Good food, great ambience and great servers. The calamaris were a little salty. But otherwise all the other food were good. read more

Macaluso's Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Ruston, Washington

Macaluso's is our "Go To" Italian restaurant when visiting Tacoma. We think the food is fabulous! The Brussel Sprouts and Focaccia Bread is a great place to start. The Gorgonzola, Balsamic and Pancetta on the Brussel Sprouts will not disappoint! For the main courses, the Alfredo Macaluso is always so delicious! The Linguine con Gamberi is exquisite and light. The chicken parmigiana is meaty moist and tender. The chocolate cake is amazing!!! Save room for dessert! The spumoni is delicious and hits the spot at the end of a perfect meal. The service is wonderful and we feel so welcomed in this nice quaint small Italian restaurant. The ambiance is nice - on the darker side. Call for a reservation! read more

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This was our first time trying this Italian restaurant. We went there for a family dinner at Macaluso. First, we made a reservation for dinner. We parked across the street. The waitress explained each dish very well and recommended exactly what I wanted to try. The seafood pasta was fresh and flavorful, and the noodles were cooked perfectly. My husband's Marsala was delicious. The kids' meatballs had great flavor. It's a busy restaurant, so a little waiting is required, but you can take your time and enjoy the food. Overall, it was a good experience. This little cozy restaurant made us feel like we were dining at home. We will definitely come back. read more

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Arrived 5 minutes early to our reservation on NYE, was told our table wasn't ready and we were asked to wait at another establishment (bar) around the corner and that they would call us when the table was ready. THEY NEVER CALLED! What kind of establishment does this???? 40 mins goes by, then 60 mins and I'm pretty upset. We were not only celebrating NYE but our anniversary. At this point, why would we eat at a restaurant that can't be bothered to remember their guests are waiting. We moved around the corner late November and were excited to eat here, looking at the menu all week...disappointed is an understatement! read more

10 out of 10! best experience...hands down. Got to meet the owner upon entry and i believe her son...CUTE...lol. And they were able to bump my reservation up an hour early. Thank you, Macaluso's. Best Birthday dinner! read more

Macaluso's Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Ruston, Washington

Quaint little (stressing little) restaurant in a charming area. The tables do not turnover quickly as this is a date night, meet up with friends type of vibe and people want to savor the moments as long as they do the food. Food was good, company and atmosphere made it excellent. A lot of made in house food n drink; cheese, lemoncello, etc. nothing memorable about the food but the atmosphere and again la familia made it 5 stars plus. read more

Macaluso's Italian Restaurant - Prawns and pasta in white sauce - Italian Near Me - Ruston, Washington

This place came highly recommended for a guy I randomly meet in the street of Philadelphia waiting for a pizza order. We got to chatting I said I was moving to Washington and he said he lived in Tacoma and totally sold the town to me plus gave lots of recommendations including this place. All his recommendations had been great including Macaluso which he raved a lot the most. We made reservation which the place was packed so highly recommend you make reservations, we were a kind of early but they were able to seat us due to a no show so that worked out. It was dark but not so dark you couldn't read your menu. Service was great, food was excellent. read more

Such an amazing little gem we found! It is a wonderful place for a date night. They do not have a kids menu, so if you have a picky young eater, this is not the place for them. Everything was absolutely delicious and the service was amazing! They even gave us a tiny taste of the gelato as we were too full for full size dessert. My only hang up is that the chicken piccata was a tad too salty for me. I love salt in my food but even for me it was a bit too much. Hoping that was just an off night for them and the piccata. We will be coming back sans child! read more

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This was our 3rd time dinning at Macaluso's. And unfortunately, the last. We made reservations for 5:30 on Saturday night. The restaurant was busy. A couple had walked in right before us without a reservation. We waited patiently for a table for over 20 minutes while the hostess was trying to seat the people without the reservation. Might as well not make a reservation if its first come first serve. We finally get seated. We look over the wine list and notice our favorite winery Long Shadow had several bottles on the menu. Feather, our favorite, was listed with the outrageous price of $170! Total wine and more has it for $75. Just buy a bottle and pay the corkage fee. We both order a glass of CSM Merlot for $15 a glass. The whole bottle costs $15 at Total wine. The mark up here for wine is astronomical. We decided on dinner with the "Beaulognese" and the Chicken Parmigiana and some focaccia bread. The focaccia came first. The edges were extremely dry and you definitely needed the oil and balsamic to help soften it up and add moisture. The center pieces were fine. When our food arrived, we were slightly confused. The "Beaulognese" was not a "sauce of ground beef, tomato, onion and herbs" as defined by google and anyone who has had bolognese. Instead, it was reminiscent of hamburger helper. Pasta and ground beef on it without noticeable sauce. Their menu stated" the classic house made meat sauce". Picture attached. The Chicken Parmigiana was also lacking in sauce. It had such a small amount on it that the cheese covered it. The chicken seemed to be covered in bread crumbs or panko and fried. It didn't taste bad; it just lacked marinara sauce. I really thought they just forgot to put it on. Our waitress was nice when she came to the table. I think we saw her 4 times. Once just after we sat down, Then for our order. She then delivered the check and returned for signature. We expressed our disappointment to her about our experience. The waitress did offer to get the manager, but we weren't trying to get a credit on our check, we just wanted her to know we were not pleased with the experience. Needless to say, we will not be going back. When I read the reviews for this restaurant, I am completely surprised. The quality of the food is completely overpriced. Its almost like an expensive Olive Garden, just without the sauce. If you want good Italian food in the South Sound try Marzano's in Parkland... much more reasonable priced and 10 times better food. read more

Macaluso's Italian Restaurant - "Beaulognese" - Italian Near Me - Ruston, Washington

This was our second time here. Our first time we ate on the rail in the bar and had delicious food and libations. The servers were wonderful and we met the owner, and she was delightful. This time we had wonderful service, thank you Anna! The Malfade 'beau'lognese was delicious. I had been craving really good Italian seafood and was so disappointed. The Pescatore was gritty and served luke warm and smelled fishy. They remade the dish and the scallops were not fresh and sweet, and were past their freshness and foul. We were greeted by the other owner and was offered a free dessert. That's nice. Still craving delicious Italian seafood we went to Toscano's the following evening and ate alfresco and yes, the mountain was out. read more

Macaluso's Italian Restaurant - Linguine Pescatore - Italian Near Me - Ruston, Washington

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Dining at Macaluso's was an experience--but dining with Chase as our waiter? That was a cinematic masterpiece. From the moment we were seated, Chase approached the table with the poise of a man who's about to offer you either fresh cracked pepper or a million-dollar business deal. He's kind, he's knowledgeable, and honestly? I would trust him to negotiate peace talks between rival pasta factions. Every wine pairing? Perfect. Every menu question? Answered with the calm confidence of someone who probably moonlights as a sommelier-spy. Charm? Off the charts. My family smiled more at Chase than at me, and I can't even be mad about it--he deserves it (Even if we were there to celebrate MY birthday). Bottom line: If you're lucky enough to get Chase as your server, buckle up. You're not just having dinner. You're having a Chase Experience™. And it pairs excellently with the gelato. read more

Macaluso's Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Ruston, Washington

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Taylor and Kea made the night! It was my sisters birthday, and they made it special! From suggesting two amazing wines, to talking me into such a wonderful steak dinner! This was our second time there and we are certainly coming back. We had a party of 5 this time, and a party of 7 the first, and to have everyone's meal to be wonderful, with not a single dud...is well...unusual. I don't mind spending money for a great meal, but so many times you go someplace, and spend a bunch, and just say meh...not here...couldn't recommend it more! Thank you all, Taylor, Kea, and such a wonderful kitchen staff! You made our night! read more

We decided to try the place because we drive passes it every weekend. It's only opened for dinner and I would make reservations since the place is small. The food is a good portion for the price. The bread is delicious. The appetizers are good and we ordered the seafood fettuccine, prosciutto pizza, and Alfredo Macaluso. Everything is good. read more

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Food was terrific and atmosphere was super cozy! Expensive but good food! Loved the arriabiatta and chicken Parmesan.

Very overpriced and food is average not great not bad rushed service would not return

Tight seating . This was our first visit . The bread and calamari were better than the main course. Service was great. The portion of the main course was great , but pretty average taste . The seafood meal was the best out of our order . My chicken meal was over cooked , the sauce lacked flavor . read more

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The aglio was pretty good but could get tiresome due to the oil but that may be just a preference thing The gnocchi was really good I really liked how tender the chicken was that I put as an add on. Service was really prompt and checked in a good amount of times to see whether we have enough water The ambiance was nice as well the smallness of the room allowed conversations to lull into like a dull crowd. And the jazz music overhead made it sound really good read more

Macaluso's Italian Restaurant - Gnocchi and AGLIO OL"GIO" - Italian Near Me - Ruston, Washington

The first time we went was wonderful--a little pricey but the server, ambiance, and food made it worthwhile. The second time, their soda machine was broken--no soda or Italian soda of any kind, which our teens were specifically looking forward to having again. My older teen ordered chicken alfredo without mushroom or onion and it was loaded with onion. The waitress said she didn't hear him, which was strange because she specifically asked if mushroom and onion were okay and he said no, I don't want either. We probably should've asked to have it remade or comped, but he didn't want to make a big deal about it--he just picked at it. My kids were the ones who asked to come here for our celebration and I doubt they're going to want to come back. We did enjoy the focaccia and wine, and it was worth splurging on the chocolate cake. read more

Their seafood was so fresh and i was surprised by their portion size. The service and the vibe was great. Their house foccacia bread is honestly a bit salty for my personal taste but it is fresh and delicious. From drink to apps to pasta- i would absolutely come back. For dinner, esp on weekend, you'll definitely need a reservation! read more

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Absolutely the best service I have ever received. The food was so delicious. The starters or appetizers were pretty large sized as we were a party of 3 and had plenty to go around. We all got full of the appetizers. The main course meal was absolutely the best Italian I've had. Don't forget to order a cocktail! Also- the restaurant is kid friendly and has a changing table which is amazing. read more

Called for a reservation the same day for my 20th wedding anniversary--around 1 p.m. for a 5 p.m. dinner--and they were able to accommodate us! We were seated right away in a cozy, private corner spot. The service was amazing--Anna was our server and she was absolutely fantastic. We started with a bottle of Sangiovese and the prosciutto arugula burrata appetizer. My wife had the Bolognese pasta, and we shared a half order of the squash gnocchi. I had the penne sausage and pancetta pasta--everything was outstanding. We enjoyed a second bottle of the same wine, and to our surprise, the staff brought us complimentary glasses of Prosecco for a toast to our 20 years of marriage. That thoughtful touch really made the night special. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough--for the food quality, service, ambiance, and overall flavor. As an Italian, it truly hits all the notes of a traditional family-style Italian restaurant, with the comforting flavors of your Nonna's kitchen and the kind of service that's rare to find these days. I deeply regret not coming here sooner--they've been open since 2018, and had I known about the quality of their food and hospitality, I would have been a regular by now. I'll definitely be back once or twice a month from now on after seeing their true colors tonight. Thank you to the entire staff, service team, kitchen, and ownership for an amazing experience! Thanks for making our 20 year anniversary so memorable Liam and Sarah Riley read more

Macaluso's Italian Restaurant - 20 years - Italian Near Me - Ruston, Washington

Delicious food and cocktails. Really nice servers. My only complaint is that the past few times I've gone the servers have rushed me through my meal. After taking a few bites, they come up and ask me for a box. It's embarrassing! Other than that, I love this spot. read more

Macaluso's Italian Restaurant - Gnocchi - Italian Near Me - Ruston, Washington

Bolognese? More like Bowl o' Pedigree. Charming restaurant that we went to for my birthday. Relatives loved their various seafood pastas. I ordered the Bolognese. It was the weirdest, most unpleasant pasta I've had in awhile. Oily slimy noodles, oily slimy meat, and no tomato sauce? Have you ever googled Bolognese? Tomato sauce, meat, spices. What I got was weirdly orange, texture of Hamburger Helper, and really tasted like Taco Bell meat flavoring. Hints of vinegar, cinnamon, maybe Cardamom? No idea. But it wasn't good. Reading other reviews, there seems to be a consensus about the Bologneeeeughhs. The guy who offered us cheese shredded it above the table from orbit, and cheesed my plate, my water, my families cocktails, and most of my jacket. It's a shame because it's a charming little place with good ambience. A bit cold because there's no wind gap to block the air when the door opens. My family enjoyed their food. I might have been mistakenly given the owners dog's meal by mistake. read more

Overall, our dining experience at Macaluso's was wonderful and made all the better by meeting owner, James Macaluso who was very gracious and attentive. I wholeheartedly recommend Macaluso's and will return. In advance of offering my thoughts allow me to present my bone fides. I was trained at Le Cordon Bleu, London, England, and served at respected restaurants in both Beverly Hills and New York City. Front-of-House Service My partner ordered a Lavender Kiss and I ordered a glass of Pinot Noir. The wine was served relatively promptly but the Lavender Kiss was served sometime later and offered with an apology for an overload at the bar. According to she-who-must-be-obeyed, the Lavender Kiss was tasty and a strong pour. My Pinot was well appreciated by this pilgrim. Would you prefer those drinks be served at same time versus leaving the lady to wait? This patron would. I prefer plates be removed at same time versus leaving one with a bare table, especially when the other patron has but one last bite on their plate. Your view? I prefer main dishes be served at same time and once the preceding course has been eaten and plates cleared. What say you? Kitchen Food and plating are important to me. The shared Prosciutto and Burrata plate served with crostini was delightful and my only comment was the plating. The very flavorful Prosciutto outnumbered the crostini. I immediately chuckled as I thought about the disparity between packaged hot dogs and hot dog buns. My partner ordered the Linguine Pescatore that was both yummy and well plated. I studied menu in advance of our arrival and had it firmly in mind that I would order Osso Buco. Allow me to extend my compliments to chef on a wonderful dish that was, to me only, let down by the plating. There were so many potatoes and vegetables in addition to veal shank that the edge of plate could not be seen. I was informed in advance by friends and relatives who recommended Macaluso's that portions were more than generous. Whilst I appreciate value for money offered at Macaluso's, might backing off portion size just a wee bit create perfect harmony between wonderfully prepared dishes and plating? My partner and I wholeheartedly recommend Macaluso's, will return and offer what to most will appear to be overly niggly comments offered solely in the service of Macaluso's contemplating if any comments might add to their wonderful establishment's offering. read more

The food here is great. The staff is wonderful. You need to be careful with the Sommelier . Review the wine menu and get what you want.

This is a solid restaurant where the seafood linguine was made with freshest mussels I have ever eaten. The wine was well recommended and we truly enjoyed our experience here, planning to return again when in the area. We found this restaurant using yelp and the reviews were accurate. This is a very small place, so reseve well in advance, only complaint was the server was overly busy. We felt kind of bad for her, although she did a decent job considering. read more

Macaluso's Italian Restaurant - LINGUINE PESCATORE - Italian Near Me - Ruston, Washington

It's no wonder that this place is #1 in Washington for Italian food- it's a must have! From the well-trained staff, to the detailed menu, we will be back! Everything is made from scratch, even the bread! Tip: make SURE you have a reservation. This place is packed, especially on the weekends. read more

Macaluso's Italian Restaurant - SPAGHETTI CARBONARA - Italian Near Me - Ruston, Washington

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Wow! I never leave reviews but this was hands down the best restaurant I have been to in a long time! The ambiance was classy and cozy. The food was homemade, aromatic, and flavorful! Best steak, they were not joking! Their staff was amazing, very knowledgeable about their menu, kind, and respectful. Can't recommend enough! read more

I hesitate to rate 5 star based on only one visit, but we just happened upon Macaluso's when passing through town and it greatly exceeded our expectations. This is an unpretentious neighborhood trattoria with a superior menu, subtle and delicate flavors, and outstanding presentation. Mr. Crankypants had the special which was a house made sausage and pasta dish, while I enjoyed the prawns with garlic and olive oil. My Pinot Grigio by the glass complemented the dish perfectly. Portions were generous with enough to take home for a light lunch the following day. Prices are really more in the fine dining range-- we passed on the $19 apple pie--but I've certainly spent more for less elsewhere. This would be a great spot to impress a first or second date. read more

Service was outstanding, we had Kyle Food was excellent, we had chicken Marsala and Spaghetti and meatballs. We been looking for a good Italian restaurant for long time, finally found one! read more

The caprese was delicious. Had the eggplant Parmesan and traditional lasagna. Both were pretty good, not knock us off our feet, though. Had to sit outside on the sidewalk with the noisy traffic as that was the only bar table left. I was hoping for the ambiance as part of the evening, as it was a last minute birthday celebration, but reservations already full. Waiters were great. read more

Great food. Soo disappointed w service tonight. Sat in bar. Our waitress was saturated with her "homies" Had to ask for EVERYTHING. I am a huge tipper and they missed out. read more

Craving Italian and have drive pass this place many times, we decided to try. So fresh and flavorful, there's nothing like in Puyallup, so it was worth the drive. The seating is very intimate in this smaller space. Easier to have conversation and hear the host and feel more at home. Both our dishes were delicious. Highly recommend the pasta with the red sauce!!! Forgot the name of it though read more

Macaluso's Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Ruston, Washington

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I went to Macaluso's a little while back for my birthday dinner. I've passed the restaurant for years while in the Ruston area, so I'm so glad I finally got to try it! Ambiance here is on point. It's perfect for an intimate date night, girl's night, or if you're out with family. We started with the arancini balls which were delicious. Cooked perfectly with just the right amount of cheese, and the marinara sauce paired with it was great. For my entree I got the Carbonara with prawns added. Hands down the best Carbonara I've tried - the perfect amount of creamy sauce, noodles cooked perfectly, and the prawns were a yummy addition. Our waiter was attentive all night and even brought complimentary dessert after hearing it was my birthday. Nice touch! I'll definitely return to try more of the menu! read more

Macaluso's Italian Restaurant - Carbonara with prawns added - Italian Near Me - Ruston, Washington

Spectacular food, excellent service, and the ambiance is amazing. Friendly staff. Had the Alfredo and Ravioli. It was awesome.

Honestly I'm really mad. I really wanted this place to be my new home in Tacoma where I come here every Sunday for food that is actually good and really Italian. Instead, I have run into a situation where the waitress told me that because they had two servers attending on my table. She didn't believe me when I said that I was falsely charged for a second glass of Rose. I pay bills for a living. I'm an accounts payable clerk I pay my bills and when someone doesn't believe me that I owe them money I send them packing slips to prove to them that I need to pay them my bills, so I am genuinely offended when someone tells me they don't believe me when I told them that I was overcharged. read more

Brunch was soo good! Definitely will be coming back. So excited! Ceasar salad is the best with warm prawns and crab egg Benedict with potatoes and fruit was amazing. Atmosphere cozy and relaxing. read more

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Ambiance: Open room with about 16 tables. There is outdoor seating. Cute and casual, but can feel elevated if you want it too. Service: Excellent service. Our male waiter was fantastic. He gave on point wine and food recommendations. Food: I had the chicken piccata- a classic that they do very well. My Mom had the halibut piccata special and my dad had their spicy sausage rigatoni dish which was very spicy but he enjoyed it. Overall a great Italian restaurant in Tacoma - just what Tacoma needs :) read more

Food was wonderful, our server was terrible. As soon as she came to our table, she was cold and distant - you could tell she didn't think we'd be "big ticket" enough to be worth her time. She never checked in to see if we'd like another drink, despite being there a long time, audibly sighed when we said that we'd like to see the dessert menu, and just avoided our table like the plague. Saw plenty of other servers who were pleasant and engaged, so not sure what her problem was. We're always pleasant, and always tip well, so this felt really bad. It was a special occasion that felt awful because we were apparently not worth good service. read more

we were really excited to come here tonight, heard a lot of good things about this place. called a week prior to make a reservation for my husbands birthday. tonight, we checked in, had nowhere to stand inside, so we stepped outside. we stood in the cold for 30+ minutes, checked back in and they said "people are checked out, we're just waiting on them to leave". we asked them to call us when our table was ready to which they said okay. 15 minutes later, still no call. we left. why make a reservation if you aren't going to be sat for more than 45+ minutes? you guys need to have a time limit policy if your restaurant is going to be that small. read more