Mama Melrose Ristorante Italiano: A Disney Dining Review
By Rikki
Over the Christmas holidays, my husband and were headed to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and were talking about where we wanted to eat. I’d mentioned to him previously that Mama Melrose Ristorante Italiano would be closing soon to make way for the new Monsters Inc land coming to the park. (The restaurant will likely become Harryhausen’s when the land officially opens, which is a sushi restaurant in the Monsters world.) UPDATE: it was announced that Mama Melrose will officially close on May 10 to make way for Monsters Inc Land
So, since we hadn’t ever dined here before, we decided to go ahead and try it, since it’s on the chopping block!
The Atmosphere at Mama Melrose
Mama Melrose has that traditional Disney’s Hollywood Studios (or I guess I should say Disney’s MGM Studios) feel. It has traditional Italian restaurant vibes, one that you’d expect to experience in every town. But this one has some unique tinsel town aspects with photos of celebrities who’ve “dined” here. Like all famous New York-style restaurants.
The Food at Mama Melrose
First things first….this is one of the few restaurants that offers bread with their meal to start with! It comes with an olive oil dipping plate and is delicious! I love a restaurant that offers an appetizer off the bat!
One of the things that Mama Melrose is known for is their chicken parmesan. So, of course, we had to try that. It was a large piece of chicken that was covered in sauce and a thick layer of cheese. It was served with a side of spaghetti.
Honestly, both my husband and I weren’t super impressed. He actually commented that it tasted like something he’d had at another theme park’s counter service restaurant. (We finally figured out he meant Cafe 4 at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.) The chicken parmesan was good, but it wasn’t phenomenal. It was serviceable.
We also tried the Prosciutto and Honey Pizza. The pizza features fresh ricotta, ham, honey, and red chili flake. The pizza was very good, but whew….there was a LOT of red chili flake! I found it to be a little overpowering. Next time, I would probably ask for that to be either not included or a light sprinkle. I wanted to taste the flavors of the prosciutto and honey a little more. Now, if you like heat, this pizza is definitely a great option!
Final Thoughts
Overall, I wasn’t impressed with Mama Melrose. I thought the food was just ok. I did love the theme though. But not enough to say that I think this restaurant should stay. While this may not be a popular opinion (and I say this as someone who doesn’t like sushi) I think the new restaurant will be an upgrade, for sure. Mama Melrose was great, for a time, but it’s time has come and gone. I look forward to the future.
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But now, I want to know your thoughts. Am I off my rocker? Is Mama Melrose one of your favorite dining establishments at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and you’re going to miss it tremendously? You can share with me in the comments or on social! Find me on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok.
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