Maria's — Restaurant in Agoura Hills

What a gem of an Italian restaurant! We decided to go to Maria's for a Friday evening family dinner and we thoroughly enjoyed it! We started with a basket of rosemary focaccia bread with a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. This was really delicious. The bread was warm and the olive oil was very flavorful. The slight acidity of the balsamic vinegar balanced each bite well.

I split an Italian chopped salad entree with my wife and we ordered a 12" vegetarian pizza for the 3 of us. The salad contained many fresh vegetables and was dressed with Italian vinaigrette.

The pizza was delicious, and the crust was crispy on the edges and chewy, but it was a bit soggy in the center from the onions, tomatoes, etc. Since we're vegetarian, next time we'll go with a margarita pizza, which should not have as much moisture with fewer vegetables.

We finished our meal with a black coffee and a sharable tiramisu. Wow! This was so good! The coffee flavor in the dessert was not overpowering and the tiramisu was not overly sweet. They make their desserts at their main bakery and distribute them to their restaurants. I highly recommend it.

You won't regret having dinner at Maria's. I recommend it highly. Check...

Great food and good service. lt was raining, so no outdoor sitting as it was getting quite wet out there. It was voting day, so there were quite a few ppl inside and some had to wait for tables to be available, we didn't mind!.. Food was good and fresh. We went for lunch and so l ordered a meal with a small cesar salad (which was extra) all from the lunch menu. l though the lunch meal portion was quite generous due its cost, until l realized when l got the bill, that l have been given a dinner size portion and it had been charged accordingly. l did not complain, thou it was their mistake, bc it was as if two plates and delicious! so l took half home for another meal. However, it was a bit uncomfortable when ordering other stuff, as were bread, oil, balsamic and chopped garlic, the waiter kept announcing after each item that it was a dollar extra and l kept responding, sold!, until my lunch partner just cracked up laughing!. All that sounded as if he was an auctioneer. l wished they just put it on the menu as extras and if you order, well you read and know that you got to pay!. The food and service, made it...

Maria's Kitchen is great!! not just for the food, but for the overall vibe. Edgar was our server and he nailed it: super professional, warm, and on top of everything. You can tell the staff is happy, and that usually means one thing - solid management. Rosana, the manager, clearly treats her team with respect, and it shows in how they treat guests.

Now, full disclosure: I'm a born-and-raised New Yorker, so I'm naturally judgmental when it comes to Italian food. Is it like the stuff back home? Not quite. But it still works - especialy for a family meal. My kids love it, my health-nut wife is into their fresh salads, and I'm just glad we can all eat somewhere without complaints or chaos.

If I were judging on food alone, it'd probably be a 3-star spot. But when you add in the good energy, great service, and the family-friendly setup, it's a 5 for me.

Pro tip: On Wednesdays, two kids eat free with a full entrée. My wife and I split a shareable plate, the kids eat free, and we all...