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North/Clybourn (Red)
Tue-Fri. 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Mangia Roma was not at all what I thought it would be, but it was definitely a nice surprise.
It looks bar-ish from the outside, making me anticipate a bar that happens to specialize in pizza. But in reality, it's a nice little restaurant. In fact, they don't really have much of a beer selection at all - just bottles of some Italian imports, and then the standard domestic selection.
However, they do have wine, and they do have a nice little Italian menu. We ordered some of the best calamari I've ever had, and that's saying a lot. It's standard fried calamari, but then it's tossed in a spicy tomato sauce. Yum. We also had the thin crust pizza, which was scrumptious and super cheap. Overall, we got an appetizer, more pizza than 2 people could finish, and 3 bottled beers for $40. Not bad!
I'm thrilled to have this place down the street, and I will definitely be back.
my experience with mangia roma is a reminder not to try new places without checking yelp first.
i ordered in from mangia roma and got butternut squash ravioli and minestrone soup. it was pretty expensive (pasta was $18) so i was expecting it to be a fairly large portion and definitely tasty. there were only 6 ravioli!! that's $3 each! way too much money imo. plus it was not particularly good. the sauce was very oily and chunky. my bf said the soup was good and at least they both came with bread and the pasta came with a salad.
all in all i would not order from them again
to be fair we did not get to eat at mangia roma as we left in a bit of horror.
we had just sat at down at the bar. the table behind us was commenting on how long their pizza was taking. i see their pizza coming out and as the waitress opens the door two pieces of the pizza fall to the ground. she turns and goes back into the kitchen. my face is covered in an "oh you poor thing" look. this look promptly turns into a "did you just do that...eewwww!" look as i see her pick it up and put it back on the pan! she then notices my look and knows that i saw her and turns around and goes back into the kitchen with the pizza. we waited around long enough to see that she wasn't going to take the pizza to the family and then left.
ETA - comment below from management not true. that is unless this has happened more than once and said server is also the manager. she picked it up walked back through the kitchen door into the dining room with the picked up pizza back on the tray and then saw my face and turned around. also, the table i am referring to had several children (maybe 4-6) at it and i do not think the play at steppenwolf about piltdown man is really for the kiddos. plus i did not see 4-6 kids at the less than half full show when we got there.
Awful. very cute little restaurant, horrible food & service.
I went here with a few girlfriends expecting the prices to be what I saw online. Every item was several dollars higher than I had read. They also used paper napkins which I thought was inappropriate for their prices. Bad experience from the get go. Our waiter seemed more concerned with walking with a swagger than serving us or any of the tables around us. We asked for bread three times and heard the table next to us ask for it twice before either of us got it. When he brought us our salad he dropped the plastic container of salad dressing on the ground. He apologized but didn't clean it up or even pick up the container the entire time we were there. He brought us a different & more expensive bottle of wine then we had ordered off the menu. He didn't pour our glasses for us or even offer to.
When we finally got our food we were even more horrified. I ordered the gnocchi with vodka sauce. The gnocchi was fine but the sauce was not vodka sauce. We all agreed it tasted identical to the chef boyardee ravioli sauce. I could've bought a can of that for a fraction of my $18.00 pasta if that was what I was looking for. My other friend's sauce also tasted as though it had come from a can. Another ordered baked mostaccioli. It had virtually no sauce on it & was overcooked. It was essentially noodles with burnt cheese on top. Our fabulous waiter never came to ask us how the food was. He must've known.
Never again.
I enjoyed my pasta (delicious thick buccatini noodles in a spicier tomato sauce with proscuitto - fabulous!) entree but will have to visit Mangia Roma another time again.
Staff was very nice, but service was SO slow during a recent visit before a play at the Royal George. They offered to box up my pasta for me and keep it in their fridge during the play which was very helpful (who wants stinky food while you're at the theater?)
Great location near Royal George and Steppenwolf - just come early to ensure you have plenty of time before your show.
This place is worth avoiding at all costs as the service is HORRENDOUS! My wife and I stopped by for dinner at 6pm on a Tuesday before a 7:30 show at the Steppenwolf. We figured that 1.5 hours was plenty of time to eat dinner, especially since both of us orderd an appetizer and a salad -- not pizza or anything else that takes a while to cook. We ordered our food at about 6:10 and part of our order was a glass of wine for myself. By 6:30 we had received nothing and asked the server about it. She said that there was a mixup with the order but the kitchen would do our order "immediately," which I took to mean that we would have our food in about 5 minutes given that we ordered things that should take the kitchen no time at all. We also reminded the server about the glass of wine I ordered 20 minuted ago whch she said she would get right away. 15 minutes later still nothing. We asked about it again and was told that it would be right out. However, since we had heard that before and they can't even get their act together enough to serve a glass of wine in 40 minutes (I was about ready to go behind the bar and get it myself) we just left...
I would not go back here at all under any circumstances and highly recommend others do the same, unless you want to wait 45+ mintues for a glass of wine and a salad.
Absolutely rediculous and inexcusable.
My wife and I are season ticket holders to the Steppenwolf and are still looking for a good restaurant to go for a quick but good dinner before the shows and were hoping that it would be Mangia Roma... we'll certainly be taking our business elsewhere.
This restaurant is amazing. Their thin pizza with prosciutto, arugula and parmesan is just like I had it in Italy!!! But the fried calamari tossed in a spicy red sauce closed the deal, the best calamari I have ever had and I have had alot.
I totally underestimated this place. It's barely noticeable from the outside. The interior is small and cozy. We ordered a deep dish that knocked my socks off and induced a mild coma afterwards. Needless to say, we had absolutely no room left in our tummies for dessert. Of all the great deep dish joints that Chicago has to offer, Mangia Roma ranks as one of my top three. Good date spot too ;)
I've searched far and wide for the best deep dish pie in the city and Mangia Roma is my number one right now. I tried it randomly one Saturday afternoon with some friends and have since been back a number of times. The pizza is cooked perfectly every time and is absolutely delicious. The sauce is perfect, cheese is excellent, and the crust is on the lighter side and delicious.
This really is an under the radar pizza joint because most people just see it as a small Italian restaurant. I'm sure the pasta is good, but trust me, go right for the deep dish. And one day I'll even have to convince myself to pass up the deep dish and try the NY style, which I've heard (and read on Yelp) that it is delicious.
So delivery has been taking absurdly long lately from here... and the cheese is getting not as well done as before.
Hmmm... you're on notice, Mangia.
I FINALLY found my pizza place!!! Please be excited for me, because it has taken 3 years. I'm from… Read more »
The Best NY Style pizza in Chicago! I have been on the hunt for some seriously authentic NY style pizza and all the thin crust crap in Chicago has never measured up. You will not be disappointed.. great sauce, great crust and cooked to perfection!!
What a great find in this area. This was actually recommended to me by the cashier at CB2. After out shopping for a while I needed a place to eat right around there. I went in and the food was great, it was cute, and cozy, and very comfortable. I ordered the Gnocchi which is not a normal order for me. I was still on a soft food diet after surgery. I could tell they were freshly made and it was just wonderful. It was in a cream tomato sauce that had just enough cream. I hate it when the sauce is more cream then tomato.
My mom had the caprese salad and a bowl of minestrone. I just had a quick taste of the soup but it had some good flavor. The caprese salad was OK, the buffalo mozzarella was fresh.
I'd go back again for sure.
Awesome NY style pizza!! This is the only place that I get pizza delivery from. Visited the restaurant once and was pleasantly surprised as to how spacious and nice it is. It is hard to get NY style pizza in Chicago, so if you are like me and would rather have a nice wedge of pizza as opposed to the Chicago thin crust or deep dish, this is the place to call.
This was a nice discovery. Tomato sauce so fresh, we were joking at our table about the tomato vines, rosemary and basil that must have been growing out back, next to the alley. The server confirmed they do grow their own stuff, but they bring it from outside.
We learned the place is owned by a young guy who uses old family recipes from Rome. I loved the angel hair gamberoni - the shrimp was nicely grilled with good flavor and the vodka sauce was just a little creamy without being heavy. My awesome date enjoyed his eggplant parmigiana. Their wine choices were limited but good ones. Wine and beer only.
Very small dining room, maybe 15 tables. The service was pleasant and they got us dinner and the check in time for our play, and we didn't feel rushed - all in 45 minutes. If you've got tickets to Steppenwolf or Royal George, put this place on your list for a good, uncomplicated pre-show meal.
I'd love to try their pizza next time, which I understand is pretty authentic New York-style. The Pizza Mangia Roma lists tomato sauce, fresh arugola, parmigiano, prosciutto, mushrooms and fresh mozzarella as its ingredients.
I'm going to be craving Mangia Roma until my next show. They also cater and deliver.
11/10/07 - have been back for a couple theater nights - they never fail. The only thing I haven't enjoyed so far is the salad - stay with the pasta.
Mangia Roma is the cutest little restaurant with a very chill vibe. I picked this spot on a whim, not knowing what to expect and walked away satiated and pleased. We munched on tasty bruschetta while we waited for our pizza to come out. I would suggest the Roman crust, which is thicker than a thin crust but still not nearly as heavy as a Chicago deep dish.
I haven't tried any of the other entrees on the menu, and keep telling myself that I will... it has been over a year since I've been here... let's hope I make it back.
Casual, homey atmosphere, tastefully lit and decorated. The servers are enthusiastic and friendly (and knowledgeable). I was expecting a standard from-our-freezer-to-your-table dinner. "Whatever, I'm in a rush."
Wow, that eggplant parmigiana with a side of penne was gooooooood! The sauce was fantastic, with such fresh ingredients and a perfect balance of flavors. It was so obvious that no can openers were used in making my dinner. What a find!
I had some pope's-blood chianti, which was a nice simple accompaniment to this fantastic entree.
There was a simple salad as an opener. Too many onions for my liking, with a good balsalmic vinagrette. The bread, alas, was nothing special, but it was good with the vinaigrette.
Can't wait to go back!
Good little neighborhood place almost directly across from Steppenwolf -- we are BIG fans of their paninis and sandwiches -- the Barbarian is my favorite, and my wife likes their grilled chicken panini. My mother was in town from Maine, and my brother and I stopped in with her to grab some quick sandwiches a couple weekends ago, and we each had to save half of them for later. BIG -- delicious and oh, so good. I would venture to say that these are my favorite Italian sandwiches that I have had in Chicago.
We have had their pizzas as well, and they are fast and good -- their employees are also nice, although a bit spacy. They're never very packed, so there are moments of daydreaming and random staff members sort of loitering about the cashier area. I've exchanged some bent-mouth smiles with them as I quietly wait for food, and they have their mouths agape with glassy eyes. Awwwkkwardd...
We have not had dinner there yet, so I can't review the full menu, but the fare looked great, albeit a tad expensive. With Vinci across the street, I think I'd rather have their ambience for a $17+ entree.
Altogether, a huge thumbs-up for their sandwich and pizza menu -- run by there one afternoon and check them out. Especially good on days that you're working from home and want something substantial to munch on throughout the day.
When I tasted the fried mushrooms at Mangia Roma, I thought I had found God, and the aroncini (fried rice ball) appetizer made me feel like I was right back on the streets of Italy. Mmmmm...
The focaccia that comes with the pasta dishes was also incredible -- I couldn't stop eating it. But I wasn't too impressed with the salad or the house dressing, and I thought the actual entrees were just OK. Still, I am having a hard time giving Mangia Roma fewer than 4 stars every time I think about the appetizers and the dessert (tiramisu) which was also yummy.
Let me tell you a funny story though, while I'm here. The restaurant was practically empty so we were allowed to sit anywhere we wanted, and for some reason the bf chose a seat RIGHT next to the only other patrons -- a table of 3 teenage or early-20s girls??!! Why??!! I have no idea. After about 5 minutes of listening to them "like ohmigod! and then he was all, yeah! and then i was like, i know totally!" in their LOUD, grating voices, I was ready to poke my own eye out with a fork. I could feel my blood pressure rising with each passing moment. So we moved to the farthest-away table we could find, and our waitress was nice about it. The End. I don't know what the moral of that story was, really, I just had to share with SOMEONE.
I loved the entire experience. I dined here after seeing a movie at Piper's Alley. The food was delicious. I picked a great pinot noir (a rare occurance, I usually pick crap), and the waitress was super nice.
It's sort of low key so I'd prefer to come here after a day of shopping, going to the movies, or a rainy miserable day that September is turning out to be.
I've been twice now, and enjoyed it both times. Fresh, tasty Italian food in a nice, simple atmosphere.
It's comfortable and while certainly not too crowded has a nice, bubbly roar of enjoyable conversation and the gathering of good friends.
My biggest problems with Mangia Roma are as follows. One, I live too far away for delivery. Bummer. Two, I have no idea how the regular menu items taste because I always end of ordering one of the many, many specials they have. I guess that's a good sign because the food is always very tasty, but I'd like to see what their bread-and-butter items taste like as well.
Well, here's to repeat visits.
Saturday noon lunch consisted of me, my friend, and another random guy eating alone. I started worrying I had picked the wrong place.
My friend noted that most of the glasses of wine were just as expensive as the food. I have no objection to drinking my lunch, but it just seemed a little odd.
We decided upon a Roman Crust pizza, which turned out just crispy yet doughy enough to satiate my hunger. The ingredients seemed quite fresh and natural, which is always a nice change from food that oozes preservatives.
The decor was decidedly Italian, but the Italian music soundtrack was grating: listening to different versions of 'That's Amore' should be considered a form of torture. Thank goodness our conversation was engaging enough to drown it out.
Luckily, as we left an hour later, the place had started hopping. Good thing too, as I'd like this place to stay in business long enough for other people to try it out!
1 pizza, 2 glasses wine, plus tip = about $40.
The pizza was the sh**! Deep dish rivals Giordanos for the best we've had. Place is very intimate and romantic late at night. Little pricey, but the pie is worth it!
$3.00 Pizza slices. I know because I work at The Royal George Theatre and we eat there EVERYDAY! Excellent sandwiches and good lunch specials too. Friendly staff and cozy ambience. They really keep things fresh and hot. p.s. If you come see a show at The Royal George you can show your tickets and they'll give you a free appetizer or dessert!
...still love their pizza and spinach salad. and they deliver! more pizza for me!!!
Cute little place where I like to go for thin-crust pizza. Don't bother with the salads, the… Read more »
I love thin pizza and Mangia Roma got it just the way I love it. The basil and tomato pizza was to die for. Can't wait to return. My whole table of friends fell in love with this pizza.
This place is what I miss most about living in Lincoln Park. The margerita pizza had me at the first bite. The crust was just the right blend of crisp and chewey, the sauce was a little sweet, which generally I would not like, but with the cheese...mmmm...mmm..good. Unfortunately, the other items on the menu did not strike my fancy, but I do believe the Margerita pizza deserves 4 stars in and of itself.
Cute little Italian restaurant. I like the large slices of NY style thin crust pizza. I've only had cheese, because I'm a cheese pizza kinda girl, but I'm sure the toppings are good too. The lasagna and eggplant parm are tasty is too. My husband says they're not as good as mine, but he has to say that. I've never eaten in the restaurant because I live so close, we always get our food to go, so I don't know how crowded it gets. It's usually not over stuffed when I go in there.
This was a very cute restaurant, but the main course wasn't as good as I excepted. I got the Lobster ravioli and it was very plain, just a vodka sauce and 6 big pieces of Ravioli. There just wasn't anything special about it. The waitress and the Cannoli is the reason I'm giving this place 4 stars. Our waitress was hilarious, she gave her honest opinion of everything and in her words " My boss isn't here, so I can see what I really think." The cannoli was like heaven on earth, it was so creamy and sweet and just delicious. Oh, their house salad with the cashew dressing is also very good.
We wandered in on a weeknight, not expecting much more than the standard Lincoln Park Italian joint which specializes more in wine specials than the food. BOY WAS I WRONG. The food was amazing. I had the Angel Hair Gamberoni which had one of the best pasta sauces I have ever had out at a restuarant. I still think about it, tell everyone I know about it, and am long overdue for a visit to Mangia Roma.
This is my new favorite pizza place. For years I have been a Bacino's girl. I don't know if they changed their recipe or I just got tired of it, but the thin crust still seemed thick - way too much crust. So I've been dabbling with other pizza delivery options and Mangia Roma is a winner. If you like your thin crust very thin, you will love this place. The only downside is because they really do load up the ingredients (tons of pepperoni, mushrooms, sausage) the middle of the pie is a big weighted down and the crust gets a bit soggy in the center. However, it is very crispy at the edges and the flavor is great. Delivery is fast. Give this a try!
This place seemed to be the compromise in terms of what and where we wanted to eat. Yes, conveniently located near my friend's apartment and highly recommended. It took a bit for our waitress to come and get our order, but after the wait she seemed relatively attentive and was knowledgeable about the menu. We started out with the Arancini, which was the this breaded rice meatball that was filled with meat and peas and other yummy stuff and a side of marinara sauce. It was pretty filling, and I was told that it is great to have for absorbing alcohol on a long or late night out. I believe it, too. The salads come with this basil vinagrette that has the perfect amount of tang to it, and stands out from the other Italian restaurants that serve the balsmic vinagrette. The serve a very nice subtle foccacia bread here. I used it to dip in the remaining dressing I had. They have great specials here too, and I had the tilapia with a side of penne. The penne has quite a bit of fried garlic in it. So, I'd be mindful if ordering this on a date. The meal was finished off with a tiramisu, which was very soft and custard like, yet sweet and delicious. The pizzas look really good here, so I will be back to try that and the lobster ravioli...
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Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Italian
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Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Performing Arts
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