Representing 2025 for alphabet series, the runner-up to out of town pick for the letter M, going…read morefrom Toronto to Olney, M is for Mamma Lucia. In December 2025, my girlfriend & I had a White Elephant holiday party my friend was hosting at lunchtime. It had been years since I went to a Mamma Lucia. I had been to the Hanover location in 2013 & Bethesda in 2016, so it had been almost 10 years since I went. I was never terribly impressed with Mamma Lucia. In 2013 I did a lunch buffet, which was pretty good, but nothing to write home about. In 2016, I had a date, and we split a pizza. Pizza was good, but again nothing to write home about. Olney location overall exceeded my more mediocre expectations. We were a separate large room from Gen Pop, which was nice. Servers were nice, but a couple times were a little slow but mostly did a good job. My girlfriend & I decided to split an entree as we had a BOGO deal only good that day we were going to do for dinner; so we didn't want to overeat. We got a seafood pasta, Seafood Asphargus, which includes some crab, shrimp, scallops, mushrooms on penne, which was excellent exceeding my expectations. The only thing was that it was a lunch sized smaller portion. We are thinking Italian are large portions. The server should've warned us, and she apologized for failing to mention this. The community bread for the table was outstanding too. Because splitting the lunch sized portion wasn't much food, we were pretty hungry at 4:30 and ultimately left our other event much earlier than anticipated, got our BOGO deal around 5 PM, and then came back over there since it was near our other event. We might've been eating dinner at 6 or 7 something if it had been splitting based on the dinner-sized portion. Overall, Mamma Lucia was more good than bad. There were close to 20 of us there. I saw some people hadn't seen in a while and met some nice people including another couple at our table, who became friends. As for the White Elephant, I did well getting an Elijah Craig Kentucky bourbon whiskey. We had a glass on new years. I enjoyed, my g/f didn't like; we doctored hers up to make better for her. I don't think that much at home; so 6 months later I still have half of it left.

This is another Branch of business restaurants i like thats in the Olney Town Village Square in…read moreOlney, Maryland area in one of my favorite places there . This Place is Called Mamma Lucia's Italian Restaurant . This place is a place od Tradition , Culture, And more . This place has a huge parking area its next door to Giant , And other stores. As you enter in the have an outside porch before going in the two woods doors and small hallways to the place . As you enter in you see in the left side a huge barista area that serves drinks exotic drinks and Sodas and more. To having a somewhat concealed kitchen where they perform their magic to make your best foods you could ever want or ever find anywhere else. They have great menus here full of the best foods of your choosing. The hsve regular menus for eating there . They have paper ones or you can find their menus online in your cell phones . I love the pizzas and Speghetti and other dishes as well there . Their wine collections are certainly impressive. Tis place has the pool of traveling back to the Early 19th to 20th century. Filled with Culturecand Traditions and more. I applied there on ocassions with no word . I reapplied recently . I want a jib there to be a bridge for all worlds of every walk of life that comes there . I love customer service interactions to mak everyone fel welcomed , At Home , And feel like family there . To bring them back as full time patrons and have them have the greatest time possible . In this place you get become something much bigger than yourself to exoeriences another culture and more . This place has a huge three arwa of duning ti sit whther it fir regular ostrons or family parties . They have great winecselection racs too to make the place look lije traveling back to the late 29th to early 20th century. This place has a great crew there but management needs changing to give people like me and more a chance to work there make a difference and be a good asset to the Teams there . I want the job there without being feared , jusged abd used bad politics against .. This place has a great family and community oriented atmosphere to be at . This is one of kt favorite places to cone too . I hadn't been there since my last birthday . Today will be my second return back after 7 years . What happened during the Covid Pandemic was inexcusable unjustifiable Reprehensible unlawful and down right wrong. It should never be tolerated again in any place of Business. Since business is slow is because as Americans communities need to finda a way to bring back business in a big way to bring business back as it should and must be again as the patronage all once were and shuld be again. If you love this place as do, This place is for you. We all look forward to seeing you all there very soon once again. Bon Appetite Everyone !

First rate in every way!…read more The restaurant has a pleasant, stylish decor. It's not great on the acoustics but was not overly loud despite being completely full. Our server was perfect. Friendly, attentive, got every part of our order correct. The food was delicious too. We ordered the burrata salad as an appetizer and loved it. We got a Margherita pizza and thought that it was tasty (a little chintzy with the toppings). We will definitely be back in the future!

Closer to 3.5, I got the burrata appetizer to go and it was solid. Just a lil pricey so probably…read morewould not order again. Feel like the tomatoes and other stuff could've been roasted/caramelized more. The cheese was fantastic and so was the bread. I ordered for pick up and it was ready within 30 mins. The inside looked very nice and Italian as it should. Will need to come back and try their pizza.

I've been here before, but my wife had never been, so when she asked where I wanted to go for…read moreItalian food, I told her, "I already know where we're going." We arrived around 5:30 PM. As we pulled into the parking lot, it looked very busy. There were a lot of people standing outside and several near the entrance. As we got closer, we realized most of them were actually leaving, which was a good sign. We were greeted as soon as we walked in and seated right away. As it turned out, the gentleman who seated us was also our server. He brought us water and an iced tea while we looked over the menu. We decided to start with the fresh baby kale salad from the specials menu. It included fresh apples, pears, blue cheese, pecans, and a delicious vinaigrette. Shortly after, our server returned with bread and took our dinner order. My wife ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken, and I ordered the Lamb Ragu special with homemade pasta. The salad arrived looking beautiful, and it tasted just as good as it looked. The apples and pears were fresh, sweet, and cut perfectly. The vinaigrette complemented everything without overpowering the ingredients. It was a great start to the meal. One thing I really appreciated was that our entrées didn't come out immediately after we finished the salad. We had a chance to relax and enjoy the evening. Sometimes a salad can fill you up, so it was nice to have a little break before the main course arrived. When our meals came out, both dishes looked amazing. Our server offered additional cheese for the pasta dishes. My wife added a little to hers, but I wanted to experience the Lamb Ragu exactly as the chef intended. The Fettuccine Alfredo was excellent. You could tell they use fresh cream, cheese, and butter to make the sauce. It was rich, creamy, and full of flavor. My Lamb Ragu was outstanding. The lamb was incredibly tender, and the sauce paired perfectly with the homemade pasta. I cleaned my plate. For dessert, we shared a slice of lemon cheesecake. My advice: don't share it--get your own slice. It was that good. The coffee was excellent as well and was the perfect way to finish the meal. We can't wait to return. The food here is consistently amazing, and the service is top-notch. What really stood out was the teamwork among the staff. You don't just have one server taking care of you. If our tea or water was getting low, someone was always there to refill it. Excellent food, excellent service, and a wonderful dining experience from start to finish.

We've eaten at Il Gusto Ristorante multiple times and had a good experience each time. We've…read moreordered their branzino multiple times. It's consistently tasty and well-seasoned, though a few times there were a few scales left on the skin. Not a dealbreaker, but worth noting. The vegetable side dishes tasted very fresh and complemented the meal nicely. And surprisingly, the mushroom risotto was actually really good, coming from someone who isn't usually a fan of mushrooms. Our son is a fan of noodles and enjoys the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. We've had the food delivered or we picked it up.

Don't be fooled by this non-descript appearance. My family…read morehad a gathering at the historic cemetery near by and chose to have lunch here after. The food was OUTSTANDING. I was a skeptic. Having traveled and dined across the globe, I did not expect homemade pasta, fresh espresso, and Neapolitan style pizza to be in Rockville MD. If you live within an hour drive, just take the trip and have lunch or dinner here. Try the espresso martini! I shared a cheese pizza with my daughter, my mother had the chicken piccata, my cousin the gnocchi, my father the chicken parm, my cousin had a caprese salad and the further seats I couldn't see. We all shared a few orders of the calamari. EVERYONE raved about how delicious their food was. I agree. Probably the best piccata I've tasted. The pizza was excellent. The tiramisu great. The pistachio gelato was perfect. I sure wish they were closer to Florida!! So good.

Came for dinner for 3 at 6pm on a Friday and it wasn't yet busy, though it got busier after we…read morearrived. All in all a great meal, and I look forward to eating my way around the menu. The biggest hit for me was the suppli appetizer. These are absolutely delicious and vegetarian friendly! Similar to arancini but somehow even more delicious. These are a must-order. I had the pasta alla vongole and a bite of my husband's chicken parmigiana. Our friend had mushroom ravioli that she loved, but I didn't try as I don't care for mushrooms. I've been on a clams and garlic kick lately for some reason and the vongole comes with these and bonus bacon. I would have preferred the bacon a tad crispier, but that is personal preference. I'd give this dish 4* - I would get it again but after trying some others. From the one bite the chicken parmigiana was a 5*. Their marinara is very good and the linguine in both our dishes tastes freshly made. We all split the chocolate temptation dessert and I ate more of it than I expected to, it is chocolate mousse adjacent cake with ganache frosting, very light, perfectly sweet. Often I find chocolate desserts too much after a big meal but this one wasn't heavy at all. 5* My friend ordered sangria which she thought was more like a wine cooler; too sweet for her French oenophile sensibilities and a bit lighter than a sangria usually is, but I am a pleb who loves sweet drinks and I would order it. If you are a sangria purist you might not care for it. Hubs enjoyed his old fashioned but said it needed a dash more bitters to be perfect. I was driving so enjoyed a non-dirty Shirley. Prices to me are reasonable for quality and portion size; our tab ended up high because of the appetizer, drinks and dessert but if you just had pizza or pasta with soda it would be pretty affordable. I will be back to get more suppli and try other dishes!

Uh oh! I have found another restaurant that my body will crave and want to come back again and…read moreagain - the fluffy long, soft rolls and wonderful house salad served in a bowl, house made fresh pasta, and delicious cocktails. I really appreciated how far apart the tables are to allow for conversations you can hear and more space in the cold/flu season. I had a Chocolate Martini and my husband ordered a Lemondrop Martini (not on the menu) but was definitely good. The basket of the fluffy, soft, warm rolls were incredible and something I will come back for. I got the Mediterranean bruschetta special which came with feta, crabmeat, tomatoes, balsamic glaze and lots of other yummy things on four pieces of bruschetta. It was delicious. The shrimp scampi over the thin fresh noodles was a pleasure - really loved how big the shrimp were and the large helping of pasta. My husband got the lasagna which was good although they used some different cheeses which made it taste a little different but still good. Amanda our waitress was quick, pleasant, and took good care of us. Fratelli's is a Resy restaurant. Make reservations ahead of time, since on Saturdays even at 4:00 pm, all the reservations are already booked for the night. I have returned to Fratelli's for a work group lunch. Kendra was excellent, taking care of our large group with professionalism, efficiency, and a warm smile and manner. I got the !4" pizza which is a deep dish pizza - just perfect - not too buttery. I got sausage which had the long slices of sausage on it, not spicy. You can only eat one or two pieces out of the thick eight slices, the pizza is thick so expect to share or take it home for several more lunches.

We have been so unnerved by this most recent experience that it's taken me over a week to comment…read moreon it. While we have routinely enjoyed ourselves here before, our last visit was seriously soured with a very rude, entitled host. So much so that the manner in which he spoke to us actually made my wife extremely nervous. The manager knows who he is. We had a conversation with her about his rude comments & unacceptable behavior after which we ended up leaving. I don't see us ever returning unless the host has been released from his assignment there. It's unfortunate for the restaurant because we are not afraid to enjoy anything on the menu and we tip very well (I was a waiter once, too). What an unfortunate loss for the person who would have benefited from what would have been our time there. We ended up going to Manalu and had a really terrific experience there.

Thank you to Caruso's Grocery for hosting my granddaughter's 16th birthday dinner. A huge shout out…read moreto Patrick, the event coordinator from Caruso's who helped me in every aspect of planning this special event. The food was delicious. The group was given a choice of appetizers: meatballs, basil and tomato caprese salad, dinner salad, or garlic bread. Each of the appetizers were better than the next. The girls shared the meatballs, garlic bread, and caprese salad. Thank you to our server for bringing out gluten free bread for one of our guests with a gluten allergy. Our main dishes was the shrimp scampi,which was full of flavor and so tasty. There were several of us who ordered the shrimp scampi and you could hear a chorus of oohs and aah's. We loved every bite. I am pleased to share that Caruso's has gluten free pasta for guests with gluten allergies. And, the gluten free pasta was scrumptious. The birthday girl had chicken parmigiana and a side of spaghetti. She really enjoyed her meal. Another, guest had the penne pasta and she loved hers too. There portions were very generous. We also had a guest order the Caesar salad with shrimp. It came out with dressing, when the dressing was supposed to be on the side, but our waiter was quick to remedy that. The ambiance is lovely and reminds me of my grandmother's home in Little Italy. It is old world Italian with comfortable seating. I know it was a busy night, but the one fly in our ointment was our server. There was too much of a lag between courses, and main dishes came out of the kitchen at different times. Also, our gluten free guest had to sit and watch while others ate cake because her ice cream sundae was no where to be found. It finally made it to the table, but I felt badly for this young lady. I know our server was swamped with guests. Hopefully, next time a large party is on the schedule, they can lighten the load for that server. All of the girls had a good time including the birthday girl. So, I am reminded of the saying, it all works out in the end. Thank you, Caruso's.

Came here recently for lunch Sunday. They have two sections inside and we sat in the bar area. You…read morecan order off both of Caruso's and Owen's food menus. Bar area is very chill. Food was very good! To start, we tried the Garlic Bread Quattro Formaggi which was so flavorful they even had fresh garlic inside the bread. We got two pasta dishes: Chicken Parmigiana and Spicy Neapolitan Ragu, both generous portions, very well flavored and overall delicious! Our cocktails were great too. Tried the Lemon Ricota Donuts--they were just okay, a bit too doughy for my preference.

Casual interior- nothing to write about. But as soon as you walk in - the Italian aromas will greet…read moreyou! The food was front and center and the star of the show was the wild mushroom appetizer. I will be coming back for those - mushrooms, artichokes, fig, and goat cheese ... all in a flavorful broth (like how mussels are prepared ) and they leave a piece of bread in the center to soak it all up. Incredible. We also had the salmon, eggplant, and crab ravioli and all the entrees were a home run. Service was immaculate. Every time someone finished a plate - they were right behind us ready to clear. Went back a week later for those mushrooms! Got a pic this time. Chicken was overcooked but a solid healthier option.

Updating my review after a visit this evening where we enjoyed two different entrees. I had the…read moreGrilled Salmon and Shrimp over Spinach with Asparagus and my partner got the Chicken Marsala. Both entrees came with a cold, fresh side salad with a tangy Italian dressing. The entrees were very good. The salmon had a nice char, but was moist and flavorful. If you like salmon with a sauce, you'll be disappointed. I like mine simple, and this is a well-prepared salmon. The shrimp (3 large) were good. The spinach had a nice garlic flavor and the asparagus was well prepared - not mushy. The chicken Marsala also was good. The Marsala was light (not thick) and somewhat sweet. Very good. Honestly, the bread service was pretty disappointing. Our last visit the bread was fine, but this basket was pretty dried out and almost seemed stale. The oil accompanying the bread had almost no cheese in it. Essentially, you dipped tasteless bread into oil. Really disappointing. I'm not going to reduce my overall restaurant score for this one thing (because the entrees were very good), but the bread service was not good. The service was good.

I came into the DC area two weeks ago and will be here for the next 11 months. This restaurant…read morewas recommended to me by a colleague so I decided to make the walk from where I am currently staying. Let me start by saying that the atmosphere in this restaurant is one that is so welcoming the minute you arrive. I approached the hostess stand to inquire if there was bar seating available to which the polite hostesses provided a gentle hand gesture and oral direction to the bar. While walking to the bar area, I encountered what I presume to have been a server who was likely standing watch from a distance over his service area, who apologized as our paths met. (There was no reason to apologize, very polite nonetheless) I found a seat at the bar and was greeted by Paul. Paul was an exceptionally pleasant and answered all my immediate questions while preparing my initial cocktail during happy hour. We discussed the menu and he provided great insight which helped finalize my decision for the evening . In the meantime, bar manager Laura stopped by to ensure that I was taken care of to which I informed her that Paul and I spoke and he is making a beverage for me. For the food...the Caesar Salad is #1. I am a food snob and this salad HITS!! While enjoying my salad I inquired about their cast bourbon selection. The staff was very knowledgeable and provided a price list to coincide with their higher end selections. My 40 layer lasagna arrived some time in the midst of the conversation where Paul extended a courtesy sampling of a wine that he recommended that pairs nicely with my meal. It was perfect. I closed out my meal with an espresso type martini, at which time Paul and Laura further extended and offered me a sampling of one of the bourbons I was looking at. I cannot say enough about this establishment. I can't wait to go back and have already recommended via phone conversations to three people and I just left. The evening and encounter was more than just pleasantries with a customer, rather I felt as if I was the only one. If the owner or manager is reading this, Paul and Laura are 10+ and I will be back. Thank you so much for the best meal I have had in DC over the last 2 weeks. Can't wait to do it again!!!

L'Ardente was incredible! The 40-layer lasagna was unforgettable, and every dish we tried was…read morebeautifully prepared. A must-visit in DC.