Mandola's Italian Kitchen — Restaurant in Maitland

We tried a new Italian restaurant in Maitland. Mandola's is right off of Maitland boulevard in a new plaza. The parking was very good. They have a nice patio for outside dining (if you don't mind hearing cars on Maitland boulevard) and spacious interior. It is an open concept kitchen. They do have beer and wine.

They said that everything they make is from scratch including the mozzarella.

We were greeted immediately at the door and a very nice lady explained the concept. You order at the counter, get your own fountain drinks and they bring the food out to you. There's also a separate dessert counter-filled with delightful desserts including pignoli (oh my, delicious- better than D'Amico's) cookies. They also make fresh gelato!

We started with the fried mozzarella. These were nice triangles of mozzarella, coated with bread crumbs and fried until crisp. Each bite was cheese and you could tell it wasn't frozen. It came with a side of marinara. Very tasty.

Then came the sausage and peppers! Grilled Sicilian fennel sausage topped with pepperonata. This was enough for a meal. I personally loved this!

The bread basket of focaccia is on the house. It was okay.

Out came an order of meatballs. They were delicate and tasty. We all wish they were larger. These meatballs beat out some of our local favorites.

The meat lovers Pizza was a thin crust cheese pizza with meatballs, Sicilian fennel sausage, pancetta, pepperoni and red bell peppers. It had just a little hint of spice. The crust was foldable and the taste was very good.

The spaghetti and meatballs got very good reviews.

I had the lunette modo mio. These are half moon pasta stuffed with chicken, pork, mortadella, prosciutto, ricotta and romano, in a cream sauce with peas and mushroom. I truly enjoyed the pasta and I think next time, I would just order this with red sauce. It was good but I am more of a marsala or red sauce girl. The stuffing of the pasta was delicious!

As far as desserts go, the pignoli cookies were excellent! The coconut cake was the favorite, followed by the chocolate fudge and then the Italian cream cake.

Outstanding service by the girl at the front counter, the two ladies at the dessert counter and more importantly, Oliver who constantly came out and checked on us, picked up dishes and refilled drinks. Really a nice guy and very proficient.

I noticed the other locations have a happy hour and if they get a happy hour, this place is going to blow up between 3:00 and 6:00 pm

We will go...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Note: It was so good we returned again in the first week! This was from our first visit:

What an great experience at Mandola's Italian Kitchen! I’ve been watching and waiting for this establishment to open, and it did not disappoint.

We showed up on the first day for the grand opening and I was impressed because it we so well organized.

Parking was easy, and from the moment we walked in, the warm greeting, great smells, and authentic decor hinted we were in for a good experience.

At first Mandola's looked like a traditional sit-down restaurant, the concept is different, it's efficient! You order your meal at the counter, then everything is brought to your table. It's combines wonderful Italian food with a laid-back, family-friendly vibe.

The menu has a fantastic range of Italian classics, drinks, wines, beers, and desserts. I started with the spaghetti and meatballs, with a salad. My partner order a salad and pizza. And I had to try a cannoli for dessert and my partner ordered the tiramisu, absolutely delicious!

The salads were tasty, the pizza was perfect and the spaghetti was done to perfection, and the meatballs were smooth, tender and very tasty. Two thumbs up on the food.

The service was top-notch, with servers checking in regularly to make sure everything was good. But not hovering!

One of the managing partners, Justin, stopped by and we chatted for several minutes about the concept and philosophy for the Mandola's, and he shared the secrets to the tasty meatballs. It was a great personal touch.

Mandola’s is a must-visit if you love good Italian food served with great service in a friendly, inviting atmosphere. Highly recommend!

The second time we visited Mandola's I brought a fellow Italian who is rather picky about Italian dining experiences. Once again Mandola's exceeded our high expectations.

The food, was delicious, hot and fast. Try the fired mozzarella appetizers, WOW! The service was excellent and everyone was friendly. Mandola's is quickly becoming our "Must visit often place with family, friends and...

“What the focaccia?!!” As a celiac advocate, I’m always on the lookout for places that understand gluten-free dining, and…Mandola's is Il Massimo!

We thought we were only venturing out to taste the gluten-free garlic bread offered, however the entire menu is Fantastico! The marinated grilled vegetables were like a little Italian party in the mouth! Gluten free penne - available to sub for all dishes- was cooked safely & soft too (not Al Dante). The gelato bar and gluten-free pine nut cookie was a delicious option among the other Italian dessert delicacies! It’s such a fun, separate dessert bar to visit after the meal.

What really made our visit special was getting to meet Mr. Mandola himself - a legend—he founded Carrabba's and has now opened over 20 Mandola's locations. The energy in the restaurant is so inviting, and even though you order at the counter, the staff treats you like dining service and like family! The managing partner, Mr. Dunlap, was super attentive and genuinely cares about the customers. He even explained the pizza situation to me—while it’s gluten-sensitive because of the oven, they’re willing to place it in a separate spot if that works for you. And as mentioned, the pasta dishes are totally celiac-safe!

The open kitchen atmosphere is great, and I loved watching the chefs work. Plus, they are really doing well with the common stuff when opening a new place.

If you’re in the Maitland area and are looking for a fantastic, Italian experience, Mandola's is a must-visit. And they are very wise…recognizing that accommodating dietary restrictions can influence group dining decisions, as even one person with specific needs can lead the entire party to choose a more inclusive establishment. I can’t...