Mario's Restaurant and Pizzeria — Restaurant in Town of Niskayuna

I have eaten dinner at this restaurant many times over the years. It is a very popular place for traditional Italian fare and the only restaurant in this part of town. Service is prompt and attentive. The decor has a vintage-industrial vibe, with big photos relating to Schenectady's historic industrial past. The high ceiling is metal, which can sometimes amplify noise from the dining room. I would go here on a casual date, or with friends and family, but there are probably better options for a quiet, romantic dinner for two.

The food. The pasta and pizza are stalwarts done well. I have noticed that families often get pizza for the kids while the adults enjoy the pasta entrees. I have enjoyed the spinach balsamic chicken salad as a light main on many occasions. It's a large salad with plenty of pieces of nicely-cooked chicken breast.

The Haddock Mediterranean and the Chicken Milanese were disappointing. The fish and the chicken are both breaded, then sauteed. The breading is meant to keep the fish and moist during cooking, and to provide a crispy texture for each bite. But in both cases my plate was swimming in a watery lemon-butter sauce. The breading was a mush. For me, this drenching ruined my enjoyment.

I do not understand why the kitchen would drown these two dishes like this. Doing so ruins the whole point of the breading. Do they do it to try and disguise overcooking? Or is this just "the way it's done here?" These items have been on the menu for years, so diners must like them.

I stick to the parms, the Marsala, and the pastas, which are all very tasty and...

Being a lifetime Prima Pizza customer for 30 years, since I was 14, I wasn't as impressed as I wanted to be. It was very small & crowded feeling as the 2 of us were at a tiny table where the drink, salads, and bread barely fit on & the butcher paper table cloths just move all over the table. Nothing fancy about it. Big bar at door & you have no place to stand to "Wait to be seated". A huge wall divides the big bar right at the door from the small, rather tiny, dining area. Selection was typical, with 1 or 2 additional meals added to try to spruce up the menu. Food was good. Not sure worth the price tag, my chicken was a thin slice of breast for like $17+ & it was the chicken Mediterranean. I liked it, no complaints here, but the stuffed rigatoni barely had any filling for $16+. The ice tea I ordered was undrinkable. Not sure what happened there. I got a piece of someone's hair in my salad! I know it wasn't mine cuz I was in the bathroom & just made sure all my hair was up & back as to not fall in food. When I came out the waitress had brought our salads. My friend would not let me tell anyone about the hair in my salad as to not make a scene & embarrass him. I have known John, etc, for 30 years. I was so hoping for a new great place to eat & was sadly disappointed. With all the hype I keep hearing about it it was a shock. Especially since I was told John never goes to the pizza shop(Prima) anymore cuz he practically lives at the restaurant. John...

First timer for lunch. Large parking lot. CLEAN inside and out. Really nice looking interior. Sat at the bar. Super friendly staff in a real sense, it was clear she was either an academy award winning actress or a sincere person. The personal pizza was simply amazing. I added pepperoni and it was fresh and delicious unlike some other local places. The crust was crispy and chewy and the cheese was terrific. The sauce was perfect. A truly great pizza. I've only ever had their two day old sicilian pie and that was the best sicilian pizza I've had in many years. I never knew about this place and was told it's been here for twenty years! They lack a sign for folks driving by to see and I missed the place at first. Clearly they spend their money on the quality inside and don't waste it on advertisments. The dinner menu looks GREAT so I will be back to try it....