This cute little neighborhood italian restaurant is a great spot for gold coasters who want some good food in a cozy environment for a fair price. I enjoy my experience whenever I go here, which has been about 6-7 times all without any problems. While I have never had any complaints, I have never been blown away either. Although it was nice to have the real Mario come by the table and ask us how we were enjoying dinner. It's that little touch gives this place that friendly chicago feel and makes me keep going back. Plenty of places can provide simiar food (standard italian dishes) but Mario's does it with that extra friendly attitude that customers appreciate. It's a bit pricey depending on what you like, but that is true of most places in the area. This place is a solid 3.5 overall, so I will give it a 4 since Mario was nice enough to introduce himself and inquire about our meal. Customer care goes a long way with me read more

This a frequent destination since my boyfriend lives nearby. We have been here over 10 times and always get the Mario's antipasti salad and sometimes the sausage and peppers appetizer. The salad (whole) is big enough for two and has Parmesan cheese, sweet peppers, olives, jalipenio peppers and a whole lot of ingredients I can't remember. There are salami and cheese slices hanging over the sides of the bowl. Nice touch. Service is usually good and we've sat all over. Dimly lit, older crowd but whatevs. Good fresh baked bread with ground cheese/olive oil. They also don't give you attitude if you ask for a second or...third (we like bread!) helping of bread. Sets us back about $12 each (with tax and tip) read more

Always a great meal, great service and great prices. I recommend without hesitation. It gets crowded so call them for a res.

Great, affordable dishes in a cozy location. Staff is very friendly, treating each customer like a "regular." Quick service considering a busy Friday night environment. For lighter faire, the Palm-Cuke salad is fantastic! It's so good that this meat-eater now craves salad! read more

Everything we read about Mario's was spot on! The ambiance was great, the calamari combo was excellent and the broccoli pasta with sausage was very good. We walked 1/2 mile with a 5 yrs old child and when we arrived at the restaurant, the owner greeted us with a warm smile. We did not have a reservation and the hostess told us there was a 20 minute wait. The owner immediately escorted us to a cozy table at the end of the bench seating, knowing that the little boy would not be able to wait the 20 minutes. We definitely recommend this family restaurant! read more

So glad we stopped in last night. Great wine and food reccomendation from our server. I had half chicken vesivio which was perfect for me since I'm known to not eat a huge dinner. My boyfriend had the jumbalia pasta which he instantly fell in love with ...and even ate his leftovers. Only complaint was that the server totally forgot our coconut shrimp appetizer. Although we had enough food already, I did really want to try it. Maybe next time!! Even with the server's error I will still return as the food and the bread are amazing !!! PS Mario takes great care and stops by every table. Nice touch !! read more

All the people who are talking about the great food they had probably didn't order the not-so-fresh shrimp scampi, either that or everyone commenting here happens to be related to Mario. Both the shrimp and the pasta had a weird texture. I couldn't make it past 5 bites. My boyfriend ordered the chicken parm- not great either. We shared the fried calamari and it was the only really good thing, I liked that they balance out the amount of tentacles and rings (but honestly, it's fried calamari, you have to try really hard to screw it up). In the end my meal consisted on fried calamari and a lot of bread and butter. Service was terrible too, we spent over 15 minutes waiting for the check. The waiter just kept passing us by. I wanted to like this place, I wanted a good, family restaurant full of friendly people and comfort food, but all I got was indigestion. read more

This restaurant is NOT KIDS FRIENDLY at all. Don't be fooled by the crayons, kids menu and a plastic cup with a lid. We arrived for dinner at 6:10 pm, quickly ordered our main entree and after finishing our dinner (right after receiving our bill) the owner came up to our table and hushed our 2 1/2 year old and said he had to keep it down because there were 2 guests sitting by our table (a father with his late teen or college age daughter). First of all, our son stayed seated in his high chair at all times, he was playing with his own toys and never made any sounds with his toys, the plates nor the utensils. He wasn't squirmy. He wasn't even watching videos on a phone nor iPad, which I think the background noise in those gadgets tend to be annoying to other people sometimes. The whole time we were there, he never made a mess with the food, never fussed and didn't even cry. He was in a good mood and we were so proud of him for behaving so well and for eating his meal. After finishing his meal, he got excited and asked for candy (referring to the mints he saw by the entrance). He never screamed he just asked by raising his voice, but nothing louder compared to the chatter and music going on in the background. Do you think a 2 year old has a powerful voice? He wasn't even having a tantrum... he was simply excited because we had promise him that if he ate he would get mints and he just asked for "candy" 2-3 times after finishing his plate. The people by our table never seemed to mind, they kept talking between themselves throughout the night without staring at us. But somehow, Mario the owner decided to leave a sour taste to our night by hushing our son and the telling us he had to keep it down. Mario, the bill was standing right in front of your face, we were about to leave anyways... do you really have to treat clients like that? That is rude and disrespectful. We were about to leave and you decide to make a scene over a little innocent and powerless voice that was just asking for candy? Ridiculous owner. He probably never had kids and if he did they probably didn't even like him. If you do not believe me, please go ahead and read the other negative reviews written by families with kids and you will get a sense of what type of person Mario is. Bottom line: I DO NOT RECOMMEND this place to anyone that has CHILDREN. MARIO, if you don't like kids, then do not offer kid's menus nor crayons you STUCK UP. And please, don't be a hypocrite and start greeting families when they come in, specially if they are accompanied by their children. We don't need you to FAKE your intentions. All you want is the $ and when you are about to cash in the bill, that is when your true colors come out. KID'S HATER. read more

Mario's Table - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've literally lived down the street from this place since summer, but haven't had a chance to try it out, I popped in last night for a quick bite and was pleasantly surprised. Given that it's kind of in the lobby of an old school condo building and has a very 1980's lounge feel to it, I wasn't expecting much, but i was definitely impressed. It was Tuesday so they had the 2 for 1 wine special going on, which was pretty awesome. They have a small but well chosen selection of red and white wines, and both the wines recommended by our waiter were fantastic. We tried the garlic bread, chicken parm, and pesto pizza. I'd say the garlic bread and chicken parm were excellent, the pesto pizza was a bit greasy and really not my bag. The warm apple pie with ice cream was pretty great too. a bit on the pricey side for what it is, but pretty solid food, good service, and good wine. Not worth going totally out of your way, but if you live around here , definitely worth the visit. read more

Ravioli with vodka sauce was amazing! I asked for more bread to be sure I could eat all of the sauce on the plate. One friend had the Veal Picatta and another had the Angel Agilo. We were all impressed with our meals and the comprehensive wine list. Had to wait even with a reservation but it was totally worth it and was in good company. Would highly recommend!! read more

Came here with a friend even though the dishes are a little bit on the expensive side the eggplant parmesan is amazing...the pastas area also rich, delicious and the atmosphere is really cozy...i will return for some more...its a great spot for date night if your in the mood for some rich, comforting Italian food read more

You'll always meet Mario! Love coming here on Tuesdays as wine is two glasses for the price of one! Mario's salad is my go-to every time! John @ the bar is super sweet! read more

The fact that this place doesn't have a 5 star review is crazy! Every time I come back to marios, I love my food even more. The bow tie pasta, the bruschetta, mussels, the pizza, the seafood pasta (diavalo?) and spaghetti are incredible. The wine selection is affordable and delicious. The staff are so friendly and are always making sure you are happy and satisfied. Marios is the perfect authentic Italian restaurant that will leave you so happy and satisfied. The owner Mario is the friendliest guy and walks around constantly to make sure each table is happy. Amazing restaurant! read more

I lived above Mario's for about 4 years and was just never really that impressed by the food. It is a great spot to grab a drink at the bar (a bar in your building- no matter how crappy- with Chicago's winters is probably one of the biggest luxuries of all time). The servers are friendly and Mario is in there all the time watching over things. They heart of palm salad and roasted mushrooms aren't bad. read more

Not my favorite Italian restaurant in Chicago, but a good reliable place that is on my regular hit list. Mario's is in my neighborhood, and when I'm craving lasagna (that I don't have to make myself) this is where I head. I haven't really branched out from this dish because it's so good and consistent...I can't bring myself to order anything else! They have many wines that are reasonably priced, and the service has always been friendly. Not an upscale place - they have TVs on playing the games at the bar - so it's an easy choice for a mid-week dinner when I don't feel like getting fancy. If you live in the area I'd recommend giving it a try! read more

To start, Marios catered on my bldg's rooftop and the dishes were pretty good! I remember there was some bow tie pasta, seafood, and vegetarian dishes. They handed us a $10 gift certificate which my fiance and I used tonight! To start, the hostess was really nice and opened the door for us. She seated us at a tiny 2 person table right next to a pillar which normally we wouldn't mind, but the bus boy made it very uncomfortable for my fiance. The bus boy came to bring the waters, the plates, the bread, the parmesan, the olive oil, the two main entrees, and to clean the table. So the pillar is on my fiance's left and the open space is on his right. Everytime the bus boy came by to do one of the aforementioned, he would stand on my fiance's left, where the pillar was, and reach in front of my fiancé for everything. My fiance had to lean back every time the guy's arm went to the table. The bus boy could've easily went on my fiance's right side where there was plenty of walking space and everything. Anyway, my fiane got the almond crusted tilapia ($21) which was pretty average and nothing special. Definitely overpriced for its averageness. I got the gnocchi a la vodka special ($17) which was pretty good. I appreciate the gift certificate we got to use towards our food. read more

My boyfriend and I are staying at Public Chicago and since it Valentine's Day we wanted a light lunch. Came here and sat at the bar and let me just say it was delish! We had cup of mini strobe which was filling and tasteful. We shared the fried calamari not as crispy as we like but it's definitely a second choice! Lastly we shared the toasted ravioli fabulous!! If your in the area and want quality italian within a reasonable budget it's well worth it!! read more

I had higher hopes for this neighborhood Italian spot. The service was really good so I will give it that. However, my entree did not live up to the expectations. I am vegan and they had a lot of vegetable entrees so I was intrigued. I ordered the grilled portobello mushroom with sauteed spinach. It just didn't cut it. By the description on the menu, I had a different idea of it. It was not filling or very flavorful. Maybe I just got an entree I didn't enjoy. read more

Great service, wine, food and nice neighborhood feeling. Will definitely come back to sample more of the menu.

The food's quality is consistently good. Good service. The owner takes the time to go around greeting his customers.

Marios in my mind treads the boundary between average and good. The biggest selling point is obviously the location, it's a stone's throw from where I live, so a great option to saunter in unplanned. I wasn't hugely impressed with the fare especially for the price tag that came with it. Did like their tiramasu for dessert though, definitely better than the rather ordinary entrees. The artificial fireplace and rather dated ambiance apart, have no complaints about the neighborhood feel that it touts itself for. So while I'd be hard pressed to recommend this restaurant, if you live in the Gold coast area and need a change from the typical scene, Marios does provide a reasonable alternative. read more

I like Mario's. It's basically a neighborhood restaurant that happens to serve the Gold Coast neighborhood. As such it's a little nicer than your average neighborhood Italian joint might be, but the spirit is pretty much the same. Consistent food, friendly, personable service, reasonable (for the area) prices. I like the Chicken Limon best, although when soft shell crab is in season (which I love), they do that very well. I used to live on Dearborn, and I still make it over to Mario's now and then. I think anyone who lives near it in the Gold Coast probably has some memory there. I ate there with my friends the day the U.S. launched attacks on Afghanistan. It was such a communal experience, with the not-yet-hated President Bush announcing the invasion on the televisions to total silence in otherwise packed room. The Gold Coast is one of the more Republican neighborhoods in Chicago, but politics didn't matter for that night - just community, and Mario's was (and is) a great place for community. read more

Just can't seem to find really amazing italian food in the city. Went here friday night and it was bustling. There was a real cozy and intimate ambience to the place. We started with the grilled calamari which was coated in balsamic and EVOO. Very tasty and high quality as it was not chewy. We then split a margerita pizza and chicken parm. The pizza was decent- it came out a bit colder than it should have (wood oven). The chicken parm was unique in that it was a) Grilled and b) It was sliced. It was decent- nothing to get worked up over. The dirty martinis were very well prepared and the wine I had was tasty as well. We shared the chocolate cake dessert which was also delicious though a lot sweeter than I'm comfortable with (and i have a huge sweet tooth) My quest for an A+ Italian restaurant in Chi continues. read more

Great find for date night! Very neighborhood feel - casual but not flip-flops and shorts. You'd be comfortable in anything from nice jeans/shirt to a suit. Relatively quiet, a couple of tvs if you like watching the game. I had the Cavatelli with sausage and it was great. Caesar salad with anchovies before that was tasty, and bruschetta appetizer was very nice. Decent but not over-the-top wine selection. Our server was great! Meal was staged and sequenced properly and we never went wanting for water in our glasses. Sat at a table next to the window which they leave open when the weather is nice. Very pleasant! We went on a Saturday night with an 8pm Opentable reservation. it was busy but still had a few open tables. It's a good place to keep in mind if you have a pop-up business dinner and you haven't made reservations. As others have mentioned it's a little off the beaten path and not in the core Rush Street zoo - which is a good thing! But it's not in the boonies - it's only two or three blocks from the Clark/Division Red line station - so park where it's convenient and hop the red line. read more

Solid spot. We live on the block, and it's one of our go-to's. The food is very good; wine list is fine, but nothing spectacular. The service has never been great, but it's not necessarily something to complain about -- it's just something to be expected. Everyone is super friendly though, and the owner (Mario) is usually around and will pay your table a visit to ask how everything is. It's a good place to become a regular, and is way more low key than many of the other bars/restaurants a stone's throw away. Not pretentious at all. There's often a 10% coupon in those mailed neighborhood coupon booklets. Overall, would definitely recommend. read more

Overheard a situation at this restaurant tonight where the owner told a family to take their toddler home to eat her spaghetti after the child dropped a few pieces on the floor. The owner actually had the busboy wrap the spaghetti to go because children keep food on the table at his restaurant. I was flabbergasted that an owner would treat anyone like that. I won't be returning since this place isn't as family friendly as I once thought it was. read more

Witnessed the owner throw a nice family out because their 1 year old was "making a mess". I think it was the child's birthday too! Don't have a children's menu if you aren't kid friendly. The owner should be ashamed. read more

This is a cozy spot [it was 16-degrees when we stopped in]. Very cheery neighborhood crowd of all ages. We didn't expect such a NORMAL restaurant in the heart of the Gold Coast. But what we found was a well-priced Italian spot that had both northern and southern-style entres and pastas. Short, but good wine list. Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti for $45 as an example. Side salads were large for $6. Really good Caesar. Good veal dishes. Not crazy about the Pasta Jambalya I had, but it was worth a try. Mario is a real person and made the rounds thanking all the patrons. We felt like regulars even though this was our first visit. read more

Excellent dinner at Marios. We had a slight problem with my wife's chicken Parmesan being burned on one side. Manager was on top of it right away and promptly returned with a fresh plate. Food was tasty, wine was good. Very casual Italian atmosphere all in all very happy to have a good Italian dinner on our trip to Chicago. read more

Mario's Table - Parmasean garlic bread is yummy!!!! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Awesome place. Absolutely great food, good folks. You won't go wrong here. My new favorite secret in the windy city. read more

Great neighborhood Italian food. They've done a solid job adapting to covid and it's so nice to have a place we're able to go out and enjoy a meal again. We appreciate all they've done to keep serving the area. read more

I'll be honest- didn't have their food. This is based on customer service alone. Made a reservation; had seen all of the positive reviews and was excited to try it out. I had heard from friends (and a random woman outside the restaurant) the food has definitely declined in recent months. My sister and I (on her first big night out since having a baby 8 weeks ago) showed up with stroller in tow...... HUGE sign on the door says no strollers can be stored by the restaurant. I see they are not busy at all, it's 5 pm on a Friday, we're going to be there a max of one hour.... Nope. Can't even bring it in and have it at our table. What? The patio is also bare. Literally no one is out there. I'm not going to have my sister put an expensive stroller outside for this experience. If you don't want children/families at your establishment... maybe just put it on your website and save us all the time and effort. Not to mention your host was insanely rude read more

Mario's is a great casual restaurant. The food is great and the service is outstanding. They do everything that they can to make your dining experience fun. I can't recommend it enough. read more

fairly good italian food This was originally 4 stars but after going to quite a few italian restaurants in Chicago I think Mario is the best in its price range read more

It would be inaccurate to describe Mario's Table as a hidden gem because they have, like a sign and everything, but I received a recommendation to this restaurant and had never heard of it before that. Gf and I went last night and we were blown away. The food was amazing and the service was exquisite. We both had the minestrone to start and gf compared it to her Italian grandmother's, so yum. Then we had the white pizza special. Heck yeah! Again, wonderful eating. Between the pizza and the entrees, Mario, the owner, came over to the table to check on us. That felt great, made us feel very special. For entrees, I had the eggplant parmesan as recommended by our server and gf had the portabella mushroom with spinach. Both were outstanding. That was our first visit and we will be back soon. read more

Live in the Gold Coast, this was my first time at Mario's Table. Sat at the bar, bartender was nice. Ordered the soft shell crab (really good) and the baked Cavatelli. Baked Cavatelli was a bit dry and bland (I don't recommend) but I will come back and try again. Nice atmosphere. read more

My wife and I have been going here for years. Mario's has great food and service. The eggplant is the best in town.

We had a great time here while on vacation, the staff was super nice! We had a great conversation with the manager and the bartender! Will definitely be back the next time we visit Chicago! read more

Not the place it used to be .. Calamari average and very small plate for the price . My old favorite, grilled veggie platter, no longer adequate . Consisted of two minuscule pieces of zucchini, two of eggplant, one red pepper, one yellow pepper , and few tiny pieces of asparagus, all for $ 18 . Ridiculous ..... Not recommended... read more

Twofer Tuesday's is a real success. You buy one glass of wine and you get the second one for free. Their white wines are excellent and not too sweet. The calamari dish has a terrific grilled and fried combination. I savored the white pizza as well as the linguini with white sauce. However, the linguini was too oily. All in all, it was a strong finish with a freshly made cannoli. Thumbs up! read more

Mario's Table - Twofer Tuesday's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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