First of all, this was a dinner with my family, We ordered multiple plates. The fried mac n cheese bites with the truffle dip is a must try at least once, mozzarella (fried) is just like cheese sticks except triangular in shape, the zucchini potato cakes, not bad, very tasteful! Now, onto the main courses: I got the pollo caprese (perfect portioning for those of you who don't want a whole bunch of pasta) I am definitely going to get this again the next time I go here. For dessert, the chocolate cake, and I love chocolate, is so decadent, I just wish they served it with ice cream. As for the berry tart, there's a little too much rum, not to my tasting, overall however, along with the courtesy of the staff, I give this place a 4/5
(4)
Carol W.
Comedy of errors. First let me start by saying the waitress was super nice, although not all there in the head. We sat down and I ordered s club soda and my son ordered a lemonade. The waitress said, miller lite? Um, no. Lemonade. Ok. She then puts oil and pepper on a plate and walks away. Five minutes later she comes back and gives my son a club soda and gives me a diet coke. Five minutes later she comes back and asks if we have any questions and my son said yes, I ordered lemonade and are we going to get bread for the oil? Five minutes later she comes back with bread and lemonade! She takes our order and comes back fives minutes later with our roasted mushroom soup. Looks like a bowl of gravy, tastes like a bowl of salt. She asks if we need any more bread and we say no thank you. Five minutes later... Here you go fresh bread from the oven! Sigh. She walks away and comes back two minutes later with our food. That was fast. Pasta cooked perfectly, meatballs texture of rubber! Fresh Parmesan for your rubber balls? By all means, yes! Would you like some more bread? Um, no... We are good :)
(3)
Steve B.
Great food and service again. Ask for Dean. Great waiter. New pork chop is excellent.
(5)
Russ E.
I think I found a new favorite restaurant. First visit ever and have to say the food is amazing.! The fresh bread, macaroni bites, goat cheese stuffed peppers and the lobster ravioli are all delicious. Our server Colleen was friendly and very efficient. Definitely will be back!
(5)
Jim B.
I've always felt that you could judge an Italian eatery by first trying the spaghetti and meatballs. So that's what I did on our first visit here. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I've seriously tasted better gravy at "family" restaurants and even out of a jar. While the meatballs were acceptable, the sauce was so bland that they couldn't make up the difference. Making this experience even more disappointing was the fact that the dish was just shy of $13. IMO, a bit pricey for a very run of the mill bowl of pasta with no soup or salad included. Based on cost, and the fact that the gravy is such a key ingredient for so many Italian dishes, I would have a hard time recommending the Macaroni Grill.
(1)
Carolin M.
I came here for lunch with my parents, we got the Caesar with chicken, pasta Milano, and the fettuccini Alfredo. The server brought out the fettuccini Alfredo with chicken on it, which I didn't order. I mentioned this to her, but did not request a new dish. I figured she wouldn't charge us for it since I didn't order it but it was on our bill, which I was not happy with. Also, the server got the grated Parmesan on my mother which was a little irritating. The Alfredo was very bland as well , I wouldn't order it again. The pasta Milano was our best dish i'd say. Overall, I love this restaurant but this experience was a bit of a bummer.
(3)
Kevin M.
This has been a great place to eat for 10+ years. Things have changed for then worse. No one here anymore. Food no longer tasty. Even the cheesecake is no longer good. How do you ruin basic cheesecake with strawberries ? they've done it. Only thing I stil enjoyed was the bread. I suspect this place will be closing soon.
(2)
Wedee K.
This place was pleasant. Our waitress was amazing. Her name was Alma and she was super attentive and responsive to our questions. She even wrote her name upside down on the paper. (nice touch) DEFINITELY ask for her. My friend and I ordered two entrees. I had the lobster ravioli which was quite delicious and he had the seafood linguine which looked pretty good :-). We were hoping for some actual macaroni, but there was none on the menu. Slightly disappointing. For dessert we ordered the panna cotta which is a vanilla custard with fresh strawberries. It was pretty good, but without the strawberries it was just average. Overall, I thought this place was alright which is why I gave it 3 stars. The service was great, but the food didn't really set it apart from any other olive garden that I've been to. Service was better in comparison.
(3)
Jennifer M.
I'm not exactly a fan of Italian food. Let's face it, it has the most potential to make me sleepy and overweight in the shortest amount of time. However, there are those rare occasions when I crave the Mushroom Ravioli from Romano's Macaroni Grill. Do you know of any other place that serves ravioli filled with something other than cheese? I enjoy their warm Rosemary Bread with EVOO and parmesean dipping sauce. Their Stuffed Mushroom appetizer is a great starter dish; but lately, we have been ordering the Caeser Salad and Fresh Greens Salad to help with our digestion. Each side salad is an additional $3.oo with an entree. I found my favorite entree, the fresh ravioli stuffed with porcini mushrooms, caramelized onions and marsala cream sauce for $13.00, so I'll order the same thing each time we visit. Jason is more adventurous and will try a new dish. This happens about every 3 weeks. This past Friday (Dec. 9), he tried the Shrimp Portofino. For $15.00, he ate jumbo shrimp, capellini pasta, spinach, mushrooms with pine nuts and lemon butter sauce. We don't normally go to restaurants late on the weekends because we know how busy they get. So when we had to wait between the salad and entrees during our most recent visit, we didn't mind. There are crayons and a paper table cover to help keep us preoccupied. I also find myself always seated facing the open kitchen. I enjoy watching the prep work and commotion that goes on there. The Manager checked in on us during the lull and our Server, Mary, liked us so much she asked us to be her frequent guests. We'll be sure to look for her from now on. I know her service is top-notch!.
(4)
Ken C.
I continue to be impressed by this restaurant. It has nice ambiance and the food has always been delicious! Pasta Da Mare and Salmon are excellent. Friendly staff and basically we just always have a good time when we come here. It's a favorite and I look forward to going back.
(4)
Megan C.
Good rosemary bread, and nice atmosphere. Ive recently been recieving lots of coupons in my email, i guess business isnt good, probably because the prices are pretty high. But overall, unique and yummy dishes. I wish they would change it up a bit more though or have some specials!
(4)
G E.
Nice atmosphere, the staff has always been helpful and friendly. The bread and house wine is a nice touch but I feel the food is only average Italian food. It is a notch above Olive Garden but that in my opinion is not saying much.
(3)
Mina H.
Stopped by there for a late dinner 9:00pm Thurs night with friends, entrees ordered were the King Salmon (wild not farmed), Snapper, and Shrimp Portofino. Service was decent but not fabulous. All of this was SO good... hadn't been there in awhile, will definitely have to go back.
(4)
K S.
First time at this location. Came in on a Thursday around 6:30 and there was less than 20 people there. I got nervous... maybe there is a reason no one goes here for dinner. We sat in a booth that looked to be 20 years old in some greasy spoon diner. The seats were torn up and now I'm really getting nervous. Maybe they don't care to fix and maybe they don't care about the food. The waiter poured some wine, brought the bread and then poured the bottle of RED WINE instead of olive oil onto a plate.. seriously.. red wine puddled all over the plate and table! The waiter's reaction.. "oops". Before the wine got onto her clothes, my daughter grabbed a napkin to stop it. He placed it on the puddle and walked away. OK.. so we were hungry and ordered a meatball app which was great, laughed off the wine incident and soon left. The waiter never asked if the wine stained the clothes or if we wanted to move tables. Never said sorry or mentioned it again. Very odd place.
(2)
Marc T.
Had a really nice dinner at that place. Very nicely decorated place. Staff is friendly. Food was really good. Seafood was fresh. I will absolutely come back.
(4)
Andie W.
We visited early evening on Saturday and wine was half- price. We choose a bottle of delicious Riesling. We both ordered the Balkan pork (server recommendation) which was fabulous. The Bibb & Blue salad was fresh and interesting. We had the recommended chocolate cake for dessert and we got the last serving! Hot cake in a cup with Ghirardelli chocolate sauce, amaretto whipped cream and toffee bits. Perfect end to an outstanding meal! We'll be back.
(4)
Leni M.
What the heck happened to this place? Food is mediocre, service was absolutely horrible. Our waiter was Damien and let me tell you, he has the personality of a gnat. I asked him what exactly was in the "Goat cheese peppadew peppers" and he replied with, "round things stuffed with cheese". Ok, what are the round things? He didn't have an answer. I ordered the sea bass and I would swear on my life they gave me tilapia. I asked Damien if it was sea bass and he said, "that's funny, when I saw your plate I thought it was tilapia too so I asked the kitchen and they said it was sea bass". I told him that I wasn't happy with it and he asked me if he should take it away and I told him no, my husband would eat it tomorrow for lunch. He went to walk away and I asked him to please bring me bread and I'll just have that for dinner. Low and behold, he didn't catch my sarcasm and he brought me bread. For dinner. He never refilled our drinks.... We had to keep asking him. Out of the 4 of us, I never even got my refill. All in all this was an awful experience. Food quality has diminished, servers look sloppy in their jeans and the lack of table attention was alarming. Won't be going back and will be emailing the manager. So much for my daughter's birthday dinner.
(2)
Mitch M.
This used to be our favorite Italian Restaurant chain. Our recent visit was extremely disappointing. We called ahead to make a reservation because we assumed there would be a croud on Sunday afternoon. Arrived at approximately 12:45 to find the parking lot nearly empty (not a good omen). Walked inside and saw that there may have been one other group inside and the staff was grouped up apparently shooting the breeze. Obviously we were seated right away. I quickly notice that our booth was not clean (visible crumbs) on seats and table! Why would the staff be standing around with obvious work to be done? Menus and tablecloth were stained (Recall that noone else is here. Couldn't they find one clean menu?)! Ordered the special filet with asparagus and lobster mashed potatoes. Steak was ok but asparagus was stringy and bland and potatoes were lumpy and uninspired. Ordered pepperoni pizza and chicken strips from the kids menu for our two children. Pizza - no pepperoni. Waitress said she thought we ordered plain pizza. Good grief, had one order to get right - FAIL. Chicken - tasteless. Wife got seafood pasta - flavorless. We won't be back. R.I.P. Macaroni Grill . . .
(1)
J M.
When we go here, we go for the bread. And the olive oil they serve with it. That is the highlight of the meal for me. To be honest, I think a few of their dishes are a little on the bland side. But they're still decent, I mean, we do go here every once in a while (my husband is a bit more enthusiastic about it than I am). I wasn't thrilled to see that they did away with one of the dishes that I really liked, but restaurants do that from time to time. They also altered the cheesecake, and it was so fabulous the way it was! They do have the best side Caesar salad in the business, though, and as I mentioned before, the bread is addictive.
(3)
Kevin B.
My girlfriend wanted to try something new and we decided on Macaroni Grill after some searching. She wanted appetizers in the worst way. Their online menu revealed Italian Tapas which made going to Macaroni Grill a done deal. Yelp describes the restaurant as Casual/Romantic. There were dim lights and nice wood decorations. Yet, I was wearing a t-shirt and hoodie but didn't feel that out of place. We were seated promptly but the service once we were seated was a little slow. When we first got there the restaurant wasn't that busy so we were a bit confused about the delay. The waitress did greet us and asked us if we had been there before. We hadn't and she said "Welcome to Macaroni Grill. Let me know if you have any questions about the menu". Typically if people are new to restaurants the waitress would give a brief tour of the menu and recommend a few things. Not in this case. Just a bit weird. Appetizer consisted of meatballs and macaroni and cheese bites with their "2 for $9" deal. Both were good with the meatballs having the edge. We polished off both without much of a problem at all. For the main course I had a Spicy Italian Spinach Pizza and my girlfriend had a pasta with white sauce. Both weren't bad but nothing great. I'd have liked the pizza with a bit more flavor and a crispy crust. The crust was very soft and limp but I did enjoy the sweeter taste. Next time we go we'll probably try something different off the menu. And at the very least, even if we don't like the main courses, we know we'll be happy with the Tapas.
(3)
June P.
In high school, my family's "go-to" restaurant was the local Olive Garden. Since escaping my mid-suburbia roots to college and beyond, I've widen my range on "Italian food" a bit. While no expert, I can say that Macaroni Grill is a decent place for pasta. I rate their dishes on a more general level, because it's a good restaurant for Americanized Italian. The service is attentive (the kind that writes their names in crayon on the paper tablecloth), the quality is good, and ambiance is welcoming for groups and families. Because the prices are within an affordable range, Macaroni Grill is a great options for any day of the week and any occasion. With your meal, you'll get fresh rosemary bread with olive oil and Parmesan, which is a sure crowd-pleaser. Their wine and drink selection is wide though not overly expensive, and they have a the option to create your own pasta as well. A few of my favorites here are Carmela's Chicken (think of Maggiano's Rigatoni D) and Pasta Milano. Their selection of pizzas and appetizers are a sure thing as well. If you have a taste for truly authentic Italian, this may not be for you. But if you want a good meal of pasta or pizza and you're looking for a bit more artisan tastes, Macaroni Grill is promising.
(3)
Alex G.
I haven't been to Macaroni Grill for a few years not due to any specific reason but it just wasn't in our rotation of Italian restaurants. We were celebrating a birthday and the birthday girl suggested Macaroni Grill. In short, everyone enjoyed their meals (I could make a meal out of the bread alone) but the service was lacking. Anytme the server stopped by she seemed like she was in a hurry. Or had something else to do other than wait tables. Given the limited number of occupied tables, I couldn't understand the lack of service. She wasn't our original server so maybe she was asked to cover for someone else. Either way, the service will make me consider using the carry out option next time.
(2)
Vicky R.
I had visited Mac Grill back about 8 years ago. If I would have made this review then I would have givent his place 5 stars!! It WAS one ofmy favorite Italian food chain resturants. Now I know it's not the real deal, but when there arn't that many real deals to choice from Mac Grill just fit right in. They do have a asewome warm fresh tasty bread they give you with fresh parmasean and EVOO. From the beginning there wasn't anything I ordered that I disliked. From the soups all the way to make room for desserts. Loved it all. And I always seems to be lucky to have the waiter Dino who had been working there for so long. I have always enjoyed his hospitality. BUT..... as for one of my last few visits I have to admit there have been some changes with the restuarant and I noticed. I always notice when the smallest thing changes, especially when it comes to food. My husband and I decided to go in on a Friday night around 9PM. So we missed the riush hour, if there was one. I got Dino as my waiter and something was different then the other visits. I felt discounnected to the place. I also felt disregarded and rushed. Maybe people just werent in a good mood and wanted to go home. But that's the last of my worries when I want to go out for a dinner with my hubby. Dino for the first time came across to me as someone as I would rather trade for someone else behind the line. I just think the place just got the best of him and ran him down. Sad. He was really good and always made me injoy my dinner, it could have been a bad day as well but this is a experience all rolled into one. As for our appitizer, I usually love to always get the Bruschetta because Mac Grill ALWAYS has such good tomatoes! It just makes the dish. But instead my husband stirred me into Shrimp, Cannellini Bean & Avocado Crostini. I try to be open to new things and I loved all the ingredients in this so why not. It was gross. I hated it. Not only did the beans not seemed cooked, at all but the taste of all ingredients just didnt work. Andmy husband will eat anything and he even didnt care for the dish. Dinner, I am sad to say I honestly can't remember the dishes we ordered but I remember the experience and that's what matters. Like I said, there had been some changes made to this place not only were they visual but I can feel the change as well. But my dish was just on the OK side, I remember that much. My husband who is not a picky eater was not thrilled. Not only have their portions gotten smaller just so they can put it on a fancier plate but the quality of the food got worse. Nothing I have ever oorder from the past in the 8 yrs I have gone was OK but now it's changed. Wasn't thrilled and that dinner alone we have decided to not consider going back. Dessert, I always loved ordering their chocolate cake. To no suprise they changed that as well. It used to be delivered to you ask the best chocolate cake with this coco frosting that just melted in your mouth. Now, it's baked in a cup with this coco filling. Its almost the same just not presented the same. It's good, I will definately give it that. The only thing I miss is not being able to glady take it home as leftovers, after you get your cup it's a chocolate mess. Mac Grill, your restuarant has accomplished the feeling of a chain restuarant. Sorry to say, but I like you better 8 years ago.
(2)
Anthony C.
NOT AUTHENTIC ITALIAN, BUT I DONT CARE!! I love this place. My gf said it was too salty years ago, I brought her back and now, she loves this place. They place a bottle of oil and a bottle of water on the table like they do in Rome. the bread is endless, free and my gf cannot get enough of it. went there a few weeks ago to celebrate a new job, and I ordered a bottle of wine, 2 bottles of pelegrino, and the arugula flatbread. oh yeah, and stuffed mushrooms. the mushrooms and bread alone are worth the trip. they have a decent selection of wine, and the main course was very tasty. light and refreshing. for desert we had cheesecake. this was also very good, but you could tell they didn't make it. I have it 4 stars cause its not authentic, but it kicks the crap out of the olive garden!! you want authentic, go to joe & guiseppe's in Arlington heights. THATS authentic. you want great food? come here. this place is great. type of place you go for your birthday.
(4)
Donna R.
If you feel like something a little classier than Olive Garden, but something that won't break the bank, Macaroni Grill is for you. The menu is simple and they are decently priced. My fiance and I LOVE the Rosemary Bread you get in the beginning, though the past two times we have been there we have had to wait a long time to get it :( However, food is always done promptly and everything is so tasty. I've had the Pollo Caprese, Eggplant Parmesan, and a seasonal dish they serve in the winter, can't remember the name. All were seasoned perfectly and you get very nice portions. Also, the honor program with their house wine is AWESOME!! Basically they leave a huge bottle of their house wine (either Chianti or Chardonnay) and you pour the glasses yourself. At the end of the meal you tell them how many you've had and its put on your bill. Its nice if you don't want to buy a whole bottle and want your wine fast!
(4)
Jodie F.
The service here was terrible! The food not much better,
(1)
Joe R.
Always come to Macaroni Grill when I'm in the mood for Italian. Located right on Rt.72 and Barrington, this place is convientely located by people coming straight from work or home. Every time I come here I always seem to lean towards the penne rustica or the shrimp portofino, both of these dishes are freshly prepared and delicious. The pricing is decent and for 4 people it could be at $70-80 dollars for dinner. Environment is clean and I noticed that when you visit the restroom and hear the music its actually a cd on how to learn Italian, how neat! Like I said, my favorite Italian restaurant and staff is friendly all the time. I also came here for an event and that didn't seem to change my opinion in terms of service and timeliness. great place and make sure you come and check it out.
(4)
Ericka L.
Yum!!! I love this place...though lunch for me and my co-workers usually lasts 1.5 hours (yikes!)...but it's worth it for us because we LOVE their authentic menu. I usually get the Penne Rustica but now they have a sweet lunch special menu that we tried and that was pretty good. Overall really good food, love their mango lemonade, and I would kill for their bread. If you have enough time on your hands to chill back, have a good convo, and wait for your server w/out getting pissed then I'd recommend this spot for sure on a leisurely Sunday afternoon.
(5)
Andrew J.
Yes, it's Macaroni Grill, which is "pretty good" to "really tasty" casual dining Italian food from a restaurant chain if you haven't had it before. And if you haven't had Mac Grill before, you should probably give it a try. However, I wanted to review this particular Macaroni Grill because their service has been consistently great for years. As a former server myself, I've been constantly impressed by the waitstaff every time I go. They are fast, attentive, upbeat, and genuinely friendly. It's a really refreshing to have great service, especially from a chain restaurant. Way to go guys!
(4)
Josh G.
#1- The BREAD-I give the gourmet bread here FIVE stars. I actually order it in bulk when I do parties or catering, and it is only like $1/each! You can get it frozen or cooked, and refreeze it. Then you can add some EVOO on top and some sea salt, then throw it in the oven for 5-8 minutes, and it's ready to go! YUM! I love dipping it in the Alfredo (or any cream sauce). #2-The service is always good. #3- They have a wide variety of culinary selections. They make their sauces there fresh, and they are good. It's a step above the Olive Garden, where I hear the sauces are bagged/pre-made. *(I don't know that for certain.) They have free parking, and it isn't too far from Woodfield Mall.
(4)
Erin E.
i'm usually not one to seek out a chain restaurant, but the food here is just so yummy. i've never been disappointed here. i just usually regret not having leftovers to take home. but it's just so good i can't stop 'til it's gone! LOVE the penne rustica, lobster ravioli, and bruschetta.
(5)
Ryan G.
Great Friday night dinner. Get the carbona
(5)
Joe P.
This restaurant was suggested to me and it seemed to have a reasonably priced menu with great option. It was delicious food that was cooked just right! However, they lost a star because of the waiter we had. He was in a rush and couldn't be found during our course when something was needed. Seemed to stop by only when convenient not to check on us.
(3)
Candi P.
Their pasta is pretty good for a chain restaurant. As far as service, it's hit or miss here. One time my shrimp was not fully cooked - half of it was pink but the other half was bluish. On top of that it took a while for my server to come check on me to find out if the food was okay, so I sat there with my uncooked shrimp for a good 5 or ten minutes. The manager on duty came out to apologize, which I really appreciated. There is one server in particular that was great, and I hate that I cannot remember his name at the moment, but we do try to request him when we see that he is there.
(4)
Sondrine L.
I LOVE this place! Food is delicious and plenty on the menu to appeal to lots of different people. The warm bread they start you with is delicious and served with olive oil- I usually ask that they also bring some grated cheese. Definitely sign up for their emails though their website because they send lots of coupons. Their cocktails are yummy and the service is excellent. I kind of wish they would try not to seat people with babies and toddlers right in the middle of the floor for everyone to listen to crying. Other than that it could be a really good date place.
(5)
Kathleen T.
Had lunch there today and was somewhat disappointed. We have been there a few times and always have been pleased. OK..so as we enter the door we hear the nice Italian music playing. We go in ask for a booth and the hostess wants to sit us closest to the bar and the front door. It is 22 degrees out, the place is empty so we requested to sit in the actual dining room in a booth where it was warm. Hostess looked confused over this request and needed to ask permission to sit us where we wanted to. Did I mention it was empty? I ordered chicken scalloppini and husband ordered chicken marsala. Only after meal came did we realize that there were daily specials..waiter never mentioned them to us. OK now the music...we had to talk over the music and somehow it switched from Italian to more of an ecletic style totally out of sinc with the atmosphere. Menu totally changed as well. Instead of a regular menu we were handed the new style menu on heavy duty cardboard. Even with reading glasses it was not easy to read. Cannot imagine how difficult it would be to read it at dinner time when they turn the lights down. Now the food...husband liked his marsala. My chicken came with artichoke, etc. Did someone not tell the cook that artichokes are not served with the thistle as it is not edible. So much of this on the plate that it was obvious someone thought it was an ok thing to serve. Mentioned this to waiter and he brought me a small dish of artichokes. Still icky and I didn't eat it. Chicken was tasty so all was not a waste. Seems like they are copping out with the cheap menu and ridiculous choice of music for an Italian restaurant. It will be awhile before we try it again.
(2)
Simone G.
I have frequented the Macaroni Grill for several years, and I have never experienced what I did the other night before. I am beginning to think it's their "new" way unfortunately based on other people's reviews. 1. Nobody came to our table for about 8-9 minutes. I had to get up and ask another server to locate our server. 2. When our server finally came to greet us, she REEKED of cigarette smoke. Cleary, she was on a smoke break and not watching her section even though we were there at 6:30 PM. Her name was Kendra. 3. She did not take a drink order and I had to interrupt her during my meal to get a drink. We had water on the table brought by the other server who hunted her down in the first place. 4. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms, only for her to return and tell us they were all out. How can you be all out of one of your 6 appetizers at 6:30 PM on a Friday night? The weekend is just beginning. 5. We ordered the calamari instead. The breading tasted good, but the calamari was over cooked and greasy. The tomato dip with it was not appetizing at all. But that could just be personal preference. 6. The oil on the table was empty and we took one from the empty table next to us, only to find that one empty too. 7. Our food came and mine was SUPER disappointing. I order the Pasta Milano almost every time I go and this was so bad. It was PACKED with garlic. I LOVE garlic and put quite a bit more of it in my food than the average bear. This was overwhelmingly garlicky and hard to eat. It lacked solid flavor and was undersalted. The shrimp that I requested for an upcharge was abundant but so overcooked it was hard to chew. 8. Kendra brought us a dessert to make up for her smoking ass. It was the chocolate cake. The cake was awful. Dry, under sugared and not appetizing at all! 9. Unrelated to our personal experience, the waiter serving the table next to us had an unbuttoned button on his shirt and his hairy, doughy belly button was poking out for allll to see! Gross! :) Is it possible that all of this was just a series of unusual flukes of the night - YES! I will go back and give it another shot, but my confidence is not too high!
(2)
Beth H.
If I had written this a week ago, it would have been a glowing review. I have been a regular diner at Romano's Macaroni Grill and never had anything to complain about. Previous pros: the honor system Chianti by the glass, Warm Spinach Salad with Toasted Goat Cheese, plentiful amounts of the Peasant bread, excellent service. My visit this past Friday has made me reconsider the place entirely! I ordered the Aged Beef Tenderloin Spiedini. This comes with a vegetable side dish that included broccoli, peppers and something else. I was told that because of some sort of freeze in Mexico the peppers and the "something else" were unavailable, but that they could substitute asparagus in its place. Since I hate peppers, this was fine by me. Until the waiter tells me, with a great amount of discomfort, that they will have to charge me $2.00 extra for the asparagus! Are you freaking kidding me? So if I don't get the asparagus it's a big plate of beef and broccoli for $15.00? Really, you have a supply chain issue and want me to pay for it? In the waiter's total defense, he was completely embarrassed to have to tell me this. I could tell this was corporate issue, so I hold him completely blameless. I changed my order to my standard Warm Spinach Salad as my entree. In the meantime, the couple I was dining with ordered the Warm Spinach Salad as their appetizer. It arrived missing the best part: the toasted goat cheese. We told the waiter and he said he would fix it. He came back a while later...with goat cheese that was ice-cold. My dining companions finally said to take the whole things back and they ordered the crab stuffed mushrooms...which now arrived at the same time as their entrees. Needless to say when my Warm Spinach Salad arrived it was perfect because of the situation with their salad. I'm not sure what's going on with Mac Grill. They recently rearranged all their tables to be able to fit more tables in the restaurant. However, I think that change may have resulted in some disconnects with the kitchen. The charging extra for asparagus is just bad policy. I'll keep my fingers crossed, but it may be a while before I go back there.
(2)
Tina T.
4 stars for this chain restaurant. I am not a fan of chain restaurants, so it was difficult for me, when sitting down to write this review, to rate them 4 stars. Because for god's sake, it's a chain restaurant! 4 stars should be reserved for the indie places, for the fine dining establishments - it's against my nature to rate a chain 4 stars. But I realized that I must evaluate this on comparison to other chains. Thus the 4 star rating. It really did exceed my expectations! My parents come here often and wanted to go here for a Sunday dinner. And it was pretty decent. I had a seared scallop salad, which was pretty good, but a little heavy on the dressing. Tried some of the Pasta Carmella, and it was tasty. Bread was garlicky and yummy. So it's really not a bad place for an Italian meal - just realize that it is a chain. Good for lunches.
(4)
Amykate C.
Really its a 2.5 star, our meal was a solid 'meh'. My husband has the lobster ravioli and he said the lobster tasted like it had been frozen and I had mamas trio which has the chicken parm., lasange (sp?) And chicken catolloni. My favorite was the catolloni . The chicken on the chicken parm was burnt a bit and the pasta was plain. The lasagne was very meaty and didn't seem bad but I was full by that point. A good summing up of the meal was when my husband told me "don't take this the wrong was but i'd say this is a step up from a frozen meal" I told him I didn't want to pay $18 for a "step up" from a frozen dinner. The only other thing I would mention is set up is odd you can see and hear everything the staff is doing and saying. Wouldn't go back but I was glad I got to check it out.
(2)
Joseph P.
On July 4, this location was well under 1/3 full, but we were quoted a wait time of 20 Minutes at 7:45. Repeating what others have noted, it seemed understaffed, as the waiter seemed overworked, and the service was erratic. We ordered from the "New Spring Menu" (in July?) and both items were good or better. I had the Chicken Julia and my wife had the Clam and Sweet Corn Fettuccine. Both are about $15 a-la-carte. I added a Ceasar Salad, which was very ordinary and not worth the $3 extra. They start with a really good warm loaf of Focaccia bread and Olive Oil for dipping. No grated cheese on the table though and they never ask if you want additional bread. As noted by some, this seems like a bit more upscale place than Olive Garden, and the menu variety and pricing seems to confirm that. If service was better due to proper staffing, and/or having busboys, it would be a better place. As it is, it isn't worth a very long drive.
(3)
Carey Y.
We ended up here after we decide last minute to go out to dinner. Service was good. Food was okay. Definitely better than your typical chain restaurant.
(3)
Mrsotle O.
I love the Chicken Marsala, the sauce is delicious. They also have a great dessert menu, it's small portions for a small size. It's nice to eat dessert without feeling guilty afterward. My major complaint with Macaroni Grill is their service. Every time I've gone there I've had some issue. One time a waitress completely forgot about our food and tried to serve it to us cold. The managers are usually understanding and are willing to comp, but it's not worth your time to spend three hours at a restaurant for a $15 meal.
(3)
Emily K.
Usually not into the chains, but I've been going to Macaroni Grill maybe twice a year or so since they opened - a while since we came here after my high school graduation in '97. Went there last night, it was OK but I'm not sure what's going on over there. We had a three year old and a baby with us, but despite many open (perhaps they were reserved?) tables in the restaurant we were seated in the back area next to an older couple who were probably trying to have a nice quiet dinner; instead, they were sandwiched between us and another big family with kids. We did our best to be unintrusive but those tables are kinda close together back there. Our waiter was very friendly and I could tell he was trying to do his best, but some things were just a little off. Our bread took forever to come out of the oven. We ordered roasted vegetables as an appetizer, which have always been a favorite, but they came out a little dry and needed a little oil and salt before they were very good- something I never had to do before. There are probably those who complain about the presence of oil on a plate - perhaps they are making it "low-fat" to appease those idiots? I dunno. I ordered the Crusted Sole, which is more or less Sole Meuniere with capers, and it was pretty good. My three year old liked it too. I was pleasantly surprised that the orzo side on my plate was more vegetable than pasta. My husband ordered the Portafino - shrimp and spinach on pasta - also his pasta portion was not too big at all. Some people may complain about the small pasta portions - if you want a carb fest, go to Olive Garden. Personally, the last thing i want on a $15 plate is a huge pile of pasta... Overall a good place, I just hope they can come out of some little "bumps" I perceived there last night.
(3)
Ariel B.
I was a little fearful of going to a chain restaurant, but my friend assured me I wouldn't be disappointed. We had a fairly large group, with a baby and the staff could not be more accommodating with us. We were seated in a low traffic area (perfect for babies in carriers) and the service was fantastic. I'm always concerned with large group service, or lack thereof, but our server was great. She always had refills before we had to ask and our orders came out perfect. I had the shrimp with spinach and mushrooms in a cream sauce. It was fantastic. FRESH, crisp spinach. One friend ordered the lobster ravioli and it looked and smelled fantastic. We went for lunch on a Saturday, so the place wasn't super busy. I was really happy with our meals and the Macaroni Grill.
(5)
San T.
Not bad for a chain restaurant, I was expecting service/food similar to Olive Garden but I was wrong. The service was excellent our waiter was very helpful when I asked about the wines (since I'm not a wine drinker) his suggestions were very helpful and I enjoyed the one he selected. The food was a-okay, I chose a dish with alot of tomatoe sauce and tomotoes not a big fan of tomatoes..so I wasn't too thrilled but that's my fault. Make sure you try their dessert the Panna cotta which is Italian custard, simply delicious!
(4)
Allyson C.
I don't usually like going to chains, much less reviewing them on Yelp, but I have to agree with Nick S. that Macaroni Grill was pleasantly surprising. It's definitely better than other Italian chains I've been to in the past like Carrabba's, Olive Garden & Maggiano's. The server was very attentive, even a little on the smothering side, and the food was good too. I had the veal marsala & also tried the penna alla vodka. I'd definitely get the penne or something similar to it if I went back. It was much better than my veal. I liked that they bring you a huge bottle of chianti to drink from on the 'honor system' and that it's tasty though dirt cheap! They were also kind enough to make me a coffee drink for dessert that wasn't on the menu.
(3)
Duncan S.
Got the lasagna, didn't like it, all I could taste were onions (??), thought it had a commercialized taste, worse than Olive Garden, which can be decent at times for something quick. Taste what I'd expect buying from a cafeteria or something similar. At least you could draw on the table. No one I was with really liked it either (big group actually). This doesn't affect my review cause I'm not petty like that, but I remember the hostess muttering 'sure, take all of them' when I took a couple toothpicks from the front area. Didn't know they have a brick oven? I'm a sucker for those, but don't know if it's worth it to try it (still have to know how to make the pizza), is it any good?
(2)
Nick S.
I was pleasantly surprised by the Macaroni Grill. I was expecting Olive Garden and we got something a lot more fun with better food. Outside of the pasta dishes you would expect, they server brick oven pizzas and have an excellent steak salad. The service is always pretty good too.
(4)
Mark S.
Amazing service, amazing food, and amazing atmosphere! Will definitely be coming back!
(5)
Allen L.
This is one of my favorite Italian chain restaurants. I despise Olive Garden and Maggiano is just too expensive. Macaroni Grill (sister to Maggiano's) is the happy medium (as for chains go). The food's been great everytime I go...I loved the thyme pork chops, but they no longer have it on the menu :( Luckily, I always find something else I like. Service is also impeccable and friendly. This is a good place to go with a group of friends to have a fine dining evening where it's quiet, but casual enough where you don't feel stuffy.
(4)
Yvette C.
i love me some macaroni grill! i always get the shrimp portofino...it's soooo goooood! have to try their bellini's they are quite delicio-so. staff is always friendly, but for some reason the lunch staff is usually a bit on the slower side than the dinner rush servers.
(4)
Chicago P.
Tiered of eating the similar type of Italian food at another popular restaurant chain I tried this place to see how different it could be, turned out to be amazing. The place has huge seating with strings of bulbs to depict some part of Italy I believe, the service was also good. Coming to food the soup Amalfi Chicken was amazing with hints of lime and other herbs a must try. I ordered the Center-Cut Lamb Spiedini not only because I am a big fan of lamb meat but also very few Italian restaurants offer this, it was grilled to perfection in medium well done with rosemary, olive oil and garlic giving it the Italian taste with various roasted veggies. After having a great experience with not only service but excellent food I would strongly recommend this place to anybody who want to try Italian food in a newer way when compared to another major chain though the authenticity may be still be debated.
(4)
Muhammad A.
An awesome restaurant for dinner. You can enjoy a good meal with their amazing appetizers and desserts. The steak here is made to perfection. I especially like this place because you can make reservations ahead of time, as opposed to other places where they make you sit around and wait.
(5)
Melissa V.
I've loved macaroni grill since 2003. In love with everything worked there for a year loved it. Love and crave pasta Milano. Go every chance I get especially my birthday.
(5)
Danielle S.
I have always been hesitant to go to Romano's Macaroni Grill...just because it is a chain and to be honest I didn't expect them to have good food. I was relatively correct. First of all, the wine list is not good. They had one house wine (everything else was way overpriced). Fun fact, if you get the house wine you don't get a real wine glass. You get a water glass. Classy. They do, however, leave the bottle at your table and let you fill up your own glass and keep track yourself. Seems crazy to me, but whatever. The food sounds a lot better on the menu than it tastes. I got the Penne Rustica. That actually wasn't too bad, but I tried my friend's pasta and it basically had no flavor. The bread was delicious, but they don't have parmesan cheese on the table for you to make an olive oil dip with. You have to keep asking them for cheese. Other places I have been to just have a bowl of cheese for you to use at your discretion. The service was fine at first, but for not being very busy, we hardly saw our waitress towards the end. She never filled up our waters, and for a while we thought she forgot about us. It took forever to get our check. Honestly I would rather go to Olive Garden or Biaggi's over this place any day.
(2)
Nelson M.
Restaurant review Great service and excellent bread. Although this time I was stuffed from eating a large lunch at a other restaurant and I ate tiramisu and coffee while my wife enjoyed her birthday dinner. They have a large selection of italian dishes that I personally believe are well done. It may not be as amazing as custom made pasta, but it is cooked al dente and the bread is simply amazing with olive oil. Our server was nice and didn't care that I had dessert as my dinner. Pro: friendly, good italian food, free bread Cons: lots of carbs in all the dishes, not light salads that have fruit Hidden gem: Sign up for the email savings, they have coupons that come out weekly i.e. 5-10 dollars off your dinner
(4)
Avinash K.
Let me tell you first off - decor and the staff are both brilliant. I thought the staff was really friendly and helpful. Very patient since we had a team lunch and there were about 30 odd people. They give bread and olive oil/cheese as appetizers. The entree I got was a Penne Rustica, heavy even though portion looks small. Celebrated one person's birthday and one's going away party sort of.. We had a cake with chocolate syrup - which was awesome and one of staff sang "happy birthday" in italian, which was cool. Lunch combo would have been good here (that's what I understood from menu). The best part of the table is that, they had CRAYONS and a paper on top, where you could draw etc etc, I am not sure since it was special event or if it's usual, but that was a lot of FUN :D
(4)
Steven H.
The wait staff was friendly (they even had an operatic waitress singing happy birthday), the veal Parmesan was ok. The sauce could use a little more flavor. Other than that, everything was good.
(4)
Eric H.
Man this place used to get packed. I'm scared to eat here it is so slow now. Does the extra food get thrown out of it expires? Hmmm
(1)
Jorge A N.
We came for our 5 year anniversary And LOVED IT!. my wife ordered chicken under a brick and she loved it. I ordered the Italian sausage flatbread (like a pizza). We tried wine and we ended up getting a glass of Riesling wine. The waiters sing every 15 minutes or so. Wendy was out server and she was great. I noticed all the servers were kind and very helpful with any menu questions. If we go back I hope to get Wendy as our waitress again.
2 1/2 stars (for the price, maybe 3 stars) I didn't care for this place. The service was good but the food was as if it was made by Pizza Hut or something. The clam chowder was bland and the bread they served looked good but it tasted as though it was Wonder Bread. I had the chicken parma salad which was good but it was just a salad. My wife's chick mushroom cannelloni plate was bland, It just didn't have "The Taste" Not a bad place to go to but I'd rather dine else where. I won't BB
(2)
Adam D.
eh; not the best. I've been here twice, once a few years ago, and most recently, this past weekend. I wasn't to impressed the first time; and even less impressed the second. The restaurant's feel is pretty authentic; but hardly original. It comes across as your typical 'chain' Italian restaurant trying to pull in elements to inspire the feeling of Italy. The seating is a bit awkward as it's mostly open with a few booth seats around the perimeter of the large, banquet style room. It's most likely designed this way to accommodate larger families. The wait staff was boring; no one was 'excited' to see us, nor made us feel welcome when we walked into their establishment; and everyone we saw was sluggishly walking about as if waking from a long night of restless sleep. Not one employee looked thrilled to be apart of the experience, and the lack of smiling made that apparent. The food is sub-par at best. I admit, I can, at times, be a bit picky; but there was something about my dish I just didn't like. Taste or perhaps the texture; I'm uncertain. My friend ordered a large noodle dish, which, when tasted, was discovered to be under cooked. My friend; who is a bit of a foodie, and was once a restaurant auditor stated the noodles, which looked freshly made, were cooked without first being separated, which let them clump up and left parts of them raw. We exchanged the dish, but we are unsure the server understood our 'complaint'. My friend really wanted the dish he had originally ordered, only done correctly. Instead he was asked to pick a new dish, wish he did; leaving the rest of the dining party awkwardly picking at our food until his arrived as to not 'leave him behind' in the dining experience. At the end of our meal we tried to use coupons; unfortunately, to our surprise, they were expired. The manager was kind enough to take out 9$ appetizers off as a way to appease the awkward discovery. Unfortunately, she didn't ask us how our food was, nor did she apologize for my friend's food being under prepared. She seemed uninterested in our service, or our comfort; and again... there was NO smiling! Will I come here again? Eh; If I want Italian food; I'll head to my friends place; at least there we're encouraged to laugh and enjoy our experience.
(2)
Mr T.
I've given them to many chances. This time all the wait staff was focused on the table next to me so I assume it was their boss or someone more important than me. That's fine I can make my own chicken at home and lay it on noodles and be just fine. It took 15 minutes before our waiter came over after my original waiter passed us off to this guy. He was nice but the alcohol bev I got was not worth the price, the food was good but I asked to separate the check in the beginning and it wasn't done right. I gave up paid and left annoyed.
(2)
Michelle F.
Not the best, not the worst! I dare to say this is a step up (albeit a small step) from Olive Garden, but with higher prices, and no soup/salad included with the meal! A group of six girls met here one evening at five. There was no wait. Heck, there was really nobody in the restaurant when we got there. Maybe one other table. It had filled in immensely by the time we were done, however, but there were still plenty of open tables. Apparently, Thursday is 1/2 price wine off of bottles, so one of my friends ordered one, but the rest of us stuck with soft drinks. The complimentary bread was fantastic, but I prefer mind with bread instead of the oil/pepper combo. To be honest, if parmesan cheese isn't involved w/ the oil, there's really no point Onto the meal--my sister and I split the trio and she ordered a bowl of soup. I didn't have any of the soup, but the trio was good. Well, parts of the trio were good. The caneloni was good, the chicken parm was good, and the lasagna was....not good. I don't know what it was, it just didn't have a good taste to it at all. I was not impressed. And you know it's bad when your hungry, pregnant sister won't touch it... Just sayin'! Our waitress was Stephanie, and she was delightful and attentive. I definitely loved having her as a server. She was attentive without being overbearing. She knew we were trying to get to a movie on time, so when we asked her to wrap things up for us/get us our checks, she jumped right on it! She would get five stars by herself! I would go back again, but it's not a restaurant I would go seeking out! Like another reviewer pointed out, I just don't THINK about it when the hunger pangs strike!
(3)
Katy M.
I've always been meh about this chain restaurant. Everything is just okay, nothing special or unique about it. The sangrias are terrible, or at least they were when we were there last. Just not that impressed when there are so many authentic Italian restaurants in IL.
(3)
Amy B.
Had lunch here yesterday. I had the veal special which was quite tasty. The only complaint that i have is the cost of the "house Merlot" when people who order the house wine, they tend to be cost conscious. My family member was not told that this glass would be 9.50. What the waiter should have done was suggested a BOTTLE of the wines on special for $20. I am in retail and I am a stickler for great customer service. You have to think on your feet for the best outcome for all.
(4)
Ella K.
When my food first arrived I thought "now how am I going to be full after this??" But I actually could not finish it! I don't know if eating the bread played a roll or having bites off my moms plate but it didnt matter, both dishes were incredibly delicious!! I will be back for more. I wasn't crazy about the lighting in there but I always enjoy a good crayon and the ability to color on the table.
(4)
Rita B.
I'm so sad to say that this last visit will be just that....my last visit. Over the years the menu has changed (which is ok) but so has the quality of food and service. We went for an early dinner since we have a baby who eats fairly early. There were a few people there already, which meant it was going to start getting busy. We asked to be seated away from people as my child likes to get out of highchair from time to time. Our request was denied. That's alright, I understand they'd like to keep sections closed until more people come in. This is where the problems start to occur. The waiter lacked personality, common sense, and the desire to perform ones job at a mediocre level. He took our drink orders but forgot to bring half of the drinks (there were only three of us at dinner). I ordered iced tea....he forgot the sugar, even after asking for it twice. He brought out the bread after placing our dinner order. But no oil, cheese, etc. the manager actually walked over and performed this guy's job. Eventually, when he did make his way back to our table we had to ask for the cheese...again. When he brought it over he was grating the cheese about three feet above the plate instead of bending down to the plate so that cheese would not end up everywhere. Our food arrived, it was not only plain looking (on effort on display) it just tasted ok. I had the penne rustica. Nothing special. Mom had the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken (sans chicken). There were 2.5 thinly sliced pieces of chicken in the ENTIRE dish. We called the manager over because I wanted to know exactly how they can charge $3 extra for such little chicken. Plus, mom really wanted chicken. The manager, Cindy, says "well a Ma'am it's supposed to be 4 oz. are you sure there isn't anymore in there?" What I wanted to say was "that's what you should ask your chef" but instead my mom showed her that obviously there was nothing else. Long story short, the meals sucked. Cindy did comp the Alfredo meal but her attitude wasn't the best. The waiter, Luis, needs more training on the lunch shift before being promoted to the dinner shift. Overall, this place has declined in every aspect. My best friend and I used to come here a lot but have since abandoned the thought....now I remember why. Save yourself the trip and headache. Go anywhere else but here.
(1)
Rosie T.
Average dining experience. The pasta di mare was disappointing. One of the mussels was "off", the shrimp and scallops overdone and the portion and appearance of the dish unimpressionable. The prices have gone up and portions gone down. At least their balsamic vinegar was high quality which was great with the bread. The house Chianti had a run of the mill flavor, lacking complexity or personality. The eggplant Parmesan was the best plate on the table though their marinara had a chunky tomato texture that my hubby pushed aside.
(3)
Tricia D.
I think it's cute that they leave crayons on the table so you can draw on the paper to entertain yourselves before dinner. $9 for a roasted veggie flatbread pizza that's enough for 2 sittings or for 2 to share is a great value! The only downside was that I thought the zucchinis didn't really belong, but I enjoyed the roasted peppers, onions, and basil. The lemon chicken entree had actual lemon rinds distributed throughout the pasta, which was unexpected (mmm, more fiber for the body). There was a minimal wait at 7:30ish on a Friday night. Not great, but an a-ok stop.
(3)
Jennifer S.
I don't know why we don't go to Macaroni Grill more often. It's one of those places that I always enjoy but never think of when we're having the 'WhereDoYaWannaGoForDinner' conversation. I know it's a chain, but for consistency, it's a great choice. Lucky for me, we were in the area a few weeks ago and decided to stop in for a late lunch. The menu is fresh and fun! There were quite a few summer specials available and the new tapas options seemed like a good deal. Here's my problem at Macaroni Grill...I can never decide what I want to order. I've liked everything that I've ever had here. We decided against an appetizer to share because MG gives you fresh baked rosemary Italian bread to nosh on while you chat before your meal. Even my hubby, who is not a bread guy, enjoys this little perk. Eat it all? No worries. They'll bring you more ASAP. So he orders the chicken Parmesan and I go outside the box. I decide to forgo an actual entree and instead eat two tapas appetizers that he would never eat: Lobster stuffed clams and artichoke potato cakes. They have really changed things up because his chicken is not drowning in sauce or cheese. It actually needs more sauce for dipping (which a passerby server was kind enough to get for us). He ate 2/3 of the meal and brought the rest home for our son. I indulged and ate all of the clams because they don't reheat well. They were low in calories and pretty tasty with bits of lobster, clam, prosciutto, onions, peppers and breadcrumbs rounding out the dish. I ate just a bite of the fried artichoke potato cakes. They were good, but I knew they would reheat beautifully in the oven for a later date. Overall, it's a pretty good restaurant with plenty of options. The servers are friendly. They occasionally will email a coupon which I should really start printing out. Actually, a couple visits ago, our server redeemed a coupon by looking at my email on my phone. They really are accommodating. Try to forget that it's a chain and maybe, just maybe, you will give them four stars too.
(4)
Kristin L.
We just had my best friend's wedding rehearsal dinner here a few nights ago. Everything was delicious! We loved the appetizers (especially the bruschetta!!) and the entrees were perfect. They had wonderful service and a very nice atmosphere. I'm going to have to come back for a date night.
(5)
E S.
I wont be going back. Came here with my coworkers, got the $10 punch option and it was nasty. So not worth it, flavorless pasta. The space is large so thats good, but even the waitress was slow and didnt make sense w what she was doing.
(1)
Kelly H.
There were nice people working there and I really don't want to hurt them with a negative review but....the quality, and price...horrible. I felt like I was eating frozen store bought meatballs identified as mamas ricotta meatballs for $13 not including a salad . The house wine tasted like grape juice in a glass rimmed with lipstick stains.
(2)
Courtney M.
After spending a long day apartment hunting, my husband and I were ready to indulge in some delicious Italian food. We had never been to this restaurant before, so we decided to give it a whirl. Upon entering, we noticed the comfortable atmosphere, filled with yummy smells and a unique set up with service stations located in the middle aisle (this was fun to look at, as it was designed in an eye-appealing manner). We were seated in a comfortable booth and promptly offered our drinks. The first dish we ordered included the mac and cheese bites with truffle sauce (DELICIOUS). We only ordered 5 but I am pretty sure that we could have eaten 100 of these. The second course, our main meal, did not thrill our taste buds in the same manner. I ordered the Chicken Parmesan, while my husband ordered the Primo Pepperoni Flatbread. The food was hot and ready to eat, but eat most of it, we did not. The chicken parmesan seemed to need additional spices to flavor it up, as it was rather bland and somewhat mushy (Unfortunately, I have no idea how else to describe it). The flatbread was partially burnt, in that about 40% of it was black on the crust and did not have much flavor either. It was an unfortunate occurrence, since the appetizer was so good! However, even though we did not enjoy our particular dishes, the service was excellent (Sean) and the atmosphere was very inviting. If we do go back, it will be for something other than the items we originally ordered (except for the bites!), but we are unsure as to whether or not we will revisit this particular restaurant.
(2)
Bee sue S.
A group of 7 of us went around 5 pm on a Sunday afternoon. I liked the limestone decor. Our service was great. The pasta dishes are very tasty, but do have a lot of pasta vs meat. I loved Mama's Trio--a real value. One of our bunch ordered Pasta di Mare and she was thrilled with the quality and flavor. Some reviewers were not thrilled with this restaurant, but the 7 people in our group were very happy with the dishes and service. If you are looking at the menu online, BE SURE TO first select which location you want, not simply the choice of "menu." THEN you will see a full menu and prices. If you don't know the zip code, there is a way to select the city and state. We went to the Hoffman Estates location. The prices are not on the menu, so I don't know how you decide to buy. It's not cheap, but not expensive, either.
(5)
Curtis M.
I love this place. I wish I lived closer. Krystal, our waitress, was excellent. I always had a full coke and some delicious bread. The food was delicious, I had the chicken parm (see picture). Lots of people on a Friday night, but much worth the wait.
(5)
Michelle A.
Seasoning of pasta dishes was a bit light tonight. Appetizers were great though, especially goat cheese peppers. We are never disappointed here, good service and consistent quality of food. Always willing to accommodate special requests or substitutions. How could anyone complain!!! Our server Melissa was the perfect compliment to our wonderful dinner.
(4)
Nic Z.
My family and I are great fans of this restaurant. Food is always great, and the servers are too. Their house chianti is fantastic, and I love their 'honor system' where they leave the bottle on your table and you make marks per glass poured. They recently overhauled their entire menu and unfortunately took out some of our favorites, but it's still delicious. The artichoke hearts appetizer was phenomenal, and my Pollo Caprese was simple but great - exactly what I had a taste for. The Eggplant Parmesan left a bit to be desired, and we were stunned that they didn't have black olives or anchovies for pizzas. Our only other complaint was that the marinara sauce came in a dish the size of your thumbnail (not kidding). Dip one calamari ring, and you're out.
(5)
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Address :2575 W. Higgins
Hoffman Estates, IL, 60195
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner 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 : 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.
Samra M.
First of all, this was a dinner with my family, We ordered multiple plates. The fried mac n cheese bites with the truffle dip is a must try at least once, mozzarella (fried) is just like cheese sticks except triangular in shape, the zucchini potato cakes, not bad, very tasteful! Now, onto the main courses: I got the pollo caprese (perfect portioning for those of you who don't want a whole bunch of pasta) I am definitely going to get this again the next time I go here. For dessert, the chocolate cake, and I love chocolate, is so decadent, I just wish they served it with ice cream. As for the berry tart, there's a little too much rum, not to my tasting, overall however, along with the courtesy of the staff, I give this place a 4/5
(4)Carol W.
Comedy of errors. First let me start by saying the waitress was super nice, although not all there in the head. We sat down and I ordered s club soda and my son ordered a lemonade. The waitress said, miller lite? Um, no. Lemonade. Ok. She then puts oil and pepper on a plate and walks away. Five minutes later she comes back and gives my son a club soda and gives me a diet coke. Five minutes later she comes back and asks if we have any questions and my son said yes, I ordered lemonade and are we going to get bread for the oil? Five minutes later she comes back with bread and lemonade! She takes our order and comes back fives minutes later with our roasted mushroom soup. Looks like a bowl of gravy, tastes like a bowl of salt. She asks if we need any more bread and we say no thank you. Five minutes later... Here you go fresh bread from the oven! Sigh. She walks away and comes back two minutes later with our food. That was fast. Pasta cooked perfectly, meatballs texture of rubber! Fresh Parmesan for your rubber balls? By all means, yes! Would you like some more bread? Um, no... We are good :)
(3)Steve B.
Great food and service again. Ask for Dean. Great waiter. New pork chop is excellent.
(5)Russ E.
I think I found a new favorite restaurant. First visit ever and have to say the food is amazing.! The fresh bread, macaroni bites, goat cheese stuffed peppers and the lobster ravioli are all delicious. Our server Colleen was friendly and very efficient. Definitely will be back!
(5)Jim B.
I've always felt that you could judge an Italian eatery by first trying the spaghetti and meatballs. So that's what I did on our first visit here. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I've seriously tasted better gravy at "family" restaurants and even out of a jar. While the meatballs were acceptable, the sauce was so bland that they couldn't make up the difference. Making this experience even more disappointing was the fact that the dish was just shy of $13. IMO, a bit pricey for a very run of the mill bowl of pasta with no soup or salad included. Based on cost, and the fact that the gravy is such a key ingredient for so many Italian dishes, I would have a hard time recommending the Macaroni Grill.
(1)Carolin M.
I came here for lunch with my parents, we got the Caesar with chicken, pasta Milano, and the fettuccini Alfredo. The server brought out the fettuccini Alfredo with chicken on it, which I didn't order. I mentioned this to her, but did not request a new dish. I figured she wouldn't charge us for it since I didn't order it but it was on our bill, which I was not happy with. Also, the server got the grated Parmesan on my mother which was a little irritating. The Alfredo was very bland as well , I wouldn't order it again. The pasta Milano was our best dish i'd say. Overall, I love this restaurant but this experience was a bit of a bummer.
(3)Kevin M.
This has been a great place to eat for 10+ years. Things have changed for then worse. No one here anymore. Food no longer tasty. Even the cheesecake is no longer good. How do you ruin basic cheesecake with strawberries ? they've done it. Only thing I stil enjoyed was the bread. I suspect this place will be closing soon.
(2)Wedee K.
This place was pleasant. Our waitress was amazing. Her name was Alma and she was super attentive and responsive to our questions. She even wrote her name upside down on the paper. (nice touch) DEFINITELY ask for her. My friend and I ordered two entrees. I had the lobster ravioli which was quite delicious and he had the seafood linguine which looked pretty good :-). We were hoping for some actual macaroni, but there was none on the menu. Slightly disappointing. For dessert we ordered the panna cotta which is a vanilla custard with fresh strawberries. It was pretty good, but without the strawberries it was just average. Overall, I thought this place was alright which is why I gave it 3 stars. The service was great, but the food didn't really set it apart from any other olive garden that I've been to. Service was better in comparison.
(3)Jennifer M.
I'm not exactly a fan of Italian food. Let's face it, it has the most potential to make me sleepy and overweight in the shortest amount of time. However, there are those rare occasions when I crave the Mushroom Ravioli from Romano's Macaroni Grill. Do you know of any other place that serves ravioli filled with something other than cheese? I enjoy their warm Rosemary Bread with EVOO and parmesean dipping sauce. Their Stuffed Mushroom appetizer is a great starter dish; but lately, we have been ordering the Caeser Salad and Fresh Greens Salad to help with our digestion. Each side salad is an additional $3.oo with an entree. I found my favorite entree, the fresh ravioli stuffed with porcini mushrooms, caramelized onions and marsala cream sauce for $13.00, so I'll order the same thing each time we visit. Jason is more adventurous and will try a new dish. This happens about every 3 weeks. This past Friday (Dec. 9), he tried the Shrimp Portofino. For $15.00, he ate jumbo shrimp, capellini pasta, spinach, mushrooms with pine nuts and lemon butter sauce. We don't normally go to restaurants late on the weekends because we know how busy they get. So when we had to wait between the salad and entrees during our most recent visit, we didn't mind. There are crayons and a paper table cover to help keep us preoccupied. I also find myself always seated facing the open kitchen. I enjoy watching the prep work and commotion that goes on there. The Manager checked in on us during the lull and our Server, Mary, liked us so much she asked us to be her frequent guests. We'll be sure to look for her from now on. I know her service is top-notch!.
(4)Ken C.
I continue to be impressed by this restaurant. It has nice ambiance and the food has always been delicious! Pasta Da Mare and Salmon are excellent. Friendly staff and basically we just always have a good time when we come here. It's a favorite and I look forward to going back.
(4)Megan C.
Good rosemary bread, and nice atmosphere. Ive recently been recieving lots of coupons in my email, i guess business isnt good, probably because the prices are pretty high. But overall, unique and yummy dishes. I wish they would change it up a bit more though or have some specials!
(4)G E.
Nice atmosphere, the staff has always been helpful and friendly. The bread and house wine is a nice touch but I feel the food is only average Italian food. It is a notch above Olive Garden but that in my opinion is not saying much.
(3)Mina H.
Stopped by there for a late dinner 9:00pm Thurs night with friends, entrees ordered were the King Salmon (wild not farmed), Snapper, and Shrimp Portofino. Service was decent but not fabulous. All of this was SO good... hadn't been there in awhile, will definitely have to go back.
(4)K S.
First time at this location. Came in on a Thursday around 6:30 and there was less than 20 people there. I got nervous... maybe there is a reason no one goes here for dinner. We sat in a booth that looked to be 20 years old in some greasy spoon diner. The seats were torn up and now I'm really getting nervous. Maybe they don't care to fix and maybe they don't care about the food. The waiter poured some wine, brought the bread and then poured the bottle of RED WINE instead of olive oil onto a plate.. seriously.. red wine puddled all over the plate and table! The waiter's reaction.. "oops". Before the wine got onto her clothes, my daughter grabbed a napkin to stop it. He placed it on the puddle and walked away. OK.. so we were hungry and ordered a meatball app which was great, laughed off the wine incident and soon left. The waiter never asked if the wine stained the clothes or if we wanted to move tables. Never said sorry or mentioned it again. Very odd place.
(2)Marc T.
Had a really nice dinner at that place. Very nicely decorated place. Staff is friendly. Food was really good. Seafood was fresh. I will absolutely come back.
(4)Andie W.
We visited early evening on Saturday and wine was half- price. We choose a bottle of delicious Riesling. We both ordered the Balkan pork (server recommendation) which was fabulous. The Bibb & Blue salad was fresh and interesting. We had the recommended chocolate cake for dessert and we got the last serving! Hot cake in a cup with Ghirardelli chocolate sauce, amaretto whipped cream and toffee bits. Perfect end to an outstanding meal! We'll be back.
(4)Leni M.
What the heck happened to this place? Food is mediocre, service was absolutely horrible. Our waiter was Damien and let me tell you, he has the personality of a gnat. I asked him what exactly was in the "Goat cheese peppadew peppers" and he replied with, "round things stuffed with cheese". Ok, what are the round things? He didn't have an answer. I ordered the sea bass and I would swear on my life they gave me tilapia. I asked Damien if it was sea bass and he said, "that's funny, when I saw your plate I thought it was tilapia too so I asked the kitchen and they said it was sea bass". I told him that I wasn't happy with it and he asked me if he should take it away and I told him no, my husband would eat it tomorrow for lunch. He went to walk away and I asked him to please bring me bread and I'll just have that for dinner. Low and behold, he didn't catch my sarcasm and he brought me bread. For dinner. He never refilled our drinks.... We had to keep asking him. Out of the 4 of us, I never even got my refill. All in all this was an awful experience. Food quality has diminished, servers look sloppy in their jeans and the lack of table attention was alarming. Won't be going back and will be emailing the manager. So much for my daughter's birthday dinner.
(2)Mitch M.
This used to be our favorite Italian Restaurant chain. Our recent visit was extremely disappointing. We called ahead to make a reservation because we assumed there would be a croud on Sunday afternoon. Arrived at approximately 12:45 to find the parking lot nearly empty (not a good omen). Walked inside and saw that there may have been one other group inside and the staff was grouped up apparently shooting the breeze. Obviously we were seated right away. I quickly notice that our booth was not clean (visible crumbs) on seats and table! Why would the staff be standing around with obvious work to be done? Menus and tablecloth were stained (Recall that noone else is here. Couldn't they find one clean menu?)! Ordered the special filet with asparagus and lobster mashed potatoes. Steak was ok but asparagus was stringy and bland and potatoes were lumpy and uninspired. Ordered pepperoni pizza and chicken strips from the kids menu for our two children. Pizza - no pepperoni. Waitress said she thought we ordered plain pizza. Good grief, had one order to get right - FAIL. Chicken - tasteless. Wife got seafood pasta - flavorless. We won't be back. R.I.P. Macaroni Grill . . .
(1)J M.
When we go here, we go for the bread. And the olive oil they serve with it. That is the highlight of the meal for me. To be honest, I think a few of their dishes are a little on the bland side. But they're still decent, I mean, we do go here every once in a while (my husband is a bit more enthusiastic about it than I am). I wasn't thrilled to see that they did away with one of the dishes that I really liked, but restaurants do that from time to time. They also altered the cheesecake, and it was so fabulous the way it was! They do have the best side Caesar salad in the business, though, and as I mentioned before, the bread is addictive.
(3)Kevin B.
My girlfriend wanted to try something new and we decided on Macaroni Grill after some searching. She wanted appetizers in the worst way. Their online menu revealed Italian Tapas which made going to Macaroni Grill a done deal. Yelp describes the restaurant as Casual/Romantic. There were dim lights and nice wood decorations. Yet, I was wearing a t-shirt and hoodie but didn't feel that out of place. We were seated promptly but the service once we were seated was a little slow. When we first got there the restaurant wasn't that busy so we were a bit confused about the delay. The waitress did greet us and asked us if we had been there before. We hadn't and she said "Welcome to Macaroni Grill. Let me know if you have any questions about the menu". Typically if people are new to restaurants the waitress would give a brief tour of the menu and recommend a few things. Not in this case. Just a bit weird. Appetizer consisted of meatballs and macaroni and cheese bites with their "2 for $9" deal. Both were good with the meatballs having the edge. We polished off both without much of a problem at all. For the main course I had a Spicy Italian Spinach Pizza and my girlfriend had a pasta with white sauce. Both weren't bad but nothing great. I'd have liked the pizza with a bit more flavor and a crispy crust. The crust was very soft and limp but I did enjoy the sweeter taste. Next time we go we'll probably try something different off the menu. And at the very least, even if we don't like the main courses, we know we'll be happy with the Tapas.
(3)June P.
In high school, my family's "go-to" restaurant was the local Olive Garden. Since escaping my mid-suburbia roots to college and beyond, I've widen my range on "Italian food" a bit. While no expert, I can say that Macaroni Grill is a decent place for pasta. I rate their dishes on a more general level, because it's a good restaurant for Americanized Italian. The service is attentive (the kind that writes their names in crayon on the paper tablecloth), the quality is good, and ambiance is welcoming for groups and families. Because the prices are within an affordable range, Macaroni Grill is a great options for any day of the week and any occasion. With your meal, you'll get fresh rosemary bread with olive oil and Parmesan, which is a sure crowd-pleaser. Their wine and drink selection is wide though not overly expensive, and they have a the option to create your own pasta as well. A few of my favorites here are Carmela's Chicken (think of Maggiano's Rigatoni D) and Pasta Milano. Their selection of pizzas and appetizers are a sure thing as well. If you have a taste for truly authentic Italian, this may not be for you. But if you want a good meal of pasta or pizza and you're looking for a bit more artisan tastes, Macaroni Grill is promising.
(3)Alex G.
I haven't been to Macaroni Grill for a few years not due to any specific reason but it just wasn't in our rotation of Italian restaurants. We were celebrating a birthday and the birthday girl suggested Macaroni Grill. In short, everyone enjoyed their meals (I could make a meal out of the bread alone) but the service was lacking. Anytme the server stopped by she seemed like she was in a hurry. Or had something else to do other than wait tables. Given the limited number of occupied tables, I couldn't understand the lack of service. She wasn't our original server so maybe she was asked to cover for someone else. Either way, the service will make me consider using the carry out option next time.
(2)Vicky R.
I had visited Mac Grill back about 8 years ago. If I would have made this review then I would have givent his place 5 stars!! It WAS one ofmy favorite Italian food chain resturants. Now I know it's not the real deal, but when there arn't that many real deals to choice from Mac Grill just fit right in. They do have a asewome warm fresh tasty bread they give you with fresh parmasean and EVOO. From the beginning there wasn't anything I ordered that I disliked. From the soups all the way to make room for desserts. Loved it all. And I always seems to be lucky to have the waiter Dino who had been working there for so long. I have always enjoyed his hospitality. BUT..... as for one of my last few visits I have to admit there have been some changes with the restuarant and I noticed. I always notice when the smallest thing changes, especially when it comes to food. My husband and I decided to go in on a Friday night around 9PM. So we missed the riush hour, if there was one. I got Dino as my waiter and something was different then the other visits. I felt discounnected to the place. I also felt disregarded and rushed. Maybe people just werent in a good mood and wanted to go home. But that's the last of my worries when I want to go out for a dinner with my hubby. Dino for the first time came across to me as someone as I would rather trade for someone else behind the line. I just think the place just got the best of him and ran him down. Sad. He was really good and always made me injoy my dinner, it could have been a bad day as well but this is a experience all rolled into one. As for our appitizer, I usually love to always get the Bruschetta because Mac Grill ALWAYS has such good tomatoes! It just makes the dish. But instead my husband stirred me into Shrimp, Cannellini Bean & Avocado Crostini. I try to be open to new things and I loved all the ingredients in this so why not. It was gross. I hated it. Not only did the beans not seemed cooked, at all but the taste of all ingredients just didnt work. Andmy husband will eat anything and he even didnt care for the dish. Dinner, I am sad to say I honestly can't remember the dishes we ordered but I remember the experience and that's what matters. Like I said, there had been some changes made to this place not only were they visual but I can feel the change as well. But my dish was just on the OK side, I remember that much. My husband who is not a picky eater was not thrilled. Not only have their portions gotten smaller just so they can put it on a fancier plate but the quality of the food got worse. Nothing I have ever oorder from the past in the 8 yrs I have gone was OK but now it's changed. Wasn't thrilled and that dinner alone we have decided to not consider going back. Dessert, I always loved ordering their chocolate cake. To no suprise they changed that as well. It used to be delivered to you ask the best chocolate cake with this coco frosting that just melted in your mouth. Now, it's baked in a cup with this coco filling. Its almost the same just not presented the same. It's good, I will definately give it that. The only thing I miss is not being able to glady take it home as leftovers, after you get your cup it's a chocolate mess. Mac Grill, your restuarant has accomplished the feeling of a chain restuarant. Sorry to say, but I like you better 8 years ago.
(2)Anthony C.
NOT AUTHENTIC ITALIAN, BUT I DONT CARE!! I love this place. My gf said it was too salty years ago, I brought her back and now, she loves this place. They place a bottle of oil and a bottle of water on the table like they do in Rome. the bread is endless, free and my gf cannot get enough of it. went there a few weeks ago to celebrate a new job, and I ordered a bottle of wine, 2 bottles of pelegrino, and the arugula flatbread. oh yeah, and stuffed mushrooms. the mushrooms and bread alone are worth the trip. they have a decent selection of wine, and the main course was very tasty. light and refreshing. for desert we had cheesecake. this was also very good, but you could tell they didn't make it. I have it 4 stars cause its not authentic, but it kicks the crap out of the olive garden!! you want authentic, go to joe & guiseppe's in Arlington heights. THATS authentic. you want great food? come here. this place is great. type of place you go for your birthday.
(4)Donna R.
If you feel like something a little classier than Olive Garden, but something that won't break the bank, Macaroni Grill is for you. The menu is simple and they are decently priced. My fiance and I LOVE the Rosemary Bread you get in the beginning, though the past two times we have been there we have had to wait a long time to get it :( However, food is always done promptly and everything is so tasty. I've had the Pollo Caprese, Eggplant Parmesan, and a seasonal dish they serve in the winter, can't remember the name. All were seasoned perfectly and you get very nice portions. Also, the honor program with their house wine is AWESOME!! Basically they leave a huge bottle of their house wine (either Chianti or Chardonnay) and you pour the glasses yourself. At the end of the meal you tell them how many you've had and its put on your bill. Its nice if you don't want to buy a whole bottle and want your wine fast!
(4)Jodie F.
The service here was terrible! The food not much better,
(1)Joe R.
Always come to Macaroni Grill when I'm in the mood for Italian. Located right on Rt.72 and Barrington, this place is convientely located by people coming straight from work or home. Every time I come here I always seem to lean towards the penne rustica or the shrimp portofino, both of these dishes are freshly prepared and delicious. The pricing is decent and for 4 people it could be at $70-80 dollars for dinner. Environment is clean and I noticed that when you visit the restroom and hear the music its actually a cd on how to learn Italian, how neat! Like I said, my favorite Italian restaurant and staff is friendly all the time. I also came here for an event and that didn't seem to change my opinion in terms of service and timeliness. great place and make sure you come and check it out.
(4)Ericka L.
Yum!!! I love this place...though lunch for me and my co-workers usually lasts 1.5 hours (yikes!)...but it's worth it for us because we LOVE their authentic menu. I usually get the Penne Rustica but now they have a sweet lunch special menu that we tried and that was pretty good. Overall really good food, love their mango lemonade, and I would kill for their bread. If you have enough time on your hands to chill back, have a good convo, and wait for your server w/out getting pissed then I'd recommend this spot for sure on a leisurely Sunday afternoon.
(5)Andrew J.
Yes, it's Macaroni Grill, which is "pretty good" to "really tasty" casual dining Italian food from a restaurant chain if you haven't had it before. And if you haven't had Mac Grill before, you should probably give it a try. However, I wanted to review this particular Macaroni Grill because their service has been consistently great for years. As a former server myself, I've been constantly impressed by the waitstaff every time I go. They are fast, attentive, upbeat, and genuinely friendly. It's a really refreshing to have great service, especially from a chain restaurant. Way to go guys!
(4)Josh G.
#1- The BREAD-I give the gourmet bread here FIVE stars. I actually order it in bulk when I do parties or catering, and it is only like $1/each! You can get it frozen or cooked, and refreeze it. Then you can add some EVOO on top and some sea salt, then throw it in the oven for 5-8 minutes, and it's ready to go! YUM! I love dipping it in the Alfredo (or any cream sauce). #2-The service is always good. #3- They have a wide variety of culinary selections. They make their sauces there fresh, and they are good. It's a step above the Olive Garden, where I hear the sauces are bagged/pre-made. *(I don't know that for certain.) They have free parking, and it isn't too far from Woodfield Mall.
(4)Erin E.
i'm usually not one to seek out a chain restaurant, but the food here is just so yummy. i've never been disappointed here. i just usually regret not having leftovers to take home. but it's just so good i can't stop 'til it's gone! LOVE the penne rustica, lobster ravioli, and bruschetta.
(5)Ryan G.
Great Friday night dinner. Get the carbona
(5)Joe P.
This restaurant was suggested to me and it seemed to have a reasonably priced menu with great option. It was delicious food that was cooked just right! However, they lost a star because of the waiter we had. He was in a rush and couldn't be found during our course when something was needed. Seemed to stop by only when convenient not to check on us.
(3)Candi P.
Their pasta is pretty good for a chain restaurant. As far as service, it's hit or miss here. One time my shrimp was not fully cooked - half of it was pink but the other half was bluish. On top of that it took a while for my server to come check on me to find out if the food was okay, so I sat there with my uncooked shrimp for a good 5 or ten minutes. The manager on duty came out to apologize, which I really appreciated. There is one server in particular that was great, and I hate that I cannot remember his name at the moment, but we do try to request him when we see that he is there.
(4)Sondrine L.
I LOVE this place! Food is delicious and plenty on the menu to appeal to lots of different people. The warm bread they start you with is delicious and served with olive oil- I usually ask that they also bring some grated cheese. Definitely sign up for their emails though their website because they send lots of coupons. Their cocktails are yummy and the service is excellent. I kind of wish they would try not to seat people with babies and toddlers right in the middle of the floor for everyone to listen to crying. Other than that it could be a really good date place.
(5)Kathleen T.
Had lunch there today and was somewhat disappointed. We have been there a few times and always have been pleased. OK..so as we enter the door we hear the nice Italian music playing. We go in ask for a booth and the hostess wants to sit us closest to the bar and the front door. It is 22 degrees out, the place is empty so we requested to sit in the actual dining room in a booth where it was warm. Hostess looked confused over this request and needed to ask permission to sit us where we wanted to. Did I mention it was empty? I ordered chicken scalloppini and husband ordered chicken marsala. Only after meal came did we realize that there were daily specials..waiter never mentioned them to us. OK now the music...we had to talk over the music and somehow it switched from Italian to more of an ecletic style totally out of sinc with the atmosphere. Menu totally changed as well. Instead of a regular menu we were handed the new style menu on heavy duty cardboard. Even with reading glasses it was not easy to read. Cannot imagine how difficult it would be to read it at dinner time when they turn the lights down. Now the food...husband liked his marsala. My chicken came with artichoke, etc. Did someone not tell the cook that artichokes are not served with the thistle as it is not edible. So much of this on the plate that it was obvious someone thought it was an ok thing to serve. Mentioned this to waiter and he brought me a small dish of artichokes. Still icky and I didn't eat it. Chicken was tasty so all was not a waste. Seems like they are copping out with the cheap menu and ridiculous choice of music for an Italian restaurant. It will be awhile before we try it again.
(2)Simone G.
I have frequented the Macaroni Grill for several years, and I have never experienced what I did the other night before. I am beginning to think it's their "new" way unfortunately based on other people's reviews. 1. Nobody came to our table for about 8-9 minutes. I had to get up and ask another server to locate our server. 2. When our server finally came to greet us, she REEKED of cigarette smoke. Cleary, she was on a smoke break and not watching her section even though we were there at 6:30 PM. Her name was Kendra. 3. She did not take a drink order and I had to interrupt her during my meal to get a drink. We had water on the table brought by the other server who hunted her down in the first place. 4. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms, only for her to return and tell us they were all out. How can you be all out of one of your 6 appetizers at 6:30 PM on a Friday night? The weekend is just beginning. 5. We ordered the calamari instead. The breading tasted good, but the calamari was over cooked and greasy. The tomato dip with it was not appetizing at all. But that could just be personal preference. 6. The oil on the table was empty and we took one from the empty table next to us, only to find that one empty too. 7. Our food came and mine was SUPER disappointing. I order the Pasta Milano almost every time I go and this was so bad. It was PACKED with garlic. I LOVE garlic and put quite a bit more of it in my food than the average bear. This was overwhelmingly garlicky and hard to eat. It lacked solid flavor and was undersalted. The shrimp that I requested for an upcharge was abundant but so overcooked it was hard to chew. 8. Kendra brought us a dessert to make up for her smoking ass. It was the chocolate cake. The cake was awful. Dry, under sugared and not appetizing at all! 9. Unrelated to our personal experience, the waiter serving the table next to us had an unbuttoned button on his shirt and his hairy, doughy belly button was poking out for allll to see! Gross! :) Is it possible that all of this was just a series of unusual flukes of the night - YES! I will go back and give it another shot, but my confidence is not too high!
(2)Beth H.
If I had written this a week ago, it would have been a glowing review. I have been a regular diner at Romano's Macaroni Grill and never had anything to complain about. Previous pros: the honor system Chianti by the glass, Warm Spinach Salad with Toasted Goat Cheese, plentiful amounts of the Peasant bread, excellent service. My visit this past Friday has made me reconsider the place entirely! I ordered the Aged Beef Tenderloin Spiedini. This comes with a vegetable side dish that included broccoli, peppers and something else. I was told that because of some sort of freeze in Mexico the peppers and the "something else" were unavailable, but that they could substitute asparagus in its place. Since I hate peppers, this was fine by me. Until the waiter tells me, with a great amount of discomfort, that they will have to charge me $2.00 extra for the asparagus! Are you freaking kidding me? So if I don't get the asparagus it's a big plate of beef and broccoli for $15.00? Really, you have a supply chain issue and want me to pay for it? In the waiter's total defense, he was completely embarrassed to have to tell me this. I could tell this was corporate issue, so I hold him completely blameless. I changed my order to my standard Warm Spinach Salad as my entree. In the meantime, the couple I was dining with ordered the Warm Spinach Salad as their appetizer. It arrived missing the best part: the toasted goat cheese. We told the waiter and he said he would fix it. He came back a while later...with goat cheese that was ice-cold. My dining companions finally said to take the whole things back and they ordered the crab stuffed mushrooms...which now arrived at the same time as their entrees. Needless to say when my Warm Spinach Salad arrived it was perfect because of the situation with their salad. I'm not sure what's going on with Mac Grill. They recently rearranged all their tables to be able to fit more tables in the restaurant. However, I think that change may have resulted in some disconnects with the kitchen. The charging extra for asparagus is just bad policy. I'll keep my fingers crossed, but it may be a while before I go back there.
(2)Tina T.
4 stars for this chain restaurant. I am not a fan of chain restaurants, so it was difficult for me, when sitting down to write this review, to rate them 4 stars. Because for god's sake, it's a chain restaurant! 4 stars should be reserved for the indie places, for the fine dining establishments - it's against my nature to rate a chain 4 stars. But I realized that I must evaluate this on comparison to other chains. Thus the 4 star rating. It really did exceed my expectations! My parents come here often and wanted to go here for a Sunday dinner. And it was pretty decent. I had a seared scallop salad, which was pretty good, but a little heavy on the dressing. Tried some of the Pasta Carmella, and it was tasty. Bread was garlicky and yummy. So it's really not a bad place for an Italian meal - just realize that it is a chain. Good for lunches.
(4)Amykate C.
Really its a 2.5 star, our meal was a solid 'meh'. My husband has the lobster ravioli and he said the lobster tasted like it had been frozen and I had mamas trio which has the chicken parm., lasange (sp?) And chicken catolloni. My favorite was the catolloni . The chicken on the chicken parm was burnt a bit and the pasta was plain. The lasagne was very meaty and didn't seem bad but I was full by that point. A good summing up of the meal was when my husband told me "don't take this the wrong was but i'd say this is a step up from a frozen meal" I told him I didn't want to pay $18 for a "step up" from a frozen dinner. The only other thing I would mention is set up is odd you can see and hear everything the staff is doing and saying. Wouldn't go back but I was glad I got to check it out.
(2)Joseph P.
On July 4, this location was well under 1/3 full, but we were quoted a wait time of 20 Minutes at 7:45. Repeating what others have noted, it seemed understaffed, as the waiter seemed overworked, and the service was erratic. We ordered from the "New Spring Menu" (in July?) and both items were good or better. I had the Chicken Julia and my wife had the Clam and Sweet Corn Fettuccine. Both are about $15 a-la-carte. I added a Ceasar Salad, which was very ordinary and not worth the $3 extra. They start with a really good warm loaf of Focaccia bread and Olive Oil for dipping. No grated cheese on the table though and they never ask if you want additional bread. As noted by some, this seems like a bit more upscale place than Olive Garden, and the menu variety and pricing seems to confirm that. If service was better due to proper staffing, and/or having busboys, it would be a better place. As it is, it isn't worth a very long drive.
(3)Carey Y.
We ended up here after we decide last minute to go out to dinner. Service was good. Food was okay. Definitely better than your typical chain restaurant.
(3)Mrsotle O.
I love the Chicken Marsala, the sauce is delicious. They also have a great dessert menu, it's small portions for a small size. It's nice to eat dessert without feeling guilty afterward. My major complaint with Macaroni Grill is their service. Every time I've gone there I've had some issue. One time a waitress completely forgot about our food and tried to serve it to us cold. The managers are usually understanding and are willing to comp, but it's not worth your time to spend three hours at a restaurant for a $15 meal.
(3)Emily K.
Usually not into the chains, but I've been going to Macaroni Grill maybe twice a year or so since they opened - a while since we came here after my high school graduation in '97. Went there last night, it was OK but I'm not sure what's going on over there. We had a three year old and a baby with us, but despite many open (perhaps they were reserved?) tables in the restaurant we were seated in the back area next to an older couple who were probably trying to have a nice quiet dinner; instead, they were sandwiched between us and another big family with kids. We did our best to be unintrusive but those tables are kinda close together back there. Our waiter was very friendly and I could tell he was trying to do his best, but some things were just a little off. Our bread took forever to come out of the oven. We ordered roasted vegetables as an appetizer, which have always been a favorite, but they came out a little dry and needed a little oil and salt before they were very good- something I never had to do before. There are probably those who complain about the presence of oil on a plate - perhaps they are making it "low-fat" to appease those idiots? I dunno. I ordered the Crusted Sole, which is more or less Sole Meuniere with capers, and it was pretty good. My three year old liked it too. I was pleasantly surprised that the orzo side on my plate was more vegetable than pasta. My husband ordered the Portafino - shrimp and spinach on pasta - also his pasta portion was not too big at all. Some people may complain about the small pasta portions - if you want a carb fest, go to Olive Garden. Personally, the last thing i want on a $15 plate is a huge pile of pasta... Overall a good place, I just hope they can come out of some little "bumps" I perceived there last night.
(3)Ariel B.
I was a little fearful of going to a chain restaurant, but my friend assured me I wouldn't be disappointed. We had a fairly large group, with a baby and the staff could not be more accommodating with us. We were seated in a low traffic area (perfect for babies in carriers) and the service was fantastic. I'm always concerned with large group service, or lack thereof, but our server was great. She always had refills before we had to ask and our orders came out perfect. I had the shrimp with spinach and mushrooms in a cream sauce. It was fantastic. FRESH, crisp spinach. One friend ordered the lobster ravioli and it looked and smelled fantastic. We went for lunch on a Saturday, so the place wasn't super busy. I was really happy with our meals and the Macaroni Grill.
(5)San T.
Not bad for a chain restaurant, I was expecting service/food similar to Olive Garden but I was wrong. The service was excellent our waiter was very helpful when I asked about the wines (since I'm not a wine drinker) his suggestions were very helpful and I enjoyed the one he selected. The food was a-okay, I chose a dish with alot of tomatoe sauce and tomotoes not a big fan of tomatoes..so I wasn't too thrilled but that's my fault. Make sure you try their dessert the Panna cotta which is Italian custard, simply delicious!
(4)Allyson C.
I don't usually like going to chains, much less reviewing them on Yelp, but I have to agree with Nick S. that Macaroni Grill was pleasantly surprising. It's definitely better than other Italian chains I've been to in the past like Carrabba's, Olive Garden & Maggiano's. The server was very attentive, even a little on the smothering side, and the food was good too. I had the veal marsala & also tried the penna alla vodka. I'd definitely get the penne or something similar to it if I went back. It was much better than my veal. I liked that they bring you a huge bottle of chianti to drink from on the 'honor system' and that it's tasty though dirt cheap! They were also kind enough to make me a coffee drink for dessert that wasn't on the menu.
(3)Duncan S.
Got the lasagna, didn't like it, all I could taste were onions (??), thought it had a commercialized taste, worse than Olive Garden, which can be decent at times for something quick. Taste what I'd expect buying from a cafeteria or something similar. At least you could draw on the table. No one I was with really liked it either (big group actually). This doesn't affect my review cause I'm not petty like that, but I remember the hostess muttering 'sure, take all of them' when I took a couple toothpicks from the front area. Didn't know they have a brick oven? I'm a sucker for those, but don't know if it's worth it to try it (still have to know how to make the pizza), is it any good?
(2)Nick S.
I was pleasantly surprised by the Macaroni Grill. I was expecting Olive Garden and we got something a lot more fun with better food. Outside of the pasta dishes you would expect, they server brick oven pizzas and have an excellent steak salad. The service is always pretty good too.
(4)Mark S.
Amazing service, amazing food, and amazing atmosphere! Will definitely be coming back!
(5)Allen L.
This is one of my favorite Italian chain restaurants. I despise Olive Garden and Maggiano is just too expensive. Macaroni Grill (sister to Maggiano's) is the happy medium (as for chains go). The food's been great everytime I go...I loved the thyme pork chops, but they no longer have it on the menu :( Luckily, I always find something else I like. Service is also impeccable and friendly. This is a good place to go with a group of friends to have a fine dining evening where it's quiet, but casual enough where you don't feel stuffy.
(4)Yvette C.
i love me some macaroni grill! i always get the shrimp portofino...it's soooo goooood! have to try their bellini's they are quite delicio-so. staff is always friendly, but for some reason the lunch staff is usually a bit on the slower side than the dinner rush servers.
(4)Chicago P.
Tiered of eating the similar type of Italian food at another popular restaurant chain I tried this place to see how different it could be, turned out to be amazing. The place has huge seating with strings of bulbs to depict some part of Italy I believe, the service was also good. Coming to food the soup Amalfi Chicken was amazing with hints of lime and other herbs a must try. I ordered the Center-Cut Lamb Spiedini not only because I am a big fan of lamb meat but also very few Italian restaurants offer this, it was grilled to perfection in medium well done with rosemary, olive oil and garlic giving it the Italian taste with various roasted veggies. After having a great experience with not only service but excellent food I would strongly recommend this place to anybody who want to try Italian food in a newer way when compared to another major chain though the authenticity may be still be debated.
(4)Muhammad A.
An awesome restaurant for dinner. You can enjoy a good meal with their amazing appetizers and desserts. The steak here is made to perfection. I especially like this place because you can make reservations ahead of time, as opposed to other places where they make you sit around and wait.
(5)Melissa V.
I've loved macaroni grill since 2003. In love with everything worked there for a year loved it. Love and crave pasta Milano. Go every chance I get especially my birthday.
(5)Danielle S.
I have always been hesitant to go to Romano's Macaroni Grill...just because it is a chain and to be honest I didn't expect them to have good food. I was relatively correct. First of all, the wine list is not good. They had one house wine (everything else was way overpriced). Fun fact, if you get the house wine you don't get a real wine glass. You get a water glass. Classy. They do, however, leave the bottle at your table and let you fill up your own glass and keep track yourself. Seems crazy to me, but whatever. The food sounds a lot better on the menu than it tastes. I got the Penne Rustica. That actually wasn't too bad, but I tried my friend's pasta and it basically had no flavor. The bread was delicious, but they don't have parmesan cheese on the table for you to make an olive oil dip with. You have to keep asking them for cheese. Other places I have been to just have a bowl of cheese for you to use at your discretion. The service was fine at first, but for not being very busy, we hardly saw our waitress towards the end. She never filled up our waters, and for a while we thought she forgot about us. It took forever to get our check. Honestly I would rather go to Olive Garden or Biaggi's over this place any day.
(2)Nelson M.
Restaurant review Great service and excellent bread. Although this time I was stuffed from eating a large lunch at a other restaurant and I ate tiramisu and coffee while my wife enjoyed her birthday dinner. They have a large selection of italian dishes that I personally believe are well done. It may not be as amazing as custom made pasta, but it is cooked al dente and the bread is simply amazing with olive oil. Our server was nice and didn't care that I had dessert as my dinner. Pro: friendly, good italian food, free bread Cons: lots of carbs in all the dishes, not light salads that have fruit Hidden gem: Sign up for the email savings, they have coupons that come out weekly i.e. 5-10 dollars off your dinner
(4)Avinash K.
Let me tell you first off - decor and the staff are both brilliant. I thought the staff was really friendly and helpful. Very patient since we had a team lunch and there were about 30 odd people. They give bread and olive oil/cheese as appetizers. The entree I got was a Penne Rustica, heavy even though portion looks small. Celebrated one person's birthday and one's going away party sort of.. We had a cake with chocolate syrup - which was awesome and one of staff sang "happy birthday" in italian, which was cool. Lunch combo would have been good here (that's what I understood from menu). The best part of the table is that, they had CRAYONS and a paper on top, where you could draw etc etc, I am not sure since it was special event or if it's usual, but that was a lot of FUN :D
(4)Steven H.
The wait staff was friendly (they even had an operatic waitress singing happy birthday), the veal Parmesan was ok. The sauce could use a little more flavor. Other than that, everything was good.
(4)Eric H.
Man this place used to get packed. I'm scared to eat here it is so slow now. Does the extra food get thrown out of it expires? Hmmm
(1)Jorge A N.
We came for our 5 year anniversary And LOVED IT!. my wife ordered chicken under a brick and she loved it. I ordered the Italian sausage flatbread (like a pizza). We tried wine and we ended up getting a glass of Riesling wine. The waiters sing every 15 minutes or so. Wendy was out server and she was great. I noticed all the servers were kind and very helpful with any menu questions. If we go back I hope to get Wendy as our waitress again.
(5)Pari P.
It's called Macaroni Grill but they don't have mac and cheese on the menu - how ironic. Well, not officially at least. The Chianti BBQ Steak comes with a side of mac and cheese and you can order it by asking your waiter. Surprisingly, the mac and cheese ended up being the best thing I ate out of the dishes that we tried. It came with pancetta, green peas, and bread crumbs. It was exactly what I wanted in a cheesy mac and cheese and more. The only problem was that there wasn't more of it. I realize that Macaroni Grill is trying to be more like a trendy Olive Garden but this dish should really be a full entrée since it was that good. For a place that's trying to be in between Olive Garden and Maggiano's, I would rather go to either one of these places than eat again at Macaroni Grill. My spaghetti was over cooked and the sauce was watery. I've had spaghetti and meatballs that were better at diners. I asked for parmesan cheese a couple of times and our waiter was being stingy. Surprisingly, Macaroni Grill ended up costing just as much as Maggiano's. Next time, I would rather just eat at Maggiano's where the portions are larger and the food is much better. Sorry Macaroni Grill, I feel that you might be destined to face the same fate as your neighbors that closed down.
(2)John L.
2 1/2 stars (for the price, maybe 3 stars) I didn't care for this place. The service was good but the food was as if it was made by Pizza Hut or something. The clam chowder was bland and the bread they served looked good but it tasted as though it was Wonder Bread. I had the chicken parma salad which was good but it was just a salad. My wife's chick mushroom cannelloni plate was bland, It just didn't have "The Taste" Not a bad place to go to but I'd rather dine else where. I won't BB
(2)Adam D.
eh; not the best. I've been here twice, once a few years ago, and most recently, this past weekend. I wasn't to impressed the first time; and even less impressed the second. The restaurant's feel is pretty authentic; but hardly original. It comes across as your typical 'chain' Italian restaurant trying to pull in elements to inspire the feeling of Italy. The seating is a bit awkward as it's mostly open with a few booth seats around the perimeter of the large, banquet style room. It's most likely designed this way to accommodate larger families. The wait staff was boring; no one was 'excited' to see us, nor made us feel welcome when we walked into their establishment; and everyone we saw was sluggishly walking about as if waking from a long night of restless sleep. Not one employee looked thrilled to be apart of the experience, and the lack of smiling made that apparent. The food is sub-par at best. I admit, I can, at times, be a bit picky; but there was something about my dish I just didn't like. Taste or perhaps the texture; I'm uncertain. My friend ordered a large noodle dish, which, when tasted, was discovered to be under cooked. My friend; who is a bit of a foodie, and was once a restaurant auditor stated the noodles, which looked freshly made, were cooked without first being separated, which let them clump up and left parts of them raw. We exchanged the dish, but we are unsure the server understood our 'complaint'. My friend really wanted the dish he had originally ordered, only done correctly. Instead he was asked to pick a new dish, wish he did; leaving the rest of the dining party awkwardly picking at our food until his arrived as to not 'leave him behind' in the dining experience. At the end of our meal we tried to use coupons; unfortunately, to our surprise, they were expired. The manager was kind enough to take out 9$ appetizers off as a way to appease the awkward discovery. Unfortunately, she didn't ask us how our food was, nor did she apologize for my friend's food being under prepared. She seemed uninterested in our service, or our comfort; and again... there was NO smiling! Will I come here again? Eh; If I want Italian food; I'll head to my friends place; at least there we're encouraged to laugh and enjoy our experience.
(2)Mr T.
I've given them to many chances. This time all the wait staff was focused on the table next to me so I assume it was their boss or someone more important than me. That's fine I can make my own chicken at home and lay it on noodles and be just fine. It took 15 minutes before our waiter came over after my original waiter passed us off to this guy. He was nice but the alcohol bev I got was not worth the price, the food was good but I asked to separate the check in the beginning and it wasn't done right. I gave up paid and left annoyed.
(2)Michelle F.
Not the best, not the worst! I dare to say this is a step up (albeit a small step) from Olive Garden, but with higher prices, and no soup/salad included with the meal! A group of six girls met here one evening at five. There was no wait. Heck, there was really nobody in the restaurant when we got there. Maybe one other table. It had filled in immensely by the time we were done, however, but there were still plenty of open tables. Apparently, Thursday is 1/2 price wine off of bottles, so one of my friends ordered one, but the rest of us stuck with soft drinks. The complimentary bread was fantastic, but I prefer mind with bread instead of the oil/pepper combo. To be honest, if parmesan cheese isn't involved w/ the oil, there's really no point Onto the meal--my sister and I split the trio and she ordered a bowl of soup. I didn't have any of the soup, but the trio was good. Well, parts of the trio were good. The caneloni was good, the chicken parm was good, and the lasagna was....not good. I don't know what it was, it just didn't have a good taste to it at all. I was not impressed. And you know it's bad when your hungry, pregnant sister won't touch it... Just sayin'! Our waitress was Stephanie, and she was delightful and attentive. I definitely loved having her as a server. She was attentive without being overbearing. She knew we were trying to get to a movie on time, so when we asked her to wrap things up for us/get us our checks, she jumped right on it! She would get five stars by herself! I would go back again, but it's not a restaurant I would go seeking out! Like another reviewer pointed out, I just don't THINK about it when the hunger pangs strike!
(3)Katy M.
I've always been meh about this chain restaurant. Everything is just okay, nothing special or unique about it. The sangrias are terrible, or at least they were when we were there last. Just not that impressed when there are so many authentic Italian restaurants in IL.
(3)Amy B.
Had lunch here yesterday. I had the veal special which was quite tasty. The only complaint that i have is the cost of the "house Merlot" when people who order the house wine, they tend to be cost conscious. My family member was not told that this glass would be 9.50. What the waiter should have done was suggested a BOTTLE of the wines on special for $20. I am in retail and I am a stickler for great customer service. You have to think on your feet for the best outcome for all.
(4)Ella K.
When my food first arrived I thought "now how am I going to be full after this??" But I actually could not finish it! I don't know if eating the bread played a roll or having bites off my moms plate but it didnt matter, both dishes were incredibly delicious!! I will be back for more. I wasn't crazy about the lighting in there but I always enjoy a good crayon and the ability to color on the table.
(4)Rita B.
I'm so sad to say that this last visit will be just that....my last visit. Over the years the menu has changed (which is ok) but so has the quality of food and service. We went for an early dinner since we have a baby who eats fairly early. There were a few people there already, which meant it was going to start getting busy. We asked to be seated away from people as my child likes to get out of highchair from time to time. Our request was denied. That's alright, I understand they'd like to keep sections closed until more people come in. This is where the problems start to occur. The waiter lacked personality, common sense, and the desire to perform ones job at a mediocre level. He took our drink orders but forgot to bring half of the drinks (there were only three of us at dinner). I ordered iced tea....he forgot the sugar, even after asking for it twice. He brought out the bread after placing our dinner order. But no oil, cheese, etc. the manager actually walked over and performed this guy's job. Eventually, when he did make his way back to our table we had to ask for the cheese...again. When he brought it over he was grating the cheese about three feet above the plate instead of bending down to the plate so that cheese would not end up everywhere. Our food arrived, it was not only plain looking (on effort on display) it just tasted ok. I had the penne rustica. Nothing special. Mom had the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken (sans chicken). There were 2.5 thinly sliced pieces of chicken in the ENTIRE dish. We called the manager over because I wanted to know exactly how they can charge $3 extra for such little chicken. Plus, mom really wanted chicken. The manager, Cindy, says "well a Ma'am it's supposed to be 4 oz. are you sure there isn't anymore in there?" What I wanted to say was "that's what you should ask your chef" but instead my mom showed her that obviously there was nothing else. Long story short, the meals sucked. Cindy did comp the Alfredo meal but her attitude wasn't the best. The waiter, Luis, needs more training on the lunch shift before being promoted to the dinner shift. Overall, this place has declined in every aspect. My best friend and I used to come here a lot but have since abandoned the thought....now I remember why. Save yourself the trip and headache. Go anywhere else but here.
(1)Rosie T.
Average dining experience. The pasta di mare was disappointing. One of the mussels was "off", the shrimp and scallops overdone and the portion and appearance of the dish unimpressionable. The prices have gone up and portions gone down. At least their balsamic vinegar was high quality which was great with the bread. The house Chianti had a run of the mill flavor, lacking complexity or personality. The eggplant Parmesan was the best plate on the table though their marinara had a chunky tomato texture that my hubby pushed aside.
(3)Tricia D.
I think it's cute that they leave crayons on the table so you can draw on the paper to entertain yourselves before dinner. $9 for a roasted veggie flatbread pizza that's enough for 2 sittings or for 2 to share is a great value! The only downside was that I thought the zucchinis didn't really belong, but I enjoyed the roasted peppers, onions, and basil. The lemon chicken entree had actual lemon rinds distributed throughout the pasta, which was unexpected (mmm, more fiber for the body). There was a minimal wait at 7:30ish on a Friday night. Not great, but an a-ok stop.
(3)Jennifer S.
I don't know why we don't go to Macaroni Grill more often. It's one of those places that I always enjoy but never think of when we're having the 'WhereDoYaWannaGoForDinner' conversation. I know it's a chain, but for consistency, it's a great choice. Lucky for me, we were in the area a few weeks ago and decided to stop in for a late lunch. The menu is fresh and fun! There were quite a few summer specials available and the new tapas options seemed like a good deal. Here's my problem at Macaroni Grill...I can never decide what I want to order. I've liked everything that I've ever had here. We decided against an appetizer to share because MG gives you fresh baked rosemary Italian bread to nosh on while you chat before your meal. Even my hubby, who is not a bread guy, enjoys this little perk. Eat it all? No worries. They'll bring you more ASAP. So he orders the chicken Parmesan and I go outside the box. I decide to forgo an actual entree and instead eat two tapas appetizers that he would never eat: Lobster stuffed clams and artichoke potato cakes. They have really changed things up because his chicken is not drowning in sauce or cheese. It actually needs more sauce for dipping (which a passerby server was kind enough to get for us). He ate 2/3 of the meal and brought the rest home for our son. I indulged and ate all of the clams because they don't reheat well. They were low in calories and pretty tasty with bits of lobster, clam, prosciutto, onions, peppers and breadcrumbs rounding out the dish. I ate just a bite of the fried artichoke potato cakes. They were good, but I knew they would reheat beautifully in the oven for a later date. Overall, it's a pretty good restaurant with plenty of options. The servers are friendly. They occasionally will email a coupon which I should really start printing out. Actually, a couple visits ago, our server redeemed a coupon by looking at my email on my phone. They really are accommodating. Try to forget that it's a chain and maybe, just maybe, you will give them four stars too.
(4)Kristin L.
We just had my best friend's wedding rehearsal dinner here a few nights ago. Everything was delicious! We loved the appetizers (especially the bruschetta!!) and the entrees were perfect. They had wonderful service and a very nice atmosphere. I'm going to have to come back for a date night.
(5)E S.
I wont be going back. Came here with my coworkers, got the $10 punch option and it was nasty. So not worth it, flavorless pasta. The space is large so thats good, but even the waitress was slow and didnt make sense w what she was doing.
(1)Kelly H.
There were nice people working there and I really don't want to hurt them with a negative review but....the quality, and price...horrible. I felt like I was eating frozen store bought meatballs identified as mamas ricotta meatballs for $13 not including a salad . The house wine tasted like grape juice in a glass rimmed with lipstick stains.
(2)Courtney M.
After spending a long day apartment hunting, my husband and I were ready to indulge in some delicious Italian food. We had never been to this restaurant before, so we decided to give it a whirl. Upon entering, we noticed the comfortable atmosphere, filled with yummy smells and a unique set up with service stations located in the middle aisle (this was fun to look at, as it was designed in an eye-appealing manner). We were seated in a comfortable booth and promptly offered our drinks. The first dish we ordered included the mac and cheese bites with truffle sauce (DELICIOUS). We only ordered 5 but I am pretty sure that we could have eaten 100 of these. The second course, our main meal, did not thrill our taste buds in the same manner. I ordered the Chicken Parmesan, while my husband ordered the Primo Pepperoni Flatbread. The food was hot and ready to eat, but eat most of it, we did not. The chicken parmesan seemed to need additional spices to flavor it up, as it was rather bland and somewhat mushy (Unfortunately, I have no idea how else to describe it). The flatbread was partially burnt, in that about 40% of it was black on the crust and did not have much flavor either. It was an unfortunate occurrence, since the appetizer was so good! However, even though we did not enjoy our particular dishes, the service was excellent (Sean) and the atmosphere was very inviting. If we do go back, it will be for something other than the items we originally ordered (except for the bites!), but we are unsure as to whether or not we will revisit this particular restaurant.
(2)Bee sue S.
A group of 7 of us went around 5 pm on a Sunday afternoon. I liked the limestone decor. Our service was great. The pasta dishes are very tasty, but do have a lot of pasta vs meat. I loved Mama's Trio--a real value. One of our bunch ordered Pasta di Mare and she was thrilled with the quality and flavor. Some reviewers were not thrilled with this restaurant, but the 7 people in our group were very happy with the dishes and service. If you are looking at the menu online, BE SURE TO first select which location you want, not simply the choice of "menu." THEN you will see a full menu and prices. If you don't know the zip code, there is a way to select the city and state. We went to the Hoffman Estates location. The prices are not on the menu, so I don't know how you decide to buy. It's not cheap, but not expensive, either.
(5)Curtis M.
I love this place. I wish I lived closer. Krystal, our waitress, was excellent. I always had a full coke and some delicious bread. The food was delicious, I had the chicken parm (see picture). Lots of people on a Friday night, but much worth the wait.
(5)Michelle A.
Seasoning of pasta dishes was a bit light tonight. Appetizers were great though, especially goat cheese peppers. We are never disappointed here, good service and consistent quality of food. Always willing to accommodate special requests or substitutions. How could anyone complain!!! Our server Melissa was the perfect compliment to our wonderful dinner.
(4)Nic Z.
My family and I are great fans of this restaurant. Food is always great, and the servers are too. Their house chianti is fantastic, and I love their 'honor system' where they leave the bottle on your table and you make marks per glass poured. They recently overhauled their entire menu and unfortunately took out some of our favorites, but it's still delicious. The artichoke hearts appetizer was phenomenal, and my Pollo Caprese was simple but great - exactly what I had a taste for. The Eggplant Parmesan left a bit to be desired, and we were stunned that they didn't have black olives or anchovies for pizzas. Our only other complaint was that the marinara sauce came in a dish the size of your thumbnail (not kidding). Dip one calamari ring, and you're out.
(5)