Mario’s of Troy Restaurant

My boyfriend and I just had dinner tonight at Mario’s in Detroit. we used our Living Social coupon. Our waiter, Mike, was excellent. He’s worked there for 13 years. He was very attentive. I had surf and turf, my friend had filet. Both our meals were very good. Steak was cooked perfectly (medium), lobster tail was yummy. The sides were good. My only minor complaint was that the salad had more dressing on it than I usually use. I like the décor — it’s old, but that’s part of the charm. Overall it was a good experience.

Since I was a kid, I always heard what a great place Mario’s was… that is the operative word here. Flew into the Detroit area and had an event planned. From the outside it looked like a dump, and then the inside really made me wonder if this place shut its doors 30 years ago and forgot to open a window.
The smoke, musty thickness of the awful carpet and sticky looking seats made us turn around and find the some real food.
reviews noted. cannot doubt Unilocal,yet again

LOL!!!
The ONLY reason I looked up this restaraunt to review was because I remembered the terrible meal I had there and wanted to share it.
Apparently I“m not the only one.
Anyway, I remember it was way too dark in the place, everything was ala carte, and they burnt my NY strip.
I mean BURNT!!! Black and charred and OMG I couldn’t even eat it.
I didn’t even ask for another steak, as that one took 45 minutes to ruin. I had them take if off the bill and never looked back.
Yikes!!! How is this place still open???
/​BURNT!

I went here to celebrate a friend’s birthday. First the service: they obviously don’t have any training program for the staff. Our waiter asked for our drink orders and we had to ask for the wine list. We had to ask for bread and butter refills 4 times and each time we got barely enough bread to go around the table. Asked for grated cheese for the soup and it came after we finished our soup. Never got ground pepper for the salad Water glasses were not refilled. The waiters are young and the bus boys and girls are not helpful. The food: the best I can say is it was «edible». Portions skimpy. Arranged on the plates looking sloppy. My friends eggplant parm was a mess. One slice of eggplant and some cheese and another small slice on top. The sauce was all on one side of the plate and we thought a piece or 2 of the entrée must have slid off! Minestrone soup was the meal highlight. It was not chunky, as minestrone usually is, but very flavorful. The salad was soggy. Not with dressing, but water. Washed and not dried? The customer at the next table had a fight with the manger about the service and said he would never come back. I feel the same way. Here are the positives: house Chanti was very good. Was here for the Tuesday lobster special a few months ago and it was good. Of course everything was simply boiled and everything is better with lots of butter! For this reason I gave 2 stars. My advice: go to the downtown Mario’s and avoid this placeat all costs unless you are going for the Tuesday lobster special.

Service was great. Décor okay.
Soup was good but rather smooth for minestrone. No chunks of anything. Texture of basic canned soup but tasted better.
Salad was minimal. Head lettuce, chick peas, one slice of tomato. The dressing was very good but the lettuce was all brown. :-(
Did not enjoy this meal at all. 2 side salads, 2 bowls of soup, 1 glass of wine, I cup of coffee, $ 26.50
It was rather empty for a Saturday dinner hour. I can now see why.
First time here and last.

Service was good, food was really bad. A big surprise for their reputation. Eggplant parm was like a sponge, very very undercooked, small for the price. Eggplant parm should be able to be cut with a fork very easily. I don’t have good luck with this dish lately. My wife ordered an olive burger. It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t great. For the price it should be better than average. The server never asked how she wanted it cooked. Isn’t that a standard question unless you’re ordering fast food? I will not return to this restaurant.

I, like many other reviewers below have yet to have a good experience at Mario’s. In fact, it would take a lot of convincing to get me back.
The first and last time we went here was on Valentine’s Day last year. What a nightmare! My husband and I were looking forward to a low-​key, romantic night out. We decided to try Mario’s since we lived close and had yet to try it and I had a coupon. Well, we arrived and were seated pretty much on top of two other couples. People were packed in like sardines! We were comfortable with it, but could tell the couples around us were not and barely spoke during their dinner. Our server was rushed and she clearly had way too many tables. The food was mediocre — I much rather drive a little further for good Italian and they wouldn’t use our coupon («because it’s a holiday»). BAH!
Unless I am forced to go here for a social engagement, I won’t be back. Overpriced and overrated.

I ate here last summer and after seeing another review I was quickly reminded of how awful it was. It may have been one of the worst meals I have ever eaten in fact! I ended up ordering a bowl of pasta that was beyond bland, overpriced, and didn’t come with soup or salad (if memory serves correctly.) The bread was the only redeeming quality of the meal but I don’t remember it being overly abundant. The meal was only made worse by the fact that our waitress (who was dressed like a Hooter’s girl but not nearly as classy) spent more of her time smoking, and eating her own dinner, instead of paying the slightest bit of attention to our table. Having waited tables I think that smoking and eating are true faux pas in front of your guests. I honestly think a can of Spaghetti-o’s would have been a better Italian meal.
Don’t go. Please, don’t go.

Since Mario’s in Detroit seems to be some kind of institution, I have long been curious about this Troy location. It’s always been somewhat confusing to me, knowing that they tout some «high-​end» dishes, because the outside appears to be nothing more than an old, danky sports bar. Inside on a slow Wednesday night, the dining room seems ambient enough, but I figure, hey, it’s July, let’s sit outside… what ill fate awaited me has literally cost me a good night’s sleep. If I could somehow remove the part of my brain that experienced this waiter, I would undergo that risky surgery.
Let’s just get the food part over with first. So… fine, the rolls were Olive Garden-​esque and the soup that came with me entrée was edible. I ordered piesporter from the short wine list and it was fine. The calamari came with marinara that tasted like it came from a jar. The pieces were tossed with little bits of diced tomato that seemed like an accident, and it all sat in a pool of grease… was it supposed to be olive oil? I don’t know.
Now I can’t really talk about the rest of it without bringing this unfortunate server into the story. I remembered seeing a half canneloni/​half manicotti option on their online menu so I asked about it. The server paused uncomfortably and replied,” I guess we can do that.” Ok. «What sauce?» I’m asked. «Marinara is fine,» I reply (this was before I got the calamari, obviously).The server cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow and commented on my choice «Marinara on both? Ok…» Hmm.
My husband attempted to order a draft beer, citing the Wednesday special on the back of the menu that ran «4 p.m. to close.» We sat a few moments, waiting awkwardly for the server to ask, offer, show ANY sign of life as to what his choices were. Finally, my husband asked, «What are my choices?» Server rattles off a few, then makes a fiasco out of what SIZE my husband should get. «Whichever this special applies to,» husband says. «Oh…er…uh…» stumbles server,“I can try to get that price for you.” WHAT. THE HELL. DOES THAT MEAN??? Husband orders a personal pizza. Server asks if he wants thin or thick crust, so he orders thin.
Server walks away, and husband realizes he can use our entertainment book coupon for a free entrée since I got one. Literally one minute later, husband stops server and asks if the pizza has been started. Rather than responding with any number of appropriate things, server says, «Well, it’s a little late NOW!» Wow.
My dish is mediocre, pasta is undercooked. And the pizza? 1.5″ thick. Now, I’m not *sure* but that seems sorta like «thick» as opposed to «thin.» Normally, husband wouldn’t have made a big deal, but under these circumstances, he had to ask. Server simply states, «Well, that’s what I rang in.» I’m totally at a loss at this point. After (too) much deliberation, server agrees to have the correct, thin crust pizza out in 10 more minutes.
20 minutes later, as FLIES buzz and land on what’s left of my dish (because, yes, I am FINISHED with my meal before my husband’s even gets there) and I fester in frustration because my water has been totally empty since calamari was brought out, what appears to be not-​so-​much a «thin» crust pizza but a mutilated, deflated thing is served. Fortunately, husband says it’s tasty at least.
I offer my entertainment coupon to shmuck server and he says that unfortunately, this coupon is not good for pizzas. I earnestly inquire if they can do something for us this time because the pizza is literally $ 5 and in good faith for the fiasco. He «has to ask his manager.» And wouldn’t you know it, «his manager says no.» Yes, Unilocalers, Mario’s would rather have me THIS dissatisfied, never return and tell all of my friends, co-​workers and relatives to steer clear of this place than to comp me FIVE DOLLARS.
I start to say something about how I really shouldn’t even need a coupon to have this meal comped, or that maybe he ought to send the manager over to my table, but… you know what… I didn’t even see a point anymore. It’s not as if I was a chintzy guest, either. I have no idea how this place stays in business, but those that are content with bad food and service can keep it.

Met my friend Amy at Mario’s for dinner the other night. Of course I ordered the Eggplant Parmigiana. I ordered the salad instead of soup — totally generous helping — delicious house dressing! Hot rolls with butter were a good companion to the salad.
Amy decided on the Lasagna and we each split our entrees into 2 and gave each other ½. The EP was delicious as usual; the Lasagna was really good too. Piled high with meat and ricotta between layers of pasta… yum!
I had the house Chianti which was really good.
Our server was good, attentive and helpful.
I’ll be back Mario’s… still need to make it there for the lobster…