Maria's Kitchen Italian Cuisine — Restaurant in Richmond Hill

This was single handedly the strangest dining experience I've ever had in my life. I came nesr the end of summer and havent gotten around to some restaurant reviews. Anywho, this isn't a good one. I enter the restaurant and there are 0 customers. Theres an old man sitting on a couch a couple feet from the door staring into space. I wave over at him, and he doesn't budge at all. I hoped someone else was in the kitchen, so I shouted "hello" and a lady told me to have a seat.

After asking what I wanted to drink, she brought me back a water and then asked me what I wanted to eat.... This was sort of catching me off guard because, I wasn't even handed a menu? How am I supposed to know what you make? I pointed this out to which she replied "just tell us what you'd like and we can try to make it". Finding this strange, like what if I kept requesting things you didn't have? Would she have kept going "no we can't do that", "no we can't do that"? I missed the vodka pasta from Amore Di Zio (unfortunately they closed) so I decided to ask for it here.

I can't process how a restaurant has NO menu. Omakase for sushi, or some place serving a pre-planned multi course meal I can understand. But here? Why no menu?

Some gentleman with a ponytail served me my food, and didn't bother to give me utensils until I got his attention again. Fast forward a few minutes, and here comes out the lady, the ponytailed gentleman and 1 other person. They started moving tables around for some large party coming, and all the lady was doing was yelling and scolding them for every move they made. So I was listening to someone screaming at people while eating, and to boot, my pasta was soggy and overcooked, and the vodka sauce was so watery I thought it made me wonder if it was pre-bought. The final cherry on top was me having projectile bowel movements for 2 days straight...

Idk what’s going on with these reviews but this place was incredibly mid 😂 Probably 2 stars in reality but it seems like it’s locally owned which I want to support. Maybe they had an off night so, 3 stars.

Weird energy as soon as we walked in. 0 customers but no one greeted us. One person was on the phone and didn’t acknowledge us. I tried to get her attention a few times to no avail. Eventually I hollered into the kitchen to ask if they were still open. One dude said yes and 6 short minutes later we were seated.

The peculiarity continued as they said they had no menus…. They had a specials board with 3 options, and then the server/cook also named a few random things. We ended up going with his #1 recommended dish which was one of the specials, and a bolognese sauce dish.

Food was also incredibly mid. It was apparently homemade authentic pasta but, it mostly just tasted watery to me. I’ve had better pasta at virtually any Italian restaurant I’ve been too.

The best item of the night was the house wine. And the other great part was the price. $70 all in for 2 pastas and a bottle of wine.

Would definitely not recommend but hey, it was a fun night out! I hate to leave bad reviews but, this was...

Maria’s Kitchen is more than just a restaurant—it’s a family tradition. I’m proud to say I work here alongside my mom, who has been running the business for over 25 years. Her passion for homemade, authentic cooking shows in every dish, and it’s something our customers have come to love and trust.

We offer daily specials that keep things fresh and exciting, while still being able to accommodate custom dishes if you’re craving something different. Our catering services are also a huge part of what we do—whether it’s a family gathering, corporate event, or a big celebration, Maria’s Kitchen delivers food that feels like home.

Weekends are always busy with catering and events, so much so that people book us months in advance to make sure they don’t miss out. That alone speaks to the quality and love put into every meal.

If you’re looking for delicious homemade food, warm service, and a place that truly treats you like family, Maria’s...