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Did you know that Ramona is home to a delicious Italian restaurant with amazing food? In this episode of Ramona Revealed, I’m going to take you to Mamma Ramona’s, located in the heart of Ramona, California. We’ll chat with owner Andrew Simmons to learn about their current remodel and delicious dishes that serve up an authentic taste of Italy.

Welcome To Mamma Ramona’s

Mamma Ramona’s is located in the heart of Ramona on the corner of D and 11^th. If you like fresh Italian food, you have to come and check this place out. Andrew Simmons is the owner, and he’s going to walk us through what’s going on here at Mamma Ramona’s. I’ve been here before, and there are some major changes going on.

Mamma Ramona’s is in the midst of a $300,000 renovation. They’re upgrading all of their freezers, refrigerators, and cooking appliances. They’ve also got some new automation tools coming in that will help speed up their process of producing pizzas. They’ve also got some robotics they’ve introduced on the dine-in side to help with serving customers. This allows them to have a more expedited experience.

Fresh Italian Food

The magic of Mamma Ramona’s happens in the kitchen.  All of their pizza dough is handmade every night and proved overnight, allowing it to come out perfectly the next day. When they make pizzas, all of their sauces are cooked in-house and homemade using the original recipe from Joe, the founder of Mamma Ramona’s back in 1977. Very few of their recipes have changed over the years.

One of my favorites besides the sauce is the crust, which is fluffy and crunchy at the same time. Their Margarita pizza is also delicious, featuring cheese that comes from a Wisconsin dairy. With tomatoes, basil, and garlic, it’s a tasty option you’ve got to try.

In addition to fresh Italian food, Mamma Ramona’s also sources their wine from local wineries around Ramona. Wine is just $5 per glass, as Andrew believes wine should not cost more than a meal. One of the wines offered is from Three Hills, a local winery on Highland Valley Road. It’s currently one of their most popular wines of the eight or nine different varieties they carry. They’re always looking for new types to try and new bottles to share with our customers.

Future Plans

Andrew has a lot of plans in store for Mamma Ramona’s. In addition to being in the midst of a remodel, they’re also landscaping the front of the building and adding new equipment to help the employees be more efficient and produce pizzas in a more timely manner.

The restaurant is also adding a take-and-bake feature, allowing customers to be able to take any of their delicious pizzas and make them at home. They even provide a special pan, allowing you to cook the pizza in your own oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and get the exact same Mamma Ramona’s taste you would at the restaurant.

Caring For Employees

The overall intent is to use the new equipment to help employees make more money. Andrew says they’ll be raising wages at the beginning of the year, allowing employees to have a good living wage in San Diego. They’re building one of the first automated kitchens in Mamma Ramona’s that will allow our pizzas to be produced a little faster and a little less hands-on but without losing their signature flavor.

This, in turn, will allow them to give their employees better wages. Andrew’s goal is to get his employees earning about $40,000 per year as starting wages within the restaurant. This will provide a better living wage for employees in both Ramona and San Diego as a whole.

Eat Local In Ramona

Mamma Ramona’s is open from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm Sunday through Monday. If you’d like to visit them, they’re located at 1130 D Street. You can also visit them online to get an idea of their menu or order food for pickup.

If you have any questions about Ramona, what it’s like to live here, or real estate in general, feel free to reach out to me and I’d be happy to connect. Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel so you never miss an episode of Ramona Revealed, and stay tuned to see what I feature next!