i love having this place on my drive home from work. when i dont feel like cooking or am having friends over and want an affordable and yummy option this is the place to go. the pizzas are really good and the garlic rolls are worth the trip alone. ive never dined in, but its a traditional family style italian restaurant, complete with red and white checkered table cloths. a friend of mine orders from them all the time for catered work events and has always been very happy with the results.
(4)
Len D.
I've ordered take out here before. Usually pizza or a sub, but decided to eat in. I have to note the older gentleman that was serving us was old school awesome. I think the other waiters were on break or something. The way the old guy was serving 5 tables reminded me of that game Diner Dash except he was faster and efficient in a nice way (not in a speedy rude way). For that I gave 2 stars alone, seriously he was pretty graceful the way he moved plates, took orders, and refilled drinks. The food though was OK. I've had the pizza here before and liked it. But we decided to order something different (Meat Lover's Pizza). It was incredibly oily, so much you had to eat it with a fork which I don't do. It was just too much toppings. Although, about 3 hours later I had a slice and I guess the oil solidified, it was actually much better. We also had the mozzarella sticks, garlic bread, and wings. The wings were like the type of wings you order at a Chinese restaurant. Not bad, I just wouldn't come here for wings. The garlic bread was awesome. I think I would come here just for the garlic bread, it was that good. If you order a dinner entree the garlic rolls come free. The sticks were pretty good. Fried perfectly and the cheese wasn't rubbery like some fast food joints. It's cheaper than say Nunzios and Grazianos which are both about a mile away on Bird (I still like Nunzios pizza better tho). It's also better than Frankie's.
(4)
Omar G.
Used to go here often when I went to law school at UM. It was right by our house, 3L year. The ingredients are always good, but my only reservation has been the extra oiliness of the pizza. You have to tamp it down with a napkin. A bit too much cheese is used as well. Otherwise, I have good things to say and would order from here again.
(4)
Krystal S.
2 words: food poisoning was in town for a couple days and friend recommended ordering from this place she had gotten pizza from online...decided to get the eggplant parm, which was followed by a bout of d.... and nausea the entire next day. oh and it also came with some gross, greasy garlic rolls- the oil weeped through the bag. ick. NOT COOL. perhaps, my stupidity for ordering a non-pizza dish from a pizza place....seriously, cheap Americanized Italian food :(
(1)
Renee D.
The food is always amazing - the service in the CG location has always been great - delivery always on time - you want some comfort Italian food made with love and out of this world garlic rolls - this is the place... And leave your diet plan at home -the only salad u should be ordering here is the anti-pasto ;) - you'd be missing out!
(4)
Joaquin R.
Best Pizza in Miami. Customer Service is great. I suggest trying the Chianit Classico wine with the pizza. Outstanding pairing.
(5)
Jorge S.
I came by for lunch since I had heard so much about their pizza but because they didn't have personal pizza's and I was alone, I decided to try their Chicken Parm Sub. Before the sub, I had a couple of garlic rolls that were absolutely delicious. The sub itself was very good, loaded with a very tasty marinara and a good bit of chicken. The bread was a bit soggy for my taste and I wish it would have been toasted a bit more but other than that it was very good. I also ordered a Tiramisu for dessert. It was very good but didn't have enough coffee flavor for my personal taste. Others may like it, but I prefer a stronger coffee flavor in my tiramisu. I definitely want to come back and try the pizza. And I would come back to eat here any time.
(3)
Gabi B.
Can't really rate their food but I know the one in Bay Harbor is delicious. I came to this location to get the two slices and a soda special which Bay Harbor has all the time. I was disappointed when they told me they don't do slices on the weekend :( so I left with no pizza boo!
(3)
Tito C.
We were a party of 2 and had to almost trip someone to get the menus. I order minestrone soup which was tepid and had there were little globs of grease floating on top of the soup. Tried several times to catch the eye of our waitress and finally I got up and walked the soup to where the waiters were standing around. I asked for some Parmesan cheese when the soup came out of the kitchen. Instead, I got a warm, not very hot bowl of soup with mozzarella cheese in clumps and very stringy. We ordered garlic rolls which turned out to be very ordinary dinner rolls over which was a poured sauce which had the consistency of microwaved creamy garlic salad dressing and a large pool of it was at the bottom of the bread basket. The bread was no fresh baked and this was the first time either of us ever had a poured garlic dressing on garlic rolls. Watch, read on about the soggy pizza. Yes, the outer crust was crunchy but as you got to the middle, the pizza was limp and soggy and of course, the crust was not crunchy. Worse still, the pizza was not hot when it was brought to the table. Was it pre prepared and thrown into the over so that the outer crust got a little crunchy. The pizza was to be marinara sauce, cheese and mushrooms. Found the cheese and mushrooms but can say as much about the sauce. We were in the mood for a pizza and were very disappointed. Next time we want a pizza, we will not go to Mario's.
(1)
Carlos R.
Chicken marsala was awful. Stick the to the basics, baked ziti, chicken parm, etc. Only reason I frequent this place is because its on my way home from work. When I am not lazy, I make the extra drive to the Big Cheese which is considerably better. Never had the pizza. Place is real clean and the service is pretty good.
(3)
Monica R.
Mmmmm...mmmmmm......Mario The Baker never let's me down! This is the place to go if you want casual Italian food. The garlic rolls are delicious and all the pasta dishes I've tried have been awesome. I would eat here more often if I had calories to spare!
(4)
Ricardo B.
Service is slow, even on a slow day but their garlic rolls are really good. I normally order the four cheese pizza and have pepperoni added: good stuff!!
(3)
Dan B.
Very good Italian restaurant. The atmosphere is my kinda place. It's located in the Red Bird Center on the corner of Red Road and Bird Road. They have very good everything here so far. I haven't had one thing that's disappointed me so far. Very good lasagna especially. Oh, and their baked ziti is something special. Try the garlic bread, it's very respectable.
(4)
Charlie S.
The recent closure of Miami's Best Pizza (an institution!) sent me in search of a replacement pizza place. And so I tried Mario the Baker. Order was straightforward: large pepperoni pizza, garlic rolls, side of marinara. I thought it was solid. Quite tasty, and meaningfully better than large chain pizza. Good balance on the cheese & sauce. A bit light on the pepperoni. I did not love the crust by itself - not very flavorful alone. Garlic rolls were good. Neither too buttery nor overly garlicky, these hit the right spot. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the marinara sauce was, and how large a side of it was.
(3)
jocelyn h.
STAY CLEAR!! Restaurant charging 5star prices for mediocre food at best. While my son is admitted to Miami children's hospital , we decided to treat ourselves to a nice Italian dinner to make our stay a little better. After ordering 2 chicken parm dinners ( comes with pasta and 3 rolls) man on phone said it was $32 bucks. Reasonable.... Right? After food arrived I checked my bank. $49 bucks ‼‼ called back restaurant to figure out the obvious mistake and correct it, only to be told that the " new prices" are 18.95 a dinner GTFOH I just got robbed. Plain and simple. NO WHERE ON THE MENU DOES ANY ONE ITEM COST 18.95 a plate. Not even the most expensive dinner let alone a frozen chicken breast with sauce and cheese. Locals or out of towners alike CHOOSE ANOTHER Resturant.
(1)
Lucy D.
OK, not pregnant. Definitely the food. Mario the Baker used to be a good place to eat. Not sure what happened.
(1)
Marcel L.
I ate there once and it was ok. Tonight we decided to give their delivery a try. After an hour and a half I called (for the 2nd time) and was told the guy was about to leave and should be at my place soon. An hour and a half for a pizza that's 10 blocks away and the guy still hasn't left?!? F that! I cancelled the order. Last time I try Mario.
(2)
G. B.
The food here is pretty bad. The ingredients used to make the pizza are of terrible quality and you can taste it. The pizza just fell apart, the cheese was undercooked and very greasy. These pizzas are not worth the ridiculous $18 they charge. Also they had the to-go pizza boxes ON THE FLOOR. Not very hygienic. I wonder if that's a health hazard or code violation...?
(1)
Vero S.
Veggie pizza was not good. The toppings would fall off. Didn't have much flavor.
(2)
Carlo V.
Horrible customer service , this staff must be from the hood, very lax and don't care attitude , don't know jack about service , the food is ok, the pasta is always over coked and the rolls are lame and very soggy and tasteless but they try to make up by showering in garlic oil , they just to be better , about 10 years a go , something happened there ?, if you order take out be ready to wait 1 to 2 hours if you live near one of their locations. I have been a customer of his business for many years and it is been on my mind to make a review about them, I have always given the benefit of the doubt but recently in my past two orders and my past visits I had enough. I think it's time for chef Ramsey to come in there and straighten them up! I see a lot of bad reviews posted just now I think Steffano the owner needs to get his shit together ASAP!
(1)
C F.
This is the first time I've been back to this restaurant in three years. What happened? The pizza was greasy and the crust soggy and bland. The place was empty. There used to be a line of people picking up pizza. It's pretty hard to mess up pizza but they managed. I won't ever go back it is definitely not the same.
(1)
L T.
Tried this place while in town on vacation recently; we wanted to try somewhere different and new not jus all the usual pizza chains we were used to (pizza hut, dominos, etc). They delivered quickly and were here before scheduled which was greatly appreciated especially in the rainy weather. The food was bomb dot com! From the first to last bite the food was so delocious and satisfying. Only regret was not tipping more when they delivered it. Will have to keep this place in mind if ever in town again.
(4)
A H.
Miami's Best was the best. But Mario's will work. I keep it simple for my family: extra large cheese plus a side of plain pasta. It was all devoured in less than 10 mins. It was tasty: the crust was thin & the cheese/sauce was good. Just right. Waiter was pleasant enough. The place was empty of diners on an early Thursday evening. Perfect for me. But, many folks came in for take out & order pick ups. Plenty of parking & seating. I'll be back again.
(4)
Suzanne P.
We came in on a Wednesday night for a quick, inexpensive and casual dinner. The service was great. We enjoyed 2-for-1 Peroni beers as well as the Chicken Parm and the Cheese Cannelloni. Both came with giant Garlic Rolls which looked scrumptious, but left me a tad disappointed. It seemed as if they had been sitting for a while and didn't have a lot of flavor. The two dishes were quite yummy though. I'd order them again and would like to return and try their pizza.
(3)
Nicolas B.
I have dined here over the past few years and all of my experiences have been consistently good. The service is decent, the food is delicious, and the prices are reasonable. The portions are large and the large garlic roles are addicting. I haven't tried their pizza yet because honestly I heard it wasn't good so I only get the pasta dishes and they are very good.
(4)
Mariah T.
errible. I bought $7.95 salad and upon receiving it I counted 5 tomato slices and 5 thin mozzarella slices, and that was it. Oh and some basil. But definitely not worth what they charge! Oh, and when I picked it up to go, they charged me 9.67, but upon my calculations the tax on a 8 dollar salad should not be 1.50 ...! So my thinking is the workers pocket the extra they charge, as my receipt didn't even include an itemized summary just "$9.67". Everything looks dirty and I would not ever want to go again or support this scamming business.
(1)
Margaret G.
We waited over two hours for a delivery that was supposed to take 45-60 minutes. We understand delays but don't understand why when we called (multiple times) they lied about the food being 10 min away (nope it was 70 min away) or 5 min away (nope it was 20 min away). Also, can't understand their lack of concern over such poor customer service. Just to add-when the food finally arrived our wings were cold, the garlic rolls were missing, and one of the pizzas was missing ingredients. They say they're sending rolls, a correct pizza, and warm wings...
(1)
Stevie R.
Terrible!!! I ordered a cheese ravioli for carryout. When I got home, I discovered that the cheese ravioli was missing its CHEESE. I have had a hit or miss relationship with this Mario the Baker Pizza shop but never have I had ravioli this bad. I wrote to the manager and have yet to hear from that guy. I will not be returning. This is it! No more chances. It has hit a new low and I believe it's experiencing its last breath.
(1)
Giancarlo C.
If you think your going to get your money's worth, you might but that only if they give it for free. This place needs to hire Gordon Ramsey and throw out everything except the sauce. The side of sauce is actually quite tasty. Probably what will save this place from the culinary abortion that's being served right now. Oh and if you want delivery, expect at least a 2 hour wait coupled with excuses for being busy. It's a shame, I used to like this place. All they need to do is get away from the traditional method of boxed frozen meats and artificial ingredients. Italians never cook like that and it's a real disappointment that this is unfortunately what franchises do to kill the industry. Good luck Mario, wherever you are...
(1)
Annabella F.
I mostly order dinner home and I like to order my food from there. Almost everything taste fine (for a delivery restaurant) if you don't choose the baked fettuccine or the mozzarella sticks, you will be satisfied. I really like their lasagne and the meat balls with ricotta cheese from there. Prices are average and up. I will order there many other times if nothing changes
(4)
Carmen G.
I wish I could mention how the food was. I was convinced by other Yelp reviews that it might be good. After 3 calls to the establishment and 2 hours going by, the food was never delivered here. 2 hours of waiting is unacceptable. Never again.
(1)
Li F.
The only thing I order here is their chicken wings. Fried to perfection.
(4)
David T.
I was there today for lunch. It has been about a year and a half since I had gone there. There was only one man serving during lunch. He was so rude and the service was horrible!! He took our appetizer and drink order and we are still waiting for it. We should of left at this point but my twins were crying that they were hungry for pizza. The pizza, drinks and mozzarella sticks came out about an hour and 15 minutes later. Did they go to Italy to make it??? The waiter disappeared and never came to check on us. Refills were needed!!! I turned around and he was talking with a guy in a black shirt, a guy with a pony tail and the pizza maker behind the glass. I finally stood up to get my bill!! I was very tempted to walk out without paying and they probably wouldn't notice or care but I'm a better person. I hope the owners of this establishment read this because your staff is awful and for the food it was bad!!!! The pizza is gross and the quality is so bad that my family and friends will never eat there again!!! People beware of this place!!!
(1)
J R.
The quality of the food is very poor. This is the first and the last time in this place. You can have much better quality food in the Publix or Sedanos frozen section.
(1)
Paola D.
Food was not good. I had the Philly cheese and it was drenched in grease and the meat was clearly frozen and heated up. My friend ordered a Greek salad with chicken. You think you can't go wrong with a Greek salad but you can. The chicken looked very pale, processed and gross. The salad itself looked disappointing. As we were paying I pointed out to the manager the amount of leftover oil on my plate and that my friend couldn't eat her salad. The manager was very defensive, even though we were still paying for the food. Never coming back!
(1)
Cristina E.
Just went to the restaurant recently and i have to say its the worst food i've had in a loooonnngggg time. The chicken is bad quality, processed, pre-cooked kind so don't even think of ordering anything with chicken in it. The Alfredo sauce looked like a clumpy watery mess--who can get Alfredo wrong? I don't understand. The servers try but the food is just gross. The pizza-which is really hard to mess up--barely has any cheese. I would just utterly avoid--your better off getting Dominos or Pizza Hut.
(1)
Alejandro G.
ordered the lasagna with garlic rolls and they were fantastic!! took it go will definitely give this place another shot soon
(4)
Daniel D.
The service was pretty good. It take some time to get our food but the environment was pleasant. Smiles everywhere. The only unusual thing I saw was the employees were continuously going in and out of the restaurant. Don't know what that's about. The both pizza came out piping hot and tasteful. I will go back and try their pasta dishes soon.
(4)
Oleg O.
I like this place. The service is good, prices are affordable, and the quality of pizzas is good. Much better than generic pizza franchises. But they should pay more attention to cleanliness.
(4)
Anna D.
The pizza is so much better when you dine in to eat. For some reason thier pizza doesn't travel as well as others pizza joints or maybe the crust is too thin for a great delivery pizza. Anyway, you'll always get a good pizza from Mario the Baker and it'll be make with good ingredients. They have some pretty good pastas too, so check those out if you want something other than pizza
(4)
Gary Z.
Great service. Good pizza. Now for my favorite part. The garlic rolls are my favorite ones of all time. I eat them up. Fast service also.
(5)
A C.
It's ok. The crust is VERY bland.....and there is better pizza out there for the money you spend.
(2)
Nydia M.
I've only had take out from this Mario the Baker location, and I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in the world who hasn't tried their pizza. Their food is great, the orders are always correct, and they deliver (!!!). It's great for dinner parties when you don't really want to make dinner, and you want everyone to be happy with their food. It arrives pretty quickly and nice and hot. Now let's take a moment to fantasize about their garlic rolls... They are the perfect little rolls of garlic love.
(4)
Judy D.
Yikes! What happened? We stopped in for an early dinner and were the only patrons. Being fans of the garlic rolls, we ordered a few. They arrived obviously microwaved and, as they cooled down, were inedible. I ordered pasta and meatballs. The meatballs were so dense and rubbery that I could have used a machete! My husband ordered a calzone and declared it "nothing special". This is too sad.
(2)
Janelle B.
This is the first time I've eaten here, but one of my aunts has been a huge fan for a long time. The restaurant is of a good size and the staff is very pleasant. We each spent about $15 and everyone was stuffed. The garlic rolls are really good and the chicken parm is to die for! Not only is it huge, but it is baked to perfection. The pizza is delicious and huge!
(4)
Claudia J.
Pizza is Gooooood here. Always order the pizza with ham and mushrooms, not so thick or so thin. Made just perfect. Their bread rolls are delicious!!! We always order garlic on the side - be careful with those vampires later!! Soup pasta faglioli is tasty.. yum yum for a cold day. It's full on Saturdays and Sundays, full of families and little league baseball teams! Price is super reasonable - enjoy it!!
(4)
David C.
Nice sized restaurant. Self seated tables. The look is very clean. Two flat screened TV's to either side. Waitress was very attentive and mentioned the specials prior to taking our drink orders. Initial look and feel of the restaurant is very inviting, I liked. I asked for a chicken parmigiana sandwich and my friend ordered a chicken caesar salad. After a few minutes we were brought garlic rolls. They were delicious ! Few minutes later food came out. The presentation for both meals was nice. The portions were huge. The sandwich was decent, very cheesy. Prices were very down to Earth. This is a pretty good little lunch spot, I left satisfied.
(3)
Lenette H.
For lunch today, we satisfied our pizza craving at the quaint Mario the Baker restaurant on Bird Road and 57th Avenue. The restaurant offers many Italian favorites as well as subs and daily specials. Despite the fact that it was lunch time, the place was surprisingly vacant with only about 5 tables being occupied by parents and young children. Once the menus were delivered, it was easy to choose from all their pizza selections. The medium pizza special with two drinks would serve us well and all that was left was our anticipation. The people stationed at the next table over, ordered a basket of garlic rolls and I'll tell you that it was very hard for me to stop staring at the hot and deliciously pungent rolls. As we waited for our own food to arrive, I glanced at the awards and newspaper clippings that adorned the walls. Neighborhood and city awards sang the praises of Mario the Baker's food; they clearly established a name for themselves in Miami and we were going to experience it firsthand. When our pizza arrived, I couldn't help but smile. True to the Italian form, this pie was thin, crispy, and topped with the perfect ratio of sauce and mozzarella cheese. At first bite, it was just as good as it looked. I was proud that this restaurant was committed to the simplicity of making perfect pizza and that I didn't misspend any calories on the fake stuff. The lunch special was both palette and wallet friendly. Two sodas and the medium pie only set us back $10.00. With both of these important areas covered, we will surely return to Mario the Baker and let everyone know that this is a restaurant worth coming to when the pizza urge arises.
(5)
Luis D.
After listening to my lovely wife rave on and on about how amazingly good this place is I decided it was time to see for myself. We went on a Saturday afternoon and it looked like they had just opened. We sat and were greeted right away. Put our order in and proceeded to wait. Drinks came fast and then the garlic rolls right after. Oh man, these were some of the most garlicky delicious garlic rolls I've ever had. Literally dripping with garlicky goodness. Pizza? Oh yeah, we had pizza too. It was pretty good. Not too saucy, the sauce had flavor to it. It was pretty good. Not the best pizza I've ever had but I wouldn't mind making the trip to Bird Rd to visit the baker again.
(4)
Albert M.
Kind of stuffy place, ventilation needs an upgrade in my opinion... or at least open the front door. We almost decided to leave because we knew the scent was going to stick on heavy on our clothes. As far as the pizza, its a bit expensive as far as a large pizza ($20+) is concerned now adays... Taste is sorta bland as well.. I'll pass on a second try.
(3)
Andrew J.
I've been coming to this location on Bird Road & 57th Ave. about once a month since they opened about 5 years ago, since my son lives in the area. The pizza and pasta are consistently good, prices are fair and the staff is friendly. They recently upgraded the decoration; removed the ugly dropped acoustic ceiling and flourescent lights and opted for a more lofty look with funky hanging red pendant lamps. It is much warmer and inviting now. Monday nights a large pizza is only $9.99!
(3)
Wendy H.
Look, if you are going to waste calories and points, do it somewhere else. The regular pep & cheese pizza was dripping with nasty oil - it will take several napkins to sponge it up. The crust is crunchy yet not tasty. I rather go to Casola's! Sure, Casolas is cheesy ..... yet not drip greasy. Price $9.95 for the medium pie
(2)
Emily V.
For Christmas, Zac and I received one of those nifty little restaurant.com gift cards. So, we decided to try it out on this place. The place inside is quaint and a decent size. We waited a few minutes for another table to evacuate as the place was packed full. Our server quickly came over and gave us menus. We ordered quite a bit of food, starting with the mozzarella sticks. I then ordered the Veal and Peppers which included a side of spaghetti and 3 garlic rolls. Needless to say, this was a BIG meal. The veal and peppers were OK and so were the spaghetti and the garlic rolls. We then decided to order espresso and strawberry cheesecake. The espresso was a bit weak but the cheesecake was great! It tasted as though it were homemade. The strawberries, on the other hand, were frozen. The syrup with the strawberries (because this surely came out of a can) was gelatinous. I was not impressed. However, the service was excellent. And because of that, not the food by any means, we might come back and give it another shot.
(3)
Gabrielle O.
I didn't love their pizza the first time I tried it, but was encouraged to give it another shot. I wish I hadn't. It's just. Not. Good. No other way to say it. We ordered a specialty pizza with chicken (among other toppings) and the chicken was completely unseasoned. Straight out of the food service delivery truck, diced, then thrown on the pizza. The entire thing is bland and tasteless, not to mention the crust itself just - isn't good! I have also tried their pastas numerous times in the past and I'm not sure how this place has grown to so many locations throughout Miami.
(1)
Jordan N.
The pizza here is good, as I've heard from many other people. However, as far as prices and portions, there's room for improvement. But it's still good.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
jen r.
i love having this place on my drive home from work. when i dont feel like cooking or am having friends over and want an affordable and yummy option this is the place to go. the pizzas are really good and the garlic rolls are worth the trip alone. ive never dined in, but its a traditional family style italian restaurant, complete with red and white checkered table cloths. a friend of mine orders from them all the time for catered work events and has always been very happy with the results.
(4)Len D.
I've ordered take out here before. Usually pizza or a sub, but decided to eat in. I have to note the older gentleman that was serving us was old school awesome. I think the other waiters were on break or something. The way the old guy was serving 5 tables reminded me of that game Diner Dash except he was faster and efficient in a nice way (not in a speedy rude way). For that I gave 2 stars alone, seriously he was pretty graceful the way he moved plates, took orders, and refilled drinks. The food though was OK. I've had the pizza here before and liked it. But we decided to order something different (Meat Lover's Pizza). It was incredibly oily, so much you had to eat it with a fork which I don't do. It was just too much toppings. Although, about 3 hours later I had a slice and I guess the oil solidified, it was actually much better. We also had the mozzarella sticks, garlic bread, and wings. The wings were like the type of wings you order at a Chinese restaurant. Not bad, I just wouldn't come here for wings. The garlic bread was awesome. I think I would come here just for the garlic bread, it was that good. If you order a dinner entree the garlic rolls come free. The sticks were pretty good. Fried perfectly and the cheese wasn't rubbery like some fast food joints. It's cheaper than say Nunzios and Grazianos which are both about a mile away on Bird (I still like Nunzios pizza better tho). It's also better than Frankie's.
(4)Omar G.
Used to go here often when I went to law school at UM. It was right by our house, 3L year. The ingredients are always good, but my only reservation has been the extra oiliness of the pizza. You have to tamp it down with a napkin. A bit too much cheese is used as well. Otherwise, I have good things to say and would order from here again.
(4)Krystal S.
2 words: food poisoning was in town for a couple days and friend recommended ordering from this place she had gotten pizza from online...decided to get the eggplant parm, which was followed by a bout of d.... and nausea the entire next day. oh and it also came with some gross, greasy garlic rolls- the oil weeped through the bag. ick. NOT COOL. perhaps, my stupidity for ordering a non-pizza dish from a pizza place....seriously, cheap Americanized Italian food :(
(1)Renee D.
The food is always amazing - the service in the CG location has always been great - delivery always on time - you want some comfort Italian food made with love and out of this world garlic rolls - this is the place... And leave your diet plan at home -the only salad u should be ordering here is the anti-pasto ;) - you'd be missing out!
(4)Joaquin R.
Best Pizza in Miami. Customer Service is great. I suggest trying the Chianit Classico wine with the pizza. Outstanding pairing.
(5)Jorge S.
I came by for lunch since I had heard so much about their pizza but because they didn't have personal pizza's and I was alone, I decided to try their Chicken Parm Sub. Before the sub, I had a couple of garlic rolls that were absolutely delicious. The sub itself was very good, loaded with a very tasty marinara and a good bit of chicken. The bread was a bit soggy for my taste and I wish it would have been toasted a bit more but other than that it was very good. I also ordered a Tiramisu for dessert. It was very good but didn't have enough coffee flavor for my personal taste. Others may like it, but I prefer a stronger coffee flavor in my tiramisu. I definitely want to come back and try the pizza. And I would come back to eat here any time.
(3)Gabi B.
Can't really rate their food but I know the one in Bay Harbor is delicious. I came to this location to get the two slices and a soda special which Bay Harbor has all the time. I was disappointed when they told me they don't do slices on the weekend :( so I left with no pizza boo!
(3)Tito C.
We were a party of 2 and had to almost trip someone to get the menus. I order minestrone soup which was tepid and had there were little globs of grease floating on top of the soup. Tried several times to catch the eye of our waitress and finally I got up and walked the soup to where the waiters were standing around. I asked for some Parmesan cheese when the soup came out of the kitchen. Instead, I got a warm, not very hot bowl of soup with mozzarella cheese in clumps and very stringy. We ordered garlic rolls which turned out to be very ordinary dinner rolls over which was a poured sauce which had the consistency of microwaved creamy garlic salad dressing and a large pool of it was at the bottom of the bread basket. The bread was no fresh baked and this was the first time either of us ever had a poured garlic dressing on garlic rolls. Watch, read on about the soggy pizza. Yes, the outer crust was crunchy but as you got to the middle, the pizza was limp and soggy and of course, the crust was not crunchy. Worse still, the pizza was not hot when it was brought to the table. Was it pre prepared and thrown into the over so that the outer crust got a little crunchy. The pizza was to be marinara sauce, cheese and mushrooms. Found the cheese and mushrooms but can say as much about the sauce. We were in the mood for a pizza and were very disappointed. Next time we want a pizza, we will not go to Mario's.
(1)Carlos R.
Chicken marsala was awful. Stick the to the basics, baked ziti, chicken parm, etc. Only reason I frequent this place is because its on my way home from work. When I am not lazy, I make the extra drive to the Big Cheese which is considerably better. Never had the pizza. Place is real clean and the service is pretty good.
(3)Monica R.
Mmmmm...mmmmmm......Mario The Baker never let's me down! This is the place to go if you want casual Italian food. The garlic rolls are delicious and all the pasta dishes I've tried have been awesome. I would eat here more often if I had calories to spare!
(4)Ricardo B.
Service is slow, even on a slow day but their garlic rolls are really good. I normally order the four cheese pizza and have pepperoni added: good stuff!!
(3)Dan B.
Very good Italian restaurant. The atmosphere is my kinda place. It's located in the Red Bird Center on the corner of Red Road and Bird Road. They have very good everything here so far. I haven't had one thing that's disappointed me so far. Very good lasagna especially. Oh, and their baked ziti is something special. Try the garlic bread, it's very respectable.
(4)Charlie S.
The recent closure of Miami's Best Pizza (an institution!) sent me in search of a replacement pizza place. And so I tried Mario the Baker. Order was straightforward: large pepperoni pizza, garlic rolls, side of marinara. I thought it was solid. Quite tasty, and meaningfully better than large chain pizza. Good balance on the cheese & sauce. A bit light on the pepperoni. I did not love the crust by itself - not very flavorful alone. Garlic rolls were good. Neither too buttery nor overly garlicky, these hit the right spot. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the marinara sauce was, and how large a side of it was.
(3)jocelyn h.
STAY CLEAR!! Restaurant charging 5star prices for mediocre food at best. While my son is admitted to Miami children's hospital , we decided to treat ourselves to a nice Italian dinner to make our stay a little better. After ordering 2 chicken parm dinners ( comes with pasta and 3 rolls) man on phone said it was $32 bucks. Reasonable.... Right? After food arrived I checked my bank. $49 bucks ‼‼ called back restaurant to figure out the obvious mistake and correct it, only to be told that the " new prices" are 18.95 a dinner GTFOH I just got robbed. Plain and simple. NO WHERE ON THE MENU DOES ANY ONE ITEM COST 18.95 a plate. Not even the most expensive dinner let alone a frozen chicken breast with sauce and cheese. Locals or out of towners alike CHOOSE ANOTHER Resturant.
(1)Lucy D.
OK, not pregnant. Definitely the food. Mario the Baker used to be a good place to eat. Not sure what happened.
(1)Marcel L.
I ate there once and it was ok. Tonight we decided to give their delivery a try. After an hour and a half I called (for the 2nd time) and was told the guy was about to leave and should be at my place soon. An hour and a half for a pizza that's 10 blocks away and the guy still hasn't left?!? F that! I cancelled the order. Last time I try Mario.
(2)G. B.
The food here is pretty bad. The ingredients used to make the pizza are of terrible quality and you can taste it. The pizza just fell apart, the cheese was undercooked and very greasy. These pizzas are not worth the ridiculous $18 they charge. Also they had the to-go pizza boxes ON THE FLOOR. Not very hygienic. I wonder if that's a health hazard or code violation...?
(1)Vero S.
Veggie pizza was not good. The toppings would fall off. Didn't have much flavor.
(2)Carlo V.
Horrible customer service , this staff must be from the hood, very lax and don't care attitude , don't know jack about service , the food is ok, the pasta is always over coked and the rolls are lame and very soggy and tasteless but they try to make up by showering in garlic oil , they just to be better , about 10 years a go , something happened there ?, if you order take out be ready to wait 1 to 2 hours if you live near one of their locations. I have been a customer of his business for many years and it is been on my mind to make a review about them, I have always given the benefit of the doubt but recently in my past two orders and my past visits I had enough. I think it's time for chef Ramsey to come in there and straighten them up! I see a lot of bad reviews posted just now I think Steffano the owner needs to get his shit together ASAP!
(1)C F.
This is the first time I've been back to this restaurant in three years. What happened? The pizza was greasy and the crust soggy and bland. The place was empty. There used to be a line of people picking up pizza. It's pretty hard to mess up pizza but they managed. I won't ever go back it is definitely not the same.
(1)L T.
Tried this place while in town on vacation recently; we wanted to try somewhere different and new not jus all the usual pizza chains we were used to (pizza hut, dominos, etc). They delivered quickly and were here before scheduled which was greatly appreciated especially in the rainy weather. The food was bomb dot com! From the first to last bite the food was so delocious and satisfying. Only regret was not tipping more when they delivered it. Will have to keep this place in mind if ever in town again.
(4)A H.
Miami's Best was the best. But Mario's will work. I keep it simple for my family: extra large cheese plus a side of plain pasta. It was all devoured in less than 10 mins. It was tasty: the crust was thin & the cheese/sauce was good. Just right. Waiter was pleasant enough. The place was empty of diners on an early Thursday evening. Perfect for me. But, many folks came in for take out & order pick ups. Plenty of parking & seating. I'll be back again.
(4)Suzanne P.
We came in on a Wednesday night for a quick, inexpensive and casual dinner. The service was great. We enjoyed 2-for-1 Peroni beers as well as the Chicken Parm and the Cheese Cannelloni. Both came with giant Garlic Rolls which looked scrumptious, but left me a tad disappointed. It seemed as if they had been sitting for a while and didn't have a lot of flavor. The two dishes were quite yummy though. I'd order them again and would like to return and try their pizza.
(3)Nicolas B.
I have dined here over the past few years and all of my experiences have been consistently good. The service is decent, the food is delicious, and the prices are reasonable. The portions are large and the large garlic roles are addicting. I haven't tried their pizza yet because honestly I heard it wasn't good so I only get the pasta dishes and they are very good.
(4)Mariah T.
errible. I bought $7.95 salad and upon receiving it I counted 5 tomato slices and 5 thin mozzarella slices, and that was it. Oh and some basil. But definitely not worth what they charge! Oh, and when I picked it up to go, they charged me 9.67, but upon my calculations the tax on a 8 dollar salad should not be 1.50 ...! So my thinking is the workers pocket the extra they charge, as my receipt didn't even include an itemized summary just "$9.67". Everything looks dirty and I would not ever want to go again or support this scamming business.
(1)Margaret G.
We waited over two hours for a delivery that was supposed to take 45-60 minutes. We understand delays but don't understand why when we called (multiple times) they lied about the food being 10 min away (nope it was 70 min away) or 5 min away (nope it was 20 min away). Also, can't understand their lack of concern over such poor customer service. Just to add-when the food finally arrived our wings were cold, the garlic rolls were missing, and one of the pizzas was missing ingredients. They say they're sending rolls, a correct pizza, and warm wings...
(1)Stevie R.
Terrible!!! I ordered a cheese ravioli for carryout. When I got home, I discovered that the cheese ravioli was missing its CHEESE. I have had a hit or miss relationship with this Mario the Baker Pizza shop but never have I had ravioli this bad. I wrote to the manager and have yet to hear from that guy. I will not be returning. This is it! No more chances. It has hit a new low and I believe it's experiencing its last breath.
(1)Giancarlo C.
If you think your going to get your money's worth, you might but that only if they give it for free. This place needs to hire Gordon Ramsey and throw out everything except the sauce. The side of sauce is actually quite tasty. Probably what will save this place from the culinary abortion that's being served right now. Oh and if you want delivery, expect at least a 2 hour wait coupled with excuses for being busy. It's a shame, I used to like this place. All they need to do is get away from the traditional method of boxed frozen meats and artificial ingredients. Italians never cook like that and it's a real disappointment that this is unfortunately what franchises do to kill the industry. Good luck Mario, wherever you are...
(1)Annabella F.
I mostly order dinner home and I like to order my food from there. Almost everything taste fine (for a delivery restaurant) if you don't choose the baked fettuccine or the mozzarella sticks, you will be satisfied. I really like their lasagne and the meat balls with ricotta cheese from there. Prices are average and up. I will order there many other times if nothing changes
(4)Carmen G.
I wish I could mention how the food was. I was convinced by other Yelp reviews that it might be good. After 3 calls to the establishment and 2 hours going by, the food was never delivered here. 2 hours of waiting is unacceptable. Never again.
(1)Li F.
The only thing I order here is their chicken wings. Fried to perfection.
(4)David T.
I was there today for lunch. It has been about a year and a half since I had gone there. There was only one man serving during lunch. He was so rude and the service was horrible!! He took our appetizer and drink order and we are still waiting for it. We should of left at this point but my twins were crying that they were hungry for pizza. The pizza, drinks and mozzarella sticks came out about an hour and 15 minutes later. Did they go to Italy to make it??? The waiter disappeared and never came to check on us. Refills were needed!!! I turned around and he was talking with a guy in a black shirt, a guy with a pony tail and the pizza maker behind the glass. I finally stood up to get my bill!! I was very tempted to walk out without paying and they probably wouldn't notice or care but I'm a better person. I hope the owners of this establishment read this because your staff is awful and for the food it was bad!!!! The pizza is gross and the quality is so bad that my family and friends will never eat there again!!! People beware of this place!!!
(1)J R.
The quality of the food is very poor. This is the first and the last time in this place. You can have much better quality food in the Publix or Sedanos frozen section.
(1)Paola D.
Food was not good. I had the Philly cheese and it was drenched in grease and the meat was clearly frozen and heated up. My friend ordered a Greek salad with chicken. You think you can't go wrong with a Greek salad but you can. The chicken looked very pale, processed and gross. The salad itself looked disappointing. As we were paying I pointed out to the manager the amount of leftover oil on my plate and that my friend couldn't eat her salad. The manager was very defensive, even though we were still paying for the food. Never coming back!
(1)Cristina E.
Just went to the restaurant recently and i have to say its the worst food i've had in a loooonnngggg time. The chicken is bad quality, processed, pre-cooked kind so don't even think of ordering anything with chicken in it. The Alfredo sauce looked like a clumpy watery mess--who can get Alfredo wrong? I don't understand. The servers try but the food is just gross. The pizza-which is really hard to mess up--barely has any cheese. I would just utterly avoid--your better off getting Dominos or Pizza Hut.
(1)Alejandro G.
ordered the lasagna with garlic rolls and they were fantastic!! took it go will definitely give this place another shot soon
(4)Daniel D.
The service was pretty good. It take some time to get our food but the environment was pleasant. Smiles everywhere. The only unusual thing I saw was the employees were continuously going in and out of the restaurant. Don't know what that's about. The both pizza came out piping hot and tasteful. I will go back and try their pasta dishes soon.
(4)Oleg O.
I like this place. The service is good, prices are affordable, and the quality of pizzas is good. Much better than generic pizza franchises. But they should pay more attention to cleanliness.
(4)Anna D.
The pizza is so much better when you dine in to eat. For some reason thier pizza doesn't travel as well as others pizza joints or maybe the crust is too thin for a great delivery pizza. Anyway, you'll always get a good pizza from Mario the Baker and it'll be make with good ingredients. They have some pretty good pastas too, so check those out if you want something other than pizza
(4)Gary Z.
Great service. Good pizza. Now for my favorite part. The garlic rolls are my favorite ones of all time. I eat them up. Fast service also.
(5)A C.
It's ok. The crust is VERY bland.....and there is better pizza out there for the money you spend.
(2)Nydia M.
I've only had take out from this Mario the Baker location, and I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in the world who hasn't tried their pizza. Their food is great, the orders are always correct, and they deliver (!!!). It's great for dinner parties when you don't really want to make dinner, and you want everyone to be happy with their food. It arrives pretty quickly and nice and hot. Now let's take a moment to fantasize about their garlic rolls... They are the perfect little rolls of garlic love.
(4)Judy D.
Yikes! What happened? We stopped in for an early dinner and were the only patrons. Being fans of the garlic rolls, we ordered a few. They arrived obviously microwaved and, as they cooled down, were inedible. I ordered pasta and meatballs. The meatballs were so dense and rubbery that I could have used a machete! My husband ordered a calzone and declared it "nothing special". This is too sad.
(2)Janelle B.
This is the first time I've eaten here, but one of my aunts has been a huge fan for a long time. The restaurant is of a good size and the staff is very pleasant. We each spent about $15 and everyone was stuffed. The garlic rolls are really good and the chicken parm is to die for! Not only is it huge, but it is baked to perfection. The pizza is delicious and huge!
(4)Claudia J.
Pizza is Gooooood here. Always order the pizza with ham and mushrooms, not so thick or so thin. Made just perfect. Their bread rolls are delicious!!! We always order garlic on the side - be careful with those vampires later!! Soup pasta faglioli is tasty.. yum yum for a cold day. It's full on Saturdays and Sundays, full of families and little league baseball teams! Price is super reasonable - enjoy it!!
(4)David C.
Nice sized restaurant. Self seated tables. The look is very clean. Two flat screened TV's to either side. Waitress was very attentive and mentioned the specials prior to taking our drink orders. Initial look and feel of the restaurant is very inviting, I liked. I asked for a chicken parmigiana sandwich and my friend ordered a chicken caesar salad. After a few minutes we were brought garlic rolls. They were delicious ! Few minutes later food came out. The presentation for both meals was nice. The portions were huge. The sandwich was decent, very cheesy. Prices were very down to Earth. This is a pretty good little lunch spot, I left satisfied.
(3)Lenette H.
For lunch today, we satisfied our pizza craving at the quaint Mario the Baker restaurant on Bird Road and 57th Avenue. The restaurant offers many Italian favorites as well as subs and daily specials. Despite the fact that it was lunch time, the place was surprisingly vacant with only about 5 tables being occupied by parents and young children. Once the menus were delivered, it was easy to choose from all their pizza selections. The medium pizza special with two drinks would serve us well and all that was left was our anticipation. The people stationed at the next table over, ordered a basket of garlic rolls and I'll tell you that it was very hard for me to stop staring at the hot and deliciously pungent rolls. As we waited for our own food to arrive, I glanced at the awards and newspaper clippings that adorned the walls. Neighborhood and city awards sang the praises of Mario the Baker's food; they clearly established a name for themselves in Miami and we were going to experience it firsthand. When our pizza arrived, I couldn't help but smile. True to the Italian form, this pie was thin, crispy, and topped with the perfect ratio of sauce and mozzarella cheese. At first bite, it was just as good as it looked. I was proud that this restaurant was committed to the simplicity of making perfect pizza and that I didn't misspend any calories on the fake stuff. The lunch special was both palette and wallet friendly. Two sodas and the medium pie only set us back $10.00. With both of these important areas covered, we will surely return to Mario the Baker and let everyone know that this is a restaurant worth coming to when the pizza urge arises.
(5)Luis D.
After listening to my lovely wife rave on and on about how amazingly good this place is I decided it was time to see for myself. We went on a Saturday afternoon and it looked like they had just opened. We sat and were greeted right away. Put our order in and proceeded to wait. Drinks came fast and then the garlic rolls right after. Oh man, these were some of the most garlicky delicious garlic rolls I've ever had. Literally dripping with garlicky goodness. Pizza? Oh yeah, we had pizza too. It was pretty good. Not too saucy, the sauce had flavor to it. It was pretty good. Not the best pizza I've ever had but I wouldn't mind making the trip to Bird Rd to visit the baker again.
(4)Albert M.
Kind of stuffy place, ventilation needs an upgrade in my opinion... or at least open the front door. We almost decided to leave because we knew the scent was going to stick on heavy on our clothes. As far as the pizza, its a bit expensive as far as a large pizza ($20+) is concerned now adays... Taste is sorta bland as well.. I'll pass on a second try.
(3)Andrew J.
I've been coming to this location on Bird Road & 57th Ave. about once a month since they opened about 5 years ago, since my son lives in the area. The pizza and pasta are consistently good, prices are fair and the staff is friendly. They recently upgraded the decoration; removed the ugly dropped acoustic ceiling and flourescent lights and opted for a more lofty look with funky hanging red pendant lamps. It is much warmer and inviting now. Monday nights a large pizza is only $9.99!
(3)Wendy H.
Look, if you are going to waste calories and points, do it somewhere else. The regular pep & cheese pizza was dripping with nasty oil - it will take several napkins to sponge it up. The crust is crunchy yet not tasty. I rather go to Casola's! Sure, Casolas is cheesy ..... yet not drip greasy. Price $9.95 for the medium pie
(2)Emily V.
For Christmas, Zac and I received one of those nifty little restaurant.com gift cards. So, we decided to try it out on this place. The place inside is quaint and a decent size. We waited a few minutes for another table to evacuate as the place was packed full. Our server quickly came over and gave us menus. We ordered quite a bit of food, starting with the mozzarella sticks. I then ordered the Veal and Peppers which included a side of spaghetti and 3 garlic rolls. Needless to say, this was a BIG meal. The veal and peppers were OK and so were the spaghetti and the garlic rolls. We then decided to order espresso and strawberry cheesecake. The espresso was a bit weak but the cheesecake was great! It tasted as though it were homemade. The strawberries, on the other hand, were frozen. The syrup with the strawberries (because this surely came out of a can) was gelatinous. I was not impressed. However, the service was excellent. And because of that, not the food by any means, we might come back and give it another shot.
(3)Gabrielle O.
I didn't love their pizza the first time I tried it, but was encouraged to give it another shot. I wish I hadn't. It's just. Not. Good. No other way to say it. We ordered a specialty pizza with chicken (among other toppings) and the chicken was completely unseasoned. Straight out of the food service delivery truck, diced, then thrown on the pizza. The entire thing is bland and tasteless, not to mention the crust itself just - isn't good! I have also tried their pastas numerous times in the past and I'm not sure how this place has grown to so many locations throughout Miami.
(1)Jordan N.
The pizza here is good, as I've heard from many other people. However, as far as prices and portions, there's room for improvement. But it's still good.
(3)