Mandola’s Italian Kitchen

After an absolutely horrible food experience at Carrabba's on Feb 8thSee: Carrabba's Italian Grill Lutz FL reviewhttps://yelp.to/_kk2g0bTJGMy wife and I decided to try another chain Italian restaurant in the area - Mandola's Italian Kitchen in Odessa FLDamian Mandola, co-founder of Carrabba's Italian Grill, also founded Mandola's Italian Kitchen. Supposedly Mandola's has a non-compete clause that in order to operate in similar areas to where Carrabba's are located Mandola's can't offer standard table service where a waiter or waitress takes your order and services you throughout the meal and can only offer order at the order desk and then they bring your order to your table, or in the alternative you can get full service at the barI can tell you long story shortthat the food was so much better and fresher than Carrabba's that we don't really care that Mandola's can't offer standard table service and there is no way we would go to Carrabba's now versus Mandola's as Carrabba's food has gone WAY down hill over the yearsAnyway My wife and I opted for full service at the bar. The bartender was very friendly and offered excellent service throughout I ordered the Chicken Piccata and my wife ordered the Margherita PizzaThe focaccia bread they brought out 1st was piping hot and fresh with just the right amount of seasoning We decided to share our entrees. Both were very fresh and extremely delicious. The pasta side that came with the Chicken Piccata was also perfectly cookedTo finish we decided to try one of there desserts and chose the Coconut Cake - A white cake layered with coconut, pastry cream & covered in meringue.The cake was $8.95 but it was definitely worth it. Very fresh and very decadent We will definitely be a return customer of Mandola's If you normally go to Carrabba's you should definitely give Mandola's a try

The staff are the life blood of any establishment! This location has some great people working there and it brings me back every time! The food is great! Angel Hair Pasta with meat sauce and a side of marinara is my go to along with their minestrone! I have been told to try the Minestrone with chicken! Their gelato is fire. I recommend the strawberry with birthday cake! If you see me there don't hesitate to say hello!

I've been here several times now and I'm really liking the set up. I like the wide open space, plenty of seating, and very clean. I also like how they set things up. You go to the counter order your meal and they hand you a number. Go and get your drink and find a table. A wait staff member will then set down some nice bread and a good tasting oil/herb plate. They do have some beer options, a self serve soda fountain and my favorite is their lemonade. In short order they deliver your food and it presents well, and most importantly it tastes really good. What I think is somewhat unique here is you get some decent Italian food which is not fast food nor do you need to sit and wait a long time. So if you want a quick service Italian restaurant this fits the bill. Will certainly be coming back here again.

3 things about this place:1. There are same restaurants at different locations but the one in Odessa, FL opened not too long ago. Wanted to give this place a try but waited when they settled in for a bit. Very spacious and everyone was friendly and helpful. They have a special every day so definitely check those items out.2. Ordered the garlic bread with mozzarella added and Baked Ziti were ordered. The orders came out at a reasonable time and portion was pretty good minus the garlic bread. 3. Garlic bread was very thin and you get four thin slices of them. Is it worth $5.50 with $1 additional for the mozzarella? Not in my opinion. Lacked the garlic flavor and the mozzarella was grated instead of the cheese pull mozzarella that most of us are thinking of. However, the Baked Ziti was cooked to perfection and the flavor was there. Had enough sauce and ingredients which made the dish amazing. Definitely recommend this item.Overall, I would visit this place again and try other items from the menu but the garlic bread was pretty disappointment.

I really like this restaurant chain. If you don't know, Mandola's Italian Kitchen is a small but growing Italian restaurant chain that has locations in Texas and Florida. They have a location in Odessa, FL (not Texas) and it's comfortable and friendly and clean. You get a menu from the hostess, learn what the day's special is and order with the cashier (get a number). Then go and select a table and wait for your food. It doesn't take long, even when it's crowded. The food is hot, smells terrific and looks appetizing. I had the lasagne. My wife had the short-rib special. My mom had the eggplant parmigiana. My aunt also had the short-rib plate. We also had the fried calamari and zucchini appetizer. All was really tasty and plentiful. The tomato sauce is my only (small) issue. It lacks a certain sweetness that I am used to but it is good. Otherwise, this chain is doing wonders with their food selections. The staff here is attentive, fast and on the money. Come out to Odessa, FL and check out this place. You won't regret it.

To start with the employees are super friendly!! The atmosphere was quiet but fun, and the way they have decorated the place is super festive!! The food was absolutely amazing and the bread that they bring out in the beginning is to die for!! This was my first time coming here, but I will definitely be making this a staple!!

We decided to try this tonight for the first time. We didn't know much about the place. We were very fortunate to get our order in and get a seat quickly, as it did become very busy shortly after we arrived. You have to place your order before sitting. There is a bar and an area to buy desserts. They brought bread to our table right when we were seated. The bread was okay, the oil was very "flat" tasting without much flavor. The bread seemed like it had been soaked in oil and the combination left an aftertaste. My husband's salad came out and it was okay, the croutons were very hard, almost stale. When our main course came out, we were unimpressed. My salad was $13.50 and despite having sautéed veggies on top, it was definitely not big enough for $13.50. My husband's pizza was okay, but the crust left a lot to be desired. The atmosphere reminded me of a food court, and it would be a great place for families with younger children. That would be fine, but the prices are very high for a place that has an atmosphere of a food court.

I was looking forward to trying this place. It's very close and I work from home sometimes late. I could run over between zoom meetings and even planned to recommend it to other coworkers.Well I changed my mind due to they charge you for ordering a carryout. I had not noticed the .99 "packaging fee" added to my bill. So if dining in, they make you get up and go place your order and have the nerve to charge you for a container to put their food in, if picking it up.Think that's greed!!

I want to this restaurant with my 13 year old with special needs who has a ver limited palette. I ordered chicken fingers and fries and was refused because you have to be 12 and under to be able to order that. I explained our situation and that we would not be able to eat there if they could not accommodate us. The woman at the counter told us very smugly that they would not let him have chicken fingers and fries. All I can say is wow, a new low in service, a real set back for kids with disabilities. Very disappointed and sad.

DELICIOUS! The food at Mandolas is amazing from the savory mozzarella to the sweet gelato it's all great. The service is great,the super kind waiter's and waitresses give you everything you need,and I always feel calm when I'm there the vibe is just super chill the ambience is great the tall ceilings make it feel not cramped and kinda open air. Side bar: they also have amazing daily specials This is an opinion review