A Main Line institution is days away from serving its final cheesesteak. Mama’s Pizzeria, a Bala Cynwyd staple since 1958, will close for good Saturday.
Although the word pizzeria is in its name, the shop doesn’t serve pizza. Its reputation was built on oversized cheesesteaks packed with meat and other hot sandwiches.
Customers flocked to the restaurant Wednesday morning, hoping for one last taste before the doors shut permanently.
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“It’s hands down one of the greatest steaks you’ll ever have,” Philadelphia native Joe McCann said. “It’s yummy, full of meat. It’s the best.”
McCann, who now lives in Ormond Beach, Florida, said he never returns to the Philadelphia area without stopping at Mama’s.
The demand was so high that some customers were turned away after the shop ran out of rolls and meat for the day.
“It stinks,” Jerry Mitchell from Harrisburg said. “But that’s what happens when you’re that good.”
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Behind the grill was owner Paul Castellucci Sr., 64, who has run the shop for decades.
Staff members said Castellucci had originally planned to retire next year, but health issues have moved up his timeline. With no one to take over the business, Castellucci made the difficult decision to close.
For loyal customers, that means turning to other restaurants for their cheesesteak fix.
“It’s like if I had a Rolls-Royce and I had to drive a Chevy afterward. It still gets you from point A to point B, but it’s not a Rolls-Royce,” Center City resident Steve Grosswald said.
McCann said he wishes the recipes could be passed down so the business could continue. Cashier Tara Pierson, who has worked at Mama’s for 21 years, said that’s unlikely to happen.
“I’m sad because I’ve been here for so long,” Pierson said. “Everybody’s going to miss it.”
Customers said they’re not just losing a restaurant. They’re losing a piece of community history.
“There’s only one Mama’s,” McCann said. “There’s no other Mama’s out there, like where you can go to a place that resembles Mama’s. It’s its own staple. To see it go, it’s like heartbreaking.”
Castellucci said the well-wishes from customers mean everything during this final stretch. Customers have been sharing memories, thanking him for decades of service and even stopping by to see him, whether or not they could get a sandwich.
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