Macaroni's — Restaurant in Philadelphia

My experience at Macaroni wasn't good enough to want to go back and dine there again. We were given a gift card and stopped in for dinner on a 5:45 reservation for 2 with plans for a show at 8 within 20 mins of the restaurant. We were seated immediately at 5:45. Unfortunately we didn't leave until close to 7:30 even after rushing the bill during the meal to make sure we got out close enough to leave us time.

First thing first our waiter Alex was top shelf. Outstanding waiter who was very kind and attentive and knew the menu very well answering the few questions that we had for him. Unfortunately after taking our order for the duck special 5-10 mins later Alex came back and said it sold out and he wasn't made aware. Okay mistakes happen the duck must have been amazing to sell out that quickly so while disappointed I shifted to the boneless ribeye and also another special the burrata salad. Again 5 mins later Alex came back and informed us that the burrata salad wasn't exactly how he had described it another miscommunication from the kitchen and we had to cancel the burrata salad due to the new description. That's obviously very disappointing when you have to change your entire order due to miscommunication.

As far as what we did eat the Chicken Siciliana was very good the chicken came out extremely tender and the capers and olives were good as well. As far as the ribeye went it left me disappointed. It was a 20oz which cost $58 as a special and while cooked to an absolute perfect medium rare by the chef it just left a lot to be desired. I only order ribeye out when I get steaks and I've eaten countless ribeye steaks and this one will be long forgotten. While certain spots were perfect and tender too much of the steak was chewy and had gristle. Again I'm very keen to how ribeye steaks taste and what cut of meat you're getting and this just wasn't up to par especially considering the cost. I still had money left on the gift card and to be honest I had such little desire to go back that I discarded the gift card when we got home.

Again Alex was great one of the best waiters we've had all year long and while the chicken was solid I just couldn't get past waiting well over an hour and 10 mins to receive two main courses again we had no appetizers to slow things down only to have to rush to eat and pay and the underwhelming ribeye didn't exactly help. The ambience is great it's very warm and inviting and again the staff was very polite and offered...

I rarely leave reviews, but I definitely needed to write one for this restaurant—this is hands down the best Italian restaurant I’ve ever been to. I’m a first-generation Italian-American—both of my parents are immigrants from Italy—so finding truly authentic Italian food is rare, but this place comes unbelievably close. The tomato sauce tasted almost exactly like the homemade sauce my family makes, and the entire experience was just incredible.

The service was exceptional from start to finish. A huge shoutout to our waiter, Alex—he was, without a doubt, one of the best servers I’ve ever had. Having worked as a waitress for almost 10 years, I understand how overwhelming a busy night can be, especially during Valentine’s Day weekend, but Alex went above and beyond. Even when we didn’t ask for anything, he checked in on us, made sure we had everything we needed, and genuinely cared that we had a great experience. He was warm, welcoming, and truly one of the kindest servers I’ve encountered.

The food was just as outstanding as the service. Every dish was amazing, and the cheesecake was probably the best I’ve ever had—light, fluffy, and topped with a crisp crust that I never expected to love as much as I did. It was unlike any cheesecake I’ve had before, and honestly, I preferred it over a traditional one.

Beyond the food and service, the restaurant itself has such a warm and nostalgic atmosphere. The decor, especially the pictures of Italian immigrants, reminded me of my own family and the time I spent growing up in Italy. It felt like home. Nowadays, it’s hard to find a restaurant that delivers authentic Italian food, a welcoming ambiance, and exceptional service all in one—but this place does exactly that.

And on top of it, the prices were not bad at all. I’ve been to places that didn’t have nearly as good food, service, or atmosphere and ended up paying much more.

A final shoutout to the busboy as well—I didn’t catch his name, but he was also very kind and attentive. The entire team made us feel valued and taken care of, and I truly appreciate that.

I highly, highly recommend this place to anyone looking for real Italian food and an unforgettable...

I went there for a birthday dinner last week. My friend who has known me for more than 10 years and is from the area raved about it, so I went in with decent expectations. The reviews were good and the pictures were nice online. The exterior was upscale but I felt the interior was a bit sparse in comparison. It was clean, and had a family restaurant vibe. I am not eating off the walls or getting married there so this was not really a big deal. I ordered the filet mignon, someone had the tuna special, colleague had the lamb, friend had the cavatelli crab dish. The tomato sauce on the crab pasta had a tin can taste. The lamb was OK, though cooked well done to my friend's liking, not mine. The tuna special was just a bit bland and basic-the tuna was cooked properly, the dish was just pretty boring and tasteless for 35 USD. The filet was actually sent back because it did not have a beef taste! The temperature was right, but it did not have ANY customary beef flavor. I am not talking dry aged vs prime vs supermarket grade, I mean it tasted like a completely different food group. The accompanying mash was salty and nothing to write home about if you love potatoes. I ordered the crab and shrimp cocktail-tasteless! It was as if the shrimp were boiled in water and not poached in an aromatic broth. The crab was canned. The best thing about the evening was the service! Our server was not only hot, he was friendly and went out of his way to make sure we were happy. He apologized, took the dish away, offered the menu again for another selection (At this time I was not willing to take any more chances), and then brought another plate in case I wanted to bum off my friends. He was very sweet. Afterward, my friend chided me that I should not have ordered the steak at a "pasta" restaurant. I believe if it is a "pasta" restaurant, then don't advertise steak. If there is a steak on a menu, it should be done right. Period. Every item on a menu should be proper or just delete it from the menu. The execution was correct, the product itself was just not to my taste. Would I go back there again? Maybe if I...