Maggiano's Little Italy

07/31/2008 Posted by graffitimom

My husband and I were visiting the area and had heard of how great this restaurant was supposed to be. We decided to give it a try and were extremely disappointed. Though the place was crowded, the food was the worst we have ever had. It was so bad we could not finish it-which is something we have never before done in our 40 years of dining out together. We were not expecting great Italian food, knowing this was a chain, but did expect it to be on the same level as perhaps an Olive Garden. The only good thing about it was the attentive busboy who said he was from Guatemala.

Pros: busboy from Guatemala

Cons: terrible food, crowded

04/22/2007 Posted by toroishan

Hearty Italian dishes and great staffs. Love their fried calamari and baked ziti and sausage. Maggaino's in Costa Mesa is not as crowded as the one in The Grove which is nice. Seated on time w/ reservation on a busy weekend. Friendly staff except one of the hostess at front. No smiles from her but the smiles from the other hostess made up for that.

Pros: Parking, price, food, friendly waitress

Cons: crowded (not as crowded as the one in The grove tho)

03/03/2007 Posted by insun

My husband and always get the same few things when we come to Maggiano's. Frankly, Maggiano's is a chain Italian restaurant, and its patrons should not be expecting the truly authentic Italian fare. For that, there is always Il Fornaio. But we still love the ambience, the maritnis, and the consistently great service for less fancy, but still hearty & comforting Italian fare. It is a family style restaurant, and it certainly makes us feel like we are a part of that family when we go with their large portions and good service. We always order the chicken rigatoni "D", the lasagna, or chicken parmigiana, with the occasional saltimbocca for my husband. For lunch, try their delicious, albeit a bit bland (ask for marinara sauce on the side) vegetable sandwich, to which you can also add chicken. The fried zuchini in this sandwich makes it light and crispy, and a side of minestrone soup makes this a fulfilling and energizing power lunch before heading back to the office. The salads are fresh and delicious, but sometimes the dressing can be a bit salty and overpowering, as I tend to steer clear of too much bleu cheese in my salads. But, my husband loves bleu cheese in his salads, so to each his own. All in all, a great restaurant for a consisently good meal of hearty Itlaian comfort food- although admittedly, our review of Maggiano's menu is quite limited to the few items listed above. All in all, my husband and I always have a special place in our hearts for a "Maggiano's night." We especially like the fact that they now accept reservations for small parties of two.

Pros: Great comfort food

Cons: Sometimes too noisy & cluttered

12/12/2006 Posted by showcat

Not sure if anyone that has reviewed this as "great Italian food" as ever had truly good Italian food. I'd rather go to Olive Garden than step foot in this place again. We had Chicken Alfredo, which was severely lacking in ANYTHING that resembled alfredo sauce, some mushroom ravioli that tasted more like gravy than sauce. Thinking perhaps we caught them on an odd night, we tried them again with the same results. The gnocchi was do-able...the tiramisu doesn't have a darn bit of liquor in it and tastes like it had been sitting in a freezer all night...garlic bread was stale and tasteless. The take-out guy was obviously in a hurry to get home (we walked in just as the takeout kiosk was closing), was cussing and very short with us. He then told us to go to the bar to pick up our food...then acted very suprised when we were sitting at the bar waiting for it..."You know you're food is sitting over there, right?" Why, no...since you told us to go to the bar...NEVER returning. But be sure to make a stop in the Corner Bakery, that place is great!!

Pros: It's next to the mall? I don't know of any, to tell you the truth

Cons: Everything

04/11/2006 Posted by ocfoodaddict

I've been to many Italian restaurants and I have to admit this one is quite nice. I had the shell pasta with shrimps. I really couldn't finish it since it was such a nice portion but it was really amazing. I loved the flavor and i loved the atmosphere. Great place to eat! Highly recommended.

03/08/2006 Posted by rebe_jane

My boyfriend and I shared 2 entrees- Shells with Roasted Vegetables, which was terrible, and Spaghetti Marinara, which was ok, but not great. The service was bad. The waiter never refilled my soda and was hard to find. When he brought the bill, he had put the wrong wine on it. My boyfriend ordered house red wine, and the bill listed a more expensive white wine. When we questioned the bill, the server raised his voice saying, Its not my fault you ordered an expensive wine and now dont want to pay for it. Finally he agreed to change the bill after we showed him the little bit of red wine left in the bottom of the glass. When he came back with the revised bill, he just tossed it onto the table and said, "Why bother to be polite. Im sure youll leave a lousy tip anyway.

Pros: Near Mall, Nicely Decorated

Cons: Food, Service, Overpriced

01/29/2006 Posted by slicmaniac

My girlfriend and I went to this restaurant for our six month anniversary, and it was a perfect place to eat for lunch. We ordered one drink, appetizer, entree and dessert, and each item was HUGE. The food was extremely fresh and delicious, and the price wasn't too bad for the large amounts of food that we received. The service was excellent and really quick, maybe because we had a young waiter. Recommended to anyone looking for good quality Italian food at affordable prices.

Pros: Friendly service, Large servings, Food came quick

Cons: None

11/10/2005 Posted by sammysamadi

Big portion... I mean big portion!!! Surprisely, the food is very good!! Therefore, if you divide the amount by the number of people, it's quite cheap. Well, it a good value Italian restaurant that doesn't feel like Hometown buffet.

Pros: Huge portion, Tasty food, Good value

Cons: Long wait.

06/06/2004 Posted by tamsgoofy2

Maggiano's has great food and great prices for what you get. We always get family style and you get your money's worth and leftovers! They have great desserts too!

Pros: Call for Reservations, Attentive Service

04/28/2003 Posted by jayveejayce

After the shopping in South Coast Plaza, or watching a show at the Performing Arts Center, make sure you have reservations for dinner here. For the wait is long in the evening weekends, the food will have you longing for days to come.

Pros: Scrumptious Pastas

Cons: Crowded