I am a challenging customer because I have been the food service profession for decades. I can look at an item and tell you if it came from SYSCO, US Foods, Restaurant Depot, or some other popular source...and my familiarity can adversely impact my dining experiences. I tend to be hypercritical of both the front & back of a restaurant (kitchen staff & servers) and this skepticism is magnified when I feel the need to be catered to. Yes...I'm that guy. I have returned to Mangia Bene every time I need to impress someone or simply feel the need for great food and service that makes me feel catered to...even spoiled. They do not disappoint and Reggie manages the establishment with a watchful eye and hires very well. You can tell his staff enjoys working here and they value the patron. It's a tightly run ship decorated with crystal, linen and amazing food that stuns the eye and pleases the taste buds. The bartenders are above average as well. They can make anything and everything and you can have it your way! A slightly dirty martini with enough olives you can call it a low-cal salad? No problem. We have never been served a bad drink here. Martinis come to you with ice crystals floating...not melted like "some places" who do not know better. After a particularly brutal day, my wife & I needed a date night. We chose Mangia Bene and tried some new dishes. The appetizers were fabulous and generous...so much so we went straight to dessert afterwards because that was all we had room for. But we still ordered entrees to take home cuz great Italian food for breakfast is a wonderful thing! (New Yorkers are smiling as they read this). If you are a tough customer...if you scrutinize things like the crystal stemware, the house wine selections, expect the perfect port wine served in a proper snifter, holding a quality steak knife and other fine touches that mean something, if you know when your server is providing the ideal level of service (not stopping to check on you too often or disappearing for too long) and seek a dining experience in elegant and comfortable surroundings, then do yourself a favor and go visit Mangia Bene on a day when you need to be treated right...or have a client you need to delight. Go ahead...book your table with absolute confidence. I have been dining here for decades and never once had a negative experience. Of course, unlike the 1-star review people I am not using DoorDash or complaining about the restaurant being packed because it is so popular. There's an excellent reason for this. At Mangia Bene...they set the customer service bar so high...other restauranteurs need to charter a plane just to see it. read more

this place is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!! on saturday, my family and i got 2 pastas and a pizza to bring back to our place, and immediately after sniffing the box, we knew the food would be amazing. i would literally put my life on the line for the pepperoni pizza. even after an hour of sitting out in our house, it still tasted just as delicious as it did when we took our first bites. the crust was PERFECT, and the cheese+pepperoni+sauce ratio was golden. our pastas were delectable. we built our own pasta and also got a creamy red sauce pasta with chicken, and both of them were eaten until the plates were dry. and DON'T get me started on their garlic bread and RANCH???? i'm a ranch connoisseur and this was some of the best ranch i've ever had. that garlic bread will appear in my dreams until i get it again. i will 1 BILLION % be coming back to mangia bene cucina, and i wholeheartedly recommend that everyone gives it a try! the food is truly authentic and amazing. read more

Staff: The team here is so nice. Our server was Fankie and she was great. Everyone from the hostess, to the buss boy, to the support staff, they were all so nice. Quality: This is a beautiful restaurant that I've seen for well over a decade but never visited. I always drove by and never knew just how popular this place is. We came in on a Monday night and it was packed. The food was delicious in every way. Along with the garlic bread for an appetizer, we ordered the lobster ravioli, kids penne pasta, and angel hair pasta. For dessert we ordered the chocolate cake. Value: Pricing was fair at approximately $94.00 before tip. This is not bad for high end dining. Overall: We really enjoyed this place and plan to return again. read more

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This is my local Italian restaurant and I love it so much. The price is reasonable and the portions are big. We came here to celebrate Mother's Day with my family. We got the calamari salad which was a very good choice since the salad balanced the fried calamari well. My favorite is the linguine vongole - they use real large clams and they put so much of it I almost couldn't finish it all. The cioppino is also very delicious and full of different seafood. Their tiramisu is very flavorful without being too heavy. The service was great and the restaurant can get a bit loud when it's busy. read more

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Absolutely not what it used to be, I've been coming here for decades and I ordered a boneless skinless chicken breast and asparagus. The asparagus was greasy and the chicken had breading on it which I cannot have due to health issues. They assured me they could make it the way I wanted, but sadly no. However I'll still have wonderful memories of going there with my family as a child. read more

This place is nostalgic. The childhood restaurant where we celebrated most of our birthdays and graduations at. Since we no longer live in the area, we don't come here as often. Reviewing specifically for the Christmas Eve reservation we had at 8PM and we waited over an hour to be seated. Giving them grace that it was a very busy evening... but we had elderly people in our party. We kept checking in with the hostess who kept promising us that they were just cleaning a table and we were next... then 10 other parties were seated before us. Lol. We love their calamari and the fresh cheese bread for starters. The bread is the star of the show here. My parents love their tutto mare. The spicy rigatoni, lasagna, chicken marsala, and the chicken parmigiana are also our favorites. The food here is great. The service we received that evening... not so much. But it was definitely nostalgic to be back here after a long time. read more

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Great food and good ambience. The owner even introduced himself and ask how we liked the food. That was nice. read more

I absolutely love the gnocchi here, probably one of the best gnocchi in the states. Soft, pillowy with a cheese filling. The sauce is dreamy, rich and so delicious. I wonder if I could order extra sauce for next time. Calamari was a bit undergone for my taste -batter wasnt crunchy. Vongole pasta was good, clams tasted fresh. I dont think this was my favorite dish though. Chicken sausage rigatoni was delicious and so flavorful. The complimentary garlic bread was delicious and i had 2 servings of it. Customer service was ok, I think just understaffed that weekend. Overall, a gem of an Italian restaurant. read more

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First time trying this place, we wanted to find an Italian restaurant for our employee holiday lunch, for 10 people and this location looked very spacious and was only about 10 minutes from our office. The plaza it was located in was super busy, probably because of the holidays, but also not too big of a lot for all the shops/restaurants. The restaurant was really nice, clean, well lit and comfortable for our party size. I ordered a cappuccino before my meal and it was really tasty. Our server was very good, made sure we had drinks, and checked on us throughout our stay. We all ordered various food items, and everyone was happy with their meal. Lobster Ravioli was great, the cream sauce wasn't too heavy. Portions were good, not many leftovers, so just enough for a lunch meal. The bread they give to share is yummy, small, crusty cheese and fresh bread. Definitely a good Italian place with great service and tasty food options. read more

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Great local Italian place to dine out with the family. Came out for Mother's Day and was surprised that it was not super packed. He restaurant is family friendly and lively. The boys love having the Alfredo fettuccine. I usually order the chicken parmigiana but wanted to try something different and ordered the cioppino which was full of seafood and was great to dip with the bread provided. read more

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We ordered take-out, this place is amazing. The order was HOT and accurate! The chicken was tender. The amount of sauce on the entrees was perfect. The vegetables, potatoes, and pasta were tasty. The meatballs were melt in your mouth tender. The salad was crisp and fresh. Delivery was quick. Order summary Pollo Parmigiano Light sauce on pasta. Potatoes and pasta for sides (no veggies) $26.95 Cesare Dressing On Side with Chicken $19.95 Side Meatballs (2) $8.00 Pollo Mustardo Light sauce on pasta, please $26.95 Total $118.19 read more

The first time I came to Mangia Bene Cucina was in 2001 with my two oldest children. I was new to the area and wanted to celebrate my birthday with my kids somewhere nice and it instantly became a favorite of ours! I would get my taxes done at HR Block and it became routine to leave all our paperwork with the CPA and walk over for dinner while she did what she needed to do. Years later, we found that my daughter's partner has also been coming here for years and has to stop at least once at Mangia Bene each time he's in town. This last visit was with my daughter, her partner, a friend of his from the UK, and my granddaughter. On a Friday night at 7:30 pm they were able to seat us fairly quick even though the restaurant was full. We always get the best service! Waters all around and the most delicious cheese toast brought to the table. We ordered some calamari for the table but I didn't get a photo because they ate it all so quickly. The staff kept the waters and sodas full and made sure any bar orders were brought very quickly. For dinner we ordered two chicken parmesan with fettuccine alfredo instead of spaghetti, tortellini romano, penne campagnola, and the ravioli di zucca. I usually get the gnocchi with pesto but I'm so glad I tried the ravioli di zucca this time! It was a perfect balance of sweet and savory with pumpkin, butternut squash, sage, pine nuts, and dried cherries! I also struggled to stop tasting my granddaughter's tortellini! The sauce was so garlicy and creamy with yummy pieces of pancetta and plenty of mushrooms! The meal prices reflect the quality of the food, service, and ambiance without being overly expensive. read more

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One of the best home cooked Italian meals around. The service is impeccable and the food is fresh and delicious! Great place for a family meal and conversation! Clean atmosphere. read more

I have never dined in at this location but always enjoyed their takeout meals via DoorDash. The orders always arrive piping hot and absolutely tasty. Love the options to customize pastas to my liking. I love the shrimp rigatoni's and the chicken Parmesan. It's absolutely delicious! It's also nice they include ample supplies of garlic bread or roasted vegetables to accompany the meals. Have never failed to cure my pasta / Italian food cravings! Price is very reasonable given the amount of portions too. Zero complaints and wouldn't mind ordering again and again! read more

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The best seafood I've had in a long time! I'd come all this way just to eat it again, we ordered in on a staycation and it was the best linguine seafood I had with so much seafood and sauce like I love it!!! Highly recommend! read more

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Great dining spot. We had reservations this evening for a nice Italian dinner. Jasmine and Romero took care of us with quality customer service. We started with Martinis, bread and the eggplant appetizer which were terrific. I also had a salad which was very good. My wife had the chicken, spinach ravioli, angnolotti rosati and I had the penned campagnola. The food, service and ambiance was fantastic. We finished with coffee and tiramasu. Highly recommended read more

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The server was friendly and was accommodating, we came here with friends to celebrate her birthday. The ambiance was very casual and the food was alright! It wasn't something that I will be craving for or come back to as most of the dishes were super garlicky ! If you like garlicky food then this is for you but it was too much garlic that it almost overpowered most of the flavors of the pasta! read more

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We came for my friends birthday last year and now I will come back every chance I get for this pesto. LIFE changing, creamy salty sweet rich goodness read more

Mangia Bene Cucina - Gnocchi Genovese - Italian Near Me - Laguna Niguel, California

We love the staff, food and ambiance at this restaurant. The quality of the food is excellent, and the wine is a very nice pour for the price. You feel welcomed and loved here. read more

Fresh Italian food experience. Always great drinks by Katherine. And excellent service Celestino‼

Dropped in for a quick bite on a Saturday afternoon. They have happy hour at the bar. Drink prices reasonable. The caprese salad was delicious. I ordered poke. Husband said why would you order poke at an Italian restaurant? He was right. So salty and inedible. Had to have them take it back. Please take this off your menu. Not good. read more

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We've have been coming here for years. The restaurant is open, has outdoor seating and a nice open bar area with plenty of seating . They have a large menu from salads, pizza, panini's and a large selection of pasta dishes. My husband's favorite dish is the lasagna. I've had several of their salads and my favorite pasta dish is the Penne Sonato. Each plate could easily feed two people. The bread is amazing. The staff is friendly. We've never had bad service. Ambiance 4/5 Food 5/5 Service 4/5 read more

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My first time after a recommendation from my sister. Delicious dinners all around the table. I selected the spinach and chicken ravioli in a tomato cream sauce. Amazing delicious dinners. Perfect portion! Yummy garlic bread that just appears on your table. Fantastic choice of beverages. Very good service. We were happily greeted and treated from the moment we arrived. Highly recommend!! read more

Ordered for delivery, so this review is only about the food. THE FOOD. - Mangia Bene Salad | Big salad energy. Lots of chicken and mozzarella cheese amongst the artichoke hearts, red onion, and yellow bell peppers. Balsamic vinaigrette adds acidity and sweetness to this salad. - Maiale Pizza | Loved the toppings on this pizza! The flavorful sausages and creamy ricotta stood out for me. I also liked that the crust wasn't too thick and the fresh basil was a nice touch. - Zuppa Inglese | Creamy, sweet and raspberry tart to balance. Finding a side of complimentary garlic bread in our delivery bag was a cool surprise! THE RETURN? Yes! I can't wait for another meal from here. read more

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I have been coming to Mangia Bene since it's opening back in the 2000's and I love so much about this restaurant - from the frescoes on the wall to the attentive servers. But, tonight I was very disappointed in my take-out service. I had ordered take out and came just a few minutes past the time my order was announced to be ready (which meant that the food would surely be done). Once inside at the To-go counter, I waited for a while with no one coming to service. Eventually, I walked over to the server counter on the other side of the restaurant and asked for help. A member of the waitstaff was very polite and obliged me getting someone to help me, but it did not seem that this part of their service was very well-organized. The first person helping me did not realize that I had already paid. The second person who came to help did see that and corrected it, but they needed to still add napkins and utensils to the takeout bag. My last disappointment; however, and the reason why I have felt it important to post the review is that when I arrived home, the delicious Taglio salad I had eagerly awaited was already barely edible. It had been packaged underneath the hot pasta, so it had wilted a lot. In addition, I had put in the details of my order for the dressing to be on the side. This way, I could enjoy tonight and have leftovers. Mangia Bene dishes are usually terrific as leftovers and the generous portions they give make your dollar go the extra mile. But, the salad already had dressing on it - that coupled with it being packaged under the pasta made it largely wilted at first bite. This is not the quality and service that I have grown to appreciate and love about this restaurant. I would like to give their takeout service another try, but after my soggy salad tonight, I am not sure I will do that. read more

Had a good time at mangia bene Cucina. Nice garlic bread to start off. Good portion sizes and fantastic sauce for the rigatoni. In a convenient location and our food was quick to the table. Nice louder vibe in the restaurant. read more

Mangia Bene Cucina - A combo of things - Italian Near Me - Laguna Niguel, California

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Came here to celebrate my bday with some friends. We practically had the restaurant to ourselves on a mon at 1 pm. Normally this place is packed but we got lucky. Great service, Great prices, Great choices, Great portions and drinks are good too. My friends recommended I bring my family. They also have a kids menu. read more

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Our family and friends have been coming to Mangia Bene for close to 30 years. Whether it's dinner for two or entertaining out of town guests this is our go to restaurant for delicious Italian cuisine, great service, and an all around fantastic experience. read more

The complimentary bread that is given has changed my life in the most positive way possible. The service and owners are excellent, I love how attentive they are. Obviously it is packed on a Friday/ Saturday night, can be overstimulating lol, but amazing vibes and the food is even better read more

We love this place. Near CVS, Sprouts and Home Depot. Great location and the food is yum yum tasty! We've been coming here for YEARS and the staff is so nice and helpful. The place is beautiful and they are so happy to see you! read more

Awesome bar. Amazing food. Great happy hour deals. Addictive complementary garlic toast. Great owner.

Excelente Italian food...my wife and me order rigatoni manga bene and penne sonato those dishes are the best pasta plates . Celestino give us a great service amd he suggest a Chardonnay Wine La Creme. Combine 100% with those dishes of pasta . We fall in love with this place . Recommended ! read more

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This place has been here forever so they must be doing something right... located on La Paz near the Sprouts and Home Depot center this has plenty of parking and easy access. Service is very good and sometimes a reservation (not always) is best to ensure a quick seating. As most people know the garlic bread they bring to every table is legendary. The best 2 items on the menu in your opinion are the Pesto Gnocchi and the Lasagna. Order either one of these to share and then order one of the daily specials to share as well. Full bar and indoor or outdoor seating. read more

Mangia Bene Cucina - Garlic bread - Italian Near Me - Laguna Niguel, California

We have been there many times.and this place never disappoints the servers are always polite and helpful. The owner will always stop by the tables to see how everything was and stays to talk with you took my sister and she said the best Italian food she ever had. And would be coming back very soon. Have recommended this place to several people when in town or to take a ride. Love it read more

Was looking for a nearby Italian place and ended up here. The decor is traditional and nice. Large tables for families available. Portion sizes are great. Service is helpful. Unfortunately the food is just not that great. The pizza was pretty ok and the minestrone soup was ok but the pasta and the steak was lacking. The food is more American than Italian. The pasta was just soft and limp. The food was more like fancy cafeteria food. For the prices, there are better options nearby. read more

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I had the linguine with clams and it was excellent. We will be back soon. Prices are reasonable. The bar area is also nice. We went back for lunch and sat in the bar area. It was also very good. read more

Came for a birthday dinner with my 3 daughters and husband and it was fabulous! Bruschetta appetizer was delicious and abundant, chicken alfredo and chicken spinach ravioli came out pipping hot and SO incredibly tasty. Our girls said the cheese pizza was the best they ever had lol. Rounded out the carbs with extra sugar and had a tasty cannoli that was lights out! A must try for Italian lovers. We will definitely be back again soon! read more

Mangia Bene Cucina - Cannoli - Italian Near Me - Laguna Niguel, California

Great chicken Paramasigan. I loved the perfectly seasoned, tender chicken served with a flavorful sauce, making the dish truly delightful.

Very delicious and affordable. The bar is underrated they have great coffee based cocktails . Loved the Cesar, pumpkin ravioli, and lasagna. Service was good too, the restaurant is cute. read more

The food was great, the server wonderful and a nice place for dinner. The young hostess kept us standing there when we walked in as it sounded like a personal call she was on. Then she told us we were early and could go sit at the bar and wait for the rest of our party to arrive. We asked her where she was going to be seated when the full party of the 9 of us were there. She showed us the worst table in the restaurant, way in the back corner where we couldn't see a thing and next to a family with 2 loud children. I asked if we could have one of those round tables in the middle of the dining room, and she said they are not big enough. I went over to the Manager, and he said of course, we're here for you. He was a doll! I think the restaurant as good as it was, would flow better without that young hostess, who we caught rudely talking loud enough about us to 2 other servers. Not cool! read more

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