When Yelp hands you a challenge, you do not decline. That Italian restaurant badge was flaunted in front of me and we decided that it was a mission to get it! As luck would have it, I chatted with a new local friend a few days before and 'got the lowdown' on Mama Mia's. Her words and advice were spot on! She gushed over the bread - so good! - and mentioned how she and her mom often shared plates because the serving sizes are so generous. She also said that they used to make their own spumoni and, admittedly, I hoped that was still true (I didn't confirm one way or another). There was a 20 minute wait. Our hostess was running a tight ship and we were confident in her forecast, so we chatted and looked over the carryout menu, planning our meals. It was pointless, of course, because it was still hard to decide! Our server Missy took great care of us, from fetching a craft beer menu to boxing up our leftovers. The restaurant was busy yet we never felt a moment of neglect. The hustle is STRONG here, with servers weaving intricately between the tables with food and beverages. It was a bit like dinner and a show! I had the tortellini Parmesan dinner, which started with one of the best bowls of minestrone that I can recall. The vegetables were on point, firm with no mush. The dinner salad had a lot of lettuce but also a nice collection of 'stuff' including cheese, meat and olives. I loved the tortellini; straightforward and not smothered, it let the pasta shine. Smokin'Hubster had the stuffed shells a la carte and added some meatballs. Everything was well-presented and prepared, super tasty and, well, it tasted like it was made with love. Nonna would approve! Because I had the dinner, I had my choice of ice cream. While I had hoped for the spumoni, the option I chose was amaretto Mackinac Island and it was divine. If they didn't make it on prem, they have an amazing partnership. I can't recall the last time I had ice cream after dinner and I certainly don't ever think that I've remembered it so fondly a week later. Trust me, it's THAT GOOD! In the best Italian tradition, the leftovers were even better the next day. The value cannot be overstated. We were fat, dumb and happy twice with this dinner. Crazy as it sounds, Smokin'Hubster was already planning a carryout order because he wants to try some other dishes (as do I)!! Start to finish, it was the best date night! Lots of street parking and easy to find in the burgeoning metropolis of Ishpeming. Get yourself here and enjoy la dolce vita! read more

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Mama Mia's Italian Restaurant is one of the few long-running restaurants in Ishpeming that genuinely feels tied to the town rather than just located in it. The place has been around for decades, and the experience reflects that kind of stability and familiarity. On the food side, I ordered the Lasagne Dinner, which is a verified menu item, along with garlic bread. The lasagne is exactly the kind of old-school Italian-American comfort food that works best in a place like this. The layers hold together properly instead of collapsing into sauce, the cheese has a rich baked texture without becoming oily, and the meat sauce has a slow-cooked flavor that feels consistent rather than rushed. The garlic bread also deserves mention because it comes out with a crisp edge and soft center that actually complements the heavier pasta dishes instead of just sitting on the side untouched. Service is one of the restaurant's strongest qualities. The pacing feels experienced rather than scripted. Staff know how to handle regulars, larger dinner rushes, and slower tables without making the room feel chaotic. Refills, check-ins, and food timing all happen naturally, which gives the place a much more relaxed rhythm than newer restaurants trying too hard to feel upscale. The ambiance is a huge part of why the restaurant works. The interior has that older Italian restaurant warmth with dimmer lighting, darker furnishings, and a dining room that feels lived-in rather than renovated for trends. It is comfortable in a way that makes people stay longer than they planned to. The atmosphere feels personal and local instead of corporate or interchangeable. Overall, this is one of the more complete dining experiences in the area. The food is deeply consistent, the service feels experienced and natural, and the atmosphere has enough character that the restaurant stays memorable long after the meal is over. read more

Ordered on line . Changed my credit card then say 1 hour later at pick they don't have my order! Too bad . Good food in past. But that is horrible service!!! read more

I have been coming here since i wasa child. I continue to frequent this restaurant. They have the best Italian dishes. I am so sad They are selling. read more

Our party had a variety of pasta dishes and the sauces were extremely water in all of them--they didn't drain the pasta adequately. That made the sauces have very little flavor. The garlic bread was delicious and the service was very good. Server was friendly. The watery pasta was really disappointing. Not sure we'd eat here again. The food rated 2.5 stars, price point and service rates about 3.5 stars. Since the food is the reason to be here, this rates 2.5 stars overall. read more

I paid for $50 gift card on December 20th and it was never delivered. I emailed mama mias several times with no response! We really like the food and staff here but this was not the only time I had problems with them sending gift cards. If I don't here from them soon I will be forced to contact BBB and post on social media. Like I said before the food and staff is wonderful. read more

My husband and I really enjoyed the experience, wait staff and food at Mama Mia's. The ambiance was perfect for a wintry day! Highly recommend! read more

Mama Mia's Italian Restaurant - Sacchetti yummy - Italian Near Me - Ishpeming, Michigan

Came for lunch on a decently busy afternoon. Parking in the street can prove to be a little tricky. Service throughout was hit or miss. The restaurant area is not very big so it fills up quickly. It can get loud and seats are close together. Overall, we were extremely disappointed. The family sized dinner salad was actually pretty good. No complaints there. It was well dressed, good size, and fresh. We also ordered an alfredo, a pizza, and chicken parmesan. All of these things were on school cafeteria level quality. Alfredo and the pizza were essentially not even edible they were so bad. Chicken parmesan was also pretty sad. Everything tasted so fake. As a true Italian myself, it hurts me to say even Olive Garden is a step up from this... Very disappointed in our visit. read more

This well established restaurant and a family favorite. They had many vegetarian entrees and my cheese stuffed shells were excellent. The portion was enough for three people! read more

Excellent food and great service. Wonderful atmosphere that adds to the dining experience. Highly recommend this hidden gem in downtown Ishpeming! read more

Food was nice but nothing special. The service was okay, ambiance was nice. I would recommend for lunch or dinner. read more

So good. Get the Chicken Jo. Our whole family loves to eat here. Garlic bread is the best!

Was in town for a dog trial and saw this place half a block from the Air BNB. Stopped in and order food to go. Ordered the Lasagna and Chicken Jovani. We received salad, soup, garlic bread, entrees, and ice cream for under $50.00. Everything was exceptional. The portions were huge and we have enough for another dinner. Garlic bread was awesome. Lasagna and Chicken Jo (as they call it) didn't disappoint. When in the area again I will definitely stop by. read more

Good and quick food solution on a night that we need a simple dinner service. Easy, fast delivery!

Nice ambiance. Waitresses were attentive, but one member of our party received the wrong shrimp dish. Food was not very good. My tenderloin was very tough. I don't think it was an actual filet Lasagna was a ton of bland meat sauce over a few lasagna noodles. I didn't note any type of cheese. 2 star! The ravioli was Ok. Side salad was just OK. The garlic bread was great. We had 7 in our party. No one was impressed with the food. read more

Solid spot. Nothing particularity extraordinary about the food. Your standard "olive garden" cuisine but it is tasty, cooked well, and huge portions. Wine is inexpensive. Service with a smile. The occasional drunk ladies loudly enjoying a night out which could be annoying to some, but entertaining to me. Great value restaurant. read more

This wasn't our first time here. My dad and myself and his friends come up here to snowmobile often, and this is one of the places he enjoys going to. I knew we'd be coming in close to closing time, but he wanted to come here so I figured we'd try to get in. We came in and sat ourselves, and were waited on right away. The issue came after we got our menus. There was no music on in the dining room, and we were seated right outside the kitchen and unfortunately we were able to hear word for word the displeasure the staff had that we wanted to order a pizza at 5 minutes to close. It was a very loud conversation that I could also hear our waitress joining in on which made everything extremely awkward. She came out and took our order and went back to the kitchen and still I could hear the staff complaining about making our order. When our order was close to coming out I could hear the staff saying " wait it's not to go? I swear you said twice it was to go?" To which our waitress replied "oh no we couldn't get that lucky." The only reason I didn't say something is for the sake of my father being there otherwise I would have completely walked out of the restaurant. The place is nothing special and I could get what we ordered at another place in town. My suggestion is next time you want to talk shit on your customers, make sure there's at least music on in the dining room so they can't hear every word of it. If it's up to me I won't come back here again. Also if you don't want to make orders so close to closing, don't seat the customers and kindly tell them to go somewhere else. read more

Looked at the great reviews. First time customers, and agreed with the reviews. Very tasty. Wife had Manicotti, Daughter-in-law had Pasta Primavera Alferdo, and my son and I had the Lobster Ravioli dinners. We Trolls had a great time. When we are in the area again, we will make time to come back. And yes, garlic bread it fabulous ! read more

There was a mouse that ran across the dining room. That's not a great indication of cleanliness. It just felt old and dirty. Portion sizes were way too big. Food tasted good though. Hard to forget a rodent though. read more

Sauce is way too salty, lasagna was weak...,hardly any cheese, smidge of ricotta cheese. Noodles are very good. Welted lettuce for salads. Service was pleasant, and ambience is very Italian. Husband said steak was cooked perfect to medium but needed the extra salt in the sauce and bread have in it. read more

Mama Mia's used to be pretty good and still could be again. The atmosphere is beautiful and service has always been pleasant. I heard things were going down hill there and finally tried it out. The only problem I saw was (unfortunately) the biggest problem an Italian place can have- the tomato sauce. Three people at the table thought it was too acidic, I thought I tasted an overload of sweetness (sounds like I'm the crazy one), but still- that means it made the meals difficult to eat for each of us. Might stop for some breadsticks to go in the future, but probably not the lasagne again until I hear they've fixed the food up again. read more

Was a great surprise! Courtney was helpful and friendly and offered up some genuinely thoughtful suggestions. The garlic bread was some of the best I've had. Portions were good sized. Mine tortellini was excellent. Will definitely go back! read more

Mama Mia's Italian Restaurant - Decor in main restaurant - Italian Near Me - Ishpeming, Michigan

Good food and all, but can we just talk about the spaghetti and garlic bread? That stuff is the most recommended out of all and is just *chefs kiss* Thanks for reading this review, have a great day! read more

The Alfredo was so good+the mozzarella stick I recommend you have it PS: the waitress Susie is awesome and really helpful

Absolutely amazing place! I had mostaccioli with meatballs and it was excellent. They don't skimp on ingredients and it all seemed very fresh. The salad, minestrone, ice cream, bread and meatballs were all great. The portions were large for the money. We took a ton of food home. The server was awesome too! Recap: - great food - great service - good value - fresh - awesome re-heated! - my new favorite restaurant! read more

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Food is outstanding and authentic. Prices are very reasonable. More likely than not you will have to take something home. Portions are legendary. Staff is always helpful and polite. Lots of people celebrating occasions which tells you it is a lot of peoples' favorite restaurant read more

Oh....my Gawd! Can we just say Garlic Bread???? Oh! And the Antipasto is Proper Italiano! I love the Lasagne and the Chicken Parm. All of the above! Please and Thank You! Yummmmm! read more

Up until today, I've always had a good experience, and recommended this place. Today (although the waitress/ambiance was good), my NY strip steak was not good at all--overdone, lots of fat/gristle). Apparently, the manager was not concerned with repeat business, as she only discounted us $2 (our tab for two was $88). Will try Villa or Casa Calabria now. Sad, because we had liked going there. :-( read more

Solid four stars. Huge portions. House salad is terrific. Everything on the menu is fresh, delicious, and authentic. Convenient location in Ishpeming. A favorite location for birthdays, anniversaries, and other occasions ... which means that it is a lot of folks favorite restaurant. Prices are very reasonable... particularly given the enormous portions. Something for everyone! read more

Very disappointing. Again we witnessed what happens when indiviudals build up their business to a respectable level and sell it to someone that has far more interest in making money than continuing quality food and service. Sadly, all the Italian dine-in restaurants in Ishpeming and Marquette took the leap into crapdom. It's much better to take the ride and pick up your take-out from the Pasta Shop! read more

Mama Mia's has been great the two times I have been. It's almost always busy so prepare to wait a little longer at this place but it is worth it. The garlic bread is to die for. Literally soaked in garlic butter! If you get a dinner plate then you get soup, salad, bread, AND ice cream at the end. Definitely worth the money. Go hungry! read more

Mama Mia's Italian Restaurant - First course! - Italian Near Me - Ishpeming, Michigan

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Little bit pricey but it's a great place to go for Italian food very authentic my favorite is the steak and lasagna combo

Tried this place for the first time tonight. Mind you we have lived in ishpeming for years lol. great food, perfect servings, excellent service and decent prices. if we could give you a 10 we would lol. thank you -Mayra read more

Wonderful Hidden gem. Great service. Amazing Italian food. Homemade minestrone soup was outstanding, stuffed shells were delicious and yes, garlic bread was wonderful. Large portions as well Definitely will be back again. read more

For as long as I've lived around here, this was my first time eating here. I must say that it was very good! Had a steak with a salad...yummy! read more

When we moved to Ishpeming from Negaunee, I didn't even know this place existed! The restaurant looks tiny from the street, but when you walk in it goes back for what seems like a mile. If you have a hankering for good Italian food, in more of a formal setting (or take-out) this is the place in Ishpeming to stop. It is one of two of my favorite Italian restaurants here. I was also told that they have great pizza. The rest of my blog review is below: http://smalltowngirlfoodieworld.blogspot.com/2014/08/mama-mias-italian-restaurant.html read more

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We've been going to Mama Mia's for years. Decor is a little dated but I'd eat their garlic bread off the floor it's so good. Best in the area. Portion sizes are huge so come with an appetite! read more

I always enjoy going to Mama Mia's, their food have always been good, until last night, while the food was cooked properly and tasted good, it was so salty. Not a huge salt fan, while I understand that salt is needed for taste, this was to much.. I had got the veal parmesan dinner which included a side of noodles with Alfredo sauce.. Both dishes were super salty the only reason I didn't say anything was because I figured if it was the sauce, even if I got them new, it would be the same... My advice would be don't put so much salt in everything. Now that being said, the salad was good, the garlic bread was good, everything was good, just too much salt for my liking. The waitress Jodi was exceptional, very kind, on the ball of things. I still would go back there. read more

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The food was amazing and the service was super friendly and perfect. Will definitely come back. The garlic bread is the best I've ever had. You have been warned! . Ask for Jordan. read more

Of the Italian places in Marquette County, this is my favorite. The atmosphere is unique- places just don't decorate like that any more, and it's too bad. The food is good, I like the sachetti. Classic restaurant that often gets overlooked because it is tucked away in the center of Ishpeming. read more