As you take a stroll past the ABC Commissary and make your way towards the much-anticipated Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, you’ll find a quaint little area called Grand Avenue. This land is home to what’s left of Muppet Courtyard, Muppet*Vision 3D, PizzeRizzo, and one other Italian table service option! Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano can be found just past the Muppet fountain, PizzeRizzo, and the adorable Christmas shop.

If you’re in for a low-key table service reservation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano takes the cake! As you may have learned from my other Disney Food blogs, I tend to go for the last-minute and easily-available reservations. While there are 100’s of food options on property, there’s just something about opening up the My Disney Experience app (day of) and booking a last minute reservation! While most major restaurants will require you to book dining reservations 180 days in advance, sometimes a quick My Disney Experience app search will surprise you with a last minute opening. And that’s the kind of Disney magic I’m looking for!

Bread and Oil for the table

I ended up at Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano after a fun day of park hopping with friends. From Magic Kingdom to Epcot and then Epcot to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we got to spend most of the day exploring my happy place! After grabbing a quick Fastpass+ reservation for Slinky Dog Dash and riding before park close, we were ready for dinner. We hopped on the app and noticed a Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano reservation was available and we booked within seconds! 

Mama Melrose’s is a sweet little table service restaurant that’s serving up great, Italian dishes to Disney’s Hollywood Studios guests daily. The ambiance is friendly and fun, featuring string lights from the ceiling and checkered curtains all around the rooms!

As the backstory from the Disney website states…

“Once upon a time, a young girl from a small Sicilian village moved to Hollywood to become a star. However, she soon found that cooking was her true calling as she re-created her papa’s secret recipes for her starving actor friends.

At their urging, she opened a restaurant in a vacant backlot warehouse once used to store film equipment. Mama’s culinary talents soon attracted the patronage of film industry insiders, who dubbed her Mama Melrose, after the lively Los Angeles thoroughfare. Her establishment became known as the place “where Italy meets California in the heart of the Backlot,” and the rest, as they say, is history.”

Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano offers delicious Italian dishes on every section of the menu! From flatbreads and other appetizers to amazing pastas and Italian desserts, there’s sure to be something for any Italian-lover in your party. I feel like I must mention though that one thing Mama Melrose’s does not have is lasagna, so if lasagna is your Italian food favorite you may want to dine somewhere else or take a second look at the menu before booking!

Mama’s Caesar Salad

As for food, we started off with warm bread and oil that was brought to the table. Next we ordered a few salads to all three split! I went for the Mama’s Caesar Salad, and just chose to swap out my caesar dressing for ranch. We also ordered a Seasonal Italian Salad for the table as well! For an entree, I went for the Spaghetti and Meatballs.

Pro Tip: Walt Disney World gives a lot of food for the cost, especially if you split with someone else! So if you don’t want to eat until you’re miserable, I highly suggest splitting an entree with someone else in your party especially if you’re also enjoying appetizers.

Spaghetti and Meatballs (Split)

After all of these appetizers and entrees we were too stuffed to try dessert, but I’d love to make a trip back over! The dessert menu boasts Italian favorites like gelato, tiramisu, and even traditional cannolis. Ready to book for lunch or dinner? You can check out the full menu for Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano here!

Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano is open daily in Disney’s Hollywood Studios for lunch and dinner. If you’re looking for something more low key after a long day in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you can’t go wrong with some spaghetti and meatballs!

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