I still love this place, but it is important to note that in some cases you will be invited to sit…read moredown to look at the menu. Unfortunately, you must get back in line to place your order. This place is usually busy, so it may be better just to stay in line while you look over the menu. Great food and great service as always!!

So: I passionately enjoyed my dinner at Mamma Roma. The reason that this is unusual is because I'm…read morenot big on going out for Italian food much at restaurants - other than on holidays - since I eat so much Italian food at home. I can make an exception for more casual Italian meals at only a handful of Italian restaurants, and Mamma Roma's is now one. Growing up partially Italian, and a mix of other ethnicities, my family cooks Italian better, of course, than at any restaurant. No one made better Italian dinners than my Na-na (grandmother). But Momma Roma's hummus cream rigatoni could definitely keep me coming back for more. No one made better meatballs than my Mom but the meatballs at Mamma Roma's are flavorful enough. No one made better sauce than my Aunt #1 but the sauce on Momma Roma's ravioli was good and so fresh. And no one made better cookies than my Aunt #2, but Momma Roma's cannolis and rum cookies are tasty. There are a lot of Italian restaurants in the area and I've read that Mamma Roma's is one of, if not, the best. I can only say that while my first visit here a decade ago was fine, this visit goes into my memory as "need to get back there, eventually, if not sooner," after delighting in their new menu item: a creamy hummus rigatoni with sausage. I love hummus, though wasn't really sure if the texture of hummus sauce would be too gritty. It was not. It had a lovely, substantial flavor and silky texture that was balanced well by the impeccably-cooked al dente rigatoni. Add to that the garlic, cream, sausage and herbs in this dish and you've got a winner. I highly recommend this rigatoni, of the 3 rigatoni entrees on Mamma Roma's menu. I haven't even tried the other rigatoni dishes, but still ... don't miss this creamy, garlicky hummus dinner. And the portions of rigatoni in this dish were very generous. The presentation of the lasagna was impressive, in layering and shape. I only had a bite. It had a nice flavor, but I would have needed more bites to give a better description. And since it wasn't my order, I could not indulge. The portion was generous. Also, I would never order lasagna from any restaurant given the reasons cited earlier, but this one was good. I hope someone is laughing because anyone who has grown up in a subcultural group in the US usually sounds exactly like me about the home-cooking they grew up on. Another of Mamma Roma's menu items I'd like to try is their corn and arugula white pizza. I've only found one lovely corn pizza ever at Zelo's in an LA suburb, so now that I have seen this on their menu my curiosity is piqued. Love love love the variety of the dessert menu options. It's not just the desserts in the case on display that you can order. While there are gorgeous cookies on display, the dessert menu has a long, lovely list of all kinds of variations of cheesecakes and cakes. I would like to try the lemon cake on a return visit. And more of the cookie flavors! When I asked the barista what the top desserts were, he was quick to name the cannoli as a first. You'd probably be surprised to find out that this is a counter service approach: you order and pay up at the front and the waiter brings you your food and whatever else you need. You get your own fountain drinks or tea with ice. You can tip in advance, in good faith, when you order in the beginning or you can leave cash on the table at the end of the meal, having already paid your bill in the beginning. There is also the charming dessert counter/bar and espresso area that I mentioned earlier. So, when you are finished with your lunch or dinner, you can go to the barista's counter and order dessert and cappuccino. I love that if you order cake or a cannoli, a cappuccino is only $2. This is an awesome value especially for the evening crowd. For old school Anne Arundel county and Annapolis locals, Mamma Roma's is better than the original Squisito's pizza -- and higher in quality -- but it is a bit reminiscent of that restaurant in terms of popularity and a family feel. Plus, I have never tried the pizza here, but I'm guessing it's good given the quality of the ingredients and preparations we experienced with the pasta dishes. One thing that also really stands out about Mamma Roma's is that they are the only Italian restaurant that is nestled back in the suburban Piney Orchard division of Gambrills. In other words, it's more neighborly there vs. other restaurants along the majorly-trafficked Route 3 corridor. The restaurants along Route 3 have many more transients coming in, given the ease of access, so they are naturally less neighborly. Finally, when we brought our leftovers from dinner home I set them on the kitchen table and left them for a bit. When I came back into our kitchen, it was filled with such delicious aromas! Friends, this is just how fresh the food at Mamma Roma's is. For a casual, counter service suburban, it is quite bellissima!

If I'm in the area i would definitely go again. Place is no frills, but clean. The pizza was…read moregreasy, but the flavors were great. I called and placed an order and while the owner wasn't the friendliest on the phone (I may have caught him at a bad time), his wife's kind smile made up for it when I arrived to pick up my order. Everything was fresh, and piping hot when I arrived.

We ordered pizza and wings, and I was pleasantly surprised. I will return very soon to grab some…read moregood eats.

It's wonderful when a restaurant actually lives up to the hype. We went for the viral 40 layer…read moreshort rib lasagna and it was without a doubt the best tasting and highest level of execution lasagna I've ever had. The meat was melt in your mouth tender, pulled and thin so it worked with the thin layers of pasta and cheese. The truffle mornay was delicious. For apps we had the burrata and focaccia which were both flawless. Along with the arancini and polpette meatballs. I really liked the blend of beef and pork in the meatballs, they had a nice snap to them almost like a pork/beef blend hotdog. The pepperoni pizza was solid but nothing to really write home about. I'd recommend skipping pizza here to save room for the great apps and house made pastas. Service was amazing, our server was a tall guy who didn't rush us and offered multiple good recommendations. The decor is classy but not overstated. They do a good job of making you feel comfortable if you're in a suit or a tee shirt. Desserts were delicious as well, we got the strawberry pavlova and the blueberry panna cotta. I preferred the panna cotta myself but both were great.

Went here for a lunch. Loved absolutely everything. We had…read moreCavolfiori, Whole Grilled Branzino, Americana pizza. As a desert we had Tiramisu Flambé and Crostata di Celiegie. Every single dish was perfect. Also great service and ambiance.

My wife and I came here for our anniversary lunch after her coworker recommended it the day…read morebefore--and as soon as I checked out the menu, I already knew we had to go. From the moment we walked in, the service was amazing. Maria (I believe that was her name) was our waitress, and she was incredible--so warm, attentive, and professional. She even took our anniversary photo for us, which I really appreciated. Another staff member was just as great, constantly clearing our table, removing empty dishes, and refilling our water without us even having to ask. The young lady who brought out our food had the sweetest smile and greeted us so kindly. When I mentioned I didn't really care for the rice balls, they immediately took them back and removed them from our bill--no hesitation. That level of customer care definitely stood out. The space itself is beautiful--very spacious with a great vibe. I loved the ambiance and would absolutely come back. I believe they also have outdoor seating, which I'd love to try next time. Now let's talk about the food: * Grilled octopus: 100000/10 * Truffle fries: 10/10 * Wild mushroom risotto: 10000000000/10 * Seafood fettuccine (can't remember the exact name): 1000000/10 Everything was so good that we filled up on appetizers and had to take most of our entrees home--but honestly, no complaints there! Overall, such a great experience. Highly recommend for a date, celebration, or just a really good meal.

This is definitely a hidden jam. We went here to celebrate Mother's Day, and the food was very…read moredelicious. We ordered the mussels in the wine sauce and the Parmesan fries as an appetizer. I also had a delicious martini. We sat in the bar area and the ambience is very nice. The decor of the restaurant put you in the mindset of an Italian café. The staff was very friendly and accommodating and always came around to check on us and make sure we were OK.

On my way to the grocery, didn't want to do that hungry. Terrapin Station, where I had planned to…read morehave a burger, was still "closed for renovation" but I didn't see any permits in the window. Probably dead as a dinosaur. So I went next door. I stupidly didn't read my own previous review. Disclaimer first: I have been to Italy several times, and am a big fan of Lidia and Mary Ann on PBS. Garlic toast was dry and tough, Texas toast rather than pan francese. The dipping sauce was decent, evoo and cheese with some seasoning. Salad was nice and fresh, with a variety of veggies. Chicken parm was the worst I've ever had, dry, tough, no crunch to the outside, no slice of prosciutto. I have had better frozen. After dousing it with table cheese and the remaining bread dip, I was able to choke it down. It was served on top of spaghetti. In real Italian cucina, pasts is a separate course. Cooked through, not al dente, Very simple tomato sauce. Very cordial service, and I did leave full enough to avoid temptation at Lidl. But that food wasn't even good italian-american much less real italian. Meh. Chin flick.

They have everything Italian, from pizza slices to sandwiches and salads to pasta dinners. Friendly…read morestaff, I walked in and ordered a to go meal. Plenty of seating on both sides of the restaurant. Some of the booths looked tight on space. Sandwich was hot, with excellent crusty bread.

classy and cute italian restaurant near the convention center -- my boyfriend and i came by for a…read morelate lunch while visiting the city. we were seated pretty much immediately in a spacious round booth and were introduced to our server -- tim deserves a special shoutout, super friendly and accommodating, and great at talking up the menu and each dish we chose. between the two of us, we ordered the whipped ricotta and wild blossom honey focaccia to start, with the prosciutto tortelloni and lobster fra diavolo as our mains. the focaccia was a perfect balance of lightly creamy and slightly sweet with the bread (not too dry or hard, and easy to spread). the pasta was advertised as made in house, and certainly was delicious and bouncy enough to be believed. sauces were balanced nicely and pleasantly complimented their pastas appropriately. we finished off with the pistachio gelato -- gelato is apparently made in house as well with a machine in the back, and was soft and creamy, paired with a strawberry that was nicely gelatinous and almost a highlight of the dessert. we definitely wish we could come back a lot more often if we lived in the area.

This is hands down one of the best Italian restaurants in DC. I either visit or get delivery quite…read morefrequently. The ambiance is 10/10- perfect for a celebration, date, or chic dinner. The service has always been remarkable. For starters, the meatballs are exceptional - they taste like my Italian grandmothers! My family from out of town even has me freeze some and take them when I visit! The whipped ricotta and honey has also been a go-to. For dinner- I will forever be in love with their lobster ravioli. Fresh pasta, huge chunk lobster meat, and a lobster claw piece in the sauce. Totally worth it for the price! My other favorites are the squid ink pasta, and mama de pandi's pomodoro! I am super picky about sauce, and hers is one of the best! Again, pasta is home made and perfectly al-dente! My family members love the papperdelle ragu! Last week, I tried the pasta with scallops and wild mushrooms! Again, exceptional! The one miss for me was the vodka sauce, but that's because I think I like everything else so much! The mini donuts for dessert are a must-get!

Was invited to a wine dinner tonight and don't really have too much to say about it...wasn't really…read morefeeling the event. The courses were blah and bland...wasn't impressed with the wine pairings...mind you our table kept having to remind the servers to serve us...which was annoying. We were literally sitting in the front, next to the where the servers were preparing and prepping things to go out... The space for the event was kind of tight. The hostess for the evening was very friendly and welcoming. Loved the energy she was bringing however they were short staffed for such an event. Was my first time at this location and honestly I don't think I'll make my way back. Happy Yelping!

I did a pickup order to take advantage of my rewards on a rainy afternoon and fought the urge to…read moredine in since it would be a long drive back home. Tip: If you have multiple rewards and want to place a to go order, call it in so you can use multiple at one time! I ordered an old favorite, the Spiedino di Mare with shrimp and scallops. It came out cold along with my mashed potatoes . . . I went in to pick up, and it wasn't ready just yet so I thought it would be hot but nope. I was greeted when I first walked in and two other times, so the front of the house was definitely customer centered. Check out was good as well.