Maggiano's Little Italy

01/12/09

Good Italian Food

by bprecourt at Citysearch

Overall, very nice atmosphere and good food. The portions were large and the drinks heavy-handed! The room was a little loud, but I guess that's to be expected during season.

• Pros: Large Portions
• Cons: Loud

03/09/09

Yes yes

by CSMobileUser at Citysearch

Good good I love it

Family-friendly restaurant serves up enormous portions of southern Italian favorites in a nostalgic setting.

by Contributor at Citysearch

In Short
Family-style portions and red-checkered tablecloths create a casual, congenial vibe, drawing families and large groups to this feast of Italian-American nostalgia set to a Sinatra soundtrack. The made-from-scratch menu is brimming with traditional dishes, from starters like fried calamari, Parmesan garlic bread and Tuscan-style mussels to spaghetti with meatballs and manicotti with chicken and spinach. For those with room to spare, a piece of sweet tiramisu and a strong cappuccino help finish the meal.

05/14/08

Tasty!

by Halliford at Citysearch

Hadn't been to Maggiano's in a couple of years! I must say, the delightful experience that I'd had in the past still holds true with my recent visit. Since we had a good sized group of 8 people, I phoned ahead for reservations. We were celebrating a family member's birthday and also had out of town guests along. When we arrived, we found that the reservation was recorded under the wrong date and time. Needless to say, I was a bit distressed as I was positive I clearly stated the date and time of my reservation request. Let me also mention that there were several local proms going on that particular night and the place was standing room only! I was sure we'd either be turned away or have to wait for hours to be seated. I was pleasantly surprised when the manager came over and apologized for the error with the reservation and said that we'd have a table shortly. Within minutes we were seated at a very comfortable table and promptly greeted by our server. The rest of the evening was just as delightful! We opted for the family style meal. Making two selections in each category. The food was wonderful! Very flavorful, fresh and promptly served. All in all, what could have turned out to be a very disappointing birthday celebration, turned out positively memorable! Thank you Maggiano's!!! If you've not visited in a while or never visited, make a point to do it soon! I would suggest reservations though!

• Pros: Ample portions, very good representation of fine Italian cusine
• Cons: Usually very crowded and LOUD

11/19/07

Not what we expected

by thatme at Citysearch

We had dinner there on Wednesday night. The restaurant was crowded with a forty minute wait; the hostess suggested we sit at a high-top by the bar. We accepted and that was a bad decision. We were seated by the restroom where there was much traffic. It was cold and when we complained about the open rear door, we were told that it had to be kept open (outside temp was 60).

The service was spotty. Either you were hovered over by the waitress or she was not there.

The food was not up to par. Either they are a class Italian restaurant or they are not.

The bread was OK and served with olive oil. The appetizers were OK but the Calamari was excellent (tender, fresh and tasty.) The soups were OK. The Lasagna was served hot but dry; it needed way more sauce in order for it to be palatable. The Veal Ravioli was inedible with a weird topping. The Eggplant Parmigiana was OK. We drank but skipped desert in order to avoid another disappointment.

The tab: $100.00+ for two. Not worth it!

Final comment: An Italian restaurant ought to take pride in their sauces and gravies. At Maggiano?s the sauces compare to a good supermarket sauce sold in a jar.

• Pros: Ambiance good, Drinks good, Calamari very good.
• Cons: Parking in a crowded lot. Spotty service. Sauces fair. Pricey.

06/10/07

Extremely overrated

by phoenixrising212 at Citysearch

I had heard excellent reviews about Maggianos and was anxious to try it for myself. I am sorely disappointed. I just wasted $100. The portions are huge but if you aren't a really big eater, they are not worth the money. It is $25 a person. I didn't eat even close to $25 worth of food. And the food wasn't great. The bread was hard and cold. The main courses were okay but I could make better food. The food was room temperature. The service was horrendous. The waiter acted like everything we asked for was a huge inconvenience. And they are rushing you out the door the moment you come in. It is family style and the dishes are all you can eat. But they don't give you much chance. They are clearing the food after 5 minutes. They don't have a wine list and their prices are outrageous. (probably why they don't have a list) I will never go to this restaurant again. If you want good italian food, excellent service, and a nice location, you are much better off going to Villa Gallache in Indian Rocks Beach. (No, I don't work for them, I just really like their food.)

• Pros: Nice atmosphere
• Cons: Overpriced, terrible service, food just average

04/28/07

Yummy food in my tummy!!!!

by iluvlargo at Citysearch

This is food was great. I ALWAYS get the angel hair pasta and would say it is the best I have ever had.

I don't live in Tampa, but whenever I am there I try to make it there. However, make a reservation because they are ALWAYS busy!!!!

02/10/07

Great Food, Horrible Service

by trishinfl at Citysearch

Maggiano's has awesome Italian food, conveniently located in Westshore Plaza Mall. Portions are large and great when reheated. Unfortunatley, the service leaves much to be desired. I often have lunch there (one of my boss's faves) & find that the wait staff often forgets that they have tables until it's time to pay.

10/18/06

My favorite in Tampa Bay!

by lsmith222 at Citysearch

Yummy!!! Everything on the menu is great. As a result, there is always a wait. It's a little pricey but it's soooo worth it.

• Pros: best food in all of tampa
• Cons: expensive

04/01/06

TAKING DINNING TO A NEW EXTREME

by thehott116 at Citysearch

Maggiano's i feel was a high class, top-end dinner spot located conveniently in a mall parking lot. Just because I say high class does not mean suit and tie, jeans and a nice shirt work just as well! Though the atmosphere of a "parking lot" may throw you off, the elegance of this restaurant is more prestigeous then you may think! My first time experiencing this food was extraordinary! One large BOWL of speghetti is more then enough to feed an entire family, at least 3 people! The service was impeccable and the food was outstanding, i would definitely recommend this restaurant to ANYONE!

• Pros: Inside/Outside seats, Service, Great Parking
• Cons: Large Food Amounts, Price could be better, N/A