Eight of us had dinner at Maria’s recently to celebrate my husband’s 80th birthday. We have eaten here numerous times starting when they were located in Portland. The food has always been delicious (no matter what we have ordered) and the portions are extremely generous. We love the atmosphere which is relaxing, warm and so inviting. We have never felt rushed. The young girl who waited on us the evening of my husband’s birthday celebration was absolutely the best. I wish I remembered her name. I am sure if she reads this post she will know who we are talking about. She never missed a beat even with the craziness of our group. This is one of our favorite restaurants in Portland and we are so grateful that even with the move to a new location after so many years on Cumberland Avenue they continue to be wonderful hosts and still serve the best Italian food. A great big warm thank you to the owner and all employees. We appreciate all of your hard work and dedication to making sure everyone has a positive dining experience. I would love to post a picture of all of us enjoying a wonderful evening at Maria’s but don’t see where I can do that here. If you have not eaten here before, do yourself a favor and go have a great evening and enjoy delicious Italian food. Try the six course meal!
Excellent service of real Italian style cooking… just like the old days! Fabulous desserts and a setting that will take you back to your Nonna’s house every time!
Two words: Lobster Ravioli !!! Unbelievable. I literally cannot wait to go back and have this dish again. I couldn’t believe how much fresh lobster was packed into each ravioli and the meat around the plate was astonishing… the sauce was the perfect addition. It was such a generous portion that I gushed about it to our server (who was lovely. Gracious. Kind. Friendly.) The bruschetta was vibrant and rustic. The Gorgonzola dressing on the salad was creamy and delicious. A house made sausage was the star of my girlfriend’s lasagna and I couldn’t believe the amount of flavor packed into it. All of it was just remarkable. What a lovely evening. My great compliments to the Chef and owner. My equal compliments to the service staff. Well done. Bravo.My girlfriend and I had a wonderful evening. Seamless service. Great atmosphere. It’s such a warm environment and everyone is treated like family when you enter. It’s almost like you’re in the dining room in the home of an Italian family.If you want an evening of great company, great food, great wine and atmosphere then stop in for dinner at Maria’s…And don’t forget to order the Lobster Ravioli… you will NOT regret it !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ken Kennedy
Always a great meal! Make a reservation on the weekends, though.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Thomas Walling
Went here with friends for dinner. A traditional Italian restaurant operated by people who care. I think we all took a "doggy bag" home because the portions were so large. My friend (who likes to complain) kept saying in a kvetching tone "there's too much for me to eat" like that was a bad thing. Was definitely worth the drive into Portland even though we are surrounded with good restaurants near us.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stephanie Swindall
The waitress seemed annoyed towards our hard of hearing grandmother and wouldn't repeat things for her. The service was horrible considering how much the bill was. The food was good, but not worth the price. It took us having to get the attention of the hostess multiple times throughout the dinner to get service because the waitress wouldn't look at us.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Laurie Coffin
Ordered the lasagna with meat sauce for Xmas dinner, sad to say we were all disappointed in the meal. The lasagna had very little sauce and it was only on the top, no sauce in between the ricotta or noodles which made it extremely dry tasting. We ordered it with meat and very little meat to be found. Thank god we had bread and salad. $45.00 will never order again☹️
Robert Meyer
I went to Maria’s Restaurant tonight for eggplant parmesan. It was tasty and made just right. It tastes homemade with love just like my mother used to make.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
harvey libby
Have thoroughly enjoyed every visit. Today was the 3rd time. Great food, ambiance and service. Highly recommend. G.
This is the real deal if you LOVE Italian food. Great food, nice price and in the family for generations!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Parmesan
Dan Lemly
The food is incredible, we live right down the road and pickup quite a bit. Walked in at about 750 this evening and were told that they were done dinner service. You guys gotta change the hours posted online. We'll be
Food: 5
Jamie Barron
Fabulous fun place superb service! Wonderful food and gluten free options see pic of Shrimp dinner. My mother and I eat here everytime we fly into Portland. Just a jewel!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Savannah Rice
Such a great experience with my family. We got 3 different dishes, antipasto, and coconut cake. We shared everything and loved them all. The special of the day was amazing. Probably the best Italian place left of the old Portland. Long live Maria’s. I’m grateful you’re here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
J Dee
The shrimp scampi was good but very weak on seasoning, even though it had sliced garlic in it ( I could barely taste the garlic). I had to add quite a bit of salt AND grated cheese for it to have any flavor, and I am not a big salt person. Hubby got the chicken and broccoli Alfredo. Again, it was good but very bland. Service was friendly and conscientious.
Eight of us had dinner at Maria’s recently to celebrate my husband’s 80th birthday. We have eaten here numerous times starting when they were located in Portland. The food has always been delicious (no matter what we have ordered) and the portions are extremely generous. We love the atmosphere which is relaxing, warm and so inviting. We have never felt rushed. The young girl who waited on us the evening of my husband’s birthday celebration was absolutely the best. I wish I remembered her name. I am sure if she reads this post she will know who we are talking about. She never missed a beat even with the craziness of our group. This is one of our favorite restaurants in Portland and we are so grateful that even with the move to a new location after so many years on Cumberland Avenue they continue to be wonderful hosts and still serve the best Italian food. A great big warm thank you to the owner and all employees. We appreciate all of your hard work and dedication to making sure everyone has a positive dining experience. I would love to post a picture of all of us enjoying a wonderful evening at Maria’s but don’t see where I can do that here. If you have not eaten here before, do yourself a favor and go have a great evening and enjoy delicious Italian food. Try the six course meal!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pistachio Gelato, Tiramisu, Chicken Marsala, Cannolo, Roasted Garlic Bread, Chicken Parmesan, Sausage Lasagna, Calamari
Amazing food and staff
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pistachio Gelato, Spaghetti Carbonara, Tiramisu, Sunday Sauce, Homemade Sauce, Chicken Parmesan
Excellent service of real Italian style cooking… just like the old days! Fabulous desserts and a setting that will take you back to your Nonna’s house every time!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Parmesan, Lobster Alfredo Lasagna, Burrata Caprese, Calamari
Two words: Lobster Ravioli !!! Unbelievable. I literally cannot wait to go back and have this dish again. I couldn’t believe how much fresh lobster was packed into each ravioli and the meat around the plate was astonishing… the sauce was the perfect addition. It was such a generous portion that I gushed about it to our server (who was lovely. Gracious. Kind. Friendly.) The bruschetta was vibrant and rustic. The Gorgonzola dressing on the salad was creamy and delicious. A house made sausage was the star of my girlfriend’s lasagna and I couldn’t believe the amount of flavor packed into it. All of it was just remarkable. What a lovely evening. My great compliments to the Chef and owner. My equal compliments to the service staff. Well done. Bravo.My girlfriend and I had a wonderful evening. Seamless service. Great atmosphere. It’s such a warm environment and everyone is treated like family when you enter. It’s almost like you’re in the dining room in the home of an Italian family.If you want an evening of great company, great food, great wine and atmosphere then stop in for dinner at Maria’s…And don’t forget to order the Lobster Ravioli… you will NOT regret it !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Always a great meal! Make a reservation on the weekends, though.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Went here with friends for dinner. A traditional Italian restaurant operated by people who care. I think we all took a "doggy bag" home because the portions were so large. My friend (who likes to complain) kept saying in a kvetching tone "there's too much for me to eat" like that was a bad thing. Was definitely worth the drive into Portland even though we are surrounded with good restaurants near us.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The waitress seemed annoyed towards our hard of hearing grandmother and wouldn't repeat things for her. The service was horrible considering how much the bill was. The food was good, but not worth the price. It took us having to get the attention of the hostess multiple times throughout the dinner to get service because the waitress wouldn't look at us.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Ordered the lasagna with meat sauce for Xmas dinner, sad to say we were all disappointed in the meal. The lasagna had very little sauce and it was only on the top, no sauce in between the ricotta or noodles which made it extremely dry tasting. We ordered it with meat and very little meat to be found. Thank god we had bread and salad. $45.00 will never order again☹️
I went to Maria’s Restaurant tonight for eggplant parmesan. It was tasty and made just right. It tastes homemade with love just like my mother used to make.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Have thoroughly enjoyed every visit. Today was the 3rd time. Great food, ambiance and service. Highly recommend. G.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sausage Lasagna
Restaurantji Recommends
This is the real deal if you LOVE Italian food. Great food, nice price and in the family for generations!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Parmesan
The food is incredible, we live right down the road and pickup quite a bit. Walked in at about 750 this evening and were told that they were done dinner service. You guys gotta change the hours posted online. We'll be
Food: 5
Fabulous fun place superb service! Wonderful food and gluten free options see pic of Shrimp dinner. My mother and I eat here everytime we fly into Portland. Just a jewel!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Such a great experience with my family. We got 3 different dishes, antipasto, and coconut cake. We shared everything and loved them all. The special of the day was amazing. Probably the best Italian place left of the old Portland. Long live Maria’s. I’m grateful you’re here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The shrimp scampi was good but very weak on seasoning, even though it had sliced garlic in it ( I could barely taste the garlic). I had to add quite a bit of salt AND grated cheese for it to have any flavor, and I am not a big salt person. Hubby got the chicken and broccoli Alfredo. Again, it was good but very bland. Service was friendly and conscientious.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5