Mamma Maria Restaurant

Doesn't Recommend

Dakota Leigh

Joined 2 years ago

Not impressed. We were going to try this restaurant but after my experience at the Italian Festival a few weeks ago and the number of bad reviews I've read on this site, I don't think so. My children and I ordered several orders of sausage & peppers & several orders of gnocchi to go at $6.00 per order, not a bad price so I asked for one more order and you would have thought that I asked for the moon. I was really taken back. I really didn't think that giving them more of my hard earned money would have been that much of an inconvenience but apparently it was! It was hot and fairly busy at the Festival so I thought I'd give them the benefit of the doubt and try the restaurant anyway but after reading these reviews about the bad attitude toward customers, I can only assume that this is how you are always treated at Mamma's. P.S. the food was not all that impressive anyway.

Doesn't Recommend

Erin821

Joined 2 years ago

Worst Food I've Ever Had. Very out-dated, environment. Felt like I was eating in someones 1970's livingroom. Was told the minute we walked in that the part of the establishment we were in was the party area because they just experienced a fire and the entire other part of the place was wrecked. Well, from that point we should have turned around and left! The service was awful. The wine was stale. The antipasta was sitting on the table for hours, because we saw it on the other tables after we sat. The past was box type. The gravy was disgusting. And to top it off, I sent my entire shrimp dish back because it tasted rancid, full of ammoinia taste. I was charged full price without an offer to even take anything off the bill even though only one person could touch their food. I sent everything back, and the girl could have cared less. It was an overall disgrace! You couldn't pay me to return for anything. Even if the food was pallable, I would try it again maybe- but it was god awful! Flies all over the place, a radio on a chair in the corner with a cloth over it so no one can see. The table was so tiny and held up on a block b/c it was uneven and almost fell over when the waiter pulled it out to seat us. Service terrible, food disgusting and rancid, probably served after it soured from the electric being out from the fire they had, and the place is a dump!!!!

Doesn't Recommend

The Tazman 1972

Joined 4 years ago

Terrible Dining Experience. The advertisement in the South Philly Review is so inaccurate. I felt like I was dining at a tourist attraction restaurant in Walt Diney World. The service was terrible and people that worked there spoke broken English. I think they just stepped off the boat from Latin America and tried to pretend to be Italian. Let me rephrase that--they were extremely rude and so was Mamma Maria herself. She looked like someone just pissed in her cornflakes.

After our party of 6 finshed our dinner, we were promptly handed the check and told that the next party needs to be seated and if we could hurry up and finish our dessert. How rude! I will never come back to that place again. Also, It was a fixed priced menu (way overpriced menu) and the food was terrible. I swear the food was frozen (think of Hungry Man or Lean Cuisine) and it was just terrible. Do yourself a favor and stick with one of the other many Philadelphia Italian resturants that serve appetizing food and have polite owners and staff. Mamma Marias is a dump and the food is not fit to serve your dog!

Doesn't Recommend

Lou Lou

Joined 3 years ago

Terrible Experience at Mama Maria's. We were 5 adults and 2 children celebrating three family birthdays. We had reservations and from the moment we arrived, we encountered a waitress who treated us horribly. We were taken aback by her nasty attitude. None of us had ever met her before, and were baffled. She rattled off the menu at warp speed and became agitated when we asked for a repeat of something.

We had been there several times before, and always praised the place, but the wait staff had always been pleasant until now.

To top it off, we realized later that we were charged 22 1/2% tip instead of 18 or 20%. Also, we never could figure out what the children were charged. When we attempted to ask the girl about the bill, we were once again talked down to and treated like interlopers.

She ran by our table, in order not to be asked anything. I caught her attention at one point and asked for water, which never came from her. I finally got some from a passing busboy.

We are not the type of people who enjoy complaining, so we left, extremely disappointed, and vowing never to return. Needless to say, at $73 per meal, one might expect better.

However, I am glad for the opportunity to vent in this forum.

Doesn't Recommend

too honest

Joined 3 years ago

" Trust Us ". We have been going to Mamma's for years. Over the years to the present time we have notice a decline in service, a decline in food quality, and an increase in price. We went to Mamma's with a party of six people. All we did was brag about the restaurant, and at the end we had to apologize to our friends about everything. The waiter told us the wine was home made, it was Carlo Rossi(cheap wine). They served us canned veggies(not kidding), the pasta was box pasta ,(not homemade),and the main course was bla. Also the price went (UP) TO $55.00 per person. We were there for 3 1/2 hours. The service was a joke. Also with a party of 6 people the restaurant added there own 20% tip on the bill and for 6 people with the tip and tax it was $427.68. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU GO ! WE WILL NEVER BE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Recommends

chef giacomo

Joined 4 years ago

1st time goer, experienced kitchener. 1st time at restaurant tonight with other season Italian americans, still close enough to speak italian. The food was nice, relaxed atmostphere and momma came out to greet us, very hospitable. Several course and all nice, like family food. Still, for a restaurant it's missing creativity and attention to detail. like my mamma, she can cook but not much on technique. Some things were dry and often could have been make better with just a bit more food knowledge. Sometimes home cooking is not enough to send a restaurant to the top. Finally, not a bad value for the time spent and variety given, but if you are looking for fine or creative or any new quisine this isn't the place for you.

Doesn't Recommend

Raz555

Joined 4 years ago

Dined too long and was asked to leave !. We have been at this restaurant for 4 times now over the past few years. I spent almost $300 for 4 people. We were there for a little under 2.5 hrs. Mostly because of waiting for the food. I had paid the bill and about 10 minutes had passed. We were just about to leave when Momma came over and said the the table was reserved for others and we should leave. I was dumfounded ! Needless to say, we will NEVER goback thre again. I am giving 2 stars because the food is good.

Recommends

mnp19107

Joined 6 years ago

Like dinner at home.... Going to Mamma Maria's is like eating dinner at a friend's house. The staff are very friendly, Mamma always comes out and greets the guests, complimentary wine and limocello wine flow freely; however, I have to say that they do take some short cuts on the food preparation. For example, the antipasta was on the table before we sat down wrapped in saran wrap, some components of the dishes were canned (olives, veggies). All in all, we had a good experience but with all the great Italian places in So. Phila, chances are I won't be back.

Doesn't Recommend

dave3

Joined 4 years ago

Their reservations do not work well!. I have to say that my wife and I did not have the chance to taste the food. We made reservation 6 days in advance for Valentine's day. Although we had reservations, we had to wait more than 1 hour and 20 minutes right next to the door! The reservations were just overbooked ! I had never experienced that before and I can tell you that this is not the kind of thing you wish for Valentine's day. We just gave up waiting and left for another restaurant because it was just too much!

Recommends

paulafan

Joined 9 years ago

Not what I expected..... I felt it was "average" not fabulous as some friends said it would be. I felt is was too dark with very old fashion decorations. Red/white wine was plentiful. Although their wine gave me a headache the next day. Not used to that. Appetizer platter: roasted eggplant, peppers and garbanzo beans was good. Bread was warm and crusty. The white bean soup..just okay. Pasta course was good. Entree of roasted seafood was also good....3 large shrimp, 1 langostino, 2 scallops, 3 pieces of calamari.... very little string beans and 1/4 piece of potato. Desserts were fair; nothing to write home about. Six slices of 6 different layer cakes. Come on, this is South Philadelphia...home of the best pastries in the city. No fruit, no cheese after dinner as one of my friends said Maria displays. My double espresso was good. Tried to get another but couldn't get attention of staff.