Review: Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano Is a Slice of Cozy in Hollywood Studios

Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano can be found on Grand Avenue in Hollywood Studios, tucked away in a corner just down the street from the Muppets. As you might guess from the name, the cuisine is Italian; mostly traditional with a modern touch here and there. Our parks team recently visited for a meal; read on to see what they thought!

Appetizers range from $8-14, entrees from $19-36, and desserts from $6.75-11. A full three-course meal will run you about $45-55, not including drinks and gratuities. Or, if you’re using the Disney Dining Plan, the meal is a single credit in 2024 and 2025. A Fantasmic! Dining Package is currently $56 for adults and $23 for kids (ages 3-9); the package includes an appetizer or dessert plus entree and non-alcoholic beverage along with a guaranteed seat for Fantasmic!

The decor leans heavily into the “family neighborhood pizza-pasteria” vibe, with red and green checked curtains, warm wood, bare tabletops, and a bit of dress-up on the ceiling because you put on your fancy clothes and went out with your honey on your weekly date night. It’s a little bit old-fashioned kitsch (what would be shmaltz in a Jewish setting) and a big dose of friendly and familiar.

Mama Melrose is open for lunch and dinner every day, and serves the same menu throughout. We always recommend booking at the start of your 60-day reservation window if your plans are firm, especially if you have a larger group. But if you didn’t, reservations for Mama Melrose are often available just 1-2 days out, and the Walk-Up Waitlist is often seating tables as well. As an in-park restaurant, dress is casual (date night notwithstanding); whatever you’re touring in will be fine for your meal.

Appetizers

Mushroom, Artichoke, Cheese Dip – $14.00
Goat Cheese, Tomatoes, Toasted Crostini

This was a huge hit; the goat cheese wasn’t too strong, but helped form a lovely crust on the dish. The artichoke and mushroom were mild and tasty. The team would be happy to order this again on another trip.

Fried Mozzarella Sticks – $15.00
Marinara Sauce, Lemon Aïoli

A stack of fried cheese and dipping sauces is heaven for the palate of a 6-year old. Or an adult, with a 6-year old’s palate. All ages were overjoyed with this down to the last crumb, but we thought the marinara was a better partner than the lemon aioli. Let’s be clear, the lemon aioli was good … just not so much with the fried cheese combo.

Entrees

Prosciutto and Honey Pizza – $22.00
Parmesan, Ham, Red Chili Flakes

The hot honey pizza is a bit of a modern take (OK, it isn’t actually the honey that’s hot here, but with the red chili flakes it’s kind of the same thing). The flavors from the cheese and the honey were good and the crust nice and crispy, but we wished they had stuck to prosciutto alone. We get that it’s more costly and adding ham makes the dish look more robust, but prosciutto plus parmesan plus ham equals a salt lick.

Rigatoni Bolognese – $26.00
Ground Beef, Italian Sausage, Parmesan

Bolognese might not be the most glamorous dish, but is there anything more classic? The problem with classics is, you’d better get them right — and this was. Simple, hearty, and tasty, we give it a big thumbs up.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimp – $32.00
Pasta, Cheese Sauce, Fresh Basil

The sauce was a high point, creamy and cheesy and salty and delicious. The shrimp were nicely done. But our pasta was overcooked and mushy, well past al dente. It might be a myth that overcooked pasta sticks to the wall, but in this case we’d believe it.

Desserts

Mini Cannoli Trio – $11.00
Orange Cream, Caramel-Butterscotch, and Traditional Cannoli with Chocolate Chips garnished with Chocolate Sauce and Powdered Sugar

Have you eaten a supermarket cannoli? Then you’ve had this dish. It was fine, but it was not amazing. You can do better. A lot better.

Goat Cheese Mousse Tart – $10.00
Topped with Honeycomb and an Edible Flower served with Blackberries and a Cassis Compote

Goat cheese is well-represented on this menu, and the goat is strong with this one. If you enjoy goat cheese, you’ll find that the texture is creamy, almost like a yogurt, and the honeycomb and cassis add some sweetness for balance. You’ll probably think it’s interesting, unique, and delicious. If you don’t enjoy goat cheese, you will not enjoy this dessert.

Pasticciotti Cream Tart – $10.00
House-made Tart with Pastry Cream and Frangipane dusted with Powdered Sugar served with an Amarena Cherry Compote

Yes, we saved the best for last. This is the most perfect, rustic-looking-but-secretly-sophisticated multi-textured joy we have seen on a plate in a long time. We are starting a campaign to put this at an EPCOT Festival booth so we can order this dish – and just this dish – again and again and again. Available with Mobile Order would also be acceptable. Do we know who created this? No. Are they pastry geniuses? Yes.

Wrapping Up

A few items were a little more miss than hit, but overall this was a pretty good meal. It definitely wasn’t super-fancy; most items are things you can get in other restaurants, probably even ones in your hometown. If you’re looking for a Table Service meal to be a highlight of your vacation then this probably won’t be it. But if you’re looking for a nice meal of Italian standards that will get you off your feet for a bit and let you soak up some air conditioning, Mama Melrose’s will meet your needs admirably.

Have you dined at Mama Melrose’s recently? What did you think? Let us know in the comments!