Hubby and I were heading over to a destination near the Macaroni Grill today at lunch time and decided to give them a try. It is an easy to find location and we were quickly seated at a booth. I ordered a glass of Woodbridge White Zinfandel and we were brought a loaf of herb bread while we looked over the menu. I started with a very nice Caesar salad loaded up with plenty of Parmesan cheese, fresh greens and crispy croutons. I ordered Pollo Caprese. The chicken breast was tender, moist with just the right amount of grilled flavor and the capellini pomodoro was flavorful and hearty with chunks of fresh mozzarella. Hubby got a bowl of Mom's Ricotta Meatballs & Spaghetti with beef, veal & ricotta meatballs, romano and crushed red chile. It was so big he brought home about half of it for later. Kelly was our server. She was personable and accommodated our requests with ease. This is our first visit to a Romano's Macaroni Grill and it was a pleasant experience.
(3)
Bill B.
This is a pleasant Italian chain out of Texas, with the original restaurant being near San Antonio. Relative to its prices, the restaurant provides good value and nice atmosphere. But there is one policy that I find worrisome. If you order one of their house wines by the glass, they bring out an open large bottle (looks like a half gallon size), pour you a glass and leave the bottle on your table on "the honor system." You pour as many more glasses as you wish on your own. I guess they can tell how many glasses you have poured by the level remaining in the bottle. But what happens if you drink only one glass and leave the rest in the large bottle. Do they spill out the rest? I doubt it. That means you could be served wine that previously was in an open container on someone else's table. I was told their policy regarding house wine is common in Italy. I have been all over Italy from Milan to Sicily and never experienced that. I wonder what kind of restaurants the Texas owners went to in Italy to see that risky way of dealing with house wine? Better to play it safe and order one of the non-house wines, which they serve in the normal manner. They are more expensive, but at least you know they were not previously in an open container on someone else's table. This chain is in the process of making some substantial changes for the better. But local management is always very important, and that is what makes this one stand out. The General Manager, Joe Wagner, is outstanding. He tends to be very active in the dining room making sure all goes well and quickly fixes any errors. If Joe leaves, well then it would just be another Texas chain restaurant.
(5)
Robin S.
Great gluten free food and gf pasta coming soon! Service was awesome even though we came in 15 minutes prior to closing. We were even encouraged to do their Thursday 1/2 price wine night - $18 for a bottle of La Crema Pinot Noir. That's less than you can get it at the store! My roasted vegetables were cooked perfectly and full of flavor. The bf couldn't stop eating them, and he dislikes veggies. The chicken caesar salad had a small piece of crouton in it; we alerted our server because Jer would get sick if he ate any gluten. They explained that it could have dropped in the lettuce mix earlier because of the salad station set up, and next time they would use new lettuce for gluten free salads. Although the kitchen was closed, they kindly made a whole new salad..and then didn't even charge us for the salad!! Pretty amazing service, reasonable prices, great food and wine!
(4)
Eric B.
Not my first choice for Italian food on a budget. Honestly I was very disappointed and ordered their lobster ravioli and chicken speeding. Both were served cold with a bland flavor. The atmosphere is loud, crowded, and over lit. This is a great place for families with kids that aren't particular about their pasta.
(2)
Paul M.
Very disappointed. This is obviously a fake Italian chain restaurant that works in cities where there is an Italian community to prepare the food. In KC, not so much... food is served cold and not well prepared. For the money, not your best use of your restaurant dollars.
(2)
Kelly L.
3 stars is a bit high. Honestly, I have gift cards and I wont use them. won't return. Their food is oiled up lame-ness. I have been here 12 times (says my Foursquare account) and not once have I been so impressed to write or been so ticked.....then I had dinner tonight with the family. How hard is it to leave out an ingredient when asked? I do not eat pork. ever. I like piglets and not on a fork. Every single time....yes every single time they have put Prosciutto in my pasta.....I even said I'm allergic to pork and it was still added to my dish. That just gets old .......aside from the cooks not being able to read a ticket or the servers not being able to communicate to satisfy a guest the food all tastes the same and its a glob of sauce and I go home with a belly ache. On that note, I am re-gifting my gift cards ......have anyone in mind???
(3)
Hayley S.
The last time I remember visiting Macaroni Grill, I ordered off the kids menu and my use of the crayons on the white paper table covering was age-appropriate. So when it was announced as the setting for my Grandma's birthday lunch, I wasn't too excited. Boy, was I wrong. Let's start with the complimentary bread, which is a surefire way to win this girl over. Soft, warm and herbed on the inside with a crispy, flaky sea salt shimmering outside, we asked for multiple refills. Dip it in the EVOO topped with fresh ground black pepper and you'll be won over, too. For my entree I ordered Eggplant Parm. I got three thick eggplant slices, lightly breaded and topped with parm, basil and cherry tomatoes, with carbonara on the side. Delicious, and I had plenty to take home for lunch the next day. Our server was engaging and attentive, kept the water and cracked pepper coming, and delivered a birthday treat with candle for Grandma. And you can bet I still doodled with those crayons. Next family birthday, I just might suggest this place myself.
(4)
Tim M.
I typically don't love chain restaurants, and never take the time to review a chain restaurant unless it is particularly bad, but the food and service here is consistently good. We go back time and time again and I never have anything bad to say. I won't bore you with any stories, I'll just say we really like this place.
(4)
Linda P.
I've been a fan of Macaroni Gril from CA and especially because I like to make my own pasta, but this trip I especially was pleased. Service was attentive and great and when I got recommendations from the waitress I learned there was a dish on the menu close to what I create and was able to modify. Focaccia Bread is refillable and hot moist and wonderful. Pastas you cannot go wrong with. FYI: If you have any gift cards usable for Maggiano's, On The Border, Chilli's, or Macaroni Grill they are in the same family so can be used interchangably.
(4)
Collin F.
I've been going to Romano's Macaroni Grill on Metcalf in Overland Park since the mid-90's. For a chain Italian restaurant, they seem to do a pretty good job with what they have to offer. They have certainly done a good enough job to keep me coming back again and again. Having moved further away from this location, my wife and I have not frequented this establishment as much as we used to. But a drive out this way on a Friday evening led us to their doorstep once again. Our daughter is a pasta-holic, so we knew there would not be problem with finding something for her. We were seated right away upon entering, which is pretty good for a Friday evening. Our waitress was a tad slow to start, but nothing major. We looked over the menu and I can tell it had changed somewhat from when we were last here. For our daughter, we went with the traditional kid's spaghetti and meatballs. My wife knew she would not be able to eat it all, so she chose the grilled vegetables and I chose a chicken caesar salad with an sampler appetizer for us to share. Well, strike 1 came when the waitress told us the grilled vegetables were not available. "Oh, did I forget to tell you that?" So, my wife said she would just have a regular side salad and would nibble on the bread, the appetitzer, and some of our daughter's spaghetti. My wife was not pleased. Strike 2 came when the waitress took our order, then couldn't remember what I had told her. Is chicken caesar salad really that hard to remember? (Oh, and aren't they supposed to write their names in crayon on your table paper so you know what to call them?) The rest of the meal went rather well. The food was basically good. The appetizer was the best part of the meal: fried mozzarella, calamari, and bruschetta. We still had about 1/2 of the spaghetti to take home. Our service improved but was still a little slow, in my opinion, like refilling a water glass or finding a booster seat. I have probably been to this restaurant at least a few dozen times and overall I would have to say this was probably my worst experience. As it is, I'll still give it 3 stars. The food was good, the price was okay, but the service was just not up to its usual standard and that concerns me, because if Macaroni Grill can't offer up their traditional service, then there are plenty of other Italian-themed restaurants to choose from in the Metro, and some with even better food than here. Get me to Garrazo's!
(3)
Noelle M.
3.5 Came here with my mom after an excursion into the middle of nowhere (this was pre- Garmin days). NO ONE was here but us, but that was fine. I love being able to build my own pasta so I always choose that option and it was nummy as usual! The bread service is also good. I got a Bellini (see pic) which wasn't really a bellini at all, hince the mark down in stars. Other than that, chain or not, I have no complaints!
(4)
Adam C.
Not only is the food always superb, but the service is always fantastic. I live about 45 minutes north of this Macaroni Grill, but sometimes we make special trips out to OP just to eat there. To all of you people who swear against restaurant chains.. don't let it deter you from giving this place a shot. You will be pleasantly surprised. Best of all, the management here takes extra special care of their guests to make sure there are never any issues. They made a trivial mistake (which, to most places, they would blow off and do nothing about), and to make up for it, they gave us a very large discount on our meal, free appetizer, apologized several times, and made sure we had one of the best dining experiences we've had in a very long time. A+! Seriously... if you like Italian, just give it a shot. It's fantastic.
(5)
Steve S.
Won't ever give this business my money again. They are too busy holding Obama watch parties.
(1)
Justin G.
I like Mac Grill, but I'm writing this due to my last experience there. We had a bit of a service issue, but someone found out about it and they did a fantastic job making up for it. Service was excellent, manager very nice, good people. Tasty food for a chain italian restaurant. Much better than Olive Garden.
(5)
Colleen L.
I was pleasantly surprised! I didn't think it would be really good because its a chain but I really enjoyed the food. The bread is pretty good with the herbs. The Cesar salad is average, nothing special. I orders the pollo caprese. It was really good. The chicken was juicy and well seasoned. The pasta was really tasty with the basil, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. My husband has the beef rigatoni and he really liked it. We did have amazing bad service though. It took the waiter 10 minutes to come to our table after we were seated. Then after our food was delivered he never came back so we sat there waiting for our check for over 20 minutes before we asked a different waiter to please bring us our check. The manager did give us a gift certificate because of the inconvenience. Despite the bad service I would go back just for the food!
(4)
Zach C.
Portions small on fish dishes. Beautiful setting and plentiful food on noodle dishes... great place to celebrate.
(4)
Martha K.
Never never again..... Macaroni Grill has to be the worst Italian chain restaurant. The staff was friendly but that was it! The food has so much sodium that I felt I was simply eating a salt lick. I can only assume that the higher the sodium content the longer they can hold it to use over and over again. The desert only tasted of sugar. No other flavors were detectable. I always treasure desert out but this time it was one bite and I was done.
(1)
Zach G.
With a gift certificate in hand, the lady and I decided to hit up Macaroni Grill for a Monday night meal before I left town. We knew not to expect great food, but we thought we would get better than we experienced. Service from Dawn was fantastic. Everything else...not so much. The menu isn't huge, which is nice because then it doesn't take 20 hours to choose a meal. We started with side Caesar salads, which were $3 each and seemingly pulled straight out of the fridge. It was clear the dressing had just been sitting on them, waiting to be ordered. The dressing had little flavor, but I do appreciate that the salad was only 85% swimming in dressing, not 110% like most places. My main - Mama's Trio, which is a sampler dish of sorts. Chicken and mushroom cannelloni - borderline disgusting. Dry, a weird flavor, and nothing of note, least of all mushrooms. Next was chicken parm on angel hair - chicken didn't have much flavor. Angel hair with sauce was basic and hard to mess up. Finally, lasagna was rich but overcooked, dry, and had flavors that seemed to clash in a bad way, resulting in a weird taste. Fettuccine Alfredo was mediocre. Alfredo sauce more water than cream, and had all settled to the bottom leaving much of the pasta rather plain until the end, when it was overpowering and soggy. Chicken flavorless. That's a common theme amongst all dishes...chicken with zero taste. On top of it all, prices are just too high for the quality. This is definitely a "quantity over quality" place, which I don't like much. You're paying for a bunch of bad food. We won't return.
(2)
Rob M.
I've driven past this place a jillion times without trying it. Tuesday night I went to a gathering to watch Obama's State of the Union Speech, and I really was pleasantly surprised. The interior is attractive and the menu seems to offer a nice selection of Italian or Italian-American classics. I ordered the Carbonara, made with spaghetti alla chitarra (hand cut). I was pleased that it was a pretty authentic Carbonara, made only with pancetta, eggs, butter and Parmesan cheese (with a poached egg perched on top). Authentic Carbonara doesn't come in a cream sauce like an Alfredo, although the eggs can give it a creamy consistency. It was tasty and the spaghetti very nicely al dente. A small Caesar to accompany it was an extra $3 and it was also tasty. Service was surprisingly good, considering that we were in a separate section with about 30 other people watching the speech. I thought they handled everything well. Prices are reasonable and I'd be willing to go back and try some other things. Even though this is a chain, it's a nice one and seems to be serving quality food. It's definitely a cut above Olive Garden! Try it, you might like it, too! By the way, there are a number of vegetarian options on the menu -- if you're not a meat eater you won't have to starve at Macaroni Grill!
(4)
G S.
Not impressed. The long wait to be seated was expected since it was a busy Friday night, but Service was just okay. Food was not good.
(1)
Melanie M.
Eeeek! Came here for a birthday dinner with 5 others. Help yourself out and head across the parking lot to Cinzetti's if you are craving Italian. Birthday girl ordered their new Tasting Menu featuring their Speidini options ($15 + $1 for the upgrade to Steak). Four Courses: Ravioli Appetizer, Ceasar Salad, Pasta and your choice of 2 Speidini (Chicken, Steak, Shrimp or Sausage). In all fairness, the ravioli and ceasar salad weren't bad. However, the pasta came out cold and it was served with the main meals that everyone else got at thte table. After 20 minutes, we flagged down another waiter to check on the Speidini course. It came out 10 minutes later. It was hot when it came out. However, the Steak Speidini was rancid. It tasted like it had been marinated in rotten shrimp. After another 10 minute wait, we flagged down our waiter this time. Told him about the issue. He said he was going to tell the manager. Another 15 minutes passes, the waiter brings out the check. Still no manager. Waiter said the Manager gave us $5 off the tasting menu. That was incorrect. The birthday girl got a free dessert and that is what the credit was for. UGH. My husband asked for the manager as we were leaving and we got some lame story about how he was going to come talk to us but hadn't made it over. We were there for a total of 2 hours! He did however credit us for the entire tasting menu. We also recommended that he toss the rest of the rancid meat before anyone got sick. We've ate here before and I remember it being good- it was a couple of years ago, I'll admit. I mentioned an entree they used to serve to the manager, and he said that they've been changing up their menu. He also went on to say that they had been purchased by Joe's Crab Shack. Seriously, help yourself out here and head over to Cinzetti's. Heck, Fazoli's would have been better.
(1)
Diane R.
Never got to have any food, so I cant review that aspect. Walked into a very sparsely seated restaurant, no hostess to be found. The cook behind the line just let me stand there. A couple of minutes passed and I asked him if there was a hostess on duty, he mumbled "Yeah, shes out there somewhere". The hostess materializes a couple of seconds later, I am seated and she leaves. After several minutes of sitting without service, or a drink order taken, I just walked out. Noone stopped me, or asked questions. Lost a good tipping customer. I was a bit time pressed between appointments for work. I was sitting and wondering how long it would take them to prepare a simple salad. Management needs an overhaul here. Clearly.
(1)
Beau E.
My experience here sucked on every level. The food was overpriced, the portions were small for the price, and the service totally sucked. We waited for everything and we were disappointed with everything we got once it finally got there. The complimentary bread didn't even make it to the table until we were done with our entrees. It's my first and last trip to the Macaroni Grill. Carrabba's menu diversity and food quality dwarf this place. If I am going to pay over-average prices for corporate cookie-cutter food, I am going straight to Carrabba's. At least Outback Steakhouse Inc. demands excellence in the service their employees give. Macaroni Grill is a complete bust!
(1)
Stacy V.
We went for an early dinner and were one of four tables being served. There was a number of wait staff just roaming around aimlessly while one waiter and one cook tan around like mad. The bread was without any seasoning beside black pepper and the olive oil you do it into was only seasoned with black pepper. It was a bit disappointing to have to tear into it like animals because it wasn't sliced only then to discover its lackluster taste. Our starter could've had potential but the ham in the fonduto was left in whole pieces so you had to pull out apart before you could dip into the cheese. It also only came with eight pita bread chips for a huge dish of fonduto. Finally or entrees arrived and here is where there was some delight. I had the Mama's Trio andwasnot disappointed. More food than I could eat and absolutely yummy! For the prices we paid I would probably not return for this dining experience but I'm glad I wasable to enjoy the trio on this occasion.
(2)
Raven D.
My first couple of experiences here, I was definitely "pleasantly surprised" the food was very fresh and tasty and the service was wonderful. Last week my husband went in around 7pm on a Tuesday and had to wait for 20 minutes which seemed ironic to me. I caught on pretty quickly that they were short staffed. While waiting I watched the cooks (since they have an open area that you can watch) and I couldn't help but be a little bothered that they weren't using gloves. It's just a pet peeve. One cook grabbed a drink out of a take out cup, stuck his hand in some seasoning and sprinkled it on some cooking chicken, another cook was grabbing pasta with his bare hands and sprinkling Parmesan onto food with bare hands as well. I just felt like they both should have been wearing gloves. Anyways... fast forward to when we received our food... my order wasn't right and a very small little bug was crawling across the decorative herbs they put on my chicken. I usually would have said something but the waiter didn't come to our table at all. Not to ask if we wanted Parmesan on our food or to see how our food was. He came back about twenty minutes later, I had not touched my food, and asked if we needed a box. I told him my order wasn't even right and there was a bug in my food. He walked away and several minutes later a cook came to our table with a bowl of luke warm pasta (the missing part of my order) and apologized for how slow it was. Offered us a free dessert... a free dessert doesn't make up for a bug in my food or for having half my order warm and the other half cold. Chop it up to being short staffed and I probably would be more understanding if there had not been a living bug in my food, but that's just not okay. Makes me wonder what quality I've been getting in the past and makes me extremely reluctant to visit them again in the future.
(2)
Heather B.
Just nothing to impress here. The menu is bland, the atmosphere is a desperate attempt at being pretentious (which is the worst) and it's almost purely awkward. A waitress sang opera randomly to a lady and her son and everyone looked around like "why is this going on? we just want to eat our over-priced meal..." - everything about this place is forced. Boyfriend ordered Chicken Parmesan - it literally tasted like a banquet TV Dinner with some red sauce thrown on top. My artichoke dip was pretty good, but the bread it came with wasn't special at all and the hunk of bread they put on the table is bizarre because how do you fuck up bread?? Whatever herb is in it, and this accounts for my taste buds along with the other three people with me, is just not awesome at all. Sadly, we all agreed Olive Garden is doing it better and that's a far cry for this place to either cheapen their prices or relearn how to cook.
(1)
JJ W.
I'm going to write about the MG because MG's on Metcalf is too cool for school. Seriously, you can color on your tablecloth. That would of got me 5 to 10 back in the day. In the principal's office people, not the big house. So coloring and doodling while you wait for food might be the single greatest idea I have ever heard of. And as you wait, there's bread. Bread of deliciousness, bread surely baked by little old Italian ladies themselves. Make sure to get a little extra fresh cracked pepper in the oil. I think they use it sparingly and I hate "flavor-shavers." So do yourself a favor and ask for a little more. I was in on an afternoon but it felt like an evening in Venice. Ok, an evening in Overland Park but it was dimly lit and that makes for a better mood for my Itaiian dinners. It felt a bit formal and I like that. However the vibe seemed accepting of a t-shirt and jeans and me likey that also. So wear whatever, MG isn't stingy like those down in the P&L. Pretty tasty but not Mario Batali here. Service was phenomenal. If I ever did hug a waiter, it might be that guy. He rocked and also was a supporter of my cracked pepper over regular pepper theory as I discussed earlier. It's a fun date for sure, just don't steal the crayons.
(4)
Matt J.
Love the service, and that they make the food FRESH, including the bread.
(4)
Amanda P.
The gluten free Penny Rustica was good, but the service was so slow we were there for an hour and a half for lunch. The manager did comp about half of the meal, but I wouldn't take a big party (i.e. 10 people) there for lunch.
(3)
Scott M.
Food was OK.. not the best, but our Service was excellent. Especially our server singing Happy Birthday to one in our group in her great Italian Operatic Voice
(3)
Carrie H.
I haven't been to a Macaroni Grill since high school, but remember it being alright and having tasty pasta. Boy, I was wrong... Sure, they have the basic colors to draw on your table, the initial bread is delicious (all warm and flavored with herbs, nice crisp when you break into it), and the food is okay, nothing at all to rave about. Other than that it lacks all charm. Maybe because we went on a Saturday night (though there wasn't much of a wait, or she has to do the same spiel to each table) did our waitress rush through her introduction without a smile. Seriously, she talked so fast I didn't really catch anything she said. After ordering my drink, and having to re-ask for it after my food came out (oh, and btw, avoid the italian cream soda's--i'm sure the regular italian sodas are fine, but the cream tasted weird), we ordered our food. I thought it weird that when asking if I wanted to start with a salad, she mentioned the price of the salad. She also mentioned the price of the meal I ordered. And the price of an extra glass of wine. Weird? So I ordered the alfredo with shrimp. I counted 3 shrimp. It cost $3 to add shrimp to the alfredo. Fair? My dad ordered the spaghetti with meatballs and the meatballs tasted pretty soggy, like they had been microwaved or something. Also the noodles didn't seem to be re-heated that well. We both left really unhappy, wondering why we were carrying our leftovers back home. Out of all the Italian places in the area, I probably won't be going back...
(2)
Michelle G.
I've been going to this location since i first moved to Kansas City 9 years ago, its been awhile since i visited but i went to see on a Sunday afternoon if Cascones was open it wasnt and thought why not try my old friends Macaroni Grill, the chicken fettichini alfredo i really always loved here but i wasnt feeling like it today. the lasanga i've had good and bad, wanting to try something new, i tried the raspberry italian soda which wasnt like the sodas i've had before but was good enough i refilled it, and eggplant parmesean, it was tasty which is good because they gave me enough for two servings and will be reheating it for lunch tomorrow. i wished they'd not put the amount of sauce on the fried eggplant when they topped it with cheese and melted that, because it mushified it. but it was tasty cheesy eggplant mush, and i really cant fault them because it was the perfect amount of cheese. and i'd rather have that. the lemon cake was REALLY good. bread as always is excellent and thier house salad very good. service was excellent and it was quiet enough to enjoy a book and have a nice sunday lunch,
(4)
Claudia S.
This visit was doomed from the get-go. We hadn't been before and the hostess seated us. I had looked online and saw they had $9 dinners, but they were not on the menu we were given. When we asked the waitress we got a 5 minute lecture about how we weren't supposed to sit down if we were going to offer from that menu and that we had to go back and order a different way. Meanwhile, I'm trying to explain that no one offered our mentioned that when we walked in they just said "how many" and took us to a table. Apparently you're supposed to interrupt the two managers who are standing around talking and get them to take your order THEN sit down and they'll bring it to you. Let me just say, if I didn't have a $5 off coupon, I would have just walked out of the door after my public shaming with other tables of patrons watching us be fussed at for "doing it wrong". Well, we got 2 no-frills dinners for $15 with a coupon. It was edible, but besides the bad taste I already had in my mouth, I WILL NOT go back. My food (folded ravioli) was on a hot plate, but the food was room temperature at best. The sauce was very tinny tasting. The chicken carbonara was definitely the better plate out of the two and a larger portion despite the same price. That, I would be willing to eat again, possibly at a different location, if it happened to be the last place on Earth.
(1)
Lesleigh P.
This has always been a favorite for my grandmother and I. After today, sadly, not any longer. Ordered my salad, no pecans, because I'm allergic, dressing on the side, add tomato. THIRTY MINUTES later, it comes out covered in buttermilk, with no tomatoes. Replacement offered, but who has time to wait for another salad at that pace???? Kitchen manager stopped by, offered an apology, and replacement, add one star for that. Jeff, the server was nice enough, but never came by once to explain why our two salads were taking so long. 2 soups and 2 salads, we were there for almost 90 minutes. Ridiculous. It took 20 minutes to pay, even after expressing I was in a hurry after the fiasco with our food. I will say, the Roma Tomato soup is delicious. There seem to be far less choices on the menu these days. No one even offers the build your own pasta that's on the menu. There were literally 5 tables in the restaurant at this time, only 2 when we ordered.
(1)
Jarrod V.
My fiancee had good experiences at Macaroni Grill when they had one in Wichita way back when. She asked me to check if there was one in town, and I found this one, so we came. Walked in when it wasn't very busy. Thought it was kind of cool that you could see them working in the kitchen when you walk in. We got the Spicy Meatball and Prosciutto and Mozzarella appetizers. The meatball was pretty good, but it was overshadowed by the excellent Prosciutto and Mozzarella. After good appetizers, I was hopeful for a good meal. I got my usual, fettuccine alfredo with chicken. My fiancee got the Carmela's Chicken. I took a few bites and couldn't keep going. Maybe it was the chicken, which was really tough and overdone, or maybe it was the added parmesan (doubt it) but my meal tasted like it was coated in salt. My fiancee took a taste as well and thought the same. Her meal was better. Her only complaint was with the marsala sauce. She felt it was really soupy and wouldn't stick to her noodles very well. Maybe that's how marsala sauce is supposed to be, I don't know. So, I was still hungry after not eating much of my meal. So we decided on dessert. I got the special Salted Carmel Gelato. My fiancee went with the Lemon Passion cake. She loved hers. I wish I had ordered it. Following up salt with more salt didn't sit well and I didn't finish my gelato either. Blah. Server was nice. She took the fettuccine alfredo off our tab. Had a rough night. My actual rating is more of 2.5 stars because there were some good points in the meal. I guess I just picked the wrong items from the menu.
The chicken scallapini is awesome (sorry spelling) Nice place good value and atmosphere! Not sure why overall rating is not higher?? People love Olive Garden which is a dump.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No 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.
Carol A.
Hubby and I were heading over to a destination near the Macaroni Grill today at lunch time and decided to give them a try. It is an easy to find location and we were quickly seated at a booth. I ordered a glass of Woodbridge White Zinfandel and we were brought a loaf of herb bread while we looked over the menu. I started with a very nice Caesar salad loaded up with plenty of Parmesan cheese, fresh greens and crispy croutons. I ordered Pollo Caprese. The chicken breast was tender, moist with just the right amount of grilled flavor and the capellini pomodoro was flavorful and hearty with chunks of fresh mozzarella. Hubby got a bowl of Mom's Ricotta Meatballs & Spaghetti with beef, veal & ricotta meatballs, romano and crushed red chile. It was so big he brought home about half of it for later. Kelly was our server. She was personable and accommodated our requests with ease. This is our first visit to a Romano's Macaroni Grill and it was a pleasant experience.
(3)Bill B.
This is a pleasant Italian chain out of Texas, with the original restaurant being near San Antonio. Relative to its prices, the restaurant provides good value and nice atmosphere. But there is one policy that I find worrisome. If you order one of their house wines by the glass, they bring out an open large bottle (looks like a half gallon size), pour you a glass and leave the bottle on your table on "the honor system." You pour as many more glasses as you wish on your own. I guess they can tell how many glasses you have poured by the level remaining in the bottle. But what happens if you drink only one glass and leave the rest in the large bottle. Do they spill out the rest? I doubt it. That means you could be served wine that previously was in an open container on someone else's table. I was told their policy regarding house wine is common in Italy. I have been all over Italy from Milan to Sicily and never experienced that. I wonder what kind of restaurants the Texas owners went to in Italy to see that risky way of dealing with house wine? Better to play it safe and order one of the non-house wines, which they serve in the normal manner. They are more expensive, but at least you know they were not previously in an open container on someone else's table. This chain is in the process of making some substantial changes for the better. But local management is always very important, and that is what makes this one stand out. The General Manager, Joe Wagner, is outstanding. He tends to be very active in the dining room making sure all goes well and quickly fixes any errors. If Joe leaves, well then it would just be another Texas chain restaurant.
(5)Robin S.
Great gluten free food and gf pasta coming soon! Service was awesome even though we came in 15 minutes prior to closing. We were even encouraged to do their Thursday 1/2 price wine night - $18 for a bottle of La Crema Pinot Noir. That's less than you can get it at the store! My roasted vegetables were cooked perfectly and full of flavor. The bf couldn't stop eating them, and he dislikes veggies. The chicken caesar salad had a small piece of crouton in it; we alerted our server because Jer would get sick if he ate any gluten. They explained that it could have dropped in the lettuce mix earlier because of the salad station set up, and next time they would use new lettuce for gluten free salads. Although the kitchen was closed, they kindly made a whole new salad..and then didn't even charge us for the salad!! Pretty amazing service, reasonable prices, great food and wine!
(4)Eric B.
Not my first choice for Italian food on a budget. Honestly I was very disappointed and ordered their lobster ravioli and chicken speeding. Both were served cold with a bland flavor. The atmosphere is loud, crowded, and over lit. This is a great place for families with kids that aren't particular about their pasta.
(2)Paul M.
Very disappointed. This is obviously a fake Italian chain restaurant that works in cities where there is an Italian community to prepare the food. In KC, not so much... food is served cold and not well prepared. For the money, not your best use of your restaurant dollars.
(2)Kelly L.
3 stars is a bit high. Honestly, I have gift cards and I wont use them. won't return. Their food is oiled up lame-ness. I have been here 12 times (says my Foursquare account) and not once have I been so impressed to write or been so ticked.....then I had dinner tonight with the family. How hard is it to leave out an ingredient when asked? I do not eat pork. ever. I like piglets and not on a fork. Every single time....yes every single time they have put Prosciutto in my pasta.....I even said I'm allergic to pork and it was still added to my dish. That just gets old .......aside from the cooks not being able to read a ticket or the servers not being able to communicate to satisfy a guest the food all tastes the same and its a glob of sauce and I go home with a belly ache. On that note, I am re-gifting my gift cards ......have anyone in mind???
(3)Hayley S.
The last time I remember visiting Macaroni Grill, I ordered off the kids menu and my use of the crayons on the white paper table covering was age-appropriate. So when it was announced as the setting for my Grandma's birthday lunch, I wasn't too excited. Boy, was I wrong. Let's start with the complimentary bread, which is a surefire way to win this girl over. Soft, warm and herbed on the inside with a crispy, flaky sea salt shimmering outside, we asked for multiple refills. Dip it in the EVOO topped with fresh ground black pepper and you'll be won over, too. For my entree I ordered Eggplant Parm. I got three thick eggplant slices, lightly breaded and topped with parm, basil and cherry tomatoes, with carbonara on the side. Delicious, and I had plenty to take home for lunch the next day. Our server was engaging and attentive, kept the water and cracked pepper coming, and delivered a birthday treat with candle for Grandma. And you can bet I still doodled with those crayons. Next family birthday, I just might suggest this place myself.
(4)Tim M.
I typically don't love chain restaurants, and never take the time to review a chain restaurant unless it is particularly bad, but the food and service here is consistently good. We go back time and time again and I never have anything bad to say. I won't bore you with any stories, I'll just say we really like this place.
(4)Linda P.
I've been a fan of Macaroni Gril from CA and especially because I like to make my own pasta, but this trip I especially was pleased. Service was attentive and great and when I got recommendations from the waitress I learned there was a dish on the menu close to what I create and was able to modify. Focaccia Bread is refillable and hot moist and wonderful. Pastas you cannot go wrong with. FYI: If you have any gift cards usable for Maggiano's, On The Border, Chilli's, or Macaroni Grill they are in the same family so can be used interchangably.
(4)Collin F.
I've been going to Romano's Macaroni Grill on Metcalf in Overland Park since the mid-90's. For a chain Italian restaurant, they seem to do a pretty good job with what they have to offer. They have certainly done a good enough job to keep me coming back again and again. Having moved further away from this location, my wife and I have not frequented this establishment as much as we used to. But a drive out this way on a Friday evening led us to their doorstep once again. Our daughter is a pasta-holic, so we knew there would not be problem with finding something for her. We were seated right away upon entering, which is pretty good for a Friday evening. Our waitress was a tad slow to start, but nothing major. We looked over the menu and I can tell it had changed somewhat from when we were last here. For our daughter, we went with the traditional kid's spaghetti and meatballs. My wife knew she would not be able to eat it all, so she chose the grilled vegetables and I chose a chicken caesar salad with an sampler appetizer for us to share. Well, strike 1 came when the waitress told us the grilled vegetables were not available. "Oh, did I forget to tell you that?" So, my wife said she would just have a regular side salad and would nibble on the bread, the appetitzer, and some of our daughter's spaghetti. My wife was not pleased. Strike 2 came when the waitress took our order, then couldn't remember what I had told her. Is chicken caesar salad really that hard to remember? (Oh, and aren't they supposed to write their names in crayon on your table paper so you know what to call them?) The rest of the meal went rather well. The food was basically good. The appetizer was the best part of the meal: fried mozzarella, calamari, and bruschetta. We still had about 1/2 of the spaghetti to take home. Our service improved but was still a little slow, in my opinion, like refilling a water glass or finding a booster seat. I have probably been to this restaurant at least a few dozen times and overall I would have to say this was probably my worst experience. As it is, I'll still give it 3 stars. The food was good, the price was okay, but the service was just not up to its usual standard and that concerns me, because if Macaroni Grill can't offer up their traditional service, then there are plenty of other Italian-themed restaurants to choose from in the Metro, and some with even better food than here. Get me to Garrazo's!
(3)Noelle M.
3.5 Came here with my mom after an excursion into the middle of nowhere (this was pre- Garmin days). NO ONE was here but us, but that was fine. I love being able to build my own pasta so I always choose that option and it was nummy as usual! The bread service is also good. I got a Bellini (see pic) which wasn't really a bellini at all, hince the mark down in stars. Other than that, chain or not, I have no complaints!
(4)Adam C.
Not only is the food always superb, but the service is always fantastic. I live about 45 minutes north of this Macaroni Grill, but sometimes we make special trips out to OP just to eat there. To all of you people who swear against restaurant chains.. don't let it deter you from giving this place a shot. You will be pleasantly surprised. Best of all, the management here takes extra special care of their guests to make sure there are never any issues. They made a trivial mistake (which, to most places, they would blow off and do nothing about), and to make up for it, they gave us a very large discount on our meal, free appetizer, apologized several times, and made sure we had one of the best dining experiences we've had in a very long time. A+! Seriously... if you like Italian, just give it a shot. It's fantastic.
(5)Steve S.
Won't ever give this business my money again. They are too busy holding Obama watch parties.
(1)Justin G.
I like Mac Grill, but I'm writing this due to my last experience there. We had a bit of a service issue, but someone found out about it and they did a fantastic job making up for it. Service was excellent, manager very nice, good people. Tasty food for a chain italian restaurant. Much better than Olive Garden.
(5)Colleen L.
I was pleasantly surprised! I didn't think it would be really good because its a chain but I really enjoyed the food. The bread is pretty good with the herbs. The Cesar salad is average, nothing special. I orders the pollo caprese. It was really good. The chicken was juicy and well seasoned. The pasta was really tasty with the basil, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. My husband has the beef rigatoni and he really liked it. We did have amazing bad service though. It took the waiter 10 minutes to come to our table after we were seated. Then after our food was delivered he never came back so we sat there waiting for our check for over 20 minutes before we asked a different waiter to please bring us our check. The manager did give us a gift certificate because of the inconvenience. Despite the bad service I would go back just for the food!
(4)Zach C.
Portions small on fish dishes. Beautiful setting and plentiful food on noodle dishes... great place to celebrate.
(4)Martha K.
Never never again..... Macaroni Grill has to be the worst Italian chain restaurant. The staff was friendly but that was it! The food has so much sodium that I felt I was simply eating a salt lick. I can only assume that the higher the sodium content the longer they can hold it to use over and over again. The desert only tasted of sugar. No other flavors were detectable. I always treasure desert out but this time it was one bite and I was done.
(1)Zach G.
With a gift certificate in hand, the lady and I decided to hit up Macaroni Grill for a Monday night meal before I left town. We knew not to expect great food, but we thought we would get better than we experienced. Service from Dawn was fantastic. Everything else...not so much. The menu isn't huge, which is nice because then it doesn't take 20 hours to choose a meal. We started with side Caesar salads, which were $3 each and seemingly pulled straight out of the fridge. It was clear the dressing had just been sitting on them, waiting to be ordered. The dressing had little flavor, but I do appreciate that the salad was only 85% swimming in dressing, not 110% like most places. My main - Mama's Trio, which is a sampler dish of sorts. Chicken and mushroom cannelloni - borderline disgusting. Dry, a weird flavor, and nothing of note, least of all mushrooms. Next was chicken parm on angel hair - chicken didn't have much flavor. Angel hair with sauce was basic and hard to mess up. Finally, lasagna was rich but overcooked, dry, and had flavors that seemed to clash in a bad way, resulting in a weird taste. Fettuccine Alfredo was mediocre. Alfredo sauce more water than cream, and had all settled to the bottom leaving much of the pasta rather plain until the end, when it was overpowering and soggy. Chicken flavorless. That's a common theme amongst all dishes...chicken with zero taste. On top of it all, prices are just too high for the quality. This is definitely a "quantity over quality" place, which I don't like much. You're paying for a bunch of bad food. We won't return.
(2)Rob M.
I've driven past this place a jillion times without trying it. Tuesday night I went to a gathering to watch Obama's State of the Union Speech, and I really was pleasantly surprised. The interior is attractive and the menu seems to offer a nice selection of Italian or Italian-American classics. I ordered the Carbonara, made with spaghetti alla chitarra (hand cut). I was pleased that it was a pretty authentic Carbonara, made only with pancetta, eggs, butter and Parmesan cheese (with a poached egg perched on top). Authentic Carbonara doesn't come in a cream sauce like an Alfredo, although the eggs can give it a creamy consistency. It was tasty and the spaghetti very nicely al dente. A small Caesar to accompany it was an extra $3 and it was also tasty. Service was surprisingly good, considering that we were in a separate section with about 30 other people watching the speech. I thought they handled everything well. Prices are reasonable and I'd be willing to go back and try some other things. Even though this is a chain, it's a nice one and seems to be serving quality food. It's definitely a cut above Olive Garden! Try it, you might like it, too! By the way, there are a number of vegetarian options on the menu -- if you're not a meat eater you won't have to starve at Macaroni Grill!
(4)G S.
Not impressed. The long wait to be seated was expected since it was a busy Friday night, but Service was just okay. Food was not good.
(1)Melanie M.
Eeeek! Came here for a birthday dinner with 5 others. Help yourself out and head across the parking lot to Cinzetti's if you are craving Italian. Birthday girl ordered their new Tasting Menu featuring their Speidini options ($15 + $1 for the upgrade to Steak). Four Courses: Ravioli Appetizer, Ceasar Salad, Pasta and your choice of 2 Speidini (Chicken, Steak, Shrimp or Sausage). In all fairness, the ravioli and ceasar salad weren't bad. However, the pasta came out cold and it was served with the main meals that everyone else got at thte table. After 20 minutes, we flagged down another waiter to check on the Speidini course. It came out 10 minutes later. It was hot when it came out. However, the Steak Speidini was rancid. It tasted like it had been marinated in rotten shrimp. After another 10 minute wait, we flagged down our waiter this time. Told him about the issue. He said he was going to tell the manager. Another 15 minutes passes, the waiter brings out the check. Still no manager. Waiter said the Manager gave us $5 off the tasting menu. That was incorrect. The birthday girl got a free dessert and that is what the credit was for. UGH. My husband asked for the manager as we were leaving and we got some lame story about how he was going to come talk to us but hadn't made it over. We were there for a total of 2 hours! He did however credit us for the entire tasting menu. We also recommended that he toss the rest of the rancid meat before anyone got sick. We've ate here before and I remember it being good- it was a couple of years ago, I'll admit. I mentioned an entree they used to serve to the manager, and he said that they've been changing up their menu. He also went on to say that they had been purchased by Joe's Crab Shack. Seriously, help yourself out here and head over to Cinzetti's. Heck, Fazoli's would have been better.
(1)Diane R.
Never got to have any food, so I cant review that aspect. Walked into a very sparsely seated restaurant, no hostess to be found. The cook behind the line just let me stand there. A couple of minutes passed and I asked him if there was a hostess on duty, he mumbled "Yeah, shes out there somewhere". The hostess materializes a couple of seconds later, I am seated and she leaves. After several minutes of sitting without service, or a drink order taken, I just walked out. Noone stopped me, or asked questions. Lost a good tipping customer. I was a bit time pressed between appointments for work. I was sitting and wondering how long it would take them to prepare a simple salad. Management needs an overhaul here. Clearly.
(1)Beau E.
My experience here sucked on every level. The food was overpriced, the portions were small for the price, and the service totally sucked. We waited for everything and we were disappointed with everything we got once it finally got there. The complimentary bread didn't even make it to the table until we were done with our entrees. It's my first and last trip to the Macaroni Grill. Carrabba's menu diversity and food quality dwarf this place. If I am going to pay over-average prices for corporate cookie-cutter food, I am going straight to Carrabba's. At least Outback Steakhouse Inc. demands excellence in the service their employees give. Macaroni Grill is a complete bust!
(1)Stacy V.
We went for an early dinner and were one of four tables being served. There was a number of wait staff just roaming around aimlessly while one waiter and one cook tan around like mad. The bread was without any seasoning beside black pepper and the olive oil you do it into was only seasoned with black pepper. It was a bit disappointing to have to tear into it like animals because it wasn't sliced only then to discover its lackluster taste. Our starter could've had potential but the ham in the fonduto was left in whole pieces so you had to pull out apart before you could dip into the cheese. It also only came with eight pita bread chips for a huge dish of fonduto. Finally or entrees arrived and here is where there was some delight. I had the Mama's Trio andwasnot disappointed. More food than I could eat and absolutely yummy! For the prices we paid I would probably not return for this dining experience but I'm glad I wasable to enjoy the trio on this occasion.
(2)Raven D.
My first couple of experiences here, I was definitely "pleasantly surprised" the food was very fresh and tasty and the service was wonderful. Last week my husband went in around 7pm on a Tuesday and had to wait for 20 minutes which seemed ironic to me. I caught on pretty quickly that they were short staffed. While waiting I watched the cooks (since they have an open area that you can watch) and I couldn't help but be a little bothered that they weren't using gloves. It's just a pet peeve. One cook grabbed a drink out of a take out cup, stuck his hand in some seasoning and sprinkled it on some cooking chicken, another cook was grabbing pasta with his bare hands and sprinkling Parmesan onto food with bare hands as well. I just felt like they both should have been wearing gloves. Anyways... fast forward to when we received our food... my order wasn't right and a very small little bug was crawling across the decorative herbs they put on my chicken. I usually would have said something but the waiter didn't come to our table at all. Not to ask if we wanted Parmesan on our food or to see how our food was. He came back about twenty minutes later, I had not touched my food, and asked if we needed a box. I told him my order wasn't even right and there was a bug in my food. He walked away and several minutes later a cook came to our table with a bowl of luke warm pasta (the missing part of my order) and apologized for how slow it was. Offered us a free dessert... a free dessert doesn't make up for a bug in my food or for having half my order warm and the other half cold. Chop it up to being short staffed and I probably would be more understanding if there had not been a living bug in my food, but that's just not okay. Makes me wonder what quality I've been getting in the past and makes me extremely reluctant to visit them again in the future.
(2)Heather B.
Just nothing to impress here. The menu is bland, the atmosphere is a desperate attempt at being pretentious (which is the worst) and it's almost purely awkward. A waitress sang opera randomly to a lady and her son and everyone looked around like "why is this going on? we just want to eat our over-priced meal..." - everything about this place is forced. Boyfriend ordered Chicken Parmesan - it literally tasted like a banquet TV Dinner with some red sauce thrown on top. My artichoke dip was pretty good, but the bread it came with wasn't special at all and the hunk of bread they put on the table is bizarre because how do you fuck up bread?? Whatever herb is in it, and this accounts for my taste buds along with the other three people with me, is just not awesome at all. Sadly, we all agreed Olive Garden is doing it better and that's a far cry for this place to either cheapen their prices or relearn how to cook.
(1)JJ W.
I'm going to write about the MG because MG's on Metcalf is too cool for school. Seriously, you can color on your tablecloth. That would of got me 5 to 10 back in the day. In the principal's office people, not the big house. So coloring and doodling while you wait for food might be the single greatest idea I have ever heard of. And as you wait, there's bread. Bread of deliciousness, bread surely baked by little old Italian ladies themselves. Make sure to get a little extra fresh cracked pepper in the oil. I think they use it sparingly and I hate "flavor-shavers." So do yourself a favor and ask for a little more. I was in on an afternoon but it felt like an evening in Venice. Ok, an evening in Overland Park but it was dimly lit and that makes for a better mood for my Itaiian dinners. It felt a bit formal and I like that. However the vibe seemed accepting of a t-shirt and jeans and me likey that also. So wear whatever, MG isn't stingy like those down in the P&L. Pretty tasty but not Mario Batali here. Service was phenomenal. If I ever did hug a waiter, it might be that guy. He rocked and also was a supporter of my cracked pepper over regular pepper theory as I discussed earlier. It's a fun date for sure, just don't steal the crayons.
(4)Matt J.
Love the service, and that they make the food FRESH, including the bread.
(4)Amanda P.
The gluten free Penny Rustica was good, but the service was so slow we were there for an hour and a half for lunch. The manager did comp about half of the meal, but I wouldn't take a big party (i.e. 10 people) there for lunch.
(3)Scott M.
Food was OK.. not the best, but our Service was excellent. Especially our server singing Happy Birthday to one in our group in her great Italian Operatic Voice
(3)Carrie H.
I haven't been to a Macaroni Grill since high school, but remember it being alright and having tasty pasta. Boy, I was wrong... Sure, they have the basic colors to draw on your table, the initial bread is delicious (all warm and flavored with herbs, nice crisp when you break into it), and the food is okay, nothing at all to rave about. Other than that it lacks all charm. Maybe because we went on a Saturday night (though there wasn't much of a wait, or she has to do the same spiel to each table) did our waitress rush through her introduction without a smile. Seriously, she talked so fast I didn't really catch anything she said. After ordering my drink, and having to re-ask for it after my food came out (oh, and btw, avoid the italian cream soda's--i'm sure the regular italian sodas are fine, but the cream tasted weird), we ordered our food. I thought it weird that when asking if I wanted to start with a salad, she mentioned the price of the salad. She also mentioned the price of the meal I ordered. And the price of an extra glass of wine. Weird? So I ordered the alfredo with shrimp. I counted 3 shrimp. It cost $3 to add shrimp to the alfredo. Fair? My dad ordered the spaghetti with meatballs and the meatballs tasted pretty soggy, like they had been microwaved or something. Also the noodles didn't seem to be re-heated that well. We both left really unhappy, wondering why we were carrying our leftovers back home. Out of all the Italian places in the area, I probably won't be going back...
(2)Michelle G.
I've been going to this location since i first moved to Kansas City 9 years ago, its been awhile since i visited but i went to see on a Sunday afternoon if Cascones was open it wasnt and thought why not try my old friends Macaroni Grill, the chicken fettichini alfredo i really always loved here but i wasnt feeling like it today. the lasanga i've had good and bad, wanting to try something new, i tried the raspberry italian soda which wasnt like the sodas i've had before but was good enough i refilled it, and eggplant parmesean, it was tasty which is good because they gave me enough for two servings and will be reheating it for lunch tomorrow. i wished they'd not put the amount of sauce on the fried eggplant when they topped it with cheese and melted that, because it mushified it. but it was tasty cheesy eggplant mush, and i really cant fault them because it was the perfect amount of cheese. and i'd rather have that. the lemon cake was REALLY good. bread as always is excellent and thier house salad very good. service was excellent and it was quiet enough to enjoy a book and have a nice sunday lunch,
(4)Claudia S.
This visit was doomed from the get-go. We hadn't been before and the hostess seated us. I had looked online and saw they had $9 dinners, but they were not on the menu we were given. When we asked the waitress we got a 5 minute lecture about how we weren't supposed to sit down if we were going to offer from that menu and that we had to go back and order a different way. Meanwhile, I'm trying to explain that no one offered our mentioned that when we walked in they just said "how many" and took us to a table. Apparently you're supposed to interrupt the two managers who are standing around talking and get them to take your order THEN sit down and they'll bring it to you. Let me just say, if I didn't have a $5 off coupon, I would have just walked out of the door after my public shaming with other tables of patrons watching us be fussed at for "doing it wrong". Well, we got 2 no-frills dinners for $15 with a coupon. It was edible, but besides the bad taste I already had in my mouth, I WILL NOT go back. My food (folded ravioli) was on a hot plate, but the food was room temperature at best. The sauce was very tinny tasting. The chicken carbonara was definitely the better plate out of the two and a larger portion despite the same price. That, I would be willing to eat again, possibly at a different location, if it happened to be the last place on Earth.
(1)Lesleigh P.
This has always been a favorite for my grandmother and I. After today, sadly, not any longer. Ordered my salad, no pecans, because I'm allergic, dressing on the side, add tomato. THIRTY MINUTES later, it comes out covered in buttermilk, with no tomatoes. Replacement offered, but who has time to wait for another salad at that pace???? Kitchen manager stopped by, offered an apology, and replacement, add one star for that. Jeff, the server was nice enough, but never came by once to explain why our two salads were taking so long. 2 soups and 2 salads, we were there for almost 90 minutes. Ridiculous. It took 20 minutes to pay, even after expressing I was in a hurry after the fiasco with our food. I will say, the Roma Tomato soup is delicious. There seem to be far less choices on the menu these days. No one even offers the build your own pasta that's on the menu. There were literally 5 tables in the restaurant at this time, only 2 when we ordered.
(1)Jarrod V.
My fiancee had good experiences at Macaroni Grill when they had one in Wichita way back when. She asked me to check if there was one in town, and I found this one, so we came. Walked in when it wasn't very busy. Thought it was kind of cool that you could see them working in the kitchen when you walk in. We got the Spicy Meatball and Prosciutto and Mozzarella appetizers. The meatball was pretty good, but it was overshadowed by the excellent Prosciutto and Mozzarella. After good appetizers, I was hopeful for a good meal. I got my usual, fettuccine alfredo with chicken. My fiancee got the Carmela's Chicken. I took a few bites and couldn't keep going. Maybe it was the chicken, which was really tough and overdone, or maybe it was the added parmesan (doubt it) but my meal tasted like it was coated in salt. My fiancee took a taste as well and thought the same. Her meal was better. Her only complaint was with the marsala sauce. She felt it was really soupy and wouldn't stick to her noodles very well. Maybe that's how marsala sauce is supposed to be, I don't know. So, I was still hungry after not eating much of my meal. So we decided on dessert. I got the special Salted Carmel Gelato. My fiancee went with the Lemon Passion cake. She loved hers. I wish I had ordered it. Following up salt with more salt didn't sit well and I didn't finish my gelato either. Blah. Server was nice. She took the fettuccine alfredo off our tab. Had a rough night. My actual rating is more of 2.5 stars because there were some good points in the meal. I guess I just picked the wrong items from the menu.
(2)Tiffany K.
My husband and I went with my parents recently on a Friday night for dinner. It was busy but we did not have to wait to be seated. Their were plenty of tables open throughout the restaurant but we were sat at the far back right next to the door for to the kitchen. We got to here the servers all through our meals yell that they were on their way in or out. Made it hard to enjoy the conversation with all the noise and foot traffic. The entire meal was a disaster. My husband ordered one of their new meatball dinners they were promoting, only to find out after 30 minutes of waiting for our meals, they ran out and he had to pick another entreé. My father's food was undercooked and he had to send it back to be cooked again, TWICE. My mother order the same salad I did but with shrimp (mine was with scallops). Both of them were cold. It was supposed to be a WARM spinach salad. Each of the ingredients in the salad were piled separately on the plate. I am not a fan of deconstructed food, especially when it's a salad. I got a big bite of cooked garlic and it was enough to spoil the rest of my meal. Our server was far to absent from our table. This will be the last time we will darken their doorstep. Hello Carrabba's or Garozzo's from now on!
(1)Jen D.
After recovering from an eleven hour Sunday-funday, my friend and I arose from our stupor and decided we needed carbohydrates. We didn't want to spend much mental energy and determining where, so we just headed down Metcalf until we spotted Macaroni grill. Despite the negative Yelp reviews, we had an enjoyable meal with efficient service. We started with a carafe of water and the goat cheese and sausage stuffed mushroom appetizer. It was very good, but very rich. We also enjoyed their freshly baked bread with rosemary and a Caesar salad. For our main course we decided to share the "Mama's Trio", which is a platter of chicken parmesan, lasagna bolognese, chicken & mushroom cannelloni. The cannelloni was the clear winner of the trio, it was delicious, and I would go there again to order the full entrée. The creamy flavors of ricotta cheese and mozzarella blended favorably with mushrooms and roasted chicken and then topped with pesto. It was so delicious. For dessert, James provided us with a slice of tiramisu complimentary of the house in honor of my birthday. As far as Americanized Italian food goes, I was quite satisfied.
(4)James M.
The chicken scallapini is awesome (sorry spelling) Nice place good value and atmosphere! Not sure why overall rating is not higher?? People love Olive Garden which is a dump.
(4)