Poor Romano's. It just can't seem to get any respect. I'm not sure why, because the decor--especially at this location--is really nice, evoking an old Italian country house. And the service is always friendly. The food isn't bad either. I particularly like the bruscetta appetizer, where you apply your own diced tomato and garlic topping to the crusty bread. The pizza service is nice too, with a hand shaped oval pizza served with a personal pizza cutter and a bowl of spicy sauce, so you can finish it off any way you like. There are also some great lunch deals, including a three course lunch for ten bucks, or a seven dollar lunch served in seven minutes. If you haven't tried Romano's lately--at least for lunch--it might be worth a second look.
(3)
Carol F.
The meals were all below expectations! The food wasn't flavorful especially the meatballs that were tasteless. The bread was good. Our server was friendly. Not a good dining experience and probably won't return.
Macaroni Grill .... My daughter's pick for her bday celebration. P.S: Usually restaurants end up comping deserts for a Birthday, wasn't the case with Macaroni Grill. Service: our waiter's name for the night was "Ritch", very presentable, super nice, knows the menu well, came to check on us a couple of times before and after the food has arrived (despite the fact that the restaurant was packed) and would definitely recommend him to other Yelpers on their next visit to the restaurant. Waiting time: as busy as they were, we thought it would take forever but it's not like we had any other choices. We were told it would take 45 minutes but 20-25 passed by and our table was ready. Ended using that time taking pictures of the place and Yelping them since I didn't see many pictures associated with the restaurant from other Yelpers. Food: I ordered "Mama's trio" for myself, a combination of lasagna, chicken Parmesan on angel hair and cheese and spinach wrapped pasta looking thing!!. My wife is a fan of seafood dishes and went with the "Pasta Di Mare" pasta topped with scallops, shrimp and clams topped with tomato sauce, not too much though. Little ones ended up with "Lobster Ravioli" and Penne pasta with Alfredo sauce. The Ravioli was very rich in flavor and topped with a tasty sauce. Finished it all up with a "Tiramisu" for desert, enough to feed the four of us.
(5)
Anne F.
Where to begin? We used to LOVE this place as much as you can love a chain restaurant, but something has spiraled out of control this past year. On our last visit, we had a waiter with zero personality and zero "give a damn" when it comes to customer service. When we arrived this time, we spotted him and requested to not be put in his section. (We were later told that this has happened before.) The host took us to our table but never told a server that they had been assigned a table. After a few minutes a server apologized, took pity on us and took our order. Since we've been here a number of times, we knew what we wanted and she was grateful. When our salads came, they were ice cold and soggy. I had the lasagna and it was as good as usual (only reason for 2 stars). My husband's chicken scallopini appeared to only have 1/2 of a butterflied chicken breast and was very dry. The manager came by to inquire about our meal. We told her of the soggy salads and she swears they aren't made ahead. (I'm calling B.S. on that one.) She also stated that they haven't had any complaints about dining experiences lately. I informed her that I just sat there and watched her comp meals at 3 other tables. I also informed her that I watched her do the same thing last time we were there. She had no response. The server tried. She was as frustrated as we were. Probably more so because every single table around us was getting something comped. In summary, if you want ok service, below par food that you may or may not get for free, by all means swing by. I'd highly suggest you just suck it up and cook at home. After all, Publix has regular BOGOs on Italian goods.
(2)
Mark C.
If you can, "do" the eating thing in their bar area! Why? Couple reasons. Happy hour goes till 7:00 - so the house red is only $3.00 a pour, and its a heavy delicious pour at that! The tables are now upgraded to High Top style, so IMO a little more informal and comfortable in a different way. This area is quieter and slower paced. MORE personal of a space than one big open "eatin with 95 others" type of space. Also, its been quite a few months since our last visit and the luck was on us it seems. Christen, who did such a good job on our last visit had the opportunity to wooo us again with her expertise. Very personable and accurate and friendly - still. Okay- The food- Split their appitizer of stuffed mushrooms and was delighted. Sorry can't recall all the detailed nuisances and all that YELP stuff- but I know we would order again! We also split the Chicken Scaloppine. (So is it starting to sound like we burnt our dinner at home so the "impromptu dinner out" is now at play?? ; D ) Yep- Oh, right- the Chicken Scaloppine! Damn, this is good. Thin medallions of tender chicken saluted in a glorious elixir that was in NO way going to be left on my plate in any quantity. Thank goodness for the left over dipping bread from the seasoned olive oil. The artichoke and capers just all tuned up and played a perfect melody. Brocollini was warm but this veggie does dissipate its hot temp pretty fast. Overall Good Job! But now the Best. The Best is not: "all about the Bass - the Bass, the Bass, no treble"... it is the New Improved ...(we were advised upon inquiring) is their Tiramisu! OMGolly! We took this one home (now that the air has cleared) and enjoyed the best Tiramisu we have had in 6 years since before Carreras messed with their recipe. A bit heavy on the brandy but balanced right. Only issue is - yep, you guessed it- we split this one too. Not the best move of the night.
(5)
Shane H.
Three stars, that is a bit generous but we can't do half stars. I have been here a few times and it has been hit or miss. I have not been here for dinner, only lunch. A few months ago they had a great lunch menu. That is now gone and you are only left with a few sad choices for lunch. I asked what happened to the previous menu and they said they got "rid of it" a few months ago. Of course they didn't say that any time soon because I had to wait to even see a server. The place is remarkably slow (business wise) but it takes forever for someone to notice you are there waiting. First off there was a plate of olive oil already on the table. It was not until later that we found out that USED plate of olive oil had actually been left there from dinner service the night before. NASTY. Second the service was SLOW, like really really slow. Getting an order in was a good 10 minutes. The bread, which should come first, wasn't even delivered until after salad and appetizers and about 2 minutes before entree. The food, was alright. The new lunch special (three things or so for $10) was very disappointing. The salad was good but the mozzarella fritta was tiny and the arrabiata sauce was overpowered by tomatoes and had no spice to it. The cheese ravioli with vodka sauce well that is all it was. No basil, no herbs no oregano, just ravioli in a sauce. BORING. I probably won't be going back to this location simply because there are a lot of other choices in the area. Maybe if they bring the other lunch menu back and focus on speed of service I would consider it.
(3)
Anne R.
Called in a to-go order 25 minutes in advance. Reviewed the order prior to hanging up. Got there and they had not made one item at all, and had made a second item with the wrong pasta. So I had to wait another 20 minutes for my not made item, all the while the already made items sat in a bag on the counter getting cold. Not even an apology. They offered to get me a drink (that I would have been charged for--they never used the word complimentary). I should have gone to Carrabba's where the food and service is always great and they can put together a three item order without screwing up two of the items. Never again.
(1)
Janet L.
We have really enjoyed our last few visits, so a review is overdue. We generally sit in the bar area and take advantage of happy hours. Christine is our requested server/bartender and is always wonderful and attentive. We had the mozzarella marinara in Panko which is awesome. I'm a creature of habit, so every visit is the Chicken Parm which is always great and allows for leftovers. The restaurant is kept clean and the hosts are friendly even if sometimes distracted with personal chatter. There gets to be a wait at the usual times, but you get that anywhere in Winter Garden. They offer a to go menu as well.
(4)
Vanessa B.
I've been her a few times, and it's hit or miss, which is why I'm giving them 3/5 stars. There's a few quality servers, but generally, I've had fair to poor service. HOSTESS: We were walked to our table, and our hostess took the most awkward route through the restaurant. I'm not sure whether she forgot where she was going, but she squeezed through a few tables. We had to take a detour. The fastest point to your destination is a straight line - not a zigzag. SERVER: He seemed really flustered. We've had great servers, but he was lackluster. My husband and I were just in for a quick lunch, so we didn't get appetizers or dessert. He left our empty bread plate on the table, never offered refills on our drinks, and we had to wait five minutes to get our check. (He came back and said he was busy, but the server's station was right next to our table.) FOOD: It's your standard "Italian" cuisine. It was pretty salty for my taste. I hate to say it, but their bread is no longer a giant draw for me when you've got that much salt in a meatball. I probably won't be back unless I'm with a group that won't go anywhere else. It's a shame because they have one of my favorite bottles of wine. CLEANLINESS: One thing that bugged me to death was the dried food crusted to the wall by our booth. It was obvious that it hadn't been cleaned in a while. We come to this location simply because of convenience. I wouldn't recommend this place if you are looking for quality Italian food, but for a bite to eat before/after shopping in Winter Garden Village, it's not that bad.
(3)
Frank M.
This review is a little complex. If rating on food, it gets 4 stars. My hand selected pasta tasted very good - arrabbiata sauce with whole roasted garlics, mushrooms and peppers plus chicken, at $14.50. Wife had delicious tomato soup and goat cheese stuffed small peppers and they were also pretty good. Issue: service gets 2 stars. Place was not half full and service was VERY poor. Oil and spices placed on table immediately (by a different server) but associated bread took forever due to normal service. Had a light on a LONG cord hanging over table and had to actually swing the light (4 ft arc) to get service - 4 different times to finally get someone to come over. During meal, wanted more iced tea and AGAIN, no service. 4 more pushes on the light and STILL no service. Finished the meal without the tea!! When server finally came to pick up the dishes, I was asked if I wanted more tea!! Sooo 2 generous stars plus 4 leads to the 3 star rating. Hopefully you will get a different server.
(3)
Cody G.
Really fantastic service. Loved our waiter and just had a lovely experience. The food was just above average, but unfortunately, two of our party had stomach issues that night, which leaves us hesitant to return.
(3)
Zachary C.
I'm not sure if it was a change or staff or management or both, but I've gone from walking out of this restaurant a year ago without eating to wanting to return again! Stopped by a couple days ago for lunch and was pleasantly suprised. The service was attentive, but not overly. The food was prompt and delicious. I had the parmesan crusted chicken salad and it was both filling and scrumptious. Also enjoyed the goat chesse stuffed peppadew peppers. This restaurant has turned a complete 180 (which is great because I do love this chain) and I will definitely be returning.
(4)
Ryan K.
Another spot frequented by my colleagues and myself for lunch. Lunch crowd is typically small so perfect for business lunch since it's not too loud. Never an issue with the quality of service or food but have waited an exorbitant amount of time for my meal to come back, especially considering the state of capacity or lack thereof that the restaurant was undergoing. I'm always a fan of getting something to eat as soon as I'm seated and the Mac Grill doesn't disappoint (my stomach or taste buds, my waste line is another story) with their bread and olive oil. My go-to is the create your own pasta but I'm also a big fan of the sausage, peppers, and potatoes dish they have. Many choices in the area but this is one that won't let you down
(3)
Gia N.
We came here tempted by the many tasty looking ads for the "fatbreads", but to my dismay we were told that they decided to stop serving them because and I quote "it was taking them to long to come out of the kitchen". Not surprised as the service here was never the most proactive or fast.
(2)
Bridgette R.
Disgusting. Terrible, we all got very sick after tonight's dinner. Will not make this mistake twice!
(1)
Andrea H.
My review of my experience here is mixed. It took us about 30 minutes before our waiter even came to take our drink order and then almost another 45 minutes until we got our food. Not so great. Then my friend and I ordered our dinners without the red sauce (well, I asked for none and she asked for hers on the side) but both of our meals came out with red sauce all over it. The waitress noticed as she was bringing it out though so she offered right away to have it fixed and it was. The food was actually quite tasty once it was brought out correctly.
(3)
Stanley S.
I knew there was a reason we stopped going to chain restaurants and had forgotten. Thank you Macaroni Grill for reminding us of our opinion. My wife had been bugging me for Italian food and I explained there is no such thing in the Orlando area. Nonetheless we figured, after seeing the$9 Express Dining and getting a coupon for a free soft drink and dessert, we would try it- at $9, what did we have to lose? Well, we walked into a nearly empty restaurant at 6PM and should have known. We spoke to a greeter about the Express Dinner and were hurried into making entree choices (bad point one). We were told to sit anywhere (bad point 2). We had to pay up front (bad point 3). Dinners came quickly and we never saw any staff after that except for one asking to refill our soda and to pull away a dish my wife had barely finished using(bad point 4). No one asked if we wanted anything beyond our original order, no bread on the table (bad points 5 and 6). The food was edible but indescribable - mine had no seasoning and didn't resemble the menu description; my wife's had little meat, my daughters was OK but was also indescribable. No one checked on us at all after finishing - we had leftovers and no one asked if we wanted to take them home, or if we wanted coffee, etc.(bad point 7). We had a coupon for a dessert with the Express Dining and it was never on the order and no one ever brought it (bad point 8). We got tired of waiting for someone to acknowledge we existed so we stood up and left. This was not a dining experience, it was just food(bad point 9). If I wanted to just eat food we could have eaten at home or went to any number of locations. Service was nonexistent after we paid for the meal. I can't get over how we felt like intruders. (bad point 10) A total of 10 bad points - not a good score.To us this was a wasted dining experience, so much so we just wanted to get out of there.Normally I would say something to management after an experience (I hesitate to call it an experience) like this (my daughter is in the restaurant business and was amazed at the way the Express Dining was run) This just proves my opinion of chain restaurants that you get what you pay for and once you pay for it you get what you deserve. Shame on us for thinking otherwise.
(1)
Torrie W.
I thought I would give this place a second chance, second chance wasted. The salad was old brown and no life left. I'm not sure if it was because it was close to closing or that's their typical way of service. I ordered a Salmon Marsala that was so salty and the sauce tasted like the Salisbury steak sauce from the TV dinner from when we were kids. (You know that sauce). I think I will retire this place from my pallet, I'm just not use to this kind of service and expect so much more from a restaurant!
(1)
Jason R.
Very disappointing attempt at dinner. Tonight was my youngest daughters 9th birthday and Macaroni Grill was one of her favorite restaurants. She is gluten free and they had the best gluten free pastas available. We arrive and order our drinks and begin going around the table to order our main coarse and are told that they have discontinued carrying gluten free pasta. We had a group of 6 and we gathered our belongings and went across the parking lot to another restaurant, another of her favorites, and had dinner. We will not be returning in the future. Very disappointing experience but my family's market segment isn't important to this restaurant group.
(1)
Christopher O.
After a long and frustrating day, hubby and I did not want to cook and we needed booze. We decided to have Italian so we went to the Macaroni Grill by our house. The place was half empty on a Friday night at 7 pm. I was surprised since other times I have eaten here, it is normally packed. Our server Laura was nice but seemed a 'bit out there'... just always a pace behind but still nice. I have the Mama's Trio and my partner had the Chicken Breast with pasta. Both meals were very good. It almost seemed like they have improved their menu to make it a bit more healthy. Smaller portions and just a clean light taste to everything. It was all good. Hubby had the fried cheese before his meal and we both had dessert. I had the NYC cheesecake YUM and hubby had something new made with Nuttella. It looked like lady fingers with Nuttella in them. He liked it... We also had a bottle of wine! After having a few glasses, we realized it would be cheaper to just order the bottle. All in all, we had a nice dinner and it was good not to have to cook! I look forward to trying some of their other dishes with their new lighter taste and size.
(4)
Gabriella M.
This location is absolutely wonderful. Great food, always have wonderful service. I had a birthday dinner here and was impressed with how efficiently our waiter put together our huge order! I am a waitress myself so I understand how difficult a large table can be to manage. The manager here is such a sweetheart! The restaurant has a home-y and warm feel to it. I recommend the build your own pasta!
(5)
Claus D.
It's an Olive Garden in disguise. We had dinner here on our last night in Florida. Ended up here as every other place we wanted had lineups. Food and service were ok, nothing special
(3)
Adam P.
I've only had one bad service experience at this particular Macaroni Grill and that was years ago when they first opened. Today, I experienced another in a long string of good dining experiences here. The server was friendly, talkative, and went above and beyond for my kids. This type of service is now a trend, and I'm happy to have a casual dining experience nearby were the employees still care about quality. I can almost always turn dinner into lunch tomorrow. The fact that the server prepares your take home for you makes me more willing to eat until I'm full and then request the rest to go. Finally, the bathroom here are always very clean which matters to me.
Not a bad place for a major chain. The chicken marsala is quite tasty. Friendly service and quite eager to please.
(3)
Jefferson B.
I used to eat at the Winter Garden Macaroni Grill a lot before we had our newborn. My favorite dish was the Marsala Chicken Ravioli which I'm sad to say they've discontinued. Anyway, my wife and I have ordered carry out 4 or 5 times since her pregnancy and I've had a less then expected experience the last 2 times. One time they didn't have any Tiramisu available except for the ones in the freezer. To their credit they ask if I want to take it off the bill, but I wish I had known before I drove out there. This was just a minor annoyance. The last time however really irritated me. I had my 9 month old in the back of my car and specifically asked them to bring the order out to me so I wouldn't have to unstrap him from the car seat.. After waiting 10 minutes longer than they said it would take I went in to get my food. The women apologized and gave me a lame excuse. As I'm typing this, I realize this sounds overly critical but anyone that has an infant and a car seat can understand the hassle of get a child in and out of a sedan. I still like their food but the service has gone down hill.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
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.
Steve A.
Poor Romano's. It just can't seem to get any respect. I'm not sure why, because the decor--especially at this location--is really nice, evoking an old Italian country house. And the service is always friendly. The food isn't bad either. I particularly like the bruscetta appetizer, where you apply your own diced tomato and garlic topping to the crusty bread. The pizza service is nice too, with a hand shaped oval pizza served with a personal pizza cutter and a bowl of spicy sauce, so you can finish it off any way you like. There are also some great lunch deals, including a three course lunch for ten bucks, or a seven dollar lunch served in seven minutes. If you haven't tried Romano's lately--at least for lunch--it might be worth a second look.
(3)Carol F.
The meals were all below expectations! The food wasn't flavorful especially the meatballs that were tasteless. The bread was good. Our server was friendly. Not a good dining experience and probably won't return.
(1)Angela P.
My fiancé and I dined here this evening. I have to say, the food was exceptionally delicious, the atmosphere was relaxing and the wine that was suggested went perfectly with my meal. There were a few things, however, that will make me question coming back to this particular location. First, the chefs. It is an open kitchen setting, and even though we were sitting on the complete opposite side of the restaurant I could still hear them yelling and complaining about having to work a long shift, and well as cussing and carrying on. Yes, they were cussing, so I will not be bringing my children here. This was my day off, one of the very few times that my fiancé and I get to spend alone together, and to be honest the last thing I want to hear is the person preparing my meal complaining about being at work. In a different scenario, it wouldn't have bothered me, but this one did. I don't want to seem like I am exaggerating about the cussing part, it wasnt every two words out of their mouths. It was one cuss word having to do with his long shift, but still enough for me to find it inappropriate. On the plus side, he cooked up a mean Di Mare. The scallops were cooked to perfection, and the sauce was heavenly. Secondly the waiter. He was very courteous and paid attention to our needs. He was quick and easy to flag down. The only issue was him bringing my fiancé the wrong drink as a refill (water instead of lemon aid), which was a very easy fix, and not giving more seasoning when bringing more bread (the second batch of bread was also very hard, like it had baked too long. It hurt my teeth trying to eat it). I liked that he didn't come to our table every two minutes, instead he looked from a distance to make sure we were okay and seemed to pop up at just the perfect moment. Overall it was an average experience, with both highs and lows. I can't honestly say that I would go back but the food was good enough to make me willing to try a different location.
(2)Ben B.
Macaroni Grill .... My daughter's pick for her bday celebration. P.S: Usually restaurants end up comping deserts for a Birthday, wasn't the case with Macaroni Grill. Service: our waiter's name for the night was "Ritch", very presentable, super nice, knows the menu well, came to check on us a couple of times before and after the food has arrived (despite the fact that the restaurant was packed) and would definitely recommend him to other Yelpers on their next visit to the restaurant. Waiting time: as busy as they were, we thought it would take forever but it's not like we had any other choices. We were told it would take 45 minutes but 20-25 passed by and our table was ready. Ended using that time taking pictures of the place and Yelping them since I didn't see many pictures associated with the restaurant from other Yelpers. Food: I ordered "Mama's trio" for myself, a combination of lasagna, chicken Parmesan on angel hair and cheese and spinach wrapped pasta looking thing!!. My wife is a fan of seafood dishes and went with the "Pasta Di Mare" pasta topped with scallops, shrimp and clams topped with tomato sauce, not too much though. Little ones ended up with "Lobster Ravioli" and Penne pasta with Alfredo sauce. The Ravioli was very rich in flavor and topped with a tasty sauce. Finished it all up with a "Tiramisu" for desert, enough to feed the four of us.
(5)Anne F.
Where to begin? We used to LOVE this place as much as you can love a chain restaurant, but something has spiraled out of control this past year. On our last visit, we had a waiter with zero personality and zero "give a damn" when it comes to customer service. When we arrived this time, we spotted him and requested to not be put in his section. (We were later told that this has happened before.) The host took us to our table but never told a server that they had been assigned a table. After a few minutes a server apologized, took pity on us and took our order. Since we've been here a number of times, we knew what we wanted and she was grateful. When our salads came, they were ice cold and soggy. I had the lasagna and it was as good as usual (only reason for 2 stars). My husband's chicken scallopini appeared to only have 1/2 of a butterflied chicken breast and was very dry. The manager came by to inquire about our meal. We told her of the soggy salads and she swears they aren't made ahead. (I'm calling B.S. on that one.) She also stated that they haven't had any complaints about dining experiences lately. I informed her that I just sat there and watched her comp meals at 3 other tables. I also informed her that I watched her do the same thing last time we were there. She had no response. The server tried. She was as frustrated as we were. Probably more so because every single table around us was getting something comped. In summary, if you want ok service, below par food that you may or may not get for free, by all means swing by. I'd highly suggest you just suck it up and cook at home. After all, Publix has regular BOGOs on Italian goods.
(2)Mark C.
If you can, "do" the eating thing in their bar area! Why? Couple reasons. Happy hour goes till 7:00 - so the house red is only $3.00 a pour, and its a heavy delicious pour at that! The tables are now upgraded to High Top style, so IMO a little more informal and comfortable in a different way. This area is quieter and slower paced. MORE personal of a space than one big open "eatin with 95 others" type of space. Also, its been quite a few months since our last visit and the luck was on us it seems. Christen, who did such a good job on our last visit had the opportunity to wooo us again with her expertise. Very personable and accurate and friendly - still. Okay- The food- Split their appitizer of stuffed mushrooms and was delighted. Sorry can't recall all the detailed nuisances and all that YELP stuff- but I know we would order again! We also split the Chicken Scaloppine. (So is it starting to sound like we burnt our dinner at home so the "impromptu dinner out" is now at play?? ; D ) Yep- Oh, right- the Chicken Scaloppine! Damn, this is good. Thin medallions of tender chicken saluted in a glorious elixir that was in NO way going to be left on my plate in any quantity. Thank goodness for the left over dipping bread from the seasoned olive oil. The artichoke and capers just all tuned up and played a perfect melody. Brocollini was warm but this veggie does dissipate its hot temp pretty fast. Overall Good Job! But now the Best. The Best is not: "all about the Bass - the Bass, the Bass, no treble"... it is the New Improved ...(we were advised upon inquiring) is their Tiramisu! OMGolly! We took this one home (now that the air has cleared) and enjoyed the best Tiramisu we have had in 6 years since before Carreras messed with their recipe. A bit heavy on the brandy but balanced right. Only issue is - yep, you guessed it- we split this one too. Not the best move of the night.
(5)Shane H.
Three stars, that is a bit generous but we can't do half stars. I have been here a few times and it has been hit or miss. I have not been here for dinner, only lunch. A few months ago they had a great lunch menu. That is now gone and you are only left with a few sad choices for lunch. I asked what happened to the previous menu and they said they got "rid of it" a few months ago. Of course they didn't say that any time soon because I had to wait to even see a server. The place is remarkably slow (business wise) but it takes forever for someone to notice you are there waiting. First off there was a plate of olive oil already on the table. It was not until later that we found out that USED plate of olive oil had actually been left there from dinner service the night before. NASTY. Second the service was SLOW, like really really slow. Getting an order in was a good 10 minutes. The bread, which should come first, wasn't even delivered until after salad and appetizers and about 2 minutes before entree. The food, was alright. The new lunch special (three things or so for $10) was very disappointing. The salad was good but the mozzarella fritta was tiny and the arrabiata sauce was overpowered by tomatoes and had no spice to it. The cheese ravioli with vodka sauce well that is all it was. No basil, no herbs no oregano, just ravioli in a sauce. BORING. I probably won't be going back to this location simply because there are a lot of other choices in the area. Maybe if they bring the other lunch menu back and focus on speed of service I would consider it.
(3)Anne R.
Called in a to-go order 25 minutes in advance. Reviewed the order prior to hanging up. Got there and they had not made one item at all, and had made a second item with the wrong pasta. So I had to wait another 20 minutes for my not made item, all the while the already made items sat in a bag on the counter getting cold. Not even an apology. They offered to get me a drink (that I would have been charged for--they never used the word complimentary). I should have gone to Carrabba's where the food and service is always great and they can put together a three item order without screwing up two of the items. Never again.
(1)Janet L.
We have really enjoyed our last few visits, so a review is overdue. We generally sit in the bar area and take advantage of happy hours. Christine is our requested server/bartender and is always wonderful and attentive. We had the mozzarella marinara in Panko which is awesome. I'm a creature of habit, so every visit is the Chicken Parm which is always great and allows for leftovers. The restaurant is kept clean and the hosts are friendly even if sometimes distracted with personal chatter. There gets to be a wait at the usual times, but you get that anywhere in Winter Garden. They offer a to go menu as well.
(4)Vanessa B.
I've been her a few times, and it's hit or miss, which is why I'm giving them 3/5 stars. There's a few quality servers, but generally, I've had fair to poor service. HOSTESS: We were walked to our table, and our hostess took the most awkward route through the restaurant. I'm not sure whether she forgot where she was going, but she squeezed through a few tables. We had to take a detour. The fastest point to your destination is a straight line - not a zigzag. SERVER: He seemed really flustered. We've had great servers, but he was lackluster. My husband and I were just in for a quick lunch, so we didn't get appetizers or dessert. He left our empty bread plate on the table, never offered refills on our drinks, and we had to wait five minutes to get our check. (He came back and said he was busy, but the server's station was right next to our table.) FOOD: It's your standard "Italian" cuisine. It was pretty salty for my taste. I hate to say it, but their bread is no longer a giant draw for me when you've got that much salt in a meatball. I probably won't be back unless I'm with a group that won't go anywhere else. It's a shame because they have one of my favorite bottles of wine. CLEANLINESS: One thing that bugged me to death was the dried food crusted to the wall by our booth. It was obvious that it hadn't been cleaned in a while. We come to this location simply because of convenience. I wouldn't recommend this place if you are looking for quality Italian food, but for a bite to eat before/after shopping in Winter Garden Village, it's not that bad.
(3)Frank M.
This review is a little complex. If rating on food, it gets 4 stars. My hand selected pasta tasted very good - arrabbiata sauce with whole roasted garlics, mushrooms and peppers plus chicken, at $14.50. Wife had delicious tomato soup and goat cheese stuffed small peppers and they were also pretty good. Issue: service gets 2 stars. Place was not half full and service was VERY poor. Oil and spices placed on table immediately (by a different server) but associated bread took forever due to normal service. Had a light on a LONG cord hanging over table and had to actually swing the light (4 ft arc) to get service - 4 different times to finally get someone to come over. During meal, wanted more iced tea and AGAIN, no service. 4 more pushes on the light and STILL no service. Finished the meal without the tea!! When server finally came to pick up the dishes, I was asked if I wanted more tea!! Sooo 2 generous stars plus 4 leads to the 3 star rating. Hopefully you will get a different server.
(3)Cody G.
Really fantastic service. Loved our waiter and just had a lovely experience. The food was just above average, but unfortunately, two of our party had stomach issues that night, which leaves us hesitant to return.
(3)Zachary C.
I'm not sure if it was a change or staff or management or both, but I've gone from walking out of this restaurant a year ago without eating to wanting to return again! Stopped by a couple days ago for lunch and was pleasantly suprised. The service was attentive, but not overly. The food was prompt and delicious. I had the parmesan crusted chicken salad and it was both filling and scrumptious. Also enjoyed the goat chesse stuffed peppadew peppers. This restaurant has turned a complete 180 (which is great because I do love this chain) and I will definitely be returning.
(4)Ryan K.
Another spot frequented by my colleagues and myself for lunch. Lunch crowd is typically small so perfect for business lunch since it's not too loud. Never an issue with the quality of service or food but have waited an exorbitant amount of time for my meal to come back, especially considering the state of capacity or lack thereof that the restaurant was undergoing. I'm always a fan of getting something to eat as soon as I'm seated and the Mac Grill doesn't disappoint (my stomach or taste buds, my waste line is another story) with their bread and olive oil. My go-to is the create your own pasta but I'm also a big fan of the sausage, peppers, and potatoes dish they have. Many choices in the area but this is one that won't let you down
(3)Gia N.
We came here tempted by the many tasty looking ads for the "fatbreads", but to my dismay we were told that they decided to stop serving them because and I quote "it was taking them to long to come out of the kitchen". Not surprised as the service here was never the most proactive or fast.
(2)Bridgette R.
Disgusting. Terrible, we all got very sick after tonight's dinner. Will not make this mistake twice!
(1)Andrea H.
My review of my experience here is mixed. It took us about 30 minutes before our waiter even came to take our drink order and then almost another 45 minutes until we got our food. Not so great. Then my friend and I ordered our dinners without the red sauce (well, I asked for none and she asked for hers on the side) but both of our meals came out with red sauce all over it. The waitress noticed as she was bringing it out though so she offered right away to have it fixed and it was. The food was actually quite tasty once it was brought out correctly.
(3)Stanley S.
I knew there was a reason we stopped going to chain restaurants and had forgotten. Thank you Macaroni Grill for reminding us of our opinion. My wife had been bugging me for Italian food and I explained there is no such thing in the Orlando area. Nonetheless we figured, after seeing the$9 Express Dining and getting a coupon for a free soft drink and dessert, we would try it- at $9, what did we have to lose? Well, we walked into a nearly empty restaurant at 6PM and should have known. We spoke to a greeter about the Express Dinner and were hurried into making entree choices (bad point one). We were told to sit anywhere (bad point 2). We had to pay up front (bad point 3). Dinners came quickly and we never saw any staff after that except for one asking to refill our soda and to pull away a dish my wife had barely finished using(bad point 4). No one asked if we wanted anything beyond our original order, no bread on the table (bad points 5 and 6). The food was edible but indescribable - mine had no seasoning and didn't resemble the menu description; my wife's had little meat, my daughters was OK but was also indescribable. No one checked on us at all after finishing - we had leftovers and no one asked if we wanted to take them home, or if we wanted coffee, etc.(bad point 7). We had a coupon for a dessert with the Express Dining and it was never on the order and no one ever brought it (bad point 8). We got tired of waiting for someone to acknowledge we existed so we stood up and left. This was not a dining experience, it was just food(bad point 9). If I wanted to just eat food we could have eaten at home or went to any number of locations. Service was nonexistent after we paid for the meal. I can't get over how we felt like intruders. (bad point 10) A total of 10 bad points - not a good score.To us this was a wasted dining experience, so much so we just wanted to get out of there.Normally I would say something to management after an experience (I hesitate to call it an experience) like this (my daughter is in the restaurant business and was amazed at the way the Express Dining was run) This just proves my opinion of chain restaurants that you get what you pay for and once you pay for it you get what you deserve. Shame on us for thinking otherwise.
(1)Torrie W.
I thought I would give this place a second chance, second chance wasted. The salad was old brown and no life left. I'm not sure if it was because it was close to closing or that's their typical way of service. I ordered a Salmon Marsala that was so salty and the sauce tasted like the Salisbury steak sauce from the TV dinner from when we were kids. (You know that sauce). I think I will retire this place from my pallet, I'm just not use to this kind of service and expect so much more from a restaurant!
(1)Jason R.
Very disappointing attempt at dinner. Tonight was my youngest daughters 9th birthday and Macaroni Grill was one of her favorite restaurants. She is gluten free and they had the best gluten free pastas available. We arrive and order our drinks and begin going around the table to order our main coarse and are told that they have discontinued carrying gluten free pasta. We had a group of 6 and we gathered our belongings and went across the parking lot to another restaurant, another of her favorites, and had dinner. We will not be returning in the future. Very disappointing experience but my family's market segment isn't important to this restaurant group.
(1)Christopher O.
After a long and frustrating day, hubby and I did not want to cook and we needed booze. We decided to have Italian so we went to the Macaroni Grill by our house. The place was half empty on a Friday night at 7 pm. I was surprised since other times I have eaten here, it is normally packed. Our server Laura was nice but seemed a 'bit out there'... just always a pace behind but still nice. I have the Mama's Trio and my partner had the Chicken Breast with pasta. Both meals were very good. It almost seemed like they have improved their menu to make it a bit more healthy. Smaller portions and just a clean light taste to everything. It was all good. Hubby had the fried cheese before his meal and we both had dessert. I had the NYC cheesecake YUM and hubby had something new made with Nuttella. It looked like lady fingers with Nuttella in them. He liked it... We also had a bottle of wine! After having a few glasses, we realized it would be cheaper to just order the bottle. All in all, we had a nice dinner and it was good not to have to cook! I look forward to trying some of their other dishes with their new lighter taste and size.
(4)Gabriella M.
This location is absolutely wonderful. Great food, always have wonderful service. I had a birthday dinner here and was impressed with how efficiently our waiter put together our huge order! I am a waitress myself so I understand how difficult a large table can be to manage. The manager here is such a sweetheart! The restaurant has a home-y and warm feel to it. I recommend the build your own pasta!
(5)Claus D.
It's an Olive Garden in disguise. We had dinner here on our last night in Florida. Ended up here as every other place we wanted had lineups. Food and service were ok, nothing special
(3)Adam P.
I've only had one bad service experience at this particular Macaroni Grill and that was years ago when they first opened. Today, I experienced another in a long string of good dining experiences here. The server was friendly, talkative, and went above and beyond for my kids. This type of service is now a trend, and I'm happy to have a casual dining experience nearby were the employees still care about quality. I can almost always turn dinner into lunch tomorrow. The fact that the server prepares your take home for you makes me more willing to eat until I'm full and then request the rest to go. Finally, the bathroom here are always very clean which matters to me.
(4)Clark M.
It breaks my heart to write this... well that may be a bit extreme... but I am really disappointed in my last experience at this Macaroni Grill. It wasn't busy; Thursday night, no wait to be seated, plenty of open tables... But the service was horrible. The waitress pushed hard on the wine sales, took the kids drink order and then left before she took any other drink orders. She dropped the corkscrew on one of my party's hands cutting him, and joked it off as no big deal. And when my wife inquired about their uncorking fee, she informed us, incorrectly, that it is illegal to bring your own wine to a restaurant in Florida. Other complaints: The order of calamari was noticeably smaller than the last time I ate here. My soup arrived literally 2 min before my entrée, and was cold. Seriously... Cold soup. Not only did I not have time to enjoy it, it was COLD. I mean, how do you even have cold soup in a restaurant? My entrée, the steak Spedeni, was luke warm and the vegetables were cold. We had to ask for refills on drinks and water. After dinner only half the table was bussed. I sat with a pile of dirty dishes in front of me while the rest of my party ate dissert. My father-in-law's Cappuccino arrived COLD... I didn't complain because my father-in-law was treating, and I'm not sure if anyone else's food was cold or sub-par, but I was extremely disappointed. I will think twice before I come back here, I mean, it's not like there aren't a lot of other great restaurants within walking distance... and they serve hot food.
(1)Paul H.
Not a bad place for a major chain. The chicken marsala is quite tasty. Friendly service and quite eager to please.
(3)Jefferson B.
I used to eat at the Winter Garden Macaroni Grill a lot before we had our newborn. My favorite dish was the Marsala Chicken Ravioli which I'm sad to say they've discontinued. Anyway, my wife and I have ordered carry out 4 or 5 times since her pregnancy and I've had a less then expected experience the last 2 times. One time they didn't have any Tiramisu available except for the ones in the freezer. To their credit they ask if I want to take it off the bill, but I wish I had known before I drove out there. This was just a minor annoyance. The last time however really irritated me. I had my 9 month old in the back of my car and specifically asked them to bring the order out to me so I wouldn't have to unstrap him from the car seat.. After waiting 10 minutes longer than they said it would take I went in to get my food. The women apologized and gave me a lame excuse. As I'm typing this, I realize this sounds overly critical but anyone that has an infant and a car seat can understand the hassle of get a child in and out of a sedan. I still like their food but the service has gone down hill.
(3)