Maggiano's Little Italy — Restaurant in Indianapolis

UPDATE: Returned for my birthday and it was spot on again. Received an email for a discount because I had signed up for their loyalty program. Combined with taking advantage of their Marco's Deal again and it was an excellent value and outstanding experience. Our server, Hillary, was terrific. Decided to try they Eggplant Parmesan this time. While it wasn't the absolute best I've ever had, it was very good and there was plenty of it. Wife did the ravioli again and I don't think she will ever stray. The salads we ordered that came as a part of the meal were huge and very good. An excellent mix of items. We decided to split the apple dessert as the 3rd part of the Marco's deal, which was awesome. Not necessarily a lot of apple evident, but the flavors hit the spot. They even offered some cookies for my birthday, although we took them home along with half of our dinners. So that's 2 visits in the last few months that were both home runs.

I realize it's a chain, but I have to share that the recent visit for our family of four in my opinion was an awesome experience and fantastic value.

First, we did make a reservation online in the morning before we visited for lunch on a Sunday. It wasn't overly crowded, so it wasn't completely necessary, but I appreciate the option to do so. Their parking lot is a tad awkward as most of the parking seems to be in back as the larger lot is north of the structure while the entrance is towards the southeastern part of the building. Upon entering, the room includes a bar, a few booth tables, and the host stand with a decently sized space to accommodate those waiting for a table.

When we were taken to our table, I noticed that half of the room included standard height tables while the other half included elevated booths, both semi-circle and standard. We were taken to a semi-circle booth, which I must say I preferred to the other options.

Our waiter Doug was prompt in greeting us, bringing waters for the table as well as bread along with oil, salt & pepper, and grated parmesan. I could probably just eat bread dipped in an oil / pepper / cheese mix for a meal, so that already hits me in a good spot. In looking over the menu, the vast majority of the entrees cost more than $20, including the Chicken Caesar Salad ($22.49) and the Rigatoni Arrabiata ($20.99) that our children ordered.

However, my wife and I noticed that there was a section labelled "Marco's Meal for Two", which included a starter or 2 side salads, 2 classic pastas, and 1 dessert for $49.99. So we decided to order Calamari Fritte (reg. 16.50), Mom's Lasagna (reg. 20.50), Four-Cheese Ravioli (reg 20.50), and Tiramisu (reg. 9.99), which separate would have cost more than $67. While I believe our children enjoyed their selections, I thought everything that came with our deal was fantastic. All 4 of us shared in the Calamari, which I enjoyed as it was not overly breaded nor chewy. The lasagna was hearty and a fantastic blend of beef, sausage, ricotta, and marinara. Probably the tastiest item was the Ravioli with its pesto alfredo sauce and a platter full of decent sized raviolis. All 4 of us also shared the tiramisu, which was quite large to accommodate all of us and very tasty.

So while we generally prefer to patronize our local options for dining, I have to admit I will not be opposed to returning and taking advantage of the...

We came to this restaurant under reservations for 8:00 p.m party of 2. They sat us down promptly around 8:00 p.m. We have been waiting for our waitress she came and dropped off bread and has not been back. It is currently 8:31 PM. The service is lacking since COVID19. They have no understanding of what it is to take care of a customer. Front booths at the bar are really messed up they have one person or couple sitting in the middle when they could have two people OR TWO parties one on each side. They need to really realign themselves so that they don't go under like most of the restaurants in the area. Management seems clueless they keep walking around like lost puppies it seems like a mess. Hostess staff is very rude to oncoming customers stating that they will not be any availability until 9:15 p.m. it comes off very condescending. Preservations seem to be the only way to eat here. If not you are waiting hours then turned way.

Update: A manager came to take our order at 8:35 PM. The manager was very respectful and asked if we had any questions about the menu. We just stayed we would like to order our food. At this time the waitress should up along side the manager. He took our order and we are now waiting for dinner .

Update: Number two the manager who took our order has promptly brought out our appetizers offered us balsamic vinegar for our bread. And seems to be on top of this table now. My goal was not to have this happen but I think he also knew that I was writing this review cuz I've been on my phone the whole time.

Update Number three: Food came out around 8:55 PM. Food was amazing. Asked for pepper waitress brought it over. She wanted to take it back. I like lots of pepper on my food. I asked if I could keep it on the table. "Yeah sure" was the response I got. We might not be coming back for a while. We love this restaurant but unfortunately customer service is not up to par. They care more about the $$$$ then they do...

This was our first visit to Maggiano's, and it exceeded all our expectations. We made a reservation on OpenTable and were promptly seated upon arrival. Our table, a cozy half-moon booth tucked off to the side, offered a fantastic view of the restaurant while still providing plenty of privacy. The atmosphere was perfect, with warm ambient lighting and beautiful Christmas decorations paired with festive music. Very picturesque.

Our server, Raquel, was absolutely phenomenal. We’ll definitely be requesting her section the next time we’re in town. She was incredibly friendly and went above and beyond to make us feel welcome throughout the evening. It was clear she genuinely enjoys her job and takes pride in making her customers feel like family.

For our meal, we started with a calamari appetizer, along with Caprese and Caesar salads. For our entrées, we ordered two servings of lobster carbonara and a side of roasted garlic broccoli. Everything was served hot, flavorful, and in generous portions. Raquel expertly timed each course so we never felt rushed, kept our drinks topped off, and checked in regularly to ensure we were happy with everything.

She even took the time to chat with us about a topic we’d casually mentioned when we were seated, which we really appreciated—it made the experience feel personal. To top it all off, she surprised us with a complimentary dessert to thank us for being great guests. Ironically, it was Raquel who made the evening truly special.

In short, the atmosphere, food, and service were all outstanding. If you’re considering a visit to Maggiano's, don’t hesitate—you won’t be...