Positive Reviews:
- "Every time we travel to St. Louis we like to try a new restaurant on "The Hill." Mama Campisi's is now my favorite! I had their signature dish, Pollo Spedini, and it was one of those dishes that you want to lick the plate clean!...We'll definitely be returning to Mama's on our next trip!"
- "Probably one of the best lunches ever. We were told that Restaurant will be on Restaurant Impossible in the near future. I hope I can catch it. If you are anywhere near St. Louis....stop in and have a meal! You won't regret it. Also very affordable."
- "Mama's on The Hill is a part of history. You have to go. The service is always good and the Italian food cannot be beat."
- "Live in the area and visit The Hill regularly. Mama's is one of my favorites. Service was great. The decor has definitely had a face lift. It's a small place, but looks brighter now. Toasted ravioli was as good as it ever was--don't miss it when you visit here."
- "The food was very good and the service was fast and friendly. Portions are huge so pace yourself...If anything the only complaint was that the table was a bit small for the five of us and all the food."
Negative Reviews:
- "My first impression walking in was the place is too small for the amount of table they tried to cram into the place. We were seated in the back room. I felt like a packed sardine. It was uncomfortable for me to even sit at my table because of how close the table behind us was."
- "the food was really good. the menu was HUGE - too big, like they're trying to please everyone & specialize in nothing....the atmosphere is what lacked. old, mismatched tables, uncomfortable chairs & the tables were right next to each other"
Other Stories:
- Mama Campisi's offers all you can eat pasta on Monday nights for 11.99, and they keep an up to date Facebook page.
- The MLB World Series starts tonight with the St. Louis Cardinals facing the Boston Red Sox, so the locals will probably be watching that over Restaurant Impossible.
- Mama Campisi's won Best Italian food in St. Louis in 2010 from Cityvoter.
- Mama Campisi's claims to be the creator of the toasted ravioli in the 1940's, and the restaurant closed in 2005 due to personal reason. The current owners bought the restaurant and reopened in February 2006.
- Here is video of a local news story right after the Restaurant Impossible makeover.
Conclusion:
Mama Campisi's/Mama's On The Hill has more positive reviews than negative reviews with many people raving about the lasagna and the toasted ravioli. A few reviews stated that Mama's has gone back to the original menu with the only dish on the menu that Robert Irvine added being the pasta with rabbit. There are a few complaints about the seating and how close the tables are at the restaurant. There were also a few people who claimed in the summer that the air conditioner wasn't adequate enough to cool the restaurant.
It seems that the reviews weren't too bad before Restaurant Impossible came to visit, and that the restaurant probably applied for the publicity. They may have been chosen due to the unique story of employees stealing money and the fact that they claim to be the inventor of toasted ravioli. Either way, it looks like Mama Campisi's is making the most of the opportunity.
UPDATE - As a poster pointed out in the comments, Lance Ervin (Dad of the family) actually opened a new restaurant in March of 2012 called O'Kelly's. In the 'About' section of the restaurant, it says "When you visit us, you are treated as “FAMILY”." Hopefully that doesn't mean they will ignore you. If they had enough money to open another restaurant just last year, I doubt they were struggling at Mama Campisi's. Seems like they pulled one over on Restaurant Impossible, and I'm sure other restaurants out there are more in need of help..
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