I've been to this Pembroke Pines Macaroni Grill a bunch of times it sucks you'll find a much better location
(1)
sandra v.
Horrible service!!! And wait the food was horrible too! We came on a tuesday night there were only 4 other tables than mine and they took an hour to bring our food. The watress would forget to bring us water and straws. She would come by my table gor a second and than disappear. I asked for a straw 3 times and she finally brought one. Never coming here again!! Now i know why its so empty. They need new management and quick!!!!
(1)
Mauricio B.
Food quality is OK, not bad, but nothing special. The best dishes we had in this visit: lobster ravioli and mushroom ravioli. Pasta was cooked "al dente" and seasoning was good.
(3)
Lindsey L.
I tried the new butternut squash pasta dish and it was pretty terrible. The flavors of the sauce did not work with the pasta and there was hardly any squash on the dish. They need to bring back the pasta carbonara. It was some of the best I've ever had. We went late on a weeknight. The service was a bit slow, but the server was very nice. They actually comped my dish because I didn't like it AND gave me free dessert! That was really not necessary. Not great business practice, but free food is ok by me!
(4)
Jessica S.
I had reserved my fathers birthday lunch here because they could accommodate for such a large group of 30. I had reserved the tables 2 weeks ln advance and even called to comfirm. Unfortunately the event didnt go so smoothly. We were assigned only one waiter who tried his hardest to accommodate all of us but the food came out at different times someone's order was never taken and the bills were all the mix up at the end. when one of us wanted to speak to the manager because of the delay the manager didnt come to our table, so one of my family members had to go to him ! overall it was stressful and I could not fully enjoy myself because I was the host of the event . I felt like the restaurant could have been prepared for such a group with two or three waiters assigned to our table it would have made the day easier for all of us then for it to be such a hassle and and when I left I spoke to the manager but by then it was a different manager than the one who was there for most of the day
(2)
Alice L.
Not sure why the poor rating. Maybe because when we go it is an off hour and the service and food have been great! We love their chicken and arugula flatbread. The kids and my husband like to "create" their own pasta. I love the Bibb and blue cheese salad with grilled chicken. The greens are fresh and tender with generous amounts of cheese that you do not even need the dressing. I always ask for the dressing on the side. The chicken is perfectly cooked and not over seasoned. We travel a lot because of the kids sports. We try to look for a macaroni grill for at least one nights meal. It's consistently good.
(4)
Hesham E.
Sadly, drawing on the table with crayons was the highlight of our night. The food was not much better than a frozen dinner you could heat up in 3 1/2 minutes. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it was.
(1)
Leo B.
My Wife and my Anniversary Dinner at the Pembroke Pines Romano's Macaroni Grill was the worst dining experience that I can recall for years. We had to wait for our table so we hit the bar. A Server and a Manager were arguing over some kind of cash reimbursement that the Server was owed. This bickering went on without any acknowledgement of our presence and no regard for anyone around them for at least 10 minutes. Luckily, about 2 minutes into it, the Bartender had arrived and was working on our order but the bickering never ceased. When I asked to pay for the bill the Bartender charged someone else's bill on my card and I had to sit around and endure they unresolved bickering for a few more minutes while the Hostess hovered around waiting for us to follow. Plus my beer was flat! We were seated way in the back of the restaurant despite several open tables. There was food on the floor everywhere I looked, the linen was dirty (with chocolate milk and marinara stains), and my seat was sprinkled with parmesan cheese (nice touch). Our Waiter was clueless...no bread until we asked for it but he left an orphaned dish of olive oil, 15 minutes wait to find out they were out of something we ordered, he forgot to bring my silverware after 2 reminders, he made no recommendations - just took orders, no name on the table, he visited us only 4 times and left us waiting for over a combined for a towel or napkin to wipe my chair that never came (I had to do it myself with my napkin), we waited like dogs for about 15 minutes for the bill, and the food arrived dried out from the heating lamps since the waiter left it (and us) sitting around waiting...waiting...waiting. Oh and skip the $5 Bruschetta...it was 2 slices of toast...for $5!!!! Pathetic.
(1)
Amanda V.
Lights were really low could hardly see the menu. The server was kind. There wasnt any true connection to this place. Servers and managers were just walking around...no one checked on me nor my boyfriend at any point. Appetizers were the only good part of the meal. Pretty disappointed.
(2)
Elaine M.
I read the reviews, but I'm from California and we try not to judge until we see for ourselves! We went for lunch, relatively empty, and the hostess say us in a nice lit table. I was a bit assertive, asking for bread and water but the waiter was very kind and genuine. We ordered and quickly each dish arrive. Bread was warm and fresh (we killed it ) salad was also very good. (Nice quality greens) Jack got his food first, it was a rustico chicken. It was very good:) I ordered the shrimp olive oil lemon pasta.. And when it got to our table, it had a HAIR in it. -_- Jesus.. I wanted to really like this place but it seemed to just be going down hill. My waiter apologized and insisted on making me another plate. I didn't really want him to go through the trouble cuz I was pretty full from my tasty bread and salad. He also offered me some chocolate cake to make up for the little mishap. I agreed. When my remade plate came, I was already full, and to be honest, after 3 bites, it was a bit bland so I didn't eat it. The manager came and apologized and took it off the bill anyways. One star for service, one for quickness, one for quality and one for well, I like free things :D
(4)
Helen L.
we were really trying to find something else but after going round and round and round... we ended up passing macaroni grill. oh why not. my last meal was about 9 hours ago! perhaps there wasn't a wait or the need to rush -- after all, it was a monday night dinner. the server hit the recommendations on the spot. i was actually able to taste the crab in the crab stuffed mushrooms even though it was a spoonful. the seafood linguine wasn't bad either with a light sauce. exactly what i needed after a very heavy cheese sauce last night. the snapper topped with little clams was not a bad choice either. there was not a long wait for the food and my water was always full.
(3)
Myriam V.
We werent sure wether to go to the in front restaurant or this, but noregrets. We like to sit at the bar usually and Laurie was a great barman that night, happy hour deals are delicious and fresh. The Margerita pizza is really good and fresh. Martinis are great, I tried the cocktail but was pretty watery, other than that we had a great experience and we;ll be coming back
(4)
Diana P.
We came today at night for a birthday celebration ,actually my sister birthday and to be honest I was not sure to come back due to many issues on Mother's Day .Manny the server who help I have a word to describe him SPECTACULAR .he make me change my mind about this concept because of great service ,patience with my kids and a correct way to treat costumer with respect and generosity we had a great moment and we are going to come back for sure Manny keep it up thanks so much
(4)
Maite H.
We used to be big Macaroni Grill fans but the service let us down at times. Every so often we go back to give it a try. They've gotten rid of my favorite dish (pasta di pollo al sugo bianco). I'm not impressed with any of the entrees and end of up creating my own which turns out ok. We were somewhat impressed with our last visit to the establishment since our waiter applied some deal where we practically got one of the entrees for free. If it weren't for that it would have just been a blah experience.
(3)
Diana N.
I'm not sure how to feel about Macaroni Grill. We have had both AWESOME and then TERRIBLE times here. I love the bread they give you when you arrive. The food is usually pretty good but the service is not so great. The last time we went we each asked for a glass of wine and the waitress arrived with a regular glass WATER cup and poured my Husbands wine in it??? I was confused to say the least. Another time we went and the place was completely empty yet it took them about 25 minutes to give us a table and by the time the waitress came around we got up, and left. It's sad to say, but the bad times have outweighed the good here..
(2)
Lucinda A.
Decided to give it another chance. Had previously visited before several times and was disappointed. Thought I'd give it another try. Glad I did. Was much better. I was greeted right away and the choice was mine to sit wherever I wanted. The bread this time was FRESH and my meal was cooked to my liking. The only problem that I had this time was they were out of fried mozzarella. Not sure how as they have cheese available and bread crumbs. Anyways it was ok definitely improved...
(3)
Angelina G.
I went to the Macaroni Grill for the first time about two months ago with three friends. It was a Tuesday night but when we arrived the restaurant was packed and after awkwardly standing in front of the host stand for about five minutes the manager came over and took our name down on the waiting list. After waiting for about five minutes and pager rang and the manager showed us to our table. The table was nice and cozy but it was small and cluttered at first. Our server, Jackie, greeted us within a minute of being sat and quickly took our drink order and brought us our beverages right after. Since it was our first time at the Macaroni Grill, Jackie was really helpful in recommending items and gave us honest input on a lot of menu items. The food arrived relatively fast considering the place was full and it tasted good. I really enjoyed my food as did my friends. We then all proceeded to have dessert which was brought promptly and also tasted great. All in all, I was satisfied with my experience at the Macaroni Grill, the food was good, the service great, and the price surprisingly fair. I'd definitely like to go back soon.
(4)
Casey Ã.
Macaroni Grill in Pembroke Pines is why Yelp should have the option of giving NEGATIVE Stars. Worst restaurant experience ever, enjoy the story as it is humorous looking back (not so much as you are experiencing it)... Me and my wife took both sets of parents out to dinner the night before our wedding. We thought to ourselves, if we get there at 6:30 we can be done eating by 8:00 and get a good night's sleep before the big day. Sadly, when we walked in, the manager was screaming at the cooks and the cooks back at the manager. Then our waitress (I felt so bad for her) had to try to take care of us as best as possible. She brought us wine and salad and then we ordered an appetizer... uh oh. Apparently, as cooks were burning food and managers were screaming, our appetizer began to play second fiddle. It took an hour for them to say that our appetizer wasn't done yet. It was at that point I asked to see the manager. The manager came over and said "why aren't you more patient?" Well, that was the last straw. Our party of 6 was one of many, many people that left without food that night. It was actually comical as our party walked out to see how many people were streaming out of the building with us, guess the whole "why aren't you more patient" line doesn't work on too many customers when they've been there for over an hour with nothing to show for it. Thankfully the wedding went off better than a simple appetizer at Macaroni Grill...
(1)
Peter E.
My experience at this location wasn't bad, for a chain. I was part of a group of 40 that made last minute reservations (Brio pulled the rug out from under us at the last minute) and the staff was very accommodating the whole evening. They worked us in and were able to have the table prepared and provided regular, attentive service the whole evening. I was quite impressed, frankly. Why not a 5-star review? The food was so-so. We did a sampler of appetizers, and some were great, others not so much. The fried mozz balls tasted more like fried Kraft. Another pasta-and-cheese based app was fairly tasty, though. For a large party, it did seem like they were a little stingy with the bread (it's not like we weren't spending money: 3 of every appetizer on the menu and a case of wine, plus our entrees). I ordered the mushroom ravioli and it was nothing impressive. They wow-ed me with their service, given the circumstances they placed on us, but seemed lacking in food quality. It was a good experience, and while not my first choice, I wouldn't completely rule out a future visit if I'm in the area.
(3)
Kristopher G.
Overpriced yet bland tasting food, inattentive waiters and staff. Poorly stocked bar. Automatically charge double for a soup if they deem you're having it as your entree without so much as asking you. Was empty on a Saturday evening, should have been a tell tale sign but we gave it a shot anyways. Definitely not coming back here any time soon at all.
(2)
Shira L.
I absolutely cannot recommend this Macaroni Grille for anyone with celiac disease. The hostess was good. When I told her I had celiac, an autoimmune disorder that's treatable only with a lifelong gluten-free diet, she knew what I was talking about and gave me a list of menu items I could safely eat. Awesome! We were seated. And then our waitress happened. The first signs of her laziness were that she didn't introduce herself or write her name on the table, and she didn't pour our water - just left a sealed bottle in the middle of the table. Okay... When it came time to order, I gave my usual small spiel about how I have celiac disease and that means that all the precautions against cross-contamination have to be taken. (I hate gluten-free being a fad diet. Don't order gluten-free pasta and then cake for dessert. That makes it harder for those of us who actually get sick off a few breadcrumbs to eat safely, because our needs don't get taken seriously.) I ordered the Pasta Milano with gluten-free penne. And watched her write down just "penne". Not gluten-free. I stopped her and repeated "GLUTEN-FREE penne. " She said "oh" and scribbled down GF. ...okay. I ordered fresh greens with my dinner. Eventually, the salads came out. And she brought me one with croutons. I said "No - like I said, everything of mine needs to be gluten-free!" "Salad isn't gluten-free. Only the penne is gluten-free." Okay. This person is lazy, stupid, or both. Not only should a plain green salad be gluten-free by default as long as you don't put croutons on it, the salad WAS LISTED AS GLUTEN-FREE ON THE MENU. Along with a *lot* of other things. Chicken dishes, fish dishes, other salads - it's actually a pretty extensive gluten-free menu! And our waitress didn't know anything on it, and refused to look into it. "Do you still want it?" she said, shoving the gluten in my face. "No. It would make me very sick." She shrugged and flounced off. And yes, I could've asked for it without the croutons, but I didn't trust her to get me a new salad - if she just took the croutons off this salad and I ate it, the gluten already contaminating the salad would have me sick for a full week. Finally, another waiter or busboy brought some of our food. "Pasta Milano with penne?" he said. "Is it gluten-free penne?" I asked. He shrugged. "Probably. Pretty sure." Through gritted teeth, I asked him to please double-check. He did. It was. I ate it, and it was indeed gluten-free. So at least I didn't get poisoned. The lazy, ignorant waitress still charged us for my salad. I cannot recommend this restaurant for anyone with celiac or any allergies or dietary restrictions. I should be able to, based on the menu, but the waitress's ignorance, hostility, and refusal to do her job left me very anxious the entire meal as to whether I'd end up poisoned, deliberately or just through carelessness. This is not an experience anyone should have while dining out. Macaroni Grille, you have a good menu, but you seriously need to train your waitstaff.
(1)
Frank M.
Not worth the trip or money, this is the one on pines.sucks !
(1)
Ian T.
My wife and I went to Macaroni for dinner a few days ago. The ambience was nice. Rick the waiter was also attentive. The drawbacks here were that we had to wait more than 30 minutes for our main course. The quality of the food was "okay"- nothing special. With that said, I think the food selection is a bit overpriced as well. Overall, the quality of this restaurant has dipped a bit in recent years.
(3)
Jeremy G.
Yikes our service was horrendous! I don't know if Woody was just overwhelmed with too many tables or if he is always this absent-minded. Water came to the table about an hour into our meal though he made sure to remind us of the wine special. Our drinks came after our appetizer (Calamari Fritti), which was sort of plopped on the table and looked like it had been meant for someone else. Our bread came long after our appetizer. I would think the calamari should be fresher than the bread. I ordered the Mama's Trio and while none of it was bad, the chicken canneloni was a bit burnt and the lasagna had a brown meat paste that looked almost like feces. Though it all tasted meaty and cheese and generally good. The experience though was really soured by the poor service. I was reminded why I generally don't frequent chain restaurants.
(2)
Mare G.
l truly want to thank the staff at this location. starting with Carlos our waiter he is wonderful. We came back because of him for my nannys b-day. following day i met managers also excellent. Clayon D. Becky, and Garbrieal. what delight get staff kudos. regards Marr.
(5)
Shari M.
Struggling between one or two stars, and two stars is being pretty generous here. Unfortunately, not a good experience at all. And while we were there, waiting a super long time for our food to come out, I checked Yelp on my phone to see the same terrible and slow service reviews we were experiencing, which of course made me upset that I didn't look first. I guess since it is a chain I figured it wouldn't be bad. We should have taken the hint when we came in and there was about a 15 - 20 minute wait to sit down but almost half the restaurant was empty. Since my hubby was in the biz for a long time, we are sympathetic and understand these things and figured that they had just finished a rush or the kitchen got weeded and they were waiting to sit us and several other parties until they got caught up. Evidently that was not the case, the restaurant must just not be run properly and our server didn't seem to care at all that service was slow, didn't even apologize or mention it; didn't refill our empty glasses, even after passing by the table. Didn't bring bread we asked for, we just sat there. Everything he did was slow. They didn't even give my daughter crayons like other Macaroni Grill's have done, so had I not had my emergency stash of crayons, we would have had a hard time entertaining her on a super long wait, in all it took us over 2 hours to get out of there. When my food came, the food was tasty, which was what gave this review the 2nd star, but the portion was so small, after waiting so long it was not satisfying whatsoever. To top is off, the Italian track in this bathroom should teach us how to say "clean your dirty bathroom" in Italian. You know, what, after reading over my review, I reduced my rating to one star. : (-
(1)
Charles H.
The food from this restaurant is always just so-so, but my wife had a request to provide a lunch for the office of one of her clients and so she ordered lunch for 12 be delivered to the clients office. She requested that the receipt be either faxed or mailed to her as she was unable to attend the luncheon. The reciept was required for my wife's employer to reimburse her. They never faxed it or mailed it and after several attempts, including speaking with the manager, she finally had to get in her car and drive from Miami Beach to Pembroke Pines to demand it. Even then, she had to threaten to have Amex stop the payment before they would go in the back and get it! Incompetent management.
(1)
Brittney W.
Thanks to both the hostess and our waiter for confirming the fact that I won't be back to this location. I really miss the Biscayne Grill that closed years ago because this sorry excuse just did not cut it for me. I'd been a few months back to this same location and had a bad experience with a server so I thought I'd give it another shot tonight. After our hostess went to seat our party of two, she awkwardly had us stand at a table for what seemed like forever before she sent us back to the podium. "sorry it'll just be a few minutes before this table is ready." looking around, there were like 20 plus tables that were spotless so what was with the wait?!? Anywho, our seemingly friendly waiter Khalil greeted us and gave us enough time to look over our menus. Anytime in between was spent with him going back and forth to different tables and flirting with young girls. I ordered the create your own pasta with both the chicken and shrimp, but when it arrived at the table, there wasn't even a speck of chicken anywhere in that bowl. I flagged down the waiter and quickly told him that. He apologized and everything but instead of taking my meal back, I had to wait for the chef to whip up a side of chicken to put in my increasingly cold pasta. So while my food grew icicles, the waiter grew more and more friendly with the girls at the tables around us. after he was done snapping photos and joking around he finally came over and said my chicken was on the way. I had a few bites before I asked for a box and wrapped up my food. Yes, I had to wrap up my own food....After he brought the check, he informed us that when he made change, he wasn't able to bring all of it. (he was short 40 cents, I think it was) and he asks us if that was ok....ummm sure you can short change us, that's totally fine. We took it out of his tip. I'd always loved Macaroni Grill and put it way way waaayyy above Olive Garden. However, I will not be coming back.
(2)
Rhena S.
I really like the bread, salads, and spaghetti with meatballs. This isn't a place for great drinks though.
(3)
Debbi N.
I haven't been here in years, but a flyer in the paper prompted a visit. They were promoting a coupon special for $25 for two appetizers, two entrees and a dessert. I called and was told no wait on a Saturday night, and there wasn't. We were greeted by friendly hostesses and seated right away 7:00 on Saturday night. I was impressed. We chose a zucchini appetizer and spicy meatballs. Both yummy. Also a hot loaf of fresh bread with olive oil came out and that was good. I like they left a bottle of water on the table so we can refill as needed. I had the pasta with chicken and mushrooms and my friend had the chicken Milanese. It was huge. She enjoyed it and I liked the pasta and took half home. We had a warm chocolate cake for dessert. We were really full but enjoyed it anyway. The bill for two was $28. Hard to beat. I want to go back and try other dishes. The service was great and the place is pleasant and clean. It's just a few blocks from the Pembroke Gardens which is expensive and crowded. This was a nice alternative.
(4)
Shannon H.
The food actually deserves 4 stars (mine was fresh & tasty), but the service drags the rating down. Our waiter was S-L-O-W and inattentive. We had to ask for more beverages, twice. We had to ask for more bread. Our waiter didn't know what kalamata olives are (c'mon!!!). We waited an extremely long time for the check & even longer for our credit card to be returned. All this, and the place was nearly empty. At least the food was good.
(3)
Jon G.
The service in this one was terrible the lady seemed to have sand in her v.... but def not nice , the food was good came out quick small chicken portion but amazing spaghetti and meat balls, their so called purified water tasted like Orlando water and for those of you who don't know its toilet water basically. Over all a 2 star mainly because of the poor service .. food is good, comes out fast. But I've been to better one's
(2)
Janelle L.
I must admit that my spaghetti and meatballs were delicious but the service was awful. It took forever to get the drinks and the water tasted disgusting. They supposedly purify it themselves, but it tasted like chemicals so I just asked for bottled water instead. Our waitress was extremely rude and even though she only had two tables she was never in sight.
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Ivette R.
I've been to this Pembroke Pines Macaroni Grill a bunch of times it sucks you'll find a much better location
(1)sandra v.
Horrible service!!! And wait the food was horrible too! We came on a tuesday night there were only 4 other tables than mine and they took an hour to bring our food. The watress would forget to bring us water and straws. She would come by my table gor a second and than disappear. I asked for a straw 3 times and she finally brought one. Never coming here again!! Now i know why its so empty. They need new management and quick!!!!
(1)Mauricio B.
Food quality is OK, not bad, but nothing special. The best dishes we had in this visit: lobster ravioli and mushroom ravioli. Pasta was cooked "al dente" and seasoning was good.
(3)Lindsey L.
I tried the new butternut squash pasta dish and it was pretty terrible. The flavors of the sauce did not work with the pasta and there was hardly any squash on the dish. They need to bring back the pasta carbonara. It was some of the best I've ever had. We went late on a weeknight. The service was a bit slow, but the server was very nice. They actually comped my dish because I didn't like it AND gave me free dessert! That was really not necessary. Not great business practice, but free food is ok by me!
(4)Jessica S.
I had reserved my fathers birthday lunch here because they could accommodate for such a large group of 30. I had reserved the tables 2 weeks ln advance and even called to comfirm. Unfortunately the event didnt go so smoothly. We were assigned only one waiter who tried his hardest to accommodate all of us but the food came out at different times someone's order was never taken and the bills were all the mix up at the end. when one of us wanted to speak to the manager because of the delay the manager didnt come to our table, so one of my family members had to go to him ! overall it was stressful and I could not fully enjoy myself because I was the host of the event . I felt like the restaurant could have been prepared for such a group with two or three waiters assigned to our table it would have made the day easier for all of us then for it to be such a hassle and and when I left I spoke to the manager but by then it was a different manager than the one who was there for most of the day
(2)Alice L.
Not sure why the poor rating. Maybe because when we go it is an off hour and the service and food have been great! We love their chicken and arugula flatbread. The kids and my husband like to "create" their own pasta. I love the Bibb and blue cheese salad with grilled chicken. The greens are fresh and tender with generous amounts of cheese that you do not even need the dressing. I always ask for the dressing on the side. The chicken is perfectly cooked and not over seasoned. We travel a lot because of the kids sports. We try to look for a macaroni grill for at least one nights meal. It's consistently good.
(4)Hesham E.
Sadly, drawing on the table with crayons was the highlight of our night. The food was not much better than a frozen dinner you could heat up in 3 1/2 minutes. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it was.
(1)Leo B.
My Wife and my Anniversary Dinner at the Pembroke Pines Romano's Macaroni Grill was the worst dining experience that I can recall for years. We had to wait for our table so we hit the bar. A Server and a Manager were arguing over some kind of cash reimbursement that the Server was owed. This bickering went on without any acknowledgement of our presence and no regard for anyone around them for at least 10 minutes. Luckily, about 2 minutes into it, the Bartender had arrived and was working on our order but the bickering never ceased. When I asked to pay for the bill the Bartender charged someone else's bill on my card and I had to sit around and endure they unresolved bickering for a few more minutes while the Hostess hovered around waiting for us to follow. Plus my beer was flat! We were seated way in the back of the restaurant despite several open tables. There was food on the floor everywhere I looked, the linen was dirty (with chocolate milk and marinara stains), and my seat was sprinkled with parmesan cheese (nice touch). Our Waiter was clueless...no bread until we asked for it but he left an orphaned dish of olive oil, 15 minutes wait to find out they were out of something we ordered, he forgot to bring my silverware after 2 reminders, he made no recommendations - just took orders, no name on the table, he visited us only 4 times and left us waiting for over a combined for a towel or napkin to wipe my chair that never came (I had to do it myself with my napkin), we waited like dogs for about 15 minutes for the bill, and the food arrived dried out from the heating lamps since the waiter left it (and us) sitting around waiting...waiting...waiting. Oh and skip the $5 Bruschetta...it was 2 slices of toast...for $5!!!! Pathetic.
(1)Amanda V.
Lights were really low could hardly see the menu. The server was kind. There wasnt any true connection to this place. Servers and managers were just walking around...no one checked on me nor my boyfriend at any point. Appetizers were the only good part of the meal. Pretty disappointed.
(2)Elaine M.
I read the reviews, but I'm from California and we try not to judge until we see for ourselves! We went for lunch, relatively empty, and the hostess say us in a nice lit table. I was a bit assertive, asking for bread and water but the waiter was very kind and genuine. We ordered and quickly each dish arrive. Bread was warm and fresh (we killed it ) salad was also very good. (Nice quality greens) Jack got his food first, it was a rustico chicken. It was very good:) I ordered the shrimp olive oil lemon pasta.. And when it got to our table, it had a HAIR in it. -_- Jesus.. I wanted to really like this place but it seemed to just be going down hill. My waiter apologized and insisted on making me another plate. I didn't really want him to go through the trouble cuz I was pretty full from my tasty bread and salad. He also offered me some chocolate cake to make up for the little mishap. I agreed. When my remade plate came, I was already full, and to be honest, after 3 bites, it was a bit bland so I didn't eat it. The manager came and apologized and took it off the bill anyways. One star for service, one for quickness, one for quality and one for well, I like free things :D
(4)Helen L.
we were really trying to find something else but after going round and round and round... we ended up passing macaroni grill. oh why not. my last meal was about 9 hours ago! perhaps there wasn't a wait or the need to rush -- after all, it was a monday night dinner. the server hit the recommendations on the spot. i was actually able to taste the crab in the crab stuffed mushrooms even though it was a spoonful. the seafood linguine wasn't bad either with a light sauce. exactly what i needed after a very heavy cheese sauce last night. the snapper topped with little clams was not a bad choice either. there was not a long wait for the food and my water was always full.
(3)Myriam V.
We werent sure wether to go to the in front restaurant or this, but noregrets. We like to sit at the bar usually and Laurie was a great barman that night, happy hour deals are delicious and fresh. The Margerita pizza is really good and fresh. Martinis are great, I tried the cocktail but was pretty watery, other than that we had a great experience and we;ll be coming back
(4)Diana P.
We came today at night for a birthday celebration ,actually my sister birthday and to be honest I was not sure to come back due to many issues on Mother's Day .Manny the server who help I have a word to describe him SPECTACULAR .he make me change my mind about this concept because of great service ,patience with my kids and a correct way to treat costumer with respect and generosity we had a great moment and we are going to come back for sure Manny keep it up thanks so much
(4)Maite H.
We used to be big Macaroni Grill fans but the service let us down at times. Every so often we go back to give it a try. They've gotten rid of my favorite dish (pasta di pollo al sugo bianco). I'm not impressed with any of the entrees and end of up creating my own which turns out ok. We were somewhat impressed with our last visit to the establishment since our waiter applied some deal where we practically got one of the entrees for free. If it weren't for that it would have just been a blah experience.
(3)Diana N.
I'm not sure how to feel about Macaroni Grill. We have had both AWESOME and then TERRIBLE times here. I love the bread they give you when you arrive. The food is usually pretty good but the service is not so great. The last time we went we each asked for a glass of wine and the waitress arrived with a regular glass WATER cup and poured my Husbands wine in it??? I was confused to say the least. Another time we went and the place was completely empty yet it took them about 25 minutes to give us a table and by the time the waitress came around we got up, and left. It's sad to say, but the bad times have outweighed the good here..
(2)Lucinda A.
Decided to give it another chance. Had previously visited before several times and was disappointed. Thought I'd give it another try. Glad I did. Was much better. I was greeted right away and the choice was mine to sit wherever I wanted. The bread this time was FRESH and my meal was cooked to my liking. The only problem that I had this time was they were out of fried mozzarella. Not sure how as they have cheese available and bread crumbs. Anyways it was ok definitely improved...
(3)Angelina G.
I went to the Macaroni Grill for the first time about two months ago with three friends. It was a Tuesday night but when we arrived the restaurant was packed and after awkwardly standing in front of the host stand for about five minutes the manager came over and took our name down on the waiting list. After waiting for about five minutes and pager rang and the manager showed us to our table. The table was nice and cozy but it was small and cluttered at first. Our server, Jackie, greeted us within a minute of being sat and quickly took our drink order and brought us our beverages right after. Since it was our first time at the Macaroni Grill, Jackie was really helpful in recommending items and gave us honest input on a lot of menu items. The food arrived relatively fast considering the place was full and it tasted good. I really enjoyed my food as did my friends. We then all proceeded to have dessert which was brought promptly and also tasted great. All in all, I was satisfied with my experience at the Macaroni Grill, the food was good, the service great, and the price surprisingly fair. I'd definitely like to go back soon.
(4)Casey Ã.
Macaroni Grill in Pembroke Pines is why Yelp should have the option of giving NEGATIVE Stars. Worst restaurant experience ever, enjoy the story as it is humorous looking back (not so much as you are experiencing it)... Me and my wife took both sets of parents out to dinner the night before our wedding. We thought to ourselves, if we get there at 6:30 we can be done eating by 8:00 and get a good night's sleep before the big day. Sadly, when we walked in, the manager was screaming at the cooks and the cooks back at the manager. Then our waitress (I felt so bad for her) had to try to take care of us as best as possible. She brought us wine and salad and then we ordered an appetizer... uh oh. Apparently, as cooks were burning food and managers were screaming, our appetizer began to play second fiddle. It took an hour for them to say that our appetizer wasn't done yet. It was at that point I asked to see the manager. The manager came over and said "why aren't you more patient?" Well, that was the last straw. Our party of 6 was one of many, many people that left without food that night. It was actually comical as our party walked out to see how many people were streaming out of the building with us, guess the whole "why aren't you more patient" line doesn't work on too many customers when they've been there for over an hour with nothing to show for it. Thankfully the wedding went off better than a simple appetizer at Macaroni Grill...
(1)Peter E.
My experience at this location wasn't bad, for a chain. I was part of a group of 40 that made last minute reservations (Brio pulled the rug out from under us at the last minute) and the staff was very accommodating the whole evening. They worked us in and were able to have the table prepared and provided regular, attentive service the whole evening. I was quite impressed, frankly. Why not a 5-star review? The food was so-so. We did a sampler of appetizers, and some were great, others not so much. The fried mozz balls tasted more like fried Kraft. Another pasta-and-cheese based app was fairly tasty, though. For a large party, it did seem like they were a little stingy with the bread (it's not like we weren't spending money: 3 of every appetizer on the menu and a case of wine, plus our entrees). I ordered the mushroom ravioli and it was nothing impressive. They wow-ed me with their service, given the circumstances they placed on us, but seemed lacking in food quality. It was a good experience, and while not my first choice, I wouldn't completely rule out a future visit if I'm in the area.
(3)Kristopher G.
Overpriced yet bland tasting food, inattentive waiters and staff. Poorly stocked bar. Automatically charge double for a soup if they deem you're having it as your entree without so much as asking you. Was empty on a Saturday evening, should have been a tell tale sign but we gave it a shot anyways. Definitely not coming back here any time soon at all.
(2)Shira L.
I absolutely cannot recommend this Macaroni Grille for anyone with celiac disease. The hostess was good. When I told her I had celiac, an autoimmune disorder that's treatable only with a lifelong gluten-free diet, she knew what I was talking about and gave me a list of menu items I could safely eat. Awesome! We were seated. And then our waitress happened. The first signs of her laziness were that she didn't introduce herself or write her name on the table, and she didn't pour our water - just left a sealed bottle in the middle of the table. Okay... When it came time to order, I gave my usual small spiel about how I have celiac disease and that means that all the precautions against cross-contamination have to be taken. (I hate gluten-free being a fad diet. Don't order gluten-free pasta and then cake for dessert. That makes it harder for those of us who actually get sick off a few breadcrumbs to eat safely, because our needs don't get taken seriously.) I ordered the Pasta Milano with gluten-free penne. And watched her write down just "penne". Not gluten-free. I stopped her and repeated "GLUTEN-FREE penne. " She said "oh" and scribbled down GF. ...okay. I ordered fresh greens with my dinner. Eventually, the salads came out. And she brought me one with croutons. I said "No - like I said, everything of mine needs to be gluten-free!" "Salad isn't gluten-free. Only the penne is gluten-free." Okay. This person is lazy, stupid, or both. Not only should a plain green salad be gluten-free by default as long as you don't put croutons on it, the salad WAS LISTED AS GLUTEN-FREE ON THE MENU. Along with a *lot* of other things. Chicken dishes, fish dishes, other salads - it's actually a pretty extensive gluten-free menu! And our waitress didn't know anything on it, and refused to look into it. "Do you still want it?" she said, shoving the gluten in my face. "No. It would make me very sick." She shrugged and flounced off. And yes, I could've asked for it without the croutons, but I didn't trust her to get me a new salad - if she just took the croutons off this salad and I ate it, the gluten already contaminating the salad would have me sick for a full week. Finally, another waiter or busboy brought some of our food. "Pasta Milano with penne?" he said. "Is it gluten-free penne?" I asked. He shrugged. "Probably. Pretty sure." Through gritted teeth, I asked him to please double-check. He did. It was. I ate it, and it was indeed gluten-free. So at least I didn't get poisoned. The lazy, ignorant waitress still charged us for my salad. I cannot recommend this restaurant for anyone with celiac or any allergies or dietary restrictions. I should be able to, based on the menu, but the waitress's ignorance, hostility, and refusal to do her job left me very anxious the entire meal as to whether I'd end up poisoned, deliberately or just through carelessness. This is not an experience anyone should have while dining out. Macaroni Grille, you have a good menu, but you seriously need to train your waitstaff.
(1)Frank M.
Not worth the trip or money, this is the one on pines.sucks !
(1)Ian T.
My wife and I went to Macaroni for dinner a few days ago. The ambience was nice. Rick the waiter was also attentive. The drawbacks here were that we had to wait more than 30 minutes for our main course. The quality of the food was "okay"- nothing special. With that said, I think the food selection is a bit overpriced as well. Overall, the quality of this restaurant has dipped a bit in recent years.
(3)Jeremy G.
Yikes our service was horrendous! I don't know if Woody was just overwhelmed with too many tables or if he is always this absent-minded. Water came to the table about an hour into our meal though he made sure to remind us of the wine special. Our drinks came after our appetizer (Calamari Fritti), which was sort of plopped on the table and looked like it had been meant for someone else. Our bread came long after our appetizer. I would think the calamari should be fresher than the bread. I ordered the Mama's Trio and while none of it was bad, the chicken canneloni was a bit burnt and the lasagna had a brown meat paste that looked almost like feces. Though it all tasted meaty and cheese and generally good. The experience though was really soured by the poor service. I was reminded why I generally don't frequent chain restaurants.
(2)Mare G.
l truly want to thank the staff at this location. starting with Carlos our waiter he is wonderful. We came back because of him for my nannys b-day. following day i met managers also excellent. Clayon D. Becky, and Garbrieal. what delight get staff kudos. regards Marr.
(5)Shari M.
Struggling between one or two stars, and two stars is being pretty generous here. Unfortunately, not a good experience at all. And while we were there, waiting a super long time for our food to come out, I checked Yelp on my phone to see the same terrible and slow service reviews we were experiencing, which of course made me upset that I didn't look first. I guess since it is a chain I figured it wouldn't be bad. We should have taken the hint when we came in and there was about a 15 - 20 minute wait to sit down but almost half the restaurant was empty. Since my hubby was in the biz for a long time, we are sympathetic and understand these things and figured that they had just finished a rush or the kitchen got weeded and they were waiting to sit us and several other parties until they got caught up. Evidently that was not the case, the restaurant must just not be run properly and our server didn't seem to care at all that service was slow, didn't even apologize or mention it; didn't refill our empty glasses, even after passing by the table. Didn't bring bread we asked for, we just sat there. Everything he did was slow. They didn't even give my daughter crayons like other Macaroni Grill's have done, so had I not had my emergency stash of crayons, we would have had a hard time entertaining her on a super long wait, in all it took us over 2 hours to get out of there. When my food came, the food was tasty, which was what gave this review the 2nd star, but the portion was so small, after waiting so long it was not satisfying whatsoever. To top is off, the Italian track in this bathroom should teach us how to say "clean your dirty bathroom" in Italian. You know, what, after reading over my review, I reduced my rating to one star. : (-
(1)Charles H.
The food from this restaurant is always just so-so, but my wife had a request to provide a lunch for the office of one of her clients and so she ordered lunch for 12 be delivered to the clients office. She requested that the receipt be either faxed or mailed to her as she was unable to attend the luncheon. The reciept was required for my wife's employer to reimburse her. They never faxed it or mailed it and after several attempts, including speaking with the manager, she finally had to get in her car and drive from Miami Beach to Pembroke Pines to demand it. Even then, she had to threaten to have Amex stop the payment before they would go in the back and get it! Incompetent management.
(1)Brittney W.
Thanks to both the hostess and our waiter for confirming the fact that I won't be back to this location. I really miss the Biscayne Grill that closed years ago because this sorry excuse just did not cut it for me. I'd been a few months back to this same location and had a bad experience with a server so I thought I'd give it another shot tonight. After our hostess went to seat our party of two, she awkwardly had us stand at a table for what seemed like forever before she sent us back to the podium. "sorry it'll just be a few minutes before this table is ready." looking around, there were like 20 plus tables that were spotless so what was with the wait?!? Anywho, our seemingly friendly waiter Khalil greeted us and gave us enough time to look over our menus. Anytime in between was spent with him going back and forth to different tables and flirting with young girls. I ordered the create your own pasta with both the chicken and shrimp, but when it arrived at the table, there wasn't even a speck of chicken anywhere in that bowl. I flagged down the waiter and quickly told him that. He apologized and everything but instead of taking my meal back, I had to wait for the chef to whip up a side of chicken to put in my increasingly cold pasta. So while my food grew icicles, the waiter grew more and more friendly with the girls at the tables around us. after he was done snapping photos and joking around he finally came over and said my chicken was on the way. I had a few bites before I asked for a box and wrapped up my food. Yes, I had to wrap up my own food....After he brought the check, he informed us that when he made change, he wasn't able to bring all of it. (he was short 40 cents, I think it was) and he asks us if that was ok....ummm sure you can short change us, that's totally fine. We took it out of his tip. I'd always loved Macaroni Grill and put it way way waaayyy above Olive Garden. However, I will not be coming back.
(2)Rhena S.
I really like the bread, salads, and spaghetti with meatballs. This isn't a place for great drinks though.
(3)Debbi N.
I haven't been here in years, but a flyer in the paper prompted a visit. They were promoting a coupon special for $25 for two appetizers, two entrees and a dessert. I called and was told no wait on a Saturday night, and there wasn't. We were greeted by friendly hostesses and seated right away 7:00 on Saturday night. I was impressed. We chose a zucchini appetizer and spicy meatballs. Both yummy. Also a hot loaf of fresh bread with olive oil came out and that was good. I like they left a bottle of water on the table so we can refill as needed. I had the pasta with chicken and mushrooms and my friend had the chicken Milanese. It was huge. She enjoyed it and I liked the pasta and took half home. We had a warm chocolate cake for dessert. We were really full but enjoyed it anyway. The bill for two was $28. Hard to beat. I want to go back and try other dishes. The service was great and the place is pleasant and clean. It's just a few blocks from the Pembroke Gardens which is expensive and crowded. This was a nice alternative.
(4)Shannon H.
The food actually deserves 4 stars (mine was fresh & tasty), but the service drags the rating down. Our waiter was S-L-O-W and inattentive. We had to ask for more beverages, twice. We had to ask for more bread. Our waiter didn't know what kalamata olives are (c'mon!!!). We waited an extremely long time for the check & even longer for our credit card to be returned. All this, and the place was nearly empty. At least the food was good.
(3)Jon G.
The service in this one was terrible the lady seemed to have sand in her v.... but def not nice , the food was good came out quick small chicken portion but amazing spaghetti and meat balls, their so called purified water tasted like Orlando water and for those of you who don't know its toilet water basically. Over all a 2 star mainly because of the poor service .. food is good, comes out fast. But I've been to better one's
(2)Janelle L.
I must admit that my spaghetti and meatballs were delicious but the service was awful. It took forever to get the drinks and the water tasted disgusting. They supposedly purify it themselves, but it tasted like chemicals so I just asked for bottled water instead. Our waitress was extremely rude and even though she only had two tables she was never in sight.
(2)