Restaurant review: Mama Baris, Hewitt

I’m new to Waco, and can barely find my way from one end of town to the other, but I will remember the way to Mama Baris, an Italian restaurant that opened in Hewitt on Jan. 10.

This is my first restaurant review, and it won’t be anything fancy. But I’m working now, and able to go out to eat occasionally, so will be on the prowl for good, but inexpensive, food.

I had the Eggplant Parmigiana the fist time I went to Mama Baris. It was fantastic, with the eggplant cooked just right, and a perfect balance of eggplant, pasta, cheese and sauce.

Last night I had eaten dinner, so after catching a movie, my companion and I stopped by. He had a meal, Fetticini Alfredo with chicken, which he got with a side of sauce. Apparently he really likes sauce; it really had enough to start with. At any rate, he said it was excellent.

I saved myself for a sinful dessert, but couldn’t resist the Garlic Bread with Cheese and Tomatoes. This was good, but some of the tomatoes were quite green and I had to remove them. I was sorry that there was no bread sticks to have with some of the Baris family secret sauce.

I also enjoyed the Tiramisu (sp?), although it did not come up to the dessert I remember from The Garden Restaurant in St. Petersburg. It was basically ice cream.

The staff is very friendly and helpful at Mama Baris, though all I saw were quite young. I did have to get a little over the top to get my coffee cup refilled the first time by an employee talking on a cell phone, but after that, had no complaints.

The bill was under $20 for the two of us. I also like that the place was open until 10 pm (on Friday, at least), making it a good place to go after an early evening movie, without being rushed.

I have no qualms about recommending Mama Baris to anyone who loves Italian.

The Waco Trib Review: Mama Baris brings sizzle of Italy to Central Texas