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Intimate, family-owned restaurant with a romantic vibe offering traditional Italian fare since 1960.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 1335 Congress St, Portland, ME 04102
Website: http://mariasrestaurant.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Order: Order online
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MARIA’S RISTORANTE
Maria’s restaurant was first established in 1960 by Anthony and Madeline Napolitano. Today, celebrating over 65 years in business, Maria’s is now led by their …
Maria’s Restaurant
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Maria’s Restaurant | Portland ME – Facebook
Maria’s Restaurant, Portland. 5005 likes · 64 talking about this · 2628 were here. Maria’s Restaurant an authentic Italian dining experience since…
Reviews
Jennifer Bixler
I was really looking forward to our meal here the day after Thanksgiving but, it just wasn’t good. Beautiful place, family photos, warm Italian feel..the food was such a let down! I had the chicken parm and subbed the sauce for vodka sauce. It was the worst vodka sauce I’ve ever had. No amount of red pepper flakes could revive it. Watery and bland. Pasta was overcooked on all our dishes, it was mush. Not sure if it was just an off night or what. The place could’ve been great unfortunately, it just wasn’t. Several people in my group ordered the shrimp with Fra Diavolo sauce. Again, bland with no spice and overcooked pasta. One person in my group received a comp’d meal. Sadly, all but one us should’ve received the same. Someone in our group ordered the lasagna and had no complaints. The service was fine, cozy Italian atmosphere, unfortunately lackluster food.
… moreCaleb Pelkey
Never been disappointed with a meal or service here. Everyone is friendly and constantly making sure everything is up to expectation. Matt was my server and was helpful on selecting a wine and making sure I didn’t go without. The restaurant itself has a very “home” feeling and is very clean.
… moreR S
This was the first time eating at Maria’s and we unfortunately came during a time they had an abbreviated menu. Having said that we did enjoy our meals, my husband had the rigatoni with marinara and a side of broccoli and garlic. He said the pasta was cooked properly but the marinara was a bit bland. He enjoyed it nonetheless. I had the shrimp scampi and it was perfectly cooked! The shrimp were fresh and scampi sauce was delicious!
Lastly we had their house made cannoli which was outstanding and I highly recommend it. Perfectly sweet, creamy and with just a bit of crunch.
… moreLastly we had their house made cannoli which was outstanding and I highly recommend it. Perfectly sweet, creamy and with just a bit of crunch.
Steven Oller
Dinner after work and a long drive. I managed to get in before they shut down service. I ordered haddock stuffed with lobster. It came with a nice salad and fresh bread with olive oil for dipping. The food took a long time to prepare but it was worth the wait. Served over linguini it was a very generous portion of both Haddock and lobster. Despite the late hour, my server was friendly and attentive. I heard good things about their canola but was full.
… moreCarol Amoroso
My husband and I ate at Maria’s today. Our waitress, Kitt, was fantastic! The food was also fabulous! The portions were big, and we are excited to eat the leftovers. Maria’s also includes bread and a salad. Nobody does that anymore. Great experience!
… moreRobert Byron
We had reservations for New Years Eve for 5. Most of the group ordered Chicken Parmesan. I ordered the pot roast and potato. The potatoes were lukewarm at best and no real flavor. The pot roast was absolutely terrible. It was extremely dry and tough. I needed a steak knife to cut it. I did not finish my meal.
The other issue was they had a very limited special menu it included an appetizer, entree and dessert. The price for each meal was $ 55.00 dollars. The price was way above what it was worth. I was terribly disappointed in the whole meal. We had a reservation and still had to wait 20 minutes to be seated.
… moreThe other issue was they had a very limited special menu it included an appetizer, entree and dessert. The price for each meal was $ 55.00 dollars. The price was way above what it was worth. I was terribly disappointed in the whole meal. We had a reservation and still had to wait 20 minutes to be seated.
Laurie Goupee
We visited Maria’s for the 1st time about 3 weeks ago (Saturday night) not knowing what to expect after reading the mixed reviews (did seem as though some of the “bad” reviews were more about politics than food & honesty). We arrived at about 4:30. Our initial impression when we walked in was extremely positive! The ambiance gave the impression of a precious little NYC dining gem….soft lighting, background music at just the right volume, Italian decor, classy, quiet, warm & cozy. We were seated right away & our server arrived promptly to take our drink order. Drinks arrived promptly, my Sapphire Martini was expertly made! Hubby had a glass of a very nice Chianti. We then ordered the Bruschetta appetizer to start. It was tasty but changing a couple of things could have made it truly amazing. It was more of a Caprese Salad served on thick pieces of bread (a bit bland) rather than Bruschetta. Serving it on different bread (like a focaccia from anywhere, or better yet perhaps from Zu Bakery?) & using Heirloom Variety or Roma Tomatoes instead of Beefsteak would have really kicked it up a notch. We took our time sampling it while deciding on entrees. We were never made to feel rushed & our server was very attentive in spite of being very busy. My husband ordered the Sausage Lasagna & loved it. I ordered the Baked Haddock with Lobster Stuffing. Portions were generous & meals arrived in an acceptable amount of time. The fish was cooked perfectly. The stuffing was a bit mushy for my taste (just my individual preference) but it was savory & flavorful. There was no discernible lobster visible in the stuffing other than a tiny red flake here & there. It would have been nice to include a few small lumps of lobster. It was served on a bed of spaghetti, which was cooked perfectly. Bread was not offered, but was brought to our table when we asked about it. It was rather bland but not awful by any stretch. Again, some warm Focaccia (perhaps with some herbed EVOO) would have been divine. I ordered a side salad (extra charge), which arrived in a nice cold little bowl. Adorable (if presentation is as important to you as it is to me). Loved it! I don’t know what kind of lettuce it was, but it was extremely crisp, brilliantly green & cold. I emptied the salad onto my bread plate as the bowl it came in was small & a tight fit if you like to cut your lettuce into smaller pieces (including a small cold plate under the bowl would have been a nice touch). There was plenty of lettuce, a few small pieces of cucumber, a small amount of shredded carrot & a couple of tiny cherry tomatoes, no red onion. The Balsamic Dressing was excellent! We couldn’t finish our meals, or the Bruschetta, so we boxed everything up to take home & enjoy later. We did not order dessert (trying to be good), maybe next time. We missed the linen tablecloths & napkins on the tables (I think they used to have them) but with costs being what they are, I understand if this had to change. A couple of things that cost nothing but would add so much….washing the windows at the entrance, replacing the lettering that has worn off of the same windows, dusting/cleaning the base of the lamps on the tables & the shelving/decorative items in the middle of the dining room. As a patron, it’s so nice to be acknowledged by staff when leaving rather than being ignored while in their field of vision (“ thank you for coming”, “have a good evening” “nice to see you” “goodnight”…. anything really). The servers all seemed attentive, professional & efficient, but a bit stiff & serious, maybe it was just the night. Perhaps they’ve been trained to be kind of aloof & all-business intentionally but it’s much more fun & relaxing when the wait-staff seem to be enjoying themselves & are relaxed. Easy for me to say. They were busy! This is not to criticize at all. Just to say, we enjoy you as people & hope we’re not stressing you out. We will definitely go back! In spite of our suggestions for improvements, we had a great dining experience & loved Maria’s Restaurant! Thank you!
… moreJeanne Ceroalo
Food was exceptional. A rare treat to get veal these days. Being of half Italian ancestry and only second generation on these shores, I am VERY fussy about so-called Italian food when dining out. Maria’s has similar to home style traditional food. Delicious.
Decor is 1920’s-1930s style and is quite lovely.
… moreDecor is 1920’s-1930s style and is quite lovely.
Jean Russo
Had another great meal at Marias….and enough leftover for two more meals. We had the lobster stuffed haddock over linguini and the Braciole over rigatoni…awesome! The house made chocolate cake and vanilla Gelato topped off an excellant meal at a reasonable price!
Try the delicious Sunday Sauce with braciole, meatballs, sausage and pork shank…forgetaboutit! We also had the Chicken Marsella and the Calamari scungilli salad which was also awesome. House made short rib Ravioli in a Marsella sauce…yes, please! Give me old school Italian food with huge portions and enough for leftovers! Cozy space with great service. Good desserts, too!
… moreTry the delicious Sunday Sauce with braciole, meatballs, sausage and pork shank…forgetaboutit! We also had the Chicken Marsella and the Calamari scungilli salad which was also awesome. House made short rib Ravioli in a Marsella sauce…yes, please! Give me old school Italian food with huge portions and enough for leftovers! Cozy space with great service. Good desserts, too!
James C Bauernfeind Sr.
Wonderful meals. The bean soup was just perfect, the Caprese salad was as close to the authentic as I remember (and I lived for two years in Napoli) and the eggplant parmesan tasty!
… more