Bruschetta was bland, little flavor. The pasta Milano was good - i forgot to ask if they had red pepper flakes- The wife's lobster ravioli was good. Wish they added herbs to the oil vs. just pepper. Service was satisfactory drinks never were empty.
(3)
Janine C.
Management needs to change. The food is disappointing in quality and flavor. It reflects a production kitchen. Service is slow and several times we have been here not at a busy time it takes too long to be acknowledged by waitstaff. I've spoken to the manager about slow service and still did not change. Olive Garden is a better choice right up the street.
(1)
Denise K.
We've been going to this Macaroni Grill in Ann Arbor since it opened when our kids were quite young. You pretty much know what you're going to get here and they've always delivered ... except for last week. It was so poor that we'll think twice before going again. We had reservations on Thursday for a party of 10, including 2 toddlers, and we were seated immediately. Our server, Kelly, was with us right away to take drink orders and bring bread ... except for they didn't come, and they DIDN'T COME, and THEY DIDN'T COME!! To her credit, Kelly kept checking back with us to say the bartender was swamped, drinks should be here any minute, the bread was rising and would be in the oven before we knew it, honestly, it would all be here any minute, really. The red wine finally arrived and was quite good (and half price), and the white wine (also half price) showed up but with no ice bucket to keep it cold (oh, well). Ice water appeared for everyone, as did the two Cosmos, but no soft drinks for the grandchildren. By the time the soft drinks for the babies were served, it was determined that the Cosmos were undrinkable (this is a first for any member of our family -- if it's got booze we're goin' for it, but these were just terrible), so gin-and-tonics were ordered. Again, they were probably distilling the gin while we waited. Kelly did keep coming back to apologize. The food was exactly what we expected (decent Italian food), but it came in shifts -- 3 dishes than a 5 minute wait, 3 more dishes than a 5 minute wait ... you get my drift -- although we'd ordered all at the same time. The last to be served were the Kids' Pizzas for the toddler grandchildren. (WHO DOES THAT?!?!?) After asking for the pizzas for the babies a few times, Kelly (bless her) asked if we'd like to speak with the manager. We definitely did. The manager was very responsive, graciously acknowledged the difficulties, and offered to take various items off our bill. We thanked her and she followed through on her promise. Our server, Kelly, and the manager have great personal skills, but somebody's gotta do something about the kitchen organization -- a table-full of food and beverage has to come out at relatively the same time. Two other observations: the number of shrimp in our two Shrimp Portofinos seemed to be reduced (maybe that's just my daughter and me wishing for more); and this restaurant seemed dingy, not as sparkly as we've been used to (it was a dark evening). This is a compliment -- Sandra Periord (sp?), the hostess, delivered a moving "a cappella" aria for the dining room that was truly a joy.
(3)
Ashley O.
I typically love Macaroni Grill. This location was BAD though. - Stood at check in podium for 2-3 minutes before being greeted ( it wasn't busy). - Once sat, wasn't greeted by our waiter for 5 minutes. - Ordered Calamari, was delivered soggy and undercooked. Disappointing. - I had the Warm Spinach Salad, it was good. - My guest had Chicken Parmigana. It was soggy, cheese was partially melted. He didn't even eat half of it. I give 2 stars: easy parking, good bread and my salad was good. This location just isn't as on point as others. Sorry friends!
(2)
Lily K.
I wanted to like the Macaroni Grill better because I remember enjoying it as a child, but it was undeniably blah. My son enjoyed drawing on the table and we liked the bread OK, but the fun stops there. Warm water, overcooked calamari, undercooked pizza dough. All under-seasoned and paired with overly acidic tomato based sauces. It wasn't a tragic experience, but we wont be back.
(2)
ima h.
I was just being lazy coming here in the first place. Really? Macaroni Grill - a huge chain restaurant that focuses on profits, not palettes. What I ordered : Dinner Salad - hey, nice, fresh ingredients. However, the salad dressing is both disgusting and overbearing. Perhaps 1/8 th of the amount of dressing would have sufficed. Some chicken thing - lacked flavor. Bland. Also, the server brought it out after I'd had 2 bites of the salad. This is a seriously sub par restaurant serving up crappy food via lame service. This might be an acceptable place for a vendor to take me that I wouldn't even consider hiring. It's also a great place to take an in law that you hope will never return.
(1)
Christina C.
It's Macaroni Grill. You go there for the free olive oil drenched bread with which you dip in more olive oil. Also, you go there to draw on the tables with crayons. Yes, I'm an adult drawing stick figures at the dinner table. What more can you ask for? I know it doesn't get the best reviews because it's a chain restaurant and food tends to be bland and overrated. However, I thoroughly enjoyed my Eggplant Parmesan. Actually, I recently discovered that I like eggplants. I thought it was breaded well and baked until very crisp, so it was not soggy at all. The side of spaghetti and sauce was very mediocre, but again, I didn't expect too much. For appetizers, I got the Fried Mac & Cheese. It was really tasty. I'm not sure what the sauce it came with was, but the combination was good. The bruschetta was DIY: you get the toppings and you put the tomatoes on the toast on your own. The tomatoes were too garlicky for my liking but the toast was yummy.
(4)
John B.
Save your money, worst macaroni grill. Ordered a caprese sandwich on their $7 menu. Came 15 min later and the bread was old. Horrible.
(1)
Ann C.
This is one of my husband and my favorite Italian food place to go to. We have had their regular menu food as well as their express lane lunch and dinner. The quality of their food is excellent and their crew members are courteous and attend to customers' needs. When you get on their email distribution list, you get discount coupons from time to time.
(5)
James M.
Been about 5 yrs. since my last visit. Remembered food being much better. Did not care for it at all. Even the bread, which I use to love was just blah! Actually w/ the exception of the service, which was really good, the entire experience was blah! Will probably never be back. :-(
(2)
Cory D.
I will never eat here again. The service was okay, but the food was unfortunately very typical of what I have come to expect from such chains. It was like they microwaved some frozen food. I also was sick after eating here and I don't get sick easy. It might have been a bug, but I don't think it was.
(1)
Liz T.
My experience at the Macaroni Grill in Livonia was much better than my recent visit to the Macaroni Grill in Ann Arbor. The menu was the same, but the quality just didn't seem as good as it should be. I actually ordered the same thing that I ordered before as I enjoyed it so much. The love wasn't in the kitchen that day, and certainly didn't reflect on what I received. I might come to this location again, but then again.....life is too short for mediocre food.
(2)
Jillian T.
The service is great here! The waitress was very friendly and accommodating. The meal opened with warm bread out of the oven served with olive oil and fresh ground cracked pepper for dipping. Although the Shrimp Portofino dish was savory, it was lacking in acidity. This was remedied by a side fresh lemon wedges. The Chicken Scallopini came with very little sauce. I would've preferred more of the lemon butter sauce on the pasta. The capers and mushrooms added a great flavor combination to a otherwise somewhat plain dish. The chicken was a little dry, but edible. The Penne Rustica was a symphony of flavor combing three proteins on a bed of penne. The proteins were shrimp, charred chicken and prosciutto. To fully capture the Rustica portion of the name, it could've used more of a broiled char on top. Overall, it was delightful.
(3)
Emily B.
The food is pretty good considering it is a chain Italian restaurant. I like the variety on the menu and the half off bottle of wine on Thursday.
(4)
Jordan R.
We dined here the other night, the food here lacked much to be desired. The free wine taste at the beginning was cool. The free bread is amazing. However, we ordered cheese fondu stuff and it didn't come with enough stuff to dip into the cheese. The meatballs had a weird taste to them. When it came to my entree, I got the feddicini Alfredo, the noodles were very undercooked and the sauce was hospital quality bland. Our server Calvin was really friendly though.
(2)
Jeremy S.
Service was great; friendly, attentive, funny...BUT the food was HORRIBLE! My family and I (7 of us) just flew in from los angeles and we were hungry. Out came the bread; stale and chewy. The soup; too salty. Then the main dishes: steaks, pasta, chicken dishes. ALL of them were way below average; I wouldn't expect food like this from McDonald's! To be fair the second round of bread was fresh from the oven and tasted amazing, but I really couldnt believe the food was this bad. I RARELY ever give out 1 star reviews and if I do its mainly because of the service, this is probably my first one because of thw food; AVOID AT ALL COST!
(1)
Caitlen L.
My first visit was not so good, my second visit was absolutely wonderful. First visit: I had just gotten off the bus from Chicago and was tired and starving so my partner and I chose Macaroni Grill as it was just right by the bus stop. The place was really empty, there were only two other tables in the whole restaurant at the time which wasn't too weird considering it was around noon on a weekday. Our main problem was the waitress. She seemed to be giving us judgmental looks and it made me feel uncomfortable but I assumed it was in my head. Wrong. The food was good and everything, but she would take forever and a half to come by. And this wouldn't normally bother me, but she was waiting hand and foot on the other two tables. She would laugh and converse with them, but when it came to is she would pretend not to see us looking for her, and she was short and cold. We realized after awhile that she was obviously homophobic and thus was purposely making us wait and feel very uncomfortable. I left her a low tip, around 12%, something I never do, just because I was so bothered by it. I'd just had a long trip and wanted to relax with good food and instead I left filled with anxiety. Second visit: we returned about a month later, the food is really what brought us back (the free bread they start you with is amazing, my mouth is watering remembering it, and the pasta is perfect, and there's large portions so we always take some home in those nice little reheat packages they have), and it's location close to the mall. It was pretty crowded this time. On our way to our seat, we passed the waitress from our last visit. She shot us the most foul look I think I've ever received as a customer. We sat down, fearing that she would once again be serving us. We debated on requesting them to change our server. Ten minutes passed, then fifteen. We still hadn't seen our server and assumed it must be her. A server came to our table and asked if we had been helped yet, and my partner, with a bit of frustration, said "No, and we are getting impatient". The woman quickly grabbed some water and came over and announced that she was our server and she was very sorry. Obviously we felt terrible, we had been so anxious about the waitress from our first visit and this poor girl was just so busy with the crowd. She ended up being very polite, talkative and friendly and was very helpful when we told her we were vegan. We received an allergy menu to help rule out any possible animal ingredients and we both ended up with lovely pasta dishes with very fresh, seasonal vegetables. We had some salad too which was also excellent. We ended up apologizing for our frustration in the beginning and told her our story about our first visit and she was extremely sympathetic. The manager also came by to see us and apologize, and hooked us up with some free sorbet which was just delicious. I'm not sure what happened with the rude waitress but I left with a happy stomach, some leftovers to look forward to, and feeling really cared for. Oh and our server of the night assured us that we can always request her (her name is Tammy for anyone wondering), which I'll be sure to do when we go back. I honestly can't wait until we can visit again!
(4)
Beth H.
They have gotten a little pretentious lately, but they don't have the food to back it up. My father and I visited for lunch. Expensive, poor choices, bland food and snobby waiter. Really out of place for Ann Arbor.
(2)
Lou B.
Had a dinner this week at Ann Arbor MG . I would usually rank MG in all of the other locations in the States 4 to 5, but the Ann Arbor location not so Like other posts the quality of food wasn't there and my waitress didn't seem to have her heart in it either. The Mediterranean Sea bass I ordered was dry ( a miracle considering this is a higher oil fish), unseasoned, had no lemon sauce and was placed on top of a bed of risotto that tasted like it was made the day before. I was speechless. What was a further burn on the service was that my waitress didn't ask what was wrong after I asked for my check after consuming only a 1/4 of the meal AND the plates remained uncleared even after I paid the bill. I've had much better service at value chain sit down eateries. Ann Arbor staff is not representing the MG brand
(1)
Brad J.
We've been here countless times in the past 8 years... with family & friends, for work and pleasure... always enjoyed our time and our food. We went in with a group of 6 of us in May, something horrible has happened to this place. It's just a chain so the food is the food, but the service and the way they treat people now is awful. I don;t plan on going back to find out if things are fixed. The "chef" spent the entire evening working his way from table to table apologizing for the delays, wrong orders, missed items, you name it... here's the thing boss... get back in the kitchen and sort this out! I think he actually enjoyed bouncing around the dining room like a big shot but he didn't understand that he is the problem. Take you chances if you wish, Max and Erma's and Olive Garden are down the road - Red Robin is next door if you want a chain - just run away from Romano's.
(1)
Rose A.
We used to love this restaurant. The last two times in 2014 (to be fair we haven't eaten here in the 3 previous years: 2013,2012 and 2011) it has been dirty, and the food was not very good. This last visit in June of 2014 was no exception. My friend had a steak she said was really tough. My other friend said she didn't enjoy her meal. She said the back of her chair was really sticky and grimy. I ordered the Bibb and Bleu under "Insalate" and it hadn't been washed properly. There was sand throughout the whole thing. If you've never had the pleasure of eating sand, try the Bibb and Bleu. Every bite was gritty and horrid.
(1)
Christopher F.
Came her for tapas and some wine. For a chain, the food at least appears to be fresh and innovative. The meatballs were good, the sauce was nice, the fried zucchini was probably my favorite. I was not a fan of the sausage with cheese. The Manchego cheese was good, but the sausage had this odd flavor, tasted like Szechuan peppercorn. The artichokes were pretty good as well, for a chain this place is ok!
(3)
Virginia S.
I have gone to Macaroni Grill many times in the past. Used to be great, however, this was probably my last visit. Waiter was great, wine was great, food not so much. The bread came out fresh and hot and tasted great. One Appetizer was good and one ok. The meatballs in my dish were bordering on burned and two others in my group said the spaghetti was too salty to eat. Too many restaurants around to waste time and money on mediocre food.
(2)
Beck E.
Ehhh, I had an okay time here with my bf, but the dishes were all overpriced for what you get and not that impressive. While our waitress was friendly enough, everything she said and did had a sense of urgency and unnecessary aggression. Our food actually came out way too fast (literally 5 seconds after out side salads), but I guess I can't complain about that. The spaghetti and ricotta meatballs in pomodoro sauce was underwhelming, and I'm out $12 or whatever. (And how does that dish have 1190 calories? Where are they coming from?) The Mediterranean vinaigrette they put on the fresh greens was oily with little flavor, but at least the rosemary bread was edible. But I suppose the icing on the cake was that I kept getting papercut by the table cover. Gah.
(2)
Been T.
Great Happy Hour but otherwise uneventful.
(3)
William B.
The service is professional, the food is bland; tho props for having gluten free pasta options.
(3)
Akie M.
Everything was way too salty. From the table bread to both entrees. I went home and drank about a gallon of water. But it's a chain, so I wonder how much control the individual restaurants have of this.
(3)
Adventurous Palate S.
The Sausage Rigatoni was awesome. The Carmela's Chicken was awesome. The Pork shank was really good. The Bruschetta was very good. The cheese ravioli was okay. The bread they serve with the meal is good. The half-off on bottles of wine on Thursdays is a great deal. We try to have lunch here every time we are in Ann Arbor.
(5)
Shirley H.
I've been here several times and absolutely love the food here. I used to be a huge fan of Olive Garden, but MG has grown on me over the years and love everything I've had. My usual go to is the capellini pomodoro with chicken. The last time I went, I got the chicken parmesan and could only finish half. Their portions are big, so everytime I go, I always end up going home with a doggie bag. Another favorite of course, is the bread they give shortly after you get seated. I just wished they would leave the pepper cracker, along with a few extra loafs of bread and olive oil. When I'm really in the mood to go all out, I'll end my meal with chocolate cake with homemade whipped cream. Now I am NOT a fan of chocolate cake. I prefer white, strawberry, lemon...anything but chocolate cake, but the size of the cake, which isn't very big to begin with, is perfect! It comes with a side of ganache that you can either pour it over the cake or dip some cake in the sauce. Their homemade whipped cream also is different from any other wc I've tasted. I like that it doesn't get runny and holds the consistency. The best part about it, is probably the topping that comes on the wc.
(4)
Jay R.
I always have a great time with the make your own pasta! It is filling and delicious. They make the most authentic Italian meals and also have great bread - which goes well with peppered oil. I love the servers, sports, as well as the crayons they give for you to draw with on the table cover.
(5)
Eric A.
New menu and great service this visit. Caesar salad with chicken and shrimp added. It was damn good for a chain.
I come here so often because I work away from home (1096 miles away from home :( ) and this is close to where I work and often stay in hotels. It's nice to walk in and stroll into the bar and make myself at home. Usually greeted by Terri's smiling face. Great deals - 1/2 price wine every night ($2.75 can't beat that with a stick). Tried the new "tasting menu" - they got it right this time. Great deal. 3 ravioli, Caesar salad, spaghetti bolognese and then 2 skewers w steak and Italian sausage for $16 - deal!!!
(4)
Jiah C.
oh my god. I'd just leave it at that but I feel like I have a duty to my fellow Yelpers to at least give fair warning. Let's just say, the last time I was in, the front of house employees were talking shit about the back of house. We had about 5 things go wrong at my last (and really, my very last) visit and not a single employee could take responsibility. Oh, except for the chef, who walked out of the kitchen and stood in the middle of the dining room floor and loudly exclaimed 'I'm sorry about the eggplant parm! Whoever had the eggplant parm... Was it you? You?" until I literally had to raise my hand so he could stop bothering the other tables. He seemed apologetic but wouldn't actually approach the table, just threw over some verbal apologies and walked back into the kitchen disdainfully. (the eggplant parm was very soggy, very undercooked, and very bland.) And he should be ashamed, since we've been regulars for the last 2 months and no joke, every-single-time we have to ask for the soup to be reheated. At this last visit, my friend's soup had to be sent back to be temped up and when mine came out 10 minutes later, it was *surprise* cold. SOMEONE can take responsibility for that, come on. It was like watching their employees play the blame game, which seemed like they were all pros at. During that same meal, I put a nice big chunk of a delicious looking mushroom from my pasta into my mouth, gave it a few chews, and experienced a nice explosion of rancid chemicals in my mouth, which caused me to make a speed walk to the bathroom to spit it out and gargle. I feel like that's fair warning enough.
(1)
Jerry S.
Unfortunately, we never got to try the food so, the review is only based on service. The hostess met us and proceeded to sit us right next to a small children party when the majority of the restaurant was empty. Next, we waited more than 10 mins for a waitress but none showed. I walked up to the hostess and asked who are waitress was and they said they would get someone over there immediately but did not apologize. The waitress showed up with an attitude and no apology. She filled our water glasses with water and NO ice. That was the last straw and we walked out. I told the waitress we were leaving and she couldn't understand why. Avoid this location as they have never had decent service!
(1)
D W.
I was not really pleased with this place for lunch. We came at about 11:15 am and were one of three tables in this place. We started our order with the butternut squash tortellini, which I believe is a new menu item, it was good but to say it came out warm would be too generous, it seemed like it had sat out for a while... Our second plate, the roasted chicken and arugula flatbread, came out with extremely wilted arugula and peppers. To make matters worse, the entire center of the flatbread was not cooked, as in raw dough with a few pieces of chicken and wilted arugula thrown on top. The only reason I am not giving one star is because our server was quite nice and the manager came and apologized. She offered us another flatbread, which we declined. I won't be back.
(2)
Lisa C.
A group of seven went out to dinner on Monday night. The place wasn't busy, but our service was great. 4 out of our 7 really enjoyed their food. All of us, as usual, loved their complimentary bread. As it was someone's birthday, we also enjoyed a complimentary dessert, which we shared because we were all so full. The brownie and hot fudge were good, but nothing incredible. This place has gotten a lot of bad reviews in the past, and I'm not sure why. In my experience the waitstaff is very good. It's a regular chain restaurant.
(4)
Nick F.
I can't believe I'm writing a review for a cookie cutter chain restaurant but her goes. It started out with the floor manager, an older woman, taking forever to seat us. We stood at the host counter for like five minutes! She gave the the typical "welcome to our restaurant spiel", but she was so flat lined and emotionless . I work at a fast casual place and our most sociable employee would seem more welcoming. Our waiter was nice, he did that gimmicky thing where they write their name on the table (rolls eyes), and he was actually not that bad, he kept our water full He was a little slow though. My real gripe with this place is how expensive the food is considering its probably mostly prepackaged (I've worked in many restaurants like this so I know!). I got the mushroom ravioli which was bland and kinda soggy. My date got the Chicken Marsala that had three small sad looking pieces of chicken with a small ball of pasta. The calamari was ok, but they gave use literally two ounces of marinara sauce FOR REAL!? For all this , at luch, our bill was 36 bucks!! What the crap, I could have gone to The Palio! Just go to Olive garden, I hate that place too but they're waaay better then this place. p.s WTF are Italian Nachos!?
(2)
Rose A.
We used to love this restaurant. The last two times in 2014 (to be fair we haven't eaten here in the 3 previous years: 2013,2012 and 2011) it has been dirty, and the food was not very good. This last visit in June of 2014 was no exception. My friend had a steak she said was really tough. My other friend said she didn't enjoy her meal. She said the back of her chair was really sticky and grimy. I ordered the Bibb and Bleu under "Insalate" and it hadn't been washed properly. There was sand throughout the whole thing. If you've never had the pleasure of eating sand, try the Bibb and Bleu. Every bite was gritty and horrid.
(1)
Jiah C.
oh my god. I'd just leave it at that but I feel like I have a duty to my fellow Yelpers to at least give fair warning. Let's just say, the last time I was in, the front of house employees were talking shit about the back of house. We had about 5 things go wrong at my last (and really, my very last) visit and not a single employee could take responsibility. Oh, except for the chef, who walked out of the kitchen and stood in the middle of the dining room floor and loudly exclaimed 'I'm sorry about the eggplant parm! Whoever had the eggplant parm... Was it you? You?" until I literally had to raise my hand so he could stop bothering the other tables. He seemed apologetic but wouldn't actually approach the table, just threw over some verbal apologies and walked back into the kitchen disdainfully. (the eggplant parm was very soggy, very undercooked, and very bland.) And he should be ashamed, since we've been regulars for the last 2 months and no joke, every-single-time we have to ask for the soup to be reheated. At this last visit, my friend's soup had to be sent back to be temped up and when mine came out 10 minutes later, it was *surprise* cold. SOMEONE can take responsibility for that, come on. It was like watching their employees play the blame game, which seemed like they were all pros at. During that same meal, I put a nice big chunk of a delicious looking mushroom from my pasta into my mouth, gave it a few chews, and experienced a nice explosion of rancid chemicals in my mouth, which caused me to make a speed walk to the bathroom to spit it out and gargle. I feel like that's fair warning enough.
(1)
Lou B.
Had a dinner this week at Ann Arbor MG . I would usually rank MG in all of the other locations in the States 4 to 5, but the Ann Arbor location not so Like other posts the quality of food wasn't there and my waitress didn't seem to have her heart in it either. The Mediterranean Sea bass I ordered was dry ( a miracle considering this is a higher oil fish), unseasoned, had no lemon sauce and was placed on top of a bed of risotto that tasted like it was made the day before. I was speechless. What was a further burn on the service was that my waitress didn't ask what was wrong after I asked for my check after consuming only a 1/4 of the meal AND the plates remained uncleared even after I paid the bill. I've had much better service at value chain sit down eateries. Ann Arbor staff is not representing the MG brand
(1)
Brad J.
We've been here countless times in the past 8 years... with family & friends, for work and pleasure... always enjoyed our time and our food. We went in with a group of 6 of us in May, something horrible has happened to this place. It's just a chain so the food is the food, but the service and the way they treat people now is awful. I don;t plan on going back to find out if things are fixed. The "chef" spent the entire evening working his way from table to table apologizing for the delays, wrong orders, missed items, you name it... here's the thing boss... get back in the kitchen and sort this out! I think he actually enjoyed bouncing around the dining room like a big shot but he didn't understand that he is the problem. Take you chances if you wish, Max and Erma's and Olive Garden are down the road - Red Robin is next door if you want a chain - just run away from Romano's.
(1)
Christopher F.
Came her for tapas and some wine. For a chain, the food at least appears to be fresh and innovative. The meatballs were good, the sauce was nice, the fried zucchini was probably my favorite. I was not a fan of the sausage with cheese. The Manchego cheese was good, but the sausage had this odd flavor, tasted like Szechuan peppercorn. The artichokes were pretty good as well, for a chain this place is ok!
(3)
Virginia S.
I have gone to Macaroni Grill many times in the past. Used to be great, however, this was probably my last visit. Waiter was great, wine was great, food not so much. The bread came out fresh and hot and tasted great. One Appetizer was good and one ok. The meatballs in my dish were bordering on burned and two others in my group said the spaghetti was too salty to eat. Too many restaurants around to waste time and money on mediocre food.
(2)
Jerry S.
Unfortunately, we never got to try the food so, the review is only based on service. The hostess met us and proceeded to sit us right next to a small children party when the majority of the restaurant was empty. Next, we waited more than 10 mins for a waitress but none showed. I walked up to the hostess and asked who are waitress was and they said they would get someone over there immediately but did not apologize. The waitress showed up with an attitude and no apology. She filled our water glasses with water and NO ice. That was the last straw and we walked out. I told the waitress we were leaving and she couldn't understand why. Avoid this location as they have never had decent service!
(1)
D W.
I was not really pleased with this place for lunch. We came at about 11:15 am and were one of three tables in this place. We started our order with the butternut squash tortellini, which I believe is a new menu item, it was good but to say it came out warm would be too generous, it seemed like it had sat out for a while... Our second plate, the roasted chicken and arugula flatbread, came out with extremely wilted arugula and peppers. To make matters worse, the entire center of the flatbread was not cooked, as in raw dough with a few pieces of chicken and wilted arugula thrown on top. The only reason I am not giving one star is because our server was quite nice and the manager came and apologized. She offered us another flatbread, which we declined. I won't be back.
(2)
Lisa C.
A group of seven went out to dinner on Monday night. The place wasn't busy, but our service was great. 4 out of our 7 really enjoyed their food. All of us, as usual, loved their complimentary bread. As it was someone's birthday, we also enjoyed a complimentary dessert, which we shared because we were all so full. The brownie and hot fudge were good, but nothing incredible. This place has gotten a lot of bad reviews in the past, and I'm not sure why. In my experience the waitstaff is very good. It's a regular chain restaurant.
(4)
Nick F.
I can't believe I'm writing a review for a cookie cutter chain restaurant but her goes. It started out with the floor manager, an older woman, taking forever to seat us. We stood at the host counter for like five minutes! She gave the the typical "welcome to our restaurant spiel", but she was so flat lined and emotionless . I work at a fast casual place and our most sociable employee would seem more welcoming. Our waiter was nice, he did that gimmicky thing where they write their name on the table (rolls eyes), and he was actually not that bad, he kept our water full He was a little slow though. My real gripe with this place is how expensive the food is considering its probably mostly prepackaged (I've worked in many restaurants like this so I know!). I got the mushroom ravioli which was bland and kinda soggy. My date got the Chicken Marsala that had three small sad looking pieces of chicken with a small ball of pasta. The calamari was ok, but they gave use literally two ounces of marinara sauce FOR REAL!? For all this , at luch, our bill was 36 bucks!! What the crap, I could have gone to The Palio! Just go to Olive garden, I hate that place too but they're waaay better then this place. p.s WTF are Italian Nachos!?
(2)
Jeffrey M.
Go to Olive Garden. I will start with the one positive: Wine: house wine was cheap and decent. $15 for a large bottle that you can take home if you don't finish it. Ok now for the rest: My expectations of this place were low, I was hoping for something similar to the Olive Garden. Unfortunately it was much worse than Olive Garden. As soon as we sat down we were rushed to order wine and apps. We had to ask her to bring us waters so we could look at the menu. The water she brought us tasted like lemon water. When I asked for regular water she said it was. She poured more that tasted normal. I have no idea what I was drinking, she had no idea why it tasted like lemon. Next she started pouring wine in a regular glass and said this is how they do it in Italy....No it is not. I asked for wine glasses. We ordered calimari, it was the worst I've ever had. The calimari was cold, watery, and it fell apart. It was almost inedible. She asked how it was and I told her the entrees were good, the calimari was terrible. He response was "Oh." Not even an appology. It was interesting hearing the two tables next to us also complaining. I have to say it's not the waitresses fault, it is just not a good place....not even a tolerable place. We will never go back, I'm not sure how they compete with the Olive Garden. If you want Italian food don't go here or Olive Garden. If you want an Italian chain restaurant choose Olive Garden, you will thank me later.
(1)
Michael S.
We went here the other day. My second time, her first. I had a better experience than I had the first, mainly because of the lack of a crowd. Crowds are OK to a point, but the noise level is really intense when there are lots of people there. We didn't go in for the shebang meal experience, but just for some pasta. i had the Pollo Limone Rustica. Very good. My SO had some chicken and pasta and really liked it. Service as good, the food was hot and we didn't have to wait around a long time. Pretty good for a chain and the prices were not out of line.
(4)
Liz W.
I like it here but i don't really love it. For one I think the prices are a bit high for what you get and for another I have found the service to be really hit or miss. I'll come here but if it's convenient, not as a destination. I like the mozzarella caprese appetizer, but I adore them everywhere else too. I also like a side caesar style salad to start but with balsamic vinaigrette rather than caesar dressing. The chicken florentine is a good entree salad but rather spendy for the amount I have gotten there more than once. Both soups I have tried in there have been a bit meh and I am a huge fan of soup as a general rule. My tried dinners have been the pollo caprese which is nice enough, the slightly better pollo limone rustica, the hit or miss chicken spiedini (I have had it when it's a bit dry). My fave dish is the grilled salmon with the spinach and orzo accompaniment. generally reliable and good. It feels healthy but it so isn't, I once calorie checked it and went OMG. They used to have a creme anglaise type dessert here that was a real lure for me but it's not on the menu anymore :(. The tiramisu is ok but I had a piece of very dry lemon cake here that really annoyed me because I cannot indulge too often. Nothing like a meh dessert to wreck my evening. Overall it is just an ok place for me but nothing stands out as a huge misfire either. Safe.
(3)
N P.
My only less than 3 star review out of about 75 on Yelp so far. Let me explain why. I've been to this place many times over many years. On one occasion with my parents with me the waitresses (in front) of us complained to each other with a comment to the effect of "they take so long" and rolled their eyes as my parents tried to adjust their chairs and coats to get seated. It was snobby, pretentious, arrogant behavior by college aged waitresses whose job was to provide service. I was of the same age and so I didn't really say much because I had seen plenty of that type of behavior in Ann Arbor, occasionally by waitresses but never by a waitress who had yet to start service! On another occasion a waitress was loud, rude, and pushy when we asked her any questions. I wondered if there was some campus organization of "Irritating and Pushy Immature Servers who Didn't Want to Work" that this location was hiring from. Portions were small and expensive but there were good vegetarian options and the taste was reasonable but I still couldn't stand the service. It was only at the last visit that we had a waitress who was very good. She was friendly and at least checked on our table and didn't have any signs of outward hostility. She was also very apologetic that it took over nearly an hour for us to get our food but that's another story.
(2)
Cynthia L.
I have no idea what happened to this place but what a shame. My wife and I have been going to this restaurant for ten plus years and 9 months ago we had a horrible experience. Cold food bad service and it was not even that busy. This place used to be top notch but now it is just ridiculous.
(1)
Jason Q.
Build your pasta is fantastic. Good bread. Pretty good service.
(4)
Grace N.
After going to school at UM for 7 years, it's hands-down my favorite Italian restaurant in Ann Arbor. I love the ambiance, the opera-singing servers who will sing on special occasions, the open kitchen, the Italian language lessons in the bathrooms, and of COURSE, the FOOD! The crusty foccacia bread is amazing, the portions are huge, the house wine goes well with anything, and their pasta is satisfying (if not a little too satisfying, some of the sauces can be a little heavy). I especially like the create-your-own-pasta option. Friendly, professional service, and the environment is appropriate for dates and children alike. Love it!
(5)
Valerie B.
Oh my goodness, just horrible. My boyfriend had a gift card to Macaroni Grill, so we decided to try it for the first time. It was such a terrible experience. I ordered the mushroom ravioli, and he ordered the shrimp pasta. We waited over an hour for our food to come out, and it wasn't even a busy night! When the dishes finally arrived, the ravioli was greasy and burnt... the waitress said it was "baked," but I couldn't get the bad taste of burnt pasta out of my mouth. The shrimp pasta was short on shrimp and virtually sauceless. The waitress claimed that the sauce was supposed to be a light lemon butter, but promised to bring more. She did not return for another 20 minutes, and by then most of his dish had been eaten so there was no point. We both agreed that the shrimp pasta was essentially plain spaghetti with a few measly shrimp dropped on top. Worse than a frozen meal. The waitress comped us a free dessert for our long wait, and we were not interested in staying any longer, so we asked to get it to go. Once again, it took over 20 minutes for her to return with the free dessert and the check. NEVER GO HERE. If you know what's good for you, you'll avoid it like the plague.
(1)
Boodah D.
Depend on day visiting... Calamari can be outstanding! As you can guess by reviews... Boodah LOVE calamari, yes, LOVE it. The Romano Macaroni is one of my favorite when I travel around country. Other awsome dish on menu is Penne Rustica (hope I spell right - if not, just say it and they know what you mean). I love everything here... if you love italian, you will love Macaroni Grill. Now, you probably say to self "Why Boodah only give 4 star???" Well, I would have given ultimate 5 star if my calamari was made like I had it before... it was hit or miss but I have more hit than miss when I go there. Enjoy.
(4)
Gabe M.
I had "dinner" here about a month ago. The place is kind of an Italian Chili's, but there is something vaguely odd about Macaroni Grill, and this odd quality separates it from other restaurants that are merely forgettable. They really milk the grill aspect for all it's worth. Upon entrance, one is granted an unavoidable view of a garishly lit kitchen where a suspiciously large number of cooks grill away the Italian evening. Is a grill really the most important aspect of an Italian restaurant that specializes in pasta? Once seated, we waited patiently for about 20 minutes before our server came and dropped off a football shaped loaf of grilled bread that seemed either frozen or packed with lead. Inexplicably, we were also given a handful of crayons that enabled us to doodle while we gnawed at the bread's stitching. Quite honestly, I was happy to have the crayons, but the bread sucked. Salads were good enough, and once the bread began to expand from oxygen it revealed itself to be decidedly inoffensive. Drawings were developing nicely, with many of us focusing on pastoral scenes in rural settings. My father-in-law brought a more cold and functional approach to his artwork, designing a lattice of gears and pulleys. The service was exceptionally bad. I never criticize waiters or waitresses who spill drinks on me, as hands are notoriously fickle and prone to error. Thus, when our server watered my lap as if I had a Miracle-Gro crotch, I simply smiled and gave a "man, I've been there" sigh. Still, extra napkins would've been an awesome way for the waitress to have made amends for the inadvertent moment of carelessness. Instead, the need for a couple of extra napkins set off a weird chain of confusion that manifested in a rotating cast of servers, so by meal's end we had been fed by everyone from janitor to manager. I didn't find my pasta too nauseating. It was a bit on the cold side, but I didn't take any bites that I had to spit out. Honestly though, this place is lousy. I really can't think of a situation that would justify eating here. It's overpriced, salty, and unnecessarily grill-happy. Avoid it and just grill your own macaroni at home.
(2)
Cameron R.
I'm a big fan of Macaroni Grill, especially their Penne Rustica and delicious bread. We stopped by this location and found it a little sub-par compared to others we had been to. The portion was smaller than normal and I had no pieces of chicken in my dish. The macaroni & cheese kids meal was not good, basically just penne noodles with some Velveeta melted on. On the bright side, the bread was wonderful and the server was friendly and attentive.
(3)
Dana R.
My boyfriend and I went to Macaroni Grille for our anniversary last month. It had been several years since either of us had dined at the chain, and neither had ever been to this location. Our visit started off poorly, and sadly didn't improve from there. After waiting at the hostess station being ignored for a couple minutes, an employee who seemed annoyed by our presence came up and informed us that someone else would be right with us. Once we were seated and had our drink orders taken, the same annoyed employee came over to ask if anyone had taken our order yet. When we informed her that our drink orders had been taken, she shook her head as if this were unacceptable and walked away. This confused us, since we had only just been seated and were not even ready to place our food order. The menu has changed quite a bit since we had last visited the Grille, both in selection (significantly reduced) and in appearance (printed on a piece of thin cardboard). I was also slightly annoyed that while the "Build Your Own Pasta" selection was still on the menu, no where on the cardboard was a list of possible pastas and sauces to choose from. I ended up ordering the Fettuccini Alfredo, which was mediocre at best. My boyfriend ordered the lasagna, which was less than acceptable. It was cold in the middle, as if it had been frozen and not allowed to cook long enough to fully heat up. And the sauce was comparable to that found in a can of Chef Boyardee. I'm glad we had a gift card to use, as the food was significantly over priced for what it was. And after viewing the dessert menu, I chose to go to the mall and get a cookie instead.
(2)
Nicole D.
This is not like other locations. The staff was joking around saying things you maybe shouldn't say when you're waiting on people. One waiter kept walking by singing, and he can't sing. The food was just ok. I could have pulled something better out of the freeze and enjoyed it more and paid much less. I have been to a few other Macaroni Grill's in my time and this location I will never go back to.
(1)
Bonnie L.
What I admire about this place is that it pulls off both versatility and class; that is, you're not ashamed to go out on a date here, but you're also not ashamed to throw on your jeans and go there with a bunch of loud friends. I like looking around and seeing a real variety of people. The food, service, and atmosphere are above average for chain restaurants of this type. If you're around the mall and want a sit-down dinner, it'd be my top choice. But I wouldn't really recommend going out of your way to go to this place until you've hit the rest of what Ann Arbor has to offer.
(3)
Lyndsey M.
This place used to be good. The service was terrible, the food sketchy. My sister arrived before the rest of the party and they sat her than ignored her for 10 minutes. No water, bread, or even a greeting by the waitress. Our food took forever. It wasn't very good.
(1)
Brendan K.
The one star is for the host who was lovely. This is a bad restaurant that serves insulting food for high prices. Often times chain restaurants are disappointing but this rage inspiring in how bad it is. They but whole uncooked cloves of garlic in everything which is strange because every also has the bitterness of granulated garlic. The pasta is overcooked, the sausage is precooked and grill marked in house and tastes of tallow. What is more confusing is that they do things like bread chicken in Parmesan cheese which somehow allows it to be greasy and dry at the same time. This was a bad meal, it was expensive and disgusting. Don't go here, I don't think I have ever said this before but if you need chain faux Italian food, go to Olive Garden.
(1)
Dani A.
Macaroni Grill reminds me why I tend to stick to the restaurants I know. Deciding to try something new, my husband and I went in for dinner. On first impression, the restaurant reminded me of a warehouse. It is one large room with rows of tables. Quite frankly it makes for a really bad atmosphere. We started with the Calamari, they were overcooked and frankly greasy. My husband had the Seafood Linguini. He was not happy with it, the sauce was runny and it there was very little seafood to it, two scallops, three clams, and a few shrimp. I had the Crusted Sole. White fish is supposed to be light and flakey, and this was heavy and greasy. Neither of us finished our meals. Not to mention they are very pricey. For the above mentioned and regular soft drinks our bill came to nearly $50 before tip. Not worth it at all. The only reason they are getting two stars is that the service was good and quick. Good service will not make up for bad food.
(2)
Vic U.
Every year, for the past (at least) 10 years, I have taken my daughter to the U of M performance of Messiah, followed by dinner at the Macaroni Grill. Last weekend was no exception. We arrived around 6, and were immediately seated. We all had the table wine, which is served on the honor system. It is a standard Chianti, but without that typical bite that can be expected. It is smooth, even, dare I say, slightly sweet. The waiter brought warm bread and olive oil is on the table. It is wonderful. My daughter ordered the bruschetta appetizer. So we ate more bread. But beyond the tomato dressing, there were finely sliced pieces of aged cheese which added a nice flavor. So the dinners were ordered. The waiter did well...to a point. I ordered the Pollo Caprese. This was a combo plate of angel hair pasta with a tomato based sauce, warm spinach, and a piece of grilled chicken. Instead of our waiter bring our food to the table, some other young man delivered it to us. I do NOT enjoy it when someone delivers food to the table, and has no clue as to who gets what. So the 3 of us had to look at the plates to figure out who got what. This I find very unprofessional. And beyond that, our waiter was not around, save to bring us the bill. No one...no one...ever asked any of us if our meals were acceptable. While my pasta and spinach were well prepared, the chicken was beyond over-cooked. It was tough and stringy. It had been over-grilled. But no one ever knew, as our waiter became a moving target. So...I gave MG 3 stars, for the wine, the bread and the appetizer. We may go again next year...or not. This year was a disappointment.
(3)
Jeffrey B.
Macaroni Grill is a chain that is perfectly at home in the mall parking lot off the freeway before venturing into the heart of Ann Arbor. I have chosen to dine here frequently over the past many years because it provides a change of pace to the almost neighboring Olive Garden, serving a decent meal while still leaving a little money in the pocketbook. This past weekend I dined at this Macaroni Grill with a group of friends. Ryan L. arrived before the rest of our party so we elected to take the buzzer coaster thing over to the sitting area where we proceeded to watch dinners being prepped by the chefs (all in chef's hats) and talk about the vast amount of olive oil they store on shelves. When the rest of our group arrived we were seated promptly and greeted by our served who did write his name upside down with two crayons but still seemed to be lacking his joie de vivre--it's so odd when servers don't get the proper attitude to approach a table. Ah, well, he didn't mess anything up. After reading the menu through I decided to create my own pasta, perhaps mainly because I enjoy checking things off on slips of paper (like at sushi places, or Vinsetta Grill). My creation was as follows: Farfalle pasta with a blend of the Alfredo and Marinara sauces, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach, and fresh mushrooms. I also ordered a side Caesar salad. I will say that I think a salad should be served with the meal without having to pay extra for it. . . at least it's not terribly expensive and it is a nice salad. The Caesar was a plentiful bowl of Romaine lettuce tossed with their dressing, Parmesan cheese, and fresh croutons. Served with the meals is a delightful loaf of fresh bread that has a salty top and a soft inside that begs to be dipped in the olive oil and herbs that are on the table. In regards to my pasta, I thought it was exact to what I expected. I did add pepper to both the salad and the pasta--there are times when I just can't help not adding it if there is a pepper grinder in sight. . . I might have a problem. Actually, now that I think about it, I think I also added a little salt to the pasta too. . . maybe by mixing the sauces I confused the flavor of them? It wasn't a huge problem and I still enjoyed my meal. I have also had the Eggplant Parmigiana here and can attest to it being also quite good. There is now also a section of dishes called "Rosemary Spiedini" which lead our conversation to be about a wealthy heiress widow of the same name and her fashionably late ways. . . in actuality I think they are dishes that are grilled and prepared with spears of rosemary. Another fun feature of the MG is that if you elect to have wine they will just leave a bottle and let you be on the honor system keeping a tally on the table with the provided crayons. Don't worry, the tablecloths also have sheets of paper on them. The crayons have food themed colors like Florentine, Eggplant, or Bleu Cheese as opposed to Green, Purple, and Blue. On the way out next to the bushel of mints there was a row of reading glasses. The hostess told me that they were there in case a guest forgot their readers. I thought that was quite considerate. I will return to Macaroni Grill because I know what to expect. I think the food is decent and the experience is usually enjoyable. I think I might elect to go to Palio if I wanted something a little fancier but if a chain will do then Macaroni Grill deserves a spot on the ballot. Note: We did not hear Funiculi Funicula here but they did have other traditional Italian favorites on the sound system. I guess you can't always have it all. Also Note: $$ is really just about $10.00--I think with my soda and salad added to my meal it came to somewhere about $15.00.
(4)
Angela N.
This place is a joke. I've only been there 3 times , but only once was I satisfied. The first time, the waitress thought it was more important to talk to her co workers then to serve us our food, which was sitting under the heating lamps for a good 10 minutes. Second, I returned with gift certificates from the manager for my first bad experience, I called in a carry out to take home on my way home from work. Only for them to tell me, "I never called in an order", I waited 1 hr and 15 minutes for food, I had already ordered. My last and most recent trip. I made 6pm reservations, but was seated late, and although my food took forever to get there, I was pleased with my service. Our waitor tried his best given the circumstances. I think its sad that in Ann Arbor a place like this, has such a bad name. They need Gordon Ramsey at this location to get them on track!!
(1)
Jenn V.
You know, for a chain I actually really like this place. Despite there being a plethora of restaurants in Ann Arbor, my Dad always picks this place when we have lunch or dinner together. I swear, the man has worked in Ann Arbor for 20+ yrs, and I think he's only eaten here. Strange? Maybe. So we went here for dinner, again, last week. At first I was annoyed, but by the end of the meal I remembered that I actually like this place. Service can be hit or miss, but then again, what place has a 100% fabulous staff? This visit we had good service, even as the restaurant started getting really busy. The crab stuffed mushrooms are really good, and boy do I like their bread and oil! Their "house dressing" (some type of oil vinaigrette) is really tasty too. I had capelini pomodoro (I'm sure I just murdered the spelling), and it was also good. Everyone enjoyed their meals. They have some inexpensive options for dessert too. $1.99 for some vanilla gelato with strawberries, and just the right portion. I know some people think it's pricey, but $70 for a glass of wine, 2 salads, an appetizer, 3 meals and 2 desserts (3 ppl) seems typical to me. We left stuffed and happy (oh, such gluttons we are..)
(4)
Carlos O.
Mama's Trio was excellent and the service was phenomenal!!! A lot better than waiting 45 minutes at the "place" across the street :-)
(4)
T S.
I really liked this place. It doesn't feel too much like a chain, and the food, though nothing really special, is delicious. I have been here a few times, and went again last night. It was totally empty (probably because of Easter) and we sat at the bar. The tapas were really surprisingly good, and 2 for 9 dollars! (Spicy meatballs and fried artichoke cakes). My wine (an organic unoaked chardonnay) was delicious and my bf said his margarita was exactly right. The staff were super friendly and attentive and the manager gave us a coupon. I'm giving it 5 stars because while it's not the best restaurant in the world, it is perfect and exactly what I expect for this type of restaurant.
(5)
jack t.
April 14, 2011 Macaroni Grill Ann Arbor - Well back from the south in plenty of time to celebrate our granddaughters wedding and welcome our out of town guests. The day after a great celebration at Cobblestone Farms we needed a breather and the 8 of us (included our guests) welcomed a dinner here which was once one of my favorites. What a very disappointing finish to the weekend. Lynn had a tasteless seafood pasta which was short on just about everything with the shrimp so overcooked they were like rubber and scallops undercooked. My salmon was dry on the edges, raw in some center spots and with out seasoning with someone's idea of orzo with flavor that even salt, pepper and grated cheese could not help. I won't mention our quests equally less than mediocre meals from a supposing updated menu of quality dishes. We really looked forward to entertaining our guests with at least a meal from a long standing favorite and discovered we should have stayed at home with left over's. Oh well good to be back in Ann Arbor with a declining restaurant climate. Sorry - closing on a positive note the house red still remains pretty good. Jack and Lynn
(1)
Sophia G.
Nice atmosphere. The tables are covered in paper and our waiter took out a crayon and wrote his name on the paper to help us remember his name. I was turned off by the big bottles of olive oil they kept on the table as I am used to being served a small dish of seasoned olive oil for dipping. The service was good and the food was OK...not something I would go back for.
(3)
Nancy M.
My husband & I were patrons twice within the last month. Mostly because we had a coupon. The first time we dined with friends and all our meals were great. I had the brick oven chicken and it was fabulous. This last time, it was just the two of us and we both ordered more traditional Italian food. My husbands lobster ravioli was tasteless and the lobster was tough,almost like it came from a can. My shrimp dish was the same....totally tasteless. There wasn't even a hint of garlic! Needless to say we won't be back.....with or without a coupon!
(2)
Julie K.
My family of 4 recently had dinner at Macaroni Grill and will not go back again. Tt was the worst experience and the worst food we've ever had at any Macaroni Grill. First, the restaurant was NOT busy when we arrived at 7:30 PM. We still had a 15 minute wait for a table even though there were at least 10 empty 4 top tables that we could see. Our waiter was just plain bad. It was 1 hour between the time we placed our order and when we received our appetizer, two of the tapas: the cannellini bean crostini and the oven-fired artichoke hearts. The bread was dry and chewy. The artichoke hearts had so much dried chili pepper that they were inedible. While waiting for the entrees to arrive (another 15 minutes), we had to ask our waiter 3 separate times to bring sweetener for my husband's iced tea. For the entree, my husband had asked the waiter if he could substitute angel hair pasta for the rigatoni originally in the dish and the waiter replied that he could. When my husband's dish arrived, cold, it was with rigatoni, not the angel hair past. My daughter ordered the shrimp piedini which were stone cold and rubbery from being overcooked. I ordered the pasta di mare and NONE of the seafood in the dish was edible. The mussels were so overcooked they were crunchy, the shrimp was rubbery, and the whopping 2 scallops in the dish were gritty from not being adequately cleaned. My spaghetti was overcooked and gummy and the tomato sauce tasted burned. We hadn't been to Macaroni Grill for several months, and were surprised to see a new, much abbreviated menu. We reasoned that since there were fewer items on the menu, they would be cooked with care. Wrong. We will not go back, even though my husband was just given a $25 gift card to the restaurant. It will stay pinned to the cork board. We will not be going back.
(1)
Cherice J.
I'm an absolute fan of Macaroni Grill and the vibe inside. You sit down at a table and actually allowed to color on the paper table cloth! I'm such a kid. The food is really good here, especially the bread and oils they bring out before your meal. I suggest the Parmesan Crusted Chicken Salad, or any of their pastas for that matter. The service is always great, and I usually walk away spending around $15. There's an Olive Garden across the street, so I usually would go back and forth depending on my Italian taste buds.
(4)
Tim B.
It's above average for a family restaurant in Ann Arbor, but not great. We'll definately return but it won't be in our regular rotation. It is a little pricey for what you get.
(4)
Grace N.
After going to school at UM for 7 years, it's hands-down my favorite Italian restaurant in Ann Arbor. I love the ambiance, the opera-singing servers who will sing on special occasions, the open kitchen, the Italian language lessons in the bathrooms, and of COURSE, the FOOD! The crusty foccacia bread is amazing, the portions are huge, the house wine goes well with anything, and their pasta is satisfying (if not a little too satisfying, some of the sauces can be a little heavy). I especially like the create-your-own-pasta option. Friendly, professional service, and the environment is appropriate for dates and children alike. Love it!
(5)
Jeffrey M.
Go to Olive Garden. I will start with the one positive: Wine: house wine was cheap and decent. $15 for a large bottle that you can take home if you don't finish it. Ok now for the rest: My expectations of this place were low, I was hoping for something similar to the Olive Garden. Unfortunately it was much worse than Olive Garden. As soon as we sat down we were rushed to order wine and apps. We had to ask her to bring us waters so we could look at the menu. The water she brought us tasted like lemon water. When I asked for regular water she said it was. She poured more that tasted normal. I have no idea what I was drinking, she had no idea why it tasted like lemon. Next she started pouring wine in a regular glass and said this is how they do it in Italy....No it is not. I asked for wine glasses. We ordered calimari, it was the worst I've ever had. The calimari was cold, watery, and it fell apart. It was almost inedible. She asked how it was and I told her the entrees were good, the calimari was terrible. He response was "Oh." Not even an appology. It was interesting hearing the two tables next to us also complaining. I have to say it's not the waitresses fault, it is just not a good place....not even a tolerable place. We will never go back, I'm not sure how they compete with the Olive Garden. If you want Italian food don't go here or Olive Garden. If you want an Italian chain restaurant choose Olive Garden, you will thank me later.
(1)
Michael S.
We went here the other day. My second time, her first. I had a better experience than I had the first, mainly because of the lack of a crowd. Crowds are OK to a point, but the noise level is really intense when there are lots of people there. We didn't go in for the shebang meal experience, but just for some pasta. i had the Pollo Limone Rustica. Very good. My SO had some chicken and pasta and really liked it. Service as good, the food was hot and we didn't have to wait around a long time. Pretty good for a chain and the prices were not out of line.
(4)
Liz W.
I like it here but i don't really love it. For one I think the prices are a bit high for what you get and for another I have found the service to be really hit or miss. I'll come here but if it's convenient, not as a destination. I like the mozzarella caprese appetizer, but I adore them everywhere else too. I also like a side caesar style salad to start but with balsamic vinaigrette rather than caesar dressing. The chicken florentine is a good entree salad but rather spendy for the amount I have gotten there more than once. Both soups I have tried in there have been a bit meh and I am a huge fan of soup as a general rule. My tried dinners have been the pollo caprese which is nice enough, the slightly better pollo limone rustica, the hit or miss chicken spiedini (I have had it when it's a bit dry). My fave dish is the grilled salmon with the spinach and orzo accompaniment. generally reliable and good. It feels healthy but it so isn't, I once calorie checked it and went OMG. They used to have a creme anglaise type dessert here that was a real lure for me but it's not on the menu anymore :(. The tiramisu is ok but I had a piece of very dry lemon cake here that really annoyed me because I cannot indulge too often. Nothing like a meh dessert to wreck my evening. Overall it is just an ok place for me but nothing stands out as a huge misfire either. Safe.
(3)
N P.
My only less than 3 star review out of about 75 on Yelp so far. Let me explain why. I've been to this place many times over many years. On one occasion with my parents with me the waitresses (in front) of us complained to each other with a comment to the effect of "they take so long" and rolled their eyes as my parents tried to adjust their chairs and coats to get seated. It was snobby, pretentious, arrogant behavior by college aged waitresses whose job was to provide service. I was of the same age and so I didn't really say much because I had seen plenty of that type of behavior in Ann Arbor, occasionally by waitresses but never by a waitress who had yet to start service! On another occasion a waitress was loud, rude, and pushy when we asked her any questions. I wondered if there was some campus organization of "Irritating and Pushy Immature Servers who Didn't Want to Work" that this location was hiring from. Portions were small and expensive but there were good vegetarian options and the taste was reasonable but I still couldn't stand the service. It was only at the last visit that we had a waitress who was very good. She was friendly and at least checked on our table and didn't have any signs of outward hostility. She was also very apologetic that it took over nearly an hour for us to get our food but that's another story.
(2)
Cynthia L.
I have no idea what happened to this place but what a shame. My wife and I have been going to this restaurant for ten plus years and 9 months ago we had a horrible experience. Cold food bad service and it was not even that busy. This place used to be top notch but now it is just ridiculous.
(1)
Boodah D.
Depend on day visiting... Calamari can be outstanding! As you can guess by reviews... Boodah LOVE calamari, yes, LOVE it. The Romano Macaroni is one of my favorite when I travel around country. Other awsome dish on menu is Penne Rustica (hope I spell right - if not, just say it and they know what you mean). I love everything here... if you love italian, you will love Macaroni Grill. Now, you probably say to self "Why Boodah only give 4 star???" Well, I would have given ultimate 5 star if my calamari was made like I had it before... it was hit or miss but I have more hit than miss when I go there. Enjoy.
(4)
Valerie B.
Oh my goodness, just horrible. My boyfriend had a gift card to Macaroni Grill, so we decided to try it for the first time. It was such a terrible experience. I ordered the mushroom ravioli, and he ordered the shrimp pasta. We waited over an hour for our food to come out, and it wasn't even a busy night! When the dishes finally arrived, the ravioli was greasy and burnt... the waitress said it was "baked," but I couldn't get the bad taste of burnt pasta out of my mouth. The shrimp pasta was short on shrimp and virtually sauceless. The waitress claimed that the sauce was supposed to be a light lemon butter, but promised to bring more. She did not return for another 20 minutes, and by then most of his dish had been eaten so there was no point. We both agreed that the shrimp pasta was essentially plain spaghetti with a few measly shrimp dropped on top. Worse than a frozen meal. The waitress comped us a free dessert for our long wait, and we were not interested in staying any longer, so we asked to get it to go. Once again, it took over 20 minutes for her to return with the free dessert and the check. NEVER GO HERE. If you know what's good for you, you'll avoid it like the plague.
(1)
Brendan K.
The one star is for the host who was lovely. This is a bad restaurant that serves insulting food for high prices. Often times chain restaurants are disappointing but this rage inspiring in how bad it is. They but whole uncooked cloves of garlic in everything which is strange because every also has the bitterness of granulated garlic. The pasta is overcooked, the sausage is precooked and grill marked in house and tastes of tallow. What is more confusing is that they do things like bread chicken in Parmesan cheese which somehow allows it to be greasy and dry at the same time. This was a bad meal, it was expensive and disgusting. Don't go here, I don't think I have ever said this before but if you need chain faux Italian food, go to Olive Garden.
(1)
Dani A.
Macaroni Grill reminds me why I tend to stick to the restaurants I know. Deciding to try something new, my husband and I went in for dinner. On first impression, the restaurant reminded me of a warehouse. It is one large room with rows of tables. Quite frankly it makes for a really bad atmosphere. We started with the Calamari, they were overcooked and frankly greasy. My husband had the Seafood Linguini. He was not happy with it, the sauce was runny and it there was very little seafood to it, two scallops, three clams, and a few shrimp. I had the Crusted Sole. White fish is supposed to be light and flakey, and this was heavy and greasy. Neither of us finished our meals. Not to mention they are very pricey. For the above mentioned and regular soft drinks our bill came to nearly $50 before tip. Not worth it at all. The only reason they are getting two stars is that the service was good and quick. Good service will not make up for bad food.
(2)
Denise K.
We've been going to this Macaroni Grill in Ann Arbor since it opened when our kids were quite young. You pretty much know what you're going to get here and they've always delivered ... except for last week. It was so poor that we'll think twice before going again. We had reservations on Thursday for a party of 10, including 2 toddlers, and we were seated immediately. Our server, Kelly, was with us right away to take drink orders and bring bread ... except for they didn't come, and they DIDN'T COME, and THEY DIDN'T COME!! To her credit, Kelly kept checking back with us to say the bartender was swamped, drinks should be here any minute, the bread was rising and would be in the oven before we knew it, honestly, it would all be here any minute, really. The red wine finally arrived and was quite good (and half price), and the white wine (also half price) showed up but with no ice bucket to keep it cold (oh, well). Ice water appeared for everyone, as did the two Cosmos, but no soft drinks for the grandchildren. By the time the soft drinks for the babies were served, it was determined that the Cosmos were undrinkable (this is a first for any member of our family -- if it's got booze we're goin' for it, but these were just terrible), so gin-and-tonics were ordered. Again, they were probably distilling the gin while we waited. Kelly did keep coming back to apologize. The food was exactly what we expected (decent Italian food), but it came in shifts -- 3 dishes than a 5 minute wait, 3 more dishes than a 5 minute wait ... you get my drift -- although we'd ordered all at the same time. The last to be served were the Kids' Pizzas for the toddler grandchildren. (WHO DOES THAT?!?!?) After asking for the pizzas for the babies a few times, Kelly (bless her) asked if we'd like to speak with the manager. We definitely did. The manager was very responsive, graciously acknowledged the difficulties, and offered to take various items off our bill. We thanked her and she followed through on her promise. Our server, Kelly, and the manager have great personal skills, but somebody's gotta do something about the kitchen organization -- a table-full of food and beverage has to come out at relatively the same time. Two other observations: the number of shrimp in our two Shrimp Portofinos seemed to be reduced (maybe that's just my daughter and me wishing for more); and this restaurant seemed dingy, not as sparkly as we've been used to (it was a dark evening). This is a compliment -- Sandra Periord (sp?), the hostess, delivered a moving "a cappella" aria for the dining room that was truly a joy.
(3)
Ashley O.
I typically love Macaroni Grill. This location was BAD though. - Stood at check in podium for 2-3 minutes before being greeted ( it wasn't busy). - Once sat, wasn't greeted by our waiter for 5 minutes. - Ordered Calamari, was delivered soggy and undercooked. Disappointing. - I had the Warm Spinach Salad, it was good. - My guest had Chicken Parmigana. It was soggy, cheese was partially melted. He didn't even eat half of it. I give 2 stars: easy parking, good bread and my salad was good. This location just isn't as on point as others. Sorry friends!
(2)
Lily K.
I wanted to like the Macaroni Grill better because I remember enjoying it as a child, but it was undeniably blah. My son enjoyed drawing on the table and we liked the bread OK, but the fun stops there. Warm water, overcooked calamari, undercooked pizza dough. All under-seasoned and paired with overly acidic tomato based sauces. It wasn't a tragic experience, but we wont be back.
(2)
Vic U.
Every year, for the past (at least) 10 years, I have taken my daughter to the U of M performance of Messiah, followed by dinner at the Macaroni Grill. Last weekend was no exception. We arrived around 6, and were immediately seated. We all had the table wine, which is served on the honor system. It is a standard Chianti, but without that typical bite that can be expected. It is smooth, even, dare I say, slightly sweet. The waiter brought warm bread and olive oil is on the table. It is wonderful. My daughter ordered the bruschetta appetizer. So we ate more bread. But beyond the tomato dressing, there were finely sliced pieces of aged cheese which added a nice flavor. So the dinners were ordered. The waiter did well...to a point. I ordered the Pollo Caprese. This was a combo plate of angel hair pasta with a tomato based sauce, warm spinach, and a piece of grilled chicken. Instead of our waiter bring our food to the table, some other young man delivered it to us. I do NOT enjoy it when someone delivers food to the table, and has no clue as to who gets what. So the 3 of us had to look at the plates to figure out who got what. This I find very unprofessional. And beyond that, our waiter was not around, save to bring us the bill. No one...no one...ever asked any of us if our meals were acceptable. While my pasta and spinach were well prepared, the chicken was beyond over-cooked. It was tough and stringy. It had been over-grilled. But no one ever knew, as our waiter became a moving target. So...I gave MG 3 stars, for the wine, the bread and the appetizer. We may go again next year...or not. This year was a disappointment.
(3)
Cameron R.
I'm a big fan of Macaroni Grill, especially their Penne Rustica and delicious bread. We stopped by this location and found it a little sub-par compared to others we had been to. The portion was smaller than normal and I had no pieces of chicken in my dish. The macaroni & cheese kids meal was not good, basically just penne noodles with some Velveeta melted on. On the bright side, the bread was wonderful and the server was friendly and attentive.
(3)
jack t.
April 14, 2011 Macaroni Grill Ann Arbor - Well back from the south in plenty of time to celebrate our granddaughters wedding and welcome our out of town guests. The day after a great celebration at Cobblestone Farms we needed a breather and the 8 of us (included our guests) welcomed a dinner here which was once one of my favorites. What a very disappointing finish to the weekend. Lynn had a tasteless seafood pasta which was short on just about everything with the shrimp so overcooked they were like rubber and scallops undercooked. My salmon was dry on the edges, raw in some center spots and with out seasoning with someone's idea of orzo with flavor that even salt, pepper and grated cheese could not help. I won't mention our quests equally less than mediocre meals from a supposing updated menu of quality dishes. We really looked forward to entertaining our guests with at least a meal from a long standing favorite and discovered we should have stayed at home with left over's. Oh well good to be back in Ann Arbor with a declining restaurant climate. Sorry - closing on a positive note the house red still remains pretty good. Jack and Lynn
(1)
Sophia G.
Nice atmosphere. The tables are covered in paper and our waiter took out a crayon and wrote his name on the paper to help us remember his name. I was turned off by the big bottles of olive oil they kept on the table as I am used to being served a small dish of seasoned olive oil for dipping. The service was good and the food was OK...not something I would go back for.
(3)
Nancy M.
My husband & I were patrons twice within the last month. Mostly because we had a coupon. The first time we dined with friends and all our meals were great. I had the brick oven chicken and it was fabulous. This last time, it was just the two of us and we both ordered more traditional Italian food. My husbands lobster ravioli was tasteless and the lobster was tough,almost like it came from a can. My shrimp dish was the same....totally tasteless. There wasn't even a hint of garlic! Needless to say we won't be back.....with or without a coupon!
(2)
Gabe M.
I had "dinner" here about a month ago. The place is kind of an Italian Chili's, but there is something vaguely odd about Macaroni Grill, and this odd quality separates it from other restaurants that are merely forgettable. They really milk the grill aspect for all it's worth. Upon entrance, one is granted an unavoidable view of a garishly lit kitchen where a suspiciously large number of cooks grill away the Italian evening. Is a grill really the most important aspect of an Italian restaurant that specializes in pasta? Once seated, we waited patiently for about 20 minutes before our server came and dropped off a football shaped loaf of grilled bread that seemed either frozen or packed with lead. Inexplicably, we were also given a handful of crayons that enabled us to doodle while we gnawed at the bread's stitching. Quite honestly, I was happy to have the crayons, but the bread sucked. Salads were good enough, and once the bread began to expand from oxygen it revealed itself to be decidedly inoffensive. Drawings were developing nicely, with many of us focusing on pastoral scenes in rural settings. My father-in-law brought a more cold and functional approach to his artwork, designing a lattice of gears and pulleys. The service was exceptionally bad. I never criticize waiters or waitresses who spill drinks on me, as hands are notoriously fickle and prone to error. Thus, when our server watered my lap as if I had a Miracle-Gro crotch, I simply smiled and gave a "man, I've been there" sigh. Still, extra napkins would've been an awesome way for the waitress to have made amends for the inadvertent moment of carelessness. Instead, the need for a couple of extra napkins set off a weird chain of confusion that manifested in a rotating cast of servers, so by meal's end we had been fed by everyone from janitor to manager. I didn't find my pasta too nauseating. It was a bit on the cold side, but I didn't take any bites that I had to spit out. Honestly though, this place is lousy. I really can't think of a situation that would justify eating here. It's overpriced, salty, and unnecessarily grill-happy. Avoid it and just grill your own macaroni at home.
(2)
Jeffrey B.
Macaroni Grill is a chain that is perfectly at home in the mall parking lot off the freeway before venturing into the heart of Ann Arbor. I have chosen to dine here frequently over the past many years because it provides a change of pace to the almost neighboring Olive Garden, serving a decent meal while still leaving a little money in the pocketbook. This past weekend I dined at this Macaroni Grill with a group of friends. Ryan L. arrived before the rest of our party so we elected to take the buzzer coaster thing over to the sitting area where we proceeded to watch dinners being prepped by the chefs (all in chef's hats) and talk about the vast amount of olive oil they store on shelves. When the rest of our group arrived we were seated promptly and greeted by our served who did write his name upside down with two crayons but still seemed to be lacking his joie de vivre--it's so odd when servers don't get the proper attitude to approach a table. Ah, well, he didn't mess anything up. After reading the menu through I decided to create my own pasta, perhaps mainly because I enjoy checking things off on slips of paper (like at sushi places, or Vinsetta Grill). My creation was as follows: Farfalle pasta with a blend of the Alfredo and Marinara sauces, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach, and fresh mushrooms. I also ordered a side Caesar salad. I will say that I think a salad should be served with the meal without having to pay extra for it. . . at least it's not terribly expensive and it is a nice salad. The Caesar was a plentiful bowl of Romaine lettuce tossed with their dressing, Parmesan cheese, and fresh croutons. Served with the meals is a delightful loaf of fresh bread that has a salty top and a soft inside that begs to be dipped in the olive oil and herbs that are on the table. In regards to my pasta, I thought it was exact to what I expected. I did add pepper to both the salad and the pasta--there are times when I just can't help not adding it if there is a pepper grinder in sight. . . I might have a problem. Actually, now that I think about it, I think I also added a little salt to the pasta too. . . maybe by mixing the sauces I confused the flavor of them? It wasn't a huge problem and I still enjoyed my meal. I have also had the Eggplant Parmigiana here and can attest to it being also quite good. There is now also a section of dishes called "Rosemary Spiedini" which lead our conversation to be about a wealthy heiress widow of the same name and her fashionably late ways. . . in actuality I think they are dishes that are grilled and prepared with spears of rosemary. Another fun feature of the MG is that if you elect to have wine they will just leave a bottle and let you be on the honor system keeping a tally on the table with the provided crayons. Don't worry, the tablecloths also have sheets of paper on them. The crayons have food themed colors like Florentine, Eggplant, or Bleu Cheese as opposed to Green, Purple, and Blue. On the way out next to the bushel of mints there was a row of reading glasses. The hostess told me that they were there in case a guest forgot their readers. I thought that was quite considerate. I will return to Macaroni Grill because I know what to expect. I think the food is decent and the experience is usually enjoyable. I think I might elect to go to Palio if I wanted something a little fancier but if a chain will do then Macaroni Grill deserves a spot on the ballot. Note: We did not hear Funiculi Funicula here but they did have other traditional Italian favorites on the sound system. I guess you can't always have it all. Also Note: $$ is really just about $10.00--I think with my soda and salad added to my meal it came to somewhere about $15.00.
(4)
Angela N.
This place is a joke. I've only been there 3 times , but only once was I satisfied. The first time, the waitress thought it was more important to talk to her co workers then to serve us our food, which was sitting under the heating lamps for a good 10 minutes. Second, I returned with gift certificates from the manager for my first bad experience, I called in a carry out to take home on my way home from work. Only for them to tell me, "I never called in an order", I waited 1 hr and 15 minutes for food, I had already ordered. My last and most recent trip. I made 6pm reservations, but was seated late, and although my food took forever to get there, I was pleased with my service. Our waitor tried his best given the circumstances. I think its sad that in Ann Arbor a place like this, has such a bad name. They need Gordon Ramsey at this location to get them on track!!
(1)
Jenn V.
You know, for a chain I actually really like this place. Despite there being a plethora of restaurants in Ann Arbor, my Dad always picks this place when we have lunch or dinner together. I swear, the man has worked in Ann Arbor for 20+ yrs, and I think he's only eaten here. Strange? Maybe. So we went here for dinner, again, last week. At first I was annoyed, but by the end of the meal I remembered that I actually like this place. Service can be hit or miss, but then again, what place has a 100% fabulous staff? This visit we had good service, even as the restaurant started getting really busy. The crab stuffed mushrooms are really good, and boy do I like their bread and oil! Their "house dressing" (some type of oil vinaigrette) is really tasty too. I had capelini pomodoro (I'm sure I just murdered the spelling), and it was also good. Everyone enjoyed their meals. They have some inexpensive options for dessert too. $1.99 for some vanilla gelato with strawberries, and just the right portion. I know some people think it's pricey, but $70 for a glass of wine, 2 salads, an appetizer, 3 meals and 2 desserts (3 ppl) seems typical to me. We left stuffed and happy (oh, such gluttons we are..)
(4)
Carlos O.
Mama's Trio was excellent and the service was phenomenal!!! A lot better than waiting 45 minutes at the "place" across the street :-)
(4)
T S.
I really liked this place. It doesn't feel too much like a chain, and the food, though nothing really special, is delicious. I have been here a few times, and went again last night. It was totally empty (probably because of Easter) and we sat at the bar. The tapas were really surprisingly good, and 2 for 9 dollars! (Spicy meatballs and fried artichoke cakes). My wine (an organic unoaked chardonnay) was delicious and my bf said his margarita was exactly right. The staff were super friendly and attentive and the manager gave us a coupon. I'm giving it 5 stars because while it's not the best restaurant in the world, it is perfect and exactly what I expect for this type of restaurant.
(5)
Dana R.
My boyfriend and I went to Macaroni Grille for our anniversary last month. It had been several years since either of us had dined at the chain, and neither had ever been to this location. Our visit started off poorly, and sadly didn't improve from there. After waiting at the hostess station being ignored for a couple minutes, an employee who seemed annoyed by our presence came up and informed us that someone else would be right with us. Once we were seated and had our drink orders taken, the same annoyed employee came over to ask if anyone had taken our order yet. When we informed her that our drink orders had been taken, she shook her head as if this were unacceptable and walked away. This confused us, since we had only just been seated and were not even ready to place our food order. The menu has changed quite a bit since we had last visited the Grille, both in selection (significantly reduced) and in appearance (printed on a piece of thin cardboard). I was also slightly annoyed that while the "Build Your Own Pasta" selection was still on the menu, no where on the cardboard was a list of possible pastas and sauces to choose from. I ended up ordering the Fettuccini Alfredo, which was mediocre at best. My boyfriend ordered the lasagna, which was less than acceptable. It was cold in the middle, as if it had been frozen and not allowed to cook long enough to fully heat up. And the sauce was comparable to that found in a can of Chef Boyardee. I'm glad we had a gift card to use, as the food was significantly over priced for what it was. And after viewing the dessert menu, I chose to go to the mall and get a cookie instead.
(2)
Nicole D.
This is not like other locations. The staff was joking around saying things you maybe shouldn't say when you're waiting on people. One waiter kept walking by singing, and he can't sing. The food was just ok. I could have pulled something better out of the freeze and enjoyed it more and paid much less. I have been to a few other Macaroni Grill's in my time and this location I will never go back to.
(1)
Bonnie L.
What I admire about this place is that it pulls off both versatility and class; that is, you're not ashamed to go out on a date here, but you're also not ashamed to throw on your jeans and go there with a bunch of loud friends. I like looking around and seeing a real variety of people. The food, service, and atmosphere are above average for chain restaurants of this type. If you're around the mall and want a sit-down dinner, it'd be my top choice. But I wouldn't really recommend going out of your way to go to this place until you've hit the rest of what Ann Arbor has to offer.
(3)
Lyndsey M.
This place used to be good. The service was terrible, the food sketchy. My sister arrived before the rest of the party and they sat her than ignored her for 10 minutes. No water, bread, or even a greeting by the waitress. Our food took forever. It wasn't very good.
(1)
Julie K.
My family of 4 recently had dinner at Macaroni Grill and will not go back again. Tt was the worst experience and the worst food we've ever had at any Macaroni Grill. First, the restaurant was NOT busy when we arrived at 7:30 PM. We still had a 15 minute wait for a table even though there were at least 10 empty 4 top tables that we could see. Our waiter was just plain bad. It was 1 hour between the time we placed our order and when we received our appetizer, two of the tapas: the cannellini bean crostini and the oven-fired artichoke hearts. The bread was dry and chewy. The artichoke hearts had so much dried chili pepper that they were inedible. While waiting for the entrees to arrive (another 15 minutes), we had to ask our waiter 3 separate times to bring sweetener for my husband's iced tea. For the entree, my husband had asked the waiter if he could substitute angel hair pasta for the rigatoni originally in the dish and the waiter replied that he could. When my husband's dish arrived, cold, it was with rigatoni, not the angel hair past. My daughter ordered the shrimp piedini which were stone cold and rubbery from being overcooked. I ordered the pasta di mare and NONE of the seafood in the dish was edible. The mussels were so overcooked they were crunchy, the shrimp was rubbery, and the whopping 2 scallops in the dish were gritty from not being adequately cleaned. My spaghetti was overcooked and gummy and the tomato sauce tasted burned. We hadn't been to Macaroni Grill for several months, and were surprised to see a new, much abbreviated menu. We reasoned that since there were fewer items on the menu, they would be cooked with care. Wrong. We will not go back, even though my husband was just given a $25 gift card to the restaurant. It will stay pinned to the cork board. We will not be going back.
(1)
Cherice J.
I'm an absolute fan of Macaroni Grill and the vibe inside. You sit down at a table and actually allowed to color on the paper table cloth! I'm such a kid. The food is really good here, especially the bread and oils they bring out before your meal. I suggest the Parmesan Crusted Chicken Salad, or any of their pastas for that matter. The service is always great, and I usually walk away spending around $15. There's an Olive Garden across the street, so I usually would go back and forth depending on my Italian taste buds.
(4)
Tim B.
It's above average for a family restaurant in Ann Arbor, but not great. We'll definately return but it won't be in our regular rotation. It is a little pricey for what you get.
(4)
Jason Q.
Build your pasta is fantastic. Good bread. Pretty good service.
(4)
Aaron W.
Bruschetta was bland, little flavor. The pasta Milano was good - i forgot to ask if they had red pepper flakes- The wife's lobster ravioli was good. Wish they added herbs to the oil vs. just pepper. Service was satisfactory drinks never were empty.
(3)
ima h.
I was just being lazy coming here in the first place. Really? Macaroni Grill - a huge chain restaurant that focuses on profits, not palettes. What I ordered : Dinner Salad - hey, nice, fresh ingredients. However, the salad dressing is both disgusting and overbearing. Perhaps 1/8 th of the amount of dressing would have sufficed. Some chicken thing - lacked flavor. Bland. Also, the server brought it out after I'd had 2 bites of the salad. This is a seriously sub par restaurant serving up crappy food via lame service. This might be an acceptable place for a vendor to take me that I wouldn't even consider hiring. It's also a great place to take an in law that you hope will never return.
(1)
Christina C.
It's Macaroni Grill. You go there for the free olive oil drenched bread with which you dip in more olive oil. Also, you go there to draw on the tables with crayons. Yes, I'm an adult drawing stick figures at the dinner table. What more can you ask for? I know it doesn't get the best reviews because it's a chain restaurant and food tends to be bland and overrated. However, I thoroughly enjoyed my Eggplant Parmesan. Actually, I recently discovered that I like eggplants. I thought it was breaded well and baked until very crisp, so it was not soggy at all. The side of spaghetti and sauce was very mediocre, but again, I didn't expect too much. For appetizers, I got the Fried Mac & Cheese. It was really tasty. I'm not sure what the sauce it came with was, but the combination was good. The bruschetta was DIY: you get the toppings and you put the tomatoes on the toast on your own. The tomatoes were too garlicky for my liking but the toast was yummy.
(4)
John B.
Save your money, worst macaroni grill. Ordered a caprese sandwich on their $7 menu. Came 15 min later and the bread was old. Horrible.
(1)
Eric A.
New menu and great service this visit. Caesar salad with chicken and shrimp added. It was damn good for a chain.
My first visit was not so good, my second visit was absolutely wonderful. First visit: I had just gotten off the bus from Chicago and was tired and starving so my partner and I chose Macaroni Grill as it was just right by the bus stop. The place was really empty, there were only two other tables in the whole restaurant at the time which wasn't too weird considering it was around noon on a weekday. Our main problem was the waitress. She seemed to be giving us judgmental looks and it made me feel uncomfortable but I assumed it was in my head. Wrong. The food was good and everything, but she would take forever and a half to come by. And this wouldn't normally bother me, but she was waiting hand and foot on the other two tables. She would laugh and converse with them, but when it came to is she would pretend not to see us looking for her, and she was short and cold. We realized after awhile that she was obviously homophobic and thus was purposely making us wait and feel very uncomfortable. I left her a low tip, around 12%, something I never do, just because I was so bothered by it. I'd just had a long trip and wanted to relax with good food and instead I left filled with anxiety. Second visit: we returned about a month later, the food is really what brought us back (the free bread they start you with is amazing, my mouth is watering remembering it, and the pasta is perfect, and there's large portions so we always take some home in those nice little reheat packages they have), and it's location close to the mall. It was pretty crowded this time. On our way to our seat, we passed the waitress from our last visit. She shot us the most foul look I think I've ever received as a customer. We sat down, fearing that she would once again be serving us. We debated on requesting them to change our server. Ten minutes passed, then fifteen. We still hadn't seen our server and assumed it must be her. A server came to our table and asked if we had been helped yet, and my partner, with a bit of frustration, said "No, and we are getting impatient". The woman quickly grabbed some water and came over and announced that she was our server and she was very sorry. Obviously we felt terrible, we had been so anxious about the waitress from our first visit and this poor girl was just so busy with the crowd. She ended up being very polite, talkative and friendly and was very helpful when we told her we were vegan. We received an allergy menu to help rule out any possible animal ingredients and we both ended up with lovely pasta dishes with very fresh, seasonal vegetables. We had some salad too which was also excellent. We ended up apologizing for our frustration in the beginning and told her our story about our first visit and she was extremely sympathetic. The manager also came by to see us and apologize, and hooked us up with some free sorbet which was just delicious. I'm not sure what happened with the rude waitress but I left with a happy stomach, some leftovers to look forward to, and feeling really cared for. Oh and our server of the night assured us that we can always request her (her name is Tammy for anyone wondering), which I'll be sure to do when we go back. I honestly can't wait until we can visit again!
(4)
Beth H.
They have gotten a little pretentious lately, but they don't have the food to back it up. My father and I visited for lunch. Expensive, poor choices, bland food and snobby waiter. Really out of place for Ann Arbor.
(2)
Ann C.
This is one of my husband and my favorite Italian food place to go to. We have had their regular menu food as well as their express lane lunch and dinner. The quality of their food is excellent and their crew members are courteous and attend to customers' needs. When you get on their email distribution list, you get discount coupons from time to time.
(5)
James M.
Been about 5 yrs. since my last visit. Remembered food being much better. Did not care for it at all. Even the bread, which I use to love was just blah! Actually w/ the exception of the service, which was really good, the entire experience was blah! Will probably never be back. :-(
(2)
Cory D.
I will never eat here again. The service was okay, but the food was unfortunately very typical of what I have come to expect from such chains. It was like they microwaved some frozen food. I also was sick after eating here and I don't get sick easy. It might have been a bug, but I don't think it was.
(1)
Liz T.
My experience at the Macaroni Grill in Livonia was much better than my recent visit to the Macaroni Grill in Ann Arbor. The menu was the same, but the quality just didn't seem as good as it should be. I actually ordered the same thing that I ordered before as I enjoyed it so much. The love wasn't in the kitchen that day, and certainly didn't reflect on what I received. I might come to this location again, but then again.....life is too short for mediocre food.
(2)
Jillian T.
The service is great here! The waitress was very friendly and accommodating. The meal opened with warm bread out of the oven served with olive oil and fresh ground cracked pepper for dipping. Although the Shrimp Portofino dish was savory, it was lacking in acidity. This was remedied by a side fresh lemon wedges. The Chicken Scallopini came with very little sauce. I would've preferred more of the lemon butter sauce on the pasta. The capers and mushrooms added a great flavor combination to a otherwise somewhat plain dish. The chicken was a little dry, but edible. The Penne Rustica was a symphony of flavor combing three proteins on a bed of penne. The proteins were shrimp, charred chicken and prosciutto. To fully capture the Rustica portion of the name, it could've used more of a broiled char on top. Overall, it was delightful.
(3)
Emily B.
The food is pretty good considering it is a chain Italian restaurant. I like the variety on the menu and the half off bottle of wine on Thursday.
(4)
Jordan R.
We dined here the other night, the food here lacked much to be desired. The free wine taste at the beginning was cool. The free bread is amazing. However, we ordered cheese fondu stuff and it didn't come with enough stuff to dip into the cheese. The meatballs had a weird taste to them. When it came to my entree, I got the feddicini Alfredo, the noodles were very undercooked and the sauce was hospital quality bland. Our server Calvin was really friendly though.
(2)
Brian G.
I come here so often because I work away from home (1096 miles away from home :( ) and this is close to where I work and often stay in hotels. It's nice to walk in and stroll into the bar and make myself at home. Usually greeted by Terri's smiling face. Great deals - 1/2 price wine every night ($2.75 can't beat that with a stick). Tried the new "tasting menu" - they got it right this time. Great deal. 3 ravioli, Caesar salad, spaghetti bolognese and then 2 skewers w steak and Italian sausage for $16 - deal!!!
(4)
Jeremy S.
Service was great; friendly, attentive, funny...BUT the food was HORRIBLE! My family and I (7 of us) just flew in from los angeles and we were hungry. Out came the bread; stale and chewy. The soup; too salty. Then the main dishes: steaks, pasta, chicken dishes. ALL of them were way below average; I wouldn't expect food like this from McDonald's! To be fair the second round of bread was fresh from the oven and tasted amazing, but I really couldnt believe the food was this bad. I RARELY ever give out 1 star reviews and if I do its mainly because of the service, this is probably my first one because of thw food; AVOID AT ALL COST!
(1)
Janine C.
Management needs to change. The food is disappointing in quality and flavor. It reflects a production kitchen. Service is slow and several times we have been here not at a busy time it takes too long to be acknowledged by waitstaff. I've spoken to the manager about slow service and still did not change. Olive Garden is a better choice right up the street.
(1)
Beck E.
Ehhh, I had an okay time here with my bf, but the dishes were all overpriced for what you get and not that impressive. While our waitress was friendly enough, everything she said and did had a sense of urgency and unnecessary aggression. Our food actually came out way too fast (literally 5 seconds after out side salads), but I guess I can't complain about that. The spaghetti and ricotta meatballs in pomodoro sauce was underwhelming, and I'm out $12 or whatever. (And how does that dish have 1190 calories? Where are they coming from?) The Mediterranean vinaigrette they put on the fresh greens was oily with little flavor, but at least the rosemary bread was edible. But I suppose the icing on the cake was that I kept getting papercut by the table cover. Gah.
(2)
Been T.
Great Happy Hour but otherwise uneventful.
(3)
William B.
The service is professional, the food is bland; tho props for having gluten free pasta options.
(3)
Akie M.
Everything was way too salty. From the table bread to both entrees. I went home and drank about a gallon of water. But it's a chain, so I wonder how much control the individual restaurants have of this.
(3)
Adventurous Palate S.
The Sausage Rigatoni was awesome. The Carmela's Chicken was awesome. The Pork shank was really good. The Bruschetta was very good. The cheese ravioli was okay. The bread they serve with the meal is good. The half-off on bottles of wine on Thursdays is a great deal. We try to have lunch here every time we are in Ann Arbor.
(5)
Shirley H.
I've been here several times and absolutely love the food here. I used to be a huge fan of Olive Garden, but MG has grown on me over the years and love everything I've had. My usual go to is the capellini pomodoro with chicken. The last time I went, I got the chicken parmesan and could only finish half. Their portions are big, so everytime I go, I always end up going home with a doggie bag. Another favorite of course, is the bread they give shortly after you get seated. I just wished they would leave the pepper cracker, along with a few extra loafs of bread and olive oil. When I'm really in the mood to go all out, I'll end my meal with chocolate cake with homemade whipped cream. Now I am NOT a fan of chocolate cake. I prefer white, strawberry, lemon...anything but chocolate cake, but the size of the cake, which isn't very big to begin with, is perfect! It comes with a side of ganache that you can either pour it over the cake or dip some cake in the sauce. Their homemade whipped cream also is different from any other wc I've tasted. I like that it doesn't get runny and holds the consistency. The best part about it, is probably the topping that comes on the wc.
(4)
Jay R.
I always have a great time with the make your own pasta! It is filling and delicious. They make the most authentic Italian meals and also have great bread - which goes well with peppered oil. I love the servers, sports, as well as the crayons they give for you to draw with on the table cover.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : 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.
Aaron W.
Bruschetta was bland, little flavor. The pasta Milano was good - i forgot to ask if they had red pepper flakes- The wife's lobster ravioli was good. Wish they added herbs to the oil vs. just pepper. Service was satisfactory drinks never were empty.
(3)Janine C.
Management needs to change. The food is disappointing in quality and flavor. It reflects a production kitchen. Service is slow and several times we have been here not at a busy time it takes too long to be acknowledged by waitstaff. I've spoken to the manager about slow service and still did not change. Olive Garden is a better choice right up the street.
(1)Denise K.
We've been going to this Macaroni Grill in Ann Arbor since it opened when our kids were quite young. You pretty much know what you're going to get here and they've always delivered ... except for last week. It was so poor that we'll think twice before going again. We had reservations on Thursday for a party of 10, including 2 toddlers, and we were seated immediately. Our server, Kelly, was with us right away to take drink orders and bring bread ... except for they didn't come, and they DIDN'T COME, and THEY DIDN'T COME!! To her credit, Kelly kept checking back with us to say the bartender was swamped, drinks should be here any minute, the bread was rising and would be in the oven before we knew it, honestly, it would all be here any minute, really. The red wine finally arrived and was quite good (and half price), and the white wine (also half price) showed up but with no ice bucket to keep it cold (oh, well). Ice water appeared for everyone, as did the two Cosmos, but no soft drinks for the grandchildren. By the time the soft drinks for the babies were served, it was determined that the Cosmos were undrinkable (this is a first for any member of our family -- if it's got booze we're goin' for it, but these were just terrible), so gin-and-tonics were ordered. Again, they were probably distilling the gin while we waited. Kelly did keep coming back to apologize. The food was exactly what we expected (decent Italian food), but it came in shifts -- 3 dishes than a 5 minute wait, 3 more dishes than a 5 minute wait ... you get my drift -- although we'd ordered all at the same time. The last to be served were the Kids' Pizzas for the toddler grandchildren. (WHO DOES THAT?!?!?) After asking for the pizzas for the babies a few times, Kelly (bless her) asked if we'd like to speak with the manager. We definitely did. The manager was very responsive, graciously acknowledged the difficulties, and offered to take various items off our bill. We thanked her and she followed through on her promise. Our server, Kelly, and the manager have great personal skills, but somebody's gotta do something about the kitchen organization -- a table-full of food and beverage has to come out at relatively the same time. Two other observations: the number of shrimp in our two Shrimp Portofinos seemed to be reduced (maybe that's just my daughter and me wishing for more); and this restaurant seemed dingy, not as sparkly as we've been used to (it was a dark evening). This is a compliment -- Sandra Periord (sp?), the hostess, delivered a moving "a cappella" aria for the dining room that was truly a joy.
(3)Ashley O.
I typically love Macaroni Grill. This location was BAD though. - Stood at check in podium for 2-3 minutes before being greeted ( it wasn't busy). - Once sat, wasn't greeted by our waiter for 5 minutes. - Ordered Calamari, was delivered soggy and undercooked. Disappointing. - I had the Warm Spinach Salad, it was good. - My guest had Chicken Parmigana. It was soggy, cheese was partially melted. He didn't even eat half of it. I give 2 stars: easy parking, good bread and my salad was good. This location just isn't as on point as others. Sorry friends!
(2)Lily K.
I wanted to like the Macaroni Grill better because I remember enjoying it as a child, but it was undeniably blah. My son enjoyed drawing on the table and we liked the bread OK, but the fun stops there. Warm water, overcooked calamari, undercooked pizza dough. All under-seasoned and paired with overly acidic tomato based sauces. It wasn't a tragic experience, but we wont be back.
(2)ima h.
I was just being lazy coming here in the first place. Really? Macaroni Grill - a huge chain restaurant that focuses on profits, not palettes. What I ordered : Dinner Salad - hey, nice, fresh ingredients. However, the salad dressing is both disgusting and overbearing. Perhaps 1/8 th of the amount of dressing would have sufficed. Some chicken thing - lacked flavor. Bland. Also, the server brought it out after I'd had 2 bites of the salad. This is a seriously sub par restaurant serving up crappy food via lame service. This might be an acceptable place for a vendor to take me that I wouldn't even consider hiring. It's also a great place to take an in law that you hope will never return.
(1)Christina C.
It's Macaroni Grill. You go there for the free olive oil drenched bread with which you dip in more olive oil. Also, you go there to draw on the tables with crayons. Yes, I'm an adult drawing stick figures at the dinner table. What more can you ask for? I know it doesn't get the best reviews because it's a chain restaurant and food tends to be bland and overrated. However, I thoroughly enjoyed my Eggplant Parmesan. Actually, I recently discovered that I like eggplants. I thought it was breaded well and baked until very crisp, so it was not soggy at all. The side of spaghetti and sauce was very mediocre, but again, I didn't expect too much. For appetizers, I got the Fried Mac & Cheese. It was really tasty. I'm not sure what the sauce it came with was, but the combination was good. The bruschetta was DIY: you get the toppings and you put the tomatoes on the toast on your own. The tomatoes were too garlicky for my liking but the toast was yummy.
(4)John B.
Save your money, worst macaroni grill. Ordered a caprese sandwich on their $7 menu. Came 15 min later and the bread was old. Horrible.
(1)Ann C.
This is one of my husband and my favorite Italian food place to go to. We have had their regular menu food as well as their express lane lunch and dinner. The quality of their food is excellent and their crew members are courteous and attend to customers' needs. When you get on their email distribution list, you get discount coupons from time to time.
(5)James M.
Been about 5 yrs. since my last visit. Remembered food being much better. Did not care for it at all. Even the bread, which I use to love was just blah! Actually w/ the exception of the service, which was really good, the entire experience was blah! Will probably never be back. :-(
(2)Cory D.
I will never eat here again. The service was okay, but the food was unfortunately very typical of what I have come to expect from such chains. It was like they microwaved some frozen food. I also was sick after eating here and I don't get sick easy. It might have been a bug, but I don't think it was.
(1)Liz T.
My experience at the Macaroni Grill in Livonia was much better than my recent visit to the Macaroni Grill in Ann Arbor. The menu was the same, but the quality just didn't seem as good as it should be. I actually ordered the same thing that I ordered before as I enjoyed it so much. The love wasn't in the kitchen that day, and certainly didn't reflect on what I received. I might come to this location again, but then again.....life is too short for mediocre food.
(2)Jillian T.
The service is great here! The waitress was very friendly and accommodating. The meal opened with warm bread out of the oven served with olive oil and fresh ground cracked pepper for dipping. Although the Shrimp Portofino dish was savory, it was lacking in acidity. This was remedied by a side fresh lemon wedges. The Chicken Scallopini came with very little sauce. I would've preferred more of the lemon butter sauce on the pasta. The capers and mushrooms added a great flavor combination to a otherwise somewhat plain dish. The chicken was a little dry, but edible. The Penne Rustica was a symphony of flavor combing three proteins on a bed of penne. The proteins were shrimp, charred chicken and prosciutto. To fully capture the Rustica portion of the name, it could've used more of a broiled char on top. Overall, it was delightful.
(3)Emily B.
The food is pretty good considering it is a chain Italian restaurant. I like the variety on the menu and the half off bottle of wine on Thursday.
(4)Jordan R.
We dined here the other night, the food here lacked much to be desired. The free wine taste at the beginning was cool. The free bread is amazing. However, we ordered cheese fondu stuff and it didn't come with enough stuff to dip into the cheese. The meatballs had a weird taste to them. When it came to my entree, I got the feddicini Alfredo, the noodles were very undercooked and the sauce was hospital quality bland. Our server Calvin was really friendly though.
(2)Jeremy S.
Service was great; friendly, attentive, funny...BUT the food was HORRIBLE! My family and I (7 of us) just flew in from los angeles and we were hungry. Out came the bread; stale and chewy. The soup; too salty. Then the main dishes: steaks, pasta, chicken dishes. ALL of them were way below average; I wouldn't expect food like this from McDonald's! To be fair the second round of bread was fresh from the oven and tasted amazing, but I really couldnt believe the food was this bad. I RARELY ever give out 1 star reviews and if I do its mainly because of the service, this is probably my first one because of thw food; AVOID AT ALL COST!
(1)Caitlen L.
My first visit was not so good, my second visit was absolutely wonderful. First visit: I had just gotten off the bus from Chicago and was tired and starving so my partner and I chose Macaroni Grill as it was just right by the bus stop. The place was really empty, there were only two other tables in the whole restaurant at the time which wasn't too weird considering it was around noon on a weekday. Our main problem was the waitress. She seemed to be giving us judgmental looks and it made me feel uncomfortable but I assumed it was in my head. Wrong. The food was good and everything, but she would take forever and a half to come by. And this wouldn't normally bother me, but she was waiting hand and foot on the other two tables. She would laugh and converse with them, but when it came to is she would pretend not to see us looking for her, and she was short and cold. We realized after awhile that she was obviously homophobic and thus was purposely making us wait and feel very uncomfortable. I left her a low tip, around 12%, something I never do, just because I was so bothered by it. I'd just had a long trip and wanted to relax with good food and instead I left filled with anxiety. Second visit: we returned about a month later, the food is really what brought us back (the free bread they start you with is amazing, my mouth is watering remembering it, and the pasta is perfect, and there's large portions so we always take some home in those nice little reheat packages they have), and it's location close to the mall. It was pretty crowded this time. On our way to our seat, we passed the waitress from our last visit. She shot us the most foul look I think I've ever received as a customer. We sat down, fearing that she would once again be serving us. We debated on requesting them to change our server. Ten minutes passed, then fifteen. We still hadn't seen our server and assumed it must be her. A server came to our table and asked if we had been helped yet, and my partner, with a bit of frustration, said "No, and we are getting impatient". The woman quickly grabbed some water and came over and announced that she was our server and she was very sorry. Obviously we felt terrible, we had been so anxious about the waitress from our first visit and this poor girl was just so busy with the crowd. She ended up being very polite, talkative and friendly and was very helpful when we told her we were vegan. We received an allergy menu to help rule out any possible animal ingredients and we both ended up with lovely pasta dishes with very fresh, seasonal vegetables. We had some salad too which was also excellent. We ended up apologizing for our frustration in the beginning and told her our story about our first visit and she was extremely sympathetic. The manager also came by to see us and apologize, and hooked us up with some free sorbet which was just delicious. I'm not sure what happened with the rude waitress but I left with a happy stomach, some leftovers to look forward to, and feeling really cared for. Oh and our server of the night assured us that we can always request her (her name is Tammy for anyone wondering), which I'll be sure to do when we go back. I honestly can't wait until we can visit again!
(4)Beth H.
They have gotten a little pretentious lately, but they don't have the food to back it up. My father and I visited for lunch. Expensive, poor choices, bland food and snobby waiter. Really out of place for Ann Arbor.
(2)Lou B.
Had a dinner this week at Ann Arbor MG . I would usually rank MG in all of the other locations in the States 4 to 5, but the Ann Arbor location not so Like other posts the quality of food wasn't there and my waitress didn't seem to have her heart in it either. The Mediterranean Sea bass I ordered was dry ( a miracle considering this is a higher oil fish), unseasoned, had no lemon sauce and was placed on top of a bed of risotto that tasted like it was made the day before. I was speechless. What was a further burn on the service was that my waitress didn't ask what was wrong after I asked for my check after consuming only a 1/4 of the meal AND the plates remained uncleared even after I paid the bill. I've had much better service at value chain sit down eateries. Ann Arbor staff is not representing the MG brand
(1)Brad J.
We've been here countless times in the past 8 years... with family & friends, for work and pleasure... always enjoyed our time and our food. We went in with a group of 6 of us in May, something horrible has happened to this place. It's just a chain so the food is the food, but the service and the way they treat people now is awful. I don;t plan on going back to find out if things are fixed. The "chef" spent the entire evening working his way from table to table apologizing for the delays, wrong orders, missed items, you name it... here's the thing boss... get back in the kitchen and sort this out! I think he actually enjoyed bouncing around the dining room like a big shot but he didn't understand that he is the problem. Take you chances if you wish, Max and Erma's and Olive Garden are down the road - Red Robin is next door if you want a chain - just run away from Romano's.
(1)Rose A.
We used to love this restaurant. The last two times in 2014 (to be fair we haven't eaten here in the 3 previous years: 2013,2012 and 2011) it has been dirty, and the food was not very good. This last visit in June of 2014 was no exception. My friend had a steak she said was really tough. My other friend said she didn't enjoy her meal. She said the back of her chair was really sticky and grimy. I ordered the Bibb and Bleu under "Insalate" and it hadn't been washed properly. There was sand throughout the whole thing. If you've never had the pleasure of eating sand, try the Bibb and Bleu. Every bite was gritty and horrid.
(1)Christopher F.
Came her for tapas and some wine. For a chain, the food at least appears to be fresh and innovative. The meatballs were good, the sauce was nice, the fried zucchini was probably my favorite. I was not a fan of the sausage with cheese. The Manchego cheese was good, but the sausage had this odd flavor, tasted like Szechuan peppercorn. The artichokes were pretty good as well, for a chain this place is ok!
(3)Virginia S.
I have gone to Macaroni Grill many times in the past. Used to be great, however, this was probably my last visit. Waiter was great, wine was great, food not so much. The bread came out fresh and hot and tasted great. One Appetizer was good and one ok. The meatballs in my dish were bordering on burned and two others in my group said the spaghetti was too salty to eat. Too many restaurants around to waste time and money on mediocre food.
(2)Beck E.
Ehhh, I had an okay time here with my bf, but the dishes were all overpriced for what you get and not that impressive. While our waitress was friendly enough, everything she said and did had a sense of urgency and unnecessary aggression. Our food actually came out way too fast (literally 5 seconds after out side salads), but I guess I can't complain about that. The spaghetti and ricotta meatballs in pomodoro sauce was underwhelming, and I'm out $12 or whatever. (And how does that dish have 1190 calories? Where are they coming from?) The Mediterranean vinaigrette they put on the fresh greens was oily with little flavor, but at least the rosemary bread was edible. But I suppose the icing on the cake was that I kept getting papercut by the table cover. Gah.
(2)Been T.
Great Happy Hour but otherwise uneventful.
(3)William B.
The service is professional, the food is bland; tho props for having gluten free pasta options.
(3)Akie M.
Everything was way too salty. From the table bread to both entrees. I went home and drank about a gallon of water. But it's a chain, so I wonder how much control the individual restaurants have of this.
(3)Adventurous Palate S.
The Sausage Rigatoni was awesome. The Carmela's Chicken was awesome. The Pork shank was really good. The Bruschetta was very good. The cheese ravioli was okay. The bread they serve with the meal is good. The half-off on bottles of wine on Thursdays is a great deal. We try to have lunch here every time we are in Ann Arbor.
(5)Shirley H.
I've been here several times and absolutely love the food here. I used to be a huge fan of Olive Garden, but MG has grown on me over the years and love everything I've had. My usual go to is the capellini pomodoro with chicken. The last time I went, I got the chicken parmesan and could only finish half. Their portions are big, so everytime I go, I always end up going home with a doggie bag. Another favorite of course, is the bread they give shortly after you get seated. I just wished they would leave the pepper cracker, along with a few extra loafs of bread and olive oil. When I'm really in the mood to go all out, I'll end my meal with chocolate cake with homemade whipped cream. Now I am NOT a fan of chocolate cake. I prefer white, strawberry, lemon...anything but chocolate cake, but the size of the cake, which isn't very big to begin with, is perfect! It comes with a side of ganache that you can either pour it over the cake or dip some cake in the sauce. Their homemade whipped cream also is different from any other wc I've tasted. I like that it doesn't get runny and holds the consistency. The best part about it, is probably the topping that comes on the wc.
(4)Jay R.
I always have a great time with the make your own pasta! It is filling and delicious. They make the most authentic Italian meals and also have great bread - which goes well with peppered oil. I love the servers, sports, as well as the crayons they give for you to draw with on the table cover.
(5)Eric A.
New menu and great service this visit. Caesar salad with chicken and shrimp added. It was damn good for a chain.
(4)Travis R.
Based on my last experience, I'd leave 1 star. However, I have had decent meals here in the past couple years, so I went with 2. Keeping in mind that this is Ann Arbor and there back bar showcases Aperol & Campari...how does the bartender not know what a negroni is? Furthermore, when instructed that it's EQUAL PARTS gin, sweet vermouth & Campari, the bartender makes a gin on the rocks and adds a whisper of Campari & vermouth. Couldn't even get that right. I already didn't want to be there for a cocktail so I wasn't so sure I wanted to get a drink after my fiancée's was bad. But I wouldn't have the opportunity to order a drink. Why? Because the bartender left after making the drink and never came back. When it was consumed I had to track her down hanging out with coworkers in the back so that we could cash out and leave. Might have had an appetizer too. Don't people want to make money at work? Why are you there?
(2)Brian G.
I come here so often because I work away from home (1096 miles away from home :( ) and this is close to where I work and often stay in hotels. It's nice to walk in and stroll into the bar and make myself at home. Usually greeted by Terri's smiling face. Great deals - 1/2 price wine every night ($2.75 can't beat that with a stick). Tried the new "tasting menu" - they got it right this time. Great deal. 3 ravioli, Caesar salad, spaghetti bolognese and then 2 skewers w steak and Italian sausage for $16 - deal!!!
(4)Jiah C.
oh my god. I'd just leave it at that but I feel like I have a duty to my fellow Yelpers to at least give fair warning. Let's just say, the last time I was in, the front of house employees were talking shit about the back of house. We had about 5 things go wrong at my last (and really, my very last) visit and not a single employee could take responsibility. Oh, except for the chef, who walked out of the kitchen and stood in the middle of the dining room floor and loudly exclaimed 'I'm sorry about the eggplant parm! Whoever had the eggplant parm... Was it you? You?" until I literally had to raise my hand so he could stop bothering the other tables. He seemed apologetic but wouldn't actually approach the table, just threw over some verbal apologies and walked back into the kitchen disdainfully. (the eggplant parm was very soggy, very undercooked, and very bland.) And he should be ashamed, since we've been regulars for the last 2 months and no joke, every-single-time we have to ask for the soup to be reheated. At this last visit, my friend's soup had to be sent back to be temped up and when mine came out 10 minutes later, it was *surprise* cold. SOMEONE can take responsibility for that, come on. It was like watching their employees play the blame game, which seemed like they were all pros at. During that same meal, I put a nice big chunk of a delicious looking mushroom from my pasta into my mouth, gave it a few chews, and experienced a nice explosion of rancid chemicals in my mouth, which caused me to make a speed walk to the bathroom to spit it out and gargle. I feel like that's fair warning enough.
(1)Jerry S.
Unfortunately, we never got to try the food so, the review is only based on service. The hostess met us and proceeded to sit us right next to a small children party when the majority of the restaurant was empty. Next, we waited more than 10 mins for a waitress but none showed. I walked up to the hostess and asked who are waitress was and they said they would get someone over there immediately but did not apologize. The waitress showed up with an attitude and no apology. She filled our water glasses with water and NO ice. That was the last straw and we walked out. I told the waitress we were leaving and she couldn't understand why. Avoid this location as they have never had decent service!
(1)D W.
I was not really pleased with this place for lunch. We came at about 11:15 am and were one of three tables in this place. We started our order with the butternut squash tortellini, which I believe is a new menu item, it was good but to say it came out warm would be too generous, it seemed like it had sat out for a while... Our second plate, the roasted chicken and arugula flatbread, came out with extremely wilted arugula and peppers. To make matters worse, the entire center of the flatbread was not cooked, as in raw dough with a few pieces of chicken and wilted arugula thrown on top. The only reason I am not giving one star is because our server was quite nice and the manager came and apologized. She offered us another flatbread, which we declined. I won't be back.
(2)Lisa C.
A group of seven went out to dinner on Monday night. The place wasn't busy, but our service was great. 4 out of our 7 really enjoyed their food. All of us, as usual, loved their complimentary bread. As it was someone's birthday, we also enjoyed a complimentary dessert, which we shared because we were all so full. The brownie and hot fudge were good, but nothing incredible. This place has gotten a lot of bad reviews in the past, and I'm not sure why. In my experience the waitstaff is very good. It's a regular chain restaurant.
(4)Nick F.
I can't believe I'm writing a review for a cookie cutter chain restaurant but her goes. It started out with the floor manager, an older woman, taking forever to seat us. We stood at the host counter for like five minutes! She gave the the typical "welcome to our restaurant spiel", but she was so flat lined and emotionless . I work at a fast casual place and our most sociable employee would seem more welcoming. Our waiter was nice, he did that gimmicky thing where they write their name on the table (rolls eyes), and he was actually not that bad, he kept our water full He was a little slow though. My real gripe with this place is how expensive the food is considering its probably mostly prepackaged (I've worked in many restaurants like this so I know!). I got the mushroom ravioli which was bland and kinda soggy. My date got the Chicken Marsala that had three small sad looking pieces of chicken with a small ball of pasta. The calamari was ok, but they gave use literally two ounces of marinara sauce FOR REAL!? For all this , at luch, our bill was 36 bucks!! What the crap, I could have gone to The Palio! Just go to Olive garden, I hate that place too but they're waaay better then this place. p.s WTF are Italian Nachos!?
(2)Rose A.
We used to love this restaurant. The last two times in 2014 (to be fair we haven't eaten here in the 3 previous years: 2013,2012 and 2011) it has been dirty, and the food was not very good. This last visit in June of 2014 was no exception. My friend had a steak she said was really tough. My other friend said she didn't enjoy her meal. She said the back of her chair was really sticky and grimy. I ordered the Bibb and Bleu under "Insalate" and it hadn't been washed properly. There was sand throughout the whole thing. If you've never had the pleasure of eating sand, try the Bibb and Bleu. Every bite was gritty and horrid.
(1)Jiah C.
oh my god. I'd just leave it at that but I feel like I have a duty to my fellow Yelpers to at least give fair warning. Let's just say, the last time I was in, the front of house employees were talking shit about the back of house. We had about 5 things go wrong at my last (and really, my very last) visit and not a single employee could take responsibility. Oh, except for the chef, who walked out of the kitchen and stood in the middle of the dining room floor and loudly exclaimed 'I'm sorry about the eggplant parm! Whoever had the eggplant parm... Was it you? You?" until I literally had to raise my hand so he could stop bothering the other tables. He seemed apologetic but wouldn't actually approach the table, just threw over some verbal apologies and walked back into the kitchen disdainfully. (the eggplant parm was very soggy, very undercooked, and very bland.) And he should be ashamed, since we've been regulars for the last 2 months and no joke, every-single-time we have to ask for the soup to be reheated. At this last visit, my friend's soup had to be sent back to be temped up and when mine came out 10 minutes later, it was *surprise* cold. SOMEONE can take responsibility for that, come on. It was like watching their employees play the blame game, which seemed like they were all pros at. During that same meal, I put a nice big chunk of a delicious looking mushroom from my pasta into my mouth, gave it a few chews, and experienced a nice explosion of rancid chemicals in my mouth, which caused me to make a speed walk to the bathroom to spit it out and gargle. I feel like that's fair warning enough.
(1)Lou B.
Had a dinner this week at Ann Arbor MG . I would usually rank MG in all of the other locations in the States 4 to 5, but the Ann Arbor location not so Like other posts the quality of food wasn't there and my waitress didn't seem to have her heart in it either. The Mediterranean Sea bass I ordered was dry ( a miracle considering this is a higher oil fish), unseasoned, had no lemon sauce and was placed on top of a bed of risotto that tasted like it was made the day before. I was speechless. What was a further burn on the service was that my waitress didn't ask what was wrong after I asked for my check after consuming only a 1/4 of the meal AND the plates remained uncleared even after I paid the bill. I've had much better service at value chain sit down eateries. Ann Arbor staff is not representing the MG brand
(1)Brad J.
We've been here countless times in the past 8 years... with family & friends, for work and pleasure... always enjoyed our time and our food. We went in with a group of 6 of us in May, something horrible has happened to this place. It's just a chain so the food is the food, but the service and the way they treat people now is awful. I don;t plan on going back to find out if things are fixed. The "chef" spent the entire evening working his way from table to table apologizing for the delays, wrong orders, missed items, you name it... here's the thing boss... get back in the kitchen and sort this out! I think he actually enjoyed bouncing around the dining room like a big shot but he didn't understand that he is the problem. Take you chances if you wish, Max and Erma's and Olive Garden are down the road - Red Robin is next door if you want a chain - just run away from Romano's.
(1)Christopher F.
Came her for tapas and some wine. For a chain, the food at least appears to be fresh and innovative. The meatballs were good, the sauce was nice, the fried zucchini was probably my favorite. I was not a fan of the sausage with cheese. The Manchego cheese was good, but the sausage had this odd flavor, tasted like Szechuan peppercorn. The artichokes were pretty good as well, for a chain this place is ok!
(3)Virginia S.
I have gone to Macaroni Grill many times in the past. Used to be great, however, this was probably my last visit. Waiter was great, wine was great, food not so much. The bread came out fresh and hot and tasted great. One Appetizer was good and one ok. The meatballs in my dish were bordering on burned and two others in my group said the spaghetti was too salty to eat. Too many restaurants around to waste time and money on mediocre food.
(2)Jerry S.
Unfortunately, we never got to try the food so, the review is only based on service. The hostess met us and proceeded to sit us right next to a small children party when the majority of the restaurant was empty. Next, we waited more than 10 mins for a waitress but none showed. I walked up to the hostess and asked who are waitress was and they said they would get someone over there immediately but did not apologize. The waitress showed up with an attitude and no apology. She filled our water glasses with water and NO ice. That was the last straw and we walked out. I told the waitress we were leaving and she couldn't understand why. Avoid this location as they have never had decent service!
(1)D W.
I was not really pleased with this place for lunch. We came at about 11:15 am and were one of three tables in this place. We started our order with the butternut squash tortellini, which I believe is a new menu item, it was good but to say it came out warm would be too generous, it seemed like it had sat out for a while... Our second plate, the roasted chicken and arugula flatbread, came out with extremely wilted arugula and peppers. To make matters worse, the entire center of the flatbread was not cooked, as in raw dough with a few pieces of chicken and wilted arugula thrown on top. The only reason I am not giving one star is because our server was quite nice and the manager came and apologized. She offered us another flatbread, which we declined. I won't be back.
(2)Lisa C.
A group of seven went out to dinner on Monday night. The place wasn't busy, but our service was great. 4 out of our 7 really enjoyed their food. All of us, as usual, loved their complimentary bread. As it was someone's birthday, we also enjoyed a complimentary dessert, which we shared because we were all so full. The brownie and hot fudge were good, but nothing incredible. This place has gotten a lot of bad reviews in the past, and I'm not sure why. In my experience the waitstaff is very good. It's a regular chain restaurant.
(4)Nick F.
I can't believe I'm writing a review for a cookie cutter chain restaurant but her goes. It started out with the floor manager, an older woman, taking forever to seat us. We stood at the host counter for like five minutes! She gave the the typical "welcome to our restaurant spiel", but she was so flat lined and emotionless . I work at a fast casual place and our most sociable employee would seem more welcoming. Our waiter was nice, he did that gimmicky thing where they write their name on the table (rolls eyes), and he was actually not that bad, he kept our water full He was a little slow though. My real gripe with this place is how expensive the food is considering its probably mostly prepackaged (I've worked in many restaurants like this so I know!). I got the mushroom ravioli which was bland and kinda soggy. My date got the Chicken Marsala that had three small sad looking pieces of chicken with a small ball of pasta. The calamari was ok, but they gave use literally two ounces of marinara sauce FOR REAL!? For all this , at luch, our bill was 36 bucks!! What the crap, I could have gone to The Palio! Just go to Olive garden, I hate that place too but they're waaay better then this place. p.s WTF are Italian Nachos!?
(2)Jeffrey M.
Go to Olive Garden. I will start with the one positive: Wine: house wine was cheap and decent. $15 for a large bottle that you can take home if you don't finish it. Ok now for the rest: My expectations of this place were low, I was hoping for something similar to the Olive Garden. Unfortunately it was much worse than Olive Garden. As soon as we sat down we were rushed to order wine and apps. We had to ask her to bring us waters so we could look at the menu. The water she brought us tasted like lemon water. When I asked for regular water she said it was. She poured more that tasted normal. I have no idea what I was drinking, she had no idea why it tasted like lemon. Next she started pouring wine in a regular glass and said this is how they do it in Italy....No it is not. I asked for wine glasses. We ordered calimari, it was the worst I've ever had. The calimari was cold, watery, and it fell apart. It was almost inedible. She asked how it was and I told her the entrees were good, the calimari was terrible. He response was "Oh." Not even an appology. It was interesting hearing the two tables next to us also complaining. I have to say it's not the waitresses fault, it is just not a good place....not even a tolerable place. We will never go back, I'm not sure how they compete with the Olive Garden. If you want Italian food don't go here or Olive Garden. If you want an Italian chain restaurant choose Olive Garden, you will thank me later.
(1)Michael S.
We went here the other day. My second time, her first. I had a better experience than I had the first, mainly because of the lack of a crowd. Crowds are OK to a point, but the noise level is really intense when there are lots of people there. We didn't go in for the shebang meal experience, but just for some pasta. i had the Pollo Limone Rustica. Very good. My SO had some chicken and pasta and really liked it. Service as good, the food was hot and we didn't have to wait around a long time. Pretty good for a chain and the prices were not out of line.
(4)Liz W.
I like it here but i don't really love it. For one I think the prices are a bit high for what you get and for another I have found the service to be really hit or miss. I'll come here but if it's convenient, not as a destination. I like the mozzarella caprese appetizer, but I adore them everywhere else too. I also like a side caesar style salad to start but with balsamic vinaigrette rather than caesar dressing. The chicken florentine is a good entree salad but rather spendy for the amount I have gotten there more than once. Both soups I have tried in there have been a bit meh and I am a huge fan of soup as a general rule. My tried dinners have been the pollo caprese which is nice enough, the slightly better pollo limone rustica, the hit or miss chicken spiedini (I have had it when it's a bit dry). My fave dish is the grilled salmon with the spinach and orzo accompaniment. generally reliable and good. It feels healthy but it so isn't, I once calorie checked it and went OMG. They used to have a creme anglaise type dessert here that was a real lure for me but it's not on the menu anymore :(. The tiramisu is ok but I had a piece of very dry lemon cake here that really annoyed me because I cannot indulge too often. Nothing like a meh dessert to wreck my evening. Overall it is just an ok place for me but nothing stands out as a huge misfire either. Safe.
(3)N P.
My only less than 3 star review out of about 75 on Yelp so far. Let me explain why. I've been to this place many times over many years. On one occasion with my parents with me the waitresses (in front) of us complained to each other with a comment to the effect of "they take so long" and rolled their eyes as my parents tried to adjust their chairs and coats to get seated. It was snobby, pretentious, arrogant behavior by college aged waitresses whose job was to provide service. I was of the same age and so I didn't really say much because I had seen plenty of that type of behavior in Ann Arbor, occasionally by waitresses but never by a waitress who had yet to start service! On another occasion a waitress was loud, rude, and pushy when we asked her any questions. I wondered if there was some campus organization of "Irritating and Pushy Immature Servers who Didn't Want to Work" that this location was hiring from. Portions were small and expensive but there were good vegetarian options and the taste was reasonable but I still couldn't stand the service. It was only at the last visit that we had a waitress who was very good. She was friendly and at least checked on our table and didn't have any signs of outward hostility. She was also very apologetic that it took over nearly an hour for us to get our food but that's another story.
(2)Cynthia L.
I have no idea what happened to this place but what a shame. My wife and I have been going to this restaurant for ten plus years and 9 months ago we had a horrible experience. Cold food bad service and it was not even that busy. This place used to be top notch but now it is just ridiculous.
(1)Jason Q.
Build your pasta is fantastic. Good bread. Pretty good service.
(4)Grace N.
After going to school at UM for 7 years, it's hands-down my favorite Italian restaurant in Ann Arbor. I love the ambiance, the opera-singing servers who will sing on special occasions, the open kitchen, the Italian language lessons in the bathrooms, and of COURSE, the FOOD! The crusty foccacia bread is amazing, the portions are huge, the house wine goes well with anything, and their pasta is satisfying (if not a little too satisfying, some of the sauces can be a little heavy). I especially like the create-your-own-pasta option. Friendly, professional service, and the environment is appropriate for dates and children alike. Love it!
(5)Valerie B.
Oh my goodness, just horrible. My boyfriend had a gift card to Macaroni Grill, so we decided to try it for the first time. It was such a terrible experience. I ordered the mushroom ravioli, and he ordered the shrimp pasta. We waited over an hour for our food to come out, and it wasn't even a busy night! When the dishes finally arrived, the ravioli was greasy and burnt... the waitress said it was "baked," but I couldn't get the bad taste of burnt pasta out of my mouth. The shrimp pasta was short on shrimp and virtually sauceless. The waitress claimed that the sauce was supposed to be a light lemon butter, but promised to bring more. She did not return for another 20 minutes, and by then most of his dish had been eaten so there was no point. We both agreed that the shrimp pasta was essentially plain spaghetti with a few measly shrimp dropped on top. Worse than a frozen meal. The waitress comped us a free dessert for our long wait, and we were not interested in staying any longer, so we asked to get it to go. Once again, it took over 20 minutes for her to return with the free dessert and the check. NEVER GO HERE. If you know what's good for you, you'll avoid it like the plague.
(1)Boodah D.
Depend on day visiting... Calamari can be outstanding! As you can guess by reviews... Boodah LOVE calamari, yes, LOVE it. The Romano Macaroni is one of my favorite when I travel around country. Other awsome dish on menu is Penne Rustica (hope I spell right - if not, just say it and they know what you mean). I love everything here... if you love italian, you will love Macaroni Grill. Now, you probably say to self "Why Boodah only give 4 star???" Well, I would have given ultimate 5 star if my calamari was made like I had it before... it was hit or miss but I have more hit than miss when I go there. Enjoy.
(4)Gabe M.
I had "dinner" here about a month ago. The place is kind of an Italian Chili's, but there is something vaguely odd about Macaroni Grill, and this odd quality separates it from other restaurants that are merely forgettable. They really milk the grill aspect for all it's worth. Upon entrance, one is granted an unavoidable view of a garishly lit kitchen where a suspiciously large number of cooks grill away the Italian evening. Is a grill really the most important aspect of an Italian restaurant that specializes in pasta? Once seated, we waited patiently for about 20 minutes before our server came and dropped off a football shaped loaf of grilled bread that seemed either frozen or packed with lead. Inexplicably, we were also given a handful of crayons that enabled us to doodle while we gnawed at the bread's stitching. Quite honestly, I was happy to have the crayons, but the bread sucked. Salads were good enough, and once the bread began to expand from oxygen it revealed itself to be decidedly inoffensive. Drawings were developing nicely, with many of us focusing on pastoral scenes in rural settings. My father-in-law brought a more cold and functional approach to his artwork, designing a lattice of gears and pulleys. The service was exceptionally bad. I never criticize waiters or waitresses who spill drinks on me, as hands are notoriously fickle and prone to error. Thus, when our server watered my lap as if I had a Miracle-Gro crotch, I simply smiled and gave a "man, I've been there" sigh. Still, extra napkins would've been an awesome way for the waitress to have made amends for the inadvertent moment of carelessness. Instead, the need for a couple of extra napkins set off a weird chain of confusion that manifested in a rotating cast of servers, so by meal's end we had been fed by everyone from janitor to manager. I didn't find my pasta too nauseating. It was a bit on the cold side, but I didn't take any bites that I had to spit out. Honestly though, this place is lousy. I really can't think of a situation that would justify eating here. It's overpriced, salty, and unnecessarily grill-happy. Avoid it and just grill your own macaroni at home.
(2)Cameron R.
I'm a big fan of Macaroni Grill, especially their Penne Rustica and delicious bread. We stopped by this location and found it a little sub-par compared to others we had been to. The portion was smaller than normal and I had no pieces of chicken in my dish. The macaroni & cheese kids meal was not good, basically just penne noodles with some Velveeta melted on. On the bright side, the bread was wonderful and the server was friendly and attentive.
(3)Dana R.
My boyfriend and I went to Macaroni Grille for our anniversary last month. It had been several years since either of us had dined at the chain, and neither had ever been to this location. Our visit started off poorly, and sadly didn't improve from there. After waiting at the hostess station being ignored for a couple minutes, an employee who seemed annoyed by our presence came up and informed us that someone else would be right with us. Once we were seated and had our drink orders taken, the same annoyed employee came over to ask if anyone had taken our order yet. When we informed her that our drink orders had been taken, she shook her head as if this were unacceptable and walked away. This confused us, since we had only just been seated and were not even ready to place our food order. The menu has changed quite a bit since we had last visited the Grille, both in selection (significantly reduced) and in appearance (printed on a piece of thin cardboard). I was also slightly annoyed that while the "Build Your Own Pasta" selection was still on the menu, no where on the cardboard was a list of possible pastas and sauces to choose from. I ended up ordering the Fettuccini Alfredo, which was mediocre at best. My boyfriend ordered the lasagna, which was less than acceptable. It was cold in the middle, as if it had been frozen and not allowed to cook long enough to fully heat up. And the sauce was comparable to that found in a can of Chef Boyardee. I'm glad we had a gift card to use, as the food was significantly over priced for what it was. And after viewing the dessert menu, I chose to go to the mall and get a cookie instead.
(2)Nicole D.
This is not like other locations. The staff was joking around saying things you maybe shouldn't say when you're waiting on people. One waiter kept walking by singing, and he can't sing. The food was just ok. I could have pulled something better out of the freeze and enjoyed it more and paid much less. I have been to a few other Macaroni Grill's in my time and this location I will never go back to.
(1)Bonnie L.
What I admire about this place is that it pulls off both versatility and class; that is, you're not ashamed to go out on a date here, but you're also not ashamed to throw on your jeans and go there with a bunch of loud friends. I like looking around and seeing a real variety of people. The food, service, and atmosphere are above average for chain restaurants of this type. If you're around the mall and want a sit-down dinner, it'd be my top choice. But I wouldn't really recommend going out of your way to go to this place until you've hit the rest of what Ann Arbor has to offer.
(3)Lyndsey M.
This place used to be good. The service was terrible, the food sketchy. My sister arrived before the rest of the party and they sat her than ignored her for 10 minutes. No water, bread, or even a greeting by the waitress. Our food took forever. It wasn't very good.
(1)Brendan K.
The one star is for the host who was lovely. This is a bad restaurant that serves insulting food for high prices. Often times chain restaurants are disappointing but this rage inspiring in how bad it is. They but whole uncooked cloves of garlic in everything which is strange because every also has the bitterness of granulated garlic. The pasta is overcooked, the sausage is precooked and grill marked in house and tastes of tallow. What is more confusing is that they do things like bread chicken in Parmesan cheese which somehow allows it to be greasy and dry at the same time. This was a bad meal, it was expensive and disgusting. Don't go here, I don't think I have ever said this before but if you need chain faux Italian food, go to Olive Garden.
(1)Dani A.
Macaroni Grill reminds me why I tend to stick to the restaurants I know. Deciding to try something new, my husband and I went in for dinner. On first impression, the restaurant reminded me of a warehouse. It is one large room with rows of tables. Quite frankly it makes for a really bad atmosphere. We started with the Calamari, they were overcooked and frankly greasy. My husband had the Seafood Linguini. He was not happy with it, the sauce was runny and it there was very little seafood to it, two scallops, three clams, and a few shrimp. I had the Crusted Sole. White fish is supposed to be light and flakey, and this was heavy and greasy. Neither of us finished our meals. Not to mention they are very pricey. For the above mentioned and regular soft drinks our bill came to nearly $50 before tip. Not worth it at all. The only reason they are getting two stars is that the service was good and quick. Good service will not make up for bad food.
(2)Vic U.
Every year, for the past (at least) 10 years, I have taken my daughter to the U of M performance of Messiah, followed by dinner at the Macaroni Grill. Last weekend was no exception. We arrived around 6, and were immediately seated. We all had the table wine, which is served on the honor system. It is a standard Chianti, but without that typical bite that can be expected. It is smooth, even, dare I say, slightly sweet. The waiter brought warm bread and olive oil is on the table. It is wonderful. My daughter ordered the bruschetta appetizer. So we ate more bread. But beyond the tomato dressing, there were finely sliced pieces of aged cheese which added a nice flavor. So the dinners were ordered. The waiter did well...to a point. I ordered the Pollo Caprese. This was a combo plate of angel hair pasta with a tomato based sauce, warm spinach, and a piece of grilled chicken. Instead of our waiter bring our food to the table, some other young man delivered it to us. I do NOT enjoy it when someone delivers food to the table, and has no clue as to who gets what. So the 3 of us had to look at the plates to figure out who got what. This I find very unprofessional. And beyond that, our waiter was not around, save to bring us the bill. No one...no one...ever asked any of us if our meals were acceptable. While my pasta and spinach were well prepared, the chicken was beyond over-cooked. It was tough and stringy. It had been over-grilled. But no one ever knew, as our waiter became a moving target. So...I gave MG 3 stars, for the wine, the bread and the appetizer. We may go again next year...or not. This year was a disappointment.
(3)Jeffrey B.
Macaroni Grill is a chain that is perfectly at home in the mall parking lot off the freeway before venturing into the heart of Ann Arbor. I have chosen to dine here frequently over the past many years because it provides a change of pace to the almost neighboring Olive Garden, serving a decent meal while still leaving a little money in the pocketbook. This past weekend I dined at this Macaroni Grill with a group of friends. Ryan L. arrived before the rest of our party so we elected to take the buzzer coaster thing over to the sitting area where we proceeded to watch dinners being prepped by the chefs (all in chef's hats) and talk about the vast amount of olive oil they store on shelves. When the rest of our group arrived we were seated promptly and greeted by our served who did write his name upside down with two crayons but still seemed to be lacking his joie de vivre--it's so odd when servers don't get the proper attitude to approach a table. Ah, well, he didn't mess anything up. After reading the menu through I decided to create my own pasta, perhaps mainly because I enjoy checking things off on slips of paper (like at sushi places, or Vinsetta Grill). My creation was as follows: Farfalle pasta with a blend of the Alfredo and Marinara sauces, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach, and fresh mushrooms. I also ordered a side Caesar salad. I will say that I think a salad should be served with the meal without having to pay extra for it. . . at least it's not terribly expensive and it is a nice salad. The Caesar was a plentiful bowl of Romaine lettuce tossed with their dressing, Parmesan cheese, and fresh croutons. Served with the meals is a delightful loaf of fresh bread that has a salty top and a soft inside that begs to be dipped in the olive oil and herbs that are on the table. In regards to my pasta, I thought it was exact to what I expected. I did add pepper to both the salad and the pasta--there are times when I just can't help not adding it if there is a pepper grinder in sight. . . I might have a problem. Actually, now that I think about it, I think I also added a little salt to the pasta too. . . maybe by mixing the sauces I confused the flavor of them? It wasn't a huge problem and I still enjoyed my meal. I have also had the Eggplant Parmigiana here and can attest to it being also quite good. There is now also a section of dishes called "Rosemary Spiedini" which lead our conversation to be about a wealthy heiress widow of the same name and her fashionably late ways. . . in actuality I think they are dishes that are grilled and prepared with spears of rosemary. Another fun feature of the MG is that if you elect to have wine they will just leave a bottle and let you be on the honor system keeping a tally on the table with the provided crayons. Don't worry, the tablecloths also have sheets of paper on them. The crayons have food themed colors like Florentine, Eggplant, or Bleu Cheese as opposed to Green, Purple, and Blue. On the way out next to the bushel of mints there was a row of reading glasses. The hostess told me that they were there in case a guest forgot their readers. I thought that was quite considerate. I will return to Macaroni Grill because I know what to expect. I think the food is decent and the experience is usually enjoyable. I think I might elect to go to Palio if I wanted something a little fancier but if a chain will do then Macaroni Grill deserves a spot on the ballot. Note: We did not hear Funiculi Funicula here but they did have other traditional Italian favorites on the sound system. I guess you can't always have it all. Also Note: $$ is really just about $10.00--I think with my soda and salad added to my meal it came to somewhere about $15.00.
(4)Angela N.
This place is a joke. I've only been there 3 times , but only once was I satisfied. The first time, the waitress thought it was more important to talk to her co workers then to serve us our food, which was sitting under the heating lamps for a good 10 minutes. Second, I returned with gift certificates from the manager for my first bad experience, I called in a carry out to take home on my way home from work. Only for them to tell me, "I never called in an order", I waited 1 hr and 15 minutes for food, I had already ordered. My last and most recent trip. I made 6pm reservations, but was seated late, and although my food took forever to get there, I was pleased with my service. Our waitor tried his best given the circumstances. I think its sad that in Ann Arbor a place like this, has such a bad name. They need Gordon Ramsey at this location to get them on track!!
(1)Jenn V.
You know, for a chain I actually really like this place. Despite there being a plethora of restaurants in Ann Arbor, my Dad always picks this place when we have lunch or dinner together. I swear, the man has worked in Ann Arbor for 20+ yrs, and I think he's only eaten here. Strange? Maybe. So we went here for dinner, again, last week. At first I was annoyed, but by the end of the meal I remembered that I actually like this place. Service can be hit or miss, but then again, what place has a 100% fabulous staff? This visit we had good service, even as the restaurant started getting really busy. The crab stuffed mushrooms are really good, and boy do I like their bread and oil! Their "house dressing" (some type of oil vinaigrette) is really tasty too. I had capelini pomodoro (I'm sure I just murdered the spelling), and it was also good. Everyone enjoyed their meals. They have some inexpensive options for dessert too. $1.99 for some vanilla gelato with strawberries, and just the right portion. I know some people think it's pricey, but $70 for a glass of wine, 2 salads, an appetizer, 3 meals and 2 desserts (3 ppl) seems typical to me. We left stuffed and happy (oh, such gluttons we are..)
(4)Carlos O.
Mama's Trio was excellent and the service was phenomenal!!! A lot better than waiting 45 minutes at the "place" across the street :-)
(4)T S.
I really liked this place. It doesn't feel too much like a chain, and the food, though nothing really special, is delicious. I have been here a few times, and went again last night. It was totally empty (probably because of Easter) and we sat at the bar. The tapas were really surprisingly good, and 2 for 9 dollars! (Spicy meatballs and fried artichoke cakes). My wine (an organic unoaked chardonnay) was delicious and my bf said his margarita was exactly right. The staff were super friendly and attentive and the manager gave us a coupon. I'm giving it 5 stars because while it's not the best restaurant in the world, it is perfect and exactly what I expect for this type of restaurant.
(5)jack t.
April 14, 2011 Macaroni Grill Ann Arbor - Well back from the south in plenty of time to celebrate our granddaughters wedding and welcome our out of town guests. The day after a great celebration at Cobblestone Farms we needed a breather and the 8 of us (included our guests) welcomed a dinner here which was once one of my favorites. What a very disappointing finish to the weekend. Lynn had a tasteless seafood pasta which was short on just about everything with the shrimp so overcooked they were like rubber and scallops undercooked. My salmon was dry on the edges, raw in some center spots and with out seasoning with someone's idea of orzo with flavor that even salt, pepper and grated cheese could not help. I won't mention our quests equally less than mediocre meals from a supposing updated menu of quality dishes. We really looked forward to entertaining our guests with at least a meal from a long standing favorite and discovered we should have stayed at home with left over's. Oh well good to be back in Ann Arbor with a declining restaurant climate. Sorry - closing on a positive note the house red still remains pretty good. Jack and Lynn
(1)Sophia G.
Nice atmosphere. The tables are covered in paper and our waiter took out a crayon and wrote his name on the paper to help us remember his name. I was turned off by the big bottles of olive oil they kept on the table as I am used to being served a small dish of seasoned olive oil for dipping. The service was good and the food was OK...not something I would go back for.
(3)Nancy M.
My husband & I were patrons twice within the last month. Mostly because we had a coupon. The first time we dined with friends and all our meals were great. I had the brick oven chicken and it was fabulous. This last time, it was just the two of us and we both ordered more traditional Italian food. My husbands lobster ravioli was tasteless and the lobster was tough,almost like it came from a can. My shrimp dish was the same....totally tasteless. There wasn't even a hint of garlic! Needless to say we won't be back.....with or without a coupon!
(2)Julie K.
My family of 4 recently had dinner at Macaroni Grill and will not go back again. Tt was the worst experience and the worst food we've ever had at any Macaroni Grill. First, the restaurant was NOT busy when we arrived at 7:30 PM. We still had a 15 minute wait for a table even though there were at least 10 empty 4 top tables that we could see. Our waiter was just plain bad. It was 1 hour between the time we placed our order and when we received our appetizer, two of the tapas: the cannellini bean crostini and the oven-fired artichoke hearts. The bread was dry and chewy. The artichoke hearts had so much dried chili pepper that they were inedible. While waiting for the entrees to arrive (another 15 minutes), we had to ask our waiter 3 separate times to bring sweetener for my husband's iced tea. For the entree, my husband had asked the waiter if he could substitute angel hair pasta for the rigatoni originally in the dish and the waiter replied that he could. When my husband's dish arrived, cold, it was with rigatoni, not the angel hair past. My daughter ordered the shrimp piedini which were stone cold and rubbery from being overcooked. I ordered the pasta di mare and NONE of the seafood in the dish was edible. The mussels were so overcooked they were crunchy, the shrimp was rubbery, and the whopping 2 scallops in the dish were gritty from not being adequately cleaned. My spaghetti was overcooked and gummy and the tomato sauce tasted burned. We hadn't been to Macaroni Grill for several months, and were surprised to see a new, much abbreviated menu. We reasoned that since there were fewer items on the menu, they would be cooked with care. Wrong. We will not go back, even though my husband was just given a $25 gift card to the restaurant. It will stay pinned to the cork board. We will not be going back.
(1)Cherice J.
I'm an absolute fan of Macaroni Grill and the vibe inside. You sit down at a table and actually allowed to color on the paper table cloth! I'm such a kid. The food is really good here, especially the bread and oils they bring out before your meal. I suggest the Parmesan Crusted Chicken Salad, or any of their pastas for that matter. The service is always great, and I usually walk away spending around $15. There's an Olive Garden across the street, so I usually would go back and forth depending on my Italian taste buds.
(4)Tim B.
It's above average for a family restaurant in Ann Arbor, but not great. We'll definately return but it won't be in our regular rotation. It is a little pricey for what you get.
(4)Grace N.
After going to school at UM for 7 years, it's hands-down my favorite Italian restaurant in Ann Arbor. I love the ambiance, the opera-singing servers who will sing on special occasions, the open kitchen, the Italian language lessons in the bathrooms, and of COURSE, the FOOD! The crusty foccacia bread is amazing, the portions are huge, the house wine goes well with anything, and their pasta is satisfying (if not a little too satisfying, some of the sauces can be a little heavy). I especially like the create-your-own-pasta option. Friendly, professional service, and the environment is appropriate for dates and children alike. Love it!
(5)Jeffrey M.
Go to Olive Garden. I will start with the one positive: Wine: house wine was cheap and decent. $15 for a large bottle that you can take home if you don't finish it. Ok now for the rest: My expectations of this place were low, I was hoping for something similar to the Olive Garden. Unfortunately it was much worse than Olive Garden. As soon as we sat down we were rushed to order wine and apps. We had to ask her to bring us waters so we could look at the menu. The water she brought us tasted like lemon water. When I asked for regular water she said it was. She poured more that tasted normal. I have no idea what I was drinking, she had no idea why it tasted like lemon. Next she started pouring wine in a regular glass and said this is how they do it in Italy....No it is not. I asked for wine glasses. We ordered calimari, it was the worst I've ever had. The calimari was cold, watery, and it fell apart. It was almost inedible. She asked how it was and I told her the entrees were good, the calimari was terrible. He response was "Oh." Not even an appology. It was interesting hearing the two tables next to us also complaining. I have to say it's not the waitresses fault, it is just not a good place....not even a tolerable place. We will never go back, I'm not sure how they compete with the Olive Garden. If you want Italian food don't go here or Olive Garden. If you want an Italian chain restaurant choose Olive Garden, you will thank me later.
(1)Michael S.
We went here the other day. My second time, her first. I had a better experience than I had the first, mainly because of the lack of a crowd. Crowds are OK to a point, but the noise level is really intense when there are lots of people there. We didn't go in for the shebang meal experience, but just for some pasta. i had the Pollo Limone Rustica. Very good. My SO had some chicken and pasta and really liked it. Service as good, the food was hot and we didn't have to wait around a long time. Pretty good for a chain and the prices were not out of line.
(4)Liz W.
I like it here but i don't really love it. For one I think the prices are a bit high for what you get and for another I have found the service to be really hit or miss. I'll come here but if it's convenient, not as a destination. I like the mozzarella caprese appetizer, but I adore them everywhere else too. I also like a side caesar style salad to start but with balsamic vinaigrette rather than caesar dressing. The chicken florentine is a good entree salad but rather spendy for the amount I have gotten there more than once. Both soups I have tried in there have been a bit meh and I am a huge fan of soup as a general rule. My tried dinners have been the pollo caprese which is nice enough, the slightly better pollo limone rustica, the hit or miss chicken spiedini (I have had it when it's a bit dry). My fave dish is the grilled salmon with the spinach and orzo accompaniment. generally reliable and good. It feels healthy but it so isn't, I once calorie checked it and went OMG. They used to have a creme anglaise type dessert here that was a real lure for me but it's not on the menu anymore :(. The tiramisu is ok but I had a piece of very dry lemon cake here that really annoyed me because I cannot indulge too often. Nothing like a meh dessert to wreck my evening. Overall it is just an ok place for me but nothing stands out as a huge misfire either. Safe.
(3)N P.
My only less than 3 star review out of about 75 on Yelp so far. Let me explain why. I've been to this place many times over many years. On one occasion with my parents with me the waitresses (in front) of us complained to each other with a comment to the effect of "they take so long" and rolled their eyes as my parents tried to adjust their chairs and coats to get seated. It was snobby, pretentious, arrogant behavior by college aged waitresses whose job was to provide service. I was of the same age and so I didn't really say much because I had seen plenty of that type of behavior in Ann Arbor, occasionally by waitresses but never by a waitress who had yet to start service! On another occasion a waitress was loud, rude, and pushy when we asked her any questions. I wondered if there was some campus organization of "Irritating and Pushy Immature Servers who Didn't Want to Work" that this location was hiring from. Portions were small and expensive but there were good vegetarian options and the taste was reasonable but I still couldn't stand the service. It was only at the last visit that we had a waitress who was very good. She was friendly and at least checked on our table and didn't have any signs of outward hostility. She was also very apologetic that it took over nearly an hour for us to get our food but that's another story.
(2)Cynthia L.
I have no idea what happened to this place but what a shame. My wife and I have been going to this restaurant for ten plus years and 9 months ago we had a horrible experience. Cold food bad service and it was not even that busy. This place used to be top notch but now it is just ridiculous.
(1)Boodah D.
Depend on day visiting... Calamari can be outstanding! As you can guess by reviews... Boodah LOVE calamari, yes, LOVE it. The Romano Macaroni is one of my favorite when I travel around country. Other awsome dish on menu is Penne Rustica (hope I spell right - if not, just say it and they know what you mean). I love everything here... if you love italian, you will love Macaroni Grill. Now, you probably say to self "Why Boodah only give 4 star???" Well, I would have given ultimate 5 star if my calamari was made like I had it before... it was hit or miss but I have more hit than miss when I go there. Enjoy.
(4)Valerie B.
Oh my goodness, just horrible. My boyfriend had a gift card to Macaroni Grill, so we decided to try it for the first time. It was such a terrible experience. I ordered the mushroom ravioli, and he ordered the shrimp pasta. We waited over an hour for our food to come out, and it wasn't even a busy night! When the dishes finally arrived, the ravioli was greasy and burnt... the waitress said it was "baked," but I couldn't get the bad taste of burnt pasta out of my mouth. The shrimp pasta was short on shrimp and virtually sauceless. The waitress claimed that the sauce was supposed to be a light lemon butter, but promised to bring more. She did not return for another 20 minutes, and by then most of his dish had been eaten so there was no point. We both agreed that the shrimp pasta was essentially plain spaghetti with a few measly shrimp dropped on top. Worse than a frozen meal. The waitress comped us a free dessert for our long wait, and we were not interested in staying any longer, so we asked to get it to go. Once again, it took over 20 minutes for her to return with the free dessert and the check. NEVER GO HERE. If you know what's good for you, you'll avoid it like the plague.
(1)Brendan K.
The one star is for the host who was lovely. This is a bad restaurant that serves insulting food for high prices. Often times chain restaurants are disappointing but this rage inspiring in how bad it is. They but whole uncooked cloves of garlic in everything which is strange because every also has the bitterness of granulated garlic. The pasta is overcooked, the sausage is precooked and grill marked in house and tastes of tallow. What is more confusing is that they do things like bread chicken in Parmesan cheese which somehow allows it to be greasy and dry at the same time. This was a bad meal, it was expensive and disgusting. Don't go here, I don't think I have ever said this before but if you need chain faux Italian food, go to Olive Garden.
(1)Dani A.
Macaroni Grill reminds me why I tend to stick to the restaurants I know. Deciding to try something new, my husband and I went in for dinner. On first impression, the restaurant reminded me of a warehouse. It is one large room with rows of tables. Quite frankly it makes for a really bad atmosphere. We started with the Calamari, they were overcooked and frankly greasy. My husband had the Seafood Linguini. He was not happy with it, the sauce was runny and it there was very little seafood to it, two scallops, three clams, and a few shrimp. I had the Crusted Sole. White fish is supposed to be light and flakey, and this was heavy and greasy. Neither of us finished our meals. Not to mention they are very pricey. For the above mentioned and regular soft drinks our bill came to nearly $50 before tip. Not worth it at all. The only reason they are getting two stars is that the service was good and quick. Good service will not make up for bad food.
(2)Denise K.
We've been going to this Macaroni Grill in Ann Arbor since it opened when our kids were quite young. You pretty much know what you're going to get here and they've always delivered ... except for last week. It was so poor that we'll think twice before going again. We had reservations on Thursday for a party of 10, including 2 toddlers, and we were seated immediately. Our server, Kelly, was with us right away to take drink orders and bring bread ... except for they didn't come, and they DIDN'T COME, and THEY DIDN'T COME!! To her credit, Kelly kept checking back with us to say the bartender was swamped, drinks should be here any minute, the bread was rising and would be in the oven before we knew it, honestly, it would all be here any minute, really. The red wine finally arrived and was quite good (and half price), and the white wine (also half price) showed up but with no ice bucket to keep it cold (oh, well). Ice water appeared for everyone, as did the two Cosmos, but no soft drinks for the grandchildren. By the time the soft drinks for the babies were served, it was determined that the Cosmos were undrinkable (this is a first for any member of our family -- if it's got booze we're goin' for it, but these were just terrible), so gin-and-tonics were ordered. Again, they were probably distilling the gin while we waited. Kelly did keep coming back to apologize. The food was exactly what we expected (decent Italian food), but it came in shifts -- 3 dishes than a 5 minute wait, 3 more dishes than a 5 minute wait ... you get my drift -- although we'd ordered all at the same time. The last to be served were the Kids' Pizzas for the toddler grandchildren. (WHO DOES THAT?!?!?) After asking for the pizzas for the babies a few times, Kelly (bless her) asked if we'd like to speak with the manager. We definitely did. The manager was very responsive, graciously acknowledged the difficulties, and offered to take various items off our bill. We thanked her and she followed through on her promise. Our server, Kelly, and the manager have great personal skills, but somebody's gotta do something about the kitchen organization -- a table-full of food and beverage has to come out at relatively the same time. Two other observations: the number of shrimp in our two Shrimp Portofinos seemed to be reduced (maybe that's just my daughter and me wishing for more); and this restaurant seemed dingy, not as sparkly as we've been used to (it was a dark evening). This is a compliment -- Sandra Periord (sp?), the hostess, delivered a moving "a cappella" aria for the dining room that was truly a joy.
(3)Ashley O.
I typically love Macaroni Grill. This location was BAD though. - Stood at check in podium for 2-3 minutes before being greeted ( it wasn't busy). - Once sat, wasn't greeted by our waiter for 5 minutes. - Ordered Calamari, was delivered soggy and undercooked. Disappointing. - I had the Warm Spinach Salad, it was good. - My guest had Chicken Parmigana. It was soggy, cheese was partially melted. He didn't even eat half of it. I give 2 stars: easy parking, good bread and my salad was good. This location just isn't as on point as others. Sorry friends!
(2)Lily K.
I wanted to like the Macaroni Grill better because I remember enjoying it as a child, but it was undeniably blah. My son enjoyed drawing on the table and we liked the bread OK, but the fun stops there. Warm water, overcooked calamari, undercooked pizza dough. All under-seasoned and paired with overly acidic tomato based sauces. It wasn't a tragic experience, but we wont be back.
(2)Vic U.
Every year, for the past (at least) 10 years, I have taken my daughter to the U of M performance of Messiah, followed by dinner at the Macaroni Grill. Last weekend was no exception. We arrived around 6, and were immediately seated. We all had the table wine, which is served on the honor system. It is a standard Chianti, but without that typical bite that can be expected. It is smooth, even, dare I say, slightly sweet. The waiter brought warm bread and olive oil is on the table. It is wonderful. My daughter ordered the bruschetta appetizer. So we ate more bread. But beyond the tomato dressing, there were finely sliced pieces of aged cheese which added a nice flavor. So the dinners were ordered. The waiter did well...to a point. I ordered the Pollo Caprese. This was a combo plate of angel hair pasta with a tomato based sauce, warm spinach, and a piece of grilled chicken. Instead of our waiter bring our food to the table, some other young man delivered it to us. I do NOT enjoy it when someone delivers food to the table, and has no clue as to who gets what. So the 3 of us had to look at the plates to figure out who got what. This I find very unprofessional. And beyond that, our waiter was not around, save to bring us the bill. No one...no one...ever asked any of us if our meals were acceptable. While my pasta and spinach were well prepared, the chicken was beyond over-cooked. It was tough and stringy. It had been over-grilled. But no one ever knew, as our waiter became a moving target. So...I gave MG 3 stars, for the wine, the bread and the appetizer. We may go again next year...or not. This year was a disappointment.
(3)Cameron R.
I'm a big fan of Macaroni Grill, especially their Penne Rustica and delicious bread. We stopped by this location and found it a little sub-par compared to others we had been to. The portion was smaller than normal and I had no pieces of chicken in my dish. The macaroni & cheese kids meal was not good, basically just penne noodles with some Velveeta melted on. On the bright side, the bread was wonderful and the server was friendly and attentive.
(3)jack t.
April 14, 2011 Macaroni Grill Ann Arbor - Well back from the south in plenty of time to celebrate our granddaughters wedding and welcome our out of town guests. The day after a great celebration at Cobblestone Farms we needed a breather and the 8 of us (included our guests) welcomed a dinner here which was once one of my favorites. What a very disappointing finish to the weekend. Lynn had a tasteless seafood pasta which was short on just about everything with the shrimp so overcooked they were like rubber and scallops undercooked. My salmon was dry on the edges, raw in some center spots and with out seasoning with someone's idea of orzo with flavor that even salt, pepper and grated cheese could not help. I won't mention our quests equally less than mediocre meals from a supposing updated menu of quality dishes. We really looked forward to entertaining our guests with at least a meal from a long standing favorite and discovered we should have stayed at home with left over's. Oh well good to be back in Ann Arbor with a declining restaurant climate. Sorry - closing on a positive note the house red still remains pretty good. Jack and Lynn
(1)Sophia G.
Nice atmosphere. The tables are covered in paper and our waiter took out a crayon and wrote his name on the paper to help us remember his name. I was turned off by the big bottles of olive oil they kept on the table as I am used to being served a small dish of seasoned olive oil for dipping. The service was good and the food was OK...not something I would go back for.
(3)Nancy M.
My husband & I were patrons twice within the last month. Mostly because we had a coupon. The first time we dined with friends and all our meals were great. I had the brick oven chicken and it was fabulous. This last time, it was just the two of us and we both ordered more traditional Italian food. My husbands lobster ravioli was tasteless and the lobster was tough,almost like it came from a can. My shrimp dish was the same....totally tasteless. There wasn't even a hint of garlic! Needless to say we won't be back.....with or without a coupon!
(2)Gabe M.
I had "dinner" here about a month ago. The place is kind of an Italian Chili's, but there is something vaguely odd about Macaroni Grill, and this odd quality separates it from other restaurants that are merely forgettable. They really milk the grill aspect for all it's worth. Upon entrance, one is granted an unavoidable view of a garishly lit kitchen where a suspiciously large number of cooks grill away the Italian evening. Is a grill really the most important aspect of an Italian restaurant that specializes in pasta? Once seated, we waited patiently for about 20 minutes before our server came and dropped off a football shaped loaf of grilled bread that seemed either frozen or packed with lead. Inexplicably, we were also given a handful of crayons that enabled us to doodle while we gnawed at the bread's stitching. Quite honestly, I was happy to have the crayons, but the bread sucked. Salads were good enough, and once the bread began to expand from oxygen it revealed itself to be decidedly inoffensive. Drawings were developing nicely, with many of us focusing on pastoral scenes in rural settings. My father-in-law brought a more cold and functional approach to his artwork, designing a lattice of gears and pulleys. The service was exceptionally bad. I never criticize waiters or waitresses who spill drinks on me, as hands are notoriously fickle and prone to error. Thus, when our server watered my lap as if I had a Miracle-Gro crotch, I simply smiled and gave a "man, I've been there" sigh. Still, extra napkins would've been an awesome way for the waitress to have made amends for the inadvertent moment of carelessness. Instead, the need for a couple of extra napkins set off a weird chain of confusion that manifested in a rotating cast of servers, so by meal's end we had been fed by everyone from janitor to manager. I didn't find my pasta too nauseating. It was a bit on the cold side, but I didn't take any bites that I had to spit out. Honestly though, this place is lousy. I really can't think of a situation that would justify eating here. It's overpriced, salty, and unnecessarily grill-happy. Avoid it and just grill your own macaroni at home.
(2)Jeffrey B.
Macaroni Grill is a chain that is perfectly at home in the mall parking lot off the freeway before venturing into the heart of Ann Arbor. I have chosen to dine here frequently over the past many years because it provides a change of pace to the almost neighboring Olive Garden, serving a decent meal while still leaving a little money in the pocketbook. This past weekend I dined at this Macaroni Grill with a group of friends. Ryan L. arrived before the rest of our party so we elected to take the buzzer coaster thing over to the sitting area where we proceeded to watch dinners being prepped by the chefs (all in chef's hats) and talk about the vast amount of olive oil they store on shelves. When the rest of our group arrived we were seated promptly and greeted by our served who did write his name upside down with two crayons but still seemed to be lacking his joie de vivre--it's so odd when servers don't get the proper attitude to approach a table. Ah, well, he didn't mess anything up. After reading the menu through I decided to create my own pasta, perhaps mainly because I enjoy checking things off on slips of paper (like at sushi places, or Vinsetta Grill). My creation was as follows: Farfalle pasta with a blend of the Alfredo and Marinara sauces, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach, and fresh mushrooms. I also ordered a side Caesar salad. I will say that I think a salad should be served with the meal without having to pay extra for it. . . at least it's not terribly expensive and it is a nice salad. The Caesar was a plentiful bowl of Romaine lettuce tossed with their dressing, Parmesan cheese, and fresh croutons. Served with the meals is a delightful loaf of fresh bread that has a salty top and a soft inside that begs to be dipped in the olive oil and herbs that are on the table. In regards to my pasta, I thought it was exact to what I expected. I did add pepper to both the salad and the pasta--there are times when I just can't help not adding it if there is a pepper grinder in sight. . . I might have a problem. Actually, now that I think about it, I think I also added a little salt to the pasta too. . . maybe by mixing the sauces I confused the flavor of them? It wasn't a huge problem and I still enjoyed my meal. I have also had the Eggplant Parmigiana here and can attest to it being also quite good. There is now also a section of dishes called "Rosemary Spiedini" which lead our conversation to be about a wealthy heiress widow of the same name and her fashionably late ways. . . in actuality I think they are dishes that are grilled and prepared with spears of rosemary. Another fun feature of the MG is that if you elect to have wine they will just leave a bottle and let you be on the honor system keeping a tally on the table with the provided crayons. Don't worry, the tablecloths also have sheets of paper on them. The crayons have food themed colors like Florentine, Eggplant, or Bleu Cheese as opposed to Green, Purple, and Blue. On the way out next to the bushel of mints there was a row of reading glasses. The hostess told me that they were there in case a guest forgot their readers. I thought that was quite considerate. I will return to Macaroni Grill because I know what to expect. I think the food is decent and the experience is usually enjoyable. I think I might elect to go to Palio if I wanted something a little fancier but if a chain will do then Macaroni Grill deserves a spot on the ballot. Note: We did not hear Funiculi Funicula here but they did have other traditional Italian favorites on the sound system. I guess you can't always have it all. Also Note: $$ is really just about $10.00--I think with my soda and salad added to my meal it came to somewhere about $15.00.
(4)Angela N.
This place is a joke. I've only been there 3 times , but only once was I satisfied. The first time, the waitress thought it was more important to talk to her co workers then to serve us our food, which was sitting under the heating lamps for a good 10 minutes. Second, I returned with gift certificates from the manager for my first bad experience, I called in a carry out to take home on my way home from work. Only for them to tell me, "I never called in an order", I waited 1 hr and 15 minutes for food, I had already ordered. My last and most recent trip. I made 6pm reservations, but was seated late, and although my food took forever to get there, I was pleased with my service. Our waitor tried his best given the circumstances. I think its sad that in Ann Arbor a place like this, has such a bad name. They need Gordon Ramsey at this location to get them on track!!
(1)Jenn V.
You know, for a chain I actually really like this place. Despite there being a plethora of restaurants in Ann Arbor, my Dad always picks this place when we have lunch or dinner together. I swear, the man has worked in Ann Arbor for 20+ yrs, and I think he's only eaten here. Strange? Maybe. So we went here for dinner, again, last week. At first I was annoyed, but by the end of the meal I remembered that I actually like this place. Service can be hit or miss, but then again, what place has a 100% fabulous staff? This visit we had good service, even as the restaurant started getting really busy. The crab stuffed mushrooms are really good, and boy do I like their bread and oil! Their "house dressing" (some type of oil vinaigrette) is really tasty too. I had capelini pomodoro (I'm sure I just murdered the spelling), and it was also good. Everyone enjoyed their meals. They have some inexpensive options for dessert too. $1.99 for some vanilla gelato with strawberries, and just the right portion. I know some people think it's pricey, but $70 for a glass of wine, 2 salads, an appetizer, 3 meals and 2 desserts (3 ppl) seems typical to me. We left stuffed and happy (oh, such gluttons we are..)
(4)Carlos O.
Mama's Trio was excellent and the service was phenomenal!!! A lot better than waiting 45 minutes at the "place" across the street :-)
(4)T S.
I really liked this place. It doesn't feel too much like a chain, and the food, though nothing really special, is delicious. I have been here a few times, and went again last night. It was totally empty (probably because of Easter) and we sat at the bar. The tapas were really surprisingly good, and 2 for 9 dollars! (Spicy meatballs and fried artichoke cakes). My wine (an organic unoaked chardonnay) was delicious and my bf said his margarita was exactly right. The staff were super friendly and attentive and the manager gave us a coupon. I'm giving it 5 stars because while it's not the best restaurant in the world, it is perfect and exactly what I expect for this type of restaurant.
(5)Dana R.
My boyfriend and I went to Macaroni Grille for our anniversary last month. It had been several years since either of us had dined at the chain, and neither had ever been to this location. Our visit started off poorly, and sadly didn't improve from there. After waiting at the hostess station being ignored for a couple minutes, an employee who seemed annoyed by our presence came up and informed us that someone else would be right with us. Once we were seated and had our drink orders taken, the same annoyed employee came over to ask if anyone had taken our order yet. When we informed her that our drink orders had been taken, she shook her head as if this were unacceptable and walked away. This confused us, since we had only just been seated and were not even ready to place our food order. The menu has changed quite a bit since we had last visited the Grille, both in selection (significantly reduced) and in appearance (printed on a piece of thin cardboard). I was also slightly annoyed that while the "Build Your Own Pasta" selection was still on the menu, no where on the cardboard was a list of possible pastas and sauces to choose from. I ended up ordering the Fettuccini Alfredo, which was mediocre at best. My boyfriend ordered the lasagna, which was less than acceptable. It was cold in the middle, as if it had been frozen and not allowed to cook long enough to fully heat up. And the sauce was comparable to that found in a can of Chef Boyardee. I'm glad we had a gift card to use, as the food was significantly over priced for what it was. And after viewing the dessert menu, I chose to go to the mall and get a cookie instead.
(2)Nicole D.
This is not like other locations. The staff was joking around saying things you maybe shouldn't say when you're waiting on people. One waiter kept walking by singing, and he can't sing. The food was just ok. I could have pulled something better out of the freeze and enjoyed it more and paid much less. I have been to a few other Macaroni Grill's in my time and this location I will never go back to.
(1)Bonnie L.
What I admire about this place is that it pulls off both versatility and class; that is, you're not ashamed to go out on a date here, but you're also not ashamed to throw on your jeans and go there with a bunch of loud friends. I like looking around and seeing a real variety of people. The food, service, and atmosphere are above average for chain restaurants of this type. If you're around the mall and want a sit-down dinner, it'd be my top choice. But I wouldn't really recommend going out of your way to go to this place until you've hit the rest of what Ann Arbor has to offer.
(3)Lyndsey M.
This place used to be good. The service was terrible, the food sketchy. My sister arrived before the rest of the party and they sat her than ignored her for 10 minutes. No water, bread, or even a greeting by the waitress. Our food took forever. It wasn't very good.
(1)Julie K.
My family of 4 recently had dinner at Macaroni Grill and will not go back again. Tt was the worst experience and the worst food we've ever had at any Macaroni Grill. First, the restaurant was NOT busy when we arrived at 7:30 PM. We still had a 15 minute wait for a table even though there were at least 10 empty 4 top tables that we could see. Our waiter was just plain bad. It was 1 hour between the time we placed our order and when we received our appetizer, two of the tapas: the cannellini bean crostini and the oven-fired artichoke hearts. The bread was dry and chewy. The artichoke hearts had so much dried chili pepper that they were inedible. While waiting for the entrees to arrive (another 15 minutes), we had to ask our waiter 3 separate times to bring sweetener for my husband's iced tea. For the entree, my husband had asked the waiter if he could substitute angel hair pasta for the rigatoni originally in the dish and the waiter replied that he could. When my husband's dish arrived, cold, it was with rigatoni, not the angel hair past. My daughter ordered the shrimp piedini which were stone cold and rubbery from being overcooked. I ordered the pasta di mare and NONE of the seafood in the dish was edible. The mussels were so overcooked they were crunchy, the shrimp was rubbery, and the whopping 2 scallops in the dish were gritty from not being adequately cleaned. My spaghetti was overcooked and gummy and the tomato sauce tasted burned. We hadn't been to Macaroni Grill for several months, and were surprised to see a new, much abbreviated menu. We reasoned that since there were fewer items on the menu, they would be cooked with care. Wrong. We will not go back, even though my husband was just given a $25 gift card to the restaurant. It will stay pinned to the cork board. We will not be going back.
(1)Cherice J.
I'm an absolute fan of Macaroni Grill and the vibe inside. You sit down at a table and actually allowed to color on the paper table cloth! I'm such a kid. The food is really good here, especially the bread and oils they bring out before your meal. I suggest the Parmesan Crusted Chicken Salad, or any of their pastas for that matter. The service is always great, and I usually walk away spending around $15. There's an Olive Garden across the street, so I usually would go back and forth depending on my Italian taste buds.
(4)Tim B.
It's above average for a family restaurant in Ann Arbor, but not great. We'll definately return but it won't be in our regular rotation. It is a little pricey for what you get.
(4)Jason Q.
Build your pasta is fantastic. Good bread. Pretty good service.
(4)Aaron W.
Bruschetta was bland, little flavor. The pasta Milano was good - i forgot to ask if they had red pepper flakes- The wife's lobster ravioli was good. Wish they added herbs to the oil vs. just pepper. Service was satisfactory drinks never were empty.
(3)ima h.
I was just being lazy coming here in the first place. Really? Macaroni Grill - a huge chain restaurant that focuses on profits, not palettes. What I ordered : Dinner Salad - hey, nice, fresh ingredients. However, the salad dressing is both disgusting and overbearing. Perhaps 1/8 th of the amount of dressing would have sufficed. Some chicken thing - lacked flavor. Bland. Also, the server brought it out after I'd had 2 bites of the salad. This is a seriously sub par restaurant serving up crappy food via lame service. This might be an acceptable place for a vendor to take me that I wouldn't even consider hiring. It's also a great place to take an in law that you hope will never return.
(1)Christina C.
It's Macaroni Grill. You go there for the free olive oil drenched bread with which you dip in more olive oil. Also, you go there to draw on the tables with crayons. Yes, I'm an adult drawing stick figures at the dinner table. What more can you ask for? I know it doesn't get the best reviews because it's a chain restaurant and food tends to be bland and overrated. However, I thoroughly enjoyed my Eggplant Parmesan. Actually, I recently discovered that I like eggplants. I thought it was breaded well and baked until very crisp, so it was not soggy at all. The side of spaghetti and sauce was very mediocre, but again, I didn't expect too much. For appetizers, I got the Fried Mac & Cheese. It was really tasty. I'm not sure what the sauce it came with was, but the combination was good. The bruschetta was DIY: you get the toppings and you put the tomatoes on the toast on your own. The tomatoes were too garlicky for my liking but the toast was yummy.
(4)John B.
Save your money, worst macaroni grill. Ordered a caprese sandwich on their $7 menu. Came 15 min later and the bread was old. Horrible.
(1)Eric A.
New menu and great service this visit. Caesar salad with chicken and shrimp added. It was damn good for a chain.
(4)Travis R.
Based on my last experience, I'd leave 1 star. However, I have had decent meals here in the past couple years, so I went with 2. Keeping in mind that this is Ann Arbor and there back bar showcases Aperol & Campari...how does the bartender not know what a negroni is? Furthermore, when instructed that it's EQUAL PARTS gin, sweet vermouth & Campari, the bartender makes a gin on the rocks and adds a whisper of Campari & vermouth. Couldn't even get that right. I already didn't want to be there for a cocktail so I wasn't so sure I wanted to get a drink after my fiancée's was bad. But I wouldn't have the opportunity to order a drink. Why? Because the bartender left after making the drink and never came back. When it was consumed I had to track her down hanging out with coworkers in the back so that we could cash out and leave. Might have had an appetizer too. Don't people want to make money at work? Why are you there?
(2)Caitlen L.
My first visit was not so good, my second visit was absolutely wonderful. First visit: I had just gotten off the bus from Chicago and was tired and starving so my partner and I chose Macaroni Grill as it was just right by the bus stop. The place was really empty, there were only two other tables in the whole restaurant at the time which wasn't too weird considering it was around noon on a weekday. Our main problem was the waitress. She seemed to be giving us judgmental looks and it made me feel uncomfortable but I assumed it was in my head. Wrong. The food was good and everything, but she would take forever and a half to come by. And this wouldn't normally bother me, but she was waiting hand and foot on the other two tables. She would laugh and converse with them, but when it came to is she would pretend not to see us looking for her, and she was short and cold. We realized after awhile that she was obviously homophobic and thus was purposely making us wait and feel very uncomfortable. I left her a low tip, around 12%, something I never do, just because I was so bothered by it. I'd just had a long trip and wanted to relax with good food and instead I left filled with anxiety. Second visit: we returned about a month later, the food is really what brought us back (the free bread they start you with is amazing, my mouth is watering remembering it, and the pasta is perfect, and there's large portions so we always take some home in those nice little reheat packages they have), and it's location close to the mall. It was pretty crowded this time. On our way to our seat, we passed the waitress from our last visit. She shot us the most foul look I think I've ever received as a customer. We sat down, fearing that she would once again be serving us. We debated on requesting them to change our server. Ten minutes passed, then fifteen. We still hadn't seen our server and assumed it must be her. A server came to our table and asked if we had been helped yet, and my partner, with a bit of frustration, said "No, and we are getting impatient". The woman quickly grabbed some water and came over and announced that she was our server and she was very sorry. Obviously we felt terrible, we had been so anxious about the waitress from our first visit and this poor girl was just so busy with the crowd. She ended up being very polite, talkative and friendly and was very helpful when we told her we were vegan. We received an allergy menu to help rule out any possible animal ingredients and we both ended up with lovely pasta dishes with very fresh, seasonal vegetables. We had some salad too which was also excellent. We ended up apologizing for our frustration in the beginning and told her our story about our first visit and she was extremely sympathetic. The manager also came by to see us and apologize, and hooked us up with some free sorbet which was just delicious. I'm not sure what happened with the rude waitress but I left with a happy stomach, some leftovers to look forward to, and feeling really cared for. Oh and our server of the night assured us that we can always request her (her name is Tammy for anyone wondering), which I'll be sure to do when we go back. I honestly can't wait until we can visit again!
(4)Beth H.
They have gotten a little pretentious lately, but they don't have the food to back it up. My father and I visited for lunch. Expensive, poor choices, bland food and snobby waiter. Really out of place for Ann Arbor.
(2)Ann C.
This is one of my husband and my favorite Italian food place to go to. We have had their regular menu food as well as their express lane lunch and dinner. The quality of their food is excellent and their crew members are courteous and attend to customers' needs. When you get on their email distribution list, you get discount coupons from time to time.
(5)James M.
Been about 5 yrs. since my last visit. Remembered food being much better. Did not care for it at all. Even the bread, which I use to love was just blah! Actually w/ the exception of the service, which was really good, the entire experience was blah! Will probably never be back. :-(
(2)Cory D.
I will never eat here again. The service was okay, but the food was unfortunately very typical of what I have come to expect from such chains. It was like they microwaved some frozen food. I also was sick after eating here and I don't get sick easy. It might have been a bug, but I don't think it was.
(1)Liz T.
My experience at the Macaroni Grill in Livonia was much better than my recent visit to the Macaroni Grill in Ann Arbor. The menu was the same, but the quality just didn't seem as good as it should be. I actually ordered the same thing that I ordered before as I enjoyed it so much. The love wasn't in the kitchen that day, and certainly didn't reflect on what I received. I might come to this location again, but then again.....life is too short for mediocre food.
(2)Jillian T.
The service is great here! The waitress was very friendly and accommodating. The meal opened with warm bread out of the oven served with olive oil and fresh ground cracked pepper for dipping. Although the Shrimp Portofino dish was savory, it was lacking in acidity. This was remedied by a side fresh lemon wedges. The Chicken Scallopini came with very little sauce. I would've preferred more of the lemon butter sauce on the pasta. The capers and mushrooms added a great flavor combination to a otherwise somewhat plain dish. The chicken was a little dry, but edible. The Penne Rustica was a symphony of flavor combing three proteins on a bed of penne. The proteins were shrimp, charred chicken and prosciutto. To fully capture the Rustica portion of the name, it could've used more of a broiled char on top. Overall, it was delightful.
(3)Emily B.
The food is pretty good considering it is a chain Italian restaurant. I like the variety on the menu and the half off bottle of wine on Thursday.
(4)Jordan R.
We dined here the other night, the food here lacked much to be desired. The free wine taste at the beginning was cool. The free bread is amazing. However, we ordered cheese fondu stuff and it didn't come with enough stuff to dip into the cheese. The meatballs had a weird taste to them. When it came to my entree, I got the feddicini Alfredo, the noodles were very undercooked and the sauce was hospital quality bland. Our server Calvin was really friendly though.
(2)Brian G.
I come here so often because I work away from home (1096 miles away from home :( ) and this is close to where I work and often stay in hotels. It's nice to walk in and stroll into the bar and make myself at home. Usually greeted by Terri's smiling face. Great deals - 1/2 price wine every night ($2.75 can't beat that with a stick). Tried the new "tasting menu" - they got it right this time. Great deal. 3 ravioli, Caesar salad, spaghetti bolognese and then 2 skewers w steak and Italian sausage for $16 - deal!!!
(4)Jeremy S.
Service was great; friendly, attentive, funny...BUT the food was HORRIBLE! My family and I (7 of us) just flew in from los angeles and we were hungry. Out came the bread; stale and chewy. The soup; too salty. Then the main dishes: steaks, pasta, chicken dishes. ALL of them were way below average; I wouldn't expect food like this from McDonald's! To be fair the second round of bread was fresh from the oven and tasted amazing, but I really couldnt believe the food was this bad. I RARELY ever give out 1 star reviews and if I do its mainly because of the service, this is probably my first one because of thw food; AVOID AT ALL COST!
(1)Janine C.
Management needs to change. The food is disappointing in quality and flavor. It reflects a production kitchen. Service is slow and several times we have been here not at a busy time it takes too long to be acknowledged by waitstaff. I've spoken to the manager about slow service and still did not change. Olive Garden is a better choice right up the street.
(1)Beck E.
Ehhh, I had an okay time here with my bf, but the dishes were all overpriced for what you get and not that impressive. While our waitress was friendly enough, everything she said and did had a sense of urgency and unnecessary aggression. Our food actually came out way too fast (literally 5 seconds after out side salads), but I guess I can't complain about that. The spaghetti and ricotta meatballs in pomodoro sauce was underwhelming, and I'm out $12 or whatever. (And how does that dish have 1190 calories? Where are they coming from?) The Mediterranean vinaigrette they put on the fresh greens was oily with little flavor, but at least the rosemary bread was edible. But I suppose the icing on the cake was that I kept getting papercut by the table cover. Gah.
(2)Been T.
Great Happy Hour but otherwise uneventful.
(3)William B.
The service is professional, the food is bland; tho props for having gluten free pasta options.
(3)Akie M.
Everything was way too salty. From the table bread to both entrees. I went home and drank about a gallon of water. But it's a chain, so I wonder how much control the individual restaurants have of this.
(3)Adventurous Palate S.
The Sausage Rigatoni was awesome. The Carmela's Chicken was awesome. The Pork shank was really good. The Bruschetta was very good. The cheese ravioli was okay. The bread they serve with the meal is good. The half-off on bottles of wine on Thursdays is a great deal. We try to have lunch here every time we are in Ann Arbor.
(5)Shirley H.
I've been here several times and absolutely love the food here. I used to be a huge fan of Olive Garden, but MG has grown on me over the years and love everything I've had. My usual go to is the capellini pomodoro with chicken. The last time I went, I got the chicken parmesan and could only finish half. Their portions are big, so everytime I go, I always end up going home with a doggie bag. Another favorite of course, is the bread they give shortly after you get seated. I just wished they would leave the pepper cracker, along with a few extra loafs of bread and olive oil. When I'm really in the mood to go all out, I'll end my meal with chocolate cake with homemade whipped cream. Now I am NOT a fan of chocolate cake. I prefer white, strawberry, lemon...anything but chocolate cake, but the size of the cake, which isn't very big to begin with, is perfect! It comes with a side of ganache that you can either pour it over the cake or dip some cake in the sauce. Their homemade whipped cream also is different from any other wc I've tasted. I like that it doesn't get runny and holds the consistency. The best part about it, is probably the topping that comes on the wc.
(4)Jay R.
I always have a great time with the make your own pasta! It is filling and delicious. They make the most authentic Italian meals and also have great bread - which goes well with peppered oil. I love the servers, sports, as well as the crayons they give for you to draw with on the table cover.
(5)