Mamma's Brick Oven Pizza & Pasta — Restaurant in South Pasadena

Even though there was a fairly sizable dining room, there was a carryout/delivery vibe in here. Regardless, there was plenty of seating during a weekday lunch hour. Pizza was prominently displayed behind a glass as they would be at a New York pizzeria. There is a special for ordering 2 slices and get a free soft drink, but I'd probably require 3 or more slices here since the pizza wasn't sliced jumongoid like they tend to be in New York. So I opted for a pasta entree which comes with a few sides. I wanted some garlic knots anyway.

-=-Garlic Knots-=- I really wished these were larger. My meal came with 4 knots and they were downed like pebbles. It wasn't only the size, but there was also a lack of garlicky and parmesan taste. A side of marinara sauce to dip would have made this tastier, but it wasn't provided. I suppose if you like your knots less buttery-er and more doughy-er, this may work for you.

-=-Chicken Parmesan over Penne-=- It was one of the more expensive entrees here at $10.50, but chicken parm usually is anyway. It really is hard to mess up this dish. Mozzarella cheese melted on top of the breaded chicken was the best part, and the 2nd best part would be the marinara sauce. Penne isn't exactly my favorite pasta since you can't pick up as much sauce with it, but with a spoon, anything...

Some people have really strong opinions on pizza, similar to those who have strong opinions about bagels. I would place myself at mild to moderately opinionated on the topic. I used to eat at blaze across the street, and then Mama’s moved in from its prior location up the street. Now blaze tastes like trash to me. I have fully converted to Mama’s and you can’t change me. It’s a solid slice of pizza. It has all the things you would love in a reliable slice. Thin crispy crust, a sauce that doesn’t try to steal the show, cheese. The toppings are on top where they’re supposed to be. They have a lot of beer. It’s probably good if you like beer. The only complaint I have is that once i called to place an order and i had to listen to the pre-recorded message with a person spelling out the website. Noting feels more like a slow death than someone spelling out a website. But that’s irrelevant and has more to do about me than about pizza. Go to Mama’s pizza because it’s pizza that belongs to Mama. Go to Mama’s pizza because it’s better than Dominos, who strays further away from God every passing year. I really like the Margherita, it’s got a lot of garlic. I had the mushroom once and I was like “woah, this a lot of mushrooms.” You’d prop love it if you’re...

I ordered a medium gluten-free veggie pizza with vegan cheese and 6 hot wings. This came to a total of over $50, mind you, so keep that in mind with their “$” rating. My pizza was inedible because it was absolutely disgusting. The amount of vegan cheese dominated everything and had a very unpleasant flavor. The crust was burnt and also not tasty whatsoever. My boyfriend ordered two slices of regular margarita pizza and he was also disappointed with the amount it grease pooled at the top. I brought my vegan pizza home hoping it would taste better leftover, but the smell of it alone was absolutely nauseating. The chicken wings were adequately sized and sauced, but undercooked. Instead of frying them crispy, they were lightly fried leaving thick gooey spots of fat inside. Not pleasant at all.

The staff was very very kind and pleasant, not at all like the food. The environment was nice and we enjoyed the outdoor seating. Unfortunately the food was beyond unacceptable, I wish very much that so much money had not been wasted on inedible food. Please consider improving your gf and vegan options if you are going to offer them, it is not right to serve/offer such inedible things under the guise of...