Mario’s

On a night where my bf and I were both craving authentic penne vodka, we tried to order pickup from this restaurant.
We couldn’t even get a hold of the restaurant… it was 8 pm on a tuesday evening… they were definitely open. I called about 3 times, every time it rang and rang and eventually went to their voicemail.
I thought it was just my bad luck, until I saw a few other reviews on here commenting on them closing HOURS before their listed closing time, or another review where they just locked the door on someone two hours before closing.
It’s a shame because this could’ve been our regular italian place.
This is NYC and if you’re not answering the phone to customers trying to place orders or closing early/​locking people out, then you’re losing money!

A truly great experience every time I have ate here. There vegetables are always fresh and flavorful and a penne alla vodka which is second to none

Pasta was over cooked, sauces were watered down. Also, dining over a 30 year old carpet is a little gross. I would not go back. Especially since if you complain about it on Facebook the ratchet owners/​clientele personally attack you. Maybe that is why it is always dead empty. They don’t need customers.

Awesome Italian cuisine! Nice dining area with a very friendly hostess/​waitress.
What we had & recommend: Penne Vodka, chicken Marsala, and the sangria was fantastic!
*Did not give 5 stars due to the bread being piping hot when served. Better than cold, no?

Walked past this spot a million times meaning to stop in and I’m so glad I did. The food is so good! Classic Italian, good portions and decent prices. They do a prix fix Tuesday through Thursday. The staff is wonderful and you could tell this place gets a lot of regulars because customers around me were greeted with first names or hugs. Will definitely be coming here again!

Really nice place and great food. Staff is very friendly. You feel like a part of the family the minute you walk in.

Solid Italian food! I like that they have a nice variety of coffee drinks– and the cheesecake is really delicious:) I would definitely go back. Had a fish special entrée which was delicious.

A warm greeting by the staff (contrary to what some have said), and Mario himself came by our table to see how everything was– fantastic homemade Italian!
And now Krispy Kreme bread pudding as a dessert !

My family and I have been going to Mario’s for many years. In my opinion you can not find a better Italian restaurnt in Sunnyside or the City for that matter. The food is fantastic and the waitresses are wonderful ! I don’t know where the negative vibe about the wait staff comes from but I have NEVER had a bad experiance at Marios with the food OR the wait staff. Go-​you won’t be disappointed.

I’m shocked this place has the reviews it has, and I’m sad to say the reviews scared us away the first months we were here. My husband and I decided to give it a try and are very happy we did. Both times we have been the waitresses were nice enough and friendly. They offered suggestions for food and drinks. The food was great on both occasions. They only downside I can see is the luck of people and maybe atmosphere… The restaurant has beautiful french doors but I have never seen them open. I can’t put my finger on what is lacking from being a favorite of mine, but it’s on my comfort food spot list for sure. I would love to see this place packed with the customers it deserves. We re fans and pray its here to stay.

I’ve not been able to step inside the door to give a proper review… on an attempt, after perusing the menu hanging outside, thought we’d give it a try, despite a bit more expensive than our average «we’re hungry» kind of eating, when my boyfriend and I reached towards the door, I supposed it was fairly later in evening — 9ish?, the hostess locked the door before we could open it and without any gesture or words, we assumed they were no longer serving… and had a good laugh!
What kind of restaurant DOES That!

My husband and I go to Marios all the time. We enjoy the quiet, tvless atmosphere. Marios’ food is always good and so long as you avoid Fridays and Saturdays, it is cozy. The owner, Mario, cooks and is a true joy.
His wife and daughters who serve are perfunctory. You will never get bad service but chatty and bubbly service will also never happen. The servers take care of your needs but do not smile or chat with you. For me that is a plus. Good service where my conversation is with my dinner companion, not the waiter.

I’ve been here 6 times and I must say top-​of-​the-​line Italian food. Great ambiance and sangria to die for. My only issue is that I’m always focused on the attractive waitresses and they deter me from my food. I guess you can’t have everything you ask for :(

My review is going to be similar to others’ on here. My food (penne ala vodka) was good and a good serving size (not too much, not too little). But the ambiance in this place is awkward. Tables are very close to each other and its very small in there. It just gave me a really uncomfortable vibe.
And yes, the service is, well, not your friendliest ever. Our waitress barely looked at us and basically had an attitude of hating her job and her customers. She wasn’t a bad server, but the best servers have a personality, and this one did not. I don’t think I’d go back again as the food was good but again, I felt really awkward eating there. I’d rather go to Donatos.

I actually would rate this place 4 ½ stars for the FOOD only. I have been going to Mario’s for many years and the food has always been good. Most of the time I usually get baked clams, fried mozzarella or calarmari to start. For the main course I would get one of Mario’s specials which is chicken and asparagus in wine and a light brown sauce. The chicken and aspargus is cooked perfectly with just the right amount of melted mozzarella on top covered with the wine and light brown sauce. Its the type of sauce that I love to dip the hot crunchy bread into.
I have to agree with some of the other reviews about the service. Sometimes the servers are odd especailly the older woman. So, she is not warm and personable. She just goes through the motion of serving by giving you menus, taking your order and bringing you the food all with no real personality. Its all business no chit chat but she does make sure that you are taken care of which is the important part to me.
Its a great place to go when you can’t get into the city. If you are looking to just have a nice quiet dinner without bright lights and loud waitstaff this would be the place that I would recommend.

Aside from the terrible service, the food at Mario’s is excellent. I love their fried calamari and baked lasagna. The sangria is great as well. They don’t have much in the realm of desserts, so don’t expect a delicious panna cotta or tiramisu. What makes me upset, though, is expecting the restaurant to be serving guests at 8:30pm. I arrived on Friday evening with an urge for Italian food and was told the kitchen was closed for the evening — at 8:30pm!!! The restaurant is never full. Such a shame, because the food is really excellent.

My partner and I both love and hate Mario’s. The pasta dishes are absolutely amazing, as well as their appetizers. The best Italian food for miles. HOWEVER, the servers seem condescending and never smile and they pipe in crappy FM radio. Like WALK 97.5. It really kills any ambiance this place wishes it could have. As annoying as all that is, though, the food keeps bringing us back.
Be aware: they stop seating an hour before they say they close.

The food was actually pretty good, however, the service was really poor. It was early and empty; there was only one other couple that was already there. Both ladies working never flashed a smile the entire time. Niether made any effort to make me feel welcome. Décor was normal.
This is a real shame because I live across the street.

We went with a few friends for dinner at Mario’s and I can’t say that I think anyone was impressed. The interior was wanting, the waitstaff gruff, and the food lacking.
Neither my partner’s ravioli, nor my pasta with asparagus and mushrooms, were worth a return visit; the former was particularly notable for it’s poor sauce, the latter for the fact that the pasta was not so much drizzled as doused with olive-​oil. My appetizer – a portabella with melted mozzarella and balsamic vinegar – was not bad, nor was the chocolate mousse cake for dessert, but they were still nothing to write home about.
Combine this with a set of waitresses who seemed like they couldn’t have cared less about making our experience a pleasant one and I can’t see myself returning a second time.

3.5 Stars: better than OK, but no rush to return.
An old framed review of this place from Newsday from the 80’s on the wall in the restaurant says something akin to, «Apparently New Yorkers will put up with a lot for good food. Namely: bad service and lame décor.» Not a lot has changed since the 80’s! The service is not terrible, just strange. We have been served by the same woman every time. She never EVER smiles. She has this surly look plastered on her face. She asks us how the meal is, and thanks us when we leave, but in a purely joyless manner.
The place is usually close to empty, but we always have to wait, even for menus. The wait staff is always in the «back» hanging out at a table, eating, chatting. They should let the friendly younger girls who seem to exist solely to refill water glasses serve tables.
The food is generally delicious. The first time we went here it would have been a 5 star review for the food despite the service oddities. Since then, the food quality has been very inconsistent and not as good. All that said, for the neighborhood it’s OK, but if you’re looking for REALLY great Italian, skip Mario’s and Dazie’s and pop over to LIC to Manetta’s or Manducati’s, or Piccola Venezia in Astoria.