Mama Melrose's in Disney's Hollywood Studios

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

From Walt Disney World for Grown Ups.  Another restaurant we haven't tried yet.  Any firsthand experiences to share?

Mama Melrose's in Disney's Hollywood Studios

POSTED: Fri, 04/22/2011 - 11:00 | POSTED BY: Bradley Johnson

I'm going to cut to the chase in this review and tell you this right of the bat:

I like Mama Melrose's

Why am I killing all the suspense and letting you know in the first paragraph that I'm a fan of this joint? Because I find that every time I'm talking about it it sounds like I'm calling it boring.

When I try to describe the restaurant the phrases that come to mind are "fine," "not bad," "pretty good." While this sounds bad, the fact is Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano has well-executed, but very standard Italian food.

The Caesar salad is the first example of my inclination to describe the food in seemingly equivocal terms. What I like about it is that it's almost identical to lots of other tasty Caesars I've had at chain restaurants. It does stand out a bit because of the melty-cheesy croutons, but otherwise it's pretty similar to many other Caesars you may have had in Disney World.

Caesar Salad

My dining partner had the minestrone, and when I asked her to describe it, she said "it was fine." Typical. But when I asked her if she liked it, she said "yes." So once again it's pretty much like other minestrone soup you've had, but like the good ones -- not that nasty one you didn't care much for.

Minestrone Soup

The chicken pipette that my companion had for her entree was a tiny bit off the beaten path. It was very creamy and tasty. Like some other dishes I was glad I got to try it, but also glad it wasn't my dish. I think over the course of a whole serving of the food the richness would have been a bit much. Plus the flavor was pretty homogeneous since the sauce was so evenly distributed. She, however, loved every bite.

Chicken Pipette

So now we're to my entree. I love a good chicken parm and this was once again the stereotypical dish. It was nice to have the pasta on the side to alternate flavors. Once again I may sound ambivalent, but honestly I wish that Tony's Town Square had a entree I like as much.

Chicken alla Parmigiana

Now we come to dessert. Three words that strike terror into diners all over Disney world are no sugar added. We referred to this dish as the "No Sugar Added Lemon Dessert" and that's pretty much exactly what it is. You should be able to imagine it based on that excellent description. If you have a medical reason to give it a try, it's not the worst thing you'll ever eat, but I wouldn't go after it otherwise.

No Sugar Added Lemon Dessert

The cheesecake on the other hand was one of those pre-fab tasty cheesecakes that I love. It actually had some interesting elements, but by and large it was sweet and delicious and typical.

Cheesecake

So as you can see nothing was truly exceptional, but everything was "pretty good." Ultimately though, the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. Mama Melrose's is pretty easy to get into and usually isn't crowded. There are sometimes streetmosphere characters who pop in and add to the fun. It's cool and comfortable and all the dishes are pretty good. Having no duds on the menu (with the possible exception of the no sugar added options), is really quite an accomplishment.

http://www.wdwforgrownups.com/articles/mama-melroses-disneys-hollywood-studios

[BRDof3...Rob 40]

We ate there in '08, and we all pretty much agreed with this review. It was OK, but it didn't measure up to the price. Being Disney it was expensive. In my opinion, Olive Garden would be half the price, and better food. We didn't even think about MM when we went back in '10.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

We ate there in '08, and we all pretty much agreed with this review. It was OK, but it didn't measure up to the price. Being Disney it was expensive. In my opinion, Olive Garden would be half the price, and better food. We didn't even think about MM when we went back in '10.

We've never dined there, but all in all, if I could be eating dog poop at Disney right now, I'd probably be pretty happy about it. 

[campingpixi 11]

we will be there during our trip with the fantasmic package!! I can't wait!!

[Lou... 3,118]

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Lots of stuff on there certainly SOUNDS delicious!

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

I love Mama's. It is the only place on Disney property that I ever insist on. I'm not sure what that says about my cuisine expertise, but I have never been disappointed in anything I have eaten here. :D :dance:

[dblr....Rennie 224]

We ate there last trip with a party of 12 the only real issue we had was 1 person ordered the steak rare ( he's from Tx) and it took 3 times before it came the way he wanted it, by then everyone else was almost done their meal. We also celabrated 2 birthdays while there, all in all I really liked it and would be happy to dine there again.

[campingpixi 11]

wow that menu looks great! can't wait!!

[ftwildernessrick 10]

It is one of our normal eating places on almost everytrip. I am not fond of Hollywood & Vine anymore now for some years (tried it again last year - yuk!. I know some people like it, but I can't be hitting it at the wrong time all the time).

We eat there for lunch though and now I see they have a combined lunch/dinner menu. It is fairly quiet and service is generally good. They have been cutting back on their menu items now for a few years & are really pushing the 'flatbreads' more than various pastas which we like. I have ressies for it on our May trip & I will see how it goes.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

...I have ressies for it on our May trip & I will see how it goes.

We'll expect a full report.  :)

[jriae2000 1]

We dined there in 09. It was good but not great. On quick service next trip and wont spend the extra for only "good" food.