I live less than a block away and am convinced the only reason this place is ever busy is because of the location. Between the metro and Giant they have a steady stream of customers for food that is often average and unmemorable at best. We've tried almost everything but their pizza and not one thing has been worth returning for. It's decent enough if you're exhausted and in a hurry but otherwise there are much better Italian places within 5 minutes. read more

The pizza was amazing, just like New York pizza. The sauce was was excellent not to acidic. The crust was thin. Alls I can say it was perfect & it was in MD. read more

This place is "lunch friendly." What I mean by that, is your expectations aren't super high for lunch food. You know, it's your office cafeteria or Chipotle or someplace like this. Under that criteria it fits the bill. I always get pizza with a side Greek salad. Is it the best pizza in town? Definitely not. But there are huge slices, the salad's average but good, and there's free garlic bread on the side. You can get stuffed on $7 or so which rocks. Service is friendly and super quick and there's a big seating area. If you're one of those people who eats gelato in the middle of the workday, there's a huge gelato bar. Some wine selection, but nothing special. Overall, a good lunch choice for when your expectations aren't too high. read more

I like Mamma Lucia. I don't recall ever having a bad meal over the past year since I first stopped in. The first time was for lunch on my first day at my new job. I got a slice of pizza, and it was pretty good. Since then, I have ordered whole pies to take home, tried the chicken parmesan sub, and the gelato. All items were equally enjoyable, and I will continue to order food from this location. The people are always friendly, and the food is always fresh which is wonderful to me. read more

Mama Lucia's is a DC chain restaurant which is basically a glorified Olive Garden. I like it better though because the food is better and it has a local feel. The wine list is extensive, but on more than one occasion I've ordered something and they've told me they don't have it. They give you bread and garlic/Parmesan olive oil when you first sit down which is unique and delicious! Their menu is HUGE! They offer the basic pastas then a ton of specialty dishes with various meats and seafood. They have pizza and subs too, but the pasta is just too good to pass up! I've tried the arrabiata, marinara, and vodka sauces which are all delicious and the pastas are perfectly cooked. The chicken is delicious and the perfect thickness, but don't hold your breath if you order something stuffed in the chicken because it won't be substantial. Service is hit or miss. I've had great servers but I've also had to wait 15 minutes before anyone talked to me. They also have a gelato bar and on Mondays, they have a deal on pasta. read more

As stated in earlier reviews, the ordering process is...different. I had 3 people help me with my order of 1 slice of pizza. Maybe it works better with larger groups. The thing you need to know is this. They use canned mushrooms on the pizza. The crust was good and the sauce decent, but nothing can make canned mushrooms OK. read more

i RARELY eat italian food outside of NY (or other places with sizeable, established italian communities ...) For some mysterious reason, knowing I would almost certainly hate myself afterwards, I ventured into an italian restaurant in the DC-metro area instead of going home and making a delicious pasta meal for myself. I sat down and in my line of sight were box upon box of DeCecco pasta (the same brand my mom uses at home in the BX!!!) At the end of my first meal there, I decided to let the owner know that the food was the best I've had outside of NY and that his macaroni was the same kind my mom used - he told me "are u kidding im from the bronx!?!?!" which was the golden seal of approval in my eyes So I've eaten the spaghetti carbonara on EVERY occasion i've been here - always wonderful (and its one of my fav foods on earth) the matriciana is solid, as is the shrip fra diavolo,c hicken piccata was nice, the linguine con vongole was the bomb. Salad tastes like good arthur avenue //morris park italian restaurant house salad very good sign Only thing that wasnt really up to snuff were teh calamari - not crispy, a lil chewy... id never tried them again after that first and only subpar experience, so it could have been a fluke, but i wont be the one to test that theory Overall very solid italian dining experience - and for being south of the mason dixon line, that is quite a feat! And to the dude who said this is a step below macaroni grill, he CLEARLY has a different taste criteria for italian food....... read more

Worst Italian food in the area.Ordered Lasagne, garlic bread, and Caesar Salad from the Connecticut Ave NW location. Cold Lasagne was thrown together, lasagne noodles were under cooked and surrounded by canned pasta sauce. Garlic bread was plain, limp white sliced bread, toasted with no hint of garlic. Caesar salad was romaine lettuce sprinkled with salty cheese, and a side of heavy dressing. The price was about $24.00. Trashed the entire meal and will never order from this restaurant again. I am not Italian, but can make more authentic, flavorful, carefully prepared lasagne, tasty garlic bread and Caesar salad than this seriously fast food shadow of an Italian restaurant. read more

We decided to try this on a whim because it's around the corner from my apartment and we were craving Italian. In terms of food, what we got was really good--the penne vodka I ordered was excellent (and a huge portion--I had it for dinner the next day, too), and the mozzerella fritte as an appetizer also hit the spot. The bread you are given once you sit down is amazing--drizzled with this red, pepper-y oil. On the way out, I ordered gelato to go, and I was impressed with this, too. This place loses a star for service, though. Our waiter was a disinterested young man who was inattentive and did the bare minimum--took our order, dropped off our food, and brought us the check without even asking if we wanted dessert. When we got drink refills, it was another employee who had come and asked if we needed another drink. A bus boy asked us if we would like another serving of bread. So, OK, I correct my previous statement--the service is good, but the particular waiter we had sucked. Note: We ordered pizza as take-out on another occasion, and it was excellent. (I'd recommend it with meatball!) read more

Simple menu, good food, and great service, all for a low price. They also serve several flavors of good Gelato.

Listen here. Mama Lucia is the lighthouse of carbohydrates at the end of a shitty hot DC day. If other Italian restaurants are stallions prancing around like a sissy nanny, she is the tried and true work horse a field over who keeps plugging away through the toil of your appetite. The BOGO pasta deal has kept me alive and happy more times than I care to admit. I once had a subpar calzone here but I didn't really care because the garlic bread was giving me life. 5 stars because mama Lucia is bae. read more

Me and the porcelain Gods have been chatting all evening courtesy of Mamma Lucia with a heavy heart and an empty bladder that I give this review. Update more when I am properly rehydrated. So sad. And 50 dollars poorer to boot. read more

Usually LOVE Mamma Lucia but this Silver Spring branch wasn't great in the before COVID times and now it is terrible (food + service, even take-out). Skip it and go to the Bethesda or Rockville one. read more

Always a quick and easy option for a not just quite New York style pizza. Although the cheesecake is the best by far. I think it's better than the cheese cake factory! read more

It's a chain and I've been to 3 of them. This is the best Italian I have found in the area. Is it better than NYC Italian, not a chance, but I like it. I always get the pink sauce seafood pasta which I think is awesome. The bread they give out is also great. Portions are big as they should be given the price of an entree and you usually don't need to order an appetizer. I can't say anything about the pizza, but I doubt anything in the area comes even remotely close to NYC. read more

Last Friday we ordered a New York Style Pizza to take it home, so we took the box and got into the car, without looking the pizza. The smell was great, But the pizza... The worst pizza ever!. The crust was burned. It was like chewing a shoe. Uneatable! María Medina. Silver Spring. read more

Yet another convenient lunch place from my new job! Just tried out Mamma Lucia's today with a group from work. Pretty decent pizza. For a place that's not in New York or New Jersey, that is. ;) I'm sure I'll be back, though in the future I think I'll probably only order one slice; I'm stuffed! read more

4 stars for the food - pizza was delicious, bolognese was out-of-this-world...benissimo! 2 stars for the service. My only complaint and don't get me wrong - I like attentive waiters/waitresses, but PUH-LEEEZZ, let me get the food in my mouth before you come over and ask me how it is or before you take the bowl away! I haven't even touched the food yet and you are cleaning up my table? I guess she was anxious to get us out the door. read more

This rating is based on the pizza. To be called an italian eatery I was a little disappointed. Maybe its the 5 years Ive worked in an italian establishment or the fact that I just visited Italy a couple weeks ago but this place is still just ok. At $5 a slice and $20 a pie you should not be serving canned mushrooms, cheap mozzarella and bagged meats as pizza toppings. I guess the profit margin is going into that sleek ride I saw the (I assume) owner/manager get into. I may try the pasta one day. read more

I ordered two pizzas for delivery and it cost $45. Don't make my mistake and overpay for 3 star (at best) pizza. Amazing that they're still in business. read more

Mamma Lucia's is one step below Macaroni Grill and one step above Denny's. The prices imply illusions of grandeur. I so worked here in high school. On our first and likely only visit, we had their pasta carbonara and the penne zucchini. The penne was bad. Zero flavor in the sauce and the pasta was very much overcooked. The carbonara was decent. Nice sized pieces of bacon, nice white sauce, though a bit heavy, and the serving was far too much. On the service, our server - Mike A - was ok, but he spent most of the dinner at the table next to ours talking to a fellow patron about other job opportunities that he was exploring. This was tacky and made it difficult to get his attention at times. Thanks Mamma Lucia. You didn't totally suck, but we'll go to Macaroni Grill the next time we want mediocre Italian food. read more

Mamma Lucia's is packed during lunch for some reason, so be forewarned. It was chaotic and the woman was on the phone taking orders so I didn't get a chance to pay until after I got my food, which took over 20 minutes. The eggplant sandwich was ok, but way too fried. The eggplant is thinly sliced and fried so the ratio of batter to eggplant is way off. The sauce that came with it tasted too much like vinegar as well. Most of the options here are overpriced, especially considering the cheap atmosphere. The biggest plus about Mamma Lucia's is the gelato. read more

I give them one star for their effort. I love pizza so I am very easy to please but there isn't anything amazing about this place that would make me want to go back. Pizzas are average. Is it better than frozen pizza? Yes, but barely... I have gotten better pizzas at Wholefood up the street and Wegman's for a lot less. I really wanted to like this place and hoped that their renovation meant improved product but I have been disappointed every time. read more

Mamma Lucia's is hit or miss. I have had some incredible meals here with friendly and quick service during dinner and some other not so pleasant experiences where it seemed like the meal took hours. The food is good, but not incredible. They are also fairly expensive for pizza and pasta compared to most places in the area. We are just looking for convenience for food, we usually end up elsewhere for a faster and cheaper bite. read more

This spot was nicely located across the street from where I was working while spending a week in Silver Spring, so I ended up eating two lunches here on my trip. Both were extremely pleasant. The first time, I ordered the Mussels Arrabiata, which didn't seem so angry but still had a nice flavor. They gave a generous portion of fresh, tasty mussels, so I appreciated that. The second time, I had the Penne alla Vodka. The sauce hit that perfect balance between tomato and cream, and the sausage bits were a nice touch. The prices weren't too bad, the service was quick and matter-of-fact, but always friendly. They had sparkling water in the soda fountain. I have no complaints. This was my favorite lunch spot of the week. read more

I appreciate this place in the neighborhood. Good place for slices of pizza. I've only tried a few things. All have been good. The mushroom Ravioli was outstanding (new to the menu). Things are overpriced and might feel worth if dining in, but I doubt it since everything is too much considering the quality, quantity and location. read more

I only had coffee and dessert when I visited yesterday, but I had to write this review because the service here is exceptional! From the moment I walked in to the moment I walked out - the entire staff was so polite, kind, and attentive. As for the food, I did have dinner here a few years ago and remember it being good. I don't know if the food is still the same, but you will definitely receive wonderful service and feel very welcome here. read more

I've returned again maybe a few more times in a span of a couple years. While I really like some of the pastas, I can't always eat pasta. So because I am watching my weight and diet, I decided to order a salad this time. I ordered the grilled seafood salad, which was generous in size. The seafood was good, but the lettuce could have been fresher. The dressing also wasn't that great, so stick to oil vinegar. My girlfriend ordered a shrimp pasta, which I resisted on trying. It looked amazing, an she seemed to love it. We had a fried mozzarella appetizer which was a tad burnt and overcooked. That was a bummer. The service was good, but for these prices I think I will probably stick to more authentic Italian places.... read more

The pizza we bought there was terrific and the salads were large and very tasty. One of the things I like about this location is that when you tell them what time you you will be there for takeout the food is always ready and hot. I've also had eggplant parmigiana there and it is delicious. Being an Italian food lover, this is my best carry out place. read more

Consistently good Italian food. Even when they're busy they have been quick in delivering my take out order and the staff are really cool. They really have a family type of vibe going on in there! read more

I've only been here twice. For me it's a 3.5 kind of place but I'll probably be back whenever I'm in the mood. First time I came I ordered bake ziti and I added chicken to it. Wow!!! The sauce on this is phenomenal!!! Was surprised by the amount of flavor. Plus its a good sauce to dip it with the bread they give you. Second time I got the baked ziti and shrimp scampi pasta. Baked ziti hit the spot. Shrimp scampi had 0 flavor. Also for $21 I only got 4 pieces of shrimp. I get a bag of shrimp for way less than that at Giant. I believe on Monday and Tuesday they have specials on their pizza and pasta so maybe I'll do that next. I say get something tomatoey if you decide to come. Bon apetito :) read more

Extremely expensive for extremely poor quality food!! Went here with high expectations..the waiter is extremely talkative which was not required. He got upset when I did nt order one of his specials. I won't b surprised if he had sneezed into my food! Rather go to Olazzo in the same area if u r craving for some good quality Italian food! Never coming back here! P.S: tried the chicken Alfredo n some seafood platter in marinara sauce.. the seafood smelled raw n undercooked which made us puke n the pasta I could smell uncooked sauce.. it smelt of milk! read more

The food is ok but I had ordered mushroom ravioli and literally got 4-5 ravioli in my order drenched in sauce and 3 pieces of their toast for $16. Yup $16!!! And that was at lunch prices. For the amount I expect a little more, even if it's a small salad to make it worth while. read more

Really, I go in and grab a quick lunch occasionally, so I have not tried any sit-down dishes. However, I was extremely happy because before Mama Lucia there was no place to get by-the-slice pizza around Silver Spring. Their portions are good and they heat it up well so it doesn't taste like old pizza. I also like their pepperoni rolls (like a stromboli). I would recommend these to anyone. Cons are sometimes the wait is a little long and it gets crowded when trying to order or pick up your to-go. Nothing that I would avoid the store about, though. read more

I have been ordering from Mama Lucia's in Silver Spring for the past six or seven years and while it is not gourmet Italian they always do a great job. I usually order out when I am overwhelmed and my wife and I just don't have time to cook. This has become more of a necessity over the past three and half years, because I have three and a half year old twin boys. My wife has been out of town and I have been on major Daddy Duty. I usually call with no menu in hand and the exceptional staff walks me through the choices and always delivers before the quoted time. Well this past Saturday they came through again and kept myself and my boys very happy. They loved the chicken tenders and fries and the next night noshed on the spaghetti and meat balls. I went with the meat lovers Stromboli and it was delicious! Thanks guys for making my life a little easier and keep up the good work!! read more

I LOVE Mamma Lucia's. I have a handful of faves: meatball sub, chicken parm sub, brunello chicken marsala penne, garden/greek/antipasto salads and especially the pollo della baia. Two chicken breasts overflowing with lump crabmeat over linguini in cream sauce. It's amazing!!! The house vinaigrette is delicioso! And yea, they deliver. Score! read more

I just ate here with 37 other Buckeyes with Eagle Rock tours . This is the best meal I have had on the trip. I had the Lasagna. The service was excellent. Luis was very accommodating and " on his toes" the whole night! With excellent food, excellent service and an atmosphere of laughter, I recommend this place if you are ever in Silver Springs, MD. read more

This very well may be my favorite restaurant! The inside is welcoming, the outside elicits customers, and the staff is kind and friendly. The gelato was tops and even though I ate there for about three nights in a row, each dish I ordered somehow was more delicious than the other. read more

My cousin introduced me to this place. She kept talking about the lasagna here, so when I went to visit her we had to go. The lasagna is HOT and cheesy, which I love. There's something about the type of cheese they use--it's so creamy and addictive! I was stuffed and I still had about half of the meal to take home and eat later. I can understand the complaints about it being crowded. We went in the evening and it wasn't bad, but I can see how it could get really packed during peak hours. read more

My go-to take out for Italian in the area. It's always fast and open as laaate as I would sit down for a carb-loaded meal. The food is never cold and the delivery people are always kind. I would definitely recommend the Tiramisu, but if you're willing to stop by in person, have some of the delicious gelato! read more