Mama Cucina | Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Virginia

The salad was significantly over dressed and the lettuce looked like it came out of a bag. There were large pieces that needed to be cut and small pieces that could not be picked up with a fork. I ordered linguine with white clam sauce. The linguine was cooked perfect but the dish was a disaster! There were only 5 whole clams and scores of those little tiny baby clams from a can. Yes canned clams. This dish reminded me of a recipe from one of those cooking magazines in the grocery store check out line.

There were other odd things on the menu. Chicken bolegnese....are you kidding me? Bolegnese is all about the meat sauce (beef) and doesn't need to be served with chicken.

The Carbonara had cream in it. Carbonara is a Roman peasant dish with 7 ingredients none of which are cream (pancetta, garlic, romano, eggs, salt, pepper and pasta).

Despite what other reviews are saying the food is not authentic Italian. To those who enjoy this food, congratulations but to me it's mediocre and poor renditions of Italian dishes.

To the owner you are very arrogant telling me what I was complaining about. I did not complain about being outside. I know food and I know that what's on your menu is not authentic. It's pretty telling that you didn't address my actual complaint. Over dressed salad that looks like it came out of a bag and canned clams. I see you consistently go after the people who wrote bad reviews rather than listen to what they are saying. I will vote with my wallet.

Mr owner you should stop. I didn't say it wasn't all beef it's just an odd paring and not authentic. My opinion. You still haven't addressed the salad or the canned clams.

Once again wasn't mad about outdoor seating. If you're honest about the conversation, I was surprised how busy you were since I consulted Google who said it was a good time to dine there. I was happy to sit outside.

Mr Owner you're really defensive and it's poor taste for you to demonize me for expressing my opinion. That says a lot about you. There was more than 2 twirls left and I said the linguine was cooked perfect. I am complaining about the tiny little canned clams an issue you keep side stepping. Did I ask for a refund or discount? No I didn't. I paid $84 for a meal I wasn't happy about. I also tipped the waitress 20%. As far as my blind date is concerned she's not much of a foodie and I wasn't talking for her was I?

Instead of trying to demonize me you could have invited me back and tried to rescue the situation. If you had done so I would have gladly come back and paid for another meal.

If you doubt my cooking knowledge check out my instagram: harlanfood4thought

You're right I didn't initially complain about the canned clams because I was on a date. That however doesn't change the fact that you use canned clams. I did mention the excessive salad dressing and you didn't offer to fix that. If you were worried about your customer you could have said come back so we can make it right. I am not and never have I expected something for free. I do expect a quality product for the price I paid. I am open to a redux at your invitation and would require that I pay.

As far as my other criticisms they were to counter the other reviews that proclaim your dishes are authentic Italian. Clearly they are not. These reviews are so that others have a balanced view of your food. You would never be served canned clams in Italy or chicken with bolegnese. I didn't say the Bolegnese was bad it's just an odd paring with chicken.

Your hostility towards negative reviews probably violates Google's policy on...

This occurred last year but the experience has stuck with us. We laugh about it today but I thought it might be helpful to others. So my teen son and I arrived one evening a little after 7pm to find a hand written note on the door. It was dark and the note was a little scrawled and hard to read. I didn't want to be rude and shine my phone flashlight on the glass door and distract other patrons so I squinted and was able to make out that there was a "private party inside but patrons were welcome to come in and get an order to go". Just then a waitress that was standing next to me having a smoke brushed past to get inside, and as my son and I went to follow her in, she spun on her heels and locked the door in my face, then turned and disappeared into the restaurant without a word. My son and I stood there eyes wide and jaws dropped. It was so blatantly rude we just had to laugh. I had been here one other time and the food was pretty good, seating a little cramped, a (different) waitress was curt but passable and the portions were huge! I wanted my son to try it since he'd never been, and has a bottomless pit of a stomach but that's just never going to happen now Lol. SLAM!

ADDENDUM. I was sharing this review with someone recently and noticed that the owner had responded. Dear Owner - I checked for a response a few times after initially writing the review but gave up after not seeing one in a reasonable time. It may be hard to hear but it happened precisely as I wrote it. Yes, your waitress was smoking right next to the door because I was gagging as I read the note on the door, and yes she spun and closed/locked it in our face despite the fact that the note said patrons could come inside and place a to-go order. There was no "I'm sorry, private party" or any such comment from her as she went in. I respect you're honoring the private party's wishes. I've arranged similar events and completely understand. It was the note on the door that said otherwise that was confusing and the lack of any comment, courteous or rude on the part of the waitress that turned me off forever on your establishment. All of this said, I thank you for giving me a great story to tell to whomever I'm with every time I pass the restaurant. We always get a great laugh out of it. Mama always said, if nothing else, you can serve as a bad example and I think your true colors are evident in your response. I see where your staff gets...

Never again worst service in town Edit::::::::

Never again worst service in town... it took an hour for us to get our food in boxes!!!! You are the only one lying you have no customer service skills nor respect for other people you tried to humiliate me in front of three males who decided to just go to their table and not get involved in your little circus! You have no class so that tells me YOU have more experience eating at the food court. We were there for two hours, what three year old would stay for two hours waiting on a disorganized restaurant like yours? NONE! Even the police officers agreed with us. What did you think? That we are some illegal immigrants that you could scared off by raising your voice at and threaten to call the cops? Lol, luckily I know my rights and got on the phone with 911 before you called them and lied saying my husband was violent when in fact it was you who humiliated me by screaming and telling me “I was not going to dictated what goes on at your restaurant because you’re the boss” you decided to call 911 when my husband came BACK IN and told you he was not going to pay for food we didn’t consume!! Where did that macho man go to? The one who screamed at me? Or you’re only man enough to scream at a female? you hid behind a 911 call!! Lol. My three year old has more manners than you. You need to learn how to be more humble just because you RENT that location and served food doesn’t make you better than us. *And people so you know all the details...we wanted to pay for the salad, bread and the drinks we had consumed for that period of two hours that we were at the table but “Mr. I’m the boss” would not let me leave until I paid for food that at this point 8:30 at night wasnt even ready . He kept going back and forwards into the kitchen to get the food and it wasn’t until like 8:40pm when the police arrived that they brought the food already boxed for us to take home. We wanted to eat at the restaurant like a family if I wanted to eat to go, I would’ve just Ordered to go and of course like good law abiding citizens we paid for the food and drinks we did consume at the establishment just like I wanted to do before “Mr. I’m the boss” made that awful scene. And by the looks of other reviews I’m not the only one who thinks you’re...