From the service to the food we had a horrible experience. Definitely felt that locals where treaded much better. Took us 20 min to get seated and then about another 30 min before we got our food order in. We where supposed to get some bread which we eventually got. It was loaded with garlic although I told waiter that I am allergic to garlic. Second bread came long after our food was already out. Which also took about 45 min to be served. It looked like plain bread with butter but as soon as I brought it close to my moth is also had garlic on it. Good thing I smelled it before I ate it. The seafood pasta I ordered was awful and tasteless with soggy break and pasta swimming in way to much sauce. The mussels tased very only and super chewy. The restaurant itself is loud with lots of kids and bro parties yelling. It also sits in a clone of Gael I since it's an open kitchen. So we smelled like we just rolled out of a garlic bread factory. I will go somewhere else with better service and food for the next couple days we are here. read more

Mambo - Mountain Italian - Pizza Near Me - Whitefish, Montana

Best Italian restaurant in Northern Montana. The staff and food is amazing. If your trying not to eat bread don't go because it's special along with so many items on the menu read more

Best Italian food had in a long time!! It was our anniversary and we are pleased that we chose Ciao Mambo. The person who was attending us was also very helpful, he suggested very good wine to us read more

Great food great service great atmosphere! Came here for a date night and had a great experience. The tootsie rolls appetizer and garlic bread are both incredible. read more

Food and service are really good. The restaurant is so quaint! We have had a great experience each time we have been her.

Delicious Italian food, I would definitely recommend the nachos all' italiana for a creative appetizer. A must eat for good Italian food in Whitefish! read more

My daughter was craving pizza so of course we went Italian. The food was delicious with items I'd never had like Nachos Italiana. The staff was extremely helpful and the whole ambiance was great. You couldn't beat this sit-down dinner especially during Covid times. read more

Good little place, food exceptional, service great and friendly, reasonably priced for the quality of the food. Highly recommended.

The best restaurant in the flathead, maybe even the whole state, the complimentary bread is to die for, especially when you dip it in appetizer muscles sauce!!! read more

Excellent!! from the complimentary bread, wine and pasta! It was all so good. We were too full for dessert! Will definitely be back! read more

This restaurant in Whitefish, Montana is one of the best Italian restaurants I've dined in. Authentic AF!!! Big portions, reasonable prices.

Had reservations for 8pm we were seated at 8:10. The restaurant was packed. It was nicely decorated. The light above our table didn't work so it was difficult to see the menus. t was very hot with no air circulation. We waited ten minutes for water and then another ten for our server. We ordered a salad, calamari and the nachos for appetizers. The salad was amazing one of the best I've had at a restaurant, from there the food went down hill. The calamari was mostly breading, we got very few actual pieces of calamari, the nachos were weird. We didn't see any meatballs and some of the fried pasta pieces were not cooked all the way through. Three of us ordered pasta, and it was pretty good but not amazing considering how much per plate.Our son ordered the pizza and it was not good. He said the pepperoni had no flavor and was under the cheese which was unusual, and the crust was soggy. Disappointing won't go back. read more

Would have given this place 5 stars but in order to do that you must LOVE garlic. TONS of it on and in their bread. Seriously had to scrape it off with a knife. Way too much. On to the good stuff! The entrees we're outstanding. I had the fettuccine with peas, chicken, and cream sauce. It also has prosciutto in it but I had them hold it since I'm not a fan of ham. The portions are huge. Might want to split an entree if you want desert too. After finishing only half of my dinner I was too full for desert but the cannoli looked delicious. If we lived here we would definitely go back! The service was great with no wait time even though we didn't have a reservation. We were rather early (before 6pm) and the place was getting busy by the time we left so might be worth calling ahead! read more

Absolutely delicious! Mambo is reminiscent of off-the-beaten-track Italian restaurants scattered throughout downtown Chicago with authentic dishes and friendly service. Ben took care of us the moment we sat at the bar (tables were all booked). My son and I actually preferred this seating as we watched them throw the dough, assemble and cook his pizza. Fresh garlic bread doesn't disappoint - it's mopped in EVOO and fresh garlic. Careful not to fill up on that! I had a "simple" linguini in red sauce with three peppers and Italian sausage that was very tasty. Sitting at the bar and watching the kitchen truly allows you to appreciate the effort that goes into feeding all of us! This joint rocks! read more

Very large servings ....recommend sharing one Salad and one Entrée with two people. This place was "hopping" with customers. It can get "a tad noisy" to carry a conversation. Conversely, it's a fun place to people watch. Diners beware ..... the serving sizes are very large. Don't load up on the delicious bread before being served salads and entrees. I recommend sharing (1) serving of salad and (1) entrée between two people. You still will take home a doggie bag! We thoroughly enjoyed sharing Insalata di Bacche ($11.00) and Fettiucinnine Alla Rustica ($18.00). The special treat was enjoying Spumoni Ice Cream ($5.25) for desert. read more

Went here with a friend who raved about the food. We had heard the restaurant had a fire, and lucked out that they re-opened about 3 weeks ago. Food was delicious. Generous portions, we took some back for the next day. Desserts looked good - will remember for next time! Service was very good. We got there shortly after opening, and the restaurant filled quickly. read more

Excellent pasta in a fun, but loud atmosphere. Would be 5 stars except the calamari appetizer was subpar. Service was great and garlic bread was a star. read more

I had the lasagna my guests ate pizza and a sausage pasta dish. the food was excellent. We have a bottle of wine and a nice IPAA and we were very pleased with the overall cost. Very nice restaurant. Our only disappointment was being rushed. We were first to arrive and were advised that our table was reserved an hour and a half later. However after only 45 to 50 minutes they were trying to bag up our meals to go. I just can't stand being rushed before you have even finished your meal. Would I come back? yes but management must make sure that all customers are given time to enjoy their meals without feeling rushed. If not you're in the wrong business. read more

Best Italian I've had in awhile. Both my husband & I's pasta meals were yummy. The bread was warm & had much more flavor than the normal "free bread" served at restaurants. Pro tip - get the donuts for dessert. You get to choose two dipping sauces (we had chocolate sauce & raspberry) and there were more donuts than my husband and I could eat (& I lovingly refer to him as the "human garbage disposal"), so you may have enough for leftovers! read more

Came here after a long hike in glacier with a couple friends. Star 1 is for the food quality. I tires everyone's dish that ordered and they were all pretty good. Star 2 is for the service. We had a good waiter that took care of us and even brought us extra bread. Star 3 is for the atmosphere. There was nice dim lighting and it would be great for a romantic evening. Star 4 is for the food being worth the price. Prices were pretty typical for a nice Italian restaurant. I probably spent 17 to 18 bucks for plenty of pasta and unlimited bread. I can't give a fifth star because there was no extra Wow factor. read more

Great time, great service and great food! This place is a gem. Huge potions and they are delicious. This place LOVES cheese! Jeebus! The bread, the pastas and maybe the beer too!!??(just kidding) Really great staff that caters to the process of making people fat. Thank you. I'll be back soon. Seriously, a great time. read more

We had a wonderful meal at Ciao Mambo. We came here on the recommendation of a friend in CA who moved to Whitefish. She was 100% right! The pasta was out of this world and the house made sausage was beyond belief! Great food at a great price - thank you!!!! read more

Solid Italian food. Every dish is customizable (except the lasagna). Their garlic tomato sauce was probably my favorite thing, anything that got dipped in it tasted great! Our waitress was very helpful and attentive. We enjoyed the decor as they had taken the table drawings and placed them all over the ceiling! read more

See all

Okay... so the wine here is outrageous, for one... its like $20 for a bottle of yellow tail... (that might not be true, they might not even have yellow tail, but you get the point...) Further, the wait staff is a little, oh whats the word...? Pretentious... Add to that the fact that you'll feel like you weigh a million pounds when you leave and that you'll need an angioplasty to make it home, I'd say you might want to pass on this place. read more

Having moved here from Seattle, a town known for its great food, I've found that Montana's bland food has been less than desirable for me. Pick any cultures food, if it's represented here int Montana, it will probably be the blandest you have ever had. Steak on the other hand, Montana knows steak, but I digress. Feeling that everything here is bland, naturally made me think that that would also be the case with Mambos. No so. I was pleasantly surprised with my experience, and subsequent repeat visits, to Mambos. It quickly became one of my favorite places to eat and, as a result, I suggest it to everyone looking a great dinning experience. I've noticed on here, though, that the star ratings are all over the place. 1 star here, 5 stars there? So, it appears that Mambos is one of those hit or miss, inconsistent restaurants that everyone fears. I guess I've just been lucky to go there when they had there game face on, because I have always had a great me, great staff, and a fantastic meal. I hope you do to. read more

The staff at this restaurant is appalling. A few friends and I came by for dinner the other night. The hostess was not particularly friendly or engaging, which helped set the tone for the evening. Our waitress was a complete mess. She was rude, unprofessional, and clearly had no interest in her job. She complained to us about her coworkers, broke the cork in our wine bottle (no apology followed), and was just relatively unpleasant to deal with. I saw altercations happening between staff members. The atmosphere was quite tense. The server refilling our water, etc seemed very very rushed and upset. I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt and say that they were understaffed. The young guy running food was killing it. He was the most professional and friendly employee we encountered. Great food, but the dining experience was horrible because of the employees we had the displeasure of interacting with. Id opt for takeout. read more

Unlike most Whitefish dinner spots, this rating based on being one of the beat Italian places anywhere! Garlic bread is not for the garlic shy and my wife scarfed it down! The pasta is fresh and home made, every dish can be made to order. Superb read more

World's Most Beautiful Server So this place is "Italian"...... nachos Italiana????????? Whatever....... Food is undeniably mediocre. Wine list is pedestrian. BUT........ There is a server who shall go unnamed. Former model in Italy. SO beautiful, and so gracious. I fell in love. Seriously. I have been inspired to paint representational figures again after years of abstraction. I would travel back here and suffer the food just to see her again. I know. Seems stalker-ish. But she's THAT beautiful! Otherwise, have a bottle of wine elsewhere and go in and order a pizza. Buona Fortuna! read more

I can't figure out why everyone loves this place. We have given them several chances to dazzle us the way they have so many others. The last time we ate there the hostess was incredibly rude. She sat multiple parties ahead of ours and when I finally spoke up she said "oh you look like the dishwasher's friend" What does that even mean? Should I have been insulted? My kids were confused. When I told her our family was there to eat, she did not apologize for overlooking us. That interaction started our dinner on a sour note. Then we had the food; all four times I have eaten at Mambo's it seems like they have a different shaped pasta with the same overly salted and very rich sauce. So even though I tried to order something different it tasted the same to me. And honestly I can cook better than that at home and for far less money. When I eat out the food needs to be better than I can make if it's expensive OR be as good as I can make if it's affordable. Otherwise what's the point? Of course if someone enjoys the Mambos signature sauce then they probably love the restaurant. I obviously don't like it. I did give them 2 stars because I enjoyed the bread basket and the restaurant is clean. My recommendation is that there are many other places to eat in Whitefish that are worth the money...This is not one of them. read more

Horrible service and worse food. Simple to go order and both parts were messed up. Asked for one garnishment to be left off because the smell makes me sick, it was in the dish. They're was no sauce with the appetizer (that was supposed to have it and desperately needed it) so that was barely edible. Plus I was left standing in the over crowded entry way while waiting for someone to find who took my order. I got there 25 minutes after I called my order in and it still wasn't ready. read more

Just tried to eat at this place and was turned away due to not having a reservation. They Would not even take a to go order and would not let us wait for a table to open up!!!!! I even Mentioned my husband was one of the Fire Fighters that put the fire out on this building I mentioned that and the guy laughed at me and told me to leave. I have been going here for 15 years and have never been treated this way at this establishment how horrible awful and just heartbreaking I am done eating in Whitefish fuck this place! Pretty much locals are not welcome at this establishment any longer! read more

If you like Italian you will LOVE this place. Yes, it's loud. Yes, it's crowded. And yes, the waitresses are beautiful. This is Italian :) Portions are big so if you don't have a big appetite you can easily share a meal. The bread will get you full before your meal comes anyway. Decent selection of wine and desserts are okay but the pasta dishes and appetizers are very good. TIP: If you're not a garlic fan make sure to tell the waitresses "light on the garlic." read more

We ate here in our first night in Whitefish. Pasta was very good. In retrospect we could have shared an order but we had the spaghetti with meatballs and pasta arrabiata. Just the right amount of spice. The calamari was not good but when we mentioned that to the waitress she promptly said she would take that off our bill. Nicely handled. read more

Make sure you go early in the night. We had a reservation closer to the end of the night and they were out of meat sauce, and dessert options. read more

Excellent Italian food, coming from an Italian. I had a good feeling when I saw that all the Italian names were spelled correctly, which almost never happens! My linguine alle vongole (with clams) was great- not creamy, and pasta was perfectly al dente. My man's pasta with pancetta was delish as well. We had a nice Montepulciano (loved the Italian wine list) and drew on the tables. My only complaint would be that they only had garlic bread to start and no plain bread. A mix would have been nice. Other than that I was amazed that the best Italian restaurant I have been to since moving back to Houston from Rome was in lil Whitefish! Yall are lucky! read more

By Whitefish standards, this place rocks the Italian dishes better than any other places I've tried in town. The pizza is tasty and freshly tossed in front of you (well, at the open counter area). The Pasta Ravena(?) was excellent for dinner and will be for lunch the next day. I can't get enough of the garlic cheese bread either..... Warm and flavorful. And plentiful! The service was friendly, helpful and very patient for our large group... Much appreciated! And be sure to look up. Masterpieces all over the ceiling, and your drawing could be next! Ciao. read more

Delicious! The best Italian food in town. Great, service and especially lovely staff. I can't praise this place highly enough. The best tiramisu in town and I have tried tiramisu all over town. They serve it on a marble slab. There is usually a long line so make reservations or go at 5:30pm. read more

I lived in Whitefish for a couple of years and really got to know this place. For visitors it is a kind of fun place to go, but expect less than authentic pasta dishes covered in cream and butter. Most of the pasta dishes are very heavy (cream and butter based sauces) though the pizza can be pretty good if a decent pizza guy is working that night. If you want a heart attack treat try the "Italian Nachos". They are crazy good. This place has a unique niche and offers good ski bum food, but the servers can be snooty, sassy, and plain old rude which is a major negative in my book. read more

Every time we are in Whitefish, we eat here several times. It is our favorite place. Food, service and ambiance are fantastic. The wine list is extensive and fun to explore and try different Italian wines each time you visit. The pizza is great, and the pastas are rich, and very good. We are also a big fan of their desserts. read more

Some of the best if not the best Italian food we have eaten! Cool little place--great seat to watch the action in the kitchen and enjoy a glass of wine. The homemade garlic bread IS TO DIE FOR! The raveloi was also excellent. Highly recommend but get there early as there is always a line. read more