This place is a hidden gem! (in fact, I've driven right by it several times) It's tucked away directly across the street from Whole Foods. As far as authentic goes, you can't do much better than this for Italian, at least not in South Austin area. It's an odd, but brilliant concept with a one-stop-shop feel. You can order Italian food to-go or eat in, buy your Italian cuisine groceries or stop at the back counter for gelato (OR ALL OF THE ABOVE). We shared a pizza and I had an excellent glass of wine, recommended by the staff there. Any place that can recommend a wine gets an up vote from me. AND the wine selection is large too. The pizza was large and heavily topped, and the cheese was excellent. We'll be back! I want to try the gelato and have another glass of wine of course! read more

And this is how my new favorite Italian restaurant won me over~ The chubby girl inside of me is all GA GA ~ for Mandola~ lalala~ :) Sooooo, the first time I ever stepped inside a Mandola (at the triangle) sadly I only got to take with me the sweet sweet scent of this place in my memory. At that time, I was on a quest to find spumoni in town after watching a crazy Italian cuisine show on the create channel...it had left me with an insane craving for the light and fluffy gelato type of dessert...I went all over town, to every Italian place to find it! but this place had definitely made it to the top of must yelp visit list :) (I actually made a review solely on a visit to this place and the impact it made on me with its scrumptious scent) As I opened the door at Mandola at the triangle, I was taken aback by the overwhelming scent that hits you as soon as you enter the place, BAM!. The aroma that was filling the air at the location was initially very familiar yet very unique. What I call it, luv at first sight~ As you scanned the room to find the source of it, there were so many tables with such delicious looking plates, so much variety of oOooOh~ pastas, oh oh oh! pizzas, and the holy trinity of soups, salads and paninis. Left this place, feeling oh so jealous of the people that were actually enjoying their meals.....I felt it oooooozing out of this place as I walked away with no Mandolas, and no spumoni! I knew at that moment....I HAD to come back and very soon! Couple days go by and Mandola wont leave my mind...I caved and finally I made a search for the closest Mandola's location to my house. Jack pot! William cannon and Mopac it is~ :) yay! first of all, no traffic to get here. And, it is located very close to a nice strip of stores. The parking lot was full, good sign. This place must be popular. Get to walk off the calories that will be taken in. As you got closer to the door, that very familiar aroma started to make my mouth water once again. As you enter the store/restaurant, oh mah gaaaah! The smell lures you quickly into the line, get the menu and browse through a good selection of pastas/pizzas/soups/salads/paninis, so much to choose from, the chubby inside of me is happily waltzing down the aisle to place an order. I came prepared, brought my brother and lovely along, so I could order a couple of different plates and the chubs inside wouldnt feel guilty about the F.A.T order. The staff was very friendly, courteous and patient as I decided what I wanted. They did make recommendations and tried were knowledgeable of their menu to help me narrow down the dreaded task of figuring out what to get....As I was studying the menu, they brought so much complimentary bread to the table, I think I could have had a perfect meal just out of that and the lovely herby oil to dip it in. The bread literally melts in your mouth. Chubs is please at this point. As we were waiting for the meal, we walked around the store. It is a nice place to pick up a couple staples for Italian home made food, some cheeses, wines, delicacies and desserts. Definitely pick up a tshirt or some other type of souvenier to remind you of this fun place. The food did not take too long to come out...so we hurried back to our places. The Gnocchi with meat sauce was pure deliciousness. How can you go wrong with pork and beef smothered in bolognese sauce and veggies that are all happily hanging out together with the gnocchi? The plate looked so good and it tasted even better. Gotta try the pizza~ the fiorentina was just the perfect one for us. The spinach, the artichoke and the roasted garlic, oh so sexy! of the pizza world. The ricotta, asiago, fontina and romano cheese, yum yum yum and more yum. Every bite was exploding with flavor, the oooey gooeyness of this amazing pizza was too much for the table. Everyone had a moment of silence as we took in the awesomeness of this creation. LOL! but no joke here...for real.....if there is one thing and only one thing I got to take on that island with me....it would be definitely this! The pollo alla griglia, grilled chicken breast, kissed with oil and herbs~ with mounds of lovely veggies, roasted peppers, greens, potatoes and shrooms~ oh so pretty. It brought such beauty to the table. A little bit of everything on a beautifully healthy platter. You would think... that chubs would be full...and she was....but it always amazes me how you can always, ALWAYS have a little room for dessert. Especially when everything looks as good as it does here, the chocolates, the candies, the cakes and the gelato. Had to have the zuccato cake slice, it was an amazing experience. The creaminess and smoothness of each bite left me wanting more....but even this chubs knows when enough is enough... I did try the gelato and a small bite of chocolate. It was an overall amazing experience to visit this location. Chubs cant be happier with this new found love :) I shall visit you once again~ soon xoxo read more

I've been a fan of Mandola's Italian Market at the Triangle shopping center for years, and when I was getting ready to meet a friend for lunch in South Austin I didn't hesitate to recommend that we go here. I had the roasted turkey panini, and my friend had the Italian steak panini. They were both quite good, but $10 for the sandwich is out of line when the only side option was a 1/4 cup of potato salad. Speaking of which, that potato salad was chocked full of raw garlic. I'm a big fan of garlic, but that had me flinch and left me unable to have more than two bites. The staff was friendly. I agree with a previous comment that this location feels more sterile. I think the color of the paint on the walls is a big part of that. I assume they wanted a neutral palette on the wall, and to have the flags, and merchandise be the pop of color. I dunno - it just doesn't feel the same as the Triangle location. I hope they aren't expanding too quickly and losing the small touches that made Mandola's Italian Market good. read more

The service was very good and nice atmosphere, but the food was a huge no-no. Not tasty at all, pasta tasted like nothing but salt. Not impressed with appetizer or entree and could barely take a few bites. read more

First time on this location. Very Italian decor with all the italian soccer teams. Ordered our favorites, lasagna, pasta ortelano pizza, chicken parmesan, plus zucchinies fritters and calamari. Tried the Mandola Chianti wine, it was very good, good with pizza and pasta and gelato. Thanks to Raquel for helping with my order ,pasta bread (so good) sauce and Francisco our attendant sweet guy. Close to home. Great birthday place, was mine.We will be back. read more

See all

I'm so excited about the addition of Mandola's to our southwest Austin neighborhood. Lots of great indoor/outdoor seating is perfect for these lovely springs days. For lunch, I had the chopped salad that was huge and filling. I've been back for dinner and split a pizza with a friend. I LOVE their pizza! Super thin crispy crust. Add in a couple of glasses of Pinot Grigio and tiramisu for dessert and you have one happy mama! I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't overly crowded for lunch, but dinner was another story. There was a much longer wait and the staff seemed overwhelmed. I'm attributing that to the opening week jitters. Maybe things will be running a little smoother in a few weeks. read more

10/10 would recommend to a friend. My fettuccini Alfredo could possibly be the best I've ever had! The chicken parm was cooked to perfection and was the perfect serving size. I also got to enjoy their amazing stratchatella gelato..the wafer cookie was a perfect compliment to the refreshing dessert! The general manager on the floor was super friendly and I enjoyed talking to him! read more

Mandola's Italian - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

Mandola's Italian Restaurant has quickly become my favorite place for delicious comfort food & relaxing atmosphere. Justin, the manager treats you like a family, always with a smile!! Frances read more

I'll reluctantly give this three stars. Why? It's not the food. That's pretty decent. It's the fact that there's really nothing on the menu under $10, even for lunch. I had the meatball panini, which is really the size of a large roll. It was good, but $10 with nothing else? With a coke for lunch that came out to $14 not including tip. I'm sorry, but that ruins the experience for me. The saving grace is that they do have herbed olive oil and will provide focaccia bread for free. I've dinged other places for the lack of perceived value as well, and if you don't care about that then feel free to ignore this review. read more

If you have never eaten italian and you're okay with "cafeteria" style, then hey 4 stars makes sense. My review is for the Wm Cannon location only. I keep giving it a chance because it's conveniently located and im hungry. I need to skip it and just go to Whole Foods. The food tastes a little bland. Tonight tho their focaccia was spot on, but they were clearly rationing the olive oil and seasoning. My boyfriend ordered the caprese salad and somehow it lacked balsamic vinaigrette (isnt that a key ingredient?). My caesar salad was plain gross. Maybe I'm spoiled by my boyfriend's homemade caesar dressing, but no one should be subjected to their lousy excuse for caesar dressing. No worries though because they happily let me replace it with chicken and vegetables. The chicken was great... their vegetables, meh, not so great. Limp asapragus that tastes like it was once frozen. In fact, fresh is not an adjective I would use to describe their vegetables. Oh and asking to hold the mushrooms resulted in 4 lil mushroom heads on my plate. Mediocre at best. If your expectations can settle for decent bread (not all the time) and a good patio then might be a decent dinner option. read more

Food was not fresh m. Ordered the calamari as appetizer which also comes with fried zucchini. The calamari to zucchini ratio was off there was barely any calamari and the pieces that were there were basically crumbs it was way over cooked. The pasta I ordered was bland. read more

The last time I reviewed a Mandola's (Guadeloupe location), I got an ROD as I extended the metaphor of my nanny's kitchen, which the store reminds me of so fondly. Now Mandola's has more options (They don't smack you on the are and say, "Hey. Eat this. Tell me if it's bad." as my grandmother did.), more space, and more people than nan's kitchen, but the food is just as good. I love the cold condiments bar, which goes HIGHLY underutilized. All patrons should know that it is not a requirement to get on the regular food line every time you go into a restaurant. Take a moment. Take a risk. Try the deviled eggs of the day - which this time were calamata olive deviled eggs. CALAMATA OLIVE, PEOPLE! So tangy! So savory! So cheap! 3 for 3 bucks! Along with the eggs, I got about 3 ounces of sardines - perfectly white, chilled, and ready for my salad. If only I had the calories to spare to start wading through the Italian cookies and gelato. That would really make my grandmother happy. She LOVED to watch people eat! Off the regular menu, I tried the tomato salad, which was nice and sweet, cheesy, and worked perfectly with my side of sardines. The wine selections are always choice, but far more complicated than nanny's, who used to take her wine bottle, rinse it out in the sink, and then return to the barrel spigot to refill. Mandola's actually have corks! (And sometimes screw caps - go green!) I have to say, the food line is one of the most impressive things to watch. The pizza oven reads 532 degrees at all times, the chefs check temperatures of meatballs before placing on your dish, and the salad/sandwich cook just snaps to attention. He never stops, particularly at lunch. I recommend sitting at the counter. The next time I go to nanny's kitchen - er Mandolas - I need to pick up some olive oil (actually form Italy, not Turkey, Spain, or Greece), some Celfani crushed tomatoes for "the sauce", and maybe some homemade pasta, so I can turn to hubby and say, "Here. Taste this. Tell me if it's bad." Abondonza! read more

I think Mandola's has been going down hill since I've been eating it two years ago. They opened up this new location with lots of people eating there! The restaurant is nice and clean and has a nice selection of desserts and some small selection of groceries. The free bread is good if its not hard. Our first basket was hard and stale and when we got another basket it was soft and airy making us regret eating the previous basket. Ate the caprese salad which was good but nothing spectacular. I also had the gnocchi and it wasn't that great but maybe I don't like gnocchi. I'll have to try gnocchi a few more times before I determine that. I had some of the tortellini and that was the money dish of the bunch. Meat stuffed in pasta and how could that go wrong!? Probably not my first place for italian but you order at the counter and wait for your food to be delivered. You will probably spend at least $10 here. read more

Went here tonight with my husband and we defiantly enjoyed our meal. Not busy at all, great customer service, and food was quick to come out. The bread was amazing! I will be returning and bringing my friends! read more

Mandola's Italian - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

We have visited Mandola's several times, enjoyed it every visit up until this last one. Truth be told we enjoyed the last visit too, until on arrival home everyone in the party was unwell. Strongly suspect the soda machine at the rear of the restaurant, as we'd been there a while hiding out from the storm and all was yummy and well until we finally decided we would indeed fill our soda cups. The 'dreadful' stuff hit fairly soon after that, two households and nobody had eaten anything else in common all day. I emailed the manager who responded quickly and politely that the machine had been checked and no problem found. Good to know. Meanwhile in two different households we were doing all we could to keep our bathroom plumbing in tip top condition by giving it a full on work out. Everyone in the party (from both households) bright and perky again by the morning. If one person in the party had suffered an upset tummy and nobody else, then odds could be juggled.... but THREE out of THREE from two different households? Will we go again? Yes, the food is generally good, this was our first 'mishap', the music is nice, the latte is acceptable and the gelato is delish. Service is always friendly and the playspace for the children an added bonus. However, we will most certainly be avoiding the drinks/ice machine thingy next time. San Pellegrino and Prosecco for the next trip. So we'll give this place another go, but we'll stick to the bottled drinks let's hope the surprise colon cleanse is off the menu for our next visit. read more

Takeout 30 mins late. Called and went in twice. No one seemed to care. Dude next to me pulls up and gets food immediately.

Yes yes yes. A moderately priced Italian bistro with very good food. The pizza is excellent, they have a large dessert counter with gelato and cannolis, and they also have Brooklyn lager on tap! Order at the counter and they bring you your food. I recently went and as the friendly managers check on you at your table, I asked if i could order a pizza to go. She asked what we want on it and when we'd like it. We said in about 10 minutes and gave her a short list of veggies. She monitored our table and took our credit card at the right time so she handed us our receipt and pizza as we were leaving.... Service! The only thing that was not the greatest was a vegan sandwich my wife had, but she's not a fan of eggplant so i dont think that counts. Highly recommend ! read more

I can't decide which part of the dining experience was more enjoyable, the accordion music played live or the focaccia bread served before our entrees because a few scoopfuls of food for an entree is not enough to make it enjoyable, no matter how good the food is. I was fairly hungry and thought the tortellini moda mia sounded delicious, and it was. But when it arrived, it came in a soup plate. A few pasta balls wrapped around pork and covered with peas, mushroom, and cream sauce for $13? Really? Yes, it was steaming hot, but even after I cleaned my plate, my hunger wouldn't cease. I should have ordered the lasagna, like my father-in-law did because at least the portion was bigger. The lasagna itself was high on the tomato sauce and low on the meat. The cheese was barely there, overpowered by the tomato taste. On the way in, I heard a lady giving praise to Mandola's pizzas, so maybe next time I will try one of those. But if you're super ravenous and are looking for big portions, you may want to eat a snack first before coming here. The quality of the food is edible, but the quantity is lacking. read more

If I could give this place ZERO stars I would. I ordered three TO-GO, shrimp scampis for OVER 50$ and this is the portions we came home with. When we asked for the manager we were transferred to Lauren, we brought the food BACK in to the restaurant for a refund and later said that they serve half portions: NOWHERE did it say half-order and not once did I ask for the half portion. This is ABSURD. Worst customer service, and the food is LAUGHABLE. If you want good/real Italian food, this ISN'T the place to go. Update: we spoke to the general manager, and they kept repeating "that's the portion size" multiple times. The customer service was so bad. Not once did they apologize; or try to fix the problem or make sure we left happy. If anything they were trying to "prove a point". If you want better Italian- head to Olive Garden where the food is hot and the portions for the price is compared to Mandola's. read more

See all

Typical chain restaurant joke. Pasta was soggy and disgusting, the bread was stale, the atmosphere was equivalent to a food court; you know the drill. I read more

Pretty dang good. The location is really convenient for us, the atmosphere is warm and inviting, and there are plenty of tasty choices for the whole family. We like to go for an early dinner with the kiddoes and sit in the back porch area. If the weather is nice, you can swing open the windows and feel like you are outside (even though you aren't, really). There is a playscape outside, but visibility is poor from most of the tables, so if you are a worrier, you might need to go out there with your kids. Kid choices are standard faire, but well executed. Good pizzas and the best chicken fingers in town - they fry them up like schnitzel. Really tasty and not greasy. Best part of the kid meals is that they get a complimentary cup of gelato, which the children must actively defend, else I will eat most of it. Yes, I'll admit to taking ice cream from seven year olds. I'm not proud of it, but that stuff is GOOD. Don't judge me. Adult choices are about what you would expect - pizza, pasta, salads and sandwiches. They bring you some excellent bread for munching while you wait. Still warm from the oven and oh-so-delectable. Good wine and beer selection, and decent happy hour deals. We've seen "Uncle Damian" Mandola (the namesake, and also Johnny Carrabba's uncle, fwiw) in there on a couple of occasions, and he's an absolute hoot. You must stop by and say hi if you get a chance. The verdict: good place to haul the family for dinner, most any night of the week. read more

I would describe this place as traditional Italian with a weird twist. We ordered the chicken Parmesan, the chicken Marsala, and the kids cheese ravioli. The cheese ravioli was standard and according to my daughter very good. My husband liked the chicken Parmesan but found it odd that it came with fettuccine in Alfredo sauce. Now for the chicken Marsala - the Marsala sauce is very good as was the pasta that came along side, but the prosciutto and fontina cheese on top of the chicken made it a little too salty for my tastes. Oh the bread is also very good. For dessert we had a cannoli, the vanilla gelato, and an anginetti cookie. All of the desserts were normal and very good. The service was quick, the people are friendly, and the whole place is very kid friendly. We will definitely be back. read more

I love that this place is very near. I love everything about their food! It's been very great to either pick up or dine in. I've had the risotto balls and the fried zucchini fried like items. Delish! I also love their meatballs. Their pizza is great as well. I leave there stuffed but you always have to save room for the gelato. I love the concept of their market. I can't wait to go back. read more

Oh man. So, my husband and I go to Austin semi-regularly, but we usually have our "go to" spots. I'd never been here before. After reconnecting with some family members in the late summer, we came here for dinner. SO GOOD. My cousins apparently come here on the regular, and I can definitely see why. You get the feel of an authentic Italian market when you enter and the food? Oh the food. Cousin got the carbonara, which isn't on the menu anymore, but they were happy to make it for her. I think I got a basic capellini pomodoro, but it was phenomenal. Everything tasted ridiculously fresh and all of the employees were super friendly. We got there about 40 minutes before close, and right as we were done eating, they were giving away goodies that they would've otherwise tossed at close. Cousin went home with a loaf of bread, other cousin and my husband had some deviled eggs. Highly recommend this place! We will definitely be back to load up on carbs the next time we're in Austin! read more

First time at Mandola's and had a great night! We ordered the chicken parm and lasagna. Both were great: good portion size (lasagna was huge!), timely delivery and delicious. Can definitely tell the pasta is fresh made. The combination of the pasta and sauce melted in your mouth. The chicken parm came with fettuccine with the chicken which I enjoyed but was unexpected. They have a cafe area as well, with fresh pastries and gelato. At the end of our meal, we were packing up our leftovers and mentioned to a worker that it was our first time. He was so enthusiastic that he offered us a free bakery item! We got the tiramisu and it was one of the best I've had in Austin. Will return and recommend to friends! read more

We recently had Mandolas cater our wedding with pasta, appetizers, a pizza oven and the crown jewel - Italian cream cake! Delia, the catering manager, is an absolute delight to work with. Kind, supportive and professional. There was a slight mishap on our end regarding the cake, and Delia and her team went above and beyond to make sure we had cake that our guests are still asking me about! I ate cake leftovers with champagne for breakfast for days after the wedding and I can't express how grateful I am to Delia for helping us out with my mistake that could have easily been a disaster. Grazie mille, Delia and team! We appreciate you all. read more

This is the go-to place for my boyfriend's family whenever people come into town. I LOVE IT! Although most of the dishes are really simple, the ingredients make the dish! I crave their Mista salad all the time! It's so fresh and not crummy with just ice berg lettuce and a drizzled dressing. The bread that comes with the meal is fresh and is disappointing after a while they won't give you anymore (I'm a carb lover). My only sad thing to say is that their staff is made up of local high schoolers who don't really know anything... I ordered the pappardelle pasta and the server told me "that's a new kind of pasta" which... took me a back a little bit. Silly. But I do love my pappardelle, yum! I also love that you can play bocce ball right outside! Also, we were leaving when it was closing and the bakers gave us the bread they were just going to throw away. Yay! Free carbs!!!!!!!! read more

We frequent Mandola's on both the north and south side of Austin. Both are equally good and we have had a great meal and experience everytime we have eaten there. After dinner, don't forget to stroll across the dining area to look at there deserts. Never met a desert there I didn't like. there coffee is really good there too. read more

Great atmosphere, food, portions, decently priced. Great place to just relax on a Sunday

Oh, Mandola's, I am in love! This place is sooooo good! I swear I've waited 2 years for this place to open. Literally, the sign was on the building for 2 years that Mandola's was coming. I was giving up hope, but it was worth the wait. The food is spectacular. It's like a New York Italian deli/market. I've had pizza twice now, both times excellent. Nice, thin crust, baked in a wood-fired oven with fresh ingredients. I had the margherita pizza and the Parma, sans the proscuitto. I've also had the caprese sandwich on focaccia, toasted Panini-style. Again, top-notch. The husband is in love with their veggie sandwich--it's so big that he always brings half home! read more

I have always wanted to try this place. I love the format where you can get dessert, gelato, antipasta and regular food. I guess i hit the place where it was quite after reading some of the comments on the long lines. I just wanted a sandwich. I ordered my son a kids pizza which came with a free gelato. The panini was almost $10. The total for my meal which was just my son and I was over $20, which is a bit much. We sat down at a huge table. It had a cool dining room feel to it. First of all. what is up with the small drink cups? You had to get up and constantly refill your drink. There was hardly anyone in the place. How can it take over 20 minutes to make a panini and a kid pizza? While waiting, we were brought focaccia bread which was good. We stared at the dessert counter while we waiting for our food. We were finally brought our meal. The sandwich was NOT a panini at all. It was more of a hot sandwich on italian bread. I expected more of a panini will grill marks on it that was crispy. This thing was chewy.It was full of meat and not very many veggies. I did expect a little more since this thing was over $10. I did get chips that came with it. My son seem to like his cheese pizza. After lunch, I got my kid his free gelato. I opted for 2 snickredoodle cookies and one that looked like a dinosaur. My bill was $5.95. I am confused. If the cookies are $1 each and I got 2, are you telling me the silly iced dinosaur cookie was $3.95? You could easily drop another $20 on dessert alone. I get that if you go to an italian place you are going to spend some money. There was only my son and I and I was almost at $30. I can only imagine how much if would have been if I brought the rest of my family. Secondly, what is with every receipt having a place for a tip? I get it for the food part of the store, but the dessert counter? Thats silly. If I want to tip the dessert guy, I will hand him cash. The service was good, food was ok, a bit over priced. read more

I struggled with this rating ....but in my system a 3 warrants a return trip and I just don't see that happening. The gluten free pasta was not cooked properly and tasted awful. Perhaps had there been some actual tomato sauce on top and not just ground beef that was simmered and then drained of anything resembling flavor, it would have hid the pasta failure The chicken Parmesan was just ok at best and the meatballs taste better at Fazolis. Even the Chicken Scallopini at Whole Foods is much better! Good Luck read more

I have been 3 times in roughly 2 weeks. There are several things I love. 1st: I love that they have little tables close to the big tables for kiddos, my boys love them. 2nd: Love the play ground, super nice bathrooms, and the people are very friendly. 3rd: The food is yummy, Gelato a huge hit as well as the cookies. However, I do think it stinks to have to stand in line to order your food, it's difficult if you are alone with 2 young boys, standing in line for 10-15 minutes is "no bueno" Biggest complaint and sadly this has happened 2 out of the 3 times, I go to add a Small Mista salad which is $4 but get charged for the $8 Mista Salad. I hate that I have to double check my receipt every time, especially when I specify the $4 salad. I think the cashier's are rushing because the lines are long and there are only 2 people able to take orders- so they go quickly and hope it's right. The manager has always been nice to correct and one time comped the salad all together but it's aggravating, especially when they tell you this exact error happens ALL the TIME!! I gave it 4 stars because the food is good, the kids prices are a deal and I love that we can eat and shop at the same time!! read more

My three-person family ate at Mandola's last night to celebrate, so we tried not to notice how expensive our meals were (over $56 and no alcohol, not including dessert or tip). But, we thought, this will be a delicious quality meal experience so it'll be worth it. We'd eaten there before, when it first opened a few years ago, and we remembered the food being good, though we don't remember what we ordered. Before you read my dinner review, I do want to say that my husband and daughter loved the focaccia bread, tiramisu, and hazelnut gelato; I had the super-sweet raspberry gelato which I also enjoyed. The desserts are why I didn't give this rating only one star, though I thought they too were rather pricey ($18 for a piece of tiramisu and two gelati with a delicious crispy wafer on top of each). My 15-year-old daughter had the chicken parmigiana and enjoyed it (did I mention she is 15?) My husband and I thought hers was just okay, not delicious, except in comparison to our own sad meals. We tried not to eye her jealously as she ate. My husband ordered the chopped Italian salad and one of his favorites, fettuccini alfredo with grilled chicken. While my husband is a big eater, he couldn't finish the salad because it was embarrassingly overdressed for the occasion. By this I mean it was so sodden a lifeguard couldn't save it. The first bite from the top was tasty, but he'd rather drink his dressing on the side, thank you very much. He also--and you'd be shocked if you knew him for over 20 years as I have--could not finish the fettuccini alfredo. The noodles were chewy and the "sauce" was gummy with little lumps. I had to try it for myself and thought it tasted like the off-brand box of stuff you can buy at the grocery store that you might cook at home while you're also cleaning the house and changing diapers, eyeballing the noodles because you forgot to set the timer. On top of that mess sat a sad flaccid piece of chicken that looked like it had been thrust on top, an afterthought. It wasn't sliced all the way through, but neither was it intact. It looked to my untrained eye like two dogs had been fighting over it (or about it: "No, ruff ruff, we cannot serve theese to thee customer!") and it landed on the plate purely by accident. After the dish had sat in front of my husband for a few minutes while he picked at the noodles and fantasized about a Big Mac, he noticed a distinct, unpleasant odor emanating from his plate. At his request I sniffed at it, fearing to get too close, but I didn't smell it until it was packed up in the car afterwards, a treat for our own dog who does not cook and is not a picky eater. (The dog ate it ravenously, by the way, but she will also eat cat turds. No one else in my family will eat cat turds, no matter how expensive they are.) Honestly, my daughter and I accused my husband of farting in the car on the way home, which would be understandable after that meal, but, no, it was the chicken. The reason I waited until the next day to write this was to see if my husband would survive the night. He did. He was not sick, at least, not physically. As I am trying to stay away from starchy carbs, I had the mista salad with grilled chicken. My salad was as sodden as my husband's with the same generous deluge of dressing. Are they trying to get rid of the stuff? I, too, had a chunk of petrified chicken that was lain to rest atop it, though mine did not smell bad. It did look to me like it had been roughed up in some shadowy alley before despairingly making its way to my plate. It was devoid of any moisture, which you might think would balance out the salad that was so, um, moist. You would be mistaken. The chicken repelled moisture like Rain-X, but is less tasty. We will not be back. read more

Went once for lunch. Good food, a bit pricey, but okay. I would be more of a fan if one didn't have to stand in line to order and then wait for food to be delivered. Would much rather have full service, only because I really hate to stand in line for food. read more

I've been here just once, we drove all the way from cedar park to william cannon to try out this place, and man, was it worth it. We went close to their closing time, but they still let us in (with a smile), I had the four cheese ravioli, and in my opinion, one of the best i've tasted. The eggplant parm was amazing as well, just enough cheese, not too dry, absolutely goldilocks. My dad had a pizza with just artichokes and zucchini which he really enjoyed. Honestly, the veggie food is quite good over here. I'm not sure about anything else. The gelato- i'd have liked more traditional flavors. It was a little heavy for my taste, but the flavor of the chocolate was bang on. Another flavor worth trying is the toasted almond. I have no complaints for now. Hopefully, i will have the same experience the next time i go. read more

One of the most "awesomest" and consistent place to eat a variety of fresh items! This place has it all indoors oR outdoor seating, games, playground! Fresh gelato, bakery, deli, pizza and pastas. They also have great salads and anything u want to drink! This place is always extremely clean and cordial! I bet you will love your dining experience! I love the little tables for small one - toooooo cute read more

See all

We are visiting from New Jersey that has a lot of good Italian places. We are pleased Mandola's was the first place we ate at here in Austin. Concept is unique; a market with a huge restaurant in the middle. You place an order at the counter, get a number and then your food is brought to your table along with yummy bread and oil. Service is fast. People are friendly. We had spaghetti and meatballs, meat lovers pizza, calamari, and garlic fries (get the fries!!!) and then had gelatto for dessert. Everything was excellent. This place was a treat to all our senses! We loved it. read more

Mandola's Italian - Italian Near Me - Austin, Texas

Came with a group of 10 for lunch, the opened their back room for us with a little persuasion since the front was full. The lunch salads came first, well dressed with veggies on top. Food came out fairly quickly in two shifts, but all was hot and plentiful for a lunch menu. Love that they offer hot bread while you wait for your food to arrive. Kids get delightful gelato with their meal. I want some too! Great place for groups, families and to meet friends! read more

You know that Italian Aunt and Uncle's house you go to and they spoil you beyond belief with amazing food and drinks and then force you to eat gelato, a whole tub? Oh you don't?? Yeah well you should. I live down the street from these guys and I cannot believe last night was my first time here. Jeremy the manager, makes you want to be adopted by him. He brought plates he heard us discussing that we didnt order just t try, an entire tub of gelato on the house as well, the food was perfect. Old Italy meets south Austin and the service, is unlike anything I have ever had. Every single person in there went above and beyond their call of duty to make us feel welcome and ensure we had everything we wanted. I will be visiting Mandola's weekly and the gym 10 times a week! Stellar time! read more