Mario's Italian Ristorante

Was invited here for dinner before a show and never heard of it before. There’s so many Italian restaurants in Charleston, it can be hard to keep up. The restaurant is small, with an aisle of narrow seating and had character to it. The way it was laid out reminded me of some places in Italy. We were a group of 6 and our server was patient and attentive but she didn’t seem to know a lot about the drink menu when we asked her some questions. I found their cocktail menu to be standard and a bit boring in my opinion so I went for a glass of wine instead. For food she suggested fettuccine Alfredo because it was popular but didn’t really give us any personal recommendations. They brought us out some rolls and olive oil to share, they were warm and crispy. My friend and I shared the Linguine Frut

Mario’s is such a cozy spot right on King Street, with great customer service and an attentive staff that made the experience even better. We had the Tagliatelle Alfredo and Rigatoni alla Vodka and both were delicious. Comforting, rich, and exactly what you want from Italian food. The bread service deserves a mention too. Warm, crusty on the outside, chewy on the inside and perfect with olive oil and balsamic. It’s the nice cozy place to sit back, enjoy a great meal and still feel the energy of the hustle and bustle outside. Definitely a go-to spot for dining on King Street. We made reservations and had no wait, which was the way to go.

This was our first visit but will not be our last. The music was perfect level and love the Italian flavor. Great choices on the menu and the food was grand! We had drinks and wine. The quantity was good for a wine and alcoholic beverage. Prices are right for quality, location and size of the restaurant. I’ll be back!

Mario's is in a great location and the interior is very comfortable and well done. Also the service was good and the staff friendly The food however, not so much. I ordered a chicken Parm entree and the chicken was too thick, bland and overcooked. The sauce was nonexistent with two pats of Mozzarella. The pasta side was undercooked and the sauce was very thin and runny. It was incredibly disappointing and obviously if I'm back in the area, I won't be back.

Phenomenal all around! Food was outstanding and the staff, 10 out of 10! Everything from our appetizer to entrees was cooked to perfection with amazing flavor. I wish we weren’t visiting while on vacation or we would definitely frequent this location!