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Don Boyd | all galleries >> Memories of Old Hialeah, Old Miami and Old South Florida Photo Galleries - largest non-Facebook collection on the internet >> Miami Area RESTAURANTS, Drive-Ins, Bars, Lounges, Liquor Stores, Clubs, Strip Joints, etc. Gallery - All Years - click to view >> Mary's Italian Restaurant Images Gallery - click on image to view the gallery > 1950's and 60's - Mary's Italian Restaurant at 13914 NW 7th Avenue, North Miami
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1950's and 1960's From a postcard

1950's and 60's - Mary's Italian Restaurant at 13914 NW 7th Avenue, North Miami

13914 NW 7th Avenue, North Miami, Florida view map


Famous for their absolutely delicious garlic rolls! Mary Stella Bombino Buttino Hilliard opened her first restaurant on NW 119th Street and the one in the above photo somewhere in the 1953 to 1955 time frame. More information can be obtained by visiting: http://www.marysitalianrestaurant.com


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Guest 01-Sep-2024 15:30
Does anyone remember Gigi's Italian Restaurant on 7th Avenue in late 60's? I worked there as a hostess and dated Mario, the owner's son for a short time.
Guest 01-Jan-2024 01:02
Like a previous poster, I recently saw the Triple D episode (re-run) where they talked about the Digiorgio family restaurant in Key Largo. Something about the menu items they showed just looked very familiar. Now I know why. I grew up in North Miami (129th Street and NW 12th Ave) and my family going to Mary's on 7th Avenue was a regular event. There was no better Italian American fare anywhere in Miami. My favorite was the Spaghetti with Scungilli Sauce. And the garlic sticks were epic. My last dinner before heading off to Army Basic Training in August 1981 was at Mary's. And when I came home on X-mas leave in December 81, the place was closed. But the storefront Mary's was still open on 119th Street and I took my fiancé there a few day before we were married. Forty three years later, she still remembers how good the food was.

The only thing close to Mary's was the Lobster Fra Divalo platter at the Rustic Inn on Ravenswood Road in Lauderdale.
Delicious Garlic STICKS 27-May-2023 15:43
Famous for their absolutely delicious Garlic STICKS!
5/27/2023
I Can't find the Delicious Garlic STICKS anywhere or recipe on the planet

AND I bought "Mary's Italian Restaurant," The Pizza Queen, Recipes and Recollections"
but no Delicious Garlic STICKS anywhere :(

Does anybody know?
Leighton 25-Apr-2023 17:51
As of 2023, still the FanHouse bar.
Guest 13-Sep-2021 18:57
I just found this link - I used to eat there in the 70's. Still remember the Bread Sticks - is there a recipe anywhere? The link to marysitalianrestaurant.com above doesn't work. I'd buy a cookbook just for the garlic bread. I haven't ever had anything even close to as garlicy and good. If there is a link can someone please post it here? Thanks.
gino f angella 09-Sep-2019 12:16
I just discovered that the same family Digiorgio moved from Miami to Key Largo about 25 years ago.
Robert was recently on Diners Drive in and Dives show casing their Digiorgio's Cafe Largo Restaurant at 99530 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo, FL 33037. Guy Fieri also interview his father Pasquale at the time. They have a building on the Highway and another building on the Bay Front. You can see their webstie at https://keylargo-cafelargo.com/
Jorge Rodriguez 02-Oct-2017 16:27
I used to work for Pasquale Digiorgio back in the early 70 as his pizza man when he sold i stayed work for tony Ferrari and Sal the new owners me and Frank Burnsed who was a pizza man and cook were very good friends back in those days. Frank I heard passed away 2009
Leighton 09-Apr-2017 15:04
This building still stands, as of summer of 2016. Now a dilapidated sports bar - "FanHouse."
Guest 12-Jul-2015 23:01
Loved Mary's garlic sticks, dripping in oil and loaded with garlic! And Gigi's down the road a bit, but never as good as Mary's! Does anyone have the garlic stick recipe? Tried the link in earlier posts, but no good anymore.
Bob 26-Mar-2015 19:34
There was a Mary's Italian Restaurant on Hallandale Beach Blvd. between Dixie Hwy. and US1 and also on Hollywood Blvd. next to the old Florida Theater that burned down
Eugene Dean23-Mar-2015 16:05
I never ate at Mary's, but I wish I had. Just from the way people reminisce about the food, I can tell it was good. The lighting is very interesting. I don't think I have ever seen such a vibrant green color scheme on an Italian restaurant.

http://illianocucina.com/dinner-menu/
Guest 28-Dec-2014 01:01
I worked for Pasquale in 1967 - greatest boss ever. He and his brother (or brother-in-law), Rafael, taught me volumes about cooking, cooking Italian and about working in general. My name is Gary - he always pronounced it Geddy :) Tony made the best pizza!!!
rgiorgio 09-Nov-2014 03:18
My father & mother, Pasquale & JoAnn DiGiorgio, owned Marys from 1968 to 1972 at its heyday. From there they open Vila DiGiorgio in Hallandale, Pasquales Italian Restaurant in Hialeah, For the past 22 years we have been in Key Largo at DiGiorgio's Cafe Largo.
mike 29-Jul-2014 01:04
Best spagetti and breadsticks I can remember.I ate almost 2 whole big oval plates and several breadsticks one night back in early 70s
Guest 26-Sep-2013 04:20
My grandfather was an owner of Mary's in the 70s. I was a little kid, so I don't remember much other than the garlic sticks, the neopolitan ice cream, and a water fountain by the front door.
Guest 05-Jul-2013 18:33
Marys was in the NW section of N.Miami and Mario the Baker was in the NE section of N. Miami. Just to clarify.
Guest 05-Jul-2013 18:32
Marshall, You are confused. Mary's Italian restaurant was on 7th ave and 139 st.
Mario the Baker was on Dixie Hwy and 139 st.

Mary's Italian restaurant was not famous for their garlic rolls. They were famous for their garlic sticks.

I know this as I lived in N. Miami and have eaten in both restaurants.
Mario the Baker is the one famous for the garlic rolls. Not mary's.
Guest 01-Feb-2011 01:08
WE HAD OUR WEDDING REHERSAL DINNER AT MARY'S ITALIAN RESTAURANT MARCH 2O, 1964. MARY WAS A BEAUTIFUL PERSON AS WELL AS A GREAT
COOK.

WILLIAM AND MARY SCALES
Marshall A. Goldberg 28-Oct-2010 08:25
Marty's was on 139th St and West Dixie Highway. I should know....I doubled dated, went to a drive in and then Marty's for pizza on my first dat at age 15. What a great site!

Marsh Goldberg NMSH '58
Don Boyd28-May-2010 05:29
Roberta and Pat, thank you very much for the information you have provided. I have posted your link in the description under the photo so people can just click on it and go to the site without having to type it. Rest in Peace, Mary.

Don
Roberta Rouse 28-May-2010 02:08
I am the oldest daughter of Mary Buttino. She made the pizzas in the front window. She was famous for her THIN pizza crust. I was pregnant with my first child while working at the restaurant making the salads and garlic rolls. My husband delivered the pizzas and washed the dishes from 1954 to 1958. I went to Edward L. Constance and North Miami High School class of "56". My sister Patricia Buttino Whidden and I have many wonderful memories of her restaurant and her famous recipes that are published in her cookbook " Mary's Italian Restaurant," The Pizza Queen, Recipes and Recollections , marysitalianrestaurant.com
pat whidden 28-May-2010 01:24
my mother was the original mary in 1950's she sold mary's .Name stayed the same before mary;s she made pizza at the Bottle Cap Inn. We lived across the street 1250 N.W. 119 street miami. My daughter wrote a book about her life and receipes from mary's restaurant.We enjoyed her food for many years she passed away in 2008 she was 92.
Nela Goldenberg 23-May-2010 05:05
I keep trying to recreate Mary's Chicken Scapariello, but without total success. Is there any way for someone to come up with her recipe?
Guest 24-Jan-2010 04:50
Mary's was still in business in the early 1980s! Went there with friends more than once before they closed and was sorry to see it go. The Nissan/Datsun dealership was up the street a block or two, but this wasn't it.
kennygan19-Jan-2010 20:57
Very creative theme and captures
Don Boyd28-Dec-2009 05:34
Welcome Joyce and thank you for your memories. I don't know how many times the Clefts of Lavender Hill performed "Stop! Get a Ticket" at the Place in 1966 but I was also there one of those times.
http://new.music.yahoo.com/clefs-of-lavender-hill/biography/

Don
Joyce W. M. 28-Dec-2009 02:51
Mary's was the place everyone went after our High School Football games. They did have the best ever breadsticks & pizza. I went to Miami Central High and grew up on N.W. 17th Avenue. I also remember going to the skating rink across the street called Skate Land, it was later turned into an indoor flea market. I went to Lakeview Elementary and remember on Friday's there was a bus that would pick us up and take us to the skating rink. I also remember The Place it was a hip dance spot in the 60's. I remember seeing the group who sang "You gotta stop get a ticket" Wow! Some great memories. I also saw the posting for The Bottle Cap Inn, which I remember and Bennett's drug store which was right across from that.
Brian Rueger 21-Jun-2009 20:32
There was also a Mary's Italian Rest. in Hialeah back in the 50s and 60s. I was on E.4th and 21st.
Bob Sara 29-Apr-2009 16:00
Martha, I had forgotten about that. You're right, it did become a Datsun dealership. Thanks for reminding me.
Martha Pierson 29-Apr-2009 01:41
The Place became a Datsun dealership in the late 70's.
Bob Sara 10-Apr-2009 20:12
Mary's was the best. Anyone who ate there will always remember the breadsticks, hot and dripping with oil and garlic. All the food was great. I wish I could find an Italian restaurant in Miami today that even came close. I also remember The Place, right down the street from Mary's. I believe it was an old Food Fair before it reopened as The Place. Great memories.
Dave D 05-Apr-2009 20:04
worked as a busboy in 1967-68, went to NMSH. remember the Place?
Steve K 28-Feb-2009 22:13
Add me to the list of admirers of Mary's legendary breadsticks. My family didn't start going there until the mid-1970s. By then, the neighborhood was a little dicey. There was a big flea market across the street. We had a great waitress name Mary Jane. She was tall and jolly with short blond hair and glasses. Then she got stung by a bee and had a terrible allergic reaction. She was never the same after that. I was still going to Mary's right up until the time I left Miami in the early 80's. I used to take my girlfriend there, and for some reason, she was really impressed, like I was taking her to some fancy place.
Art 25-Feb-2009 22:50
In the late 60's me and the guys an girls had many a good late night pizza at Mary's.
Dusty Bridges 18-Feb-2009 18:10
I have many good memories of "Marys" I grew up just down the road ,used to go to skating rink"Skate Land" across the street,then we would go to Mary's ,whil we waited for our parents to pick us up.Best garlic bread sticks ever!!when we didn't have any money one of the waiteress'(I believe her name was Mary ?)would give us Pizza and cokes while we waited !! As we grew older we had many a great meal at "Mary's"!!
jimmy 14-Jan-2009 23:50
best garlic bread sticks with alot of garlic bits and sause..excellent italian food
Don Boyd10-Dec-2008 17:37
Thank you for posting your memories, y'all. My wife and her family used to dine at Mary's and my wife says the bread sticks were to die for, as Judy mentioned. It is yet another great memory from a great time to grow up in a great place.

Don
Judy 05-Dec-2008 20:48
This was the BEST Italian Restaurant ever!!! As others have noted, their breadsticks were to die for. Never tasted any better since. We used to go there and just have soup, salad, and the breadsticks for lunch.
Gary Beck 08-Oct-2008 18:42
I remember Mary's Bread sticks, Never had any from any other restraunt that even came close to them. I was 4 or 5 years old around 1960, My father had a 1955 Olds Rocket 88 (Blue & White) we drove from Hialeah to go to Marys. I can remember my father would have to carry me into the house when we got back home as I had fallen asleep on the way back home.

Oh I'd die for some of Mary's bread sticks now!
Bruce 14-Sep-2008 22:50
I grew up across the street (7th Ave), behind what was then a Service Station. My Mom introduced me to Pizza at the ripe old age of 3...(1957). There was a Roller Rink directly across the street, and a Food Fair a block north on same side of the street as Mary's.
Bryan spannagel 30-Aug-2008 14:25
I was the paper boy to Mary's restaurant and they used to give me the best bread sticks ever made.