Pretty standard food and service here. Came here a few months ago with a friend to use a coupon they had online via facebook (which was, at the time, valid at all locations). I will admit we showed up a little late but it wasn't near closing time. Hostess sat us promptly then we waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. Considering that it was an almost empty restaurant with 3 managers and about 6 servers on staff (I was a waiter for about 6 years of my life, I often have a keen eye on who's who and doing what), they weren't really doing their job. After approximately 20 minutes I got up and approached 2 managers+server standing around talking and asked them to assist as we were starving. Managers apologized profusely and quickly assisted by taking our orders. Drinks came out quickly, I had ordered a mojito which was pretty standard. Bread was hot and delicious (as usual; I will make note that my mom hates their bread because she hates rosemary). As an apology for slow service, we were granted a free appetizer (to their choosing which was the fried mac and cheese, given an A+, but I think just about everything free is given an A+, right?) I ordered that Pasta Milano which was pretty average. My usual go-to here is the make-your-own-pasta which is much better. My tip is that if you know what you like in pasta, you take this route, you're safer this way. Overall, they turned a bad experience into a better one. Next time, I don't want to see tables seated after us getting food before we even get to order. Even if it comes with a free small appetizer. I'll be back as I always am, it just isn't getting the 4th star this time around.
(3)
Van M.
Had an early dinner (4pm on a Thursday), only a few couples were there eating. Service was spot on! Can't get any better and food was great. My spouse and I each had a glass of their house red wine. Was only $2.75 a glass and was pretty good. We then had their bread, which was plenty for the two of us. Had a lovely rosemary flavor. We ordered the Classic Italian Bake. We told the waitress we were going to share it. She was very kind to serve it in two separate dishes. It was excellent! Meatballs best I ever had and the Italian sausage, YUM! Had just enough kick to them. Rigatoni boiled to perfection & the sauce was very good. Overall experience was great. We'll be a return customer for sure.
(5)
Angelic M.
Ordered food to go online and I specified the time and when I got there it wasn't ready I had to wait for 20 minutes.
(2)
Kristin Leigh M.
My mum and I went here for dinner last week.. no complaints about the food or its quality (I did a create your own pasta and my mum had the eggplant parmesean)... bread was delicious, as always. Most disappointing ever was the SERVICE. We went on a Wednesday night around 7:30 p.m. There was our table, plus maybe four others that were full. Only one other was in our server's section. If you go there, AVOID Anthony's section, unless you want to spend OVER 1 1/2 hours for a 'quick' dinner. Not only did it take bloody ages to get water, we kept having to pester him for refills. Food was luke-warm when it was brought out. It took literally 27 minutes to get our bill. He was evasive and non-attentive. Avoid his section at all costs. Hate to see what he would be like on a busy night.
(2)
Dennis N.
I am a very patient person... TRUST ME I AM!!!!! This Macaroni Grill really pushed me to the edge. Our meal ended up taking 1.5 hours... to put that into perspective, it was just the two of us, and we ate for 30 minutes... the rest of the time we dealt with : 1) 2 server shifts (which is annoying because it seemed to me that each server cared less and less) 2) having to ask for a refill on my drink twice and NOT getting it 3) having to flag down a server to get me the check 4) not getting my credit card back until I had to go ask for it The only thing that would've gotten this thing TWO stars... would've been the MOST AMAZING ITALIAN FOOD I've ever eaten... something along the lines of Alvaro al Circo Massimo in Rome... needless to say Macaroni Grill is not so good that it would warrant service so bad. For those wondering, I don't think I was as mad in real life as it appears I was in this review.
(1)
Christina K.
Had a a date with some girlfriends here and it was great! Delicious Mac and cheese appetizer and salads. Lobster ravioli. Great service. Desmond was a fabulous waiter!!
(5)
Alfredo G.
I just had lunch here and it was DELICIOUS! Went with the four course meal special that starts at $15. Our server was Lovely Lisa! Who was very attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. I had the spaghetti and meatballs and the Italian sausage skewer. I loved the flavor of the spaghetti and meatballs, very tasty! And the italian sausage skewers also came with steak which I ordered medium rare, very delicious! Overall I give this experience 5 stars! Great service, great food, and great hospitality! Come give it a shot.
(5)
Jay R.
The food is great there.The people there are really sweet and the service is amazing.
(5)
Brian G.
I've eaten at Macaroni grill before, because their food was good. But my visit to this location today was purely negative. The bread they bring out, with the oil is a big draw for me at this restaurant. However, our server only brought out oil, without vinegar; vinegar is critical for the good taste. By the time the server brought out the vinegar, the bread was gone. Our food took so long, that I lost my appetite waiting. Finally I had to cancel my order. Consider at the time, the restaurant was empty, so no excuse for being slammed. really subpar service. The food here is not good enough to mitigate subpar service. Go elsewhere!
(2)
Mike J.
When here with my wife the other day and I have to say the service was amazing. Not once did my soda the empty without a new one on the table. Our server David was friendly and knowledgeable. I would recommend David and this restaurant to anybody.
(5)
Janee S.
Its my birthday and everyone was on top of everything. Ive had so much fun tonight and the staff did an excellent job at making sure my friends and I enjoyed ourselves
(5)
Whitney H.
Awesome service in the bar, Elyssa is very friendly and had great recommendations for appetizers and wine. Will definitely be coming back!
(5)
Michelle G.
Uh.... No. Okay, you know things are off to a bad start when you're seated in the waiting area and see a cockroach on the counter RIGHT by the kitchen. It was crawling around and sh!t! I would have definitely walked out of there had it been just me and my family. But, I was there with my dad, my cousin who was in from out of state and ready to leave in 2 hours. I made sure to point out the sight to other would be customers. ACK! We were seated, I was deeply uneasy about eating a meal here. The waiter was very pleasant and attentive, no complaints there for me. BUT!! BUUUUT... we had ourselves a dirty fork. I don't mean a little, I do mean dirty. It still had the other customers meal on two prongs. GROSS!! The food was unremarkable at best. I ordered the lobster ravioli, husband ordered some seafood dish. Good news, we didn't get food poisoning. Macaroni Grill, you were cool once... but you've completely lost me. It astounds me that you're operative under these vile conditions. So dear yelpers... save yourselves and skip this location.
(1)
Jenny W.
Great service, Lisa was our server: super friendly! great food! Special 4 course meal for $15, and was able to share and still be full(: definitely coming back(:
(5)
paul p.
Have been coming here for a while now and am never disappointed. Tried a newer dish with butternut squash and it was great!! Alex was very helpful and knew the menu perfectly! Hope to be back soon!!!
Awesome service, and awesome ambience! I came here for my birthday and I'm so glad I did! Perry was great and totally sang happy birthday in Italian all by himself because "all the opera singers were out sick today" hahahah. What a great day :) thanks Perry from macaroni grill!
(5)
Crystal R.
its Romano, americanized italian food chain. constantly changing the menu and all over the place, the appetizers are all over 800 calories!! and the entree options are not convincing. I prefer a mom a pop.
(2)
J C.
We had a great meal last night! I had the Shrimp Portofino and it had huge shrimp and fresh spinach in it. My husband had the Chicken Cannelloni and was very happy. It was baked and came out piping hot. We sat in the bar because the World Series was on. Great service by our favorite bartender, Darlene.
(4)
Jeanette H.
Great food, good service (in the end lol)! Haven't been to this place in years but came in to take advantage of the Tapas deal they have going on. We had a pleasant time there and the thought the food was great! We tried the Bruschetta Crostini and the Crispy Asparagus Potato Cakes for our appetizers. We loved the Bruschetta, very tasty, but not so much the cakes, they lacked flavor. We ate 2 loafs of their bread (so worth the carbs lol), soaked in their EVOO, vinegar & freshly ground pepper (drooling ). They were freshly made and we couldn't get enough of it lol. Wish I could of ordered one to go! He also took advantage of the HH $3 house wine but we didn't like it. I'd like to try the $3 Chianti next time. Since the deal consists of 2 tapas and 2 entrees for $25 we ordered our own meals since normally we would share when ordering appetizers. We hardly made it half way through our meals! So full lol. I had the Carbonara and my bf had the Shrimp Portofino. Both considered upgrades & cost $3 more each. I loved my pasta! Anytime you add an over easy egg to a meal I'm in heaven lol. Excited to eat my leftovers for dinner! My only change for this next time is to make it less spicy for me. Not sure what makes it spicy? My bf said his food was filled with "buttery goodness" lol and I have to agree. It was very good. It had angel hair pasta with spinach and tender large shrimp all mixed in a butter, cream sauce and Portofino mushrooms. Perfect combo. He had to take his home for lunch today too lol. We finished our night with a decaf (for me) and a cappuccino (for him). We were so stuffed we needed it lol. Our service was slow at first (we sat at a booth by the bar) but once our waitress (AKA the bartender) helped us it got better and quicker. The food comes quick once you order it! The deal ends on April 22nd and we plan on going back before then!
(3)
Iris L.
Service: 4 Stars Food: 2 Stars Overall Experience: 3 Stars I came to this location maybe 6 years ago and all I could remember was the lobster macaroni. So after hyping it up to my boyfriend, we agreed to go this past weekend. We went on a Saturday evening around 8 pm and it was not busy at all. We were greeted with a smile and the staff accommodated us on their outdoor seating. Our waitress was very pleasant and came around occasionally to make sure we were doing okay. Of course I ordered the lobster ravioli, which I don't recall spending $18 on 5 pieces of lobster filled ravioli and rubbery pieces of lobster on top. The lobster served on top of the ravioli must have been cooked way earlier in the morning and had been sitting under a heat lamp throughout the day. I could hardly chew through it and ended up rinsing it down with water. My boyfriend ordered a thin crust pizza, half margherita half sausage, and the entire center was soggy. Unacceptable! Thin crust pizza should not have a droopy center that is mushy, are you freaking kidding me? I don't know if it was an off night for the chefs but I will probably never be back, which is too bad because service was great. A hostess was even going around asking guests if they wanted her to sing them opera. The best part of the meal? The free bread. Warm and crispy rosemary bread dipped in an olive oil and balsamic vinegar combination with freshly cracked black pepper. Yum
(3)
Moonie S.
I used to like the Macaroni Grill. What can I say: I like pasta. The Spaghetti Factory is not located near my house and Olive Garden is just gross. But I WILL NOT GO TO THIS MACARONI GRILL EVER AGAIN. The last time I was there we had to wait over an hour and a half for our food. The restaurant was not busy, so I assumed there were complications with the preparation of our meal. That's understandable. We are nice people. Mistakes happen. We move on. The manager and our server apologized for the wait and we didn't mind. When the food did come out, we were excited. We do love pasta. One of our meals was burnt and the other meals were cold. And instead of recooking another plate, the Macaroni Grill JUST LOADED EXTRA VEGETABLES ON TOP OF THE BURNT CHICKEN to hide the fact that the chicken was blacken. You really cannot hide the taste of burnt chicken. I am not sure what had happened in the kitchen but I did not appreciate the LIES and DECEPTION. Once again, mistakes happen. All the staff needed to do was explain the situation, maybe offer an appetizer or bring more bread to relieve the wait time. I just felt that the cooks and the restaurant should have been honest about the entire situation and should not try to cover up their mistakes. The waiter tried to resolve the situation. He said he would make them reheat the plates and offered us another meal in place of the burnt chicken. He said he wouldn't charge us for that one meal. However, all five meals were in the bill and at that point, the damage was done and this branch just lost one of their most loyal customers.
(1)
Rod G.
As always, I found the food to all be well prepared and nicely seasoned. For that I would be willing to give a five on this review ... however: Last night it was cool outside and we were seated by a door to the patio that was used frequently and we were hit with a cold blast of air every time the door was opened. Our bread, salads and wine were served promptly. After we'd finished our salads, another waiter came to our table to ask if we'd received our salads. We assured her that yes we had and had already finished them. Another waiter came by shortly after that and tried to deliver two more salads. We told him we'd already received and finished our salads so he took these back to the kitchen. Then a waiter tried to present a bowl of soup to me which I had not ordered. Sadly that was the last of the fast (though somewhat confused) service for the evening. I believe our ticket was lost as it was an hour before our main course arrived. We said nothing but the waiter must have told the manager about the long delay from the kitchen so the manager stopped by our table and said the entire meal including a desert would be on the house. We finished our main course and ordered our desert. It took 15 minutes for the desert to make it to our table. Due to the extremely slow service, we were now running out of time to make it to the performing arts center on time so we asked for to-go boxes for our deserts. We waited for more about 10 minutes for the to-go boxes before we got up to go to the front desk and ask again for the to-go boxes. Great food. Very generous manager. Terribly lacking in table service. I might add, as an afterthought, that though the lobster ravioli was nicely prepared and plated, at a charge of $18, I expected more than five 2" filled ravioli squares. It looked to be more like an $8 appetizer.
(3)
Tony V.
Okay first of all. This isn't a five-star restaurant. It's a 2.5-star restaurant and it's a chain. Not a good chain either. If you think this is a good chain, you obviously haven't been to Il Fornaio, and you're probably not Italian. In any case, I've been to this location 60+ times in the past two years because I work nearby and frankly most of the food around the area sucks. I ordered the lasagna. What annoyed me about this particular occasion was not the fact that my waiter went out of his way to constantly refer to me in grating terms of endearment, but that when I replied honestly that the lasagna was "so so" he wouldn't stop praising the dish. He said, "Everyone loves it. This is a favorite of everyone." And he seemed almost mad and adamant about it, as if telling me that other people have X opinion about a certain food dish would make my taste buds feel the same way. I'm sorry but taste doesn't work that way! I don't care how many people like that shit, it's not good. It's just not fresh frankly. I cannot tell if it was the dried out ricotta, the fact that the dish was clearly made a long time ago and heated up, the acidic tomatoes that weren't vine-ripened, the disgusting pasta base they insist on using in all their pastas, the flavorless beef or if it was the lack of authentic Italian Mozzarella. Probably all of those. It just didn't taste fresh; the layered ingredients were dry as though refrigerated a long time. It wasn't the worst thing I've ever had in Cerritos, but it was "meh" and I'm used to eating homemade lasagna at places like Cucina Enoteca in Irvine or homemade lasagna made from scratch at my mom's house. But I did not really mind that the food sucked. What I found annoying is that the waiter wouldn't even allow me not to enjoy it, and demanded to know that "Everything was good," even after I indicated that the food was clearly not that great, and it was obvious I couldn't stomach the whole thing. I've had it up to here (I'm pointing to my forehead) with waiters insisting that shitty food is wonderful and you're not allowed to hate it. If it sucks, at least allow me to own my own opinion about it. No amount of telling me that *everyone* loves something will make me love it, since obviously not everyone loves the lasagna.
(2)
B B.
Had the new stuffed clam appetizer. Very tasty. Perfect for sharing. But don't forget to ask for a spoon. Trust me on this one.
(4)
Kris B.
If you like matzo, then you'll love this pizza! I however prefer my pizza a little softer and more flavorful. I was warned the Margarita pizza was bland, but I thought - maybe it was just missing sausage! Unfortunately, I guess I just don't like the extra crispy, cracker style pizza with minimalist toppings. I'm giving an extra star for the delicious free bread they give you with olive oil and basalmic vinegar and for the extra great service from our waiter. But overall, I think it was on the expensive side for what you get.
(2)
Bella B.
it was ok. the first time I went they forgot the chicken in my pasta...it was also extremely garlicky. this time I got the lobster ravioli...it wasnt amazing or anything...just ok. service is always good though and I enjoyed dessert. Overall just OK.
I love this place, the staff is great and very attentive. This place is way better than Olive Garden. The food is very flavorful and they have a variety of choices. I also love their desserts.
(5)
Matt K.
You get to make your own pasta! I thought that was pretty cool, its also why I wanted to try this place out. I've always had a dream of becoming an iron chef, a culinary force, to create culinary masterpieces. But this dream keeps dying when I get grossed out looking at live meat. I think a chef must have that quality that lets him stomach the gross raw meats in front of him, which I dont have. So instead I come to places like macaroni grill to pretend I do. Well I dont know if it was how I built my pasta or the ingredient, but my pasta was average, meh, nothing special, dull. Something about this pasta was not fresh, zesty, nothing poped out at me and slapped me in the face like I like my food to do. #Disappointed.
(3)
Sarah C.
This place should close. A large group of us and the only edible thing was my MAKE YOUR OWN pasta. Overall the chicken parmesan was inedible, the appetizer felt like it was nuked in the microwave. Even the waiter was bashing the brand, saying that there is no room for putting flare their food.
(2)
Phil T.
I normally would not eat at macaroni grill or any other corporate type of restaurant but I was invited to a birthday dinner here so I figured what the hell. I spent some time reviewing the menu online to determine what to order. I had the chicken spedini and a side green salad. Food was ok. nothing great. Place was pretty packed for a Saturday night. Service was questionable. When time to leave the waiter disappeared, so took awhile to get the check. Like most corporate restaurants food quality and ingredients are not the focus, the priority is profits. I know a few places that have much better and authentic Italian food.
(2)
Anna C.
my husband and i came in for dinner at 630pm on friday night. we just recently discovered how awesome their happy hour is, and were so stoked when we arrived (as it didn't look too crowded). unfortunately, there were only bar seats available, and of course, there was only one open seat. we asked if we could sit on the patio, and the bartender said no. (???) okay, it's friday night...a customer wants to sit at the bar, and resorts to patio seating, and you say no?? as my husband talks me into leaving, he says he's just going to let the manager know that this is ridicoulous....it's friday night. it's happy hour, and your turning away customers. the sweet manager quickly apologized and asked if he could seat us right away at a table (in the restaurant) and still honor happy hour pricing. :) of course, i say! :) friends later came to join us, and our sweet waitress also extended our happy hour pricing to them :) thanks macaroni grill! you sure know how to keep us coming back!! :)
(5)
Lee L.
This is decent Italian fare. It doesn't have a lot of flare, but it is pretty solid. I'm not an authority on the authenticity of Italian food, but my friend's parents took some friends visiting from Italy here, and they thought it was pretty authentic. This place is pretty crowded, and you'll most likely have to wait a bit on the weekend for dinner unless you make reservations. Waiters carrying trays were bouncing around the place like ping pong balls- two of them almost crashed into each other right by our table. Good thing they didn't spill hot soup on me or they would have gotten negative stars. As a result of the craziness, the service was very slow. As a big, successful chain, you'd think they'd be able to hire more workers. However, they did remember to take some time to embarrass my friend with a birthday song in Italian and a slice of chocolate cake so service wasn't a complete downer.
(4)
John G.
Worst experience ever called in 20min ahead to reserve seats and still waited 1hr to be seated, waited another hour for our food and 30 min for deseret, food mediocre at best. Not worth it.
(1)
Audrey L.
I'm sad they have made all their portions and ingredients healthy. We went here before our hs 9th grade winter formal. it was fun, food was greasy, they played the italian dictionary in the bathroom and crayons were everywhere! now its turned into kinda like a family restaurant. not as special, food's kinda like olive garden. i miss their large baked lasagna. it prolly had 1500 calories but now they give you this dinky slice. at least the italian dictionary still plays in the bathroom. its fashionable to serve healthy but it's definitely not the romano's macaroni grill i loved. Would I go back? No, I'm too nostalgic to visit again.
(3)
Vu C.
Shouda went to Olive Garden.
(2)
Kim V.
I came here with my mom about a month ago and we had a great lunch, the food was good, and we received really good service. After such a great experience, I want to bring my boyfriend here for a late lunch. Unfortunately we didn't get the same service as I had before. The restaurant wasn't busy so I was a little irritated when no one came to our table to offer us some water or at least introduce themselves. We sat there for fifteen minutes, with no one approaching us while the four other tables of people who arrived after us got their full attention. We didn't want to waste our time where the service was this bad so we took off. The only reason I gave it two stars was for my previous dining experience, because otherwise I would have wanted to give them a 0.
(2)
Shawn P.
The service is amazing. This restaurant lives off the friendly atmosphere. However if you're looking for an awesome dinner, look elsewhere to a better restaurant that actually devotes their time to cooking their pasta. 1. The pasta de mare came out WAY undercooked BY one of the chefs! The nerve! He probably botched it and just threw it on us. 2. The Penne Rustica was WAY too salty. If I finished the whole thing I'd probably have kidney stone for weeks. 3. The Mushroom ravioli was revolting with its bland flavors. If I wanted this subpar dinner, I could've stayed home and saved my $100.00 If anything, stay away from this restaurant so it could fail and another GOOD Restaurant can come in.
(2)
Cesar G.
Came for dinner on a Monday night, no wait for a table. Tapas menu was nice and not expensive. Starter bread was delicious. Ordered the house wine and received a very generous pour. Bottle was left on our table in case we wanted to pour some more. They charge on a "honor system", wow. All the food was great, and the birthday boy in my group got a free desert. We'll definitely be back!
(4)
D L.
I'm loving their lunch specials. For around 10-12 dollars for a good meal, I almost feel like there's no point going to the nearby fast food restaurants with their $7 burger combos. For just a few extra bucks, you get a nice sit down italian place. The setting with it's false stone wall makes you feel like you're sitting in a underground dining hall of a wine celler in the foothills of Tuscany. The dim lighting with bits of sunlight peeking through gives you the feel of being inside on a nice italian sunny day. The pasta is very al dente, with a nice creamy sauce that makes you taste a orgasm at the mouth as you feel the noodles on the inside of your mouth. It's something you want to take an extra long lunch break to enjoy your nooner as you slowly thrust each savory bite into your mouth. I like how the water is served to you in a glass soda bottle. It makes it feel like it's some natural spring water that a poor castle servant has painstakingly hiked to the top of the Italian Alps and run down the mountain carrying this precious liquid as fast as he could to present it to you at it's freshest and cool to your lips. They have an intersting promotion. It's sort of weird.. at the end of the meal they'll give you this scratcher card, but tell you it's void unless it's opened by a manager of a different Macaroni Grill on your next visit. It's kinda odd, makes me feel like there's like some secret treasure in there.
(4)
Dennis P.
Since I had a gift card for Macaroni Grill, my mom and I decided to come here for lunch. As Paul F. mentioned, the interior of every Macaroni Grill looks the same, no matter where you go. I could never understand why you have to go through two sets of double doors, but...whatever. After we were seated, we waited for what seemed like an eternity before our server, Romy, came to our table to take our order. I've always been impressed how every Macaroni Grill server can write his/her name on the butcher paper on the table upside down (looks right side up to us), using the crayons provided. I had the fettuccine Alfredo without meat (meat costs $4.00 extra) and my mom had the soup and half sandwich combo. Soup of the day was sausage and kale. Her sandwich was turkey with cheese, bacon and tomato and pressed together panini style. Fortunately, Mom enjoyed her meal. I thought mine wasn't all that special. I couldn't finish it so I ended up taking the rest home. Service was friendly and attentive once Romy arrived at our table to take our order. We had barely eaten three bites before he came around to see if everything was all right. If I had to choose between Macaroni Grill and Olive Garden, I'd have to say that I prefer Olive Garden. But, at least Mom enjoyed her meal. Otherwise, I'd never hear the end of it! :-p
(3)
Quinlan F.
What makes a chain restaurant fail at serving good food? It's not that all Macaroni Grill food taste nasty... Its not the poor restaurant interior design that make it hard to accommodate any groups of 5 or more... It's not even the awkward and clumsy servers they recruited from the band room at the local high school. Over the years I've crashed and burned at ordering anything good at Romano's time and time again. Until I figured out "THE TRICK OF THE CHAIN RESTAURANTS!'. It all started back in 2001 with Lasagne-gross 2002 chicken parmesan- ew 2003 cannelloni-disgusting 2004 chicken marsala- p.u. 2005 anything with noodles-yuck 2006 appetizer sampler- over fried with a side of heartburn Then it happened 2007- hmm, they're advertising lobster ravioli, i'll try that- very good 2008 pizzas-I've had better, maybe i should've stuck to the plan and ordered lobster ravioli or what ever they were advertising on page 2 of the menu. 2009- they're advertising penne rustica- good Finally, I figured it out! The trick with this restaurant is to find the one or two things on the menu that does not make you regret going, and NEVER trying to order anything different. The meal they advertised on page 2 of the menu was the only good thing so......I'll just order that every time. It's all about the meal advertised on page 2 of the menu
(3)
Amy P.
3.5 stars Attended a PaintNite event at Romano's Macaroni Grill last week. The event was tucked in it's own area with about 40-50 seats available. The seating was a little too close to one another so it was difficult with all the painting supplies PLUS our food and wine. We had a designated server for our area, although there should have been two. It was hard to request anything since we were sitting way in the back and he had to assist everyone else present as well. Our server made up a "$15 all you can eat selected appetizer, pizza and wine" deal. Our party of 4 all participated, but soon realized we didn't have much time to eat while painting and it was difficult trying to order more with only 1 server around. We ordered (to share) the bruschetta, baked mozzarella fonduta, fried mac & cheese bites, half pepperoni/half margherita pizza, and a glass of chardonnay each. I did enjoy the crust of the pizza along with the drip provided. Parking was easy to find. Located near Trader Joe's and almost right off the freeway.
(3)
Jenn L.
So much fun Loved how local it was and that fact that the instructor didn't rush us. She provided simple instructions but also encouraged us to paint as we like. I will definitely be doing this one again Ps. We get an actual canvas to paint on, unlike other places!
(4)
Mary Jane C.
I've always had a love-hate relationship with every Macaroni Grill I've gone to. This was the first time that the server, instead of just putting olive oil on our plates--put some fresh crushed black pepper on it first. This small step, made the olive oil THAT more delicious. I, personally, am usually an olive oil + balsamic girl, but the pepper was enough a substitute to satiate my palate. I tried their bibb and blue side salad for the first time, and was rather pleased--there were little bacon bits in it that gave the salad a special crunch. The walnuts seemed a little out of place, but I still enjoyed the overall salad. I ordered the chicken scalloppine--now, from my understanding, their meat is in smaller pieces probably to cook faster--can someone explain to me why our food took sooo long to get to the table? I don't get it. It probably took 30 minutes for everyone's food to come out, and my nephews even only had plain mac and cheese... so what is the hold up? Overall, the meal was okay, their capers are way too strong (they could do with a blanching), and could use more than a measly two pieces of artichokes. At the end of the day.. the only reason I come here, is because my nephews like their mac n cheese. I can love it, or hate it, depending on whats in front of me.
(3)
Maria B.
No gluten- free menu!! I was a bit disappointed but ordered the salmon with veggies and potatoes instead of the pasta and it was perfect. Love this place.
(4)
Krishna C.
Our go to Italian restaurant. This was the reason why we even chose to dine at Macaroni Grill when we were in Ft Myers, Florida. Pros: 1) Love their bread that they give to munch on 2) I usually get their Veal, or Chicken Parmesan by itself or their Mamas Trio. Mama's trio is the best value as you can try out all three items. Works for gluttons like me. 3) Alcohol is decent. 4) Waitstaff is pretty attentive. We are always amused when waitresses write their name facing us on the table cloth! Cons: Nothing we could think of.
(5)
Alana T.
Jabryhl, the manager and Josh our server treated us like royalty!! We love this place, ordering the flat bread, that was excellent, but I preferred the pizza style vs. flatbread. Although the happy hour pizza was not on the menu, the manager upon my request took care of asking the chef to make us a special pizza shape. The house wine was fabulous and the kindness that we were given from the two servers we had Josh and then Javier was wonderful, giving us a reason to go back there for their great food, delicious happy hour specials and super service!! Thank you to Jabryhl, Josh & Javier from those 2 cute dark haired gals sitting at the end of the bar. ;-) We'll be back!!!
(5)
Courtney N.
MY GO TO PASTA PLACE!!! LOVE EVERYONE THAT WORKS HERE! Super friendly staff that meets all my needs. I have celebrated so many things here. From my birthday to my friends birthday to going away parties and they always have such a large table ready for me. I especially love their new quick lunch and dinner menu. I always get coupons for them on my e-mail since I go to them so often. So quick with their service and so nice. The interior is definitely a place for a romantic dinner with a date or just a catch up dinner with some friends. It's even better when it is next to the towne center where you can walk around and maybe shop a little or maybe even catch a movie. I especially love that they quickly seat you. I recommend this place as the place to take your family, friends and dates.
(5)
David T.
The meals here are great! We always sit in the bar, and the bartender really takes care of us. My favorite is the steak, rare!
(5)
Rishi P.
Always liked this spot. Never had a bad dish or bad service. There used to be a lot more but this location has been a staple in Cerritos. Good place for a birthday, graduation or even just sit down dinner with friends spot. If you're in the mood for pasta you should give macaroni grill a try!
(4)
Steven M.
I originally ordered the pork chop in a wine reduction sauce and I have to say teh sauce, veggies were perfect! Teh sauce was super yummy! However, the pork chop was dry and over cooked so I sent it back (reluctantly) and traded it for some seafood pasta which was really good. I don't judge a place for making mistakes...it is how they handle those mistakes that makes or breaks it for me. Our service was wonderful and overall the food was delicious. A tad pricey, but, that is expected of this place for me...it is a date night restaurant!
(4)
Kelly V.
Food was great and was made on time and super fresh! I came in around lunch time and even though it was busy, I was greeted right away. Customer service was great from everyone but Cassandra was awesome! She was welcoming and in a super great mood, which changed my mood from Ehhhh to great :) I will definitely be coming back.
(5)
Rose C.
The service that I experienced here was truly exceptional. However, the food was pretty subpar which lowered my overall review. I came for a friends big baby shower party. We got a reserved area of the restaurant and the staff was quite helpful in helping us put up a couple decorations. All the tables were set beautifully and we had plenty of space for all 50 guests. People trickled in at different times but every time someone walked in, a server was there to take their drink order which was nice. When everyone was seated and all settled in, we were given sheets of paper with salad and entree choices. We were instructed to choose what we wanted and use a crayon to circle it. However when the waiters came by, they didn't collect the papers. They just wrote what we wanted down. What was the point of the crayons...? Anyway, as we waited, drinks and bread were passed around. The bread was moist and fragrant and there was plenty to go around. My friend and I ordered sprite and on first sip it tasted horrendous. Turns out the machine ran out and we just got some watery bubbly crap. But it was quickly replaced and tasted much better the second time around. The food came out about 15 minutes later with a salad that preceded it. The salad was pretty delicious. I enjoyed it thoroughly. The pasta I had was dry and the shrimp had no flavor. I didn't finish it. Later, the servers helped pass out cake and cupcakes which we brought ourselves. They also packed all our food for us. So, if you want to host a party here--go ahead. But the food isn't the greatest. You will, however, have great service I'm sure.
(3)
Ahmad J.
Ramano's Macaroni Grill has become our de-facto choice for hosting a business lunch as it is at a quick walking distance form office. I've been here many times and have tried a lot of stuff off their menu. Romano's is located in the Towner Center mall in Cerritos so location and accessibility is straightforward and parking is plentiful. At peak lunch hour the place is buzzing but not packed and I have never had to wait for a table. Service is sketchy and is dependent on your server. You have a 50% chance of getting one of the nicer ones as half the servers here have a bad attitude and seem to hate what they are doing and the other half seem to absolutely love their job. This situation is unique to this restaurants and I've not experienced such behavior at other places. Service however is fast and as soon as you sit they will push the house special wine on you and then get you started on water and drinks. Half the servers here don't like to explain the specials in detail so make sure to ask. They have a three course tasting menu for lunch which includes a Caesars Salad one appetizer and one pasta for about $10 which is a good deal, but for some reason most servers will push you onto the a-la-carte menu along with their crappy house wines. I've had a lot of items from their menu but can't remember more than a handful that I've listed below: Stuffed Mushroom Appetizer ($8.5): These are mushrooms with some filling inside. Very tasty. Mushroom Ravioli ($13.5): Standard ravioli with mushroom filling. Unfortunately not as good as the stuffed mushrooms appetizer. Slimy and tasteless. A complete avoid. Grilled Salmon ($18.5) - This is standard grilled salmon steak. Its average at best. Thankfully it is not overcooked but it lacks consistency. some outer sections are hard and crumbly while other sections are nicely done. This comes with some rice concoction on the side whose name I do not know - just that is it to die for. Really good. It completely overshadows the weak fish and carries the dish over the finish line. I wouldn't mind having a full service of just that. Calabrese Steak ($21) - Simple sirloin steak with vegetables and potatoes. I can't eat rare steak, the best that I can manage is medium. Most places even high end ones cant manage to do a proper medium steak. Either they keep it too rare which means I can't eat it or cook the hell out of it which means there is no taste of beef at all. Here they do it just right for my taste (for most it will be a bit on the done side so if you are looking for medium rare let them know). I've eaten this dish three times and all three times it has been made perfect. The vegetables and potatoes are also great. A very enjoyable meal. Tiramisu ($5.5) - I like my tiramisu the old fashioned way. Layers of lady fingers dipped in espresso and mascarpone cheese. This is a modern twist with the lady fingers outside so did not dig it. A couple of recommendations based on my experience of dining here. First, if you have iced tea ask for strong else you will get some really diluted crap. if they give you diluted stuff send it back. The servers with the bad attitude will roll their eyes and say yeah we'll brew some more for you "specially". Smile and say that's fine it's your job. Second, ask them to cut the bread that they give on the table into six slices. They tend to give you like a whole round bread that shatters into a million pieces when you try to cut it by hand or a butter knife. Let them do this for you. You will again get some attitude, but just smile and insist on it. Third, you can add a fresh or Caesars salad to most entrees for $3 which is a good deal. Price wise like all other sit down Italian places entrees are in the $15 range so a lunch will run you about $30 with drink, tax and gratuity. Overall I like this place but I'm not gung ho about it, no wonder I've never come back for a personal meal.
(3)
Nia L.
I'm trying to call and make a reservation; however no one answers the phone!!! I've called 4 times and waited "on hold" 5 minutes each!!! This is ridiculous!
(1)
Eddie H.
Great service, and great food! I ordered the "create your own pasta" and the chef put the right amounts of ingredients together! They always made sure our wine glasses were full! This Macaroni Grill is fantastic!
(4)
Israel A.
I went to this Macaroni Grill for dinner last Sunday evening with a friend. For starters it was weird that it was kinda empty. They start you off with some Rosemary bread and olive oil. That's always delicious!! They also offered some wine tasting which was good too. I ordered the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. That's when it went downhill. The fettuccine was dry, hardly any Alfredo sauce. The chicken didn't have any flavor either. Overall not a good eating experience. The only thing I would say is that the service was excellent!! Very attentive and nice. Unfortunately you can't eat the service. I don't think I'll be back soon.
(2)
Dee R.
I hate this place and I will explain why. About six months or so ago my family and I came here and my sister had a fly in her salad. We more or less thought the food sucked so we wrote this place off our list. Fast forward to Sunday and my dad says he wants a bowl of pasta so we decide to give this place one last try and it still stunk. My sister ordered the create your own pasta and ended up paying $16 for spaghetti and meatballs. She was passing everyone her meatballs which meant she did not like them and she said the sauce was extremely greasy. All of our pasta bowls had grease rings around the edge so the sauce IS way too oily. Yuck! Our server was busy even though the place was nearly empty on a Sunday afternoon except for two other tables so a man came and took our orders. They forgot all four of our salads so we skipped those and nothing else was impressive. Also, the glass the waitress brought for the wine had caked on sauce on it and she didn't even notice. And who pours wine into a regular soda glass?!? Helloooo!!! We spoke to a manager at the end of our meal to let him know of our issues and to say that despite the salad mix up we liked our waiter and he had a MAJOR attitude and was rude. One last thing: we ordered a to-go 7 minutes or less or it's free meal and it took almost 13 minutes to come out and they did not care or refund us. Don't make promises you can't keep!!! Ugh.
(1)
Sophie N.
My friend has been craving Macaroni Grill for quite some time, so we decided to have dinner here. The server was nice and attentive. The tables have big white papers on them and color crayons for diners to write or draw on. I thought that was a nice touch. On the seat, though, there were bead/food crumbs all over it. I guess they fell off the table while cleaning or there was a kid before us making a mess and they didn't notice. We had the Mac and cheese bites and truffle (cheese) dip. That was good. The meatball appetizer was just average. For entree, I ordered lobster ravioli and it came out half warm half cool. There were lobster shells still present in at least 3 of the ravioli. And the taste was off. I could barely stand my meal. My friend ordered the Classic Italian Bake with meatball, sausage, and tomato sauce rigatoni. The meatball was the highlight of this dish. I had a taste and it was enjoyable enough, at least far better than mine. Their menu has a small selection of items. That should have meant they have more mastery over the flavor of each. Sad that wasn't the case. I don't know if i want to try the other items after what i had. I don't think I'll come back anytime soon.
(2)
Matt L.
Yikes! What has happened to my once favorite Italian restaurant?!? I have not been here in a while, because last time (a year ago our so) it wasn't the best but I chocked it up to maybe just a bad day. Undercooked chicken, cold pasta. We decided to try the day after Christmas but realized it could be packed. To our surprise, it was not even a quarter full! I should have taken that as a sign in hindsight. To cut the story short, long wait, way great and undercooked calamari. Loooong time to get food. An inattentive waiter with no smile, and "could care less" manager. The best part was the waitress who did help the most even though not her table...she got the tip btw. And I need to add obviously knew how bad service was going with waiter. I never thought I'd say this, but Olive Garden looks like Maestors compared to macaroni grill now. Arrivederci
(1)
Lisa I.
Let me just start by saying that I love Italian food. Anyone who knows me know that I can eat pasta for days. So, I was excited to come here and try this place out since I have never been. Plus, my husband and I got a gift card here for a wedding present. We came here with our 2 year old daughter and was seated promptly. We waited for someone to serve us and no one came. 10 minutes later, our server finally comes to greet us and get our drink and appetizer orders and leaves. 15 minutes later, we get our drinks and he takes our order. Husband ordered the steak, daughter got the kids grilled chicken and pasta and I ordered the mamas trio. After that, he's gone. We waited 10 minutes after that to get our appetizers which was a prosciutto wrapped mozzarella and deep fried mac n cheese with truffle dip. While the the Mac n cheese was good, the other did not deliver and was cold. 20 minutes after, we finally get our dinner. Husbands steak was nothing to rave about. Daughters plate was so huge that not even an adult could finish it. My mamas trio was just not good. The sauce was bland. The cannollini was cold and crusted on the sides and the lasagna was just a huge pile of epic disappointment. It tasted like nothing. No seasoning. Nothing. I couldn't even finish my plate. I took one bite of the cannollini and the lasagna and I was done. Disappointment. The service was slow and I felt like we were being ignored because we had a toddler with us, who was actually really quiet and behaving really well, which is like really rare occurrence. The prom table next to us were noisy and they got more attention from our server than we did. We weren't the only ones though because there was another family who had children and they were also given the cold shoulder from our server and went to the manager to complain. I just wanted to leave and just forget this awful experience. I did leave a tip though because I can't bare not doing it, even though it would've been justified. We're just never going here ever again.
(1)
Andrea G.
Service was great! Despite the fact that I got there 30 minutes before closing they took care if us with no rush. The lasagna was delicious!!
(5)
Susan L.
This place never disappoints me with the pastas here. We have one where I live (utah) but my friend from cali never tried it before. So I got the penne rustica and I love this dish. But I tried my other friend and they all were delicious. The only thing was that the bread was hard. It's fancy and I like the environment there, kinda classy. Now my friends really like this place too.
(4)
Angela V.
Me and my boyfriend come here often and normally sit in the bar as the girls that run the bar a simply amazing !! They make you feel at home and make sure you are not missing a thing ! We normally have the roasted chicken arugula flat bread pizza and it is so delicious ! Full of flavor and fresh toppings ! Very crispy and just amazing !! You normally get bread and that is usually enough for us ! We normally have a glass of the house chianti which complements the pizza nicely !! We sometimes tend to also have dessert which they have some good items to choose from that are really good ! Great cozy place with multiple televisions so you can always be sure you won't miss a game !
(5)
Jenn R.
We came here on Saturday to "Carb Up" for the OC Marathon on Sunday. I love that they now offer gluten free pasta, even if it's just the penne. I also enjoy the fact that you can pick your pasta to order if you aren't interested in any of their special offerings. The portion sizes are huge! Not as huge as Maggianos but filling enough that one can't finish their plate unless you have a heavy appetite. There's nothing superb about the food. I've honestly had better pasta, but not many places offer gluten free. Our server was attentive and he checked up on us all the time, and he even fulfilled our million requests for water! This is a good place to go to if you need to carb up for a big race or challenge.
(3)
Rud M.
This place is awesome. Much, much better than that other Italian chains. My entire family enjoys coming here. PROS: Customer service is always great. Clean, friendly atmosphere. Servers sing in Italian on your birthday. Food choices are great. The BREAD (with olive oil, balsamic and grated cheese). CONS: Crowded on weekends, very popular.
(5)
Justin M.
10 min wait time on a saturday night for 3 people? Umm hell yes! Came in here expecting the worst. To be honest, not a fan of macaronis or the likes but I quickly held my tongue after that first bite of our complimentary bread. That bread was enough; deserves a 4 star to say the least. We got 2 entrees and a flatbread. Serving size is definitely on the bigger side. Overall, a great place for the family. A little pricey but totally worth it!
(4)
Ann Marie H.
They need more servers at this particular Macaroni Grill. Food was good. As an appetizer I chose the brusheta, yummy! Also, I ordered the Pasta Di Mere. When the waiter said the pasta would be aldente he wasn't kidding. Enough food to feed me and my 18 month old and still have some togo. Staff were very nice when they finally noticed me in the corner table waiving my hand around to get their attention. I felt like they were being tight with the balsamic though... Well that was along with all they other condiments also. Economic times calls for economic measures!
(3)
Sandra C.
I haven't been here in over 5 years but it took reservations for large parties (we had 11 people) on a Saturday nite at 7pm. Food was okay. The complimentary rosemary bread was not as good as I remember, but was still warm and fresh. The calamari appetizer needed salt but the stuffed peppers were good. The four course meal is a good deal (fried ravioli, regular salad or cesar salad, your choice of pork chop, chicken marsala or chicken piccata) for $18 or so depending on the meat you order. I asked the host who seated us if any of pasta was "homemade" and he said all of it was. I then asked the server, who told me only the gluten free was homemade. (I'm glad I double checked!) So this place would not be my first choice for food but it was above average.
(3)
Jeanne P.
I love the ambience of this restaurant. Very calming. Even my 2-month-old granddaughter was relaxed. The food is made fresh! My favorite is just about everything. Calamari fritti, fetuccini, and lobster ravioli.
(5)
Paul T.
Attended a friend's birthday dinner with a party of 14. Eggplant parm, Italian bake, lasagna, seafood pasta were some of the dishes in.our party with only compliments about the food. Enthusiastic staff, yet somehow several of the remarks were uncouth, though well meaning. Birthday song in Italian was very charming from the staff. Worth a return visit. Good venue for a larger group.
(3)
Monica M.
This place is a hit or miss depending when you come. I've come here many of times and the service/food is either really poor or completely opposite. They're pricy so if you're looking for good Italian food but cheaper in price, then Olive Garden is the place to go. Service really sucks. Servers disappear the entire time you're there. You're pretty much on your own. As for the actual food, obviously depends on what you get but like I said it's either one way or the other. Their food quality isn't consistent when it comes to being eatable.
(2)
yassar f.
This is for the express lunch. I preordered trough the phone. The food was ready when I got here. I have tried the bbq sandwich and the chicken parmesan sandwich. Both were ok, nothing special. The restaurant does look very nice inside. I'm sure I would send a better review if I dined in and had the food fresh.
(3)
Dev R.
We had a reservation for 30; only 10 of us showed. They have a policy of only seating when half the party has arrived. I spoke with the manager, and he seated us at one of the reserved tables--free to let the others go. The service (Dez!) was superb. He knew we were trying to get to the theatre at 8, with a 6PM reservation. He served with a great attitude and a smile. He made recommendations (for wines and foods), which we all followed and were pleasantly satisfied with all. From the antipastis to the entrees, to the desserts, we ALL enjoyed our meals. So from service to food, to timeliness and quality, SUPERB!
(5)
Stacy Q.
This used to be one of our favorite restaurants but not anymore. After two terrible visits in a row, we will not be dining at macaroni grill anymore. The order took almost an hour and in addition to that, 15 minutes for a side of meat sauce and the bread was completely overdone. There were about 10 people in the restaurant so they weren't busy at all to get our small order for three in a decent amount of time.
(1)
Lyle O.
Greeted with a smile and seated quickly, I thought we were on our way to a five star yelp review. Quickly went south from there when our waiter Leo came around. He was initially ok but very forgetful. Had to ask several times for a cup of ice, never returned with another carafe of water, and to top matters...everyone in the party of 5, received their food but I had to wait an additional 10 minutes for my dinner. Poor poor poor service.
(2)
Katie S.
I was disappointed with this place. I ordered thee lobster ravioli. You got like 8 ravioli and it tasted rubbery and the fish tasted soo bland. Thee food was literally warmed up outta the microwave. I was like still hungry after eating those. I'm a big girl and If I pay 18$ for thee plate that better fill me up and at least have flavor to it. My cousin got thee lasagna and it wasn't even pasta it tasted like cake batter. He took like one bite and still had to pay for thee meal that couldn't even be eating. Soo disappointing. Thee only thing that I did enjoy was the pizza that tasted really good other then that I will not be recommending anybody to this restaurant.
(2)
Charmie P.
Honestly, this location has hit the skids. The service seems to always be, spot on. However, the cooks they hires, where do they find these people? They obviously have little to no clue as to how make an Italian sauce. Greasy, is NOT the norm. There is zero excuse for this sort of cooking. The chicken under the brick was so dry, no one wanted to take it home. I have had this dish numerous times at different locations. I had this dish two years ago at Cerritos and it was great, as were the mushrooms and other appetizers. I suggested this place to a group of friends meeting before a performance and we ordered the same food. It was terrible. My most recent visit was because of a friend's birthday or I would not have gone. Another group is planning to go for a Christmas event and I'm dreading the thought. I'm sure i'll just order a small salad as I cannot imagine being in a large group and getting an even worse meal. Until RMG starts hiring real "chefs" who are culinary trained, why bother? Not worth my time, money or travel to be continuously disappointed. Even an apprentice chef trained by and continually overseen by a culinary chef would do well. It's doesn't have to be Hell's Kitchen, however, it should not have to be "Hell's Dining" either.
(1)
Patrick D.
My third time coming to macaroni grill will finally be my last. The food here is not worth the trip and definitely not worth the money. Ordered the baked mozzarella fonduta. The bread that it came with was gone well before the dish itself was finished. The Mac n cheese bites were missing flavor but the dipping sauce was actually good.
(2)
Cyndi S.
5 stars were given because I firmly believe a business is made not by product alone, but by it's staff. The food was rich in flavor and the service was superb. Our server was genuine, polite, well versed with menu items and didn't miss a beat with any of our requests. I asked for an item that wasn't shown on the dinner menu and she quickly identified my request (which was an item available during earlier hours). She pleasantly provided numerous wine samples without me having to request it. Her selection complemented my meal nicely. I would like to take the time to say-thank you Liz! The dishes were all delicious, I enjoyed the appetizers, dessert and cappuccino.
(5)
Joshua L.
Been a long while. Almost two decades ago, this spot was more of a regular place for the occasional family dinner or special occasion. Not to sound snooty, but we just kind of grew out of this level of chain restaurant. Our experience was Ok. Nothing to rave about from any perspective. i will say, the one thing I like about this restaurant is the open airy floor plan. Very nice and cozy. The service was less than great but good enough. Slightly on a slower side but nothing tragic. The food was edible and tasted mediocre. Seafood pasta / fruit de mare - muddled flavors, overcooked pasta but good chunks of shrimp and muscle. Sauce was good flavor but a little muddled. Flat bread / sausage - soggy and not good. Salmon and orzo - bland. Looked nice and colorful though. Mama's trio - mehh. The bread was good. 3 stars is just about accurate.
(3)
Liz M.
HORRIBLE!!!! Service is so slow eventhough there was hardly anyone there. They never refill your drink unless you wave them over to do so. Meal was gross, alfredo sauce was so watered down I had to send it back and get an equally gross plate of another flavorless pasta. Don't waste your money!!!!!
(1)
Rui T.
Slowest lunch service ever. Since this place caters to the offices across the street crowd, you'd think they would have figured it out after a while. Nope. For a chain, it's actually pretty miserable food. Fries served cold aren't worth eating. Meatball sandwich was surprisingly cheap. Decorative, but cheap. Macaroni Grill back in the day used to be at least palatable, but I'm really surprised they just haven't gone the way of Blockbuster. Skip it and go anywhere else in the plaza, like WalMart, you'll be better off.
(1)
Robin Z.
We strolled in to an incredibly warm welcome. Why? Was it my sexy black Nanette Lepore slacks combo'd with a crisp white Alberto Makali blouse? Was it my gregariously bubbling personality paired with a disarming smile? My perfume? As we were being seated, I noticed all the wait staff wore black pants and white shirts. The mystery was solved. They thought I was here to help. I was not and, fortunately, no one asked me for more water. Taking advantage of $100 worth of a George Lopez gift card, we ordered a bottle of chilled Riesling and began our night with the crab-stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer. Served fresh and hot, the mushrooms led to a rather chintzy Caesar salad overcome by the deliciously warm and tasty rosemary bread served right out of the oven. Jumbo shrimp, skewered and grilled just right accompanied perfectly cooked center-cut lamb with grilled onions, peppers, zucchini and eggplant. We managed to save room for tiramisu and coffee. Amy, our very attentive and charming server took good care of us even though her outfit paled in comparison to my own. She took no offense. When she asked "Better than Olive Garden?" Our answer was a resounding "Yes!" Thank you senor Lopez, we enjoyed our St Paddy's Day taping at Warner Brothers as well as the generous gift cards. It made for an enjoyable outing at our first visit to Romano's Macaroni Grill. P.S., paper covers the white linen table cloth. They offer crayons. I drew an F-16. I am a child in a fighter pilot's helmet. Hear me roar.
(3)
Ravi J.
Went there 2 time before writing this review .. Both the time, I felt like service is very slow and on top of it , they restaurant is not even bothered about it ... I think, this is what they want to project themselves as " kinda Laidbacks " ;) On a serious note - SERVICE is slow. PERIOD I think " Food is good and that's what made the wait worth while " .. All the 3 star are for the taste of food .. Location is kind too crowded so you don't feel that you are sitting on your own table .. All the tables are arranged so close to each other that you probably feel like you are having dinner with the person sitting on the table besides you .. already went 2 time and I am sure, will go again just because it's close to office and also my colleagues love the wine options .. quite a selection, I would say ..
(3)
Gabriela S.
Great service. Quick and friendly. :) we didn't have to ask the waiter for refills on water or for more bread. I would've given this place five stars but my husbands pork roast was ice cold in the middle :/ major no no. Other than that everyone's food was excellent and tasty.
(4)
Jeff A.
Came here the other day and the food just wasn't good. I ordered a flat bread and it came cold (maybe because it is so thin?). I would be willing to forgive the cold food, but the fact that it was just not that good made me a little irritated. The service was really good, but when I saw an empty building on a Friday night, I should have known
(2)
Katherine K.
It's my first time here and thanks to Thomas. Our server Lisa was amazing and very informative. I asked her what her favorite dish was and it was exactly the one I wanted, the shrimp portifino. The bread was delicious too. Everything was amazing and Lisa changed our lives. You'll never be steered wrong if you ask for Lisa or McKenna they are amazing.
(5)
Francine L.
Romano's Macaroni Grill I have been to this establishment only a few times and I wanted to check it out in Cerritos since the one I use to go to close down..it must be a sign but I am some what blind :P SooO for lunch I came here to eat but I wasn't so hungry even though it was already about 2:00P.M. So I ordered two tapas for $9.00 which means that I get two small plates kind of like appetizers and I made it my main entree. My two small tapas were mac and cheese bites which were deep fried balls of six. :P Pretty delicious and I have to say I like how they gave us six large tooth picks. To poke at ! The other one was baked prosciutto and Mozzarella which was on the bed of tomato sauce and this took a little while to get to the table. I did enjoy the Mozzarella which were pretty large sizes. I was surprised that this was considered a small plate!! The entree was chicken fettuccine Alfredo sauce. This was my least favorite item because of the flavor. I just didn't like how thick and creamy it was. Also the flavor wasn't the same as what I was use to at many other places. Our waitress was nice though and she was very very friendly and personable. :) So overall I enjoyed my lunch here.
(3)
Lore A.
Went during lunch. There weren't many people. Actually, I was 1 of like 10 people eating at the restaurant. It was fine. Not great... Felt rushed. Perhaps has a different feeling in the late afternoon. It looked like a good place to have a nice dinner with family. I recommend the macaroni, duh!
(3)
Jamie M.
Second time coming to this place and the wait was ridiculous! Not getting seated but actually getting our food. The waiter would act like he couldn't see you when you needed something like water... Practically had to beg for bread and balsamic vinegar and getting the check was another fiasco. Definitely not going back because of the service and lack of customer awareness. They need to step up their game as they are not the only game in town.
(1)
Danny L.
Decided to give this place another go after almost a year from last visit. Wish I had not. Saturday night. 8pm. Semi full. Waited maybe 10 min to be seated. Not bad. Had a beer and glass of wine for my girl. Called, seated, look over the menu. Not much has changed. 1 or 2 new items. I decide on the Parmesan crusted veal. They are out.....ok fine. I will have the filet.......they are out.....ok wtf. Upset but whatever. Settle on the lobster ravioli. Ask for clamchowder which I remember as being good. THEY ARE OUT. It's a Saturday night. 8pm. My girl orders the fettuccine alfredo. It is dry with hardly any sauce. We ask for more. It never comes. Now my girl is upset. This will be last time we come here. The service was terrible to. I just did not want to waste anyone time reading about it.
(2)
D T.
Service by our waiter was 5 stars!! Food was fine until my son pointed out the COCKROACH staring up from the Fettuccine Alfredo. Not coming back to this place!!
(1)
Jordan G.
Love the balsamic, olive oil, and black pepper on the Romanos rustic bread. Good service. Good food. Ample parking. Big plus for me is that this Romanos is next to Trader Joe's. Yay!
(4)
Andrew P.
Typical generic Italian food, generally good. We had the most incredible pile of piss experience yet here just this afternoon. A friend of ours got there at 11:30AM to inform the manager/staff that our party of 12-ish would be coming in at 12:10 or so. We ALL gave our friend our orders and she passed them on to the staff. So, they know: a) we're coming at this particular time b) what each one of us has ordered. Should be ok, right? Not seated until close to 12:20PM. Tables not set up fully (missing place settings.) Water takes over 5 minutes to get there. Bread comes around same time, but no balsamic or oil in bottles on the table. So there's another wait for that. Our friend was told food could be served at 12:20PM. After one of our party had multiple sidebars with the manager, we eventually had to ask for our meals to go, as we had to be back at work at 1PM and physically had not enough time to eat them there. *At 12:45PM, meals still not there. We caught a glimpse of them boxing them up when we walked out the door. I get lunch rushes. I get getting socked. I DON"T get being given plenty of time and the ORDERS in advance and having such a train wreck. We've done this in the past at least a good 6-7 times (ordered in advance for a sit down meal) and been seated instantly, food comes out literally instantaneously. What the living hell has happened this time? Adios, Cerritos Macaroni Grill. We have all been thoroughly pissed off and disappointed and we will patronize another Towne Center establishment from here on out. PS- if you even charged our friends who stayed behind with the money (a very patient thing to do, as most of our party was saying, to hell with this, let's just walk and they can eat it) the mandatory large-party tip, that is some seriously bad karma I wish upon you. Manager should eat that and make sure the wait staff doesn't get screwed out of their more-deserved tip. I place 100% of the blame on this to the manager. :) *Found out that the restaurant comped the entire meal. That's the decent thing to do, so at least they are aware of how monumentally they f*cked up. I appreciate that gesture. Still not gonna recommend it, though.
(1)
Shanon Y.
I took advantage of the free choose 2 lunch today and arrived to a packed restaurant. I arrived towards the end of the lunch rush and there was still a 25-30 minute wait in line. So instead of waiting around for the dining area I chose open seating at the bar and was served promptly. I'm actually surprised that the food came so quick! I ordered the tomato basil soup and the chicken pasta. Both were delicious although i would prefer my food served hotter in temperature. I did have to flag waiters down to order but it wasn't a big deal. The girl behind the bar was super nice and very attentive. I'm quite stunned by the reviews about cockroaches though! I didn't encounter any during my visit so rest assured that they prob took care of this problem by now.
(3)
Carissa A.
Love this Macaroni Grill location. Always have had great experiences here. Normally we hang out in the bar area. Darlene is great and always takes care of everyone. On our most recent visit we sat in the dining room and Lisa took care of us. The food was great... Served hot and fresh. Great customer service and the food is great. Come in, you won't be disappointed!! And try the "Tasting Menu". It is awesome.
(5)
Albert K.
I am writing this review based on all the experiences I've had dining at MG @Cerritos. I used to dine here once a month because my mom's friend loves to meet at this restaurant with my mom, not because I'm a fan. So here's my overall experience: Ambience: Sometimes Q's are long, but come during non-eating times and the restaurant will be serving only a few (p.s: waiters during these times are often nice and patient; and greeters will direct you to a really good location to eat!) Their restaurant used to offer wi-fi, not sure about now. There is a waiting area where you can watch chefs making pizza. Come here to just enjoy the Italian atmosphere of lights on the ceiling, occasional wine, Welcome: Sometime greeters are really nice and address a welcome with a smile. Sometimes they just say, "name...how many?" without trying to make a smile. It depends on the time you come. At times, there is even no one managing the area. Food: I was told by a waiter that their menu keeps changing every season. Their food sometimes comes out the way you want them to and is mostly designed to be tasty. I don't feel that the food is perfectly authentic Italian; however, the name they choose to name them is pretty Italian-esque. Most of my experiences with the food are good and sometimes even delish; however, I sometimes got overburnt steak (the most prieciest one) when I asked for M-rare(they actually think that the low light of the restaurant could fool me! LOL, I actually asked them to just make a new one w/o even asking for compensation!) Tapas: Yes, they have tapas. Its nice I got to say, and prices OK. It goes great with a wash of Italian soda or cocktails. Waiters: I have a love-hate relationship with these waiters. On most occasions, you'll get a young and happy waiter who happily lets you dine with comfort and comes to check up on you once in a while. But sometimes, you get a cranky waiter who only takes your order, delivers it, gets mad when you give her a coupon, doens't check up on you,tries to shoo you away by handing you the check earlier, or just ignores you when you try to call them. Sometimes the waiters are apologetic when the food comes out wrong, but give no compensation for overdone steak or too much alfredo. I remember a time when waiters used to get you water, but now they just give you a big glass bottle to refill it yourselves. The good this is that some capable waiters do sing in Italian for your birthday! WARNINGS: Waiters here are TRICKY (maybe managment tells them to be so?)!!! I ordered Alfredo with jumbo shrimp, and the waiter asked me if I'd like extra shrimp. I thought it would be included since the menu said nothing about charging for extra shrimp, so I said "sure" The xtra shrimp only came with three more pieces and a charge of five dollars!!! Just for 3 pieces! Also, beware their OLIVE TWIG TRICK!!!! They ask you if you'd likes some kind of special olive sauce to go with your comp bread sticks and they don't mention the price. You assume its included with those breadstick but its not! Just use the olive oil on the table. Tips: Ask for a booth seat (even if you only have 2 in your party). The other table seats give you super hard wood un-cushioned seats that will make sitting uncomfortable. If they say booth seats are not available, ask for the booth seats they have at the bar. The booth seats at the bar are hidden, and sometimes waiters don't like to assign those one. just sayin Also, arrive before 6 for dinner if you want to not Q for table. Plus waiters and greeters are nicer at this time. Do present your coupons in advance when you roder becuase waiters do get mad when you stick it in at the end.
(3)
Steve C.
I have not been to this place in awhile and now I remember why. We went there on Monday 1/19/2015 and I am disappointed. The wait time was reasonable, the food was very good but the service lacked and the management does not care about their customer base. Let me explain. One member of our party ordered his salad without coutons and it came with them, Oh well maybe a mistake. The server brought us the wrong bill at the end of the meal, The bill we received was for stuff we did not order and was twice the dollar amount. We caught it and brought it to their attention then we received the correct bill. The time we visited was evening so it was cold out but the air conditioning inside was running and it was really cold inside. Patrons were wearing their jackets. I talked to the manager and he said he only had one complaint so he could do nothing about it. I asked him to turn the fire place on and he refused. I then told him I was going to post this on yelp and he seemed not to care. My opinion is the management does not care about their customers comfort.
(2)
JIGNESH B.
We went on Monday night and the restaurant was less than half full. Our group of six had 1 pregnant person and a 2 year old. We ordered quickly. The food took a long time to come and the waiter apologized the kitchen was backed up. Then the entrees came out but no salad for the pregnant person or food for the toddler. I really appreciate when a restaurant is mindful and gives priority to women and children. Food was below average in my opinion. No one in the group said anything was particularly good. Overall a poor experience.
(2)
Danielle M.
Food is okay. Service is always slow here.
(3)
Timmy S.
Great service and decent food. Plus very clean bathrooms where you get Italian lessons piped in through the speakers. Came for dinner with a coworker and got the fettuccini alfredo with chicken. Sauce and pasta was fine. The too-large chunks of chicken were probably the frozen-processed type and not very flavorful and had an odd texture. I really like the fresh warm bread they bring before the meal along with the traditional oil and vinegar. All in all it's what you would expect at a chain restaurant - okay but not memorable.
(3)
Stefanie N.
Great place to have dinner on a Saturday night. Food was great & our server Alex was great. You won't be disappointed!!
(5)
Marco Antonio G.
Wow! My first time here and it is great! Nice place. Awesome food! Good customer service as well!
(4)
Steve T.
What happened to this chain? Haven't been to a macaroni grill in 5 years and won't be back for another 10 if ever. I got the calamari and chicken under a brick (sage roasted chicken) and they were very below average. Calamari serving size is about 8-10oz for $10 and it came out room temp and soggy. Sage chicken was flavorless and dry. Tasted like it was reheated? Roasted potatoes were good after a sprinkle of salt. You'll get better quality and taste at supermarket deli. The good service and the warm bread got them a two star review.
(2)
Daniel C.
I absolutely love this restaurant. Their open kitchen allows you to get a glimpse into the action and the friendly wait staff are happy to give suggestions of their favorite dishes. We started with the Mac and cheese bites which were ridiculously good. They had a white truffle sauce which I'm still not sure if it tastes like truffle, but it's freaking delicious. As always the bread was simple and delicious. For my entree I had the chicken milenese which normally comes with potatoes but my server told me I could sub it out if I'd like. So naturally being the fatty I am I subbed it for pasta. Everything was perfect! The chicken was pan seared and crispy to perfection and glazed with a buttery sauce with a hint of lemon and drizzled with a balsamic glaze which tied everything together. Tips: make sure you talk to the staff about the food. They seem to know the menu pretty well and help steer you in the right direction to make sure you enjoy your meal. Plus I've found with most restaurants if you go with a servers suggestion they're usually alot more helpful if there is an issue with the food. After all their reputation is at stake.
(5)
Nijole T.
I would place Romano's just a bit above Olive Garden, but still very much a chain restaurant with overpriced, mediocre quality food. Service was fine, the restaurant clean and well maintained and our food came out really quickly. I had a chicken salad and while it was fine, it didn't wow me in taste, freshness or presentation, the value for the money just was not there. My husband had the parmesan crusted chicken and spaghetti and it was ok, again not stellar. Not really worth coming back for, way too many better options in the area.
(3)
Natalie S.
The service was really slow. There weren't that many tables either. It was really hard to get their attention when we needed to order or needed other things. I ordered the chicken marsala. Pretty good but somewhat salty. I was pretty disappointed though because on of my chicken pieces were undercooked and still somewhat raw. Calamari is quite rubbery but not horrible.
Never coming back here again. This place needs to close down already. I came in, there was only 3 different parties at the restaurant, staff running back and fourth but no one ever showed up to greet and seat us. It's like we were invisible. We ended up walking out and no employee ever noticed we were there. Horrible place.
(1)
Bardo M.
One of my favorite Romano's Macaroni Grill to come to. Spacious bar area compose with great staff/bartenders. Darlene and the other girls are awesome providing stellar customer service, and always following up with the customers making sure they are taken care off. We usually go for the chicken arugula flat bread pizza accompanied with a glass of the house chianti, which pairs up fairly well. Another great dish to try is the Shrimp Portofino ultimately delicious.
I hadn't been to a Macaroni Grill in years, and now I remember why. I'll give it to you real quick... The service was great. Our waiter, Nathan, was more than accommodating and made several suggestions that perhaps I should have followed, but I wanted what was in my heart, dang it. For our appetizer, I had some zucchini fritti and my husband ordered the mac & cheese bites with truffle dip. The zucchinis were fried just fine, but even with the marinara dip it lacked flavor. We needed wine for a toast, so Nathan suggested a new wine that suited the 1/2 priced house wine promotion. It was Moscato D'Asti by Ruffino ($16 per bottle with 1/2 off promo). This was perfect for my husband because he likes basic sweet white wine. And because we only wanted one glass each, we took the leftover bottle home. Our entrees were both disappointing, again lacking flavor. My husband had a simple primo pepperoni pizza while I had the shrimp portofino. My dish seemed like it had been frozen and quickly prepared. It was so bland so I added the left over shredded parmesan that we used for our bread dip (along with olive oil and balsamic vinegar) and some salt to try to make it better, but no bueno... I would definitely go there for a light salad lunch with a glass of that wine or something similar, but as far as their pastas and main dishes, I'm out. This sucks because all of the staff members seemed so attentive and they were all very friendly to us. Review #169
(2)
Isabel S.
I've been to this location a few times and the service is always great. I usually order the shrimp pasta with olive oil and pine nuts. It's plentiful and I always have left overs. They have a nice wine selection to choose from and their tiramisu is delicious. If you are in the area and can't decide where to go, this is the place.
(4)
Amanda L.
Called in an over the phone reservation for lunch the next day and spoke with Chris, not only did he help me with all of my questions and inquires but went above and beyond! The food was delicious amd everyone enjpyed their meal! I was called immediately by the deliverer Ryan he was running late and he was really nice as well! Overall great delivery, food and service and I am happy! Thank you so much all involved!!
(5)
Jason K.
macaroni grill... they all taste the same. i love the lasagna
(3)
Nina K.
The food was decent, but the service was GREAT. We had a waiter named Perry, and he was an awesome server. My mom had a cold, so he brought her some spicy tomato soup and had a friendly attitude the entire time. We'd love to come back, as long as all the servers are as great as Perry was.
(5)
Jozie L.
Bad week. Needed a decent meal - salad, meat, soup - something hearty and soul satisfying. Too hot to cook. We ordered the pasta special (3 types of pasta) with Cesare salad, and Market Salad. Romano's crusty bread and SanPelligrino Limonata rounded out our meal. YUMMY. Background music: Italian version of Sting singing "Mad About You", lots of Michael Buble, jazz, snazz, what a gas!
(3)
Stacy W.
Food was ok, the service was terrible. Apparently, we came in after a big rush of people. They were super busy before we got there. So because our server was tired customer service suffered. She said her brain was fried, forgot one of the drinks, said she would bring the cheese, but didn't, and she brought one of our doggies bags but had to ask for the second one. Never came back to take the check. Tired or not. That's no excuse, suck it up and provide good service to ALL your customers.
(2)
Carlos S.
It reviews like this one that are hard to write. This place cooks great food, excellent flavors but the service is just horrible. Forever to get introduced. Etc.etc . Just bad.
(2)
Pawnster B.
Food leaves much to be desired. Lacking in taste and sauce is sparse. Overpriced. Bread is good. I'd rather make my own pasta at home, go to Olive Garden, or Buca di Beppo. I won't go back. It's a shame, I remember going to one years ago that was very good but they obviously have made some changes for the worse. You can see the cost cutting in the quality of the food.
(1)
Pau S.
Not much on the menu to pick from. Service was good and place is nice, just not a fan.
(3)
Joyce A.
I don't often give chains a fail, only because I know they follow a rote formula for food and service. But Romano's failed on both counts. My chicken parmigiana came out BURNT. I had to insist on the kitchen serving a newly prepared dish, but that should have NEVER even left their area to be served! Our table was so uneven that my water glass literally kept slowly sliding off the table top. Really for the prices here, I expected better. That said, I suppose the positive is that they have room for improvement!
(1)
Rebecca C.
Really terrible service. I really like the tapas- choose two for $9. We got the shrimp and avacado bruchetta and the prosciutto and mozzarella. The latter was not as good as theshrimp and avacado. Main entrees included lobster raviolli (yum) and the pasta rustica (yummy). The wines were half off so the moscato bottle was only $15. Complimentary bread was okay with butter. Overall the food was alright but service sucked- we were missing our appetizer tapa when the entrees arrived and it took forever to get our check.
(2)
patricia d.
We recently had our work Christmas party at the Cerritos location and we were all very pleased with the service we received from our waiter- Perry. He went above and beyond to make sure everything was just right for us the whole evening. The food was wonderful too. I can't wait to come back again. I am going to post some pictures of our food so everyone can see how good it was!
(5)
Eric P.
It was our first time coming here and we had no clue on what to order but knew the food was going to be delicious. Fortunately for us we had the amazing pleasure of meeting Corinne our server that not only provided us with amazing service, walked us through ordering each of our plates individually step by step, but also created such an amazing experience for us. Thanks to Corinne's amazing service and welcoming attitude we will ONLY RETURN to the Macaroni Grill in Cerritos to see her and experience her amazing service again, if your reading this Corinne thank you so much once again and GRAZIE!
(5)
Tina W.
First ever trying this restaurant. And let me say I was impressed with both the food and service provided. After trying Romanos, it doesn't make me want to ever go back to Olive Garden. The food is cooked with more of a real Italian taste to it. I ordered a shrimp pasta and I loved it tasted so yummy.
(4)
Lina F.
I used to come here every Sunday with my parents like 2 years ago. Food was delicious and the tiramisu was amazing. It has changed, I went recently and it is a new Menu. The portions are smaller and the tiramisu isn't the same. That's my fave dessert and I knew it tasted different. The food was still great, just smaller. They don't have their house Chianti anymore either and that was my fave. The service is amazing and you never have to wait super long unless its Sunday or Saturday nights. The attire is casual for lunch and dressy casual for dinner. You see a lot of people on dates here at night. Overall, I might go back if I'm feeling it or am in the area, but it's not like before where I would want to go once a week. Still beats Olive Garden though. Just Saying.
(3)
Tiffany C.
I am not impressed. Honestly, these chains need to start stepping up their game. At $18 for my Pasta di Mare, I expected much more than what I got. But let's start from the beginning. For a Saturday night, it was a bit slow. Table for 4, walked right in and were seated. I'm not complaining about being seated so quickly. Just saying, for a Saturday night, that's quite surprising. The server greeted us, and in true Macaroni Grill custom, wrote her name on our table and showed off her "I can write my name upside down" skills. The menu isn't too massive, and I settled on something quite quickly. Now, if you know me, I usually take a while to pick my order, but there really wasn't much I was impressed with, so I ordered calamari for the table and Pasta di Mare for myself. The calamari was under-seasoned, and definitely did not have enough sauce for the whole plate. To add to that, their sauce is served in a little container, about the size and consistency of a shot glass, which made it a little more difficult to dip my calamari. My little tentacle pieces just would not fit in the dipping container. Bad presentation. The food came fairly quickly. At first sight, my dish looked ok. I was wrong. My muscles were not fresh. Not fresh at all. They tasted horrible. I was a bit worried I was going to get food poisoning just by eating one of them. The pasta was ok, until I dug in and found a bunch of pieces sticking to each other. I think this is the first place I have been to that has served me pasta in such an unpresentable way. I know better places for pasta. I'll go to those places instead next time.
(2)
David A.
I haven't been to RMG in a while, but I am so disappointed after my recent visit. The portions have gotten smaller, the choices for the create your own are fewer, and the service (while pleasant) was a shade slow. I ordered a create your own, with garlic olive oil, asparagus, roasted red peppers, and sauteed mushrooms. She ordered the penne rustica. Hers was good and light (they eliminated the cheese). Mine had raw mushrooms in huge bites I did comment and they brought out fresh sauteed mushrooms. Now, that was not that tough, was it? They get an extra star for listening and actually trying to address my concerns. I do hope they improve, as I really like RMG.
(3)
Heather A.
The host Robert is super friendly and very efficient. Probably the nicest host/hostess I've ever encountered. Our server Jason was absolutely awesome!!My boyfriend and I haven't come across service like that at a restaurant in a very long time. He was working his ass off, they were very busy when we arrived and he still stayed right on top of everything. Making sure every detail was covered. The food turned out great. We started off with the 2 for $9 app. Baked Prosciutto & Mozzarella (suggested by Jason) and the Mac & Cheese Bites with Truffle dip, both were really very good, especially the Baked Prosciutto. For entrees my boyfriend ordered the Butternut Asiago Tortellaci, SO good! I ordered the Penne Rustica... pretty tasty but not much chicken or shrimp in it. I'll stick with my Pasta Milano next time! Everything was perfect down to the bread and chianti! Will definitely go back soon!
(5)
James C.
Wow their service has gone down hill. My wife and i have been here many times before and has been great, however on 1/1/14 at 8:19pm @ table 41/1 the service was horrible. The server took our order walked away and 15minutes later returned and asked me for my order again because she forgot it. REALLY we waited for a table for about 40minutes and the food arrived another 40minutes later at 9:10pm. I got full off the bread alone waiting for the food and when the food arrived my baked potatoes were cold. I asked for a to go box because my meal was ruined. the server apologize for the mix up and kept it quite because the manager Luis did not come to the table and apologize him self. The other year i had about $20,000 in entertainment and restaurant expenses and this year i Will not be including Romano's Macaroni Grill in these expenses.
(1)
Edward R.
Came here before a client meeting today. I haven't been to a macaroni grill in years! The service was excellent and the food was just amazing. My co worker and I got to enjoy Argentina win over Holland. This grilled mozzarella prosciutto paired with malbec wine was just incredible! I suggest you try it! Really brings out the taste of every bite.
(5)
Lina F.
Always a good place to visit and it's a hit and miss with Romano's. We both had the Chicken Pesto and it was great. I'll have to come back and elaborate, I think i'm getting tired..
(3)
R H.
I really liked Romano's Macaronic Grill until they started doing this $7 lunch thing which was a little confusing and weird. As far as the price point goes, it's great, but in terms of what you could order and how you could order it was a little confusing. Never have I gone to a sit down restaurant and stood in line like at a cafeteria, ordered my food and paid for it. If Mac Grill was thinking this was going to be a good idea, they should have just opened another restaurant. To be honest, I think it's fine, but the roll out and execution is terrible. If no one is at the podium when you arrive, you would have no idea where to go Two, what you can and cannot order isn't exactly clear. There were some items listen on the board, but not part of the promotion. There are no prices for some of the items so you have to ask. When you add it all up including your drink it's actually closer to $10. Even tho this is a lunch menu, you get to sit down at a table and eat as if you were dining in. I believe they even bring you bread and you can ask for water and you kinda have a waitress even tho you stood in line and ordered. At the end, you are not sure if you are to tip or not. The whole concept is different, I know if I go again, I will get a better hang of it, but it's a really nice sit down restaurant trying to cut a corner and I'm not sure it's that appealing. Then again, I haven't gone again because I don't know what to make of it. I can't tell you if it's a little faster or cheaper. To be fair, all I can say is that it's different.
(3)
Joyce M.
Our visit was pleasant. Our waiter was wonderful and accommodated to all of our requests. The food was delicious, from appetizers to dessert. My son celebrated his 16th birthday and a lady came to sing happy birthday in Italian.
(5)
M V.
This is actually in my backyard, but will not be returning! Sat us down and waited for 10 minutes and couldn't even get water! Seems everyone called out because the couple next to us seemed just as disappointed. WE WALKED OUT!
(1)
April P.
Haven't been here in a very long time. I came during lunch hours. Ordered the 2-item lunch special. You can choose between soup, sandwich, salad, or pasta. I tried the house salad (fresh with italian dressing), pasta with tomatoes and fresh basil (tomato based sauce), parmesan crusted salad (i liked the chicken with balsamic, but I thought the salad had too much ranch dressing...ask for dressing on the side), and the pasta with cream sauce and mushroom (this was good). The lunch portions come in a square-shaped bowl. It was a great lunch portion for $8.95. The meal also comes with complimentary rosemary bread which is great as always. Ask for balsamic and pour some into the olive oil to use as dip!
(4)
Tin M.
Okay. I've been to this location many times before and enjoyed each time that I went. But this time... MAN... EVERYTHING fell short. My BF and I went here on a Monday (was not a busy night) night and our server was McKenna. Nice gal. The only thing was, she didn't check in on us very often and we had to get her attention every time. The bottled water container that she brought to our table was warm. We wanted a cold one but we couldn't get her to come to our table so we didn't even drink it. When she finally came over we ordered a soda instead because it comes with ice. She came back with the soda and took our order. My BF created his own pasta dish. I got the four course chef's tasting menu. I chose the Caesar salad, Spaghetti Napolitana with Italian tomatoes, and Spiedini, grilled skewers of sausage and steak done the Italian way, topped with house-made verde sauce. She asked me how I wanted my steak and I told her medium rare. So she left with our order. We waited about 15+ minutes before anything came to our table. Finally, our entrees came out. My steak was well done to over cooked. It was dried and rubbery. The sausages were burnt and hard. Food came to me almost cold. I was mad. I never sent a dish back before until that night. Again, we had to look for McKenna and waved her down. She came over and just stared at us. I told her that the meat was over cooked and the sausages were burnt and cold. She asked me if I wanted them to re-do it. YES! What the-- ?? Of course, if I didn't want them to re-do it, I wouldn't have called you over to make the complaint?? She apologized and took my dish back. My BF stopped eating to wait for my dish to come back out, to eat together. That made me even more mad because I knew how hungry he was. Another server came back out with my dish and brought it to the wrong table and McKenna had to tell her, "No, its that table right there." Then the server turned around and looked at me, picked my dish off of the wrong table that she brought it to and over to me. I cut into my steak and again, it was well. I stopped trying and didn't care to eat it anymore. We got boxes and the check, and left. Waste of our time and money.
(1)
K O.
I love coming here for the food. And the service they provide is usually okay. But this time... Oh my goodness.. My boyfriend and I were seated for lunch at the bar area, sitting in a booth and there was only one other booth filled and it had 3 people in it. The waiter we had idk his name but anyway he was so attentive to their table displaying excellent service and was waiting on them hand and foot. The waiter didn't greet us or bother to take our drink order till 15 min after we had sat down and did not ask if we were ready to order the food. We had sat for 10 min waiting on two cups of water... Need I remind you there was only two booths filled including ours. I didn't understand why we had to wait so long. An additional 20 min went by and he had just now brought the bread left it on the table and didn't say a word. I had to ask if I could get balsamic vinegar in the middle of me asking for that one item he has ready started to walk away and slid it onto our table instead of putting it down nicely. Another 10 min went by and he finally asked for our order. We asked for more bread, he took the empty plate and walked away. (During the whole time we were there we never got our bread) Most of his time was walking around doing whatever he was doing and talking to the people a the other booth making sure they were happy. Finally our food has arrived and didn't say a word. I had ran out of water my boyfriend had offered me his but I didn't want to drink it. I had to waive the waiter down for a water. He scoffed and poured it in. We continued to eat and we were waiting for our check. He didn't come to see how things were or even bothered to attend to us in any way. We had to flag him down for the check and he asked how things were.. After we finished! He gave us our check and was about to walk away, we had to talk quickly for a box since he wasn't going to accommodate anymore. And usually USUALLY they package the food in our box for us but he just gave us a container picked up the check and scurried off. I would've given this place ZERO stars but it would not let me continue.
(1)
Paty S.
One of my favorite Italian restaurants! I order the create your own pasta dish and comes out great every time. The bread is so addicting as well, love it!
(5)
Christina G.
An excellent place to have lunch on Sunday when its football season. I have been here many times before and was always happy with the service. Food is delicious and I usually opt for the build your own pasta. A really good place to go on Sundays when you don't want to see a bunch of men in football jerseys screaming at a tv and drinking beer. I will go back to this location again, and the selection of wine is good. Good for a lunch meal but not fancy enough for dinner.
Always good food. Better than other Mac grills and I am always satisfied. What they can improve on is the service and the wait for the food. It's right next door to woodranch who has equally great food but doesn't make us wait for lunch, so sorry Mac but I will have to pass you by if I am in a hurry.
(4)
Kerry K.
We ordered the Caesar salad and Carmela Chicken over rigatoni. They were great. The pasta especially was perfectly al dente, the sauce savory and wonderfully flavorful without being overbearing, and the chicken done just right (not too dry). When our wine came just a min after our meal, it was taken off our bill! "Joey" served us promptly, was friendly, and professional. Atmosphere was great for a date. Coloring with crayons on the paper-covered tables was a fun addition too!
(5)
Emily S.
Every time I've come here, it's been excellent service & delicious food. My husband & I enjoyed the complimentary rosemary bread with oil & vinegar. Ask for Joey to be your waiter, he was prompt, courteous & made our experience even better! We also had fun coloring on their throw-away paper tablecloth. Classy if you leave it blank or a fun time of hangman/tic-tac-toe if you wanna have a little game on your table. We're coming back!
(5)
Richard And Elainne S.
Hmmn where do I start. Guess I can't say the whole experience was bad. It was great when we walked in and got greeted and seated quickly with the option of a booth or table. But then it all went down hill. Our server was MIKE and he was just....horrible. It took forever for him to take our order and serve us. When he did actually serve us and not walk by us like we were invincible. He took our drink order and said he would come back with bread. Nope. We had to ask someone else to bring us bread. Meanwhile the table behind us got seated after us and already had their drinks and ordering their food. We managed to eat majority of our bread and still no drinks. Not good. Finally he took our order. Next table about half way down with their meal. Finally got our food and i must say the food has really gone downhill. No flavor in ANYTHING. The olive oil and vinegar for the bread had more flavor. Finally we were trying to get people to notice us so we can box up our bland food and leave. But no one paid any attention. And Mike was else where tending to tables other than ours. We finally got someone's attention for the check. Our total was 66.50. Overprice for food that's not good. We put 100.50. Took Mike as while (seems to be the trend) to get our change and he shorted us $1. Learn to count my friend. That's $1 short of his tip. Bad service. Bad food. NEVER coming here again!
(1)
Nina K.
Very good food and service. Flatbread, salmon, and appetizers.
(5)
Brad R.
I am in town for a few days on business, staying at the Sheraton Cerritos that is across the street from the Macaroni Grill (handy!). After a full day of travel I wanted a quick bite and as it was late wanted a fast, no problem and easy to get to place.... this worked out perfect. Having arrived a little after 9pm, it was pretty quiet inside, me and a handful of customers. That translated into being seated immediately and getting down to dinner in near record time. I had the Chicken and Mushroom Cannelloni (Cannelloni = thank God for spell check...LOL) and I have to say it was very good! Cheers!
(4)
Leah M.
We had dinner here because we had gift cards. The waitress was pushing us to order wine but we don't drink but she still insisted on us trying it. When we didn't order any she seemed annoyed. As for the food, it was mediocre at best. Everything lacked flavor and both the marinara and Alfredo sauces were watery. The service was also really slow. Even to get our check took forever. In short, I wouldn't go back.
(2)
Joseph B.
Came here this afternoon for a cold one. Had my wing DCR with me. Quiet in the bar. DCR keeps scamming on the MILF action as he sips on a glass of their best chianti. Bartender was very attentive with a good balance of interaction. Their craft pizzas are a good mix of flavors - fresh sausage, mozz, sauce, basil... The secret here is to sit in the bar. You get immediate service, it's quieter, and the patrons are extremely friendly. Good Times!
(5)
Adriana R.
Came for dinner today with my boyfriend. Our server Steph was awesome! She was on top of our drinks, we didn't have to ask for a refill. Our food came out super quick and was delicious! Plus $2.75 for a glass of house wine! It doesn't get better than that! I will definitely be back soon!
(5)
Japen G.
Never really see the issue when you come in and ask for a table for 8 and you see people running around where there right in front of you, you see a tons of open tables. Just makes you think. Waited for about 10 minutes before they sat us down. But the food was delicious. They have new offerings that offered smaller portions but you can choose 3. Like Tapas. I was able to try some such as the mac and cheese tots which was very yummy! I wen ahead and ordered the pork chops since I had a craving. It was good. Can't say it was the best but it was tender, could have been a little more juicy but then they drenched it was a gravy. Had some good sides that complimented the dish very well. What I was happy with was the deal that they had with their wine. Half off on their bottles which made the bottles very reasonable. Ended up choosing a nice bottle of Merlot that went very well with my pork chop. Service was okay... it took awhile before she did any follow service and it was hard to get her attention which deserve me taking off a star.
(4)
Peter Kenji L.
This place is amazing. I've been here 4 or 5 times and each time we have been treated with the nicest and kindest servers. They are energetic, fun and are willing to help you. We took our mother here on mothers day of 2014 & it was exceptional. We were helped by Mr. Desmond (that man is a boss), and he made us laugh and even brought Mr. Peter to sing us a song just for our table & especially for our mother. He made the night especially enjoyable and even gave our mother a tiramisu and corrected a mistaken drink immediately. We will definitely be requesting him on our next visit. Shout out to Mr. Perry (like Katy Perry) for also serving us before! But in all honesty, all these people here are fantastic and great. We love this place. Best service ever.
(4)
Bruce K.
For the price, it isn't all that.
(3)
Phoenix A.
I was really opposed to coming here for lunch today, but my parents raved about how this place was all re-done on the inside and I was thinking, "well, dad, that's great, but I don't plan on eating the furniture. I had eaten here once before and swore this place off, but I was willing to give it a go. During my previous experience, I found the food rather bland and uninteresting. This visit was much better. We entered to find a vacant host stand, although, each server passing by said hello and told us that we would be helped shortly. We were sat by a very bubbly (if not over-the-top) young lady who also happened to be our server. We were starving so we ordered drinks plus the calamari appetizer and also received a loaf of what I think was rosemary bread? I then ordered the mushroom ravioli which was porcini-stuffed with caramelized onions and a marsala cream sauce. And it was awesome! I don't even know what the 'rents ordered because I was so into my own food. We were offered dessert but I had to pass cuz I was so stuffed. All in all, it wasn't such a bad experience and I'd come back if the 'rents insisted again. I'll just have to remember to save room for tiramisu!
(3)
Connie K.
I should trust the reviewer but went in anyway. It was just Thursday night and restaurant was half full. Even with our reservation that they could not find our reservation and we stood in front of enterance for long period time but no one was pay attention and finally one person direct us to the table. It was very old and hard chair and and cornor space with a lot of seats next to it. we took baby stroller and the one of server keep asking us to move our stoller to otherside due to the party traffic will might borthered ( or baby will bothered but not sure). we moved her to inside of table but noticed that party was not even started when we leave the restaurant. He even moved our table while we having a dinner. I never experienced. he said sorry due to 10 people is coming to next to our table. There was male waiter can not remember his name but he was kind and polite and he did his best his part. The food took so long time to come out and bread was only 1 peace with all these 5 people and food was lower than average taste. Price was very high and food was bad and it was bad service for sure. They also try to sell wine or desert. but we are watching our weight and we do not drink. With all this drama that we still left 30 % tip because waiter has nothing to do with food taste and other things, parking was not easy to find it too since restaurant is in the mall. I had to push the stroller and they had this big thck wooden double door and hard to grab it and other customer helped me to open it but no employee was paying attention to leaving customer . I never seen this horrible food and horrible service. I will never come back here again. Restaurant should have one person to greet the customer but this restaurant was doing whatever they like to do status. Most of all the food was so bad( lower than ordinary food) and over priced. Nice waiter and nice interior and that is all about this restaurant.
(1)
Paul W.
WTF Mac Grill. Normally I like this place fast and easy for the family. Tuesday night and they're short staffed, server's and cooks. We were told it would be a 15 minute wait, 30 minutes later still waiting. No offers of drinks or appetizers for the BS. I Think we will start going to the local Italian place.
(2)
Andy P.
After experiencing my pleasant surprise at Romano's Macaroni Grill in Huntington Beach, I decided to visit this branch in Cerritos, since it is nearer to home. I was with my family, and also a friend. My friend has never been to any Romano's before, and I bragged about the fact that she's going to enjoy the yummiest spaghetti carbonara in her life tonight.... HOW WRONG I WAS!!! It was the first time in my life that I learned that one branch of a chain restaurant can be significantly inferior to another one, however close they are. What a mind-blowing revelation!!! The spaghetti here was NOTHING like what I had in Romano's at their Huntington Beach branch. It was overcooked, bland, and yuckk!!! Pizza was better, but still somewhat still clearly inferior to the HB branch. Service? Yep... inferior as well. Very disappointed.... now I have to go at least 5 miles further for the same restaurant... Darn....
(2)
Miguel H.
After working 25 hours in 2 days, I needed a good meal. Last minute thing my girlfriend and I seen this lil place next door to where we were originally going to eat, so we said why not try it out. Great customer service! Ran into an old friend Shelby wooooo! And thank you to our wonderful server Alex! Great recommendations, our dinner tasted excellent. Definitely coming back.....great service. Great food(=
(5)
Christina P.
I came here with my boyfriend and co-workers at around 10:30 after work because they wanted to stop by for happy hour. The restaurant closes at 11, but they were nice enough to still let us in and told us to take our time. Service was kinda slow because they were working on cleaning up, but our server was super nice! He seemed flustered and in a hurry, but was very responsive to our questions! Coming here for happy hour (from 9pm to closing I think) is a pretty good deal - appetizers for cheap and pizzas for $5! The pizzas are about a little bigger than a personal pizza. My boyfriend and I got the Italian sausage pizza, parmesan fries, mac and cheese bites, and peach tea. The pizza - It was spicy! I didn't like it too much because of how spicy it was :( The peach tea - it was so bland! I thought it was a sweet peach iced tea, but it was just a regular one. Our server was very kind and offered to try to make the tea sweeter for me (it still didn't taste that great though). The fries - waaaay too cheesy! They were thin and wimpy, only slightly better than Mc Donald's fries -____- Mac and cheese bites - they were okay, not all that great. Nothing I'd come back for. Overall cheap meal and a lot of food, but quality wise it isn't really my thing. I wouldn't come back again. Our server was amazing though!
(2)
Rene C.
Not sure why the overall low rating, I'm in between 3-4 stars. Food was good and atmosphere was chill. A little pricey but not enough that it affects my rating. I recommend the fresh pasta, it was "al dente" and hit the spot.
(4)
Peter H.
Lost it's touch... I remember first coming to Macaroni Grill 6 years ago and they we're a good restaurant with panache. There would always be a wait and the dining are was filled with life. I just went recently with my girlfriend and it was less than half filled...at 7:30pm....on a Friday night..... I thought we just got lucky and came at a good time but the food came out and i realized why. I got the honey glazed chicken with angel hair pasta. The pasta was dry and the sundried tomatoes didn't have any flavor in them what so ever. The thing that turned me off the most was that they used frozen chicken....the main point of the dish was the chicken, so i thought they would at least use fresh chicken. I basically paid $20 for dried pasta, soggy broccoli and frozen chicken.... Definitely lost their touch and downgraded alot =/ I'll usually give a 2/5 but since they were good and downgraded I'm going to give them a 1.5 =(
(1)
Thea M.
No stars for this location! Unfortunately, no options for that! Went there for a lunch with my husband and daughter, waited 30 mins for our entree and when it arrive, my daughter's spaghetti looks like a 3 year put it together! very light sauce! not appetizing at all!!! My chicken & mushroom cannelloni was over cooked!!! And the waitress told my husband that his order is going to take come more time because it is raw and have to grill some more time?!?! Uhhmmmm... so most of their food is not cooked in their kitchen!?!? or most of them are not raw!!??!?! Anyways, my husband's food arrive after 45mins! It was the chicken in skewers. First of all there NO grill marks on the chicken and when my husband sliced it in half, it was still pink!!! The chicken that we waited for that long is RAW!!! To think it is only in cubes! Not even a big portion and it's still uncooked! The manager did apologized and asked if my husband wants to order another entree, but we decided to pay our bill and left! We will never go back to this location EVER!
(1)
Panchito L.
My first time going to Macaroni Grill it was ok nothing to die for usual Italian food rather of gone to Olive Garden
(3)
Lily B.
Great service and great seating for a group of about 17. Great server and fast deliverance of our order!
(5)
Jeannie B.
Came here with a friend to try the 2 tapas and 2 entrees for $25 deal that recently started. I used to LOVE macaroni grill and I hadn't been in a while so I figured I'd stop by and rekindle my love for this place. So when we first entered we were greeted by the host and seated immediately. I noticed that the uniforms of the workers had changed (I notice the smallest details) and that instead of giving us glasses of ice water , they left a pitcher of water at your table so that you could fill your glass up yourself and not have to ask for water as much. I wouldn't have complained but the water was lukewarm as if it had been sitting out for a while. NOT off to a good start. I proceeded to order our two tapas and two entrees. I ordered a artichoke potato cake ( which was alright. a little too greasy for my liking) and I ordered the mushroom ravioli. My friend ordered a chicken entree which came out beautifully and tasted alright. My dish on the other hand looked like it had been thrown together last minute. The ravioli lacked mushrooms (mostly pasta), the sauce was BLAND and there was only 4 pieces. I am usually not one to complain but it was not worth paying for. I asked the waiter to trade in my meal for a shrimp pasta, which he kindly did. My shrimp pasta was brought out by the chef himself who apologized for the ravioli dish. Problem solved? yea, I guess. As if it wasn't bad enough that I had waited so long for my food our waiter was constantly not around. I needed a refill on water or bread yet he was nowhere to be found. And when he was nearby, him and other waitress were blatantly flirting in front of the entire restaurant by squeezing each other's bums and giggling at each other. YES I SAID SQUEEZING EACH OTHER'S BUMS. I don't think that it was appropriate for me to have to see that while I was trying to enjoy my meal. Overall. I've lost interest in this place. It's just not what it used to be. The food isn't that great, the service mediocre. I''ll probably just go to Olive garden from now on.
(2)
Sean S.
Meh... This is definately not the place it was when the doors first opened. Since then, the service has tanked and the food quality is lessening. Portion size was good. Service was mediocre. I was not impressed by the flavor of my meal. I used to think this was the end all in "eye"-talian eating but I am now reconsidering.
(3)
Francesca C.
Always love coming here :) Everyone is always so nice and friendly and so smiley. They actually look like they enjoy their jobs and aren't just giving you a fake smile. The servers come to your table and write their names on the table itself, upside down! It's so cool. I was super amazed the first time I saw this. Keep in mind this was like 8 years ago. I love coming here with family, friends, and anyone :) the bread they give you in the beginning is so soft and hot just out of the oven. They could spice up their menu a bit but other than that I'll keep coming back :)
(4)
Maria O.
Very sad they removed my favorite dish: stuffed mushroom ravioli from their menu. Now they have something similar but very different. Good think I asked the waitress why it was listed as a "new" item.... she mentioned that it was a different sauce. Indeed it was a different sauce, it wasn't creamy nor tasty. The waitress came back to check on us once our meal was served and since she observed my discontent with my meal, she offered a small serving of a creamy sauce on the side... I was so happy she offered... but once she brought the sauce... I was so disappointed again... it wasn't creamy at all it was watered down big time!
(3)
Jim T.
I don't know what everybody's problem is. You don't write for Food and Wine magazine, so lighten up! We have always had good service and enjoyed the food. Speaking of the food, why fault this restaurant for trying to keep you alive until you can come back again and again? Sure the sauces might be thinner, but some people actually like that they're not eating a 1k calorie pasta dish. So if you like obesity and heart failure, I suggest you take your business elsewhere.
(4)
Sherry F.
Honestly, this place is okay for an italian place. Staff is friendly. Bread is AMAZING (if you're a carb-lover like me.) tip: ask for balsamic vinegar with your olive oil. DELISH! The atmosphere is romantic. VERY dimly lit, especially after the sun sets. At times, I feel like I don't know what I'm eating, because I can't see in front of me. I usually always end up getting their Penne Rustica or Pasta Milano. Their portions don't seem too big, but I always find myself taking a doggie bag home. If you're craving italian, you can't go too wrong here.
(3)
Chanelle B.
Yum. Good food, (nothing quite outstanding about the food, along the same lines as olive garden but a little more pricy) and GREAT service, the staff was so nice with a bunch of little things, we always had water, several people kept checking on us, very friendly staff, made nice conversation with us, brought out food promptly and even sang my sister in law happy birthday in Italian :) very nice experience here.
(3)
Christine A.
Whenever I've gone here with my parents in the past, we'd always receive a warm welcome, great service and excellent food in the big room with the gentle lighting and paper covered tables with white cloth beneath. But when my boyfriend and I walked in (a couple of 20-somethings, wearing regular street clothes), asking for a table, we received upturned noses and were placed in the small room with the bar like we were a couple of lepers meant to be kept out of sight. Seemed like all the other T-shirt clad, beer-drinking untouchables were also placed in there. They seated us on rickety bar stools, below bright, hot lights. Our waitress, at first, was very forgetful with us, taking 20 minutes to bring us our drinks, but after we requested to be seated outside (because it was just too hot under those lights), she was very caring with us. She even took care of the other couple sitting out on the patio, whose waitress had forgotten them. It's by her saving grace that this 1-star was upgraded to a 2. Overall, the food was just okay. Both of us got the Mama's Trio, which gives small orders of the lasagna, cannelloni, and chicken parmesan. The cannelloni was HARD with the pasta edges dried out. The lasagna was okay, but not very warm, with the chicken probably being the highlight of the plate -- crispy outer coating and with the inside thoroughly moist. When our server came out to refill drinks and bring us our food, the other couple on the patio demanded she bring them refills too because they'd been waiting over a half hour for their own. While our waitress went to get the lady a lemonade, theirs poked her head out the door and YELLED at them (from 20 feet away), asking what they wanted to drink. The man asked for a berry iced tea, which this other server rolled her eyes at and disappeared again behind the door. As our server brought them the lemonade, they asked about the iced tea, which our server assured that the other waitress was bringing. Ten minutes later, a waitress (not stationed in our area) comes out with an iced tea, walks past the other table and sits at the next one over and starts sipping it in the corner. Another 5 minutes later, the other table's waitress came out, without their tea or anything, and proceeds to go over to the other waitress, share the tea and start gossiping about the terrible customers. More and more servers come out to take their breaks, and of course knock the patrons who've come in tonight, while we and the other table wait for our checks. So lesson learned. If you REALLY want to eat here, come well-dressed. The classist hosts probably won't tuck you away where you'll be forgotten, receiving sub-par service. Seriously, though, it's glorified Olive Garden, but with extra virgin olive oil and rosemary focaccia instead of all-you-can-eat bread sticks.
(2)
Jerry C.
Do not ever order to go here! I've never felt so ripped off in my life. The to go container is 8 inches in diameter, a full circle. The spaghetti I ordered cost roughly 11.99 and the food didn't even cover the entire circumference of the circle. Normally, i'm not big on complaining about portion, but this was just absolutely ridiculous. In the end, the food was okay but this is what I get for ordering from the closest restaurant. Never again!
(1)
James K.
I have had good experiences here. I love their Chicken Rustica and the wifey loves the Fetticini Alfredo. Also, the bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar is "the bombs". Can't say anymore.
(4)
Paul S.
The last time that I went to Macaroni Grill (not this one, the one in Seal Beach), I had a horrible experience. I was completely ignored by the wait staff, so I got up and walked out. After complaining, they threw in a gift card. So, that experience was lukewarm. On this journey, the wife and I went here during lunch. They have a decent lunch menu: 2 or 3 items for $8.50 or $10 respectively. I ordered the 3 items thinking that I'd have enough for a snack later... not so. The lunch sizes are about 4 oz servings of each item. In the end, that is probably the size serving that is appropriate for curbing your hunger and avoiding extra calories to your waist. Even though I thought that the lunch servings were going to be small, I didn't think that they were going to be that small. All in all, I feel that I got $10 worth of food. I don't feel cheated or anything. The food was pretty good (not outstanding). But I don't usually expect an outstanding meal from a chain restaurant... so Macaroni Grill did not disappoint. They just did not exceed my expectations. So, I'm lukewarm about frequent visits here (that seems to be my experience with this chain... lukewarm).
(3)
Alli L.
Dislike this place. My family wanted me to take them there & buy them food so I agreed to do so... I didn't even check Yelp!! thats because I've heard really good things about Macaroni Grill. which is why I've always sorta wanted to try it out but never got the opportunity to.. Anyways, service was okay... food quality isn't that great either.. didn't match my tastes at all. it was just bearable to try and finish. same for my daddy cuz his tastes are more similar to mine.... portion size is decent though. Didn't like flavor or taste of anything in general... The bread is okay but some parts of it were too salty while other sides of it had no salt. Calamari is decent/average. The water was delicious though.
(2)
Sam P.
Went in for a take out for lunch. I ordered a Fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp and the whole thing came out to be about $15. I don't mind the cost BUT, my main complaint and frustration is the stupid wait time. I understand if a restaurant is busy but when I looked at the dining room, it just didn't look packed. When I first went to the to-go window, I waited, waited, and waited for a server to take my order. One of the CHEFS had to yell "CUSTOMER AT TO-GO" to get someone to take my order. Now, I didn't really care at that time, but when it took 50 min to get me a simple Fettuccine Alfredo with bread, it was simply just too long. When I got to eat it, the noodles were chewy and just disgusting. If I had known it would be like this, I would have just gone to the market, bought all the ingredients for a similar or lower price and got it all done and start eating before 50 minutes. This was quite disappointing.
(1)
Mary C.
My fam and I to this location a couple yrs ago and we had a horrible time, service was literally the worst ever! But I really like the food so we finally went to give it another shot and we were glad we did. It was nice and quiet, the server Crystal was very accommodating and attentive and we enjoyed our meals. I don't recommend the caprese salad, was very bland and over priced, but we will def be returning in the future.
(3)
Katie W.
If I could give this place 0 stars, I absolutely would because this is exactly what it deserves!!! There are so many things that went wrong with this restaurant, I don't even know exactly where to begin. First, I had called earlier in the afternoon to make a reservation for a party of five. When I got to the restaurant at the designated time, I approached the host. He clearly saw us there and it wasn't like he was helping someone else. We literally stood in front of him for about 45 seconds and he just blankly stared at us, not even bothering to acknowledge us or ask if we had been helped. I then had to ask him, "Are you the one we talk to if we made a reservation?" He then said, "Oh, i"m sorry, I thought you were with the other gentleman who I was helping earlier." Even if that were the case, he should have clarified that first and not automatically jump to conclusions. After I told him that we made a reservation, he then rudely informed me that their restaurant did not have any record of it. At this point, I was completely livid because I had spent a good three minutes speaking with one of their workers earlier that afternoon, giving him all the information needed to make a reservation. Luckily, another worker actually knew how to do her job correctly and profusely apologized for the mix-up. She explained that the employees sometimes do not make a record of the reservation. WHY BOTHER EVEN TAKING RESERVATIONS IN THE FIRST PLACE?!!! The food was mediocre, but two people in our party ordered the Florentine Steak, cooked Medium Rare. The steaks came out WELL DONE, almost like beef jerky. It was dry and bland. What a disappointment. To top off our grand evening, as we were waiting to pay the bill, we couldn't find our server to pick up the check. Therefore, we asked another waitress who was passing by if she could take care of it for us or at least give our card to the server. She rudely snatched the check from our hands, never even bothering to utter one word, acting almost as if we were telling her to do something that was beyond her scope of employment. We were just basically asking her to.. do her job. Geez. To make a long story short, my experience at Macaroni Grill was terrible and I will NEVER be coming back to this restaurant again. When dining out, I personally think that the whole experience is not simply defined by how good the food is; instead, the ambience, service, and overall atmosphere is just as, if not more, important. Macaroni Grill was a complete and utter disappointment in all these areas. Save yourself the time and trouble and go eat elsewhere instead.
(1)
J L.
This is one of my favorite Italian restaurants. I am addicted to their fresh-baked bread. Their ingredients are always fresh and high quality. I have yet to be disappointed here. I am a huge fan of the build your own pasta. Go for the goat cheese. Trust me. Oh and this place its WAY better than Olive Garden for a better price.
(5)
James W.
The Macaroni Grill in Monrovia is now closed, so I drove down to this one. Ambiance and service were pretty good and the food (Spinach & Scallop salad and Spaghetti & Meatballs) was pretty good. Definitely better than Olive Garden.
(4)
Jason J.
I would've rated this place as 5 star, because it used to be awesome... somehow, it found some way to become a bit fizzled out from what I remember this place to be... So here goes my review...I came here w a few friends for my bday.. I ordered the chicken with the lemon basil cream sauce.. I forget the actual menu name... but that's not what's important... the service was nice and prompt.. our food came in a timely fashon... but when it came to the food, it just wasn't what I was expecting. Seasoning was proper, and the pasta itself was cooked properly, but the sauce seemed extremely thinned out... as if they did it to save calories on what seems to be a 'healthier' menu.. I noticed all of their menu items are under 1000 calories, including every single item w cream sauce.. Being a culinary student, I understand the fact that proper cream sauces are by no means healthy or skimp on the calories... this sauce did not have the richness or thickness it should have... obviously they're taking the healthier route at the expense of portion size and full flavor. My meal was pretty a-miss... I finished my meal feeling barely full... and that's considering we had appetizers and dessert... Macaroni grill: what happened to you? I would've picked you over olive garden any day.. now I second guess coming here.
(3)
Christalee E.
still not impressed with their food. lunch special turkey sandwich was more bread than anything. had to really search forturkey. i honestly thought they forgot it at first glance. but my granddaughters mac & cheese was good. shld have gone to TGIFridays and will next time
(2)
frances c.
This place has gone south. I used to prefer eating here than Olive Garden, but I don't think that's the case anymore. The service was so slow. I had to wave down the waitress several times even though there were only about 10 tables occupied in the whole restaurant. I had to ask for bread instead of them automatically serving them. The food came out cold and my Chicken Alfredo was very dry and bland. I asked for extra alfredo sauce and I waited so long that the people in my party finished their meal before I even started eating mines. I ended up just taking it home. I don't think I will ever go back to this Macaroni Grill. Save your time and money and go to a different Italian joint.
(2)
Stephanie P.
The food was ok, not very items to choose from on the menu..the waitress took quite a while to refill drinks and bring our food..we did get free wine though...but i've had better
(2)
P L.
I found this place to be an OK place to eat. I just thought it was kinda of weird that they would write their name in crayon on the table. Overall the food was OK and the atmosphere was ok. We came here a few weeks back and overall meh it was just ok nothing special
(3)
Brian P.
I need to update this rating and its gone from a 3 to a 2. Here is the deal. If you read my last review i stated that I have been going for a lot of years. The bartenders, staff and managers are about as nice as you will find. They know us all and come say hi when we are there. We get hugs, jokes, some crap talk and everything else you want after work. Its great. So why the downgrade? If i come to your bar three days a week and drink the same thing for 5+ years and my buddy comes and drinks the same drink, how is it every acceptable to not have it in stock. The last couple of months all we do is go in and hear im sorry we're out of that. Sorry, we should have it Friday. Damn, if i wanted it on Friday, ill come on Friday. I dont understand how a bar runs out of booze. They are always out of one beer or another, and Captain is available about 75 percent of the time. Jameson is out all the time as well. I just dont understand how that kind of lack of prep is acceptable. St paddis day, we walked in and same thing happend. So here is what i suggest. Next door is a place called Woodranch. If you want Italian, Mac Grill is great. If you want to have a drink, go to Woodranch. We had a blast and have decided to peel off and start trying them more now. Sorry service just is more painful after a long day.
(2)
Diane W.
We love the Macaroni Grill Happy Hour! We found the crowd is light at the first part of the Happy Hour. Darlene, the bartender, is excellent and always remembers what we ordered from our previous visits.
My father in law invited my husband and I along with a family friend to go watch Cirque D'Or over at the Cerritos Performance Art Center. But just before heading over there, we decided to have dinner here. My father in law made a reservation asking for a booth. Booths are always in demand in almost any restaurant, so the best way to guarantee a booth is to make a reservation for one, right? Apparently, our booth didn't wasn't reserved. The hostess looked surprised when she even looked at the reservation list. I've worked in the industry before, when someone reserves a booth, you reserve it half an hour before the actual reservation for guarantee booth. Our host, Jim found out we reserved a booth and hunt one down just for us. The effort was indeed a nice gesture. Now on to the food. This is my first time going to the Macaroni Grill, so I'm clueless on the menu. I ordered the olive appetizer because I love good olives. I'd have better olives at Pavilions at their olive bar. The flavor was indeed lacking. I ordered Pollo Limone Rustica as my entree. Being it's my first time here, I do read the explanation of each meal. I thought I had someone else's dinner because there was shrimp in my entree. Pollo means chicken, right? Also, I wanted something tangy, thus the lemon sauce advertised. Limone means lemon, right? My entree tastes plain and I didn't taste a bit of the lemon flavor I expected. Apparently everybody else likes what they ordered (my father in law gets the same thing there). I was the only one that didn't finish the food. The food made me feel all greasy and gross in the end as well. Would I go back there again? Absolutely not. This is one of those places where the scenery looks great and you want to bring your prom date to. Seriously, we saw a prom date there. I only know because there's a high school guy wearing a tux...his date, apparently she doesn't understand what "prom" means because she looked like a hooker on hollywood and highland. Can your dress can be any more see-through and short?! She can wear that but the gal in Mississippi can't wear a tux?! Oh wait, I'm getting off subject here. I guess I'm in the category where I can sit in a hole in the wall for some really good food over nice scenery with horrible food.
(2)
Chris A.
1.5 stars I try to like this place, I really do, but it's a hard place to like. I went there again today with a group from work. It was horrible. I ordered the Chicken Caprese. I finished at most a quarter of it because it was not worth eating. The chicken breast was so overcooked and dry it was hard to cut with a knife. The accompanying pasta was pretty much flavorless, as if one or more ingredients were missing.
(2)
Martha S.
We came here for my half-step-daughter's birthday. We had a pretty long wait, but the benches outside were fine for pre-dinner chatting. Our initial waitress was one of those insanely chipper servers that make me wonder how it's even possible, but she ended up switching off to a fantastic quiet, but extremely conscientious colleague. We were thrilled. The service from the new server was fantastic, everyone's food was great (lobster ravioli for me--yum!), and they brought the birthday girl a piece of chocolate cake and sang Happy Birthday in--best part--Italian! Loved it.
(4)
I P.
Let me paint a picture for you: Four good friends (1 Hispanic and 3 Black) decide to meet for happy hour and dinner on a Friday evening. All four are 1. college educated, 2. professionals and 3. moms. We chose to sit at one of the booths inside the bar area...key word here is "bar". When we arrived, there were no other patrons sitting at any of the other booths and the restaurant was almost completely empty. We ordered drinks and appetizers and as we caught up and chatted and laughed, a (white) couple and their teenage daughter sat at the booth behind us. Apparently, our conversation was of interest to this family because the mother and daughter repeatedly looked over their shoulder, staring at us. Mind you, we weren't being any louder than anyone else at the bar or inside the restaurant and at NO POINT did we discuss anything inappropriate or vulgar. In addition, we were sitting IN THE BAR ON A FRIDAY NIGHT. After the 20th time these two glared at us, my (black) girlfriend got up and went over to their table to introduce herself. She politely and articulately introduced herself and explained that we were just 4 friends blowing off some steam and catching up since we hadn't seen each other in nearly a year. An HOUR later (and 3 1/2 hours into us being there), the manager (Christopher Martin) comes over and says, "I have to ask you to keep it down. You're being confrontational with other tables." Apparently, this manager uses a dictionary where following the normal social protocol of introducing oneself politely, is defined as confrontation. When we pressed him about who was complaining, he said it was "several tables and the bartenders." REALLY? So the bartenders that continued to serve us and then allowed us to order 4 full dinners were now bothered by us? How convenient of them to mention this AFTER we had racked up $160 bill and only after the family in the booth behind us slithered away as the manager attempted to shame us. This was the first time that we had even laid eyes on this manager, but he had the nerve to engage us as if he had personally witnessed any of what allegedly transpired. I asked the bartender if we offended or bothered him and even apologized if we had, as this was not our intention. The bartender reassured us that he had no problem with us. Of course the manager continued to make claims that numerous people had complained, but when pressed about it he couldn't substantiate it and repeatedly told us that he wasn't asking us to leave. Who am I to argue? So we finished our meals (since we had only eaten about 1/4 of it at this point) and left when we were ready. I was so upset, that I started crying at the table. Having NEVER experienced something so clearly motivated by race, I had somehow managed to navigate 40 years on this Earth thinking that our country had progressed past the days of 1950's Alabama. Being the champs that we are, we refused to let this ruin our evening. We paid our bill (NO TIP) and then went to The Elephant Bar in Lakewood. Great waitress and MUCH better environment. Shame on you CHRISTOPHER MARTIN and MACARONI GRILL. Invest some money in training for your staff and teach them how to interact with the public. NEVER substitute the opinion of another as your own unless you have personally witnessed the incident. You have lost (at least) four customers...and not just at the Cerritos location. We refuse to create revenue for a company that employs such ignorant and ill-equipped management.
(1)
Jen C.
I'm surprised at the low ratings from other people. I think people just expected more? Satisfied for the value. I heard it was a less-expensive version of Maggiano's Little Italy. My family and I had the calamari (good, not rubbery), the mixed green salad (ok) with our entrees, pasta di mare (tasty, a little expensive), chicken parmesan (solid, good), and the chianti that was advertised by the server that evening. Everything was very tasty, and I especially love the rosemary focaccia bread that comes with the meal. We were a group of 3 people on a Saturday around 7pm and we did not have to wait, although the parking lot and restaurant were pretty full. Service was decent, although since they were busy just a touch slow. Nothing spectacular, but I would definitely come again.
(3)
Penny W.
The fresh past has eggs. Ask for the one with out it. Large portions so I suggest sharing.
(3)
Shig N.
Friends took us here a couple of weeks. Since we went in the late morning, it was just before the lunch rush so we were seated and served quickly. The setting is pleasant and the seating is roomy. I remember the Macaroni Grill used to have would-be-opera-singers entertaining back in the olden days. That would still be nice. You never heard Sarah Brightman but at least it was entertaining. Macaroni Grill is never spectacular - it is middle-of-the-road. I think of it more as American food called by Italian names. I chose the pizza. It was good and I enjoyed. Oh, I forgot about the bread. Fresh baked and tasty. The service was attentive which is just the way I like it.
(3)
Allan C.
Came here to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday. There were 8 adults and 5 kids. Luckily it wasn't too busy and they had room for us. Have to give it up for the waitress. It was amazing that she got all the orders right and to the right person (one of my brother-in-law had to pick up his wife and daughter, so he scribbled their order on the table, my in-laws were on the way to the restaurant so they made the order thru the cell phone, my sister-in-law took her two kids to the bathroom and the order was made while she was in the restroom). The waitress didn't complain and was cheerful in getting all the orders. We started with the Tomato Bruschetta and Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms. Very delicious Brushetta! So fresh and tangy! The mushrooms were pretty good too, but just a little bit flaky. I usually order the grilled pork chops but tonight I was in the mood for steak so I got the Calabrese Strip (grilled strip steak). The steak hit the spot. It was cooked right and roasted potatoes hit the spot! My only complaint would be that it was a bit on the dry side. If I had to choose between Olive Garden or Macaroni Grill, I would choose Macaroni Grill due to the fact that it's not as busy as OG and their food taste better than OG.
(4)
LadyBug B.
I didnt really enjoy the food here. I heard so much good stuff about this place and boy was i dissapointed. The food was a 5 out of 10. I think they are a little racist here. We felt so ignored and unwanted the whole hour we were there. No refills, No napkins, No aknowledgment... I will never go there again. I do not need to feel like trash when i eat somewhere.... No! on macaroni grill in Cerritos for me. Hell no, i wont go.
(2)
Joshua C.
This was my first visit to Romano's Macaroni Grill in Cerritos, California. Overall, my wife and I really enjoyed our dinner experience here. Originally, we were going to go to the Wood Ranch next door, but they had a 30minute wait. Macaroni Grill sat us right away, which is great, because I hate waiting. The first thing I noticed when we sat down were the crayons on the table. Then our server, Heather, showed up and wrote her name in cursive upside-down in crayon on the paper that covered our wooden tabletop when introducing herself. Impressive, Heather, impressive. She was very positive and not overbearing. The service was just right. Our beverages were never empty, and I am one of those people that require a lot of refills during dinner. The server attitude was just right. Overall, I have not had a bad experience with the service yet and I hope not to in the future. Now, here is where we get to the food. The menu is actually really short, which is good, because I don't have to spend that much time debating on what I want. My wife and I both got the chef's trio. The chef's trio is a three course meal of your choosing. First you get to choose your salad, then your entree, and finally your dessert. Our entrees included: - Chicken Cannelloni - Hand-rolled pasta stuffed with grilled chicken, melted cheese and spinach, then baked in an Asiago cream sauce. Topped with tomato sauce. Absolutely delectable in my opinion. - Layers of Lasagna Generous layers of seasoned beef, spicy Italian sausage and pepperoni layered between Parmesan, mozzarella and provolone cheeses. Baked in a brick oven and topped with a fresh tomato sauce. The lasagna was pretty good, but I would prefer the cannelloni. For dessert: - Lemon Passion Citrus cake soaked in sweet cream then topped with lemon mousse and whipped cream. This was like an explosion of straight-up yumminess in my mouth and I would definately order this for dessert again. - Smothered Chocolate Cake Rich chocolate cake smothered in homemade ganache and sprinkled with pecan pieces. This cake was very rich, but at the same time very dry. I actually did not enjoy this. So, all in all, I had to rate this place five stars. I had a really great experience, despite the other reviews this restaurant has. The service was right on the money and the food was very enjoyable. I'm satisfied.
(5)
W. N.
I am amazed at previous reviews just ripping this restaurant a new a-hole. This is a 3 1/2 star for us. Yes. It's a cookie cutter chain, 'Italian' restaurant. Just like every once in a while I go to Carls Jr. for a plain cheeseburger, sloppy with mayo and ketchup. But I refuse to go to McDonalds. We all have our little secret food addictions. This is our second visit to this store for my Petite, Red-Headed, Passion Flower and I. We don't even really need to look at the menu. The mushroom ravioli is why we are here. Fat ravioli stuffed with cheese and mushroom with a caramelized onion and mushroom sauce that has both of us rolling our eyes in the back of our head. Our bread plate and our wine tumbler were always full. The house Chianti perfectly acceptable. If we had split our dinner, we coulda had desert. Brandon our server was timely, never overbearing. He was there when we needed him and not when he wasn't. We walked in at 5 PM on a Friday night and we were immediately seated. When we left an hour or so later, the joint was packed. We enjoyed sitting at a table close to the open air kitchen. Very entertaining.
(3)
Brett C.
Of all franchise Italian restaurants, Macaroni Grill is one of my least favorites. I can only think of one time that I've eaten in the restaurant itself, but nothing good or bad truly sticks out in my mind. Instead, I usually partake in Macaroni Grill via takeout when my family is in the mood for some less expensive pasta. The real reason I don't care much for Macaroni Grill is because of the taste. Or lack thereof. Ordinarily, when I eat Italian food, I eat to die. Fettuccine noodles in an alfredo creme sauce with some kind of meat is my poison. For as unhealthy as it is, the Macaroni Grill version just seems bland to me. If I'm going to kill myself with sauce, I'd at least like to be able to taste it. I usually build my own pasta here. I usually go with chicken, spinach, and garlic on top of fettuccine alfredo. In theory, excellent. In application, not. It's kind of disappointing. While I don't refuse to eat at Macaroni Grill, I would never suggest it as a place to go with my friends or family.
(2)
Jane C.
Too Salty. even though i tend to eat my food bland.. this restaurant is overly salty. everything i've tried has been mediocre for this reason. they do have an opera singer making rounds.. but as the years have passed, the less they seem to sing. actually, the last visit a couple months ago.. there was no opera singer to be found. and it was friday dinner. parking is easy, and free. the wait was not long. and if there is a wait, you can always hang out in the bar area. the Food - BBQ Chicken Pizza: i'd sooo prefer BJ's or CPKs (both of which i don't think too highly of) - Spaghetti & Meatballs: boring.. actually, the meatballs are NOT edible. i had to feed it to my dog, and even then.. i wondered if he enjoyed it much - Mama's Trio: sucks i dont even want to recall what else i (or my fam/ friends) have ordered here.
(1)
Tee M.
Very nice Italian restaurant and I enjoy dining here often. My favorites are the Lamb kabobs, the Pepper crusted Pork Chops, and the Chicken Parm. I love to drink the Mai Tais here they are very potent!!! Good place for family dinners or a date.
(4)
Monica N.
When given a choice, I don't like to dine at chain restaurants. However, my mom does and I've learned that if I want to dine happy I had better make sure that mom is happy. Mom likes the Macaroni Grill, therefore I dine there. I really look forward to drawing on the butcher paper that covers the table. If they provide sub-standard crayons, I ask for better ones. Now that I think about it, I think I'll bring my own crayons next time. Anyhow, the last time I was here with mom and big sis we had a pretty good lunch. We laughed, we talked, no one got hurt....good times. Then my sister strikes up a conversation about hair products with our adorable server. (He was a cutie) As he's talking and answering her questions I notice he's looking only at me. When he leaves the table my sister is pissed!!! I made sure he got a good tip, it was totally worth the average-quality chain restaurant food.
(3)
Paul C.
I had my shares of so-so and not so great experiences here at this location. Well I had no choice but to dine here tonight and I have to say, this broke the camel's straw. So I arrive here with my family thinking it wasn't going to be too busy but nope I was wrong. Place was packed and we waited around 20 minutes or so. We order up and I was looking forward to eating some nice juicy lamb but they unfortunately ran out. Big time negativity right there. If you aren't gonna have plenty of item A, then don't freakin serve it on your menu. I opt for a salad since nothing on the menu really catches my interest. Let me tell all you yelpers out there. These guys don't give a shit about throwing in the bottom on the romaine stalks. Yes the bottom of the stalk that has black dirt shit on it sometimes. Mine didn't have any dirt fortunately but they just threw all my stuff and barely put in any dressing on. Oh it doesn't end there. Not only did we have low quality food, we were waiting for our server for about 15 minutes after she drops off our check and goes to tend to a large group in the back area. Growing real impatient, I had to flag someone down and have them take our payment cuz I swear to you had I not done this we would've waited over 30 minutes for her stupid ass to realize she forgot us. This place used to be good but the quality of food to service went downhill and turned to shit. I will never eat at any Macaroni Grill ever again. If you want an unpleasant experience and low quality food, then dine here by all means.
(1)
Sophia W.
Pretty Good food, good atmosphere.
(4)
Lily P.
This extra star is EXCLUSIVELY for the Marsala Chicken Ravioli. And will be the only thing I will get here ever.ever.again. ever. oh, that and the lemon cake.
(4)
Yuki M.
At least their consistent in their poor food and drink. As I wrote in my review of the Macaroni Grill in Costa Mesa on Anton, this place is pretty much matched to a tee. yelp.com/biz/euGZtjhXjti… Bland pastas, unsavoury meats, bland salad dressings, unfresh produce, over cooked or under cooked appetizers. Good table bread and decent Tiramisu. Much can be said for a restaurant chain that gives consistent presentation and quality in their various locations. This is pretty consistent with what I've had at the Costa Mesa location. I've come here on 4 or so occassions over the past God knows how many years and every time, with at least a year between visits, I was left wanting. Never again.
(1)
Amy E.
Ok so I called the restaurant and the manager apologized and sent me coupons for 20$. I went back about two weeks later and the service in the dining room was seriously lacking. It was a Saturday afternoon and the waitress took our order and never checked on on again and she behaved as though we were an annoyance to her. I will never ever go back period.
(1)
Mimi L.
Okay. The food at Macaroni Grill is always pretty good - I'll give 'em that. Nothing special, but good. The service, on the other hand, is hard to rate. I can't say that the people aren't nice...they're friendly enough, I guess. So why the 2 stars? My parents and I recently ate at the Macaroni Grill in CTC. My dad ordered a glass of white zin like he always does...and our waitress brought it out IN A TUMBLER. Wine in a tumbler?!? That might have been excusable in the college dorming days when you'd drink boxed wine ($11.99 for 5 liters!) out of plastic cups, but in an Italian restaurant?! When my dad asked if they were out of actual wineglasses, our waitress shot him a weird look and replied, "Oh. Did you want to use a regular wineglass?" After that scenario, our waitress was definitely rushed and cold towards us. I'm a slow eater, and before I was even halfway through my salad, she already asked my mom (who had ordered the 3-course thing) what she wanted for dessert. In fact, she even asked if we wanted "to take it to go". Why would we want it to-go?! THEN...she brings it out along with our check. At this point, I'm still eating my salad, and my dad was about to order a cup of coffee. Wow, thanks. Our entire dinner lasted us 45 minutes.
(2)
tony n.
Today was our first time here and definetly our last. To start things off, our waitress (Camie) wrote here name with a crayon on our table..go figure??..she was incredibly irritating and kept looking at us for a 3 second pause everytime she came to our table..that was WEIRD..... After we placed our order, she offered us soup or salad with our entrees only to find out we were being charged for it on the check...i didnt say anything but that really made me mad. To make matters even worse, she asked me if i needed change when i left a $100 bill for a $48 check. The food was actually decent..but still very overpriced for what it is. Don't go there..Olive Garden has better quality food and service for much less.
(1)
Jennifer T.
I think that the quality and portions of their food went downhill the last couple of years. I went there for a birthday party and ordered Mama's Trio... oh boy, do i regret ordering it. I LOVE lasagna and what I got was... sooo disappointing I didn't even want to finish the whole thing. The portion was okay, but I wasn't too excited to finish my food. The lasagna had too much pasta, not enough sauce or meat. The calamari was also very disappointing, the squid didn't taste fresh and it wasn't crunchy but soft. The sauces that they offered were too bland. I was pretty unhappy with my meal but The customer service is amazing. It was my friend's birthday and this guy came along, gave us a free slice of cake (big enough for the four of us to enjoy) and lighted a candle. He then sang happy birthday in Italian and after that the whole restaurant was clapping. It made my friend sooo happy :)
(2)
Robert F.
Ah, Macaroni Grill. Every time I try to get out, someone pulls me back in. And has anyone else ever noticed that everything on the menu, whether it's pasta or chicken or beef, all kind of tastes the same? That sort of stale, bitter taste of despair and desperation that is Romano's Macaroni Grill? I gave it an extra star for the bread. I love the bread. I could eat it every day. The entrees are abominable and the wait staff is incredibly irritating.
(2)
Joshua M.
I haven't been here in about two to three years, and I thought it'd be nice to pay this place a visit again. The restaurant's decor was very vibrant. The extensions of light bulbs above gave the restaurant sort of a nice glow. It looked like a restaurant; nice rock interior, comfortable and spacious setting, and very traditional music. I really liked being able to see the chefs work on the side, no out of place tin door flapping around. (4) The service was very friendly, always on top of things. They immediately got us situated and took our orders. They really were trying to push their wines and desserts. We ended up getting one glass of their brand wine for $5. (4) So the dinner, we started out with a simple Caesar salad, followed by a 'lobster ravioli' for me and a 'simple salmon' for my fellow patron. Well the Caesar salad, was a Caesar salad. If you can't do something this simple, it would be embarrassing. By that I mean, good portions and not over dressed. So no problems there. The 'lobster ravioli' however did not prove to be as satisfying. The lobster was in tarragon pasta, with sauteed shrimp and asparagus on the side in a butter sauce. The lobster was cooked perfectly. Sadly, there was no taste to the lobster, very bland. It was as if they just forgot the seasoning for all five pieces. The shrimp was almost like the main course, because they were cooked nicely with great texture. The issue I had with the butter sauce was that it just seemed more like a cheesy sauce. It really did overpower the taste of everything else. So overall, the dish was cooked nicely, but the seasoning just wasn't up to par. The 'simple salmon' was well received. You could tell by the color that it was cooked nicely and had a load of flavor. It was a very simple dish with grilled salmon over some vegetables and rice. No complaints here from my friend. I stole a little bite and it was very pleasant ;] We finished the meal with the 'Amaretto Apple Crispetti.' I can't remember everything about it but it had vanilla ice cream with caramel over baked apples covered in brown sugar (it had a buttery taste too). I'm not a big fan of sweets, but this was really good. My friend basically ate the whole thing, but I did take a couple of bites, enough to tell me that it was a good dish. Since I don't enjoy overly sweet dishes, I would say that it could have used a few more apples for texture and sell brown sugar because that dish was just covered in layers of it. Overall, I would have to give the food a 3. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't above average either. My take on the 'lobster ravioli' is that it isn't worth $17. The 'Amaretto Apple Crispetti' was a good bang for your buck though, running for about $7.
(3)
Letizia C.
I've never been to Olive Garden so after coming here I don't expect to ever lower my standards when craving Italian cuisine. The atmosphere in the restaurant is lively and initimate and most definetly enpensive. I highly recommend the following: Appetizer - Tomato Bruschetta or Mozzarella Fritta as well as the Penne Rustica or Pollo Limone Rustica for lunch or dinner with a glass of Pinot Grigio. Whatever pair you choose from my suggestions, you will NEVER REGRET. I swear you'll leave this place wanting to come here again in the future and making sweet love to the one who brought you here - haha just kidding! Buon Appetito!
(5)
Aaron B.
if you like good italian food than this is the spot for you just good food!!!!!!!!!!!
(5)
Joana C.
So I'm a Yahoo reader. Thanks to the super health conscious nation that America has turned into, Yahoo displays an article almost everyday called "Eat This, Not That!" This article outs the fattiest, saltiest, unhealthiest food in America's restaurants. Oh, Romano's. I know about your overly salted platters, high in fat content appetizers, and your 2,000 calories cream sauce. Whether it's the appetizers, main course, or dessert, you have been listed. Congratulations for being one of the fattiest restaurants in America. Having said that, what's wrong with a little indulgence? As long as it's good, right? My two girlfriends took me out to eat here on my birthday last year. We were seated right away and ordered a couple dishes. Lobster ravioli, spinach artichoke dip, and 3 other dishes I seem to have forgotten. But that's not entirely important. I shiver at the mere thought of how much fatty content I put into my body that night. It couldn't have been that good anyway since I can't even seem to remember it. The only thing I really liked about this place was our super cute, super nerdy waiter and when I got serenaded. And for that, you have earned yourself 2 stars.
(2)
Julie A.
I think Macaroni Grill is the reason why I stopped going to chain restaurants. I've been here multiple times, usually with other people who want to eat at this establishment. The food just does not taste good. Don't know what else to say......It's just not that tasty. I'm just dumbfounded as to why this place is always crowded. Service is a hit and miss, depending on how busy they are. Also wanted to add that Macaroni Grill was rated as being the Saltiest Restaurant by MSN.com .
(2)
Sonae D.
Mediocre service for a Sunday night. Food was tasteless and not even well prepared for the price. Overcooked pasta and watery crab stuffed mushrooms. Should have followed my 1st thought and went to East Side Marios in Lakewood.
(1)
James S.
Wow what a disappointment. Macaroni Grill used to be a favorite place to eat but they have made such drastic changes to their menu that the food is just plain bad now. Tasteless, of poor quality, and just bad. On this visit the service was mediocre. Our server was good, but clearly overwhelmed. We finished our meal and still had appetizer and salad plates on the table. Never previewed and that includes the manager who delivered our food!! Waited a long time for everything including the check! Won't be visiting a Mac Grill again anytime soon.
(1)
Joshua T.
I don't know why the rating is low but my experience with this restaurant has always been positive, for the most part. In our recent visit, our server Richard was great, attentive and very accommodating for my Dad's diet restrictions and let us bring our own cake for my partner's birthday. Ambiance is great, food is delicious, and my brother who is very picky with his Yelp rating is pleasantly surprised with the service, and the food of course.
(5)
Paul F.
I'm not a huge fan of Macaroni Grill, but the in-laws like it, so when they are in town I indulge them. It's funny how the interior of every Macaroni Grill looks the same. I actually don't find the decor all that objectionable. In fact I much prefer it to say, Olive Garden. The food, just OK. I've not really found anything in the pasta or pizza department that impresses me (of course, nothing about their food strikes me as "real authentic" Italian). I do like being able to create my own pasta, I can at least have some things thrown in that make it somewhat palatable. The one thing I've found on their menu that they excel at making is the balsamic pork chops. The risotto that comes as a side is not too bad either. It is for this one entree alone that I am giving them 3 instead of 2 stars. The service is good, but nothing special. They bring you fresh bread (baked with rosemary) and keep the water glasses filled. I really don't care for their "peddling" of wine. The server always shoes up with some giant bottle of the house Chianti trying to get you to buy a bottle or carafe to go with your meal. It's really not that good either. While I wouldn't visit on my own, I can usually find something to eat here, and I much prefer it to Olive Garden.
(3)
Aaron D.
This is a franchise location. So don't go thinking unique, gourmet, exqusite, etc....on the same note - its not the walmart of food either. It can be quite tasty and the ambiance is fun. I think of this as a great place for a group of friends to go after evening church. As long as you know this - you can go here and have quite a good experience. The food is quite good. If you like Italian food and you enjoy comfort food then you will like Romano's Macaroni Grill. It's full of comfort food. I have had and enjoyed the mozzarella Fritti, the Calamari Fritti, and the Tomato Bruschetta. None of them are amazing, all three are quite good. Not the best - but consistently flavorful and yummy. I have never had good soup here. Don't waste your time. As for Salads the Mozzarella Alla Caprese is very good. The Insalata Blu is also quite tasty. The Caesar is good. The Shrimp Portofino is fantastic. As is the make your own pasta. Keep in mind that compared to their regular menu the make your own pasta can be expensive. The Lobster Ravioli is amazing. The Alfredo is a little better than average. For dessert - I recommend the Tiramisu. The house red wine is consistently of good quality. And its cheap. I find that they occasionally serve wine in cheap trashy glasses though. Which is strange compared to the ambiance. This is better than Olive garden - but still very chain like.
(3)
Mika J.
no wonder this place gets bad reviews. We came here on a Saturday night and the place was half empty (or half full) yet they still made us wait over 30 minutes for our table. Yes we are a party of 7 but why do we have to wait for the other large party to leave and use that table while there are plenty of tables you can put together? service was decent - she acted nice although we never got our bread refilled... probably due to the low turnover rate, the lettuce on my salad are all brown. errr, no wonder the lighting was so dim so that no one can see what's really on their plate@@ I still like macaroni grill in general, but probably won't come back to the one in this locaiton...
(2)
H Q.
I found this restaurant to be really cozy and clean. It smelled really good! I came here for lunch and there was no waiting. The service was really friendly and quick. I ordered the Chef's Trio Special. It came with a choice of salad, an entree and dessert. My choices were: a Caesar's Salad, Spaghetti w/ meatballs and chocolate cake. I love Caesar's Salads and I liked this one. The dressing wasn't too tart and the lettuce was crisp. I'm so used to making Spaghetti myself that I rarely order it when I go out, but I'm glad I did in this instance. The meat sauce was very tasty and it came with two giant meatballs. The cake was decadent. All in all a good experience. I didn't put my Art degree to use by drawing on the table because I was with good company. Which added to my enjoyment of the restaurant. Only thing that bothered me was the food came way too fast. I was only a few bites into my salad when my spaghetti came. The server did apologise for it when she brought it.
(4)
Tina A.
I've really enjoyed my dining experiences at this Macaroni Grill. All the times I've gone, the food's been great the service was exceptional. My two little sisters and I went a few weeks ago for one of their birthdays and the waiter really made it special. An opera singer came out and sang "Happy Birthday" in Italian and he held the last note until my sister blew out the candles (poor guy, we didn't know and just watched him hold that note until the waiter whispered in my sister's ear "blow out the candle") They gave my sister a big piece of chocolate cake (best birthday dessert from any restaurant thus far). They get 4 stars out of me for making my sister's 11th birthday special. Then again, this was a Wednesday night but I don't know what people expect from restaurants like this on a weekend. Either make reservations or go somewhere else!
(4)
Carla M.
We were headed to Olive Garden, but passed by this place and thought we would try this place out, something new. We were a little hesitant b/c we thought this place would only serve macaroni, haha. Before we could even grab for the door, 2 hosts both opened it and greeted us. We were seated right away at out table. Our waitress Michelle was attentive and patient throughout our whole time there. I felt like I was sitting outside, but we were really inside, ha. It was kool b/c they have these tables covered w/ white sheet of paper that you could write on. So I had to write stuff, haha what I write-" I'm gonna yelp you ", " I love you MJ", " inc was here ", and also " Thank you Michelle ". They give you complimentary bread w/olive oil as your dipping sauce.Our food came out real fast, I got the chicken marsala, b/c I wanted to taste the difference w/ the one at Olive Garden, I would have to say I like the one at Olive Garden better, hehe sorry. My beau got the chicken parmigana, which he thought was okay-but liked the one at Eastside Marios better. I would come back again b/c of the service and to try something new from the menu. Also this place reminded me of CPK b/c they have the kitchen where everyone can see instead of behind closed doors.
(3)
Marilee M.
Just spent some time reading the other reviews, and had to add one for my parents... My father called me furious on Saturday 9/24/11 after going for lunch to the Macaroni Grill Cerritos. He's been there several times before, and enjoyed it very much... NOT this time. He and my mother were sat, followed by 2 other couples. He watched very perplexed as the other 2 couples were greeted and served while he and my mother waited for nearly 30 minutes without a single word, before they finally walked out. He was very upset. After reading the other reviews, I had the same suspicion. My parents are older, not so stylishly dressed, and are a bi-racial couple; and I couldn't help but wonder if this was somewhat race and class driven. It was very saddening. It hurts my heart to think that in this day and age my parents might be discriminated against simply because they look different (their money still spends GREEN)!!! Thank-you for listening...
(1)
Gerry M.
The atmosphere is good to go on a date, and the service was good, the problem I had was that the food was to pricey for what they actually give you. The unlimited bread is a plus... But not a place Id recommend...
(3)
Paul H.
They could use more booth seating at this location. And the waiter forgot to bring us crayons! Unforgiveable. Had the Angus Beef strip steak with Calabrese potatoes -- not bad at all, though the Calbrese potatoes were a bit salty (though I admit I am salt-sensitive). I tasted their house (out of a jug) Chianti and it wasn't bad either, so I had a glass. I think my standards are slipping, since I'm not going out to very many high end restaurants these days. Something tells me a lot of people are doing the same thing. Heck even this place was empty on a Wed night, and I wouldn't call Macaroni Grill "high end." They have some new "small desserts" to share but we didn't try them. Oh well, there is a Trader Joe's 100 yards away so go wander around there after dinner.
(3)
Jesse V.
It was date night for my wife and I. We havent been out in a month. We were hoping for an enjoyable experience. Our food was really good, our server (Tiffany) left us with a bad taste in our mouths. We ordered our drinks and ceasar salads. It took 15 minutes to get our salad. She walked around the entire restuarant with a lost puppy dog look on her face. We had to ask for every single refill. Our food gets to our table 5 seconds after chewing our last bite of our very stingy ceasar salad (skip the salad). Our entrees were very good, chicken canelloni and pasta milano. Dessert was ok...apple crisp with vanilla ice cream, will probably order chocolate cake or sorbetto next time. Our server denied us having a great time on our rare nights out. We will avoid sitting in her section. I tipped her 15% just because Im a nice guy. Most people would have asked for a manager.
(2)
Mac F.
been awhile since i've eaten at RMG but since I was in the area over at the Cerritos Center we decided to give it a try... i start off by ordering the Mozzarella Alla Caprese for my salad like dish and the Penne Rustica for the main... the Mozzarella Alla Caprese was nearly tasteless... seriously hard to believe but the tomatos had no taste the mozz very little and the basil some... i think the EEVO and aged balsamic vinegar was non-existing and i had to dress the dish up with some salt and pepper to flavor it up... the Penne Rustica was the meal saver... good flavor and baked just right... i noticed RMG has changed the menu some since my last visit and was missing a few of my favorites... the save to the 3 star rating was the the service... the service was good......
(3)
Juliet S.
Loved the Goat Cheese Peppadew Peppers on the Tapas menu! And, the Chicken and Mushroom Cannelloni Entree was very good. But, sadly the table service was very slow and completely inept. This was a favorite restaurant but it has really changed--plenty of tables available when there used to be a wait! Management really needs to take a look at what is happening. Had to ask for bread numerous times. Server never asked for our drink order and then told us sorry for the wait but the tea was brewing--what?! We were drinking water. Bring back the Italian Nachos--Bella Napoli --super yummy! This is right across from Wood Ranch, where the food is always delicious and the service is excellent! We will go there instead.
(2)
Lillian H.
Came here years ago right when they just opened. All my friends were raving about this place about how good it is. So of course I have to try it out. Came for dinner, and the moment I walked in through the front door, there was this cheese odor that was just so strong, I thought for a minute someone had puked all over the place. Was about to leave, but I didn't want to play the "What if" game about the food. So I stayed just to try out the food. I ended up order this beef ravioli, my friends order chips from appetizer section, and another order fish. All three dishes were UNBELIEVABLY HORRIBLE. If I thought that smell inside the restaurant was going to make me sick, the food definitely did it. Since that first time I went, it's been about almost 10 years now, and for the last 10 years, I've sworn away from ALL Romano's Macaroni Grill. And till this very day, I intend to keep staying away.\
(1)
Randy D.
AVERAGE. its like an Italian cafe. very equal to Olive Garden. My last visit was a very below average experience. Food orders were not accurate. But effort to give good service is up there. Theres nothing that stands out on their menu. This restaurant just proves that chain restaurants are going to lure you in and also youre never going to get the same service all the time. its definitely just another OPTION. GO DUCKS!!!!!!!
(3)
danilo c.
Why are there so many bad reviews of this place? Our family comes here all the time whenever we celebrate something. They always give us the best freshly baked bread. Everything we've ordered always taste great. It won't disappoint.
(5)
Monica A.
We just had lunch here yesterday for my co-workers farewell lunch. There were seven of us and we seemed to be the only ones there.I guess it worked out for us since we had quick service and our waitress was really nice. However, the food is not very impressive.I can make any one of their pasta dishes at home with some real flavor for a fraction of the cost. The portions are smaller and $31 dollars for a bottle of Korbel Cchampagne,I don't think so.The ambience is still quite nice for a casual lunch or dineer but other than that ..not much for your taste buds or your wallet.restaurants are definately cutting their cost and jeopardizing the flavor.Their pasta dishes were just notices and sauce with no punch.I looked around the table and everyone's plate seemed just as bad.
(3)
Jay Y.
ok.. i've become a little more disappointed with this location every year. service here is slow and it seems to get worse with every year that goes by. i think it's because they hire too many highschool kids who really know nothing about customer service, waiting.. or the food business for that matter. if you're planning on going to this location on a holiday.. don't. valentines included. if you're planning on ordering take-out on a holiday (of any kind).. DEFINITELY DON'T. this past valentines.. my gf and i decided to just have a nice and quiet dinner at home with some take out. we decided Macaroni Grill would be nice since we haven't had it in a long while. so we place our phone order at 6:10pm.. the guy on the line taking our order says it will be ready in 30 minutes. we arrive at Macaroni Grill at 6:40pm to find it packed with valentine couples, families and so-forth. Macaroni Grill was understandably busy.. so i kind of already expected that there was a good chance my food might not be done JUST quite yet. we worm our way through the waiting crowd to find the counter for take-out. luckily at that time.. most of the crowd was waiting to be seated for dine-in. regardless.. we were waiting along side a half-dozen people who were wanting take-out as well. being the smart people that us "take-out" people were.. we all had phoned in ahead and were told to arrive within 30 minutes of placing our orders.. which we all had done. the staff behind the take-out counter were very inattentive. four or five staff members were just standing there.. looking at the computer screen and looking down at order forms.. trying to make themselves look busy. shuffling take-out bags around, checking and re-checking and checking the bags again to see if somehow, magically, the orders would appear inside. for about 15-20 minutes.. not once did they come over to acknowledge ANY of us. FINALLY.. after 20 minutes.. one of the gentlemen infront of me grabbed the attention of some highschool looking asian kid. i kind of felt bad because when they got his attention.. he looked scared and lost as if he was overwhelmed and intimidated by how busy his work had become. it kind of almost looked like it might had been his first day on the job too. but he ended up not being much help.. at that time, we had been standing there for about 40 minutes after the initial 30 minutes they told us over the phone. they were VERY unorganized, lacked common sense, and were totally lost as to how a restaurant should be run. it's as if they weren't even trained!! they were filling orders that had just been placed over the phone.. filling orders to other impatient take-out customers who had just walked through the front door and cut in line across the room just to avoid the wait and traffic.. none of us, the half-dozen or so people that had been waiting for over an hour.. had gotten our food yet. so an hour and a half goes by since we had arrived.. making it two hours since we placed our order. the guy infront of me had JUST gotten his take-out order after practically forcing a kid to get his order done. FINALLY.. i'm at the front. at that time two people in the back decided to leave and go get burgers from else where. i was very displeased, hungry, grumpy, pissed, peeved and every other ugly word in the english dictionary short of choking out the kid behind the counter and beating him with the oversized pizza paddle. i had given him my name and order number about an hour prior to that time.. and my order was still not done. he kept telling me the same thing "everything isn't done yet.. but i'll get it to you soon". at that time.. i had had it. i told him to call his manager over. his manager came.. i expressed my understanding that it was visibly busy due to valentines.. but i also expressed my displease and confusion as to how in the freaking world it can possibly take a restaurant 2 FUCKING HOURS to get me my take-out order done. the restaurant manager looked into it.. discovered two orders that had been sitting there for over an hour each (which by health department standards had now had to been thrown out cause they expired), and my order hasn't been completed when they're busy trying to complete orders that had just been made over the phone when i had been waiting there for two hours. needless to say.. the manager was PISSED. thank goodness he actually said something.. BUT.. it was also his fault too cause he wasn't more attentive to the situation. he should have known what was going on.. after all.. he IS the manager. in the end.. it took another 10 minutes for my order to be completed.. and the manager insisted that our $60 order was on him. so our valentines dinner was half-cold but free. so if you want a shot at free food.. place a take-out order here next valentines and see if you get as lucky as my gf and i did. never again.
(1)
SMP M.
This is the worst MG I have ever been to, I have been to Macaroni Grill before at other locations but never to the one at Cerritos. I was taking someone who had never been to any MG before and unfortunately, it ended u being a very disappointing experience. The issues we experienced are due to management of the restaurant. It was not busy at all but many tables had dishes left over from previous diners, which stayed that way during our meal. The service was beyond slow, it took over 30 min for our salads to arrive which then were brought at the same time as our entree. The lettuce on the salads was wilted as if it had been sitting out and they were drenched in dressing. Once we finished our salads we had to wait another 15 min for our entree's to come out, which had been sitting under the heat lamps. By this time, the food was not hot and my shrimp was rubbery. I know there are not many options in Cerritos but I recommend you go anywhere else if you want decent food and service. You will not get it here!!
(2)
Allie p.
I love this place! The new menu is great get the tapas (little appitizers) 2 for $9! Mmmm mac and cheese bites!
(5)
Ashley L.
Tonight I was dazzled with perfect, not over the top butt kissing, service from our bartender Jon. Delicious entree's, the penne rustica and the chicken scaloppini. Yum. It was a cold night with hot food that hit the spot. Quick, affordable, and casual.
(5)
Ai M.
Calamari as well as the tapenade trio are good. Eggplant parmesan wasn't tasty. I'd only get tiramisu from here. My parents are fans of the pollo limone rustica but I think its greasy and salty. When I called to order to go, they hung up on me before I could ask for the total (there was no apology when I called back).
(2)
Rona T.
Much like any other Macaroni Grill/ franchise-type Italian restaurant. Their service is always great, and this place is great for big groups (just as long as you tell them ahead of time). From birthdays to a quick bite to eat, this place is a good place to go to. Plus, their provision of crayons and white butcher paper to draw on is always fun to use.
(3)
Maria W.
One of my favorite restaurants for some time has been RMG, however I will not be going back. I know I am not a food critic, but I know a good food establishment when I see one. When you walk in, you have to pass the bar to your left to get to the hostess stand. Almost immediately I noticed liquor bottles on the glass shelves covered in dust, not to mention the shelves themselves; poor management..."if you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean". We waited for a while before anyone acknowledged our presence and showed us to our seats. When I opened the menu, I was shocked to see that all of their entrees now had the calorie count below each item; I mean this is Italian Food, if I wanted to shun calories, I wouldn't be here! What was more upsetting, and the main reason I will not be returning, is the change of recipe of my favorite dish...the mushroom ravioli. I asked the wait staff just how different it was and upon hearing the changes to the new dish, I ordered the lobster ravioli instead. The lobster was okay, but the sauce was watery and tasteless. My husband's pizza was burned as well. I am so sorry to have to cross this one off my favorites list, but while leaving I glanced across the parking lot to the Wood Ranch...at least there I am guaranteed to find stellar service and delicious food.
(1)
Eileen T.
I used to have an okay opinion of Macaroni Grill because the ambience is nice, the food was good, and you could draw on the table. The last time I went there, however, I now can completely recommend that people do NOT go to this particular branch. I went with two friends during a slow lunchtime. My friend accidentally spilled some water on the floor, and we spent a long time waiting for them to come and help clean it up. Our serving waiter wasn't around, but all the other waiters were just hanging around the serving island. One of the waiters even deliberately walked over the remaining puddle on the floor and did not do anything about it. When our waiter finally came by, he didn't do anything about the water until we pointed it out, as if he couldn't clearly see we had an accident. My friend was pretty pissed off over the negligence, and when our food finally came after an excruciating wait, it was lukewarm and kinda bland. My friend felt extreme indignant about the service and didn't want to leave a tip, but I convinced her that we should at the very least leave the change. Boy do I regret that. After we paid and walked out the door, our waiter came out and said very patronizingly, "Thanks for the huge tip." Then as we were driving away and passing the restaurant, the waiter was outside on a smoke break. He threw the change at our car, "I don't need this." Like really, that is so disrespectful. It's not like we ran out on you or didn't give you any tip. You are supposed to represent your establishment, and he definitely gave it a bad one.
(1)
Chantee Z.
Went to macaroni grill last night with a group of 13 before watching Ave Q at the performing arts center. Apparently my instinct to avoid Macaroni Grill until now had been right on. The waitress told us they were trying out a new Mediterranean theme. Okay; I like mediteranean. I ordered the warm spinach salad, which is described on the menu as having "toasted goat cheese". When it came out cheese free, I asked the waitress, and she explained that the barely visible dusting of what looked like parmesan was goat cheese. Hmm, I've never seen powdered goat cheese before. I tried one of the new Mediterranean dishes, the Grilled Chicken Speidini. I thought this would be a good option to keep my diet on track. The grilled chicken was very dry, and didn't have much of any flavor. The vegetables served with it were so over cooked that they'd turned to mush. Good thing I had a gift card, or I would have been even more peeved about paying for such a dissapointing dinner. It barely seems important because the food was so bad, but the waitress was pretty slow too.
(1)
raymond m.
I have to give this place a middle of the road rating. The food is just so inconsistent. One day I'll have a perfectly cooked pork chop meal, and the next time my steak tastes like gas. At least the bread is good all the time. If you like meat, try the pork chops. The chicken marsala is what my wife usually orders and it's quite good. try and go when there is not so many people inside. It makes a big difference as far as the quality of food. i guess that's how it works in every place.
(3)
Carrie C.
I used to like coming to this place, but more recently, the food has become worse and worse. Like alot of people say, it's inconsistent, but it's becoming consistently awful. I still like their calamari, more so for the sauce though, they serve it with a basil pesto aioli that I can just inhale. But lately I think the plate of calamari has gotten smaller and smaller. My dad the other day got the wedding soup, which was bland and full of gray vegetables and mushy meatballs. My mom got a create your own pasta plate, which came with 3 shrimp exactlys and an oily bowl of linguine. I got the lasagne....which I have gotten once before, and hated it, but I was craving lasagne that night and so I ordered it again...BIG MISTAKE. It has got to be the WORST lasagne EVER made....it's a huge pile of noodles, with meat. It's SUPERDRY, not too much cheese or tomato sauce. so it didn't help that they over baked it in the oven.....ARGH, I had to ask for extra tomato sauce to make it edible. Once I ordered linguine with bolognese sauce and it was AWFUL....it was more like awful spaghetti sauce that you can't even buy on a store shelf....I don't think I'll be coming back to Macaroni Grill anytime soon, if AT ALL..... argh...
(2)
Jen N.
another italian chain restaurant - good food, nice way to have a tablecloth - passes the time at least. pasta is better elsewhere, but i do like the olive oil, fresh cracked pepper and balsamic vinegar with bread....this place is average though, compared to the other ones ive been to...no soloist here, the night i was here at least.
(4)
Derek N.
Went here for our anniversary on Valentine's Day. Had reservation at 5:00pm, came at 5:15pm, seated within 5-10 minutes. The ambiance is very nice and serene. Our waitress was very attentive and always check up on us. Our calamari fritti appetizer was delicious! Came with regular marinara and this ranch that was very different but delicious, and it was big too. There was a mix up in the kitchen or something and our food came out a little late, even though we didn't noticed until the manager brought the food out to us himself and apologized. It was nice that he kind of squatted down to speak to us face to face rather than standing and making it seem like he's talking AT us. Little things like that are very appreciative and many "managers" should learn from that. He apologized for the wait and even took care of our desert. We had the raspberry sorbet with extra almond biscotti which was very yummy. Overall a very pleasant dinner experience with very respectable staff on top of a very enjoyable evening with my love.
(5)
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Address :12875 Towne Center Dr
Cerritos, CA, 90703
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Mikey Y.
Pretty standard food and service here. Came here a few months ago with a friend to use a coupon they had online via facebook (which was, at the time, valid at all locations). I will admit we showed up a little late but it wasn't near closing time. Hostess sat us promptly then we waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. Considering that it was an almost empty restaurant with 3 managers and about 6 servers on staff (I was a waiter for about 6 years of my life, I often have a keen eye on who's who and doing what), they weren't really doing their job. After approximately 20 minutes I got up and approached 2 managers+server standing around talking and asked them to assist as we were starving. Managers apologized profusely and quickly assisted by taking our orders. Drinks came out quickly, I had ordered a mojito which was pretty standard. Bread was hot and delicious (as usual; I will make note that my mom hates their bread because she hates rosemary). As an apology for slow service, we were granted a free appetizer (to their choosing which was the fried mac and cheese, given an A+, but I think just about everything free is given an A+, right?) I ordered that Pasta Milano which was pretty average. My usual go-to here is the make-your-own-pasta which is much better. My tip is that if you know what you like in pasta, you take this route, you're safer this way. Overall, they turned a bad experience into a better one. Next time, I don't want to see tables seated after us getting food before we even get to order. Even if it comes with a free small appetizer. I'll be back as I always am, it just isn't getting the 4th star this time around.
(3)Van M.
Had an early dinner (4pm on a Thursday), only a few couples were there eating. Service was spot on! Can't get any better and food was great. My spouse and I each had a glass of their house red wine. Was only $2.75 a glass and was pretty good. We then had their bread, which was plenty for the two of us. Had a lovely rosemary flavor. We ordered the Classic Italian Bake. We told the waitress we were going to share it. She was very kind to serve it in two separate dishes. It was excellent! Meatballs best I ever had and the Italian sausage, YUM! Had just enough kick to them. Rigatoni boiled to perfection & the sauce was very good. Overall experience was great. We'll be a return customer for sure.
(5)Angelic M.
Ordered food to go online and I specified the time and when I got there it wasn't ready I had to wait for 20 minutes.
(2)Kristin Leigh M.
My mum and I went here for dinner last week.. no complaints about the food or its quality (I did a create your own pasta and my mum had the eggplant parmesean)... bread was delicious, as always. Most disappointing ever was the SERVICE. We went on a Wednesday night around 7:30 p.m. There was our table, plus maybe four others that were full. Only one other was in our server's section. If you go there, AVOID Anthony's section, unless you want to spend OVER 1 1/2 hours for a 'quick' dinner. Not only did it take bloody ages to get water, we kept having to pester him for refills. Food was luke-warm when it was brought out. It took literally 27 minutes to get our bill. He was evasive and non-attentive. Avoid his section at all costs. Hate to see what he would be like on a busy night.
(2)Dennis N.
I am a very patient person... TRUST ME I AM!!!!! This Macaroni Grill really pushed me to the edge. Our meal ended up taking 1.5 hours... to put that into perspective, it was just the two of us, and we ate for 30 minutes... the rest of the time we dealt with : 1) 2 server shifts (which is annoying because it seemed to me that each server cared less and less) 2) having to ask for a refill on my drink twice and NOT getting it 3) having to flag down a server to get me the check 4) not getting my credit card back until I had to go ask for it The only thing that would've gotten this thing TWO stars... would've been the MOST AMAZING ITALIAN FOOD I've ever eaten... something along the lines of Alvaro al Circo Massimo in Rome... needless to say Macaroni Grill is not so good that it would warrant service so bad. For those wondering, I don't think I was as mad in real life as it appears I was in this review.
(1)Christina K.
Had a a date with some girlfriends here and it was great! Delicious Mac and cheese appetizer and salads. Lobster ravioli. Great service. Desmond was a fabulous waiter!!
(5)Alfredo G.
I just had lunch here and it was DELICIOUS! Went with the four course meal special that starts at $15. Our server was Lovely Lisa! Who was very attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. I had the spaghetti and meatballs and the Italian sausage skewer. I loved the flavor of the spaghetti and meatballs, very tasty! And the italian sausage skewers also came with steak which I ordered medium rare, very delicious! Overall I give this experience 5 stars! Great service, great food, and great hospitality! Come give it a shot.
(5)Jay R.
The food is great there.The people there are really sweet and the service is amazing.
(5)Brian G.
I've eaten at Macaroni grill before, because their food was good. But my visit to this location today was purely negative. The bread they bring out, with the oil is a big draw for me at this restaurant. However, our server only brought out oil, without vinegar; vinegar is critical for the good taste. By the time the server brought out the vinegar, the bread was gone. Our food took so long, that I lost my appetite waiting. Finally I had to cancel my order. Consider at the time, the restaurant was empty, so no excuse for being slammed. really subpar service. The food here is not good enough to mitigate subpar service. Go elsewhere!
(2)Mike J.
When here with my wife the other day and I have to say the service was amazing. Not once did my soda the empty without a new one on the table. Our server David was friendly and knowledgeable. I would recommend David and this restaurant to anybody.
(5)Janee S.
Its my birthday and everyone was on top of everything. Ive had so much fun tonight and the staff did an excellent job at making sure my friends and I enjoyed ourselves
(5)Whitney H.
Awesome service in the bar, Elyssa is very friendly and had great recommendations for appetizers and wine. Will definitely be coming back!
(5)Michelle G.
Uh.... No. Okay, you know things are off to a bad start when you're seated in the waiting area and see a cockroach on the counter RIGHT by the kitchen. It was crawling around and sh!t! I would have definitely walked out of there had it been just me and my family. But, I was there with my dad, my cousin who was in from out of state and ready to leave in 2 hours. I made sure to point out the sight to other would be customers. ACK! We were seated, I was deeply uneasy about eating a meal here. The waiter was very pleasant and attentive, no complaints there for me. BUT!! BUUUUT... we had ourselves a dirty fork. I don't mean a little, I do mean dirty. It still had the other customers meal on two prongs. GROSS!! The food was unremarkable at best. I ordered the lobster ravioli, husband ordered some seafood dish. Good news, we didn't get food poisoning. Macaroni Grill, you were cool once... but you've completely lost me. It astounds me that you're operative under these vile conditions. So dear yelpers... save yourselves and skip this location.
(1)Jenny W.
Great service, Lisa was our server: super friendly! great food! Special 4 course meal for $15, and was able to share and still be full(: definitely coming back(:
(5)paul p.
Have been coming here for a while now and am never disappointed. Tried a newer dish with butternut squash and it was great!! Alex was very helpful and knew the menu perfectly! Hope to be back soon!!!
(5)Riaz S.
Good service but below average food. The lobster ravioli was inedible. The dish cost $18 but it tasted like a frozen entrée. The shrimp pasta same issue it just tasted like it came from freezer to then reheated by the cook. This night was an off night. I hope you get better.
(2)evelyn n.
Awesome service, and awesome ambience! I came here for my birthday and I'm so glad I did! Perry was great and totally sang happy birthday in Italian all by himself because "all the opera singers were out sick today" hahahah. What a great day :) thanks Perry from macaroni grill!
(5)Crystal R.
its Romano, americanized italian food chain. constantly changing the menu and all over the place, the appetizers are all over 800 calories!! and the entree options are not convincing. I prefer a mom a pop.
(2)J C.
We had a great meal last night! I had the Shrimp Portofino and it had huge shrimp and fresh spinach in it. My husband had the Chicken Cannelloni and was very happy. It was baked and came out piping hot. We sat in the bar because the World Series was on. Great service by our favorite bartender, Darlene.
(4)Jeanette H.
Great food, good service (in the end lol)! Haven't been to this place in years but came in to take advantage of the Tapas deal they have going on. We had a pleasant time there and the thought the food was great! We tried the Bruschetta Crostini and the Crispy Asparagus Potato Cakes for our appetizers. We loved the Bruschetta, very tasty, but not so much the cakes, they lacked flavor. We ate 2 loafs of their bread (so worth the carbs lol), soaked in their EVOO, vinegar & freshly ground pepper (drooling ). They were freshly made and we couldn't get enough of it lol. Wish I could of ordered one to go! He also took advantage of the HH $3 house wine but we didn't like it. I'd like to try the $3 Chianti next time. Since the deal consists of 2 tapas and 2 entrees for $25 we ordered our own meals since normally we would share when ordering appetizers. We hardly made it half way through our meals! So full lol. I had the Carbonara and my bf had the Shrimp Portofino. Both considered upgrades & cost $3 more each. I loved my pasta! Anytime you add an over easy egg to a meal I'm in heaven lol. Excited to eat my leftovers for dinner! My only change for this next time is to make it less spicy for me. Not sure what makes it spicy? My bf said his food was filled with "buttery goodness" lol and I have to agree. It was very good. It had angel hair pasta with spinach and tender large shrimp all mixed in a butter, cream sauce and Portofino mushrooms. Perfect combo. He had to take his home for lunch today too lol. We finished our night with a decaf (for me) and a cappuccino (for him). We were so stuffed we needed it lol. Our service was slow at first (we sat at a booth by the bar) but once our waitress (AKA the bartender) helped us it got better and quicker. The food comes quick once you order it! The deal ends on April 22nd and we plan on going back before then!
(3)Iris L.
Service: 4 Stars Food: 2 Stars Overall Experience: 3 Stars I came to this location maybe 6 years ago and all I could remember was the lobster macaroni. So after hyping it up to my boyfriend, we agreed to go this past weekend. We went on a Saturday evening around 8 pm and it was not busy at all. We were greeted with a smile and the staff accommodated us on their outdoor seating. Our waitress was very pleasant and came around occasionally to make sure we were doing okay. Of course I ordered the lobster ravioli, which I don't recall spending $18 on 5 pieces of lobster filled ravioli and rubbery pieces of lobster on top. The lobster served on top of the ravioli must have been cooked way earlier in the morning and had been sitting under a heat lamp throughout the day. I could hardly chew through it and ended up rinsing it down with water. My boyfriend ordered a thin crust pizza, half margherita half sausage, and the entire center was soggy. Unacceptable! Thin crust pizza should not have a droopy center that is mushy, are you freaking kidding me? I don't know if it was an off night for the chefs but I will probably never be back, which is too bad because service was great. A hostess was even going around asking guests if they wanted her to sing them opera. The best part of the meal? The free bread. Warm and crispy rosemary bread dipped in an olive oil and balsamic vinegar combination with freshly cracked black pepper. Yum
(3)Moonie S.
I used to like the Macaroni Grill. What can I say: I like pasta. The Spaghetti Factory is not located near my house and Olive Garden is just gross. But I WILL NOT GO TO THIS MACARONI GRILL EVER AGAIN. The last time I was there we had to wait over an hour and a half for our food. The restaurant was not busy, so I assumed there were complications with the preparation of our meal. That's understandable. We are nice people. Mistakes happen. We move on. The manager and our server apologized for the wait and we didn't mind. When the food did come out, we were excited. We do love pasta. One of our meals was burnt and the other meals were cold. And instead of recooking another plate, the Macaroni Grill JUST LOADED EXTRA VEGETABLES ON TOP OF THE BURNT CHICKEN to hide the fact that the chicken was blacken. You really cannot hide the taste of burnt chicken. I am not sure what had happened in the kitchen but I did not appreciate the LIES and DECEPTION. Once again, mistakes happen. All the staff needed to do was explain the situation, maybe offer an appetizer or bring more bread to relieve the wait time. I just felt that the cooks and the restaurant should have been honest about the entire situation and should not try to cover up their mistakes. The waiter tried to resolve the situation. He said he would make them reheat the plates and offered us another meal in place of the burnt chicken. He said he wouldn't charge us for that one meal. However, all five meals were in the bill and at that point, the damage was done and this branch just lost one of their most loyal customers.
(1)Rod G.
As always, I found the food to all be well prepared and nicely seasoned. For that I would be willing to give a five on this review ... however: Last night it was cool outside and we were seated by a door to the patio that was used frequently and we were hit with a cold blast of air every time the door was opened. Our bread, salads and wine were served promptly. After we'd finished our salads, another waiter came to our table to ask if we'd received our salads. We assured her that yes we had and had already finished them. Another waiter came by shortly after that and tried to deliver two more salads. We told him we'd already received and finished our salads so he took these back to the kitchen. Then a waiter tried to present a bowl of soup to me which I had not ordered. Sadly that was the last of the fast (though somewhat confused) service for the evening. I believe our ticket was lost as it was an hour before our main course arrived. We said nothing but the waiter must have told the manager about the long delay from the kitchen so the manager stopped by our table and said the entire meal including a desert would be on the house. We finished our main course and ordered our desert. It took 15 minutes for the desert to make it to our table. Due to the extremely slow service, we were now running out of time to make it to the performing arts center on time so we asked for to-go boxes for our deserts. We waited for more about 10 minutes for the to-go boxes before we got up to go to the front desk and ask again for the to-go boxes. Great food. Very generous manager. Terribly lacking in table service. I might add, as an afterthought, that though the lobster ravioli was nicely prepared and plated, at a charge of $18, I expected more than five 2" filled ravioli squares. It looked to be more like an $8 appetizer.
(3)Tony V.
Okay first of all. This isn't a five-star restaurant. It's a 2.5-star restaurant and it's a chain. Not a good chain either. If you think this is a good chain, you obviously haven't been to Il Fornaio, and you're probably not Italian. In any case, I've been to this location 60+ times in the past two years because I work nearby and frankly most of the food around the area sucks. I ordered the lasagna. What annoyed me about this particular occasion was not the fact that my waiter went out of his way to constantly refer to me in grating terms of endearment, but that when I replied honestly that the lasagna was "so so" he wouldn't stop praising the dish. He said, "Everyone loves it. This is a favorite of everyone." And he seemed almost mad and adamant about it, as if telling me that other people have X opinion about a certain food dish would make my taste buds feel the same way. I'm sorry but taste doesn't work that way! I don't care how many people like that shit, it's not good. It's just not fresh frankly. I cannot tell if it was the dried out ricotta, the fact that the dish was clearly made a long time ago and heated up, the acidic tomatoes that weren't vine-ripened, the disgusting pasta base they insist on using in all their pastas, the flavorless beef or if it was the lack of authentic Italian Mozzarella. Probably all of those. It just didn't taste fresh; the layered ingredients were dry as though refrigerated a long time. It wasn't the worst thing I've ever had in Cerritos, but it was "meh" and I'm used to eating homemade lasagna at places like Cucina Enoteca in Irvine or homemade lasagna made from scratch at my mom's house. But I did not really mind that the food sucked. What I found annoying is that the waiter wouldn't even allow me not to enjoy it, and demanded to know that "Everything was good," even after I indicated that the food was clearly not that great, and it was obvious I couldn't stomach the whole thing. I've had it up to here (I'm pointing to my forehead) with waiters insisting that shitty food is wonderful and you're not allowed to hate it. If it sucks, at least allow me to own my own opinion about it. No amount of telling me that *everyone* loves something will make me love it, since obviously not everyone loves the lasagna.
(2)B B.
Had the new stuffed clam appetizer. Very tasty. Perfect for sharing. But don't forget to ask for a spoon. Trust me on this one.
(4)Kris B.
If you like matzo, then you'll love this pizza! I however prefer my pizza a little softer and more flavorful. I was warned the Margarita pizza was bland, but I thought - maybe it was just missing sausage! Unfortunately, I guess I just don't like the extra crispy, cracker style pizza with minimalist toppings. I'm giving an extra star for the delicious free bread they give you with olive oil and basalmic vinegar and for the extra great service from our waiter. But overall, I think it was on the expensive side for what you get.
(2)Bella B.
it was ok. the first time I went they forgot the chicken in my pasta...it was also extremely garlicky. this time I got the lobster ravioli...it wasnt amazing or anything...just ok. service is always good though and I enjoyed dessert. Overall just OK.
(3)Josh A.
Ugh Worst Macaroni Grill I've ever been to!! My fiancé, daughter and I stopped in for lunch on a Thursday. Bad idea. The entire wait staff looked flustered. There were 4 servers and only 9 tables sat and they still couldn't keep up. We ordered calamari for an appetizer, salads and an entree. The mediocre calamari took 30 minutes, salad another 20. I have currently been sitting at this table for 1 hr and 15 mins and still haven't received my entree!!!! WTF people?!?!?? I only gave it 2 stars because the food wasn't bad. Otherwise it would have been 1 star. I run a restaurant and would fire everyone if this was my staff. This place needs Restaurant: Impossible!!!!! Will NOT be returning to this location.
(2)Betancourt E.
I love this place, the staff is great and very attentive. This place is way better than Olive Garden. The food is very flavorful and they have a variety of choices. I also love their desserts.
(5)Matt K.
You get to make your own pasta! I thought that was pretty cool, its also why I wanted to try this place out. I've always had a dream of becoming an iron chef, a culinary force, to create culinary masterpieces. But this dream keeps dying when I get grossed out looking at live meat. I think a chef must have that quality that lets him stomach the gross raw meats in front of him, which I dont have. So instead I come to places like macaroni grill to pretend I do. Well I dont know if it was how I built my pasta or the ingredient, but my pasta was average, meh, nothing special, dull. Something about this pasta was not fresh, zesty, nothing poped out at me and slapped me in the face like I like my food to do. #Disappointed.
(3)Sarah C.
This place should close. A large group of us and the only edible thing was my MAKE YOUR OWN pasta. Overall the chicken parmesan was inedible, the appetizer felt like it was nuked in the microwave. Even the waiter was bashing the brand, saying that there is no room for putting flare their food.
(2)Phil T.
I normally would not eat at macaroni grill or any other corporate type of restaurant but I was invited to a birthday dinner here so I figured what the hell. I spent some time reviewing the menu online to determine what to order. I had the chicken spedini and a side green salad. Food was ok. nothing great. Place was pretty packed for a Saturday night. Service was questionable. When time to leave the waiter disappeared, so took awhile to get the check. Like most corporate restaurants food quality and ingredients are not the focus, the priority is profits. I know a few places that have much better and authentic Italian food.
(2)Anna C.
my husband and i came in for dinner at 630pm on friday night. we just recently discovered how awesome their happy hour is, and were so stoked when we arrived (as it didn't look too crowded). unfortunately, there were only bar seats available, and of course, there was only one open seat. we asked if we could sit on the patio, and the bartender said no. (???) okay, it's friday night...a customer wants to sit at the bar, and resorts to patio seating, and you say no?? as my husband talks me into leaving, he says he's just going to let the manager know that this is ridicoulous....it's friday night. it's happy hour, and your turning away customers. the sweet manager quickly apologized and asked if he could seat us right away at a table (in the restaurant) and still honor happy hour pricing. :) of course, i say! :) friends later came to join us, and our sweet waitress also extended our happy hour pricing to them :) thanks macaroni grill! you sure know how to keep us coming back!! :)
(5)Lee L.
This is decent Italian fare. It doesn't have a lot of flare, but it is pretty solid. I'm not an authority on the authenticity of Italian food, but my friend's parents took some friends visiting from Italy here, and they thought it was pretty authentic. This place is pretty crowded, and you'll most likely have to wait a bit on the weekend for dinner unless you make reservations. Waiters carrying trays were bouncing around the place like ping pong balls- two of them almost crashed into each other right by our table. Good thing they didn't spill hot soup on me or they would have gotten negative stars. As a result of the craziness, the service was very slow. As a big, successful chain, you'd think they'd be able to hire more workers. However, they did remember to take some time to embarrass my friend with a birthday song in Italian and a slice of chocolate cake so service wasn't a complete downer.
(4)John G.
Worst experience ever called in 20min ahead to reserve seats and still waited 1hr to be seated, waited another hour for our food and 30 min for deseret, food mediocre at best. Not worth it.
(1)Audrey L.
I'm sad they have made all their portions and ingredients healthy. We went here before our hs 9th grade winter formal. it was fun, food was greasy, they played the italian dictionary in the bathroom and crayons were everywhere! now its turned into kinda like a family restaurant. not as special, food's kinda like olive garden. i miss their large baked lasagna. it prolly had 1500 calories but now they give you this dinky slice. at least the italian dictionary still plays in the bathroom. its fashionable to serve healthy but it's definitely not the romano's macaroni grill i loved. Would I go back? No, I'm too nostalgic to visit again.
(3)Vu C.
Shouda went to Olive Garden.
(2)Kim V.
I came here with my mom about a month ago and we had a great lunch, the food was good, and we received really good service. After such a great experience, I want to bring my boyfriend here for a late lunch. Unfortunately we didn't get the same service as I had before. The restaurant wasn't busy so I was a little irritated when no one came to our table to offer us some water or at least introduce themselves. We sat there for fifteen minutes, with no one approaching us while the four other tables of people who arrived after us got their full attention. We didn't want to waste our time where the service was this bad so we took off. The only reason I gave it two stars was for my previous dining experience, because otherwise I would have wanted to give them a 0.
(2)Shawn P.
The service is amazing. This restaurant lives off the friendly atmosphere. However if you're looking for an awesome dinner, look elsewhere to a better restaurant that actually devotes their time to cooking their pasta. 1. The pasta de mare came out WAY undercooked BY one of the chefs! The nerve! He probably botched it and just threw it on us. 2. The Penne Rustica was WAY too salty. If I finished the whole thing I'd probably have kidney stone for weeks. 3. The Mushroom ravioli was revolting with its bland flavors. If I wanted this subpar dinner, I could've stayed home and saved my $100.00 If anything, stay away from this restaurant so it could fail and another GOOD Restaurant can come in.
(2)Cesar G.
Came for dinner on a Monday night, no wait for a table. Tapas menu was nice and not expensive. Starter bread was delicious. Ordered the house wine and received a very generous pour. Bottle was left on our table in case we wanted to pour some more. They charge on a "honor system", wow. All the food was great, and the birthday boy in my group got a free desert. We'll definitely be back!
(4)D L.
I'm loving their lunch specials. For around 10-12 dollars for a good meal, I almost feel like there's no point going to the nearby fast food restaurants with their $7 burger combos. For just a few extra bucks, you get a nice sit down italian place. The setting with it's false stone wall makes you feel like you're sitting in a underground dining hall of a wine celler in the foothills of Tuscany. The dim lighting with bits of sunlight peeking through gives you the feel of being inside on a nice italian sunny day. The pasta is very al dente, with a nice creamy sauce that makes you taste a orgasm at the mouth as you feel the noodles on the inside of your mouth. It's something you want to take an extra long lunch break to enjoy your nooner as you slowly thrust each savory bite into your mouth. I like how the water is served to you in a glass soda bottle. It makes it feel like it's some natural spring water that a poor castle servant has painstakingly hiked to the top of the Italian Alps and run down the mountain carrying this precious liquid as fast as he could to present it to you at it's freshest and cool to your lips. They have an intersting promotion. It's sort of weird.. at the end of the meal they'll give you this scratcher card, but tell you it's void unless it's opened by a manager of a different Macaroni Grill on your next visit. It's kinda odd, makes me feel like there's like some secret treasure in there.
(4)Dennis P.
Since I had a gift card for Macaroni Grill, my mom and I decided to come here for lunch. As Paul F. mentioned, the interior of every Macaroni Grill looks the same, no matter where you go. I could never understand why you have to go through two sets of double doors, but...whatever. After we were seated, we waited for what seemed like an eternity before our server, Romy, came to our table to take our order. I've always been impressed how every Macaroni Grill server can write his/her name on the butcher paper on the table upside down (looks right side up to us), using the crayons provided. I had the fettuccine Alfredo without meat (meat costs $4.00 extra) and my mom had the soup and half sandwich combo. Soup of the day was sausage and kale. Her sandwich was turkey with cheese, bacon and tomato and pressed together panini style. Fortunately, Mom enjoyed her meal. I thought mine wasn't all that special. I couldn't finish it so I ended up taking the rest home. Service was friendly and attentive once Romy arrived at our table to take our order. We had barely eaten three bites before he came around to see if everything was all right. If I had to choose between Macaroni Grill and Olive Garden, I'd have to say that I prefer Olive Garden. But, at least Mom enjoyed her meal. Otherwise, I'd never hear the end of it! :-p
(3)Quinlan F.
What makes a chain restaurant fail at serving good food? It's not that all Macaroni Grill food taste nasty... Its not the poor restaurant interior design that make it hard to accommodate any groups of 5 or more... It's not even the awkward and clumsy servers they recruited from the band room at the local high school. Over the years I've crashed and burned at ordering anything good at Romano's time and time again. Until I figured out "THE TRICK OF THE CHAIN RESTAURANTS!'. It all started back in 2001 with Lasagne-gross 2002 chicken parmesan- ew 2003 cannelloni-disgusting 2004 chicken marsala- p.u. 2005 anything with noodles-yuck 2006 appetizer sampler- over fried with a side of heartburn Then it happened 2007- hmm, they're advertising lobster ravioli, i'll try that- very good 2008 pizzas-I've had better, maybe i should've stuck to the plan and ordered lobster ravioli or what ever they were advertising on page 2 of the menu. 2009- they're advertising penne rustica- good Finally, I figured it out! The trick with this restaurant is to find the one or two things on the menu that does not make you regret going, and NEVER trying to order anything different. The meal they advertised on page 2 of the menu was the only good thing so......I'll just order that every time. It's all about the meal advertised on page 2 of the menu
(3)Amy P.
3.5 stars Attended a PaintNite event at Romano's Macaroni Grill last week. The event was tucked in it's own area with about 40-50 seats available. The seating was a little too close to one another so it was difficult with all the painting supplies PLUS our food and wine. We had a designated server for our area, although there should have been two. It was hard to request anything since we were sitting way in the back and he had to assist everyone else present as well. Our server made up a "$15 all you can eat selected appetizer, pizza and wine" deal. Our party of 4 all participated, but soon realized we didn't have much time to eat while painting and it was difficult trying to order more with only 1 server around. We ordered (to share) the bruschetta, baked mozzarella fonduta, fried mac & cheese bites, half pepperoni/half margherita pizza, and a glass of chardonnay each. I did enjoy the crust of the pizza along with the drip provided. Parking was easy to find. Located near Trader Joe's and almost right off the freeway.
(3)Jenn L.
So much fun Loved how local it was and that fact that the instructor didn't rush us. She provided simple instructions but also encouraged us to paint as we like. I will definitely be doing this one again Ps. We get an actual canvas to paint on, unlike other places!
(4)Mary Jane C.
I've always had a love-hate relationship with every Macaroni Grill I've gone to. This was the first time that the server, instead of just putting olive oil on our plates--put some fresh crushed black pepper on it first. This small step, made the olive oil THAT more delicious. I, personally, am usually an olive oil + balsamic girl, but the pepper was enough a substitute to satiate my palate. I tried their bibb and blue side salad for the first time, and was rather pleased--there were little bacon bits in it that gave the salad a special crunch. The walnuts seemed a little out of place, but I still enjoyed the overall salad. I ordered the chicken scalloppine--now, from my understanding, their meat is in smaller pieces probably to cook faster--can someone explain to me why our food took sooo long to get to the table? I don't get it. It probably took 30 minutes for everyone's food to come out, and my nephews even only had plain mac and cheese... so what is the hold up? Overall, the meal was okay, their capers are way too strong (they could do with a blanching), and could use more than a measly two pieces of artichokes. At the end of the day.. the only reason I come here, is because my nephews like their mac n cheese. I can love it, or hate it, depending on whats in front of me.
(3)Maria B.
No gluten- free menu!! I was a bit disappointed but ordered the salmon with veggies and potatoes instead of the pasta and it was perfect. Love this place.
(4)Krishna C.
Our go to Italian restaurant. This was the reason why we even chose to dine at Macaroni Grill when we were in Ft Myers, Florida. Pros: 1) Love their bread that they give to munch on 2) I usually get their Veal, or Chicken Parmesan by itself or their Mamas Trio. Mama's trio is the best value as you can try out all three items. Works for gluttons like me. 3) Alcohol is decent. 4) Waitstaff is pretty attentive. We are always amused when waitresses write their name facing us on the table cloth! Cons: Nothing we could think of.
(5)Alana T.
Jabryhl, the manager and Josh our server treated us like royalty!! We love this place, ordering the flat bread, that was excellent, but I preferred the pizza style vs. flatbread. Although the happy hour pizza was not on the menu, the manager upon my request took care of asking the chef to make us a special pizza shape. The house wine was fabulous and the kindness that we were given from the two servers we had Josh and then Javier was wonderful, giving us a reason to go back there for their great food, delicious happy hour specials and super service!! Thank you to Jabryhl, Josh & Javier from those 2 cute dark haired gals sitting at the end of the bar. ;-) We'll be back!!!
(5)Courtney N.
MY GO TO PASTA PLACE!!! LOVE EVERYONE THAT WORKS HERE! Super friendly staff that meets all my needs. I have celebrated so many things here. From my birthday to my friends birthday to going away parties and they always have such a large table ready for me. I especially love their new quick lunch and dinner menu. I always get coupons for them on my e-mail since I go to them so often. So quick with their service and so nice. The interior is definitely a place for a romantic dinner with a date or just a catch up dinner with some friends. It's even better when it is next to the towne center where you can walk around and maybe shop a little or maybe even catch a movie. I especially love that they quickly seat you. I recommend this place as the place to take your family, friends and dates.
(5)David T.
The meals here are great! We always sit in the bar, and the bartender really takes care of us. My favorite is the steak, rare!
(5)Rishi P.
Always liked this spot. Never had a bad dish or bad service. There used to be a lot more but this location has been a staple in Cerritos. Good place for a birthday, graduation or even just sit down dinner with friends spot. If you're in the mood for pasta you should give macaroni grill a try!
(4)Steven M.
I originally ordered the pork chop in a wine reduction sauce and I have to say teh sauce, veggies were perfect! Teh sauce was super yummy! However, the pork chop was dry and over cooked so I sent it back (reluctantly) and traded it for some seafood pasta which was really good. I don't judge a place for making mistakes...it is how they handle those mistakes that makes or breaks it for me. Our service was wonderful and overall the food was delicious. A tad pricey, but, that is expected of this place for me...it is a date night restaurant!
(4)Kelly V.
Food was great and was made on time and super fresh! I came in around lunch time and even though it was busy, I was greeted right away. Customer service was great from everyone but Cassandra was awesome! She was welcoming and in a super great mood, which changed my mood from Ehhhh to great :) I will definitely be coming back.
(5)Rose C.
The service that I experienced here was truly exceptional. However, the food was pretty subpar which lowered my overall review. I came for a friends big baby shower party. We got a reserved area of the restaurant and the staff was quite helpful in helping us put up a couple decorations. All the tables were set beautifully and we had plenty of space for all 50 guests. People trickled in at different times but every time someone walked in, a server was there to take their drink order which was nice. When everyone was seated and all settled in, we were given sheets of paper with salad and entree choices. We were instructed to choose what we wanted and use a crayon to circle it. However when the waiters came by, they didn't collect the papers. They just wrote what we wanted down. What was the point of the crayons...? Anyway, as we waited, drinks and bread were passed around. The bread was moist and fragrant and there was plenty to go around. My friend and I ordered sprite and on first sip it tasted horrendous. Turns out the machine ran out and we just got some watery bubbly crap. But it was quickly replaced and tasted much better the second time around. The food came out about 15 minutes later with a salad that preceded it. The salad was pretty delicious. I enjoyed it thoroughly. The pasta I had was dry and the shrimp had no flavor. I didn't finish it. Later, the servers helped pass out cake and cupcakes which we brought ourselves. They also packed all our food for us. So, if you want to host a party here--go ahead. But the food isn't the greatest. You will, however, have great service I'm sure.
(3)Ahmad J.
Ramano's Macaroni Grill has become our de-facto choice for hosting a business lunch as it is at a quick walking distance form office. I've been here many times and have tried a lot of stuff off their menu. Romano's is located in the Towner Center mall in Cerritos so location and accessibility is straightforward and parking is plentiful. At peak lunch hour the place is buzzing but not packed and I have never had to wait for a table. Service is sketchy and is dependent on your server. You have a 50% chance of getting one of the nicer ones as half the servers here have a bad attitude and seem to hate what they are doing and the other half seem to absolutely love their job. This situation is unique to this restaurants and I've not experienced such behavior at other places. Service however is fast and as soon as you sit they will push the house special wine on you and then get you started on water and drinks. Half the servers here don't like to explain the specials in detail so make sure to ask. They have a three course tasting menu for lunch which includes a Caesars Salad one appetizer and one pasta for about $10 which is a good deal, but for some reason most servers will push you onto the a-la-carte menu along with their crappy house wines. I've had a lot of items from their menu but can't remember more than a handful that I've listed below: Stuffed Mushroom Appetizer ($8.5): These are mushrooms with some filling inside. Very tasty. Mushroom Ravioli ($13.5): Standard ravioli with mushroom filling. Unfortunately not as good as the stuffed mushrooms appetizer. Slimy and tasteless. A complete avoid. Grilled Salmon ($18.5) - This is standard grilled salmon steak. Its average at best. Thankfully it is not overcooked but it lacks consistency. some outer sections are hard and crumbly while other sections are nicely done. This comes with some rice concoction on the side whose name I do not know - just that is it to die for. Really good. It completely overshadows the weak fish and carries the dish over the finish line. I wouldn't mind having a full service of just that. Calabrese Steak ($21) - Simple sirloin steak with vegetables and potatoes. I can't eat rare steak, the best that I can manage is medium. Most places even high end ones cant manage to do a proper medium steak. Either they keep it too rare which means I can't eat it or cook the hell out of it which means there is no taste of beef at all. Here they do it just right for my taste (for most it will be a bit on the done side so if you are looking for medium rare let them know). I've eaten this dish three times and all three times it has been made perfect. The vegetables and potatoes are also great. A very enjoyable meal. Tiramisu ($5.5) - I like my tiramisu the old fashioned way. Layers of lady fingers dipped in espresso and mascarpone cheese. This is a modern twist with the lady fingers outside so did not dig it. A couple of recommendations based on my experience of dining here. First, if you have iced tea ask for strong else you will get some really diluted crap. if they give you diluted stuff send it back. The servers with the bad attitude will roll their eyes and say yeah we'll brew some more for you "specially". Smile and say that's fine it's your job. Second, ask them to cut the bread that they give on the table into six slices. They tend to give you like a whole round bread that shatters into a million pieces when you try to cut it by hand or a butter knife. Let them do this for you. You will again get some attitude, but just smile and insist on it. Third, you can add a fresh or Caesars salad to most entrees for $3 which is a good deal. Price wise like all other sit down Italian places entrees are in the $15 range so a lunch will run you about $30 with drink, tax and gratuity. Overall I like this place but I'm not gung ho about it, no wonder I've never come back for a personal meal.
(3)Nia L.
I'm trying to call and make a reservation; however no one answers the phone!!! I've called 4 times and waited "on hold" 5 minutes each!!! This is ridiculous!
(1)Eddie H.
Great service, and great food! I ordered the "create your own pasta" and the chef put the right amounts of ingredients together! They always made sure our wine glasses were full! This Macaroni Grill is fantastic!
(4)Israel A.
I went to this Macaroni Grill for dinner last Sunday evening with a friend. For starters it was weird that it was kinda empty. They start you off with some Rosemary bread and olive oil. That's always delicious!! They also offered some wine tasting which was good too. I ordered the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. That's when it went downhill. The fettuccine was dry, hardly any Alfredo sauce. The chicken didn't have any flavor either. Overall not a good eating experience. The only thing I would say is that the service was excellent!! Very attentive and nice. Unfortunately you can't eat the service. I don't think I'll be back soon.
(2)Dee R.
I hate this place and I will explain why. About six months or so ago my family and I came here and my sister had a fly in her salad. We more or less thought the food sucked so we wrote this place off our list. Fast forward to Sunday and my dad says he wants a bowl of pasta so we decide to give this place one last try and it still stunk. My sister ordered the create your own pasta and ended up paying $16 for spaghetti and meatballs. She was passing everyone her meatballs which meant she did not like them and she said the sauce was extremely greasy. All of our pasta bowls had grease rings around the edge so the sauce IS way too oily. Yuck! Our server was busy even though the place was nearly empty on a Sunday afternoon except for two other tables so a man came and took our orders. They forgot all four of our salads so we skipped those and nothing else was impressive. Also, the glass the waitress brought for the wine had caked on sauce on it and she didn't even notice. And who pours wine into a regular soda glass?!? Helloooo!!! We spoke to a manager at the end of our meal to let him know of our issues and to say that despite the salad mix up we liked our waiter and he had a MAJOR attitude and was rude. One last thing: we ordered a to-go 7 minutes or less or it's free meal and it took almost 13 minutes to come out and they did not care or refund us. Don't make promises you can't keep!!! Ugh.
(1)Sophie N.
My friend has been craving Macaroni Grill for quite some time, so we decided to have dinner here. The server was nice and attentive. The tables have big white papers on them and color crayons for diners to write or draw on. I thought that was a nice touch. On the seat, though, there were bead/food crumbs all over it. I guess they fell off the table while cleaning or there was a kid before us making a mess and they didn't notice. We had the Mac and cheese bites and truffle (cheese) dip. That was good. The meatball appetizer was just average. For entree, I ordered lobster ravioli and it came out half warm half cool. There were lobster shells still present in at least 3 of the ravioli. And the taste was off. I could barely stand my meal. My friend ordered the Classic Italian Bake with meatball, sausage, and tomato sauce rigatoni. The meatball was the highlight of this dish. I had a taste and it was enjoyable enough, at least far better than mine. Their menu has a small selection of items. That should have meant they have more mastery over the flavor of each. Sad that wasn't the case. I don't know if i want to try the other items after what i had. I don't think I'll come back anytime soon.
(2)Matt L.
Yikes! What has happened to my once favorite Italian restaurant?!? I have not been here in a while, because last time (a year ago our so) it wasn't the best but I chocked it up to maybe just a bad day. Undercooked chicken, cold pasta. We decided to try the day after Christmas but realized it could be packed. To our surprise, it was not even a quarter full! I should have taken that as a sign in hindsight. To cut the story short, long wait, way great and undercooked calamari. Loooong time to get food. An inattentive waiter with no smile, and "could care less" manager. The best part was the waitress who did help the most even though not her table...she got the tip btw. And I need to add obviously knew how bad service was going with waiter. I never thought I'd say this, but Olive Garden looks like Maestors compared to macaroni grill now. Arrivederci
(1)Lisa I.
Let me just start by saying that I love Italian food. Anyone who knows me know that I can eat pasta for days. So, I was excited to come here and try this place out since I have never been. Plus, my husband and I got a gift card here for a wedding present. We came here with our 2 year old daughter and was seated promptly. We waited for someone to serve us and no one came. 10 minutes later, our server finally comes to greet us and get our drink and appetizer orders and leaves. 15 minutes later, we get our drinks and he takes our order. Husband ordered the steak, daughter got the kids grilled chicken and pasta and I ordered the mamas trio. After that, he's gone. We waited 10 minutes after that to get our appetizers which was a prosciutto wrapped mozzarella and deep fried mac n cheese with truffle dip. While the the Mac n cheese was good, the other did not deliver and was cold. 20 minutes after, we finally get our dinner. Husbands steak was nothing to rave about. Daughters plate was so huge that not even an adult could finish it. My mamas trio was just not good. The sauce was bland. The cannollini was cold and crusted on the sides and the lasagna was just a huge pile of epic disappointment. It tasted like nothing. No seasoning. Nothing. I couldn't even finish my plate. I took one bite of the cannollini and the lasagna and I was done. Disappointment. The service was slow and I felt like we were being ignored because we had a toddler with us, who was actually really quiet and behaving really well, which is like really rare occurrence. The prom table next to us were noisy and they got more attention from our server than we did. We weren't the only ones though because there was another family who had children and they were also given the cold shoulder from our server and went to the manager to complain. I just wanted to leave and just forget this awful experience. I did leave a tip though because I can't bare not doing it, even though it would've been justified. We're just never going here ever again.
(1)Andrea G.
Service was great! Despite the fact that I got there 30 minutes before closing they took care if us with no rush. The lasagna was delicious!!
(5)Susan L.
This place never disappoints me with the pastas here. We have one where I live (utah) but my friend from cali never tried it before. So I got the penne rustica and I love this dish. But I tried my other friend and they all were delicious. The only thing was that the bread was hard. It's fancy and I like the environment there, kinda classy. Now my friends really like this place too.
(4)Angela V.
Me and my boyfriend come here often and normally sit in the bar as the girls that run the bar a simply amazing !! They make you feel at home and make sure you are not missing a thing ! We normally have the roasted chicken arugula flat bread pizza and it is so delicious ! Full of flavor and fresh toppings ! Very crispy and just amazing !! You normally get bread and that is usually enough for us ! We normally have a glass of the house chianti which complements the pizza nicely !! We sometimes tend to also have dessert which they have some good items to choose from that are really good ! Great cozy place with multiple televisions so you can always be sure you won't miss a game !
(5)Jenn R.
We came here on Saturday to "Carb Up" for the OC Marathon on Sunday. I love that they now offer gluten free pasta, even if it's just the penne. I also enjoy the fact that you can pick your pasta to order if you aren't interested in any of their special offerings. The portion sizes are huge! Not as huge as Maggianos but filling enough that one can't finish their plate unless you have a heavy appetite. There's nothing superb about the food. I've honestly had better pasta, but not many places offer gluten free. Our server was attentive and he checked up on us all the time, and he even fulfilled our million requests for water! This is a good place to go to if you need to carb up for a big race or challenge.
(3)Rud M.
This place is awesome. Much, much better than that other Italian chains. My entire family enjoys coming here. PROS: Customer service is always great. Clean, friendly atmosphere. Servers sing in Italian on your birthday. Food choices are great. The BREAD (with olive oil, balsamic and grated cheese). CONS: Crowded on weekends, very popular.
(5)Justin M.
10 min wait time on a saturday night for 3 people? Umm hell yes! Came in here expecting the worst. To be honest, not a fan of macaronis or the likes but I quickly held my tongue after that first bite of our complimentary bread. That bread was enough; deserves a 4 star to say the least. We got 2 entrees and a flatbread. Serving size is definitely on the bigger side. Overall, a great place for the family. A little pricey but totally worth it!
(4)Ann Marie H.
They need more servers at this particular Macaroni Grill. Food was good. As an appetizer I chose the brusheta, yummy! Also, I ordered the Pasta Di Mere. When the waiter said the pasta would be aldente he wasn't kidding. Enough food to feed me and my 18 month old and still have some togo. Staff were very nice when they finally noticed me in the corner table waiving my hand around to get their attention. I felt like they were being tight with the balsamic though... Well that was along with all they other condiments also. Economic times calls for economic measures!
(3)Sandra C.
I haven't been here in over 5 years but it took reservations for large parties (we had 11 people) on a Saturday nite at 7pm. Food was okay. The complimentary rosemary bread was not as good as I remember, but was still warm and fresh. The calamari appetizer needed salt but the stuffed peppers were good. The four course meal is a good deal (fried ravioli, regular salad or cesar salad, your choice of pork chop, chicken marsala or chicken piccata) for $18 or so depending on the meat you order. I asked the host who seated us if any of pasta was "homemade" and he said all of it was. I then asked the server, who told me only the gluten free was homemade. (I'm glad I double checked!) So this place would not be my first choice for food but it was above average.
(3)Jeanne P.
I love the ambience of this restaurant. Very calming. Even my 2-month-old granddaughter was relaxed. The food is made fresh! My favorite is just about everything. Calamari fritti, fetuccini, and lobster ravioli.
(5)Paul T.
Attended a friend's birthday dinner with a party of 14. Eggplant parm, Italian bake, lasagna, seafood pasta were some of the dishes in.our party with only compliments about the food. Enthusiastic staff, yet somehow several of the remarks were uncouth, though well meaning. Birthday song in Italian was very charming from the staff. Worth a return visit. Good venue for a larger group.
(3)Monica M.
This place is a hit or miss depending when you come. I've come here many of times and the service/food is either really poor or completely opposite. They're pricy so if you're looking for good Italian food but cheaper in price, then Olive Garden is the place to go. Service really sucks. Servers disappear the entire time you're there. You're pretty much on your own. As for the actual food, obviously depends on what you get but like I said it's either one way or the other. Their food quality isn't consistent when it comes to being eatable.
(2)yassar f.
This is for the express lunch. I preordered trough the phone. The food was ready when I got here. I have tried the bbq sandwich and the chicken parmesan sandwich. Both were ok, nothing special. The restaurant does look very nice inside. I'm sure I would send a better review if I dined in and had the food fresh.
(3)Dev R.
We had a reservation for 30; only 10 of us showed. They have a policy of only seating when half the party has arrived. I spoke with the manager, and he seated us at one of the reserved tables--free to let the others go. The service (Dez!) was superb. He knew we were trying to get to the theatre at 8, with a 6PM reservation. He served with a great attitude and a smile. He made recommendations (for wines and foods), which we all followed and were pleasantly satisfied with all. From the antipastis to the entrees, to the desserts, we ALL enjoyed our meals. So from service to food, to timeliness and quality, SUPERB!
(5)Stacy Q.
This used to be one of our favorite restaurants but not anymore. After two terrible visits in a row, we will not be dining at macaroni grill anymore. The order took almost an hour and in addition to that, 15 minutes for a side of meat sauce and the bread was completely overdone. There were about 10 people in the restaurant so they weren't busy at all to get our small order for three in a decent amount of time.
(1)Lyle O.
Greeted with a smile and seated quickly, I thought we were on our way to a five star yelp review. Quickly went south from there when our waiter Leo came around. He was initially ok but very forgetful. Had to ask several times for a cup of ice, never returned with another carafe of water, and to top matters...everyone in the party of 5, received their food but I had to wait an additional 10 minutes for my dinner. Poor poor poor service.
(2)Katie S.
I was disappointed with this place. I ordered thee lobster ravioli. You got like 8 ravioli and it tasted rubbery and the fish tasted soo bland. Thee food was literally warmed up outta the microwave. I was like still hungry after eating those. I'm a big girl and If I pay 18$ for thee plate that better fill me up and at least have flavor to it. My cousin got thee lasagna and it wasn't even pasta it tasted like cake batter. He took like one bite and still had to pay for thee meal that couldn't even be eating. Soo disappointing. Thee only thing that I did enjoy was the pizza that tasted really good other then that I will not be recommending anybody to this restaurant.
(2)Charmie P.
Honestly, this location has hit the skids. The service seems to always be, spot on. However, the cooks they hires, where do they find these people? They obviously have little to no clue as to how make an Italian sauce. Greasy, is NOT the norm. There is zero excuse for this sort of cooking. The chicken under the brick was so dry, no one wanted to take it home. I have had this dish numerous times at different locations. I had this dish two years ago at Cerritos and it was great, as were the mushrooms and other appetizers. I suggested this place to a group of friends meeting before a performance and we ordered the same food. It was terrible. My most recent visit was because of a friend's birthday or I would not have gone. Another group is planning to go for a Christmas event and I'm dreading the thought. I'm sure i'll just order a small salad as I cannot imagine being in a large group and getting an even worse meal. Until RMG starts hiring real "chefs" who are culinary trained, why bother? Not worth my time, money or travel to be continuously disappointed. Even an apprentice chef trained by and continually overseen by a culinary chef would do well. It's doesn't have to be Hell's Kitchen, however, it should not have to be "Hell's Dining" either.
(1)Patrick D.
My third time coming to macaroni grill will finally be my last. The food here is not worth the trip and definitely not worth the money. Ordered the baked mozzarella fonduta. The bread that it came with was gone well before the dish itself was finished. The Mac n cheese bites were missing flavor but the dipping sauce was actually good.
(2)Cyndi S.
5 stars were given because I firmly believe a business is made not by product alone, but by it's staff. The food was rich in flavor and the service was superb. Our server was genuine, polite, well versed with menu items and didn't miss a beat with any of our requests. I asked for an item that wasn't shown on the dinner menu and she quickly identified my request (which was an item available during earlier hours). She pleasantly provided numerous wine samples without me having to request it. Her selection complemented my meal nicely. I would like to take the time to say-thank you Liz! The dishes were all delicious, I enjoyed the appetizers, dessert and cappuccino.
(5)Joshua L.
Been a long while. Almost two decades ago, this spot was more of a regular place for the occasional family dinner or special occasion. Not to sound snooty, but we just kind of grew out of this level of chain restaurant. Our experience was Ok. Nothing to rave about from any perspective. i will say, the one thing I like about this restaurant is the open airy floor plan. Very nice and cozy. The service was less than great but good enough. Slightly on a slower side but nothing tragic. The food was edible and tasted mediocre. Seafood pasta / fruit de mare - muddled flavors, overcooked pasta but good chunks of shrimp and muscle. Sauce was good flavor but a little muddled. Flat bread / sausage - soggy and not good. Salmon and orzo - bland. Looked nice and colorful though. Mama's trio - mehh. The bread was good. 3 stars is just about accurate.
(3)Liz M.
HORRIBLE!!!! Service is so slow eventhough there was hardly anyone there. They never refill your drink unless you wave them over to do so. Meal was gross, alfredo sauce was so watered down I had to send it back and get an equally gross plate of another flavorless pasta. Don't waste your money!!!!!
(1)Rui T.
Slowest lunch service ever. Since this place caters to the offices across the street crowd, you'd think they would have figured it out after a while. Nope. For a chain, it's actually pretty miserable food. Fries served cold aren't worth eating. Meatball sandwich was surprisingly cheap. Decorative, but cheap. Macaroni Grill back in the day used to be at least palatable, but I'm really surprised they just haven't gone the way of Blockbuster. Skip it and go anywhere else in the plaza, like WalMart, you'll be better off.
(1)Robin Z.
We strolled in to an incredibly warm welcome. Why? Was it my sexy black Nanette Lepore slacks combo'd with a crisp white Alberto Makali blouse? Was it my gregariously bubbling personality paired with a disarming smile? My perfume? As we were being seated, I noticed all the wait staff wore black pants and white shirts. The mystery was solved. They thought I was here to help. I was not and, fortunately, no one asked me for more water. Taking advantage of $100 worth of a George Lopez gift card, we ordered a bottle of chilled Riesling and began our night with the crab-stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer. Served fresh and hot, the mushrooms led to a rather chintzy Caesar salad overcome by the deliciously warm and tasty rosemary bread served right out of the oven. Jumbo shrimp, skewered and grilled just right accompanied perfectly cooked center-cut lamb with grilled onions, peppers, zucchini and eggplant. We managed to save room for tiramisu and coffee. Amy, our very attentive and charming server took good care of us even though her outfit paled in comparison to my own. She took no offense. When she asked "Better than Olive Garden?" Our answer was a resounding "Yes!" Thank you senor Lopez, we enjoyed our St Paddy's Day taping at Warner Brothers as well as the generous gift cards. It made for an enjoyable outing at our first visit to Romano's Macaroni Grill. P.S., paper covers the white linen table cloth. They offer crayons. I drew an F-16. I am a child in a fighter pilot's helmet. Hear me roar.
(3)Ravi J.
Went there 2 time before writing this review .. Both the time, I felt like service is very slow and on top of it , they restaurant is not even bothered about it ... I think, this is what they want to project themselves as " kinda Laidbacks " ;) On a serious note - SERVICE is slow. PERIOD I think " Food is good and that's what made the wait worth while " .. All the 3 star are for the taste of food .. Location is kind too crowded so you don't feel that you are sitting on your own table .. All the tables are arranged so close to each other that you probably feel like you are having dinner with the person sitting on the table besides you .. already went 2 time and I am sure, will go again just because it's close to office and also my colleagues love the wine options .. quite a selection, I would say ..
(3)Gabriela S.
Great service. Quick and friendly. :) we didn't have to ask the waiter for refills on water or for more bread. I would've given this place five stars but my husbands pork roast was ice cold in the middle :/ major no no. Other than that everyone's food was excellent and tasty.
(4)Jeff A.
Came here the other day and the food just wasn't good. I ordered a flat bread and it came cold (maybe because it is so thin?). I would be willing to forgive the cold food, but the fact that it was just not that good made me a little irritated. The service was really good, but when I saw an empty building on a Friday night, I should have known
(2)Katherine K.
It's my first time here and thanks to Thomas. Our server Lisa was amazing and very informative. I asked her what her favorite dish was and it was exactly the one I wanted, the shrimp portifino. The bread was delicious too. Everything was amazing and Lisa changed our lives. You'll never be steered wrong if you ask for Lisa or McKenna they are amazing.
(5)Francine L.
Romano's Macaroni Grill I have been to this establishment only a few times and I wanted to check it out in Cerritos since the one I use to go to close down..it must be a sign but I am some what blind :P SooO for lunch I came here to eat but I wasn't so hungry even though it was already about 2:00P.M. So I ordered two tapas for $9.00 which means that I get two small plates kind of like appetizers and I made it my main entree. My two small tapas were mac and cheese bites which were deep fried balls of six. :P Pretty delicious and I have to say I like how they gave us six large tooth picks. To poke at ! The other one was baked prosciutto and Mozzarella which was on the bed of tomato sauce and this took a little while to get to the table. I did enjoy the Mozzarella which were pretty large sizes. I was surprised that this was considered a small plate!! The entree was chicken fettuccine Alfredo sauce. This was my least favorite item because of the flavor. I just didn't like how thick and creamy it was. Also the flavor wasn't the same as what I was use to at many other places. Our waitress was nice though and she was very very friendly and personable. :) So overall I enjoyed my lunch here.
(3)Lore A.
Went during lunch. There weren't many people. Actually, I was 1 of like 10 people eating at the restaurant. It was fine. Not great... Felt rushed. Perhaps has a different feeling in the late afternoon. It looked like a good place to have a nice dinner with family. I recommend the macaroni, duh!
(3)Jamie M.
Second time coming to this place and the wait was ridiculous! Not getting seated but actually getting our food. The waiter would act like he couldn't see you when you needed something like water... Practically had to beg for bread and balsamic vinegar and getting the check was another fiasco. Definitely not going back because of the service and lack of customer awareness. They need to step up their game as they are not the only game in town.
(1)Danny L.
Decided to give this place another go after almost a year from last visit. Wish I had not. Saturday night. 8pm. Semi full. Waited maybe 10 min to be seated. Not bad. Had a beer and glass of wine for my girl. Called, seated, look over the menu. Not much has changed. 1 or 2 new items. I decide on the Parmesan crusted veal. They are out.....ok fine. I will have the filet.......they are out.....ok wtf. Upset but whatever. Settle on the lobster ravioli. Ask for clamchowder which I remember as being good. THEY ARE OUT. It's a Saturday night. 8pm. My girl orders the fettuccine alfredo. It is dry with hardly any sauce. We ask for more. It never comes. Now my girl is upset. This will be last time we come here. The service was terrible to. I just did not want to waste anyone time reading about it.
(2)D T.
Service by our waiter was 5 stars!! Food was fine until my son pointed out the COCKROACH staring up from the Fettuccine Alfredo. Not coming back to this place!!
(1)Jordan G.
Love the balsamic, olive oil, and black pepper on the Romanos rustic bread. Good service. Good food. Ample parking. Big plus for me is that this Romanos is next to Trader Joe's. Yay!
(4)Andrew P.
Typical generic Italian food, generally good. We had the most incredible pile of piss experience yet here just this afternoon. A friend of ours got there at 11:30AM to inform the manager/staff that our party of 12-ish would be coming in at 12:10 or so. We ALL gave our friend our orders and she passed them on to the staff. So, they know: a) we're coming at this particular time b) what each one of us has ordered. Should be ok, right? Not seated until close to 12:20PM. Tables not set up fully (missing place settings.) Water takes over 5 minutes to get there. Bread comes around same time, but no balsamic or oil in bottles on the table. So there's another wait for that. Our friend was told food could be served at 12:20PM. After one of our party had multiple sidebars with the manager, we eventually had to ask for our meals to go, as we had to be back at work at 1PM and physically had not enough time to eat them there. *At 12:45PM, meals still not there. We caught a glimpse of them boxing them up when we walked out the door. I get lunch rushes. I get getting socked. I DON"T get being given plenty of time and the ORDERS in advance and having such a train wreck. We've done this in the past at least a good 6-7 times (ordered in advance for a sit down meal) and been seated instantly, food comes out literally instantaneously. What the living hell has happened this time? Adios, Cerritos Macaroni Grill. We have all been thoroughly pissed off and disappointed and we will patronize another Towne Center establishment from here on out. PS- if you even charged our friends who stayed behind with the money (a very patient thing to do, as most of our party was saying, to hell with this, let's just walk and they can eat it) the mandatory large-party tip, that is some seriously bad karma I wish upon you. Manager should eat that and make sure the wait staff doesn't get screwed out of their more-deserved tip. I place 100% of the blame on this to the manager. :) *Found out that the restaurant comped the entire meal. That's the decent thing to do, so at least they are aware of how monumentally they f*cked up. I appreciate that gesture. Still not gonna recommend it, though.
(1)Shanon Y.
I took advantage of the free choose 2 lunch today and arrived to a packed restaurant. I arrived towards the end of the lunch rush and there was still a 25-30 minute wait in line. So instead of waiting around for the dining area I chose open seating at the bar and was served promptly. I'm actually surprised that the food came so quick! I ordered the tomato basil soup and the chicken pasta. Both were delicious although i would prefer my food served hotter in temperature. I did have to flag waiters down to order but it wasn't a big deal. The girl behind the bar was super nice and very attentive. I'm quite stunned by the reviews about cockroaches though! I didn't encounter any during my visit so rest assured that they prob took care of this problem by now.
(3)Carissa A.
Love this Macaroni Grill location. Always have had great experiences here. Normally we hang out in the bar area. Darlene is great and always takes care of everyone. On our most recent visit we sat in the dining room and Lisa took care of us. The food was great... Served hot and fresh. Great customer service and the food is great. Come in, you won't be disappointed!! And try the "Tasting Menu". It is awesome.
(5)Albert K.
I am writing this review based on all the experiences I've had dining at MG @Cerritos. I used to dine here once a month because my mom's friend loves to meet at this restaurant with my mom, not because I'm a fan. So here's my overall experience: Ambience: Sometimes Q's are long, but come during non-eating times and the restaurant will be serving only a few (p.s: waiters during these times are often nice and patient; and greeters will direct you to a really good location to eat!) Their restaurant used to offer wi-fi, not sure about now. There is a waiting area where you can watch chefs making pizza. Come here to just enjoy the Italian atmosphere of lights on the ceiling, occasional wine, Welcome: Sometime greeters are really nice and address a welcome with a smile. Sometimes they just say, "name...how many?" without trying to make a smile. It depends on the time you come. At times, there is even no one managing the area. Food: I was told by a waiter that their menu keeps changing every season. Their food sometimes comes out the way you want them to and is mostly designed to be tasty. I don't feel that the food is perfectly authentic Italian; however, the name they choose to name them is pretty Italian-esque. Most of my experiences with the food are good and sometimes even delish; however, I sometimes got overburnt steak (the most prieciest one) when I asked for M-rare(they actually think that the low light of the restaurant could fool me! LOL, I actually asked them to just make a new one w/o even asking for compensation!) Tapas: Yes, they have tapas. Its nice I got to say, and prices OK. It goes great with a wash of Italian soda or cocktails. Waiters: I have a love-hate relationship with these waiters. On most occasions, you'll get a young and happy waiter who happily lets you dine with comfort and comes to check up on you once in a while. But sometimes, you get a cranky waiter who only takes your order, delivers it, gets mad when you give her a coupon, doens't check up on you,tries to shoo you away by handing you the check earlier, or just ignores you when you try to call them. Sometimes the waiters are apologetic when the food comes out wrong, but give no compensation for overdone steak or too much alfredo. I remember a time when waiters used to get you water, but now they just give you a big glass bottle to refill it yourselves. The good this is that some capable waiters do sing in Italian for your birthday! WARNINGS: Waiters here are TRICKY (maybe managment tells them to be so?)!!! I ordered Alfredo with jumbo shrimp, and the waiter asked me if I'd like extra shrimp. I thought it would be included since the menu said nothing about charging for extra shrimp, so I said "sure" The xtra shrimp only came with three more pieces and a charge of five dollars!!! Just for 3 pieces! Also, beware their OLIVE TWIG TRICK!!!! They ask you if you'd likes some kind of special olive sauce to go with your comp bread sticks and they don't mention the price. You assume its included with those breadstick but its not! Just use the olive oil on the table. Tips: Ask for a booth seat (even if you only have 2 in your party). The other table seats give you super hard wood un-cushioned seats that will make sitting uncomfortable. If they say booth seats are not available, ask for the booth seats they have at the bar. The booth seats at the bar are hidden, and sometimes waiters don't like to assign those one. just sayin Also, arrive before 6 for dinner if you want to not Q for table. Plus waiters and greeters are nicer at this time. Do present your coupons in advance when you roder becuase waiters do get mad when you stick it in at the end.
(3)Steve C.
I have not been to this place in awhile and now I remember why. We went there on Monday 1/19/2015 and I am disappointed. The wait time was reasonable, the food was very good but the service lacked and the management does not care about their customer base. Let me explain. One member of our party ordered his salad without coutons and it came with them, Oh well maybe a mistake. The server brought us the wrong bill at the end of the meal, The bill we received was for stuff we did not order and was twice the dollar amount. We caught it and brought it to their attention then we received the correct bill. The time we visited was evening so it was cold out but the air conditioning inside was running and it was really cold inside. Patrons were wearing their jackets. I talked to the manager and he said he only had one complaint so he could do nothing about it. I asked him to turn the fire place on and he refused. I then told him I was going to post this on yelp and he seemed not to care. My opinion is the management does not care about their customers comfort.
(2)JIGNESH B.
We went on Monday night and the restaurant was less than half full. Our group of six had 1 pregnant person and a 2 year old. We ordered quickly. The food took a long time to come and the waiter apologized the kitchen was backed up. Then the entrees came out but no salad for the pregnant person or food for the toddler. I really appreciate when a restaurant is mindful and gives priority to women and children. Food was below average in my opinion. No one in the group said anything was particularly good. Overall a poor experience.
(2)Danielle M.
Food is okay. Service is always slow here.
(3)Timmy S.
Great service and decent food. Plus very clean bathrooms where you get Italian lessons piped in through the speakers. Came for dinner with a coworker and got the fettuccini alfredo with chicken. Sauce and pasta was fine. The too-large chunks of chicken were probably the frozen-processed type and not very flavorful and had an odd texture. I really like the fresh warm bread they bring before the meal along with the traditional oil and vinegar. All in all it's what you would expect at a chain restaurant - okay but not memorable.
(3)Stefanie N.
Great place to have dinner on a Saturday night. Food was great & our server Alex was great. You won't be disappointed!!
(5)Marco Antonio G.
Wow! My first time here and it is great! Nice place. Awesome food! Good customer service as well!
(4)Steve T.
What happened to this chain? Haven't been to a macaroni grill in 5 years and won't be back for another 10 if ever. I got the calamari and chicken under a brick (sage roasted chicken) and they were very below average. Calamari serving size is about 8-10oz for $10 and it came out room temp and soggy. Sage chicken was flavorless and dry. Tasted like it was reheated? Roasted potatoes were good after a sprinkle of salt. You'll get better quality and taste at supermarket deli. The good service and the warm bread got them a two star review.
(2)Daniel C.
I absolutely love this restaurant. Their open kitchen allows you to get a glimpse into the action and the friendly wait staff are happy to give suggestions of their favorite dishes. We started with the Mac and cheese bites which were ridiculously good. They had a white truffle sauce which I'm still not sure if it tastes like truffle, but it's freaking delicious. As always the bread was simple and delicious. For my entree I had the chicken milenese which normally comes with potatoes but my server told me I could sub it out if I'd like. So naturally being the fatty I am I subbed it for pasta. Everything was perfect! The chicken was pan seared and crispy to perfection and glazed with a buttery sauce with a hint of lemon and drizzled with a balsamic glaze which tied everything together. Tips: make sure you talk to the staff about the food. They seem to know the menu pretty well and help steer you in the right direction to make sure you enjoy your meal. Plus I've found with most restaurants if you go with a servers suggestion they're usually alot more helpful if there is an issue with the food. After all their reputation is at stake.
(5)Nijole T.
I would place Romano's just a bit above Olive Garden, but still very much a chain restaurant with overpriced, mediocre quality food. Service was fine, the restaurant clean and well maintained and our food came out really quickly. I had a chicken salad and while it was fine, it didn't wow me in taste, freshness or presentation, the value for the money just was not there. My husband had the parmesan crusted chicken and spaghetti and it was ok, again not stellar. Not really worth coming back for, way too many better options in the area.
(3)Natalie S.
The service was really slow. There weren't that many tables either. It was really hard to get their attention when we needed to order or needed other things. I ordered the chicken marsala. Pretty good but somewhat salty. I was pretty disappointed though because on of my chicken pieces were undercooked and still somewhat raw. Calamari is quite rubbery but not horrible.
(2)AJ B.
Not cool. Place was pretty empty and slow but it took over an hour for us to get the entrées, then they brought us speechless dishes such as seafood pasta with no sauce and some uncooked shrimps, the most dry ribeye you can get, and cold flatbreads. If you want to waste your appetite, time and bill, then for sure a must go!
(1)Mariela L.
Never coming back here again. This place needs to close down already. I came in, there was only 3 different parties at the restaurant, staff running back and fourth but no one ever showed up to greet and seat us. It's like we were invisible. We ended up walking out and no employee ever noticed we were there. Horrible place.
(1)Bardo M.
One of my favorite Romano's Macaroni Grill to come to. Spacious bar area compose with great staff/bartenders. Darlene and the other girls are awesome providing stellar customer service, and always following up with the customers making sure they are taken care off. We usually go for the chicken arugula flat bread pizza accompanied with a glass of the house chianti, which pairs up fairly well. Another great dish to try is the Shrimp Portofino ultimately delicious.
(5)Rodney S.
Everybody loves Raymond. Rodney affectionately "likes" Romano's Macaroni Grill BOGO $9 Express Dinner (served to-go daily, dine-in Mon-Thurs) Our first visit to RMG, we were impressed with the restaurant environment. Very dim lighting in the ample main seating area, with the bar and a semi-private room on the west side. After being seated, we were told we'd have to order at the Kitchen Counter to redeem the coupon, hospital cafeteria-style. After debating upon the most enticing selections, we placed our order. Unfortunately, bread is not complimentary with Kitchen Counter Express Lunch & Dinner. Just $1 extra, we went for it. Order placed at 12:34 pm. $9 Express Dinner in 9 minutes or it's free. I'm counting down the minutes. Tick tock, tick tock Chicken Milanese panzanella- Lightly breaded chicken breast, roma & yellow grape tomatoes, arugula, pickled onions, parmesan, Mediterranean vinaigrette & crispy parmesan potatoes, the chicken Milanese panzanella clocked in around 4 minutes. Reminding me of chicken katsu, the breast was large, flaky & good. The menagerie of veggies added contrast & brightness. Dipping in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) & balsamic vinegar enhancing the flavor quotient. Pork belly & chicken carbonara- yelp.com/biz_photos/roma… Pork belly, grilled chicken & creamy carbonara tossed with spaghetti. Clocked in at 7 minutes. Dag nabbit! I was hoping for free lunch *sigh* A very hearty, filling dish, the thick cuts of pork belly & chicken were succulent & tender. The spaghetti was slightly al dente, and the carbonara made that much more creamier with a liberal dousing of EVOO, balsamic vinegar & a few dollops of butter by your's truly, along with grated cheese by our attendant. I was quite happy with this dish. Rosemary peasant bread- yelp.com/biz_photos/roma… Can't go to an Italian restaurant w/o the prerequisite crusty bread. Arriving last, the rosemary peasant bread had a tough outer crust hard to cut into via the table knife, but the interior was airy & soft. I restrained myself by only going for a few buttered EVOO/balsamic vinegar soaked helpings, since I'm already carbing up on spaghetti. Refills are included. During our meal, a few of the staff came to our table & told us don't worry about the bill, we got it. Perplexed, I asked why? They said our order wasn't completed within the 9 minute allotment. The bread! It was the bread! I assumed only the entrées were held to the time challenge. Yes! Free food! Someone just came up, baby! Service was good. The cashiers took our order accurately, and the waitstaff were quick with the bread refills, red pepper, butter etc. Ample seating inside, with a few tables al fresco by the main entrance. Outside, lounge/swing style music played on the speakers, including a rad cover of Oasis' "Wonderwall". Haven't heard that in years. Oddly, no music inside. You'd think there'd be some Rosemary Clooney, Dean-o or Frank in the background, but no. Parking is in a private lot shared by Trader Joes, Wood Ranch Grill, Pieology etc. We had a wonderful lunch, made all the more better by being comp'ed. I found the Express Dinner menu to be a great value for those in a hurry, as well as for those who aren't. With an inviting ambiance & delicious food, Romano's Macaroni Grill has a new fan. I'll be back, probably to redeem my birthday month coupon ;p Highly recommend! NOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOM
(4)Jenni M.
I hadn't been to a Macaroni Grill in years, and now I remember why. I'll give it to you real quick... The service was great. Our waiter, Nathan, was more than accommodating and made several suggestions that perhaps I should have followed, but I wanted what was in my heart, dang it. For our appetizer, I had some zucchini fritti and my husband ordered the mac & cheese bites with truffle dip. The zucchinis were fried just fine, but even with the marinara dip it lacked flavor. We needed wine for a toast, so Nathan suggested a new wine that suited the 1/2 priced house wine promotion. It was Moscato D'Asti by Ruffino ($16 per bottle with 1/2 off promo). This was perfect for my husband because he likes basic sweet white wine. And because we only wanted one glass each, we took the leftover bottle home. Our entrees were both disappointing, again lacking flavor. My husband had a simple primo pepperoni pizza while I had the shrimp portofino. My dish seemed like it had been frozen and quickly prepared. It was so bland so I added the left over shredded parmesan that we used for our bread dip (along with olive oil and balsamic vinegar) and some salt to try to make it better, but no bueno... I would definitely go there for a light salad lunch with a glass of that wine or something similar, but as far as their pastas and main dishes, I'm out. This sucks because all of the staff members seemed so attentive and they were all very friendly to us. Review #169
(2)Isabel S.
I've been to this location a few times and the service is always great. I usually order the shrimp pasta with olive oil and pine nuts. It's plentiful and I always have left overs. They have a nice wine selection to choose from and their tiramisu is delicious. If you are in the area and can't decide where to go, this is the place.
(4)Amanda L.
Called in an over the phone reservation for lunch the next day and spoke with Chris, not only did he help me with all of my questions and inquires but went above and beyond! The food was delicious amd everyone enjpyed their meal! I was called immediately by the deliverer Ryan he was running late and he was really nice as well! Overall great delivery, food and service and I am happy! Thank you so much all involved!!
(5)Jason K.
macaroni grill... they all taste the same. i love the lasagna
(3)Nina K.
The food was decent, but the service was GREAT. We had a waiter named Perry, and he was an awesome server. My mom had a cold, so he brought her some spicy tomato soup and had a friendly attitude the entire time. We'd love to come back, as long as all the servers are as great as Perry was.
(5)Jozie L.
Bad week. Needed a decent meal - salad, meat, soup - something hearty and soul satisfying. Too hot to cook. We ordered the pasta special (3 types of pasta) with Cesare salad, and Market Salad. Romano's crusty bread and SanPelligrino Limonata rounded out our meal. YUMMY. Background music: Italian version of Sting singing "Mad About You", lots of Michael Buble, jazz, snazz, what a gas!
(3)Stacy W.
Food was ok, the service was terrible. Apparently, we came in after a big rush of people. They were super busy before we got there. So because our server was tired customer service suffered. She said her brain was fried, forgot one of the drinks, said she would bring the cheese, but didn't, and she brought one of our doggies bags but had to ask for the second one. Never came back to take the check. Tired or not. That's no excuse, suck it up and provide good service to ALL your customers.
(2)Carlos S.
It reviews like this one that are hard to write. This place cooks great food, excellent flavors but the service is just horrible. Forever to get introduced. Etc.etc . Just bad.
(2)Pawnster B.
Food leaves much to be desired. Lacking in taste and sauce is sparse. Overpriced. Bread is good. I'd rather make my own pasta at home, go to Olive Garden, or Buca di Beppo. I won't go back. It's a shame, I remember going to one years ago that was very good but they obviously have made some changes for the worse. You can see the cost cutting in the quality of the food.
(1)Pau S.
Not much on the menu to pick from. Service was good and place is nice, just not a fan.
(3)Joyce A.
I don't often give chains a fail, only because I know they follow a rote formula for food and service. But Romano's failed on both counts. My chicken parmigiana came out BURNT. I had to insist on the kitchen serving a newly prepared dish, but that should have NEVER even left their area to be served! Our table was so uneven that my water glass literally kept slowly sliding off the table top. Really for the prices here, I expected better. That said, I suppose the positive is that they have room for improvement!
(1)Rebecca C.
Really terrible service. I really like the tapas- choose two for $9. We got the shrimp and avacado bruchetta and the prosciutto and mozzarella. The latter was not as good as theshrimp and avacado. Main entrees included lobster raviolli (yum) and the pasta rustica (yummy). The wines were half off so the moscato bottle was only $15. Complimentary bread was okay with butter. Overall the food was alright but service sucked- we were missing our appetizer tapa when the entrees arrived and it took forever to get our check.
(2)patricia d.
We recently had our work Christmas party at the Cerritos location and we were all very pleased with the service we received from our waiter- Perry. He went above and beyond to make sure everything was just right for us the whole evening. The food was wonderful too. I can't wait to come back again. I am going to post some pictures of our food so everyone can see how good it was!
(5)Eric P.
It was our first time coming here and we had no clue on what to order but knew the food was going to be delicious. Fortunately for us we had the amazing pleasure of meeting Corinne our server that not only provided us with amazing service, walked us through ordering each of our plates individually step by step, but also created such an amazing experience for us. Thanks to Corinne's amazing service and welcoming attitude we will ONLY RETURN to the Macaroni Grill in Cerritos to see her and experience her amazing service again, if your reading this Corinne thank you so much once again and GRAZIE!
(5)Tina W.
First ever trying this restaurant. And let me say I was impressed with both the food and service provided. After trying Romanos, it doesn't make me want to ever go back to Olive Garden. The food is cooked with more of a real Italian taste to it. I ordered a shrimp pasta and I loved it tasted so yummy.
(4)Lina F.
I used to come here every Sunday with my parents like 2 years ago. Food was delicious and the tiramisu was amazing. It has changed, I went recently and it is a new Menu. The portions are smaller and the tiramisu isn't the same. That's my fave dessert and I knew it tasted different. The food was still great, just smaller. They don't have their house Chianti anymore either and that was my fave. The service is amazing and you never have to wait super long unless its Sunday or Saturday nights. The attire is casual for lunch and dressy casual for dinner. You see a lot of people on dates here at night. Overall, I might go back if I'm feeling it or am in the area, but it's not like before where I would want to go once a week. Still beats Olive Garden though. Just Saying.
(3)Tiffany C.
I am not impressed. Honestly, these chains need to start stepping up their game. At $18 for my Pasta di Mare, I expected much more than what I got. But let's start from the beginning. For a Saturday night, it was a bit slow. Table for 4, walked right in and were seated. I'm not complaining about being seated so quickly. Just saying, for a Saturday night, that's quite surprising. The server greeted us, and in true Macaroni Grill custom, wrote her name on our table and showed off her "I can write my name upside down" skills. The menu isn't too massive, and I settled on something quite quickly. Now, if you know me, I usually take a while to pick my order, but there really wasn't much I was impressed with, so I ordered calamari for the table and Pasta di Mare for myself. The calamari was under-seasoned, and definitely did not have enough sauce for the whole plate. To add to that, their sauce is served in a little container, about the size and consistency of a shot glass, which made it a little more difficult to dip my calamari. My little tentacle pieces just would not fit in the dipping container. Bad presentation. The food came fairly quickly. At first sight, my dish looked ok. I was wrong. My muscles were not fresh. Not fresh at all. They tasted horrible. I was a bit worried I was going to get food poisoning just by eating one of them. The pasta was ok, until I dug in and found a bunch of pieces sticking to each other. I think this is the first place I have been to that has served me pasta in such an unpresentable way. I know better places for pasta. I'll go to those places instead next time.
(2)David A.
I haven't been to RMG in a while, but I am so disappointed after my recent visit. The portions have gotten smaller, the choices for the create your own are fewer, and the service (while pleasant) was a shade slow. I ordered a create your own, with garlic olive oil, asparagus, roasted red peppers, and sauteed mushrooms. She ordered the penne rustica. Hers was good and light (they eliminated the cheese). Mine had raw mushrooms in huge bites I did comment and they brought out fresh sauteed mushrooms. Now, that was not that tough, was it? They get an extra star for listening and actually trying to address my concerns. I do hope they improve, as I really like RMG.
(3)Heather A.
The host Robert is super friendly and very efficient. Probably the nicest host/hostess I've ever encountered. Our server Jason was absolutely awesome!!My boyfriend and I haven't come across service like that at a restaurant in a very long time. He was working his ass off, they were very busy when we arrived and he still stayed right on top of everything. Making sure every detail was covered. The food turned out great. We started off with the 2 for $9 app. Baked Prosciutto & Mozzarella (suggested by Jason) and the Mac & Cheese Bites with Truffle dip, both were really very good, especially the Baked Prosciutto. For entrees my boyfriend ordered the Butternut Asiago Tortellaci, SO good! I ordered the Penne Rustica... pretty tasty but not much chicken or shrimp in it. I'll stick with my Pasta Milano next time! Everything was perfect down to the bread and chianti! Will definitely go back soon!
(5)James C.
Wow their service has gone down hill. My wife and i have been here many times before and has been great, however on 1/1/14 at 8:19pm @ table 41/1 the service was horrible. The server took our order walked away and 15minutes later returned and asked me for my order again because she forgot it. REALLY we waited for a table for about 40minutes and the food arrived another 40minutes later at 9:10pm. I got full off the bread alone waiting for the food and when the food arrived my baked potatoes were cold. I asked for a to go box because my meal was ruined. the server apologize for the mix up and kept it quite because the manager Luis did not come to the table and apologize him self. The other year i had about $20,000 in entertainment and restaurant expenses and this year i Will not be including Romano's Macaroni Grill in these expenses.
(1)Edward R.
Came here before a client meeting today. I haven't been to a macaroni grill in years! The service was excellent and the food was just amazing. My co worker and I got to enjoy Argentina win over Holland. This grilled mozzarella prosciutto paired with malbec wine was just incredible! I suggest you try it! Really brings out the taste of every bite.
(5)Lina F.
Always a good place to visit and it's a hit and miss with Romano's. We both had the Chicken Pesto and it was great. I'll have to come back and elaborate, I think i'm getting tired..
(3)R H.
I really liked Romano's Macaronic Grill until they started doing this $7 lunch thing which was a little confusing and weird. As far as the price point goes, it's great, but in terms of what you could order and how you could order it was a little confusing. Never have I gone to a sit down restaurant and stood in line like at a cafeteria, ordered my food and paid for it. If Mac Grill was thinking this was going to be a good idea, they should have just opened another restaurant. To be honest, I think it's fine, but the roll out and execution is terrible. If no one is at the podium when you arrive, you would have no idea where to go Two, what you can and cannot order isn't exactly clear. There were some items listen on the board, but not part of the promotion. There are no prices for some of the items so you have to ask. When you add it all up including your drink it's actually closer to $10. Even tho this is a lunch menu, you get to sit down at a table and eat as if you were dining in. I believe they even bring you bread and you can ask for water and you kinda have a waitress even tho you stood in line and ordered. At the end, you are not sure if you are to tip or not. The whole concept is different, I know if I go again, I will get a better hang of it, but it's a really nice sit down restaurant trying to cut a corner and I'm not sure it's that appealing. Then again, I haven't gone again because I don't know what to make of it. I can't tell you if it's a little faster or cheaper. To be fair, all I can say is that it's different.
(3)Joyce M.
Our visit was pleasant. Our waiter was wonderful and accommodated to all of our requests. The food was delicious, from appetizers to dessert. My son celebrated his 16th birthday and a lady came to sing happy birthday in Italian.
(5)M V.
This is actually in my backyard, but will not be returning! Sat us down and waited for 10 minutes and couldn't even get water! Seems everyone called out because the couple next to us seemed just as disappointed. WE WALKED OUT!
(1)April P.
Haven't been here in a very long time. I came during lunch hours. Ordered the 2-item lunch special. You can choose between soup, sandwich, salad, or pasta. I tried the house salad (fresh with italian dressing), pasta with tomatoes and fresh basil (tomato based sauce), parmesan crusted salad (i liked the chicken with balsamic, but I thought the salad had too much ranch dressing...ask for dressing on the side), and the pasta with cream sauce and mushroom (this was good). The lunch portions come in a square-shaped bowl. It was a great lunch portion for $8.95. The meal also comes with complimentary rosemary bread which is great as always. Ask for balsamic and pour some into the olive oil to use as dip!
(4)Tin M.
Okay. I've been to this location many times before and enjoyed each time that I went. But this time... MAN... EVERYTHING fell short. My BF and I went here on a Monday (was not a busy night) night and our server was McKenna. Nice gal. The only thing was, she didn't check in on us very often and we had to get her attention every time. The bottled water container that she brought to our table was warm. We wanted a cold one but we couldn't get her to come to our table so we didn't even drink it. When she finally came over we ordered a soda instead because it comes with ice. She came back with the soda and took our order. My BF created his own pasta dish. I got the four course chef's tasting menu. I chose the Caesar salad, Spaghetti Napolitana with Italian tomatoes, and Spiedini, grilled skewers of sausage and steak done the Italian way, topped with house-made verde sauce. She asked me how I wanted my steak and I told her medium rare. So she left with our order. We waited about 15+ minutes before anything came to our table. Finally, our entrees came out. My steak was well done to over cooked. It was dried and rubbery. The sausages were burnt and hard. Food came to me almost cold. I was mad. I never sent a dish back before until that night. Again, we had to look for McKenna and waved her down. She came over and just stared at us. I told her that the meat was over cooked and the sausages were burnt and cold. She asked me if I wanted them to re-do it. YES! What the-- ?? Of course, if I didn't want them to re-do it, I wouldn't have called you over to make the complaint?? She apologized and took my dish back. My BF stopped eating to wait for my dish to come back out, to eat together. That made me even more mad because I knew how hungry he was. Another server came back out with my dish and brought it to the wrong table and McKenna had to tell her, "No, its that table right there." Then the server turned around and looked at me, picked my dish off of the wrong table that she brought it to and over to me. I cut into my steak and again, it was well. I stopped trying and didn't care to eat it anymore. We got boxes and the check, and left. Waste of our time and money.
(1)K O.
I love coming here for the food. And the service they provide is usually okay. But this time... Oh my goodness.. My boyfriend and I were seated for lunch at the bar area, sitting in a booth and there was only one other booth filled and it had 3 people in it. The waiter we had idk his name but anyway he was so attentive to their table displaying excellent service and was waiting on them hand and foot. The waiter didn't greet us or bother to take our drink order till 15 min after we had sat down and did not ask if we were ready to order the food. We had sat for 10 min waiting on two cups of water... Need I remind you there was only two booths filled including ours. I didn't understand why we had to wait so long. An additional 20 min went by and he had just now brought the bread left it on the table and didn't say a word. I had to ask if I could get balsamic vinegar in the middle of me asking for that one item he has ready started to walk away and slid it onto our table instead of putting it down nicely. Another 10 min went by and he finally asked for our order. We asked for more bread, he took the empty plate and walked away. (During the whole time we were there we never got our bread) Most of his time was walking around doing whatever he was doing and talking to the people a the other booth making sure they were happy. Finally our food has arrived and didn't say a word. I had ran out of water my boyfriend had offered me his but I didn't want to drink it. I had to waive the waiter down for a water. He scoffed and poured it in. We continued to eat and we were waiting for our check. He didn't come to see how things were or even bothered to attend to us in any way. We had to flag him down for the check and he asked how things were.. After we finished! He gave us our check and was about to walk away, we had to talk quickly for a box since he wasn't going to accommodate anymore. And usually USUALLY they package the food in our box for us but he just gave us a container picked up the check and scurried off. I would've given this place ZERO stars but it would not let me continue.
(1)Paty S.
One of my favorite Italian restaurants! I order the create your own pasta dish and comes out great every time. The bread is so addicting as well, love it!
(5)Christina G.
An excellent place to have lunch on Sunday when its football season. I have been here many times before and was always happy with the service. Food is delicious and I usually opt for the build your own pasta. A really good place to go on Sundays when you don't want to see a bunch of men in football jerseys screaming at a tv and drinking beer. I will go back to this location again, and the selection of wine is good. Good for a lunch meal but not fancy enough for dinner.
(5)Ann F.
Tonight completely indulged in a calorie fest of wine, bread, pasta and gelato goodness. Bonus: honor system wine $2.75 a glass tonight!! My fiancée and I always love coming here on our cheat days!! Lobster Ravioli for me and Pasta Mare for her. Service rocks all around and Lisa is super sweet, attentive and never without a smile. We will be back soon!!
(5)Felicia M.
Always good food. Better than other Mac grills and I am always satisfied. What they can improve on is the service and the wait for the food. It's right next door to woodranch who has equally great food but doesn't make us wait for lunch, so sorry Mac but I will have to pass you by if I am in a hurry.
(4)Kerry K.
We ordered the Caesar salad and Carmela Chicken over rigatoni. They were great. The pasta especially was perfectly al dente, the sauce savory and wonderfully flavorful without being overbearing, and the chicken done just right (not too dry). When our wine came just a min after our meal, it was taken off our bill! "Joey" served us promptly, was friendly, and professional. Atmosphere was great for a date. Coloring with crayons on the paper-covered tables was a fun addition too!
(5)Emily S.
Every time I've come here, it's been excellent service & delicious food. My husband & I enjoyed the complimentary rosemary bread with oil & vinegar. Ask for Joey to be your waiter, he was prompt, courteous & made our experience even better! We also had fun coloring on their throw-away paper tablecloth. Classy if you leave it blank or a fun time of hangman/tic-tac-toe if you wanna have a little game on your table. We're coming back!
(5)Richard And Elainne S.
Hmmn where do I start. Guess I can't say the whole experience was bad. It was great when we walked in and got greeted and seated quickly with the option of a booth or table. But then it all went down hill. Our server was MIKE and he was just....horrible. It took forever for him to take our order and serve us. When he did actually serve us and not walk by us like we were invincible. He took our drink order and said he would come back with bread. Nope. We had to ask someone else to bring us bread. Meanwhile the table behind us got seated after us and already had their drinks and ordering their food. We managed to eat majority of our bread and still no drinks. Not good. Finally he took our order. Next table about half way down with their meal. Finally got our food and i must say the food has really gone downhill. No flavor in ANYTHING. The olive oil and vinegar for the bread had more flavor. Finally we were trying to get people to notice us so we can box up our bland food and leave. But no one paid any attention. And Mike was else where tending to tables other than ours. We finally got someone's attention for the check. Our total was 66.50. Overprice for food that's not good. We put 100.50. Took Mike as while (seems to be the trend) to get our change and he shorted us $1. Learn to count my friend. That's $1 short of his tip. Bad service. Bad food. NEVER coming here again!
(1)Nina K.
Very good food and service. Flatbread, salmon, and appetizers.
(5)Brad R.
I am in town for a few days on business, staying at the Sheraton Cerritos that is across the street from the Macaroni Grill (handy!). After a full day of travel I wanted a quick bite and as it was late wanted a fast, no problem and easy to get to place.... this worked out perfect. Having arrived a little after 9pm, it was pretty quiet inside, me and a handful of customers. That translated into being seated immediately and getting down to dinner in near record time. I had the Chicken and Mushroom Cannelloni (Cannelloni = thank God for spell check...LOL) and I have to say it was very good! Cheers!
(4)Leah M.
We had dinner here because we had gift cards. The waitress was pushing us to order wine but we don't drink but she still insisted on us trying it. When we didn't order any she seemed annoyed. As for the food, it was mediocre at best. Everything lacked flavor and both the marinara and Alfredo sauces were watery. The service was also really slow. Even to get our check took forever. In short, I wouldn't go back.
(2)Joseph B.
Came here this afternoon for a cold one. Had my wing DCR with me. Quiet in the bar. DCR keeps scamming on the MILF action as he sips on a glass of their best chianti. Bartender was very attentive with a good balance of interaction. Their craft pizzas are a good mix of flavors - fresh sausage, mozz, sauce, basil... The secret here is to sit in the bar. You get immediate service, it's quieter, and the patrons are extremely friendly. Good Times!
(5)Adriana R.
Came for dinner today with my boyfriend. Our server Steph was awesome! She was on top of our drinks, we didn't have to ask for a refill. Our food came out super quick and was delicious! Plus $2.75 for a glass of house wine! It doesn't get better than that! I will definitely be back soon!
(5)Japen G.
Never really see the issue when you come in and ask for a table for 8 and you see people running around where there right in front of you, you see a tons of open tables. Just makes you think. Waited for about 10 minutes before they sat us down. But the food was delicious. They have new offerings that offered smaller portions but you can choose 3. Like Tapas. I was able to try some such as the mac and cheese tots which was very yummy! I wen ahead and ordered the pork chops since I had a craving. It was good. Can't say it was the best but it was tender, could have been a little more juicy but then they drenched it was a gravy. Had some good sides that complimented the dish very well. What I was happy with was the deal that they had with their wine. Half off on their bottles which made the bottles very reasonable. Ended up choosing a nice bottle of Merlot that went very well with my pork chop. Service was okay... it took awhile before she did any follow service and it was hard to get her attention which deserve me taking off a star.
(4)Peter Kenji L.
This place is amazing. I've been here 4 or 5 times and each time we have been treated with the nicest and kindest servers. They are energetic, fun and are willing to help you. We took our mother here on mothers day of 2014 & it was exceptional. We were helped by Mr. Desmond (that man is a boss), and he made us laugh and even brought Mr. Peter to sing us a song just for our table & especially for our mother. He made the night especially enjoyable and even gave our mother a tiramisu and corrected a mistaken drink immediately. We will definitely be requesting him on our next visit. Shout out to Mr. Perry (like Katy Perry) for also serving us before! But in all honesty, all these people here are fantastic and great. We love this place. Best service ever.
(4)Bruce K.
For the price, it isn't all that.
(3)Phoenix A.
I was really opposed to coming here for lunch today, but my parents raved about how this place was all re-done on the inside and I was thinking, "well, dad, that's great, but I don't plan on eating the furniture. I had eaten here once before and swore this place off, but I was willing to give it a go. During my previous experience, I found the food rather bland and uninteresting. This visit was much better. We entered to find a vacant host stand, although, each server passing by said hello and told us that we would be helped shortly. We were sat by a very bubbly (if not over-the-top) young lady who also happened to be our server. We were starving so we ordered drinks plus the calamari appetizer and also received a loaf of what I think was rosemary bread? I then ordered the mushroom ravioli which was porcini-stuffed with caramelized onions and a marsala cream sauce. And it was awesome! I don't even know what the 'rents ordered because I was so into my own food. We were offered dessert but I had to pass cuz I was so stuffed. All in all, it wasn't such a bad experience and I'd come back if the 'rents insisted again. I'll just have to remember to save room for tiramisu!
(3)Connie K.
I should trust the reviewer but went in anyway. It was just Thursday night and restaurant was half full. Even with our reservation that they could not find our reservation and we stood in front of enterance for long period time but no one was pay attention and finally one person direct us to the table. It was very old and hard chair and and cornor space with a lot of seats next to it. we took baby stroller and the one of server keep asking us to move our stoller to otherside due to the party traffic will might borthered ( or baby will bothered but not sure). we moved her to inside of table but noticed that party was not even started when we leave the restaurant. He even moved our table while we having a dinner. I never experienced. he said sorry due to 10 people is coming to next to our table. There was male waiter can not remember his name but he was kind and polite and he did his best his part. The food took so long time to come out and bread was only 1 peace with all these 5 people and food was lower than average taste. Price was very high and food was bad and it was bad service for sure. They also try to sell wine or desert. but we are watching our weight and we do not drink. With all this drama that we still left 30 % tip because waiter has nothing to do with food taste and other things, parking was not easy to find it too since restaurant is in the mall. I had to push the stroller and they had this big thck wooden double door and hard to grab it and other customer helped me to open it but no employee was paying attention to leaving customer . I never seen this horrible food and horrible service. I will never come back here again. Restaurant should have one person to greet the customer but this restaurant was doing whatever they like to do status. Most of all the food was so bad( lower than ordinary food) and over priced. Nice waiter and nice interior and that is all about this restaurant.
(1)Paul W.
WTF Mac Grill. Normally I like this place fast and easy for the family. Tuesday night and they're short staffed, server's and cooks. We were told it would be a 15 minute wait, 30 minutes later still waiting. No offers of drinks or appetizers for the BS. I Think we will start going to the local Italian place.
(2)Andy P.
After experiencing my pleasant surprise at Romano's Macaroni Grill in Huntington Beach, I decided to visit this branch in Cerritos, since it is nearer to home. I was with my family, and also a friend. My friend has never been to any Romano's before, and I bragged about the fact that she's going to enjoy the yummiest spaghetti carbonara in her life tonight.... HOW WRONG I WAS!!! It was the first time in my life that I learned that one branch of a chain restaurant can be significantly inferior to another one, however close they are. What a mind-blowing revelation!!! The spaghetti here was NOTHING like what I had in Romano's at their Huntington Beach branch. It was overcooked, bland, and yuckk!!! Pizza was better, but still somewhat still clearly inferior to the HB branch. Service? Yep... inferior as well. Very disappointed.... now I have to go at least 5 miles further for the same restaurant... Darn....
(2)Miguel H.
After working 25 hours in 2 days, I needed a good meal. Last minute thing my girlfriend and I seen this lil place next door to where we were originally going to eat, so we said why not try it out. Great customer service! Ran into an old friend Shelby wooooo! And thank you to our wonderful server Alex! Great recommendations, our dinner tasted excellent. Definitely coming back.....great service. Great food(=
(5)Christina P.
I came here with my boyfriend and co-workers at around 10:30 after work because they wanted to stop by for happy hour. The restaurant closes at 11, but they were nice enough to still let us in and told us to take our time. Service was kinda slow because they were working on cleaning up, but our server was super nice! He seemed flustered and in a hurry, but was very responsive to our questions! Coming here for happy hour (from 9pm to closing I think) is a pretty good deal - appetizers for cheap and pizzas for $5! The pizzas are about a little bigger than a personal pizza. My boyfriend and I got the Italian sausage pizza, parmesan fries, mac and cheese bites, and peach tea. The pizza - It was spicy! I didn't like it too much because of how spicy it was :( The peach tea - it was so bland! I thought it was a sweet peach iced tea, but it was just a regular one. Our server was very kind and offered to try to make the tea sweeter for me (it still didn't taste that great though). The fries - waaaay too cheesy! They were thin and wimpy, only slightly better than Mc Donald's fries -____- Mac and cheese bites - they were okay, not all that great. Nothing I'd come back for. Overall cheap meal and a lot of food, but quality wise it isn't really my thing. I wouldn't come back again. Our server was amazing though!
(2)Rene C.
Not sure why the overall low rating, I'm in between 3-4 stars. Food was good and atmosphere was chill. A little pricey but not enough that it affects my rating. I recommend the fresh pasta, it was "al dente" and hit the spot.
(4)Peter H.
Lost it's touch... I remember first coming to Macaroni Grill 6 years ago and they we're a good restaurant with panache. There would always be a wait and the dining are was filled with life. I just went recently with my girlfriend and it was less than half filled...at 7:30pm....on a Friday night..... I thought we just got lucky and came at a good time but the food came out and i realized why. I got the honey glazed chicken with angel hair pasta. The pasta was dry and the sundried tomatoes didn't have any flavor in them what so ever. The thing that turned me off the most was that they used frozen chicken....the main point of the dish was the chicken, so i thought they would at least use fresh chicken. I basically paid $20 for dried pasta, soggy broccoli and frozen chicken.... Definitely lost their touch and downgraded alot =/ I'll usually give a 2/5 but since they were good and downgraded I'm going to give them a 1.5 =(
(1)Thea M.
No stars for this location! Unfortunately, no options for that! Went there for a lunch with my husband and daughter, waited 30 mins for our entree and when it arrive, my daughter's spaghetti looks like a 3 year put it together! very light sauce! not appetizing at all!!! My chicken & mushroom cannelloni was over cooked!!! And the waitress told my husband that his order is going to take come more time because it is raw and have to grill some more time?!?! Uhhmmmm... so most of their food is not cooked in their kitchen!?!? or most of them are not raw!!??!?! Anyways, my husband's food arrive after 45mins! It was the chicken in skewers. First of all there NO grill marks on the chicken and when my husband sliced it in half, it was still pink!!! The chicken that we waited for that long is RAW!!! To think it is only in cubes! Not even a big portion and it's still uncooked! The manager did apologized and asked if my husband wants to order another entree, but we decided to pay our bill and left! We will never go back to this location EVER!
(1)Panchito L.
My first time going to Macaroni Grill it was ok nothing to die for usual Italian food rather of gone to Olive Garden
(3)Lily B.
Great service and great seating for a group of about 17. Great server and fast deliverance of our order!
(5)Jeannie B.
Came here with a friend to try the 2 tapas and 2 entrees for $25 deal that recently started. I used to LOVE macaroni grill and I hadn't been in a while so I figured I'd stop by and rekindle my love for this place. So when we first entered we were greeted by the host and seated immediately. I noticed that the uniforms of the workers had changed (I notice the smallest details) and that instead of giving us glasses of ice water , they left a pitcher of water at your table so that you could fill your glass up yourself and not have to ask for water as much. I wouldn't have complained but the water was lukewarm as if it had been sitting out for a while. NOT off to a good start. I proceeded to order our two tapas and two entrees. I ordered a artichoke potato cake ( which was alright. a little too greasy for my liking) and I ordered the mushroom ravioli. My friend ordered a chicken entree which came out beautifully and tasted alright. My dish on the other hand looked like it had been thrown together last minute. The ravioli lacked mushrooms (mostly pasta), the sauce was BLAND and there was only 4 pieces. I am usually not one to complain but it was not worth paying for. I asked the waiter to trade in my meal for a shrimp pasta, which he kindly did. My shrimp pasta was brought out by the chef himself who apologized for the ravioli dish. Problem solved? yea, I guess. As if it wasn't bad enough that I had waited so long for my food our waiter was constantly not around. I needed a refill on water or bread yet he was nowhere to be found. And when he was nearby, him and other waitress were blatantly flirting in front of the entire restaurant by squeezing each other's bums and giggling at each other. YES I SAID SQUEEZING EACH OTHER'S BUMS. I don't think that it was appropriate for me to have to see that while I was trying to enjoy my meal. Overall. I've lost interest in this place. It's just not what it used to be. The food isn't that great, the service mediocre. I''ll probably just go to Olive garden from now on.
(2)Sean S.
Meh... This is definately not the place it was when the doors first opened. Since then, the service has tanked and the food quality is lessening. Portion size was good. Service was mediocre. I was not impressed by the flavor of my meal. I used to think this was the end all in "eye"-talian eating but I am now reconsidering.
(3)Francesca C.
Always love coming here :) Everyone is always so nice and friendly and so smiley. They actually look like they enjoy their jobs and aren't just giving you a fake smile. The servers come to your table and write their names on the table itself, upside down! It's so cool. I was super amazed the first time I saw this. Keep in mind this was like 8 years ago. I love coming here with family, friends, and anyone :) the bread they give you in the beginning is so soft and hot just out of the oven. They could spice up their menu a bit but other than that I'll keep coming back :)
(4)Maria O.
Very sad they removed my favorite dish: stuffed mushroom ravioli from their menu. Now they have something similar but very different. Good think I asked the waitress why it was listed as a "new" item.... she mentioned that it was a different sauce. Indeed it was a different sauce, it wasn't creamy nor tasty. The waitress came back to check on us once our meal was served and since she observed my discontent with my meal, she offered a small serving of a creamy sauce on the side... I was so happy she offered... but once she brought the sauce... I was so disappointed again... it wasn't creamy at all it was watered down big time!
(3)Jim T.
I don't know what everybody's problem is. You don't write for Food and Wine magazine, so lighten up! We have always had good service and enjoyed the food. Speaking of the food, why fault this restaurant for trying to keep you alive until you can come back again and again? Sure the sauces might be thinner, but some people actually like that they're not eating a 1k calorie pasta dish. So if you like obesity and heart failure, I suggest you take your business elsewhere.
(4)Sherry F.
Honestly, this place is okay for an italian place. Staff is friendly. Bread is AMAZING (if you're a carb-lover like me.) tip: ask for balsamic vinegar with your olive oil. DELISH! The atmosphere is romantic. VERY dimly lit, especially after the sun sets. At times, I feel like I don't know what I'm eating, because I can't see in front of me. I usually always end up getting their Penne Rustica or Pasta Milano. Their portions don't seem too big, but I always find myself taking a doggie bag home. If you're craving italian, you can't go too wrong here.
(3)Chanelle B.
Yum. Good food, (nothing quite outstanding about the food, along the same lines as olive garden but a little more pricy) and GREAT service, the staff was so nice with a bunch of little things, we always had water, several people kept checking on us, very friendly staff, made nice conversation with us, brought out food promptly and even sang my sister in law happy birthday in Italian :) very nice experience here.
(3)Christine A.
Whenever I've gone here with my parents in the past, we'd always receive a warm welcome, great service and excellent food in the big room with the gentle lighting and paper covered tables with white cloth beneath. But when my boyfriend and I walked in (a couple of 20-somethings, wearing regular street clothes), asking for a table, we received upturned noses and were placed in the small room with the bar like we were a couple of lepers meant to be kept out of sight. Seemed like all the other T-shirt clad, beer-drinking untouchables were also placed in there. They seated us on rickety bar stools, below bright, hot lights. Our waitress, at first, was very forgetful with us, taking 20 minutes to bring us our drinks, but after we requested to be seated outside (because it was just too hot under those lights), she was very caring with us. She even took care of the other couple sitting out on the patio, whose waitress had forgotten them. It's by her saving grace that this 1-star was upgraded to a 2. Overall, the food was just okay. Both of us got the Mama's Trio, which gives small orders of the lasagna, cannelloni, and chicken parmesan. The cannelloni was HARD with the pasta edges dried out. The lasagna was okay, but not very warm, with the chicken probably being the highlight of the plate -- crispy outer coating and with the inside thoroughly moist. When our server came out to refill drinks and bring us our food, the other couple on the patio demanded she bring them refills too because they'd been waiting over a half hour for their own. While our waitress went to get the lady a lemonade, theirs poked her head out the door and YELLED at them (from 20 feet away), asking what they wanted to drink. The man asked for a berry iced tea, which this other server rolled her eyes at and disappeared again behind the door. As our server brought them the lemonade, they asked about the iced tea, which our server assured that the other waitress was bringing. Ten minutes later, a waitress (not stationed in our area) comes out with an iced tea, walks past the other table and sits at the next one over and starts sipping it in the corner. Another 5 minutes later, the other table's waitress came out, without their tea or anything, and proceeds to go over to the other waitress, share the tea and start gossiping about the terrible customers. More and more servers come out to take their breaks, and of course knock the patrons who've come in tonight, while we and the other table wait for our checks. So lesson learned. If you REALLY want to eat here, come well-dressed. The classist hosts probably won't tuck you away where you'll be forgotten, receiving sub-par service. Seriously, though, it's glorified Olive Garden, but with extra virgin olive oil and rosemary focaccia instead of all-you-can-eat bread sticks.
(2)Jerry C.
Do not ever order to go here! I've never felt so ripped off in my life. The to go container is 8 inches in diameter, a full circle. The spaghetti I ordered cost roughly 11.99 and the food didn't even cover the entire circumference of the circle. Normally, i'm not big on complaining about portion, but this was just absolutely ridiculous. In the end, the food was okay but this is what I get for ordering from the closest restaurant. Never again!
(1)James K.
I have had good experiences here. I love their Chicken Rustica and the wifey loves the Fetticini Alfredo. Also, the bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar is "the bombs". Can't say anymore.
(4)Paul S.
The last time that I went to Macaroni Grill (not this one, the one in Seal Beach), I had a horrible experience. I was completely ignored by the wait staff, so I got up and walked out. After complaining, they threw in a gift card. So, that experience was lukewarm. On this journey, the wife and I went here during lunch. They have a decent lunch menu: 2 or 3 items for $8.50 or $10 respectively. I ordered the 3 items thinking that I'd have enough for a snack later... not so. The lunch sizes are about 4 oz servings of each item. In the end, that is probably the size serving that is appropriate for curbing your hunger and avoiding extra calories to your waist. Even though I thought that the lunch servings were going to be small, I didn't think that they were going to be that small. All in all, I feel that I got $10 worth of food. I don't feel cheated or anything. The food was pretty good (not outstanding). But I don't usually expect an outstanding meal from a chain restaurant... so Macaroni Grill did not disappoint. They just did not exceed my expectations. So, I'm lukewarm about frequent visits here (that seems to be my experience with this chain... lukewarm).
(3)Alli L.
Dislike this place. My family wanted me to take them there & buy them food so I agreed to do so... I didn't even check Yelp!! thats because I've heard really good things about Macaroni Grill. which is why I've always sorta wanted to try it out but never got the opportunity to.. Anyways, service was okay... food quality isn't that great either.. didn't match my tastes at all. it was just bearable to try and finish. same for my daddy cuz his tastes are more similar to mine.... portion size is decent though. Didn't like flavor or taste of anything in general... The bread is okay but some parts of it were too salty while other sides of it had no salt. Calamari is decent/average. The water was delicious though.
(2)Sam P.
Went in for a take out for lunch. I ordered a Fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp and the whole thing came out to be about $15. I don't mind the cost BUT, my main complaint and frustration is the stupid wait time. I understand if a restaurant is busy but when I looked at the dining room, it just didn't look packed. When I first went to the to-go window, I waited, waited, and waited for a server to take my order. One of the CHEFS had to yell "CUSTOMER AT TO-GO" to get someone to take my order. Now, I didn't really care at that time, but when it took 50 min to get me a simple Fettuccine Alfredo with bread, it was simply just too long. When I got to eat it, the noodles were chewy and just disgusting. If I had known it would be like this, I would have just gone to the market, bought all the ingredients for a similar or lower price and got it all done and start eating before 50 minutes. This was quite disappointing.
(1)Mary C.
My fam and I to this location a couple yrs ago and we had a horrible time, service was literally the worst ever! But I really like the food so we finally went to give it another shot and we were glad we did. It was nice and quiet, the server Crystal was very accommodating and attentive and we enjoyed our meals. I don't recommend the caprese salad, was very bland and over priced, but we will def be returning in the future.
(3)Katie W.
If I could give this place 0 stars, I absolutely would because this is exactly what it deserves!!! There are so many things that went wrong with this restaurant, I don't even know exactly where to begin. First, I had called earlier in the afternoon to make a reservation for a party of five. When I got to the restaurant at the designated time, I approached the host. He clearly saw us there and it wasn't like he was helping someone else. We literally stood in front of him for about 45 seconds and he just blankly stared at us, not even bothering to acknowledge us or ask if we had been helped. I then had to ask him, "Are you the one we talk to if we made a reservation?" He then said, "Oh, i"m sorry, I thought you were with the other gentleman who I was helping earlier." Even if that were the case, he should have clarified that first and not automatically jump to conclusions. After I told him that we made a reservation, he then rudely informed me that their restaurant did not have any record of it. At this point, I was completely livid because I had spent a good three minutes speaking with one of their workers earlier that afternoon, giving him all the information needed to make a reservation. Luckily, another worker actually knew how to do her job correctly and profusely apologized for the mix-up. She explained that the employees sometimes do not make a record of the reservation. WHY BOTHER EVEN TAKING RESERVATIONS IN THE FIRST PLACE?!!! The food was mediocre, but two people in our party ordered the Florentine Steak, cooked Medium Rare. The steaks came out WELL DONE, almost like beef jerky. It was dry and bland. What a disappointment. To top off our grand evening, as we were waiting to pay the bill, we couldn't find our server to pick up the check. Therefore, we asked another waitress who was passing by if she could take care of it for us or at least give our card to the server. She rudely snatched the check from our hands, never even bothering to utter one word, acting almost as if we were telling her to do something that was beyond her scope of employment. We were just basically asking her to.. do her job. Geez. To make a long story short, my experience at Macaroni Grill was terrible and I will NEVER be coming back to this restaurant again. When dining out, I personally think that the whole experience is not simply defined by how good the food is; instead, the ambience, service, and overall atmosphere is just as, if not more, important. Macaroni Grill was a complete and utter disappointment in all these areas. Save yourself the time and trouble and go eat elsewhere instead.
(1)J L.
This is one of my favorite Italian restaurants. I am addicted to their fresh-baked bread. Their ingredients are always fresh and high quality. I have yet to be disappointed here. I am a huge fan of the build your own pasta. Go for the goat cheese. Trust me. Oh and this place its WAY better than Olive Garden for a better price.
(5)James W.
The Macaroni Grill in Monrovia is now closed, so I drove down to this one. Ambiance and service were pretty good and the food (Spinach & Scallop salad and Spaghetti & Meatballs) was pretty good. Definitely better than Olive Garden.
(4)Jason J.
I would've rated this place as 5 star, because it used to be awesome... somehow, it found some way to become a bit fizzled out from what I remember this place to be... So here goes my review...I came here w a few friends for my bday.. I ordered the chicken with the lemon basil cream sauce.. I forget the actual menu name... but that's not what's important... the service was nice and prompt.. our food came in a timely fashon... but when it came to the food, it just wasn't what I was expecting. Seasoning was proper, and the pasta itself was cooked properly, but the sauce seemed extremely thinned out... as if they did it to save calories on what seems to be a 'healthier' menu.. I noticed all of their menu items are under 1000 calories, including every single item w cream sauce.. Being a culinary student, I understand the fact that proper cream sauces are by no means healthy or skimp on the calories... this sauce did not have the richness or thickness it should have... obviously they're taking the healthier route at the expense of portion size and full flavor. My meal was pretty a-miss... I finished my meal feeling barely full... and that's considering we had appetizers and dessert... Macaroni grill: what happened to you? I would've picked you over olive garden any day.. now I second guess coming here.
(3)Christalee E.
still not impressed with their food. lunch special turkey sandwich was more bread than anything. had to really search forturkey. i honestly thought they forgot it at first glance. but my granddaughters mac & cheese was good. shld have gone to TGIFridays and will next time
(2)frances c.
This place has gone south. I used to prefer eating here than Olive Garden, but I don't think that's the case anymore. The service was so slow. I had to wave down the waitress several times even though there were only about 10 tables occupied in the whole restaurant. I had to ask for bread instead of them automatically serving them. The food came out cold and my Chicken Alfredo was very dry and bland. I asked for extra alfredo sauce and I waited so long that the people in my party finished their meal before I even started eating mines. I ended up just taking it home. I don't think I will ever go back to this Macaroni Grill. Save your time and money and go to a different Italian joint.
(2)Stephanie P.
The food was ok, not very items to choose from on the menu..the waitress took quite a while to refill drinks and bring our food..we did get free wine though...but i've had better
(2)P L.
I found this place to be an OK place to eat. I just thought it was kinda of weird that they would write their name in crayon on the table. Overall the food was OK and the atmosphere was ok. We came here a few weeks back and overall meh it was just ok nothing special
(3)Brian P.
I need to update this rating and its gone from a 3 to a 2. Here is the deal. If you read my last review i stated that I have been going for a lot of years. The bartenders, staff and managers are about as nice as you will find. They know us all and come say hi when we are there. We get hugs, jokes, some crap talk and everything else you want after work. Its great. So why the downgrade? If i come to your bar three days a week and drink the same thing for 5+ years and my buddy comes and drinks the same drink, how is it every acceptable to not have it in stock. The last couple of months all we do is go in and hear im sorry we're out of that. Sorry, we should have it Friday. Damn, if i wanted it on Friday, ill come on Friday. I dont understand how a bar runs out of booze. They are always out of one beer or another, and Captain is available about 75 percent of the time. Jameson is out all the time as well. I just dont understand how that kind of lack of prep is acceptable. St paddis day, we walked in and same thing happend. So here is what i suggest. Next door is a place called Woodranch. If you want Italian, Mac Grill is great. If you want to have a drink, go to Woodranch. We had a blast and have decided to peel off and start trying them more now. Sorry service just is more painful after a long day.
(2)Diane W.
We love the Macaroni Grill Happy Hour! We found the crowd is light at the first part of the Happy Hour. Darlene, the bartender, is excellent and always remembers what we ordered from our previous visits.
(5)Michelle C.
I guess the other Yelpers don't love Macaroni Grill as much as I do :/ If I could go to LA every week to eat, maybe this wouldn't be my restaurant of choice, but it's close and yummy, and has some good memories for me. The food isn't absolutely to die for amazing, but I'd say it's pretty darn great. Before I became a vegetarian my go to choice for an entrée was the Seafood Linguine or the Shrimp Portofino. Big fan here :) As a vegetarian, I don't have too many choices, but I really do love their mushroom ravioli. It's very rich, so eating it everyday might be overdoing it, but every once in awhile, it's amazing. I've never had any of their grilled meat/fish entrées, so I couldn't tell you about those, but I'd say stick with their pastas, it's their specialty in my opinion. Bread: Not amazing, as compared to somewhere like Cucina Alessa, but definitely up there. When it's still warm, it's really good; when it cools down, just mediocre. Appetizers: Spinach & Artichoke dip is always my favorite, anywhere I go. The crab stuffed mushrooms are yummy too. Salads: Not that great. I know you should have some green with every meal, but this time skip out and eat a little less. Dessert: I've had the Italian Sorbetto only (I usually skip dessert), it was yummy, very tart and fresh tasting. It was good, but I'm not raving about it. Kids menu: A friend told me their mac & cheese is actually really good! Also: The waiters are always great; as a teenager I don't always get treated the best at restaurants, but they are always more than nice to me here. This review is way too long, but I go to Macaroni Grill so much that I have a lot of insight on it. :)
(5)Mai Z.
My father in law invited my husband and I along with a family friend to go watch Cirque D'Or over at the Cerritos Performance Art Center. But just before heading over there, we decided to have dinner here. My father in law made a reservation asking for a booth. Booths are always in demand in almost any restaurant, so the best way to guarantee a booth is to make a reservation for one, right? Apparently, our booth didn't wasn't reserved. The hostess looked surprised when she even looked at the reservation list. I've worked in the industry before, when someone reserves a booth, you reserve it half an hour before the actual reservation for guarantee booth. Our host, Jim found out we reserved a booth and hunt one down just for us. The effort was indeed a nice gesture. Now on to the food. This is my first time going to the Macaroni Grill, so I'm clueless on the menu. I ordered the olive appetizer because I love good olives. I'd have better olives at Pavilions at their olive bar. The flavor was indeed lacking. I ordered Pollo Limone Rustica as my entree. Being it's my first time here, I do read the explanation of each meal. I thought I had someone else's dinner because there was shrimp in my entree. Pollo means chicken, right? Also, I wanted something tangy, thus the lemon sauce advertised. Limone means lemon, right? My entree tastes plain and I didn't taste a bit of the lemon flavor I expected. Apparently everybody else likes what they ordered (my father in law gets the same thing there). I was the only one that didn't finish the food. The food made me feel all greasy and gross in the end as well. Would I go back there again? Absolutely not. This is one of those places where the scenery looks great and you want to bring your prom date to. Seriously, we saw a prom date there. I only know because there's a high school guy wearing a tux...his date, apparently she doesn't understand what "prom" means because she looked like a hooker on hollywood and highland. Can your dress can be any more see-through and short?! She can wear that but the gal in Mississippi can't wear a tux?! Oh wait, I'm getting off subject here. I guess I'm in the category where I can sit in a hole in the wall for some really good food over nice scenery with horrible food.
(2)Chris A.
1.5 stars I try to like this place, I really do, but it's a hard place to like. I went there again today with a group from work. It was horrible. I ordered the Chicken Caprese. I finished at most a quarter of it because it was not worth eating. The chicken breast was so overcooked and dry it was hard to cut with a knife. The accompanying pasta was pretty much flavorless, as if one or more ingredients were missing.
(2)Martha S.
We came here for my half-step-daughter's birthday. We had a pretty long wait, but the benches outside were fine for pre-dinner chatting. Our initial waitress was one of those insanely chipper servers that make me wonder how it's even possible, but she ended up switching off to a fantastic quiet, but extremely conscientious colleague. We were thrilled. The service from the new server was fantastic, everyone's food was great (lobster ravioli for me--yum!), and they brought the birthday girl a piece of chocolate cake and sang Happy Birthday in--best part--Italian! Loved it.
(4)I P.
Let me paint a picture for you: Four good friends (1 Hispanic and 3 Black) decide to meet for happy hour and dinner on a Friday evening. All four are 1. college educated, 2. professionals and 3. moms. We chose to sit at one of the booths inside the bar area...key word here is "bar". When we arrived, there were no other patrons sitting at any of the other booths and the restaurant was almost completely empty. We ordered drinks and appetizers and as we caught up and chatted and laughed, a (white) couple and their teenage daughter sat at the booth behind us. Apparently, our conversation was of interest to this family because the mother and daughter repeatedly looked over their shoulder, staring at us. Mind you, we weren't being any louder than anyone else at the bar or inside the restaurant and at NO POINT did we discuss anything inappropriate or vulgar. In addition, we were sitting IN THE BAR ON A FRIDAY NIGHT. After the 20th time these two glared at us, my (black) girlfriend got up and went over to their table to introduce herself. She politely and articulately introduced herself and explained that we were just 4 friends blowing off some steam and catching up since we hadn't seen each other in nearly a year. An HOUR later (and 3 1/2 hours into us being there), the manager (Christopher Martin) comes over and says, "I have to ask you to keep it down. You're being confrontational with other tables." Apparently, this manager uses a dictionary where following the normal social protocol of introducing oneself politely, is defined as confrontation. When we pressed him about who was complaining, he said it was "several tables and the bartenders." REALLY? So the bartenders that continued to serve us and then allowed us to order 4 full dinners were now bothered by us? How convenient of them to mention this AFTER we had racked up $160 bill and only after the family in the booth behind us slithered away as the manager attempted to shame us. This was the first time that we had even laid eyes on this manager, but he had the nerve to engage us as if he had personally witnessed any of what allegedly transpired. I asked the bartender if we offended or bothered him and even apologized if we had, as this was not our intention. The bartender reassured us that he had no problem with us. Of course the manager continued to make claims that numerous people had complained, but when pressed about it he couldn't substantiate it and repeatedly told us that he wasn't asking us to leave. Who am I to argue? So we finished our meals (since we had only eaten about 1/4 of it at this point) and left when we were ready. I was so upset, that I started crying at the table. Having NEVER experienced something so clearly motivated by race, I had somehow managed to navigate 40 years on this Earth thinking that our country had progressed past the days of 1950's Alabama. Being the champs that we are, we refused to let this ruin our evening. We paid our bill (NO TIP) and then went to The Elephant Bar in Lakewood. Great waitress and MUCH better environment. Shame on you CHRISTOPHER MARTIN and MACARONI GRILL. Invest some money in training for your staff and teach them how to interact with the public. NEVER substitute the opinion of another as your own unless you have personally witnessed the incident. You have lost (at least) four customers...and not just at the Cerritos location. We refuse to create revenue for a company that employs such ignorant and ill-equipped management.
(1)Jen C.
I'm surprised at the low ratings from other people. I think people just expected more? Satisfied for the value. I heard it was a less-expensive version of Maggiano's Little Italy. My family and I had the calamari (good, not rubbery), the mixed green salad (ok) with our entrees, pasta di mare (tasty, a little expensive), chicken parmesan (solid, good), and the chianti that was advertised by the server that evening. Everything was very tasty, and I especially love the rosemary focaccia bread that comes with the meal. We were a group of 3 people on a Saturday around 7pm and we did not have to wait, although the parking lot and restaurant were pretty full. Service was decent, although since they were busy just a touch slow. Nothing spectacular, but I would definitely come again.
(3)Penny W.
The fresh past has eggs. Ask for the one with out it. Large portions so I suggest sharing.
(3)Shig N.
Friends took us here a couple of weeks. Since we went in the late morning, it was just before the lunch rush so we were seated and served quickly. The setting is pleasant and the seating is roomy. I remember the Macaroni Grill used to have would-be-opera-singers entertaining back in the olden days. That would still be nice. You never heard Sarah Brightman but at least it was entertaining. Macaroni Grill is never spectacular - it is middle-of-the-road. I think of it more as American food called by Italian names. I chose the pizza. It was good and I enjoyed. Oh, I forgot about the bread. Fresh baked and tasty. The service was attentive which is just the way I like it.
(3)Allan C.
Came here to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday. There were 8 adults and 5 kids. Luckily it wasn't too busy and they had room for us. Have to give it up for the waitress. It was amazing that she got all the orders right and to the right person (one of my brother-in-law had to pick up his wife and daughter, so he scribbled their order on the table, my in-laws were on the way to the restaurant so they made the order thru the cell phone, my sister-in-law took her two kids to the bathroom and the order was made while she was in the restroom). The waitress didn't complain and was cheerful in getting all the orders. We started with the Tomato Bruschetta and Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms. Very delicious Brushetta! So fresh and tangy! The mushrooms were pretty good too, but just a little bit flaky. I usually order the grilled pork chops but tonight I was in the mood for steak so I got the Calabrese Strip (grilled strip steak). The steak hit the spot. It was cooked right and roasted potatoes hit the spot! My only complaint would be that it was a bit on the dry side. If I had to choose between Olive Garden or Macaroni Grill, I would choose Macaroni Grill due to the fact that it's not as busy as OG and their food taste better than OG.
(4)LadyBug B.
I didnt really enjoy the food here. I heard so much good stuff about this place and boy was i dissapointed. The food was a 5 out of 10. I think they are a little racist here. We felt so ignored and unwanted the whole hour we were there. No refills, No napkins, No aknowledgment... I will never go there again. I do not need to feel like trash when i eat somewhere.... No! on macaroni grill in Cerritos for me. Hell no, i wont go.
(2)Joshua C.
This was my first visit to Romano's Macaroni Grill in Cerritos, California. Overall, my wife and I really enjoyed our dinner experience here. Originally, we were going to go to the Wood Ranch next door, but they had a 30minute wait. Macaroni Grill sat us right away, which is great, because I hate waiting. The first thing I noticed when we sat down were the crayons on the table. Then our server, Heather, showed up and wrote her name in cursive upside-down in crayon on the paper that covered our wooden tabletop when introducing herself. Impressive, Heather, impressive. She was very positive and not overbearing. The service was just right. Our beverages were never empty, and I am one of those people that require a lot of refills during dinner. The server attitude was just right. Overall, I have not had a bad experience with the service yet and I hope not to in the future. Now, here is where we get to the food. The menu is actually really short, which is good, because I don't have to spend that much time debating on what I want. My wife and I both got the chef's trio. The chef's trio is a three course meal of your choosing. First you get to choose your salad, then your entree, and finally your dessert. Our entrees included: - Chicken Cannelloni - Hand-rolled pasta stuffed with grilled chicken, melted cheese and spinach, then baked in an Asiago cream sauce. Topped with tomato sauce. Absolutely delectable in my opinion. - Layers of Lasagna Generous layers of seasoned beef, spicy Italian sausage and pepperoni layered between Parmesan, mozzarella and provolone cheeses. Baked in a brick oven and topped with a fresh tomato sauce. The lasagna was pretty good, but I would prefer the cannelloni. For dessert: - Lemon Passion Citrus cake soaked in sweet cream then topped with lemon mousse and whipped cream. This was like an explosion of straight-up yumminess in my mouth and I would definately order this for dessert again. - Smothered Chocolate Cake Rich chocolate cake smothered in homemade ganache and sprinkled with pecan pieces. This cake was very rich, but at the same time very dry. I actually did not enjoy this. So, all in all, I had to rate this place five stars. I had a really great experience, despite the other reviews this restaurant has. The service was right on the money and the food was very enjoyable. I'm satisfied.
(5)W. N.
I am amazed at previous reviews just ripping this restaurant a new a-hole. This is a 3 1/2 star for us. Yes. It's a cookie cutter chain, 'Italian' restaurant. Just like every once in a while I go to Carls Jr. for a plain cheeseburger, sloppy with mayo and ketchup. But I refuse to go to McDonalds. We all have our little secret food addictions. This is our second visit to this store for my Petite, Red-Headed, Passion Flower and I. We don't even really need to look at the menu. The mushroom ravioli is why we are here. Fat ravioli stuffed with cheese and mushroom with a caramelized onion and mushroom sauce that has both of us rolling our eyes in the back of our head. Our bread plate and our wine tumbler were always full. The house Chianti perfectly acceptable. If we had split our dinner, we coulda had desert. Brandon our server was timely, never overbearing. He was there when we needed him and not when he wasn't. We walked in at 5 PM on a Friday night and we were immediately seated. When we left an hour or so later, the joint was packed. We enjoyed sitting at a table close to the open air kitchen. Very entertaining.
(3)Brett C.
Of all franchise Italian restaurants, Macaroni Grill is one of my least favorites. I can only think of one time that I've eaten in the restaurant itself, but nothing good or bad truly sticks out in my mind. Instead, I usually partake in Macaroni Grill via takeout when my family is in the mood for some less expensive pasta. The real reason I don't care much for Macaroni Grill is because of the taste. Or lack thereof. Ordinarily, when I eat Italian food, I eat to die. Fettuccine noodles in an alfredo creme sauce with some kind of meat is my poison. For as unhealthy as it is, the Macaroni Grill version just seems bland to me. If I'm going to kill myself with sauce, I'd at least like to be able to taste it. I usually build my own pasta here. I usually go with chicken, spinach, and garlic on top of fettuccine alfredo. In theory, excellent. In application, not. It's kind of disappointing. While I don't refuse to eat at Macaroni Grill, I would never suggest it as a place to go with my friends or family.
(2)Jane C.
Too Salty. even though i tend to eat my food bland.. this restaurant is overly salty. everything i've tried has been mediocre for this reason. they do have an opera singer making rounds.. but as the years have passed, the less they seem to sing. actually, the last visit a couple months ago.. there was no opera singer to be found. and it was friday dinner. parking is easy, and free. the wait was not long. and if there is a wait, you can always hang out in the bar area. the Food - BBQ Chicken Pizza: i'd sooo prefer BJ's or CPKs (both of which i don't think too highly of) - Spaghetti & Meatballs: boring.. actually, the meatballs are NOT edible. i had to feed it to my dog, and even then.. i wondered if he enjoyed it much - Mama's Trio: sucks i dont even want to recall what else i (or my fam/ friends) have ordered here.
(1)Tee M.
Very nice Italian restaurant and I enjoy dining here often. My favorites are the Lamb kabobs, the Pepper crusted Pork Chops, and the Chicken Parm. I love to drink the Mai Tais here they are very potent!!! Good place for family dinners or a date.
(4)Monica N.
When given a choice, I don't like to dine at chain restaurants. However, my mom does and I've learned that if I want to dine happy I had better make sure that mom is happy. Mom likes the Macaroni Grill, therefore I dine there. I really look forward to drawing on the butcher paper that covers the table. If they provide sub-standard crayons, I ask for better ones. Now that I think about it, I think I'll bring my own crayons next time. Anyhow, the last time I was here with mom and big sis we had a pretty good lunch. We laughed, we talked, no one got hurt....good times. Then my sister strikes up a conversation about hair products with our adorable server. (He was a cutie) As he's talking and answering her questions I notice he's looking only at me. When he leaves the table my sister is pissed!!! I made sure he got a good tip, it was totally worth the average-quality chain restaurant food.
(3)Paul C.
I had my shares of so-so and not so great experiences here at this location. Well I had no choice but to dine here tonight and I have to say, this broke the camel's straw. So I arrive here with my family thinking it wasn't going to be too busy but nope I was wrong. Place was packed and we waited around 20 minutes or so. We order up and I was looking forward to eating some nice juicy lamb but they unfortunately ran out. Big time negativity right there. If you aren't gonna have plenty of item A, then don't freakin serve it on your menu. I opt for a salad since nothing on the menu really catches my interest. Let me tell all you yelpers out there. These guys don't give a shit about throwing in the bottom on the romaine stalks. Yes the bottom of the stalk that has black dirt shit on it sometimes. Mine didn't have any dirt fortunately but they just threw all my stuff and barely put in any dressing on. Oh it doesn't end there. Not only did we have low quality food, we were waiting for our server for about 15 minutes after she drops off our check and goes to tend to a large group in the back area. Growing real impatient, I had to flag someone down and have them take our payment cuz I swear to you had I not done this we would've waited over 30 minutes for her stupid ass to realize she forgot us. This place used to be good but the quality of food to service went downhill and turned to shit. I will never eat at any Macaroni Grill ever again. If you want an unpleasant experience and low quality food, then dine here by all means.
(1)Sophia W.
Pretty Good food, good atmosphere.
(4)Lily P.
This extra star is EXCLUSIVELY for the Marsala Chicken Ravioli. And will be the only thing I will get here ever.ever.again. ever. oh, that and the lemon cake.
(4)Yuki M.
At least their consistent in their poor food and drink. As I wrote in my review of the Macaroni Grill in Costa Mesa on Anton, this place is pretty much matched to a tee. yelp.com/biz/euGZtjhXjti… Bland pastas, unsavoury meats, bland salad dressings, unfresh produce, over cooked or under cooked appetizers. Good table bread and decent Tiramisu. Much can be said for a restaurant chain that gives consistent presentation and quality in their various locations. This is pretty consistent with what I've had at the Costa Mesa location. I've come here on 4 or so occassions over the past God knows how many years and every time, with at least a year between visits, I was left wanting. Never again.
(1)Amy E.
Ok so I called the restaurant and the manager apologized and sent me coupons for 20$. I went back about two weeks later and the service in the dining room was seriously lacking. It was a Saturday afternoon and the waitress took our order and never checked on on again and she behaved as though we were an annoyance to her. I will never ever go back period.
(1)Mimi L.
Okay. The food at Macaroni Grill is always pretty good - I'll give 'em that. Nothing special, but good. The service, on the other hand, is hard to rate. I can't say that the people aren't nice...they're friendly enough, I guess. So why the 2 stars? My parents and I recently ate at the Macaroni Grill in CTC. My dad ordered a glass of white zin like he always does...and our waitress brought it out IN A TUMBLER. Wine in a tumbler?!? That might have been excusable in the college dorming days when you'd drink boxed wine ($11.99 for 5 liters!) out of plastic cups, but in an Italian restaurant?! When my dad asked if they were out of actual wineglasses, our waitress shot him a weird look and replied, "Oh. Did you want to use a regular wineglass?" After that scenario, our waitress was definitely rushed and cold towards us. I'm a slow eater, and before I was even halfway through my salad, she already asked my mom (who had ordered the 3-course thing) what she wanted for dessert. In fact, she even asked if we wanted "to take it to go". Why would we want it to-go?! THEN...she brings it out along with our check. At this point, I'm still eating my salad, and my dad was about to order a cup of coffee. Wow, thanks. Our entire dinner lasted us 45 minutes.
(2)tony n.
Today was our first time here and definetly our last. To start things off, our waitress (Camie) wrote here name with a crayon on our table..go figure??..she was incredibly irritating and kept looking at us for a 3 second pause everytime she came to our table..that was WEIRD..... After we placed our order, she offered us soup or salad with our entrees only to find out we were being charged for it on the check...i didnt say anything but that really made me mad. To make matters even worse, she asked me if i needed change when i left a $100 bill for a $48 check. The food was actually decent..but still very overpriced for what it is. Don't go there..Olive Garden has better quality food and service for much less.
(1)Jennifer T.
I think that the quality and portions of their food went downhill the last couple of years. I went there for a birthday party and ordered Mama's Trio... oh boy, do i regret ordering it. I LOVE lasagna and what I got was... sooo disappointing I didn't even want to finish the whole thing. The portion was okay, but I wasn't too excited to finish my food. The lasagna had too much pasta, not enough sauce or meat. The calamari was also very disappointing, the squid didn't taste fresh and it wasn't crunchy but soft. The sauces that they offered were too bland. I was pretty unhappy with my meal but The customer service is amazing. It was my friend's birthday and this guy came along, gave us a free slice of cake (big enough for the four of us to enjoy) and lighted a candle. He then sang happy birthday in Italian and after that the whole restaurant was clapping. It made my friend sooo happy :)
(2)Robert F.
Ah, Macaroni Grill. Every time I try to get out, someone pulls me back in. And has anyone else ever noticed that everything on the menu, whether it's pasta or chicken or beef, all kind of tastes the same? That sort of stale, bitter taste of despair and desperation that is Romano's Macaroni Grill? I gave it an extra star for the bread. I love the bread. I could eat it every day. The entrees are abominable and the wait staff is incredibly irritating.
(2)Joshua M.
I haven't been here in about two to three years, and I thought it'd be nice to pay this place a visit again. The restaurant's decor was very vibrant. The extensions of light bulbs above gave the restaurant sort of a nice glow. It looked like a restaurant; nice rock interior, comfortable and spacious setting, and very traditional music. I really liked being able to see the chefs work on the side, no out of place tin door flapping around. (4) The service was very friendly, always on top of things. They immediately got us situated and took our orders. They really were trying to push their wines and desserts. We ended up getting one glass of their brand wine for $5. (4) So the dinner, we started out with a simple Caesar salad, followed by a 'lobster ravioli' for me and a 'simple salmon' for my fellow patron. Well the Caesar salad, was a Caesar salad. If you can't do something this simple, it would be embarrassing. By that I mean, good portions and not over dressed. So no problems there. The 'lobster ravioli' however did not prove to be as satisfying. The lobster was in tarragon pasta, with sauteed shrimp and asparagus on the side in a butter sauce. The lobster was cooked perfectly. Sadly, there was no taste to the lobster, very bland. It was as if they just forgot the seasoning for all five pieces. The shrimp was almost like the main course, because they were cooked nicely with great texture. The issue I had with the butter sauce was that it just seemed more like a cheesy sauce. It really did overpower the taste of everything else. So overall, the dish was cooked nicely, but the seasoning just wasn't up to par. The 'simple salmon' was well received. You could tell by the color that it was cooked nicely and had a load of flavor. It was a very simple dish with grilled salmon over some vegetables and rice. No complaints here from my friend. I stole a little bite and it was very pleasant ;] We finished the meal with the 'Amaretto Apple Crispetti.' I can't remember everything about it but it had vanilla ice cream with caramel over baked apples covered in brown sugar (it had a buttery taste too). I'm not a big fan of sweets, but this was really good. My friend basically ate the whole thing, but I did take a couple of bites, enough to tell me that it was a good dish. Since I don't enjoy overly sweet dishes, I would say that it could have used a few more apples for texture and sell brown sugar because that dish was just covered in layers of it. Overall, I would have to give the food a 3. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't above average either. My take on the 'lobster ravioli' is that it isn't worth $17. The 'Amaretto Apple Crispetti' was a good bang for your buck though, running for about $7.
(3)Letizia C.
I've never been to Olive Garden so after coming here I don't expect to ever lower my standards when craving Italian cuisine. The atmosphere in the restaurant is lively and initimate and most definetly enpensive. I highly recommend the following: Appetizer - Tomato Bruschetta or Mozzarella Fritta as well as the Penne Rustica or Pollo Limone Rustica for lunch or dinner with a glass of Pinot Grigio. Whatever pair you choose from my suggestions, you will NEVER REGRET. I swear you'll leave this place wanting to come here again in the future and making sweet love to the one who brought you here - haha just kidding! Buon Appetito!
(5)Aaron B.
if you like good italian food than this is the spot for you just good food!!!!!!!!!!!
(5)Joana C.
So I'm a Yahoo reader. Thanks to the super health conscious nation that America has turned into, Yahoo displays an article almost everyday called "Eat This, Not That!" This article outs the fattiest, saltiest, unhealthiest food in America's restaurants. Oh, Romano's. I know about your overly salted platters, high in fat content appetizers, and your 2,000 calories cream sauce. Whether it's the appetizers, main course, or dessert, you have been listed. Congratulations for being one of the fattiest restaurants in America. Having said that, what's wrong with a little indulgence? As long as it's good, right? My two girlfriends took me out to eat here on my birthday last year. We were seated right away and ordered a couple dishes. Lobster ravioli, spinach artichoke dip, and 3 other dishes I seem to have forgotten. But that's not entirely important. I shiver at the mere thought of how much fatty content I put into my body that night. It couldn't have been that good anyway since I can't even seem to remember it. The only thing I really liked about this place was our super cute, super nerdy waiter and when I got serenaded. And for that, you have earned yourself 2 stars.
(2)Julie A.
I think Macaroni Grill is the reason why I stopped going to chain restaurants. I've been here multiple times, usually with other people who want to eat at this establishment. The food just does not taste good. Don't know what else to say......It's just not that tasty. I'm just dumbfounded as to why this place is always crowded. Service is a hit and miss, depending on how busy they are. Also wanted to add that Macaroni Grill was rated as being the Saltiest Restaurant by MSN.com .
(2)Sonae D.
Mediocre service for a Sunday night. Food was tasteless and not even well prepared for the price. Overcooked pasta and watery crab stuffed mushrooms. Should have followed my 1st thought and went to East Side Marios in Lakewood.
(1)James S.
Wow what a disappointment. Macaroni Grill used to be a favorite place to eat but they have made such drastic changes to their menu that the food is just plain bad now. Tasteless, of poor quality, and just bad. On this visit the service was mediocre. Our server was good, but clearly overwhelmed. We finished our meal and still had appetizer and salad plates on the table. Never previewed and that includes the manager who delivered our food!! Waited a long time for everything including the check! Won't be visiting a Mac Grill again anytime soon.
(1)Joshua T.
I don't know why the rating is low but my experience with this restaurant has always been positive, for the most part. In our recent visit, our server Richard was great, attentive and very accommodating for my Dad's diet restrictions and let us bring our own cake for my partner's birthday. Ambiance is great, food is delicious, and my brother who is very picky with his Yelp rating is pleasantly surprised with the service, and the food of course.
(5)Paul F.
I'm not a huge fan of Macaroni Grill, but the in-laws like it, so when they are in town I indulge them. It's funny how the interior of every Macaroni Grill looks the same. I actually don't find the decor all that objectionable. In fact I much prefer it to say, Olive Garden. The food, just OK. I've not really found anything in the pasta or pizza department that impresses me (of course, nothing about their food strikes me as "real authentic" Italian). I do like being able to create my own pasta, I can at least have some things thrown in that make it somewhat palatable. The one thing I've found on their menu that they excel at making is the balsamic pork chops. The risotto that comes as a side is not too bad either. It is for this one entree alone that I am giving them 3 instead of 2 stars. The service is good, but nothing special. They bring you fresh bread (baked with rosemary) and keep the water glasses filled. I really don't care for their "peddling" of wine. The server always shoes up with some giant bottle of the house Chianti trying to get you to buy a bottle or carafe to go with your meal. It's really not that good either. While I wouldn't visit on my own, I can usually find something to eat here, and I much prefer it to Olive Garden.
(3)Aaron D.
This is a franchise location. So don't go thinking unique, gourmet, exqusite, etc....on the same note - its not the walmart of food either. It can be quite tasty and the ambiance is fun. I think of this as a great place for a group of friends to go after evening church. As long as you know this - you can go here and have quite a good experience. The food is quite good. If you like Italian food and you enjoy comfort food then you will like Romano's Macaroni Grill. It's full of comfort food. I have had and enjoyed the mozzarella Fritti, the Calamari Fritti, and the Tomato Bruschetta. None of them are amazing, all three are quite good. Not the best - but consistently flavorful and yummy. I have never had good soup here. Don't waste your time. As for Salads the Mozzarella Alla Caprese is very good. The Insalata Blu is also quite tasty. The Caesar is good. The Shrimp Portofino is fantastic. As is the make your own pasta. Keep in mind that compared to their regular menu the make your own pasta can be expensive. The Lobster Ravioli is amazing. The Alfredo is a little better than average. For dessert - I recommend the Tiramisu. The house red wine is consistently of good quality. And its cheap. I find that they occasionally serve wine in cheap trashy glasses though. Which is strange compared to the ambiance. This is better than Olive garden - but still very chain like.
(3)Mika J.
no wonder this place gets bad reviews. We came here on a Saturday night and the place was half empty (or half full) yet they still made us wait over 30 minutes for our table. Yes we are a party of 7 but why do we have to wait for the other large party to leave and use that table while there are plenty of tables you can put together? service was decent - she acted nice although we never got our bread refilled... probably due to the low turnover rate, the lettuce on my salad are all brown. errr, no wonder the lighting was so dim so that no one can see what's really on their plate@@ I still like macaroni grill in general, but probably won't come back to the one in this locaiton...
(2)H Q.
I found this restaurant to be really cozy and clean. It smelled really good! I came here for lunch and there was no waiting. The service was really friendly and quick. I ordered the Chef's Trio Special. It came with a choice of salad, an entree and dessert. My choices were: a Caesar's Salad, Spaghetti w/ meatballs and chocolate cake. I love Caesar's Salads and I liked this one. The dressing wasn't too tart and the lettuce was crisp. I'm so used to making Spaghetti myself that I rarely order it when I go out, but I'm glad I did in this instance. The meat sauce was very tasty and it came with two giant meatballs. The cake was decadent. All in all a good experience. I didn't put my Art degree to use by drawing on the table because I was with good company. Which added to my enjoyment of the restaurant. Only thing that bothered me was the food came way too fast. I was only a few bites into my salad when my spaghetti came. The server did apologise for it when she brought it.
(4)Tina A.
I've really enjoyed my dining experiences at this Macaroni Grill. All the times I've gone, the food's been great the service was exceptional. My two little sisters and I went a few weeks ago for one of their birthdays and the waiter really made it special. An opera singer came out and sang "Happy Birthday" in Italian and he held the last note until my sister blew out the candles (poor guy, we didn't know and just watched him hold that note until the waiter whispered in my sister's ear "blow out the candle") They gave my sister a big piece of chocolate cake (best birthday dessert from any restaurant thus far). They get 4 stars out of me for making my sister's 11th birthday special. Then again, this was a Wednesday night but I don't know what people expect from restaurants like this on a weekend. Either make reservations or go somewhere else!
(4)Carla M.
We were headed to Olive Garden, but passed by this place and thought we would try this place out, something new. We were a little hesitant b/c we thought this place would only serve macaroni, haha. Before we could even grab for the door, 2 hosts both opened it and greeted us. We were seated right away at out table. Our waitress Michelle was attentive and patient throughout our whole time there. I felt like I was sitting outside, but we were really inside, ha. It was kool b/c they have these tables covered w/ white sheet of paper that you could write on. So I had to write stuff, haha what I write-" I'm gonna yelp you ", " I love you MJ", " inc was here ", and also " Thank you Michelle ". They give you complimentary bread w/olive oil as your dipping sauce.Our food came out real fast, I got the chicken marsala, b/c I wanted to taste the difference w/ the one at Olive Garden, I would have to say I like the one at Olive Garden better, hehe sorry. My beau got the chicken parmigana, which he thought was okay-but liked the one at Eastside Marios better. I would come back again b/c of the service and to try something new from the menu. Also this place reminded me of CPK b/c they have the kitchen where everyone can see instead of behind closed doors.
(3)Marilee M.
Just spent some time reading the other reviews, and had to add one for my parents... My father called me furious on Saturday 9/24/11 after going for lunch to the Macaroni Grill Cerritos. He's been there several times before, and enjoyed it very much... NOT this time. He and my mother were sat, followed by 2 other couples. He watched very perplexed as the other 2 couples were greeted and served while he and my mother waited for nearly 30 minutes without a single word, before they finally walked out. He was very upset. After reading the other reviews, I had the same suspicion. My parents are older, not so stylishly dressed, and are a bi-racial couple; and I couldn't help but wonder if this was somewhat race and class driven. It was very saddening. It hurts my heart to think that in this day and age my parents might be discriminated against simply because they look different (their money still spends GREEN)!!! Thank-you for listening...
(1)Gerry M.
The atmosphere is good to go on a date, and the service was good, the problem I had was that the food was to pricey for what they actually give you. The unlimited bread is a plus... But not a place Id recommend...
(3)Paul H.
They could use more booth seating at this location. And the waiter forgot to bring us crayons! Unforgiveable. Had the Angus Beef strip steak with Calabrese potatoes -- not bad at all, though the Calbrese potatoes were a bit salty (though I admit I am salt-sensitive). I tasted their house (out of a jug) Chianti and it wasn't bad either, so I had a glass. I think my standards are slipping, since I'm not going out to very many high end restaurants these days. Something tells me a lot of people are doing the same thing. Heck even this place was empty on a Wed night, and I wouldn't call Macaroni Grill "high end." They have some new "small desserts" to share but we didn't try them. Oh well, there is a Trader Joe's 100 yards away so go wander around there after dinner.
(3)Jesse V.
It was date night for my wife and I. We havent been out in a month. We were hoping for an enjoyable experience. Our food was really good, our server (Tiffany) left us with a bad taste in our mouths. We ordered our drinks and ceasar salads. It took 15 minutes to get our salad. She walked around the entire restuarant with a lost puppy dog look on her face. We had to ask for every single refill. Our food gets to our table 5 seconds after chewing our last bite of our very stingy ceasar salad (skip the salad). Our entrees were very good, chicken canelloni and pasta milano. Dessert was ok...apple crisp with vanilla ice cream, will probably order chocolate cake or sorbetto next time. Our server denied us having a great time on our rare nights out. We will avoid sitting in her section. I tipped her 15% just because Im a nice guy. Most people would have asked for a manager.
(2)Mac F.
been awhile since i've eaten at RMG but since I was in the area over at the Cerritos Center we decided to give it a try... i start off by ordering the Mozzarella Alla Caprese for my salad like dish and the Penne Rustica for the main... the Mozzarella Alla Caprese was nearly tasteless... seriously hard to believe but the tomatos had no taste the mozz very little and the basil some... i think the EEVO and aged balsamic vinegar was non-existing and i had to dress the dish up with some salt and pepper to flavor it up... the Penne Rustica was the meal saver... good flavor and baked just right... i noticed RMG has changed the menu some since my last visit and was missing a few of my favorites... the save to the 3 star rating was the the service... the service was good......
(3)Juliet S.
Loved the Goat Cheese Peppadew Peppers on the Tapas menu! And, the Chicken and Mushroom Cannelloni Entree was very good. But, sadly the table service was very slow and completely inept. This was a favorite restaurant but it has really changed--plenty of tables available when there used to be a wait! Management really needs to take a look at what is happening. Had to ask for bread numerous times. Server never asked for our drink order and then told us sorry for the wait but the tea was brewing--what?! We were drinking water. Bring back the Italian Nachos--Bella Napoli --super yummy! This is right across from Wood Ranch, where the food is always delicious and the service is excellent! We will go there instead.
(2)Lillian H.
Came here years ago right when they just opened. All my friends were raving about this place about how good it is. So of course I have to try it out. Came for dinner, and the moment I walked in through the front door, there was this cheese odor that was just so strong, I thought for a minute someone had puked all over the place. Was about to leave, but I didn't want to play the "What if" game about the food. So I stayed just to try out the food. I ended up order this beef ravioli, my friends order chips from appetizer section, and another order fish. All three dishes were UNBELIEVABLY HORRIBLE. If I thought that smell inside the restaurant was going to make me sick, the food definitely did it. Since that first time I went, it's been about almost 10 years now, and for the last 10 years, I've sworn away from ALL Romano's Macaroni Grill. And till this very day, I intend to keep staying away.\
(1)Randy D.
AVERAGE. its like an Italian cafe. very equal to Olive Garden. My last visit was a very below average experience. Food orders were not accurate. But effort to give good service is up there. Theres nothing that stands out on their menu. This restaurant just proves that chain restaurants are going to lure you in and also youre never going to get the same service all the time. its definitely just another OPTION. GO DUCKS!!!!!!!
(3)danilo c.
Why are there so many bad reviews of this place? Our family comes here all the time whenever we celebrate something. They always give us the best freshly baked bread. Everything we've ordered always taste great. It won't disappoint.
(5)Monica A.
We just had lunch here yesterday for my co-workers farewell lunch. There were seven of us and we seemed to be the only ones there.I guess it worked out for us since we had quick service and our waitress was really nice. However, the food is not very impressive.I can make any one of their pasta dishes at home with some real flavor for a fraction of the cost. The portions are smaller and $31 dollars for a bottle of Korbel Cchampagne,I don't think so.The ambience is still quite nice for a casual lunch or dineer but other than that ..not much for your taste buds or your wallet.restaurants are definately cutting their cost and jeopardizing the flavor.Their pasta dishes were just notices and sauce with no punch.I looked around the table and everyone's plate seemed just as bad.
(3)Jay Y.
ok.. i've become a little more disappointed with this location every year. service here is slow and it seems to get worse with every year that goes by. i think it's because they hire too many highschool kids who really know nothing about customer service, waiting.. or the food business for that matter. if you're planning on going to this location on a holiday.. don't. valentines included. if you're planning on ordering take-out on a holiday (of any kind).. DEFINITELY DON'T. this past valentines.. my gf and i decided to just have a nice and quiet dinner at home with some take out. we decided Macaroni Grill would be nice since we haven't had it in a long while. so we place our phone order at 6:10pm.. the guy on the line taking our order says it will be ready in 30 minutes. we arrive at Macaroni Grill at 6:40pm to find it packed with valentine couples, families and so-forth. Macaroni Grill was understandably busy.. so i kind of already expected that there was a good chance my food might not be done JUST quite yet. we worm our way through the waiting crowd to find the counter for take-out. luckily at that time.. most of the crowd was waiting to be seated for dine-in. regardless.. we were waiting along side a half-dozen people who were wanting take-out as well. being the smart people that us "take-out" people were.. we all had phoned in ahead and were told to arrive within 30 minutes of placing our orders.. which we all had done. the staff behind the take-out counter were very inattentive. four or five staff members were just standing there.. looking at the computer screen and looking down at order forms.. trying to make themselves look busy. shuffling take-out bags around, checking and re-checking and checking the bags again to see if somehow, magically, the orders would appear inside. for about 15-20 minutes.. not once did they come over to acknowledge ANY of us. FINALLY.. after 20 minutes.. one of the gentlemen infront of me grabbed the attention of some highschool looking asian kid. i kind of felt bad because when they got his attention.. he looked scared and lost as if he was overwhelmed and intimidated by how busy his work had become. it kind of almost looked like it might had been his first day on the job too. but he ended up not being much help.. at that time, we had been standing there for about 40 minutes after the initial 30 minutes they told us over the phone. they were VERY unorganized, lacked common sense, and were totally lost as to how a restaurant should be run. it's as if they weren't even trained!! they were filling orders that had just been placed over the phone.. filling orders to other impatient take-out customers who had just walked through the front door and cut in line across the room just to avoid the wait and traffic.. none of us, the half-dozen or so people that had been waiting for over an hour.. had gotten our food yet. so an hour and a half goes by since we had arrived.. making it two hours since we placed our order. the guy infront of me had JUST gotten his take-out order after practically forcing a kid to get his order done. FINALLY.. i'm at the front. at that time two people in the back decided to leave and go get burgers from else where. i was very displeased, hungry, grumpy, pissed, peeved and every other ugly word in the english dictionary short of choking out the kid behind the counter and beating him with the oversized pizza paddle. i had given him my name and order number about an hour prior to that time.. and my order was still not done. he kept telling me the same thing "everything isn't done yet.. but i'll get it to you soon". at that time.. i had had it. i told him to call his manager over. his manager came.. i expressed my understanding that it was visibly busy due to valentines.. but i also expressed my displease and confusion as to how in the freaking world it can possibly take a restaurant 2 FUCKING HOURS to get me my take-out order done. the restaurant manager looked into it.. discovered two orders that had been sitting there for over an hour each (which by health department standards had now had to been thrown out cause they expired), and my order hasn't been completed when they're busy trying to complete orders that had just been made over the phone when i had been waiting there for two hours. needless to say.. the manager was PISSED. thank goodness he actually said something.. BUT.. it was also his fault too cause he wasn't more attentive to the situation. he should have known what was going on.. after all.. he IS the manager. in the end.. it took another 10 minutes for my order to be completed.. and the manager insisted that our $60 order was on him. so our valentines dinner was half-cold but free. so if you want a shot at free food.. place a take-out order here next valentines and see if you get as lucky as my gf and i did. never again.
(1)SMP M.
This is the worst MG I have ever been to, I have been to Macaroni Grill before at other locations but never to the one at Cerritos. I was taking someone who had never been to any MG before and unfortunately, it ended u being a very disappointing experience. The issues we experienced are due to management of the restaurant. It was not busy at all but many tables had dishes left over from previous diners, which stayed that way during our meal. The service was beyond slow, it took over 30 min for our salads to arrive which then were brought at the same time as our entree. The lettuce on the salads was wilted as if it had been sitting out and they were drenched in dressing. Once we finished our salads we had to wait another 15 min for our entree's to come out, which had been sitting under the heat lamps. By this time, the food was not hot and my shrimp was rubbery. I know there are not many options in Cerritos but I recommend you go anywhere else if you want decent food and service. You will not get it here!!
(2)Allie p.
I love this place! The new menu is great get the tapas (little appitizers) 2 for $9! Mmmm mac and cheese bites!
(5)Ashley L.
Tonight I was dazzled with perfect, not over the top butt kissing, service from our bartender Jon. Delicious entree's, the penne rustica and the chicken scaloppini. Yum. It was a cold night with hot food that hit the spot. Quick, affordable, and casual.
(5)Ai M.
Calamari as well as the tapenade trio are good. Eggplant parmesan wasn't tasty. I'd only get tiramisu from here. My parents are fans of the pollo limone rustica but I think its greasy and salty. When I called to order to go, they hung up on me before I could ask for the total (there was no apology when I called back).
(2)Rona T.
Much like any other Macaroni Grill/ franchise-type Italian restaurant. Their service is always great, and this place is great for big groups (just as long as you tell them ahead of time). From birthdays to a quick bite to eat, this place is a good place to go to. Plus, their provision of crayons and white butcher paper to draw on is always fun to use.
(3)Maria W.
One of my favorite restaurants for some time has been RMG, however I will not be going back. I know I am not a food critic, but I know a good food establishment when I see one. When you walk in, you have to pass the bar to your left to get to the hostess stand. Almost immediately I noticed liquor bottles on the glass shelves covered in dust, not to mention the shelves themselves; poor management..."if you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean". We waited for a while before anyone acknowledged our presence and showed us to our seats. When I opened the menu, I was shocked to see that all of their entrees now had the calorie count below each item; I mean this is Italian Food, if I wanted to shun calories, I wouldn't be here! What was more upsetting, and the main reason I will not be returning, is the change of recipe of my favorite dish...the mushroom ravioli. I asked the wait staff just how different it was and upon hearing the changes to the new dish, I ordered the lobster ravioli instead. The lobster was okay, but the sauce was watery and tasteless. My husband's pizza was burned as well. I am so sorry to have to cross this one off my favorites list, but while leaving I glanced across the parking lot to the Wood Ranch...at least there I am guaranteed to find stellar service and delicious food.
(1)Eileen T.
I used to have an okay opinion of Macaroni Grill because the ambience is nice, the food was good, and you could draw on the table. The last time I went there, however, I now can completely recommend that people do NOT go to this particular branch. I went with two friends during a slow lunchtime. My friend accidentally spilled some water on the floor, and we spent a long time waiting for them to come and help clean it up. Our serving waiter wasn't around, but all the other waiters were just hanging around the serving island. One of the waiters even deliberately walked over the remaining puddle on the floor and did not do anything about it. When our waiter finally came by, he didn't do anything about the water until we pointed it out, as if he couldn't clearly see we had an accident. My friend was pretty pissed off over the negligence, and when our food finally came after an excruciating wait, it was lukewarm and kinda bland. My friend felt extreme indignant about the service and didn't want to leave a tip, but I convinced her that we should at the very least leave the change. Boy do I regret that. After we paid and walked out the door, our waiter came out and said very patronizingly, "Thanks for the huge tip." Then as we were driving away and passing the restaurant, the waiter was outside on a smoke break. He threw the change at our car, "I don't need this." Like really, that is so disrespectful. It's not like we ran out on you or didn't give you any tip. You are supposed to represent your establishment, and he definitely gave it a bad one.
(1)Chantee Z.
Went to macaroni grill last night with a group of 13 before watching Ave Q at the performing arts center. Apparently my instinct to avoid Macaroni Grill until now had been right on. The waitress told us they were trying out a new Mediterranean theme. Okay; I like mediteranean. I ordered the warm spinach salad, which is described on the menu as having "toasted goat cheese". When it came out cheese free, I asked the waitress, and she explained that the barely visible dusting of what looked like parmesan was goat cheese. Hmm, I've never seen powdered goat cheese before. I tried one of the new Mediterranean dishes, the Grilled Chicken Speidini. I thought this would be a good option to keep my diet on track. The grilled chicken was very dry, and didn't have much of any flavor. The vegetables served with it were so over cooked that they'd turned to mush. Good thing I had a gift card, or I would have been even more peeved about paying for such a dissapointing dinner. It barely seems important because the food was so bad, but the waitress was pretty slow too.
(1)raymond m.
I have to give this place a middle of the road rating. The food is just so inconsistent. One day I'll have a perfectly cooked pork chop meal, and the next time my steak tastes like gas. At least the bread is good all the time. If you like meat, try the pork chops. The chicken marsala is what my wife usually orders and it's quite good. try and go when there is not so many people inside. It makes a big difference as far as the quality of food. i guess that's how it works in every place.
(3)Carrie C.
I used to like coming to this place, but more recently, the food has become worse and worse. Like alot of people say, it's inconsistent, but it's becoming consistently awful. I still like their calamari, more so for the sauce though, they serve it with a basil pesto aioli that I can just inhale. But lately I think the plate of calamari has gotten smaller and smaller. My dad the other day got the wedding soup, which was bland and full of gray vegetables and mushy meatballs. My mom got a create your own pasta plate, which came with 3 shrimp exactlys and an oily bowl of linguine. I got the lasagne....which I have gotten once before, and hated it, but I was craving lasagne that night and so I ordered it again...BIG MISTAKE. It has got to be the WORST lasagne EVER made....it's a huge pile of noodles, with meat. It's SUPERDRY, not too much cheese or tomato sauce. so it didn't help that they over baked it in the oven.....ARGH, I had to ask for extra tomato sauce to make it edible. Once I ordered linguine with bolognese sauce and it was AWFUL....it was more like awful spaghetti sauce that you can't even buy on a store shelf....I don't think I'll be coming back to Macaroni Grill anytime soon, if AT ALL..... argh...
(2)Jen N.
another italian chain restaurant - good food, nice way to have a tablecloth - passes the time at least. pasta is better elsewhere, but i do like the olive oil, fresh cracked pepper and balsamic vinegar with bread....this place is average though, compared to the other ones ive been to...no soloist here, the night i was here at least.
(4)Derek N.
Went here for our anniversary on Valentine's Day. Had reservation at 5:00pm, came at 5:15pm, seated within 5-10 minutes. The ambiance is very nice and serene. Our waitress was very attentive and always check up on us. Our calamari fritti appetizer was delicious! Came with regular marinara and this ranch that was very different but delicious, and it was big too. There was a mix up in the kitchen or something and our food came out a little late, even though we didn't noticed until the manager brought the food out to us himself and apologized. It was nice that he kind of squatted down to speak to us face to face rather than standing and making it seem like he's talking AT us. Little things like that are very appreciative and many "managers" should learn from that. He apologized for the wait and even took care of our desert. We had the raspberry sorbet with extra almond biscotti which was very yummy. Overall a very pleasant dinner experience with very respectable staff on top of a very enjoyable evening with my love.
(5)