My girlfriend and I have lived in Richmond going on two years now. We have yet to find a high quality Italian restaurant. We've tried Joe's Inn and Sidewalk Cafe (not strictly Italian or Greek), Chianti Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, and Mary Angela's off the top of my head. All of those restaurants are solid but nothing to write home about. I had heard by both word of mouth and praise over the internet that Mamma Zu's was superb. Last Friday we gave it a try. We will not be going back.\r
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First, you will read a lot of reviews praising the fact that it is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, very typical to Carytown. It is. With most small Carytown restaurants, there is a substantial wait, around 20-30 minutes. Of course, it was a Friday so we expected to wait. \r
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The atmosphere attempts to be reminiscent of a European restaurant. It fails miserably. It is very difficult to be homey and quaint, when there are 10-20 people standing around in the middle of the restaurant. \r
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Mamma Zu's tries so hard to be similar to a European restaurant that its menu can be found on a blackboard above the bar. A litany of Italian dishes, foreign to most Americans, are listed with absolutely no explanation. Oddly, you won't even find that in Italy! \r
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The following is a WARNING to all: Mamma Zu's only accept cash, personal checks, and American Express. Simply put, it does not accept Visa or Mastercard. \r
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The food: unique and quality. I have no real complaints about the food, but you can find similar quality elsewhere without the hassle. \r
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My summary of Mamma Zu's: A Carytown bar/restaurant trying to distinguish itself from the rest and succeeding; however, this distinction is no honor.\r
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My recommendation: Instead of making a trip to Mamma Zu's, try Athens Tavern, a Greek restaurant hidden across the street from Starbucks in Carytown. The food is amazing! The restaurant is spacious enough not to overcrowd in the same extent as Mamma Zu's. AND although it has a blackboard menu for specials (coupled with its normal menu), the wait staff impecably and tirelessly describes all the dishes without complaint. \r
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In addition, try Bistro 27, a French restaurant closer to downtown Richmond. It is spacious and the food matches and EXCEEDS anything Mamma Zu's has to offer.
Pros: good food, unique Italian
Cons: does not accept credit cards, long wait, little expensive
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