AC
anthony crescenzi
Feb 16, 2026
I love Mastro’s, having visited it many times in other locations, particularly Newport Beach, and I so wanted my Mastro’s experience to be as splendid as it usually is, but on this particular night it was slightly off the mark.
It could well be me, having traveled from the East coast that day, and eating late relative to my northeast timeline, so I will take my own thoughts with a grain of salt.
The first thing to say is that the service as usual is excellent, with a well appointed staff that is both knowledgeable and friendly, as well as attentive. The staff gets high marks.
The second thing to say is that the ambiance could be cozier, but it is what it is — it is in a mall and when you look around you see it everywhere, which may not be what you want if you want a cozier feel. The live musician was beautiful, though. I just expect more when paying relatively high prices for what I expect to be a sublime all-around dining experience.
I am a ceaser salad snob, so much so that I keep a list of places where I give personal reviews and keep track of whether I should order a ceaser from restaurants I order them from. Mastro’s has an excellent ceaser that I would order again, though I believe it needs a bit more cheese to make it perfect.
My wife’s steak was multi-colored on the inside, which is what one should expect given the different layers of thickness, but it nonetheless was more rare than what we asked for (medium well), and it could have been hotter (the plates are piping, though!).
The same can be said for my halibut (PS they did not have the branzino I ordered at 7:30 pm, quite odd), which, though hearty, could have been hotter and flavored a bit more.
Our broccolini went in the opposite direction. I expect it to be low on flavor, but it was high on cheese. This is the portion of the meal I hope to be low calorie to balance things out. It’s a personal preference. Others may love it.
The fries are not much better than those most have had, and I they lack the steak fry feel — too thin, perhaps. Yet they are abundant and can be shared by three or even four people.
Delicious and abundant is the description for the whipped cream that accompanies the key lime. A hit.
I saw many delicious looking dishes pass me by, so I will have to return to given them a try.