We came and tried Mandola's for lunch and found it to be a great value, but their pasta is definitely better than their pizza. For just $11, you get your choice of several pasta dishes (1/2 portions) plus a soup or salad and focaccia. It was more than enough food! The minestrone soup was fresh and tasty, with the broth slightly thickened, which I like. It was slightly under salted, but I just added a little table salt and was happy. The pasta, while not like the best ever, is still quite satisfying especially for the price. I had the Fedelini Pachino and added grilled shrimp. It was light and tasty, though maybe a little overpowered by the amount of shrimp. We'll be back for sure, at least for lunch! read more

I had the chopped antipasto salad. Hardy no Italian meats or cheeses, had to look very hard for the salami. It was the worse antipasto salad I ever had. read more

Stopped to grab lunch here in the way back from the Austin zoo on a hot summer day. The concept is great where you order at the register and they will bring the food out to you...sort of fast casual would be the best way to explain it. We had 6 people in our party but most of the tables were for 4 in the main area. The staff helped arrange a bigger table so we could all fit. I got the grilled chicken panini. It was a bit dry but the pasta we had for the table was fine. I will say that the kids meals were great. Entree + drink + gelato. Kids loved it. Also for those with little ones, both the men and womens bathrooms had great changing station setups. Like not the plastic folding table but a full on changing table that you'd probably have at home. Makes those diaper changes easier! We didn't try it but the restaurant also has a coffee bar, a meat bar, and pastry bar if you want to order something to take home. Maybe next time! read more

Mandola's Italian - The kitchen! - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

My mom has found this place and it was the best decision we've made for 2023! Wonderful Bruschetta, so fresh, perfectly baked with fresh tomato and well balanced olive oiled blend. The oven baked lasagna was perfect, just pure perfection. Cheeses used for lasagna were so fresh, nothing was overly salty, just so well-made dish. I am so happy to find this Italian jewel. The interior design is interesting, enthusiastic, and exciting. Will be back with my mom for upcoming mother's day. Molto bene! Quests e la migliore cucina italiana finora! Buono! Squisito! Gustoso! And that'a almost all Italian I know lol.. read more

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Was great! Went with my friends for a very causal dinner. The bread is just out of this world. The past was perfectly Al dente. We just seasoned it up w salt, pepper, and parmesan. Great family vibes! read more

Mandola's Italian - Bread Bolognese rigatoni - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Such a charming place! Family friendly and fresh pasta! Always bring my boy here for family dinner time

Since we moved to Austin 2.5 years ago, we've been putting in an online order almost every Sunday for 1-3 people. And every time we go to pick up our order, we say, 'I wonder if there will be a carry-out order parking space.' It's apparent that people park there who are NOT picking up a to go order because 95% of the cars are empty. Today I pulled up and all spaces were taken. I parked in a handicap spot next to space 6. When I called to say I was there to pick up my order, I asked that a manager bring my order and since there was no parking available so I was next to space 6. A man came out to the car with my order. I told him there is a problem with parking for carry-out orders. He told me they started working with Uber Eats or Doordash-I can't remember - and maybe their drivers park there. I told him maybe customers picking up food should get priority! The problem is they have too few spaces. I also suggested they put on the sign that cars will be towed if the person is not in the car. He clearly went to restaurant management 101 because he was taught to agree with an irate customer! Clearly my $ doesn't mean much if they can't designate parking for carry-out only. Not for drivers, not for people who don't want to walk. If someone has a medical condition and cannot walk, they could be dropped off. So until the parking problem is straightened out and their attitude changes, I'll take my $ somewhere else. No complaint about the food - it's consistently good. But not worth the aggravation of no dedicated parking for carry-out even though they say they have it! read more

We went here on the 7/24/24. For me and my wife anniversary, it was our first time there.The food was excellent. The environment was really nice. Felt.Like we're in italy, and the Service was excellent and nice. We are definitely going back and do recommend to everyone to try it out read more

Mandola's is great! Always consistent and good food... Casual atmosphere and affordable prices. Great place to bring the family, always plenty of seating and the best dessert selections. Highly recommend!! read more

We love this place! My husband and I enjoy several things on the menu, but the mista salad and lasagna are our absolute favorites!

(Note: I write Facebook reviews for residents of Turner's Crossing, a new development in Buda, as we all learn about good places to dine in Austin.) ------------- Hi, neighbors. Here's another casual restaurant that I can heartily recommend to residents of Turner's Crossing. It's about a 25-minute drive from us and well worth whatever the cost of gasoline is these days. My wife and I met for dinner tonight with a cousin and his wife. She had mentioned that Mandola's Italian Kitchen in southwest Austin was one of his favorite places, so we thought we should try it. Now we see why he likes it so much. The place is south of William Cannon Drive on the west side frontage road of the Mopac Expressway. It's one of four family-owned Mandola's eateries in Austin. It was busy as expected at 6 p.m. on a Saturday, but not crowded. It does a bustling takeout business too. There are two spacious dining rooms. As you walk into the first big room, there is a deli/bakery counter and gelato bar on the right and a long counter for ordering food on the left. The tables are in the middle. The second dining room is in the back. Normally, I am not fond of restaurants where you have to order your food and pay at a counter, then go to a table where the meal is brought out to you. For soft drinks or water, you get a glass to fill at a water/soda station at the back of the dining room. I am inherently lazy, and I like to be waited on when I'm dining out. However, this place was very efficiently run, and we were quickly seated. The quality of the food immediately made me forget any effort I had to put in to get it. We ordered four dishes and shared them, family style. Our quartet had a meat lovers' pizza, a Caprese salad, gnocchi with meat sauce, and a plate of enormous meatballs. The basket of fresh bread that was brought to our tables before the food arrived was extraordinary, along with the usual oil and herbs for dipping. The pizza was absolutely delicious, with thick slices of sausage and pepperoni on it. The Caprese salad with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil was left to the women, who made short work of it. My wife said the gnocchi dish was the absolute best she ever ate. The tasty meatballs went down easy. We still needed a box for some leftovers, which were way too good to leave behind. The meal concluded with some refreshing and creamy gelato, a big chunk of tiramisu, a slice of cake and a cookie. We made sure to tell my cousin, a long-time Austin resident, that he had good taste in restaurants. We will certainly ask him to name another favorite place the next time we get together. And if we try it, I will pass along the results to y'all. read more

Mandola's has great food. I'm eating whole food, plant based and I really wanted a GOOD pizza. I ordered the Primavera pizza without the goat cheese. There were so many delicious vegetables, I didn't miss the cheese at all: pesto sauce, grilled eggplant, zucchini, onions, Portobello mushrooms, roasted tomatoes. A couple of minor complaints: the pizza was a bit too oily for my taste. I'll have to modify my order next time, maybe no or light pesto. It was absolutely delicious! The Mista salad says: salad greens, tomato, cucumber, celery, red onions, green & black olives, Romano with your choice of house vinaigrette or creamy Romano dressing. The "salad greens" were all romaine ends; it was a bit disappointing. The dressing and the Foccacia that came with it was delicious. Overall, their food is always very delicious. read more

I have driven by Mandola's plenty of times, but finally went in last weekend and I am SO glad I did! It is a casual spot where you order at the front and then find an open table to wait for your food. I was pleasantly surprised to see that everyone gets foccacia and an herby olive oil dip! It was AMAZING, I would go back just for the bread! I ordered the Sunday special (baked ziti) and my husband got the chicken parmesan with fettuccine alfredo. Both of our dishes were really good, classic meals. It wasn't mind-blowing, but it was worth the value! Besides their meals, there is also a deli counter and dessert area. The gelato and baked goods looked so yummy and I will need to give them a try! I will definitely be back and think it is a great place to grab a quick bite! read more

Mandola's Italian - Baked ziti - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Environment - fast and casual. You order at the counter and they give you a number to bring to your table. I enjoy the decorations of hung up flags, it reminds me of an Italian marketplace. Mandola's has very good quality and affordable pasta, cheapest at around $11 up to $20. We've dined in just once, but whenever we want pasta, we always get Mandola's pick up. We've gotten it at least once a month for the past year. Our go-tos are: Fettuccine alfredo - super creamy and I like to add mushrooms and peas for a $1 extra, to break up the flavors. Spaghettini ortolano - a healthier option with lots of veggie toppings and light flavor. Bruschetta - comes with four toasted bread slices, a housemade tomato, garlic, olive oil, and basil sauce, and is incredible. Overall great place to get weeknight pasta for dinner. read more

This is an order-at-the-counter place and the wait in line was short. The staff assign a table number so you go to your table after ordering. I ordered fettuccini with grilled chicken and my husband ordered the eggplant. We both ordered wine which was served in a tumbler instead of a wine glass- very similar to our experiences in Italy! The bread that arrived on the table with oil and herbs for dipping was good but we could have used more oil. My dish was tasty and the eggplant was truly delicious. The atmosphere is loud as everyone seemed to be having a good time. I chuckled over the staff's T-shirts- "this is how I cut carbs" and " what the focaccia?" I was too full to find the gelato selections or cookies necessary but might try them on a future visit. This restaurant seemed like a well oiled machine and is worth a visit. read more

I have always loved Mandolas, but as a mom I now love it even more. Not only is the food delicious but the whole experience is wonderful for kids. Reasonably priced kids menu that includes gelato, friendly workers that greeted my toddler and made her feel welcome, and the playground out back is so fun. I really appreciated the baby wipes in the bathroom, I forgot mine in the car and this was a life saver. Moms, take your littles to Mandolas and enjoy! We'll be back! read more

charged for wrong meal at ordering. Order taker didn't void sale correctly when trying to correct mistake. Manager acted like no big deal and wouldn't correct order amount. Food was not that great to make up for overpaying. First time there and wouldn't go back. read more

PRICING??? DONT ORDER ONLINE. Honestly loved the in person experience and was soo amazed about the service and food. LOVED IT so much I thought I should order online and eat at home. wrong. Do not see the reason for them to be charging the same price for their outside orders when they're not the same portions. Making my own pasta at home is a lot cheaper for what I got. read more

Came here last night with my partner and had an amazing time. Everyone was super friendly and the food was great. To note, had such a great time that I walked out and accidentally left my purse behind. Their staff found it and kept it in a secure place for me to obtain. 10/10 for their food and service. 10/10 for having an amazing and honest team. Thank you again read more

Some of the most delicious Italian food in Austin, and this location is very conveniently located in the southwest area. I highly recommending ordering lunch here. I usually get a panini and soup, and I absolutely love that they include their homemade bread, oil, and spices for dipping at home. One time they did forget something in my takeout order, but I called them and they offered a free cake which was very nice! read more

Very authentic Italian. Line was out the door and about a 40 minute wait, so try to avoid the rush. We were finally given a seat and able to get started. We were given wine at the beginning and able to take that to the table. We started with some bread, which was heavenly. You can also get more if you eat all of that. We moved on from there to the entrees. They came out fast. I ordered a very nicely cooked Chicken Parmesan, and had more than enough to take home after. Definitely was happy to have stopped in here. read more

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No calorie count available. Very limiting for people who require tracking. Great service, wonderful atmosphere!

Damien Mandola does everything with excellence! This restaurant is no different. The quality is amazing, the prices are family friendly & the staff given impeccable service! I will miss Damien's On Smith Street. That's probably no the official name but all of us from Houston knew it well!! Bravo for this new concept!! read more

3.5 stars but I decided to round to 4 given the overall experience. This is a casual sit down restaurant where you go to the register to order, they give you a placard with a number to go back to your table. Similar to a corner bakery, or Panera. Food: 3.4/5 - imagine you made Italian food at home and you put in a decent effort. That's what you're getting here. Nothing amazing but suitable. The flavors will be familiar because you've probably made it yourself before. I got the spaghetti and meatballs and girlfriend got the grilled chicken. Not much to say on the spaghetti and meatballs. It was perfectly fine. Chicken was good. Again, nothing special but the chicken seemed fresh and the flavors were good to fine. Ambiance: this is really the reason I round to 4 stars. It's got a very casual feel, is colorfully decorated, and lots of overall energy. There's also a bakery and ice cream section you can get sweets from after your dinner. This is a great spot to grab dinner when you want to get out of the house without the pressure of having to dress up and make it a big thing. read more

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I really do not think that the managment ever walks in the front door and see's the Amdiance that they are selling. The food is average for the presentation. read more

From one Italian to an Italian restaurant we love eating here, and would eat here all the time if we could! Great atmosphere if you chose to eat inside the restaurant and they also offer prompt, curbside pick up service for to-go orders. Thanks for always being reliably DELICIOUS, this is my fave Italian restaurant and I highly recommend read more

This place nailed the vibe - yet also has that food chain feel. The entire staff is always on the job. We love ordering out from here. The portions are solid. The small Italian market is a let down. They sell wine, gelato, pasta, pasta sauce but no meat and no cheese. Kinda an Italian market fail in my book. But I'm not going here for any of those items anyway - just avoiding cooking dinner and want something other than tacos that will hit the spot! read more

I love the food and ambiance. And the bread and oil are amazing. But don't sit outside if you want your food anytime soon. Every single time I've sat outside--literally every single time, without exception--I end up having to go back inside to remind the staff that I'm out there. Today, I even told the person at the register "can you let them know I'll be sitting outside?" "Oh sure, they'll make sure it gets to you," I was told. So I went and sat, and after 15 minutes with no bread, no oil, no food, not a single staff member coming out to check on anything--I went back inside and took a seat where I'd at least be seen. Note, this was at 5pm and it wasn't very busy at all. So, great food and atmosphere, but lately the service has really been slipping. UPDATE: my food just arrived in a to-go bag, even though I specifically asked for dine-in. Get it together, you guys. read more

Panini - a pressed grilled sandwich right? We'll not at this place... imagine an italian restaurant that has Panini's listed on their sign. Now imagine that same restaurant that decided to fry two pieces of focaccia bread soaked in olive oil and make a sandwich out of that with cold meet cheese and salad and call it a panini. WTF? Google panini Mandola! read more

One of the few places in Austin you can get great food w/o a super long wait. This business is so well run I honestly didn't know it was local. I assumed it was a chain, because their operation is pretty impressive, but sure enough they got started in Huntsville, Tx. Pizza is always on point. Salads are fresh and crisp. Pasta is creamy and flavorful. I honestly don't know how people mess up pasta, but they do manage to, so yes Mandola's does have great pasta. Bread OMG the BREAD. You will have to stop yourself from filling up on bread. Minestrone soup is one of my favorites, and their ala cart Meatballs are stellar, but I rarely have room for either because... The portions are HUGE. They also have a lot of great daily specials, including the beef short rib on Saturday. My one note, and I'm not going to dock them for it, because I think everyone's having to grow and make adjustments during the pandemic... The To-Go orders aren't quite as good. The portions are smaller, and it doesn't always taste as fresh. I would say it's still worth ordering To-Go, but don't judge them based on that. And of course, you want to round out the meal with one of their many great gelato flavors or other desserts. The cannolis, truth be told, are a little disappointing, but all the other cakes and cookies are super good. read more

What a fun little Italian spot! After living in South Austin for 8 years I somehow slept on Mandola's completely. I had family in town last month and we decided to give it a try and we were very glad we did. The counter service was awesome, very fast and easy! Drinks are self-serve which is nice. The décor was fun and the staff was very kind and attentive. It was a Saturday evening when we went and it was not at all busy, which surprised me. The food came out quickly and was fresh. They bring out ciabatta bread and oil while you wait for your food and it was delicious. I had the chicken parmesan and it was not heavily breaded or greasy. It was a very good portion, though I might have liked a little more marinara. The fettuccine alfredo was light and just the right amount of alfredo for such dainty pasta. Others in my party ordered spaghetti and meatballs and lasagna, both were fantastic. My niece had chicken fingers and fries from the kids menu. The portion was huge. She didn't love the fries, but she devoured the chicken fingers. We took dessert to go because we could not walk out without ordering some! We ordered a slice of the Chocolate cake, the Salted Caramel cake, the Italian Cream cake, one scoop of strawberry cheesecake gelato, one scoop of dark chocolate gelato. I took a lot of sharing but every item was absolutely wonderful. Overall, a great dining experience that I will definitely be repeating. So glad we chose Mandola's over Olive Garden. read more

I stopped in here for lunch. You're not going to find better Italian food for the price in the Austin area. People in Austin are spoiled because I can't find decent Italian food outside of the Austin area like this without paying an arm and a leg for it. read more

This place is such a gem!! I absolutely enjoyed my experience from beginning to end. My sister and I came in for lunch, and she had the chicken Parmesan and I had the Margherita pizza. Both delicious! They served us fresh bread, that was too die for! Then to top it off we stopped by the gelato bar and had yummy, creamy flavor gelato. Let's not forget - the service was wonderful, everyone was great. Thanks for an amazing experience, see you soon Mandola's! read more

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Happened upon this little gem by chance. The place is very welcoming from the moment we walked in. We were greeted by a gracious host who immediately explained the service here when she realized it was our first visit. We sat down to wait for our meal with a complimentary basket of deliciously warm focaccia served with olive oil. Our food arrived and we were so delighted by the mix of flavors in the spaghetti and meatballs and pepperoni mushroom pizza. Everything was cooked to fresh perfection. The manager Sandra stopped by to say hi and we shared how delighted we were with everything so far. To say we left happy is an understatement! What a pleasure it was to dine in such a well run establishment with delicious food and impeccable, friendly service. Great job to the leadership team! Thank you we will be back! read more

The service has been great on my trips here (pre-pandemic), and I'd been waiting for their bruschetta to come back to the covid menu. It finally did & I was so elated I got 2! To-go, they give you a little tub full of flavorful, garlicky marinated diced cherry tomatoes & 4 slices of seasoned toasted bread... and a few pieces of their tasty foccaccia with herbed oil & grated parmesan for dipping! 5/5 noms for the bruschetta! My kiddo loves the spaghetti & meatballs here. I'm pretty fair weather so far with the few other menu items I've tried, but their Gelato & desserts are beautiful & delicious! I will forever praise this bruschetta tho read more

Mandola's Italian - Bruschetta - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

We been here so may times and it's never a disappointment with the food!!! Everything is so good!!! This is a very family friendly place, the food is very quick to come out, very clean every time I have gone. This visit I got the chicken Parmesan which is delicious! The portion you get is perfect! They start you off with some warm bread with olive oil and some seasoning in it. I honestly don't know what's in it I just know it's so good with the warm bread! My husband got the baked ziti which is only available on Sunday's and that's when we went. I swear HE LOVES THAT MEAL!!!! We also order their fried mozzarella and they are just delicious as well! I don't think you can go wrong with anything of their menu! We love Mandolas and we will continue to go! I highly recommend this place! read more

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I used to love this restaurant many years ago. The food definitely tastes different. It was good but not the same as what I remembered. The margarita pizza tomato sauce was a bit salty. The special was delicious but not something I would order again. Maybe my taste has changed but the food tasted saltier than usual. The gelato was still amazing! Just like I remembered. I will say the customer service was fantastic from start to finish. Who ever is managing this team and has hired the team deserves kudos. The staff are quick to help and quick to clean up tables. The bathroom was very well maintained and clean. I would come back because of the customer service. I unfortunately am rating the food much lower. Based on customer service and the restaurant overall I would rate it a 4 out of 5. But the food has drastically changed in taste which I rate a 2.5 out of 5. Thus a 3 out of 5 stars for me. read more

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Great spot! Love the menu, has a few vegetarian options too! The dessert counter is set up so well, so many options and we haven't been disappointed once! Yum! read more

Easy to order and great to eat. Love love love eating here. You MUST save room for the gelato. Maybe start with the gelato... that is good planning I tell you. The espresso was good too. The decor feels a little like some of the restaurants we went to in Italy. read more

We love good, Italian food, which is what you get at Mandola's. From our antipasto appetizer to our coffee gelato, we savored every bite. I ordered fettuccini Alfredo, which was dripping with a rich, tangly cheese sauce. My husband's choice was lasagna, which was thick and rich with cheese and a luscious red sauce. The coffee gelato was as scrumptious as I remember eating while I was in Italy. One of the things we especially like is their deli, bakery and market area. In the market corner you can shop for different kinds of pasta, canned tomato's, olives and much more. If you're expecting candlelight and mandolins, this is not the place. The atmosphere is casual and can be noisy, but the quality of the food makes up for the lack of ambience. Mandola's has a unique atmosphere that me and my husband enjoy. read more