Maggiano's - Boston

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.

08/18/08

Good but not great food, excellent service however.

by pinkxg1rl at Citysearch

Went there on a Sunday evening and there was no wait at all. The place was crowded but we still got excellent service. The waiter was very helpful and nice and met any requests we had. And there was another waiter who always made sure our waters were refilled and that there was bread on the table. I was pretty impressed by the quick and efficient service. I ordered the clams and pasta. It was good but I've had better so I dont think I would recommend it too much. I also tried the salmon with crab and it was excellent! We all ordered half portions which were huge but still fairly priced. The ambiance of the place was nice too which is suprising for a good price restaurant.

• Pros: excellent service, good food & fair prices
• Cons: none really

04/12/08

mecca for family-style meal

by freewilly7 at Citysearch

cute place for couples or family/friends event. had a good pasta (clam linguine w/red sauce) and some family meal items (chicken piccata). tiramisu is on par, but since my sis and mom both know how to make it, i'm not finding this much more superb than theirs. coffee is not what i had in italy, a bit disappointed on that.

always--ALWAYS--packed at meal time. even at reservations, you end up waiting. what's up with that?

:)

• Pros: has a bar & TV while you wait
• Cons: you have to wait--reserved or not

03/10/08

Great Family-Style

by jacqui1120 at Citysearch

Huge portions and great prices. You really must ask your wait staff for recommendations. Most of the meals on the menu are incredible but there are a few items that are just average. Pasta does not come with the meat dishes but with the portion sizes you really do not need all that food ( It is enough for 2-3 people). But if you must then it is still worth the $2.95 extra to add on to the meal. Reservations a must. Great place to bring large groups

• Pros: Price, portions, and family-style
• Cons: Nothing

02/21/08

Go hungry!

by mrmullin at Citysearch

I recommend doing a double date because you need a minimum of 4 people to do a family style dinner. The food is excellent for both quantity AND quality. The downside is that word is out about this place - and if you just try to walk-in, expect a 1-2 hour wait. Reserve in advance!

05/07/07

Picture Vinny T's but less quality, atmosphere and service, but for more money.

by bostonian30something at Citysearch

This place is just plain average as far as the food goes and then factor in crowds so dense you cannot get to the host for questions and I wager a guess that people who love this place don't venture out much. Magianno's is also listed as romantic, sure if you like uproarious crowds and crying children in a Cheesecake Factory packed layout. I ordered chicken parmesan (which was good but not great) and it did not come with pasta, which was extra. Now doesn't the dish 'chicken pram' entail pasta? I had a margarita that tasted like a four year old made it and then switched to a black and tan when the migraine from all the sugar landed. They only have three beers on tap and Guinness and Bass being present, I figured that route would be a sure bet. My beer arrived looking like a Bass with a three inch foamy head - almost no Guinness present. Our waiter (when he showed up) looked to be too bothered elsewhere to be of use. If you are looking for this kind of place go to Vinny T's where everything is better, including the bread which at Magianno's tastes like thicker Wonder bread. They also use low grade olive oil and pre-grated parmesan cheese ? this is little Italy? Please.

• Pros: Great dinner mints when you leave, the act of leaving this place behind - only Pro
• Cons: Price, food, ambiance, service, crowds, cocktails, beer, appetizers, etc.

11/13/06

Great Food, Cheap Prices

by meggo79 at Citysearch

I have been to Maggiano's a number of times, and have never been disappointed. I most recently went with a party of 8, and although we had reservations, we did wait about a half hour to be seated; but after that, the service was great. The place is huge, one of the few Italian restaurants in the city that can accommodate large groups, and the food is delicious! I definitely recommend the half-portion sizes, as the regular portions are HUGE (the half-portion is large enough for 2 meals for me). The eggplant parm is my favorite!

• Pros: inexpensive, great food
• Cons: parking can be difficult unless you want to pay for garage

09/23/06

Not good for large groups, bad service

by klaus1974 at Citysearch

I work for a financial corporation, I was in charge of a large party of international investors, I want to keep the evening somewhat casual, and Maggianos was recommended. The service was marginal (servers unaware of wine service , food knowledge etc.), and the food I would rate as fair. We waited for almost and hour to be seated, after booking the reservation well in advance. All in all it was not a pleasant experience.

03/17/06

Just Like Mamma used to Make....

by dewey24 at Citysearch

But my mom was a horrible cook....and not italian. This is such ordinary food, it blows my mind that anyone in good conscience could call it "one of their favorties" or "outstanding." Portions are big but what's the point? Is a lot of slop better than a little slop? Again, it's not horrible...just really average, and not worth the fuss (parking, noise, crowds)

12/18/05

Dining Out in Boston Italian Style

by church100mac at Citysearch

We just went to dinner and found the experience excellent. Our waiter Drew was a pleasure to have waiting on our table. He was very helpful in recommending many of the excellent selections they offer. Our group thought that the service, food and portions were excellent. It is an excellent place to dine in the Boston area. I would recommend this to everyone.

• Pros: Inexpensive, Portions excellent, Family place
• Cons: tables a little close