Maggiano's Little Italy — Restaurant in Costa Mesa

So the place is overrated. I had reservations for two for my daughter’s birthday, and we waited a few minutes for a boot. Meanwhile my eyes wonder to the dirty floor with pieces of either toilet paper on the main floor… they have cloth napkins… so probably 🧻 on the floor of the restaurant 😬

The service was so, so… Nothing like in the 80’s

The Asiago-Crusted shrimp 🍤 it’s the best shrimp I ever had, delicious and huuuuge! The Maggiano’s salad was delicious too, and large! I got the Rigatoni Atabiata, I had two bites and brought it all home, NOT very good Their chocolate Layered cake was very good, my daughter said that it was the best cake she ever had; and it was very light, they serve a huuuuge piece of cake. Their cheesecake it’s also very good and very light, although it said served with berries, but they served mine with strawberries 🍓 instead😕 My daughter ordered a coffee with Kahlua and amaretto, she said it tasted like cough syrup ☹️not tasty at all.

The restaurant has all the lights dim down so that people can’t see how dirty the floors are 😬

We got 1 kahlua, 2 desserts, two entrees, a large salad, and an appetizer…not necessarily in that order… and I paid $126, I bought a $100 gift card and received a $20 e-card to use after feb 1st. I paid with the $100 gift card and $40 cash that I got for Christmas. The waitress was prompt to tell me… “you got $14 cash left” as in… my tip is 18% and your $14 won’t cover it! 😠 Why does everyone want a tip? I mean I work and get paid, I don’t expect a tip from anyone; and I’m forbidden from taking a tip from anyone. I always hear there’s more tips if they don’t hire an extra person to clean the restaurant nor the restrooms, and the employees have to clean. But they don’t clean and they won’t clean and ALL the restaurants and all the restrooms are dirty… No! The restrooms are filthy! EVERYWHERE! IN EVERY RESTAURANT!

Like my mom said “God only requires 10% why would servers ask for 15%?” No mom! Now, they want 18%, 22% and they even do the math for you!

Sure! Clean the floors! Clean your filthy restrooms!

I told my daughter I’ll go to the restroom at home… I already saw the dirty restaurant, their restroom must be filthy! And yup! Sure enough, filthy. “Does that represents you?”

What happened with “keeping the work place clean and in orderly condition?”

Yikes! I saw Manggiano’s and… debut y despedida! 😵‍💫 No need to ever go back.

P.S look at the picture outside the restrooms…that floor was from fifty yrs ago, and their floor it’s also dirty and full of paper trash… some things never change… 👋helloooo… health...

Our first visiting this restaurant was about two years ago. Last night we went for the second time and I must regretfully say that last night should’ve been my 25th time. I don’t know why we have waited so long to come back.

I do a lot of reviews and why do I do reviews? the answer is because my reviews are honest. If I go or restaurant and get lousy service and good food, I will do a decent review on the food and likely to return hoping that we don’t get the same server again if the food is lousy, but the service is good , I might go back hoping that they have a different chef if the service and food are both lousy then I will put a lousy review on the restaurant and never be back. My mistake with Maggiano’s is that the service is awesome. The atmosphere is wonderful and the food is , probably in my opinion the best Italian food in Orange County.

Our server was fantastic and really kept up with us. He was concerned about our experience and the food quality. Our food was beyond delicious. I had the shrimp scampi and my wife had the famous rigatoni . Well beyond our expectations, and I must say that her bowl of soup which she got the minestrone was probably the best minestrone she has ever had and my Caesar salad, you could tell that the lettuce was cut right and that the dressing was homemade. Aside from that our dining experience was Better than we’ve had in a long time.

This is an honest review about a restaurant that should get nothing but praise. Their prices are in line with affordable restaurants in the area. I can say this I have been too very upscale, Italian restaurants, and have not had as good food as Mariano makes.

Again, in my opinion, Maggiano’s is the best Italian restaurant with a warm cozy atmosphere and a professional staff that makes your dining experience well above average.

The only suggestion I wouldn’t make is to the owner. Sir or ma’am, it would be a 10+, if you were to make a homemade Forchetta Bread to serve to your customers, although the bread you do serve is very good, nothing compares to fresh...

Maggiano's is a great restaurant. It's usually very packed so making a reservation is a very good idea. I called to make my reservation they asked if there was a special occasion and I mentioned it was my birthday and I was coming with my special birthday gift of a $10 off my meal. I'm not sure why they asked since it was never mentioned at my dinner. I allowed time for traffic because it's always unpredictable and got there 30 minutes early. The hostess told me she could not guarantee she get me in early but would definitely seat me at 7:15 p.m. which was the time of my reservation. I didn't expect to get in early but was actually not seated to almost 7:30 p.m.

Delicious bread with put on my table right after I was seated. My waiter came by and asked if I would like balsamic to go with the oil. I said I would but there was evidently some difficulty in locating any. It was literally on my table 2 minutes before another waiter came and took it. But that was fine because I had enough on my plate.

I placed my order of a Denver steak which came with mashed potatoes and asparagus. I started with a Caesar salad which was delicious. My waiter deliver that and that I did not see him again until 10 minutes after I finish eating and was waiting to pay my bill.

Luckily there was a gentleman who kept my beverage refilled. A food runner brought my dinner.

After finishing my meal I was glad I brought a book since I had to wait for the return of my waiter. He took my plate spilling the juice on the seat and my pants. He brought the bill on a credit card machine. I put my credit card in before I even looked at the bill the tip was added and the total was there. I'm not sure what went on but machine gave him a lower tip than I would have despite my ruined pants.

I had a very good dinner but will probably think twice about ever going there on this Saturday evening. My birthday discount voucher ended tonight and I've been working a lot of evening so I didn't have...