When they had one restaurant in Rockville, this place was tops. It was always packed and for good reason. The food was good (especially the pizza), and the service was friendly and efficient. On my most recent visit to Bethesda I found Mama Lucia seriously in trouble and on it's way down. They have several restaurants now and it's obvious they've lost control. The service was slow, the kitchen was slow (and it wasn't a busy night at all), the pizza was chewy and salty, and one of the pasta dishes was completely inedible. The manager was friendly and tried, but it was clear he was powerless to do much. To add insult to injury, every ML location now has a "TV" installed which is a running billboard. Imagine having to be subjected to annoying electronic advertising while going out to eat! It's an outrage, and an indication of how out of touch the owners are with what's going on in their many locations. If they focused on the food and service they wouldn't have to resort to gimics to support the bottom line. I'm sorry to see what used to be a great place fall off the radar.

I have been going here for Pizza ( all kinds ) for around 9 years - it is ALWAYS great! I have a few places in town where I go for pizza but if I'm having family and friends over it IS THE PLACE to go for a sure thing that is so tastey and just like NYC! The chef is an artist and while I wait I see them cook great dishes of all kinds from scratch! I have even picked up some cooking tips I bring home. Parking garage just next store (cheap) and a very big dinning room. People are always in there eating and having a ball. The garlic bread balls are a wonderful find to bring home too! Very friendly good service to boot!

We were visiting the area and were looking for a decent Italian place when we stumbled upon Mamma Lucia's. I have to say, what they lack in atmosphere they more than make up for it in their food and service. Our waiter, Kevin, was extremely attentive and very knowledgeable about the menu. He was spot on with his recommendations.

We started with the arancini and thought that they were adequate for the price even though they were not quite as advertised. I felt they needed a little more mozzarella and meat stuffing as these were seriously lacking. The entries came with a decent salad and the bread and dipping sauce was very good

For the entrees, my wife has the eggplant/seafood rolls covered in melted mozzarella and vodka sauce. The is actually an appetizer, but with a small side of pasta it could easily be an entree. The eggplant was cooked perfectly and the seafood stuffing was quite ample and together it all made for a very tasty dish. I has the pumpkin ravioli alla affunicate. The ravioli was cooked perfectly with just the right amount of sweetness from the pumpkin. The sauce was loaded with crabmeat and it a also had 6 large shrimp. The portion was ample and I was very satisfied when I has finished. I would visit Mamma Lucia's again.

I'm Italian, and this was by far one of the best Italian restaurants I've ever eaten at. The sauce and pasta was fantastic. My friend ordered Pizza and it was also one of the best I've ever eaten. The service was impeccable. Great ambiance. I will definitely return again on my next visit to the Washington area.