Romano's Macaroni Grill
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
31 reviews for Romano's Macaroni Grill
Review Highlights
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31 reviews in English
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Review from Deb L.
Lake Zurich, IL
12/4/2011
For airport food, really good. This is the best choice for Terminal 3. If I were in Terminal 2 and had time, I'd walk over to Macaroni's.
Pizzas are great, good selection of beer, and fast service! -
Review from Mark E.
Katy, TX
3/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
I enjoy traveling through Chicago on American because they now have a decent selection of restaurants in terminal 3, some just out of security where the G, H, K & L concourses split off and in the H/K concourses (where we find Macaroni Grill). I had a 5:45 plane so I was eating dinner about 4p.
The menu is limited compared to their fill restaurants, but it seems to have all of the most popular / common dishes. They still bring the hot bread to dip in olive oil and they have a wine list so its certainly a good place to eat. The decor is very similar to their freestanding restaurants with plenty of small tables for people traveling alone.
I had the fettuccine with chicken. I didn't get much chicken, I felt like I should have had another 2 or 3 small pieces. I had plenty of pasta so in all it was reasonable. I didn't leave hungry. I didn't wait long for a server to appear and take my drink order, but it seemed to take a while to actually get my iced tea and to place my food order. It took a while longer to receive the bread.
Without having timed the delivery of my food, my sense is I had an average wait time for restaurant dining. Frankly given that this is an airport, I'd have expected better. If I had a shorter connection I'd have avoided eating here. MY complaint, and the reason I can't give this restaurant a higher rating is the wait and the effort I exerted to get my bill, pay and get out. Back to my earlier comment, its an AIRPORT! People are on a schedule. I shouldn't have to sit with an empty bowl and empty glass of iced tea in front of me for 10 minutes before I flag down someone else's waiter to get some attention.
Will I eat here again, yes, but only if I have **plenty** of time. This location should be a gold-mine, but they need to sort out the challenge with the wait staff. Also, lets sort out a way to handle people with luggage. It was awkward with even just one small rolling briefcase. Someone with a big carry-on bag would have been very challenged. -
Review from Shane W.
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
This Macaroni Grill is my go to place in O'Hare, so it has that I guess. It's an airport restaurant in every form. What makes a restaurant an airport restaurant you ask?
1) Despite knowing that everyone there will have baggage (like real baggage, I mean yeah, we all have emotional baggage) the airport restaurant is actually smaller than it's non-airport version. Always.
2) The staff knows you'll probably never come back so the faster they can get your tummy or liver filled and get you out, the better.
3) Rent is high. And so is the food and alcohol.
4) Speaking of alcohol, I've only seen booze measured that carefully at stadiums and airports.
5) When you order, your food is done and on the way.
The food is predictable, and comes in healthy portions (and by "healthy" I mean like that cousin that never quite figured out portion control). Bread is served pretty much before you hit the seat and somehow you're in and out in 30 minutes. It's Romano's Macaroni Grill.
Oh, and I saw Tracy Morgan there once. So that happened. -
Review from Tiffany Y.
New York, NY
1/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
Yes, I was at the airport eating dinner but it didn't feel like it. A nice change to go to a sit down restaurant among all the fast food choices.
Given the amount of traffic that probably comes through here, the place didn't seem that clean to me (could have been in my head).
I ordered the Chicken Scaloppine which was pretty good.
Surprising the servers weren't more attentive. We had to wave someone down to place our order and get the check. -
Review from Suzi G.
4/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
Fresh focaccia bread with olive oil and fresh cracked pepper to dip in. Spaghetti and meatballs upgraded to bolognese sauce (you can get plain pomodoro sauce also) and eggplant pasta dish. Peroni bottles (blue moon, sam adams, stella and budlight on draft. If you like your pasta al dente, this place may not be for you - our pasta came much softer than Im used to. The eggplant dish use long square shaped tubes and was surprisingly spicy. Meatbalss were well seasoned just the right bite-size.
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Review from Michael Z.
Phoenix, AZ
10/20/2011
Good experience. Rolled in here very early in the morning with a few hour layover. Stood at the front like a hobo Joe for a few minutes before walking in and then stopped and told to go back to the host station. Seated at a table facing out at the tarmac at sunset was nice view as I set up my office. There was a convenient power outlet next to my table.
Ordered a breakfast frittata that was outstanding for like 10 bucks. Creamy eggs with tomatoes and other ingredients topped with a ton of melted cheese and diced potatoes. It was really good. Staff was on the ball and there when you needed them and not bothering either. She gave me a water to go which was a nice touch. -
Review from Jason N.
11/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Pretty good for an airport restaurant. A little cramped and crowded but fine. The food was not as good as a regular macaroni grill but much better then the usual burgers and dry pizza at most airport eateries.
The service was good and fast. -
Review from Anthony M.
Chicago, IL
I can hardly believe that I am giving a chain restaurant in an airport 5 stars!!! (But they deserve it!)
I have eaten here many times and there is always a line...in fact...I have never sat at a table (always full). I have gotten lucky and squeezed in at the bar or taken my food to go from the side window near the kitchen.
The food is always good. I highly recommend the pizza's. I like the BBQ Chicken and the Meaty Italian Pizza. A couple of times I have ordered from the side window and then carried my piping hot pizza onto the plane. I get a lot of looks from others who are thinking about how they are going to wrestle the box aways from me.
This area use to be two gates for American Airlines...I have no idea how Romano got this space and maybe it is better that way. This location is great and it is the best restaurant in Terminal 3. You can find some good food in the food court near by but there is nothing like a yummy hot pizza before a long flight.
I recommend if you are running late for your flight, then grab something from the food court. Between Starsucks and Mickey D you will not go hungry. -
Review from Monica R.
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Food here sucks, and it was expensive. Therefore, it wasn't really worth it. You could even tell that the olive oil was cheap.
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Review from Art A.
San Francisco, CA
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Kevin didn't want more Mexican (Rick Bayless @ Airport), so we grabbed lunch here and it was decent. Above average for airport food, but I wish we would have tried something else.
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Review from Sara B.
6/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Having a 2 hour delay we decided to grab a table and enjoy some lunch. To be honest, I didn't even feel as though we were in an airport. The server was very busy, but still prompt and friendly.
We shared the penne rustico and cesear salad. The food wasn't outstanding. Pretty on par for a big chain like this, but a great change of pace from the typical airport food courts. -
Review from Cherish H.
Chino, CA
6/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Service is so slow here. Granted it is at a busy airport but we were there when it was fairly empty... And it was still slow. Anyways overall the food isn't bad. My fave has always been Mac grill bread... It's rosemary and salty perfection. The food is decent. Not really anything in particular I'd recommend. I usually just eat free bread and bruschetta or ravioli. It's not too bad for a sit down airport dinn though.
Yummilicious factor = B- -
Review from Hoyt H.
Laurel, MD
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
I was pleasantly surprised by this place. It was actually better than the neighborhood Italian restaurants around my home, and it's in an airport terminal! It has table service, with friendly servers, and a small but decent menu. I had a nice chicken and pasta dish, and my SO had a salad. We both enjoyed our meal, and the Grill provided a nice atmosphere to kill some time while waiting for our flight.
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Review from Anthony N.
Napa, CA
10/15/2011
I've eaten here three times this week while back and forth across the country. Good food, good ambiance, service = awesome. Thank you Selam!
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Review from Jim B.
San Diego, CA
2/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
I would normally give this place fewer stars, but I realized that the way air traffic and restaurants work, it's just a strange combination with regards to timing. I sat near the front of the restaurant, and had hours before my flight...I came in with the place full, and watched it empty, and then there was a line in a blink of an eye.
Moreso than normal restaurant rushes.
That being said, I had to wait 20 minutes to order water or food. The watiress was slammed. But when she finally got to me, I gave her a stern look, and in my gruffest of voices I said, "Dude, 20 minute?!?"
She explained she was covering half the restaurant because servers were on break (Biggest Minus here is the MANAGEMENT...!). However, she FULLY took care of me, and of course when the place emptied out, she had time to come dish it with me (cuz I'm actually a lot of fun to servers, especially when i'm flying by myself...travel can be lonely).
She was awesome. That was Dorothy.
I mentioned that Yelper had reviewed this place and mentioned Diyana was a good server. Dorothy said that's who she was covering when she took my order...so Diyana came by to say 'hi'.
Then it all kind of fell apart with all of us joking back & forth at different times.
I travel for work - a lot, actually. It's nice to have a layover and get something decent to eat. For some reason, O'Hare has the WORST restaurants.
Go here.
As for for Dorothy or Diyana.
Be patient sometimes, be aware of the number of servers and the lines that ebb & flow, remember the management makes full on n00b errors, and eat well.
I'm flying back thru ORD, then working in Chicago in a few weeks. You KNOW I'll be back there! -
Review from S Alicia S.
Seattle, WA
12/26/2009
Super late lunch during dinnertime at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. The airport is packed. Food counters and restaurants close to my gate swarming with foodie crowds. Finally found my way to Macaroni Grill. The line was short. And the place was jam-packed. But it looked as comfy as the name. Ended-up sharing a table with a flight attendant (but only because it's the holiday season).
My new friend ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo. I was completely devastated that there was no Macaroni & Cheese, or Eggplant Parmesan on the menu. Thus deciding to go healthier with Grilled Chicken Spiedini.
Fresh baked bread and olive oil to start the meal. My plate of rosemary chicken over roasted vegetables (eggplant, onions, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes and zucchini) was perfectly seasoned. It was excellent.
The stewardess loved her pasta dish too. And we washed our meals down with ice tea and lemon slices as we talked about our families, men and the holiday season.
Sharing a table with a flight attendant got us an airport discount too. So Romano's Macaroni Grill has great customer service, prices and food. Cheers! -
Review from Mariah B.
10/5/2010 1 Check-in Here
So you are stuck in Chicago O'hare, awaiting a flight to Europe...you aren't really hungry, but know you should eat something healthy rather than relying on AA or Delta's finest?
Well then I would highly recommend Macaroni Grill to get rid of your last dollars and coins. But you will need lots of lasts in order to eat here.
There is a constant queue, but well worth it if you get a seat near the window from which you can watch them prepare your plane for takeoff.
The bread and olive oil served are delish. I had fettuccine, which at $ 11 isn't soo bad. My dining companion had Chicken skewers which he said were well cooked and nicely spiced. We escaped within the $25 range, tap water included, expensive for the food, but after glancing at the options available in the nearby food court, felt like a steal!
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Review from Jeff S.
7/17/2011
Seeking lunch during a 90-minute layover in Chicago's O'Hare airport, I was delighted to happen upon Romano's Macaroni Grill as I entered terminal H. As is my custom, I opted for a seat at the bar. Service was a bit slow, but not too bad. I opted for a margherita pizza and a glass of house Chianti. The wine was a generous pour, but they charged about $8.00 for their house chianti - quite a bit higher than their out-of-airport locations. It is always nice to encounter a familiar menu when passing through the airport, and I will mark this location as one to visit when I hit O'Hare at mealtime.
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Review from Tiffany Y.
Manhattan, NY
3/5/2010
I had about 2 hours to kill before my flight so I thought, what the hell...might as well sit down and eat a nice breakfast. I'd eaten at Macaroni Grill a long time ago when I was young and it didn't leave an impression either way, so I decided to give it another shot.
The waiter was nice, and wrote his name "REGI" on the table with a green crayon. I ordered a frittata having no idea what it actually was, and a cup of coffee. The coffee was splendid, and as I waited for my meal, I picked up the green crayon and began to doodle.
By the time my doodle started resembling a 2nd grade masterpiece, Regi walked over with my frittata. It came in a round ceramic baking dish, fresh from the oven, and it was covered with a thick layer of melted cheese. My wedding diet screaming NO and my tastebuds screaming YES, I picked up my fork and dug in. It was absolutely superb. The eggs were fluffy and the pancetta and onions mixed in added the perfect amount of flavor. I was in heaven. Until my diet told me I had to stop halfway through my dish, and I was sad.
Next time, after my wedding, I will return and devour the entire thing. -
Review from Dennis C.
Los Angeles, CA
11/15/2010
Had a 2hr layover in O'Hare and got lucky with a short line (usually the wait for a table is pretty significant). I ordered the chicken and shrimp scaloppine with a wine pairing. Absolutely exquisite. The chicken was tender and all the other pieces came together very well.
The only downside is the food takes awhile to arrive since the place is always busy, so only come here if you've got at least 1-2hrs to spare. -
Review from Katie C.
Grand Rapids, MI
11/28/2008
Day before Thanksgiving, 5:30pm, and I'm stuck in the airport , my most unfavorite place to be. I see Macaroni Grill, there's no wait, and I think, ahha, at least I won't have to sit at the gate with Mickey D's in my lap.
My server was nice, but she seemed a little frazzled. I mean, trust me, I give her props, being there on one of the craziest travel days of the year. She was attentive, and brought out my beer, bread, and chicken florentine salad in what seemed like a matter of a couple minutes. That salad was pretty yummy, although it seemed to have a little too much going on: fresh spinach, orzo, grilled chicken, capers, olives...what else? Those were the best/most overwhelming ingredients. And it was drenched in a lemon vinagrette, which would have been much more enjoyable had I ordered it on the side. So I know for next time.
The space is just too cramped. I know, it's the airport, they wanted to put in a nice place--well, then make it a little more exclusive and stop trying to seat people on top of each other. I must say though, considering how much I hate airports, my dinner served as a nice distraction from the insanity happening 20 feet from my table.
I would recommend coming to the Macaroni Grill if you'd like to relax before your flight, have a drink at the bar, and perhaps enjoy a meal. It's not going to be stellar, but hey. You could be sitting at the gate, Mickey D's smothered all over your lap. -
Review from Jean C.
7/27/2010 1 Check-in Here
We had about an hour and a half before our boarding time so we decided to kick start our vacation with lunch here. I've never been so we decided to give it a go.
Our server was friendly but inefficient. She would bring one thing and run around finding the other. Aside from that, she was decent. I ordered the cappellini pomodoro and the hubby got chicken parmesan. The pasta was delightful. Nice grape tomatoes and a little kick. The chicken parm must have been good since it was all gone. The hubs does not like pasta so he didn't touch the portion that was served with his chicken. I tasted it and it was similar to my dish.
Lunch was around $40 (including that $10 Stella Artois!). Hey, we all know airport food is expensive. I would probably come here again if I fly out of Terminal 3. -
Review from Garry G.
Encinitas, CA
1/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Everything was really good for an airport place. My question is why do airport eateries usually suck, why shouldn't everyone hold them to higher quality and taste standards. Just my 2 cents
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Review from Jonathan L.
Holland, OH
3/26/2011
I typically have had luck at a Macaroni Grill but this location is awful. I was traveling for work, with other co-workers, and decided to sit down and have a bite to eat before our plane journeyed off into the heavens.
We sat down immediately and it took our server about 5 min. to greet us with bread and water (No complaint about the 5 min but if I was in a rush I would have been very disappointed). From there we continued to order drinks, I ordered a Peroni Beer and it tasted awful but I left it alone. Our server saw that the beer had one drink taken out of it but showed no concern. We waited about 30 min. before we ordered food since we wanted to relax. We then told our server we wanted to order and she took an additional 10-15 to bring us menus (very frustrating). From there she had no menu knowledge when we were asking her questions about different entrees they offered. After ordering the food it took around 15 min, no problem, but the problem was the food was lukewarm. Disappointing for a $15 pizza. She then questioned why we did not eat our food, which we were polite and said we where not hungry. (Even though we were very frustrated.) Then she said something about the beer and got the manager. The manager came over and she seemed very frazzled, frustrated, and annoyed she was at the table. I told her the beer was not to my liking, and asked if it was bad or if it was my fault I did not like it. I told her not to worry about it, leave the table, and we will pay for everything even though the service, food, and manager where very disappointing. The tipping point for our group was definitely the manager arguing with us but it was a total disappointing package that Macaroni Grill Ohare has to offer.
I know on my many travels to Ohare I will never come to the Macaroni grill. I would suggest going to another place that you will be much more satisfied with and save a few bucks.
Side Note: Two other tables around us complained while we sat there. (Manager still was unable to hide her stress and seemed frustrated with every guest and employee. Maybe she was having a bad day but making it right with a guest goes a long way.) -
Review from David P.
5/19/2010
Man i'd have been better off at McDonalds. My wife and I decided to get a little lunch during our layover and were pretty dissappointed. We were seated and after about 10-15 min of servers helping tables around us and giving them the "hey i'd really love some water and bread" look, I finally had to flag someone down. Apparently there was some sort of miscommunication about whose section it was. Common sense would dictate when you see a table not being helped after some time and the patrons looking around, help them out rather than say it's not my job. After this was brought to their attention, the finger pointing among staff started. It was never really settled who was our server throughout the meal. We had the penne rustica which was mediocre and extremely rich. The bread is kick ass which is about all that's keeping this from being a one star review.
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Review from Mark F.
Los Angeles, CA
1/11/2010
Ate here waiting for our flight that had been delayed. Fantastico! A slice of Italy smack dab in between concourse h and k. Our waitress was Billie, she wrote her name on the table with a crayon, very attentive. She took my girlfriend's gluten allergy into considesrtion when ordering. Had the grilled macaroni(never tried it before, I've been missing out) with a glass of chianti. I'll be coming back again.
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Review from Mark S.
San Francisco, CA
9/23/2010
If you are stuck at O'hare, this is a good place to hang out. It has good food and Dyiana will take good care of you. Seats next to outlets are available. I hope not to have to return, but probably will :-/
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Review from ItsSunnyinHawaii O.
Honolulu, HI
10/23/2010
I am giving 4-stars for the CHICKEN MARSALA. It's so good it's all I've ordered, I've been through ORD 4x this year and each time still excellent.
I haven't found another as good yet, went to Marsala, Sicily and
still looking..
Their Genesio Olive Oil is excellent also.
Unusual for airport food! -
Review from h r.
Fox Lake, IL
6/27/2009
Have eaten here 3 times. 1st time ok. 2nd and 3rd times absolutely awful. Food extremely poor, service terrible. We are flt crew and were treated very badly. Strongly recommend, do not eat here.
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Review from nate c.
Chicago, IL
4/9/2008
This place moved in to the airport about 6 months ago or so. Very nice setup considering its in O'Hare. I would frequent Chili's, but while waiting in line at Chili's one day, a co-worker suggested I try the soup and salad at Romano's. I went over there and it was less expensive and came with chicken tuscan soup, bread, and a cesar salad....all for $5.50. Then the next time I went there for the same order, the salad got smaller and they charged me like $6.47. Then after that, the soup got smaller and I still paid over $6. I then finally tried an entree for over $11....thats splurging for lunch at the airport, but once in awhile, its ok I guess. So I got the chicken parmessan with spaghetti.....very good portion and nice and tasty. It even came with a nice roll. I was so full, it was hard to get back to work. So the next time, I have extra money in my budget and have a big appetite, I'll definitely get the chicken parmessan again. Not a bad place to go, if you've got lots of layover time at Chicago's O'hare Airport.
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Review from B L.
Los Angeles, CA
7/2/2010
Yet another restaurant that wants to charge us vegatarians for meat we will not eat. When trying to order a salad that comes with chicken I was told I would still have to pay full price for the chicken even if I didn't want it. As a vegatarian I always find this practice to be discriminating. Why should one who does not eat meat, often the pricey part of the meal, have to pay for it if they do not want it ? And the offer to add a little extra lettuce simply does not add up to the price of the meat. And usually the reason for this as was the case here is that the pre-programmed cash register can not distinguish the difference. Hello? Can a human make the adjustment that most people agree if fair ?
