Maple Giant Grinder & Pizza

Probably the best grinders in the South End. No bad choices on the menu here. Try the beef cutlet — something you’ll only find at old school Italian places like this one — or the stuffed peppers with sauce.
Don’t be fooled by the «half» grinder which sounds small. It’ll fill you up. The whole is big enough to share.
Good, friendly service on top of the food. If you’re taking it to go they always get you out the door with your food quickly.

So I use to come here as a kid and I wanted to share the experience with my wife and kids MISTAKE #1 there are very few places that stand the test of time and this wasn’t one of them. I ordered a large Italian grinder with everything my wife order a medium meatball and my kids got a small cheese pizza. My sandwich came out first I really didn’t think to say anything when my cold cuts were an off color as I was more concerned with the fact that my sandwich had nothing I had asked for on it. But I was more concerned with my wife and kids having an awesome experience since I had hyped this up for weeks. My kids pizza WASNT COOKED the dough was still raw in the middle and my wife’s sandwich which was the best out of all of our food was terrible at a minimum. I’m saddened to say that one of my childhood memories of eating Giants grinders with my father has slowly faded away like the quality of this establishment.

Good service in an old school atmosphere. I purchased a chicken cutlet grinder. The portion was generous, but the chicken lacked seasoning. I would be willing to try something different that doesn’t require culinary skills like a ham or turkey grinder.

This place is amazing, sausage and eggplant! Super friendly staff, been there for 54 years!

Unbelievably delicious! The owner Michelle takes great pride in the food and for many reasons. I just had the best Italian Grinder i have ever had in my life. Definitely a shop to dine at with warm service. 5 stars from me :)

Best grinders in Hartford! Portions are HUGE and prices are very reasonable. You could buy a half grinder and eat half for lunch and save half for dinner. A whole is definitely enough for two people to share. The eggplant parm grinders here are delicious as well as the ham. They also have a variety of hot foods to choose from. I have had the lasagna and eggplant rollitini. Both delicious and again portions are large prices are good. Owner is extremely friendly. I definitely recommend this place if you’re in the area and in the mood for a grinder.

can anyone actually finish the «whole»? HUGE portions. I had the beef cutlet and it was really good, covered in a zesty sauce and smothered in provolone. I like that they have sodas from a local supplier, too. Service was great, parking was easy!

Delicious. Meatball grinder was outstanding. Greek salad was terrific. Portions are huge. The folks there are super-​friendly; service was great. Worth the short trip from the highway.

The value here is extraordinary.
Half grinders run 7 or 8 bucks, and if you eat the entire thing you will be stuffed for the rest of the day. And how about getting a slice of pizza for just $ 1.50? If you’re a big spender and want to spring for pepperoni, it will set you back $ 1.75 –not $ 1.75 extra, just $ 1.75 for the whole slice.
The aptly named Maple Giant Grinder is a grinder –pizza — pasta place with very good food at rock bottom prices. For lunch today, we ordered a half meatball grinder, a half turkey grinder ($ 7.25 each) and an antipasto $ 8.75.
My turkey grinder was excellent– a perfectly toasted nice soft roll, a big portion of fresh turkey, with lettuce, tomato, and melted provolone with a splash of oil and vinegar. Our salad was just as good– a huge cylinder of ham, cheese, turkey, pepperoni, and salami served over crisp fresh spring mix with tomatoes, onions and olives. I sampled a taste of the meatball and sauce, and they were fabulous!
The only thing that was «off» was that a meatball grinder wasn’t our first choice –chicken parm was. But they didn’t have any chicken parm at 12:30 on a Saturday!
The «half» grinders were so large we took half of the halves home, so we basically got 4 portions for about three and a half bucks each. That’s a great value.
If you’re in the neighborhood, and want to have a nice lunch in a sweet neighborhood place, and not break the bank, you will make out very nicely here.

This place had extremely fresh bread, delicious Capicola and generally nice sandwiches. Go get some!

I had a half eggplant grinder and my friend had half a sausage. They were good. Not sure if they were «the best in Hartford» as a few have stated. The price for my eggplant was under $ 8. That (pretty good deal), and the good (not best) grinder, and the fact that they serve you at and clean the used utensils, plates, and refuse from your table when finished equal (4) stars. Try it. You’ll like it.

Hands down best grinders in hartford. The «whole» is enough to feed 3 comfortably. Personally I love the eggplant and Italian

I love that the name of this place is «Giant Grinder.» It’s exactly that. A large is 16″ for aprox $ 14 and omg sandwich heaven! Very good, sandwich for days man. The «mozzarella sticks» are actually a pretty big square of fried cheese for $ 3.00 per pop. If you’re craving a grinder or sub this place wins in my book.

This place was absolutely amazing! Hands down the best pizza we have EVER had! We were in town for a concert and happen to stumble upon this place. Cannot say enough good things! Staff was super friendly, food was amazingly excellent! I highly recommend!

The meatball and spicy Italian sausage combo was amazing. Authentic Italian flavors, perfect rolls — everything was right on the money.
They are very friendly and eager to customize your order just the way you like it. Also the building has been updated, so it is appealing and inviting.
I give Maple a slight edge over Franklin or Corner due to the outstanding food, friendly staff and pleasant atmosphere.

I was used to coworkers bringing group orders of Maple into the office, but now I live in Hartford and have time to patronize the actual establishment — and I’m glad I did. It’s an utterly pleasant and welcoming place, with some of the friendliest staff I’ve found anywhere. It was a warm day, and there was no air-​conditioning, but they had both doors open and the warm breeze blowing through just added to the feel. The meatball and sausage combo was as excellent as ever; as you would expect from anyplace with «Giant Grinder» in the name, the filling is generous, and the different textures and seasonings of the two meats work very well together. I told the clerk it was fantastic, who then communicated that to the older fellow in the back making the sandwiches. I couldn’t be more pleased and will definitely be returning, perhaps for that $ 3 slab of fried mozzarella. Be still my heart valves!

This place does everything right, and the proprietors couldn’t be nicer. Go to stop for their eggplant parm sub as we drive off of 91 on our way back to Brooklyn from New England.

What was I thinking? I ordered a whole grinder. I was very happy with my giant Italian combo. It was prepared just like you would expect, the ingredients were all spot on. and of course lots of everything. I actually had them pack up the second half for me. It was that big.
The guys were very nice too. I highly recommend this shop!

The absolute best place for authentic Italian food. The grinders are huge, even for a half. There are ssoo big they sever half sandwiches cut in half. I say try the chicken, eggplant, or beef cuttlet. The beef cuttlet is the best I have ever had, glad my grandmother is not with us to hear me say that. ha. There sauce is fantastic. I promise you won’t leave hungry

Say you’re in Hartford and you want a good grinder. You have Franklin Ave Giant Grinder, and you have Maple Giant. While they each have their fans and detractors (similar to the debate over New Haven pizza places), there is not enough of a difference in my mind to give either an edge.
Maple has exactly what you would expect from a good Italian deli. There are a variety of grinder options, both hot and cold, with the usual offerings (chicken cutlet, eggplant, cold cuts, etc). A half sub is enough for lunch, and a full sub is a perfect size to be split between two people. The ingredients are fresh, and the tomato sauce has a great flavor to it.
Price-​wise, I believe it is slightly less expensive than Franklin (a dollar or two). There is a parking area with limited spaces. The service is always friendly and efficient.