Here in Vegas, there’s this Italian place we like to get food from: the Roma Deli& Restaurant at 5755 W Spring Mountain Rd. (Spring Mountain and Jones).Located on a busy intersection, the restaurant-deli is no hidden gem. And somehow, we always go back to this place for Italian comfort food that’s tried and true.
Food at Roma Deli & Restaurant is delicious, traditional Italian comfort food. There may be an item or 2 that were previously frozen, but it’s still worth a visit.
……….
There are days when I crave something that feels like home.
(Well, tastes homemade, in that good way.)
And when I’m in that mood, I think of this place. It’s not flashy, but has stood the test of time: Roma Deli & Restaurant has been around since 1999. Similarly, it’s probably saying something when a place has survived a few bad economies.
One of the big reasons we love this place is because the food quality is the same each time.
Prices are reasonable
Of course, given the good portions provided.
While it’s true that their prices seem to have gone up since we first ordered from them, I understand that it’s been necessary for businesses to raise their prices.
The GOOD: What I LIKE about Roma Deli & Restaurant
The Roma Deli & Restaurant shrimp scampi (right) had the right amount of seasoning.
And the pasta itself had the perfect bite to it.
Coming from a (couch, self-proclaimed) Calamari Connoisseur
Um, I’m basically one of those ‘strange’ people that mostly eat fish & seafood. For that reason, you could say that I’ve eaten
A LOT
of calamari in my life.
And while I didn’t find the Roma Deli & Restaurant’s calamari fritti particularly exceptional, it tasted fresh, and you get a good portion.
With that in mind, I do feel like the calamari got slightly soggy in the takeout container — something that holes at the top of the container maybe could have fixed somewhat?
That said, I’ve noticed that this soggy calamari situation is fairly common. So I wonder if restaurants are required to fully seal their food for takeout. Even if that messes up food quality.
Batter to squid ratio
Now let’s talk batter. They used a good amount of batter, but not too much that the calamari became hard and chewy (a type, you’d be surprised, I’ve had at many other restaurants before). And yet the batter was also not so light that you could barely taste the delicious friedness of the crunchy coating.
In this case, if they used any spices in the batter, it was hard to tell. Which likely means they used just enough.
Squid = calamari in Italian
The squid rings were mild, briny, with no off smell/taste. Varying in size, they were tender; not rubbery or chewy.
Despite being fried as classic calamari fritti, I didn’t find the dish to be too greasy.
Either way, the half slice of lemon was perfect for balancing out the oil, while the marinara had just the right tang to enhance the calamari.
I give this calamari 7/10.
Their pepperoni pizza
…had that kind of rustic appeal to it.
Plus, it came in that almost irregular shape, slightly burnt around the edges.
With dough thickness that was just right; not too thin, yet not excessive, either.
The BAD: What I DON’T LIKE about Roma Deli & Restaurant
Frozen?
Alas, this is the question that bears heavy on my mind.
Were the Roma Deli & Restaurant mozzarella sticks previously frozen?
Unfortunately, it has not been easy to find out.
“Oh boy, it’s that weirdo again.“
The reason for this is because one does not simply walk into Mordor a restaurant and ask,
“Were your mozzarella sticks previously frozen??”
v
Because I mean… No one wants to be that person.
But yeah. This weirdo wonders if this place’s mozzarella sticks came from a bag, and were previously frozen.
It’s like that time when I liked these ‘special’ fries we used to get from this restaurant near a gas station, I didn’t normally see fries in this shape, cut large, sometimes with smaller pieces.
Seeing potatoes cut this way made me think this was some sort of trademark thing the restaurant was doing.
Until I discovered that the fries were, very likely, Great Value steak fries from Walmart.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with Great Value steak fries — I just thought they were rarer and more special than they turned out to be.
In other words, I have this sneaking suspicion that the restaurant & deli uses one of those brands. And then they just season the mozzarella sticks with whatever spice/herb combo they think will make it taste great.
All of that said…
If the mozzarella sticks taste good — does it matter if they were previously frozen?
Roma Deli & Restaurant mozzarella sticks
It’s like…
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
– George Berkeley, allegedly
Besides, can we afford non-frozen mozzarella sticks right now?
Do many of us suffer from the champagne taste on a beer budget syndrome?
Anyway.
From frozen or not, the mozzarella sticks were good.
And as Elsa sings in Frozen, I guess it’s time to…
🎶 Let it go 🎵
Elsa, Frozen
I recommend the Roma Deli & Restaurant
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
The flavors are familiar, in the best way: seasoned just right, and satisfying.
Of course, the place doesn’t offer everything
Don’t walk into the place looking for “the latest” reimagination of Cacio e Pepe, or Pasta alla Norma.
Because there likely won’t be any revolutionized Italian classics there.
Imagine a spaghettushi that’s spaghetti and also a sushi roll, some creative fusion thing.
Yeah, no — you likely won’t find that here.
The Roma Deli & Restaurant offers no frills Italian food
While an item (or so?) may come from frozen, this doesn’t take away from the fact that the dishes served here are straightforward and comforting, they may even remind you of your childhood home.
Where you always looked forward to the delicious food served at the end of the day, its aroma wafting through the air as nonna spent hours cooking in the kitchen.
Located on busy Spring Mountain and Jones, the Roma Deli & Restaurant is no kept secret.
But if you need your Italian food staples with consistent quality, be sure to pay them a visit.
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