Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano has been a staple at Hollywood Studios since 1991 and is tucked away in the now Grand Avenue at the exit of Muppet*Vision 3-D. The menu once again changed this April, and the DIS Unlimited team has a full dining review for you!
The atmosphere is kitschy and cozy with Christmas lights and iconic movie posters in Italian. The pizza oven is open to the restaurant, with bar seating for those looking to grab a drink or a casual bite.
The backstory of the restaurant is that an aspiring actress moved from Italy to Hollywood, ultimately opening a family Italian restaurant on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. I personally have such fond memories of when Disney’s Hollywood Studios was still Disney-MGM Studios, and this restaurant is a reminder of the backlot theme of years past. When dining inside the restaurant, it feels almost like you could walk right back to the Streets of America that are now long gone. There are also some really great photos of actors visiting MGM in the early days.
The meal begins with ciabatta rolls served with an olive oil and basil dip. While this is included with your meal, in our case, we had to request the bread service.
We decided to try a few of the signature cocktails. After a strong recommendation from our server, Ryno chose the Italian Surfer crafted with Disaronno Originale, Parrot Bay Coconut Rum, and pineapple and cranberry juice for $15. This is a great vacation drink and while not something Ryno would typically order, it wasn’t too overly sweet like he expected.
As the resident margarita mom, I chose the Mama’s Margarita made with Jose Cuervo Tradicional Tequila, limoncello, fresh lime juice, sweet-and-sour, and orange juice for $16. This was a solid, classic margarita that did not skimp on the tequila. The other juices overpowered the limoncello, but it still had a nice twist.
We made an effort to order mostly new menu items, which led us to our first dish: a mushroom and Artichoke Cheese Dip made with goat cheese, tomatoes, and toasted crostini for $14. This was the most unique appetizer we had, and while I love goat cheese, the mushrooms were a little overpowering. Ryno also commented that the appearance and consistency resembled cat food—he’s not wrong.
Next up, we had to try the mozzarella sticks to see how they compared to the ones at Tony’s in Magic Kingdom. The Fried Mozzarella Sticks are served with marinara sauce and lemon aioli for $15. At first glance, you can tell these are not even in the same ballpark as Tony’s mozzarella sticks. We all agreed they resembled and tasted like ones you could purchase in the freezer section of any grocery store. That doesn’t mean we don’t like them, but we don’t like them at Disney for $15. The aioli was also a strange addition, tasting more like mayonnaise.
If you like frozen appetizers, well, you’re in luck! The House Garlic Bread is topped with roasted garlic spread and parmesan and served with marinara sauce for $10. It’s exactly what the description says it is and is fine for at-home but not great for an Italian restaurant charging $10.
On to our entrees, which we were much more hopeful for! Ryno chose the Prosciutto and Honey Pizza topped with parmesan, ham, and red chili flakes for $22. Ryno felt it could have used more spice, and there was more deli-style ham than prosciutto. Our server did comment that the dough is made in-house. While it is a personal-sized pizza, we saw quite a few families splitting pizzas as part of their meal.
I chose the Osso Bucco mostly as a nod to one of my favorite episodes of The Office. The Braised Pork Osso Bucco is served with creamy polenta, roasted cipollini onions, sweet peppers, and lemon gremolata for $30. I did not like this at all. The pork shank was not cooked long enough to make it tender or reduce the fat. The lemon gremolata was overpowering, and the creamy polenta came out congealed with no flavor.
Craig ordered the Rigatoni Bolognese made with ground beef, Italian sausage, and parmesan for $26. This should have been a staple menu item at an Italian restaurant. Still, unfortunately, Craig thought it was lacking flavor and not a standout Bolognese, even if it was served at a chain restaurant. The serving size was also relatively small for the $26 price tag.
Time for dessert! We started with the Pasticciotti Cream Tart described as a house-made tart with pastry cream and frangipane dusted with powdered sugar served with an Amarena cherry compote for $10. This was Ryno’s favorite of the desserts, and thought the cherry compote added a nice tartness. This cream tart was not overly sweet and was very dense.
The flourless chocolate cake came highly recommended, so we, of course, had to try it. The Flourless Chocolate Cake is made with almond flour and paired with vanilla gelato and blood orange sauce for $10. This cake was also not overly sweet or rich, and I wish it had more of the blood orange sauce to give it depth.
Craig and I agreed this was our favorite of the desserts! The Goat Cheese Mousse Tart is topped with honeycomb and an edible flower and served with blackberries and a cassis compote for $10. The flavor of the goat cheese definitely comes through, and the mousse is very creamy. I would have loved more of the honeycomb, but still a good dessert!
We didn’t realize there were more signature cocktails until we received the dessert menu. Our tip is to look at the drink menu on My Disney Experience to see the full list. Craig enjoyed the Tiramisu Martini made with Stoli Vanil Vodka, Kamora Coffee Liqueur, and vanilla cream in a chocolate-drizzled glass for $13. Craig commented this was a surprisingly great cocktail he would order again. Ryno and I were pretty jealous!
Time for rankings! Ryno scored the ambiance an 8, presentation/ preparation a 7, taste a 6, service a 9, and cost a 7 for a total of 3.7 out of 5. Hannah scored the ambiance a 7, presentation/ preparation a 6, taste a 4, service a 9, and cost a 7 for a total of 3.3 out of 5. Craig scored the ambiance an 8, presentation/ preparation a 6, taste a 5, service a 9, and cost a 6 for a total of 3.4 out of 5.
We all agreed we actually missed the previous menu and would not go back without more changes to the menu. Which is too bad because we all really enjoyed the atmosphere!
Check out our full dining review below!
Hannah Anderson is a Dreams Unlimited Travel Agent, DIS Contributor, former Disney Cast Member, and Orlando local. Mostly importantly, she is a mom and loves spending time in the Disney Parks each week with her family.
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