Mario’s

Breakfast, lunch and dinner — the choice is yours

By Cheryl Mandell

At Mario’s in Estero, you can have it all – breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, sports, karaoke and live music – all in a friendly, laid-back atmosphere. And for sports fans, there is a great chance your favorite game is playing on one of the 19 televisions around the restaurant.

Marjan Bujaj, also known as Mario, has been building his successful brand of restaurants in the Detroit area for decades. After being inspired by what Southwest Florida has to offer, he opened this latest venture three years ago, with the hopes that friendly service, good homemade cooking, lively sports and music will bring the people of Estero together.

Located in the Shoppes of Grand Oaks in Estero, Mario’s opened in early September 2022 in the former spot of longtime favorite Beef O’Brady’s. 

You can almost guarantee that you’ll be greeted by Mario’s smiling face at some point during your meal.  He is also the chef behind many of the dishes. Bujaj rarely stops working.

“I don’t turn on my television at home,” said Bujaj.  “I am here first thing in the morning and am usually here late at night.”

Bujaj frequently travels from Estero back to Michigan to spend time with his wife of 28 years and their four children. He speaks proudly of his family and the life they’ve built from his dreams, which began in Albania. Bujaj’s uncle convinced him to move to Michigan when he was just 24 years old.

When you dine at Mario’s, prepare to receive menus reflecting all three meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s a daunting task to make a selection, with alluring breakfast platters, fluffy omelettes, skillets, waffles, pancakes and “country flavors” like biscuits and gravy, or country fried steak and eggs.

The lunch menu offers unique lunch wraps and salads, appetizers such as boom boom shrimp and fried pickle spears, as well as burgers and a variety of pitas, hot sandwiches and melts.

Several of the items on Mario’s dinner menu reflect the Mediterranean cuisine prevalent in southern European countries, including Greek salad, spinach pie and gyros. There are also some Mexican dishes, such as fajitas, nachos, quesadillas and tacos, and Asian stir fry. The rest of the ample dinner menu offerings include seafood, steak, pasta, ribs and “dinner favorites” like Monterey chicken and breaded veal cutlets.

Light lunch specials are served weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and includes discounted drinks and 20% off appetizers. Mario’s boasts daily specials such as Saturday “BOGO half off dinners” from 3 p.m. until close, or Taco Tuesday where kids eat free with the purchase of an adult meal. There’s karaoke every Friday from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. (liquid courage available at the bar) and live music on Thursday nights.

Mario’s is open every day at 7 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m. on weekdays and remains open as late as midnight and 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Feeling peckish? You might just find yourself eating an omelette and listening to karaoke on any given Friday.