Marina's on the Square

Old fashioned Italian eatery with amazing proper pizza. Variety of lunch specials that include a starter salad and fresh bread. Ive heard that the lasagna is amazing. I had a stuffed slice and it was amazing. The crust tasted like my childhood before we were inundated with generic mod pizzas. The interior was typical old fashioned Italian and casual friendly service. Will be back.

As I walked in the place was immaculate so clean very well decorated such a great atmosphere we were seated and Cierra was our waitress and she was outstanding went over and above her job to make sure we were comfortable and very happy she made great recommendations for food and drink The food was over the top such a great taste such a great value I would recommend this to anyone in this area to stop and try that Italian cuisine unbelievably great staff outstanding a special thank you to Cierra

First time here , and did not disappoint ! I ordered the veggie pasta with chicken . I will definitely be back !

Went here for lunch today after all my coworkers suggested it—SO GREAT. Cozy booths, soft Sinatra radio, fresh bread & pasta & incredible service. I’ve had comparable experiences at places that cost 10x as much. Great lunch portions for great prices. Thanks for a lovely meal!

We were looking for a nice place to celebrate our anniversary and we found Marina’s on the Square. It is a lovely spot for a restaurant and was perfect for the occasion. Upscale enough for a romantic evening out but also casual enough to enjoy on any given day. It was our first time trying this establishment and our waitress was amazing. She was so nice and helpful. Her recommendations were great. I had the Tuscan shrimp pasta and my husband had the Cajun chicken pasta. The flavors were so good. It also came with choice of soup or salad. We both had a salad with a house dressing. They also gave us complimentary bread and we asked for dipping oil which was also delicious. We ate till we were full and had some to bring home. We also decided on getting a hot lava cake to celebrate the occasion to bring home but sounds like a marvelous dish served in house. Definitely will be coming back as we hear the calzones are very popular.

The vibe and service of this place was amazing but the food not so much. We got garlic bread, chicken parmesan, and lasagna. They were all pretty basic recipes, nothing special. A good place to try to see if you like it.

The service was great. Staff was super nice and friendly. The food tasted okay, but I don't feel I got my money's worth. Paying more than $50 for two people, I expect more than this.

Paired with a Chianti, the all meat calzone had generous amounts of meats, cheese and sauce. The crust had a good seasoning baste and it was cooked sufficiently to give it a nice crust up top without being soggy on the bottom. It was big enough that I'll have plenty for lunch the day after. The service was great. Ken kept our glasses topped, his timing on checking on us was great, and his attentive demeanor was well balanced; not lacking, nor overbearing, just right.

Been here before like 18 years ago. We had to try it again. I had the calzone and the wife had veggie pasta. Glass of wine was $9 and a beer was $4. The beer came out in a bottle but they did provide a frosty mug. The food: the calzone was huge! it was bigger than my hand, and I have large hands. It was full of pepperoni, sausage, cheese, black onions, and bell peppers. I had to bring half of it home. Wife's pasta was good. Salad was great. We will go back again. Staff was wonderful. Food took a minute but was very fresh and piping hot.

I really enjoyed this place! I wish I had come hungrier. We came here with a group of friends before seeing a show at the theater, and we loved it! We started with the party platter, wanting to try all the dips. We all really liked the Alfredo sauce, it had a really unique flavor that surprised us all in a good way. I got the tortellini for my entree, knowing I was already pretty full and restaurant tortellini is never filling. I was in fact too full and couldn't finish, but the portion was about what I expected. The tortellini was pretty good too! The environment was lovely and bustling, and the staff was friendly. Great little spot with an even better location, definitely check it out!

The food here is awful. I had diarrhea within 2 hours of eating here. Everyone in my party had the same problem. You can get better food from a can. They need a new chef.

We were in the 'Boro' today and stopped in for lunch. They have daily lunch and dinner specials. They have a small selection of wines and beers. They have a good selection of dishes to choose from. It's located in the downtown area with quite a few street parking spots. The staff were friendly and the service was good. I've been here before but it has been a while. The interior is rustic but a little dated. I will say that they food we had was just a touch above the Olive Garden. I would go back but I'm not going out of my way to eat here. That being said, they do have some dishes that are very affordable.

Nice enough folks, but mediocre, cold meal at best. EVERYTHING was cold, as you can tell by the pictures, even the mozzarella cheese topped on each dish was cold. Nothing was even warm enough to melt the cheese. Who wants cold cheese on top of a cold plate of pasta?? Not so sure everything wasn't 'lightly' microwaved before arriving at the table. Flavors weren't offensive, but weren't special either. Just 'meh'. Very little-to-no noticeable seasoning on any dish. The best I can say is that the focaccia was unique. Not sure I'd call it focaccia, but again, not worth going out of your way for. Server was nice, but this was the first time we'd been to Marina's since about a decade ago. Even then we left thinking our last meal was mediocre, but now that we've given it a final shot, I think it is safe to say we are crossing this place off our list for good.

"Holy Italian!" Soooooo good! We are very happy that we found our new Italian favorite. Chicken parmigiana is to die for My husband loved his lasagna too!!

We called ahead 45 minutes and were told it wouldn't be a long wait since we called ahead. Got there and they said it would be another 45 minutes after we arrived despite being told call ahead is put on the waitlist. Didn't get to try the food.

Decided to try Marinas on the Square tonight. We had a 45 min wait. But happy we all decided to wait! Brooke was our server and very happy about that! What a great server! She knows what she's doing and we never had to wait for anything! Dinner was very good! Service was the best!!! Sheila B.

This use to be the go to place for Italian. I am not sure what has happened. The chicken parm was very chewy, and soggy none of the breading was crunchy. The Alfredo was fine. Service was good she was very nice. The restaurant hasn't changed and has a very cozy vibe.

Great Italian food. Great ambiance. Great service. What more could you ask for. Will definitely be back

The food is great as well as the service plus the servers are very nice and polite. I came here with my grandparents and it was so fun. That's why I gave it a five star review. PS the cheesy bread is great. The marinara is the best.

Amazing food! I enjoy visiting this place for consistent Italian food; oh, don't forget the nice small wine selection as well. A sweet solo spot or nice date might.

Marina's on the Square is a local favorite for a reason- great Italian food at a great price. It offers many authentic options to choose from, great ambiance, and friendly service. You seriously can't go wrong with any dish, and I've tried several. Tonight, I had the Tuscan shrimp and added chicken. Wow! If you go once, you'll be back!

My tomatoes basil soup was cold tonight. My server was little rude & disrespectful smart

Was absolutely delighted with our first visit this week! Food was delicious service was good! We can't wait to go back!

Ate here a few times and really loved the food (especially the tomato soup) but last time I went a few weeks ago I was served pasta that had some mold in the cheese. The waitress was really nice and got me some new food but I honestly was pretty grossed out and wished I had gotten a refund.

Trying to figure out why after living in the Boro for 3yrs I've never seen or tried this place. Boy, I have been missing out on some good service and food. Our family stopped in for some Italian and the aroma once you walk in just steals your soul... the staff is super friendly as well. First the bread was to die for, you may find yourself eating more carbs than you want today... lol the stuffed mushrooms are awesome especially if you soak up the sauces with your bread. The Cajun pasta was full of flavor and way more than I could eat but I didn't want to stop it was so good. We will for sure comeback to try more menu items

We went in Saturday evening at the recommendation of a few coworkers of mine. There was an hr wait so we were pretty hungry when we arrived. We started off with a couple of stuffed mushrooms and the Spinach artichoke dip. The stuffed mushrooms were pretty good, and the sauce was really good. The Spinach artichoke dip was super bland, which, although we were hopeful, prepared us for our meals to come. My husband ordered the chicken marsala and he loved the masked potatoes. The actual entre', however, lacked flavor. My husband describes it as hospital patient food. Before ordering the cajun chicken pasta, I asked the waitress if it was super spicy and she said not to her, she actually asks for extra red pepper. It was very spicy and I guess that equates to flavor. Although it was spicy, the chicken wasn't seasoned, the cream sauce really lacked flavor as well. My noodles were swimming in this bowl of spicy, bland sauce and unseasoned chicken. The baked ziti and baked lasagna came out with shredded, not melted, cheese on top. How do you bring someone something that's supposed to have been baked with non melted cheese on top of this red sauce? And just like everything else, the meals were bland and not seasoned. The chicken parm, aside from the portion being small like it was from a kids menu, my son added his salt and pepper and finished it. The cajun chicken and the lasagna was packed up and left with the local homeless man and his dog that parks in the garage. Hopefully they can enjoy the meal. Our waitress was pretty decent. We tipped her cash in hand and left. I can honestly say I will never go back to this restaurant. They lack flavor in every dish we tried, except the sauce on the stuffed mushrooms. Wish I could've had that over my chicken and pasta.

Don't miss their Thursday night date night special!! Great food and service! Chicken Parmigiana

My friend wanted to have her birthday dinner at this place, so that's how I ended up here. Never heard of this place before, as I don't usually come to this part of town. But here are the few things I'd like to contribute as a fellow yelper. P.S. carbs don't count at this place. Lol. The bread OMG. It pretty much melted in my mouth. We got a few refills for it. It's worth it. I'll eat this bread all day errday!! It's fresh and warm when it comes to the table. The baked ziti! Phew I almost ate the whole thing, but was told not to finish it and save room for dessert. Apparently everyone asked for extra cheese and I didn't. Definitely ask for extra cheese on there. It's a simple dish, but it's delicious!!! This comes with a side salad. I don't have a picture of it. It's a sad side salad, so if you wanna be "healthy" you can take a bite or two. I'd suggest that it be skipped. (Giving it 5 stars even though the salad was a sad salad) The cheesecake! Can I get like all the cheesecake? Lol. I'm a big fan of a good ok plain cheesecake and I say if you are too then just get it! You'll thank me later. Fair warning you may feel sleepy after! Will definitely be back to try some more things from the menu! And again carbs are not a thing! Lol.

We had high hopes for this place but they really missed the bar. Our server was fine but we felt rushed the entire time. We hadn't even been sitting for a minute before she asked us to order. We said we had never been there and would need a few minutes. She then asked us two more times if we were ready like a minute later. Also, we still had glasses of wine and just finished our meals and she asked us if we wanted to-go waters... like what?? Our food wasn't even boxed yet. We sat in the back room which was cold, I could see cobwebs on the ceiling and could literally feel the wall move next to us. On to food: We ordered the trio appetizer. The focaccia bread was very thin and flaked on one side which was not at all what I was expecting. The sauces were the best part but still underwhelming for an Italian restaurant. I ordered the Tuscan shrimp pasta. The shrimp had absolutely no flavor or seasoning and were over cooked. In addition the menu stated a "seasoned" sauce, well I don't know exactly what they put in it but it tasted like seasoned salt or lawrys, which I hate, and definitely does not go in a Tuscan dish. There is nothing authentic about that dish and it really missed the mark. My husband ordered the Cajun chicken pasta. He did not like the taste and said the chicken tasted like it was frozen pieces you would heat in the microwave from your local grocery freezer. Overall, I would not recommend.

Went to Marinas on June 30th when visiting my sister and her family. We really enjoyed our meal. Portions were a nice size and tasty. A couple of the kids with us got pizzas and loved them. I got the Dante's Inferno which was very delicious. Our server was awesome. She was very attentive. My son dropped his meatball from his meal and she got him a new one no questions asked. The only bad thing I would say was it took a long time to get our dinners but there is a sign in the front advising that could happen so I knew it ahead of time. Next time we are in town I would definitely come here again.

1st time trying this restaurant. Came in on a recommendation from a friend and it didn't disappoint. Food was excellent and the staff was amazing

Located in the town's historic square, marina's has become a favorite family business over the last generation. Always busy, consistently good. Baked ziti, the tortellini and the lasagna were all thumbs up the last time I was with a group. Calzones and stuffed pizza may be the best in town. Heavy on pasta dishes. Also serves subs. Great vegetarian options. Servings are generous and prices are light on the wallet. Sauces could be more interesting and challenging. This place plays it safe, and it works. Very popular on the weekends. No bar so it's a really family vibe--the 150 year old building is comfortable and historic. Great for dine-in--a decent level of social distancing is being followed--but right now I prefer take-out and I everything here came out as ordered with no long wait.

This isn't the best Italian I've ever had, but it's better than Olive Garden. And I'd rather support a family owned store than a chain any day. We had the spinach and artichoke dip appetizer. My husband had the sampler platter and I have the cheese manicotti. They offer a loaf of bread and butter for your table. Marina's is a staple in Murfreesboro and I'll be back again!

Marinas on the Square is a solid Italian restaurant. My food was good and the service was quick. I took one star off because I do agree with other yelpers that the decor is super dated and in need of upgrades. Overall, a good experience.

Picture it: Sicily, 1951. Okay, so it's Murfreesboro in 2021, but on a cold, winter day this was the perfect lunch of Italian comfort food. The sausage-potato soup was delicious, with just enough spice to tickle your tongue. The manicotti with meatsauce was cheesy and delicious! The warm, yeasty bread was perfect for cleaning up the last bit of sauce off the plate. Do yourself a favor and leave room for spumoni and coffee. Trust me. Hungry for Italian food in the Boro? Forget the franchise and wander into Marina's for a much better meal for the same price

We like the antipasto salad and the calzones. We've had the pastas and dessert. And the bread! SO GOOD. We've been coming here for years.

Wonderful little restaurant! My girlfriend and I went on Thursday which just so happen to be when they were having a date night special, one appetizer, two entrees, and two desserts or two glasses of wine for $32, AN ABSOLUTE BARGAIN!!! We got the garlic bread as an appetizer which was pretty good, nothing special. We both got a salad which was also pretty good, and the bread they put out was also very good. It was hard not to get full before our entrees came! I got the tortellini with half marinara and half Alfredo, which I was skeptical about but the sauces went very very well together. My girlfriend got the angel hair pasta with marinara which was also very good. For dessert we got the cannoli which was very good as well. Overall a wonderful place to go with very good food, YOU CANNOT BEAT THE DATE NIGHT SPECIAL ON THURSDAYS!

Truck stop food. Whoever rates this good Italian food probably thinks highly of Olive Garden. Extremely disappointed. I should have known immediately an "Italian" restaurant that pairs Chicken Marsala with potatoes probably doesn't know what they're doing. It looked like a TV dinner Salisbury Steak. It was, no question, the worst chicken Marsala I've ever had. Appearance, taste, texture, presentation - it was all wrong. Maybe the ingredients were all there (were they?) but it wasn't close. Was Marsala wine even used? The "sauce" resembled thickened canned gravy possibly with elmer's or corn starch. The chicken resembled a large McNugget. I ate it because it was hungry and it was edible. I never salt/pepper my dishes at restaurants and my wife laughed when she saw me attempt to salvage this thing. Google image search "chicken Marsala" would produce more satisfaction than actually eating this. I got the expected "how was everything" remark from the staff and I feel this place doesn't really care because they have a known name. That's fine, we won't take up room. I couldn't tell if the "Cesar dressing" was their Caesar or they mistakenly used Creamy Italian. Wasn't Caesar. Again epic disappointment for an "Italian" restaurant. "Best lasagna in town" or whatever they call it, was OKAY. It was slightly acidic. But I don't use this a gage because if you can't handle lasagna you have no business in the restaurant industry. 1 star for the building. Another star for the attempt, I guess Edit: looking back at the photos posted to this place, even the photo of the food suck. Does this place even have a broiler? Melting the cheese is like rule number 1!! Bring me in to revamp this place!

Such good Italian food and service! I would recommend getting the spumoni! it was amazing!

I've been there a few times and every time has been a 9/10 or 10/10 experience. The last time I had probably the best server I've had anywhere (name was either Ken or Kent) and the food was amazing as always!

First of all, the blond attendant at the hostess desk needs a lesson in customer service, very rude. Second of all, if you claim to be a local favorite then live up to it! The flavors on the sauce were bland and the Italian seemed anything from authentic. Most dinners are served with a salad and bread and since the restaurant claims to be Italian I was expecting crusty bread with a soft middle. Instead, we were given nothing more than glorified sliced bread you would use to make a sandwich. The spaghetti had this bleached white color and reminded me of a what I used to get in a school cafeteria. My teenage son even remarked that his school made better Manicotti than what he had last night. We ordered 3 different glasses of wine in an attempt to find even one that was worth drinking and finally decided to hold up the white flag, aka our napkin and just surrender, pay the bill, and leave. Very disappointed and absolutely will not be back.

Marina's came highly suggested to us. The food was good assuming you could get over the rest of the issues. The place has great potential, but in need of some updating all the way around. The atmosphere was definitely outdated and run down. The benches and what I could see of the chairs had no padding and are in bad need of refurbishing. The air conditioner above one section was leaking on other customers forcing them to move. On one of the hottest days of the year to-date, they simply turned it off, but didn't have any of the ceiling fans running either. We were literally just sitting there sweating with no air movement. That's not terrible until you realize how slow the service was. When we first arrived and got seated, we ordered the focaccia bread appetizer. Followed by our meals with salads. The salads came out rather fast, and was a good mix of greens and other veggies. The focaccia bread didn't come till after received our meals arrived. So much for the "appetizer" of the order. But even the meals were almost 30 mins after being seated. I had the eggplant parmesan with Fettucine Alfredo. My other half had the spinach stuffed shells. Again, food was excellent, minus the 30 mins of wait in the sauna with no air movement. Lastly, the server wasn't exactly attentive to the table. There wasn't an attempt to realize just how long it was taking, or that the appetizer hadn't arrived yet. We essentially had to get up and get her attention for each thing we wanted. Drink refills, dessert, the check, you name it. She simply wasn't very attentive to the table. Overall, not the greatest experience, but at least the food was edible. I brought the leftovers home for lunch the following day if that says anything; but the rest of the experience was pretty subpar. A management/staff review and overhaul might be the next step to revive something that has good potential to be so much better.

The food was good but the customer service was terrible. Called in an order and told me 15-20 minutes. I went to pick my order and they had given it to someone else, so my wait was then 42 minutes for a sub sandwich and salad. When they finally brought my order out,she just laid it on the table and walked off. NO apologies. I usually don't write reviews but I work downtown and this isn't the 1st time I've had bad pickup service.

The last few times I have been here, the restaurant has been on the chillier side and it's cooler outside as well. But the food is really well cooked and has good flavor. Ordering from here is hit or miss, so check your meals before you leave. The waitresses have been great as well.

The current rating is accurate (3.5 stars). Not great, not bad.. except for the shrimp pasta, the only taste was black pepper... and lots of it. If it was a lower price point, I would maybe give them another chance.. but $68 for 1 adult and 2 girls means I expect more than what they offered. Maybe cloth napkins or some fresh baked bread... more complex flavors, some fresh parmesan. When you can cook better at home (and you wish you had) it is pretty much a fail in my book. Our server was excellent though (Isabella). There is a charm to the place, but the food is pretty basic.

Today for lunch, I took my 70 year old mom for a Progressive lunch. We started out with Thai/Laotian, went to Italian for salads and bread (we were both craving good crusty sourdough with olive oil and balsamic vinegar as well as a nice cheesy garlic bread). Mom had read a number of reviews about Marinas and how they had "amazing" garlic bread, supposedly the "Best" in all of Murfreesboro and the surrounding area. Unfortunately, I have to admit I was very disappointed. Especially since I am Italian, when I go out for Italian (which is rare, I expect it to be great). I should know by now not to trust the local reviews for Italian food, but I just keep hoping... Now don't get me wrong...99% of the people in Murfreesboro would probably LOVE this place! I'm being a little hard on them. But that's also because 95% of the families we know in Tennessee don't cook. So something decent is often thought of as being great. My Caesar salad was bland with no anchovy taste at all. The bruschetta bread was nice and crunchy, but why the hell would you serve the tomato, basil, and garlic cold in a cup on the side and not on the bread? The garlic cheese bread was on a hoagie roll and had absolutely no flavor at all. I'm hoping that the rest of the menu items have flavor-but can't tell ya because we bounced pretty quickly after the disappointment The restaurant itself was charming and the service was great. Found out as I checked out that the owners aren't even Italian--that may explain things. Hate to leave a mediocre review, but I won't be back.

The bread and the salad was delicious the service was good but the stuffed spinach shells were terrible the calzone was undercooked calzone should have all meat and cheese cooked inside and it was not. The manicotti was very limp and bland no flavor maybe We tried them on an off night. We were sat right away and the service was good I just was not impressed with the Italian dishes I tried.

Food was good. Service at our table was good. Staff in the back were not wearing masks at all. We are in a global pandemic. Why was this not cared about? If I would've known, I wouldn't have dined here. Good job on having tables socially distanced, but have your employees wear masks when interacting with one another and the public. I'm talking abour your staff who are in the back by the bathrooms making drinks, preparing the food for it to sent out, the cooks, and miscellaneous. How can you honestly maintain front of house staff being covid safe and socially distancing your tables, but nof mandating it for everyone? Mind is blown.

I haven't been here since pre-covid, so my husband & I decided to eat here (he'd never been) for a late lunch/early dinner. I recommended the Chicken Parmesan, Italian sausage soup & I couldn't remember if it was the garlic bread or the cheese bread I had liked so much....asked our server & she said both are good & both have garlic, so we went with the cheese bread. First, we were served a sliced French bread, along with our soup. Soup arrived and was barely lukewarm. We sent it back & it came back steamy, but still not hot. Was very tasty though. Next our cheese bread arrived. Its a small loaf split down the middle & cut into pieces (see pic). There is no garlic on it, so I was disappointed. However, it's really good dipped in the marinara sauce (yummy sauce by the way). Our Chicken Parmesan arrived. Mine was very good, but not all the cheese was melted on it (under the marinara sauce). Pasta was good too. My husband's chicken had a cold spot & a lot more unmelted cheese than mine (chicken was cooked though). He liked it, but wasn't impressed with his meal. I have to say that pre-covid, I loved eating here for lunch. Now, I'm assuming, there are new employees & it's a transition. I will go back, but will give it awhile.

I always love supporting local businesses. We stopped in for pizza one evening and left there really surprised by how disappointing it was. The pizza tasted like inexpensive frozen pizza. The waitress was very nice. The atmosphere was decent. The food quality just seems to have really gone down hill.

As another reviewer suggested that a correct rating for this restaurant is 3.5 stars. Food was good but not great. Soup was served lukewarm and had to be sent back. When my chicken parmigiana came out I saw that none of the cheese on the chicken was melted. The temperature of the chicken varied from bite to bite (from lukewarm to warm). Not sure how that happened. My wife said that pre-Covid she had some very good meals there so I'm going to guess new cook.

Beautiful decorations, the restaurant has a very cozy and homey environment. Food is fantastic, I had the Tuscan Shrimp pasta and it was cooked perfectly. Portions are generous and prices are very decent, you definitely will get more for your buck. Service was excellent, our server Morgan was great. We will definitely come back!

We ate at Marinas on a Saturday for lunch. It was our first time there. Noise level was average and the ambiance was lively- lots of folks laughing and engaging with one another. The food took a little bit to get to the table but it was worth the wait. Not too garlicky which happens sometimes with Italian food. The house red wine was excellent.

I love this place! So you know I'm going to give it all stars. We eat here every chance we get. I love Italian food of all types and they have a great selection and it is all delicious. Huge pizzas to share that are amazing, topped with anything you could want. The pastas are so delicious. The lasagna is perfect combination of sauce, cheeses, pasta and meat Mmm. The chicken parmigiana is delicious served with a side salad and choice of pasta, my favorite! The tomato soup is creamy but full of tomato flavor, very good! I like the Cesar salad, good creamy dressing with the right hint of garlic and tossed perfectly (not too much or too little dressing). Bottomless fresh hot French bread (don't fill up on the bread). Great service, food, atmosphere you can't go wrong!

Pasta was over cooked. The grilled chicken was dry. It was very bland. The salad was poorly put together. I keep reading reviews on how it used to be, wish I was there for when it used to be.

Omg! This place was exceptional! Doug is a fabulous chef, very kind& sweet Our server Joanie excellent! Definitely coming back soon( l had the baked ziti) so good!!!

A nice atmosphere on the inside. We has spaghetti with meat sauce and really enjoyed it!xxxxxxxcxxxxxxxxxxccccccxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx