Mario’s Place

My husband and I had an amazing dinner here this past weekend. The chicken dish I ordered was done perfectly and the seasoning with the fresh herbs and light sauce was really delicious. My husbands dish was prepared equally well. We had a wonderful window table for two which was perfect for a romantic evening out. The prices are a bit high but the food was really worth it. For dessert we had the best cheesecake we’ve both ever had. It was so light and done with a very tasty, and not too sweet, strawberry sauce.
The only downside was that the night was busy so our waiter was not attentive and we had to ask several times for various things. His assistant tried very hard to overcome the issues by asking us often if we were doing ok or needed anything, but he couldn’t answer some of our questions on the menu items and the waiter seemed unenthusiastic and over busy. Overall, we will definitely go back when in town. The food was worth it.

Highly recommend this place as the food is amazing and so are the drinks. Good ambiance and worth the price. The service was ok– my server’s name was Greg and front the moment he first approached my table he began shouting, yes shouting. His tone of voice was so loud it sounded as if he was screaming at us. He was abrupt with taking items off our table and even snatching our menus off. I noticed him shouting and doing the same to other patrons so I assume that’s just his way of being, however, management should really ask him to tone it down as it took away from my experience there. If it weren’t for Greg I would’ve given this place 5 stars. Still a must try just ask to not sit you in Greg’s station.

Came here for a company dinner and was so excited as I love Italian food! Service was great and food was too.
Hamachi crudo yellowtail special appetizer: Full of flavor and very good!
Margherita pizza: Not good at all. Dry, not enough sauce, and bland.
Calamari: Delicious! Light and crispy, and the creamy lemon sauce to go with it was addicting.
Filet mignon special: Served with a light creamy sauce, fingerling potatoes, and snap peas, this steak was very tender and flavorful.
Large ravioli special: This entrée was good but nothing to rave about. A little too much of a spinach taste for my liking.
Wild mushroom ravioli: SO so so so good! Big portion, yummy mushrooms, and an amazing cream sauce.

Five stars for the five-​star overall quality of this great spot. Service, food, ambiance, all of it just screams superb satisfaction for a customer.
Reservations were made for my love and I, and I’m so glad they were because even when running about 15 minutes late they held our table and it was perfect seating. A rounded booth and the table was set for two, facing eye level towards the stage where blues and jazz musicians play on the weekend. The night we went there was a blues band performing for the evening from 10 – 1:30 and it gave the entire restaurant the perfect vibe.
My boo and I shared the minestrone, which was to die for. It had shrimp with the robust soup just busting with flavor. For our main entrée I had the lobster spaghetti, which was tasty and savory, and the fresh basil chopped in made the dish THAT much better. My man had the seared swordfish and it came with sautéed spinach and cheese grits (they had a fancy name for grits but come on now). I was definitely jealous of his plate, it was tastier than mine! But while dinner was being served we ordered cocktails… I can’t quite remember the name of those nice little things but boy were they strong and tasty. Their margaritas was served with blue-​cheese stuffed olives… yumm! With the evening coming to an end I was craving something sweet but didn’t want to quite order a whole dessert. I asked our waiter if they made affogato’s and he said he’d see what he could do. Next thing I know there’s a little scoop of vanilla ice cream with a cup of espresso… perfecto!
Overall I was so entirely impressed with this place and they will definitely be seeing my man and I on more casual occasions here.

Good spot to celebrate a special occasion. Came here previously for my birthday and it was delicious and intimate. I forgot our server’s name, but she was extremely helpful in picking out a wine selection to compliment our meal. My date had the NY steak and I ordered the mushroom ravioli. The chefs here really know what they’re doing! Everything was perfectly seasoned and prepared. I generally do not order vegetarian entrees because I am an extreme carnivore, but I was exceptionally satisfied with the mushroom ravioli! Portions here are generous and the steak was cooked to perfection. Even the steak sides were delicious! It wasn’t too crowded and the atmosphere was on the romantic side. I will be sure to return!

I am really happy with this Valentine’s Day dinner. Our Reservation was at 9, a little late but it turned out great. Service was great. Our waiter was patient and helpful. The Valentine’s Day menu had really good options. Both my appetizer and entrée were great. My wife enjoyed her food as well. The ambience was really romantic. Also, their desserts were awesome! I will definitely be coming back to try out their regular menu. Thanks again Mario’s Place for making a romantic dinner possible for me and my wife.

I came to Mario’s place on a Friday night with my family. I was very glad to get a reservation earlier that day for our bigger party. I definitely recommend reservations as I did see people being turned away when we arrived.
Our server was great. We had a lot of questions about the menu and he was great about answering everything and checking on things he was not sure of.
I started the meal with a drink. I forget what it was, but it was something with vodka and grapefruit if I remember correctly and it was tasty. We started with a few of their appetizer specials– a salad and a pizza. The salad was good, not over dressed and the cheese with it was delicious!
For my dinner I had Bucatini. Oh man, this was everything I didn’t even know I wanted. The pasta was so fresh and chewy (in a good way!) The sauce had such a delicate balance of flavor and the guanciale provided a wonderful savoriness. A lot of our party got the pasta specials and everything was absolutely delicious. Rich delicious flavors that tasted like they had been simmering away all day.
Our group was stuffed but we still had to try some of their homemade desserts. We split a tiramisu and cheesecake. The perfect sweet end to a wonderful meal!

I met an ex-​colleague downtown Riverside last night and we both new it had to be Mario’s. Such a feeling of home when I get to my ‘go to’ place. We sat at the bar and I had a Sapphire Bombay martini with three Blu-​cheese stuffed olives. Anna did a great job on that pour! My buddy had beer. I was almost embarrassed for him until he ordered the Calamari Friti. I want to go on record right here and now to say that I have never, ever had better calamari than that which comes out of the kitchen at Mario’s place!!! I challenge anyone to find better in So. California!

Horrible security at the alley entrance !! Very unprofessional !! I’ve never been here because of how shitty my experience at the door was.

This is the best Northern Italian food in California! The quality and service is the greatest! We have been to some of the top rated French and Italian restaurants in New York and San Francisco, but Mario’s is our favorite! It’s not easy to find a place like this. They are consistently excellent! Incredible atmosphere & vibe!

Was here for NYE the place was decorated very nice. Not to crowded and a great crowd. Gave everyone party favors and great price for the night. Had a good dance floor but the DJ inside wasn’t great. Will go back to experience the live bands also.

I can’t believe I have never written a review for Mario’s before. And not that they need my great review. Cause they are awesome. I have been coming here for 10 hears or more, because they are awesome. So have a martini, order some angus and don’t forget the budino for dessert. Tell Andrea that Bob sent ya.

Right from walking in you can tell this is a classy place. Loved the Paulden paintings on the walls! Lighting and ambiance was very relax and peaceful. I started off with the stuffed squash flowers which were rich and creamy. I snagged a couple of brocolini from my wife, delisiously garlicy. Then I had the day’s special of soup, lobster bisque. Probably the best lobster bisque I have had. A good amount of buttery lobster and dungenous crab smack-​dab in the middle. I then finished off with the cheesecake which was good and rich. I would return again and I would highly recommend

I came here for a friend’s birthday and ordered the scallops appetizer. It was okay nothing crazy about it. All my friends ordered pizza and the pizzas didn’t look appetizing lol I would come back to try a different dish because I know they have a lot of nice dishes.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t very hungry the last time I came here. Also, the server we had wasn’t to nice. He had a little snooty attitude that was really bugging me because he came off condescending.
I also had mentioned to him that it was my friends birthday and before I could finish asking my question as to whether or not they do anything for that he says immediately «well, what do you want me to do about that?» So rude. He then went on and said that they don’t do desserts for anyone’s birthday so I went ahead and said no problem at all. I would like to buy my friend a dessert for her birthday and if you have candles that would be very nice thank you. What a jerk.

I really like this place.
«But michael, why only 3 stars then?)
Well I’m glad you asked. The menu doesn’t change. As great as all the items are, the menu is static. I mean it though, the food really is great and the workers there are really nice and professional.
I always eat at the bar unless I’m with somebody, which is never haha.
The ambiance is amazing. Dim lighting, and dark wood.
The weekend evenings here are fun too. They have a cozy outdoor patio and bring out a portable bar.
All and all its one of my go to places in Riverside.

I came to Mario’s Place the other night with my husband for my birthday and had a very pleasant experience!
Ambiance and Location: The restaurant is right across from Mission Inn and in a prime spot in Riverside. The ambiance is very cozy and romantic. There is some very interesting artwork as well.
We were seated immediately. It took us a little while to get our water, but everything else was magnificent. Our server was very nice and he was constantly checking in on us to make sure everything was good. He made sure we had everything we needed.
Wine/​Beer: Mario’s Place has a rather impressive wine list. I had a glass of the Domaine Carneros Brut by Taittinger which is one of my personal favorites. My husband had the «Old Rasputin“Imperial Stout and liked his beer very much.
Food: First of all, the ingredients that they use here are so FRESH which I really appreciated and you can really tell the difference.
— Starters: We started with their «Crispy Squash Blossoms» which were to die for. They were crispy (not greasy), filled with delicious warm goat cheese and a tomato basil sauce. I will definitely be getting this again next time I go. We also tried one of their featured starters. It was thinly sliced yellowtail sashimi with a Mediterranean flare. This was a really interesting take on sushi and I’m glad I tried it. It was good. We also split the «Purple Haze Salad» with greens, goat cheese, pistachio, pear, and balsamic vinaigrette. This was really tasty. I have had salads with almost the same ingredients that I think were better elsewhere, but this was quite good.
— Entrees: For my entrée, I had the «Linguini Checca» with tomatoes, basil, garlic, and goat cheese. This was amazing! The ingredients were as fresh as can be and the flavors went so well together. It definitely hit the spot. My husband had the «Loch Duart Salmon «al Cartoccio» and he was very pleased. I tried it and the salmon was very moist, cooked to perfection, and had wonderful and light citrus flavors. It was excellent
— Dessert: I had the banana dessert with thin and crispy cookies and a chocolate sauce drizzle. I don’t usually go for banana desserts, but this was really good.
Service: Our server was really good. He always took care of anything that we needed.
Overall, I am impressed with Mario’s Place and will likely be back!

This is one of the best Italian restaurants in Riverside. I don’t think they would make it in LA however. Expect to be well satisfied but not blown away. Salmon is my pick. Pastas can be disappointing.

My special of the night, wine, coffee and dessert we all wonderful. Marcus was the best.
When my friend Frances asked me where I wanted to dine for my birthday my first thought was Duane’s at the Mission Inn. However Frances suggested Mario’s Place. Immediately I went online to peruse their menu. There was a possibility that my daughter Kristen and her boyfriend Jeff could join us. She is a vegetarian and their menu at Mario’s seemed accomodating. Our reservation was for 6p.m. Frances and I were seated upon arrival. Our waitress arrived and introduced herself as our person. When asked, Frances ordered sparkling bottled water and a glass of ice. When our waitress returned I asked for bottled water and a glass of ice also. We both ordered a glass of Catena Cabernet Sauvignon 2011. It is an Argentinian wine. It was very good. Mario’s Place has an extensive wine list. We had originally been seated at a table for 4 near the front. We asked if we could be moved to a booth instead across the room by the bar. Within 5 minutes our request was accomodated. Our new booth was in a nicer area. Our waiter was now to be Marcus. We were greeted very nicely by Marcus and asked if we wished to wait for our other two diners. At this point we advised that just the two of us would be dining. We were asked if we would like appetizers. I ordered a Caesar salad. When Marcus said it was large he would ask the kitchen to made me a half sized salad. Frances had a different salad called the Purple Haze. After our appetizers Marcus started to list out the nightly specials. As soon as he said beef medallion with pomme frites and balsamic glazed onions I had decided that was my entrée. Frances ordered the papardelle with duck entrée, which was also a special. My steak was cooked perfectly medium rare. I ate the entire portion, and most of the pomme frites and onions. Frances polished off her pasta. I finished up with coffee and dessert. Mine was a chocolate molten cake with a raspberry baked inside accompanied by a raspberry sherbert. A birthday candle lit was inserted into the sherbert. I could have had a complimentary slice of traditional cheesecake with a berry topping. Frances chose a cheese course. We we both pleased with the entire meal. I would recommend this restaurant. The pricing is $$.

Visited this place with my coworker while dealing with some business issues in Riverside.
We got the blossoms filled with ricotta, their corn soup with prawns was too sweet for my taste but we also had ahi tuna and mushroom raviolis.
The service we received was outstanding. The ambiance made me feel like I am in truly Italian restaurant… in other words, everything was GREAT!
I am back on business first week of July and most likely will be back again!

Marios place is a nice little italian place located across from Mission inn. Street parking is by meter and there is a parking lot at the end of the street (free parking). Its a fancier restraunt in riverside. I made reservations so coming in and sitting was right away.
Its pretty centrally located in downtown riverside. You can walk around the shops, go to the Mission inn across the street to kill some time if you’re waiting.
We ordered the
— Minestrone soup: It had shrimp? at first I was confused since i’ve never had minestrone soup with shrimp in it and it also wasn’t tomato based. Overall it was delicious with some freshly grated parm.
— Caeser Salad: A tad too much dressing on the salad, but the croutons and the flavor was there 3.5÷5
— The Pasta I had was the one with the beef cheeks. It was awesome! those oils and juices sank into the pasta creating a mix of flavors. it tasted even better reheated!
Service was great, my drinks were refilled and they kept giving me bread (bad idea)
I def recommend coming here to give the food a try!