Mangia - Eat on Main

Okay, so wow—just moved to the area and stumbled on this cozy little Italian joint, and let me tell you… total gem. I had the short rib tortellini (legit melted in my mouth), and my partner got the chicken parm, which was crispy, saucy perfection. Our waitress Kayleigh? Absolute angel. Chill, sweet, and super on it without hovering—10/10 vibes. It felt like the kind of place you instantly wanna become a regular at. Food was fire, the service was amazing, and the whole experience was just chef’s kiss. We’ll 100% be back. Probably way too often.

Very good food and wine menu. We enjoyed the chicken piccata and gnocchi and dessert. And great bread! All our food taste great, with lovely presentation and the ambience is nice, and the staff is friendly. Our waiter, Ezra, was such a nice guy and knew the menu well. We will come back.

We had a really nice dinner here at Managua. We started with the baked ricotta, and our entrees were the gnocchi and a penne special. All of it was excellent. Our server checked on us often and our glasses were always full. It’s a small restaurant, but perfectly placed downtown. Prices were good and the service was great.

We were in Salinas while on a road trip visiting national parks. This restaurant is great! The service was exceptional, food was delicious, and atmosphere was comfortable. Highly recommend!

Eating at Mangia is like eating in your family’s kitchen. The food, the atmosphere and the people are all so warm and greeting. If you are looking for great food, great atmosphere and great people Mangia is the perfect place!

Really good ambiance, very friendly staff, very clean, and a cute romantic spot for a date, or just a relaxing datenight with your significant other. I was kind of bummed they didn't have Lasagna in the menu, but I was still very happy with my order. Definitely worth visiting again.

As someone from the area and who has been to Italy often - this is a local gem! Mangia is the only Italian local eatery that seems the most authentic to me - with a local twist. Pasta was Al dente, wine was fabulous, service was great, and flavor was on point! I do remember there being a vegan pasta option, too. If you can’t go to Italy then eat here and support a local business 🖤

My New FAVE! I could eat here EVERY night! The Gnocchi is my go to, but I also try something new and nothing has disappointed. It's a cozy friendly LOCAL vibe that keeps you coming back for More!! GO EAT! Mangia!

Tonight is our date night and I was craving for an Italian cuisine so my hubby suggested Mangia. We used to come here when it was still Taste of Thai so we know the location by heart. The inside is clean and organized. This is a small space but they managed to keep it well lit and maintained. I was glad that it's quiet, though there are a lot of diners, it's not loud at all. Italian songs on the background is a plus. The foods! We decided to go full meal, to try and see how it is. We stared with the fried calamari, and to be honest my hubby and I are very meticulous on this dish as we tried it with every restaurant we go to and there's only at least two place that we liked them... but this! It's so good, cooked to perfection - not rubbery, soft and crusty yet not oily; and the dipping sauce! I am one that easily gets turn off it it's not good, but my oh my! The dipping sauce is superb! I even ate it by itself. Oh and have you tried fried lemon?! Never had one, but this gave a whole new meaning to lemon in my opinion. Then we ordered their soup of the day which looks like a ministroni (but I know it's not what it's called) ~ all I can say is it's delicious! All ingredients complement each other, plus try dipping the bread and you'll not regret it. I orders the linguine - it comes in white sauce, with spinach, and prawns - amazing! My hubby ordered the rigatoni - simple dish yet it's tasty and pasta is cooked well. And to finish our date night, we ordered my all time favorite the espresso tiramisu ~ it's good, not close to the best that I've tasted but still good. Service was exemplary! From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with warmth and everyone is courteous. Abby (I don't know if that's how you spell her name) was our server - hands up to her service. She was very attentive, polite, and courteous. You will always see her smiling, and explained all the menus with clarity and knowledge. She served us with grace and warmth! Now a days, there's only a few establishments that have servers that gives you that kind of service! So thank you Abby! You have made our dinner date a beautiful one. This I can say is our new favorite Italian Restaurant in town! Highly recommended!

This is my second time coming to Mangia and it's bc my friend wanted to come here. After my first experience about two years ago, my expectations were set and they were low. The good- the food! I ordered bolognese with spaghetti and the flavor makes up for the second part and is the only reason for three stars and not fewer. My friend ordered something else (w broccoli and chicken) and it was meh according to them. We arrived when it opened. They did not appear to be ready and it was a Friday. Cooks told us where we could sit and we did. Adele was singing at volume 10 directly above my head. Thankfully that was turned down quickly! The overall service is just sad. The first time I dined here the server called radiatore pasta "radiator" pasta and now that's all I see when I see radiatore. It was apparent they had no idea what they were saying. Today's server was not much better. Reading specials from their phone. Server says "I'll be serving you and I'll be doing my other afternoon duties as well." Um, okay? That was code for I won't be back for a good 15 minutes while I do other things. Meanwhile, the owner is there, as she was the last time, without a care in the world. Not once has she checked on a table or has a clue what's going on in the restaurant. Friend ordered a salad, it was ordered, but never brought nor spoken about again. I want to like this place and come back bc the bolognese was tasty! But my god, train your freakin servers. It's expensive enough to go out to eat and tip. At least make it worth it. But, I'm not sure who would train them bc the owner could use help there too. This place could use one of those reality shows kitchen 911

I chose gnocchi di Andrea, but I didn't finish the dish. My mother in law compared her linguini to Olive Garden, so we initially assumed that her pasta wasn't al dente. The food is good, it just doesn't feel special. The waitress had to describe the manicotti special as Italian enchiladas. We were too full of bread to have dessert.

The ambiance is wonderful, the service is great. Staff is attentive to customers . The food is so good. Everything that I have ordered is AMAZING. The pastas the salads and especially the desserts!!!!!! They also have specials that always a treat. The pizzas they have on Mondays are great. If you haven't been there you have got to try it. They are the by far the best Italian restaurant in Salinas.

Everything we tasted from this restaurant came from a can, jar or frozen package, probably from Costco, and not even their better quality items like rustic bread I know Costco has. This was some of the worst Italian food my Italian husband and I have ever experienced. I had a beet salad and he had the shrimp over-cooked pasta in Ragu-style Alfredo from the jar sauce. They get one star from us because the wait staff was very kind and helpful. One small thing they could improve, as a start would be to get a filter for their their tap water which tasted chlorinated. We ordered bottled water after the first sip. Ferrarelle is the one good choice this establishment made.

This restaurant is absolutely AMAZING! Definitely don't pass on this one - great service and so friendly!!

My friend and I had been wanting to try this place out for a while because everyone was talking about it. I'm glad we did because we did enjoy ourselves and our dinner with a glass of wine. Nice cute little place. Service was pretty good. The food was good but a bit different than what I was expecting (good nonetheless). A bit on the pricier size. It would be a nice place for a date night.

Service was ok, ambience was fine, food uneven and almost totally bad lest the saving New England chowder. The $37 special, a linguini with vodka sauce and mixed seafood was dull, overcooked, tasteless; two microscopic pieces of lobster (the size of bread crumbs), no sundry tomatoes (which could have helped with the taste). Overpriced dish for a decidedly pale taste and poorly executed offering. The 3 Mexican "chefs" clearly do not understand how to prepare a decent Italian dish. My wife's dish was only slightly better. The worst part was when we got our bill the deception continued. The $9 1 Liter Pellegrino water was not that: it was a 750 ml Ferrarelle water! (See photo) . At least the clam chowder was good!

Friday night and the restaurant is busy. Music lightly playing in the background, dimly lit. Feels like home. Hostess allowed us to pick our seating since we had such a large party. Ordered bruschetta, calamari, and garlic cheese bread for appetizers. All delicious. Server has been awesome. The special was pork chops, a little dry but tasty. I ordered the gnocchi with red sauce, delicious. We also ordered the shrimp salad, beet salad - all very good, chicken tenders with fries and pasta with Alfredo sauce. We got the lemon dessert and cheesecake to go. Great dinner. Great service. Plenty of parking on Main Street, parking behind the restaurant is dimly lit.

All round excellent dining experience for all three of us. Salads, entrees and desserts were enjoyed by each of us.

Everything is always delicious, the staff is very friendly, and the deserts are wonderful. I highly recommend them...

excellent! Lovely vibe and atmosphere, and the food - omg the food was amazing! Small portions, but still filling and absolutely delicious. Awesome dessert options too. Free high quality bread and diverse selection of Italian wine! Loved this pit stop.

Great tasting Italian food. Service was great. Like that the menu was not overwhelming.

We really love going to Mangia for dinner. My husband was craving for spaghetti so we decided to go to Mangia. He ordered the Rigatoni Bolognese asking instead for spaghetti as thr pasta. They gladly made the adjustment. I had an entrée that was a special, Cheese filled raviols on a bed of basil with clams and shrimpmeat in the creamy tomao sauce. It was so amazing. At the end we each had a pistachio Gelato. It was a great meal, I can't wait to go back. Service was awesome, Ezra was o our waiter who provided attentive service and took good care of us.

My mom took me here for my birthday lunch. The service is great, and the food is absolutely fantastic! I ordered the gnocchi di Andrea, and it was beautifully flavored and perfectly portioned. For dessert, I got a lemon cake, which was exceptional! My mom ordered a fun little desert that came with ice cream, and a little coffee drink you pour over the top. We really enjoyed the small intimate setting, and the staff were great! I will definitely eat here again! I love some good Italian, and this is absolutely great Italian!!

Mangia on Main is always a gem! Our group enjoyed a delightful dining experience. The pasta dishes were spot on, cooked to perfection with rich, flavorful sauce - and the Chicken Piccata!! The service was equally impressive--attentive and friendly without being intrusive. Everything from the ambiance to the menu exceeded our expectations. Definitely a place worth visiting!

Amazing Pizza pie in a traditional pizza oven inside the restaurant. I haven't been able to get here on Mondays nights because I have a standing meeting in Seaside. But I got a bye this week and my meeting moved to Tuesday. I am so happy I made it here tonight. Pizza was excellent and just the right amount of flavor to spike my taste buds. The house Chianti was perfect for this meal. The staff was super friendly and I was seated quickly. I feel like I got the last order in at 7:45 pm. Photos include other times I had visited and a great little spot in the heart of Oldtown Salinas.

Sat at the bar with my dad the other night. Mangia is very quaint and cute. Mangia staff are incredibly sweet and took great care of us. I loved the fresh bread they offered. We ordered the caprese salad which was so fresh. The mozzarella cheese was very light and refreshing. I ordered the linguine and clams special which was honestly the best I've had. My dad got the pork belly bucatini special which he too enjoyed. Highly recommend!

This was my first time here and the service is super important to me when I try a new spot - excellent ! The food is also great super clean spot original authentic Italian food. I would definitely come again. Go try it out !

Brought our nice to a summer get away to Monterey Bay and she was in the mood for pasta so we knew where to take her. Service was great and the food was amazingly delicious and fresh. Happy we came back to eat on main!

Excellent standard Italian chicken dishes chicken piccata and other red sauce pasta dishes. Good choice of dinner salads, burrito cappers salads. Also had-some wonderful dessert options. Good wine list too. I'd go back.

THE BEST Italian in Salinas! Their Carbonara is the best I've ever eaten, and every dish we've eaten there has been top of class. Their wine list is great and they make a limited selection of very tasty cocktails. The friendly servers hit the mark, attentive without being overbearing. This is a great place to take your special lady for date night or any other special occasion. We are going back tonight!

Locally owned and operated, and it's obvious. Great service, super friendly. The menu is diverse and they graciously accommodate modifications. The bar is well stocked, nice wine selection. Highly recommend.

You can't get anymore of an authentic Italian experience than Mangias in old town salinas. Hands down the best Italian restaurant in this region. They treat you as if you are part of their family back in Italy. My grandmother would definitely approve of Mangia ,God rest her soul

It's a very cute and cozy place . Very nice employees. I picked this place for the pizza . BUT they don't offer pizza anymore . My sandwich was so so . Needed salt . It was huge , so you can share it . It was a bit messy for me , I would have the sauce on the side . The sandwich fell apart .

We decided to come to this restaurant due to the reviews and the menu. We arrived around 6 pm on a Saturday and we're seated right away. Bread with olive oil and basalmic vinegar were given once we ordered. The Caesar salad was over dressed and heavy. The crutons were freshly baked and had a good flavor. The pasta with shrimp and spinach (I forgot the actual name of the dish) was one noted and reminded me of a mac and cheese with well cooked shrimp.

The food is fantastic & service is also great. I am one of those people who often regret eating at restaurants because I feel sick afterwards. This is my second time eating at Mangia and I left wanting more. We ordered the lentil soup - which is great and had a little spice to it, the calamari - which is rings and tentacles and even a deep fried lemon which I urge you to try and the bruschetta. All starters were fabulous. The special of the night was a filet with mushroom ravioli, which I could not pass up. The filet was done perfectly and cut into pieces placed onto the raviolis. I would say there was at least 6 large raviolis if not more. On top we're perfectly done green beans and some red bell peppers. The dish was finished in under 10 minutes by me and I had wished I had more but the portion was perfect... Because then I had room for dessert! We got the cannoli - which was a perfectly crisp shell with cannoli filling. I got the pistachio gelato - that is my favorite and my husband got the stracciatella - which is almost like a vanilla with chocolate flakes mixed in. Both gelatos were this sticky almost doughy gelato that was PERFECT for after eating the meals we both ate. We got there right as they opened their doors. Plates came out super quick and the service was fabulous. We hope to come back on a Monday for pizza night

If you want excellent, quality real Italian food, then go to Mangia's. Good service, friendly staff

I came on the first day it was open. I had bad service. They were unprofessional. The waitresses were eating bread and walking around behind the bar, talking to each other in front of the customers and they gave me a pasta dish that was clearly cooked hours before and then reheated, but the pasta was still sticky and cold and stuck together, and I could not eat it. It was not freshly made, and I asked them to take it off my bill because it was not edible and not freshly cooked it was left over the Pasta was sticking together and you could tell it been cooked ours before and they just reheated it and they were very rude and did not want to give me my money back Whoever after arguing with me for five minutes and getting the manager and they finally took it off the bill but made me pay the 15 or $16 glass of wine. I drank, but the food was not edible.

Great food and a great family!! The staff is very welcoming and accommodating.. the food is out of this world and can't be beat at the price point. Whenever we feel like going out to dinner, it's alway Mangia. If you haven't eaten there yet, treat yourself and check them out!

Omg, so good! Y'all ate so much I feel like I'm going to throw up. Him: 1. Side salad 2. Bianchina pizza 3. White Sparkling Wine 4. Red We both had the bread with ricotta cheese to start. Me: 1. Tomato Mozzarella salad 2. Seafood pasta 3. Rosa Regale sparkling wine. The Rosa Regale tasted like Blueberry Juice! Everything tasted amazing! Very authentic! My grumpy white man, kept saying "mmmhmm! Mmmmhm!" Every other sentence. At one point I thought he was gonna start licking his plates. He's also a very picky eater like my pre-teen at home. Our server is named Steph. Like Steph Curry. He's a very nice kid. Thank you for serving us!

Ordered the salmon special. Was not thrilled. Blackening had no taste at all. Salmon was a bit dry. Salad was so so. The worst part was they did not remove the pin bones from the fish. If it wasn't for the excellent service im not sure I would have given it more than one star.

Great find. Food, wine, & service all hit the mark! This quaint gem is quite the find. For casual evening out or that working lunch or dinner Mangia serves up the venue!

I have a lot of memories of this location, and this is the first time visiting since the restaurant changed. We walked in without a reservation in the middle of the week, and were seated immediately. We ordered the garlic bread, the calamari, and I ordered the spaghetti carbonara. The calamari was very good, and fried nicely without being greasy. There were some deep fried lemon slices and capers as well to accompany the dish. The capers were pretty large, and I have never encountered deep fried capers. There were only a few but they were amazing. This was a brilliant addition to an already good appetizer. The garlic bread had fresh garlic, and was good. Not really memorable, but good. I would probably skip this on my return trip. The spaghetti was cooked nice and al dente, and was lightly coated with olive oil and bits of pancetta. There was a generous amount of pancetta, but the pancetta lacked the saltiness that this dish needed to really shine. This left the dish a bit flat in flavor with nothing to really stand out. It was good, but it wasn't good enough to order again. The portion that they gave me was huge though, and enough for two meals for me. For dessert, I ordered the coffee gelato. When they brought it out, it was a shot of espresso poured over vanilla gelato. So simple, yet so good. The strong espresso with the ice cream created a deeply coffee flavored spoonful over and over again. I will be thinking of this dessert long after this meal. Overall, I like the casual ambiance of this restaurant. It's casual enough to not have to really dress up, but at the same time it's definitely nice enough for an intimate date night dinner. The service was good, and there were absolutely some highlights in this meal.

Great meal. I enjoyed every bite and practically licked my plate clean. Loved the innovative and unique specials. Will be back.

Food is so good! A must for Italian cuisine, very attentive service and nice ambiance

Such a wonderful experience all around!! Excited to have such local restaurant with excellent service and incredible food!!! I know, apps and your meal are great, but don't leave without a dessert!!! Some are home made, and that raspberry sorbet is to die for!!! Stopping in Salinas for a meal here is more than worth it! Finish your evening with a stroll DT, and just enjoy the evening.

I was a little disappointed the third time I went to this restaurant, it was the second week of opening, the bread was not as fresh as the first time it wasn't even warm anymore. The mushroom soup was still phenomenal tasting however, it had whole mushrooms instead of slices, imagine bitting into a hot whole mushroom? The food just didn't taste as good as the first week that I was there, I will still keep the five stars because I will try it again. I hope that they don't try to cut corners with certain things because initially the food was amazing.

If you are looking for absolute authentic Italian cuisine this is the place for you. I have spent plenty of time in Italy to know. But it's not just the food. The family atmosphere and service are superior. Anna and Nuccio are the most welcoming hosts. Marnie, Lisa and Mary along with the kitchen and wait staff are on it. I've heard that they actually take the staff to Italy to truly let them feel the vibe. Can't wait to go back to Mangia myself. Godere.

Great food and service! Very friendly. Have gone back several times. If you get a chance try it!

Everything was so delicious! The atmosphere was authentic Italian and everyone was welcoming! Nice place for dinner with friends or significant other. Really enjoyed the whole experience.

My wife and dauther took me there for my birthday good service food was hood desert was fantastic .We will be back next time iam ordering linguine and clams not on menu on specials

Stopped by with some friends to see what the new place in downtown was all about. Great service and a nice selection of wines. The calamari we ordered as an appetizer was bland in my opinion and required the sauce to make it worth finishing. I ordered the rigatoni bolognese as recommended by the server for its unique tasting sauce but was not impressed. My other friends also thought their plates were nothing to rave about. Overall, great ambiance and good service. Wouldn't come here for Italian when there are other options in town like Gino's, Pastabilities, or La Patria next door.

We wanted to try a new spot and glad that we had a chance to visit this place. I remember reading an article when they first opened. The place was super warm and inviting. Service was great and the food was amazing. Fresh & flavorful. Look forward to another stop and highly recommend coming in, if your in the area.

Wowser! What a fun and wonderful place to dine. We were attending a play just down the street and they were so very accommodating of our family. The dishes were delicious including the two different types of gnocchi, the bucatini special with shrimp, scallops, rock fish and more. Also, the most delicious had to be the tortellini short rib special. Amazing. Great portions, delicious sauces and a welcoming staff made it for a delightfully memorable dining experience.. Thanks to Christy our server, Ana the owner and her husband our chef , as well as the rest of the staff for making us feel so very much at home. We will be back and maybe this time, save room for dessert.

Good casual atmosphere and good food. Service was top notch and the beer section was good.

Service was excellent and my soup was amazing! Had a little tummy ache earlier but had to meet up with one of my gfs of mine to give her belated bday gift. Her entree looked amazing. But my soup really hit the spot and had to get my Dauo Cab which helped my tummy aches. Thanks for allowing us to catch up and closing it down. Defiantly would come back again!

This was huge surprise!!!! What a great spot, ambiance, and most of all great food. Great homemade pasta everywhere on the menu, a representative wine list for the Valley, and super service. Lobster ravioli special was killer and the caprese salad had outstanding cheese and tomatoes. My only "ding"on them - bread before dinner was cold, but hey - the server poured individual olive oil and vinegar plates for us - a very nice little touch. 100% a must do - we live "over the hill" in Carmel Valley and my wife timed our drive home - only 23 minutes. We will be back again and again.

Mangia has some really delicious pasta dishes.. the service is always great! Very friendly!