Mambo Italiano

Not terrible, but not worth $40pp. It took almost 20min for our server to acknowledge our table, then another 15 min from taking our drink order to bring the drinks to our table. It was a Wednesday evening, not crowded nor did they seem understaffed. Chicken piccata-sauce was flavorful, but it took a steak knife to saw through it. Another chicken dish was equally tough. Above average number of gluten free selection for those who need that, but why is there an upcharge for boxed gf pasta when the non gf is house made? Overall a not worth the time or money experience.

Mambo came up on a quick dinner search in Steamboat Springs. We were visiting the area the week before Christmas with a group of 9, and were able to easily make a reservation for our group about one week in advance. Upon a quick glance of the menu, you can tell that Mambo is an italian restaurant, so you can expect a variety of pastas and pizzas. The ambiance of Mambo was perfect for a birthday celebration. I would say you are safe in casual dress attire, but I would suggest this is more of a special occasion dining option. Prices reflect the ambiance, and I would say are fair based on the location and quality. Our large group arrived at our reservation a bit early, so we chose to hang out at the bar while waiting. The bar area is small, and patrons are able to both eat and drink at the bar. When our table was ready, we couldn’t transfer our drink tab to our dining tab, so it was a minor inconvenience to have to close our bar tab before moving to our table. The dining space is space in general, so tables are fairly close together. To start our meal, we ordered the house bread and calamari fritti. These in my opinion are definite musts when dining at Mambo. I will also note that you can order gluten free options, and modify some of the menu items to your specifications. A nice thing to be able to do at an Italian restaurant. Some of the entrees ordered included: spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmigiano, fettuccine alfredo, and the principessa pizza. All the entrees were served with a generous portion size. A note on the large pizza, it is enough to feed 3-5 people. As someone that enjoys a well made pizza, I would avert from ordering pizza here. It just wasn’t cooked enough for my liking, the dough/crust seemed hardly cooked and the toppings were cool upon first bite. I would say the pizza is cooked in a very artisan-style. Overall, our group had a very pleasant and enjoyable experience dining at Mambo. I would recommend dining here to others especially if you’re looking for an Italian dinner.