The Mad Italian

There was 3 in my group, so I had the 6′ philly cheese, the guys had the BIG DADDY Philly cheese With a side of full throttle hot sauce. There were no complaints. Everything was great.

I ordered the Philly cheese steak and fries. I have had the opportunity to eat a traditional philly cheese steak in philly, this is the closest. The food cane out extremely fast and it was extra hot. Everyone was wonderful. The waitress in the bar area was really nice and prompt. They have two small patio areas to eat and a nice size inside dining area. I just moved to the area and I will definitely make this place one of my regulars. From what I seen, it seems to be a favorite local spot.

Lived 10 minutes from this place for nearly nine years in the 90’s and never visited.
Big mistake.
Cheesesteaks are the most flavorful and best I’ve found in the Atlanta area. Hailing from Philadelphia, I know the difference between tourist joints (think Pat’s and Geno’s) and the real hole-​in-​the-​wall locations that understand what a true cheesesteak is. This place is definitely in the latter category.
The meat — seasoned so slightly — is tender and more than ample for the serving size. And you can’t beat the price.
Portions for pasta dinners are outstanding versus the price paid.
Have visited at least 20 times over the summer and never had a bad experience as the wait staff has always been outstanding. And the kitchen really turns out the food fast. No long waits at this place.
Is the décor kind of funky and stuck in the 70’s? Sure, but I’m here to eat not grade the place for its architectural and design style.

For what it is, the Mad Italian does not disappoint. This is a local low-​key establishment, not a high end fine dining option. The staples are solid and leave you craving them again and again. My favorite is the chicken parm– I prefer the pasta option but the sandwich is good too. The jerk chicken wings are awesome– just writing about them is making me hungry. We’ve also had the super hot wing sauce as well. This wasn’t my choice, and I’d say it’s probably the hottest wing I’ve ever had. I couldn’t eat more than a bite, so if you like it hot, give them a try! Cheesesteak was very tasty, and much better than the Big Daddy.
Good for both dine in and take out!

Absolutely delicious! The first few times I came, I tried the cheesesteak. It was ok but yesterday I tried the Pastalaya!!! It was soooooooo delicious and so was the accompanying garlic bread. The pasta had just the right spice. It was soooo delicious; I decided to skip cooking dinner tonight and go back for more. I hear the Mozza bread is tasty… I may add that to my order as well.
Looks like they have a bar area. In the mood for Italian and would like to skip out on the white table cloths for a tasty cuisine… Check out Mad Italian!

Best cheese steak south of Philly. Get the Monster with extra cheese and onions. Service is food and most of the servers have been there for years. Place is always packed so get there early.

I really can’t say enough good things about The Mad. They do have one of the best cheesesteaks in Atlanta. I have had several of their pasta dishes, but in my opinion, the cheesesteak is the best item on the menu. The mozza bread is also a really good appetizer for a family. Don’t let the outside or décor on the inside influence you. This is a solid restaurant with excellent food.

Since I recently moved into the area, I have always wanted to try to Mad Italian, given the reviews and what I have heard from others in the area. I stopped by to grab some food to go.
Atmosphere — Kind of a run down joint. Some of the décor is hokie, aka cheesy, and I wouldn’t say that it was the cleanest restaurant that I ever went too. They have a few televisions in the car area.
Service — This was pretty decent, as I was greeted at the bar and was poured a glass of water quickly and served a beer while I ordered my food. I don’t know if it was traditionally good service, or it was the fact that there was no one else in there, but it was fast and efficient.
Food — I thought that the food I ordered, two Philly Cheesesteaks to go were pretty good. I enjoyed them. I think that they could have had more filling in them, as the meet was a little on the cheap side, but the flavor was good and I enjoyed how hot and fresh they tasted. The bread was not dried out or old tasting as others have mentioned. I definitely enjoyed myself and would definitely go back when looking for some fast food in the area.

I feel like The Mad Italian has been around forever and I finally made my first trip. I went with a friend that is a regular and was very excited about the place so the expectations were raised. Noting that they were popular for their Philly Cheesesteaks which surprised me, I opted for sub but wanted some Italian flavor so I got the meatball. The Meatball sub really hit the spot. The marinara really delivered and the sandwich stayed together very well. The atmosphere was great as well with a very lively group of guests. I look forward to trying more dishes next time!

This is seriously the best damn cheesesteak I’ve EVER had! My work crew and I come every Friday for lunch and it is literally the one thing we look forward to during the week. I love how attentive the servers are, as they recognize us by face and name now [it goes a long way when they remember their regulars!]. Plus the lunch meals are super cheap, a sandwich and chips for under $ 6? Yes please! If you go during lunchtime, I highly recommend you get there before noon – it seems to pop right before noon and then you’ll be waiting for a table.
If you want an awesome cheesesteak without going to Philly, go here. Seriously… you will NOT regret it!!!

Love this Place ambiance lots of kids… Went with my son to get some baked ziti and ended up getting a Greek shrimp salad or something and he got macaroni well he wanted more and so did I will be going back deserves all 5

Sorry, I wasn’t a fan.
The service wasn’t bad, and the prices were reasonable, but the dishes I ordered (Chicken Parmigiana and Lasagna) tasted like a stouffer’s entrée. The garlic bread was definitely prepackaged and didn’t use real butter. I may come back and try the cheesesteak, but I definitely wasn’t a fan of the italian dishes.

I have memories of the Mad Italian dating back to 1986 when they had multiple Atlanta locations, including a great one near Peachtree Battle. The Mad Italian there is where I first learned about the greatness of what a cheese-​steak sandwich could be. Quantities of grilled steak and exactly the right amount of white-​American cheesy goodness with (sometimes) some onions & mushrooms thrown into a perfect roll, to boot. Delicious. Hands down delicious. And though it’s been a while since I found myself in this Mad Italian (probably my last visit was in 1999), I’m happy to report that this greatness hasn’t changed. That cheese-​steak rocks!
And the thing I really appreciate about the Mad Italian is the total lack of pretense. They know what they do, and they do it well. I know what they do, and I appreciate it. When I go to the The Mad Italian, I don’t expect tablecloths and a wine list. I do expect friendly servers, really good food, fast service, and a glass of water that never empties. And that’s what I get. Capice?
I’ll happily be going back to the Mad Italian. Holler if you’re coming with.

I’ve been premising many of my Atlanta area reviews with me coming from the DC metro area. This one won’t be any different. I say this b/​c living in DC, I have made countless trips to Philly. With that being said, I’ve tried all the best well known Philly Cheesesteaks; Pats, Genos, Tony Lucs, Jim’s, many times over. For those familiar with those places, to help put my review in context, Jim’s on Southstreet is my favorite. We can all agree to disagree but knowing that will give you a sense of what I look for in a Cheesesteak.
Like many folks do, I visited based on the Unilocal reviews from others that the Cheesesteak is one of the best south of Philly. I can definitely see that claim. The cheesesteak is definitely great. My only grip is that Cheez Whiz isn’t available as an option. Personally, I’m a cheez whiz guy on my cheesesteaks. I’m sure many will agree and many will disagree but to each his own right? If they would start adding that as an option, that would definitely put them over the top for sure!
As for the service, awesome. The folks were incredibly friendly and the food came out hot, fresh and quickly. I went at lunch time too which makes that even more impressive. I can see why almost every table in the place was packed. A great overall choice for a good olé fashion Cheesesteak sandwich!

Placed a lunch togo order here.
Spaghetti sauce was pretty good. It was a lunch portion which drastically differs from the awesome meaty pics i saw. Alfredo sauce was pretty good too, but the shrimp was overcooked. Bread was as tasty as it looks. Also, the atmosphere is really cool. I’d probably dine in just to read all the signs. Eager to grab dinner here to give this place another shot. Most of the reviews are awesome, and it would be nice to have an authentic Italian spot i dont have to get «dressed» for lol.

This place is quite impressive especially when considering its location and price point. We stopped on the recommendation of my sibling who knew we were burnt out on holiday food and desirous of a good bite nearby.
I ordered the 7 inch cheesesteak with fries and my father opted for a 10 inch with onion rings. Given we chose to sit in the bar near several tvs, (it was a Sunday after all), I felt compelled to order an adult beverage but was not drawn to a hard cider with a sandwich. It was not on the menu, but upon asking I learned Not Your Father’s Root Beer was on tap. I like adult root beer and liked being «carded» even more. My dad teased the server only did so to get a great tip! Lol.
If in the area, I would absolutely positively return to try other menu items. And if you enjoy football, the tvs in the bar show at least two different games in close quarters.

Literally one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta area! I’ve had several different pastas and pizzas here and they all taste great. They give you incredibly large portions (plus large pieces of bread for all pasta dishes) and the price is very cheap which makes this place irresistible. It’s a great restaurant for any occasions!

I was up in Philly for Memorial Day so naturally you can figure out what I ate there. And randomly last week a craving struck for one… so I checked Unilocal and found the Mad Italian is not too far from work, and bonus points it’s on Scoutmob.
Since the Scoutmob deal required dining in, I did some overtime and headed over for dinner. I think I got there around 6 and it wasn’t very busy. I had pretty much decided what I wanted hours earlier sandwich-​wise, but decided to have a beer to go along with the sandwich — they’ve got a pretty decent selection of Georgia beers on draft.
I got an 8″ Philly and upgraded to fries.
The fries were really good, glad I went with them and I’d definitely pay the dollar they are extra w/​o Scoutmob for them over some chips.
The sandwich was decent, definitely works as a substitute for getting all the way up to Philadelphia and having one again (though by one I mean my great uncle ordered like six sandwiches in a variety of types and cut them into thirds so «one» ha ha ha).
Would I come back if the craving hits? I’d most likely try out some other places I haven’t been to first. It is good, but unless everything else is godawful I am holding on to hope there is a better «best Philly» in this city.

You can find the Mad Italian on the access road along the North perimeter between I85 and 400 that provides access to N Peachtree Rd, N Shallowford Rd and Chamblee Dunwoody Rd — Savoy is the road that travels inside the of I285 while Cotillion parallels the outside. The largest landmark is Bowlmore — a massive bowling center (yes, those still exists — this one used to be called Bowl 300).
The Mad Italian inhabits a rather barn-​shaped building and has been at its current location for as long as I can remember — it’s one of the first restaurants I had the pleasure of visiting when I first came to Atlanta as an adult in the 80’s. The restaurant has expanded over the years and now offers pizza — of course I still remember it for it’s Philly steak sandwiches and meatball subs. I’ve also had a variety of past dishes over the years and they are all more than adequate — note that this isn’t gourmet Italian food, rather it’s your basic fare with hearty red sauces. With the expansion the restaurant can now seat quite a few more than before, both inside and on the patio. They also have a much larger beer menu which is a boon.
I was driving home taking a route suggested by Waze and as I neared The Mad Italian I decided to stop in — it has been at least a year since I last visited so it was time to see if the sandwiches were as good as I remember — if anything they’re even better! The menu is fairly extensive with many salad, sandwich and pizza offerings. They also had a decent list of craft beer, so I opted for a Bell’s Two Hearted Ale (I’ve had this before and figured it would go well with anything I ordered).
I opted for two six-​inch subs. The meatball sandwich was just as I remembered and one of my favorites — the perfect combination of Italian meatball, sauce and soft but crusty bread.
The Philly Steak I consider one of the best in town — as with the meatball sandwich, a perfect combination of meat-​cooked with onions on a soft warm hoagie that’s a bit crusty on the outside from toasting. Just heavenly!
I also substituted the onion rings for the chips that typically accompany the six-​inch subs — I really didn’t think I could finish all of this food (foolishly, I considered taking some home) but I somehow persevered.
The Mad Italian is quite popular amongst locals and it gets crowded during lunch — try going a little earlier or later than the normal 12 – 1 or it can take some time to get your food. The service here is exceptional — even for a table of one!
(longer review posted to my food blog)

I’ve lived 2 minutes away from Mad Italian for 2 years now and have yet to try the infamous Philly Cheesesteak here, so of course, we finally had to make the trip at some point.
Conveniently located on Savoy Rd, which I consider the 285 E access road, it’s small exterior and large sign hides a precious sports bar on the right side of the restaurant and a more quiet family sit down area on the left (aka, no tv).
We were seated on the family side, to the dismay of the guys at our table who were hoping to catch the last few minutes of the Hawks game. Our server brought us waters per our request.
Two of us ordered the Philly Cheesesteaks while the other two ordered the Lasagna and the Italian Sausage hoagie. The cheesesteaks were tasty, but oddly did not have peppers like a usual cheesesteak. I believe it does come on an order of the Big Daddy, which is another cheesesteak, but it’s odd that it’s not on the hoagie titled «Philly Cheesesteak.» The lasagna was pretty good, but nothing special. I didn’t get a taste of that but it looked pretty similar to the cheesesteak, but with a pop of color from the peppers.
Since I’m going to be living in the area for a while, I hope it won’t take me another two years to eat at the Mad Italian again!