Family-owned, red-checked-tablecloth joint specializing in unpretentious Italian cuisine.
About – Martinelli’s Little Italy
Martinelli’s Little Italy has been nestled in downtown Salina Kansas since 2001. We offer dine in, catering, take out, delivery, and event space that seats up …
The Grayback
Martinelli’s Little Italy – Salina, KS
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (6/5)
If I could give this place six stars, I would — and every one belongs to them. From the moment I sat down at the bar, I was treated like family. The warmth of the copper bar, the smell of fresh bread, and the easy rhythm of the place made it feel like a hidden gem straight out of Little Italy.
The fried calamari was golden and crisp, the grilled salmon was tender and perfectly seasoned, and the tiramisu… well, that dessert alone deserves its own standing ovation. Every dish tasted like it came from a kitchen that takes pride in doing things right.
And then there’s Megan — the bartender who made the whole night even better. Friendly, quick with a drink, and sharp as they come. She knew her menu inside and out and treated every guest like they mattered. It’s rare to find that kind of service anymore.
If you’re anywhere near Salina, stop by Martinelli’s. Order the salmon, save room for dessert, and hope Megan’s behind the bar. You’ll walk out smiling and already planning your next visit.
— Steve C.
… moreMike Thomas
Great Italian restaurant, great service, highly recommended. Note, the marinara is on the spicy side (Sicilian?), which I personally favor, there are other sauce options though. Portion sizes are scaled to families, I got tge smallest salad and entre and coukd not finish the pasta. Recommended if you can get in on a Saturday night. Pic of the theater across the street for interest.
… moreMalejilla R-R
I’ve been living in Salina for six years, but I hadn’t been interested in visiting this place. I finally decided to go. However, the dish I chose had a basic flavor. The pasta was good, but the soup tasted bland. What I do recommend and was delicious was the selection of mushrooms as an appetizer. The question is, would I return to this place? Only if I have no other options. The service was good.
… moreHayden Haake
The restaurant was very open and welcoming from the interior design to the staff. The food was very good with the exception of one dish in which they undercooked the chicken. The manager apologized and offered to replace the dish, which we appreciated, but we were turned off by the incident and declined. Overall we would return and dine here again in the future.
… moreJuanita Hernandez
I was at a training in Salina and we ordered Martinelli’s lunch boxes for our office. They have a great variety of pick two of four items and it came with a cannoli and a piece of bread. The box was loaded! I had the Italian beef with antipasto salad. It came with au jus and a vinaigrette. The lunch box came with plastic ware and napkin. Overall, it was really good and had a nice presentation with nice portions and additions!! I want to try another one lol. Can’t wait to go back to Salina for training!
… moreMichael Downing
I dined in the middle of the afternoon and while the atmosphere and service matched the time of day (which is to say laid back and comfortable without being in any way lax), my filet mignon was a little over done. It was still very tender and had great flavor, it just lacked that little something that comes with medium rare. The asparagus spears were quite tasty and the premium merlot paired nicely with the meal. (Yes, I will have wine in the middle of the day if the entrée calls for it. Don’t judge.) My only other warning would be to keep an eye on the time. It’s way easy to spend too mu time there and miss other appointments when dining mid afternoon.
… moreBarry Kaye
We stopped for an overnight stay in Salina Kansas on our way to Colorado. It’s a quaint little town with the main drag, Sante Fe Ave., filled with artwork and beautiful old buildings. Martinelli’s is located in the middle of town. The food was excellent. The menu listed portions as 1/4, 1/2 and family size. We both ordered 1/4 size as recommended by our very attentive and personable server, Cooper. The pictures don’t do it justice, as we started eating before they were taken, the portions were huge. The lasagna, a signature dish, was delicious. The spaghetti with marinara and one meatball, which was about a pound of meat, was very tasty. The marinara sauce had a lot of flavor. The picture of the tiramisu shows 1/3 of the portion served, we took what you see with us. It was delicious as well. The only thing that can be improved is the bread. We definitely recommend this restaurant.
… moreCate Castelli
stopped by on our way home from colorado looking for a quick bite. this is the perfect spot for a quick, inexpensive, lovely meal! portions were great and everything was exactly as expected. our server william was an absolute joy and we would genuinely consider staying in salina again just to come back to have him as our server again! definitely worth a visit if you’re in town!
… moreLora Pora
I recently dined at this cozy Italian spot and was thoroughly impressed. The food was absolutely delicious, with rich and authentic flavors that transported me straight to Italy. The service was impeccable; the staff was attentive and made me feel right at home. The warm and inviting atmosphere was the perfect backdrop for a memorable meal. I highly recommend this place to anyone seeking an authentic Italian dining experience.
… moreKikachu Jones
Wow! I went here with a few people and we decided to order the family dinner. Never had it before. Found out it’s unlimited. And our server was so great about it. She was super kind and was extremely attentive. Manager helped bring out food and was really great too. Now I can’t stop thinking about the food!!
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