Mamas Restaurant

Company Information: The Finest Italian and American cuisine. Open 7 days a week at 5:00 PM. Also featuring a new Sunday Brunch from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

Hours of Operation: Open 7 Days At 5pm,Friday Fish Fry

Categories: Night Clubs, Pizza, Carry Out & Take Out, Restaurants

1. 
   User Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

   by Son of Lugosi

   10/05/2008

   I give Mama's a FIVE star rating for what it is; however, up against the many excellent restaurants in our area I can only give it 4. It is a very, very traditional restaurant, one can perhaps say "stuck in the past"...and there's nothing wrong with that! The food is actually still based upon Mama's traditional Sicilian recipes, and savvy diners know Sicilian is concerned with fresh ingredients and simplicity. Yes, Mama's could use a few more selections, but it seems to me that the usual large crowds there don't seem to mind the way things are done now...the way they've been done for 50 years! I've been going to Mama's since before I was born, and things haven't changed much...how many other places can offer that comfort of long-standing familiarity and consistent quality? The business has never left the Chiolino family, and that speaks of an inherent quality itself. The view over Curtis Lake is very wonderful and calming; the waitstaff is usually fun and attentive; the bartenders are usually quick with a quip. One feels like part of a family at Mama's. Politically-correct whiners will be HORRIFIED to learn there is still a "smoking section" in the dining room (though as a non-smoker, I find usually it is not intrusive)... talk about "old school"! My tips? Try the Sicilian Steak or Veal (cracker-crust/pan-fried), the incredibly decadent Wednesdays All-You-Can-Eat Italian Buffet (which features most of the Italian items from the menu), or the pizza. Regarding the pizza: do NOT order it to go, as the crust doesn't "travel well". Order it well-done, because if you don't you may not be satisfied with the very thin, buttery crust's doneness. The sausage for Mama's was in the recent past made by a local notable; not sure if it still is, but it is still excellent, so try some on one of the pizzas! Mama's really is the kind of place that, if it were in a city, you might find "wise guys" tearfully toasting their own Mama; it is a place with palpable character and a proud tradition.

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2. 
   User Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

   by kitchenkop

   08/20/2008

   In all the years I've lived in Minocqua, I have eaten there three times but I have NEVER had a good meal here -- so I will NEVER go there again. I got sick afterwards and I didn't even have a drink!!

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   Comments (1)

   Son of Lugosi - 09/19/08
   In all the years I've been alive, and before, living in Chicago and then here, I've eaten at Mama's over 50 times, and there was only ONE time I've ever had a sub-par meal (and when I brought it to their attention they graciously remedied it). I admit that no enjoyable times out of 3 IS pretty severe, but you also didn't go into detail to help anyone avoid ordering what you ordered. And let me tell ya, I eat at PLENTY of restaurants that most wouldn't even consider because of the pricerange, and MAMA'S holds their own as a nice, traditional Sicilian restaurant. Everything is not always "perfect", but it is never dreadful, either. You should have made the staff aware of your disappointment.

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3. 
   User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

   by van

   06/26/2008

   Make sure you go there around sunset! I love it

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