Small Italian restaurant that focuses on the food. We ate some pastas we had not seen since being in Italy. They were well prepared. If you want wine with dinner you can bring your own and they will uncork it. As much as I liked the bread, I found it to be too heavy with oil. The staff was attentive and the atmosphere was nice. We will come here again
(5)
Jonathan B.
I was very disappointed with this place. Atmosphere: The parking lot is share with the side of a sketchy strip mall. Located between two gas stations with a sign that is easy to miss. Don't come in expecting it to be a classy place. Service: Service was fine - not fast or slow. Our waiter was dressed nicely but he was very casual in terms of attitude. Food: The food itself can be compared to Olive Garden. It literally tasted like they took out some frozen food - thawed and cooked it - and served it. Overall: Pass. Big ole Pass.
(2)
Clint R.
Went for lunch yesterday and had place pretty much to ourselves. Service was prompt and friendly. Fresh bread delivered to table was outstanding as well was the Stromboli we ordered. Food was great. Not sure why this place was empty at 12:30. I will certainly come back.
(5)
Ellen D.
My boyfriend took me here last night and I wasn't really impressed. My boyfriend loves this restaurant and defended everything I said about it, but something's weren't really defendable. First off, it's really confusing because on the outside its super dingy and tiny and its next to a busy street and a gas station, so it's not the best location for this restaurant because it looks really nice on the inside. So as for the food, the main course wasn't as good as I was expecting for the price that it was. And as an appetizer my boyfriend ordered mussels, which weren't actually on the menu but they had them anyway. We didn't get our bread until the mussels came out and that was a bit of a wait. But when the mussels actually came out, they smelled like my dog, which was a little unsettling. They tasted fine though I guess. I think the worst part though was that when they brought out my water, there was a tiny dead bug in it. So that was pretty gross, I ended up taking my boyfriends water instead, then when they brought me a replacement water, there was like paper or something floating around in it. Sooo check your water before you drink it. One last thing, it was freezing cold in the restaurant. I mean that could happen at any other restaurant, but just have a sweater o hand just in case.
(3)
Katie D.
I usually don't write reviews after only visiting once, but I doubt I'll be back anytime soon since I don't live in Nashville! I just want to say that the food here was superb for the price! It's true, the service was a little slow. The restaurant wasn't very busy and yet we waited an unnecessary length of time to be seated. But it was totally worth it! To start, you can bring in your own wine, and there is a wine and spirit shop conveniently located next door. We ordered the appetizer sampler and it was very good. I was most excited for the mozzarella sticks (homemade!), but these ended up being the weakest link of the meal. They were mostly all bread with very little cheese. The meatballs on the other hand more than made up for it, as they were top notch! The bruschetta was some of the best I have had, even though this is what I was looking the least forward to! I believe there was even some prosciutto on those bad boys! I ordered the chicken mimmosa which was scrumptious! Too bad at this point I was already mostly full so didn't make it too far into my entree. This is never a bad problem to have though! This might not be the *best* Italian place ever, but for a middle tier option, it is the bees knees! I find that it is hard to find above average Italian food without going full-blown fine dining. At least this is the case in Cincinnati, where I live.
(5)
Yamille H.
I was on a long road trip from Miami, Fl to Niagara Falls. I was very very hungry and needed a place to eat. Being with the vegan bf makes it hard to eat anywhere. So I start looking for Italian bc that's actually the easiest for the both of us to find something. We stumbled across this gem. It is in a weird location. It's like behind a gas station, but don't be put off by that. The place inside is great. The walls are filled with artwork and the mood lighting is very intimate. The staff was very friendly and attentive throughout our entire meal. I had the mozzarella sticks. I know it sounds pretty standard, but let me tell you: I was so happy that I ordered these. They were anything but basic. I can't put my finger on it, but there was something so delicious. There was something that made it taste like no other mozzarella stock I ever had. I think it may have been the blend of cheeses and the breading was different and very tasty. The free bread sticks are amazing. They are deliciously buttered and seasoned. The house sauce accompanied the bread. It was a delicious marinara like sauce. I ordered the chicken parmesan with spaghetti and the vegan bf ordered spaghetti with the house sauce and no cheese. The chicken parmesan was a big piece of chicken that was not dry at all. The crust and cheese that was on the chicken was very good. The cheese was perfectly melted and It all worked so well together. The pasta was perfectly done and the sauce was so good. I was happy that it was the same sauce that was served with the bread sticks. I couldn't finish it all. It was a large portion so I took some to the hotel. Luckily the hotel had a microwave... I had it for breakfast the next day. Don't judge me. Oh! Before I forget- talking with the staff I found out the chicken is organic. I told them they should put that on the menu since I think that's a great selling point. It made sense that it was organic though. I was full, but I didn't get the gross feeling of overeating and wanting to die. I just felt pleasantly plump. The vegan said he liked his pasta alot and offered alot of flavor for such a simple dish. He was happy they adhered to his request of no cheese and that they were able to recite what ingredients were in his food to quell his nervousness of eating something he can't. Although, he almost broke for the bread sticks. Sadly, the breadsticks are lightly brushed with butter. He was eating them with his eyes! I didn't get dessert because I was so full, but the have a variety of of portions that all sounds delicious. I wish I had access to this place all the time. It would have become my go-to spot for dinner. The food didn't get me sick to my stomach which is always my fear in life since I tend to have tummy issues and I was on a road trip. This place was def a good choice. Easy to get in and get out of the parking lot and close to the major hwy we were driving.
(5)
Ingrid E.
Nashville's best kept secret in my opinion. The first time I went, we pulled up to a trailer and I was worried that my parents were crazy. After trying to find parking and wedging in the non-existent waiting area in the trailer, we were finally seated and had the best meal. ever. The food is delicious, the service is excellent. They don't have a bar, but you can bring in your own wine or beer and pay a corkage fee. I went back on a date and it was so romantic. If you haven't been, go. now.
(5)
Joshua K.
Nice place. Good quality Italian food w/o the fancy bells and whistles.
(4)
Michelle C.
Took 2.5 hours from start to finish and we were happy about that. We were with friends we hadn't seen in months and enjoyed the time together. Food was very good. The 4 of us each had something different, we had bruschetta'and calamari apps. Great bread with salads. We finished with cheese cake and a cannoli. All very good. The service isn't outstanding (hence the 4 stars) but overall a really good option for Italian. Its BYOB/wine. There is a wine shop next door if you forget your at home.
(4)
Laura G.
Not a fan. WAY too expensive for what you're getting. They act like they're making their own pasta. Not at all. Throw the pasta in boiling water, dump marinara sauce on top and charge $13? No thanks. The point of having a restaurant in a gas station parking lot is the "cheap" factor. No. I could go to City House if I want to spend $100 for dinner and eat amazing food. Not this spot. Never again.
(2)
Liz C.
Mom & pop home cooked Italian food. Menu is simple & all the dishes are really quite tasty. As appetizers we ordered mozzarella sticked that were huge & good. We also ordered a caprese salad, the tomatoes & the mozzarella was so fresh & it all flew off the plates. The garlic bread is large, buttery & hot. So good. With your entrees it includes a house salad. (No cesar salad unfortunately.) Also, I didn't care much for the house salad & their Italian dressing. My dinner made up for it though. I ordered the cheese tortellini calabresse. It was very good with the grilled mushrooms, onions, red peppers & sausages. The BF ordered chicken Marsala & while the chicken was good the Marsala sauce was too sweet for his taste. For dessert we ordered the Tiramisu & it was really very very good. Why the 3 star review for such great food all around? Well, the service was crap & it took over an hour to get our food for a party of 8. Also, our waitress just dropped the check on our table before even asking if we want coffee or dessert. We had to tell her we weren't done & wanted dessert. It was also really weird how they brought out our food 2 or 1 at a time & it took a while until we all had our food. Not to mention that we all didn't get menus & it took a long time for her to take our order. Another annoying but about the crappy service is that one of the members of our party had a 3 year old & as soon swear river we asked for a high chair. It took them 15 minutes until we finally got the high chair & after asking a 2nd & 3rd time. Go for the really great home cooked Italian food but don't go in a hurry & have patience.
(3)
John T.
I have been coming here ever since I found it 20yrs ago. I have never had a bad meal and the wait staff is great. I have read several reviews on here that I find suspicious. Our waiter was very attentive and spent just the right amount of time at our table and was very friendly. Our food was delicious as usual. I had the pesto pasta. The prices for what you get is excellent. 4 of us ate dinner for less than 60$. They do not serve alcohol but there is a sprits store next door and they only charge 5$ for a cork fee. Our waiter opened our wine and poured for us and when our wine glasses ran low he came back and asked if we wanted to be topped off.
(5)
Kristine T.
Waited ten minutes for seating.No one else in restaurant. My realtor suggested this place. We both ordered scampi, I asked for NO PARMesan cheese. It takes at least 40 minutes to prepare, then mine has parmesan cheese all over it, The waitress tells me to just scape it off.!!! It was all throughout so I ate the 5 shrimp that came with it andstill had to pay 14.00 for it. My realtor took two bites and sent hers back. She said " This is not what I expected.Take it back. Worst Italian food I have ever had in Nashville and I have been here since 1972. The service was AWFUL.I could have done better at Romanos Macaroni Grill...I will go there next. Oh....and the response from my review on Citysearch and Facebook was. was sorry...come back soon. Yes when Hell freezes over!!!!!!!
(1)
Erin J.
Since I've been to Mama Mia's at least 5 times over the years, I thought it was about time to write a review. Let me start out by saying: if you're in a hurry, DO NOT come here! The restaurant is also quite chilly, so be sure to bring a jacket or sweater. I've always come for lunch, but I assume dinner is the same way. The food is definitely tasty featuring very generous portions. They also bring out some yummy bread prior to the meal, so it helps tide you over while you wait. I think I've ordered the same thing every single time - the manicotti. It always comes out piping hot which is great. It does seem to take forever though. We waited 30 minutes last time - far too long to come very often! All in all, the food is delicious. They have all sorts of pasta dishes but also have paninis and calzones. I know I'll be back for lunch, but I'll have to make sure I can be gone for longer than an hour!
(3)
Laura M.
Last night my husbands sales crew went to mama mia's for dinner as part of hitting their sales goal. There is about 25 of us and we showed up around 7 on a saturday night. The ladies that worked there where very nice and a bit overwhelmed with us *I would be too* because we can be a bit rowdy at times. We were there for about 2 hours and the service was nice, my water was never empty and my hubby had refills constantly of his pop. The food was OK not the best Italian I've had but pretty darn good. OMIGOODNESS the bread before the meal was divine. My only complaint was the marinara was too sweet, I know LAME but I prefer my sauce savory. I had the mama stravaganza which is a sampler plate, I got manicotti, lasagna, and chicken parmesan. My husband had the pesto, the pesto was delicious, but my sampler plate all tasted similar, so next time I'll get just one type of entree. The owner of the restaurant is the cook and she actually owns the cuban restaurant just down the street as well. She herself is from Cuba and is seriously the sweetest person you'll ever meet. We had her flan, which was amazing because she uses a caramel mango sauce on top of homemade custard. It was really really good and unique. I liked this place a lot, quite memorable in many ways.
(4)
Kristin Marie S.
The search is over I found scrumptious Italian food in Nashville!! Wa-hoo! I actually slept better that night knowing I wouldn't have to spend months finding decent Italian. So why does this place get 5 stars? 5 reasons for 5 stars. Number 1: It's basically in a trailer with a foundation. Some of the best Italian food in NJ was served in a trailer and cash only. (This place is NOT cash only.) Cozy and romantic, the way it should be! Number 2: There is a painting of an almost naked lady in the bathroom. The other artwork is just as kitschy. Number 3: The chicken basilica was everything it was supposed to be!! Priced decently too. Number 4: They got the garlic bread almost down. Yeah I know, I said almost but it was the best yet! Number 5: $5 wine corkage fee!! You can also bring in beer or hard alcohol!!! If you forget they are conveniently located next to a liquor store. (Author's note, this is 5 stars in Nashville, not 5 stars in the continental US.)
(5)
Lee P.
I found my Nashville Italian joint. I married an Italian - her father and all of her relatives are from (and many of them still live in) Italy. Mama Mia's would impress all of them. Try the bruschetta and for your entree try the gnocchi with the veal sauce. Be prepared to wait.
(5)
Char D.
Let me start by saying this has been one of my favorite places to eat in Nashville so it sucks that I'm having to 3 star them. :/ BUT inconsistency kills this place. We want last night and I was totally let down. No specials, no lasagna, ran out of bread and didn't have anymore until our entrees came out which took forever. We drank our whole bottle of wine and we lost a member of our party all while waiting on our food. Service is meh.. Me and mama mias I think are in need of a long break.
(3)
Ariell S.
the most authentic italian food in town by far!!!!!!
(5)
Cecil B.
This place is great!!! Byob with a liquor store right next door to pick up some wine. Service is super friendly. Food was really tasty. Best Italian in Nashville. And it's never crowded.
(5)
Jay G.
This is one of the most bittersweet reviews I have written on Yelp. I have lived within a mile of Mama Mias for about five years now and never have once tried it until last night. I always heard good things from people throughout the community, but for some reason never stopped in to give them a chance. That is the bitter part of this review because I have been missing many years of wonderful Italian comfort food. Nonetheless, the sweet is the sweetest because my wife and I have a new favorite Italian restaurant. As we indulged in our meal we quickly realized we were experiencing something special. The food was perfectly executed. Not over salted, the right amount of cheese, and FRESH ingredients...this my friends are the keys to great Italian food. Do not be fooled by the other low ratings that were given for this restaurant...the will only deter you from the true definition of deliciousness. I understand everyone's pallet is different but realize that real Italian food is not "Pizza Hut". Fast food Italian is all preservatives, tons of salt and cheese, they do this to mask how bad the food is because cheese makes everything somewhat better. As for folks saying they were slow, that's incorrect. We were informed as soon as we were seated that all the food prepared is made from scratch so it takes a little longer. We were there 1 hour and five minutes with salads, two baskets of bread, mozzarella sticks for an app, our dinner courses, and finished a whole bottle of wine. Again, this is not fast food. This is a restaurant that produces quality, made from scratch food. I do not mind one taking a little extra time in preparing food in order to receive a quality product at the end. Trust me, do yourself a favor and try them out. I battled a while if I was going to write a review because I did not want anybody to know of this place, but it would not be a service to Mama Mias. Everyone should come and be loved at this place. Do something your future self will thank you for later...eat here.
(5)
Laila S.
My friend and I have been stalking this place for awhile. we work fairly close by but they were closed for a few months, but we finally got in a few weeks ago. looks like they have remodeled according to my friend who had been there before. So whenevery i try a out a new Italian restaurant, I get a few certain items to judge. 1. obiviously the tomato sauce is key, and Mama Mia's has a pretty decent one. Its not the best but in the top 3 of the Nashville restaurants i've tried. 2. The bread with olive oil and herbs (and ideally balsamic vinegar too) theirs was fresh and hot, you could tell it was the same they use for the crust of the pizza, but thats ok, at least they presented it 3. My favorite is the quattro formaggi - they do theirs right, with italian cheeses (and a lot of them) i had them stuffed into a calzoni and they added basil leaves as well, which made it that much more delicious! Overall a great little gem in Crieve Hall, good for date night or lunch.
(4)
Ashli D.
A friend visited this place for dinner based on the Yelp reviews. It is tucked between gas stations and parking is limited. We had fried mozzarella (yum!) and house salads which were also good. The garlic bread sticks were great! She had the chicken and pasta dish and I had penne ala vodka. Both were very good but my friend's dish was loaded with so much garlic it burned your mouth. Other than that, the food and service were great!
(4)
Dan W.
Two for the food, zero for service. I arrived a few minutes before noon, there was only a handful of people inside and two waitresses. My order for a meatball sandwich was taken relatively quickly. By twenty past twelve I was ready to ditch this place. The sandwich finally got to my table about five minutes later. Great sandwich done right, meatballs sliced in half and layered thru the Italian bread. The sauce was tangy, the mozzarella melted, and the sweet pepper I requested was cooked perfect. I had to be at the Nashville airport so I had to search out my waitress to get my check. Figures, she was in back yappin with the other one. Of course, the other one gets busy and disappears when I show up. This place has very good Italian food and has been here for 22 years, I can't say I'll return because of the service. Danno
(2)
Melissa B.
I am so sad to have to leave a bad review for this restaurant. I have heard great things about it, but, experienced the opposite tonight. My father owns restaurants and has taught me the importance of supporting family owned businesses but tonight this one puts family owned businesses to shame. I liked the intimate atmosphere. It is dimly lit and is great for a nice date night. After waiting for a while after placing our order, we received our salad (iceberg lettuce, a slice of tomato, carrots) and breadsticks (breadsticks were pretty good!). At this point, we were underwhelmed but still anticipating an amazing meal. And when I say anticipating...we anticipated a great meal for 25 minutes before we actually received our food. I ordered the Ravioli (can't remember the name but had a cream sauce with chicken and mushrooms) and my husband ordered the chicken marsala. When I received my meal, it was luke warm - the cheese that was supposed to be melted on top was hard...I typically do not send food back but I could not handle the fact that it had clearly been sitting out so I graciously sent it back to be heated up, recooked-whatever. When I received it back (within 3 minutes) it was obvious that it had just been microwaved to a molten lava temperature causing the chicken's texture to literally resemble plastic. I had about 3 bites - I could not handle it (I am the LEAST picky person in the world - if I won't eat something, you know it's bad). My husband's chicken marsala was soup. The sauce was runny and flavorless. He had about 3 bites. The server asked us if we wanted to go boxes and we declined. She paid no attention to the fact that we were clearly unsatisfied. As I said, my father owns restaurants, I understand there are mistakes and no one is perfect. But, the thing that bothered me was that we were not taken care of by any means. No manager came out to apologize for the 25 minute delay in our food - let alone apologize that mine came out nearly cold. This is the attention to detail patrons go to family owned businesses for. Our bill was about $45 for 5 bites of terrible food and a sad feeling that this family owned business would treat their patrons this way.
(1)
Melissa B.
Don't be fooled by the exterior. When you walk inside you are transported to a candlelit and intimate little Italian nook. It is simple yet romantic. The prices are extremely reasonable and its BYOB. They do charge a small corking fee. The servers have always been very nice and helpful when it comes to suggesting delicious menu items. I know a lot of people on here have mentioned slow service however that has never been a problem for me. These dishes are cooked to order though so that can slow it down a little more! I gave them 4 out of 5 stars because of their menu changes. I actually like their old menu much better. I have had a couple of dishes on the new menu that I didn't love. Their classics like their lasagna and manicotti are great. The seafood dishes I've had I didn't love. I noticed this time they've added some lighter pasta dishes that I look forward to trying. Their salads are always delicious as is their bread basket. This is definitely one of my favorite places in Nashville!
(4)
Melissa F.
This place is adorable and a great date night spot. The food and service were great. From the location and outside wouldn't even know this was a gem in the rough! Plus it's BYOB!
(5)
Andy B.
I would have given this place 5 stars because the meal was really good, we both had their chicken Marsala, the dish I judge every Italian restaurant by, and it was great, but I think they had one waitress for the whole restaurant. I never saw another one. Granted it was Tuesday, but this poor girl brought us wine glasses, $5 cork fee which rocks, and my glass was dirty. She didnt remember to bring me a clean one til mid meal, but I don't blame her. She did everything else fantastically. Took our order without writing it down. Great food, good bread, nice meal, but if you are looking for one of those places where they have a guy in the corner with a pitcher scanning the room for half empty water glasses, this ain't it.
(4)
Michael M.
4 stars? huh? Went here on 'date night' last Friday. Waited 20 minutes for our order to be taken. Waitress was nice but clueless and totally disinterested. Overall 2 1/2 hours, I should have bought two bottles of vino. Once we got the food it was 'ok'. I had the cozze (mussels) which weren't brutal. I specifically asked if the eggplant dish I ordered was smothered in red sauce and slop. Waitress said 'No' but it was. The wife had a chicken dish she didn't finish and the cannoli had a citrus orangy cream filling that was terrible. Of course once again I was skunked in Nashville - NO espresso!!!!! Waitress said she needed to run over to the Cuban restaurant next door. Huh? half spilled and cold; no thanks I'l make a pot when I get home! Bottom line, if you are going to own a restaurant you might as well go ALL THE WAY and do it right. Dinner out is a total experience from the time you walk in the door to the last sip of espresso, I mean coffee. They missed the memo, never again.
(2)
Kevin W.
My favorite Italian restaurant in Nashville. Don't judge this book by its cover; this small block building between two gas stations is home to some of the best food you'll ever eat. Also, instead of overpriced drinks, you can bring in your own bottle of wine. There's a small corking fee, but it's still Way cheaper that wine at most restaurants. The atmosphere is great and very authentic, too.
(5)
Howard L.
Slow, slow slow. I went last night thinking it might be OK to eat there when it's half empty. It is not. Walked in at around 7 PM for a table for two. The restaurant had several open tables and a waitress was cleaning the carpet when we got there. That's generally a good sign, wait staff trying to keep themselves busy. We were seated immediately with menus. 20 minutes later we were still sitting there. No water, no greeting, no nothing. Finally got some water and we ordered our meals. I got the Veal piccata, my friend got something that I don't even remember what it's called. Wide noodles with some sort of tomato sauce and goat cheese. 30 minutes after we ordered we got bread and we were invited to order salad dressing for our salad. Our waiter hyped up the bleu cheese as the best in the area. It is not. We were given one roll each and when I asked for more bread, I got a fairly mean look and a lot of talk about not eating too much bread. Really? Here's a tip waiter: Wait on us and shut up. 20 minutes after our salads we got our simple pasta meals. He set down our dishes and said he would be right back with cheese. My piccata was OK...nothing to write home about, but the noodles were al dente. The veal itself was not that great. Just a small to medium veal chop on top of some noodles. The wide noodles....nasty. The tomato sauce was super sweet, like Papa John's sweet. Anyways, my friend thought she'd wait for cheese to try to rescue her dish. 15 minutes pass. Nothing. I finally flag down somebody to get cheese, and he looks at our dishes like, "Hold on there, I already put fucking cheese on your dish..." and he gave me an annoyed look and a sigh before getting the cheese and grating some on our dishes. 2 hours, 1 water refill. Glass was empty for the majority of the time. Our waiter...wow. I tried to like him, but in the end he was just annoying and took forever. He had a "charming" accent, but in the end he spent most of the time talking to my female friend rather than addressing both of us, which I found super annoying. The restaurant is very tiny and he had no more than 4 parties at one time. No excuse. The back breaker: 2 hours after we sit, we finally got a bill. There was an extra 6 dollar charge on the hand written check, for which I could find no reason. It was either for asking for cheese on our dishes or for the extra 2 rolls. Either that or he thought he had uncorked some wine for us. I didn't feel like dealing with it so I left what he asked for plus a tip. But that will be my last tip ever for them, because I am not going back. Summary: stingy with bread, stingy with water, time wasters. Too dark as well. Meal for two, no drinks just water. No apps, no desserts. 57 dollars. Also, MC or Visa or Cash only. Thumbs down.
(2)
Chris G.
I have passed this place forever and decided the other day to swing by for lunch. This place has really good food. I mean really good food. It's nice inside and they try to dress it up as much as they can for where it's at. The bathroom is very small but clean. The people I went with decided we would all share and order several items so we could try several things. I liked everything I had. Trust me I know good food and this place is a must try.
(4)
Ozro D.
Considering Mama Mia's is stuck in between two gas stations, I never assumed much when I drive past this place. However, a friend's recommendation persuaded me to give it a chance. Turns out, this is one of the most straightforward dining experiences you can have. There's no flair, no overdecoration, no superfriendly waiters. In fact, there is very little waiter presence at all. It's just good food. I'm not sure I'd be bold enough to say it's the best italian in town, since I've really only tried major chains, but it's certainly not a stretch to say that this is better than most. It might not be cheap, but I'm not sure of any nice Italian restaurants that are. The portions are also very generous, leaving me with plenty leftover for the next day. Adding benefit is the restaurant's BYOB status. The corking fee may be annoying, but it's still cheaper than buying wine at any other restaurant. Plus, in addition to the donut shop and aforementioned gas stations, Mama Mia's shares a parking lot with a liquor store, making it easy to grab a bottle before walking in. That they're able to survive in such an odd location with what would generally be considered awful service is a testament to how good their food is. Singing waiters may be fun, but I'd much rather have great food, and Mama Mia's is a place to find it.
(4)
Rachel F.
Bottom line: Will not return. Went with a party of 6. Had reservations for a Monday night. We spent a total of 2.5 hours stuffed into this tiny, stuffy, uncomfortable mess of a "restaurant" because the service is THAT slow. Appetizers: cheese sticks and calamari. I've had better cheese sticks at Sonic, but the calamari was quite good. Not rubbery at all. Salads: Terrible. Dressings were not good, and the salad is just a bowl of lettuce with a slice of tomato and some black olives. Main dishes: Mediocre. I threw away my leftovers. Desserts: didn't try the tiramisu, but the cannoli are a super gross mix of chocolate and orange, and the chocolate cake is swimming in sauce but is still dry as a bone. No espresso, no cappuccino, but are clearly listed on the menu. Our waitress was super annoyed with us for ordering dessert, and took her sweet time getting us our check. WE NEVER SAW AN ITEMIZED BILL. Each couple was charged over $60, but we have no idea what we paid for. Very unprofessional. I will not eat here again, but if you do, GO TO THE BATHROOM. The "art" in the men's room is something else, while the women's room contains a nightmare. We took photos. And the Jesus painting with the actual hole in it is something to behold as well.
(2)
Lyrad V.
This is the best Italian in Nashville, hands down, which is amazing since the owners are not Italian... they are Cuban or Colombian or something. They also own Back to Cuba cafe pretty much next door. Check that place out too. Both located where you'd never see it unless you were looking for it. In short, I won't even go into specific entrees because everything I've ever gotten is amazing. But I will note that their bruschetta is by far the best I've even had. Good portions, reasonable prices. My husband and I are in agreement that this place is the best. Most people we know that have eaten here have said the same. I noticed some of the lower reviews are not about the food, but about the wait and service. We know this place is popular and they don't take reservations. So we always go to dinner around 5:30 or 6 and don't have a problem at all. If you have a group and get there 6:30 or after, be prepared to wait a while. No bar to wait. This is a BYOB place with a minimal corking fee. If you don't give Mama Mia's a try, you are really missing out!
(5)
Janet Y.
I have had this restaurant bookmarked for a while, and today I finally got a chance to check it out! We picked this location for a work group outing, and we couldn't have been more pleased. First of all, the service was excellent. While the dining area is fairly small, they seated our group of 10 right away for lunch. Our server was attentive but not overbearing. As we waited for a few stragglers in our group to arrive, out came this gooey, buttery, delicious garlic bread on the house! I think I had four pieces! Everything on the lunch menu ranged from about $7-13, from salads and strombolis to pasta and pizza dishes. I ordered a Marinara pasta dish that was fantastic! Everyone at our table ooohed and awed as their dish came out and the praises kept coming even after the food was cleared into our tummies. Mama Mia's is hard to find on Trousdale Dr. especially if you aren't looking for it, but it's definitely a place worth seeking out!
(4)
Clayton K.
It's ok. Nothing special. Service is slow and food is a little overpriced. Pasta is cheap so I've never understood $15 plus for pasta dishes. I had the chicken raviolis. They were tasty but like said worth about $10. The cheese sticks we got we a nice size but the forgot to melt the cheese on the inside so it was just a big piece of what felt like rubber on inside. Not sure how you mess up cheese sticks? Overall 3 stars. In a city like nashville there is def better places.
(2)
Frank M.
First time. It was peaceful, they played Italian music and the service was nice. The meals were expensive but the food was great and definitely filling. I enjoyed my time here.
(3)
Eddy W.
We have been here a before and the food is excellent. It was my gf's birthday so we decided to go there to eat.. When we pulled up the parking lot was empty. I wondered if they were closed or we had gotten there too early. Well we found out that the head chef wasn't there that night as he/she had to go to the emergency room. The staff informed us they had a very limited menu that night which disappointed us. But the food was still good and the service was great. Since it was slow the waiter sung Happy Birthday to my gf. I should rate this 5 stars due to the service we received but on this night with the food not being as good as normal it gets 4 stars. I am sure the next time we go it will be a 5 star rating
(4)
Amber K.
The food is ok, but don't come here if you're hungry because you'll have to wait. Our waitress told us everything on the menu takes 45 mins and because they were busy it would take longer. I wouldn't have minded the wait if it didn't take so long to get us simple things like bread and salad. We also waited a while just to place our order. I had the ravioli di pollo al forno. I didn't like the filling. My husband had the tortellini amore which was also just ok. Also, they only had coke, diet coke, sprite and unsweet tea. Still hunting for some good Italian food...
(2)
Joseph P.
Wait time: absurd. Food: meh. I've been a few times either out of convenience or just wanting to give another chance. The mushroom ravioli were pretty good, mussels were tasty. Salad is iceberg straight out of a bag. Service is the worst- no reason to ever wait as long as they force you to. And for halfway decent food and bad service, truly not worth what they charge.
(3)
Carly H.
The food here is absolutely phenomenal. I ate with four people; we all ordered a different entre and everyone absolutely raved about the quality of the food. Our waiter was attentive and knowledgable about the menu, and was able to answer all of our questions. He recommended the bruschetta as a starter, and it was fantastic. We were too full to try any desserts (see later in the post about portion sizes!) but next time we are planning to skip the appetizer and save room. It is a little pricey compared to other Italian places, but the portions are enormous. I will be making at least two meals out of my plate, so to me the prices are worth it. It is BYOB, as others have mentioned, but there is a liquor store located conveniently next door, so that is easily remedied if you wish to have a bottle of wine or hard liquor. I will definitely be making many return visits here!
(4)
J C.
SLOW. This is place to dine, not eat. In 1.5hrs my wife and I got 2 breadsticks each and 2 water refills. We had to request our order be changed to "to-go" to accommodate our baby sitter. The food was good yet colder once we got home. Will only attempt again as a "to-go" place
(2)
Karen G.
This might be as good as it gets. Our first time at this neighborhood, unassuming on the outside, jewel. Unassuming? If you don't know about it you will probably keep on driving. It literally sits between two gas stations. Inside is quite a surprise and a real treat. The smell is delicious, garlic, basil, oregano, bread and mushrooms and the ambiance is surprising comfortable. They don't take reservations for two but we were seated quickly and the service as on time and attentive. Our meals were amazing, Pasta Vagabondo and Mushroom Ravioli with chicken were fresh, interesting and quite honestly the best pasta dishes I've had in years. The price is very affordable especially since you bring you own wine, cocktails, ect. Love, love, love this little place.
(5)
Michele H.
Good food. It was good we came early because dinner takes awhile. We came with friends so we loved the time to visit. Definitely don't come if you're in a hurry.
(4)
Daniel B.
Love it. It's hard to go wrong with any menu item. I just can't begin to write about the various items because their whole menu deserves a review. One cool note: the Back to Cuba restaurant a few doors down provides the coffee! Hmmm...perfect. Stop reading...go eat! Buon appetito!
(5)
Elle w.
Absolutely DELICIOUS. Really, I have never had anything bad here. Let me warn you: it is BYOB (but there is a liquor/wine store next door), and it's going to be a leisurely meal. Everything is prepared after your order so while it takes some time, you can be sure that it is hot and fresh. Also they are great about making substitutions to their pastas (no mushrooms but add garlic please)! It can be busy, so make sure you phone ahead to see what the wait time is.
(4)
Steve M.
I don't know if I went on a bad night, but I really was not impressed with Mama Mia's. We arrived and we were greeted by a friendly female who sat us at our table and took our drink orders. I asked for iced tea, and she said the restaurant did not have any (this is a first - what restaurant would not have iced tea?). I then asked what she had that was sugar free, and she said normally Diet Coke, but that the soda machine was broken. She said my only sugar free beverage choice was a glass of tap water. Definitely not a good way to start the meal at a restaurant that strives to be 'fine dining' with $15-20 dollar entrees. A male waiter then comes to our table asking to take our order before we had a chance to even look at the menu. We asked what he recommended and he said "everything". That did not help us narrow our selection. We both order the Siciliana with Bolognese (spaghetti with meat sauce), with a side of meatballs. The salad comes out and was fine. The dressing seemed to be store bought and not from scratch, but it wasn't a big deal. The garlic bread we received was stale and hard as if it had been reheated in the microwave a few too many times and was dripping in butter. We left it in the basket. Gross. The meal then arrives and we begin to eat. First off, they got the order entirely wrong - we ordered Bolognese sauce and they served it with Marinara sauce instead. The sauce was so sweet that my dinner companion said it tasted more like a dessert than a dinner entree! The meatballs were ok, but cold in the center as if they had been re-heated, and the pasta (which they told us was from scratch) was out of a box (yes, i can easily tell the difference). The entire experience reminded me of the Food Network show Sandra Lee/Semi Homeade. Its as if they were trying to be fine dining, but it was an epic failure. My dinner guest could not eat his meal because it had so much sugar in the sauce (and they put the wrong sauce on the pasta to begin with). The restaurant did take it off the bill, but made some odd comment about "had you eaten more than 25% of it, we would not have been able to remove it from the bill". isn't that an odd thing to say in a 'fine dining' establishment? In a nutshell, Mama Mia's may be fine as a $5.99 lunch special dive, but as a dinner/fine dining establishment, it has a long way to go.
(2)
Heather P.
Definitely NOT pleased with this place. My boyfriend had raved about this place in the past and couldn't wait to introduce me to it, but after our visit there a couple of weeks ago, he's now wondering if the place is under new management. We started with an appetizer of calamari. The breading was sparse, it was soggy, and very minimally seasoned. I also found the marinara dipping sauce to be pretty bland. For an entree, my boyfriend ordered the sampler plate of lasagna, manicotti, and chicken parmesan and thought it was just "alright". I tried a bite of each and again, thought the sauce was very bland. For my meal, I went with the one of the pizzas. The outer crust was just barely crisp, but the underside of the pie was like eating RAW DOUGH! I ate one slice and just couldn't sit there and eat anymore! To give them the benefit of the doubt, I got a to-go box and took the pizza home with us. The next day, we heated up the leftovers for lunch and even after 20 minutes in the oven, it was STILL doughy. We ended up throwing it away! Overpriced Italian cuisine...probably could've done better had we gone to Olive Garden...and I am not the type of person who frequents chain restaurants. Very disappointed.
(2)
Samantha joelle A.
Mama Mia's was a quaint little place tucked away, not generally seen unless you're actually looking for it. I was sent here based on recommendation, and was I glad that I took that person's advice. First of all, Mama Mia's has an awesome BYOB policy, where they charge a small corkage fee and anyone can bring their own bottle of wine. The fact that there is a liquor store right next door makes this very convenient. My friends and I weren't aware of this until we went into the restaurant and saw practically every table had a couple empty bottles of wine that they had brought with them. Now we know for next time. Both my friends and I were extremely satisfied with the food that we ordered. I got a mushroom ravioli that was probably the best ravioli I have ever had. The bread that they serve with dinner was very tasty. My friends and I loved the authentic Italian feel of the place, and the service was quick and on top of it. All in all, I could not find one thing to complain about. I was just excited to discover a new Italian gem in Nashville.
(4)
Amy C.
The carbonara was so rich and unctuous I couldn't finish half my plate. That's no disparagement, just an observation. I thought it could've used a little something to balance the butter - the waitress looked at me as though I was mad when I asked for some fresh-ground pepper. The bread was good, though we thought it could have used a lot more garlic! The salad was a bit of nothing. I thought it was odd that the server didn't tell us it was a Balsamic Vinaigrette and called it "Italian" when I asked about a house dressing. As to ambiance, the place is very clean and neat inside. But the thrum of what I think was the air conditioner (or a massive blower of some kind) really gave me a headache after awhile. I couldn't get used to it.
(3)
Jason S.
Totally underwhelmed. First, I have no idea why a small restaurant with no bar and no lobby would not take reservations. I despise places that don't take reservations and generally as a rule avoid them, but if you choose to do so, you should probably have a place for people to wait, and I don't know, maybe help them bear the wait by letting them get loaded and order appetizers. Who knows? You might make some money out of it. And let me tell you, when we tried to go here with three pregnant women, this sort of business model really shows its weaknesses. When we finally got in, after waiting outside in the cold with three very pregnant, and very hungry women and their respective spouses, we were greeted by okay Italian food and uneven service. It was pretty pricey, too. Nobody at the table was really "wowed" by their meals. I am all for intimate, cozy, romantic experiences, but not at the cost of inconvenience that overshadows the pros.
(2)
MACK L.
I have loved this little Italian jewel in the Crieve Hall neighborhood for many years. The veal dishes are my favorite. REMEMBER, there is no alcohol served here but they encourage you to BYOB of wine or a six pack of beer. If you forgot to bring along your favorite Chianti, there is a liquor store next door. Makes the whole meal very inexpensive since our bar tab is usually as high as the food bill. Take note, Young Guys Dating on a Budget, this is a cozy, candlelit, oddly romantic place. You will still have enough money for Sunday brunch in the morning. I promise you will like it.
(4)
Tim W.
In short great food terrible service! I have been here twice now and the experience has been consistent both times. The food is great but the waiters are slow, rude and it just makes it a overall negative experience.
(1)
Shannon R.
Besides the disorganized wait, this place is a MUST! My boyfriend and I decided to finally try Mama Mias on our 2 yr. anniversary. We did wait about an hour, there was not anybody really taking down your name so we just kinda started to form a line( kinda cool though b/c you have no choice but to talk to the other people waiting) But once you are inside and seated......TOATLLY WORTH IT! ~ Our server was very nice and on top of things ~The Bruchetta App. is delicious ~Very cozy, dim lighting, candlelight, smells amazing in there:) ~The Sampler( Stravaganza) is the perfect dish to split. Plenty of food for two people and you get to try 3 of their most popular items. ~The breadsticks are heavenly ~Best Tiramisu I HAVE EVER HAD! ~AND THE BEST THING....BYOW ( bring your own wine)....$5 corkage fee.....but by doing this saves so much money and not to mention its super neat too! ~All together we loved it, and will most definately be back. And not to mention we ate alot of GREAT ITALIAN FOOD for UNDER $50! Cant beat that!
(4)
Dessa T.
Four words: best. Italian. in. Nashville. There's no point in writing specifics about the food because it's all amazing. They do not take reservations and it's a small (snug? intimate?) place. If you go on a Friday or Saturday night be prepared for a long (and possibly frustrating) wait. It's worth it (but if you really hate waiting, go at 5:30 or on a weeknight - don't skip it entirely!). Sometimes it does seem as if the staff is a bit disorganized and/or overwhelmed. Don't let what I'm about to say deter you, but it's really better to go when you are relaxed (i.e. you are in the mood for a nice, long evening with your honey, rather than you are grumpy because you haven't eaten all day and you are trying to fit dinner in before catching a movie). Mama Mia's is a great date spot. Because it's so cozy and busy, I personally would not go with more than 4 or 5, but I often see large groups there during high traffic hours and they seem to make it work. They don't serve wine, so bring your own and plan to pay a small corking fee. These are just a few things to know before you go - if you haven't tried it yet, you are really missing out!!
(4)
Robin S.
Great place to go for a low-key, authentic Italian dinner! It doesn't look like much from the outside--heck or from the inside. It's clean but small, and they have the requisite checkered tablecloths and candles on the tables, but it's nothing too fancy. Doesn't need to be. If the food is good (it's outstanding) that's all that matters! I suggest reservations, just because it's again, a small place, but they do take walk-ins. Just be prepared to wait. Another thing I love about it is that you have to bring your own wine--they don't serve it! It's a $5 cork fee (pretty sure on that) which really, is a deal if you think about what most restaurants make you pay for a bottle of ho-hum wine. This way, you bring whatever you want and only pay a minimal price. Most meals come with a salad and delicious buttery, garlicy breadsticks all for a very reasonable price. I usually get out of there for about $15. Great for date night, or night out with the girls. I've never had bad service either! Mama Mia's is one place I'll go back to time and again.
(4)
Chris T.
Normally not one to write restaurant reviews - but our experience recently at Mama Mia's compelled me to send this one as a caution for people considering dining here. Been there only twice - and the first time (6 months ago) was a good experience overall. Not overly impressed with the atmosphere or service - but the food was outstanding. Then, last week we went back only to find the service was atrocious (slow and inattentive to basic needs). We went early on a Saturday to avoid the rush but it didn't matter. Many around us had the same problem and at least one couple walked out. After an hour - we finally were served and the food was actually quite good. But the wait and hassle were simply not worth it. They can recover - but need to focus on the basics and be consistent.
(2)
Tim R.
I've patronized Mama Mia's for over a decade. The food is great. Service always has room for improvement though. Staff is slow and disorganized. I cannot recall a visit where the service was good. Be careful on holidays because they offer only prix fixe menus that rely heavily on meat or seafood. Found this out the hard way when we were denied our usual dish on Valentines Day, thus requiring us to change our plans on a very busy dining day after we had been seated. They charge a corking fee also. You would think that after having a rehearsal dinner there, having various holiday dinners there, and bringing new people often that they would be more sensitive to a long time customer's expectations and holiday plans. Guess they can't be bothered though.
(2)
Kevin E.
Terrible service, no one came to our table to even say hello after 10 minutes. I complained to two servers and still nothing so we left. Only three other tables occupied! Fortunately Back to Cuba was next door, they have authentic food and friendly attentive service.
(1)
Jennifer S.
So yeah, it's in a strip mall. But the inside is really cozy and the food is delicious. It's a BYO, which I think is so fun. The corkage fee is $5 and if you forget your wine, no problem: there's a liquor store a couple of doors down in the same strip. I had what I believe was called penne alla san giovannello, which was a cream-based sauce with mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and Italian sausage. The pasta was perfectly al dente and the sauce was flavorful without just being doused in salt. The fried calamari were huge and the green dipping sauce was delicious. Our server was very friendly. I'd highly recommend Mama Mia's!
(4)
Stephanie K.
We've been going to this little gem for years. The excellent Italian food is a bit slow to come out so if you are toting a tot, bring snacks. Also bring your own wine. I really enjoy the simple menu of very well crafted entrees. I've never had a miss and would recommend it especially for a date or a boisterous gathering of friends.
(4)
Gary R.
Real Italian food is hard to find but Mama Mia's has got you covered. When you walk in you get that aroma of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and real Italian sauces. It is a cozy place and is the epitome of comfort food. This is not a chain and you can tell everything was cooked with care. Now this is Italian - be there.
(5)
Anna A.
I have been going to Mama Mia's for years and it's our go to for Italian. The food is good, the prices are great, the servers are always awesome and their are paintings of naked people without heads in the ladies bathroom. The paintings are always the highlight for my kids even my son ventures in for a look. Of course he comes out one day and says "jeez, I don't see what the big deal is, the artist didn't even bother to paint their heads." I digress... Some of my favorite highlights are that it's BYOB and I think the corkage is only $6 so it's lovely to have nice wine with dinner without spending $10 a glass. Secondly, they serve salad and bread sticks with your meal and they are soooo good. They have a large variety of straight forward Italian fare and there are always left overs. There is a reason this little place has been open for so long with little change to it's menu or decor It's just simple good and they stick with it.
(5)
Ray Ray K.
Great Italian food at a good price. We got the salmon appetizer and the pancetta pasta entree. Brought our own bottle of wine, only a $5 corking fee! Can't beat it! I thought it was funny when we told the server it was our first time and he said, "You'll fall in love with the food here. Not the service or the server, but the food." He was right, but the service wasn't even that bad. The food was a little slow coming out but that just made more time for wine drinking! Cozy atmosphere. The ceilings could be redone with a little more modern flare but an overall attractive place for a date. The only thing i can complain about were the breadsticks. Maybe it was just getting late but they tasted a little stale. But you can also have as many as you want. I would definitely come here for dinner again. (Did i mention the $5 corking fee??)
(4)
Mindi M.
I have been a Mama Mia's fan for years! I tell everyone in Nashville that is is the BEST and my favorite Italian. Unfortunately, Friday night will be my last date night there with my man. We've done it many times. He now refuses to set foot in the restaurant again after once again having terribly poor service. The food is usually spot on and phenomenal but you have to be prepared to WAIT. Not sure if they're just understaffed or if they are being very literal with the Italian flair and think dining should take 3 hours. I think that is fine when you have a large party (hence, the word party) and are visiting with one another. When it is you and your significant other that you see every day, we're mainly there to eat, drink and get on our merry way. How difficult could it be to hire a couple more servers, especially for the weekend. Come on, Mama Mia's, after years of having this issue, can't you fix this problem?!
(3)
Rachael Anne E.
Don't judge this restaurant by it's building. Though painted with an attractive mural, the cement building can be off-putting. However, the best option for Nashville Italian food is inside. You have to bring in your own alcohol, but Radnor Liquors is just a couple store fronts away. The strip center and Mama Mia's shares a parking lot. It's a small restaurant and it can have a wait. It's worth it and you should try it.
(4)
Megan R.
AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL SERVICE!!!! Food is good but the service is awful. Not worth it at all. Not even close. Doesn't even deserve one star.
(1)
Mariela C.
I love Mama Mia's because it makes me feel like I'm actually getting a glimpse of what a traditional Italian restaurant should feel like. It's romantic, cheesy, welcoming, small, and charming all in one package. More importantly I guess, it's good Italian food. However, my reason for reviewing it without a doubt is the fact that it's BYOW (Bring Your Own Wine). Oh heavenly restaurant that lets me bring my own wine to enjoy with my meal and only charges me a few bucks to cork it. Seriously, I like the food, but I love that they let me bring my own wine.
We go here often as a family outing. Great food and hard to go wrong with any order. For Mother's Day I took my Mom and we had a great time and meal. She left her wallet with everything in it by the table and they called us the moment they found it! Thanks Mama Mia and we will definitely be back!
(5)
Josh F.
First let me say that I have been to Mama Mia's on multiple occasions over the past several years and have recommended this restaurant many times for those looking for a great local Italian restaurant. However, on my most recent visit on 8/20/11 I was extremely disappointed to discover that the food quality has decreased to a level so low that I don't think I can give them another chance. My standard order is the chicken parmesan, and minutes after I placed my order at approximately 7:45 pm on a Saturday night, I was informed by the waitress that they "had just sold out last order of chicken parmesan." This was fine as I have other menu items that I also have had and really enjoy. I decided on a chicken and mozzarella with olive oil base pasta item while my wife went with the chicken with spinach and fettucini cream sauce. We had both had these dishes on previous visits and they were thoroughly enjoyed. However, on this visit, the pasta tasted completely unseasoned and had little to no sauce on either dish. Additionally, my dish did not have any chicken in it! The taste was so far off of what we had previously experienced that we were at a loss. At the end of the day, I have always been able to put up with the slow, mediocre service because of the high quality, great tasting authentic Italian food that Mama Mia's serves up, but after this occasion I'm afraid they have lost a valuable and repeat customer, not to mention lots of word-of-mouth recommendations. Mama Mia's, call me when you remember how to cook excellent Italian food.
(1)
Tart L.
Romantic, economical and quality eating is the essense of Mama Mia's. Factoring price, food quality and ambiance, this is Nashville's number one best Italian restaurant for me. Sure you can easily drop $100 at several of the West End midtown Italian places. Why bother with such bourgeois places when you can enjoy a modest romantic Mama Mia's for good Italian eating in south Nashville.
(5)
Todd A.
There are certain foods that I expect to be simply good and at a good price, I put Italian food in that category and Mama Mia's meets all of my requirements. For starter, the BYOB is a huge savings as corkage is minimal. The salad is simple but fresh, love the blue cheese dressing! The breadsticks are hot and covered in herb butter, awesome. The entrees are very good and plentiful. I tend to go for the cream sauces with my favorite dish being the Chicken Florentine which consists of a large chicken breast, flattened and grilled over a bed of pasta with an amazing creamy, cheese sauce. Only the added spinach keeps it from falling into the completely sinful category. Because of it I only go a few times a year, doctors orders!! The red sauce items are good as well. It is a place that is not going to blow you away but you will definitely feel you got your moneys worth in portion and quality.
(4)
matt c.
Mama Mia's is a well-met mid-range Italian ristorante owned by the unpretentious geniuses behind near-by Back to Cuba. Making smart use of darkness and candles, the place manages a romantic atmosphere despite officelike drop-ceilings and situation in the midst of the ramshackle not-so-romantic interesection/gas-station plaza at Harding Rd. and Trousdale. But such humility seems to be the common trait of most of the best culinary gems; I think of Gira Polli's old little nook of a place in North Beach... The menu hosts an array of standards from north and south Italy, and a few interesting slightly obscurer things. Salads are not extraordinary but do the job, and include olives as well as the usual romaine/iceberg mix topped with tomatoes and onions . The bruschetta appetizer has a flavorful topping of diced tomato, garlic, onion, basil and pancetta, and the bread is the same kind you get on a cuban pork sandwich: wide, buttery, white and warm but perhaps not toasted enough for our taste. The saltimboca is the house special and features a delicious sauce and includes a side-dish of spinach gnocchi in marinara. The service was very accomodating to our dietary idiosyncrasies. Like Back to Cuba, this establishment is BYO and conveniently located (for all parties!) near a wine store.
(4)
Laila S.
My friend and I have been stalking this place for awhile. we work fairly close by but they were closed for a few months, but we finally got in a few weeks ago. looks like they have remodeled according to my friend who had been there before. So whenevery i try a out a new Italian restaurant, I get a few certain items to judge. 1. obiviously the tomato sauce is key, and Mama Mia's has a pretty decent one. Its not the best but in the top 3 of the Nashville restaurants i've tried. 2. The bread with olive oil and herbs (and ideally balsamic vinegar too) theirs was fresh and hot, you could tell it was the same they use for the crust of the pizza, but thats ok, at least they presented it 3. My favorite is the quattro formaggi - they do theirs right, with italian cheeses (and a lot of them) i had them stuffed into a calzoni and they added basil leaves as well, which made it that much more delicious! Overall a great little gem in Crieve Hall, good for date night or lunch.
(4)
Dan W.
Two for the food, zero for service. I arrived a few minutes before noon, there was only a handful of people inside and two waitresses. My order for a meatball sandwich was taken relatively quickly. By twenty past twelve I was ready to ditch this place. The sandwich finally got to my table about five minutes later. Great sandwich done right, meatballs sliced in half and layered thru the Italian bread. The sauce was tangy, the mozzarella melted, and the sweet pepper I requested was cooked perfect. I had to be at the Nashville airport so I had to search out my waitress to get my check. Figures, she was in back yappin with the other one. Of course, the other one gets busy and disappears when I show up. This place has very good Italian food and has been here for 22 years, I can't say I'll return because of the service. Danno
(2)
Ellen D.
My boyfriend took me here last night and I wasn't really impressed. My boyfriend loves this restaurant and defended everything I said about it, but something's weren't really defendable. First off, it's really confusing because on the outside its super dingy and tiny and its next to a busy street and a gas station, so it's not the best location for this restaurant because it looks really nice on the inside. So as for the food, the main course wasn't as good as I was expecting for the price that it was. And as an appetizer my boyfriend ordered mussels, which weren't actually on the menu but they had them anyway. We didn't get our bread until the mussels came out and that was a bit of a wait. But when the mussels actually came out, they smelled like my dog, which was a little unsettling. They tasted fine though I guess. I think the worst part though was that when they brought out my water, there was a tiny dead bug in it. So that was pretty gross, I ended up taking my boyfriends water instead, then when they brought me a replacement water, there was like paper or something floating around in it. Sooo check your water before you drink it. One last thing, it was freezing cold in the restaurant. I mean that could happen at any other restaurant, but just have a sweater o hand just in case.
(3)
Char D.
Let me start by saying this has been one of my favorite places to eat in Nashville so it sucks that I'm having to 3 star them. :/ BUT inconsistency kills this place. We want last night and I was totally let down. No specials, no lasagna, ran out of bread and didn't have anymore until our entrees came out which took forever. We drank our whole bottle of wine and we lost a member of our party all while waiting on our food. Service is meh.. Me and mama mias I think are in need of a long break.
(3)
Ariell S.
the most authentic italian food in town by far!!!!!!
(5)
Cecil B.
This place is great!!! Byob with a liquor store right next door to pick up some wine. Service is super friendly. Food was really tasty. Best Italian in Nashville. And it's never crowded.
(5)
Yamille H.
I was on a long road trip from Miami, Fl to Niagara Falls. I was very very hungry and needed a place to eat. Being with the vegan bf makes it hard to eat anywhere. So I start looking for Italian bc that's actually the easiest for the both of us to find something. We stumbled across this gem. It is in a weird location. It's like behind a gas station, but don't be put off by that. The place inside is great. The walls are filled with artwork and the mood lighting is very intimate. The staff was very friendly and attentive throughout our entire meal. I had the mozzarella sticks. I know it sounds pretty standard, but let me tell you: I was so happy that I ordered these. They were anything but basic. I can't put my finger on it, but there was something so delicious. There was something that made it taste like no other mozzarella stock I ever had. I think it may have been the blend of cheeses and the breading was different and very tasty. The free bread sticks are amazing. They are deliciously buttered and seasoned. The house sauce accompanied the bread. It was a delicious marinara like sauce. I ordered the chicken parmesan with spaghetti and the vegan bf ordered spaghetti with the house sauce and no cheese. The chicken parmesan was a big piece of chicken that was not dry at all. The crust and cheese that was on the chicken was very good. The cheese was perfectly melted and It all worked so well together. The pasta was perfectly done and the sauce was so good. I was happy that it was the same sauce that was served with the bread sticks. I couldn't finish it all. It was a large portion so I took some to the hotel. Luckily the hotel had a microwave... I had it for breakfast the next day. Don't judge me. Oh! Before I forget- talking with the staff I found out the chicken is organic. I told them they should put that on the menu since I think that's a great selling point. It made sense that it was organic though. I was full, but I didn't get the gross feeling of overeating and wanting to die. I just felt pleasantly plump. The vegan said he liked his pasta alot and offered alot of flavor for such a simple dish. He was happy they adhered to his request of no cheese and that they were able to recite what ingredients were in his food to quell his nervousness of eating something he can't. Although, he almost broke for the bread sticks. Sadly, the breadsticks are lightly brushed with butter. He was eating them with his eyes! I didn't get dessert because I was so full, but the have a variety of of portions that all sounds delicious. I wish I had access to this place all the time. It would have become my go-to spot for dinner. The food didn't get me sick to my stomach which is always my fear in life since I tend to have tummy issues and I was on a road trip. This place was def a good choice. Easy to get in and get out of the parking lot and close to the major hwy we were driving.
(5)
Hart P.
Small Italian restaurant that focuses on the food. We ate some pastas we had not seen since being in Italy. They were well prepared. If you want wine with dinner you can bring your own and they will uncork it. As much as I liked the bread, I found it to be too heavy with oil. The staff was attentive and the atmosphere was nice. We will come here again
(5)
Jay G.
This is one of the most bittersweet reviews I have written on Yelp. I have lived within a mile of Mama Mias for about five years now and never have once tried it until last night. I always heard good things from people throughout the community, but for some reason never stopped in to give them a chance. That is the bitter part of this review because I have been missing many years of wonderful Italian comfort food. Nonetheless, the sweet is the sweetest because my wife and I have a new favorite Italian restaurant. As we indulged in our meal we quickly realized we were experiencing something special. The food was perfectly executed. Not over salted, the right amount of cheese, and FRESH ingredients...this my friends are the keys to great Italian food. Do not be fooled by the other low ratings that were given for this restaurant...the will only deter you from the true definition of deliciousness. I understand everyone's pallet is different but realize that real Italian food is not "Pizza Hut". Fast food Italian is all preservatives, tons of salt and cheese, they do this to mask how bad the food is because cheese makes everything somewhat better. As for folks saying they were slow, that's incorrect. We were informed as soon as we were seated that all the food prepared is made from scratch so it takes a little longer. We were there 1 hour and five minutes with salads, two baskets of bread, mozzarella sticks for an app, our dinner courses, and finished a whole bottle of wine. Again, this is not fast food. This is a restaurant that produces quality, made from scratch food. I do not mind one taking a little extra time in preparing food in order to receive a quality product at the end. Trust me, do yourself a favor and try them out. I battled a while if I was going to write a review because I did not want anybody to know of this place, but it would not be a service to Mama Mias. Everyone should come and be loved at this place. Do something your future self will thank you for later...eat here.
(5)
Janet Y.
I have had this restaurant bookmarked for a while, and today I finally got a chance to check it out! We picked this location for a work group outing, and we couldn't have been more pleased. First of all, the service was excellent. While the dining area is fairly small, they seated our group of 10 right away for lunch. Our server was attentive but not overbearing. As we waited for a few stragglers in our group to arrive, out came this gooey, buttery, delicious garlic bread on the house! I think I had four pieces! Everything on the lunch menu ranged from about $7-13, from salads and strombolis to pasta and pizza dishes. I ordered a Marinara pasta dish that was fantastic! Everyone at our table ooohed and awed as their dish came out and the praises kept coming even after the food was cleared into our tummies. Mama Mia's is hard to find on Trousdale Dr. especially if you aren't looking for it, but it's definitely a place worth seeking out!
(4)
Clayton K.
It's ok. Nothing special. Service is slow and food is a little overpriced. Pasta is cheap so I've never understood $15 plus for pasta dishes. I had the chicken raviolis. They were tasty but like said worth about $10. The cheese sticks we got we a nice size but the forgot to melt the cheese on the inside so it was just a big piece of what felt like rubber on inside. Not sure how you mess up cheese sticks? Overall 3 stars. In a city like nashville there is def better places.
(2)
Frank M.
First time. It was peaceful, they played Italian music and the service was nice. The meals were expensive but the food was great and definitely filling. I enjoyed my time here.
(3)
Eddy W.
We have been here a before and the food is excellent. It was my gf's birthday so we decided to go there to eat.. When we pulled up the parking lot was empty. I wondered if they were closed or we had gotten there too early. Well we found out that the head chef wasn't there that night as he/she had to go to the emergency room. The staff informed us they had a very limited menu that night which disappointed us. But the food was still good and the service was great. Since it was slow the waiter sung Happy Birthday to my gf. I should rate this 5 stars due to the service we received but on this night with the food not being as good as normal it gets 4 stars. I am sure the next time we go it will be a 5 star rating
(4)
Amber K.
The food is ok, but don't come here if you're hungry because you'll have to wait. Our waitress told us everything on the menu takes 45 mins and because they were busy it would take longer. I wouldn't have minded the wait if it didn't take so long to get us simple things like bread and salad. We also waited a while just to place our order. I had the ravioli di pollo al forno. I didn't like the filling. My husband had the tortellini amore which was also just ok. Also, they only had coke, diet coke, sprite and unsweet tea. Still hunting for some good Italian food...
(2)
Katie D.
I usually don't write reviews after only visiting once, but I doubt I'll be back anytime soon since I don't live in Nashville! I just want to say that the food here was superb for the price! It's true, the service was a little slow. The restaurant wasn't very busy and yet we waited an unnecessary length of time to be seated. But it was totally worth it! To start, you can bring in your own wine, and there is a wine and spirit shop conveniently located next door. We ordered the appetizer sampler and it was very good. I was most excited for the mozzarella sticks (homemade!), but these ended up being the weakest link of the meal. They were mostly all bread with very little cheese. The meatballs on the other hand more than made up for it, as they were top notch! The bruschetta was some of the best I have had, even though this is what I was looking the least forward to! I believe there was even some prosciutto on those bad boys! I ordered the chicken mimmosa which was scrumptious! Too bad at this point I was already mostly full so didn't make it too far into my entree. This is never a bad problem to have though! This might not be the *best* Italian place ever, but for a middle tier option, it is the bees knees! I find that it is hard to find above average Italian food without going full-blown fine dining. At least this is the case in Cincinnati, where I live.
(5)
Liz C.
Mom & pop home cooked Italian food. Menu is simple & all the dishes are really quite tasty. As appetizers we ordered mozzarella sticked that were huge & good. We also ordered a caprese salad, the tomatoes & the mozzarella was so fresh & it all flew off the plates. The garlic bread is large, buttery & hot. So good. With your entrees it includes a house salad. (No cesar salad unfortunately.) Also, I didn't care much for the house salad & their Italian dressing. My dinner made up for it though. I ordered the cheese tortellini calabresse. It was very good with the grilled mushrooms, onions, red peppers & sausages. The BF ordered chicken Marsala & while the chicken was good the Marsala sauce was too sweet for his taste. For dessert we ordered the Tiramisu & it was really very very good. Why the 3 star review for such great food all around? Well, the service was crap & it took over an hour to get our food for a party of 8. Also, our waitress just dropped the check on our table before even asking if we want coffee or dessert. We had to tell her we weren't done & wanted dessert. It was also really weird how they brought out our food 2 or 1 at a time & it took a while until we all had our food. Not to mention that we all didn't get menus & it took a long time for her to take our order. Another annoying but about the crappy service is that one of the members of our party had a 3 year old & as soon swear river we asked for a high chair. It took them 15 minutes until we finally got the high chair & after asking a 2nd & 3rd time. Go for the really great home cooked Italian food but don't go in a hurry & have patience.
(3)
John T.
I have been coming here ever since I found it 20yrs ago. I have never had a bad meal and the wait staff is great. I have read several reviews on here that I find suspicious. Our waiter was very attentive and spent just the right amount of time at our table and was very friendly. Our food was delicious as usual. I had the pesto pasta. The prices for what you get is excellent. 4 of us ate dinner for less than 60$. They do not serve alcohol but there is a sprits store next door and they only charge 5$ for a cork fee. Our waiter opened our wine and poured for us and when our wine glasses ran low he came back and asked if we wanted to be topped off.
(5)
Jonathan B.
I was very disappointed with this place. Atmosphere: The parking lot is share with the side of a sketchy strip mall. Located between two gas stations with a sign that is easy to miss. Don't come in expecting it to be a classy place. Service: Service was fine - not fast or slow. Our waiter was dressed nicely but he was very casual in terms of attitude. Food: The food itself can be compared to Olive Garden. It literally tasted like they took out some frozen food - thawed and cooked it - and served it. Overall: Pass. Big ole Pass.
(2)
Andy B.
I would have given this place 5 stars because the meal was really good, we both had their chicken Marsala, the dish I judge every Italian restaurant by, and it was great, but I think they had one waitress for the whole restaurant. I never saw another one. Granted it was Tuesday, but this poor girl brought us wine glasses, $5 cork fee which rocks, and my glass was dirty. She didnt remember to bring me a clean one til mid meal, but I don't blame her. She did everything else fantastically. Took our order without writing it down. Great food, good bread, nice meal, but if you are looking for one of those places where they have a guy in the corner with a pitcher scanning the room for half empty water glasses, this ain't it.
(4)
Michael M.
4 stars? huh? Went here on 'date night' last Friday. Waited 20 minutes for our order to be taken. Waitress was nice but clueless and totally disinterested. Overall 2 1/2 hours, I should have bought two bottles of vino. Once we got the food it was 'ok'. I had the cozze (mussels) which weren't brutal. I specifically asked if the eggplant dish I ordered was smothered in red sauce and slop. Waitress said 'No' but it was. The wife had a chicken dish she didn't finish and the cannoli had a citrus orangy cream filling that was terrible. Of course once again I was skunked in Nashville - NO espresso!!!!! Waitress said she needed to run over to the Cuban restaurant next door. Huh? half spilled and cold; no thanks I'l make a pot when I get home! Bottom line, if you are going to own a restaurant you might as well go ALL THE WAY and do it right. Dinner out is a total experience from the time you walk in the door to the last sip of espresso, I mean coffee. They missed the memo, never again.
(2)
Kevin W.
My favorite Italian restaurant in Nashville. Don't judge this book by its cover; this small block building between two gas stations is home to some of the best food you'll ever eat. Also, instead of overpriced drinks, you can bring in your own bottle of wine. There's a small corking fee, but it's still Way cheaper that wine at most restaurants. The atmosphere is great and very authentic, too.
(5)
Howard L.
Slow, slow slow. I went last night thinking it might be OK to eat there when it's half empty. It is not. Walked in at around 7 PM for a table for two. The restaurant had several open tables and a waitress was cleaning the carpet when we got there. That's generally a good sign, wait staff trying to keep themselves busy. We were seated immediately with menus. 20 minutes later we were still sitting there. No water, no greeting, no nothing. Finally got some water and we ordered our meals. I got the Veal piccata, my friend got something that I don't even remember what it's called. Wide noodles with some sort of tomato sauce and goat cheese. 30 minutes after we ordered we got bread and we were invited to order salad dressing for our salad. Our waiter hyped up the bleu cheese as the best in the area. It is not. We were given one roll each and when I asked for more bread, I got a fairly mean look and a lot of talk about not eating too much bread. Really? Here's a tip waiter: Wait on us and shut up. 20 minutes after our salads we got our simple pasta meals. He set down our dishes and said he would be right back with cheese. My piccata was OK...nothing to write home about, but the noodles were al dente. The veal itself was not that great. Just a small to medium veal chop on top of some noodles. The wide noodles....nasty. The tomato sauce was super sweet, like Papa John's sweet. Anyways, my friend thought she'd wait for cheese to try to rescue her dish. 15 minutes pass. Nothing. I finally flag down somebody to get cheese, and he looks at our dishes like, "Hold on there, I already put fucking cheese on your dish..." and he gave me an annoyed look and a sigh before getting the cheese and grating some on our dishes. 2 hours, 1 water refill. Glass was empty for the majority of the time. Our waiter...wow. I tried to like him, but in the end he was just annoying and took forever. He had a "charming" accent, but in the end he spent most of the time talking to my female friend rather than addressing both of us, which I found super annoying. The restaurant is very tiny and he had no more than 4 parties at one time. No excuse. The back breaker: 2 hours after we sit, we finally got a bill. There was an extra 6 dollar charge on the hand written check, for which I could find no reason. It was either for asking for cheese on our dishes or for the extra 2 rolls. Either that or he thought he had uncorked some wine for us. I didn't feel like dealing with it so I left what he asked for plus a tip. But that will be my last tip ever for them, because I am not going back. Summary: stingy with bread, stingy with water, time wasters. Too dark as well. Meal for two, no drinks just water. No apps, no desserts. 57 dollars. Also, MC or Visa or Cash only. Thumbs down.
(2)
Melissa B.
I am so sad to have to leave a bad review for this restaurant. I have heard great things about it, but, experienced the opposite tonight. My father owns restaurants and has taught me the importance of supporting family owned businesses but tonight this one puts family owned businesses to shame. I liked the intimate atmosphere. It is dimly lit and is great for a nice date night. After waiting for a while after placing our order, we received our salad (iceberg lettuce, a slice of tomato, carrots) and breadsticks (breadsticks were pretty good!). At this point, we were underwhelmed but still anticipating an amazing meal. And when I say anticipating...we anticipated a great meal for 25 minutes before we actually received our food. I ordered the Ravioli (can't remember the name but had a cream sauce with chicken and mushrooms) and my husband ordered the chicken marsala. When I received my meal, it was luke warm - the cheese that was supposed to be melted on top was hard...I typically do not send food back but I could not handle the fact that it had clearly been sitting out so I graciously sent it back to be heated up, recooked-whatever. When I received it back (within 3 minutes) it was obvious that it had just been microwaved to a molten lava temperature causing the chicken's texture to literally resemble plastic. I had about 3 bites - I could not handle it (I am the LEAST picky person in the world - if I won't eat something, you know it's bad). My husband's chicken marsala was soup. The sauce was runny and flavorless. He had about 3 bites. The server asked us if we wanted to go boxes and we declined. She paid no attention to the fact that we were clearly unsatisfied. As I said, my father owns restaurants, I understand there are mistakes and no one is perfect. But, the thing that bothered me was that we were not taken care of by any means. No manager came out to apologize for the 25 minute delay in our food - let alone apologize that mine came out nearly cold. This is the attention to detail patrons go to family owned businesses for. Our bill was about $45 for 5 bites of terrible food and a sad feeling that this family owned business would treat their patrons this way.
(1)
Melissa B.
Don't be fooled by the exterior. When you walk inside you are transported to a candlelit and intimate little Italian nook. It is simple yet romantic. The prices are extremely reasonable and its BYOB. They do charge a small corking fee. The servers have always been very nice and helpful when it comes to suggesting delicious menu items. I know a lot of people on here have mentioned slow service however that has never been a problem for me. These dishes are cooked to order though so that can slow it down a little more! I gave them 4 out of 5 stars because of their menu changes. I actually like their old menu much better. I have had a couple of dishes on the new menu that I didn't love. Their classics like their lasagna and manicotti are great. The seafood dishes I've had I didn't love. I noticed this time they've added some lighter pasta dishes that I look forward to trying. Their salads are always delicious as is their bread basket. This is definitely one of my favorite places in Nashville!
(4)
Melissa F.
This place is adorable and a great date night spot. The food and service were great. From the location and outside wouldn't even know this was a gem in the rough! Plus it's BYOB!
(5)
Ozro D.
Considering Mama Mia's is stuck in between two gas stations, I never assumed much when I drive past this place. However, a friend's recommendation persuaded me to give it a chance. Turns out, this is one of the most straightforward dining experiences you can have. There's no flair, no overdecoration, no superfriendly waiters. In fact, there is very little waiter presence at all. It's just good food. I'm not sure I'd be bold enough to say it's the best italian in town, since I've really only tried major chains, but it's certainly not a stretch to say that this is better than most. It might not be cheap, but I'm not sure of any nice Italian restaurants that are. The portions are also very generous, leaving me with plenty leftover for the next day. Adding benefit is the restaurant's BYOB status. The corking fee may be annoying, but it's still cheaper than buying wine at any other restaurant. Plus, in addition to the donut shop and aforementioned gas stations, Mama Mia's shares a parking lot with a liquor store, making it easy to grab a bottle before walking in. That they're able to survive in such an odd location with what would generally be considered awful service is a testament to how good their food is. Singing waiters may be fun, but I'd much rather have great food, and Mama Mia's is a place to find it.
(4)
Rachel F.
Bottom line: Will not return. Went with a party of 6. Had reservations for a Monday night. We spent a total of 2.5 hours stuffed into this tiny, stuffy, uncomfortable mess of a "restaurant" because the service is THAT slow. Appetizers: cheese sticks and calamari. I've had better cheese sticks at Sonic, but the calamari was quite good. Not rubbery at all. Salads: Terrible. Dressings were not good, and the salad is just a bowl of lettuce with a slice of tomato and some black olives. Main dishes: Mediocre. I threw away my leftovers. Desserts: didn't try the tiramisu, but the cannoli are a super gross mix of chocolate and orange, and the chocolate cake is swimming in sauce but is still dry as a bone. No espresso, no cappuccino, but are clearly listed on the menu. Our waitress was super annoyed with us for ordering dessert, and took her sweet time getting us our check. WE NEVER SAW AN ITEMIZED BILL. Each couple was charged over $60, but we have no idea what we paid for. Very unprofessional. I will not eat here again, but if you do, GO TO THE BATHROOM. The "art" in the men's room is something else, while the women's room contains a nightmare. We took photos. And the Jesus painting with the actual hole in it is something to behold as well.
(2)
Lyrad V.
This is the best Italian in Nashville, hands down, which is amazing since the owners are not Italian... they are Cuban or Colombian or something. They also own Back to Cuba cafe pretty much next door. Check that place out too. Both located where you'd never see it unless you were looking for it. In short, I won't even go into specific entrees because everything I've ever gotten is amazing. But I will note that their bruschetta is by far the best I've even had. Good portions, reasonable prices. My husband and I are in agreement that this place is the best. Most people we know that have eaten here have said the same. I noticed some of the lower reviews are not about the food, but about the wait and service. We know this place is popular and they don't take reservations. So we always go to dinner around 5:30 or 6 and don't have a problem at all. If you have a group and get there 6:30 or after, be prepared to wait a while. No bar to wait. This is a BYOB place with a minimal corking fee. If you don't give Mama Mia's a try, you are really missing out!
(5)
Joseph P.
Wait time: absurd. Food: meh. I've been a few times either out of convenience or just wanting to give another chance. The mushroom ravioli were pretty good, mussels were tasty. Salad is iceberg straight out of a bag. Service is the worst- no reason to ever wait as long as they force you to. And for halfway decent food and bad service, truly not worth what they charge.
(3)
Ashli D.
A friend visited this place for dinner based on the Yelp reviews. It is tucked between gas stations and parking is limited. We had fried mozzarella (yum!) and house salads which were also good. The garlic bread sticks were great! She had the chicken and pasta dish and I had penne ala vodka. Both were very good but my friend's dish was loaded with so much garlic it burned your mouth. Other than that, the food and service were great!
(4)
Clint R.
Went for lunch yesterday and had place pretty much to ourselves. Service was prompt and friendly. Fresh bread delivered to table was outstanding as well was the Stromboli we ordered. Food was great. Not sure why this place was empty at 12:30. I will certainly come back.
(5)
Michelle C.
Took 2.5 hours from start to finish and we were happy about that. We were with friends we hadn't seen in months and enjoyed the time together. Food was very good. The 4 of us each had something different, we had bruschetta'and calamari apps. Great bread with salads. We finished with cheese cake and a cannoli. All very good. The service isn't outstanding (hence the 4 stars) but overall a really good option for Italian. Its BYOB/wine. There is a wine shop next door if you forget your at home.
(4)
Laura G.
Not a fan. WAY too expensive for what you're getting. They act like they're making their own pasta. Not at all. Throw the pasta in boiling water, dump marinara sauce on top and charge $13? No thanks. The point of having a restaurant in a gas station parking lot is the "cheap" factor. No. I could go to City House if I want to spend $100 for dinner and eat amazing food. Not this spot. Never again.
(2)
J C.
SLOW. This is place to dine, not eat. In 1.5hrs my wife and I got 2 breadsticks each and 2 water refills. We had to request our order be changed to "to-go" to accommodate our baby sitter. The food was good yet colder once we got home. Will only attempt again as a "to-go" place
(2)
Karen G.
This might be as good as it gets. Our first time at this neighborhood, unassuming on the outside, jewel. Unassuming? If you don't know about it you will probably keep on driving. It literally sits between two gas stations. Inside is quite a surprise and a real treat. The smell is delicious, garlic, basil, oregano, bread and mushrooms and the ambiance is surprising comfortable. They don't take reservations for two but we were seated quickly and the service as on time and attentive. Our meals were amazing, Pasta Vagabondo and Mushroom Ravioli with chicken were fresh, interesting and quite honestly the best pasta dishes I've had in years. The price is very affordable especially since you bring you own wine, cocktails, ect. Love, love, love this little place.
(5)
Michele H.
Good food. It was good we came early because dinner takes awhile. We came with friends so we loved the time to visit. Definitely don't come if you're in a hurry.
(4)
Daniel B.
Love it. It's hard to go wrong with any menu item. I just can't begin to write about the various items because their whole menu deserves a review. One cool note: the Back to Cuba restaurant a few doors down provides the coffee! Hmmm...perfect. Stop reading...go eat! Buon appetito!
(5)
Elle w.
Absolutely DELICIOUS. Really, I have never had anything bad here. Let me warn you: it is BYOB (but there is a liquor/wine store next door), and it's going to be a leisurely meal. Everything is prepared after your order so while it takes some time, you can be sure that it is hot and fresh. Also they are great about making substitutions to their pastas (no mushrooms but add garlic please)! It can be busy, so make sure you phone ahead to see what the wait time is.
(4)
Kristine T.
Waited ten minutes for seating.No one else in restaurant. My realtor suggested this place. We both ordered scampi, I asked for NO PARMesan cheese. It takes at least 40 minutes to prepare, then mine has parmesan cheese all over it, The waitress tells me to just scape it off.!!! It was all throughout so I ate the 5 shrimp that came with it andstill had to pay 14.00 for it. My realtor took two bites and sent hers back. She said " This is not what I expected.Take it back. Worst Italian food I have ever had in Nashville and I have been here since 1972. The service was AWFUL.I could have done better at Romanos Macaroni Grill...I will go there next. Oh....and the response from my review on Citysearch and Facebook was. was sorry...come back soon. Yes when Hell freezes over!!!!!!!
(1)
Josh F.
First let me say that I have been to Mama Mia's on multiple occasions over the past several years and have recommended this restaurant many times for those looking for a great local Italian restaurant. However, on my most recent visit on 8/20/11 I was extremely disappointed to discover that the food quality has decreased to a level so low that I don't think I can give them another chance. My standard order is the chicken parmesan, and minutes after I placed my order at approximately 7:45 pm on a Saturday night, I was informed by the waitress that they "had just sold out last order of chicken parmesan." This was fine as I have other menu items that I also have had and really enjoy. I decided on a chicken and mozzarella with olive oil base pasta item while my wife went with the chicken with spinach and fettucini cream sauce. We had both had these dishes on previous visits and they were thoroughly enjoyed. However, on this visit, the pasta tasted completely unseasoned and had little to no sauce on either dish. Additionally, my dish did not have any chicken in it! The taste was so far off of what we had previously experienced that we were at a loss. At the end of the day, I have always been able to put up with the slow, mediocre service because of the high quality, great tasting authentic Italian food that Mama Mia's serves up, but after this occasion I'm afraid they have lost a valuable and repeat customer, not to mention lots of word-of-mouth recommendations. Mama Mia's, call me when you remember how to cook excellent Italian food.
(1)
Tart L.
Romantic, economical and quality eating is the essense of Mama Mia's. Factoring price, food quality and ambiance, this is Nashville's number one best Italian restaurant for me. Sure you can easily drop $100 at several of the West End midtown Italian places. Why bother with such bourgeois places when you can enjoy a modest romantic Mama Mia's for good Italian eating in south Nashville.
(5)
Todd A.
There are certain foods that I expect to be simply good and at a good price, I put Italian food in that category and Mama Mia's meets all of my requirements. For starter, the BYOB is a huge savings as corkage is minimal. The salad is simple but fresh, love the blue cheese dressing! The breadsticks are hot and covered in herb butter, awesome. The entrees are very good and plentiful. I tend to go for the cream sauces with my favorite dish being the Chicken Florentine which consists of a large chicken breast, flattened and grilled over a bed of pasta with an amazing creamy, cheese sauce. Only the added spinach keeps it from falling into the completely sinful category. Because of it I only go a few times a year, doctors orders!! The red sauce items are good as well. It is a place that is not going to blow you away but you will definitely feel you got your moneys worth in portion and quality.
(4)
Carly H.
The food here is absolutely phenomenal. I ate with four people; we all ordered a different entre and everyone absolutely raved about the quality of the food. Our waiter was attentive and knowledgable about the menu, and was able to answer all of our questions. He recommended the bruschetta as a starter, and it was fantastic. We were too full to try any desserts (see later in the post about portion sizes!) but next time we are planning to skip the appetizer and save room. It is a little pricey compared to other Italian places, but the portions are enormous. I will be making at least two meals out of my plate, so to me the prices are worth it. It is BYOB, as others have mentioned, but there is a liquor store located conveniently next door, so that is easily remedied if you wish to have a bottle of wine or hard liquor. I will definitely be making many return visits here!
(4)
Erin J.
Since I've been to Mama Mia's at least 5 times over the years, I thought it was about time to write a review. Let me start out by saying: if you're in a hurry, DO NOT come here! The restaurant is also quite chilly, so be sure to bring a jacket or sweater. I've always come for lunch, but I assume dinner is the same way. The food is definitely tasty featuring very generous portions. They also bring out some yummy bread prior to the meal, so it helps tide you over while you wait. I think I've ordered the same thing every single time - the manicotti. It always comes out piping hot which is great. It does seem to take forever though. We waited 30 minutes last time - far too long to come very often! All in all, the food is delicious. They have all sorts of pasta dishes but also have paninis and calzones. I know I'll be back for lunch, but I'll have to make sure I can be gone for longer than an hour!
(3)
Ingrid E.
Nashville's best kept secret in my opinion. The first time I went, we pulled up to a trailer and I was worried that my parents were crazy. After trying to find parking and wedging in the non-existent waiting area in the trailer, we were finally seated and had the best meal. ever. The food is delicious, the service is excellent. They don't have a bar, but you can bring in your own wine or beer and pay a corkage fee. I went back on a date and it was so romantic. If you haven't been, go. now.
(5)
Joshua K.
Nice place. Good quality Italian food w/o the fancy bells and whistles.
(4)
Laura M.
Last night my husbands sales crew went to mama mia's for dinner as part of hitting their sales goal. There is about 25 of us and we showed up around 7 on a saturday night. The ladies that worked there where very nice and a bit overwhelmed with us *I would be too* because we can be a bit rowdy at times. We were there for about 2 hours and the service was nice, my water was never empty and my hubby had refills constantly of his pop. The food was OK not the best Italian I've had but pretty darn good. OMIGOODNESS the bread before the meal was divine. My only complaint was the marinara was too sweet, I know LAME but I prefer my sauce savory. I had the mama stravaganza which is a sampler plate, I got manicotti, lasagna, and chicken parmesan. My husband had the pesto, the pesto was delicious, but my sampler plate all tasted similar, so next time I'll get just one type of entree. The owner of the restaurant is the cook and she actually owns the cuban restaurant just down the street as well. She herself is from Cuba and is seriously the sweetest person you'll ever meet. We had her flan, which was amazing because she uses a caramel mango sauce on top of homemade custard. It was really really good and unique. I liked this place a lot, quite memorable in many ways.
(4)
Kristin Marie S.
The search is over I found scrumptious Italian food in Nashville!! Wa-hoo! I actually slept better that night knowing I wouldn't have to spend months finding decent Italian. So why does this place get 5 stars? 5 reasons for 5 stars. Number 1: It's basically in a trailer with a foundation. Some of the best Italian food in NJ was served in a trailer and cash only. (This place is NOT cash only.) Cozy and romantic, the way it should be! Number 2: There is a painting of an almost naked lady in the bathroom. The other artwork is just as kitschy. Number 3: The chicken basilica was everything it was supposed to be!! Priced decently too. Number 4: They got the garlic bread almost down. Yeah I know, I said almost but it was the best yet! Number 5: $5 wine corkage fee!! You can also bring in beer or hard alcohol!!! If you forget they are conveniently located next to a liquor store. (Author's note, this is 5 stars in Nashville, not 5 stars in the continental US.)
(5)
Lee P.
I found my Nashville Italian joint. I married an Italian - her father and all of her relatives are from (and many of them still live in) Italy. Mama Mia's would impress all of them. Try the bruschetta and for your entree try the gnocchi with the veal sauce. Be prepared to wait.
(5)
Mariela C.
I love Mama Mia's because it makes me feel like I'm actually getting a glimpse of what a traditional Italian restaurant should feel like. It's romantic, cheesy, welcoming, small, and charming all in one package. More importantly I guess, it's good Italian food. However, my reason for reviewing it without a doubt is the fact that it's BYOW (Bring Your Own Wine). Oh heavenly restaurant that lets me bring my own wine to enjoy with my meal and only charges me a few bucks to cork it. Seriously, I like the food, but I love that they let me bring my own wine.
(4)
Steve M.
I don't know if I went on a bad night, but I really was not impressed with Mama Mia's. We arrived and we were greeted by a friendly female who sat us at our table and took our drink orders. I asked for iced tea, and she said the restaurant did not have any (this is a first - what restaurant would not have iced tea?). I then asked what she had that was sugar free, and she said normally Diet Coke, but that the soda machine was broken. She said my only sugar free beverage choice was a glass of tap water. Definitely not a good way to start the meal at a restaurant that strives to be 'fine dining' with $15-20 dollar entrees. A male waiter then comes to our table asking to take our order before we had a chance to even look at the menu. We asked what he recommended and he said "everything". That did not help us narrow our selection. We both order the Siciliana with Bolognese (spaghetti with meat sauce), with a side of meatballs. The salad comes out and was fine. The dressing seemed to be store bought and not from scratch, but it wasn't a big deal. The garlic bread we received was stale and hard as if it had been reheated in the microwave a few too many times and was dripping in butter. We left it in the basket. Gross. The meal then arrives and we begin to eat. First off, they got the order entirely wrong - we ordered Bolognese sauce and they served it with Marinara sauce instead. The sauce was so sweet that my dinner companion said it tasted more like a dessert than a dinner entree! The meatballs were ok, but cold in the center as if they had been re-heated, and the pasta (which they told us was from scratch) was out of a box (yes, i can easily tell the difference). The entire experience reminded me of the Food Network show Sandra Lee/Semi Homeade. Its as if they were trying to be fine dining, but it was an epic failure. My dinner guest could not eat his meal because it had so much sugar in the sauce (and they put the wrong sauce on the pasta to begin with). The restaurant did take it off the bill, but made some odd comment about "had you eaten more than 25% of it, we would not have been able to remove it from the bill". isn't that an odd thing to say in a 'fine dining' establishment? In a nutshell, Mama Mia's may be fine as a $5.99 lunch special dive, but as a dinner/fine dining establishment, it has a long way to go.
(2)
Chris G.
I have passed this place forever and decided the other day to swing by for lunch. This place has really good food. I mean really good food. It's nice inside and they try to dress it up as much as they can for where it's at. The bathroom is very small but clean. The people I went with decided we would all share and order several items so we could try several things. I liked everything I had. Trust me I know good food and this place is a must try.
We go here often as a family outing. Great food and hard to go wrong with any order. For Mother's Day I took my Mom and we had a great time and meal. She left her wallet with everything in it by the table and they called us the moment they found it! Thanks Mama Mia and we will definitely be back!
(5)
Heather P.
Definitely NOT pleased with this place. My boyfriend had raved about this place in the past and couldn't wait to introduce me to it, but after our visit there a couple of weeks ago, he's now wondering if the place is under new management. We started with an appetizer of calamari. The breading was sparse, it was soggy, and very minimally seasoned. I also found the marinara dipping sauce to be pretty bland. For an entree, my boyfriend ordered the sampler plate of lasagna, manicotti, and chicken parmesan and thought it was just "alright". I tried a bite of each and again, thought the sauce was very bland. For my meal, I went with the one of the pizzas. The outer crust was just barely crisp, but the underside of the pie was like eating RAW DOUGH! I ate one slice and just couldn't sit there and eat anymore! To give them the benefit of the doubt, I got a to-go box and took the pizza home with us. The next day, we heated up the leftovers for lunch and even after 20 minutes in the oven, it was STILL doughy. We ended up throwing it away! Overpriced Italian cuisine...probably could've done better had we gone to Olive Garden...and I am not the type of person who frequents chain restaurants. Very disappointed.
(2)
Samantha joelle A.
Mama Mia's was a quaint little place tucked away, not generally seen unless you're actually looking for it. I was sent here based on recommendation, and was I glad that I took that person's advice. First of all, Mama Mia's has an awesome BYOB policy, where they charge a small corkage fee and anyone can bring their own bottle of wine. The fact that there is a liquor store right next door makes this very convenient. My friends and I weren't aware of this until we went into the restaurant and saw practically every table had a couple empty bottles of wine that they had brought with them. Now we know for next time. Both my friends and I were extremely satisfied with the food that we ordered. I got a mushroom ravioli that was probably the best ravioli I have ever had. The bread that they serve with dinner was very tasty. My friends and I loved the authentic Italian feel of the place, and the service was quick and on top of it. All in all, I could not find one thing to complain about. I was just excited to discover a new Italian gem in Nashville.
(4)
Amy C.
The carbonara was so rich and unctuous I couldn't finish half my plate. That's no disparagement, just an observation. I thought it could've used a little something to balance the butter - the waitress looked at me as though I was mad when I asked for some fresh-ground pepper. The bread was good, though we thought it could have used a lot more garlic! The salad was a bit of nothing. I thought it was odd that the server didn't tell us it was a Balsamic Vinaigrette and called it "Italian" when I asked about a house dressing. As to ambiance, the place is very clean and neat inside. But the thrum of what I think was the air conditioner (or a massive blower of some kind) really gave me a headache after awhile. I couldn't get used to it.
(3)
Jason S.
Totally underwhelmed. First, I have no idea why a small restaurant with no bar and no lobby would not take reservations. I despise places that don't take reservations and generally as a rule avoid them, but if you choose to do so, you should probably have a place for people to wait, and I don't know, maybe help them bear the wait by letting them get loaded and order appetizers. Who knows? You might make some money out of it. And let me tell you, when we tried to go here with three pregnant women, this sort of business model really shows its weaknesses. When we finally got in, after waiting outside in the cold with three very pregnant, and very hungry women and their respective spouses, we were greeted by okay Italian food and uneven service. It was pretty pricey, too. Nobody at the table was really "wowed" by their meals. I am all for intimate, cozy, romantic experiences, but not at the cost of inconvenience that overshadows the pros.
(2)
MACK L.
I have loved this little Italian jewel in the Crieve Hall neighborhood for many years. The veal dishes are my favorite. REMEMBER, there is no alcohol served here but they encourage you to BYOB of wine or a six pack of beer. If you forgot to bring along your favorite Chianti, there is a liquor store next door. Makes the whole meal very inexpensive since our bar tab is usually as high as the food bill. Take note, Young Guys Dating on a Budget, this is a cozy, candlelit, oddly romantic place. You will still have enough money for Sunday brunch in the morning. I promise you will like it.
(4)
Tim W.
In short great food terrible service! I have been here twice now and the experience has been consistent both times. The food is great but the waiters are slow, rude and it just makes it a overall negative experience.
(1)
Shannon R.
Besides the disorganized wait, this place is a MUST! My boyfriend and I decided to finally try Mama Mias on our 2 yr. anniversary. We did wait about an hour, there was not anybody really taking down your name so we just kinda started to form a line( kinda cool though b/c you have no choice but to talk to the other people waiting) But once you are inside and seated......TOATLLY WORTH IT! ~ Our server was very nice and on top of things ~The Bruchetta App. is delicious ~Very cozy, dim lighting, candlelight, smells amazing in there:) ~The Sampler( Stravaganza) is the perfect dish to split. Plenty of food for two people and you get to try 3 of their most popular items. ~The breadsticks are heavenly ~Best Tiramisu I HAVE EVER HAD! ~AND THE BEST THING....BYOW ( bring your own wine)....$5 corkage fee.....but by doing this saves so much money and not to mention its super neat too! ~All together we loved it, and will most definately be back. And not to mention we ate alot of GREAT ITALIAN FOOD for UNDER $50! Cant beat that!
(4)
Dessa T.
Four words: best. Italian. in. Nashville. There's no point in writing specifics about the food because it's all amazing. They do not take reservations and it's a small (snug? intimate?) place. If you go on a Friday or Saturday night be prepared for a long (and possibly frustrating) wait. It's worth it (but if you really hate waiting, go at 5:30 or on a weeknight - don't skip it entirely!). Sometimes it does seem as if the staff is a bit disorganized and/or overwhelmed. Don't let what I'm about to say deter you, but it's really better to go when you are relaxed (i.e. you are in the mood for a nice, long evening with your honey, rather than you are grumpy because you haven't eaten all day and you are trying to fit dinner in before catching a movie). Mama Mia's is a great date spot. Because it's so cozy and busy, I personally would not go with more than 4 or 5, but I often see large groups there during high traffic hours and they seem to make it work. They don't serve wine, so bring your own and plan to pay a small corking fee. These are just a few things to know before you go - if you haven't tried it yet, you are really missing out!!
(4)
Robin S.
Great place to go for a low-key, authentic Italian dinner! It doesn't look like much from the outside--heck or from the inside. It's clean but small, and they have the requisite checkered tablecloths and candles on the tables, but it's nothing too fancy. Doesn't need to be. If the food is good (it's outstanding) that's all that matters! I suggest reservations, just because it's again, a small place, but they do take walk-ins. Just be prepared to wait. Another thing I love about it is that you have to bring your own wine--they don't serve it! It's a $5 cork fee (pretty sure on that) which really, is a deal if you think about what most restaurants make you pay for a bottle of ho-hum wine. This way, you bring whatever you want and only pay a minimal price. Most meals come with a salad and delicious buttery, garlicy breadsticks all for a very reasonable price. I usually get out of there for about $15. Great for date night, or night out with the girls. I've never had bad service either! Mama Mia's is one place I'll go back to time and again.
(4)
Chris T.
Normally not one to write restaurant reviews - but our experience recently at Mama Mia's compelled me to send this one as a caution for people considering dining here. Been there only twice - and the first time (6 months ago) was a good experience overall. Not overly impressed with the atmosphere or service - but the food was outstanding. Then, last week we went back only to find the service was atrocious (slow and inattentive to basic needs). We went early on a Saturday to avoid the rush but it didn't matter. Many around us had the same problem and at least one couple walked out. After an hour - we finally were served and the food was actually quite good. But the wait and hassle were simply not worth it. They can recover - but need to focus on the basics and be consistent.
(2)
Tim R.
I've patronized Mama Mia's for over a decade. The food is great. Service always has room for improvement though. Staff is slow and disorganized. I cannot recall a visit where the service was good. Be careful on holidays because they offer only prix fixe menus that rely heavily on meat or seafood. Found this out the hard way when we were denied our usual dish on Valentines Day, thus requiring us to change our plans on a very busy dining day after we had been seated. They charge a corking fee also. You would think that after having a rehearsal dinner there, having various holiday dinners there, and bringing new people often that they would be more sensitive to a long time customer's expectations and holiday plans. Guess they can't be bothered though.
(2)
Kevin E.
Terrible service, no one came to our table to even say hello after 10 minutes. I complained to two servers and still nothing so we left. Only three other tables occupied! Fortunately Back to Cuba was next door, they have authentic food and friendly attentive service.
(1)
Jennifer S.
So yeah, it's in a strip mall. But the inside is really cozy and the food is delicious. It's a BYO, which I think is so fun. The corkage fee is $5 and if you forget your wine, no problem: there's a liquor store a couple of doors down in the same strip. I had what I believe was called penne alla san giovannello, which was a cream-based sauce with mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and Italian sausage. The pasta was perfectly al dente and the sauce was flavorful without just being doused in salt. The fried calamari were huge and the green dipping sauce was delicious. Our server was very friendly. I'd highly recommend Mama Mia's!
(4)
Stephanie K.
We've been going to this little gem for years. The excellent Italian food is a bit slow to come out so if you are toting a tot, bring snacks. Also bring your own wine. I really enjoy the simple menu of very well crafted entrees. I've never had a miss and would recommend it especially for a date or a boisterous gathering of friends.
(4)
Gary R.
Real Italian food is hard to find but Mama Mia's has got you covered. When you walk in you get that aroma of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and real Italian sauces. It is a cozy place and is the epitome of comfort food. This is not a chain and you can tell everything was cooked with care. Now this is Italian - be there.
(5)
Anna A.
I have been going to Mama Mia's for years and it's our go to for Italian. The food is good, the prices are great, the servers are always awesome and their are paintings of naked people without heads in the ladies bathroom. The paintings are always the highlight for my kids even my son ventures in for a look. Of course he comes out one day and says "jeez, I don't see what the big deal is, the artist didn't even bother to paint their heads." I digress... Some of my favorite highlights are that it's BYOB and I think the corkage is only $6 so it's lovely to have nice wine with dinner without spending $10 a glass. Secondly, they serve salad and bread sticks with your meal and they are soooo good. They have a large variety of straight forward Italian fare and there are always left overs. There is a reason this little place has been open for so long with little change to it's menu or decor It's just simple good and they stick with it.
(5)
Ray Ray K.
Great Italian food at a good price. We got the salmon appetizer and the pancetta pasta entree. Brought our own bottle of wine, only a $5 corking fee! Can't beat it! I thought it was funny when we told the server it was our first time and he said, "You'll fall in love with the food here. Not the service or the server, but the food." He was right, but the service wasn't even that bad. The food was a little slow coming out but that just made more time for wine drinking! Cozy atmosphere. The ceilings could be redone with a little more modern flare but an overall attractive place for a date. The only thing i can complain about were the breadsticks. Maybe it was just getting late but they tasted a little stale. But you can also have as many as you want. I would definitely come here for dinner again. (Did i mention the $5 corking fee??)
(4)
Mindi M.
I have been a Mama Mia's fan for years! I tell everyone in Nashville that is is the BEST and my favorite Italian. Unfortunately, Friday night will be my last date night there with my man. We've done it many times. He now refuses to set foot in the restaurant again after once again having terribly poor service. The food is usually spot on and phenomenal but you have to be prepared to WAIT. Not sure if they're just understaffed or if they are being very literal with the Italian flair and think dining should take 3 hours. I think that is fine when you have a large party (hence, the word party) and are visiting with one another. When it is you and your significant other that you see every day, we're mainly there to eat, drink and get on our merry way. How difficult could it be to hire a couple more servers, especially for the weekend. Come on, Mama Mia's, after years of having this issue, can't you fix this problem?!
(3)
Rachael Anne E.
Don't judge this restaurant by it's building. Though painted with an attractive mural, the cement building can be off-putting. However, the best option for Nashville Italian food is inside. You have to bring in your own alcohol, but Radnor Liquors is just a couple store fronts away. The strip center and Mama Mia's shares a parking lot. It's a small restaurant and it can have a wait. It's worth it and you should try it.
(4)
Megan R.
AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL SERVICE!!!! Food is good but the service is awful. Not worth it at all. Not even close. Doesn't even deserve one star.
(1)
matt c.
Mama Mia's is a well-met mid-range Italian ristorante owned by the unpretentious geniuses behind near-by Back to Cuba. Making smart use of darkness and candles, the place manages a romantic atmosphere despite officelike drop-ceilings and situation in the midst of the ramshackle not-so-romantic interesection/gas-station plaza at Harding Rd. and Trousdale. But such humility seems to be the common trait of most of the best culinary gems; I think of Gira Polli's old little nook of a place in North Beach... The menu hosts an array of standards from north and south Italy, and a few interesting slightly obscurer things. Salads are not extraordinary but do the job, and include olives as well as the usual romaine/iceberg mix topped with tomatoes and onions . The bruschetta appetizer has a flavorful topping of diced tomato, garlic, onion, basil and pancetta, and the bread is the same kind you get on a cuban pork sandwich: wide, buttery, white and warm but perhaps not toasted enough for our taste. The saltimboca is the house special and features a delicious sauce and includes a side-dish of spinach gnocchi in marinara. The service was very accomodating to our dietary idiosyncrasies. Like Back to Cuba, this establishment is BYO and conveniently located (for all parties!) near a wine store.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Intimate Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Hart P.
Small Italian restaurant that focuses on the food. We ate some pastas we had not seen since being in Italy. They were well prepared. If you want wine with dinner you can bring your own and they will uncork it. As much as I liked the bread, I found it to be too heavy with oil. The staff was attentive and the atmosphere was nice. We will come here again
(5)Jonathan B.
I was very disappointed with this place. Atmosphere: The parking lot is share with the side of a sketchy strip mall. Located between two gas stations with a sign that is easy to miss. Don't come in expecting it to be a classy place. Service: Service was fine - not fast or slow. Our waiter was dressed nicely but he was very casual in terms of attitude. Food: The food itself can be compared to Olive Garden. It literally tasted like they took out some frozen food - thawed and cooked it - and served it. Overall: Pass. Big ole Pass.
(2)Clint R.
Went for lunch yesterday and had place pretty much to ourselves. Service was prompt and friendly. Fresh bread delivered to table was outstanding as well was the Stromboli we ordered. Food was great. Not sure why this place was empty at 12:30. I will certainly come back.
(5)Ellen D.
My boyfriend took me here last night and I wasn't really impressed. My boyfriend loves this restaurant and defended everything I said about it, but something's weren't really defendable. First off, it's really confusing because on the outside its super dingy and tiny and its next to a busy street and a gas station, so it's not the best location for this restaurant because it looks really nice on the inside. So as for the food, the main course wasn't as good as I was expecting for the price that it was. And as an appetizer my boyfriend ordered mussels, which weren't actually on the menu but they had them anyway. We didn't get our bread until the mussels came out and that was a bit of a wait. But when the mussels actually came out, they smelled like my dog, which was a little unsettling. They tasted fine though I guess. I think the worst part though was that when they brought out my water, there was a tiny dead bug in it. So that was pretty gross, I ended up taking my boyfriends water instead, then when they brought me a replacement water, there was like paper or something floating around in it. Sooo check your water before you drink it. One last thing, it was freezing cold in the restaurant. I mean that could happen at any other restaurant, but just have a sweater o hand just in case.
(3)Katie D.
I usually don't write reviews after only visiting once, but I doubt I'll be back anytime soon since I don't live in Nashville! I just want to say that the food here was superb for the price! It's true, the service was a little slow. The restaurant wasn't very busy and yet we waited an unnecessary length of time to be seated. But it was totally worth it! To start, you can bring in your own wine, and there is a wine and spirit shop conveniently located next door. We ordered the appetizer sampler and it was very good. I was most excited for the mozzarella sticks (homemade!), but these ended up being the weakest link of the meal. They were mostly all bread with very little cheese. The meatballs on the other hand more than made up for it, as they were top notch! The bruschetta was some of the best I have had, even though this is what I was looking the least forward to! I believe there was even some prosciutto on those bad boys! I ordered the chicken mimmosa which was scrumptious! Too bad at this point I was already mostly full so didn't make it too far into my entree. This is never a bad problem to have though! This might not be the *best* Italian place ever, but for a middle tier option, it is the bees knees! I find that it is hard to find above average Italian food without going full-blown fine dining. At least this is the case in Cincinnati, where I live.
(5)Yamille H.
I was on a long road trip from Miami, Fl to Niagara Falls. I was very very hungry and needed a place to eat. Being with the vegan bf makes it hard to eat anywhere. So I start looking for Italian bc that's actually the easiest for the both of us to find something. We stumbled across this gem. It is in a weird location. It's like behind a gas station, but don't be put off by that. The place inside is great. The walls are filled with artwork and the mood lighting is very intimate. The staff was very friendly and attentive throughout our entire meal. I had the mozzarella sticks. I know it sounds pretty standard, but let me tell you: I was so happy that I ordered these. They were anything but basic. I can't put my finger on it, but there was something so delicious. There was something that made it taste like no other mozzarella stock I ever had. I think it may have been the blend of cheeses and the breading was different and very tasty. The free bread sticks are amazing. They are deliciously buttered and seasoned. The house sauce accompanied the bread. It was a delicious marinara like sauce. I ordered the chicken parmesan with spaghetti and the vegan bf ordered spaghetti with the house sauce and no cheese. The chicken parmesan was a big piece of chicken that was not dry at all. The crust and cheese that was on the chicken was very good. The cheese was perfectly melted and It all worked so well together. The pasta was perfectly done and the sauce was so good. I was happy that it was the same sauce that was served with the bread sticks. I couldn't finish it all. It was a large portion so I took some to the hotel. Luckily the hotel had a microwave... I had it for breakfast the next day. Don't judge me. Oh! Before I forget- talking with the staff I found out the chicken is organic. I told them they should put that on the menu since I think that's a great selling point. It made sense that it was organic though. I was full, but I didn't get the gross feeling of overeating and wanting to die. I just felt pleasantly plump. The vegan said he liked his pasta alot and offered alot of flavor for such a simple dish. He was happy they adhered to his request of no cheese and that they were able to recite what ingredients were in his food to quell his nervousness of eating something he can't. Although, he almost broke for the bread sticks. Sadly, the breadsticks are lightly brushed with butter. He was eating them with his eyes! I didn't get dessert because I was so full, but the have a variety of of portions that all sounds delicious. I wish I had access to this place all the time. It would have become my go-to spot for dinner. The food didn't get me sick to my stomach which is always my fear in life since I tend to have tummy issues and I was on a road trip. This place was def a good choice. Easy to get in and get out of the parking lot and close to the major hwy we were driving.
(5)Ingrid E.
Nashville's best kept secret in my opinion. The first time I went, we pulled up to a trailer and I was worried that my parents were crazy. After trying to find parking and wedging in the non-existent waiting area in the trailer, we were finally seated and had the best meal. ever. The food is delicious, the service is excellent. They don't have a bar, but you can bring in your own wine or beer and pay a corkage fee. I went back on a date and it was so romantic. If you haven't been, go. now.
(5)Joshua K.
Nice place. Good quality Italian food w/o the fancy bells and whistles.
(4)Michelle C.
Took 2.5 hours from start to finish and we were happy about that. We were with friends we hadn't seen in months and enjoyed the time together. Food was very good. The 4 of us each had something different, we had bruschetta'and calamari apps. Great bread with salads. We finished with cheese cake and a cannoli. All very good. The service isn't outstanding (hence the 4 stars) but overall a really good option for Italian. Its BYOB/wine. There is a wine shop next door if you forget your at home.
(4)Laura G.
Not a fan. WAY too expensive for what you're getting. They act like they're making their own pasta. Not at all. Throw the pasta in boiling water, dump marinara sauce on top and charge $13? No thanks. The point of having a restaurant in a gas station parking lot is the "cheap" factor. No. I could go to City House if I want to spend $100 for dinner and eat amazing food. Not this spot. Never again.
(2)Liz C.
Mom & pop home cooked Italian food. Menu is simple & all the dishes are really quite tasty. As appetizers we ordered mozzarella sticked that were huge & good. We also ordered a caprese salad, the tomatoes & the mozzarella was so fresh & it all flew off the plates. The garlic bread is large, buttery & hot. So good. With your entrees it includes a house salad. (No cesar salad unfortunately.) Also, I didn't care much for the house salad & their Italian dressing. My dinner made up for it though. I ordered the cheese tortellini calabresse. It was very good with the grilled mushrooms, onions, red peppers & sausages. The BF ordered chicken Marsala & while the chicken was good the Marsala sauce was too sweet for his taste. For dessert we ordered the Tiramisu & it was really very very good. Why the 3 star review for such great food all around? Well, the service was crap & it took over an hour to get our food for a party of 8. Also, our waitress just dropped the check on our table before even asking if we want coffee or dessert. We had to tell her we weren't done & wanted dessert. It was also really weird how they brought out our food 2 or 1 at a time & it took a while until we all had our food. Not to mention that we all didn't get menus & it took a long time for her to take our order. Another annoying but about the crappy service is that one of the members of our party had a 3 year old & as soon swear river we asked for a high chair. It took them 15 minutes until we finally got the high chair & after asking a 2nd & 3rd time. Go for the really great home cooked Italian food but don't go in a hurry & have patience.
(3)John T.
I have been coming here ever since I found it 20yrs ago. I have never had a bad meal and the wait staff is great. I have read several reviews on here that I find suspicious. Our waiter was very attentive and spent just the right amount of time at our table and was very friendly. Our food was delicious as usual. I had the pesto pasta. The prices for what you get is excellent. 4 of us ate dinner for less than 60$. They do not serve alcohol but there is a sprits store next door and they only charge 5$ for a cork fee. Our waiter opened our wine and poured for us and when our wine glasses ran low he came back and asked if we wanted to be topped off.
(5)Kristine T.
Waited ten minutes for seating.No one else in restaurant. My realtor suggested this place. We both ordered scampi, I asked for NO PARMesan cheese. It takes at least 40 minutes to prepare, then mine has parmesan cheese all over it, The waitress tells me to just scape it off.!!! It was all throughout so I ate the 5 shrimp that came with it andstill had to pay 14.00 for it. My realtor took two bites and sent hers back. She said " This is not what I expected.Take it back. Worst Italian food I have ever had in Nashville and I have been here since 1972. The service was AWFUL.I could have done better at Romanos Macaroni Grill...I will go there next. Oh....and the response from my review on Citysearch and Facebook was. was sorry...come back soon. Yes when Hell freezes over!!!!!!!
(1)Erin J.
Since I've been to Mama Mia's at least 5 times over the years, I thought it was about time to write a review. Let me start out by saying: if you're in a hurry, DO NOT come here! The restaurant is also quite chilly, so be sure to bring a jacket or sweater. I've always come for lunch, but I assume dinner is the same way. The food is definitely tasty featuring very generous portions. They also bring out some yummy bread prior to the meal, so it helps tide you over while you wait. I think I've ordered the same thing every single time - the manicotti. It always comes out piping hot which is great. It does seem to take forever though. We waited 30 minutes last time - far too long to come very often! All in all, the food is delicious. They have all sorts of pasta dishes but also have paninis and calzones. I know I'll be back for lunch, but I'll have to make sure I can be gone for longer than an hour!
(3)Laura M.
Last night my husbands sales crew went to mama mia's for dinner as part of hitting their sales goal. There is about 25 of us and we showed up around 7 on a saturday night. The ladies that worked there where very nice and a bit overwhelmed with us *I would be too* because we can be a bit rowdy at times. We were there for about 2 hours and the service was nice, my water was never empty and my hubby had refills constantly of his pop. The food was OK not the best Italian I've had but pretty darn good. OMIGOODNESS the bread before the meal was divine. My only complaint was the marinara was too sweet, I know LAME but I prefer my sauce savory. I had the mama stravaganza which is a sampler plate, I got manicotti, lasagna, and chicken parmesan. My husband had the pesto, the pesto was delicious, but my sampler plate all tasted similar, so next time I'll get just one type of entree. The owner of the restaurant is the cook and she actually owns the cuban restaurant just down the street as well. She herself is from Cuba and is seriously the sweetest person you'll ever meet. We had her flan, which was amazing because she uses a caramel mango sauce on top of homemade custard. It was really really good and unique. I liked this place a lot, quite memorable in many ways.
(4)Kristin Marie S.
The search is over I found scrumptious Italian food in Nashville!! Wa-hoo! I actually slept better that night knowing I wouldn't have to spend months finding decent Italian. So why does this place get 5 stars? 5 reasons for 5 stars. Number 1: It's basically in a trailer with a foundation. Some of the best Italian food in NJ was served in a trailer and cash only. (This place is NOT cash only.) Cozy and romantic, the way it should be! Number 2: There is a painting of an almost naked lady in the bathroom. The other artwork is just as kitschy. Number 3: The chicken basilica was everything it was supposed to be!! Priced decently too. Number 4: They got the garlic bread almost down. Yeah I know, I said almost but it was the best yet! Number 5: $5 wine corkage fee!! You can also bring in beer or hard alcohol!!! If you forget they are conveniently located next to a liquor store. (Author's note, this is 5 stars in Nashville, not 5 stars in the continental US.)
(5)Lee P.
I found my Nashville Italian joint. I married an Italian - her father and all of her relatives are from (and many of them still live in) Italy. Mama Mia's would impress all of them. Try the bruschetta and for your entree try the gnocchi with the veal sauce. Be prepared to wait.
(5)Char D.
Let me start by saying this has been one of my favorite places to eat in Nashville so it sucks that I'm having to 3 star them. :/ BUT inconsistency kills this place. We want last night and I was totally let down. No specials, no lasagna, ran out of bread and didn't have anymore until our entrees came out which took forever. We drank our whole bottle of wine and we lost a member of our party all while waiting on our food. Service is meh.. Me and mama mias I think are in need of a long break.
(3)Ariell S.
the most authentic italian food in town by far!!!!!!
(5)Cecil B.
This place is great!!! Byob with a liquor store right next door to pick up some wine. Service is super friendly. Food was really tasty. Best Italian in Nashville. And it's never crowded.
(5)Jay G.
This is one of the most bittersweet reviews I have written on Yelp. I have lived within a mile of Mama Mias for about five years now and never have once tried it until last night. I always heard good things from people throughout the community, but for some reason never stopped in to give them a chance. That is the bitter part of this review because I have been missing many years of wonderful Italian comfort food. Nonetheless, the sweet is the sweetest because my wife and I have a new favorite Italian restaurant. As we indulged in our meal we quickly realized we were experiencing something special. The food was perfectly executed. Not over salted, the right amount of cheese, and FRESH ingredients...this my friends are the keys to great Italian food. Do not be fooled by the other low ratings that were given for this restaurant...the will only deter you from the true definition of deliciousness. I understand everyone's pallet is different but realize that real Italian food is not "Pizza Hut". Fast food Italian is all preservatives, tons of salt and cheese, they do this to mask how bad the food is because cheese makes everything somewhat better. As for folks saying they were slow, that's incorrect. We were informed as soon as we were seated that all the food prepared is made from scratch so it takes a little longer. We were there 1 hour and five minutes with salads, two baskets of bread, mozzarella sticks for an app, our dinner courses, and finished a whole bottle of wine. Again, this is not fast food. This is a restaurant that produces quality, made from scratch food. I do not mind one taking a little extra time in preparing food in order to receive a quality product at the end. Trust me, do yourself a favor and try them out. I battled a while if I was going to write a review because I did not want anybody to know of this place, but it would not be a service to Mama Mias. Everyone should come and be loved at this place. Do something your future self will thank you for later...eat here.
(5)Laila S.
My friend and I have been stalking this place for awhile. we work fairly close by but they were closed for a few months, but we finally got in a few weeks ago. looks like they have remodeled according to my friend who had been there before. So whenevery i try a out a new Italian restaurant, I get a few certain items to judge. 1. obiviously the tomato sauce is key, and Mama Mia's has a pretty decent one. Its not the best but in the top 3 of the Nashville restaurants i've tried. 2. The bread with olive oil and herbs (and ideally balsamic vinegar too) theirs was fresh and hot, you could tell it was the same they use for the crust of the pizza, but thats ok, at least they presented it 3. My favorite is the quattro formaggi - they do theirs right, with italian cheeses (and a lot of them) i had them stuffed into a calzoni and they added basil leaves as well, which made it that much more delicious! Overall a great little gem in Crieve Hall, good for date night or lunch.
(4)Ashli D.
A friend visited this place for dinner based on the Yelp reviews. It is tucked between gas stations and parking is limited. We had fried mozzarella (yum!) and house salads which were also good. The garlic bread sticks were great! She had the chicken and pasta dish and I had penne ala vodka. Both were very good but my friend's dish was loaded with so much garlic it burned your mouth. Other than that, the food and service were great!
(4)Dan W.
Two for the food, zero for service. I arrived a few minutes before noon, there was only a handful of people inside and two waitresses. My order for a meatball sandwich was taken relatively quickly. By twenty past twelve I was ready to ditch this place. The sandwich finally got to my table about five minutes later. Great sandwich done right, meatballs sliced in half and layered thru the Italian bread. The sauce was tangy, the mozzarella melted, and the sweet pepper I requested was cooked perfect. I had to be at the Nashville airport so I had to search out my waitress to get my check. Figures, she was in back yappin with the other one. Of course, the other one gets busy and disappears when I show up. This place has very good Italian food and has been here for 22 years, I can't say I'll return because of the service. Danno
(2)Melissa B.
I am so sad to have to leave a bad review for this restaurant. I have heard great things about it, but, experienced the opposite tonight. My father owns restaurants and has taught me the importance of supporting family owned businesses but tonight this one puts family owned businesses to shame. I liked the intimate atmosphere. It is dimly lit and is great for a nice date night. After waiting for a while after placing our order, we received our salad (iceberg lettuce, a slice of tomato, carrots) and breadsticks (breadsticks were pretty good!). At this point, we were underwhelmed but still anticipating an amazing meal. And when I say anticipating...we anticipated a great meal for 25 minutes before we actually received our food. I ordered the Ravioli (can't remember the name but had a cream sauce with chicken and mushrooms) and my husband ordered the chicken marsala. When I received my meal, it was luke warm - the cheese that was supposed to be melted on top was hard...I typically do not send food back but I could not handle the fact that it had clearly been sitting out so I graciously sent it back to be heated up, recooked-whatever. When I received it back (within 3 minutes) it was obvious that it had just been microwaved to a molten lava temperature causing the chicken's texture to literally resemble plastic. I had about 3 bites - I could not handle it (I am the LEAST picky person in the world - if I won't eat something, you know it's bad). My husband's chicken marsala was soup. The sauce was runny and flavorless. He had about 3 bites. The server asked us if we wanted to go boxes and we declined. She paid no attention to the fact that we were clearly unsatisfied. As I said, my father owns restaurants, I understand there are mistakes and no one is perfect. But, the thing that bothered me was that we were not taken care of by any means. No manager came out to apologize for the 25 minute delay in our food - let alone apologize that mine came out nearly cold. This is the attention to detail patrons go to family owned businesses for. Our bill was about $45 for 5 bites of terrible food and a sad feeling that this family owned business would treat their patrons this way.
(1)Melissa B.
Don't be fooled by the exterior. When you walk inside you are transported to a candlelit and intimate little Italian nook. It is simple yet romantic. The prices are extremely reasonable and its BYOB. They do charge a small corking fee. The servers have always been very nice and helpful when it comes to suggesting delicious menu items. I know a lot of people on here have mentioned slow service however that has never been a problem for me. These dishes are cooked to order though so that can slow it down a little more! I gave them 4 out of 5 stars because of their menu changes. I actually like their old menu much better. I have had a couple of dishes on the new menu that I didn't love. Their classics like their lasagna and manicotti are great. The seafood dishes I've had I didn't love. I noticed this time they've added some lighter pasta dishes that I look forward to trying. Their salads are always delicious as is their bread basket. This is definitely one of my favorite places in Nashville!
(4)Melissa F.
This place is adorable and a great date night spot. The food and service were great. From the location and outside wouldn't even know this was a gem in the rough! Plus it's BYOB!
(5)Andy B.
I would have given this place 5 stars because the meal was really good, we both had their chicken Marsala, the dish I judge every Italian restaurant by, and it was great, but I think they had one waitress for the whole restaurant. I never saw another one. Granted it was Tuesday, but this poor girl brought us wine glasses, $5 cork fee which rocks, and my glass was dirty. She didnt remember to bring me a clean one til mid meal, but I don't blame her. She did everything else fantastically. Took our order without writing it down. Great food, good bread, nice meal, but if you are looking for one of those places where they have a guy in the corner with a pitcher scanning the room for half empty water glasses, this ain't it.
(4)Michael M.
4 stars? huh? Went here on 'date night' last Friday. Waited 20 minutes for our order to be taken. Waitress was nice but clueless and totally disinterested. Overall 2 1/2 hours, I should have bought two bottles of vino. Once we got the food it was 'ok'. I had the cozze (mussels) which weren't brutal. I specifically asked if the eggplant dish I ordered was smothered in red sauce and slop. Waitress said 'No' but it was. The wife had a chicken dish she didn't finish and the cannoli had a citrus orangy cream filling that was terrible. Of course once again I was skunked in Nashville - NO espresso!!!!! Waitress said she needed to run over to the Cuban restaurant next door. Huh? half spilled and cold; no thanks I'l make a pot when I get home! Bottom line, if you are going to own a restaurant you might as well go ALL THE WAY and do it right. Dinner out is a total experience from the time you walk in the door to the last sip of espresso, I mean coffee. They missed the memo, never again.
(2)Kevin W.
My favorite Italian restaurant in Nashville. Don't judge this book by its cover; this small block building between two gas stations is home to some of the best food you'll ever eat. Also, instead of overpriced drinks, you can bring in your own bottle of wine. There's a small corking fee, but it's still Way cheaper that wine at most restaurants. The atmosphere is great and very authentic, too.
(5)Howard L.
Slow, slow slow. I went last night thinking it might be OK to eat there when it's half empty. It is not. Walked in at around 7 PM for a table for two. The restaurant had several open tables and a waitress was cleaning the carpet when we got there. That's generally a good sign, wait staff trying to keep themselves busy. We were seated immediately with menus. 20 minutes later we were still sitting there. No water, no greeting, no nothing. Finally got some water and we ordered our meals. I got the Veal piccata, my friend got something that I don't even remember what it's called. Wide noodles with some sort of tomato sauce and goat cheese. 30 minutes after we ordered we got bread and we were invited to order salad dressing for our salad. Our waiter hyped up the bleu cheese as the best in the area. It is not. We were given one roll each and when I asked for more bread, I got a fairly mean look and a lot of talk about not eating too much bread. Really? Here's a tip waiter: Wait on us and shut up. 20 minutes after our salads we got our simple pasta meals. He set down our dishes and said he would be right back with cheese. My piccata was OK...nothing to write home about, but the noodles were al dente. The veal itself was not that great. Just a small to medium veal chop on top of some noodles. The wide noodles....nasty. The tomato sauce was super sweet, like Papa John's sweet. Anyways, my friend thought she'd wait for cheese to try to rescue her dish. 15 minutes pass. Nothing. I finally flag down somebody to get cheese, and he looks at our dishes like, "Hold on there, I already put fucking cheese on your dish..." and he gave me an annoyed look and a sigh before getting the cheese and grating some on our dishes. 2 hours, 1 water refill. Glass was empty for the majority of the time. Our waiter...wow. I tried to like him, but in the end he was just annoying and took forever. He had a "charming" accent, but in the end he spent most of the time talking to my female friend rather than addressing both of us, which I found super annoying. The restaurant is very tiny and he had no more than 4 parties at one time. No excuse. The back breaker: 2 hours after we sit, we finally got a bill. There was an extra 6 dollar charge on the hand written check, for which I could find no reason. It was either for asking for cheese on our dishes or for the extra 2 rolls. Either that or he thought he had uncorked some wine for us. I didn't feel like dealing with it so I left what he asked for plus a tip. But that will be my last tip ever for them, because I am not going back. Summary: stingy with bread, stingy with water, time wasters. Too dark as well. Meal for two, no drinks just water. No apps, no desserts. 57 dollars. Also, MC or Visa or Cash only. Thumbs down.
(2)Chris G.
I have passed this place forever and decided the other day to swing by for lunch. This place has really good food. I mean really good food. It's nice inside and they try to dress it up as much as they can for where it's at. The bathroom is very small but clean. The people I went with decided we would all share and order several items so we could try several things. I liked everything I had. Trust me I know good food and this place is a must try.
(4)Ozro D.
Considering Mama Mia's is stuck in between two gas stations, I never assumed much when I drive past this place. However, a friend's recommendation persuaded me to give it a chance. Turns out, this is one of the most straightforward dining experiences you can have. There's no flair, no overdecoration, no superfriendly waiters. In fact, there is very little waiter presence at all. It's just good food. I'm not sure I'd be bold enough to say it's the best italian in town, since I've really only tried major chains, but it's certainly not a stretch to say that this is better than most. It might not be cheap, but I'm not sure of any nice Italian restaurants that are. The portions are also very generous, leaving me with plenty leftover for the next day. Adding benefit is the restaurant's BYOB status. The corking fee may be annoying, but it's still cheaper than buying wine at any other restaurant. Plus, in addition to the donut shop and aforementioned gas stations, Mama Mia's shares a parking lot with a liquor store, making it easy to grab a bottle before walking in. That they're able to survive in such an odd location with what would generally be considered awful service is a testament to how good their food is. Singing waiters may be fun, but I'd much rather have great food, and Mama Mia's is a place to find it.
(4)Rachel F.
Bottom line: Will not return. Went with a party of 6. Had reservations for a Monday night. We spent a total of 2.5 hours stuffed into this tiny, stuffy, uncomfortable mess of a "restaurant" because the service is THAT slow. Appetizers: cheese sticks and calamari. I've had better cheese sticks at Sonic, but the calamari was quite good. Not rubbery at all. Salads: Terrible. Dressings were not good, and the salad is just a bowl of lettuce with a slice of tomato and some black olives. Main dishes: Mediocre. I threw away my leftovers. Desserts: didn't try the tiramisu, but the cannoli are a super gross mix of chocolate and orange, and the chocolate cake is swimming in sauce but is still dry as a bone. No espresso, no cappuccino, but are clearly listed on the menu. Our waitress was super annoyed with us for ordering dessert, and took her sweet time getting us our check. WE NEVER SAW AN ITEMIZED BILL. Each couple was charged over $60, but we have no idea what we paid for. Very unprofessional. I will not eat here again, but if you do, GO TO THE BATHROOM. The "art" in the men's room is something else, while the women's room contains a nightmare. We took photos. And the Jesus painting with the actual hole in it is something to behold as well.
(2)Lyrad V.
This is the best Italian in Nashville, hands down, which is amazing since the owners are not Italian... they are Cuban or Colombian or something. They also own Back to Cuba cafe pretty much next door. Check that place out too. Both located where you'd never see it unless you were looking for it. In short, I won't even go into specific entrees because everything I've ever gotten is amazing. But I will note that their bruschetta is by far the best I've even had. Good portions, reasonable prices. My husband and I are in agreement that this place is the best. Most people we know that have eaten here have said the same. I noticed some of the lower reviews are not about the food, but about the wait and service. We know this place is popular and they don't take reservations. So we always go to dinner around 5:30 or 6 and don't have a problem at all. If you have a group and get there 6:30 or after, be prepared to wait a while. No bar to wait. This is a BYOB place with a minimal corking fee. If you don't give Mama Mia's a try, you are really missing out!
(5)Janet Y.
I have had this restaurant bookmarked for a while, and today I finally got a chance to check it out! We picked this location for a work group outing, and we couldn't have been more pleased. First of all, the service was excellent. While the dining area is fairly small, they seated our group of 10 right away for lunch. Our server was attentive but not overbearing. As we waited for a few stragglers in our group to arrive, out came this gooey, buttery, delicious garlic bread on the house! I think I had four pieces! Everything on the lunch menu ranged from about $7-13, from salads and strombolis to pasta and pizza dishes. I ordered a Marinara pasta dish that was fantastic! Everyone at our table ooohed and awed as their dish came out and the praises kept coming even after the food was cleared into our tummies. Mama Mia's is hard to find on Trousdale Dr. especially if you aren't looking for it, but it's definitely a place worth seeking out!
(4)Clayton K.
It's ok. Nothing special. Service is slow and food is a little overpriced. Pasta is cheap so I've never understood $15 plus for pasta dishes. I had the chicken raviolis. They were tasty but like said worth about $10. The cheese sticks we got we a nice size but the forgot to melt the cheese on the inside so it was just a big piece of what felt like rubber on inside. Not sure how you mess up cheese sticks? Overall 3 stars. In a city like nashville there is def better places.
(2)Frank M.
First time. It was peaceful, they played Italian music and the service was nice. The meals were expensive but the food was great and definitely filling. I enjoyed my time here.
(3)Eddy W.
We have been here a before and the food is excellent. It was my gf's birthday so we decided to go there to eat.. When we pulled up the parking lot was empty. I wondered if they were closed or we had gotten there too early. Well we found out that the head chef wasn't there that night as he/she had to go to the emergency room. The staff informed us they had a very limited menu that night which disappointed us. But the food was still good and the service was great. Since it was slow the waiter sung Happy Birthday to my gf. I should rate this 5 stars due to the service we received but on this night with the food not being as good as normal it gets 4 stars. I am sure the next time we go it will be a 5 star rating
(4)Amber K.
The food is ok, but don't come here if you're hungry because you'll have to wait. Our waitress told us everything on the menu takes 45 mins and because they were busy it would take longer. I wouldn't have minded the wait if it didn't take so long to get us simple things like bread and salad. We also waited a while just to place our order. I had the ravioli di pollo al forno. I didn't like the filling. My husband had the tortellini amore which was also just ok. Also, they only had coke, diet coke, sprite and unsweet tea. Still hunting for some good Italian food...
(2)Joseph P.
Wait time: absurd. Food: meh. I've been a few times either out of convenience or just wanting to give another chance. The mushroom ravioli were pretty good, mussels were tasty. Salad is iceberg straight out of a bag. Service is the worst- no reason to ever wait as long as they force you to. And for halfway decent food and bad service, truly not worth what they charge.
(3)Carly H.
The food here is absolutely phenomenal. I ate with four people; we all ordered a different entre and everyone absolutely raved about the quality of the food. Our waiter was attentive and knowledgable about the menu, and was able to answer all of our questions. He recommended the bruschetta as a starter, and it was fantastic. We were too full to try any desserts (see later in the post about portion sizes!) but next time we are planning to skip the appetizer and save room. It is a little pricey compared to other Italian places, but the portions are enormous. I will be making at least two meals out of my plate, so to me the prices are worth it. It is BYOB, as others have mentioned, but there is a liquor store located conveniently next door, so that is easily remedied if you wish to have a bottle of wine or hard liquor. I will definitely be making many return visits here!
(4)J C.
SLOW. This is place to dine, not eat. In 1.5hrs my wife and I got 2 breadsticks each and 2 water refills. We had to request our order be changed to "to-go" to accommodate our baby sitter. The food was good yet colder once we got home. Will only attempt again as a "to-go" place
(2)Karen G.
This might be as good as it gets. Our first time at this neighborhood, unassuming on the outside, jewel. Unassuming? If you don't know about it you will probably keep on driving. It literally sits between two gas stations. Inside is quite a surprise and a real treat. The smell is delicious, garlic, basil, oregano, bread and mushrooms and the ambiance is surprising comfortable. They don't take reservations for two but we were seated quickly and the service as on time and attentive. Our meals were amazing, Pasta Vagabondo and Mushroom Ravioli with chicken were fresh, interesting and quite honestly the best pasta dishes I've had in years. The price is very affordable especially since you bring you own wine, cocktails, ect. Love, love, love this little place.
(5)Michele H.
Good food. It was good we came early because dinner takes awhile. We came with friends so we loved the time to visit. Definitely don't come if you're in a hurry.
(4)Daniel B.
Love it. It's hard to go wrong with any menu item. I just can't begin to write about the various items because their whole menu deserves a review. One cool note: the Back to Cuba restaurant a few doors down provides the coffee! Hmmm...perfect. Stop reading...go eat! Buon appetito!
(5)Elle w.
Absolutely DELICIOUS. Really, I have never had anything bad here. Let me warn you: it is BYOB (but there is a liquor/wine store next door), and it's going to be a leisurely meal. Everything is prepared after your order so while it takes some time, you can be sure that it is hot and fresh. Also they are great about making substitutions to their pastas (no mushrooms but add garlic please)! It can be busy, so make sure you phone ahead to see what the wait time is.
(4)Steve M.
I don't know if I went on a bad night, but I really was not impressed with Mama Mia's. We arrived and we were greeted by a friendly female who sat us at our table and took our drink orders. I asked for iced tea, and she said the restaurant did not have any (this is a first - what restaurant would not have iced tea?). I then asked what she had that was sugar free, and she said normally Diet Coke, but that the soda machine was broken. She said my only sugar free beverage choice was a glass of tap water. Definitely not a good way to start the meal at a restaurant that strives to be 'fine dining' with $15-20 dollar entrees. A male waiter then comes to our table asking to take our order before we had a chance to even look at the menu. We asked what he recommended and he said "everything". That did not help us narrow our selection. We both order the Siciliana with Bolognese (spaghetti with meat sauce), with a side of meatballs. The salad comes out and was fine. The dressing seemed to be store bought and not from scratch, but it wasn't a big deal. The garlic bread we received was stale and hard as if it had been reheated in the microwave a few too many times and was dripping in butter. We left it in the basket. Gross. The meal then arrives and we begin to eat. First off, they got the order entirely wrong - we ordered Bolognese sauce and they served it with Marinara sauce instead. The sauce was so sweet that my dinner companion said it tasted more like a dessert than a dinner entree! The meatballs were ok, but cold in the center as if they had been re-heated, and the pasta (which they told us was from scratch) was out of a box (yes, i can easily tell the difference). The entire experience reminded me of the Food Network show Sandra Lee/Semi Homeade. Its as if they were trying to be fine dining, but it was an epic failure. My dinner guest could not eat his meal because it had so much sugar in the sauce (and they put the wrong sauce on the pasta to begin with). The restaurant did take it off the bill, but made some odd comment about "had you eaten more than 25% of it, we would not have been able to remove it from the bill". isn't that an odd thing to say in a 'fine dining' establishment? In a nutshell, Mama Mia's may be fine as a $5.99 lunch special dive, but as a dinner/fine dining establishment, it has a long way to go.
(2)Heather P.
Definitely NOT pleased with this place. My boyfriend had raved about this place in the past and couldn't wait to introduce me to it, but after our visit there a couple of weeks ago, he's now wondering if the place is under new management. We started with an appetizer of calamari. The breading was sparse, it was soggy, and very minimally seasoned. I also found the marinara dipping sauce to be pretty bland. For an entree, my boyfriend ordered the sampler plate of lasagna, manicotti, and chicken parmesan and thought it was just "alright". I tried a bite of each and again, thought the sauce was very bland. For my meal, I went with the one of the pizzas. The outer crust was just barely crisp, but the underside of the pie was like eating RAW DOUGH! I ate one slice and just couldn't sit there and eat anymore! To give them the benefit of the doubt, I got a to-go box and took the pizza home with us. The next day, we heated up the leftovers for lunch and even after 20 minutes in the oven, it was STILL doughy. We ended up throwing it away! Overpriced Italian cuisine...probably could've done better had we gone to Olive Garden...and I am not the type of person who frequents chain restaurants. Very disappointed.
(2)Samantha joelle A.
Mama Mia's was a quaint little place tucked away, not generally seen unless you're actually looking for it. I was sent here based on recommendation, and was I glad that I took that person's advice. First of all, Mama Mia's has an awesome BYOB policy, where they charge a small corkage fee and anyone can bring their own bottle of wine. The fact that there is a liquor store right next door makes this very convenient. My friends and I weren't aware of this until we went into the restaurant and saw practically every table had a couple empty bottles of wine that they had brought with them. Now we know for next time. Both my friends and I were extremely satisfied with the food that we ordered. I got a mushroom ravioli that was probably the best ravioli I have ever had. The bread that they serve with dinner was very tasty. My friends and I loved the authentic Italian feel of the place, and the service was quick and on top of it. All in all, I could not find one thing to complain about. I was just excited to discover a new Italian gem in Nashville.
(4)Amy C.
The carbonara was so rich and unctuous I couldn't finish half my plate. That's no disparagement, just an observation. I thought it could've used a little something to balance the butter - the waitress looked at me as though I was mad when I asked for some fresh-ground pepper. The bread was good, though we thought it could have used a lot more garlic! The salad was a bit of nothing. I thought it was odd that the server didn't tell us it was a Balsamic Vinaigrette and called it "Italian" when I asked about a house dressing. As to ambiance, the place is very clean and neat inside. But the thrum of what I think was the air conditioner (or a massive blower of some kind) really gave me a headache after awhile. I couldn't get used to it.
(3)Jason S.
Totally underwhelmed. First, I have no idea why a small restaurant with no bar and no lobby would not take reservations. I despise places that don't take reservations and generally as a rule avoid them, but if you choose to do so, you should probably have a place for people to wait, and I don't know, maybe help them bear the wait by letting them get loaded and order appetizers. Who knows? You might make some money out of it. And let me tell you, when we tried to go here with three pregnant women, this sort of business model really shows its weaknesses. When we finally got in, after waiting outside in the cold with three very pregnant, and very hungry women and their respective spouses, we were greeted by okay Italian food and uneven service. It was pretty pricey, too. Nobody at the table was really "wowed" by their meals. I am all for intimate, cozy, romantic experiences, but not at the cost of inconvenience that overshadows the pros.
(2)MACK L.
I have loved this little Italian jewel in the Crieve Hall neighborhood for many years. The veal dishes are my favorite. REMEMBER, there is no alcohol served here but they encourage you to BYOB of wine or a six pack of beer. If you forgot to bring along your favorite Chianti, there is a liquor store next door. Makes the whole meal very inexpensive since our bar tab is usually as high as the food bill. Take note, Young Guys Dating on a Budget, this is a cozy, candlelit, oddly romantic place. You will still have enough money for Sunday brunch in the morning. I promise you will like it.
(4)Tim W.
In short great food terrible service! I have been here twice now and the experience has been consistent both times. The food is great but the waiters are slow, rude and it just makes it a overall negative experience.
(1)Shannon R.
Besides the disorganized wait, this place is a MUST! My boyfriend and I decided to finally try Mama Mias on our 2 yr. anniversary. We did wait about an hour, there was not anybody really taking down your name so we just kinda started to form a line( kinda cool though b/c you have no choice but to talk to the other people waiting) But once you are inside and seated......TOATLLY WORTH IT! ~ Our server was very nice and on top of things ~The Bruchetta App. is delicious ~Very cozy, dim lighting, candlelight, smells amazing in there:) ~The Sampler( Stravaganza) is the perfect dish to split. Plenty of food for two people and you get to try 3 of their most popular items. ~The breadsticks are heavenly ~Best Tiramisu I HAVE EVER HAD! ~AND THE BEST THING....BYOW ( bring your own wine)....$5 corkage fee.....but by doing this saves so much money and not to mention its super neat too! ~All together we loved it, and will most definately be back. And not to mention we ate alot of GREAT ITALIAN FOOD for UNDER $50! Cant beat that!
(4)Dessa T.
Four words: best. Italian. in. Nashville. There's no point in writing specifics about the food because it's all amazing. They do not take reservations and it's a small (snug? intimate?) place. If you go on a Friday or Saturday night be prepared for a long (and possibly frustrating) wait. It's worth it (but if you really hate waiting, go at 5:30 or on a weeknight - don't skip it entirely!). Sometimes it does seem as if the staff is a bit disorganized and/or overwhelmed. Don't let what I'm about to say deter you, but it's really better to go when you are relaxed (i.e. you are in the mood for a nice, long evening with your honey, rather than you are grumpy because you haven't eaten all day and you are trying to fit dinner in before catching a movie). Mama Mia's is a great date spot. Because it's so cozy and busy, I personally would not go with more than 4 or 5, but I often see large groups there during high traffic hours and they seem to make it work. They don't serve wine, so bring your own and plan to pay a small corking fee. These are just a few things to know before you go - if you haven't tried it yet, you are really missing out!!
(4)Robin S.
Great place to go for a low-key, authentic Italian dinner! It doesn't look like much from the outside--heck or from the inside. It's clean but small, and they have the requisite checkered tablecloths and candles on the tables, but it's nothing too fancy. Doesn't need to be. If the food is good (it's outstanding) that's all that matters! I suggest reservations, just because it's again, a small place, but they do take walk-ins. Just be prepared to wait. Another thing I love about it is that you have to bring your own wine--they don't serve it! It's a $5 cork fee (pretty sure on that) which really, is a deal if you think about what most restaurants make you pay for a bottle of ho-hum wine. This way, you bring whatever you want and only pay a minimal price. Most meals come with a salad and delicious buttery, garlicy breadsticks all for a very reasonable price. I usually get out of there for about $15. Great for date night, or night out with the girls. I've never had bad service either! Mama Mia's is one place I'll go back to time and again.
(4)Chris T.
Normally not one to write restaurant reviews - but our experience recently at Mama Mia's compelled me to send this one as a caution for people considering dining here. Been there only twice - and the first time (6 months ago) was a good experience overall. Not overly impressed with the atmosphere or service - but the food was outstanding. Then, last week we went back only to find the service was atrocious (slow and inattentive to basic needs). We went early on a Saturday to avoid the rush but it didn't matter. Many around us had the same problem and at least one couple walked out. After an hour - we finally were served and the food was actually quite good. But the wait and hassle were simply not worth it. They can recover - but need to focus on the basics and be consistent.
(2)Tim R.
I've patronized Mama Mia's for over a decade. The food is great. Service always has room for improvement though. Staff is slow and disorganized. I cannot recall a visit where the service was good. Be careful on holidays because they offer only prix fixe menus that rely heavily on meat or seafood. Found this out the hard way when we were denied our usual dish on Valentines Day, thus requiring us to change our plans on a very busy dining day after we had been seated. They charge a corking fee also. You would think that after having a rehearsal dinner there, having various holiday dinners there, and bringing new people often that they would be more sensitive to a long time customer's expectations and holiday plans. Guess they can't be bothered though.
(2)Kevin E.
Terrible service, no one came to our table to even say hello after 10 minutes. I complained to two servers and still nothing so we left. Only three other tables occupied! Fortunately Back to Cuba was next door, they have authentic food and friendly attentive service.
(1)Jennifer S.
So yeah, it's in a strip mall. But the inside is really cozy and the food is delicious. It's a BYO, which I think is so fun. The corkage fee is $5 and if you forget your wine, no problem: there's a liquor store a couple of doors down in the same strip. I had what I believe was called penne alla san giovannello, which was a cream-based sauce with mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and Italian sausage. The pasta was perfectly al dente and the sauce was flavorful without just being doused in salt. The fried calamari were huge and the green dipping sauce was delicious. Our server was very friendly. I'd highly recommend Mama Mia's!
(4)Stephanie K.
We've been going to this little gem for years. The excellent Italian food is a bit slow to come out so if you are toting a tot, bring snacks. Also bring your own wine. I really enjoy the simple menu of very well crafted entrees. I've never had a miss and would recommend it especially for a date or a boisterous gathering of friends.
(4)Gary R.
Real Italian food is hard to find but Mama Mia's has got you covered. When you walk in you get that aroma of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and real Italian sauces. It is a cozy place and is the epitome of comfort food. This is not a chain and you can tell everything was cooked with care. Now this is Italian - be there.
(5)Anna A.
I have been going to Mama Mia's for years and it's our go to for Italian. The food is good, the prices are great, the servers are always awesome and their are paintings of naked people without heads in the ladies bathroom. The paintings are always the highlight for my kids even my son ventures in for a look. Of course he comes out one day and says "jeez, I don't see what the big deal is, the artist didn't even bother to paint their heads." I digress... Some of my favorite highlights are that it's BYOB and I think the corkage is only $6 so it's lovely to have nice wine with dinner without spending $10 a glass. Secondly, they serve salad and bread sticks with your meal and they are soooo good. They have a large variety of straight forward Italian fare and there are always left overs. There is a reason this little place has been open for so long with little change to it's menu or decor It's just simple good and they stick with it.
(5)Ray Ray K.
Great Italian food at a good price. We got the salmon appetizer and the pancetta pasta entree. Brought our own bottle of wine, only a $5 corking fee! Can't beat it! I thought it was funny when we told the server it was our first time and he said, "You'll fall in love with the food here. Not the service or the server, but the food." He was right, but the service wasn't even that bad. The food was a little slow coming out but that just made more time for wine drinking! Cozy atmosphere. The ceilings could be redone with a little more modern flare but an overall attractive place for a date. The only thing i can complain about were the breadsticks. Maybe it was just getting late but they tasted a little stale. But you can also have as many as you want. I would definitely come here for dinner again. (Did i mention the $5 corking fee??)
(4)Mindi M.
I have been a Mama Mia's fan for years! I tell everyone in Nashville that is is the BEST and my favorite Italian. Unfortunately, Friday night will be my last date night there with my man. We've done it many times. He now refuses to set foot in the restaurant again after once again having terribly poor service. The food is usually spot on and phenomenal but you have to be prepared to WAIT. Not sure if they're just understaffed or if they are being very literal with the Italian flair and think dining should take 3 hours. I think that is fine when you have a large party (hence, the word party) and are visiting with one another. When it is you and your significant other that you see every day, we're mainly there to eat, drink and get on our merry way. How difficult could it be to hire a couple more servers, especially for the weekend. Come on, Mama Mia's, after years of having this issue, can't you fix this problem?!
(3)Rachael Anne E.
Don't judge this restaurant by it's building. Though painted with an attractive mural, the cement building can be off-putting. However, the best option for Nashville Italian food is inside. You have to bring in your own alcohol, but Radnor Liquors is just a couple store fronts away. The strip center and Mama Mia's shares a parking lot. It's a small restaurant and it can have a wait. It's worth it and you should try it.
(4)Megan R.
AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL SERVICE!!!! Food is good but the service is awful. Not worth it at all. Not even close. Doesn't even deserve one star.
(1)Mariela C.
I love Mama Mia's because it makes me feel like I'm actually getting a glimpse of what a traditional Italian restaurant should feel like. It's romantic, cheesy, welcoming, small, and charming all in one package. More importantly I guess, it's good Italian food. However, my reason for reviewing it without a doubt is the fact that it's BYOW (Bring Your Own Wine). Oh heavenly restaurant that lets me bring my own wine to enjoy with my meal and only charges me a few bucks to cork it. Seriously, I like the food, but I love that they let me bring my own wine.
(4)Peter K.
Small, cozy, and charming comes to mind when I think of Mama Mia's. The décor reminds me of times past. Not that it's a bad thing, it adds to the atmosphere. You'll find the usual Italians suspects on the menu, nothing modern or cutting edge. The food is unpretentious, comforting, well executed, and the service has always been friendly and warm. Bring your own wine and you're in for a good night.
(4)M M.
We go here often as a family outing. Great food and hard to go wrong with any order. For Mother's Day I took my Mom and we had a great time and meal. She left her wallet with everything in it by the table and they called us the moment they found it! Thanks Mama Mia and we will definitely be back!
(5)Josh F.
First let me say that I have been to Mama Mia's on multiple occasions over the past several years and have recommended this restaurant many times for those looking for a great local Italian restaurant. However, on my most recent visit on 8/20/11 I was extremely disappointed to discover that the food quality has decreased to a level so low that I don't think I can give them another chance. My standard order is the chicken parmesan, and minutes after I placed my order at approximately 7:45 pm on a Saturday night, I was informed by the waitress that they "had just sold out last order of chicken parmesan." This was fine as I have other menu items that I also have had and really enjoy. I decided on a chicken and mozzarella with olive oil base pasta item while my wife went with the chicken with spinach and fettucini cream sauce. We had both had these dishes on previous visits and they were thoroughly enjoyed. However, on this visit, the pasta tasted completely unseasoned and had little to no sauce on either dish. Additionally, my dish did not have any chicken in it! The taste was so far off of what we had previously experienced that we were at a loss. At the end of the day, I have always been able to put up with the slow, mediocre service because of the high quality, great tasting authentic Italian food that Mama Mia's serves up, but after this occasion I'm afraid they have lost a valuable and repeat customer, not to mention lots of word-of-mouth recommendations. Mama Mia's, call me when you remember how to cook excellent Italian food.
(1)Tart L.
Romantic, economical and quality eating is the essense of Mama Mia's. Factoring price, food quality and ambiance, this is Nashville's number one best Italian restaurant for me. Sure you can easily drop $100 at several of the West End midtown Italian places. Why bother with such bourgeois places when you can enjoy a modest romantic Mama Mia's for good Italian eating in south Nashville.
(5)Todd A.
There are certain foods that I expect to be simply good and at a good price, I put Italian food in that category and Mama Mia's meets all of my requirements. For starter, the BYOB is a huge savings as corkage is minimal. The salad is simple but fresh, love the blue cheese dressing! The breadsticks are hot and covered in herb butter, awesome. The entrees are very good and plentiful. I tend to go for the cream sauces with my favorite dish being the Chicken Florentine which consists of a large chicken breast, flattened and grilled over a bed of pasta with an amazing creamy, cheese sauce. Only the added spinach keeps it from falling into the completely sinful category. Because of it I only go a few times a year, doctors orders!! The red sauce items are good as well. It is a place that is not going to blow you away but you will definitely feel you got your moneys worth in portion and quality.
(4)matt c.
Mama Mia's is a well-met mid-range Italian ristorante owned by the unpretentious geniuses behind near-by Back to Cuba. Making smart use of darkness and candles, the place manages a romantic atmosphere despite officelike drop-ceilings and situation in the midst of the ramshackle not-so-romantic interesection/gas-station plaza at Harding Rd. and Trousdale. But such humility seems to be the common trait of most of the best culinary gems; I think of Gira Polli's old little nook of a place in North Beach... The menu hosts an array of standards from north and south Italy, and a few interesting slightly obscurer things. Salads are not extraordinary but do the job, and include olives as well as the usual romaine/iceberg mix topped with tomatoes and onions . The bruschetta appetizer has a flavorful topping of diced tomato, garlic, onion, basil and pancetta, and the bread is the same kind you get on a cuban pork sandwich: wide, buttery, white and warm but perhaps not toasted enough for our taste. The saltimboca is the house special and features a delicious sauce and includes a side-dish of spinach gnocchi in marinara. The service was very accomodating to our dietary idiosyncrasies. Like Back to Cuba, this establishment is BYO and conveniently located (for all parties!) near a wine store.
(4)Laila S.
My friend and I have been stalking this place for awhile. we work fairly close by but they were closed for a few months, but we finally got in a few weeks ago. looks like they have remodeled according to my friend who had been there before. So whenevery i try a out a new Italian restaurant, I get a few certain items to judge. 1. obiviously the tomato sauce is key, and Mama Mia's has a pretty decent one. Its not the best but in the top 3 of the Nashville restaurants i've tried. 2. The bread with olive oil and herbs (and ideally balsamic vinegar too) theirs was fresh and hot, you could tell it was the same they use for the crust of the pizza, but thats ok, at least they presented it 3. My favorite is the quattro formaggi - they do theirs right, with italian cheeses (and a lot of them) i had them stuffed into a calzoni and they added basil leaves as well, which made it that much more delicious! Overall a great little gem in Crieve Hall, good for date night or lunch.
(4)Dan W.
Two for the food, zero for service. I arrived a few minutes before noon, there was only a handful of people inside and two waitresses. My order for a meatball sandwich was taken relatively quickly. By twenty past twelve I was ready to ditch this place. The sandwich finally got to my table about five minutes later. Great sandwich done right, meatballs sliced in half and layered thru the Italian bread. The sauce was tangy, the mozzarella melted, and the sweet pepper I requested was cooked perfect. I had to be at the Nashville airport so I had to search out my waitress to get my check. Figures, she was in back yappin with the other one. Of course, the other one gets busy and disappears when I show up. This place has very good Italian food and has been here for 22 years, I can't say I'll return because of the service. Danno
(2)Ellen D.
My boyfriend took me here last night and I wasn't really impressed. My boyfriend loves this restaurant and defended everything I said about it, but something's weren't really defendable. First off, it's really confusing because on the outside its super dingy and tiny and its next to a busy street and a gas station, so it's not the best location for this restaurant because it looks really nice on the inside. So as for the food, the main course wasn't as good as I was expecting for the price that it was. And as an appetizer my boyfriend ordered mussels, which weren't actually on the menu but they had them anyway. We didn't get our bread until the mussels came out and that was a bit of a wait. But when the mussels actually came out, they smelled like my dog, which was a little unsettling. They tasted fine though I guess. I think the worst part though was that when they brought out my water, there was a tiny dead bug in it. So that was pretty gross, I ended up taking my boyfriends water instead, then when they brought me a replacement water, there was like paper or something floating around in it. Sooo check your water before you drink it. One last thing, it was freezing cold in the restaurant. I mean that could happen at any other restaurant, but just have a sweater o hand just in case.
(3)Char D.
Let me start by saying this has been one of my favorite places to eat in Nashville so it sucks that I'm having to 3 star them. :/ BUT inconsistency kills this place. We want last night and I was totally let down. No specials, no lasagna, ran out of bread and didn't have anymore until our entrees came out which took forever. We drank our whole bottle of wine and we lost a member of our party all while waiting on our food. Service is meh.. Me and mama mias I think are in need of a long break.
(3)Ariell S.
the most authentic italian food in town by far!!!!!!
(5)Cecil B.
This place is great!!! Byob with a liquor store right next door to pick up some wine. Service is super friendly. Food was really tasty. Best Italian in Nashville. And it's never crowded.
(5)Yamille H.
I was on a long road trip from Miami, Fl to Niagara Falls. I was very very hungry and needed a place to eat. Being with the vegan bf makes it hard to eat anywhere. So I start looking for Italian bc that's actually the easiest for the both of us to find something. We stumbled across this gem. It is in a weird location. It's like behind a gas station, but don't be put off by that. The place inside is great. The walls are filled with artwork and the mood lighting is very intimate. The staff was very friendly and attentive throughout our entire meal. I had the mozzarella sticks. I know it sounds pretty standard, but let me tell you: I was so happy that I ordered these. They were anything but basic. I can't put my finger on it, but there was something so delicious. There was something that made it taste like no other mozzarella stock I ever had. I think it may have been the blend of cheeses and the breading was different and very tasty. The free bread sticks are amazing. They are deliciously buttered and seasoned. The house sauce accompanied the bread. It was a delicious marinara like sauce. I ordered the chicken parmesan with spaghetti and the vegan bf ordered spaghetti with the house sauce and no cheese. The chicken parmesan was a big piece of chicken that was not dry at all. The crust and cheese that was on the chicken was very good. The cheese was perfectly melted and It all worked so well together. The pasta was perfectly done and the sauce was so good. I was happy that it was the same sauce that was served with the bread sticks. I couldn't finish it all. It was a large portion so I took some to the hotel. Luckily the hotel had a microwave... I had it for breakfast the next day. Don't judge me. Oh! Before I forget- talking with the staff I found out the chicken is organic. I told them they should put that on the menu since I think that's a great selling point. It made sense that it was organic though. I was full, but I didn't get the gross feeling of overeating and wanting to die. I just felt pleasantly plump. The vegan said he liked his pasta alot and offered alot of flavor for such a simple dish. He was happy they adhered to his request of no cheese and that they were able to recite what ingredients were in his food to quell his nervousness of eating something he can't. Although, he almost broke for the bread sticks. Sadly, the breadsticks are lightly brushed with butter. He was eating them with his eyes! I didn't get dessert because I was so full, but the have a variety of of portions that all sounds delicious. I wish I had access to this place all the time. It would have become my go-to spot for dinner. The food didn't get me sick to my stomach which is always my fear in life since I tend to have tummy issues and I was on a road trip. This place was def a good choice. Easy to get in and get out of the parking lot and close to the major hwy we were driving.
(5)Hart P.
Small Italian restaurant that focuses on the food. We ate some pastas we had not seen since being in Italy. They were well prepared. If you want wine with dinner you can bring your own and they will uncork it. As much as I liked the bread, I found it to be too heavy with oil. The staff was attentive and the atmosphere was nice. We will come here again
(5)Jay G.
This is one of the most bittersweet reviews I have written on Yelp. I have lived within a mile of Mama Mias for about five years now and never have once tried it until last night. I always heard good things from people throughout the community, but for some reason never stopped in to give them a chance. That is the bitter part of this review because I have been missing many years of wonderful Italian comfort food. Nonetheless, the sweet is the sweetest because my wife and I have a new favorite Italian restaurant. As we indulged in our meal we quickly realized we were experiencing something special. The food was perfectly executed. Not over salted, the right amount of cheese, and FRESH ingredients...this my friends are the keys to great Italian food. Do not be fooled by the other low ratings that were given for this restaurant...the will only deter you from the true definition of deliciousness. I understand everyone's pallet is different but realize that real Italian food is not "Pizza Hut". Fast food Italian is all preservatives, tons of salt and cheese, they do this to mask how bad the food is because cheese makes everything somewhat better. As for folks saying they were slow, that's incorrect. We were informed as soon as we were seated that all the food prepared is made from scratch so it takes a little longer. We were there 1 hour and five minutes with salads, two baskets of bread, mozzarella sticks for an app, our dinner courses, and finished a whole bottle of wine. Again, this is not fast food. This is a restaurant that produces quality, made from scratch food. I do not mind one taking a little extra time in preparing food in order to receive a quality product at the end. Trust me, do yourself a favor and try them out. I battled a while if I was going to write a review because I did not want anybody to know of this place, but it would not be a service to Mama Mias. Everyone should come and be loved at this place. Do something your future self will thank you for later...eat here.
(5)Janet Y.
I have had this restaurant bookmarked for a while, and today I finally got a chance to check it out! We picked this location for a work group outing, and we couldn't have been more pleased. First of all, the service was excellent. While the dining area is fairly small, they seated our group of 10 right away for lunch. Our server was attentive but not overbearing. As we waited for a few stragglers in our group to arrive, out came this gooey, buttery, delicious garlic bread on the house! I think I had four pieces! Everything on the lunch menu ranged from about $7-13, from salads and strombolis to pasta and pizza dishes. I ordered a Marinara pasta dish that was fantastic! Everyone at our table ooohed and awed as their dish came out and the praises kept coming even after the food was cleared into our tummies. Mama Mia's is hard to find on Trousdale Dr. especially if you aren't looking for it, but it's definitely a place worth seeking out!
(4)Clayton K.
It's ok. Nothing special. Service is slow and food is a little overpriced. Pasta is cheap so I've never understood $15 plus for pasta dishes. I had the chicken raviolis. They were tasty but like said worth about $10. The cheese sticks we got we a nice size but the forgot to melt the cheese on the inside so it was just a big piece of what felt like rubber on inside. Not sure how you mess up cheese sticks? Overall 3 stars. In a city like nashville there is def better places.
(2)Frank M.
First time. It was peaceful, they played Italian music and the service was nice. The meals were expensive but the food was great and definitely filling. I enjoyed my time here.
(3)Eddy W.
We have been here a before and the food is excellent. It was my gf's birthday so we decided to go there to eat.. When we pulled up the parking lot was empty. I wondered if they were closed or we had gotten there too early. Well we found out that the head chef wasn't there that night as he/she had to go to the emergency room. The staff informed us they had a very limited menu that night which disappointed us. But the food was still good and the service was great. Since it was slow the waiter sung Happy Birthday to my gf. I should rate this 5 stars due to the service we received but on this night with the food not being as good as normal it gets 4 stars. I am sure the next time we go it will be a 5 star rating
(4)Amber K.
The food is ok, but don't come here if you're hungry because you'll have to wait. Our waitress told us everything on the menu takes 45 mins and because they were busy it would take longer. I wouldn't have minded the wait if it didn't take so long to get us simple things like bread and salad. We also waited a while just to place our order. I had the ravioli di pollo al forno. I didn't like the filling. My husband had the tortellini amore which was also just ok. Also, they only had coke, diet coke, sprite and unsweet tea. Still hunting for some good Italian food...
(2)Katie D.
I usually don't write reviews after only visiting once, but I doubt I'll be back anytime soon since I don't live in Nashville! I just want to say that the food here was superb for the price! It's true, the service was a little slow. The restaurant wasn't very busy and yet we waited an unnecessary length of time to be seated. But it was totally worth it! To start, you can bring in your own wine, and there is a wine and spirit shop conveniently located next door. We ordered the appetizer sampler and it was very good. I was most excited for the mozzarella sticks (homemade!), but these ended up being the weakest link of the meal. They were mostly all bread with very little cheese. The meatballs on the other hand more than made up for it, as they were top notch! The bruschetta was some of the best I have had, even though this is what I was looking the least forward to! I believe there was even some prosciutto on those bad boys! I ordered the chicken mimmosa which was scrumptious! Too bad at this point I was already mostly full so didn't make it too far into my entree. This is never a bad problem to have though! This might not be the *best* Italian place ever, but for a middle tier option, it is the bees knees! I find that it is hard to find above average Italian food without going full-blown fine dining. At least this is the case in Cincinnati, where I live.
(5)Liz C.
Mom & pop home cooked Italian food. Menu is simple & all the dishes are really quite tasty. As appetizers we ordered mozzarella sticked that were huge & good. We also ordered a caprese salad, the tomatoes & the mozzarella was so fresh & it all flew off the plates. The garlic bread is large, buttery & hot. So good. With your entrees it includes a house salad. (No cesar salad unfortunately.) Also, I didn't care much for the house salad & their Italian dressing. My dinner made up for it though. I ordered the cheese tortellini calabresse. It was very good with the grilled mushrooms, onions, red peppers & sausages. The BF ordered chicken Marsala & while the chicken was good the Marsala sauce was too sweet for his taste. For dessert we ordered the Tiramisu & it was really very very good. Why the 3 star review for such great food all around? Well, the service was crap & it took over an hour to get our food for a party of 8. Also, our waitress just dropped the check on our table before even asking if we want coffee or dessert. We had to tell her we weren't done & wanted dessert. It was also really weird how they brought out our food 2 or 1 at a time & it took a while until we all had our food. Not to mention that we all didn't get menus & it took a long time for her to take our order. Another annoying but about the crappy service is that one of the members of our party had a 3 year old & as soon swear river we asked for a high chair. It took them 15 minutes until we finally got the high chair & after asking a 2nd & 3rd time. Go for the really great home cooked Italian food but don't go in a hurry & have patience.
(3)John T.
I have been coming here ever since I found it 20yrs ago. I have never had a bad meal and the wait staff is great. I have read several reviews on here that I find suspicious. Our waiter was very attentive and spent just the right amount of time at our table and was very friendly. Our food was delicious as usual. I had the pesto pasta. The prices for what you get is excellent. 4 of us ate dinner for less than 60$. They do not serve alcohol but there is a sprits store next door and they only charge 5$ for a cork fee. Our waiter opened our wine and poured for us and when our wine glasses ran low he came back and asked if we wanted to be topped off.
(5)Jonathan B.
I was very disappointed with this place. Atmosphere: The parking lot is share with the side of a sketchy strip mall. Located between two gas stations with a sign that is easy to miss. Don't come in expecting it to be a classy place. Service: Service was fine - not fast or slow. Our waiter was dressed nicely but he was very casual in terms of attitude. Food: The food itself can be compared to Olive Garden. It literally tasted like they took out some frozen food - thawed and cooked it - and served it. Overall: Pass. Big ole Pass.
(2)Andy B.
I would have given this place 5 stars because the meal was really good, we both had their chicken Marsala, the dish I judge every Italian restaurant by, and it was great, but I think they had one waitress for the whole restaurant. I never saw another one. Granted it was Tuesday, but this poor girl brought us wine glasses, $5 cork fee which rocks, and my glass was dirty. She didnt remember to bring me a clean one til mid meal, but I don't blame her. She did everything else fantastically. Took our order without writing it down. Great food, good bread, nice meal, but if you are looking for one of those places where they have a guy in the corner with a pitcher scanning the room for half empty water glasses, this ain't it.
(4)Michael M.
4 stars? huh? Went here on 'date night' last Friday. Waited 20 minutes for our order to be taken. Waitress was nice but clueless and totally disinterested. Overall 2 1/2 hours, I should have bought two bottles of vino. Once we got the food it was 'ok'. I had the cozze (mussels) which weren't brutal. I specifically asked if the eggplant dish I ordered was smothered in red sauce and slop. Waitress said 'No' but it was. The wife had a chicken dish she didn't finish and the cannoli had a citrus orangy cream filling that was terrible. Of course once again I was skunked in Nashville - NO espresso!!!!! Waitress said she needed to run over to the Cuban restaurant next door. Huh? half spilled and cold; no thanks I'l make a pot when I get home! Bottom line, if you are going to own a restaurant you might as well go ALL THE WAY and do it right. Dinner out is a total experience from the time you walk in the door to the last sip of espresso, I mean coffee. They missed the memo, never again.
(2)Kevin W.
My favorite Italian restaurant in Nashville. Don't judge this book by its cover; this small block building between two gas stations is home to some of the best food you'll ever eat. Also, instead of overpriced drinks, you can bring in your own bottle of wine. There's a small corking fee, but it's still Way cheaper that wine at most restaurants. The atmosphere is great and very authentic, too.
(5)Howard L.
Slow, slow slow. I went last night thinking it might be OK to eat there when it's half empty. It is not. Walked in at around 7 PM for a table for two. The restaurant had several open tables and a waitress was cleaning the carpet when we got there. That's generally a good sign, wait staff trying to keep themselves busy. We were seated immediately with menus. 20 minutes later we were still sitting there. No water, no greeting, no nothing. Finally got some water and we ordered our meals. I got the Veal piccata, my friend got something that I don't even remember what it's called. Wide noodles with some sort of tomato sauce and goat cheese. 30 minutes after we ordered we got bread and we were invited to order salad dressing for our salad. Our waiter hyped up the bleu cheese as the best in the area. It is not. We were given one roll each and when I asked for more bread, I got a fairly mean look and a lot of talk about not eating too much bread. Really? Here's a tip waiter: Wait on us and shut up. 20 minutes after our salads we got our simple pasta meals. He set down our dishes and said he would be right back with cheese. My piccata was OK...nothing to write home about, but the noodles were al dente. The veal itself was not that great. Just a small to medium veal chop on top of some noodles. The wide noodles....nasty. The tomato sauce was super sweet, like Papa John's sweet. Anyways, my friend thought she'd wait for cheese to try to rescue her dish. 15 minutes pass. Nothing. I finally flag down somebody to get cheese, and he looks at our dishes like, "Hold on there, I already put fucking cheese on your dish..." and he gave me an annoyed look and a sigh before getting the cheese and grating some on our dishes. 2 hours, 1 water refill. Glass was empty for the majority of the time. Our waiter...wow. I tried to like him, but in the end he was just annoying and took forever. He had a "charming" accent, but in the end he spent most of the time talking to my female friend rather than addressing both of us, which I found super annoying. The restaurant is very tiny and he had no more than 4 parties at one time. No excuse. The back breaker: 2 hours after we sit, we finally got a bill. There was an extra 6 dollar charge on the hand written check, for which I could find no reason. It was either for asking for cheese on our dishes or for the extra 2 rolls. Either that or he thought he had uncorked some wine for us. I didn't feel like dealing with it so I left what he asked for plus a tip. But that will be my last tip ever for them, because I am not going back. Summary: stingy with bread, stingy with water, time wasters. Too dark as well. Meal for two, no drinks just water. No apps, no desserts. 57 dollars. Also, MC or Visa or Cash only. Thumbs down.
(2)Melissa B.
I am so sad to have to leave a bad review for this restaurant. I have heard great things about it, but, experienced the opposite tonight. My father owns restaurants and has taught me the importance of supporting family owned businesses but tonight this one puts family owned businesses to shame. I liked the intimate atmosphere. It is dimly lit and is great for a nice date night. After waiting for a while after placing our order, we received our salad (iceberg lettuce, a slice of tomato, carrots) and breadsticks (breadsticks were pretty good!). At this point, we were underwhelmed but still anticipating an amazing meal. And when I say anticipating...we anticipated a great meal for 25 minutes before we actually received our food. I ordered the Ravioli (can't remember the name but had a cream sauce with chicken and mushrooms) and my husband ordered the chicken marsala. When I received my meal, it was luke warm - the cheese that was supposed to be melted on top was hard...I typically do not send food back but I could not handle the fact that it had clearly been sitting out so I graciously sent it back to be heated up, recooked-whatever. When I received it back (within 3 minutes) it was obvious that it had just been microwaved to a molten lava temperature causing the chicken's texture to literally resemble plastic. I had about 3 bites - I could not handle it (I am the LEAST picky person in the world - if I won't eat something, you know it's bad). My husband's chicken marsala was soup. The sauce was runny and flavorless. He had about 3 bites. The server asked us if we wanted to go boxes and we declined. She paid no attention to the fact that we were clearly unsatisfied. As I said, my father owns restaurants, I understand there are mistakes and no one is perfect. But, the thing that bothered me was that we were not taken care of by any means. No manager came out to apologize for the 25 minute delay in our food - let alone apologize that mine came out nearly cold. This is the attention to detail patrons go to family owned businesses for. Our bill was about $45 for 5 bites of terrible food and a sad feeling that this family owned business would treat their patrons this way.
(1)Melissa B.
Don't be fooled by the exterior. When you walk inside you are transported to a candlelit and intimate little Italian nook. It is simple yet romantic. The prices are extremely reasonable and its BYOB. They do charge a small corking fee. The servers have always been very nice and helpful when it comes to suggesting delicious menu items. I know a lot of people on here have mentioned slow service however that has never been a problem for me. These dishes are cooked to order though so that can slow it down a little more! I gave them 4 out of 5 stars because of their menu changes. I actually like their old menu much better. I have had a couple of dishes on the new menu that I didn't love. Their classics like their lasagna and manicotti are great. The seafood dishes I've had I didn't love. I noticed this time they've added some lighter pasta dishes that I look forward to trying. Their salads are always delicious as is their bread basket. This is definitely one of my favorite places in Nashville!
(4)Melissa F.
This place is adorable and a great date night spot. The food and service were great. From the location and outside wouldn't even know this was a gem in the rough! Plus it's BYOB!
(5)Ozro D.
Considering Mama Mia's is stuck in between two gas stations, I never assumed much when I drive past this place. However, a friend's recommendation persuaded me to give it a chance. Turns out, this is one of the most straightforward dining experiences you can have. There's no flair, no overdecoration, no superfriendly waiters. In fact, there is very little waiter presence at all. It's just good food. I'm not sure I'd be bold enough to say it's the best italian in town, since I've really only tried major chains, but it's certainly not a stretch to say that this is better than most. It might not be cheap, but I'm not sure of any nice Italian restaurants that are. The portions are also very generous, leaving me with plenty leftover for the next day. Adding benefit is the restaurant's BYOB status. The corking fee may be annoying, but it's still cheaper than buying wine at any other restaurant. Plus, in addition to the donut shop and aforementioned gas stations, Mama Mia's shares a parking lot with a liquor store, making it easy to grab a bottle before walking in. That they're able to survive in such an odd location with what would generally be considered awful service is a testament to how good their food is. Singing waiters may be fun, but I'd much rather have great food, and Mama Mia's is a place to find it.
(4)Rachel F.
Bottom line: Will not return. Went with a party of 6. Had reservations for a Monday night. We spent a total of 2.5 hours stuffed into this tiny, stuffy, uncomfortable mess of a "restaurant" because the service is THAT slow. Appetizers: cheese sticks and calamari. I've had better cheese sticks at Sonic, but the calamari was quite good. Not rubbery at all. Salads: Terrible. Dressings were not good, and the salad is just a bowl of lettuce with a slice of tomato and some black olives. Main dishes: Mediocre. I threw away my leftovers. Desserts: didn't try the tiramisu, but the cannoli are a super gross mix of chocolate and orange, and the chocolate cake is swimming in sauce but is still dry as a bone. No espresso, no cappuccino, but are clearly listed on the menu. Our waitress was super annoyed with us for ordering dessert, and took her sweet time getting us our check. WE NEVER SAW AN ITEMIZED BILL. Each couple was charged over $60, but we have no idea what we paid for. Very unprofessional. I will not eat here again, but if you do, GO TO THE BATHROOM. The "art" in the men's room is something else, while the women's room contains a nightmare. We took photos. And the Jesus painting with the actual hole in it is something to behold as well.
(2)Lyrad V.
This is the best Italian in Nashville, hands down, which is amazing since the owners are not Italian... they are Cuban or Colombian or something. They also own Back to Cuba cafe pretty much next door. Check that place out too. Both located where you'd never see it unless you were looking for it. In short, I won't even go into specific entrees because everything I've ever gotten is amazing. But I will note that their bruschetta is by far the best I've even had. Good portions, reasonable prices. My husband and I are in agreement that this place is the best. Most people we know that have eaten here have said the same. I noticed some of the lower reviews are not about the food, but about the wait and service. We know this place is popular and they don't take reservations. So we always go to dinner around 5:30 or 6 and don't have a problem at all. If you have a group and get there 6:30 or after, be prepared to wait a while. No bar to wait. This is a BYOB place with a minimal corking fee. If you don't give Mama Mia's a try, you are really missing out!
(5)Joseph P.
Wait time: absurd. Food: meh. I've been a few times either out of convenience or just wanting to give another chance. The mushroom ravioli were pretty good, mussels were tasty. Salad is iceberg straight out of a bag. Service is the worst- no reason to ever wait as long as they force you to. And for halfway decent food and bad service, truly not worth what they charge.
(3)Ashli D.
A friend visited this place for dinner based on the Yelp reviews. It is tucked between gas stations and parking is limited. We had fried mozzarella (yum!) and house salads which were also good. The garlic bread sticks were great! She had the chicken and pasta dish and I had penne ala vodka. Both were very good but my friend's dish was loaded with so much garlic it burned your mouth. Other than that, the food and service were great!
(4)Clint R.
Went for lunch yesterday and had place pretty much to ourselves. Service was prompt and friendly. Fresh bread delivered to table was outstanding as well was the Stromboli we ordered. Food was great. Not sure why this place was empty at 12:30. I will certainly come back.
(5)Michelle C.
Took 2.5 hours from start to finish and we were happy about that. We were with friends we hadn't seen in months and enjoyed the time together. Food was very good. The 4 of us each had something different, we had bruschetta'and calamari apps. Great bread with salads. We finished with cheese cake and a cannoli. All very good. The service isn't outstanding (hence the 4 stars) but overall a really good option for Italian. Its BYOB/wine. There is a wine shop next door if you forget your at home.
(4)Laura G.
Not a fan. WAY too expensive for what you're getting. They act like they're making their own pasta. Not at all. Throw the pasta in boiling water, dump marinara sauce on top and charge $13? No thanks. The point of having a restaurant in a gas station parking lot is the "cheap" factor. No. I could go to City House if I want to spend $100 for dinner and eat amazing food. Not this spot. Never again.
(2)J C.
SLOW. This is place to dine, not eat. In 1.5hrs my wife and I got 2 breadsticks each and 2 water refills. We had to request our order be changed to "to-go" to accommodate our baby sitter. The food was good yet colder once we got home. Will only attempt again as a "to-go" place
(2)Karen G.
This might be as good as it gets. Our first time at this neighborhood, unassuming on the outside, jewel. Unassuming? If you don't know about it you will probably keep on driving. It literally sits between two gas stations. Inside is quite a surprise and a real treat. The smell is delicious, garlic, basil, oregano, bread and mushrooms and the ambiance is surprising comfortable. They don't take reservations for two but we were seated quickly and the service as on time and attentive. Our meals were amazing, Pasta Vagabondo and Mushroom Ravioli with chicken were fresh, interesting and quite honestly the best pasta dishes I've had in years. The price is very affordable especially since you bring you own wine, cocktails, ect. Love, love, love this little place.
(5)Michele H.
Good food. It was good we came early because dinner takes awhile. We came with friends so we loved the time to visit. Definitely don't come if you're in a hurry.
(4)Daniel B.
Love it. It's hard to go wrong with any menu item. I just can't begin to write about the various items because their whole menu deserves a review. One cool note: the Back to Cuba restaurant a few doors down provides the coffee! Hmmm...perfect. Stop reading...go eat! Buon appetito!
(5)Elle w.
Absolutely DELICIOUS. Really, I have never had anything bad here. Let me warn you: it is BYOB (but there is a liquor/wine store next door), and it's going to be a leisurely meal. Everything is prepared after your order so while it takes some time, you can be sure that it is hot and fresh. Also they are great about making substitutions to their pastas (no mushrooms but add garlic please)! It can be busy, so make sure you phone ahead to see what the wait time is.
(4)Kristine T.
Waited ten minutes for seating.No one else in restaurant. My realtor suggested this place. We both ordered scampi, I asked for NO PARMesan cheese. It takes at least 40 minutes to prepare, then mine has parmesan cheese all over it, The waitress tells me to just scape it off.!!! It was all throughout so I ate the 5 shrimp that came with it andstill had to pay 14.00 for it. My realtor took two bites and sent hers back. She said " This is not what I expected.Take it back. Worst Italian food I have ever had in Nashville and I have been here since 1972. The service was AWFUL.I could have done better at Romanos Macaroni Grill...I will go there next. Oh....and the response from my review on Citysearch and Facebook was. was sorry...come back soon. Yes when Hell freezes over!!!!!!!
(1)Josh F.
First let me say that I have been to Mama Mia's on multiple occasions over the past several years and have recommended this restaurant many times for those looking for a great local Italian restaurant. However, on my most recent visit on 8/20/11 I was extremely disappointed to discover that the food quality has decreased to a level so low that I don't think I can give them another chance. My standard order is the chicken parmesan, and minutes after I placed my order at approximately 7:45 pm on a Saturday night, I was informed by the waitress that they "had just sold out last order of chicken parmesan." This was fine as I have other menu items that I also have had and really enjoy. I decided on a chicken and mozzarella with olive oil base pasta item while my wife went with the chicken with spinach and fettucini cream sauce. We had both had these dishes on previous visits and they were thoroughly enjoyed. However, on this visit, the pasta tasted completely unseasoned and had little to no sauce on either dish. Additionally, my dish did not have any chicken in it! The taste was so far off of what we had previously experienced that we were at a loss. At the end of the day, I have always been able to put up with the slow, mediocre service because of the high quality, great tasting authentic Italian food that Mama Mia's serves up, but after this occasion I'm afraid they have lost a valuable and repeat customer, not to mention lots of word-of-mouth recommendations. Mama Mia's, call me when you remember how to cook excellent Italian food.
(1)Tart L.
Romantic, economical and quality eating is the essense of Mama Mia's. Factoring price, food quality and ambiance, this is Nashville's number one best Italian restaurant for me. Sure you can easily drop $100 at several of the West End midtown Italian places. Why bother with such bourgeois places when you can enjoy a modest romantic Mama Mia's for good Italian eating in south Nashville.
(5)Todd A.
There are certain foods that I expect to be simply good and at a good price, I put Italian food in that category and Mama Mia's meets all of my requirements. For starter, the BYOB is a huge savings as corkage is minimal. The salad is simple but fresh, love the blue cheese dressing! The breadsticks are hot and covered in herb butter, awesome. The entrees are very good and plentiful. I tend to go for the cream sauces with my favorite dish being the Chicken Florentine which consists of a large chicken breast, flattened and grilled over a bed of pasta with an amazing creamy, cheese sauce. Only the added spinach keeps it from falling into the completely sinful category. Because of it I only go a few times a year, doctors orders!! The red sauce items are good as well. It is a place that is not going to blow you away but you will definitely feel you got your moneys worth in portion and quality.
(4)Carly H.
The food here is absolutely phenomenal. I ate with four people; we all ordered a different entre and everyone absolutely raved about the quality of the food. Our waiter was attentive and knowledgable about the menu, and was able to answer all of our questions. He recommended the bruschetta as a starter, and it was fantastic. We were too full to try any desserts (see later in the post about portion sizes!) but next time we are planning to skip the appetizer and save room. It is a little pricey compared to other Italian places, but the portions are enormous. I will be making at least two meals out of my plate, so to me the prices are worth it. It is BYOB, as others have mentioned, but there is a liquor store located conveniently next door, so that is easily remedied if you wish to have a bottle of wine or hard liquor. I will definitely be making many return visits here!
(4)Erin J.
Since I've been to Mama Mia's at least 5 times over the years, I thought it was about time to write a review. Let me start out by saying: if you're in a hurry, DO NOT come here! The restaurant is also quite chilly, so be sure to bring a jacket or sweater. I've always come for lunch, but I assume dinner is the same way. The food is definitely tasty featuring very generous portions. They also bring out some yummy bread prior to the meal, so it helps tide you over while you wait. I think I've ordered the same thing every single time - the manicotti. It always comes out piping hot which is great. It does seem to take forever though. We waited 30 minutes last time - far too long to come very often! All in all, the food is delicious. They have all sorts of pasta dishes but also have paninis and calzones. I know I'll be back for lunch, but I'll have to make sure I can be gone for longer than an hour!
(3)Ingrid E.
Nashville's best kept secret in my opinion. The first time I went, we pulled up to a trailer and I was worried that my parents were crazy. After trying to find parking and wedging in the non-existent waiting area in the trailer, we were finally seated and had the best meal. ever. The food is delicious, the service is excellent. They don't have a bar, but you can bring in your own wine or beer and pay a corkage fee. I went back on a date and it was so romantic. If you haven't been, go. now.
(5)Joshua K.
Nice place. Good quality Italian food w/o the fancy bells and whistles.
(4)Laura M.
Last night my husbands sales crew went to mama mia's for dinner as part of hitting their sales goal. There is about 25 of us and we showed up around 7 on a saturday night. The ladies that worked there where very nice and a bit overwhelmed with us *I would be too* because we can be a bit rowdy at times. We were there for about 2 hours and the service was nice, my water was never empty and my hubby had refills constantly of his pop. The food was OK not the best Italian I've had but pretty darn good. OMIGOODNESS the bread before the meal was divine. My only complaint was the marinara was too sweet, I know LAME but I prefer my sauce savory. I had the mama stravaganza which is a sampler plate, I got manicotti, lasagna, and chicken parmesan. My husband had the pesto, the pesto was delicious, but my sampler plate all tasted similar, so next time I'll get just one type of entree. The owner of the restaurant is the cook and she actually owns the cuban restaurant just down the street as well. She herself is from Cuba and is seriously the sweetest person you'll ever meet. We had her flan, which was amazing because she uses a caramel mango sauce on top of homemade custard. It was really really good and unique. I liked this place a lot, quite memorable in many ways.
(4)Kristin Marie S.
The search is over I found scrumptious Italian food in Nashville!! Wa-hoo! I actually slept better that night knowing I wouldn't have to spend months finding decent Italian. So why does this place get 5 stars? 5 reasons for 5 stars. Number 1: It's basically in a trailer with a foundation. Some of the best Italian food in NJ was served in a trailer and cash only. (This place is NOT cash only.) Cozy and romantic, the way it should be! Number 2: There is a painting of an almost naked lady in the bathroom. The other artwork is just as kitschy. Number 3: The chicken basilica was everything it was supposed to be!! Priced decently too. Number 4: They got the garlic bread almost down. Yeah I know, I said almost but it was the best yet! Number 5: $5 wine corkage fee!! You can also bring in beer or hard alcohol!!! If you forget they are conveniently located next to a liquor store. (Author's note, this is 5 stars in Nashville, not 5 stars in the continental US.)
(5)Lee P.
I found my Nashville Italian joint. I married an Italian - her father and all of her relatives are from (and many of them still live in) Italy. Mama Mia's would impress all of them. Try the bruschetta and for your entree try the gnocchi with the veal sauce. Be prepared to wait.
(5)Mariela C.
I love Mama Mia's because it makes me feel like I'm actually getting a glimpse of what a traditional Italian restaurant should feel like. It's romantic, cheesy, welcoming, small, and charming all in one package. More importantly I guess, it's good Italian food. However, my reason for reviewing it without a doubt is the fact that it's BYOW (Bring Your Own Wine). Oh heavenly restaurant that lets me bring my own wine to enjoy with my meal and only charges me a few bucks to cork it. Seriously, I like the food, but I love that they let me bring my own wine.
(4)Steve M.
I don't know if I went on a bad night, but I really was not impressed with Mama Mia's. We arrived and we were greeted by a friendly female who sat us at our table and took our drink orders. I asked for iced tea, and she said the restaurant did not have any (this is a first - what restaurant would not have iced tea?). I then asked what she had that was sugar free, and she said normally Diet Coke, but that the soda machine was broken. She said my only sugar free beverage choice was a glass of tap water. Definitely not a good way to start the meal at a restaurant that strives to be 'fine dining' with $15-20 dollar entrees. A male waiter then comes to our table asking to take our order before we had a chance to even look at the menu. We asked what he recommended and he said "everything". That did not help us narrow our selection. We both order the Siciliana with Bolognese (spaghetti with meat sauce), with a side of meatballs. The salad comes out and was fine. The dressing seemed to be store bought and not from scratch, but it wasn't a big deal. The garlic bread we received was stale and hard as if it had been reheated in the microwave a few too many times and was dripping in butter. We left it in the basket. Gross. The meal then arrives and we begin to eat. First off, they got the order entirely wrong - we ordered Bolognese sauce and they served it with Marinara sauce instead. The sauce was so sweet that my dinner companion said it tasted more like a dessert than a dinner entree! The meatballs were ok, but cold in the center as if they had been re-heated, and the pasta (which they told us was from scratch) was out of a box (yes, i can easily tell the difference). The entire experience reminded me of the Food Network show Sandra Lee/Semi Homeade. Its as if they were trying to be fine dining, but it was an epic failure. My dinner guest could not eat his meal because it had so much sugar in the sauce (and they put the wrong sauce on the pasta to begin with). The restaurant did take it off the bill, but made some odd comment about "had you eaten more than 25% of it, we would not have been able to remove it from the bill". isn't that an odd thing to say in a 'fine dining' establishment? In a nutshell, Mama Mia's may be fine as a $5.99 lunch special dive, but as a dinner/fine dining establishment, it has a long way to go.
(2)Chris G.
I have passed this place forever and decided the other day to swing by for lunch. This place has really good food. I mean really good food. It's nice inside and they try to dress it up as much as they can for where it's at. The bathroom is very small but clean. The people I went with decided we would all share and order several items so we could try several things. I liked everything I had. Trust me I know good food and this place is a must try.
(4)Peter K.
Small, cozy, and charming comes to mind when I think of Mama Mia's. The décor reminds me of times past. Not that it's a bad thing, it adds to the atmosphere. You'll find the usual Italians suspects on the menu, nothing modern or cutting edge. The food is unpretentious, comforting, well executed, and the service has always been friendly and warm. Bring your own wine and you're in for a good night.
(4)M M.
We go here often as a family outing. Great food and hard to go wrong with any order. For Mother's Day I took my Mom and we had a great time and meal. She left her wallet with everything in it by the table and they called us the moment they found it! Thanks Mama Mia and we will definitely be back!
(5)Heather P.
Definitely NOT pleased with this place. My boyfriend had raved about this place in the past and couldn't wait to introduce me to it, but after our visit there a couple of weeks ago, he's now wondering if the place is under new management. We started with an appetizer of calamari. The breading was sparse, it was soggy, and very minimally seasoned. I also found the marinara dipping sauce to be pretty bland. For an entree, my boyfriend ordered the sampler plate of lasagna, manicotti, and chicken parmesan and thought it was just "alright". I tried a bite of each and again, thought the sauce was very bland. For my meal, I went with the one of the pizzas. The outer crust was just barely crisp, but the underside of the pie was like eating RAW DOUGH! I ate one slice and just couldn't sit there and eat anymore! To give them the benefit of the doubt, I got a to-go box and took the pizza home with us. The next day, we heated up the leftovers for lunch and even after 20 minutes in the oven, it was STILL doughy. We ended up throwing it away! Overpriced Italian cuisine...probably could've done better had we gone to Olive Garden...and I am not the type of person who frequents chain restaurants. Very disappointed.
(2)Samantha joelle A.
Mama Mia's was a quaint little place tucked away, not generally seen unless you're actually looking for it. I was sent here based on recommendation, and was I glad that I took that person's advice. First of all, Mama Mia's has an awesome BYOB policy, where they charge a small corkage fee and anyone can bring their own bottle of wine. The fact that there is a liquor store right next door makes this very convenient. My friends and I weren't aware of this until we went into the restaurant and saw practically every table had a couple empty bottles of wine that they had brought with them. Now we know for next time. Both my friends and I were extremely satisfied with the food that we ordered. I got a mushroom ravioli that was probably the best ravioli I have ever had. The bread that they serve with dinner was very tasty. My friends and I loved the authentic Italian feel of the place, and the service was quick and on top of it. All in all, I could not find one thing to complain about. I was just excited to discover a new Italian gem in Nashville.
(4)Amy C.
The carbonara was so rich and unctuous I couldn't finish half my plate. That's no disparagement, just an observation. I thought it could've used a little something to balance the butter - the waitress looked at me as though I was mad when I asked for some fresh-ground pepper. The bread was good, though we thought it could have used a lot more garlic! The salad was a bit of nothing. I thought it was odd that the server didn't tell us it was a Balsamic Vinaigrette and called it "Italian" when I asked about a house dressing. As to ambiance, the place is very clean and neat inside. But the thrum of what I think was the air conditioner (or a massive blower of some kind) really gave me a headache after awhile. I couldn't get used to it.
(3)Jason S.
Totally underwhelmed. First, I have no idea why a small restaurant with no bar and no lobby would not take reservations. I despise places that don't take reservations and generally as a rule avoid them, but if you choose to do so, you should probably have a place for people to wait, and I don't know, maybe help them bear the wait by letting them get loaded and order appetizers. Who knows? You might make some money out of it. And let me tell you, when we tried to go here with three pregnant women, this sort of business model really shows its weaknesses. When we finally got in, after waiting outside in the cold with three very pregnant, and very hungry women and their respective spouses, we were greeted by okay Italian food and uneven service. It was pretty pricey, too. Nobody at the table was really "wowed" by their meals. I am all for intimate, cozy, romantic experiences, but not at the cost of inconvenience that overshadows the pros.
(2)MACK L.
I have loved this little Italian jewel in the Crieve Hall neighborhood for many years. The veal dishes are my favorite. REMEMBER, there is no alcohol served here but they encourage you to BYOB of wine or a six pack of beer. If you forgot to bring along your favorite Chianti, there is a liquor store next door. Makes the whole meal very inexpensive since our bar tab is usually as high as the food bill. Take note, Young Guys Dating on a Budget, this is a cozy, candlelit, oddly romantic place. You will still have enough money for Sunday brunch in the morning. I promise you will like it.
(4)Tim W.
In short great food terrible service! I have been here twice now and the experience has been consistent both times. The food is great but the waiters are slow, rude and it just makes it a overall negative experience.
(1)Shannon R.
Besides the disorganized wait, this place is a MUST! My boyfriend and I decided to finally try Mama Mias on our 2 yr. anniversary. We did wait about an hour, there was not anybody really taking down your name so we just kinda started to form a line( kinda cool though b/c you have no choice but to talk to the other people waiting) But once you are inside and seated......TOATLLY WORTH IT! ~ Our server was very nice and on top of things ~The Bruchetta App. is delicious ~Very cozy, dim lighting, candlelight, smells amazing in there:) ~The Sampler( Stravaganza) is the perfect dish to split. Plenty of food for two people and you get to try 3 of their most popular items. ~The breadsticks are heavenly ~Best Tiramisu I HAVE EVER HAD! ~AND THE BEST THING....BYOW ( bring your own wine)....$5 corkage fee.....but by doing this saves so much money and not to mention its super neat too! ~All together we loved it, and will most definately be back. And not to mention we ate alot of GREAT ITALIAN FOOD for UNDER $50! Cant beat that!
(4)Dessa T.
Four words: best. Italian. in. Nashville. There's no point in writing specifics about the food because it's all amazing. They do not take reservations and it's a small (snug? intimate?) place. If you go on a Friday or Saturday night be prepared for a long (and possibly frustrating) wait. It's worth it (but if you really hate waiting, go at 5:30 or on a weeknight - don't skip it entirely!). Sometimes it does seem as if the staff is a bit disorganized and/or overwhelmed. Don't let what I'm about to say deter you, but it's really better to go when you are relaxed (i.e. you are in the mood for a nice, long evening with your honey, rather than you are grumpy because you haven't eaten all day and you are trying to fit dinner in before catching a movie). Mama Mia's is a great date spot. Because it's so cozy and busy, I personally would not go with more than 4 or 5, but I often see large groups there during high traffic hours and they seem to make it work. They don't serve wine, so bring your own and plan to pay a small corking fee. These are just a few things to know before you go - if you haven't tried it yet, you are really missing out!!
(4)Robin S.
Great place to go for a low-key, authentic Italian dinner! It doesn't look like much from the outside--heck or from the inside. It's clean but small, and they have the requisite checkered tablecloths and candles on the tables, but it's nothing too fancy. Doesn't need to be. If the food is good (it's outstanding) that's all that matters! I suggest reservations, just because it's again, a small place, but they do take walk-ins. Just be prepared to wait. Another thing I love about it is that you have to bring your own wine--they don't serve it! It's a $5 cork fee (pretty sure on that) which really, is a deal if you think about what most restaurants make you pay for a bottle of ho-hum wine. This way, you bring whatever you want and only pay a minimal price. Most meals come with a salad and delicious buttery, garlicy breadsticks all for a very reasonable price. I usually get out of there for about $15. Great for date night, or night out with the girls. I've never had bad service either! Mama Mia's is one place I'll go back to time and again.
(4)Chris T.
Normally not one to write restaurant reviews - but our experience recently at Mama Mia's compelled me to send this one as a caution for people considering dining here. Been there only twice - and the first time (6 months ago) was a good experience overall. Not overly impressed with the atmosphere or service - but the food was outstanding. Then, last week we went back only to find the service was atrocious (slow and inattentive to basic needs). We went early on a Saturday to avoid the rush but it didn't matter. Many around us had the same problem and at least one couple walked out. After an hour - we finally were served and the food was actually quite good. But the wait and hassle were simply not worth it. They can recover - but need to focus on the basics and be consistent.
(2)Tim R.
I've patronized Mama Mia's for over a decade. The food is great. Service always has room for improvement though. Staff is slow and disorganized. I cannot recall a visit where the service was good. Be careful on holidays because they offer only prix fixe menus that rely heavily on meat or seafood. Found this out the hard way when we were denied our usual dish on Valentines Day, thus requiring us to change our plans on a very busy dining day after we had been seated. They charge a corking fee also. You would think that after having a rehearsal dinner there, having various holiday dinners there, and bringing new people often that they would be more sensitive to a long time customer's expectations and holiday plans. Guess they can't be bothered though.
(2)Kevin E.
Terrible service, no one came to our table to even say hello after 10 minutes. I complained to two servers and still nothing so we left. Only three other tables occupied! Fortunately Back to Cuba was next door, they have authentic food and friendly attentive service.
(1)Jennifer S.
So yeah, it's in a strip mall. But the inside is really cozy and the food is delicious. It's a BYO, which I think is so fun. The corkage fee is $5 and if you forget your wine, no problem: there's a liquor store a couple of doors down in the same strip. I had what I believe was called penne alla san giovannello, which was a cream-based sauce with mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and Italian sausage. The pasta was perfectly al dente and the sauce was flavorful without just being doused in salt. The fried calamari were huge and the green dipping sauce was delicious. Our server was very friendly. I'd highly recommend Mama Mia's!
(4)Stephanie K.
We've been going to this little gem for years. The excellent Italian food is a bit slow to come out so if you are toting a tot, bring snacks. Also bring your own wine. I really enjoy the simple menu of very well crafted entrees. I've never had a miss and would recommend it especially for a date or a boisterous gathering of friends.
(4)Gary R.
Real Italian food is hard to find but Mama Mia's has got you covered. When you walk in you get that aroma of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and real Italian sauces. It is a cozy place and is the epitome of comfort food. This is not a chain and you can tell everything was cooked with care. Now this is Italian - be there.
(5)Anna A.
I have been going to Mama Mia's for years and it's our go to for Italian. The food is good, the prices are great, the servers are always awesome and their are paintings of naked people without heads in the ladies bathroom. The paintings are always the highlight for my kids even my son ventures in for a look. Of course he comes out one day and says "jeez, I don't see what the big deal is, the artist didn't even bother to paint their heads." I digress... Some of my favorite highlights are that it's BYOB and I think the corkage is only $6 so it's lovely to have nice wine with dinner without spending $10 a glass. Secondly, they serve salad and bread sticks with your meal and they are soooo good. They have a large variety of straight forward Italian fare and there are always left overs. There is a reason this little place has been open for so long with little change to it's menu or decor It's just simple good and they stick with it.
(5)Ray Ray K.
Great Italian food at a good price. We got the salmon appetizer and the pancetta pasta entree. Brought our own bottle of wine, only a $5 corking fee! Can't beat it! I thought it was funny when we told the server it was our first time and he said, "You'll fall in love with the food here. Not the service or the server, but the food." He was right, but the service wasn't even that bad. The food was a little slow coming out but that just made more time for wine drinking! Cozy atmosphere. The ceilings could be redone with a little more modern flare but an overall attractive place for a date. The only thing i can complain about were the breadsticks. Maybe it was just getting late but they tasted a little stale. But you can also have as many as you want. I would definitely come here for dinner again. (Did i mention the $5 corking fee??)
(4)Mindi M.
I have been a Mama Mia's fan for years! I tell everyone in Nashville that is is the BEST and my favorite Italian. Unfortunately, Friday night will be my last date night there with my man. We've done it many times. He now refuses to set foot in the restaurant again after once again having terribly poor service. The food is usually spot on and phenomenal but you have to be prepared to WAIT. Not sure if they're just understaffed or if they are being very literal with the Italian flair and think dining should take 3 hours. I think that is fine when you have a large party (hence, the word party) and are visiting with one another. When it is you and your significant other that you see every day, we're mainly there to eat, drink and get on our merry way. How difficult could it be to hire a couple more servers, especially for the weekend. Come on, Mama Mia's, after years of having this issue, can't you fix this problem?!
(3)Rachael Anne E.
Don't judge this restaurant by it's building. Though painted with an attractive mural, the cement building can be off-putting. However, the best option for Nashville Italian food is inside. You have to bring in your own alcohol, but Radnor Liquors is just a couple store fronts away. The strip center and Mama Mia's shares a parking lot. It's a small restaurant and it can have a wait. It's worth it and you should try it.
(4)Megan R.
AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL SERVICE!!!! Food is good but the service is awful. Not worth it at all. Not even close. Doesn't even deserve one star.
(1)matt c.
Mama Mia's is a well-met mid-range Italian ristorante owned by the unpretentious geniuses behind near-by Back to Cuba. Making smart use of darkness and candles, the place manages a romantic atmosphere despite officelike drop-ceilings and situation in the midst of the ramshackle not-so-romantic interesection/gas-station plaza at Harding Rd. and Trousdale. But such humility seems to be the common trait of most of the best culinary gems; I think of Gira Polli's old little nook of a place in North Beach... The menu hosts an array of standards from north and south Italy, and a few interesting slightly obscurer things. Salads are not extraordinary but do the job, and include olives as well as the usual romaine/iceberg mix topped with tomatoes and onions . The bruschetta appetizer has a flavorful topping of diced tomato, garlic, onion, basil and pancetta, and the bread is the same kind you get on a cuban pork sandwich: wide, buttery, white and warm but perhaps not toasted enough for our taste. The saltimboca is the house special and features a delicious sauce and includes a side-dish of spinach gnocchi in marinara. The service was very accomodating to our dietary idiosyncrasies. Like Back to Cuba, this establishment is BYO and conveniently located (for all parties!) near a wine store.
(4)