Mama ‘n Papa’s Pizza Grotto

WE LOVEEEEE THIS PLACE! It is definitely our new go-​to! The eggplant parm is TO DIE FOR! And the house salad with a meatball=my fav! We’ve yet to have a server who wasn’t fantastic. I’d give 6 stars if I could!

Excellent service! Came here on a Saturday night with a party of probably close to 70 or more people. We had drinks, bread, salads, main dishes, checks all within a reasonable amount of time for a party this large. Kudos to the wait staff here. They can really hustle and keep their guests happy.
The food is also excellent. Can’t go wrong with Italian. The bread is amazing. Probably my favorite bread to get at a restaurant. I had the shrimp and linguini and it was very tasty but it was BIG! You could share it with 2 other people. (I still have a lot of it! Lol)
I heard their pizza is pretty amazing so I’ll be back for that soon! Also, their prices are very reasonable. Got out of there for $ 35 for two people including tax. Perfect!

This place is pretty good and extremely consistent, which is about all you can hope for in a restaurant. Also, it’s been a fixture in Vista for 100 000 years and hasn’t changed much. To be clear, you’re not getting 5-​star quality, but you’re also not paying 5-​star prices. I give them 4 stars because you know what you’re getting when you come here: consistently better than average with a few really good items.
Service has always been perfect. Friendly, quick service with a smile. Best items on the menu: Lasagna and the sausage. Don’t need to order them together, either. The sausage sub sandwich is fantastic! Everyone raves about the meatballs, but I think that’s because they’re somewhere between a baseball and a softball in size. Otherwise, they’re good but not fantastic.
Appetizers are good, drinks are large, staff is friendly, atmosphere is casual, food is better than average, and prices are reasonable. For Italian food, that’s hard to come by. I expect in 20 years, Mama and Papas will still be here and still selling the same food and it will still be as good as it is today!

Great food. I went to a birthday party there and the service was great. No vegan food yet though.

4-​stars but I am biased… Spaghetti has been my favorite food ever since I can remember. I ordered the combo with meat ravioli and lasagne, and the sauce was cooked down to a nice dark red. Yum. It came with french bread, and that was pillowy inside and lightly crispy outside.
The establishment is fairly large but still warm and cozy. Low lights and candles on the tables add to the ambience. The service was stellar… I like that they package up leftovers for me because I often miss the box and toss my food on the table. :-/​
The only thing I noticed that disappointed me was the amount of trash I generated… Paper napkins wrapped around the utensils and held closed with a piece of paper, paper lining the bread basket… individual creamers for my coffee, individual pats of butter for the bread.
Overall, I am quite pleased. I look forward to trying the spaghetti, sandwiches, and dessert.

Best dinner in a long time tonight, with the whole family. Appreciated the great service, and feeling comfortable visiting with my 97 yr old grandma down to my 2yr old nieces sharing multiple tasty pizza pies. It’s not not very often we don’t have to cook and it’s great to feel like we are at home while eating great food.

Been here a few times, had some of the pizzas and some of their combo plates. The parking lot is awful in the evenings, but the food is pretty good. Pretty large portions in the combo plates, and the pizzas are loaded with toppings. During the week they offer different specials depending on the day, so you might want to come on one of those days. They give you some bread and butter with your meals, so try not to fill up on it because the combo plate has quite a bit of food.
I like getting the lasagna and spaghetti combo. You get a huge chunk of lasagna, which is nice and loaded with cheese and topped with a tangy meat sauce, and a good serving of spaghetti, with the same meat sauce on top. What’s really nice is one of the toppings at the table, is the crushed red pepper flakes. Unlike most places where they have the normal shakers that get clogged with the seeds, this has either pulverized seeds, or a lot of the seeds removed. No clogging! Makes it so much easier to shake and not get a sudden flood of pepper.
This is a good place to come to eat with friends/​family, but probably not really a date night kind of place. The lighting is more on the dim side, but it can get fairly noisy in here and the sports games are usually playing on the tv.
All said, this place is good for repeat visits for the large portions of tasty food and pretty good appetizers (Sauteed mushrooms, calamari, or the fried zucchini.)

The food was great. I was craving ravioli and they satisfied my craving. The meatballs are big and they are not stingy with the sauce. I’d definitely make this a favorite of mine.

Been coming here for years. It’s not worth trying other Italian restaurants, because this one can’t be beaten. Thanks M&P for being here for so long.

I came here on a Tuesday night with my friend. The restaurant is really cute, it’s a mix between a cute pizza parlor along with a somewhat fancy Italian restaurant. We were started immediately and the staff seemed very competent, even with a few big tables, we never felt ignored or rushed.
I ordered the garlic cheese bread and the combination plate with the beef ravioli and lasagna. I was head over heals in love with it! The food was priced decently and that made it a better deal. Only reason why I am giving it 4 stars though is that my friend ordered the pizza. She thought it was just ok and thought it was kinda bland. But overall my food was delicious!

Delicious pasta dishes. I’ve had their ravioli, lasagna and spaghetti all with meat sauce, as well as the pizza. Very large portions and reasonable prices! You usually always need a Togo box. Very friendly, young staff and comforting feel inside the restaurant. Will continue to return for special family dinners.

I was really disappointed in this place! We waited forever for a table and the hostess seemed like she had no clue what she was doing. It seemed like she was too busy giving kids change for the games and literally using a security marker on one dollar bills. It was a little weird that she was wasting time on 1’s and 5’s. She looked very young and didn’t know how to handle customers. The severs got frustrated when she didn’t seat anyone after at least 6 or 7 tables left and all of us on the wait list were looking around like «ok, it’s time!»
I saw that the owner was in the kitchen which was really cool. I can always respect an owner who takes enough pride in his business to do the dirty work.
We ended up being seated on our date night next to a table with a loud group and kids running around screaming. We ordered a bottle of Cabernet and the waitress brought out a bottle of Chardonnay. She told us she didn’t really know the difference so we shook it off and just took the Chardonnay. The food finally came out and we were so over the experience that we barely ate and asked for a box to go. The leftovers weren’t bad the next day. If you’re looking for an Italian dinner with your significant other I would try somewhere else. If you are looking for a place to take the kids after a soccer game this might be a better option.

Cranky service. Lunch Lasagna wasn’t good, cheese wasn’t even melted, sauce smelled funny. I wouldn’t eat here again.

You know I debated on giving just four stars but when I factor in how reasonable they are, especially lunch, definitely 5 stars.
My first time there. I had the works pizza personal size but could have easily fed two, wife had the rigatoni which I also tried delicious. Bread, two salads, ice tea and a tall craft Ipa, all for under $ 30 including tip!
Highly recommend! !!

My husband and I have been coming to Mama ‘n Papa’s since they opened! We have our favorite table. We often take out of town guests or meet our friends here for dinner. We think it is the best italian food around! I love the Chicken Parmigana and my husband loves the spaghetti and meat balls… which are huge! The pizza is flavorful and love that as a take-​out. However… every dish is great and made to perfection. And I might add… the servings are very generous!
Thanks Fred and Charles for always being so courteous and friendly to us whenever we come in!

Mama n Papas is a great little dinner spot in vista. The food is great and the pricing is even better. You question a lot of their prices thinking it should be a bit more expensive. There’s plenty of tables in the restaurant so it’s unlikely to have a wait. There’s plenty of staff on hand and they’re extremely welcoming and friendly.
Meatball — Excellent; very tender and juice, oozing with flavor. Couple pinches too much of salt, but that’s what the pasta is for!
Garlic Bread — They give you bread with your entrees but the garlic bread is worth it. Cheesy, flavorful, and soft and melts in your mouth. Comes with marinara sauce.
Family Friendly environment.

I’ve had different pizza a million times over… I must say I have never had the gastronomical experience with pizza as I had here!
Pepperoni stacks and layers of cheese… This is an amazing pie and has kept me desiring to go back to San Diego just for this pizza!

The pizza here is pretty good. It does get kind of tough to chew after a while. But its a great fork and knife pizza. If you eat inside its very dark and retro. They should just turn on the lights. Smaller tvs if there is a sports game on.
They have a good family deal for 4. Pizza salad bread and spaghetti for like 25bucks… If your planning on getting pizza for a party would recommend somewhere else. If you have been to Filippis then keep going there. But mamas n paps does taste good.
There meatballs are pretty amazing. Ive been getting the meatballs to go which makes a good sandwhich and lunch for next day.
«Roadway to Unilocal elite»

Went here on Sunday for lunch because of the Unilocal reviews. I ordered the lasagna with a meatball and sausage. Boyfriend had the ravioli.
Both of us thought our food was OK at best. The sausage and meatball was tasty. Their red sauce was quiet good. But my lasagna was lukewarm and bland except for the sauce on top. Absolutely nothing special about it. I was very disappointed for $ 13.80. I’ve had much better lasagna for cheaper.
The ravioli was meh. Certainly didn’t seem homemade or worth the $ 11.
Hate that low red lighting. Personal preference.
Our waitress was super nice and attentive. The extra Unilocal star is mostly because of her.
Our food came fast, but I’m pretty sure that was because they had large trays and prepackaged ravioli sitting around they just heat up or keep warm.
Would never go back.

Casual atmosphere, but parking is tricky on the weekends.
Check the Pennysaver for coupons: $ 10.95 1 topping Large pizza to go; small cheese pizza, spaghetti, lasagna, salad, and bread for @$ 21; and the family deal (2 topping pizza, spaghetti, salad, and bread) for @$ 31.
Thin crust is an option but you have to ask.