Mario’s In Westport

Clumpy meat sauce, small dried garlic bread, and small dry brownie. Being said, stuff tastes like it has been sitting out for awhile… What else is there to say outside of noting their tasty pasta salad?
Maybe they should stick with selling that in batches?
Prob won’t be back. Sorry Mario.

My family and I used to pop by this little hole in the wall for grinders every so often. Recently I realized it had been 10+ years since I’d been in so I popped by to see if they still have it.
Their grinders are awesome, specifically the meatball grinder. It’s an extremely limited menu, so it helps to think of this as like a small, NYC style shop to pop into. It’s certainly not going to blow your socks off, or be the best environment to hang out for an hour plus, but it gets the job done.
The grinder is on a traditional Italian hoagie and has melted cheese, a touch of marinara and big meatballs. There is an art to eating it without having it end up on your lap, but a few experiences in and you’ll have the hang of it.
I like the urban feel in here, and while I don’t think I’ll come here on a regular basis, I’m glad this hole in the wall is around.

Unfortunately I was disappointed with my meal here. I ordered a sausage sandwich to-​go, and received my sandwich within a few minutes. Like other reviewers mentioned, I did not feel that the owners, or whoever it was at the register, was very friendly. I ate the sandwich about 10 minutes after leaving the restaurant. The bread was crusty, but not in a good way. It was not firm enough and kind of just fell apart — not a very pleasant texture. The sauce did not have much flavor either, nor did the sausage. The portion size was good for an $ 8 sandwich, but the flavor was lacking. I will not be back.

We had lunch from Mario’s at least once a week in the 80s. Our last visit was nostalgic and a little sad. I remember the amazing Italian cookies, an extensive menu, and the best grinders ever. Many menu offerings are gone (cookies!), and the dine-​in space is smaller, but they still have the best grinders bar none!

$ 6 lunch today was the half spaghetti with meat sauce that comes with garlic toast and salad. If this is the half portion I shutter to think how big the full size is! Everything was wonderful! When I’m not super hungry I love to stop in and order their salad, it is crave-​worthy!

The Guy introduced me to Mario’s by saying, «It’s a hole in the wall, and I can never tell when they’re supposed to open, but let’s drive by & see if we can get sandwiches there. You’ll love ‘em.» Then, when we drove by & they did indeed turn out to be open, he got majorly excited & made a crazy illegal U-​turn, cutting off one of those Segway tour groups. That’s the power of Mario’s grinders. And yes, they absolutely lived up to this intro; the steak sandwich was divine, tender meat in savory marinara, cradled in a perfectly toasted & toothsome bread. The pasta salad is just as crave-​worthy — creamy dressing with a hint of pesto. Can’t wait to go back.

I am all about supporting local places. I had a meh experience the first time there. The owner and/​or cook was not very receptive and boarder line rude. I decided to give it a second shot and same thing. If they don’t appreciate my business, I’ll take it else where. As for the food… meh. Not worth the bother. I have had much better.

Lot’s of hype + it lunchtime was full of regulars! Super nice lady behind the counter!
It was a good meatball grinder.

I had lunch recently & was extremely disappointed. Mario’s was a quirky spot w/​a small dining room & a really cool upstairs seating area. The restroom even had a tub. Now it’s a tiny whole in the wall w/​dirty floors & mediocre food. Inexpensive food can still be tasty; Mario’s was boring. I’ve been a customer since its funky origins, but I shan’t be back. Sorry.

With super sweet owners and a refreshingly one-​page menu, this tiny, ancient hole-​in-​the-​wall should have spelled lunchtime perfection for me. Especially because BF is obsessive about Mario’s, I wanted so badly to fall madly in love with it. Alas, I didn’t — not yet, anyway.
Like I said, the lady who took my order was super kind, and the aesthetic was one of my favorites: a severely repurposed historic old building, complete with fairly creepy throwback memorabilia. Classic! — but I think I missed the nail on ordering the right menu item. Since I wasn’t super duper hungry, I waved off BF’s insistence that I order a meatbal sub and instead rolled with the soup of the day, which was a creamy sausage medley.
Although the soup came with a heap of heavily seasoned bread toasties (a word I coined now because it’s super cute — wee, toasties!) I wasn’t feeling ‘em because they were just TOO salty, and I really like salt. And while my soup was pretty good, it would have reached perfection had it been thicker and perhaps spicier, or if it had had more components to make it truly hearty.
My suggestion — stick to the things Mario is known for if it’s your first time. Ask what the classic absolute good is and order it. Once you do that, sit back and enjoy this comfortable little haunt with a can of soda.
I’ll totally be back, but I do wish my first time had been a home run.

Little bitty place. Little bitty price. Big happy smile!
It had been probably 25 years since I’d been to Mario’s when hunger struck as I was headed down Westport Road one day, and there they were. It wasn’t just nostalgia; that Grinder was just as good as ever! Crusty roll stuffed with meatballs, steak, or sausage, red sauce and cheese, corked with the end of the bread, and toasted-​pure heaven for $ 7! They also make lasagna and a couple of pastas, which I haven’t tried. Since you’ve already trashed your diet, you might as well get a big brownie or cannoli-​everything on the menu is less than $ 10!
Service is fast and friendly. There are a few seats, but prepare to take it with you. One word of warning-​hours are limited, and I stopped by one time during their posted hours and they were closed… but cross your fingers and give Mario’s a try!

Geezus, Mario’s has been around for ever and has changed the lay-​out, the set-​up and the menu many times, but I still love em. It’s now literally a hole in the wall kind of place with a small menu. My favorite. They do a few things and they do them well.
They are known for the Grinder Sandwich which is basically a thermos made out of bread. The body of the sandwich is a hollowed out loaf of bread stuffed full of ingredients and then plugged closed with the bread lid. Simple and tasty. They are also known for their pasta salad, which I do love and don’t know why it’s so special, but can happily eat my own body weights worth.
The service is friendly and the place is clean enough. Just like the space itself, Mario’s hours have been all over the board, but for now they are open from 10:30 to 7:30 tue-​sat. making it easy to pick up some good food for lunch or for dinner. I’m a fan of Mario’s right now, but that could change if they change again, but I will always find a way love them no matter what.

I tried Mario’s for the first time today. The menu is extremely limited — three sandwiches, three pastas, and four sides — and there’s only one vegetarian entrée (a toasted cheese & marinara grinder, which was surprisingly good). However, it’s dirt cheap — about $ 7 per person — and very filling. They worked very fast, as well — I was in the store for less than 10 minutes before the two meals were ready.
I had the cheese grinder, and my friend had the meatball grinder. Both of us were stuffed before we could finish the sandwiches, let alone the pasta salad side.
For cheap Italian sandwiches, there isn’t a place in KC I’d rate higher.

The meatball sub was really good. The bread was AWESOME! And the meatballs are homemade with a delicious sauce. The sandwich alone is enough for a meal, but there are combos available.
There are literally 12 seats in the whole place though, so be prepared to either take it to go, or sit on the step outside on a busy day.

When I worked in the Crown Center complex, often one of us would do an office run to Mario’s and it was always well worth it. Mario’s has been in the same unassuming spot on Westport Road since there was air. It has some seating, but during the lunch hustle and bustle, it is all about the carry out. Now if you are unfamiliar with Mario’s, their claim to fame are there grinders. My favorite is a sausage grinder. It’s always served nice and crispy on the outside and juicy and saucy inside. This sandwich must be paired with Mario’s signature pasta salad. Now if you are going during lunch rush and you don’t have time, I highly reccomend calling your order in prior to your trip through.
Now I know I am all about the grinders at Mario’s, but they have pasta which is great and desserts that are also worth the visit. I suggest if you can do a late lunch, stop in and hang about in the dining room and have a real sitdown from antipasto all the way through to dessert. I have been going to mario’s since I was19 and never have I once been disappointed, maybe had to wait a bit since I didn’t call ahead, but the wait was so worth it.

In 1976 opened «Sound Advice» — a record (disco, mostly) and custom sound store — in the Westport shops a few feet west of Broadway. About the same time Minsky’s opened up on 50^th and Main, too far for a quick lunch –and that’s where Mario’s came in. It quickly became THE place for italian food in the neighborhood, and of course, the meatball grinder for $ 2.00 probably went out their door by the 100’s at lunchtime. Today they offer a limited but good menu, including some excellent lasagne, and while I’d like to see a broader salad selection, the food is as good as I can remember.
«Thank you» Mario’s for keeping a Kansas City tradition alive, albeit quietly. And «thanks» also to Kristen for pointing out the frozen grinder’s, I have to try one.

Quiche, side salad, chicken grinder, I eat here about 2 – 4 times per month. Quite filling. Yummy!

Mario’s in Westport is definitely doing something RIGHT to still be in business after 35 years. The «something right» would have a whole lot to do with offering their wonderful Grinders. Mario’s is the first (and only) place I’ve ever been to in Kansas City that removed the bread from inside an individual sized five+ inch crusty Italian roll and replaced it with marinara sauce, melty provolone cheese and choice of meatballs, Italian sausage or chicken. (There is also an all cheese version.) This lovely miracle is then toasted until the outside crust has a slight crunchy crispness and is served piping hot. It can be a little messy to eat but so worth the effort!
I always pair my Grinder with an order of their wonderful Pasta Salad. This Mario’s Famous Pasta Salad is so good, that I have been known to develop a sudden craving for it in the middle of the night.
Besides the grinders and pasta salad, there are a few other items available on the small menu. They include a lasagna (which Hubby likes because it’s not as sloppy to eat as a grinder) or pasta with meat balls or sausage or tomato sauce. Each day there is a daily quiche, a specialty sandwich and a soup of the day selection. But I can never try these, good as they sound, because I have to have a Grinder! Every time! I do have to make a choice between meatball and sausage but if I’m heading home after lunch, I have been known to order a grinder to go of whichever variety I didn’t just have for lunch. Be sure you tell them at the counter that it is for later and they will give you an unbaked one along with instructions for how to cook it. They also sometimes have frozen ones on hand.
About three years ago, Mario’s scaled back it’s operation so that now there is only one very small dine-​in area. There is no longer a glassed in counter with Italian cookies. But the food is still made with fresh ingredients and is very good. To-​go orders are carefully packaged in sturdy containers that travel well with the possible exception of the green salad that comes with the lasagna and pasta dishes. Getting home with our order the other day, we found that the dressing had drizzled out onto the other containers in the bag. But that was a very minor inconvenience.
I will be a loyal Mario’s fan for many years to come.

I think there may be some confusion surrounding Marios. I get the feeling some folks think it closed its doors. It may have at one point, but its open for take out, and the meatball grinder is as good as it ever was.
I got one today for lunch after a long time off. Maybe I even bought into the closing bit. They did change the digs, but the food is still awesome. Ill be dong this again very soon.

A best kept secret in KC for great quiche. The kind changes daily and comes with a beautiful side salad of leaf lettuce, mandarin oranges, croutons, red onions and a great house vinaigrette. Mario’s puts more care into their little side salad than some of the more expensive/​fancier places I’ve eaten at. In addition to the quiche and salad I’ve also tried their meatball grinder, which is quite tasty. Just ask for extra sauce on the side.