Mamma Melina Ristorante & Pizzeria

Best happy hour in the city! If you're like me, you start thinking about happy hour right after lunch, and Mamma Melina starts seating for happy hour at 3pm (especially awesome on a hot summer day). Drink specials are awesome, but the food menu is the main event at happy hour. You can get a full size Naples-style pizza, a huge pasta dish, eggplant parm and so many other options for $6 and under. If you miss the first round of happy (usually 3-7pm), it starts up again at 9pm. Happy hour is only in the bar, but some friends of ours have small kids, and host always seats them at another part of the restaurant and honors the happy hour menu. Great service. Two thumbs up. more

I want to drink a gallon of their marinara sauce every time I think of this great restaurant. Must go more

My wife and I, both health care professionals, became violently ill after dining at Mamma Melina. It was not the stomach flu. I was assured a follow up call when I notified the restaurant, call was never returned. Not acceptable way of doing business!!!!! more

I was quite disappointed with this restaurant. With the same family that runs Barolo, I had high expectations. The decor and ambiance were lovey while the wait staff/hostess pleasant and accommodating. more

This restaurant used to be one of our favorite haunts. We will never visit again. more

I went to Mamma Melina for the first time since they moved to the new location. The new restaurant is urban chic and nicely done. Lighting is good but a bit too bright in the booths. The beet salad was excellent and I would order it again. I ordered the smoked salmon and crab pasta. I was excited to try it as it was not in a tomato sauce. I was happy with the portion size and the generous amount of crab in the dish. However, the smoked salmon (a strong flavor) completely overpowers the crab which is a shame. You can't taste it. It was also quite salty. I would not order this dish again for these reasons but would love to see another seafood pasta on the menu preferable not in a tomato sauce. My husband was happy with his choices and we will go again. more

I was looking forward to trying out Mamma Melina's for a long time. Beautiful decor and large area outside made it a good choice on a day with some sunshine. The menu has all the famous Italian dishes and I was very much in heaven. Lots of huge parties seemed to be meeting up at the same time I was there so that was the only issue with my visit. But that just shows that it's very popular and people use this restaurant to go to meet up with their families and friends, I sure want to make another reservation and do the same. more

We finally had a chance to check out the new location last weekend- and we loved it. However, it is VERY, different from the former Roosevelt spot. The style is now more in line with the brothers' other restaurant- Barolo. White chandeliers, paintings on the ceilings, candles. No piano player. Huge patio with stylish couches mixed in with the tables. Pros: Patio, food, atmosphere, big space for groups Cons: Some may not like the new look more

Took my niece here on a quiet Sunday night and experienced food that was executed flawlessly. Portion size was just right. Seasoning and flavor profiles where impeccable. Our server was competent and courteous and offered helpful recommendations. On a quiet evening it was altogether pleasant, but it's a wide open room so I could see that if the place was packed it would be very noisy. I would go back and I highly recommend the scampi. Prawns were cooked perfectly! Pros: Food was executed beautifully Cons: Ambiance is just okay more

You must go on a Tuesday night for the piano player. Be sure to sit close and the piano sound is beautiful. The food was wonderful. Homemade Bread for dipping and OMG, you have to try the bread pudding! We will go back. Pros: Ambiance and great food Cons: Parking more

The food was pretty decent, AMAZING tiramisu. I loved the live music, but given the space is so small people were talking so loud you could barely hear the amazing voice of the gentleman singing. We celebrated a birthday there, a guy sang happy birthday in Italian while playing an accordian, very nice! Pros: Live Music Cons: Loud conversations more

Been coming here for years, and I can honestly say there is no place like it in Seattle. Sure, its not ultra modern, clean and slick, but thats what makes it special. Its old world Italian style, and very charming. Close your eyes while ""O Sole Mio"" is playing, and you're whisked away to a small Italian villa. The staff is very attentive, and make you feel right at home. Everyone helps to make sure you have everything you need. Its a great atmosphere!! Pros: fresh bread, good prices, quality food and service Cons: small tables, crowded more

Well, I am so bummed that this restaurant did not live up to it's reputation here on Citysearch. I have been so excited to try this place and when my husband and I finally had the chance to go on a date we went here. First of all, it isn't really ""quaint"". It's kind of a old and dumpy. People say it's romantic but I found it to be so noisy we could hardly talk to each other. Also, our server was borderline rude to us which I really hate. She told us a couple of specials but I guess my husband hadn't really heard and so he asked if they ever have lasagna. She said; ""didn't I already tell you the specials?"" (Yea! she really said that). There was nobody playing piano and the atmosphere was tense right from the moment we came in. We had the chicken marsala and it was just so so. Also, the pasta it came with had a very tangy, vinegary taste that I wasn't particularly fond of. I was really looking forward to coming here because of all the great reviews. I did see one not nice review but I thought maybe it was just an off night since there were so many wonderful reviews. Unfortunately for us, this past Thursday was also a bad night there. Hmmmm could this be a trend. I'll never know because I will spend my money elsewhere next time. :( Cons: apathetic service, noisy, so so food more

I love Mamma Melina! The art on the walls, the authentic Italian owners, the friendly and efficient staff and wonder food! Mamma Mia! Pros: atmosphere, candlelight Cons: not one, i love it all more

went here for a great girls night out. didn't wnat to leave! Pros: quaint, fun, and awesome food Cons: hard to find and no parking more

Staff is very accomodating for large parties, service and food were AWESOME. Pros: Great food, intimate atmosphere, great wine Cons: None!! more

Food is ok. We did not find it too special. Just ordinary. What I did not like the most was the service. The host was very rude and did not seat us promptly. May be, it was just not the right day to visit them. We will definitely not go back again! Pros: Parking Cons: Service more

It's a quaint Italian restaurant with amazing food and bread. The service was great and so was the wine. I reccommend the Linguini ala Pescatora. Outstanding! more

Love the atmosphere and the food is really delicious !! Pros: Chicken Marsala is AMAZING !!! more

You might miss it when you drive by, but when you enter, the atmosphere is pleasant and the air is filled with the smells of Italian food. I've tried numerous dishes, and they were all amazing. Among my favorites is their dessert called Tortino. An amazing bread pudding (and I'm not a fan of bread pudding) with apples and cranberries, served hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream resting in a sauce that has a touch of rum in it. The servers are all polite and very attentive. The food is spectacular. Weekends include a piano player that comes in and plays as you dine. Sinatra while eating Italian works very well for me. This is truly one of Seattle's best kept secrets. If you love Italian food, you simply must give Mamma Melina Ristorante a try. It is my absolute favorite place to eat and has been for over a year. Well worth the visit. Pros: Best Italian Cuisine for the Price Cons: Best to make a reservation for dinner more