When you ask a Glaswegian what their favourite food might be, there's a fair chance the answer might be Italian.
The culture of Italy runs through our city's veins, thanks to Italian immigration into Glasgow over the decades.
And, of course, the cultural impact of that is often shown via the medium of food - you'd be hard pushed not to find some kind of Italian eatery in every corner of the city.
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We all have our favourite Italian restaurant of course - popular names like Paesano Pizzeria, the legendary La Lanterna or the iconic Coia's Cafe will no doubt register for many.
But perhaps not on the mind of many a Glaswegian is an Italian restaurant hidden away at the back of an east end pub, which, according to TripAdvisor - and scores of rave reviews - is considered one of the top-rated Italian food spots in the city.
Coming in at second place, narrowly behind the fantastic LL Italiano in Glasgow's top Italian restaurants rankings - although, based in Newton Mearns, LL Italiano is technically in East Renfrewshire - is Massimos at The Log Cabin pub, located on Baillieston's Bredisholm Road.
It seems to do a roaring trade on the back of Italian classics such as fettucini, lasagne al forno and stone baked pizzas, while serving a number of British staples including steak and ale pie and even beef wellington.
Self-described as 'a cosy family run business, with the freshest ingredients to create delicious Scottish Italian dishes', over the years its become somewhat of an east end institution - a quick glance into the customer reviews on TripAdvisor gives you an insight into just why. From 194 votes cast, an incredible 167 give Massimos the full five stars.
Following a recent visit, one diner raved about their 'favourite' restaurant in the city and was one of many to hail the Italian as a 'hidden gem'.
Another customer said Massimos was 'small, but friendly', commenting: "We go so often and absolutely love it. The best Italian for miles!"
Of course, for many, it's simply about the food, which according to one person keeps getting better and better. They said: "When this restaurant opened the food was outstanding. Like some places, the quality can then lag. Not Massimos. They have excelled year on year.
"The food is outstanding and the menu has plenty of choice. They have retained the same great staff too. It’s a pleasure to enjoy food and be treated to the very best service too."
With many popular restaurants, sometimes the meals can be quite costly. However, that doesn't appear to be the case at Massimos, with several customers commenting on the excellent prices.
One person, who described the restaurant as 'a diamond in the rough', said: "I love this place - food, staff, uber good food at uber low prices."
Another added: "If you want a town meal without the high prices this is the one. I for one will definitely be back very soon."
But above all, it seems the main reason people keep coming back is the service with a smile, with one comment, describing the dinner as a five-star experience, summing up the feedback of many.
It reads: "The staff are excellent and run the restaurant like clockwork, the food is excellent as we had a party of five people there and everyone cleared their plates in each course.
"I was surprised at the total bill as I expected it to be quite a lot more.
"I can certainly recommend Massimos."
The reviews certainly speak for themselves.
To find out about more about the much-loved Massimos and for a look at the menus, make sure to visit their website here.
Have you visited Massimos and what did you think? Let us know in the comments!
