Ciao Mambo in Missoula - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Great service and the best Italian food in Montana

We had 3 meals with desserts, and bruschetta appetizer, plus the homemade bread that comes with the meal. We had to take our desserts home because we were so full. Everything was so delicious! Recommend!

Shelby was our server! She was amazing. Thank you so much. The food is delicious and definitely worth the visit.

Very pleasant Italian Restaurant. I had the Linguini Salvatore with meatballs and enjoyed it very much. The bread with cheese was also fantastic.

The place was busy but the staff was amazing to watch. For a small staff they moved in absolute harmony, quite impressive. The food was very good and more than worth the wait and the cost. The atmosphere was fine, just a lot of hard surfaces so it was loud when it was full.

We were told it would be about a ten minute wait because they needed to clean a table. We sat on the chairs provided outside and 40 minutes later and two parties that came after us being seated, the hostess finally realized we were outside still waiting to be seated. An hour and half is a long time to spend for mediocre food.

THE BEST vegetarian LASAGNA I’VE HAD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! Quite possibly the best EVER! It definitely hit the spot. 🥰

This place of fantastic! I had Fettuccini a la barustica which is pasta with chicken and shrimp in white Parmesan sauce. Wife had Italian nachos. They seated us downstairs (party of 8). Service was fast, food excellent, and the ambience perfect. The bathrooms were clean and nice too.

Great food but a little ham fistted with the garlic in the Bolognese attached is a picture of the garlic that I found in the pasta yes that's all garlic they slice it not mincie it and it was a lot!

Amazing place , everything is pretty nice

Having once tried to be seated at Ciao Mambo but been told it was an hour wait I went again and chose to invest a 20 minute wait because anywhere that is this crowded all the time must be amazing, right? Wrong. I really found all the dishes I tried to be uninspired, not properly seasoned and without any flair or ingenuity. My bruschetta was not toasted enough so it was missing the classic crunch of a good bruschetta. My pasta with peas and pancetta was underwhelming and needed a generous amount of red pepper flakes to give it any flavor. My other dish of pasta with a vodka sauce had little flavor with no hint of spice and was just bland. Their acclaimed garlic bread was a doughy mass of white bread with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. When busy this place is loud and almost impossible to hold a conversation with someone across the table from you. I’m not sure why so many people find this place so good. I can only believe it’s because they’ve never had truly delicious Italian food or dined at Olive Garden and find Ciao Mambo to be a “fine” dining experience. I found the prices to be inflated for the quality of food. Service was adequate. I can’t say that this was the worst meal I’ve ever eaten at a restaurant but it was certainly very disappointing. I’d almost wish that there was an Olive Garden in Missoula. Most importantly, and this is not the restaurant’s fault particularly, but people! Must you show up to a restaurant wearing flip flops, swim trunks and ratty tank tops? For goodness sake! Some of us are trying to eat and it’s off putting to be sitting next to a table of patrons who look as if they just got finished tubing and decided to go out to eat. Sorry Ciao Mambo but it’s Ciao from me.

One 9f our favorite places in Missoula! Always a favorite. Food is freshly made and the Cannoli makes a great ending to a wonderful meal. They open at 5 pm so be there early or be prepared to wait.

Probably the best bolagnese I've ever had with all the gooey cheese in th middle. They do leave large chunks of garlic in the sauce which is a choice but the sauce was delicious and had a kick to it which I prefer. I'm not from the area and got it 3 times during my visit... it was great every time. Sunday evenings seem very busy. Also, they have paper covering the tables and crayons so you can draw while you wait which is nice for kids and adults.

Building is in a great location on a major street in town by the river. The restaurant is nice looking and the seating is nice. The waitress and host were good. The taste of the food was enjoyable. The service and timing of the food was as expected of a restaurant ordered off of the menu. The price per plate compared to food portion is through the roof! If you were to compare to an olive garden Italian restaurant my pasta and bread was pricey, but it tasted good.

Overall not bad…..but the classics are classic for a reason…….the carbonara really wasn’t great and burnt bacon on top…there was just a lack of flavor. I know restaurants are hurting but they can make their food taste better with a little quality control.

This is a harmonious experience of food, fun, and friendship!

Mandi did an amazing job and the food was fantastic!

Second time here while visiting from out of town. Food was delicious. Bruschetta had too much ricotta after scraping some off was very tasty. Great place but very loud. Table of 6 and we couldn’t carry a conversation.

Best Italian we have found! The calamari was tender and crispy and a great recommendation from our fabulous waiter Jamie. The ribbon pasta bolognese with the broiled ricotta omg amazing! And the lasagna was one of the best we’ve had. Oh and don’t forget the garlic bread doused with parmesan. It was a great find !

We walked from our hotel and had a to go order for 2. Wonderful food. Moist and perfectly cooked pasta. Chicken was tender. The side bread was definitely tasty.

I have to go here for dinner at least once a month. So special. My wife's favorite, keeps her happy with me.

Wonderful Italian restaurant across the bridge. Food was amazing, especially the garlic bread, and the serving portions were large. Service was wonderful, the wine selections were great and I am glad we stopped here for dinner. Definitely a place to stop by and try out.

I don’t know what all the hype is, it’s honestly just okay. Appetizers were fine. I got their bolognese and it was watery with whole chunks of garlic, nowhere near a classic bolognese. I’ve eaten Italian food in various cities (from world class Michelin Stars to hole-in-the-walls run by a nonna and nonno) and this is barely a mark above Olive Garden. Frankly, the food is sloppy. But there’s not much competition in town for Italian.

It was kinda a let down. Pretty pricy for what you get. Felt the food was subpar had to add a lot of seasoning to get any flavor

Really liked the entire experience other than the parking situation but that is all downtown restaurants. The service was great and the food was awesome. The deserts are delicious also. Can't say enough , highly recommend.

They are very gluten free friendly. It is one of my go to places now where I know I will not get sick.

I always love eating here. It's a good restaurant that is pretty consistent in its quality. The garlic bread is amazing, super buttery and garlicky. The atmosphere is great, you wouldn't even know that it was a chain restaurant. I'd recommend the tootsie rolls and fettuccine alla rustica!

The food was great- bread, entrees and desserts. Our server was attentive and pleasant. The water was fine. The atmosphere was perfect for a family or for date night. Would definitely go back!

I’ve been wanting to visit here for several years and finally made an occasion for my birthday! It did not disappoint! I got the pasta ravenna and it was incredible! The garlic bread was awesome and got the zeppoli for the dessert. Would definitely come back!

Great Italian food and service.

The Water: Great The Food: Outstanding The Server: A Saint The Dessert: Out of this world, or galaxy, or anything previously thought possible. Conclusion: Benito Mussolini would have definitely eaten here🇮🇹👌🏻

Great dining experience & great location

Delicious veal scallopini white wine and raspberry cheesecake!

Good food at a very hefty price however... great service and excellent bread

Arrived when first opened. Enjoyed 4 courses for my birthday with myexperience. early service had many tables with well mannered children. Nice children's menu. Enjoyed watching pizza dough being tossed. Delicious can't wait to go back to enjoy another well prepared meal and dining exoerience.

Amazing food. They will customize anything on the menu for you.

They offer gluten free pasta on most dishes. I’ve been here few times and I have not been sick. They do bring bread out, which I steer clear of. I always order the same penne pasta alla vodka gluten free. It is incredible. The cream sauce is delicious, I wish we were closer to this restaurant! They also had a flourless chocolate ganache cake which was decadent!

Always enjoy going to dinner here. Pretty heavy garlic tonight for my taste. My favorite dish is the Cioppino and I like to add pasta as well as sausage. Makes it pretty pricey but hard to find better Italian food anywhere in Montana.

Acoustics are not great, so it is loud when crowded. Very good eggplant parmigiana and cioppino. Fettuccine with white sauce and clams were more bland and watery than we like with not many clams. Still, a fun place to meet friends. Expensive for the quality of food.

I don’t know why the water tastes so gross here, but everything else is great. Atmosphere, service, food is all pleasant. The only thing is the water tastes horrible.

Love the place and the food and service is great

The food and service were good. A bit loud but nice.

The Manicotti Ripieni with spicy sausage was spectacular. Sweet, soft, spicy, zesty, fresh, creamy, hot, cheesy, delicious!

I'm not a huge fan of Italian food, but this place is awesome!!

My favorite local Italian food! Delicious garlic bread. The fettuccine alla lulubella is amazing! The manicotti was also delicious. Basically I loved everything I’ve ever tried there. Its a little pricey but worth it and the portions are pretty big.

Food took a little longer than I expected, but service was great, recommendations were wonderful, and I would definitely come back!

Great food, wonderful evening with friends

Update 10/13/23 Saturday evening. My wife and I eat there tonight. We started with the Calamari. It was really good. Then our main dishes. My wife had the Fettuccinealla Lullabella. It was fair, not great, lacking flavor. I had the Pasta Arratixitta ( or something close to that ) sausage and peppers and asked for it spicy. It was good, not Excellabt. It was super busy and we were seated near the kitchen. It was very loud! There is a lot of yelling in the kitchen. Maybe our worst visit there. I will downgrade to a 4 overall. Our waiter was fine. I noticed that they do not come around asking if you want cheese. I guess we can thank covid for that. We will mostly likely come back again, but we will not sir near the kitchen. It's just an amazing place! Great food, great service, and a nice wine list. Best Italian by far in Missoula! I know Italian, grew up in N.Y.C. every time I go here, the food , the service, and the ambiance are superb

Courteous and knowledgeable staff, great tasting pasta.

Excellent food and service ro match!

Delicious, fantastic service, the kids loved the paper tablecloth you could draw on. Everything was great. Loved the eggplant Parmesan. 10/10

This place is loud! The tables are covered in paper that you can color w crayons. Good hangman times. The eggplant salad (no longer on the menu, but still available by request) is delicious. The penne vodka alla vodka had moist chicken and a tasty sauce too good not to dip in w the bread. We subbed for gluten free noodles, which tasted just like the real thing. The fettuccini a la rustica was also excellent. Overall a great meal for the three of us. Very filling, too. Friendly, attentive and prompt server.

Food? Great (though portions are too small). Service? Amazing. Some of the best employees in Missoula. Atmosphere? Fantastic. I want to give 5-stars but I recently went in and the prices have increased AGAIN. I paid $10 to add two of the smallest meatballs I've ever seen to my (already expensive) dish. I'll return for appetizers and go somewhere else for a meal if I return in the future.

It is kind of crossover restaurant of fast food and dine-in . Very pricy food for the quality and portion. Couple of things really botherd me. No cappuccino for being an Italian place . For the $20+ dish of average food , they want to charge $5 extra for Pasta . Service is really bad . Person who was greeting and seating people could put some smile on the face … gave us a look like why are you here . The waiter was so lost …didn’t check back for very long time.

Trying not to be a snob but I don’t get it. Service was wonderful but the food was bleh and it’s wildly expensive for anything but gourmet pasta. I imagine if you like Olive Garden then you’d like it here so in that case ignore me.

Cute place with great pasta and lovely wine selection

We don't get here as often as we would like, but food and service are always great!

Bar none best bread served before main course Great staff..excellent foid n drinks

Best pizza (volpeti) in town. Great breads and pastas.

I have eaten a lot of Italian food around the world and this place blew us away. The bread alone was amazing. Dishes were fantastic. Can't wait to get back.

The staff is amazing and the food is wonderful

Great food and our server Chelsea was wonderful!

Italian Nachos! Who knew how amazing they could be!!

Went here today for the first time. I'm truly not sure if I would give this visit a 2 or a 3 star as I felt the food was more middle of the road but slightly better. We'll, let's start. I entered the restaurant and it was extremely loud. I went by myself and am glad I did because if anyone came with me I would not have been able to hear them or hold a conversation. Atmosphere: This restaurant seriously needs some sound mufflers to eat the echoes of everyone conversing. To add to this the kitchen is open & split into 2 areas. As a chef I LOVE open kitchens but this one I absolutely despised. The "chef" at the bar was constantly yelling to the kitchen and I found it annoying and unprofessional. I'm glad I was not sitting at the bar because I would have left. Food: I ordered the bruschetta with balsamic reduction. In all, this was a good dish but the balsamic was super sweet & took away from the dish more than add to it. I ordered the chicken parm and added noodles to the dish. I would rate this a 4 out of 5. It was crispy and very juicy but there was hardly any sauce on the pasta and the sauce that was there was lacking salt. Dinner also came with a good twist on garlic bread. Came out loaf style, sliced 90% of the way topped with olive oil & Parmesan cheese. This was great but too much olive oil. The flavor of the oil really took away from the flavor of the bread. I ordered (to go) the lasagna and an order of linguine with maranara. The lasagna was awesome except it was overly salty. The linguine again was really lacking salt. A huge disappointment was when I ordered the margarita pizza to go. I was told the pizza oven was broken so there was no pizza. I asked if they could cook it in another over and the waiter looked at me as if I were an idiot. As a chef I could not imagine not trying to improvise on an item that is almost 1/3 of my menu (especially with a pizza restaurant directly across the street) My waiter was ok but the busboy and the young lady who brought me my food were excellent. I would return here but it would not be a restaurant I would seek out or go out of my way to go to. As I said I'm really torn between a 3 and a 4 star review. Times like these I wish they had halves. If you are looking for an Italian joint to go to, this would be a decent place to go. It's a little pricy but it's not bad.

We were seated at a booth right next to the kitchen. Only a thin window separated us from all the noise. We could hardly converse! The bread and the Nacho appetizer were to die for, but the main course was less desirable. We liked our server but saw little of him. It was mostly others who waited on us. We waited at least 20 minutes for the main course. Probably won't be back. 😒

Side salad was only big chunks of romaine…nothing else. Appetizer came out after dinner. No asks for second glass of wine until after dinner. Garlic bread was yummy.

Good food; we both had pasta from the extensive menu options. Service was excellent. The staff were friendly and attentive. A pleasant atmosphere; although busy, not too noisy. While waiting for a table. We were able to get drinks delivered outside and sit in the shade.

This was my second time eating here and I can’t rave about it enough! Corryn serve us both times and was wonderful. The first time she spotted that we had ordered a corked (spoiled) bottle of wine and taught my co-worker and I what we should see, smell, and taste to know if we had a corked bottle. Everything we ordered was excellent. The second time (tonight) Ciao Mambo’s fine dining turned my birthday around. I drove 3.5 hours to celebrate my birthday in Missoula. 30 minutes from town I hit a deer and my car hard to be towed. We spent so long waiting for the tow truck that Ciao Mambo was closed by the time we got to town. I finally got to go to Ciao Mambo today and I’m so glad it worked out that I could still go! The food, the wine, and the service was perfect! A full 180° on my birthday! The lemon cake with blueberry reduction was so good that I got an extra slice to go. I also got a pasta with sundried tomatoes and my 1 year old enjoyed it too!

Nice Italian restaurant in a cool area

The Saltimbocca do pollo was severely over cooked, the broccolini undercooked and the rosemary red potatoes tasteless. Have never had a bad meal here until today. Wait staff never inquired why so little of the meal was consumed or how I liked the meal. Unfortunate. Next time will stick with the pasta as the safe bet.

The service was a bit slow and unattended but the dining was spot on. Good food, averaged I'd say 32.00 a person

Definitely recommend! The service and food is fantastic! Atmosphere completes the experience! Variety of seating options and family friendly. Great music! Good wine selection and will make any meal to your request. We grew up going to the Whitefish location and there are a few menu options that are no longer on the menu, but you can still order and they will make it how you request! The food is so tasty and the bread is delicious! Service is kind and very accommodating! My husband knocked over a new glass of wine and our waitress was calm and kind and helped us clean up and filled a new glass for me. They made it seem like it was no problem or inconvenience.

First time here and was not disappointed. Incredible service by Corrynn was the highlight of the night, but the food was also terrific. Love how you can customize any plate since it is all made fresh and the bread is ridiculously good.

Great local Italian joint, with amazing food

A nice place for Italian cuisine. Loud enough for the kids, nice enough for a date. Food was good, nothing extraordinary. Service was decent, and the portions were enough for leftovers the next day.

Our server Chelsea was especially helpful, the food was great-just the starter bread topped with parmesan was amazing, and we enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. Grazie!

Food was good but not celiac friendly. 5 minutes after eating their Gluten Free Caprese I got super sick to my stomach and having celiac the vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea did not stop until 5ish AM and I had eaten at 6:30ish PM. Staff very apologetic as I mentioned I have celiac disease and gave us $30.00 off our meal. But super bummed to have been sick as this was my anniversary and I was sick well into the morning with it then had to drive for 6 hours as I was in from out of town.

Decent food, everything was cooked to order. My carbonara pasta was al dente but lacked flavor. The bread was yummy but covered in too much parmesean. The tablecloth is paper, so if you have kids, they can draw while they wait for food. The atmosphere upstairs is completely different from downstairs. Downstairs is a bit dark but quiet, and the upstairs was very loud and chaotic from guest conversations and line cooks yelling orders. Overall, I have a great experience, but they could use more seasonings.

Wouldn't take a reservation for 2 the Friday of Valentines day. They'll do it on Sunday, when everyone needs to work the next day and we don't have daycare, but not Friday. Ok, Romeo's it is! Update 5/12/23: Tried to get a reservation again. 3 people isn't enough for a reservation. Really? Too bad I can't drop this to 0 stars. Romeos for the win, again!

Okay I give up with ciao mambo the pizza was horrible my simple chicken parmigiana was horrible it was 3 inches thick simple things are done bad no one cares there I’ve been there 10 times and disappointed 9 times with the only exception being okay was t pasta raveena I guess

Good food. Friendly staff. Excellent gaslight bread. The pasta was well cooked.

Great meal and service. We would go again. The cannoli in huckleberry sauce made us want to luck the plate. The staff was great.

Everything about this place is awesome! We got the italian nachos as an appetizer and could barely eat our main dishes! The nachos are a MUST! The main dishes we got were also delicious. Great place for a date night or a family gathering.

We were so excited to eat here since we don't have any Italian restaurants where we live, and as an Italian-American I miss good food. However we were severely disappointed. We chose this restaurant out of the several in town because of the kid's menu, as we had our 3 foster kiddos with us. The hostess was wonderful. We were given a booth at first and it wasn't working for us, and she saw right away and asked if we wanted a table. She brought the kids pizza dough to play with which was awesome, they loved that. That's the only reason I am giving 2 stars instead of one. We got the calamari appetizer and it was awful. the breading did not stick and whenever I picked one up water flooded out. For dinner I had a penne dish with sausage. The garlic was really burnt and didn't seem fresh, and it was not good overall. I shouldn't have eaten it, in hindsight. My husband had vodka sauce that definitely was more of a marinara and very watery. Two of my kiddos had linguine and we asked for a meatball for protein. Just a bowl of linguine is $8, and adding one average sized meatball cost $5 which seems like a lot to me. My kids usually eat their whole dinner, but all three maybe had 4 bites as they didn't like it which is very unlike them. The worst part was later that night I woke up with horrible indigestion like I have never experienced and spent the next day and a half feeling super sick (I don't ever get indigestion), and even now I still feel off. It was awful, and especially surprising as it wasn't even a red sauce. We would not recommend this restaurant and will be trying one of the other Italian institutions the next time we're in town.

Incredible place for Amazing Italian cuisine. The bread served with the meal is worth stopping by for Dinner all by itself. Brushetta and veal cutlets with brocolini were fantastic. Highly recommended.

Love the dining room downstairs. Incredible food! If it's not on the menu, just ask. Service was friendly & very knowledge.

Tried to get take out one day, said some kitchen machinery broken, one day they had delivery, next day none. Young women in front of restaurant not very friendly, it was quite noisy, was full, people waiting. Eggplant parmesan was not that great, didn't like the thick layers of mascarpone cheese between slices of fried eggplant,not much pasta given with it. The bread that I ordered separately, was not crunchy at all, soft and kind of underbaked. But, the lemon cake with raspberry sauce was moist, delicate, and so, so good! Absolutely delicious! Kudos to pastry chef.

Eating at Ciam Mambo is a always nice. The food is good with large portions. Service is great. You have to try the tiramisu, it is delicious! If you are planning on eating with a large group, be prepared to having difficulty hearing conversations because acoustics are poor.

Yup! Top notch Italian food in Missoula Montana.

Our server waitress was worthless, rude, impatient and lacking in any training in any hospitality or basic kindness whatsoever .. this establishment used to be endearing and overpriced now it’s just given up and overpriced.. we had a party of six and spent over $200… and still sat at a filthy table, no drinks and the mussels were FULL of sand🤢 we’re done ✅

Staff was super friendly and extremely helpful. The food was everything I was hoping it would be considering I am Italian and have a standard when it come to Italian food. Highly recommend this place as we will definitely be coming back for more.

Flew 800mi. in order to come Home to Mountain Italian on a Sunday. Staff at Missoula location never disappoint. 5-stars across the board. Nothing else like it!

Food was GREAT! Lots of gluten-free options. Delicious. I might recommend getting your food to go as the service was terrible. I only saw my server twice, both times at the request of the hostess. The server came and took my order and delivered my check. The hostess brought my water, drink, and menu, cleared my plates, and fetched the server when there was a task that she could not complete. I've worked in the service industry and understand how things can get when you're busy, but this service was terrible. I left half the top to the hostess to say thank you for all her help. If it weren't for her, I probably would have just left. Great food, not so great service.

A three star might be on the generous side. It probably was a year since we visited and so much have changed for the worse. 1. The food is drenched in garlic. No - Italian food doesn't mean garlic should come out of your pores afterword. 2. An hour wait for cheese pizza, and eggplant parmesan is a crazy long time. Not kid friendly at all with those wait times. 3. We ordered a minestrone soup that was so spicy we had to send it back. A couple of spoonfuls to try it out and the mouth was on fire for 30 minutes afterwards. It's time to fire your chef. Seriously!

Ciao Mambo is a personal favorite for my wife and me. We usually eat at the Whitefish location. This is our second time in Missoula. The service is always good and this was no exception. My dinner came without the chicken but our server had the chicken on the table within 5 minutes. I mixed it in and it tasted good. The pasta was a little cool when it arrived and got cooler on the wait for the chicken. We enjoyed the evening non the less.

Went here for my gramps bday dinner, he absolutely adores the baby clams. They are delicious. And the yummy garlic parm bread loaf they bring out before your meal is so yummy. Definitely ask for the oil and vinegar to dip it in. The dessert we had wasn't very good though. Called Zeppolis... they're little fried pieces of dough that come with two dipping options...I thought they'd be more light and fluffy but they were too dense/hard and too sweet for my liking.

We used to go fairly frequently after a movie at The Roxy, but we've gone less and less after a few bad experiences--incorrect orders, watching the hosts be very rude to people while waiting, etc. Now I think we're done. Our server forgot to place my order of eggplant parmesan. We realized this after the rest of our party received their food, and the runner said mine would be right up. We waited and waited. I told everyone to start without me. By the time our server came by to admit that she'd just realized that my order had not been placed, everyone else was almost done. My food arrived soon after, so I awkwardly started to eat while everyone sat there watching me. Clearly the kitchen had rushed it by throwing it under a broiler. The cheese on top was nearly burned, but everything underneath--eggplant, sauce, cheese--where all ice cold. I didn't eat it, showed the server, and asked for the check since the rest of the party had been waiting a long time. I was still charged for the eggplant. No apology. Nothing. I still tipped well because stuff happens, but I'm not going back. Everyone makes mistakes, but I only support places that own their mistakes.

Always great food and service! My favorite place to eat in Missoula

Tiramisu to die for. Eggplant, manicotti. The best service in Missoula. Just what you need on a cool night.

had chicken and shrimp pasta where's the chicken pieced so small I only found 4 pieces....shrimp was just defrosted no flavor...nachos had hardly any meat and quite spendy...this is the second time we ate here I first time was fantastic