We were craving a good homemade Italian meal and we read that Mama's meatballs were the real deal. We were not disappointed. We started with wine and they served little garlic bread balls as we went over the menu. We selected three appetizers (we had five in the group), the Bruschetta, caprese and the meatballs. The bruschetta came with three pieces, there were two meatballs and about six tomatoes and cheeses made the caprese. They were all delicious, but the meatballs were really good, a great homemade taste. We ordered a variety of mains: the salmon piccata, (nice size serving), baked penne (so good), Ravioli Di Ricotta (very tasty, less ricotta than the penne dish), Tortellacci Ring-shaped pasta filled with braised short ribs, served in ossobuco sauce (my favorite, paired great with the Chianti), and a penne with vodka sauce (my daughter raved about the sauce). For desert we forced ourselves to split up a bomba (Spumoni with chocolate shell) and a crème brûlée. Both were excellent, but we think we should have tried the Tiramisu because the menu said something about prepared table side. Well, I guess we'll have to come back, that and, we did not try the pizza! Well worth it, great meal, very attentive service, and a nice atmosphere with a formal dinner presentation. read more

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We were really looking forward to trying out this place as I have had it bookmarked for a while. I made a reservation for a Saturday night at 7:00pm. We arrived and the hard working hostess sat us at a table for two. I wasn't thrilled with the table as it backed up to the order register so I felt like I had someone always standing over me. Our hostess quickly brought us waters and we began to wait. We probably sat for a good 15 minutes and we were ready to leave, however, Jaime saved the day as he approached our table and quickly made amends. There were other servers working but they seemed really lost or not interested in helping us. There were a lot of other large tables dining around us so I understand why we (a table of two) did not stand out. You never know who you are ignoring though. We quickly made our choices and selected Mama's Meatballs for an appetizer and we were excited to try the Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina served in a pizza crust nest. Jamie did everything he could to take care of us, but he was slammed. He made sure to drop off an order of their garlic knots which were tasty. The meatballs arrived and the flavors were very good which made us excited for the main dish. I found the gnocchi to be somewhat disappointing. The gnocchi itself was good but the pizza nest should have had the sauce poured over it with maybe some seasoning and cheese. The pizza nest was dry and just unappealing. We probably should have ate more meatballs. Overall our experience here was very mediocre (3.5) between the service not being up to par and the food being just ok. I appreciate Jamie doing his very best but he could have used some help from the other servers. I will give a huge shout out to the hostess (wish I knew her name) as she hustles. She was clearing tables and setting up for new customers and really going above and beyond. Will I be back? Probably not but glad we got to try the meatballs. read more

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My 3 young girls I arrived just after 8, for a late dinner. We were not met by a host and instead had to flag someone down to be seated. After being shown to our table, we were left without anyone so much as taking our drink order, for over 20 minutes. When I tried to get the attention of the waiter at the table directly across from us, who subsequently ended up being our waiter, he pretended he didn't see me, event though we had made clear eye contact. The waiter himself seemed to have no desire to do his job whatsoever and couldn't be bothered to care. He later finally came to take our order and could tell I was upset by the poor service. He offered up the worst apology ever, followed by telling me he would bring bread to the table, which never arrived. I wish I could offer an excuse that they were severely understaffed or incredibly busy, but neither of those were true. Another waiter had plenty of time to chat up the lady sitting at the table next to us for about half the duration of our meal. I don't intend on coming back due to such poor service, which is really too bad, because the food is excellent. read more

Cute little place with great food! Only negative- beer and wine only! Love the complimentary garlic knots. We started with the arancini - shrimp risotto stuffed balls creamy inside crispy outside in a vodka sauce. The meatballs are to die for! Flavorful and light, not dense. The lasagna tasted like your nonna made it. The carbonara was very flavorful although not traditional as it does have cream. The gnocchi was so good. Light pillows of goodness with marina and baked with lots of gooey cheese in a pizza crust bowl. That crust is killer! Light, flakey, almost sweet. The tortellachi was the star! Fresh made pasta stuffed with braised short rib in a deli glacé sauce. Wowza! Great meal! read more

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Came here for Valentine's Day for girls night for a party of 6. We had a reservation made well in advance but were not seated until almost 50 min later. The floor inside was slippery and we all slipped and almost fell when walking in. We got a table in the very back corner so we all had to squeeze in and barely had room to move our chairs back. The waiter was very nice and apologetic for the delay and tried his best to get our food made since they were swamped. We felt bad for him cuz he seemed so flustered but he was very nice. The bathrooms also had no soap at all. Three of us ordered the seafood pasta and the shrimp and mussels and clams had sand in them and my friend's pasta had a rock in it, so they weren't properly cleaned. The complimentary garlic knots were forgotten until the end of dinner, and they were all undercooked. If they weren't so rushed, I think the food would've been properly cooked and prepared. The flavors were good but overall first experience here was not good. Reservations made but delayed seating for almost 50 minutes, sandy seafood in our pasta, and uncooked garlic knots. read more

Mama's Meatball - Linguine Pescatora - Italian Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

I recommend making a reservation for Mama's Meatball on Higuera Street in advance, as it's one of the top three best Italian restaurants in San Luis Obispo and can get quite busy (we saw people being told that they wouldn't be able to sit without a reservation on a Friday night). They start you off with complimentary garlic knots that are delicious and help hold you over before the main course arrives. I loved coming to Mama's Meatball in college, and I'm glad it is still around! If you're both gluten free and lactose intolerant, they are able to accommodate both! I went with the Spaghetti Bolognese ($18) with gluten free noodles (+$5) and custom added goat cheese (+$3). The online menu was outdated by $2 regarding the gluten free upcharge, but I was still so excited that they have GOOD gluten free noodles. Pollo Pesto Lasagna ($23) is a clever creamy twist on both traditional lasagna and pesto pasta. I've never even seen anytime this before. There is a small parking lot in the back, but if that's full there is plenty of street parking available. You can't see the restaurant from the street, as it's in the middle of a mini-piazza at the end of the main street (Highuera) of Downtown SLO. Our server Cosmio was very nice, and I have always felt the hospitality here is great. There's also a small discount if you pay with cash with a very unique interior design. In case you're curious, my personal top 3 favorite Italian restaurants in SLO are: Café Roma, Mama's Meatball, and Giuseppe's Cucina. read more

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I would give a 4.5 because the service was great. We had a pizza and Alfredo with chicken. The pasta was good, didn't blow me away only because I felt like it needed salt but it was good, seemed homemade. The kids said the pizza was delicious. The staff was very friendly and professional. They were very kind to my kids who were loud. I'd come back for that alone! read more

Mama's Meatball - Alfredo with chicken - Italian Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

OMG! That's a meatball!! These were the most delicious meatballs have ever eaten in my entire life! The taste, the texture, etc...was perfect! Our table of 5 all agreed read more

Mama's Meatball - Nice lunch - Italian Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

The food was so amazing! We had the bruschetta, chicken parm and spaghetti. Loved it all. Reminded me of the food I had in Italy. The service was just a great! Attentive and accommodating! read more

Went to MB's for a birthday dinner for four. We sat right away, but how we were seated, our table was literally 12.4 inches from the two guys next to us having a business dinner. Both tables totally heard each other's conversations, it was uncomfortable. The restaurant had a good amount of open tables, the issue was, there was one server this night. Food arrived lightning fast, no bread. I had tortellini stuffed w short ribs. Was good. Everyone loved their meals. The carbonara was awesome, along with angel hair pasta and basil. Towards end of service we finally had to ask the busboy for our bread knots. Dessert came and it too was delicious. Overall Grade: B read more

Ordered the Calamari and Baked Penne to go. Order was ready in about 10 or less minutes. We drove about 7 minutes to our hotel. The calamari was still hot and if you order it to go maybe try taking off the lid so it doesn't get steamed too much. It was still relatively crispy. The Penne was good but we got pretty full on the calamari and figured we could reheat the pasta later. The garlic bites that came with the meal were quite tasty. It was a good meal for a good price read more

Mama's Meatball - Calamari Fritti and Baked Penne - Italian Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

Mama's Meatball was such a win. The chicken parm was so good -- huge portion, easily enough for two, and still crispy and flavorful. The veggies were cooked perfectly, which feels rare these days. We grabbed the calamari too and it was actually crispy (bless), and the eggplant lasagna might be one of the best we've ever had. The linguini was just as good -- super comforting and well-seasoned. Prices were totally reasonable, nothing wild. The inside is super cute and cozy, maybe 15 tables, so it has that little‑gem energy. Definitely try to snag a reservation on OpenTable if you can -- it fills up fast for a reason. read more

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There are no words to express how much I love this place for so many reasons. Everyone is extremely friendly, the owner/manager is so helpful and genuine, the food is all from scratch, it taste amazing, and you literally feel like you are sitting in a nonna's home being cooked for. We love Italian food and found this place because where we usually would go was busy and didn't have openings until way later. I am so glad that happened. This place has my heart. I could go on and on about everything about this place, but I really think everyone should stop by to give it a try. You can dine in or you can order at their take out counter. It's not very big, but I feel like that is what gives it that very special touch of being at your grandma's and waiting for her to bring out the food. Makes sense since it is a family that owns it. read more

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Mama's Meatball managed to accomplish something I didn't think was possible: provide terrible service and terrible food on a completely empty Tuesday night. Let me be clear -- this wasn't a busy Friday rush. This was a slow, quiet evening where there was absolutely no excuse for how neglected we were. Our water glasses sat empty the entire meal, and not once did anyone seem concerned enough to refill them. We weren't checked on. We weren't acknowledged. We were just... there. Then came the Mac and cheese with braised short ribs -- or more accurately, a plate of fat masquerading as a meal. Not tender. Not rich. Not edible. Just large, rubbery chunks of pure fat with barely any actual meat. I spent more time performing surgical removal trying to find something worth eating than actually enjoying dinner. In the end, most of it sat untouched because there was simply nothing salvageable. What was almost more insulting was that no one noticed. No one asked how the food was. No one questioned why a nearly full plate was being cleared. No apology. No concern. Nothing. It felt like once the food hit the table, the staff mentally clocked out. There was zero pride in the service and zero accountability for the quality of the food being served. San Luis Obispo is full of restaurants that genuinely care about their guests and the experience they provide. Mama's Meatball, unfortunately, felt like a place going through the motions -- collecting money without delivering even the basics. I won't be back, and I wouldn't recommend anyone waste their time or money finding out the hard way. read more

Mama's Meatball - Mama-s Famous Mac & Cheese - Italian Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

We've eaten here 3 times. The service was amazing and the atmosphere was nice and cozy with soft lighting. I'm so glad they replaced the tiny silverware they had our first visit with real silverware. We were crazy about the garlic and pesto dough balls they brought us before each meal. Last night my partner ordered and enjoyed spaghetti. I ordered salmon piccata. Unfortunately, the tiny strip of salmon was too salty, a little overcooked and had too much lemon sauce. The broccoli wasn't cooked enough and the carrots weren't cooked at all. Plus, they had no seasoning or oil. But we like this place so maybe next time I'll order something different or hope this dish gets better. read more

We got uber eat from this place to our hotel in pismo beach and the food came fast with the cheapest delivery fee. Everything was tasty and we finished everything and all! We got a pizza, an eggplant Parmesan and a meatball with saepgatti. read more

Went for daughters birthday dessert and ended up ordering food to go as well because it looked and smelled so good in there read more

Mama's Meatball - Italian Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

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Great place for my partner's 25th birthday! Kept the bread coming and served us our food all at once. (8 people in total). Still our favorite restaurant in slo!! read more

Mama's Meatball - Ossobuco - Italian Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

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We stopped at Mamma's Meatball on our way home from SoCal and were so pleasantly surprised. We'll definitely be back on our next trip. Our server, Grady, provided amazing service -- super attentive, friendly, and genuinely helpful. We started with the Tagliere, spaghetti and meatballs, and the fettuccine Alfredo. Everything on the Tagliere was excellent; the variety of cheeses, meats, and the artichoke were all delicious. The meatballs were incredibly flavorful and tender, and the pasta tasted authentically homemade. The fettuccine Alfredo was creamy without being heavy, which we loved. Grady's dessert recommendations were spot‑on -- the tiramisu was absolutely delicious. We enjoyed every part of our experience here and will be returning. read more

This is a review of service and unfortunately not for the food. The food part never materialize. Our open table reservation I made 2 months in advance for 9 people is at 7:45pm. The entire party was on time and ready to start the weekend of festivities for the CalPoly graduation. We thought our experience at this restaurant will kick it off. Yes it kicked off it off.......the wrong direction. We waited and waited and waited then decided to leave. The hostess punted the issue to wrong information that was relayed to her. We learned from the hostess that our supposed "table" had patrons who just sat at 7pm and by golly gee, of course they won't be done by 7:45pm. I had to put in my cc info on OpenTable for possible no shows. The grace period the restaurant gives its customers is 15mins. However, Damian, one of the waiters who talked to me said that they give an hour grace period for patrons but that doesn't justify the fact that my table is not ready by 7:45pm.... this is why after over 30mins, we decided to leave and bring our business elsewhere it's valued. I was hopeful to provide wonderful feedback like other yelpers did but did not get a chance. A reservation time at this establishment means absolutely nothing. Sidebar: our family friend upon learning of our experience, also had the same issue when they dined a few weeks ago. read more

First time we visited Mama's Meatball. Outstanding hostess, waiter and great atmosphere. Foods were delicious. The garlic breads were great. Highly recommended, reservation is a must read more

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I made a reservation for Valentine's Day over a week in advance, and it was our first time visiting. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing from start to finish. We arrived and checked in about an hour and twenty minutes early, knowing we wouldn't be seated right away.. it was a busy weekend. However, we heard the host tell several walk-in couples the wait would be 35-45 minutes, which was completely understandable. We figured it would take similar time to seat us as well. However, we were not seated until five minutes after our actual reservation time. Meanwhile, we watched another couple with the same 6:30 reservation get seated about 15 minutes before us because they knew someone who worked at the restaurant, even though we had been waiting far longer. Also, not once were we offered the option to sit outside as we saw a few others halfway through our wait time. Once seated, the service did not improve. Every other table received complimentary breadsticks -- ours did not. We were never asked if we wanted drink refills, and we had to track down staff when we needed something. The food itself was also very subpar. We ordered lamb w potatoes and vegetables and the photo is exactly how it was presented...... Overall, it was disappointing, especially for Valentine's Day and our first visit. I would not recommend this restaurant and would not return. read more

Mama's Meatball - Lamb w potatoes? - Italian Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

If you're looking for Italian food in SLO, Mama's Meatball is the place. We ordered takeout, which actually took a lot longer than initially anticipated (hence the 4 stars instead of 5) but I think there was some kind of hold up in the kitchen when we went. Regardless, our food was delicious and well worth the wait! Both pasta dishes were fantastic, as well as the garlic knots. There's so many other things on the menu I'd love to try! I'd like to dine in next time, the inside was cute and it smelled amazing. read more

I'm so happy to report that everything went off without a hitch! The service was fantastic, the food was yummy, and my kids had a blast! read more

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I love everything about this place. Food is exceptional, service is outstanding, and they are accommodating to pretty much anything you ask. Also, it's slo restaurant month so run because they have spaghetti all'assassina right now read more

Mama's Meatball - Spaghetti all'-assassina - Italian Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

Catered our small wedding reception of 25. Guests couldn't stop raving about the food. They presented everything beautifully and were great to work with including dietary restrictions needed. read more

Mama's Meatball never disappoints!!! Great food!! Great Service!!! An Italian MUST!!!

I wasn't hungry. I wasn't in the mood for Italian but holy cow! I'm going to crave their lasagna forever! I ate it all! I usually have a to go box. I wish I did now but I ate every bite! The ambiance was great. The service was stellar! Miles was one of the best & most personable servers ever! read more

Mama's Meatball - I can't believe I forgot to take pictures ! This one was not my plate but it would have just been empty anyway. Lol. - Italian Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

My hubby and I were in SLO for one night and were really in the mood for Italian food. We'd walked to Giuseppe's (very crowded and loud and I hate sitting on high chairs - I like my feet on the ground when I eat!) but it really didn't smell good so we hoofed it over to Mama's Meatball. Ohhh what a difference! The nose doesn't lie. Our wonderful server, Carla, brought us a plate of garlic knots, which were so welcome as we were very hungry! We ordered the appetizer meatballs, which were as fluffy as clouds and so flavorful - served in a beautiful fresh marinara we dipped the garlic knots in. We also shared the Barbabietola salad, which I want to recreate at home but I doubt I could make as delicious a dressing. I always love to try gnocchi when I can and I was over the moon with these - lovely and fluffy and drenched in the same wonderful marinara as the meatballs - smooth and rich with just the right amount of acid - with a thick layer of mozzarella, ooey and chewy at the same time. My husband chose the Cavatelli Alla Norcia, which was as delicious as he'd hoped it would be. As hungry as we were, the portions were very generous, and we wanted to try dessert, so we opted to bring our leftovers to eat later, and ordered the tiramisu. We were surprised and delighted when Carla returned with a little cart and assembled our dessert right in front of us! (I won't give details - spoilers!) Everyone who took care of us was friendly and warm. We didn't feel rushed but the service was efficient and we were fed and done in very little time. I wish we lived in the area because I'd love to try everything on the menu - especially the pizza, as a nearby table ordered one and it looked *beautiful*! We will definitely come back when we're passing through SLO again! read more

For my family to agree on Italian food is unbelievable... we all enjoyed our dishes along with their delicious and wonderful desserts! Please get their Affogato! You won't be disappointed. What I truly loved about the restaurant was I don't know which I appreciated more the food or the service! Such a hard call I wish I could remember our servers name as he was such a delight and extremely helpful when it came to time to find each of us our right choices! Also as we sang Happy Birthday to my little sister our amazing server made it such a memorable moment by including the rest of the restaurant to sing along. It was wonderful my sister was beaming! He even offered to take pictures when he seen we were doing the selfie thing. So kind! My parents found this place awhile back but as a family we will be back soon Only tip- I would definitely make a reservation!Outside seating available as well with heat lamps (I think...) We truly enjoyed our meal and our time however the hostess was relentlessly rude. I'm sure management is aware of this one. Regardless we will be back to enjoy and indulge! read more

Mama's Meatball - Affogato al Caffe - Italian Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

Food was so good .. from garlic bread to our main course except the calamari. Services pretty fast and I love the ambience.. pretty good read more

Mama's Meatball - Italian Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

I've been wanting to try Mama's Meatballs for a while, so I was excited to finally go. Overall, it was kind of disappointing, but the food itself made up for it in someways It took 15ish minutes for anyone to take our drink order. The bigger issue was at the end we paid with a $100 bill and while counting the change in front of us, the waitress set some of the money aside for herself as a tip without even asking. We were planning to tip don't get me wrong but that felt really rude and made us not even want to at that point. When we asked her , we got weird looks which made it uncomfortable. She started off nice, but once it got close to closing, her attitude definitely changed and it felt like she just wanted us out. I get that I've worked in food service too! but it still didn't feel very professional . Also, this was my first experience here which turned out to being a huge disappointment.. Honestly, I'd probably just do takeout next time. read more

First things first, the food is solid. They had a gnocchi pizza thing that looked fun, and was pretty good. But we got the weirdest vibe here. Upon walking in, they asked for our phone number, which I never had a restaurant do before unless we were being put on the waitlist and they need to call us to let us know the table is ready.....but that wasn't the case here - they were mostly empty when we walked in and we were sat right away. I mean, maybe it's a thing to prevent people from dining and dashing? No idea. The server was super nice. read more

I had an excellent time here. We ordered the Arancini di Gamberi and Tagliere for appetizers, both were good, but portion sizes were a little small for the price. As an entree, I got the Spaghetti Carbonara which was exceptional. I'd also highly recommend the Penne Al Salmone which someone in my party got and thoroughly enjoyed. The restaurant got noisy at times, but not overwhelmingly so. Most of all, I'd like to commend our server, Kursat. He was friendly, and made time for us to feel special and taken care of. He was new, but it didn't show! Very happy with his service, definitely would want to go again! read more

Mama's Meatball - Tagliere - Italian Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

Had an amazing dinner at this cute welcoming place. The team is so friendly, attentive and gave us great customer service. Food was delicious! Started with the yummy pear salad. The linguine pescatora is definitely one of the best we've had here and in Italy. It was loaded with the freshest seafood and had impressive presentation. The spaghetti carbonara was equally yummy with tons of pancetta. Great value for a fantastic meal! Highly recommended! read more

Mama's Meatball - Pasta pescatora - super loaded - Italian Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

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My sister wanted to come here for her bday since it was close by to school. We had a reservation for our group of 9. This is located next to a small plaza. Parking is difficult as there's only a small lot or street parking available but we got lucky with street parking. When we arrived, we were greeted by a friendly waiter. (Turns out this waiter did EVERYTHING- from getting our orders to serving us to cleaning down the tables. Where were the other waiters? I'm confused) Anyways, we ordered the following items: - Spaghetti Carbonara - Orecchiette e Braciole - Baked Penne - Proscuitto Procini - Pizza Margherita - Gnocchi alla Sorrentina - Spaghetti Meatball - Rigatoni alla Salsiccia The food tasted pretty well but because it was a lot of pasta, everything just tasted the same at a certain point. I wish there was a white sauce dish so there was some variety. There was complementary garlic knots which were SO delicious! Out of all the dishes, the main dish that stood out to me is Gnocchi alla Sorrentina as they had the gnocchi sauce on a pie (?). It was quite delicious and definitely unique. My main comment besides the food is concerning the cake. We left the cake in the kitchen and had the waiter grab it for us. He put the candle in and handed us the cake- pretty simple work right? Here's where the fun comes. When we got the bill, we were charged $30?! for "custom cake". I'm sorry I don't understand why simply putting the cake in the fridge, helping us stick our candles that we bought into the cake, and bringing it out is $30. This was quite ridiculous and we were annoyed- Heads up to future people planning a party here: just keep the cake in your own refrigerated container to avoid $30 of surcharge. It would have been nice if we (customers) were informed about these costs in advance before being met with surprise when our bill came. read more

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Food was amazing, and service was great! Great place for couples night out in downtown SLO!

Service, excellent Gnocchi, so easily ruined by adding too much flour to the potato--not so here--so light and delicious and served in...a pizza crust nest! We also had the Braccio and their house made pasta--worth the drive! read more

Amazing service but the portions are small. The price is good. The music that is played here is very classy.

My family and I have always been huge fans of mama's meatball. The food is fantastic, the service is amazing, and the vibe is impeccable. Today, we took our toddler there for the first time. Our server was Maria and she was the best. She gave us menu recommendations with smaller portions for our little one and was very kind. Our daughter devoured her spaghetti and meatballs, my chicken piccata was out of this world, and my husband's mushroom risotto was perfect as usual. I didn't catch the name of the other young woman that was helping us- but she and Maria are the best. Thank you for giving us a great experience. It's not always easy with a toddler. Everything on the menu is fantastic and the staff is just as great. This place is absolutely worth a visit. read more