Mama 'n Papa's Pizza Grotto

First time to this place and it was a pleasant experience. I was excited when I heard the original owner was from Philly because I knew it was going to be good. I got the eggplant Parmesan and it was good, the way I like it, the spaghetti had a horrible feel in my mouth, kinda grainy and it definitely wasn’t fresh, it was probably sitting in cold water and they tried to heat it up. The gravy/sauce is excellent which you don’t find out of. My friend had the trio plate which she hardly touched and threw it out when she got home, she said the ravioli was like plastic and overall just not good. The service was pretty good even though he messed up on the trio plate and only brought out lasagna, it was corrected but took a while to get. They have one of those serving robots which is pretty stupid for a small restaurant and it’s so loud. The place is pretty clean, they do charge a fee if you use credit cards and give a discount if you use cash. 🤌🏼 I also don’t understand the game machines but I’ll be sticking with Nucci’s.

This was exactly what we were looking for. Good traditional Americanized Italian favorites served with a smile and priced perfectly. Red and white checkered tablecloths? Check! Portions way too big for an average person to finish? Yup! Do you end up eating it all anyways because it's so good? Absolutely!!!! Not only is the nostalgia level off the charts, but the service is excellent with the nicest lady ever that owns the joint doing the lions share of the front-of-house stuff. Your glass will never be empty and your stomach will be happily full when you visit this place. If you're looking for an Il Fornaio experience, this isn't it. It's way better. Do yourself a favor, and grab some of this American nostalgia while it's here!!!!

Delicious. This food here is really great, and the portions are generous. The restaurant has a very old school vibe to it when you walk through the front door. The staff was very attentive and got everyone seated right away. The whole restaurant was clean and well maintained. The antipasto salad and the meatballs are some of the best items on the menu. The meatballs are huge, and you can order them covered with cheese, same with the sausage. The Fried Zucchini appetizer is also excellent, cooked just right. The large salad is truly large, more and enough for a few people all by itself. This place can accommodate a small party of 2, all the way up to a huge family. There is lots of seating inside and no apparent outside seating. Lots of parking in the lot out front as well. It's also located very close to the train/sprinter station . If you just want to stop off for a home style dinner while you travel around North County, this is an excellent choice.

so grateful i stopped here after my trip to legoland!!! this is one of the best italian restaurants i have ever been too! the chicken parm is to die for!!! the portions are amazing. i ordered the dinner special which comes with a house salad and garlic bread. the dish was so big i shared it with my boyfriend and even had extra noodles to share with my son. the pizza is very delicious as well but i would try to ask for light cheese because sometimes they do have a heavy hand which makes the pizza very greasy underneath. they were very kind and made a fresh one all over with no complaints at all!! customer service is outstanding i would recommend Sherri as your server she is awesome.

Mama ‘n Papa‘s Pizza grotto has been one of our favorite places to eat for over a decade Because of the delicious pizza and salad and other items they have . now they have their app where we can place our order, pay online, and pick up. it’s precisely timed! - They say your food will be ready at this exact moment! we show up, pick up the food from the friendly staff and dash back home. It’s great for us. When crunched for time It’s much better than shopping at the grocery store and trying to cook something good 😁. Plus, we appreciate our dear neighbors who create such good food for the community and we love to support them and they hire lots of sweet people

ABSOLUTELY delicious. GREAT friendly service. Worth every penny spent. GIANT meatballs. Sauce is perfect. Once you go there you'll return. Casual atmosphere. UPDATE Food prices slightly increased.

Fantastic family pizza/ Italian place. The works pizza was awesome! I love how they put the cheese on top of all the toppings. The red sauce and sausage was delicious. The clam pasta looked so yummy! They have a great gluten free crust for those with Celiac and a gluten free penne pasta :) the wait staff was so kind and attentive. They havelots of TVs if you want to come watch some sports or something. Definitely recommend this is a place to bring your family or visitors for a meal.

Every time I come to visit my family I always make some time to come in and grab a slice with my wife and kids. It's a great pizzeria. I love the old school family friendly vibe it has. And the employees a personable and welcoming. The prices are affordable, portions are generous. All around a great restaurant.

Excellent service from Trevor. The food was excellent. Lived here for 6 years and regret not coming in sooner. Thank you!! We'll definitely be back.

My family, friends, and I have been going here for years, my parents, decades. Which is why it's so so sad to see how terrible the food is now with the new owners. My friends and I ordered pick up for a birthday dinner last night. None of us could even finish it. We ordered a spaghetti with meat sauce, fettuccini Alfredo, lasagna, and fries. Where was the meat in the 1/4 cup of marinara? Where were the seasonings and flavor or even SALT on the Alfredo? The lasagna couldn't be saved by oven, salt, or pepper. The fries were worse than any fast food restaurant. 1 star because at least the food was warm, and all there. The service is good. Will not be going back.

What happened to you guys? Paid $60 for a pizza, you send the wrong item, then when we call your employee tells us "oh ya, I saw it was wrong but they already put in the oven already so we sent it to you anyways" I can forgive a mistake but you basically you knew you were ripping us off and did it anyway. Hope that one pizza was worth losing a family of customers for life.

Do you all remember those brown, hard plastic, bumpy cups that restaurants used in the 90's? That's the cup you get with water. Good on them for holding onto what doesn't need to be fixed? I guess? Listen folks, I'm not against this place, but I am saying there could be more to the flavor of the food. I feel (after three visits) that they always leave me wanting more. More flavor, more of that "wow" factor. The spaghetti is abysmal at best, while the Lasagna is heavenly (if you enjoy watery pasta, the get the spaghetti). The salad is dull and unenticing, while the garlic bread is great. You see, there are pros and cons with this place, but nothing that is so "wow inspiring", that I call home to tell them the experience I had. Perhaps this is a great place to bring a baseball team after a mediocre season, if those kids are 10. I do not think this place will be winning any awards any time soon, but the wont be getting closed down either... I can promise you, you wont die... But I can not promise that you will leave with a satisfied craving for great food. This place just falls short for some reason. Perhaps a lack of care has brought them to this point.

Staff was nice. It was our family of 5, 3 who were children. We were seated right away. We went during the week which is probably a factor. lol Or waitress took our drink order pretty quickly after we were seated. She came back shortly afterwards we deliver drinks and take our order. I didn't realize the portions were so big so take that into consideration when ordering. Adult 1- chicken fettuccine, liked the taste so much she dipped her bread in it. Had the salad with Italian, only suggestion is less oil and more of the tomato mixture. Adult 2- chicken parm, dish was flavorful, chicken was soft, overall good taste. Kids- spaghetti, meat sauce was a little runny lacked in flavor. Garlic bread- amazing!! It's so soft and good makes your mouth water If you're in the area worth a try. It's been around for a really long time. Family owned and operated. That garlic bread is a must try!

I dine here for the first time with a friend. It was busy on a Saturday night. The parking can be challenging at times. The staff like Danny and Jason were awesome to accommodate us. Danny cleaned up a table and put the Lakers game on for us. She was so friendly and helpful. The server Jason was the server I've experienced in a while. He made sure we had plenty of drinks and the pizza we wanted. The beer was nice and cold with cold glasses. The pizza came out steaming hot and tasted delicious. I had the special pizza minus the mushrooms. The pepperoni and cheese pizza was just as good. Before leaving, we saw a PacMan man that we could play. It was free and exciting to end the night. I give this place a 4 star . I definitely recommend this place if you're in the area. Thank me later.

I didn't know they were under new ownership, but it was obvious as soon as I opened our box. The signature perfect thick pizza crust was gone and the sauce is weird. It's just a generic pizza now. So sad to have enjoyed the old menu for decades but now won't be coming back.

Love this little hole in the wall. The pizza is terrific and the portions are huge. The restaurant is dated, but the service and food are excellent, so who cares. They bring you super yummy bread to start that is hard to stop eating. The prices are reasonable as well.

Had been Missing Italian food and immediately thought of Mama N Papas. I ordered via Doordash and spent too much money for food that if I had been in the restaurant, I would have had a conversation with my server and manager. We ordered: Combo Plate- Lasagna with meat sauce and Cheese Ravioli, Chicken Parm came with spaghetti. A meatball and sausage. It came with garlic toast and sour dough bread. -Lasagna and cheese ravioli- Will NEVER order again. The ONLY thing good on both was the sauce. (The lasagna had a tone of THICK chewy noodles with nothing in-between. Not sure if it all slipped out. The Ravioli was gross. I have never had such thick pasta from there before. (When you love leftovers and you don't want to touch it... something is wrong! -Chicken Parm with Spaghetti- The Bread we received was warm. The chicken was warm on top and cold on the bottom. The chicken was so thin and chewy. Not juicy at all. (the crust was not over cooked so not sure why the chicken was so tough) The best part was the spaghetti- it was very tender and NOT stuck together. -The garlic bread a was great and the salad was great. -Cannoli- was great This meal was NOT worth $77.00 that included taxes and tip.

Heavy, hearty and meaty is our type of pizza. The pizza is loaded with great flavor and not "over-sauce". There's an Old school pac man video arcade inside too .

Food was good. The spaghetti was my favorite. I love that they aren't stingy with the marinara sauce. The pizza was loaded, so much of everything in there, the box had some weight on it. The service was good as well. I ordered to go and the waitresses were friendly and quick.

Had a meat pizza; taste 3; crust (husband says 4.5) Service 4.8 Ambiance 4.5 Not my fave; probably won't go back. In all fairness only tried the one pizza though

I actually really like this place. It's nicer inside than I expected after reading the reviews. It's also large and very private seating. The service & food were really good- the pizza is very bready- so if you like a thicker crust you'll likely be a fan. They also give a good portion of topping's & cheese. We also like the eggplant parmigiana. I also really liked the bread that came free with our order, it made interested in trying their sandwich options- so stay tuned for that. The price here was also pretty reasonable for sit out type of restaurant. Ultimately I was very satisfied & look forward to coming back and trying some other entrees! Recommended & happy eating!!

IYKYN. Hidden gem in an old shopping center in Vista. Staff is always friendly and food plentiful. I ordered the 3 combo dinner and shared my salad and food with my daughter. We took the rest Togo, which was enough for a great lunch/snack. We've been going to Mama's for a long time and always love it. You must love red sauce.

Been coming here for 20 years. The servers know my order and are extremely friendly. I get the pepperoni pizza and a IPA. The "House" dressing they offer is literally the best thing on this planet! Hoping one day they can offer the "house" dressing on the Uber eats/ Door Dash platforms, just name the price and I'll pay!

I live in Vista, southside of town. And there are a plethora of good pizza places in Vista. However, Mama & Papa sent me a mailer that was good for two large two topping pizzas for $23. There's inflation and these guys are going old school with a coopin. Well it worked! I haven't been to M&PPG's since late 90's. And the only reason I can think is I lived closer to other places. I called in the coopin! and I'm glad I did. I got a Margherita and a Sausage/Pepperoni. They were delish! Some other reviewers were talking about the crust, these pizzas have fresh crust made from scratch, you can't buy these at Costco fool! Sauce was outstanding! Place was packed 2:00 pm on a Sunday and I know why. Awesome Pizza! I'll be back again without the mailer coupon! My Gawd was that good!

Love this place. Great food. Great prices. Great staff. Pizza is amazing. House dressing is also good.

Trevor was absolutely outstanding. Today is Friday so I asked him what meatless dish he recommends, and he suggested the shrimp linguini with mushrooms and tomatoes. Meatless meaning no red meat. Back off vegans! Needless to say it was pure ambrosia! It paired exceptionally with my Chardonnay. Trevor was quick, attentive, friendly, funny, and caring. A real gem. Give the man a raise. I'll be coming back very soon! Thanks Trevor!

Handled our 15 person group well, though limiting it to one check per table was a pain. While they weren't busy, our drinks did take a while. Food was delicious and we all had leftovers - I loved my Marsala, friends loved the sammiches and one raved over the garlic bread. Nice big parking lot, clean bathrooms, and server was nice.

Pasta was plentiful and delicious. Meatballs the size of baseballs. But, the best part was our amazing server Cherri. We went to Olive Garden first and sat for 10 mins with no service (water, acknowledgment, etc). So we headed to Mama's and Papa's Grotto instead. Cherri brought our water and his beer before he even got back from the restroom. Really good stuff. !!

Another examples of "great reviews" doesn't mean great food :) I ordered pasta and pizza and none of them are meet my expectation :( It also possible that they were good in the past but my recent experience doesn't seems to justify the great reviews. I am so sorry :(

One of our favorite places! Love the torpedo sandwich and angel hair pasta. Great food and good prices

This is a great restaurant with a "homely" feel. It's been around for ages, so it's not modernised and perfect inside. But it's comfortable, not too bright of lighting, a few TVs for watching sports etc. Great place to go for a family meal. Prices are pretty good for what you get. You may think it strange to see "Spaghetti and Meatball" on the menu, but don't go asking for extra meatballs until you see the size of the one you get! LOL. I particularly like getting the trio dinner plate, where you get Lasagna, Spaghetti and I think Ravioli. Their bread mini-loaves are great also. In the summer, there was once that I went here and it was quite warm inside. I said something to someone and they turned on the A/C. Very friendly staff, and if you come here for the first time...most likely it won't be your last!

Service was great but the flavors of the pasta, the minestrone soup was okay. It seems like a family friendly place though.

I have heard a lot of good things about this place. I am so glad we finally tried it! Everything we ordered was delicious and didn't disappoint!

I have been to this place before and the food and customer service were superior. Not this time, the pizza was so bad. I had better pizzas from the frozen section. I'm not even sure where to start, the cheese appeared fake, it looked and tasted like cardboard. Our Cesar salad was a joke. I paid 11 plus for some pieces of cut lettuce, a good chunk was bad, no cheese and no croutons. Secondly, I have to agree with the pizza comment above in that the crust was made of cheaper ingredients as well as the cheese was definitely from Costco type packaged cheese such as a value brand type cheese which was apparent just from the look of the pizza upon opening the box. The sauce was good but the overall, the quality of the pizza dough, cheese and other ingredients seemed to have been purchased in bulk from Costco.

I was here today. Their lunch specials are not special. Three or four dollars off a high priced menu. The pizzas are OK. I ordered chicken Parmagian . Lunch special. It was $14. Does not include Pasta. Came with Italian bread. that was old and toasted. And a small salad. the onecpiece of chicken served was atrocious. Tiny piece, and I don't know if it was microwaved or just reheated, but it was so disappointing. A complete rip off.and not fresh

My family and I have been going to Mama n Papa's since they opened in 1986 (I was a freshman at Vista High.) Their food is consistently delicious. Whether it is their pizza or a meatball sandwich, I have never gotten a bad meal from them. I moved away and was gone for about 18 years; my wife and I just recently moved back and went there not too long ago. The food was just as delicious as I remembered. I highly recommend dining at Mama n Papa's; you won't be disappointed!

Great quality pizza! Perfect balance of sauce and cheese and fluffy dough. Highly recommend!

Imho, this is the best pizza in Vista, or San Diego! The service is great, the staff is caring and awesome. So is the taste. Just like being at your parents or grandmas home.

It's been awhile. Parking lot was empty. Got me worried. Walked in. Service was GREAT Our server was very attentive. My glass was always full. Food came out fast. Nice and hot just the way I like it. Great experience

We first discovered this gem in 2006 when my work transferred me to Vista. It quickly became the go to Italian restaurant throughout our time spent in this area until 2012. It's hard to pick just one favorite dish. The meat sauce for the lasagna has deep, rich flavor notes. The bread is fresh, soft with just the right amount of crunch. Add butter or just dip in the meat or marinara sauce and that alone could be my meal. Pizza crust is not too thin and has a mild sweet flavor. Add in the toppings, sauce and cheese and that has been my meal many times over. Ravioli with the meatball, my oh my. Not sure if they still make their meatballs huge, but I do remember they were pretty darn large, absolutely delicious meatballs. I always wondered what the heck their secret ingredient was. My daughter loves them. My only complaint is I wish I lived closer so we could eat here more often! These pictures are from the last trip in May 2021. We did dine inside with a limited seating capacity. The people here were always very welcoming to my daughter and I and made us feel like family. One of the many reasons why we will keep coming back. https://www.mamanpapaspizza.com/menu

The pizza/food here is real amazing with the best ingredients. I would recommend trying . I get specials comes with 1 large pizza, spaghetti, bread and salad can't beat the price. Staff members are always friendly, prices are reasonable and the spot is always kept clean.

Food was delicious! I really like our waitress she was amazing! I loved that she was patient with my children and we all know sometimes kids have those days were nothing pleases them. She took her time to make my family feel welcome And interacted with us !! I definitely recommend this place !! Ps sorry for the spaghetti and sugar mess !

I have been on a quest to find my long lost favorite sandwich from growing up. It was the perfect ham and cheese chicago style hoagie, but that sandwich shop is no longer in business. Today I decided to try a new place for lunch, and this place is now on the top of my list. Everything I've tried there so far has been really good. The pizza, the appetizers, and now the sandwiches. I am sold! If you are in the Vista area, check them out! Highly recommend.

They could do a better job making sure the dishes they hand out are clean all around . Which should be bare minimum.Ask for disposable utensils. I did not feel comfortable eating anywhere where I can't see their A rated restaurant and this restaurant did not have a rate sign up at all I'm guessing because it is below an A . I understand they have new management but the food is pretty mediocre . It's more the spot for old people who don't have time to cook at home for a cheap night . Waiters were polite , although I hated sitting where you can see the workers in the Kitchen just stare to the tables . The bathrooms are not checked regularly and left people with no toilet paper . Needs a lot of work if they want more professional audience. Wouldn't go again cooking better spaghetti at home is the better way yo go then here (:

I am a long time customer. Over thirty five years of doing business here. The pie we got last night was absolutely horrific. It looked amazing, but every bite I had was tasteless. So, I took a closer look at my pizza. The mushrooms appeared to be canned and the pepperoni looked like small, generic crap that had zero flavor. The crust was terrible and reminded me of what cardboard would taste like. We haven't been here in several months and now we will never go back. Like I mentioned earlier, I am a long time customer here and this is a sad thing to say goodbye to one of my favorite places. Since the original owner passed away, I think they are experiencing changes. Unfortunately, I don't think it was them having an off night. It is a food quality issue.

My parents and I were regulars before they sold their home up the street from the restaurant location, but I started coming back a little more frequently since I started a semester up the street at the Vista Adult School. The photo is from the last time I visited, but tonight I ordered the beef ravioli. Great service from the gentleman who greets you, Skylar, Sharron and I don't remember the other servers name (we were talking today and she usually doesn't work Tuesday nights explaining why we hadn't seen each other for a while), and the lady when you are leaving at the front. Awesome place to go with reasonable prices. I always look forward to returning. See you all soon.

Shrimp pasta is to die for!!!!!! Pizzas are always good. Service is quick and very friendly. Would highly recommend!!

4.5 but I'm rounding up. Dining inside and takeout (wait at the table outside the front entrance). They serve my favorite type of pizza: thick crust, tons of cheese, lotsa sauce, lotsa toppings. And it's delicious. The pizza is so filling, a medium here is like a large anywhere else. That's value. We also tried a meatball as an appetizer. Think softball or larger. This guy is huge and clearly homemade. Not an avalanche of flavor but it's served in a bathtub of tangy red sauce that more than makes up for any slight lack of seasoning in the meatball. The meatball was also nice and moist. Friendly service and very good pizza. We'll be back.

Delicious pasta and serving sizes! My go to place when I want delicious pasta with good flavor!

Great food! Love the lasagne!! Service is always top notch. It has become our go to place.

The service was great. We ordered it through the phone and was ready in 30 min. The moment we opened the pizza box it looked freshly made and delicious. We weren't impressed with the taste and decided not to order from here again. They add the cheese on top of the toppings making it very messy to eat. The cheese slides off along with the toppings. All of us agreed that the bread was very hard. It almost hurt my jaw when chewing. It felt like it is 5 days old. I wouldn't recommend coming here.

Very good pizza! The restaurant is cozy and service great. The entrees are quite good as well.

We love coming here for family dinners. Service is always quick and their staff is super friendly. Their pizza is delicious!! Highly recommend!

Was looking for a late evening Italian fish near San Marcos and gave this spot a try. Ambiance was more family not fancy Food was decent. I'd go back

I'm not gonna lie the first time I ordered from this place was in a rush because I needed to get my kids fed after a busy day and when it showed up at my doorstep, I was like what the heck did I order this is like a deep dish crazy looking pizza but it was so good. My kids loved it and it was really really tasty. Then I ordered from a different place next time we ordered pizza because I didn't know if I wanted this style but fully regretted it when a little flimsy POS showed up at my door will always order from you guys from now on.

Every time we've been here, the staff has been warm, welcoming and on top of our requests. We've never felted rushed. Relaxing Everything we have had has been so good. Love the pizza, loaded with toppings and cheese. Pastas are fantastic. Portions are big so, be prepared to order different things to share as well as take home containers.

Run down and food sub-par. There are too many better choices in the area. Tables are so close that it is hard to maneuver, and you have to talk over too many conversing people around you. Will choose better next time.

Great food. Service was nice. Owners were very sweet and the place was clean. Great Italian music. Feels authentic to my ears. Cool lighting and quick servers. My husband and I love it here. My noodles were great. Very soft. Soft bread soft dressing. Thank you