italian garden

amazing a+. try the chicken aristocrat.

stay clear of this place.. i will start this off by saying, in my opinion this was a horrible experience! when i go to a non-chain restaurant (especially an italian restaurant) i expect them to make their own pasta (any self respecting italian would agree.) i asked the waitress if they make their own pasta, she said no. to be fair the food is mediocre at best what really ruined it for my family was the poor service and the absolutely awful treatment from the incredibly rude owner.

here is a break down of what happened, food took about an hour to get our food and the order was not complex, salad with chicken breast, cheese steak sandwich, one slice of pizza and tortellini alfredo. the issue was non of the food came out at the same time (im not talking about just a few minutes im talking quite a while, they totally forgot my sons pizza and when i asked the waitress said "oh i forgot to put that up" (maybe that's because she was talking at another table for about 15 minutes catching up with friends as it seemed.

my son never got his dinner, i just asked for the check so we could leave. when we got the check we saw we were charged for ranch dressing...yes i had to laugh (i have never been charged for a dressing, no decent restaurant charges for dressings...first sign of a poorly performing restaurant)

as we were getting ready to leave the manager came over and said "i hear your causing a scene" (great customer service). i said "actually no, i am just surprised at the poor service (food taking an extraordinarily long time to come out) food not coming out at the same time and the waitress forgot to put in the order for my son" the "owner" was unapologetic even indifferent.

trust me, save you time, money and your sanity and go to taco bell right next door....i will make sure to let everyone i know plus post it on my facebook and ask people to share to make sure people stay clear of this disaster of a "restaurant".

more solid italian.... gave this place a try on a rainy saturday night because of the strong reviews on this site.

pro's: flavorful rolls, portion size, paintings on walls, house dressing.

con's: bizarre service...

the ambiance was nice, better than your average small italian place. what stood out was that some of the walls actually had murals painted on them, vs. just having pictures up. nice touch. it was not that busy when we walked in, plenty of open tables.

the free rolls were very tasty, again better than your typical place. the salad was your standard fair but their house dressing really made it stand apart from the rest. the chicken parm was huge, the breaded meat took up over half the plate! as far as the food goes i had zero issues, probably the top three italian places i have been to based on that alone.

the service was friendly...but wow are they just that overstaffed all the time? there had to have been about eight employees, all around high school age, just sitting around. some were wrapping silverware in napkins, most were just talking. our waitress, while nice, would come to see how we were doing then just sit back down and talk to her friends/co-workers? we waited about 10 minutes for our salads, and when she asked if we wanted more rolls i hinted to the fact that we would just wait for our salads. it was almost as if we reminded her of that, because then she brought that out immediately afterwards. was their manager not around?

i would definitely go back for the food, though i do wish the overall service was better. a "like" from me and could have been a "favorite" with better service.

great food and feels like home. my favorite dish is the chicken murphy. tooooo good!

i love ig!. i waited tables at both the san marcos & canyon lake italian garden locations during college & ate everything on the menu (except the veal). the food is amazing & although i ate there all the time, i still love it & crave it regularly. my favorite dish is the chicken piccata & the homemade house dressing (tomato basil) is better than any salad dressing i've ever tasted. they should really bottle the stuff & sell it online or in grocery stores. the greek salad with this dressing is heaven for any feta cheese lover. other favorites of mine include the chicken carcioffi, chicken parmesan & some awesome off menu specials they create. in addition to having the tastiest italian food in san marcos, the family that owns the restaurants are truly awesome people & to work for them is like becoming part of the family. i haven't been employed at ig for over 5 years, but i have very fond memories of the place & can't wait to eat some take-out from there tonight! :)

italian garden , mckinney texas. this was my first time eating at this restaurant we had found it from the food finder app. on my apple phone.
all we have to say is excellent food. their was 6 of us in our party and each of us ordered something different. i had the combo seafood with lemon garlic sauce. awsome taste and texture. this is very authenic and family owned. we will be back very soon.
sincerely,
tammy lewis

meh. i liked everything about the place... except the food. the sauce on my marsala was not marsala sauce and it was nearly flavorless, along with the chicken it was served with. the special my partner had was decent but it almost tasted like the sun-dried tomato alfredo sauce you can get in a jar at heb, not worth the extra money. i can cook italian and this wasn't as good as my own amateur cooking on a bad day.

the atmosphere and service were great but we were not impressed by the food. i had the pasta primivera, the pasta was over cooked, sauce was thin and flavor lacking! overall the food was not authentic. i wouldn't recommend.

when i first went here it was my fav! it really has gone down hill. the service always sucks and the food is way over priced! when my father came into town to visit my he had to go the the hostess to get a refill on water and the last time i went i ordered the meatballs and asked if they were made in house, i was excited until i got my plate. for 10 bucks i paid for three of the tiniest unflavorable meatballs i have ever had in my life and a pile of spagetti, i have had better frozen itailian dinners

this might just be my new favorite local restaurant.... my husband and i went here about 6 weeks ago with a friend and it was wonderful- the service and all 3 dishes. so, we were a little anxious taking another couple with us this evening because, well, what are the chances of duplicating such a lovely meal? not to worry- italian garden did not disappoint. the food was fantastic- all 4 dishes the service was friendly and spot-on.you can bring your own wine without a corking fee, and the prices are surprisingly reasonable. i ordered the chicken cremora. it was truly decadent, and only $8.95. the atmospere is quaint and cozy. this local gem is so much better than the chain italian restaurants out there. we will be back.

tasty italian food.. came here with one of my friend, i love their pasta, i'm not sure what it call, cesar salad was delicious, and the service was ok. i will be back.

huge portions at a very reasonable price. great garlic knots and dipping oil. everything i've gotten here has been great. ask for the pink cream sauce on pasta dishes...it's delicious!

this restaurant is unbelievable. food was outstanding. service too. when you go, you have to try the caprese salad. best i have ever had. and the mozzarella is made by hand. if you can believe. owner was gracious, courteous and knows his business!

benny rocks!!. this is a great italian "family" restaurant. you just have to go and experience the excellent food and the warm family that owns it. a good point is that we can bring our own wine.

this place is amazing! not anything like the same old same old "italian" chain restaurants. loved everything about it and will make this our new favorite place for dinner!