C and I have been going to Mamma Rosa's for nearly ten years. It's a traditional Italian parilla, situated on a corner where cars, bikes and motorcycles do a frightening tango as they fly through the intersection. Although there are many restaurants that offer this free show, Mama Rosa offers really good fare.
The wait for a table, if you didn't make reservations, can be interminable. And you will find Porteno's arriving at 23:00, willing to wait 30-40 minutes, sometimes, to get seated. That tells you something. Service, for Yankees, will seem slow, but the point is to enjoy ... relax. Sit back, talk, watch the traffice tango, people watch. The pace is leisurely here; everyone spends hours here for dinner. If you're in a hurry, go to McDonalds. The waiters may appear a bit serious or gruff, but we have gotten to know them and I assure you they are okay. The fact is that they work like crazy, lunch through dinner. Mamma Rosa is also open for lunch and even on Sunday for lunch, when it gets as crowded as a Friday night.
Favorites include: Berenjenas Napolitana. This is an appetizer, but it's plenty as a dinner. Credit card thin lauers of pasta, ham, and egg plant, covered in a special red sauce. Incredible! I often opt for the Pollo a la Provenzal (pata y muslo), con papas fritas (fries) which is chicken quarters with garlic. Of course, you can get the breast (pechuga) if you prefer. The chicken is falling off the bone.
Oddity: They serve bread, but never have butter. However, they serve a plate of mortadella with the bread, which make up for the lack of butter.
Be prepared: Like many such restaurants, they close between about 3 pm and 8 pm. Also, they are closed on Tuesdays.
Sadly: They recently started serving water in plastic bottles. Bad for the environment and for the ambiance. There was nothing like getting a cold wet green bottle of water. :(
Food: 4+ stars
Service: 3+ stars
Ambiance: 5 stars
Wines: good list of inexpensive to ecellent wines, but sometimes they run out of this or that. read more