Maggiano's Little Italy

02/23/2008 Posted by paullette

The food is the best - service fantastic and friendly. You ALWAYS have to wait though, even with a reservaton....from 15 minutes with a reservation, to over an hour without one!

Pros: the food, the service

Cons: the long wait for a table

12/29/2007 Posted by oyelunaluna

After making a reservation for a Saturday night, we still had to wait over 15mins after our reservation time for a table. We realized as we were finishing our meal that everyone around us was eating bread and olive oil which we were never given. A waitress, hostess, multiple servers never noticed that we did not have bread? The prices were too high for the portion and quality of food. My eggplant parmesan was overpriced for eggplant that was not breaded and fried as the menu description read but mush with a lot of bland red sauce. There was no side of pasta as most good Italian restaurants offer. The braised beef cannelloni was filling but also very bland and not worth the $18. Maggiano's a very overrated and is not even close to authentic Italian food; it's just another chain restaurant that lucked out with a great location.

Pros: Great location on 16th street mall

Cons: bland food, poor service, poor value

10/03/2007 Posted by chewbuffa

I usually order the garlic shrimp on shells. Earlier this year, they changed the dish to garlic shrimp on linguine, and substituted the fresh tomato base to canned tomatoes. In February, I ordered my regular, not realizing the switch, and had to take the carry-out order back the next day because the shrimp was barely pink and the linguine was overcooked to the point of being pasty. I was assured by the executive chef that I wouldn't have to pay for my meal. It is now October. My $20 was never credited back to my card, despite a follow-up call to the executive chef and a call to the parent company. Even though I was perfectly nice about the whole situation, I now feel the chef never intended to refund me, otherwise he'd have done it on the spot instead of jotting down my card number. Now I don't even care about the refund; I'd rather share my experience with consumers who care about the honesty and integrity of companies that care about customer satisfaction.

Pros: Lots of food, if you're into that.

Cons: Taste suffers from shortcuts on quality of ingredients.

09/18/2007 Posted by mkrea

I went to this restaurant based on a recommendation of a guy who actually regularly goes to this place (rather than just relying upon random user ratings). We went on a Sunday at lunchtime and the place was pretty much desserted, so natuarlly the service was great (but the staff seemed professional enough that they'd be good even if it was busy). The food was absolutely fantastic, and the portions were, in fact, huge. I had the Eggplant Parmesan and my husband had the Manicotti, and both were delicious. We sat out on the patio, and it was a great spot to "people watch." Overall a great experience! We'll go back anytime we're in Denver.

05/21/2007 Posted by starrfish606

I worked at Maggiano's for a few years and now dine there regularly. This is the place to be but be prepared to wait on a busy night, if you're looking for a quieter time try Saturday afternoons, the place is usually dead, especially in the summer. The staff is incredible and though it is loud and crowded you will leave happy. If you don't the staff will do everything in the power to keep you coming back. Tip well, the servers have to tip out the support staff a percentage of their tips, that is bussers, food runners, liquor runners, bar tenders and the coffee person.

Pros: service

11/29/2006 Posted by bkcastlerock

I was hesitant to take my family for a special night out at Maggiano's because the reviews were so mixed. Since the place was always so crowded, I figured the reviews with the high ratings were likely to be more accurate than the low ratings. I was wrong. Although the food was good, it was really just average. Service was ok, no issues there. The prices were average. The dining area was crowded with very little space between tables. Fortunately, we were seated in a corner booth so we had more space than most of the diners. The restaurant experience was ok...it's just not a place to go for a special occasion or for an extraordinary dining experience.

11/21/2006 Posted by newguysfo

I've been to Maggianos in different cities. They're similar but each has a bit of location Identification. Here in Denver it is right off the mall and close to big hotels and near entertainment. Good location. And in warmer weather they have a place to sit out doors. I like the family style service where you get numerous choices in different categories. No need for extra stuff like appetizers, but if you do then be prepared to take home the leftovers and eat for days afterwards. It's a value even at $25/person

Pros: good location, nice staff, lots of value ( in the moderate cost range)

Cons: crowded on occasion

11/14/2006 Posted by bluesongbyrd

What draws us here are the great bar offerings, and heaping platefuls of food. We don't even bother with an appetizer. The one thing I've noticed, though, is that pretty much all their food tastes sweeter than any other Italian I've had (especially their house salad, oddly enough). I don't really need the extra sugar. But it's still good quality, good prices, and a great atmosphere. Entrees $14-20. Be warned: it's packed to the gills in December, and expect to wait even with reservations.

Pros: Food, atmosphere

Cons: Can be noisy and crowded

11/09/2006 Posted by dianag49

What a place. Gigantic portions for reasonable prices. The food is always delicious. Their desserts are to die for, especially the Chocolate Zuccoto Cake. Make a reservation, this place is always packed. The staff are kind and always available when you need them. With all the restaurants in the area, this one is our ultimate favorite. My family goes here when we have birthdays and when family or friends come in from out of town.

Pros: The food and staff

Cons: Way too crowded sometimes

07/17/2006 Posted by dfmoone

The food here is acceptable but not worth going out of your way for. The no reservations policy is horrible. They actually think you should stand in line for their food and it's really not worth it. Once you get in, they tend to put the tables much too close together, you actually rub shoulders with people at the table next to you. Overall a poor experience.

Pros: Can't think of any.

Cons: Crowded with tables too close together.