REVIEWS & PRESS
Highfalutin Dinner
“For my BF's birthday, I wanted to take him to a highfalutin dinner, so I took him to Mario's. He is obsessed with their martinis and Olives stuffed with blue cheese The waiter told us the specials, and as soon as the BF heard boar Ragu, he was giddy lol The BF sucked down the free, freshly made baked bread and I had my chicken dish. It was refreshing to have a healthy option at an Italian restaurant, since most have heavy cream sauces and gigantic pasta portions.”
FIVE STARS - DECEMBER 7th, 2024
Utmost Hospitality
“From the moment we walked in we were treated with the utmost hospitality! The hostess welcomed us in as she was coming in from her break. Asked if we wanted to sit in the patio or the bar since there were no main dining tables available. We told her that we've never been here before and she basically gave us a tour of the place which was super nice. We chose the bar area. We had the corn soup with prawns omg it was so good I could've ate a whole bowl of it! We had the yellowtail sashimi the Ceasar salad oxtail penne and the salmon. All of was excellent and the bread is the best around. Had the mini dessert trio with chocolate sorbet the homemade kit kit and caramel budino. We loved the kitkat!! Can't wait to go back and try other things.”
FIVE STARS - OCTOBER 20th, 2024
Romantic Italian
“If you're looking for a romantic Italian restaurant outside of the standard chain places, look no further than Mario's Place. Make a reservation ahead of time on weekends, as this place can get packed. We unfortunately didn't get a reservation in on time, but got lucky with seating at the bar and had a great view of the live music playing that night (last weekend of the month, there are live bands performing). No entree pics, as I forgot to take them (rack of lamb off menu special & Linguine Checca-- both were amazing). We also tried the roasted fingerling potatoes and a corn soup as appetizers, which were fantastic as well. This place wins for ambiance, service and food quality.”
FIVE STARS - JULY 28th, 2024
Vibe and Energy
"I love Mario's place! I love the vibe and energy of this spot. Everything I've tried on the menu is delicious! I tried the hamachi crudo and a chicken caesar salad recently for the first time. The caesar salad is very authentic and hamachi crudo had a lot of tasty flavors that I haven't experienced before. It was the perfect light dinner along side with their bread! Kat the bartender and Phillip the host are very welcoming and make the dining experience fun to look forward to. I want to come here more often!"
FIVE STARS - JULY 17th, 2024
If I Could Eat Here Everyday
“Where to start?!! if I could eat here everyday, I would!!! 2 Generations Italian family owned and operated restaurant and bar in downtown riverside. Located directly across from The Mission Inn hotel! Over the years we've made this a mini vacation for us by staying at the mission inn and dinning at Mario's place at lease for a dinner or 2...
-excellent service
-food is what bring us back every time!! some of the best things I've ever had in my life.. easily the best Caesar salad, shrimp scampi, some of the best fresh pastas, and even steak such as filet done right every time!
-prices are low in my opinion for what you get compared to many other restaurant's.
-location as I mentioned earlier can't be beat! Specially during Festival of Lights "thanksgiving to new year's"
-parking is either street or a structure on orange.. or you can valet at the mission inn if are willing to pay for it.
-the bar area is pretty fun.. some of the employees at this location been there for over 20 years +!!!!!
Don't bother dinning at the mission inn restaurant's.. everything we have tried at their Italian, Mexican, steak house, and the mission inn restaurant was super mediocre! GO TO MARIO'S!! You wont regret it!"
FIVE STARS - JUNE 30th, 2024
Oohed and Aahed
“A birthday dinner at Mario's Place in Riverside met all the criteria...amazing service, spectacular food and welcoming atmosphere. Our birthday girl loved her New York strip and with green beans. The salmon dish was grilled to perfection and the rest of the party attendees oohed and aahed over their pasta choices. The squash blossom appetizers were just the right amount of goat cheese and a light, flavorful batter fried to a perfect crunch. The staff were attentive and helpful. In addition to their other duties, they cut and served the birthday cake. Overall, dining at Mario's was a lovely experience I highly recommend, whether for a celebration or a special night out with family and friends.”
FIVE STARS - MAY 26th, 2024
The Press Enterprise
“The culinary arts have long been considered as a vibrant part of the world’s arts and cultural scene. In Riverside, Chef Leone Palagi of downtown’s Mario’s Place sees food as pleasure, culture, tradition and region.”
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Leone Palagi’s secret ingredient is passion