Mario's Northern Italian Cuisine & Banquet Center

Waiter- fantastic. Very friendly, engaging and attentive. Valet service -fantastic. Food- 7/10 - delicious bread basket, antipasto tray and soup. Meals were supposed to come with pasta course-didn’t receive. Nothing was mentioned when we received green beans and a chunk of potato instead. Chicken piccata had no capers. Lasagna was dry with very little flavor. The attached photos are from the women’s bathroom 🤢

I’ve been going to Mario’s for many years, and it has always felt like much more than just a restaurant. From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere is warm, welcoming, and full of history. It’s the kind of place where traditions matter and guests are truly valued. The management team—Lou, Shawna, and Leeah—are consistently attentive, professional, and genuinely invested in making sure every guest has a great experience. Their presence and leadership are felt throughout the restaurant, and it shows in the way the staff treats people. Vince, in particular, treats you like family, not just a customer, and that personal touch is something you simply can’t replicate. There’s a reason Mario’s has stood the test of time and holds the title of the oldest Italian restaurant in Detroit. Longevity like that doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built on quality, relationships, and a deep commitment to hospitality. Mario’s represents the heart of Detroit dining, and it continues to be a place I’m proud to support and return to time and time again.

We visited Mario’s yesterday for a catered dinner, but each table was served insufficiently. They refused to provide extra food or offer additional platters, despite our requests. Eight people were at a table, and there was clearly not enough food for them. To make matters worse, we were unable to get drinks refilled. Even when we asked, no one seemed to be able to help. One of the drinks, a ginger ale, took four attempts to be brought out correctly. It was a truly disappointing and a disheartening experience. I had high hopes for this place, but it fell far short of my expectations.

I had the best time for my birthday. Service was impeccable... food was Devine and atmosphere was absolutely breathtaking. The best time I've had in a while.

I love the food at Mario's. Portions are generous. The steak tips are a great starter but almost enough for an entree. ( Not complaining just a POV) I adore the salad. The salmon is my favorite - Always cooked perfectly. I love bringing my guest here because it's a classic old school with the service and table side cooking/preparation. It's a lost art that shouldn't go away...

Our company hosted our holiday party at Mario's Restaurant, and what an incredible experience it was! From start to finish, the service was absolutely top notch. Nabil, Mary, and the entire Mario's crew went above and beyond to take care of our group—attentive, warm, and genuinely hospitable. The food was outstanding. The special antipasti, the minestrone, the salad, the pasta Bolognese -everything was excellent, my filet was cooked to perfection topped with the famous Zip sauce- absolutely delicious. Every dish that came out of the kitchen was impressive, and you could tell the quality and care that goes into everything they serve . To top off the evening, we took advantage of Mario's dinner and a show program, hopping on the shuttle over to MGM Grand Detroit for "Luminare" It made for such a seamless, memorable night out with the team. When we got back, Roy had the speakeasy all set up for a little night cap, coffee and cannoli's! Mario's truly knows how to make an event special. We can't wait to come back! Thank you to everyone for making this outing so very special : )

One of the worst restaurant experiences I’ve had. We arrived with a reservation, were seated, and immediately felt unwelcome. The hostess was rude and bossy, telling us to move over, hand her the menus, and rearrange our silverware ourselves—completely unprofessional. After sitting at the table for over 25 minutes without a server, drinks, or even an acknowledgment, we had to track down the manager. He apologized and said they were short-staffed, which makes no sense—if you’re that understaffed, stop seating guests, especially those who had not made reservations . Poor planning is not the customer’s problem. A waiter was eventually sent over and took our order. Then… nothing. No drinks. No appetizers. No food. No check-in. After another 20 minutes, the server was nowhere to be found. At that point, we had wasted a huge amount of time sitting in a restaurant that clearly had no intention of serving us. We left with absolutely nothing. The manager then proceeded to tell us to please come back one day and give them another chance. Yeah, OK Let’s come back next month and hope and pray to God that we get service. Not taking my chances on that. Shame on you. Bad service, bad management, and zero accountability. Do not recommend.

I went to Mario’s Restaurant last night with a party of 10 and had an amazing experience. The service was outstanding, and the food was absolutely delicious. Every staff member was so welcoming and attentive, which made our night even better. The owner is truly amazing you can tell how much he cares about his restaurant and his guests. Everything ran smoothly despite our large group, and we all left happy. I highly recommend Mario’s and can’t wait to go back!

Classic Detroit dining. Calamari appetizer. Amazing filet mignon with zip sauce. Simply magnificent.Oh.

I really enjoy coming to Mario's. The service is always excellent! They have parking across the street and it is nice they will shuttle you for free to the games and shows in Detroit. It is definitely an older understated decor which mood lighting for dinner. The dinner and show or game packages are a great deal! The salad, soup, and antipasti are always good. No complaints. I got the mushroom ravioli which was good. Definitely was under seasoned, but that's okay. The drinks are always made well. Their manhattan is delicious! I recommend coming here before a game or show and taking their shuttle to the show. They will also pick you up!

This place oozes history and old school nostalgia. There are a few different dining areas. There is bar seating and dining room seating. The service was fast and efficient. The food was delicious. We had a warm bread and butter basket then an antipasti appetizer tray with olive tapenade, green and black olives, salami, peppers, and shrimp cocktail. We had salad next then minestrone soup. My partner has seafood pasta that was prepared table side. I had the salmon with risotto and asparagus. Both dishes were delicious.

Very disappointed in the food although service was good. I ordered the shrimp scampi under the hot appetizer listing and basically got fried shrimp drenched in butter with the legs on . Definitely not worth $35 and could only eat 2 of the 6 shrimp. I had my husband taste one of them and he completely agreed with me. The host came over and I told her what I thought and she said that is the way they come. At least she gave us $7 off but I still think the discounted $28 cost was very overpriced for an appetizer of fried shrimp. My husband got the spaghetti with meat sauce and it was okay. The best part of our meal was the relish tray they brought us compliments with the bread. I will not be back.

Mario's is a classic old school Italian restaurant. Been there for 75 years and they still use the original recipes. This place is nothing less than amazing. The food is absolutely to die for. I had the oysters they were fabulous. The petite fillet was amazing in the zip sauce. Service was perfect. This is one of my favorite restaurants. I highly recommend it. Plus they give you shuttle service to every downtown venue.

First time at Mario's was great. Great service and food was spectacular. I couldn't wait to come back and have the NY Steak. Fast forward to this year and we went in with a bigger group of family and I must say it was a bit sub par. Our server was ok and was a bit hard to understand. The food was also a bit sub par this time around. My fiancé got the Mushroom Ravioli and the sauce lacked flavor. It was pretty bland. I got the NY Steak as I had been talking it up since last year when we were here and I was completely let down. The steak was overcooked, had some kind of crusting on it server with a tomato basil mix. It was not what I was expecting. The previous year we were there the NY Steak was perfectly cooked served with some kind if Balsamic sauce I believe. I'm not sure if they serve it different ways but again the server just took the order and didn't ask so I assume this is how they serve it now? The place is great and all the fixings served before dinner are great, including the salad and soup. I was just really looking forward to a nice juicy steak like last years and got the opposite with a overcooked and dry rub steak.

Nothing like a Friday dinner date with my parents! This is one of their all time favorite restaurants. Our waiter tonight was Phillip and he took great care of us. We weren't rushed at all and were able to enjoy each course. There is so much food for the price! The antipasto tray, salad, soup, pasta and the meals! We enjoyed it all. The steaks are seasoned to perfection! I had, for the first time, the Veal Alitalia Benissimo and it was SO good! Will definitely be ordering that again. The thin layer of prosciutto and the sherry wine send this dish over the top! The Italian dinner was excellent as well.

Our favorite restaurant for an excellent dinner and fantastic service.A 5 course meal that is at an enjoyable pace. Always a great evening out . Also there is live music on the weekends for your listening and dancing pleasure. A noted thank you to owner Vince Passalaqua for his dedication and commitment in maintaining such a fine establishment.

I'm not exactly 100% sure what to do for Mario's. Is it a classic spot in Detroit? Absolutely. But as far as the food goes they are stuck 40 years ago, their food is classic as the restaurant. The one thing I will say about Mario's is that the service is impeccable. We were well treated with a lot of attention. As for the food I can't give it as high marks because my steak bites were cooked incorrectly and it seems every time I've been here there is always some issue like this. Now why am I unsure about this review? Their happy hour is spectacular. Great drink and food specials from 3-9 at the bar and in the lounge. Like seriously, great deals for good enough food and drinks. I would say my rating is 3.5 but I can't quite push it to 4.

My friend and i enjoyed a top notch, Old World, Italian lunch here recently on a weekday. Parking for me was out front and metered (a bit hard to figure out and work in freezing temperatures). My friend found parking in the valet lot (sans valet) across the street. House wines by the glass are VERY reasonably priced. Nice pours too! Our patient server, Vanita gave us plenty of time to catch up and sip before ordering the meal saying, "We're not that busy. Just take your time." And yes, she received an enhanced tip! Mario's Minestrone is the best - thick, rich, and flavorful. My Spaghetti Bolognese was beautifully Al Dente. I finished with a delicious Spumoni and hot coffee. High recommendations for lunch.

Bad night? This was the worst! Chateaubriand is our favorite dish. We get it every time we eat here. Tonight it was served raw, we requested medium. The meat was sliced so thick, we couldn't cut it. It was cut wrong, with the grain. When we asked for the manager, he asked if he could take it to show it to the owner. He said it was unacceptable. But they charged us full price, offered to remake it but our theater show was in 30 minutes so they packed up the leftovers and charged us full price. This was the most expensive dinner Mario's ever made. It cost them a long time customer.

Came here to try out as a potential restaurant for our wedding reception. We visited after a show downtown and were sat in the "couples booth" which ended up being a "you're not dressed well enough to sit in the main dining room" and got sat in a booth at the bar area. The host seemed cocky and quite cranky wasn't dressed well enough to have that type of attitude. There were two other tables in the room and a group of people sitting at the bar. The people at the bar were extremely loud it was unenjoyable to sit there. Food was mediocre at best, Roma's in Detroit is significantly better if you're looking for the "oldest Italian restaurant in Detroit." The meat and olives served before ordering were subpar, shrimp was overcooked. Service was extremely slow. Finished our appetizer before we could even order. Ordered the table Alfredo and it was lacking so much flavor. The chicken piccante was too salty to finish while the side veggies and potato were bland. Cannolini and manicotti were probably the best of the meals we ordered and would give it a 3/5.

It was okay, not the best ever but I would go back for the atmosphere, steak, service, and reasonable price with discounts/coupons that they always offer. It is a bit fancy, I was surprised! I feel like even at weddings and stuff, people don't dress up like they used to. But there was still an old-school dress code here. So 'fancy,' I guess, but it doesn't quite feel that way because it isn't modern at all, you know? You get a bread, relish tray, salad, soup, and a side of pasta with every meal, so we all went home with leftovers. Some of the food was just 'eh' but the steak was really good IMO. Cute place for a throwback

Excellent filet and salad. Great service, always our go to when we go downtown for any game or show. Will be back for sure. Classic place!

One of the best meals in the city. The service and food is unparalleled. Mario's has done it right for almost one hundred years. Everyone goes above and beyond to make an evening at Mario's perfect. Definitely order the porterhouse for two. It's cooked to perfection with an amazing zip sauce.

Sorry to say but Mario's has seen its glory days and is now a just so-so restaurant living on its past reputation. Before I get to criticizing the food, I would like to commend Mario's on excellent service, lots of attention to our party of thirteen on a slow Wednesday night. Staff was friendly & congenital and made us feel welcomed. Now to the food. First of all, most dishes were way too salty or bland. Dinners included antipasto tray with small shrimp, olives, salami, etc-a nice touch, then minestrone soup, house salad, a side of spaghetti & bread. The minestrone soup was salty & was unusually thick, like it was pureed, house salad was good, fresh with homemade Italian dressing. The side of spaghetti had a funny color brown sauce which almost tasted like chili, not tomato sauce. Dinner portions were good size, but they were either too salty or too bland. Three of us had the seafood pasta which had a small portion of seafood for $49-had about 4 small/medium shrimp, a few small scallops & tiny bits of tasteless lobster-all three of us were disappointed. I think this dish was not cooked properly. I believe the seafood was blanched, pasta cooked separately, then mixed with the marinara sauce and plated. If I were cooking this dish, I would sauté the seafood with garlic & butter, add seasoning, then add the pasta & sauce in the same pan and cooked to serve. The shrimp scampi was too salty & cooked differently than expected. Usually the shrimp scampi would be sautéed with garlic & butter. Mario's shrimp scampi was lightly coated with a flour or corn starch & deep fried. Broiled lamb chops & the porterhouse steak were large portions but the sauce with the lamb was also too salty, and the porterhouse was tough. On a positive note the broiled sea bass was excellent, not salty, fresh and cooked to perfection. We all had desserts which were very good and delicious. In general, any "cooked" food was below par, except for the sea bass. The dining room was a little dark, with lots of dark paneling & even a dark ceiling, decorated with lighted garland-a little Christmasy. When eating out, it's always how the food tastes, how good is the service and the decor. Unfortunately, food at Mario's is not as it used to be, way below the standards of a quality restaurant, and a little redecorating wouldn't hurt.

I hate leaving negative reviews and you can tell from my history that I rarely do it. I'll start with the positives. The ambiance is lovely. It's old school fine dining. White linen table cloths, the wait staff are wearing upscale attire (suits, tuxedos). I took my uncle here for lunch on his 70th birthday. He had always wanted to eat here. This place has been around since the 40's, and is considered Detroit's oldest Italien restaurant. I let everyone at the restaurant know that it was my uncle's birthday because I wanted to make sure it was special. My uncle requested hot tea to drink. He asked for a black tea and our waitress, Mary, said they don't have black tea, they just have "regular" tea so he agreed to that, but felt confused about what "regular" meant. It ended up being a dark tea that seemed like a black tea so he was happy with it, but we were already sensing that communication was off. He loved his minestrone soup. He ordered a veal dish. There were no descriptions of the various veal dishes and he didn't know which one to order so he asked Mary for help. He said he was looking for a breaded veal cutlet. He pointed to a veal dish on the menu and asked if it was a breaded cutlet. She said she would request it to be a cutlet, which made me wonder what it normally was because it sounded like the dish was being altered. Perhaps I should have asked clarifying questions but my uncle looked happy to be getting the cutlet he asked for, so I left it alone. We ordered meatballs as our appetizers. I thought they were pretty good. My uncle thought the sauce had way too much garlic. I love garlic so I didn't mind. I ordered the lasagna. It was very dense. Lots of layers. The cheese didn't really melt in between the layers. It tasted lukewarm, not hot. It really wasn't enjoyable for me. My salad was slathered in a house dressing that tasted like it had a lot of mustard in it. It was okay. I wish I had been given a choice of dressing. My uncle's veal was really tough. He ate a couple bites of it and then said it was way too chewy. Veal is supposed to be tender. My uncle politely asked Mary if it was supposed to be so tough and chewy. She kind of snapped at us, which caught us both off guard. She was quick on defense, saying "You said you didn't want it pounded. So it's not pounded. This is what happens when it's not pounded." And then she walked away and didn't come back for about 20 to 25 minutes. That whole time we were perplexed, wondering what pounded versus not pounded meant, and we were too afraid to mention it again. We were made to feel like this was our fault, that we ordered wrong. Does cutlet mean not pounded? And we never said anything about pounding. Pounded or not, I'm surprised a chef allowed this piece of meat to be served to someone. It wasn't edible and he didn't eat more than a few bites that he had to choke/force down. I was surprised that Mary didn't offer to remedy the situation, especially since she knew it was his birthday. Seemed like we were stuck with it. I hate being a bother but I wish I had spoken up more and gotten them to redo the dish. Other little details: Our water glasses were not refilled and my cappuccino was dripping over the sides and down the glass when given to me. My uncle enjoyed his spumoni ice cream for dessert. At the end of our meal, my uncle did bring up the veal issue again and Mary mentioned the pounding again. I spoke up and said that we never said we didn't want it pounded. We don't even know what that means and those words never came out of our mouths. My uncle just wanted a breaded cutlet and didn't know which veal dish to pick. Mary sincerely apologized and said she didn't know how she got confused and got the "not pounded" idea in her head. She did seem truly sorry, but then put it back on us again, saying, "next time just order it as is". We didn't actually change the order, she did. She made the decision to put in the order as a cutlet. She didn't explain that the dish was normally served as medallions. We had never eaten there before and could have used some clarification. Maybe we should have asked more questions? Or it sounds like we just should have picked a dish and not asked any questions. It definitely was a miscommunication and a bummer. I was wondering if maybe Mary was new but then we found out she has worked there for 26 years. I would expect better communication from a seasoned staff member. I certainly don't want to get Mary in trouble, but I do feel that the communication issues were on her end. It was a lousy experience. I paid $100 for a lunch that was not good and nothing was suggested to fix it. Looking back, I wish I had spoken up more because we shouldn't have had to pay for the awful veal dish. I tipped 20% on the service because I believe in tipping well, but it was undeserved. My uncle ended up getting sick from the veal later. The whole experience left us both feeling really sad.

Food is mediocre. Service is slow as molasses. Tables are jammed together and it's noisy. Prices are way out of line for the quality of the food. Don't waste your time or money. If I could give the place 0 stars I would. My reason for one star. The young man who filled our water glasses was amazing.

Went for dinner and noticed a strong ammonia odor coming from the lobster. Be careful ordering the lobster on Lobster Tuesday and if you notice a smell, send it back immediately.

We went to Mario's and didn't know they were closed on Mondays . So sad we will be back I should've checked , I hear it's amazing !!

Service was okay , food was very good. This is a classic and I mean classic Italian restaurant in old Detroit, midtown. If you have not been here, get here.

Brought my family here following the Fox theater and could not have been any more disappointed! Everything was terrible! Service: Upon Arrival, waited at the host stand for over 5 minutes before being helped. During this time, we were passed by several servers and not one said "hi", welcomed us, or even acknowledged our presence. This should have been our warning. Our server never asked us if we wanted drinks. I had to ask. And apparently there's a one drink maximum because after my wife's first glass of wine and kids' first sodas, we were never asked if we wanted more. Our water glasses were only refilled once despite them clearly being empty for the majority of our dinner. Food: My wife's scallop dinner was over cooked, served with tartar sauce and down right unacceptable. I am sure Long John Silver's would turn their nose up at them. The rest of the meals were completely devoid of salt or taste. My son's Alfredo would have finished a distant second to Olive Garden had they been in a competition. Staff: Not a single person working there seemed happy or welcoming. It was as if they were all inconvenienced for having to work there. How this place is still open and able to call itself the oldest Italian restaurant in Detroit is beyond me. This is not the Mario's I remember going to with my parents and grandparents when I was younger. I really wanted my kids to experience the same thing but was thoroughly disappointed. Thank God Circ did not disappoint at the Fox or the night would have been a total disaster.

Mario's in Detroit, this restaurant is one of the oldest restaurant in the city of Detroit, since 1948, an old school kind of Restaurant with beautiful white table cloths old-time paneling on the walls. It's like you're stepping back into the 1940s and having a perfect experience. This is where they bring out the antipasto tray, when you sit down, your dinner includes wonderful, minestrone soup, a very nice salad with Mario's homemade salad dressing. Your dinner consist of either meat or fish or veal lots of other things also on the menu along with a plate of pasta and a vegetable. The waiters have been there forever they will make sure that your evening is so perfect that after you're done, you just wanna come back the next day to have some more. all the food is all old school and it hasn't changed. In the summer the bar area has wonderful entertainment the front of the Mario's restaurant opens up to enjoy the outside as well. They have shuttles to and from all the venues in the city. It's a lot of fun if you're gonna go see a concert at Little Caesars Arena you can have a wonderful dinner and be driven over to Little Caesars and then picked up. The shuttle goes to all of the downtown area the fox the casinos, the ballpark so I know that when you come down, you're gonna have a great evening.

We went for NYE dinner. The service and food were outstanding. The eggplant Parmesan is one of the best I've had. Everything was great. It was our first time there. We will be back.

I recently tried Mario's for the first time this fall and was pleased with the experience. I then returned last week and had a very different - and unpleasant - experience. The food was good, but the service was terrible. I doubt I will return any time soon. We had a party of 4. I invited an out of town guest to join us for dinner. I was looking forward to it, but we encountered several problems. First, we were surprised by the limited menu. Granted, it was a holiday weekend, and I get that some restaurants offer limited menus during those times, but there was little explanation about why the menu was so limited that night. Second, the waiter was impatient with us and seemed annoyed when we asked about the limited menu. There were certain dishes from the regular menu that we were expecting but did not see. It turned into an unnecessarily confrontational discussion. Third, we had 2 vegetarian members of our party, which the waiter seemed to miss. We had to send back a pasta dish because it contained meat when we otherwise ordered a meatless sauce. Overall, the poor service made for an awkward and generally unpleasant dinner experience.

Easily the worst meal we've had in ages! We don't often write reviews but felt the need to warn people to avoid Mario's at all cost. We went there because we had great memories of what it used to be 10-20 years ago. All I can say is that the bread and butter was good. The Caesar salad was just a soggy inedible mess with no flavor. The "Italian dinner," as named on the menu, consisted of veal that was so dry and chewy it would make a great dog treat, sauce on the undercooked filet was zero taste with sour mushrooms. Sauce on pasta tasted like water. Ultimately we didn't even dare order the cherry's jubilee that we had been looking forward to. Sorry to post this but can't imagine people wanting to continue coming here. In the same neighborhood for the same price you can go to Vecino, Mad Nice, She Wolf etc. heck even Dirty Shake which are all way, way better!

My wife had been telling me about Mario's for the last 12 years and I thought it time to take her there. It was our anniversary and I booked us a room across the street at the El Moore Lodge and made a reservation on-line for Mario's and let them know this was our anniversary. The El Moore Lodge was a solid 10, Mario's maybe a 1. Reservations were at 5pm. Walked in and there was a group of about seven in front of us. The group in front of us looked like they just came in off the golf course, shorts, polo shirts, hats. My wife and I stood there 15 minutes before someone acknowledged us and that was to show us to our table. As we were waiting to be "noticed" I saw a dress code sign that essentially said to dress better than casual and that they rigorously enforce their dress code. NOT!!! Hence the group in front of us. We were seated and I notice a guy in shorts, tee shirt and a baseball hat. It sure went against their dress code policy. The table they sat us at had my back to a bussing station. Well, that got to be annoying with the clattering of dishware and silverware. Not to be outdone by a mere bussing station, our waiter, Hector, came through with flying colors. NOT!!! Absolutely no personality, never introduced himself, learned his name from the check, would kind of toss our plates in front of us, and never acknowledged our anniversary. The food was very good, the customer service was absolutely horrendous. This is an old school institution in Detroit and I expected a lot more. We will not come back and I can't in good conscience recommend Mario's to anyone. I would have not given any stars if I could have, it was that disappointing!

I absolutely love this place for its traditional atmosphere and service. And they do make one of the best steaks in the metropolitan area.

The waiters name was Nabil. Someone in our party asked him if he wanted us to leave and he replied yes.

The pasta was overcooked and the filet was way over salted (drowning in zip sauce). They did try to make it right by providing a new steak when we returned from the show- but then the meat was completely flavorless and for the price that is ridiculous.

The short of it: Ambience - 4* Food - 5* Service - 1* The long story: After a disappointing outing at a nearby play, I wanted to try to salvage date night by revisiting a place I haven't been in a long time. We made it to Mario's where it wasn't too busy and were seated in their renovated back room where there was a dance floor and a band setting up to play. Note it's either street parking or valet ($9). We weren't aware of the Valentine's Day special and wasn't made aware of it by our server. I'm not one to name names, so I'll just say L+++y. He was not polite given the obvious aim for service here. We did not hear any of the specials, no explanation of menu items: it felt very awkward and couldn't have been mistaken for anything else but a bad attitude. The kicker was at the end where L+++y was inattentive for most of the night but quick to pick up the check. The check had a 20% tip circled as a STRONG SUGGESTION (where does that happen without feeling some type of way/recognizing some form of bias) that was gladly ignored. Then, L+++y made sure to check the tip total a few steps away from us, which you really shouldn't see. Trying to end on a good note, there was no problem with any of our courses or drinks, and we enjoyed the calamari and the ribeye that was cooked perfectly. The sea bass was a very small portion; disappointing given the price point. In all, I'm torn on whether to keep this open as an option in the future. It ideally shouldn't, given the crap shoot of having a good server, but the experience today gives me pause to return.

Old style Italian restaurant, to include Frank Sinatra music. Great service. Meals start with a bread basket and hors d'oeuvre tray that includes Italian meats. Next a good house salad followed by a bowl of soup and finally your primary meal. We had the lamb chops that were the largest I've ever seen. seasoned to perfection. so much food neither myself nor my wife could eat all of it. took leftovers home for dinner the next night.

OMG, this place has the worst wait staff ever. Grumpy bartenders, managers, and maître who have no interest in solving problems. I could not get anyone to take my order. Covid is over hire better employees and pay them a little bit better or close your doors. Vincent, I don't see a way to answer your question but the problem was I never had a server. I asked if I could get someone to come take my order and was told they were doing the best they could. There were a number of others at the occasion in the same boat. I left to eat somewhere else as even if they came to take the order, Mario would be ready to close by the time they brought it out.

Mario's is a great spot! Every course comes with a soup, salad, and pasta. I have been here a few times and I have never had some thing here that I did not enjoy. I personally love going to the restaurant when they have a live band playing. This place is good vibes and good food! They have coat check and valet.

Four stars is a tad too many considering the high prices but no one forced me to eat here. My party was treated well by Hector. He was professional, efficient and humorous. We thought the relish tray was a nice touch. Good bread. Water glasses filled. We all enjoyed our entrees (scaloppini of beef tenderloin marsala for me - tender and flavorful). Tiramisu and coffee to finish it off. I thought the vibe was homey and festive, altho some people think it needs an upgrade. Splitting up the bill took a while for us but that can also be done later with cash, Venmo etc.

I had an overall wonderful experience. I love how much food we are provided with our meals. The pasta was delicious, as was the bread and antipasto. HOWEVER, I did not appreciate that our steaks were swimming in butter. My sister and I agreed that it was overboard and diminished the flavor of the steak. I would go back and request NO BUTTER

Oh my heavens! I am from Bay City Michigan and drove to Detroit for dinner and a Broadway show. I am so glad we chose Mario's and honestly, dinner here is such an amazing experience, I didn't need to do both in the same evening. I felt so pampered as if I were a celebrity. The whole experience was beyond my highest expectations. The staff, the presentation, the food, the ambience and even the clientele made my evening one I will never forget. Thank you, Mr. Passalacqua, for doing all it takes to make Mario's the best Italian Restaurant!

Bad...feom start to finish! Called ahead of time for reservations and we were told to come in for dinner. As soon as we walked in, we were told that it was Labor Day weekend and that they would be closing soon...three times...they just kept saying it!!! I asked if they preferred that we leave and they seemed agitated, but said that they could seat us if we ordered within 20 minutes. When we were seated, only scratched up pewter chargers were in the table (no glasses, silverware or napkins were on it). Then I looked around and noticed that Christmas decorations "adorned" the room. But just like the outdated decor, they were old and dusty! I quickly noticed that ALL of the patrons were elderly...as in they were loyal customers who remember the restaurant from its glory days. Just a weird vibe. Our waiter arrived and mentioned that it was Labor Day weekend...again. We had to ask for silverware, napkins and water. Our waiter quickly brought us a basket of bread, butter and another old looking sectional tray with poorly placed iceberg lettuce (in each compartment) with olives, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese balls & 4 shrimp, with contrail sauce in the middle. I remembered that because there were 4 of us...we each had one shrimp. The menu was old and falling apart. I ordered the fettuccine w/minestrone soup and the side salad. The side salad came with their own dressing. It was horrible and tasteless. Who uses iceberg lettuce for salads anymore? The minestrone soup tasted like they puréed it...I think it was canned! The noodles looked like they were cut in half...like they were an afterthought. They were also overcooked. Just bad! When my entree arrived, I was completely underwhelmed. Please see the picture. I lost my appetite! I didn't eat it. Do not go here. This place is overpriced and they just don't care anymore. They used to be THE place to go for authentic Italian food...but they've lost their edge. As I type, I'm getting sick from what I ate earlier. Really...don't go here!

Really good till we came to the end of our sea bass luncheon and there was plastic in the fish. The Waiter told us the manager would not do anything because most of it was eaten ! Gave us a real bad taste for the fish and the restaurant!

Walking into Mario's, you're welcomed by a display of portraits of many smiling actors throughout the foyer. Mario's, being the oldest restaurant in Detroit, hasn't lost its old-school atmosphere. Walking into the dining room makes you feel as if you're walking into the past, with dimmed lighting, a candle on every table, Frank Sinatra playing in the background, and waitstaff dressed in tuxedo attire, offering tableside entrée and dessert prepared fresh before us. For a date night out heading to the Fox, we got to catch a complementary shuttle that Mario's offers to any venue downtown, which is highly recommended. Drop-off and pickup were easy; the shuttle was outside soon after our show was over. We're looking into future theater packages, including main floor seating and dinner for low prices that you can't beat.

Only 1 server, and messes up every order. We had a party of 20 and they messed up 5 of those orders. Two people ordered the steak bites cooked medium rare and the chef over cooked it. Another person ordered the Cesar salad and the sauce was spicy and sour. Another person ordered chicken parmesama and they wanted the marinara sauce and they got some other sauce. The parking was horrible 20 dollars for every 2 hours and barely any parking, the only parking was 5 minutes away by walking. The croutons in everything salad were all stale and chewy. It took 3 and a half hours for my to get my food. Is it really hard to make Italian cuisine.

We just drove back into town from Canada. Decided to drop in to Mario's. I have been dining there for over fifty years. We asked for Nabil, our favorite waiter, who has been there for over forty years. I had the veal Mario, creamy white sauce. Outstanding. My wife had veal piccante, with a lemon and artichokes. She loved it. The dinners come with an antipasto platter, minestrone soup and pasta. After many years dining here, we always take the pasta and soup home. They also make the best salad made by our server. Old school elegance and service. I've had nearly every thing on the menu and have never been disappointed. When I was a young adult, even had the late Mario himself make dinner for us. Still a wonderful experience.

We were a party of 9 tonight, Oct 29. Had a great meal. Our server, Phil, did an excellent job. I got the filet dinner special, very good. A few people in our party got the Lobster special. That looked even better. Good company, gapped food.

I was with two female friends at Mario's Restaurant on Saturday. We had a reservation and were seated. No one came over to our table to greet us or take our order. I finally called over the maitre d' who would not look directly at us. He said he would send someone over. We still had to wait a very long time for a wait person to take our order. It was very disappointing that such a Detroit landmark treated customers so poorly.

They give you alot of free sides with your food. Steak was amazing, well done and very juicy. Pasta was amazing. Cheese was delicious and the olive side was something ive never tried before. Shrimps were okay as they were not flavored. Staff are amazing they come by every few min to ask if you need anything.

Food, service and ambience is a zero. I showed up with a cake from Cantoro for my mother's 85th birthday dinner. I waited for someone to acknowledge the table and take the cake to be refrigerated. I had asked for Nabil, our usual and awesome server, but was told "do you want me to call him in Chicago". The cake was taken but NEVER refrigerated so when it was time to sing Happy Birthday, it was melted and tumbling inside and collapsing. The service was sub par. I was told I couldn't order from the Theater menus because it doesn't come with salad or soup, yet, that's what the menu reads. I believe I was charged the full price for the 7 ounce medium rare filet which was served to me as medium at best, heading toward well, but never was I offered one to my liking. My mother wanted medium and she got bleeding raw for her 9 ounce steak and wouldn't eat it and was afraid of how they may spit on it if sending back, so didn't. This is really poor service!! The place was empty but our dinner was rushed at Mach 1 speed to the point I couldn't keep up. The green beans were actually looking like they got them from the garbage, there was nothing fresh about them. They looked disgustingly old and brown. Their was little zip sauce, which is fine, but for the waiter to notice and not being is another. It was like asking for cracked pepper and cheese was a chore. The restaurant was EMPTY! He was asked to cut the birthday cake for a slice for her to take home and the response was "he was a busy guy" and not in a joking manner. The ONLY decent server there was the man that used to work at Carl's. Polite, distinguished, professional and not hood-like demeanor and manners like the others. Upon arriving I side if I could park up the street so as not to pay the $9 for valet (the place is right there across the street and charging that price is crazy) and he said no. However, I pulled up and I had no issues parking or obstructing the traffic. We were there at Christmas and the waiter with the multiple tattoos was questioned why he charged my brother for a filet when he ordered a chicken dish (less money) and his gruff reply was "it's the same difference" and didn't make amends to the bill. We were each charged for using a credit/debit cart of over $8 per person - he refused to give each separate party separate checks. (3) and over charged for a glass of wine he put in front of the 85 yr old who isn't allowed to drink and charged us for it. Truly this place is lacking in what it used to have. We came here for every Christmas, NY Day, birthdays, mothers/fathers days, anniversaries, theater. NO more! I had my fill with the rough waitstaff, the padding the bills, the up-charging for menu items instead of charging what the menu stated the price is. Lacks class on all levels and the food for both of us was inedible. Mine went to my dogs and my moms was not eaten. Oh and because they know they are padding and ripping you off and get aggressive when you call them out on it, no itemized bill is given, just something like this. I advise you to run to any other place for your meal and avoid this one at all costs. Much more, I am disgusted at having to do this but 2/2 experiences at a ZERO deserves this rating. Food was not picture worthy but I did notify the waiter, who did NADA! No itemized receipt of what you're paying for Double charged for processing a credit card. Refused to give one single bill for my single dinner and glass of wine. ("seems like" these gruff waiters go out of their way to not be professional TBH) See it's collapsing!!! It was a mess by the time I got home. I am requesting the entire dinner be comped. This is unreasonable for patrons of over 40 years. Shame on you Vince Passalacqua for allowing this in your once fine dining establishment. That is a thing of the past.

The food was some of the best I've ever had. Simply delicious. The service was top notch. Our waiter was delightful. He was always near for all of our needs. The ambiance at Mario's was also great. Softly lit dining room with live relaxing music. I would highly recommend this restaurant for any occasion.

We had a very bad dining experience at Mario's tonight. We went as a group of 6 including 2 small kids and 2 elderly adults. As we are not big eaters we ordered 2 heavy appetizers and 3 entrees but requested 2 extra soups, one to be shared between the kids. The server kept making his own decisions for us and gave each kid a full soup, which neither of them ate. Also he took it upon himself to give us an entree of pasta instead of the separate side pastas that come free with the entrees. We didn't even make a dent in the pasta and had to pack it all to go home. When the bill came, which was over $200 we saw that he charged us $37 for the pasta entree and when we asked him about it he acted like he did us a favor for not charging for the soups. We were very disappointed with the rude service today and will not be returning to this restaurant!

stopped by mario's after work and sat at the bar about 6:15. bartender so i wasn't able to order food before 7:00 @ the bar and would need to get a table. the result: 1. no food 2. hungry customer 3. no lift in the ticket 4. smaller server tip 5. not happy 6. left dissatisfied