Mamma Rosa — Restaurant in Lindenwold

What a treasure this place is. My wife and I went for dinner Saturday night and we were thoroughly blown away. Food, service, and ambiance all 10/10. The menu is not the typical “Italian Restaurant” roll call but the standards are still there. My wife went for her favorite, the Eggplant Parmigiana, and I was lulled into choosing a special, the Dover Sole. We were set-up with a plate of delicious grilled bread brushed with oil and garlic. My dining partner said her Eggplant Parm was, “the best she’s ever had”. This is pretty heady stuff as that’s her all-time favorite food of all. I needed to corroborate this so I sampled the dish. The Eggplant Parm was unexpectedly and delightfully “light”. It wasn’t the trite old heavy, densely breaded fare. This was something different. It was evident that this Eggplant Parm was made to order and not an assembly of pre-made parts. It came paired with a generous side of Gemelli with a beautifully prepared tomato sauce. This was also more than the sum of its parts and worthy of center stage itself. My dinner, the Dover Sole special, was an absolute, hands down winner. To say the fish was handled masterfully would be an understatement. The Sole was prepared grilled. Now for those of you who know Dover Sole you might think that odd. I did. I’ve never been the recipient of this specialty. Knowing how delicate the fish is I wasn’t sure this was an option. I was as floored when my host gave me a peek at the whole grilled fish before dispatching it. It arrived beautifully cleaned, fully de-boned, and dressed with just the right olive oil and lemon. The accompanying vegetables were again, well thought out and carefully prepared. Squash, baby bliss potato and asparagus were in great balance with the Sole. The check was pleasingly reasonable and my wife and I vowed to return again,...

I am from the area and I always drive by and say I’m going to go. Well I did! And I am glad I did. It is such a beautiful restaurant. We did have to wait 45 minutes because it is tiny. But it was well worth the wait. The parking lot is just as small. So if you are coming from the neighborhood if you can walk do that. If you are coming from elsewhere I recommend a driving service. The lot fits maybe 6 cars. But there is street parking. Inside is decorated so cute. And the gentleman who greeted us was soft spoken and kind. We sat down he read the specials off to us and we placed our orders. We were given bread and olive oil for dipping. There was an older gentleman walking around making sure we were all good and offered us wine. Once the food arrived we were in heaven. We got the special app which was burrata, tomatoes, Prosciutto nicely seasoned. But let’s not over look the grilled peaches that made the flavor pop! Main dish was penne with vodka sauce and lobster ravioli. We were not disappointed at all. Everything was so filling. The quality of food was exceptional. Although I was stuffed I did not feel uncomfortable or have acid relic after eating. Normally anywhere else i have gotten Italian food I can’t finish my dish before I feel full and uncomfortable. I would highly recommend for a date night with whoever! Man take yourself on a date here and splurge because you will not be disappointed! Everything was delicious. I...

This place is the single greatest Italian restaurant I have ever been to. I was going through reviews before I posted this one and I feel there are a few things worth mentioning.

First, this restaurant is very small. It was a house where they converted the first floor to be both the kitchen and dining area. Due to the size they do not take reservations and there is only one table available for parties of more than 4 people. You may have a long wait, I assure you that it is worth it.

Second, regarding the service here, I see many people discussing slow service. This restaurant is run by one family. The father is the cook and the mother is typically the waitress, though sometimes their son has also served us. Everything is made to order so there are often times where nobody is in the dining area because they are helping in the kitchen. Their operation isn't large enough where they can hire a bunch of servers to just stand in the dining area doing nothing.

Despite the above, I have never had an issue with the service. Everyone is kind and attentive when they are not helping in the kitchen. The atmosphere is also lovely, you feel like you've been transported to a small village in Italy when you walk through the doors.

Restaurant is cash only and menu is small, though they do always offer a wide variety of...