Alex Coleman
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
- Messages
- 416
Introduction
Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano is a large restaurant in the Grand Avenue area in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This restaurant is one of several Table Service options at Hollywood Studios. I think that Mama Melrose’s is a well-above-average theme park Italian restaurant. I wouldn’t call it the best Italian food in the world (Little Caesars clearly takes that crown!), but it is really good. Sarah and I visited during our November 2017 trip and we will probably go back during our November 2018 trip.
It is important to understand that Sarah and I both LOVE Italian food. I imagine it is hard to find someone who says they don’t love it. The delicious carbohydrates mixed with bright and soulful sauces, the decadent desserts, mmm! My mouth is already watering just thinking about it!
Before I reach out and eat my keyboard, let’s get to the review!
Atmosphere
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is not currently a work of Imagineering brilliance. In its current state, it feels like a sleeping giant. It feels old and tired. I think the additions of Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will add popularity, but not a lot of continuity. I imagine that Disney is probably most concerned about it adding a boatload of money to their bank accounts. It is a business, after all!
As it currently stands, Mama Melrose’s is in Muppet Courtyard. This space is being rolled into Grand Avenue (a Downtown Los Angeles-style area). It is next to PizzeRizzo and Muppet Vision 3D. The fact that this location is currently off-the-beaten-path makes Mama Melrose’s feel like it is a hidden gem.
The main word for the this restaurant is ambiance. The restaurant’s ambiance makes it feel very much so like an old Italian restaurant. It reminds me of several Hollywood Italian restaurants I have eaten at in the past. There are signs and posters all over the walls, the lights are low, the entire restaurant (even though it is fairly large) feels small and intimate. It even feels somewhat quiet! (By WDW standards)
You enter and the host greets you at the front desk. There are many celebrity photos on the wall and sculptures around the waiting area. Guests pass by the kitchen and then enter one of several dining rooms.
Food
The Walt Disney World website categorizes Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano as American and Italian Cuisine. The basic menu starts with a selection of various appetizers such as flatbreads, salads, and seafood dishes. There a several entrees that range from pasta to meat dishes. The meal finishes with several traditional Italian desserts like Cannolis, Gelato, Tiramisu, and many more. There is also an extensive drinks menu.
Our server came to the table and presented us with a traditional bread starter with an olive oil and herb dipping sauce. I think Sarah and I could have eaten this bread with the dipping sauce for our entree. It was warm and tasty.
Our meal came with two appetizers, so we wanted to diversify our order. This was slightly a surprise to us, but we weren’t mad! The fact that we could order an entire pizza by itself, and call it an appetizer, was a massive win! We also were not planning on using a Dining Plan credit later that night so we wanted to get as much food as possible. I ordered the Pepperoni Flatbread and Sarah ordered the Crispy Calamari. The flatbread was really good. The restaurant boasts a wood burning oven and the pizzas come directly out of the oven and to your table. Sarah and I both love the crispiness this brings to the crust.
The calamari were good, but the stars of that dish were the dipping sauces. Sarah and I loved all three of the sauces. We ended up eating all the calamari and saving some of the flatbread because we knew that would keep better. We also knew we still had two massive entrees and desserts we needed to eat.
Next was the entree round. We knew that Italian food usually means large portions, but goodness gracious these were massive portions. I know they don’t look like it in the pictures, but that is because the plates are roughly the size of the Moon of Endor (getting in as many Galaxy’s Edge content as possible!). Sarah ordered the Oven-baked Chicken alla Parmigiana (she LOVES chicken parmesan) and I ordered Charred Strip Steak. I rarely eat steak at home so I normally order this whenever possible at Disney World.
Sarah really loved the Chicken alla Parmigiana. She was never going to not, because it is one of her favorite things to eat in the world. She devoured bite after bite until I needed to pull the plate away and reminder her that dessert was still coming. Personally, I was not a huge fan of the sauce. I thought the chicken was great, but the pasta part was lacking. It felt like it came out of a can without very much regard for seasoning.
My steak was really good. I thought the crust on the steak was out-of-this world. It was crispy and seasoned incredibly well. I tend to prefer slightly over-seasoned and I think that may be why I liked this steak so much. There was a slight punch from the salt and pepper that made it come alive. It also came with Four-Cheese Macaroni with Pancetta, Aged Balsamic-Shallot Butter (mac and cheese). This was also really good. It was thick and provided a nice, creamy contrast to the seasoning on the steak. My only problem was that the Chianti Wine Reduction was not very reduced and it made it look not very appetizing. It looked like the steak bled out.
Our meal came with one shared desert so we went with the Dessert Sampler. I had to tear Sarah away from ordering the Cannoli. The dish came with three sample-size cakes. The desserts are: Valencia Blood Orange Cake, Lemon Cheesecake topped with Passion Fruit Pearls, and Tiramisu. Sarah and I would rank them: lemon cheesecake, blood orange cake, and then tiramisu. We both LOVED the lemon and passion fruit pearls. The blood orange cake promised interesting flavors, but did not deliver and Sarah and I are not huge tiramisu fans.
My understanding was that Mama Melrose’s is an up-and-down kind of restaurant. Sometimes it is great, sometimes it isn’t. From our experience. It was really good. Good enough that it is high on our priority list when we return!
Cost
According to the Disney World website, Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano is classified with “$$” which means adults should expect to pay roughly $15-$34.99, per adult. If you are paying out-of-pocket, you can plan on paying roughly $15 per appetizer, $25 per entree, and $7 per dessert. That makes it a fairly expensive dining experience. Hot tip: these meals (like many others at WDW) can easily be split. Sarah and I could have taken home half of our appetizers and an entire entree. If you are looking to save some money, order one of each and then decide if you need more. That means you have more room for an ice cream sundae from Hollywood Scoops before Fantasmic!
For the Disney Dining Plan users, this restaurant requires one Table Service credit per person. This is one of the best uses of a Dining Plan credit at Hollywood Studios. For Sarah and I, it is the best. We are not huge fans of sassy servers so we avoid 50’s Prime Time Cafe, the food at Hollywood & Vine was mediocre, and the menu is not as interesting at Sci-Fi Drive-in Theater.
Hot tip: If you really want to squeeze as much value as possible out of Mama Melrose’s, book the Fantasmic! Fastpass option! Good seating is always limited for this show, so every little perk you can get is helpful. For the Tables in Wonderland users, this restaurant has a 20% discount.
Who Should Eat Here?
There are several groups that would be interested in dining at Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano. The first, and most obvious are the guests who love Italian food. This is one of several Italian restaurants at Walt Disney World, but the only serviceable one at Hollywood Studios (sorry PizzeRizzo). This is good Italian food and you will be very happy if you come hungry.
That leads me to my second group of people who will be drawn to eating at this restaurant: people trying to get the most food for their money. This food is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of it and it comes out fast. Be prepared! Lastly, this is a good place to aim to eat for guests on the Dining Plan, especially if you are looking to attend Fantasmic! If you are on the Dining Plan and you want to eat in Hollywood Studios, consider Mama Melrose’s.
Have you eaten at Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano? What what your experience? Share your thoughts in the comments section! For other reviews including resorts and other restaurants, check out our Reviews page!
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