Was visiting area stay at the Embassy Suites(a dump) and looking for a decent place to take the family. Other reviews sounded good and so we tried. The place is very small with a dark romantic restaurant feel. Blazing hot inside despite A/C wall unit so wanted something light, not hot, heavy food. Tried a chicken Caesar salad and pizza. Both were horrible. The chicken in the salad tasted like it came out of a can, the dressing was garlic and mayo and the cheese on the pizza is that fake cheese that you find on low end pizzas that completely ruins the taste and the thin crust was cracker thin and tasteless. Others had pasta dishes and seemed happy with them. We did not try the dishes mentioned by other reviewers who liked this place so can’t speak to those but would say avoid pizza and salads and hot days.
Sharon R.
Place rating: 1 Lake in the Hills, IL
I’m utterly shocked at the rating this place has. It’s much too high. From the outside the place looks like a run down shack. Upon entering the establishment it’s so dimly lit that I wondered what they were hiding. It turns out they were hiding how gross the pizza is. I like Chicago style pizza so this was just way too different. The cheese seems like chemical cheese(like velveeta) because of how it spread when melted. It also tasted like fake chemical nacho cheese except more provolone-y. My daughter had the toasted ravioli kids meal and the dipping sauce tasted like chef boyardee sauce. I was also disappointed that they didn’t offer anything other than pop for kids to drink. One plus is that we rolled on at 6:30pm on a Friday with 14 people. This does not outweigh the quality of the food.
Nick G.
Place rating: 5 St John, Saint Louis, MO
There is always a great dinner waiting for you at Massa’s. Make sure not to pass on their garlic cheese bread, and their broccoli cheese filet is one that will make you return quickly. My dads favorite is the jacks pizza, but I’ve tried them all and was not disappointed.
Brad n.
Place rating: 5 Aurora, CO
OMG!!! Perfect little hidden gem. A locals hot spot for Italian. If in the area this is a must. Staying at Crowne Plaza(cross the street), and referred by our shuttle driver. The place is busy, service is top notch, and the Beef Pepe was so good. Glad I came. Enjoyed the service, atmosphere, and the overall experience. Come in now!
Ravi L.
Place rating: 5 Saint Charles, MO
This is one of the two best Italian restaurants in Stl. Hands down. Chef Twan is the best pasta chef in the area. This is definitely a must visit spot for those that love authentic Italian.
Derek T.
Place rating: 5 Sunrise Beach, MO
This a classic, dark, almost«speak-easy» restaurant, perfect for a great dinner for 2 or 10. Small, cozy, it just makes you want to relax and enjoy. Wife and I enjoyed their classic Italian salad — fresh, crisp greens and veggies — with their house Italian dressing. She had the Modiga — perfectly cooked tenderloin medallions in a traditional sauce, and loved it. I had the Bleu Medallions, again cooked to the perfect rare I requested. A tad too much blue cheese for me, but it was easily left on the plate for each bite of steak.(Later consumed on their bread). The surprise of the night was the broccoli– could NOT have been more perfectly cooked, and the garlic-butter was awesome. The bartender knows what he’s doing, the wine list is short but well balanced — this is now my go-to place in the Lambert airport area.
Cesar L.
Place rating: 5 Doral, FL
First time here, previous reviews although not bad in nature of ratings, they don’t pain a clear picture on this place, so I decided to give them a shot. The décor no doubt is from a movie, not that it was inappropriate, but it is dark inside, lights kept at a low setting and the red blackout curtains certainly add to this place. One person in my group visited this place 20 years ago and stated the setting/décor has not changed a bit. I ordered the stuffed portabella mushrooms as appetizer. They were phenomenal; soft, creamy and the seafood stuffing was well cooked, delicious and with plenty of flavor. I also ordered the Tutta Mare; pasta on white sauce with plenty, PLENTY of seafood including shrimps, scallops, clams and
Toni L.
Place rating: 1 Saint Louis, MO
Go early! went here twice once at 830 p and the other at 9 pm. They were closing even they say they r open till 11 wouldnt wait on us. we r local and wont go back. too many other places to go to
Angie S.
Place rating: 5 Edmundson, MO
This is one of our very favorite places to go despite the odd ambience of the place. It is a dark and tiny restaurant which can get chaotically busy at times, but that is testament to how amazing the food is. Their owner is a hoot, & a lot of the staff has been there for 20 plus years. My two favorite meals in the world are the beef Pepe and the Cajun pasta. They are both so phenomenal I have a very hard time deciding. The stuffed mushroom appetizer is fantastic as well as their salads and cheese garlic bread. You really can’t go wrong here with whatever you decide. There are several other locations, but even though it is tiny and can be very hard to find if you are not local, this is the original Massa’s, and by far the best!
Ashley B.
Place rating: 4 Butler, MO
Food was great. Thoroughly enjoyed the avocado dip. My husband likes spicy things so he tried the Cajun Shrimp Pasta while I had the Alfredo. Both were really good. Only reason I didn’t give this five stars was because the staff was fairly loud and the building a little run down. Even while the staff was in the kitchen we could hear their conversations plain as day. And do I want to look at the cleaning cart my entire dinner? No. Waitress was very polite and attentive and drinks were good as well. If all you care about is the taste of the food, definitely try Massas out. But if you are wanting good/nicer atmosphere, somewhere else would probably suit you better.
Michael J.
Place rating: 1 Harrisburg, PA
The silverware(which was missing until I snagged some from another table) was dirty. Hard to tell, though, since the place is dimly lit so give yours a good look if you go. The Cesar salad I got was swimming in dressing. I ordered a pizza and while the crust was very good, I swear there was cheese whiz on it. My business partner had a pasta dish that looked better than my pizza and I wished I had gotten it instead. Not horrible, but enough about it that I didn’t like that I probably won’t go back.
Jim J.
Place rating: 5 Tinley Park, IL
This place is the bomb!!! Very old school but great food, especially if you like provel cheese and I do. Had the garlic cheese bread which is six huge slices of bread with a ton of melted provel cheese on top. The house salad which is six dollars for a small or a two dollar up charge with a dinner is awesome. Lots of salami, cheese and a hot pepper or two. The pasta dishes are great, especially the baked dishes. Pizza looked great and many people ordered it. Next time for me. I have stayed near the airport for business many times over the past ten years and have never come here. I should have come sooner, it is great.
Delbert H.
Place rating: 4 Saint Louis, MO
Wow guys this a small little gem for a guy to take his lady. For a quite romantic candle lite dinner that will not break your wallet. And the great choice of food. Will make you lady enjoy the evening with you. I been using this place for over 15 years.
Mark L.
Place rating: 5 Valrico, FL
I was here from Nashville for business and the Embassy Suites staff recommend this restaurant. The hotel shuttle dropped me off and picked me up.(very convenient) The service was good and the food was great! I will stop in again when I’m in town. The only thing I would say is, if you like bright places, this isn’t it. It has a dim atmosphere. Very relaxing.
Hunter A.
Place rating: 5 New York, NY
HANDSDOWNTHEBESTITALIANFOOD! For the price and the quality you can’t beat it! The pastas are incredible! Antwan is the best pasta chef this side of the Mississippi! I will be coming here on every layover I get in STL. Do yourself a favor and come to Massa’s!
Tamara P.
Place rating: 5 Nashville, TN
We stumbled upon this place when our flight was canceled and we had to spend the night in St. Louis. I think it must have been divine intervention, because Massa’s is heaven on earth. You cannot beat this hole in the wall Italian place. Fabulous, delicious, affordable dishes that we couldn’t finish. We all agreed that, if we were going to our houses, instead of a hotel, we would definitely taken the leftovers with us. We had drinks, appetizers and entrees for four hungry diners, for $ 125. Absolutely love Massa’s. It’s dark, noisy and wonderful. About 16 tables and a full bar in the back. You have to try it.
Jason W.
Place rating: 4 Downtown, Saint Louis, MO
Awesome food. My wife didn’t like the Chicken Marsala but the atmosphere and service made up for that. Good place to go on a date with the dim lighting and all. Wine was good too and decently priced.
Kendra R.
Place rating: 5 Saint Louis, MO
I absolutely love this place, i have been going for a few years now… great food great service and great drinks.
Terri L.
Place rating: 5 Bridgeton, MO
Awesome food! Pizza is excellent, similar to Imo’s style but much better. Cheaper also. Cheese garlic bread melts in your mouth and is oh-so gooey. So good! We have had other entrees besides pizza, but it has been a long time and I can’t remember exactly what we ordered, just recall it was chicken for me and pasta for the hubby. I can say we never had anything we did not like.
Ken B.
Place rating: 4 Glencoe, MO
I dined there on a Monday night @ approximately 6:30pm. The place was roughly 30% full. The service was nice and quick. I had the Alfredo and a salad. The salad was very good, maybe a bit too much cheese. Their house dressing is very good. The pasta was cooked well and the sauce was exceptional. No too salty like some Alfredo’s can be. I’ll go back.
