East Side Mario's Pickering

The Italian dining experience here isn't the highest quality—it's quite basic—but it definitely beats cooking at home. They've changed the salad service; instead of a shared bowl, they now serve individual portions, which means the dressing isn't mixed in quite the same way as before.

As we walked in, we were greeted by an unpleasant odor. The tables were sticky, and condensation from the overhead pipes was dripping down onto them. We immediately noticed this when we were seated and decided to switch tables. Unfortunately, the new table was also sticky, as if they had used the same cloth to wipe it down without washing it. The service was slow, even though we arrived early for lunch. We found ourselves repeatedly leaning out in hopes that a staff member would notice we were waiting. The chicken parmigiana had a tough, chewy crust, almost as if it had been refried a few times. On a positive note, the pesto pizza and mozzarella sticks were enjoyable. Overall, we won't be returning.

On a positive note, the staff were very friendly and efficient, and our order was taken quickly. Our food and drinks came out promptly, but sadly, the quality of the food did not meet our expectations based on previous visits. My veal parmesan was overcooked, freezer-burned, and deep-fried. The penne was not cooked al dente; it was gritty rather than crunchy. The tomato sauce was overly seasoned with basil, overpowering the flavor of the tomatoes. Although the other dishes were acceptable, they were not particularly memorable. The garden salad was a disappointment as well; it was too wet because the lettuce hadn't been spun dry, leaving it a soggy mess. If it weren't for the attentive wait staff, I would have given East Side Mario's just one star.

Everything was really good! We had fettuccine Alfredo with chicken ! Delicious! As usual the salad and bread so fresh, highly recommend!

I went here for my birthday with my family and the experience was amazing! Got seated in a timely manner, the server was new but she did an amazing job being kind and always checking up on us, and the food was delicious and arrived in good time.