Mama Mia Pizza — Restaurant in Virginia

An honest review of Mama Mia Pizza. We walked in and the place was busy, thought that was a good sign. We got seated right away as a family of six, but ended up waiting almost 10 minutes before even being served drinks. We're a family of six, and were seated right next to the drink machine, my youngest son kept reaching for the half drinken water bottle on the top of the booth seat along with someone's car keys, suspecting it was an employee of the establishment along with some other artifacts. After placing our order of a Large Cheese Pizza, Breaded Mozzarella Cheese Sticks, Breaded Calamari Rings, and Pepperoni Rolls that our appetizers were promptly delivered about seven minutes later starting with the Mozzarella Cheese Sticks. My opinion of the Breaded everything was that if you own a fryer, just purchase cheese sticks at Costco or BJ, do it at home. The Calamari Rings were fried just like the Cheese Sticks, but very much like latex or rubber which was very tough to eat even for my children, but my kids did eat it. If you want the best Calamari in my opinion in the area go to Coastal Flats in Fairfax or Tysons Corner. After we turned in our plates, I was wondering when our Pizza was coming, and it never did show up. I asked for the Pizza, to what the waitress stated that she didn't put in the order for it or never heard us order a Pizza. I came to Mama Mia's for Pizza after my son's soccer practice along with my other hungry children and wife. We're a big family ready to eat Pizza at the recommendation of another family. I'm glad I didn't get a chance to eat the Pizza, as it probably would have been fried too. In all, it was forty dollars just for appetizers that couldn't even be considered Italian. Moreover, the Pepperoni rolls were greasy, its an uncooked Pillsboury dough croissant with mozzarella and two or three slices of Pepperoni. I called the manager after leaving the establishment, and voiced my opinion about not being served a Pizza. I won't be visiting there again, if you want a really good Italian restaurant in Gainesville/Haymarket area, I can't stress enough...

This is going to get a bit long winded, but it's really for the best because I know they can do better. I've been living in NOVA for over 10 years and this place was once the pinnacle of pizza and cafe Italian within 10 miles or so. However, with the uprising of restaurants in the Gainesville area, they have only fallen. Their pizza which was once phenomenal, has slipped terribly. They seem to skimp on toppings and the sauce is nowhere near as good as it used to be. Pasta here is frozen for what tastes like weeks before being heated up. Their subs, specifically their named option "Mama Mias Steak and Cheese" just isn't up to the standard that it once was. The meat is dry and not fresh in the slightest.

I'm not terribly sure what has happened in the past few years, but this place has fallen. I went so often in the past that I had to give it a few more tries before laying this review out, but after my last visit I couldn't stomach it anymore. My last meal there was the manicotti and I physically could not finish the meal, it is unquestionably the worst italian dish I have ever had. It was not a fluke either, because the lasagna a coworker had a few months back was equally unflattering, but at least edible. Side note, their red sauce has way too much sugar.

Please, get it together. Stop cutting costs or whatever you are doing and go back to being the place I would recommend to anyone who asked where there was good pizza in the area. Remove pasta from your menu if you are not going to do it justice. There is nothing wrong with being a sandwich and pizza place.

To those looking for great alternatives, Bricks in Centreville has the best pizza in the area. Ciao's has the best overall experience. It's an additional 10 minute drive or so,...

We tried this place for the first time and it quickly earned a spot on our favorites list. From the moment we walked in, the staff made us feel welcome. Our waitress, Farrah, was fantastic--she was warm, attentive, and had just the right mix of professionalism and friendliness that really stood out.

The food came out surprisingly fast, which was impressive given how fresh and hot everything was. We started with the cheesy bacon fries and paired them with the BBQ ranch (that's what I call it), and it was an absolute game-changer--rich, flavorful, and something we'll definitely be ordering again. Every bite tasted like it was made to order, not rushed or thrown together.

The atmosphere was just as enjoyable as the food. The restaurant had plenty of seating, so it never felt cramped, and everything was spotless and well-kept. What stood out most was the sense of community--many of the staff seemed to know the customers by name, creating a warm, welcoming vibe that made the place feel more like a neighborhood gathering spot than just another restaurant.

Between the top-notch service, delicious food, and how quickly everything was served, this place checks all the boxes. We'll absolutely be back to try more of the entrees...