I haven't been to a Macaroni Grill in years, since most of the locations around me had shut down. I was on business in the area, and decided to give it a go with a couple of associates.
The restaurant itself looked exactly like I remembered; kind of old world Italian vibe with a little rustic, industrial thrown in for good measure. Not as formal or touristy looking as Olive Garden, but in the same ballpark.
We were seated immediately, and the waitress was friendly. She seemed very confused about what was on draft when we inquired. I got the lowdown, which wasn't all that impressive. They were certainly very concerned with selling us on their wine special, and prix fixe menu.
The bread was pretty good, but the waitress put way too much cracked pepper in the olive oil. It was a sea of black pepper and a few sprinkles of olive oil. The pace of the dinner was good, although the second round of drinks was slow.
My food was OK with pasta that was a little too rubbery in texture. The "stuffed" portion of the pasta was a little cold, as if they'd been frozen and reheated.
There are probably lots of better Italian restaurants in the area that are better.