East Side Mario’s

This place is a dump. The location and view I agree are very nice, especially in summer but that’s the extent of the appeal.
The food is substandard to outright gross in my experience and the staff is nothing special. Most, you can tell, hate their jobs in that place.
I’m not sure why it closed after only 3 years but I suspect it was bleeding cash badly and couldn’t afford to pay its bills. Let us not forget it was never really busy in there, and those that did hang around in the bar at least, were the typical North Shore scumbags that could just as easily been hanging out at Pemberton Station. Not going to miss this place at all.

This is my first time coming to Easy Side Mario’s, and I think it will be my last. The food was unimpressive and the service was kind of slow. All I can taste in my pasta is salt.

Location makes this restaurant more desirable than both the food and service. There is a great view from the outdoor patio seating looking back over the water towards downtown Vancouver.
The service was decent but just didn’t have any sense of being prompt with drinks, food, etc. Our waiter seemed almost irritated at times when asked for the simplest requests. They offer unlimited salad and soup with entrees which is a huge plus but the waiter acted bothered when we asked for a second bowl of salad for the table.
Our table had the scallop carbonara, pacific salmon, and tilapia parmesan. All the dishes were good but the portions were inconsistent. There was almost twice the pasta with the tilapia and salmon when compared to the smaller bowl served with the scallop dish.
Pricing was reasonable when compared to other restaurants in the Vancouver area but certainly not enough difference to account for the mediocre food quality, unexpected portions, and lackadaisical service. Would not recommend unless someone is looking for a good view and only a good view.

Actually met someone there that went home with. Thanks to the good atmosphere and live singing !! Thanks east sides !!

The auto rating for the two stars by Unilocal says it all…“meh, I’ve had better”. Such a great location with an amazing view for a terrible restaurant. I know they are not going for fine dinning, but you am still make good cheap food that doesn’t taste like a reheated frozen dinner. Would not recommend this place. Go down to the food court and grab something there!

Makes me sad to give a bad review. I much prefer raving about things I like.
At least I will start with the positives and why I used to like East Side Mario’s. I used to go regularly back in Toronto and absolutely loved the Italian Wedding Soup and the bread and the pasta and EVERYTHING I ever had there. So I was super happy to find out they were opening a location so close to home.
I went a couple times and it was pretty good. Even took the family when we had a visitor from overseas. They loved it and we were all happy.
THEN I had a bad experience — it was so bad for me that I cannot convince myself to give it a second try. And as I said before — it makes me sad.
Was lunch time and it was quiet. I went with my friend. The server was friendly but appeared to be new and somewhat flustered. And that was ok — it’s hard when you start serving, especially if you haven’t done it before.
I ordered a caesar salad. There was a long hair in it (that was definitely not mine) — I understand how this can happen but I still wanted a new salad — I just couldn’t… couldn’t just pull the hair… watch it slide past the lettuce pieces and dressing and continue eating. So I told my server. He of course took it back and guess what happened. I got the same salad re-​tossed and put back into the same bowl and returned to me. I suspected this could happen but something in me just hoped that they WOULD do the right thing. Why is it so hard to just DO THE RIGHT THING? (good movie by the way Spike Lee)
Needless to say I didn’t eat the salad. I was grossed out, now I also felt fooled.
My friend did not like her seafood linguini and left half of it.
Now here is what gets me going… you could have a terrible experience with food, but if you have good servers/​managers running the place they CAN find a way to make your experience end on a good note. I’m not talking about discounts and freebies. I’m talking about feeling appreciated and cared for. Feeling HEARD.
The manager came and just seemed like he was tired or just not interested in dealing with the situation. (and let me add that I was very nice about it all) I felt that he was following a script of some sort to deal with this — not putting any conscious effort to resolve the situation. Just following a procedure. I then got a discount off my bill to make up for the salad situation.
Why am I not giving it a second chance? Because I didn’t get the sense that there was somebody that cared there. So how can I trust that somebody is looking after the dining experience? The cooks didn’t care, the server just didn’t know better and the manager was, hm, probably not happy with his job. This is how it all appeared to me. So I now lack the motivation to go back — and will probably just go somewhere else. :(

Popped into Eastside Mario’s on Thanksgiving Sunday with my boyfriend Rob and our friends Michelle and Jenn. We’d been poking around Lonsdale market and just wanted somewhere nice and chill to sit, eat and hopefully catch some rays with this lovely weather we’ve been having. Mario’s may look a little ‘commercialised’ with all the ‘Italian Grandma’ (or should I say Nona) décor but I found it to be really cute and cosy.
The servers are friendly too (I was delighted to hear the English accent of one of the waiters as he busied to and fro — a little slice of home!) and very attentive. Our server was really sweet and friendly without coming off like a pest — she was very good at gauging when we needed something like a drink or an appy.
My friends have varying tastes in food and Rob is just plain fussy, but we were able to find something that suited all our palettes. I had the Ceasar Salad Piadini off the lunch menu which was really fresh and filling too, for a salad.
The sangria here is soooo nice, I had two and think I may have drank them too quickly as they were so good! Rob had the traditional burger — lovely juicy patty on a soft bun with home fries and fresh salad — who can argue with that? Jenn and Michelle shared a platter of crispy fried goodies. All in all, super happy and the spot on the balcony we were on was perfect!
We’ll be here for a few more days at least so I wouldn’t rule out popping in again :)

over priced and boring food.
Great views from the bar area, but that’s about all I can say that is great here.

Great location… we personally had GREAT service… the food was just above average, which I expect from Eastside Mario’s…it is not a high end Italian or Steak house… it is what it is… will be going back
You get a nice Italian meal, salad, bread for a reasonable price… give it a try

Bad service. Waited drink for 20min…
Our server Rickey was taking too much tables and he was busy.
We had to ask other hostes to what’s going on.
So oviously they forgot us.
Just everythig wasn’t right and wasn’t happy.
Didn’t leave tip to server for obvious reasons.
He picked copy from interac machine and just left on table with out look us and no thank to us. This is tell you what kind of place and what kind of people working there.
Good job Rickey!

I’m not sure how I ended up here with a friend of mine around lunch time one Monday afternoon, but we were both starving and pasta sounded good. In spite of my apprehension (I’d heard bad things) I figured nobody could screw up Pasta, and the location is great, roomy and comfortable… How bad could it be?
My meaty sauced spaghetti remained nearly untouched and I opted to muscle through my unlimited soup and salad and crusty bread instead,
Which was still all pretty bad… I won’t be back is all I can say.
The food isn’t that cheap and though filling, is not worth the grossness unless you’re trapped at the Quay after the food court in the market has closed and can’t venture outside for some reason. If nothing else, cross the street and head… Anywhere but here.
East Side Mario’s is just another franchise restaurant that doesn’t need my business.

I have no idea what happened here!
I was coming home from doing a Grouse Grind, and just missed the SeaBus back to downtown at 6 pm… the next one wasn’t coming for about half an hour, so my boyfriend and I began to wander around the area to see what was around as we rarely explore North Van. The Lonsdale Quay market was just closing up for the day. We were tired and hungry, so we looked around for somewhere to eat. My boyfriend had never been to East Side Mario’s before– and never even heard of it (I KNOW, RIGHT?! EH BADDA BOOM BADDA BING)… so I suggested he try it because from my past experiences, it was cheap and very fulfilling.
We sat out on the patio which was the best part of our visit. A lovely view of the Vancouver skyline!
It took forever for someone to come see us and take our order… and then forever for our food to come out… and then forever for the server to come back and ask if we wanted more, which we did… and then we overheard that the table next to us was being compensated for having to wait so long. Oh… was our wait not as important?! We were not compensated– which I wouldn’t have minded at all if I hadn’t heard that the table beside us was being compensated, as they had arrived AFTER us and been seen BEFORE us. What gives?! Was it because I was a little muddy from my grind?!
Our server was so flustered and overexcited and obviously stressed… that she reminded me of a terrible manager I had once who was always stressed and freaking out when it got busy. Calm down, the establishment will not crumble to pieces! I wanted to give her a hug and let her take a break to regain her zen.
Instead I took a second loaf of garlic bread and had half of my fetuccini alfredo packed up to go.
The food is mediocre at East Side Marios– as is expected. It’s not really any different than The Old Spaghetti Factory… and some dishes are slightly overpriced. But if you order enough endless salad and bread to go along with the meal, it might be worth it.

We always go there on Fridays for drinks after work. They have great drink specials and food specials! Please keep it up. Service at the bar is awesome too. The servers are always so nice at helping us split the bill. :)thanks!

So they tried to throw a cream pie at my face on my birthday.
A couple years ago, we went to the Coquitlam location for my birthday. They brought out a massive game wheel and my prize was a pie in the face. So, we thought this would be a fun place to meet up with some friends and their baby.
The location is just right. There is always a ton of parking at Lonsdale Quay after dark. This place has a wonderful family atmosphere. It’s probably one of the best places to bring kids. We’ve been here twice with the same couple because it’s just so easy to come and hang out.
Both times, the place has been not that busy and we’ve sat in a booth. So the first time I came here, I had the pasta special. My fettucini alfredo came with the all u can eat bread, soup and salad. It also came with a pop and a small dessert. The next time I came here, I had the pizza special. Same as above, but with a pepperoni pizza.
The bread is warm and slightly garlicy with whipped butter. They brought out at least four loaves because we are gluttons. The all u can eat salad is yummy. The dressing is nice and vinegary and I love that there are spicy pepperoncinis. I got the Italian Wedding soup. Little salty, but very good. Little meatballs with pasta and kale (I think it’s kale, or it could be spinach… it’s green). AND IT’S ALL I CAN EAT! Muahhaaa…
So the pasta was really plain… meh. But the pizza was really good. I am amazed that the crust was so good. Really impressed with how good it was.
For dessert, my husband and I shared the funnel cake. Like the fair, except I’m not covered in icing sugar. Yum yum yum. Even though my meal came with a dessert, we ordered a dessert. Wheeeee… the next time, I ordered a cheesecake. Meh, it was okay.
Both times our servers were okay. The place is so kid oriented. There is a big bin full of toys kids can choose from and sometimes, if you’re lucky— tiny, itty bitty ice cream cones. Awww… so cute.

surprisingly a great patio that overlooks the quay, the water, and vancouver. i liked how it was elevated too and had big panes of glass to block the wind. nicely heated, so when the sun was beating down on us, it felt like summer again, which was really nice.
we just ordered a pitcher of beer and appies, which complimented their sunny patio perfectly. the food was pretty good — we had the stuffed mushroom caps, which came with garlic bread. had we known that, we probably wouldn’t have ordered the other dish of deep fried bread (i forgot what it was called) that came with marinara sauce and was sprinkled with parmesan cheese. i’m glad we did though because it was delicious dough.

A nice little place that is part of a larger chain. This reminds me a bit of an Olive Garden, however, I did enjoy it more.
The waitress was obviously very busy but a delight to work with. She was quick to bring out our order and check on us.
We picked out some pretty basic dishes. Spaghetti with meat sauce and a chicken salad. We also ordered some appetizers to split. They have individual orders of items that you can share. We picked up some bruschetta and some spinach dip.
There are also individual loaves of garlic bread that come with your order. Cute and just the right size.
We topped it off with a piece of chocolate cake and ice cream.
Nothing fancy but tasty enough.

They started out VERY rough — for the first 7 — 8 months BUT give them another chance… the food is very good for a chain. It isn’t a fancy 4 star restaurant. I am rating it based on being a no frills, good basic food for a fair price. The service has improved dramatically. Their happy hour bar specials are excellent. We’ve eaten there since the place opened, and will go back for sure. Live music on Friday nights… the owner is very receptive to hearing what his customers have to say/​… and I say they ARE going to make it! Nice to have something decent in that locale… finally…
food reviews… pizzas are pretty good
chicken tetrazini — my husband loved it
hells kitchen chicken… hard to find something with a kick… this has it and I love it. I switched out the pasta for penne alfredo instead… no problem and no extra charge
bottomless salad — simple and good

I’m a little stuck on how to grade this visit. I think the description ‘A-​OK’ that comes with the three stars describes it best as nothing was fabulous, though nothing was terrible.
We had a large-​ish group last night and so reservations were made for 6:30. The restaurant was pretty empty, with a couple of other tables occupied inside, and a few outside on the patio. Décor inside the restaurant is a little unusual, with a variety of white chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, odd photos on the walls, and empty Chianti bottles lining the wall by the kitchen. My favourite was the sign on the women’s’ washroom, with the stick figure’s legs crossed, looking like she might not make it inside.
Anyways. Our drink orders were quickly taken as soon as we sat down, and nonalcoholic beverages were brought out. I ordered a bellini and there was wine ordered at the table and those drinks took about 10 minutes to arrive. It was explained that the bartender needed a few minutes to prepare everything.
Next, our orders were taken and we were informed that dishes could be altered to our hearts content. Perfect as I wanted spaghetti but my dish came with penne. The waitress was very knowledgeable about the ingredients of the dishes and was able to recommend favourites to those who were unfamiliar with the menu.
A while later, hot bread is brought out and within 15 minutes, our salads and soup arrived. The fact that their Italian Wedding soup contained beef meatballs (5 per bowl in each order) instead of pork, made my day. I love this soup! Bowls of salad with and without dressing were brought out and there was tons for everyone to share. Plates were quickly cleared, though refills weren’t offered until about 15 minutes afterwards when main entrees still hadn’t arrived.
By this time, we had been in the restaurant for an hour. We had received our beverages and starters, but since the restaurant was so empty, we were unsure why our mains were taking so long. We figured they were enticing us to savour our food and share in family time. But really, we were super hungry and worried about our meals. Another 15 minutes and half of the mains were brought out. Another 5 and everyone was good to go. I got the chicken parmesan and it was good. The breading was crisp, there was ample sauce, and the spaghetti was cooked al dente. For $ 19 though, it wasn’t stellar. I hate to restaurant compare, but Olive Garden beats this dish out of the water and at a much lower price. Prices in general here are quite high.
Plates were cleared and our take-​home packages delivered. By this time it was 8:30 and it took us all standing up and putting on our coats for the waitress to come over and organize the bills. I think with the price of the food and the slow (but still very attentive) service, I wouldn’t rush to come back. They do make a good bellini though and their patio offers a beautiful view of the Straight of Georgia.

This place was a disaster from the moment we entered. It was apparent the host was pulling double duty as a busboy and consequently we were left standing in the waiting area for nearly 10 min. When we finally got a table we sat there for almost 10 min with no service before they realized something was wrong. The «host» never told the server about us. I think she was as pissed off as we were.
I had the wild caught salmon and I asked to sub out the Alfredo for double veggies and what do I get? A plate full of tomatoes. The fish though generous was overcooked so for $ 20 this was no kind of bargain.
Interestingly enough we had eaten here 2 days before and the food & service were excellent. It was as if it was a different place. 2 thumbs down but 3 stars for the previous experience.

I was very excited to see another chain open close to where I live in North Vancouver. I had heard of this chain before but had never before been to one of their locations. I went on afternoon with my mother for lunch.
I personally liked the look of the restaurant although agree that it is a little to much on the cluttered side of things.
The first thing I noticed was the prices were expensive, a little more than you would find at Boston Pizza lately for pasta which is itself, far to expensive for what you receive. I ordered a fairly simple spaghetti and meatballs. While it was fine enough it was actually on the bland side.
I will have to say it was a nice touch to have the Manager come to our table and introduce himself. He seemed generally interested in what people though which we did at the time.