Mainelli's Italian Restaurant of Providence RI

02/18/12

Never a Bad Meal

by Dr Barbara at Citysearch

I have visited Mainelli's Restaurant since I was little, which makes that at least 50 years. I have never had a bad meal there. I usually order the pasta, meatball, eggplant, and peppers combo, but I have also had other dishes there. The one I listed is my favorite. I love their meatballs, and their eggplant is delicious. The new chef cuts the eggplant a little too thick for my taste, but it is still yummy.

Do not listen to the maysayers and negative reviews. I do not know what these people were looking for, but this is a neighborhood restaurant where "everybody knows your name" as they say. It has been good food for 50 years so far and hopefully it will continue to be good.

PS -- Restaurant Impossible exaggerated a lot of the "problems" with Gerry's restaurant. They added characters to their story and added problems with good containment that did not exist. What they DID do is streamline the menu and redesign the interior of the restaurant. The food has always been up to high standards and the kitchen has always been clean and up to Dept of Health standards. Don't believe everything you see, especially on reality TV!

02/08/12

Not good

by Kateb at Citysearch

I am watching "Restaurant Impossible" and they are featuring Mainelli's. I visited a month or two ago for the first time (and only time) using a coupon from restaurant on-line site. I've lived in Providence for several years but had never heard of Mainelli's before. There was only one waitress working so we needed to wait for things although it was not too busy. I could hear people in other booths talking about their coupons also so it seems like this was why we were all there.

In addition to waiting for everything, the food was really bad. I was hoping to try the homemade gnocchi but they were "sold out" by 5:30pm? The pizza for an appetizer was the only descent thing we ate but very over priced and not worth it. As I'm watching the show now, I can see why they needed help but looks like they didn't listen or stick with the new plan for long. They do not use the new menu (like someone else also wrote) and appears they went back to a 90+ item menu (of not good food). Also while I was eating, the owner (I didn't know he was the owner at the time but now I do after seeing him on tv) came out to clean a table next to us using a cleaning solution smelling like bleach (smelled worse). He was also sloppily dressed and then returned to the kitchen with the cleaning solution...which made me very concerned about tge kitchen...and the smell made me lose my appetite so dinner was over at that point and I did not feel the need to take home leftovers. Of course we needed to wait again for the check. I never write a review but feel strongly about this place especially after seeing the show. I'm wondering if all of the positive reviews on here are from family members owning this restaurant because it was so bad.

02/07/12

Memories

by Tami1720 at Citysearch

Growing up in that neighborhood the local kids would always order french fries (which were served salted in a paper bag) and a coke via Mainelli's side door. I had no idea they still existed until I saw them on Restaurant Impossible....great memories!!!!

11/06/11

something rotten...

by i loves food at Citysearch

After seeing the recent makeover of this restaurant on "Restaurant: Impossible", I expected only good things. I was surprised and disappointed. The main course items I ordered (from the old menu, they were no longer using the new menu from the makeover) tasted not just mediocre, but awful; the red sauce was overly acidic, bitter, almost rancid...my friend said it tasted like strained canned tomatoes, nothing more. His wife had the caprese salad...it was tasteless, served with light orange tomato slices, and NO BASIL.

The side of pasta with vodka sauce was even worse, the "sauce" was nothing more than a watery white liquid that tasted like indistinct salted broth.

I can say with all honesty that this was the worst food I can remember ever having eaten at a restaurant. How anyone can make pasta and sauce taste so bad is hard to imagine, especially considering it's an Italian restaurant in Providence. Robert Irvine, back to the drawing board for these guys.

02/10/11

Awesome Italian Food in Providence RI

by wallstmarket at Citysearch

We went last Saturday and man, the spaghetti and meatballs was incredible. I tried my wife's veal and it was excellent. We shared an antipasto and took most of it home....it was great.

If you are looking for superb Italian Food in Providence RI, look no further......