Mongiello's Pizza & Wings — Restaurant in Santa Ana

I came for the great food and stayed for the great people and fun time!

Looking for a nearby place to eat, while I was staying in Fountain Valley visiting my family, I found Mongiello’s Italian Kitchen restaurant in a great bar setting nestled in “Stages” huge music venue and bar, right on the cusp of Segerstrom and Dyer in Santa Ana/Irvine. What a “find” it was!

I had heard it was a great local eatery with Pizzas, but also pasta and salads and great italian desserts like tiramisu and cannoli, but on a paleo/ish diet, I found heaven in both the spicy wings and the unusually satisfying and gentler, garlic sauce wings as well. The Ceasar (w/chicken) salad rounded off my meal, with fresh cool romaine, a great dressing and added fresh chicken protein. I felt both satisfied and healthy enough to share bites of an amazing Tiramasu with my nephew! Others around me, were really enjoying the full and varied menu of Pizzas, and the friendly booth next door, the guy was exclaiming he had shared too much of his Pineapple, Jalapeno and Salami pizza and was going back from another, ALL for himself! His girlfriend was suggesting he get the Alfredo Pasta, because he ate half of hers and she wanted more!:-).

Since I had also come for atmosphere, being out of town and visiting my mom in her Board and Care, I really enjoyed the first night I went and actually stayed for the SUPER Salsa lessons and dancing on the huge dance floor. I think that was Friday! And the place is so large with huge ceilings that I didn't fear the overcrowding -- people could spread and stay healthily away with their own "bubble". But the fun, the kindness and thoughtfulness of the restaurant and bar staff, the considerateness of the service and the added bonus of friendly people, enjoying good food, made it a great restaurant bar and music.

P/s: Liked it so much, that on my second return, they had started a "Comedy Night" and that was funny and entertaining as well. But by far, what I came back for was the food, the sweet service of personnel like Jennifer and Jazarus, the great Chef who I met the second time, Isidro and just the general fun-loving relaxing atmosphere. All those qualities are hard to find together, and great for someone out-of-town looking for a "happy" place to go, with great food and entertainment when you...

Wow, just....wow! After a disappointing experience at a place that shall remain nameless (twas for entertainment purposes) we had to get a better taste in our mouth (My wife and I). This place delivered to the point of rectifying the wrong that was the night we had. We ordered the parm garlic wings, cheese bread, and the California pizza 🍕. YOOOOOOOO! SO, with tip included i payed right at $70. Considering the haul and the quality? Pfft not a contest we came out on top! The pizza was cooked well enough you want to eat the crust, there's the perfect quantity of sauce and it doesnt taste like something they rn and picked up at Costco or Sam's (much respect to Costco) SIMPLY PUT? YOU ARE GETTING WHAT YOU PAY FOR! The cheese bread uggggggggh so frickin good it was damn near table smacking good, and THEN the wings....im a harsh critic of wings because too many seem lack luster, THESE...nope plump, flavorful, meat nearly falling off the bone. IF we didn't live in Palm Springs this would be our pizza spot without a doubt! Oh and we couldn't finish it all obviously so we got to enjoy it as left overs ... guess what its...

It's rare that I can find a pizza place that can actually deliver on its own promises of a delicious pizza, and even rarer is being able to bring myself to offer higher than one star for a pizza I've never had before.

I'm extremely humbled to say that Mongiello's did not disappoint me in any realm. Being as pedantic about pizza as I am, that's high praise, indeed!

Normally I order extra cheese, extra sauce, and extra condiments just as a precaution against the average product I'm given by most establishments. I'm happy to say that I didn't do that with Mongiello's, and they delivered well beyond my highest expectations.

The cheese was melty, the sauce was ample and flavorful, pricing is reasonable, and the overall quality was better than you could find taking a risk elsewhere. Now, being the pedantic reviewer I am, I can't let this place go without one piece of criticism at the least:

The crust is lacking in flavor, maybe give it a nice garlic butter or sauce brush before a parbaking, that's pretty much the only thing that could've taken this four-star review to a five!

Give it a shot, you...