Maria's has always been a reliable place to get nicely-made, traditional Italian-American food straight from the playbook. They've got locations all over the city, and the Sherman Oaks venue has been a fixture in the neighborhood for decades, where not much has changed through the years. The space is roomy, comfortable, clean and well-kept, and the staff is uniformly friendly. I've also catered parties from here, and they really have their business well-organized. With Maria's you know what you're gonna get. Except for tonight, when the Eggplant Parmigiana I was served turned out to be lasagna. Surprise! When I mentioned it to the waiter, he said, "I knew it. It looked like lasagna, but I served it anyway to see if you noticed." Huh? Okay. I don't dislike lasagna, and I didn't want to wait for a replacement, so I kept it, and it was very tasty. Rich, tomatoey sauce with a mix of beef and pork (plus a touch of cream) surrounded the slice of lasagna, its layers of pasta and ricotta blanketed with melted mozzarella that managed to be both gooey and crusty brown at the same time. I liked it quite a bit, though I'd have preferred to have the eggplant instead. My wife ordered the "summer lite" portion of Chicken Piccata, which had a tasty sauce and generous sides of pasta and veggies, while my daughter ordered grilled chicken with broccoli -- also nicely seasoned, and accompanied by charred, very fresh broccoli seasoned with olive oil and garlic. My son and his girlfriend are both vegan, so they shared a vegan pizza and spaghetti marinara (also vegan). Kudos to Maria's for having a good number of vegan options available, and being so accommodating to their whole audience. While Maria's may not be the very best Italian restaurant in town, they're aiming for something else. As a family-friendly, reasonably-priced neighborhood stalwart they're continuing to score big points after a very long time. Good for them. read more

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This location used to be my absolute favorite Italian restaurant for years, so it was really disappointing to see how much it's changed. The portions are way smaller than they used to be, yet the prices are just as expensive. They also no longer offer complimentary bread, which was always a nice touch. Between the smaller portions and higher cost, it just doesn't feel like you're getting your money's worth anymore. The food itself wasn't what I remembered either. The quality seemed to have gone downhill and just didn't have the same flavor that made me keep coming back. Unfortunately, the service made the experience even worse. Our server rushed me to order, came across as rude, and honestly acted like she didn't want to be there. It made the whole meal feel uncomfortable instead of enjoyable. I know there are other Maria's locations, and hopefully they're still as good as they used to be, but I definitely won't be returning to the Sherman Oaks location. It's sad because this used to be my go-to spot for Italian food. I really hope they can get back to the quality and service they were known for. read more

We've dined at Maria's Italian Kitchen on Ventura Blvd twice. Once with my Dad who took us for lunch on a Sunday afternoon and the other was for a party of 18 people for child's birthday on a Saturday afternoon. Maria's Italian Kitchen is very welcoming and a good size. Plenty of tables and chairs available for seating both inside and outside. They can accommodate a huge party like they did with us. Thank you to their awesome manager Jacob who provided excellent customer care to us on both our visits. Reserving this restaurant with Jacob was easy and very pleasant. We had an excellent experience both times here at Maria's Italian Kitchen. Our first visit we had Denise as our waiter and she was great. Thank you Denise. She made recommendations and was considerate and attentive in regards to food allergies as our child has peanut and tree nut food allergies. She made sure that food items on our menu did not contain peanuts nor tree nuts. For our first visit we ordered Calamari Fritti, Rosemary Bread Basket, Fettuccine Alfredo with Gulf Shrimp, Calamari Fra Diavolo, Chicken Piccata and Cheese Pizza. All our meals were freshly cooked and brought out in a timely manner. Portion sizing was just right. Denise stopped by several times to replenish our water and check on us. For our second dining experience at Maria's Italian Kitchen Jake was our waiter for our child's birthday party on a Saturday afternoon for party of 18 people. Jake was also excellent and attentive to the individuals with food allergies. He made sure that the kitchen was aware and informed us that none of the meals and food items for our party had peanuts, nuts or pesto. Thank you Jake. Our party ordered a variety of meals and food items on the menu. Perfect portion sizing and options. Some of our guests took their food home to go. We had 3 orders of Calamari Fritti, 4 Chicken Piccata, 1 Shrimp Scampi, 1 Large Shrimp Diavolo, 1 Chicken Marsala, 1 medium Cheese Pizza, 1 Large Carbonara, 4 Large Alfredo, 1 Large Alfredo with Shrimp, 2 Kids Cheese Pizza, 1 Honey Chicken with Fries, 4 Basket of Bread, 3 Coke, 1 brownie sundae and bottle of Peroni. We will be back here to dine with other family and friends and to book another birthday with Jacob in a few months. Thank you again Jacob, Jake and Denise for the delicious meals and excellent customer service. read more

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It's nurses week and work has been kind enough to celebrate our awesome team! Our awesome employee engagement coordinator got all of us a meal from here. I went with the antipasto wrap meal: chips and two cookies included! Beautiful and colorful presentation! The wrap was packaged well and stuffed with antipasto salad. The toppings were perfect, lots of cheese noted and fresh overall. Perfect way to celebrate nurses week at work. read more

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Taramiso was an incredibly delicious way to top off some of best Italian cuisine I've ever had outside Italy. Chris our waiter was kind, polite and friendly. We ordered way more than we could eat and nothing disappointed. What great hospitality and quality food. It tasted fresh like Italian food is supposed to be. Comfortable booth and I nice atmosphere. I highly recommend Marias. Please, open one in Marina Del Rey! read more

Maria's Italian Kitchen - Taramiso - Italian Near Me - Sherman Oaks, California

The ooey gooey, hot and crispy mozzarella sticks were just what I needed with an ice cold Peroni. The tomato sauce was a bright and tangy accompaniment. read more

Maria's Italian Kitchen - Mozzarella sticks for world peace - Italian Near Me - Sherman Oaks, California

Dominic sat us down. Very welcoming and helpful. Jake was our server for for our large party today. Very open and attentive to our food allergies. I ordered shrimp scampi with a Peroni. Shrimp scampi was delicious. Plenty of plump shrimp and the sauce was amazing. Of course they came through with the awesome bread and our calamari appetizers. Just like last time the calamari was flaky, tender and enjoyable to eat. We also received some of their chocolate chip cookies. So good! Jacob The manager even came by to say hi. Thank you Jake, Jacob and the rest of the team! read more

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Love Maria's. Beef ravioli is out of this world ! Would recommend for lunch or dinner.

Can we talk parm? This weekend's pickleball games wrapped with huge portions of old-school Italian food at the venerable Maria's Italian Kitchen! Eggplant parm was the order on everyone's lips. And as a respected parm picker, I was tasked with vetting its worthiness. When asked, "Is the eggplant thinly sliced, crispy, layered, and covered in a rich, savory sauce," the waiter replied, "It's my son's favorite dish." My reputation was on the line I looked at the waiter, he looked at me, and he added, "Even my wife likes it." We took the plunge. The layered stack arrived, bubbling with cheese and red sauce in a hot skillet -- a good sign! Sauce was a 7/10 -- could've used another day on the stove. But If the number of doggy bags that left the restaurant was any indication, parm was a pickleball hit -- and likely on everyone''s dinner plates tonight. Highly recommended. read more

Maria's Italian Kitchen - Eggplant parm - Italian Near Me - Sherman Oaks, California

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Had a wonderful experience at Maria Italian! The food was delicious, and I especially loved the Chicken Piccata--it was absolutely amazing! The service was great, and I will definitely be coming back again. Highly recommend! read more

The food was really bad. I won't be ordering from Maria's Italian Kitchen again. For the price, it definitely wasn't worth it. The quality was terrible. The bread was burnt, dry, and hard instead of soft and tasty. I ordered the Parmesan chicken marinara, and the pasta tasted oddly tangy. The chicken pieces were huge, almost like they were hormone-filled, and the vegetables were burnt and drenched in oil. Worst Italian food I've ever tasted! Please go somewhere else. Not worth it! read more

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I had dinner at this Maria's location with friends last night. I ordered the eggplant parmigiana with spaghetti. I'm always a bit skeptical when I order eggplant parmigiana because it's often not cooked right, but I also like to order things at restaurants that I don't make it home and eggplant parmigiana is one of those things. I was thrilled to discover that the eggplant was cooked perfectly; not overdone and not under done. The service was fantastic too. read more

Maria's Italian Kitchen - Italian Near Me - Sherman Oaks, California

This was my second visit and the food remains good. After a perfectly cooked salmon last time, I tried the Eggplant Parmesan with spaghetti marinara today. It was delicious, though be warned that it comes on a very hot plate! We also enjoyed the bread appetizer with balsamic and extra virgin oil and the side Caesar salad was a great size. The atmosphere is very comfortable with cozy chairs and a bar in the back. It was the perfect volume for a lunch with friends and the staff was both friendly and attentive. Between the great service and the daily soup specials, this is definitely a reliable spot for a great meal. read more

Maria's Italian Kitchen - Baked Eggplant Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Sherman Oaks, California

My wife and I ate dinner here with my parents and my young kids (3&5) recently and had a fantastic experience. We've eaten Maria's plenty of time and the food is always very delicious, but the service can be a little inconsistent. This trip however we had Raphael as our server and he was exceptional. He was so attentive and diligent with making sure we had what we needed and got things out to us quickly. He was so polite and kind, with the kids and his service truly elevated our experience and made it a well above average visit. read more

this is our go to place to pick up dinner to take to the Hollywood Bowl... They pack up very nicely and they have mistakes... I don't love that. They add a percentage on credit cards or but other than that it's great... Their and chicken Parm is especially good. read more

first time at this maria's location & I was totally impressed with the overall experience of dining here. got a comfy window booth & waited for my friends to arrive. the waitress, denise, couldn't have been nicer. she remembered waiting on my dear friends before... they have been customers of this maria's for 38 years! my chicken piccata was so delicious & the portion was extremely generous. don't forget to try the garlic knots. they are quite addictive. all of us loved our meals & we finished it off with a divine tiramisu for the table. for a small chain restaurant, I was totally blown away by the service, the food & the comfy dining room. will I be back? yep, this is sure to become my go-to italian to satisfy weekly cravings. I was too busy enjoying my meal to snap a photo but I did take a photo of my leftover portion for my sunday dinner at home! read more

Maria's Italian Kitchen - full & happy customers - Italian Near Me - Sherman Oaks, California

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We were meeting a client. All portions are huge and shareable or plenty for leftovers. One ordered the turkey sandwich with fries. It was huge and delicious. One go a salad that was more dinner size than side. Two of us got the signature spaghetti and meatballs. You can't go wrong. The sauce was flavorful but not spicy, the meatballs were tender with a hint of cheese and herbs. Parking was a bit chancy, but we found space on a side street. read more

My freind and me enjoyed our lunch. It was easy to get a table, the server was a sweetheart, and you could have a conversation. Nice decor to boot. I ordered the eggplant parmigiana and it was excellent. They served the eggplant in a dish straight out of the oven so that the sauce and cheese are sizzling. The eggplant was firm and not at all greasy. The penne marinara was cooked perfect al dente. The garlic bread is exceptional. I recommend requesting it crispy. read more

Hadn't been there in a while, but before that I lived closer, was there all the time Great food, terrific food awesome food We were served by Zachary the perfect waiter it was my dad's birthday and we were treated so well everything was perfect - we always love how comfortable the restaurant is. We always try to get one of the front booths but we've pretty much sat everywhere in the restaurant over the years It's a consistently a wonderful place Even though I've moved a little farther away, I am reminded that I'm gonna make the drive more often. Thank you Maria's. read more

Maria's Italian Kitchen - Italian Near Me - Sherman Oaks, California

Ordered take out catering for lunch meeting today Plenty of food and compliments Well priced and prepared for instant gratification!! Loved the on time delivery I had to try this since I heard so much about it and it's very nearby Happy customer read more

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Sorry Olive Garden, you won't ever see us again!! I've been to Maria's twice...once in Northridge and again in West LA. We finally visited our local spot here in Sherman Oaks!! Why did we wait so long?? lol. When we arrived, there was plenty of seating inside and out. We chose outside because it was a beautiful evening. Our server, wish I could remember his name...was very attentive! We ordered spaghetti with a huge meatball for our son, I got the calamari diavalo which was great with just the right amount of heat and the the hubby loves Italian sausage so he got a pasta dish with it. We were really satisfied! And loved that we had enough for leftovers the next day. We will definitely patronize again...soon! read more

Maria's Italian Kitchen - Calamari Fra Diavolo - Italian Near Me - Sherman Oaks, California

Love their Vegetable Minestrone soup and the sesame chicken dinner. Great food and consistentl read more

Great portions and amazing service by Denise, our very kind, attentive and helpful server. The food was delicious and fresh. read more

Maria's Italian Kitchen - Italian Near Me - Sherman Oaks, California

Went for special passover menu..so bad that 3 out of the 4 dishes sent back..brisket all fat..chicken way over cooked...so disappointed and went home and made dinner...Maria's please stick to italian pasta dishes..a good manager would have come to the table but that didn't happen...I wont be back for that reason..they didn't care that our food was so terrible.. read more

Had a great dinner at Maria's earlier this month! Service is excellent and friendly. Food is delicious and quantities are substantial. We all had leftovers which is always nice. Prices aren't too crazy. Ambiance is nice. The only negative is the parking is ridiculously expensive at $14 per car and street parking is impossible to come by. That being said I'm sure I'll return! read more

Ordered large pizza and chicken piccata and salad.. We've ordered and gone to the restaurant many times. We had to throw the pizza away. Greasy, oily and disgusting. Can't believe they would even let this out of their restaurant. read more

Maria's Italian Kitchen - Italian Near Me - Sherman Oaks, California

The second we walked into Maria's Italian Kitchen, we felt so welcomed. The service is wonderful. Denise, our waitress was so kind and attentive. The food was delicious - tasted very fresh with great portions. It is such a joy to come to an established restaurant and still have incredible food and impeccable service. Also kudos to manager Maria for keeping it all flowing so smoothly! read more

Good basic Italian food except... the calamari, over cooked which makes it chewy :( and the chicken Marsala is delish but again the chicken is dry cuz it's over cooked. Please fix this cuz we love to support! xo read more

3rd or 4th time here and the food is always so tasty. Love that they have half apps. Meat balls so light and a choice of cheese on top, fried zukes with marinara. Perfect. Homemade lasagna in the cast iron skillet is absolutely tasty and my favorite - chicken parm: 2 full breasts cooked to perfection with the perfect balance of breading, sauce and parm - seasonal veggies and a healthy amount of pasta. All the food was fresh and hot out of the kitchen. Service is always outstanding. There's a reason Maria's has been in business for so many years on a busy Ventura Blvd where so many restaurants come and go. If you love Italian, go to Maria's! read more

Parking here can be a challenge so prepare for it mentally. The food wasn't what I expected as the Eggplant Parmesan was very pasty. Not a big deal. It was good in flavor but the texture was off-putting. Everything else was delicious. The service was perfect! Truly. The gentleman was very informative and patient considering he had quite a few tables. The ambiance was great because we were left to enjoy our meals at a comfortable pace. Would I return? Absolutely!! Looking forward to it. Make this a spot you frequent. You'll be happy it's on your list. Get your grub on! read more

Maria has great tasting food. Love all their dishes. Servers are always nice. We come here all the time and are never disappointed. Nick was our server tonight, he's so friendly and nice. read more

I've dined at this establishment since 2008, when I was first introduced to it at their Pico restaurant in Los Angeles. I tried their Mama's Meat Lasagna, and coming from a family that takes pride in making the best lasagna, I was delightfully amazed. Seventeen years later, I can without a doubt say that their Mama's Meat Lasagna is the absolute best on the planet. There's something a little different about it in the ingredients that separated theirs from other Italian restaurants. Whatever it is, Oh-My-Goodness, it tastes incredible. I've been to Maria's a minimal of forty times over the years as my writing group had their monthly after-meeting dinners there, and only once--just once--did I not have their lasagna. I've brought many family and friends there who have tried other dishes on their menu and have always come away full and delighted. Their service is always excellent, the ambience is great at all the restaurants and I highly recommend if you're looking to come away from a restaurant with a stuffed stomach that didn't hurt your wallet, Maria's Italian Kitchen is the perfect choice for you and your family. Last Sunday, Leslie and I brought a friend of ours, a Hollywood actress, to dine at the Sherman Oaks location on Ventura Blvd., and she loved it. Yes, she tried the Mama's Meat Lasagna and gave it five stars out of five. read more

Thank you Denise! It was a joy eating at this location-food was excellent! Will be coming back soon.

Came here for dinner and had such a great time, Nick was our server and he recommended the sausage pappardelle and we absolutely loved it! The service was great and the food was even better. We will be coming back soon! read more

Probably one of the best pasta places I've tried. My boyfriend got the lasagna and he loved it. I got the gluten free arrabbiata with shrimp.....gluten free pasta is usually terrible, but not Maria's. 11 out of 10. We also had it delivered and it was piping hot when we opened the bag. We'll be back. read more

Last night, we had another great meal at Maria's Italian Kitchen in Sherman Oaks! As soon as we sat down, the manager on duty came right over to personally welcome us. We also had a nice chat with Zack, who's waited on us in the past. Our regular Tuesday night server Susan took great care of us, as always......and the dishes we ordered (including pappardelle with Italian sausage) were delicious, as always! Years back, it was Maria's food that initially brought us in......it's just like the Italian food I grew up on in New York! But it's really Maria's food AND friendly vibe that have made us longtime loyal customers......Thanks again for everything!! read more

We love to order the family meals from Maria's to carry out! The whole family really enjoys anything we've had from Maria's. The food is very good Italian. The prices are decent. The services is always excellent & friendly. We will continue to eat there. Yummy Italian Recommend read more

Love every time we come here with my family. Food is amazing and lava cake dessert is to die for !!! Delicious read more

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I've grown up eating here with my family and we just realized at dinner that our waitress Denise has worked here for 21 years! Huge portions, great prices, delicious food! And Denise is wonderful read more

Highly recommended. Best garlic rolls. Maria's is my go to! Whatever you order, you won't be disappointed.