This place has amazing beef tenderloin cuts... or whatever it was called was absolutely delicious!!! And the waitress was very nice. Great experience!
(5)
Leo r.
Too Much Garlic. OMG srvice was adequate Atomosphere ok To MUCH Garlic Destroyed my endocrine system. Not returning anytime soon.
(2)
Some G.
ok food, I don't get how they're fine dining when their food seems like greasy carry out. One of the worst "Italian" food places I've been too
(2)
Mike A.
Great food
(5)
Angie E.
Dislike. I've had way better. Also overrated and expensive for nothing. Nothing stood out to me.
(2)
Yvette C.
My fondest memory of Maggiano's was when my new boyfriend (now husband) brought me here for an intimate dinner prior to hitting up the club with some friends. It was a great night all around. The service was very friendly, the food was fabulous, and the portions are plenty! Another experience I had was trying to plan a wedding reception here. The planner was super friendly & helpful. In the end we decided to have a destination wedding and didn't need their services afterall.
(4)
Ling L.
*Photos shot Update: Their lemon cookies ($5 for a dozen) are sweet and soft. My type of cookies. I thought it was fairly cheap for a dozen until I realized it comes in crescent shapes, not the usual round shape. So that's how they turn a profit.... --------------------------------------------------Â------------------------------------------ I am so hesitant and embarrass to rave about this place when I saw authentic Italian Peter F's review. Oh well.... I like it ... A LOT. I'm one for good tasting food at BIG PORTIONS for a fair price. Our group consisted of 3 adults and a child. We ordered the spaghetti, chicken parmigiana, baked ziti and sausage (the Chicago' Taylor Street) and the Rigatoni "D". Before I launched into our BIG mistake, let me get the basics out of the way. First off, there's the obligatory bread basket. Our server is oh-so-proper that a smile barely breaks on his face. No, he wasn't rude. Just proper. We arrived really late, about a quarter to closing time (9 p.m.), but he was nice enough to accommodate us, and even suggested he took our food order before the drinks. The decor is intimately warm, almost like a family warmth, but definitely can pass for a nice date setting. Warm woods, chandeliers, Sinatra music piped through. The food. Oh, my. I should've put one and one together when I saw a table of five adults sharing 2 dishes. My husband ordered a half order of spaghetti and meatball while we remaining 2 adults ordered a full order of the Rigatoni "D" and Taylor Street each. Our server even made sure it was half order that we wanted, but we corrected him and asked for full order --- we were famished. He arched an eyebrow but acquiesced to the guests. Cuz the customers are always correct, right? Not so, in this case. When our full orders arrived, we were bombarded by this FANTASTICALLY GIGANTIC BOWL of our orders. OMG, we had leftovers for next day's dinner and lunch. But the price is only $3 difference between the half and full order. Everything tasted wonderful. The sauces aren't overpowering, and the chicken in my Rigatoni "D" was delightfully tender. That's got to be almost a full chicken in that full order. The price is so right with the portion (full, that is). We now know that the next time we return, we would order a full order of an entree, a salad, and save room for dessert. They look huge, too. Our bill, which includes 4 entree, 2 glasses of wine, a lemonade, 2 side salads, came up to a reasonable $91. Not shabby, considering we got 3 meals out of it.
(4)
Jessica D.
I can't believe I'm the first reviewer for this location of this great American-Italian chain! The food is served in huuuge plates and everything really is relishable and fresh-tasting. The room can be known to get loud with all the happy diners, but it's well worth it if you're in the mood for some Italian and a little touch of old New York. Start with a frosty peach bellini, and one of the fabulous appetizers, and then try the gnocchi vodka and a tall glass of iced tea, and don't miss one of the delicious desserts... be prepared to share! UPDATE: It looks as though there's another listing for this restaurant in Yelp under Maggiano's, that's where everyone else has been posting, my bad for not noticing it earlier! Though I'm not sure who added this entry if someone else already had one for this place.
(4)
Mike T.
My wife decided she wanted to go here for her birthday, so we make reservations for 12 @ 6:30 p.m. on a Saturday night. We are promptly seated, it probably didn't take more than 5 minutes from the time we walked in the door to get seated. The manager was very professional and courteous. He asked if we were there for a special occasion and I said it's my wife's birthday. We did the family style thing, which is really the best way to go with a group. They offer 2 entrees, 2 pastas, 2 appetizers, 2 salads and 2 desserts for a really good price. However, they do not offer sides anymore. We really wanted Garlic Mashed potatoes and they were able to accomodate us with our request. The Mozzaralla Marinara is outstanding, it's like a giant Mozzarella stick, we also got the Calamari, which I didn't try since I don't care for it. For entrees, I dabbled in the Chicken Parmesean, which I absolutely love, the Salmon, which was outstanding and the Baked Ziti with sausage, which was great as well. We got the cheesecake and a very rich Chocolate Cake for dessert. I though they were going to have to wheel me out of the place. Overall, the food was outstanding for a great price. I'm looking forward to chowing on the leftovers today. The staff there was great as well. Our drinks were never empty, the staff was very attentive to us, which is a huge plus. Great experience!
(5)
Keri M.
The food selection isn't that great. I can make better Chicken Marsala at home with a recipe found off of the internet. The service needs some adjustment as well. The last time I went our waitress dropped off the containers so we could box our own food. We looked around and saw everyone else had their food boxed and bagged and dropped off at their tables by their waiters. I didn't know if I should feel discriminated against or that she was just a crappy waitress. I'd say this place is great for high school kids that want to play adults and try and impress their girlfriends with a "fancy" meal. Also beware if they ask you if you want pasta with your meal. It is pretty much a side of spaghetti and they charge you $3 for it.
(2)
Paul K.
Went here for Thanksgiving and it did not disappoint. We had bruschetta, two salads, two entrees, two pastas, and two deserts for $37 each. A great deal when you consider the food was outstanding and we went home with enough food for four more meals. The layered chocolate cake was out of this world.
(4)
Mark L.
I ate till I popped. It was good shit.
(3)
Malea I.
I was here for lunch and was VERY disappointed! I have to say I love good Italian food, but this is not that! They only positive I can say is that our server was pleasant. I ordered Angel Hair Pomodoro...now Pomodoro is traditionally fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and fresh basil. What I received was canned tomatoes with garlic, PARSLEY and oil. I think Prego would have been better. I pointed out to the waiter that it was parsley instead of basil and he said that was the way they made it. My husband ordered braised beef cannelloni. It had good flavor, but so rich you could only eat a couple bites. You are crammed in like sardines and it is so loud you can not hear the person sitting next to you. I actually think Olive Garden is a step up from this place. Again, if you want authentic Italian...this is not the place! There is such great Italian in the Chicago area. It is not worth it to even give Maggiano's a second thought!
(1)
Julie D.
I was so depressed when I walked into this restaurant. I didn't have a reservation and there must have been 30 people filling the entry, waiting for a table. Lucky for me, they were all with large groups waiting for space and I was on my own. I got a table right away. The restaurant was very beautiful, rich dark woods, ambient lighting and alive with activity. This place was also loud. Some of the tables were placed too close together and I got one of those. I almost felt like I was intruding the privacy of the gentleman behind me. But that turned out to be a good thing because he offered recommendations for my dinner. I started off with a chopped salad. It was chopped iceberg, tomatoes, crumbled bleu cheese, onion, crispy Prosciutto and yummy avocado with house dressing. Very good. For dinner I had the much yelped about Rigatoni "D". But I did mention to my server that I wasn't really in a chicken mood, so he substituted shrimp. This dish as awesome! I opted for the "half" portion. But it was still too much for a normal person. Also, they don't skimp on alcohol is their drinks. One cosmo here sent the room spinning. I love this restaurant and will be on the look out for a location near me. The food is great and the service is attentive.
(5)
Carol Y.
I went here last night for my birthday. I needed a decent place to go that wasn't going to break the bank. Enter Maggiano's. I made a reservation last week with my open table app. (awesomeness) Reservation was for 7pm and we arrived 5 minutes early. We were handed a pager and asked to wait. It wasn't really a wait because we were seated at 7 on the dot. The hostess sprinkled some cute confetti on the table in honor of the birthday girl (ME!). I thought it was a nice touch but that may just be my inner child speaking. The table decided to dine family style. We ordered chopped salad, casear salad, stuffed mushrooms, spinach dip, lasagna, linguine with clams, chicken tortellini and another dish that I can't remember. Dessert included creme brulee and tiramisu. I think there may have been a little too much for our party of 4 people. I was very happy with ALL the choices. I usually go for veal but I decided to go a different route this time and get something everyone can share. The food was great, the service was impeccable. FYI, the pomegranate martini is AMAZING. I have always loved eating here and will continue to do so. Reservations are strongly recommended. The wait at 7pm was over an hour and we got in within 5 minutes.
(4)
Kelly C.
The food is so good. We were starving and they did a great job with our party of about 15. We got family style and the food kept comin! I was stuffed after the apps...but continued to stuff food in my face because it's THAT good. By the time the cheesecake was in front of me, I didn't think i would move, yet somehow the fork found it's way to my mouth. No control. WAH.. This place is HUGE. and was packed, so make a reservation!
(5)
Beth G.
Meh. Another office party, another family-style dinner. I had such high hopes for a great Italian carb overload. I left really let down, and totally not full. They have the same spinach-artichoke fondue as Wildfire does (not surprising, since both restaurants are part of the Lettuce Entertain You chain), it's just called something else here. The bruschetta was decent. They also have the same Caesar salad as Wildfire, and probably 1,000 other restaurants in a 25 mile radius. I mean, it's romaine, croutons, and parmesan cheese, right? Not exactly rocket science. I will say that their spinach salad - with its bacon, pine nuts, and gorgonzola cheese - is pretty damn good. I will also say how very sad it is when that was the shining star of the entire meal. That, and the friendly wait staff who kept my glass of Merlot filled at all times. On to the pasta. Gnocchi with tomato-vodka sauce: I've had better. Actually, the best tomato-vodka sauce I have ever had came from a jar and was part of a "pasta sauce of the month club" my ex had given me as a gift one year. Wish I could remember what it was, but I digress. Nothing spectacular here at all. Chicken pesto linguine: a sticky, clumpy, unappealing mess. I passed. The entrees then arrived. Whoops, you know how I said that the spinach salad was the highlight of the meal? My bad, I had forgotten about the salmon. Now THAT was some good stuff. Apparently everyone else at my table thought so too, as the bastards scarfed it all up before I could get a second helping. They left the chicken parmesan alone, as did I. Average cheesecake and average tiramisu. I'm not much of a dessert person so I only had a bite or two of each. Mostly because I was still hungry. One thing I will comment on that I found unusual for a large group and a family-style dinner. Nowhere else have I ever seen so much uneaten food get cleared off the table. I'm pretty sure half of the world's hunger problem could have been cured (even if for just one day) with all the food that everyone (including me) thought really sucked.
(3)
Pal S.
Very nice place for a date. They have one of the best cheese ravioli's. for vegetarians the two main options are the cheese ravioli and gnocchi. The mixed sauces in the ravioli are delicious.
(4)
Phillip A.
My wife and I had a wonderful/lunch/dinner meal here today. Huge portions of quality italian food. You get alot for your money. Pastas are cooked to perfection. My wife had the salmon and loved hers as well. You will almost always be bringing a doggy bag home. This was at least are 5 visit to this location in the last 12 months. The Oak Brook,il location is just as good......but can be very busy at peak hours.
(4)
Matt T.
THis was our first time actually being successful at getting a table here. I have tried two other times and each time either couldn't get in or had to endure a ridiculous wait time. The food is good. Its not great, but its very good Italian food. I had the liguini with red clam sauce, and my fiancee had the braised beef over couscous. We had calamari for an appetizer. FOr my dish, the liguini was perfect (aldente, almost "dry" but thats how I like my pasta) but the clams were a little gritty. For a red clam sauce, I have seen a lot more than the marinara based sauce that this was, but it had some zing to it and all in all, wasn't too bad. The portions are huge, even for the 1/2 order we had. My fiancee had the braised beef, which was quite tasty save for it being too salty. So the food was good. Not great, just good. And thats my problem with this place. We paid - and waited for - first class dining. We didn't get it. Two entrees, two drinks, and an appetizer of this quality should not clear $50. Ours did. We also had to pull teeth to get a reservation on a Friday night. And finally the service was what I would describe as mediocre at best - very much in line with the other reviews we have seen about this place on Yelp. We waited 10 minutes for the waitress to refill our nearly empty parmesan cheese tin. Our waitress was very friendly, but she wasn't around a whole lot. It was very obvious she had too many tables to look after, but I would call service sluggish at best. We only felt like leaving 15%, and we're usually generous tippers. So to sum up? Food that was pretty good, and a dining experience that was anything but. How this place consistantly remains packed (or in business, since I am griping) is a mystery to me. There are a number of good italian restaurants within 15 minutes of this place, and there is a great one 5 minutes from my house in BFE South Elgin. All of them are cheaper, have better service, better food, and no waiting on a Friday night. Seek these places out and support them. Mediocre restaurants like Maggianos doesn't deserve the crowd they pull in. And yes, I agree with the others - this place is WAY overrated.
(2)
Sonia B.
Lovelovelove this place. The food is delicious, the service is fabulous, and the atmosphere is bustling, yet cozy at the same time. Is that even possible? Yesss, it most definitely is.
(5)
Johnny B.
Been here a few times and another few times at the Grand Ave. location. As usual, service is very good and attentive. Me and this evenings Hot Copy had our drink order served and I asked for the Calamar appetizer. This was a great choice this evening. It came out piping hot and NOT overcooked. It was not chewey or leathery. Great timing by the appetizer cook. Of course you have the warm bread, tasting like it just came fresh out of the oven. Of course add to that the EVOO and Parmegian (Reggiano??). I ordered the frutti de Mare Maggiano style. This equates to a little shy on the seafood but lots of Pasta. I mean LOTS of Pasta. I wish they would tone down the quantity of Pasta. My Honey ordered breaded chicken (sorry but the full name escapes me), Two huge pieces of breast meat lightly coated and seasoned to perfection. Both of us needed to prepare a take home for Fido (my middle name!). Good place around Woodfield that will satisfy anyone's appetite.
(3)
B Z.
Went there with family for Thanksgiving. I was a bit unsure about this, never having been to this restaurant and hearing they had over 1000 reservations for Thanksgiving dinner. My concern was totally unfounded. Service was impeccable, friendly, great sense of humour. Food was out of this world! Portions were huge and if we wanted some more of anything- it was promptly delivered with a smile. Desserts were absolutely amazing. We ended up taking a lot home and had enough for lunch the next day. Not cheap, but with such a delicious meal, wonderful service ..worth every penny. We will be back. Soon!
(5)
Ashoey B.
This is my absolute favorite resturaunt! The dishes are amazing and I cannot say enough how much I enjoy the food. The atmosphere is very "Chicago" with red and white checkard tablecloths and white linens. There is usually a wait, but I would recommend making reservations online.
(5)
Kristin S.
Drove out here on a week night with a friend to get her measurements done for her wedding dress fitting at Demetrios down the street. Around 7pm there was a 20 minute wait for two on a Tuesday night. Crazy! It's in a very pretty location with a nice outdoor patio overlooking a lake with a fountain. Still, we had a glass of wine at the bar and were seated in a few minutes back in the back of the restaurant (by about 20 empty tables which was kind of weird). Our server was great and I always ask for recommendations which she supplied and I followed with great success. First off about the food, I'm not sure anyone except championship eaters could polish off a full serving here. We had the half portions of everything and still had PLENTY of leftovers. We started with the fried zucchini after our server told us she had it at her bridal shower. It was unbelievably crunchy. Very good with the lemon aioli accompanying it. I had the Hill at St. Louis special. I don't remember what it was called, but it was chicken lightly breaded with parmesan alongside an arugula salad with a couple smashed, crispy potatoes. Half portion again, but I had a full chicken breast, three potatoes and a big salad on the side! My friend got the garlic shrimp with the wheat penne and she seemed to like it, though there was SO much pasta for leftovers. Overall, I'd go here again, but I'm not much of a "chain restaurant" kind of girl when in Chicago, so I'll save a return trip for when I'm lost in the Midwest somewhere and my alternatives are things with apples or olives in their names.
(4)
G T.
Home from dinner at Maggiano's. Family and I enjoyed our meal, of course we are all stuffed. Highly recommend. The OVERLY sweet sangria cost Maggiano's a star. My two cents: go for a hearty cab or Pinot...avoid the sangria. Of course the food is awesome.
(4)
Miranda G.
I was in Schaumburg for business. I ordered one of their favorites - Baked Ziti and Sausage, in half portion. Still huge.....OK, not bad. When I saw the chocolate cake, Mama Mia, it's so huge! Two or three times bigger than others and it tastes wonderful, chocolate melts gracefully. I think I will come again.
(3)
Kathy R.
First-class dining experience. To get the obvious out of the way: Yes, it's a chain, it's in Schaumburg, there are children with families in evidence and there are patrons whose attire suggests they just came from a luau (or a pick-up basketball game). None of the above bothered me or my husband, when we recently ate a magnificent dinner here for our anniversary. Our booth was spacious and comfortable, and the noise level loud but not intrusive to our conversation. Our waitress was helpful and - considering it was a very busy Saturday night - efficient in taking our orders and bringing/refilling drinks. A voluminous menu awaited us and I chose the veal and mushroom ravioli, which was delicious (the sundried tomato pieces added the perfect sweet touch). My husband splurged and got the veal chop - can you tell we're veal fans? - and pronounced it one of the best cuts of meat he's ever had. It's no small praise from him. He was expecting a steak-like cut of meat, but it was instead like a rib. I tried it and confirmed the meat was very tender and flavorful. Everything else we ate and drank was good, from my Riesling, to the profiterole dessert we shared. Maggiano's portions are famously huge. If you order a full portion (only $3 more than the half portion), prepare for leftovers. But they reheat well; Maggiano's box lids even have reheating instructions on them. Days later, I'm still salivating over that ravioli. It was that good.
(4)
Christina Z.
FIRST TIME THERE AND WILL DEFINITELY BE GOING BACK! The food was AMAZING and so was the service. My b/f had the Rigatoni D. and I had the Ziti. Both were extremely large and both were beyond amazing! I think next time though I'll get the Rigatoni D it was phenomenal. We both also left with left overs which were even great the second day. For dessert I had the Peanut butter bar and it was AMAZING! I highly recommend it! The service was exceptional and I really enjoyed how our drinks were always filled. It was excellent!
(5)
Kimmi H.
Server Danny and manager Brian were amazingly friendly and helpful, especially when they learned that I eat vegan. They both made great suggestions for what off the menu I might enjoy, and ended up speaking with the chef who put together an awesome variety of absolutely blow-your-mind deliciousness! LOVED my experience both with the people and the food, everyone should eat here!
(5)
Kristina K.
Reliable, hearty Italian food for the masses. Good service and hot food. No complaints.
(4)
Carlos G.
We went there for Easter Brunch. The spread was very good although a bit restricted and repetitive. For this type of establishment I would expect a bit more inventive and home style. The dessert table was a tad restricted. For $39 a pop it was ok but we wont repeat.
(3)
Rebecca L.
I went here with my family for lunch and I ordered the Linguine with Clam. It was ok. The clams were a little gritty, and the noodles were sort of hard. I think the rest of my family didn't really have any complaints with our food. Our server was very patient and managed to provide adequate service even though we were there during the lunch rush.
(3)
laura o.
This past weekend we held a baby shower for my daughter-in-law at Maggiano's. I really didn't want to do the whole heavy Italian food thing, so I went with brunch. What a great idea! We had about 40 guests and were in the Capri and Board rooms, which were just slightly separated by french doors. I loved the decor - very prettty old-world Italy, with the heavy carved wood bar, ornate mirrors, etc. The catering manager, Chris Janczak was extremely accomodating, working with me on the menu and handling every little detail. Everything was set up in advance with linens, flowers, music and the staff was very professional and super-helpful. O.K. now for the food! We had tomato/spinach and cheese frittatas, apple crispelles (tiny apple crepes!), smoked bacon, sauteed potatoes and onions and tons of beautifully prepared pastries and fresh fruit. The champagne punch and coffee were on the bar, with plenty of glasses, cups, saucers and cocktail napkins. It was a FEAST!! Everything was piping hot and delicious. The best thing was they just kept on bringing more for us. It was awesome. Everyone who attended was so impressed and pleasantly surprised to see this gorgeous brunch, rather than a heavier lunch. As people were leaving, they brought little containers and bags so that everyone went home with some of the delicious crispelles or fruit or cookies. It was just so nice. They also helped us out with all the gifts, loading them on to a cart, which saved us a zillion trips to the car. I would highly, highly recommend Maggiano's for any upcoming events - and go for the brunch! It is outstanding!
(5)
Brandy M.
Love the food here. Bit of a nosy atmosphere, and need some better drink specials, but great food. And the desserts make up for it all!!
(4)
Ulanka B.
I LOVE this place. It reminds me of the tastes and smells of the restaurants in Naples. Gotta go to place every time I get the opportunity when I'm home.
(5)
Raymond M.
Good Italian food and large portions. How can that be bad! Well you'll have to unbutton your pants by the end of your meal. Always had a good time at Maggiano's. I have yet to be disappointed. And the service was awesome! That guarentees a large tip from my table!
(4)
Peter F.
I am Italian, and this place does nothing for me. This is "peasant food." There is no imagination here at all. It is like going to your "uncle Loui's for dinner with all your cousins and eating on a ping pong table in his basement. Yes, the food is OK. Yes the service is OK. Yes the prices are OK but for cry sakes give me some imagination and something creative.
(3)
Nick N.
I was happy in every way with this restaunt. I ordered the chicken parmesan, which came with two huge pieces of chicken, a whole bowl of spaghetti, a cup of soup, and lots of bread. Everything tasted great, and despite the fact that this is an upscale place, only costed about $15 dollars. The waiter and manager were nice and helpfull, and promply answered several questions I had. I will certainly be returning to eat here.
(5)
Dee W.
I've always been to Maggiano's for work functions and always remember being stuffed ridiculously full of yummy food and great wine. However, I came here last night with three other people and we decided to try out their family style dinner which was $25.95 per person and it was such a steal. We started off with two appetizers (calamari and mussels) which were fabulous and they were so good that we ordered refills (for no extra charge) and two salads (the spinach and Maggiano special). At that point, we were already getting full but on top of the appetizers and salads, we still had two pastas (lasagna and fettucine alfredo) and two entrees (chicken marsala and beef tenderloins) to go AND two desserts. Wow - we were so stuffed and brought back leftovers to last us at least two more meals. Oh, yeah - you can also pay a little less to eat just appetizers, salads and desserts. What a fabulous deal :) My only complaint is that the bathroom is downstairs and hidden away in the corner. On a side note, they do have banquet rooms downstairs and we did get a private closed off room for a company holiday party here - they were great to work with, food was fabulous, and the price was just right.
(4)
Chris D.
Okay experience, had to beg for refills.
(3)
Numera Q.
I went to Maggianos for lunch with my friend for his birthday. He made the reservation, but I called and told him it was his birthday so that they could do something nice for him. We were seated at a booth, which had little blue stars sprinkled across the tablecloth. There was also a note from Maggianos thanking us for celebrating his birthday with them. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms right, which we had been craving for months. It was like heaven! Then we ordered some Seven Daughter Moscato which was also excellent, perfectly chilled. Then we ordered our food, the pastas took a very long time to be made. We realized we should have ordered the appetizers and pastas at the same time and we wouldn't have to wait that long, but it was still nice. We ordered Fettucine Alfredo and Four Cheese Ravioli, they were both delicious! Then after we were done with the food, they brought out lemon cookies with a candle lit in the middle for his birthday. It was perfect, exactly what I had asked for. They definitely made his birthday special. The waiter also came frequently and was very attentive.
(5)
Blake J.
I have gone to this Maggianos several times now, and it is always a good experience. The service is good and the prices are always good. They give you a decent amount of food, and they almost always have the buy one get one to take home deal going on. This is a good place. Well spaced tables, and the atmosphere is nice.
(5)
Stacey D.
Maggiano's used to be a good place. They used to have good food and good service, with a fun family gathering atmosphere. That's all changed. Now they cram as many tables as they can in a room where 75% of the diners' backs are flush against beams or sticking in the maze they consider walkways. It seems everything that was ever good on their menu has been removed. Their stuffed artichokes reminded me of my aunt's, gone. Their farfalle with chicken, spinach, asparagus, and sun dried tomatoes, gone. There have been a few other things, but I can't specifically remember what; because there was always a back-up entre. Not anymore. The servers are assholes. They have too many tables to tend to any of them adequately, so all patrons suffer with poor service from overworked stressed waiters/waitresses. We always have a reservation, and we always get seated 30 minutes after our scheduled time. It's not ok that we treat a reservation with a restaurant like we treat habitually late relatives, and exaggerate the desired dining time an hour early to ensure a reasonable mealtime. Due to family and work events, I've been here three times in the past 2 weeks. Each time, I saw that my drool-inducing farfalle dish had been removed from the menu. The first two servers were able to accommodate my request. (The first begrudgingly.) Last night tops the cake. "Nope. Don't have it. Not on the menu." Well, they made it last week. "Nope. Not on the menu." Fine. I'll get nothing. So I ordered nothing, figuring I'll pick off my parents', sisters', and husband's dishes. Everyone's meals was grosser than the last. I'll never return to Maggiano's. If I want to sit in a crammed room eating dog food, I'll go to the local VFW for a salad supper.
(1)
Brittany Q.
I always have a wonderful dining experience at Maggiano's. The food is always served hot and fresh and the service is always great. We actually went to Maggiano's to look at holding our wedding reception here and had lunch as well. I must admit I love their new classic pasta menu. When choosing from the dishes on that section of the menu, you get to eat one entree and take another one home all for $13! not only does it taste wonderful but the price is perfect! the facility is clean and well staffed. This location is extremely popular due to is proximity to the Woodfield Mall and Streets of Woodfield so i suggest trying to make reservations on line if you'd like to be seated right away, otherwise you are given a pager and you'll have to wait quite a while. We did not chose this Maggiano's as or reception but we did choose the Maggiano's in Naperville and look forward to have a lovely wedding reception there.
(4)
Melissa B.
Anyone who says this place has great Italian food doesn't know great Italian food. I mean, how can a chain Italian restaurant really taste that authentic? I've gone here a few times, thinking maybe it was the place to be because you always see such huge crowds. WRONG! Nothing about any of the dishes are special to me and believe me, I gave this place multiple chances.
(2)
Al S.
Reservations recommended! My date and I had 6:30 PM reservations on Saturday; the wait without reservations was 2 hours. The restaurant was PACKED! We arrived at 6:10 and were seated after about 20 minutes. Appetizer shared was the Calamari Fritte and marinara sauce; 4 stars. My date enjoyed her Chicken Francese, giving it 4 stars. I had the Linguine di Mare, which I can only give 2 stars; the pasta was under-cooked and in my opinion the entree lacked an adequate amount of the listed lobster, crab, and shrimp. Service and wait times were good, considering the immense crowds in the restaurant. The parking situation leaves much to be desired. If you don't enjoy walking a block to and from your car, be prepared to pay $5 (plus tip?) for valet parking. Overall recommendation: for family style dining, a good value; for intimate or casual dining you may be better off at a smaller local establishment where more personal attention can be found.
(2)
Sabrina P.
I experienced accomodating and kind banquet service for my wedding reception back in October. Maggiano's staff was very easy to work with and very professional throughout the planning journey. The food, well, I received plenty of compliments. Thank you for providing such excellent service.
(4)
Sonali K.
I'm not the biggest advocate for chain restaurants, but I have to give Maggiano's in Schaumburg a pat on the back for being consistenly good with food and service. My best friend and I live over an hour apart and sometimes the best place to meet is half way in Schaumburg. Our spot has become Maggiano's. The service is always friendly and we are never rushed out of there. We always split the chopped salad (she gets the bacon on the side) and the half order of the mozzarella marinara. I think it's a great place to catch up with old friends in a laid back environment.
(3)
Richard K.
I enjoy this joint, however if you try and dine at certain times, its WAY TO CROWDED so call ahead. You get way too much food for the price and the quality is ok. I must say that the gnocchi here is a good selection served in a la vodka sauce. YOU SAY A LA VODKA? Its a good sauce when prepared correctly. I've been here for parties over 15 people and just 1v1. I enjoyed myself w/ both styles and was well taken care of everytime. Just call ahead to make sure it wont be too busy.
(3)
John H.
I held a party here for relatives and friends to celebrate my Dad's 80th. Very nice and very professional. No problems and the food was wonderful. It was a great place to do such a thing and very inexpensive considering there were at least 100 people. The cake came from a bakery and was delivered so I do not know about their sweets.
(5)
Stella S.
I don't think this place is worth the wait. My cousin makes better homemade marinara sauce than this place has and in my opinion, it's always all about the sauce! It does have a great atmosphere though and typically good service.
(3)
Jenna B.
Loved the food and awesome service!! We came to Maggianos to celebrate our anniversary and from the moment we walked in we were taken care of. First my boyfriend had called in ahead of time to ask if they could write happy anniversary on the plate of whatever we ordered for desert and they said they would be happy to. Well we arrived and were quickly seated once we arrived to our table it was sprinkled with confetti hearts and a hand written note thanking us for celebrating our special day with them and gave us well wishes for the future. This was very sweet and completely un-expected. We then decided on the appetizer and two entree deal which is an amazing deal! The food was awesome! we had calamari which was the best I have ever had! and the main courses were out of this world! while we were enjoying our appetizer another waiter came to our table with a small plate of stuffed mushrooms and said these are from the chef he wanted to wish you a happy anniversary. Yet another very sweet touch and again totally unexpected. Our server and unfortunately I don't remember her name but she was AWESOME! she was blonde with her hair pulled back and on the taller side from the moment we arrived she was very sweet and caring. Once we were finished we ordered our desert and decided on the tiramisu our waitress came back and had made a heart out of regular bday candles and sure enough the plate had happy anniversary written in chocolate :) on top of all of this she also had in her hand a trey full of mini samples of every desert they have there. She said this is also for you and I hope it helps make your special day a little sweeter- seriously awesome at this point I couldn't believe it. I have never had service like this anywhere and it honestly did make our night we left with huge smiles on our faces and another great memory. We will definitely be coming back here to celebrate again the food and service were awesome and the price was amazing we were very impressed! You must go and check it out!
(5)
Kristin A.
Went a group of friends this weekend. It's all you can eat with the family style and they let you take leftovers! I think we left with about 10 boxes of food. We're still munching on it for lunch two days after we left. The food was delicious. I'm not big on spices so this was a good taste for me. It's more of comfort-american-home-made type italian food, rather than what most people would call great authentic italian food. The drinks were a bit pricey I thought. 10 bux for each martini, but they're big martinis so it made up for it. The server was great. He kept up with us on a busy friday night and was attentive to when our drinks needed filling, etc. The check was $300 for the 6 of us (that included tips and 8 martinis).
(4)
Jennifer W.
I think I have been to every Maggiano's in the Chicagoland area, which isn't much of a feat, but each one is a little different than the others. Where this one has more banquet facilities, the dining room is also a bit larger (or at least it felt like it) than Oak Brook. But we still felt like we were jammed in the room. We had a party of 7 (4 adults and 3 kids). We ended up ordering family style and had Chicken Parmesan, mushroom ravioli, a gluten free pasta (kid with allergy) and the kids ordered their own meals. Everything was served quicky and hot and was good. Sure it isn't someone's grandma's recipes, but it is good for the money. For the 7 of us, no drinks, but our bill was $91 with tip. Not too shabby. At least their food is consistent at all locations. that is comforting.
(4)
Megan O.
I have planned two corporate dinners at Maggiano's, and I think it's great for a group due to the variety of food and abundance of vegetarian options. With the family style menu, there is something for everyone (and plenty of it! There are always ridiculous leftovers!) People seemed to really enjoy both events and I'm sure they will request the venue for a future dinner. With that being said, if I had my say we would not plan another event at Maggianos. As the coordinator, it felt a bit as though they were doing me a "favor" by allowing me to bring them my business. On the first occassion, we did not arrange for a private room but had a large table in the main room for 35; our group was not allowed to be seated until at least half arrived, so about 10 of us had to awkwardly stand by the door for 20 minutes while our tables sat empty across the room. A bit unneccesary on a Tuesday night when the restaurant was half filled at best and when we were guaranteeing 35 meals plus alcohol. On the second occassion, I contracted for a private room. On the whole the experience was better, although they ignored my seating arrangement request and the bartender was missing for random periods of time for about half of the night and we only had one waitress for the whole room. I think the main issue in both cases was communication between the events department and the staff. Also, just a sidenote, we had an enormous amount of extra food at the end of both events. Considering the per person cost of dinner there, I would rather that they decrease the family sized portions and charge less.
(3)
Sean M.
A nice place, service was very good. Food was good but not great for the price. I enjoyed the Tuscan Sausage & Orzo soup and did the traditional Moms Lasagna which was ok.
(3)
Bill S.
This was my third visit to Maggiano's. The ambiance is great with Sinatra crooning the background, dark wood walls and the low lights. The food is OK but in my opinion it is over powered by the saltiness of the sauce and other meats. It is your basic Italian dishes that they cover with lots of sauce, too much. They serve family style which is probably better for larger groups. Will I go back? I think I given them plenty of chance to convince me but the food is lacking, so no.
(3)
Matt Y.
I agree with some of the other posters, Maggiano's is over rated! Went there with the wife for a Sunday dinner, the waiting time appeared to be long according to the amount of people waiting to be seated but we were seated within 10 minutes. Our server took 10 minutes to come to greet us and bring water. We placed our appetizer and main dish order at the same time and he forgot to bring my soup. Our waiting was only attentive to my wife, not one time did I receive a refill glass of water or beverage. The food was excellent, I had the spinach and chicken that I highly recommend and the wife had the shrimp Alfredo that was good also. I would had loved to given Maggiano's a high rating but Juan knocked it way down with his lack of customer skills. Maybe we will try them again.
(2)
Bella D.
Great food and great service! Great take out and great dining experience! Lov my Maggiano's!
(4)
Chris M.
Have only been here twice. Once this weekend and once a few years ago. Wasn't impressed then, and still not impressed now. Good classy decor, over crowded with tables. Waitstaff and guests both walked into my chair numerous times throughout the meal. The food is very good. Its just ridiculously over priced. Especially when I see on the take home bag it reads "we proudly serve Barilla brand pasta" REALLY? That isn't something to be proud of for an Italian eatery. When you charge upwards of $20 for a pasta entree you should be making that pasta from scratch. I can buy a lb of Barilla pasta at the grocery for about $2. There's no way the sauce costs $18 to make. Even the non pasta dish we tried, the Chicken Marsala, wasn't particularly special. It was only OK. For the prices they charge they should be cooking from fresh, which means the only thing the kitchen buys are INGREDIENTS. If you don't mind spending a lot on a meal that is only satisfactory, you will be content at Maggiano's. Personally, I don't plan on ever going there again. I can get a comparable to better meal for less closer to home.
(2)
Jeffrey F.
The bartender and cooks were bad. First I ordered a Jamison and what came out was some sort bourbon maybe makers. For dinner I ordered the prime New York medium rare but what I received was medium well. Can't blame the server for any of that unless he has some sort of hearing problem and I'm certain he didn't.
(3)
Kasia R.
My company had our Christmas party there yesterday afternoon. We had a private room upstairs w/ a bar, which was very nice. We started off w/ a couple of drinks.. hehe then they brought our appetizers, salad ... then dinner... then desert. We had a menu of everything that would be served that day on each end of the table. The timing between the appetizers and dinner was good... gave you some breathing room... one of the guests was vegatarian so he got something else and they didn't give any problems about that. The bar guys were awesome.. .it was open bar of course ,so you could go up and get drinks, but they would come up to the table and pick up your empty glass and ask if you wanted another one.. .very nice. The ceaser salad was wonderful and so were the stuffed mushrooms, didn't really care for the brushetta .. i've had better. Didn't try the veal ravioli... don't like ravioli... the lasagna was pretty good, a little too much ricotta cheese though, the chicken did have a nice flavor, but my piece was a little on the dry side. The beef was good and the garlic potatoes were delicious. I loved the vegatable medley they served... it was yummy . We had tiramisu and some other chocolate cake thing, both were great. Then they packed everything up,labeled it and it was ready to go when we were leaving. Overall, I had a good experience here, more so ,because it was all paid for... hahah Great service!!!
(4)
Bob F.
Awsome food! I'm a big spaghetti eater and this is one of the best, plus the portions are huge and it's cheap. The help has always been great, the atmosphere is nice and never dirty and the food tastes good. I have also tried the pizza which is great, the chopped salad which is so oily that I bet I could lube a Honda with it (but it's good) and the calamari which is somewhat standard. I would recommend this place to anyone.
(5)
Joshua M.
For a big enormous chain this place is actually pretty decent. The key is to come with at least 4 people so you can try more stuff. Another tip on any busy night is to check the bar for seating... it is smoke free and the full menu is served.
(4)
steve j.
Very good experience. The mozz marinara is great. Proposed to my wife here...
(4)
Renato P.
I've been wanting to try Maggianos for awhile , but for whatever reason didn't get there until last Sunday. Maggianos is GROSSLY overrated , and the prices are ridiculous. Look , I've spent some serious cake on dinner from time to time but we ordered lasagna , roast chicken , and ravioli and dropped over a hundo , F-ME! To be accurate , the mother ordered a half order of lobster ravioli , which I tried. We both liked it (good) but neither one of us were all that impressed. My son ordered the lasagna , I didn't try it , and he was really pissed because it had sausage in it (he doesn't like sausage.). We did order the calamari , which I thought was good , not great. I also tried the vesuvio potato's which weren't that great , barely qualifying as ok. My entree was the roast chicken , which I hoped might have crispy skin (it was not) , and the server brought me a whole order even though I ordered the half order. Truth be told I thought it tasted fine , but I hoped for better , I was not impressed. I did get a piece of tiramasu , which was really good , probably the highlight of my dinner. Three star food , nice server that made a solid mistake , outrageous prices for rather ordinary food equals a star review.
(3)
Sarah D.
Fabulous Italian food. Huge portions! However, reservations are a must. Even with them you will wait.
(5)
Nicole C.
Call Ahead-the wait was over an hour. Bring the whole family like we did. Server suggested the family style since we had 6 people. Once you decide (fight out w/ the fam) what you want, get ready to eat, then eat more. You get 2 salads, 2 apptzers, 1 side, 2 entrees & 2 desserts. If you want more no problem. Dad & my brothers liked that. Maggino's salad had dressing so good you want to drink it, pass on the chicken piccata (dry) but spend the extra for the beef & garlic mash. Server took awhile to first come to the table but well made up for it during the meal & with her suggestions.
(4)
Wendy F.
We went to Maggiano's with our family - we were a group of 7. I had a reservation - and we did get in right away once we were all there (they won't seat until the entire party is there - which is annoying when you have someone older with you that would have been happier seated). When we got to our table, two of the seats were squished up against the backs of two seats at the next round table. There literally was about 6 inches space - our daughter couldn't even fit in there. We ended up pulling the table further away ourselves, so we could use those chairs. Our drink order was taken right away - and we said we wanted the family style meal. Well, the problem began then. We picked our appetizers and salads and they brought out all four of them all at once. That would have been ok if the table was larger. They cram groups of 7 into what would be a small round for even a group of 6. There isn't room on the table for family style serving. We ended up stacking the appetizer dishes. The stuffed mushrooms and calamari were fine. The caesar and Maggiano's salads were also fine. However - we rarely saw our waiter - and had to ask to have our appetizer plates and salad plates removed - even after obviously stacking them up high indicating we were done with them. We also had to catch him to try to order extra drinks. When we ordered the rest of the family style meal - we asked that the two pastas be brought out first and not with the two entrees. We knew there was no way we had room for them on the table. The waiter did bring the two pastas first - but then vanished again. The pastas were fine, but it was obvious the fettucini alfredo had been sitting a while (it was a bit dried out). We had to flag the waiter down again to get drink refills, and asked him to wrap what was left of the pastas. Well, he brought the drink refills but didn't take the pasta dishes away - and then the entrees showed up. We asked the server that dropped those off (not our waiter) if he could take the pasta platters - and he said "I'll tell your waiter". A few minutes passed and the waiter finally showed up to take the pasta platters (in the meantime, we stacked them up as we couldn't fit four platters on the table). After we finished the entrees (chicken marsala was a bit dried out, but the salmon was very good) - we waited what felt like an eternity to see the waiter again. He finally showed up and we said we wanted coffee with the desserts. Again - we had to ask to have leftover entrees wrapped (I'm sorry - but any decent waiter should offer those things with out being asked AND shouldn't have to constantly be flagged down). It took a long time to get the desserts after the coffee. Then again we had to flag him down to get the remaining tiramisu wrapped and to get the check. When we got the check, we saw the tip was already added (guess that explained the lack of service - they knew they were getting their 18% regardless).... but we also found a mixed drink on the bill that wasn't ours. When we flagged him down again - he did apologize about that and took it off the bill. Overall - the food is just ok here - though portions are generous. Service - at least for us - was terrible and slow. They also cram way too many people into too small a space. This place specializes in family style meals - so it's crazy to not have tables big enough to handle it.... and to try to squeeze people in like coach seats on a plane We probably will not be back.
(2)
M M.
Came here for my sister's small wedding reception. We had a private room with a bar and I must say that this place did an AMAZING job. I would highly recommend for a graduation party, family gathering, engagement party- any type of celebration, as the restaurant is extremely accomodating. We held her reception on the night of a terrible snow storm, so everyone was over an hour late. They pushed back drinks and dinner to accomodate. The open bar was great- bartender was really good (strong drinks!). The family style dinner was a-ma-zing. For appetizers we had the bruchetta and stuff mushrooms. Entree was gnocchi, chicken, and stuffed shells.... vegetables and potatos on the side. Dessert was cheesecake and then of course the delicious wedding cake (which we had catered from Deerfields- no joke, most gorgeous and delicious wedding cake I've ever tasted- and I've tasted a lot!). The music and decor is really classy, I like it especially during the winter. I've also been here on dates and with smaller family groups and every experience has been wonderful.
(4)
Jessica K.
This place has amazing beef tenderloin cuts... or whatever it was called was absolutely delicious!!! And the waitress was very nice. Great experience!
(5)
Leo r.
Too Much Garlic. OMG srvice was adequate Atomosphere ok To MUCH Garlic Destroyed my endocrine system. Not returning anytime soon.
(2)
Some G.
ok food, I don't get how they're fine dining when their food seems like greasy carry out. One of the worst "Italian" food places I've been too
(2)
Mike A.
Great food
(5)
Angie E.
Dislike. I've had way better. Also overrated and expensive for nothing. Nothing stood out to me.
(2)
Yvette C.
My fondest memory of Maggiano's was when my new boyfriend (now husband) brought me here for an intimate dinner prior to hitting up the club with some friends. It was a great night all around. The service was very friendly, the food was fabulous, and the portions are plenty! Another experience I had was trying to plan a wedding reception here. The planner was super friendly & helpful. In the end we decided to have a destination wedding and didn't need their services afterall.
(4)
Phillip A.
My wife and I had a wonderful/lunch/dinner meal here today. Huge portions of quality italian food. You get alot for your money. Pastas are cooked to perfection. My wife had the salmon and loved hers as well. You will almost always be bringing a doggy bag home. This was at least are 5 visit to this location in the last 12 months. The Oak Brook,il location is just as good......but can be very busy at peak hours.
(4)
Ling L.
*Photos shot Update: Their lemon cookies ($5 for a dozen) are sweet and soft. My type of cookies. I thought it was fairly cheap for a dozen until I realized it comes in crescent shapes, not the usual round shape. So that's how they turn a profit.... --------------------------------------------------Â------------------------------------------ I am so hesitant and embarrass to rave about this place when I saw authentic Italian Peter F's review. Oh well.... I like it ... A LOT. I'm one for good tasting food at BIG PORTIONS for a fair price. Our group consisted of 3 adults and a child. We ordered the spaghetti, chicken parmigiana, baked ziti and sausage (the Chicago' Taylor Street) and the Rigatoni "D". Before I launched into our BIG mistake, let me get the basics out of the way. First off, there's the obligatory bread basket. Our server is oh-so-proper that a smile barely breaks on his face. No, he wasn't rude. Just proper. We arrived really late, about a quarter to closing time (9 p.m.), but he was nice enough to accommodate us, and even suggested he took our food order before the drinks. The decor is intimately warm, almost like a family warmth, but definitely can pass for a nice date setting. Warm woods, chandeliers, Sinatra music piped through. The food. Oh, my. I should've put one and one together when I saw a table of five adults sharing 2 dishes. My husband ordered a half order of spaghetti and meatball while we remaining 2 adults ordered a full order of the Rigatoni "D" and Taylor Street each. Our server even made sure it was half order that we wanted, but we corrected him and asked for full order --- we were famished. He arched an eyebrow but acquiesced to the guests. Cuz the customers are always correct, right? Not so, in this case. When our full orders arrived, we were bombarded by this FANTASTICALLY GIGANTIC BOWL of our orders. OMG, we had leftovers for next day's dinner and lunch. But the price is only $3 difference between the half and full order. Everything tasted wonderful. The sauces aren't overpowering, and the chicken in my Rigatoni "D" was delightfully tender. That's got to be almost a full chicken in that full order. The price is so right with the portion (full, that is). We now know that the next time we return, we would order a full order of an entree, a salad, and save room for dessert. They look huge, too. Our bill, which includes 4 entree, 2 glasses of wine, a lemonade, 2 side salads, came up to a reasonable $91. Not shabby, considering we got 3 meals out of it.
(4)
Jessica D.
I can't believe I'm the first reviewer for this location of this great American-Italian chain! The food is served in huuuge plates and everything really is relishable and fresh-tasting. The room can be known to get loud with all the happy diners, but it's well worth it if you're in the mood for some Italian and a little touch of old New York. Start with a frosty peach bellini, and one of the fabulous appetizers, and then try the gnocchi vodka and a tall glass of iced tea, and don't miss one of the delicious desserts... be prepared to share! UPDATE: It looks as though there's another listing for this restaurant in Yelp under Maggiano's, that's where everyone else has been posting, my bad for not noticing it earlier! Though I'm not sure who added this entry if someone else already had one for this place.
(4)
Mike T.
My wife decided she wanted to go here for her birthday, so we make reservations for 12 @ 6:30 p.m. on a Saturday night. We are promptly seated, it probably didn't take more than 5 minutes from the time we walked in the door to get seated. The manager was very professional and courteous. He asked if we were there for a special occasion and I said it's my wife's birthday. We did the family style thing, which is really the best way to go with a group. They offer 2 entrees, 2 pastas, 2 appetizers, 2 salads and 2 desserts for a really good price. However, they do not offer sides anymore. We really wanted Garlic Mashed potatoes and they were able to accomodate us with our request. The Mozzaralla Marinara is outstanding, it's like a giant Mozzarella stick, we also got the Calamari, which I didn't try since I don't care for it. For entrees, I dabbled in the Chicken Parmesean, which I absolutely love, the Salmon, which was outstanding and the Baked Ziti with sausage, which was great as well. We got the cheesecake and a very rich Chocolate Cake for dessert. I though they were going to have to wheel me out of the place. Overall, the food was outstanding for a great price. I'm looking forward to chowing on the leftovers today. The staff there was great as well. Our drinks were never empty, the staff was very attentive to us, which is a huge plus. Great experience!
(5)
Keri M.
The food selection isn't that great. I can make better Chicken Marsala at home with a recipe found off of the internet. The service needs some adjustment as well. The last time I went our waitress dropped off the containers so we could box our own food. We looked around and saw everyone else had their food boxed and bagged and dropped off at their tables by their waiters. I didn't know if I should feel discriminated against or that she was just a crappy waitress. I'd say this place is great for high school kids that want to play adults and try and impress their girlfriends with a "fancy" meal. Also beware if they ask you if you want pasta with your meal. It is pretty much a side of spaghetti and they charge you $3 for it.
(2)
Paul K.
Went here for Thanksgiving and it did not disappoint. We had bruschetta, two salads, two entrees, two pastas, and two deserts for $37 each. A great deal when you consider the food was outstanding and we went home with enough food for four more meals. The layered chocolate cake was out of this world.
(4)
Mark L.
I ate till I popped. It was good shit.
(3)
Kelly C.
The food is so good. We were starving and they did a great job with our party of about 15. We got family style and the food kept comin! I was stuffed after the apps...but continued to stuff food in my face because it's THAT good. By the time the cheesecake was in front of me, I didn't think i would move, yet somehow the fork found it's way to my mouth. No control. WAH.. This place is HUGE. and was packed, so make a reservation!
(5)
Malea I.
I was here for lunch and was VERY disappointed! I have to say I love good Italian food, but this is not that! They only positive I can say is that our server was pleasant. I ordered Angel Hair Pomodoro...now Pomodoro is traditionally fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and fresh basil. What I received was canned tomatoes with garlic, PARSLEY and oil. I think Prego would have been better. I pointed out to the waiter that it was parsley instead of basil and he said that was the way they made it. My husband ordered braised beef cannelloni. It had good flavor, but so rich you could only eat a couple bites. You are crammed in like sardines and it is so loud you can not hear the person sitting next to you. I actually think Olive Garden is a step up from this place. Again, if you want authentic Italian...this is not the place! There is such great Italian in the Chicago area. It is not worth it to even give Maggiano's a second thought!
(1)
Julie D.
I was so depressed when I walked into this restaurant. I didn't have a reservation and there must have been 30 people filling the entry, waiting for a table. Lucky for me, they were all with large groups waiting for space and I was on my own. I got a table right away. The restaurant was very beautiful, rich dark woods, ambient lighting and alive with activity. This place was also loud. Some of the tables were placed too close together and I got one of those. I almost felt like I was intruding the privacy of the gentleman behind me. But that turned out to be a good thing because he offered recommendations for my dinner. I started off with a chopped salad. It was chopped iceberg, tomatoes, crumbled bleu cheese, onion, crispy Prosciutto and yummy avocado with house dressing. Very good. For dinner I had the much yelped about Rigatoni "D". But I did mention to my server that I wasn't really in a chicken mood, so he substituted shrimp. This dish as awesome! I opted for the "half" portion. But it was still too much for a normal person. Also, they don't skimp on alcohol is their drinks. One cosmo here sent the room spinning. I love this restaurant and will be on the look out for a location near me. The food is great and the service is attentive.
(5)
Carol Y.
I went here last night for my birthday. I needed a decent place to go that wasn't going to break the bank. Enter Maggiano's. I made a reservation last week with my open table app. (awesomeness) Reservation was for 7pm and we arrived 5 minutes early. We were handed a pager and asked to wait. It wasn't really a wait because we were seated at 7 on the dot. The hostess sprinkled some cute confetti on the table in honor of the birthday girl (ME!). I thought it was a nice touch but that may just be my inner child speaking. The table decided to dine family style. We ordered chopped salad, casear salad, stuffed mushrooms, spinach dip, lasagna, linguine with clams, chicken tortellini and another dish that I can't remember. Dessert included creme brulee and tiramisu. I think there may have been a little too much for our party of 4 people. I was very happy with ALL the choices. I usually go for veal but I decided to go a different route this time and get something everyone can share. The food was great, the service was impeccable. FYI, the pomegranate martini is AMAZING. I have always loved eating here and will continue to do so. Reservations are strongly recommended. The wait at 7pm was over an hour and we got in within 5 minutes.
(4)
Beth G.
Meh. Another office party, another family-style dinner. I had such high hopes for a great Italian carb overload. I left really let down, and totally not full. They have the same spinach-artichoke fondue as Wildfire does (not surprising, since both restaurants are part of the Lettuce Entertain You chain), it's just called something else here. The bruschetta was decent. They also have the same Caesar salad as Wildfire, and probably 1,000 other restaurants in a 25 mile radius. I mean, it's romaine, croutons, and parmesan cheese, right? Not exactly rocket science. I will say that their spinach salad - with its bacon, pine nuts, and gorgonzola cheese - is pretty damn good. I will also say how very sad it is when that was the shining star of the entire meal. That, and the friendly wait staff who kept my glass of Merlot filled at all times. On to the pasta. Gnocchi with tomato-vodka sauce: I've had better. Actually, the best tomato-vodka sauce I have ever had came from a jar and was part of a "pasta sauce of the month club" my ex had given me as a gift one year. Wish I could remember what it was, but I digress. Nothing spectacular here at all. Chicken pesto linguine: a sticky, clumpy, unappealing mess. I passed. The entrees then arrived. Whoops, you know how I said that the spinach salad was the highlight of the meal? My bad, I had forgotten about the salmon. Now THAT was some good stuff. Apparently everyone else at my table thought so too, as the bastards scarfed it all up before I could get a second helping. They left the chicken parmesan alone, as did I. Average cheesecake and average tiramisu. I'm not much of a dessert person so I only had a bite or two of each. Mostly because I was still hungry. One thing I will comment on that I found unusual for a large group and a family-style dinner. Nowhere else have I ever seen so much uneaten food get cleared off the table. I'm pretty sure half of the world's hunger problem could have been cured (even if for just one day) with all the food that everyone (including me) thought really sucked.
(3)
Pal S.
Very nice place for a date. They have one of the best cheese ravioli's. for vegetarians the two main options are the cheese ravioli and gnocchi. The mixed sauces in the ravioli are delicious.
(4)
B Z.
Went there with family for Thanksgiving. I was a bit unsure about this, never having been to this restaurant and hearing they had over 1000 reservations for Thanksgiving dinner. My concern was totally unfounded. Service was impeccable, friendly, great sense of humour. Food was out of this world! Portions were huge and if we wanted some more of anything- it was promptly delivered with a smile. Desserts were absolutely amazing. We ended up taking a lot home and had enough for lunch the next day. Not cheap, but with such a delicious meal, wonderful service ..worth every penny. We will be back. Soon!
(5)
Ashoey B.
This is my absolute favorite resturaunt! The dishes are amazing and I cannot say enough how much I enjoy the food. The atmosphere is very "Chicago" with red and white checkard tablecloths and white linens. There is usually a wait, but I would recommend making reservations online.
(5)
Matt T.
THis was our first time actually being successful at getting a table here. I have tried two other times and each time either couldn't get in or had to endure a ridiculous wait time. The food is good. Its not great, but its very good Italian food. I had the liguini with red clam sauce, and my fiancee had the braised beef over couscous. We had calamari for an appetizer. FOr my dish, the liguini was perfect (aldente, almost "dry" but thats how I like my pasta) but the clams were a little gritty. For a red clam sauce, I have seen a lot more than the marinara based sauce that this was, but it had some zing to it and all in all, wasn't too bad. The portions are huge, even for the 1/2 order we had. My fiancee had the braised beef, which was quite tasty save for it being too salty. So the food was good. Not great, just good. And thats my problem with this place. We paid - and waited for - first class dining. We didn't get it. Two entrees, two drinks, and an appetizer of this quality should not clear $50. Ours did. We also had to pull teeth to get a reservation on a Friday night. And finally the service was what I would describe as mediocre at best - very much in line with the other reviews we have seen about this place on Yelp. We waited 10 minutes for the waitress to refill our nearly empty parmesan cheese tin. Our waitress was very friendly, but she wasn't around a whole lot. It was very obvious she had too many tables to look after, but I would call service sluggish at best. We only felt like leaving 15%, and we're usually generous tippers. So to sum up? Food that was pretty good, and a dining experience that was anything but. How this place consistantly remains packed (or in business, since I am griping) is a mystery to me. There are a number of good italian restaurants within 15 minutes of this place, and there is a great one 5 minutes from my house in BFE South Elgin. All of them are cheaper, have better service, better food, and no waiting on a Friday night. Seek these places out and support them. Mediocre restaurants like Maggianos doesn't deserve the crowd they pull in. And yes, I agree with the others - this place is WAY overrated.
(2)
Sonia B.
Lovelovelove this place. The food is delicious, the service is fabulous, and the atmosphere is bustling, yet cozy at the same time. Is that even possible? Yesss, it most definitely is.
(5)
Johnny B.
Been here a few times and another few times at the Grand Ave. location. As usual, service is very good and attentive. Me and this evenings Hot Copy had our drink order served and I asked for the Calamar appetizer. This was a great choice this evening. It came out piping hot and NOT overcooked. It was not chewey or leathery. Great timing by the appetizer cook. Of course you have the warm bread, tasting like it just came fresh out of the oven. Of course add to that the EVOO and Parmegian (Reggiano??). I ordered the frutti de Mare Maggiano style. This equates to a little shy on the seafood but lots of Pasta. I mean LOTS of Pasta. I wish they would tone down the quantity of Pasta. My Honey ordered breaded chicken (sorry but the full name escapes me), Two huge pieces of breast meat lightly coated and seasoned to perfection. Both of us needed to prepare a take home for Fido (my middle name!). Good place around Woodfield that will satisfy anyone's appetite.
(3)
Kristin S.
Drove out here on a week night with a friend to get her measurements done for her wedding dress fitting at Demetrios down the street. Around 7pm there was a 20 minute wait for two on a Tuesday night. Crazy! It's in a very pretty location with a nice outdoor patio overlooking a lake with a fountain. Still, we had a glass of wine at the bar and were seated in a few minutes back in the back of the restaurant (by about 20 empty tables which was kind of weird). Our server was great and I always ask for recommendations which she supplied and I followed with great success. First off about the food, I'm not sure anyone except championship eaters could polish off a full serving here. We had the half portions of everything and still had PLENTY of leftovers. We started with the fried zucchini after our server told us she had it at her bridal shower. It was unbelievably crunchy. Very good with the lemon aioli accompanying it. I had the Hill at St. Louis special. I don't remember what it was called, but it was chicken lightly breaded with parmesan alongside an arugula salad with a couple smashed, crispy potatoes. Half portion again, but I had a full chicken breast, three potatoes and a big salad on the side! My friend got the garlic shrimp with the wheat penne and she seemed to like it, though there was SO much pasta for leftovers. Overall, I'd go here again, but I'm not much of a "chain restaurant" kind of girl when in Chicago, so I'll save a return trip for when I'm lost in the Midwest somewhere and my alternatives are things with apples or olives in their names.
(4)
Kathy R.
First-class dining experience. To get the obvious out of the way: Yes, it's a chain, it's in Schaumburg, there are children with families in evidence and there are patrons whose attire suggests they just came from a luau (or a pick-up basketball game). None of the above bothered me or my husband, when we recently ate a magnificent dinner here for our anniversary. Our booth was spacious and comfortable, and the noise level loud but not intrusive to our conversation. Our waitress was helpful and - considering it was a very busy Saturday night - efficient in taking our orders and bringing/refilling drinks. A voluminous menu awaited us and I chose the veal and mushroom ravioli, which was delicious (the sundried tomato pieces added the perfect sweet touch). My husband splurged and got the veal chop - can you tell we're veal fans? - and pronounced it one of the best cuts of meat he's ever had. It's no small praise from him. He was expecting a steak-like cut of meat, but it was instead like a rib. I tried it and confirmed the meat was very tender and flavorful. Everything else we ate and drank was good, from my Riesling, to the profiterole dessert we shared. Maggiano's portions are famously huge. If you order a full portion (only $3 more than the half portion), prepare for leftovers. But they reheat well; Maggiano's box lids even have reheating instructions on them. Days later, I'm still salivating over that ravioli. It was that good.
(4)
Christina Z.
FIRST TIME THERE AND WILL DEFINITELY BE GOING BACK! The food was AMAZING and so was the service. My b/f had the Rigatoni D. and I had the Ziti. Both were extremely large and both were beyond amazing! I think next time though I'll get the Rigatoni D it was phenomenal. We both also left with left overs which were even great the second day. For dessert I had the Peanut butter bar and it was AMAZING! I highly recommend it! The service was exceptional and I really enjoyed how our drinks were always filled. It was excellent!
(5)
Kimmi H.
Server Danny and manager Brian were amazingly friendly and helpful, especially when they learned that I eat vegan. They both made great suggestions for what off the menu I might enjoy, and ended up speaking with the chef who put together an awesome variety of absolutely blow-your-mind deliciousness! LOVED my experience both with the people and the food, everyone should eat here!
(5)
Kristina K.
Reliable, hearty Italian food for the masses. Good service and hot food. No complaints.
(4)
Carlos G.
We went there for Easter Brunch. The spread was very good although a bit restricted and repetitive. For this type of establishment I would expect a bit more inventive and home style. The dessert table was a tad restricted. For $39 a pop it was ok but we wont repeat.
(3)
Rebecca L.
I went here with my family for lunch and I ordered the Linguine with Clam. It was ok. The clams were a little gritty, and the noodles were sort of hard. I think the rest of my family didn't really have any complaints with our food. Our server was very patient and managed to provide adequate service even though we were there during the lunch rush.
(3)
laura o.
This past weekend we held a baby shower for my daughter-in-law at Maggiano's. I really didn't want to do the whole heavy Italian food thing, so I went with brunch. What a great idea! We had about 40 guests and were in the Capri and Board rooms, which were just slightly separated by french doors. I loved the decor - very prettty old-world Italy, with the heavy carved wood bar, ornate mirrors, etc. The catering manager, Chris Janczak was extremely accomodating, working with me on the menu and handling every little detail. Everything was set up in advance with linens, flowers, music and the staff was very professional and super-helpful. O.K. now for the food! We had tomato/spinach and cheese frittatas, apple crispelles (tiny apple crepes!), smoked bacon, sauteed potatoes and onions and tons of beautifully prepared pastries and fresh fruit. The champagne punch and coffee were on the bar, with plenty of glasses, cups, saucers and cocktail napkins. It was a FEAST!! Everything was piping hot and delicious. The best thing was they just kept on bringing more for us. It was awesome. Everyone who attended was so impressed and pleasantly surprised to see this gorgeous brunch, rather than a heavier lunch. As people were leaving, they brought little containers and bags so that everyone went home with some of the delicious crispelles or fruit or cookies. It was just so nice. They also helped us out with all the gifts, loading them on to a cart, which saved us a zillion trips to the car. I would highly, highly recommend Maggiano's for any upcoming events - and go for the brunch! It is outstanding!
(5)
Brandy M.
Love the food here. Bit of a nosy atmosphere, and need some better drink specials, but great food. And the desserts make up for it all!!
(4)
Ulanka B.
I LOVE this place. It reminds me of the tastes and smells of the restaurants in Naples. Gotta go to place every time I get the opportunity when I'm home.
(5)
Raymond M.
Good Italian food and large portions. How can that be bad! Well you'll have to unbutton your pants by the end of your meal. Always had a good time at Maggiano's. I have yet to be disappointed. And the service was awesome! That guarentees a large tip from my table!
(4)
Dee W.
I've always been to Maggiano's for work functions and always remember being stuffed ridiculously full of yummy food and great wine. However, I came here last night with three other people and we decided to try out their family style dinner which was $25.95 per person and it was such a steal. We started off with two appetizers (calamari and mussels) which were fabulous and they were so good that we ordered refills (for no extra charge) and two salads (the spinach and Maggiano special). At that point, we were already getting full but on top of the appetizers and salads, we still had two pastas (lasagna and fettucine alfredo) and two entrees (chicken marsala and beef tenderloins) to go AND two desserts. Wow - we were so stuffed and brought back leftovers to last us at least two more meals. Oh, yeah - you can also pay a little less to eat just appetizers, salads and desserts. What a fabulous deal :) My only complaint is that the bathroom is downstairs and hidden away in the corner. On a side note, they do have banquet rooms downstairs and we did get a private closed off room for a company holiday party here - they were great to work with, food was fabulous, and the price was just right.
(4)
Chris D.
Okay experience, had to beg for refills.
(3)
Numera Q.
I went to Maggianos for lunch with my friend for his birthday. He made the reservation, but I called and told him it was his birthday so that they could do something nice for him. We were seated at a booth, which had little blue stars sprinkled across the tablecloth. There was also a note from Maggianos thanking us for celebrating his birthday with them. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms right, which we had been craving for months. It was like heaven! Then we ordered some Seven Daughter Moscato which was also excellent, perfectly chilled. Then we ordered our food, the pastas took a very long time to be made. We realized we should have ordered the appetizers and pastas at the same time and we wouldn't have to wait that long, but it was still nice. We ordered Fettucine Alfredo and Four Cheese Ravioli, they were both delicious! Then after we were done with the food, they brought out lemon cookies with a candle lit in the middle for his birthday. It was perfect, exactly what I had asked for. They definitely made his birthday special. The waiter also came frequently and was very attentive.
(5)
Blake J.
I have gone to this Maggianos several times now, and it is always a good experience. The service is good and the prices are always good. They give you a decent amount of food, and they almost always have the buy one get one to take home deal going on. This is a good place. Well spaced tables, and the atmosphere is nice.
(5)
Stacey D.
Maggiano's used to be a good place. They used to have good food and good service, with a fun family gathering atmosphere. That's all changed. Now they cram as many tables as they can in a room where 75% of the diners' backs are flush against beams or sticking in the maze they consider walkways. It seems everything that was ever good on their menu has been removed. Their stuffed artichokes reminded me of my aunt's, gone. Their farfalle with chicken, spinach, asparagus, and sun dried tomatoes, gone. There have been a few other things, but I can't specifically remember what; because there was always a back-up entre. Not anymore. The servers are assholes. They have too many tables to tend to any of them adequately, so all patrons suffer with poor service from overworked stressed waiters/waitresses. We always have a reservation, and we always get seated 30 minutes after our scheduled time. It's not ok that we treat a reservation with a restaurant like we treat habitually late relatives, and exaggerate the desired dining time an hour early to ensure a reasonable mealtime. Due to family and work events, I've been here three times in the past 2 weeks. Each time, I saw that my drool-inducing farfalle dish had been removed from the menu. The first two servers were able to accommodate my request. (The first begrudgingly.) Last night tops the cake. "Nope. Don't have it. Not on the menu." Well, they made it last week. "Nope. Not on the menu." Fine. I'll get nothing. So I ordered nothing, figuring I'll pick off my parents', sisters', and husband's dishes. Everyone's meals was grosser than the last. I'll never return to Maggiano's. If I want to sit in a crammed room eating dog food, I'll go to the local VFW for a salad supper.
(1)
Brittany Q.
I always have a wonderful dining experience at Maggiano's. The food is always served hot and fresh and the service is always great. We actually went to Maggiano's to look at holding our wedding reception here and had lunch as well. I must admit I love their new classic pasta menu. When choosing from the dishes on that section of the menu, you get to eat one entree and take another one home all for $13! not only does it taste wonderful but the price is perfect! the facility is clean and well staffed. This location is extremely popular due to is proximity to the Woodfield Mall and Streets of Woodfield so i suggest trying to make reservations on line if you'd like to be seated right away, otherwise you are given a pager and you'll have to wait quite a while. We did not chose this Maggiano's as or reception but we did choose the Maggiano's in Naperville and look forward to have a lovely wedding reception there.
(4)
Melissa B.
Anyone who says this place has great Italian food doesn't know great Italian food. I mean, how can a chain Italian restaurant really taste that authentic? I've gone here a few times, thinking maybe it was the place to be because you always see such huge crowds. WRONG! Nothing about any of the dishes are special to me and believe me, I gave this place multiple chances.
(2)
Al S.
Reservations recommended! My date and I had 6:30 PM reservations on Saturday; the wait without reservations was 2 hours. The restaurant was PACKED! We arrived at 6:10 and were seated after about 20 minutes. Appetizer shared was the Calamari Fritte and marinara sauce; 4 stars. My date enjoyed her Chicken Francese, giving it 4 stars. I had the Linguine di Mare, which I can only give 2 stars; the pasta was under-cooked and in my opinion the entree lacked an adequate amount of the listed lobster, crab, and shrimp. Service and wait times were good, considering the immense crowds in the restaurant. The parking situation leaves much to be desired. If you don't enjoy walking a block to and from your car, be prepared to pay $5 (plus tip?) for valet parking. Overall recommendation: for family style dining, a good value; for intimate or casual dining you may be better off at a smaller local establishment where more personal attention can be found.
(2)
Sabrina P.
I experienced accomodating and kind banquet service for my wedding reception back in October. Maggiano's staff was very easy to work with and very professional throughout the planning journey. The food, well, I received plenty of compliments. Thank you for providing such excellent service.
(4)
Sonali K.
I'm not the biggest advocate for chain restaurants, but I have to give Maggiano's in Schaumburg a pat on the back for being consistenly good with food and service. My best friend and I live over an hour apart and sometimes the best place to meet is half way in Schaumburg. Our spot has become Maggiano's. The service is always friendly and we are never rushed out of there. We always split the chopped salad (she gets the bacon on the side) and the half order of the mozzarella marinara. I think it's a great place to catch up with old friends in a laid back environment.
(3)
G T.
Home from dinner at Maggiano's. Family and I enjoyed our meal, of course we are all stuffed. Highly recommend. The OVERLY sweet sangria cost Maggiano's a star. My two cents: go for a hearty cab or Pinot...avoid the sangria. Of course the food is awesome.
(4)
Miranda G.
I was in Schaumburg for business. I ordered one of their favorites - Baked Ziti and Sausage, in half portion. Still huge.....OK, not bad. When I saw the chocolate cake, Mama Mia, it's so huge! Two or three times bigger than others and it tastes wonderful, chocolate melts gracefully. I think I will come again.
(3)
Peter F.
I am Italian, and this place does nothing for me. This is "peasant food." There is no imagination here at all. It is like going to your "uncle Loui's for dinner with all your cousins and eating on a ping pong table in his basement. Yes, the food is OK. Yes the service is OK. Yes the prices are OK but for cry sakes give me some imagination and something creative.
(3)
Jenna B.
Loved the food and awesome service!! We came to Maggianos to celebrate our anniversary and from the moment we walked in we were taken care of. First my boyfriend had called in ahead of time to ask if they could write happy anniversary on the plate of whatever we ordered for desert and they said they would be happy to. Well we arrived and were quickly seated once we arrived to our table it was sprinkled with confetti hearts and a hand written note thanking us for celebrating our special day with them and gave us well wishes for the future. This was very sweet and completely un-expected. We then decided on the appetizer and two entree deal which is an amazing deal! The food was awesome! we had calamari which was the best I have ever had! and the main courses were out of this world! while we were enjoying our appetizer another waiter came to our table with a small plate of stuffed mushrooms and said these are from the chef he wanted to wish you a happy anniversary. Yet another very sweet touch and again totally unexpected. Our server and unfortunately I don't remember her name but she was AWESOME! she was blonde with her hair pulled back and on the taller side from the moment we arrived she was very sweet and caring. Once we were finished we ordered our desert and decided on the tiramisu our waitress came back and had made a heart out of regular bday candles and sure enough the plate had happy anniversary written in chocolate :) on top of all of this she also had in her hand a trey full of mini samples of every desert they have there. She said this is also for you and I hope it helps make your special day a little sweeter- seriously awesome at this point I couldn't believe it. I have never had service like this anywhere and it honestly did make our night we left with huge smiles on our faces and another great memory. We will definitely be coming back here to celebrate again the food and service were awesome and the price was amazing we were very impressed! You must go and check it out!
(5)
Kristin A.
Went a group of friends this weekend. It's all you can eat with the family style and they let you take leftovers! I think we left with about 10 boxes of food. We're still munching on it for lunch two days after we left. The food was delicious. I'm not big on spices so this was a good taste for me. It's more of comfort-american-home-made type italian food, rather than what most people would call great authentic italian food. The drinks were a bit pricey I thought. 10 bux for each martini, but they're big martinis so it made up for it. The server was great. He kept up with us on a busy friday night and was attentive to when our drinks needed filling, etc. The check was $300 for the 6 of us (that included tips and 8 martinis).
(4)
Jennifer W.
I think I have been to every Maggiano's in the Chicagoland area, which isn't much of a feat, but each one is a little different than the others. Where this one has more banquet facilities, the dining room is also a bit larger (or at least it felt like it) than Oak Brook. But we still felt like we were jammed in the room. We had a party of 7 (4 adults and 3 kids). We ended up ordering family style and had Chicken Parmesan, mushroom ravioli, a gluten free pasta (kid with allergy) and the kids ordered their own meals. Everything was served quicky and hot and was good. Sure it isn't someone's grandma's recipes, but it is good for the money. For the 7 of us, no drinks, but our bill was $91 with tip. Not too shabby. At least their food is consistent at all locations. that is comforting.
(4)
Megan O.
I have planned two corporate dinners at Maggiano's, and I think it's great for a group due to the variety of food and abundance of vegetarian options. With the family style menu, there is something for everyone (and plenty of it! There are always ridiculous leftovers!) People seemed to really enjoy both events and I'm sure they will request the venue for a future dinner. With that being said, if I had my say we would not plan another event at Maggianos. As the coordinator, it felt a bit as though they were doing me a "favor" by allowing me to bring them my business. On the first occassion, we did not arrange for a private room but had a large table in the main room for 35; our group was not allowed to be seated until at least half arrived, so about 10 of us had to awkwardly stand by the door for 20 minutes while our tables sat empty across the room. A bit unneccesary on a Tuesday night when the restaurant was half filled at best and when we were guaranteeing 35 meals plus alcohol. On the second occassion, I contracted for a private room. On the whole the experience was better, although they ignored my seating arrangement request and the bartender was missing for random periods of time for about half of the night and we only had one waitress for the whole room. I think the main issue in both cases was communication between the events department and the staff. Also, just a sidenote, we had an enormous amount of extra food at the end of both events. Considering the per person cost of dinner there, I would rather that they decrease the family sized portions and charge less.
(3)
Sean M.
A nice place, service was very good. Food was good but not great for the price. I enjoyed the Tuscan Sausage & Orzo soup and did the traditional Moms Lasagna which was ok.
(3)
Bill S.
This was my third visit to Maggiano's. The ambiance is great with Sinatra crooning the background, dark wood walls and the low lights. The food is OK but in my opinion it is over powered by the saltiness of the sauce and other meats. It is your basic Italian dishes that they cover with lots of sauce, too much. They serve family style which is probably better for larger groups. Will I go back? I think I given them plenty of chance to convince me but the food is lacking, so no.
(3)
Matt Y.
I agree with some of the other posters, Maggiano's is over rated! Went there with the wife for a Sunday dinner, the waiting time appeared to be long according to the amount of people waiting to be seated but we were seated within 10 minutes. Our server took 10 minutes to come to greet us and bring water. We placed our appetizer and main dish order at the same time and he forgot to bring my soup. Our waiting was only attentive to my wife, not one time did I receive a refill glass of water or beverage. The food was excellent, I had the spinach and chicken that I highly recommend and the wife had the shrimp Alfredo that was good also. I would had loved to given Maggiano's a high rating but Juan knocked it way down with his lack of customer skills. Maybe we will try them again.
(2)
Bella D.
Great food and great service! Great take out and great dining experience! Lov my Maggiano's!
(4)
Nick N.
I was happy in every way with this restaunt. I ordered the chicken parmesan, which came with two huge pieces of chicken, a whole bowl of spaghetti, a cup of soup, and lots of bread. Everything tasted great, and despite the fact that this is an upscale place, only costed about $15 dollars. The waiter and manager were nice and helpfull, and promply answered several questions I had. I will certainly be returning to eat here.
(5)
Richard K.
I enjoy this joint, however if you try and dine at certain times, its WAY TO CROWDED so call ahead. You get way too much food for the price and the quality is ok. I must say that the gnocchi here is a good selection served in a la vodka sauce. YOU SAY A LA VODKA? Its a good sauce when prepared correctly. I've been here for parties over 15 people and just 1v1. I enjoyed myself w/ both styles and was well taken care of everytime. Just call ahead to make sure it wont be too busy.
(3)
John H.
I held a party here for relatives and friends to celebrate my Dad's 80th. Very nice and very professional. No problems and the food was wonderful. It was a great place to do such a thing and very inexpensive considering there were at least 100 people. The cake came from a bakery and was delivered so I do not know about their sweets.
(5)
Stella S.
I don't think this place is worth the wait. My cousin makes better homemade marinara sauce than this place has and in my opinion, it's always all about the sauce! It does have a great atmosphere though and typically good service.
(3)
Chris M.
Have only been here twice. Once this weekend and once a few years ago. Wasn't impressed then, and still not impressed now. Good classy decor, over crowded with tables. Waitstaff and guests both walked into my chair numerous times throughout the meal. The food is very good. Its just ridiculously over priced. Especially when I see on the take home bag it reads "we proudly serve Barilla brand pasta" REALLY? That isn't something to be proud of for an Italian eatery. When you charge upwards of $20 for a pasta entree you should be making that pasta from scratch. I can buy a lb of Barilla pasta at the grocery for about $2. There's no way the sauce costs $18 to make. Even the non pasta dish we tried, the Chicken Marsala, wasn't particularly special. It was only OK. For the prices they charge they should be cooking from fresh, which means the only thing the kitchen buys are INGREDIENTS. If you don't mind spending a lot on a meal that is only satisfactory, you will be content at Maggiano's. Personally, I don't plan on ever going there again. I can get a comparable to better meal for less closer to home.
(2)
Jeffrey F.
The bartender and cooks were bad. First I ordered a Jamison and what came out was some sort bourbon maybe makers. For dinner I ordered the prime New York medium rare but what I received was medium well. Can't blame the server for any of that unless he has some sort of hearing problem and I'm certain he didn't.
(3)
Kasia R.
My company had our Christmas party there yesterday afternoon. We had a private room upstairs w/ a bar, which was very nice. We started off w/ a couple of drinks.. hehe then they brought our appetizers, salad ... then dinner... then desert. We had a menu of everything that would be served that day on each end of the table. The timing between the appetizers and dinner was good... gave you some breathing room... one of the guests was vegatarian so he got something else and they didn't give any problems about that. The bar guys were awesome.. .it was open bar of course ,so you could go up and get drinks, but they would come up to the table and pick up your empty glass and ask if you wanted another one.. .very nice. The ceaser salad was wonderful and so were the stuffed mushrooms, didn't really care for the brushetta .. i've had better. Didn't try the veal ravioli... don't like ravioli... the lasagna was pretty good, a little too much ricotta cheese though, the chicken did have a nice flavor, but my piece was a little on the dry side. The beef was good and the garlic potatoes were delicious. I loved the vegatable medley they served... it was yummy . We had tiramisu and some other chocolate cake thing, both were great. Then they packed everything up,labeled it and it was ready to go when we were leaving. Overall, I had a good experience here, more so ,because it was all paid for... hahah Great service!!!
(4)
Bob F.
Awsome food! I'm a big spaghetti eater and this is one of the best, plus the portions are huge and it's cheap. The help has always been great, the atmosphere is nice and never dirty and the food tastes good. I have also tried the pizza which is great, the chopped salad which is so oily that I bet I could lube a Honda with it (but it's good) and the calamari which is somewhat standard. I would recommend this place to anyone.
(5)
Joshua M.
For a big enormous chain this place is actually pretty decent. The key is to come with at least 4 people so you can try more stuff. Another tip on any busy night is to check the bar for seating... it is smoke free and the full menu is served.
(4)
steve j.
Very good experience. The mozz marinara is great. Proposed to my wife here...
(4)
Wendy F.
We went to Maggiano's with our family - we were a group of 7. I had a reservation - and we did get in right away once we were all there (they won't seat until the entire party is there - which is annoying when you have someone older with you that would have been happier seated). When we got to our table, two of the seats were squished up against the backs of two seats at the next round table. There literally was about 6 inches space - our daughter couldn't even fit in there. We ended up pulling the table further away ourselves, so we could use those chairs. Our drink order was taken right away - and we said we wanted the family style meal. Well, the problem began then. We picked our appetizers and salads and they brought out all four of them all at once. That would have been ok if the table was larger. They cram groups of 7 into what would be a small round for even a group of 6. There isn't room on the table for family style serving. We ended up stacking the appetizer dishes. The stuffed mushrooms and calamari were fine. The caesar and Maggiano's salads were also fine. However - we rarely saw our waiter - and had to ask to have our appetizer plates and salad plates removed - even after obviously stacking them up high indicating we were done with them. We also had to catch him to try to order extra drinks. When we ordered the rest of the family style meal - we asked that the two pastas be brought out first and not with the two entrees. We knew there was no way we had room for them on the table. The waiter did bring the two pastas first - but then vanished again. The pastas were fine, but it was obvious the fettucini alfredo had been sitting a while (it was a bit dried out). We had to flag the waiter down again to get drink refills, and asked him to wrap what was left of the pastas. Well, he brought the drink refills but didn't take the pasta dishes away - and then the entrees showed up. We asked the server that dropped those off (not our waiter) if he could take the pasta platters - and he said "I'll tell your waiter". A few minutes passed and the waiter finally showed up to take the pasta platters (in the meantime, we stacked them up as we couldn't fit four platters on the table). After we finished the entrees (chicken marsala was a bit dried out, but the salmon was very good) - we waited what felt like an eternity to see the waiter again. He finally showed up and we said we wanted coffee with the desserts. Again - we had to ask to have leftover entrees wrapped (I'm sorry - but any decent waiter should offer those things with out being asked AND shouldn't have to constantly be flagged down). It took a long time to get the desserts after the coffee. Then again we had to flag him down to get the remaining tiramisu wrapped and to get the check. When we got the check, we saw the tip was already added (guess that explained the lack of service - they knew they were getting their 18% regardless).... but we also found a mixed drink on the bill that wasn't ours. When we flagged him down again - he did apologize about that and took it off the bill. Overall - the food is just ok here - though portions are generous. Service - at least for us - was terrible and slow. They also cram way too many people into too small a space. This place specializes in family style meals - so it's crazy to not have tables big enough to handle it.... and to try to squeeze people in like coach seats on a plane We probably will not be back.
(2)
Renato P.
I've been wanting to try Maggianos for awhile , but for whatever reason didn't get there until last Sunday. Maggianos is GROSSLY overrated , and the prices are ridiculous. Look , I've spent some serious cake on dinner from time to time but we ordered lasagna , roast chicken , and ravioli and dropped over a hundo , F-ME! To be accurate , the mother ordered a half order of lobster ravioli , which I tried. We both liked it (good) but neither one of us were all that impressed. My son ordered the lasagna , I didn't try it , and he was really pissed because it had sausage in it (he doesn't like sausage.). We did order the calamari , which I thought was good , not great. I also tried the vesuvio potato's which weren't that great , barely qualifying as ok. My entree was the roast chicken , which I hoped might have crispy skin (it was not) , and the server brought me a whole order even though I ordered the half order. Truth be told I thought it tasted fine , but I hoped for better , I was not impressed. I did get a piece of tiramasu , which was really good , probably the highlight of my dinner. Three star food , nice server that made a solid mistake , outrageous prices for rather ordinary food equals a star review.
(3)
Sarah D.
Fabulous Italian food. Huge portions! However, reservations are a must. Even with them you will wait.
(5)
Nicole C.
Call Ahead-the wait was over an hour. Bring the whole family like we did. Server suggested the family style since we had 6 people. Once you decide (fight out w/ the fam) what you want, get ready to eat, then eat more. You get 2 salads, 2 apptzers, 1 side, 2 entrees & 2 desserts. If you want more no problem. Dad & my brothers liked that. Maggino's salad had dressing so good you want to drink it, pass on the chicken piccata (dry) but spend the extra for the beef & garlic mash. Server took awhile to first come to the table but well made up for it during the meal & with her suggestions.
(4)
M M.
Came here for my sister's small wedding reception. We had a private room with a bar and I must say that this place did an AMAZING job. I would highly recommend for a graduation party, family gathering, engagement party- any type of celebration, as the restaurant is extremely accomodating. We held her reception on the night of a terrible snow storm, so everyone was over an hour late. They pushed back drinks and dinner to accomodate. The open bar was great- bartender was really good (strong drinks!). The family style dinner was a-ma-zing. For appetizers we had the bruchetta and stuff mushrooms. Entree was gnocchi, chicken, and stuffed shells.... vegetables and potatos on the side. Dessert was cheesecake and then of course the delicious wedding cake (which we had catered from Deerfields- no joke, most gorgeous and delicious wedding cake I've ever tasted- and I've tasted a lot!). The music and decor is really classy, I like it especially during the winter. I've also been here on dates and with smaller family groups and every experience has been wonderful.
(4)
Nidy M.
OMG, Great place, very very great food and service.... Love this place!!!!!
(5)
Ron S.
The last time we were at a Maggiano's, it was more than 15 years ago (not this location). We weren't impressed and with the abundance of really good Italian restaurants we never felt the need to go back. We met some friends for dinner at the Schaumburg location and had a very solid meal. Solid, not great. The mixed drinks offer a good pour although their little wine decanters are skimpy. The Italian tossed sald was excellent! I have this weird habit of always "testing" a new Italian restaurant by ordering basic pasta with meat gravy. I figure if you can't do a decent meat gravy, how can I expect you to do the "ritzy" things right? Well, out comes the huge bowl of pasta with ample amounts of gravy. (That's a plus for me when a restaurant doesn't skimp on the red or meat gravy.) There were nice clumps of ground beef that were flavorful and well prepared. The gravy had a bit of a sweet taste to it and was NOT acidic at all. It wasn't the best that I have had but very enjoyable nonetheless. I finished about a third of my bowl and decided, "gee I have a really nice lunch for tomorrow". Well, the waiter comes by and asks me if I would like to take the remainder home. I said "Absolutely!" He then says, what would you like for your take-home meal? Huh?? So he explains the deal behind the "Classic Pastas" where you get your meal and then you get ANOTHER meal to take home. I thought that's why I got a HUGE bowl of pasta in the first place! There's no way you can finish it. (Yeah , I know. I must live under a rock for not knowing this, right?) So, I got gnocchi in vodka sauce for my take-home meal. Talk about bang for your buck. Amazing! The only downside is that they pack you in pretty tight and beers on tap aren't very impressive. Maggiano's Little Itlay offers solid food for a very fair price.
(4)
Vince A.
Maybe my tastes have changed or the quality of Maggiano's has dropped off since becoming more a chain but this place has slipped. Went here for a recent dinner with the family and had the chicken francesa, spaghetti and meatballs and it was ok, definitely not good, not great. Service was adequate but not super. The place was not busy but everything seemed really slow of course until it was time for dessert and to get paid. it will be a while til I make it back here.
(2)
Diane C.
What has happened to Maggianos? Last night was the third time since May and all three times I have been unimpressed. The food, which used to be outstanding was medioker at best. My husband had the pasta special pasta lorin. Honestly, it looked microwaved. The bottom was a pool of white water. I had the stuffed chicken pizzaiola which was completely overcooked and the noodles were just dry and lukewarm. The fried calamari, which was always my favorite was over fried.My daughters rigatoni D however is pretty good. I'm so disappointed because Maggianos was always my favorite. I feel as if they know they can pack them in so lets just put out an ok product. Too bad.
(2)
Michelle F.
Maggiano's never disappoints. It's always good, quality food at a reasonable price. I actually held a post-destination wedding reception at this Schaumburg Maggiano's for about 10 people, and it was really nice. We had a private room for our party upstairs and had our own waiter who only worked with our group. There are different packages available depending on the size of your group. We did a family-style package that came with two salads, two appetizers, two pasta dishes, two meat entrees, two sides and two desserts. We were also able to bring in a cake from an outside bakery (I think it was a Maggiano's-preferred vendor). The package also came with open bar. For an appetizer, I would recommend ordering the Mozzarella Marinara, which are basically Mozzarella sticks but in a triangle shape. I also liked the Maggiano's Salad, which has lettuce, bleu cheese, prosciutto, red onions and a house dressing. The Roast Beef Tenderloin was excellent and so were the Crispy Red Potatoes-Vesuvio Style. Vera's Lemon Cookies were also really tasty. Overall, Maggiano's is a really nice restaurant. It's still a chain, so it's nothing to special or out of the ordinary, but it's great for groups. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to host a small wedding reception or other group dinner or lunch outing.
(4)
Jennifer S.
We carried out from Maggiano's for my Mom's Birthday this weekend. They deserve a quick note of thanks. We were running a little late, so we called to see if we could push the order out about 20 minutes. They are accomodating and the food was piping hot when we picked it up, so we know it was fresh. In addition, we ordered the Rigatoni D with Chicken as one of the items and we all noticed that there was a great deal of chicken in the pasta. They certainly weren't skimpy on the meat even though we were carrying out. Maggiano's remains a favorite and continues to keep us happy!
(4)
Jean C.
Now, this review may be a little biased since during my college years I served at this Maggiano's. Their menu is extensive and there is something for everyone. I have ordered a la carte and off the family style menu. The family style menu is definitely worth it if you have a large group. It's a choice of two appetizers, two salads, two entrees, two pastas and two desserts, all you can eat for a fixed price. How can large groups not want to do this option? Portions are huge and you will never leave hungry. A few of my favorite dishes are as follows: Appetizers: calamari, mussels, stuffed mushrooms and bruschetta; Salads: Spinach and Maggiano's salad; Pastas: shrimp and angel hair al' arrabiatta, garlic shrimp linguini, and rigatoni "d"; Meat: the medallions of beef and chicken giardinera. After working there, I have tasted everything off the menu and have to say those are the top dishes they offer. Chicken Giardinera is not on the menu, but if you ask for it, they will make it! And that is only in Chicago! The service is great and the food runners do an amazing job of getting the food to the tables. They can load 4-5 plates on their arm and that is impressive. The plates are heavy and hot and they can do it without spilling the contents. I highly recommend reservations since it does get busy and a wait can be up to two hours on a weekend. Bring a group of friends and eat, drink and be merry. It's a great place and you won't be disappointed!
(4)
Craig R.
A great place for a weekend meal with family and friends. Great food, service and ambience. Always a pleasure!
(5)
Franklin D.
Went here with a group of 30 people. The service was very good, attentive and fast. 18% gratuity added to the bill automatically. This is an upscale chain restaurant. There are huge portions of food. The Caesar salad, fried zucchinis, tiramisu, and apple dessert were great. Also the chicken giardinera was okay. The spaghetti and some of the other dishes were bland...yawn. We got to take the leftovers with us.
(3)
Michael C.
Went here once and plan on going here again, also been to the one in Old Orchard, but I prefer this one. The server I had was outstanding. I'm very big on service and my tip reflects your service, and lets say he earned himself a $20 tip. Wish I had remembered his name, but he was polite, helpful, very nice, and was interested in me and my girlfriend. Our first time there, so he had the Chef bring us up something to try. I ordered the Ziti and she ordered the Chicken Parmesan. Both were outstanding. At the end of the meal, my server knew I was in the military and with my ID, we were given half off our meal. I was shocked! Great service, food, and they recognize our military!
(5)
Frank A.
It's been a while since I've been to Maggiano's. I used to frequent the one at Old Orchard Mall when I used to live in Skokie. The one in Schaumburg has pretty much the same atmosphere, service and classy feel. I sometimes dine in, sometimes not. I do have a story to tell. My favorite dish, Angel hair pasta with shrimp in Arribiata sauce. I ordered it over the phone for pickup and they didn't seem to know what I was talking about. After feeling like an idiot describing "oh, it's a spicy sauce over angel hair blah blah blah.." I really felt stupid. LOL. So I come in, pick up my order, get the extra bread (love that btw). Came home, opened everything up and boom! It wasn't the same??? I felt sooo disappointed. The sauce was not what I wanted. Did they remove it from the menu???? So I sucked it up and did enjoy my meal. I mean, yes, it was marinara, and yes, they did try to make it spicy. It just didn't have the magic that the Arribiata had. That sauce was ridiculously good. (I almost wanted to drink it! I Kid!) So fast forward a few months later to yesterday. I actually came in to place an order to go. Obviously, I wasn't messing around. I went straight for the Arribiata. I browsed the menu up and down. I didn't find it. I checked again.. NOPE. what happened to my favorite pasta dish???? I don't know if all Maggiano's have the same menu but I felt like leaving. Yes, I have had other menu items and they're great too. At the same time, this was my go-to item. I decided not to leave so I wouldn't look like a fool after talking with the pick-up reception lady for so long. I looked for another item I like: Linguine with clams. That was ok. I've had it better at Sergios. Angel Hair / Shrimp in Arribiata sauce, where are youoooooo?????!!!!!
(3)
Elizabeth P.
Love this place. My favorite is the zucchinni frittes. Great atmosphere.
(5)
Megan I.
Was disappointed they are using barilla pasta. Definitely tasted store bought. I usually go here and order the spag and meatballs. It used to be divine. I hadn't been in years. I wonder when they switched. It used to be the kind of place it was ok to order spag and meatballs at because they were better than the ones you made at home. I remember the pasta. Oh my! They need to switch back! The pasta was ok, the tiramisu was delish. At least they didn't change that!
(3)
Stvo K.
Very nice place in one of my favorite suburbs of Chicago. Maggiano's is located in the Streets of Woodfield and located near many other places to explore. This isn't my first time I've been to Maggiano's but I thought I would share my most recent experience. So I went there with one other person. We made a reservation for the night due to the restaurant being busy on Friday nights. We arrived at the time we made a reservation for and were the host had us seated promptly. The waiter was very friendly, courteous, and quick with our orders. He let us try a couple different wines before we ordered. Personally, I'm not much of a wine person so I abruptly decided to get a Diet Coke instead. Aside from that, we were also given bread and olive oil which is very expected from an Italian restaurant. For my main course I ordered the crab cakes. They were very good as the breaded texture was very crispy and there were exceptional chunks of crab meat. For dessert, we shared an Apple Crostada in caramel sauce which was very good. I enjoy this place overall. It can get pricey but if you want to treat someone right or celebrate, you can't go wrong. Since this location is in the Streets of Woodfield, there should be little to no issues with parking and they also offer valeted parking services. A fair warning to those dining, you may want to make a reservation if you're looking to do a big group or dine after 5:00 pm.
(4)
Lisa S.
love this place. the food is always plentiful and good. this time I ordered the classic lasagna, which I couldn't finish, and then got to take that plus another complimentary portion home. for a very reasonable price. our server was efficient and personable........all in all, a lovely lunch experience.
(4)
Matt P.
Chain ... but awesome, especially the veal parm.
(5)
Eld Doug T.
Wish I had taken a picture of the food before we dug in. But it was excellent. The server was very attentive to my wife and i. He even stopped by to have small talk. Plenty of food and even had to endure taking home an extra pasta. Wow!!!! Will definitely be back again soon. I posted this and had to come back and edit. Calvin is so awesome. We told him it was our anniversary and he brought us a desert with candles out. I highly recommend this restaurant and this server. He definitely made us feel special.
(5)
Hiram C.
I came to Maggiano's for lunch with some co-workers, and they were busy. It didn't take long for us to be seated. Our waitress came by, introduced her self, took our beverage order, and was gone for like 10 minutes. Came back with drinks, walked away, and we waited another 10-15 mins for her to come back to take our order. By this point, we're wondering when the free bread is coming! The table next to us, which had a large party, got their bread right away! We didn't get our bread until after we placed our food order, 15-20 mins after being seated. Something not right there..... I ordered the Classic Pastas. For $12.95, you chose which ever pasta you'd like, and on top of that, you get a to-go box with pasta of your choosing! Two full meals! And they don't have to be the same pasta you ordered for your meal, you can select a completely different pasta as your to-go pasta. I can totally dig that! I ordered the "lighter take" version of the Fettuccine Alfredo, (850 calories, compared to the full plate, 1570 calories). Hand cut fettuccine, grilled chicken, asparagus, with light asiago cream sauce. It was delicious to say the least. Given, it's more Americanize than Italian, but it was still very good. Great portion too! I couldn't finish it. Our waitress seemed "rushed". I know it's the lunch hour, but she'd be gone for good period of time, and when she did come, it felt all to rushed, and then she'd be gone again. One thing I didn't like was that I asked for a to-go box, and the waitress grabbed my plate, and took it to the kitchen, out of sight. 5 mins later, came back with my food. Uh......?? I would actually prefer to put my own food away to be honest, or at least she could have put the food away near by, where you're visible. Overall, great experience, great food, not so go service. But I did get a second meal out of it!
(4)
Rebecca K.
My boyfriend and I came in for dinner on Saturday evening and they were quite busy, as expected. We made reservations but we're asked to wait, which is perfectly fine because I work in the industry and I understand how it goes. My complaint is not with the wait, it was with the host. The host barely greeted us. She looked up once to hand me the buzzer, but she never once smiled, or made us feel welcome. She seemed to absolutely hate her job. While I do understand these busy Saturday's can be quite stressful, you still need to do your job and welcome guests into the restaurant. She did none of that. I was disappointed to feel more like a burden to her instead of feeling welcomed. I stayed near the host desk while we waited because I was curious. I noticed she did the same thing with all the guests who came in after us. She never smiled and barely looked up at guests. Her eyes stayed down at the computer and her papers. Such a shame. She was a bit shorter, dark lipstick and dark hair. The reason that this is still a 4-star review is because our server completely won us over! She was beyond helpful and very sweet. Her service was impeccable. I cannot remember her name, but she was really great. She won us over, which means I will be back!
(4)
Bridget N.
The house Cabernet was delicious. I ordered the "lighter" version of the fettuccine Alfredo. The pasta itself was delicious, the fresh asparagus in the dish was great. The chicken was bland and I didn't like how it was worked into the dish-chunked up and stirred in. I was expecting the "light" version to have a lighter flavor, yet it was so different it tasted like a jarred type of light Alfredo sauce. The experience was great, the service was good, the wine was good. The dish I ordered could have been better.
(3)
Natalie K.
We came in at 6 PM on a weekday and it was extremely busy. Service was good, but slightly slow. For appetizers, we tried the fried zucchini that came with a ranch dipping sauce and it was amazing! Highly recommend!!! We also had the fried calamari, which I would probably wouldn't order again. It was fried a little too much that I thought I was biting into only breading. For my meal, I had the fettuccine alfredo (the lighter version) and it was very good. The only part about the dish that I didn't particularly care for was the chicken. It was just big chunks of unseasoned chicken breast. I really liked the alfredo though, and would order it again. I liked it even better than the original version. I ordered the baked ziti to go, as I ordered from the menu where you can take an order of food home, and the baked ziti was pretty good the next day. For dessert, we ordered a few things, but the best dessert was definitely the cheesecake!!
(3)
Susan V.
Beautiful ambiance, however, our wait staff person was a bit aloof.
(4)
Phil S.
My wife and I met our friends @ Maggiano's in Schaumburg. Maggiano's has the same good quality food no matter which one you eat at. I ordered the 2fer. You buy 1 meal and eat it there & bring another one home for a meal another day. (Great value). We also ordered an appetizer with shrimps, scallops & veges. It was pretty tasty. Overall it's a good solid meal, nothing extraordinary but good.
(4)
Trina J.
I like Maggiano's for a few reasons: - the taste is consistent at all locations - the serving sizes are large - the prices are reasonable - the restaurant offers gluten free and whole wheat pasta options We decided to grab a bite in the area and wanted to dine outdoors. We arrived there only to learn the patio was closed but we decided to have dinner in the lounge instead. We ordered the Italian Salad, Spinach Salad, Rigatoni D with gluten free pasta and Chef Mann's Chicken Sausage Pasta. My favorites of the evening were the spinach salad and Chef Mann's pasta. The Spinach Salad (spinach, bacon, apple cider dressing and cheese). The only weird thing was the salad description said gorgonzola but it was served with blue cheese - my least favorite type. Chef Mann's (chicken, hand twisted pasta, white wine sauce and sun dried tomatoes). Both were a lot better than I anticipated. Definitely items I would happily order again. Sign up for their emails and you will get a coupon for $10 off your next visit provided the total is more than $30. The coupon is sent via email about 24 hours after you sign up.
(3)
Dustin G.
Pretty good chain restaurant. I came here a couple weeks ago because I had a gift card. The place was kinda dated in terms of decor but the outdoor porch was nice. I ordered the chicken parm with spaghetti. The chicken was good but the sauce on the spaghetti had too much of a "canned" taste. The sauce on the chicken tasted different. I would've preferred that sauce on everything. My husband ordered the portobello ravioli. It was pretty good. The al fredo sauce was sufficiently decadent. We asked for extra bread to dip in it. The best part is the pasta special. My husband ordered the ravioli and we got a huge portion of lasagna to go. It was lunch and then dinner that night. I don't know how often we'll return, though. It was pricey for a chain and I doubt we would've gone if we hadn't had a gift card. Overall, it's a four stars for a chain restaurant. Definitely worth considering while you're shopping in Schaumburg. Not worth a special trip.
(4)
Danielle P.
I actually come here alot. In general the food is good and the service is decent. It can be difficult to park if you don't choose to valet. Im not generally a pasta person unless I'm with a larger group to share but the chicken canneloni is awesome. My go to meal is the salmon oscar, it is yummy! I also luv the tuscan sausage soup on a chilly day. What I won't ever order again is the chopped salad with shrimp. The full size salad is the biggest bowl of salad but they give you 5 malnourished shrimp.. its a complete waste of money
(3)
Rachel W.
Family asked us to come here for dinner on a Sunday night; one of the busiest nights of the week. Service was good, but the food really was average at best. I ordered the baked ziti and I'm pretty sure I could have made something equally as, if not more, tasty at home. Save your money and go to a mom and pop Italian joint in the 'burbs. They appreciate the business; this chain restaurant stuff leaves a lot to be desired. The restaurants like these are so damn crowded and parking is a nightmare.
(3)
Razan L.
I got the lighter option for my fettuccine. So surprised the chicken wasn't cooked through...and the sauce was not appetizing at all. Seriously not a good option to choose. Waitress wasn't at her best either but expected full gratuity...
(1)
Dan P.
Met a client for lunch here. Good place for that. Not crowded or loud. Good service. Food was good, but portion size woefully inadequate. I ordered crab cakes, which cost $20 and got two weak little cakes. As I said, they tasted good. The side was just a pile of lettuce. Here's the problem: I left hungry and got back to the office in Chicago and had to get more food from corner bakery. It might be time to re-evaluate portion size. I am an adult man and expect to leave a restaurant, at the least, not hungry.
(3)
Sera H.
Went in for brunch and everything was absolutely delicious!! Try and drink just water though because they charge diet coke for $3, I could buy 2 liters for the same cost! The chicken marsala was the best ive ever had and the mushrooms in the sauce had the right amount of wine flavoring to them. The pasta that was used was handmade which made the $14.95 for the dish a lot more justifiable!! Yes the portions are a little on the smaller end but its Quality over Quantity at this place! :)
(4)
Toni F.
I hadn't been to Maggiano's in years so I was a bit disappointed that the menu had changed so much from my previous experiences. Many of the favorite items we went back for time and time again are no longer on the menu (Chicken Giardinera, Country-Style Rigatoni). You'll find your typical pasta, fish and meat entrees - one pleasant surprise is the section that gives you two entrees (one to take home) for the price of one. I ordered Eggplant Parmagianna, which was one of the items that qualified for this bonus and selected a ziti with sausage as my take home entree. I ate it for lunch the next day and WOW! Had I ordered that for dinner, I might have been more impressed with Maggiano's during my visit. The service was good - we had a fairly large group on a weeknight during holiday shopping season so I expected the place to be bustling and it was. If you want consistently decent food, a family friendly environment and large portions that go easy on your budget - Maggiano's is just the place for you.
(3)
Tanya H.
Never a bad time here! We have never had a bad experience here. The food is always good and if you have a reservation, you're seated on time. I've never been to a restaurant that is as busy as this one on a consistant basis, that speaks for itself. You can't beat the two can dine deal and we've always had great servers. When we have friends in town this is usually where we meet up for dinner at some point on the visit. The lemon cookies they bring on a visit where you are celebrating something are so good! And we always try and save room for the tiramisu, delicious!
My favorite Italian there 4 cheese ravioli does me in everytime. Absolutely love this place and there calamari with there great marinara sauce is phenom.
(5)
Phillip B.
I have never been treated so poorly as I have been treated at this Maggiano's. I didn't hear the waitress who was taking seating requests, and I thought she said "Maggiano's full" so I asked her "What?". She responded with "I said Welcome to Maggiano's!". I said, "Oh, thank you" and placed a reservation for 6 people. She looked down at the sheet and said it would be two hours. It has now been 2 hours and they still won't seat us. Every other party, larger and smaller, who arrived before, and after, us has been seated. I just asked why that was and I was told that they waited their wait time, which was a flat out lie. This Maggiano's is an insult to the chain, and is staffed by incredibly unprofessional wait staff. I am beyond shocked and strongly considering leaving with the buzzer because of the way my wife and I have been shunned because I am hard of hearing. STAY AWAY AT ALL COSTS!!! You would have a better experience if you went to McDonald's or even StirCrazy. This is a nightmare franchise location, and it has ruined our anniversary. UnSalvageable night! Unacceptable! There is no way the food can/will make up for this horrible treatment.
(1)
Jayson J.
I have eaten at Maggiano's various times at various locations and always had a good meal for a good price. I am writing this review more based on their private dining (or party room) service. The pre-planning, service and attention to detail was great! All of our guests had a happy and care-free evening. The guest of honor was so happy and said it was her best birthday party ever (pretty good for an octogenarian). I will be back for a casual dinner, but will always keep this place on my radar for a party that will delight all guests, but won't break the bank.
(4)
Orlando R.
A last minute decision led my girlfriend and I to dine in at this restaurant last night. Our arrival was at 9:30 and closing time was 10. The staff was very very nice and still took us in and treated us with the up most respect. The waiter (Carlos) was very friendly and extremely helpful. Marcos meal for two is an amazing deal. I was thrilled that on top of getting an appetizer two pastas and a dessert, I was going to get to take home two more pastas. Fabulous experience. Will definitely be returning soon
(4)
Layda C.
Not what it used to be - menu has been stripped of most dishes that offered variety (pot roast, half chicken?) good lunch, but $100 for four people - we drank water? It's not the money, it's the quality and selection that are frustrating. Excellent service from Frank - thank you!
(2)
Randi K.
My boyfriend (now husband) at the time, surprised me with dinner here for our first date. (He later proposed here awww) :) The ambiance and the food were great. The service was great too. I had the fettuccine alfredo and we were so stuffed that I was able to take some home. My husband had a Parmesan Chicken and it was super tasty as well. Obviously things cost a bit more here than your typical restaurant but it is worth it. Every time we go back to see my husbands friends or family in Chicago, we try to stop in. Our friends had their reception here and it was AMAZING! Great food, great service and it was set up beautifully!
(5)
Jennifer P.
My +1 made 7:30 reservation but we were still given a pager, and were seated about 15 minutes after our reservation. We had the Stuffed Mushrooms as an appetizer (pretty good!) and each had a glass of Merlot. Our server was alright - not too attentive, but he seemed swamped with other tables. I ordered the Asparagus Ravioli (Spring dish, $15), which to my surprise actually got me a To-Go Classic Pasta, so I chose the Mushroom Ravioli. The Asparagus Ravioli was alright - it's one of those that might have been tastier the next day. The Mushroom Ravioli ended up being really delicious - I'm glad I got the 2 For deal on that! The bathrooms were clean, but the water pressure in the sinks was kind of awful - enough for me to make a note of it! We actually were there until a little after closing (oops, sorry!), but no one really rushed us out, which was nice. Will I be back? Of course - it's Maggiano's!
(4)
Taunna H.
The service was outstanding and the fool was delicious!!
(5)
Alyssa J P.
I'm not a big fan of American versions of Italian food. (Face it, in the US, you can't go to a chain restaurant and eat Italian food.) Also, as a vegan, I generally resent having to pay $13 for a half pound of pasta (a bit on the overcooked side, here) with a bit of bland marinara spread on top. I mean, for $13, I could buy about 6.5 boxes of rigatoni at Whole Foods, which is 26 meals worth of food.
(2)
Mina H.
Crowded for a week night...still managed to get a booth fairly fast at 7pm thanks to my Opentable juice... haha. Ordered 2 appetizers, calamari (pretty good) and tomato caprese (so-so) which ended up being $26 with tax and tip. Made me think I should have gotten the breaded chicken thing the server recommended... it looked good on my friend's plate. We closed the place down (ooh 10 pm) and had a good time, the service was good, even if I thought the food was not really worth the cost... I am doing the wheat-free thing and it was kinda an odd choice to agree too, but it was doable. Note I was scared to try their corn pasta. =)
(3)
Spencer H.
I called & made reservations here & when they asked for my name I told them it was Don Corleone. When I arrived the waitress said can I get you anything to drink sir? I said please call me Godfather Corleone, then I had my friend kiss my pinkey ring. The experience here was the same that it has been all the times I've been here. It is a consistent experience with good food. The service here for the most part is similar to that of a high end steak restaurant. After you finish your appetizers the come take your plates & also clean off any crumbs that are on the table. In my case there were a lot of crumbs because I eat like Jabba The Hutt. One thing I like a lot about this restaurant is that for $5 you can double your portion of pasta. Overall the food here is pretty good as well as the service. When you come here you know that you can expect a consistently good experience. I would eat here again.
(4)
Jere Q.
Great Lobster Carbonara along with a vodka lemonade to make this day a perfect one. I would recommend this fine place.
(5)
Patrick F.
Maggianos is kind of my go to Italian chain when I'm craving some large quantities of pasta. Living so close to Taylor St. I've become spoiled with my Italian food. Maggianos is not by any means the greatest Italian I've eaten, but the food is flavorful, portions are large, and the food is hot. We had reservations for 9pm and we were sat at 8:55pm. Our server was friendly, prompt and courteous. The pace of the meal was perfect and the cheesecake was a nice finish to the meal. Maggianos is also a great place for large parties. You can order the family style and they just keep bringing the food out until your ready to burst at the seams. I actually went to a friends rehearsal dinner at another location a couple of years ago and they did a phenomenal job. If you've never been I would recommend Maggianos to anyone. With that being said don't forget to get your foodie on in Little Italy on Taylor St.
(4)
A K.
Maggiano's is very fancy joint. The atmosphere is always classy and the food is great. The portions are huge though so don't go here without a huge appetite. I know there were some other reviews about small portions, but I am not sure how that can be as a half order is meant for two whole people! Keep that in mind when ordering or you may end up with leftover's for a week. I am a huge fan of Italian food and this place shows how to do it right!
(4)
Rosa S.
GNOCCI, Lemon Chicken and LEMON COOKIES! my must. Love Maggiano's. We've had events there and it's a top three contender for out of town guests. Maybe it's just the way we eat but it's a little pricey, but then I think about the level of service, ambiance and quality of food and think- you get what you pay for. Maggiano's is a lettuce entertain you Spot and I think they're formula is a formula for success.
(4)
Beatriz B.
We went for dinner tonight. Food is always excelent and our server Robert was super great. We live in Rockford and we don't care if it is a little far for us. It is worth it. Always a great time for our family.
(5)
Lois C.
Came here on Valentines day with no reservation. Dumb us. 2 adults and 2 children and we came in at 5 and didn't get seated till 6. We were willing to wait since we had gift cards we wanted to make use of. The service was great for how busy it was, our food came out fairly quickly and it didn't feel like we waited very long for things to start slowly trickling to our table. We ordered the Marco's dinner for 2. We ordered the crab cakes, baked ziti and mushroom ravioli for our entrees, and the creme brulee for our dessert. The crab cakes were great but maybe a bit on the salty side. The baked ziti was perfect, the mushroom ravioli were really delicious but the sauce was quite rich. The creme brulee was divine but I saw another table order the cheesecake and I kind of wish I ordered that instead. We took home the lasanga and spaghetti and meatball and they were pretty good reheated. I would absolutely recommend the Marco's dinner for 2. We fed 2 adults and 2 children under 3 and came home with a small doggy bag of leftover food as well as 2 pastas for the next day's dinner.
(3)
Doug P.
Delious pasta excellent New York style strong coffee strong drinks over excellent service short wait @ 7:00 pm with out reservations
(5)
Steve F.
Excellent Italian food food big portions Great service very family oriented restaurant The food The food is always good when I go in there several times I would highly recommend
(5)
Jennifer T.
I've been here about two times for family birthday dinners, both times we did it buffet style paying a flat price of $30/pp. For that we were able to choose a set amount of appetizers and entrees. I think it was 3 apps and 4 appetizers and 2 choices of desserts. I vaguely remember the official names from the menu but here's a brief description of them and their ratings: Appetizers: -Calamari- good flavor, cooked right and not soggy with a bit of crunch -Mussels- with pinto beans and dried tomatoes, has a hint of sourness. It's a good choice but it is salty. -Mozzarella Cheese- Cheesy and breaded, a few of these and I am full. Value-wise, I don't think you get much out of this selection. Entrees: - Mash potatoes and steak- the mash was very good with some cajun spices so it had kick to it. The steak was cooked medium and the portions were big. I like my meat cooked well so this was fine for me. - Cheese ravioli- cheesy cheesy. It had many kinds of cheese to it. - Fish and rice- decent but a bit salty, the fish (I think tilapia) was cooked well and the rice was soft with big grains. - Linguine pasta and clams- possibly my favorite of them all, the clam meat is chopped up so you have have to worry about removing them from the shell although they do include shells in with the dish for looks. It can be a little oily and salty but I like this dish Desserts: - Tiramisu- nothing wrong with this choice, very BIG portion and very good - Cremebule- a lighter dessert in terms of size, you can finish it by yourself likely so you'd want to keep getting more of these to share. We ordered about 4. Obviously, this was A LOT of food to even share with a family of 7. When we went there it was a Sunday night, in the middle of a snow storm with tempartures below 0, windchill of a -15 and this place was STILL busy. Our dinner lasted 2 hours because you just need more time to eat al this food. Basically, its' a great place to gather and talk and eat and take your time, Italian style. It's not a place you want to go to so that you can eat in a hurry and go catch a movie so keep that in mind when you are getting your check.
(4)
Ryan K.
My first time here was with a group from work for lunch. Great service and friendly people. Food is really good and priced right.
(5)
Celine B.
We went to Maggiano twice in the past 5 weeks. I love their pasta dishes where you get an additional one for free to take home. Both time we took advantage of this great offer. The first time everything worked well with it. The 2nd time we didn't get the dish to go we had ordered and they forgot the bread which we had asked for. Unfortunately we didn't notice until we were already halfway home. Either way though the dishes we enjoyed at the restaurant were great. Ingredients were tasty and fresh, service was friendly and speedy, the ambiance and noise level just right - definitely a place I'd recommend if you feel like pasta and want some extra to take home.
(4)
Ryan H.
Short version - Overpriced, low quality Italian. My wife and I had a few $25 dollar certificates that we needed to use so we went here for dinner. We were seated quickly and our server was excellent. I ordered the crab cakes and my wife ordered the tomato caprese. The crab cakes were a little on the salty side but my wife really enjoyed her appetizer. For entree I ordered the "mom's lasagna" and my wife ordered the Gnocchi & Italian Sausage. The lasagna was sub-par and my wife's gnocchi was awful. The pasta in her gnocchi was poor consistency and the vodka sauce was quite bitter. She barely touched it and the went straight in the garbage. Won't be returning to Maggianos every again, especially when there are so many better Italian places to eat. My suggestion is if you're looking for low class italian, just go to olive garden. Their food is of the same caliber only cheaper.
(2)
Michelle F.
I cannot believe I haven't rated this place before. I have been here MANY times over the years--Easter celebrations (family style dining), private parties, date night, and most recently, dinner with a friend and our daughters--Girl's Lunch :) I made reservations for 12:30 on a Sunday. We would have been ok and on time if their parking lot hadn't been so small, and crazy (they do have $5 valet, but it is ridiculous how small their lot is). We walked in almost ten minutes late, but they were able to accommodate our reservations anyway :) Our waiter was Dallas, and he was nice/friendly. He was knowledgeable about the menu, but he kept forgetting things (complimentary bread and its subsequent refill) but was really on top of other things like drink refills. He wasn't so bad in my book! SO we sat down and ordered the stuffed mushrooms right away. Trust me, we know what's good. My friend ordered an Amaretto Stone Sour, and I got a Coke zero (so nice that they had that on tap!). The girls got raspberry lemonade, and it was really good (yeah, I stole some, so what?!) The girls got fettuccine alfredo (kids menu), and my friend and I both ordered the same thing (unbeknownst to each other). We both got the Classic Pasta--Spaghetti with meatballs and meat sauce. Since it was a classic pasta, you got to take one home with you. I chose the baked ziti for the husband. So it's like 2 meals for $13 (more if you had leftovers like I did). The stuffed mushrooms are honestly the best thing on the menu to me. I could make a meal out of those alone! But the spaghetti wasn't too shabby, either!! I really like their meat sauce! My daughter's fettuccine was a little on the dry side (not enough sauce), but she added a little parm, and all was well with the world! For dessert, we got the dessert sampler, and oh.em.gee. First off, it was the best tiramisu I've ever had--usually the coffee taste is a little too strong for this non-coffee lover. But it was fabulous. The chocolate cake was incredible (the frosting is divine). I didn't have the cheesecake or the creme brulee, but the apple crostada remains one of my favorite things on the menu. I am thinking about getting just that next time as my meal. There was a TON to take home and everyone had a wonderful time!! We will definitely be back!
(4)
Bobi L.
I'm never disappointed here. Atm they have a special for make a wish for a little girl that wants to go to Rome. The cheese ravioli is so good! It's a must try. Especially if you like garlic.
(5)
Tim S.
Very disappointed. We usually have a great experience with maggianos but not this time at this location. we came in around 830 and the restaurant was very quiet and not busy. it took us forever to even see our waiter and he was definitely having on off night. we ordered the combo meal (appetizer, entree, dessert) the mussels which are usually good happened to be spectacularly bad. we never had an opportunity to tell the waiter because he never came to our table after he took our order. he spent a lot of time with other tables and we just sat with empty drinks, getting more irritated. he finally came to the table after i was done with my main entree to give me a drink refill. the bus boy boxed up my meal (after bringing us our appetizer and main dish) and put it on the table when my spouse finished the waiter brought a box, put it on the table for me to box myself, had the check in hand ready for us to go. no dessert as part of the combo. My spouse brought up the dessert and I decided i had enough and just said forget to both of them im ready to get the hell out of here. I didn't want a manager, I didn't want to complain, i just wanted a good meal, with good service.....this location delivered on neither. i will never come back to this location.
(1)
Rebecca H.
Very nice ambiance, and from my experience, very good waitstaff as well. They really do bring a feeling of "Little Italy" to Shaumburg! :-) The food has also been very good all the times I've been here - the spaghetti, Veal Picata, and the macaroni and cheese are all examples of this. Would recommend for anyone who wants a delicious dinner.
We've been here before and this place never disappoints. I decided to write this review because of excellent service. Food was delicious like always but our waiter made it even better. He was very professional, attentive and had excellent knowledge of food and wine. Thank you Henry, you made us feel really special. We will be back and we'll definitely ask for you.
(5)
Frank B.
I have been here many times with my family. This is a good Italian restaurant. Last time we were there they had issues with the service. Also, the bread was stale. Huge portions and normally good service.
(3)
M G.
We went here for our first anniversary booked on open table and was greeted with a handwritten note and heart confetti. With our reservations I noted it was our anniversary and requested a cake message. Our server Shannon was great and very attentive. We were so pleased with her we gave her a 25% tip. We ordered drinks, I the raspberry lemonade, him the dark and stormy (He couldn't stomach it, I think he thought the ginger beer was supposed to be ginger soda) He ended up sharing my drink lol. We did the classic pasta meal with a starter and dessert. Both meatball spaghetti and fettuccine alfredo for home. Food was great and filling, we had TONS to take home. Next was the cake, perfectly outlined with chocolate letters 'Happy Anniversary' I wanted to woo my boyfriend a bit because he does a lot for me. He was very touched and we even had pink and blue candles to make a couple's wish. Very cute. We were so pleased and we donated to make a wish and received a $10 coupon for next time. We had a very lovely dinner.
(5)
Peter N.
I like this place. The service is a bit on the slow side, but the food is fantastic and the atmosphere is very nice. Getting two meals for the price of one (on the classic menu) is a great deal too. Love the marinara sauce and the pasta. Portions are decently sized, so there's a good chance you'll be bringing some of the food home. Leftovers warmed up beautifully as well. Definitely will be coming back.
(4)
Jen D.
One of the only 'chain' Italian restaurants that I like. Being Italian, it's hard to find anything like grandma's homestyle cooking. Maggiano's is one of my go-tos. I love the gnocchi with vodka sauce. I order it without the Italian sausage and with spinach and mushrooms. Yum! I'm not sure if all locations offer this, but the buy one take one home pasta deal is AMAZING!
(4)
Christie P.
It's decent food, and they give you some large portions, but I tried several items (family-style), and it wasn't as good as some of their other locations.
(3)
Stefanie W.
Why do Maggiano's always smell funny? I've been in several and they all smell funny. The one at Oak Brook is especially bad but their funk is what drove us next door to discover a nice little French place but nevermind that... I don't care for Maggiano's with their fauxTalian food for dinner. Pasta, pasta everywhere. Too much. Too ordinary. The bar is it for me. Usually kinda high energy with decent wine and bread with olive oil / cheese to provide a nice mental health break while shopping. I'm not a shopper so Christmas time is what usually brings me in and then they coast on those warm memories for periodic visits the rest of the year. The patio is nice for lunch but smokers clustering around the door can be annoying and stinky.
(3)
Michelle M.
I really like Maggiano's for their yummy Italian food and warm and comfy atmosphere. They can be pricey but lucky for me, all the meatless entrees are on the classic pastas menu which means for like $15 I get delicious four cheese ravioli AND a bonus pasta to take home for tomorrow's lunch! The bread is good, the tiramisu is good and their tomato basil soup is REALLY good as a starter. I find the service is generally competent but reserved, which is fine for me. Being by the mall and streets, this location can get really busy but I have always had excellent luck making Open Table reservations, even shortly before our arrival.
(4)
Theresa V.
The best Italian restaurant in the area. The food is outstanding. Everything from the appetizers to the great dessert selection. I am obsessed with the calamari and fried zucchini...so delicious! The staff is very friendly and dress very professional. It's very clean and the atmosphere is great.
(5)
Amanda C.
Nice Maggiano's. First time visiting this location. My cousin and I split the lunch menu item with the chicken mushroom marsala sauce with sun dried tomato & spinach. For $15.95 it was a very small portion. Lucky we had a $15 off frequent diners card so it didn't matter. Now, the apple crostada was amazing. I highly recommend it. Our waitress was nice. It was your typical Maggiano's Italian setting. No complaints but I wasn't wowed by the entree. My cousin REALLY loved it though and the crostada earned the 3 stars.
(3)
Emily P.
A pleasant affordable restaurant where you get a big helping and good service. It pays to check calories before ordering as some of the dishes are very heavy. Pretty good wine list for a low/mid-range priced restaurant.
(4)
Ellery R.
I'm having fruit salad for dinner. Well, it's mostly grapes actually. Ok, all grapes. Fermented grapes. Ok...I'm having wine for dinner. This is for the wine drinkers. The cheap wine drinkers. It is true that Maggiano's food is mediocre and the prices are somewhat ridiculous, but oh baby the house wine is $5 on weekdays! You'll find me here on any given weekday sipping on the house red, enjoying the complimentary bread that I dip into a mixture of oil,vinegar and parmesan cheese; enjoying the touristy looking people that clearly just finished slaving away at a long hard day of shopping at Woodfield Mall. I recommend that you sit in the bar area. Sit back, relax, laugh and enjoy the evening.
(3)
Mic D.
Not what it used to be... Subpar pasta, plain boring bread, Parmesan was old...just all around unimpressed. Service was average. I used to like this place very much, not sure what happened. It's good enough if you're just looking for a step above Olive Garden.
(2)
Rocky V.
Service was excellent! How ever I ordered the NY strip medium it came to the table well done burnt! and after waiting 25 minutes the next steak came to the table rare, rare : ( Stick to the pasta it's always good and a lesson learned never order the NY strip! Any place other than Gibsons!
(2)
Kevin T.
Boring, uninspired, unflavorful, low quality to price ratio. Service was average.
(2)
Chi-town D.
I've eaten at this Maggianos a number of times both dining in and carry out. Let me start by saying I love the food and have never had a bad meal. The portions are sizable (the 2 for 1 pasta deal is a great bargain), the taste and quality are excellent, the menu is broad enough, so that everyone can find something they like and prices are fairly reasonable. You'd never suspect this is a national restaurant chain instead of a local Italian eatery. Having said that there are several things that cause me to give them an average rating. The place is always packed and even when I've made a reservation, there's always a wait, just not as long as without a reservation. There's a bar with a TV, but it's usually overflowing with people and tough to order drinks. Once you're seated, the tables are very close and the atmosphere is usually noisy, but that's part of the ambience, so not a good first date place. The restaurant has several private rooms and can also handle larger groups at the tables, which makes it flexible. I've found the quality of the service and wait staff to range from fair to excellent. Sometimes the service can be very slow from pouring water, taking orders and getting the food. Other times it's been fast all the way around and I think a lot of it depends on the wait team assigned to your table. For the most part, my dine in orders have been accurate or quickly corrected if they bring us the wrong order. However, beware if you decide on carry out as I've had two instances where they've forgotten to put my full order in the bag. Once I went back and the other time I told them to credit my card for the missing food, but regardless it was very frustrating and not what you'd expect from a place catering to the higher end crowd. I'd certainly recommend Maggianos and will go back myself because the pros outweigh the cons.
(3)
Tamra P.
Reminds me a little of Buca Di Beppo with the giant portions. Great family restaurant, come hungry!!! We had a short wait before getting seated. Very personable waiter helped us through the menu. Food was good, tiramisu was huge!
(4)
iftekhar K.
Seems like most Restaurants are cutting their expenses by decreasing quality. Thanks to higher property tax of Illinois Worse state to live in. Overall bad food higher price
(1)
Amanda M.
I have been here twice and the food has been good both times. The last time we had reservations, staff went out of their way with a hand-written card and confetti on the table. The waitress was very attentive, paying close mind to the birthday we had in the group too which was kind. Both times, food has been great. At least two meals, so load up on leftovers. I couldn't complain about taste. Not overpriced, either. I will say, the service can be slow. Both times I have been to this restaurant, I have had to wait in one way or another for an extended amount of time. It's busy. I understand. But service & seating could be a little more prompt.
(4)
Kur D.
Food was great and delicious. Great location with parking and easily accessible.The plates are pretty hugh and filling. I recommend 2 Meals for $60 special. 2 Thumbs Up!!!!
(4)
N S.
I went with a friend and we ordered the dinner deal for two. We each got to select an appetizer, salad or bread; a pasta dish (some lighter versions included) and a dessert to share. This also included a pasta for each of us to take home for the next day. We started with a pitcher of their punch that was the special of the day. Our salads were tasty with just the right amount of dressing. My four cheese ravioli was delicious and my friend said her eggplant parmigiana was great. For desert we had tiramisu and coffee. The weather was bad and the lot was packed so we also took advantage of the $5 valet parking. Our server was courteous and patient with us, but took quite a while to get our check. I am looking forward to going back. I would really like to try the family style dinner for four or more.
I've never been to a Maggiano's in my life but there's always a first for everything. Although our dining experience was quite different as we showed up with nearly 100+ people it was very nicely executed. This place is the size of a small Target! The interior was nice and we headed right up stairs to their banquet rooms. Anywhere that red wine is flowing is a win in my book. The servers were friendly and the food came out at the right temperature and timing. I'm not sure this is the sort of place I'd visit on my own unless I was seeking to carb load before a marathon but the food was decent. I suppose anything taste decent after 4 glasses of wine. The ladies restrooms were also neat and tidy.
(3)
Diana F.
Always good, Service Great.... So much better than anyone else around Chicago.
(5)
Dan S.
3rd try (and last time) ordering to go and they continue to treat these customers like garbage. WHY? Because you don't know until you get home how badly they serve the take-out food. Everything is sealed in foil and you make the hour trip (1/2 in each direction), to unwrap and discover servings they would NEVER serve at a table. We ordered a family size-salad, huge bowl. Uncover it to find it' 98% head lettuce with a sprinkling of avocado and tomatoes on top. Pasta and meatballs serving for 8? 4 meatballs included. In the past, the experiences have been identical with anything you order. Does this wording sound harsh? "Maggiano's is cheating customers and assuming nobody will complain because it's too late and too much trouble to go back." There are tons of great restaurants with exceptional food to choose from in the NW suburbs of Chicago. FORGET THIS PLACE THAT USED TO BE GOOD. MANAGEMENT CLEARLY HAS SOME INTEGRITY ISSUES TO ALLOW STAFF TO DO THIS TO CUSTOMERS.
(1)
Bruno S.
[] Recommend it? YES! I absolutely love Maggiano's Little Italy. If you've never been to one before, this is a high-end Italian chain restaurant typically featured in bigger cities. Their pastas are made fresh and the food is outstanding as well as their service. [] tip: if you're going with a party of 6 or more opt for their family meal deal it's well worth it (endless refills of a four course meal) [] Military Discount: Nope. [] From start to finish we had an amazing experience (except the wait of course). Our waiter was very professional and efficient. Our food was prepared perfectly (on point) and the timing was exactly right. We definitely did not feel rushed and did not feel forgotten about (that right balance). My favorite dish here is the Chicken Marsala with mushrooms for the main entre and the fried mozzarella appetizer is out of this world. Not your typical mozzarella sticks folks, this is mouthwatering greatness. For dessert try their spumoni ice cream, it's an Italian dessert. Of course their tiramisu is also very good.
(5)
Mark W.
Went there Friday for dinner with out of town friends. Had reservations and asked for out of way table due to noise could sometimes be loud there. Request was taken , however placed in aisle table were waiters and bus boys bumping into your chair continuely. We have eaten here for years, maybe 30 times and found food taste consistency dropping each year. What used to be above the rest in food is now just another Italian resturant. I know cooks are different however quality control and taste has suffered. Service has always been good and attentive. That gets the extra star from 2 to 3 ...
(3)
Joe I.
Better than Olive Garden, but not 100% Italian fare either. I mean, no cannolis, really ???? Enjoy the fact that some (not all) of the pasta is fresh. You have to ask to see if they are using yesterday's or today's. Cheesecake wasn't heavy enough either. But still, a decent enough Italian place in the middle of Schaumburg midwesterness.
Mazziano's has excellent ambiance and the food is amazing and fresh. I had the Rigatoni "D" with cheesecake and cappuccino for desert. The rigatoni is as good as any I've had in Italy - great flavors and generous portions. Leaving with more than half because there was so much. The cheesecake is large enough for two. It was so creamy and delectable tipped with very fresh strawberries and a dollop of homemade whipped cream garnished with mint. My server's name was Frank who was exceptionally friendly and attentive. A true gentleman. Thanks for an excellent experience!
(4)
Mira V.
We've been to Maggiano's a few time but this time we were open to patio or inside seating. It was fine at first we ordered drinks and I had a wonderful Catcher in the Rye, essentially a Rye Manhattan. The zucchini fritte was excellent, nice and crisp and with a nice lemony sauce to dip it in. The crab cakes were nice size and came with an arugula salad. You only get 2 crab cakes which seemed a bit disappointing due to the price. I had the shrimp and crab cannelloni which was creamy and fresh. As the sun set the patio was invaded by mosquitos of which I have 6 bites on my ankle, 2 on my shoulder and a few scattered elsewhere. I would add a star if Maggiano's added a screen to their patio. We weren't the only ones getting bit up. While the food was great we asked for the check and to go boxes immediately after dinner to escape the mosquitos. If the patio was screened in we would have stayed longer and enjoyed the evening with a few additional cocktails. I give Maggiano's 4 stars solely on their food. As for mosquito abatement this is an epic fail.
(4)
Shawnc K.
Went here last weekend for my bday around 6:30pm and it was hella crowded. Wait staff said 1 hour wait. There were people standing everywhere waiting for a table. So we sat at the bar. Ordered wine and the ravioli dish. I just love ravioli and cheese. They also were doing a buy one get one free for pasta dishes. Double score!!!!
(5)
Jonathan L.
I went with my wife on a busy Saturday night. We arrived early for our reservation that I placed through the button on the yelp page and were seated within 15min. Our waiter Francisco was very nice and helpful with ordering. All in all service was as expected maybe above average. And I hate to nitpick but a nice place should ensure proper table setup - I had two of the same fork where my wife had a salad and pasta fork. I expect as much from say Olive Garden or some chain place but other little details went unnoticed by staff. My wife had a glass of wine but sent it back due to a dirty glass. Even the glass the waiter brought to let her sample the wine was dirty. Our appetizer was the brusheutta and came before our meal which seemed to take a good while compared to the table seated just before us. My fettuccine Alfredo was good with a portion that was just right but not very memorable. They use good cheese and the sauce doesn't separate into oil and cheese so well made but wasn't as thick as I'm used to. My wife had the shrimp scampi which was lots of shrimp but not much noodles. Also the shrimp were very fishy in flavor. Desert was a very tasty big slice of cheesecake. All in all it's different from when I went years ago but I wasn't impressed. I expected more. My dish was good but about as memorable as portillos pasta. My wife had fishy shrimp and a little pasta. Expect to have room for desert. I might go again but only if the price was less.
(2)
Nancy M.
Been here many times, always very pleased with the food. Recently, I went here with a group of 7 and had a family style meal. This is what I thought might be helpful to other Yelpers. There are 3 choices of family style meal - $22.95, $28.95, and $35.95 (I think) per person. You have more choices as the prices go up. We had the $28.95 deal and were quite happy with it. 3 salads/appetizers, 4 main dishes, 2 desserts. They keep bringing plates of food until you tell them you've had enough. You can take any leftovers home. We started with the Maggiano's salad (blue cheese, red onions, prosciutto and dressing on lettuce), stuffed mushrooms and spinach/artichoke appetizer. All were very good. I could make a meal out of the Maggiano's salad. Main dishes, we had eggplant parmesan, linquine with clams in white sauce, lasagne with meat sauce, pepper encrusted steak with potatoes. All were good altho I don't eat clams so I can't speak to that. Our dessert choices were the chocolate zuccato cake and creme brulee. They were both awesome. Best creme brulee I've ever had - it was so creamy! They had decorated the table with confetti and left a nice note for the birthday girl. Everything was fine, until the end, when it's pretty clear that they wanted us to leave because the waitstaff started clearing all the dishes and glasses. That's why I couldn't rate it 5 stars. $45 per person for dinner (with beverages) is more than I usually spend for dinner, and I didn't appreciate getting the bum's rush. Bottom line? The family style meal is a good value if you have a large party (4 or more). A few of us went back the next weekend, but ordered for ourselves off the menu this time. The food was great, again. The service was slightly less than great, again. Will I go back? Of course!
(4)
Stephanie R.
Met friends for dinner on a Thursday night and this place was packed to the gills! Had to park in the next lot over it was so busy. Quickly seated (had a reservation) in the back corner of the dining room. It was very loud and we had some trouble hearing each other. Waitress was great-friendly and attentive. We skipped appetizers but had soup/salads before the main course. Tomato basil soup was delicious. My husband ordered gnocchi and said it was very good. Our friends both ordered the balsamic salmon and said it was cooked perfectly. I ordered the chicken parmesean and I was disappointed. The breading was soggy, the chicken had a processed texture, and the sauce was VERY acidic. Maggianos has a lively feel to it and I typically enjoy their food, but this meal was a bit of a bummer for me:( Next time I will order something without red sauce.
(3)
Sid A.
Italiano in suburbia. Doesn't matter if you're in Chicago or Buckhead or Southpoint, this chain is always consistent and good. Mags always gives the feel of much higher ned restauarnt with its decor and servicing. Actually a great value for food and atmosphere.
(4)
Nona K.
I know this is a popular Hot spot and my review is based on a few past visits to this location. I have been visiting maggianos in Schaumburg for over 10 years and I have to say that the quality and service has declined This is a great place if you are looking to eat basic pasta dishes. You will be satisfied. If you are a true seasoned Italian eater I am not sure you will be wowd by the menu. The good: nice ambience for families. Good basic pasta dishes. The bad: no accommodations for the many people standing inline waiting for a table. I think they need to come up with a plan as to where people who are waiting can actually wait. People crowd the aisles and constantly getting nudged to move. The food: compared to other Italian resturants the food is average. Our calamari tasted like it was fried in old used oil that had not been changed. The veal was dry and again tasted like it was fried in bad oil. Fettuccini Alfredo was very average no wow factor. Crusted tilapia tasted terrible we didn't quite get the mix of seasonings and herbs on it. The bread they bring out used to be great and fresh. They recently changed the bread to a more generic white roll Won't be returning Service: we were seated at a table close to the host stand and it was freezing. When we asked for another table we were told it would be an hour wait. Okkk Our waiter was not familiar with veal Milanese I had to explain what that was in an Italian resturant. Our waiter was also overwhelmed with a number of tables. We had to flag him down several times. All in all I would suggest to look into other nearby Italian venues where you can get better Italian food with better service.
(2)
Athena P.
In my opinion worst Italian food ever!!i ordered Togo , the family meal of chicken Parmesan , it was horrible. It seemed to b made ahead of time and reheated!!! I would compare it to frozen box dinner.. Not worth the price, rather go to Olive Garden
(1)
Luna M.
I have been to Maggiano's Old Orchard(Skokie) & Schaumburg locations. Either place offers great food! I love the family style because it makes you feel like you're having dinner at home. But the food & service reminds you that you are dining at a restaurant. The appetizers, salad, pasta, meals, or even desserts---- all of it is delicious & can appease everyone's appetite. Of course, it is important to have an attentive server (& that would affect my rating). My favorites include the Maggiano's Salad, Ravioli, Rigatoni-D pasta, Eggplant Parmesan, Fish dishes, Vesuvio Potatoes, and any dessert. Of course, I love the decor. Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants do a great job at creating a quaint Italian theme. I love going to Maggiano's.
(5)
Tara M.
Great ambiance, as expected. Not a huge fan of the restroom. My 3 year old is though!! We spent way too much time in there. Sat outside & enjoyed the hum of 290 and the retaining pond fountain. Hubs wanted that meal for two (I did not, but that is what we got -- carb overload!). I liked the chopped salad though. If he wasn't so cheap, I know I would have enjoyed me some center cut filet mignon. Oh well, it wasn't my birthday. :-). Would have rather gone to the city but wouldn't have found parking.
(4)
Samantha V.
I think it's really awesome that you can order one of the classics and then they give you a full portion to take home! However, I didn't get one of the classics, I got the gnocci and sausage, which was very delicious. Nice atmosphere. Good for a date or for a group outing.
(4)
Patrick B.
Terrible. I ordered chicken parmesan, the chicken was the of lowest quality I've ever tasted. Olive Garden has better chicken Parmesan. Not a quality Italian restaurant.
(1)
Jess F.
FANTASTIC!!! We come to this location all the time and the food is always good but we went on Valentine's day and we had the absolute best server, who's name was Jose. He was a dream come true! I truly hope we get him again next time we go. He was so pleasant and could tell he really enjoyed his job. He timed everything perfect and we were never rushed. I wish we got this kind of service everywhere we went. I hope management reads this, don't lose him, he is fantastic!! And great job to the chef's on Valentine's day, the food tasted extra yummy.
(5)
Kelly M.
Oh how the mighty have fallen. I love Maggianos and we even had our wedding reception at the Old Orchard location. This place used to be better. My husband got fettucini alfredo and it looked like a bowl of cream. The sauce wasn't reduced at all. My pasta was fine but there weren't enough veggies to go with the pasta. There was also a dirty appetizer plate on our table. Unsanitary and unappetizing.
(1)
Ashley S.
OHHH BOYYY, I don't know where to start..... Sunday.....storming......cold.......wet.........Âblah So we decided to make reservations and use up a gift card that was burning a hole in my boyfriend's pocket. We braved the weather and made it into Maggiano's. Our table wasn't quite ready, so we had a seat at the bar and ordered a couple Blue Moon's from the really friendly bartenders. We're seated......our very sweet, efficient server, Alexandria, comes over and greets us. I open the menu only to discover an amazing deal, an appetizer, two classic pasta dishes(plus 2 complementary take home dishes) and dessert for $39.95......DONE. We had the crab cakes.......heaven on a plate. Mike's dine in entree: Spaghetti and Meatballs with meat sauce.... Mike's take home dish: Lasagna.... My dine in entree: Baked Ziti..... My take home dish: Bowtie Pasta Algoni..... Dessert: Terimisu Ok, so as if that wasn't enough food to kill us, our delightful little Alex brought us two more entrees that her previous table forgot to take home...... OMG, so a total of 6 entrees, an appetizer, two beers, and a delicious block of terimisu for a grand total of................$73.00 I'm exhausted just thinking about eating all of the leftovers that we have, dammit we should've bought a lottery ticket after that meal! Thank you Maggiano's, you are truly amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
(5)
Mike F.
Excellent factory food, and a good deal - they give you a huge pasta to go with every one you order to eat there and it's even better leftover (as is all Italian food, IMHO).
(5)
Tee D.
Normally I love the food at this place. Last Saturday (6/14 at 7:15 pm) while in the car trying to decide where to go for dinner after a VERY tiring work day, I tried to call to find out the wait time and the hostess couldn't hear me well so she hung up on me without even trying to say hello again. I called back and this time no one even answered the phone. So my husband and I parked at Woodfield (a challenge in and of itself) and walked in to find out that the wait was 45 minutes. If I hadn't been hung up on I would have waited. We left. Shame on you Maggiano's! We're good customers. Now we've got to find a new place.
Absolutely love Maggianos! The Rigatoni D is spectacular. The calamari was delicious as well. Plan to have enough leftovers for at least one more meal, if not two. With the provided reheating instructions, they taste almost as good as the original meal.
(5)
Joe R.
I don't know what happened to maggiano's but I'll never go back. Their food is mediocre at best and their food prep is subpar. Cold, bland tasteless food. I guess this is what needs to happen when you try to appeal to the masses. Maggiano's is the new Olive Garden. If you want good Italian food go somewhere else.
(2)
Katie S.
This place only gets two stars. One, because the interior Christmas decoration is beautiful and I love the structure of the place. Two, we only liked the appetizer and dessert. We ordered the Chicken Parmesan and Grilled Salmon Lemon Herb. The chicken tasted good but had too much of the texture and taste that it came right out of the bag. The Marinera sauce had too much salt for my liking. It had no real, natural flavor of tomatoe other than the salt. You would think at least a classic and popular dish that is in most italian restaurants would guarantee you a good,natural flavor. MAYBE next time I'll try something else from the menu.
It has been years since I have visited Maggiano's - the food was good 'standard' Italian fare. Nothing exceptional, but it was tasty. The desserts here are what I realy liked - tiramisu was delicious, creme brulee was made perfectly with quality ingredients (saw the vanilla bean seeds in the bottom of the cup) and the mini apple tart was crisp and flaky. The service was very good and attentive. I will be back again, not sure when though, because while the food here is good, the prices are high. I don't need the super-huge portions, I would rather pay less and get smaller portions thna pay these prices and take home leftovers.
(3)
Daniel P.
Greedy new years management. Apparently the concept of reservations is more of a rough outline. We had an 830 reservation that turned into an hour of waiting to be seated. I get being busy, I get running a little behind but one hour on a reservation is not acceptable. This is just greed at its finest for an obviously overbooked restaurant. Hey guess what people do when they have to wait an hour? They hit the bar which is situated right in front of the waiting area. So not only do they inconvenience you for an hour but you basically pay them to do it. Sorry maggianos but you didn't get any of my money to inconvenience me. I will not be returning, they won't be getting another dollar from me. The food tasted like reheated frozen. Our waiter was pleasant but you could tell even he was annoyed at the managements failure. Discussed how unhappy diners had been all night due to the wait. Overall terrible experience.
(1)
Vicranth D.
Disappointing....thats what the food is like here. The quantity of Pasta for $13 is very less and the taste was just average. The free breads which they provide is probable the worst i have tasted in US. Chocolate cake for desert was pretty good though. Would not be going here again.
(3)
Nic Z.
I've been to this Maggiano's about 10x over the years ranging from dinner with friends to dates and graduation parties. My experience in one word: unimpressed. Long waits, average food; nothing to write home about. I would just stay home!
(3)
Louie B.
New york steak was phenominal!
(5)
Odranre B.
The food is always good. The portion has gotten smaller. The wait time for entree was long.
(3)
Paul B.
Sat outside and it was nice. I had the Italian sausage sandwich. It was very good. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Way too much mac and cheese for my daughter. A little pricey but not too bad.
(4)
Joanna R.
really good big dish of angus tenderloin steak with great mushroom souse and good price .I will be back .
(4)
Catherine P.
A little taste of Italy found in the Streets of Woodfield. Valeted the car this Valentine's dinner date as per the chill in the air and my lazy butt not wanting to walk all the way from Dick's Sporting Goods parking lot. 5 bucks for valet- can't go wrong. We had a reservation for 6:30pm on the Saturday before Valentine's 2011. We were early to our reservation as we normally are and we surprised at how busy they were. I thought for sure, it wouldn't be bad at 6:30, but I was glad we had that reservation. A man walked in while we were waiting to ask what the wait was and I overheard the hostess tell him 2 hours! Thank goodness, I'm a planner. We were seated just a few minutes after our reservation and were promptly greeted by our server. Shame on my for not remembering her name. (this is why you write your reviews within a few days of your experience) She was very pleasant, knowledgeable and most of all, patient with our needy table. (That's me!) There were 5 of us and we did family style for dinner. We ALWAYS order the same stuff every time we come, but were with some friends of ours we have never been with, so I was pleased they convinced us to try new foods. Here is how "the classic" family style works: You get 2 selections from their apps and salad options. We have always ordered Maggiano's and Chopped Salads and we typically get Calamari and Mozzarella. This time we changed it up. We ordered Maggiano's (Blue cheese crumbles on the side, of course!!) and Caesar. Both were fresh and delicious. We also ordered the Calamari, basically because it rocks and our friends suggested the fried zucchini. Yummm. Your entrees used to be a selection of 2 pastas and 2 entree dishes (chicken, pork, beef, seafood options). They have apparently changed the way the do things and now you get to select 4 from both the pastas and entrees- it can now be a combination of: (1) 4 pastas or 4 entrees (2) 3 pastas and 1 entree (3) 1 pasta and 3 entrees. This was a nice feature. People who try to stay away from carbs, for example, you can now ordered all entrees and skip the pastas all together. Or, if you are a fan of pasta, you can load up on the pasta options. BTW, a lot of the pastas include a meat of some sort, so it's not only pasta. We ended up going the traditional route and ordering 2 of each: Baked Ziti (which is fabulous) and we tried a new dish- Chicken Pesto Pasta- oh my, it was great, if you like pesto. We ordered my favorite: Chicken Piccata and we tried the salmon which our friends had ordered there once before. Both were fresh and delectable. Did I mention that because Maggiano's is the best, they let you take "doggie" bags?? Not a lot of places allow this, but they do. Now, of course, you would have to actually clear the first serving which after the apps, salads, drinks, and their fresh bread, can be difficult, you can reorder a dish and they will bring you a smaller portion, but a refill nonetheless. Then, if there is anything left, you can take your left overs home for lunch tomorrow. Don't forget dessert- you are allowed 2 options- Chocolate cake and Creme brulee are the perfect way to end this massive meal. Focus your attention the the brulee because you can't really take that home. The chocolate cake will keep- it makes a great afternoon snack the next day. There are smaller "family style" options for people that can not handle this amount of food, and they have a slightly more expensive option which I believe includes Tea and coffee and their "premium" dishes. Check out their menu online, make your reservation and hit up Maggiano's for your next birthday, anniversary or just because your hungry!
(5)
Mallory L.
The service has always been amazing and the atmosphere is great, but this isn't the best Italian food I've ever had. Family style is great, but I feel like I could make some of the food at home.
(3)
Lauren F.
You really just cannot go wrong at Maggiano's. I'm not a big fan of chains, but I can put that aside to enjoy an amazing pasta-filled feast here. The bread is served warm and is just delicious when you use it to mop up your olive oil and parmesan cheese. My favorite dish is the Rigatoni D-creamy marsala sauce, mushrooms, carmelized onions....it is just absolutely delicious! I've tried lots of other things on the menu and haven't had one thing I didn't enjoy. The Lasagna, Bowtie Aglio, Chicken Parmesan, Ravioli....this list goes on. On their classic dishes like the Lasagna, you can get an extra order to-go....for FREE! And it doesn't have to be the same thing you ordered, it can be anything from the Classics section of the menu! Just stick it in the freezer and feast on Maggiano's whenever you want! For $12.95 that is very hard to beat. They also make some of my favorite tiramisu-and it's not easy to impress me with Tiramisu. If you have yet to enjoy the feasting at Maggiano's, I strongly suggest you stop in soon!
(4)
Frank F.
Great place for lunch or dinner. Staff is great. Food is even better.
(5)
Suzan K.
Went on a weeknight and it was busier than I expected. I made reservations but still didn't have a table 10 minutes after my reserved time. Several groups were waiting but they had a whole section of the dining room that was empty but just didn't open it up to waiting customers. After I asked about a table, they finally decided to give me one that was already empty but just wanted to make me wait longer for it. When we were seated, they didn't even have enough place settings for the number of people in my party. Plates for bread were never replenished and we only had 2 plates for the 6 people in the party. No one came by the table for almost 10 minutes. When the waitress finally did, luckily I ordered an entree immediately because she never gave us a kids menu and she took another 10 minutes before coming back for the rest of the orders. Then almost another 10 minutes before she brought any bread. Another disappointing point was having to ask her for drink refills. She came by twice and should have noticed the almost empty glasses but did not refill anything till we asked! Food was fine. Nothing special. Nothing I can't get at any Italian restaurant. Won't be returning anytime soon due to the poor service by front staff and wait staff.
(1)
Brian Z.
Such great food! Love their specials such as Taylor Street Pasta. What's even better is the second order to go for free!
(4)
Jennifer P.
We held our wedding reception at Maggiano's in Schaumburg, and I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful event. From the moment I contacted their banquet coordinator by email, there was excellent communication for the months leading up to the reception. The prices were incredibly reasonable, especially considering that you are not paying for a reception hall AND a caterer. The room at the restaurant was gorgeous, with an elegance that is usually unheard of at this price point. The food...OMG, the food.... I have never been a big fan of Italian food, but this is not your typical typical spaghetti and lasagna. The appetizers, salad, pasta, chicken piccata, and Parmesan crusted tilapia were all raved about by our guests. Everything was amazing!!! Our lunch was served family style, and there was far more than enough at each table. Our lunch menu also came with two dessert choices. We already had wedding cake, so we also chose cheesecake and fresh fruit. The fruit was such a nice complement to the rest of the meal, and everyone said the cheesecake was some of the best they had ever had. We had several vegans and children in our party, and they were all offered appropriate alternate menu options, without any snootiness from the staff. Overall, this was some of the best customer service I have experienced anywhere. Truly, I could not have hoped for a better reception. It was perfect in every way!
(5)
Karen T.
We had reservations @ 1230, we were seated at 1240. Service was excellent. We were visited by the manager to make sure all was good. The waitress did not charge us for the lemon cookies because our meal took a little more time to come out! Food was hot & delicious! Never disappointed!
(4)
Ericka L.
Love their 'get two classics take two home' deal! Of course the fettuccine Alfredo is delicious and I also love their Bowie and their cannelloni. Great crab cakes. The raspberry lemonade is very refreshing. The warm apple crostada is a delicious end to a fab meal. You'll have enough pasta leftovers to last you a couple of days! Can't wait to go back!
(5)
John S.
Have been going to Maggiano's with my family for years. Even with a reservation if you go here be prepared to wait. At least at this location it is because they are busy and not the fabricated wait you get at the oakbrook location. The service here is on average with other Italian restaurants. For a starter we had the Fried mozzarella. It is amazing here. You get two nice sizes of breaded cheese in a generous portion of marinara sauce. One of my favorite things about Maggiano's is there marinara sauce. For dinner I split the Angel hair with my mom. There portion sizes here are huge a order for two people is plenty of food and they give you a extra order to take home. Over all still one of my favorite places to go for Italian.
(5)
Courtney W.
Typical non-traditional Italian food trying to be traditional. However, I'm always enamored after I eat here even though I roll my eyes when anyone suggests I come here. It's never stuffy here, the staff is friendly and they have a lot of options for people that really can't make up their minds. The bread is always fresh and hot with olive oil and cheese and their ravioli is always a solid bet. I'm not a fan of their chicken parm but I know a few people who are so I can't take off a star for that. It's always busy and on the weekend expect a wait or call ahead and parking can be a nightmare. Prices are typical of the area but a little high for the quality that you get.
(4)
Andrew M.
I had dinner here with a large group of family and friends the night before my wedding. We had ravioli and bruschetta for appetizers which were delicious. For dinner we had 2 different types of salad, parmesan crusted tilapia, chicken picatta, spaghetti with meatballs, and four cheese tortellini. The food was amazing, and we had more leftovers to take home than you could imagine. We were in a private room which was plenty big enough for our group. We had a great time, and the food was great. This place has an excellent set up for private parties.
(4)
Anthony M.
Can anyone say overrated. Waited an hour just to sit down, so before I even ordered I was down 40$ because a captain and coke cost 10$ at thr bar. When finally seated service was good but the food not so much. I mean really no better than olive garden which im not really a fan of either. Atmosphere was really nice though I felt very comfortable having my 1 year old son there you really have that family vibe when you go in which was great. But overall I will not be going again may order a chicken alfredo for pickup though.
(3)
Nicole E.
I like Maggiano's food. I go here time to time. I love their house salad with their dressing. Yum! We went to the Easter Buffet this year at Maggiano's. Food was OK. Tilapia was little dry but what do you expect from buffet style food. Selection was good. It's from Maggiano's favorite menu items such as Bruschetta, Stuffed Mushrooms, Calamari Fritte, Rigatoni 'D' ®, salads, etc. Also, some of us had mimosa. I think we had about 5 glasses and it ended up being about $50. Wow! I was shocked. Cost so much for something that isn't so much. Do they use top of the line champagne or what! I will still go eat here but I will not go for something like this again.
(3)
Arlene G.
just went here for lunch with 3 other people & we all had a great time! we enjoyed the calamari, bread, entrees and the pound cake with caramelized bananas & ice cream! we were all so stuffed by the time we all left there!
(5)
Cristie F.
Yes, Maggiano's is a chain. However, as far as chain Italian restaurants go, Maggiano's is one of the better ones. When I'm craving a big bowl of pasta, this is one of my go-to spots. I don't know where their angel hair pasta & marinara sauces comes from, but it's like crack. I could down that 1,500 calorie bowl of carbs likes nobody's business. However, that only happens in my dreams.The 300 blood sugar level is never worth it ((thank you diabetes)). I haven't ventured much outside of their pasta dishes. I've a lot of loyalty to their classic pastas. Not to mention, if you order a classic pasta to eat there, you get to take another one to home for no additional charge! If that doesn't call for the worn-out "winning!", nothing does. As for the classic pastas, the Angel Hair Marinara with Meatballs, or the Taylor Street Baked Ziti are my faves. I recently tried the Bowtie Aglio on my last visit and sent it back...it had next to no flavor. See what happens when you branch out and try something new??? As for the specialty pastas (no, you don't get to take another ones of these home. booooo), I go for either the Gnocchi & Italian Sausage or the Famous Rigatoni 'D'. Big fan of all of those - then again, I'm a recovering carb-aholic. Maggiano's biggest downfall is their service. I almost always deal with a rude hostess or waiter. They're not overly friendly and helpful, and often seem too busy to serve their own tables. Kinda annoying. I also recommend making reservations regardless of when you go. When they tell you it's an hour to an hour and a half wait - they mean it. This is Maggiano's you know....not the finest dining establishment in the city...geeez.... All in all, if you're looking to get 2 killer pasta dishes for the bargain price of $12.95, Maggiano's is defo the place to go.
(4)
Zatoed D.
I was thoroughly disappointed with my meal here. It was cold in the middle, no seasoning whatsoever. When will I learn to avoid chain restaurants?!?!
(1)
Jeka M.
Haven't been here in forever, but the last time left a good impression and this time was no different... pricey but worthwhile Italian food with a lot of flavor and huge portions. Great (chain) way to celebrate or go out! The parking lot was super packed for a Tuesday at 730pm, but you can park just across the street easily. Clean, fast-service, friendly. For desserts I recommend the sampler! It's a polychromatic canvas of sweet.
(4)
Floyd F.
This is by far my most favorite place to eat in the world. The best place to enjoy great food with family and friends....
(5)
Ellie D.
Although some of the dinner dishes are pricey, you can't go wrong with the Classic Pastas, which are reasonably priced. For a while now, Maggiano's has been running a promotion where if you order a classic pasta, you get to choosen one to take home for free. How awesome is that? I especially like the Four Cheese Ravioli and Fettucine Alfredo. The portion size is enormous. Also, they always start you out with the bread & olive oil (so good!). I never have room for dessert. The atmosphere in the restaurant is very relaxed and somewhat formal. Overall, a good value.
(4)
Sherwin C.
I've heard that this place gets extremely busy of their popularity and therefore I went very early to beat the crowd. After my lunch experience here I now understand why this place is a neighborhood favorite. Good cooking, good portion sizes, and a decent price. Since I purposefully went during the least busy time, I'm not sure I can properly assess the service during normal dining hours but I was pleased with the level of attentiveness I received. I was pleased with the silverware, glasses, and decor of the restaurant. Although neither really modern nor old fashioned, it was a good comfortable compromise that's a good upscale family choice. I really enjoyed the steamed mussels here. It wasn't as salty as most other Italian restaurants in the area and was flavored just enough to be noticeable through the white wine sauce. A touch of lemon and roasted garlic gave it both a feeling of full-body flavor and freshness at the same time. This was as good as some of the Milwaukee and Madison restaurants rated between 22-28 on the Zagat scale. The Crab & Shrimp Cannelloni was really luxurious with generous amounts of seafood and a delicious cheese sauce with peppers that added a great contrast to the other elements in the dish. The Eggplant Parmesan was done competently, nothing special but not bad either. It's a pretty good deal considering the price however. The Crab & Shrimp Tropheo was one of my favorites. It wasn't an extremely complex flavor but it was very pleasing and the generous amount of shrimp made my smile throughout. Many other local restaurants serve medium sized shrimp at that price and still give fewer pieces however this was filled with over a dozen large (gulf?) sized shrimp. It was also impressive how it wasn't overly salty or sour for a lemon garlic sauce. I was very pleased with this visit and I'll definitely be back again soon.
(5)
Cinder M.
Well we tried again and it wasn't much better than 2 years ago. This time we were seated quickly at 5pm on a Thursday night there was no wait. However, the parking lot was full causing us to park in Dicks Sporting Goods and walk. We were seated in the back at a table with a 2 year old. The waiter was initially pretty quick coming to ask for our drink order and appetizers. He came back a few minutes to take our food order. They were a bit slow in refilling the water glasses. Well, our 3 adult entrees came delivered by someone else not our waiter. The waiter showed up in about 3 minutes and said "I placed the child order first hoping the little one could get started, but you know how kitchens are, it will just a few minutes." What constitutes a few minutes? Because we all finished our entree's and the child's order of grilled chicken, mashed potato and green beans came. Needless to say he ate 2 bites of the chicken and was done because we all gave him portions of our food. No apology, no compensation. What makes matters even worse was we all ordered the eat one take one home. Not 2 hard of an order with 2 ziti's and an alfredo. I guess it was too difficult for him because we got home took them out of the bag we got 1 ziti, 1 egglplant and 1 alfredo. Very disappointed. Might be a lot longer than 2 years before we visit again..maybe when hell freezes over. Had I seen a manager I would have said something but the place was busy when we left. Visited on 2.26.15
(2)
Phil S.
After the 3rd time I went to a Maggiano's over a decade ago I was so disgusted with their food that I vowed never to step inside another one. Last night, I broke my vow and I blame it on my wife. She had never gone and was craving Italian food so I decided to go for my wife's sake. People really, really love this place and I think I know why but I'll get to that later. We waited for 50 excruciatingly and deliriously hungry minutes while watching other people who were also waiting to be seated start to wither away with emaciation. Yet everyone waited anyways! As soon as we were seated I noticed that both the water glasses were disgustingly filthy with somebody's greasy palm prints and immediately asked for clean ones. They probably just wiped them down because they gave us water with the glasses already filled so that we couldn't inspect them again. At this point, I was so hunger stricken that I didn't care about dirty anything as long as I didn't notice it. Our server was along quickly and asked for drinks but we ordered the calamari instead so we could get to stuffing our faces. We then proceeded to inhale the warm bread that was sent out in 0.2 seconds and they quickly sent out more bread. Our water was kept filled (this is a pet peeve of mine, when my water doesn't stay filled) and the appetizer came out in a timely fashion, considering how busy they were. We ordered from the classic pasta list so that we could take home another pasta dish. This, I think, is the main reason why people flock here in multitudes. For $12.95 how can you beat receiving 2 completely separate meals? Wife ordered the eggplant parmesan and I ordered the baked rigatoni pomodoro. The eggplant parmesan was decent but my rigatoni was a little on the salty side and made even saltier by the chicken sausage. I was so hungry that I didn't care and just ate bread when the salt became too much to bear. The wife ordered four cheese ravioli to take home and I ordered the lasagna. Service was attentive when necessary and let us be while we were busy stuffing our faces, too hungry to even have a conversation. The guy did a standard good job and we appreciated it. I hate chain restaurants and I used to hate Maggiano's even more but I guess I won't refuse to go here anymore in the future. I'll just try to pick a day or time when it isn't so busy because I saw my life flashing slowly before my eyes as I shriveled to Ethiopian dimensions while waiting in that ridiculous line. The food wasn't worth the wait but the value is worth another shot.
(3)
Chris J.
Short version - Good - Tasty food prepared quickly; nice menu selection; clean, well laid out dining area; and nice atmosphere. Bad - Uninspired pasta side dish; cliche Frank Sinatra music; inattentive server; having to clean up the ice and water our he spilled on the table (and me) and then sit for the rest of the meal at a cold and soggy table. Not-so-short Version (Though shorter than I intended thanks to Yelp's draconian 5001 character limit) - My wife, two stepchildren, and I were here for my stepson's 18th birthday dinner. I had never been before, but my wife had been a couple times with friends and she loved it (the leftovers she brought home were always very good and had no chance of survival). At 4:45 on a Sunday, the place was quite busy. My wife had made a reservation, and while they seemed to have some trouble finding us at first, the matter was quickly resolved, and we were seated promptly. The dining area is quite big and at first glance looks to be overcrowded; once we sat down, though, I found that it was comfortable enough. During my trip to the lavatory I found that it was easy enough for a 5'7", 230 lb guy to get there and back without any major traffic tie ups, despite the dinner rush. The toilet facilities were clean. Decor was nice, though the room was a bit dark. Music was not too loud, but what is it with Italian restaurants and Frank Sinatra? Italy is a beautiful country with a rich, centuries-old heritage of classical, opera, and folk music, just to get started; why is it that whenever restaurant owners think Italian, they immediately drag out Ol' Blue Eyes and say "There! THAT's Italian!" But I digress. We started with calamari, which arrived quickly and was quite good; not chewy, greasy or over-breaded. For mains, I went with the Chicken Saltimbocca, my wife had the Chicken Marsala (we always try to order different items and share with the other), and the kids had Linguine and Clams in White Clam Sauce and Fettuccine Alfredo. My wife and I each got a small Maggiano's salad as well. Again, the food arrived quickly, and was very flavorful. The salad was well balanced (some might have said it had too many red onions, but when you order anything with red onions, you know what you're doing) and had just the right amount of dressing on it. I would have like some pepper, but our pepper mill was empty. I will not hold this against anyone, since we did not ask to have it refilled. Main courses were very well prepared, with sauce being carefully used to augment the dishes, not hide or drown them. The only low point food wise was the completely forgettable angel hair pasta served with the chicken courses. I'd much rather see a vegetable as a side than a sad, uninteresting pasta which is obviously there only out of some sense of obligation to the restaurant's theme. Desserts (cheesecake, vanilla bean ice cream, and the toasted pound cake) were delicious, though I felt the portions were unnecessarily large. Overall, the food was terrific, cooked well and plated and served with care. Then there was the service. Our server Calvin started out mediocre and went downhill from there. We had to ask for bread twice (tables near us didn't have to ask at all); my wife's teacup stood empty unless she requested more hot water, and he seemed to be less and less available as the night went on. Halfway through the meal, he spilled my water glass, soaking the table cloth and my right leg. He said "Sorry," made a quip about looking like a rookie, gave me four napkins, then disappeared. Now, accidents happen, and I don't have a problem with the spill, but it would have been nice for him to at least help clean up the mess, remove the now drenched table cloth, or even offer to move us to a different table. He did none of those things. What he did do is refill my water glass which now contained the ice my wife and I had scooped up off the table - I didn't even get a new glass! Then we got to eat our dessert in a cold pile of soggy napkins. Now, I do not fault management for this incident - I didn't talk to a manager because I didn't want to cast more of a pall over my stepson's birthday, so they had no chance to address the situation then. However, with Maggiano's prices (we normally don't have that kind of money to spend on eating out), I think servers should be expected to know how to do their jobs without having to get the boss involved. Lastly, while other patrons had their leftovers boxed and bagged for them, Calvin just dropped the boxes for us to do it ourselves. Maybe not a big thing, but after everything else, it just proved that he simply didn't care to make an effort. All things considered, I will probably give Maggiano's another chance - one bad service experience does not outweigh the wonderfully prepared food. *UPDATE* After completing the online survey, I received $50 worth of gift cards from guest relations. Quite nice of them, I think.
(3)
Jimmy G.
We had an 8:30 reservation on a Saturday Night and arrived about a 1/2 hour early. We checked in immediately and we were told the table will be ready at 8:30. So we found a place to stand comfortably and I went over to the bar area which was packed with no seats available. I was unable to get the bartenders attention for the entire 1/2 hour we waited. Both bartenders made eye contact with me numerous times, but they never came close enough for me to order. I guess they don't give a crap, unless your seated at the bar. The food was good as it usually is, with huge portions, and a free take home serving on certain pasta dishes.The one thing I learned is that I will not arrive any earlier than 5 minutes before my next reservation.
(3)
Steve M.
Pretty good Italian food. I like the rigatoni D as well as their egg plant Parmesan.
(4)
Cameron H.
After leaving Our World Underwater, @ Rosemont, we decided to go and get a bite to eat. Since it was my partners sisters bday, we let her choose. She decided to go to Woodfield as there are far more options there than around the Rosemont Convention Center. After arriving, on a Saturday afternoon, we were seated within 15 min. Amazing actually. Then I ordered calamari as a appetizer for all to share. I also ordered a glass of red zin (trying to gain more experience with it).. The appetizer was good and the wine was good as well. As for my main course, I ordered: Chicken Saltimbocca Chicken breasts lightly breaded and topped with fresh sage, prosciutto and Provolone cheese, served in a garlic white wine sauce with caramelized onions. Served with angel hair aglio olio. It was very tasty. Typical for Maggiano's, the portions were large so I ended up taking half of it home. If in the area, I would go back. It is your typical Italian food in a typical Italian setting.
(4)
Valerie W.
I may have to say that this was the best Maggiano's experience I've ever had. And it wasn't just because I may or may not have been on a date. We sat at a high top in the bar, mainly so we could people watch. We each ordered a glass of wine, and I still think $12.50 for a glass of Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is high, but then again, I just started drinking the stuff... so I don't know, really. Upon opening the menu, I realized my beloved (and I mean BELOVED) mushroom ravioli was gone. Poof, into thin air. I legit almost cried. My date-or-non-date laughed. Our server, Denver, offered to check in the kitchen, as they sometimes still have it. Oh, joyous day, they did!! My mind was made up quite easily. He also suggested I fill out the online survey and make mention that the mushroom ravioli should have never left. My pseudo-date ordered spaghetti and meatballs, and we shared the bruschetta appetizer. The bruschetta was great, the ratio of tomato-to-basil-to-balsamic was just right, and the crostini was crispy. My mushroom ravioli was of course, to die for, and I took half of it home for dinner tonight. He said the spaghetti and meatballs were good, too. Best part? Tiramisu for dessert, my all time favorite dessert. It was perfect, like my mom's. The lady fingers weren't overly soggy, the mascarpone cream was just right, and the whole thing held up well, didn't mush all over the place. That's a good tiramisu. As I mentioned, Denver, our server, was polite and friendly, but also witty. We enjoyed talking with him, and even though he probably wasn't supposed to, he gave us other good restaurant recommendations! I would absolutely return to this location, especially if they bring back my mushroom ravioli. If they don't... I might just have to try something new.
(4)
Vito D.
Great food. Parking lot sucks, too small but there is valet parking you have to pay for.
(4)
Kaye D.
I remember coming here when I was a lot younger and I feel like the classy vibe has changed to it being more family oriented. We know about the "have 1 pasta entree and take the other 1 home". Seemed like a good idea, so the husband and I went out for a date night this past weekend. We were at peak serving time, so we waited for about 30-40 minutes. The lobby area was getting packed with people, and it seemed to flow into the bar area. We were seated near the rear of the restaurant, close to the kitchen and the tables felt like they were jam-packed together. I could have stuck my arm out and touched the person sitting behind me and at the table next to us. We had to wait a while before a server even greeted us. But from that point, we were taken care of. So I'll give them that. The crabcakes were good. I liked the sauce that came with it. As for the pastas, the husband tried the bowtie noodles one. It looked like it was just drowning in olive oil. The sundried tomatoes were good in it though. I had the pasta with the italian sausage (can't think of actual name right now) and I did like the flavor the sausage added to it. Otherwise, it was a standard dish. The portion sizes were pretty ridiculous if one person is supposed to eat that entree (it's family style though). So on top of bringing our dishes home, we had 2 other entrees that came with us (from the dinner deal). I had the 4-cheese ravioli and he had the spaghetti and meatballs, but alas, we ended up with 2 take home boxes of the ravioli. Uh oh, the order wasn't correct... but we didn't realize that until we got home. So whose fault is it really? You be the judge of that. And the leftovers continued to feed us for the next 2 days (we gave 2 boxes of it to family members). Yeah, we're done with Italian/pasta for awhile. Even though we went during the busy hours, I was not a fan of the bustling ambience despite it being a large restaurant (2 stars). The food wasn't terrible, but I've definitely had better (2.5 stars). I'll round down.
(2)
John D.
Love this place. I used to have my office nearby so I frequented here often for business lunches and functions. I have to say that every time I brought people here they left full of food and full of praise. Rarely do I have to worry about doggie bags at business lunches except here my guests would fight for who gets to take the leftovers home.
(5)
Terence C.
This is and always has been my favorite places to go for a romantic night out with the girlfriend. John is our regular server, he's humorous, helpful, and always suggests the best dishes. We often order the Rigatoni D in their carry out, the dish is to die for! I've recommended this to a large number of family, friends, and even customers at my work place.
(5)
Juliana R.
I can't get enough of Maggiano's! This place is always busy and I never mind waiting for a table because it gives me a chance to enjoy a tall glass of Peroni. They have an awesome special of ordering from the classic pasta section you get a second frozen pasta to take home free! I don't know how long they'll continue this as this has been going on for awhile but its a great deal!! The only annoying thing is whenever I call any maggiano's the people on the phone are really rude! But the food and dining service is always great!
(5)
Paul S.
Although not Italian by blood, I nonetheless feel Italian in my soul! Maggiano's is one of those Italian places that even your Italian grandma might approve of, if you had one. They start you off the correct way by serving freshly made European style bread that's hot and fluffy right next to olive oil bottles. On more than one occasion, I've eaten so much bread that I didn't have much space for the main course, which was a shame! I've been to this place a half-dozen times now and each visit has rewarded me with excellent eats and service. The bartender Julio really knows his stuff! If you want him to come up with some original drinks, you won't see him rummaging around for a recipe book. While most people visit Maggiano's for the pasta, there is an unsung hero that calls this place home. The salads here are fantastic and come in large portions. The Greek with fresh olives and greens is out of this world. Excellent service, fantastic food in large portions and a warm environment with Frank Sinatra singing in the background. Viva Italia!
(5)
Kathleen M.
When a favorite restaurant starts to slip, it's sad. I am mourning what Maggiano's used to be when an actual Lettuce Restaurant instead of just part of the frequent dining program in the Chicago area. We have been coming here for years for a family get together before Christmas. It just isn't the same. The portions are still huge, the family meal a good way to feed a group and the food is decent. Decent, not great. And it's like flying coach in a restaurant that was first class. They have crammed in so many tables that you are smushed in, crushed between tables on all sides. Take out a few tables and go back to first class quality.
(3)
Carmella P.
Well..... I went to the Maggiano's in Oak Brook when they were the hot new place in town which seems (and probably was) like decades ago. I was totally unimpressed and for lo these many years, remembered only the uncomfortable wooden chairs and the red & white checked tablecloths. Fast forward to my cousin's 50th birthday party last Saturday night at the Woodfield location: same chairs and decor with crowds that would barely let you pass to get through to the restrooms. And that was the good part of the evening! Our server was obviously not experienced with a table of nine people, and after he nicely but unwisely volunteered to divide up the checks, I knew we were in for it! It wasn't just that every dish of food he brought out was given to the wrong person or served at the wrong end of the table. But after I took custody of my 84-year-old Mom's doggie bag and dish of take-home pasta offered up by the "dinner for two" the waiter had the nerve to accuse me ot taking someone else's food and start digging through my carry-out bag! He eventually gave the food to someone else, and we had to wait & order ANOTHER lasagne for my Mom to take home while we searched for her doggie bag, which, BTW, was never found! Calling the entire experience a "cluster" is putting it mildly. Spotty service aside, Mom & I still agreed we would never, never, never go back since the food wasn't worth the aggravation of the place. With so many great little Italian joints in the Chicagoland area, how this place has stayed in business for so long is one of life's great mysteries.
(2)
Johnny T.
Another chain. Same 'burb. Another good experience. This is starting to be a habit. In the 6+ years I have lived in Chicago, I'd never once been to Maggiano's. When people would talk about it with great familiarity because -- of course -- I'd eaten there several times.... I nodded and laughed and feigned knowledge. Well, politico wife I am no more! I have eaten at Maggiano's and I have eaten well. It might not have been a typical experience. I came here for a wedding shower. So, I didn't have to deal with the small talk of getting to know my server, side-eyes at being out of things, etc. Much like my previous experiences with coming to Schaumburg, I got lost. Here's an idea, city planners: street names. They help. Once you're off a city grid and you're beholden to the twists, turns and tesseracts of suburban sprawl. It ain't pretty. After a 3 hour tour, I finally arrive at Maggiano's. I was hot. I was hungry. I was annoyed. Once I bounded the grand staircase and entered the private room, however, I was in a better mood. Yeah, it was wonderful seeing my soon-to-be-married friends and other smiling faces... but Maggiano's had Champagne punch waiting for me. All was well. The service was magnificent. Truly. The waiters were ubiquitous, yet invisible. This wasn't their first time at the rodeo. I appreciated their professionalism. The chefs, as well, knew what they were doing. Absolutely everything I ate (and I consumed my body weight) was delicious. The pasta was divine. The chicken was juicy and flavorful. The Caesar salad was appropriately salty and substantial, and the stuffed mushrooms made me sing. What made me weep WITH JOY, however, were the profiteroles and apple crostada. Words can't do justice to the quality and quantity, so I won't try. Suffice it to say that if you showed up at my house with either dessert, panties may or may not come flying off. Jus' Sayin'. PM me for my address.
(4)
Sarah S.
I had never been to this Maggiano's location before. The setup is nice but they definitely have some hosting issues. My friend and I were both head hostesses at another busy restaurant so we know how things should run smoothly...and their wait time estimates are way off. When people ask how much longer they have the hostess got very frazzled everytime. And they sat parties of 4 before parties of 2 that were on their list before them. They just have a very strange hosting system. It's all on the computer too which should mean they have zero estimation issues. We were told one hour and fifteen minutes wait....we ended up waiting 2 hours. 45 minutes over is quite a bit! Lucky for us, there is a connected Corner Bakery so we got drinks and sat ourselves in there for our wait. Once we were finally seated, we had an extremely nice waitress. We had some bread and our entrees were at our table instantly. We loved that. The portions are huge...and now with the buy a dish for 12.95, take a dish home...I got a total of 4 meals for that $13. Ate half of one at the restaurant and took the other half plus my free entree home. Loves it. I had the four cheese ravioli. It's not something I would normally order but at 1380 calories, it was one of the choices with the least calories. It was sooooo tasty! So cheesy and yummy and gooey. I loved it! I took Baked Ziti to go so we'll see how that is. Our waitress brought us some lemon cookies to go to make up for our wait. She was great, we ate & were out of there in 30 minutes. 2 hour wait for a 30 meal...it was funny! :P Anyways, although we had a great waitress I recommend other Maggiano locations. And definitely make a reservation!
(3)
Carm B.
This is unfortunately the worse Maggiano's location I've ever been to. I'll tell you why... The restaurant has a rank foul smell to it and soon as you walk in and it continues throughout the dining room. They have rug throughout parts of the dining room and they really smell (like old dirty pee actually) and it actually ruined my meal. They originally tried to seat us in a high backed booth (with obstructed view next to the wait staff area) and I asked to move to a table because I felt claustrophobic. The meal itself was not comparable to other meals I have had at other locations. Pasta was just ok and the chicken salad was equally uneventful and drowned in dressing. I was just not feeling it and truthfully I wouldn't recommend it. At least, until they do some cleaning and scrubbing. I will opt for the Oakbrook or Downtown locations any day.
(2)
Maren B.
I've been here a couple times for business lunches, which is almost awkward because of trying to pick out and share a family-style meal with your coworkers, but the delicious food definitely makes up for it. Any of the appetizers and entrees I've had have been amazing, and the desserts are literally the cherry on top. I can't decide between the tiramisu and the apple crostada as my favorite... That brings us to engagement party time, and since we weren't planning on throwing one ourselves, my MOH decided to take care of it. After looking around she decided that Maggiano's was the best deal. We booked the Capri room for about 40 people, heavy appetizers and a cash bar. Well the day before the party, someone from Maggiano's calls to say the Capri room has no heat and they can move us to a bigger, fancier room with no extra charge. Okay, no problem. My only gripe with this... the other room was not fancier, and we ended up getting charged a pretty penny more than what we had agreed upon. Also the bar didn't have much variety and some people ended up going downstairs to the full bar to get drinks. Kind of voids the point of getting a private room with a bar. Annnnddddd, the sweets table included tiramisu and apple crostada, which I was going to stuff my face with; however, they were definitely not the same as what you would get at a table in the restaurant. They ended up tasting deelish anyway, but why have two different versions of the same thing? I was confused. I will say, Maggiano's in general is a great choice for a meal, especially if you're with a good group of friends, and their event rooms are really classy, but do keep my pointers in mind if you're planning a special event there.
(3)
Jen R.
One of my favorite Italian restaurants. It's less Americanized than Olive Garden or Carabbas & in its own league. Service is generally fantastic & food is amazing. My favorite dish is the chicken & spinach manicotti. Loyal customer & highly recommend.
(5)
Melissa M.
My family and I are fans of Maggiano's and usually go for the family-style dinner for special occasions. However, we usually go to the Old Orchard location which I've always been happy with. Unfortunately, I didn't feel that this Schaumburg location lived up to our expectations. I went with a friend and we were just having dinner for two off of the menu. Our table was a little wobbly, but whatever... we just took care not to lean the wrong way. Our server was good... courteous and attentive. However, the expediters (the guys who bring out the food) were clearly in a rush. They would run over and dump your plate on the table and take off. No thought as to where to put the plate, to ask if everything was ok, if you needed anything... just dump and run. My friend didn't even have a chance to ask for a new steak knife since his was clearly laying in the steak sauce. The guy just took off... so we had to wait until we saw our server. The food was pretty good, but it was difficult to enjoy because we were now focused on how the expediters were running around dumping plates on tables. We decided to order dessert... two of my favorites... tiramisu and Nonna's pound cake. The tiramisu was excellent, but the other a total let down. Nonna's pound cake is supposed to have a warmed piece of pound cake (I believe it's usually put on the grill), caramelized bananas, & chocolate sauce... at least, that's how we've gotten it in the past. The pound cake we received was barely warmed and slightly hard... didn't seem fresh at all. The bananas were cut, sprinkled with sugar, and thrown on a pan for probably three seconds... they were still cold and hard and you would see the sugar crusted on them. Totally disappointed. It was a Saturday night, but the restaurant wasn't really that busy. It seemed like they were trying to get through the night a little too quickly. Think I'll be sticking to the Old Orchard location.
(3)
Sara M.
My sister used to be a server here way back when and I also was a hostess/drink runner. However, we did eat here before that, as well as after multiple times. The most recent time was for my engagement dinner with both parents, as well as my sister and husband. We got the family style and ate waaaay too much. I like that they consistently have good Italian fare - not super fancy. I do enjoy the side salad and the Rigatoni D, as well as the linguine with clams in a white sauce. I remember they used to have homemade chips, which were excellent. The fried calamari is also wonderful, as well as the veal piccatta. They gave us a free dessert since we were celebrating a special occasion but my personal favorite is the chocolate cake, which is decadent, rich, and creamy chocolate goodness. This place is always busy since it is right by the mall so I highly suggest you make a reservation. I have never had bad service or a bad meal here yet and will continue to stop in if I am in the area.
(4)
Nichole W.
This place is just not what it used to be. Our food was just OK. I probably won't be back for awhile due to the price point and several other better options in the same range. The food didn't seem fresh and was not flavorful.
(3)
Gregory R.
This is a consistently good place to eat. The waiter was great and very well versed on everything on the menu. The only drawback to the place was the bartender. I had to wait 15 minutes to get a drink while he was busy talking with friends.
(4)
Dennis S.
No complaints. Lots of good food and good service. Nothing was uniquely outstanding, but the family style presentation provided abundant food for a group of hungry coworkers. The bar area was comfortable, with great attentive service and a fun atmosphere. The dining room was crowded, but our waitress kept everyone happy and was always friendly. Standard Italian fare.
(4)
TRose H.
Will not go back, ordered orzo soup, it was cold so I sent it back. Waitress brought back hot soup but it was not the one I ordered then she proceeded to argue with me saying that it was the same. Salad arrived without salad dressing. Had to wait about 10 minutes before a bus boy brought the dressing. Ordered the ravioli in butter lemon sauce. The sauce was yellow but had absolutely no flavor. The dish must have been sitting under a heat lamp for quite some time because by the time it got to me the sauce had a film form on it! Totally horrible experience. Not good food by any stretch of the imagination.
(1)
Gerry X.
Ok.....I have eaten here before......and the food was good...and the servers were attentive. I am also fond of the founatin outside and the color of the flowers. Makes me wish we had eaten outside. We had appitizers of kalamari and focaccia bread, of which I had a small serving of. Kalamari seemed alittle bland, but the bread was good. I started with a wine was very nice...a Merlot with my Chicken Marsala, Slamon, Spinach Ravioli. (It was a group dinner, so each had to grab a serving) The salad was ok. The desert was a Tiramisu which was soft and a triple chocolate cake which was tasty. So why only 4 star? Because like the the last time I ate there....it just seemed it was a replay of the the same thing...nothing outstanding or new I guess.
(4)
Timothy H.
I wasn't really impressed. I, along with my partner and his best friend dined here recently, and it was just.....ok. I initially ordered the Shrimp Alfredo as my main course, but when it arrived you'd thought it was an entree. Only 4 shrimp in a main course? I sent it back for the chicken parm, and I always thought it was served with noodles. Not a noodle to be found. The chicken parm was good though. Service was ok too, hardly anyone in the restaurant but we had to wait a few minutes to place our orders.
(2)
GingerWine 0.
The mushroom ravioli is fabulous here!
(4)
Steven L.
Given that I'm Italian (half anyways) and my Mother's family is from Italy, it's really hard for an Italian restaurant to impress me. Food for an Italian really speaks to the soul. A bite of Mostaccioli with my Great Grandmother's sauce could make me all misty eyed. Sufice it to say, I'm a pain in the ass at most Italian restaurants. I inevitably end up comparing the sauce, the meatballs, etc to the cooking I was so spoiled with growing up. It's not uncommon for people to look at me and say "NOW what is it?" as I give the stinkeye to a meatball, or frown as I chew my less than al dente pasta. So when I went to Maggiano's I of course had a bit of internal bias already. However I am pleased to report that everything was fine. The food was very good. I actually preferred the atmosphere a bit more than the food to be honest and that's saying a lot. What was missing for me was that feeling of love that comes through in the food, like liquid garlic seeping through my pores. It's hard to explain. Maggiano's won't let you down if you're looking for a nice Italian dining experience but for me, I want that love I felt in the food too, and I just can't get that at a chain restaurant. Guess I need to stay home. (shrugs) Anyways, GO! Personal bias aside, Maggiano's is on my list.
(4)
Steve P.
Exceptional Rigatoni D. Chef greeted us as it was the first time in Maggiano's.
(5)
Jay S.
One of if the best Italian restaurant I have ever been to. The food and service.was excellent. If you go try Nonna's toasted poundcake it is the best desert I have ever had.
(5)
Review P.
Good pasta. I LOVE the beef medallion's! We got some kind of Onion stings for an appetizer and the taste was good but really hard to eat (messy by hand and hard to keep on a fork). Great place to eat!
(4)
John C.
Fantastic family style dinner for Aidan's graduation. Great chicken saltimbocca. Phenomenal!
(5)
Rhonda G.
As an Event Venue: Great food, tons of options for meat eaters, vegetarians, pescetarians, other-arians, etc. And if you've ever been to Maggianos for family style you'll know what I mean when I say the offering for events is similar but better. Tons of food! Cozy event space upstairs with access (via elevator) for those in wheelchairs. Staff is top notch during events and saw to every need of the group without coaxing.
(5)
Bill B.
A couple days after meetings friends next door at Corner Bakery for brunch, I came here to catch up with another friend over dinner. Maggiano's was a great place to do it - service was friendly and attentive without being intrusive, atmosphere was classy (great for a date) and not overly loud even when full, and the food was excellent. Be aware: Portions were universally large, so either plan to share or to take some home for tomorrow. Not that I particularly minded receiving a 6' diameter creme brulee... ;)
(4)
Charles S.
Ordered the Lobster Baked Tilapia... This was a good meal after going on a lasagna binge at home over teh past three days. The fish was baked just right with a crust of seasoning and lobster on top. The orzo was nice and the Peroni was cold on tap. A little pricey but the atmosphere and service I think justify it. Will try and visit the "local" one in San Jose and see if the quality maintains at 2,000 miles away.
(4)
Jessica K.
Food, fantastic! They are eager to change items to make them vegetarian. They have whole wheat pasta, and gluten free. Our waitress was ok..... I heard her complain a lot to other servers, which was sort of annoying. It was busy! Make a reservation, even for lunch. My margarita was also awesome!!
(4)
Brad R.
I came here in early January to celebrate a friends birthday. I was not very pleased. The service was marginal at best. I had eaten earlier as I am not a huge fan of italian food or the prices at Maggiano's in general. For dinner I ordered a bowl of soul and an appetizer of onion straws. I intended on munching on the onion straws with my friends as an appetizer then having the soup for dinner but much to my surprise the soup came out first with the other soups. I felt quite stupid having a gigantic plate of fried onion set down in front of me for dinner as if that was my meal for the night. Water was hard to come by and overall it was just not a very pleasant experience. When I go to a fairly expensive restaurant I imagine that the level of service and food quality will match my bill. That is not the case at Maggiano's. Barring some huge obligation to a friend I will not be returning. Keith, The server didn't ask, nor did I make any requests regarding the order. I just assumed that the onion straws would come out first.
(2)
Lily B.
Great service and friendly employees. Lasagna was great and got one free to go. Prices are reasonable, and food is great!!
(5)
Sarah S.
Unfortunately, the quality and freshness level is waaaay down, but their prices have gone waaaay up. What a disappointment. Next time I want Italian food, I'll go to Rosebud.
(1)
Megan M.
Can't go wrong with a dinner at Maggiano's. Surprisingly not too pricey, especially for what you get. Expect a wait if you don't come in with reservations. 45 min usually means an hour, btw. For appetizers, I suggest the fried zucchini. Oh baaaby!! It's perfectly fried with a lemon aioli cream sauce for dipping - borderline addictive. The calamari is top notch as well. Crab cakes are on the salty side - not my favorite. Rigatoni D ($14) is my go to dish...rigatoni with plump little mushrooms and juicy chicken. Enough to last me through dinner and lunch the next day! The lobster carbonara smells fabulous - must be the bacon they sneak into it. Eggplant parmsan is my sister's favorite, and the chicken picatta was popular amongst our group. Servers at the Schaumburg location are typically on the younger side. Ours from last night continued to ask 'you all good on drinks?' Guess he couldn't shed his gangsta' life while on the job. Guess that comes with the suburban location.
(4)
Shelby A.
After everyone raving about this restaurant, I figured I would try it out. Well when we entered, the hostess said we should wait 5 minutes tops. Well 20 minutes later, our buzzer still didn't go off and as a hungry customer I was pissed and gave them an attitude so they finally sat us after we watched 7 parties go in after entering after us. Unbelievable! The food was awful. I ordered some shrimp and crab pasta dish that was gross and my boyfriend ordered the Rigatoni D which was decent. For dessert I ordered their creme brulee. You know, I didn't think it was possible to mess up creme brulee but they succeeded in this. The shell was way too thick and the insides were cold! Icecream cold! Disgusting! Way to ruin my favorite dessert. I don't understand why people go to restaurants with overpriced crap food like this when there's better ones not too far away (like Viaggios. YUM!) I definitely suggest there than here.
(1)
Peter U.
Key Points: Yummy Pasta (whole wheat and gluten free options), Bread was da bomb, Classic Pasta (12.95) is eat one take one home, Service was moderate, Decor is classy. Nice enough for special occasions without having to break the bank. Maggiano's in Schaumburg is a great spot for lunch, dinner, or a company function. I have been to Maggiano's many times for work luncheons and the facilities, service, and food has always been outstanding. My work would give me gift cards sometimes (as a holiday gift) and I would take my girlfriend and family there to enjoy of yummy pasta. Last night, I called around 6:55pm. I asked if I could make reservations. They said I can, but the earliest would be for 8:30. I was like yikers!!! I then asked what was the current wait. She laughed and said, zero. I was like what!!! She was like hurry over. So I took my girlfriend and her mom to celebrate her mom's birthday (additional treat of just us 3 vs. the entire family meal that was today). I got there about 15-20 minutes later and was told about 20 minute wait. The lady recognized my voice and we joked about how fast zero turned into 20. So we got the pager to wait and about 10 minutes later, we got a table. I nice little surprise and a great way to start dinner. As we sat down, our waiter brought us waters and took our drink orders. I got an Italian Mojito...Yowzers they made it strong, so I felt like I got my money's worth for only 8-9 bucks. Also as the ice started to melt it got really yummy and help cut some of the edge of the liquor. My girlfriend got the frozen peach bellini. That was sweet and yummy too. My girlfriend's mom wanted a wine that was not to sweet and not to dry and without hesitation, the waiter said I have the perfect one for you. It was a white wine from new zealand. Nice body, a little on the dry side for my palette but good with her seafood pasta. The bread rocks. Nicely toasted and warm. Yummy. We shared a chopped salad for appetizer and it was fresh and was a great way to start out. It had bits of prosciutto, lettuces, avocado, tomato, blue cheese with a house dressing. It was great. I got classic pasta of a baked ziti and my girlfriend got the eggplant parm. Her mom got the shrimp scampi with pasta. All in all, the pasta was amazing, except the shrimp scampi was a little on the oily side. Also a great part was being able to take one home with the classic pastas. its like getting 2 for 12.95. I took a lasagna home and my girlfriend took an Alfredo. We finished with tiramisu that was perfectly prepared. Not to sweet and a great note to end. The only thing that limits me from the 5 star is that the dessert took so long to come out. I dont know if the lady fingers were being made from scratch, or he just was busy, but that really dragged the night a little slower and prevented a shopping spree at Nordstrom Rack, near by. lol prob for the best.
(4)
Carmella M.
Very nice restaurant, Had the shrimp and pasta and was delicious, was great service in here sat quickly not a wait on a tuesday night. we did the sampler dessert tray and was it perfect size for a party of 6. vallet parking is available and you will have to pay but there is plenty of parking at this location.
(4)
Katy M.
Me: "Can I have a gluten free menu?" Hostess: "Sure thing, and I will have a chef come out and talk to you..." It is so nice to be able to order gluten free pasta and having the chef come out was a nice, comforting touch. Even the white sauces (such as alfredo) is gluten free so the menu can be very gluten free friendly. That being said, there was nothing on the menu other than the pasta substitution that made it a fulfilling meal (i.e. breadsticks or gf breadcrumbs to make chicken), and with so many restaurant with a variety of GF options, Maggiano's wouldn't be my first choice for Italian food. It is a little pricey for what it was, and while the meal was safe, I prefer more creative food choices and a wider variety of choices.
(3)
Carolyn L.
The food here is good, nothing spectacular, but usually reliable. My former company used to order buffet-style portions for the employees at holiday times. There's nothing innovative about Maggiano's, but it can be adequate when you want to share some Italian comfort food with friends.
(3)
Vrunda M.
The best Italian food in the suburbs.
(5)
Kate L.
This review is solely for the gluten free pasta at Maggiano's. As many other reviews have stated, the portions are huge. However, the actual quality and taste of the gluten free pastas that they offer are not very good. Maggiano's uses corn pasta, and in the four years since i first tried maggiano's gluten free pasta, their pasta's quality and taste has remained the same. Meanwhile, other restaurants and brands that you can buy at the grocery are continually improving, so thankfully gluten free pasta no longer tastes like grainy cardboard. However, at my most recent visit to Maggiano's, my gluten free alfredo pasta tasted distinctly of grainy corn. I would have expected such a trendy, popular place to keep up with the advancements of gluten free products, but they obviously have not. I didn't like this place four years ago, and I still don't like it today. I'll be going elsewhere for my gluten free pasta fix.
(1)
Dallas F.
I went here for a wedding reception over the weekend and I was supremely impressed with the service. Its as if they anticipated my needs. Before my glass of wine would somehow magically become empty someone would ask "Would you like more miss"? Why yes. Yes I would. The food was just "mawvalous dawling, mawvalous". The gnocchi in vodka tomato sauce was the highlight for me. Im getting really hungry thinking about it now... All in all, it was just a great reception hall/banquet room. The impeccable service and stand out food makes Maggiano's worthy of a return trip- even if not for a banquet where everything is paid for.
(5)
Juliet L.
We had our wedding reception here a few months after our private wedding in Maui. We both wanted something in a nice space, with great food and great booze. Maggiano's definitely delivered. We worked with Chris, and he was awesome, very quick to respond to emails and calls, working out each detail. I planned the event myself and they made it very easy - I felt like I was in really good hands. We also did our own decorations and they put them all out, the room was absolutely beautiful. Our event coordinator the day of was Rafael, and he was so great. He handled every detail flawlessly and personally brought my drinks throughout the night. We had a little SNAFU during our event, and they were very quick to handle it to our satisfaction. Seriously, they have the best customer service ever, starting from the servers, all the way up to Brian, the General Manager. And all of our guests raved about the room, as well as the service, and food/drink quality. We got the calimari, stuffed mushrooms, beef tenderloin, gnocchi, profiteroles, and all of these were excellent. We got a lot of remarks that ours was the best reception people had ever been to. I highly recommend them for a wedding.
(5)
Joy S.
I was able to get a reservation for 5 here for Thanksgiving Day last week. We opted for noon, to accomodate plans with various branches of family, which turned out to be when they opened. Thankfully, the doors were unlocked before noon, so we could wait warmly inside. We arrived early enough to avoid the major crowd, and we were seated quickly. A mistake on my part was that when I made the reservation, the hostess asked if I was familiar with the menu, and I told her I'd looked online and had been there before. But I hadn't realized there was a special menu just for Thanksgiving. So I wasn't able to get my usual gnocchi with vodka sauce (soooo good). Instead, they had a family style Thanksgiving menu. While I was hesitant at first, and it was a lot more expensive than we anticipated, it all turned out very well! For the family style dinner: We were brought 3 different types of bruschetta, including original, a squash, and another vegetable I wasn't daring enough to try. We were given a choice of 2 out of 4 salads, we chose caesar and a chopped salad. They were accomodating to my nephew who prefers dressing on the side for the chopped. There were 3 meat choices, turkey, ham and fish. We went for the turkey and ham with cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and creamed spinach. The creamed spinach was absolutely amazing... with a sharp cheese flavor in the cream. We also had 4-cheese raviolis and angel hair pasta with sausage. Amazingly enough, we found room for dessert! My dad and I split a tiramisu, and my boyfriend and nephew opted for the pumpkin cheesecake with pumpkin-flavored whipped cream. We were technically only supposed to be able to order 2 types of dessert. But I explained to the waitress that my mom isn't supposed to have creamy foods, and asked if we could have an apple turnover just for her, and offered to pay extra. But we were told we could have one at no charge! They packed up all our leftovers, and didn't complain when we stayed an hour and a half to digest and conversate. Definitely made for a nice stress-free Thanksgiving! I'll probably suggest we return again next year!
(4)
Chris R.
We have been going to Maggiano's for years. I think I may never go again, on purpose anyway. It seems that Maggiano's has decided that Chili's business model is the one for them. Quantity over quality. Very disappointed. I had the Linguini w/red clam sauce. Where are the clams?? I asked our server about it and was told that 5 or 6 clams is what comes with the dish. Marinara was bland. My six year old didn't even like the spaghetti. The service was great which is why I gave it 2 stars instead of 1.
(2)
Adrian L.
The food was good the service was good. Here's what ruined the night... When we were done eating, we got up and walked to the door to get the car from the valet, when we got the car I realized I forgot my cell phone at the table so I ran back in and when I got to the table we were sitting at it was already cleaned and set for the new customer, the phone was gone. I asked the waiter if he saw it, he said no but checked with the bus boy to see if he'd seen it. He said he didn't either. I checked with the front kiosk, no one had turned it in. Seriosuly? The phone up and disappeared no where to be found. I know someone say it. Was it the waiter, the bus boy, someone else from the staff? Who knows, but I lost my phone and whoever found it didn't have the courtesy to return it. Needless to say that ruined my experience at this restaurant.
(2)
Lawrence Y.
Stopped on in for a business lunch recently. The ambiance is nice (i.e. nice enough for a casual or business lunch), which is really the first thing I noticed. Our server was very friendly and checked up on us many a time. (It was hard not to notice the other servers as well, but they all seemed like they were doing a good job staying on top of things too). One thing I do like about the menu is that they had a BOGO Free-To-Go special under Classic Pastas. Eat lunch now, have more for dinner later! I ended up ordering the Chicken Scaloppine (w/ lemon caper picatta). I wasn't too impressed by my first bite - but as I ate more and more, the flavors began their true course and easily became a favorite of mine. The pasta was cooked just right and had a perfect blend of oils. The chicken came atop a bed of delicious spinach. I typically like capers but could have enjoyed the meal with 10 less of them on my plate. But all in all a perfect choice for lunch!
(4)
Amanda H.
My husband and I had a gift card for Maggiano's so we thought we would order take out from the Schaumburg location. It's way too expensive to eat in for the mediocre food and over priced wine. Even the take out left a lot to be desired. Don't get me wrong, the food isn't bad, but it's just not worth what they charge you for! If I want chain restaurant Italian food, I think Olive Garden is WAY better. I was expecting more out of Maggiano's take out too. It looks like they take no pride in presentation, they just kind of threw the food in a container and sent it out. It looked completely unappetizing. Again, it's take out, I understand that it's not going to be superbly plated...but my dish (braised beef cannelloni) looked like dog food. Unless I receive a gift card, I won't be dining at Maggiano's again...not based on this experience but b/c I think there's better tasting, higher quality Italian places out there
(2)
Christopher O.
Since when did black and white stock photography and Sinatra portraits become the official certification for Italian restaurants? The wait staff earns all of these two stars. Great attitude and great service. The food isn't horrifically putrid, per se, but it definitively teeters on that unacceptable level of blandness.
(2)
Giuseppe D.
This Maggiano's location is a really nice establishment. The decor is very classy. The bar area when you first enter is a nice place to relax while waiting for your table. I wasn't too happy with the way the hostesses spoke to me and my date. But after a 40 minute wait and a little attitude we were seated. Thankfully the waitress was much more courteous. I ordered a glass of chianti and my date had the sangria. The sangria was surprisingly okay, and, as it should be, the chianti was good. We ordered the mushrooms as an appetizer which came as a fair portion size for two. We each ordered a different pasta. Growing up eating authentic Italian dining, I have no choice but to be a tough critic. I am aware that Maggiano's is a chain restaurant so I gave it the benefit of the doubt, and the meals were decent (I had originally expected them to be poor). This location has a valet service which is nice should you choose to it. The prices were pleasantly fair. Overall an average experience, nothing spectacular, yet nothing terrible.
(3)
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Address :1901 E Woodfield Rd
Schaumburg, IL, 60173
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes 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 : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Jessica K.
This place has amazing beef tenderloin cuts... or whatever it was called was absolutely delicious!!! And the waitress was very nice. Great experience!
(5)Leo r.
Too Much Garlic. OMG srvice was adequate Atomosphere ok To MUCH Garlic Destroyed my endocrine system. Not returning anytime soon.
(2)Some G.
ok food, I don't get how they're fine dining when their food seems like greasy carry out. One of the worst "Italian" food places I've been too
(2)Mike A.
Great food
(5)Angie E.
Dislike. I've had way better. Also overrated and expensive for nothing. Nothing stood out to me.
(2)Yvette C.
My fondest memory of Maggiano's was when my new boyfriend (now husband) brought me here for an intimate dinner prior to hitting up the club with some friends. It was a great night all around. The service was very friendly, the food was fabulous, and the portions are plenty! Another experience I had was trying to plan a wedding reception here. The planner was super friendly & helpful. In the end we decided to have a destination wedding and didn't need their services afterall.
(4)Ling L.
*Photos shot Update: Their lemon cookies ($5 for a dozen) are sweet and soft. My type of cookies. I thought it was fairly cheap for a dozen until I realized it comes in crescent shapes, not the usual round shape. So that's how they turn a profit.... --------------------------------------------------Â------------------------------------------ I am so hesitant and embarrass to rave about this place when I saw authentic Italian Peter F's review. Oh well.... I like it ... A LOT. I'm one for good tasting food at BIG PORTIONS for a fair price. Our group consisted of 3 adults and a child. We ordered the spaghetti, chicken parmigiana, baked ziti and sausage (the Chicago' Taylor Street) and the Rigatoni "D". Before I launched into our BIG mistake, let me get the basics out of the way. First off, there's the obligatory bread basket. Our server is oh-so-proper that a smile barely breaks on his face. No, he wasn't rude. Just proper. We arrived really late, about a quarter to closing time (9 p.m.), but he was nice enough to accommodate us, and even suggested he took our food order before the drinks. The decor is intimately warm, almost like a family warmth, but definitely can pass for a nice date setting. Warm woods, chandeliers, Sinatra music piped through. The food. Oh, my. I should've put one and one together when I saw a table of five adults sharing 2 dishes. My husband ordered a half order of spaghetti and meatball while we remaining 2 adults ordered a full order of the Rigatoni "D" and Taylor Street each. Our server even made sure it was half order that we wanted, but we corrected him and asked for full order --- we were famished. He arched an eyebrow but acquiesced to the guests. Cuz the customers are always correct, right? Not so, in this case. When our full orders arrived, we were bombarded by this FANTASTICALLY GIGANTIC BOWL of our orders. OMG, we had leftovers for next day's dinner and lunch. But the price is only $3 difference between the half and full order. Everything tasted wonderful. The sauces aren't overpowering, and the chicken in my Rigatoni "D" was delightfully tender. That's got to be almost a full chicken in that full order. The price is so right with the portion (full, that is). We now know that the next time we return, we would order a full order of an entree, a salad, and save room for dessert. They look huge, too. Our bill, which includes 4 entree, 2 glasses of wine, a lemonade, 2 side salads, came up to a reasonable $91. Not shabby, considering we got 3 meals out of it.
(4)Jessica D.
I can't believe I'm the first reviewer for this location of this great American-Italian chain! The food is served in huuuge plates and everything really is relishable and fresh-tasting. The room can be known to get loud with all the happy diners, but it's well worth it if you're in the mood for some Italian and a little touch of old New York. Start with a frosty peach bellini, and one of the fabulous appetizers, and then try the gnocchi vodka and a tall glass of iced tea, and don't miss one of the delicious desserts... be prepared to share! UPDATE: It looks as though there's another listing for this restaurant in Yelp under Maggiano's, that's where everyone else has been posting, my bad for not noticing it earlier! Though I'm not sure who added this entry if someone else already had one for this place.
(4)Mike T.
My wife decided she wanted to go here for her birthday, so we make reservations for 12 @ 6:30 p.m. on a Saturday night. We are promptly seated, it probably didn't take more than 5 minutes from the time we walked in the door to get seated. The manager was very professional and courteous. He asked if we were there for a special occasion and I said it's my wife's birthday. We did the family style thing, which is really the best way to go with a group. They offer 2 entrees, 2 pastas, 2 appetizers, 2 salads and 2 desserts for a really good price. However, they do not offer sides anymore. We really wanted Garlic Mashed potatoes and they were able to accomodate us with our request. The Mozzaralla Marinara is outstanding, it's like a giant Mozzarella stick, we also got the Calamari, which I didn't try since I don't care for it. For entrees, I dabbled in the Chicken Parmesean, which I absolutely love, the Salmon, which was outstanding and the Baked Ziti with sausage, which was great as well. We got the cheesecake and a very rich Chocolate Cake for dessert. I though they were going to have to wheel me out of the place. Overall, the food was outstanding for a great price. I'm looking forward to chowing on the leftovers today. The staff there was great as well. Our drinks were never empty, the staff was very attentive to us, which is a huge plus. Great experience!
(5)Keri M.
The food selection isn't that great. I can make better Chicken Marsala at home with a recipe found off of the internet. The service needs some adjustment as well. The last time I went our waitress dropped off the containers so we could box our own food. We looked around and saw everyone else had their food boxed and bagged and dropped off at their tables by their waiters. I didn't know if I should feel discriminated against or that she was just a crappy waitress. I'd say this place is great for high school kids that want to play adults and try and impress their girlfriends with a "fancy" meal. Also beware if they ask you if you want pasta with your meal. It is pretty much a side of spaghetti and they charge you $3 for it.
(2)Paul K.
Went here for Thanksgiving and it did not disappoint. We had bruschetta, two salads, two entrees, two pastas, and two deserts for $37 each. A great deal when you consider the food was outstanding and we went home with enough food for four more meals. The layered chocolate cake was out of this world.
(4)Mark L.
I ate till I popped. It was good shit.
(3)Malea I.
I was here for lunch and was VERY disappointed! I have to say I love good Italian food, but this is not that! They only positive I can say is that our server was pleasant. I ordered Angel Hair Pomodoro...now Pomodoro is traditionally fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and fresh basil. What I received was canned tomatoes with garlic, PARSLEY and oil. I think Prego would have been better. I pointed out to the waiter that it was parsley instead of basil and he said that was the way they made it. My husband ordered braised beef cannelloni. It had good flavor, but so rich you could only eat a couple bites. You are crammed in like sardines and it is so loud you can not hear the person sitting next to you. I actually think Olive Garden is a step up from this place. Again, if you want authentic Italian...this is not the place! There is such great Italian in the Chicago area. It is not worth it to even give Maggiano's a second thought!
(1)Julie D.
I was so depressed when I walked into this restaurant. I didn't have a reservation and there must have been 30 people filling the entry, waiting for a table. Lucky for me, they were all with large groups waiting for space and I was on my own. I got a table right away. The restaurant was very beautiful, rich dark woods, ambient lighting and alive with activity. This place was also loud. Some of the tables were placed too close together and I got one of those. I almost felt like I was intruding the privacy of the gentleman behind me. But that turned out to be a good thing because he offered recommendations for my dinner. I started off with a chopped salad. It was chopped iceberg, tomatoes, crumbled bleu cheese, onion, crispy Prosciutto and yummy avocado with house dressing. Very good. For dinner I had the much yelped about Rigatoni "D". But I did mention to my server that I wasn't really in a chicken mood, so he substituted shrimp. This dish as awesome! I opted for the "half" portion. But it was still too much for a normal person. Also, they don't skimp on alcohol is their drinks. One cosmo here sent the room spinning. I love this restaurant and will be on the look out for a location near me. The food is great and the service is attentive.
(5)Carol Y.
I went here last night for my birthday. I needed a decent place to go that wasn't going to break the bank. Enter Maggiano's. I made a reservation last week with my open table app. (awesomeness) Reservation was for 7pm and we arrived 5 minutes early. We were handed a pager and asked to wait. It wasn't really a wait because we were seated at 7 on the dot. The hostess sprinkled some cute confetti on the table in honor of the birthday girl (ME!). I thought it was a nice touch but that may just be my inner child speaking. The table decided to dine family style. We ordered chopped salad, casear salad, stuffed mushrooms, spinach dip, lasagna, linguine with clams, chicken tortellini and another dish that I can't remember. Dessert included creme brulee and tiramisu. I think there may have been a little too much for our party of 4 people. I was very happy with ALL the choices. I usually go for veal but I decided to go a different route this time and get something everyone can share. The food was great, the service was impeccable. FYI, the pomegranate martini is AMAZING. I have always loved eating here and will continue to do so. Reservations are strongly recommended. The wait at 7pm was over an hour and we got in within 5 minutes.
(4)Kelly C.
The food is so good. We were starving and they did a great job with our party of about 15. We got family style and the food kept comin! I was stuffed after the apps...but continued to stuff food in my face because it's THAT good. By the time the cheesecake was in front of me, I didn't think i would move, yet somehow the fork found it's way to my mouth. No control. WAH.. This place is HUGE. and was packed, so make a reservation!
(5)Beth G.
Meh. Another office party, another family-style dinner. I had such high hopes for a great Italian carb overload. I left really let down, and totally not full. They have the same spinach-artichoke fondue as Wildfire does (not surprising, since both restaurants are part of the Lettuce Entertain You chain), it's just called something else here. The bruschetta was decent. They also have the same Caesar salad as Wildfire, and probably 1,000 other restaurants in a 25 mile radius. I mean, it's romaine, croutons, and parmesan cheese, right? Not exactly rocket science. I will say that their spinach salad - with its bacon, pine nuts, and gorgonzola cheese - is pretty damn good. I will also say how very sad it is when that was the shining star of the entire meal. That, and the friendly wait staff who kept my glass of Merlot filled at all times. On to the pasta. Gnocchi with tomato-vodka sauce: I've had better. Actually, the best tomato-vodka sauce I have ever had came from a jar and was part of a "pasta sauce of the month club" my ex had given me as a gift one year. Wish I could remember what it was, but I digress. Nothing spectacular here at all. Chicken pesto linguine: a sticky, clumpy, unappealing mess. I passed. The entrees then arrived. Whoops, you know how I said that the spinach salad was the highlight of the meal? My bad, I had forgotten about the salmon. Now THAT was some good stuff. Apparently everyone else at my table thought so too, as the bastards scarfed it all up before I could get a second helping. They left the chicken parmesan alone, as did I. Average cheesecake and average tiramisu. I'm not much of a dessert person so I only had a bite or two of each. Mostly because I was still hungry. One thing I will comment on that I found unusual for a large group and a family-style dinner. Nowhere else have I ever seen so much uneaten food get cleared off the table. I'm pretty sure half of the world's hunger problem could have been cured (even if for just one day) with all the food that everyone (including me) thought really sucked.
(3)Pal S.
Very nice place for a date. They have one of the best cheese ravioli's. for vegetarians the two main options are the cheese ravioli and gnocchi. The mixed sauces in the ravioli are delicious.
(4)Phillip A.
My wife and I had a wonderful/lunch/dinner meal here today. Huge portions of quality italian food. You get alot for your money. Pastas are cooked to perfection. My wife had the salmon and loved hers as well. You will almost always be bringing a doggy bag home. This was at least are 5 visit to this location in the last 12 months. The Oak Brook,il location is just as good......but can be very busy at peak hours.
(4)Matt T.
THis was our first time actually being successful at getting a table here. I have tried two other times and each time either couldn't get in or had to endure a ridiculous wait time. The food is good. Its not great, but its very good Italian food. I had the liguini with red clam sauce, and my fiancee had the braised beef over couscous. We had calamari for an appetizer. FOr my dish, the liguini was perfect (aldente, almost "dry" but thats how I like my pasta) but the clams were a little gritty. For a red clam sauce, I have seen a lot more than the marinara based sauce that this was, but it had some zing to it and all in all, wasn't too bad. The portions are huge, even for the 1/2 order we had. My fiancee had the braised beef, which was quite tasty save for it being too salty. So the food was good. Not great, just good. And thats my problem with this place. We paid - and waited for - first class dining. We didn't get it. Two entrees, two drinks, and an appetizer of this quality should not clear $50. Ours did. We also had to pull teeth to get a reservation on a Friday night. And finally the service was what I would describe as mediocre at best - very much in line with the other reviews we have seen about this place on Yelp. We waited 10 minutes for the waitress to refill our nearly empty parmesan cheese tin. Our waitress was very friendly, but she wasn't around a whole lot. It was very obvious she had too many tables to look after, but I would call service sluggish at best. We only felt like leaving 15%, and we're usually generous tippers. So to sum up? Food that was pretty good, and a dining experience that was anything but. How this place consistantly remains packed (or in business, since I am griping) is a mystery to me. There are a number of good italian restaurants within 15 minutes of this place, and there is a great one 5 minutes from my house in BFE South Elgin. All of them are cheaper, have better service, better food, and no waiting on a Friday night. Seek these places out and support them. Mediocre restaurants like Maggianos doesn't deserve the crowd they pull in. And yes, I agree with the others - this place is WAY overrated.
(2)Sonia B.
Lovelovelove this place. The food is delicious, the service is fabulous, and the atmosphere is bustling, yet cozy at the same time. Is that even possible? Yesss, it most definitely is.
(5)Johnny B.
Been here a few times and another few times at the Grand Ave. location. As usual, service is very good and attentive. Me and this evenings Hot Copy had our drink order served and I asked for the Calamar appetizer. This was a great choice this evening. It came out piping hot and NOT overcooked. It was not chewey or leathery. Great timing by the appetizer cook. Of course you have the warm bread, tasting like it just came fresh out of the oven. Of course add to that the EVOO and Parmegian (Reggiano??). I ordered the frutti de Mare Maggiano style. This equates to a little shy on the seafood but lots of Pasta. I mean LOTS of Pasta. I wish they would tone down the quantity of Pasta. My Honey ordered breaded chicken (sorry but the full name escapes me), Two huge pieces of breast meat lightly coated and seasoned to perfection. Both of us needed to prepare a take home for Fido (my middle name!). Good place around Woodfield that will satisfy anyone's appetite.
(3)B Z.
Went there with family for Thanksgiving. I was a bit unsure about this, never having been to this restaurant and hearing they had over 1000 reservations for Thanksgiving dinner. My concern was totally unfounded. Service was impeccable, friendly, great sense of humour. Food was out of this world! Portions were huge and if we wanted some more of anything- it was promptly delivered with a smile. Desserts were absolutely amazing. We ended up taking a lot home and had enough for lunch the next day. Not cheap, but with such a delicious meal, wonderful service ..worth every penny. We will be back. Soon!
(5)Ashoey B.
This is my absolute favorite resturaunt! The dishes are amazing and I cannot say enough how much I enjoy the food. The atmosphere is very "Chicago" with red and white checkard tablecloths and white linens. There is usually a wait, but I would recommend making reservations online.
(5)Kristin S.
Drove out here on a week night with a friend to get her measurements done for her wedding dress fitting at Demetrios down the street. Around 7pm there was a 20 minute wait for two on a Tuesday night. Crazy! It's in a very pretty location with a nice outdoor patio overlooking a lake with a fountain. Still, we had a glass of wine at the bar and were seated in a few minutes back in the back of the restaurant (by about 20 empty tables which was kind of weird). Our server was great and I always ask for recommendations which she supplied and I followed with great success. First off about the food, I'm not sure anyone except championship eaters could polish off a full serving here. We had the half portions of everything and still had PLENTY of leftovers. We started with the fried zucchini after our server told us she had it at her bridal shower. It was unbelievably crunchy. Very good with the lemon aioli accompanying it. I had the Hill at St. Louis special. I don't remember what it was called, but it was chicken lightly breaded with parmesan alongside an arugula salad with a couple smashed, crispy potatoes. Half portion again, but I had a full chicken breast, three potatoes and a big salad on the side! My friend got the garlic shrimp with the wheat penne and she seemed to like it, though there was SO much pasta for leftovers. Overall, I'd go here again, but I'm not much of a "chain restaurant" kind of girl when in Chicago, so I'll save a return trip for when I'm lost in the Midwest somewhere and my alternatives are things with apples or olives in their names.
(4)G T.
Home from dinner at Maggiano's. Family and I enjoyed our meal, of course we are all stuffed. Highly recommend. The OVERLY sweet sangria cost Maggiano's a star. My two cents: go for a hearty cab or Pinot...avoid the sangria. Of course the food is awesome.
(4)Miranda G.
I was in Schaumburg for business. I ordered one of their favorites - Baked Ziti and Sausage, in half portion. Still huge.....OK, not bad. When I saw the chocolate cake, Mama Mia, it's so huge! Two or three times bigger than others and it tastes wonderful, chocolate melts gracefully. I think I will come again.
(3)Kathy R.
First-class dining experience. To get the obvious out of the way: Yes, it's a chain, it's in Schaumburg, there are children with families in evidence and there are patrons whose attire suggests they just came from a luau (or a pick-up basketball game). None of the above bothered me or my husband, when we recently ate a magnificent dinner here for our anniversary. Our booth was spacious and comfortable, and the noise level loud but not intrusive to our conversation. Our waitress was helpful and - considering it was a very busy Saturday night - efficient in taking our orders and bringing/refilling drinks. A voluminous menu awaited us and I chose the veal and mushroom ravioli, which was delicious (the sundried tomato pieces added the perfect sweet touch). My husband splurged and got the veal chop - can you tell we're veal fans? - and pronounced it one of the best cuts of meat he's ever had. It's no small praise from him. He was expecting a steak-like cut of meat, but it was instead like a rib. I tried it and confirmed the meat was very tender and flavorful. Everything else we ate and drank was good, from my Riesling, to the profiterole dessert we shared. Maggiano's portions are famously huge. If you order a full portion (only $3 more than the half portion), prepare for leftovers. But they reheat well; Maggiano's box lids even have reheating instructions on them. Days later, I'm still salivating over that ravioli. It was that good.
(4)Christina Z.
FIRST TIME THERE AND WILL DEFINITELY BE GOING BACK! The food was AMAZING and so was the service. My b/f had the Rigatoni D. and I had the Ziti. Both were extremely large and both were beyond amazing! I think next time though I'll get the Rigatoni D it was phenomenal. We both also left with left overs which were even great the second day. For dessert I had the Peanut butter bar and it was AMAZING! I highly recommend it! The service was exceptional and I really enjoyed how our drinks were always filled. It was excellent!
(5)Kimmi H.
Server Danny and manager Brian were amazingly friendly and helpful, especially when they learned that I eat vegan. They both made great suggestions for what off the menu I might enjoy, and ended up speaking with the chef who put together an awesome variety of absolutely blow-your-mind deliciousness! LOVED my experience both with the people and the food, everyone should eat here!
(5)Kristina K.
Reliable, hearty Italian food for the masses. Good service and hot food. No complaints.
(4)Carlos G.
We went there for Easter Brunch. The spread was very good although a bit restricted and repetitive. For this type of establishment I would expect a bit more inventive and home style. The dessert table was a tad restricted. For $39 a pop it was ok but we wont repeat.
(3)Rebecca L.
I went here with my family for lunch and I ordered the Linguine with Clam. It was ok. The clams were a little gritty, and the noodles were sort of hard. I think the rest of my family didn't really have any complaints with our food. Our server was very patient and managed to provide adequate service even though we were there during the lunch rush.
(3)laura o.
This past weekend we held a baby shower for my daughter-in-law at Maggiano's. I really didn't want to do the whole heavy Italian food thing, so I went with brunch. What a great idea! We had about 40 guests and were in the Capri and Board rooms, which were just slightly separated by french doors. I loved the decor - very prettty old-world Italy, with the heavy carved wood bar, ornate mirrors, etc. The catering manager, Chris Janczak was extremely accomodating, working with me on the menu and handling every little detail. Everything was set up in advance with linens, flowers, music and the staff was very professional and super-helpful. O.K. now for the food! We had tomato/spinach and cheese frittatas, apple crispelles (tiny apple crepes!), smoked bacon, sauteed potatoes and onions and tons of beautifully prepared pastries and fresh fruit. The champagne punch and coffee were on the bar, with plenty of glasses, cups, saucers and cocktail napkins. It was a FEAST!! Everything was piping hot and delicious. The best thing was they just kept on bringing more for us. It was awesome. Everyone who attended was so impressed and pleasantly surprised to see this gorgeous brunch, rather than a heavier lunch. As people were leaving, they brought little containers and bags so that everyone went home with some of the delicious crispelles or fruit or cookies. It was just so nice. They also helped us out with all the gifts, loading them on to a cart, which saved us a zillion trips to the car. I would highly, highly recommend Maggiano's for any upcoming events - and go for the brunch! It is outstanding!
(5)Brandy M.
Love the food here. Bit of a nosy atmosphere, and need some better drink specials, but great food. And the desserts make up for it all!!
(4)Ulanka B.
I LOVE this place. It reminds me of the tastes and smells of the restaurants in Naples. Gotta go to place every time I get the opportunity when I'm home.
(5)Raymond M.
Good Italian food and large portions. How can that be bad! Well you'll have to unbutton your pants by the end of your meal. Always had a good time at Maggiano's. I have yet to be disappointed. And the service was awesome! That guarentees a large tip from my table!
(4)Peter F.
I am Italian, and this place does nothing for me. This is "peasant food." There is no imagination here at all. It is like going to your "uncle Loui's for dinner with all your cousins and eating on a ping pong table in his basement. Yes, the food is OK. Yes the service is OK. Yes the prices are OK but for cry sakes give me some imagination and something creative.
(3)Nick N.
I was happy in every way with this restaunt. I ordered the chicken parmesan, which came with two huge pieces of chicken, a whole bowl of spaghetti, a cup of soup, and lots of bread. Everything tasted great, and despite the fact that this is an upscale place, only costed about $15 dollars. The waiter and manager were nice and helpfull, and promply answered several questions I had. I will certainly be returning to eat here.
(5)Dee W.
I've always been to Maggiano's for work functions and always remember being stuffed ridiculously full of yummy food and great wine. However, I came here last night with three other people and we decided to try out their family style dinner which was $25.95 per person and it was such a steal. We started off with two appetizers (calamari and mussels) which were fabulous and they were so good that we ordered refills (for no extra charge) and two salads (the spinach and Maggiano special). At that point, we were already getting full but on top of the appetizers and salads, we still had two pastas (lasagna and fettucine alfredo) and two entrees (chicken marsala and beef tenderloins) to go AND two desserts. Wow - we were so stuffed and brought back leftovers to last us at least two more meals. Oh, yeah - you can also pay a little less to eat just appetizers, salads and desserts. What a fabulous deal :) My only complaint is that the bathroom is downstairs and hidden away in the corner. On a side note, they do have banquet rooms downstairs and we did get a private closed off room for a company holiday party here - they were great to work with, food was fabulous, and the price was just right.
(4)Chris D.
Okay experience, had to beg for refills.
(3)Numera Q.
I went to Maggianos for lunch with my friend for his birthday. He made the reservation, but I called and told him it was his birthday so that they could do something nice for him. We were seated at a booth, which had little blue stars sprinkled across the tablecloth. There was also a note from Maggianos thanking us for celebrating his birthday with them. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms right, which we had been craving for months. It was like heaven! Then we ordered some Seven Daughter Moscato which was also excellent, perfectly chilled. Then we ordered our food, the pastas took a very long time to be made. We realized we should have ordered the appetizers and pastas at the same time and we wouldn't have to wait that long, but it was still nice. We ordered Fettucine Alfredo and Four Cheese Ravioli, they were both delicious! Then after we were done with the food, they brought out lemon cookies with a candle lit in the middle for his birthday. It was perfect, exactly what I had asked for. They definitely made his birthday special. The waiter also came frequently and was very attentive.
(5)Blake J.
I have gone to this Maggianos several times now, and it is always a good experience. The service is good and the prices are always good. They give you a decent amount of food, and they almost always have the buy one get one to take home deal going on. This is a good place. Well spaced tables, and the atmosphere is nice.
(5)Stacey D.
Maggiano's used to be a good place. They used to have good food and good service, with a fun family gathering atmosphere. That's all changed. Now they cram as many tables as they can in a room where 75% of the diners' backs are flush against beams or sticking in the maze they consider walkways. It seems everything that was ever good on their menu has been removed. Their stuffed artichokes reminded me of my aunt's, gone. Their farfalle with chicken, spinach, asparagus, and sun dried tomatoes, gone. There have been a few other things, but I can't specifically remember what; because there was always a back-up entre. Not anymore. The servers are assholes. They have too many tables to tend to any of them adequately, so all patrons suffer with poor service from overworked stressed waiters/waitresses. We always have a reservation, and we always get seated 30 minutes after our scheduled time. It's not ok that we treat a reservation with a restaurant like we treat habitually late relatives, and exaggerate the desired dining time an hour early to ensure a reasonable mealtime. Due to family and work events, I've been here three times in the past 2 weeks. Each time, I saw that my drool-inducing farfalle dish had been removed from the menu. The first two servers were able to accommodate my request. (The first begrudgingly.) Last night tops the cake. "Nope. Don't have it. Not on the menu." Well, they made it last week. "Nope. Not on the menu." Fine. I'll get nothing. So I ordered nothing, figuring I'll pick off my parents', sisters', and husband's dishes. Everyone's meals was grosser than the last. I'll never return to Maggiano's. If I want to sit in a crammed room eating dog food, I'll go to the local VFW for a salad supper.
(1)Brittany Q.
I always have a wonderful dining experience at Maggiano's. The food is always served hot and fresh and the service is always great. We actually went to Maggiano's to look at holding our wedding reception here and had lunch as well. I must admit I love their new classic pasta menu. When choosing from the dishes on that section of the menu, you get to eat one entree and take another one home all for $13! not only does it taste wonderful but the price is perfect! the facility is clean and well staffed. This location is extremely popular due to is proximity to the Woodfield Mall and Streets of Woodfield so i suggest trying to make reservations on line if you'd like to be seated right away, otherwise you are given a pager and you'll have to wait quite a while. We did not chose this Maggiano's as or reception but we did choose the Maggiano's in Naperville and look forward to have a lovely wedding reception there.
(4)Melissa B.
Anyone who says this place has great Italian food doesn't know great Italian food. I mean, how can a chain Italian restaurant really taste that authentic? I've gone here a few times, thinking maybe it was the place to be because you always see such huge crowds. WRONG! Nothing about any of the dishes are special to me and believe me, I gave this place multiple chances.
(2)Al S.
Reservations recommended! My date and I had 6:30 PM reservations on Saturday; the wait without reservations was 2 hours. The restaurant was PACKED! We arrived at 6:10 and were seated after about 20 minutes. Appetizer shared was the Calamari Fritte and marinara sauce; 4 stars. My date enjoyed her Chicken Francese, giving it 4 stars. I had the Linguine di Mare, which I can only give 2 stars; the pasta was under-cooked and in my opinion the entree lacked an adequate amount of the listed lobster, crab, and shrimp. Service and wait times were good, considering the immense crowds in the restaurant. The parking situation leaves much to be desired. If you don't enjoy walking a block to and from your car, be prepared to pay $5 (plus tip?) for valet parking. Overall recommendation: for family style dining, a good value; for intimate or casual dining you may be better off at a smaller local establishment where more personal attention can be found.
(2)Sabrina P.
I experienced accomodating and kind banquet service for my wedding reception back in October. Maggiano's staff was very easy to work with and very professional throughout the planning journey. The food, well, I received plenty of compliments. Thank you for providing such excellent service.
(4)Sonali K.
I'm not the biggest advocate for chain restaurants, but I have to give Maggiano's in Schaumburg a pat on the back for being consistenly good with food and service. My best friend and I live over an hour apart and sometimes the best place to meet is half way in Schaumburg. Our spot has become Maggiano's. The service is always friendly and we are never rushed out of there. We always split the chopped salad (she gets the bacon on the side) and the half order of the mozzarella marinara. I think it's a great place to catch up with old friends in a laid back environment.
(3)Richard K.
I enjoy this joint, however if you try and dine at certain times, its WAY TO CROWDED so call ahead. You get way too much food for the price and the quality is ok. I must say that the gnocchi here is a good selection served in a la vodka sauce. YOU SAY A LA VODKA? Its a good sauce when prepared correctly. I've been here for parties over 15 people and just 1v1. I enjoyed myself w/ both styles and was well taken care of everytime. Just call ahead to make sure it wont be too busy.
(3)John H.
I held a party here for relatives and friends to celebrate my Dad's 80th. Very nice and very professional. No problems and the food was wonderful. It was a great place to do such a thing and very inexpensive considering there were at least 100 people. The cake came from a bakery and was delivered so I do not know about their sweets.
(5)Stella S.
I don't think this place is worth the wait. My cousin makes better homemade marinara sauce than this place has and in my opinion, it's always all about the sauce! It does have a great atmosphere though and typically good service.
(3)Jenna B.
Loved the food and awesome service!! We came to Maggianos to celebrate our anniversary and from the moment we walked in we were taken care of. First my boyfriend had called in ahead of time to ask if they could write happy anniversary on the plate of whatever we ordered for desert and they said they would be happy to. Well we arrived and were quickly seated once we arrived to our table it was sprinkled with confetti hearts and a hand written note thanking us for celebrating our special day with them and gave us well wishes for the future. This was very sweet and completely un-expected. We then decided on the appetizer and two entree deal which is an amazing deal! The food was awesome! we had calamari which was the best I have ever had! and the main courses were out of this world! while we were enjoying our appetizer another waiter came to our table with a small plate of stuffed mushrooms and said these are from the chef he wanted to wish you a happy anniversary. Yet another very sweet touch and again totally unexpected. Our server and unfortunately I don't remember her name but she was AWESOME! she was blonde with her hair pulled back and on the taller side from the moment we arrived she was very sweet and caring. Once we were finished we ordered our desert and decided on the tiramisu our waitress came back and had made a heart out of regular bday candles and sure enough the plate had happy anniversary written in chocolate :) on top of all of this she also had in her hand a trey full of mini samples of every desert they have there. She said this is also for you and I hope it helps make your special day a little sweeter- seriously awesome at this point I couldn't believe it. I have never had service like this anywhere and it honestly did make our night we left with huge smiles on our faces and another great memory. We will definitely be coming back here to celebrate again the food and service were awesome and the price was amazing we were very impressed! You must go and check it out!
(5)Kristin A.
Went a group of friends this weekend. It's all you can eat with the family style and they let you take leftovers! I think we left with about 10 boxes of food. We're still munching on it for lunch two days after we left. The food was delicious. I'm not big on spices so this was a good taste for me. It's more of comfort-american-home-made type italian food, rather than what most people would call great authentic italian food. The drinks were a bit pricey I thought. 10 bux for each martini, but they're big martinis so it made up for it. The server was great. He kept up with us on a busy friday night and was attentive to when our drinks needed filling, etc. The check was $300 for the 6 of us (that included tips and 8 martinis).
(4)Jennifer W.
I think I have been to every Maggiano's in the Chicagoland area, which isn't much of a feat, but each one is a little different than the others. Where this one has more banquet facilities, the dining room is also a bit larger (or at least it felt like it) than Oak Brook. But we still felt like we were jammed in the room. We had a party of 7 (4 adults and 3 kids). We ended up ordering family style and had Chicken Parmesan, mushroom ravioli, a gluten free pasta (kid with allergy) and the kids ordered their own meals. Everything was served quicky and hot and was good. Sure it isn't someone's grandma's recipes, but it is good for the money. For the 7 of us, no drinks, but our bill was $91 with tip. Not too shabby. At least their food is consistent at all locations. that is comforting.
(4)Megan O.
I have planned two corporate dinners at Maggiano's, and I think it's great for a group due to the variety of food and abundance of vegetarian options. With the family style menu, there is something for everyone (and plenty of it! There are always ridiculous leftovers!) People seemed to really enjoy both events and I'm sure they will request the venue for a future dinner. With that being said, if I had my say we would not plan another event at Maggianos. As the coordinator, it felt a bit as though they were doing me a "favor" by allowing me to bring them my business. On the first occassion, we did not arrange for a private room but had a large table in the main room for 35; our group was not allowed to be seated until at least half arrived, so about 10 of us had to awkwardly stand by the door for 20 minutes while our tables sat empty across the room. A bit unneccesary on a Tuesday night when the restaurant was half filled at best and when we were guaranteeing 35 meals plus alcohol. On the second occassion, I contracted for a private room. On the whole the experience was better, although they ignored my seating arrangement request and the bartender was missing for random periods of time for about half of the night and we only had one waitress for the whole room. I think the main issue in both cases was communication between the events department and the staff. Also, just a sidenote, we had an enormous amount of extra food at the end of both events. Considering the per person cost of dinner there, I would rather that they decrease the family sized portions and charge less.
(3)Sean M.
A nice place, service was very good. Food was good but not great for the price. I enjoyed the Tuscan Sausage & Orzo soup and did the traditional Moms Lasagna which was ok.
(3)Bill S.
This was my third visit to Maggiano's. The ambiance is great with Sinatra crooning the background, dark wood walls and the low lights. The food is OK but in my opinion it is over powered by the saltiness of the sauce and other meats. It is your basic Italian dishes that they cover with lots of sauce, too much. They serve family style which is probably better for larger groups. Will I go back? I think I given them plenty of chance to convince me but the food is lacking, so no.
(3)Matt Y.
I agree with some of the other posters, Maggiano's is over rated! Went there with the wife for a Sunday dinner, the waiting time appeared to be long according to the amount of people waiting to be seated but we were seated within 10 minutes. Our server took 10 minutes to come to greet us and bring water. We placed our appetizer and main dish order at the same time and he forgot to bring my soup. Our waiting was only attentive to my wife, not one time did I receive a refill glass of water or beverage. The food was excellent, I had the spinach and chicken that I highly recommend and the wife had the shrimp Alfredo that was good also. I would had loved to given Maggiano's a high rating but Juan knocked it way down with his lack of customer skills. Maybe we will try them again.
(2)Bella D.
Great food and great service! Great take out and great dining experience! Lov my Maggiano's!
(4)Chris M.
Have only been here twice. Once this weekend and once a few years ago. Wasn't impressed then, and still not impressed now. Good classy decor, over crowded with tables. Waitstaff and guests both walked into my chair numerous times throughout the meal. The food is very good. Its just ridiculously over priced. Especially when I see on the take home bag it reads "we proudly serve Barilla brand pasta" REALLY? That isn't something to be proud of for an Italian eatery. When you charge upwards of $20 for a pasta entree you should be making that pasta from scratch. I can buy a lb of Barilla pasta at the grocery for about $2. There's no way the sauce costs $18 to make. Even the non pasta dish we tried, the Chicken Marsala, wasn't particularly special. It was only OK. For the prices they charge they should be cooking from fresh, which means the only thing the kitchen buys are INGREDIENTS. If you don't mind spending a lot on a meal that is only satisfactory, you will be content at Maggiano's. Personally, I don't plan on ever going there again. I can get a comparable to better meal for less closer to home.
(2)Jeffrey F.
The bartender and cooks were bad. First I ordered a Jamison and what came out was some sort bourbon maybe makers. For dinner I ordered the prime New York medium rare but what I received was medium well. Can't blame the server for any of that unless he has some sort of hearing problem and I'm certain he didn't.
(3)Kasia R.
My company had our Christmas party there yesterday afternoon. We had a private room upstairs w/ a bar, which was very nice. We started off w/ a couple of drinks.. hehe then they brought our appetizers, salad ... then dinner... then desert. We had a menu of everything that would be served that day on each end of the table. The timing between the appetizers and dinner was good... gave you some breathing room... one of the guests was vegatarian so he got something else and they didn't give any problems about that. The bar guys were awesome.. .it was open bar of course ,so you could go up and get drinks, but they would come up to the table and pick up your empty glass and ask if you wanted another one.. .very nice. The ceaser salad was wonderful and so were the stuffed mushrooms, didn't really care for the brushetta .. i've had better. Didn't try the veal ravioli... don't like ravioli... the lasagna was pretty good, a little too much ricotta cheese though, the chicken did have a nice flavor, but my piece was a little on the dry side. The beef was good and the garlic potatoes were delicious. I loved the vegatable medley they served... it was yummy . We had tiramisu and some other chocolate cake thing, both were great. Then they packed everything up,labeled it and it was ready to go when we were leaving. Overall, I had a good experience here, more so ,because it was all paid for... hahah Great service!!!
(4)Bob F.
Awsome food! I'm a big spaghetti eater and this is one of the best, plus the portions are huge and it's cheap. The help has always been great, the atmosphere is nice and never dirty and the food tastes good. I have also tried the pizza which is great, the chopped salad which is so oily that I bet I could lube a Honda with it (but it's good) and the calamari which is somewhat standard. I would recommend this place to anyone.
(5)Joshua M.
For a big enormous chain this place is actually pretty decent. The key is to come with at least 4 people so you can try more stuff. Another tip on any busy night is to check the bar for seating... it is smoke free and the full menu is served.
(4)steve j.
Very good experience. The mozz marinara is great. Proposed to my wife here...
(4)Renato P.
I've been wanting to try Maggianos for awhile , but for whatever reason didn't get there until last Sunday. Maggianos is GROSSLY overrated , and the prices are ridiculous. Look , I've spent some serious cake on dinner from time to time but we ordered lasagna , roast chicken , and ravioli and dropped over a hundo , F-ME! To be accurate , the mother ordered a half order of lobster ravioli , which I tried. We both liked it (good) but neither one of us were all that impressed. My son ordered the lasagna , I didn't try it , and he was really pissed because it had sausage in it (he doesn't like sausage.). We did order the calamari , which I thought was good , not great. I also tried the vesuvio potato's which weren't that great , barely qualifying as ok. My entree was the roast chicken , which I hoped might have crispy skin (it was not) , and the server brought me a whole order even though I ordered the half order. Truth be told I thought it tasted fine , but I hoped for better , I was not impressed. I did get a piece of tiramasu , which was really good , probably the highlight of my dinner. Three star food , nice server that made a solid mistake , outrageous prices for rather ordinary food equals a star review.
(3)Sarah D.
Fabulous Italian food. Huge portions! However, reservations are a must. Even with them you will wait.
(5)Nicole C.
Call Ahead-the wait was over an hour. Bring the whole family like we did. Server suggested the family style since we had 6 people. Once you decide (fight out w/ the fam) what you want, get ready to eat, then eat more. You get 2 salads, 2 apptzers, 1 side, 2 entrees & 2 desserts. If you want more no problem. Dad & my brothers liked that. Maggino's salad had dressing so good you want to drink it, pass on the chicken piccata (dry) but spend the extra for the beef & garlic mash. Server took awhile to first come to the table but well made up for it during the meal & with her suggestions.
(4)Wendy F.
We went to Maggiano's with our family - we were a group of 7. I had a reservation - and we did get in right away once we were all there (they won't seat until the entire party is there - which is annoying when you have someone older with you that would have been happier seated). When we got to our table, two of the seats were squished up against the backs of two seats at the next round table. There literally was about 6 inches space - our daughter couldn't even fit in there. We ended up pulling the table further away ourselves, so we could use those chairs. Our drink order was taken right away - and we said we wanted the family style meal. Well, the problem began then. We picked our appetizers and salads and they brought out all four of them all at once. That would have been ok if the table was larger. They cram groups of 7 into what would be a small round for even a group of 6. There isn't room on the table for family style serving. We ended up stacking the appetizer dishes. The stuffed mushrooms and calamari were fine. The caesar and Maggiano's salads were also fine. However - we rarely saw our waiter - and had to ask to have our appetizer plates and salad plates removed - even after obviously stacking them up high indicating we were done with them. We also had to catch him to try to order extra drinks. When we ordered the rest of the family style meal - we asked that the two pastas be brought out first and not with the two entrees. We knew there was no way we had room for them on the table. The waiter did bring the two pastas first - but then vanished again. The pastas were fine, but it was obvious the fettucini alfredo had been sitting a while (it was a bit dried out). We had to flag the waiter down again to get drink refills, and asked him to wrap what was left of the pastas. Well, he brought the drink refills but didn't take the pasta dishes away - and then the entrees showed up. We asked the server that dropped those off (not our waiter) if he could take the pasta platters - and he said "I'll tell your waiter". A few minutes passed and the waiter finally showed up to take the pasta platters (in the meantime, we stacked them up as we couldn't fit four platters on the table). After we finished the entrees (chicken marsala was a bit dried out, but the salmon was very good) - we waited what felt like an eternity to see the waiter again. He finally showed up and we said we wanted coffee with the desserts. Again - we had to ask to have leftover entrees wrapped (I'm sorry - but any decent waiter should offer those things with out being asked AND shouldn't have to constantly be flagged down). It took a long time to get the desserts after the coffee. Then again we had to flag him down to get the remaining tiramisu wrapped and to get the check. When we got the check, we saw the tip was already added (guess that explained the lack of service - they knew they were getting their 18% regardless).... but we also found a mixed drink on the bill that wasn't ours. When we flagged him down again - he did apologize about that and took it off the bill. Overall - the food is just ok here - though portions are generous. Service - at least for us - was terrible and slow. They also cram way too many people into too small a space. This place specializes in family style meals - so it's crazy to not have tables big enough to handle it.... and to try to squeeze people in like coach seats on a plane We probably will not be back.
(2)M M.
Came here for my sister's small wedding reception. We had a private room with a bar and I must say that this place did an AMAZING job. I would highly recommend for a graduation party, family gathering, engagement party- any type of celebration, as the restaurant is extremely accomodating. We held her reception on the night of a terrible snow storm, so everyone was over an hour late. They pushed back drinks and dinner to accomodate. The open bar was great- bartender was really good (strong drinks!). The family style dinner was a-ma-zing. For appetizers we had the bruchetta and stuff mushrooms. Entree was gnocchi, chicken, and stuffed shells.... vegetables and potatos on the side. Dessert was cheesecake and then of course the delicious wedding cake (which we had catered from Deerfields- no joke, most gorgeous and delicious wedding cake I've ever tasted- and I've tasted a lot!). The music and decor is really classy, I like it especially during the winter. I've also been here on dates and with smaller family groups and every experience has been wonderful.
(4)Jessica K.
This place has amazing beef tenderloin cuts... or whatever it was called was absolutely delicious!!! And the waitress was very nice. Great experience!
(5)Leo r.
Too Much Garlic. OMG srvice was adequate Atomosphere ok To MUCH Garlic Destroyed my endocrine system. Not returning anytime soon.
(2)Some G.
ok food, I don't get how they're fine dining when their food seems like greasy carry out. One of the worst "Italian" food places I've been too
(2)Mike A.
Great food
(5)Angie E.
Dislike. I've had way better. Also overrated and expensive for nothing. Nothing stood out to me.
(2)Yvette C.
My fondest memory of Maggiano's was when my new boyfriend (now husband) brought me here for an intimate dinner prior to hitting up the club with some friends. It was a great night all around. The service was very friendly, the food was fabulous, and the portions are plenty! Another experience I had was trying to plan a wedding reception here. The planner was super friendly & helpful. In the end we decided to have a destination wedding and didn't need their services afterall.
(4)Phillip A.
My wife and I had a wonderful/lunch/dinner meal here today. Huge portions of quality italian food. You get alot for your money. Pastas are cooked to perfection. My wife had the salmon and loved hers as well. You will almost always be bringing a doggy bag home. This was at least are 5 visit to this location in the last 12 months. The Oak Brook,il location is just as good......but can be very busy at peak hours.
(4)Ling L.
*Photos shot Update: Their lemon cookies ($5 for a dozen) are sweet and soft. My type of cookies. I thought it was fairly cheap for a dozen until I realized it comes in crescent shapes, not the usual round shape. So that's how they turn a profit.... --------------------------------------------------Â------------------------------------------ I am so hesitant and embarrass to rave about this place when I saw authentic Italian Peter F's review. Oh well.... I like it ... A LOT. I'm one for good tasting food at BIG PORTIONS for a fair price. Our group consisted of 3 adults and a child. We ordered the spaghetti, chicken parmigiana, baked ziti and sausage (the Chicago' Taylor Street) and the Rigatoni "D". Before I launched into our BIG mistake, let me get the basics out of the way. First off, there's the obligatory bread basket. Our server is oh-so-proper that a smile barely breaks on his face. No, he wasn't rude. Just proper. We arrived really late, about a quarter to closing time (9 p.m.), but he was nice enough to accommodate us, and even suggested he took our food order before the drinks. The decor is intimately warm, almost like a family warmth, but definitely can pass for a nice date setting. Warm woods, chandeliers, Sinatra music piped through. The food. Oh, my. I should've put one and one together when I saw a table of five adults sharing 2 dishes. My husband ordered a half order of spaghetti and meatball while we remaining 2 adults ordered a full order of the Rigatoni "D" and Taylor Street each. Our server even made sure it was half order that we wanted, but we corrected him and asked for full order --- we were famished. He arched an eyebrow but acquiesced to the guests. Cuz the customers are always correct, right? Not so, in this case. When our full orders arrived, we were bombarded by this FANTASTICALLY GIGANTIC BOWL of our orders. OMG, we had leftovers for next day's dinner and lunch. But the price is only $3 difference between the half and full order. Everything tasted wonderful. The sauces aren't overpowering, and the chicken in my Rigatoni "D" was delightfully tender. That's got to be almost a full chicken in that full order. The price is so right with the portion (full, that is). We now know that the next time we return, we would order a full order of an entree, a salad, and save room for dessert. They look huge, too. Our bill, which includes 4 entree, 2 glasses of wine, a lemonade, 2 side salads, came up to a reasonable $91. Not shabby, considering we got 3 meals out of it.
(4)Jessica D.
I can't believe I'm the first reviewer for this location of this great American-Italian chain! The food is served in huuuge plates and everything really is relishable and fresh-tasting. The room can be known to get loud with all the happy diners, but it's well worth it if you're in the mood for some Italian and a little touch of old New York. Start with a frosty peach bellini, and one of the fabulous appetizers, and then try the gnocchi vodka and a tall glass of iced tea, and don't miss one of the delicious desserts... be prepared to share! UPDATE: It looks as though there's another listing for this restaurant in Yelp under Maggiano's, that's where everyone else has been posting, my bad for not noticing it earlier! Though I'm not sure who added this entry if someone else already had one for this place.
(4)Mike T.
My wife decided she wanted to go here for her birthday, so we make reservations for 12 @ 6:30 p.m. on a Saturday night. We are promptly seated, it probably didn't take more than 5 minutes from the time we walked in the door to get seated. The manager was very professional and courteous. He asked if we were there for a special occasion and I said it's my wife's birthday. We did the family style thing, which is really the best way to go with a group. They offer 2 entrees, 2 pastas, 2 appetizers, 2 salads and 2 desserts for a really good price. However, they do not offer sides anymore. We really wanted Garlic Mashed potatoes and they were able to accomodate us with our request. The Mozzaralla Marinara is outstanding, it's like a giant Mozzarella stick, we also got the Calamari, which I didn't try since I don't care for it. For entrees, I dabbled in the Chicken Parmesean, which I absolutely love, the Salmon, which was outstanding and the Baked Ziti with sausage, which was great as well. We got the cheesecake and a very rich Chocolate Cake for dessert. I though they were going to have to wheel me out of the place. Overall, the food was outstanding for a great price. I'm looking forward to chowing on the leftovers today. The staff there was great as well. Our drinks were never empty, the staff was very attentive to us, which is a huge plus. Great experience!
(5)Keri M.
The food selection isn't that great. I can make better Chicken Marsala at home with a recipe found off of the internet. The service needs some adjustment as well. The last time I went our waitress dropped off the containers so we could box our own food. We looked around and saw everyone else had their food boxed and bagged and dropped off at their tables by their waiters. I didn't know if I should feel discriminated against or that she was just a crappy waitress. I'd say this place is great for high school kids that want to play adults and try and impress their girlfriends with a "fancy" meal. Also beware if they ask you if you want pasta with your meal. It is pretty much a side of spaghetti and they charge you $3 for it.
(2)Paul K.
Went here for Thanksgiving and it did not disappoint. We had bruschetta, two salads, two entrees, two pastas, and two deserts for $37 each. A great deal when you consider the food was outstanding and we went home with enough food for four more meals. The layered chocolate cake was out of this world.
(4)Mark L.
I ate till I popped. It was good shit.
(3)Kelly C.
The food is so good. We were starving and they did a great job with our party of about 15. We got family style and the food kept comin! I was stuffed after the apps...but continued to stuff food in my face because it's THAT good. By the time the cheesecake was in front of me, I didn't think i would move, yet somehow the fork found it's way to my mouth. No control. WAH.. This place is HUGE. and was packed, so make a reservation!
(5)Malea I.
I was here for lunch and was VERY disappointed! I have to say I love good Italian food, but this is not that! They only positive I can say is that our server was pleasant. I ordered Angel Hair Pomodoro...now Pomodoro is traditionally fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and fresh basil. What I received was canned tomatoes with garlic, PARSLEY and oil. I think Prego would have been better. I pointed out to the waiter that it was parsley instead of basil and he said that was the way they made it. My husband ordered braised beef cannelloni. It had good flavor, but so rich you could only eat a couple bites. You are crammed in like sardines and it is so loud you can not hear the person sitting next to you. I actually think Olive Garden is a step up from this place. Again, if you want authentic Italian...this is not the place! There is such great Italian in the Chicago area. It is not worth it to even give Maggiano's a second thought!
(1)Julie D.
I was so depressed when I walked into this restaurant. I didn't have a reservation and there must have been 30 people filling the entry, waiting for a table. Lucky for me, they were all with large groups waiting for space and I was on my own. I got a table right away. The restaurant was very beautiful, rich dark woods, ambient lighting and alive with activity. This place was also loud. Some of the tables were placed too close together and I got one of those. I almost felt like I was intruding the privacy of the gentleman behind me. But that turned out to be a good thing because he offered recommendations for my dinner. I started off with a chopped salad. It was chopped iceberg, tomatoes, crumbled bleu cheese, onion, crispy Prosciutto and yummy avocado with house dressing. Very good. For dinner I had the much yelped about Rigatoni "D". But I did mention to my server that I wasn't really in a chicken mood, so he substituted shrimp. This dish as awesome! I opted for the "half" portion. But it was still too much for a normal person. Also, they don't skimp on alcohol is their drinks. One cosmo here sent the room spinning. I love this restaurant and will be on the look out for a location near me. The food is great and the service is attentive.
(5)Carol Y.
I went here last night for my birthday. I needed a decent place to go that wasn't going to break the bank. Enter Maggiano's. I made a reservation last week with my open table app. (awesomeness) Reservation was for 7pm and we arrived 5 minutes early. We were handed a pager and asked to wait. It wasn't really a wait because we were seated at 7 on the dot. The hostess sprinkled some cute confetti on the table in honor of the birthday girl (ME!). I thought it was a nice touch but that may just be my inner child speaking. The table decided to dine family style. We ordered chopped salad, casear salad, stuffed mushrooms, spinach dip, lasagna, linguine with clams, chicken tortellini and another dish that I can't remember. Dessert included creme brulee and tiramisu. I think there may have been a little too much for our party of 4 people. I was very happy with ALL the choices. I usually go for veal but I decided to go a different route this time and get something everyone can share. The food was great, the service was impeccable. FYI, the pomegranate martini is AMAZING. I have always loved eating here and will continue to do so. Reservations are strongly recommended. The wait at 7pm was over an hour and we got in within 5 minutes.
(4)Beth G.
Meh. Another office party, another family-style dinner. I had such high hopes for a great Italian carb overload. I left really let down, and totally not full. They have the same spinach-artichoke fondue as Wildfire does (not surprising, since both restaurants are part of the Lettuce Entertain You chain), it's just called something else here. The bruschetta was decent. They also have the same Caesar salad as Wildfire, and probably 1,000 other restaurants in a 25 mile radius. I mean, it's romaine, croutons, and parmesan cheese, right? Not exactly rocket science. I will say that their spinach salad - with its bacon, pine nuts, and gorgonzola cheese - is pretty damn good. I will also say how very sad it is when that was the shining star of the entire meal. That, and the friendly wait staff who kept my glass of Merlot filled at all times. On to the pasta. Gnocchi with tomato-vodka sauce: I've had better. Actually, the best tomato-vodka sauce I have ever had came from a jar and was part of a "pasta sauce of the month club" my ex had given me as a gift one year. Wish I could remember what it was, but I digress. Nothing spectacular here at all. Chicken pesto linguine: a sticky, clumpy, unappealing mess. I passed. The entrees then arrived. Whoops, you know how I said that the spinach salad was the highlight of the meal? My bad, I had forgotten about the salmon. Now THAT was some good stuff. Apparently everyone else at my table thought so too, as the bastards scarfed it all up before I could get a second helping. They left the chicken parmesan alone, as did I. Average cheesecake and average tiramisu. I'm not much of a dessert person so I only had a bite or two of each. Mostly because I was still hungry. One thing I will comment on that I found unusual for a large group and a family-style dinner. Nowhere else have I ever seen so much uneaten food get cleared off the table. I'm pretty sure half of the world's hunger problem could have been cured (even if for just one day) with all the food that everyone (including me) thought really sucked.
(3)Pal S.
Very nice place for a date. They have one of the best cheese ravioli's. for vegetarians the two main options are the cheese ravioli and gnocchi. The mixed sauces in the ravioli are delicious.
(4)B Z.
Went there with family for Thanksgiving. I was a bit unsure about this, never having been to this restaurant and hearing they had over 1000 reservations for Thanksgiving dinner. My concern was totally unfounded. Service was impeccable, friendly, great sense of humour. Food was out of this world! Portions were huge and if we wanted some more of anything- it was promptly delivered with a smile. Desserts were absolutely amazing. We ended up taking a lot home and had enough for lunch the next day. Not cheap, but with such a delicious meal, wonderful service ..worth every penny. We will be back. Soon!
(5)Ashoey B.
This is my absolute favorite resturaunt! The dishes are amazing and I cannot say enough how much I enjoy the food. The atmosphere is very "Chicago" with red and white checkard tablecloths and white linens. There is usually a wait, but I would recommend making reservations online.
(5)Matt T.
THis was our first time actually being successful at getting a table here. I have tried two other times and each time either couldn't get in or had to endure a ridiculous wait time. The food is good. Its not great, but its very good Italian food. I had the liguini with red clam sauce, and my fiancee had the braised beef over couscous. We had calamari for an appetizer. FOr my dish, the liguini was perfect (aldente, almost "dry" but thats how I like my pasta) but the clams were a little gritty. For a red clam sauce, I have seen a lot more than the marinara based sauce that this was, but it had some zing to it and all in all, wasn't too bad. The portions are huge, even for the 1/2 order we had. My fiancee had the braised beef, which was quite tasty save for it being too salty. So the food was good. Not great, just good. And thats my problem with this place. We paid - and waited for - first class dining. We didn't get it. Two entrees, two drinks, and an appetizer of this quality should not clear $50. Ours did. We also had to pull teeth to get a reservation on a Friday night. And finally the service was what I would describe as mediocre at best - very much in line with the other reviews we have seen about this place on Yelp. We waited 10 minutes for the waitress to refill our nearly empty parmesan cheese tin. Our waitress was very friendly, but she wasn't around a whole lot. It was very obvious she had too many tables to look after, but I would call service sluggish at best. We only felt like leaving 15%, and we're usually generous tippers. So to sum up? Food that was pretty good, and a dining experience that was anything but. How this place consistantly remains packed (or in business, since I am griping) is a mystery to me. There are a number of good italian restaurants within 15 minutes of this place, and there is a great one 5 minutes from my house in BFE South Elgin. All of them are cheaper, have better service, better food, and no waiting on a Friday night. Seek these places out and support them. Mediocre restaurants like Maggianos doesn't deserve the crowd they pull in. And yes, I agree with the others - this place is WAY overrated.
(2)Sonia B.
Lovelovelove this place. The food is delicious, the service is fabulous, and the atmosphere is bustling, yet cozy at the same time. Is that even possible? Yesss, it most definitely is.
(5)Johnny B.
Been here a few times and another few times at the Grand Ave. location. As usual, service is very good and attentive. Me and this evenings Hot Copy had our drink order served and I asked for the Calamar appetizer. This was a great choice this evening. It came out piping hot and NOT overcooked. It was not chewey or leathery. Great timing by the appetizer cook. Of course you have the warm bread, tasting like it just came fresh out of the oven. Of course add to that the EVOO and Parmegian (Reggiano??). I ordered the frutti de Mare Maggiano style. This equates to a little shy on the seafood but lots of Pasta. I mean LOTS of Pasta. I wish they would tone down the quantity of Pasta. My Honey ordered breaded chicken (sorry but the full name escapes me), Two huge pieces of breast meat lightly coated and seasoned to perfection. Both of us needed to prepare a take home for Fido (my middle name!). Good place around Woodfield that will satisfy anyone's appetite.
(3)Kristin S.
Drove out here on a week night with a friend to get her measurements done for her wedding dress fitting at Demetrios down the street. Around 7pm there was a 20 minute wait for two on a Tuesday night. Crazy! It's in a very pretty location with a nice outdoor patio overlooking a lake with a fountain. Still, we had a glass of wine at the bar and were seated in a few minutes back in the back of the restaurant (by about 20 empty tables which was kind of weird). Our server was great and I always ask for recommendations which she supplied and I followed with great success. First off about the food, I'm not sure anyone except championship eaters could polish off a full serving here. We had the half portions of everything and still had PLENTY of leftovers. We started with the fried zucchini after our server told us she had it at her bridal shower. It was unbelievably crunchy. Very good with the lemon aioli accompanying it. I had the Hill at St. Louis special. I don't remember what it was called, but it was chicken lightly breaded with parmesan alongside an arugula salad with a couple smashed, crispy potatoes. Half portion again, but I had a full chicken breast, three potatoes and a big salad on the side! My friend got the garlic shrimp with the wheat penne and she seemed to like it, though there was SO much pasta for leftovers. Overall, I'd go here again, but I'm not much of a "chain restaurant" kind of girl when in Chicago, so I'll save a return trip for when I'm lost in the Midwest somewhere and my alternatives are things with apples or olives in their names.
(4)Kathy R.
First-class dining experience. To get the obvious out of the way: Yes, it's a chain, it's in Schaumburg, there are children with families in evidence and there are patrons whose attire suggests they just came from a luau (or a pick-up basketball game). None of the above bothered me or my husband, when we recently ate a magnificent dinner here for our anniversary. Our booth was spacious and comfortable, and the noise level loud but not intrusive to our conversation. Our waitress was helpful and - considering it was a very busy Saturday night - efficient in taking our orders and bringing/refilling drinks. A voluminous menu awaited us and I chose the veal and mushroom ravioli, which was delicious (the sundried tomato pieces added the perfect sweet touch). My husband splurged and got the veal chop - can you tell we're veal fans? - and pronounced it one of the best cuts of meat he's ever had. It's no small praise from him. He was expecting a steak-like cut of meat, but it was instead like a rib. I tried it and confirmed the meat was very tender and flavorful. Everything else we ate and drank was good, from my Riesling, to the profiterole dessert we shared. Maggiano's portions are famously huge. If you order a full portion (only $3 more than the half portion), prepare for leftovers. But they reheat well; Maggiano's box lids even have reheating instructions on them. Days later, I'm still salivating over that ravioli. It was that good.
(4)Christina Z.
FIRST TIME THERE AND WILL DEFINITELY BE GOING BACK! The food was AMAZING and so was the service. My b/f had the Rigatoni D. and I had the Ziti. Both were extremely large and both were beyond amazing! I think next time though I'll get the Rigatoni D it was phenomenal. We both also left with left overs which were even great the second day. For dessert I had the Peanut butter bar and it was AMAZING! I highly recommend it! The service was exceptional and I really enjoyed how our drinks were always filled. It was excellent!
(5)Kimmi H.
Server Danny and manager Brian were amazingly friendly and helpful, especially when they learned that I eat vegan. They both made great suggestions for what off the menu I might enjoy, and ended up speaking with the chef who put together an awesome variety of absolutely blow-your-mind deliciousness! LOVED my experience both with the people and the food, everyone should eat here!
(5)Kristina K.
Reliable, hearty Italian food for the masses. Good service and hot food. No complaints.
(4)Carlos G.
We went there for Easter Brunch. The spread was very good although a bit restricted and repetitive. For this type of establishment I would expect a bit more inventive and home style. The dessert table was a tad restricted. For $39 a pop it was ok but we wont repeat.
(3)Rebecca L.
I went here with my family for lunch and I ordered the Linguine with Clam. It was ok. The clams were a little gritty, and the noodles were sort of hard. I think the rest of my family didn't really have any complaints with our food. Our server was very patient and managed to provide adequate service even though we were there during the lunch rush.
(3)laura o.
This past weekend we held a baby shower for my daughter-in-law at Maggiano's. I really didn't want to do the whole heavy Italian food thing, so I went with brunch. What a great idea! We had about 40 guests and were in the Capri and Board rooms, which were just slightly separated by french doors. I loved the decor - very prettty old-world Italy, with the heavy carved wood bar, ornate mirrors, etc. The catering manager, Chris Janczak was extremely accomodating, working with me on the menu and handling every little detail. Everything was set up in advance with linens, flowers, music and the staff was very professional and super-helpful. O.K. now for the food! We had tomato/spinach and cheese frittatas, apple crispelles (tiny apple crepes!), smoked bacon, sauteed potatoes and onions and tons of beautifully prepared pastries and fresh fruit. The champagne punch and coffee were on the bar, with plenty of glasses, cups, saucers and cocktail napkins. It was a FEAST!! Everything was piping hot and delicious. The best thing was they just kept on bringing more for us. It was awesome. Everyone who attended was so impressed and pleasantly surprised to see this gorgeous brunch, rather than a heavier lunch. As people were leaving, they brought little containers and bags so that everyone went home with some of the delicious crispelles or fruit or cookies. It was just so nice. They also helped us out with all the gifts, loading them on to a cart, which saved us a zillion trips to the car. I would highly, highly recommend Maggiano's for any upcoming events - and go for the brunch! It is outstanding!
(5)Brandy M.
Love the food here. Bit of a nosy atmosphere, and need some better drink specials, but great food. And the desserts make up for it all!!
(4)Ulanka B.
I LOVE this place. It reminds me of the tastes and smells of the restaurants in Naples. Gotta go to place every time I get the opportunity when I'm home.
(5)Raymond M.
Good Italian food and large portions. How can that be bad! Well you'll have to unbutton your pants by the end of your meal. Always had a good time at Maggiano's. I have yet to be disappointed. And the service was awesome! That guarentees a large tip from my table!
(4)Dee W.
I've always been to Maggiano's for work functions and always remember being stuffed ridiculously full of yummy food and great wine. However, I came here last night with three other people and we decided to try out their family style dinner which was $25.95 per person and it was such a steal. We started off with two appetizers (calamari and mussels) which were fabulous and they were so good that we ordered refills (for no extra charge) and two salads (the spinach and Maggiano special). At that point, we were already getting full but on top of the appetizers and salads, we still had two pastas (lasagna and fettucine alfredo) and two entrees (chicken marsala and beef tenderloins) to go AND two desserts. Wow - we were so stuffed and brought back leftovers to last us at least two more meals. Oh, yeah - you can also pay a little less to eat just appetizers, salads and desserts. What a fabulous deal :) My only complaint is that the bathroom is downstairs and hidden away in the corner. On a side note, they do have banquet rooms downstairs and we did get a private closed off room for a company holiday party here - they were great to work with, food was fabulous, and the price was just right.
(4)Chris D.
Okay experience, had to beg for refills.
(3)Numera Q.
I went to Maggianos for lunch with my friend for his birthday. He made the reservation, but I called and told him it was his birthday so that they could do something nice for him. We were seated at a booth, which had little blue stars sprinkled across the tablecloth. There was also a note from Maggianos thanking us for celebrating his birthday with them. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms right, which we had been craving for months. It was like heaven! Then we ordered some Seven Daughter Moscato which was also excellent, perfectly chilled. Then we ordered our food, the pastas took a very long time to be made. We realized we should have ordered the appetizers and pastas at the same time and we wouldn't have to wait that long, but it was still nice. We ordered Fettucine Alfredo and Four Cheese Ravioli, they were both delicious! Then after we were done with the food, they brought out lemon cookies with a candle lit in the middle for his birthday. It was perfect, exactly what I had asked for. They definitely made his birthday special. The waiter also came frequently and was very attentive.
(5)Blake J.
I have gone to this Maggianos several times now, and it is always a good experience. The service is good and the prices are always good. They give you a decent amount of food, and they almost always have the buy one get one to take home deal going on. This is a good place. Well spaced tables, and the atmosphere is nice.
(5)Stacey D.
Maggiano's used to be a good place. They used to have good food and good service, with a fun family gathering atmosphere. That's all changed. Now they cram as many tables as they can in a room where 75% of the diners' backs are flush against beams or sticking in the maze they consider walkways. It seems everything that was ever good on their menu has been removed. Their stuffed artichokes reminded me of my aunt's, gone. Their farfalle with chicken, spinach, asparagus, and sun dried tomatoes, gone. There have been a few other things, but I can't specifically remember what; because there was always a back-up entre. Not anymore. The servers are assholes. They have too many tables to tend to any of them adequately, so all patrons suffer with poor service from overworked stressed waiters/waitresses. We always have a reservation, and we always get seated 30 minutes after our scheduled time. It's not ok that we treat a reservation with a restaurant like we treat habitually late relatives, and exaggerate the desired dining time an hour early to ensure a reasonable mealtime. Due to family and work events, I've been here three times in the past 2 weeks. Each time, I saw that my drool-inducing farfalle dish had been removed from the menu. The first two servers were able to accommodate my request. (The first begrudgingly.) Last night tops the cake. "Nope. Don't have it. Not on the menu." Well, they made it last week. "Nope. Not on the menu." Fine. I'll get nothing. So I ordered nothing, figuring I'll pick off my parents', sisters', and husband's dishes. Everyone's meals was grosser than the last. I'll never return to Maggiano's. If I want to sit in a crammed room eating dog food, I'll go to the local VFW for a salad supper.
(1)Brittany Q.
I always have a wonderful dining experience at Maggiano's. The food is always served hot and fresh and the service is always great. We actually went to Maggiano's to look at holding our wedding reception here and had lunch as well. I must admit I love their new classic pasta menu. When choosing from the dishes on that section of the menu, you get to eat one entree and take another one home all for $13! not only does it taste wonderful but the price is perfect! the facility is clean and well staffed. This location is extremely popular due to is proximity to the Woodfield Mall and Streets of Woodfield so i suggest trying to make reservations on line if you'd like to be seated right away, otherwise you are given a pager and you'll have to wait quite a while. We did not chose this Maggiano's as or reception but we did choose the Maggiano's in Naperville and look forward to have a lovely wedding reception there.
(4)Melissa B.
Anyone who says this place has great Italian food doesn't know great Italian food. I mean, how can a chain Italian restaurant really taste that authentic? I've gone here a few times, thinking maybe it was the place to be because you always see such huge crowds. WRONG! Nothing about any of the dishes are special to me and believe me, I gave this place multiple chances.
(2)Al S.
Reservations recommended! My date and I had 6:30 PM reservations on Saturday; the wait without reservations was 2 hours. The restaurant was PACKED! We arrived at 6:10 and were seated after about 20 minutes. Appetizer shared was the Calamari Fritte and marinara sauce; 4 stars. My date enjoyed her Chicken Francese, giving it 4 stars. I had the Linguine di Mare, which I can only give 2 stars; the pasta was under-cooked and in my opinion the entree lacked an adequate amount of the listed lobster, crab, and shrimp. Service and wait times were good, considering the immense crowds in the restaurant. The parking situation leaves much to be desired. If you don't enjoy walking a block to and from your car, be prepared to pay $5 (plus tip?) for valet parking. Overall recommendation: for family style dining, a good value; for intimate or casual dining you may be better off at a smaller local establishment where more personal attention can be found.
(2)Sabrina P.
I experienced accomodating and kind banquet service for my wedding reception back in October. Maggiano's staff was very easy to work with and very professional throughout the planning journey. The food, well, I received plenty of compliments. Thank you for providing such excellent service.
(4)Sonali K.
I'm not the biggest advocate for chain restaurants, but I have to give Maggiano's in Schaumburg a pat on the back for being consistenly good with food and service. My best friend and I live over an hour apart and sometimes the best place to meet is half way in Schaumburg. Our spot has become Maggiano's. The service is always friendly and we are never rushed out of there. We always split the chopped salad (she gets the bacon on the side) and the half order of the mozzarella marinara. I think it's a great place to catch up with old friends in a laid back environment.
(3)G T.
Home from dinner at Maggiano's. Family and I enjoyed our meal, of course we are all stuffed. Highly recommend. The OVERLY sweet sangria cost Maggiano's a star. My two cents: go for a hearty cab or Pinot...avoid the sangria. Of course the food is awesome.
(4)Miranda G.
I was in Schaumburg for business. I ordered one of their favorites - Baked Ziti and Sausage, in half portion. Still huge.....OK, not bad. When I saw the chocolate cake, Mama Mia, it's so huge! Two or three times bigger than others and it tastes wonderful, chocolate melts gracefully. I think I will come again.
(3)Peter F.
I am Italian, and this place does nothing for me. This is "peasant food." There is no imagination here at all. It is like going to your "uncle Loui's for dinner with all your cousins and eating on a ping pong table in his basement. Yes, the food is OK. Yes the service is OK. Yes the prices are OK but for cry sakes give me some imagination and something creative.
(3)Jenna B.
Loved the food and awesome service!! We came to Maggianos to celebrate our anniversary and from the moment we walked in we were taken care of. First my boyfriend had called in ahead of time to ask if they could write happy anniversary on the plate of whatever we ordered for desert and they said they would be happy to. Well we arrived and were quickly seated once we arrived to our table it was sprinkled with confetti hearts and a hand written note thanking us for celebrating our special day with them and gave us well wishes for the future. This was very sweet and completely un-expected. We then decided on the appetizer and two entree deal which is an amazing deal! The food was awesome! we had calamari which was the best I have ever had! and the main courses were out of this world! while we were enjoying our appetizer another waiter came to our table with a small plate of stuffed mushrooms and said these are from the chef he wanted to wish you a happy anniversary. Yet another very sweet touch and again totally unexpected. Our server and unfortunately I don't remember her name but she was AWESOME! she was blonde with her hair pulled back and on the taller side from the moment we arrived she was very sweet and caring. Once we were finished we ordered our desert and decided on the tiramisu our waitress came back and had made a heart out of regular bday candles and sure enough the plate had happy anniversary written in chocolate :) on top of all of this she also had in her hand a trey full of mini samples of every desert they have there. She said this is also for you and I hope it helps make your special day a little sweeter- seriously awesome at this point I couldn't believe it. I have never had service like this anywhere and it honestly did make our night we left with huge smiles on our faces and another great memory. We will definitely be coming back here to celebrate again the food and service were awesome and the price was amazing we were very impressed! You must go and check it out!
(5)Kristin A.
Went a group of friends this weekend. It's all you can eat with the family style and they let you take leftovers! I think we left with about 10 boxes of food. We're still munching on it for lunch two days after we left. The food was delicious. I'm not big on spices so this was a good taste for me. It's more of comfort-american-home-made type italian food, rather than what most people would call great authentic italian food. The drinks were a bit pricey I thought. 10 bux for each martini, but they're big martinis so it made up for it. The server was great. He kept up with us on a busy friday night and was attentive to when our drinks needed filling, etc. The check was $300 for the 6 of us (that included tips and 8 martinis).
(4)Jennifer W.
I think I have been to every Maggiano's in the Chicagoland area, which isn't much of a feat, but each one is a little different than the others. Where this one has more banquet facilities, the dining room is also a bit larger (or at least it felt like it) than Oak Brook. But we still felt like we were jammed in the room. We had a party of 7 (4 adults and 3 kids). We ended up ordering family style and had Chicken Parmesan, mushroom ravioli, a gluten free pasta (kid with allergy) and the kids ordered their own meals. Everything was served quicky and hot and was good. Sure it isn't someone's grandma's recipes, but it is good for the money. For the 7 of us, no drinks, but our bill was $91 with tip. Not too shabby. At least their food is consistent at all locations. that is comforting.
(4)Megan O.
I have planned two corporate dinners at Maggiano's, and I think it's great for a group due to the variety of food and abundance of vegetarian options. With the family style menu, there is something for everyone (and plenty of it! There are always ridiculous leftovers!) People seemed to really enjoy both events and I'm sure they will request the venue for a future dinner. With that being said, if I had my say we would not plan another event at Maggianos. As the coordinator, it felt a bit as though they were doing me a "favor" by allowing me to bring them my business. On the first occassion, we did not arrange for a private room but had a large table in the main room for 35; our group was not allowed to be seated until at least half arrived, so about 10 of us had to awkwardly stand by the door for 20 minutes while our tables sat empty across the room. A bit unneccesary on a Tuesday night when the restaurant was half filled at best and when we were guaranteeing 35 meals plus alcohol. On the second occassion, I contracted for a private room. On the whole the experience was better, although they ignored my seating arrangement request and the bartender was missing for random periods of time for about half of the night and we only had one waitress for the whole room. I think the main issue in both cases was communication between the events department and the staff. Also, just a sidenote, we had an enormous amount of extra food at the end of both events. Considering the per person cost of dinner there, I would rather that they decrease the family sized portions and charge less.
(3)Sean M.
A nice place, service was very good. Food was good but not great for the price. I enjoyed the Tuscan Sausage & Orzo soup and did the traditional Moms Lasagna which was ok.
(3)Bill S.
This was my third visit to Maggiano's. The ambiance is great with Sinatra crooning the background, dark wood walls and the low lights. The food is OK but in my opinion it is over powered by the saltiness of the sauce and other meats. It is your basic Italian dishes that they cover with lots of sauce, too much. They serve family style which is probably better for larger groups. Will I go back? I think I given them plenty of chance to convince me but the food is lacking, so no.
(3)Matt Y.
I agree with some of the other posters, Maggiano's is over rated! Went there with the wife for a Sunday dinner, the waiting time appeared to be long according to the amount of people waiting to be seated but we were seated within 10 minutes. Our server took 10 minutes to come to greet us and bring water. We placed our appetizer and main dish order at the same time and he forgot to bring my soup. Our waiting was only attentive to my wife, not one time did I receive a refill glass of water or beverage. The food was excellent, I had the spinach and chicken that I highly recommend and the wife had the shrimp Alfredo that was good also. I would had loved to given Maggiano's a high rating but Juan knocked it way down with his lack of customer skills. Maybe we will try them again.
(2)Bella D.
Great food and great service! Great take out and great dining experience! Lov my Maggiano's!
(4)Nick N.
I was happy in every way with this restaunt. I ordered the chicken parmesan, which came with two huge pieces of chicken, a whole bowl of spaghetti, a cup of soup, and lots of bread. Everything tasted great, and despite the fact that this is an upscale place, only costed about $15 dollars. The waiter and manager were nice and helpfull, and promply answered several questions I had. I will certainly be returning to eat here.
(5)Richard K.
I enjoy this joint, however if you try and dine at certain times, its WAY TO CROWDED so call ahead. You get way too much food for the price and the quality is ok. I must say that the gnocchi here is a good selection served in a la vodka sauce. YOU SAY A LA VODKA? Its a good sauce when prepared correctly. I've been here for parties over 15 people and just 1v1. I enjoyed myself w/ both styles and was well taken care of everytime. Just call ahead to make sure it wont be too busy.
(3)John H.
I held a party here for relatives and friends to celebrate my Dad's 80th. Very nice and very professional. No problems and the food was wonderful. It was a great place to do such a thing and very inexpensive considering there were at least 100 people. The cake came from a bakery and was delivered so I do not know about their sweets.
(5)Stella S.
I don't think this place is worth the wait. My cousin makes better homemade marinara sauce than this place has and in my opinion, it's always all about the sauce! It does have a great atmosphere though and typically good service.
(3)Chris M.
Have only been here twice. Once this weekend and once a few years ago. Wasn't impressed then, and still not impressed now. Good classy decor, over crowded with tables. Waitstaff and guests both walked into my chair numerous times throughout the meal. The food is very good. Its just ridiculously over priced. Especially when I see on the take home bag it reads "we proudly serve Barilla brand pasta" REALLY? That isn't something to be proud of for an Italian eatery. When you charge upwards of $20 for a pasta entree you should be making that pasta from scratch. I can buy a lb of Barilla pasta at the grocery for about $2. There's no way the sauce costs $18 to make. Even the non pasta dish we tried, the Chicken Marsala, wasn't particularly special. It was only OK. For the prices they charge they should be cooking from fresh, which means the only thing the kitchen buys are INGREDIENTS. If you don't mind spending a lot on a meal that is only satisfactory, you will be content at Maggiano's. Personally, I don't plan on ever going there again. I can get a comparable to better meal for less closer to home.
(2)Jeffrey F.
The bartender and cooks were bad. First I ordered a Jamison and what came out was some sort bourbon maybe makers. For dinner I ordered the prime New York medium rare but what I received was medium well. Can't blame the server for any of that unless he has some sort of hearing problem and I'm certain he didn't.
(3)Kasia R.
My company had our Christmas party there yesterday afternoon. We had a private room upstairs w/ a bar, which was very nice. We started off w/ a couple of drinks.. hehe then they brought our appetizers, salad ... then dinner... then desert. We had a menu of everything that would be served that day on each end of the table. The timing between the appetizers and dinner was good... gave you some breathing room... one of the guests was vegatarian so he got something else and they didn't give any problems about that. The bar guys were awesome.. .it was open bar of course ,so you could go up and get drinks, but they would come up to the table and pick up your empty glass and ask if you wanted another one.. .very nice. The ceaser salad was wonderful and so were the stuffed mushrooms, didn't really care for the brushetta .. i've had better. Didn't try the veal ravioli... don't like ravioli... the lasagna was pretty good, a little too much ricotta cheese though, the chicken did have a nice flavor, but my piece was a little on the dry side. The beef was good and the garlic potatoes were delicious. I loved the vegatable medley they served... it was yummy . We had tiramisu and some other chocolate cake thing, both were great. Then they packed everything up,labeled it and it was ready to go when we were leaving. Overall, I had a good experience here, more so ,because it was all paid for... hahah Great service!!!
(4)Bob F.
Awsome food! I'm a big spaghetti eater and this is one of the best, plus the portions are huge and it's cheap. The help has always been great, the atmosphere is nice and never dirty and the food tastes good. I have also tried the pizza which is great, the chopped salad which is so oily that I bet I could lube a Honda with it (but it's good) and the calamari which is somewhat standard. I would recommend this place to anyone.
(5)Joshua M.
For a big enormous chain this place is actually pretty decent. The key is to come with at least 4 people so you can try more stuff. Another tip on any busy night is to check the bar for seating... it is smoke free and the full menu is served.
(4)steve j.
Very good experience. The mozz marinara is great. Proposed to my wife here...
(4)Wendy F.
We went to Maggiano's with our family - we were a group of 7. I had a reservation - and we did get in right away once we were all there (they won't seat until the entire party is there - which is annoying when you have someone older with you that would have been happier seated). When we got to our table, two of the seats were squished up against the backs of two seats at the next round table. There literally was about 6 inches space - our daughter couldn't even fit in there. We ended up pulling the table further away ourselves, so we could use those chairs. Our drink order was taken right away - and we said we wanted the family style meal. Well, the problem began then. We picked our appetizers and salads and they brought out all four of them all at once. That would have been ok if the table was larger. They cram groups of 7 into what would be a small round for even a group of 6. There isn't room on the table for family style serving. We ended up stacking the appetizer dishes. The stuffed mushrooms and calamari were fine. The caesar and Maggiano's salads were also fine. However - we rarely saw our waiter - and had to ask to have our appetizer plates and salad plates removed - even after obviously stacking them up high indicating we were done with them. We also had to catch him to try to order extra drinks. When we ordered the rest of the family style meal - we asked that the two pastas be brought out first and not with the two entrees. We knew there was no way we had room for them on the table. The waiter did bring the two pastas first - but then vanished again. The pastas were fine, but it was obvious the fettucini alfredo had been sitting a while (it was a bit dried out). We had to flag the waiter down again to get drink refills, and asked him to wrap what was left of the pastas. Well, he brought the drink refills but didn't take the pasta dishes away - and then the entrees showed up. We asked the server that dropped those off (not our waiter) if he could take the pasta platters - and he said "I'll tell your waiter". A few minutes passed and the waiter finally showed up to take the pasta platters (in the meantime, we stacked them up as we couldn't fit four platters on the table). After we finished the entrees (chicken marsala was a bit dried out, but the salmon was very good) - we waited what felt like an eternity to see the waiter again. He finally showed up and we said we wanted coffee with the desserts. Again - we had to ask to have leftover entrees wrapped (I'm sorry - but any decent waiter should offer those things with out being asked AND shouldn't have to constantly be flagged down). It took a long time to get the desserts after the coffee. Then again we had to flag him down to get the remaining tiramisu wrapped and to get the check. When we got the check, we saw the tip was already added (guess that explained the lack of service - they knew they were getting their 18% regardless).... but we also found a mixed drink on the bill that wasn't ours. When we flagged him down again - he did apologize about that and took it off the bill. Overall - the food is just ok here - though portions are generous. Service - at least for us - was terrible and slow. They also cram way too many people into too small a space. This place specializes in family style meals - so it's crazy to not have tables big enough to handle it.... and to try to squeeze people in like coach seats on a plane We probably will not be back.
(2)Renato P.
I've been wanting to try Maggianos for awhile , but for whatever reason didn't get there until last Sunday. Maggianos is GROSSLY overrated , and the prices are ridiculous. Look , I've spent some serious cake on dinner from time to time but we ordered lasagna , roast chicken , and ravioli and dropped over a hundo , F-ME! To be accurate , the mother ordered a half order of lobster ravioli , which I tried. We both liked it (good) but neither one of us were all that impressed. My son ordered the lasagna , I didn't try it , and he was really pissed because it had sausage in it (he doesn't like sausage.). We did order the calamari , which I thought was good , not great. I also tried the vesuvio potato's which weren't that great , barely qualifying as ok. My entree was the roast chicken , which I hoped might have crispy skin (it was not) , and the server brought me a whole order even though I ordered the half order. Truth be told I thought it tasted fine , but I hoped for better , I was not impressed. I did get a piece of tiramasu , which was really good , probably the highlight of my dinner. Three star food , nice server that made a solid mistake , outrageous prices for rather ordinary food equals a star review.
(3)Sarah D.
Fabulous Italian food. Huge portions! However, reservations are a must. Even with them you will wait.
(5)Nicole C.
Call Ahead-the wait was over an hour. Bring the whole family like we did. Server suggested the family style since we had 6 people. Once you decide (fight out w/ the fam) what you want, get ready to eat, then eat more. You get 2 salads, 2 apptzers, 1 side, 2 entrees & 2 desserts. If you want more no problem. Dad & my brothers liked that. Maggino's salad had dressing so good you want to drink it, pass on the chicken piccata (dry) but spend the extra for the beef & garlic mash. Server took awhile to first come to the table but well made up for it during the meal & with her suggestions.
(4)M M.
Came here for my sister's small wedding reception. We had a private room with a bar and I must say that this place did an AMAZING job. I would highly recommend for a graduation party, family gathering, engagement party- any type of celebration, as the restaurant is extremely accomodating. We held her reception on the night of a terrible snow storm, so everyone was over an hour late. They pushed back drinks and dinner to accomodate. The open bar was great- bartender was really good (strong drinks!). The family style dinner was a-ma-zing. For appetizers we had the bruchetta and stuff mushrooms. Entree was gnocchi, chicken, and stuffed shells.... vegetables and potatos on the side. Dessert was cheesecake and then of course the delicious wedding cake (which we had catered from Deerfields- no joke, most gorgeous and delicious wedding cake I've ever tasted- and I've tasted a lot!). The music and decor is really classy, I like it especially during the winter. I've also been here on dates and with smaller family groups and every experience has been wonderful.
(4)Nidy M.
OMG, Great place, very very great food and service.... Love this place!!!!!
(5)Ron S.
The last time we were at a Maggiano's, it was more than 15 years ago (not this location). We weren't impressed and with the abundance of really good Italian restaurants we never felt the need to go back. We met some friends for dinner at the Schaumburg location and had a very solid meal. Solid, not great. The mixed drinks offer a good pour although their little wine decanters are skimpy. The Italian tossed sald was excellent! I have this weird habit of always "testing" a new Italian restaurant by ordering basic pasta with meat gravy. I figure if you can't do a decent meat gravy, how can I expect you to do the "ritzy" things right? Well, out comes the huge bowl of pasta with ample amounts of gravy. (That's a plus for me when a restaurant doesn't skimp on the red or meat gravy.) There were nice clumps of ground beef that were flavorful and well prepared. The gravy had a bit of a sweet taste to it and was NOT acidic at all. It wasn't the best that I have had but very enjoyable nonetheless. I finished about a third of my bowl and decided, "gee I have a really nice lunch for tomorrow". Well, the waiter comes by and asks me if I would like to take the remainder home. I said "Absolutely!" He then says, what would you like for your take-home meal? Huh?? So he explains the deal behind the "Classic Pastas" where you get your meal and then you get ANOTHER meal to take home. I thought that's why I got a HUGE bowl of pasta in the first place! There's no way you can finish it. (Yeah , I know. I must live under a rock for not knowing this, right?) So, I got gnocchi in vodka sauce for my take-home meal. Talk about bang for your buck. Amazing! The only downside is that they pack you in pretty tight and beers on tap aren't very impressive. Maggiano's Little Itlay offers solid food for a very fair price.
(4)Vince A.
Maybe my tastes have changed or the quality of Maggiano's has dropped off since becoming more a chain but this place has slipped. Went here for a recent dinner with the family and had the chicken francesa, spaghetti and meatballs and it was ok, definitely not good, not great. Service was adequate but not super. The place was not busy but everything seemed really slow of course until it was time for dessert and to get paid. it will be a while til I make it back here.
(2)Diane C.
What has happened to Maggianos? Last night was the third time since May and all three times I have been unimpressed. The food, which used to be outstanding was medioker at best. My husband had the pasta special pasta lorin. Honestly, it looked microwaved. The bottom was a pool of white water. I had the stuffed chicken pizzaiola which was completely overcooked and the noodles were just dry and lukewarm. The fried calamari, which was always my favorite was over fried.My daughters rigatoni D however is pretty good. I'm so disappointed because Maggianos was always my favorite. I feel as if they know they can pack them in so lets just put out an ok product. Too bad.
(2)Michelle F.
Maggiano's never disappoints. It's always good, quality food at a reasonable price. I actually held a post-destination wedding reception at this Schaumburg Maggiano's for about 10 people, and it was really nice. We had a private room for our party upstairs and had our own waiter who only worked with our group. There are different packages available depending on the size of your group. We did a family-style package that came with two salads, two appetizers, two pasta dishes, two meat entrees, two sides and two desserts. We were also able to bring in a cake from an outside bakery (I think it was a Maggiano's-preferred vendor). The package also came with open bar. For an appetizer, I would recommend ordering the Mozzarella Marinara, which are basically Mozzarella sticks but in a triangle shape. I also liked the Maggiano's Salad, which has lettuce, bleu cheese, prosciutto, red onions and a house dressing. The Roast Beef Tenderloin was excellent and so were the Crispy Red Potatoes-Vesuvio Style. Vera's Lemon Cookies were also really tasty. Overall, Maggiano's is a really nice restaurant. It's still a chain, so it's nothing to special or out of the ordinary, but it's great for groups. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to host a small wedding reception or other group dinner or lunch outing.
(4)Jennifer S.
We carried out from Maggiano's for my Mom's Birthday this weekend. They deserve a quick note of thanks. We were running a little late, so we called to see if we could push the order out about 20 minutes. They are accomodating and the food was piping hot when we picked it up, so we know it was fresh. In addition, we ordered the Rigatoni D with Chicken as one of the items and we all noticed that there was a great deal of chicken in the pasta. They certainly weren't skimpy on the meat even though we were carrying out. Maggiano's remains a favorite and continues to keep us happy!
(4)Jean C.
Now, this review may be a little biased since during my college years I served at this Maggiano's. Their menu is extensive and there is something for everyone. I have ordered a la carte and off the family style menu. The family style menu is definitely worth it if you have a large group. It's a choice of two appetizers, two salads, two entrees, two pastas and two desserts, all you can eat for a fixed price. How can large groups not want to do this option? Portions are huge and you will never leave hungry. A few of my favorite dishes are as follows: Appetizers: calamari, mussels, stuffed mushrooms and bruschetta; Salads: Spinach and Maggiano's salad; Pastas: shrimp and angel hair al' arrabiatta, garlic shrimp linguini, and rigatoni "d"; Meat: the medallions of beef and chicken giardinera. After working there, I have tasted everything off the menu and have to say those are the top dishes they offer. Chicken Giardinera is not on the menu, but if you ask for it, they will make it! And that is only in Chicago! The service is great and the food runners do an amazing job of getting the food to the tables. They can load 4-5 plates on their arm and that is impressive. The plates are heavy and hot and they can do it without spilling the contents. I highly recommend reservations since it does get busy and a wait can be up to two hours on a weekend. Bring a group of friends and eat, drink and be merry. It's a great place and you won't be disappointed!
(4)Craig R.
A great place for a weekend meal with family and friends. Great food, service and ambience. Always a pleasure!
(5)Franklin D.
Went here with a group of 30 people. The service was very good, attentive and fast. 18% gratuity added to the bill automatically. This is an upscale chain restaurant. There are huge portions of food. The Caesar salad, fried zucchinis, tiramisu, and apple dessert were great. Also the chicken giardinera was okay. The spaghetti and some of the other dishes were bland...yawn. We got to take the leftovers with us.
(3)Michael C.
Went here once and plan on going here again, also been to the one in Old Orchard, but I prefer this one. The server I had was outstanding. I'm very big on service and my tip reflects your service, and lets say he earned himself a $20 tip. Wish I had remembered his name, but he was polite, helpful, very nice, and was interested in me and my girlfriend. Our first time there, so he had the Chef bring us up something to try. I ordered the Ziti and she ordered the Chicken Parmesan. Both were outstanding. At the end of the meal, my server knew I was in the military and with my ID, we were given half off our meal. I was shocked! Great service, food, and they recognize our military!
(5)Frank A.
It's been a while since I've been to Maggiano's. I used to frequent the one at Old Orchard Mall when I used to live in Skokie. The one in Schaumburg has pretty much the same atmosphere, service and classy feel. I sometimes dine in, sometimes not. I do have a story to tell. My favorite dish, Angel hair pasta with shrimp in Arribiata sauce. I ordered it over the phone for pickup and they didn't seem to know what I was talking about. After feeling like an idiot describing "oh, it's a spicy sauce over angel hair blah blah blah.." I really felt stupid. LOL. So I come in, pick up my order, get the extra bread (love that btw). Came home, opened everything up and boom! It wasn't the same??? I felt sooo disappointed. The sauce was not what I wanted. Did they remove it from the menu???? So I sucked it up and did enjoy my meal. I mean, yes, it was marinara, and yes, they did try to make it spicy. It just didn't have the magic that the Arribiata had. That sauce was ridiculously good. (I almost wanted to drink it! I Kid!) So fast forward a few months later to yesterday. I actually came in to place an order to go. Obviously, I wasn't messing around. I went straight for the Arribiata. I browsed the menu up and down. I didn't find it. I checked again.. NOPE. what happened to my favorite pasta dish???? I don't know if all Maggiano's have the same menu but I felt like leaving. Yes, I have had other menu items and they're great too. At the same time, this was my go-to item. I decided not to leave so I wouldn't look like a fool after talking with the pick-up reception lady for so long. I looked for another item I like: Linguine with clams. That was ok. I've had it better at Sergios. Angel Hair / Shrimp in Arribiata sauce, where are youoooooo?????!!!!!
(3)Elizabeth P.
Love this place. My favorite is the zucchinni frittes. Great atmosphere.
(5)Megan I.
Was disappointed they are using barilla pasta. Definitely tasted store bought. I usually go here and order the spag and meatballs. It used to be divine. I hadn't been in years. I wonder when they switched. It used to be the kind of place it was ok to order spag and meatballs at because they were better than the ones you made at home. I remember the pasta. Oh my! They need to switch back! The pasta was ok, the tiramisu was delish. At least they didn't change that!
(3)Stvo K.
Very nice place in one of my favorite suburbs of Chicago. Maggiano's is located in the Streets of Woodfield and located near many other places to explore. This isn't my first time I've been to Maggiano's but I thought I would share my most recent experience. So I went there with one other person. We made a reservation for the night due to the restaurant being busy on Friday nights. We arrived at the time we made a reservation for and were the host had us seated promptly. The waiter was very friendly, courteous, and quick with our orders. He let us try a couple different wines before we ordered. Personally, I'm not much of a wine person so I abruptly decided to get a Diet Coke instead. Aside from that, we were also given bread and olive oil which is very expected from an Italian restaurant. For my main course I ordered the crab cakes. They were very good as the breaded texture was very crispy and there were exceptional chunks of crab meat. For dessert, we shared an Apple Crostada in caramel sauce which was very good. I enjoy this place overall. It can get pricey but if you want to treat someone right or celebrate, you can't go wrong. Since this location is in the Streets of Woodfield, there should be little to no issues with parking and they also offer valeted parking services. A fair warning to those dining, you may want to make a reservation if you're looking to do a big group or dine after 5:00 pm.
(4)Lisa S.
love this place. the food is always plentiful and good. this time I ordered the classic lasagna, which I couldn't finish, and then got to take that plus another complimentary portion home. for a very reasonable price. our server was efficient and personable........all in all, a lovely lunch experience.
(4)Matt P.
Chain ... but awesome, especially the veal parm.
(5)Eld Doug T.
Wish I had taken a picture of the food before we dug in. But it was excellent. The server was very attentive to my wife and i. He even stopped by to have small talk. Plenty of food and even had to endure taking home an extra pasta. Wow!!!! Will definitely be back again soon. I posted this and had to come back and edit. Calvin is so awesome. We told him it was our anniversary and he brought us a desert with candles out. I highly recommend this restaurant and this server. He definitely made us feel special.
(5)Hiram C.
I came to Maggiano's for lunch with some co-workers, and they were busy. It didn't take long for us to be seated. Our waitress came by, introduced her self, took our beverage order, and was gone for like 10 minutes. Came back with drinks, walked away, and we waited another 10-15 mins for her to come back to take our order. By this point, we're wondering when the free bread is coming! The table next to us, which had a large party, got their bread right away! We didn't get our bread until after we placed our food order, 15-20 mins after being seated. Something not right there..... I ordered the Classic Pastas. For $12.95, you chose which ever pasta you'd like, and on top of that, you get a to-go box with pasta of your choosing! Two full meals! And they don't have to be the same pasta you ordered for your meal, you can select a completely different pasta as your to-go pasta. I can totally dig that! I ordered the "lighter take" version of the Fettuccine Alfredo, (850 calories, compared to the full plate, 1570 calories). Hand cut fettuccine, grilled chicken, asparagus, with light asiago cream sauce. It was delicious to say the least. Given, it's more Americanize than Italian, but it was still very good. Great portion too! I couldn't finish it. Our waitress seemed "rushed". I know it's the lunch hour, but she'd be gone for good period of time, and when she did come, it felt all to rushed, and then she'd be gone again. One thing I didn't like was that I asked for a to-go box, and the waitress grabbed my plate, and took it to the kitchen, out of sight. 5 mins later, came back with my food. Uh......?? I would actually prefer to put my own food away to be honest, or at least she could have put the food away near by, where you're visible. Overall, great experience, great food, not so go service. But I did get a second meal out of it!
(4)Rebecca K.
My boyfriend and I came in for dinner on Saturday evening and they were quite busy, as expected. We made reservations but we're asked to wait, which is perfectly fine because I work in the industry and I understand how it goes. My complaint is not with the wait, it was with the host. The host barely greeted us. She looked up once to hand me the buzzer, but she never once smiled, or made us feel welcome. She seemed to absolutely hate her job. While I do understand these busy Saturday's can be quite stressful, you still need to do your job and welcome guests into the restaurant. She did none of that. I was disappointed to feel more like a burden to her instead of feeling welcomed. I stayed near the host desk while we waited because I was curious. I noticed she did the same thing with all the guests who came in after us. She never smiled and barely looked up at guests. Her eyes stayed down at the computer and her papers. Such a shame. She was a bit shorter, dark lipstick and dark hair. The reason that this is still a 4-star review is because our server completely won us over! She was beyond helpful and very sweet. Her service was impeccable. I cannot remember her name, but she was really great. She won us over, which means I will be back!
(4)Bridget N.
The house Cabernet was delicious. I ordered the "lighter" version of the fettuccine Alfredo. The pasta itself was delicious, the fresh asparagus in the dish was great. The chicken was bland and I didn't like how it was worked into the dish-chunked up and stirred in. I was expecting the "light" version to have a lighter flavor, yet it was so different it tasted like a jarred type of light Alfredo sauce. The experience was great, the service was good, the wine was good. The dish I ordered could have been better.
(3)Natalie K.
We came in at 6 PM on a weekday and it was extremely busy. Service was good, but slightly slow. For appetizers, we tried the fried zucchini that came with a ranch dipping sauce and it was amazing! Highly recommend!!! We also had the fried calamari, which I would probably wouldn't order again. It was fried a little too much that I thought I was biting into only breading. For my meal, I had the fettuccine alfredo (the lighter version) and it was very good. The only part about the dish that I didn't particularly care for was the chicken. It was just big chunks of unseasoned chicken breast. I really liked the alfredo though, and would order it again. I liked it even better than the original version. I ordered the baked ziti to go, as I ordered from the menu where you can take an order of food home, and the baked ziti was pretty good the next day. For dessert, we ordered a few things, but the best dessert was definitely the cheesecake!!
(3)Susan V.
Beautiful ambiance, however, our wait staff person was a bit aloof.
(4)Phil S.
My wife and I met our friends @ Maggiano's in Schaumburg. Maggiano's has the same good quality food no matter which one you eat at. I ordered the 2fer. You buy 1 meal and eat it there & bring another one home for a meal another day. (Great value). We also ordered an appetizer with shrimps, scallops & veges. It was pretty tasty. Overall it's a good solid meal, nothing extraordinary but good.
(4)Trina J.
I like Maggiano's for a few reasons: - the taste is consistent at all locations - the serving sizes are large - the prices are reasonable - the restaurant offers gluten free and whole wheat pasta options We decided to grab a bite in the area and wanted to dine outdoors. We arrived there only to learn the patio was closed but we decided to have dinner in the lounge instead. We ordered the Italian Salad, Spinach Salad, Rigatoni D with gluten free pasta and Chef Mann's Chicken Sausage Pasta. My favorites of the evening were the spinach salad and Chef Mann's pasta. The Spinach Salad (spinach, bacon, apple cider dressing and cheese). The only weird thing was the salad description said gorgonzola but it was served with blue cheese - my least favorite type. Chef Mann's (chicken, hand twisted pasta, white wine sauce and sun dried tomatoes). Both were a lot better than I anticipated. Definitely items I would happily order again. Sign up for their emails and you will get a coupon for $10 off your next visit provided the total is more than $30. The coupon is sent via email about 24 hours after you sign up.
(3)Dustin G.
Pretty good chain restaurant. I came here a couple weeks ago because I had a gift card. The place was kinda dated in terms of decor but the outdoor porch was nice. I ordered the chicken parm with spaghetti. The chicken was good but the sauce on the spaghetti had too much of a "canned" taste. The sauce on the chicken tasted different. I would've preferred that sauce on everything. My husband ordered the portobello ravioli. It was pretty good. The al fredo sauce was sufficiently decadent. We asked for extra bread to dip in it. The best part is the pasta special. My husband ordered the ravioli and we got a huge portion of lasagna to go. It was lunch and then dinner that night. I don't know how often we'll return, though. It was pricey for a chain and I doubt we would've gone if we hadn't had a gift card. Overall, it's a four stars for a chain restaurant. Definitely worth considering while you're shopping in Schaumburg. Not worth a special trip.
(4)Danielle P.
I actually come here alot. In general the food is good and the service is decent. It can be difficult to park if you don't choose to valet. Im not generally a pasta person unless I'm with a larger group to share but the chicken canneloni is awesome. My go to meal is the salmon oscar, it is yummy! I also luv the tuscan sausage soup on a chilly day. What I won't ever order again is the chopped salad with shrimp. The full size salad is the biggest bowl of salad but they give you 5 malnourished shrimp.. its a complete waste of money
(3)Rachel W.
Family asked us to come here for dinner on a Sunday night; one of the busiest nights of the week. Service was good, but the food really was average at best. I ordered the baked ziti and I'm pretty sure I could have made something equally as, if not more, tasty at home. Save your money and go to a mom and pop Italian joint in the 'burbs. They appreciate the business; this chain restaurant stuff leaves a lot to be desired. The restaurants like these are so damn crowded and parking is a nightmare.
(3)Razan L.
I got the lighter option for my fettuccine. So surprised the chicken wasn't cooked through...and the sauce was not appetizing at all. Seriously not a good option to choose. Waitress wasn't at her best either but expected full gratuity...
(1)Dan P.
Met a client for lunch here. Good place for that. Not crowded or loud. Good service. Food was good, but portion size woefully inadequate. I ordered crab cakes, which cost $20 and got two weak little cakes. As I said, they tasted good. The side was just a pile of lettuce. Here's the problem: I left hungry and got back to the office in Chicago and had to get more food from corner bakery. It might be time to re-evaluate portion size. I am an adult man and expect to leave a restaurant, at the least, not hungry.
(3)Sera H.
Went in for brunch and everything was absolutely delicious!! Try and drink just water though because they charge diet coke for $3, I could buy 2 liters for the same cost! The chicken marsala was the best ive ever had and the mushrooms in the sauce had the right amount of wine flavoring to them. The pasta that was used was handmade which made the $14.95 for the dish a lot more justifiable!! Yes the portions are a little on the smaller end but its Quality over Quantity at this place! :)
(4)Toni F.
I hadn't been to Maggiano's in years so I was a bit disappointed that the menu had changed so much from my previous experiences. Many of the favorite items we went back for time and time again are no longer on the menu (Chicken Giardinera, Country-Style Rigatoni). You'll find your typical pasta, fish and meat entrees - one pleasant surprise is the section that gives you two entrees (one to take home) for the price of one. I ordered Eggplant Parmagianna, which was one of the items that qualified for this bonus and selected a ziti with sausage as my take home entree. I ate it for lunch the next day and WOW! Had I ordered that for dinner, I might have been more impressed with Maggiano's during my visit. The service was good - we had a fairly large group on a weeknight during holiday shopping season so I expected the place to be bustling and it was. If you want consistently decent food, a family friendly environment and large portions that go easy on your budget - Maggiano's is just the place for you.
(3)Tanya H.
Never a bad time here! We have never had a bad experience here. The food is always good and if you have a reservation, you're seated on time. I've never been to a restaurant that is as busy as this one on a consistant basis, that speaks for itself. You can't beat the two can dine deal and we've always had great servers. When we have friends in town this is usually where we meet up for dinner at some point on the visit. The lemon cookies they bring on a visit where you are celebrating something are so good! And we always try and save room for the tiramisu, delicious!
(5)Cameron H.
This place is good. We come here when we're in Chicago! The original buy 1 and take 1 home. That's what I got. I came with my mom, dad, and bro. It was a great meal! I had the fettuccine Alfredo. It was gooooooooooooooooood. I could take along time on that. But, it's pretty cool how there's a café next door. The restaurant is clean and great servers! I will come back! And possibly rate this restaurant again! It was all good! "This restaurant is good and a little coffee and wifi would go with this excellently!"
(5)Nick P.
My favorite Italian there 4 cheese ravioli does me in everytime. Absolutely love this place and there calamari with there great marinara sauce is phenom.
(5)Phillip B.
I have never been treated so poorly as I have been treated at this Maggiano's. I didn't hear the waitress who was taking seating requests, and I thought she said "Maggiano's full" so I asked her "What?". She responded with "I said Welcome to Maggiano's!". I said, "Oh, thank you" and placed a reservation for 6 people. She looked down at the sheet and said it would be two hours. It has now been 2 hours and they still won't seat us. Every other party, larger and smaller, who arrived before, and after, us has been seated. I just asked why that was and I was told that they waited their wait time, which was a flat out lie. This Maggiano's is an insult to the chain, and is staffed by incredibly unprofessional wait staff. I am beyond shocked and strongly considering leaving with the buzzer because of the way my wife and I have been shunned because I am hard of hearing. STAY AWAY AT ALL COSTS!!! You would have a better experience if you went to McDonald's or even StirCrazy. This is a nightmare franchise location, and it has ruined our anniversary. UnSalvageable night! Unacceptable! There is no way the food can/will make up for this horrible treatment.
(1)Jayson J.
I have eaten at Maggiano's various times at various locations and always had a good meal for a good price. I am writing this review more based on their private dining (or party room) service. The pre-planning, service and attention to detail was great! All of our guests had a happy and care-free evening. The guest of honor was so happy and said it was her best birthday party ever (pretty good for an octogenarian). I will be back for a casual dinner, but will always keep this place on my radar for a party that will delight all guests, but won't break the bank.
(4)Orlando R.
A last minute decision led my girlfriend and I to dine in at this restaurant last night. Our arrival was at 9:30 and closing time was 10. The staff was very very nice and still took us in and treated us with the up most respect. The waiter (Carlos) was very friendly and extremely helpful. Marcos meal for two is an amazing deal. I was thrilled that on top of getting an appetizer two pastas and a dessert, I was going to get to take home two more pastas. Fabulous experience. Will definitely be returning soon
(4)Layda C.
Not what it used to be - menu has been stripped of most dishes that offered variety (pot roast, half chicken?) good lunch, but $100 for four people - we drank water? It's not the money, it's the quality and selection that are frustrating. Excellent service from Frank - thank you!
(2)Randi K.
My boyfriend (now husband) at the time, surprised me with dinner here for our first date. (He later proposed here awww) :) The ambiance and the food were great. The service was great too. I had the fettuccine alfredo and we were so stuffed that I was able to take some home. My husband had a Parmesan Chicken and it was super tasty as well. Obviously things cost a bit more here than your typical restaurant but it is worth it. Every time we go back to see my husbands friends or family in Chicago, we try to stop in. Our friends had their reception here and it was AMAZING! Great food, great service and it was set up beautifully!
(5)Jennifer P.
My +1 made 7:30 reservation but we were still given a pager, and were seated about 15 minutes after our reservation. We had the Stuffed Mushrooms as an appetizer (pretty good!) and each had a glass of Merlot. Our server was alright - not too attentive, but he seemed swamped with other tables. I ordered the Asparagus Ravioli (Spring dish, $15), which to my surprise actually got me a To-Go Classic Pasta, so I chose the Mushroom Ravioli. The Asparagus Ravioli was alright - it's one of those that might have been tastier the next day. The Mushroom Ravioli ended up being really delicious - I'm glad I got the 2 For deal on that! The bathrooms were clean, but the water pressure in the sinks was kind of awful - enough for me to make a note of it! We actually were there until a little after closing (oops, sorry!), but no one really rushed us out, which was nice. Will I be back? Of course - it's Maggiano's!
(4)Taunna H.
The service was outstanding and the fool was delicious!!
(5)Alyssa J P.
I'm not a big fan of American versions of Italian food. (Face it, in the US, you can't go to a chain restaurant and eat Italian food.) Also, as a vegan, I generally resent having to pay $13 for a half pound of pasta (a bit on the overcooked side, here) with a bit of bland marinara spread on top. I mean, for $13, I could buy about 6.5 boxes of rigatoni at Whole Foods, which is 26 meals worth of food.
(2)Mina H.
Crowded for a week night...still managed to get a booth fairly fast at 7pm thanks to my Opentable juice... haha. Ordered 2 appetizers, calamari (pretty good) and tomato caprese (so-so) which ended up being $26 with tax and tip. Made me think I should have gotten the breaded chicken thing the server recommended... it looked good on my friend's plate. We closed the place down (ooh 10 pm) and had a good time, the service was good, even if I thought the food was not really worth the cost... I am doing the wheat-free thing and it was kinda an odd choice to agree too, but it was doable. Note I was scared to try their corn pasta. =)
(3)Spencer H.
I called & made reservations here & when they asked for my name I told them it was Don Corleone. When I arrived the waitress said can I get you anything to drink sir? I said please call me Godfather Corleone, then I had my friend kiss my pinkey ring. The experience here was the same that it has been all the times I've been here. It is a consistent experience with good food. The service here for the most part is similar to that of a high end steak restaurant. After you finish your appetizers the come take your plates & also clean off any crumbs that are on the table. In my case there were a lot of crumbs because I eat like Jabba The Hutt. One thing I like a lot about this restaurant is that for $5 you can double your portion of pasta. Overall the food here is pretty good as well as the service. When you come here you know that you can expect a consistently good experience. I would eat here again.
(4)Jere Q.
Great Lobster Carbonara along with a vodka lemonade to make this day a perfect one. I would recommend this fine place.
(5)Patrick F.
Maggianos is kind of my go to Italian chain when I'm craving some large quantities of pasta. Living so close to Taylor St. I've become spoiled with my Italian food. Maggianos is not by any means the greatest Italian I've eaten, but the food is flavorful, portions are large, and the food is hot. We had reservations for 9pm and we were sat at 8:55pm. Our server was friendly, prompt and courteous. The pace of the meal was perfect and the cheesecake was a nice finish to the meal. Maggianos is also a great place for large parties. You can order the family style and they just keep bringing the food out until your ready to burst at the seams. I actually went to a friends rehearsal dinner at another location a couple of years ago and they did a phenomenal job. If you've never been I would recommend Maggianos to anyone. With that being said don't forget to get your foodie on in Little Italy on Taylor St.
(4)A K.
Maggiano's is very fancy joint. The atmosphere is always classy and the food is great. The portions are huge though so don't go here without a huge appetite. I know there were some other reviews about small portions, but I am not sure how that can be as a half order is meant for two whole people! Keep that in mind when ordering or you may end up with leftover's for a week. I am a huge fan of Italian food and this place shows how to do it right!
(4)Rosa S.
GNOCCI, Lemon Chicken and LEMON COOKIES! my must. Love Maggiano's. We've had events there and it's a top three contender for out of town guests. Maybe it's just the way we eat but it's a little pricey, but then I think about the level of service, ambiance and quality of food and think- you get what you pay for. Maggiano's is a lettuce entertain you Spot and I think they're formula is a formula for success.
(4)Beatriz B.
We went for dinner tonight. Food is always excelent and our server Robert was super great. We live in Rockford and we don't care if it is a little far for us. It is worth it. Always a great time for our family.
(5)Lois C.
Came here on Valentines day with no reservation. Dumb us. 2 adults and 2 children and we came in at 5 and didn't get seated till 6. We were willing to wait since we had gift cards we wanted to make use of. The service was great for how busy it was, our food came out fairly quickly and it didn't feel like we waited very long for things to start slowly trickling to our table. We ordered the Marco's dinner for 2. We ordered the crab cakes, baked ziti and mushroom ravioli for our entrees, and the creme brulee for our dessert. The crab cakes were great but maybe a bit on the salty side. The baked ziti was perfect, the mushroom ravioli were really delicious but the sauce was quite rich. The creme brulee was divine but I saw another table order the cheesecake and I kind of wish I ordered that instead. We took home the lasanga and spaghetti and meatball and they were pretty good reheated. I would absolutely recommend the Marco's dinner for 2. We fed 2 adults and 2 children under 3 and came home with a small doggy bag of leftover food as well as 2 pastas for the next day's dinner.
(3)Doug P.
Delious pasta excellent New York style strong coffee strong drinks over excellent service short wait @ 7:00 pm with out reservations
(5)Steve F.
Excellent Italian food food big portions Great service very family oriented restaurant The food The food is always good when I go in there several times I would highly recommend
(5)Jennifer T.
I've been here about two times for family birthday dinners, both times we did it buffet style paying a flat price of $30/pp. For that we were able to choose a set amount of appetizers and entrees. I think it was 3 apps and 4 appetizers and 2 choices of desserts. I vaguely remember the official names from the menu but here's a brief description of them and their ratings: Appetizers: -Calamari- good flavor, cooked right and not soggy with a bit of crunch -Mussels- with pinto beans and dried tomatoes, has a hint of sourness. It's a good choice but it is salty. -Mozzarella Cheese- Cheesy and breaded, a few of these and I am full. Value-wise, I don't think you get much out of this selection. Entrees: - Mash potatoes and steak- the mash was very good with some cajun spices so it had kick to it. The steak was cooked medium and the portions were big. I like my meat cooked well so this was fine for me. - Cheese ravioli- cheesy cheesy. It had many kinds of cheese to it. - Fish and rice- decent but a bit salty, the fish (I think tilapia) was cooked well and the rice was soft with big grains. - Linguine pasta and clams- possibly my favorite of them all, the clam meat is chopped up so you have have to worry about removing them from the shell although they do include shells in with the dish for looks. It can be a little oily and salty but I like this dish Desserts: - Tiramisu- nothing wrong with this choice, very BIG portion and very good - Cremebule- a lighter dessert in terms of size, you can finish it by yourself likely so you'd want to keep getting more of these to share. We ordered about 4. Obviously, this was A LOT of food to even share with a family of 7. When we went there it was a Sunday night, in the middle of a snow storm with tempartures below 0, windchill of a -15 and this place was STILL busy. Our dinner lasted 2 hours because you just need more time to eat al this food. Basically, its' a great place to gather and talk and eat and take your time, Italian style. It's not a place you want to go to so that you can eat in a hurry and go catch a movie so keep that in mind when you are getting your check.
(4)Ryan K.
My first time here was with a group from work for lunch. Great service and friendly people. Food is really good and priced right.
(5)Celine B.
We went to Maggiano twice in the past 5 weeks. I love their pasta dishes where you get an additional one for free to take home. Both time we took advantage of this great offer. The first time everything worked well with it. The 2nd time we didn't get the dish to go we had ordered and they forgot the bread which we had asked for. Unfortunately we didn't notice until we were already halfway home. Either way though the dishes we enjoyed at the restaurant were great. Ingredients were tasty and fresh, service was friendly and speedy, the ambiance and noise level just right - definitely a place I'd recommend if you feel like pasta and want some extra to take home.
(4)Ryan H.
Short version - Overpriced, low quality Italian. My wife and I had a few $25 dollar certificates that we needed to use so we went here for dinner. We were seated quickly and our server was excellent. I ordered the crab cakes and my wife ordered the tomato caprese. The crab cakes were a little on the salty side but my wife really enjoyed her appetizer. For entree I ordered the "mom's lasagna" and my wife ordered the Gnocchi & Italian Sausage. The lasagna was sub-par and my wife's gnocchi was awful. The pasta in her gnocchi was poor consistency and the vodka sauce was quite bitter. She barely touched it and the went straight in the garbage. Won't be returning to Maggianos every again, especially when there are so many better Italian places to eat. My suggestion is if you're looking for low class italian, just go to olive garden. Their food is of the same caliber only cheaper.
(2)Michelle F.
I cannot believe I haven't rated this place before. I have been here MANY times over the years--Easter celebrations (family style dining), private parties, date night, and most recently, dinner with a friend and our daughters--Girl's Lunch :) I made reservations for 12:30 on a Sunday. We would have been ok and on time if their parking lot hadn't been so small, and crazy (they do have $5 valet, but it is ridiculous how small their lot is). We walked in almost ten minutes late, but they were able to accommodate our reservations anyway :) Our waiter was Dallas, and he was nice/friendly. He was knowledgeable about the menu, but he kept forgetting things (complimentary bread and its subsequent refill) but was really on top of other things like drink refills. He wasn't so bad in my book! SO we sat down and ordered the stuffed mushrooms right away. Trust me, we know what's good. My friend ordered an Amaretto Stone Sour, and I got a Coke zero (so nice that they had that on tap!). The girls got raspberry lemonade, and it was really good (yeah, I stole some, so what?!) The girls got fettuccine alfredo (kids menu), and my friend and I both ordered the same thing (unbeknownst to each other). We both got the Classic Pasta--Spaghetti with meatballs and meat sauce. Since it was a classic pasta, you got to take one home with you. I chose the baked ziti for the husband. So it's like 2 meals for $13 (more if you had leftovers like I did). The stuffed mushrooms are honestly the best thing on the menu to me. I could make a meal out of those alone! But the spaghetti wasn't too shabby, either!! I really like their meat sauce! My daughter's fettuccine was a little on the dry side (not enough sauce), but she added a little parm, and all was well with the world! For dessert, we got the dessert sampler, and oh.em.gee. First off, it was the best tiramisu I've ever had--usually the coffee taste is a little too strong for this non-coffee lover. But it was fabulous. The chocolate cake was incredible (the frosting is divine). I didn't have the cheesecake or the creme brulee, but the apple crostada remains one of my favorite things on the menu. I am thinking about getting just that next time as my meal. There was a TON to take home and everyone had a wonderful time!! We will definitely be back!
(4)Bobi L.
I'm never disappointed here. Atm they have a special for make a wish for a little girl that wants to go to Rome. The cheese ravioli is so good! It's a must try. Especially if you like garlic.
(5)Tim S.
Very disappointed. We usually have a great experience with maggianos but not this time at this location. we came in around 830 and the restaurant was very quiet and not busy. it took us forever to even see our waiter and he was definitely having on off night. we ordered the combo meal (appetizer, entree, dessert) the mussels which are usually good happened to be spectacularly bad. we never had an opportunity to tell the waiter because he never came to our table after he took our order. he spent a lot of time with other tables and we just sat with empty drinks, getting more irritated. he finally came to the table after i was done with my main entree to give me a drink refill. the bus boy boxed up my meal (after bringing us our appetizer and main dish) and put it on the table when my spouse finished the waiter brought a box, put it on the table for me to box myself, had the check in hand ready for us to go. no dessert as part of the combo. My spouse brought up the dessert and I decided i had enough and just said forget to both of them im ready to get the hell out of here. I didn't want a manager, I didn't want to complain, i just wanted a good meal, with good service.....this location delivered on neither. i will never come back to this location.
(1)Rebecca H.
Very nice ambiance, and from my experience, very good waitstaff as well. They really do bring a feeling of "Little Italy" to Shaumburg! :-) The food has also been very good all the times I've been here - the spaghetti, Veal Picata, and the macaroni and cheese are all examples of this. Would recommend for anyone who wants a delicious dinner.
(4)Richard B.
We happened to have received in the mail a booklet of discount coupons for almost all of the Lettuce Entertainment restaurants, and since we were shopping at nearby Woodfield, Mrs. B and I decided to have lunch at Maggianos. I rarely, if ever, dine without some kind of discount or two-fer. I believe that there is a commandment in the Holy Scriptures saying something like, "Thou shalt look for deals and not pay full cash." We have been at the Maggiano's Skokie location, and we were satisfied with that location; and we found that this site was very similar to the Old Orchard site. The décor and menu were pretty much identical. We were promptly greeted and escorted to our table. Our waitress was very instructive and able to field all of our questions PLUS she put up with my stupid puns and jokes, too. For her good humor, I asked all of the people in surrounding tables to leave an extra tip for her. Both my wife and I ordered an appetizer of stuffed mushrooms and ate lotsa bread while waiting for our pasta orders. This month (August), they offered a bowtie aglio dish that I really liked. I was so gorged with the bread and appetizer, I could not complete my meal, so I got a doggie box to take home. They offer a pasta deal in which they will give you an extra meal "to go" if you order a pasta entrée. Since neither of us could finish the regular entrees, we actually went home with four meals! I am very pleased with our meal, and I would recommend Maggiano's to our readers.
(4)Emma L.
We've been here before and this place never disappoints. I decided to write this review because of excellent service. Food was delicious like always but our waiter made it even better. He was very professional, attentive and had excellent knowledge of food and wine. Thank you Henry, you made us feel really special. We will be back and we'll definitely ask for you.
(5)Frank B.
I have been here many times with my family. This is a good Italian restaurant. Last time we were there they had issues with the service. Also, the bread was stale. Huge portions and normally good service.
(3)M G.
We went here for our first anniversary booked on open table and was greeted with a handwritten note and heart confetti. With our reservations I noted it was our anniversary and requested a cake message. Our server Shannon was great and very attentive. We were so pleased with her we gave her a 25% tip. We ordered drinks, I the raspberry lemonade, him the dark and stormy (He couldn't stomach it, I think he thought the ginger beer was supposed to be ginger soda) He ended up sharing my drink lol. We did the classic pasta meal with a starter and dessert. Both meatball spaghetti and fettuccine alfredo for home. Food was great and filling, we had TONS to take home. Next was the cake, perfectly outlined with chocolate letters 'Happy Anniversary' I wanted to woo my boyfriend a bit because he does a lot for me. He was very touched and we even had pink and blue candles to make a couple's wish. Very cute. We were so pleased and we donated to make a wish and received a $10 coupon for next time. We had a very lovely dinner.
(5)Peter N.
I like this place. The service is a bit on the slow side, but the food is fantastic and the atmosphere is very nice. Getting two meals for the price of one (on the classic menu) is a great deal too. Love the marinara sauce and the pasta. Portions are decently sized, so there's a good chance you'll be bringing some of the food home. Leftovers warmed up beautifully as well. Definitely will be coming back.
(4)Jen D.
One of the only 'chain' Italian restaurants that I like. Being Italian, it's hard to find anything like grandma's homestyle cooking. Maggiano's is one of my go-tos. I love the gnocchi with vodka sauce. I order it without the Italian sausage and with spinach and mushrooms. Yum! I'm not sure if all locations offer this, but the buy one take one home pasta deal is AMAZING!
(4)Christie P.
It's decent food, and they give you some large portions, but I tried several items (family-style), and it wasn't as good as some of their other locations.
(3)Stefanie W.
Why do Maggiano's always smell funny? I've been in several and they all smell funny. The one at Oak Brook is especially bad but their funk is what drove us next door to discover a nice little French place but nevermind that... I don't care for Maggiano's with their fauxTalian food for dinner. Pasta, pasta everywhere. Too much. Too ordinary. The bar is it for me. Usually kinda high energy with decent wine and bread with olive oil / cheese to provide a nice mental health break while shopping. I'm not a shopper so Christmas time is what usually brings me in and then they coast on those warm memories for periodic visits the rest of the year. The patio is nice for lunch but smokers clustering around the door can be annoying and stinky.
(3)Michelle M.
I really like Maggiano's for their yummy Italian food and warm and comfy atmosphere. They can be pricey but lucky for me, all the meatless entrees are on the classic pastas menu which means for like $15 I get delicious four cheese ravioli AND a bonus pasta to take home for tomorrow's lunch! The bread is good, the tiramisu is good and their tomato basil soup is REALLY good as a starter. I find the service is generally competent but reserved, which is fine for me. Being by the mall and streets, this location can get really busy but I have always had excellent luck making Open Table reservations, even shortly before our arrival.
(4)Theresa V.
The best Italian restaurant in the area. The food is outstanding. Everything from the appetizers to the great dessert selection. I am obsessed with the calamari and fried zucchini...so delicious! The staff is very friendly and dress very professional. It's very clean and the atmosphere is great.
(5)Amanda C.
Nice Maggiano's. First time visiting this location. My cousin and I split the lunch menu item with the chicken mushroom marsala sauce with sun dried tomato & spinach. For $15.95 it was a very small portion. Lucky we had a $15 off frequent diners card so it didn't matter. Now, the apple crostada was amazing. I highly recommend it. Our waitress was nice. It was your typical Maggiano's Italian setting. No complaints but I wasn't wowed by the entree. My cousin REALLY loved it though and the crostada earned the 3 stars.
(3)Emily P.
A pleasant affordable restaurant where you get a big helping and good service. It pays to check calories before ordering as some of the dishes are very heavy. Pretty good wine list for a low/mid-range priced restaurant.
(4)Ellery R.
I'm having fruit salad for dinner. Well, it's mostly grapes actually. Ok, all grapes. Fermented grapes. Ok...I'm having wine for dinner. This is for the wine drinkers. The cheap wine drinkers. It is true that Maggiano's food is mediocre and the prices are somewhat ridiculous, but oh baby the house wine is $5 on weekdays! You'll find me here on any given weekday sipping on the house red, enjoying the complimentary bread that I dip into a mixture of oil,vinegar and parmesan cheese; enjoying the touristy looking people that clearly just finished slaving away at a long hard day of shopping at Woodfield Mall. I recommend that you sit in the bar area. Sit back, relax, laugh and enjoy the evening.
(3)Mic D.
Not what it used to be... Subpar pasta, plain boring bread, Parmesan was old...just all around unimpressed. Service was average. I used to like this place very much, not sure what happened. It's good enough if you're just looking for a step above Olive Garden.
(2)Rocky V.
Service was excellent! How ever I ordered the NY strip medium it came to the table well done burnt! and after waiting 25 minutes the next steak came to the table rare, rare : ( Stick to the pasta it's always good and a lesson learned never order the NY strip! Any place other than Gibsons!
(2)Kevin T.
Boring, uninspired, unflavorful, low quality to price ratio. Service was average.
(2)Chi-town D.
I've eaten at this Maggianos a number of times both dining in and carry out. Let me start by saying I love the food and have never had a bad meal. The portions are sizable (the 2 for 1 pasta deal is a great bargain), the taste and quality are excellent, the menu is broad enough, so that everyone can find something they like and prices are fairly reasonable. You'd never suspect this is a national restaurant chain instead of a local Italian eatery. Having said that there are several things that cause me to give them an average rating. The place is always packed and even when I've made a reservation, there's always a wait, just not as long as without a reservation. There's a bar with a TV, but it's usually overflowing with people and tough to order drinks. Once you're seated, the tables are very close and the atmosphere is usually noisy, but that's part of the ambience, so not a good first date place. The restaurant has several private rooms and can also handle larger groups at the tables, which makes it flexible. I've found the quality of the service and wait staff to range from fair to excellent. Sometimes the service can be very slow from pouring water, taking orders and getting the food. Other times it's been fast all the way around and I think a lot of it depends on the wait team assigned to your table. For the most part, my dine in orders have been accurate or quickly corrected if they bring us the wrong order. However, beware if you decide on carry out as I've had two instances where they've forgotten to put my full order in the bag. Once I went back and the other time I told them to credit my card for the missing food, but regardless it was very frustrating and not what you'd expect from a place catering to the higher end crowd. I'd certainly recommend Maggianos and will go back myself because the pros outweigh the cons.
(3)Tamra P.
Reminds me a little of Buca Di Beppo with the giant portions. Great family restaurant, come hungry!!! We had a short wait before getting seated. Very personable waiter helped us through the menu. Food was good, tiramisu was huge!
(4)iftekhar K.
Seems like most Restaurants are cutting their expenses by decreasing quality. Thanks to higher property tax of Illinois Worse state to live in. Overall bad food higher price
(1)Amanda M.
I have been here twice and the food has been good both times. The last time we had reservations, staff went out of their way with a hand-written card and confetti on the table. The waitress was very attentive, paying close mind to the birthday we had in the group too which was kind. Both times, food has been great. At least two meals, so load up on leftovers. I couldn't complain about taste. Not overpriced, either. I will say, the service can be slow. Both times I have been to this restaurant, I have had to wait in one way or another for an extended amount of time. It's busy. I understand. But service & seating could be a little more prompt.
(4)Kur D.
Food was great and delicious. Great location with parking and easily accessible.The plates are pretty hugh and filling. I recommend 2 Meals for $60 special. 2 Thumbs Up!!!!
(4)N S.
I went with a friend and we ordered the dinner deal for two. We each got to select an appetizer, salad or bread; a pasta dish (some lighter versions included) and a dessert to share. This also included a pasta for each of us to take home for the next day. We started with a pitcher of their punch that was the special of the day. Our salads were tasty with just the right amount of dressing. My four cheese ravioli was delicious and my friend said her eggplant parmigiana was great. For desert we had tiramisu and coffee. The weather was bad and the lot was packed so we also took advantage of the $5 valet parking. Our server was courteous and patient with us, but took quite a while to get our check. I am looking forward to going back. I would really like to try the family style dinner for four or more.
(5)Infotech D.
Love it! Always get perfection n a brand new leftover to take home. Wish they were proactive I didn't even get the bday surprise candle for my fiancé eventho I informed in advance n over n over again. Love their Alfredo
(4)Candace L.
I've never been to a Maggiano's in my life but there's always a first for everything. Although our dining experience was quite different as we showed up with nearly 100+ people it was very nicely executed. This place is the size of a small Target! The interior was nice and we headed right up stairs to their banquet rooms. Anywhere that red wine is flowing is a win in my book. The servers were friendly and the food came out at the right temperature and timing. I'm not sure this is the sort of place I'd visit on my own unless I was seeking to carb load before a marathon but the food was decent. I suppose anything taste decent after 4 glasses of wine. The ladies restrooms were also neat and tidy.
(3)Diana F.
Always good, Service Great.... So much better than anyone else around Chicago.
(5)Dan S.
3rd try (and last time) ordering to go and they continue to treat these customers like garbage. WHY? Because you don't know until you get home how badly they serve the take-out food. Everything is sealed in foil and you make the hour trip (1/2 in each direction), to unwrap and discover servings they would NEVER serve at a table. We ordered a family size-salad, huge bowl. Uncover it to find it' 98% head lettuce with a sprinkling of avocado and tomatoes on top. Pasta and meatballs serving for 8? 4 meatballs included. In the past, the experiences have been identical with anything you order. Does this wording sound harsh? "Maggiano's is cheating customers and assuming nobody will complain because it's too late and too much trouble to go back." There are tons of great restaurants with exceptional food to choose from in the NW suburbs of Chicago. FORGET THIS PLACE THAT USED TO BE GOOD. MANAGEMENT CLEARLY HAS SOME INTEGRITY ISSUES TO ALLOW STAFF TO DO THIS TO CUSTOMERS.
(1)Bruno S.
[] Recommend it? YES! I absolutely love Maggiano's Little Italy. If you've never been to one before, this is a high-end Italian chain restaurant typically featured in bigger cities. Their pastas are made fresh and the food is outstanding as well as their service. [] tip: if you're going with a party of 6 or more opt for their family meal deal it's well worth it (endless refills of a four course meal) [] Military Discount: Nope. [] From start to finish we had an amazing experience (except the wait of course). Our waiter was very professional and efficient. Our food was prepared perfectly (on point) and the timing was exactly right. We definitely did not feel rushed and did not feel forgotten about (that right balance). My favorite dish here is the Chicken Marsala with mushrooms for the main entre and the fried mozzarella appetizer is out of this world. Not your typical mozzarella sticks folks, this is mouthwatering greatness. For dessert try their spumoni ice cream, it's an Italian dessert. Of course their tiramisu is also very good.
(5)Mark W.
Went there Friday for dinner with out of town friends. Had reservations and asked for out of way table due to noise could sometimes be loud there. Request was taken , however placed in aisle table were waiters and bus boys bumping into your chair continuely. We have eaten here for years, maybe 30 times and found food taste consistency dropping each year. What used to be above the rest in food is now just another Italian resturant. I know cooks are different however quality control and taste has suffered. Service has always been good and attentive. That gets the extra star from 2 to 3 ...
(3)Joe I.
Better than Olive Garden, but not 100% Italian fare either. I mean, no cannolis, really ???? Enjoy the fact that some (not all) of the pasta is fresh. You have to ask to see if they are using yesterday's or today's. Cheesecake wasn't heavy enough either. But still, a decent enough Italian place in the middle of Schaumburg midwesterness.
(4)Sarah N.
I had attended a two day Company Leadership Training. A mandatory dinner was provided for each of the employees that came and chose Maggiano's Little Italy. When entering the restaurant, there are two levels. The entrance level is the main restaurant and the upstairs is where events take place. Luckily, since I did not know where to go, they had a small service desk for questions and pointed me to the right direction. After entering the party, to the left were the appetizers of Calamari Fritte - Crispy calamari, served with marinara sauce, and Bruschetta - Baked garlic toast topped with fresh tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinegar and roasted garlic. Both were very good. The Calamari Fritte was not over-breaded and the texture was perfect, not chewy. As for the Bruschetta, that was also very tasty. The combination of the fresh tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinegar and roasted garlic was just perfect. As long as I didn't eat too much of this, I was good. It was hard to get away from it. Our dinner started out with Spinach Salad - Tender leaf spinach tossed with diced red peppers, roasted red onions and Gorgonzola cheese, topped with applewood smoked bacon and toasted pine nuts. Served with apple cider vinaigrette; and Maggiano's Salad - Iceberg and romaine lettuce, crumbled bleu cheese, crispy prosciutto and red onions. Served with our signature house dressing. Their salads were fresh and was a great start. For the main dishes, this is where I got very excited. We had Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia - Filet of tilapia lightly coated with Parmesan and sautéed with capers, tomatoes, sage and lemon butter. Served with orzo and spinach; Mom's Lasagna - Meat Sauce - Pasta sheets layered with Ricotta cheese, crumbled meatballs, Italian sausage and marinara. Topped with Provolone cheese and meat sauce; Chicken Marsala - Chicken breasts, lightly floured and sauteed with mushrooms, onions and Marsala sauce with angel hair aglio olio; Fresh Grilled Asparagus - Asparagus sauteed with garlic and olive oil. All I can say is that everything I tasted was cooked very well and it was just perfect. I'm having a hard time finding the words to describe each dish without sounding cheesy. I am surprised I had enough space for Dessert. We were served, Apple Crostada, Caramel Sauce - Granny Smith apples baked in a pastry crust dipped in cream and crystallized sugar. Served with caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream; and N.Y. Style Cheesecake, Seasonal Fruit - New York style Ricotta cheesecake topped with fresh berries and whipped cream. It was the smile to an already enjoyable and happy dinner. Maggiano's is a restaurant that caters to every shape, size, culture, and party. You can go solo or come with a group of 100 (I think) and they will give the same service regardless. I was very satisfied leaving Maggiano's thinking that I would love to come back and have a beautiful dinner with my boyfriend here.
(4)Keith G.
Mazziano's has excellent ambiance and the food is amazing and fresh. I had the Rigatoni "D" with cheesecake and cappuccino for desert. The rigatoni is as good as any I've had in Italy - great flavors and generous portions. Leaving with more than half because there was so much. The cheesecake is large enough for two. It was so creamy and delectable tipped with very fresh strawberries and a dollop of homemade whipped cream garnished with mint. My server's name was Frank who was exceptionally friendly and attentive. A true gentleman. Thanks for an excellent experience!
(4)Mira V.
We've been to Maggiano's a few time but this time we were open to patio or inside seating. It was fine at first we ordered drinks and I had a wonderful Catcher in the Rye, essentially a Rye Manhattan. The zucchini fritte was excellent, nice and crisp and with a nice lemony sauce to dip it in. The crab cakes were nice size and came with an arugula salad. You only get 2 crab cakes which seemed a bit disappointing due to the price. I had the shrimp and crab cannelloni which was creamy and fresh. As the sun set the patio was invaded by mosquitos of which I have 6 bites on my ankle, 2 on my shoulder and a few scattered elsewhere. I would add a star if Maggiano's added a screen to their patio. We weren't the only ones getting bit up. While the food was great we asked for the check and to go boxes immediately after dinner to escape the mosquitos. If the patio was screened in we would have stayed longer and enjoyed the evening with a few additional cocktails. I give Maggiano's 4 stars solely on their food. As for mosquito abatement this is an epic fail.
(4)Shawnc K.
Went here last weekend for my bday around 6:30pm and it was hella crowded. Wait staff said 1 hour wait. There were people standing everywhere waiting for a table. So we sat at the bar. Ordered wine and the ravioli dish. I just love ravioli and cheese. They also were doing a buy one get one free for pasta dishes. Double score!!!!
(5)Jonathan L.
I went with my wife on a busy Saturday night. We arrived early for our reservation that I placed through the button on the yelp page and were seated within 15min. Our waiter Francisco was very nice and helpful with ordering. All in all service was as expected maybe above average. And I hate to nitpick but a nice place should ensure proper table setup - I had two of the same fork where my wife had a salad and pasta fork. I expect as much from say Olive Garden or some chain place but other little details went unnoticed by staff. My wife had a glass of wine but sent it back due to a dirty glass. Even the glass the waiter brought to let her sample the wine was dirty. Our appetizer was the brusheutta and came before our meal which seemed to take a good while compared to the table seated just before us. My fettuccine Alfredo was good with a portion that was just right but not very memorable. They use good cheese and the sauce doesn't separate into oil and cheese so well made but wasn't as thick as I'm used to. My wife had the shrimp scampi which was lots of shrimp but not much noodles. Also the shrimp were very fishy in flavor. Desert was a very tasty big slice of cheesecake. All in all it's different from when I went years ago but I wasn't impressed. I expected more. My dish was good but about as memorable as portillos pasta. My wife had fishy shrimp and a little pasta. Expect to have room for desert. I might go again but only if the price was less.
(2)Nancy M.
Been here many times, always very pleased with the food. Recently, I went here with a group of 7 and had a family style meal. This is what I thought might be helpful to other Yelpers. There are 3 choices of family style meal - $22.95, $28.95, and $35.95 (I think) per person. You have more choices as the prices go up. We had the $28.95 deal and were quite happy with it. 3 salads/appetizers, 4 main dishes, 2 desserts. They keep bringing plates of food until you tell them you've had enough. You can take any leftovers home. We started with the Maggiano's salad (blue cheese, red onions, prosciutto and dressing on lettuce), stuffed mushrooms and spinach/artichoke appetizer. All were very good. I could make a meal out of the Maggiano's salad. Main dishes, we had eggplant parmesan, linquine with clams in white sauce, lasagne with meat sauce, pepper encrusted steak with potatoes. All were good altho I don't eat clams so I can't speak to that. Our dessert choices were the chocolate zuccato cake and creme brulee. They were both awesome. Best creme brulee I've ever had - it was so creamy! They had decorated the table with confetti and left a nice note for the birthday girl. Everything was fine, until the end, when it's pretty clear that they wanted us to leave because the waitstaff started clearing all the dishes and glasses. That's why I couldn't rate it 5 stars. $45 per person for dinner (with beverages) is more than I usually spend for dinner, and I didn't appreciate getting the bum's rush. Bottom line? The family style meal is a good value if you have a large party (4 or more). A few of us went back the next weekend, but ordered for ourselves off the menu this time. The food was great, again. The service was slightly less than great, again. Will I go back? Of course!
(4)Stephanie R.
Met friends for dinner on a Thursday night and this place was packed to the gills! Had to park in the next lot over it was so busy. Quickly seated (had a reservation) in the back corner of the dining room. It was very loud and we had some trouble hearing each other. Waitress was great-friendly and attentive. We skipped appetizers but had soup/salads before the main course. Tomato basil soup was delicious. My husband ordered gnocchi and said it was very good. Our friends both ordered the balsamic salmon and said it was cooked perfectly. I ordered the chicken parmesean and I was disappointed. The breading was soggy, the chicken had a processed texture, and the sauce was VERY acidic. Maggianos has a lively feel to it and I typically enjoy their food, but this meal was a bit of a bummer for me:( Next time I will order something without red sauce.
(3)Sid A.
Italiano in suburbia. Doesn't matter if you're in Chicago or Buckhead or Southpoint, this chain is always consistent and good. Mags always gives the feel of much higher ned restauarnt with its decor and servicing. Actually a great value for food and atmosphere.
(4)Nona K.
I know this is a popular Hot spot and my review is based on a few past visits to this location. I have been visiting maggianos in Schaumburg for over 10 years and I have to say that the quality and service has declined This is a great place if you are looking to eat basic pasta dishes. You will be satisfied. If you are a true seasoned Italian eater I am not sure you will be wowd by the menu. The good: nice ambience for families. Good basic pasta dishes. The bad: no accommodations for the many people standing inline waiting for a table. I think they need to come up with a plan as to where people who are waiting can actually wait. People crowd the aisles and constantly getting nudged to move. The food: compared to other Italian resturants the food is average. Our calamari tasted like it was fried in old used oil that had not been changed. The veal was dry and again tasted like it was fried in bad oil. Fettuccini Alfredo was very average no wow factor. Crusted tilapia tasted terrible we didn't quite get the mix of seasonings and herbs on it. The bread they bring out used to be great and fresh. They recently changed the bread to a more generic white roll Won't be returning Service: we were seated at a table close to the host stand and it was freezing. When we asked for another table we were told it would be an hour wait. Okkk Our waiter was not familiar with veal Milanese I had to explain what that was in an Italian resturant. Our waiter was also overwhelmed with a number of tables. We had to flag him down several times. All in all I would suggest to look into other nearby Italian venues where you can get better Italian food with better service.
(2)Athena P.
In my opinion worst Italian food ever!!i ordered Togo , the family meal of chicken Parmesan , it was horrible. It seemed to b made ahead of time and reheated!!! I would compare it to frozen box dinner.. Not worth the price, rather go to Olive Garden
(1)Luna M.
I have been to Maggiano's Old Orchard(Skokie) & Schaumburg locations. Either place offers great food! I love the family style because it makes you feel like you're having dinner at home. But the food & service reminds you that you are dining at a restaurant. The appetizers, salad, pasta, meals, or even desserts---- all of it is delicious & can appease everyone's appetite. Of course, it is important to have an attentive server (& that would affect my rating). My favorites include the Maggiano's Salad, Ravioli, Rigatoni-D pasta, Eggplant Parmesan, Fish dishes, Vesuvio Potatoes, and any dessert. Of course, I love the decor. Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants do a great job at creating a quaint Italian theme. I love going to Maggiano's.
(5)Tara M.
Great ambiance, as expected. Not a huge fan of the restroom. My 3 year old is though!! We spent way too much time in there. Sat outside & enjoyed the hum of 290 and the retaining pond fountain. Hubs wanted that meal for two (I did not, but that is what we got -- carb overload!). I liked the chopped salad though. If he wasn't so cheap, I know I would have enjoyed me some center cut filet mignon. Oh well, it wasn't my birthday. :-). Would have rather gone to the city but wouldn't have found parking.
(4)Samantha V.
I think it's really awesome that you can order one of the classics and then they give you a full portion to take home! However, I didn't get one of the classics, I got the gnocci and sausage, which was very delicious. Nice atmosphere. Good for a date or for a group outing.
(4)Patrick B.
Terrible. I ordered chicken parmesan, the chicken was the of lowest quality I've ever tasted. Olive Garden has better chicken Parmesan. Not a quality Italian restaurant.
(1)Jess F.
FANTASTIC!!! We come to this location all the time and the food is always good but we went on Valentine's day and we had the absolute best server, who's name was Jose. He was a dream come true! I truly hope we get him again next time we go. He was so pleasant and could tell he really enjoyed his job. He timed everything perfect and we were never rushed. I wish we got this kind of service everywhere we went. I hope management reads this, don't lose him, he is fantastic!! And great job to the chef's on Valentine's day, the food tasted extra yummy.
(5)Kelly M.
Oh how the mighty have fallen. I love Maggianos and we even had our wedding reception at the Old Orchard location. This place used to be better. My husband got fettucini alfredo and it looked like a bowl of cream. The sauce wasn't reduced at all. My pasta was fine but there weren't enough veggies to go with the pasta. There was also a dirty appetizer plate on our table. Unsanitary and unappetizing.
(1)Ashley S.
OHHH BOYYY, I don't know where to start..... Sunday.....storming......cold.......wet.........Âblah So we decided to make reservations and use up a gift card that was burning a hole in my boyfriend's pocket. We braved the weather and made it into Maggiano's. Our table wasn't quite ready, so we had a seat at the bar and ordered a couple Blue Moon's from the really friendly bartenders. We're seated......our very sweet, efficient server, Alexandria, comes over and greets us. I open the menu only to discover an amazing deal, an appetizer, two classic pasta dishes(plus 2 complementary take home dishes) and dessert for $39.95......DONE. We had the crab cakes.......heaven on a plate. Mike's dine in entree: Spaghetti and Meatballs with meat sauce.... Mike's take home dish: Lasagna.... My dine in entree: Baked Ziti..... My take home dish: Bowtie Pasta Algoni..... Dessert: Terimisu Ok, so as if that wasn't enough food to kill us, our delightful little Alex brought us two more entrees that her previous table forgot to take home...... OMG, so a total of 6 entrees, an appetizer, two beers, and a delicious block of terimisu for a grand total of................$73.00 I'm exhausted just thinking about eating all of the leftovers that we have, dammit we should've bought a lottery ticket after that meal! Thank you Maggiano's, you are truly amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
(5)Mike F.
Excellent factory food, and a good deal - they give you a huge pasta to go with every one you order to eat there and it's even better leftover (as is all Italian food, IMHO).
(5)Tee D.
Normally I love the food at this place. Last Saturday (6/14 at 7:15 pm) while in the car trying to decide where to go for dinner after a VERY tiring work day, I tried to call to find out the wait time and the hostess couldn't hear me well so she hung up on me without even trying to say hello again. I called back and this time no one even answered the phone. So my husband and I parked at Woodfield (a challenge in and of itself) and walked in to find out that the wait was 45 minutes. If I hadn't been hung up on I would have waited. We left. Shame on you Maggiano's! We're good customers. Now we've got to find a new place.
(1)Chris M.
This review is for a Sunday 40 person banquet room dinner family style. 2 young servers that were going through the motions, basically service I wouldn't expect from Maggiano's. Felt worse then Olive Garden. The timing of appetizers, bread, salad, dinner, dessert, coffee was very unacceptable. We just wanted to leave it was taking forever. The servers could care less to make us feel acknowledged & respected. Cleaning off the tables, asking us how the food tasted, if everything was ok, if we wanted something to drink was too much to expect. They need training. The good food was bruschetta, pasta, salad, creme brûlée, coffee. The bad food was lasagna & tiramisu. Don't bother with banquet parties.
(1)Mike S.
Absolutely love Maggianos! The Rigatoni D is spectacular. The calamari was delicious as well. Plan to have enough leftovers for at least one more meal, if not two. With the provided reheating instructions, they taste almost as good as the original meal.
(5)Joe R.
I don't know what happened to maggiano's but I'll never go back. Their food is mediocre at best and their food prep is subpar. Cold, bland tasteless food. I guess this is what needs to happen when you try to appeal to the masses. Maggiano's is the new Olive Garden. If you want good Italian food go somewhere else.
(2)Katie S.
This place only gets two stars. One, because the interior Christmas decoration is beautiful and I love the structure of the place. Two, we only liked the appetizer and dessert. We ordered the Chicken Parmesan and Grilled Salmon Lemon Herb. The chicken tasted good but had too much of the texture and taste that it came right out of the bag. The Marinera sauce had too much salt for my liking. It had no real, natural flavor of tomatoe other than the salt. You would think at least a classic and popular dish that is in most italian restaurants would guarantee you a good,natural flavor. MAYBE next time I'll try something else from the menu.
(2)Sean K.
Took my room mate here because he'd never been to maggianos. Servers name was Jerry and he was great. Kept or glasses full and refilled out bread 3x and the place was packed! Knew the menu and had recommendations to boot. Had Alfredo pasta with shrimp, mushroom stuffed ravioli, and spaghetti to go. Creme brûlée for dessert. Everything was great. The dinner for two was a great deal! We were here at 9pm on Friday night. Walk ins had a 45 minute wait. Been here maybe 6x now. Never a problem.
(5)George H.
It has been years since I have visited Maggiano's - the food was good 'standard' Italian fare. Nothing exceptional, but it was tasty. The desserts here are what I realy liked - tiramisu was delicious, creme brulee was made perfectly with quality ingredients (saw the vanilla bean seeds in the bottom of the cup) and the mini apple tart was crisp and flaky. The service was very good and attentive. I will be back again, not sure when though, because while the food here is good, the prices are high. I don't need the super-huge portions, I would rather pay less and get smaller portions thna pay these prices and take home leftovers.
(3)Daniel P.
Greedy new years management. Apparently the concept of reservations is more of a rough outline. We had an 830 reservation that turned into an hour of waiting to be seated. I get being busy, I get running a little behind but one hour on a reservation is not acceptable. This is just greed at its finest for an obviously overbooked restaurant. Hey guess what people do when they have to wait an hour? They hit the bar which is situated right in front of the waiting area. So not only do they inconvenience you for an hour but you basically pay them to do it. Sorry maggianos but you didn't get any of my money to inconvenience me. I will not be returning, they won't be getting another dollar from me. The food tasted like reheated frozen. Our waiter was pleasant but you could tell even he was annoyed at the managements failure. Discussed how unhappy diners had been all night due to the wait. Overall terrible experience.
(1)Vicranth D.
Disappointing....thats what the food is like here. The quantity of Pasta for $13 is very less and the taste was just average. The free breads which they provide is probable the worst i have tasted in US. Chocolate cake for desert was pretty good though. Would not be going here again.
(3)Nic Z.
I've been to this Maggiano's about 10x over the years ranging from dinner with friends to dates and graduation parties. My experience in one word: unimpressed. Long waits, average food; nothing to write home about. I would just stay home!
(3)Louie B.
New york steak was phenominal!
(5)Odranre B.
The food is always good. The portion has gotten smaller. The wait time for entree was long.
(3)Paul B.
Sat outside and it was nice. I had the Italian sausage sandwich. It was very good. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Way too much mac and cheese for my daughter. A little pricey but not too bad.
(4)Joanna R.
really good big dish of angus tenderloin steak with great mushroom souse and good price .I will be back .
(4)Catherine P.
A little taste of Italy found in the Streets of Woodfield. Valeted the car this Valentine's dinner date as per the chill in the air and my lazy butt not wanting to walk all the way from Dick's Sporting Goods parking lot. 5 bucks for valet- can't go wrong. We had a reservation for 6:30pm on the Saturday before Valentine's 2011. We were early to our reservation as we normally are and we surprised at how busy they were. I thought for sure, it wouldn't be bad at 6:30, but I was glad we had that reservation. A man walked in while we were waiting to ask what the wait was and I overheard the hostess tell him 2 hours! Thank goodness, I'm a planner. We were seated just a few minutes after our reservation and were promptly greeted by our server. Shame on my for not remembering her name. (this is why you write your reviews within a few days of your experience) She was very pleasant, knowledgeable and most of all, patient with our needy table. (That's me!) There were 5 of us and we did family style for dinner. We ALWAYS order the same stuff every time we come, but were with some friends of ours we have never been with, so I was pleased they convinced us to try new foods. Here is how "the classic" family style works: You get 2 selections from their apps and salad options. We have always ordered Maggiano's and Chopped Salads and we typically get Calamari and Mozzarella. This time we changed it up. We ordered Maggiano's (Blue cheese crumbles on the side, of course!!) and Caesar. Both were fresh and delicious. We also ordered the Calamari, basically because it rocks and our friends suggested the fried zucchini. Yummm. Your entrees used to be a selection of 2 pastas and 2 entree dishes (chicken, pork, beef, seafood options). They have apparently changed the way the do things and now you get to select 4 from both the pastas and entrees- it can now be a combination of: (1) 4 pastas or 4 entrees (2) 3 pastas and 1 entree (3) 1 pasta and 3 entrees. This was a nice feature. People who try to stay away from carbs, for example, you can now ordered all entrees and skip the pastas all together. Or, if you are a fan of pasta, you can load up on the pasta options. BTW, a lot of the pastas include a meat of some sort, so it's not only pasta. We ended up going the traditional route and ordering 2 of each: Baked Ziti (which is fabulous) and we tried a new dish- Chicken Pesto Pasta- oh my, it was great, if you like pesto. We ordered my favorite: Chicken Piccata and we tried the salmon which our friends had ordered there once before. Both were fresh and delectable. Did I mention that because Maggiano's is the best, they let you take "doggie" bags?? Not a lot of places allow this, but they do. Now, of course, you would have to actually clear the first serving which after the apps, salads, drinks, and their fresh bread, can be difficult, you can reorder a dish and they will bring you a smaller portion, but a refill nonetheless. Then, if there is anything left, you can take your left overs home for lunch tomorrow. Don't forget dessert- you are allowed 2 options- Chocolate cake and Creme brulee are the perfect way to end this massive meal. Focus your attention the the brulee because you can't really take that home. The chocolate cake will keep- it makes a great afternoon snack the next day. There are smaller "family style" options for people that can not handle this amount of food, and they have a slightly more expensive option which I believe includes Tea and coffee and their "premium" dishes. Check out their menu online, make your reservation and hit up Maggiano's for your next birthday, anniversary or just because your hungry!
(5)Mallory L.
The service has always been amazing and the atmosphere is great, but this isn't the best Italian food I've ever had. Family style is great, but I feel like I could make some of the food at home.
(3)Lauren F.
You really just cannot go wrong at Maggiano's. I'm not a big fan of chains, but I can put that aside to enjoy an amazing pasta-filled feast here. The bread is served warm and is just delicious when you use it to mop up your olive oil and parmesan cheese. My favorite dish is the Rigatoni D-creamy marsala sauce, mushrooms, carmelized onions....it is just absolutely delicious! I've tried lots of other things on the menu and haven't had one thing I didn't enjoy. The Lasagna, Bowtie Aglio, Chicken Parmesan, Ravioli....this list goes on. On their classic dishes like the Lasagna, you can get an extra order to-go....for FREE! And it doesn't have to be the same thing you ordered, it can be anything from the Classics section of the menu! Just stick it in the freezer and feast on Maggiano's whenever you want! For $12.95 that is very hard to beat. They also make some of my favorite tiramisu-and it's not easy to impress me with Tiramisu. If you have yet to enjoy the feasting at Maggiano's, I strongly suggest you stop in soon!
(4)Frank F.
Great place for lunch or dinner. Staff is great. Food is even better.
(5)Suzan K.
Went on a weeknight and it was busier than I expected. I made reservations but still didn't have a table 10 minutes after my reserved time. Several groups were waiting but they had a whole section of the dining room that was empty but just didn't open it up to waiting customers. After I asked about a table, they finally decided to give me one that was already empty but just wanted to make me wait longer for it. When we were seated, they didn't even have enough place settings for the number of people in my party. Plates for bread were never replenished and we only had 2 plates for the 6 people in the party. No one came by the table for almost 10 minutes. When the waitress finally did, luckily I ordered an entree immediately because she never gave us a kids menu and she took another 10 minutes before coming back for the rest of the orders. Then almost another 10 minutes before she brought any bread. Another disappointing point was having to ask her for drink refills. She came by twice and should have noticed the almost empty glasses but did not refill anything till we asked! Food was fine. Nothing special. Nothing I can't get at any Italian restaurant. Won't be returning anytime soon due to the poor service by front staff and wait staff.
(1)Brian Z.
Such great food! Love their specials such as Taylor Street Pasta. What's even better is the second order to go for free!
(4)Jennifer P.
We held our wedding reception at Maggiano's in Schaumburg, and I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful event. From the moment I contacted their banquet coordinator by email, there was excellent communication for the months leading up to the reception. The prices were incredibly reasonable, especially considering that you are not paying for a reception hall AND a caterer. The room at the restaurant was gorgeous, with an elegance that is usually unheard of at this price point. The food...OMG, the food.... I have never been a big fan of Italian food, but this is not your typical typical spaghetti and lasagna. The appetizers, salad, pasta, chicken piccata, and Parmesan crusted tilapia were all raved about by our guests. Everything was amazing!!! Our lunch was served family style, and there was far more than enough at each table. Our lunch menu also came with two dessert choices. We already had wedding cake, so we also chose cheesecake and fresh fruit. The fruit was such a nice complement to the rest of the meal, and everyone said the cheesecake was some of the best they had ever had. We had several vegans and children in our party, and they were all offered appropriate alternate menu options, without any snootiness from the staff. Overall, this was some of the best customer service I have experienced anywhere. Truly, I could not have hoped for a better reception. It was perfect in every way!
(5)Karen T.
We had reservations @ 1230, we were seated at 1240. Service was excellent. We were visited by the manager to make sure all was good. The waitress did not charge us for the lemon cookies because our meal took a little more time to come out! Food was hot & delicious! Never disappointed!
(4)Ericka L.
Love their 'get two classics take two home' deal! Of course the fettuccine Alfredo is delicious and I also love their Bowie and their cannelloni. Great crab cakes. The raspberry lemonade is very refreshing. The warm apple crostada is a delicious end to a fab meal. You'll have enough pasta leftovers to last you a couple of days! Can't wait to go back!
(5)John S.
Have been going to Maggiano's with my family for years. Even with a reservation if you go here be prepared to wait. At least at this location it is because they are busy and not the fabricated wait you get at the oakbrook location. The service here is on average with other Italian restaurants. For a starter we had the Fried mozzarella. It is amazing here. You get two nice sizes of breaded cheese in a generous portion of marinara sauce. One of my favorite things about Maggiano's is there marinara sauce. For dinner I split the Angel hair with my mom. There portion sizes here are huge a order for two people is plenty of food and they give you a extra order to take home. Over all still one of my favorite places to go for Italian.
(5)Courtney W.
Typical non-traditional Italian food trying to be traditional. However, I'm always enamored after I eat here even though I roll my eyes when anyone suggests I come here. It's never stuffy here, the staff is friendly and they have a lot of options for people that really can't make up their minds. The bread is always fresh and hot with olive oil and cheese and their ravioli is always a solid bet. I'm not a fan of their chicken parm but I know a few people who are so I can't take off a star for that. It's always busy and on the weekend expect a wait or call ahead and parking can be a nightmare. Prices are typical of the area but a little high for the quality that you get.
(4)Andrew M.
I had dinner here with a large group of family and friends the night before my wedding. We had ravioli and bruschetta for appetizers which were delicious. For dinner we had 2 different types of salad, parmesan crusted tilapia, chicken picatta, spaghetti with meatballs, and four cheese tortellini. The food was amazing, and we had more leftovers to take home than you could imagine. We were in a private room which was plenty big enough for our group. We had a great time, and the food was great. This place has an excellent set up for private parties.
(4)Anthony M.
Can anyone say overrated. Waited an hour just to sit down, so before I even ordered I was down 40$ because a captain and coke cost 10$ at thr bar. When finally seated service was good but the food not so much. I mean really no better than olive garden which im not really a fan of either. Atmosphere was really nice though I felt very comfortable having my 1 year old son there you really have that family vibe when you go in which was great. But overall I will not be going again may order a chicken alfredo for pickup though.
(3)Nicole E.
I like Maggiano's food. I go here time to time. I love their house salad with their dressing. Yum! We went to the Easter Buffet this year at Maggiano's. Food was OK. Tilapia was little dry but what do you expect from buffet style food. Selection was good. It's from Maggiano's favorite menu items such as Bruschetta, Stuffed Mushrooms, Calamari Fritte, Rigatoni 'D' ®, salads, etc. Also, some of us had mimosa. I think we had about 5 glasses and it ended up being about $50. Wow! I was shocked. Cost so much for something that isn't so much. Do they use top of the line champagne or what! I will still go eat here but I will not go for something like this again.
(3)Arlene G.
just went here for lunch with 3 other people & we all had a great time! we enjoyed the calamari, bread, entrees and the pound cake with caramelized bananas & ice cream! we were all so stuffed by the time we all left there!
(5)Cristie F.
Yes, Maggiano's is a chain. However, as far as chain Italian restaurants go, Maggiano's is one of the better ones. When I'm craving a big bowl of pasta, this is one of my go-to spots. I don't know where their angel hair pasta & marinara sauces comes from, but it's like crack. I could down that 1,500 calorie bowl of carbs likes nobody's business. However, that only happens in my dreams.The 300 blood sugar level is never worth it ((thank you diabetes)). I haven't ventured much outside of their pasta dishes. I've a lot of loyalty to their classic pastas. Not to mention, if you order a classic pasta to eat there, you get to take another one to home for no additional charge! If that doesn't call for the worn-out "winning!", nothing does. As for the classic pastas, the Angel Hair Marinara with Meatballs, or the Taylor Street Baked Ziti are my faves. I recently tried the Bowtie Aglio on my last visit and sent it back...it had next to no flavor. See what happens when you branch out and try something new??? As for the specialty pastas (no, you don't get to take another ones of these home. booooo), I go for either the Gnocchi & Italian Sausage or the Famous Rigatoni 'D'. Big fan of all of those - then again, I'm a recovering carb-aholic. Maggiano's biggest downfall is their service. I almost always deal with a rude hostess or waiter. They're not overly friendly and helpful, and often seem too busy to serve their own tables. Kinda annoying. I also recommend making reservations regardless of when you go. When they tell you it's an hour to an hour and a half wait - they mean it. This is Maggiano's you know....not the finest dining establishment in the city...geeez.... All in all, if you're looking to get 2 killer pasta dishes for the bargain price of $12.95, Maggiano's is defo the place to go.
(4)Zatoed D.
I was thoroughly disappointed with my meal here. It was cold in the middle, no seasoning whatsoever. When will I learn to avoid chain restaurants?!?!
(1)Jeka M.
Haven't been here in forever, but the last time left a good impression and this time was no different... pricey but worthwhile Italian food with a lot of flavor and huge portions. Great (chain) way to celebrate or go out! The parking lot was super packed for a Tuesday at 730pm, but you can park just across the street easily. Clean, fast-service, friendly. For desserts I recommend the sampler! It's a polychromatic canvas of sweet.
(4)Floyd F.
This is by far my most favorite place to eat in the world. The best place to enjoy great food with family and friends....
(5)Ellie D.
Although some of the dinner dishes are pricey, you can't go wrong with the Classic Pastas, which are reasonably priced. For a while now, Maggiano's has been running a promotion where if you order a classic pasta, you get to choosen one to take home for free. How awesome is that? I especially like the Four Cheese Ravioli and Fettucine Alfredo. The portion size is enormous. Also, they always start you out with the bread & olive oil (so good!). I never have room for dessert. The atmosphere in the restaurant is very relaxed and somewhat formal. Overall, a good value.
(4)Sherwin C.
I've heard that this place gets extremely busy of their popularity and therefore I went very early to beat the crowd. After my lunch experience here I now understand why this place is a neighborhood favorite. Good cooking, good portion sizes, and a decent price. Since I purposefully went during the least busy time, I'm not sure I can properly assess the service during normal dining hours but I was pleased with the level of attentiveness I received. I was pleased with the silverware, glasses, and decor of the restaurant. Although neither really modern nor old fashioned, it was a good comfortable compromise that's a good upscale family choice. I really enjoyed the steamed mussels here. It wasn't as salty as most other Italian restaurants in the area and was flavored just enough to be noticeable through the white wine sauce. A touch of lemon and roasted garlic gave it both a feeling of full-body flavor and freshness at the same time. This was as good as some of the Milwaukee and Madison restaurants rated between 22-28 on the Zagat scale. The Crab & Shrimp Cannelloni was really luxurious with generous amounts of seafood and a delicious cheese sauce with peppers that added a great contrast to the other elements in the dish. The Eggplant Parmesan was done competently, nothing special but not bad either. It's a pretty good deal considering the price however. The Crab & Shrimp Tropheo was one of my favorites. It wasn't an extremely complex flavor but it was very pleasing and the generous amount of shrimp made my smile throughout. Many other local restaurants serve medium sized shrimp at that price and still give fewer pieces however this was filled with over a dozen large (gulf?) sized shrimp. It was also impressive how it wasn't overly salty or sour for a lemon garlic sauce. I was very pleased with this visit and I'll definitely be back again soon.
(5)Cinder M.
Well we tried again and it wasn't much better than 2 years ago. This time we were seated quickly at 5pm on a Thursday night there was no wait. However, the parking lot was full causing us to park in Dicks Sporting Goods and walk. We were seated in the back at a table with a 2 year old. The waiter was initially pretty quick coming to ask for our drink order and appetizers. He came back a few minutes to take our food order. They were a bit slow in refilling the water glasses. Well, our 3 adult entrees came delivered by someone else not our waiter. The waiter showed up in about 3 minutes and said "I placed the child order first hoping the little one could get started, but you know how kitchens are, it will just a few minutes." What constitutes a few minutes? Because we all finished our entree's and the child's order of grilled chicken, mashed potato and green beans came. Needless to say he ate 2 bites of the chicken and was done because we all gave him portions of our food. No apology, no compensation. What makes matters even worse was we all ordered the eat one take one home. Not 2 hard of an order with 2 ziti's and an alfredo. I guess it was too difficult for him because we got home took them out of the bag we got 1 ziti, 1 egglplant and 1 alfredo. Very disappointed. Might be a lot longer than 2 years before we visit again..maybe when hell freezes over. Had I seen a manager I would have said something but the place was busy when we left. Visited on 2.26.15
(2)Phil S.
After the 3rd time I went to a Maggiano's over a decade ago I was so disgusted with their food that I vowed never to step inside another one. Last night, I broke my vow and I blame it on my wife. She had never gone and was craving Italian food so I decided to go for my wife's sake. People really, really love this place and I think I know why but I'll get to that later. We waited for 50 excruciatingly and deliriously hungry minutes while watching other people who were also waiting to be seated start to wither away with emaciation. Yet everyone waited anyways! As soon as we were seated I noticed that both the water glasses were disgustingly filthy with somebody's greasy palm prints and immediately asked for clean ones. They probably just wiped them down because they gave us water with the glasses already filled so that we couldn't inspect them again. At this point, I was so hunger stricken that I didn't care about dirty anything as long as I didn't notice it. Our server was along quickly and asked for drinks but we ordered the calamari instead so we could get to stuffing our faces. We then proceeded to inhale the warm bread that was sent out in 0.2 seconds and they quickly sent out more bread. Our water was kept filled (this is a pet peeve of mine, when my water doesn't stay filled) and the appetizer came out in a timely fashion, considering how busy they were. We ordered from the classic pasta list so that we could take home another pasta dish. This, I think, is the main reason why people flock here in multitudes. For $12.95 how can you beat receiving 2 completely separate meals? Wife ordered the eggplant parmesan and I ordered the baked rigatoni pomodoro. The eggplant parmesan was decent but my rigatoni was a little on the salty side and made even saltier by the chicken sausage. I was so hungry that I didn't care and just ate bread when the salt became too much to bear. The wife ordered four cheese ravioli to take home and I ordered the lasagna. Service was attentive when necessary and let us be while we were busy stuffing our faces, too hungry to even have a conversation. The guy did a standard good job and we appreciated it. I hate chain restaurants and I used to hate Maggiano's even more but I guess I won't refuse to go here anymore in the future. I'll just try to pick a day or time when it isn't so busy because I saw my life flashing slowly before my eyes as I shriveled to Ethiopian dimensions while waiting in that ridiculous line. The food wasn't worth the wait but the value is worth another shot.
(3)Chris J.
Short version - Good - Tasty food prepared quickly; nice menu selection; clean, well laid out dining area; and nice atmosphere. Bad - Uninspired pasta side dish; cliche Frank Sinatra music; inattentive server; having to clean up the ice and water our he spilled on the table (and me) and then sit for the rest of the meal at a cold and soggy table. Not-so-short Version (Though shorter than I intended thanks to Yelp's draconian 5001 character limit) - My wife, two stepchildren, and I were here for my stepson's 18th birthday dinner. I had never been before, but my wife had been a couple times with friends and she loved it (the leftovers she brought home were always very good and had no chance of survival). At 4:45 on a Sunday, the place was quite busy. My wife had made a reservation, and while they seemed to have some trouble finding us at first, the matter was quickly resolved, and we were seated promptly. The dining area is quite big and at first glance looks to be overcrowded; once we sat down, though, I found that it was comfortable enough. During my trip to the lavatory I found that it was easy enough for a 5'7", 230 lb guy to get there and back without any major traffic tie ups, despite the dinner rush. The toilet facilities were clean. Decor was nice, though the room was a bit dark. Music was not too loud, but what is it with Italian restaurants and Frank Sinatra? Italy is a beautiful country with a rich, centuries-old heritage of classical, opera, and folk music, just to get started; why is it that whenever restaurant owners think Italian, they immediately drag out Ol' Blue Eyes and say "There! THAT's Italian!" But I digress. We started with calamari, which arrived quickly and was quite good; not chewy, greasy or over-breaded. For mains, I went with the Chicken Saltimbocca, my wife had the Chicken Marsala (we always try to order different items and share with the other), and the kids had Linguine and Clams in White Clam Sauce and Fettuccine Alfredo. My wife and I each got a small Maggiano's salad as well. Again, the food arrived quickly, and was very flavorful. The salad was well balanced (some might have said it had too many red onions, but when you order anything with red onions, you know what you're doing) and had just the right amount of dressing on it. I would have like some pepper, but our pepper mill was empty. I will not hold this against anyone, since we did not ask to have it refilled. Main courses were very well prepared, with sauce being carefully used to augment the dishes, not hide or drown them. The only low point food wise was the completely forgettable angel hair pasta served with the chicken courses. I'd much rather see a vegetable as a side than a sad, uninteresting pasta which is obviously there only out of some sense of obligation to the restaurant's theme. Desserts (cheesecake, vanilla bean ice cream, and the toasted pound cake) were delicious, though I felt the portions were unnecessarily large. Overall, the food was terrific, cooked well and plated and served with care. Then there was the service. Our server Calvin started out mediocre and went downhill from there. We had to ask for bread twice (tables near us didn't have to ask at all); my wife's teacup stood empty unless she requested more hot water, and he seemed to be less and less available as the night went on. Halfway through the meal, he spilled my water glass, soaking the table cloth and my right leg. He said "Sorry," made a quip about looking like a rookie, gave me four napkins, then disappeared. Now, accidents happen, and I don't have a problem with the spill, but it would have been nice for him to at least help clean up the mess, remove the now drenched table cloth, or even offer to move us to a different table. He did none of those things. What he did do is refill my water glass which now contained the ice my wife and I had scooped up off the table - I didn't even get a new glass! Then we got to eat our dessert in a cold pile of soggy napkins. Now, I do not fault management for this incident - I didn't talk to a manager because I didn't want to cast more of a pall over my stepson's birthday, so they had no chance to address the situation then. However, with Maggiano's prices (we normally don't have that kind of money to spend on eating out), I think servers should be expected to know how to do their jobs without having to get the boss involved. Lastly, while other patrons had their leftovers boxed and bagged for them, Calvin just dropped the boxes for us to do it ourselves. Maybe not a big thing, but after everything else, it just proved that he simply didn't care to make an effort. All things considered, I will probably give Maggiano's another chance - one bad service experience does not outweigh the wonderfully prepared food. *UPDATE* After completing the online survey, I received $50 worth of gift cards from guest relations. Quite nice of them, I think.
(3)Jimmy G.
We had an 8:30 reservation on a Saturday Night and arrived about a 1/2 hour early. We checked in immediately and we were told the table will be ready at 8:30. So we found a place to stand comfortably and I went over to the bar area which was packed with no seats available. I was unable to get the bartenders attention for the entire 1/2 hour we waited. Both bartenders made eye contact with me numerous times, but they never came close enough for me to order. I guess they don't give a crap, unless your seated at the bar. The food was good as it usually is, with huge portions, and a free take home serving on certain pasta dishes.The one thing I learned is that I will not arrive any earlier than 5 minutes before my next reservation.
(3)Steve M.
Pretty good Italian food. I like the rigatoni D as well as their egg plant Parmesan.
(4)Cameron H.
After leaving Our World Underwater, @ Rosemont, we decided to go and get a bite to eat. Since it was my partners sisters bday, we let her choose. She decided to go to Woodfield as there are far more options there than around the Rosemont Convention Center. After arriving, on a Saturday afternoon, we were seated within 15 min. Amazing actually. Then I ordered calamari as a appetizer for all to share. I also ordered a glass of red zin (trying to gain more experience with it).. The appetizer was good and the wine was good as well. As for my main course, I ordered: Chicken Saltimbocca Chicken breasts lightly breaded and topped with fresh sage, prosciutto and Provolone cheese, served in a garlic white wine sauce with caramelized onions. Served with angel hair aglio olio. It was very tasty. Typical for Maggiano's, the portions were large so I ended up taking half of it home. If in the area, I would go back. It is your typical Italian food in a typical Italian setting.
(4)Valerie W.
I may have to say that this was the best Maggiano's experience I've ever had. And it wasn't just because I may or may not have been on a date. We sat at a high top in the bar, mainly so we could people watch. We each ordered a glass of wine, and I still think $12.50 for a glass of Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is high, but then again, I just started drinking the stuff... so I don't know, really. Upon opening the menu, I realized my beloved (and I mean BELOVED) mushroom ravioli was gone. Poof, into thin air. I legit almost cried. My date-or-non-date laughed. Our server, Denver, offered to check in the kitchen, as they sometimes still have it. Oh, joyous day, they did!! My mind was made up quite easily. He also suggested I fill out the online survey and make mention that the mushroom ravioli should have never left. My pseudo-date ordered spaghetti and meatballs, and we shared the bruschetta appetizer. The bruschetta was great, the ratio of tomato-to-basil-to-balsamic was just right, and the crostini was crispy. My mushroom ravioli was of course, to die for, and I took half of it home for dinner tonight. He said the spaghetti and meatballs were good, too. Best part? Tiramisu for dessert, my all time favorite dessert. It was perfect, like my mom's. The lady fingers weren't overly soggy, the mascarpone cream was just right, and the whole thing held up well, didn't mush all over the place. That's a good tiramisu. As I mentioned, Denver, our server, was polite and friendly, but also witty. We enjoyed talking with him, and even though he probably wasn't supposed to, he gave us other good restaurant recommendations! I would absolutely return to this location, especially if they bring back my mushroom ravioli. If they don't... I might just have to try something new.
(4)Vito D.
Great food. Parking lot sucks, too small but there is valet parking you have to pay for.
(4)Kaye D.
I remember coming here when I was a lot younger and I feel like the classy vibe has changed to it being more family oriented. We know about the "have 1 pasta entree and take the other 1 home". Seemed like a good idea, so the husband and I went out for a date night this past weekend. We were at peak serving time, so we waited for about 30-40 minutes. The lobby area was getting packed with people, and it seemed to flow into the bar area. We were seated near the rear of the restaurant, close to the kitchen and the tables felt like they were jam-packed together. I could have stuck my arm out and touched the person sitting behind me and at the table next to us. We had to wait a while before a server even greeted us. But from that point, we were taken care of. So I'll give them that. The crabcakes were good. I liked the sauce that came with it. As for the pastas, the husband tried the bowtie noodles one. It looked like it was just drowning in olive oil. The sundried tomatoes were good in it though. I had the pasta with the italian sausage (can't think of actual name right now) and I did like the flavor the sausage added to it. Otherwise, it was a standard dish. The portion sizes were pretty ridiculous if one person is supposed to eat that entree (it's family style though). So on top of bringing our dishes home, we had 2 other entrees that came with us (from the dinner deal). I had the 4-cheese ravioli and he had the spaghetti and meatballs, but alas, we ended up with 2 take home boxes of the ravioli. Uh oh, the order wasn't correct... but we didn't realize that until we got home. So whose fault is it really? You be the judge of that. And the leftovers continued to feed us for the next 2 days (we gave 2 boxes of it to family members). Yeah, we're done with Italian/pasta for awhile. Even though we went during the busy hours, I was not a fan of the bustling ambience despite it being a large restaurant (2 stars). The food wasn't terrible, but I've definitely had better (2.5 stars). I'll round down.
(2)John D.
Love this place. I used to have my office nearby so I frequented here often for business lunches and functions. I have to say that every time I brought people here they left full of food and full of praise. Rarely do I have to worry about doggie bags at business lunches except here my guests would fight for who gets to take the leftovers home.
(5)Terence C.
This is and always has been my favorite places to go for a romantic night out with the girlfriend. John is our regular server, he's humorous, helpful, and always suggests the best dishes. We often order the Rigatoni D in their carry out, the dish is to die for! I've recommended this to a large number of family, friends, and even customers at my work place.
(5)Juliana R.
I can't get enough of Maggiano's! This place is always busy and I never mind waiting for a table because it gives me a chance to enjoy a tall glass of Peroni. They have an awesome special of ordering from the classic pasta section you get a second frozen pasta to take home free! I don't know how long they'll continue this as this has been going on for awhile but its a great deal!! The only annoying thing is whenever I call any maggiano's the people on the phone are really rude! But the food and dining service is always great!
(5)Paul S.
Although not Italian by blood, I nonetheless feel Italian in my soul! Maggiano's is one of those Italian places that even your Italian grandma might approve of, if you had one. They start you off the correct way by serving freshly made European style bread that's hot and fluffy right next to olive oil bottles. On more than one occasion, I've eaten so much bread that I didn't have much space for the main course, which was a shame! I've been to this place a half-dozen times now and each visit has rewarded me with excellent eats and service. The bartender Julio really knows his stuff! If you want him to come up with some original drinks, you won't see him rummaging around for a recipe book. While most people visit Maggiano's for the pasta, there is an unsung hero that calls this place home. The salads here are fantastic and come in large portions. The Greek with fresh olives and greens is out of this world. Excellent service, fantastic food in large portions and a warm environment with Frank Sinatra singing in the background. Viva Italia!
(5)Kathleen M.
When a favorite restaurant starts to slip, it's sad. I am mourning what Maggiano's used to be when an actual Lettuce Restaurant instead of just part of the frequent dining program in the Chicago area. We have been coming here for years for a family get together before Christmas. It just isn't the same. The portions are still huge, the family meal a good way to feed a group and the food is decent. Decent, not great. And it's like flying coach in a restaurant that was first class. They have crammed in so many tables that you are smushed in, crushed between tables on all sides. Take out a few tables and go back to first class quality.
(3)Carmella P.
Well..... I went to the Maggiano's in Oak Brook when they were the hot new place in town which seems (and probably was) like decades ago. I was totally unimpressed and for lo these many years, remembered only the uncomfortable wooden chairs and the red & white checked tablecloths. Fast forward to my cousin's 50th birthday party last Saturday night at the Woodfield location: same chairs and decor with crowds that would barely let you pass to get through to the restrooms. And that was the good part of the evening! Our server was obviously not experienced with a table of nine people, and after he nicely but unwisely volunteered to divide up the checks, I knew we were in for it! It wasn't just that every dish of food he brought out was given to the wrong person or served at the wrong end of the table. But after I took custody of my 84-year-old Mom's doggie bag and dish of take-home pasta offered up by the "dinner for two" the waiter had the nerve to accuse me ot taking someone else's food and start digging through my carry-out bag! He eventually gave the food to someone else, and we had to wait & order ANOTHER lasagne for my Mom to take home while we searched for her doggie bag, which, BTW, was never found! Calling the entire experience a "cluster" is putting it mildly. Spotty service aside, Mom & I still agreed we would never, never, never go back since the food wasn't worth the aggravation of the place. With so many great little Italian joints in the Chicagoland area, how this place has stayed in business for so long is one of life's great mysteries.
(2)Johnny T.
Another chain. Same 'burb. Another good experience. This is starting to be a habit. In the 6+ years I have lived in Chicago, I'd never once been to Maggiano's. When people would talk about it with great familiarity because -- of course -- I'd eaten there several times.... I nodded and laughed and feigned knowledge. Well, politico wife I am no more! I have eaten at Maggiano's and I have eaten well. It might not have been a typical experience. I came here for a wedding shower. So, I didn't have to deal with the small talk of getting to know my server, side-eyes at being out of things, etc. Much like my previous experiences with coming to Schaumburg, I got lost. Here's an idea, city planners: street names. They help. Once you're off a city grid and you're beholden to the twists, turns and tesseracts of suburban sprawl. It ain't pretty. After a 3 hour tour, I finally arrive at Maggiano's. I was hot. I was hungry. I was annoyed. Once I bounded the grand staircase and entered the private room, however, I was in a better mood. Yeah, it was wonderful seeing my soon-to-be-married friends and other smiling faces... but Maggiano's had Champagne punch waiting for me. All was well. The service was magnificent. Truly. The waiters were ubiquitous, yet invisible. This wasn't their first time at the rodeo. I appreciated their professionalism. The chefs, as well, knew what they were doing. Absolutely everything I ate (and I consumed my body weight) was delicious. The pasta was divine. The chicken was juicy and flavorful. The Caesar salad was appropriately salty and substantial, and the stuffed mushrooms made me sing. What made me weep WITH JOY, however, were the profiteroles and apple crostada. Words can't do justice to the quality and quantity, so I won't try. Suffice it to say that if you showed up at my house with either dessert, panties may or may not come flying off. Jus' Sayin'. PM me for my address.
(4)Sarah S.
I had never been to this Maggiano's location before. The setup is nice but they definitely have some hosting issues. My friend and I were both head hostesses at another busy restaurant so we know how things should run smoothly...and their wait time estimates are way off. When people ask how much longer they have the hostess got very frazzled everytime. And they sat parties of 4 before parties of 2 that were on their list before them. They just have a very strange hosting system. It's all on the computer too which should mean they have zero estimation issues. We were told one hour and fifteen minutes wait....we ended up waiting 2 hours. 45 minutes over is quite a bit! Lucky for us, there is a connected Corner Bakery so we got drinks and sat ourselves in there for our wait. Once we were finally seated, we had an extremely nice waitress. We had some bread and our entrees were at our table instantly. We loved that. The portions are huge...and now with the buy a dish for 12.95, take a dish home...I got a total of 4 meals for that $13. Ate half of one at the restaurant and took the other half plus my free entree home. Loves it. I had the four cheese ravioli. It's not something I would normally order but at 1380 calories, it was one of the choices with the least calories. It was sooooo tasty! So cheesy and yummy and gooey. I loved it! I took Baked Ziti to go so we'll see how that is. Our waitress brought us some lemon cookies to go to make up for our wait. She was great, we ate & were out of there in 30 minutes. 2 hour wait for a 30 meal...it was funny! :P Anyways, although we had a great waitress I recommend other Maggiano locations. And definitely make a reservation!
(3)Carm B.
This is unfortunately the worse Maggiano's location I've ever been to. I'll tell you why... The restaurant has a rank foul smell to it and soon as you walk in and it continues throughout the dining room. They have rug throughout parts of the dining room and they really smell (like old dirty pee actually) and it actually ruined my meal. They originally tried to seat us in a high backed booth (with obstructed view next to the wait staff area) and I asked to move to a table because I felt claustrophobic. The meal itself was not comparable to other meals I have had at other locations. Pasta was just ok and the chicken salad was equally uneventful and drowned in dressing. I was just not feeling it and truthfully I wouldn't recommend it. At least, until they do some cleaning and scrubbing. I will opt for the Oakbrook or Downtown locations any day.
(2)Maren B.
I've been here a couple times for business lunches, which is almost awkward because of trying to pick out and share a family-style meal with your coworkers, but the delicious food definitely makes up for it. Any of the appetizers and entrees I've had have been amazing, and the desserts are literally the cherry on top. I can't decide between the tiramisu and the apple crostada as my favorite... That brings us to engagement party time, and since we weren't planning on throwing one ourselves, my MOH decided to take care of it. After looking around she decided that Maggiano's was the best deal. We booked the Capri room for about 40 people, heavy appetizers and a cash bar. Well the day before the party, someone from Maggiano's calls to say the Capri room has no heat and they can move us to a bigger, fancier room with no extra charge. Okay, no problem. My only gripe with this... the other room was not fancier, and we ended up getting charged a pretty penny more than what we had agreed upon. Also the bar didn't have much variety and some people ended up going downstairs to the full bar to get drinks. Kind of voids the point of getting a private room with a bar. Annnnddddd, the sweets table included tiramisu and apple crostada, which I was going to stuff my face with; however, they were definitely not the same as what you would get at a table in the restaurant. They ended up tasting deelish anyway, but why have two different versions of the same thing? I was confused. I will say, Maggiano's in general is a great choice for a meal, especially if you're with a good group of friends, and their event rooms are really classy, but do keep my pointers in mind if you're planning a special event there.
(3)Jen R.
One of my favorite Italian restaurants. It's less Americanized than Olive Garden or Carabbas & in its own league. Service is generally fantastic & food is amazing. My favorite dish is the chicken & spinach manicotti. Loyal customer & highly recommend.
(5)Melissa M.
My family and I are fans of Maggiano's and usually go for the family-style dinner for special occasions. However, we usually go to the Old Orchard location which I've always been happy with. Unfortunately, I didn't feel that this Schaumburg location lived up to our expectations. I went with a friend and we were just having dinner for two off of the menu. Our table was a little wobbly, but whatever... we just took care not to lean the wrong way. Our server was good... courteous and attentive. However, the expediters (the guys who bring out the food) were clearly in a rush. They would run over and dump your plate on the table and take off. No thought as to where to put the plate, to ask if everything was ok, if you needed anything... just dump and run. My friend didn't even have a chance to ask for a new steak knife since his was clearly laying in the steak sauce. The guy just took off... so we had to wait until we saw our server. The food was pretty good, but it was difficult to enjoy because we were now focused on how the expediters were running around dumping plates on tables. We decided to order dessert... two of my favorites... tiramisu and Nonna's pound cake. The tiramisu was excellent, but the other a total let down. Nonna's pound cake is supposed to have a warmed piece of pound cake (I believe it's usually put on the grill), caramelized bananas, & chocolate sauce... at least, that's how we've gotten it in the past. The pound cake we received was barely warmed and slightly hard... didn't seem fresh at all. The bananas were cut, sprinkled with sugar, and thrown on a pan for probably three seconds... they were still cold and hard and you would see the sugar crusted on them. Totally disappointed. It was a Saturday night, but the restaurant wasn't really that busy. It seemed like they were trying to get through the night a little too quickly. Think I'll be sticking to the Old Orchard location.
(3)Sara M.
My sister used to be a server here way back when and I also was a hostess/drink runner. However, we did eat here before that, as well as after multiple times. The most recent time was for my engagement dinner with both parents, as well as my sister and husband. We got the family style and ate waaaay too much. I like that they consistently have good Italian fare - not super fancy. I do enjoy the side salad and the Rigatoni D, as well as the linguine with clams in a white sauce. I remember they used to have homemade chips, which were excellent. The fried calamari is also wonderful, as well as the veal piccatta. They gave us a free dessert since we were celebrating a special occasion but my personal favorite is the chocolate cake, which is decadent, rich, and creamy chocolate goodness. This place is always busy since it is right by the mall so I highly suggest you make a reservation. I have never had bad service or a bad meal here yet and will continue to stop in if I am in the area.
(4)Nichole W.
This place is just not what it used to be. Our food was just OK. I probably won't be back for awhile due to the price point and several other better options in the same range. The food didn't seem fresh and was not flavorful.
(3)Gregory R.
This is a consistently good place to eat. The waiter was great and very well versed on everything on the menu. The only drawback to the place was the bartender. I had to wait 15 minutes to get a drink while he was busy talking with friends.
(4)Dennis S.
No complaints. Lots of good food and good service. Nothing was uniquely outstanding, but the family style presentation provided abundant food for a group of hungry coworkers. The bar area was comfortable, with great attentive service and a fun atmosphere. The dining room was crowded, but our waitress kept everyone happy and was always friendly. Standard Italian fare.
(4)TRose H.
Will not go back, ordered orzo soup, it was cold so I sent it back. Waitress brought back hot soup but it was not the one I ordered then she proceeded to argue with me saying that it was the same. Salad arrived without salad dressing. Had to wait about 10 minutes before a bus boy brought the dressing. Ordered the ravioli in butter lemon sauce. The sauce was yellow but had absolutely no flavor. The dish must have been sitting under a heat lamp for quite some time because by the time it got to me the sauce had a film form on it! Totally horrible experience. Not good food by any stretch of the imagination.
(1)Gerry X.
Ok.....I have eaten here before......and the food was good...and the servers were attentive. I am also fond of the founatin outside and the color of the flowers. Makes me wish we had eaten outside. We had appitizers of kalamari and focaccia bread, of which I had a small serving of. Kalamari seemed alittle bland, but the bread was good. I started with a wine was very nice...a Merlot with my Chicken Marsala, Slamon, Spinach Ravioli. (It was a group dinner, so each had to grab a serving) The salad was ok. The desert was a Tiramisu which was soft and a triple chocolate cake which was tasty. So why only 4 star? Because like the the last time I ate there....it just seemed it was a replay of the the same thing...nothing outstanding or new I guess.
(4)Timothy H.
I wasn't really impressed. I, along with my partner and his best friend dined here recently, and it was just.....ok. I initially ordered the Shrimp Alfredo as my main course, but when it arrived you'd thought it was an entree. Only 4 shrimp in a main course? I sent it back for the chicken parm, and I always thought it was served with noodles. Not a noodle to be found. The chicken parm was good though. Service was ok too, hardly anyone in the restaurant but we had to wait a few minutes to place our orders.
(2)GingerWine 0.
The mushroom ravioli is fabulous here!
(4)Steven L.
Given that I'm Italian (half anyways) and my Mother's family is from Italy, it's really hard for an Italian restaurant to impress me. Food for an Italian really speaks to the soul. A bite of Mostaccioli with my Great Grandmother's sauce could make me all misty eyed. Sufice it to say, I'm a pain in the ass at most Italian restaurants. I inevitably end up comparing the sauce, the meatballs, etc to the cooking I was so spoiled with growing up. It's not uncommon for people to look at me and say "NOW what is it?" as I give the stinkeye to a meatball, or frown as I chew my less than al dente pasta. So when I went to Maggiano's I of course had a bit of internal bias already. However I am pleased to report that everything was fine. The food was very good. I actually preferred the atmosphere a bit more than the food to be honest and that's saying a lot. What was missing for me was that feeling of love that comes through in the food, like liquid garlic seeping through my pores. It's hard to explain. Maggiano's won't let you down if you're looking for a nice Italian dining experience but for me, I want that love I felt in the food too, and I just can't get that at a chain restaurant. Guess I need to stay home. (shrugs) Anyways, GO! Personal bias aside, Maggiano's is on my list.
(4)Steve P.
Exceptional Rigatoni D. Chef greeted us as it was the first time in Maggiano's.
(5)Jay S.
One of if the best Italian restaurant I have ever been to. The food and service.was excellent. If you go try Nonna's toasted poundcake it is the best desert I have ever had.
(5)Review P.
Good pasta. I LOVE the beef medallion's! We got some kind of Onion stings for an appetizer and the taste was good but really hard to eat (messy by hand and hard to keep on a fork). Great place to eat!
(4)John C.
Fantastic family style dinner for Aidan's graduation. Great chicken saltimbocca. Phenomenal!
(5)Rhonda G.
As an Event Venue: Great food, tons of options for meat eaters, vegetarians, pescetarians, other-arians, etc. And if you've ever been to Maggianos for family style you'll know what I mean when I say the offering for events is similar but better. Tons of food! Cozy event space upstairs with access (via elevator) for those in wheelchairs. Staff is top notch during events and saw to every need of the group without coaxing.
(5)Bill B.
A couple days after meetings friends next door at Corner Bakery for brunch, I came here to catch up with another friend over dinner. Maggiano's was a great place to do it - service was friendly and attentive without being intrusive, atmosphere was classy (great for a date) and not overly loud even when full, and the food was excellent. Be aware: Portions were universally large, so either plan to share or to take some home for tomorrow. Not that I particularly minded receiving a 6' diameter creme brulee... ;)
(4)Charles S.
Ordered the Lobster Baked Tilapia... This was a good meal after going on a lasagna binge at home over teh past three days. The fish was baked just right with a crust of seasoning and lobster on top. The orzo was nice and the Peroni was cold on tap. A little pricey but the atmosphere and service I think justify it. Will try and visit the "local" one in San Jose and see if the quality maintains at 2,000 miles away.
(4)Jessica K.
Food, fantastic! They are eager to change items to make them vegetarian. They have whole wheat pasta, and gluten free. Our waitress was ok..... I heard her complain a lot to other servers, which was sort of annoying. It was busy! Make a reservation, even for lunch. My margarita was also awesome!!
(4)Brad R.
I came here in early January to celebrate a friends birthday. I was not very pleased. The service was marginal at best. I had eaten earlier as I am not a huge fan of italian food or the prices at Maggiano's in general. For dinner I ordered a bowl of soul and an appetizer of onion straws. I intended on munching on the onion straws with my friends as an appetizer then having the soup for dinner but much to my surprise the soup came out first with the other soups. I felt quite stupid having a gigantic plate of fried onion set down in front of me for dinner as if that was my meal for the night. Water was hard to come by and overall it was just not a very pleasant experience. When I go to a fairly expensive restaurant I imagine that the level of service and food quality will match my bill. That is not the case at Maggiano's. Barring some huge obligation to a friend I will not be returning. Keith, The server didn't ask, nor did I make any requests regarding the order. I just assumed that the onion straws would come out first.
(2)Lily B.
Great service and friendly employees. Lasagna was great and got one free to go. Prices are reasonable, and food is great!!
(5)Sarah S.
Unfortunately, the quality and freshness level is waaaay down, but their prices have gone waaaay up. What a disappointment. Next time I want Italian food, I'll go to Rosebud.
(1)Megan M.
Can't go wrong with a dinner at Maggiano's. Surprisingly not too pricey, especially for what you get. Expect a wait if you don't come in with reservations. 45 min usually means an hour, btw. For appetizers, I suggest the fried zucchini. Oh baaaby!! It's perfectly fried with a lemon aioli cream sauce for dipping - borderline addictive. The calamari is top notch as well. Crab cakes are on the salty side - not my favorite. Rigatoni D ($14) is my go to dish...rigatoni with plump little mushrooms and juicy chicken. Enough to last me through dinner and lunch the next day! The lobster carbonara smells fabulous - must be the bacon they sneak into it. Eggplant parmsan is my sister's favorite, and the chicken picatta was popular amongst our group. Servers at the Schaumburg location are typically on the younger side. Ours from last night continued to ask 'you all good on drinks?' Guess he couldn't shed his gangsta' life while on the job. Guess that comes with the suburban location.
(4)Shelby A.
After everyone raving about this restaurant, I figured I would try it out. Well when we entered, the hostess said we should wait 5 minutes tops. Well 20 minutes later, our buzzer still didn't go off and as a hungry customer I was pissed and gave them an attitude so they finally sat us after we watched 7 parties go in after entering after us. Unbelievable! The food was awful. I ordered some shrimp and crab pasta dish that was gross and my boyfriend ordered the Rigatoni D which was decent. For dessert I ordered their creme brulee. You know, I didn't think it was possible to mess up creme brulee but they succeeded in this. The shell was way too thick and the insides were cold! Icecream cold! Disgusting! Way to ruin my favorite dessert. I don't understand why people go to restaurants with overpriced crap food like this when there's better ones not too far away (like Viaggios. YUM!) I definitely suggest there than here.
(1)Peter U.
Key Points: Yummy Pasta (whole wheat and gluten free options), Bread was da bomb, Classic Pasta (12.95) is eat one take one home, Service was moderate, Decor is classy. Nice enough for special occasions without having to break the bank. Maggiano's in Schaumburg is a great spot for lunch, dinner, or a company function. I have been to Maggiano's many times for work luncheons and the facilities, service, and food has always been outstanding. My work would give me gift cards sometimes (as a holiday gift) and I would take my girlfriend and family there to enjoy of yummy pasta. Last night, I called around 6:55pm. I asked if I could make reservations. They said I can, but the earliest would be for 8:30. I was like yikers!!! I then asked what was the current wait. She laughed and said, zero. I was like what!!! She was like hurry over. So I took my girlfriend and her mom to celebrate her mom's birthday (additional treat of just us 3 vs. the entire family meal that was today). I got there about 15-20 minutes later and was told about 20 minute wait. The lady recognized my voice and we joked about how fast zero turned into 20. So we got the pager to wait and about 10 minutes later, we got a table. I nice little surprise and a great way to start dinner. As we sat down, our waiter brought us waters and took our drink orders. I got an Italian Mojito...Yowzers they made it strong, so I felt like I got my money's worth for only 8-9 bucks. Also as the ice started to melt it got really yummy and help cut some of the edge of the liquor. My girlfriend got the frozen peach bellini. That was sweet and yummy too. My girlfriend's mom wanted a wine that was not to sweet and not to dry and without hesitation, the waiter said I have the perfect one for you. It was a white wine from new zealand. Nice body, a little on the dry side for my palette but good with her seafood pasta. The bread rocks. Nicely toasted and warm. Yummy. We shared a chopped salad for appetizer and it was fresh and was a great way to start out. It had bits of prosciutto, lettuces, avocado, tomato, blue cheese with a house dressing. It was great. I got classic pasta of a baked ziti and my girlfriend got the eggplant parm. Her mom got the shrimp scampi with pasta. All in all, the pasta was amazing, except the shrimp scampi was a little on the oily side. Also a great part was being able to take one home with the classic pastas. its like getting 2 for 12.95. I took a lasagna home and my girlfriend took an Alfredo. We finished with tiramisu that was perfectly prepared. Not to sweet and a great note to end. The only thing that limits me from the 5 star is that the dessert took so long to come out. I dont know if the lady fingers were being made from scratch, or he just was busy, but that really dragged the night a little slower and prevented a shopping spree at Nordstrom Rack, near by. lol prob for the best.
(4)Carmella M.
Very nice restaurant, Had the shrimp and pasta and was delicious, was great service in here sat quickly not a wait on a tuesday night. we did the sampler dessert tray and was it perfect size for a party of 6. vallet parking is available and you will have to pay but there is plenty of parking at this location.
(4)Katy M.
Me: "Can I have a gluten free menu?" Hostess: "Sure thing, and I will have a chef come out and talk to you..." It is so nice to be able to order gluten free pasta and having the chef come out was a nice, comforting touch. Even the white sauces (such as alfredo) is gluten free so the menu can be very gluten free friendly. That being said, there was nothing on the menu other than the pasta substitution that made it a fulfilling meal (i.e. breadsticks or gf breadcrumbs to make chicken), and with so many restaurant with a variety of GF options, Maggiano's wouldn't be my first choice for Italian food. It is a little pricey for what it was, and while the meal was safe, I prefer more creative food choices and a wider variety of choices.
(3)Carolyn L.
The food here is good, nothing spectacular, but usually reliable. My former company used to order buffet-style portions for the employees at holiday times. There's nothing innovative about Maggiano's, but it can be adequate when you want to share some Italian comfort food with friends.
(3)Vrunda M.
The best Italian food in the suburbs.
(5)Kate L.
This review is solely for the gluten free pasta at Maggiano's. As many other reviews have stated, the portions are huge. However, the actual quality and taste of the gluten free pastas that they offer are not very good. Maggiano's uses corn pasta, and in the four years since i first tried maggiano's gluten free pasta, their pasta's quality and taste has remained the same. Meanwhile, other restaurants and brands that you can buy at the grocery are continually improving, so thankfully gluten free pasta no longer tastes like grainy cardboard. However, at my most recent visit to Maggiano's, my gluten free alfredo pasta tasted distinctly of grainy corn. I would have expected such a trendy, popular place to keep up with the advancements of gluten free products, but they obviously have not. I didn't like this place four years ago, and I still don't like it today. I'll be going elsewhere for my gluten free pasta fix.
(1)Dallas F.
I went here for a wedding reception over the weekend and I was supremely impressed with the service. Its as if they anticipated my needs. Before my glass of wine would somehow magically become empty someone would ask "Would you like more miss"? Why yes. Yes I would. The food was just "mawvalous dawling, mawvalous". The gnocchi in vodka tomato sauce was the highlight for me. Im getting really hungry thinking about it now... All in all, it was just a great reception hall/banquet room. The impeccable service and stand out food makes Maggiano's worthy of a return trip- even if not for a banquet where everything is paid for.
(5)Juliet L.
We had our wedding reception here a few months after our private wedding in Maui. We both wanted something in a nice space, with great food and great booze. Maggiano's definitely delivered. We worked with Chris, and he was awesome, very quick to respond to emails and calls, working out each detail. I planned the event myself and they made it very easy - I felt like I was in really good hands. We also did our own decorations and they put them all out, the room was absolutely beautiful. Our event coordinator the day of was Rafael, and he was so great. He handled every detail flawlessly and personally brought my drinks throughout the night. We had a little SNAFU during our event, and they were very quick to handle it to our satisfaction. Seriously, they have the best customer service ever, starting from the servers, all the way up to Brian, the General Manager. And all of our guests raved about the room, as well as the service, and food/drink quality. We got the calimari, stuffed mushrooms, beef tenderloin, gnocchi, profiteroles, and all of these were excellent. We got a lot of remarks that ours was the best reception people had ever been to. I highly recommend them for a wedding.
(5)Joy S.
I was able to get a reservation for 5 here for Thanksgiving Day last week. We opted for noon, to accomodate plans with various branches of family, which turned out to be when they opened. Thankfully, the doors were unlocked before noon, so we could wait warmly inside. We arrived early enough to avoid the major crowd, and we were seated quickly. A mistake on my part was that when I made the reservation, the hostess asked if I was familiar with the menu, and I told her I'd looked online and had been there before. But I hadn't realized there was a special menu just for Thanksgiving. So I wasn't able to get my usual gnocchi with vodka sauce (soooo good). Instead, they had a family style Thanksgiving menu. While I was hesitant at first, and it was a lot more expensive than we anticipated, it all turned out very well! For the family style dinner: We were brought 3 different types of bruschetta, including original, a squash, and another vegetable I wasn't daring enough to try. We were given a choice of 2 out of 4 salads, we chose caesar and a chopped salad. They were accomodating to my nephew who prefers dressing on the side for the chopped. There were 3 meat choices, turkey, ham and fish. We went for the turkey and ham with cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and creamed spinach. The creamed spinach was absolutely amazing... with a sharp cheese flavor in the cream. We also had 4-cheese raviolis and angel hair pasta with sausage. Amazingly enough, we found room for dessert! My dad and I split a tiramisu, and my boyfriend and nephew opted for the pumpkin cheesecake with pumpkin-flavored whipped cream. We were technically only supposed to be able to order 2 types of dessert. But I explained to the waitress that my mom isn't supposed to have creamy foods, and asked if we could have an apple turnover just for her, and offered to pay extra. But we were told we could have one at no charge! They packed up all our leftovers, and didn't complain when we stayed an hour and a half to digest and conversate. Definitely made for a nice stress-free Thanksgiving! I'll probably suggest we return again next year!
(4)Chris R.
We have been going to Maggiano's for years. I think I may never go again, on purpose anyway. It seems that Maggiano's has decided that Chili's business model is the one for them. Quantity over quality. Very disappointed. I had the Linguini w/red clam sauce. Where are the clams?? I asked our server about it and was told that 5 or 6 clams is what comes with the dish. Marinara was bland. My six year old didn't even like the spaghetti. The service was great which is why I gave it 2 stars instead of 1.
(2)Adrian L.
The food was good the service was good. Here's what ruined the night... When we were done eating, we got up and walked to the door to get the car from the valet, when we got the car I realized I forgot my cell phone at the table so I ran back in and when I got to the table we were sitting at it was already cleaned and set for the new customer, the phone was gone. I asked the waiter if he saw it, he said no but checked with the bus boy to see if he'd seen it. He said he didn't either. I checked with the front kiosk, no one had turned it in. Seriosuly? The phone up and disappeared no where to be found. I know someone say it. Was it the waiter, the bus boy, someone else from the staff? Who knows, but I lost my phone and whoever found it didn't have the courtesy to return it. Needless to say that ruined my experience at this restaurant.
(2)Lawrence Y.
Stopped on in for a business lunch recently. The ambiance is nice (i.e. nice enough for a casual or business lunch), which is really the first thing I noticed. Our server was very friendly and checked up on us many a time. (It was hard not to notice the other servers as well, but they all seemed like they were doing a good job staying on top of things too). One thing I do like about the menu is that they had a BOGO Free-To-Go special under Classic Pastas. Eat lunch now, have more for dinner later! I ended up ordering the Chicken Scaloppine (w/ lemon caper picatta). I wasn't too impressed by my first bite - but as I ate more and more, the flavors began their true course and easily became a favorite of mine. The pasta was cooked just right and had a perfect blend of oils. The chicken came atop a bed of delicious spinach. I typically like capers but could have enjoyed the meal with 10 less of them on my plate. But all in all a perfect choice for lunch!
(4)Amanda H.
My husband and I had a gift card for Maggiano's so we thought we would order take out from the Schaumburg location. It's way too expensive to eat in for the mediocre food and over priced wine. Even the take out left a lot to be desired. Don't get me wrong, the food isn't bad, but it's just not worth what they charge you for! If I want chain restaurant Italian food, I think Olive Garden is WAY better. I was expecting more out of Maggiano's take out too. It looks like they take no pride in presentation, they just kind of threw the food in a container and sent it out. It looked completely unappetizing. Again, it's take out, I understand that it's not going to be superbly plated...but my dish (braised beef cannelloni) looked like dog food. Unless I receive a gift card, I won't be dining at Maggiano's again...not based on this experience but b/c I think there's better tasting, higher quality Italian places out there
(2)Christopher O.
Since when did black and white stock photography and Sinatra portraits become the official certification for Italian restaurants? The wait staff earns all of these two stars. Great attitude and great service. The food isn't horrifically putrid, per se, but it definitively teeters on that unacceptable level of blandness.
(2)Giuseppe D.
This Maggiano's location is a really nice establishment. The decor is very classy. The bar area when you first enter is a nice place to relax while waiting for your table. I wasn't too happy with the way the hostesses spoke to me and my date. But after a 40 minute wait and a little attitude we were seated. Thankfully the waitress was much more courteous. I ordered a glass of chianti and my date had the sangria. The sangria was surprisingly okay, and, as it should be, the chianti was good. We ordered the mushrooms as an appetizer which came as a fair portion size for two. We each ordered a different pasta. Growing up eating authentic Italian dining, I have no choice but to be a tough critic. I am aware that Maggiano's is a chain restaurant so I gave it the benefit of the doubt, and the meals were decent (I had originally expected them to be poor). This location has a valet service which is nice should you choose to it. The prices were pleasantly fair. Overall an average experience, nothing spectacular, yet nothing terrible.
(3)