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Marcello Pizzeria
Category: Restaurants Pizza Pizza [Edit]
1404 Commercial DriveVancouver, BC V5L 3X9
Neighbourhoods: Grandview-Woodlands, The Drive
(604) 215-7760
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 11 am
Fri-Sat 11 am - 12 pm
Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
53 reviews for Marcello Pizzeria
Review Highlights
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"This pizza and house made pasta rocks." In 15 reviews -
"They have the wood burning oven for pizzas and I've only..." In 3 reviews -
"The tomato sauce was just delish." In 5 reviews
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53 reviews in English
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Review from Gina I.
Updated - 12/12/2011 3 Check-ins Here
We came here the other night with the kids and the service was fantastic. We got 4 dishes within 15 minutes, but.. it was also 5:30 and the restaurant wasn't that packed:)
Still great food and the 4 cheese gnocchi is still to die for!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/19/2009 ROTD 8/31/2009
Best grilled squid I've had in my life next to the grilled squid I had in Croatia..
The service is… Read more »
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Review from Chanel B.
Richmond, BC
5/20/2012
I'd been here once before and the food and service were decent, so I decided to bring my mum here for mother's day as she had really wanted to try it. I will never return to this place ever again. I recommend that anyone else give it a miss in future.
From the start things were sideways; they wrote down the number of my party and my name wrong (even though I spelled it twice over the phone..not just a spelling error, they gave me a whole new name, apparently I am now "Shannon"). It took 15 minutes after our reservation time for them to find, clean and set a table for us...which was annoying but was the first of everything to go wrong.
As far as food went we sat right beside the pick up window from the kitchen and I saw our food, as well as many other peoples' food sit there...and sit there and sit there.. I ordered calamari to start, it sat at the window for 10 minutes before it was picked up and placed at our table not 5 feet away. It was tastless, rubbery and cold. My boyfriend had the Caprese salad which was drowned in balsamic and oil, had giant thick slices of tomato and barely any boccaccini and was salty as hell. My step-stister had the vegetarian pizza which was boring and edible but not enjoyable. My boyfriend had the canneloni which was the only decent dish. My mum and I both had the tagliatelle all'aceto which was drowning in a flavourless cream sauce. The only good thing about the meal was that my mum got the bottle of wine she wanted.
Service was unattentive and severely lacking, after setting aside the calamari that we had picked at the waitress asked how it was, we said poor and she left it at our table for the entire meal...who does that? The only reason we got a break on the calamari was because my mum's friend (who was the wisest of all and didn't order anything) instisted to the waitress that it was a disgrace and they needed to remove it from not only our bill, but the menu as well. She also told us to pass plates down the table instead of her walking around to collect them and reached across and infront of others at our table to serve food without any warning, nearly knocking into my mum's friend.
The other thing that bothers me about this place is the layout. You can barely get in and out of this place and the pathway that leads out to the patio is between two tables of four which, if both full, would block access to it. The bathrooms are also pretty water damaged in the stalls and there are flys all over the place, in the bathrooms and out in the dining room..
After bad food and worse service with no appology being stuck with a bill for $120 was a bit disgusting. I will never be returning here. I gave it a second chance but this place blew it about as bad as it could have. -
Review from Picky E.
Vancouver, BC
4/1/2012
This establishment is such a poor excuse for Italian food. To all you Italian food lovers out there please skip this one, it`s not worth your time, money, or taste buds. The "gnocchi" here should be fined as an offense. Serving your customers mushed overly cooked balls of dough and calling it gnocchi is unacceptable. The 4 cheese gnocchi was a load of over cooked mush topped with perfumey bitter tasting cheese. It left a saffron/licorice taste in my mouth that was acid reflex inducing. If I wanted mdma sprinkled on my food I would be able to do it myself. I don't know what kind of ingredients they used to make it but it is absolutely horrible. The calamari was chewy, overcooked, under seasoned and cold. How does something that had just come out of the deep fryer be cold? It also came out instantly so obviously the calamari had been prepared before hand and probably left under heat lamps to keep warm. The caprese salad had no flavour with the exception of the balsamic vinegar and olive oil on the plate used as decoration.
I don't understand what the fuss is about. If you're an Italian Kitchen fan or a Trattoria fan this place is definitely for you. This restaurant is only good for big groups and crappy family dinners. For the others that prefer to pay a higher price for real Italian food please skip this restaurant and make reservations at Il Gardinos, or for a real Mediterranean taste go ahead and splurge at Cioppinos. -
Review from Julia W.
3/8/2012 1 photo
I was in Vancouver for a day trip before my girlfriends & I headed up to Whistler and stopped at Marcello for lunch. It was recommended by one of our local Vancouver friends as she had a good meal of gnocchi when she visited last.
We weren't sure if they were open since there was an extensive amount of construction and remodeling being done to the restaurant (personal ding for me as there is always dust and whatnot when remodeling is being done).
We were seated immediately and given a table by the window. Our server was nice enough; they ordered the four cheese gnocchi and I ordered the spaghetti with clams.
My spaghetti with clams wasn't at all what I thought it would be. I fell in love with this dish while in Italy and it is usually made with olive oil and clams. This dish came out with tomatoes and had only a few clams in comparison to the amount of spaghetti that came with.
I also was quite disappointed in the iced tea which I had as I wasn't aware it was $2.95 and then I was charged for a refill.
Apparently, they do not do refills in the neighbor to the north. So my iced tea was $6 instead of $3 (which was already so expensive).
I'd not visit again as the food was subpar and the prices were on the spendy side. $25 for lunch is way too much for this level of service and food. -
Review from Mystery M.
Vancouver, BC
5/4/2012
The food at this place is absolutely amazing, although the prices can be slightly above average. However, the service is awful lately and there is a huge wait to get in around dinner time. What's more, the hostesses lie about the wait time. When we were there this past weekend, they told us it would be 20 minutes, and it turned out being over an hour, totally messing up the rest of our evening plans. The new pizzeria right across told us it would be over half an hour and that is why we decided to go to Marcello's. The waitress did her best to accommodate us and wasn't as slow and forgetful as a waiter we had recently, but it still took about 1/2 hour to get our food. We asked for a piece of bread for our toddler who was very tired and hungry by the time we got in, and they said it's coming right up yet they went on to other things and forgot about us until my husband went to the kitchen to complain.
Overall, food - great; service - bad. -
Review from Herman E.
11/25/2011
3.5 stars. Make no mistake about it, this place seems to be always busy, and the reason for the half star downgrade is because of the line ups. However, to be fair, that is not the fault of the restaurant.
In my own little world, Little Italy has only two pizza places, Marcello's and Lombardo's. I frequent either one when I come into this neighborhood for pizza.
Caprese salad is simple and good. Can't mess it up too much. Margarita pizza, same thing.
The pizza here is good, however, I have to give the edge to Lombardo's. The edge I think Marcellos has over Lombardos is the calzone.
This is the way I do pizza: Drive along Commercial and check out the line up at Marcellos. Decide on pizza/pasta or calzone. If Marcellos has a loooong line, it's off to Lombardo's, no questions asked. -
Review from Angela L.
9/30/2011
Marcello is one of those places I've heard a lot about in passing, and kind of always wanted to try, but not to the point where I put it really high up on my list of priorities. Anyway, I finally got my chance last night and my experience there was decidedly mediocre.
Our table of three split one order of the vegetable antipasto and one large pizza. The antipasto was a complete disgrace. It was basically one paper-thin slice of eggplant, a couple of olives, a handful of button mushrooms with a bunch of parsley, some peppers, and a miserable portion of artichokes, with two pieces of bread on top. The pizza was acceptable, but nothing spectacular. I found the crust to have a bit of a cardboard-y consistency and not a whole lot of flavour.
The beverage selection is not that great, although they boast of an "extensive Italian wine" list. Service was leaning closer to the bad side of neutral, with a dash of awkward thrown in for good measure. Ambiance is relatively pleasant, what with the huge, interesting oven and the piazza-like atmosphere, but the furniture was kind of disappointing. The chairs scrape agonizingly against the floor in a fingernails-on-chalkboard kind of way, and the acoustics of the room means that it carries. Yes, this kind of thing matters to me. I'd be happy if I never had to listen to that sound again.
More of a 2.5 star than a true 2, I would say. While there are definitely better choices food-wise, Marcello is not horribly offensive and I can see the appeal (safe for groups and so on). -
Review from Chelsey H.
Yaletown, Vancouver, BC
3/2/2012
Food was good. It was relatively quiet so I could actually have a conversation in there. We were seated promptly, service was good. The only reason I give this place 3 stars is lack of interac use, and the ladies at the front didn't deal with it gracefully. We were told to just go back to our seats and wait for our server to come back and complete a Visa transaction for us. It would have saved the situation if we could have just paid at the front. Going back to our seats kind of just added a seemingly unnecessary step. I would likely go back because I love their pasta :)
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Review from Larry L.
12/10/2011 2 photos
I've been here, say about a dozen times or more over the years. One of the most memorable times was reuniting with some old elementary school friends over some pizza pie and pasta.
I love the food here. I quite enjoy practically everything on the menu.
However, like most restaurants, there are good days to come and great days to come.
Overall it's two thumbs up and a "bada bing".
On one dinner occasion.
My Signora says "Pagherà tutto questo signore"
Our Nephew, liked the way it was decorated, and loved the big ole wood burning oven in the middle.
My Signora says it was scary. Oooohhhh.
Me, It's always been a feature of this place that I've loved (and the pizza's).
The Signora wants spaghetti with meatballs. She loves her balls. Honestly she does.
I've never seen anyone so petite chomp through a plate of pasta so fast. A few well positioned burps into a napkin she (embarrasingly) said "Ero affamato perché non avevo mangiato " a slight pause..."Mi Ami?" with the bat of long eyelashes and big eyes.
For her, she would rate this place a 3 out of ten. Huh? Why? I ask.
Her portion was too small and she didn't like my pizza. Hmmmm.
The Nephew unit? "it's good, I like" --- the waitress!
For me? 4 stars, fairly consistent and there is more to here than just carbaholic pasta's. They have chicken too you know!
And the pizza is second to none.
Buon appetito!
Bada bing! -
Review from Hootie J.
Vancouver, BC
12/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
This review is only valid until spring of 2012. Marcello's who do a great pizza and pasta are doing a major renovation to the back of the restaurant and the workers keep going in and out, so with the front door opening it is like a polar wind tunnel, we left before even ordering it was so cold (wish I could have sat closer to the pizza oven)
Check it out after the Reno and it will probably be good as ever -
Review from Peter T.
Updated - 8/23/2011
I was here with a big group of friends and family on a super hot day, and I know it's very rarely actually *hot* in Vancouver so a/c would just be a waste of money. But it was really sweltering inside Marcello's with the big wood-burning pizza oven and the kitchen going and just opening the front and back doors didn't get much air moving. Maybe install some ceiling fans? To tell you how well-loved Marcello's is, the place was packed despite the sweltering heat. People are literally willing to melt into a puddle of perspiration to eat at Marcello's.
Anyway. The food was excellent, as always. I had a pizza this time (anchovy with fresh mozza) and my wife had the pasta stuffed with ricotta. Both really good. I just had to try the fried olive antipasto and it was quite good - the olives didn't end up too oily and had just the right amount of garlic. My friend sitting next to me had the carbonara, and I can't comment on how it tastes because it contains pancetta but he really seemed to enjoy it.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/23/2011
I was here for lunch on a cold, but sunny, Monday with my wife, brother, and my brother's lovely… Read more »
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Review from Sam L.
9/6/2011
2.5 stars.
Been by this place so many times but never actually ate here for some reason, so finally decided to give it a try.
When we arrived it was packed, and it's a large place. There was nobody at the front to greet us, but that was ok, we could see they were pretty busy. Finally a girl came to the front, didn't even bother to look at us, then checked her book and left.
Then she did it again.
And again.
On the fourth pass she finally made eye contact with us and asked for how many, to which I replied "two" and me and my girlfriend were seated immediately, to our surprise.
We ordered the marinated octopus salad which was really good, but the pizza was so mediocre I don't even want to talk about it. Our server was charming and attentive.
Solid 2.5 stars. -
Review from J N.
Vancouver, BC
8/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Even post NY the pizza is always pretty tasty and the gnocchi with creamy meat sauce is the best if you like meat. Order a side of bread to pick up the extra sauce (if no one is looking) and yep, it's pretty standard that all of the Italian places are charging for bread these days. (I attribute that to the rising cost of flour during these economically challenging times. :))
I usually get my pie fully-loaded, but next time I'd do meatless. Love the artichokes and mushrooms, though.
Minus one star for the TERRIBLE selection of wine which is really unforgivable in an Italian place. I mean, come ON.
Note to self; crust does not taste well when microwaved the next day (which is not the case with ALL pizza).
Patio isn't too shabby on one of our rare, warm-nights, either. Go early enough to miss all of the families (unless you are bringing yours) and enjoy the casual vibe. -
Review from Sam W.
9/30/2011
It used to be good. USED TO BE. sad sad words. The food is greasy, and underwhelming, the prices are pretty standard (not too $$ but not exactly worth what you're getting), and the service is pretty "meh." You're better off heading a block down to Arriva!
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Review from Darcy D.
1/24/2011
There is a wide range of reviews for Marcello's. Some I understand, I have seen the spotty service, and some I don't. I have eaten here for 8 years and loved the food everytime.
Salads are fresh and sized for sharing. I like plain salads like the Mista salad they serve here.
The grilled calamari is one of the finest dishes I have ever eaten; sliced squid, olive oil, salt, pepper, a few grilled peppers and olives, cooked perfectly everytime.
Pasta is consistent and excellent. Notable is the four cheese gnocchi, one of the most delicious pastas I have tasted, be warned that it is extremely rich and should be shared.
Pizza crusts are heavily-kneaded and spread very thinly, yielding a crusty, chewy, yeasty treat. Order the Four Seasons pizza, featuring four different toppings on each quarter, the anchovy fillets quarter is always sought after, followed by the mushroom. Wisely only 3 small fillets are used, allowing the eater to control the amount of salty fish goodness in each bite. Factoid: In Naples, the local law states that dough must be kneaded for exactly 8 minutes to be called pizza. I am told that this is the inspiration for Marcello.
You will suffer the crowds and the inconsistent service but, I am always happy with the food and the value. This is how I try to cook at home.Listed in: Good everyday food near my…
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Review from Edward L.
I've been there a few times over the years. The food quality is consistent, and every item I've had so far is quite good.
Parking isn't the best as the streets can get packed, but it's somewhat doable with patience.
The ambience feels a little bit like a cafeteria due to all the wooden furniture and flooring, but the pizza oven gives it a cozy feel.
Looks like the cranked the prices a bit (pasta is now $12-14), but it's still somewhat reasonable.
The main dish I have here is the spaghetti carbonara. Bacon bits taste good. The cream sauce isn't slathered on, which is welcome for a change.
The pizza ("night in Palermo") was a bit on the salty side, but the crust helps balance the taste, and the cheese is not just globbed on like regular takeout.
My biggest gripe is that drinks are not bottomless. When you're charging $3 for a glass, it would be kinda nice. Until they change this, I think I'll stick to water.Listed in: 2011 Ed's Picks
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Review from Tyler V.
Vancouver, BC
3/22/2011
wow first timers.. NO INTERACT! Serious.
The pizza was NOT worth the price for homemade.
We make better homemade and it tastes amazing,
Slow service on a Monday. No debit. Mediocre Gold Priced Pizza.
Nope.. First timer and second chances do not happen here..
ick
Ty -
Review from Brook M.
Burnaby, BC
11/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
Went here for dinner with my wife on Halloween. I had looked it up on Yelp before going and noticed some complaints about service, and my experience unfortunately confirms them.
We arrived at 6pm and it was busy but not packed, we weren't greeted immediately, but were seated promptly. We ordered a medium pizza and spicy chicken spaghetti. Then we waited. And waited. And waited.
40 minutes later, the waitress stopped by and said that she was very sorry, but she had "lost" our order, had never given our order to the kitchen, and couldn't remember what it was.
We probably would have left if we hadn't been so hungry, but operating on the assumption that ordering again would still be faster than going somewhere else, we repeated our order. Waitress brought us some complementary focaccia and refill by way of apology, and this time our order arrived after about 10 minutes.
Spicy pasta wasn't spicy but it did taste fine if slightly undercooked (hm... wonder what the rush was?), pizza was likewise unevenly cooked but decent overall. -
Review from Melissa J.
Vancouver, BC
8/30/2010
PIZZA.
Almost the same word as "delicious". Except the letters are entirely different and the actual definitions are not similar in any way at all.
But to my mouth? Delicious = pizza.
Anyhow: Marcello's does delicious pizza. Realllly delicious. The kind of pizza that makes you regret having a Peroni or two beforehand because you can't fit in that extra slice.
That being said, I generally like to receive my appetizers before my mains.
Even with Marcello himself manning the pizza oven, this didn't happen.
Appetizers (grilled vegetable antipasti and calamari and prawns) were flavourless and disappointing at $13.95 and $17.95 apiece- making them about as appetizing as eating dirt off my own shoes after walking through Crab Park early on a Sunday morning.
Service was less than impeccable, made exponentially worse due to the volume of noise in the room- great ambiance, but only if the server can speak over the din. I don't recommend coming here with anyone with less than perfect hearing. Or at least have them bring a horn to hold to their ear, or they won't be able to decipher whether the server is telling them the "special", or telling them to "go to hell".
Marcello's is worth visiting for the pizza- so order take out and you won't be disappointed.
Yours faithfully: The Ninja Pirate
MJO -
Review from Hilda H.
Vancouver, BC
1/30/2011
Came here with family for a nice dinner on a weeknight. It was still pretty packed, but not so much that we couldn't grab a seat. Service was pretty great when we went, with our waters always refilled promptly and the food coming at a good pace. Our family loved the pasta! The tomato sauce was just delish. Not to mention the portions were perfect for us; we ordered 4 dishes and came out as 4 full adults. Would definitely go again!
There's only metered parking on the block, but if you drive a block or two east, there's a public park that with some spots for your car. :) -
Review from Luisa S.
Vancouver, BC
9/7/2008 2 photos
Having never really eaten on Commercial, I was eager at the prospect of dining here. The occasion was a reunion of sorts (it had been nearly six years since we had all gotten together) and a celebration (one of us was newly engaged), so we were in a festive mood. (The "we" being me and some of my old high school friends.)
The reservation was for 19:30. Having been told that everyone in our party had to be present otherwise our table would be given away, we were uncharacteristically prompt. Ten minutes later, we were still waiting but no one was particularly annoyed. It had only been ten minutes, after all. Another ten go by and we're finally seated. It takes another fifteen minutes for the waitress to take our drink order and ten more for it to actually arrive. Having finally ordered our at 20:15, we did not receive our appetizers until 21:00 and our mains until 21:10.
Yes, they were very busy that night but not unusually so since other reviews on other websites state that a long wait is common at Marcello. It might have been fine had the quality of our orders been better. The house wine was incredibly watered down, the squid appetizer according to my seafood-eating friends was bland, and the pizzas--when they finally arrived--we topped with only a thin layer of toppings. Mine, thankfully, wasn't too bad but I was far from satisfied. I think the only thing that was able to appease us was the second bottle of wine, which was much better than the first. Oh, and eachother's company.
As for ambiance, it was nicely decorated but too densely packed. In light of this place's popularity (which I don't understand), they clearly tried to jam as many tables in here as possible. Unlike the other reviewer, it is very unlikely that I'll ever come here again. -
Review from Anita T.
Toronto, ON
11/17/2008
It was Saturday night at prime dinner time... I was craving pasta... From Surrey, we headed to Langley to the Olive Garden... 75 minute wait.... then we headed to Burnaby to Antons.... lineup around the block... then we headed to commercial drive... and BEHOLD.... Marcello's Pizzeria!!
This place makes me want to eat italian food every day!! There is an abundance of items to choose from on the menu for anything you may be craving --- and there is even a decent selection of veggie options!! I had the pasta with olives, capers, and mushrooms and a creamy tomato sauce (i can't remember the menu name).. but it was sooooo delicious!! i would recommend this place to anyone in the mood for italian.
The decor here is fabulous as well. From the open layout to the massive oven in the shape of a head! -
Review from Caroline W.
Burnaby, BC
3/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Huge portions, huge delicious!
The wine was fantastic. Hard to find Santa Margherita, but we did here!
Beware of the calzones. The medium is actually an extra large! But also deliciousListed in: Best of the Drive
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Review from T N.
Surrey, BC
11/10/2010
Walked by a couple times and finally decided to give it a try.
As memory serves, it was sometime later in the week when I went, Thursday or Friday, anyhow, waiting time for a table was approx. 10 minutes and 20 for the food to arrive.
My friend and I ordered two dishes or pasta: Tagliatelle Pasticciati and Tagliatelle All'Aceto.
I'm not some expert on the authenticity of italian pasta, but this has got to be certainly better than any Boston Pizza or Italian Kitchen's.
The sauce was great and I didn't feel bloated afterwards.
In addition to our pastas, we also had one of their pizzas, which was also delicious- the bread was soft and not too oily like typical American pizzas, such as Pizza Hut.
Our second visit there we tried the Classico Calzone. Pizza like you never experienced besides in Italy. Awesome.
Definitely check this place out if you want to experience some authentic Italian pizza and pasta.
Service: 3.5
Ambiance: 4
Food: 5 -
Review from Megan S.
11/5/2008
A lot of details make the ambiance great. For one, a huge sun is on the wall and immediately seen to the right as you walk in. The ceilings are high (and that sun stretches up to the top). There are plants (fake?) in window boxes up high- a nice detail, out of normal eyesight but contributing to a rich environment. My favorite thing (visible for half of my table) was a huge chandelier of wine bottles. Very cool!
The water comes in a nice wine glass, which looks nice, but is way to small for a guzzler like me. Refills at our table were average- sometimes prompt other times slow.
On to the food. I am always disappointed when an Italian restaurant doesn't give free bread. But we went ahead and bought some bread, 5 pieces for $5. It was soooo worth it! Fluffy triangles with subtle seasoning. I ordered gnocchi- a new item for me. I knew it was made from potato and eggs- but I wasn't sure what to expect. It was great. The texture is incredibly light and fluffy, not too unlike a marshmallow (and close in size too). The cheese sauce was rich and delicious. Reminescent of mac n cheese- but oh so good. Next time I might try a pizza, but in general I will order the 4 cheese gnocchi frequently. I definitely recommend going. And perhaps in the summer, I'll try sitting on the patio. -
Review from Simon R.
BC
12/2/2008
There is a vibe at Marcello's that somehow mixes elegance with machismo. The place is beautifully decorated, nearly chachi but more like grandiose, and almost always full. With its upscale feel, arrogant good cooking and mandatory beautiful servers, it truly puts the wank into swank.
The pizza is traditional, made with local ingredients and cooked in the oven baked mouth of a huge kitsch-Mayan face built into the wall. A small pizza starts at $11, and the large is $27. The other food is notoriously good as well, and they make some of the best calamari on the Drive.
So much effort has been put into this restaurant that it's almost as though Marcello's wants you to acknowledge how good it is, and won't charge very much for you to find out. -
Review from Mike C.
Vancouver, BC
5/23/2010
Late lunch (2PM) meant we snagged a window seat and had plenty of waitstaff attention. The place is massive and the side patio looked like a great place to spend a dry afternoon or evening, but rain was pelting on/off, so the front window did us fine.
We had only one item- a large Parma Ham pizza. It was delicious and as good as those we used to eat in Paris years ago. Crispy thin crust, thin wash of oregano-enriched tomato sauce, Parma Ham placed on after baking, and served piping hot.
Not too sure about the grated Parmesan Cheese on the table or how they handle more conventional pizzas, but for us this was the best pizza we've had since moving to Vancouver six months ago.
Worth paying for street parking. -
Review from Sabrina S.
Montréal, QC
6/21/2009
Omg, authentic Italian pizza and home made pasta and sauces....what else could you ask for ? The pasta is fresh, the sauces are very good and the pizza is AWESOME. I would like to describe it more in detail, but i think the best thing to do is to go try it yourself. They have a pretty big selection of pasta and filled pasta . I had the gnocchi and it was extremely good. It was made with potatoes and the tomato sauce was exquisite. not too acid, not too bland. perfect.
I've had the veggie pizza there before and it was good too! The wine selection and prices are decent.
Next time you are on commercial Drive, please go try this place out. -
Review from Lucas C.
Burnaby, BC
3/2/2010
Our group at work go there for lunch frequently, the lasagna is consistently amazing. It's quite possibly the best lasagna in town.
Everyone talks about the pizza, and how great it is. They are on drugs.
The pizza pretty much sucks. Yeah, I said it. There is nothing good about it. Nothing.
It's sloppy, soggy, flavourless, unevenly cooked, and just gross.
Seriously, the pizza at Marcello's sucks. Had I had a little more to drink, (and had work not picked up the tab) I would have demanded my money back. -
Review from James W.
Burnaby, BC
11/27/2009
My wife and I have been wanting to try Marcello's for some time, so we made it last night for our 3rd wedding anniversary. I thought it was pretty darn good. The restaurant itself is nice. The standout feature is the giant face painted in gold. The mouth is the oven opening. I thought that was pretty whimsical, but I enjoyed it. It was busy, but not too busy that we had decent service, so no real complaints about that.
The food was great. We had the Affettato Misto - sliced salame, prosciutto crudo, spiced pancetta - as a starter. If you like cured pork, then you'll enjoy this. We ordered more bread, as the 2 pieces that come with the dish isn't enough.
The Capricciosa - Tomato sauce, mozzarella, ham, salame, artichokes, black olives, mushrooms - pizza was easily one of the best pizzas I've ever had. I've eaten alot and made alot of pizzas in my lifetime. The medium was enough for the 2 of us , even had to pack up the rest to take home. My only complaint about the pizza was that the middle of the pizza was soggy, while the outer edge was nice and crispy. But the taste was something else. I would love to go back for more pizzas and to try the pastas.
I think if you go there expecting the place to be spotless and to have your server just waiting for you to set your glass down so they can refill it the instant the you take your hand off the glass, you will be disappointed. If your plan is to just relax and enjoy good food with people, then Marcello's is a good place. Having worked in restaurants for many years, I don't have expectations of the best service in the world. Unless the place is known for that. I am happy with good service, as I know the servers are busy with more than just my table.
Thanks Marcello, I'll be back, I promise. -
Review from Kristen F.
Vancouver, BC
8/13/2008
There's nothing more tastier (that is a word right?) then having home made, fresh, fire burn pizza. I can't order anything else here except the pizza. It's THAT good! My favorite so far is bacon with fungi. The fried calamari was good as well though I was hoping for some tomato marinade instead of this tarter tasting sauce. The sauce I skipped.
Now as much as I liked the atmosphere and the food I have a huge grip with the service. First off it's slow, really slow. It took forever to seat us even though it was really empty. Don't order a mixed drink especially the martinis. The glass was half full when I ordered a sour apple martini. WTF? Who's the idiot behind the bar pouring drinks?
Keep in mind, this place does get packed after 6:30. They also like to pack everyone in like sardines too which doesn't make a pleasant dining experience. I don't know about you but I came here to dine with friends, not dine with friends and the people at the table next to me.
Yes I'd come here again, but I wouldn't order a mixed drink or come during dinner time. -
Review from Jack S.
Vancouver, BC
8/3/2009 1 Check-in Here
Marcello's has some issues. It looks great from the outside but once you get inside you will likely notice some cleanliness problems. We sat along the left wall and there seemed to be months, maybe years of crusty food splatter on the wall and greasy dust caked into the molding. This was disgusting as the moldings are just above table level. Looking around the restaurant the entire place could use a good dusting - the giant wine-bottle chandelier (a very fun looking piece of decor) seemed ready for an avalanche of dust on the unsuspecting diners below.
The service was so-so. It is hard to fault a restaurant for the service on a single visit (could be a waiter's bad day) but we waited a LONG time for most of our table visits and it was not a particularly busy night.
On to the pizza. If you are looking for quality pizza on the Drive, then you really have two places: Marcello's and Lombardi's. While the pizza at Marcello's was delicious and used tasty ingredients, it was cooked poorly and the center of the pizza was underdone. This might be excusable if they were particularly busy and needed to keep the oven hot and the pizzas moving but again, it was not a busy night, I'll stick to Lombardi (in a disastrous location but great zza!).
Overall I'd say that Marcello's was good but didn't meet my expectations for the reputation or the price.Listed in: Great Vancouver Pizza
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Review from Karen W.
Burnaby, BC
8/18/2011
Went here for a date with my boyfriend and it was fabulous! Food was delicious and was huge portions. I had the medium spicy italian sausage pizza, I couldn't even come close to finishing it. My boyfriend had the calzone and it was equally as huge! Defiantly share a meal.
The decorations were great from the wine bottle light fixture, to the massive wood burning oven. Seating is indoors and outdoors with tables and a bar.
Would have given this the full five stars except the service was a little slower than we would have liked when we were ready to pay the bill and go home, overall it was great! Planning to bring my family here for a dinner one night. -
Review from Megan G.
Vancouver, BC
10/29/2009
The key here really is the pizza. Don't bother with the pasta- it's not that good, but the pizza is a delight. You can basically find the same pizza across the street at Lombardo's but this spot has a bit more ambience, and it always feels a little bit romancey (though that could be blamed on the company I had to dine with!)
My favourite has to be the Capricciosa, and while I didn't particular notice the service, I've heard it's not very fabulous, but it certainly hasn't ruined my enjoyment of the place. -
Review from Dennis T.
North Vancouver, BC
1/2/2011
I think this place has the best pizza and pasta in town. It's a bit pricey but the ingredients are top notch. The food is made to order and does take a while but well worth the wait. The clam sauce is great and the thin pizzas from the wood fired oven can't miss. I've never been there during the lunch hour or dinner rush so I guess maybe I've been lucky to avoid any slow service that others are reporting. Oh, I forgot to mention the chef's salad... it's one of my favorites and don't get me started on how good the calamari is. Lightly battered and cooked perfectly tender, not chewy. I need to go there again soon!
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Review from Andy H.
Vancouver, BC
3/11/2010
Originally I gave this place 3 stars. And you're probably wondering who the heck cares how many stars I give. To that I say, "I !!!! do not care about you and your thoughts." Went there on a Friday night, with the lady friend and she liked the place. Then again, she liked it because I was with her. haha. Here are my pros and cons:
1. Pros: they use a brick oven!!! that's awesome. House wine was not bad.
2. Cons: they dont know how to use a brick oven! The pizza was good but when it arrived on our table the bottom was not crispy. And here the main reason why I was disappointed: they did not have FRESH BASIL instead they used dried basil. So on our specialty pizza of fresh mozz., fresh tomatoes, and dried basil. Something was terribly wrong with it. Therefore 2 STARS FOR YOU! -
Review from gita k.
3/16/2010
I went to Marcello Sunday at 1:30 pm. The place was about 30% full. The host was nice, but I had a waitress that was awful. First it took her 25 minutes from seating to ask for out order. She was not busy just wrongly prioritized - putting plates away as I asked for service! Upon attempting to explain the size of a large pizza she gave an absolute wrong gesture of difference between and medium and a large - she showed about 1 inch difference all around. Upon asking if the $2 option for fresh mozarella was buffalo mozarella I was told yes. No - it was just melted mozarella, and only 6 pieces of it on my large pie. The pizza did not have any fresh ingredients on top - not even fresh basil. Every spice that dressed it up came from a sprinkle of McCormicks which is very upsetting considering I paid $75 for the meal. Coke was paid refills. I also ordered a Italian meats plate. The meats on this plate were not covered when they were stored. One side of each of my meat sections was hard. This a restaurant no-no. So, 2 hours later after most people had come and ate and left, I was extremely disappointed. For a place that took pride in thier menu, the $75 meal that tasted and looked just as good as a hot one from Pizza Hut, I was utterly disappointed and will never return. I even attempted to contact the manager to make him aware of the deliberate $1.00 tip and rationale to this poor experience. Go to Uncle Fatih's where less money and a smile are present.
In the end, the pizza was tasted frozen. Please ensure Cindy is not your server unless you plan and desire to have a 2.5 hour meal. -
Review from Rajan S.
Vancouver, BC
1/28/2010
Let's get this out of the way first - the service sucks. But the pizza is the BEST tasting pizza in Vancouver! Tasty thin crust, rich tasting yet light sauce and high quality ingredients. I crave their Margherita pizza, and the Italian salami with fresh tomatoes (not on the menu anymore, but you can order it that way - just ask). The most authentic Italian-style pizza in the city and the atmosphere is great too. And if you're a fan of tiramisu, also the best in the city! Just beware of the service. I would give it 5-stars if it weren't for that one issue.
Listed in: Top 5 Pizza in Vancouver
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Review from Janine L.
Vancouver, BC
3/25/2009
Went here last night to get together with a girlfriend. Had the vegetarian gnocci and she had the carbonara. It was absolutely delicious. It's not even the pasta, it's the sauce! (Pasta was perfectly cooked though...) The sauce was too good, i'm still thinking about it now...
Coming here on a weeknight is the best way to go. Lining up and waiting for the food on a weekend would be hectic and I can get impatient when I am hungry. This place is sooo good it just might be worth the wait. -
Review from Emily S.
Vancouver, BC
10/29/2009
Not bad. It exceeded my expectations, which were quite low.
