Mama Louisa's Italian Restaurant & Catering

Lunch is served at Mama Louisa’s — a Tucson classic for over 70 years! 🇮🇹 You truly can’t go wrong with their Lunch Special — $14 gets you a salad, ½ sandwich or pasta, plus fresh, house-made breadsticks 🤌✨ I went with the shells in that AMAZING BOSS SAUCE 😍 and added a sausage (because… why not?). Absolute comfort food perfection. Come taste why they’ve stood the test of time: • 🍝 Fresh pasta made daily • 🌿 Awesome, fresh ingredients • ❤️ Flavors that take you right back home Bringing you home-style Italian cooking since 1956. If you haven’t been in a while — or ever — now’s the time 🇮🇹🍷#immablessedman #djmichaellopez #mamalouisastucson #buylocalorbyelocal #handmadepasta

A True Tucson Landmark: Incredible Food and Historic Charm! My recent visit to Mama Louisa's Italian Restaurant was absolutely wonderful! Stepping inside feels like a true step back in time. The atmosphere is warm, cozy, and immediately welcoming—it's easy to see and feel the historic charm that this Tucson institution has cultivated since 1956. The classic red-and-white checkered tablecloths (as seen in the photos!) are the perfect touch, adding to the authentic, family-friendly vibe. Our server, Boglarka, was incredible, really showing us a good time. ​I ordered the Chicken Parmesan served with a side of their famous Joe's Special (linguini with hot pepper seeds, garlic oil, melted cheese, and their incredible house sauce), and it was truly a fantastic meal. The chicken was perfectly cooked, and the dish had the perfect ratio of noodles to chicken and sauce. The sauce was incredible—deeply flavorful and clearly homemade. For any spice fans out there, a dash of the red pepper flakes was all it needed to elevate it to perfection! ​Mama Louisa's is a gem, carrying on a fantastic legacy of home-style Italian-American cuisine. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a meal with amazing flavor and a wonderfully historic atmosphere.

This is truly a great restaurant. Food always fresh, flavorful, great service, only smiles on the workers face. Environment, calm, welcoming, romantic and fun. The portions are perfect. The bread sticks are the best, nice and fluffy and fresh out of the oven.

Came to celebrate my husband's 50th birthday. Great vibes. Serving staff was pretty attentive. Food portions were HUGE and price was very economical.

This was the BEST Italian place we have been to in Tucson. Pasta is made in house, everything is seasoned perfectly. I had Chicken Parmesan, husband had Lasagna and our son had Manacotti. The house made Tiramisu is the absolute BEST we've ever had and we've had it from multiple places.

Cute little mom and pop restaurant. Food was delicious. Generous portions and reasonable prices. However the staff is what made it extra special. Really great service. Very friendly and accommodating.

Loved Mama Louisa's again. This was my Italian mother in law's favorite restaurant 30 years ago and the charm is still there. Old school charm, great service, fantastic food an oldies music playing over the speakers. Italian margarita and old fashioned were perfect followed by wonderful cannoli for dessert. Good menu selection, get Joe's style if you want a little extra spice and garlic, but the standard sauce is perfect. Good memories of old. Thank you.

First let me say bar staff is great! Typical 30 min wait for table on a Sat night. After we were seated ABSOLUTELY NOTHING we waited 15 mins sitting there no acknowledgment even though the waitress went to the table next to us 3 times - no water, they looked directly at us and kept going at least a dozen times. Table seated after us ordered got drinks and their appetizer and no one had yet to say anything or stop by our table - when leaving the bartender did apologize to us. First time there not going back

I came here for dinner recently and had an excellent experience overall--service was fantastic. I really enjoyed the Aperol Spritz, but the Lavender Spritz wasn't for me; it mostly just tasted like tonic water. I ordered the steamers (mussels and clams) without the bacon jam, and while the seafood was fresh, the remaining sauce was too salty--possibly because the jam was missing. The Calabrian Gnocchi, also ordered without the bacon jam, had such an interesting combination of flavors. I thought it was really good, and the chicken it came with was cooked perfectly--juicy and tender. My friend always orders Joe's Special, and while I thought it was tasty, it's also very cheesy and so personally could only eat small amounts of it. Portion sizes here are large, which I love--plenty to enjoy or take home for later!

I've been wanting to try this place for a while and finally stopped by. This restaurant is indoor seating with quaint Italian decor. The food was delicious and the waitress was so kind. I ordered the Joe's Special and the house made sauce was awesome! A little spicy with a garlic flavor. I loved it! I also ordered a chicken parm to go for my partner at home and he said it was delicious. Their warm breadsticks also hit the spot. Highly recommend if you're looking for some fresh, house made Italian!

I ordered pickup and it was ready when I arrived. Our favorite dish is the Joe's Special. Linguine pasta, cheese, red sauce with crushed red peppers.It cones with garlic breadsticks. The serving was enough for 2 meals. When I walked in, it smelled like basil. They are growing their own spices in the lobby.

Popped into this tucked away gem while visiting Tucson. It's rustic outside, with red and white checked table cloths and family style seating on the inside. Great customer service. They have a small indoor garden for their fresh herbs. The pasta is made homemade. We tried manicotti, lasagna and chicken Marsala with fettuccine Alfredo. The chicken Marsala was crispy and sauce was perfect! The Alfredo was bland and just needed a little more love but the pasta texture was good. The lasagna was the star and the manicotti didn't disappoint. Breadsticks were just breadsticks. They were giving Olive Garden vibes. I was hoping for some crusty Italian bread with EVOO. It's just simply home cooking.

Food, service, ambiance, all spectacular as usual! We both had chicken parm with Joe's special. My favorite restaurant in Tucson, hands down! Can't wait to go back!

Delicious homemade food!! Very friendly service. One of the oldest restaurants in Tucson.

My apologies right off the bat here. Our server (Hungarian Delight), whom I can't remember her name, sorry, was "SUPERB"! Our entire APP, Salads, Joe's Bread W/Pesto Dipping, Meals & ending with Expresso/Sambuca Shot, right to the "Coffee Bean" in the shot (Served Correctly, I might add), was SPOT ON!! Our meal we had a bottle of Perchco. Delish!! See pics! SO much I could add. Since 1956, this is the "Italian Version" of the 1958 Golden Steer Steakhouse in Vegas without a doubt! I KNOW 'Good Food', ask my 'Mum'. (SEE PICS) --》 Total --- $152 + tip of course @ 30%.

I have to admit this was my first time back in over 30 years. It was like stepping into a Time Machine. My sister worked at this location when she was 17, she is in her 70's now. I worked at the Campbell location (no longer there) when I was 18. This was my son's first experience with Mama Louisa's and she did not disappoint. The perfectly seasoned fettuccine Alfredo, chicken Marsala and a side of meatballs brought back memories of my childhood, watching my sister run from table to table. My son never spoke , he just kept eating and eating. Don't pass on the Uncle Mikes Bread, an amazing flavorful garlic bread. The staff was super friendly and it was good talking to Mrs. Elefante about the past and the future. A fine Italian restaurant, one of very few in Tucson ran by Chef Michael Elefante. A restaurant that has been around since the 50's that knows what it takes to succeed. I am sorry I waited so long to go back but that is not going to happen again, the 25 mile trip was and will be worth it again and again. Kudos to the Elefante's and their great staff. Here is to many many more years.

Quality ingredients, very flavorful. You can taste and tell the pasta is homemade. Only complaint was the chicken was very dry (but also don't get me wrong it was very well seasoned and had good flavor to it) Definitely a place worth stopping by and trying if you are nearby

Mama Louisa's is interesting. It has a good, strong hometown vibe, which is very cool. When you walk in it's like you're walking through a time machine to a decade or two ago, which is fun. I like it. It's homey and it feels like there's more wood paneling on the wall than there actually is. The person at the hostess stand seemed stressed, and to be fair, the restaurant didn't seem that busy. About a third of the tables were empty and there didn't appear to be a line at the door, but she seemed stressed. This apparent stress in turn came off as rather abrupt as we she told us we'd have to wait 10 or 15 minutes for her servers to get it together. We waited 10 minutes. Fair enough. It took about 15 more minutes for anyone to come to the table. So, apparently there were not enough servers for the number of tables and this was adding to the stress. The server was pretty chill and I appreciated that. I would fairly call her a middle aged woman with a good conversational style and a beat up notepad. When she wasn't attending to tables she was rearranging a lot of papers at the hostess stand. Multi tasking. The food came out within my personal timing expectations. The salads were decent enough for a side salad and I enjoyed their house Italian dressing. I had chicken marsala, which didn't taste like chicken marsala I've ever had before, but it was good. It was just different. The marsala was more like a gravy, like it might have been beefed up with brown gravy or something. The chicken was cooked well and again the dish worked, it just didn't quite taste like chicken marsala I've had in the past. Perhaps I've had it wrong for half a century. I don't know. The pasta side dish was cooked very well but I don't remember a lot about it. Good but unremarkable. Maybe I needed the pepper flakes or something to jar my memory a little more. Overall a good experience and I would go back again.

Service was very friendly and considerate. Food was ok. Portions were filling as I could not finish mine. I chose the variety which could have fed two. Eggplant was good ,lasagne was soothing, tortellini was fair. My husband ordered fettuccine Alfredo and it wasn't to his liking. The salads were tasty and filling. Ambiance was nice, Friday night was very busy.

We've been here a few times, always with some friends who claim this as one of their Tucson favorites and make it a point to come every time they visit Tucson. It's definitely a staple, having been here for so long and still has that old-time feel too it. It was fairly busy when we arrived, but we were seated quickly. Our server was friendly and efficient. We got some fried ravioli Joe's style for an appetizer. It was a generous portion of stuffed cheese raviolis. The sauce was more zippy than I prefer, but they were still good. I ordered the eggplant parmesan. The eggplant was plentiful and delicious. I wish I was able to have pasta, but I appreciated the option of zoodles instead. My husband got a combo meal of tortellini, lasagne, and eggplant. He thought it was ok, but wasn't wowed by it. Our friends got a slice of the lemon cake and it was exactly what she was hoping for in a dessert.

Food is sooooo good! The Spicy Joes Special has to be my favorite dish! Usually order to go. The one time, I ate inside the server pocketed my ticket and it took her 45 mins to notice which means we waited over an hour to eat. I'm sure it was just a one time thing but that was my experiences

Enjoyed both the lasagna and the chicken parmesean. Setved with complimentary breadsticks. Lasagna has a mild meat with generous cheese and sauce. Chicken parm was large enough to split and included a side of pasta. Amaretto creme brulee did not do it for me. The custard was a little grainy and the top was torched a little too black instead of lightly browned. The main course were delicious though!

Ok this place is an amazing little hole in the wall. As soon as we got there, I looked at the menu and the very first thing I did was ask about all the different sauces. And every single time they brought a plate of food out I kept asking what they were. Everything they were bringing out looks so amazing. I ordered some thing on their lunch menu that comes with the salad and something else . I picked the Caesar salad and shells in boss sauce. Everyone wanted to try the boss sauce so I let them taste it. OMG the boss sauce is it! The fried calamari came out in a huge portion. I'm still eating on it. The only thing I wish I asked for the fried calamari is some lemon wedges. I just need that little zest. But if you're in town and want to try something new, highly recommend!

Good hole in the wall Italian spot! We stopped by for dinner and left feeling like we found a go to Italian spot on the east side - service is super friendly and the breadsticks are addictive with their garlicky goodness! For appetizers, we shared the calamari which was not overly breaded and tasty and Uncle Mike's bread (we hadn't realized the entrees came with breadsticks) which was a cheesy open faced version of their garlic breadsticks; good size for sharing for our party of 4. For entrees, I had the chicken piccata which I requested with piccata sauce on the pasta instead of marinara - it was solid but I wish there was a bit more lemony tang to the sauce. My husband had the Joe's special which was definitely a winner - flavorful with a hint of heat and lighter for a pasta than we expected; I will probably order that next time! My parents had the chicken marsala which came with the a creamy fettuccine alfredo and the shrimp scampi which was in a buttery garlic sauce. Portions were big that we ended up with leftovers for home. We will be back!

A family favorite that I've never been too impressed with. Mama Louisa's provides a homey feel with staff that has always been kind. I have never had a bad experience with either of those things, but also have never been blown away by the food. The meal begins with unlimited breadsticks that are generally the best part of my order at this place. I've tried many different things but on this occasion, I wanted to try the Calabrian Gnocchi and they said they were out of one of the toppings. I said that was fine and they came back and said they actually didn't have that pasta so jumped to the Chicken Marsala. It was underwhelming. The calamari was overcooked and lacked flavor as well. Other orders I've gotten here like the Chicken Parmesan and Shrimp Scampi are better options, but don't expect the greatest Italian meal around.

Love this place! The food and service are unmatched, quickly going out of their way to accommodate a large team order and allowing us to make the team event work. The penne, the carbonara, and the salad were all DELICIOUS!!! Susie and Michael and team - sending tons of blessings and THANK YOUS and know that you have a TEAM of lifelong patrons!

We went there on a Sunday afternoon. I've been here four other times and it's been fantastic. Unfortunately, this time, it was hit and miss. The service was good and the waitress was very nice and professional. The appetizer was not cooked through (still frozen in the middle - not a good sign) and we had to send it back and just get it taken off the bill. There was five of us. My lasagna was fantastic. One of the other folks in the group also had a great dish. Unfortunately, the other three were not good. One was an eggplant Parmesan and it was like very tough. The chicken marsala had very little flavor whatsoever. Get needed salt and pepper. It literally tasted like one of the packet marsala you would get at the grocery store. I'm not sure if the management changed or something else. But this was not what I've experienced the other three times I've been there. Three of the people I was with so they wouldn't go back.

Best Italian Food in Tucson Az , Excellent Service , this business has been around for a very long time

The service and food were both terrific. The bruschetta was CRAZY good. The coffee was excellent (we are coffee snubs with high standards). We would definitely come back to this hidden gem.

The food was quite solid! I was surprised because it just looked simple with carbs, sauce , and cheese. This combo works but every single one of their dishes was this. The bread sticks were amazing. The service was okay as well. However, nothing amazing

Much better experience the second time around. Good food, service and old school atmosphere. Long drive for us but worth the trip.

I went here a few weeks ago and ordered takeout. It has a small cozy atmosphere with many more tables than I would have thought. There are separated areas, one of which has the bar and TVs, another which has daytime scenery on the walls (this one had a violinist playing!), and another dinning room as well I think. The violinist was pretty cool to see. Staff was pleasant and the food came out in decent time. The unfortunate part of this review is the food. I was really looking forward to trying it since I've heard of this restaurant for a while, being from Tucson, but had never tried it. However, both my husband and I both agreed that the pastas were just okay. The shrimp scampi surprised us in the noodles it came with. They looked and reminded us of ramen noodles. It also seemed like there could have been more shrimp for a $20 pasta. The picture is not doing justice to how minuscule the shrimp seemed opening the container. The flavor was also heavily lacking, as you can see some of the noodles appear to be simply dry. We were not even interested in the leftovers. The Joes special also seemed extremely overpriced for the quality of what is received. It was a $15.50 pasta +$7 for the chicken, and was just noodles, marinara, and cheese. I will say, I liked how the cheese was under the sauce. That was different and I'm a cheese lover so I was happy to have cheese in the meal. This pasta was much better than the shrimp one, but not one I would return for. Ultimately this restaurant seems as though it provides a great experience, but I don't believe the food is for me.

Another perfect night at Mama Louisa's. I love how my family enjoys spending time together eating dinner here. We're always so happy and I know it's the combination of the history, the food, the ambiance, and the people. We order the same thing each time - and it's always excellent. Thank you for being a place where we can come together - laugh - talk - not be rushed - just be us. Joe's Special calamari House salads Breadsticks Eggplant parm Chicken parm 2 Joe's specials Cannoli Yum!! Until next time :)

We came again for the Dine Out for Safety. The food was great, and I love supporting local businesses while helping out a great cause. I appreciate them for participating again. I had a group out, and everyone loved their food. The Italian sodas are great too, and the variety of syrup flavors they have is nice because you can add them to other drinks as well too (sodas, lemonades, etc.), so the drinks were delicious too! So glad we came out again. The food is consistently great.

Terrible food, not much else to say. Sauce tasted like dollar store cans, chicken was drowned in sauce to hide it was dry and past its due date. Never will order from them again.

What a gem of a restaurant Old building and low ceiling s Very clean But the food! Traditional Italian We ordered the Ceasar salad to share. You could share it with 4 people! It was authentic right down to the anchovies in the dressing. I ordered the linguini with clam sauce. Lots of clams,garlic and homemade linguini! And not over sauced. My friend ordered the lasagna. The portion size was huge. It was chock full of meat and cheese, The marinara sauce was smooth not bitter And very flavorable. Our waitress Sarah Really knew her wine. She recommended Botromagno Primavera. It did not disappoint! The breadsticks seved with dinner were warm, buttery, garlicky pillows of yummy news. Sarah Has been working there for 12 years and they treat her like family and you can tell she loves her job because her excellent service speaks volumes. A restaurant not to be missed in Tucson.

Haven't been here in nearly a decade but still find it as a great place to eat. The decor is dated but the food is fresh and definitely has a home cooked feel to it. Service was excellent and we will definitely be back. Recommend the chicken parm with the joes special!

Food Server was Excellent. Delicious Calamari. Excellent Veal Parmigiana with homemade Pasta. Sauce was great. And Cannoli was fresh and tasty. Plenty of Parking. Five Stars...

The cake and breadsticks were enjoyable. Both are made from a local bakery. Not in house. Pasta is made fresh in house. I got the meat sauce which tasted like they ran out of meat sauce and mixed it with regular marinara. It tasted very floral to me which makes sense in a tomato fresh marinara sauce. So meat sauce really was a huge miss for me and if you can't get that right? That a 3 star Italian restaurant. Eggplant parmesan was cheesy. Big portions. This was a disappointment for us. This was our favorite Italian place but this time it tasted like Olive Garden. Which isn't a knock, it just no longer our go to place. I do want to note our service was a five star service.

Gotta get the "chicken parm and joes special". Love this family restaurant:). The owner Michael is so sweet and a great cook. Everything is made from scratch. The bread sticks are always fresh. The setting is really cool with all the paintings on the wall. I have been going here for years with my family as a kid and now taking my own little family :).

I really enjoyed this place!! My food was so good, chicken Marsala with linguini. The bread surprisingly wasn't great and we didn't get a bread refill so not sure if it was complimentary or not. Our waitress was so kind and attentive and funny. The restaurant itself is very dark and outdated but you can tell it's been there a long time, like a classic treasure. I will definitely be back.

My wife and I enjoyed a truly wonderful dinner last night at Mama Louisa's! First of all, we were seated at a lovely table. Very prompt and excellent service. Cocktails were amazing. Just plain delicious... as were our dinners. Very generous servings and fabulous food. Homemade bread and pasta were great too. Wish I had room for the Tiramisu! Hope to return soon.

I remember when this place was great! Unfortunately my last few visits have been very disappointing. I always loved ordering the Big Joe which used to be round spaghetti noodles smothered with cheese and homemade sauce but now it's a flat noodle with a horrible canned sauce that they added crushed red peppers too. Service was decent but the dining room area seems so old and rundown.

Mama Louisa's is one of those classic at home italian places. the first bite feels like family dinner after a sporting event. Came in at 7:50 and was told they close at 8, however online and it said they closed at 9. Sometimes these things happen but servers clearly did not appreciate the honest mistake. Quickly placed our order and i kid you not, food came out 2 minutes later. Can we at least pretend to make it fresh? anyways... painly so, i would still come back for the nostalgic feeling & classic food

Had a big group. We were only customers. I judge Italian restaurant by its Calamari. Theirs was one of the worst I have ever had. So rubbery I have to cut it into small pieces. Entree was OK but could not compensate for the Calamari.

This is a very old family restaurant. It was quiet not too busy. We had a great waitress. Drinks were cold appetizers came out perfect and fast but when I ordered the one thing I came in to eat which was recently promoted on their instagram they did not serve anymore but it was still on the menu. The bone marrow platter. Man was I looking forward to that unfortunately the menus have not been updated soooo some of the things on there might not be getting serves anymore so keep that in mind.

Our first time here. We had studied the menu in advance. The main menu includes non-alcoholic drinks and desserts. I got a vanilla Italian cream soda which was fabulous. I ordered veal picatta. My companion ordered the lasagna. Food came out fairly quickly but the veal was later than the lasagna. The picatta sauce was good, very tangy, and there was a lot of it. The veal was hard to cut and chewy. Tasted good but not the expected experience. There was a side of house-made noodles with red sauce. I liked the noodles but next time no red sauce. The lasagna was decent but the portion size was quite small. We attempted to order dessert and they were out of half the desserts. We were able to order the tiramisu. It was served in a 1970s banana pudding glass. There was one layer of lady fingers. It tastes amazing, but was definitely meant for dieters who want a taste of dessert but not a whole serving. The service got progressively better throughout the meal. Admittedly we didn't order alcohol first thing (or at all) and that usually puts the servers off. At the end our server briefly chatted with us about the weather. Food was good, but it's your standard red sauce Italian food. The portions are designed for you to order an appetizer, a salad, an entree and then dessert. We got 2 entrees, a tiny dessert to share (we didn't know) and spent $70.

We absolutely LOVE this restaurant! We have come here almost once a month, for years, and have never been disappointed. The Chicken Parmesan is my "go-to" - fabulous! BIG portions. My husband loves the Shrimp Scampi and other things on the menu. "Joe's Special Sauce" can be requested and is worth it. We had our small wedding party meal there a few years ago and it was fantastic. Great, consistently good, service. They do also have a bar area. Suzanne & Glenn Johnson

Delicious food and great service nice traditional Italian decor. Perfectly cooked food here

This review is a little delayed but still accurate.. I brought my DIL for her bday 3/19.. Hadn't been in years, I was reluctant and rightfully so.. NOT GOOD it was a Tuesday only 3 tables cples.. Told them I was bringing bday girl Large menu.. they boast their Cesar salad.." we're out of anchovies " How ?? They come in can don't spoil!!! We got it, large, it included a plastic corner of a packet of PRE MADE dressing!OMG .. we added shrimp, they were good.. Chicken Marsala had a thick brown gravy !? ‍ NOT GOOD Joe's special pasta was large serving BUT nothing special at all!! None of it was HOT.. barely warm.. oh, not to forget the "NOT GARLIC BREAD"!! It was skinny rolls like served at another place with grease/ sprinkle of garlic SO SAD they didn't have any other!! I got bill n paid... They DIDN'T even OFFER ANYTHING, a little something‍ to the BIRTHDAY GIRL There's no need to ever go back there... it's SAD because they are long time local! OLIVE GARDEN IS BETTER ‍

We had been regular customers of Mama Louisa's (often 2 to 3 times per months), but due to inferior poor service and just so-so food in the past, we decided to give it a rest for awhile. But decided to give it a try again. We were seated promptly by Redana who was very friendly and attentive "initially" (elected to sit at the bar in order to watch the UA vs Duke NCAA basketball game). We ordered a house salad with ranch dressing to share, olives on the side, which was good (but could have used more lettuce and an additional larger plate... had to use our breadstick plates and really only needed 2 breadsticks, not 4), ordered a soup to share (in the past, Mama's was out of soup, and a bowl of minestrone was larger and filled with vegetables.... this portion was a disgrace and lacked vegetables (more generous at Olive Garden).... only a small amount of celery, potatoes, carrots... missing other normal ingredients like beans, pasta, etc.), and for an entree we ordered the chicken piccata which we had asked to have split in the kitchen (served in a bowl with tons of noodles, capers, sauce, but a scrawny small chicken breast... a portion of meat not worth $20 with no side dish of vegetables or other options... a la carte). I guess we mistakenly recalled having this dish before with at least 2 pieces of chicken breast or veal... very disappointing visit to Mama Louisa's, again!

After a 6 year hiatus it was time for us to take the 45 minute drive from Oro Valley and return to Mama Louisa's. Bottom line: it was worth the drive. The ambiance hasn't changed. At some point they need to update the interior and make it a little less dank. There were 4 of us, and this time we got to order off the menu, which is extensive BTW. The prices are pretty reasonable, but be cautioned if you have a cocktail + wine + appetizer + main course it can add up. I had the veal parm Joe's style which I thought was excellent. I really like their homemade linguini, it's kinda thin but really good. The sauces were excellent. Do not come here looking for exotic gourmet italian food. This is a basic "red sauce" italian restaurant, but they do it very well. Summary: cocktails - excellent and reasonably priced. appetizers - try the steamers! entrees - the veal dishes are very good. deserts - didn't try 'em, next time!

Mama Luisa's did a pop up event. Their chef has a competition BBQ team too. This was some excellent BBQ. I was able to try all of their meat offerings. The chicken was well cooked and moist. The brisket flat was a little drier and undercooked meaning hard to pull a part. The point brisket was cooked well and juicy. The ribs had great taste, but too overcooked for competition guidelines. The pulled pork was very good, but not pulled enough, meaning more pork chunks then I would think. The sausage was good. Definitely try them out if they have another event. https://tucsonfoodie.com/2021/10/07/guido-q-pop-up/

I have rarely eaten in this restaurant, mainly order for delivery through a service. I've gotten pizza and calzones here. That's my go to for them. It's delicious and one of my favorite places to get delivery. The restaurant itself is in need of an upgrade since it's been the same as far as I can remember. Yummy pizza tho!

Mama Louisa's has been a longtime favorite of mine since moving here in 2003. It's nowhere close to our home these days, but we still frequent Mama Louisa's for special occasions or when we just want some delicious Italian food. My go-to dish is the Joe's Special- the sauce has just the right amount of kick. But the baked ziti is also delish and my husband swears by the manicotti. We usually add an order of Mike's bread and the side salad is big enough for two to share. Mama Louisa's can fill up on the weekends, but we've never not been able to get a table. The interior has that classic, old-school Italian restaurant vibe, but it doesn't feel dated. In 20 years, I've never had a bad meal or less-than-pleasant experience at Mama Louisa's, which is one of the reasons we continue to be regular patrons.

One of my Meetup groups dined here today and we all enjoyed our dinner. The waitress was polite and professional and my food was both tasty and an ample portion. I enjoyed the warm breadsticks as well as the house-made linguini w/white clam sauce. I took a portion of Tirimisu home and it was quite good.

With the classic sounds of "Volare" and "That's Amore" transporting me back to 1963 or so, I had a successful lunch here on a pretty busy Thursday lunchtime visit. A (lunch?) special includes soup or salad and pasta or sandwich, so minestrone and very creamy fettuccine Alfredo (lunch special-sized portion?) it was, with a house salad added. Fantastic. Delicious breadsticks (though another yelper here reports they aren't fully made on premises?) were replenished after my compliment. Things may slow down a bit when busy, but my efficient waitress was on the ball and very organized. A casual and friendly old-school joint.