Mario's Tuscany Grill — Restaurant in Winchester

These are two reviews:

Warmly greeted by Sarah; and when I asked for a table versus a booth -- she was kind and gracious. Our server Al -- was the best of the best! Our meal was off the grid wonderful! Once again the Spedini was over the top exceptional, the calamari cooked to perfection. The two men had steaks; my husband the porterhouse special which was huge and he said delicious and perfectly prepared. Our nephew had the filet mike on and he said his was so tender and succulent. My seafood combination was oh so good; my favorite combination and with the pasta; I am always in heaven! While we were all claiming to be stuffed -- we made room for dessert. I had - just had to have tartufo. The dark chocolate covering with the dark chocolate ice cream was the perfect ending for me. My husband said the cheesecake delicious and the afagato for my nephew -- a perfect ending. You can never go wrong at Mario's -- the food is always perfectly prepared. And Al was an excellent server who made for a wonderful evening out.

From the time we arrived and were greeted to the moment that we left — everything was flawless. The food, the service — everything was wonderful. Our server Riley was an absolute delight. The dining room is lovely, clean and well kept. We all enjoyed the appetizers that we shared; the Spedini — is over the top exceptional with the fried mozzarella and mushrooms. You just want to lick the plate! Those that shared the meatball appetizer said that it was also delicious while we also shared the calamari. I had the Seafood Combination that was excellent, fresh and served hot; my husband had the veal florentine. He said it was one of the best meals ever. There was not one in our group who was not delighted and happy. Chicken parm, eggplant parm, a veal special— everything was over the top wonderful. When you can — go to Mario’s — this was our first time and it will certainly not be our last! We loved it; and, look forward to returning. We so enjoyed our server Riley and the...

The catered pizza provided to a recent event in Colebrook was from Mario's. Other than the white pizza I finally found in West Hartford after looking for one that was as good as Joe's Pizza in CA for over a decade since returning to CT, I have to say Mario's cheese pizza served that evening was surprisingly good. Not that Mario's quality of food was surprising, but pretty much anyone over 8 years old no longer eats plain cheese pizza. Their version makes me reconsider ordering one for its sheer simplicity. Thick with cheese, a little seasoned sauce and a crust not too thin, dark or chewy made it stand out. They also provided the stuffed mushrooms and Southwest eggrolls. Both very good. There were a couple of boxes of large quesadillas, too, for those that wanted cheese and dough with some sour cream and salsa.

Mario's Tuscany Grill...Incredible food and service. Wish I'd spent more time here over my many years now in this area. Always booked and hard to get in especially on weekends. Reserve in advance and you'll have a great time.

Lucky to go this May with another restaurant entrepreneur who will be opening a new place soon on the old Route 8 in Torrington, we were able to sit with Mario's owner when he had a moment to rest. Both energetic, ambitious and hard workers, it was a treat to be in their company.

Impressive service from the bar when they brought chilled martini glasses to the table with designated fruit on the bottom, set them down, and poured the contents from two separate shakers right to the rim. Ooh la la.

Our meals were tremendous. Both prime meat steak dinners were cooked to order. The special menu seafood cioppino was full of fresh shellfish served on linguini. My after dinner espresso with a lemon twist on the side brought me back to some marvelous...

Edit: 2 stars only bc the place was clean and the atmosphere was acceptable.

From out of town? Move on. This place is gross in my honest opinion.

If you think I’m being harsh, I’ll preface this whole review with the fact that the table next to us sent food back to the kitchen as soon as we got seated so I know it’s not just me.

I really hate giving one star reviews, but I’m sorry. …. I really cannot fathom how this place is still in business.

Ordered a pizza, clam chowder, and a chicken dish.

Pizza: canned sauce, chuck-e-cheese quality. Got half with eggplant and chicken, and the eggplant was FOUL. Not sure if canned or just rotten, but it was inedible. I assumed it would be chicken parm strips on the pizza, but no- just white unseasoned, not breaded, dry chicken breast

Clam chowder: honestly not bad but based on the quality of the other food, I’m inclined to believe it was canned.

Chicken dish: I think I ordered the chicken napoletano? Either way, it was chicken topped with eggplant, mozzarella, and vodka sauce. I have to assume that the chicken was just boiled. There was absolutely no seasoning or breading, and it was just pure white, bland, and tough chicken breast. The whole dish was muted. I had to salt the hell out of it just to get a few bites down.

Again, I really don’t like giving bad reviews, but I would characterize this food as foul. Save your money. I served in the army for 10 years, the food here was comparable, if not worse than what I would eat in the chow hall on base.

Edit #2: forgot to mention, I ordered a glass of red. Sent it back because it was clearly corked. Scared to know how long it was sitting open...