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Mamma Susanna's Italian Pizzeria

3.5 star rating
based on 32 reviews

Categories: Pizza, Italian  [Edit]

5487 Carlson Dr
Sacramento, CA 95819
(916) 452-7465
Price Range:
$$
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Private Lot
Attire:
Casual
Good for Groups:
Yes
Good for Kids:
Yes
Takes Reservations:
Yes
Delivery:
No
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
No
Good for:
Dinner
Alcohol:
Beer & Wine Only

32 reviews for Mamma Susanna's Italian Pizzeria

Review Highlights   

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"Darling cozy joint in River Park, pretty busy with a wait." (in 7 reviews)
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"I enjoy the rigatoni pasta with sausage and a red bell pepper sauce." (in 14 reviews)
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"I ordered the gnocchi gargonzola and it was cooked to perfection." (in 5 reviews)
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Sort by: Yelp Sort | Date | Rating | Elites'
Photo of Christina H.

 

112

250

Christina H.

Sacramento, CA

4 star rating
1/13/2010

I'm a little on the fence between 3 and 4 stars because I think the service could have been better. It wasn't horrible but not what I'd expect when there were only 2 other tables besides us.

They had a bunch of specials on the board that I didn't get a chance to see because we were seated so promptly. I was hoping our waitress would tell us what they were but I forgot after waiting for a while and she didn't offer them up. We ordered some garlic cheese bread to start us off and it was awesome! The bread they serve isn't that great (basic store bought) and could definitely be improved upon.

I opted for the Penne Norcina which has a spicy, creamy, Italian sausage filled red sauce. I normally am not big on red sauce but this one was excellent! The amount of pasta served was more than enough for two meals and was just as great the next day.

My date had the Spaghetti e Polpette and said the meatballs were really good. I tasted a little bit of the sauce and it was just like my dish without the heat. Their pizza options sound pretty good and I'll definitely come back to try one of those or the calzone. Also, saw on the board on the way out that they had eggplant parmesan as a special. I'd be interested in trying that as well if it's an option next time.

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Photo of Pukashell V.

 

18

54

Pukashell V.

Sacramento, CA

2 star rating
1/29/2010

I write this with a heavy heart, but  for me, the food and service here have sucked the large Kong for the last time .

This night it was a toss-up between here and the Spaghetti Factory, and MS was in our 'hood.  (At least with the Spag, you know what you're getting into).   I thought that we might all be pleased here.  No such luck.

The kids liked their chow, but hey, we're talking about toddler palates. My spaghetti (canned sauce) and "meat"balls (frozen) were crap.  The pizza was made with obviously frozen dough.  Jeezus On a Pogostick.  The spag an' balls was 12 bucks. What the F?  Roma's, who, by the way, makes it all from scratch, charges 8.  

I like that they accommodated us with a secluded table when I called in a reservation that included a large party of young kids as well as adults.  They did a really nice job of separating us from the rest of the clientele.  Probably a plus for everyone else, but I felt like we on a bit of a leper's island, especially considering the robotic and borderline hostile treatment we got from our waitperson.

I thought Mama Suzanna's was s a wonderful addition to the neighborhood and seemed to be doing a decent business on the weeknight we went in for dinner.   There were quite  a few people actually enjoying their meals, or so it seemed.

The menu touts homemade Italian food, but our waitress (the Surly Wench from Heck) didn't know what Puttanesca was and tried to make me feel like an ass for asking about it, or anything else on the menu.

This is the third time our family has given MS a chance,  The first time they gave us the wrong to-go pizza order and refused to  make it right.   Second time, we ordered pizza, only because it was close and we were desperate for delivery.  They are 4 blocks away, yet still  gave us a ration about bringing it to us, so we picked it up. Still blah.  Trader Joe's has a more savory selection.  

I'm done. Except for this:
AAARRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!

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Photo of Jackie D.

 

4

18

Jackie D.

Lake Forest, CA

2 star rating
12/30/2009

I came here to "carb-load" before the CIM race in December 2009.

It was a fairly disappointing experience.  The salad, pasta, and bread were very mediocre and the service was super slow and inefficient.  Our waitress barely noticed us during our entire dinner.

There is nothing special about this place.   I would not come here again or recommend this to anyone.

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Photo of Elif F.

Elite '10

72

67

Elif F.

Sacramento, CA

1 star rating
2/2/2010

Totally underwhelmed with the food, service was meh. I could do better buying burtolli from Safeway and making my own salad. Even Safeway baked bread is better than the stuff here. Really you are going to serve me rancid bologna as a cured meat plate?

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Photo of Greg K.

 

0

11

Greg K.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
2/2/2010

This is a casual, family run, family style Italian-American restaurant in a strip mall.  Thus, you should expect that this will not be an authentic Italian restaurant in a fancy, fashionable setting.

This is a very well executed version of Italian-American family style food.  There are way too many places with overcooked, mushy and flavorless versions of that cuisine in northern california.  The Calzone was normal sized, but bursting with flavor.  It does have fresh garlic, which I prefer, which lends a nice bite to the sauce.  They also seem to use fresh mozzarella, which is a nice touch.   The Tortellini en Brodo was satisfactory, although the tortellini did not seem homemade -- the baby spinach in the broth was a tasty variation.   The Penne Norcina had a rich sauce with the penne perfectly al dente.  

Negatives:  The prices are high, although the portions are huge.  A pasta should last you two meals.  If it does not, you need to lose weight.  A half order (see the fine print on the bottom of the menu) would do most people fine, along with a starter perhaps.  The bread that came with the meal was a little forgettable, a bit too spongy for my taste.  The amount of sausage slices in the Penne was a bit light for the price point, though the overall flavor excellent

We would go again...

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Photo of Frank M.

 

3

13

Frank M.

Sacramento, CA

2 star rating
2/3/2010

Descent place, a little overpriced. Better than I expected for a strip mall. I could make te same chicken parmesan at home.

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Photo of Michelle S.

 

81

144

Michelle S.

Sacramento, CA

4 star rating
10/12/2009

Hidden in the River Park area, this small locally owned restaurant is located in a nondescript strip mall between a liquor store and Chinese restaurant.  Nothing too fancy about the decor but you do sense the friendliness once you step foot in here.

I ordered the spaghetti with meatballs.  It came with a side green salad dressed simply with good balsamic.  The bread was one small roll...nothing special about it.  But I loved my spaghetti which was cooked al dente.  The meatballs were beefy and homemade.  Yum.  Hubby had the veal marsala with pasta which he liked.

And we saved room for dessert...we ordered the tiramisu and creme caramel.  The tiramisu was rich and decadent.  A lot of cream filling...The creme caramel was a bit lighter and creamy smooth.  Both leave us in a sugar high!!

We'll be back to this darling place for more.

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Photo of Josh F.

 

53

29

Josh F.

Sacramento, CA

4 star rating
7/30/2009

Whoa, this placed surprised the crap out of me.

We just got back from our meal and I can barely walk. OK, the wait was a little weird. There were barely any people in the restaurant but there was only one waitress. Whatever. I'm over it now.

The little salad was fine: a little balsamic, some leaves--salad's gross anyway.

The meals were delicious. I got some of the best ravioli I've had in Sacramento. They were green, which indicated spinach. And they were stuffed with cheese-like substance. To be honest, when the waitress took my order I panicked and blurted out "Ravioli" because I was certain that we were at an Italian restaurant. Nine times out of ten, when I panic at a restaurant I end up with some inedible goulash. Thank god this wasn't the case.

My girlfriend got some penne thing with bacon. There was so much food that it was impossible to finish. It was cheesy, creamy, bacony and delicious.

The big points scored were these: We were with an old lady. The old lady only eats sandwiches and slabs of meat. So we asked the waitress to come up with something. She brought back a chicken breast sauteed in a white wine sauce with penne on the side. It was seriously good, maybe the best meal on the table. That's some Food Network innovation.

Anyway, the bruschetta was odd, with crumbled feta cheese but it was OK. Nobody cares about bruschetta anyway.

I haven't had Italian food in Sacramento this good.

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0

15

Sara R.

Sacramento, CA

4 star rating
10/11/2009

I love that this place is a locally owned business. The portions are great; enough for another meal. I ordered the vegetarian spaghetti and I wasn't in love, but it was good.

The only con is why on earth do they charge extra for bread?!

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Elite '10

141

79

Amber S.

Sacramento, CA

4 star rating
5/13/2008

I recently got together with friends to hold a tasting party. Our featured fare for this particular occasion: cheese pizza.

Everyone was tasked with bringing one small, cheese pizza from any pizza joint of their choosing. The pies were sliced into double-bite-size pieces and served "blind" to guests. Only the hosts knew which pizzas came from which boxes. One at a time, we tasted the slices and gave them a rating on a scale of 1-10 (ten being highest).

Needless to say--since I am writing this review--the winning pizza was Mamma Susanna's with a score of 7. Compared to the other pizzas, Mamma's pie stuck to the basics: a blend of salty, meaty cheeses, basic tomato sauce, and a crispy thin crust. No extra spice blend or yellow cheese-stuff was added to mask a flavorless crust (as some of the offending pizzas did). Mamma Susanna's pizza won because the ingredients tasted fresh and simple. This is Italian-style comfort food at its best.

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0

16

eric s.

Sacramento, CA

5 star rating
2/16/2009

We've been going to Mamma Susanna's for the past few years, and this place never disappoints. First, location is the best...we live in River Park, but I'd drive an hour to saddle up to a bowl of their delicious pesto gnocchi or eggplant parmesean.  
Great service, consistently great food, nice atmosphere.

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Photo of Basuraman D.

 

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Basuraman D.

Sacramento, CA

5 star rating
4/16/2007

Ok...here goes..my first 5 for a restaurant.  You might wonder how this happened.  Or you might not care.  Well I am going to tell you anyway.
Mamma Susanna's has everything I need to be happy...Pizza, Pasta, and great service.   The first time I went was on my birthday.  There were 8 of us and everyone really enjoyed there meal.  6 of 8 would have been wonderful.  I plan on going over and over.  

On future visits I have had both pizza and pasta.   The pizza is simple in its plan and execution.  The dough is present with out getting in the way and the sauce has the right amount of tang to it.  

The Pasta dish is where they hit it out of the park.  I was on a health kick when I went so my mom (Mom and Dad were paying) and I split a Penne dish that was paired with grilled veggies and a light sauce.   It was both tasty and not to heavy.  

In a town where you have chains (Macaroni Grill, Olive Garden, Bucca di Peppo) or expensive joints (Il Fornaio) or just plain bad (Espanol) it is great to find a place that is none of those.

*************************************
On a side note they were wonderful with my kids.

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23

64

Erinn L.

Sacramento, CA

5 star rating
8/23/2007

My mom and I nearly share a birthday, she's 8/21 and I'm 8/25.  To make things simpler in our busy lives we usually just do one family dinner someplace in between.  Last year it was Waterboy.  This year it was Mamma Suzanna's.  They're far too different to ever imagine comparing.

Mamma's is what I call Old School American Italian. But the chef is legitimately Italian and so are some of the staff, it just has that "bend" toward American tastes.  Then again the only authentic Italian I'm familiar with is the style of southern-ish Italy in Napoli.  Mamma's is heavier, saucier, meatier....though there are some seafood dishes on the menu and they seem to be done well, I don't think they shine.

We started with the bruschetta and Mamma's salad to share.  I was surprised by the incredible addictiveness of the salad.  It's just basic romaine with a mild creamy dressing that definitely must have anchovy someplace in there and thinly sliced mortadella, salami, and parmesan on top.  Sounds "huh" but its soooo good - if this place was near work I'd get this salad several times a week.   The bruschetta had amazing flavor but I found the bread very heavy, not good or bad, just kinda heavy.  I could have had just that and been happy.    

But no, I had the rib eye with gorgonzola cream sauce (hey, it's my birthday!)  Heart Attack on a Plate.  But f'in AMAZING!!  Perfectly cooked to my medium-rare liking; a very, very marbled piece of meat so a tad challenging but mouthwatering in flavor.  Just fantastic.  Dad had the veal and he loved it.  Mom had the calamari pasta special and it was good, but not great.  Then again, my family can Cook so they're picky.  It's always, "I could have done this better, added this or that..."   I even do that myself sometimes, especially now that I've rediscovered how much I love to cook.

The steak and the veal came with either pasta or salad as sides, we both had the pasta and it was simple good garlicky pasta happiness.  

In the past I'd always come here with friends for One of Those Nights (i.e. gorging on pizza, talking about boys or lack thereof, and drinking wine.)  So trying their actual entres was new to me.  I LOVE their pizza (my parents however hate it) specifically the Caprese which is my ultimate pig-out favorite.  

I also like the casual ambiance.  I grew up being dragged to fancy places and while I do love a nice dinner out, my preferences always lean to anywhere my uniform is acceptable (black shirt/jean skirt.)  

It's not for everyone.  If you're looking for, well, for lack of a better comparison...Il Fornaio or such this isn't the place.   And I think you need to have a certain nostalgic appreciation for Old School Italian joints...this is mine now.  And I love it!

Oh, I can't forget to mention that the service is always fantastic too.

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7

30

Johnna P.

Sacramento, CA

4 star rating
9/19/2007

Hidden neighborhood strip malls are quickly becoming my go-to places for good eats.

Thanks to fellow Yelpers, I tried Mama Susanna's on a night when I was seriously craving good pasta.  I was a little worried when we sat down among the families... rock-'em sock-'em plastic dinosaurs seemed to be a crowd favorite... but the food more than made up for the commotion.

We ordered the gnocchi gorgonzola and a pizza - both of which were delicious, but WAY too much food for 2 people.  Our waiter was excellent and comped me a glass of wine when our order was delayed.

I had to take it down one star for the dismal pre-meal offering: small plate of mixed greens (nothing else) with vinagrette and bread (three small slices of soft, baguette-type bread).

Overall, I'd recommend Mama Susanna's over pretty  much any other Italian joint I've tried in the area. I'm looking forward to trying the pesto soon... hopefully tonight!

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Photo of Jennifer G.

 

6

23

Jennifer G.

Sacramento, CA

1 star rating
4/18/2007

My husband and I love, love, love to sit down/dine out for pizza! We go out about twice a month, more to familiar haunts and mix it up with a new place now and then. Well, tonight I thought we would make a first time visit to Mamma Susanna's based on the great reviews here but I was sorely disappointed.

Darling cozy joint in River Park, pretty busy with a wait. We put our name in to be seated and noticed a white board that said: "Attention pizza lovers, only serving 10" pizza in the dining room.  We will continue to do all pizza sizes to go." I get the notion that our butts in their seats was not a high dollar winner for them. Way to alienate a first time customer!  So we decided to do a 14" half & half calabrese & tropicana "to go" and call it a night...

Got home and the pizza wasn't as "out of the oven" as I would like it to be. Our journey back to Tahoe Park took a little too long for the "to go" option. Crust was stiff, not a lot of red sauce, and my side was burnt to a crisp.

Really bummed by the overall experience but we will keep trying!

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Elite '10

11

73

Nate S.

Sacramento, CA

3 star rating
8/11/2007

This place succeeds not because it's really great, but because it's good and fills a niche: a good ol' red-sauce I-talian joint that's friendly and accessible.    The food is adequate, with a few touches which occasionally elevate it to above-average.  

Our salad, which our server described as their "signature" salad, was basically chopped romaine with strips of deli meats, with crumbled gorgonzola inexplicably served in a dish on the side.  A garlic cheese bread appetizer was plenty garlicky and cheesy, a filling and viscerally satisfying starter.

 Our entrees were well-done in general.  A calzone featured a nice yeasty crust which was properly cooked (yay!), but suffered from a surfeit of raw garlic, which brought a sharp, acrid note to an otherwise enjoyable dish.  A chicken canneloni special was competently made and well-seasoned.  Our mahi-mahi picatta was also nicely done.  As is the case in almost every restaurant in this country, Italian or otherwise, all pasta was overcooked.  

 The high point was our dessert.  I begrudgingly allowed my spouse to order tiramisu.  Like vocal jazz, tiramisu has had its good name ruined by far too many lame imitations.  Susanna's, however, delivers a creamy, rich, balanced version which is among the best I've had.  I'd go here just for the tiramisu, simple as that.

 So, if you want some good old fashioned checkered-tablecloth Italian in a locally owned establishment, give Mamma a shot.  Your taste buds, digestive tract, and karma will be far better off than if you went to Macaroni Grill or the Olive Dump.

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Photo of Faith C.

 

44

131

Faith C.

Sacramento, CA

3 star rating
9/29/2007

I was expecting a lot more from this place.  Maybe I had the wrong thing (spaghetti e popetti).  The meatballs were delicious, but the marinara seemed to be anything I could have whipped up myself...nothing special.  The salad was some greens with a light balsamic viniagrette.  Ok.  The bread was pretty good, but I heard the waiter tell the couple at the next table, who asked for more bread, that they would subsequently be charged $1.99 if they truly wanted another few pieces.

You're charging me $12 for some spaghetti, but you can't make the cheap bread free?  Hello!  That's retarded!

My husband's lasagna, however, was excellent.  Cheesy with tasty sausage and I am pretty sure I tasted a hint of nutmeg in the sauce, which gave the dish a yummy overall experience.

The service was good.  Our waitress was pretty attentive, as was the hostess.  The only issue was that we were waiting at the front for an awkward 5 minutes while several wait staff passed us and smiled.  They could have very well seated us, but I guess the cashier at the front also doubles as the hostess and is obviously the only woman who can perform the seating job.

Overall...3.5 stars.  I'll go back to try another dish, but I really don't think this place deserves the 5 stars it's getting.

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Photo of Todd S.

 

44

108

Todd S.

Sacramento, CA

4 star rating
9/26/2007

cioa, bella
Princepessa!
Italina exelnte!
buenoa italina!

 i lika the fooda!  Bella atmoshro.   belisimo la servico.
 nico peoplo!   greato expeienco.  realo itialo!
 recommendo!

please tryo!

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Photo of China Doll B.

 

14

84

China Doll B.

Sacramento, CA

2 star rating
5/6/2008

I normal love small places.  My meal wasn't cooked fully.  The waittress was great.  The owner nice.  The menu was awful.  I couldn't seem to find a compromise.  I didn't even like the salad.  My companion  I was with was a gourmet chef and he was very disappointed with the meal I received.

It has it's italian charm of watching the meal being cocked.  It has the quiet italian lay out.  It just must have been a bad day for me or the cook.  Yes, I expected more.  Yes, I thought I would enjoy it more.  I enjoyed it less.

But give it a try.  Everyone has different tastes.

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Photo of Elijah F.

 

2

27

Elijah F.

Sacramento, CA

5 star rating
9/2/2007

Sacramento lacks good Italian in a way that is criminal.  For the most part, if I want something from the boot, I go to Corti Brothers.  Mama Susanna's is the italian place that no one is telling anyone about because they want to keep it to themselves.  So, I will probably be hung for this.

Go there.  Now.  Authentic, simple, fantastic.  On Fridays and Saturdays you'll need a reservation.  The pesto and the salads are primo but the pizza and the fish destroys most any in city limits.
Enjoy.

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Photo of Erin A.

 

2

54

Erin A.

Sacramento, CA

5 star rating
3/15/2008

Really amazing food. I had the Gorgonzola Gnocchi. The waitress said she could eat half of it because she trained her stomach, and I didn't know what she meant until I was half way through it myself. I ate way too much, its so intensely rich. My pal April got the penne with Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, and a spicy marinara cream sauce. It was so tasty, totally something you would get when you are sad and want something to make you happy. Both the wines we got were tasty (she got a Sangiovese, I got a Quail Hill Pinot Noir).

The service was great, the waitress was super nice and friendly. We didn't wait too long, and the atmosphere is cute. Very ITALIAN with red and white table clothes, paintings of Tuscany, and lattice with fake greenery, grapes, and chianti bottles hanging off it. So cute.

Anyway, I would go back for sure!

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Photo of Ed A.

 

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54

Ed A.

Sacramento, CA

4 star rating
2/8/2008

Mamma Susanna's is the closest to authentic Italian food I've seen in Sacramento. The first thing that caught my eye (or ear, actually) was hearing Italian spoken in the kitchen. We went there for pizza and decided to dine in. After a pretty intense wait, we were finally led to our table and handed the menu. The dining room customers are given a different menu than people who want take out. We had already decided the pizza we wanted but found out it was not only unavailable for dine-in but that we were unable to get a medium pizza for dine-in period. More on that later.

The pizza menu was extensive and had a great, creative selection of pizzas to choose from. The take-out menu even has a better selection. Since I don't eat factory-farmed meat, I have come to appreciate places that have a good selection of vegetarian pizzas. And Mamma Susanna's certainly fits the bill. Not only is their selection of vegetarian pizzas extensive (i.e., more than one or two token ones), it is rather creative.

The crust is to be appreciated as well. It is just the right thickness and is crisped almost to perfection. Cheese and sauce are used sparingly, allowing the remaining ingredients to stand out.

We ended up splitting a 12 inch pizza and two glasses of their house merlot (2004 Salmon Creek). The pizza was enough to satisfy both of our appetites, although I would have wanted to have a few pieces left over to take home to munch on while I wrote my review. Altogether, dinner ended up costing $20 (wine included). Not bad!

I did happen to look at the pasta dishes that were being served at the table next to us. OMFG! The portions are huge! One dish will feed four human beings. But this is America...and mega portions are a right, not a privilege! Hehe...

The only con worthy of mentioning: They only serve 12 inch pizzas in the sit-down dining area. WTF?! If they are a pizzeria by name but do not make the full scope of their offerings (i.e., small, medium, and large) available to those who want to dine in, that's completely absurd! So here is my plan next time for getting a medium pizza in the dining area; most likely at the cost of profusely embarrassing my spouse: As soon as we are seated, I'm picking up my cell phone and ordering a medium pizza to go. When it is ready, I will walk over to the counter, pay for it, and bring it to the table.

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60

271

Cam H.

Sacramento, CA

4 star rating
5/23/2006

Located in a small strip small tucked in to the River Park area in East Sac near Sac State.
Nice family-owned restaurant staffed by friendly Italian-speaking folks. Pizza always tastes better when there are red and white tablecloths. Several salads, pizzas, and pasta dishes to choose from, as well as Italian desserts. I like the pesto and mozz. pizza. and the house salad with meats and cheeses on it.  Wash it all down with a big $3.50 glass of Merlot and there you go.

Skip the wine, and 2 folks could eat here for under $20.

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113

184

Amanda B.

Sacramento, CA

3 star rating
7/10/2006

The pizza hunt contiues and this the third or fourth pizza joint I have tried so far.  Family friendly and owned, the pizza was pretty good.  Decent crust, although not as crunchy as I like,  the toppings were great, the salad huge.  The pasta menu looked good and the cooks were speaking Italian.  

Fairly inexpensive for a nice dinner.

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1

36

Ellen P.

Sacramento, CA

4 star rating
2/23/2008

4.5 stars
I've never had a pizza here because I can't get past the amazing pasta dises.  Every pasta entree I've had has been utterly delicious.  The soups are also very good.  The side salad wasn't much and the decor is just so-so, hence the missing half star.  Really nice staff, and the chef has true Italian charisma.  hours of business are difficult to keep track of and weekend evenings can be totally booked, but it's always worth seeing if one can eat at Mamma's.  I take all my Sac State friends here for fabulous, affordable Italian food.

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Photo of SFChick Y.

 

4

34

SFChick Y.

Sacramento, CA

5 star rating
8/7/2006

This place has some of the best Italian food in the area.  It's definitely more than just a pizza joint.  I enjoy the rigatoni pasta with sausage and a red bell pepper sauce. There are daily specials that usually include a few seafood items.  The staff have always been very friendly.

It's a family run restaurant in the River Park area with plenty of parking.  Being a recent San Francisco transplant, that's a huge selling point for me.

Anyway, the atmosphere is relaxed and it's a great place to go with groups or just the two of you.   I personally enjoy the miniature Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria sitting on one of the partitions.  

The prices are definitely reasonable.  I don't remember looking at the wine list much as I usually just stick with the house chianti or bring my own when I do partake.

It's a great casual place to enjoy good food and good company.

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Photo of Sarah S.

 

97

368

Sarah S.

Sacramento, CA

3 star rating
4/6/2008

The husb and I celebrated our date-a-verrsary at Mamma's with a couple of pals this weekend.  The place was packed!  I asked if we could have a drink while we waited for a table and was told "if someone has time, we'll take a drink order".  Not really the best tactic for enticing people to wait.  
But anyway, we were given a beverage eventually, and also quickly seated at a cozy booth in the back room.  I had a veal special that featured porcini mushrooms, of which I saw none.  I think maybe dried were ground and used for the sauce?  I don't know.  It was tasty enough, but fell short of the $21.95 price tag.  The man had a meatball pizza that was fine, and our pals had the gnocchi and a calzone.  The calzone must have been good, because it disappeared mighty quickly.  Mrs. Pal thought the gnocchi with gorgonzola was good too.  We got a couple of small uninspiring mesclun salads with the entrees, no garnishes, nothing.  Not even pepper.
We all shared a bottle of the house Chianti which was uncomplicated but was fine with the food.
Our server was friendly and efficient, and much more pleasant than the gal up front.  Sorry, lady.  One plus is that they have a small deli case area that retails Italian specialty items like oils, ladyfingers and the like.   I think that if I resided in River Park I'd come back, and undoubtedly is a welcome addition to the neighborhood, but I doubt I'll drive out of my way to return.

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Elite '10

25

61

susan b.

Sacramento, CA

5 star rating
4/4/2008

Ciao, bella!! That's how I'm greeted upon entering this busy Italian spot in River Park. When we moved to R.P. a number of years ago, this place was just getting going, but we have loved their spectacular food and now consider the family that owns it to be personal friends. Since then, we've moved out of the neighborhood but love to return to this place, which has grown into itself  -- with great desserts, lovingly prepared entrees and a seriously Italian wine list. Order the polenta, the Chianti and say Ciao from me!

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22

42

Kathy K.

Sacramento, CA

2 star rating
Updated - 7/22/2008

Well, after my first visit I had really high hopes for the calzone. It fell short of my expectations and was not at all the gooey perfection I had envisioned. The calzone was huge from the outside, but after cutting it in half I discovered a sparse foundation of toppings below its cavernous exterior. Total letdown. So I am knocking them down a star for that. Also, we ordered a house Chianti which on the menu was noted as being 5$, but when billed we were informed it was actually 6$. Since the menu was wrong, we insisted we pay the 5$. Only two bucks, but still - if the menu says something is priced a certain way that is what I want to be charged. The servers seemed really confused by this seemingly no-brainer mix up. We finally got our two bucks back - but the customer service really was terrible. I am not sure I will go back.

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 4 star rating
    6/23/2008

    After a very long, very *dehydrating* day at the river my friends and I passed Mamma Susanna's on… Read more »

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0

5

Sac G.

Carmichael, CA

1 star rating
12/19/2008

Wow, talk about a horrible experience.  Over the past year I have been here around six times, and each time has been worthy of plans to return...that is until my visit there last night ruined any chance of me ever returning due to a certain psychotic waitress...
Let me just say first of all, if I were rating this restaurant based solely on the food, I'd have given them three stars.  In my opinion, the servings are not "huge" as many of these reviewers are raving.  My bowl of penne norcina looked like a ridiculously huge amount of sauce with a few chunks of sausage and pasta peeking up here and there.  Now, if the average price was not 15 dollars this would not be a factor...but I can't get over the amount of sauce that I suppose was intended to make it look like I was actually getting my moneys worth, then the lack of any actual substance.
Now, about the aforementioned HORRIBLE SERVER.  I have no idea why they would hire such an obnoxious and aggressive waitress (maybe they wanted some variety, the waitresses here are usually really sweet) but this girl has made me vow to never dump my money into this place as long as there is a chance a cent will go in her pocket.  
Scenario:
We get our bill
We pay in cash with exact change (I don't believe that is rude...?)
Waitress comes and takes our check and returns a minute later only to:
SLAM our check on the table and YELL about us paying in exact change and ask why there was no tip included.  
This girl was disgustingly obnoxious, aggressive, and just plain RUDE.  After explaining to the monster that our intention was to leave her tip on the table we did not receive an apology for her outrageous behavior, we instead received a snotty "Oh" as she turned and walked away.
Overall, Id recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants to be attacked for a simple misunderstanding after paying 15 dollars for 3 bucks worth of food.

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13

109

Monet N.

Elk Grove, CA

4 star rating
3/31/2008 2 photos

Went here for my weekly dinner with the cousins. We made reservations ahead of time since we were a big group. Our server was very helpful and even hooked it up with a free order of bread because I think it does come complementary but extra cost more. I ordered the gnocchi gargonzola and it was cooked to perfection. The dish was pretty big so and I couldn't finish it. The only problem is that it's a rich dish in my opinion and so I get tired of the taste. Everyone elses dishes looked good and my two cousins who ordered the lasagne cleaned out their plates. We finished things off with the tiramisu which was light and not overwhelemed with that rum flavor like a lot of places. It was a good ending to a good meal. The only problem at the end was that we were overcharged for 1 extra dessert which they took care of and then if you use more than 2 cards to pay they charge an extra $1 which is boo boo. I still like the place and I'm not too big on italian food in general.

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7

45

Janny L.

Sacramento, CA

4 star rating
4/1/2008

i ate here with the hot mama who reviewed right below this one! =) we had a fanastic time! our waitor was super friendly and very attentive. the ambience of the place was pretty low key, and seems like a place for locals. the bread was delicious. I ordered a penne artichoke dish which was good. however, i will try something else the next time i go. be sure to order the tiramisu if you decide to go. it is very delicious and light. the bill came out to be about $245 (tips included) for 9 people. not as budget friendly as i anticipated, but ordering a bottle of wine could have been the reason why! nonetheless, i would have never gone here had it not been for past yelpers. great recommendation, and i would definately visit again.

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