First let me say that this place is amazing for large groups of 10 or more. 18 people from my work made plans to celebrate a birthday at the Cheesecake Factory nearby (which won't take reservations). We showed up at Cheesecake and the hostess laughed at us and said it would be at least 4 hours to get a table. We literally walked across the way to Maggianos completely unnanounced, and the manager was happy to accommodate us. We were seated (all 18 of us!) in less than 15 minutes!!! On a Saturday night!!! The staff is apparently well-trained to deal with large parties, and were not flustered one bit by the size of our group. They made the night fun and special. I also found the family style dining to be helpful with such a large group. Ordering about 8 or so ""refillable"" platters served family style was much easier on us and the staff than having each person order a separate entree and worry about splitting the bill or food coming out at different times.
The food is a different story. Most of the items are very average and just okay. The pasta dishes are especially boring and bland. There are only a few things they excel in, specifically their Fried Zucchini, Bruschetta, Chicken Francese, 4-Cheese Ravioli, Lasagna, and their namesake and spinach salads.
Stick to those dishes, or go with a large group and you should have a decent experience. The back patio is VERY nice. And they have a kickass happy hour with $3 drinks, live jazz, and $2 appetizers (including the aforementioned fried zucchini and bruschetta).
Pros: Great for groups. Nice patio. Nice happy hour. Excellent service.
Cons: Food is ordinary. Portions too big. Need better olive oil on table for bread.
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