Maggiano's Little Italy Reviews

This was one of my favorite places until recently. They are adding onions and peppers needlessly to dishes in an effort to stretch them out. Formerly know for large portions, they now find themselves using filler to maintain that reputation. I would much rather they cut portion size rather than water it down with peppers and onion. Once I had a waiter take my plate to put the contents in a box so I could take it home. The waiter decided to clear other plates from another table and rested those plates on my food! I told the manager and he happily replaced my meal but it made me wonder if this was a common practice here. After they killed my favorite dish with filler, I don't think I'll go back here again. Your mileage may vary.

Perfect for a family reunion with the perfect food...

It is a solid chain. If you are a big group you will achieve better service because they tend to view the solo diner as providing a big tip. Of course, the opposite is often true.

This restaurant is pretty good. Great for families. Very big and can accommodate large groups. Plenty of parking.

A cute little price with decent Italian food.

My Daughter and her husband knew very well the place. They seems they are regular customers on said Restaurant. The service is excellent and they are very attentive to their Diners. A Photographer is visiting every tables and the pictures to be taken is free. Yes one picture is free with all the postings in one frame but the individual pictures are for sale $10.ea. Nicely done and look more Professionally produce considering the amount of time elapsed. Foods are seems very well prepared by a Professional Chef who gave us a complimentary meal. Mine as usual is a fresh vegetable Salad with grilled chicken and always clean the plate. This mean the Salad is nicely prepared.

Great place to take the family

I have visited Maggiano's a few times and unfortunately the food was always dissappointment. The first time a had a piece of plastic inside my appetizer (calamari ), the second time my pasta was so over done that was falling a part and the tird time my order was wrong. Yes, the portions are huge , if that is what you like but the quality left a lot to be desired. Sitting outside is better. Inside looks nice but it has a very stale smell. Funny enough, the place adjacent to it Corner Bakery has better and healthier selection of food.

First time visit and was very impressed! Had the Meal deal thing $40 I think it was for two pastas two pastas to take home a salad ea and shared a dessert! The server was very helpful in choosing our meals and answered all of my questions as I do ask a lot! She came out with a sample of their Zucchini appetizer with this lemon dipping sauce OMG!! Loved it! I'm actually going for Valentine's Day and ordering a full order!

I had the chicken fontina and side caeser. 25 & 5 tip. Fast, efficient, excellent service. I found it in the mall walking in past ruby's diner and down the escalator. It felt like I was using the employee entrance otherwise you felt like a king and treated like one. Large portion including the side salad. Great experience; highly recommend.

nice place for a business lunch. I have a tough time differentiating between these chains and real italian.

Maggiano's Little Italy is the place I go for Spaghetti. I love it. I read in a Reader's Digest that if you add Balsamic Vinaigrette to the Italian meal, so that the vinaigrette can help to cut the calories. Maggiano's has Balsamic Vinaigrette for the asking; and it too adds great flavor to a meal. Reservations may be needed during dinner time.

Our family always enjoys eating here. Something for everyone on the menu, the kids love the pasta. I love the tilapia. The lemon cookies are to die for.

Very good, but very pricey for what it is.

Usually I'm not a big fan of chain restaurants. But Maggiano's is like no chain I've ever experienced. This was my first time at Maggiano's. Our server (sorry, I don't remember her name) was friendly, efficient and had a great sense of humor. The food was excellent. And - a surprise to me - for each entree you buy, they give you another one of your choice to take home. They bring it to you all wrapped up at the end of your meal. Take it home, reheat it and enjoy a second meal. For free! I'll be back.

if you like overpriced mall pasta, this is the place for you.

My friends and I have eaten at a lot of Italian restaurants and this is our favorite. The food was excellent and the service was great. We dined on the terrace, but inside dining is available as well. The prices seemed, to us, to be competitive with other Los Angeles restaurants.

great food and service, ample portions, easy parking. Always enjoy our time and meals here. Note that portions are generous, and sharing a salad, appetizer and main course will usually satisfy two.

Brilliant place to eat. Service excellent. We did not eat in the restaurant but dined outside and has a sandwich.

Yummy go hungry! Family size to pig out.

Our experience at this establishment was beyond amazing. The food was incredible, as was our service by the ever- friendly ‘Moose’. We’re here on vacation and we’ll definitely be returning before we head home. Thank you to all the staff for a great experience.

After their Freshman year at College, a group of my former students took my wife and I to Maggiano's. This restaurant at The Grove is beautiful and classy. The Staff is top notch, and made us feel right at home. A great menu and outstanding food. The make your own paste section was great for college students because they got an order to go for free along with an order to eat there. I had the seafood Mare and my wife the crab and shrimp canneloni, both were outstanding. Overall it was a great time and we will be returning soon. If your in L.A. and visiting the Grove this is the place to eat.

Decent Italian restaurant at the Promenade in Woodland Hills. The pasta, salads and calamari are very good, as are the desserts and service.

It's always good here, very crowded, good food, but was very disappointed Saturday night as made reservation and specifically told person on phone it was birthday, waitress acknowledged it during our dinner service. But lo and behold, at the end of meal, she brings the check and completely forgot the reason we were there. I went to front desk and they did correct it, but it still was upsetting, especially as there were other tables getting birthday treats, w candles throughout the night, but for some reason we got neglected and of course the "surprise" was ruined. They did comp our corkage fee, as they knew I was not happy, but still felt "dissed", as we come here quite often, seems like a huge corporate place like this should have it together to remember a birthday or have some way of making sure the server gets it right. Did not give her a good tip, as unfortunately her mistake was extremely upsetting and now, not sure will return in future..she also messed up my spinach salad, as I said no bacon, extra red bell peppers, but instead it came with tons of raw,red onions..didn't send it back, but should have.

This restaurant continues to rate high in our book. Great service, quality food, and noise level low with Sinatra music. Good wine selection as well, what more could you want.

Liked the efficient greeter and the accurate prediction of wait time. Liked the salad and especially the Salmon dinner (who ever heard of going to an Italian restaurant and ordering salad. I did and it was quite good). Took a bit longer than I'd like for the entree to arrive; ate all the bread to hold me over

Went with my couple and some friends for dinner om December 31st. One of my friends previously looked at Maggiano´s website and had already made his mind abour ordering what was shown in the Website as " OUR NEWEST CHEF FEATURE Filet Mignon & Asparagus Risotto", that in the picture looked really delicious. But what he got at the table was really different and it even was somehow disgusting to see. I don´t know if the recipe was wrong, if the guys in he kitchen didn´t know how to do the recipe or if they have a complete lack of quality assurance. I am uploading with this review the photo in their website and the photo of what actually was served. It´s a joke (bad one) or a scam.

We called ahead and made a reservation after spending a day at Universal Studios in Hollywood. Restaurant is about a 10 or 15 minute drive and I think if we hadn't called when we did which is about 530 or 6 o'clock we probably would've been seated till about 9 o'clock the place was crazy busy. All I can say about Maggiano's is the food is reliable and good especially when you're on vacation and you're not looking to spend too much money for dinner AND you have a young child to worry about eating.

This restaurant has a great menu and great service. The bakery next door is also a plus. We ordered the two for one lasagna and penne pasta. The lasagna was really good. The waiter also informed us we got another choice of a dish to take home! Great value!

Nice place overall. Cool décor, but can be a bit overwhelming because it is large. Maybe a bit impersonal as it can be busy and you are just a number. Maybe because it's a chain of these restaurants. Service is good, maybe a bit spotty as the help switches duties. Has the upscale feel to it maybe due to the cloth table clothes and the help being nicely dressed. Food is good, had the basic spaghetti and meatball(s) since I knew it should be good and didn't feel like taking a chance on overpriced meals. Prices are high but not extreme. Nice place for a better than average experience. Good size portions.

We have been here a couple of times and now we go on our last day in LA so we have some food for the next couple of days. We can only manage half of the portion in front of us and then we have a cold choice to take out. The pasta is very tasty and plentiful but a couple of hours later I had a raging thirst which needed lots of water during the night and that only usually happens when I have eaten too much salt! Next time I go I will ask for 'only a little salt please'! Only downside was the 'house Chianti' was $10 a glass, but we should have asked the price when we ordered without seeing the wine list.

Look, this is a restaurant chain. For a higher end chain, you expect a certain experience. The thanksgiving menu exceeded our expectations. This is a large restaurant with a lot of seats management hired enough waitstaff and busboys to ensure very smooth service in a very chaotic setting. The limited thanksgiving menu was broad enough to satisfy a diverse set of tastes, from vegetarian to meat eaters. Everything was prepared as expected; there were no surprises. The desserts were excellent. Frankly, for a hasslefree Thanksgiving, this was a great choice. We all agreed that we would do it again.

Hottest waiter works there... but he's not single

My family went for dinner after work and school on a week night. We wanted an easy, fairly quick meal. The food was average and it was a quick meal. What I liked was the pasta to go that comes with each pasta order.

We were there right before closing but our waiter was super nice. Made some good suggestions on food & was knowledgeable on wines. Love the extra take home!

I know this establishment quite well actually as I used to be a rater for the company and would visit their SoCal locations often to review the experience overall. This was of course when the chain was owned by its creator, Lettuce Entertain You from Chicago. I visited once or twice ever since the new ownership many years ago, however its always good to review against its original roots and culture. Overall they have been able to retain much of what was established as an original Taylor Street (Chicago) Italian eatery - where those locations in the city itself would often give you extra pasta to bring home. Here they are mimicking the gesture which I think is a nice touch. The menu variety seems to be as robust as it always was with plenty of options to please every guest. The food itself was OK, honestly not as much a wow as it used to be back in its day. It tasted as if the flavor became less important - in example, I ordered the Parmesan Crusted Tilapia and wasn't impressed. It tasted very fishy and the crusted element wasn't very prominent. The side of Broccoli was pretty soggy and overcooked. The Maggiano's salad - once my all time favorite was dressed too heavily and consisted mostly of just iceberg lettuce. The bread they offered which was once a variety basked of fresh breads, now is just Italian white loaf cut in to pieces. The service was OK and definitely was not as on point as it used to be. Our server forgot most everything and had to be reminded for the essentials (ie refill beverage and bread basket) and he even missed on boxing things to go that we had requested. He simply forgot and never mentioned again. I want to love this place like I did in previous years - and I do believe the team can get the standard back up to a level of 'wow' instead of just 'good' if they put time and energy in to it. Its really a great go-to destination for good Italian - I just want them to be the best again.

Celebrated my last birthday here and enjoyed the food and service. This restaurant is located in "The Grove" at 3rd and Fairfax in West Los Angeles. The music provides nostalgic Sinatra and Dean Martin and others. The place has class and elegance. The prices are very reasonable. The chef special of buy one meal and get another meal for free to take home is a must. The service is great and it's rare to see waiters that have so much personality and provide such prompt services all guests. Now, the desserts are to die for...try the sampler. The bread is delicious and you really feel like ou are in Italy and at home with the family. A great place to visit. They also sing happy birthday and give you a complimentary dessert. You don't have to make reservations. You can sit outside on the patio which is heated on cool evenings or dine inside. Love the Italian theme.

One of my Favorite Italian Restaurants.

I had stopped here to meet up with some co- workers in town and the experience left me wanting something different. The service was good, the menu is average, but the food seems overpriced. Many at my table ordered off of the 2 for menu which was very reasonable. However it is all carb loaded pasta and such. I ordered salmon which was good but I just felt like for what I got it was overpriced. The restaurant is dark and just ok. Someone described it as a cave and that is what it felt like. There are so many choices I just don't think we will be back here.

When a film person asked me to meet at a restaurant at the edge of a mall, I wasn't expecting much up there in West Hills away from LA proper. But location was deceiving. Inside, Maggianos is elegant. Even a bit grand, an island of dark wood and plush banquets in the rear dining room. Atmosphere was reserved, not stuffy. The staff was almost overly attentive, but still gracious in an old school kind of way. The food, excellent and surprisingly plentiful. Gnocchi, my standard for goodness, passed the test. The desert of chocolatey filled moist cake something piled in pure whipped cream was more than enough for two. But the restroom, apologies for mentioning, was an oasis. Like the dining room, heavy dark wood, retro (and original, I think) standing individual sinks with heavy, textured fixtures...very old school and elegant. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, nothing wrong at Maggianos even if you have to park in a mall lot.

Nice restaurant Warm and welcoming, not too noisy Great food well priced, decent service Unfortunately wine is overpriced $10 for a glass, $3.25 for an expresso ... where are we Venice ? The Interior is very dark when you go out it's like you've spent 2 hours in a cave

Excellent Italian food served in an elegant setting. Not too crowded (for lunch) -- so very good for having a business lunch.

Great food and excellent service. I ordered the Shrimp Diablo (lighter fare), which is definitely enough for lunch. Freshly baked bread was delicious.

We ate hearty salads and pasta, then took home nicely packaged pasta dinners that lasted us two more nights at home. If you factor this into the price, it's a great deal. This is a bustling place with many booths. People of all ages chowing down and having a good time. We drank a nice Chianti with our robust dinners.

I've been to Magiano's for lunch, dinner and as part of a group and enjoyed every single time. We like to order the buy one, take one home meal and usually order lasagna. When we went as part of a group the food they brought out was great and plentiful. We had 2 different salads, bruchetta, salmon, chicken parmigiana and an amazing chocolate cake. Definitely the place to have your party. The bread is wonderful and I always ask for garlic to add to the olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.

Love the place. Food is great. Always a favorite.

We love going to Maggiano's. They have their pasta dishes that you can order there and get to take the same pasta dish or another pasta dish home with you for a great price. They also have a family style dinner for 4 people or more. Lots of great food.

the brunch menu is excellent. It's not a buffet but some pretty unique dishes. as always way too much food if you can share with someone do so

We had our first “Maggiano’s” experience at the Woodland Hills location in the Westfield Topanga Mall. It’s an upscale, family friendly place and our experience there was pretty good. First, they gave us free bruschetta because it was our first time. Way to make us feel special Maggiano’s! (Though my gluten free wife would have appreciated a gluten free version of this.) I had the spaghetti marinara as I was in the mood for something hearty tasting and classic! It served that purpose well and I got quite a generous portion. Our kid liked his pasta and they gave us a free side of carrots. (Pasta dishes, even on kids menus on which the main dishes often often come with other items, notoriously and usually don’t come with anything else. So we often have to buy an extra side of vegetables or something to round out his meal since he’s a big pasta fan. So kudos to Maggiano’s for the free carrots! Also, and this is wild, unique, and made us feel like we’d won the pasta lottery, when you order a pasta they give you another one for free to take home. A WHOLE OTHER FREE PASTA DISH packaged to go home with you! That’s free dinner! Maggiano’s! That’ amazing! We really liked it here. (Although it was very crowded and our table was very close to another large party’s table, and they kept standing up and hovering over us even though they didn't realize it. I guess it was like a party, but no-one wants another party’s rear end hovering over your pasta.) It was also nice that they had a gluten-free option for the pasta, although it wasn’t my wife’s favorite gluten free pasta ever. Final note - The butter cake dessert was yummy! I can see visiting Maggiano’s Little Italy in the future.

The bread is great but the food is just okay Italian but they don't even use good extra virgin olive oil for dipping the bread. I had their pasta with shell fish, which was way to over done. The shrimp and mussels were overcooked. There are many Italian restaurants that are much, much better.

This restaurant is wonderful, especially around the holidays. The food is consistently great & the service is wonderful. I would absolutely recommend going here for dinner (a little heavy for lunch). Also has private rooms for special occasions, but there is a minimum charge etc so would advise calling 1st for all pricing details (I looked into a room for about 10-15 people, but the minimum was too high for what I anticipated we'd spend if just dining in the main dining room). The staff is accomidating & I would also recommend this location for larger parties. All my experiences here have been very positive.

Great food selection and very tasty. I had the crab and shrimp Canneloni which had a little too much sauce but was very good. Husband had the spaghetti with meat sauce which was delicious and with each order from the make your own pasta section they give you an order to take home. Makes is very economical. They also have a family style menu which I noticed large groups taking advantage of and passing around dishes.

We have been coming here for 2 years now and the food is consistantly good. Large place, but cozy with the dim lighting and friendly servers. Very child friendly, many people with kids (including us), great martinis especially pumpkin martini in the fall. Best desserts? Definitely the cheesecake or the chocolate cake. Excellent food for a chain restaurant.