Mamma Melina Ristorante & Pizzeria

Our daughter just moved from the Washington DC area to Seattle. We were hopeful this nearby Italian restaurant would be our new “go-to place” during visits. Based on our first meal, it will be! Our server Evangeline was knowledgeable and attentive. The wine and cocktail selections were good. And the meal was outstanding. We ordered the Calamari alla Plancia appetizer, two of the specials (salmon and chicken) along with the Lasagnette, and the Cuore di cioccolata dessert. Every item was prepared to perfection.

Excellent food with a distinct sensibility about the standards, very friendly service, and a very pleasant outdoor setting.

Food is consistently good, with fair to even generous portions. Service was friendly and attentive. Drinks like the mocktails are on the expensive side. The only thing that is frustrating, in my opinion, is that they add a 3% charge for the cost of food as an extra rather than incorporating it into the listed price for each item. Just be honest and transparent, and don't add it as a "gotcha" charge that you're too sheepish to show in the listed price of an entree. I really hate this duplicitous practice.

We had the most wonderful graduation dinner for our daughter at Mamma Melina's! They were able to seat us at a very quiet corner table as requested for a hearing impaired member of our group. The food and service were fantastic - especially the gluten free menu options and kitchen prep for a family member with Celiac! Mamma Melina's has become a go-to when visiting UW.

The food was good. We've eaten here before. Our server was professional. The problem to me that impacted the overall impression is that the had too few servers. Ours said that he was servicing 11 tables including a 15-top. We asked if someone called in sick, and he said no, that that's the staff number that they keep it at. We hardly saw the server. He was pleased with this arrangement, because it meant that he would get more tips. Right. Good for him. Not good for customers. dProbably won't be going back anytime soon.

Great food and service. Good value lunch menu. I really like this place. Garage parking with back door access to restaurant in the complex.

We all ordered different pasta dishes. All thought they were great. Servers friendly. We sat outside on a beautiful evening

Attentive, friendly, professional service. Excellent variety on menu. Delicious food. We were there at noon on a Sunday and restaurant was very quiet.

Sunday lunch is a great time to enjoy MM's lunch. Steelhead special is superb. Not at all noisy, service friendly and good. Outside dining when it's nice. Friend really enjoyed the blood orange Prosecco. Avoid booths is you want to have a private conversation as voices carry. I like window tables.

I walked into this restaurant so excited. I am celiac and had read rave reviews about the pizza and the other gluten free options. I was so disappointed. The atmosphere and the pricing indicated a high end restaurant, great for romantic dates. The food quality was unbelievably low. It was the worst gluten free crust I have had on a pizza. The toppings were sparse and low quality. Our friend's pasta dish was edible but not excellent. Priced were about double what they should be. It was so bad that as I ate the pizza I was thinking to myself the the frozen pizza in my freezer at home from Costco tastes better, and as I was thinking that, my husband said it out loud. Our server was great, but everything else was a huge, over priced disappointment. We will not be back

I decided to treat myself for my birthday and went to Mamma Melina for a special lunch. The waiters were extremely kind and accommodated certain changes I wanted to make to my Carbonara Pasta. It was absolutely delicious, one of the best Italian dishes I have tried in Seattle. I also really liked their complementary bread, though I wished it was warm.

They also made sure to make me feel extra special and surprised me with a Tiramisu on the house. It was such a special experience

A local restaurant, an Italian restaurant!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Deeply mediocre "upscale Italian". Nothing even remotely original or exceptional. Paint-by-numbers menu that hasn't changed in the fifteen years I've lived here. The pasta dishes are monotonous and under seasoned/oversalted, the gnocchi is gummy, the meat is decent quality but the sides are all miserable - a standout is the olive garden tier mushy vegetables they include with most of the entrees.

Clearly leveraging their proximity to the university and the perception of being a fancy restaurant for undergrads to take their parents to as a means of staying in business.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 4

Atmosphere was very cozy and elegant during dinner time, not too loud inside and the perfect place for dinner. Made a reservation online, and check-in went so smoothly. Staff are kind and professional.

Highly recommend Calamari Alla Plancia for appetizer, hint of lemon was perfect with the marinated calamari. Ordered the Penne Amalfi for my entree - salmon was a bit overcooked but shrimp and pasta were great. Sauce is flavorful and seasoned to my liking. I also really enjoyed the Blueberry Lemonade, I wasn't in the mood for alcohol but this one tasted great - not too sweet, good blueberry flavor, and also sparkling.

Overall, I had a great experience. The food didn't quite blow me away, but that's just personal preference. Everything else was perfect.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Best happy hour ever, will never stop coming here for the happy hour.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Margarita Pizza