Fresh and homemade: Pizza place draws crowds in Bluffton. See what’s on the menu
On a recent evening, the line was out the door at Mama G’s Pizza Bistro and Bar in Moss Creek Village.
It didn’t take long for word to spread about the restaurant located on the Bluffton side of the Hilton Head bridges.
Karen Davidson of Bluffton was waiting for a table with her husband and daughter. She said it would be their second time dining there in the three weeks the restaurant has been open.
“The dough on the pizza is just phenomenal,” Davidson said. “You can just taste the freshness of the sauce and the ingredients and the cheese.”
Mama G’s owner, Glen Grace, said he and his staff are “super passionate about ingredients.” Fresh and homemade are key.
“We use everything organic or non-GMO that we can find,” he said.
The new restaurant is a family business.
Grace, who also has a trucking company, moved to the Lowcountry six years ago. He’s originally from New Jersey.
His three grown children had been working for other restaurants in the area.
“I told them, ‘If you want to give me a three-year commitment, I can open up a restaurant, and you can be your own boss,’” Grace said.
They took him up on the deal.
Mama G’s seats 95 inside, and Grace expects to add an additional 32 seats outside, possibly by July Fourth.
“This isn’t your kid’s pizzeria,” says the restaurant’s website. “This is a pizza joint designed for grown-ups, but kids are welcome too!”
The menu
Pizzas at Mama G’s come in a “bar pie” — a roughly 8-inch by 12-inch rectangle cut into six pieces — or an 18-inch round. Pizzas are generally in the $15 to $18 range for a bar pie or $23 to $29 for the 18-inch.
The flavors are in line with the restaurant’s upscale Italian motif. (We’re welcome to call it “bougee,” according to its website.)
“The Boss” or Capo pizza is topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, sausage, pepperoni, ricotta, basil and Asiago. There’s another with Gorgonzola, prosciutto, pear and arugula. For mushroom fans, the Funghi comes with shitake, cremini and portobello mushrooms, truffle pecorino and a balsamic drizzle.
Those with more simple cravings can get a cheese pizza or customize it with an array of toppings, including bell peppers, olives, spinach, bacon, ham or grilled chicken, among others.
In addition to pizza, customers can choose from small plates in the $10 to $15 range, including arancini (risotto with peas and cheese rolled into balls, breaded and fried), roasted eggplant caponata, braised claims and grilled calamari, or share an antipasto board for $27.
An assortment of salads round out the menu with panini served on house-made focaccia.
Drink specialties include an Amalfi spritz (house-made limoncello, prosecco and club soda) or the Costello, an espresso martini.
To end your meal, choose from a dozen flavors of Marion’s Gelato from Mount Pleasant.
If you go
What: Mama G’s Pizza Bistro and Bar
Where: 1533 Fording Island Road, Suite 302, in Moss Creek Village
Hours: Noon to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday
Phone: 843-543-6262
Website: mamagpizzahhi.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mamagpizza
