Pricing is reasonable($ 14 basic pasta, $ 19 steaks, $ 26 specialties) and pasta portions are huge. Décor is clean and cared for but super dated, I’m talking«Italian friend’s grandma’s house in the early 90s» dated. Service is surprisingly good, right balance of attentiveness without being intrusive. Food is solid home-style Italian, sauces tend toward salty but it’s decent fare. Spinach caesar salad was pleasant and not overdressed, a nice surprise since dousing seems to be standard at most other places. Steak was just okay quality but this was medium rare was cooked EXACTLY right — whoever was in the back knows their way around a slab of cow, pity they didn’t have better product to work with. Good option for food with hungry friends, decent enough spot for good pasta at good value with good service, but the feel of this place and the lower quality of ingredients make it too gauche for dates.
Linda M.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Burnaby, Canada
This was our second visit to Da Mario. It’s casual and friendly with outstanding food and reasonable prices. We started by splitting a Insalata Caprese which was a colorful summer salad which was delicious. Next I had the ravioli with meat sauce which I had the first time too… it was that good. It is the best ravioli I have had for years. My husband had the Rigatoni Calabrese and raved about it. We finished by splitting a Gelato Fritto which was vanilla ice cream rolled in chopped almonds quickly fried and topped with chocolate sauce. OMG. this is now our favorite restaurant and we will share this gem with friends and family.
C. H.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Burnaby, Canada
We stopped by here on a Friday night only to find the restaurant very quiet. There were two other tables eating away. We ordered calamari, gnocchi and linguine pescatore. The calamari tasted it was fresh from frozen. It tasted like packaged calamari. The dish was a miss. On the other hand, the pasta was tasty! It is not the same quality as high end restaurants but solid home style cooking. The gnocchi was homemade and tender! I noticed there was no fork marking on the gnocchi. I miss that extra detail but I find that many restaurants leave out the fork markings these days. The meat sauce was a tad on the runny side. The linguine dish was flavourful. The seafood wasn’t the freshest and the shrimp was overcooked. However, I still really enjoyed the dish especially the white sauce. The service was attentive. Staff cleared plates and refilled water regularly. I used an entertainment book coupon so the meal was a very good value. I recommend the pasta over the calamari. It was too bad I did not have room for dessert. I would be curious to find out of those are made in house.
Sherman T.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Richmond, Canada
Service was good. Polite and was around when you needed him. We first ordered the tortellini soup. The broth was more salty than anything else, the tortellini was nothing to be excited about and there was only a tiny amount of meat inside. My wife and I shared the gnocchi and breaded veal. The gnocchi had a good portion to it and flavourful. The veal on the other hand was quite unappealing. The gravy was too salty. The roasted potatoes were the only thing good on the plate. Would I go back? Food was definitely not worth the price they are charging which was a bit pricey. So I would say NO.
Edwin Y.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Vancouver, Canada
This restaurant came highly recommended. In summary I describe it as: looks are deceiving. We ordered the ham & prosciutto, shrimp in white wine sauce, spaghetti and bouillabaisse. We found the food tasty, although a touch salty. We enjoyed the bread and oil starter, although the bread was a bit stale. The shrimp and the bouillabaisse tasted excellent, although they did use lower quality seafood, i.e. the shrimp was tiny and the crab in the soup was a smaller specimen. The spaghetti was exceptional, perfectly done, could not ask for better. The melon and prosciutto was very good as well. In terms of ambiance, it has a cozy italian vibe. The décor is old and dated, but charming in its own way. The waiters were pleasant, and reasonably chatty and lent to the atmosphere. Service was quick, I was surprised. I would return, but would caveat on the seafood offerings.
Angela J.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Burnaby, Canada
I’ve driven past this place countless times and am now sad for all the missed opportunities. The prawn appetizer was tender and flavorful, the bread with oil and vinegar was light and still makes my mouth water. The Zuppa came in a spectacular bowl and was so good we ordered more bread to eat all the sauce. I ordered the Paglia e Fieno; it was good but would have been better with more mushrooms. Dessert was a chocolate Gelato Fritto which I haven’t eaten until now. Sweet balanced out by the toasted almonds. Nice atmosphere and an entertaining host. We will definitely be back.
Coey B.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Pitt Meadows, Canada
Mouse in the dining room! Just started eating and a mouse ran across the dining room. When I told the waiter I was afraid of mice and we had to leave, had the nerve to make a joke and then charge us in full for the meal! Never returning!
Arthur W.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Henderson, NV
Wanted to take our daughter who goes to Simon Fraser University(just up the hill) for an Italian dinner. The prices looked very reasonable so we decided to try it on a Saturday night around 6:30pm — initially, not very promising only a few other couples and one party. However, service was prompt and friendly. We were concerned about slow service(as can be typical of smaller restaurants), but we were pleased with the pace of service. The pasta portions are huge and very reasonably priced. I had the equivalent of veal paramigiana(cotoletta) — good sized portion — veal was a touch thinner than I’m used to but good quality. The place absolutely filled up around 7:30pm however — kept the two servers hopping that’s for sure. It’s located on Hastings Street away from a lot of other restaurants(and I mean a lot of competition over a 20 block stretch of Hastings) but we would come back anytime for home cooked Italian dinners at reasonable prices.
Kaleim N.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Burnaby, Canada
Did a takeout order here last night and I was very impressed. These guys have great Italian cooking and their takeout portions are huge, unlike that other Italian place on Hastings that rips you off on takeout(ahem, Anton’s). Furthermore, Da Mario was able to have my order ready in 20 minutes(I ordered 2 dishes and a side, just for reference) whereas other places will take 30 – 40. Their calamari was great and I would definitely order again in the future.
Edward L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Vancouver, Canada
There is something special when it comes to quaint Italian restaurants. This little gem is tucked away on a stretch of Hastings where won’t even notice it when driving by. Parking is available in the back(nice large lot), as well as on the side streets. Staff were very friendly — it’s such excellent service that makes you feel like a special guest. Special mention to our waiter. The value here is exellent — $ 13 for a large plate or pasta. Half our group couldn’t finish their meals. It’s not as large as Anton’s, but the quality here is WAY higher. The tortellini I had was delicious, and the cream sauce was not too fatty. I also tried the veal ravioli, and it was quite delicious as well. I will definitely be back. Recommended.
J A.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Vancouver, Canada
I came here for a late birthday dinner with my boyfriend and it was exactly what we were in the mood for. Cute, cozy and traditional with friendly staff. We got bread and oil when we arrived, which was delicious and our pastas came out nice and hot. Obviously fresh out of the pan. It was pretty far away from where we live but we will definitely be going back again. :)
Nelson C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Burnaby, Canada
Don’t let the exterior fool you. This is one classic Italian restaurant which happens to be a very romantic place to take someone. The way they set up table wear to the way they serve the dishes, it’s very romantic. This place reminds me of the scene in the Lady and the Tramp where they share spaghetti. And talk about the spaghetti! It’s really good! Our waiter recommended something very good for us as my friend could not eat pork or seafood. Plain jane spaghettti this is not! It was some kind of magical spaghetti and meat sauce, but it was really good! To be honest, I don’t even know what I ordered that night as the waiter did the ordering for us and whatever he ordered it was good! The ambience was wonderful, the lighting was right and the music was classic Italian music. This is one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in a long time. And the price wasn’t too bad either! I would certainly recommend you try this place out. Espcially if it’s date night.
Eric G.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Burnaby, Canada
Good, cute little Italian restaurant in an up and coming area in North Burnaby. They create a nice, cozy atmosphere and while the food isn’t anything out-of-this-world, it certainly was above average and reasonably priced.
Darlene A.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Maple Ridge, Canada
It was a good dinner, I had gnocchi and it was very tender, wasn’t huge fan of the tomato sauce. My husband had veal with linguine and meat sauce and he was very pleased with everything. Little bit pricey for what we got in my opinion. We would go back because he really liked it.