Margie's Italian Gardens — Restaurant in Fort Worth

I am so glad this restaurant exists! We walked in and were promptly tended to, served, and checked on. If you dine with the early dinner crowd you’ll enjoy the brightly lit room with the swanky 20s music playing and greeted by the sweetest staff. They have those crisp breadsticks ready at the table with a room temp garlic herb butter that you can dip and keep dipping. The pecan oak old fashioned was strong, vibrant and not too many frills to take away from the alcohol. We started with the fried mozzarella and I definitely didn’t need an appetizer given the large portions to come but I couldn’t resist. If you want that viral cheese pull experience- this is it. The warm marinara sauce was the perfect balance of tang and sweet. The basil pesto tasted like it was ground table side in a garden and brought to the table. The creamy ranch was not your average ranch. It was perfect. The spaghetti and meatballs was a classic plating with fresh made Al dente spaghetti, sauce, and three large Texas sized meatballs. Not just meat by the way. When you cut into one you can see pieces of herb, vegetables, and spices. Seasoned! The chicken Parmesan was from Italy but the size was born here in Texas. Hanging off the plate, perfectly battered and seasoned with melted cheese and sauce. Seriously, the best in Fort Worth. I have had this dish at a few popular spots and this one is #1. It’s also served on the fresh made al dente spaghetti with sauce. We also ordered garlic bread which how does this side even shine compared to the meal. THE FRESH GRATED CHEESE. It’s like snow capped mountains and absolutely essential to the meal to dip in the sauce. Let’s talk about the tiramisu. I wasn’t even considering it but it was recommended. I thought, how good can it be?? Well, it will carry you out on a pillow of whipped delicate flavor and you’ll regret sharing it with anyone. This is not a bold tiramisu which is why I fell in love with it. This is for everyone who doesn’t straight vein espresso for 8 hours a day. This was absolutely decadent and I want everyone to experience it. So, unbutton the top button and just order it or take it to go. Fantastic and the staff agrees. They rave about their favorite dishes and that just adds to the cozy, welcoming vibe of this spot. A million times over we will be back! Desi the GM stopped by and checked in on us and was greeting everyone at the door. Hospitality...

Just a heads up I ate athe original Margies and remember her at the cash register. She made the spaghetti sauce which was a meat sauce and was best I ever had. The special was a steak Parmigiano. They did not have veal. The pizza was homage medium crust and cooked on a square pizza pan. That was the original. It was the best. The 2.0 version changed the salad and added veal . The spaghetti meat sauce was not as good as the original but the spaghetti with meatballs and marinara was really good. The pizza was med crust round and made in a pizza oven. Was close to original. They added artichoke dip wich became one of our favorite appetizers. The salad was great and the garlic bread was simple but very good. Everything was homage. The building and service was not always best but food was. Krystal was the manager and Alfredo was the cook. It felt old and cozy. It was always packed with usuals that had eaten there for years.

Now for Margies 3.0 we were so excited when it was announced that they were going to remodel the building and bring back Margies recipes. We came the second week and could hardly wait for the doors to open. The restaurant was beautiful and we even saw one of the old waitresses Kylie. We ordered garlic bread. It was not good. Salad was ok but not nearly as good as the trash can salad that everyone loved. My wife ordered spaghetti and meatballs I ordered the veal. The chef brought out and told us that the food had been approved by Margies son. The spaghetti and meatballs were terrible . The "Margies meat sauce was orange " the sauce tasted like tomato paste. The veal tasted like it might have been a frozen cutlet.

Oh and the pizza was nothing like the original or 2.0. It was more like a flat bread ...

So if u are expecting Margies famous red sauce or 2.0 salad or a real pizza.. you are going to be very disappointed.

.please bring back old menu Alfredo to cook...

I grew up going to Margie’s, so I was super excited to go once it opened with the new owners. I know the wait times have been crazy, so we went at 4:30 on a Thursday and were seated right away. My first impression was that it’s so different! It’s so bright and pretty in there….which is great, but it didn’t feel like the same place. I ordered the Short-rib Ragu which was extremely good, and my husband got the lasagna. He didn’t care for at first, but by the end really enjoyed it and said he’d definitely get it again. My sons ordered ravioli with marinara (which he liked) and fettuccine alfredo. I was so excited about the alfredo because the dish I always ordered growing up was the tortellini alfredo. I was hoping it would taste similar, however this alfredo sauce was so oniony in flavor and texture. Every bite I took, I was literally crunching on onions. I don’t dislike onions, but this sauce turned me off completely. By the end, my son left a lot on his plate, and I was just kind of grossed out by it.

When we first arrived, the service was very good, but by the time we were finishing up and they were getting busy, I felt like our table was overlooked even though we needed drink refills and wanted to order dessert. We finally did order dessert- the vanilla bean panna cotta, and it was absolutely delicious.

Before we left, the GM and owner came around and were very gracious to us. So this review is so mixed. I loved what I loved, and really was turned off by what I didn’t like. If you are expecting it to resemble the original Margie’s, you will not find it. It does not look, feel, or taste like the original. If you want to go to a trendy Italian restaurant, I’d recommend, but If you are looking for a quiet, ma and pa type restaurant, this is...