After a mediocre meal from the last place I reviewed, I noticed that I really needed to have an authentic Italian dinner. In light of this, I started doing some research about where I could go to find the quality of food I was looking for. My search came to an end when a friend of mine reminded me of Romano’s Macaroni Grill.
Romano’s Macaroni Grill is a family restaurant that is located on Metro Park Road in Colonie. The building has a stone theme going on, to the point where it almost looks like the restaurant resides in a hollowed out boulder. My friends and I arrived a little before 7 pm, and even though they were busy, it took almost no time for the staff to seat us. As soon as we sat down, our waitress appeared and took our drink orders.
When entering Macaroni Grill, it really comes off as an upscale establishment. The staff is dressed very well, the entire place is lit very elegantly, and the atmosphere is just very classy. You aren’t expected to be dressed up, but you won’t stand out if you are. All the tables are set very nicely and the white tablecloths are covered with paper, so that you can feel like a kid again drawing on them with the crayons located in the center of the table. The only drawback to the tables is that they are a bit on the small side and you sometimes find yourself rearranging items to make them fit. Another thing I noticed was the restaurant seemed a bit noisier than I last remembered, but that may just have been because they were busier.
For an appetizer, my friends and I decided to go with the calamari. When they came out, I must say I was a little surprised. I expected the portion to be a bit bigger than it was. I don’t want to be misleading here; the calamari was very good, as were the sauces that came with it. Just keep in mind that each order is only going to be good enough for about two people—if you have more people you may want to order more, or try something else and hope for a bigger portion.
After perusing the menu and debating for a few minutes on what to get, I noticed that Macaroni Grill has a dish that offers a taste of everything. It is called Mama’s Trio, and as they say, it has three Italian favorites on one plate. It includes a portion of lasagna, chicken parmesan, and chicken cannelloni. Now when the plate came out, it didn’t look like much, but I was pleasantly surprised. Everything tasted amazing, and I can honestly say that the sauce was definitely homemade. If you find yourself in Macaroni Grill and can’t decide on what to eat, try Mama’s Trio; you won’t be disappointed.
In my opinion, Macaroni Grill has to be one of the top Italian places in the Capital region. The waitstaff was amazing; the second I finished my drink, they were there to refill it without ever being asked. The food was also very good, regardless of portion size. The atmosphere was really nice, and I got to write on the table in crayon. Macaroni Grill is food and fun for the whole family. Appetizers range from $5-10 and entrées range from $10-20. Overall, I give Romano’s Macaroni Grill an eight out of 10.
