didn't write her name in flourishing upside down script, but no points lost over that. Â I had my fav Insalada blue (half) and it was good. Â Hubby's pasta dish was as good as Mac Grill gets, but my ribeye was fatty and tough. Â Not a great combo unless you're into cold mud wrestling. Â We told the server, who told the manager, who took it off the check. Â Good rebound, but I won't go back. Â Cherry Creek is the same distance from home. They can call it Aurora Town Center, but it's still Aurora.
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