Mamma Lucia’s Restaurant

Mama Mia! Diamond in the rough. As an Italian born and raised in Brooklyn this place reminds me of when I used to visit my grand mothers in Bensonhurst. Okay, the food isn’t up for a Michelin star, but you get what you pay for. The ambiance brings you back to how the area used to be, you can chat it up with the owners in here and they’ll talk to you about the old days. They are very humbled still to be open. I’m not sure why Defara pizza has a thousand reviews and this place only has a handful. Gentrification is happening all over this city and gems like his place are slowly dying out and turning into crap candle stores. Let’s keep this place pumping, it’s the last mom and pop shop holding on. May not be THE BEST food in Brooklyn, but it has swag. I like the old school funk it has. You all over look the point in places like this. It’s not just about the food– it’s the experience! Check it out and see for your self

We have been coming here for decades. It is a quaint comfortable family restaurant. It is small and the owner always remembers you and greets you warmly. The food is simple and basic Italian. Always well prepared and fresh. It is great to go to a restaurant where you are treated well and enjoy a good meal.

I’ve lived in the neighborhood for about three years now and I always walked by this place and wondered what it would be like. To no surprise, if you’ve read some of the other reviews, the place was a ghost town when I showed up late one Thursday night.
I have to take issue with some people calling this place «dirty». The place, based on my own experience, was well kept and not at all «musty» as was mentioned in another review.
However, It immediately strikes you as a relic of a restaurant. Perhaps it’s more relic than restaurant, who knows? Either way, it is intimate, old school Italian-​American. I’m a sucker for these places.
I ordered the antipasto and spaghetti with meat sauce (I was taking a walk down memory lane). The antipasto was decent and the spaghetti hit the spot. The bread was warm and crusty with plenty of oil (with olives) and butter. The portions were generous (as they should have been, for the price). The wait staff was friendly, attentive and not at all pushy.
I know people have their qualms about not getting every last cent out of the dollar that they pay at a restaurant but I really think that this is the case of a family restaurant barely scraping by in an atrophied neighborhood now devoid of the people who used to frequent this once flourishing establishment. I might be hedging my bets, too, if I were the owner.
My advice would be this. If you happen to be walking by and have the time and a 20-​spot in your pocket, go in and judge for yourself. You’ll step back in time, in a good way. I think we should stop wondering why it’s still around and start celebrating that fact that it is still around.

Have never had anything but a great experience in this lovely neighborhood restaurant. The ambiance is quaint, old-​school and very Italian. The food is simply delicious and authentic — and I say that as grandson of immigrant Italian grand parents on both sides and a mom who spent most of her waking hours in the kitchen cooking the best Italian food that would rival the best Italian 5 star restaurants on either coast.
I had a desiderio for a combination vodka pene with salmon and I joked about it with my date that I was embarrassed to ask for something special and not on the menu. The waiter said, nonsense, and went into the kitchen. Within a few minutes he emerged, smiling saying the cook would be happy to accommodate my request. The result — the vodka pene with salmon that was placed in front of me was simply fantastic. This little aside highlights the kind of establishment Mamma Lucia is.
That said, I can attest that Mamma Lucia’s menu, preparation and presentation would make my sainted mom proud and happy that her son can still enjoy authentic Italian cuisine even after her passing.
I am now about to order a feast from Mamma L’s for delivery. I’ll update this review to report on whether or not the management can deliver their wonderful food with the same perfection as I have experienced a meal seated in their warm, inviting establishment.

Recommended by my friend Sean, I tried Mamas. The staff was friendly. The food was delicious. I ordered veal parm with zucchini. The bread was pipping hot.
I loved the vibe. It’s a cute little place. They played soft Italian music. I would go back and recommend it!

My wife and I had an excellent dinner here recently. The restaurant is a nice little gem in an area that has seen better days, but appears to be coming back. We went in not knowing what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised. My wife and I both had nice salads to start, then she had the veal dinner while I had Italian sausages with peppers. The food was all tasty, and we were happy with the wine that the owner recommended. I would add that the bill was totally reasonable. Four stars.

I really want to like this place because it’s on my way home, but after two tries I gave up. It’s always empty, despite every place on Cortelyou and Newkirk being packed. They keep irregular hours. The food is quite expensive compared to other places in the neighborhood and considering the food. All the menu items are variations on two or three things — veal, chicken, or mussels. It’s all that bland American Italian food, which I sort of have a soft spot for, but somehow this doesn’t trigger my Jersey Italian nostalgia. It just makes me wish I’d boiled my own pasta at home.

This place is fabulous. I usually am bored with Italian places but they knocked it out of the park. They have the best red sauce ive ever had. Amazing.

I visited this this place once with my late husband right after our baby was born and we got a free night out. It was not my 1^st pick but the food was ok the place could stand for a good cleaning but the service was nice. Having been to Italy a few times I could see where their cook comes from but they really need a makeover.

This restaurant is one of the only of its kind in the immediate area. I absolutely love the manicotti and get the same thing almost every time. I ventured out before and tried some of their other dishes, like their lasagna, but it sort of lacked something. The manicotti never disappointed, though. And, the owner personally takes care of customers and was always extremely nice to me. While I’ve only ever ordered my food to go, this is cute little restaurant that would be great for dining in. The only potential issue is that they’re closed pretty often and it’s never really been clear for me what days they’d be open.

HORRIBLE!!! Dirty hole in the wall with mediocre food and a ridiculous price. If I’m all out if options sometimes i order for delivery from this place. Today was unfortunately one of those days. I ORDERED ziti with meat sauce and chicken parm. I received only chicken parm. When I called back to see if they would be bringing it, the man over the phone said if was too busy in the restaurant and to call back around 10pm (it was 5pm). It think that about sums it up.

What are other people talking about??? This place is one of my favorite restaurants. The place is clean and the food is fabulous!!! I have been in the restaurant biz for 30yrs

Ok first off, the food is DELICIOUS. The hot antipasto is perfection. PERFECTION. I ordered a chicken parmigiana and the rest of my family ordered lobster fra diavolo and chicken/​veal francese. The portions were very hearty and the food was very nicely garnished and so full of flavor. Décor is nice and the owner is very friendly. This place is truly a treat and I highly recommend it.

I wanted to love this place since I am new to the area. However that was not the case! Great atmosphere and super great customer service. I took my uncle from out of town here one night and the food was just bad. No flavor at all and overpriced. We were very disappointed. He had the spaghetti and meatballs and I had the shrimp parmesan. The best thing was the toasted bread they serve. This place has been around for years so I hope they will consider these reviews and get a new cook or something. Would love to see them do better since it’s close by.

I’ve chosen to update my review with the email chain initiated by someone from this establishment. I do not make it a habit to post negative reviews, and I left a lot out of this particular review, but given the unprofessional response I thought everyone should know just what kind of place this is. Instead of apologizing, or even inquiring as to why I would write such a review, I was asked to come in (which could be read as a threat) and then attacked personally. Unilocal is a forum where everyone can share their experiences, I am not an avid Unilocaler, not by a long shot, but every so often I have an experience I wish to share.
hello Ms Jadie,
I would love for you to come and show me how to make a tomato sauce!
Looking forward to meeting you!
Jaydie O. One hour ago
If I did, I’m sure you would not have to overcharge on the few seats you sit each night.
But as I said, you could not pay me to step foot in your musty place again but if you are really interested, I would suggest a Google search. They also sell awesome sauces in jars — which would be a step up from what you serve.
Lucia M.
Owner
Un-​Block Owner
16 minutes ago
im going to assume you have a joyful, active, happy life; since you have time to Unilocal and critique businesses like you do. Do you aspire to be a professional food critic? best of luck to you!
All the best.
Jaydie O. A moment ago
Instead of apologizing for the substandard food, you choose to make this personal. Its sad considering I’m sure, at one time, your establishment was worth a visit.
At the end of the day, I wrote my review, based on my terrible experience at your restaurant. Which I will update to include your unprofessional replies to a real complaint. Since you are so interested in my life, you should take a moment to read through my reviews, I do not make it habit to post negative reviews. The fact I did so was based on your performance as a manager/​owner or whatever you choose to classify yourself as.
Thank you for confirming my position. May you continued to be blessed with much success (in ripping people off).
If you wish to continue to email me, know I will notify Unilocal.
Cheers.

Super friendly staff unfortunately the food sucks and it’s overpriced. Save your money and go elsewhere.
Here’s an update since the owner contacted me and said people are commenting on my review:
We had the stuffed clams which the most bland food I’ve ever had. They tasted like cardboard and had no flavor. I’m serious when I say they were the worst thing I’ve ever tasted. The lasagne was bland as well. I ordered the special which I think was chicken parmesan and spaghetti. It was awful. It was bland, the sauce was watery. The noodles say in a pile of watery sauce. The chicken was ok. Nothing special. The special was supposed to come with dessert. Nobody mentioned dessert to me and I didn’t care for any anyways. It’s obvious the pasta isn’t homemade. I’m serious when I say that it’s the worst food I’ve ever had. The server was very sweet and the service was great on a positive note.

On a Saturday evening this intimate, cozy restaurant was nearly empty, but I guess it’s because the neighborhood isn’t attractive. I know the place from 25, 30 years ago when it was great and I was a regular. I miss the original brothers who used to run the place, and felt nostalgic looking at their pictures with celebrities on the walls.
Over the years I’ve checked it out from time to time and found it overpriced and just okay. This time they had a complete dinner for $ 18 – 20 that includes:
* soup, antipasto, tomato juice, or fruit cup
* parmesan entrée
* pasta or vegetable
* ice cream, cheesecake, carrot cake, or something else I forgot
* coffee, espresso, cappuccino or tea.
Our meal including a carafe of wine averaged about $ 28.00 per person. The complimentary bread was warm, crusty and good, and the black olives in olive oil were a nice touch. My pasta e fagioli was very pleasant and hit the spot. The antipasto salad looked really good and the people who had it were very happy. Everybody agreed the red sauce was bland but passable, and the entrée portion sizes weren’t generous but acceptable. I can’t report on the pasta since I had the veg side dish of green beans & potatoes, but those who had pasta ate it all without complaint. We had the ricotta cheesecake with strawberry slices, and cappuccino and were very pleased with them. The waiter and busboy did just fine.
While Mamma Lucia isn’t on the top of my list, it’s not on the bottom, and I’m sure I’ll be back because I enjoyed the comfy and warm atmosphere.

Wow, so much potential with little satisfaction. Sauce is acidic, food is oily and unflavorful. It’s apparent to me that little thought goes into the management of this destination. Save your money and look elsewhere.
It’s the superfluous arrogance of management that keeps this microwave friendly restaurant from developing into a true trattoria.

I had heard from others in my neighborhood how great Mama Lucia’s was, so we gave it a try. When we arrived the waiter was very friendly and we were impressed with the décor.
We both had chicken Francese. We both found it to be rather tasteless and overpriced. Also the portions were quite small which I guess was okay because the food was not all that great, so why get a lot!
I hope we tried them on an off night but judging how empty the place was on a Saturday night, I think our experience may have been the norm!

I am very surprised no one has reviewed this restaurant yet. I’m more surprised it took me so long. This has been in the neighborhood for at least 25yrs. I first went here with my parents as a teenager and it became our go to place whenever we didn’t feel like going too far from home.
I arrive on Saturday night around 7pm hoping they’re not too busy. Well nothing to worry about I was the only one there. I pause thinking maybe they’re closed for private function, but no they invite to sit anywhere. Starting to wonder is the food not as good as it used to be? I have no problem dining alone but being the only one in the restaurant is a little weird.
I sit down and am promptly given warm Italian bread with butter. It’s little packets of hotel bar butter but that’s fine with me. As I wait for my appetizer I start thinking of other times I’ve been here. Mother’s Day, birthdays, the first dates, the last dates (is it mathematically possible to have more last dates than first dates?) and wonder why I haven’t been coming here as much as I use to. Is it one of those mind tricks we play on ourselves remembering things as better than they actually were? Have my taste gotten more sophisticated? Have I spent so much time exploring new restaurants that I took Mama’s for granted?
My appetizer was clams alla mama lucia, which is baked clams in a tomato, basil garlic broth. I prepare myself to be disappointed, convinced that somehow my memories deceived me. But no disappoint here. It was fantastic. The clams were meaty and not rubbery in the slightest. The sauce was killer. One of those sauces that make you want to lick the plate clean. Well it’s an empty restaurant so… why not? The waiter must have guessed what I was gonna do and came over with more bread to sop up the sauce.
For entrée I had a veal parmigiana which was good. It wasn’t as orgasmic as the clams but perfectly fine. It came with a delicious side of pan roast potatoes and zucchini. I was pretty full after meal so skipped desert. The price seemed pretty reasonable. Appetizer entrée and soda for $ 30. Not cheap but not gonna break the bank.
I saw 2 people come in to p/​u take out orders while i was dining. That’s it. This can’t be good on a Saturday night. Maybe it was an off night. I truly hope so.