Mario's Restaurant and Pizzeria

"Large servings, delicious pizza. Food served hot and timely. Would prefer more salad dressing. Price is a bit high but everything is expensive nowadays. Ate early dinner on a Wednesday night and it's already jam-packed. Service crew all friendly, accommodating and nice. Waited a little bit to be seated. Place a bit small but cozy. Can be loud but I don't mind and I'm used to noise. Didn't bother me. Family friendly local restaurant. There's a small bar right where you enter. Appreciate the layout where there's separation from the dining area. Bathroom is big and clean.Overall thumbs-up. Will definitely recommend."

"I have eaten dinner at this restaurant many times over the years. It is a very popular place for traditional Italian fare and the only restaurant in this part of town. Service is prompt and attentive. The decor has a vintage-industrial vibe, with big photos relating to Schenectady's historic industrial past. The high ceiling is metal, which can sometimes amplify noise from the dining room. I would go here on a casual date, or with friends and family, but there are probably better options for a quiet, romantic dinner for two. The food. The pasta and pizza are stalwarts done well. I have noticed that families often get pizza for the kids while the adults enjoy the pasta entrees. I have enjoyed the spinach balsamic chicken salad as a light main on many occasions. It's a large salad with plenty of pieces of nicely-cooked chicken breast. The Haddock Mediterranean and the Chicken Milanese were disappointing. The fish and the chicken are both breaded, then sauteed. The breading is meant to keep the fish and moist during cooking, and to provide a crispy texture for each bite. But in both cases my plate was swimming in a watery lemon-butter sauce. The breading was a mush. For me, this drenching ruined my enjoyment. I do not understand why the kitchen would drown these two dishes like this. Doing so ruins the whole point of the breading. Do they do it to try and disguise overcooking? Or is this just "the way it's done here?" These items have been on the menu for years, so diners must like them. I stick to the parms, the Marsala, and the pastas, which are all very tasty and generously portioned."

"My usual pizza joint was so busy this Halloween that I decided to order from Mario's instead. I usually love their Sicilian pizza, so I ordered that along with a large round cheese pie and a small side salad. They came to $50 but everything's expensive now, so whatever. I don't know what has changed since the last time I ordered from here, but I've had better frozen pizzas. For the money, I thought I would at least enjoy my dinner, but the Sicilian was thin and hard and I'm pretty sure the dough was previously frozen. Very disappointed and I will stick with my usual place in the future even though this one is much closer."

"We recently had a very enjoyable dining experience at Mario’s. Our pizza night began with ample pours of wine and beer, followed with fresh, crisp salads; arugula and a wedge. The sweetness of the arugula’s pears was balanced with spicy cherry peppers. The wedge was topped with hot, crisp bacon. Both were very satisfying. Our pizzas, Anna Margherita and sausage mushroom, were baked to perfection. They had a nice crunch on the dough and savory toppings. Our go with the moment tartufo was served quartered and ended our evening on a memorable note. We will return."

"First timer for lunch. Large parking lot. CLEAN inside and out. Really nice looking interior. Sat at the bar. Super friendly staff in a real sense, it was clear she was either an academy award winning actress or a sincere person. The personal pizza was simply amazing. I added pepperoni and it was fresh and delicious unlike some other local places. The crust was crispy and chewy and the cheese was terrific. The sauce was perfect. A truly great pizza. I've only ever had their two day old sicilian pie and that was the best sicilian pizza I've had in many years. I never knew about this place and was told it's been here for twenty years! They lack a sign for folks driving by to see and I missed the place at first. Clearly they spend their money on the quality inside and don't waste it on advertisments. The dinner menu looks GREAT so I will be back to try it. You should too."