First off, the crackling fire in the hearth (am I using this term properly?) warmed my heart upon entry. It was truly the cherry on top for this cozy SoBro restaurant. I've been to Mama Carolla's a handful of times and often find myself lured by not only the cozy atmosphere but their appetizers, particularly the fried ravioli (which I now make at home) and artichoke fritters. I know, how healthy, Brittany! Two fried favorites.
Upon this visit I was craving to mix it up with a pasta dish - fingers crossed that it'd be risotto. Unfortunately, risotto was accompanying their pork chop special and was unavailable on its own due to limited quantities. So, I opted for quite possibly the least healthy pasta option on the menu - pasta carbonara. The peas were delightfully crisp and refreshing! It was heavy and delicious and plenty for two. The meal came with a delicious mixed green salad and fresh bread for the table. Order wine, they have delicious offerings and well, an Italian meal is incomplete without it.
Very cozy, charming atmosphere. Greeters at the door very friendly. Food was good. I got the beef lasagna. My dinner guests  ordered the chicken lasagna and ravioli. I usually don't like to order chicken when I dine out, but his dinner looked great. So great that I'm going to order the chicken lasagna next time! My boyfriend just loved
his ravioli. The place was so charming that I would  go back based on the unique charm and atmosphere alone. I really was pleased with my experience there.
These guys don't take reservations but this place is seriously worth the wait. Real,homemade Italian food that is hard to top.
The atmosphere is also one of the selling points for me. Set entirely inside a Mission style Spanish home, tables and chairs of all shapes and sizes  are scattered throughout. Seem in cozy corners for couples, some large tables perfect for families or groups.
Make sure you have the chicken rosemary lasagna!
Date night, ladies night out, intimate dinner with a friend, I'll find any excuse to go back to Mama Carolla's. Delicious salads, love the bread, and any of their pasta dishes are always served to perfection. I could never think of driving way out of my neighborhood for chains like Brio or Maggiano's with a place as great as Mama Carolla's in my backyard!
Review Source:My fiance's birthday brought us to Mama Carolla's last night for the first time. As we walked in, we immediately thought the place was charming and had a nice atmosphere. We were promptly seated (yeah, it was just a Wednesday) and our server immediately came over to greet us. He was very nice, assertive and helpful throughout our meal. He recommended the Chicken Rigatoni, which I ended up getting and thought it was absolutely delicious. It was just the right amount of spicy, and just so good. I can't remember what my fiance got, but I know he enjoyed his meal as well. We did start off with bruschetta and a salad. As odd as this may sound, the regular dinner salad with the balsamic dressing was really quite good.
All-in-all we enjoyed the experience, service and food. We will definitely be returning to Mama Carolla's.
Dear Mama C.,
It's our decade reunion since several dishes ago, it deterred me from ever coming back. A charming place like this deserves a second chance - especially since it was my beau's birthday and I thought this would be the quintessential romantic spot to share an Italian meal like Lady and the Tramp's signature spaghetti smooch.
A 45 minute wait for a table of 2, as I sat on a rickety old chair in the corner by that drafty door where nobody seems to close entirely on their way in/out. The check-in corridor was packed with crowds and I felt bad for the tables in that area. Totally claustrophobic. So I hoped and hoped, I wouldn't be seated there. Luckily, we were seated in what looked to be the living room directly below the stairwell. I can't complain - although quite loud where you can overhear others conversations, anywhere is better than the main corridor.
I ordered the Mostaccioli Bolognese and it was simply divine. Generous chunks of ground beef marinaded in Chianti and fresh herbs mixed in a rich tomato cream sauce. Possibly one of the best bolognese sauces here in Indy. The boyfriend had the Chicken Involtine and I could see that he sopped up the entire puddle of champagne tomato cream sauce with the bread. Apparently, it was that good if his plate looked pristine. To top it off, we got a 1/2 carafe of the Chianti to pair with the meal. Great deal since $15 filled about 4 glasses. Salute!
P.S. I will be back to try every freaking pasta dish you have.
After hearing a lot of good things about Mama's I decided to check it out. Me being an Italian food snob (only because I've been to Italy) I was impressed with Mama Carolla's. I was smart and read reviews before I went. I arrived around 5:30, so I missed the rush. Thank God! There was a lot of reviews about it being a noisy restaurant. I didn't think so. Maybe it was because my party was sat upstairs where there is only 5 tables. It was perfect, so if you go ask to sit upstairs ;)
Nevertheless, we were greeted with bread which was great. Nice crunch on the outside with a soft center. Perfecto! We started with the calamari and Jumbo shrimp stuffed with goat cheese in a pool of marinara. Calamari was calamari nothing exceptional, but the stuffed shrimp was great. I decided to go with the Chicken Involtine which was Fantastico! It is Fillets of breast, layered with prosciutto ham, fresh spinach, a touch of fontina cheese, then rolled and sautéed in a herbed champagne tomato cream sauce with mushrooms. Also served with Angel hair pasta. I also had the opportunity to try the Ravioli which consisted of Simply delicious squares of fresh pasta filled with a spinach cheese mixture,
covered with a creamy pesto sauce. This was also good. Of course I had to end my evening with a homemade slice of Tiramisu. I will definitely go back to Mama's for some good Italian fair!
To semi-quote the most interesting man in the world, "I don't always visit Indianapolis, but when I do, I eat at Mama Carolla's."
Seriously though, I love this place and the atmosphere is literally off the chain. Â It is located in an old house and has tons of character. Â In winter it is cozy and in the summer, the patio is charming.
I'd stick with the pasta dishes...tried the salmon last time I was there, and the price and quality really wasn't up to par. Â I've not had a pasta dish I haven't liked and the bread is tasty that comes with your meal. Â Portions are a good meal size, though not always enough to eat half and take the rest with you, which is why I wish some of their prices were lower.
Otherwise, I've tried and liked:
-Chicken Parmesan
-Miguel's "Pasta Too Good" (lots of garlic)
Wine carafes make drinking quite affordable (Chianti or Pinot Gringio). Â They also have a large cocktail and martini list. Â No reservations, but put your name in and get a drink at the bar while you wait (they also have seating out front where you can wait with or without drink.
This place had such a cool "homey" vibe. Â It really felt like home. Â Like, is Mama Carolla my grandma, and I just don't know it? Â The place must have been an old house, and it was very homey. Â We had to wait awhile. Â It was the night before a marathon, and I don't think they take reservations. Â But the bread was great. Â The simple pasta I got was great. Â And I had plenty of energy the next day. Â mmmm good!
Review Source:We had been told many times to dine here... now that we have, I wanna go back and try more delicious menu selections...
Had the portabella mushroom stuffed with crab antipasti which was one of the best I have ever had. For dinner had salad and the Veal Medallions (description: Veal medallions sautéed with wild mushrooms and peas, served with penne pasta in a creamy Gorgonzola cheese sauce.) which was FANTASTIC!! Serving size was very good... but was more than I could finish.
Atmosphere is very nice but a little loud. Service was very good... but it did take a while to get us our bill as everyone seemed a little more concerned in cleaning for closing than to get us checked out...
Will be back...
Will sit al fresco next time on a warmer day!!
I am a bit stubborn when it comes to venturing outside of the downtown area for food and Mama's is one of the few restaurants that is able to lure me away. Â This is surely my favorite spot for Italian in the city! Â Both the food and the ambiance are authentic and are a great escape from other run-of-the-mill cliche spots like Buca di Beppo. Â The pasta carbonara is great, but rich, so expect to take some leftovers home!
Review Source:Hands down, the best place for italian in the city, in my opinion.
Grab a carafe of the house red and some calamari to start dinner off. You can't go wrong with any of their entree options, but the Chicken Involtine and Rosemary Chicken Lasagne are two of my favorites. If you want steak, Cousin Mary's gorgonzola-stuffed filet is out of this world. And if you are really hungry, try the Chicken Carbonara, it's rich and filling.
This place has great charm inside (can be a little loud) and their patio out back is great when the weather is nice.
They do not take reservations, so I suggest showing up early (before 6pm) or late (after 8pm), otherwise expect to wait on the weekends.
If you want romance think surrounded by twinkling lights and candles in a garden. Enough said! Everyone raves about lasagna but the Linguine and Clam Sauce is one of best I've ever tasted. A splash of Crown Royal, garlic, perfectly creamy and spicy. If you visit in the winter be sure to sit by the fireplace. Staff is amazing, location is perfect along Monon.
Review Source:After living in Indy for 20 years, I finally took my parents here when I came back to visit for Mother's Day. We are a tough bunch to please, especially my dad who is extremely critical of food. He had the Veal Saltimbocca, my mom had the Chicken Involtine, and I had the Chicken Piccata. I tried all three and all were very delicious. The ambiance is steller, service was great, and we never felt rushed during the service every though the courtyard was filled with waiting guests.
Review Source:I don't know if I just ordered everything wrong or what, but I just did not enjoy anything I had. I actually sent the calamari back. I don't ever send food back that I just don't care for, usually only if something is very wrong with it, but I simply could not eat it.
The server was very gracious about taking it back and then bringing something new. So, I give her credit for that, however, she also never refilled our water. We were sitting outside on the patio in 90 degree weather, and our water was never refilled. We were there on a week night, so while there were other guests, it wasn't crazy busy either.
The ambience is beautiful, both inside and out. I will probably  give it one more shot. Since they have been in business for years, and most people rave about it, I will chalk it up to it just being an off night.
What a disappointment.
For that price i expected either to be amazing ingredients to make up a delicious dish or  very large portions...not the case here.
They say "wild mushrooms" but that is far from the truth. the food was ok, but like i said for those kind of prices it better be great.
The wine list was small. The atmosphere very loud, small, very stuffy.
I'm not Italian, sadly. Â But I love the culture, the people and even went so far as to propose to my wife on a gondola excursion in Venice. Â
That being said, I think I've found my new favorite Italian spot here in Indianapolis - Mama Carolla's. Â Where to begin. Â The atmosphere is, in a word, adorable. Â Nestled in the SoBro neighborhood, in a beautiful home, this restaurant makes you feel like you are sitting down to dinner with family. Â
We visited for my wife's birthday during the Chow Down Midtown event and found some wonderful choices on the Prix Fixe menu including the Carbonara and Spinach Ravioli - both delicious dishes, that came with a light salad. Â
While it was a fairly busy evening, we were seated quickly and our service was just right. Â We could tell our server was having some challenges, but he was professional and everything came out without incident. Â
All in all, I would highly recommend Mama Carolla's and look forward to a return visit. Â It may even be part of my "Best Places to Take Guests From Out of Town" list!
We went to Mama Carolla's last night to celebrate a multitude of things. Â We had 7 people in our party. Â A few of us decided to go early so that we could get our name and shorten the wait for those who lived farther away. Â Well...that's not how it works at Mama C's. Â You can put your name on the list but they won't tell you the wait until your whole party is there. Â That kind of defeated the purpose of us going early.
One of the things we were celebrating was two birthdays. Â We had brought cupcakes to enjoy after the meal. Â Or so we thought...we were told that if we wanted to eat the cupcakes, they would charge us $1 per plate. Â What??? Â We just ate them in the parking lot after dinner instead.
All that aside, our waiter was extremely friendly. Â We had two people who hadn't RSVPed show up and he squeezed some chairs in for them without making a big deal out of it. Â He also confirmed how to split up the checks before printing them which was great. Â
The food was delicious. Â For our appetizer, we ordered the bruchetta which amazing. Â Party because of the delicious break that they put it on. Â They also brought bread for the table which was also amazing. Â For my entree, I ordered the shrimp scampi. Â I liked that the pasta and the sauce were not mixed together when the meal was served so that you could eat less of the buttery sauce if you chose to. Â I happened to choose to eat all of it. Â Not all the pastas were served this way but I liked the concept. Â
I'll probably go back to Mama C's but likely on one of the weeknights that you can make reservations.
Soo delicious! Granted, I live in Nashville, which is not exactly known for its Italian past or repast, but I've had killer Italian food in legit cities and I can say confidently this place would give Batali a run for his money on food quality. We had the bruschetta with smoked mozzarella, salads, beef lasagna, and the Mediterranean pasta. Everything was so good I would consider braving the five hour transit time next time I get a craving.
Review Source:Top notch. Spot on. A flawless experience. Romantic ambience, fantastic wait staff, expensive food that is good enough to merit its price tag-for a high class night out in indy, this place is a top choice. My lady friend was very impressed as well. We spent $50 for an appetizer, salads, entrees, and a beer, and went home with delicious leftovers. I love going somewhere expensive and leaving feeling like I spent every dollar wisely.
Review Source:Food is Great .... HOWEVER....
(1) When I called and was told there would be no wait I didn't know that meant a 30 minute wait
(2) People who were sat after us received their drinks and appetizers before us. It took the waiter nearly 15 minutes to greet us and get our drinks to our table.
(3) The Manager might have secretly tried to give us the bird (I saw his fist go up in our general direction after we complained to him (see 1 & 2)
(4) Our waiter hardly came by the table to see how our dinner was and it took him forever to get our food out. He acted as if he knew we wouldn't give him a tip and didn't even try to change our minds.
(5) The gentleman serving our water had an eyebrow ring ... if you are trying to pass this place off as a nice Italian Restaurant then please give me more professionalism. It isn't hard to ask your employees to remove piercings from certain body parts. I've worked in this business, believe me it won't grow back by the time your shift is over
(6) NOT once did the manager try to help the server out or try to make our evening more enjoyable.
(7) In what universe does your dinner last 3 hours?!?!
(8) I also enjoyed smelling your dumpsters while exiting the restaurant. I wouldn't have if they weren't propped open by a 2x4. I really added to the ambiance.
I'm sure this place's claim to fame is their food and I would agree the food is excellent; however, the food is only part of the experience. I would rather go to Olive Garden then visit this place again.
Mama Carolla's is the one Italian restaurant that I use to judge any other Italian restaurant. Â
I have been going to Mama Carolla's for years and I can only think of a few times that I ordered anything but the Carbonara. Â Pair it with Garlic Cheese Bread and a Ceasar Salad and this is the meal that I would ask for if it were my last.
Since I live just a few blocks away (a short bike ride on the monon) I usually get it to go.  The kitchen staff is always hard at work and very friendly  However everytime that I have dined in service has been stellar.  For the quality of food, portion of food, service and value look no further.  This place is a deal at twice the price.
My boyfriend took me to Mama Corolla's last weekend as part of a nice evening out together. Â We had read reviews talking about long lines, so we beat the crowd and arrived at 6PM on Saturday night. Â The hostess was friendly, and took us to a table right away.
The decor was pretty standard: fake grape vines, etc. Â I liked that Mama Carolla's seemed like walking into someone's home. Â It was warm and inviting. Â However, it was pretty loud. Â Not the romantic ambiance I was hoping for, as I often had to raise my voice for my boyfriend to hear me even two feet away. Â
The service was great. Â Our waiter greeted us right away, and brought our food and drinks out quickly. Â My water glass was never empty! Â One thing that bothered me was that the wait staff were wearing embroidered t-shirts. Â For the quality and price point of Mama Carolla's, I would expect a collared shirt. Â Even McDonald's cashiers wear collared shirts. Â I believe that this simple change would enhance the experience of dining here.
Great wine selection. Â The sparkling wine I ordered was so good, I got two glasses instead of my usual one. Â I couldn't resist! Â The food was good, but nothing really special. Â I guess I expected more from an Italian restaurant. Â I ordered the chicken fettuccine alfredo, and it was on par with bar and grill restaurants or (dare I say it) an Olive Garden. Â My boyfriend ordered the eggplant special, and he loved his food. Â I enjoyed my food, but wasn't impressed as I hoped to be.
All in all, Mama Carolla's is a wonderful date spot. Â I saw a lot of big groups dining here, which may account for why it was so loud. Â I saw families with young kids here, but I wouldn't choose to bring children to Mama Carolla's. Â The service is great, and the food is pretty good as well. Â This is a must try if you live in SoBro or are looking for a new Italian restaurant!
I've been to Mama Carolla's several times over the 10 years that I've lived in Indianapolis, and I can honestly say I've never had a bad experience. And I've probably been at least 15 times.
I don't think I've had anything I don't like, but I can say I always get a cocktail (they have the classics and they are always well done). I love their marinara, and I also love their Chicken Involtine and Chicken Piccata. And their tiramisu? A winner!!
I love the homey feel of the place (probably because it was one!) and the outdoor seating area in the warmer months.
Oh, it's a great place for a date! Take the one you love (or would like to!).
How have I not reviewed Mama Carolla's before? I must be crazy!
We took our good friend here for dinner last week as a thank you for putting us up while in between houses... holy smokes, it was an amazing meal.
We started with the mussels and calamari. The sauce the mussels were cooked in was incredible. I probably ate a loaf of bread all by myself just sopping it up.
I started with the Italian Wedding Soup... not something I find in many Italian restaurants, but my FAVE. YUM.
I ordered the special of the night which was a stuffed chicken breast. It was incredible. I was pretty satisfied from all the bread and appetizers but I still couldn't leave one single shred of the chicken on the plate. I left the side of pasta however.
I can't remember what we had for dessert - I think it was some kind of cheesecake, and it didn't rock my world, but whatever.
Bottle of wine, 2 appetizers, dinner for 4 and 1 dessert plus tip was $175. I expected it to be much more painful than that. I was HIGHLY satisfied.
I've been to Mama Corolla's twice in the past few years and both times I've really enjoyed my food. Â Â Â If this tells you anything, this past trip was in celebration of my birthday (which is *serious* business people)!
The meal started with a Artichoke Fritter appetizer, followed by Italian wedding soup and ending with Chicken Involtine. Â Â The appetizer was delicious as was the chicken Involtine - let's just say that I didn't have anything left to take home! Â Â You might have noticed I skipped over the Italian Wedding soup - it wasn't bad but it wasn't anything special to write home about. Â
In terms of ambiance, it's really cute but be warned, the tables are close together. Â If you are seated next to loud/obnoxious people, they'll definitely impact your experience here. Â There looks to be a killer patio in the summer, but alas, it was winter when we went.
Went here on a Thursday about 6 and there was a 30min wait. So we just sat at the bar. I had a Tom Collins and it is the best I have ever had. So I had another. And the best part is that when I said I'd have another the bartender asked how I liked my first. It's so simple but doesn't get asked enough. Most of the time there is a small change I would make. However not this time. I just love the ambiance here. It's like you want to drag your time there out as long as possible. I was disappointed when they called our name for the table because that was just closer to when we would have to leave.
We had a bottle of wine (don't remember what) and the artichoke fritters. The fritters were good but I wouldn't get them next time. The diced tomatoes were a good addition, without them it would have been too much heaviness (can't think of a good word) but the tomatoes' acidity makes it better. Then we got the eggplant puttanesca and the rosemary chicken lasagna. I The eggplant puttanesca was a hit however I ordered this again a couple weeks later for take-out and it wasn't that good. Just thought I should include that, so it's undetermined. The rosemary chicken lasagna was alright. It had too much cheese and I couldn't taste any rosemary or complex flavors like most other people on here talk about. Then we had a cannoli for dessert that was good but I don't think that special.
Surprisingly the best part of the meal for both of us was the caesar salad with the anchovies. It was delicious and so unique that they include the anchovies.
I would definitely come back here mostly because I just love this place. The food didn't do it for the five stars this time but I'll be back and based on other comments will probably be giving five stars that time.
I've been waiting to try Mama Corolla's for quite some time. While it's not the absolute best Italian food I've ever had, it was a solid meal, worth the wait, and I'd probably go back. if you've never been...go!
Right off the bat -- the decor is classy but also quaint. Not too overdone, but a very comfortable restaurant. "Wow", I thought. Intimate and charming.
Charming came to an end -- I REALLY didn't care for our table. We (two of us) sat in a relatively small, 'echoey' room, which centered around a rather large table -- while ours was small and right up against a wall. The proverbial "elephant" in the room, if you will, was a large (~9) party, with at least 3 young loud kids and obnoxious blinky keychains. I know this isn't the restaurant's fault per se, but I didn't sign up to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday around some bratty little kids. Next time, I'll request a more desirable table...or leave.
Moving on. Everything else was FABULOUS! Appetizers, salads, soups, entrées -- everything good. We shared the fried ravioli: it was hot and gooey, with a very delicious marinara sauce. I had a salad; my girlfriend some soup: both were very tasty.
I chose "Miguel's "Pasta Too Good"" -- and ya know what -- they're not lying; it was incredibly good. The sauce was deep and flavorful and the penne pasta cooked to a superb al dente.
All in all, it's definitely worth at least one meal. Expect to spend upwards of $30 after drinks & tip -- so not quite my everyday meal, but for a locally-owned restaurant serving up fare this good, count me in at least once or twice a year.
My mom was in town from Chicago and let's be honest, Chicago knows how to do Italian. So when she asked for some good Italian food, I didn't even know where to start.
Yelp-ed Italian/Indianapolis and saw Mama Carollas. Boom.
We called around 5:45 to ask if there was a wait for 2 people and there wasn't at that time but when we got there at 6:15, there was an hour wait. YIKES but we met some people at the bar and they told us tales of 3 hour waits and that any wait time is acceptable at Mama's.
We got a bottle of Kenwood Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma.. the bartenders were a little bored looking but the wine helped pass the time for sure.
The rosemary chicken lasagna was so good and I had the mussels to start and some spicy noodly chickeny deliciousness.. I can't remember what it was because I was actually feeling sick that night and we ended up leaving pretty early through our meal and I took everything home.. Even the delicious crunchy loaf of bread.
Good stuff.
4 stars for too much of a wait and having to ask to move from a table in the middle of the walkway to another more cozy corner table.
I'm feeling low on wit today, so Mama Carolla's gets a straight review sans panache:
A friend and I were out last night and wanted to try someplace that we had never been. Â As we are both lovers of Italian food and I had seen the great reviews for Mama Carolla's, this was where we ended up. We parked behind the building and walked in the back door through a really pretty patio area (which I will be taking advantage of once it's consistently warm out). Â It was nicely segregated from the parking lot by brick walls, plants and fountains. Â While waiting for a table we had a drink at the bar where I learned their inexpensive house Chianti is quite delicious - so delicious, in fact, we ended up getting a half carafe to go with our dinner.
Before I get to the food, it is important to note that our meal was WELL PACED. Â Each course was brought out one at a time, and at no point did I feel rushed through my meal. Â That is really a huge deal for me. Â The service by the hostess, bartender and waiter was all excellent as well. Â
All our food was excellent - we shared a caprese salad, enjoyed the fresh bread and salad with balsamic vinaigrette (and a soft, Italian cheese on it - yum!), and I had the ravioli which came in a creamy pesto sauce, and my friend had the misto mare, which was linguine with a bunch of seafood - his was a small mountain of food. Â We didn't have any dessert, but the people at the table next to us had the ricotta cheesecake, and it looked awesome.
Great atmosphere, food and service - this is my new favorite Italian restaurant in Indy!
The hours are funny. Closed Sun-Mon and only dinner service Tues-Sat. Be ready to wait for a table after 5:30 p.m. on weekends. However, there is a tent with tables and a wait staff ready to take drink and appetizer orders while you wait. HOW CONVENIENT!!
The food is fresh, authentic, and just plain delicious. I can't even express how good the mussels and crusty white bread are. I strongly suggest you order these for your appetizer. The broth alone deserves some kind of award. The manicotti is breathtaking. I don't even order manicotti but tasted my husband's and got really jealous, really quickly. It was by far, the best pasta dish I've ever tasted. It was creamy, cheesy, tangy, sweet, dense, light, heavenly, sinful ALL at the same time. I will order this every time here on out.
The creme brule was great as well! Yum Yum Yum! The drinks are on the pricey side, but just bring a bottle of wine for your wait in the parking lot if you're cheap and you can have yourself a good ol' time. Wait, that is probably against some kind of law. Â Just go there and order what I mentioned and you will pee your pants from happiness.
Comfortable, classic, and romantic are three words that describe the atmosphere at Mama Carolla's Old Italian Restaurant in Broad Ripple. Â This is a great restaurant for a date or leisurely dinner among friends; the service is polite but not overly attentive. Â My friends and I could not seem to get our waiter's attention when we needed something. Â However, when he was there, he was polite and knowledgeable about the menu.
The menu has a little something for everyone--fish, pork, veal, beef, chicken and pasta. Â There are the usual suspects like meatballs and Fettuccini Alfredo, as well as twists on traditional favorites, like Rosemary Chicken Lasagna. Â Bread is hot, delicious and complimentary and entrees are served with choice of soup or salad.
Our salads were overdressed, which was a shame because the vegetables were fresh and would have been crisp if they weren't swimming. Â Our entrees were good, but no one was blown away. Â At our table we had Ravioli, Tilapia, Chicken Alfredo, Manicotti and Eggplant Puttanesca.
The Tilapia was the clear winner, with a crispy walnut crust and blackberry sauce. Â The Chicken Alfredo also received good marks--you really can't go wrong with butter and heavy cream. Â The Ravioli sounded delicious on the menu as "filled with a spinach cheese mixture, covered with a creamy pesto sauce". Â The presentation of this dish left much to be desired. Â The color was a creamy brown with flecks of green. Â Fortunately it tasted much better than it looked. Â However, it was agreed that the pasta was undercooked and quite chewy.
All in all, Mama Carolla's offers decent Italian fare, large portions and a nice dining experience in a beautiful atmosphere. Â It's not my top choice for Italian, but I would dine there again.
This was my first visit to the very very popular Mama Carolla's restaurant. Â My first impression was that the patio atmosphere is great in the Summer. There are several tables and it looks more like a backyard party than a restaurant.
 My friend and I sat at the bar and I will just say we came at a good time.  This place gets pretty busy pretty quickly.  The hostesses to a great job of gathering the parties to their tables but you should expect a long wait.
The food...is worth the wait. Â The bartenders were great. Â The guest at the bar were entertaining. Â I really enjoyed it and will definitely return...I will just prepare myself for the wait.
"It's her birthday!" my friend exclaimed to the waitress, pointing at me. Â The waitress smiled faintly, wished me a happy birthday and went on her way; it seemed as if she wondered why exactly my friend was telling her this. Â
While it was, in fact, my actual birthday - my friend also had an ulterior motive, she was pining over a piece of tiramisu our "neighbor" had and was hoping to wrangle a free birthday treat out of the deal for me that she could then indulge in). Â No such luck. Â Our server promptly arrived with the bill, wished me a happy birthday again & went on her merry way. Â
Sooo... I guess this might not be the stop you want to make if you're on a "free birthday dessert" hunt.
Anyhoo. Â The patio was very pleasant. Â Individual umbrealls cover every table (and there are a lot) and the place is surrounded by a white brick wall that's covered in ivy; it's definitely got character. Â
We started with the bruschetta appetizer - four pieces ($6.95) were a nice starter for our group, fresh tomatoes and smoky cheese gave it good flavor. Â There were only two vegetarian entrees available (pasta primavera or manicotti). Â The manicotti was a generous portion (1/2 was plenty for me). Â The filling was good but the sauce was nothing to write home about. Â The pasta primavera had some good fresh veggies and a garlic oil dressing. Â All entrees came with a soup or salad. Â For $13.95 & up entrees I'd like to see a mixed field greens salad instead of iceberg lettuce... but maybe that's just me. Â Â
BOTTOM LINE: Â The food was okay, but seemed a little overpriced for what it was. Â The very inviting patio is what might draw me back to give it another shot...
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