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Maggiano's Little Italy
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
16405 N Scottsdale AveScottsdale, AZ 85254
(480) 333-4100
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:30 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Ambience:
- Classy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
85 reviews for Maggiano's Little Italy
Review Highlights
"I highly recommend the Rigatoni D and Chicken Prosciutto."
(in 9 reviews)
"Had a family style meal and everything was delicious."
(in 15 reviews)
"Also, a huge plus for Maggiano's is the Classic Pasta menu."
(in 5 reviews)
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85 reviews in English
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Review from Nicholas N.
Scottsdale, AZ
12/19/2011
Even though I've lived in Scottsdale for several years, it took a trip to Las Vegas to find out about Maggiano's. I had no idea they were a chain, until I looked them up online. Our experience in Vegas' Maggianno's was five stars, but I only gave the Scottsdale restaurant four stars because I feel the dessert portion sizes are much larger in Vegas. And they also have these amazing mints in Vegas. So if I could give Scottsdale Maggiano's 4.5 stars I would. I've always had great service there the three times I've been there. We recently went there for a birthday party of ten people. When I first called to make reservations the guy told me that we had to do family style because the cutoff was nine. So when we called a second time, they said no problem ordering off the classic pasta menu. It's a great promotion. You get one hot meal in the restaurant, and one cold meal to take home with you. Granted the second meal isn't as large as the first one, but you get twice as much food as if you were to order family style. Let's face it, who can eat all you can eat? It's expensive $30 a plate and we had mostly older people and small children, thus the classic pastas made more sense. It's my understanding that you can't take home doggie bags of family style meals either. Their desserts are great. We tried the sampler on our most recent trip and had Creme bruleé, a fruit tart with a great crust, tiramasu, and a chocolate dessert. I don't remember the other two~ When we went there in Vegas it was their fall menu and they served this pumpkin cheesecake with a pecan crust. It was AMAZING!!!! And the size of the slice was enough to feed four people. But the place in Scottsdale was a sliver of a piece. That's was a let down. They do have the recipe online though so you can make it at home. I love the inside. And though it is a chain, I give it three thumbs up. Much better than Carrabba's.
Their lasagna is out of this world, so is their four cheese ravioli, and I think the other one was called Pasta Pomodoro. I'll go back again and again until I feel it's not worth it anymore. This last visit was great with one person giving all ten of us great service. Mary Ann was her name I think . Was even able to use a coupon that they sent me.
Lots of coupons if you get on their mailing list. Oh one more thing, Yelp has them on the wrong side of Scottsdale road on their map. It's on the SE corner. -
Review from Benjamin S.
Phoenix, AZ
1/7/2012
Ok, as far as Italian goes this place is pretty decent. The big pull for here is the amazing value.
Buy one of any of the classic dishes and take home another classic dish for later all for the single dish price. The food is basic but tasty and it reheats well.
Nothing crazy special here but if you're in the area anyways check it out!!!! -
Review from Barnabas L.
Phoenix, AZ
12/12/2011
I realized i haven't yelped this place even though i have been here at least once a year since moving here.
Okay so maggiano's in my opinion is only worth it if you are going to do family style eating...heck yes all you can...
I only come here on special occasions with my family, when everyone is in town. We ordered i think almost all the combinations of food you can think of for the family style. I really love their stuffed mushrooms and calamari appetizers. Those are always a good pre-game snack, but it turns into a pre-game meal because of it being bottomless.
There are too many main courses for me to remember, but i enjoy them all especially with it being...yes all you can eat.
The dessert, get the cream puffs those are amazing monsters of joy...and i think sometimes i save half my stomach just to throw down 2-3 of those.
I really enjoy this place for family outings because its about eating up. But really who would turn down high quality all you can eat food?? it's not a buffet so you will have to shovel out a pretty penny for the family style eating. -
Review from kay r.
Fountain Hills, AZ
2/6/2012
Maggianos is one of our favorite Italian restaurants in the valley. Their menu is great because there is something for everyone no matter what type of budget you have. We had a really wonderful experience with our waiter Kenneth. He is very knowledgeable, funny, and kind. He was very prompt and he made our dining experience very pleasant. We would definitely make a request for Kenneth the next time we visit. I ordered the steak medallions which was amazing! My husband ordered the shrimp scampi and it was delish! We had a generous portion of tiramisu for dessert, and it was definitely worth every calorie.
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Review from Matthew A.
Mesa, AZ
1/29/2012
So I had a chance to visit maggianos and I was very happy with my experience I was able to have a great glass of the house pinot grigio as I was waiting. When I was seated I had the marcos meal for two with a glass of gabbiano chianti. It was excellent they served an excellent salad, then the penne with a meatball. I had an option to take home a pasta to which I chose the baked rigatoni. Cheesecake was the choice for dessert. It was an amazing experience and I would definitely return there again.
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Review from Andrew H.
Phoenix, AZ
11/26/2011
A hit or miss experience. Went there the other night and the older guys (managers?) running the host stand were very unpleasant. When we told them our party WAS indeed all present, but just in the bathroom, they took another ten minutes to get us taken care of. Then they scoffed when we asked where our waiter went fifteen minutes after taking our drink order.
The wait staff themselves are usually decent, to be honest. But it's a little inconsistent.
If cheapness is your thing, come here. After all, it's run by the wizards who brought you the authentic stylings of Chili's and On the Border (oh, sorry, most of the ladder here in Phoenix closed). You can get a run-of-the-mill pasta and one to take home for $12.95. I do enjoy the late night fridge raid of my second meal, but it's nothing I couldn't have spent ten minutes and made in my own pot. The classics menu is a who's who of boring concoctions with no original take on them.
The atmosphere here is interesting and surprisingly void of a North Scottsdale vibe. Problem is you never know exactly what you're going to get. I'm not a huge fan of any chain Italian, but I'll take Carrabba's across the street; feels a bit more warm to me even if it's less hip, and the menu offers more excitement. -
Review from Van R.
Scottsdale, AZ
1/4/2012
Another amazing meal at Maggiano's! Thank you to Tracy for her great service and attention to our meal. Eggplant Parmesan is the best! What a deal, but 1 pasta/entree, take one home for only $12.95!!! Love Maggiano's since living in Chicago years ago. Go enjoy the food and great service. If you've not tried Maggiano's family style entrees, you need to make a reservation and go now...!
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Review from Nancy G.
Edmond, OK
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
Really good food, but the wait staff lowers the score. Our female waiter came to our table five times while my water glass was empty, never offered to fill it. That is poor service. I handed the totally empty glass to the manager as we were leaving and expressed my disappointment. Will probably give this another try, but would prefer Brio or Bravo.
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Review from Wendy J.
Prescott, AZ
Service was fast friendly and accurate. The first thing Igor was a sample of 2 different wines so I could select which one I prefered. Then hot french bread. An outstanding spinach salad. Followed by 4 cheese ravioli pesto to die for! A little pricey but worth every bit of it!.....Come hungry..the portions are big! And you get another whole order of at least the pasta dishes to go!! They will let you select any pasta dish..it does not have to be the one you ordered originally!! They should tell you that when you arrive! Awesome!
1 Previous Review:
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9/8/2011
Eveything is delish..leave room for desert! Maryann is the best server!
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Review from Albert L.
Newport Beach, CA
12/30/2011
The worst experience with this restaurant chain ever, management was not working with the host. A patron waiting behind me was attacking me on making a decision on whether I wanted to wait 90 mins to eat after the host asked me if I wanted to wait 15 seconds earlier. I came to Scottsdale to relax on vacation and left knowing people are so rude in this city.
Comment from Keith B. of Maggiano's Little Italy 1/9/2012
Hi Albert, We are very sorry to hear about your most recent… More » -
Review from Andrea S.
8/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
My mother, sister and I are annoying. I recognize this and embrace it. We involve shopkeepers, cashiers, janitors, sales associates, servers and anyone else in the near vicinity in our squabbles and lighthearted disagreements.
Last night's dinner was no different. Our server Tony was great. He played along and totally made fun of us. We loved it.
Highly recommend making a reservation on the weekend as they get very full. I overheard a couple leaving saying there was a 50 minute wait without one.
The drink menu is full of fruity froo-froo drinks but they have plenty of wine choices and full bar for any other drinks. My sister loved her Lemon Drop Martini (ugh) and my Hendricks and tonic was damn strong.
We had the Stuffed Mushrooms to start and they were delicious. Loaded with garlic and butter and there were probably 15 of them!
The entrees are good, not amazing. I had the Lobster Carbonara, which isn't really a true carbonara but it was pretty good otherwise. They put snow peas in it which I find weird, but the lobster pieces were massive. For $20 (the most expensive pasta dish), they had better be!
If you order a 'classic pasta', you get to choose another order to take home for free! What! That's the weirdest, coolest concept I've seen in a chain restaurant. Be prepared to walk out with tons of food.
Overall, pleasant experience. -
Review from Sydney N.
Phoenix, AZ
12/11/2011
This is a great restaurant that is in between a true cheap chain and one of those super expensive one of a kind dining experiences. We went here for our office holiday party and we had 8 adults and 1 two year old. They pushed some tables together for us so we all got to sit together which for some reason every other restaurant in Scottsdale we wanted to go to was not able to accomodate. The server was helpful and prompt. They take reservations and I agree with some of the other reviewers that you should make one for busy weekend hours.
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Review from Ariella L.
Scottsdale, AZ
7/28/2011
I am a carbivore. My favorite foods are all carbs and as a result I end up eating a lot of Italian. So naturally, I've been to Maggiano's several times.
One thing holds true every time I go to Maggiano's--I always enjoy their appetizers more than their entrees. I don't think their entrees are bad, but I also don't think they're anything special. Their appetizers on the other hand are delicious.
My personal favorites happen to be their caprese, the stuffed mushrooms and the mushroom ravioli. Being a carbivore, as I mentioned before, my favorite is of course the mushroom ravioli. Everytime I go here with someone I always order the mushroom ravioli and make my guest try it. I haven't had a single person say it was "eh" or "average". This one dish has gotten a 4/5 or above from everyone who has tried it. I even had someone who didn't like mushrooms going back for more.
I think I'll have to go there for lunch today... -
Review from Jennifer T.
Scottsdale, AZ
11/18/2011
We've done lunches here for our office and they are outstanding, so I went for dinner and drinks with a girlfriend. Our food was outstanding and Soooo much of it. It was crowded, but somehow noice wasn't crazy. We had a great time, great food, great drinks!
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Review from Marie H.
Scottsdale, AZ
6/19/2011 Seated via OpenTable
I wish I could give Maggiano's a higher rating! The ambience of Maggiano's is awesome. The lighting is perfect and the woodwork makes for the perfect classic Italian vibe. Also, a huge plus for Maggiano's is the Classic Pasta menu. For around $10, you get a meal there and a fresh packaged plate of your choice to take home.
Unfortunately though, the menu is extremely basic, the food is mediocre at best, and the service is sub par. I have been to Maggiano's five or six times hoping that something will change, but to no avail. I always leave feeling dissapointed that my experience wasn't something more.
Maggiano's is also notorious for having a long wait and then missmanaging wait times. I've witnessed hosts getting chewed out on more than a few occasions. My boyfriend and I even had our Open Table reservation cancelled without our knowing last minute by them!
Last, a bit of the charm was lost for me when I learned that they are managed by the same company as Chili's. This was the nail in the coffin. Just another Italian chain. -
Review from Chrysty C.
Phoenix, AZ
6/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
I wanted to love this place, but I just can't.
There was absolutely nothing that I liked.
The waitress was rude and not very smart. The food was not very good. I had the lasagna, and I didn't even want to have more than a few bites before I said I was done with it. I could make better lasagna at home.
We came for a birthday party and they brought out the cake, but didn't bring forks for about 5-10 minutes later.
I have no desire to return here. -
Review from Richard R.
Scottsdale, AZ
7/25/2011
You know what you're getting when you eat at chain like Maggiano's. Pretty good food. Really big portions. Fair prices. The place is much more focused on family style dining (including a pretty generous "family style" menu), so it's probably best to eat at Maggiano's with a big group.
Maggiano's has a nice set up. The ambiance is cool. If you have a choice between the ground floor or going upstairs, I recommend staying on the lower level. There's only one stairwell, without a lot of room, so employees carry hot plates of food are running up and down while you try to stay out of their way. It also forces them to bring up only part of your table's order at time, meaning that some food was on the table, while the rest of the party waits another couple of minutes for theirs. I'm sure it's too late now, but it probably would've been a good decision to build a back stairwell or install some sort of old school dumbwaiter.
Other than waiting a little longer than we should have for some of the food to come out, the service was great. Our waitress was funny and engaging. She had a few lines that made me laugh and seemed to have a lot of "I just served someone who..." stories. When I was called in the morning to confirm our reservation, I informed the caller that we were there for a couple of birthdays. They left a little Happy birthday card on the table, and brought us some lemon cookies (with candles) for dessert. A nice little touch.
Yes, there are a lot of better Italian spots in the valley. But there's nothing wrong with the food at Maggiano's. A solid place to get a good meal. -
Review from Andrew K.
Updated - 3/11/2011
Happy hour at the bar (I ended up w/ a couple glasses of wine - nothing special but not bad for under $5 each, either) yesterday turned into "hey, are you hungry?" "I could eat..." "well, let's see what they have..." "what do you see?" [back and forth like that for a while] turned into our waitress saying "i'll send the chef out to talk about what we can do for you."
ah, the joys of #glutenfree dining. chef aiden was the consummate salesman - describing the veritable smorgasbord of options. TWO gf types of pasta, nearly all of the sauces, as well as all of the veggie sides and meats. he was detailed yet efficient, and demonstrated (separate fry oil!!!!!) that he really cared about my party's food intolerances. i was quite impressed. we'll be back soon.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/14/2009
I've tried several dishes here with the various white sauces, and I have to say they're the way to… Read more »
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Review from Kathy C.
3/21/2011
This is really a 2.5 stars for food. -.5 stars for terrible, TERRIBLE service and cramped dining area.
Had reservations last Saturday night party of 11. When we arrived our table wasn't ready, which was fine, but my relative, who is wheel chair bound really had nowhere to wait for 10 minutes since it was really busy that night. They tell us to wheel her to an area adjacent to the host stand. A few minutes pass and my fiance gets reprimanded by two different servers that we cannot stand there. We were not blocking the path to the computers, either. AND WE WERE TOLD TO WAIT THERE!
We get seated shortly after that, and we make it easy and order the classic family style dinner for everyone. 2 salads, 2 appetizers, 4 entrees, and 2 desserts. Honestly, it is so much food, you are better off getting things a la carte for the table. For $27 per person, what you get is really greasy, overly cheesed, americanized Italian food, with most of the pastas arriving to the table over cooked, dining area very very cramped and so loud you will lose your voice, and just so-so servers. I understand it being busy, but I have been here several times in the past few years, and this always seems to be the case. You would think with a large party you would at least come by to check on drinks. I sat with my cocktail glass empty after my first one and I saw empty water and drink glasses all around.
Salmon is okay, so is the fried mozzarella app,the chicken parm, and the apple dessert. The veal and mushroom ravioli has a funky mushroom flavor and a cream sauce that is a little salty and very heavy, blegh, soggy salads. blegh.
If you have a larger party, request the private rooms in the back, that is much quieter, otherwise you will feel like someone is about to hit the back of your chair the entire meal. -
Review from David B.
Scottsdale, AZ
4/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Ummmm.... Ok, Maggiano's is pretty weak in food and flavor. I suspected that coming in but insisted to myself and gf that it'd be different.
For me, spinach dip is like cheesecake or tiramisu to others...I have to try it everywhere I go. It's good here, but that's where it ends. The pastas, while I've only eaten a few of them, are pedestrian at best, and because of that are overwhelmed with super rich sauces and condiments...not allowed to stand on their own.
But then again, this isn't a place famous for it's authentic Italian cuisine, or properly prepared pastas and other fare. It is well known, I believe, for it's family style offerings, so that's probably the key. Bring a bunch of your friends and family and spend two hours eating and making small talk, then spend two hours wondering what just happened, and of course recollecting the experience at reunions whilst drinking and apologizing... and blushing. -
Review from Toni J.
3/22/2011 Seated via OpenTable
I've been in love with Maggiano's since before it came to Phoenix! I grew up going to the locations in Chicago, and am happy to say that the food quality and service is spot on in Scottsdale too! Here are a few tips to dining at Maggiano's that will enhance the experience:
1. Make a reservation... they take them for all party sizes
2. Go with 4 or more people and dine family style! There are tons of menu options, the cost is reasonable, and its bottomless as long as the plate is clear!
3. Wear expandable clothes, you will over eat!
Some of my favorite vegetarian dishes include the maggiano's salad(no prosciutto) , mushroom ravioli, Gnocchi in Vodka sauce, and cheese ravioli in a creamy pesto sauce. I know, none of this is healthy, but every once in a while you need to let loose and enjoy fantastic Italian food! -
Review from Stephen D.
Scottsdale, AZ
6/2/2011
I love this place.
Great drinks
Good Food
Huge Portions
A great place for small group as the servings are made more for a family style service than an entree.
I love it.! -
Review from John L.
Scottsdale, AZ
4/4/2011
Yes, Maggiano's is a chain, and yes it's a big-box Italian restaurant in a town with quite a few mom-and-pop Italian joints--but my-oh-my can they cook some great Italian food! Being based out of Chicago certainly doesn't hurt.
Little lady and I had a great family style dinner here when my folks were in town, and absolutely everything was fantastic. I'm pretty sure I came within a couple bites eating myself to death (think Monty Python's The Meaning of Life).
For weekend dining, I highly recommend reservations and request a booth which will put you above and away from the main floor (I do feel they pack a few too many tables in the available space). This made the meal all the more enjoyable.
Make sure to leave a day open for digestion! -
Review from Robyn N.
1/3/2011
This was a great place to go with the parents for Thanksgiving. Dinner was served family style and it was a ton of food! Started with a plate of 3 different bruschetta appetizers that were excellent. Then had a choice of 2 salads, 2 meats - we had turkey that was served with a focaccia dressing and the tilapia served with a side of some of the best creamed spinach I ever had - then 2 side dishes in addition - mashed sweet potatoes and mashed garlic potatoes that were just okay - 2 pasta dishes - we had the signature Rigatoni D and the angel hair with pomodoro sauce/sausage - and 2 desserts!
It is a little pricey, but for the amount of food they serve and all the leftovers, I think it's worth it. The best way to go here is with a group and do the family style menu.
I've been to other Maggiano's in Chicago and to me, they're all pretty much the same - good and plentiful food and fast friendly service. -
Review from Angela P.
Scottsdale, AZ
9/26/2011
Homestyle italian food and great ambiance. The wait staff is pleasant, service is great, and the food couldn't be any better. It's affordably priced, and if you order off of the classics menu, you get a full size 2nd plate to take home with you. Seriously, how could it get better!?
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Review from Vijay R.
3/1/2011
I have only been to Maggianos a couple of times. First time I ever went, I went as a group b-day party, and it turned out to be close to $40/person with tips and taxes for a buffet type meal with regular drink. It took me about 5 years to go again after that scenario, as my friend convinced me to give it a shot with a regular menu. I went last weekend to the location in North Scottsdale. It was a very popular location because we had about a 1.5 hour wait. Luckily, they had a pretty decent size bar where my friend and I had a drink. I had the sangria, and it was very tasty.
We got our tables very close to our estimated 1.5 hours and got seated with rather quick service. The waiter would catch what we said, and then he would literally run. I don't know if that is the culture because of the high volume of customers or that this guy just liked to walk away fast. We both got chicken dishes that were fantastic. -
Review from R H.
Chandler, AZ
7/18/2011
Great place for a delicious dinner (and chocolate dessert)! Our waiter Ken was excellent, very attentive to details! Would definitely go back!
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Review from Stan W.
3/27/2011
I took my father and little brother here last week. All three of us had fantastic dinners. My brother had of all things one of the best filet mignon's I have tasted in a long time. My father had a side dish of phenomenal asparagus spears. I had a perfectly seasoned seafood pasta dish, Not too creamy, or salty leaving room for the flavors of the shellfish to emerge and blend into the sauce.
The service was excellent. There were no tables available in the dining room and the cocktail waitress did her best to make us feel like were not in the bar.
I could be a "chain restaurant" snob and rip this place apart but I can't.... everything was very good. I would definitely recommend it for a quality meal with friends or family. -
Review from Jenna W.
Scottsdale, AZ
5/17/2011
We've eaten at Maggiano's in several states around the country and it is usually one of our favorite places. We arrived close to 8:15pm on a Monday night and their were many tables open, yet the hostess asked us if we had a reservation. We told her no, so she then "checked her table map" and said it was a 20 minute wait. It was such a ridiculous situation since there were no patrons waiting and tables were open. We went to Brio instead and were seated right away!
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Review from star p.
12/21/2010
Delish! I didn't have the opportunity to dine in, as we were picking up food for our company party, but I have to say the take out area was convenient and the girls were very friendly and organized. It helped that the Take out was seperate from the main enterance and that they had curb side pull up (Take note: lunch hour is VERY busy).
I had the pleasure of having a lil bit of everything we ordered, being that this was my first 'expereince with Maggiano's I wanted to ensure of course that I gave it a fair shot on my review ha. Who are we kidding, the food was amazing. The lasagna with meat sauce, Chicken Parm, Chopped salad and Caesar salad all delicious.
We got the 1/2 orders of the catered dishes, which for all of the above (which came with rolls) was enough for an office of 16. The food portions were perfect with leftovers to spare.
Looking forward to experiencing the dining in abiance, in the near future! -
Review from emmy j.
Scottsdale, AZ
8/14/2010
The moment we walked into this place, it was alllll bad! It breaks my heart to write this review because back home Maggiano's was one of my favorite restaurants. I've always thought this place had good food and that the prices were fair for the huge portions, so I was super excited to find one here in Arizona. BUT this location sucked and i'm sad that i won't be returning.
Right when we walked in, we were greeted by the manager who asked us how we were doing. My bf and I politely answer, then for a good 5 seconds there was complete silence. I look at him like dude, be normal and say "just two?" or "how many?" Instead he looks at me, makes this rude gesture with his head and has this look on his face like "what do you want?" So I'm like... "uhhh.. table for two." Anyways, I try to ignore his rudeness.. but me and my bf were like wow.. what's this guy's deal?
Anyways, after Mr. Incompetent seats us, the entire dining experience kept going down hill:
-Loss of 1 star: Dirty Dishes. I'm usually the kind of person who doesn't speak up when I'm unhappy with something at a restaurant, but as we were waiting for our food we noticed the small plates and the wine glasses were super dirty! I was pretty grossed out so I asked the waitress (without trying to be annoying) to take it off the table.
-Loss of 2 stars: Slow Service. I started to get really annoyed when it took forever to bring out our bread. I just drooled as I saw people who were seated after us munching away on their bread. We finally got the bread once our first entree came out which was ridiculous. They were also really slow with refilling our drinks. At one point, I just started chewing ice .
-Loss of 3 stars: Rude service. In addition to the dumb manager in the front, our waitress was a little biatch! My bf asked her if we could have more olive oil and balsamic vinegar and as he was speaking, she looked at him and walked away! Then she came back and said she would bring it out... as she walked away from our table the ladies sitting at the table next to us say "well that was a nice eye roll". I was like oh hell no, did she roll her eyes at us?! Then the ladies next to us started complaining about the service and said they had been waiting for their check for a while and they had no idea where their server was.
-Loss of 4 stars: Smaller Portions. I always get the same thing back home; a salad and a chicken and spinach manicotti. When the manicotti came out, I was shocked! It was a lot smaller than usual! I usually think the dish is worth the $15, but this definitely was not worth the money. It looked like it was missing a big chunk!! I was sooooooo sad!
It was just a bad experience overall. In all the times I have been to a Maggiano's, I have never left with such negative feelings! I guess I'll have to wait till I go back home to have my chicken manicotti again :( -
Review from Jen E.
Cave Creek, AZ
9/8/2010
The first time I was taken to Maggiano's it was for the family-style dinner. It was REALLY good. And I couldn't believe that the dishes keep coming. It's a glutton's dream come true. I had the house salad, which was pretty good. The calamari is excellent, as are the pasta dishes. I didn't particularly care for the red clam sauce though.
This is THE place to go to if you want to take your family out for dinner, or even a group date night. The family-style dinner is very worth it, in my opinion. You get to take home what you dont finish, and it's usually a lot.
Ending on a sweet note: the cheesecake was the perfect ending to the meal. -
Review from Natalie G.
Phoenix, AZ
9/7/2010
Went during happy hour and the house wine was easy to drink and super cheap. We really enjoyed the crab cakes, but the chicken flatbread wasn't anything special and was a lot larger than we had expected. We ended up splitting the seared pork medallions for our actual meal and it was really good! We thought they would be thick and shaped as a medallion (round and thick), but they looked more like a flattened chicken breast. Learn something new every day! Regardless, they were delicious, especially when combined with the bread dipped in the sauce accompanying the pork. We saw a giant slice of chocolate cake appear on the table next to us and it looked so tempting. Too bad we didn't have any more room!
Only complaint was that my husband's gin and tonic had no gin, which we sent back. The waitress brought him a new one and explained that they do shorter pours during happy hour. He took one sip of the second one, thought about it, then said to screw the happy hour price, he'll pay full price for a real pour. When the waitress (who was really sweet) brought it back to the bartender, we could hear him exclaim "REALLY?!" from our seat across the lounge. -
Review from Carey B.
Scottsdale, AZ
11/22/2011
This review is primarily for take-out. I love Maggiano's easy online ordering, especially on those nights you just don't feel like cooking! My favorite things I've tried are the Baked Ziti and the Chicken Picatta. They also have my favorite calamari fritte in the valley- it's always tender! The food may not quite meet the homemade standard, but it sure does the trick!
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Review from Nick B.
Ladera Ranch, CA
3/10/2011
The food was okay, but they serve the same things that you can get at Macaroni Grill. The only catch? You have to wait half the afternoon to get your food. My wife ordered spaghetti and meatballs, I ordered penne rustica and I think we waited at least (and I mean at the very least) an hour to get the food. I understand everything is supposed to be fresh, but I wasn't impressed. The same dish at Macaroni Grill tastes better and comes faster. I also like the bread more at Macaroni Grill.
We ordered the bruschetta, and it was good, and the meal was good. The portion sizes were much larger, but given the price and the time factor I wouldn't return unless we had another gift card.
My wife claims that other Maggiano restaurants are better (i.e., Las Vegas), but I can't confirm or deny that.
She got a free extra serving of hers because she got a pasta dish, which was really the one shining moment here. -
Review from Bob M.
Peoria, AZ
8/17/2011
Absolutely loved this place! Good food, good service and they gave us another free full dinner for each of us to take home. Prices were surprisingly reasonable too! Looking forward to a repeat performance real soon!
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Review from Christine P.
Mesa, AZ
6/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is one of my favorite chain restaurants. It is always excellent. The sausage orzo soup is a great starter, lots of stuff in it. The Rigatoni D is one of the best pasta dishes outside italy! Great atmosphere, good drink selection. My mom had the chicken and spinach manicotti with red sauce instead of white and it was delicious as well.
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Review from vegegirly C.
Phoenix, AZ
1/8/2011
I usually hate chains, especially Italian ones like Olive Garden and Romanos. But I was pleasantly surprised my Maggianos. We went because we got a gift card for Christmas but we are probably going back.
The bread and the dipping oil they start you out with is pretty good. I wish the dipping oil was just a little more seasoned though. My husband ordered the linguine and clams which he said was just ok. My stepson had the crab and shrimp cannelloni which he enjoyed. I really liked my eggplant Parmesan. It is the best egg parm I have had at a chain. The sauce is fresh tasting which huge chunks of garlic.
One nice surprise is that our server said that my dish qualified for a free take home dish of the same category. So I ordered the gnocchi and had a nice dinner the next day. -
Review from Jules D.
Chicago, IL
6/19/2010
4 girls, Wednesday night
Server was uneducated about the menu.
Food was ok
Maggiano's Salad tasted odd. Only two of us tasted it then sent it back because of the smell/odd taste. The two girls that tasted it (one being me) spent the next day with stomach pains and (me) in bed with an explosive situation (from both ends if you know what I mean) Food POISONING???!!!
NOT GOOD! Can't return. -
Review from Scott D.
8/3/2010 20 Check-ins Here
Went to dinner tonight with the family. I thought it was rather strange that you have to walk through the bar to get to the hostess station in the dinning room. The hostess tried seating us at one of those booths on one side and chairs on the other side next to the hostess stand right in the path of all the traffic.........NOT. I told the hostess I wasn't digging the seating arrangement and needed to a table near all the grownups instead of at the kids table.
The tables don't have much elbow room and are wedged tightly together close to all of the other nearby tables. My neighboor from a nearby table pulled out his chair into my chair. Needless to say, the ambiance is lacking and makes it difficult to have conversations without hearing bits and pieces of the adjoining table's conversations......So knock off one star.
The food was good and the portions were very generous with a price tag of $65 before tip, the waiter did a fine job. I had the Chicken Parmasean which came with a side of Spaghetti. My family had the Spaghetti with meat sauce and meatballs. This particular dish is a two for one special in which you get to take home another meal. My boys took home another order of Spaghetti and Meatballs and my wife took home an order of Lasagna for my dinner tomorrow.....Win!
