In one word, AMAZING! We went to this little gem while on vacation. There was a line out the door and boy was it worth the wait. Enjoyed bread and wine service outside while we waited. Stockton was our server and he was great. Made amazing recommendations and his service was top notch. Pink sauce was delicious and so was the regular marinara. This place was on point with some of the best Italian restaurants I’ve had in Chicago and New York. Wish we could have gone twice during our trip.
Never have we experienced service like we did at Mama D’s. The host served everyone garlic bread, wine, AND offered blankets to those who were cold as we were waiting outside. Stockton, our waiter, was incredibly kind and made us feel like we were right at home. He even took the time to give one of our friends a chefs hat to fit in with the rest of ours. If you are looking for incredible Italian food in Newport this is your place!!!
From the arrival the place was warm and welcoming. We chose to try the Costa Del Mar location which looked very new. Small and quaint but walked right in at the dinner hour. Jasmin provided the best service while the other staff was quick to refill drinks and hush away empty plates. Everything was amazing but the Chicken and Sausage with pink sauce was certainly the signature dish they promised. Nice kids menu for the little ones. Handmade ravioli and so many other pastas. All parking was on street so that maybe the only trick. Molte bene!!
This was the best restaurant experience that my family has ever had. As we walked in we were warmly greeted and taken to our seats. The waiter was very kind and patient with our three young kids trying to decide what they wanted to eat. They were very attentive to us throughout the entire meal and the food was the best Italian food we have ever had! My whole family enjoyed their meals and the portion sizes were great, especially the kids meals. During our meal the owner came over to introduce himself and thank us for coming. All around the restaurant they have little notes and drawings from kids that they tape to the wall (next to their other professional artwork). Our 6 year old son wrote them a note and drew them a picture and they asked him where he wanted it and taped it to the wall right then and there. The hostess that helped him turned and said "look now you can say you have art on a wall somewhere". It made his day. From top to bottom and from beginning to end Mama D's went above and beyond to help us have a good family dinner. Prices could be difficult for young families but we knew that going into it so we prepared ourselves and although it was pricey for our whole family to eat, it was worth every penny. We will definitely go back anytime we are in the Newport Beach area for vacation. (Side note: they don't open until 4 and we got there shortly after 5 on a Saturday night and there was no wait. AS the night went on the wait got longer and longer. By the time we left the line was out the door and down the street, so I would recommended going too early rather than too late.)
We found Mama D's online and even though they were very busy and it is a small restaurant and we came 8 unannounced, they smiled and got us a table. The best service we have gotten by Brad and excellent food, we all loved our dishes, well prepared and very very tastfull,.
Mama D's is amazing. We rode 500 miles on motorcycles just to eat here and I would do it again anytime. Keith the owner is a gracious host and came to the table to talk with us and brought his mother's favorite dish. The pasta is fresh. The pink sauce is creamy and wonderful. I have absolutely zero complaints. Amazing food, great service, wonderful atmosphere. I would give 6 stars if I could.
First night in Newport Beach and came here. The service was excellent and Sam our waiter was very attentive. We shared a large pizza which was the best we’d tasted in a long time. Would highly recommend this restaurant.
We asked for a table for 2 and got seated in around 20 minutes on a Thursday evening. The restaurant is very cramped but that’s understandable given its prime real estate location. We got started with some bread which wasn’t terrible but a bit too garlicky for my liking. We then ordered two pepperoni pizzas. The staff was absolutely wonderful and answered our every question and in general was very welcoming. The pizzas were ok, they weren’t awful but they had grease over them and definitely weren’t something that you would come back for but if you were in the neighborhood and your top two choices were closed than sure I’d come here. The pizza wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t great. It was okay. Due to how hot and fresh the pizza is, I would recommend you let it sit because if not you’ll end up biting into it and taking all of the toppings of the bread. They give you complimentary cookies at the end of your dinner which is always nice. Overall I’d give it a 80/100 a B-.
We found this restaurant on our Spring Break trip to Newport Beach, on a recommendation from the owner of our rental property. Mama D’s did not disappoint! The staff is over-the-top friendly and accommodating. Our server shared his own personal favorites from the menu. We took his suggestion and ordered the Chicken Sausage Capri with the “pink sauce”. It was out of this world! The Caprese pizza was also amazing. The small details, including free garlic bread and warm cookies at the end really took the experience over the top. Prices were reasonable and the ambiance was casually fun. Highly recommend—great for families!
OMG!!! The most amazing Italian cuisine and the most wonderful staff - these guys made our trip to Newport something to always cherish! It is extremely popular, super busy, wait is long, space is tight, very noisy & loud - but none of this mattered ... it totally, totally worth it!!! Every pasta dish was so fresh and so tasty (did not try the pizzas though), the friendliest waiters who are so happy and made us feel like we were amongst a large loving family! So Italian like? We loved it so much we went there two nights in a row and will definitely go back every time we are in that area. Definitely definitely recommend!