Manalu Italian Restaurant, Frederick - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews

Is this restaurant wheelchair accessible?

Yes

No

Unsure

Details

About

"Manalu and our dream come true". As a little kid, my dream was to become a chef and open an authentic italian restaurant here in the USA. I spent so many years working hard and hoping that one day my dream will become true. Throughout the years my wife and my daughter have been my biggest support, in fact Manalu was created to combine all three of our names: MA for Marco, NA for Naomi and LU for Lucia. Our goal is to bring a taste of Italy and a touch of Naples in the town, by serving authentic italian food and the original Pizza Napoletana cooked in our brick oven. The traditional italian cooking in a true and warm family atmosphere.

CUISINES

Italian

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner

FEATURES

Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service

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4.5

476 reviews

Excellent

350

Very good

78

Average

22

Poor

14

Terrible

12

Dave J

Frederick94 contributions

Busy place!

Feb 2020 • couples

We tried this place on friend recommendations after lamenting how the service and food at the nearby Macaroni Grill had deteriorated over the past couple of years. We were stunned that even on a rainy Tuesday night in early February it was quite busy. By the time we left it was a waiting list. There’s a reason: this place is good. It is fairly small despite the patio being open. They have heating lamps out there but only a few were on as it was unseasonably warm that night. The bar area has topper seating nearby. Our waiter was clearly covering several tables and I would say the service was a bit slow, but other than that it was a great experience. Our food was tasty and hot and it wasn’t too expensive. A small critique was that there was in my one California Cab available by the glass despite a fairly large wine list of Italian and other non domestic wines. The food was wonderful and worth waiting for. We have already made plans to return. Kudos to Manalù!

Written February 5, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

UmeandU

New Market5 contributions

Catering menu

Jul 2020 • family

Celebrated our son-in-law's birthday with his favorite chicken parmesan at home. We ordered from the catering menu and everything was amazing,soooo delicious,great value, it comes with a huge salad a side of pasta and bread and everybody enjoyed it. Marco you are awesome, from the moment you took our order to the staff that helped us when we picked it up. Keep up the great work , Frederick is lucky to have this wonderful restaurant!

Written July 29, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Go23598959771

1 contribution

Cappellini Bolognese and Aglio & Olio and Capellini Positano are great!

Jan 2020 • none

I just love their Bolognese !. The three dishes in the subject line are my faves. I tried the Baked Rigatoni alla carne - er - not so much a favorite. The online menu shows a lunch and dinner price for each entre. I went midday and was expecting to be charged a lunch menu price but was surprising charged the dinner price. Oh well just be forewarned. I should have asked first. The Staff and servers are super friendly. You will enjoy the atmosphere,

Written March 3, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mamu at the beach

Port Charlotte123 contributions

Birthday dinner at Zen

Jan 2020 • none

We had a party of nine on Sunday, Jan. 19 (Including two kids). The place was busy, but we were served quickly, dinner was wonderful. My five year old granddaughter ate all of her lasagna, which never happens) Dessert was great-the birthday dessert and singing was perfect.

Written January 29, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ann H

West Palm Beach5 contributions

Amazing!!

Sep 2021 • none

Met friends at Manalu last evening. The food and service was AMAZING!! The owner actually came by to check on us several times during our dinner (very impressive!!) Before dinner were discussing among ourselves that it was my husband's birthday and the waiter must have overheard us. We paid our bill then the waiter and owner appeared with a Birthday desert and all sang Happy Birthday in Italian! What a very nice surprise. We will definitely be returning !!

Written September 18, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Shawn H

Washington DC408 contributions

Casual, Comfortable Italian

Mar 2022 • none

I find that Italian places tend to do well on review sites - as they are "comfortable" for a lot of Americans. More unusual cuisines tend to have more variable reactions. Its hard to find much fault in this restaurant though. It's location in suburban strip mall isn't inspiring, but service is fast, prices are reasonable, and the food itself is certainly better than average for this kind of place. I had the Chicken Abruzzi and my partner had veal and a side of spinach. Lunch comes with some bread and olive oil. The Chicken Abruzzi came with a "just right" portion size of chicken and pasta. There were also fully customizable low-cost pasta options as well as pizzas, but we didn't try those. Inside, the restaurant was doing good business and was bustling. Parking was easy in the lot. While this place is "American Italian" more than the kind of Italian you'd find in Italy, its good for what it is.

Written March 12, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LoafJugThouTree

Shepherdstown781 contributions

Excellent . . . as usual

Apr 2021 • none

I'm really surprised by the vehemence of some TA reviewers, not because of the nastiness, but rather because they so disliked the food, or the service, or venue, etc. My guess is the restaurant waits for me and my wife to come in and, when we do, they tell the wait staff to be intelligent, caring, knowledgeable about food and wine, and really -pleasant to be around, and then they clean everything, and prepare and serve delightfully delicious food. THEN, after we finish, everyone dirties everything, then practices being sullen jerks. Or maybe not. Look: The place is great. I've never had even a so-so meal here. Everything we've tried has been first rate, served by people who also appear to be first rate. The menu is nicely varied, and the wine list is pretty good, too. Ignore the boo birds.

Written May 29, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

M. Coker

Frederick13 contributions

The best Italian restaurant in Frederick

Jan 2020 • none

We had dinner here recently and were very impressed with the quality of the food, the service, and the atmosphere. The food was simply outstanding, and the chef was able to accommodate my food allergy without making it feel like an imposition. We were even given a complimentary glass of house-made limoncello that was delicious! I don’t think you will ever be disappointed with the food here.

Written February 22, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Wordsrfun

Frederick103 contributions

You don’t need to go to Italy for superb Italian Food...

Jan 2021 • none

We had such a wonderful time having dinner at Manalu. The food was superb as always. Our server Brittany was so special. She made wonderful suggestions for wine, appetizers and our main course and at the end of the meal she even remembered to acknowledge my friend’s birthday by treating us to an an exceptional dessert. Sorry I didn’t get a picture because it looked beautiful and tasted incredible. Eating out during Covid-19 is almost impossible, but Manalu’s precautions made us feel comfortable and safe. We can’t wait to go back and have another great dining experience.

Written January 9, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

johnmedve

Savannah217 contributions

Friend recommended

Feb 2020 • couples

My wife and I enjoyed our first visit to Manalu Italian restaurant in Frederick MD based on the recommendation of a friend. The restaurant is cozy and has an Italian family restaurant feel. There is a wood burning pizza stove and classic Italian music to complete the ambiance. It has a comfortable bar area and outer patio when the weather is warm. Our waiter Ilir was excellent and very engaging guiding us through the menu and specials. There is an extensive wine list and we chose a bottle of their chianti which was awesome. For an appetizer we had the calamari which were tender and served with a wonderful red sauce. Entrees were eggplant parmesan for my wife withe the eggplant sliced thin and covered in tomato sauce and mozzarella. I enjoyed the ravioli mare monti a squid ink ravioli filled with lobster covered with a cream sauce filled with scallops and shrimp. For dessert I had the limoncello gelato and my wife the cannoli both were very good. Make a reservation as we went at 5pm and it was already packed. Go there and manga!

Written February 22, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Irishbookie

Gettysburg182 contributions

Pleasing 10 People

Jan 2020 • friends

A friend reccomended Manalu to me. I wasn't sure what to expect and had nine other people who were also rookies. What could go wrong? Nothing. It was a delight. Waiter [Marceo?] was attentive and kept our wine coming plus support staff kept us in water and picked up used plate. Very professional staff. Appetizers for table came out quickly, main entrees all delicious. The bread served was super yummy. We were seated in the enclosed patio and it was very warm and inviting. The noise level was somewhat high early on but when large party next to us left we could all converse comfortably. We lingered and never felt like they wanted us to clear out. It us charming to hear the staff song happy Birthday to people in Italian too. I was shocked at how reasonable our bill was too..as a couple we had 4 glasses of wine, 2 salads and 2 entrees for under $70! Pleasing 10 people is not easy. But this restaurant came through for us. Will definitely visit again.

Written January 25, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Melissa M

Savannah92 contributions

Great Place, good value!

Feb 2020 • none

We met family here for lunch. We loved the food and the atmosphere. The service was good and the prices were reasonable. We ordered Lasagna, Gypsy pasta and another vegetarian pasta with zucchini fries for an appetizer. The bread was delicious!! We all left feeling quite satisfied with our choices. We lingered for quite a while since we were meeting people, but they didn't rush us at all, and were very accommodating. Definitely recommend!

Written March 1, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anne S

7 contributions

Don’t use the OpenTable app!

Jun 2021 • couples

We love Manalu, but advise anyone who wants to make a reservation, do not use the Open Table feature to do so. We made a reservation on a weekday for an outside table since it was a beautiful day. When we arrived (on time) we were told that there was no outside seating left and that they had no record of our reservation, even though I showed the hostess the confirmation on my phone. She informed me that this happened all the time and sometimes the restaurant was totally full when people have reservations. No real sympathy from the hostess, just an ‘oh, well,’ that’s how it is. Why connect your restaurant to a service that doesn’t work for you? This just wasn’t the pleasant experience we were looking for. You can do better, Manalu and get a nicer hostess. Caution to other patrons-call the restaurant!

Written June 29, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DeanB

1 contribution

Don't Miss this Gem!!

Jul 2021 • none

The online menu lured us there for a memorable 46th Wedding Anniversary made special by wonderful service and fabulous food :-) Loved the quiet, covered outside porch, even in July! Make reservations for inside dining!! Our waiter, Matteo's service was attentive & responsive yet not intrusive so that the quiet intimate moments went undisturbed. Their bread is amazing so save a piece for dinner to scoop those tasty morsels to the fork. I did find the dipping sauce acceptable yet in need of that indefinable "special herb" something that would have made it as extraordinary as the dinner. The delicious appetizer of calamari rounds were the softest I have eaten. I ordered the Baked Seafood Rigatoni & my wife had the Stuffed shells with Alfredo sauce & special request for spinach to be added. Both came in good time for a busy night in warmed plates and would have been soooo worth having to wait a little longer! The surprise Happy Anniversary desert plate with the Crème Brule was a wonderful touch.

Written July 7, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John Hastings

Bishopville17 contributions

Mongo Portions

Dec 2022 • family

We were visiting family in Frederick and saw the restaurant was highly rated on Trip Advisor . My sister in law said her local friends were really raving about the food , so we called for a reservation for people , but arrived with 10 . The restraunt was packed but they accommodated seamlessly. The server was prompt, friendly and efficient . Drinks and apps arrived quickly , as did dinner . The portions on the entrees were gigantic and tasty , literally enough for 2 people minimum . The only reason I rate the restraunt 4 instead of 5 stars is that they are literally wasting food , not to mention money ,serving portions are f this size . Even the 2 teenagers in our group couldn’t finish their meals. This restraunt is professionally run and has great food . It just bothers me to see food wasted .

Written December 30, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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