Pasta Mia

Review by joanog on February 23, 2008

The food is quite good but nothing too spectacular. You'll always have a solid meal here but I have heard the wait can get ridiculous. The portions are a bit on the ridiculous side but make for great leftovers. The salad is enough for four and pasta dishes can most definitely be shared. Slot out a decent amount of time for your meal as service is a bit on the slower side [one server] but it makes for a leisurely meal. The house wine is pretty solid and ingredients are always fresh - a consistently good restaurant.

Review by Qrissy on August 9, 2007

Pasta Mia offers a varitable orgie of palatable taste sensations. The tables are tiny and a little unstable, so it helps if you are too! Pasta Mia has a remarkable selection of incredibly fresh meats, cheeses and wines. The chefs are occasionally viewable and look as though they work very hard! Pasta Mia is 92% perfect, in my opinion!

Review by marigoldsandy on June 28, 2006

Listen, Pasta Mia is not for Precious People. No ressies so the lines are sometimes long. The floor manager, if you will, is a bit brisk but quite a sweet woman. There are no substitutions and it seems the specials are etched into the board -- never to be changed. However, the food is to die for and is cheap enough to eat every night. The portions are generous and its always busy and lively. Leave your particular sister or auntie and home and come have some good pasta.

Review by nomayo on October 10, 2004

What the Soup Nazi does for soup in New York the husband/wife proprietors of this joint do for no frills Italian in D.C. To be clear, the food is the ONLY reason to go to Pasta Mia. The surly wife who runs the dining room will not take your name at the door and will make you wait for a table no matter how busy the place is (and it usually is VERY busy). Patrons must line up at the door and must keep track among themselves where they are in line. The food is definitely worth the wait and features a variety of basic, no frills pasta entrees. The gnocchi is perhaps the best in the city and the other array of pasta - fettuccini, ravioli, tortellini, etc. - is served freshly made and in enormous portions. In fact, you may want to consider sharing entrees. Be careful if you ask to add something to an entree. Items like chicken or veal don't exist (a meat sauce is the only meat item on the menu) and if the item does exist (such as broccoli to add to a cream pasta dish) the surly husband in the kitchen will send out a huge portion on the side and may charge you a relatively exorbitant price for it. Needless to say, substitutions and additions are not encouraged. The food prices are surprisingly reasonable for the high quality and huge portions you will receive. The dining room is cramped and far too bright. The tables are tiny and you will often have to struggle to keep your plates, glasses and bread basket from falling off. The wait staff is much friendlier than the owners and will accomodate your needs to a point - that is, any requests that must involve the approval or involvement of the owners will likely not get you what you want. Thus, if delicious basic pasta entrees are on your mind and you also don't mind indulging your masochistic tendencies in order to get it, check out Pasta Mia. You will love to hate the experience.

Review by elena0570 on August 9, 2004

Review by gcabrera on June 24, 2004

Very good Italian food, if you go you must try the Prosciutto-Mozzarella salad A+. I always saw a large line to get into the restaurant and I always said that I wouldn't do it, but if you like good Italian food, it is worthy. Try late at night, no line at all.

Review by dmk1313 on May 8, 2004

While the wait can be long, the food is worth it. I always take out of town guests here. It's a convivial place kick off to a terrific weekend with friends who want to "know" DC.

Review by Mshelly97 on May 4, 2004

The wait was worth it at this no reservation, no frills, small, classic Italian restaurant. Located at the top of Adams Morgan, the line was out the door but moved fairly fast. The pasta dishes were cheap, between $10 and $13 a plate, and the wine list was long, albeit a bit cryptic. The food tasted incredible, and almost everyone in the restaurant seemed to be taking home a doggie bag. Its good for a fun evening out but save the romantic evening for a less fast-paced environment like Kuna.

Review by katwill99 on February 20, 2004

Make no mistake, when you go to Pasta Mia you are going to wait. Outside. For (possibly) hours. But that's all part of the charm of this cozy Italian place in Adams Morgan, where fresh pastas are served in portions sizes even the most-iron-of-stomachs could not finish. When we go to Pasta Mia, its an event. And we love it!

Review by SirenaScales on December 17, 2003

The wait is inexcusable considering the amount of space Pasta Mia has in the back- hire another chef!!! The service was snippy and rude. But the food is what's led us to return often and early- the portions of homemade pasta, fresh prosciutto and mozzarella antipasti, and affordable great house wine are worth the return, but waits after seven PM can run over an hour for parties of four or more.

Review by culocho on December 2, 2003

Well worth the wait, probably much easier to get seated quickly if in a party of 1 or 2. The ingredients are of the highest quality, the pace is relaxed and comfortable, the house wine is excellent as is the bread.
The proscuitto and mozzarella appetizer will remain a favorite of mine.