My favorite local restaurant in the entire southwest Virginia region. Primarily family-owned. Delicious menu items that sre consistent every time and friendly staff. I've been to Italy and this restaurant is the closest to going to Italy anyone will ever get, from flavors to ambiance. At lunchtime this restaurant also offers a buffet which is a great idea if you're a first-time diner. ALWAYS save room for their homemade gelato!! Their gelato is best I've ever had outside of Italy itself! We love, love, love this place. (Also, squeaky clean bathrooms) read more

Mamma Maria's - Crab Ravioli - Pizza Near Me - Salem, Virginia

See all

The welcoming atmosphere at this Italian restaurant was evident from the moment I walked in. I was greeted by the Host with open arms, and this brought back happy memories of the time I visited Italy with my parents when I was growing up, and I was immersed in the true spirit of Italian Hospitality. As I was seated at the table of my choice, it made me feel as comfortable as the other guests there that you could clearly see were satisfied repeat customers. My server Suzana, who later I found out was from Bosnia and carrying a child, had such a friendly and warm personality, and attention to detail, that she was the ideal server that one could ever imagine. The menu featured a variety of exquisite options, and I selected the following: a Coke to drink, the Fried Calamari as appetizer, a House Salad with homemade Italian Vinaigrette dressing, and as my main entrée Scallops Fiorentino. My server also brought me soft freshly baked bread with three dips to dip the bread in. The food was amazingly delicious and served in large portions at reasonable prices. My server checked on me at the appropriate times and always kept my glass filled up to the rim with Coke. As the Grand finale I had their famous Pumpkin Tiramisu which is only made during this time of the year, together with a small homemade Mango Gelato. Both desserts tasted marvelous. In conclusion, I highly recommend this Italian Restaurant for an unforgettable dining experience. read more

See all

Well we are on the last leg of our family road trip and on our way home. We decided not to have a meal that came in a bag. My wife and daughter chose Momma Maria's. I went with the Chicken Picatta with Angel Hair Pasta that started with Clam Chowder. The chowder had nice chunks of potato and Clams. It was little pepper forward but I was good with that. In fact I finished my wife's soup (she is not big on Spicy foods). I was super impressed with presentation of the main entrée! The chicken was tender and super moist (I know some hate that word but love to use it when describing food...LOL). The mushrooms were cooked to perfection and the white wine lemon sauce was balanced fantastically. So many times the lemon over powers the whole but in this case. I would definitely recommend Momma Maria's read more

Mamma Maria's - Chicken Picatta w/Angel Hair Pasta - Pizza Near Me - Salem, Virginia

I really enjoyed my meal here. The food is better than a typical Italian restaurant and the service is very friendly. I began the meal with complementary bread - fresh and soft with a hint of garlic. I ate the Veal Domenico for lunch. The lightly breaded veal had a light creamy sauce with some garlic flavor and so many capers that added the right amount of tartness. My dining partner had the Scallops Florentine in a thick and cheesy cream sauce. There were so many scallops in the dish. For dessert, I had the homemade blueberry vinegar gelato, which was very fruity with a perfect balance of tart and sour. Yay! read more

Mamma Maria's - Scallops - Pizza Near Me - Salem, Virginia

See all

Alfonso was one of the best servers were ever had. The food was amazing. Must have been the Jersey touch. Muscles in red sauce with GARLIC. Wow another loaf of bread please!!!!. BEST EVER!. SORRY I didn't right this sooner. Cappelini with shrimp and scallops unbelievable. With an Italian old fashioned made perfectly! Wife loved the rigatoni with meat sauce special. One of my favorite Italian meals ever with atmosphere and people worth getting to know. Bravo! I hope i get back down there! Thank you. read more

See all

I can't tell you how happy I am to be back on the East Coast and able to get real veal. I know, I know.. but it's so goooood! The veal was amazing and tender and flavorful. The pasta was good .. but maybe I'll have to try the meat sauce next time. My daughter's chicken was also very tender and juicy. The place wasn't anything fancy, but it was clean. Our waitress was wonderful. We loved that they have Gelato too! read more

Mamma Maria's - Pizza Near Me - Salem, Virginia

See all

Food was just average. I didn't care for the bread. The marina dip and pesto dip weren't good. No flavor. My chicken Alla vodka and shrimp Al fredo were also plain. Nothing special. read more

Best Italian buffet in the Roanoke Valley. Seafood pasta was amazing. Great friendly service made my lunch perfect.

Mamma Maria's is our go to take out dinner when traveling in the summer. We stay at one of the hotels in the area, call for pick up and bring back! The baked ziti is my favorite dish!! The pasta come with a little side salad and bread (& honestly are large enough to split). Great option so you don't have to have fast food!! read more

Mamma Maria's - Baked Ziti - Pizza Near Me - Salem, Virginia

See all

Really enjoyed our visit to Mama Maria's! The young lady who served everyone was delightful! This provided a great start to what was very good food! My wife had the Cesar salad with shrimp, son had a cheese pizza, and I went for the bbq pizza. The cheese pizza was a perfect balance of cheese and sauce mine was rich in bbq sauce, cheese, pineapple with just the right amount of onion. Both of the pizzas had a perfectly done crunchy crust. If we are ever back in the area, will definitely return here! read more

See all

Visited around 2:15pm, Tuesday, August 12, 2025. Our server was Val, very professional. I ordered Philly Cheese Steak sandwich with a side order of French Fries. Menu stated side order was $2.99; however, I was charged $3.50. I asked the server about the difference in cost & we were told that she asked the owner, Dominique, about the difference. He just stated the price had gone up. This is not right! Print new menus or change the cost on the menu!!! I am a local who eats at this establishment & was disappointed in this mindset! read more

Holiday traffic forced us to stop in Salem, VA, overnight during a two-day trip north. We stayed at the Comfort Inn (an exceptional place), where the staff recommended Mamma Maria's--a restaurant we could walk to by cutting across parking lots. The baked lasagna was spectacular, and they also offered smaller "senior" portions on select items. I ordered the smaller chicken parm which was good but nothing like the lasagna. Their warm bread was outstanding and came with three delicious dipping sauces. The strawberry-basil gelato was amazing. Our waiter provided spectacular service, and the place, though busy and not fancy, had a wonderful, comfortable vibe. Two weeks later, on our return trip, we decided to stop at the same place for another overnight stay. Naturally, we returned to the restaurant, sat down, and were delighted when the same waiter came over and said, "Ah, you came back!" He remembered us!!! This time, we ordered big! The soup of the day was chickpea sausage, served in a fresh, light tomato-pink sauce. The cold antipasto ($11.99) was huge, fresh, and absolutely spectacular, with an amazing assortment of meats, cheeses, marinated vegetables, and fresh lettuce. For entrées, we tried the baked ziti, which was anything but plain--lovely with its cheese and pink sauce--and the recommended spinach and chicken ravioli, also served in pink sauce. These dishes, along with the lasagna, were my favorites by far. If I'm ever near this area again, I will most definitely visit Mamma Maria's. The place was packed both times, as the locals clearly know it's the spot to dine. read more

See all

Great Italian food and Excellent Service. Generous portions. Outstanding Gelato. Our waitress, Suzanne, probably the top server in Roanoke/Salem. Our dinners would still be worth it at double the price we paid. Best Italian food within a hundred miles. read more

See all

So we went here based on recommendations from other in our group, paired with a hunger for Italian by my hubby. The incredibly convenient location to the hotel made it even better. We came for an early dinner on a Wednesday night. We were seated right away which is always super cool. I had checked out the menu online and knew they had at least one salad for me. Hubby, on the other hand, spent a lot of time poring over the menu. He loves Italian food and has his favorites so I'm not sure why it's so hard to pick. Anyways, he finally landed on a make your own pasta - penne, marinara and meatballs. I went with the Mediterranean. What really made my meal was the fresh breads and 3 dips they brought to the table. I never eat extra carbs - but this was a needed exception to that rule. I don't know what kind of breadstick it was - the texture of cornbread but with flour not cornmeal. BUT the dipping sauces - marinara, pesto and oil and balsamic vinegar - were awesome. I admittedly double dipped my pieces of bread but hubby is used to my oddities. I really think that extra touch made such a difference - very cool. So - meals came. Salad was good and I always appreciate when restaurant actually has oil and vinegar - like 2 cruets - not a vinaigrette pre-blended. Just a bottle of each. WHY? because I only use the vinegar. Yes I'm weird. I also saw hubby dump parm cheese on his pasta - so I joined him and dumped some on my salad. Altogether it was really good. Some banana peppers, one mushroom, cherry tomatoes, green peppers, and chicken - on iceberg lettuce. Service was really good. And clientele were mostly blue hairs (like us almost - hubby is borderline senior and I'm not there yet) and also families with young kids. Everything is authentic and it's casual and local. Just what we like. I recommend coming here for a solid meal with down to earth people, good service and fair prices. read more

See all

Service was great, very kind and attentive. Pasta was decent but the linguini and clams were very bland, would not recommend. The gelato was phenomenal, probably best part of the meal! read more

See all

Went here with a large group yesterday. -Service was rough, the server forgot our salads and soup. For everyone... -I had the Chicken Marsala and it was the absolute worst I have ever had in my life. The chicken was soggy and the sauce was beyond disappointing. No Italian ever trained that cook on the proper preparation of Chicken Marsala. I rarely leave bad reviews but this was just terrible. -Had the clam chowder and that was a mistake. The chef put cayenne pepper in it and it had too much of a "kick." -Had the lemon cake to go and that was tasteless as well. No hint of lemon at all. -Had the Tiramisu as well and it was pretty good. No complaints. Overall, this was a very disappointing experience. Hopefully you can fix this and I'll be back next year. read more

It's been awhile since I've written a one star review. In fact I have written almost fifteen hundred reviews and this is maybe the 8th or 9th one star review I've felt obliged to write. So I don't write a review this bad unless it's earned. I mean I can usually find something redeeming to point out. Unfortunately this is just not the case here. My waiter brought out a salad which admittedly wasn't terrible, and some breadsticks first. The marinara sauce tasted like watered down ketchup, and the bread was pretty flavorless. The real disappointment was to arrive shortly though in the form of a chicken parmigiana with angel hair pasta. As soon as it hit the table I saw the spaghetti drowning in a pool of water. Clearly they didn't strain it, as you can see by the picture. I asked the waiter for an empty glass and then poured all the water off the plate into the glass while he watched silently , and then set it aside. I tried the pasta first. It was cooked correctly yet was still covered in the marinara which I suspect they gave me for the bread sticks as it was much too sweet. I moved onto the chicken parmigiana and that's when the real disappointment set in, as it tasted rubbery and flavorless. It certainly didn't taste fresh by any means, and was just so bad that after a few bites I gave up and asked for the check. The waiter asked if I wanted a to go box and when I said no he didn't enquire as to why I just pushed a full plate of food away without wanting to take it home. Maybe the cup full of spaghetti water said it all, or maybe it was the look on my face. The sad thing is that I had been on my motorcycle for eight hours and was really looking forward to a good meal. Instead I left unhappy and went over to Taco Bell for chicken quesadillas. The next day at my hotel I heard the front desk clerk recommending this place to a guest stating everybody really loved it, and it was everything I could do not to whisper, "Don't do it, it's a trick!" Don't believe the hype surrounding this place. read more

See all

We were skeptical to be able to find a good restaurant in Salem, VA. #1 on Yelp and #1 with us is Mamma Maria's. A good choice! Nice drive up appeal, but the inside ambiance is definitely a let down. It could be so much more with a little effort. However, clean and open. Service by Alfredo (born in northern Italy) was excellent. He was friendly, polite, and helpful with suggestions and recommendations. Our dinner was served at a nice pace and we really enjoyed our conversations with him. We began with the garlic knots (fantastic!) with 3 dipping sauces (marinara, pesto, olive oil) and the bruschetta (just ok). Each entree comes with either soup of the day or salad. The crab bisque had good flavor but too thick I thought. The salad with homemade Italian was nice. For entrees we had the crab ravioli and the evening special Tagliatelle with homemade spicy sausage (although not very spicy). Both were very good. Large portions and we took half of each home. Talking ourselves into dessert we sampled their homemade gelato. It was fantastic and maybe the best we've had outside of Italy. The chocolate was probably the best of our two. read more

See all

Delicious authentic Italian food and great nonalcoholic drink options. The atmosphere inside and out is lovely. Highly recommend. read more

Mamma Maria's - Pizza Near Me - Salem, Virginia

See all

Really good pizza. Tasted fresh with lots of toppings. Our server was great. Not a lot of ambiance, but clean. We were traveling, and it's nice to get good food & service when you're tired. The prices were very good, too. Thanks again. read more

I just don't see this as authentic itilian food. I think the olive garden and carrabas have better food. However, it does have a nice dining area and the service is great. I just make better spaghetti at home. read more

Mamma Maria's used to be my go to Italian spot but it has gone downhill. The server was friendly this past time from the start but was slow and put one of our entrees in wrong. We were waiting for my partner's meal to arrive for 15 minutes. I mentioned to the manager we were waiting and she was rude, saying "we know, it has to go back through the line again". Once it did arrive, it wasn't good at all. It was over sauced and tasted like raw garlic. We weren't offered any type of discount. I was disappointed and probably won't be returning anytime soon read more

During a weekend trip to Roanoke we were in the mood for some Italian. Mama Maria's did not dissapoint. The bread service was tasty. Especially the homemade pesto dipping sauce. Our dinners came with a choice of soup or salad. The soup was clam chowder. Not very good. It was a bit bland. The Della Mama pasta was full of seafood. At least a dozen mussels, clams, shrimp, calamari and scallops. Lots of food. I got the gnocchi with carbonara sauce. It was soo good. Great bacon flavor. Loved it. We ended with a small chocolate gelato (homemade) to share. Very good. We left very full, with left overs for the next day. read more

Mamma Maria's - Gnocchi carbonara - Pizza Near Me - Salem, Virginia

See all

Food was great, prices weren't bad. You're served bread for free. Love it here and waitress was nice! read more

Mamma Maria's - Mamma's Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Salem, Virginia

I was pleased with my dinning experience Nice dinning room simple decor but I nice comfortable feel about it. Wait staff was excellent, prompt Attentive and friendly. Food was very good but missed getting 5 stars as my salad greens were a bit wilted and a touch brown Overall a great dining experience I would definitely dunevhere again read more

Ample parking and spacious inside was as well. Extremely friendly service. We absolutely loved our server Susana. She was such a bright and happy person. Every customer that came in instantly hugged her. She's the person that people will go to the restaurant to visit and not for the food. While the food was OK, it wasn't anything spectacular. We had the buffet and that could be why. I wish they had gloves or something else for the serving spoons but we made do with the ones I always carry. They had spaghetti with garlic, fettuccini, chicken Marsala, mussels, meatballs in marinara, and a delicious lemon cake. They also had several types of pizza. I think the meatballs were frozen variety. The food wasn't bad by any means, but it wasn't memorable and lacked the love Italian food is known for. Would we go back? Sure, and as the others, to see Susana. She was that great. Thanks for the delicious birthday treat for him. That was the icing of a beautiful day. read more

Mamma Maria's - Pizza Near Me - Salem, Virginia

See all

Scallop and risotto was terrible. It was greasy and overcooked. I sent that plate back and ordered a chicken Caesar salad. The chicken was bland. The server did not remember what we ordered. Food and service overall were terrible. The lemon water was the best thing on the table. read more

Yum-O! Nice find on our travels. Very good food. I had the special ravioli in a pink sauce. It was excellent. The service was excellent. The atmosphere nice. The old down side is that we were too full to try the gelato! read more

I have NEVER understood WHY people seem to love this place. It is worse than canned Chef Boyardee!!! Convenience HAS TO BE the only reason or these people have NEVER had good pizza or Italian food. The people that say it's authentic Italian must be people that when at home put ketchup on their spaghetti noodles. This food is just barely edible and that's as nice a review as I can give. read more

We stopped on a whim and lucked into the $13.99 lunch buffet. Chicken wings -3 kinds, salad bar w/ iceberg lettuce and toppings. Lentil soup. 2 pizza varieties, chicken marsala, chicken Alfredo, seafood pasta with mussels and small scallops, calamari all in a tasty spaghetti sauce, garlic knots, stuffed shells (overstuffed with delish ricotta) and the ubiquitous spaghetti w/ meatballs. Save room for tastes like il'm back in Sorrento enjoying artisanal gelato. read more

Very good lunch buffet. Tried pizza, wings, meatballs, salad bar and all were very tasty! Many other options, but you can only go so far!! Lol! Waitress was pleasant and kept a good check on me! With drink almost $20, but for what you get, not bad these days!! read more

Was in Salem to celebrate my daughter's birthday and attend the Foreigner concert at Salem Civic Center, and she choose Mamma Maria's. It is an authentic Italian restaurant! We had a party of five adults and three children, so we had a wide variety of menu items. Which included pizza, stromboli, cheesesteak sandwich, salmon alla chef, and chicken strips and fries for the kids. We also had the garlic knots as an appetizer. Each serving was plentiful, with enough to have take home boxes. The service was great as our waiter was very attentive and responsive to our requests. We normally don't have desert, however for the celebration, we finished our meal with homemade gelato, everyone said it was the best they had every eaten! We will be back, when visiting Salem VA! read more

Service was great. Drinks (non-alcoholic) never went empty. Focaccia bread sticks that are "complimentary" were warm and fresh. Three dipping selections are provided with them. Yummy Only knock is that two of our dishes were a bit overdone. But the portions are huge. Overall quality was good. They also have a good selection of gelato which was very good. Worth the visit. read more

I've been a patron for going on 15 years, maybe more. And there's a reason for that. The owner is first generation Italian American and his recipes and flavors show it. Not to mention the gelato machine straight from Italy. My recommendation is ALWAYS the seafood Adriatica, alfredo sauce, angel hair pasta. You WILL slap your mama for it. And no trip would be complete without Mama's garlic knots... Hands down, the best anywhere around for miles, NO question. Bottom line, try Mama's, or go back again and again and again if you already have... Either way even their worst day is amazing :) read more

We have been there a few times always excellent service always excellent food places clean atmosphere is nice. I'd recommend 100%.

this was the worst buffet I've ever gone to. The food selection was small and not that good.

The lunch buffet and gelato selection are standouts. The dinner menu will not disappoint either.

Nice decorations, staff is very nice but while at a party at the place I got my food later than everyone else. Also the chicken Alfredo taste different than the others read more

Excellent food and service was good but server didn't ask if we wanted more water or not, hence the 4 star rating .Restaurant was clean, not extremely busy so it wasn't noisy. All in all I would recommend to eat here if your traveling and prices were average. read more

See all

This place is everything I want in an Italian restaurant! The portions are large, the food is flavorful and comforting, and the desserts are so rich it will make you want to come back for more. The pasta Amatriciana was the favorite by far but everything else we ordered was close behind it. The bread and dipping sauces were so good we joked about ordering a bottle of the green sauce to take home. They have so many gelato flavors to choose from and in house desserts ranging from cakes to tiramisu. The tiramisu was the best I've had in a long time and I still dream about it. If you're looking for good quality Italian food this is the place for you! read more

See all