Mamma Zu

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Mamma Zu's in Richmond is a two star Californian restaurant. This restaurant is mildly expensive. Upon entering the restaurant, you'll find a quiet atmosphere. This place features fine wines. Diners found the food amazing.

User Reviews of Mamma Zu

Yelp.com Review - by t v.

4.0 of 5 stars. A 4.5I like that Mamma Zu's serves excellent quality Italian food in a casual atmosphere right in my backyard. The place looks grungy inside and out, but I don't really mind. I prefer that over a fine...
yelp.com - user review - 09/26/2009
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Yelp.com Review - by Ruby R.

4.0 of 5 stars. this place is absolutely delicious, a totally comfortable atmosphere, and i don't know anyone who has ever had even a mediocre meal here. far and away, just amazing. absolute wonderful deliciousness...
yelp.com - user review - 08/04/2009
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Yelp.com Review - by Stella P.

4.0 of 5 stars. I am a big fan of this place and have been a number of times. My favorite restaurants are unseemly choices like this hole in the wall that comes alive once you enter. The service is bad and good all...
yelp.com - user review - 08/03/2009
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Yelp.com Review - by Susan F.

4.0 of 5 stars. Pretty decent food. You don't go here for the service. They can be a little harsh. Get here early as a line will form before they ever even open. Have all of your party with you when they open...
yelp.com - user review - 07/12/2009
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Yelp.com Review - by m b.

5.0 of 5 stars. Amazing. I have been here many times - my advice, get a group of 6 or 8 so you can get a reservation. If you go without a group, get on the list when you get there then order a bottle or wine & a...
yelp.com - user review - 04/10/2009
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Great food

I left Richmond 4 years ago and still dream about the food at Mamma Zu's. Get there early, go on a weeknight, take cash or an Amex card (although they may still take checks), and if you like fish, order...
citysearch.com - user review - 03/29/2009
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One of my favorite restaurants in Richmond

I'm surprised to see reviews by people who claim that the food at Mama Zu's is pricey and that you'd better bring cash. Mama Zu's offers HUGE plates of food at reasonable prices and some really excellent wines...
citysearch.com - user review - 02/16/2009
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Yelp.com Review - by Gina B.

4.0 of 5 stars. Recommended by a client...great lil restaurant with tasty eats. We had great service - didn't experience the attitude that other reviewers mentioned. I loved that we picked out our own bottle of...
yelp.com - user review - 01/12/2009
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Great food, but prepare to get in and get out!

The food is amazing! However last time we were there we ordered a bottle of wine, 2 apps, 2 entrees, 1 desert and coffee. We had been there for about 1.5 hours and the server asked us to hurry up!! I asked to...
citysearch.com - user review - 01/08/2009
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You Wouldn't Even Believe....

Other reviewers have discussed service. The few times I've been, I haven't had problems with the service. I've actually had very good service. GET THERE EARLY!!! It's only open on weekends starting at 5:30pm....
citysearch.com - user review - 01/03/2009
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SOOOO GOOOOD!

It may not be in the best part of town but it has a very cool atmosphere. Yes they staff doesn't kiss your butt but they get the job done. On the other hand, this is the !best! Most Authentic italian...
citysearch.com - user review - 12/20/2008
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Finally I left.

I never got to taste the food. We got there and signed up since all the tables (about 15 - 20 total) were full. I Swear nobody would leave. We waited about 30 minutes and people kept coming in and signing up...
citysearch.com - user review - 11/29/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Phil C.

3.0 of 5 stars. I'll preface this by saying that everything in this review is a comparison to Edo's Squid, Mamma Zu's sister restaurant and one of my favorites in Richmond. While this may be a high standard to hold...
yelp.com - user review - 11/22/2008
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Really nasty people

First, let it be said that, yes, the food is good. I don't care that it is kind of a dump. The location is inconvenient. All of this doesn't really matter. What matters is that the staff (especially the...
citysearch.com - user review - 11/19/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Ken L.

4.0 of 5 stars. I would have given it 5-stars except, as one reviewer stated, they do have an attitude issue. A couple of points: 1) No joke, I was scared to go in the restaurant. From the outside, the building looks...
yelp.com - user review - 11/10/2008
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so much fun!

The Zu is delicious. You won't be let down!
urbanspoon.com - user review - 11/09/2008
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Enjoy the knowledge that only locals know of...

Took my inlaws there and my mother-in-law said it best. "I went to an area I would never go to, through a door I would never enter, walked on a floor and sat at a table that I would never sit at, ......and...
citysearch.com - user review - 10/24/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Mos D.

5.0 of 5 stars. Hands down my favorite restaurant. I have been a chef for over 9 years and cooked all over the country. I've eaten the best Italian food from New York, Denver, San Diego, Seattle, and more. Mamma Zu...
yelp.com - user review - 09/26/2008
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Absolutely amazing food!

Yes, there can be a long wait; yes, the staff don't kiss your butt and pretend to like you; and yes, the food is incredible and authentic. The rockfish and eggplant Parmesan are to die for. The food is...
citysearch.com - user review - 09/21/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Michael L.

1.0 of 5 stars. They do have attitude problem. Their food is good but not that good. Edo squid which is their sister store is much better. Not saying it's got great service just a lot less arrogant than Mamma Zu....
yelp.com - user review - 09/15/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Ciara J.

5.0 of 5 stars. This really is hands down the best Italian restaurant in Virginia. Words cannot describe the food. Just go, and you will know! --However, as yelp describes it does not take all major credit cards;...
yelp.com - user review - 08/22/2008
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Mean, hateful and nasty staff

All I can say is that the guys that seats people is just plain old, mean, hateful and nasty. God forbid you live across the street and be a neighbor and you mistakenly take a cup full of cold water in the...
citysearch.com - user review - 08/18/2008
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I would eat a shoe before going here.

Rude Staff! Ed, your food isnt really all that. Your bus boy who was taking a list of names at the door is lucky I didnt sock him in his emenim looking head when he started mouthing off to me and my...
citysearch.com - user review - 08/17/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Jasmine T.

4.0 of 5 stars. Yay, Mamma Zu. I just love the way it sounds. Richmond's answer to Emmy's Spaghetti Shack. We first stopped off here at prime time dining hours and decided to skip the wait by going downtown for Thai....
yelp.com - user review - 07/15/2008
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Amazing Authentic Italian Food

Amazing authentic Italian food... as if it slid off a hill in a little town like La Spezia... you won't find linen table cloths or sunshine up yours service, but it's authentic. No chain lovers! A locals only...
citysearch.com - user review - 07/08/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Jessica Y.

3.0 of 5 stars. This restaurant was recommended by our client, so we figured we had to check it out as the locals always know best. We were warned it was a "hole in the wall" so we proceeded inside eventhough it was...
yelp.com - user review - 06/24/2008
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Best Italian food - take it from a Brooklyn Native not those other idiots who think Olive Garden is good.

I'm from Brooklyn and raised in Long Island, NY where there are amazing Italian restaurants on every corner. Take it from me, YOU NEED TO EAT HERE IF YOU LOVE GOOD ITALIAN FOOD. If cheerleader service and...
citysearch.com - user review - 06/14/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by julie t.

5.0 of 5 stars. Get here early! (Around 5:30 on weekends). This has been my number one dinner choice for years! I went to Italy a few years ago and Mamma Zu's is by far the best Italian food Ive ever had!...
yelp.com - user review - 04/13/2008
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Excellent food, a unique experience. Get there early.

I can sympathize with the reviewers that had a bad experience with the service, but that has not been the case in any of my visits. The place is what it is. It's not TGI McTuesdaygans. It's not Chez FooFoo. It...
citysearch.com - user review - 04/09/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Ron V.

5.0 of 5 stars. my favorite restaurant in Richmond. makes the 1 spot in my top 5.
yelp.com - user review - 03/25/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Jessica O.

5.0 of 5 stars. This place is amazing. Seriously. I visited on a recent trip from D.C., and I think I'd make the two hour drive just to eat here. The Arugula salad was AMAZING, the baked ricotta, also AMAZING....
yelp.com - user review - 02/20/2008
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Great food, AWFUL customer service

The customer service is awful. Let me just get that out of the way right now. We were going with a large party (7 people) and called to make reservations. The fellow taking our reservation was curt (bordering...
citysearch.com - user review - 01/28/2008
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Delicious!

I'm a picky Italian, from the northeast, and this place offers great Italian food! The atmosphere, wait, and service are all part of the experience...but if a "hole in the wall", long wait, slow service aren't...
citysearch.com - user review - 01/12/2008
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Don't even bother

I have been in Richmond for several years and have heard good reviews about this place. I finally got an opportunity to go for a friends final day at work party. OMG.... this place was a total dump. But I...
citysearch.com - user review - 10/18/2007
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In the top five of best food joints. Anywhere. Of any kind.

I've been to Mamma Zu's about twenty times, and sure, the service can be curt and the wait long, but let me tell you - it's worth it. This place rocks with a wonderful selection of fabulous dishes. A couple of...
citysearch.com - user review - 10/09/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Tor B.

5.0 of 5 stars. Having dined, cooked, and otherwise eaten my way through bella Italia, over years of time, I must say I KNOW good Italian food. That is to say, the "real" thing. (Definitely not Olive Garden.) Per...
yelp.com - user review - 10/06/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Melanie W.

5.0 of 5 stars. Best Italian in Richmond for sure and maybe the best Italian in the state. They ARE legendary for surly service, but in my experience that has translated into a staff that isn't outright friendly -...
yelp.com - user review - 09/02/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Heather H.

5.0 of 5 stars. I echo the sentiments of everyone else! Mamma Zu is so good! I almost always ordered their eggplant parmigiana and the arugula salad. The tiramisu is to die for. I love that they serve wine in little...
yelp.com - user review - 08/07/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Donna H.

5.0 of 5 stars. Ok, let me start off by saying that I live in New York and have never had italian food like this. Maybe I'm just not going to the right places or maybe they put crack rock in their sauce. I do not...
yelp.com - user review - 07/23/2007
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BEST ITALIAN...PERIOD. (Spoiler Alert)

Apologies to my sainted grandmother, but given the choice of a last meal as a condemned man, I would without hesitation, demand a final taste of Mamma 'Zu. I should say that I am a former employee (years...
citysearch.com - user review - 07/11/2007
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worst place

We were aware that Mama Zu's had horrible service. We wanted patiently for 1 1/2 hours even after being told it was only 45 minute wait. After confronting the hostess/manager we were told he called our name...
citysearch.com - user review - 05/19/2007
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Take it like you see it the reviews are pretty much right.

If you show up when everyone else shows up to eat, YOU WILL WAIT. If you are there while everyone else is eating, there are 3 servers and 30 tables, DONT EXPECT TOP NOTCH SERVICE. Other times, its great...
citysearch.com - user review - 03/29/2007
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Poor service - average food

Had my first and last meal at Mamma Zu's for lunch in mid-Jan of 07. Due to the size of our party (6) we had to order family style meals rather than individual. The hostess was female, rude and appearred to...
citysearch.com - user review - 01/18/2007
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A GASTRONOMIC ADVENTURE!

Aw, come on! Mamma Zu's is by far the best Italian food in the Richmond area! Consider the neighborhood...a funky mix of professionals, students and what's left of the one-time blue collar neighborhood. The...
citysearch.com - user review - 08/25/2006
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Get there Early!

No waiting if your there early. The food was delicious and the wait staff was cordial. I enjoyed everything.. and the wine selection was great.
citysearch.com - user review - 05/23/2006
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Mamma Zu's is the BEST

I chuckled as I read some of the reviews. For those that know good food and want to step into an atmosphere where you are an active participant, Mamma Zu's is the only place in town! Love the place, love the...
citysearch.com - user review - 08/21/2005
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Better than eating in Italy!

You have to be a gracious Southerner to fully enjoy Momma Zu's. I have friends that will no longer step foot inside any of Eddie's restaurants because they feel the service is too caustic. Their loss! I've...
citysearch.com - user review - 06/15/2005
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Great Food

Not on the main road, back in the neighborhood of Oregon Hill. The location might not be the best, but the food is amazing. They are always packed, so plan on a wait, but the food is worth it. The staff is...
citysearch.com - user review - 05/31/2004
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well.zu.you.too

our FIRST choice 2 eat great food& spend precious time & food dollars together w/out the kids.(bring them sometimes,love glass soda bottles)we have consistently enjoyable"people/food watching"nights (the wait...
citysearch.com - user review - 07/02/2003
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No Visa No Mastercard, only cash

Come on guys, no visa or M/C, just cash, check or Amex. Notification of this by our waitress at the end of the meal was a major let down. She seemed to enjoy the inconvenience it caused our party. The seats...
citysearch.com - user review - 05/06/2003
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themammazuexperience

Mamma Zu's has the best Italian food in Richmond. The service is less than desirable. The wait to be seated is unbearable. The service is even less desirable. If you can survive the initial presentation, you...
citysearch.com - user review - 12/05/2002
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food-yes...all else...NO

Terrific Italian food. Waited 2.5 (YES 2.5) hours to be seated...had been told 1.5--came expecting that having been here before. Seated others that came in later before us who'd been waiting...very...
citysearch.com - user review - 11/30/2002
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Quaint

Thought the food was excellent. Atmosphere not much to look at. Crowded.
citysearch.com - user review - 11/27/2002
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Don't Believe the Hype

had heard alot of good things about mamma zu, sorry to say that my experience was not that great. our server recommended the tuna steak, we ordered it rare, it came out mid-well and was medallions of tuna, not...
citysearch.com - user review - 10/12/2002
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Good food or pretentiousness?

When I eat out the priority is on good food, not on service or appearance. Mamma Zu's has good food and for a very affordable price! Their dishes are unique in a town full of the same...
citysearch.com - user review - 09/30/2002
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CASUAL and INCREDIBLE

There are many types of restaurants...locals only types, chains, overpriced & stuffy... this is one of the best CASUAL restaurants in Richmond... I have to eat there and the North Pole EVERYTIME I'm in town...
citysearch.com - user review - 08/27/2002
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Pleasantly Surprised

I had heard that you go to Mamma Zu's for the food and not the service. We went late on a Thursday evening and had no problem getting a table. The service was very attentive and the food out of this world. I...
citysearch.com - user review - 08/21/2002
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10Best

this unpretentious eatery is universally considered one of richmondis best italian restaurants. legendary among richmond natives for its long waits, chalkboard menu and no-frills service. do not let the...
10best.com - user review
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AOL CityGuide

outstanding italian in an non-traditional space...
cityguide.aol.com - user review
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IgoUgo

those in the know, and the serious food connoisseurs, converge on this lively local favorite that has won awards for its authentic italian cuisine...
igougo.com - user review
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