Mama Mia Pie and Pasta — Restaurant in West Virginia

This is a lengthy review, but PLEASE READ if you don't want a disappointing experience:

FOOD: The kitchen suffers from a SERIOUS lack of consistency regarding their pasta dishes. You can order the identical pasta dish two weeks apart...one will be really good, and the other will make you hate Italian food. The kitchen is prone to overcooking the pasta to the point where it’s gummy and falling apart. Also, they will sometimes serve you spaghetti when you specify linguine (and vice-versa). They will also forget to include ingredients that are listed on the menu description...capers, spinach, goat cheese, etc. One would expect more attention to detail regarding food quality and consistency, especially considering the high menu prices (which they recently raised 10-15٪).

(PRO TIP: Ask your server if the owner (Tony) is working the kitchen. If he is, then the pasta dishes and entrees should be a safe bet. But if Tony isn’t there, you should stick to the pizzas and calzones.)

ATMOSPHERE: During warmer weather, instead of turning on the AC, they will instead prop open the doors in an attempt to keep the place cool. This, of course, invites swarms of flies inside, who readily become your uninvited dinner companions. I can only imagine the fly situation in the kitchen. Gross.

SERVICE: Can be hit-or-miss, depending on how busy they are.

After dining here many times since their grand opening, I've discovered a few favorites and a few dishes to avoid.

RECOMMENDATIONS: *Pizza: Good, but the kitchen applies the cheese with a VERY heavy hand...recommend that you ask for LIGHT CHEESE, and that you ask for "well done" on the bake - otherwise the pizza will be very greasy and the crust will be under-baked & doughy. *House Calzone: Ask for LIGHT CHEESE, unless you like a pound of cheese in your calzone *Eggplant a la Mama, Eggplant Parmigiana, and Eggplant Stacker *Eggplant "Rollatini": Good, but the eggplant isn't rolled like traditional rollatini should be - false advertising. Get the eggplant parmigiana instead. *Angel Hair or Spaghetti w/Garlic and Oil: Excellent, especially if you like garlic. *Tortellini *Ravioli *Fettuccine Alfredo *Fettuccine Romano *Penne Ala Vodka *Shrimp Scampi: Large shrimp, delicious garlicky sauce *Manicotti *Stuffed Shells *Eggplant Parm Sub *Calamari: Light, crispy coating, tender on the inside *Hot Antipasto *Caprese Salad *Mediterranean Salad *Antipasto Salad

DISHES TO AVOID: *Spaghetti and Meatballs: Meatballs are tough, dense, and dry...you almost need a knife to cut through them *Sausage Cacciatore *Shrimp Fra Diavolo *Cheesesteak Sub: AVOID. Not even close to a real cheesesteak. They use crumbled up ground beef (probably their leftover meatballs) instead of the usual thinly sliced & grilled ribeye. They should rename this a "hamburger sub" because that's what it tastes like. Steak-Umms would be better. *Meatball Sub: tough, dry meatballs *Chicken Cacciatore: AVOID. Nothing like real-deal chicken cacciatore. This is essentially small chunks of dry, stringy, overcooked chicken breast, smothered in marinara sauce and served over pasta. *Chicken Parmigiana: Chicken is dry and tough. *Veal Scallopine Marsala: AVOID. Tough chunks of mystery meat tossed in marinara sauce, NOT thin veal scallopine as listed on the menu - false menu description yet again. This dish is an embarrassment it's so bad. *Veal Piccata: AVOID. Just as gross as the veal marsala *Chicken Marsala: AVOID. Tough, dry chicken chunks, not at all like authentic chicken marsala *Chicken Piccata: Just no. Horrible, not even close to authentic chicken piccata. Possibly the worst item...

Our recent escapade into Mama Mia Pie and Pasta after a bone-chilling two-hour snow tubing adventure at Canaan Valley unveiled a narrative fraught with culinary dismay and, perhaps most notably, a jaw-dropping disparity between price and quality. As we sought refuge from the cold in this dining haven, the expectations were set high, especially given the overcast chill and the gluten-free dietary needs of a friend in our group.

Maggie, our waitress, managed to shine amidst the shadows of culinary concerns. Her recent integration into the team didn't hinder her ability to provide attentive and warm service to our group of five. However, as the evening progressed, the tale took an unexpected turn as the quality of the food revealed itself, akin to what one might expect at a trailer park restaurant.

Our gluten-sensitive friend's choice of gluten-free pasta with grilled chicken became a symbol of culinary disarray. The chicken, frozen and lacking the freshness one would anticipate, raised doubts about the kitchen's commitment to delivering a dining experience that caters to dietary needs. As if this wasn't disappointing enough, the distressing aftermath of digestive discomfort in our friend (and our entire party), the sole consumer of the gluten-free pasta and grilled chicken in the past six hours, intensified our concerns about the accuracy of the gluten-free claim.

However, what truly exacerbated our dissatisfaction was the shockingly high cost of the entire meal. The menu, promising a culinary adventure, delivered an experience more akin to the low expectations one might have at a budget trailer park restaurant. The exorbitant prices for dishes of such subpar quality left us questioning the fundamental principles of value and fairness.

To put it bluntly, the disparity between the astronomical prices and the dismal quality of the food was staggering. Mama Mia Pie and Pasta seemed to have lost touch with the basic tenets of a fair exchange between diners and the restaurant. The notion of paying a premium for a culinary experience is justifiable only when the quality aligns with the price tag, and unfortunately, Mama Mia Pie and Pasta missed the mark by a considerable margin.

In retrospect, our visit to Mama Mia Pie and Pasta becomes a cautionary tale of misplaced expectations and a significant financial investment that yielded minimal gastronomic satisfaction. A revisit is improbable, given the indelible impressions of culinary dismay coupled with an unjustifiable dent in our wallets. The disparity between the lofty price tag and the lackluster culinary delivery left us not only cold from the outdoor adventure but also chilled by the unexpected sting of...

Our church group had a terrible experience here. We made reservations two weeks in advance for a group of about 25 people, with a 5:30 PM reservation time. We all arrived at 5:15 and were seated promptly. However, that’s where the problems began.

It took nearly 30 minutes just to take our drink orders, and another 30 minutes for the drinks to actually arrive. By this point, we had already been there for an hour, and no food orders had been taken. When the staff finally took our orders, it was clear they were overwhelmed and stressed, and their service reflected that.

Another hour went by before some of our group began receiving their meals, but others still had nothing. One member of our group, whose blood sugar had dropped from waiting so long, had to share someone else’s entree just to hold him over. Eventually, he gave up and went to a gas station to get a snack. To make matters worse, we watched another group that arrived after us receive their meals, eat, and leave while we were still waiting for most of our food.

Throughout the experience, basic service was completely lacking. No bread was brought to the table, refills were never offered, and some drinks were flat or watered down. We didn’t even get straws until we asked. Salads were brought out late—and without ranch dressing—and anyone who ordered a pizza or stromboli left hungry because those orders never arrived. When we asked about the delay, we were told it would be another 20 minutes, after we had already waited over two hours.

The room where we were seated was freezing, and with no phone signal, we asked for the Wi-Fi information. The cashier said she didn’t know it. So there we sat: cold, with no food, no drinks, and no communication from the staff.

When we finally decided to leave after two hours of this chaos, they had the nerve to hand out checks, even to those who never received their food, they were just charged nearly $4 for flat, watery drinks they didn’t even get refills on. The lack of accountability from management was shocking. No one came out to address the situation, offer an apology, or take responsibility. Instead, they left everything to the poor waitress, who was doing her best under terrible circumstances.

This experience was beyond ridiculous. If management can’t handle a full restaurant, they should stop taking new orders until they can serve the customers already waiting. We would’ve been better off ordering takeout. We tried to be patient, but this was an unacceptable mess. I’ve gotten better service from a Chick-fil-A on a Sunday than this place. Personally I won’t be...