"Marco Polo traveled by camel and pony He brought to Italy, the first macaroni" (Peter, Paul and Mary) We were winding up a whirlwind weekend doing touristy stuff in Kennebunk, Wells, Ogunquit, and Marblehead, and really weren't in the mood to travel far for dinner from our hotel at the SpringHill Suites Peabody. Lucky for us, it was just a 397-foot walk to an attached strip mall and Marco's Restaurant. And I'm gonna say it right here and right now... Marco's was one of the very best Italian restaurants we have EVER visited. It looks old school with its dark wood tables and chairs and wine bottle decorations. Oh, and the house music was Italian opera! When our complimentary breadbasket came out, we knew we were in for something far from ordinary, because along with the great bread were a trio of dipping oils. One came with a splash of Balsamic, one came with a mound of pesto, and one came with a trio of hot pepper flakes. Edoardo was our server and he couldn't have been better. He was dapper -- a really personable continental gentleman. Our order was simple -two entrees. Pollo alla Parma (Chicken Parmigiana) for $30 and Fusilli ai Frutti di Mare ($35). The quality and quantity of both entrees exceeded our wildest dreams. My wife's Pollo alla Parma was "Pan fried, breaded chicken breast topped with homemade tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella, all over homemade fusilli". Her portion was so huge it almost covered her entire plate, and I kid you not.. she got four servings out of it. And that homemade fusilli was FANTASTIC. My seafood and pasta dish was "Mussels, baby clams, shrimp, bay scallops, calamari in a spicy cherry tomato sauce", and yes... it was also served over that amazing homemade fusilli. There was a lot of seafood, a lot of pasta, and a lot of that spicy tomato sauce. It was exquisite and yielded two big dinner portions. I can't praise Marco's enough. We loved everything about it. read more

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Got take out Thursday night, food was delicious and hot when we got home! We'll be back this week!

Been here a few times and have gone out of my way to order something different each time. So far, everything is really good here. It is a small restaurant and seating can be tight. Every menu item is in Italian with an English description. There is good variety to their menu and it feels like a classic Italian restaurant rather than an Italian-American restaurant. There is really good fresh bread (focaccia) offered with every meal along with a trio of dips. An absolute must-try is their chicken Parmesan. It is enough to feed a small family! I have purposely ordered it to supplement my meal prepping. The pizza is very good here but I'm probably crazy to think perhaps they put a little too much cheese on it? The pizza menu is a little intimidating as they have much fancier ingredients than most Americans are used to (like prosciutto and salame picante). If you are looking for a regular cheese pizza, it's the Margherita pizza minus the basil. (So it's not the margherita pizza most of us know with mostly sauce with bits of fresh mozzarella and fresh basil on top.) There are very tasteful Italian portraits on the walls. Overall the servers are all fantastic and charming. And so far from what I've seen, most of their servers appear to be Italian, which doesn't really matter, but kind of does... read more

If I could give this place a negative review, I would. I reached out to the place asking to speak to the owner or manager and I was told by John he would take care of it. The food gets worse and worse. I ordered steak two weeks came out raw. Bartender did not do much other than yell at cooks. I got take out yesterday. Chicken Marsala had two inches of oil. Bland and literally gave me runs all morning . Owner called me to tell me he was not gonna replace the meals that john said he would. I said okay. I would pay for it. And basically scolded me. I said okay bye. He called me back and complained about how I had to order the chicken Marsala. Why would I want to eat something that gave me runs? Do yourself a favor. Do not eat here! read more

Marco's Restaurant - Chicken marasla - Italian Near Me - Peabody, Massachusetts

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Food: it was amazing. We only ordered a couple of things since it was already late in the night. We ordered the Margarita pizza, Calamari, Bruschetta, and Insalata Mista. It was plenty of food to share for two. They start you out with bread and drinks and the food doesn't take too long after that. The bread they serve is indescribably good! The pizza was amazing. You can taste the difference from a pizza chain restaurant and this one. The sauce wasn't overwhelming and the crust was crispy outside and soft inside. Ambiance: I like that it's not too big. It's intimate. Ive never been to Italy but, it feels like this could be a restaurant in Italy. (Decor, music, and staff). Service: our server was very attentive and polite. I can't complain. I'd come back again. read more

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We happened to be staying at a nearby hotel. Marco's was close by for dinner. We were pleasantly surprised by the friendly staff, everyone made us feel welcome and comfortable. The food here is more than your simple red sauce Italian fare. Fresh made pasta, cappuccino and espresso made for a better than expected experience. read more

Went here because my sister-in-law has raved about the pizza. We got a couple of pasta dishes as takeout during covid and haven't been back because they were average at best. It's been a few years so we decided to eat there. Had the salsiccia and rabe pizza with the bresaola app. The rabe was cut too big and tough to eat on a pizza. Bresaola was good. I would give the food 3.5 stars. The service needs more training. I literally had three bites of pizza left and my husband was done. The waiter came and started clearing the dishes. He was reaching across the table for the bread basket and oil until I told him we weren't done. There was still bread in it and oil to enjoy so he stopped and let me finish. This was so inappropriate. We won't be back anytime soon which is unfortunate because we live right around the corner and we are looking for a good local go-to restaurant. read more

Marco's Restaurant - Bresaola app - Italian Near Me - Peabody, Massachusetts

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Outstanding service and selections. Never had a bad experience. Make sure to listen the specials before making your selection. You won't be disappointed. read more

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Chicken parm very dry. Almost as if it was pre cooked. Linguine with clams tasteless. I won't be back there again.

Best meatballs in a 50 mile area The food was amazing and the pasta was fresh and fantastic read more

Authentic Italian local bar and restaurant. Gets crowded early and loud, but the food is really good and the bar doesn't scrimp on anything. Not fancy and a bit expensive. Restaurant is clean and staff friendly. Our server was stretched thin during our visit but the restaurant was crowded and she was doing the best we could expect. read more

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Best Italian restaurant in the area for my money. Excellent food, excellent service and an ambience that elevates the experience well above the routine. read more

Food is mediocre, with little flavor on the dishes we tried. Drinks are great, and the bartenders are the best part of the place. Service is underwhelming. Items from other tables appearing on our bill have been a regular occurrence. They squeeze tables in the point of it being uncomfortably close and difficult for wait staff to navigate. The table staff seemed overwhelmed and it ruins the ambiance in crowded nights. Outside, their male managers/staff confront women who try to park and visit other businesses in the plaza and bully them into parking elsewhere. As an Italian who values good food and good community, I'm highly disappointed in this restaurant. read more

Marco's Restaurant - The Parking Mafia - Italian Near Me - Peabody, Massachusetts

As mentioned by others it was a short walk from the hotel and so unassuming I walked past it the first night. Stopped in tonight and took a seat at the bar and was quickly greeted by the bartender. Water and bread to start and three dipping options to try. I order the lobster ravioli and by the time I had gotten through half of the bread the lobster raviolis was up. While the sauce was amazing the raviolis were still firm along the edges which was slightly disappointing but the flavor of the lobster made up for it. So the service was super fast and the price was fair and the place was modern in appearance it fell a shy of a 4 star rating. read more

Marco's Restaurant - Lobster Ravioli. - Italian Near Me - Peabody, Massachusetts

Their homemade fuzzili is to die for. I would also recommend chicken Parm., it is enough for two people and delicious. The service is excellent, and the ambience is typical.. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone living in the area or visiting. read more

Service started out good. Then, Marco owner left for the night. Then the service totally changed as the bartender totally changed his work ethic. Being a first time customer, I doubt I will return. Restaurant has a nice environment and food was good. Need more mature experienced help in a more upscale environment to make the dining experience positive. Customer has to come first. read more

First time dining at Marco's. February 7 2025. Dining area is small but very comfortable. Staff is very attentive to each customer. Food was incredible started with the arancini and the burrata appetizer special. Those alone were plentiful but we ordered our entrees Pollo alla Milanese and Pollo alla Parmesan. Very large portions. Honestly could have split one dinner amongst the two of us and still had left overs. we brought more than half our entrees home. We will be back read more

Marco's Restaurant - Pollo Milanese and Pollo Parmesan with fresh fusilli - Italian Near Me - Peabody, Massachusetts

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The food was very good from the salad to the entrees. The spaghetti and meatballs, carbonara and chicken and broccoli were all very good. Their bread is okay but not great. The service was okay nothing terrible but not above average. The look of the restaurant is very nice and intimate. It has a good look. Prices are good and nice portions. read more

Absolutely love this place they have the best pink creamy sauce I've ever had it's simply delicious all there dishes are top notch down to the bread and sides better than the north end read more

The food here is DELICIOUS. Marcos is a hidden gem and I'm so happy I stumbled across it recently (although it's been open over 10 years, I had no idea) we dined here with a party of 15 and every single one of us left satisfied! While eating we all got food envy from each others dinners (eat plate looked incredible) and already planned a trip to go back!! I will be back a million times!! GREAT FOOD! GREAT FOOD!! GREAT FOOD!!! read more

11/10/23: Staying at the Hampton Inn just down the road & they recommended Marco's Authentic Italian Restaurant for dinner. Our party of 3 arrived just before 7pm. It was busy, but not overly. Tables are a little cramped. Nice atmosphere. Humongous wine bottles lined the back of the dining area. Our waitress, Kleydisa, was cordial and professional. Complimentary bread with three dipping options was nice. We favored one over the rest. Ordered lasagna, margharita pizza, and cheese ravioli with red sauce. No salad came with the meals. The food was good. We also got 3 coppa gelato. Best part of the meal. Free parking. Dark windows, so not obvious they're open. read more

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The chicken pan is huge not to mention delicious Took most of it home and had three more meals read more

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food was awful. Gnocci was disgusting. Cheese on pizza was hard and the broccoli on it was raw.service was slow. I'll never return.

Excellent dinner last night. Great service and food was fantastic Highly recommend to folks staying at the Springhill read more

Marco's Restaurant - My husband had veal and I had the lasagna - Italian Near Me - Peabody, Massachusetts

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We came in town to visit family and came across this place from reviews from my families friends. Place is small and has some tight spaces. Because it was later in the evening, we ordered mainly appetizers and shared. At first the service started out strong and attentive and then it went way downhill. It seemed like the waiters were more concerned to have a conversation and watch the baseball game at the bar than actually serve us. We were literally the only table in there and still weren't served properly. We didn't even get a refill of our water at any point during the service. One of our appetizers plus 1 salad came out 30-40 minutes later than all the rest!! And they couldn't tell us why it was taking so long. Plus they didn't even give us the right meal even after waiting all that time for the meal. At that point the person in our party waiting was too hungry to even complain about it because we didn't know how long they would wait again....The food was VERY bland and not good. We ordered the zucchini flowers, caprese, arincini, chicken milanese and a couple other things. The only thing decent was the zucchini flowers but they were greasy. This place in NO WAY is authentic Italian food. Don't even waste your time eating here even if it is close to the hotel. I would leave 0 stars if I could. read more

Marco's Restaurant - Zucchini flowers - Italian Near Me - Peabody, Massachusetts

This place was amazing I can't remember our servers name but they attended to detail precisely. The food was very good tonight was our first night here and will not be our last. read more

Marco's Restaurant - Gnocchi al Pesto - Italian Near Me - Peabody, Massachusetts

Agree with others, dramatically gone down hill. I have a gluten allergy and when I inquired about food I was told that "they didn't do that here", I could have "salad or steak." Not much of an option so I just took the salad. It was blah, loaded with cranberries and a walnuts. Nothing to be impressed by. My husband and son both got the chicken parm which used to be excellent. Both thought it was awful, sauce was bland and tasted like jarred sauce. Service was poor, waiter didn't return after meals served to see if we needed anything, drinks were empty, and they definitely weren't busy. Very disappointing. The only saving grace was we had gift cards to use. Definitely won't go back. Many other options in the area with better food and less expensive. I don't mind paying for good food and service but that was not offered here. Save your money and go elsewhere. read more

The Arrival: It was a dark, but not stormy, Wednesday night. We pulled off Route One next to the sign but then immediately got confused about how to get to the front. We drove around to try and get to Dearborn Rd. (Road behind). Due to construction, it wasn't easy. We zipped through the Sonic drive-through and back onto the highway. Took Dearborn Rd. Our friends called to let us know it's hard to find the driveway to the plaza. We were able to finally find it and realized why we missed it the first time. It was pitch black. Not a peep of light anywhere. The restaurant is a typical strip mall type. One door and you're in the dining room. A cold breeze hits the dining room every time the door is opened. Our party was seated behind another party of four. I couldn't get into my seat without bumping the gentleman behind me since the tables were so close together. We pushed our table back to give everyone more room. The Specials A waiter appeared as soon as we arrived. My husband asked if there were any specials and the waiter proceeded to bend down and practically whisper them to him. Not looking at or talking to me or our friends. Waiter took our order, had to return as he couldn't remember what my friend ordered. It's very loud and there was even louder music playing. I felt like I was shouting across the table to my hard-of-hearing friend. I couldn't really hear anyone as I, too, have a difficult time hearing in loud settings. The Food 2 lasagna- very good but very rich so I ate half. 1 lobster ravioli- good 1 pasta/chicken/broccoli- good The Service Awful. I'd never had service that was TOO ATTENTIVE but then I went to Marco's. Every time someone put a fork down, a staff member was there reaching for our plate - "Are you all done?" As one person finished, their plate was cleared. The rest of us were asked again "Still working on it?" This happened 4-6 times and I am not exaggerating. I finally gave up and said yes. This is the opposite of a real Italian meal. It's supposed to be slow & relaxed with lots of conversation. It's rude to clear dishes while people are still eating. It makes everyone feel as though they're eating too slow. It's embarrassing. Leftovers Three of us got our leftovers to go. They combined my husband & friend's in one bag and put them on the table while me and my other friend were still eating. (which I felt was strange since it was 2 couples who arrived separately). They also brought an extra to go bag. The waitress quickly came over and stated it was someone else's and took it. The clean-up As we sat there, a waiter came and proceeded to clean up the table. I was asked to pass down the bread dishes. And silverware. This was all just after we finished. We were asked if we wanted anything else and when we said no, the check was brought with a "No rush" comment. Three out of four still had drinks. The Bill When my friends arrived, they specifically asked for separate checks. One bill arrives. Again, it's a little embarrassing to have to ask to split the checks. My thoughts The good - the food was good and the waitstaff was friendly. Prices were average $25/plate. I'd recommend getting takeout. The bad - I'm not into speed dining. We went to dinner with dear friends to catch up, not be interrupted and feel rushed. The ambiance is not one of fine dining. The perception is reality - It's a strip mall restaurant, on a highway, next to three (soon to be four) hotels. They want a quick turnaround. They likely don't care if you return (This was my exact feeling) because tomorrow they'll be new people checking into the hotels. The funny By the way...Our friends also couldn't find the driveway up to the plaza and drive through the Sonic drive through as well!! I hadn't read the reviews prior to our visit. It's clear from other reviews that we are not the first to have a bad experience with orders being forgotten, feeling rushed, takeout mix ups, etc. Although we were not directly asked to leave, we certainly got the message. We definitely won't dine here again due to a number of factor listed above. It really boils down to management. If they wanted local business, they'd change their model. read more

Marco's Restaurant - Satellite picture - Italian Near Me - Peabody, Massachusetts

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Another fantastic meal at Marcos. I had the lasagna which honestly, is the best lasagna on the planet. So many layers of home-made pasta cooked perfectly. My daughter went for a special which was a seafood risotto with asparagus and it was amazing. Shrimp, scallops, calamari, mixed in a perfect risotto. The arancini was great as usual as was the minestrone soup and calamari appetizer. My wife went for a gnocchi Bolognese which wasn't on the menu but they prepared it for her anyway and it's the best way to have gnocchi in my opinion. The crepes are the perfect ending since they're nice and light after a huge meal. read more

I absolutely love this restaurant! Unfortunately, I won't be back. I specifically booked a hotel near here when visiting my grandmother so I could walk here after a stressful day of elder care and enjoy some delicious food and cocktails. The service and food are still absolutely unparalleled. However, I was treated to the owner's wife/girlfriend sticking her tongue in his ear and prancing around behind the bar in...I'll generously call them workout leggings...giving dirty looks to female customers. There's so much wonderful Italian food in the area. I'll get a Santarpio's takeout pizza and a nice bottle of wine for my cozy hotel suite. I am rating 4 stars for service and food. read more

Marco's Restaurant - Food I will enjoy in my hotel room. From a box. - Italian Near Me - Peabody, Massachusetts

With darkened windows we were not sure the restaurant was opened, sure glad we tried! Friendly greeting and quick service for a cocktail. Our waitress answered all questions regarding the menu. The Caesar salad was great! Creamy dressing and the croutons were a breaded cheeseball! Delicious. Dinners were plentiful, served while still hot! Fruits do mare was tasty . Just sorry I'm not in the area often to stop here! read more

Food was good but the service if you eat there is horrible . This should just be a take out place .

We chose this restaurant since it was walking distance from our hotel. From the outside it's an unassuming strip mall facade. Inside it very nicely decorated with a huge bar. We were warmly greeted and quickly shown to a table. Nice Italian wine list as well as decent beer selection for those who partake. We ordered Calamari as an appetizer- excellent crispy and not greasy. Then Cesar salad- don't miss this!! The rice ball were the perfect addition. We shared the lasagne and still had enough for the next nights dinner. Highly recommend if you are in or near Peabody! read more

Getting there was a bit tricky. Quaint place in a small strip mall. Good vibe and friendly people. If you order the Chicken Parmesan -note that they will bring a plate large enough for four people. Same with the Caesar salad, too big for one person. They should note it's size or maybe mark it as "family style". The creme brulee was old and the creme was set and dry. Server was okay, but not really happy to see us. (lived in the south for a long time and got used to servers that were really happy see you. (never understood why in MA we find surly, charming! really) Would go there again, maybe I was just a bit surly myself that day.. read more

My partner and I have been wanting to try this place for some time now , and what better day to go than for our anniversary! This place is so nice and cozy. We started off with apple martinis , YUM ! I ordered the salmon that came with roasted potatoes and broccoli rabe and let me say , it was delicious oh my ! I can not wait to come back , I need to try their pasta. read more

Marco's Restaurant - Salmone in Padella - Italian Near Me - Peabody, Massachusetts

Be wary if you use your GPS as it'll take you via the back entrance which is where a Marriott Hotel resides so if you're not paying attention you may be really confused! The interior of the place is nice and open which makes for a relaxing atmosphere for our Sunday lunch. I ordered the Frutti de Mare and my partner got the Linguini Alle Vongole. Both of which were delicious! The Frutti de Mare has a rich spicy broth with plenty of seafood at a reasonable price! We also ordered the calamari which was very light and crispy which is a nice take since some places I've been to go a bit nuts with the batter. Overall service was prompt and the food was well priced and tasty! Would recommend if you're in the area craving some Italian food! read more

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Service was awesome. We have a family of six all 15 y/o and older. We showed up on a whim and they seated us within 30 minutes. All the hostesses and hosts were very friendly and polite. The chicken parmigiana was enormous and delicious. The serving was enough for 2 to share and the sauce along with the seasoning was simple and light. The spaghetti and meatballs were very good and the Cacio e Pepe was great! I think the experience of that dish is as good as it tastes but my teens didn't enjoy the rich flavor as much as I did. I will say the tortellini my daughter ordered was a little al dente, which I liked but she prefers a little more soft, but the flavor was immense. If I were to visit Salem again I'd definitely go to Marcos and you'd probably find me ordering a tortellini dish and I'd definitely want to try the filet mignon read more

Really great Italian restaurant. Nice and cozy with a warm wait staff. You could tell your in the right place when there's a table of old school Italian men sitting at the corner table all wearing fedora hats drinking wine and just talking. Locals having great conversation at the bar with the bartender. The bread with the dipping sauce were great. The garlic humus and olive oil and basalmic glaze were amazing. We ordered the sautéed mussels in cherry tomato sauce. That dish was absolutely perfect. Doing the bread in that sauce was another added bonus. We got the baby clam linguine. That dish was very good the only complaint was the pasta was a bit undercooked. My friend ordered the same dish and felt the same. Overall a great experience with great food and service. Would highly recommend. read more

Marco's Restaurant - Sautéed mussels in cherry tomato sauce - Italian Near Me - Peabody, Massachusetts

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Although I didn't have very high expectations (based on such mixed reviews), I was still expecting a decent meal for my food blog. (And hoping it was be a good experience since this restaurant is located steps from the hotel I've been living at until my home renovation is completed). Burrata and prosciutto starter- burrata was too cold to where the texture was not at its best. Entirely too much sea salt over the entire plate, and barely any balsamic. Calamari - very average. (And my mistake for not realizing it only came with a lemon slice). My waiter barely had a personality. The most annoying and upsetting part of dinner was that there was a table of three girls and one guy (he arrived later) who were beyond obnoxious, and drunk. I felt like I couldn't relax due to how loud one of the girls were. (I even went to my car to see if I had my earbuds). The staff allowed them to play their own music (via cell phone) and it was inappropriate language to say the least for any establishment of family oriented customers. The amount of alcohol that was served in the short time that I was there was surprising, especially after the girls were actually saying how drunk they were, as the guy declined to order another drink because he stated he was driving (the girl next to him stated, "Shut up, I'm driving too, you're getting another one!" I ended up leaving after I finished my starters because I couldn't bare sitting there any longer. If it weren't for wanted to get photos for my food blog, I would have asked the waiter for to-go boxes instead. (By the way, neither staff member (the male and female who worked the patio) didn't seem to care that guests were bothered when approached... it was as if they were trying. It to acknowledge the situation). I wish I could say more about the actual food, but I can't... because I didn't quite make it that far. read more

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We have enjoyed Marco's in the past, but yesterday not so much. Service - For starters, it was 3:30pm ish & just 2 tables. Our server made us feel like he was doing us a favor. He paid more attn to the soccer game than our table. Eats: Prosciutto & Burrata - the prosciutto was beautiful & sliced to perfection. The burrata was flavored (porcini) however the menu read, plain. Not the best pairing w/ prosciutto imo. If presented as porcini or a heads up we only have porcini, perhaps it would have been rec'd ok. When we asked our server he seemed so annoyed & just said thats all we have. Wld u like plain mozzarella...ummmm, no thx. Arancini - delicious & cooked to perfection...but, the menu says w/ a bolognese sauce. It was a marinara sauce. When we asked our server he said, it is a bolognese sauce (lol, ok). Shrimp & Clams Risotto in a plum tomato sauce. Alas, served as advertised & abso delicious. Arborio cooked to perfection- a home run. We skipped dessert as we honestly couldn't wait to leave. Could have gone 3.5, but the service & menu discrepancy was such a vibe killer. We left a 20% tip, but moving forward, We'll be down the street @ Ithaki. read more