Mama Lacona's Italian Restaurant

Our party of four resently visited Mama Lacona's new location on 121st. Street in Urbandale. We were hoping for the best but walked away very disappointed. The chicken parmigiana was mediocre at best, the chicken spedini was simply awful, the chicken and spinach salad was tasteless, and the Ribeye was a tough and disappointing piece of beef. The only positive thing to report were the mozarella cheese sticks we ordered as an appetizer. The atmosphere was nice and the service was fine. It was a shame that the food was so under par.

We just ate at Mama Lacona's tonight and it was great! We had a group of about 50 people and the staff managed the group very well. The food was very good. Our group took all the time we wanted and yet we were in and out in 1-1/5 hours. Yes, the salad bar was small, but it was efficient and had lots to choose from. I did not hear even one complaint from our group of 50! Some people write & complain to hear themselves talk.

I'm 29, and when I was a tiny girl my family would come here every Sunday after church. The dinner rolls are fabulous - served hot. Wonderful Italian food in a comfortable, homey setting. The new Urbandale location's ambience pales in comparison to what it used to be when it was located on the south side? I believe back in the 1980's. It's still a classic.

Very good food, and great service. You can tell the family owned restaurant is family owned.
The homemade rolls are the best is town.

This is not a nice restraunt. I would be embarrassed to run a restraunt that served frozen vegetables with all the meals. Every meal in my group came with what appeared to be Bird's Eye or Jolly Green Giant vegetables, there was no possibility it was fresh. The pasta and sauce were mediocre. Unfortunately, the prices really aren't. $13 for lasagna that wouldn't pass muster in a roadside diner is nothing that should be getting 5 stars. The salad bar was sparse and barely worth a trip. Smoke from the bar is the first thing you smell when you walk in, not the food. Oh, but the store bought dinner rolls were excellent!!!!!

I'm really not trying to steamroll this place, its just a very mediocre restraunt that is clearly not putting much effort into things. You can't be a good restraunt and serve store bought rolls and frozen vegetables.

I eat at Laconas as often as I can. Always great food and the service is with a smile

I eat at Mama Lacona's at lease once a year or whenever I come to town. I started eating there in Oct of 1957 and still think it's the best Italian restaurant there is. Only one place ever had pizza to compare and that was Babe's downtown which is closed. The ingredient that makes the food so good is the sauce and that recipe was handed down from Mama to Chuck to Jim.

now that person who wrote that was blunt. but thats not all true. charlie doesnt come in to smoke and complain. he cooks the rolls and helps out. the food may have changed but its still good. i think you should go and concider that that family has been through a lot and health inspections were not the reason the restaurant closed down. it is a very clean place to go and eat and its very authentic. you should try it and make your own opinion

I used to love Mama Lacona's. I thought the food was great until it was closed down a few years ago due to health inspections. Sick. The same man does NOT own Mama Lacona's. Jim Lacona now owns the place. Charlie comes in on friday nights to smoke and complain. This is not the same place I went to as a younger man. The food cannot compare to the old place. This is a plce trying to survive on a family name. In short, don't go. You'd have better food at Olive Garden...and thats sad.

i think it has a good atmosphere and that guy below needs to shut-up and get a life. i think the food is awsome. try it but servers like jenifer shouldnt voice their opinion like they are customers.

Very nice for a restaurant that the same man has been running with his family for 50 years. Service great, Food better. John Brown, Clive Iowa

Not quite sure what Mama Laconas the last review ate at, but certainly not the same as where I was. The service was outstanding and so was the food. The atmosphere was fine, nothing to complain about. If you had a bad experience once, you should try again. They must be doing something right to be in business so long.

Probably one of the worst places I've ever been in my entire life. I ate there months ago and the thought of having to endure a meal there again, makes me squimish. It seems to me, Italian food is pretty easy to make (or at least hard to F-up), but this place has it all wrong.

Bad food
Bad service
Bad atmosphere
Bad experience

the list could go on and on.

All the elderly people hanging out there must like it cause it makes them crap good.