Terra Mia Italian Bistro & Pizzeria — Restaurant in Pooler

We stopped by Terra Mia Italian Bistro & Pizzeria after picking up my son and a guest from the Savannah Hilton Head Airport. It was only about a 7 minute drive to the place, so it was an excellent stop for hungry travelers who needed some good food. We arrived at Terra Mia at 5:15 on a Friday evening and were surprised how many people were already there. The parking lot was full, but we were able to easily find a place to park nearby. We had a 15 minute wait, and waiting for a dining table takes place outside at several patio tables and chairs. That might be challenging in poor weather, but this evening was quite nice weather-wise.

We were escorted to our table and very soon were greeted by our server who introduced herself and passed out menus. She was friendly and attentive throughout our meal. We were a party of four and we each ordered an entree, although we sampled each other's dishes. I ordered Lasagne Napoletana. I received a generous portion which I split with my son. As soon as I took my first bite I was hooked. This was the best lasagne I had ever tasted! My son readily agreed. It was full of flavor and just so delicious! My son ordered Bruschetta Pizza. Three of us ate slices of the pizza and all agreed it was quite good. It's a thin crust pizza topped with fresh, high quality ingredients that tasted great! My wife ordered Pollo Alla Marsala. It's a chicken breast and a side of spaghetti covered with a delicious mushroom/Marsala wine reduction sauce. I did get to taste some of her meal and it was fantastic! Very full, satisfying flavor. The other guest at our table ordered Gnocchi Sorrentina. It's gnocchi covered in a creamy tomato sauce. I didn't get a bite of this dish, but the guest who ordered it was quite satisfied.

So, our adventure to try a new place turned out to be a home run! Was there anything quirky about the place? Well, yes. No place is perfect. The exterior isn't very impressive, looking like it had a previous life as a diner. The interior has a counter that obviously used to seat diners, though it is not used for that now. The parking is also a little strange as there is one way in and out, but much of the parking was diagonal as if there should be an exit at the other end. And the men's bathroom door used a sliding lock to secure privacy, but it wasn't quite aligned properly, so I had to lift up on the door handle a bit to make the two sides of the lock line up.

Would those quirks make me think twice about returning? Heck, no! The food was excellent, the interior was nice, the service was friendly and attentive, and the prices were fair. Terra Mia Italian Bistro & Pizzeria has gone to the top ten of my favorite restaurants...

From the beginning the experience was exceptional. I cannot lie when we got there I was a little hesitant just from the outside appearance but never judge a book by it’s cover. As soon as you walk in it has a nice ambiance and captivating aroma of garlic and Italian herbs. We were sat almost immediately they just had to wipe down the table for five. We are not an easy group to please as two of our five are picky eaters but there was something on the menu for everyone. I ordered the penne toscane which was so flavorful the noodles were cooked perfectly and the chicken was tender. The mushroom sauce with the peas was the perfect creaminess and earthiness from the mushrooms. My sister ordered the shrimp Asiago with what looked like it was topped with jumbo shrimp in a light cream sauce with spinach and my brother in law ordered the lobster ravioli with another amazing sauce and the ravioli was also cooked perfect and interesting because it wasn’t a usually pasta color they used a different type of pasta to give it a different color and still perfectly cooked. The picky eaters had cheese pizza and fettuccine and were equally as pleased. We were served by a friendly server she gave her name but I couldn’t catch it. She had short hair and helped me figure out what plate I saw when I first entered that looked incredibly appetizing which it was. I’m sorry I didn’t remember her name she may have been Latin or Italian because I heard her speak another language. She made the experience memorable and we enjoyed the garlic knots they provide for the table. We came in for my sisters 21st birthday dinner and we’re so happy with the experience and especially the food. We will definitely be back anytime we’re in the area! Thank you for making our family dinner so special. I will recommend this place to anyone planning a trip...

Almost did 5 stars, and maybe it deserves it! The outside will definitely turn you off immediately as the parking lot is small and annoying to navigate, the building itself is also very small. They don’t have many tables and many tables are right next to their quaint kitchen area. The menu is pretty inclusive, even a picky eater will be able to find something. We got garlic knots that were fairly unimpressive, mostly just on the hard side. We also got an antipasto platter appetizer (mostly for our 16 mo old to snack on while we ate) which was a very good size for the price! We did the fried mozzarella appetizer as well which was good! The breading did not taste cheap like many restaurants. For my meal I did the L’Italiano which is their platter of lasagna, Alfredo, and chicken parm. Some of the BEST chicken parm I’ve ever had, the lasagna definitely needed some work with presentation and overall shape, but it was AMAZING, seriously really good, it’s the only thing I finished on the plate! The disappointing part was the fettuccine Alfredo (which is normally my favorite, I order it literally everywhere) but it was still edible and decent. My fiancé got (not sure the name on the menu) Spaghetti with white wine sauce and mussels (he had the option to do clams or red sauce as well) and the white wine sauce was delicious! They also provided a very good portion of mussels. It was my birthday so our server provided a free cannoli for dessert which was also pretty good! Overall, I would definitely go back and I would recommend to...