Mama Papa Lithuania - Alameda - CLOSED

1241 Park St, Alameda CA 94501
(510) 522-4100
Parking: street parking
Hours; 11a-3p, 5p-9pm Daily
http://www.mamapapalithuania.com/

Last Updated: May 26, 2019

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

I first heard about Mama Papa Lithuania when watching Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  The potato pancakes featured looked so appetizing that when I found myself close enough to make a trip to Alameda, I couldn't wait to try it.  Mama Papa claims that it's the only Lithuanian restaurant along the West Coast!  It's been open since 2013 and is still going strong.

I called ahead to make a reservation since I planned to go on a weekend, but was told not to worry.  Parties under six people wouldn't be a problem - just arrive and they would make sure we had a able.  Upon entering the restaurant, you'll see a lot of wood.  It felt a bit dark initially, but one could call it a rustic atmosphere with a bright colored mural on one wall.  Fresh carnations adorned the tables.

The menu features lots of great comfort food - borscht, cream of mushroom soup, a variety of salads such as beet salad, carrot garlic salad, and green cabbage salad, and options such as dumplings, crepes, and cabbage rolls.  I hope I get the chance to go back soon to try out some more of this goodness.

- Potato Pancakes with Meat  - While these ended up looking a lot darker than what was featured on the television show, these two pancakes were stuffed with seasoned ground pork.  They had been pan friend and served with a dollop of sour cream.  The ultimate in comfort food, the potato was crispy on the outside and the meat was warm and delicious inside.  Loved this and would definitely get it again. Four stars and highly recommended. $16

- Three Deep-fried Pierogies  - If you've ever had a really good Chinese green onion pancake, these are quite reminiscent of that.  Stuffed with melted cheese, sautéed onions and mushrooms, and served with what looked like ketchup, with its beautiful browning, these were more bites of comfort and goodness in a pocket.  So crispy on the outside and slightly bubbly in its texture, these are so simple in their ingredients, and yet super delicious.  Another four star dish and I could eat a whole plate of these without any sauce.  Delicious.  $6

- Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - Two cabbage rolls are stuffed with seasoned ground pork, rice, and a homemade sauce.  The  rolls are then stewed and served with boiled potatoes, dill pickles, and marinated pickled garlic in chili pepper.  The cabbage rolls were tender with every bite and the sauce brings the entire dish together.  A sprinkle of fresh dill makes it a beautiful plate and adds a little extra flavor.  While it was still very good, I probably would try another dish next time (whereas I could easily eat some more potato pancakes and pierogies).  The pickles are a nice offset to lighten the palate.  $18

- Chicken Cutlets - Two cutlets are manually minced and baked.  They're served with sautéed mushrooms and onions and a salad made of grated carrots, garlic, and mayonnaise.  These were a huge surprise because if I didn't know it was chicken, I would have thought this was a different kind of meat.  Served on a bed of mashed potatoes, I could definitely eat more of these cutlets and you can't go wrong with mushrooms and onions.  The carrot salad was also lovely - the garlic flavoring was milder than I expected and was pleasant overall.  $19

Service was fine - we had opted to share all of these dishes and they were very friendly about it.  Sometimes it took a while for plates to get cleared, but nothing major.

For lunch, you can get a half order at half the price (11a-3p daily) which seems like an excellent bargain.  If you're ever in the Alameda area, I would highly recommend this place and I can't remember why, but I didn't get their most popular dish - garlic fried rye bread -definitely on my list for next time.  I also look forward to trying the potato dumplings and need to remember to save room for dessert - honey cake which looks like a lovely layer cake - how can you go wrong. Can't wait for my next visit!