Maggiano’s Little Italy
10455 NE 8th St, Bellevue, WA, 98004
Maggiano’s Little Italy Menu
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Address :
10455 NE 8th St
Bellevue, WA, 98004 - Phone (425) 519-6476
- Website https://locations.maggianos.com/us/washington/bellevue/bellevue
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Garage
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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Kevin L.
The family and I went there for dinner on a Friday night. The waiters were extremely slow and the chicken oarm was so-so at best. The home made pasta is good but the overall experience lacks the personal attention that would've made it excellent (took them forever to find a spoon for my daughter)
(3)Ryan J.
I came here for my birthday and was really disappointed. The restaurant was only half full, so we were expecting it would be a little quieter than normal, and that our waiter would have plenty of time to do a good job. The first thing they did was seat us next to the noisiest table in the whole place. They left after about half an hour, so most of our evening was a lot quieter, but only because service was extremely slow. It took an hour to get our food. The waiter really didn't seem to care. He only came to check on us once in that time, about 45 minutes in. The waiter said we "were behind a large table" and that was why it was taking so long, but by that time the largest table had been gone for almost half an hour, and we were the largest table with 6 people. Sounds like BS to me. I think each of us only got one refill on our drinks the whole night, because the waiter rarely came by. The food was fine. A little salty, but that didn't ruin it. At the end, he forgot to bring the take-home dish for one of my guests, and when that was pointed out, he didn't seem to believe her. He was pretty rude, then went and got the wrong dish, which was only discovered after we'd all left. It really seemed like that waiter didn't want to do his job. Summary: decent food, terrible service.
(1)Darshan D.
Good food, good ambience and great location. They pack you a pasta-to-go if you buy one there, for no extra cost, which is a great deal.
(4)Jolene N.
Was good, but pricey for the food. Given the location and poshness environment, I'm okay with the price. If you don't care about that and looking for pure good ole Italian food, there are other places to try.
(2)Mairead R.
Possibly sponsored by Costco, Maggiano's feels like a game. You order and eat through certain plates so you can get more boxed up. But you wake up the next day feeling hungover and realizing that you never EVER want to smell chicken parm or fried mozzarella again. For a set price per person, table gets two appetizers, two salads, two pastas, two entrees, and two desserts. ("Light" version excludes entrées and only offers lemon cookies.) Trust -- you will have leftovers for days. Portions are scaled to party size. The four of us kicked it off with eight stuffed mushrooms, garlicky and good, plus an enormous platter of fried mozzarella with marinara. We got refills on both. Here is how it works: You: Oh look, I finished that massive plate of fried mozzarella! Server: You want a refill? You: Yeah. Don't bother putting it on a plate. You can just box that shit straight up! Salads were a chopped salad with crispy prosciutto and spinach salad with gorgonzola. Nothing spectacular, though vegetables were a welcome site with a spread of fried breadcrumbs and cheese. The chicken francaise, chicken parmesan, and pasta were pretty good. Now the cheesecake is where its freaking at! Huge velvety slice with graham cracker crust dappled with strawberry sauce. Spumoni is also above average. Seems to be a great place for big parties -- graduation celebrations and whatnot.
(3)Shaun C.
When I decided to take my mother and wife to dinner at Maggianos, I was a little worried it wouldn't live up to my expectations. Having fallen in love with the Maggianos that used to be in Minneapolis, MN I wasn't sure this one would be the same. I am happy to report it is pretty darn close. With the exception of the Rigatoni D, everything was spot on and delicious. The D however, while good, was not the same nor as good. The service was very good and it was nice that parking was free on weekends =p
(4)Riley C.
I absolutely love this place. I live in Seattle, but shop at Bellevue Square and The Bravern at least once or twice a month and I always end up coming here with friends. Out of all the restaurants in the shopping part (downtown if you will) of Bellevue this restaurant has to be one of the most dependable. I highly recommend this to anyone.
(5)Michael T.
+2 stars for delicious food +1 for free bread +1 for decent service BUT -1 for way too loud dining room and annoying yuppie Bellevue crowd (and it takes a lot for that to be too much for me - I grew up here) Food was great. Mussels were some of the best I
(4)Allie S.
We've always had excellent experiences at Maggiano's, luckily, so I'll go ahead and highlight our Valentine's Day visit, because it sticks out most vividly in my pretty little head. The boy and I, not-at-all the "celebrate a Hallmark holiday," type stumble into Maggiano's at 3:55 on a Saturday, me in a hoodie and some jeans my hair undoubtedly in a state of disarray, him in a polo shirt and shorts -- he's at least taken the time to brush his hair [I work graveyard shift and had just woken up, I have *excuses*!]. No big, right? Put my name on the list and get told we'll be seated shortly. Awesome. A couple minutes later, in walks a party of 2... "I'm sorry, we're all full up with reservations for tonight so we unfortunately cannot take any more walk-in parties." Cue panic and questioning... before the eventual realization, "oh hey, today's Valentine's Day, isn't it? D'oh!" We were sat, brought the delicious bread and olive oil/balsamic [I like drawing pictures in it with my fork] and everything went swimmingly -- the boy tried out some fancy braised beef cannelloni and I had the chicken and spinach manicotti. We each ordered a drink with refills, which never seemed to drop below 1/3rd before a new glass was brought out, not to mention on top of this I always had a full water glass. Awesome! Everything went swimmingly, that is, until Eric took a bite. He wasn't fond of it, to say the least. Our awesome server checked up on us just moments after first bite, so the problem was remedied immediately. I asked if it would be possible to get him something different... no problem, said the server, and brought us a copy of the menu post haste. The boy decided this time to go with a classic -- spaghetti and meatballs. Second time around, all truly was well. At the suggestion of our super friendly slash attentive server, we ended up with "Chocolate Zuccotto Cake," -- a la mode. This was so good and we verbally appreciated it to the point that our neighboring table asked us what it was so they could order one to take home. Ended up making a bit of small talk with the server while my boyfriend was getting lost in the maze to find the bathroom and found out he used to be doing what I am doing now [graveyard diner shift serving at the same chain I work for] and he was a really chill guy. I told him that I really appreciated him taking care of the boy's disliked meal [getting it comped] and he told me "food costs are low, it's so much easier to just take care of it than it is to ruin your dinner" -- sounds cheesy, but he delivered it with total honesty. Particularly considering my boy and I both looked like we just rolled out of bed and probably didn't give off good tipping aura, we were still treated as well as the fancy people who actually dressed up for dinner, and, oh, remembered it was Valentine's Day. Psh, brushed hair -- it's overrated.
(5)Joe Q.
Excellent food, great service, and a great environment. This was the perfect restaurant for an anniversary dinner with my wife. Our server was on top of everything, and extremely accommodating. The prices are fair. I would go back here for sure.
(4)Kim A.
I celebrated my birthday dinner at Maggiano's. I'm from California but my boyfriend had eaten there previously. Very impressive from the start. We had reservations so no waiting...I ordered eggplant parmesan after reviewing the menu. The manager comes over and advises they are out. I was sad :-( However I changed to lasagna very good. There pasta is fresh and really makes a difference. Our waiter ( Drew ) amazing young man. Good service and attitiude. We shared the pumpkin cheesecake for dessert which was delicious. The restaurant comped the dessert . I highly recommend this restaurant.
(4)Hayley D.
We went with a large group and did the light family style menu for 20.95 person. We were most definitely full by the time with left however it wasn't anything to brag about. We got a Caesar salad, chop salad, sausage, bruscetta, spiral Alfredo and baked ziti. For dessert they brought out lemon cookies. It was bad but it wasn't anything to come back for. We both got Bud Lights for 5.00. Service was OK, pretty slow for most of it.
(2)Beau R.
This is a chain Italian place and a pretty good one. They take the interesting approach of serving family style (which can be problematic if you don't eat family style). My wife had spent the morning hours window shopping and decided that we would get lunch (sans kids) and stopped in here. We were enjoying our conversation and the time alone and ate lots of bread with olive oil and balsamic. We then ordered the sampler appetizer and two entrees, for the two of us. The appetizer had an artichoke and crab dip, some bruschetta and fried zucchini. I don't like zucchini, but when the breading is twice as thick as the zucchini and it has a nice aoili to dip it in, it actually tastes really good. By the time our entrees came, we were stuffed. My wife's wild mushroom ravioli were excellent and my steak and gorgonzola salad was pretty good. We couldn't eat much and they made a nice dinner when we got home - we only had to augment it with a little Chinese takeout leftovers to feed us and the kids. Our server was friendly and paid attention to the way we were lingering over our food. She delayed putting in our entree orders so we could enjoy our conversation and the food. There is a large parking garage which appears to be free on the weekends (we didn't pay, but I didn't see any signs - I'm not gonna ask) and the restaurant is gigantic. There are several rooms making this great for group dinners - I bet they could handle several at once. Its got that dark wood trim and photographs decor going on, definitely the old mob feel. There is probably some fat guy sitting in a back room, who goes upstairs to his condo at night and then spends all day running the Bellevue mob from *his* table. This is a great place for a group or family dinner, with good service and easy parking.
(4)David A.
This is what I think of when I think Italian restaurant. Nice classic kind of place for Italian food. Big portions. Love the Spaghetti, Meatball. The place can be very busy.
(4)Kayla H.
This place has fantastic italian food. Think classier Bucca Di Beppo style. They have family style so bring an empty stomach. The brushetta was AMAZING!! And there creme brulee is to die for! The service was great too! Very professional, after all this isnt your get-in-get out kind of place
(4)Gordon G.
Let's start with the good at Maggiano's little Italy in Bellevue, Wa. The wait staff was mostly great from the time we walked in the door. We were seated quickly, brought menus, given our drinks which were always kept full and everything else you'd ask of a component friendly quick attentive staff. Ok so now on to the bad where I'll literally start from the ground up. The floors in the dining area were disgusting, my wife thought perhaps it was just her new shoes but when I slipped comming back from the bathroom in the oil covered floor that surrounded our table we discovered the entire section of wood flooring around our table was cover in a digusting slippery film that I easily slid my feet across to the carpeted strip. My wife ordered the lobster carbonara with penne pasta and her lobster was way over cooked leaving it rubbery. We didn't ask how our friend couple enjoyed their meal as we were to embarassed to ask because the restaurant choice was ours. I did see that one of our friends ordered spaghetti and meat balls which mistakenly came to the table minus the meat ball which had to be asked for again separatly. I ordered the $35 dollar veal porterhouse done up contadina style for an extra 6 dollars. It looked amazing as it got to the table but after cutting it in half and taking 2 bites I realized it came way under done to the point where it was a bright deep red throughout and only mildly warm. I had ordered it medium and it honestly looked the color of steak tartare and I wish I was kidding. So why didn't I send it back? Well a couple of reasons, firstly I've already cut it in half so all cooking it some more now is just going to dry it out as all the juices leak out. Secondly, I could ask for a total new steak but everyone else has there food is eating and I don't exactly want to sit and wait another 12 minutes to eat while the rest of my party finishes there dinner and then talks while I eat mine by myself. I'm of the opinion through my experiences that if a steak comes really messed up to the table there really isn't anything you can do to optimally fix the situation. So I just shut up and tried my best to stomach it as 10 years in the US Army has conditioned me to do well. Now where the waiter messed up. He never asks if we'd like separate checks even though we are obviously 2 sets of married couples and I've found asking if we'd like separate checks as standard and we eat out at nice restaurants almost every weekend. In addition to this my wife and I are charged for 2 different salads with a 5 dollar difference, although we ordered and got the same 2 side salads one of them was rung up as a dinner salad. My wife and I's total came to about $122 dollars with tip tonight (Feb 23, 2013) and I've had better food at Applebees or Italian food at the Olive Garden. I cannot in good conscious recommend this restraunt to anyone I know.
(1)Nicki W.
I'm a Maggi fan. This is what I love: *The fried zucchini. Mama mia, it's heavenly. But before you stuff it in your face, blow on it, because it's hotter than a New York waiter. *The rest of the food is good, if not a little hit or miss. That's why I held off on that fifth star. *The atmosphere. It's loud, cozy and upscale. Maybe not so good for a romantic dinner if you're going during peak times, but with a group of friends it's a blast. *The service. Every time I've gone it's been outstanding (Except for that chatty fellow). I don't want to spend 10-15 min getting to know my server. You. Bring food. I pay you. Finito.
(4)Vanessa E.
I love the atmosphere, Frank Sinatra and all. My creamy chicken potato soup was delicious, but not quite fresh HOT. It was late though.. The Crab and Shrimp Canneloni is perfect, a must-try.
(4)Alan N.
I don't know what it is but maybe it's because Bellevue is one of those cities with a lot of "new money' that lacks the charm and rustic qualities of a lot of older cities in the world but I don't find most Bellevue places very charming. They all seem like they're apart of chains. Maggiano's happily is the closest thing to give me a sense of nostalgia that I only find in Seattle and that we are losing in this crazy, messed up world we are living in. I couldn't tell you any of the history of this place but everything about this place is big. The place is huge so it's uncommon to see a lot of people waiting for a table. The portions are "healthy" if you can call them that (a full size bowl of pasta could easily feed two people). And the prices are about what you would expect for a joint this nice. My biggest grudge and the sole reason I don't rate this place any higher is that it was SUCH a middling experience. Their food and the experience did nothing to wow me (I sampled other people's dishes at the table and it was all pretty plain). Nothing really showed me any charm or reflected any of the "culture" of Bellevue if there is such a thing. Unless excessive materialism and new and contemporary urban development count as the soul of a city then I guess this place fits the bill for Bellevue.
(3)Alex Z.
Great food, enormous portions, okay price, poor service. This place gives you bigger portions than you probably need. Their diablo shrimp marinara is incredible! The place has gotten really busy, however, and seating is variable at best. There were a couple times when I went there and they said there was a 2 hour wait. When I said I was leaving because the wait was too long they would suddenly have a table become available. Really sketchy service, I feel like there's some kind of economic discrimination going on behind the scenes. Nonetheless, the food and portions are great. The atmosphere is probably the most "Italian" I could find on the Eastside, and all in all the consistency is respectable for a chain restaurant. Maybe they can buy the rest of lincoln square, which is basically empty anyways, and scale up so that nobody has to wait in line.
(3)Erin J.
Seriously... How can you go wrong with this place? Food is ALWAYS good and there's always plenty of it. One reccomendation - apple crostada instead of the chocolate cake.
(4)Katherine T.
This place is very good if you are looking for italian. Maybe not JUST italian. Good if you're looking for huge portions (enough to feed you and the 2 strangers staring at you at the next table) on the pastas and entrees, garlic breath for the remainder of the night, and a good organized friend who brought their wheel-barrow to roll you out at the end of your meal. If this is for you, then absolutely go! I have loved everything I have tried here. Most recently, in an attempt to be healthy (kind of), I ordered the Italian Antipasti entree salad. I was wowed by its sheer giantness. Toppings for days and great dressing. (of course I nibbled everyone elses, and all tasted great!)
(3)Robert S.
I remember this place as being incredibly unremarkable. I really, really, really had to try hard to remember what I ordered. And then I said to myself "Robert, you big stupid, just look it up on them innanets, son!" And then I thought about how I could possibly be my own son, but that's not the point. I ordered the baked ziti and sausage, and my friend got the fettucini alfredo with broccoli. I really don't remember...how they were, except it was extremely boring. It was kinda like eating...boiled cardboard, except more expensive. Well, it probably wasn't that bad, but I just was so...meh. However, there was one big positive. The waiter was pretty fantastic. He came by quite a bit to check up on us, make sure I had beer, tried to make sure we were enjoying the food. I was very impressed by his service, and that's definitely worth noting. So big ups to him. Maybe we just caught a bad break on the food that night. So if you are thinking about going, at least the service will be good?
(2)Elise L.
Wandered in here after a movie at the theatre upstairs, mostly because the smell of garlic was irresistible. Can't entirely say the same for the food. It was perfectly satisfactory, but as others have noted there's no reason this place should be as busy as it is. I had the mushroom ravioli, the boy had lasagna, and we both had leftovers that sat in the fridge because neither one of us were that excited to finish them off. We sat in the bar at a tall, small table. Large plates + bread + dipping oil & balsamic + water glasses + drinks + decorative crap = ridiculously crowded table. Get a booth if possible, even if there are only two of you. Maggiano's is an odd mixture of casual and nice - I didn't feel that out of place wearing jeans and a shirt and the menu prices don't suggest that this is a fine dining restaurant, and yet there were hordes of high schoolers there for dinner before prom. Um, okay, I guess. Personally I'd make the guys reach a bit higher than a family style-place with a lovely view of an intersection and a hotel, but maybe that's just me. I can also speak from personal experience that tomato sauce and prom dresses don't mix together very well, but if you want to live dangerously...
(3)meera s.
Awesome place!! The location, decor, food, and prices are all WIN here. But make sure to make reservations, because it get extremely crowded and wait time can be up to an hour. We went on a Saturday night, and were only accommodated at 9pm though we called around 7:30. I ordered the gnocchi and my friend got the Eggplant Parmesan; They both were yummy and the portions are quite large, so we brought most of it home. The tiramisu was perfect, although we got this also to-go and ate it later that night. The waiter wasn't very good with refilling the water, etc. but this is excusable considering how busy the restaurant was. Prices were just like any other nice Italian place (~$40 for 2 people), and very worth it. They have other locations in California, which I will definitely try.
(5)Wholey C.
They had me at the bread and balsamic. As we walked in on a Sunday night, 7:00p, the Bellevue location was packed, I thought 'they must be doing something right'. Atmosphere was inviting, lots of activity. Ordering was a bit confusing, we had a coupon we felt was a bit misleading. They have a menu section you select your dish and they send home with you another dish. Little confusing at first. That being said, our server brought Chef Adam to our table, he described his creations and helped me decide on a veggie version. I ordered Ziti with mushrooms, cheese, excellent, my friend ordered the meat version, it was excellent. We brought home one veggie Ziti and the Lasagna. My take home meal was very good, the Lasagna was fair. Maggiano did not skimp on the portion size nor the great tasting cheese topping. All in all, service was good, Chef Adam was excellent, food was tasty, Lasagna was nothing to write home about according to my friend. I would give them another try, my friend would not. Maggiano gets my vote for effort and portion size. Now you decide.
(3)Adele T.
Places like this are a prime example of why "hole in the wall" type of restuarants are the "gems" of any metropolitan city you go to! High rate prices for low rate cuisine. Boooo!
(2)Joysha F.
Our first time here was simply a lot of first impressions. Fast service, huge servings, really yummy food, and a ninja server. When he took our leftovers to be boxed, we didn't even realize it until we were getting up that our bags were right next to each one of our chairs. Ever since then, the only place I think of when someone asks for Italian food is here! One birthday dinner I had there, the main dining room was still full and my reservation time was coming up and so they set up the smaller private room for my guests so we can sit down on time and eat together. I also had my graduation dinner here and they accommodated our extra guests. The service is always great and the food is always delicious! For the many times I've been here, I've never been disappointed. The food quality is always consistently great.
(5)Diana N.
This may be a chain restaurant spread across the nation but this place just nails it every time in terms of authentic Italian food! The pasta is always cooked perfectly and service outstanding. They wait may be long at times, with the place packed but that just means incredible food worth the wait! Love their house signature salad and their italian sodas ARE THE BEST!
(5)Michael H.
Great food with great flavors and generous portions. Pretty good wait staff too.
(4)Way S.
The food was too salty and no good... The waitstaff and service was great. There were some cougars sitting around the restaurant so that's why I gave it 2 stars instead of one. Step your flavor up.
(2)Sean B.
Maggiano's really went above and beyond my expectations. My wife is currently on a very restrictive diet from her doctor and wasn't able to find anything on the menu to eat. Our very friendly waiter quickly sent out of their chefs to talk with us. After explaining the diet to the chef, he was able to recommend some dishes they could make for her. That's right!!! Maggiano's went out of there way to make my wife a custom dish that she could eat on her diet. Plus they sent us home with leftovers that wouldn't fit on the plate. We will definitely be returning to this restaurant. Excellent service and food!!!
(5)Tomasso V.
Wow! Very good food, reasonable prices, and HUGE portions! The pepperoni fondue appetizer was great, and the 4 cheese ravioli and baked ziti were both fantastic! The creme brulee was very good, but not the best I've ever had. After dinner, they give you a whole order of the "classic pastas" to take home! One of the best dining out values I've ever encountered! Service was reasonably fast given how ridiculously busy it was. $45 for dinner for two, each of us taking home half our entrees, plus another whole entree each, including appetizer and dessert.
(4)Lucie L.
Came here on a sunday night with a friend and truthfully, basically just came here for their buy-one-get-one-to-go pasta. I had the lasagna and the spinach bowtie pasta to-go. I felt like the lasagna was edible but not as great as I expected it to be. My friend got the bowtie pasta and it was good and the vegetables were fresh but the pasta was a little tasteless and watery? Overall, my experience was good. Our servers were very friendly. I want to try the rigatoni D if I go there again after reading all the reviews. :)
(3)Naurry K.
Ok... So I don't remember a lot about this fine, yuppified eating establishment but I do remember it *oozes* Bellevue with an extra emphasis on *ooze*. The decor is done-up the way you would expect any restaurant in Bellevue, let alone a restaurant in the new Lincoln Square, to be done up; dark classic woodwork, faux-antique light fixtures, etc. The service is polite but curt, sans curt if you've just been outfitted at Nordstrom's across the street. And the food.. well.. I never got around to the food. They do make a mean martini and charge a mean tab for it too. Beware: cougars, gold-diggers and snobs.. oh my!
(2)Steve O.
Let me say that its very rare when my wife and I get a night out for ourselves. Little boy was absent on this excursion. My wife surprised me, when we dropped off our son at a friends house, and headed to dt bellevue. I was still somewhat sick, and dressed very casual, so I had concerns that I may be under dressed. But Maggiano's was very cool. A huge location with many tables...and a good size bar. The place was busy with it being feb 13th...and love in the air. We each got a cocktail...my vanilla stolli oj, was great. Fresh juice, and a heavy pour...my wifes drink was stiff as well. My wife ordered the garlic shrimp linguine. She loved it. I ordered the baked ziti and sausage..tons of food came to our table. So much we had lunch leftovers... Our server was top notch...funny and informative on the food. We dont hit bellevue often, but for a night out, and a tab of about 50 bucks..it was a great valentines day surprise.
(4)Bobby H.
Talking about a place that thrives on it's authenticity. No, I do not think so. I don't believe the quality of their ingredients are so great. The ricotta cheese was pasty, the meat sauce was watery, the tomatoes were not sweet at all on the lasagna. The linguini and clams did not taste fresh at all either. The white wine sauce was a bit bland. I had better at Marin Brewing Company, a microbrewery. I was hoping this place would be a great place to go to for Italian since it's so close to where I live, and since I love Italian, but I was horribly disappointed. One thing I can compliment on is the waiting service, it was great. My server was quite knowledgeable and friendly.
(1)Rosemarie d.
My girlfriends and I strolled in here on Valentine's Day with no reservations... Luckily, they had several cancellations and were able to seat us in a booth. Coming from the bay area, I've had my share of large, family-style, chain Italian restaurants... so I figured this would be no different. The food was great. We started off with the Calamari... just a half size to split between the 4 of us because the portions are HUGE. Then we got a full-size Rigatoni 'D' to share.. again HUGE. The service was great... I feel like the price was appropriate considering the size of the portions.
(4)Nina T.
I agree with previous reviewers -- "Cheesecake Factory" was the first thing I thought of when I walked in. The place was packed on a Tuesday night, I definitely knew to make reservations before even trying to come here. We had: spaghetti and sausage in meat sauce, mussels in white wine sauce, and shrimp and crab cannelloni. Spaghetti was good enough, mussels were pretty good (I liked the preparation), and the cannelloni reminded me of crab enchiladas with a much fattier sauce. I've also had the gnocchi here for lunch, and it's good, but nothing memorable. The food's probably between three and four stars for me, it's the experience that brings it down to three. Our waiter kind of rubbed me the wrong way. His demeanor seemed a bit snotty... when we ordered a full order of spaghetti with the intent of taking it to go, he gave us a bit too much grief over it. And when we asked for opinions about the two different preparations for the mussels, he made no attempt to be helpful at all. And finally... there were still remnants of red sauce on one of the plates on the table, and two of the small plates were stuck together. Even popular restaurants should make sure their dishes are washed properly... Honestly, I don't know if I'll be back. The family style special for parties of 4+ seems like an awesome deal, but I get the impression that I'll leave again with a mediocre experience and just a bit more full. Take out might be a better option, since it would skip the crowds, waitstaff, dirty dishes, and families with food-flinging children whose table is just a bit too close to yours.
(3)Aline P.
Maggiano's is great. I've gotten takeout a few times and it only took like five minutes max. Sitting down at the restaurant (we had reservations) didn't take too long either. We ordered, expecting the service to not be so fast since it was so busy but it actually came in about 10 minutes, ALL of our food; and we had a party of fourteen. As an appetizer a friend and I shared the half order of Calamari, which was HUGE and delicious. And its really not that pricey for how much they give you because you'll end up with tons of leftovers even with a half order. Its not the very best Italian food out there, but come on, if you're hungry and strollin' around the Bellevue collection, why not hit Maggiano's?
(4)carrie L. B.
Oh. My. God. I'm back in San Francisco dining at a North Beach eatery circa 1988. Everything's the same: same shiny dark wood, same checkered table cloths, same CHINA PATTERN, same honkin' huge portions. Notably different: most North Beach places back then were no bigger than a hole in the wall making for cramped dining - this place is huge with a capital HUGE. There was this one place in North Beach that had cheeses and meats dangling from the ceiling, and I remember one hot night the whole place was sweating grease from above. So that was different too. A continuous loop of Classic Frank tunes, mediocre Italian-American dishes, very friendly service and enough nostalgia to take me back, way way back to a San Francisco I miss. I'd definitely take this trip again!
(4)Brent C.
Great food and big portions. A great place for big groups and families. We had to wait 45 minutes for a table and after having the food it was worth it. Everything is al a carte like all good Italian restaurants are. Inlcuding bread sticks and salad (not an Olive Garden!). Food looks a little pricy but I got the baked ziti and it was huge! I'm usually a pretty big eater and it looked like I barely touched it when I was done. Also we got the chicken parmagana (3 pieces!) and fettucine alfredo Provided another fantastic meal the next day though. Service was great without being annoying either. Guinness on tap and they serve a fantastic sangria. Wanted dessert but had absolutely no room. One suggestion: if you make people wait 45 minutes at least have som more option for people to sit down or not stand than two chairs in the entire lobby.
(4)W D.
Decided to go here after a movie. We were able to get a table in the bar right away! Ordered our drinks but they didn't come out until after our food showed up, even after asking. Decided to order some appetizers and possibly an entrée or two depending on the quality of the first course. Stuffed mushrooms tasted bland and crab cakes were cold. Overall was disappointed but the drinks were stiff so that gets them three stars
(3)C M.
The food at this restaurant is very good and they will even change things up for those with food allergies to milk, etc (cream sauces.) The ambiance is a little busy and the servers are not the easiest to reach if you need something. I will likely come back however.
(3)Jacky C.
I have been eaten at Maggiano's several times and never had any bad experiences or services until tonight. My family and I went there to celebrate my birthday. Here are the unexpected experiences we had: 1. We made reservation at 8 pm and checked in at 7:50pm; however, we didn't get seated until 8:45 pm. There was party didn't make reservation but got seated before us. We talked to the hosts but the response we got was "if you have any questions, talk to my manager" 2. No one refilled on our water and drinks when its ran out for more than 30 minutes. 3. The server didn't know what she was doing when we wanted to add an extra dish to our orders. 4. One appetizer didn't bring out 5. We calmly and nicely provided some comments to restaurant manager because we liked the restaurant and wanted them can maintain their reputation; however the manager didn't seem to value our comments at all and even showed some attitude while providing the comments to him. We were very disappointed on the services Maggiano's had tonight especially we were here to celebrate my birthday.
(1)G R.
First off, I don't eat Italian food. I eat meat, and lots of it. Pasta doesn't float my boat, so I'm reviewing more the ambienance and service rather than the food. The restaurant is very nice inside, and eminates professionalism throughout. My waiter was extremely knowledgeable & prompt. He was able to make some recommondations to assist me in ordering. The food was flavorful, and the portions were rather large. It would be a great place to have a few drinks or to impress a group or individual.
(4)Heather B.
Portion size, portion size, portion size. I'm a girl who likes big helpings, but even *I* can't finish a whole portion of the food that I order at Maggiano's! I usually get the Shrimp (and I know I'm going to butcher the spelling on this one) Aribettia, which is angel hair pasta with shrimp and a spicy sauce on it. It's been consistently awesome over the last 5 years, so I'd say it's a safe bet. Prices can be on the higher side, but this is a really nice place. I'd say get a group of you together and go eat a nice family style meal where everyone shares what they order. It's a very fun way to do it, and you get to try a lot of great food. I love the atmosphere and the music. They cook like my Sicilian side of the family, so the food is really as good at the hype. The wait for seating can be a bit long sometimes, so if you can make reservations, I'd do it. I've seen people in here wearing anything from jeans and flip flops to fur coats, so, while it might be a nice place, don't feel bad if you're not in your prom finery.
(4)M T.
I've eaten here once before, a number of years ago. I remember it being much better. Everything was very "Meh." I got the classic lasagna. It's cool that they give you a to-go portion when you buy it, but for 12.95 I could have purchased a lot more packs of Stouffer's and been more satisfied. Maybe my expectations were too high, or maybe I had a bad experience, but I won't be going back to confirm.
(2)S C.
Oh Dear! The food was outstanding and the service was excellent! The staff made me feel very comfortable and welcomed! The restaurant is lovely and the wine selection is divine! Will definitely visit the restaurant again when traveling to Seattle in the near future! Way to go!
(5)Ivy C.
My hubby and I loved this place! Food was yummy.. big servings and so reasonably priced. Hard to go wrong with a great clean atmosphere and wonderful service to boot! Definately will be back
(4)Tchaizel A.
their mints are awesome! haha, and of course their various pasta dishes. tiramisu is bomb too. and i love whatever pasta dish you choose comes with another of your choice to take home.
(4)King C.
I came to Maggiano's for happy hour last week. It's one of the few places in downtown Bellevue where the happy hour starts at 3pm. It was so very disappointing. We had the flat bread, fried zucchini, and mushrooms. I was starving, so hit the spot. However, it was some of the most unimpressive happy hour appetizers I've had in a long time. Furthermore, it was fairly expensive -- $28 for those three items alone. This is definitely the last time I come to Maggiano's for HH.
(2)Elly G.
We were invited by our cousins to meet here. We ordered the chicken masala, stuffed mushrooms and spinach/ceasar salad. The linguine with clams was dry. Food servings are huge. The service is friendly too.
(3)Crystal M.
The food is pretty good here. The only thing i could complain about is the time it takes for your food to come out. If you come here for lunch, and need to get back to work in an hour, don't do it. It took me about an hour and a half to eat and get out of the place, WITH my dessert to go (because i couldn't afford another 30 minutes in the place to eat it). So the food and restaurant isn't too shabby. Theh proportions are GINORMOUS! i ate the rest of my lunch for dinner. The wait is the only thing i could think of that could improve. The waiter and the managers walk by frequently and ask how you're doing and if everything is okay which is nice. It's good to know they haven't forgotten about you. =) If the service was faster, i'd definately give this place more stars.
(3)Ariel S.
For some reason my dad is obsessed with this place and I end up getting roped into going to Maggiano's fairly often. The good: I love the food and I love having leftovers so the portions were perfect. Almost every time I've been here, the waiters/waitresses have been very friendly and helpful (I know nothing about wine!) The bad: Maggiano's is "good for groups" in that they can make space and they serve family style dishes. However, it is assumed you don't actually want to talk to anyone at your table. It is a very crowded and loud restaurant and I always have trouble hearing conversations... even when I'm sitting right next to the person. I don't really feel like there is anything special about this restaurant, the food is good, but the atmosphere kind of stinks. There are definitely better, more intimate Italian restaurants in the area that would be a better dinner choice.
(3)Port D.
We stopped in for lunch when in town for a conference held at a hotel across the street. I have to say, wow! This is a great Italian restaurant, for lunch. Not crowded, everything was way, way above average. The bread in particular is something to live on.
(5)Nina W.
I attended a birthday party here last year. It was a seriously fancy-pants kind of restaurant and i was afraid id lose an arm and a leg eating here when i first stepped in. Turns out it wasnt as bad price-wise as i had expected. The waiter took a lot of time making us all comfortable and brought me a delicious Vigonier to drink, i was delighted they served it and it was very good. I was relieved to find that you can order family style or individually, and they do half-orders. I had a half-order of the cheese ravioli with creamy pesto. When it came out-the sauce was a brilliant minty green! it was kind of freaky looking! I mean, i wouldnt have ordered it, because the lime green sherbert color made it look unappetizing. BUT it was really really delicious flavor-wise. Its not a spot i would come to everyday, but for a party, it seems like a pretty good option. If you park across the street on weekends, there is a garage and they have free parking. Thats a plus.
(3)Alek M.
I found a fingernail/toenail/whatever, a NAIL in my leftovers from last night. There is no way this could have been unintentional. Enough said.
(1)Erin K.
The pasta (gnocchi, spaghetti) and sauces (marinara, meat) were mediocre. I can make much better at home. However, with the classic dishes you get your dish at the restaurant and then any of the classic options to take home as well. That makes it worthwhile. The salad (chopped) and the service were good (very helpful waiter) and the desserts (profiteroles, pound cake) were exceptional. Not a bad dinner, but not an excellent one either.
(3)Sara M.
My husband and I were looking for a new restaurant for our bi-weekly date night. He loves Italian food and really wanted to try Maggiano's so off we went. As I have mentioned in the past...I consider myself a very picky eater. I try to branch out from time to time but usually regret that in the end. This evening was no exception. We started with a small Caesar salad which we shared because it was the size of my head. They don't lie when they say you could feed a small country with just one of the entrees. Anyway, the starter salad was probably the best Caesar I have ever had. Not really sure what all goes into it, but I should have just stuck with that and called it good. I ordered the grilled shrimp & linguini with a light garlic cream sauce. The pasta was terribly undercooked and the cream sauce was all butter and fat and really nothing else. My husband ordered the shrimp & crab Cataloni which was consumed before I could ask if he was enjoying his meal. He LOVED his dinner to say the least. Because I didn't touch my meal they offered to comp it which I thought was nice. They are a new restaurant to town and I am sure want to ensure ALL of their guests are taken care of and happy. We plan to return and this time I will stick with my Parmesan Chicken and be happy.
(3)Linh Le H.
Went to Maggiano's on Sunday and was impressed with the service, ambiance and food. Ordered family style - OMG the portions were ginormous!! You get 2 appetizers, crab cakes and mozzarella were yummy, 2 salads, caesar was alright, spinach was very good, 2 pastas, lasagna and lobster ravioli were tasty, 2 entrees, beef medallions were da bomb!, too full at this point to even look at the herb chicken, and 2 desserts. Even though I was beyond stuffed at this point, I miraculously found room for creme brulee and pound cake with caramelized bananas. They both were soooo good! You feel like you are at a feast with all this food being paraded to your table. To top it off, they ask if you want seconds. I still have leftovers three days later! Definitely worth the price and drive from Auburn.
(5)T.J. S.
This ristorante actually has some really good authentic Italian meals. Too bad the service was a bit off but in the past they've done a good job so I'll let it slide. 3 1/2 stars. The food saved their prosciutto!! The booth: A nice booth with checkered red and white table cloth and a second all white table cloth for good measure. Cute little decorative lamp and the lights turned low. Frank Sinatra in the background crooning "Love and Marriage" of all things and other rat pack era hits that night. So the ambiance was nice and and romantic. Good place to get close to an old mate or a first date! The drink and food: Downtown Manhattan - Mmmm! It was good and stiff! Like a cold stare from a New Yorker! Maggiano's house salad with blue cheese. Really good with tasty and surprising flavor! Mussels Diavalo Style w/extra crustini....but no extra crustini came out! :( But the mussels were deee-lish! Chicken Cacciatore. My second favorite dish. Just like Nana used to make! Braised Beef Cannelloni - Bella, Ciao!! Down the hatch and warming to the belly. This dish is absolutely perfect both times I've been here! You have to try this dish! Maggaino's is really good Italian food served in a comfortable setting. Friends, family, or lovers will find the place cozy and warming with Italian family style dining. L'amore domina senza regole.
(3)Mw C.
Came here last year and the place was not full. They wanted to sit us 4 in a table we requested a booth as so many were empty. My sister asked for a glass of wine and it came half and I asked the girl why is it half and she said that is the way they serve it. I have never seen it half always 3/4. Anyways the waitress was not very nice and seemed cold. Then we ordered the appetizer and we have not even finished when they started serving the food. So I was not ready for my spaghetti as I wanted to finish first the appetizer. Other servers served the food. My bowl was so huge I could not finish it. It wasn't special at all and we took the left overs it stayed in the refrigerator for a week and then I threw them. I even forgot we had it in the refrigerator that is how special the meal was . I am sorry but I don't see the excitement of this place.
(2)Julian H.
We ate here two or three times in the first year Maggiano's was open, so this review is a little stale and maybe they've worked out the kinks. Basically, another reviewer hit it when he said "lackluster food." I can't remember having any problem with the service, and the atmosphere is fun, but the food was so mediocre... flat flavor-no fresh ingredients-seemed like it was heated in a microwave-kind of food. Huge portions and moderate prices but who cares if the food ain't happening.
(2)Melissa S.
We found this restaurant last night, and OMG so good. They have a great deal where for $40 you pick an appetizer (we got the spinach artichoke dip..dont remember the actual name) and it was INCREDIBLE!! the only bummer was there wasn't nearly enough toasted bread chips to go with the dip...so we took the rest of our dip home and toasted some french bread for it :) you also get 2 entres, my boyfriend chose lasagna and i chose baked rigatoni pomodoro. you get your dish at the restaurant but you ALSO get one made especially for you to take home for the next day which you can mix and match! (we chose to stay with the same dish though) and you get a dessert. we chose the new york style cheesecake which was AMAZING. i personally dont normally enjoy cheesecake because i can only handle a few bites, but OMG this was to DIE for. strawberries on the plate, and strawberry sauce on the cheesecake!! Delicious! So, not only did we get a fabulous meal there, but we both took home a meal for later! GREAT deal! Cons: - service was INCREDIBLY slow. (we went on a saturday night) there were four of us, two separate checks. but we were there 3 hours!!!! it took FOREVER to even get our appetizer and we rarely saw our server! - it was loud. i could barely hear our conversation across the table but i have to say..... even though it was slow, the food was worth it. and you cant beat that deal. i would definetly recommend this restaurant! just be prepared to wait.
(4)Mary B.
I go to Maggiano's for happy hour. Here are the things i like - there Sangria is really good. I generally order it with little ice. They also have a skinny version - happy hour good. they recently added Capresse and it rocks, love it. The meatballs are pretty good as well. I am not a fan of the bruscretta. Prices are really quite good. No comments on dinner
(4)Michelle Z.
Bottom line: the food - good, the portions - generous, but the happy hour...seriously lacking. With almost zero drink specials and only a handful of your typical, cliche Italian-restaurant appetizers, this HH menu could use some serious revamping. While I love bruschetta and all, a little creativity wouldn't be so bad would it? We ended up ordering the tomato bruschetta (decent flavor, no big surprises here) and splitting a chicken/mushroom marsala entree in lieu of the weak happy hour appetizer sampling. Quite honestly, with the sizable, after-work crowd this place is able to pull, I'm surprised no one else has complained about the pithy menu, because this happy hour simply doesn't cut it.
(2)Kyle K.
Big portions people! And I am NOT exaggerating. I came here with a few friends and as we were sitted, the table next to me had Spaghetti in an Olive Garden style salad bowl that was twice as big! You can order full or half size, but the half-size is wayyyy too much. The decorum is low-lit and upscale and the service is for the most part good. I don't personally view Maggiano's as that expensive, considering the serving size they give you for the price, you pretty much hit even.
(4)Julia Z.
Maggiano's has matured nicely. Many of the servers that were there on opening day are still there, always a good sign. The prices have been pretty steady too which means it's less expensive than it used to be. The to-go service is still excellent. It's a good Sunday lunch venue, less busy then and a lovely way to have an early supper.
(5)Chris H.
I came here recently for a wake after my cousin had died. The staff were really great at taking care of my Aunt and Uncle to make sure everything was the way they wanted it. Let me tell you it couldn't have been easy for the staff to deal with people as emmotional as they were, yet they did a terrific job. Because we were a large group we ate buffet style where we had a preplanned menu and things were brough out dish by dish, course by course. The food wasn't bad but it wasn't anything special. It was about par with Olive Garden, just in a much nicer setting. Sitting back in the large party room I really feel like I was in an old New York family owned restaurant. But as I looked around more, it started to feel like a red robin or any themed restaurant.
(3)Jennilee B.
I've been here several times- mostly with girlfriends, but this time around, it was with my 3 favorite boys- Randy, Tate, and Javin; and I was expecting stellar service because that was the only kind of service I expected based on previous dining experiences. Needless to say, I was disgusted with how we were served. Not to mention disgusted with how the food tasted. Sour servers and super salty food don't make me ever want to come back.
(2)Niko O.
Having written Maggiano's to request they put a restaurant in the Seattle area, I was thrilled to hear one was opening up in Bellevue. The Maggiano's I based their reputation on was located in Schaumburg, IL. There, the food, service and atmosphere are stellar. We went the Bellevue Maggiano's a couple weeks after opening. While the decor was naturally quite similar to the Schaumburg restaurant, the lackluster food and uncertain service were not up to par. Portions were huge, as expected, but had no soul. I chalked up the experience to new-restaurant-itis, but at this point Maggiano's should've had all the kinks worked out, including improving their standard fare. It seems from the other reviews here that they have not achieved consistency yet.
(3)Chris O.
Reservations strongly requried, as this place is quite popular at the moment. Yes the portions are really big, ala Claimjumper. But they encourage sharing. So share! We really enjoyed the food. It wasn't Italy but it was consistently very good. The Caesar was great (a half size easily feeds 2), the spaghetti with meat sauce was great. I didn't finish it, but they put the to-go in a nice tin that I heated the next day. I think it was even better on day 2. I know what some of the reviewers say about corporate restaurants being bad, but this one didn't feel that way to me very much. We ate at 5:30 on a Sunday and were seated right away, so perhaps that's part of it. Parking is free, and we saw a movie upstairs at Lincoln theater immediately afterwards.
(4)Jasmine L.
Although the service was pretty good, I wan't crazy about their food :( I have been there 3 times since they opened and everytime I go there I feel the restaurant lacks "charisma" The best thing I ever at there was a salad. Doesn't say much for an Italian Restaurant. I don't think we will be going back anytime in the future. Although the service is good, I am uninspired by their selection of choices. Happy Hour doesn't compare to the other restaurants in the vicinity.
(3)Gordon N.
We were celebrating a friend's birthday, and none of us had eaten here before. Two of us are Chefs, and one of us manages a large Corporate bakery that supplies Restaurants regionally with breads and pastries. We know our stuff. Having said that we love good food and wine, and we love to have a good time when we are out. This is the opposite of what we experienced Sunday at Maggiano's.They were busy. I'd say 3/4 full. Waiter greeted us by calling us "guys"-- repeatedly. Bread was tough. The first 3 forks I picked up had food attached firmly to the handle! UGH. Bathrooms were filthy...littered with hand towels everywhere, soap containers empty. I tried to tell a Host but no one was manning the Host Station...An assistant manager walked by with one of those blue tooth devices beaming info into his earpiece---he was talking loudly & then let loose with an F-bomb so I couldn't tell him about the tornado that destroyed their men's room... Back at our Table our Host ordered a Napa's Best Vintage 2008 Cab-- a Duckhorn we were excited to try. Having never been here before I asked the waiter to choose one best pasta to go with this amazing RED WINE --not knowing their menu--he suggested a lobster carbonara dish, or a chicken marsala--neither of which sounded on the mark.The Host's salmon was a puny 5oz overcooked portion, my pasta arrived lukewarm and bland...in fact all 7 of us complained how tepid the dishes were--even a lasagne. The Host had a side of red potatoes that had been parboiled then deep fried and crushed. They had been snoozing under a heat-lamp for maybe an hour and seemed like they were 60 degrees they were so lukewarm I spit them out. Talk about food in the danger zone! The Wine was presented hastily with the date not presented to the Host because it was the wrong Vintage--not the 2008 ordered-- but rather the inferior 2009,whicht the Host caught, the Waiter, went to get a Manager took 10 minutes to get to our Table. He apologized but offered a weak: "well THEY changed the vintage on us a MONTH ago...". A MONTH AGO??! Well why didn't the waiter inform us? Why didn't you update your wine list a month ago?? Why was our waiter not trained on his wines? It felt really bad. He offered the '09 at the SAME price but the younger wine is not as good and he DID NOT OFFER A DISCOUNT FOR THEIR MISTAKE. He did offer a different wine a Stags Leap Petite Syrah that was selling for $16 more than the Cab that he offered for the same price but I guarantee you it was 'a dog with fleas' that no one was buying and he wanted to move it out. It was hugely tannic and he told us it needed to breathe and let it sit in the glass, He was right it needed a long time to open up before "we would fall in love with it"--as he put it. Our birthday girl's salad was forgotten;but she got a candle in her dessert which they charged her for, no other amends. Horrible bland tepid food, will never go back. Went straight to TAVERN LAW so we could eat some delicious food created by passionate chefs that love what they do for a living-- not robots walking around in a daze talking into earpieces serving lukewarm bland imitation Italian to the masses-- we were STARVING. Oh and the bad service, cold food, boring food, dirty silverware, and the wine snafu, forgotten dishes, poor bussing, casual attitude, the Host tipped only 11% and commented how he hated spending that much money on such inferior food....so sad cause we love dining out and spending money in good restaurants!
(1)Debbie D.
Since its in the mall, worried this would be another "Olive Garden", but what a nice surprise! Our food was quite good, the service was amazing, and they had grappa! Can't wait to come back to Bellevue.
(5)Thao N.
Went here for a birthday dinner & I regret even showing up. It was expensive & not great...at all. I don't remember what type of dinner package we got, but it was a set price for each person. We did got a lot of food, but it was still like 30 bucks before tax & tip for each person for average tasting food and normal dishes such as a Caesar salad. On top of that, we felt being rushed the whole time to finish up & get out. Maybe we just all look so young so the server's assumption was that he wasn't going to get a good tip out of us.
(2)Emer D.
Food was as mediocre as expected but the service was so very bad. The place wasn't busy and there was more than adequate staff. Our waitress was shockingly bad : I ordered glass of red, friend ordered a white - we both got red. One dish didn't arrive, we reminded her and she tried to cover up that she'd not put the order through, she said the chef had burned it so he needed to redo. She then said that a dessert would be comped to make up for the delayed dinner ... but when the check came it was included!!
(2)Whitney B.
In the kitchen of Maggiano's, shit gets real. I give kudos to the free-spirited, magnanimous cooks back there who so freely and blindly use their butter, cream, and crème fraîche. So much so that it would make Paula Deen crawl into a dusty, dark corner and cry buttery tears. We had a party of 4, and 2 of us had incredibly big appetites, but we managed to have leftovers. We decided to split 3 pasta entrees and we weren't even half-way into tackling the pastas until we were exchanging looks like, dude, I need to fart. Lactose intolerants, be ye forewarned, ye who enter here. The three pasta dishes we ordered were Shrimp Scampi, Chicken Marsala, and Linguine di Mare. The levels of dairy present in each dish deserves recognition as something thou shalt NOT do as the 11th Commandment. Just buttery gut bombs that will paralyze you for an entire week until you are able to dispose of it, somehow. It was also depressing because none of the pasta dishes tasted very good, anyway. My least favorite was the Chicken Marsala, a linguine dish featuring chicken breast, cheese, heavy cream, butter, button mushrooms, heavy cream, and butter. The mushrooms were too salty and the chicken was dry and rubbery. No one likes old, aged chicken, which might explain why they had to conceal its dryness with cream and butter. When we asked our waiter if the mushrooms were canned because of their saltiness, he didn't even try to be knowledgeable or wanted to figure it out. He flat-out said, "I have no idea, sorry" and promptly walked away. The Shrimp Scampi is made with cream, butter, heavy cream, butter, shrimp, and topped with cheese. This was only marginally better than the Chicken Marsala but shrimp has no flavor on its own, which is why the entire dish was noodles and cream and butter. In fact, I think they soak the noodles in butter the night before for that extra kick. Overall, still managed to be incredibly bland and heavy. Linguine di Mare is a seafood pasta dish, which was the highlight of the meal. Not too heavy because it was made with a red sauce, a savior of the night, as this is what I mostly picked at while ignoring the rest. It was a good, savory dish that had equal parts seafood and equal parts noodle. I surprisingly enjoyed it. This pasta makes me think that the chefs have some semblance of cooking skills at Maggiano's. The service, although not great, wasn't the worst I've had. We came during off-hours and the bus boys/waiters were all attentive enough. Just be aware of what you're walking into when you eat at Maggiano's. It's the sweet and sour chicken of Italian food.
(3)PJ L.
Great service. Great meal. Everything was just as expected. The whole dinner party was more than satisfied. Plus, the eat one, take one pasta plates are a smoking deal! It may be a chain, but totally solid experience!
(4)Darya S.
Its fine, kind of over priced and nothing special.
(2)Deedee H.
OMG delicious! Huge freaking portions such a great deal for the price! We had the calamari and mussels to start which were superb and on point. Hubby had the Linguini di Mare that was incrediblr and seriously had at least 1.5 lbs of clams and mussels. I had the crab and shrimp Cannelloni, ok but too mushy for me. Desserts were the apple crostada and toasted pound cake. Phenomenal!!! Hands down my fav Italian place in WA!
(5)Ed G.
We thoroughly enjoyed the food and service at Maggiano's! We made reservations via Yelp and requested booth dining. On the night of the reservation, the place was packed and hopping with Christmas shoppers and diners, but Maggiano's had our booth ready for us as requested. Our server was busy but the service was still outstanding! The food, service, and overall dining experience for me and my family that night was great!
(4)Scott T.
Corporate crap food. Not good by any measure.
(1)Serena G.
This place was horrible!!! We had a reservation for 8pm, arrived at 7:50 and they didn't have our table ready until close to 8:40. Each time we went to ask the hostess when we would be seated she wold say that they were busing our table.. I don't know if busing a table means re detailing the actual wood or what but i was not impressed. The waitress continued to forget orders, gave us the wrong drinks and often times didn't bring out a lot of the items we ordered. Meal for two (we shared) was around $80, which was totally not worth it.
(1)Alex M.
Terrible food. Way to large of a resturant.
(1)Yuen Tung P.
hmm I went here with my boyfriend a couple weeks ago. Got the mussels for appetizer, and my boyfriend found a long hair in his shell, but he was too nice to complain. Took a while for the waitress to get to us and serve us, especially since it was around 11am on a sunday, I was surprise. probably wouldn't go back there, but eh who knows?
(3)Mary S.
I rented a banquette room for a family party of 30 people. the service was exceptional, price is acceptable. The food was ok, but I will use them in the future for large parties.
(4)Stefany B.
As long as you keep your expectations in check, I'd argue you can have a pretty decent experience at Maggiano's. Yes, it's a giant corporate chain. Yes, you'll probably wait, even if you made a reservation. Yes, my friend once found part of a plastic bag in her salad (okay, that's another story). But overall, it's solid. The service is consistently good, in my experience. Huge bonus for offering tons of gluten-free options -- not necessarily the norm among Italian restaurants. And as others have mentioned, you're getting a giant portion for a really reasonable price (sometimes two giant portions with the BOGO entrees -- the lazy girl's dream come true). Honestly, anywhere a glutard like myself can order pasta, it's probably gonna be a 4-star deal. Carbs FTW!
(4)Maria G.
Wow i think am a bit blown away by this restaurant! It is super fancy! As we walked in, i was like this is such a high-end restaurant, especially given its Bellevue! They do have expensive items on their menu but if you go for their pasta entree special you pay $12.99 for one huge dish of food for dine-in and you get to order an extra dish (same huge portion) to take home. My friends who have been here before convinced me the food portion would be huge but I didn't really believe it til I actually got my food! We were about 20minutes late to our reservation (made through yelp!!!) because of traffic so had to wait for about another 5-7 minutes before we were seated. Our waiter was super nice and friendly! He was patient with our orders and even gave us free desert in the end to share! He did not complain about our separate checks either since there were 4 of us. I am so glad i went there! looks like they also have a bar area near the restaurant entrance. I would DEFINITELY come back again!!!
(5)Eric C.
I came to Maggiano the first time was for a company team lunch. We had a group of 8 people and ordered the family meal. I like the generous portion of the dishes and family style Italian dining. Parking is good and the location is easy to find. The front desk was nice and the restaurant is nicely decorated with the vintage style. I have tried their pasta and salad and like all. I will for sure bring my family to Maggiano for dinner.
(4)Tony P.
Went in for lunch. The portions were abysmally small. The waiter tried to be funny the entire time but came off as *very* rude. He promised us fresh breads but never gave it to us. The food tasted average at best. Overall the place is a huge rip off.
(1)Joe C.
The beer list only has 4 beers on draft and they are all bad choices. Minimal effort foe even a bad restaurant like this. Food was probably reheated.
(1)Silvana E.
A friend of mine was served mussels that stank like hell because one of them had gone bad. Personally, I have never eaten there but I have worked in restaurants and when I saw one of their cooks in front of the restaurant smoking a cigarette, one look at him told me the horrors going on in this kitchen. I am a very clean person and like my food to be handled the same way and MAN, this guy was disgusting! He looked unshaved with greasy hair, was holding his cigarette and licking his extremely dirty fingers that had blood-stained Band-Aids all over them. I'm not even gonna talk about all those different stains his uniform was drenched in. A cook represents his kitchen and frankly I'm afraid of what this kitchen looks like. Please don't go there.
(1)C b.
Been twice. Amazing waiters and waitresses. The seating hosts haven't been able to get it right both time, but amazing food for the price makes up for it. If your a garlic fan, ask for a cup of roasted garlic to have with your bread, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on the oil/vinegerette, HEAvEn!!! Great atmosphere. Lighting and music have been perfect when I go.
(5)Joyce L.
Maggiano's Little Italy is in a great location. The food was good but it took forever. The service was lacking in all areas of customer service.
(3)Dillon S.
First time at this place and will never go back. Nothing special about them except for decor. **Just joined up on yelp to write my first review on the interweb of any type of business** Slow service & horrible food. We waited about 15 mins for our table to be cleaned in the bar area, waitress was nice but just overwhelmed. I think there was only 2 of them working on a Saturday evening around 7pm. I had to go to the bar and get our own water because wait staff was busy or ignoring us because the women next to us that came 10 mins after us were served on the spot with water & bread . Waited 45 mins for entrees. Moms Lasagna which was extremely hot and burnt my wife's tongue and my dish, steak medallion that was cold!! The food was seriously not that special. Overall, a bad experience. Overrated corporate chain that needs to look into hiring more wait staff for a better quality restaurant experience for its patrons.
(1)Nate T.
Great food with exceptional service! Julie was our waitress and she is definitely an employee that they should keep! Highly recommended.
(5)Debbie P.
We've been here a few times. It's a typical franchised restaurant with a few more perks. If you order off the family style menu, you can have bottomless eating and unlike other places, what you don't eat can be packed, so that's a nice bonus. The food overall is pretty good Italian food, not over the top, but not bleh either. Service is also pretty good.
(3)Kaylee C.
I went to Maggiano's with family to celebrate Father's Day today. We love it because we get to order a plate and order another one to go. However, our experience today was terrible. I ordered the fettuccine alfredo. The dish was a little dry and didn't have much flavor, but it was fine. The dish that it was on was filthy and was crusty with dried up food and spaghetti sauce. My mom ordered the eggplant and it was cold when it was served. She ordered the fettuccine to take with her. They included chicken with her dish and charged extra without asking. I have always loved this place, but now I'm not really looking forward to going back.
(3)Stephanie L.
I love Maggiano's as a chain and this is for my experience with their happy hour: I had no idea Maggiano's even had HH and live a few doors down from it. That being said, its pretty much wine/beer/cocktails and flatbread. My boyfriend and I were sitting in the designated happy hour tiled floor area. We were both holding happy hour menus. Wine $5/glass for happy hour. I told the server i wanted the white wine. 20 minutes later or so we got a refill. The bill comes after that. charged $10 per glass. Be sure you explicitly say you want HH drink, even as you're sitting in HH area with HH menu in your hands. not cool.
(2)Olivia W.
I recently went to Maggiano's Little Italy on a Monday night with my father, his girlfriend, and her teenage son. We were there for dinner around 6pm. The location of this restaurant in Bellevue is good and it is fairly easy to find. Their signage out front is excellent and easy to read. There is also a very nearby, convenient parking garage. Also, they will verify your parking ticket so that your parking is free. The service was great! We had a very friendly, well-dressed waitress. She was very informative about all off the dishes and she really went above and beyond to help accommodate for my picky family. The food came out promptly and it was excellent! Both the appetizers and entrees were great, and she sold us (in a good way) on dessert! During my entire visit, there were only two things that I did not like/found confusing. First, you have to be careful not to get lost when you come out of the bathroom. I awkwardly walked right into a banquet room during a presentation. When you go to the bathroom, it is right in the middle of all these other very similar looking rooms. Secondly, when we walked out there were probably four or five people up at the front by the hostesses stand and they were doing absolutely nothing. They were just standing there and taking about their plans for the weekend. I felt that their time could have been better spent doing something productive. Overall, I had a pretty good experience and I would most definitely recommend it and go back again.
(4)Brian F.
Get ready to eat because you are going to get a ton of food. It might not be terribly authentic (I'm no expert) but I have always had good meals at this one and other Maggiano's I have visited.
(4)Loreen D.
It was an amazing dinner. Not only was the decor really beautiful, the staff was superb. Everyone was friendly and our waiter, Eric, was stellar. The food arrived at just the right speed, no worry of overlapping dishes. The meal for 2 option gives 1 appetizer or 2 salads, 2 entrees and one dessert to share, PLUS you get two additional dinners to take home for free for the next day! Amazing! The classic pasta option also gives you one free dinner to take home and the choices are pretty good. I ordered the lasagna with the take home option for ziti. My husband ordered the same just in reverse. After tasting my lasagna, I swapped my take home to be lasagna also because it was just that good! We will be going again for sure. I highly recommend this restaurant. The prices are very reasonable, especially for the classic pasta options. They range less than 20 dollars, but because of the higher priced options, the overall price range is about 20-30$ range. If you eat here, you will never go to that sub-par Italian restaurant chain (you can guess which one) again.
(4)Nick T.
Big fan of the 2 for $40 deal. We have been here a few times now and service has been both great and horrible. However I must say that the one time it was bad the manager made it right. the calamari is delicious (not chewy). Great flavor all the way around. Parking sucks.
(4)Mary A.
We *LOVE* going to Maggiano's to order the lunch feast. We normally end up going later, and having the dinner feast. We love the feast way of truly sharing a meal with friends. It's fun that each item is bottomless, so you can relax and eat what you want. For a great time with a group, this is a stellar place to truly share a meal.
(4)Jon L.
Time for a rename: Mehhianos..... First, we came in for Mothers day, my wife's first, so it was a big day. I've heard RANTING and RAVING about how great this place is, so expectations were high. Got there 5 minutes before our reservation and we checked in. 10 minutes go by, 20, 30.......I'm seeing people who have reservations 20-45 minutes after ours get sat immediately. Now my wife is pissed. I got up and asked the guy at the Podium: "Hey, what happened, you said you'd seat us right away!" he fumbles for a minute, asks me my name, said he called my cell phone a few times, etc etc.....BULL CRAP, cause I had my phone there and no one ever called me nor did anyone call out for us to come sit down. So, then we sit down and they stick us in the middle of the restaurant with a infant in a carseat+stroller. STUPID move. The place is packed and it made it difficult to sit in this spot. We had to move the table to even fit correctly. Next came the waitress. She was nice enough, pretty attentive, but she forgot to bring a drink menu 3 times. Seriously, 3 times we asked, 3 times she said she would, 3 times she forgot. Fail. We ordered Calamari first, Chicken Parm and my wife had Chicken/Shrimp Pasta. The bus boy brings out the Calamari, throws it on the complete opposite side of our table (my wife and I are sitting next to each other on one side to take care of the baby) and then just leaves. I had to stand up and grab the food. Very rude I thought. The Calamari was just ok, kinda rubbery, I have tasted better for sure for the price. Dinner came out about 30 minutes later. WAY too long in my opinion, even the waitress commented on it. Chicken parm was lackluster to say the least. The spaghetti lacked any quality and the sauce was like opening a can of Prego from the store. Scratch that, Prego would have been better. The chicken was well cooked and breaded well, just pretty bland in my opinion. My wife's dinner was off the "Premium" Pasta part of the menu, it was actually quite good and we'd go back for that. (probably a to-go order) Total for the dinner was $65 (2 diet cokes and a martini). I'd probably go back, but to a different location. Bellevue clearly has some work to do on the service department and as we all know that is WAY more important than the food....anyone can make a decent spaghetti.
(2)Michael K.
This place exceeded my expectations, which might not be saying much but the food was pretty good. I expected awful, and they did considerably better than that. Maggiano's caters to big groups, and I was there for a birthday celebration. There were a dozen adults plus a few kids, so I was expecting a complete disaster. The server was pushing family style dining from their all-you-can-eat menu, but after some discussion we chose to order from the regular menu despite the higher cost. The food is italian american, which means it hasn't progressed far from the 50's. The food is rich and heavy, but very comfortable if you grew up with that kind of food. The appetizers were the highlight of the meal, with the stuffed mushrooms and fried zucchini being most popular. The mussel appetizer was a nice surprise. In summation, however, the pricing is too dear for italian american food that many of us can cook ourselves. The portions are enormous, so at least each entree will provide lunch for the next day. It's a viable option if you have a huge group, and I suspect that is their niche.
(3)Michael G.
The food was very mediocre, and I could have done much better with a better cooked box of spaghetti, a jar of better tasting sauce, and parmesan cheese from several local markets in the area. Some dishes are ok, but in general portion sizes have gotten smaller over time, food quality seems marginalized, preparation & presentation were poor, and this restaurant often seems to be getting closer and closer to an over priced olive garden or spaghetti factory. In fact, I would rather go to those restaurants for better taste, service, consistency, professionalism, and value, as at least they are what they are and not such a let down of a restaurant that used to be good. Meanwhile, this restaurant is not even close to higher end Italian restaurants in the area. Just lost in the middle not doing what they need to do right. Service was slow and weak. In almost an hour and a half, I only got my iced tea refilled once because I asked for it, and otherwise the glass was left empty most of the rest of the time, even after managers walked by. There was also hardly any ice in the tea. Things are forgotten, and the food runners are rude, awkward, don't interact with customers, and don't listen to customers either. There was a complete lack of attention to details and customer needs in general. It is complete chaos like a circus on the weekend, and not feeling like a well run professional restaurant. Even the three yelp stars in a city of overrated restaurants on yelp should be a warning sign...
(2)Gayle N.
Anyone that knows me well enough, is aware that I have been an Italian in a prior lifetime and that's why I love Italian food much. I ordered the lasagna, it arrived piping hot, fresh from the oven. I could smell and see the cheese oozing over the plate. When I bit into it, I was in Italian heaven, so delicious, so tempting, I was full after only 1/2 thru the dinner. Maybe it was due to the great fresh tossed salad in the huge bowl that was served with the dinner. They also give you another serving of the same hot dish for another night, now, that is a bargain. On my next trip to Washington, Maggiano's is my first stop.
(5)Erskine A.
We had a party arrive on time for our 6:30 pm reservations and were promptly seated. Our orders were taken soon thereafter and that's when the bad news began. We did not receive our dinners until 8:00 pm a full hour and a half later. One of the managers came over to apologize saying they also had a banquet in one of the back rooms. Why didn't they augment their staff rather than penalizing their regular customers. He promised to come back when we finished our meal, but showed up after we had paid and were leaving. He said he had hope to buy us a dessert to compensate for our poor service. Had he had any "customer service sense", he would have covered the costs of our late dinners and we would have been more receptive to coming back. Not so sure now.
(2)Annie W.
Came here for dinner with few of my girlfriends. Right when I walked in I thought it was going to be pricey with tiny portions. To my surprise, the food are all fairly priced but there's awesome deals for family styles or dinner for 2! I ended up sharing dinner for 2 with a girlfriend, for $40 you get a choice of an appetizer/flat bread/2 salads, 2 pastas, dessert AND 2 pasta orders to take home! I thought the take home pastas must be what we ordered during dinner but NOPE! You get to choose any kind to take home! That pasta is a bit too hard wish it was a bit more soft but other wise its a good deal!
(3)Lisa K.
Update 5-22-2014. Hubby pushed to go here.. We all ordered the cheese ravioli. We got the fried mozzarella as an appetizer, it came out barely warm. We got the tiramisu, it was ok... I'd rather get it elsewhere next time. To serve three adults an appetizer and three plates of cheese ravioli, it took them almost two hours. Ridiculous! At least everyone around us got the same treatment. They were not even half full..lots of empty tables. For some reason they put our plates in the oven under a broiler...they've not done that before.. Still NOT impressed with this place. We were told the wait was 45 minutes. Ok... An hour and 20 minutes later we were finally served... Took them a couple minutes to bring us water...the wait 10 minutes to order even though we were ready.....wait 10 minutes for bread... Had to ask someone to bring us some vinegar for the bread. 20 minutes later the single appetizer comes.. Nice and hot like it should be...wait 25 minutes more for our dinners... And both plates of ravioli are COLD. My mom's mare was good again.. My chicken francese is lacking flavor, substance, and is barely warm... My crunchy red potatoes came 5 minutes later, and are cold! Are you kidding me? Took half the ravioli home. Took a slice of cheesecake home as it came with the "special"... The kids at home who babysat opened the classic pasta dishes that are "complimentary" and the ravioli's were freezer burned! So much for their claim of fresh pasta! The cheesecake was yummy.. Very disappointed, not sure if I wi
(1)James H.
I have been coming here for the past few years, its a great place to bring a date or a few friends. The food is good and the service is better. I wouldn't say its the best Italian food, but for the price they give you good portions and a well put together meal. Drink have been good but nothing special. One annoying thing they have been doing recently is giving you bread, but placing the vinegar and oil 30ft away from your table. Whenever I'm craving some Italian food that won't break my bank, this is my spot.
(5)S. K.
We went there with friends with kids last Thursday, we did not make a reservation, they did not want to give us a table. After pointing out that there are a lot of free tables, and almost no clients, they told us they will try to find a table for us. After 20 minutes we got a table.( the fun thing was that the restaurant was on 80 % empty, and they keep telling people that there are no available tables, and ask them to do reservation) The server was lady, she was talking the way too load, and having hard time to explain menu. We waited about 20 minutes before someone came to our table, and about 25 minutes for food. The food itself was medium, I ordered chicken mascara, the taste was ok, but chicken was not cooked well even if I asked for well done. The prices are a bit expensive. Overall experience is so so, for this price they could do a better job both in cooking and customer service. It is hard to understand their philosophy at all about having empty restaurant and sending people to another restaurants.
(3)Janet D.
I went here for a friend's wedding and was blown away. It was absolutely delicious. We had a couple waiters since we were such a big party and they were all friendly and efficient. We had a bit of a wait but it didn't seem excessive. Our food was all incredibly flavorful and wasn't too greasy or anything like at some other Italian restaurants I've been at. For appetizer we had bruschetta and mozzarella marinara. The mozzarella we were surprised at because they were giant slices of fried cheese so kind of hard to handle, but still delicious. I don't remember the main dishes, except alfredo, but everyone ate at least 3 servings. Fun and memorable experience. I hope to find a local Maggiano's where I live now.
(5)Joshua B.
The servings are indeed ginormous, but it's easy to just order something to share (and you don't have to order one of the dinners for 2/4/8/128 to do so). I had the gnocchi with sausage, served in a tomato cream sauce, which I thought was good, but not great. My son wolfed down the mac-n-cheese. My wife ordered the only disappointment of the night, a shrimp + asparagus flat-bread that was basically thin-crust pizza with no asparagus and 1 piece of shrimp per slice. The prices were right though, for all of us and a glass of wine we were out for under $50. I do like they have a selection of dishes were for only like $13 they give you a reasonably sized portion for dinner and a similar size already boxed up to take home. Seems like a good deal even if the selection is limited. Service was good - if odd that we had 3 people serving us (not sure why we merited 3 waiters). No waits to speak of, and got our check/etc promptly. I'm giving an extra star when I probably shouldn't - but we got a table for 3 with 0 waiting on a busy Sunday evening after bowling at Lucky Strike. 2 seconds later people asking for tables had to wait 30-40 minutes (bwahahahaha).
(4)Connie L.
I love the lunch deal where you get an entree and you also get another entree to eat for later. It's such a deal. The portions are still large, which meant I had leftovers... and a full other meal. The unlimited bread is also pretty good, too. The waiter was friendly, too. I've been here 3 times and have been satisfied every time. :)
(5)David W.
Guys were on their A- game! Very friendly and checked on us and made sure everything was ok. Wet also got $20.00 off the bill and a free piece of cake for my B- day!
(5)Bob M.
Ok this is my go to place for Itallian. And the best part is their 12.95 dinner and they give you one of your choice to take home. Now thats a good deal, the flavor is there on point, been to this unit and the one in Las Vegas and both the food was great. Yes Im a Bucca de peppo guy but when I need to clean up and wow the wife I take her her very classy. When I want to get my Spag-bag on I go to Bucca and gorge myself. one makes me take some home for tomorrow, and the other is just for total gut busting pig out.
(5)Brian J.
It's consistent, reliable, tasty Italian fare. I can't speak to any of the more expensive, fancy dishes as I've never been compelled to order anything other than lasagna. The lasagna is great and getting a bonus order to take home is a great perk. It heats up excellently. For ~$14 it's a great deal getting two dinners. The kids meals are great values - my daughter got nearly the same size portion as me plus drink plus desert for $6. If you don't mind chain dining maggianos is good stuff and worlds better than Olive Garden. Note the experience is way better in one of the big plush booths compared to a middle table. The former feels fancy and fun, the latter feels generic and low budget.
(4)Katherine T.
My pregnant sister was craving Italian for dinner so we made plans to Maggiano's for New Year's Eve. Apparently they were advertised on Open Table as a NYE spot, but they definitely closed at 10pm that evening. Decor is a very stereotypical Italian bistro with checkered tablecloths and whatnot. Our waitress was nice, but friendly in an uncomfortable way and yet not attentive at all when it came to actual service, Keep in mind the restaurant was not remotely busy (we made 9:30 reservations unaware of the NYE hours). Appetizers took 45 minutes, she kept saying they were out of dishes but changed her mind on the spot, food was served lukewarm and the general feel was just not that enjoyable. I would maybe try Maggiano's again for lunch, but honestly the flatbread tastes like Crisp'n'Tasty pizza, the lasagna tastes like Stouffer's and the Spinach dip is way more delicious from Trader Joe's. I changed my mind, don't waste your time here.
(2)Suzi C.
Came here and got the dinner for two for $39.99. This option actually gives you a lot of food! I was fed for 2 days with all the leftovers! You get to pick any appetizer/flatbread/ or 2 Cesar salad on the menu, any 2 classic pastas, a dessert, plus 2 extra classic pastas to take home afterwards. Appetizers are the usual stuff you see at Italian restaurants. There are no surprises there, you can predict what they'll taste like. For me, most of the classic pastas are just variations on spaghetti. We got the Baked Rigatoni Pomodoro and the Bowtie Algio. The Baked Rigatoni Pomodoro is probably the best dish on the classic pasta category. The Bowtie Algio wasn't good. I regretted the decision; it was very plain and needed more seasoning. For dessert, we got the creme brulee. This was the best part of the meal. There was an uncontrollable, "mmmmmm!" after every bite! I had no idea how I was losing control of my body-it was that good! The dish that it came in was also huge and I enjoyed every bite I had. If you are thinking of other items on the menu, the Rigatoni D is good, and a friend of mine also enjoys the Linguine & Clams with a White Clam Sauce.
(4)LB D.
Food is always fab, but service is inconsistant and staff needs to be trained to pay attention to detail and be organizes. New, young employees should be shadowed.
(2)Kaitlin F.
I just have to say right off the bat, omg i can't believe another reviewer compared the quality of Maggiano's food to Olive Garden. You gotta tell me where your bomb-ass Olive Garden is then! Cause my 2 experiences with Olive Garden have left me sad at the pathetic attempt at Italian, compared to Maggiano's where the yummy rarely ceases. We discovered Maggiano's was one of the very few places open on Thanksgiving, and so even though we didn't have a reservation and were told the wait was long and they were closing early, we went for it. We couldn't get a table in the dining room, but there was space in the bar so we sat there. When we saw that there was a limited menu, with the entrees being turkey and ham, i originally wanted to leave since i'm not a big fan of turkey. But my husband convinced me to stay, and I'm so glad we did. 35 bucks per person for bread; a bruschetta plate; ceaser salad; garlic mashed potatoes; creamed corn; cheese ravioli in a cream sauce; angel hair with marinara, garlic and sausage; White and dark meat turkey with gravy and stuffing made with sausage; Ham with sweet potato mashies; a dome of chocolate cake; and a ginormous creme brulee. Oh, and did i forgot to mention this was all unlimited, though we could never get through enough to ask for seconds on anything. Oh my god. We sat there for two hours, and then we took what must have been about half of our meal home, and lived off it for a day or two. A few of these dishes are items that i'm not generally fond of. The one dish i really couldn't eat were the sweet potato mashies, i've just never been a sweet potato fan, but it didn't taste off, just not what i like. As i said i don't much like turkey, so the white meat was ok, but wow, the dark meat really blew my mind! It tasted almost like pulled pork or something. I am also not a big stuffing fan, but that was really good to. There were a number of mistakes made throughout the meal, a bowl of plain boiled pasta came out at some point, to be replaced by a pasta we had not ordered, and we had to remind them about a couple of our orders. But we were in no rush, and our waitress was really nice and attentive throughout the whole thing, and it's Thanksgiving for pete's sake, so we just chilled and laughed about it. They also comped a round of drinks to apologize. We were really impressed by the service and the food, and happy that we had found a place that was open on Thanksgiving that wasn't Denny's.
(4)Alana R.
Food was okay, service was good...it's been 10+ years since I've eaten @ this restaurant, not the quality of ingredients that I remember.
(3)Ieva K.
We made a reservation here for New Years Eve, 7 people. We were running late about ten minutes and when we walked in we were taken directly to our table. The place was extremely busy. The service was mediocre, they were slow and rushing but it was expected given how busy and booked they were for New Years. They servers/waiters were very nice and attentive. The bread came out early and still warm, however they forgot to bring butter/oil. The food came out fast. Nothing special about the food, not bad but not amazing either. They have a full bar and they make strong drinks. I would not call this an upscale restaurant. Not a bad place for a casual low key dinner.
(3)Vivian L.
Went there for happy hours, nothing too special catch my eye. But food was OK, service is good. A very typlical american style Italy place.
(3)Betsy T.
I waffled between two and three stars, and finally decided on three. Why? Because some of the dishes here were pretty good, and the dinner for two deal (appetizer, two entrees, dessert, and two entrees to take home, for $39.95) is pretty good. And if you're getting a good deal, in some ways you kind of have to expect a drop in quality. I got the eggplant parmesan, which I often ordered at the Maggiano's I went to on the East Coast. It was tasty and the portion was huge. The spaghetti noodles were not homemade - they tasted exactly like cafeteria spaghetti noodles, but I wasn't complaining. My sister ordered lasagna and liked it. Now here's the bad ... We ordered the spinach artichoke dip and flatbread pizza for appetizer. The dip was the worst I've ever had. It was runny and salty, without a lot of spinach or artichoke, or cheese for that matter. The flatbread tasted like $1 frozen pizza from the grocery store. It even had that preservatives flavor. Neither justified the extremely long wait we endured to get it. Two of the entrees we ordered were not good. The bowtie aglio was boring, and the rigatoni came out really over-baked and dry. The person who ordered the bowtie had to mix the meat sauce from my sister's lasagna to add some flavor to it. My lemonade tasted like Minute Maid - and probably was. Bread was cold. The two classic pastas that you get to take home as part of the deal was more like a half-portion than a full portion. It also disturbingly made me think that all the entrees start out in frozen containers like the ones we took home with us.
(3)Ana B.
I wanted to like this place, service was excellent and my husband's meal (Tenderloin medallions) was tasty. My Veal Marsala was great until I saw a curly black hair on the rim of the plate. I stopped eating and quickly made the waiter take it away. The waiter and manager were embarrassed and politely handled the situation, told me my meal was free. I got another veal Marsala but I think in their haste to replace it for me they undercooked the veal. I was still hungry so I ate what I could of it but with the hair and the undercooked baby cow my stomach turned. We got some tiramisu and coffee but I couldn't fully enjoy it. The wait staff is very nice but I can't see myself going back there, I had read another yelp review from someone saying they found a hair in their meal, maybe Maggiano's has a disgruntled employee who places hairs in people's meals?
(2)Amy B.
Family style at the bar for 16. Handled it like the pros they are. It's a chain that I've reviewed the food before (consistently good if you are wondering) but as a place to take a group, it really stands out. They can whip up a family style dinner on a fixed fee in a jiffy and it's wondering. Really is.
(4)Annaliza D.
I've been here before, but I don't remember this place having bad service... I went there with my parents and let me tell you........ NO. Food came out pretty cold. My boyfriend's chicken alfredo was dry, my ziti baked pasta was cold and even my dad said it was the worst pasta he had in years. We did not get offered bread sticks. My dad noticed how our waiter offered the table next to us bread sticks and when he asked the waiter why our table didn't get any... His reply was, "Oh, customers usually ask for them first". OKAY. Don't know why, but our waiter offered us chili flakes...........? Was he racist? I don't know, man.
(2)Alexandrea M.
Easily one of the best places around for Italian food. Well worth waiting for if theres a wait (which is RARE, except on holidays), or just make sure you have a reservation if your planning to take your girl their for Valentines Day. For the tastiness and quality of the food, and the service, their food is underpriced.. Which is awesome..To top it off their dishes used to come in half and whole orders, but I'm guessing they simplified their menu recently, because dinners now come in one portion size. The portions now are equal to what I'd get with a whole order, but they cut prices to meet in the middle now that they have one dinner size... You'll get enough pasta to satisfy two lumberjack's with anyone of the Specialty, or Classic Pasta's. So obviously I gave it 4 stars... It would EASILY be a 5 star review, but every time (4-5 occasions) I've ordered Rigatoni D, they seem to think that I want no sauce, or the sauce on the side, when I ask to make it without mushrooms, and to ADD a side of Alfredo sauce to put over the Marsala. Not that big of a deal, because the service is always top notch, no matter how packed the place is. I know I probably could've explained what I wanted a little clearer, if this happens my next visit, I'm going to assume its me being a dumbass and change my rating to 5 stars. Oh the best part is all the dishes are made from scratch; that includes the noodles, sauces, desserts, and everything in between. Fettuccine Alfredo, and Four-Cheese Ravioli... melt in your mouth good. And I'd still recommend the Rigatoni D if you want one of the best Specialty Pasta's ever. And DO NOT SKIP DESSERT. The Mini-Dessert Sampler is perfect for 2 and you get to try a lil bit of everything, or just the Chocolate Zuccotto Cake with a side of Vanilla ice cream. Mmmmm
(4)Skye S.
Each time I have left this place, I have left full and satisfied. I am not going to say that it is the best Italian food out there, but regardless... their food is very good, along with the service. Last time I was there, we told our server to "surprise us" when it came to desert, and rather than picking the most expensive thing like other servers might, ours brought us a reasonably priced chocolate cake. Which, might I add, was DELICIOUS. Even though I was so full from our food, I could not stop eating the chocolate cake. Also, recently they have changed the kind of bread that they serve, and the change was for the better. It is crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and tastes great with balsamic vinegar. My only problem with this place is how close together the tables are, and also how exposed they are. It is not the best place for an intimate date, but great for just a dinner with friends! Lunch time is not busy at all, so if you want some of their delicious food without the crowd or the wait, go in at lunch! Quieter and more intimate. Love this place!
(4)Tani S.
Now I understand the low star reviews... Even though this place is super convenient for where we live we're never going back. The food last night seemed off.. We've been to Maggiano's before and while it's not great Italian, it's fine. Last night changed it for us, the service was good but the food tasted like the chef was half interested. The Mozarella appetizer was burnt, the clam linguine was floating in oil, and the mashed potatoes were hard... To cap it off for the free entrees they give, I found a massive piece of black hair embedded in it this morning as I was debating to toss or heat it.... I called them to mention it and the host offered no apology and then belatedly whether I wanted to talk to the manager. Eww we're never going here again!
(1)LMarie R.
This is our favorite restaurant on the east side. Food is always good, service is awesome. Not too far to walk to Bellevue Downtown park for a stroll after dinner.
(5)Tamera C.
Love this place. Good food been going for years! Great price too! We always go then to a show at the parlor live!
(5)Stacy Y.
Maggiano's needs improvement in food, staff training and comment cards. Yes, comment cards, so we could save the awkward moment talking to a manager but still get the attention why we left unsatisfied. My boyfriend and I came into Maggiano's a little after ten on a Saturday, and the restaurant was still more than half full. They close at 11 P.M. After we were seated, it took about 5 minutes until our server showed up. She was nice, and young. I asked for a hot toddy, she immediately said "we don't have it", but then she asked what is it? So I told her and I said I'm positive the bartender knows how to make it. Anyway, she brought my drink but forgot my boyfriend's wine. Anyway, I ordered spaghetti with meatball in marinara sauce, and my boyfriend ordered baked rigatoni pomodoro. Our food came, my food did not have meatball, so I told the food runner, and he brought it to me, no problem with that. Except both my food and my boyfriend's food were warm, and tasted microwaved. Not only the food were disappointments, as well as service. After our food were there, our server was gone the whole time until she came back with our bill. Another server seemed to have taken her section, but wasn't attentive. So, our bill came, and $12/glass house wine was definitely on the high side, but we didn't question. We still tipped 20% on the bill, and had our food boxed to go. When we got home, I checked the food, and another huge disappointment. I specifically asked to pack my meatball with my spaghetti, and guess what? It was not there!!! Seriously, I wish we had just gone to Jack in the Box instead of Maggiano's. At least they don't forget my food every time I take it to go. Maggiano's, this was the 3rd time I have dined in at the same location in Bellevue. I was not impressed with each visit. Service needs a major improvement, especially to tell your servers to check tables as soon as their food arrive to see if they need anything. I waited more than 5 minutes to finally decided to waive down someone to bring me chili flakes. Also, please don't have your bussers stick their fingers in the water glasses when they set up the tables. Gross. Please use a tray!
(2)Kimi J.
Celebrated my anniversary here and was very pleased with the amazing service! Our server, Jane, was delightful and the food came out so quickly! Every employee we came in contact with wished us a Happy Anniversary and even the manager came by to greet us as well. We received dessert with a "happy anniversary" written in chocolate and even extra lemon cookies on the side. We couldn't stop raving about this place afterwords on the excellent customer service, food, and atmosphere. I'd recommend maggianos to anyone who has a love for Italian food and amazing service!
(5)Mark R.
We had my nephew's wedding rehearsal dinner here, and it was fantastic! The banquet staff gave us a wide range of options for a family-style service for 20 people, and created a wonderful space for a lot of hungry, tired, emotional people. The service was top-notch, and the food was amazing! Everyone was impressed by the quality, style, and presentation! Highly recommended!
(5)Camille C.
Came here for my 21RUN dinner. My first legal drink was a Cosmopolitan, eh. I gave it away. It was pretty stiff for a "girly" drink. Their lemon drops are much better & their "buttery nipples" were yum! That's going to sound wrong, just sayin' The food takes a long time to get. I ordered the chicken marsala. My plate arrived & I was starving, when am I not? I had 2 pieces or what looked like boiled chicken with sauce underneath it. No rice, no mash, no CARBS?! Wth? I was already tipsy by now so I just try to eat it. There was absolutely no flavor to it. So here is how I score it: Drinks: YAY! Food: Nay =[ I prefer Buca to this place. & I'm not too big a fan of Buca. Just sayin'
(2)Angus M.
We made a reservation for 8pm on 8/31/14 for 8 people. We got there exactly at 8pm and we were promptly seated. We order 2 kids' meal, a couple of shrimp scampi and their dine for 2 deal. The food came promptly and it was pretty good. The shrimp scampi had so much shrimp that I wasn't full from angel hair pasta in the dish. It was a little too much shrimp. So I did order a creme brulee for dessert and the kids had ice cream with their kids' meal. The seating in the restaurant felt family like. It was noisy so good to bring the kids. I would definitely go again and take out of town guests to try it.
(4)Abood B.
Perfect place for dates! Service was amazing and food was delicious. I am surprised it's only 3 stars! I think five stars isn't enough... Prices are great too! We got the dinner for two package which included (1 appetizer, 2 classic pastas for dinner, and two to take home, PLUS a dessert) aaaaand all of that was $39.99.. What else can you ask for!!
(5)Patricia C.
YUM!
(5)Dr.Swoo W.
A Gluten-Sensitive Gut's nightmare...but I just can't stay away from their Baked ZITI!!!!! the Caprese salad is so delicious and thank you for bringing back the balsamic vinegar! Definitely worth the pain the next day!
(4)Seattle R.
Why dine? Simple, food and service. Not one without the other. I totally get why Maggiano's has such a low yelp rating: it's the outcome of the Food & Service experience you will have once you dine there. 1) The food is a hit and miss. Strong on flavor, heavy on salt and in the opposite, if it's light on salt, expect a watery sauce. 2) Service from your immediate attendee will be less friendly than the busser, the door greeter, and just the random happy water guy. Wonder where they get it from? my hunch, the onsite manager is not that nice. Frankly, they probably don't respect or care much for the guy. And that's just my speculation. In the end, I am happy to take my wallet some place else. not for me.
(2)Sabrina W.
delicious at the begining and greasy at the end
(3)Oremo O.
I would call this really good corporate style Italian Food. They are better than Olive Garden without being expensive. I am a huge fan of their Lasagna and steak dishes. They also have a lunch special where if you order an item of the classic pasta menu they will give you another item of the menu to take home for later, for free. It is a great deal.
(3)Chantelle E.
I have come here a handful of times now and I really don't have any complaints. We always do the family style dinner, with a fixed price. You can do $25-45.00 per person, depending on what types of dishes you select. We always go for the $29 per person option, which includes two types of BOTTOMLESS salads, two appetizers, three main dishes and two desserts. I love the family style because they bring multiple plates for each end of the table, so if you have a large group (ours was 20+) you don't have to pass things down constantly. Each time I have been here the service has been great. The drinks come out perfectly, the food comes out warm and on time. The missing star? I wish they would check in, in between courses. Sometimes things can feel a bit rushed. We will definitely be back
(4)Sovannary S.
I know I came here to eat with like 20 people so I should have little to complain about... but I don't. I dont know how to say this in a nice way... The service sucked. When we first arrived, two of my friends and I went to the bar to get drinks, I got an Italian soda! That took FOREVER. My friends got wine so I have no Idea why it took forever. When we sat down for food, our waiter had to have been a noob. This guy had no idea what he was doing. He'd went back and forth past our table several times but never took our order. I'd see him, wave him down and he wouldn't even glance over! Rude. or new. Yikes. When our food finally came out, he took forever to get out our bill. I mean, why wouldn't you do that while we are eating? Sheesh.
(2)Rachel V.
I love this place. The Yelp reviews don't do this place justice. The food is great and the prices are spot on. Never had bad service or food here and I've been here a lot. Just avoid this place on a diet. I usually come here with coworkers for an early dinner and always stay hours, talking and eating. It's also a great date place for people who don't have 100's to spend.
(5)Tanya J.
Though Maggiano's is a chain, yes, this place has always been a solid spot for heavy and hearty Italian food! Most things I've had, I've had no complaints about which says a lot for a chain restaurant in my mind. The desserts here are one of the highlights about this place and I've actually found myself here for dessert alone with friends! Just recently I attended a wedding reception here and I have to say, I was completely impressed and blown away. The banquet room in the back of the restaurant was gorgeous, extremely spacious (that too with 200+ guests) the service was spot on, and the food was really nice. In particular, the breaded zucchini was one of my faves as well as the eggplant parmigiana. Again though, as commercialized as chains can be, the reception was absolutely fantastic and quite unique all the way around. That just impressed me so much! If you've never thought of Maggiano's for a formal gathering I highly recommend it! This is a fantastic venue for any formal special occasion.
(4)Neon H.
Not sure why this place was raved so much about. I went here for prom and it took one hour for food to come out and by the time it came out, we had a few bites and left. The food was drenched with oil on my end unfortunately. I would not come here again for the price and quality.
(2)Jeff E.
Generally unimpressed with their food, however the atmosphere is nice. I know I could make better pasta at home and for pennies on the dollar. Fettucine alfredo take-out at Maggiano's is $15 with some pasta, sauce, and broccoli. I expect at least some chicken or other things like mushrooms. You could go to Cheesecake Factory down the block and get better pasta for the same price. Bottom line: Wouldn't go there on my own free will except if was someone else was paying. If you want decent Italian food from a chain/franchise, I suggest Romano's Macaroni Grill. Shame there isn't one in Bellevue...
(2)Margaret S.
I have a lot of friends who don't like this place but I do! Maybe i'm just lucky but I always have great service and great food. I love their spaghetti and meatballs and their lasagna. Basic but really good. Plus you get a FULL order to take home. You just can't beat it for the price. I also like to order a side of their alfredo sauce, which they make from scratch. Mixing it with the meat sauce makes such a creamy sauce, I love it. I would recommend this place. People complain about waiting on the weekends, ya, get over it. ITS BELLEVUE. Most places have a long wait and can get hectic. Might not be the most authentic but its a good family environment and its relaxed. :)
(4)S S.
As many other reviewers have stated, this place has atrocious front-end host/reservation issues. We called ahead and were told there would be no problem being seated and were explicitly told that no reservation was necessary. We arrived within minutes of the time we'd discussed and were told it would be a 45-60 minute wait. What? But we just talked to you and you said there would be no wait? This is a huge restaurant - don't tell me you just filled the whole thing. Alas, no apology, just attitude. I have eaten at many different Maggiano's, many times. Why? Certainly not for the food, which is usually for-the-masses-fine, but because it's usually a safe and easy place to go with the kids. But this latest experience ended that. No more.
(1)Bill P.
Maggiano's makes food for the masses and they clearly try not to offend anyone. That means that the food is decent, but by no means great. It's not especially authentic (I'm full Italian heritage raised in New York), and it's not avant-garde. The restaurant is designed to look Italian, complete with "family" pictures on the walls and Sinatra playing in the background. The service is good, and the portions generous. But ultimately the food is unmemorable. We've been to Maggiano's many times, and we usually go because we can't get in somewhere else and we know that our group will be able to find something to eat. While they are usually full, they can almost always get you a table, even without a reservation (except during the Christmas shopping season -- get a res). If you're in Bellevue and want decent food for a group with less than adventurous tastes, Maggiano's won't impress, but it won't disappoint either.
(3)Benjamin K C.
I love this place. It satisfies all my Italian craves. I highly recommend the lobster carbonara. It's superb. I'm still thinking about it. I mean, what can go wrong with lobster, snow peas and bacon?? This is made in heaven!! Plus, the portions are so big that its enough to take home for a second enjoyment. Their regular pastas are great too. Can't beat $12.95 for TWO pasta dish with one to take home. The few times I go there, the server are awesome. They really know their menu and gave good recommendation. Also kudos to the front desk staff for being so understanding. I went there in person to make a reservation in advance. They were very accommodating even though there were fully booked that night. Their cocktail drinks can be off sometimes. Just don't order anything out of the menu. Oh also don't order the house wine.
(4)Jerome B.
This restaurant screams average to me! Average experience, average food, average waitstaff... My coworker and I decided to try this place for the first time for lunch. We work at Lincoln Square so we entered from the inside enterance--it was quite a ways to the front of the restaurant where the hostess was. We get seated by one of the workers and while he was trying to make small conversation with us, it just seemed forced. We sat down on a both which was at the corner of the resaurant. Our server comes out and he too had the same rehearsed and lifeless dialogue that the person who sat us had. He recommended a few things for us BUT it seemed like he was pushing to make an extra sale rather than truly informing us about their food. The food comes out, I got the tortellini which was jumbo sized. It was alright. Not great but not disgusting. The decoration inside was creeping me out! They had old photographs of people. I dunno, seemed a little cryptic to me. Thank god I visited during the day, because if it was at night, the setting would definitely be more creepier All in all, I wouldn't recommend this place . If you're really hungry and you HAD to eat right at that moment, I guess this place would suffice...
(2)Andrew L.
Lots of Food... Like LOTS OF FOOD... You don't come here because you are on a diet; otherwise you will fail so badly, that even your mother on a good day, will smack you so hard; you will feel it for a two weeks. This is a chain, my friends would call it a good chain, I'm going to disagree mostly because its quantity here, quality seems to have been lost slightly, just because it's well known, that you are going to have extras, and they have boxes ready built, for those who eat normal portions. The Food. I think that it's obvious, that I don't have a strong favor toward the food here, but it's not entirely a bad experience either. This is an Italian joint, with what people would assume are Italian favorites. You get Spaghetti, raviolis, breads, fried zucchini, and sliced tomato with mozzarella cheese; these are done well, nothing standout, but if you are getting food here, expect the usual fare. Redeeming factors? Apple Crostada; this is like an Apple pie, which is basically smashed onto a plate, then baked. They then put a scoop of Ice Cream on top. It's a simple item, and hey, it's yummy. I think I'm not going to come here just for a dessert, but I guess if I'm going to be here in a large group, then there you go.
(3)Serdar Y.
I was always not very satisfied with this place. Their choices seemed limited, they are expensive and they are always busy. Last time finally I enjoyed everything I had very much. I started with Margherita Flatbread. It was good. The crust may be a ready crust, it didn't taste like freshly baked. But as an appetizer it is tasty. And I tried their Beef Braciole in the Favorites menu and I loved it. That was the best Italian dish I tried so far. It is not creamy or greasy, and it is not overwhelmingly covered with cheese. Beef cutlets and ground beef worked very well with the tomato sauce and pasta. I am finally happy with an Italian dish which is tasteful, rich and unique. I finished with Nonna's Pound Cake with Caramelized Bananas. It was a good choice since it kind of has all type of desserts in one, it has cake, ice cream, caramelized bananas and hot fudge. I wish they have used more fudge but overall they all tasted great together.
(4)John M.
I will never, ever, dine at a Maggiano's again! With that said, here's why... They charge an exorbinant amount for wine. Example: A bottle of Palazzo Della Torre costs approximately $18.00 retail, if not less. They charge $44.00 for a bottle, and for a nine ounce glass, more than a whole bottle costs, retail. The viciously price-gouging wine costs aside, the service was horrific. We had to ask for bread plates, silverware, water, and had to flag down our waitress to order 30 minutes after getting our drinks. After placing our order, we had another 40 minute wait, and eventually asked the status of our meal since the staff seemed not to care or were just too busy to care. After the food arrived, the spaghetti noodles and side of broccolini appeared deep fried and the food looked aged - left under a heat lamp too long? The waiter that brought our food should have noticed that, turned around, and taken it straight back to the kitchen instead of dropping it on our table. I was enraged at this point and eventually spoke with the manager. She comp'd the entire meal, and when I declined to even eat what was brought to us, she offered to box it up, which I also refused. I was so disgusted with the service that the thought of having any reminder of our visit was utterly repugnant at that point. I'd eaten there in the past, and don't feel one way or another about the food. It's okay, but not great. It's the constitenly horrible service and the ridiculous wine prices that really sets this restaurant firmly amongst the lowest ranking restaurants in all of the greater Seattle area, in my mind. I've given them three chances to change my mind, and now I'm done with them. Again, I'll never, ever, dine at a Maggiano's again!
(1)Linda H.
Dustin...hands down one of the best waiters we've ever had anywhere. Service definitely 5 stars. We had family style menu amd it was wonderful. I really liked the crab cakes and the linguine di mare. Oh and the tomato w/ mozarrela and basil...to die for. I will definitely come back.
(5)Stephanie G.
I must say, I was a little excited last time and had a wonderful experience - but this most recent trip was a little more sobering. It was early dinnertime on a Sunday and the place was crawling with children. It's a very loud dining room and I personally do not care for the open-style seating. Our waiter was not as on his game as our previous waiter, but the likely difference is that this waitier probably has a part-time gig - the previous waiter seemed more like the career-type waiter. Still good eats and a great deal - I love getting the meal to take-home.
(4)C J T.
Made a reservation early in the day for a party of 24. Had to wait 45 minutes after the reserved time to be seated. The food was okay but nothing spectacular to me. We had fried cheese, salad with bacon bits that weren't bacon bits (some other crispy meat), a white sauce chicken and mushroom pasta, and eggplant lasagna (didn't even try that). The staff was polite. It was okay but I wasn't impressed.
(1)Melissa K.
Saltiest lasagna I've ever had. Also, who needs an entire other meal to take home? Just order one, I don't need to re-live my already crappy experience tomorrow. I probably ate 1/3rd of my lasagna & my mouth was burning from the salt. No bueno. Wouldn't ever go back.
(2)Chris K.
I was a little hesitant about dining here at first. I'm glad I ignored my instinct and gave them a chance. First off, it's a little pricey but not bad for Bellevue. But once you see how much food you get, fugetaboudit! It's a bargain! We went on a weekend night without reservations so there was a pretty decent wait. We ended up eating at the bar, and had a great meal. Service was great as well. Our appetizer got held up in the kitchen and came after our meal but we still got it, it was still delicious, and even better they comped it. Some great wines as well and the take home pastas are both a great value and very tasty!
(5)Jay Y.
The atmosphere was eleghant and warm. The linens were crisp and clean. The seating was comy and the food even more so. I tried three dishes as well as Tiramasu. The bread was ciabatta with balsamic vinegar and olive oil for starters on the house. Overall I would rate the food an 8 of 10 with ten being the best ever. The only think lacking was the customer service. I would have expected that after paying $150.00 for lunch that I would have at least recieved some better service. It's a great idea for a date but ahve patience since the staff is lacking.
(4)Kelly P.
Maggiano's never lets us down. Whether we are just a couple going for dinner or part of large groups. We have eaten off of the individual menu-you can't beat their buy one get one to take home pastas. We have always found the portions generous and go home with leftovers even before our free one. The family style menu is great for a group. It allows you to try many of the dishes off of the menu and gives you free refills. From salads to pastas to desserts, we have never had anything we didn't like. Personal favorites include the salmon with orzo, Maggiano's salad and the lemon cookies for a lighter dessert. Why bother with a lighter dessert after all that?! Make reservations to get a table sooner but worth the wait regardless.
(4)D C.
Reading the reviews before hand, I knew what to expect - essentially Olive Garden with a shirt and tie. The place isn't bad if you like Americanized Italian food. Recently coming back from a trip to Italy though, most of the options on the menu are catered towards North American tastes - very heavy, both in terms of the ingredients as well as the portions. Not seeing anything to our liking on the regular menu, my wife and I opted for Marco's dinner for two, which is a decent deal, consisting of an appetizer, two classic entrees, and a desert for $40. On top of that, for whatever reason, this meal includes two additional pre-packaged classic entrees for you to take home, which baffled us - were they leftovers? did they think the dinner wouldn't be enough and that we would need a midnight snack? Whatever the case, I thought it was excessive and a bit weird. In any case, for our appetizer we shared Jumbo Lump Crabcakes, which had two decently sized crab cakes accompanied with arugula salad and tomato aioli sauce. Taste was good and there was a decent amount of crab (as opposed to potato or another filler) in the crabcakes. For our mains we chose spaghetti and meatballs and a baked rigatoni pomodoro. Portions were extremely large, even for a 210lb guy like me. It tasted ok, but as mentioned and expected, it was not very authentic Italian food. For our desert we had the Tiramisu, which looked like the size of a hamburger. Only my wife ate it and she said it tasted fine. All in all it was an ok experience. We would go again if we happen to be shopping at Bellevue Square and crave pseudo-Italian food; otherwise there are other more authentic Italian eateries in the area that we'd rather try. If you do decide to go, either make a reservation, go really early (i.e. 5pm), or be prepared to sit at the bar. We walked in without reservations at 5:15pm and just barely managed to get a bar table.
(3)Gary F.
There's a lot to like about Maggiano's starting with the pre-World War II dinner house decor which is extremely well done and not the least bit 'theme-y'. The menu lends itself to big Tony Soprano family style dinners with appetizers like the bruschetta, calamari, or sausage and peppers. Pastas make up the core of the menu with a great rigatoni, chicken & spinach manicotti, the full complement of classic spaghettis, and two types of lasagna, marinara or meat sauce. You owe it to yourself to go with a big group so you can try it all. My personal favorite is the linguine with clams. They have a carryout counter and it's awesome to swing through and take orders to go, although parking can be a bit tricky. Their chicken saltimbocca with carmelized onions over angel hair is is good - in fact all their chicken dishes (parmesan, piccata, marsala, etc.) are great. Pricing is reasonable given the quality and portion size. The classic pastas all run about $13, the specialty pastas run from $15-16, though the ones with lobster and crab can get up to $21. I've eaten in both the dining room and the bar. The bar is relaxed but like the dining room it has starched white tablecloths so it's not Soprano's dive-y at all. Maggiano's was founded in the early 90's in Chicago, and was sold to Norman Brinker, the guy credited with inventing the salad bar. His company also owns Chili's, but don't hold that against Maggiano's; the two have little in common.
(4)Ken L.
I have been to many different Maggianos before and 2 out of the last 8 times I have experienced slow or poor service. Luckily, the management at the Bellevue location is cognizant and in many cases identify that their service is lacking and offer a discount and their apologies. In the couple of instances that I received slow service (i.e. 30 minutes wait for a plate of pasta), the manager approached me with an apology and offered to provide the meal on the house. If it weren't this great incentive, I definitely would not return time and time again. Great job and continue this practice as it produces repeat customers instead of angry customers who you will never see again!
(4)Renée Y.
Wow... I was amazed. Great service and CHEAP price. People are casually celebrating and chilling but the interior is fancy enough to make a great atmosphere. Found the seats comfortable with a decent distance between each other. Therefore, comparing to a large number of people, the noise was average. Would like to visit this place again :)
(5)Kristy W.
We recently went here with friends, my third time here, and I love this location. Excellent food, atmosphere, and prices. I ordered the Maggiano's Salad (side salad) with crispy prosciutto, red onions and bleu cheese. Literally this is my favorite salad I have ever had at a restaurant. SO good. My husband felt the same way. I would order this salad every time and never try anything else. I had the chicken and spinach manicotti for $15.95. Oh so delicious. I am sure the pasta is handmade, the chicken and the sauce are amazing too. Some people ordered the deal where for $12, you pick one pasta on the list (like spaghetti and meatballs or fettuccini alfredo) and you can pick a second pasta on the list and they pack it in a to go box. It's a great deal and tempting for the value-minded, but my "specialty pasta" manicotti was a lot more special. Another friend ordered the rustic chicken and shrimp for $17.50 and it was good but not as amazing as the manicotti. The kids' meals were impressive, especially the flatbread pizza! It was huge and we were all picking off of it. Love the atmosphere! Fun, not generic, bustling, festive kid-friendly. We did have to wait 20 minutes even though we had a reservation but oh well. One minor suggestion. They should do fresh ground pepper on the salads and fresh grated parm on the pastas.
(5)Ron Z.
great food and atmosphere. well worth making this restaurant a top 10 on the local foodie list.
(5)Wendy P.
No way will we return to this restaurant, EVER AGAIN! This place was recommended by one of my friends, so I decided that I'd try this place out for dinner before catching the Snowflake Lane show. Long story show, horrible service from the front desk to our waiter. Even if I liked the food, I would not return with such awful service. The front desk person was rude as well as our waiter, who reeked of cigarettes when he was around. The food was AWFUL. The marinara sauce was WAY too salty. The pasta dishes my husband and son ordered were dried. My eggplant parmesan was mushy, spongy, and inedible. Each of our dinners came with another dinner to take home, but none of us want to take anything home for free, it was that awful.
(1)Gena S.
A nice classy Italian place! Great for family outings or a romantic date!
(4)Brian T.
Terrible service. We waited an hour only for our server to tell us they ran out of the food we wanted. We re-ordered and then waited another 30 minutes for our new order to come out. The food we got was terrible. All in all an awful experience. This is saddening to me because I've had a good time at other Maggiano's.
(1)Sim M.
Wow, are the portions big or what! Wonderful decor, good place for occasions. Tried a few things,mushroom and veal ravioli and bruschetta is absolutely delicious. Not so crazy about the Parmesan and Zucchini Fritte .
(3)Sarah K.
Go out to dinner in a really awkward environment in which you are holding back the urge to cry or poke a certain person with a fork and see how much you pay attention to the the restaurant. First the bathroom: I spent a fair amount of time in here as I paced around giving myself a pep talk about how I must strive to be the bigger better person. The best part about this entire pacing and focusing ritual that took place was there were no screaming children to interrupt the zen flow. That is because they have a FAMILY restroom as well as a men's and women's..! More places need to do this! Food: I had the lobster ravioli and it was quite yummy! I had the half portion and it was enough to bring home for another meal as well as feel like I needed to be rolled out of the restaurant for eating to much! The boyfriend got the beef cannelloni and it was divine. I think for the first time in the history of us he outdid me in ordering. The third person had the 1/2 order of spaghetti and meatballs and the size of it was massive. Her negative self said remarkably positive things so that must say worlds about the flavor and quality. Booze: The waiter and I must have been on some level understanding. I needed alcohol and could not look like the alcoholic ordering multiple drinks or a tequila shot. So when a nerve was struck I ordered coffee and alcohol and let him be creative about it. What he brought me was a glassful of alcohol with a smidge of coffee and whip cream to top it off. It was just what the doctor ordered! There is a place in waiter heaven for him for that kind deed he did for me. Ambiance: I love the booths and dark wood and dim lighting. It is pretty family friendly and there were lots of families and large groups sporting the mini thems. It's a good everyday great meal ambiance. I really like Maggianos. Great place to get a group together and order family style. However it is not the place I would ever be content or okay with for an anniversary or birthday. But that's just me the foodie snob.
(4)Moby K.
Okay food. Reasonably priced. Great seating arrangements. The waitress was kinda noob and messed things up couple of times.
(3)Leah W.
I never got a chance to eat here. I was going to have my rehearsal dinner here in it's private dining area even though we would have had to shell out a few thousand for it we thought it would be worth it. They sat my Mom and I at the bar where we waited and waited for someone to come out with the private dining menu and prices. The staff behind the bar kept calling one of the servers filthy names for thinking cranberries grew in the ocean and said he was smoking crack. So unprofessional - we were a foot away. No one ever came to talk to us about reserving the room so we just went to Desert Fire in Redmond and it was great.
(1)Anna M.
We went there on saturday night with a reservation made ahead at 6:00 pm. The greeting was warm and we got seated it right away, the table was a nice set up, the waiter was very friendly and super nice with a great smile. The bread and oil on the house was nice and our food was very tasty and good. if you order from the pasta menu, you get to take a dish home as well. WE WILL BE BACK!
(5)Gabrielle F.
Sat in the bar and waited over 20 minutes without a peep from a single server before my friend and I walked out. Yes it was a Friday night, but if multiple servers had time to clean off 4 tables, they had time to acknowledge our presence.
(1)Cindy T.
My first time (& last) being here was for Valentine's Day. Yes, even though its a 'holiday' and all couples will be out, my bf made a last minute reservation, just for the occasion. Like many other places, the restaurant was packed. Even though we had reservations, we waited for roughly 35 minutes. By the time, I was starving, so I was ready to eat up. I had ravioli, along with a couple of appetizers we ordered. My boyfriend had the potato dumplings. Big mistake by our choice of food at this place. Service sucked-but I can understand and already had the expectation, since it was a busy busy night of serving couples. My complaint is the food. The dumplings were TASTELESS. Basically you were eating nothing in your mouth, except for a glob of flour. Even the basil flavored sauce didn't help at all, but made it even blander. My ravioli was fine, except for the price (even if at a regular day) was pricey for my taste. Our bruschetta looked like I could have possibly made it. So simple, yet it was not carefully executed. At this type of restaurant, for this type of food--Go somewhere else. Macaroni Grill would be better off, seriously. Unfortunately, our dining experience wasn't pleasant due to the over-priced menu food, and the loud, crowded atmosphere. But I recommend if you want to make the most out of your money for Italian food, head elsewhere with the same price.
(2)Richard C.
Should add your email to their promotion:-)) Always good and always plenty :-))
(5)Tim G.
I've never eaten in the dining room but man they have some great happy hour prices. I thought the service was good and drinks strong enough. Make sure you pee before leaving, if you're coming back across 520. You never know when some nitz is gonna run outta gas mid-span.
(4)David S.
This is just a good all around Itallian restaurant. I usually get the spaghetti with a simple marinara sauce. I've also tried the caesar salad and it's fantastic. I like it strong and they don't disappoint there. People we've been with have tried several other dishes and they all come out great. If you're used to going to restaurants and getting the 'large' meals...seriously consider the server's warnings. Because good god - the large portions are massive. Bucket o' pasta. We had enough leftovers for days. Even the half orders are impossible to finish. Busy times can be *extremely* loud. Especially if you're in the table seating and not the booths. So it's not really a place for a romantic, quiet dinner. But off-hours it's much better. Finally, this place is very busy. If you walk-in during dinner without reservations, you'll be waiting a long time. Make reservations.
(4)D S.
My High School's 30 year renunion was held at Maggiano's and if not for the wonderful people I grew up with making it a very enjoyable evening I might be making this a 1 Star review. The banquet room in which all 120ish classmates were in was sweaty hot from the moment we arrived, and remained so throughout. Really miserable. They had a cash-only bar, which was bad enough, but the nearest cash machine was outside the building in the Mall. And for much of the evening they had only a single bartender serving a very hot and thirsty group, with only a single file space on the bar in which to make an order. Very crowded, very uncomfortable. The food tasted great...the tiny portion I was able to grab. It was gone before anyone knew it was available to be eaten. I saw hardly anyone eating. And given what we paid to attend, you can say we didn't get our money's worth. I can't say how Maggiano's is as a restaurant but as the hosts of a large dinner banquet they left a lot to be desired.
(2)Christina B.
A fun place to go. Ton's of food for a good value and all very tasty. Though the inside is dark , the ambiance is cozy. I love the traditional family setting and how the food is brought out family style in courses.
(3)Patricia T.
Have tried to get into this very busy restaurant several times before and finally had success tonight. Had to sit in the bar, but had full menu, so not a big deal. Ordered calamari app, split the veal marsala, angel hair pomodoro and the chop salad. Besides the fact that it was 45 minutes between the app and the meal, iI finished my first glass of wine 10 minutes before the server asked is I wanted another. Then they ran out of veal, so we had to have chicken instead. Food was on par with the Olive Garden. Nothing special. Calamari was good average, crispy, with pretty good dipping sauce. The salad needed a little longer in the colander, pretty watery. Pasta was nothing but average. Chx marsala isnt anything my husband couldnt make at home. I got out to dinner to have something special, not something he can make me at home. The waiter graciously took the dessert off the ticket, which was nice as it was the best part of the meal! Pound cake, ice cream and carmelized bananas Yummy. Will give them one more try, but wont wait in line for it.
(2)Adriel O.
The food was excellent, the services was well, atrocious! We obviously got stuck with the rookie, she was a young, small, Asian girl who despite all her apologies and smiles couldn't remember the simplest of orders or plates & water for that matter. Yes, you heard that correctly, we went 2/3 of the way through our meal eating off the serving plate like hobos off of a trash can lid. She checked on us twice, once just after appetizers and the second time after we were done, the busboy grabbed our water & plates, she was clueless. I will personally recommend "Rigatoni D" & the garlic & lemon broccolini, but if you see the waitress I described above ask to be moved to another table/ server.
(2)Rosey J.
I went here with my cousin and her husband for lunch during the weekday. I agree, the portions are really huge. I had the lasagna, my cousins had the chicken parm and spaghetti bolognese. I think if you are not a cook, the food seems good. However, if you cook a lot and cook Italian - most of the items are foods that you can cook yourself for the same quality and taste. I know many people who rave about this restaurant. I think it's a good location for company luncheons and meetings. However, I think there are better restaurant options in this area.
(3)Michael M.
Service (Good) Personally, I thought the service was good. The waitress was attentive. She frequented our table often - always conscious of our needs and refilling our dishes whenever we ran low. I was very pleased. Food (OK) As a whole, the food was OK. The portions was enormous. That I cannot complain about. But if you're looking for quality - this is not the establishment. If you're looking to gorge your mind/belly out - this is the restaurant for you. Was it worth a single experience?! Sure... Would I visit again? Maybe one more time but it's not a place that I would frequent all too often. Night's menu selection ----------- **Appetizers -- Bruschetta: Excellent dish; Although swimming in the varied condiments, the bread came out still very crispy Calamari Fritte: Decent dish; nothing outstanding or landmark about this item. Personally, I think the Garage in Capitol Hill makes better calamari **Salad-- Caesar Salad: So so...nothing to write home about Spinach Salad: Loved, loved, loved this salad. Ordinarily, I'm not really into salads but this item had a nice zesty, sweet flavor to die for. Definitely a must have... **Pasta-- Spaghetti, Meatball: The meatballs were gigantic but the overall flavor of the dish was ok. Assuming I visit this restaurant again, I'll look to replace this dish with the Lasagna. Gnocchi, Tomato Vodka Sauce: First time ever having gnocchi but I have to admit - I was not impressed. The dish didn't have much flavor to it. It was just pieces of relatively uncooked pasta dough. I would've preferred paying a couple of dollars more for the Shrimp/Angel Hair. Extremely disappointed... **Entrée-- Chicken Parmesan: Not all that impressed with this dish; The chicken was nice and tender but the flavor was eeh - mediocre. I could've been just as satisfied buying one of the frozen dinner dishes. Chicken Marsala: Again, the chicken was nice and tender but other than that...nothing memorable. **Dessert-- Homemade Profiteroles: When ordering this item, our dinner friends set my expectations really high with this dish. Unfortunately, when it came out...I was none too impressed. The ice cream was good and so was the complimenting fudge...But the pastry shell was hard; almost as if it was a day old. Creme Brulee: Can't comment...didn't eat it. Too full by the time dessert came around.
(3)Erica A.
Erica Asahan wrote: Well, I am not sure if they own their own pasta mill and squid farm, but man, by the time I get to the main dish, I was already dead! The amount of food they give you is just unbelievable! Our server the night we had dinner there was KATIE, cutsie little blonde. She was pleasant, but I tell you, I am glad I do not work there! Prices are not that bad, but I wonder if they really have to give you that much food? Their plates are the size of a flying saucer, the sliced cake was the size of my cake last year and I had a full sheet! Uuurf ~ sorry! I just barfed spaghetti again ~
(3)João P.
Nice place. Good pasta with clams, and a dish very well served! For the price paid I think it is a good deal, and it's not like it's cheap.
(4)Douglas C.
In my opinion its the only REAL Italian chain restaurant. I am by no means to snobby to enjoy a good chain restaurant. They're always consistant and have a reputation to uphold. I always get the baked veal and mushroom ravioli and my wife magically seems to get us here when they have fried rav as a special. Delicious, though the portions are always humungous. So, if you honestly feel this is the "claim jumper" of Italian, nobody said you had to order the full portion. They off half, too! I will say that, while I enjoy the atmosphere, the building itself makes even normal conversations loud, so I try to steer clear of sitting next to large parties.
(4)Dale C.
If italian food with a romantic ambiance on a buget is what you're looking for, consider Maggiano's. It by no means blows my mind in any shape or form, but considering the entire experience, I thought it was worth 3.5 stars and here's why: - walkin party of 3 waited 20 minutes as promised. They give beepers for restless customers that want to walk around the local mall. - from the outside, it looks like an upscale italian restaurant, and inside is no different. With historic pictures of old times in the lobby and plush leather chairs, it made me wonder if the price was going to match the nice ambiance. It actually was on the cheaper side IMO. ~7-15 for a main pasta dish, ~20-25 for more ritzy dishes (seafood, steak, etc.). - portions were satisfactory for a guy that eats a ton every meal. I left full. hooray! granted, we did have refills on the free bread... - expect peak hours during the week to be busy. We sat on tables that were in very close proximity to our neighbors, so if privacy is what you need, then request a booth. - I ordered some gnocci dish which I thought was not that great, but the other dish I tried was great, so average that out....and you got good. Good enough. I usually love hole-in-the-wall joints, but since I'm not a local, this modern style italian chain provided the necessary factors to satisfy my italian food craving, but didn't leave a lasting impression of any kind. So...3.5 stars...maybe 3.75.
(4)Carrie H.
Hands down, best Caesar salad. Eva. The end.
(4)Jojo A.
A friend recommended this place in Bellevue, WA. Food was great but overpriced. In my opinion, I find smaller italian restaurants taste better. But for a chain restaurant, I find the food enjoyable. Place was pretty tight and very noisy. You might want to think twice bringing that stroller.
(3)T H.
This place uses so much salt your meal should come with a pitcher of water! While it's a little classier than Olive Garden, the food isn't much better. The only time I would recommend this place is when or if you are planning a small corporate function- people will eat an OK meal @ an OK price. But if your looking for good Italian don't go here.
(1)Miguel L.
Tried lasagna and I was expecting a better experience. Must go there again to taste anything else :)
(2)Jeremy W.
So I came here as a guest of a Microsoft recruiting event. It was a bit of a party-type-thing so we had a private room in this restaurant which was way, way bigger than it needed to be. Let me tell you, this place was like the CATACOMBS -- you walked through and there were all kinds of weirdly-placed aisles that went into nooks and crannies. Definitely not a nice, open place like I prefer. Moreover, there were no windows. And it wasn't necessarily romantic, just weird. This restaurant suffers from the classic "way too much sauce on everything" problem that some Italian restaurants suffer from. Because everything was so overly either (1) cheesy or (2) oily, I didn't go near a lot of it. The chicken breast was alright because it didn't have too much sauce on it. And the cheese on the breast wasn't melted, so I could brush it all off. The best items on the "menu"? The dessert fruit plate and the apples that were the centerpieces of the tables. Yes, I actually ate the centerpieces. All in all, the environment *worked* for the office party setting, but not much more than that. I wouldn't come here otherwise. And I did notice that everyone who I dined with picked at their food, just like I did. Moral of the story? Check it out if your office is putting on an event and giving you a free dinner.
(2)K N.
The food was good but not great. Our drinks arrived after our meal with no explanation and the service was okay.
(2)Erin R.
Totally decent food with a great family meal atmosphere.
(3)Sherry S.
This place is pretty good if you're craving Italian. My friends took me here for my 21st birthday and it wasn't bad at all. We ordered family style and OMG I was stuffed before I wanted to be. We got the classic family dinner which includes 2 appetizers, 2 salads, 4 main courses, and 2 desserts - which you select from a list. We had: *Sausage & Peppers: Mmmmm this was delicious. The sausage was full of flavor and zest... not to mention, juicy. *Calamari: Not bad at all but I've had better. It was a bit oily and nauseating but it could've been worse *Caesar & Maggiano's salad: These were both good. Esp, the maggiano salad. Something about it... I couldn't stop eating it. *Famous Rigatoni D: OMGOSH. Words cannot describe how DELICOUS this was. This was my favorite dish out of everything! I will FOR SURE be getting this the next time I go back. The marsala cream sauce totally puts the dish together... so creamy and flavorful.. it's like a party in your mouth. *Chicken Pesto Linguine: I didn't really like their version. It was a bit bland and there was definitely many things missing in the flavoring. Simply adding salt and pepper didn't do any justice either. I wouldn't really recommend this. I didn't like the texture of the pesto either... it was kind of... chunky?? *Grilled Salmon lemon & herb: Almost too dry but had the right amount of lemon to it. So-so... I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to anyone. *Beef Braciole: This was just okay to me... Tasted a little dry and hard going down. I would recommend this place to anyone and most definitely recommend the famous rigatoni d. It's famous for a reason!!! MMMM!
(4)Yuri M.
The service made the experience disappointing. It could have been that we had to ask the server for drink refills several times before we actually got them. Or that our take home boxes disappeared in the depths of the kitchen. Or maybe it was the decaff we ordered was not decaff at all (another waiter informed us the decaff brewer was broken). Ordered the Calamari Appetizer, Ziti and Sausage and the food tasted OK. Nothing to write home about. I expected much more from this place.
(2)Alex L.
Maggiano's isn't that authentic for an Italian restaurant. Way too American for my taste. The lasagna didn't taste that good at all. None of the foods I had at Maggiano's tasted good. After a couple bites I already figured I don't like it. The service isn't good. It was slow, they waiters/waitresses barely checked in on you to see if everything's tasting well. The bathrooms looked like a detention from the outside looking in. The only real pro for Maggiano's is the theme. I liked the dimly lit design. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this restaurant.
(1)Elana k.
It was awful. The only saving grace was the free classic pasta when you buy one. The $11 was a waste of money. The Maggianos in Texas are much better.
(1)Tyler P.
Overpriced, chain-restaurant, processed crud dressed up in ambience to hide the lack of quality and mediocre service. Do I really need to say any more? Well, I will so you can make your own mind up: I ordered the chicken Cacciatore. It was absolutely drowned in sauce. I had a hard time finding the chicken. The well of sauce contained about 5 small pieces that had not even absorbed the flavors of the sauce and spices (as if the meat were thrown into a pre-made sauce and not simmered in it). The mushrooms it contained looked and tasted like they were from a can; for the price, I expected fresh. Plus, I think the dish would have been more accurately named "mushroom cacciatore sauce with some chicken (maybe)." Our waitress knew zero about wine, which would be fine if she had bothered to admit it and find someone who did (everyone has to start somewhere). As it was, she swore I'd love the "Swill-O Estates Red 2006" with my caciattore. I swear it was vinegar with grape juice added for effect. If I had an Uncle Angelo, I'm certain he'd be rolling in his grave.
(2)CJ T.
Why is this restaurant so popular? Copious amounts of food laden with butter, cream and cheese does not make a good dining experience. This restaurant always has a huge crowd during the dinner hour, so seeing as it was 10:00 when we were looking for a place to eat, I figured it'd be a good time to try out what must be a happening place. It's a big deception! The food is marginally better than opening a can of spaghetti-o's and dumping a pound of butter and milk into it. The atmosphere feels contrived and it was incredibly noisy despite only being about a quarter full. This is yet another example of a terrible chain restaurant commoditizing a food tradition and pillaging patrons of their hard-earned cash. Head around the corner to Luciano's or to Montlake to Cafe Lago for pasta worth paying for.
(1)Linda X.
I came here on Thursday June 18 as soon as I landed at Sea-Tac airport. Let's see, what did we order: Sliced Tomato & Fresh Mozzarella: it was very good. The slices of beefsteak tomatoes were thick and the mozzarella soft and creamy. Rigatoni D: the pasta was al dente, the chicken pieces were, I'm assuming, hand shredded. The Marsala cream sauce was a bit too sweet for my liking. Spaghetti & Meatball: what can I say? Very traditional. The meatball was GIGANTIC ... ohmygosh but otherwise it was very delicious. o yah, I almost forgot! I ordered a Frozen Peach Bellini, it was delish =p yum
(4)Teresa C.
I had the Lobster Spaghetti Carbonara - yum! I've been here a few times and the servers are consistently good. They check on you often, know the menu well, fill your water glasses, etc. I really like the ambiance, too. Traditional Italian restaurant decor. And the food is great, starting with the bread/olive oil/balsamic vinegar, the entrees and ending with their delicious desserts. If you love Italian food as much as I do, you will love this place. And yes, their portions are very large. You will definitely have yummy leftovers to take home.
(5)Katie M.
Maggiano's is a chain Italian restaurant a couple of notches above Olive Garden. The food is pretty good and the portions are HUGE! I can usually eat leftovers for two more meals. I haven't had anything that I really hated, but some of the dishes can be a little on the salty side -- the canelloni, for example. This is a great restaurant for large groups as it has a large dining area and you can order from a family style menu. Nothing really makes this restaurant stick out, but it is not a bad place to eat either.
(3)Selena B.
Stuff me like crazy. I didn't think it was possible, but it is. This place has portions bigger than Cheesecake Factory!!!! The first time I went there with 3 other girls we got 1 salad 2 dishes and 1 family size... OOPS. Half the time we were just taking pictures of how BIG the plates of food were! But then because there was so much of it we didn't really enjoy our meal, the taste was heavy and bland. None of us wanted to take the food home.. not even for the dogs. But there is a way to make this place enjoyable. I just went with a friend got a half plate of past to split between us, both got a glass of wine and it was a very decent, filling meal, and not too expensive. Go if you eat lots. If you don't go with people that like the same foods and share 1 dish.
(3)Alfa Alyssa E.
I love Maggiano's! This is another fine addition to downtown Bellevue. The waitstaff is wonderful. You wont feel like they forgot about you because they all do a good job of making sure they are giving their tables attention. The food is great!! There was a minor question regarding the ingredients used in 1 of the dishes that were served. The head chef came out to talk to us and answer questions which was very nice of him. He was very friendly and made the experience there better than it already was. Portions are very good. You feel like you're not overpaying for a tiny portion of food. Perfect place for a date, perfect place for a group birthday, perfect place to bring your kids. I had brought my son with me and they treated him like a prince. You do have to make reservations for bigger parties and on days when people typically eat out because they will get packed fast.
(4)Yiling W.
"Proud users of Bertolli pasta." Also: waited about 10 minutes (with reservations) to sit in the middle of a loud restaurant to eat oversized mediocre portions. Skip it and go to Mediterranean Kitchen down the street in Bellevue.
(1)Sam D.
Fun place, huge dining area, great for big parties. Yes, the food is heavy, salty, etc, but that's why it's so good. This is a great place for a family night out, but expect a long wait (like everything near Bellevue Square).
(4)Mandie J.
I'm not going to ramble on about how Maggiano's food is INCREDIBLE & worth every penny. I've gone here about a dozen times, mostly around lunchtime when it's not crowded. However, this past weekend I went for dinner when it was PACKED. We made a reservation, but due to traffic we were 30 minutes late for it, but we called to let them know we were running late. When we got there it was an hour wait & yet they SAVED OUR TABLE! So we were seated immediately. It blew me away that when they're that busy, they would hold a table for us when we were 30 minutes late. Amazing, really made our night!
(5)Kevin W.
If you're too lazy to crack a can of Prego... this is your place. Two stars just because it's pretty damn hard to screw up Italian... but charge that much and *not* be exceptional is just poor form. I love to go out and get better food than I can cook at home, and for the most part that isn't hard with my limited skills, but I just was completely underwhelmed. The service was fairly good, the wine was good-enough, but the dishes themselves just lacked something. Seriously, if you're idea of making your tomato-based pasta sauce "special" is to just add chili powder, then I think you may want to revisit your Italian-For-Dummies cookbook. The only real shining star of the meal was the steak medallions which were great simply because they were good pieces of meat, not because they had been prepared with any particular skill or zest. God, this is making me sound like a foodie. When did that happen??
(2)Francine L.
Good place for some good Italian food. I typically go here for late/early lunch in the bar area. Service has always been great and the ambiance has a fun swanky feel to it. Portion sizes are big for my standards, so a meal here always means leftovers for another day!
(3)Bob G.
We haven't been in to the restaurant, but we ate their food at the Italian Festival at the Seattle Center. We got the Rigatoni and the Ziti, two sizable containers for 5 bucks a piece. We got the cannoli for desert. It was pouring rain, so we took them down to the indoor area and ate. My wife favored the Rigatoni and I liked the Ziti better. Each came with 4 small slices of bread, and half was a whole grain bread that was very tasty. If this is anything like the food served on site, I would definitely like to try more.
(4)Arun K.
I went to Maggianos on a Friday night, and the place was packed. We were told a 30 minute wait time for a table, but luckily got a table at the bar, which was nice and in a not so crowded place. I ordered the Chicken and Spinach Manicotti's and it was awesome. The sauce was also extremely nice and I loved it. I also brought the lime margarita, which was also good. overall a very nice experience.
(5)K D.
I don't mind chain restaurants. They're convenient and the food is usually consistent (albeit bland). I don't think anyone goes in expecting the meal of a lifetime. Maggiano's is no different. I'd heard a bit of buzz regarding Maggiano's. 3 good reviews to 1 bad (to be fair, good Fettucine Alfredo is hard to find). Not wanting to make the trek out to our usual chain haunt; Buca di Beppo, we decided to give it a try. Points for convenience here! A free parking garage puts you right underneath the place. You could practically park outside the door on a good day. The decor was nice. Clean white tablecloths and dark wood. But there is something about the acoustics in that place that amplifies conversation to a dull roar. It's so loud my husband and I just pointed, nodded and grunted...kind of like the ape men in Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. I think it's easier to have a conversation at a Metallica concert than it is at Maggiano's. And the place wasn't even full. We started with an appetizer of Four Cheese Ravioli. This turned out to be our favorite. The marinara has all the complexity and freshness of a 1970's jar of Ragu, but the pesto helped to boost the flavor a bit. The ravioli were fine if a bit overcooked. Next was the salad. The greens seemed fresh. The blue cheese dressing tasted like Ranch dressing with blue cheese crumbles mixed in. Uneventful. The hubby had the Linguine & Clams with White Clam Sauce. It came surrounded with both Razor and Manila clams, although the menu only mentions Manila. Both the clams and the pasta were overcooked, but the sauce was quite pleasant. After I tasted my dish, I began to wish I'd ordered it. I chose the Eggplant Parmesan. It was a mistake. Soggy, tired looking disks of mush DROWNING in that tasteless marinara. It was inedible. Seriously. Both my husband and I left wishing we'd made the trek out to Buca di Beppo in Seattle. At least the marinara tastes like something...
(2)Tonya N.
Not a huge fan of this place...have been here several times and im always left with an ehhhh feeling. One time service was the pits and another time, good... Hit and miss for sure. The food is the same way... The only thing i like here is the mussels.. everything else is just run of the mill pasta for me. Nothing stands outs to me. Nice looking restaurant tho and good location.
(3)Jason F.
The service was good, but the food fell short. I ordered a caprese salad that had very little tomato or fresh mozzarella. The side dish of crispy red potatoes was really good. I feel for the price we paid, that there should have been a little more attention to detail.
(2)Ben S.
Food so so. Out of bread. Good service though.
(2)Thach N.
I like the atmosphere here it seems like your in Italy. The service is top notch. You get way more than you can eat, Large portions. One of my favorite is the calamari and the Chicken Salad.
(4)David N.
Great eggplant parmesan, which is a pretty hard dish to get right, and theirs was spot on, so that bodes well. Pasta was also cooked correctly, nicely al dente. I will be back for sure.
(5)David W.
I do like the mussels, but they could be brighter inside and have cleaner plates, glasses and utensils. It was embarrassing for us to find so many dirty dishes even if they were the ones who should have been embarrassed. The food is just okay, albeit plentiful.
(2)Nadine W.
It's not Italian. It claims it's Italian but it is really more a 1950's Chef Boyardee Chicago take on Italian food. The food is really not good. The flavors are flat, out of a can, not good. I think people come here because it is a huge restaurant that is great for large groups. The decor is really warm and atmosphere appealing. Too bad the food is so sub-par.
(1)James L.
Overrated. The food's decent, but not exceptional. When going to an Italian restaurant, I expect something special. Especially for that price. I don't know if it's just me, but I just expect these "exceptional" restaurants to have a bit of originality, but I found none on this menu. Nothing sparked my interest really, but they do a usual Italian foods well.
(2)Parisa A.
Normally I am satisfied with this place but I will never return again. Went out last week for a late dinner and when we walked in there was no one at the front... all of a sudden the hostess pops up from the table next to the host booth and is still chewing her food and attempts to greet us... We decide to sit in the bar and as we are waiting for our menues I notice the girl a few tables away, sit back down at the table with 2 other men (may have been managers) and they all continue to eat. After about 5-10 minutes of no one even dropping off menues at our table I go up to the front and wait until she notices im standing there and ask her if we can sit in the dining room instead since were not getting any service in the bar. She then said to me "Well theres only one girl doing all of these tables"..........I had to bite my toungue and let her know we were just going to leave #1. Its not my responsibility as a customer to staff the place #2. There were only about 5-8 tables in the bar that were seated and most were already eating (it was not that busy) #3. If its soo busy and you are short staffed then why are you and your managers eating instead of helping out? I wouldnt care that these employees were eating if they had just gotten up and helped out and at least dropped off a menu! Seriously go eat in the back room its weird... and when Im not getting helped I am going to point my finger at you.
(1)Richard B.
Met a friend here for an early dinner. I was surprised to see so many tables occupied at 4:45pm on a weeknight -- obviously the early crowd likes this place. Service was marginal. Apparently we were on the cusp of the shift change, since one waitress started us off (water, wine, took our order) and then she handed us off to a different waiter. Neither was all that great -- not very attentive, not even all that friendly. The guy who took care of the bulk of the time seemed quite harried and overwhelmed with getting some large tables setup for a group that was obviously coming in later. The food was OK. As other reviews have pointed out, portions are big (I brought half of my chicken dish home) and it was tasty, but not exceptional. Granted, I'm picky about Italian food. This was a little too "chain restaurant" Italian for me. By the time we left around 6:30, the place was hopping. Not sure I'll be back anytime soon. If I do go back, I will likely stay in the bar, which looked slightly more intimate and service-oriented. They do validate parking, which is nice.
(2)Chandler H.
Took the family to Maggiano's for lunch yesterday. I had been about a year ago and had forgotten how much I like the environment. We had lunch family style and it was great. We ate our original plate of the four cheese ravioli and our waiter brought us another plate of it for free! How do you beat that? Service was incredible. Both times I have been there the waiters have been top notch. He took the time to answer all of our questions and was friendly with all of the kids. What keeps me from giving Maggiano's five stars? The chicken marsala and Maggiano's salad were just okay. If they had been on the same level as the spinach salad, four cheese ravioli, lasagna, chicken saltimbocca, and chocolate cake I would have given 5 stars.
(4)Bree W.
If you like good, basic Italian food, then Maggiano's is the place for you. The menu has good, basic pasta dishes, but nothing that's extraordinary. I had penne past with clams in a white sauce, and it was good but not extraordinary. The food gets three stars, but I have to take off one star for the customer service. We were initially told a 15-20 minute wait time for a table, it was actually 50 minutes. We were only seated after my sister asked if we were going to be seated, otherwise we were going to leave. My sister asked to have her leftovers boxed up, they were thrown away accidentally. When my sister asked to be reimbursed, they refused.
(2)Darren S.
Our family favorite.. try the fried ravioli- when they offer it..special treat! Is only on menu different days.
(5)Susan S.
My mom turned 70 on July 12th and she decided she wanted to come here for her birthday lunch. We had been here once about 2 years earlier and really enjoyed it. Our server was wonderful. He had a table that was going to take him some time & he let us know BEFORE he went to take care of them so we would know he wasn't ignoring us. Like the service the food was excellent. Of course we ordered the zucchini frites, wow! They were better than I remembered. The portions were perfect. We particularly loved the limonite pie. Though the dessert sample is a great way to try a variety. Oh yeah, we will be back before too long. I highly recommend Maggiano's Little Italy!
(4)Kathy S.
I ordered white sauce they brought red. Instead of quickly bringing me that they washed my spaghetti off and I had white sauce on pink spaghetti . They made me wait 20 minutes for this and were terse about it.
(1)Llora B.
Omg! so we were in Bellevue and decided to eat here.. The staff was great.. Food was aaaaamazing.. You have to try there fondue crab and the chicken pesto linguine its to die for!..=) The whole portion was good for two people!..I'll definitely come back when im in Bellevue again! ;)
(4)Heather M.
This place got four stars from me for the service alone. The waitress was amazing. You could tell she was enjoying her job and had enjoyed much of the menu. She gushed about our food selections. My glass was never empty. We also were having lunch on Sunday afternoon when the place was pretty empty. I had mushroom ravioli with an alfredo. It was incredibly rich and delicious. My husband had a steak salad with gorgonzola. It was quite good as well. However, since we ate so much bread and enjoyed the appetizer platter, we both only ate a few bites of our meal. Honestly, we didn't even finish the appetizer (which was fabulous and probably disgustingly fattening) and it was a meal unto itself. The breaded zucchini was awesome. In all, like said in other reviews before, portions are huge. That said, if the ginormous portions offend you, then just don't eat it all. Split a dish. Have restraint! We ended up taking home our entrees and making another meal out of it with our three kids. The decor was a bit cheesy with checked table clothes and brassy features. It reminded me of a mafia styled Spaghetti factory with much better food. Was it the best Italian evah? No, but it was a pleasant dining experience, close to the Bellevue shopping, with no wait, and most importantly, a fun date with my husband without kids.
(4)Me H.
People either LOVE Maggiano's or hate Maggiano's, I fall in the hate column. I've been here twice for a family style birthday dinner party and once for a late night dinner. The food is uninspired for this Factory of Pasta. The thing that first turns me off is the olive oil they use for their bread; it's just that olive oil not extra virgin olive oil, plan yucky tasting olive oil that should be used for cooking not dipping bread into. The red wine vinegar is just that not a balsamic red wine vinegar and the two together is pretty nasty you're better off using the butter that has a bit of a freezer burn taste to it on the bread than the oil and vinegar, actually you're better off not eating any of it because you'll soon be getting ten tons of food placed before you. I've tried the calamari fritte which my taste buds told me was frozen and had been frozen for a while. The crispy zucchini fritte again not fresh and bit over cooked. Tomato caprese was ok except for the weak low quality balsamic vinaigrette drizzled over top. For the family styles meals most of the dishes had some sort of beef/veal in it so I didn't try much but I did have the gnocchi with the tomato vodka sauce and it was ok nothing great and the chicken parmesan which was suppose to be lightly breaded but ended up being on the heavy side for me. For my late night dinner I went with a half order of the shrimp and angel hair al arrabbiata I was expected angle hair pasta in a spicy sauce with shrimp what I got was angle hair pasta in a plain tomato sauce and extremely over cooked previously frozen shrimp. I hate a few bits and took the other 9lbs 5oz home to be later tossed in the garbage. The one thing to me that the place has going for it is their wine and their cocktails, their caramel apple martini makes a nice dessert. So with that said the next time I'm invited to a group dinner here I will think long and hard if I want to do, it will basically depend if the people inviting are better than the food in my eyes, if not I'll take a rain check.
(2)Alix H.
I have added at least a quarter of inch of fat around my heart because of the bacon wrapped prawns I ate here. Then add another two inches around my waist from the family style dinner that me and 4 friends selected together. I need to lose some weight now but as soon as I do, I'm ready to dine at Maggiano's again and increase my LB.
(4)John W.
The portions are excellent, and the food is better than average. The decor is classy, not at all tacky. The service is generally good, though not fantastic. The only down side of this restaurant is that the wine list is pretty thin. You can certainly find something to accompany your meal, but you won't have many choices.
(4)anne w.
huge amount of refillable servings but food is not that good! It's very commercial! the last tym i went there.. i had a broken piece of glass on my salad.. the manager gave me 50% off... luckily.. my teeth didnt break when I bit the broken glass... i will not comeback again.. although they are refillable food.. the taste isnt rewarding.
(2)Sri K.
The food was excellent and the portions were beyond generous!!..... Make sure you try one of their tasty sides!..we absolutely loved their crispy red potatoes side!!. Everything was great but for the service. The wait staff generally seemed to not care about service. For eg. We wanted to box the leftovers and had to wait for a long time for our waiter to even show up at our table. We went a little late (9:30) on a weekend and It is understandable that our waiter might have been exhausted but this is no excuse for sloppy service. Overall, we were very happy with the food and would have given this 4 stars but i had to remove one star due to poor service!!
(3)Akira T.
Omg I tried their special entree it was amazing, forgot the name, but it has marinated steak on top of awesome garlic bread, great combo!!! Service was decent too, definitely will go back :)
(5)Bruce L.
Food isn't too good these days. The wine list is decent. But, they do treat you cafeteria-style in terms of service. If you're aiming for this general type of place, go to the Old Spaghetti Factory to have similar food, save a few bucks and get better service.
(2)Maricris F.
Maggiano's is a decent place for an Italian Restaurant. They give you HUGE portions but on their menu they also serve half portions. Since a lot of people don't usually finish it and ended up having to have a to go box. The prices are very reasonable with the portion they have. I have been here a couple of times already for special occassions and have been pleased with the customer service. If you plan on coming make reservations ahead of time. Another positive note is that there is free parking in the garage. You don't have to hassle in trying to find parking outside and waiting long.
(3)joe t.
Food was good, always is. However the service was sketchy at best. Pretty sure it was because we had our 1 year old with us but cant be sure. My main irritations are as follows: 1) We were seated at the worst seat in the house right by the hallway in a cramped lil corner when there were many booths available. 2) Our food came out literally 3 minutes after we ordered it and about 15 seconds after the salad. Come on. If we wanted McDonalds or Taco Bell we would have went there. 3) Our sons mac n cheese came out wayyyyyyyy after our food did. 4) I finished my beer and my pregnant wife her Shirley Temple and never were offered a chance at another. 5) Apparently they dont offer desert any longer for if they do we were never informed. It was totally amatuer hour tonight and if the food wasnt good we wouldnt even consider going back, way too many options in Bellevue to put up with bull shit service like that.
(2)ANDREW M.
Before I even write my review, I see that this restaurant has 3 stars. This is extemely accurate, or maybe even a little generous. With that said, after going here numerous times, I celebrated my birthday here back about a year ago. There was 20 of us sat at a long table kind of towards the back. The dinner went well, and the atmosphere was nice. However, then the bill came. With the 20 of us there, the bill came to almost $700 total. Our waitress refused to split the check, and said they just don't do that for parties. All of us said that was absolutely unfair, as obviously, everyone cannot be expected to have $700 dollars lying around available on a card to pay until others can reimburse. After she rolled her eyes, and acted so put out, she split it into fourths. I was so offended and embarassed about this that I wrote a letter to the manager. He promptly got back to me and apologized claiming that it was unacceptable. He asked for my address to send a gift certificate. I received it, and it was a whole $25.00! This was so offensive to me. After spending almost 700 total that night, I think I would have been less offended by this cheap restaurant if they didn't offer to give me on at all. Needless to say, I have not been back.
(2)Lavinder S.
Absolutely love their stuffed mushrooms, ravioli and variety in Pasta. I have been here numerous times, like the ambience and staff is courteous. Definitely recommend to anyone.
(3)N. J.
Food was decent, but not spectacular. Given the high prices and the problems listed below, I doubt we'll be going back. 1. We had reservations for 4:30 on a Sunday afternoon, and they took twenty minutes to seat us, despite the fact that the restaurant was mostly empty. 2. We asked for our leftover food to be boxed up, but only about half of it actually made it into the bag of food our server handed us. Given how expensive the food was and how much of it we had leftover, missing half the food was a big deal! 3. We ordered a large salad that arrived without any dressing on it. When we asked about this, the server was confused about whether the salad was supposed to be served this way (the menu clearly referred to a dressing, though). She took the salad back and returned twenty minutes later with a dressed salad, by which time we were already into our entrees. No apologies and we were still charged for the salad.
(2)liz c.
FANTASTIC Italian cuisine, very generous portions, and a great atmosphere. Their cocktails are also delicious, but a little pricey. I would highly recommend it!
(5)M R.
Crowded and loud. I had high hopes for this place because there's always a huge crowd waiting for a table. I was back to back with the guy at the table behind me. He actually had to scoot his chair as close as he could get it to his own table so I could stand up. The service was not great. I wanted to remind our waiter that he was in fact, just a waiter, and frankly he was just a waiter at a so-so restaurant and to get off his high horse. If he's above being friendly, then perhaps customer service was a poor career choice. The food was okay but honestly I've had Italian food at Pizza Hut that was just as good and not nearly as expensive.
(2)Suzi S.
My friend from Pittsburgh just went on and on about this place...be warned, never take stock in what someone from Pittsburgh has to say about Italian food. This place kind of gave me the creeps...they try really hard to pretend that this is an upscale restaurant instead of a restaurant attached to a shopping center. Lots and lots of kids (0-16) here and people on cell phones. Not the place to come for a truly adult dinner or romantic evening. Low lighting and linens don't make up for the guy sitting behind you talking loudly on his cell phone or the kid crawling around under the table across the walkway. We were seated at a table that bordered the walkway. My friend, who was seated with his back to the walkway, was bumped into several times by the waitstaff and the people seated behind me kept hitting me with their elbows and coats and their little kid even touched my hair at one point. Get a clue, your tables are too close together and too close to the walkway. This is another sign that this is clearly not an upscale restaurant, they're packing people in like sardines. Our waitress was very friendly and accommodating. I had the veal Parmesan with a side of fettuccine Alfredo and my friend had the chicken Parmesan with a side of marinara spaghetti. Now before I launch into my review of the food I will tell you that I am part Italian and almost never go to Italian restaurants. I prefer to make my own Italian food at home or to enjoy the cooking of my relatives in their homes. This is not the worst Italian food I have ever had, but it is nowhere near the best. I'd say OK is a good way to describe it. The fettuccine was better than the veal, but it was cold and I had to add lots of Parmesan cheese, thank god they keep a bowl of it at the table. I also didn't care for the fact that the fettuccine Alfredo came with broccoli mixed into it...um, I don't remember reading about that on the menu. There was nothing special about the veal. Pittsburgh boy was in heaven...but then again he also really likes Eggo Waffles. Our waitress was the best part of the experience for me. She had the kitchen alter a dessert for me without batting an eye. She was funny and approachable. She took good care of us. If you do want to try this place, do yourself a favor and request a booth. I'll stick to making my own Italian food at home, thank you.
(3)Marissa E.
it was magical. from the moment i walked in, it was as if unicorns had carried me to the table. i ordered the clam linguine with white sauce and it had magic pixie dust all over it. the warm apple crostada was what sealed it though. if you like being swept off your feet to nevah evahh land then pop one of these babies in your mouth. i'm comin back fo more magic in my tum tum!
(4)Sam H.
I really didn't expect to like this place, so maybe I'm being generous with my stars. This place is the Claim Jumper of Italian food. Huge portions of very americanized generic Italian food. It is in no way offensive, but also completely unoriginal. Honestly I'd be surprised if I made it back. I'd much rather hit the McCormick's next door instead. I tried one of the signature dishes, the chicken and spinach Manicotti. Not something I'd normally order, but it was recommended by my stupendously average waiter. It came on a platter the size of multiple heads. A minimum of 18" across. I also had a fairly nice glass of generic Italian red. So the sauce is pureed tomatoes, basil, and olive oil. If the ingredients are fresh, that can be amazing, but it's really more like doctored Ragu from a jar. It was not bad, but it was better than the immeasurably bland cheese ravioli my wife got. Service was slow, so I had plenty of time to think about it in the midst of the very loud (cheesecake factory is quieter) dining room. Speaking of cheesecake, I tried theirs. I liked it, but it wasn't really cheesecake. It was more like fluffy custard or maybe dense creme fraiche with a hint of lemon on graham crackers. The strawberries on the sides and top were actually good. Far above average for the season. Also, the waiter brought us some little chocolate truffles. They were... meh. My toddler son liked them. The best thing about going there was the company: some long-time friends. Update: I went there again (for lunch this time) and tried a few more things. They actually lose a star from me now because the service was sub par otherwise they'd remain a 3. This time I asked if they had any Montepulcciano, Valpolicella, or a Super Tuscan by the glass and the waitress's reply was "Huh? We have cabernet or chianti." Ok, I was just asking. I can let a lack of wine knowledge slide, but it didn't stop there. She generally seemed incompetent and inattentive. Service was slow, despite the place being fairly empty. At the end we split the check and she actually rounded the check up without asking or saying anything. It was just a few cents, but that really is obnoxious. On the plus side, I tried a chopped salad that was pretty tasty and the lasagna is now the best thing I've tasted there. You're down to 2 stars, would you like to try for one?
(2)Ken O.
I love coming here with my family or with co-workers. The food is good and the price is reasonable. It has great decor and atmosphere. The portions are large - as they are meant to be family-styles. I like their Marsala chicken and angel hair with clam sauce. The desserts are very good too.
(4)Alice C.
If this review as written my parents whom have not eaten at Italian restaurants other than Maggiano's, they would give this restaurant 5+1 stars. Me, not so much. Let's just say I will take Bucca De Beppos anyday over Maggiano's. At least they have good salads.
(3)Angelina Z.
atmosphere is dark and mafia like food is salty, the pasta was hard. I ordered a shrimp pasta dish and had 4 shrimps in a sea of angel hair pasta that lasted a few days. My fiance had the chicken rigatoni which was so dry he had to ask the cook to make extra sauce to put on his dish. Food was overpriced for cheap grocery store ingredient dishes. Nothing special here , could have whipped these dishes up in the kitchen for under $15 and walked out paying over $50 Service was good, but the host was tatted up like a jail inmate, which we found unprofessional. We are not old fogeys we are in our late-twenties early thirties but man, you go to an 'upscale' restaurant and you expect some type of class eh?
(2)jamie c.
all i have to say is that we went home with two bags worth of leftovers. these leftovers eventually rotted in the back of the refrigerator.
(1)Karen G.
This is hands-down the BEST Italian restaurant I've ever eaten at! I recommend the 4 cheese Ravioli and a Frozen Peach Bellini!
(5)Jennifer K.
Last night we met some friends for dinner at Maggiano's. I ordered a 1/2 order of the Chicken Pesto Linguine. It had incredible pesto and lots of it. Some places really skimp on the pesto, but not Maggiano's. Even after eating my 1/2 sized order, I had enough leftovers for another meal and a half. The four of us split a delectable Tiramisu. Service was friendly, accurate and prompt. Atmosphere is great for dates, friends or colleagues - a very versatile place. I recommend it.
(5)Janet T.
Maggiano's is one of my favorite Italian Restaurants....hahhah I'm not sure how authentic is is since its a chain but nonetheless good food. They give you HUGE portions...they make sure you are stuffed prior to leaving so be prepared to be rolled out of the restaurant. The prices are very reasonable as I was there with four other girls and we ordered an appetizer, salad, 3 main dishes and a dessert (which btw was more than enough food) and it was only $20 pp, which I thought was a spectacular deal! Just a caveat before heading to Bellevue, make sure you have reservations because its a long wait if you dont.
(4)Mackenzie S.
Food is not great, but okay, and definitely served in portions hearty enough to feed some small countries. Decor is actually surprisingly nice. I liked all of old pictures on the wall, the dark woods, and the candlelit ambience. The place is HUGE inside! Pretty good for large parties or romantic dinners. We like the carryout counter they have for pure take-out orders. Very efficient and convenient for that sort of thing. In terms of food: garlic bread is good, fried mozzarella is not, fried zuchinni is superb, gnochhi was awful, veal piccata was marginal, spaghetti and meatballs are very very good. So yeah, overall, it's hit and miss, but it's good to mix it up.
(3)Jonathan C.
Corporate hell, might as well been eating at Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean. Over-priced, fake and plasticity. If you like the Cheesecake Factory, you might like this place as well. I prefer neither. Bico de Beppo, another chain restaurant, has more heart and soul than this place. Practically got a corporate rash from this place. Pure evil, must avoid. Don't go.
(1)cricket c.
This was the only of the host of chain restaurants in the consumer-heaven that is Bellevue that was taking reservations that night. Disappointing. I felt like eating something light and couldn't find anything to order on their menu. They were out of whole-wheat spaghetti and their marinara sauce was really death-by-sodium-overdose. Ick. They didn't even get the calamari right. Awkward, pretentious set-up too.
(1)Han M.
Poor service. Saturday night the service in the bar was excruciatingly slow. Food would have been OK if we had been able to enjoy it. But it took nearly an hour to arrive leaving very little time to enjoy it before we had to go to our movie. Even paying the bill took 15 minutes. Wasted our money..
(2)Steve G.
Here is a quick update - I have been having lunch or dinner there at least once a week for the past 10 months and I look forward to it each and every time! Unbelieveably delicious food. Their lasagna is to-die-for, their pot roast will make your mouth water for more. This is a great place to go with a group of friends. For dessert, you have to try the Profiteroles - this should be combined with a proper exercise plan...like running a marathon. Their meeting spaces are great - They must be incredibly popular as I have attended nearly a dozen there so far and they really know how to treat their guests. Wait staff is superb. If Tony Soprano were here, this is where he would go! cheers...Steve
(5)Donald B.
Inofensive corporate Italian food served in huge portions. Upscale olive garden basically. Ironically the one time I ate at an olive garden I enjoyed the food more than this place. So many better Italian places around its sad to see chains like this dominate.
(2)kham m.
leftovers anyone?!
(5)Savory S.
i forgot i even ate here until i stumbled across some review. it's a chain that thinks it's a real restaurant, and prices accordingly. think olive garden or spaghetti factory, except you will get a better cost to value ratio at those places. the room itself is huge, but decently decorated in dark woods and carpet and such. the service is fine. and, in fact, my braised beef cannelloni were pretty good. my father's baked ziti, however, was bland and thoughtless. in summation: corporate food, microsoft prices.
(2)james s.
I kind of hate giving this place 2 stars but I thought about it. Good: *great bread. It comes out warm and it's delicious. I think it's their signature product *atmosphere: its big, its busy and it's kind of fun The not so good: *service wasn't that great. Their nice enough. I left my cell phone at the table and upon return the manager was super expedient and very cool. Our server though...it was one of those experiences where your 80% with your table / conversation / dining experience and the other 20% of you is put to work: "hey boss...can I get some water" after its been empty for 10 minutes.."excuse me...sir...excuse me" as you wave him down. He passes by. Upon return.."hey BOSS..." and he kind of looks at you like "what..me? do I look like I'm working in a restaurant, like im some sort of server?" kind of look. I love that. Eyebrows extended upwards, surprised, slightly shocked that you're like..asking for something. And then like "yeah, ok...sure..anything else?" type of response like - I'll do it this time, but im not actually a server you know...im just here working". Anyway, service a little weird. Me and my buddy were practically directing traffic in the restaurant... The food was not good. I mean, its passable. For not vey good food they sure use a lot of salt. And it was quite apparent that the ingredients here are top of the line bottom shelf Sysco mass produced blah products. When they order its like "Sir..yeah, those new cheeses are great. wed like the cheapest kind, in bulk. our portions are HUGE so just give us the...give us the cheapest possible, please" I think they have Timmy from old Bellevue High School back there leading the charge on the "chefing" taking place. You're really paying for their decor. its a nice place. but the expense is not going into the food.
(3)Lou G.
we were in a rush for lunch so a friend took me to Olive Garden the other day for the first time. I said, "this is really bad but at least it's one third the price of the pasta served at Maggiano's. " I understand how Olive Garden survives but how does Maggiano's make it? Predict they'll be gone when their lease is up.
(2)Pma e.
food was pretty good and the customer service was excellent! will defintiely come back if i'm craving italian and if i'm super hungry. helpings are enormous!
(3)Chuck V.
Good food, nice facility and good pricing. Huge portions, family style, indeed. The food in not fantasic, but it is pretty good. Anyone who calls this place expensive eats mostly at McDonalds! Place gets packed for a reason, so get reservations.
(4)Jessica R.
Corporate, crappy, over-priced, bland Italian food. They screwed up our order repeatedly. We could not wait to leave. Will never go back.
(1)John S.
Quantity, no quality. Soggy pasta anyone? Ok, the salads and desserts are edible.
(1)Hitomi S.
Terrible, terrible, terrible!!! We were a party of 20 made a reservation on Sunday evening at 6:00. When we arrive they Sid our table will be ready on 5 minutes. We finally sat down at 7:15 while we were waiting, there is not even water offered. The dinner took almost one hour to be on the table, children were starving, served over sized, over prices, so disorganized, horrible servers, took a long time for a bill. Never again.
(1)Elsa S.
Ok, first I understand that we did go in at a busy time, so I'll give them that. However, from start to finish here, to say it was anything more than a "meh" experience would be a lie. Here are a couple highlights from our experience. 1) The waitress rolling her eyes when we asked for menus, because we all didn't want the same meal (as in ordering a family meal for the group). She then proceeded to thrust the pile of menus to the person at the end of the table and made him pass it down. Then as we explained we were waiting for a couple other party guests, she went on to proclaim there are "500 reservations for tonight.. so.......". Apparently we had a time limit at the table..? 2) The food literally took no less than 40 minutes to arrive. Just to reiterate, I understand it was busy, so I didn't take it personal. However, when your food arrives and is dried and puckered because it had sat under a heat lamp, presumably while sitting under it for the total 40 minute wait time, THATS when there is a problem. The food itself tasted like a hunt's spaghetti out a tin can, which isn't a deal breaker, since I like me some cheap tasting food, although if you DO have a cheap food taste, the bill should maybe reflect that as well... They added onto that with forgetting a meal of one of the people. Also, as we got our to-go meals, one of those were forgotten as well. All the while NEVER having water in your water cup. Heed my warning: if you drink your water, you will not get it filled again. So word to the wise: If you are expecting a. Friendly service b. Excellent Italian food or c. water because you're parched. Go somewhere else!
(2)Stephen G.
Went here today and was shocked at this place. The place was fairly empty but we were told they were not taking walk-ins unless we wanted to sit in the bar area. We said fine and went to the bar. Crazily, there were only two people at the bar but so many plates were on the bar that the two of us couldn't find a place to sit. After sitting at one of the only cleaned tables in the bar area for a few minutes and not being served, we left.
(2)Nicole I.
First time here. I ordered the vodka sauce Italian sausage gnocchi which was AMAZING! Absolutely loved it. Everything tasted very fresh. My fiancé had the chicken parmigiana Which he also loved. We both had lots of leftovers to take home, which by the amount he eats was a surprise. The decor is very warm and romantic. Reminded me of frank Sinatra in a way. Cute little red and white checkered table clothes but still a high class experience. Will defiantly return for more tasty Italian food. Price range is affordable too for a nice date night.
(4)Rebecca F.
If you're thinking about going here, make a reservation! We went in a party of 4 on a Friday night and the place was still packed even when we were leaving around 9:30 or so. Definitely a popular spot. I was pleased they granted our Open Table request to have a booth because I wasn't looking forward to being crammed in to a table directly beside another, but it didn't look TOO crowded with the tables so it would have been okay; I still definitely was glad to have the booth because waiters/waitresses were flying through the dining room and being against a wall kept the distraction pretty minimal. The food didn't seem generic or full of preservatives and artificial flavors. My husband's linguine with clams came to the table without being tossed together (strange) so he originally thought it was incredibly bland until he stirred it all up himself. I was stunned to see the selection of dishes for $12.95 each with the fine print reading that YOU GET TO TAKE ANOTHER SELECTION HOME INCLUDED IN THE PRICE! What the what?! I always thought of Maggiano's as really over-priced and mostly food I can make myself at home so we kind of avoided going, but this deal actually makes it worth giving the place a shot! I will say, though, that my take home selection was pretty much inedible (lasagna just falling apart, too saucy, strange meat and cheese texture.... I wanted to like it, but I wanted to not get sick more! I almost think the take-home is leftover from the previous day judging by how weird it was.). Overall, though, it seemed that our party was pleased with the meal at the table and we ended up taking home tons of leftovers because the servings here really are on the large side. Before that lasagna, I probably would say we would plan to go back soon, but after it I think we'll most likely wait a bit. I also wouldn't plan to go here if you're in any kind of hurry as the service hustles but they have so many tables to attend to that it sometimes gets a bit slow.
(3)Krissy -.
LOVE the 2 for one deal. Eat one meal there and take home the other. 2 for the price of 1. Service is great. Friendly staff. Food is awesome!! Very tasty. This has to be the best Italian restaurant I have ever had!!
(4)Jim T.
Busy Saturday night with a 45 minute wait for our table. Service turned out to be fantastic which was a concern because our last time it was lacking. I had the veal parmesan which is one of my staples for Italian and it was one of the best I've had. Daughter had the gnocchi and substituted marinara for the vodka cream sauce without a problem. Wife ordered a kids lasagna. Portions are HUGE! Very good value and plenty left to bring home. Its a high volume chain but can provide a very pleasant dining experience.
(4)Will P.
Had some good food here a few times, it's certainly "upscale" if that's what your looking for, don't show up in a t-shirt and jeans. Great service when we were there, food was excellent. I wouldn't be going here if it wasn't for my company the prices are way to high for my minuscule salary.
(4)Marc W.
Great place for lunch in Bellevue. I've taken clients there a couple times, and the food is good and the service is great. Prices are reasonable, and by appearances, they also have a great bar. (Didn't try the bar, as I've only been at lunchtime.)
(4)Kris P.
It isn't often that I give a 5 star review, but tonight's visit to Maggiano's deserves AT LEAST that after the evening that we had there. When we first arrived, we walked in the banquet entrance and made our way to the front of the restaurant. At first the place had a feel like we were at a mix of Old Spaghetti Factory and The Cheesecake Factory. There weren't a lot of customers, because it was early (we arrived at 4pm). We were seated at a booth and given water right away. As we sat there, it felt very stuffy and plain. Our waiter, Seth, arrived, and it was like a light switch was flicked to the "on" position. He was a breath of extremely fresh air. From the moment he walked up to our table, it felt light, comfortable and fun. As we looked through the menu, we decided to go with their Marco's Meal For Two for $39.95. It comes with: Choice any appetizer or flatbread or two side salads. I went with the Chopped Salad, which was beyond good. I was just expecting a regular side salad, with some blue cheese dressing. But Seth recommended this one, if I wanted blue cheese. It had blue cheese crumbles with a white balsamic creamy dressing, that was so light on the tongue. It was mouthwatering yummilicious. I could see making that salad a meal on it's own. My wife had their Italian salad, and said that the dressing was light and really wasn't overwhelming in taste. Both good salads, and a great start to our meals. Choice of two classic pastas I ordered the Four-Cheese Ravioli. HOW can I describe this mouthwatering plate of pasta? OMG, it was like a foodgasim in my mouth. I have NEVER had better ravioli in my entire life. The four cheeses marry so completely well together. I even asked Seth if they made the cheese here in the restaurant. He said that they do. The ricotta tasted fluffy.... cloud infused even. My wife had the Taylor Street Baked Ziti. I tried a small bite, but I'm not a fan of sausage. It was good though. Still, I wanted more foodgasim ravioli, so I didn't have much of her dish. Along with our pasta dishes, you also get two classic pastas to take home, compliments of the chef. We chose Bowtie Aglio and Mom's Lasagna. Of course, we took home more than that, thanks to our amazing waiter (who we're trying to convince to let us bring him home.... hey, he has a GREAT personality and is like a ray of sunshine!!! How could you not want someone like that around you?). To finish off the meal you get to choose a dessert to share from six items. We picked the Tiramisu. Where do I start with that? First off, I'm NOT a fan of coffee, espresso, or dark chocolate. But, a friend of mine had this before, and posted a picture of her dessert, online. It looked so good, I wanted to crawl through the phone and eat some right then. When it arrived, we each took a bite and melted into the booth. It was that good. Seriously.... can someone dip me in that tiramisu and toss me into a room full of hotties? ;) So, all in all, this evening was beyond what was ever anticipated and leaves us eagerly waiting our next visit to Bellevue's Maggiano's for another incredible meal (of course, it will HAVE to be on a shift that Seth works... doubles Sat & Sun, and Mon, Thur & Friday nights).
(5)Ghettospec C.
Quick overview service poor- food large portions and bland- Gong-This is a great place to take people who like to eat mall food with huge portions and no flavor or super large groups where food is not the focus. Service was week...forgot the bread, didn't bring out plates before food arrived, table covered with empty dishes, I had to put menus on other table to make room for food.
(2)Karen L.
Had a double date here and we ordered the family style dinner with our choice of two salads, two appetizers, and two entrees, all unlimited (all-you-can-eat style). I have to be honest: the food was "meh." The spinach salad was really good, however, and that might have been my favorite dish of the night. The chopped salad was a miss for me--a little too much bleu cheese for my taste; it was overpowered by the pungency of the cheese. We chose the spinach and artichoke dip and mussels for our appetizers, and both were good. Nothing spectacular, though I have no complaints. For our entrees, we chose the "Joey Z" spaghetti with sausage and the gnocchi. The gnocchi was kind of bland and too starchy. The spaghetti, however, was good, though the amount of basil they used really overpowered the dish. Overall, we had a good experience, though the food was "okay." A great place to bring the family. Our server was great, so come here expecting a pleasant experience, though your taste buds may not be impressed.
(3)Georgie M.
My family has been going to Maggiano's since the first one opened in Chicago. When Brinkers International (EAT) bought the concept, we were a little nervous because this was a chain that also owned "Chili's", and at the time "On The Border" and "Romano's Macaroni Grill". What were they going to do to one of our favorite Italian eateries? Well in the end, they sold Macaroni Grill and took Maggianos upmarket and rolled out the concept throughout the US,. This is great for us since we no longer live in Illinois. Brrrrr! As for the food, for the most part it is still very similar to what we first enjoyed in Chicago years ago. But they have also streamline their menu and have downsized many of the portions and I believe lost it's original taste. In some ways we prefer some of the Macaroni Grill's dishes. Ouch! This isn't to say that the food isn't good. It is! But, but, but... it's no longer the special Italian restaurant with a unique taste. As for the atmosphere, as others have noticed the wait staff sometimes cannot keep up with their sections and the crowds. So, it is like as Yogi Berra once observed "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." Four stars for the food and three stars for the crazy atmosphere and wait staff. Sorry!
(3)Kayan H.
I love that you can get two super sized entrees for under $20, one for here and one to go, with that said, this place is sooooo caloric and bad for you that it's really not a good idea. It's good for large groups and the food is actually really good, but of course it is when you douse it in oil and butter!! So torn about this place!
(3)Rich Y.
Been going to Maggiano's for some time now. But seems the generosity of food has decreased significantly. Went there last week for a bithday celebration and had the classic meal for four people each paying about $30. With this, we're supposed to eat till we had our fill. The first servings were good but when asked for seconds, the portions were meager and colder. For instance we asked for the extra stuffed mushrooms and some 20mins later four small mushrooms came up (this is for four people). Asked for extra bread, they brought cold. We felt very rushed as it was a Saturday night and they did not appreciate orders for seconds. But then nights are usually busy anyway. We've given maggiano's enough chances and had simlar experience the previous time and were hoping this time it would be better, guess we were wrong and unlikely to return.
(3)AJ M.
Greeted by Host. I asked, he explained about the Make-A-Wish meal program proudly displayed overtly. We were seated immediately in a requested booth. The restaurant was fairly empty. Our waiter arrived and introduced himself, "Vic." He answered all questions regarding the meals offered on the menu. He provided excellent service and checked in on us regularly. (I noticed he had at least one other table of guests he was serving.) He retrieved our requested items with a smile and a positive attitude. No hesitation was displayed, or at least noticed by me. My youngest child's Angel Hair (in lieu of spaghetti) was cooked fully but not mushy. (And yes I taste my kids food to ensure its' quality as well as mine.) My Bowtie Aglio (with added chicken) was very good. The garlic was light and far from overpowering. My oldest child's 9 oz Filet Mignon steak was ordered Medium-Rare and minus all seasoning. Unfortunately, the steak arrived Medium-Well. (Not overly dry and still easily edible. Due to time restraints it was kept. I told Vic, so he'd know, or at least be aware of how, whatever chef it was, was cooking for the night. I also advised Vic we did NOT want any type discount; It was nust informative feedback for his own awareness. Our bill later arrived with a discount. Vic's reasoning, from what I understood him stating: This restaurant strives for excellence. The steak, no matter what the price, should be served the way it was ordered by the patron. And the customer's should have no doubt in their mind of how important they are to Maggiano's. When I advised him the discount was not wanted nor warranted. He told me it was too late and already deducted. Needless to say the tip was figured from the pre-discounted price, as always. I spoke briefly with the night manager, Sue, to let her know about the excellent service we received. She knew about the steak and pretty much echoed Victor's explanation. And she was very delighted to hear positive feedback. (I can only imagine the feedback being mostly negative and/or seeking a free meal. One of the few times I disagree with, 'the customer is always right.") She also explained about a survey seeking feedback, with the info on the receipt. WE WILL BE DEFINATELY RETURNING HERE! (Note: Due to the steak, I gave it only 4 stars. Room for ACHIEVABLE IMPROVEMENT.
(4)Smash S.
Tonight, we had Jairus as our server, amazing service! and the food! We started off with a flatbread, which was amazing. For our entrees we ordered simple spaghetti and meatballs as well as a 16oz NY steak and garlic mashed potatoes. Amazinnnnnng food, we ate everything.
(5)Steve M.
Had a business meeting there for lunch. Service was fine, the waiter was fine, but IT TOOK SO LONG TO GET OUR FOOD, OVER AN HOUR FOR LUNCH. It wasn't like the place was packed, not at all. One person in our party recieved his plate 20 minutes before everyone else, which is completely unacceptable. Being polite, he sat and watched it get cold while the rest of us waited. I felt bad for our waiter, because he was really trying, but had no help from the kitchen. Other tables had multiple servers helping the table out, he served us alone. You can't make business customers wait that long, they won't come back.
(2)Ann C.
Super loud, crowded, place. Always a wait to get in. The food is cheap and plentiful, however quite bland and mediocre tasting variety of pasta dishes. Nothing unique or spectacular. Not sure why it's so crowded all the time other than it's relatively cheap for the quantity.
(2)Yumiko K.
This place is always very festive, and the service is friendly and courteous. It's just unfortunate that the wait is always ridiculous (1 hour or more). I've been to Maggiano's 3 times total, and I love the atmosphere. The family style is way to go if you have a group of hungry people. You can stuff yourself silly with all kinds of carb-n-cream-goodness. Their wine is a generous pour, and the house bread is warm and chewy. Also, they are having this "eat one dish (only classic pastas) and take one home" for $12.95, which is a great deal. (I won't have to cook tomorrow night. Yippie!!!) The portion size is huge, so you may have to loosen your belt. However, the quality of food is not good enough to blow your pants off. It is definitely not bad, but not good either. I'm just happy that $13 can get me dinner tonight and tomorrow. :-)
(3)Jay P.
this place is gggrrrreeeaaattt!
(5)Judy A.
I never give a 5 star rating but this restaurant totally deserves it. We arrived at the restaurant during happy hour. We got a great booth and our waitress was so sweet and attentive. I ordered a $3.00 Peroni! My guest had a white wine for $5.00. We ordered an Italian sausage flatbread pizza for $5.00. This is one of my favorites. The sausage is sweet and lots of basil. For our entree we both got the spaghetti and meatballs on the, "eat one, take one away" for $12.95. I got a ziti and my guest got a lasagne to take home. The whole meal was less then $50.00. I highly recommend this restaurant.
(5)Sheila L.
Like how this place can accommadate any group size from small to large. It's perfect for a small intimate dinner to a big gathering for a birthday. I love their Rigatoni D pasta. It's one of my favorite. With the chicken and te caramelized onion. Mmm.. it has a great taste to it. I've also tried their Lobster ravioli which isn't too bad and also their clam linguini which is very tasty too. But I still love that Rigatoni D pasta. :) The service here has always been great and it tends to get crowded fast around dinnertime so be sure to make reservations!
(4)Daniel L.
I think when it comes to writing reviews for a big-chain restaurants like this one, I have to remain unbiased. I think for a major restaurant like Maggiano's, they do a pretty decent job in preparing their meals and serving them. However, I can't speak for all of the chains. I was at Bellevue's Maggiano's for a surprise birthday party and the waiter seemed very irritated and lacked in good customer service. It took over 20 minutes to get our waters, longer to get them refilled, and food took almost 45 minutes. When it did arrive, food was "lukewarm". Probably sat on the counter too long. In any case, I give this place 3 stars out of 5 mainly because I do like the Maggiano's chain, but not this location. Never again.
(3)Deven T.
Although I used to love Maggiano's (had my sweet sixteen birthday celebration with Maggiano's family style dishes) it has increasingly become less satisfying. I go to Maggiano's for the experience and the atmosphere, not the food. It's a great venue for large parties (but beware, they push the family style on you - ~$25/person - but you can also request a la carte which is their regular menu). Their buy-one-get-one-for-later option is a fantastic deal! However, if you've been to Italy or love unique Italian food, you might be disappointed.
(2)Deb M.
very good from bread basket, salads, entrees and desserts!
(4)Mia A.
I visited this restaurant to celebrate my friend's birthday a few days ago for the first time. Our grouchy waiter that never smiled, that was short and impatient with us ruined our evening. It was really too bad because the food was surprisingly good, the portions were generous, and price reasonable - but the service was bad enough that I don't think I will be going back there anytime soon :(
(2)Jael M.
I was pretty disappointed with this place. And I would have really given this a one star had I not been in a good mood. But it's hard to be in a bad mood after watching an advanced screening of Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part 2..hours before flocks of kids dressed as wizards swarmed Lincoln Square. so..whatever.. I personally believe that if you wanna know if a place can cook decent Italian food, an accurate measure is to try their linguine alle vongole. It's simply hard to fuck up that dish: simple ingredients, minimal manipulation of the said ingredients, clean taste, very happy tummy--umm, if done right. sadly, I had a giant bowl of far from al dente linguine, mixed Manila clams and chopped quahogs, in a puddle of very bland clam broth. What happened to the white wine? Yeah, I don't know. I. was. not. happy. I can't help it. I get pretty angry when I'm served mediocre pasta dishes. **Also, the calamari disappointed. I feel like the breaded calamari rings were tossed in the hot oil (apparently, not hot enough) that it essentially steamed the squid rings more than flash fried them; as a result the calamari sat on the plate crispy, rather briefly. I am not sure if the quality of the food was affected since we had a late dinner there--an hour before closing time, coz that certainly should not be the case. The quality of the first pasta dish that goes out of the kitchen should be the same as the last plate of pasta that leaves that kitchen in a course of a dinner service. just sayin'.
(2)Bill L.
- Terrible service - messed up on order - hair in my food - accused me of skipping my bill If you are looking for dinner service that is 3.5 hours long, unsatisfactory frozen food, then Maggiano's is the place. We were a table of 12 for a birthday, defini
(1)M B.
Heard they had a new head chef here, so wanted to go back and try them again... The service was great, food hot and excellent! Whatever they have done, it was the right move as these guys are great! They also had a winemakers dinner recently with Columbia winery. The courses paired with the wine were all amazing! The lamb course and the calamari course were my favorites and both cooked to perfection. If you have not been here in a while, you should go back and try them again, and night and day experience....
(5)Art P.
Ambience was good as well as the authenticity of their dishes. Love the lobster ravioli. The basics were done with perfection. Yum
(4)H C.
This place was awesome for a family dinner. We did family style and got 3 appetizers - zucchini, salad and calamari. Then we had 4 entrees - ravioli, pasta with mushrooms and chicken, tilapia and another chicken dish. 2 desserts - apple pie and creme brulee. I liked the pasta, and it was all you can eat. The decor is nice and the service was good.
(4)Jennifer M.
The Rigatoni D is an absolute not to hate, but I guess that's just there signature thing. There's almost nothing to hate around here. Rather than being quite dark(you'll find as much light as you would in Hot Topic), you'll find yourself looking around at everything and the nice setting, furniture, walls, people even. I suppose it'd be a romantic area too if you were to take your lucky date out. But then again, it's also a place where it'd be nice for a large group lunch/dinner. You might as well bring the Jersey Shore here because this is all the Italian they need. The food is always large portions and can feed you quite well. The deserts are delish although somewhat small(but then again, it's dessert. I guess it's supposed to be small). You'd be lucky to get food though, as sometimes service is quite slow even on a slow day.
(4)Tyler W.
We have been to this Maggianos many times before, but this visit was not pleasant at all. First of all, the coffee that we ordered didn't come for about 10 minutes and when it did come, it was cold. We ordered calamari as an appetizer and the waiter forgot to order it! We got out entrees before our appetizer and the service is very slow. We did get the appetizer for free, but that didn't help mend this horrible visit to Maggianos.
(2)Karen K.
A great experience. Am GF (not by choice) and could eat nearly everything. Mike, one of the managers, was sooooo helpful. Sent me home with a pkg. of the GF pasta they use. I will definitely go back and put this on the GF site as well.
(5)Hawker C.
This place always seems to be packed, so I guess this is what people want: a chain restaurant that serves up faux-Italian ambience, huge portions of standard Italian dishes, and "family style" dinners for large groups. My daughter and I came here after a movie at Lincoln Square, figuring that at 9:30 pm we could have a quick, pleasant meal. Unfortunately, we were seated near a large group that received all of the waiter's attention, so we were pretty much left to fend for ourselves. The food was OK -- Italian comfort food, nothing special, nothing terrible. They overwhelm you w/serving size, I guess to mask the fact that the food is mediocre. For example -- I ordered a chop salad. The lettuces was so waterlogged that I almost sent the salad back. My daughter's chicken dish was uninspired; my linguine w/shrimp was just ok. Would have been better, but service was s-l-o-w. No one came to bring us the check, or process our credit card -- they just kind of forgot about us at the end of the meal. I would never go out of my way to eat here; I guess I could see dropping in after a movie again sometime but there are lots of other options in this area now, so I'd be surprised if I return.
(2)Andrew B.
Have you ever wondered what it felt like to have so so service, be crammed in like sardines, and get served hearty portions that are very delicious! Welcome to the Maggianos experience! This place's food is worth coming for that's for sure. The problem is the overall layout is not good there are too many tables in too little space. You get a chance to not only hear your conversations but your neighbors and maybe their neighbors too. Also the portion sizes here are huge. I have not met someone that can finish an entire entree here and not be stuffed. It's almost like the owners of Claim Jumper and Maggianos got together and wanted to have a contest to see who could give the most food away on one single plate and call it an entree. The one thing I have done here even when just eating with a few friends is call in and reserve a booth, and just tell them a few friends canceled. This makes the dinning experience tolerable. If you have to sit in the main dinning area next to all the tables good luck!
(3)Claudia K.
This is my favorite Italian restaurant, and frankly, my favorite restaurant altogether! A fantastic option for those looking for dining-out options despite having a food allergy/intolerance. The staff here is exceptional - not only friendly and knowledgable, but personable and helpful. On one occasion, a member of our party had a food allergy. Instead of just telling us what on the menu he couldn't have, they brought out the head chef to design a custom menu so that our friend could have at least one dish from every course (we ate family style). My recommendation for a great night at Maggiano's is this: Make a reservation, then arrive 30 minutes early to sit at the bar and enjoy a glass of wine (my favorite is Nivole - a sparkling white wine that's sweet and normally served with dessert, but who said dessert has to be eaten after the meal? hehe). From there, be seated and enjoy the personality of your waiter, the ambiance, the great music playing in the background, and the chatter of happy people enjoying a meal together. Always order family style! You can take leftovers home. For the meal, you can't go wrong with the salmon or the canneloni. And the tiramisu is bound to knock your socks off. Enjoy!
(5)Mike H.
Some good friends took my wife and I here for our birthdays a few weeks ago. I will start by saying the place is huge and quite loud but has a nice atmosphere. Once we were seated our waitress quickly took our drink order. I don't think she was quite with it because she forgot to bring one of the drinks and when she was reminded and went to get it she came back again because she forgot what she was supposed to bring. needless to say, we all found this a little strange. Once the food came all was forgiven. I had the Penn Cove Mussels with linguine. It was tasty but the sauce was lacking in quantity and flavor. The mussels however were really good and the pasta was al dente, which I prefer. My favorite part of the meal was the desert. The lemon bar was really good but the tiramisu was sublime!! Quite possibly the best I have ever had. I am not sure I would come back here again. The food was good but it's pasta, one of the most overpriced foods ever. Pasta is one of the cheapest foods known to man, woman and child and yet it is consistently one of the most expensive foods purchased at a restaurant. I also wouldn't recommend this place if you are looking for a quiet romantic dinner, it is just way too loud.
(3)Betsy H.
Holy portions Batman! We got the family style meal where you can have 2 choices of each course for 4 courses. We started ordering it before realizing that it was actually for a minimum of four people, but our waiter, Greg, got special permission because it was late on a weeknight and they were slowing down. Still, I figured we would get single portions of each. No. Not even a little bit. Each of our courses could have fed 3 people, which means that 2 of us had food for 6! Needless to say we had another good 3-4 meals out of the leftovers over the next few days. Amazing service, great food, affordable wine list.... We will be back again and again. :)
(5)Olivia H.
I've been to this restaurant 4 times in the last six weeks. Once for a networking event (think speed dating for business people).They sold tickets for food and drinks and I only got a ticket for a drink. I needed it for the courage. Once for our friend's wedding rehearsal dinner where we had our own private room and ate family style. The calamari was very good, I must say. It wasn't chewy or super greasy. I actually ate the leg parts, which I've never done before. I usually only eat the rings. Once for lunch with a great friend that I hadn't seen for over 3 years. The salad was fresh and tasty and the chef actually came out and introduced himself and gave us a free appetizer (I think it was zuchini frite???) We talked to him for a good ten minutes. He said he gave us the freebie because it was my first time. It was, I just have the order screwed up. I didn't lie. :) The last time was to take out two of our friends for their birthday dinners. The portions were great and we were all very impressed. I got the summer pasta special and it was to die for. Really. I don't eat pasta that much because it makes me feel sick. This was perfectly seasoned and had just the right amount of veggies and sauce. Must try the basil bloody mary. Second best I've ever had (at a restaurant). It actually had shredded fresh basil leaves in it. The tiramisu is excellent as well. Kind of like Olive Gardens, only bigger and not so mass produced. Or at least it felt that way.
(4)Alexandra K.
The tables are too close to each other. The restaurant is stuffed, i couldn't comfortably moved my chair back to go use the restroom. There were 8 or 9 of us there and we all ordered different foods and no one liked it... i think that says it all.
(2)Annie H.
Wow. Olive Garden with ambiance. I prefer Olive Garden.
(1)Ryan M.
Portion sizes are very generous and taste is very tasteful! I've only been here and ate the all-you can eat family style dinners. I really enjoyed the chicken Parmesan and the garlic cheesy bread.As for dessert, we really liked the lemon cookie, but I really liked the Tiramisu and the best part of it is, it's all you can eat. That is if you're not stuffed from eating all the entree's! For the price and what you get you can't beat it, I don't know of any other place that can beat here for the price you pay. You go hungry, you leave STUFFED. I'm from Hawaii and I sure wished they had this type of restaurant because I would be eating here often!
(4)Jeremy M.
To say the least if I had to choose between Maggiano's or Olive Garden, you bet I am going to go with Olive Garden! I was so unimpressed with so many things I can't even list them all! I don't remember the name, but my friend ordered this entree that was half for dine in and half for take out and he couldn't even finish half of a half entree, I had the chianti beef which the noodle tasted undercooked with a flavorless spice, the braised beef cannaloni sauce was too sweet, and there was a gratuity charge of 18%! I didn't think the food/service was worth 18%, personally when paying for our dinner the waitress ran our credit cards for the amount owed then filled in the tip section which I was tempted to cross off! HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED!!! FYI: the cocktail drinks were pretty heavy on alcohol so that might be a good deal.
(1)Jeremy K.
Overall impression: The resturant has a low-lit, pleasent, but crowded, atmosphere. The food was good and the service was timely and polite. The free extra meal on the house was very appreciated. My wife and I dined here for the first time recently. We were given a gift card for Christmas and thought it would be a nice dinner date. I made the reservation earlier in the day. We arrived a few minutes early and only had to wait about 10 minutes for our table. We were lucky enough to be seated in a large both in the back. There was plenty of room for us, but because the size and shape of the both, we had to sit next to each other. That was nice, but it made it hard for conversation. The waiter was very friendly and helpful. He brought out bread and drinks before hand. We appreciated his honesty in suggesting we split a plate since their portion sizes were so large. My wife wanted fettuccine and so that is what we ordered. The split portion was just right for a dinner. The food tasted great and the noodles were cooked properly. We were given the choice of any dinner entrée to bring home with us when we finished our meal. This is a popular promotion that they have brought back recently. Under $50 with tip for a nice dinner for two and an extra dinner to go home. We will likely return again.
(4)kristin m.
Not impressed with the service from both the bartender or the manager. The food was good though. If there is a wait definitely try to sit in the bar.
(2)Janet S.
So I should start this review by saying that I believe most of the diners in our 12-person group were satisfied with their food. That's about the only reason that I'm giving this more than one star. Our work group of 12 people had a reservation for this past Friday and 4 of us showed up at the time of our reservation (11:30 am) and told the reservation desk folks we were there. One person asked if the majority of our party had arrived, to which we replied 'no', so she said we would be seated in a bit (assuming that meant we needed more people to arrive even though the restaurant was mostly empty and our table was ready). Another gal started walking towards our table and looked back wondering why we weren't following her. So I guess we didn't need to wait. Alrighty then! The front desk stammered and then just pointed us toward the gal who decided to seat us anyway. We were seated and then a few others in our party arrived. We began looking at the menu to find that we'd been given the family style menus. Since we had at least one person with gluten-free needs and another with food allergies, we asked if we could look at the lunch menu. This was when our waiter went into a diatribe about how if we did not order off the family style menu that our food would take 25 minutes to arrive, that all of our orders would not be evenly hot or guaranteed to be good and that with a party of our size we would be "competing" with the 67 other reservations in the restaurant! He went on and on repeating himself about how big our party was and how long that would take and how some people's food would be under heat lamps while other people's food would take SO much longer to make. We finally told him that we'd "take our chances" and order from the lunch menu. The bottom line was that he went on for so long about this that it really seemed like he didn't want to wait on us and was going to do everything he could to get us to eat family style. Message received -- no thanks! That said, the food was just fine (other than my friend's gluten free option, which she had expected to be bad and it was). The waiter was not very helpful when it came to clarifying what her options were (she ended up with bad gluten-free pasta and a bowl of mashed potatoes instead of the broccolini that he "wasn't sure" wasn't gluten free). And the food timing and temperatures seemed completely fine (half of us ordered salads anyway as our entrees). Throughout the meal, the waiter kept interrupting everyone to ask if we had any questions. Honestly, if I'd had that experience with family or friends (and not a group of coworkers), I would have walked out after our waiter's initial lecture about the menu. Maybe he was just having a bad day (by noon), but I won't go back and won't recommend it for another business lunch.
(2)Melanie S.
The place was really busy, but our server was fast and friendly. Good food and huge portions. Not bad prices either... I will probably go again :) Beats the heck out of Olive Garden!
(4)Jaimee B.
We went for the first time and thought it was delicious! The customer service was pretty good and they serve gluten free. We will be sure to go back.
(4)Jay L.
Good option for large party. Staff is great. Food is good. Try the lobster carbonara. Full of lobster, bacon, and snap peas. In a wine cream sauce. Yummy!
(4)Ken S.
Had great service from Jane. Great food over all. Had five grown men and we couldn't finish the family style system. Good calamari, awesome desserts, peppered steak was awesome.
(4)Lahnce V.
Awesome food! Service needs a little polishing. The server seemed to be a new guy who gets easily confused with orders or if u need extra bread. We had an awesome time when we came during their happy hours!
(4)Courtney L.
4.5 stars! The staff was very friendly and helpful with describing the extensive menu options, however after we ordered our food, it took about 30 minutes to receive our main courses. BUT, the manager stopped by our table to explain that our chicken dish was overcooked, so they had to cook another for us. We found this thoughtful enough...and THEN, he offered us two desserts on the house, which was beyond our expectations for the delay. We really appreciated this kind offer, thank you! :) Now for the food (group of four): ** Chop Salad: One of my favorite salads of all time! The veggies are delightfully crisp and taste SO fresh. The blue cheese dressing is pretty light with a slight sweetness and combined well throughout. ** Shrimp Fra Diavlo: This is a pasta with red sauce and shrimp. They are quite generous with the serving, which included around 20 perfectly cooked shrimp. However, the sauce was a little subtle so it just had a hint of tomato flavor...mostly tasted the flavor of the pasta. ** Rigatoni D: This is a classic that I always enjoy. Lean chicken pieces and plump mushrooms with a nice creamy sauce and al dente pasta. ** Chicken Spedini (monthly special): The waitress said this was her favorite - chicken breast pieces, huge chicken meatballs with potato wedges, served over a peppery sauce. The chicken had a nice grilled flavor and the meatball tasted like a sausage. I didn't care for the sauce much - it was pretty acidic as the spicy peppers seemed marinated. ** Baked Ziti (2 for 1 deal): A hearty tomato sauce and crumbled sausage - always pretty consistent and makes nice leftovers. ** Light Alfredo w/ Chicken & Asparagus (2 for 1 deal): I liked the light alfredo, better than a heavy classic cream sauce. The grilled chicken had good flavor, but the asparagus was cut into inch-sized pieces and it didn't contain much. The overall serving seemed smaller than others, unfortunately. ** Chocolate Cake: Such a HUGE, decadent slice...pretty thick chocolate mousse filling and frosting. ** Apple Crostada: Was quite sweeter than expected...the pastry crust was nice and flaky and cinnamon complemented the apple filling. Had a caramelized sugary top that I could have gone without. A lot of food overall, and we did have leftovers which made a nice second meal. The prices are a bit high here for pasta.... our shrimp dish was $23. Although family style was available, we would not have been better off in terms of price. But if you're eating with a large group, then family style is definitely the way to go, which some people take pretty seriously. Overhearing a discussion, apparently they've seen a group stay for both lunch and dinner, while another group ordered 11 Caesar salads.
(4)Denise W.
I am personally a big fan of Italian food. I made a reservation on open table and was seated right away on time. The server was friendly. I didn't order the pasta deal where you can buy one and take one home because those seems to be boring pasta that you can make at home. I ended up getting one of their specialty pasta. The portions are not as big if you went to cheese cake factory. The decor was nice and as well the restaurant was not very noisy. Great place if you are there with a group of friends.
(4)Christina K.
No way am I going to let this place slide with a overrated 3-star rating. We get it, it's the weekend, you're busy -- we don't get it when the whole front end decides to seat walk-ins over reservations that checked in 15 minutes early. I was content with our server, she was patient with our orders. Also being being able to ask questions which I admire for clarification which I admire from a waitress instead of getting the wrong order. Only thing is we did feel a little neglected, food was served late in what looked like something that was sitting under heating lamps, and waters weren't filled. Bummer. My pasta was overly cheesy and every dish just didn't hit the spot -- except for the tiramisu. Crab cakes were over salted, the flavor combined with the sauce was a little overwhelming. When I eat a dish, my palette shouldn't feel like it needs a break. It should feel like, I should keep eating this because I am a fatty. Unfortunately, they had also discontinued their bowtie pasta, a dish I was looking forward to for carb loading, but instead, was filled with disappointment. I do recommend the tiramisu, that seems to be the only okay dish on their menu. Also, clearly there is a front-end issue with operating reservations and walk-ins as, our party of 5 made reservations and checked-in early, but still saw at least 5 groups seated before us that were clearly walk-ins. Does that make sense? Sorry for being courteous, "Maggianos". In summary, I'm not at all impressed with the service or food here. You might only catch me getting the tiramisu but I refuse to recommend this place to anyone else. I'm highly disappointed. Dishes ordered: Spaghetti and Meatball (also to-go), Ziti customized with alfredo sauce (highly recommended over the promodero), Ziti original (to go), tiramisu, crabcakes.
(2)Rene B.
Well, after a very detailed description of a braised short rib dish, the waiter informs me they are out. Good thing I had a backup plan. The Linguini di Mares. The wait time was a bit long for some reason. The manager even came by to apologize. Now, when I got my food, OMG! The portion was huge, the bowl was as big as a pith helmet. It practically overflowing with mussels and claims. And the sauce and pasta were flavorful. I had an "African Amber" from a local brewer that was wonderful. Would've had another if I didn't have to drive.
(4)h b.
The management did make things right by giving me a gift card to try the restaurant again. Had a better experience. Thank you.
(3)Laurence D.
Met several friends for dinner. First time visit for all four of us. Had a wonderful time. Food was great. Cocktails are killer. Staff was very friendly and attentive. We will definately return!
(5)Ashley H.
I decided to have dinner today at Maggiano's right after work. It is a pretty big restaurant and my party of three was able to be seated a few minutes upon arrival. I enjoyed where we were seated which happened to be at the booth closets to the entrance to the dining area. For food, my party decide to each try their take home pasta deals where you order a pasta and get another order to take home. The deal ranges from 13.95-15.95. I ordered the four cheese ravioli (15.95) with a to go order of Alfredo fetticine. It was good. I wouldn't say "like Italy" good but its pretty decent for its price.The portion looked rather small, but surprisingly, I was full to the extent of not wanting to finish the last couple ravioli. Along with that, I was able to try a bit of the mushroom ravioli and the rigatoni. Both were a little bit saltier for my taste, but the pasta for the rigatoni was cooked pretty well. The customer service was great. Our waitress was courteous, filled our water glasses without any requests, and came to our table at the right amount of times. I have to give this place a 3 even with the nice experience. For now. I definitely will try this place again and will update my review if this place is consistently good.
(3)Lorna N.
WAYYYYYY better than Vince's. I came here a couple nights ago with my boyfriend and his parents for a double date and we did the family styled dinner where there is endless portions and we got to pick three appetizers, four entrees, and two desserts. We got the calamari, chopped salad, and mushrooms for the appetizers. Spaghetti and meatballs (best I've ever had compared to Vince's overpriced can watery goop), parmesan crusted tilapia, chicken Marsala, and a pasta that is basically just little dough balls (I don't know how to spell that dish) for our entrees. The sauces for the pastas were AMAZING. So flavorful and they do not skimp out on portions since you're doing the family styled. My favorite part was definitely the dessert! We got this warm apple dessert that is comparable to an apple pie served with vanilla ice cream melting on top. And the tiramisu...let me tell you about that...it is almost better than sex. To die for. I kid you not I will order that tiramisu every time I go there. Just a side note, you're only allowed to do family styled dinner if your party is four or more people and it is $30 for each adult. (I don't remember how much it is for minors) Give it a try and hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I did. Maggiano's trumps Vince's overpriced goop any day!!!!
(5)Vicky M.
I think I'm not the only one who thinks this place used to be much better... The ambience is nice, dim lights, romantic. When it's busy it's pretty loud, so not an ideal place for a quiet romantic dinner during their busy times. I came here on a date with a well known seahawks player. We were treated very nice, probably for the obvious reason. We were seated at a quiet table and the waiter took our drinks orders. The drinks came very fast, and we ordered food- lasagna for me and spaghetti for my date. The portions are big, prepare to be full and take food home! They also box up pasta for you that you can pop in your oven and enjoy, which is nice. The food isn't amazing, but it's not bad. Your typical Italian food. The waiter was very attentive and made sure we had everything we needed, and ended up asking for an autograph, which was funny haha. We enjoyed the dinner- it's a place to stop by when you are in the area, but it's nothing really special.
(4)Samantha D.
So I finally came back after a couple years later to celebrate a friend's job promotion. We had so much good food. Our order: Fried Calamari Clam Linguine Italian sausage and gnocchi Tiramisu Apple Crostada The fried calamari was pretty good nothing outstanding. I liked the linguine and the pasta was cooked perfectly. I really appreciated that they used chopped fresh clams as well as the small ones with the shell. My friend liked her gnocchi and the little kick of spice. The dessert was so delicious but the Apple Crostada was my favourite thing I had that night. I'm not a fan of the checkered table covers, I just find them a bit cheap for an upper class restaurant. It's been the same since forever.
(4)Angie W.
Friend loves this place and since it was his birthday we went for lunch this past weekend. Made a reservation (Open Table) but turned out we didn't need it since the place was dead, maybe because of the 4th. Server was nice, but he was not really attentive since he seemed to be running all over the dining room and appeared to be the only person getting sat with tables. Saw him when we placed orders, once when he checked on us, and then when we got the bill. Otherwise, different folks would top off glasses and deliver the food. Not an issue, just seemed odd. Ordered the calamari appetizer and it was hot and fresh. Nice size serving that was easily shared between four of us. Couple of issues prevent me from giving this visit a 4 star. 1. Their "light" options were simply smaller size versions of their regular dishes. Of course you can cut calories if you get a smaller size, but nothing healthier about it. They did offer GF and whole wheat penne options, but would have been nice to see some dishes made deliberately healthier. 2. Shrimp Fra Diavolo was really greasy and the pasta was overcooked. Ended up just eating the shrimp and leaving the rest. 3. Sadly nothing done to help us celebrate my friend's birthday. I advised them of it when making the reservation, we told the hostess, and the waiter knew as he wished my friend happy birthday when we left, but otherwise nothing. How about at least a little birthday candle or something. I don't come to someplace like this for an experience. It's about location and convenience, but I do expect a decent meal and good service. Think the next friend who asks to come here will be encouraged to branch out and try something a little more traditional.
(3)Nathasha S.
I adore Maggiano's. From Frank Sinatra playing in the background to their romantic and cozy decor, Maggiano's has always treated me well. Perks: You can make reservations! They have a walk-in "bar" seating area which is just as good as the real thing if you don't mind. My family's favorites: Appetizers - Steamed mussels 4/5 - fresh, tangy and delicious. White beans and sundried tomatoes accompany the broth. Once my family thought it was a bit too salty and they just fixed it for us, on the house! On the house is a big thing for them and I love that about them. Entrees - Lobster baked tilapia 5/5 - this is the ONLY thing my family eats, because it's the bomb.com . It's so good!! They don't offer this anymore on their menu but they're happy to accommodate. A great chunk of tilapia with lobster and angel hair pasta + spinach sometimes. Only thing though is that the past two times the fish hasn't been cooked thoroughly enough and we've had to send it back to the kitchen. But the flavor is on point. Dessert - Tiramius 5/5 - one of the best tiramisu's around! Delicious. Yummy, creamy mascarpone. Perfect venue for celebrations, birthdays, etc. :)
(4)Glenda J.
Minimal wait with reservation. Bread and water brought to table immediately. We didn't see balsamic vinegar and we asked the first person we could find. When he returned he had the snottiest attitude for whatever reason. He poured the balsamic with such force just shy of missing the plate. Lasagna and ziti came before the appetizer! Lasagna was too salty and the chef explained that this could happen when the sausage and sauce is combined. Amazes me this happens. If anyone even tasting the food??? They did everything right to fix the problem so I will be back in spite of the snotty kid of a waiter.
(4)Karl K.
I have enjoyed dining at Maggiano's a few times over the years. Recently, I attended a company Christmas party. Our banquet (60 people) was well staffed with friendly servers and bartenders. The food was good (a bit predictable) and the atmosphere festive. Maggiano's is always clean, quick, and staffed with great people. A great place for banquets of any size.
(4)Grace D.
From start to finish, this was a good experience. The whole family came out to celebrate a birthday - we made for a pretty big group. We had a reservation but the party who had our table before us was taking awhile to get up and go. We maybe waited an extra 5-10 minutes, and in that time someone came over and checked on us twice, updating us on how much longer it would be before we sat down. They also gave us a complementary appetizer just for waiting. Not a bad first impression! We shared Mozzarella Marinara, Spinach & Artichoke al Forno, and the Calamari. The calamari wasn't as crunchy as I prefer, but the spinach dip and the mozzarella were very good. We also got the Maggiano's Salad, which was light and delicious but somewhat disappointing, as they were out of toasted prosciutto? They gave us bacon to sub, but it seemed a little odd to me that they were out of prosciutto so early on a Friday night. I also started with their signature Apertivo drink - not too sweet, a little sour, completely delicious. For $6, you can't not try it. I got a gin and tonic later, and it was double that price for the same size beverage. What do you have to lose? I had settled on the Linguine di Mare, a must have for seafood lovers like myself. I couldn't even see the pasta, which I assumed was nestled in the bottom of the bowl; it was completely covered in a beautiful assortment of mussels and clams. Digging a little deeper, I got to the shrimp and the lobster. It was awesome, they did not skimp out at ALL on their seafood. The spicy tomato sauce was the only thing I was a little meh on - it was pretty watery, when I was expecting hearty chunks of tomato. I was too enthralled with my seafood extravaganza to really be too upset though. I'd go again. I had fun and our waiter was very attentive and a delight to have. All in all, a good experience.
(4)n s.
We love maggianos for a dinner after shopping or meeting family for a large dinner in Bellevue here. They generally seat us in a booth which is helpful with our child. The food is always good. Service times good. Bathrooms well kept. Drinks are good. Nice cadence to bringing things out and the second pasta dish my husband always likes to take home. Cozy and not too loud. If we have a larger group and seated at a long table we always have enough space and I don't feel squished in there among other tables.
(5)Nathan O.
Honestly - we receive the best service every time we come here - it is easily one of our favorite restaurants. Ecerytime we have had a problem the head chef always comes out to apologize and offer something complimentary (although it rarely happens). Great food, great service, awesome atmosphere. Love this place.
(5)Ikaika B.
Make sure to get a reservation as it's popular. The food really has home cooked taste and is in generous portions. I would really recommend the family style meal if you come with a group. The chicken was very good, light glaze and tangy sweet. My favorite was the lasagna...so good! The waiters are hit and miss, some helped us load up on take home while others were super stingy and absent for most of our meal. Make a effort to enjoy a family meal here during Christmas time so you can head out and enjoy ask of the festivities!
(4)Sweta R.
The Crispy Zucchini Fretté and Chicken spinach manicotti(our favourites)are simply delicious. The ambience and service are good. I and my husband both just love it here !
(4)Jill S.
Great service in bar with Ryan. A Friday night, quite busy but best service so far at Lincoln square.
(5)Long T.
Today, I thought I take a chance at some Italian cuisine in Downtown Bellevue. My waitress was one of the bubbliest gals who was genuinely excited about telling me some of their really good dishes and even a drink to pair it with. Needless to say, my first impression was pretty exciting! Then the food came. The bread that came out was baked warm, soft, and fresh. I always loved dipping my bread in a plate of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. My waitress also brought out their house marinara sauce and I enjoyed it! For lunch, I was recommended a spicy seafood pasta dish (Linguine di Mare, which according to the menu, comes with lobster, shrimp, mussels, and clams in a spicy tomato sauce) paired with a glass of Pinot Grigio. I accepted the recommendation, but was met with disappointment. The sauce wasn't very spicy, but was really mild, so I had to ask for crushed chili flakes to add to it. The seafood was cooked well, but they forgot the lobster. :( After pointing it out though, the chef did cook up some lobster in the same sauce my linguine came in with his apologies. Overall, it was good, but it wasn't at the expectations that were set by my wonderful waitress. What kept my visit from being mundane was my waitress. She made me feel welcome and took time to figure out what I would enjoy. I would give the restaurant another chance so I can do a second review. I'm hoping for the best next time!
(3)James G.
It's fun and fancy - come with your friends in shorts, or come with your date in a suit. It matches all occasions! The food is tasty, the unlimited bread is to die for, and Marco's Dinner for Two or whatever it's called makes the place a full dinner at a decent price. Try it out, and come back when you're feeling some amazing atmosphere, professional as all hell wait staff, and a killer time.
(4)Daniel M.
In short: what was good was very good, but too much was only so-so. My wife & I went on a busy Saturday night to spend a gift card we had received. (Also: join their email list and they'll send you a coupon for $10 off.) The service and pacing of the meal were very good: it was prompt but not rushed. The prices are reasonable, and the portion sizes are just right: generous but not overboard. The table bread was perfect: soft, doughy inside; crispy but not hard crust. Maggiano's Signature Aperitivo cocktail was better than I had expected: it was complex, well-balanced, and not too sweet. We started with the Maggiano's Salad, which I wasn't impressed with. I don't think prosciutto lends itself to being crisp-fried; there wasn't enough blue cheese, and the dressing was not flavorful. My wife loved it though, so YMMV. We had a lobster fontina pasta dish from the specials/holiday menu, which was utterly delicious. The creamy, cheesy sauce perfectly complemented a fair amount of lobster meat, without overpowering the flavor. At $18, including a takeaway portion of one of the classic pastas, it was a steal. Our other main was decidedly less impressive. We sprang for the $38 filet mignon, which was a nice cut of meat but was served overcooked and a bit dry (ordered medium; served med well-to-well). The accompanying crispy Vesuvio potatoes were undercooked, not very crispy at all, and barely seasoned I have mixed feelings overall. I would return, but would probably stick to the pastas. I admit I'm snobby about chain restaurants, but this is definitely a step up from Olive Garden.
(3)AlyxandraMonique S.
Definitely my favorite Italian restaurants that I have been to in all of Washington State. For starters, it's in the middle of the very classy downtown Bellevue area. It's in Lincoln Square so it's perfectly convenient for parking, shopping at Bellevue Square across the street, bar hopping, clubbing or bowling at Lucky Strike or even watching a movie at the top floor! I suggest to call in for a reservation so you don't have to wait in a long line. My favorite thing about Maggiano's is that one order for one person is enough to get you completely full and when ordering you also get to pick another pasta to take home with you! If you eat here, I suggest ordering the regular Fettuccine Alfredo or the Ravioli. Note that it is a tad pricey here so do keep that in mind. Eating here with a big party is great because you can all be accommodated for but the pricing for food leaves your bill very high.
(5)Anshul S.
Well I am rating this down just because of the time it takes to get your food, the food is really good, but 1 hour of wait to get it wasnt worth it. So I am probably never going again, just because I cant wait that long for my food. But if you can wait then you should, the taste is really good.
(1)Rose B.
I've been here a handful of times for lunch. They're a great value and a classier ambiance than your average italian place. My go-to items are their classic pasta dishes as they send you home with an entire entree for later. It's really hard to top that. I stopped in for HH with a friend a while back too. Their apps are delish as are the drinks. I like to think of this place as an upscale Spaghetti Factory with more options. I don't know if I'd come here on a nice date (maybe an early 20's nice date) but it's definitely a good place for a large group.
(4)Joop V.
We stopped by Maggiano's because we were craving for some comfort full-blown pasta dishes in the Bellevue area while waiting for the Snowflake Lane Show to start. I especially like their deals where we could get $39.99 for 2 side salads, 2 pastas,1 dessert, AND 2 additional meals to go. Sure, the pasta doesn't cost that much to make, but for this much amount of food (plus yummy table bread) for this price, it's quite a good deal. The pasta itself is somewhat customizable. You can make it less/more fat or substitute some pasta/meat that you want in it (although I think you may have to pay a bit extra for some meat). Overall, it's pretty good deal. The pasta dishes weren't out of the world delicious, but it definitely satisfied our craving for some sort of family/Italian restaurant feel. Their tiramisu, though, tasted so fresh and so good! :) Overall, I wouldn't mind going back there again (probably not too often just because I think the calories may be on a high side..but taste/portion/restaurant wise it's pretty solid if you aren't too particularly nit picky about Italian food). The price and the portion that we got was quite a good deal. Service was also great and, bets of all, nearby parking is free, so it definitely took out a lot of hassle stopping by this place.
(4)Brenda L.
We came on a Monday evening, and it didn't seem to be too crowded. I liked the atmosphere which was relatively quiet and pretty spacious. The service was great, especially since we were there for a while. They would periodically ask if we needed anything, refilled the bread/water, etc. They have a pretty cool deal - "On the house classic pastas" - basically you choose one for dinner, and one to take back home the next day, for around $12-$15 depending on what you choose. The pastas are decent and really filling as well.
(3)Sonya L.
I went here over the weekend for a friend's birthday. There were 15 people in our group and we had a reservation made in advance. We were seated shortly after everyone arrived and our wait staff for the evening (Andrew and Anthony) were very friendly, fun, and nice. There are a lot of options on the menu, but the main event is really pasta. You can do individual meals, meals for two, or even family style. Our group had a lot of different tastes, so we all ordered separate. There was a little bit of an error with some of the meals being lukewarm when they came out, but the issues were addressed quickly and everyone seemed to end up happy with their meal. I ended up having the Spinach Salad with shrimp added on top. It was super good! The dressing was great and the flavors and toppings (bacon, gorgonzola cheese, red onions, etc) were all very good. I really enjoy the salad. Our waiter, Andrew, was great and brought out lemon cookies for everyone and a dessert sample for the birthday girl after the meal. I had a chance to sample everything and it was all super good. Prices are a bit high, but you do get a lot of food for the price. Some of the meals even have an option for you to take home and entire extra meal as a bonus for the next day. That is a good deal! Overall, I enjoyed my meal here and I would return.
(4)Steven L.
[Homestyle Italian] This is my second time to Maggiano's and it has become one of my favorite restaurants south of the border. I'm a big fan of homestyle italian food and Maggiano's fits the bill. Portions are large so make sure you come hungry. We did the "family style" option with 8 people and let me tell you, I was full for a week. Family style is basically unlimited servings of your choice of selected appetizers, salads, pastas, entrees, and desserts. They even let you take the leftovers to go. The pasta is delicious and fresh - I had the frutti de mare linguine and spaghetti and meatballs. I was also a big fan of the fried zucchinis which were thinly sliced. For a party of 2, I'd recommend the a la carte menu - an appetizer and entree between both would be plenty to share. Price wise, I feel that Maggiano's provides good value. Family style varies between $21-40 depending on the options chosen (but you need to have a minimum of 4 people). An appetizer and pasta from the a la carte menu is around $30 which is a decent price. The service here is also fantastic. Servers are friendly and chatty and quick to respond. The homestyle food and homey italian atmosphere are what keep me coming back I'm south of the border. I'd recommend a visit if you're in the neighborhood.
(4)Susan O.
The manager Josh and our waiter Clay provided outstanding service and the food was terrific. They made some recommendations and everything was delicious. My husband made the comment that the stuffed mushrooms appetizer he could actually taste the mushrooms and every dish was well priced with good size portions. We will definitely return.
(5)Karen S.
Seriously awful carry out experience. Paid $40+ for two classic pasta orders (with the $5 double up option). So we were expecting 2 portions of the Mushroom Ravioli and 2 portions of the Fettuccine Alfredo, but we ended up receiving what looked like 1 portion of the Mushroom Ravioli split into two containers and same with the Fettuccine. In addition, the Fettuccine was so dry with maybe a little drop of Alfredo sauce at the bottom. What are you guys doing? Never coming back here again.
(1)J M.
Great and friendly service. Food was fine. Nothing earth shattering.
(3)Joe H.
Three stars is about right for this chain restaurant. I have been to this Bellevue location as well as one in Santa Clara and both locations are quite different and similar at the same time. I am reviewing the Bellevue location. I have been here maybe about 5 times on a variety of different occasions. Today I was here for a birthday party. We were a group of.... say 40-50 people with lots of kids. The food is very much.... safe and meh. I like their calamari a lot tho haha. Nice crispy on the outside, soft inside and perfectly seasoned. Very consistent too. Their pasta and fish dishes are very... normal. Not bad at all but not really that great either. My wife likes their Rigatoni D. I think it's alright. Their service is... I would say decent overall. They seem to try hard but always seems to fall a bit short. The servers are nice and diligent but I feel like I always am missing something or in need of something while I am dining there lol. They take all major credit cards.
(3)Jonathan D.
Service has gone down hill over the past few years. Food is starting to slip now. What Italian eats their Gnocchi with ground sausage? Example of trying to save money, move from sliced Italian sausage to ground sausage... People will pay the extra buck or two to eat good food! There was a time you could get a huge bowl of Gnocchi now it's mainly ground sausage with a touch of Gnocchi. Tonight the messed 50% of our take out meal. People I don't want a discount I want Dinner! Please pay attention to details.....
(1)Greg M.
Huge disappointment with this place. I thought it would be a good place since it's located in the heart of Bellevue and is full of people on the weekend. I have had much better experiences with Carrabas and Macaroni Grill, the food and atmosphere is much better for a chain restaurant.
(1)Samuel H.
I cannot tell you how wonderful the experience was. For that you would have to go yourself because it's indescribable! Going to this restaurant is actually like visiting Italy itself. The food is so delectable. The ambiance for a first date to a birthday to an anniversary is impeccable! The deal sealer, is that it's all you can eat. Seriously. If you want a lasagna dinner, once you complete that meal, you can simply order another one.. I mean what restaurant does that?? Incredible! It goes without saying that for such an exquisite meal and service, it come$ with a price but WELL worth it regardle$$. I wish they had this restaurant closer to the Tacoma area rather than just the Bellevue area which is a one and a half hour drive for me, but then again I would gain an immeasurable amount of weight if it was closer because I would consistently frequent said establishment. Maggiano's gets 5 stars from me and my family! You won't be disappointed. Any negative reviews that you may read about this fine dining establishment are possibly of those who frequently dine at ritzy places such as The Four Seasons or the Waldorf-Astoria. Pish posh...... Lol.
(5)Jonelle T.
You don't go to Maggiano's for super authentic Italian food, you go because you're a glutton and can put away a ton of food for not a lot of money. Six of us descended upon Maggiano's and barely made a dent in the family style dinner placed in front of us. We did the classic option and the portions were large enough to feed a small army. Everyone was stuffed to the gills and we still took home a large shopping bag of leftovers. Our server was new and seemed a bit frazzled, but we were able to flag down other servers as needed to provide dinner plates and refill water glasses. If I can recommend one thing, it would be the apple crostada for dessert. It was so good, we ate two of them, plus a tiramisu.
(3)Candace K.
We did some shopping at Square with the intention of having Italian at Maggiano's. What a great idea. My Linguine di Mare was delicious with its 'tons' of seafood and just the right amount of spiciness. I took a huge piece of chocolate cake home. One 3 letter word...YUM!!! Now that I have rediscovered Maggiano's, I will definitely be visiting soon and often.
(5)Nina S.
Maggianos is a very nice place for dinner! They have an extensive bar and delicious food. I really like their buy one-take one menu. They have a handful of dishes (my favorite is the ravioli in a pesto sauce) and you can mix and match out of this handful of dishes, one to eat now and one in a pre-packaged container to take home and heat up in the oven the next day. I feel like I'm getting 2x the food for my money! The service isn't always the best but the staff is always nice!
(4)Anithya D.
Fetucinne Alfredo is very good. The ambience is friendly. The service is good. The portions are decent size and the chaser salad can fill you up. The tiramisu is also very good. This is definitely a family oriented restaurant.
(4)Leticia P.
We just went there on my husband's birthday. It was okay- nothing to rave about. My husband had this all time favorite Veal Parmesan and he thinks it was frozen meat and then placed in the microwave. I tried the especial grilled jumbo shrimp with creamed spinach. For the price (29.00) It was very tiny and it almost looked like an appetizer. We enjoyed the actual appetizers - stuffed mushrooms and calamari. This place reminded me of Olive Garden- just twice the price..My hunt for authentic Italian food continues.
(3)Jeff A.
I was a little hesitant to get italian food here. I am pretty picky, but my wife said she had been there in California and it was pretty good, so we gave it a shot. Got takeout from here on a Saturday night. It was ready on time when I arrived. First, the place is huge. They have a weird, completely separate desk for takeout orders. The dining room looked nice and romantically lit. My food was very well packed - everything was expertly plastic-wrapped (if it hadn't been, it would have simply been a disaster). Everything was still piping hot when I got it home, too. I had the baked ziti and it was amazing. It had this extremely rich Italian sausage and was just the right level of cheesiness and sauce (mozzarella and red sauce). So, I would highly recommend it if you are in to Italian sausage and cheese. The pasta was perfectly cooked and didn't taste like a regular dried pasta, it seemed fresh. The portion was pretty big, too. My wife had the four cheese ravioli. She loved it. So... no complaints here.
(5)Sara S.
The customer service is great and the staff is friendly. You can usually find seating at the bar. During dinner time it is tough to find regular seating in the dining area. I loved the lobster carbonara and the bread was delicious.
(4)Hannah L.
Disappointed at Maggiano's tonight. We had a work event so had reserved a banquet room. Many times there was 1 server there, sometimes 0. Nobody took away dirty plates until I finally asked someone to. No one offered soda or coffee or tea until I asked them about it. Food was very mediocre. Salmon was dry. Maggiano's house salad was so tasteless. Masala chicken was very bland. We paid quite a bit tonight for mediocre food and terrible service.
(2)Patrick S.
Yes it's a chain, and yes I'm a food snob...but for this NY transplant, this is a solid option for east coast style Italian immigrant food that we grew up on. You can definitely tell that their food is made fresh to order and even though it's simple food, it's done well. If anyone suggests anything better that's owned locally, I'm all ears! But in meantime, this is a solid spot for your old school Italian American fare. They even brought out candles on our dessert, to help celebrate our impromptu anniversary getaway...definitely a nice touch!
(4)Shert J.
Hubs and I had dinner here tonite on a whim. It was SOOO GOOD. Really good service to begin with, even though they were crowded on a Sunday night! We were served bread right away, and it was so good, nice and chewy Italian. We had the "dinner for two special" which is $39.95. We each got to pick an appetizer or a salad, then each could choose a pasta dish to eat there, plus one pasta dish each to take home later (! how cool is that??? I now have dinner for tomorrow night!!); and one dessert to share. That's $20 each for a fab dinner. I had the chopped salad, the baked sausage Ziti, and we shared the pound cake dessert. My hubs had Lasagna and a Ceasar's salad. After we finished, the waiter was "Johnny on the spot" and brought our bag with the two pasta entrees we chose to take home for tomorrow. Everything was EXCELLENT! And such a good price for all of this! I love this place!
(5)Chris V.
We went here for my wife's birthday with friends and it was excellent. The wait staff was friendly and helpful. They allowed us to make a substitution on our desert for the pumpkin cheesecake on the meal. And the food was spectacular. The Baked Ziti, lasagna and ravioli were top notch. The spinach salad with the nuts is one of the best I've ever had. I've heard people say it's not that all that italian but I just returned from Italy and have to disagree. It reminded me of ZaZa in Florence.
(4)Michaeline A.
I would have given five stars but the service could use some improvement. The food was fabulous. Tomato caprese ,wonderful ! Salmon lemon garlic, spaghetti and meatballs,lasagna ...all very delish.
(4)Angie B.
This place is hu-uge! I have been to a few others & that seems to be the theme. Huge space, huge menu, huge servings... The place smells good & the menu is vast so I really WANT to love the food. But I just don't feel it. Also during our last visit we were so squeezed in next to other tables it was a little awkward. I have to admit that the number of servers & bussers running around it astounding & its amazing to watch them navigate (often with large trays) each other, the hustle & bustle of the patrons moving chairs & walking around & the swinging doors in/out of the kitchen area. Basic, run of the mill, chain-style Italian food. My favorite part of the meal last time was a lemon cookie, one that kiddo shared with me (he got 3 as part of dessert with his kid meal). It really was tasty! And honestly for the price, you definitely get what you pay for. So it's alright for an occasional visit.
(3)Jessica D.
My boyfriend and I used Yelp to find a new place to try and decided on Maggiano's, BOY ARE WE GLAD WE DID! This place is AMAZING!!! So delicious and if you order from the original list they give you a "tomorrow portion"!! We'll definitely be going again!!
(5)John A.
Love the buy on for today, get one for tomorrow deal. Have taken up on this deal multiple times and will continue going. Good staff and great food!!
(4)Ellie W.
The service was great, from the front desk to our table server, everyone was friendly and professional. The food was great as well. Every dish we ordered was delicious! The tiramisu was the best! The only reason I couldn't give 5 stars is because I feel that they could have improved their speed of service. While I understand that they are busy all the time, since they know they are busy, they should develop a way to serve people faster.
(4)Chanele B.
Chain restaurants are often not given much respect for a variety of reasons, and a lot of those reasons are fairly valid. Maggiano's is an exception for me, and I will gladly eat at this chain. (And, in downtown Bellevue, you are more or less choosing between chains anyway.) It's one of the more comfortable and visually appealing chains in the area. I like the dim lighting, dark woods, and unique photos. The food is not bad. I don't agree with the Olive Garden comparisons, unless someone is getting far superior food at Olive Garden than I have. Maggiano's might not be the most authentic Italian, but it's tasty comfort food. You have to know what you are getting into when you walk in the door. If you're expecting high brow food that makes you think you're in Tuscany, you're delusional. It's not fair to walk into a restaurant and expect it to be something you know it is not... and then write a rude review about it. They also have some ridiculous deals. The "classic dishes" give you a choice of about 8 or 9 entrees (your typical Amer-Italian fare - lasagna, spaghetti, baked ziti, gnocchi, etc.), but the deal is that you get one for tonight and one for tomorrow. For $13, you are getting at least two meals. I say "at least" because I've never finished an entire serving in one setting. Yes, the portions are huge, and that's why we like it. The leftovers reheat well, and it's a great cost-effective option. The thing that sets it apart is the attention to customers that we received on our most recent visit. We were seated in the bar, where you might not expect the most prompt and attentive service. There was some sort of mixup in the kitchen, and our food was delayed. We were so engrossed in conversation and snacking on the yummy bread (with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping) that we didn't really notice. The management and server did, though, and they each apologized at least three times. When our entrees finally did come, they were entirely comped. We never complained, but they recognized the problem and took responsibility without being asked. Sure, they are a chain and "can afford it," but I felt like they truly cared about our business, and I appreciate that.
(4)Gary E.
We checked out Maggiano's Little Italy for an early dinner. The décor was pretty fancy nice and the dress code casual. It didn't take long until we were seated. The first thing I noticed was the tight elbow room - one of my pet peeves! Like a team player I shrugged it off and took in the ambiance. We heard about the family style dining here but had no idea of what the portions were really like. Our server came around with the menus and asked if it was our first time here. I must have sprayed way too much tourist cologne? Here's what we ordered: Calamari Fritte - Crispy calamari coated in egg whites and seasoned flour, deep fried and served with marinara sauce. Linguine & Clams with White Clam Sauce - Linguine pasta tossed with fresh clams, basil and chopped clams in a white clam sauce. Spaghetti Meatball - Spaghetti with meatballs served with meat sauce. Veal Chop - 19 oz., Bone-in Chop. Kids pizza bread - Focaccia bread topped w/marinara & a mixture of italian cheeses (one order). Dessert Sampler - three Crème Brulee, Apple Crostada, Chocolate Zuccotto Cake and Tiramisu. Holy smokes the portions were huge! We could have doubled our party and it would have been just right. Good calamari and the marinara sauce delicious! The spaghetti meatball was okay and the linguine & clams alright. My veal chop was pretty good and yes I shared a few slices. The girls enjoyed their pizza. The yummy dessert sampler topped off the evening...
(3)Ninette C.
If you order a classic pasta, you get another pasta to take home for free! So you get 2 pastas and 2 meals for $13! What what!
(4)Angela B.
Very heavy, very rich, nothing all that special.
(2)Chris T.
If you are a moneyed man with a nice car and a sizeable credit limit, and you are feeling uncreative but want to take your date to someplace "romantic" and classy enough to get her to consider taking off her pants (or skirt, or dress, etc.), then Maggiano's is the place to be!* Set in a corner of the swanky Lincoln Square (which is now dwarfed by the swankier Bravern), Maggiano's is Italian food at it's okay-est. I've been here twice. Once for a close friend's birthday party when the food was delicious and once for an intimate date when it was mediocre. At the party, we had big platters of the appetizers like bruschetta, stuffed mushrooms, and mozarella marinara (mind you, this was a couple years ago); the tiramisu was heavenly...mmm. When I was on my date, the lobster ravioli that I ordered and even more so, the lobster linguine that my icky date ordered looked and tasted as if a culinarily-inclined child had prepared some pasta from Costco's frozen food section. I love Costco food, so this isn't too bad of a thing but still, I wanted to eat at the much-lauded Maggiano's, not Costco. The atmosphere inside is nice and the bathrooms are the swankiest I've seen since Anthony's Pier 66 and I loved the raised booths but atmosphere alone doth not justify high prices for okay food served by overly polite servers without personality. *learned through unfortunate personal experience and that of other courted females
(3)Amanda K.
Family style? Sounds safe huh... THINK AGAIN. When it comes to ordering family style at Maggiano's, you'll probably never want to eat another bite of pasta again. At the same time, Maggiano's does carry some decent food. I haven't tried a whole lot of their food, so this isn't the most full review. Anyway, this is the type of place to come to for a big reunion of some sort. Birthday parties, pre school dance dinners, or if you're just in the mood for some Italian food. Their menu consists of appetizers, flat breads, soups, salads, 'chef's favorites', specialty and classic pastas, entrees, and sides. If you do end up ordering family style, there is three methods: light, classic, and 'chef's choice'. You get to choose first courses, main courses, and desserts. My favorite pasta dish here is the 'rigatoni D'. It comes with herb roasted chicken, mushrooms, carmelized onions, and marsala cream sauce. The rigatoni is the perfect pasta to pair with the sauce in this pasta. You can also substitute any of the pastas with whole wheat or gluten free pasta. I have gotten the wheat pasta before, and it's not the same as the rigatoni. I'd stick to the original. The whole wheat pasta is not horrible, but why mess with a good thing? When I came here with my brother, he ordered the spaghetti and meat ball. It comes with a giant meat ball that you break up and incorporate into your noodles and sauce. I personally have never tried the spaghetti, but my brother likes it. I'd come here again for some Italian fare, and try more of their menu. Stuffed mushrooms, chicken & apple salad, chicken pesto linguine, and eggplant parmesan (I LOVE eggplant), and apple crostada are all on my list.
(3)Trayton M.
I went here in August of 2012 (last month). It had been a few years since I last visited and I must say the service has gone down drastically. They used to have great service staff (maybe I got lucky before?), but this visit was just miserable. The food is always great, no complaints there. It's just the service... man, it was awful! I'm usually very forgiving if someone seems new or inexperienced, but our waiter was so casual, unprofessional and unfamiliar with the menu it was inexcusable. The host was also totally unattentive and, again, unprofessional. My wife and I visited there early (at about 5pm), so I kinda shrugged that off as "non-peak behavior" which I get, but still. It's too bad the service has gotten so bad because the food is very tasty! It's also frankly a very good deal for the money! I've never had a single dish there that I was unhappy with. I did try their Ziti which was my first time trying Ziti and it's not for me, but that's just personal preference, not reflective of the quality of the dish. You can't go wrong with their Lasagna! It's probably the best I've tried.
(3)Michael R.
I've had better at Olive Garden. End of Story. P.S. Service was excellent and the place was chock full of hipsters.
(2)Christine R.
I've been only lucky enough to haven eaten here twice. Both times were great experiences, but still in my eyes not as good as my favorite Bucca de Beppo. I like how they offer you family style dining or not. On both visits we did family style. Items on the menu: Appetizers: Stuffed Mushrooms Calamari Fritté Pastas: 1. Chicken & Spinach Manicotti 2. Mom's Lasagna 3. Four-Cheese Ravioli 4. Spaghetti & Meatballs Entrees: Chicken Parmesan Chicken Marsala Salmon Lemon & Herb Seared Pork Medallions I have a very large family so don't hate.. and I'm lucky because they ordered such a huge variety of different food that I was able to have a go at all of them. I love their pastas!! Sauce so good- it's like mama was in the kitchen making it. The entree's were all moist, and cooked to perfection. I'm taking 1 star away because although we had a very large party, it seemed like forever for our service and water refills. Overall- food was a great culinary experience and my taste buds thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Believe me i was so stuffed after dinner I did a pregnancy waddle back to our car- but I wasn't preggers.
(4)Jacqualyn S.
I really like this place but I always prefer to sit in the bar area because the dinning room can get a little bit loud. What I really enjoy is their happy hour. You can get a beer and some pasta for less that $15 and it's really tasty.
(4)E E.
Great everything. Very fun family dinning.
(5)Melanie B.
This place has huge portions and pretty standard Italian fare, but it's hearty and good - so worth it for a group to get well fed. I love their chicken marsala and gnocchi, they are stand out dishes because of the flavor. Other dishes I've found lackluster. The place feels a bit too "chain-ish" for me, so I usually order to-go.
(3)Bethany P.
This place feels like its going to be like Bucca di Beppo, but without the naked pictures on the walls. You'll soon discover that you were wrong. The only thing it has in common with Bucca is the family style dining. The food is extremely bland ( i think Bucca is sometimes too spicy). I have been there 2 times, and I refuse to try them again. So disappointed. Olive Garden is better.
(2)Paul D.
Caught this place with colleagues one night while attending a conference in Bellevue. Cool place with a nice ambiance to it! While the service was attentive, the meals themselves took awhile to arrive. Friends had the baked ziti, lasagna, and a salad. I had the linguine di mare. Plenty of seafood in my dish...but overall the flavor of the dish didn't really bowl me over :-( I'm not sure it could be rated better than average. My friends were excited to learn that their dishes were considered "classics" so apparently they got a free meal each to take home. Lunches the next day during the conference were covered for them! In retrospect...I wish the waitress would have made it a point to tell us this...I may have gone a different route since 2 economical average dishes would have been better than one expensive average dish. Not really sure if I'd go back.
(2)Ashley M.
Came here on a Saturday night around 9pm. It was busy but we didn't have to wait more than 10 minutes to be seated. The service was slow but polite... not incredibly slow, but enough to get pretty hungry. We had to keep on our server to bring things like bread and water refills, or he'd keep forgetting. Huge portions.
(3)jamie c.
I love their basil and tomato appetizer and I love this pasta. My favorite is seafood pasta and rigaltino D
(4)Kristin C.
Sure, it's a chain. Sure, it's part of the Bellevue Collection. Sure, they hired someone from Disney as their interior decorator. Sure, the service is atrocious and the wait can easily be over an hour on a weekend. BUT, they do make some pretty tasty food and good prices. My boyfriend and I got the $40 deal for 2 which includes an appetizer or two salads, 2 classic pastas(plus 2 more to take home) and 1 dessert. We had the Caesar Salad and the Maggiano Salad, with prosciutto, blue cheese and onions. Both of the salads were very good, much better than fancier restaurants. For our entrees we had the lasagna and the baked Ziti. The Baked Ziti was a miss, very little sauce, so not super flavorful. The lasagna though, was fantastic. They aren't breaking any new ground here, it's just a classic recipe filled with delicious meats and cheeses. For out take home dishes we got the lasagna again and the four cheese ravioli with a pesto Alfredo sauce. Warmed up the next day, these were both fantastic. My boyfriend literally won't eat leftovers, and he really enjoyed his. We were too full for our dessert, so we got the tiramasu to go. We ate it the next day, and once again, it wasn't fancy, or special, but it tasted just as it should, and was really very good. What's keeping this place from a 5 though is the service. Our water glasses weren't refilled until we were basically finished with our main course. This was after all the tables around us, who were seated after us, had already gotten a few water refills. The wait is long too. We made a reservation, luckily. But all the other people showing up at 8 pm were being told 45-60 minutes, just for 2 people. Large parties were closer to 2 hours. But, it is Lincoln Square on a Saturday night, where everyone loves their chains, so it really isn't surprising. I would definitely come here again if I was looking for some classic pasta and leftovers for a good price.
(4)Eric F.
Italian food is my guilty favorite now that carbs are bad. ;) I am not particularly discerning as a food person, but everything I've had here tastes great to me. And the pricing is reasonable and a pleasant atmosphere with attentive and courteous wait staff.
(5)Connie C.
We have not been here for the last 2 years for Thanksgiving, but due to a family illness we returned this year. The menu was VERY limited compared to our past experience. And more expensive. Well OK, think that would be expected, Everything is. The service was superb, but it wasn't quite the quality or choice of food we experienced in the past. Our server was excellent, and our out of town son had arranged to pay for our holiday dinner. That was handled very well, we were surprised. !!! Gosh, how nice. I would hope they could offer more choices on future Thanksgiving menus. Even at a higher price.
(4)Theresa L.
I made reservations. Things were on time. The amount of food was hefty! All the flavors were good. I love coming here and so does my girls. At the end of the night we asked for help to take a group picture and I forgot his name...but he helped us out. Can't wait to go again
(4)Reena M.
This was a very interesting and entertaining experience. Our server was really intense and was really trying to sell us on the "specials." And When only 1/5 of us ordered a special, he looked really disappointed and not happy with the 4 of us, but was always friendly to my bro-in-law who ordered the special--which was a butternut squash ravioli. And then at the end when we ordered dessert, I asked him if he could put a candle on it since it was my sister's birthday and then he seem super apologetic! He said, "if you tell us it's your birthday in advance, it's a whole different experience!" He was nice and did give her a cheesecake on the house--though it was topped with strawberries, which she is allergic to. Anyway, overall the experience was good. The food was pretty good, and their classic pastas are an amazing deal! You order any $12.95 classic pasta and you get another one to take home, compliments of the chef. And the entree pasta that I got was already too much to eat in one sitting so it was like having 4 meals for 1 price! The butternut ravioli was also pretty good. The restaurant is also quite big, which might be why we didn't see our waiter as much as we would have liked. However, we notified the restaurant of my fish allergies when my crabcakes came and they were so concerned and a chef even came out to ask me about it. It's nice to see that they take food allergies seriously. I can't wait to go back!
(4)Brandon W.
Best Italian food ever! Used Opentable for my reservation, walked right in and went straight to me table. And the best part, the food never ends! You get that authentic Italian feel. 100% worth it.
(5)Karen F.
Lately, Maggiano's has been disappointing. Service is really slow and when they get to your table, they're rather brusque. On our last visit with my family and my in-laws, it took over 10 minutes just to get our water glasses filled and when it happened, the server spilled water all over my mother in-law's purse. :( After our meal, it took us forever to get our cheque. And what's with the requirement of having the entire party there before they can get a table? The restaurant has tables and sections to spare! Maggiano's has enormous portions (probably good for 4 meals) and a big menu, but other than their stuffed mushrooms appetizer, I didn't think any of the pasta was outstanding. There was an ongoing promotion of 2 pasta dishes for the price of 1, so you can have 1 extra order to take home, but I discovered once I got home that they sent me home with the capellini dish when I ordered the baked ziti. I don't get how these could have been mixed up, they look completely different! The restaurant is huge but somehow tables are still cramped and the noise level is quite loud. The decor and layout remind me of a slightly upscale Buca di Beppo with no tchotchkes. I might give Maggiano's another try when I'm jonesing for some Italian while at the mall, but overwhelming quantity doesn't mean you can skimp on quality.
(2)Forrest F.
Great for good food with plenty to take home for enjoyment on the next day. We always get the combination which gives you one pasta to eat at the restaurant and another to take home which is always perfect for lazy sundays. Their pasta choices for this deal are fairly simple, but I highly recommend you get their fried zucchini appetizer.
(4)M O.
The restaurant atmosphere is elegant. The service is good most of time. However, the food is not fresh. It tastes like it came out of the freezer. It's not worth the money. I hope to find a better italian restaurant that make fresh pasta. Lucianos was great but they closed recently :(.
(2)LaShanda E.
Surprisingly, this was my first trip to Maggiano's (they had one in Durham, NC, but I was put off by the haughtiness of the outside, not realizing they were not that expensive!). My partner and I were visiting the area and wanted to eat a place that encompassed both of our eating habits ... Maggiano's was it! Reservations are hard to get on the weekend ... so book early! I was looking forward to an intimate night of quiet conversation in an Italian restaurant. I even dressed nice ... thinking it was warranted ... WRONG! We were seated pretty close to another table. The people in the restaurant were packed in like sardines. Also, it was hot as the blazes in that restaurant. I guess all that body heat adds up. Third, the noise level was high (which was to be expected with a bunch of people). The food was pretty good and had great portion sizes. We didn't have that quiet, intimate evening we wanted, but at least we got to have some good food. Will definitely go to when I am back in the RDU!
(4)Melissa A.
So sad, this had been my favorite restaurant until we ate there yesterday afternoon for my husbands birthday. When we were first seated we noticed all the glassware was spotted and smeared with grease and one of the replacement glasses came back with a large smear of food. Not to mention our waiter was dripping with sweat, the table was wobbly and the bread arrived at the end of our meal. We ordered what we always order, Chicken Francese, and for $16.50 plate you would expect the chicken to be cooked through, not lukewarm, and the potatoes to not be overdone and sitting in a 1/4 inch of oil. Last night we both had stomach cramps which leads me to believe the kitchen or the food preparation is as unclean as the glasses.
(1)Lei F.
Love Maggianos!!!!
(4)Mindy H.
I like this place because they are so great with people who have food allergies. They offer a gluten/wheat free pasta alternative - corn pasta- it's firm and good. They can do goat cheese for cow cheese sensitive eaters. The chef always comes out and talks to me prior to ordering and makes a special dish for me based on what I think sounds good & fits into the "what can I eat" category. This place is also great at accomodating large groups. Plus, I always have enough left for lunch the next day!! Also, I have always had great service.
(4)Gene D.
I'm having the worst luck lately with dining out, and it's because I'm not adhering to the list of SO MANY restaurants I want to experience or return to. Bastille? Preservation? La Spiga? Crush On Madison? Frank? Harvest Vine (which I haven't been back to in something like 4 years)? Instead, we look at the eastside selection of places we know Yelpers have already skewered in their reviews, and go there! It isn't right, and after tonight I'm not doing it anymore. The room at Maggiano is indeed outwardly impressive. Tiling, dark woods, high ceilings, etc etc etc. But it's deceiving. It has nothing to do with what ends up on your plate. Bland Caesar salad, overcooked pasta and peas with huge chunks of silly bread crumbs in the lobster fettucine, too much sodium in the beef cannelloni. The Mozzerella Marinara? Not bad at all, but tomato sauce is quite thin. The Service: When dining in bar area, alot can be forgiven. However, expediter / food runners who stand at my table with food orders in hand until I'm the one who pushes the finished/empty plates aside and stack everything are not really doing me any favors. What happened to full hands in/ full hands out? A complete waste of floor energy going back to kitchen/ dish pit area with nothing to show for their trip. When two out of three courses are finally cleared, I have to ask for forks, server assistants aren't replacing them. Amiable Front Of House though. The cocktails were very nice. The wine list doesn't make sense. Please change the Micros printer ribbon once in awhile. The blank check with barely readable total (how convenient at that) said nothing to me. It's incredible how they manage to fill this room nightly. What is it? Location? Umm, well, yeah. That's why I suffered through this. Got it. $60.00 a head All In. I may return for an after- movie drink, but that'll be about it.
(2)S B.
Food is OK, but the service was BAD last time we went. If the service is good sometimes, and bad other times, that is indicative of bad management. I would rather have good service and OK food, than bad service and great food. The server was inattentive and slow. I ordered a glass of cab, and she poured me a $12 glass of wine without asking me if that would be OK. I was pissed about that. It took her a long time to take our order. We waited at east 15 minutes. This is ridiculous. If a restaurant gets too busy for its own good, the management MUST do something to keep the service up to par, otherwise they will lose customers like me.
(2)Mike H.
Happy Valentines day, Sorry NOT at Maggianos Murder Mystery dinner. Food was fair warm at the best. The Mystery was boring not interactive and extremely drawn out. Sorry we paid $140 for the worst Valentines day dinner ever... Although we do like the regular dining experience.
(1)Anna N.
Very nice enviroment for a date. It has a romantic feel and service was really good and quick. Only 3 stars because the food was only alright. Nothing special and it didn't wow me. I ordered the crab and shrimp tortellini(?) and it was ok. Over powered with cheese and sauce to taste the richness if the seafood. However, the sausage appetizers was very tasty! Price is fair for the portion you get. I probably wouldn't come back again though because the food wasn't quite up to par.
(3)Francis M.
It's going to rain tonight, Zach. And you know what that means. If we're going to have a nice meal, it had better be early. I must say, we chose wisely. Maggiano's has some pretty good dishes, and very good service. I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of this place Zach. We we starving, weren't we Zach? And while there was plenty that caught our attention on the menu, we saw opportunity in one of their brand new items (as new as last week, in fact). They call it "Marco's Meals for Two", if I remember correctly. 1 appetizer, flat-bread, or 2 salads, then 2 pasta dishes, 1 dessert, and finally 2 pasta dishes to take home. Based solely on the price - $40 - not much had to be done to get my vote. How about you Zach? We ordered the Garlic Foccaccia, Mom's Lasagna, Baked Ziti with Sausage, Nona's Poundcake, and for the take home dishes we reprised or pasta choices. Firstly, the garlic Foccaccia. Very tasty, right Zach? This was a good way to start the meal, and made a decent dent in my appetite. Probably not yours, Zach - you've got the stomach of a bear. But we maintained our pace as we went into the pasta dishes. I went with the Lasagna. A finely crafted hunk of pasta, cheese and meat that became a formidable foe for me. But it was well worth it. Ordinarily this would run for about $12 - $13 (and still be worth it, I might add), but factored into this bigger deal, it was great value Zach. You devoured your dish pretty quickly. I was very impressed Zach. We liked our food so much that it became our take home options. We're looking forward to it, aren't we Zach? Lastly, Nona's Poundcake. I don't know who Nona is, Zach, but I was prepared to shake her hand. The caramelized bananas are the best part in my opinion. A well dressed confection of poundcake, vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup and flakes compliment the bananas and make it the perfect ending to a great meal. The service was also great. Friendly, attentive, and very accommodating. We'll certainly be back, Zach. But for now we need to get ready for the investigation tonight.
(5)Astrellita C.
Did Seth and my boyfriend just became bestfriends? YEP!! But first, let's rewind... The Army had let my boyfriend (David) come home for a few days in between his training sessions in Yakima. After eating nothing but MRE's for a whole month, I wanted to treat him to something really special so we picked Maggiano's because I LOVE THIS PLACE! So I called in the morning to make reservations for 8PM the same night and requested a booth - no problems. We arrived at Maggiano's around 7:45PM and were seated promptly by our lovely hostess. David didn't have time to change into civilian clothes after getting off work because he wanted to beat traffic coming from Lewis-McChord. Walking around in downtown Bellevue wearing Army BDU's (full camo uniform and boots) is not an easy thing to do! My poor boyfriend felt really out of place because some people were staring and not in a good way! Our awesome waiter (Seth) won me over within the first five minutes when he shook my boyfriend's hand and thanked David for his service in the Army. Instantly, my boyfriend is starting to feel better about being in uniform and he was excited about the food since I haven't been able to shut up about how good everything is on the Maggiano's menu. We chose the Marco's Meal For Two ($40) that includes one appetizer / flatbread / salad to share, two classic pastas (and two to take home!) and a dessert - BEST DEAL EVER. We shared a calamari fritte appetizer (YUMMY!) and ordered a side chopped salad as well (I told David that I always have to get this salad whenever I'm here and Seth agrees...it's that good, people!) our starters arrived quickly. Shortly after (gotta love it when courses are presented in a timely manner!) our entrees arrived, I had the spaghetti & meatball w/ meat sauce - it was the biggest meatball I have ever seen in my whole life but so tender, flavorful and juicy! The sauce was excellent with robust tomato flavors, rich meat goodness and Italian herbs. David ordered the Taylor Street baked ziti and wanted it spicy. Most places will just throw on red pepper flakes or worse...tabasco sauce. But David was really impressed at how wonderfully balanced the spicy flavor was...it was something else and after talking to the chef, turns out he used Calabrian peppers to spice up the dish! I have never even heard of this pepper (but then again, I'm a baby when it comes to spicy foods so I don't like playing with fire in my food) but it brought a really good heat to the baked ziti without being overpowering at all. Portions were pretty big so we weren't able to finish all of our pasta but hey, that only means I don't have to worry about lunch tomorrow! My boyfriend has no sweet tooth whatsoever...so for him to actually choose tiramisu for dessert was a huge deal to me! I was like a child on Christmas morning - a guy who actually wants to share dessert with me so I don't have to eat it by myself like a glutton? He's a keeper! The tiramisu was perfect, again...BALANCE is the theme here. No overpowering cream or coffee flavors, it wasn't too sweet but it was light, creamy and just perfect. To my surprise, Seth brought over a plate of Italian lemon cookies. They were these crescent shaped cookies (reminiscent of a really good shortbread or soft sugar cookies) with a light lemon glaze on top - FREAKIN AMAZING!! For our two take-home pastas, we both chose the Taylor Street baked ziti since my boyfriend decided that was his newest favorite thing in the world. The Army is sending him back to Yakima the very next day so I gave him all the leftover foods including both take-home pastas and the cookies. I'm giving my boyfriend the proper send-off before it's back to nasty MRE's again LOL The best part of the night?? When we were told that Maggiano's give a 50% off discount to uniformed military service members. David and I didn't even know they have this policy! Once again, Maggiano's continue to amaze me. Ofcourse, Seth totally made our night - he was professional, friendly, knowledgeable and basically the very definition of AWESOME. Seth was so respectful and welcoming about my boyfriend being in uniform and David was so impressed by how he was treated. He actually gave Seth one of his Army patches, a rare one from his deployments with the Japanese army. My gift to Seth was a 50% tip - he's THAT good. Next time you're looking for a fun dinner experience with amazing food and service, make a reservation at Maggiano's and ask for Seth. I have nothing but positive things to say about this place because they always exceed my expectations everytime! And if you (or a loved one) are military servicemembers, Maggiano's will take amazing care of you just like they do with all their customers. BIG THANKS to Seth, Sarah, our hostess (I'm sorry I didn't get your name!) and other fantastic Maggiano's staff members (your manager and awesome chef!) that stopped by our table last night to say hello and made our experience perfect as always
(5)Patrick L.
I would compare this place to Buca di Beppo in terms of basic concept and the family style dining option, without the ridiculously long wait for a table that you have at Buca even with an advance reservation. However, Maggiano's food is much better, though not mindblowing, it's pretty good. Great service and huge portions. Sure, it's not necessarily an authentic Italian restaurant, but it's good for what it is. The prices do seem to be set a bit higher than the food deserves.
(3)Joe G.
Excellent waiter. Good steak. They know how to saute spinach perfectly.
(5)Clint W.
I came here for a party and we had one of the back rooms, with it's own bar. It was kinda cozy, cept we got pretty noisy, so we had to shut the door. The food came out in large portions, but there were long periods of waiting time in between dishes. The food was average and was pretty simple stuff....chicken marsala, pasta and sausage. All in all, it's not a place I would go out of my way to hit. Especially since there are a lot of new places in Bellevue to go to. Even though there is a garage downstairs, it was packed and there were quite a few loops around to find a place.
(2)Jim T.
Dinner last night for my wife's birthday. Despite a string of bad experiences, she still loves the fried zucchini, so we gave it one more chance. The place was mobbed, but we had reservations and were seated very quickly. The maitre'd apologized for the wait, but somehow 4 minutes didn't seem like a wait. Server was named Sam, a nice guy who did a nice job. Attentive, friendly. The fried zucchini didn't disappoint. My son had the fried mozzarella appetizer. He'd been hoping for sticks, but it comes out as cakes in a pool of tomato sauce. He devoured it. I had a glass of Penfold's Shiraz-Cabernet. It was good, but heavily overpriced at 9.75 a glass. Not a great wine, acceptable. My wife ordered spaghetti and meatballs with marinara sauce. It came out with meat sauce. We sent it back. But the corrected order didn't take inordinately long to arrive. Still, disappointing that she didn't eat with us. My son had the margherita flatbread. He enjoyed it. I've been trying to eat better, so I ordered the grilled salmon. This seemed like a dicey move as it might be an outlier of an entree for this sort of restaurant. However, I was very happily surprised to receive a perfectly cooked portion of salmon in a delicious lemon-butter-garlic broth on a bed of grilled spinach. It was hot, succulent, flaky and delicious. It came with side of crispy red potatoes which were absolutely wonderful. I just hope they don't get dropped into the deep fryer for a minute to crisp them up....but I don't wanna know about that. ;-) So, a better experience bumps Mag's up to 3 stars, for know. I really think the kitchen tends to be good but it's hit or miss with the table service. This time, except for the hiccup with the meat sauce, it was a hit.
(3)Chad Y.
We have been there a few times now and love the food. The calamari and creme brulee are the best. Definitely make reservation because you'll be waiting quite a bit longer if you don't. The food and service was great. A great place for family dinner.
(4)Dee C.
Worst service ever, especially on Mother's Day. Sad to say this WAS my favorite restaurant. Today was reservations only but the bar area was open to the public so we took a table there. The waiter took a few mins to get us menus, came back and checked on us once but we were not ready to order. Then when we were ready to order he left us sitting there for 20mins without even asking if we we ready to order. He checked on the other tables a few times but I guess we were invisible to him. So my family and I got up and left. Sure enough the lady next to us assured us by doing so. She whispered, "I would have left long ago!"
(1)Bo C.
They have good food and large portions. It's nice when you order lasagna that you actually get a piece large enough to enjoy. The staff is always great. The only down side is you can get stuck with some pretty long wait times to get a table depending on the night. If Italian is what you are craving and The Olive Garden just isn't gonna get it done for you this is the place to go.
(4)Norma F.
Thank you for ruining my birthday dinner on Saturday at your Bellevue WA location! 1. From the moment we walked in your hostesses treated us like we were the help 2. Made us wait over 20 minutes for a table after "you" canceled our reservation - we never did 3. Waiter was not familiar with menu or what the kitchen was cooking ...4. Spilled hot pasta all over my husband 5. Forgot side dishes for more than one person 6. Waiter was very defensive and confrontational 7. Two people ordered the dinner for two and never received their dessert - were later told "you were all out of it" but no one bother to say when the order was first placed 8. One person in our party asked for their dessert three times only to be ignored 9. Asked for a manager and maybe 15 min later she showed up 10. Offered to buy dessert and only gave us two in a party of 12 - really??? 11. Asked to have check split by a different waiter - and manager said she would bring someone else to take care of it and after ten minutes of waiting had to call her over again and ask why couldn't she split the check - 12. Manager seemed incompetent couldn't even figure out how to split check after being told repeatedly being told who had what. 13. 2nd manager came over, was rude and ignored what we had to say, her answer was "give me your name and address so we can send you some vouchers for free dessert or something" - because there was nothing she could do. She also offered to have the General Manager call us. No one offered a genuine appology other than the "sorry" no discounts, no nothing to make the situation better. Everyone seemed hurried to get us out the door. Way to treat your paying customers and suppport Veterans. It goes without saying that we will never be back - if you feel the need to delete this comment go ahead but I will be posting on YELP, my Facebook Page, any other food review sites and I will email it to your corporate office.
(1)Theo B.
AWFUL SERVICE, OVERCHARGED MENU PRICE FOR FAMILY MEALS Our dinner took 3 hour in a baking hot ovenlike dining room. The service was painfully slow. We ordered off the family style menu. The waitress forgot entrees we ordered, gave food packed up to other customers and to add insult to injury overcharged us. The manager said the corporate system is charging other location prices. we complained. That was after waitress claimed it was tax and said at least 4x the tip is not included. Very tacky. If you go there double check your bill you could be overcharged. Best to just avoid, the mediocre food, horrible service and go somewhere else!
(1)Larena H.
Well if you're really, really hungry - this is the place to go! They are well known for their giant portions, but they've also recently started offering a 2 for 1 deal where they send you home with another pasta dish in a to go container when you order one of a few certain select dishes. It's a pretty good deal though. Service has always been prompt and friendly. They're also big on the up-sells. But much like any other run of the mill giant chain restaurant, that's just how they operate.
(3)Aram M.
Last Friday, I had Center-Cut Filet Mignon for dinner. Food was super sexy. So, with steak, which was cooked PERFECTLY, comes a special sauce. Now, I jokingly asked bartender (I was sitting at the bar) to ask chef to tell me the secret of the sauce. 'No secrets, I'll ring him up" he said. He was joking all night with people and I did not take him seriously. In about ten minutes Andrew, chef, comes and tells me and my wife how they made sauce. I don't think we can ever make it at home. It is such complex process. Guys, make sure you order bread with that meal because you need to clean your plate. That sauce with onion was delicious. Dish also comes with crispy potatoes and they are yummy. Overall, everything was great. One of my favorite joints now. Go there w/o any hesitation.
(5)Aj B.
I have to say that this place is pretty good.The veal was tasty and tender unlike many other restaurants
(4)Steve J.
great attentive service, and one of the best meals I've had at a Maggiano's!
(4)Flora C.
I revisited Maggiano's for their promotion. You may order a plate and the restaurant send you home with another pasta to go. I tried something new this time and I did not like them as much. I played it save to order my normal dish to take home. Anyway, my new dish is Rigatoni "D". -Rigatoni pasta, herb roasted boneless chicken, mushrooms and onions, tossed in a light Marsala cream sauce. +This dish is alright tasty. I liked the mushroom and that's pretty much it. Gnocchi, Tomato Vodka Sauce -Ricotta pasta simmered in a delicately balanced sauce prepared with our classic pomodoro cream and finished with vodka and roasted garlic. +When the food arrived, it reminded me of "Andrew Zimmern Bizarre Food." The pasta looked like many larvas and the texture was just like that. Yuk! But, the sauce is pretty tasty with very strong vodka taste. +I wouldn't order this dish again. My "Safe" dish is Spaghetti, Meat Sauce +I got home and reheat this dish for lunch on the next day. The spaghetti was blend and soggy. How disappointing, I had better experience with Maggiano's before (dine in and to-go). Service: Excellent
(2)R T.
Good Service. Terrible Sauce. I had the Chicken Parm. The chicken was okay but I had to use a knife to cut it. The sauce, Marinara, was sweet and salty. Worst I have ever had. My wife had the Ziti. Very heavy, lacking sauce. The Chop Salad was wilted and they put in large dollops of Blue Cheese, way too much. Why would anyone use so much of a cheese that does not have a large fan base? My Spinach salad was good, except for the Blue Cheese, and I like blue cheese. But it totally takes over the dish because it is soooo strong a flavor. Overall, Disappointing. Try Mama Stortini's for Ziti and Chop salad, theirs rocks.
(2)Michael J.
I was here on 2-19-11. NEVER AGAIN. Maggiano's Little Italy......Little taste, painfully slow service, little anything I can think of in relation to quality of food & restaraunt service. Look I'll be totally honest. I honestly don't dish out one star ratings unless they are totally deserving, & I put alot of thought into why I should even give this place two stars, but the simple fact is that this place didn't deserve anything above one star. I wouldn't have even given it one star if that were an option. First me and my date had 45 minute wait just to get seated. I understand a place being busy on a saturday night, but not almost an hour wait! We got tired of waiting after we had walked around & into a few of the surrounding shops, stores, etc. So we get a seat at the bar just to rest our feet. Finally relief for our feet. The table is so wet that you can't sit anything on it, No less than five minutes after being seated, our table in their main dining area is finally ready. We get to our table, our waiter greets, us & a few minutes later we order appetizers, which was zucchini. It took 30 minutes just to get an appetizer to us!! Are you serious?! It honestly got to the point where me & my date were pin pointing everytime we saw a server with a small plate of food coming out, & literally saying to ourselves "ok this time it must be ours". In our case, or not. On top of that the low lighting was making my date sleepy. So after all of that we finally get our food another 15-20 min later. Mines was scalloped potatoes & steak. Hers was fettucini. Her food was horrible!! (I tasted it), & mines was very mediocre. We were too ready to get out of that place. So I guess the only reason this place got the one star was because they didn't charge my date for her food. We wouldn't even take the free entree they were offering after experiencing that nasty food. It's ambiance is nice I guess. I personally could do without the low lighting. If you like having to swipe crumbs off of your seat in order to sit down, & a table bussed with too much water, then I guess the cleaniless is acceptable. I don't recommend this place. I'm glad I left here.
(1)Jess C.
Called in for a take out order 30min before arriving to pick up after a long day at work,was told on arriving it would be another hour before it would be ready as they were very busy.Why weren't we told when we ordered .The just couldn't understand why we were not told when we ordered and were very curt. Won't be back very poor customer service
(1)Pam L.
Had an coworker birthday lunch here. Pros: Fried Zucchini Orzo Soup Cons: Stuffed Mushrooms. I think the filling is stove top stuffing. Not very good. I didn't have any pasta but a few coworkers had the butternut squash ravioli and said it was delicious!
(4)Bill B.
Good place to take a large group but start with a cocktail. You will be happier with the flavorless food. They serve family-style and individual dishes. I think they are trying to be an upscale Buca di Beppo and not succeeding. We have sent back dishes.
(2)Jamie R.
I went here on a Friday night a couple of weeks ago with a friend. The didn't have any room for us be we were SUPER lucky and scored a super secret booth in the bar! I had a hard time deciding what to order because there wasn't anything really that exciting on the menu. I was kinda just MEH about the whole thing. We did get their Margarita pizza appetizer thingy, and it was ok... Cheesecake factory has a better one. Just sayin. I got chicken marsala which was pretty good, it has a butt load of mushrooms, I mean crazy amounts. Which was fine because I like mushrooms. My friend got the Crab/Lobster carbonara. He liked it but I thought the lobster was really dry. This place ain't cheap, and our server although prompt was a bit icy. I doubt I'll be back.
(2)Carrie H.
We always get the Lasagna Dish were they give you more to warm up the next day. They usually have a wait, but I believe they have call ahead seating to minimize it. I have yet to order anything I was disappointed in from this place. I only wish they were a bit more kid friendly. Those white table clothes are nothing but a migraine to those of us with 2 yeah old who love to make messes and pull things. This is by far the best Italian Restaurant we have visited and only regret not trying the one out in Plano prior to our big move north!
(5)madelaine b.
if you like salt, this is the place for you. I have never had to drink MORE water than i did in this restaurant. Wait staff was busy, but friendly and efficient. Servings were huge and salty. At least they kept filling our water glasses, they must know how salty their food is.
(2)Marc M.
TERRIBLE service! went to the bar, bartender slaps a menu in front of me, but not even a "hey" or "can i get you a drink?" he proceeds to pour me half a Guinness a good 10 minutes later, then i wait another 3 for the other half. and my potato soup takes so long, i just close out my tab. 0 tip. but wait it gets worse! they RAN OUT OF FOOD for my friend's wedding reception. give me another 2 1/2 hours and i'm sure i'll have some more beans to spill.
(1)Tom B.
Very impressively cool old-school dining room. Tons of dark wood, gorgeous carpentry. Gorgeous big dark wood bar. Cool hexagonal tiles all over the floor and IIRC the backsplashes as well. Makes you feel like you stepped into one of those neighborhood epicenter italian places on Long Island in the 50s. The food is solid, but, for what you pay, you could easily do better elsewhere. Order the side dishes separately, and the menu listings are all very predictable old-school italian-american classics done to please the masses. The vibe is so cool in a retro way, though, that I would have no trouble coming here on an expense account or with older folks who wanted a more conservative dining room and food aesthetic.
(2)Andrew L.
Went here for dinner one nigh. Food was awesome service was good. Priced reasonably. Clean and very nice interior.
(4)Jeff H.
Maggiano's is better then the Olive Garden to be sure, but if you aren't planning on sharing "family style" then be prepared to loosen your pants a button or two after you finish eating... Portions here are large!! Like I said before, plan on sharing!! Prices are more than reasonable for the portion size. You WILL have leftovers. Quality of food is a little better than average, but not exceptionally noteworthy. The biggest problem here is service. I've been in about half a dozen times over the last eight months or so, and I haven't had anything better then decent service. I know they get really busy during the dinner services, but they have so many people working there, should I really have to wait 10 mins to get a drink refreshed? In summary, if you have a family or are gathering a large group, think kids soccer teams, then Maggiano's is a viable option.
(3)Kelly F.
The food here is very good. I like it. However, when it comes to hosting an event here... I have some complaints. There is an extra charge for everything: room charge, service charge, minimum order fees.... ugh! With all of these charges, I expect exceptional service, but that isn't what I got. I felt like a lot of details slipped through the cracks and they were trying to fix things last minute. I did not get what I paid for.
(2)Tim F.
Luved it nice to find a place in Bellview that has fair price for lunch, service was great food was great.
(4)Andrew W.
It's good food and service is also good. I would give it a 3.5 star. They also offers a free second pasta if you order from their classic menu but I forget that every time I go.
(3)Jim G.
Wanted so much to give Maggiano's 4 stars but today my vegitarian friend's Gnocchi had a stray piece of meat in it and I got a squashed gnat in my iced tea. Friendly service, good tasting food, decent prices, I'll still go here, but geesh.
(3)Mars P.
Roomy banquet rooms & perfect for work conventions. Food is INCREDIBLE but pricey.
(4)Mimi T.
More like 3.5. This place is def a step up from Buca di Beppos in that their food is a bit more refine. It's the kind of place that you visit HUNGRY. I was a first timer and was surprised to see the heaping plates bring brought out to be shared family style. For me, the highlight of the evening was the sinful spinach and artichoke dip. We had a private room for the 12 of us..unfortunately, service suffered a bit. My only other complaint is that since we ate banquet style, I was limited on the choice of wines I could order. Other than that..I'd recommend it for family outings or for folks who enjoy massive quantify of food
(4)Jules I.
I've been here several times for several occasions and it's always been wonderful! On one occasion I had the Barolo Room (the little private curtained off area near the dining room) for a private family function. The staff treated us like royalty and the family-style food was bountiful and delicious! On another occasion, again with my family, we were seated in the dining room and each ordered individual plates. All very delicious, and once again excellent, friendly service. Often times I sit at the bar with friends, enjoying conversation with other patrons and sampling some of the bartenders' fancier concoctions. We are always greeted with smiles and great service. I can't wait to have a private event in one of the banquet rooms later this year! This place is far beyond comparison to The Olive Garden. The food prices may look high, but so is the quality. Welcome to Bellevue, folks.
(5)J M.
Went on a weeknight. The server was extremely friendly. We went for the $40 meal for 2, which includes 2 pastas, an appetizer and dessert, as well as two free takeout meals. The Tomato Caprese was made with really fresh tomatos, although the mozzarella didn't seem very special--it was still a nice appetizer. The Four Cheese Ravioli melted in my mouth, it was very tasty! The lasagna was alright. For dessert, we tried the Chocolate Zuccotto Cake, which was huge, and quite good--not too sweet, but fluffy and rich. I'd recommend asking for a booth if you are trying for a more intimate experience, ask for a booth. Sitting in the middle table tends to mean you are surrounded by large families and kids. For a chain, I'd say this place is pretty good. Beats Olive Garden out of the water.
(5)Erica Z.
Maggianos is fantastic for its price. Pros: - Absolutely DELICIOUS food (had meat dishes instead of pasta dishes). - Polite and knowledgeable staff. Did not feel like I was being looked down on. - Convenient location. - Great prices. - It's Italian food and not Asian--I like Asian food but I am so sick of only seeing Asian restaurants around here. - It's the only good Italian food I've had so far on east side. - Clean, organized. - I'm very picky and very specific with my requests regarding how my food should be served. They didn't even question my request and followed through with everything. At other restaurants, I've gotten nothing but snark from places just because I asked for things to be cooked a bit differently. - Wide variety of drinks compared to other places. Cons: - Way too dark. I tried to take a picture without flash on (so I wouldn't disturb anyone else's dinner) and it came out nearly black. Sometimes I had to strain my eyes to see things clearly (and I have 20/10 vision). They really need to add more candles or brighten up the place a bit. - Sometimes the waits were a bit long. I had to chase down my waiter a few times. Unlike others, though, I am used to this. - Cramped. They either need bigger tables or they need to not put so much stuff on the tables. They also lacked any two-person booths or tables. - Not a biggie, but you can't make a reservation online for dinner hours. Only 4:30 and 9:00 are available on any given date. Kind of annoying since I don't trust restaurants to keep track of phone reservations. Go a few times. Avoid going to the place on a busy night and try for a more quiet Tuesday or Wednesday. It's really, truly worth it.
(4)Tabitha B.
We were just here for my mom's birthday (with a party of ten), and it was my first visit coming from Portland and all. I'm surprised I'm able to move my fingers to type, I'm so full and comatose now. Our large party was seated with our reservation promptly, and wine and bread was promptly brought out. It did take a bit for the pre-ordered appetizers to come out, but we were so caught up in conversation that we didn't really notice. Once they did come out, whatever the wait had been, it was worth it. I'm going to drop this right now. Best crab cakes I've ever had. BOOM. I said it. Crab to cake ratio? Perfect. Seasonings? Subtle yet complimentary. The roulade? Again, not overpowering, just complimented the natural sweetness of the crab. Good sizes, crispy but still very moist within. I could have eaten those two and gone home happy. But there was also this wonderful bruschetta that was very well-balanced--perfectly crisp, good ratio of topping to bread, dragged through a little pool of delicious balsamic. I could've eaten THAT whole plate and gone home happy. But there was yummy Caesar salad with creamy, tangy dressing that wasn't even a smidge wilted or soggy. I probably should've headed home after that whole course. But then, main courses! Veal parmigiana: pretty good, a little over-cooked. Chicken pesto pasta: meh, nothing special. Fettucine alfredo: Creamy, buttery, cheesy, no greasiness, heavy in that way you crave it to be. Lobster carbonara: Okay, we weren't too impressed with the lobster. Italian short ribs for the win, tender as late-summer peaches in a rich, tomato-scented sauce. The cheesecake dessert was rich, delicious and served on a fruit sauce that succeeded in not being too cloying. Everything was served in more abundance than served our own good. We were sent home with bags of leftovers and unbelievably full stomachs. The service was very friendly, and we were checked up on several times by the hostess as well as our waiter. He very politely took the obligatory group photo as well, which actually turned out pretty well. My only gripes with the otherwise-charming atmosphere is that it's a little too crowded. Some dimmer lighting and less-dense tables would make it more intimate and probably less noisy.
(4)Robert K.
I definitely like this place overall: good food, consistent, fair pricing, good portions, etc. Not the best italian food but overall pretty good. Hint: Busy on weekends, get take-out. Disclaimer: No expert in italian food. Fav Dishes: spaghetti with meat sauce, baked ziti, chicken parm
(4)Jonathan B.
Our food was delicious! I had the Eggplant Parmesan and my friend had the lasagna, which she said was good for restaurant lasagna. They have a special right now where if you buy one classic entree you get one extra to take home, FREE. $12.95 for two entrees was surprising. They featured a great wine list, but I had the Malbec- my usual and most favorite! The Cheesecake was not terrible but I definitely discourage anyone from ordering it. The atmosphere is loud and made it difficult to converse at different points throughout the evening. Overall we left satisfied and will return at some point.
(3)Laura B.
We had our wedding reception here in July 2011. I've never written a review for a catering /event service, which in this case the restaurant was, and I cannot write an adequate review for it, because I can barely remember a bloody thing from that day, and was too excited to eat anything. Still, a few distinct impressions: 1) They were the only venue we checked out in the greater Seattle/Bellevue area to offer the unheard-of, customizable option of a "by the head" booze package. Everyone else charges by the bottle, glass, etc. In the end, we were able to afford a full bar for an hour for a wedding with 100 guests, then some wine and beer only for another hour, then shut down the bar, and if people really wanted to drink, the bartender stuck around I believe, and it turned into a cash bar. We were really happy with that. 2) At first people think, Maggiano's, really? But they don't know about the lovely 3 banquet rooms in the back, away from the restaurant. There is a grand piano in one room. Since we got married on a Sunday, they gave us all three rooms, which was great. Kids had lots of room to move around, dance floor was huge. Lights are very low, which could make it hard for photos (ours turned out fine though). Many people at our wedding were pleasantly surprised with it as a wedding venue. Parking, super easy, and free on weekends. Guests can stay in nearby hotels, or go walking afterwards at the mall or park to run off the booze. 3) Both catering managers we worked with were very responsive via email and telephone, and worked up customized bids for us several times until we got it right. They have some votive holders and possibly some other items (can't remember) that they let you use for the event. They will let you two and I believe up to 4 others come in for a free tasting of their menu, you just pay for drinks and I believe tax and tip. LOOK OUT: you will be stuffed. Each "tasting" is a full-sized menu portion of the real deal. They let us customize the amounts of dressings on the salads, etc. I'm not sure if it actually happened day-of because I barely ate anything. 4) Day of, only real negative I could think of was it seemed, even during the excitement and distraction, that the food came kind of slowly. Lots of space between courses. I thought the food was cold, but husband says no, it was hot. I'd go with his opinion; I got about 3 bites of food that night and otherwise floated away on a sea of wine. One waiter was really sweet and made sure to attend to me personally during all the craziness. It's my own fault I never ate anything. :) They defnitely seem like wedding pros, overall. 5) Food was served per table, family style, and believe me, no one went home hungry. We had a cocktail/appetizer hour for our guests while we were getting our photos done. When we came in, everything seemed to be going according to plan. No sticker shock on the final bill. Overall, definitely pleased with them as a catering/event service!
(4)J K.
The food is great in my humble opinion. Even their salads seem to have crack in them. I'm no expert on Italian food, but an Italian friend of mine said she enjoyed the food, so there you go. Their portions are monstrous. Everyone walks out of there with shopping bag sized doggy bags. The atmosphere is nice even though it's huge. The prices aren't too bad. The staff are professional. It's great for big parties.
(4)Vlad K.
Don't know what the hate is I been here like 5 times and the food and service was great. Maybe people complain to much? I have had no problems. The food reminded me like I was back in New York. Not the best Italian food I have been to but i was impressed.
(4)N S.
This last sunday we went to Maggiano's for lunch with a good friend. To start with we ordered Calamari Fritte and Tomato Caprese as Appetizers. I should say I was not pleased with the cheese in Tomato caprese and the tomato was not ripe. we decided to go for Chicken Pesto Linguine and Four Cheese Ravioli.The ravioli was amazing not too bland,but fresh and creamy. The pesto linguine was tasty too. One can never go wrong with pesto. The quantity was large so we had to box some back home for dinner. After being stuffed with the entree,we decided to share the dessert and ordered the Mini Sampler which had Tiramisu,Creme Brulee,Profiteroles,Apple Crostada,Chocolate Zuccotto cake and N.Y.Style cheesecake in mini cups,beautifully arranged. See the picture. It was absolutely delicious, we finished every last bit of them. Despite the dessert being in small cups,it was the right amount after the heavy meal. Service was friendly and fast. I would not rate this as the best restaurant but its a decent restaurant and I would defenitely go back to taste the sampler sometime later.
(3)Mike F.
When a client insisted on Maggiano's, I held me breath and prepared for the worst. When the chef came out to help me select a gluten-free item and said that he had gluten-free pasta and would make some gluten-free vodka sauce from scratch, I was pleased. When my dish came out with chicken and basil as well, I was happy. The gluten-free pasta was gluten-free, but the sauce was solid (maybe a little watery), but the service alone deserves an 'A-OK'.
(3)Joseph L.
3star good
(3)Lynette W.
Went with my mom to get a couple of drinks last Friday. We shared a chicken francese with the crispy red potatoes. It was very good and we were happy we shared, we couldn't finish the food between the two of us. We sat in a booth in the bar, and at first it took a few minutes to get service and we had to ask for bread again from a couple of different people who were coming up to us, but then we finally got a super cute waiter that was very helpful. The water wasn't good. I have been here before, it is good for medium sized groups. Yummy appetizers.
(3)Maria K.
I have actually not eaten in the restaurant, but they are pretty good for take out. They have an online option that makes ordering a breeze. They also have a separate window for all to go orders which makes pick up easy. The food is always good and the portions are generous, but sometimes the warm dishes are fairly cold after a walk of just a couple blocks. Their salads are perfect, however, so would definitely recommend them if temperature of food is a concern.
(3)ty p.
Great place for a group celebration dinner!
(4)Ashley T.
Okay, I couldn't decide between a one star or two stars but finally gave it a two stars just for the bread and friendliness of the server, when she was at the table. Now to the food. Hmmm...where to begin. The saltiness of all the dishes were so extreme I think my blood pressure went up 30 points that night. Not joking. I ordered the chicken parm and the chicken was okay, nothing spectacular, but the "marinara" sauce w/ the spaghetti was so salty it was inedible. I gunned down an entire glass of water before I was halfway finished with my food. Another problem, my glass was dry to the bone and my server was mia. Another server kept walking by and didn't think to check other tables and help out. I couldn't wait any longer so I finally asked for more water. Oh, btw, it wasn't even a quarter full in the dining area. It was around 4:30pm, so, you can imagine, not very full. Speaking of not full, we got there super early so we could beat the dinner rush and get seated quickly. But no, we weren't seated quickly even though it was almost empty. We waited about 15-20 mins. No idea why but oh well... The food here is like Bucca or Old spaghetti factory but more expensive. Even with the extra pasta to go, it's not worth it b/c my husband and I couldn't even finish it the next day b/c of the saltiness! Seriously, Olive Garden tastes better. But next time, we will go to a real, authentic Italian restaurant.
(2)Tom W.
What this place has going for it is some ambiance. Dark rooms, high ceilings. What this place does not have is good food and the service is pathetically slow. I was here for a 30 person banquet event. Appetizers were promised at 11:30AM and arrived 30 minutes late. Individual salads were to be at each person's place setting but 30 minutes after being seated, they finally threw a couple big bowls of salad on a buffet table and said to help yourself. The main courses consisted of mushroom ravioli, chicken parm, and salmon. The ravioli was sitting in a gelatinous salty soup of white sauce. Not good. The chicken Parm was acceptable, but I've had a better cut of chicken at Red Robin. The salmon was dried out. I could understand maybe if we were landlocked in the midwest somwhere, but in Seattle I would think I could get a better piece of fish. Dessert was a giant tiramisu and something referred to as a profiteroli. I didn't try the Tiramisu, but the profiteroli tasted like crap. A stale puff which seemed to have been in the fridge/freezer for a week with a big pile of ice cream on it.. I've had profiterollis and this was not that. Drinks? You had better ask for one because they are not going to ask you what you want. The waitstaff appeared to be high school drop outs. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but basic problem solving skills like multitasking were non-existent. I expected a lot more being in the heart of Bellevue at a ritzy mall, but was sadly disappointed.
(1)Jeff G.
Haiku review: Yuppies everywhere, Host will seat Asians in back, Mediocre food.
(1)Ashley S.
In Bellevue this is a higher class version of The Olive Gardern. Hungry for some italian? -This should do the trick! It's not gourmet but its good. What keeps us coming back? There is a portion of the menu that is about $14 and for that price you get a huge entre (enough to split) and once entire new entre to take home and cook. There are about 6 options on this part of the menu and they are all worth it. 2 meals in 1... great deal!
(4)Rossana Y.
They give you a LOT of food, no joke. In terms of quality, it could be better. I came here for a dinner party for a friend's birthday, so I was able to sample various dishes that were on the table. I ordered the braised beef cannelloni and it was surprisingly flavorful, though a little saltier than expected. Everybody else ordered pasta or ravioli and from what I have tasted, anything that had marinara sauce or some kind of red sauce does NOT taste good. The ones that had a creamy sauce tasted better. Here is a list of some dishes that I have tried in which I consider decent: Braised Beef Cannelloni Rigatoni D Lobster Ravioli The decor was actually very nice. It had a dark, romantic atmosphere with tables that had the checkered tablecloths. Our waitress was excellent and was very helpful and attentive, which is a tough job for serving a big party that's celebrating a birthday. I feel like Maggiano's is overpriced for the quality of the food it delivers, but if you prefer big portions over quality, then this should suit you. I'd rather just go to Olive Garden for the same type of Italian food for much cheaper.
(3)Eric T.
Great maitre'd. Great atmosphere. Okay service and okay food. It would have been 5 stars if the food was not salty, service faster or more attentive, and not being over charged for wine. We went there on Dec 24 for our 13th anniversary. The place was half empty but was told we had an hour wait but was seated in 30 minutes in a booth for 6 people. Very nice. My wife ordered house red wine by the glass to start with. The waiter was very prompt getting the wine to her along with their delicious bread and olive oil. We then waited about 30 minutes for our dinner. Nothing to complain about since we were enjoying our night out and people watching. Here chicken marsala arrived and it looked delicious. My linguine di mare arrived and it looked deliciously huge: lots of mussels, clams, giant prawns, and huge chunks of lobsters. I had a taste of the chicken marsala and it was delicious but a bit salty. The linguini was perfectly cooked...al dente. The broth was salty (on a zero to 10 scale with 3 being neutral, 4 is like San Pelligrino, 5 being a bit too salty and 10 is like ocean water, my broth though delicious was like 7. The first few spoonful were not bad but after a while it was like drinking sea water (I have done that many times when diving). We ordered a second glass of wine and it never arrived after 15 minutes. Finally I had to flag the waiter and reminded him of the order. There was enough food for two people so we had leftover. The next day, I was reminded how salty it was when I dipped in for lunch. I can't imagine a cook not tasting the broth when it is cooking to see if it was good. Then we had Nona's toasted pound cake...delicious but we waited another 20 minutes to savor the cake. When it came time to pay the bill, we noticed the two glasses of wine were $30. House wine was $9 a glass. So we asked for a correction. Overall, I would have given the place a 5 star if the service was a few minutes faster, if the waiter remembered to refill my water (salty food), and if they had not tried to slip in the extra $10 for the wine. We were comparing notes with Microsoft friends and they said it happens to them very often. In fact, it has gotten to be a game for them to see how often they are charged for specialty wine when they ordered house wine. It happens 100% of the time! So for those of you who order your wine by the glass, check your bills. Would I go back? Yes, for the linguine di mare again but this time I will request they not add salt in the broth.
(3)David A.
This is my 3rd time at Maggiano's and I hope that I don't have to go back. For some reason people think this is a great place for a business lunch and I have had to go there. On one occasion I had the extremely slow service people have experienced, but the other two (today included) the service was prompt and attentive. The problem with this place is that I have yet to find something on the menu that I would ever order again. Today I started with a spinach salad. It is advertised as having blue cheese, but there were only 3 little cubes of blue cheese....I counted. For my entree I had the Braised Beef Cannelloni and it was unpleasant. The beef broth or sauce had been extremely reduced. So much so that the flavor was intense. Not a good intense, overpowering. My Cannelloni as well as a couple of my collegues entrees looked like they had been sitting under heat lamps for 10 - 15 minutes. Everything on the top of my dish was extremely dried out and there was even an almost dry crust that had formed on the Canneloni. I had the green beans as a side and they were actually pretty good, the only highlight. Another pet peeve was the draft beer menu. They have this massive bar, but only 4 beers on tap, none of which I like. Bud's, Stella and someting else. Hard to believe a bar/restaraunt in this city wouldn't have at least regional micro brews. Hope I don't get dragged there again....
(2)Brian C.
This place reminds me of Spagehetti Factory but the prices are way higher. The food quality is actually less in comparison. I would say I prefer going to the bar for apps vs. the actual dining room. The service is quicker the food seems to arrive a little warmer. Been here twice won't go back. That is how awesome it is!
(2)julia l.
Went there last night. Make a reservation!!! We got seated right away. I saw others waiting at least 30-60 minutes. This was around 7pm. We did Chief's Choice family style . It was awesome. Great value on three appetizers, huge assortment of those items, well worth the $38.95. We love the lobster carbonara tasted very fresh. We also got the Beef Tenderloin Medallions and Veal Parmesan, they were delicious. Also we got LOTS to take home.Great service. Great italian family atmosphere in there. All around no complaints.
(4)Nancy O.
Although the food was good as was our server Nick. everyone else working last night left us feeling like we were some kind of horrible bother to them. The hosts were too busy gossiping and looking pretty to seat us, and our plates were dropped onto the table as the runner rushed by rather than being placed in front of us. We left feeling like we'd interrupted and disturbed the staff. I don't plan to go back.
(2)Eddie H.
The pastas are mediocre, but services is generally pretty decent. Try to make a reservation before you go, even if it's 30 minutes before arrival, that will cut down on waiting time, which apparently is gruesome. 3 people sharing a family size of pasta is more than plenty, and economical!!
(3)Thai-Hang N.
We found this restaurant on the yelp app, while in Bellevue, starving our minds out. The food was pretty good, definitely really liked their clams & mussels. Big portions, at least for me...a tiny little Asian girl with the appetite equal to a full grown man. The restaurant was very family friendly, lots of cool old pictures on the white, red checkered table cloths, and felt like you were walking in a 1920s diner. The creme brulee was pretty decent, but I've had better. The crispy top was weird and after eating it for a while left a bad taste/feeling in your mouth. I would have given this a four, as I did enjoy the food there, but there was one thing that ticked me off about this place. The bread served while you're waiting for your food, only came with olive oil and to get balsamic vinegar, you had to ask for it, which took forever to ask for... And when we asked for some more bread to eat with our clams and pasta, they gave us day old bread that was semi-heated up, meaning the top was nice and hot but once you turn it over the back was cold and hard...compared to the first basket of bread we had, it was a 180 degree difference. The first basket was warm and fresh. If they didn't want to give us more bread, they could have said no, not give us half-ass bread... When we asked for better bread, they basically took our bread back and heat up, we would know because the back was still semi-cold... Other than that, this place was decent.
(3)Henry L.
Went with a group of 12 from work - we ordered from the family style menu..Spinach and Maggiano Salads, Caprise, and Bruchetta apps. For main course we had the Lasagna, Linguini with Clam Sauce, Chicken and Spinach Manicotti, and Chicken Marsalla. We rounded out the meal with Tiramissu and Creme Brule. The amount of food we received was a bit overwhelming, and was very good. When ordering Family Style, come with a big appetite, since they will continue to bring you food till you're in a food coma...a good food coma, but coma none the less. Two things that I was a bit non plussed about, 1. We had a reservation and we still had about a 30 minute wait till we had our table and 2. The wine prices are way out of line. I expect a markup on wine but it seemed to be 5X retail prices.
(4)Vince N.
Bourgeois Italian chain in the center of Downtown Bellevue! Food is a bit salty and expensive but the environment is nice. All you can eat dinner menu is nice if you are hungry.. Service is great, and the wait times are usually bearable. Send in a reservation before hand you will be happy that you did. Free parking downstairs is a bonus. I'm not sure why people dress up to eat here, I wouldn't classify this as fine dining. "This comes from a person that likes dressing up to go out." Go enjoy, you won't be wowed, but you won't be disappointed.
(3)Troy D.
I had a great birthday meal tonight. I started with a glass of the Remole Toscana and fried mozzarella. So good! Then I had a little veal Parmesan. I say a little because I was stuffed from all of the cheese. I ate at the bar and both bartenders were great! Very personable a great recommendations. I will definitely eat here again.
(5)Chad Y.
Maggiano's is a great place to check out if you have a good sized group to celebrate an event with. While it definitely is not home made and not as authentic as some would like, it's a chain restaurant guys...On that basis alone I'd say it is a GREAT italian place to check out if you happen to want a night out in Bellevue. I tend to go there with a group of friends and we end up ordering the family style menu. Needless to say...you will not go away hungry. In fact, be sure to have an appetite, cause it's all you can eat. The service has been really good in all of my experiences there and the wait staff have been quick to assist with menu choices if you happen to get stuck. Or in my case, my friends couldn't settle on two pasta items. Bar menu is extensive and what I would expect to find. The wine list is really quite good, however I found some of their prices a little on the higher side. CliffsNotes: Go there with a group for a special occasion, well worth it! Oh and call ahead to make reservations about 2-3 weeks in advance!
(3)Art Y.
Service is certainly sluggish and not impressive at all. A "thank you" to the waitress did not elicit a "you are welcomed". BTW, my waitress is only handling 3 tables. It took them 10 mins to get me the Chianti and it was not exactly peak time. I was seated at around 1:25PM. Even the manager did not give me the warm feeling to return. Of course, the saving grace is that the portion is large (2 meals large). But, for the discerning palette, the seafood linguine is only slightly above average. I would say Macaroni Grill has a tastier version of it.
(2)Doug C.
Maggiano's is one of the restaurants next to the corner of the Bellevue Square Mall. It's a pretty nice space with dim lighting and dark wood and plenty of space to move around. For the meal we had a number of courses. Several of these slip my mind (and were ones I didn't try), but I can vouch for the Beef Medalions which came in a nice cream sauce as well as the chicken piccata. It's a dish that's usually pretty consistent and the chicken was tender with well-cooked pasta. There also was a crab cake appetizer which was tasty. There have been a few reviews knocking the service here. I can't really give a fair comment about this since I was here as part of a private party; the service for this was quick and attentive. Waiters and waitresses were polite, friendly and inobtrusive. Wine glasses were never left empty for long. So I would qualify this as a pleasant Italian dining experience.
(4)Ming L.
I actually find it weird all the restaurants I like are rated @ about 3 stars on Yelp. It must be because Yelpers like 2 oz of food on a big plate and then think they are eating at a nicer restaurant. I prefer my food hearty and down to earth. Usually I come here with my relatives from Richmond comes down, since they are all Chinese'd out in Richmond, they opt for other food like Blue Ginger or Maggiano (ohhh time to write a Blue Ginger review too!). I love their veal parmesan and beef medallion. The other dishes are good, but nothing stands out. I am not a big fan of their gnocchi though, even though it's one of my favorite dish in terms of Italian. Last time I went, the family dinner is about $35 or so per person, maybe $40, and you get 2 appetizer, 2 entree, 2 salad, 2 pasta, and 2 dessert. You need a party of 4? or more to order it though, and you can ask for refills if you need more (trust me, you don't).
(4)Annie S.
Always wanted to try Maggiano's, but never got the chance to try it out here in the Bay Area, so why not try it out while I'm vacationing in Washington? Ordered the Lemon & Herb Salmon, along with the Chef's Lobster Carbonara. So why the 2 stars down? One star down for the service and one star down for the Salmon. I usually order Salmon every where I go, so I expect a lot when I'm paying $15 for a Salmon as opposed to other restaurants where I pay less and it tastes better. The Salmon tasted a bit overcooked for my taste, and it definitely did not taste like a $15 Salmon. The Lobster Carbonara was decent... but they put very little lobster, so I don't think it's worth paying almost $19 for it. The customer service was lacking, at least with the waitress that helped us. I've gotten better customer service at places as simple as Chili's and Olive Garden. Food was okay, but not worth the price it is listed as. Over all a-okay, but probably wouldn't come back again.
(3)Blake K.
The rigatoni D is boss so is the crab cannelloni the only negative thing is that service is very slow and its super loud
(4)Stacie K.
I chose this place because of it's all over the place reviews. It was plain curiosity. I'm really glad I did. The place is very large and clean. There are two entrances. One from in the mall, and one outside. We were told there would be a 20 minute wait for a table on a Friday night at 8. We were sat within 5. Our waitress was very bubbly and polite. She went over the menu and gave us ample time to decide. I went with spaghetti and meatballs. My husband went with a chicken dish. The bread was brought out and was SUPERB. Crusty on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. I ordered chicken and potato soup as an appetizer. HOLY SH**. One of the best soups I have ever tasted. I only ate 1/2 as my husband insisted I share it with him after 1 bite. Entrees came out, yes with a different server. But I worked in a kitchen. If you are in the weeds, your coworkers help you out. This did not bother me. My pasta was cooked right. The sauce was the perfect blend of sweet tomatoes and what I think was pure basil oil. YUM! My husband's dish was a breaded chicken cutlet with a lemony sauce and roasted red potatoes. Not a scrap was left. My portion was very large, so I had left overs. Dessert was offered, but there was no room. I was also offered a take home pasta. I requested the 4 cheese ravioli with pest alfredo. They forgot to give it to me, but that was fine. I had plenty already. We will absolutely be back. We loved it.
(5)He M.
I have eaten there twice and so far nothing special at all. It is quite pricey though. They bring out bread and dipping oil. And you can order a double lunch special where they pack you one of the two to go.
(3)Margarita d.
My girlfriend and I came here for an early dinner after work on a Monday. The place was very spacious and not crowded at all (I guess that's to be expected early on a Monday evening). Their chicken spinach manicotti is to die for! I believe it cost $15.75, and my friend and I didn't get charged anything extra for splitting the dish. I went there for lunch on my second visit. They have a wonderful deal everyday: $12.95 for one of their classic pastas, and then a 2nd pasta is made for you to take home (compliments of the chef). You don't even have to order the same kind of pasta for you to take home I ordered the bowtie aglio for my dine-in plate, and I ordered the mom's lasagna for the take-home pasta. I had plenty of food to take home to my family, as my dine-in plate was already about twice as much food as I needed. Great place. I'll definitely go back again before the year is over.
(4)Mimi S.
Everything was so so... Too salty and too rich. Not for me.
(1)Maple C.
Okay, I'll admit it. I think I like Maggiano's. =X The servers are always very helpful and friendly, the food comes out fast, and I love the portion sizes... I could eat pasta all day long and I always leave Maggiano's with a happy, full tummy. =) The stuffed mushrooms appetizer was pretty good although a tad bit salty for my taste. If you're looking for a pasta that isn't heavy and won't make you feel like you're about to go into cardiac arrest, I highly recommend the linguine di mare (a generous serving of clams, mussels and shrimp in a slightly spicy lobster brother). The other dish I would recommend is linguine and clams with white clam sauce. I've also tried the garlic shrimp linguine; good, but not as good as the others just mentioned. Oh, and dessert sampler (5 mini desserts!!!)? Yes, please!
(4)Dan P.
I went back and had another great meal. (of course, I couldn't turn down another shot at those great meatballs) This time though, there seemed to be some big prom or dance in town because the restaurant was full of dressed up high school kids. The wait was 2 hours so I didn't think we were going to get a meal there but there was no wait at the bar and it has the same full menu as the restaurant.
(4)Joy H.
My favorite non-authentic Italian fare! Love Maggiano's - I've had almost everything here and have never had a bad dish. Most recently, I had the fried mozzarella, chopped salad, lobster carbonara (monthly special - very good!), baked ziti, and pork medallions. This is a great place to host big groups and if you sign up for their email listserv, they'll send you special discounts and birthday coupons!!
(5)Victorious W.
Not a bad place at all. Ambiance was good and food was so-so. Waiter was awesome until we asked him why the noodles were so hard and stuck together. He avoided us like the plague there after. I wouldn't recommend this place to my mother in law or her cats.
(2)Subie G.
The food here is decent. Portions are decent. But that's about it. Just "decent" - acceptable - typical of what you'd expect at a chain restaurant. I've been to Maggiano's 4-5 times. I'm not a huge fan but for some reason it seems to be a place that our regular & large group of friends likes to meet up and share a "family style" meal. This time we had the following: Stuffed mushrooms - very salty but other than that they were acceptable. Spinach & Artichoke al Forno - I liked this a lot! but... the bread was a bit on the "stale" tasting side. Cesar salad - too much dressing for my liking. Salmon - a little over cooked but still had a decent flavor to it. Four-Cheese Ravioli - this was good! Nice that it is served with Alfredo sauce but also includes a bit of marinara sauce should you prefer.Taylor Street Baked Ziti - far too salty - LESS SALT PLEASE! Chicken Parmesan - was very nice, but you'd have to try really hard to mess up Chicken Parmesan! Tiramisu - was very good :-) but you know it's not home made. Hats off to whomever it is that Maggiano's is ordering this from. On a personal note (for you Beer-Fans!!) Beer selection - needs improvement. Seriously. Offer me a beer that I can grade as an "A"....! Not a B- or even worse.... unacceptable C- grade beer. Yuk. We Beer-Fans deserve better.... and if you're going to charge $6 a beer, you should offer SOMETHING YUMMIER! =) I'm just sayin..... As stated by others it's very dimly lit & the overall atmosphere is noisy. Sounds like a high school cafeteria. You should know this before taking that your date out for a "romantic" dinner. It will NOT happen at Maggiano's. It's far too noisy and open. $$$$$ For the prices charged at Maggiano's, you can do better. It's a spendy night out for eh-meh-blah... so-so food. Personally, I won't go back until my group of friends once again demands it. I will tolerate Maggiano's in order to spend time out with my friends - but that's the only reason I'd go back.
(3)Emerson S.
Absolutely love this spot. A little pricey but I feel it's worth it. The decor is very classy... Love the dark wood and vintage feel. I ordered the Chicken Francese... Unreal. So good. Oh, and a big thumbs up to our waiter, Beau! He was awesome. I would frequent this restaurant just for the Chicken Francese. 5 stars for sure.
(5)Krista U.
Their pesto linguini was so good! I shared with another person and it was still too much food! Yes! The free bread was crispy, the waiter was fun and folded a napkin into a Bird of Paradise and its just a fun place to enjoy a meal with friends. This place is also really popular for birthdays because there were at least 3 other ones in our area being celebrated! They give you "banana cookies" which don't taste like bananas, they're shaped like bananas, with a candle in them for the birthday person! :] p.s. even though we were late for our reservation by a lot, some of us are on C.P.T, they still gave us a table in less than 5 minutes!
(4)Jena E.
I recommend Maggiano's when your party: 1. Loves Dean Martin and loves him singing for two hours 2. Is made up of six soccer players or four Marlon Brandos or two competitive eaters 3. Prefers eating in a restaurant the size of a Costco Four of us (the minimum number required for Family Style dining) asked for Family Style dining and suddenly we were presented with so many dishes we were putting some on the islands between booths. Maggiano's still gets four stars because every single dish was amazing. You could tell all the ingredients were top quality. Service was excellent and invisible. I couldn't even tell they had been by to fill my water glass. Somehow made me feel even more enormously fat like a blue whale with a bunch of helper fish clinging to my sides. Oh and we got a couple rounds of the house red. Delicious! Recommend it for Sunday afternoon blinner.
(4)Tony W.
We had gone to Maggiano's to check out their Classic pasta's offer - if u buy any one pasta for 12.95 then u get to take home one free. So we ordered Four cheese ravioli, baked ziti and Angel hair pasta which were all pretty good. The Chef came out to talk to us to accommodate our special requests, which was very nice. The Tiramisu was really good too, very large portion. The service was great.
(4)Karen T.
Draft beers are not on the menu...and there are several. Order individual salads, but split the entree...or prepare to suffer carbo-loading food coma!
(4)Cyrus A.
I've been to this Maggiano's twice and have had great experiences both times. The staff is very welcoming, from the hosts to the servers, and the food has been consistently delicious for both myself and the rest of my party. I'll definitely Be a repeat visitor. Maggiano's begins your experience with bread, oil, and vinegar. I always have iced tea for my beverage since it is freshly brewed. So far, the two entrees I've enjoyed have been the gnocchi (in a tomato vodka sauce) and fetuccini with clams (in a white sauce). I highly recommend both. For my latest visit I had toasted pound cake for dessert, with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and flambeed slices of banana. I'd definitely get this one again! It was a first for me, and a great finish to my dining experience. My partner had cream brûlée and had to replace it after one bite: It was watery and not well set. He chose the New York cheesecake as a replacement and found it to be great. Both of my experiences at Maggiano's have been great enough to highly recommend them to anyone!
(4)J C.
I'm only giving this place two stars because they gave us a free dish to take home. It should probably be getting one... In Denver, this place was the shizz. Here, I ended up embarrassed that I had taken my whole family to a place where none liked the food and didn't even eat half of whatever they ordered. And that is NOT like my family. : (
(2)Mario V.
Even with a reservation they made us wait over 20 minutes. The table was obviously makeshift to make room for us and not an actual table. If not, they really need to reduce the number of tables in here. They are all crammed together. Rubbing elbows with the people at the next table. Food was... "meh". Impersonal. Olive Garden quality at best. Chicken Parmesan was okay but sauce had no flavor and spaghettini noodles were matted together. Braised beef cannelloni cannot be recommended in any real way; three small cannelloni for $15 seems awfully overpriced. Equally bland. They were very busy that day which may account for how long the food took to come out (long wait!) but I can't really find anything positive to say about this dining experience aside being with my friends and girlfriend which is always a good time. The bar area seemed like a better time and less busy so maybe a quick drink and appetizer before a movie would work here, if only because of the place's decor and atmosphere (dark and cozy) is its only saving grace. I won't be back though. I can think of a plethora of places where to have a better experience for $40 per person.
(1)Nancy H.
I've been here over 20 times, and I have never had a bad meal. In fact, it's usually outstanding! Some waiters were more personable than others, but our service was always good, and every dish my family and I have ever ordered were all delicious. I can't understand some of these reviews claiming poor food and/or service; it's like my family and I have gone to a totally different restaurant that these folks. Our experience, without exception, has always been excellent. Oh, and their mixed drinks are really good, too!
(5)Sunny L.
I came here twice recently and was extremely disappointed both times. First, the service was EXTREMELY slow. On both occasions, we were there for over 2 hours AFTER being seated for a two or three person table. The servers come to take your order and disappear for half an hour. The appetizers and drinks finally arrive and the servers disappear for another half an hour. When it's time to get your check, they're nowhere to be found. I don't know what the problem is - is the kitchen just really slow in making the orders, are the servers assigned to too many tables, or are they just trained badly? My experience was with two different servers on two different days, when they weren't overly busy. Second, the food really isn't that great, but the prices are still really high. It will cost you around $15-$30 for a dinner here. I can't help but think that I could make the same dishes with just store-bought pasta and sauce for $5. The pasta is way overcooked. On my second visit, the pasta was so overcooked that I couldn't scoop any up without most of it breaking. It was like mush.
(2)Sarah M.
The food and service here is really hit or miss! I went the other day and I felt extremely overwhelmed with the massive number of people crammed into the restaurant. Granted it is a big space, it still felt really crowded. The service was a little rushed...I felt like people were throwing food at us and hoping that we'd get out of there so that they could cram someone else into our spot. The food came out in mass quantities! The salad, garlic bread...it was ridiculous! I wasn't a huge fan of the pasta sauce...it had a licorice taste to it. I had some kind of pot roast beef type dish and it was pretty good! I'd try to come here maybe during the week when it's a little less crowded.
(3)Olga M.
I normally don't eat at chain restaurants on purpose, but we were given a gift card that could be used at Chili's, Macaroni Grill, or Maggianos. Naturally the choice was Maggi's. We ordered the "order an appetizer, two regular pastas to eat here and take two home, and a dessert" for $39.99 or something crazy like that. That is a lot of food for two normal adults (see description later) and a six year-old. We had the artichoke shrimp cream dip to start. That should have served six people but we finished it! We ordered the ravioli and rigatoni to eat in the resto, ordered the lasagna and some other pasta/chicken sausage combo to take home. By this time we could not finish the pasta dishes they served us and we took the leftovers home. They were very good but the portions were large. We all shared the dessert which was tiramisu. This was one of the best versions of tiramusu I've eaten. We sat and watched in awe as the food arrived at other tables and as the server placed the enormous plate of pasta or whatever food it was in front of people, they started eating out of the huge plate/serving platter, often times eating most of what was served. We served ourselves from the large platters (they are the size of serving dishes) into our bread plates and our waiter was surprised to see us do that. Kind of reminds me of a Chicago/Italian version of Claim Jumper - large portions of food. BTW our pasta leftovers from that evening plus the two bonus take home pasta dishes lasted about 4 or 5 meals for us, pretty much the entire week. The only negative I have is that the lasgna was on the salty side. And from dining here at two corporate events in the past the eggplant parmesan and lasagna were salty so beware.
(3)Adam W.
Great pasta and generous portions! Doesn't really feel like a chain!
(3)john o.
Obvious franchise. Very textbook food and service. A little pricy for the food. The setting is dark and claustrophobic. Bottom line: Olive Garden with dark wood.
(1)Jeremy W.
Maggianos has a fun, family style way of doing dinner. We had tasty (although quite salty) appetizers and pretty good entrées. They are pretty busy and I feel like it might hurt the service a bit. Maybe it was because we had a large group, I don't know. It's also pretty expensive. But if you can throw down some food, it's worth it.
(3)Pat R.
Terrible service. Called to do a reservation and they kept me on the phone for over 5 minutes
(1)Kerri L.
Ok, so maybe 2.5 stars. I think it's really hit or miss depending on what you order. Would I go back? Yes.... BUT I have 2 young kids so my choices are pretty limited on their palettes. It's similar to an Olive Garden. We had a the spaghetti and meatballs (which my kids loved) and the Italian Sausage flatbread pizza (which I would NEVER ORDER again). The pizza bread was doughy and overall the pizza was pretty bland. yuck. Tiramasu was ok - but had a weird spicy cardamon(?) aftertaste.
(3)Dawei Z.
buy one get one free! don't miss the classical pastas!
(4)Claire S.
If I were back east, I would probably give this place three stars, but since this is the west coast (not exactly known for Italian food) it gets an extra star. I think Maggiano's is a chain, so it is definitely a little cavernous inside to hold the masses, but the decor reminds me of Hoboken, NJ (which I think is awesome). Checkered tablecloths, dark wood, Rat Pack photos (Frank, Sammy, Dean, and That Other Guy), and servers in black and whites. The service was good, really friendly and chatty (another plus in my book). The food is reasonably priced (about twelve or thirteen bucks for a lot of the pasta dishes, around twenty five for steak and seafood). They also have a lunchtime sandwich menu. Anyway, I had the eggplant parm, which looked more like an eggplant lasagna (no lasagna noodles, but layers of eggplant with cheese. and then sauce on top). It was good, but unlike any eggplant parm I have had before (it is usually thin, crispy, and pan fried, then covered in cheese and sauce), and served over spaghetti. The spaghetti I took issue with: it was dry (like a birds nest) and instead of sauce, it just had some diced tomatoes. It was edible and that was about it. One of my dining companions had the spaghetti and meatballs however, and his spaghetti was definitely more appetizing-looking than mine (also the gigantic meatball was homemade). He is from Brooklyn and gave it the thumbs up, so make of that what you will. They say that the true test of an Italian restaurant is the ability to make good spaghetti and meatballs. Oh, and the bread is fantastic. Seriously, I would go back just for the bread. It was actually the catalyst for a conversation at my table over where to buy good bread in the Seattle area.
(4)Soo H.
Ah Maggiano's...I remember you from Chicago when I used to live there...and like in Chicago, it's not terrible food, it's just not great. But you go to Maggiano's for portion size over taste. Bascially, it will never be my choice to go here, it just happened there was a business dinner here so what are you going to do. We had reservations and didn't have to wait long at all...I think less than 5 minutes for our party of 7. The waiters were excellent and very helpful. Decor is nice, great for large groups and they even specialize in something called "family style" where everyone shares from a choice of...geez, no clue...a ridiculous amount of food. Even if some of the choices tasted good (stuffed mushrooms and crabcakes were pretty good, salads were meh, and ziti w/sausage is a reliable bet), it was impossible to try them all as there was too much food. And we had 2 full bags of leftovers. I'd avoid this place if you're in a group of 2 or on a date, b/c it's just not sexy to try to eat your weight in pasta...and I'm pretty sure it's not healthy either, but if it's a large group...knock yourself out - everyone is bound to get something they like.
(3)Joshua M.
Chains, chains chains, chains. For a chain this place really isn't too bad. The chicken parm, and meatball sandwich are both decent. DO NOT attempt to have dinner here without reservations... in fact even if you do I'd recommed avoiding the weekends. The portions at night are ridiculous anyhow... total gluttony. It really is a decent lunch place though... but that's the category I'd keep it in.
(4)Elmo G.
this place feels like a higher-end olive garden. we were told, in a fairly apathetic way, by the seating staff that it would be an hour to get a seat. the alternative was "open-seating" (think grabbing a table in a cafeteria) in the bar. we elected for that and wandered around until we found an empty place, with the leftovers and check of the other people still there. sat for at least five minutes with said items in front of us. out in the hall, people constantly came and went. the place was very loud. people were frequently dressed up, which puzzled me. it really isn't actually a dressy place, although in decor it attempts to be. the people beside us appeared disatisfied with their wait for their items (they had already ordered). a waiter flirted with some cute girls. pratically every chair in the room was taken. it was chaos. our waitress did eventually come by, spontaenously apologized for the wait, and was very pleasant. our drinks came quickly. the menu was a bit of a pain, frankly. you can get full or half orders of most stuff. half orders start at $10.95 or so and go up. full orders $13.95 or so and up. entree dishes are $25-mark. possibly three vegetarian options, two being pasta simply with a veggie sauce, one being eggplant parmesan. a number of their items (eg, eggplant parmesan) only come "a la carte" (meaning with no pasta). it's another $2.50 or so to add pasta. and you are already paying $13. i ordered joey-z's angel hair pasta. my spaghetti was seriously over-cooked. the free bread was good. personally, i wouldn't take kids-- not because it is too formal or upscale, but because it's just so busy, so loud, and looks like the waits for stuff in general are looooong. lots of people had brought kids, though (although not in the bar, which was the only seating available when we showed up). bottom line: place was a zoo, food was mediocre.
(2)Derrick D.
This place is ok. Nothing really to rave about. On a recent visit, I had the spaghetti, eggplant parmesan and shrimp linguine. As much as I appreciate family style, I would have preferred quality over quantity. It's as if I'm supposed to be impressed with portions and totally forget that the food is quite marginal. The wait service was adequate, with the exception of the one waitress who attempted to be nice by greeting and touching my infant niece. Hello!? We're in the middle of germ season. Maggiano's is perhaps best suited for large parties; I, however, would never take a date there. This is like the Red Robin of Italian cuisine.
(2)Heidi B.
We've been her twice and both times I have loved it. The waiters we had were very attentive. But we eat early so I bet the later and busier it gets the slower the service. The kept our drinks full which I find a huge positive. I hate having to ask for my drink to be refilled. I need to try the lasagna. I hear it's the best and something that takes 4 hours to make must be good.
(5)Steve B.
I'm giving this one star because it's nicely decorated. If I were just rating the food, I'd have to rework the star buttons to give negative numbers. I loved Sam H.'s phrase: "This is the Claim Jumper of Italian restaurants". Thank you. Couldn't have said it better. This place is proof positive that you can put lipstick on a pig but that you're still gonna wind up with nothing more than a pig in lipstick. The freakin' place must have cost well over $1MIL to build out and it's big enough to land a 747 in but what's on the table is some of the blandest, most soul-deadening faux-Itailan flotsam ever to hit a plate in Seattle. In New York, this place would be closed in a week. No one who knows anything about Italian food would ever eat here more than once - and they'd leave that meal on the plate. EVERYTHING - from the "bread" to the dessert - was clumsy, badly-prepared, colorless, and badly-textured. The cheeses were gummy, the sauces were either bland as paste or overly salted, and the pasta was lukewarm, undercooked, and unsalted. Just a freakin' mess. If you eat at Pizza Hut and Dominos and enjoy Chef Boyardee out of the can, you might like this place. Anyone else, avoid it like Ebola.
(1)mochi b.
My friends rave about Maggiano's at Santana Row in San Jose, so I was excited to try the one in Bellevue. The food was ok, but the service was horrible. At first everything seemed fine, we were seated with out a reservation in a decent amount of time. The person who served us our water was very nice. (too bad she was not our server) Then the server finally made an appearance to our table. (everything went down hill from there) He took our orders and vanished. He did not mention children get a free beverage with their meal, so the kids asked when he finally returned. We were served our food(except for the soup), and did not see our waiter again for a long long time. The kids also get a free dessert with dinner and had to ask for that as well. After dessert was served and we had the bill...we waited, and waited...and waited some more for someone to pick up the credit card. Unfortunately, that never happened. We had to go to the host to request our bill be handled. He apologized and quickly took care of the bill. This is an Italian restaurant but we did not expect to be served on European dining time.
(2)M T.
I didn't like this place as much as I thought I would. I went here for a birthday party, and we did the family style dinner. Some of the food was pretty good, I did like the ravioli and the mozzarella marinara, but most of it tasted pretty generic to me. I'm not a huge eater, so the amount of food was very overwhelming. I'd rather spend the money on a nicer italian restaurant that has better food. The service was pretty good, although the way the check was done was very confusing. All the food on one bill and all the drinks on another bill made it a little tricky to deal with since we had a large group. I'd give it two stars, but the chocolate zuccotto cake earned it a third star.
(3)Takahisa S.
Their one full serving is my two servings. Usually bring back 1/2 for the next day's dinner or lunch. Their pasta is very good that I have yet to try other menu :) But this place is usually busy and don't usually got seated within 30 mins. Luckily there is a mall next door.
(4)San Y.
What can I say. I went in expecting something special. Their atmosphere seems so classy and rich like. Its dark and intimate as well, with a hint of mafia-ness. We arrived at 8:30PM and was told the wait is 45min - 1hr. Fine...we waited. An hour goes by and they tell me its gonna be another half hour. At that point I was kind of disappointed, but whatever, might as well wait it out since we invested so much time. We were seated in a 4-6 person booth, but it was just the two of us, and it felt pretty tight. I ordered the chicken parm and the wife had Stuffed chicken fonti. First of all, the waiter told us they are known to cook everything fresh and the portions are extremely generous. The chicken fonti was more like an appetizer for 2. It was actually 2 small chicken breast and a slab of mash potatoes. I ordered chicken parm and the guy asks if I want any pasta with that. I was like, WTF, its chicken parm. Yeah I want some freaking pasta! (it must be a WA thing, chicken parm doesn't come with any pasta, just deep fried chicken strips with cheese and sauce). This other place I ordered chicken parm is the same way. Anyways, there's nothing special about the chicken parm. its skinny slices of breaded chicken that's deep fried, with regular tomato sauce and some cheese. That's it, nothing special. We also ordered 2 cokes, which were pretty flat. The 2 glasses of water tasted weird. The bread wasn't great. All in all, it was not worth my time or money $50. On a semi positive note, we did get 1 free desert for our trouble. Oh, they have awesome chocolate covered mints while you wait. That was the best food I've had all night. Oh, before I forget, first thing I had to do once I came home was go to the toilet for half an hour. That's the last time I go try something "different".
(2)Sharon S.
We had a terrible experience at this restaurant. They are extremely un-child friendly and also rude. We will never be going back and would recommend against anyone taking kids there.
(1)Alex M.
I never write reviews, but I had do when I read the few negative reviews that precede this. I don't care if it is a Brinker "chain" restaurant, the food is great and I like the location and atmosphere! My family and friends all agree. Every one of them has loved the place! I have been looking for a decent Italian restaurant in Bellevue since moving here 8 years ago and have been constantly disappointed. While Maggiano's is very large and thus not "intimate" it is classy for a restaurant that is in the moderate price category. The greatest negative is that they are so busy! You have to make reservations for dinner a few days in advance.
(5)Denise S.
We had a great time! This restaurant is huge and very clean. They have a bar and dining area.If you want to wait for the dining area there was a 30 min wait so we sat in the bar area which was just as nice as the dining area. The bar area had lots of tables/booths. They bring bread to your table, which was very good. The server ( who was also a bartender) was awesome. The food didn't take too long to make and it was very good! The prices were reasonable. The portion was big ( enough for 2). I would come back and I will tell my family/ friends about it.
(5)Allysam C.
We love the Maggiano's in San Jose, CA so we thought we would come here to celebrate my hubby's bday while we were in Washington. We had a big party so we had to order from the family menu. The calamaris were tender and crispy and the stuffed mushrooms were not soggy. However, the spaghetti with meat sauce was not as good compared to the Maggiano's in San Jose, CA. I would think that since Maggiano's is a chain restaurant that the quality would be the same. The meat in the meat sauce was not as tender and the meatball was a little tough and the clams in the linguine with white clam sauce was a little overcooked. For the main course we had the salmon which was way overcooked. The chicken parmiggiano was okay. The redeeming factor though was the dessert! The tiramisu was to die for!!! We ordered seconds and it was still not enough! All the kids loved the profiteroles with the creamy vanilla ice cream inside a cream puff drizzled with hot fudge. It was a sweet ending to an ok meal.
(2)Patty C.
The place to go in Bellevue to eat a nice Italian meal family style. Reasonably priced if you order from the fixed pasta menu. Plus free take home meals!
(3)Lab L.
A group of 6 went for lunch with a reservation. They were not ready for us and we had to wait. This was not good since we only had an hour for lunch. The bread was awesome and plentiful. The lunch combos offer a great variety at a reasonable price. Unfortunately, the staff had a hard time getting the right items to our table in a timely fashion. Things arrived here and there, with them stopping by to ask who ordered what was in their arms...and it didn't belong to anyone in our party. One member had to wait about 10 minutes after everyone was served for her lunch combo. Because of all the delays, we were late returning.
(3)Devany M.
My boyfriend and I stopped here for a conveniently close dinner before seeing a comedy show at the Parlor. I ordered the eggplant parmesan and he got the chef mann's country-style pasta. The food was... okay. Not good, not inedible, although my eggplant was more breading than eggplant and a bit over-salted. What really stands out about this place is that as we were about to leave, the waiter came out with a to-go bag for me and told me it was my free, second order of eggplant parmesan. A free meal? Awesome in theory. Super salty soggy leftovers? Actually not very awesome. We got the cheesecake for dessert, which was pretty solid and by far the best part of the meal.
(3)Marlly T.
No star!! Do not go 30 min before they close. The hostess will tell you to go sit anywhere (that means walk ur self in) after you choose ur table a waiter will ask you to go to the bar area because the station is closed. And after sitting for 10 min at a table by the bar while watching how every waiter and staff walks by and ignores you; the final step is get the F...K OUT cause you will not be served. The next choice "Pagliacci" where you are greeted with a smile
(1)Joseph R.
Wonderful entrees and desserts, the servers and hosts were attentive, and the ambience was pleasant. Definitely a repeat spot.
(5)Mojdeh S.
How I heard of this place: I found a coupon for Maggiano's in my Entertainment Book about two years ago, and decided to use it for dinner with a good friend, ending up with enough left-overs to feed two families for dinner, too! Type of cuisine: While their website touts "authentic" Italian food, the food is more reminiscent of an Italian-inspired cuisine, similar to that of Olive Garden. Large quantities of food are served to parties dining at the restaurant, making it an ideal place for a family style dining experience. Ambiance: The space is large and crowded. Packed with people, the sounds of a bustling restaurant and the close proximity of seating (tables/chairs covered in red and white picnic-style tablecloths, topped with white linen runners), the space is ideal for family dining. Children can be children without disturbing neighboring patrons. Conversations can be excitable and dynamic without fear of offense or worry that others may be listening in on your conversation. The dimly lit, mood lighting, makes is a great place to enjoy a romantic evening amidst hundreds of other diners; if you and your sweetie are at a lack for words, no need to fear the silence, because there really isn't any. Decor is dark and wooden, reminiscent of an old mafia-esque setting. Tall ceilings make the bar and dining areas appear larger and the red, velvet curtains along the windows and walls more prominent. A great space for large parties (parties of 10 or more are held to the minimum-orders of a family style menu) or smaller family get-togethers. What I ordered: Being subject to the family style menu, the sixteen of us dining at Maggiano's in celebration of a birthday, opted for the least expensive of the meals ($20.50) including our choice of two salads, two appetizers and two pastas, served with Vera's lemon cookies. Of the nineteen appetizer options, our group selected the Mozzarella Marinara and Barb's Spinach & Artichoke al Forno. From the five salad options, our table enjoyed the spinach and the Caesar salads. Our pasta selections, twenty-four in total from which to select, were the four-cheese ravioli and the chicken & spinach manicotti. The evening meal was ended with light and lemony cookies served in the shape of a flower or wheel as the crescent shaped treats were presented on plates around the banquet table. Each item on the menu is unlimited and can be enjoyed for hours before the next course is served! What I loved: The staff and service were exemplary. Our table was taken care of without hitch or complaint. Of the items sampled, the bacon and toasted pine nuts made the spinach salad a taste worth returning for. The appetizers and salads were delicious and complemented each other well - from fried to light, creamy to flavorful. The pastas are abundantly rich without any restraint being placed on the amount of cream and cheese in each. The lemon cookies, light and bright, brought a perfect sample of sweet and tart to round out the meal without being too big or rich. Why I loved it: The space is great for a large party, a girls night out for a birthday celebration, or a family meal enjoyed without hassle or pretense. Cost: High ($20.50-$37.50 for family-style fixed menus)
(3)Sheri F.
I use to really love this place, but my last visit really lowered my rating. I went here with two of my BFF's and one of their husbands to celebrate a major milestone in my life. I had reservations and was looking forward to this dinner all week. I arrived with one of my BFF's and the other two in our party came a bit later. As we were waiting for them, the surly waitress kept glaring at us because my friend just wanted water and I had a hard time hearing her over the very loud room. She never asked what I wanted to drink. When my other friends arrived, she was on them like white on rice - outgoing, asked for their drink order, and she even went and got the manager to aide her with my friend's strict diet. She continued to ignore me and when I tried to get her attention, she would just start talking to the other people in my party. I couldn't believe the blatant rudeness. I gave my order to my friend to order for me. The food use to be spectacular but it took a nose dive in my last visit. I don't know what happened - head chef/owner/management change? Sauce was salty, salad dressing missing something and rest of the meal was just average. It was like being at the Olive Garden. This place use to make me moan when I ate the food. Sad. Food: 3 Service: 0 Ambiance: 3 Parking: 5
(3)Elena L.
I love this place! Authentic Italian food and great customer service. Food is soo good there! I had a fettuccine Alfredo and took the spaghetti and meatballs. Delicious! Defenitley coming back.
(5)Alex T.
I am totally in love with this place. The ambiance, food and customer service are all on par. I recommend their Marco's meal for 2 - select 1 appetizer, 2 entrees and 1 dessert AND choose two pastas to take home. What what??? You can also substitute the dishes for an additional price. I especially love their white wine linguine and clams. It's amazing and with a wedge of lemon, it's the best "simple" dish I've had yet. It's a great place for a date or night out with an intimate group of friends.
(5)Amos Y.
Came here on a Saturday night at 8pm. Was pretty busy. Even though the place is big, we had to wait 15-20 minutes to get seated. The waitresses were nice and gave great service, checking on us regularly and refilling our waters. The place has a nice homey family atmosphere. There were definitely a few families with kids here. But it wasn't that noisy. The fresh bread and olive oil they give you as an appetizer is pretty great. We ordered the Burrata Ravioli, Chef KB's Lobster Carbonara, Gnocchi & Italian Sausage, Chicken Flat Bread. All the portions were large and filling except the Burrata Ravioli. Even then, each ravioli was pretty large. The Lobster Carbonara and Gnocchi both had thick creamy sauces. The flat bread was pretty thin and crunchy, was quite good. The Burrata Ravioli weren't bad but a little dissappointing. Overall food was pretty good. Maggiano's is also known for several of their offerings that let you take a classic pasta dish home. For example, for $12.50 you get to order a classic pasta, and then get another one to take home.
(3)Elisha T.
I dine here once or twice a year for dinner. On my first visit I ordered a dinner for two combo where you get two classic pastas to dine-in and two pastas to take out for a really good price. I was really excited until I tasted the pasta. It tastes OK, and it's not something I was excited to take home with. On my next few visits I just ordered couple appetizers instead, and they taste pretty decent compared to their pasta. My favorite appetizers are stuffed mushrooms, tomato caprese, and crispy zucchini fritte. Then I recently tried their specialty pasta and they actually taste much better than classic pasta. But the price is quite a bit more compared to other restaurants that serve pastas that tastes as good. I'd say this is a good place if you care more about the cost and amount you get, or if you are fine paying a lot of money for specialty pasta.
(3)Kristy R.
Went there on a friends recommendation. It was amazingly good. We had the steamed mussels in a yummy broth perfect for dipping bread. A good two dozen or more. I had the balsamic glazed salmon with asparagus and hubby had the Salmon oscar. Big portions and both delicious. We split a desert which was a special benefiting some charity. Sort of the adult version of s'mores with a thick graham crust, a dense creamy dark chocolate layer, a toasted marshmallow fluff layer all drizzled in caramel. Oh be still my beating heart. All super good. No complaints. Make a reservation online if you don't want to stand around and wait on a busy night. LOVED IT!!!!
(5)Amanda B.
NEVER AGAIN, AND I MEAN NEVER AGAIN. I literally got sick 10 min into my meal. That's after we waited over an hour for our food. Yes the waitress was nice, yes the price we paid was more than appropriate to the food quantity we got and definitely the service (Bridgette was awesome!! It's not her fault, she doesn't cook the food) but quality wise? The food was bad, it was terrible. Mushy eggplant parmesan, and the store bought pound cake the slice and toast was burnt. Out of the 5 tables in our hearing range, nobody left happy. There was hair in food, wrong orders, etc. Awesome servers, terrible food.
(2)Miss S.
I must say I have been coming to Maggiano's for the past two years and today It has been one of the best days when it comes to customer service. i went there for a late lunch with my co-worker and Liam our server was EXCELLENT!!! He was attentive and detail oriented, service was quick and wonderful, brought bread to the table promptly and he checked in with us frequently to make sure all out needs are taking care of. So usually my time at this restaurant between the waiting and serving is 2 hrs, today was half of that so I am most delighted for the good service and looking forward to come back!!!
(5)Sherin O.
Quick seating, descent food, great service and very friendly and accommodating to kids!
(5)Brandon B.
Anything less that 5 stars is ridiculous! This place has great food and is very reasonably priced. I got the $16 ravioli and i took home the ravioli. All for $16! My father-in-law got the spaghetti and took home the spaghetti (which I ate because he had to fly home) it was great! The mozz sticks tasted like nothing I have had it was the best I have ever had. Will go again!!!
(5)DAVID L.
Occasion: Dinner Although I just came with my wife, Maggiano's always seem to cater to large audiences. I could help, but notice how the staff responded very quickly to setup tables for 10+ large parties. I've been to enough restaurants where you see maybe one person trying to setup 2-3 tables to accomodate 10+ people, but It was nice to see 4+ people arranging the tables to hurry up so the 10+ large party could sit down immediately and did not have to wait long. Most of the food here is very rich, so I have to keep things very simple or else I can get an upset stomach. They give a large amount of quantity, so your leftovers is tomorrow's meal. All in all, I think it's good value.
(3)Ben B. N.
Beautiful restaurant with great service. I can't say that this is the best pasta I have had though. It's a few notches better than Bucca di Beppo. Grazies crushed this place in terms of taste.
(3)Alyssa S.
I have eaten at several Maggiano's around the country, and was ecstatic to find out there was a location here in the greater Seattle area. I went with my spouse and my dad, and we ordered the meal for 2 plus the Chicken & Spinach Manicotti, then ate all of our dishes family style. Our waiter was etremely gracious about accommodating this. The chicken and spinach manicotti was to die for as always (it is a family favorite, it's a must for us every time!), and the stuffed mushrooms were the best I have ever had. I was not impressed with the light chicken alfredo, because the chicken was overcooked and dry. But everything else was delicious! We will be back!
(4)Stefan S.
You guys need a serious, serious reassessment of what a Long Island iced tea is. It's coke with a splash of sours, not lemonade with a drop of coke. Way too sour to even drink, even after sending back a round. It's a "specialty cocktail" so I would have expected it to be drinkable. Sit down and try one, it's not.
(2)Alysse E.
Update: I've returned twice since my first visit, and service and food have been great both times! Reasonably priced and pretty good Italian food. On both recent visits my server was beyond friendly and helpful despite it being crazy busy. Upping my start count, thanks for the massive amounts of food Maggiano's!
(4)Jennifer Y.
1 STAR for having great service. I was there with a big group of 14 and they were super accommodating. Plus, we had a super friendly waiter - his name was THOR!! (Actually, 1 BONUS STAR for having an awesome waiter with an even more awesome name) 1 STAR for the cheap pasta deals. You basically get to order one pasta dish to eat in and get one more to bring home for free (you can choose a completely different pasta dish for your take home option). So for about $13, you get to have 2 meals. Sweet deal. It's not THE BEST, but it's also not THAAAT BAD. If you're super hungry and don't want to spend too much, and too lazy to cook dinner the next day, Maggiano's is the place to go!
(3)Joan S.
Went for my birthday with a friend Had their special two dinners and two dinners to go home Sierra our server was fantastic She made the dining experience !!' Food was very good and plentiful Will go back soon Mgmt promote Sierra ! Joan
(5)Steve T.
Set up: This restaurant was recommended by my now EX "GF" as one of the best she has visited in the Tampa area and with little argument from me regarding great Italian food, I was not opposing a visit to Maggiano's. Pro's Friendly waiter Great selection pasta's and entre's Great location Very large dining area and large bar Ambiance romantic Very clean and additional staff was amazingly friendly as well Food was presented well and tasted as good as it looked The bread was hot and the oil and balsamic dressing for the bread was excellent The service was fast, friendly, efficient, the meal was exactly what we ordered and we even got a great surprise when we found out that we would also get to bring additional entrees home for the price we paid for our one meal as a perk Treated us like we were their first customer even though we walked in 30 minutes before close, had no idea what to order and didn't leave until an hour after close. Con's A little on the expensive side for our usual outings Summary- Amazing food, amazing and romantic atmosphere, excellent food and great service. We thoroughly enjoyed talking with the waiter (actually I could hardly get a word in because my now EX was a woman of a few words, A few thousand!), exchanging stories, he was attentive and he was very cordial. I had no idea that a place this nice was right around the corner from home and I could get great food and great ambiance while enjoying dated Italian music at just the right volume and at a price that didn't break the bank (just cracked it a little). I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves great Italian food and great servers. I will definitely be back. It is right by McCormick and Schmicks as well and my now EX GF said that place is just as good and about the same price range. I want to try it as well. The location was wonderful as well, between Bellevue Square and Lincoln Square and gives a great addition to a wonderful shopping experience.
(3)Elle K.
Make reservations on weekends. I made one for my dad's birthday and everything went pretty smoothly. Our waiter seemed pretty inexperienced but he was great. He seemed a bit awkward but it didn't matter because he really worked hard to make sure that we were getting everything that we needed. We ordered the bruschetta and the crispy zucchini fritte as appetizers. the bruschetta was average but the zucchini was a hit. It was crispy and hot and the lemon aioli sauce went perfectly. My parents both ordered the Linguine Di Mare, my brother ordered the Veal Parmesean and I ordered the Salmon Oscar. the Linguine Di Mare is a favorite now. It's not a dish if you like your sauces creamy and thick. The sauce has more of a watery consistence but it has a really yummy tomato and spice taste. I think people who like seafood and spicy food would love it :). I didn't like the veal too much. It was a bit too rich for my taste. the Salmon Oscar was good but really rich. It's a good choice if you like white sauce but you don't want pasta. For dessert, we got the cheesecake and the tiramisu. The cheesecake was average. It was okay but nothing about it was spectacular. The tiramisu was delicious. The soft sponge cake had soaked up the coffee and everything was light and fluffy~ Definitely will be back again ;)
(4)Priscilla N.
Its ok. Its an italian chain...not a huge fan of chains but service was decent, food was ok...but i must say that the apple cobble desert thing is pretty damn good. yumm. There is a "family menu" which pretty much gives parties of 4 or more to order "family style" meaning share 3 apps, 4 main dishes, and 2 desserts. Price point, about $28 bucks. pretty good if you are starving because you can keep asking for "refills" until you are filled up. So come with an empty stomach ready to load up. I had the salmon, calamaris, stuffed mushrooms all pretty much on point. Will I return....eh, I think i rather go to a local moms and pops authentic italin style food. but thanks for the experience!
(4)Jennifer S.
I don't go here often, but when I do, I generally come away quite satisfied. One of the reasons to come here is the ambiance - that quintessential swaggering, swaying happiness as sung by Dean Martin/Frank Sinatra (the music trails you even as you walk by the place) coupled with a darkly grand old New York building interior makes for a memorable experience. One might think that, given this description, the prices are nothing but sky-high. This isn't true: there is a segment of the menu featuring delicious pasta that a) is very generous to begin with, b) costs in the range of $12-$14 (not bad!) and c) FEATURES A TAKE-HOME SERVING THAT THEY GIVE TO YOU AFTER YOU FINISH. Yes, you read right: they give you the same meal again in a box after you've paid your check. I don't know of any other place that does this, so for those out there who want to try this place but don't know if they have the bucks, hopefully this menu option is available still. I haven't been to this place in a while as I don't go to Downtown Bellevue as much as I used to. Suffice it to say, though, this place is good in my book.
(4)Monica D.
This is only rating the 2 for $40 combo deal, I didn't try any individual/specialty pasta dishes... I can see why the ratings aren't THAT great here.... If they needed to be rated for portions, I give them 20 stars! Haha me and my girlfriends got the 2 for 40$ deal which came with 2 pasta dishes and 2 more to take home, choice of appetizer or salad, and a dessert. I think I ended up filling up on the bread at the beginning of the meal cause when the actual meal came I was stuffed! The pastas to choose from were very simple pastas... I got the penne with sausage and my friend got the alfredo with chicken added to it.. and both dishes were kind of ehh... The creme brulee and tiramisu were yummy though! As well as the calamari... BUT I would rather go here than Olive Garden, that's for sure... Good prices for huge portions!
(3)Lyz P.
It's not nearly busy enough on this Wednesday evening for the service to be this slow. We waited an hour for our food... Seems like our food order was forgotten about. I am also disappointed that my take home meal was forgotten about at the end of our meal as well and we had to ask for it. He then double checked our order and said oh with no apology! Food was good but definitely disappointed with the service!
(1)Greg G.
Stay away from this place customer services sucks! What do you expect a big stupid chain restaurant. I always buy gift cards for family and friends to cool restaurants. I buy about 8 a year. I called this place and asked if I could buy a $100.00 gift card and have mailed to me. The guy instead sent to some stupid website that didn't work. stay away from chains. I went to yelp and found an INDEPENDENT RESTAURANT in Bellevue, WA. I called the restaurant the host took my credit card info and mailed a gift card to my uncle. Great Service not a big impersonal chain. The last time I ate at a Maggino's Chain place the food sucked anyway. GO TO THE INDEPENDENTS if you want good service
(1)Kristina L.
This is my favorite chain restaurant, well this an Johnny Carinos, but the nearest Carino's is in Burlington...anyway... They sell coke products. I've had the sangria, that is pretty good as well. I like to order the pitcher of it though. One thing they do that's neat is there are certain items on the menu that you can take with you. For example, order the lasagne and you get a fresh one in a doggy bag for you to take home. Prices are a little more expensive than the Olive Garden, salads are ordered a la carte. Usually we order a Caesar salad to share and it will feed 4-5 people before the dinner. They serve breat with olive oil and balsamic. I usually add some parmasean cheese for a little pizzaz. It can get a little busy, but it is definately worth checking out if you are in the Bellevue area, I wish there were more Maggiano's in the greater Seattle area!!!
(4)Daman B.
Wonderful atmosphere, great food. I recently went to dinner here with some friends, and really enjoyed the place. I'd seen Maggiano's in Chicago where I'm from, but never got around to checking it out. They have a nice 2 for 1 special going on now where you can pick from several entrees, and get one to eat at the restaurant, and one to take home. I got the Mushroom ravioli, which was very good. The lighting is a perfect level for relaxing and chatting, but not so dark you're squinting to see your food. Good music, and a great waitstaff. I'll definitely go again.
(4)Mark L.
Good food, but surprisingly slow service. We were there for lunch on a weekday. There were very few people in the restaurant, but the server took quite a while to take our order. At one point while he was at our table, another table came over and said they'd been there a long time and no one had come over.
(3)Ashley N.
I've been to this place a few times before and was always a big fan, but my most recent visit left me with just a "meh" feeling. I'm not sure what's changed, but the linguini and clams that I always ordered was very bland. The shrimp scampi wasn't very tasty either and the noodles were too well done. The complementary bread, however, is a lot better than before. I could have had just that, with the balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and been fully satisfied. The service was lackluster - I had to ask for water refills a few times among other things. The restaurant had a few other parties and servers at that time, so I don't think it would have been too much to ask for a server who would check on my table a little more often. All in all, I'd still come back. Hopefully the linguini and clams was just off on that day and is still as delicious as before.
(3)Oleksiy I.
My team went there for team lunch (got reservation beforehand). We were waiting for our order more then HOUR ! Asked waiters about estimation several times, they said "there are too many people here, it would take A WHILE". So we left. Worst restaurant experience EVER !
(1)Jaymee M.
We have our company dinner here every year and no matter how busy they are, they take good care of us. We only have a group of 16 so not a giant banquet or anything. Bread and water was already on the table when we were seated. We always go with the family style because they will refill the food for you so for a group of this size, it just makes sense. Apps: Calamari, Delicious. Bruscetta, I am not a fan but it is very fresh. Maggiano's salad, too many red onions for my liking. In years past we have gotten the Cesar and I LOVE THAT. Entrees: Gnocchi and sausage: This is a new one and it was really good. Spaghetti and meat balls: HUGE portion and tasty. Chicken Parm: I love it, cooked to a crispy perfection. Lasagna: Also HUGE and very meaty. Hit the spot. Dessert: Tirimisu: I love it. So moist and just yum. Apple Crostini: Everyone loves this, it is classic. The waiter was very promt with refilling food and drinks. Boxed up a ton of stuff for the guys to take home. Table situation was a little weird because we were at a really long table that was by some booths and a walkway. It made it very weird because I was afraid to back up in fear of backing into a waiter or another guest. But at this time of year, you take what you can get.
(4)D W.
Decent food, low prices, huge restaurant. Our waiter Eric is a gem! The food is almost too cheap for what you get with the take home deal - sure it is a tad americanized but it is great comfort food. Much better than in years past.
(4)Beef S.
I love this place! Hands down my favorite when downtown in Bellevue. Reasonably priced not to spend, great food and service.
(5)Charyl W.
Very good food and atmosphere. Prices very reasonable.
(5)Dan P.
Yeah I'm a fan. This is a chain so it is big and mass produced food so don't expect 100% authentic family run style Italian food. Just go with a group of people, share some dishes, share some dessert, drink some wine, have a jolly good time with a lot of laughter and you'll be fine. We had the following: mushroom caps - decent fried zucchini - terrible. but my 7 year old son loved them and it got him to eat some vegetables so i guess that's ok. maggiano's salad - good, fresh, crisp, etc. italian sausage flatbread - good, nice flavor in the sausage, basil could have been fresher chicken parmigiana - good but i was way too full to eat more than a bite lasagna - ok but a little too heavy on the meat spaghetti w/ meat sauce - good tiramisu - good ny style cheesecake - very good. it was not as dense as cheesecake factory but still had good substance. chianti wine - they have 2 types of chianti by the glass. i had both of them and they were decent. Total cost was around $140 including tip. Overall, a nice meal for a decent price.
(4)Rachelle S.
Maggiano's is our family go-to place and an awesome date night spot! We have done Fathers day and birthdays with large groups (including small children) with great experiences and also a romantic night out with just my husband and I with the same positive review. Nice old world/Italian decor (not cheesy) with romantic lighting and ambiance. We have always had impeccable service and if you're looking for good, hearty, italian-American comfort food- this is your place! Also, they make their desserts in house and they are the best around. I would dare say even rival that of Tom Douglas! (Gasp!) Cheesecake made with sour cream (sounds weird but is to die for), a chocolate cake (HUGE, rich, and a perfect level of cocoa so it's not sickly sweet), and the pound cake (buttery and dense with vanilla ice cream, a chocolate sauce, and creme brulee glazed banana). Would recommend to everyone! Skip the entree and just get dessert if you have to! Calamari is a favorite starter (the stuffed mushrooms are ok (had better) and the crab cakes were pretty decent). My husband and I often get the Marco's Meal for Two- appetizer, 2 entrees, 2 entrees to take home, dessert to share for $39.95. Pretty darn good considering we take home about half of our in restaurant meal and we have the take home entree as Well. With that, you can only pick from maybe about 10ish options but don't be fooled. All amazingly good! Moms lasagna is fantastic! Fairly normal wine list (tad on the pricey end for some of what they offer) but they do have a good little selection of italian/imported wines. Nothing fancy or rare, but you can get Chianti if you want. Good cocktails. Warning: don't eat here ladies if you're going out afterwards... you will be STUFFED and that cute fitted dress might not be so comfortable anymore! Portions are very large!!!
(4)Janie H.
We had a family dinner last night. We ordered Family Style Chef's Choice: Friendly and attentive wait staff, for example, one of our party did not like the chardonnay she ordered and the server brought two tastes of alternative white wines and brought a glass that she liked.That was very nice. Generous portions make for great take-home containers after the meal. Food: we ordered 1. Scampi: that was delicious! 2. Veal picatta: Delish 3. Fettucine de mare: pretty good 4. Parmesan crusted Tilapia: it was enjoyed by person who ordered it (I didn't taste it). 5. Calamari Fritte : Wonderful: crisp perfectly seasoned. 6. Crab Cakes: big thumbs down: mushy with an odd flavor, too much bell pepper? Bad choice not worth the calories IMO. 7. Chop salad: wilty with way too much bleu cheese. Loser. 8. Apple Crostada: dessert to die for! 9. Strawberry Pie: another winner! Coffee was offered and refilled often as we wanted. So...overall....we will go back and but will definitely not order the crab cakes or chop salad. Everything else was good, though.
(3)Antoinette G.
My husband and I went for the first time on our anniversary a few years ago... The food and experience was so great that we have been back more than I can count. When our family and friends visit from out of town, this place is always in the top of our list!! It is great for small groups and large parties as well! I can go on and on!
(5)Michael P.
I'm obsessed. The dinner food is awesome and filling. Gluten-free pasta for those looking to avoid it, or plenty of non pasta-based options as well (the chicken!) If you have further concerns about dietary restrictions, a chef will come out and talk with you personally about what they can do to accommodate. This has only happened in one other place in my experience, and the price point was much higher. If you come with a party of 6+ and you feel like hanging out and enjoying a solid meal, I would strongly suggest the family style option. You will leave full, with bags of leftovers in hand. Happy hour is a great deal if you're looking for solid cocktails. Their premium margarita is my favorite, but at $6 each, feel free to experiment. Here's a breakdown of their HH: $3 draft beers, including Peroni and Stella Artois $4 Signature Flatbreads, including Margherita or Balsalmic Chicken(!!!) $5 wines by the glass, including Chardonnay and Merlot $6 Classic Cocktails, including Cosmopolitans and Mojitos My default dinner order is Rigatoni D with the house red.
(5)Jason W.
If you want to go for the quantity of food, go for it. Don't go if you are looking for good Italian taste.
(1)Dale M.
Excellent food, service, atmosphere. Portions are very large and they WANT you to take stuff home. Prices are reasonable. Take home boxes are excellent and have cooking instructions even! Love this place.
(5)Amanda G.
The food is amazing. I've been here many times. I love how they always have the buy one, take one home dinner option. Their food is very reasonably priced for what it is. I would say it's a one up from Olive Garden. However, their bread doesn't hold a candle to Olive Garden's breadsticks. No way! If you make a reservation ahead of time you'll hardly have to wait. The one thing I don't like is how cramped the tables are. It's even uncomfortable for the servers to get around carrying food and everything. You'll be 100% comfortable if you're lucky enough to get a booth, are eating in the bar area, or you get a table by the window. Otherwise, it can be a bit claustrophobic. Overall I enjoy coming here and I'll probably be back.
(4)Julia P.
I have been to this location several times and this review is reflective of each of my visits, but my most recent one in particular. I had the rehearsal dinner for my wedding at my Maggiano's three years ago and everyone that attended enjoyed the meal very much. It's not the worlds best Italian food but the staff does and excellent job and everyone finds something they can enjoy. For the reasons above, my husband and I decided to host our friend's wedding luncheon at Maggiano's this past weekend and were again very pleased. The cost per person was very affordable, the meal came family-style and we were never left wanting for more. We ordered stuffed mushrooms and bruschetta as appetizers, Spaghetti with meat sauce and four cheese ravioli of the pasta course , Chicken Parmesan and steamed salmon for the main course and tiramisu and apple crostata for dessert. With all those options there was something for everyone and the entire group of 12 left satisfied and raving about the excellent service. It wouldn't be my choice for a romantic date night for two, but for a large group we were, and have always been, very pleased.
(4)Riss J.
The very nature of my visit makes this a special review for me. One of my favorite Boards throws a mixer dinner in lieu of an official meeting every March so those who remain from previous terms and those just elected as the February Annual meeting can get to know each other, talk casual shop business and take a break from the craziness of budget season, taxes, insurance and the Annual meeting that dominated the last several months. Because they've hired me to take their meeting minutes... That was excuse enough to invite me along. Apparently, I take really good minutes! I'm totally not above eagerly accepting such a generous invite, and a chance to hang out with them in a less official capacity was a great time I didn't want to pass up. We did the family style ordering so ended up with the following: Caprese salad Chopped salad Calamari Fritte Chicken Parmesan Linguine in white wine clam sauce 4 cheese Ravioli Taylor Street Baked Ziti Tiramisu Profiteroles I arrived early, as am I often want to do, so i sat in the bar and enjoyed a Dark&Stormy and relaxed into the right mood after a crazy day at work. Clearly not the the most popular choice along this strip in Bellevue for after work drinks, as it was pretty empty in the bar. The dining area was slowly filling up as I waited. Service in the bar was excellent. Just enough attention without over-hovering as I was one of the lone patrons. Friendly, fast service, excellent drink and my server came and found me when another member of the group arrived and was in a different part of the bar. I thought it was nice they remembered the name of the group I was waiting for and found me for that. They certainly didn't have to do so. A few others arrived before the table was ready, so we continued in the bar as we all had a drink. The President had a beer, so I did get to hear their tap selection--nothing I found too impressive or special, but all the regular favorites you generally expect to find. The one downside is how we were seated. They put us near the window in the main dining area, so we were a huge table squished way too close to the window (so some of the group were a little uncomfortably squeezed in on the window side) and there was just too much "accessories" on the table. Trust that we are capable of passing down the salt and pepper to each other and lessen all that excess, because once the food started showing up, they were awkwardly hard pressed to find any space at all for the huge plates of food that accompany a family style order. Our waiter was Eric. Cute, young kid who did a great job welcoming us, keeping up with our orders, recommended an excellent wine for me and another, always gave us updates on the timing of our next course if there was a lull and was just overall super pleasant and fun. The food was excellent. Whether they are a chain, are/are not "authentic", or whatever really isn't my top priority. Was it what I ordered, did it taste good, did I feel I got value for my time and money and did I have a good time? That's my bar on that. I'd recommend Maggiano's to anyone, and I will certainly return if given the opportunity or if the desire strikes. Addendum: Previously, for a work Christmas Party, I've also sampled: Beef tenderloin medallions Stuffed mushrooms Crab cakes The crab cakes were my favorite of those.
(4)D T.
Really good nice to get the special take home meal when ordering from the buy one take home menu! Waiter Alex was so accommodating with our in a hurry schedule! Thanks Alex great service
(5)Ryan W.
Maggiano's is pretty awesome. It has a slighly upscale feel to it but it's definitely a nice place to bring the the family. Our server the other night ( I fogot his name) was extremely personable and did a great job serving our party. I had the baked eggplant parmesan which had great flavor and was actually quite filling. The breading provided that additional piece of "substance" I was looking for. The baked ziti was also really tasty with a very flavorful italian sausage. The best part of the meal may possibly be the seasonal pumpkin cheesecake topped with pecans. It had a great balance of flavors and the pumpkin wasn't overly powerful like a traditional pumpkin pie. The peacans added a nice crunch to each bite as well. Their buy one take one deal is too hard to pass up! Nothing like paying one price for a great dinner and a take-home for lunch the next day :)
(4)Lauren B.
Yummy food, neat atmosphere and friendly service. Can't complain! Share The main course and get salads or appetizers. They are large, but perfect for two.
(4)Alexandra M.
I came here once and knew the food was just BLEH, but I had friends who would celebrate birthdays and other milestones here, so I gave Maggiano's a second, third and fourth chances. I've tried the Rigatoni D, balsamic-glazed salmon, and shrimp scampi among others. They were either too cheesy, too bland, or too salty. There were times when I had to shower my plate with Tabasco to help swallow the food (I usually refuse to eat anything bad, but it was rude to not eat food when someone is having a celebratory dinner). I came here yesterday, and it will be my last visit. My friend insisted she wanted to try this place, so I came here thinking I would just get drinks. I came with bias from previous experiences, but the service just blew it. After waiting almost an hour, we were seated in the middle of the restaurant where there was so much traffic from staff and guests that it distracted our dining experience. I've always hated tables at these locations, so I asked if we could change. The waiter could've just said no, but he went on and on about how we didn't make reservations in advance and there are large parties who have reserved months in advance because they are such a reputable restaurant. If the restaurant is so good, why would they even hire an overly talkative waiter?! It took almost half an hour for the bread basket to come out. I mean, how long does it take to slice bread, put it on a basket, and bring it out to the table? Plus, I'm sure most restaurants have these breads all ready. The waiter also never came to check on our drinks except for that once time immediately after he served out food. Overpriced, unpalatable food and even worse service. NEVER AGAIN.
(1)Jeny R.
My friends and I had dinner here close to Christmas so it was completely packed. The atmosphere is amazing! Love the look and feel of the place. The tables are placed a little strangely though. I was pretty much sitting back to back with another person. Our server was a little out there but what can ya do about that. The bread they gave us was amazing and fresh. Our wine and food was delicious! However I feel like it was a little pricey for what we got. All in all I liked the place and would totally go back for a special occasion.
(3)Cat C.
My fiance and I have been wanting to come here for a long time, so we were way more than excited when one of our graduate friends made a reservation here. When we walked in the atmosphere was nice. Soft music playing, dim lights, a bit loud. We sat down and it took a while for our waiter to get our drink orders in. The bread came first. Can't really write a review on the bread. It's bread. I ordered the house drink, forgot what it was called (Apertino, apertivo). But it was strong. We waited a while again, before the waiter came and took our order. Now since my fiance and I have been dying to come here, we were determined to go all out. For appetizers we ordered the crab lump cakes, steamed mussels in white sauce and the margherita flat bread. Our friends ordered the mozzarella sticks. For our entress I ordered the linguine di mare, he ordered the crab and shrimp canneloni and our friends each ordered Chef KB's lobster carbonara each with a different sauce (red and garlic cream). Oh! I also ordered a side of crispy potatoes that our waiter recommended. Our appetizers were not that impressive. Mozzarella marinaa were like mozzarella patty steaks. Lump crab cakes were just a lump of breading and crab in a sauce. Steam mussels were okay. And margherita flat bread was pretty plain. Bottom line on appetizers was, it was luke warm, almost cold. If it came out hotter would have it been better? Definitely would have made the mussells better but wouldn't have helped the mozzarella or lump cakes. We ate, keep in mind we waited a while for our appetizers to come out. I had finished my first drink already. And I was only sipping on it. The entress came out shortly after the appetizers. The Linguine di mare was to die for. A hefty portion of seafood and pasta was perfectly proportioned to the white wine sauce! Every bite was worth finishing the huge portion! I just could not stop eating it! I tried my friends Chef KB's with the garlic cream sauce and was impressed with the smokiness of the bacon. The Canneloni was a bit to rich for my liking. THere was ALOT of sauce on there and I coudln't really taste the crab and shrimp. OVerall the entrees were worth the waits and made up for the appetizers. I now had a second drink suggested by our waiter. The manhattan. If you want a stiff drink, definitely order this one! Creme brulee was nothing special. Could have used more vanilla bean, it was really eggy. By the end of dinner, I realized I never received my crispy red potatoes. Which, I didn't mind cause I was stuffed. The waiter credited it back on our tab and gave me a free side order. I would definitely come back to this place for the drinks and entrees. I was not impressed with the apps or the slow service at all.
(3)Daniel C.
Not my choice to come here, but we were meeting a friend of the family for dinner. I would say Maggiano's in Costa Mesa, CA was the best I have ever been, but this location needs some work. The service was good, not amazing, but good. Issue #1. Bathrooms, dirty, not stocked well. Issue #2. Food. The food was bland or too salty. The tomato based sauces taste very, very salty. Mushroom Ravioli was tasted liked baby food mashed up, drizzled with cream. I would rather cook at home or go to an experience for Italian food. Try La Rustica in West Seattle. I would have rather ate at Facing East than this place.
(1)Kailena P.
Went here for my boyfriend and I's anniversary and actually LOVE this place! We went on a Wednesday, so there was no wait. Love the bar area, but it was not where we were seated. I must say, not a fan of the seats where we sat. We sat by a large group which wasn't the problem, it just seemed like the tables were really close together and we were literally sitting by the aisle. Our server was very nice, although quiet! I could barely hear him talking only when he was literally standing next to me. Me and my boyfriend kept asking each other, "What did he say?" Wasn't sure if the music was too loud or something.... but besides that, he was very informational about the items on the menu and convinced us to get the $40 meal pack or whatever which I loved! It came with one appetizer, 2 pasta entrees, 2 pasta entrees to take home, and a desert. Also they served bread with olive oil which I wasn't expecting. We got calamari for our appetizer and it was very delicious. Forgot the names of the pastas we got but me and my boyfriend ordered the lasagna for there and to take home because it didn't seem like there was much option of pastas to choose from. But it was much expected considering that deal was kind of cheap... The pastas were pretty good! I REALLY liked how there was a cheese shaker already on the table! I'm a cheese fanatic and lover and I got to put as much cheese as I wanted without telling the server to "stop" or have them judge me with how much cheese I'm putting on. There was a lot of food served at our table that we didn't get to finish our entrees there and we saved our desert. I thought it was well worth it. Except for the minor things, my reason for a 4 star.
(4)Saundra D.
I gave an extra star for the service. The food was mediocre at brst. I had the beef medallions and the salt damn near choked me. EVERYTHING was salty. The grilled asparagus, you guessed it, salty. The food quality was good but the chef is heavy handed with the salt (d I mention that?).
(2)Anita S.
Came here yesterday with a couple of friends around 7pm. The servers were nice and friendly and seated us right away. I ordered Parmesan chicken and waited for a while which was okay. What was not okay was my dish which came out overly dry and slightly burnt. The provolone cheese on top was dry and looked like someone placed a piece on top and toasted it. The side spaghetti was undercooked and tasted cheap. Overall the restaurant was fancy but the food is not worth the price!
(2)Bailey B.
Amazing upscale traditional Italian food. A little pricey but service is on point and the food is excellent.
(5)Gene B.
Way over priced. The cheapest bottle of wine was 42 dollars. The waiter apologized but knew it added 8 dollars to his tip. I will not come back even though I've been there many times. Enough is enough! Adios mF!
(1)Smaly K.
We had a work seminar here in one of the conference rooms, and we had salad, appetizers, entrees, and dessert. I got to try a little bit of everything, and they were all delicious. I really liked their Calamari Fritte. We had Mom's Lasagna, Four Cheese Ravioli, Lemon & Herb Salmon, and Chicken Saltimbocca. They were all tasty, although some were a little too cheesy for me. And for dessert, we had Tiramisu and Vera's Lemon Cookies. The cookies were surprisingly good for ordinary looking cookies.
(4)Karen D.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed my first experience with Maggiano's. My spouse had wanted to try the place for some time, but, picky Sicilian-American that I am, I was scared off by the meh reviews and the fact that it is a chain. Basically, I was afraid it was going to be like the Olive Garden, but, it's not. It actually is somewhat similar to places in the Ital-American suburbs of Boston where I grew up. It would be a "C" restaurant to go eat at there. Here in the Puget Sound, I give it a B+. First of all, we walked right in with no reservation and were seated immediately. The place is huge. I read a sign that says they accommodate 216 people! I thought their "two people eat for $40" full meal deal was a great value. I was psyched that you can share ANY of the appetizers on the menu for your first course. We went with the crab cakes and they were excellent. Lots of big chunks of crab and accompanied by a tasty little arugula salad. No complaints there. For our entrees we got the eggplant parmesan and a bow tie/vegetable pasta. The eggplant parm was great...very tasty and accompanied by perfectly cooked spaghetti with marinara. The bow tie pasta was just meh, way underseasoned. The package deal also includes dessert. We went with the apple crostada with vanilla ice cream and it was delicious. The dinner also includes two pasta entrees to take home for the next day. You would think it was total overkill, since we couldn't finish the first two pasta entrees. Luckily, they let you pick any of the classic pasta entrees to take home; they don't have to be the same as what you had for dinner. We took home a spaghetti and meatballs and baked ziti with sausage for the kids, and they said it was really good. Service was friendly, although the food took a while to come out and we ate too much bread because we were starving. The ambience was nice. Good place to go for a meal if you happen to seeing a movie at Lincoln Square theater.
(4)Jessica H.
Great food and great military discount. Friendly staff and short wait even at dinner time.
(5)Susan C.
So, before writing this review I was doing a bit of research online to see if anyone had a coronary eating at one of these places, because the only thing I remember vividly about dining here is that GOD, IF I GET THROUGH THIS MEAL WITHOUT HAVING A HEART ATTACK I'LL EAT NOTHING BUT SALADS AND ALKA SELTZER FOR THE NEXT MONTH. The portions are huge and the food is kinda like Olive Garden, except *classier* (they're trying to be here, with the dark wood booths and decor). If you expect to finish a pasta dish by yourself, then bring an extra pair of pants, or a towel to wrap around your waist when your pants bust. The price is pretty reasonable considering what you get. (High blood pressure, high cholesterol, increased blood sugar.) It's a perfectly fine place for a family dinner or a convenient location for a bunch of friends, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come here. Meh. Meh. Mehhhhhh. Burp.
(3)Kin R.
Sophisticated and varied items on the menu. Good number of choices. The food was good. Every member of our party liked their meals. Restaurant was clean...always important!
(4)Ash K.
I love this place!! The service we have received here every time we visit has been amazing!! I was so happy when my bf brought me here for my birthday I love the booths and layout of the restaurant! Food is good! This place is 100 times better than olive garden
(5)crystal b.
I'm not a big fan of Italian food that would be one reason for the low score. I'm a vegeterian & didnt find much of choice. Overall this place is not for me
(2)Charles L.
Pretty good place for Italian. It's at the mall so good location for those of us working in DT Bellevue. Friendly staff excellent service. The chef came out and help my Indian co-worker with dietary restriction. Try the Chicken Picata, eggplant parm, and ask about off menu veal dishes. The eat-one-take-one is good value.
(4)Mitchell L.
It's pretty much just OK. Some things are pretty good, but the prices are higher than it's worth spending on the good things. It's relatively average pasta with average sauce. There are some good values in the buy one take one home, but those meals aren't all that great.
(3)B C.
I once wrote a 3 star review, but I came back for the last time. Never coming back, never will recommend it to anyone, will tell everyone to NOT go here when they ask what's good in Bellevue. The list: - Server forgot to tell us there was no special until we were ordering. - I look around, pick a different stuffed pasta. Server tells us they were out of shelled pasta. How is management training you? - I order chicken and mushroom rigatoni, which would come with classic pasta to take home (picked the butternut squash ravioli, relevant below). - Girlfriend ordered mashed potatoes with her beef medallions. - Beef medallions were pitiful in portion and too salty. Mashed potatoes would have helped but... - Different server brought out fried potatoes that had been sitting in the deep end of the fryer. We correct him that this was wrong. He said he'd get the manager. - Original server comes back, then states that they were out of mashed potatoes. I mean c'mon, if you have potatoes to fry, why don't you have potatoes to mash? Oh that's right, because Maggiano's is probably just reheating frozen food. - At no point did the manager come by. We finished our food because both of us worked late (food came out around 8:30pm) and were starving. - Finally, we paid for the food and left, but then I remembered the take home pasta. Server said he'd throw in a extra since he forgot. We left in a hurry because we were pissed. - Today, I opened up the pasta, to find out the server didn't even pick the right pasta I asked for.
(1)Phily B.
Solid food from a chain with great service PROs: * The food is good... just not amazing... * Service was ridiculously fast. It took our appetizer around 5 minutes to hit our table * Nice atmosphere. Somewhat dim lighting, with an upscale taste in décor, and an Italian spin with the red and white table covers * "Family sized" portions is right! Wow that was a lot of food. * Tiramisu was light, fluffy, and yummmmmmy! * Great location! Easily accessible from Lincoln Square CONs: * I know I said the food was good. But it also wasn't great. Like most chains, the food was lacking some LOVE! Example: I had the lobster carbonara. A traditional carbonara is a spaghetti pasta dish with pancetta, and a sauce comprised of egg yolks and pancetta juices. But what did I get? Well... I got a dish that skimped on the pancetta, and a cream based sauce. Nowhere near as flavorful :/ * A bit pricey for food we consider to be average ITEMS ORDERED: **see our photos** * Stuffed Mushrooms, Lobster Carbonara, Mushroom Ravioli with Braised Veal, Creme Brulee, Chocolate Zuccotto Cake, Tiramisu OTHER COMMENTS: * Park FO FREE in the Lincoln Square parking garage! We take the elevator off at ground level and Maggiano's should be right out the door. FINAL THOUGHTS: I doubt anything you have here will have you dying to come back again immediately. However, the food is solid, and service is great. We'll be back again if we are nearby and craving Italian food.
(3)Sara H.
It was a crazy long wait for a table so we sat at the bar. Other than random people awkwardly standing over our shoulders half the time, it was a good experience. The bartender was really friendly but not over-talkative. The food was really yummy and there is a TON of shrimp in their fra diavolo. It was not too spicy but they accommodated by bringing me some extra red pepper. We did notice they have some really great specials and Angry Orchard on tap!! We'll be back!
(4)Francis C.
Good service and a fun place to bring the family.
(4)Mark Y.
Is this authentic, gourmet italian food? no.. it's not. but it's not meant to be.. it's certainly a lot better than other 'wanna be authentic' places, and usually at much lower fare. I've tried most of the pastas on their menu but I usually order the same - baked ziti with sausage.. u pay about 15 bucks, get a healthy portion, plus another one to go! great deal. If I want some simple/americanized italian food, at a reasonable price, this is a good place to go. If I'm looking for a meal that takes me back to when I was eating in Tuscany? hmmm.. this isn't it but few places are.
(4)Sunny H.
I am definitely a fan. They have yummy carb loaded caloric food. I know it ain't the best for me and my weight but what can I say. We also hosted our girls' 1st b-day party here, so we do like the venue. Their all you can eat family style meal is just a great deal. Too much food I guess but who doesn't like too much food right. Love their rigatoni and spaghetti & meatball. I generally like all of their food.
(4)Tony L.
If I just based the review on the food itself, I would have given Maggiano's 2 1/2 to 3 stars. However, the service was pretty bad (slow, distracted). The place was packed on a Saturday night, but we were able to make reservations a few hours before we arrived. We ended up doing the Classic family style dinner ($29 pp), and got the following: Chopped salad: this was pretty good, with avocado, prosciutto and Gorgonzola, but they brought out two big bowls of salad for just 6 adults. We barely could finish one bowl of salad before they took it away. Steamed mussels: this was good, although the addition of sun-dried tomatoes was a little different. Fried calamari: this was my favorite appetizer, and came with marinara sauce. Chicken marsala: chicken was sauteed nicely, and came with mushrooms marsala sauce. Grilled salmon: nicely cooked, and came with some spinach and rice pilaf. Linguine and clams: a little on the bland side; it came in a huge bowl. Lasagna: this was decent, but with all of the other food, it was barely touched. For dessert, we got two of the creme brulee's and two of the tiramisu (liked the creme brulee better). Regarding the service, the server stopped by only a few times during the two+ hour dinner (way too long). He was either too busy or too frazzled after the dinner rush. When he brought out the four desserts, he gave us spoons, but never brought us plates so that we could share (luckily, we sat next to a busser station and got the plates ourselves). It also took a long time for him to process the payment for the dinner as well. If you want the food to go, make sure you remind the server.
(2)Jonathon S.
Having been to three other locations in Southern California and in Florida, I knew what to expect. The only Maggiano's in Washongton State, this place delivered and good grief, was it delicious. We were not disappointed and certainly not surprised. Should we find ourselves in Bellevue/Seattle agin, my wife and I will most certainly be returning to Maggiano's.
(5)Linda G.
Good value for the price, always having big portion. Great selection of food, and my favorite is their dessert. They also have nice private room for party.
(4)Kate O.
Two things.... One good, one not so good. First off, the food isn't too bad for the price. Better than Olive Garden for about the same price. Service isn't always the best, but that's expected with a packed place like this. On the flip side....reservations are a nightmare. Every single time I've made a reservation here, we STILL have to wait 20-30 minutes. In fact, we were 10 mins late to our reservation this last weekend & they gave away our table (even though they have a 15 minute late/no show policy). I was irate as this is the 4th or 5th time they have messed up a reservation I've made. The highschool hostess was rude & when I confirmed the 15 min policy she just stared at me and said "welllll... I'm sorry I can't do anything about it now. They're already seated at your table." No apologies. No offering to speak to mgr... Nothing. If you're going to eat here... Don't bother with a reservation. It will get you nowhere. It's best to come at off peak hours.
(3)Erika P.
Good food. Good prices. The staff was friendly. Good happy hour!
(4)AnonymousSeattle A.
DISAPPOINTING EXPERIENCE!! Went in for a "customer appreciation" event and left feeling belittled by the management. If I could rate this resturaunt zero stars then I would. My family and I have been loyal customers at Maggianos ever since they opened in Lincoln Square. We have celebrated family events there annually - from birthdays to graduation dinners. I received an invitation for a customer appreciation event via email - the purpose of the event was extremely vague in the invitation and the invite did not specify if a meal would be included or not...However, since the purpose of the event was to display their banquet hall, naturally one would assume that they would serve some of the dishes on their banquet menu. I was wrong. Their event featured appetizers only. I was shocked that Maggianos would host such an event and only provide their lowest priced menu items to a crowed who they are advertising to rent out their banquet hall to!!! When I expressed my concerns to the management, they were unapologetic and condescending towards me and blamed me for misunderstanding the purpose of the event. They did not offer any type of compensation or acknowledge that they email invite that they sent out had misleading wording in it. Bottom line, I will not be referring any of my friends or co-workers to Maggianos nor will I return for any meals or events. Extremely disappointing experience and their management needs to re-evaluate their customer service methods. I have had better customer service at Olive Garden!!!!
(1)Ben S.
Great Bellevue restaurant, friendly, lots of seating and reasonably priced compared with the portions of food. Service always seems friendly and fast anytime of day. Food comes out hot and fresh. No complaints.
(5)Fareed H.
I have been here multiple times! Usually i bring visiting family there when they dont feel like commuting to seattle, its decent? im not sure if its deserving of 3 stars but 2 stars is definitely low. The service has always been pretty good! the servers are usually friendly and attentive, however on busy nights the wait can be atrocious and the food doesn't really wow me for the price. if you want to try it i would say go for a early dinner or late lunch when there is no wait and judge it for yourself.
(3)Lyndzie H.
Everything was juicy and spiced well. The waitor made sure he mentioned the lighter portions because the dishes can be huge. My husbands' Chicken parmesan was actually better than I make at home (which is big for me to admit). And my shrimp dish was spicy and warm. The wait staff was amazing! They always seemed to be in a hurry, but they thought of everything, helped out as much as they could. They brought our fussing 1 year old a fruit plate to entertain her. They were just life savers.
(5)Lei Q.
Taste good.
(5)Erika J.
I love this place. The complimentary bread with oil and balsamic vinegar is amazing. The food is always good. I usually get Fettuccine Alfredo with broccoli. And the fried zucchini appetizers are the best I've ever had, hands down! They are almost always busy, which is understandable! Service is also always good. I would recommend making a reservation, you'll get seated faster and are top priority over just walk-ins.
(5)Taylor C.
I like the food for the most part, but the waiters are pretty bad. They make mistakes like they're getting paid to do so. Forgetting to bring meals out at the same time, forgetting to add chicken, completely messing up orders, forgetting to bring out the to-go boxes. The price is do-able and the environment is cool, but the service is pitiful to be quite honest.
(2)Jen L.
I've been here a handful of times and each time I've had a bad experience. This review is mainly about my most recent experience. My reservation was for 8:15pm, but showed up a few minutes late. Waited in line to check in for 5 minutes. Question: What takes so long to check people in? "How many people? Name? It will be about a x mins wait. We'll call your name once your table is ready." That takes less than 30 seconds to say and I can't image putting a party on a wait list to take more than 30 seconds. There seemed to have 3-4 host/ess but still slowest check in ever. Couldn't even give me an estimated wait time. (Seriously, the hostess at IHOP checked a party of 4 in faster than this place checking a party of 2. AND I received an estimated wait time, instead of "oh...I don't know. sorry.") At 8:40pm we were told we were next in line. At 8:45, we see two parties the same size get seated. So, we asked what happened and the host told us that a customer claimed the reservation by name. Whaaat? Another hostess said she will walk around to see which table is ready to seat us...really? You can't see from your monitor right there??? What's it for, just a list of names??? Luckily, a table (enough for four) was just cleared so we got that table. The hostess apologized for the mistake and the wait multiple times, which was appreciated, but I was pretty peeved. It is understandable to be busy but if your staff can't handle the crowd, then it is time to upgrade the staff or your software, since IHOP has it down better than you do! Now for the food. My balsamic salmon came out looking like someone tried to kill the fillet again after it was cooked. Can't believe the chef allowed that to leave kitchen! The waiter was really nice and apologetic. I felt bad for him (though he should have checked before placing it in front of me). He might have been new. He assured me that he would bring a new plate out if I wanted. I told him it was fine (since I didn't want to wait for another plate). He came back later and told me he spoke to the manager and my dish will be comped. That was not necessary but it was very much appreciated, as the salmon was way over cooked and pretty bland. The outside was crunchy...not sure if it was supposed to be like that, but I definitely didn't expect it to be nor did I want it to be. In conclusion: Making reservations here means you wait 20-50 minutes for your table to receive mediocre food. Not making reservations means you wait 60-90 minutes for a table to receive mediocre food. Not eating here means no wait, better service, and better food.
(2)