I have driven past the Mona Lisa for years. It may not even have been the Mona Lisa, but the building as been there. The outside as a reasonable amount of parking and a huge greenhouse type window. The interior is definitely nostalgic, decorated like one would in the 80s or 90s. Some booths, some tables/chairs, a fair amount of wood. The servers were very friendly and kept water flowing well. The waitress was very friendly as well. I had a cheeseburger and fries, which was really juicy. I had a Groupon for them, and although they did accept it, apparently it doesn't include the burgers or sandwich platters. read more

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I had the mussels in pink sauce and I was very annoyed because they were NOT cleaned. I was chewing and crunching on dirt. I even ordered another order to see if the same thing would happen. IT DID! So yeah. I'm a foodie and I love seafood and my experience with the mussels was very disappointing. like clean the mussels bro read more

When looking for places to go to dinner, for some reason we always bypass coming here. We decided to go out with some of our relatives for dinner and were pleasantly surprised. This restaurant had always seemed to bring in an older crowd, and now we why. Its like a hidden gem. The prices are reasonable, the food is good and we had a great experience. They have all the typical Italian fair plus anything else you might be looking for. And I was excited to find they had a stuffed artichoke on the menu. We left feeling very full and will definitely be back. And on top of it all, our server was so nice and helpful, it felt like we were at home in her kitchen. read more

Terrible very short staffed eat 2 class on the half shell felt sick went to throw up my main dinner was supposed to be sorted fish lightly battered in a sauce it was soggy couldn't taste it cause of feeling sick from calms my granddaughter had ravioli the sauce taste like jar nothing was hot they where do short the waitress kept saying she was sorry no sense in saying an about the food would of been there all night just wanted to pay my 83.00 doll bill and get out threw the food out when l got home went yo bed as lwas still feeling sick the only thing good was the waitress l should of knon when it took forever for some one to come and seat us A business own should be prepared for staffing issue read more

Mona Lisa Restaurant - Calms - Italian Near Me - Wolcott, Connecticut

Outstanding Ristorante, Sam the owner is a really friendly guy. The food was absolutely delusional. I had a nice cup of clam chowder and a wonderful seafood Salad. I would highly recommend it. read more

Mona Lisa Restaurant - The seafood Salad - Italian Near Me - Wolcott, Connecticut

I called ahead of time specifically to ask if they had fresh oysters, I asked when they last had their shipment or received them as well, and was given very vague answers and just was continuously told that they were large and fresh. I came in to see the oysters and potentially have any other items on their menu. I ended up getting the Pene ala vodka which had bacon and frozen peas that were hard and that still felt hard when I ate it. Last but not least the oysters were thick, slimy, and old the best description I can give you to eating them...was trying to swallow and chew an equivalent of your own tongue with a thick slime coating and metallic taste afterward. The lack of Brine appearance of swelling made me concerned for what temperature they were also stored in. It made me aware that they were old. When I expressed this to the owner, he had told me what I wanted and asked if I ever eaten oysters before...I told him I have, but that these didn't taste exactly right to me. Very rude. I was happily going to order more to take home to family, but after my experience and the pasta ending up being mediocre, I don't think I'll ever recommend this place to anyone ever again. I hope that my stomach doesn't get sick from the oysters when I attempted to eat one. I have eaten dozens of oysters and have never had an experience like this, not only that, but the oysters were served on ice trays cubes that were still connected that look like they just were grabbed out of the ice machine. read more

Mona Lisa Restaurant - By the way, under past reviews they mention the frozen peas as well. - Italian Near Me - Wolcott, Connecticut

Mona Lisa's is great. Sam, the owner, is always very friendly. Good drinks. Had the best prime rib I've ever had there it was amazing. 10/10 would recommend! read more

Mona Lisa is one of my hubby's and my favorite restaurants! The food is very good! One of my favorite dishes is the pan seared salmon that comes with mash potatoes and mixed vegetables - very delicious! Their freshly baked rolls are hot, soft and delicious! My hubby loves the penne alla vodka and their Swiss Burger. I've tried many of their entrees, appetizers and deserts and they are all very good! The wait staff are kind and courteous with David being our favorite! Also, the owners Sam and his wife are so kind and welcoming to us. The restaurant is nicely decorated and is a cozy and relaxing environment! I definitely recommended giving this great restaurant a try - it is a must visit spot! read more

I have only ever done takeout here, but the food has been consistently amazing, and the portions generous. We usually get the salmon dinner for 2 to 4 people. You get 4 pieces of fish, rice or mashed potatoes (both are great!), a side of veggies, a salad with dressing (balsamic vinaigrette & ranch -- or two of just one of those if you have a preference), four rolls, and a dessert (their best is the rice pudding!). Given the quantity and quality of food, it's a good deal for what it is. Also noteworthy: Two of the people who eat the takeout have celiac and we have not had problems with the salmon dinner! (The rice pudding is gluten-free too, and the rolls get bagged separately and handed off to a family member who eats wheat.) Other good side dishes include the broccoli rab and the fried mozzarella (the latter is NOT gluten-free but comes highly recommended by my dad!). About the only thing we've ever gotten that wasn't 5 stars is the carrot cake. It is not gluten-free but my dad says it is extremely dense and doesn't taste like traditional carrot cake. Who knows? Maybe it is something fancier and just not his thing. I can't speak from experience because I can't eat it. But I would agree that it doesn't even *look* like the consistency of traditional carrot cake. The rice pudding is so good though, so you can't go wrong ordering it as part of the family-style meal! If you're looking to dine-in, I can't say enough that looks like a lovely place to eat. Great atmosphere inside. Sometimes they have live music. There is also outdoor seating, weather permitting. We only do takeout because my dad can't easily get out. read more

First visit, chosen for the live music and a prime rib special. Food was overall very good with a few minor issues. Prime rib was only offered medium well to well done although it was tasty would have preferred more rare. Escargot was rich and salty served without shells. Fresh rolls were particularly good! My daughter got the prime rib sandwich and didn't care for it, thought the onions were too strong and had to scrape off the horseradish which was already on the sandwich; perhaps would have been better to serve such a strong condiment on the side. Lamb chops delicious and perfectly done. Couldn't complain about the chocolate mousse cake and ice cream desserts which were excellent! Service was attentive and prompt and the jazz music in the bar in the next room didn't overwhelm the conversation. A fun Saturday night and I would certainly return! read more

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Had the lunch special: Lobster Roll which was the meat of a whole lobster steamed and served overflowing on a roll with melted butter. It was fresh and delicious! Not the red overcooked variety a lot of places have been serving. We asked for the fries to be well done and they were delicious as well. Clean place, great service!! read more

This was my 2nd time there, very good food every time! Everything is freshly made, doesn't taste like it was frozen & reheated. I like ambiance of the place and sitting in their den/ bar area is cozy. The service was excellent and they are very accommodating. I recommend this place and will be returning. read more

Mona Lisa Restaurant - Pasta Fagioli - Italian Near Me - Wolcott, Connecticut

We went on a Sunday night around 5 and it was not busy. They did have a party in the back room but that did not affect our visit. We started with the fried burratta cheese. While we waited for that, they served the most delicious warm rolls with a generous serving of softened butter. The appetizer came out fairly quickly which I thought was fast. It came out with 2 round balls gently fried with a small bowl of sauce. When we cut into the cheese it didn't ooze out like it should have. At least that's what I've experienced at other places. We also noticed that the center was still cold. The sauce was nothing to write home about. The servers were all attentive. The small side salad was exactly that and I ordered the house vinaigrette which I have no idea what was in it but it was not tasty at all to me. I ordered the eggplant parmigiana for my dinner entree which comes with linguine. It was probably 4-5 layers of eggplant. Very filling and absolutely delicious. Same Sauce was served with my meal. My boyfriend ordered the shrimp scampi which also came with linguine. The 6 shrimp were butterflied and they were shelled all the way back to the tip of the tail, which is unusual but so much easier to eat. The Scampi sauce was very flavorful. Against our better judgement, we ordered the carrot cake to split. That was very good but, again, I've had better. We didn't order alcoholic beverages but in one of my pictures you can see the wine bottles displayed throughout the restaurant were a nice touch. read more

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Another great meal at our favorite restaurant!! We come here every year to celebrate our anniversary, because we always have an incredibly delicious meal and love the romantic, cozy ambience and friendly staff. read more

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I am writing actually out of concern for the owner, who is a nice man but I am concerned for his cognitive ability- who waited on us this afternoon for a late lunch. I had ordered the arugula salad with chicken- he brought out the tuna avocado salad and said it's much better than the chicken! Then I had ordered coffee - he brought out tea. And when my husband asked to box up the rest of his meal- he never came back with it- at this point we just wanted to leave. The food was very good but it was just so weird! I truly hope he is ok but I don't think we will be back there again. And did I mention that there was NO ONE else in the restaurant by this point! Also BEWARE of the Groupon deals- there are a million loopholes in them. He begrudgingly honored it but told me he wouldn't again. read more

Awesome food and great environment. Entertainment options on weekends are also great.

If you like short ribs, they're incredible. We never had either a bad meal or service.

I got the most amazing Penne a la Vodka from this restaurant. It was absolutely the best I've ever eaten. I'm from Florida so the next time I visit I will definitely get it again. The other meals we ordered were great too. read more

If you seek out great food, nostalgic ambience close to home, Mina Lisa's has to be on your bucket list. I had an off-hour meal (2:30ish) and though service was challenging at first, patience paid off - big time. Try the Chicken special to fall in love with a cream Marsala sauce l. The fresh fish special was Mahi-Mahi, sautéed with capers and lemon. Amazing preparations. We had house-made desserts with fresh, hot coffee. Perfection! Oh, and there is raw bar available. We had the sesame tuna and oyster at the bar before being seated. Highly recommended. read more

Lasagna, garlic bread, and salad was amazing. The lasagna was the best I have had. This was a Mother's Day lunch and my Mom ate everything on her plate. Highly recommend. I'll be back! read more

Food is always very good here...highly recommended and the people are super nice. Always order heat for Easter. read more

Impeccable service and fabulous food. Our friends were visiting from Arizona and we brought them here. They loved it. Every item was brought to our table with perfect timing. Drinks, appetizer, salads and soup, entrees, dessert and coffee, all timed perfectly! Rare to find these days. We all had different entrees and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals! Sam's Special Chicken is a great choice and the sauces on all our entrees were unique and all incredible. We're very fortunate to have this lovely restaurant nearby. read more

Had a party in their pavilion that we had rented very nice place. Everyone wants to rent it now because of the party that we had there. but this is why I do not recommend this place. Apparently they are racist. They told us this is why I don't rent this place to people like you because we had the music loud which everyone does for parties and they wanted us to shut it down at like 8 o'clock who does this so for this? I do not recommend this please also the food wasn't that great either the only good thing about this place was the pavilion, and now they're not gonna get any more business so sorry!!!!!!!. Period. read more

Like Coming Home Again. I'll begin with full disclosure as I don't normally review restaurants I have a direct, ongoing association with however the fact that I was their former beverage director circa 2010 has no baring on my views as a recent customer. Mona Lisa sprawls squat on the little hill it's always perched upon right at the mouth of Wolcott. Although I had kept in contact with its owners and a few members of staff throughout the years, it had been some time since I visited in any capacity. With nothing but time on my hands, I find myself traveling to my hometown of Waterbury more frequently and when faced with the decision of where to eat in that barren wasteland, Mona Lisa won the cointoss not just for its nostalgic value but for being the only truly reliable place to get decent food inside a ten mile radius. So my townee buddy and I bellied up to the bar and while it wasn't the most unexpected thing in the world for me to show up, the owners Sam and Shathy were overtly welcoming and warm as ever. They're like your kindly regarded yet seldom seen aunt and uncle and they intended to fawn over you as if they were. Sam is also the head chef and his resourcefulness and creativity in the kitchen is only belabored by his epicly oversized and aging menu. I was pleased to note he'd cut things down just a little in response to covid but even foreshortened the menu is formidable. After so very many years in business, there are menu items that, were they to drop them from the menu, a riot would ensue so I certainly understand the dogged commitment to the classics. And why not? They're still damn good. My friend had a Swiss Burger, still ranked in my top 5 of all time and I the Sam's Special Chicken-- a stuffed chicken breast with scallop, shrimp, asparagus, et all, egg washed and pan fried and smothered in a drinkable cream sauce-- which I would choose as my death row meal. More than a decade later and they're still prepared with the same quality of ingredients and the same level of care as when they first opened the doors. My old friend Mona Lisa is showing her age in many other regards however at this stage in the game, their reputation for excellence among the locals and the shocking amount of familiar customer faces from back in the day still dining in have both cemented its lot and its identity. I rarely say this about any restaurant of this style but any attempt to modernize or revamp would not only be futile, it would be foolish as it would erase the archaic charm people have grown so very attached to. Mona is not a museum and those within are not fossils but it is something of a time capsule. It's that rare gem of an experience that takes you out of time. Here, the Parker House rolls are still baked fresh and wrapped in linens. Your meal still begins with a salad or soup dujour. And yes, you must stick around for one of Shathy's home made desserts. To some seeing the ol' girl for the first time, Mona Lisa may seem quaintly antiquated but their mistake is in thinking this a weakness. Rather, Mona's ability to evoke a different era of true hospitality is their greatest strength. They've been around in one form or another for over 30 years and as Sam will certainly outlive us all, he'll be serving up Sam's Chicken for the next 30 without a doubt. read more

When I went here with my mom two weeks ago, we both got the Sam's Chicken dish which was excellent and must recommend. I plan to try the other dishes next time I come here. read more

Great Place for St. Patty's Day, this year just got to Corn beef Sandwiches done their Way which the Owners Show their Love By their Food and Beer Choices. Great Fresh Beer from Local Breweries pair with Whatever the Owners tell you to Get. The food is consistent and yummy fresh. The staff is on point and make you feel like you've been friends forever. If you catch if you like hard rock I love the concerts!! The music that they have coming in. Great fun great people really cute. It's a small venue but it works chill crowd or if you just have to have a family dinner night good place, nobody will complain and your family. Love of Food, Music, and People this is a Gem read more

Terrible, I should of left the moment the entrance stunk and I saw the TV off and covered in dust. But my family and I want to support our local business so we decided to continue moving forward praying the food is good. But was I so wrong, I returned food. The service was slow as snails. Our food was nasty. The kids food (chicken nuggets meal and pasta meal) was a massive disappointment. Now I know why such a large restaurant had only 4 tables full. Please don't go here, unless you want to donate money like did last night. read more

ordered takeout several times and service was good. the manager said to call the orders in dont use the websight?? the last time he insisted on seeing the comfornation from grub hub on my phone?? i dident have my phone with me when i went to pick my order up and he wouldent give me my food had to go back home for my phone but the order was confirmed on the computer only. i took a picture of the order comf. and returned. he still gave me a hard time!!!!!!!!! i grabbed the food bag from him and left very upset. every other place with take out orders always knows what is going on and is prepaired. does grub hub on line charge them a fee???? ill never eat there or order on line from there again!!!!! they LOST MY BUSINESS. read more

Ordered a caprese salad via Grubhub. Last thing I will ever order from this place. 10+$ for 3slixes of tomato, 3 slices of fresh mozzarella, a half a red pepper, and four pieces of lettuce read more

Mona Lisa Restaurant - Caprese salad - Italian Near Me - Wolcott, Connecticut

Reminds me of a Italian family style restaurant back home. The food is delicious and service is second to none.

We had such high hopes for this place based on the menu selections. However, it was very disappointing. There was a live rock band playing LOUDLY, and although the music was good, we wanted a nice dinner with conversation. We enjoyed the appetizers (ahi and avocado salad; burrata), which accentuated the poor quality of the entrees. Our table ordered Sterling Vineyards Pinot Noir and it had turned. The manager insisted we were wrong. We knew that wine, it is usually quite good and this one was definitely bad. We ordered Veal Marsala, Linguine with white clam sauce, eggplant parmigiana, and spaghetti carbonara. The veal Marsala and the eggplant were mediocre. The Linguine clams and carbonara were very salty and the carbonara looked like it was covered with white glue. The service was a bit slow which would have been okay except for the loud music. We didn't bother with dessert. Needless to say, we won't be back. But if you like salty salty food, bad wine, slow service and a band so loud that conversation is impossible, THIS is the place for you. read more

Like to start off by saying I finally ate at this restaurant because of Groupon. Groupon or not I would eat there again. So the food was 5 STARS the atmosphere and decor was 3 STARS (some of the chairs and furniture were quite worn). So I'm settling at a 4. We went on an off day (during the week) so we got immediate seating. Something I recommend for everyone. The staff was very nice and very FAST. They were attentive and like clock work got all of the condiments and everything out. I ate the Chicken Parmigana. Probably one of the top 3 Chicken Parmigana dishes I've ever eaten (cost was about $16-$17). My wife had a chicken dish as well and was very happy. My daughter had Raviolis. Highly recommend this place and was very surprised to see them looking for additional business on Groupon. read more

Food and service are hit or miss, one visit was really good, the next visit not great. The chicken parm was not fresh, the breading was like a scab so thick and just peeling off of the dry cutlet that clearly wasn't made today. Normally I'd present issues to staff, but our server disappeared and never asked how everything was, the hostess cleared our plates. When I told our server who returned after our meal was over, her solution was to have the kitchen remake for me the same lousy dish, she got defensive saying no one else has complained. At $17 a dish that's unacceptable and we likely won't be returning because of how it was handled. On the plus side the prior trip I ordered the sams special chicken and it was excellent. read more

Mona Lisa Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Wolcott, Connecticut

I adore Mona Lisa!!! Typically eat there every weekend....I have tried many dishes and they never disappoint!

My husband and I ate at Mona Lisa's tonight and had a superior meal. The service was friendly and efficient. My husband had chicken Parmesan, which he usually has when we go out to dinner. He said the sauce was the best. I had the monk fish with capers olives, sun-dried tomatoes and angel hair pasta. It was delicious. I asked for rose wine which was not on the menu. They did indeed have it, and brought me some ;it was perfect. We definitely will be returning here for the next time we want to go out to dinner. read more

My husband & I enjoyed it so much we went back & celebrated our 1 year anniversary dinner there & to our surprise another couple was also celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary , I loved the shrimp scampi & the steak is also good , my husband loves the house dressing & fresh salad , we enjoy the hot dinner rolls also & the tiramisu is also good , been their for lunch with a client & the lasagna is excellent as well . read more

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Our go to place for any celebration. Love their veal dishes. The filet mignon is some of the best I've had. I can't say enough about how friendly the staff is. I'm sure you will enjoy your dinner. read more

Very good italian food but with some interesting and unique offerings. The service is always good and the owner Sam and his wife are both very nice. John the host is always friendly and says the same jokes all of the time but I get a kick out of that. Sams special chicken is very good. But my favorite here is the chicken francaise. They have one of the best ones I have had. The service is always on point and the prices are fair especially compared to other places in the area. One thing I wish they would do is not decorate so much for holidays like valentines day but whatever lol. read more

Horrible experience. No hostess, basically sat ourselves. Over 20 mins to even get a drink. Place started to fill up with smoke from the fireplace so we left smelling like we were sitting around a camp fire. Another couple came in, sat themselves, and left because the smoke was so bad and they had not been greeted by anyone. Food was pretty good but due to the service and environment we left as soon as we were done. Not sure if I'd return anytime soon. read more

I came to Mona Lisa for dinner with 10 of my closest coworkers and we were definitely the life of the party. Mostly because we were the only party in this relatively large old school Italian restaurant. We waited about 45 minutes for food to come out once we ordered while listening to an eclectic mix of opera and Italian folk music and sitting under a flickering chandelier--a prime setting for those awkward silences everyone lives for. Also, just long enough to start making sugar packet towers. The wait staff were all polite and incredibly helpful though, so I've chalked the delays up to a lack of week night staffing. Thankfully they brought our drinks out quickly enough, including my Watermelon Mojito, to ease our suffering. The mojito was refreshing and not overly sweet, it tasted like an alcoholic agua fresca--exactly what I wanted in that moment! Unfortunately, they ran out of multiple different beers during the course of our dinner so the guys had to switch up their orders a few times. We ordered Calamari and Bruschetta for appetizers and both were underwhelming. The breading was slightly heavy on the Calamari and the Bruschetta tasted like it had been prepared days before. I ordered the Grilled Salmon for my entree. Based on the appetizers, I didn't have high hopes, but it was perfectly cooked and seasoned with a deceptively simple salty crust. The presentation was definitely lacking, but I was more than content with my meal. Others in our group ordered a variety of seafood dishes that all seemed fresh and well received. Overall, I probably would opt to try other Italian restaurants in the area or make the drive for something more special. read more

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