I’ve been to New York and I’ve been to Chicago, so I’ve had pizza in some places believed to be America’s meccas of the Geek’s dream food. Mama’s Island Pizza in Kailua tries to fill a hole in the local dining establishment on the windward side of O’ahu.
Chain pizza places abound on the island (Domino’s, Boston, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, and my personal favorite, Round Table), but smaller, locally owned institutions are much harder to find. Mama’s has been open since 2005 next to Foodland in Kailua (right near R. Field’s). Offering indoor and outdoor seating and domestic and local beer on tap, it’s far from stuffy and very family-like in atmosphere.
The atmosphere wouldn’t matter if the pizza wasn’t any good. It’s pretty darned good; as my lady friend is vegetarian, we had the Margherita (although it was a toss up between that and the Island Veggie Spectacular, even though the veggies on that didn’t seem all that island; no telling if they were indeed spectacular). Its hearth-baked crust is somewhere between thin and thick an fine and the cheese was great. Mixed in with their fresh vegetables and Kona Brewing Company beer on tap on a breezy and clear Sunday night, Mama’s provided a great dining experience in the heart of Kailua.
Mama’s menu also includes sandwiches, salads, and chicken wings; we did get a small bit of salad but didn’t sample the rest.
The service at Mama’s is quite decent; it’s family run (and the very young cashier can’t yet serve alcohol–talk about an out-of-this-age-group experience) and the family is ridiculously nice. They certainly deserve a sizable tip for their hard work and tasty food. I’d recommend them highly if you want a less than formal non-chain pizza night out.
Mama’s Island Pizza
108 Hekili Street, Suite 107
Kailua, Hawaii 96734
(808) 624-MAMA (6262)
