FOOD | Mama D’s Italian Kitchen
6/13/2021
Presenting the highest-rated Italian restaurant in the United States (according to Yelp, 2016): Mama D’s Italian Kitchen. With New York style Italian recipes passed down among generations, it’s no wonder this joint is a hit. Let’s take a deeper dive into what makes Mama D’s so D-licious.
The Pre
Reservations:
I’m not so sure they take reservations. From what I can see, they seat you based on a first come first serve basis. We went on a Saturday night around 845pm (they close at 9) and the wait was only about 5 minutes. However, I have heard that peak dinner wait times here are a minimum of 1 hour, with lines out the door. Don’t fret though, they do hand out bread and occasionally pasta samples for people waiting in line.
Attire:
Casual attire. Think of your local mom-and-pop Italian restaurant.
Parking:
Their main location is located near downtown Newport Beach, so you can safely assume parking is horrific. There is parking behind the restaurant, but it’s extremely limited. We used metered parking about a street down from the restaurant.
Location:
We went to the Newport Beach location, but they do also have another location in Corona Del Mar. Both locations received equally excellent reviews on Yelp, but we chose the Newport Beach location because we wanted the original experience.
The During
Order:
Garlic Bread ($Free) - Upon sitting down, we were brought a complimentary plate of garlic bread with what seemed like a garlic and olive oil dipping sauce. Absolutely delicious with a warm, soft texture. With unlimited refills, don’t forget to try dipping the garlic bread into your pasta dish sauce later.
Calamari Fritii ($15) - One of my favorite appetizers at any Italian restaurant. Mama D’s NAILED the calamari. Light, crispy pieces of squid fried to perfection and served with an amazingly flavorful marinara sauce. Drizzle a bit of lemon juice on top of the calamari, and you’re ready to dig in.
Build-Your-Own with Angel Hair ($15), Pink Sauce (+$3.50), and Chicken (+$5): You pick the type of pasta, sauce, and protein that you want. There is a wide variety of pastas to choose from, including: spaghetti, angel hair, fettuccini, linguini, penne, and gluten free penne (+$2). In terms of sauces, choose from: aglio olio, marinara, meat (+$2), alfredo (+$3), pesto (+$3), or pink (+$3.50). We chose the pink sauce because it’s their signature sauce (what they’re known for) and it was definitely worth the extra money. I’m not sure what they put into the pink sauce, but it tasted like a mix between a red marinara sauce and a rich creamy alfredo sauce. Additional protein costs extra ($4-7/each) and you can choose from chicken, meatball, sausage, scallop, shrimp, or calamari.
Build-Your-Own with Fettuccine ($15), Chicken (+$5), and Pink Sauce (+$3.50): As above, but just substituted angel hair out with fettuccine.
Chocolate Chip Cookies ($Free): 1 complimentary chocolate chip cookie per person comes out with the check. Small, sweet, and savory. A perfect way to finish off the meal.
Service:
The service was excellent throughout the whole dining experience. Hosts, waiters, and waitresses were all very polite. Our waiter continually checked in on us to ensure the food was cooked perfectly, top off our drinks, and ask us if there was anything else he could do for us. Top notch service, no complaints here.
Ambiance:
Cool ambiance with mom-and-pop shop vibes. Wouldn’t really call it hip or trendy. It’s a pretty small interior and there were a few parties there celebrating birthdays, so the noise level was pretty high (but not so high that it was obnoxious). Again, not really any complaints on the ambiance here. Its a fun place to grab a casual meal with your friends or family, in the heart of Newport Beach.
The Verdict
If you’re in the mood for Italian food, I would highly recommend trying Yelp’s Best Italian Restaurant in the US (2016): Mama D’s Italian Kitchen. Italian food is one of my top 3 favorite cuisines, and I can tell you from experience that Mama D’s is the best of its kind in terms of a casual dining experience. The food may seem a bit pricey, with a pasta dish coming in at around $20-$25. However, with the richness of the sauces and the portion sizes, leftovers are inevitable. You could easily split 1 dish into 2 meals, depending on how hungry you are. With just one appetizer split between 2 people and 1 entrée to myself, I was incredibly stuffed. This is one of the few times I could not finish my entrée at a restaurant. The quality of the food combined with the amazing service makes visiting this restaurant, a no-brainer.
Kha’s Official Rating: 8.5/10