Want a fully immersive dining experience? Come to Mario’s downtown Detroit for a real life experience of an episode of Kitchen Nightmares where YOU are the shining star belittled by staff and served horrible, unpalatable dishes. I knew it was going to be a memorable experience when I arrived inside the restaurant and staff was already stating, “we are sick of this and I am so ready to quit right now” in the main dining area. I loved how they were spreading such holiday cheer! Disregarding disgruntled and probably over worked employees (especially during the holidays, I understand the pressure they must be under having formally been a server myself), I entered a reserved room for our party of approximately 100 guests. Our dinner reservation was scheduled from 4-7pm. Fortunately, about more than half of the party left before dinner was served at approximately 6:45pm. They missed the opportunity to experience the fine dining of undercooked, raw chicken and strong aromatics of pungent fish that consumed the room. Bonus points for green beans and potatoes which ultimately served as the main course. What did deliver was an unsurprisingly rude attitude from our waiter shouting “5 minutes” as well as other comments when a guest simply asked when our dinner may be coming out since we were quickly approaching the end time of our reservation. Tips if you plan dining here for the full experience that will truly be unforgettable: DO NOT valet. It took forever and I ended parking and retrieving my own vehicle. I did still pay valet fee and did tip. DO hold to your bread basket even if they try to take it away. This helped get through hours of feeling hungry and fill the void of deplorable food as we shared picked over breadsticks. In addition, bring your own water bottle/beverages because you will suffer from dehydration from only consuming bread, butter, and olives from a sad relish tray provided. In need of eating utensils? Not a problem at Mario’s! The staff will gladly remove your dirty plate and use their bare hands to swipe your already used silverware onto your charger and/or table for you to reuse! Just simply avoid cross contamination by not cutting into raw chicken and cutting into another side or dish. Although your restaurant has been one of the longest standing Italian restaurants in Detroit history, since 1948 according to your website, your recent reputation (based on reviews totaling 4.1 stars) does not mirror what your establishment disguises itself to be. It would be unjust to even attempt to form a single point of one star as a review rating, let alone to think Mario’s current 4.1 star rating as accurate. If your establishment, management, and staff are unable to accommodate larger parties and handle normal dinner service, simply don’t false advertise on your website that you are capable. An isolated incident? I think not! I shared my experience with family only to discover their last dining experience at Mario’s included a live spider on their dinner plate! YUM!! Extra protein! Nearing the final phase of processing my entire Mario’s experience and sharing with others, the final question I had asked my relative was if the spider was dead or alive.
R593BJbrookeh
Absolutely do not come here. Service was so bad/rude. Our waiter ALWAYS made us feel like a bother and had a terrible attitude. Do not go here before a show. Do not use the transportation shuttle advertised - they never came…until we told our waiter that we were still waiting we ended up being 40 minutes late for the show. When I spoke with somebody about it, they told me it was my fault for relying on their transportation shuttle since it’s just complementary anyway’ Group of 8 for an 85th birthday. Huge disappointment.
dawng106
Worst experience ever. Mario’s overbook by 100 people on the night Andrea Bocelli preformed. 2 hours and we had not received our main meal when we spoke to the manager regarding this issue, the best she could do was charges a $20 setting fee. Came back to pick up our car after the concert to find out that somehow somebody had smashed the whole front end. Poor management we will never be back. This is our third bad experience.
Cynthia Cassell
The filet is divine, the service is impeccable and the owner is kind and welcoming. Everyone is treated like family and you want to come again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
william guinan
I love Mario's but I went on the 28 and our waiter was not great waiter , Nebill is my normal waiter his night off , food was great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jessica Reincke
My mom and I have been coming to Mario’s for over 20 years and have always loved the classic Italian service, food, and atmosphere. Unfortunately, our visit last week was really disappointing. We were seated in a side room that felt more like an overflow banquet space than part of the restaurant, and it seemed like they had overbooked. Our server was short and inattentive, barely stopping by the table, and the food just wasn’t up to their usual standard, the steak was dry and everything tasted bland. We left feeling really let down after so many years of great experiences.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
michellefC9913VS
Fantastic dining experience!!! Our server Giorgio was one of the best I’ve ever experienced anywhere. Professional, engaging, simply lovely man. Food was delicious! BEST minestrone soup I’ve ever had and my filet was cooked to perfection. Can’t wait for another event to bring us downstate and enjoy Mario’s again!
Stephen Moran
We visit Mario's once a year for special occasions, but I have to say we won't be going back. The food has become way over priced - $40 for spaghetti, and it wasn't that good. Fettuccine was supposed to be made tableside but wasn't, and my daughter mentioned that it tasted like cardboard. On top of that, they seated us right next to the speaker of the entertainment that night - some dude singing karaoke and playing the sax as filler. In the end, the entire food bill was $520 for six people, one bottle of wine, and a dessert. Find a better Italian place - this is not it.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Lisa Pelzer
Absolutely Fantastic,as always!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: House Salad
Justin Peterson
The most amazing meals The utmost in atmosphere and the wait staff so talented We will return soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Minestrone Soup, House Salad, Chicken Piccante, Veal Oscar
Highly recommend, from the food to the staff was all fantastic
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Melody Brooks
I had the WORST experience at Mario’s today. The service was terrible, I informed my waiter of my shrimp allergy four times, and was yelled at by the manager after explaining how bad the experience was. The lasagna tasted old and overcooked. 0/10, please don’t come here.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
I3546FPjudyp
Last time we eat here. We have been regulars for over 20 years. Tonight was the last time we will be eating at Mario’s. Our usual, chateaubriand, was ordered medium. The server prepared it tableside, cut it on the grain, served two inch thick slices after complaining the knife wasn’t sharp enough. Then served us raw meat and asked if we wanted it cooked more. We had theater tickets in 30 minutes so we asked to pack it up to recook it and recut it at home. When we told the manager about our disappointment, he asked if he could take the meat to show the owner. He said that “we have been preparing this for 77 years and I have never seen anything so bad”. He returned the dinners packed up and gave us the bill for $214.00. That was it. Guess that will be the most expensive dinner Mario’s ever made. It cost them a customer. What a disappointment. We do not recommend this restaurant.
Ceciletravelinfo
Classic Italian-American fare with old-school charm.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
william erves
i order food with them, got there and they acted like they didn't have my order for 10 minutes, then the person that took my order came out the bathroom. I ordered the lasagna and when I got home and it was room temperature, cheese tasted funny, and start to make the back of my throat itch. I called to make a complaint an the first thing they say was I couldn’t get a refund. So clearly, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Food is mediocre at best and overpriced. Don’t waste your time !
Want a fully immersive dining experience? Come to Mario’s downtown Detroit for a real life experience of an episode of Kitchen Nightmares where YOU are the shining star belittled by staff and served horrible, unpalatable dishes. I knew it was going to be a memorable experience when I arrived inside the restaurant and staff was already stating, “we are sick of this and I am so ready to quit right now” in the main dining area. I loved how they were spreading such holiday cheer! Disregarding disgruntled and probably over worked employees (especially during the holidays, I understand the pressure they must be under having formally been a server myself), I entered a reserved room for our party of approximately 100 guests. Our dinner reservation was scheduled from 4-7pm. Fortunately, about more than half of the party left before dinner was served at approximately 6:45pm. They missed the opportunity to experience the fine dining of undercooked, raw chicken and strong aromatics of pungent fish that consumed the room. Bonus points for green beans and potatoes which ultimately served as the main course. What did deliver was an unsurprisingly rude attitude from our waiter shouting “5 minutes” as well as other comments when a guest simply asked when our dinner may be coming out since we were quickly approaching the end time of our reservation. Tips if you plan dining here for the full experience that will truly be unforgettable: DO NOT valet. It took forever and I ended parking and retrieving my own vehicle. I did still pay valet fee and did tip. DO hold to your bread basket even if they try to take it away. This helped get through hours of feeling hungry and fill the void of deplorable food as we shared picked over breadsticks. In addition, bring your own water bottle/beverages because you will suffer from dehydration from only consuming bread, butter, and olives from a sad relish tray provided. In need of eating utensils? Not a problem at Mario’s! The staff will gladly remove your dirty plate and use their bare hands to swipe your already used silverware onto your charger and/or table for you to reuse! Just simply avoid cross contamination by not cutting into raw chicken and cutting into another side or dish. Although your restaurant has been one of the longest standing Italian restaurants in Detroit history, since 1948 according to your website, your recent reputation (based on reviews totaling 4.1 stars) does not mirror what your establishment disguises itself to be. It would be unjust to even attempt to form a single point of one star as a review rating, let alone to think Mario’s current 4.1 star rating as accurate. If your establishment, management, and staff are unable to accommodate larger parties and handle normal dinner service, simply don’t false advertise on your website that you are capable. An isolated incident? I think not! I shared my experience with family only to discover their last dining experience at Mario’s included a live spider on their dinner plate! YUM!! Extra protein! Nearing the final phase of processing my entire Mario’s experience and sharing with others, the final question I had asked my relative was if the spider was dead or alive.
Absolutely do not come here. Service was so bad/rude. Our waiter ALWAYS made us feel like a bother and had a terrible attitude. Do not go here before a show. Do not use the transportation shuttle advertised - they never came…until we told our waiter that we were still waiting we ended up being 40 minutes late for the show. When I spoke with somebody about it, they told me it was my fault for relying on their transportation shuttle since it’s just complementary anyway’ Group of 8 for an 85th birthday. Huge disappointment.
Worst experience ever. Mario’s overbook by 100 people on the night Andrea Bocelli preformed. 2 hours and we had not received our main meal when we spoke to the manager regarding this issue, the best she could do was charges a $20 setting fee. Came back to pick up our car after the concert to find out that somehow somebody had smashed the whole front end. Poor management we will never be back. This is our third bad experience.
The filet is divine, the service is impeccable and the owner is kind and welcoming. Everyone is treated like family and you want to come again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I love Mario's but I went on the 28 and our waiter was not great waiter , Nebill is my normal waiter his night off , food was great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My mom and I have been coming to Mario’s for over 20 years and have always loved the classic Italian service, food, and atmosphere. Unfortunately, our visit last week was really disappointing. We were seated in a side room that felt more like an overflow banquet space than part of the restaurant, and it seemed like they had overbooked. Our server was short and inattentive, barely stopping by the table, and the food just wasn’t up to their usual standard, the steak was dry and everything tasted bland. We left feeling really let down after so many years of great experiences.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Fantastic dining experience!!! Our server Giorgio was one of the best I’ve ever experienced anywhere. Professional, engaging, simply lovely man. Food was delicious! BEST minestrone soup I’ve ever had and my filet was cooked to perfection. Can’t wait for another event to bring us downstate and enjoy Mario’s again!
We visit Mario's once a year for special occasions, but I have to say we won't be going back. The food has become way over priced - $40 for spaghetti, and it wasn't that good. Fettuccine was supposed to be made tableside but wasn't, and my daughter mentioned that it tasted like cardboard. On top of that, they seated us right next to the speaker of the entertainment that night - some dude singing karaoke and playing the sax as filler. In the end, the entire food bill was $520 for six people, one bottle of wine, and a dessert. Find a better Italian place - this is not it.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Absolutely Fantastic,as always!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: House Salad
The most amazing meals The utmost in atmosphere and the wait staff so talented
We will return soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Minestrone Soup, House Salad, Chicken Piccante, Veal Oscar
Restaurantji Recommends
Highly recommend, from the food to the staff was all fantastic
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I had the WORST experience at Mario’s today. The service was terrible, I informed my waiter of my shrimp allergy four times, and was yelled at by the manager after explaining how bad the experience was. The lasagna tasted old and overcooked. 0/10, please don’t come here.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Last time we eat here. We have been regulars for over 20 years. Tonight was the last time we will be eating at Mario’s. Our usual, chateaubriand, was ordered medium. The server prepared it tableside, cut it on the grain, served two inch thick slices after complaining the knife wasn’t sharp enough. Then served us raw meat and asked if we wanted it cooked more. We had theater tickets in 30 minutes so we asked to pack it up to recook it and recut it at home. When we told the manager about our disappointment, he asked if he could take the meat to show the owner. He said that “we have been preparing this for 77 years and I have never seen anything so bad”. He returned the dinners packed up and gave us the bill for $214.00. That was it. Guess that will be the most expensive dinner Mario’s ever made. It cost them a customer. What a disappointment. We do not recommend this restaurant.
Classic Italian-American fare with old-school charm.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
i order food with them, got there and they acted like they didn't have my order for 10 minutes, then the person that took my order came out the bathroom. I ordered the lasagna and when I got home and it was room temperature, cheese tasted funny, and start to make the back of my throat itch. I called to make a complaint an the first thing they say was I couldn’t get a refund. So clearly, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Food is mediocre at best and overpriced. Don’t waste your time !
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
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