Enjoyed a late Saturday dinner at this neighborhood spot. I lived in Martinez when it opened 15 years ago and it was a very welcome spot at the time. I'm so pleased they continue to serve delicious dishes in this little strip mall. One step in and the painted walls, music and aromas tell you this will be a treat. Sparkly water and Bread with a yummy spread keep you busy while choosing. We ordered polenta con gamberetti and chicken Marsala and both were delicious. read more

If you sit down and eat here the service is pretty good. However, the food, while modestly priced is also not that spectacular either. My favorite so far has been the butternut squash ravioli with brown butter sage sauce. The veal scallopini wasn't bad either. But again, nothing to rave about. read more

We were looking for a nice place to eat for my sons birthday. Having just moved to Martinez we did not know of many places. We were thinking Italian. I came across this on google. This place is classic Italian!!! The food and desserts are delicious ! The staff are very friendly and nice. We have been there 2 times so far and they did not disappoint. Planning on making this out go to restaurant! read more

I came here with some co-workers for lunch. Thankfully, not too crowded, so we service was fine and we were seated quickly. Between the five of us, we all ordered a variety of different dishes: cannelloni, eggplant, ravioli, and fettucine with shrimp and pesto sauce. The fettucine was mine, and the only thing I tasted, and it was actually quite tasty - just very heavy! I felt sleepy afterwards. Portions seem average, slightly on the large side, so for the price this is a definite plus. The bread and dipping sauce were just so-so. Bread was cold, didn't seem extremely fresh or anything. I don't know if I'd make a trip back on my own, but wouldn't mind eating here if someone wanted to come here while I'm at this office. I've had much better tasting pasta, bigger portions, more options, etc... at other Italian establishments though. Best thing was that for five people, the total bill only came out to $66. So cheap! We were all surprised. read more

This used to be the place I took visiting family, etc. has slowly gone down hill. Interior has missing parts of wall, etc. service was worst ever. Appetizers brought after salads almost same time as meals. Which didn't all come at same time. I had calamari steak. Was ok! But polenta with it was not fully cooked. 2 people had the carbonara pasta dish. NO SAUCE ! Was like hay. They finally brought sauce after the test of us ate! Those that had the ravioli didn't eat all of theirs. Was too tough. The wine was ok, to add insult to injury.. they charged 20% tax. For six people at one table stuck in the back!! I have eaten or ordered from there about 30 times. No more. My wife does not want to be embarrassed anymore. read more

I hate to do this. Before the pandemic, this was a regular luncheon spot with my workmates and even after I retired and would visit we'd make a point of stopping there.. The food and service had always been superb. However ... I was coming to the area and decided to do a take out to feed my family of 6 adults and two toddlers. All I will say is that the bread was good and the salads decent enough. The pasta dishes were all bland and tasteless and the roast chicken dry -- it was really bad. I suspect that everything had been prepared in advance and had been sitting under a heat lamp for a while. There was absolutely no excuse for the poor quality. If they expect to stay open and get prosperous they need start thinking about what went wrong and FIX IT IMMEDIATELY. read more

I had the Penne alla Vodka and really enjoyed it. I disagree with the "kid friendly" description (coming from a parent of an infant and a 3 year old). Yes, they have a kids' menu but there wasn't a changing table in either restroom. Also, even though there were no customers other than us at the time, the waiter showed impatience with my 3 year old by taking the salt and pepper shakers from him. Yes, he was playing with them but he was not behaving in a way that would break them. The waiter did not talk to me nor my spouse, simply took one shaker and held out his hand for the one my child was holding (which my kid handed over without a fuss because, overall, he's a polite kid). I said nothing because it was already done and I understand why he did not want the shakers to be played with; but I am annoyed that he didn't ask me. read more

My sister and I came to this restaurant today for lunch. We were immediately greeted with a warm welcome and sat at a cute table for 2. Cloth napkins and all. We were then served sparking water in a pitcher so that we could refill our glasses at will. A nice touch. The Lunch Specials all were so appealing it was hard to make a decision. The bread served was so fresh and the sauce was a tomato based like a rumalad, delicious. We could have easily filled up on that bread! Additionally all the salads listed on the regular menu were tantalizing. My sister order the Calamari Steak and sait is was cooked perfectly and a very generous portion. I ordered their Risotto which was made with shrimp, fresh vegetables and a LOBSTER SAUCE! I was so impressed with the quality, potions and presentations. We will definitely return and encourage you to patronize this locally owned lovely restaurant. read more

Hidden GEM tucked away in Martinez! Just moved to Martinez and wasn't blown away by the food options or quality/authenticity of the cuisines I have tried at a few restaurants. But mangia bene gets 5 stars for quality authentic Italian food made with fresh ingredients. I have only ordered over the phone and staff is super friendly! I have received take out 3x in the span of 2 months and each time the consistency of quality timeliness of order and great customer service with staff all remained the same. I had a dinner party and we ordered 5 meals + 3 salad and Everyone loved their meal and practically licked their bowl clean! Will definitely continue to be a repeat customer! read more

Delicious meals every time we've been there! Friendly staff too. Can't wait til our next dinner there! read more

i loved it! the butternut squash ravioli with browned butter and sage and fried calamari are a must try. read more

Mangia Bene Restaurant - butternut squash ravioli - Italian Near Me - Martinez, California

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Old school Italian food. I very much enjoyed the butternut squash ravioli, with brown butter sage It's a quite solid option in a little out of the way area. Bonus: abundant parking. read more

Mangia Bene has been around for years and is a lunch favourite for some of my colleagues. Most often though, you'll find me at my desk at Noon over a sack lunch or Mexican takeout. After all, every minute counts when your profession involves saving lives and stamping out disease! Gayle's daughter-in-law used to work here and is still on excellent terms with the folks who run Mangia Bene. And at some family function a year of so ago, we received a $50 gift certificate. We had kind of forgotten about it, until after a recent Memorial Day Hike at Black Diamond Mines in Antioch. After we got home, we didn't feel like cooking, and Italian sounded really good after our trek through greater Somersville. Gayle and I have had some "words" since our dinner here and most of it had nothing to do with our dining experience. Her concern was that family and the folks at the restaurant would read my review and link it back. My main defense was that after 1600+ Yelp reviews, that train had already left the station! I also emphasized my pattern for accenting the positive and not writing 1 or 2 Stars reviews unless things were really bad or disappointing. And it's safe to say that Tam F. and I had 2 completely different experiences here, although I respect her more sophisticated palate, and was really disappointed after reading about her experience. I enjoyed our meal and was impressed with the friendly and welcoming service, decent prices, generous portions, and a nice comfortable and casual atmosphere. I enjoyed my pasta dish, but thought that the cream sauce needed a little more spice and flavour. Gayle also enjoyed her Calimari, and we both were grateful for the opportunity to hang out and experience a nice date night. Both of us also agreed that we would like to come back and sample more of the menu. We left Mangia Bene full, happy, and not quite ready for the upcoming work week to start. read more

My newest love in life is Italian sausage patty. I was in the mood for an Italian lunch. I was also not in the mood to travel far. So I came here. It's in a very drab strip mall and my hopes were not high at all. It's larger inside than you can tell from the outside. An intresting paint scheme is painted throughout. This days lunch menu I ordered the Panino Con Salccie. It was an Italian sausage sandwich. It had the best bread with fresh tomato, lettuce and red onions. The sausage wasn't spicy Italian it was a delicious delicately seasoned patty of meat. It also came with a small Caesar salad in the side that was a nice touch. I was surprised to also get bread and marinara dipping sauce. I wasn't expecting that. The bread they have here is so delicious and soft. I should have asked if they bake it in house. The marinara was also quite yummy. My only complaint was the woman behind the counter who took my order was slightly surly to say the least. I loved my sandwich. I want to try more of the menu. Well, more bread is good too. read more

Mangia Bene Restaurant - Sausage Sandwich - Italian Near Me - Martinez, California

An update is in order! We returned last week for dinner with my parents and, following our meal, I immediately bookmarked this for an update in the handy dandy yelp app. First of all, the bread is consistently warm and soft and I could eat the tomato garlic stuff by the spoonful. I chose a prawns dish from their specials menu, served over polenta and accompanied by fresh vegetables. The large shrimp were cooked perfectly and I thought the sauce was great -- flavorful with chunks of red pepper and tomato and a nice kick of heat. The veggies, green and yellow squash and carrots, were cooked perfectly al dente and a generous portion. I found the shrimp, sauce, and veggies strong enough on their own, and didn't even need the bed of polenta. I think the specials may be where it's at. read more

Co-workers and I go here a lot for "special" lunches. Sometimes just to sneak in a glass of wine on our lunch break, shhhhh. Who said that? I'm just not that impressed with the place. It's more a 2.5 but I couldn't decide and opted for the 2. The waiters and waitresses are usually distracted and pre-occupied literally every time we go there. It's weird. Almost like they might all have ADD, actually I'm a little distracted when I go back to work so maybe it's in the water. Speaking of, they give you the sparkle water. I hate sparkle water. It tastes like salty whale sweat to me. I just want regular - can't taste it water. The paste they give you to dip bread in, I just close my eyes. I can't look at it. It reminds me of surgery or cat food. It tastes ok, just doesn't look right. Everything I've ever ordered from this place leaves sick garlic breath for at least 3 days afterwards. They LIKE using garlic, so be forewarned. read more

I have lived in Martinez 4 29 years and never knew of this place until someone suggested on Nextdoor app. The homemade pastas were really good, couldn't even finish it all. Really good minestrone and the taramasu & creme buli were excellent. Good food & reasonable. We will be back for sure. read more

I've eaten here 3 times so far and each time I've enjoyed it. I like the free sparkling water and the tapenade that they give you for the bread. Last time I ordered linguini with seafood (clams, calamari, shrimp, scallops) in a light tomoato cream sauce. The pasta was homemade and cooked al dente, the way it should be, and the seafood was very tender. Very good meal. read more

Mangia Bene Restaurant - linguini with seafood - Italian Near Me - Martinez, California

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This used to be our favorite italian restaurant in the area, but lately the food quality has dropped considerably. We use to love this place, we would go out here at least once a month because the food was so delicious, but something has changed recently that is significantly disappointing us. It has gotten so bad that we are on the look out for a new favorite italian place. The size of the servings has gone down over time, but what is worse is the quality. A good example is the last time we went here the wife ordered lasagna. The lasagna was not lasagna, it was a white dish that they scoped meat sauce into, then placed some square pieces of pasta on top, a little more sauce, then a slice of what seemed liked processed cheese slice on top. The cheese was an exact square and was placed over only half of the container. Are they too lazy to grate cheese?There was no layering of meat, sauce and noodle. My 6 year old nephew who has never has lasagna could have assembled a better lasagna. My food was average at best, but at least I was not sick this time, which happened the last time I came in. The redeeming factor of this place is the servers are nice, they may be a little slow (we were there on a busy night so I can understand), but overall friendly and fairly attentive. They are making this a 2 star review, the food alone rates only 1 star. I am not sure what is happening in the kitchen, but I hope they find their old ways again, and soon. read more

Love this place. I live 2 blocks away and my friend turned me on to it Stuck on one thing now, hoping to branch out! read more

I'm not the expert on fine, or authentic Italian food.. but I do know when food tastes good. And Mangia Bene is A-OK. We usually get the veal saltimbocca or parmigiana, and some sort of pasta, and all of it is seasoned well. I'm not a stickler for pasta consistency, so al dente, not al dente... as long as it doesn't feel weird in my mouth, you're light years ahead. Have had the osso buco is pretty delicious, hats off to the cook to get the meat so tender. Service has never been an issue for us.. and since we live off Muir Road, the convenience is awesome. We don't dine here often, as my parents are not big Italian eaters anymore since I no longer go to school with Italians... but every once in a while we will stop in! read more

Devinos and mangia bene are the best Italian restaurants on this side of the Bay, IMHO. Both are family run and have the most amazing dishes and service. Highly, highly recommend. read more

We were passing through Martinez on some mission of life and were hungry. In a small strip mall was what we thought to be a hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant which was Mangia Bene. I turned out to be a VERY Italian, very authentic restaurant. Very clean layout, a bar and a few tables, each with white table cloths and dressing place settings. A pleasant surprise.The The menu was great. Lots of choices which is both good and bad news. I found too many items that I liked (the good news), but it was work to decide just what I would have (the bad news). Good menu, with many enticing specials. It was hard to choose. Salads with dried ricotta cheese. Had that? It was our first time and was a nice accompaniment. Lots of pastas to choose from and then there were the meats. We ended up eating too much, especially as we were just driving through, but it made us remember to come to Mangia Bene next time we were in the area. The managers were apparently owners as they did the ordering and serving. You could detect an air of pride in that they knew that they had good stuff and were delighting in your delight as you consumed the foods. Wine and beer only. A nice touch is that they serve sparkling water. We had a pitcher of iced water with orange slices for your table. Nice. Fresh, dense, warm bread with a tomato garlic sauce was something to munch on while ordering. We just about ate the serving piece as the bread was a treat. Next time you are looking to have a good meal, lunch or dinner, and happen to make yourself go into Martinez, drop in to Mangia Bene. This hole-in-the-wall is a great find. read more

Great variety of Pasta, good beer. Not too many tables, very informal, good to take the kids, family - will not break the bank. Nothing fancy, just good Italian food and tasty sparkling water served up at a reasonable cost. Various homemade ravioli's are especially good. The staff can be - as reviews indicate - "at times not on top of their game." read more

Went on a Friday night at 6pm, no wait and with plenty of space for two. The place is in a strip mall, next to a to go Chinese place. Surprising to find such a great place in a strip mall. Looks like locals from the burbs are regulars, older crowd. A good size place, by the time we left, around 7pm, wait line of 3 people. Got free pitcher of sparkling water with orange wedges, you normally have to pay for sparkling water. The red spread is a mix of pizza sauce and parmesian,on soft bagettes, very tasty. Ordered the Beet salad, with greens and red and golden beets with a vinegrette and lots of pecorino cheese. Very generous with the beets and cheese. Osso Buca, veal, came with polenta and the red meat sauce was so yummy and the meat very tender but a little fatty. Chicken marsala with mushroom and polenta. Would have liked more sauce over the chicken, the chicken wasn't dry but I have love marsala sauce. With salad, 2 entrees and tip, around $45. Very reasonable with the quality and quantity that you receive. Staff was attentive and quick. Would definately go again. read more

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Four stars really does mean more here.. I mean they are next to a Pet Food Express and an IHOP so they are doing well. I have eaten here several times-- it's prob the best food in the area near my Moms place. I always look forward to the tomato dip that comes with the bread, it's great. Last time we ate here we got the food to-go and i got the salmon with veggies. Little heavy, but good. The eggplant appetizer was quite rich, but not bad either. The pear salad was great! much larger than expected. Tons of desserts. Give this place a chance! read more

Mangia Bene Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Martinez, California

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The linguini al frutti di mare and the sauce that comes with the bread are to die for!

Went there last night. Called in advance for a reservation for my handicap Mother and party. Got there and the waitress seats us but then wants us to move even though we were the only patrons. My Mother is on a scooter and that is difficult for her to move. Then she got an attitude and we sat there with no water for 5 minutes. We dine in and take out quite frequently but the waitresses attitude really got to me. Food is always good but it will be a long time before we go back!! read more

Pretty good pasta, but was way over priced. I would eat there again because the food was good, but was over priced compared to other Italian restaurants we have been to recently. My butter squash ravioli was very good, and wait staff was very pleasant and we did have a good dining experience. read more

I went here because of suggestions by frienda The wait to be seated was about 10 minutes...no acknowledgment when coming in the door or while waiting for a table. Took 18 minutes after being seated for the waitress to come to the table....she took our order and left...came back 5 minutes later with drinks and then 15 minutes later with our food. Then not to be heard from until bringing our check. Tables around us who came after us were eating before us, being waited on before us...and left before us. Seems we were forgotten From finishing our food to getting our bill was 25 minutes. I enjoy a good evening out to dinner...but the service was ridiculous And the food was just ok Won't be coming back read more

Always a great experience. We have been coming here for years and have never had a bad meal and service is always great

We got chicken parmesan, vodka penna and cannoli for dessert. Big portions and on point with flavors and textures. The food would definitley have been better if I didn't have to take it to-go due to pandemic, but it was still top-notch. It came with free bread and a garlic/tomato-ey? dipping sauce. We warmed everything up and it was a great meal with lots of leftovers (except the canolli) for a family of 4 with young kids. read more

Tried this place a few weeks ago and I'm definitely hooked. I've ordered take out 3 or 4 times since then from this amazing restaurant. The food has been on point every time. All of my orders have been made correctly and are still super hot when I get home. Can't wait til the shelter in place is over so I can go in for a meal and get the full experience. Don't hesitate ordering food from here everything I've eaten from here has been absolutely delicious. read more

I met a friend here for lunch today. Great food and fast service. Upon being seated, we were given a warm basket of bread with a tomato-garlic spread and orange infused sparkling water. I ordered the butternut squash ravioli with cream sauce, while my friend ordered their soup and eggplant appetizer. Both were served up hot and quickly, which is a big deal when you're faced with an hour lunch break. Server was attentive and friendly. read more

Great food and awesome employees. We love their food. Can't wait for COVID to be over so we can eat at the restaurant.

The first time I went to this place I ordered the chicken Alfredo and the reason I did was because it was an easy dish and I thought you can't mess it up. I was wrong. The noodles were old and hard, and the sauce was bland. I sent the dish back(which I hate to do) and I said I would not come back. Well tonight I was feeling adventurous and decided to go back almost 3 months later. I ordered the new York steak and mashed potatoes medium with a side of Alfredo noodles(giving them a second chance). Got home and there were no mashed potatoes at all so I drove back. Super pissed off at this point. Got the mashed potatoes and the lady said sorry. I was like it's cool. I get home and I am starving at this point. I cut into my steak and it's well done and as dry as a loaf of bread. This place was flat out disappointing. That's all. I think I can save my money for eating in. read more

Mangia Bene Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Martinez, California

Having been a long-time Mangia Bene customer, I was shocked at my treatment during my last visit. I went with my husband and daughter. I requested 2 adult menus and a child's menu. The hostess/waitress looked at me and then my daughter in disbelief. She then asked "She's a child?" in the most condescending tone ever. I assured her she was a "child". A raised eyebrow with a dirty look was her response to me. She seated us and threw my daughter's menu at her and slammed down a cup of crayons. My daughter looked at me and asked what she did wrong. I was so angry I could barely speak. If it wasn't my daughter's favorite restaurant, we would have left. Fast forward to the order taking....when my daughter orders from the kid's menu the waitress makes an exaggerated point of saying "Oh, wait, I forgot, you wanted to order from the kid's menu" and proceeds to scratch out what she had written down and re-write the order. Her tone was so full of disdain, I couldn't hold my tongue any longer. I said "My daughter is 12. Your menu states it's for kids 12 and under." She just looked at me and said "It's fine." clearly still not believing my daughter was 12. The rest of our meal she was inattentive, rude and downright angry. I cannot believe this was the treatment my family received because my daughter wanted to order a $6 plate of pasta instead of an $11 plate. Mangia Bene you lost a lot more than $5 that night as my family will NEVER return again. read more

I think good Italian restaurants are not easy to come by in the East Bay and I was surprised how good this place is. We had polenta, salad, butternut squash ravioli and caprese. Was delicious!!!! read more

This place is a hit or miss for me, I've only been twice and the first time was a hit, the second time was definitely a miss. Let's start with the food, fantastic. It truly does taste authentically Italian and their bread with the dip is to die for! My brother got the lasagna and ate the entire plate of food to himself (he rarely does that.) The Conchigle (probably butchered that) Pollo is BOMB, especially as a midnight snack. Their spumoni gelato is also delicious. Here's the miss: the service is horrible. Went in last night with my family, 6 of us, we sat there for 20 minutes without being acknowledged or asked for our drink order. We had to ask twice to be served and when we eventually were, it felt like we were a serious burden to them. Servers were extremely rude and obviously annoyed by a table of 6. So, if you're going for a fun date I totally recommend, if you have a big dinner party or a big family, go somewhere else because these guys get overwhelmed very easily it seemed. read more

10 years later and we still come often!! I love everything about this little hidden gem. When I have family or friends in town, I am sure to bring them here. read more