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V & S Restaurant Review
At V & S's Restaurant Review we tell you everything you need to know about enjoying your time and getting your money's worth from a restaurant! There are NO biased opinions here, only what people experience. We take everything from the decor to the food quality in to account. Each week we will have a new restaurant discussion. Eventually, we will also provide a blog so you can express your own opinions about the restaurant of the week, ask questions or simply leave a comment.
The Restaurant of the week is:
EAST SIDE MARIO'S
Location:
4771 Candlewood St
Lakewood, CA 90712
(562) 630-7600
If the classic, yet fun, look of East Side Mario's doesn't let one know that they’ve just taken a step into an Italian restaurant, the mouth-watering smell of the pots of sauce and pasta floating out from the kitchen sure does! Set up to look like one is walking through the coble streets of Italy, minus the cobles, but complete with clothes lines overhead hanging everything from men's shirts to a woman's bra, the decor of East Side Mario's is fabulous. Covering the tables are typical red and white checkered table clothes, which complement the theme. Additionally, near the back of the establishment, I noticed a classic Italian recipe covering an entire wall, which I thought added charm to the look. As one glances upwards, and please don't forget to do so, one will also see a make-shift balcony. It's almost as if a person expects to see a little old Italian lady burst her way through the balcony doors and shout at the kids down below! I just loved it!
The food on the menu is very tasty and satisfying. I feasted on the Papa's Plate, which is a sample of lasagna, chicken parmesan and fettuccini alfredo. If you plan on ordering it though, or anything else from the menu, in fact, make sure you bring your hunger with you. East Side Mario's packs a lot on to their plates. In fact, the Papa's Plate held so much that I shared it with a friend. Other items on the menu include, as one might imagine in an Italian restaurant, all types of pastas, sauces and pizza. What isn’t so obvious is their fabulous rosemary rotisserie chicken, flavorful steak and two-fisted sized sandwiches. With all this food, one might be wondering about the price. The Papa's Plate is on the higher end and will run a person around $15, but this includes all-you-can-eat soup or salad. The cheaper end of the menu were the sandwiches which cost from $7 to $9 and include fries or home style potatoes, which are good, but a bit dry. Their pastas are anywhere from $10 to $14, depending on which type you order and whether, or not you add meat to the dish. I mustn’t forget to add that when your waiter/waitress comes to take your order, they bring along a small loaf of garlic bread for the table. I warn you to eat it quickly, for, when it gets cold, it doesn't hold it's flavor or taste. I asked for a side of ranch for it because I found that it tasted less dry when dunked in the dressing.
Now, on to the service. I was highly disappointed in the way in which the waiter treated my friends and I. We had to wait far too long to be acknowledged and when we were, it was almost as if we were a nuisance to him. I could possibly understand this if the restaurant were busy, but it was the middle of the day in the middle of the week. There were only a few table's worth of people there. Refills were scarce and extra napkins were absent, which left a negative impression on me. If not for the wonderful food, and left only with the bitter taste of the service, I would not go back to East Side Mario's. However, the combination of the meal and atmosphere makes me want to give it another go sometime. Let's just hope that the service I received is not routine. ~V
Rating out of five spoons:
Four spoons
Next week: Olive Garden
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East Side Mario's
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