Mama Stortini’s

A lot different than the original place (after a sale) food was good and fresh! Would go back.

The only reason I don’t give it five stars is because I miss Twigs, which was here before Mama’s. But it’s still very good! And they give great deals for lunch time. Sunday is happy hour, all day long!

This place felt like it was trying to be like all the other Italian family style chains like The Spaghetti Factory and Buca di Beppo, I think it’s attempt might be causing it to fail a bit.
The food was decent however. I ordered a Pinot Gris for my wine and the Fettuccine Bolognese for my entrée. The pasta wasn’t amazing, but it also wasn’t bad. Apparently my food came out late, but I didn’t even notice since I was talking with my friend the whole time. The owner felt terrible about it and offered us free dessert which was very nice of them even though we didn’t complain. I ordered the Tiramisu which looked a bit too extravagant for me. They really topped it with a lot of whipped cream which I normally scrape off. The dessert was alright. Needed more coffee in it in my opinion and it seemed like it just came out of the fridge.
Overall, I’d come back to give the other entrees a try. Their menu was quite large and offered a variety of items. Service was great too, so I’m not against coming back here if I were to come here again.

Review in 30 seconds: Good but not great. Would return.
Ambiance: it was semi-​busy, noise was medium, location was very clean.
Staff: Upon entry, I noticed the woman who greeted us looked quite bored, hunched over and in exciting. Our waiter (Ryan) was the exact opposite. Extremely exciting and very welcoming. Individuals who delivered our food were kind and also spoke with kindness.
Wine: we chose the Notebook Red Blend bottle. It was perfect, light and great flavor. Definitely ordering this again.
Main dish: I ordered the Seafood Risotto. Quite a helping! The rice seemed a bit undercooked but the flavor was delicious. The included shrimp and salmon were amazing. Scallops were overdone. I would order this again.
Dessert: I ordered the Fried Oreos because I couldn’t find a review yet so wanted to highlight it. The flavor was pretty typical as it was a deep fried Oreo so it took me back to my days at county fairs. The Oreos were a little greasy from soaking up oil. I wish they were more crispy as the texture was lacking. The ice cream was probably the best piece. I wouldn’t order this again.

This is a good Italian food restaurant. Their happy hour is full of options at great prices. A full bar allows for a good time while their hearty Italian dishes fill you up.
The service is always prompt and I have absolutely no complaints.
Only reason I go four over five is because it’s not super authentic Italian cuisine.
I order the Italian chop chop and come at least once a month for it!

We are here twice in 5 days– we were that impressed! Portions are perfect! Price is affordable. Ambiance is nice. Most importantly, food was delicious and service was great! We will be back again!
We ordered pear and chicken salad, thin crust pizza, Mac and cheese and chicken and mushroom ravioli! Everything was yummy!

This review is for the food quality, not quality of service.
My friend and I went to dinner there on ⁴⁄₂₄ and we’re excited to have a great meal. He ordered the Baked Ziti and I had the Chicken Parm.
Our food arrived very quickly, which was great since we were both hungry. We both took bites of each other’s food… I got about half way through the chicken parm and noticed it was very pink. The waiter came around and offered to get me a new one and comp a dessert.
The next morning my friend woke up very ill and definitely got food poisoning from the undercooked chicken. I was not feeling 100%, but not close to how bad he was.
They need to retrain their kitchen staff how to cook meats and check them before they go out to customers. Again, this is no reflection on the waiter… Very disappointed in the quality of food and oversight.

The bar had an inviting atmosphere but I came here with my family so we sat in the restaurant. The service was good. The food was not. I’ll take poor service with good food over gross food and great service any day. I come to a restaurant to eat, after all, not make friends. My ceasar salad was odd — all iceburg lettuce ribs with a few brown edges. My kid had the alfredo which was good but not to her taste. Other kid ordered the kids salmon (I was surprised that they offered salmon on the kids menu} she didn’t like hers either and this kid loves salmon.

This would be a great place to have a quiet date, but we had made reservations for 14 a week earlier in consideration for a birthday party. When I showed up, they had lost our reservation. Which I understand happens, but the hostess could not have handled it with less grace. She was overly anxious, rude, and incredibly inquisitive. I gave her the number we’d be expecting and headed to the bar for a drink.
About two minutes later she YELLED OVER TO ME that our table was ready. Seriously, sweetie? I worked in the restaurant industry a loooong time. If you have something to say to a guest, take the time to walk over and tell them politely. I yelled back that we would be a couple more minutes while we cashed out at the bar. (Always cash out at the bar, so the bartender, who took time to make your drinks, gets the tip)
Our server was decent. She got our orders correct and they came out in a timely manner. I can feel attitude a mile away though, and she looked at us like every server has ever looked at a large party; with a certain air of «ugggghhh». Which was made incredibly apparent as she handed my boyfriend and I our check. I opened it only to have the pen explode all over my brand new manicure. Thanks, chicka. I ran off to the bathroom and left my boyfriend to tip. He’s not as generous as I am lol, so I guess she kinda got her karma there. Still though, she saw me with ink all over my hands, it would have been nice to get an apology.
For all you out there who are thinking of giving this place a shot, go for it, but come in two’s, three’s, a group of four at the most. As for me, that ink left a stain in my mind that I feel will never wash out.

So how is this an Italian restaurant? Since when do Italian restaurants serve hamburgers? Why can’t you get manicotti or cannelloni here?
I came here with the bf and we were obviously not impressed with the food or the service the lasagna was way too heavy and the risotto was not cooked properly. ¾ of my risotto was cooked while the other quarter I spent spitting into my napkin.
As for the service, definitely very… laid back shieck? Let’s put it this way… Our waiter along with the others I observed didn’t really give two cents. I did notice one waiter that seemed to enjoy his job, I also noticed someone getting yelled at in the kitchen. Did I mention you could see into the kitchen?
For the price of the food and the service, I’ll pass on this place next time I’m in the mood for Italian or in the area.

Good location at the Northgate mall, and I love the fact that they had an outlet to charge your cell phone or laptop at the table! Seriously, why can’t more restaurants do this? Service was very fast & the restaurant was ½ empty around dinner time. We had planned in an hour or so for dinner, but our food came out in less than 5 minutes after ordering so we were done with dinner in ½ hour and quite shocked. I really like the bread that they give you to sample while you are waiting (although like I said it’s not much of a wait). My dinner itself was just so-​so. I got the deal where you get ½ salad (I had Caesar) and ½ entrée (I got the lobster mac n cheese, minus the lobster). Both were ok but I wasn’t dying to come back right away for more. Next time I come I will try some other dishes and see if I have better luck!

We went here for Sunday happy hour to watch the game and were very pleased with our experience!
My initial expectations weren’t too high as it seems very Olive Garden-​esque but everything was quite good!
Happy hour is all day Sunday where they have many food items on special.
We had the coconut prawns, sausages, artichoke crab dip with toasts, the burger and fries, and a few cocktails. Everything was good. No complaints! Service was friendly. We will be back!
Prices seem a bit high for non-​happy hour but for happy hour they are reasonable! $ 4 – 8 for the small plates and deals on cocktails, and beer and wine. Drinks are surprisingly strong!

This wouldn’t have been my first choice by a long shot, but mom really wanted to come here for her birthday lunch.
When we walked in it smelled like garlic — should be a good sign, right? Unfortunately, the flavors didn’t really live up to the promise.
Service was great, no issues there. My party had a number of questions, some of which were due to confusion about the prices of menu items. With the normal lunch menu we were also given a shorter «featured items» lunch menu, but identical items were priced differently on this menu than inside the larger menu. It was not clear whether this was a promotional price or if the serving size differed, or what was going on. Our server said that they should be identical, went to check on it and made sure we could order the item for the lower of the two prices in any case.
I ordered the «pick two» lunch combo with a Mama’s Mini Salad ($ 4.50 with choice of ranch or balsamic dressing; I chose ranch) and Capellini Pomodoro ($ 5.50). I also ordered a can of ginger beer, which they use to make their Mule drinks, but I didn’t feel like having alcohol with my lunch. I liked the ginger beer.
To start, we were given some (untoasted) bread with some… cold canned tomatoes? I didn’t partake of it myself but my partner said it was just okay.
I should have asked for the dressing on the side for the salad. There was a lot, and it was kind of just generic and drippy. It wasn’t particularly creamy or with that buttermilk ranch tang. The salad was mostly just soggy lettuce with a few small pieces of tomato and onion. The Capellini (angel hair) tasted okay, though the amount of Kalamata olives was negligible. I actually forgot those had even been on the menu until I looked at it again now. Mostly it was oil and tomatoes, with some garlic and basil. I don’t really consider something truly garlicky unless it gives me garlic breath… this didn’t.
Dessert: My partner and I split the peach cobbler. I thought this was the best part of the meal. It was quite tasty, though I wish they had used fresh peaches instead of canned, at least while they’re in season.
My parents seemed to enjoy their meal, but I really found it acceptable but not great. Basically I think the Unilocal average for this place, 3.5, is pretty accurate. It’s closer to 3 than 4. Feels oddly corporate without the consistency of a chain. The over-​reliance on canned items really makes it less enjoyable to me. I could have easily made something more flavorful at home with fresh ingredients, which is always kind of disappointing. I’m also probably being extra-​harsh because I went to Il Corvo only a few days ago. But with the Unilocal reviews, I came in with my expectations fairly low so I wasn’t terribly let down. (I’m always hoping for a pleasant surprise though!)

I found Mama Stortino while walking around Northgate Mall. It would be months before I actually decided to walk in as my need to eat at an Italian restaurant is rare.
On a random Friday I decided to eat here. I was surprised to find no line at 8:00pm and happy that I was seater immediately (party of 2). The wait staff was prompt in setting us up for our meal and was attentive to our needs throughout the entire meal.
The menu was large with so many choices that made my head spin! Fortunately we settled with the Garlic Cheese Bread (app), Crab & Artichoke dip, Baked Spaghetti w/​Italian Sausage, and a small Chopped salad (Chop Chop) with Crab Mac and Cheese. Everything was packed with that classic Italian flavors. Cheese and Marinara were prevalent all over. What made the most impact to me was how well the dishes were put together. Each flavor did well to mix with the other to create a flavor hurricane in your mouth. My favorite part of the meal was the Garlic Cheese bread. It’s surprising how hard restaurants make simple foods… this place did well to keep simple food good and simple.
Definitely go to this place and order your heart desires and prepare to walk away with a filled belly.

IF Mama Stortini were alive today, she’d be pissed… IF she’s dead, God rest her soul, since she’s more than likely turning over and over in her grave…
I’m not Italian, but I enjoy a good can of Chef Boyardee once in a while, hand these folks a can opener and you’ve got the same thing. Very generic corporate feel to the place, our waiter was fine, as was our table location. Meals were priced okay, but really a let down in Flavor-​town!
Should have known better when the place was basically empty, not sure if it’s the location here at the mall or the menu, but things were just not on par with other boxed Italian places like Mac Grill, which this place replaced, and is a tad better, or Olive Garden, you get my drift…

This is very good. Almost every meal has more than one serving size which is neat if you are not too hungry. The food is great. Good atmosphere. A bit on the pricy end. It is located next to the Northgate Mall, thus I bet it would be great to do a little shopping and then come here right after. Only go shopping for things you absolutely need or for gifts during the holidays though!
My Personal Restaurant Rating Key
One star: the food was bad and I had a negative experience.
Two star: I had a more negative experience and would not come here again but the food was good so I may.
Three store: Everything is good except one thing. Example-​the food is good, the price is more reasonable but the atmosphere is lacking class. Or the food is good, the atmosphere is good, but they over charged us. These three stars are actually my favorite types of restaurants to go eat at if the reason is due to the atmosphere because they are usually delicious and reasonably priced.
Four stars: Everything is great, food and experience. However the price is definitely on the upper end. I would not recommend this first to Obama unless he didn’t like my five stars. These are restaurants you can take your boss or your mother-​in-​laws to impress them, however they still don’t fit into the five star category. A bit fancier than my three stars, hence I don’t often eat here unless there is an occasion for it or there is a groupon that gives me a bit of a discount!
Five stars: I would recommend this to Obama. The price may be on the upper end but the experience and the taste is so exquisite, it is actually worth every nickel and dime.

«Mini combinations packed with savory flavors.»
The term «family-​style» comes to mind whenever someone mentions Italian cuisine. Big bowls of pasta smothered in a hearty meat sauce served with an abundance of garlic bread. Mama Sortini’s seems to be an exception as they have included mini combinations in their menu. The option to mix and match small entrees allows for a filling pasta meal without the heaviness. A prime example of the lighter fare is the house bread. Instead of large servings, patrons are provided with small bite size slices with a tasty tomato feta relish. It was a refreshing approach to igniting one’s appetite.
I ordered the grapefruit crush as a start to the pre-​dinner drinks. The cocktail was not too sweet and was perfectly crafted. I also sampled the raspberry lemon drop and strawberry piña colada. Both drinks were equally refreshing. For the entrees, I ordered the baked ziti bolognese with a meatball and ravioli bolognese. Both dishes came out piping hot and in individual serving bowls. The sauce had the right amount of richness and the cheese was proportionate and still within the standards of a garnish. I sampled the crab cakes and found the texture and taste to be delightful. The service, like the meal, was excellent and all orders came out on time. I look forward to returning and sampling other menu items.

This place is just average.
Great value for HH; all the dishes are the exact same size as on the non HH menu.
Also, the menu is laid out by price, which makes it easier to read if you’re on a budget.
However, I came here for lunch on a weekday and was not told nor did I see it posted on their menu that the dishes were full size. I ordered wayyyyy too much but got a good idea about what they serve.
***Drink: I was enticed by their Cucumber infused vodka that they did in house, so I ordered the drink sans cranberry juice. (I think it was called a Cucumber Cosmo??) The server looked at me like I was crazy when I said I didn’t want the cranberry… (I thought it would overpower the cucumber).
Instead of cranberry juice, they juice added wayyyyy too much lime. It was bland but tart with lime at the same time. Oh well, it was only $ 6.50.
***Food: I ordered three dishes, all came out at the same time. In hindsight, I should’ve asked for them to come out seperately.
***Zucchini Crisps: holy COW these are not what I was imagining!!! More like deep-​fried zucchini BOATS in the shape of a log cabin. Without the tangy aoili, these weren’t very good. Maybe they should make this more like disks instead long sticks. I didn’t finish them.
***Coconut Prawns: WORTH EVERY PENNY, I would order these as a meal. Perfectly crunchy, not overdone and the sauce was absolutely fantastic. So much coconut!!! Yum!!!
***Meatballs: As depicted in my picture, these were covered in marinara and slathered in cheese… almost hard to find the meatballs. Yes, the spices they used were ok, but the texture I didn’t favor AT ALL. These were too smooth and felt like they weren’t made fresh. Definitely something the kids would enjoy, but nothing I would personally eat again.
Service was quick and friendly, I was the only one on the patio so I expected nothing less.
I’ll probably just come back for those coconut prawns.

Stopped in with friends for dinner last night as I had heard good things. We started out with appetizers, the hot crab dip– which was neither hot nor loaded with much other than mayo and cheese, the calamari– that was slightly undercooked and bland, and some meatballs– these had to be the highlight of the appetizers.
My husband got the veggie pizza and said it was good. Though he did mention the sauce was rather lacking in flavor. I got the chicken fettuccine alfredo, and for $ 16 the chicken was a tiny thin cutlet on top of incredibly bland pasta.
The drinks were overwhelmingly sweet, though hand made ingredients did improve their flavor. All in all I most likely won’t be back. The service was friendly and fast. This location just seems to struggle.
On a side note, my pasta once reheated showed just how greasy it is. I will not be choosing that dish again.

We stopped in here for happy hour and to grab dinner to go. The restaurant is quite large and nicely decorated. We sat at one of the tall tables in the bar area. Their menu is extensive. For happy hour, we ordered the calamari and a few drinks (there were sure a ton to choose from!). I tried the Spiked Pear Martini and the Kiwi Strawberry Martini. Both were delicious in their own right – the pear martini was very refreshing and not too sweet, while the kiwi strawberry martini had that sweet, fresh strawberry flavor from the strawberry purée. The calamari was very good. While maybe a little heavy on the breading, the calamari itself was very tender, well-​seasoned, and came with a fabulous pesto aioli. Happy hour overall was enjoyable.
For my dinner to go, I ordered the Ten Prawn Scampi. Although it was pretty good, it wasn’t as impressive as I had hoped – especially given the price. The shrimp were cleaned and cooked perfectly, but were quite small. I really enjoyed the white wine sauce, though. As for the mushroom risotto it was served with, it kind of missed the mark. Risotto is supposed to be very creamy, but this risotto was more like a mushroom rice… drier and firmer with some mushrooms sprinkled throughout. This was probably the most disappointing aspect of the dish. The dinner was also supposed to be served with fresh vegetables, but those were nowhere to be found.
This place is probably more deserving of 3.5 stars, but given that it’s between 3 and 4, I’ll give Mama Stortini’s the benefit of the doubt and give it four stars. While the dinner was slightly disappointing, I really did love their happy hour, and their menu is huge. I would definitely be willing to give it another shot and see if maybe I have better luck with one of the other dinners.