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Mama D's Italian
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian
1125 Manhattan AveManhattan Beach, CA 90266
Neighborhood: Manhattan Beach
(310) 546-1492
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 5 pm - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 10 pm
Sun 11:30 am - 8:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
233 reviews for Mama D's Italian
Review Highlights
"Definitely recommend any dish that has the pink sauce."
(in 70 reviews)
"and with the bread and garlic olive oil dressing."
(in 9 reviews)
"I have never had such GREAT service."
(in 12 reviews)
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233 reviews in English
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Review from Dan P.
12/31/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
This is still my favorite casual Italian place in the area. The staff are all really cool and will go out of their way to make sure you're having a good time.
I have tried almost everything on the menu over the years but my favorite is still the linguine w/ diavolo sauce w/ calamari. I drink their tropical iced tea.
I try not to eat too much bread (low carb thing, filling up on bread, etc.) but the bread here is so freaking good and the olive oil / garlic dipping sauce is still delicious after all these years.
But I come back here for the service. Every server is down to earth and cool. You can stop anyone to ask for anything (no need to track down your server). The chocolate chip cookies at the end is always a nice touch.
There is sometimes a long wait but they're cool about it by walking around with bread or appetizers to keep you entertained while you wait. They also have a kids coloring area for the little ones.
This is a family friendly place so you will see kids, it will be loud, and you will have fun.
The kitchen does close at night (maybe like 9pm?) and last time I saw a couple walk in slightly after the kitchen closed. They were unhappy because they called and the person on the phone told them that they were open so they made the drive over.
The manager / owner did the best he could under the circumstances. He apologized profusely and offered to make them a salad (which he acknowledged wasn't the best solution). He then gave them vouchers for a free meal later.
Anyway, if you want to avoid the crowds, come late or early. The Hermosa location also seems like it has smaller crowds (and valet parking). -
Review from Jess C.
1/15/2012
there are good things about this places but it is severely overpriced. a single portion of pasta with pink sauce is $16, and the pasta was overcooked. there wasn't enough sauce either so i asked for some more, and they charged for $2 for a side of sauce. BS. it's not like it was enough for me to take half home for leftovers either. :(
there are pluses though -
- garlic bread outside while you wait for a table
- yummy olive oil with roasted garlic dipping sauce
- chocolate chip cookies with your check
thinking about it - if i hadn't been charged extra for sauce i would have been a lot happier. lucky for them they serve the south bay where they don't have high standards for food. that's why they've been in business for a long time. -
Review from Heidi S.
Redondo Beach, CA
12/31/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal 1 Check-in Here
Service was excellent (thanks to our waiter Junior). Here is what we had:
Bread - pretty good
Crab Cakes - excellent... they had jalapenos in them!
Vegetarian Pizza - just ok
Butternut Squash Ravioli - just ok -
Review from Natalie G.
Costa Mesa, CA
2/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is a very casual place with beach town prices for low quality food. Do not expect any kind of authenticity. The lasagnas are your best bet.
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Review from Makiko N.
Los Angeles, CA
1/27/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal 1 Check-in Here
I came here w/ a friend and became an instant fan. Wow.. PINK SAUCE = the BEST!! Marinara with cream and garlic, really hits the spot! I also love the appetizer bread and their fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. mmmmm.. Though it's a bit pricey, I would definitely recommend you give it a try!
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Review from Kimberly J.
Manhattan Beach, CA
Updated - 12/22/2011
Oh my gosh, the pink sauce rocks! I don't think I'll order anything else at Mama D's, ever!
It's still super crowded and crazy loud (there is just no way you can have a conversation in there), but the service is outstanding!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/12/2011
What can I say about this place? Garlic, garlic, and more garlic!
This place is extremely friendly… Read more »
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Review from Julie L.
11/21/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
My first impression was, "Love the location, it's so close to the beach."
We ventured out to Mama D's when we saw a yelp deal online. There was not much of a wait, and we got seated just before the rush hour. The menu at first was a bit confusing, but as recommended by many we ordered an entree with the pink sauce as well as Gipssy's Pasta Roma. I love pastas with ingredients such as sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, and other veggie loads. The service was absolutely great, the garlic bread was amazing. But what draws me to give Mama D's a 3-star review is that neither my friend or I were very impressed by the pasta dishes. The pastas were too dry, and there was not enough sauce to flavor the amount of pasta. The flavors were good, but I've had much richer and I didn't realize the Mama D's got such stellar reviews, and it makes me question if I should go back and try something else. I liked the comfy and casual ambiance.
The lasting impression? "If I'm in the area, I'll be back to try the ravioli." -
Review from Andrew M.
Los Angeles, CA
11/28/2011
Great service. Absolutely no complaints about that.
Ordered the lasagna and the taste was pretty good. Two issues with it, though. 1. It came out 10,000 degrees. I waited 15 mins to start eating it (only because everyone else was almost done with their food) and it was still too hot to eat. 2. There was a thick, artery clogging and delicious layer of oil on the top of the dish. It was just too much and I had to pour it off so that I could, one day, see my grand children.
So the service balanced mediocre food and made it a normal place. There is just too many places to eat in Manhattan Beach to make this a place to go back to. -
Review from Glen C.
11/30/2011
Been going to the Hermosa Beach one but had a company dinner here the other day. Place is SMALL compared the HB. If you get there a little late, it's brutal in there because it is so packed.
But the food is pretty much the same. Good service. Still the same solid garlic rolls and yummy meatballs. Can't beat the price for the quality. -
Review from David M.
Venice, CA
1/14/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal 1 Check-in Here
Always love eating at Mama D's. The food is good, the service is great, and the bread is amazing. I highly recommend the shrimp scampi and Stephanie if you can choose your server.
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Review from Rob S.
Manhattan Beach, CA
12/3/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
We had dinner at Mama D's last night. Here is the summary:
- Bread is awesome - we went though 3 baskets
- The whole wheat pasta (penne) is dry and not very tasty
- The regular pasta is good, not great and not homemade
- The pizza is just OK - much better pizza options around
- The meatball was really good
- The wine prices are good but the selection mediocre (but they do have free corkage on Sun-Thu)
- I like how they bring samples around during the meal to try other things, although that only happened once last night.
Overall, just OK. There are definitely better Italian restaurants in the South Bay at the same price point. The Hermosa location is much nicer and has an outdoor patio. We went to the Manhattan location because we had a Yelp deal certificate. -
Review from Rebecca L.
Redondo Beach, CA
1/12/2012
LOVE mama d's! YeS their pink sauce is soooooo gooood!!!! I will return here for many years to come :)
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Review from Linda S.
Evanston, IL
12/4/2011
OMG- our first time at Mama D's - a fabulous time had by all!!!
GREAT SERVICE - Super-nice hostess, perfect wait staff, fun and friendly vibe - the restaurant was packed too.
DELICIOUS FOOD! I had Gypsy's Roma w/ Calamari - mushrooms, artichokes, Roma tomatoes sauteed perfectly in olive oil with basil and a hint of garlic - the Calamari (so easy to over cook) was delicious and perfect. The bread was fabulous - served fresh and warm w/ a plate of olive oil. My husband had the Eggplant Parmesan - one of our favorite dishes - which he said was "GREAT!"-he practically licked the plate clean.
My niece and nephews (12, 10 & 7) had pasta w/ Mama D's FAMOUS Pink Sauce (a marinara w/ cream sauce) - a dish they order every time they go there. BTW - It was on their recommendation that we went, and I can see why. There was paper and crayons waiting for them as we were seated - kid friendly options on the menu, warm staff that obviously like children.
The fun vibe was made even more festive by TWO staff led Birthday presentations - candles, cards and Happy B'day sung by the whole restaurant.
DESSERT - who had room - but really, how could we refuse the tiramisu and chocolate raspberry deliciousness.
As if that was not enough...during the paying of the check a box of toys came out to the table - the kids got to each choose one to take home (a la birthday party goody bag.) Happy campers- I mean their parents of course, well fed (stuffed), goody-bagged children and happy house guests.
We'll be back, of course - and believe me, it is THE place to bring your out-of-town guests, no matter how young or old they may be!!! -
Review from George T.
Burbank, CA
11/25/2011
We had the vegetarian pizza with pepperoni, very bland and flavorless. I believe it was the first time where I had to add salt to my pizza.
Service was great -
Review from Holly L.
Los Angeles, CA
11/22/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal 1 Check-in Here
I bought a Yelp coupon for this place because I loved the last meal I had at the Mama D's Newport Beach location (5 star worthy).
It sucks to say, but they are not comparable.
The meal was fine, but the food here is just not as good as the other location. The food, the flavors lack depth. Something was just missing!
I thought my spinach ravioli was fine, I thought the lasagna pink sauce was fine, and I thought the chicken picatta was fine, but nothing stood out. I still have the leftovers sitting in my refrigerator from 3 days ago... I think it'll stay there until trash day rolls around.
I don't want to give this place a 3, but 3.5 stars doesn't exist. -
Review from Danielle E.
Gardena, CA
11/21/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
Amazing! Great service, yummy food, and a down home feeling. The pink sauce with scallops is fabulous and the crab and lobster ravioli hit the spot. They even gave us free bread knots and chocolate chip cookies.
I would definitely go there again! -
Review from LALANNIE L.
Beverly Hills, CA
Bread is very good. Better than the pasta.
Waiters are awesome. Prices... $$ for 2 pasta dishes and water $38 plus tip. Eh. -
Review from Jami C.
Santa Clarita, CA
11/25/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
Absolutely love Mama D's! Great Italian food - love those garlic rolls!!
The employees are super nice and on top of things. I love that it's small and cozy inside and buzzing with people!
There's only one thing that surprised me.... they don't have a dessert menu! You get chocolate chip cookies with your bill :-)
That was fine.... we walked to Cold Stone after for dessert!
I recommend this place.... I think I like the one in Hermosa Beach better than Manhattan Beach. You should try them both though... I would go back to either one! -
Review from D M.
Redondo Beach, CA
10/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Awesome - loud, friendly and great food. Jay was a great waiter - all over everything! Kid friendly? Oh yes!
Didn't notice the BYOB until we were there but will definitely do that in future. -
Review from Josh M.
Redondo Beach, CA
12/9/2011
I love this places food. Their homemade cheese ravioli's are the freaking best. But being a graphic designer and typographer, I cannot stand the terribly cheesy design choices in this place. I'd love to rip off all of the dumb framed pictures with played out slogans like Got Pasta? with a kid sitting in a bowl of food, etc... and the vinyl die cut stickers all over the walls, saying it's a small mom and pop place. (Use a paint brush and hand do that stuff! It's way more legit and will feel more mom and pop).. Anyways, sorry for the rant, I'd love to help rebrand this place to look as good as it tastes.
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Review from katie m.
Manhattan Beach, CA
11/2/2011
We just had another great dinner here! First of all, cannot complain when they sit you down to a plate of GARLIC oil and toasty garlic bread and say, "Welcome family, enjoy!"
This was not our first time to the family resto, but the first time I felt compelled to yelp about it.
We had a great server, Jay, who was friendly, fun, full of suggestions! I have always eaten pasta here but last night I was carefully considering crossing over to the pizza side of the menu. Jay professed his love for all things crusty, melty and oven-baked, and convinced me too. EVERYthing that comes out of their oven really is the best! -
Review from Kinshuk G.
Playa Del Rey, CA
12/24/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
food is ok
no wine corkage fee mon-thurs was excellent.
server was nice.
if the food was better (6 people in our party who thought they could cook better than what was served), we would definitely return. -
Review from Bruno S.
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
12/22/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
Crowded, quaint, really small (hence crowded) and defines hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Food was average, nothing to write home about. I will try eating here again because I hate to form an opinion on one visit. Hope I go on a less crowded night.
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Review from Michelle T.
Torrance, CA
Free Birthday Treat!!! Review #2
Go in on your actual birthday and they will comp your meal!!!
(deal valid at hermosa and manhattan beach locations only)
Stroll down Manhattan Beach Blvd toward the beach and you will find "the friendliest place on earth" on Manhattan Ave. They have a lemonade dispenser and garlic bread for people passing by. While we were waiting for a friend, we were offered samples of their rigatoni with their famous pink sauce. Having been to the Hermosa location, i already knew my birthday dish would be a pink sauce dish!!!
When we got there, the place was empty but soon filled up within 10 minutes after 1pm. I found the perfect seat! http://www.yelp.com/bi...
I ordered the Lobster and Crab Ravioli in Pink sauce (pink sauce is basically a cream sauce mixed with marinara- soo good!)
Dude got Penne in pink sauce http://www.yelp.com/bi...
My friend got one of the Lite dishes Gipsseys Pasta Roma which had artichokes, mushrooms, tomatoes sauteed in garlic and olive oil.
http://www.yelp.com/bi... Delicious!
All the dishes were super yummy. Staff was superbly friendly- answering any questions we had, offering suggestions and never making us feel like we were bothering them. Prices were all very reasonable. They serve chocolate cookies with your bill.
*birthday deal says "dinner" but works all day!!!
*inside is very small- not recommended for parties larger than 8-10.
After- you can take a stroll by the beach!!!
**SAVE UR RECEIPT FOR A DISCOUNT AT HANDELS ICECREAM THAT WEEK!**Listed in: South bay eats, FREE BIRTHDAY STUFF 2011
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Review from Lily Q.
Yorba Linda, CA
9/27/2011
very friendly byob (but they also have their own wine list) great for large parties and family dinners
I came here for dinner on a tues night and the place was rowdy and packed. Even though there was a brief wait, the servers walk around with trays of pizza, bread, and parm chicken for everyone to sample making the wait for hungry patrons alot more bearable.
All the dishes are very reasonably prices, the pasta entrees run between $12-16.
I had the calamari to start and it was nothing special, 2.5 stars at best. However, the meat ravioli with pink sauce exceeded my expectations. The pink sauce is indeed delicious and I loved the thin fresh pasta skins they used for the ravioli.
I will definitely be back for more! -
Review from Lauren S.
Los Angeles, CA
11/23/2011
I'm getting my usual Mama D's craving by just writing this. They offer a large variety of pastas, including wheat and gluten free. Also, quite a few sauces to choose from (their known for their famous pink sauce). Service is phenomenal. Sometimes they bring around samples of random dishes/appetizers, which I like to fill up on...plus the bread, which is served with garlicky oil. I drive all the way to Man Beach for this.
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Review from Melissa C.
Torrance, CA
12/6/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
Great food, great service, parking is awful. however, that wont stop me from going back, ive been going for about 5 or 6 years now : ) for the people who said the food is just ok, then you are ordering the wrong thing. I usually get the house salad, cheese pizza, and mama ds ravioli with pink sauce. anything with pink sauce and you cant go wrong.
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Review from Jenna Z.
6/23/2011
When I was here they were suuuuuper nice!!
Service: 5 stars
Food: 3 stars
Decor: homey Italian family place (subjective :])
So I gave them an average of 4 stars. My first time there, I told them we were newbies to the place and the server was super nice and answered any questions we had. They had a pretty large menu. I got the pasta with pink sauce but didn't think it was that great. We also ordered a meatball and it was the size of a fist. We got a lot of food and the price was decent. The waiter also brought us complementary appetizer and gave us a free appetizer for our next visit.
This is a nice place for family and if you want nice service. Oh and don't forget the warm cookies at the end :D -
Review from Loc H.
7/27/2011
bring your own bottle of wine? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
i love their pink sauce. this is that sort of place where you walk in, and you really feel like MAMA D is cookin. it has a home-y feel and i love how chill it is.
the location is primo in the heart of manhattan beach. i used to think mb was yuppy-filled, but now i find it lacking the yuppies and scoring all the older 45+ yuppies... which i dont mind too much unless they look like they belong on the housewives of MB where they look all plastic twirling their pinkies in their wine glasses trying to look KLASSY.
you won't get that much here though. people are still pretty much low-key and cool.
highly reccomend this place. only because it reminds me of ANDREs on fairfax.... just fancier (even though it's not even fancy) -
Review from Russ M.
7/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great Italian diner! Nice atmosphere, good food, outstanding service. The Pink sauce was a nice touch...I think they have the BEST bread in the world!!
Prices are very reasonable, lots of bang for the buck here -
Review from Nancy F.
San Diego, CA
6/12/2011
Best Italian food in the South Bay.
They serve this warm bread with olive oil and grilled garlic in it , amazing!
Dishes are delicious, portions are big -
Review from Cara P.
Dallas, TX
7/4/2011
This has been one of my favorite places for years--I can't believe I am just now getting around to reviewing it!
I could make a meal out of the bread and olive oil/garlic they give you, but of course I never do : ) I always go for some variation of the pink sauce with pasta and chicken. Delicious. And they bring warm cookies with the check, which is all kinds of genius.
The service was outstanding. I was dining with some friends and their two small children and our server (who had a broken wrist, to boot!) was so incredibly patient with us in ways that I would never have been.
I have been coming here for 10 years and it just keeps getting better! -
Review from Molly P.
My husband and I went to Mama D's last Friday night for my birthday and had the most incredible dinner service.
Our waitress, Lisa was so sweet. She with the rest of her staff did an amazing job of taking care of us and the rest of their very full house. We ordered a bottle of their house red wine with our dinner, which couldn't have been more delicious.
For the birthday songs they turn off the main lights in the dining room and encourage the whole place to sing for you, adorable. They even made me a little custom "Happy Birthday" card with highlighters and attached a coupon inside for a free appetizer on our next visit; freaking amazing.
On top of it all, my dinner was on the house because it was my birthday. This place couldn't kick any more ass if they tried. Mama D's still stands as my favorite restaurant in California.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/30/2010
My Mom used to bring me here all the time when I was a little kid and now I understand why. They… Read more »
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Review from David C.
Los Angeles, CA
4/3/2011
Hearty "home cooked" Italian dishes that were perfect after a grueling day of football at the park.
Come hungry, everything was really good!
But what really makes this place a full 5 star joint is the service - they were beyond friendly and full of character, took care of us like we were family. Our server/manager Jason was fantastic! -
Review from Melannie T.
Pasadena, CA
4/26/2011
Customer service was great here! They even took the time to know our names :) I only gave a four because I thought the ambiance could be better.
Lobster Ravioli in Pink Sauce was yummy!
Vegetable Lasagna was also good.
I would come back again for the Ravioli.
This is a casual place for home-cooked italian and affordable.
Nice place to grab lunch/ dinner if you're on Manhattan Beach Pier and you're not looking anything super fancy. -
Review from victoria b.
Lawndale, CA
This place never fails to satisfy! Its definitely a place to make great dining memories! Amazing food! Their pink sauce is to die for. I don't think I've tried anything else because the pink sauce is THAT GOOD!
Their service is great! They offer free appetizers while people wait for their tables which I think is a great touch because I know how long their lines can be. It's kinda like the 'diner dash game" keep your customers happy and people will keep coming back!
Great food. Great service. Amazing time. What more can you ask for? -
Review from OMARA G.
Tucson, AZ
5/4/2011
1st time I dined at Mama D's was completely a spontaneous decision...We were hungry and needed food ASAP!
The place was packed (which was the 1st good sign) and it was the classic "hole in the wall" (which was the 2nd sign it was about to get delicious up in heeere)I remember the exact moment when the flavor of the fresh baked lasagna slid over my tongue...MmmMmMmM! Italian comfort food to the rescue! (That was 3yrs ago).
This second trip 2011 was just as delightful as the 1st...customer service was sincerely friendly. Since my party and I were having a hard time deciding what to order our waitress "Lisa" offered to let us sample a few cheese raviolis on the house with red sauce and a sample of the house "pink" sauce to help us decide.
The raviolis were fresh and lightly salted and the red sauce a tinch sweet. I asked what I could order that was unique to the restaurant and Lisa recommended the spinach ravioli with a meat ball on top with the "pink" sauce poured over it. Sounded crazy enough to work...why not?? I went for it! Id give the combination a 3 out of 5, the meatball was decent, a little on the bland side, the pink sauce although delicious got a bit too rich after a while and I wanted something to freshen /spike it up some. If I ordered that again I'd opt for the red sauce instead. The lasagna so far is still my favorite.
I definitely recommend checking this place out if you're in the area and want a relaxed dining experience with good food. -
Review from C J.
Manhattan Beach, CA
8/31/2011
This review has nothing to do with the food. I just can't stomach the "rah! rah! enthusiastic B.S." One Man's opinion. If you're a former cheerleader, and can relate to the feigned enthusiasm for profit, knock yourself out. Kindred spirits unite! (and when you use that much garlic & oil, everything tastes good, no?).
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Review from Kali H.
Los Angeles, CA
3/15/2011
I was walking around Manhattan Beach trying to find a place to eat. We smelled an amazing food smell and walked down the street. We stopped by Manhattan Pizzeria, but no it wasn't that place. We lifted our noses and turned the corner. Mama D's it was. We got there early enough to pick which ever table we wanted. Yet it filled up quickly.
As soon as we sat we were greeted by our lovely servers, Lisa and trainee Tanya. Having found out we were D virgins they brought us complimentary ravoli to taste. Yum!
We eat huge ass meals and we were stuffed. But it was time for more complimentary food, cookies. WTF, are you trying to make me fat, Mamacita? Yes. But it was enjoyable.
We downed our wine, tipped our awesome waitresses (once again, Lisa and Tanya, FTW), then rolled down to the beach to walk it off.
I love you, Mama. -
Review from Karla C.
Long Beach, CA
2/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Mama D's!
I had such high hopes for you!
We set out, just to experience some "really good, amazing, authentic" italian, instead we got.. okay, decent, not at all memorable food.
My bf went with the ravioli, i went with my standard eggplant parm. Meh, it was okay. Its definitely not a destination, but if youre in the neighborhood.. why not.
We waited a while, quite a while to get our check... A tad annoying, but other than that, the service was good.
I will say, the cookies were oh so good, and a nice touch.
Nice meeting ya Mama, but this little mama wont be coming back.
Ohh, btw, parking kinda sorta really sucks.
