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Mamma Mia Cafe - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
1727 N Vermont AveSte 102
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Neighborhood: Griffith Park/Los Feliz
(323) 669-3354
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Vanessa M. said: "This update is still based on their pizza. It's still fkn good! &they're not tight with their condiments (If you're nice n friendly, of course)" read more »
40 reviews for Mamma Mia Cafe
Review Highlights
"Oh, and try the fresh strawberry lemonade."
(in 13 reviews)
"The "Red-Eye" special ain't too shabby either."
(in 9 reviews)
"...Grilled Shrimp Pasta, and I had a nice Topolino salad."
(in 4 reviews)
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40 reviews in English
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Review from Anna L.
4/16/2010
Mom and Pop with great food! 5 stars from this yelper.
Now, this place epitomizes what YELP is all about. The struggling Mom and Pop type hole in the wall, that you are just not sure will be good, unless #1, you learn about it word of mouth, or #2, you read a YELP review recommending it, or my least fave #3, you take a gamble and try it out.
I would not have tried this place unless I read the reviews because it is so small and bare bones, it could easily be written off as a mediocre establishment in my mind, unless I saw lines of people outside. I could see how many people probably order for pick up to go, because there are literally 3 tables in this joint.
Dragged mom here when she picked me up from work, to avoid traffic back to La Mirada (yeah, BFE, from Los Feliz). Tried the specialty salad Topolino? with raisins, cranberries, chicken, cheese, walnuts, romaine and ranch vinagareite.
Two words: HUGE and YUMMY
Mom loved the fresh french bread, and pasta linguini. We asked for extra pink sauce (marinara with cheese and cream). Everything was fresh and flavorful. NOT over the top, but worth the trip for nominal cost.
HIGHLY recommended. -
Review from Roach D.
Duarte, CA
Updated - 9/12/2010
Wha--?? The sign is down, and the place looks deserted.
Now where am i going to get my afternoon breakfast pasta fix?
: (1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/28/2010
I have become obsessed with "breakfast all day" places lately.
For some reason, i always forget about… Read more »
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Review from Ed C.
Los Angeles, CA
7/2/2007
Remember that time when you were a kid and your buddy told you that putting Vicks vapor rub on your pee-pee felt good, so you did it ~ but instead of feeling good, it burned like the one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse smacked you in your Garden of Good and Evil?
Then you turned around and through a hazy curtain of tears you saw your buddy laughing his ass off ~ so you took the Volume M of the Encyclopedia Britannica and walloped him in his "Melon" but good?
I don't know if that has anything to do with this review, but I finally tried Mamma Mia's brunch menu this weekend - based only on the overwhelmingly positive Yelp reviews -- please note that most of these reviews are for "Mama Mia" when it is in fact spelled with four M's, not three.
I rolled up to the joint skeptical. How could such a gem be a well-kept secret? How come none of my Eastside friends knew about this joint?* It couldn't be that good.... could it?
*My Eastside homies are drunks, so that might have something to do with their lack of "local knowledge."
When I received the menu, my heart sank (I betrayed my own resolution not to expect too much). It showed that the restaurant only offered a few egg dishes and some sides. Anxiety swept over me like J. Alfred Prufrock - why did I disturb the universe by trying a new place out? Why didn't I go to one of my usual brunch joints: House of Pies... The Dive... The Grub even...
What price was I going to pay for my hubris?
Suddenly I flipped the menu over and shouted "Eureka!" ~ for on the flipside was a trove of exotic options laid out before me. With quite reasonable prices, too!
I'm not really a big pasta lover, but I decided to try Mamma Mia's breakfast pasta. "WTF is that?" you may ask. It's al dente spaghetti with bacon and other stuff - and the "piece of resistance" (as they say in France) - two sunny side up eggs. Gadzooks. I think I fell in love just a little bit with this dish.
I dove in, busting open the yolks - quickly mixing the noodles with the egg and the bacon and the other stuff. Then I expertly swirled the pasta with the fork, began masticating and was immediately gratified. It was brilliant. And not only was it gorgeous to eat, it was plentiful. Man I felt like a pinata fulla pasta. I think I found another awesome brunch place.
Other positives: the place is uber-affordable ~ my big bowl o' pasta was $9.99. I also liked the al fresco patio seating ("Very European," my brunchmate said. I've never been to the Continent, so I'll have to take her word for it). And the proprietress was so amiable (she kept calling me "friend" - at first it was off-putting, but then it became reassuring) that her patrons become infected with her good-natured-ness.
What's also amazing was that seated next to us was the group of foodies - one of whom was a Yelper - that was trying out Mamma Mia based on the Yelp reviews!
I highly recommend this place. Keep in mind that the restaurant is pretty cozy (to use the parlance of Real Estate agents) so try to be a little patient - it will be rewarded.
It was no Vicks vapor rub on your pee-pee. My faith in mankind has slowly been restored. -
Review from Gina G.
4/8/2009 1 photo
Topolino - (TOP-o-leen-oh) n. - The best fucking salad on the planet!
Dried cranberries, raisins, walnuts, chicken, tossed with lettuce, red onions, feta cheese in a glorious homemade ranch vinegarette dressing. I love you Mama MIA Cafe! -
Review from Min T.
Los Angeles, CA
11/5/2007
My friend wanted to go to Home for lunch on Saturday but it was crazy busy and Fred 62 didn't look any better. He doesn't like Italian but we ended up at Mamma Mia's because it wasn't busy. What a happy find!
I didn't think they would seat us outdoors since it was such a nice day and the only open table was for a four-top but Mamma ushered us to it.
We ordered the freshly squeezed strawberry lemonades since they looked so freshing on other people's tables.
I was pretty much torn between breakfast and lunch. It was around 1:30 p.m. but the breakfast croissant on the neighboring table looked wonderful and I could always go for a frittata. But no, I decided to try out the veggie chicken sandwich even though the meatball sub was also calling my name. I'm glad I chose the veggie chicken because it turned out to be a wonderful sandwich with a ton of veggies including perfectly cooked broccoli. I love it when broccoli is just perfect with a little splash of olive oil and tasty marinara.
It also came with a side salad and it was beautifully presented on a long dish along with the sandwich.
My friend had the Topolino salad (lettuce, cranberries, walnuts, chicken) which he enjoyed quite a bit.
Service was a bit slow but in retrospect, I think it was just because we were hungry. And the service was really friendly. But I didn't like how the busser laid out our silverware by touching the ends of the utensils (like his thumb in my spoon). Hey, that's going in my mouth. Can we be a little cleaner? I know you probably dropped that spoon earlier but let's keep up the pretenses.Listed in: Damn Tasty Eats
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Review from Margo B.
Los Angeles, CA
1/6/2008
Love this place!! My hubby and I recently moved to Los Feliz, and after going crazy eating at all of the great places on Vermont, finally settled with Mamma Mia's for all of our brunch-y needs! It's very small, not in the least bit fancy, but just right for those just out of bed, pull on a sweater,and get some sunshine and grub kind of days. It's kind of like running next door to your best friend's mom and saying, "hey... you have any more of that cheesy creamy pasta with eggs?" And she says "Of course, Hon! Here's some warm bread to go with!" You're getting great food and great service for your buck! Omelettes rock, their Mamma Mia sauce rocks, Topolino salad w/cranberries rocks, and nothing hits the spot like their strawberry lemonade, any day!
* 2 new favorite items: Ravioli alla Mamma Mia (pink sauce!) and Ravioli Marsala with Chicken- don't usually like marsala, but it was so fresh and tasty!!!! Best eggy french toast ever, and the red eye is extreme, but delish! -
Review from Mike M.
Durham, NC
6/10/2008
I took a friend from out of town here for Sunday breakfast and we decided to do an order-and-share. It failed when we got our food: I didn't want to share the french toast and she didn't want to share the pasta.
I had formerly treated french toast as an illegitimate food source. Boy, has my opinion changed! I make a point to go every weekend to get my newly found french toast fix. -
Review from Megan D.
Studio City, CA
8/10/2007
Well normally I wouldn't let this bother me but...
The waiter at this restaurant dropped my wife's food on her, they weren't very apologetic and only took our drinks off the bill ($5 while ruining her $60 shirt.) I just think that it was indicative of what kind of place this was.
Either way my wife enjoyed her pasta, while my sandwich was pretty plain and boring. I would go back for the strawberry lemonade... maybe to go. -
Review from Kyle V.
Los Angeles, CA
7/23/2007 1 photo
This tiny patio eatery was quite the surprise. Luckily my fellow yelpers did not steer me wrong. I have nothing but good things to say about this place. And I'll be going back as long as too many of you don't decide to like it as much as I do.
It seemed like the majority of the work here was being performed by one lady, lets call her mamma. Mamma was great. We were promptly seated at a nice table outside. The orange juice we ordered hit the spot entirely. Checking out the menu was fun. I saw the Red Eye and had to try it. It was a combination of pasta, two eggs over easy , feta, potato, zucchini due to lack of mushrooms, bacon and probably some more things. It was a slightly incongruent brunch item, kind of like a breaklunch instead. ok, lamest joke ever, at least give me points for using incongruent. Anyway, everything came together perfectly and I was floating after this meal.
Watch out, I think it closes around 2, at least on Sundays. -
Review from Jen T.
San Francisco, CA
11/17/2009
Stopped by here thanks to Yelpers for a quick lunch on a business trip. The lunch portions are nice. They come with bread, salad and entree. The salad was just okay, and most of it was old really...
I ordered the Ravioli Mamma Mia, which was served with their signature pink cream sauce and huge ravioli. Portions were plentiful and their signature sauce was tasty too. All in all just a pretty good place for a quick meal. The place is really quaint and seems like it's family run. -
Review from Ewa M.
Los Angeles, CA
3/16/2008 7 photos
So, after careful consideration of reviews from my fellow yelpers (Thank you!), I am so glad that I have tried Mamma Mia Cafe for a lovely Sunday brunch. Located in a less attractive spot of Los Feliz, we actually passed it along the way, and barely even noticed it. BUT, I still had faith and sat down in the outdoor patio enjoying sunny, but windy weather. The mandatory lemonades were refreshing and very tasty, and cappuccino had a taste of cinnamon.
Our food was simple, fresh and really really tasty, most importantly not heavy at all! Our plates were cleaned up and I was left craving for more. The Red Eye it's served only of the weekends, and it's an apparent hit of breakfast pasta with delicious runny egg over it. I feel that each item was carefully cooked and delivered to our table with care and consideration. I don't mind the decor that much, because it's the food that I come for, so I really missed freshly baked crusty bread, with simple olive oil and some garlic. We really really felt that, so we kept asking for bread, which was good, but not as good as freshly baked one!
Having said that, I will definitely come back, simply because it's not muss no fuzz, no wait, deliciously fresh food. So if you are waiting 20 mins in line for Fred 62, walk down the street and hit Mama Mia Cafe;) -
Review from Adrian L.
8/24/2009
So ridiculously good!
This place is a little hole in the wall and looks like it would be kinda nasty, but it is so so good. I used to go here for lunch all the time when I worked on Vermont, and the quality and price have not changed one bit since then.
The ravioli with marinara is total comfort food, at it's best. The presentation is a little weird, sometimes you get little plastic bowls and cups like you're eating at the kiddy table, but the taste of the food surpasses anything bad I could ever say about this place. It's fresh, light and simple, but completely filling.
I love taking people here because they always think it's going to suck by the appearance of everything, but once they put that food in their mouths, they're just as addicted as I am. -
Review from Dave L.
San Francisco, CA
5/22/2007 2 photos
Mama Mia! Mama Mia!
I come here for lunch often. They have a good breakfast menu, pastas, and salads. They also have good Arnold Palmers and Strawberry Lemonades (w/ real strawberries). I've never been disappointed with anything they served me. The cafe itself is small, but there's lots of patio seating. What makes this place special is the mom-&-pop feel -- the Mr. cooks and the Mrs. serves. They are very friendly and will remember your face!
Tips: Try their "pink" pasta sauce, which is 50/50 alfredo & marinara, I think.Listed in: Breakfast & Brunch, Pasta & Pizza
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Review from Matt W.
Los Angeles, CA
6/26/2007
I love coming here for breakfast. I can get a good meal, regardless of how hungry I am, and not feel like a bloated pig when I leave, which scores huge points with me. The people, who I assume own the joint, are always friendly and attentive.
The one time I had dinner there left me with mixed feelings, however. The sandwiches were okay and the salad portions were fucking huge. More than I needed by a longshot and I felt like an ass letting all that food go to waste. Maybe it was because we went just before closing and they wanted to get rid of all that food, I don't know.
Either way, I would recomend this place more for breakfast than anything else. Oh, and try the fresh strawberry lemonade... you'll thank me... -
Review from Deirdre M.
Los Angeles, CA
10/10/2007
I really wish i had a camera with me tonight, just to take a picture of the gargantuan mocktail this strawberry lemonade was. I think it's actually strawberry powder in lemonade, but who cares--it was tangy, there're fresh strawberries in it, and it's strawberry season!
This tiny cafe, easy to miss, had pretty standard fare--i've paid both more and less for the same stuff in this city. I had cheese ravioli with artichoke, walnuts and sundried tomato in madeira sauce.. Unfortunately, the menu said pine nuts..ah well, rich, but delicious!The lover had a very standard spaghetti and meatballs, which is EXACTLY what he was craving!
Sometimes you want upscale simple food. This fits the bill. Not snotty, not diner, just right. Judging from the menu, this place is really ideal for a weekend brunch: the breakfast options looked delish! -
Review from Jennifer S.
San Diego, CA
6/6/2007
a total mama/papa joint. D and I had lunch here yesterday, and it was pretty decent. totally family style. the wifey takes your orders and the hubby cooks in the back. service is quite reasonable.. i've noticed that whenever you go to a smaller joint, the service is wayy better than those chains, and plus, you get the authentic touch to it.
first time here, but to D, it was his millionth time since he works at the hospital down the street. what i really liked about this place is the fact how the wifey knew the names/faces of regulars, which totally makes you wanna come back for more.
offered great suggestions, and was very sweet.
now, for the food...
ravioli alla mamma mia $8.99 (i give 3). I know that restaurants don't give more than 8 raviolis, but i was hungry, ive been extremely spoiled by my chef boyardee's ... :D but regardless. they were a pretty nice size, but i felt hungry even after both the wifey and D warned me how it would be filling. IT WAS NOT FILLING FOR MY POOR TUMMY!
all pastas come with salad and bread. salad. basically, its costco's salad. i saw their fridge. haha. bread, it could be better. needed that whole vinegar and balsamic touch but no, u only get it american style with butter and smucker's jam, so they lost a star on that one.
D got the Healthy Highway for $7.99. (3 egg white omelette w/spinach and turkey w/feta cheese, fresh tomatoes sauteed on side w/toast) i give this a 3 also. it was edible but not strikingly orgasmic!
parking, there's a lot, thank GOD! no street parking...
not a place, ill go all the time, but it was okay.Listed in: Griffith Park/Los Feliz
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Review from Willis L.
Los Angeles, CA
10/8/2007 2 photos
After 2 consistent nights of partying, I woke up on Sunday and stumbled down the street to Mamma Mia Cafe. This was my second time there and I ordered the exact same thing that I did a week ago (what can I say, I'm a man of habit), The Red Eye and some Straberry Lemonade.
Who would've ever though Linguini would be good for breakfast? Well, obviously someone did or Mamma Mia wouldn't have the Red Eye, which is only available on Saturdays and Sundays. It is Linguini with bacon, tomatoes, potatoes, mushrooms, spinach, lettuce, and 2 sunny side up eggs. The art of eating this dish (from my perspective) is to immediately stab the egg yolks with your folk, toss the pasta like a salad as if you're making a stir-fry, then swirl it into your folk and enjoy its tasty goodness. As for the Strawberry Lemonade, it comes in a 20 ounce cup and topped off with fresh straberries!!!
Overall I enjoy eating at Mamma Mia, loved the friendly owners, and believe I will continue to frequent this establishment in the months to come.
As for the price, it is somewhat pricey considering it was for Brunch, $9.99 for the linguini, $2.50 for the lemonade, then with tax and tip, you can expect to shout out $16. -
Review from Mike D.
Los Angeles, CA
7/2/2007
Mamma Mia surprised me also. How could a restaurant with great food, without a wait on a Sunday morning on a the patio, and with affordable prices exist in Los Feliz and remain a secret? It seemed to good to be true, but it does. We arrived around 11:30 on Sunday morning and had no problem securing a table on the patio that was well shaded by a plethora of umbrellas. In addition, we caught no attitude for not ordering anything until our tardy friends arrived at noon. We started with strawberry lemonade made with real, fresh berries. The five of us each tried a different dish and everyone loved theirs. I tried the tri color based on the yelp recommendation. The pesto had quite a bit of garlic but went quite well with the eggs and diced tomatoes. I would definitely order it again. The service was pleasant and casual but not overwhelming. If this place morphs into a wait an hour for your table on the weekends, restaurant, I might drop it by a star. For now, this is near the top of my brunch destinations.
Update: We finally tried Mamma Mia for dinner last night. The PM experience impressed us just as much as our AM meals did. I had a the ravioli Marsala with chicken. A long list of ingredients blended beautifully into one delicious dish. Most everything on the menu is offered vegetarian style with an option for meat which created many options for our veggie friend. She had the linguine with artichoke hearts and olives - another winner. We brought our own wine and were not charged any corkage (though in retrospect I don't know if that is their policy or just an oversight.) Surprisingly, the restaurant had only us as patrons last night. We found out later that the delightful woman who waited on us also had the cooking duties. The food had come out in such a timely manner that we had a difficult time believing her. Though the restaurant does close early (8pm), it's worth making the effort to get to this wonderful hole-in-the-wall. -
Review from Joanne S.
Los Angeles, CA
4/12/2009
the tuscan frittata is absolutely fantastic.
the service was mediocre this sunday, but i'm wondering if there was just an issue with understaffing.
the 'red eye' dish is also great. i'm a huge fan of pasta and eggs mixed together.Listed in: best brunch, east side
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Review from Vanessa Z.
Chicago, IL
5/22/2010
My Mom and I happened across Mamma Mia yesterday after a failed attempt at getting some outdoor service from 1739 Public House next door (it took the same amount of time for the server to make an appearance there than it did for us to get our food at Mamma Mia).
This is a yummy and affordable place to grab a quick lunch. The bread is fresh and the past Mamma Mia (prepared with a parma rosa type sauce) was great. The service was iffy with a few mix-ups to our order but nothing that would prevent me from going back again. -
Review from Z Z.
Los Angeles, CA
5/2/2007
My fiance and I went there for take out for the first time yesterday. I got a vegetarian sandwich which was delicious, five stars. BUT, I got a walnut and cranberry salad which was covered (and I mean covered) in ranch dressing....I threw it out.....so, zero stars for that. Normally I find that when you order a to-go salad the dressing is on the side but not at Mama Mia's. I would go back again and get the dressing on the side because the salad looked great....who puts ranch on a salad anymore anyway??? My fiance got the meatballs and spaghetti which he really liked. His side salad was also swimming in dressing...it was more dressing than I have ever seen on salads before so, watch out for that. Aside from that though, the food was great.
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Review from Aleem H.
Los Angeles, CA
8/3/2007
One of my absolute favorite lunch spots. The tortellini alla panna is pretty much perfect. Their fresh squeezed lemonade is great as well. And the lady who takes your order is about as nice as they get. Nice outdoor seating under the umbrellas. If you're looking for a totally casual cheap place to get some great food you've found it.
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Review from M. R.
Burbank, CA
8/8/2008
This place is awesome! The pasta is so good and the strawberry lemonade. A++++++++++++ Love it!
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Review from jay c.
12/11/2009
4 stars for the brunch, not so much for their sandwiches. Lunch here is not good, I wouldn't bother. Have not had dinner yet but I will eventually, it's BYOB so you can get a nice Italian meal that wont break the bank. The strawberry lemonade, not sure what everyone is talking about it was ok, very sugary with some strawberries on top. Brunch, fagedabaudit. Very good, big portions and they have me coming back again and again.
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Review from Arvin C.
Napa, CA
1/6/2010
Based on Yelp reviews, stopped by here on the way up to the observatory. My four boys are some of the pickiest eaters and they all loved the food: Chicken Parm Sandwiches, Grilled Shrimp Pasta, and I had a nice Topolino salad. Definitely a hole in the wall but worth the effort to find it next to some larger dining places. We parked one block away.
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Review from Leon V.
Los Angeles, CA
4/13/2009
Maybe I didn't give it a fair shake, I just had the meatball sammich and the wifey had the spinach tortellini. The food wasn't spectacular but wasn't bad either. I'll go back and try breakfast and update this review.
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Review from heejin l.
Los Angeles, CA
12/16/2008
the red eye is pasta (which seems to be their specialty) comes with a bland sauce with bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, and egg over easy on top.
the strawberry lemonade comes with fresh cut strawberries but the lemonade is watered-down. 17$ including tax and tip. -
Review from Jinjer H.
CA
5/2/2009
Ahhhh thank you, Gina S.! I had forgotten all about the yummy Topolino salad that I used to get all the time when I was temping at Kaiser! I love and miss it so much!!! It's been 5 years since I've had that salad and I had forgotten the name of it as well as the name of the restaurant!!
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Review from Chris T.
San Jose, CA
6/19/2009
the first time I ate here I was so hungry I thought the food was good enough for a repeat trip.
But then I came back a second time and ordered the Linguine (with clam) vongole. Whoever was tending the restaurant locked up real quick took both her employees out hopped into the car and left to the grocery store. They must have ran out of ingredients. The salad was okay and seemed fresh however the clams came straight out of the can. I was disappointed at this and tried not to let it get to me as my co-worker kept rubbing in my face how bad the service and food was at this place... blah
Chris
http://marketamerica.c... -
Review from Paganbrew X.
Los Angeles, CA
7/20/2009
If you're looking for something fresh and simple, come here. As soon, as I went in, I was skeptical, thinking "I know I'm gonna hate the food". I was welcomed with a smile and the place felt like you were in your mom's kitchen. I ordered the Roma sandwich on a french roll. It was nice and pleasant, light and tasty. The strawberry lemonade was really refreshing. Nothing tastes processed, the only word I can use to really describe the food and drink is fresh.
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Review from JAMES B.
Los Angeles, CA
9/24/2008
Sitting outside havin a cig and coffee after eating a really tasty breakfast a few weeks back, I had wondered how on Earth I had missed this little spot.The owners are great and provide a nuanced Italian breakfast menu including the Tri-Color (pesto,tomatoes and eggs over toast) and a more classic lunch dinner menu..Its relaxing, affordable, friendly and not trying too hard like most spots in this area.The portions are modest, but still dang good.Go go go!
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Review from Summit S.
Los Angeles, CA
9/23/2008
No frills here. I'm pleasantly surprised how much yelpers have dug this spot. Every time I walk in here, it feels like a time warp. Actually I've been coming here semi regularly for the past couple years. My friend is actually a regular here and orders off their breakfast menu every time, which they pretty much cook up all day. I usually get the spaghetti and meatballs. Most of the time we do take out, but I have eaten here a couple times. For some reason the place is completely dead whenever I end up here...maybe its my odd eating hours, or perhaps the old school decor. The prices are pretty reasonable here. I haven't tried the strawberry and lemonade everyone keeps raving about, but did try a glass of their freshly squeezed orange juice. The orange juice was excellent, and just as expected I had to run to the bathroom to pee twenty minutes later. The food is decent and the portions are good size. The spaghetti and meatballs are a bit on the dry side, but then again it is meatball and not bolognese. It came with a small salad and some good bread. And kudos for the free parking they have available, and from my experience, no need for reservations here. You can also always phone in for a quick pickup order and they have it nicely packed and ready for you in fifteen or twenty minutes.
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Review from Cassandra L.
Los Angeles, CA
4/23/2007
In a neighborhood overflowing with good eats, and all pretty heavily yelped, I was surprised this gem of a place didn't have a true review. Hands down, Mamma Mia is the best breakfast in Los Feliz. Its located next to the B of A on Hollywood and Vermont, has parking, and is my breakfast place AT LEAST once a week. The Tri-color breakfast is so delicious and nourishing that sometimes its the first word out of my mouth on a Saturday morning. Roll over, yawn, wince, croak "Tri-color". This dish of scrambled eggs, pesto, and tomatoes over toast, cures all of last night's ills as does their specially blended coffee and the smiling face of the waitress/owner who calls everyone "Love." I've sent many a neighbor there and all reports were as expected---RAVES. The "Red-Eye" special ain't too shabby either. It is not the least bit hipster and never over-packed. Do yourself a favor and skip FRED 62 in favor of this little joy in "THE HAPPY"
Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Lon H.
Topanga Canyon, CA
Updated - 1/2/2009
am now a fan. something has changed for the better.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/7/2008
the food isn't bad, but the attitude of the server who i believe is the owner is beyond reproach. i… Read more »
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Review from V P.
Boston, MA
6/16/2010
It's just a tiny place on the corner of a plaza but the pasta is just amazing. Their pastas are truly a "must eat."
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Review from Pauline L.
Rosemead, CA
12/16/2007
food was yummy and so was their strawberry lemonade with fresh cut strawberries. i ordered eggs with potatoes and tomatoes and toast and a side of bacon - yummy breakfast food - bacon was crunchy, just the way i like it. i had a taste of the red eye and that was yummier - i'm gonna get that the next time i come here. the only thing that "bugged," (pardon the pun) was the bees that kept buzzing around us (i hate bees, so that was a little annoying), so beware if you decide to sit outside...
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Review from ali A.
Los Angeles, CA
4/1/2010
Great place to go and eat. I love it! I fell in love with this place!
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Review from Esnard B.
Hancock Park, CA
4/7/2009
Always happy to hear when somebody discovers Mario. This is the neighborhood gem. Its not expensive, and, I know you don't believe me, but if you eat here once, or just have a cup of coffee, and go off to live on a mountain top or in the depths of some forest primeval, and return 25 years later, you will be recognized when you walk back in. For real. You'll see.
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Review from Kristin S.
Los Angeles, CA
1/10/2009
Yummy, fresh brunch options. Outdoor patio. No frills kind of joint. Everyone is friendly and the food tastes great.
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Review from Aleese J.
Los Angeles, CA
3/28/2008
I've gone to Mamma Mia's more times than I can count. I love everything that I've tried. I love the ravioli with the pink sauce, so yummy and also the spaghetti and meatballs, although it wasn't spaghetti but linguini :( . The service is good, the main server is one of the owners, she is very relaxed and friendly. Everything has a a fresh, delicious and simple homemade taste, so if you are used to an oversalted, processed type of Italian restaurant like Maggiano's or the Spaghetti Factory, or pasta with Ragu or Prego on top, this is not for you. This is the real thing. Salt and pepper are the only seasoning you will need or maybe a dash of parmesan. The parking lot is small but free, no valet. The outside dining area is sort of small and kind of claustrophobic feeling but you can people watch at least. The food is the star here. They also give you italian bread with soft butter and the drinks are a good size. Some in our party ordered the Toppolino salad. It came with dried cranberries and walnuts which they really liked. The prices are very reasonable with many of the dishes at about 8.99, I highly recommend it.
