Maggiano’s Little Italy Italian Restaurant

Maggiano’s Little Italy Italian Restaurant Philly Review

Maggiano’s Little Italy Italian restaurant is located at 1201 Filbert Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Maggiano’s was first opened in Chicago in the 1980’s by a man named Richard Melman and his company Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. Later in 1995, Brinker International bought Maggiano’s from Melman and added it to their extensive collection of restaurants including Chili’s.

Maggiano’s Little Italy Italian restaurant is located all over the country but the location in Center City Philadelphia is spectacular. I know that this blog is about pizza but it also presents an opportunity to discuss other great Italian foods. Maggiano’s does not make pizza although they carry many other traditional Southern Italian foods. Their foods include various Italian appetizers, soups, salads, pastas, seafood, steak, veal, pork and chicken. Their pasta dishes are of a wide variety. Below is a short sample of their current pasta selections:

Coach Joey Z's Angel Hair Pasta
Pomodoro Sauce

Shrimp & Angel Hair al' Arrabbiata
Angel hair pasta tossed with a blend of our Diavolo sauce with sauteed shrimp, roasted garlic and crushed red pepper.

Fettuccine Alfredo, Broccoli
Traditional fettuccine noodles tossed with broccoli and garlic in a creamy alfredo sauce.

Garlic Shrimp Linguine
Linguine pasta tossed with sauteed gulf shrimp and roasted garlic, white wine, fresh tomatoes and basil in a flavorful shrimp sauce.

Gnocchi, Tomato Vodka Sauce
Ricotta pasta simmered in a delicately balanced sauce prepared with our classic pomodoro cream and finished with vodka and roasted garlic.

Chicken Pesto Linguine +
Linguine pasta tossed with roasted chicken, pesto, and pine nuts in a parmesan broth with a hint of lemon.

Linguine & Clams with Red Clam Sauce
Linguine pasta tossed with fresh clams, basil, tomatoes and chopped clams in a red clam sauce.

Linguine & Clams with White Clam Sauce
Linguine pasta tossed with fresh clams, basil and chopped clams in a white clam sauce.

Rigatoni "D"®
Rigatoni pasta, herb roasted boneless chicken, mushrooms and onions, tossed in a light Marsala cream sauce.

Spaghetti, Marinara
Spaghetti served with our classic blend of tomatoes, basil, oregano and olive oil, slightly sweet.

Spaghetti, Meat Sauce
Spaghetti served with our Italian meat sauce.

Spaghetti, Meatball or Sausage
Spaghetti with your choice of meatballs or Italian sausage; served with our meat or marinara sauce.

I really like Maggiano’s. It is one of the only Italian franchises that makes you feel like you are in an actual neighborhood Italian American restaurant. This warm feeling follows you from the time you walk into the door hearing the Frank Sinatra music until the time you sit on their giant cozy red booths or large family style tables.

Maggiano’s Little Italy is also a place that gives you your money’s worth. This is one semi fancy restaurant that you can walk away for about $50 a person and know that you received more than your money’s worth. The chances are that you will be taking food home because the portions are extra large, real Italian style.

The salads are gigantic with all of your favorite extras in there, like peppers, etc. The bread keeps coming to your table and is served with olive oil. The bread is really soft too and you are able to eat a whole loaf or two before your appetizer even comes out (so be careful not to overeat as it is very tempting).

I have been to Maggiano’s many times and can say that I still don’t have a favorite meal there, until they serve pizza. All of their dishes from seafood to pasta are out of this world. One of my most popular dishes that I order is the lobster ravioli, which is basil and saffron pasta filled with lobster meat. The sauce on this meal is a light lobster orangey cream sauce. Magnificent!

The best part of the meal is that afterwards you can order any one of their amazing deserts and wash it down with a cappuccino or espresso.

Maggiano’s Little Italy in Philadelphia is in a big building near the Reading Terminal. After you eat you can walk around the beautiful center city area and stroll through various shops.

I have heard that certain Maggiano’s offer a pizza appetizer but I have never tried it and it wasn’t on the menu on my recent visit. I am curious to taste a pizza from such a wonderful Italian restaurant so please let me know when Maggiano’s Little Italy does offer pizza so that I can pay them another visit.