Mario's Place

On Saturday night, we walked in and were able to get a table without a reservation. Thanks to the host, she is an awesome girl. Food was so good, especially their bread and the Caesar salad that I'd highly recommend. In addition, we had calamari fritti, Dungeness Crab, and a margaritas pizza. Located right in front of the Mission Inn.

We have gone here over the years and always had a good meal. We were seated in a fairly small room that they called the “elevator room” it only had 5 tables to serve people. We called same day so I’m guessing the better areas were taken. We ordered the one dish of everything to split. The entree was Beef Tenderloin which was very good. We also ordered a side Caesar Salad and the Mushroom Ravioli dish. The food was very good. The Mission Inn is across the street. Some tables inside and out have a view of it.

We were there Friday night and I would have given 5 stars but for 1 thing. The music was so loud it was causing pain in my ears! Maybe if they would have seated us way in the back, that would have been a little better, but we couldn't hear each other talk without yelling, I thought jazz was supposed to be soft & sexy. Sorry.

Amazing family owned restaurant that's been serving this block in downtown for over 20 years. The place is sophisticated, elegant and is a gem in Riverside. The food was incredible from start to finish, the service was attentive, friendly and very hospitable. The owner chef came out and we talked about the history of the place and what it was and how it became what it was today. He's an incredible asset to what makes this place so amazing. Katie also did an outstanding job, probably some of the best customer service I've seen in the restaurant industry. She deserves a promotion! If you haven't tried this place and you are looking for a good date night spot, this is the place to check out. The Calamari was cooked to perfection and came with this nice lemon butter sauce that complimented it well. The Leon Salad was earthy from the flavor of the beats, accompanied by the creamy tanginess of the goat cheese with a nice balsamic vinegrette was a perfect balance of flavors. The wood fired pizza and the mushroom risotto were outstanding. I would absolutely recommend this spot.

The pizza was ok. The steak was great and my wife didn't like the salmon because it was sweet but I did. It was different but perfectly cooked and the sides were great.

We decided to get a reservation for this restaurant last-minute, and I'm glad we did. It was very packed, but we were sat right at our reservation time. We tried several items on the menu, but the lobster bisque, which was a special, was a standout. Overall, the entire experience was great -- from the food, to the service, and the ambiance -- all wonderful.

I’ve lived in Riverside for years, but this was my first time visiting. The drinks were great! The service was great, and our waiter, Greg, was fantastic! My husband ordered the Bucatini Amatriciana, and it was amazing. I had the Spaghetti Bolognese, but unfortunately, it was very dry. I asked for extra sauce, and they charged me $8, which was disappointing. I’ll definitely give them another try, but I’ll order something different next time.