Maggiano's Little Italy — Restaurant in Columbia

Before I continue with this review, readers should know that the manager waived our bill after we expressed our bitter disappointment. This review is still 1 star to alert other future guests and hopefully corporate, if we are not alone in our sentiment. And most importantly the single star is not a reflection of the service either - our waiter was tipped in cash before we left. He did his job as best he could.

Maggiano’s is our special occasion spot because when we do come, we love to splurge and celebrate, especially with the Marco’s deal for 2 and the chilled pasta carryout for leftovers. Their bread is always something I look forward to, the portions are large, and the presentation is appetizing.

We knew something was different when we sat down. The menus already looked altered, and at a glance our favorite deals were gone, we could only find a family of 4 deal (we’re just a couple on a date, this isn’t for us). The dishware looked different and to my shock and dismay, we were presented with what looked like a 1 + 1/4 Italian sub roll (see pic). Not the usual freshly sliced bread, and I knew it instantly. It tasted like expired bread from the back of the grocery store that’s on sale. The oil dip on the side tasted like regular vegetable oil at best, not remotely close to what we remember. I went back to see the old pictures in the reviews to check my memory too.

There were limited vegetarian options - ravioli and rigatoni, no more eggplant Parmesan.

We ordered a few items (mushroom ravioli, side salad, zucchini fritters), but in the combination of shock and bewilderment, nothing sparked joy. Did it lack salt? Was it the lackluster presentation? Was the crouton actually stale, or were we just missing our old favorites? We don’t know. We just couldn’t finish the meal and opted to go into the mall food court to finish our celebration.

The server and manager stopped by to check on us, and we didn’t hold back in expressing all of the above. As millennials, it’s the first time we’ve ever felt strongly enough about all this to share upfront. They responded that they’re “elevating the menu”, “revamping”, “come again, we’ll have new things”. And now that I read another recent review….it sounds like a script from corporate. Alas.

Goodbye, Maggiano’s. I guess you’ll become just like every other franchise that pursues profit over quality. If you treasure your memories at Maggiano’s, leave them as they are and don’t come back for a long time. Time to support our local neighborhood Italian...

I've been a huge fan of Maggiano's for almost 20 years, since my parents spent $20k at the one in Friendship Heights for my brother's wedding in 2005. It has been my go-to for special occasions ever since then. Tonight was such a huge disappointment, I don't know if I'll ever be back, and it's so sad, I feel like I've lost a family member. My husband made a reservation at 6pm for 4 adults and 1 child for my birthday. When we got there, we were seated in the darkest corner of the dimly-lit bar. The waiter was very kind, but either he was too overwhelmed or they were understaffed, because everything took too long. They brought my husband a drink he didn't order, and my uncle's drink sat at the bar and wasn't brought to him until we were halfway through ours. Then when we ordered an expensive wine (it was my birthday), it was rancid. They acknowledged it and offered to open a second bottle, but the mood was dead so we declined. As for food, we ordered family style, since the menu said it was good for parties of 4 and up. There were so many platters of each dish (4 entrees with two big plates of each- so like 8 entrees not including the salads and appetizers and desserts), and we ended up boxing entire entrees without even tasting them. It was way too much- I don't think we can even finish the leftovers before they go bad. It just felt like a huge waste and when we said something about it we were told that they do this so that people don't have to order more. I felt so embarrassed having brought guests that hadn't been here before, especially when we spent so much time standing to box all these things ourselves because the staff probably couldn't see us tucked in that dark corner. Then there was some confusion over splitting the bill 3 ways evenly. I just... I wish I could pay my companions back for all the money they spent on my birthday dinner for food we couldn't eat or see. And, I'm wondering if they may have changed the meatball recipe, because they were too salty. Anyway, it was just so crappy of an experience all together that I wish I could pay my friends back for the Friday evening they blew. I even apologized to one. I gave the food 4 stars because it really is good. Atmosphere is the reason I came, but that dark corner was pretty bad for the type of party this was, and we seemed hidden from the eyes of the staff. It's just... Way too much money for the...

Our whole family just loves going to Maggiano's. The Family Style Menu is the way to go; it's a buffet brought to your table. . Just need at least 4 people in your party. You can get Anti-Pasti, which is a delicious deconstructed Bruschetta, then 1 hot appetizer and 1 salad, 2 styles of pasta, and 2 choice "Signature Cuts" - - these are their protein dishes. You can keep ordering as many of the apps, main courses and desserts--as long as you're still within each course. WFor the pastas, our faves are the Mushroom Ravioli which we typically pair with the Chicken Marsala (sauce is amazing and is loaded with mushrooms!) or the Chicken Saltimbocca (topped with prosciutto and provolone cheese and also comes with a good amount of mushrooms). Both chicken dishes are from the Signature Cuts Menu. Another great pasta dish is the Beef Pappardelle - - the beef just melts in your mouth! Their Linguini with White Clam Sauce is simple but super tasty--it's loaded with a ton of clams! Our latest fave from the Signature Cuts line up is the Beef Contadina--it's basically an Italian Beef Stew and loaded with great veggies. Look up the video on how Maggiano's makes it on YouTube - - your taste buds will go crazy!

Oh and then there's their dessert...Cheesecake and Tiramisu - - absolutely decadent. Their cheesecake is simple, topped with strawberries and even better than Cheesecake Factory. Their Tiramisu is my personal fave--I always make sure I take a whole one home just for myself.

Update: Ask for Rudy to be your server. She was incredibly patient with our party of nine and...