Mimmo's Italian Restaurant and Bar — Restaurant in Palm Desert

UPDATE 05/11/23 5:00p.m.: This time, we were a group of 4, and we sat outside in the patio area. An eyesore is the outdoor dining area built during COVID. I think it's time to go. We had a super waiter and busboy, very polite and friendly. To start, I had not just a Lemom Drop Martini, but a Limoncello Lemon Drop! Delicious, but very sweet and not much alcohol. My sister had an Italian liquor spritz which I can't remember the name of (but i took a shot of it on the menu). I believe our other diner had a Pinot Grigio. For starters we shared an appetizer of Polenta with Mushroom sauce- Yum! Two diners split a wedge salad, they said were tasty. One diner had a cup of Mushroom soup, which I tasted, that was good. For dinner, I had Veal Parmigiana. It's not on the menu, so they made it special for me. It was very tasty. The glazed carrots on the side were so delicious as was the buttery Polenta. Another diner, who really likes mushrooms, had the Stuffed Ravioli with Mushrooms in a creme sauce. Another diner had her favorite dish, Sand Dabs, which didn't disappoint. Our last diner had the Seafood Pasta Special, which was coated in a light white wine sauce, served with Tagliatale pasta. She liked it very much, and cleaned her plate. We did indulge in dessert, as it was a special night, and we shared a Chocolate Mousse, which was ok. I sensed that very fine chocolate was not used and too much whip cream was folded into the mousse. Hands down best mousse is at Chez Pierre's and I compare all to his. We also ordered a Creme Brulee, which was perfect. A little chilly on the inside, and the top a little warm from torching the perfectly crispy, crunchy sugar layer. Overall, it was a really delicious dinner. Though be prepared, prices have gone up.

2023 NOTE: They are passing on the 3.5% credit card fees onto the customers now. I thought just hair salons and nail salons did that, which I always find annoying. Cost of doing...

Came here with my parents on a Monday evening around 7:00pm. We had a reservation and we were seated immediately. The place was cute, with an old school feel and good service.

We were tended to by our server, who took drink orders and brought them immediately before taking our food order. We were also served fresh bread, crusty around the outside but fluffy on the inside. The bread was cut into chunky slices and served with a garlicky tapenade that absolutely hit the spot. We ordered:

Stuffed calamari - 5-stars. Two big pieces of calamari overflowing with tomato, spinach, and mortadella. Not little pieces of meat but big cubes, combined with creamy tomato sauce and bitter greens. The calamari was slightly chewy but not overdone and it held up well to the stuffing and sauce on top of it.

Meatballs - 4-stars. The sauce was fantastic and I enjoyed the fennel in the meatballs, but something about the texture wasn't completely on point for me. I think they were just slightly too dense for my liking. Good portion though, three large meatballs.

Burrata salad - 5-stars. I'm always weary of burrata salads that skimp on the burrata and this was no such thing. A mound of creamy burrata on top of sticky sweet balsamic greens and a few cherry tomatoes.

Linguine with seafood - 4-stars. It would have been great to see an option to order this without the linguine, more like a ciopinno. Flavors were perfect though and the seafood was fresh and abundant. Calamari, mussels, clams, scallops, fish, etc.

Butternut squash ravioli - 4-stars. The ravioli was fresh and homemade but the dish was quite rich, perhaps a bit overdone on the butter, and became almost too much working through the portion size.

Overall, a very enjoyable meal. I'd be happy...

My family and I had a reservation at Mimmo’s restaurant on Friday, March 29, at 7:30 pm. The valet who greeted us was excellent, but the restaurant was satisfactory.

Unfortunately, our experience with the host, an older gentleman we believe may have been the owner or a family member, was not good. We arrived early and waited in our car until we got a text message informing us that our table was ready. However, when we arrived at the restaurant, the host greeted us unwelcomingly, and he selected a table next to the bar. Despite making reservations in advance, we were not given a table at our designated time. As a parent of two children, I requested a different table due to being too close to the bar, but the host was unaccommodating and seemed disinterested in our concerns. He waved and said choose your table in such a manner. I was shocked; my husband and I looked at each other like what type of customer service this guy has; he requires better training. We brushed it off and continued to a new table.

Our waiter also lacked the necessary customer service skills and seemed tired. Additionally, the food was not up to our expectations - the chicken piccata was overcooked and dry, and the chicken parmesan was drenched in sauce. One of my children enjoyed the spaghetti, but the other did not. By the way, they have no children's portion menu.

Overall, I would not recommend making reservations at this restaurant. The staff appeared disengaged and unhappy, and we did not feel welcomed or valued as customers. I suggest trying a different, more vibrant restaurant for a better...