Fantastic service and delicious food. Vodka sauce with penne was amazing. Fried eggplant and mozzarella app was scrumptious. Sour apple martini was perfect. A must have restaurant in NE Philly. read more

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Had a wonderful birthday dinner here tonight. Food was delicious and the service was wonderful! Amazing server and when you go ask for Vincenzo Esposito! Great for family dinners and special occasions. read more

My husband son and I ate here, bit pricey however totally worth it. food was amazing cooked to perfection, staff waited on us fast , glasses silverware everything very clean. Great ambience and decor would return for my birthday for sure read more

Macaroni's Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Around the back is P2. An outdoor inclosed glass restaurant. Same menu as Macaroni. Great for when storms roll in.

My Boyfriend & I arrived around 9pm on Friday night to have dinner. It wasn't very crowded and Macaronis clearly had available seating. When I asked for seating for 2. The hostess stated she had to ask could we be seated (don't know what that was about) .. we then finally was seated. Our waiter did not ask us if we wanted anything to drink but instead told us to hurry up to order because the kitchen was about to close .. the waiter stood in front of us & rushed us while we looked at the menu trying to decide , it was 9:30 pm. We ordered .. after we placed our order no one returned to take our drink order . Food arrived in 20 minutes.. it was mediocre. After no one asked us if we needed anything.. STILL DID NOT GET A BEVERAGE, not even a soda. Service here was awful, food wasn't great and atmosphere was not welcoming ! We will not be returning or recommending! Do better Macaroni's!!! Especially with your steep prices!! Wouldn't of mind paying for what we paid for if the service & atmosphere was better! Thumbs down!!! read more

Went there over an hour before closing, sat at the dirty bar where 4 other people were sitting and was told the kitchen was closed. Whaaaaa? It's over an hour before closing??? Left and went to Chickies and Pete's and had a great pizza. read more

Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the dining experience last night. It has been a while since I have dined here; however, the new bar area outback and the interior renovations are top notch. Service and food were also excellent. read more

This was our 3rd trip but first time sitting outside. They have made a really nice outside space - not sure if this was prompted by the current situation or if it was already in the works. They outside bar/lounge is beautiful - comfortable and modern and an added bonus given that all dining needs to be outside right now. The food was delicious and our server was very friendly and accommodating. The only suggestion I might give is related to our table. The only available reservation was for a high-top which was fine with us but the table was really - meant for a snack and drink. We were constantly struggling moving drinks and plates around to get everything to fit. I'm sure they are doing their best to make do which is I still felt this was a 5-star experience. read more

My family has been dining at Macaroni's for years. Whenever someone suggests it for a celebration, there's alway a resounding "yes". The food is alway fresh, creative and delicious. The staff takes care of you as though you're an honored guest. And, the room is simple, elegant, and charming. read more

Where do you start? The food is equivalent to any great restaurant in the city, if not better. Atmosphere is 6 stars and the staff is 7, all out of 5 stars. Pricing is comparable to other restaurants in the area unless it's a chain. P2 is the bar outback where you would never know you are in NE Philly. And finally, the pizza is one of the best if not the best in the city, hands down. Definitely worth a try, you wont stop at 1 time.... read more

The 2 stars are solely for the atmosphere and the interior of the restorant . The place was beautiful and classy. However I CAN NOT SAY THE SAME ABOUT FOOD.. it was HORRIBLE! The price was of a fine dining restaurant, not cheap so I expected at least something eatable! I had lunch with my friend on Sunday and we ordered calamari, shrimp and grilled octopus dishes. The calamari was impossible to eat, it was so damn salty it hurt, also not fresh and super dry. The octopus WAS BURNED it tasted like charcoal, there was nothing else served with it besides dried up chickpeas that you could probably break your teeth on, I paid 18$ for it and i couldn't even eat it it was simply burned and COLD for some reason. The shrimp was on fire! Not in a good way, it was so spicy you couldn't even eat that! Please please hire a better chef or something, the place is so beautiful but YOU CANT EAT THAT FOOD !!!! read more

The food is amazing and authentic it's like a slice of Center City in the Northeast!!! Ciao

Service is too notch! Everyone was very accommodating. Food was wonderful! Really enjoyed the lamb and my picky eating kids loved the french fries. Seafood was great too. It's hard to believe theres such a nice place in Northeast! Love the outdoor seating & the intimate atmosphere inside. read more

Macaroni's Restaurant - Delicious lamb - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My friends and I finally got together after several missed celebrations due to COVID. Our meals were wonderful, which we have come to anticipate. What I'd like to highlight this time is the staff. Our waitress was informative, attentive and checked on us just enough to meet any need, but not intrusive at all. A nearby table outside must have asked to be re-seated indoors and were accommodated without fuss. The restaurant is a terrific experience from beginning to end. read more

Simply Amazing! Chris Vegas is the BEST bartender! Great food! Great atmosphere! The food is great.. Try the Veal Primo! read more

Macaroni's Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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They have reservations available on open table for 9:45pm but then called me 10 min away from the reservation when I was already on my way. saying their kitchen was closed. read more

As always, we were not disappointed with our meal and experience at Macaroni's. The Primavera brothers have known how to serve up a dinner reminiscent of a holiday in Italy for years now, with a modern upscale ambiance that makes you feel transported to center city Philly (luckily for us, this gem is tucked away in the Northeast). Dave & John really went above and beyond to make our 5 year wedding anniversary an unforgettable occasion. The Fiora di Latte mozzarella on our antipasto was like biting into a cloud of creamy decadence. We ordered one of our favorites, Penna Vodka- I am positive it is the most perfect vodka sauce that can be made. And of course the bread and peppers are worth the trip alone. We will not be waiting until our next milestone anniversary to come back and enjoy a meal here. read more

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What a great find. A friend from work and I were looking for something different and low key with great drinks and food. We found it at Macaroni's. Their wine menu was fantastic. Their food menu also terrific. They have a lot of specials so listen before you decide. Everything we had was terrific. We made a reservation and I would recommend that if you are going at a more popular time/day. The wait staff was very attentive. We did have leftovers to enjoy the next day. read more

Was very disappointed with my last visit...ordered calamari and a kobe meatball app...both were lukewarm in temperature at best...too many hot peppers in calamari made it unpleasant...halibut special was served hot and was very good...the filet at $45 was overpriced, over salted and ice cold as was the spinach and mashed potatoes...had to send it back...by the time it came back, it was still cool not even warm...my husband had finished his halibut entree....it was not a happy birthday dinner that I expected...not sure I will give it another try...it used to e my fav place to go for special occasions but I will have to try a new place... read more

We were a group of five on Sunday evening for dinner. The food was good.. I loved my bolognese which was tasty and a very large portion. Appetizers were delicious. My friends enjoyed their meals however one was too greasy which is never good! For the price we expected better. Our waiter was attentive at the start though he wavered and we didn't see him much after mid way through our time there. At the end when we finally received our bill, we had to take it to the front to get attention so that we could pay. Not the service you would expect at a pricey establishment. read more

Excellent food, beautiful place and great service. Gorgeous outside venue too. Best shrimp scampi pizza!

I will premise this by saying the food was good. Now the experience itself, not so much. I made reservations for myself, my husband and my son, to celebrate my 40th birthday. The next day they called to confirm. We arrived at the restaurant and she immediately tells us we're being seated outside. This was not told to me the night I made the reservation or the morning I confirmed. If it had been, I would've canceled. She pointed to the outside area and said there was someone over there who could help. I have a three-year-old with me and they attempt to put us at a table that is directly in front of the bar, where there are some heavily intoxicated patrons. We asked for a different seat, they gave us a table off to the side, under an umbrella, by the street entrance. The first server came over and offered us water which was fine. It wasn't until we actually got our server that the experience took a turn. We ordered appetizers they were fine. Our server had no concept of personal space, he was not wearing a mask, which is fine- it is well within his right, but he continued to hover over me and lean on the back of my chair. The fruit spread on the charcuterie board ran off the side of the board onto the table which is a grated table and leaked all over my pants. I asked for our filets to be medium, they were pretty much well done. I asked for a Mojito and was told "we don't have those." I asked for iced tea, and he never brought it. And when I reminded him that I had asked for the iced tea he gave me this smirk as if I was bothering him. When he came to remove our plates, he remembered that I had asked him for an iced tea twice, and then I told him just bring me a coffee instead. That took forever. Finally we were ready to go I asked for the check. 10 minutes go by we still don't have the check. Someone, I imagine of some famous stature came in and the server took our check and put it down so he could take pictures with whomever this was that came in. It began to rain, our umbrella leaked. The food in general was great, that particular server not so much. And anyone who smoked, stood right in that off street entrance and smoked-so we breathed in cigarette smoke the whole time. I was told the dress code was "nice" but I'm surrounded by people in jeans, t-shirts, sneakers, jean shorts, butts hanging out. So if you want good food, but don't care about service or the atmosphere, it's ok to go here. read more

I reserved a dinner for 2 at Macaroni for Saturday night for my friend's birthday. I called ahead and asked that they put a candle on her dessert and write happy birthday. They said no problem at all! When it came time for dessert, the candle and happy birthday didn't happen. I was disappointed. It's the little things that matter in restaurant business. Also, food was kind of just thrown on the table. Service overall was so so. It started out great with one of the owners taking our order (lots of delicious specials), however, during our dinner nobody asked if we needed anything else or if we enjoyed our meal. Not once did anyone come up. The waiters were literally running around. I get that it's a busy place but no attention to detail at this restaurant. However, the food was amazing! And the ambiance is nice too. I'd go back there for the food but not for great service. read more

Horrible service. Waited over an hour and a half after having a reservation. They came to take our drink order and never came back for another 20 mins to take our order. Ppl that came in after us were serviced before us. When the food finally came out the chicken parmigiana was tough as hell. (Like the chicken was not cooked completely.) Last but not least, the gentlemen bringing out our food was holding my spaghetti with his finger touching the food. Truly disappointed and disgusted. I will not recommend it. Will never return. I will give them a zero if I could. read more

I heard about this place from a friend and decided to give it a try. I was very impressed. The food was delicious! The atmosphere was warm and the serice was on point. I will definitely be returning and will try the outdoor area next. Keep up the good work! read more

This place is an absolute gem! I celebrate(d) many special occasions here. Birthdays, Graduations, important life events, you name it. It's also a phenomenal spot for an intimate date with someone special. All service staff are attentive, and you never feel rushed, even with the limited tables in the dining room. Dave, one of the owners, is always so welcoming and professional. He goes above and beyond to make our experience special every time. Now, the drinks. The martinis at this place are phenomenal. I HIGHLY recommend the Limoncello martini. It's cold, flavorful, and it goes down as smooth as any drink I've ever had. The Sour Apple martini is also world class due to the fact that it has a perfect hint of sour, along with a perfect icy-cold texture that can be enjoyed no matter the time of year. The food is authentic Italian food. It tops any other Italian restaurant in the area. Moonstruck, Tuscany Ristorante, and Zaccone's don't stand a chance head-to-head with Macaroni's. For starters, I recommend their slow roasted, house-made peppers, served with bread. THEY'RE AMAZING. The outer crust of the bread is the perfect amount of crispy, followed by a glossy finish on the inside, bursting with flavor. I could eat them all day and I'd be happy. I usually order one of my favorites, the calamari. It was light and crispy with pieces of pepper and full slices of garlic. Some restaurants hand out soggy, chewy calamari, not here! The eggplant stacks were lightly breaded and crispy with mozzarella in between. Both are outstanding, and I would recommend them to anyone anytime. For dinner, I go with the Lobster Ravioli. It looks very heavy with the cream sauce, but it is always light and fresh. I have also tried the Veal Primo and the Filet Special with the shrimp, crabmeat and cream sauce. The steak is always fresh and cooked to perfection. Topping it off with fresh, lump crabmeat, and a light cream sauce rounds the meal out. All to die for. Len Lear, a writer in the local life section at Chestnut Hill Local said it best, "Regarding both the menu items and the daily specials, there is not a joker in the deck." Everything is done to perfection. The modern upscale ambiance and decor makes you feel transported to center city Philadelphia. It tops every other restaurant with similar cuisine. Places like Gearo's and Kelly's Seafood don't even COMPARE to Macaroni's. Price wise, a Gearo's steak will be around 20-25 dollars, compared to 35-45 dollars, but the quality of meat is not even close. It's unquestionably the best spot in Northeast Philadelphia. The inside part of the restaurant is fancy, with the outside area called the "P2 Lounge" being more casual and laid back. The bar outside is decorated with string lights and they even some sofas at some tables, so it set the mood to be a lot more casual. The menu had pizzas and different pastas than just the inside menu, ranging from 10-18 dollars. If you're looking for a more cost-efficient option, ask to sit outside in the lounge. To sum it all up: high quality, great ambiance, excellent service, wonderful local restaurant. Mid to high range pricing, but you know EXACTLY where that price goes with the first bite. They never disappoint, and I always can't wait for my next visit. read more

The restaurant itself is gorgeous. However, the dim lighting makes it hard for my parents to look at the small prints on their menu. We ordered 2 shrimp and colossal crabmeat cocktail, an eggplant stack, 2 cioppino, 14 oz veal chop, veal primo, special sea bass, special cold corn soup, and 2 sides. All the dishes were fairly skimpy except for the cioppino and sides. Everything tasted amazing though. One thing that I have to complain about is how the server charged my group of 5 for an automatic 20% gratuity, which is only added with a party of 6 or more. read more

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The Northeast has long been barren of any quality restaurants. Unfortunately, it still lacks a truly classy spot. After checking in for our reservation, my first impression was that the place was loud. I mean sports bar loud. We were served promptly by the bartender and I asked to see the cocktail menu. I was pleasantly surprised by the drink offerings. I had the New Fashioned, which was delicious. The bar area was extremely loud and was showing sports on the TV. To me, there should not be sports on TV at a nice restaurant. This wasn't some chain, but by many reviews, the pinnacle of NE dining. I continued to be hopeful while we were seated. The waiter was pleasant and well informed of the specials. I ordered the Gin and Sin drink next and two appetizers: Brussel Sprouts and Mozzarella e Carpazzo. The Mozzarella came out first and my girlfriend made the observation that it looked like "Fancy Grilled Cheese". This is where I had to do a double take and make sure this wasn't Olive Garden. The dish was decent, but lacked the flavor that one would expect. The Brussel Sprouts were just bad and burnt. Tasteless minus the overly charred with a little balsamic. We were also given bread, but no butter or oil. Weird... I will take the full blame for allowing us to be seated in literally the worst table in the joint. It was right near the kitchen door, which opened and closed about 100 times. I think that if they put up some type of screen or curtain that would make the table and honestly the entire room more pleasant. The volume in the dining area was actually louder than the bar area. Literally could not hear each other from across the table. Lip reading would be a good quality to have if you dine here. I looked up at the lights and noticed that there were either bugs or large pieces of debris that could be seen in them. Gross, but that wasn't the last gross thing we encountered. For dinner we ordered the Cioppino and the Filet. The place was busy, but we waited an inordinate amount of time for the main course. The filet was decent. The Ciopinno had alot of Mussels and clams, but only two shrimp and barely any "colossal crab meat". Now the main course wasnt terrible...it just was, well pedestrian. Both entrees lacked the layers of flavor that one would expect at a finer restaurant at above average pricing. Of note, we did not see our waiter again until he asked if we wanted dessert. I would expect more attentive service at an upper echelon restaurant. We declined dessert, coffee, and espresso. Once we both got up to leave is the point when I was really disgusted. The chairs were absolutely filthy and stained. I was ashamed I did not notice it before I sat down. As you can see in the picture, the chair looked like what I would think a mattress does at the Hub Motel (not that I would know lol). I only gave this two stars because the two drinks I had were very good. The ambiance, cleanliness, and subpar food offerings would not bring me back here. I did not expect Vetri folks, but I also didnt expect Olive Garden Plus. My advice is to take the drive downtown and go somewhere good...Or clean. Clean would have been nice too. read more

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The food was really 4 stars but I take away two stars for the following reasons: 1. This place is WAAAYYYY overpriced. I for one, do not believe in paying Center City prices in Northeast Philadelphia. $144 for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees one soup and one salad and get this $11 Stoli Cosmos. I'm sorry-I didn't realize I was in Rittenhouse Square. 2. Portions were very small 3. They did not have high chairs for kids. While I did know I wasn't walking into a Houlihans, my baby is quiet in restaurants and I didn't expect that I would have to sit him in his car seat on top of a chair. They may as well have had a sign saying "No children allowed" and had they, I wouldn't have been upset. on to the food... Seafood root vegetable bisque-one of the best soups I have eve had Caesar Salad-I have had better Mushrooms and Crab meat appetizer-meh Lobster ravioli-one of the best I have ever had Tiramisu-outstanding. I would recommend this place, just be ready to pay big money in a mediocre location. read more

I am re-writing this review as it got stuck in "not recommended." First, the food is good. Our table of 5 - 3 adults, 2 kids -- ordered the charcuterie plate to start, which had a nice selection of meats, cheese & condiments. Great olive mix. Needed a few more crackers. They had a special salad of wild mushrooms, mixed greens and burrata, which was very good, if a little over-dressed. My mom has that as entree. They did not hear me when I also ordered it, so there was some scrambling & my entree was held back. We ordered calamari for the kids, but never got it. Evidently they didn't hear that order either. We had plenty of food though. Entrees were: cheese pizza for kid 1, which was big and looked good. Penne with butter for kid 2, which arrived tepid and without the Parmesan he ordered. It took them a little while to bring it out. My uncle got the Rigatoni alla Norma, which he loved. I got the halibut special which was perfectly cooked and delicious, although the vegetables were unremarkable. Portions were all appropriate for the price points. Dinner was just under $200. We skipped dessert and soft drinks. I'm not a drinker, but they have a full bar. My mom got a Montepulciano that she enjoyed. I knocked off stars for atmosphere and the ordering mix-ups. The atmosphere is not good. My kids were like, "This looks like a meeting room." The lighting is awful, and the music too loud for what it was (bad--added nothing). For a place with entrees $22 and up, I expect tablecloths, maybe some fresh flowers. It's really drab. The tables are Formica wood and look scuffed and not clean. This place could offer a really fine experience. I hope the owner, who served us, and is super nice, gives his talented chef and loyal customers a place that looks and feels as good as his cuisine. As is, the food is really good. I would try it again if I felt like I wanted to be there. read more

We waited in front of this restaurant for 10 minutes to be seated. The waiter was nowhere to be found despite only one couple sitting in the place. Once we found him by walking around he told us he was busy and allowed us to wait 5 more minutes. I cannot review the food because I did not wait 20 minutes to be seated in an empty restaurant. read more

So, first of all this place is way over priced and the food portions are too small. Not worth it for the cost at all. Second of all my grandparents had sand in their clams and when they told the waiter he basically said, "What do you want me to do about it?" He continued on with, "Clams come from the ocean. We do our best to get all the sand out." Instead of just agreeing and taking the plate back he came up with a ton of excuses. For the cost of the food here, it's not worth that. I had scallops and found a few bits of sand. How does that even happen?! Of course we don't expect a free meal, but at least try to be a bit accommodating. The waiter was just very rude about it and we'll never go there again. read more

I have yet to be disappointed. This spot is a hidden gem. It's like going in town without the drive and terrible parking. For a special occasion or meeting this is the spot. read more

Use to be good still looking for the crab in my pasta.Service was bad also will give it another try to confirm my findings.

I will review again----bad service---pricy - bread good - food except for salads which were good---entrees not so much Will not go back---too many others out there read more

Everything was perfect. The service is fantastic, the prices are fair and the food is brilliant! This is fresh hand crafted well seasoned and authentic Italian influenced fare. The décor is beautiful and the entire experience made us fans. read more

Me and my partner dined out tonight and the service was impeccable. The food was everything we've heard about. And Adam really made the experience. He was extremely attentive and will request him next time! 10/10! read more

First time back since their refurbishment, long over due. Late anniversary dinner. Contemporary dining room with fine staff who were v attentive. Loved my arugula, pomegranate, persimmon salad. My husband was over the moon with a stack of bread crumbed eggplant, tomato app. Main course. I enjoyed chicken florentina. For such a splendid restaurant I thought it mediocre. The chicken had been poached earlier and stuffed with spinach later. Making the chicken solid. Maybe Macaronis need to rethink prep. Perhaps sous vide? My husband ordered a side of polenta. Watery. Plus carbonara. Carbonara enjoyed a splendid presentation with a glorious egg seated in the middle of the pasta. Seemed to be all cream and a bit tasteless. Forewent the Expresso as it was made in one of those multiple tap machines instead of tapered individually. Bit of a traditional Expresso fan. Enjoyable. read more

I wouldn't go out of your way to go here. It's rather expensive and it's nothing to write home about. We called to make a reservation and were told we could only fit on the lounge side (there was only three of us). When we got there the place was EMPTY and the lounge was way too loud. Our server also took an odd amount of time to greet us. For nothing going on in the restaurant I'm not really sure what he was doing. Everything is ala carte. No soups or salads with your entree... and I'm sorry $20 something for just pasta... you have to serve something with it. I decided to try the spinach salad...SNORE. Pass on this. The lobster ravioli was ok. Typical. There are a ton of wines to pick from IF you buy the bottle...if not you're stuck with a house wine. Overall, I think there are better Italian options out there that aren't chains, are delicious and a great value. read more

We had reservations and were seated right away. There were 7 of us dining last night and everyone was happy with their meal. I had the grilled romaine salad to start. It came with several croutons and sliced cherry tomatoes and a Caesar dressing. Very tasty. I took another reviewer's tip and had the cavatelli and crab, which came with huge hunks of delicious crab in a spicy tomato sauce. Had to take half home. Others ordered the rack of lamb, salmon, penne vodka, chicken Marsala. I had one if the lamb chops, very tender and well seasoned. The waiter started us off with roasted peppers and sliced hearty Italian bread. We asked for garlic bread and were told it wasn't on the menu, but they would make it for us. It was excellent, grilled bread with just the right amount of garlic rubbed in. They have a nice bar with friendly bartenders. read more