Mama's Meatball

I recommend making a reservation for Mama's Meatball on Higuera Street in advance, as it's one of the top three best Italian restaurants in San Luis Obispo and can get quite busy (we saw people being told that they wouldn't be able to sit without a reservation on a Friday night). They start you off with complimentary garlic knots that are delicious and help hold you over before the main course arrives. I loved coming to Mama's Meatball in college, and I'm glad it is still around! If you're both gluten free and lactose intolerant, they are able to accommodate both! I went with the Spaghetti Bolognese ($18) with gluten free noodles (+$5) and custom added goat cheese (+$3). The online menu was outdated by $2 regarding the gluten free upcharge, but I was still so excited that they have GOOD gluten free noodles. Pollo Pesto Lasagna ($23) is a clever creamy twist on both traditional lasagna and pesto pasta. I’ve never even seen anytime this before. There is a small parking lot in the back, but if that's full there is plenty of street parking available. You can't see the restaurant from the street, as it's in the middle of a mini-piazza at the end of the main street (Highuera) of Downtown SLO. Our server Cosmio was very nice, and I have always felt the hospitality here is great. There's also a small discount if you pay with cash with a very unique interior design. In case you're curious, my personal top 3 favorite Italian restaurants in SLO are: Café Roma, Mama's Meatball, and Giuseppe's Cucina.

I went to Mama's meatball for lunch and I really liked it. One of the reasons we picked it is that they have a fairly wide range of items, and Osso bucco is one of my favorite Italian dishes. There was more than enough food, and I left some room for dessert. The tiramisu was good, even though the waitress makes it for you right at your table, which is pretty cool. I got cannoli, but I've had better (Romolo's in San Mateo is it). The biggest issue was that the shell of the cannolo contains cinnamon and I can't stand that stuff. The filling was alright, but if I go there again, I'll get the tiramisu or something else like the bomba.

What a delightful restaurant! Our Waiter, Jaime, is such a professional, very friendly and thoughtful person. The atmosphere was perfect for time with close friends, dates or just to Treat Yourself. And the Food was refreshing delightful and fresh, great quality ingredients. Someone shared their salad with me and even though I dislike beats, theirs was sweet and flavorful. Their Mac and Cheese with braised short ribs now has become my Deathrow last meal ( so if I ever was on Deathrow, I want this to be my last meal and what a way to go 🤤). Such a beautiful hidden gem.

The waiter was excellent. He was super busy but took very good cared of us. The food came out hot and was delicious. Best dish was the eggplant parm app. The bruschetta was devine. The table made tiramisu was outstanding. The salads were just ok. I was a little disappointed because they were small and just not that great. That was the only item/situation I wasn’t really happy about.

Truly a local gem of a restaurant….we recently had an extended family get-together for dinner, and chose Mama’s Meatball for their delicious Italian food. We had a comfortable table near the back. Service was great — very attentive, helpful and accommodating staff, and they were on top of everything. Our server was super nice and helpful, and even though the restaurant was completely full by the time our food arrived, she still made sure we got the same level of service as if we were the on,y guests there. The owner came by to ensure everything was good, and we had a very nice conversation with him about the restaurant, and two other local restaurants he also owns. He was very welcoming and made us feel at home. Overall, all the food was amazingly fresh and delicious — pure Italian goodness, especially the wide range of different pastas (all so good!)….and, of course, the meatballs…sooooo yummy!). There seemed to be plenty of choices for everyone, even the picky eaters among us. The ambiance was great — welcoming and comfortable, and felt like a trattoria or cafe. We didn’t feel rushed in the slightest, despite the restaurant getting quite full by the time we left. Overall, Mama’s Meatballs is truly a great experience, and is amongst my all-time favorite restaurants in SLO county. Highly recommended!

The waiter Jamie(I think) helped me and my girlfriend and we think he was amazing. Not only that but the seafood pasta i got was DELICIOUS! Anyways Jamie made the whole experience a 10/10, give him a raise!

My wife and I were looking for a quick, nutritious bite on driving through SLO. I wasn’t optimistic that an Italian Restaurant would fit the bill, but this quaint sized DDD business served some very tasty salads, and we couldn’t refuse trying their tasty meatballs as a side.

We were passing through town with the kids and decided to have lunch here. Located in a cute little town and open plaza. We ordered the bruschetta and capellini pasta. Food was excellent and the server was friendly too. we decided to get the crème brûlée too, to top it iff. It was to die for!

It's been a long time since I've been to Mama's Meatball, and coming back after all these years, the food, ambience, and service are still just as good. The spaghetti with meatballs is a solid 10/10.

We got uber eat from this place to our hotel in pismo beach and the food came fast with the cheapest delivery fee. Everything was tasty and we finished everything and all! We got a pizza, an eggplant Parmesan and a meatball with saepgatti.

This is a review of service and unfortunately not for the food. The food part never materialize. Our open table reservation I made 2 months in advance for 9 people is at 7:45pm. The entire party was on time and ready to start the weekend of festivities for the CalPoly graduation. We thought our experience at this restaurant will kick it off. Yes it kicked off it off.......the wrong direction. We waited and waited and waited then decided to leave. The hostess punted the issue to wrong information that was relayed to her. We learned from the hostess that our supposed "table" had patrons who just sat at 7pm and by golly gee, of course they won't be done by 7:45pm. I had to put in my cc info on OpenTable for possible no shows. The grace period the restaurant gives its customers is 15mins. However, Damian, one of the waiters who talked to me said that they give an hour grace period for patrons but that doesn't justify the fact that my table is not ready by 7:45pm.... this is why after over 30mins, we decided to leave and bring our business elsewhere it's valued. I was hopeful to provide wonderful feedback like other yelpers did but did not get a chance. A reservation time at this establishment means absolutely nothing. Sidebar: our family friend upon learning of our experience, also had the same issue when they dined a few weeks ago.

Dinner was fine. We got the frutti de Maré, and that was good. The fettuccine Alfredo was also solid. The pizza with pork and truffles was a disappointment, the smoked cheese flavor overwhelmed everything else, and made it a little too heavy. It could use some sort of tart or sweet flavor to balance it out. The prices weren't bad, but it wasn't cheap, either. I would have expected slightly better quality for the money. Service was prompt and charming. Garlic knots were also very nice.

If you're looking for Italian food in SLO, Mama's Meatball is the place. We ordered takeout, which actually took a lot longer than initially anticipated (hence the 4 stars instead of 5) but I think there was some kind of hold up in the kitchen when we went. Regardless, our food was delicious and well worth the wait! Both pasta dishes were fantastic, as well as the garlic knots. There's so many other things on the menu I'd love to try! I'd like to dine in next time, the inside was cute and it smelled amazing.

I've been here many times and it goes without saying that the food is great, without fail. This most recent visit was particularly good due to fantastic service from Jamie - thank you for making our night out extra special!

Great place for my partner's 25th birthday! Kept the bread coming and served us our food all at once. (8 people in total). Still our favorite restaurant in slo!!

OMG! So good! I had the spaghetti and meatballs and my friend had the fettuccine Alfredo and both were delicious. We will definitely be repeat customers.

First things first, the food is solid. They had a gnocchi pizza thing that looked fun, and was pretty good. But we got the weirdest vibe here. Upon walking in, they asked for our phone number, which I never had a restaurant do before unless we were being put on the waitlist and they need to call us to let us know the table is ready.....but that wasn't the case here - they were mostly empty when we walked in and we were sat right away. I mean, maybe it's a thing to prevent people from dining and dashing? No idea. The server was super nice.

I wasn't hungry. I wasn't in the mood for Italian but holy cow! I'm going to crave their lasagna forever! I ate it all! I usually have a to go box. I wish I did now but I ate every bite! The ambiance was great. The service was stellar! Miles was one of the best & most personable servers ever!

For my family to agree on Italian food is unbelievable... we all enjoyed our dishes along with their delicious and wonderful desserts! Please get their Affogato! You won't be disappointed. What I truly loved about the restaurant was I don't know which I appreciated more the food or the service! Such a hard call I wish I could remember our servers name as he was such a delight and extremely helpful when it came to time to find each of us our right choices! Also as we sang Happy Birthday to my little sister our amazing server made it such a memorable moment by including the rest of the restaurant to sing along. It was wonderful my sister was beaming! He even offered to take pictures when he seen we were doing the selfie thing. So kind! My parents found this place awhile back but as a family we will be back soon Only tip- I would definitely make a reservation!Outside seating available as well with heat lamps (I think...) We truly enjoyed our meal and our time however the hostess was relentlessly rude. I'm sure management is aware of this one. Regardless we will be back to enjoy and indulge!

The ambiance was classy but casual. The server was great, explain the wine list and the entrees. The garlic knots were fresh backed and delicious. The local wine was delicious. The entrees we chose, salmon Picatta and a stuffed sirloin dish with an Italian name I can't remember were expertly cooked. The owner chef talked with us and even brought us next door to his Peruvian restaurant and gave us a jar of BBQ sauce. What a great experience!

I LOVE MAMAS MEATBALL! guy fieri knew what he was talking about on DDD. I always get it to go and they don't skimp out. the bread is great and always warm.

Food is so so good and the ambience is friendly and well decorated. All of the waiters that we have interacted with were very welcoming and friendly. The best description I can think of is that at Mama's Meatball they treat you like family, from the service to the delicious and well thought out menu. Easily my favorite restaurant in SLO.

Sauce was too sour and too much. We ordered the chicken breast with veggies and everything was smothered with the red tomato Sauce that was sour. The fettuccine Alfredo was too thick and bland and not good. The tortellini with ossobucco was smothered in the sour red sauce too. The only good item was the garlic bread balls at the start. I can't recommend this place for any of their red sauce pastas. Maybe the pizza is better. However our waiter was very nice so he got a good tip.

Service, excellent Gnocchi, so easily ruined by adding too much flour to the potato--not so here--so light and delicious and served in...a pizza crust nest! We also had the Braccio and their house made pasta--worth the drive!

I had an excellent time here. We ordered the Arancini di Gamberi and Tagliere for appetizers, both were good, but portion sizes were a little small for the price. As an entree, I got the Spaghetti Carbonara which was exceptional. I'd also highly recommend the Penne Al Salmone which someone in my party got and thoroughly enjoyed. The restaurant got noisy at times, but not overwhelmingly so. Most of all, I'd like to commend our server, Kursat. He was friendly, and made time for us to feel special and taken care of. He was new, but it didn't show! Very happy with his service, definitely would want to go again!

Wait times WAY off! Had reservation for 3 at 7:30, did not get sat until 8:30 pm. Server gave us water, took order, food came, server never came back until end of meal to drop check! Horrible all around!

The spaghetti and meatball dish is incredible. The first bite, omg. You can taste the tomatoes and it has just the perfect amount of tartness and salinity. Would get this dish again. The pasta was also cooked perfectly.

My sister wanted to come here for her bday since it was close by to school. We had a reservation for our group of 9. This is located next to a small plaza. Parking is difficult as there's only a small lot or street parking available but we got lucky with street parking. When we arrived, we were greeted by a friendly waiter. (Turns out this waiter did EVERYTHING- from getting our orders to serving us to cleaning down the tables. Where were the other waiters? I'm confused) Anyways, we ordered the following items: - Spaghetti Carbonara - Orecchiette e Braciole - Baked Penne - Proscuitto Procini - Pizza Margherita - Gnocchi alla Sorrentina - Spaghetti Meatball - Rigatoni alla Salsiccia The food tasted pretty well but because it was a lot of pasta, everything just tasted the same at a certain point. I wish there was a white sauce dish so there was some variety. There was complementary garlic knots which were SO delicious! Out of all the dishes, the main dish that stood out to me is Gnocchi alla Sorrentina as they had the gnocchi sauce on a pie (?). It was quite delicious and definitely unique. My main comment besides the food is concerning the cake. We left the cake in the kitchen and had the waiter grab it for us. He put the candle in and handed us the cake- pretty simple work right? Here's where the fun comes. When we got the bill, we were charged $30?! for "custom cake". I'm sorry I don't understand why simply putting the cake in the fridge, helping us stick our candles that we bought into the cake, and bringing it out is $30. This was quite ridiculous and we were annoyed- Heads up to future people planning a party here: just keep the cake in your own refrigerated container to avoid $30 of surcharge. It would have been nice if we (customers) were informed about these costs in advance before being met with surprise when our bill came.

I ordered the Penne Salmon and it was delish. The Penne Salmon was flavorful and the salmon tasted fresh. The waiter was friendly and the restaurant was completely full. The waiter made us a table outside since everything was full. The area where the restaurant was located was very lively.

Our family stopped through mama's meatball on our way from Fresno to Santa Barbara a few days ago. We were absolutely floored by the incredible home-cooked taste of all of the dishes. I enjoyed a very healthy ahi tuna salad that was constructed with copious amounts of fresh vegetables and a huge quantity of avocado. The gnocchi was out of this world amazing. If you ever pictured a gnocchi dish being constructed like a pizza with the best tomato sauce and perfectly cooked cheese... yes. I guarantee this is going to be your jam. they were very accommodating towards my son's food preferences and made a special pizza crust dish just for him. if we're ever driving this route again, you bet we will be back.

Delicioso!! Everything on the menu is delicious! I love trying different things on the menu and am always impressed how everything is so delicious! One of our family's favorites. And if you get lucky you will get to meet Mama María an absolute treasure.

Came for dinner and sat inside; the ambience was cozy and not too loud. Service was friendly and attentive and the food came out quickly. I had the Orecchiette e Braciole, a pasta dish with steak and tomato sauce--so good and very filling! My friend had the tortellacci, pasta filled with braised short ribs in ossobucca sauce, also delicious! The flourless chocolate cake was amazing! This is my favorite Italian restaurant in the area!

The food was great, but the experience wasn't the best. We made a reservation for lunchtime on valentine's day. When we arrived, It took too long for someone to seat us even though the restaurant wasn't busy. We were seated next to the wall and a wine rack which made it difficult to eat and an uncomfortable experience overall. She ordered mama's famous macaroni & cheese, and I ordered risotto con funghi porcini. The macaroni & cheese was creamy with a rich flavor and the meat was very tender. The risotto was also very creamy and flavorful. Good ambience and interior design.

Prompt and friendly service. Nice courtyard for outdoor dining. Ordered the bolognese with meatballs and chicken parm- the spaghetti was cooked perfectly al dente, and the flavor was delish for the sauces and meats.

The food is always excellent and the staff efficient. It's a cozy spot for delicious Italian meals and a nice glass of wine. Portions are generous and the garlic knots so yummy! One of our favorite go to's.

I I'm sitting. here watching diners, drivings and dives . Guy is at this amazing restaurant. The owner just made homemade potato And Cheese Gnocci. Served with fresh pomadoro sauce and fresh mozzarell with cheese on top put into the salamanda to melt. Then before service adds more Peccarino and fresh Italian parsley. I don't even have to eat there to know that the food is amazing. Everything he made was mouth watering so if you're in the area make sure you go and eat there.

Having just returned from Italy I can verify this is true Italian food. I had home delivery which is why the photographs show the food in containers. The food is spot on. I can't speak to service or ambiance other than to say I did a great job for myself. Ha ha. Why one star lost? Gosh, mama's knots of bread are no longer knots. Just ting squares. Something is somehow lost. Some were a bit burned on the bottom.

10/10. If you want to feel like you're eating a home cooked italian meal at a real deal Italian's house(hospitality included), this is the spot. What you need to know: - If you want to eat inside make sure to get a reservation. - They have a takeout window next to the sit down area, lots of folks use that and just eat on the tables outside. - Service is outstanding, from the host,server, food runners. Everyone is polite and inviting. - We got the Margarita pizza to start and yes, ate it too fast to take a photo. It's Neopolitan style, light crust so you don't feel full. - Carbonara is rich and thick. Spaghetti * meatballs was one of the best I've had. The sauce is PERFECT. Certainly the highlight of our dining in SLO.

We are locals who have been eating here as our Sunday tradition. Never have I ever been so disappointed in our food from there. We always get the margarita pizza it's our favorite pizza in slo because of the sauce and the flaky crust. Well they must have changed their recipe as the pizza tasted like it came from Fattys (a shitty local college spot). The Salmon in the Salmon Piccata was so tiny, and the vegetables so few, I couldn't believe they charged $25 for this menu item. We asked for a side of marinara sauce for the garlic knots. The sauce tasted like it was from a can of spaghetti-os but was the only relief we had for the hard burnt knots. I know times are tough and ingredients are expensive but this is a low blow for Mama's Meatballs. Feels like they gave us their spare food from their reserves in the back of the fridge/pantry. Sorry to say we will no longer be eating there anymore. Worst $60 I've ever spent!

I enjoyed their pizza but I didn't like the calamari. It tasted like it was from a frozen packet and was very chewy. The employees did give great service and the food came out pretty quickly.

Dined in 11/30/24 @1730 for an awesome dinner. Best to make a reservation on a weekend. It was a bit hard to find because it is close to other businesses. Higuera St is quite packed at times and you really have to pay close attention. It was with an ice creamery place, a coffee shop, a wine and beer shop and the bbq restaurant. We noticed there was parking out back too. We walked here which took us 25 mins from La quinta inn. My boyfriend had a very yummy plate of Mac and Cheese with braised ribs. That was VEry tasty & not too heavy on cream. Mine was also VERY good in red sauce as it was the Seafood Linguini. I forgot the proper name but it had clams, large pieces of shrimp, salmon, and calamari too! If you like a lot of seafood with no soup and linguine noodles which honestly was not too much of the noodles. Plenty of seafood. Plus I gave them a 5 because they had the garlic knots which has never been offered anywhere else in terms of italian food places. We were both in casual clothes, so you can dress down or dress up if you like. If I was ever back in SLO, this is a really fairly priced dinner place for 2 and it may seat up to 30ppl. It is not a large place but very cozy. They even had a place for a Christmas tree. Service was pleasant and servers very friendly as well. Hard to choose of what to eat actually.

This is my go-to Italian place here in Downtown SLO. Always great food. Unfortunately there were a few dishes that were out of stock coz last night's rush. Service was prompt and friendly. Love the airy atmosphere because they opened up the doors to the outside.

One of my colleagues recommended that Hubby and I go try Mama's Meatball while we were down in SLO. On our way home from Pismo Beach, Hubby and I stopped by SLO to find some card shops, get ice cream and try out Mama's Meatball! The area where this restaurant is located at reminds me of Berkeley where Gypsy is at! Owner was super kind and we just enjoyed at atmosphere. We ended up ordering to go, since we had a bit of a drive back and wanted to beat traffic. We ended up ordering the spaghetti meatball to go. The spaghetti was good. I wouldn't say the best, but it was good. I liked the meatball a lot, but they only give 1 big meatball with the order. Overall it wasn't bad, I would like to try other menu items that they have to offer next time we are there!

AMAZING dish...a favorite! Hard to find this locally, not to mention SO well executed! Ill b back forsure! Try their sister restaurant Mistura!

This is our second visit and both have been stellar. The waiter, on a Sunday morning, was way overworked with a bunch of tables. And still, he was able to chat, to recommend wine and food, and he was smiling and kind the whole time! Excellent professional service! He recommended the pizza special, and wow, figs, prosciutto, mozzarella, perfection! The max and cheese with braised ribs and also the carbonara, huge portions and exquisite flavors! I hear they are moving, and we will find them wherever they go!

I feel like the name was misleading. My daughter got the kid spaghetti and meatball, I got the ravioli di ricotta and my husband got gnocchi. There was NO meatball in my daughter's spaghetti, it was spaghetti with meat sauce at best. The gnocchi had a bit too much potato, the texture was chewy. The ravioli was good. The service was good. Nice little place.

We ordered takeout. Was ok for the price. Place was crowded though, so must have been good.

Absolutely incredible! All four of us Loved this restaurant! Thanks to a tip I ordered the most basic: spaghetti and meatballs. It was perfect. My sons and wife ordered other dishes and all were 10 out of 10s. London, the hostess, gave us extra special care as well!

Food is so so good and the ambience is friendly and well decorated. All of the waiters that we have interacted with were very welcoming and friendly. The best description I can think of is that at Mama's Meatball they treat you like family, from the service to the delicious and well thought out menu. Easily one of my favorite restaurants in SLO.

10/10 experience!!!!!! I had the spaghetti and my husband had the lasagna. The waiters were SUPER nice and the service was amazing! They had great recommendations for us and they gave us our space. The was the best Italian I've had in my life! The setting of the restaurant is very chill and lowkey which I also love!

There were five of us tonight at Mama's Meatball, and we had a very good experience. First, making reservations was easy. I called, and immediately got a text confirming. Then today I got a reminder text. I really appreciated that. We arrived a few minutes early, and we were seated promptly. Our waiter explained that it was his 4th day on the job, but he really was excellent. He smiled, and really seemed to want us to be happy. He was quick with drink refills and removing plates. Our dinners were amazing! We all had different pastas, (spaghetti & marinara, spaghetti & meatballs, mac & cheese with short ribs, Tortetacci, butternut squash ravioli,) and each one was flavorful and delicious. Portions were not huge, but filling. Only one of us needed a box to go. Desserts were a slightly different matter. The creme brûlée was outstanding, but the flourless torte and the creampuffs were only okay. I would probably prefer just the gelato by itself. The restaurant is smaller, only about a dozen tables, and at one point a happy birthday song at another table pretty much prevented conversation at our table. I understand MM will be moving in the next 6 months or so to a slightly larger building. Can't wait to try that. When we want delicious Italian, we will always think of Mama's Meatball.

Waiter Cosimo was wonderful , immediately sat us down at a nice table, had a great experience !

Food was good, delicious meatballs and sauce. Risotto was good. Spaghetti was okay. Lasagna had burnt edges but was fine. Service was mediocre at best. We had Luke as a server and wasn't very attentive. He waited like 20 minutes to give us little bread balls, after we specifically asked for it, said he 'forgot' too. Bread came out cold. As we were exiting the establishment all the other parties had a nice warm bowl of bread bites. Luke saw that all of my party was out of beverages and did NOT refill them. Ambiance was good, candles and flowers completed the Italian environment. But if you get Luke as a server.. . My friend says you should RUN.

First off, this place is hard to find if you're not from the area. The guy who helped me at the counter wasn't friendly. I ordered pasta with bolognese. It's not really bolognese. It's more like regular meat sauce. My favorite part was the tiramisu. It's $10 for a small piece but it was delicious.

Delicious food, wonderful service and adorable authentic restaurant! I can't wait to go back to try everything else on the menu!

It was pretty good. The margarita pizza was good but it was very thin. It was like a chip with a hint of sauce and cheese. The pasta was pretty good but the sauce was very heavy and thick. It was flavorful for sure but the sauce was a little too much. We also got the calamari and that was very good with a decent sized portion. Service was good but we only got one small bowl of the garlic knots and we had to ask for it. Overall it was pretty good but not the best out there.

Had the pleasure of dining here with my girlfriend. As soon as you walk in it feels like a trip to Italy the ambiance is tremendous. From start to finish, the customer service was absolutely outstanding. Damien went above and beyond to make sure we were well taken care of and made the experience great. On top of the amazing service, the food was incredible. Highly recommend Your Mama's Meatball to anyone in San Luis Obispo looking for great food and exceptional customer service.