We had high expectations based on other reviews. The food and service was good, but not to the level expected. The restaurant "feels" cramped with other patrons very close.
Mambo is a Fairhaven staple. I have been numerous times and it’s always been consistent (service, quality, etc).The seating area consists of some outdoor, indoor, indoor courtyard seating (very cool building). There is also a bar.On my last visit, I ordered a vegetarian option. Penne pasta in a white wine/lemon sauce with veggies. The pasta was cooked Al dente soft. My only gripe was the veggies were cut in large/thick chunks to the point the carrots weren’t cooked all the way.You can’t go wrong with one of their pizzas, or the lasagne!
The spaghetti carbonara is our favorite of anywhere we have ever tried it. This was a family trip, and our kids loved it (this time, but did not 3 years ago) too! Cocktails were also tasty, photo is of my Aviation, I actually preferred my previous cocktail that I don't recall the name of, but was concocted of gin, basil, lime and egg white, and my husband loved his Blood Orange Fizz (I think that is what it was called). Aldo, Scarlet was an amazing server which made the dining experience even better. Love this place!!!
Two good friends of mine from college (38 years ago) and I met for dinner there tonight. The food was fantastic and the service was great. Better than that though, was the fact that the staff was gracious enough (unbeknownst to us) to allow us to talk, laugh and reminisce well past closing. They merely went about their closing routine and left us alone to enjoy our time together. I want to especially thank them for that. That level of service that goes a long way.
Spontaneously my BF and I met some friends for apps and adult bevs. The staff was very accommodating and made room for the 6 of us. Our bartender, Scarlett, was amazing. We gave her free rein to make us cocktails with our preferred liquor. She did not disappoint! We tried some new, groovy cocktails, had a very nice server who put up with and played along with us silly folks and enjoyed some pretty good food. It was a very nice evening and we will def go back!
Okayish vegetarian food. The ambience was nice inside, but the food was not tasty enough for us. We had ordered the vegetarian penne primavera and a veg ravioli. The ravioli was decent but the penne was horribly bad and seemed tasteless. They also served complimentary bread and butter at the table which was nice.Overall, I wouldn't recommend this place for vegetarian food.
Mambo Italiano never fails to amaze me! Their food is hearty and flavorful, and the staff are always kind and interactive. The atmosphere is comforting and colorful, filled with local paintings. There is much more than meets the eye at Mambo, as they have additional seating towards the back of the restaurant, along with courtyard seating in the ever-so charming building. There's a fountain next to the courtyard seating, which is so gorgeous. During the winter months, there are Christmas lights strung all up and down the three flights of historic stairs, and it feels so homey. They have a wide variety of wines, cocktails, and rotating local beer on tap. All desserts are made in house, as well, and they are to die for!The homemade (and complimentary) sourdough baguette bread is given before each meal, and I highly recommend ordering their caesar salad to go with it.Locally/family owned, and they follow all state mandated COVID-19 protocols. I am always happy to support them!
Very friendly staff and nice menu. The margarita pizza had a lot of balsamic vinegar on it and was a little sweet for my preference but others enjoyed it. And one other pizzas crust was doughy, but still very good. Italian soda was also great! Not just out of a bottle.
(12/28/2021) Don't get me wrong, the food is terrific but ................. We think our server must have been in some sort of competition to see who could turn a table the quickest. It was abrupt, emotionless, rude and it completely ruined our family night holiday dinner. We live within walking distance of Mambo but after this experience it will be a while (if at all) when we return. I cannot remember when I felt so angry about someone completely ruining what should have been a wonderful, comfortable, relaxing time as a family. Very unfortunate.
The food here is amazing! I understand working in a restaurant is stressful and with the circumstances we are in, even more but the servers and people who answer the phone are almost always rude or snobby. It almost makes you debate if you want to deal with the attitudes and bad moods just to eat here. If the servers/ hosts were nicer this would be a 10/10 place.