I went here for the first time expecting a big tacky family diner but I was quite impressed. Our meals were great, the staff were attentive to our needs and we received excellent service from our waiter Hugo.
(5)
Katie A.
Despite the fact that they discontinued my favorite dish a few years ago (Sugo Bianco, and yes I'm still bitter about that), I love it here. The Penne Rustica is wonderful, and the bread is good. But the best part is drawing on the tablecloth with the crayons. There used to consistently be an hour wait to get in, but since the Cheesecake Factory and Border Cafe opened across the street, it's never busy anymore.
(4)
russell d.
Excellent Mac & Cheese - and the Chicken Scallopini wasn't bad either. Good bread and goood olive oil. Crayons! Only negative - kinda slow even though it was a quiet night
(4)
Linda S.
If you like crowded, noisy pasta joints ... The Macaroni Grill is the place for you. I've been to this location several times for social outing in the evening as well as work gatherings on weekday afternoons and it's always packed. They must be doing something right, right? I'm a fan of their chicken dishes like the Pasta Milano, Chicken Scaloppine, Chicken Marsala but my favorite is the Chicken & Shrimp Scaloppine even though this dish can be a little too salty with the combination of capers & prosciutto. Oh, one more thing -- they leave crayons on the table so you can doodle & color on the paper table cloth while your waiting for your meal to arrive which can be a big plus for parties with kids or kids at heart.
(3)
Kat R.
I went on a week night- early (around 5ish)... there was maybe about 10 other people there... very empty. But it worked out to our benefit as our waitress let us sit there for a while and chat. Food is good... I wouldn't say great, but not bad. One thing I found disappointing is that they don't put sauce on the pasta. Is this supposed to make it 'authentic' or something? Me likey sauce on my pasta! Convienent location... plenty of parking. Overall, not a terrible place, but not something I'd visit too frequently either.
(3)
Anon P.
Macaroni Grill is one of my favorite restaurants. This one was a real letdown. Our food was just plain bad. Overcooked, too rich, too salty. Stale bread. The one good point was they took it off our bill.
(2)
Restaurant J.
We love going to this Italian/American restaurant. The service starts with delicious bread and olive oil for dipping. We weren't disappointed with anything in the menu so far. Also, their red house wine is very tasty If you don't mind eating a salad for lunch or dinner, try their Chicken Florentine salad, it is one of the best I had. One minor complaint about the restaurant is that, it is really loud. Sometimes it is hard to talk, especially if you are sitting close to the open-area kitchen.
(4)
Jackie M.
I like the Macaroni Grill for the simple reason that you can make your own pasta dish! You ask the waiter for the order sheet and use a crayon to choose the shape of pasta, sauce, and ingredients (up to three). Then there are extras like meat and mozzarella cheese that you can add for an additional $2.00 I think. It comes in a huge pasta bowl and there are always leftovers! Another delicious draw is the dessert ravioli. Chocolate gnash, caramel and nuts in fried pastry dough served warm with vanilla ice cream...what could be better! I know this is a chain restaurant, but it's pretty darn good.
(4)
Kimberly D.
Few amazing waiters, what seems like many disgruntled waiters. EXCELLENT food. Chicken Marsala dish is delectable!
(3)
Paul K.
A few weeks ago I went to the Macaroni grill with my girlfriend. We were greeted as we walked in and did not stand there for more than 5 minutes on a Friday night. It was great considering most restaurants have a half hour wait or longer. We sat and the waitress came over and she was very pleasant. She took our drink order and food and was checking on us throughout the night to make sure we had a good experience (as we all know servers work on tips). Close to the end of my meal there happen to be a group of flies that decided to hang around my booth. It was no big deal because they were not bothering us. A few minutes later I am going to dip my fork into a heaping plate of lasagna and what makes it to the food before my? A fly. I was very aggravated because I was so hungry. The waitress came over and asked if I wanted to wrap it up and I explained to her how the fly had landed on my food. Then I showed her the flies and how they decided to join us that night. She immediately got a manager. The manager came over and apologized profusely. I was not mad at the waitress, manager, or even the restaurant. I asked him for my check and he told me the whole bill was set. I was not looking for a free meal but I think it was a nice gesture to offer my food on the house. I left $20 for the waitress as she was very nice and I am a big believer in tipping. Overall I would say that the situation turned out good by the way they handled it. I got to eat most of my food and they knew the flies were not on their payroll. If you are looking for a place with good food and service then I would highly recommend the Mac Grill!!! It seems they care about their customers!
(4)
John M.
First of all I'll say I've never had an issue with the food here. No doubt it's probably not authentic but what do I know? If it tastes good to my primal palate I really don't give a rats ass about authenticity. That being said, I had service so frigging inadequate there I will never go back. My wife and I were there with our 2.5 year old who is exceptionally well behaved in public but even exceptionally behaved children have limits to how long they will sit at table. That's why the 15 minutes it took for our waitress to take our drink/food orders went by excruciatingly slow. They have pretty good bread so at least we had that to look forward to and it would give my daughter something to occupy herself with... If it had come out before our food. It didn't. I would have asked the wait staff to bring some but there wasn't any. Literally. There were no waiters around until one brought our food out. 5 minutes later (and an empty beer glass that'd now been empty for 15 minutes.) our waitress finally came by to ask if we were all set. It was at that point I got up and broke a chair over her head while my wife stabbed her with a broken beer bottle. She rushed off to get some bread and drinks but came back with only bread. I told her never mind the beer because I was just about done eating at this point. This was the last we saw of her until we got the bill. We drew insulting pictures of her in the table with the crayons they had provided us and my daughter diligently colored them in while we waited for our receipt.
(1)
Jeff D.
macaronigrill.com 781-273-5180 50 South Ave. Burlington MA 01803 MENUS: macaronigrill.com/menu/d… Macaroni Grille is a great Italian Place with take out and phone in orders available. it is located right above the Burlington Mall off Middlese Tpk. Just turn into the driveway for the AMC theater go up the hill and turn right . Go down the hill about halfway and on your right will be Homestead Suites and then after that the driveway to Macaroni Grille. Prices are reasonable and the food tastes great. One of my favorite dishes is the Lobster Ravioli. And the Chocolate Ravioli for dessert. The Burlington Mall and Major hotels are a short walk or drive away. Convinent to local MBTA bus service and route 128/route 3.
(4)
Vivian C.
It's been forever since I've dined at Romano's Macaroni Grill. A small private hosted event brought me back one evening. A few tables were pushed together for us in the small room that is located off to the side of the main dining space. We were offered a pre-printed 2-course menu offering us a choice of two salads, and nine entrees. Bread was delivered as a small square loaf, which we sliced ourselves and consumed warm with olive oil and grated cheese. It was good bread, and over time, we each consumed nearly an entire loaf as we awaited other foods with which to satisfy our stomachs - we weren't sure if it was a kitchen thing or if our host had decided to wait for our party to be complete. Appetizers of calamari and stuffed mushrooms were tasty, though the portion of the calamari seemed a bit small. Oddly, the Caesar salad arrived at the table first and was completely consumed by those who selected it before the Fresh Greens salads showed up. The timing seemed off. Entrees were characteristically large for Romano's Macaroni Grill. I consumed but half of my Shrimp Portofino (jumbo shrimp, capellini, spinach, mushrooms, pine nuts, lemon butter) though I found it well flavored and al dente. The shrimp count was perhaps 4. Their salmon was fine, though I preferred my shrimp. The sun-dried tomato orzo that accompanied the fish was quite good however. Take-out containers were wisely brought out, but our water glasses grew empty and we had to inquire after water pitcher refills.
(3)
Mike G.
This is one Italian chain that I frequent whenever I'm out of town. I've never had a bad meal at any of them, and this one in Burlington was no exception. I had the rigatoni bolanganese and my wife had the chicken milanese. Both dishes came out fast and hot. They were delicious. My wife discovered that they diced tomatoes that came with her dishes enhanced the flavor of the chicken when she put them on it. The chicken Milanese was recommended by our waiter , Charlie. He was punctual, friendly, and attentive. Overall, this was another great experience.
(4)
Wei W.
We learned that Macaroni Grill is eventually going to be replaced by another steakhouse, but there was no reason that management couldn't freshen up the space and make sure the bar area didn't smell like the open sewer system. Blaming the sewerage problem on the town doesn't help the case, especially when the restrooms are directly behind the bar. Believe me, inhaling toxic methane fumes for an hour was exactly how I wanted to relax before our movie! (/end sarcasm) Oh, and bartenders blatantly ignoring our existence after we sat down at a spot that hadn't yet been cleaned because they're taking their sweet time pouring drinks to a nearly empty restaurant adds to the slap to the face. Fifteen minutes after we sat down, one of the bartenders finally approached us, half-heartedly wiped down the placemats at our spots, and tiredly asked us what we wanted. I'm sorry, are you not in the service industry? It's only 8PM and you're unable to put a smile on just to take my simple drink order?! What a waste of time and money. I'm glad that a replacement is coming in.
(1)
Marcia W.
I'd never even heard of this restaurant brand but it's right next to the hotel I'm staying at so it was pretty convenient at the time. I did go after 5pm on Sunday and it was very(!) empty so there was no wait issue. I guess all the cars in the parking lot belonged to the staff lol.. I asked to be away from the bar as I have a severe alcohol allergy and I was granted this, actually seated in a far corner of the restaurant at a table. The tablecloth on top was paper and apparently for coloring etc, as there was a random drawing on it from whomever before, so this tablecloth wasn't replaced since then lol, and had clean dishes put on top of it anyway for the next diners (me). I thought this was a bit tacky and not very 'clean' as whomever's germs etc could easily be on this tablecloth but whatever. I didn't see the big deal at the time and I cared more about just eating. The staff here in general at the time were doing a lot of standing around, socializing. When I walked in, a group of 4-5 were doing just that on the entrance ramp inside so it did set up an interesting first impression for me of this restaurant. Apparently, they're overstaffed at empty-restaurant times and no one has anything better to do so they're basically paid to stand around and socialize. I guess cleaning the tables better isn't something worth taking the time to do. Regardless, I much prefer Olive Garden honestly simply because their menu is much more to my liking. Oh well. Anyway, Romano's was ok but nothing stellar or worth returning to unless I'm deeply hungry and no other options. I thought it was odd that I have to slice my own bread loaf that's covered in oil lol but ok. I managed but wasn't a fan of the extra oil for the bread. I'd much rather have butter/margarine. But the bread was decent and I could've eaten more. It was soft and warm which is always a good thing for fresh bread. I took a risk and ordered Fettuccine Alfredo w/ Chicken (extra $3). See, I have a cheese intolerance/allergy so since I always loved Fettuccine Alfredo and missed it, I decided to take the risk and deal w/ the consequences later lol. Anyway, this time around, I surprisingly was ok for a long time after eating it so that was a nice surprise in my case. However, the flavor and portion size was pretty lacking IMO. I'd have gotten better at Olive Garden. There was just chicken scrap pieces (seriously) and it was more like a child size portion in a big plate, a lot more sauce than pasta. The chef clearly doesn't care much about quality/quantity at 5pm on Sundays I guess. In fact, the table right next to me even had some kind of issue with one of their dishes that had to be comped. Seriously, it's an nearly empty restaurant at the time and 2 tables get poor quality entrees?! Very pathetic IMO. I was obviously still hungry and decided to take another risk and have some dessert. I LOVE tiramisu but have been avoiding it because of my heart condition and caffeine aggravates it. So anyway, I was deciding between the tiramisu and the chocolate cake. I asked the server who was a decently nice guy, and he suggested the tiramisu. For the most part, he was right. It was good tiramisu that did hit the spot. Heart consequences be darned lol. The ladyfingers were separate and had some powdered sugar on top. The powder on top of the tiramisu was a bit much though and made things messy. Overall, I very much prefer my Olive Garden lol. With OG, there's a lot more menu options I'd love to eat anytime with each course. Despite it being pretty empty, I did feel a bit rushed to hurry up out of there. I don't see the big deal. I was alone, playing a game on my phone (on silent) and not bothering anyone, but maybe I'm too casual and low key for them in their ritzy environment restaurant that likes to have wine glasses on top of a paper tablecloth for drawing, go figure.
(2)
Mike C.
Does the job. Not anything high end but also not short order - middle of the road. But that's what they are going for price wise and menu options. Some things are done pretty well - Goat Cheese Papperdew Peppers, most pasta dishes - and some things could be better - Cannelloni Bolognese, salads. Pizzas looked but (we haven't tried any yet). Drinks were decent, ok sized bar. Service was good (server this past time was newish but was polite so that makes up for most deficiencies). Open kitchen is a nice concept in theory but in this case is loud (just normal kitchen notice nothing "bad") and makes it VERY difficult to talk or hear anything. We've been before and will be back when we want a quick affordable decent Italian meal.
(3)
Local E.
Looks like other recent reviews are similar: Understated wait-times (waited an hour, was quoted 20 minutes)) Smells kind of like... sewage? Harried / clueless hostess staff Decent food, but over cooked / fishy fish There's a changing table in the men's room! Hooray! But it's in the big stall! Which is invariably where weird dudes go who flush six times while I wait outside holding my infant. I hope never to return
(1)
Carrie Q.
My husband and I had not been to a Macaroni Grill in over one year. We are staying at a nearby hotel so we decided to eat here for dinner. We were sadly disappointed with our experience and will never return to this Burlington location. We were greeted by a young hostess who sat us at a table that was dirty (coloring on table, water stains on paper tablecloth, etc). She moved us to another table. She did not clean the table though until after another couple was seated there and also complained of the mess too. Our server was mediocre. She did not introduce herself or share the specials/soup of the day. She did bring bread and drinks promptly. We placed our order and our food arrived in a decent time. While we were eating, we observed how the restaurant was run by the one manager. I did not get her name because no one was wearing name tags. Every five minutes or so she yelled out, "Runners," to get any available body to serve plates. Since when do hostesses serve food, especially when other servers are standing around? The manager seemed to be micro-managing. At one point, she and one of the chefs appeared to be having an argument. Everyone looked very stressed. Watching and hearing this manager during our meal was very upsetting. The environment was tense and not relaxing. Current owner, please take note of this review. You may want to observe how the female manager on Sunday evening, 6/28/2015, runs your business. Sadly, I will never go to this restaurant again.
(1)
Chad H.
Calling ahead did us no good last Saturday night, they made us wait 35 minutes with a 2 year old. DON 'T get the lamb. I should have known better. IT was dry, overcooked, tasteless and it came on SKEWERS. Two little skewers of "center-cut" lamb... for $18.. FAIL The waiter was nice & attentive so the service was great. Too bad the food was terrible.
(2)
J J.
Not usually fan of chain restaurants, this place rocks when it comes to Fettucine Alfredo. It's always crowded but if you're able to snag a spot in the bar area, you're good to go!
(4)
Ally C.
So, I have THREE gift cards to use at this chain of sister restaurants, and I chose Romano's Macaroni Grill. I went last night, with all intentions to use as much of the gift cards as possible.. drinks, apps, dinner, dessert... anything. It was a night out, for FREE! Our waitress Jillian, started out ok. She seemed rushed, and seemed like she had a lot going on, even though the place wasn't terribly busy. In fact, everyone seemed rushed, and frantic, and looked like they were stretched thin. We walked in and there was a 15 minute wait, even though there were A LOT of tables open, and no one waiting. We started at the bar, and after waiting a good amount of time, FINALLY ordered a glass of wine, and a beer, while waiting for our table. We got our drinks, by the bartender literally dumping them on the counter, and running. Not 4 min later, we were to be seated. The bartender (who but he way, was the only guy manning the ENTIRE bar, surrounding tables, and all the drinks coming in for the restaurant), pretty much threw my receipt at me to run to another customer. Fine, I paid. I will jump through dinner, because it was mediocre.. kind of a step up from Olive Garden at this point, if you will. Got bread, that looked warm, but wasn't. Got an appetizer, which was OK. Received our dinners, which were meh.. my plate looked like the food had slipped all over while the waitress hurried to dump it at our table. In between time, there was a forgotten glass of beer, forgotten lime for seltzer, forgotten glasses for the carafe of water that was sitting on the table, and a forgotten dessert menu, in the end. Jillian was so busy fixing the plates, and cups on the center organizer buffet, that she lost an opportunity for more money by bringing us more drinks, and a dessert menu to order something there, as well. I paid, and now I have TWO gift cards left. Guess I'll go to one of their sister restaurants.
(2)
Jeff C.
I took my family here to celebrate my daughter's birthday. We were promptly greeted and seated. The place wasn't busy, a few people dining as I expected for a Sunday night. Judging by our seating, I didn't think it would be long for us to be greeted by our waiter or waitress. We waited patiently and it was a bit before our waitress showed and we ordered. Our waitress didn't pay much attention to us, got some of our appetizers and bread, but did little to clear out our table for out entrees. Then the wait was long, we saw the manager stand around and joke around with the staff. Our waitress was nowhere to be found. We waited long for our food...the theme for the night. Disappointed.
I usually hate chain Italian restaurants but romanos was great, prices were beyond reasonable and food was great, great atmosphere, great service. Would never recommend chains like Olive Garden but in this case give it a chance, after wine, apps, dinner and some dessert for 2 it was around $50 that's a great deal to me
(4)
Lauren P.
I'm going to say this right now: if you're the type of person who likes Olive Garden, then you'll also like Macaroni Grill. I went here against my will because friends and I saw a movie in Burlington and wanted to grab a quick meal together afterward. All the food is fine. It's not amazing or super creative. It's just fine. I'll admit that the bread they put on the table is addicting in it's saltiness and I could eat 5 loaves on my own. But at the end of the day, bread is bread. Problems with the service -- our server was SUPER NICE so I feel bad about this. He brought me the wrong beer when I first ordered. When he asked if I wanted a second one, I told him no...but he brought me another anyway and I was charged. One girl in our party also had to leave before all of us and asked for her small order to be billed separately, which the server said was no problem. He brought her the separate bill, but when he ran the card he charged her for the FULL TABLE'S order. So... you know, her bill was for like $17 and he ran her card for $91. Nope! He fixed it all and it was fine, but these were just mistakes that held up our meal. So yeah. Fine food. Basic and not really super special chain restaurant Italian food.
(2)
Y T.
It's like a slightly better Olive Garden, but I'd rather just go to Olive Garden anyway. I go there occasionally because my colleagues like to do a big meet-up there. On one of my recent visits, we were seated near the bathrooms, and it smelled like raw sewage.
(2)
Puma E.
Gluten free items available **menu items/ingredients/allergen list NOT up to date, check with your server and the kitchen manager** that turned out safe, remarkable given how everything went ... Food C... Incredibly high calorie (almost every dinner meal is 1000Calories) And not particularly tasty, chicken was inedible Ambiance B... Big booths, good ish music in the background, not too loud/not too quiet Service C... Incredibly unbelievably painfully slow Good for groups, but don't expect to split the check on multiple cards, totally unable to accomplish this step in under 30minutes. Scary!
(3)
Pooja D.
Half cooked frozen pasta, a 45 min wait even when you could see empty tables, inattentive staff - if that's what you're looking for, this is your place.
(1)
Steven M.
After reading recent reviews I was really really hoping for better.... Should have listened.... Maybe 6 people in the place.... More employees than customers... I sat in the bar ..... Only me and one other guy and guess who got more attention... The guy teaching the bar tender how to make drinks... Or the guy who ordered the most expensive thing on the menu.... And that was fair at best... Next time I'll listen to the helpers!!!
(2)
Warren S.
I used to be the biggest fan of this place. I'm not sure if it's this location or if they all have changed in the last 5+ years. I always get the pesto, I love pesto, but this was oil with a couple pine nuts and some basil. There were less than 10 cars in the parking lot yet it took us an hour to get out order. There were 4 of us, 2 adults and 2 children, and the food was cold when it came out. The kids chicken was over-cooked and both of our meals had to be reheated. She said she spoke to the manager, which I wasn't expecting much, but maybe they could have come out and apologized or explained why it took so long and was cold, but no, nothing. Then I walked in to use the restroom and saw that our waitress was also the bartender. I've been a bartender and there is no way you can run a bar and be a good waitress, both jobs require too much attention. I think I will be heading across the street to the Cheesecake Factory in the future. Also, they don't have a great location so I assume they get their business from word of mouth. I'm giving it 2 stars in hopes that it gets better, and I did eat my meal, just didn't enjoy it.
(2)
mike g.
Went for lunch, party of 8, no wait, and nearly empty restaurant. They seated us in the absolute farthest emptiest corner of the place. Seats and table was built for little children. Our waiter was friendly but he would disappear for long periods of time. We asked about the honor bar house wine on the menu and they said it was not available in Massachusetts..so the question is why do we get an inaccurate menu? Food mediocre, cold, late, brought order in 5 different trips. Water never refilled. Bread soggy with oil. Dessert, was not good. coffee was cold and bitter. Would not come back ever.
(2)
Dana S.
Used to come here all the time. Today at 6pm a ghost town. My food was lukewarm And just average. One of our party never eats out and he even commented his food was 'ok '. What happened to you macaroni grill ? I won't be back
(2)
Jennifer B.
Horrible experience! My husband and I went on 4/5 around 1pm. It was not busy but was messy like they just had as buddy lunch, we got doug! Who is obviously new! I'll make this short, my chicken Marsala was still raw on the inside! I had to send it back. Manager tried to give me a free piece of pie! I told him I want my meal for free, and for him to train the kitchen staff how to cook chicken! The two tables around us were angry about food too! We won't go back there again
(1)
Sandi S.
We were looking for someplace in Burlington to get pasta and found Macaroni Grill. First time experience. I ordered the Classic Italian Bake and it was very good. Luckily my son was very hungry because there was a lot of food when it came. I have only two negatives: my tap beer wasn't very cold and the Lobster Ravioli that my son ordered was quite small compared to the rest of our meals. The service was very good. I would come back again.
(3)
Jeremy K.
Popped into this place for a quick and affordable lunch earlier today with one of my best friends. We arrived at 12:30PM and were greeted and seated instantly upon walking through the doors. I had never been to a Romano's Macaroni Grill and knew that it was part of a large chain much like an Olive's Garden. I figured and expected the experience to be decent, with average food at affordable prices. I figured that service would be seasoned and much like a well-oil machine, would work efficiently to expedite the food quickly, especially during lunch service. I was wrong. We arrived to a restaurant which wasn't very busy. Maybe 20 tables were seated at most. The chairs felt a bit grimy and could have used a quick wipedown. On the table in front of us were menus, specials and crayons. Apparently kids and adults alike can draw on the tablecloth. Our waitress got our drinks order and we were told that bread and olive oil would be arriving as well. (It never did). After our drinks arrived we ordered from the lunch menu deal which they have in place every day Monday through Friday and which offers a combination of either two item or three items. I decided to get a two-item combo with their pomodorina soup (plum tomatoes, mozzarella crouton and basil pesto) and the market chop salad (roasted turkey, pepperoni, provolone, artichoke, balsamic vinaigrette and pumpkin seeds). My friend got something similar but added a turkey sandwich on top of that as part of his 3 item combo deal, and we also ordered the Meditteranean olives to share as well ($3). While we weren't in a big rush, we never anticipated having to wait 55 minutes for our food to arrive. 55 minutes for the soups, the tiny salads and his half of a sandwich. The waitress checked on us a couple of times but eventually avoided us because she knew that they'd messed up. So also tried to upsell us on their wine special (50% off) but we ordered diet cokes instead. A manager eventually came and apologized although having just arrived to work, she wasn' sure what she was apologizing for. She wasn't even made aware of what had happened, just that they'd messed up. We had to brief her about it as our food finally arrived which a bit annoying, especially since we both had to be somewhere. Needless to say that we didn't end up paying for our meal and the entire thing was comped, which is the only redeeming factor here for us. That being said, objectively, the food wasn't good. Definitely not worth waiting 55 minutes for, or even 15 minutes for that matter. The size of their lunch deal is ridiculous. It was like baby portions and I left the restaurant just as hungry as I had walking in. The soup was lukewarm and was very salty and didn't taste all that great. It also featured a lonely, tiny crouton on top which just hung out on there. The salad was a bunch of leaves, and at no point did I see any of the turkey or pepperoni that was supposed to be in there. Overall I don't think that I'd ever return at this location, or any other for that matter. The food was below average and quite underwhelming. I really do think that there's many, much better options in the area. Whether it be Burton's Grill, Border Cafe or any of the other spots, service is better and the place will feel cleaner than this place. Restaurants in the area should be able to handle a lunch service with no issues, especially since most patrons have to return to work quickly. There's no reason for it to have taken this long... ever. Especially considering what they had to put out. I also don't know why they'd have everything come out at once after we've been waiting this long. Why no have the soups arrive to kill a bit of time and buy the kitchen some breathing room? Would that have made too much sense? Luckily for us we had the crayons to keep us entertained as we waited for the food. No thanks.
(2)
Barbara J.
I recommended this restaurant to my friend for lunch. It was nothing short of outstanding. The service was that of a five star restaurant. We ordered stuffed mushrooms and I might add they were the best I had ever had. I ordered the chicken with bow ties. The garlic sauce was so good I couldn't stop eating it even after I was full. There was bread and olive oil with a touch of Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar. The portions were so big you can easily split a meal if you get a salad and appetizer. The waiter was the most attentive, wonderful server by the name of Jordan. Prices are reasonable with a touch of old Italy decor and ambiance. I love this place and can't wait to go back.
(5)
Campbell R.
Okay. Waiters don't always pay attention. Slow chefs. Outdated music and ambience. Bathrooms look like they need some fixing up.
(3)
Lynna C.
I have been in a few Macaroni and Grills (more than 10 times) and never had a bad experience. This location is terrible. Slow service with a very few clients, all plates had the cheese burned, the menu does not have all the ingredients, the waitress forgot some plates and the menu was very confusing (just want to remark this). (The PR oneas are great)
(2)
M C.
Used to like this restaurant as an "easy meal" after a movie. Here are facts only: 1. Slow service 2. No bread offered and we had to ask management for our free bread. 3. Soup ordered was COLD...not room temp. C O L D. Manager was kind and came to the table and said they microwaved it. (4-5 spoonfuls) 4. Garlic and Shrimp in my dish burned. 5. Chicken in my daughter's dish burned 6. Dishes dropped off..no extras offered such as parm cheese. Better off eating local and not a chain!! Will not ever eat there again. Ever... (And yes...the floor manager was aware).
(1)
Barbara b.
I used to love this place but they have seriously gone down hill. The last few times my friends and I have come here we've left hoping we went somewhere else. We went a few months ago and that should have been the last time. The bread was cold and when we asked for a new one it was colder than the first one. The restaurant was dead but it took forever for our meals to come. My friend and I split a meal and they split the wrong meal and it was made wrong. We went again tonight hoping that last time was just an off night but unfortunately it wasn't. Our waitress wasn't very attentive and we were not impressed with our meals. I ordered the Alfredo and it was very watery. Unfortunately, it looks like we'll be going elsewhere from now on.
(1)
Cristian C.
I had a dinner tonight at burlington MA location, and we saw a mouse running on dinner room, we called a manager and explained to him, but he ignored, I believe he thinks we lied to get something for free, but I work on fine dinner restaurant and I know if this happens there at least my manager will gonna say sorry, we love macaroni grill, but we will never go back and I will tell every body about what happened...sorry but its desgusting when we are have a dinner and a mouse are running between tables!!!
(1)
Jim S.
I'm one of those who is puzzled by negative reviews of this place. I live in Burlington and my wife and I come here all the time. We've literally never had a bad meal including tonight. I had Carmela's chicken, a dish I'd never tried before. It was absolutely delicious. Basically it's rigatoni with chicken in a Marsala cream. My wife got Chicken Marsala which is a whole different thing. We both got side Caesars, Chianti and I had a cappuccino. Price? About 60 bucks. Service great, zero complaints. Believe me when I say I don't make repeat visits to places that suck. And more and more I'm starting to question the validity of Yelp. If I listened to people on this thing, I'd be staying home all the time. Stop giving good restaurants a bad review because you had a bad day. Do like the Boston Globe does - go back to a place two or three times before you review it.
(4)
Heather L.
I visited this restaurant for the first and what will be my last time. I went with my parents, and we were all equally disappointed. The atmosphere and ambience is actually really nice, so I had high hopes. My experience was similar to other reviewers: the restaurant was not busy at all, yet the service was terrible. My father's beer was flat, which happens. He asked very politely for a glass of wine instead, and the waitress served him the wine in his water glass.... And the subsequently charged him for the beer. I've never been experienced wine served in your water glass at a restaurant and thought this was bizarre and careless. I got spaghetti & meatballs- the meatballs were frozen, and frankly, gross. All in all, not a good experience. Sadly, the place seems to have a lot of potential!
(1)
Francis L.
My wife and I have visited this restaurant a few times in the past year. We visited on a late Sunday afternoon, and were quickly escorted to a nice table little table in the main dining area. Unfortunately, we were seated near a table with a crying child [--1 star ] in an otherwise empty restaurant. We kept the table, as the family members were almost finished their meal and were about to depart. Note to management, advise your maître d's to use better judgment in seating. We were never visited by a manager at any time during our meal. Our server, Ryan, was kind and considerate, and very knowledgeable about the menu items that were presented to us that afternoon. I ordered a Chicken Parm and my wife ordered a pasta special item not normally served on the regular menu, but it was approved by a manager. We ordered Caesar salads as appetizers and a bottle of pinot grigio. Bread and salads were delivered fairly quickly and the salads were very well prepared and fresh. Our entrees came out a little later, and were very good, but I needed a little more oregano for the spaghetti side of my meal. We were not rushed during the entire meal, and we had a coupon for a birthday dessert for my nurse-wife, which was very much appreciated. We would look forward to another opportunity to visit this restaurant in the near future.
(4)
Ed L.
My family and dropped to get our kids' favorite Mac & cheese entrees. Unfortunately we were never seated by anyone despite waiting for over 5 minutes. The wait staff never even paid any attention to our presence. We ended up leaving and driving over the Borders Cafe whose host staff seated us immediately and a wait staff took our orders promptly.
(1)
Edmond G B.
I met my friend for a 7pm dinner last night (6/18/2014) and here are my thoughts. (1) the service was good, consistent, polite, and discreet. They didn't ever intrude on our dinner conversation and dinner was brought quietly and efficiently. The bread was hot and plentiful (which I love). The only failure of service was @ desert - which I address at the end of this review. (2) The wine that we ordered (Alamos MALBEC - Mendoza, Argentina - 2013) was delicious and moderately priced. I would order that again. (3) The appetizer - "Parma Ham wrapped around mozzarella" was both overpriced and pathetically small. They brought us a small chaffing dish that had FOUR small (maybe 1.5" long) pieces of said appetizer coated in a bit of their plain, rather bland pomodoro sauce. For $6.50, I was disgusted. (4) FOR DINNER, my friend ordered the Classic Italian Bake - which was served hot and looked delicious. For me - I ordered their new Veal special - which for $16.50 was only alright. They served two small-ish pan-fried Torendeau of veal that had been pounded flat. While the veal was reasonably tender, the pieces were small and should have been larger for the price. It was served with linguini alfredo (which is their house sauce and very, very bland and tasteless) on one end of the plate and a bit of the pomodoro sauce on the other. Neither was memorable and I would NOT order that dish again. (5) FOR DESERT - my friend and I split one order of the Tiramisu - something I would not do again. For $6.50 it is A TOTAL RIP OFF. The dish is pathetically small (maybe 3" by 3") and not at all what you'd expect for that price. Given how incredibly easy it is to make that desert, I expected a LOT more. I'd NEVER, EVER order that again. Regarding the service at the end - we were never approached again after the bill was brought and I was never offered a re-fill for my coffee (which, just on principle, pisses me off). All in all, the meal was alright, but certainly not spectacular or even GOOD. They could have done better - and given how few people were in the restaurant, they should have!!
(3)
Tracy B.
Went today for a Luncheon with work... Was pleasantly suprised that we were able to sit & have drinks almost right away after my previous work luncheon earlier this week (see Waxy O'Connors)... Service was great, there were 10 of us & she was on top of everything... Never once did the service come into question... Most of us created our own pasta dishes & Most were entirely different... They were all good, not a complaint in the bunch... Maybe some on servings... But thats about all... BREAD, What can you say about the bread... It might be the best thing Ever... Always warm & with great Oil... Plain & simple yet soo good... Definitely a must try & for a friday afternoon it was very slow (Might be the wonderful New England Weather we had today - Snow on 1 April)...
(4)
Rachel L.
I've been here a few times and every time, I haven't been that impressed with the menu or food. The menu seems kind of limited and I also think the prices are a bit steep for the food you're getting. The last time we came here for dinner (on a Saturday night), we had originally planned on going to the Melting Pot but hadn't made reservations and the hostess--in a really annoying, snobby voice--said that there wouldn't be an open table for an hour and fifteen minutes. Well my stomach was growling and I needed relief. So we decided to go to Macaroni Grill instead. There was no wait, we were seated immediately. Our waitress was very sweet. The bread was ok. My pasta dish was $15 for some pasta, a little bit of spinach and some chicken that tasted like it had been frozen before. And the sauce was too lemony, I didn't like it at all. I just stopped eating and packed the rest to give to my dad at home. The pros: The service is always decent--I've always had nice waiters/waitresses. And hey, who doesn't like doodling all over their tablecloth? I definitely prefer Maggiano's over Macaroni Grill but unfortunately, the closest one for me is in Boston, which is an hour away. The menu for Macaroni Grill is not as appealing to me as Maggianos. I mean, both restaurants have those same dishes you see at every Italian restaurant around here but Maggiano's has a few dishes that are certainly above average and more unique (e.g. braised beef cannelloni).
(3)
Steve S.
Wait staff evidently in competition to see who can receive the smallest tip by providing most absent-minded service.
(1)
Tanvi D.
2.5 stars.. Went here on a friday evening. The parking lot was full but, there wasn't really a wait. We were seated immediately. I didn't really like where our table was, but, oh well. The server was nice and took our order promptly. I got pasta with veggies. They were willing to substitute the veggies the way I wanted. So, I liked that. My husband got a margherita pizza. He didn't like it very much. For dessert, we got pannacotta and cheesecake. The pannacotta was OK. Cheesecake was nice. Might go here again if all italian options are exhausted.
(3)
Mad C.
Fantastic food. I highly recommend the chicken cesar calzenato (calzone)...YUM. The free bread is delicious, but messy. The wait staff is friendly and attentive. I also really like the 'build your own pasta' option for lunch. It's fairly priced, you get what you want, and the portions are huge. fyi: As of a week ago, they seem to be having some liquor license issue (did something wrong?) so if you must have some vino with your dinner, better call ahead and make sure they are serving!
(4)
Albert D.
I know it's a chain, but being a chain has its own advantages. I'm from California, and have been a bit homesick as of late. When I found out that a little taste of home was here on the East Coast, I ran over (in my car) as fast as my little legs could get me. Food is... all right, EXCEPT for the *******penne rustica******* (Just making sure people see this). Don't bother with anything else. The dish is huge by the way. It can easily serve two girls or one fat guy (me). Eat a bunch of free bread, and when the penne rustica comes, ask to have it to go. Two meals!! I'm a student, by the way.
(4)
A T.
I was debating between 3 and 4 stars. Ultimately I am a fan of this restaurant based on my one experience: I always assumed that the restaurant would not have great quality food based on the ugly, tacky sign, but my boyfriend insisted that the food was great. So, we went last weekend. The 45-minute wait was not too bad, considering it was a Saturday night. We put our name in and went to the bar for some drinks. I had the blood-orange cosmo, which was light and refreshing. He had a beer. By the time we got our second round, our table was ready. If it weren't for the full drinks and good conversation, we may not have tolerated the TWENTY MINUTES without our server even coming over to greet us before informing a hostess. She was completely surprised that nobody had come to our table yet, and sent a very nice server named Vanessa over (who was very attentive). Shortly thereafter, the server who was supposed to be ours came over to apologize for not knowing that our table belonged to him. Having been a server in the past, I understand how stressful it can be when first learning, but that still is not an excuse. Keith, the manager, made a point to stop by and apologize profusely, and make sure that we got an apology from the server. He ensured us that he would be taking care of us that night. I ordered a glass of wine with dinner and it came in a water glass. Strange, but wine is wine. No complaints there. Onto the food: We ordered as appetizers (2 for $9) shrimp, canellini bean, and avocado crostini (2 came in an order- delicious), and mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto and baked with marinara sauce and toasted pita bread (also delicious). For the meal I got the Pasta di Mare: shrimp, mussels, and scallops with pasta in a tomato sauce. I like my pasta al dente, but this was a little to firm. The flavor was great, with the sea food tasting extremely fresh. He got the lobster ravioli. The filling was filled with lobster, as was the sauce (chunks of tail and claw meat!). Again, the lobster was surprisingly fresh tasting- like it was pulled from the ocean that day. We had paid for our first 2 rounds of drinks at the bar, so a glass each of beer and wine, 2 apps and 2 entrees came to around $31. Keith comped us around $27. Overall: the food was great, and the rest of our experience made up for the server's mistake. I'll definitely go back again.
(4)
Craig S.
My wife and I recently returned to the Macaroni Grill after avoiding it for 6 months. The food and service prior to our return had gone downhill. We wrote the head office and were asked to give it another try. They explained that they had made some menu and vendor changes - some of which were fine - others less so. During our most recent visit, we brought alone another two couples and feasted - some of on pasta, some of us with meat and others with fish. Not a negative comment among them. I think that the Macaroni Grill has returned from the abyss and deserves our ongoing patronage. We strongly recommend it.
(4)
Tony M.
Went here last Saturday night a little before 9. Place was busy & got quoted 25 minute wait. We decided to wait & we were seated in about 5 minutes-that was the good part. First there was no silverware on the table & when the waiter delivered the warm bread, there was still no silverware. We had to ask for it. I ordered clams, scallops & shrimp seafood dish on pasta & asked for "Fra Diavolo" sauce. Waiter seemed inexperienced & didn't know what that was. Is this an Italian restaurant? So I explained that I would like it extra spicy & he said OK. When I got it, it was not spicy at all-nothing. Maybe the cook didn't understand either. Anyway, I asked for some crushed red pepper & that made it better.Food was OK, but smaller portion than my previous visit. Scallops didn't really taste fresh. My date wasn't impressed with her meal either. I was dissapointed & I'm not in a hurry to go back.
(1)
J.J. B.
It's always packed and I'll never understand why. It's expensive and it's not good. I know we go out to dinner to share camaraderie with our fellow man. But, no matter how helpless we may be with a pot of water, we're all better off cooking at home for our friends if this is the best we can do.
(1)
Susan D.
We arrive around 9pm for dinner on a Saturday. There were about 10 tables seated and we were all huddled into a corner. Apparently there was only one server working the last tables and we were stuck with him. He is a tall fat guy who always looks away from your table. You'll recognize him. So we are seated. We order and we wait. 20 minutes and our loaf of bread arrives to the table. He says, "Better late than never." Wow, how about that for classy service. I see our food ready under the hot lamps while our server is running around in circles to the bar and back ignoring us and the rest of his tables around us. My hubby can see the fumes coming from my head. The chicken marsala was sooo salty and gross. Like it was a frozen meal reheated in a microwave. Hold on, that would explain it. I so needed a refill of my drink. That took another 10 minutes. I couldn't even take another bite. Finally we got the check and left a shitty tip. Luckily we knew he wouldn't be around anytime soon to pick it up. I know, I know. I'm eating at a chain, but sometimes we just want a quick faux italian meal and may expect kind service.
(1)
Judy P.
I used to like this place until today! They changed their menu and it seems they have a new management too. We are never coming back here again. Had the worst spaghetti ever and the service was so slow and bad that we almost walked out.
(1)
Vanilla P.
If you have a kid and still want to go out to a "nice" restaurant, Macaroni Grill is perfect: The music's SO loud, no one can hear your precious angel scream. Not even the people sitting right next to your table. The crayons are great for the kiddos, and the complimentary bread keeps them chewing instead of crying. I actually had a very good dish recently: Pollo Caprese. It consisted of a well-proportioned chicken breast (fairly close to the recommended deck-of-cards size), al dente pasta with halved grape tomatoes, and oodles of basil in the sauce. A nice arugula salad was plated with the dish, adorned by a half lemon for the dressing. Well done, Macaroni Grill - good proportions, good flavor, good presentation.
(4)
Chrissy H.
Just another mediocre Italian chain of restaurants that could be better if they wanted to be... The service was ok, the food was ok, the sangria was ok, the prices were ok. And that about sums it up. Seriously, the starter bread had such potential. It was fresh and warm and smelled tasty... but once i got it in my mouth I found the flavor to be a bit much. The problem? Rosemary. Just a bit of overload. My step fathers lasagna was pretty gross. Something about the texture threw me off. The BF's pork chops(yes he ordered pork chops) were alright and my Chicken Marsala Ravioli was edible, but not WOW! For an appetizer, 4 entrees, 4 cocktails, and 4 misc. beverages, our meal came to $95. Not too bad. The decor was pretty cozy too. I feel like you could find someplace a little more fun for a Friday night but if you end up here you won't be too disappointed.
(3)
Jack M.
It's like dining in a cave. The noise level is phenomenal. I've had dinner here and it was crazy. Food was unimpressive. Yay- crayons and paper on the table. Whoopee. There's your gimmick. How about some good food instead? I am upping them a star cause the last time I went for lunch with my brother was very good. I got lasagna and he got ravioli and we were both pretty happy. It is nicely decorated but I just don't like going here. Oh Look! A Chili's!!!
(3)
Rob M.
It is decent for a chain. Good portions and you cant beat the 2 for $25 deal. Im not big on Italian chains as i prefer local places but I wanted to try this place. I loved the apps and the waiter was good.. We were seated right away but it took a bit to be finally waited on and get our water and bread. Once they took our order we got our food fast. It took me some convincing to get my fiancee to come here as she thought they only served macaroni here! We did get the mac and cheese bites though.
(3)
Jamie F.
For my roommate's birthday two years ago, we hosted her birthday dinner here. Mac & Grill was definitely an affordable venue for our large dinner party (we had 21 people!). We arrived on time for our reservation but had to wait a few minutes. Since not everyone in our group knew each other, the crayons and drawing paper as table covers were perfect icebreakers to play tic-tac-toe or hangman or to simply bring out our inner artists. I guess we're still kids at heart. Food was good too; my chicken parm was better than I expected, or so I remember. The service is the most worth mentioning - friendly with a sense of humor, professional, and efficient. The one minor mistake was that they initially forgot to bring out the cake that I had brought, and instead surprised us with complimentary chocolate cakes. They provided the candle lighter, cake knife, new plates and new silverware for everyone. The best part was that they dealt with my silly friends who followed the tradition of caking the birthday girl... so as you can imagine, it got pretty messy and loud but the staff were all smiles about it. For this reason, Mac & Grill gets 4 stars.
(4)
Adrienne M.
I had a $25 gift certificate to this chain, and the boy and I were craving comfort food tonight thanks to the pouring rain, so we hopped 95 north to check this place out. I was really surprised by how crowded it was, given the weather and the fact that we got there before 6 pm. However, the place is huge (seriously, its enormous!) and we got seated immediately. I had never been to a Macaroni Grill before, but apparently they cover the table in paper and give you crayons to write with. This is kinda cool, but also gives the place a more casual, childish vibe than I think they're going for. Our waiter came over and introduced himself and wrote his name upside down in crayon on our table (apparently this is standard). He didn't like how it came out the first time and crossed it off and wrote it again, while we were sort of sitting there staring at him, ready to order. Little awkward. We placed our order and he came back quickly with bread and olive oil. The bread was pretty tasty - I think it was rosemary foccacia and it tasted like it was fresh baked. Our appetizer came out quickly as well. We ordered the mozzarella fritta, which is basically just a glorified mozzarella stick. For a mozzarella stick, it was pretty good, but for those expecting something more along the lines of Vinny T's fried mozz, you have been warned - avoid it! Although I guess that's mostly my fault for thinking anything could compete with Vinny T's fried mozz. After we had finished our appetizer the waiter came back to our table and told us he had forgotten what my bf ordered. I resisted the temptation to say something snarky like "Maybe if you had written down our order instead of YOUR NAME you wouldn't have this problem?" He was nice and apologetic, but it felt pretty unprofessional. Because of this, our pasta orders didn't get in until we had finished our app, and took quite awhile to come out. My bf had the penne rustica, which he was very pleased with. I had the mushroom ravioli. I thought the raviolis themselves were fine, and the cream sauce they were in was yummy, but I was overwhelmed by the number of onions in the dish and by their strong flavor. I am not the biggest onion fan, but I can handle them when they show up usually. However, these were extremely plentiful and overwhelming, and really put me off the dish. Also, there was no mention of onions on the menu and it always really irks me when restaurants include extra ingredients that aren't mentioned. After our entrees came, the waiter seemed to disappear. It took quite awhile to get his attention for the check, and when we finally did he made some excuse about there being lots of kids around that night. I'm pretty sure there are always lots of kids at this restaurant (quite a few screaming ones too, as you'd expect at a mid-level chain). Overall, it was a satisfying experience and I'd be happy to go back if a friend wanted to, but I don't think I'd be clamoring to go back of my own volition. And if I do go back, I'll definitely skip the fried mozzarella and just go for the pastas.
(3)
Christopher F.
Girl friend got the "lobster ravioli" It had an incredibly pungent fishy smell. Took one bite and felt sick. My "Chicken Under Brick" was completely flavorless. Server stank of stale cigarette smoke but he was pleasant over all. Complete waste of $50. Avoid.
(1)
Jonathan C.
Two stars only because of there chicken ceasar salad, other wise ewwww!!!
(2)
Momo K.
the resturant doesn't really appeal to me b/c of the limited menu choices. i went b/c i had a 50 buck gc. the resturant decor is very pretty and looks very upscale. when i looked at the prices, they were reasonable. but when the food came it was somewhat disappointing. hubby got the seafood plate pasta. the pasta would have been very tasty and chewy had they not been undercooked. the plate is also small, i mean, i don't think it is enough to fill up one person. maggianos charges the same price and the plate is enough to fill up two people. It was my bday so they gave me free dessert, i order the tiramisu. it was also a disappointment, it was tiny and was served inside a bowl instead of a standalone slice.... it was also a tad too sweet. if i had to chose between maggianos or macaroni, it'd be maggianos, think they are the same owner.
(3)
Scott M.
We frequent MG's in Florida. This one is one of the few in our home state. We have been very pleased with the ones we have eaten at out of state. The feature that always kept us coming back was the service. I am confident in telling you this Burlington location does not follow the pattern of most other MG locations. The service was horrible. Normally the server takes the time to write his\her name on the paper table cloth and introduce them selfs. This server did not. We ordered food that we normally get in other locations. What we got though was sub par - soggy salads, dried out shrimp, over cooked pasta. We were surprised. However what disturbed us the most is that we had to wait 25 min after we finished our sub par meals for the server to come back and ask if we wanted anything ells. This was after we asked the hostess for the check. Very much unlike any of the other locations we have visited. This place is to be avoided. Plenty of other good choices in the area.
(1)
Mihir P.
This seems to be a favorite with my family since it is a chain - so it is a "safe" bet for them. The interviewing process seems to weed out all the townies so the service is pleasant. The food is decent and there is a good variety of pastas, pizzas and entrees for reasonable prices. You're pretty much safe with any of their "parmesan" selections. Other decent choices are: - Calamari Fritti - Mushroom Ravioli - Honey balsamic chicken - Grilled Pork Chops - Smothered Chocolate cake Just an FYI: the Grilled Chicken Spiedini is NOT grilled with the chicken on the rosemary stem like the menu indicates.
(3)
Lindsay C.
I'm not that into Chains but Macaroni Grill is alright sometimes. The Burlington establishment is yummy, clean and the staff is courteous. I came on a Valentine's Day and it would be understandable if they were stressed with the high volume but, nope they were still a nice group of servers. I would come back.
(4)
Keith M.
Ceasar salad. Fresh bread. Penne with chicken, broccoli, mushroom, sun dried tomato. You get what you pay for - a chain italian restaurant across from the mall. Nothing fancy, but you can do the "build your own dish" so its got just what you want.
(3)
Jillian Q.
This is usually my restaurant of "last resort" (meaning - my husband and I have movie tickets, we're starving, and this place is convenient). Macaroni Grill has always made me feel let down in the entree department, although the appetizers and drinks are very good. Normally, I would rate it at 2-star level, but after my experience last weekend I felt like I should review with an extra star. My husband and I were definitely in "last resort" mode (see above) this past weekend. We sat at the bar and were immediately given bread and ordered drinks. My mudslide martini was SOOO yummy. We ordered an appetizer combo and the bartender was so nice to accommodate a request (we didn't like one thing on the combo and just asked for extra of another) - no problems and great service. We were seated within the hour for dinner. I really, really had a craving cheese ravioli with butter. I know that's pretty plain, but when you have a craving...combined with the fact that nothing on the menu was really jumping out at me. The only cheese ravioli on the menu had a bunch of meat and veggies on it, but I figured they could just put butter and charge me full price - I really didn't care. I told the waiter what I wanted (he was also very attentive with the drink refills - score) and he said that it would be more economical to just get the kid's menu cheese ravioli. I said "You would do that for me?" (I AM over 12 and all) and he said "Sure, no problem." THANK YOU MR. WAITER! That was, by far, super cool. The raviolis hit the spot and I was happy. My husband, though, was not thrilled with his chicken parm, but like I said, this was a "last resort" night. Also - stay far far away from the tiramisu, it is insanely heavy on the cocoa powder and for me to be saying there is too much chocolate on something it must be bad.
(3)
Jocelyn G.
A decent place to go when you are hungry for a large serving, but its quite loud and crowded on the floor. Kept bumping into other people's chairs and whatnot. The crayons were a nice touch as we had my 4 year old nephew with us and that kept him occupied for about a half hour or so. Unfortunately, we had to wait a very long time for our food to come and then one plate didn't make it out with the rest. Took another 5 or so minute to get it. The food was good and our waitress was mostly attentive. She dissapeared for a little while but brought the items that we asked for immediately. The prices are ok. Nothing too horrible or spectacular.
(3)
Mike D.
I have been there twice in the last year. Both times the wait was long and the food was ice cold. This is a rip off for the price. Go to Cheesecake factory as an alternative.
(1)
Stephanie B.
Hey, it's good at what it is, which is mass produced quasi-Italian. 6 of us girls met up for dinner tonight -- the Macaroni is in a central location and has something for everyone. Yummy Bellinis, beer, a decent wine list -- and enough heart-stopping saucy goodness to choke a horse (do people still say that?). I had the seafood linguini, which was pretty damn good. Other people tried the "build your own pasta" and were quite happy. Service is super friendly and attentive.
(3)
Lawrence M.
I think that the place is pretty good. But, I have to get the negatives out of the way right up front. It can be noisy, it can fill-up (means people like it), and the parking lot is not large enough for the times when it is busy. All of the other local businesses have signs warning of parking restrictions, towing, and global warming if you should even turn around in their lots. So, if you go to Macaroni Grill and the lot is full, keep on going. The decor adds to the noise. Lots of stone and hard surfaces in a big open area. Nice, but the noise bounces around a bit. They have a couple of side rooms, but I think they save those for groups. Still, you can hear your conversation. I tend to go there slightly off-hours, so the noise is less. The service is MUCH better than other places around here. They seat you as quickly as possible. Drinks and very fresh bread (another thing lacking at some places around here) come to the table quickly. The server writes their name on the paper tablecloth. Hokey, but I like it. I also have used the crayons and paper tablecloth as a whiteboard while waiting for my food. The waitress we had today was quick to ask if we needed extra bread, grated cheese, or ground pepper. The food is tasty. I have had a wide variety of the dishes there and never been disappointed. Good size portions, pretty tasty, and consistent. The service is quick and friendly. It is a step up from an Olive Garden and a step down from Vincenzo's. Still, very good. I gave it four stars for having a nice menu, good quality, fast service, and a nice friendly atmosphere. They are not snooty. They do a nice job. Is it North End quality? No. Is it good? Yes.
(4)
Riana F.
Was just at this restaurant last week, as we were visiting family out in the East Coast. The atmosphere was nice. Food was decent but nothing to rave about, I would call it average. All of the servers seemed to be very professional and were neat looking. Our server was Mary, she did a great job taking care of us and was pleasant throughout the whole experience. She was especially kind to my elderly grandmother and went above and beyond to make sure that she got Nanny's very specific order just right. However, one negative both my Husband and I noticed was the that the manager was nowhere to be found. It wasnt until the end of our stay that we noticed him and it was only because, he was yelling accross the dining room and singing very loud and obnoxiously, I have honestly never seen a grown adult act that way. We didnt get to catch his name, as he didnt really make his way around the dining room but he was about middle aged and had a bald head. We found him to be very disruptive. It seemed like he would have done better working at a Wendy's or pizza joint judging by his demeanor. Otherwise it was a mediocre experience! I would give it another try.
(2)
Marc H.
I generally don't like chains all that much, but this one isn't bad, in my opinion. The entrees taste pretty fresh, the pastas are neither undercooked nor overcooked, and because the kitchen is open, the cooks really need to make sure they are doing a good job as they are all on display for the diners to see. For Italian chains, I'd rather go to Papa Razzi across town, but there are definitely worse places than the Macaroni Grill.
(3)
Rose F.
I'm not one for chain restaurants but we visited here on a Sunday afternoon for a 70th birthday later lunch... Or early dinner as it was 3pm. The waitress brought fresh bread and olive oil to start. Soft and warm- this was a treat. I got shrimp with mushrooms and spinach over angel hair with a lemon butter sauce. ($14) very good and enough to bring some home. The shrimp were done perfectly and there were 5 big shrimps. My dining companions got the chicken Parm ($12) which had a large piece of meat with angel hair. The sauce is not thick but rather more fresh tomatoes. The kids got ($6) chicken pasta broccoli (size of an adult portion!) and chicken fingers and French fries (ok). On our visit they were out of several items but they had other things on the menu to make up for it. For birthday dessert we got chocolate cake with a thick fudge and fresh whipped cream. For a chain restaurant this was pretty good. Our waitress was very attentive and this place is good to go to with kids. 3 stars.
(3)
Brian W.
Think Olive Garden with a different name and maybe harder to find, and you've got the Macaroni Grill. We found the food so-so and suspected aluminum cans were in its past. The wait staff was fine, and we were seated quickly. It's fun to doodle on the paper table cover with the crayons. I've been to a few Macaronis around the country over the last 15+ years, and maybe I'm getting more discerning/snobby, but it just isn't that great a place anymore to me. Especially with all Boston has to offer in the Italian-American line. Yeah, it's maybe good for a casual dinner or a big group, but still only rates 2 stars on the old Bri scale.
(2)
Ann L.
I went with my boyfriend last Friday and we heard great reviews about this place. My boyfriend ordered the Seafood Linguine, it was unreasonably overpriced for a small portion. He could finish it within four bites and was still hungry. However, our waitress was great! I would not recommend anyone to this place if they can eat a lot!
(1)
Mitch E.
i used to eat here but stopped for the FOOD has really gone DOWN HILL I has spagg with meatballs, The meatballs tasted like dead mouse stew balls- the Service was great, bread really good, salad good, BUT the main enteree was really really bad
(1)
Laura H.
I have been here a few times, but my dinner-mate had not. I like the food here, nothing fancy, but at least it is fairly fresh and flavorful. I am not a fan of many chains and you CANNOT pay me to eat at some of them, esp Olive Garden (which I hear is going in a few doors down) so this and Bertucci's are your best bets for this type of food. I had the portabella mushroom raviolis and he had the seafood linguini, both were good. I think the portions are a bit small and the sound of our servers voice went through me like nails on a chalkboard, but other than that, the meal was fine!
(3)
Graham C.
I'm not sure who Romano is, but his family makes some decent food. This place is like an upscale Olive Garden. People should not eat here until they've had real Italian food in the North End, but it's a fine dinner. The calamari portion was a little small, and it was fine. I had the Chicken Florentine, which was really good. I took points off for the service. Our waiter was a nice young guy who spent a lot of time and attention staring at the cleavage of the three early twenty-somethings sitting next to us. This resulted in slower service for us and a smaller tip for him. I must find a girl to bring here and have her wear her "boob" shirt. All you ladies have one. He also wrote his name upside down in crayon on the paper tablecloth, which completely knocked this place down a star on the class meter. What if I saved up to go here with my girlfriend. You know how unromantic or cool it is to stare at some goober's crayon chicken scratch. NG.
(3)
Sean E.
I'm always a little surprised by the Macaroni Grill... It's definitely one of your upper crust chain restaurants -- kinda like the Cheesecake Factory. So like Yesbut said, you get a mixture of casual and fancy here. And so far, the few times I've been here, every dish is right on the cusp of being knock your socks off. I haven't had desert here but it sounds like I should. So if you're down in the Burlington area, doing some shopping, I would recommend you have a meal at the Macaroni Grill. The service is pretty good and the food is better than you would expect. I had the Chicken Portobello last time and highly recommend that. Also the obvious choice for diner and movie. Much better than the Chili's down the block and worth the extra couple bucks.
(4)
Deb D.
What happened to the food at Macaroni Grill? It used to be great, but now it's gone so down hill, I don't think I'll return. As it was New Year's Eve, we got take out. At home, we sat down to eat. The eggplant parm was not very good. It consisted of 2 small slices of eggplant with a small side of spaghetti and a tablespoon of sauce. The spinach with shrimp, Proscuitto, pine nuts and fennel was a joke - no Proscuito, about 5 pine nuts and fennel that had no taste, which is weird for fennel. I called the manager, who apologized and then told me that a lot of people had complained about the fennel. I drove back in and she gave me a chicken dish, along with two desserts on the house, which was very nice. But, when I was in the restaurant, I noticed that it wasn't crowded for a Saturday night - it used to always be mobbed. I drove back home, opened the chicken and couldn't eat it. The chicken was swimming in some sort of tasteless oil. We had used a gift card for this dinner. I was going to call the manager back, but what would she do - give me more bad food? So, I gave up and gave the chicken to the dog. He didn't like it either.
(1)
jenny m.
Went there for just dessert and drinks with the ladies and had some seriously terrible service. Seriously Bad Service. As an ex-waitress, I know the job, and am veeeerrrrryyy understanding. You have to TRY to piss me off..... And when we finally (seriously 1 1/2 hours later... for just dessert..) went up to the counter to try to get our check and asked to see the manager he was standing right there and "in the middle of something" to busy to speak with us... like the food there but man the service SUCKS
(1)
Wendy B.
Restaurant like a ghost town when we arrived. No waiter in sight, and chairs still not set up. Waitress was not attentive. An item was not available, and it was when our main course was almost served that she told us about it. Food in general was too salty. For lunch the meal was definitely expensive. One positive: the bread was very delicious. Shrimp in the spinach salad were good. Not worth going back again. Too bad. I had good memories of a Macaroni Grill in Texas 15 years ago. It was a hopping place.
(2)
Ronica P.
I liked drawing on the table with crayons... Food is really mediocre. I'd go to the cheesecake factory instead.
Food was terrible... dissatisfied with calamari and the pasta di mar. Gelato was gritty and definitely not caramel. My favorite part about this restaurant was leaving.
(1)
Lindsay D.
Staff is almost overly friendly. I couldn't figure out if it was sincere or not but the waitress was ridiculously into talking to my uncle and borderline flirting. She was like 19 and he's the same age as her dad. Weird. The food was decent. Everyone was hungry and exhausted and the rather sucked so it was one of those nights. I stuck with my typical pasta veggies and marinara style dish and it was ok. Everyone else ate there's up but it's a chain so it wasn't anything groundbreaking. I was surprised at the portions though as I'd heard they were huge and they weren't. The one upside was the management was visible and responsive on the floor which I admire. I wouldn't go back though.
(3)
Maria Isabel V.
I was there last night meeting a couple friends for dinner. Two of us were there early and decided to sit at the bar and wait for the third. We were sitting for about 15 minutes with no service and had to ask for a drink menu. We were sitting atbthe bar and had to ASK for a drink menu. We got the menu and some oil plate for bread that didnt come for another 25 minutes when we had to flag down one of the two bartenders to order our drinks. I was kind of taken aback that nobody serviced us, we were completely ignored. It wasn't packed and there was an obvious friend of theirs hanging at the bar where they weren't too busy chatting. Anyway, we got our drinks and our friend came and sat with us. We stayed at the bar for another 30 minutes when we decided to get a table because not ONE person asked her if she wanted anything, not one. We got our table and our waiter was no better, asking us for things he never brought and just not very friendly. The only friendly person we encountered that night was the woman who brought us our food. Its too bad our service was so awful because the food was decent. But we'll never go back. A smile and a "hi, how are you tonight" go a long way. And an acknowledgment that you are a customer and possibly wanting a drink since you are sitting at the bar would be nice too. Giving 2 stars. The food wasn't worth the awful service to consider going back
(2)
Shayna C.
The name is deceiving; I've always avoided this place because the thought of grilling macaroni confused me. Needless to say, I shouldn't take things so literally. Had a great birthday dinner here. First brownie point of this review goes to the fact that they take reservations. By the time my party got there, our big table was set up and ready to go. The waitress was a bit slow, but with a party of 10 people, I gave her the benefit of the doubt. My chicken parm was cooked to perfection, and each of the individuals at the table had no complaints about their food either. The portion was a bit small, but I still had enough leftover for a small meal later on that evening before we all went out. They also had an extensive selection of drinks to choose from, so more brownie points there. I would probably still pick some place like the Olive Garden over here, but I wouldn't rule it out. Good food and good service is hard to come by.
(3)
Mark I.
Ate here for the first time tonight with the family. Our waitress, Jamie, was awesome on top of the menu and great with the kids. Great atmosphere and the bread and Mac and cheese appetizers were great, the calamari was very chewy and I wouldn't get it again. Portions sizes were good and the lobster ravioli came with a few good size pieces of lobster on top and was delicious. Reasonably priced for the portion and quality.
(4)
A. X O.
Not a fan. Will not return, ever. I only came here because my original destination - Rainforest Cafe - had a two hour wait and I was too hungry to drive 45 minutes home without eating. After being told it was a 10 minute wait, we were seated a half hour later. My 13 month old was starving, as was I, and it took forever to even get bread on the table - which was overly seasoned with rosemary and made us both gag and spit it out. Also, the dipping oil had too much sage and rosemary as well. I ordered some grilled chicken and broccoli for her and chicken parmesan for myself. Both meals had obviously been sitting under a heat lamp for an extended period of time before being served to us. Her broccoli consisted of all hard stems. I couldn't even feed it to her. The chicken was dry and rubbery and she refused to touch it. My chicken parm was small portioned and hard. The cheese on top was barely melted, the sauce/spaghetti was cold and mediocre at best. Just overall disappointment. My first, and last visit to Macaroni Grill.
(2)
Iv L.
So so italian food. plenty of parking sometimes. I would probably not purposely go here for dinner though. The atmosphere and setting of the restaurant is nice. Other than that, a typical italian restaurant with a fresh feel to it. they do have a make it yourself pasta menu where you get to pick your own toppings and such, which can be fun.
(2)
Samantha F.
Food was delicious. My bf had the lobster ravioli and I had the porkchop... Only negative things were that the waitress asked about what we ordered everytime like 2-3 times but it never came back wrong. I guess you cant be too cautious. Also were we sat was drafty from the vents. The manager came over and delivered our food and made sure everything was great. I like that hes not just some guy sitting in the office. Overall it was a pleasant experience.
(4)
Jen S.
I was SKEPTICAL to come here at first. I don't really like chains. But Hub and I were forced to stay in a hotel in between leases during September First Moving Season and the cheapest hotel was Candlewood Suites right up the street (they allow pets!). Since this was in walking distance we decided to try it. I was pleasantly surprised. We went in about 7 in the evening on a week night. It wasn't crowded at all. In fact, it was almost empty. They have coloring paper and crayons for the tables!!!! I had so much food doodling while waiting! The bread they serve is pretty good. Not as good as Bertucci's but this is not Bertucci's! I like their create your own pasta menu. I got the parmesean crusted chicken with penne, broccolini and spinach. I really enjoyed it. I thought it was better than the Cheesecake Factory's Romano Crusted Chicken. Similar tastes, but I preferred this to Cheesecake Factory's! I don't remember what my husband got. Sausage and penne maybe? He liked it. We were too full for dessert. If I were to be forced in the area again, I'd go back! Usually when I'm in Burlington, I like going to Chick Fil A (politics aside- it's damn good fast food chicken!). If you go, don't expect to have flavorgasms, but you should enjoy your meal -- that is unless you're really really picky. Or Gluten intolerant. :-P
(4)
Peter R.
Mike D was an excellent bartender.
(5)
S J F.
Very disappointing, waitress was clueless, service was very very bad. Ordered the calamari which was over cooked and very dry. Waited over 45 minutes for our meal.
(1)
Truemornings N.
My boyfriend and I we're on vacation earlier this month and had a late night tour in Salem. We kept searching around to find a place to accommodate us at almost 11 pm. My boyfriend ran in and asked if we could still eat and they said yes. We somehow managed to get in 13 minutes before the kitchen closed. Obviously we were well taken care of being the only customers in the place. Let me tell you, I felt extremely guilty about being there so late but we were starving but the service was great. We had eaten at one once before in our home state of Michigan but didn't have too good of an experience there. Anyway, our food was great and we were quick to get in and out considering it was so late and I know everyone there wanted to go home. I gave an extremely large tip because of how late it is. Overall, great experience and so happy they let us stay and eat!
(5)
Mimi W.
Nothing special about the food here, and especially disappointing that the portions at this location are much, much smaller than those in California where I'm used to going to the MG. I went with a big party of people and the food looked like it had sat out under heat lamps for a while. No one in my party was impressed with the food, and all resolved not to go back.
(2)
Ravy S.
Went here for the first time last night. It was a good experience overall, although the place was busy. The decorations inside and outside the building were nice..high ceilings and very spacious. The tables were placed a bit close together, so we had to move the table over a bit to get more seating space. The bread and olive oil that were given to us after we sat down were fresh and delicious. We ordered apps, entrees, and drinks. There was a special on some of the apps - 2 for $9; we got the bruschetta and macaroni bites from the specials menu. For the bruschetta, we got 4 medium-sized slices of crispy bread that came with a small bowl of cheese spread and a small bowl of marinated, herb-infused chopped tomatoes. It was not the kind of bruschetta that I'm used to getting at Italian restaurants. I like my cheese melted and already sprinkled on the bread. For $4.50, the bruschetta was okay but I would have liked more sliced bread! As for the macaroni bites, they were served warm and very cheesy. The other two apps we got were calamari and stuffed mushrooms. The calamari were over $10 but the portion size was VERY small; it was crispy and delicious though. The stuffed mushrooms were so delicious! I think there were about 8-10 of these in terms of portion. The mushrooms were small but full of flavor. We were kinda satisfied after all the apps and bread. Then came our huge, delicious entrees which did not disappoint anyone at our table! I got the $13 chicken parm, which was very well seasoned with herbs and tomatoes and came with angel hair pasta. I couldn't finish it because it was so huge. At the end of the meal, I had no room left in my belly for dessert. I would definitely come here again and try the other entrees. I look forward to ordering the stuffed mushrooms again! I will prob never order the calamari and bruschetta again though, since the portions were too small for those. The atmosphere is nice and the decorations are great. I really felt relaxed being there. Right now, MG is offering a $5 off coupon if you join their mailing list online. I used this coupon and everyone saved $1 each on their share of the bill.
(4)
Maria D.
Food was very good! The waiter was super nice and funny. The food came out quickly and was very good sized portions. I would definitely go there again
(4)
G A.
Right off the bat things went wrong. We made our reservation for 8pm only to be seated 30 minutes later even though there 12 tables open. Maybe they were understaffed, fine.. but the nightmare continued. They served our wine in water glasses. short water glasses. strangest things I have ever seen. Ordered calamari for an app, which we were told was late because "it was thawing out of the freezer".. pretty sure you shouldn't tell your guests that your food is frozen. Finally the calamari came out, and we had to wait 15 more minutes to get our napkins and utensils to even eat our food. Utensils and cups were wet- maybe fresh out of the dishwasher- but at least wipe them down. Noted it off as a strange night but continued to enjoy our time. Our food came.. all three of us got pasta with some sort of meat (meatballs, sausage, etc)... delicious.. until all three of us were laying down in fetal position the entire next day with massive stomach aches. Food poisoning galore. I'm not one to fuss and if one thing went wrong you would say its a fluke..but the entire night was really strange and awful. Never going back.
(1)
April K.
Came here Saturday for my sister's birthday and it was an absolute disaster. i had high expectations as I walked in and the place was beautifully decorated. Do not be fooled by its decor though. First off- the wine glasses that the waiter gave us were stained with sticky residue- we could barely see through the glass. It wasn't only my glass, but the entire party complained because we were all disgusted. We kindly informed the waiter and he said that it was JUST residue from water- I don't care where the residue came from- the simple solution would have been to give us new clean glasses, but no such luck as he seemed hesitant about it and we didn't want to make a big deal. i ended up pouring water into my glass and wiping it off with my napkin. (Also, I don't think residue from water is sticky...?) Second- the food was the worst Italian food I've ever had in my life, and this is not just me exaggerating. When the bread came- my stomach growled as it looked fluffy and fresh, but lo and behold the bread was actually quite hard as I cut into it. I ordered the pasta milano (roasted chicken with sundried tomatoes and mushrooms, aka an imitation of the farfalle pasta from Cheesecake Factory)- It sounded delicious and I was willing to overlook the dirty wine glasses if I had some tasty food, but no. The pasta was overcooked and watery- not al dente. I also tried some of my friend's dish, which was something they took off the new menu but the chefs decided they could attempt to recreate it. If they didn't know how to make it, they should have just told us. Anyway, it tasted worse than what I could make at home- it was basically just cheap tasting soft pasta with some tomato sauce thrown on it. (i could have made this dish for like 2 dollars). The service? What service? Our waiter never came around to ask us if everything was okay. My friend also had to call him over to refill our waters. Besides our waiter putting on a fake smile, he definitely did not try his best to accommodate us. The best part of this experience was the end when I asked our waiter if we could get our food to go. He asked, "How many boxes do you guys need"- ???? Basically, they don't pack your food for you- they give you boxes and you do it yourself. I don't think I've ever packed up my own food to go except in Chinatown when we ask to do it ourselves. (To be honest I didn't even really want to bring my meal home since it was so bad but I hate wasting food). I'm sorry, but the only thing about this restaurant that was "decent" was the atmosphere. Terrible food and terrible service=NEVER GOING BACK. (Even Cheesecake Factory's pasta is 10x better and it's not even an Italian restaurant).
(1)
Leo F.
I should've known something was up when I visited the Macaroni Grill in Nashua NH to find that there was an hour wait and then visited this one to find that there was no wait. The service was good as usual but this time, the food was terrible. The 2 different dishes that my wife and I ordered turned out to be so salty that we were unable to finish them. We tried to eat as much as we could but once our pitcher of water was empty, we were unable to continue. I was ill through the night and into the next day from all the salt.
(1)
Patrick D.
Came here because my girlfriend and I wanted to go full boat, three courses and coffee afterwards for once, because we usually only have time for maybe an app and entree. This was the perfect place to do that. We're both pescatarian and had no problem picking delicious courses from the great and varied menu. The calamari was good, not incredible, but good, as was the bread and olive oil we got when we sat down. Our entrees were eggplant parm (which was exceptional) and lobster ravioli, which was also very good. Dessert was alright, but you wouldn't come for the dessert alone. Coffee was better than expected, I got a cappuccino and my date got a coffee with cream. Service was great, very friendly, always ready to ask us if we wanted to order but very well timed, our waitress didn't bug us or hover which is always annoying. Overall a great place for when your run of the mill two star restaurant isn't going to cut it, for when you want to step it up a bit.
(4)
Alex B.
This used to be a favorite of mine but they changed the menu some years back and ruined the food. Atmosphere is great and drinks are decent but I don't know why they changed solid favorites like the chicken parm and pasta milano. I've tried the new versions of both... it all has no taste now. Depressing.
(2)
Katie D.
Macaroni Grill definitely did not live up to my expectations. I expected them to be comparable to Carrabba's- boy was I wrong! We went on a Friday night, and after circling the parking lot a million times, finally found a spot. We walked in, and much to our surprise, there were several open tables. We were seated right by the kitchen, which kind of sucked. On the other hand, it allowed us to see that the same bread was sitting under a heat lamp the entire time we were there and that salads were left out to die. The food was just, "meh". It wasn't necessarily bad, but my Pollo Limone Rustica tasted like it was taken out of the freezer and reheated. The chicken strips in it definitely did not seem like they were freshly cooked. My boyfriend got Mama's trio. The chicken filet was tiny, which was OK since there's a lot of other food. The lasagna tasted just like Stop N' Shop brand frozen lasagna we sometimes buy. We would have been better off to save the money and buy he same dinners in the freezer isle.
(1)
David B.
Another mega box meal.....harrumph. Hunger trumped anything else so we thought we'd give it a try. Had only been to a Macaroni Grill once before, in California, and did not really remember anything good or bad. The service was courteous, efficient and helpful. The ambiance was a cut above a place like Olive Garden but nothing special. Was there for lunch and found it adequate for what we wanted. The rosemary flecked bread was good but a bit too soft for my liking. My sandwich was okay (their version of a calzone); a bit too heavy on the sauce. The salad that came with it was drowning in dressing. My partner had the spinach salad with scallops. He found it tasty but, once again, way TOO MUCH dressing. I sampled a bit of scallop and thought they were past their prime and a tad over done. One of these days, I'd like to walk out of a corporate chain impressed. Today, alas, is not that day.
(2)
Anthony R.
I'm OK with Macaroni Grill, but definitely needed to share my last visit. I used to go here more often when it first opened years back, and would even order their chicken and orzo salad to go. I've had some great dishes here but the quality diminished as the chain grew and I took a 5 year hiatus. This is what I experienced last weekend... Upon parking in their (awkwardly set up) parking lot, I noticed a huge red pick up truck reversing and going up and over the curb nearly sideswiping my car. After a big sigh of relief, I walked in and was harrassed by two young, disheveled, pip squeek boys to purchase their candy bars for charity... these were a) crumpled up and obviously stolen candy bars and b) not for charity. I quickly realized that these kids were dropped off by the red truck to harrass Macaroni Grill diners for "donations." My guest and I notified the hostess as we were waiting to be seated, and she didn't do a thing. The pip squeeks proceeded to go to each table and beg the customers for money and make inappropriate faces/gestures when they were turned down. After we were seated, these kids came over to the table AGAIN and asked for money... I don't understand why no one did anything after we brought it to their attention. It was really awkward. The fresh bread they brought to the table wasn't good - and the waitress spilled some house chianti on it by accident. While it did add some flavor, I didn't ask for chianti bread. The chicken was tough, but I guess everything was what I expected for a chain. I just wish they'd up the quality and get some more professional staff - everyone seemed inexperienced. CIAO!
(2)
Catherine C.
I came here yesterday for a company function. It was a set menu where each person can choose an entree and a dessert from a list. Appetizers were shared family style. For apps, I had the stuffed mushroom which was very yummy. Loved the crab in it. I also tried the bruschetta which was a little disappointing. It was a little bland. The only good thing about this dish was the parmesan cheese that came with it. The dish advertised garlic but it certainly didn't have any of that taste. I tried the Sausage Vesuvio for an entree. The sausage was very tasty. I like the contrast in texture when eating the beans vs pasta, though I thought my pasta was slightly undercooked. I wished there were more arugula. Other than that, this was a pretty solid dish. Some of my coworkers had the Pasta Rustica and really liked it. For dessert, I chose the Tiramisu. A little too much cocoa powder on top but overall flavor is decent.
(3)
Summer B.
I see that the ratings for this is all over the board but I can only rate what I experienced right? What I got was great service....I mean our waitress was right there replacing the drinks and taking away plates...checking if everything is okay...and the like. The food was delicious too...we had the warm bread to start and the appetizer trio (Mozzarella, bruschetta. calamari). The calamari was great as was the mozzerella....bruscetta was a kind of construct your own thing which was a little weird. I got the lemon chicken penne dish and it was Fantastic!! My boyfriend wanted more sauce and got it with no problems and very without charge. AND again great service and booth. So....no problems here from my POV!
(5)
Jon V.
Seafood penne, mom had chix sandwich. Both were good
(3)
Joanna C.
Was there last night having dinner with some old co-workers. I liked the ambiance. I liked the way they greeted us at the door and seated us by the fireplace since we asked to be a bit out of the way so that we can just hang out and talk. They let us have a leisurely meal that lasted several hours (it had been a while since we had seen each other, so we were all yakking away). Food was pretty good, and the waiter was so cute I almost left my number on the table while I was doodling with the provided crayons. I had one of their "trio" dinners, which ended up being an incredible value (a salad, entree and desert for like $12!). And I really liked that they served their house red in a jelly glass like they would in Italy. And Italian language lessons being played in the restroom! Absolutely LOVED their warm foccacia bread (MMMM), with our own bottle of EVOO, as well as their calamari. My entree of "skinny chicken" was pretty solid. And yet... the entire experience was just mediocre. It all seemed so vanilla to me - so expected. Which is great for a random weeknight dinner, but I would save my weekend dinners for some place with some more character and personality. :) A solid 3 stars.
(3)
Riz M.
We would not be returning and would not recommend Macaroni Grill to anyone. We went around 6pm and were seated right away. The bread and appetizers were decent - nothing great. Me and my wife ordered CYOP (Create Your Own Pasta) by writing what we wanted on their form. Both of our entrees came fairly quick. However, both of our orders were were missing items. I ordered pasta with asparagus and grill shrimp. They forgot to put both items!! They don't do quality check or double check what we ordered?!? I told the waitress and she took her time and brought shrimp in a separate plate. I tasted the shrimp and it was cold and very dry - it had no flavor to it. She went and brought warm shrimp and asparagus after 10 minutes. By then my pasta had gone cold and I completely lost my appetite. As for my wife's pasta, instead of giving broccolini flowers, they put thick pieces of raw broccolini stems - how are you suppose to eat that! (I'm guessing they ran out of broccolini flowers). The mushrooms were either not cooked thoroughly or had gone bad - they just tasted really bad. Both of our pastas' alfredo sause did not taste fresh at all! Both of us lost our appetite and we just wanted to get out of this place. The manger came over and apologized about the mess up and told us that he would take care of one of the entrees (even though he knew that they messed up both the entrees). I would NOT RECOMMEND them to anyone. Do yourself and favor and pick other decent restaurant around Burlington.
(1)
Eddie S.
The food is boldly flavored. Steer away if you don't like too much spice in your food. Not the right place for my palate.
(2)
Gisele M.
OK, I've always wanted to try this place and I've heard good things about it. The one thing I can say about Macaroni Grill is that the service is very good. Now lets get on to the food. I got Egglplant Parmesan. It was just ok - nothing to write home about. One of my friends got a pasta dish that was undercooked and very bland. I guess I was just expecting more from the macaroni grill.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner 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 : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
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.
Clarise D.
I went here for the first time expecting a big tacky family diner but I was quite impressed. Our meals were great, the staff were attentive to our needs and we received excellent service from our waiter Hugo.
(5)Katie A.
Despite the fact that they discontinued my favorite dish a few years ago (Sugo Bianco, and yes I'm still bitter about that), I love it here. The Penne Rustica is wonderful, and the bread is good. But the best part is drawing on the tablecloth with the crayons. There used to consistently be an hour wait to get in, but since the Cheesecake Factory and Border Cafe opened across the street, it's never busy anymore.
(4)russell d.
Excellent Mac & Cheese - and the Chicken Scallopini wasn't bad either. Good bread and goood olive oil. Crayons! Only negative - kinda slow even though it was a quiet night
(4)Linda S.
If you like crowded, noisy pasta joints ... The Macaroni Grill is the place for you. I've been to this location several times for social outing in the evening as well as work gatherings on weekday afternoons and it's always packed. They must be doing something right, right? I'm a fan of their chicken dishes like the Pasta Milano, Chicken Scaloppine, Chicken Marsala but my favorite is the Chicken & Shrimp Scaloppine even though this dish can be a little too salty with the combination of capers & prosciutto. Oh, one more thing -- they leave crayons on the table so you can doodle & color on the paper table cloth while your waiting for your meal to arrive which can be a big plus for parties with kids or kids at heart.
(3)Kat R.
I went on a week night- early (around 5ish)... there was maybe about 10 other people there... very empty. But it worked out to our benefit as our waitress let us sit there for a while and chat. Food is good... I wouldn't say great, but not bad. One thing I found disappointing is that they don't put sauce on the pasta. Is this supposed to make it 'authentic' or something? Me likey sauce on my pasta! Convienent location... plenty of parking. Overall, not a terrible place, but not something I'd visit too frequently either.
(3)Anon P.
Macaroni Grill is one of my favorite restaurants. This one was a real letdown. Our food was just plain bad. Overcooked, too rich, too salty. Stale bread. The one good point was they took it off our bill.
(2)Restaurant J.
We love going to this Italian/American restaurant. The service starts with delicious bread and olive oil for dipping. We weren't disappointed with anything in the menu so far. Also, their red house wine is very tasty If you don't mind eating a salad for lunch or dinner, try their Chicken Florentine salad, it is one of the best I had. One minor complaint about the restaurant is that, it is really loud. Sometimes it is hard to talk, especially if you are sitting close to the open-area kitchen.
(4)Jackie M.
I like the Macaroni Grill for the simple reason that you can make your own pasta dish! You ask the waiter for the order sheet and use a crayon to choose the shape of pasta, sauce, and ingredients (up to three). Then there are extras like meat and mozzarella cheese that you can add for an additional $2.00 I think. It comes in a huge pasta bowl and there are always leftovers! Another delicious draw is the dessert ravioli. Chocolate gnash, caramel and nuts in fried pastry dough served warm with vanilla ice cream...what could be better! I know this is a chain restaurant, but it's pretty darn good.
(4)Kimberly D.
Few amazing waiters, what seems like many disgruntled waiters. EXCELLENT food. Chicken Marsala dish is delectable!
(3)Paul K.
A few weeks ago I went to the Macaroni grill with my girlfriend. We were greeted as we walked in and did not stand there for more than 5 minutes on a Friday night. It was great considering most restaurants have a half hour wait or longer. We sat and the waitress came over and she was very pleasant. She took our drink order and food and was checking on us throughout the night to make sure we had a good experience (as we all know servers work on tips). Close to the end of my meal there happen to be a group of flies that decided to hang around my booth. It was no big deal because they were not bothering us. A few minutes later I am going to dip my fork into a heaping plate of lasagna and what makes it to the food before my? A fly. I was very aggravated because I was so hungry. The waitress came over and asked if I wanted to wrap it up and I explained to her how the fly had landed on my food. Then I showed her the flies and how they decided to join us that night. She immediately got a manager. The manager came over and apologized profusely. I was not mad at the waitress, manager, or even the restaurant. I asked him for my check and he told me the whole bill was set. I was not looking for a free meal but I think it was a nice gesture to offer my food on the house. I left $20 for the waitress as she was very nice and I am a big believer in tipping. Overall I would say that the situation turned out good by the way they handled it. I got to eat most of my food and they knew the flies were not on their payroll. If you are looking for a place with good food and service then I would highly recommend the Mac Grill!!! It seems they care about their customers!
(4)John M.
First of all I'll say I've never had an issue with the food here. No doubt it's probably not authentic but what do I know? If it tastes good to my primal palate I really don't give a rats ass about authenticity. That being said, I had service so frigging inadequate there I will never go back. My wife and I were there with our 2.5 year old who is exceptionally well behaved in public but even exceptionally behaved children have limits to how long they will sit at table. That's why the 15 minutes it took for our waitress to take our drink/food orders went by excruciatingly slow. They have pretty good bread so at least we had that to look forward to and it would give my daughter something to occupy herself with... If it had come out before our food. It didn't. I would have asked the wait staff to bring some but there wasn't any. Literally. There were no waiters around until one brought our food out. 5 minutes later (and an empty beer glass that'd now been empty for 15 minutes.) our waitress finally came by to ask if we were all set. It was at that point I got up and broke a chair over her head while my wife stabbed her with a broken beer bottle. She rushed off to get some bread and drinks but came back with only bread. I told her never mind the beer because I was just about done eating at this point. This was the last we saw of her until we got the bill. We drew insulting pictures of her in the table with the crayons they had provided us and my daughter diligently colored them in while we waited for our receipt.
(1)Jeff D.
macaronigrill.com 781-273-5180 50 South Ave. Burlington MA 01803 MENUS: macaronigrill.com/menu/d… Macaroni Grille is a great Italian Place with take out and phone in orders available. it is located right above the Burlington Mall off Middlese Tpk. Just turn into the driveway for the AMC theater go up the hill and turn right . Go down the hill about halfway and on your right will be Homestead Suites and then after that the driveway to Macaroni Grille. Prices are reasonable and the food tastes great. One of my favorite dishes is the Lobster Ravioli. And the Chocolate Ravioli for dessert. The Burlington Mall and Major hotels are a short walk or drive away. Convinent to local MBTA bus service and route 128/route 3.
(4)Vivian C.
It's been forever since I've dined at Romano's Macaroni Grill. A small private hosted event brought me back one evening. A few tables were pushed together for us in the small room that is located off to the side of the main dining space. We were offered a pre-printed 2-course menu offering us a choice of two salads, and nine entrees. Bread was delivered as a small square loaf, which we sliced ourselves and consumed warm with olive oil and grated cheese. It was good bread, and over time, we each consumed nearly an entire loaf as we awaited other foods with which to satisfy our stomachs - we weren't sure if it was a kitchen thing or if our host had decided to wait for our party to be complete. Appetizers of calamari and stuffed mushrooms were tasty, though the portion of the calamari seemed a bit small. Oddly, the Caesar salad arrived at the table first and was completely consumed by those who selected it before the Fresh Greens salads showed up. The timing seemed off. Entrees were characteristically large for Romano's Macaroni Grill. I consumed but half of my Shrimp Portofino (jumbo shrimp, capellini, spinach, mushrooms, pine nuts, lemon butter) though I found it well flavored and al dente. The shrimp count was perhaps 4. Their salmon was fine, though I preferred my shrimp. The sun-dried tomato orzo that accompanied the fish was quite good however. Take-out containers were wisely brought out, but our water glasses grew empty and we had to inquire after water pitcher refills.
(3)Mike G.
This is one Italian chain that I frequent whenever I'm out of town. I've never had a bad meal at any of them, and this one in Burlington was no exception. I had the rigatoni bolanganese and my wife had the chicken milanese. Both dishes came out fast and hot. They were delicious. My wife discovered that they diced tomatoes that came with her dishes enhanced the flavor of the chicken when she put them on it. The chicken Milanese was recommended by our waiter , Charlie. He was punctual, friendly, and attentive. Overall, this was another great experience.
(4)Wei W.
We learned that Macaroni Grill is eventually going to be replaced by another steakhouse, but there was no reason that management couldn't freshen up the space and make sure the bar area didn't smell like the open sewer system. Blaming the sewerage problem on the town doesn't help the case, especially when the restrooms are directly behind the bar. Believe me, inhaling toxic methane fumes for an hour was exactly how I wanted to relax before our movie! (/end sarcasm) Oh, and bartenders blatantly ignoring our existence after we sat down at a spot that hadn't yet been cleaned because they're taking their sweet time pouring drinks to a nearly empty restaurant adds to the slap to the face. Fifteen minutes after we sat down, one of the bartenders finally approached us, half-heartedly wiped down the placemats at our spots, and tiredly asked us what we wanted. I'm sorry, are you not in the service industry? It's only 8PM and you're unable to put a smile on just to take my simple drink order?! What a waste of time and money. I'm glad that a replacement is coming in.
(1)Marcia W.
I'd never even heard of this restaurant brand but it's right next to the hotel I'm staying at so it was pretty convenient at the time. I did go after 5pm on Sunday and it was very(!) empty so there was no wait issue. I guess all the cars in the parking lot belonged to the staff lol.. I asked to be away from the bar as I have a severe alcohol allergy and I was granted this, actually seated in a far corner of the restaurant at a table. The tablecloth on top was paper and apparently for coloring etc, as there was a random drawing on it from whomever before, so this tablecloth wasn't replaced since then lol, and had clean dishes put on top of it anyway for the next diners (me). I thought this was a bit tacky and not very 'clean' as whomever's germs etc could easily be on this tablecloth but whatever. I didn't see the big deal at the time and I cared more about just eating. The staff here in general at the time were doing a lot of standing around, socializing. When I walked in, a group of 4-5 were doing just that on the entrance ramp inside so it did set up an interesting first impression for me of this restaurant. Apparently, they're overstaffed at empty-restaurant times and no one has anything better to do so they're basically paid to stand around and socialize. I guess cleaning the tables better isn't something worth taking the time to do. Regardless, I much prefer Olive Garden honestly simply because their menu is much more to my liking. Oh well. Anyway, Romano's was ok but nothing stellar or worth returning to unless I'm deeply hungry and no other options. I thought it was odd that I have to slice my own bread loaf that's covered in oil lol but ok. I managed but wasn't a fan of the extra oil for the bread. I'd much rather have butter/margarine. But the bread was decent and I could've eaten more. It was soft and warm which is always a good thing for fresh bread. I took a risk and ordered Fettuccine Alfredo w/ Chicken (extra $3). See, I have a cheese intolerance/allergy so since I always loved Fettuccine Alfredo and missed it, I decided to take the risk and deal w/ the consequences later lol. Anyway, this time around, I surprisingly was ok for a long time after eating it so that was a nice surprise in my case. However, the flavor and portion size was pretty lacking IMO. I'd have gotten better at Olive Garden. There was just chicken scrap pieces (seriously) and it was more like a child size portion in a big plate, a lot more sauce than pasta. The chef clearly doesn't care much about quality/quantity at 5pm on Sundays I guess. In fact, the table right next to me even had some kind of issue with one of their dishes that had to be comped. Seriously, it's an nearly empty restaurant at the time and 2 tables get poor quality entrees?! Very pathetic IMO. I was obviously still hungry and decided to take another risk and have some dessert. I LOVE tiramisu but have been avoiding it because of my heart condition and caffeine aggravates it. So anyway, I was deciding between the tiramisu and the chocolate cake. I asked the server who was a decently nice guy, and he suggested the tiramisu. For the most part, he was right. It was good tiramisu that did hit the spot. Heart consequences be darned lol. The ladyfingers were separate and had some powdered sugar on top. The powder on top of the tiramisu was a bit much though and made things messy. Overall, I very much prefer my Olive Garden lol. With OG, there's a lot more menu options I'd love to eat anytime with each course. Despite it being pretty empty, I did feel a bit rushed to hurry up out of there. I don't see the big deal. I was alone, playing a game on my phone (on silent) and not bothering anyone, but maybe I'm too casual and low key for them in their ritzy environment restaurant that likes to have wine glasses on top of a paper tablecloth for drawing, go figure.
(2)Mike C.
Does the job. Not anything high end but also not short order - middle of the road. But that's what they are going for price wise and menu options. Some things are done pretty well - Goat Cheese Papperdew Peppers, most pasta dishes - and some things could be better - Cannelloni Bolognese, salads. Pizzas looked but (we haven't tried any yet). Drinks were decent, ok sized bar. Service was good (server this past time was newish but was polite so that makes up for most deficiencies). Open kitchen is a nice concept in theory but in this case is loud (just normal kitchen notice nothing "bad") and makes it VERY difficult to talk or hear anything. We've been before and will be back when we want a quick affordable decent Italian meal.
(3)Local E.
Looks like other recent reviews are similar: Understated wait-times (waited an hour, was quoted 20 minutes)) Smells kind of like... sewage? Harried / clueless hostess staff Decent food, but over cooked / fishy fish There's a changing table in the men's room! Hooray! But it's in the big stall! Which is invariably where weird dudes go who flush six times while I wait outside holding my infant. I hope never to return
(1)Carrie Q.
My husband and I had not been to a Macaroni Grill in over one year. We are staying at a nearby hotel so we decided to eat here for dinner. We were sadly disappointed with our experience and will never return to this Burlington location. We were greeted by a young hostess who sat us at a table that was dirty (coloring on table, water stains on paper tablecloth, etc). She moved us to another table. She did not clean the table though until after another couple was seated there and also complained of the mess too. Our server was mediocre. She did not introduce herself or share the specials/soup of the day. She did bring bread and drinks promptly. We placed our order and our food arrived in a decent time. While we were eating, we observed how the restaurant was run by the one manager. I did not get her name because no one was wearing name tags. Every five minutes or so she yelled out, "Runners," to get any available body to serve plates. Since when do hostesses serve food, especially when other servers are standing around? The manager seemed to be micro-managing. At one point, she and one of the chefs appeared to be having an argument. Everyone looked very stressed. Watching and hearing this manager during our meal was very upsetting. The environment was tense and not relaxing. Current owner, please take note of this review. You may want to observe how the female manager on Sunday evening, 6/28/2015, runs your business. Sadly, I will never go to this restaurant again.
(1)Chad H.
Calling ahead did us no good last Saturday night, they made us wait 35 minutes with a 2 year old. DON 'T get the lamb. I should have known better. IT was dry, overcooked, tasteless and it came on SKEWERS. Two little skewers of "center-cut" lamb... for $18.. FAIL The waiter was nice & attentive so the service was great. Too bad the food was terrible.
(2)J J.
Not usually fan of chain restaurants, this place rocks when it comes to Fettucine Alfredo. It's always crowded but if you're able to snag a spot in the bar area, you're good to go!
(4)Ally C.
So, I have THREE gift cards to use at this chain of sister restaurants, and I chose Romano's Macaroni Grill. I went last night, with all intentions to use as much of the gift cards as possible.. drinks, apps, dinner, dessert... anything. It was a night out, for FREE! Our waitress Jillian, started out ok. She seemed rushed, and seemed like she had a lot going on, even though the place wasn't terribly busy. In fact, everyone seemed rushed, and frantic, and looked like they were stretched thin. We walked in and there was a 15 minute wait, even though there were A LOT of tables open, and no one waiting. We started at the bar, and after waiting a good amount of time, FINALLY ordered a glass of wine, and a beer, while waiting for our table. We got our drinks, by the bartender literally dumping them on the counter, and running. Not 4 min later, we were to be seated. The bartender (who but he way, was the only guy manning the ENTIRE bar, surrounding tables, and all the drinks coming in for the restaurant), pretty much threw my receipt at me to run to another customer. Fine, I paid. I will jump through dinner, because it was mediocre.. kind of a step up from Olive Garden at this point, if you will. Got bread, that looked warm, but wasn't. Got an appetizer, which was OK. Received our dinners, which were meh.. my plate looked like the food had slipped all over while the waitress hurried to dump it at our table. In between time, there was a forgotten glass of beer, forgotten lime for seltzer, forgotten glasses for the carafe of water that was sitting on the table, and a forgotten dessert menu, in the end. Jillian was so busy fixing the plates, and cups on the center organizer buffet, that she lost an opportunity for more money by bringing us more drinks, and a dessert menu to order something there, as well. I paid, and now I have TWO gift cards left. Guess I'll go to one of their sister restaurants.
(2)Jeff C.
I took my family here to celebrate my daughter's birthday. We were promptly greeted and seated. The place wasn't busy, a few people dining as I expected for a Sunday night. Judging by our seating, I didn't think it would be long for us to be greeted by our waiter or waitress. We waited patiently and it was a bit before our waitress showed and we ordered. Our waitress didn't pay much attention to us, got some of our appetizers and bread, but did little to clear out our table for out entrees. Then the wait was long, we saw the manager stand around and joke around with the staff. Our waitress was nowhere to be found. We waited long for our food...the theme for the night. Disappointed.
(2)Anthony M.
Great attention to the customers needs. Got the app, salad and entree for just $10! App was small, the salad was good and my entrée fettuccine Alfredo tasted great. A big step up from olive garden.
(3)Joe S.
I usually hate chain Italian restaurants but romanos was great, prices were beyond reasonable and food was great, great atmosphere, great service. Would never recommend chains like Olive Garden but in this case give it a chance, after wine, apps, dinner and some dessert for 2 it was around $50 that's a great deal to me
(4)Lauren P.
I'm going to say this right now: if you're the type of person who likes Olive Garden, then you'll also like Macaroni Grill. I went here against my will because friends and I saw a movie in Burlington and wanted to grab a quick meal together afterward. All the food is fine. It's not amazing or super creative. It's just fine. I'll admit that the bread they put on the table is addicting in it's saltiness and I could eat 5 loaves on my own. But at the end of the day, bread is bread. Problems with the service -- our server was SUPER NICE so I feel bad about this. He brought me the wrong beer when I first ordered. When he asked if I wanted a second one, I told him no...but he brought me another anyway and I was charged. One girl in our party also had to leave before all of us and asked for her small order to be billed separately, which the server said was no problem. He brought her the separate bill, but when he ran the card he charged her for the FULL TABLE'S order. So... you know, her bill was for like $17 and he ran her card for $91. Nope! He fixed it all and it was fine, but these were just mistakes that held up our meal. So yeah. Fine food. Basic and not really super special chain restaurant Italian food.
(2)Y T.
It's like a slightly better Olive Garden, but I'd rather just go to Olive Garden anyway. I go there occasionally because my colleagues like to do a big meet-up there. On one of my recent visits, we were seated near the bathrooms, and it smelled like raw sewage.
(2)Puma E.
Gluten free items available **menu items/ingredients/allergen list NOT up to date, check with your server and the kitchen manager** that turned out safe, remarkable given how everything went ... Food C... Incredibly high calorie (almost every dinner meal is 1000Calories) And not particularly tasty, chicken was inedible Ambiance B... Big booths, good ish music in the background, not too loud/not too quiet Service C... Incredibly unbelievably painfully slow Good for groups, but don't expect to split the check on multiple cards, totally unable to accomplish this step in under 30minutes. Scary!
(3)Pooja D.
Half cooked frozen pasta, a 45 min wait even when you could see empty tables, inattentive staff - if that's what you're looking for, this is your place.
(1)Steven M.
After reading recent reviews I was really really hoping for better.... Should have listened.... Maybe 6 people in the place.... More employees than customers... I sat in the bar ..... Only me and one other guy and guess who got more attention... The guy teaching the bar tender how to make drinks... Or the guy who ordered the most expensive thing on the menu.... And that was fair at best... Next time I'll listen to the helpers!!!
(2)Warren S.
I used to be the biggest fan of this place. I'm not sure if it's this location or if they all have changed in the last 5+ years. I always get the pesto, I love pesto, but this was oil with a couple pine nuts and some basil. There were less than 10 cars in the parking lot yet it took us an hour to get out order. There were 4 of us, 2 adults and 2 children, and the food was cold when it came out. The kids chicken was over-cooked and both of our meals had to be reheated. She said she spoke to the manager, which I wasn't expecting much, but maybe they could have come out and apologized or explained why it took so long and was cold, but no, nothing. Then I walked in to use the restroom and saw that our waitress was also the bartender. I've been a bartender and there is no way you can run a bar and be a good waitress, both jobs require too much attention. I think I will be heading across the street to the Cheesecake Factory in the future. Also, they don't have a great location so I assume they get their business from word of mouth. I'm giving it 2 stars in hopes that it gets better, and I did eat my meal, just didn't enjoy it.
(2)mike g.
Went for lunch, party of 8, no wait, and nearly empty restaurant. They seated us in the absolute farthest emptiest corner of the place. Seats and table was built for little children. Our waiter was friendly but he would disappear for long periods of time. We asked about the honor bar house wine on the menu and they said it was not available in Massachusetts..so the question is why do we get an inaccurate menu? Food mediocre, cold, late, brought order in 5 different trips. Water never refilled. Bread soggy with oil. Dessert, was not good. coffee was cold and bitter. Would not come back ever.
(2)Dana S.
Used to come here all the time. Today at 6pm a ghost town. My food was lukewarm And just average. One of our party never eats out and he even commented his food was 'ok '. What happened to you macaroni grill ? I won't be back
(2)Jennifer B.
Horrible experience! My husband and I went on 4/5 around 1pm. It was not busy but was messy like they just had as buddy lunch, we got doug! Who is obviously new! I'll make this short, my chicken Marsala was still raw on the inside! I had to send it back. Manager tried to give me a free piece of pie! I told him I want my meal for free, and for him to train the kitchen staff how to cook chicken! The two tables around us were angry about food too! We won't go back there again
(1)Sandi S.
We were looking for someplace in Burlington to get pasta and found Macaroni Grill. First time experience. I ordered the Classic Italian Bake and it was very good. Luckily my son was very hungry because there was a lot of food when it came. I have only two negatives: my tap beer wasn't very cold and the Lobster Ravioli that my son ordered was quite small compared to the rest of our meals. The service was very good. I would come back again.
(3)Jeremy K.
Popped into this place for a quick and affordable lunch earlier today with one of my best friends. We arrived at 12:30PM and were greeted and seated instantly upon walking through the doors. I had never been to a Romano's Macaroni Grill and knew that it was part of a large chain much like an Olive's Garden. I figured and expected the experience to be decent, with average food at affordable prices. I figured that service would be seasoned and much like a well-oil machine, would work efficiently to expedite the food quickly, especially during lunch service. I was wrong. We arrived to a restaurant which wasn't very busy. Maybe 20 tables were seated at most. The chairs felt a bit grimy and could have used a quick wipedown. On the table in front of us were menus, specials and crayons. Apparently kids and adults alike can draw on the tablecloth. Our waitress got our drinks order and we were told that bread and olive oil would be arriving as well. (It never did). After our drinks arrived we ordered from the lunch menu deal which they have in place every day Monday through Friday and which offers a combination of either two item or three items. I decided to get a two-item combo with their pomodorina soup (plum tomatoes, mozzarella crouton and basil pesto) and the market chop salad (roasted turkey, pepperoni, provolone, artichoke, balsamic vinaigrette and pumpkin seeds). My friend got something similar but added a turkey sandwich on top of that as part of his 3 item combo deal, and we also ordered the Meditteranean olives to share as well ($3). While we weren't in a big rush, we never anticipated having to wait 55 minutes for our food to arrive. 55 minutes for the soups, the tiny salads and his half of a sandwich. The waitress checked on us a couple of times but eventually avoided us because she knew that they'd messed up. So also tried to upsell us on their wine special (50% off) but we ordered diet cokes instead. A manager eventually came and apologized although having just arrived to work, she wasn' sure what she was apologizing for. She wasn't even made aware of what had happened, just that they'd messed up. We had to brief her about it as our food finally arrived which a bit annoying, especially since we both had to be somewhere. Needless to say that we didn't end up paying for our meal and the entire thing was comped, which is the only redeeming factor here for us. That being said, objectively, the food wasn't good. Definitely not worth waiting 55 minutes for, or even 15 minutes for that matter. The size of their lunch deal is ridiculous. It was like baby portions and I left the restaurant just as hungry as I had walking in. The soup was lukewarm and was very salty and didn't taste all that great. It also featured a lonely, tiny crouton on top which just hung out on there. The salad was a bunch of leaves, and at no point did I see any of the turkey or pepperoni that was supposed to be in there. Overall I don't think that I'd ever return at this location, or any other for that matter. The food was below average and quite underwhelming. I really do think that there's many, much better options in the area. Whether it be Burton's Grill, Border Cafe or any of the other spots, service is better and the place will feel cleaner than this place. Restaurants in the area should be able to handle a lunch service with no issues, especially since most patrons have to return to work quickly. There's no reason for it to have taken this long... ever. Especially considering what they had to put out. I also don't know why they'd have everything come out at once after we've been waiting this long. Why no have the soups arrive to kill a bit of time and buy the kitchen some breathing room? Would that have made too much sense? Luckily for us we had the crayons to keep us entertained as we waited for the food. No thanks.
(2)Barbara J.
I recommended this restaurant to my friend for lunch. It was nothing short of outstanding. The service was that of a five star restaurant. We ordered stuffed mushrooms and I might add they were the best I had ever had. I ordered the chicken with bow ties. The garlic sauce was so good I couldn't stop eating it even after I was full. There was bread and olive oil with a touch of Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar. The portions were so big you can easily split a meal if you get a salad and appetizer. The waiter was the most attentive, wonderful server by the name of Jordan. Prices are reasonable with a touch of old Italy decor and ambiance. I love this place and can't wait to go back.
(5)Campbell R.
Okay. Waiters don't always pay attention. Slow chefs. Outdated music and ambience. Bathrooms look like they need some fixing up.
(3)Lynna C.
I have been in a few Macaroni and Grills (more than 10 times) and never had a bad experience. This location is terrible. Slow service with a very few clients, all plates had the cheese burned, the menu does not have all the ingredients, the waitress forgot some plates and the menu was very confusing (just want to remark this). (The PR oneas are great)
(2)M C.
Used to like this restaurant as an "easy meal" after a movie. Here are facts only: 1. Slow service 2. No bread offered and we had to ask management for our free bread. 3. Soup ordered was COLD...not room temp. C O L D. Manager was kind and came to the table and said they microwaved it. (4-5 spoonfuls) 4. Garlic and Shrimp in my dish burned. 5. Chicken in my daughter's dish burned 6. Dishes dropped off..no extras offered such as parm cheese. Better off eating local and not a chain!! Will not ever eat there again. Ever... (And yes...the floor manager was aware).
(1)Barbara b.
I used to love this place but they have seriously gone down hill. The last few times my friends and I have come here we've left hoping we went somewhere else. We went a few months ago and that should have been the last time. The bread was cold and when we asked for a new one it was colder than the first one. The restaurant was dead but it took forever for our meals to come. My friend and I split a meal and they split the wrong meal and it was made wrong. We went again tonight hoping that last time was just an off night but unfortunately it wasn't. Our waitress wasn't very attentive and we were not impressed with our meals. I ordered the Alfredo and it was very watery. Unfortunately, it looks like we'll be going elsewhere from now on.
(1)Cristian C.
I had a dinner tonight at burlington MA location, and we saw a mouse running on dinner room, we called a manager and explained to him, but he ignored, I believe he thinks we lied to get something for free, but I work on fine dinner restaurant and I know if this happens there at least my manager will gonna say sorry, we love macaroni grill, but we will never go back and I will tell every body about what happened...sorry but its desgusting when we are have a dinner and a mouse are running between tables!!!
(1)Jim S.
I'm one of those who is puzzled by negative reviews of this place. I live in Burlington and my wife and I come here all the time. We've literally never had a bad meal including tonight. I had Carmela's chicken, a dish I'd never tried before. It was absolutely delicious. Basically it's rigatoni with chicken in a Marsala cream. My wife got Chicken Marsala which is a whole different thing. We both got side Caesars, Chianti and I had a cappuccino. Price? About 60 bucks. Service great, zero complaints. Believe me when I say I don't make repeat visits to places that suck. And more and more I'm starting to question the validity of Yelp. If I listened to people on this thing, I'd be staying home all the time. Stop giving good restaurants a bad review because you had a bad day. Do like the Boston Globe does - go back to a place two or three times before you review it.
(4)Heather L.
I visited this restaurant for the first and what will be my last time. I went with my parents, and we were all equally disappointed. The atmosphere and ambience is actually really nice, so I had high hopes. My experience was similar to other reviewers: the restaurant was not busy at all, yet the service was terrible. My father's beer was flat, which happens. He asked very politely for a glass of wine instead, and the waitress served him the wine in his water glass.... And the subsequently charged him for the beer. I've never been experienced wine served in your water glass at a restaurant and thought this was bizarre and careless. I got spaghetti & meatballs- the meatballs were frozen, and frankly, gross. All in all, not a good experience. Sadly, the place seems to have a lot of potential!
(1)Francis L.
My wife and I have visited this restaurant a few times in the past year. We visited on a late Sunday afternoon, and were quickly escorted to a nice table little table in the main dining area. Unfortunately, we were seated near a table with a crying child [--1 star ] in an otherwise empty restaurant. We kept the table, as the family members were almost finished their meal and were about to depart. Note to management, advise your maître d's to use better judgment in seating. We were never visited by a manager at any time during our meal. Our server, Ryan, was kind and considerate, and very knowledgeable about the menu items that were presented to us that afternoon. I ordered a Chicken Parm and my wife ordered a pasta special item not normally served on the regular menu, but it was approved by a manager. We ordered Caesar salads as appetizers and a bottle of pinot grigio. Bread and salads were delivered fairly quickly and the salads were very well prepared and fresh. Our entrees came out a little later, and were very good, but I needed a little more oregano for the spaghetti side of my meal. We were not rushed during the entire meal, and we had a coupon for a birthday dessert for my nurse-wife, which was very much appreciated. We would look forward to another opportunity to visit this restaurant in the near future.
(4)Ed L.
My family and dropped to get our kids' favorite Mac & cheese entrees. Unfortunately we were never seated by anyone despite waiting for over 5 minutes. The wait staff never even paid any attention to our presence. We ended up leaving and driving over the Borders Cafe whose host staff seated us immediately and a wait staff took our orders promptly.
(1)Edmond G B.
I met my friend for a 7pm dinner last night (6/18/2014) and here are my thoughts. (1) the service was good, consistent, polite, and discreet. They didn't ever intrude on our dinner conversation and dinner was brought quietly and efficiently. The bread was hot and plentiful (which I love). The only failure of service was @ desert - which I address at the end of this review. (2) The wine that we ordered (Alamos MALBEC - Mendoza, Argentina - 2013) was delicious and moderately priced. I would order that again. (3) The appetizer - "Parma Ham wrapped around mozzarella" was both overpriced and pathetically small. They brought us a small chaffing dish that had FOUR small (maybe 1.5" long) pieces of said appetizer coated in a bit of their plain, rather bland pomodoro sauce. For $6.50, I was disgusted. (4) FOR DINNER, my friend ordered the Classic Italian Bake - which was served hot and looked delicious. For me - I ordered their new Veal special - which for $16.50 was only alright. They served two small-ish pan-fried Torendeau of veal that had been pounded flat. While the veal was reasonably tender, the pieces were small and should have been larger for the price. It was served with linguini alfredo (which is their house sauce and very, very bland and tasteless) on one end of the plate and a bit of the pomodoro sauce on the other. Neither was memorable and I would NOT order that dish again. (5) FOR DESERT - my friend and I split one order of the Tiramisu - something I would not do again. For $6.50 it is A TOTAL RIP OFF. The dish is pathetically small (maybe 3" by 3") and not at all what you'd expect for that price. Given how incredibly easy it is to make that desert, I expected a LOT more. I'd NEVER, EVER order that again. Regarding the service at the end - we were never approached again after the bill was brought and I was never offered a re-fill for my coffee (which, just on principle, pisses me off). All in all, the meal was alright, but certainly not spectacular or even GOOD. They could have done better - and given how few people were in the restaurant, they should have!!
(3)Tracy B.
Went today for a Luncheon with work... Was pleasantly suprised that we were able to sit & have drinks almost right away after my previous work luncheon earlier this week (see Waxy O'Connors)... Service was great, there were 10 of us & she was on top of everything... Never once did the service come into question... Most of us created our own pasta dishes & Most were entirely different... They were all good, not a complaint in the bunch... Maybe some on servings... But thats about all... BREAD, What can you say about the bread... It might be the best thing Ever... Always warm & with great Oil... Plain & simple yet soo good... Definitely a must try & for a friday afternoon it was very slow (Might be the wonderful New England Weather we had today - Snow on 1 April)...
(4)Rachel L.
I've been here a few times and every time, I haven't been that impressed with the menu or food. The menu seems kind of limited and I also think the prices are a bit steep for the food you're getting. The last time we came here for dinner (on a Saturday night), we had originally planned on going to the Melting Pot but hadn't made reservations and the hostess--in a really annoying, snobby voice--said that there wouldn't be an open table for an hour and fifteen minutes. Well my stomach was growling and I needed relief. So we decided to go to Macaroni Grill instead. There was no wait, we were seated immediately. Our waitress was very sweet. The bread was ok. My pasta dish was $15 for some pasta, a little bit of spinach and some chicken that tasted like it had been frozen before. And the sauce was too lemony, I didn't like it at all. I just stopped eating and packed the rest to give to my dad at home. The pros: The service is always decent--I've always had nice waiters/waitresses. And hey, who doesn't like doodling all over their tablecloth? I definitely prefer Maggiano's over Macaroni Grill but unfortunately, the closest one for me is in Boston, which is an hour away. The menu for Macaroni Grill is not as appealing to me as Maggianos. I mean, both restaurants have those same dishes you see at every Italian restaurant around here but Maggiano's has a few dishes that are certainly above average and more unique (e.g. braised beef cannelloni).
(3)Steve S.
Wait staff evidently in competition to see who can receive the smallest tip by providing most absent-minded service.
(1)Tanvi D.
2.5 stars.. Went here on a friday evening. The parking lot was full but, there wasn't really a wait. We were seated immediately. I didn't really like where our table was, but, oh well. The server was nice and took our order promptly. I got pasta with veggies. They were willing to substitute the veggies the way I wanted. So, I liked that. My husband got a margherita pizza. He didn't like it very much. For dessert, we got pannacotta and cheesecake. The pannacotta was OK. Cheesecake was nice. Might go here again if all italian options are exhausted.
(3)Mad C.
Fantastic food. I highly recommend the chicken cesar calzenato (calzone)...YUM. The free bread is delicious, but messy. The wait staff is friendly and attentive. I also really like the 'build your own pasta' option for lunch. It's fairly priced, you get what you want, and the portions are huge. fyi: As of a week ago, they seem to be having some liquor license issue (did something wrong?) so if you must have some vino with your dinner, better call ahead and make sure they are serving!
(4)Albert D.
I know it's a chain, but being a chain has its own advantages. I'm from California, and have been a bit homesick as of late. When I found out that a little taste of home was here on the East Coast, I ran over (in my car) as fast as my little legs could get me. Food is... all right, EXCEPT for the *******penne rustica******* (Just making sure people see this). Don't bother with anything else. The dish is huge by the way. It can easily serve two girls or one fat guy (me). Eat a bunch of free bread, and when the penne rustica comes, ask to have it to go. Two meals!! I'm a student, by the way.
(4)A T.
I was debating between 3 and 4 stars. Ultimately I am a fan of this restaurant based on my one experience: I always assumed that the restaurant would not have great quality food based on the ugly, tacky sign, but my boyfriend insisted that the food was great. So, we went last weekend. The 45-minute wait was not too bad, considering it was a Saturday night. We put our name in and went to the bar for some drinks. I had the blood-orange cosmo, which was light and refreshing. He had a beer. By the time we got our second round, our table was ready. If it weren't for the full drinks and good conversation, we may not have tolerated the TWENTY MINUTES without our server even coming over to greet us before informing a hostess. She was completely surprised that nobody had come to our table yet, and sent a very nice server named Vanessa over (who was very attentive). Shortly thereafter, the server who was supposed to be ours came over to apologize for not knowing that our table belonged to him. Having been a server in the past, I understand how stressful it can be when first learning, but that still is not an excuse. Keith, the manager, made a point to stop by and apologize profusely, and make sure that we got an apology from the server. He ensured us that he would be taking care of us that night. I ordered a glass of wine with dinner and it came in a water glass. Strange, but wine is wine. No complaints there. Onto the food: We ordered as appetizers (2 for $9) shrimp, canellini bean, and avocado crostini (2 came in an order- delicious), and mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto and baked with marinara sauce and toasted pita bread (also delicious). For the meal I got the Pasta di Mare: shrimp, mussels, and scallops with pasta in a tomato sauce. I like my pasta al dente, but this was a little to firm. The flavor was great, with the sea food tasting extremely fresh. He got the lobster ravioli. The filling was filled with lobster, as was the sauce (chunks of tail and claw meat!). Again, the lobster was surprisingly fresh tasting- like it was pulled from the ocean that day. We had paid for our first 2 rounds of drinks at the bar, so a glass each of beer and wine, 2 apps and 2 entrees came to around $31. Keith comped us around $27. Overall: the food was great, and the rest of our experience made up for the server's mistake. I'll definitely go back again.
(4)Craig S.
My wife and I recently returned to the Macaroni Grill after avoiding it for 6 months. The food and service prior to our return had gone downhill. We wrote the head office and were asked to give it another try. They explained that they had made some menu and vendor changes - some of which were fine - others less so. During our most recent visit, we brought alone another two couples and feasted - some of on pasta, some of us with meat and others with fish. Not a negative comment among them. I think that the Macaroni Grill has returned from the abyss and deserves our ongoing patronage. We strongly recommend it.
(4)Tony M.
Went here last Saturday night a little before 9. Place was busy & got quoted 25 minute wait. We decided to wait & we were seated in about 5 minutes-that was the good part. First there was no silverware on the table & when the waiter delivered the warm bread, there was still no silverware. We had to ask for it. I ordered clams, scallops & shrimp seafood dish on pasta & asked for "Fra Diavolo" sauce. Waiter seemed inexperienced & didn't know what that was. Is this an Italian restaurant? So I explained that I would like it extra spicy & he said OK. When I got it, it was not spicy at all-nothing. Maybe the cook didn't understand either. Anyway, I asked for some crushed red pepper & that made it better.Food was OK, but smaller portion than my previous visit. Scallops didn't really taste fresh. My date wasn't impressed with her meal either. I was dissapointed & I'm not in a hurry to go back.
(1)J.J. B.
It's always packed and I'll never understand why. It's expensive and it's not good. I know we go out to dinner to share camaraderie with our fellow man. But, no matter how helpless we may be with a pot of water, we're all better off cooking at home for our friends if this is the best we can do.
(1)Susan D.
We arrive around 9pm for dinner on a Saturday. There were about 10 tables seated and we were all huddled into a corner. Apparently there was only one server working the last tables and we were stuck with him. He is a tall fat guy who always looks away from your table. You'll recognize him. So we are seated. We order and we wait. 20 minutes and our loaf of bread arrives to the table. He says, "Better late than never." Wow, how about that for classy service. I see our food ready under the hot lamps while our server is running around in circles to the bar and back ignoring us and the rest of his tables around us. My hubby can see the fumes coming from my head. The chicken marsala was sooo salty and gross. Like it was a frozen meal reheated in a microwave. Hold on, that would explain it. I so needed a refill of my drink. That took another 10 minutes. I couldn't even take another bite. Finally we got the check and left a shitty tip. Luckily we knew he wouldn't be around anytime soon to pick it up. I know, I know. I'm eating at a chain, but sometimes we just want a quick faux italian meal and may expect kind service.
(1)Judy P.
I used to like this place until today! They changed their menu and it seems they have a new management too. We are never coming back here again. Had the worst spaghetti ever and the service was so slow and bad that we almost walked out.
(1)Vanilla P.
If you have a kid and still want to go out to a "nice" restaurant, Macaroni Grill is perfect: The music's SO loud, no one can hear your precious angel scream. Not even the people sitting right next to your table. The crayons are great for the kiddos, and the complimentary bread keeps them chewing instead of crying. I actually had a very good dish recently: Pollo Caprese. It consisted of a well-proportioned chicken breast (fairly close to the recommended deck-of-cards size), al dente pasta with halved grape tomatoes, and oodles of basil in the sauce. A nice arugula salad was plated with the dish, adorned by a half lemon for the dressing. Well done, Macaroni Grill - good proportions, good flavor, good presentation.
(4)Chrissy H.
Just another mediocre Italian chain of restaurants that could be better if they wanted to be... The service was ok, the food was ok, the sangria was ok, the prices were ok. And that about sums it up. Seriously, the starter bread had such potential. It was fresh and warm and smelled tasty... but once i got it in my mouth I found the flavor to be a bit much. The problem? Rosemary. Just a bit of overload. My step fathers lasagna was pretty gross. Something about the texture threw me off. The BF's pork chops(yes he ordered pork chops) were alright and my Chicken Marsala Ravioli was edible, but not WOW! For an appetizer, 4 entrees, 4 cocktails, and 4 misc. beverages, our meal came to $95. Not too bad. The decor was pretty cozy too. I feel like you could find someplace a little more fun for a Friday night but if you end up here you won't be too disappointed.
(3)Jack M.
It's like dining in a cave. The noise level is phenomenal. I've had dinner here and it was crazy. Food was unimpressive. Yay- crayons and paper on the table. Whoopee. There's your gimmick. How about some good food instead? I am upping them a star cause the last time I went for lunch with my brother was very good. I got lasagna and he got ravioli and we were both pretty happy. It is nicely decorated but I just don't like going here. Oh Look! A Chili's!!!
(3)Rob M.
It is decent for a chain. Good portions and you cant beat the 2 for $25 deal. Im not big on Italian chains as i prefer local places but I wanted to try this place. I loved the apps and the waiter was good.. We were seated right away but it took a bit to be finally waited on and get our water and bread. Once they took our order we got our food fast. It took me some convincing to get my fiancee to come here as she thought they only served macaroni here! We did get the mac and cheese bites though.
(3)Jamie F.
For my roommate's birthday two years ago, we hosted her birthday dinner here. Mac & Grill was definitely an affordable venue for our large dinner party (we had 21 people!). We arrived on time for our reservation but had to wait a few minutes. Since not everyone in our group knew each other, the crayons and drawing paper as table covers were perfect icebreakers to play tic-tac-toe or hangman or to simply bring out our inner artists. I guess we're still kids at heart. Food was good too; my chicken parm was better than I expected, or so I remember. The service is the most worth mentioning - friendly with a sense of humor, professional, and efficient. The one minor mistake was that they initially forgot to bring out the cake that I had brought, and instead surprised us with complimentary chocolate cakes. They provided the candle lighter, cake knife, new plates and new silverware for everyone. The best part was that they dealt with my silly friends who followed the tradition of caking the birthday girl... so as you can imagine, it got pretty messy and loud but the staff were all smiles about it. For this reason, Mac & Grill gets 4 stars.
(4)Adrienne M.
I had a $25 gift certificate to this chain, and the boy and I were craving comfort food tonight thanks to the pouring rain, so we hopped 95 north to check this place out. I was really surprised by how crowded it was, given the weather and the fact that we got there before 6 pm. However, the place is huge (seriously, its enormous!) and we got seated immediately. I had never been to a Macaroni Grill before, but apparently they cover the table in paper and give you crayons to write with. This is kinda cool, but also gives the place a more casual, childish vibe than I think they're going for. Our waiter came over and introduced himself and wrote his name upside down in crayon on our table (apparently this is standard). He didn't like how it came out the first time and crossed it off and wrote it again, while we were sort of sitting there staring at him, ready to order. Little awkward. We placed our order and he came back quickly with bread and olive oil. The bread was pretty tasty - I think it was rosemary foccacia and it tasted like it was fresh baked. Our appetizer came out quickly as well. We ordered the mozzarella fritta, which is basically just a glorified mozzarella stick. For a mozzarella stick, it was pretty good, but for those expecting something more along the lines of Vinny T's fried mozz, you have been warned - avoid it! Although I guess that's mostly my fault for thinking anything could compete with Vinny T's fried mozz. After we had finished our appetizer the waiter came back to our table and told us he had forgotten what my bf ordered. I resisted the temptation to say something snarky like "Maybe if you had written down our order instead of YOUR NAME you wouldn't have this problem?" He was nice and apologetic, but it felt pretty unprofessional. Because of this, our pasta orders didn't get in until we had finished our app, and took quite awhile to come out. My bf had the penne rustica, which he was very pleased with. I had the mushroom ravioli. I thought the raviolis themselves were fine, and the cream sauce they were in was yummy, but I was overwhelmed by the number of onions in the dish and by their strong flavor. I am not the biggest onion fan, but I can handle them when they show up usually. However, these were extremely plentiful and overwhelming, and really put me off the dish. Also, there was no mention of onions on the menu and it always really irks me when restaurants include extra ingredients that aren't mentioned. After our entrees came, the waiter seemed to disappear. It took quite awhile to get his attention for the check, and when we finally did he made some excuse about there being lots of kids around that night. I'm pretty sure there are always lots of kids at this restaurant (quite a few screaming ones too, as you'd expect at a mid-level chain). Overall, it was a satisfying experience and I'd be happy to go back if a friend wanted to, but I don't think I'd be clamoring to go back of my own volition. And if I do go back, I'll definitely skip the fried mozzarella and just go for the pastas.
(3)Christopher F.
Girl friend got the "lobster ravioli" It had an incredibly pungent fishy smell. Took one bite and felt sick. My "Chicken Under Brick" was completely flavorless. Server stank of stale cigarette smoke but he was pleasant over all. Complete waste of $50. Avoid.
(1)Jonathan C.
Two stars only because of there chicken ceasar salad, other wise ewwww!!!
(2)Momo K.
the resturant doesn't really appeal to me b/c of the limited menu choices. i went b/c i had a 50 buck gc. the resturant decor is very pretty and looks very upscale. when i looked at the prices, they were reasonable. but when the food came it was somewhat disappointing. hubby got the seafood plate pasta. the pasta would have been very tasty and chewy had they not been undercooked. the plate is also small, i mean, i don't think it is enough to fill up one person. maggianos charges the same price and the plate is enough to fill up two people. It was my bday so they gave me free dessert, i order the tiramisu. it was also a disappointment, it was tiny and was served inside a bowl instead of a standalone slice.... it was also a tad too sweet. if i had to chose between maggianos or macaroni, it'd be maggianos, think they are the same owner.
(3)Scott M.
We frequent MG's in Florida. This one is one of the few in our home state. We have been very pleased with the ones we have eaten at out of state. The feature that always kept us coming back was the service. I am confident in telling you this Burlington location does not follow the pattern of most other MG locations. The service was horrible. Normally the server takes the time to write his\her name on the paper table cloth and introduce them selfs. This server did not. We ordered food that we normally get in other locations. What we got though was sub par - soggy salads, dried out shrimp, over cooked pasta. We were surprised. However what disturbed us the most is that we had to wait 25 min after we finished our sub par meals for the server to come back and ask if we wanted anything ells. This was after we asked the hostess for the check. Very much unlike any of the other locations we have visited. This place is to be avoided. Plenty of other good choices in the area.
(1)Mihir P.
This seems to be a favorite with my family since it is a chain - so it is a "safe" bet for them. The interviewing process seems to weed out all the townies so the service is pleasant. The food is decent and there is a good variety of pastas, pizzas and entrees for reasonable prices. You're pretty much safe with any of their "parmesan" selections. Other decent choices are: - Calamari Fritti - Mushroom Ravioli - Honey balsamic chicken - Grilled Pork Chops - Smothered Chocolate cake Just an FYI: the Grilled Chicken Spiedini is NOT grilled with the chicken on the rosemary stem like the menu indicates.
(3)Lindsay C.
I'm not that into Chains but Macaroni Grill is alright sometimes. The Burlington establishment is yummy, clean and the staff is courteous. I came on a Valentine's Day and it would be understandable if they were stressed with the high volume but, nope they were still a nice group of servers. I would come back.
(4)Keith M.
Ceasar salad. Fresh bread. Penne with chicken, broccoli, mushroom, sun dried tomato. You get what you pay for - a chain italian restaurant across from the mall. Nothing fancy, but you can do the "build your own dish" so its got just what you want.
(3)Jillian Q.
This is usually my restaurant of "last resort" (meaning - my husband and I have movie tickets, we're starving, and this place is convenient). Macaroni Grill has always made me feel let down in the entree department, although the appetizers and drinks are very good. Normally, I would rate it at 2-star level, but after my experience last weekend I felt like I should review with an extra star. My husband and I were definitely in "last resort" mode (see above) this past weekend. We sat at the bar and were immediately given bread and ordered drinks. My mudslide martini was SOOO yummy. We ordered an appetizer combo and the bartender was so nice to accommodate a request (we didn't like one thing on the combo and just asked for extra of another) - no problems and great service. We were seated within the hour for dinner. I really, really had a craving cheese ravioli with butter. I know that's pretty plain, but when you have a craving...combined with the fact that nothing on the menu was really jumping out at me. The only cheese ravioli on the menu had a bunch of meat and veggies on it, but I figured they could just put butter and charge me full price - I really didn't care. I told the waiter what I wanted (he was also very attentive with the drink refills - score) and he said that it would be more economical to just get the kid's menu cheese ravioli. I said "You would do that for me?" (I AM over 12 and all) and he said "Sure, no problem." THANK YOU MR. WAITER! That was, by far, super cool. The raviolis hit the spot and I was happy. My husband, though, was not thrilled with his chicken parm, but like I said, this was a "last resort" night. Also - stay far far away from the tiramisu, it is insanely heavy on the cocoa powder and for me to be saying there is too much chocolate on something it must be bad.
(3)Jocelyn G.
A decent place to go when you are hungry for a large serving, but its quite loud and crowded on the floor. Kept bumping into other people's chairs and whatnot. The crayons were a nice touch as we had my 4 year old nephew with us and that kept him occupied for about a half hour or so. Unfortunately, we had to wait a very long time for our food to come and then one plate didn't make it out with the rest. Took another 5 or so minute to get it. The food was good and our waitress was mostly attentive. She dissapeared for a little while but brought the items that we asked for immediately. The prices are ok. Nothing too horrible or spectacular.
(3)Mike D.
I have been there twice in the last year. Both times the wait was long and the food was ice cold. This is a rip off for the price. Go to Cheesecake factory as an alternative.
(1)Stephanie B.
Hey, it's good at what it is, which is mass produced quasi-Italian. 6 of us girls met up for dinner tonight -- the Macaroni is in a central location and has something for everyone. Yummy Bellinis, beer, a decent wine list -- and enough heart-stopping saucy goodness to choke a horse (do people still say that?). I had the seafood linguini, which was pretty damn good. Other people tried the "build your own pasta" and were quite happy. Service is super friendly and attentive.
(3)Lawrence M.
I think that the place is pretty good. But, I have to get the negatives out of the way right up front. It can be noisy, it can fill-up (means people like it), and the parking lot is not large enough for the times when it is busy. All of the other local businesses have signs warning of parking restrictions, towing, and global warming if you should even turn around in their lots. So, if you go to Macaroni Grill and the lot is full, keep on going. The decor adds to the noise. Lots of stone and hard surfaces in a big open area. Nice, but the noise bounces around a bit. They have a couple of side rooms, but I think they save those for groups. Still, you can hear your conversation. I tend to go there slightly off-hours, so the noise is less. The service is MUCH better than other places around here. They seat you as quickly as possible. Drinks and very fresh bread (another thing lacking at some places around here) come to the table quickly. The server writes their name on the paper tablecloth. Hokey, but I like it. I also have used the crayons and paper tablecloth as a whiteboard while waiting for my food. The waitress we had today was quick to ask if we needed extra bread, grated cheese, or ground pepper. The food is tasty. I have had a wide variety of the dishes there and never been disappointed. Good size portions, pretty tasty, and consistent. The service is quick and friendly. It is a step up from an Olive Garden and a step down from Vincenzo's. Still, very good. I gave it four stars for having a nice menu, good quality, fast service, and a nice friendly atmosphere. They are not snooty. They do a nice job. Is it North End quality? No. Is it good? Yes.
(4)Riana F.
Was just at this restaurant last week, as we were visiting family out in the East Coast. The atmosphere was nice. Food was decent but nothing to rave about, I would call it average. All of the servers seemed to be very professional and were neat looking. Our server was Mary, she did a great job taking care of us and was pleasant throughout the whole experience. She was especially kind to my elderly grandmother and went above and beyond to make sure that she got Nanny's very specific order just right. However, one negative both my Husband and I noticed was the that the manager was nowhere to be found. It wasnt until the end of our stay that we noticed him and it was only because, he was yelling accross the dining room and singing very loud and obnoxiously, I have honestly never seen a grown adult act that way. We didnt get to catch his name, as he didnt really make his way around the dining room but he was about middle aged and had a bald head. We found him to be very disruptive. It seemed like he would have done better working at a Wendy's or pizza joint judging by his demeanor. Otherwise it was a mediocre experience! I would give it another try.
(2)Marc H.
I generally don't like chains all that much, but this one isn't bad, in my opinion. The entrees taste pretty fresh, the pastas are neither undercooked nor overcooked, and because the kitchen is open, the cooks really need to make sure they are doing a good job as they are all on display for the diners to see. For Italian chains, I'd rather go to Papa Razzi across town, but there are definitely worse places than the Macaroni Grill.
(3)Rose F.
I'm not one for chain restaurants but we visited here on a Sunday afternoon for a 70th birthday later lunch... Or early dinner as it was 3pm. The waitress brought fresh bread and olive oil to start. Soft and warm- this was a treat. I got shrimp with mushrooms and spinach over angel hair with a lemon butter sauce. ($14) very good and enough to bring some home. The shrimp were done perfectly and there were 5 big shrimps. My dining companions got the chicken Parm ($12) which had a large piece of meat with angel hair. The sauce is not thick but rather more fresh tomatoes. The kids got ($6) chicken pasta broccoli (size of an adult portion!) and chicken fingers and French fries (ok). On our visit they were out of several items but they had other things on the menu to make up for it. For birthday dessert we got chocolate cake with a thick fudge and fresh whipped cream. For a chain restaurant this was pretty good. Our waitress was very attentive and this place is good to go to with kids. 3 stars.
(3)Brian W.
Think Olive Garden with a different name and maybe harder to find, and you've got the Macaroni Grill. We found the food so-so and suspected aluminum cans were in its past. The wait staff was fine, and we were seated quickly. It's fun to doodle on the paper table cover with the crayons. I've been to a few Macaronis around the country over the last 15+ years, and maybe I'm getting more discerning/snobby, but it just isn't that great a place anymore to me. Especially with all Boston has to offer in the Italian-American line. Yeah, it's maybe good for a casual dinner or a big group, but still only rates 2 stars on the old Bri scale.
(2)Ann L.
I went with my boyfriend last Friday and we heard great reviews about this place. My boyfriend ordered the Seafood Linguine, it was unreasonably overpriced for a small portion. He could finish it within four bites and was still hungry. However, our waitress was great! I would not recommend anyone to this place if they can eat a lot!
(1)Mitch E.
i used to eat here but stopped for the FOOD has really gone DOWN HILL I has spagg with meatballs, The meatballs tasted like dead mouse stew balls- the Service was great, bread really good, salad good, BUT the main enteree was really really bad
(1)Laura H.
I have been here a few times, but my dinner-mate had not. I like the food here, nothing fancy, but at least it is fairly fresh and flavorful. I am not a fan of many chains and you CANNOT pay me to eat at some of them, esp Olive Garden (which I hear is going in a few doors down) so this and Bertucci's are your best bets for this type of food. I had the portabella mushroom raviolis and he had the seafood linguini, both were good. I think the portions are a bit small and the sound of our servers voice went through me like nails on a chalkboard, but other than that, the meal was fine!
(3)Graham C.
I'm not sure who Romano is, but his family makes some decent food. This place is like an upscale Olive Garden. People should not eat here until they've had real Italian food in the North End, but it's a fine dinner. The calamari portion was a little small, and it was fine. I had the Chicken Florentine, which was really good. I took points off for the service. Our waiter was a nice young guy who spent a lot of time and attention staring at the cleavage of the three early twenty-somethings sitting next to us. This resulted in slower service for us and a smaller tip for him. I must find a girl to bring here and have her wear her "boob" shirt. All you ladies have one. He also wrote his name upside down in crayon on the paper tablecloth, which completely knocked this place down a star on the class meter. What if I saved up to go here with my girlfriend. You know how unromantic or cool it is to stare at some goober's crayon chicken scratch. NG.
(3)Sean E.
I'm always a little surprised by the Macaroni Grill... It's definitely one of your upper crust chain restaurants -- kinda like the Cheesecake Factory. So like Yesbut said, you get a mixture of casual and fancy here. And so far, the few times I've been here, every dish is right on the cusp of being knock your socks off. I haven't had desert here but it sounds like I should. So if you're down in the Burlington area, doing some shopping, I would recommend you have a meal at the Macaroni Grill. The service is pretty good and the food is better than you would expect. I had the Chicken Portobello last time and highly recommend that. Also the obvious choice for diner and movie. Much better than the Chili's down the block and worth the extra couple bucks.
(4)Deb D.
What happened to the food at Macaroni Grill? It used to be great, but now it's gone so down hill, I don't think I'll return. As it was New Year's Eve, we got take out. At home, we sat down to eat. The eggplant parm was not very good. It consisted of 2 small slices of eggplant with a small side of spaghetti and a tablespoon of sauce. The spinach with shrimp, Proscuitto, pine nuts and fennel was a joke - no Proscuito, about 5 pine nuts and fennel that had no taste, which is weird for fennel. I called the manager, who apologized and then told me that a lot of people had complained about the fennel. I drove back in and she gave me a chicken dish, along with two desserts on the house, which was very nice. But, when I was in the restaurant, I noticed that it wasn't crowded for a Saturday night - it used to always be mobbed. I drove back home, opened the chicken and couldn't eat it. The chicken was swimming in some sort of tasteless oil. We had used a gift card for this dinner. I was going to call the manager back, but what would she do - give me more bad food? So, I gave up and gave the chicken to the dog. He didn't like it either.
(1)jenny m.
Went there for just dessert and drinks with the ladies and had some seriously terrible service. Seriously Bad Service. As an ex-waitress, I know the job, and am veeeerrrrryyy understanding. You have to TRY to piss me off..... And when we finally (seriously 1 1/2 hours later... for just dessert..) went up to the counter to try to get our check and asked to see the manager he was standing right there and "in the middle of something" to busy to speak with us... like the food there but man the service SUCKS
(1)Wendy B.
Restaurant like a ghost town when we arrived. No waiter in sight, and chairs still not set up. Waitress was not attentive. An item was not available, and it was when our main course was almost served that she told us about it. Food in general was too salty. For lunch the meal was definitely expensive. One positive: the bread was very delicious. Shrimp in the spinach salad were good. Not worth going back again. Too bad. I had good memories of a Macaroni Grill in Texas 15 years ago. It was a hopping place.
(2)Ronica P.
I liked drawing on the table with crayons... Food is really mediocre. I'd go to the cheesecake factory instead.
(3)Biagio O.
Went out Sunday night 6PM with 8 friends to the Cheesecake Factory for my Fiancée Birthday and they wait was just over an hour so we called the Macaroni Grill and they told us they would seat us in 10 minute so we rushed over there only to find out it was 100% full so we waited but the hostess messed us and told us wrong so we waited 30 more minute and then the hostess forgot about s so after waiting over an hour we complained and they finally sat us in an open section? ..........No sure why they could not seat us an other waiting in this totally empty area. The staff was rude there and when I complied to the manager she turn her back to me and walk away ........how rude! She made zero attempt to make it right with us or acknowledge their mistakes! I will never eat here again. The food and service suck and the manager should be fired!
(1)Rachel D.
Food was terrible... dissatisfied with calamari and the pasta di mar. Gelato was gritty and definitely not caramel. My favorite part about this restaurant was leaving.
(1)Lindsay D.
Staff is almost overly friendly. I couldn't figure out if it was sincere or not but the waitress was ridiculously into talking to my uncle and borderline flirting. She was like 19 and he's the same age as her dad. Weird. The food was decent. Everyone was hungry and exhausted and the rather sucked so it was one of those nights. I stuck with my typical pasta veggies and marinara style dish and it was ok. Everyone else ate there's up but it's a chain so it wasn't anything groundbreaking. I was surprised at the portions though as I'd heard they were huge and they weren't. The one upside was the management was visible and responsive on the floor which I admire. I wouldn't go back though.
(3)Maria Isabel V.
I was there last night meeting a couple friends for dinner. Two of us were there early and decided to sit at the bar and wait for the third. We were sitting for about 15 minutes with no service and had to ask for a drink menu. We were sitting atbthe bar and had to ASK for a drink menu. We got the menu and some oil plate for bread that didnt come for another 25 minutes when we had to flag down one of the two bartenders to order our drinks. I was kind of taken aback that nobody serviced us, we were completely ignored. It wasn't packed and there was an obvious friend of theirs hanging at the bar where they weren't too busy chatting. Anyway, we got our drinks and our friend came and sat with us. We stayed at the bar for another 30 minutes when we decided to get a table because not ONE person asked her if she wanted anything, not one. We got our table and our waiter was no better, asking us for things he never brought and just not very friendly. The only friendly person we encountered that night was the woman who brought us our food. Its too bad our service was so awful because the food was decent. But we'll never go back. A smile and a "hi, how are you tonight" go a long way. And an acknowledgment that you are a customer and possibly wanting a drink since you are sitting at the bar would be nice too. Giving 2 stars. The food wasn't worth the awful service to consider going back
(2)Shayna C.
The name is deceiving; I've always avoided this place because the thought of grilling macaroni confused me. Needless to say, I shouldn't take things so literally. Had a great birthday dinner here. First brownie point of this review goes to the fact that they take reservations. By the time my party got there, our big table was set up and ready to go. The waitress was a bit slow, but with a party of 10 people, I gave her the benefit of the doubt. My chicken parm was cooked to perfection, and each of the individuals at the table had no complaints about their food either. The portion was a bit small, but I still had enough leftover for a small meal later on that evening before we all went out. They also had an extensive selection of drinks to choose from, so more brownie points there. I would probably still pick some place like the Olive Garden over here, but I wouldn't rule it out. Good food and good service is hard to come by.
(3)Mark I.
Ate here for the first time tonight with the family. Our waitress, Jamie, was awesome on top of the menu and great with the kids. Great atmosphere and the bread and Mac and cheese appetizers were great, the calamari was very chewy and I wouldn't get it again. Portions sizes were good and the lobster ravioli came with a few good size pieces of lobster on top and was delicious. Reasonably priced for the portion and quality.
(4)A. X O.
Not a fan. Will not return, ever. I only came here because my original destination - Rainforest Cafe - had a two hour wait and I was too hungry to drive 45 minutes home without eating. After being told it was a 10 minute wait, we were seated a half hour later. My 13 month old was starving, as was I, and it took forever to even get bread on the table - which was overly seasoned with rosemary and made us both gag and spit it out. Also, the dipping oil had too much sage and rosemary as well. I ordered some grilled chicken and broccoli for her and chicken parmesan for myself. Both meals had obviously been sitting under a heat lamp for an extended period of time before being served to us. Her broccoli consisted of all hard stems. I couldn't even feed it to her. The chicken was dry and rubbery and she refused to touch it. My chicken parm was small portioned and hard. The cheese on top was barely melted, the sauce/spaghetti was cold and mediocre at best. Just overall disappointment. My first, and last visit to Macaroni Grill.
(2)Iv L.
So so italian food. plenty of parking sometimes. I would probably not purposely go here for dinner though. The atmosphere and setting of the restaurant is nice. Other than that, a typical italian restaurant with a fresh feel to it. they do have a make it yourself pasta menu where you get to pick your own toppings and such, which can be fun.
(2)Samantha F.
Food was delicious. My bf had the lobster ravioli and I had the porkchop... Only negative things were that the waitress asked about what we ordered everytime like 2-3 times but it never came back wrong. I guess you cant be too cautious. Also were we sat was drafty from the vents. The manager came over and delivered our food and made sure everything was great. I like that hes not just some guy sitting in the office. Overall it was a pleasant experience.
(4)Jen S.
I was SKEPTICAL to come here at first. I don't really like chains. But Hub and I were forced to stay in a hotel in between leases during September First Moving Season and the cheapest hotel was Candlewood Suites right up the street (they allow pets!). Since this was in walking distance we decided to try it. I was pleasantly surprised. We went in about 7 in the evening on a week night. It wasn't crowded at all. In fact, it was almost empty. They have coloring paper and crayons for the tables!!!! I had so much food doodling while waiting! The bread they serve is pretty good. Not as good as Bertucci's but this is not Bertucci's! I like their create your own pasta menu. I got the parmesean crusted chicken with penne, broccolini and spinach. I really enjoyed it. I thought it was better than the Cheesecake Factory's Romano Crusted Chicken. Similar tastes, but I preferred this to Cheesecake Factory's! I don't remember what my husband got. Sausage and penne maybe? He liked it. We were too full for dessert. If I were to be forced in the area again, I'd go back! Usually when I'm in Burlington, I like going to Chick Fil A (politics aside- it's damn good fast food chicken!). If you go, don't expect to have flavorgasms, but you should enjoy your meal -- that is unless you're really really picky. Or Gluten intolerant. :-P
(4)Peter R.
Mike D was an excellent bartender.
(5)S J F.
Very disappointing, waitress was clueless, service was very very bad. Ordered the calamari which was over cooked and very dry. Waited over 45 minutes for our meal.
(1)Truemornings N.
My boyfriend and I we're on vacation earlier this month and had a late night tour in Salem. We kept searching around to find a place to accommodate us at almost 11 pm. My boyfriend ran in and asked if we could still eat and they said yes. We somehow managed to get in 13 minutes before the kitchen closed. Obviously we were well taken care of being the only customers in the place. Let me tell you, I felt extremely guilty about being there so late but we were starving but the service was great. We had eaten at one once before in our home state of Michigan but didn't have too good of an experience there. Anyway, our food was great and we were quick to get in and out considering it was so late and I know everyone there wanted to go home. I gave an extremely large tip because of how late it is. Overall, great experience and so happy they let us stay and eat!
(5)Mimi W.
Nothing special about the food here, and especially disappointing that the portions at this location are much, much smaller than those in California where I'm used to going to the MG. I went with a big party of people and the food looked like it had sat out under heat lamps for a while. No one in my party was impressed with the food, and all resolved not to go back.
(2)Ravy S.
Went here for the first time last night. It was a good experience overall, although the place was busy. The decorations inside and outside the building were nice..high ceilings and very spacious. The tables were placed a bit close together, so we had to move the table over a bit to get more seating space. The bread and olive oil that were given to us after we sat down were fresh and delicious. We ordered apps, entrees, and drinks. There was a special on some of the apps - 2 for $9; we got the bruschetta and macaroni bites from the specials menu. For the bruschetta, we got 4 medium-sized slices of crispy bread that came with a small bowl of cheese spread and a small bowl of marinated, herb-infused chopped tomatoes. It was not the kind of bruschetta that I'm used to getting at Italian restaurants. I like my cheese melted and already sprinkled on the bread. For $4.50, the bruschetta was okay but I would have liked more sliced bread! As for the macaroni bites, they were served warm and very cheesy. The other two apps we got were calamari and stuffed mushrooms. The calamari were over $10 but the portion size was VERY small; it was crispy and delicious though. The stuffed mushrooms were so delicious! I think there were about 8-10 of these in terms of portion. The mushrooms were small but full of flavor. We were kinda satisfied after all the apps and bread. Then came our huge, delicious entrees which did not disappoint anyone at our table! I got the $13 chicken parm, which was very well seasoned with herbs and tomatoes and came with angel hair pasta. I couldn't finish it because it was so huge. At the end of the meal, I had no room left in my belly for dessert. I would definitely come here again and try the other entrees. I look forward to ordering the stuffed mushrooms again! I will prob never order the calamari and bruschetta again though, since the portions were too small for those. The atmosphere is nice and the decorations are great. I really felt relaxed being there. Right now, MG is offering a $5 off coupon if you join their mailing list online. I used this coupon and everyone saved $1 each on their share of the bill.
(4)Maria D.
Food was very good! The waiter was super nice and funny. The food came out quickly and was very good sized portions. I would definitely go there again
(4)G A.
Right off the bat things went wrong. We made our reservation for 8pm only to be seated 30 minutes later even though there 12 tables open. Maybe they were understaffed, fine.. but the nightmare continued. They served our wine in water glasses. short water glasses. strangest things I have ever seen. Ordered calamari for an app, which we were told was late because "it was thawing out of the freezer".. pretty sure you shouldn't tell your guests that your food is frozen. Finally the calamari came out, and we had to wait 15 more minutes to get our napkins and utensils to even eat our food. Utensils and cups were wet- maybe fresh out of the dishwasher- but at least wipe them down. Noted it off as a strange night but continued to enjoy our time. Our food came.. all three of us got pasta with some sort of meat (meatballs, sausage, etc)... delicious.. until all three of us were laying down in fetal position the entire next day with massive stomach aches. Food poisoning galore. I'm not one to fuss and if one thing went wrong you would say its a fluke..but the entire night was really strange and awful. Never going back.
(1)April K.
Came here Saturday for my sister's birthday and it was an absolute disaster. i had high expectations as I walked in and the place was beautifully decorated. Do not be fooled by its decor though. First off- the wine glasses that the waiter gave us were stained with sticky residue- we could barely see through the glass. It wasn't only my glass, but the entire party complained because we were all disgusted. We kindly informed the waiter and he said that it was JUST residue from water- I don't care where the residue came from- the simple solution would have been to give us new clean glasses, but no such luck as he seemed hesitant about it and we didn't want to make a big deal. i ended up pouring water into my glass and wiping it off with my napkin. (Also, I don't think residue from water is sticky...?) Second- the food was the worst Italian food I've ever had in my life, and this is not just me exaggerating. When the bread came- my stomach growled as it looked fluffy and fresh, but lo and behold the bread was actually quite hard as I cut into it. I ordered the pasta milano (roasted chicken with sundried tomatoes and mushrooms, aka an imitation of the farfalle pasta from Cheesecake Factory)- It sounded delicious and I was willing to overlook the dirty wine glasses if I had some tasty food, but no. The pasta was overcooked and watery- not al dente. I also tried some of my friend's dish, which was something they took off the new menu but the chefs decided they could attempt to recreate it. If they didn't know how to make it, they should have just told us. Anyway, it tasted worse than what I could make at home- it was basically just cheap tasting soft pasta with some tomato sauce thrown on it. (i could have made this dish for like 2 dollars). The service? What service? Our waiter never came around to ask us if everything was okay. My friend also had to call him over to refill our waters. Besides our waiter putting on a fake smile, he definitely did not try his best to accommodate us. The best part of this experience was the end when I asked our waiter if we could get our food to go. He asked, "How many boxes do you guys need"- ???? Basically, they don't pack your food for you- they give you boxes and you do it yourself. I don't think I've ever packed up my own food to go except in Chinatown when we ask to do it ourselves. (To be honest I didn't even really want to bring my meal home since it was so bad but I hate wasting food). I'm sorry, but the only thing about this restaurant that was "decent" was the atmosphere. Terrible food and terrible service=NEVER GOING BACK. (Even Cheesecake Factory's pasta is 10x better and it's not even an Italian restaurant).
(1)Leo F.
I should've known something was up when I visited the Macaroni Grill in Nashua NH to find that there was an hour wait and then visited this one to find that there was no wait. The service was good as usual but this time, the food was terrible. The 2 different dishes that my wife and I ordered turned out to be so salty that we were unable to finish them. We tried to eat as much as we could but once our pitcher of water was empty, we were unable to continue. I was ill through the night and into the next day from all the salt.
(1)Patrick D.
Came here because my girlfriend and I wanted to go full boat, three courses and coffee afterwards for once, because we usually only have time for maybe an app and entree. This was the perfect place to do that. We're both pescatarian and had no problem picking delicious courses from the great and varied menu. The calamari was good, not incredible, but good, as was the bread and olive oil we got when we sat down. Our entrees were eggplant parm (which was exceptional) and lobster ravioli, which was also very good. Dessert was alright, but you wouldn't come for the dessert alone. Coffee was better than expected, I got a cappuccino and my date got a coffee with cream. Service was great, very friendly, always ready to ask us if we wanted to order but very well timed, our waitress didn't bug us or hover which is always annoying. Overall a great place for when your run of the mill two star restaurant isn't going to cut it, for when you want to step it up a bit.
(4)Alex B.
This used to be a favorite of mine but they changed the menu some years back and ruined the food. Atmosphere is great and drinks are decent but I don't know why they changed solid favorites like the chicken parm and pasta milano. I've tried the new versions of both... it all has no taste now. Depressing.
(2)Katie D.
Macaroni Grill definitely did not live up to my expectations. I expected them to be comparable to Carrabba's- boy was I wrong! We went on a Friday night, and after circling the parking lot a million times, finally found a spot. We walked in, and much to our surprise, there were several open tables. We were seated right by the kitchen, which kind of sucked. On the other hand, it allowed us to see that the same bread was sitting under a heat lamp the entire time we were there and that salads were left out to die. The food was just, "meh". It wasn't necessarily bad, but my Pollo Limone Rustica tasted like it was taken out of the freezer and reheated. The chicken strips in it definitely did not seem like they were freshly cooked. My boyfriend got Mama's trio. The chicken filet was tiny, which was OK since there's a lot of other food. The lasagna tasted just like Stop N' Shop brand frozen lasagna we sometimes buy. We would have been better off to save the money and buy he same dinners in the freezer isle.
(1)David B.
Another mega box meal.....harrumph. Hunger trumped anything else so we thought we'd give it a try. Had only been to a Macaroni Grill once before, in California, and did not really remember anything good or bad. The service was courteous, efficient and helpful. The ambiance was a cut above a place like Olive Garden but nothing special. Was there for lunch and found it adequate for what we wanted. The rosemary flecked bread was good but a bit too soft for my liking. My sandwich was okay (their version of a calzone); a bit too heavy on the sauce. The salad that came with it was drowning in dressing. My partner had the spinach salad with scallops. He found it tasty but, once again, way TOO MUCH dressing. I sampled a bit of scallop and thought they were past their prime and a tad over done. One of these days, I'd like to walk out of a corporate chain impressed. Today, alas, is not that day.
(2)Anthony R.
I'm OK with Macaroni Grill, but definitely needed to share my last visit. I used to go here more often when it first opened years back, and would even order their chicken and orzo salad to go. I've had some great dishes here but the quality diminished as the chain grew and I took a 5 year hiatus. This is what I experienced last weekend... Upon parking in their (awkwardly set up) parking lot, I noticed a huge red pick up truck reversing and going up and over the curb nearly sideswiping my car. After a big sigh of relief, I walked in and was harrassed by two young, disheveled, pip squeek boys to purchase their candy bars for charity... these were a) crumpled up and obviously stolen candy bars and b) not for charity. I quickly realized that these kids were dropped off by the red truck to harrass Macaroni Grill diners for "donations." My guest and I notified the hostess as we were waiting to be seated, and she didn't do a thing. The pip squeeks proceeded to go to each table and beg the customers for money and make inappropriate faces/gestures when they were turned down. After we were seated, these kids came over to the table AGAIN and asked for money... I don't understand why no one did anything after we brought it to their attention. It was really awkward. The fresh bread they brought to the table wasn't good - and the waitress spilled some house chianti on it by accident. While it did add some flavor, I didn't ask for chianti bread. The chicken was tough, but I guess everything was what I expected for a chain. I just wish they'd up the quality and get some more professional staff - everyone seemed inexperienced. CIAO!
(2)Catherine C.
I came here yesterday for a company function. It was a set menu where each person can choose an entree and a dessert from a list. Appetizers were shared family style. For apps, I had the stuffed mushroom which was very yummy. Loved the crab in it. I also tried the bruschetta which was a little disappointing. It was a little bland. The only good thing about this dish was the parmesan cheese that came with it. The dish advertised garlic but it certainly didn't have any of that taste. I tried the Sausage Vesuvio for an entree. The sausage was very tasty. I like the contrast in texture when eating the beans vs pasta, though I thought my pasta was slightly undercooked. I wished there were more arugula. Other than that, this was a pretty solid dish. Some of my coworkers had the Pasta Rustica and really liked it. For dessert, I chose the Tiramisu. A little too much cocoa powder on top but overall flavor is decent.
(3)Summer B.
I see that the ratings for this is all over the board but I can only rate what I experienced right? What I got was great service....I mean our waitress was right there replacing the drinks and taking away plates...checking if everything is okay...and the like. The food was delicious too...we had the warm bread to start and the appetizer trio (Mozzarella, bruschetta. calamari). The calamari was great as was the mozzerella....bruscetta was a kind of construct your own thing which was a little weird. I got the lemon chicken penne dish and it was Fantastic!! My boyfriend wanted more sauce and got it with no problems and very without charge. AND again great service and booth. So....no problems here from my POV!
(5)Jon V.
Seafood penne, mom had chix sandwich. Both were good
(3)Joanna C.
Was there last night having dinner with some old co-workers. I liked the ambiance. I liked the way they greeted us at the door and seated us by the fireplace since we asked to be a bit out of the way so that we can just hang out and talk. They let us have a leisurely meal that lasted several hours (it had been a while since we had seen each other, so we were all yakking away). Food was pretty good, and the waiter was so cute I almost left my number on the table while I was doodling with the provided crayons. I had one of their "trio" dinners, which ended up being an incredible value (a salad, entree and desert for like $12!). And I really liked that they served their house red in a jelly glass like they would in Italy. And Italian language lessons being played in the restroom! Absolutely LOVED their warm foccacia bread (MMMM), with our own bottle of EVOO, as well as their calamari. My entree of "skinny chicken" was pretty solid. And yet... the entire experience was just mediocre. It all seemed so vanilla to me - so expected. Which is great for a random weeknight dinner, but I would save my weekend dinners for some place with some more character and personality. :) A solid 3 stars.
(3)Riz M.
We would not be returning and would not recommend Macaroni Grill to anyone. We went around 6pm and were seated right away. The bread and appetizers were decent - nothing great. Me and my wife ordered CYOP (Create Your Own Pasta) by writing what we wanted on their form. Both of our entrees came fairly quick. However, both of our orders were were missing items. I ordered pasta with asparagus and grill shrimp. They forgot to put both items!! They don't do quality check or double check what we ordered?!? I told the waitress and she took her time and brought shrimp in a separate plate. I tasted the shrimp and it was cold and very dry - it had no flavor to it. She went and brought warm shrimp and asparagus after 10 minutes. By then my pasta had gone cold and I completely lost my appetite. As for my wife's pasta, instead of giving broccolini flowers, they put thick pieces of raw broccolini stems - how are you suppose to eat that! (I'm guessing they ran out of broccolini flowers). The mushrooms were either not cooked thoroughly or had gone bad - they just tasted really bad. Both of our pastas' alfredo sause did not taste fresh at all! Both of us lost our appetite and we just wanted to get out of this place. The manger came over and apologized about the mess up and told us that he would take care of one of the entrees (even though he knew that they messed up both the entrees). I would NOT RECOMMEND them to anyone. Do yourself and favor and pick other decent restaurant around Burlington.
(1)Eddie S.
The food is boldly flavored. Steer away if you don't like too much spice in your food. Not the right place for my palate.
(2)Gisele M.
OK, I've always wanted to try this place and I've heard good things about it. The one thing I can say about Macaroni Grill is that the service is very good. Now lets get on to the food. I got Egglplant Parmesan. It was just ok - nothing to write home about. One of my friends got a pasta dish that was undercooked and very bland. I guess I was just expecting more from the macaroni grill.
(2)