Enjoy Delicious Italian Fare in a Cozy Atmosphere at Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano

There's a hidden gem of a restaurant at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The place is Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano and if you love good food, really love good Italian food, and you haven't yet tried Mama Melrose's, you're missing out.

Mama Melrose's at Disney's Hollywood Studios

As with many Walt Disney World restaurants, there's a backstory to Mama Melrose's. As the story goes, Mama came to Hollywood with dreams of making it big as an actress. As she struggled to make it big, she spent time cooking for her friends and discovered her real talent was in the kitchen! And so, the Ristorante Italiano was born!

The decor of the restaurant could be described as kitschy and eclectic. It combines old world Italy with Hollywood glamour: think Italy meets California. It seems odd but it works here! When you visit be sure to check out the wall of 1980s-era "stars."

Fun and cozy seating area at Mama Melrose's

The walls of the dining area are covered with vinyl records, movie posters, Italian flags, old photos, and vines with twinkling lights. Like we said, it's a bit kitschy and goofy.

But enough about the atmosphere, let's talk about the food! All the sauces and dressings at Mama Melrose's are made from scratch, in-house. Nothing in the kitchen is pre-made so you're guaranteed that it's fresh!

The bar menu features Disney standards and some Mama specialties including Mama's Margarita, a Bellini Cocktail, and an Italian Surfer. There's also a nice list of red and white wines available by the glass and the bottle.

Mama's Margarita at Mama Melrose's

Appetizers include calamari and several salads including Caesar, mixed greens, and a fresh mozzarella and tomato salad. Newer appetizer choices include Seared Fennel Crusted Tuna and Oak-fired Mussels.

The entree menu features about a dozen items including the popular charred strip steak with five cheese macaroni, chicken parmigiana, penne alla vodka with chicken or shrimp, and a fish of the day.

Oak-fired mussels on the appetizer menu

Kids can choose from cheese pizza, chicken parmigiana, and spaghetti or penne with meatballs. And of course the kid's dessert is the almost-world-famous Spaghetti and Meatballs Cupcake, which isn't really made of spaghetti or meatballs.

The spaghetti and meatball cupcake

There's a lot to love about Mama Melrose's from the fun atmosphere of the dining room to the delicious, made-fresh menu items. It's one place that we always add to our "must eat at" list when planning our next Disney vacation.

Mama Melrose's is open daily for lunch and dinner at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Advance Dining Reservations are recommended.

Do you make a stop at Mama Melrose's when you're at Disney's Hollywood Studios? What do you love about the restaurant? Let us know in the comments!

Many thanks to the Disney Food Blog for use of their photos.