If you are in the mood for Italian food while at Disney's Hollywood Studios then Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano is the place for you. As one of five Table Service Dining options at Disney's Hollywood Studios, it provides you the opportunity to have a relaxing sit down meal without leaving the Disney World theme park.
Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano
Mama Melrose's is a 280 seat Italian Restaurant that is located near the Streets of America section of Disney's Hollywood Studios. It is themed to be a Hollywood based restaurant where Mama Melrose cooks for the Stars. You will quickly notice the picture of the Hollywood Walk Of Fame Star for Mama Melrose.
The walls are adorned with pictures of the stars that have frequented Mama Melrose's as is the Hollywood tradition.
Once you get past the entrance you will notice the small, but very busy show kitchen that is quite visible. Here you will see them building flatbread pizzas to cook in their wood fired brick ovens or prepare the various pasta dishes on the menu.
When you are seated you are taken to one of the dining rooms. Here the lighting is dimmer, as befitting a family Italian Restaurant. The atmosphere is casual with the mixture of Italian and Hollywood based decorations.
The Menu
The menu at Mama Melrose's is filled with reasonably priced (for a Disney World Table Service Restaurant) Italian fare.
Amongst the entrees you will find a variety of different flatbreads (thin crusted pizzas designed to serve one person), pasta dishes, steak, Oak-grilled Pork Chop, and Wood Grilled Tuna. Prices range from $11.99 to $12.99 for the Flatbreads and $16.99 to $19.99 for the Pasta dishes. The Steak, Pork Chop, and Grilled Tuna range from $21.99 to $28.99.
Dining Review
During a recent visit to Mama Melrose's two of us (my 14 year old son and I) ate there for lunch. Their Lunch and Dinner Menus are identical. Fortunately with the variety on the menu you can choose to either have a full meal or enjoy one of their flatbreads for a lighter "Lunch."
They accept both the Disney Dining Plan and the Tables In Wonderland dining discounts.
We were in the mood for pasta so we order the Oven Baked Chicken alla Parmigiana ($16.99) and the Penne alla Vodka (also $16.99).
While we waiting for the pasta, we were served fresh baked rolls with Olive Oil for dipping. They were very good.
The Oven Baked Chicken alla Parmigiana comes atop spaghetti with a real chicken breast and plenty of mozzarella cheese. The portion was good sized and the dish was tasty. My son really enjoyed it and ate every bite.
I had the Penne alla Vodka. I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the portion. The dish tasted great and exceeded my expectations. This ended up being one of the best meals of my trip.
Summary
Mama Melrose's is a great dining option for a Table Service Restaurant within Disney's Hollywood Studios. The atmosphere is relaxed. The restaurant is themed to be an Italian Family Restaurant that serves the Hollywood Stars, but the food is the star of the "show" here.
The flatbreads make an excellent lunch or you can choose from their pasta or other options for more of a dinner. The two pasta dishes that we sampled exceeded expectations.
Mama Melrose's would be considered a "normal" Italian Restaurant along the same lines as Tony's Town Square in the Magic Kingdom. Based upon this recent meal, I would rate the food quality ahead of Tony's.
Elsewhere at Disney World there are several upscale Italian cuisine choices: Tutto Italia Ristorante and Via Napoli in Epcot, Portobello in Downtown Disney, and Il Mulina New York Trattoria at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels. If you are looking for more of a fine dining experience I would recommend one of these, if you are looking for very tasty "basic" Italian dishes then you will be more than happy with Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano.
I would have to say that I was very pleased with the overall dining experience. The atmosphere was relaxed and suitable for families to converse. The food tasted great and exceeded expectations. The prices were very reasonable by Disney World standards. I would definitely recommendd Mama Melrose's to any who are seeking a Table Service Restaurant inside of Disney's Hollywood Studios.
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