Mama Nina's, Bethlehem PA

This place is really bad. My family and I waited an hour for food that was not fresh in the least bit. The calamari was chewy and soggy, my niece ordered spaghetti and meatballs. The meatballs tasted like nothing but heavy Italian seasoning and the pasta was sitting in water in the bowl. Caesar salad was drenched in bottled dressing and the “grilled chicken” on top was definitely from a bag of precooked chicken strips, they were not seasoned at all. Pretty sure they were microwaved and thrown on top of the salad. Best of all, and I really couldn’t believe this… I ordered penne with butter and cheese for my son and the “butter” was some sort of butter flavored oil spread. Tasted exactly like I can’t believe it’s not butter. It was awful. Considering the prices, this place must be making a killing because they certainly aren’t spending their money on fresh meat or produce. Disgraceful. PS the bathrooms are also gross and there was a thick layer of dust on the bathroom surfaces. Ugh

The kids menu [no printed] isn't really kid friendly
. Not a place for small children. No small cups/glasses for kids, either [we had two spills with a 4 and 6 year old. ]
My food, while tasty, was literally a SOUP of sauce. No pizza- be forwarned. Out waiter was indifferent.think he really didnt want to be there. I think this place wants to be upscale Italian but misses the mark.
Garlic bread was super tasty.

Disappointing. Mediocre Italian food. Hot and crowded. Even with reservations our party of 6 was stuffed into a corner table for 4.

I came here with my family and it was very busy, but our service was still good. It seems like a family run establishment, which I love to see and support. My chicken parm was pretty good, but my wife’s lemon chicken pasta was severely lacking flavor. They also let you know there is a fee for sharing plates, which I have never heard of before, but I’m sure there is a reason to it for the servers/owner. Overall great location, decent food and good experience.

Food was okay to poor. Was served badly burnt sausage that should have never been plated. Service was prompt, but staff was unwelcoming, confrontational, and cold. Regret eating here with my family and will not be returning.

The food was so fresh and delicious!
The garlic knots and calamari were so good! Our meals were amazing! I would have had dessert but was full. Large portions so if you come hungry you will leave happy and satisfied!

Once again a fabulous dinner, super tasty dishes, attentive and courteous service, and a great atmosphere. Nice place for dinner both street side during the warmer weather or indoors.

Went New Year's Eve food was amazing I'd clams and linguine which is great my wife had chicken parmesan she loved it definitely go back again

Very busy and small. Food was warm not hot. Only thing hot was the cheese they melted on the ziti. Garlic rolls are great. Our waitress was not that nice. Didnt come back to ask how the food was or if we needed anything. It was our first time there.

We were at Mama Nina's around Christmas last year and loved the food and friendliness of the staff so much, we had to come back this year. Once again, our experience was wonderful. Maybe next year we'll remember to bring a bottle of wine and be able to score the window table by being there when this great little restaurant opens for dinner.

So we have passed this restaurant several times and talked about trying it out. We decided to go there for my husband's birthday. Very very disappointed! To start. It is over priced for mediocre food. We spent $52.00 for 2 eggplant dishes with pasta, more pasta than eggplant, and shared a salad since salad is NOT included. There is a charge for refill of drink. We are vegetarian, Eggplant and pasta are cheap items to make.way over priced! Then there is a credit card fee which is not told to you. The taste of our food was mediocre.no one asked if we wanted grated cheese.no spices to put on top.nothing! The sauce was not tasteful at all. We were first put in a booth, which was very uncomfortable because there was not enough room between you and the table. We asked to move to a table. We also noticed another party of 3 asked to be moved to a table also since the booth was uncomfortable. The tables are small so if there are more than two people you will feel very restricted when eating. Needless to say we will not go back. Also wanted to add that the menu is much different than on the website, very scaled down. The waitress was not very friendly and I reflected that in her tip.

As a food critic, specializing in Italian cuisine from Northern NJ, I can say, For what it is, I've had better quality pasta in pizzarias.
The pasta was Very dense, lacked seasoning.
I ordered seafood pasta with red sauce.
When making this dish, it is Very important to layer the fish in order of how they cook. Seems everything, scallops, shrimp, mussels and clams were thrown in at the same time. Problem with that is, they all cook at different rates.
The shrimp were perfectly cooked, but the clams and mussels were way Overcooked. Scallops were a little under cooked.
Arancini, (Rice Balls), wrong kind if rice. These are supposed to be made wit Arborio Rice. They were made with a long grain white rice. The reason for this is Arborio Rice is a shorter grain and contains more starch, allowing them to say together. These, fell apart. The meat inside lacked seasoning, though the peas were the perfect texture. Also, when serving Aracini, Never put the sauce on top, this makes the hard earned crunch from the fry, turn into mush. Always plate the sauce either underneath or on the side.
As to the starter "garlic knots", the garlic should be sauteed slightly before adding to the top of the knots. One other problem, Easy on the oil! I bit into one and oil squeezed out excessively.
The bottom of the serving bowl should not have oil an inch deep in the bottom.
As to the atmosphere, it was ok.a bit dated to 1980's type Sicilian decor.
Eliminate at least one table. Too many tables for such a small space.
Let's now talk price.
This is definitely a problem.
Far too pricey for what you're being served.
Those prices belong in a fine dining establishment and given the clientele, the anything goes apparel, just doesn't support that notion.
Final thoughts, The place has potential. It needs updated atmosphere, some serious rethinking of whether it's fine dining or casual and the recipes need a major overhaul.
Yet again, proof positive, that just because a place is crowded, doesn't mean it's good.
This seems to be a recurring theme here in Pennsylvania, the people here, just don't know what Authntic Italian food, truly is.

My teenage daughter and I stayed at the Bethlehem Hotel Thanksgiving weekend and ordered takeout from Mama Nina. The fried calamari was the worst I’ve ever eaten in my life. I can’t believe it came from an Italian restaurant. It tasted more like airplane food. I ordered the food over the phone and used a debit card to avoid the 3 percent surcharge. I gave my daughter a few dollars to tip when she went to pick up the food. When she returned with the bill, I realized the restaurant added over $10 to the bill as a tip. They also kept the cash my daughter gave them. Why is there a $10 tip imposed on a takeout order for food that cost less than $40? Dishonest and poor food.

Do yourself a favor and STAY AWAY.last year for my mom's birthday dinner, i made a reservation here for 6pm.arrived at 5: 50 and not a single table looked like they were ready to get up.meanwhile, the restaurant is so TINY, there is no where to stand and wait so we had to wait outside in the freezing cold with my 90 year old grandfather.maybe 6: 30 ish, we finally get seated and we were told we would have to split up our group and sit at two separate tables (we should've just left at this point) so reluctantly, we agree and split up our party.we were seated at the table right next to the door and had to be hit with cold air every 30 seconds when someone opened the door. Now onto the food, the food was BELOW AVERAGE and the cherry on top was when we received the bill and we were charged for our waters! Like in what world do restaurants charge for waters? !? !? Horrible horrible experience, obviously I will never be returning here.this place is a joke, as is the "manager".

Stopped by here for a business meeting, Food was delicious reminded me of old school grandma's cooking from NYC which I was pleasantly surprised to find in PA! It's hard to find such exceptional restaurants that match that old style flavor that I miss! Definitely recommend Mama Nina's to everyone especially those missing that old style tastes we loved when we were kids from Grandma! Service was pleasant and atmosphere was welcoming as well for any occasion be it business or bringing the family to enjoy, Definitely looking forward to returning soon to enjoy some more dishes from them! I apologize for the empty plate pic the garlic bread was so delicious it was quickly devoured by everyone so quickly before I was able to take a pic of it! Lol

If you go here, get whatever dish is served with the vodka sauce. We had the lobster ravioli, which was phenomenal. It's been awhile since I've last been, but also remember it's BYOB as we forgot and were limited to 1 glass of the house wine. The veal parm was mediocre, and the restaurant has too many tables inside (probably a function of no liquor license and needing to turn more tables to be profitable). Overall a consistent Mama Nina's experience. Will be back.

Believe me when I say I lovee Italian food and I thought this place was one of my favorites until today. This is prob my second time leaving a review but it has to be done. My first experience here I was a little unaware of how my friends and I got treated. We were enjoying our food late in the evening when it seemed like the waiter wanted us to leave so quickly. We hadn't even been there for 15 mins and he was already offering boxes to go and the bill. When we left all my friends were complaining about how rude that had seemed to them. My second visit went better than the first but the more I go the more I realize how overpriced everything is. My third and perhaps last visit had again rude service. The waitress didn't bring the garlic bread until 5 mins after getting our entrees and just threw it on the table. She kept going to the table behind us to ask them if they needed anything but never came to my table and I had to holler at her to ask for more water. 10 mins later she shoved some to go boxes on my hand and I was still eating. I felt rushed and have read other reviews so it definitely isn't just a me experience. I wouldn't want to assume it's from discrimination for either race or wealth but whatever it is has me thinking I won't be coming back sadly. Another warning I've seen from the other reviews is that there is a 3.5% fee for using credit card. I never noticed this but now I know. It's better to pay in cash. The website is deceiving! I was going to get my friends to come here for a cappuccino or for the lunch menu that has way better and affordable prices but no the website is fake and outdated! Why such good food for such bad experiences. I've had enough of this place. Change and do better.