Macaroni Grill is a Great Place to Bring Kids

I, Conejo Joe, truly believe that Romano's Macaroni Grill is an outstanding place to bring the kids for a nice dinner out on the town!  Why? 

First and foremost, the food is consistently very good there.  I've been dining at Macaroni Grill for years and have never had a problem with their food.  Solid, tasty, Italian food with a large selection of chicken, meat and fish dishes along with the great pastas, pizzas and other fare.  I really enjoy the Mozzarella alla Caprese salad of soft, delicious imported buffalo mozzarella, vine-ripened tomatoes and quite a tasty, savory/sweet balsamic vinaigrette.  Always have enjoyed their grilled salmon and brick oven pizzas.

Second, they have a great KIDS' MENU at very very reasonable prices, especially given the solid quantities.  For only $5.29 (as of today), kids can choose from Mac and Cheese, chicken strips, pizza, spaghetti, grilled chicken, fettucine alfredo (don't ever order this dish anywhere though...just looking at this dish will clog your arteries) and cheese ravioli.  Along with the entree the kids get a drink AND vanilla ice cream.  This is a bargain!  The kids enjoyed their "Chicken Fingerias" tonight as did I.  Some places make them way too oily.  These were light, tasty, crunchy, yet actually tasted like chicken and were moist inside.  The Mac and Cheese was quite yummy too, though they didn't eat much of it because it was in shell format rather than the "traditional" Kraft tubular shape.

Third, I love the fact that the tabletops are covered with paper.  This blank slate will occupy the kids for at least the first 20 minutes of your visit.  And for those with young, energetic kids, you can relate to how important it is to keep the kids diverted.  But frankly I think I drew much better pictures than my 5 year old tonight, if I say so myself.

Fourth, we love the bread at Macaroni Grill!  A few simple carbs won't hurt anyone.  And the olive oil dipping plate is a nice touch.

And lastly, we like the overall look and feel of Macaroni Grill.  The sound of the kitchen close by.  The large tables and chairs.  The cozy lighting.  After all these years, MG has only 220 restaurants.  They haven't overdone themselves like so many other chains.  It just doesn't feel like a chain restaurant in there to me, which is a very good thing!  Nice place for company lunches, dates and family meals alike.

We visit the Macaroni Grill at the Westlake Promenade at 4000 Thousand Oaks Blvd (805.370.1133).  Other nearby locations are at 2920 Tapo Canyon Road, Simi Valley (805.306.1303) and 4880 Telephone Road, Ventura (805.477.9925).  Visit www.macaronigrill.com for more information and menus.