Leo’s Latticini Mama’s

Highly recommended! This place was recommended by a retired NYPD K-​9 friend/​co-​worker of mine that took us there. He introduced us to the whole family that was so friendly and genuinely happy that we were paying a visit. I had the mamas special and a San Bennedetto soda. The sandwich was to die for! We sat down and ate at the bakery that they owned as well and had a bunch of desserts and then one of the daily members brought out a dish of MORE just for us!

Amazing hero, friendly staff, true NY Italian «vibe.» It was my first time here and just stopped to grab a hero before heading to Planeview Park. I was pleasantly surprised at the freshness of the mozzarella and prosciutto. I will definitely be coming back. She said they even have a stand at Citi field. How neat is that?

Over priced simple sandwiches, they use the same gloves to handle money and prepare sandwiches. Staff was also disrespectful, they talk about you if you don’t appear to know English.

Hands down my favorite Italian American latticini to grab a sandwich or cooked food for lunch. You can’t go wrong with a loaded mamas special, or even the homemade turkey and fresh mozzarella add some lettuce tomato and balsamic!!! The cooked food reminds me of the glory days at my grandparents house for dinner. The food has that official authentic home made taste. Unbeatable! And not only do you get to eat good but you can walk next door to the bakery and choose from tons of Italian favorites for desert. Amazing staff and the owners are very involved in the community. ²⁰⁄₁₀

You can’t beat the quality or the price. I wish we had one here in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On the plus side; I’ve had to learn how to make my own fresh mozzarella… not as good as theirs, but still fresher than my other choices around here.

An amazing place. the quality of the food is surpassed only by the wonderful DeBenedittis sisters. Best mozzarella anywhere + great sandwiches and antipasti.
Worth a trip from Jersey [or Texas!].

Love everything about this place — The old school feel, the friendly women behind the counter and most importantly the food. Their mamas sandwich is delicious and their mozzarella is stringy and oh so good. Their pasta plates look quite tasty as well. Didn’t get a chance to visit their garden. This place is a bit out of the way, but definitely worth the trek

Just read an article about this deli in the NY Daily News and I was going to go today, but they r closed on Sunday. Hey everybody needs a day of rest. I’m going next Saturday to try Mama’s Special and then I’m going to the bakery down the block and have the cappuccino with the biscotti. Can’t wait. C u then.
By the pics and reviews I’m a give it 5 stars because Unilocal won’t let me post without it, but I’m sure without even tasting anything from there it’s a 5 star deli.
The real taste test comes next Saturday. Again c u then.

I have moved out of NY for over 14 years. Had to come by to get a Mama’s special and a eggplant parmigiana. Still the best ever!

Our favorite family deli, excellent service and food is consistently excellent, we love the ladies that serves and mama’s special hero! A Queens landmark, with a quaint backyard patio for dining afessco

The Mama’s special is everything. It’s one of the best (if not the best) sandwiches I’ve ever had. It has a great balance of flavors, and all the flavors work really, really well together.
The shop itself is clean and has a nice layout. There are plenty of other sandwich options, as well as cooked foods available, but I’ve only had the Mama’s special as it calls me back time and time again.
The service is quick and friendly. There’s no seating inside that I remember seeing, but there are chairs and tables with umbrellas available outside.
Luckily, I live only a few minutes away from Leo’s Latticini Mama’s, but it’s worth traveling for!

Mama Knows Best
This neighborhood gem had an old school vibe. Mama’s Sandwiches are wrapped in special red picnic patterned paper. The sandwich artistes behind the counter were cunningly crafty and quick like Italian ninja chefs.
I had the Mama’s special which consists of prosciutinni, salami, fresh mozzarella, mushrooms and red peppers. The bread was soft and fresh. The fresh mozz was refreshing and acted well to counter balance the saltiness of the Italian meat. The earthy mushrooms were your standard Italian style mushrooms in a jar. The roasted red peppers really gave life to the sandwich by bringing a sweet component to the flavor profile.
I loved the sandwich but what makes the experience awesome is the outdoor seating area hidden in the back of the connected bakery next door. The miniature oasis is an escape from the surrounding urban neighborhood. The best thing about the space is the old school fountain which brings a zen like calming feeling while I chomped on my sandwich. The sandwich is about 8 bucks and its big enough to eat in two sittings.
I really liked the bakery too. The smell of fresh coffee permeates the whole air space. They offer an array of Italian baked goods including some non traditional items like chocolate covered pretzels with m&ms on them.
I’d definitely come back for a fresh Italian sandwich and the refreshing atmosphere. Mama knows what she’s doing.

I generally feel bad for those of you who never tasted the sandwiches before they were «famous». In the old days the sandwich was made for YOU at the time you ordered it. They would run out of hero’s sometimes but you didn’t mind because the bread was fresh and GOOD. It was your fault for not getting there earlier. Since they started selling sandwiches at Citifield it’s gone down hill (another reason to hate the Mets). They are still good but because I’ve had the original it’s all disappointment now. The bread tastes mass produced, the sandwich seems to have been sliced and put together six hours before you got there. It used to be made and served to you by someone in the family who would make some small talk with you while you waited. Now some foreigner with an attitude takes the pre made sandwich out of the basket spoons some mushrooms and peppers on it, wraps it, throws it in a bag and takes your money.

Visiting the store is an experience in and of itself. The shop is pretty small, but the ladies behind the counter are super sweet and very warm and friendly. This place is super old school and is more commonly known as just Mama’s or Mama’s of Corona, which is the name of their shop at Citi Field which has been at Shea/​Citi Field for a number of years. I originally heard of this place from a show where Chef Mario Batali was showcasing Italian American delis and this was one of the places that they had featured. I really like how the employees wear personalized Mets jerseys that say Mama’s on the back. Also, the bakery a few stores down is owned by the same people so you can take your sandwiches and eat at the bakery.
The food:
Mama’s Special– Prosciuttini, Salami, Mozzarella with mushrooms and peppers. OMG the name of the store and the word special? Oh yeah, it has to be good. I thought this sandwich was great. The bread is sturdy enough to withhold the sandwich but has a nice, soft texture and has a nice crunch from the bread. All the ingredients blend so perfectly together especially with the mozz. I really enjoyed the mushrooms and peppers. This is a must get, it’s a classic Italian American sandwich.

Chicken alla Crema– with mushroom, peppers and mozzarella. The chicken is so tender and flavorful, then there is some type of crunchy pork product on top, think it might be some kind of ham, but it adds nice flavor and a slight crunch and it also has a layer of a breading layer than adds a wonderful richness. The homemade mozz is perfection, it is slightly salty when you eat it plain, but it is so perfectly seasoned and textured when you eat it in the sandwich. I thought this was great.
Artichoke Antipasto– I thought this was made well, the artichoke was perfectly tender and the olives and carrots offered a nice textural contrast. The dressing worked well, it had a nice flavor to tie everything together with a nice pop from the vinegar.
Rainbow Cookie and Cannoli– This is from the bakery a few stores down since it’s the same owner. I thought the Rainbow Cookie was pretty straight forward, but I thought the Cannoli was excellent. It was super crunchy and the the filling had such a wonderful creamy texture and a really nice and not overpowering mascarpone flavor.

I almost don’t want to review it so people will leave me alone while I binge eat everything from here.
The deli part looks straight out of Italy — hanging cured meats, etc. Italian moms behind the counter, ready to make you a custom sandwich, or you can grab a premade Mama’s special on the counter. Everything they make or sell is authentic and delicious.
Right next door is an old school huge bakery that reminds me of Queens back in the day. Dozens if not hundreds of baked items that are so fresh and delicious it’s hard to pick just a few to eat. The cannolis are among the top 3 I have ever had.

Friday craved Leo’s Eggplant Parm hero, sadly it was not to be, only serving turkey or fish (plenty of time during lent for pescie). Jack and I went for turkey built my way. Enjoyed!

OMG OMG Leo’s Latticini makes me want to move to Corona so I can buy lunch there everyday. It’s that awesome.
This hidden gem is located in the residential part of Corona, a short distance from Spaghetti Park, the Lemon Ice King of Corona, and Shea Stadium. It has been there (almost) forever. Parking is on-​street and not the greatest, but it’s all worth it.
I have not been to Leo’s in years because of the parking situation. The last time I was there, Mama was still around, and they still had the pasta store a couple of doors down. Yet, not much has changed. Sure, they re-​arranged the counter a little and they now accept credit cards at the deli (instead of making you walk over to the bakery), but the taste is the same, as with the quality and the service. I was fortunate enough to see one of the owners while waiting for my sandwich, and she and I talked like old friends; she made me feel so welcome that I felt like I was visiting my friend’s mom instead of a business.
I ordered a sandwich with roast beef with fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers, and balsamic vinegar, while ze boyfriend had a turkey with fresh mozzarella. Just like it was years before, we headed to the bakery (which they own) a few doors down to enjoy our sandwiches. Man, that first bite brought tears to my eyes. It also made me excited, and being the glutton that I am, I was tempted to head back to the deli and buy another sandwich to go. But I stopped myself, and vowed to come back before the month is up for some pizza rustica (damn, I hope they still make those!).
Wanting that sandwich to last, I saved half and checked out the baked goods. I wound up with two cappuccinos and four biscottis. Guess how much?! $ 7!!! Yeah, I know. You can’t even get two large iced coffees for $ 7 in the city, much less all those. The cappuccinos were perfect; all that was missing was a heart, and I would have truly been in heaven.
I also bought a slice of tiramisu, a cannoli, half a pound of rainbow slices, and a quarter pound of biscotti. Guess how much those were!!! $ 13! Can you believe it? I probably should not say this, but with some bakeries I have been to, a pound of cookies is $ 18+, so it was refreshing to see that they do not gouge their customers.
An hour later, it was time to go, and a slight twinge of separation anxiety came over me. Bearing in mind that I will be back soon, I longingly looked at the deli one last time before heading back to the car.
I highly recommend Leo’s (can you tell)? Apart from my visit before Christmas, I am looking forward to visiting again in the spring/​summer, and taking advantage of their outdoor patio seating behind the bakery.

Leo’s Latticini aka Mama’s was a place recommended by a friend who used to work around the area and I remember he used to tell me how his company always order this 6 foot long giant chicken cutlet hero sandwich during holiday parties. With that said, I know it’s time for me to make a trip.
Parking: The place is not very easy to find so definitely bring your GPS and on top of that, once you get there, good luck finding a spot but don’t let that discourage you because it’s well worth it!
There are many parts to this place, but you want to head to the first shop which is the sandwich shop/​cheese shop. The people in the shop are very nice there so don’t be nervous if you don’t know what to get– just ask them!
I had the Eggplant Parm my first time around and I literally was shocked after my first bite because it was so freaking good! The fresh mozzarella was so good and melted so well on top of the well seasoned eggplant, the eggplants were very thinly sliced, fried to perfection and was super flavorful, it didn’t tasted greasy and every bite was blasting with flavor and texture. The marinara sauce was fresh tasting and you can taste that it is not from a can because there is certain sweetness to it! OH man, I don’t think I ever had a better eggplant parm in my life.
This time around I was going to get the same thing but unfortunately they didn’t have it so I decided to go for what was recommended on Unilocal– Roasted turkey with fresh mozz and sweet hot pepper and mushroom.
I’m usually not a big fan of turkey because they can taste very dry and hard to digest but it’s different at Mama’s!
Here the turkey is very juicy, they put fresh mozz on top of it and also sweet pepper and mushroom. The whole thing is then drizzle with gravy… the sandwich is far from dry… OMG I thought I wouldn’t have any other favorite other than the eggplant parm but looks like I just found another go-​to at Mama’s. btw did I mention they don’t skip on their meat and mozz? amazing!
Price: Awesome! Mama’s is super famous in the area but what’s great about them is they didn’t raise their because of that and I love them for it! Your average sandwich will come to around $ 7– $ 9, consider it’s quality and size, this is a GREAT DEAL!
Overall: What can I say about Mama’s, wonderful people, awesome food, great price. The pictures behind the cashier counter said it all (pictures of mayors, celebrities). It’s not easy to find but once you have eaten it’s food, you’ll for sure remember how to get back here!

Mama’s Special… what else is there to say? It’s just the most delicious sandwich in all of New York City! The hot peppers are HOT so go with the sweet peppers if you don’t like spicy. And you have to get the mushrooms on top. The fresh mozz doesn’t get any better than what you’ll find here. My father worked in the neighborhood when I was growing up & it was always a treat when he’d come home with Mama’s for lunch!

Awesome quick stop for a bite. Mozz is amazing.
Limited but available outdoor seating. Good place to enjoy the local vibe and people watch.

SANDWICH SHOP CLOSED SUNDAYS (Bakery open).
Checked Unilocal which said open Sunday… should have called! Only the bakery was open and the woman told me the sandwich part is always closed Sunday. They did however have the Mama’s Special sandwiches in boxes for sale (not sure how many they make though, they had like 8 when we walked in in the early noon but people were buying them pretty fast, not sure if they had more in the fridge). I don’t eat meat but my boyfriend had one. I stole some of his bread, mozz, and roasted red peppers and marinated mushrooms. Everything tasted cold and fresh and tasty. The mozz was salty and delicious! He thought it was really good too and loved the prosciutinni. Kinda surprising for a sandwich in a box! The super fresh version must be even better.
The neighborhood didn’t seem too scary but I am not sure how it is at night.

The sandwich must be good when you plan a trip with the kids to the New York Hall of Science solely for the purpose of sneaking over to Mama’s for lunch. Home-​baked bread, top-​quality cold cuts, peppers roasted on site… and what has to be the world’s best mozzarella.
Topped it off with a cappuccino next door. What could be a better reason to have children?

Best Italian Deli in New York, Period! I define the best by not only the food, sandwiches, and specialties being served but by the three sisters that own and run this store, there are no finer. Mama did a great job teaching and sharing her food recipes but taught them the most important thing how to treat everyone fairly and with love. Mama’s special, nothing like it, don’t forget the mushrooms and roast peppers!

Simply the best sandwiches.
Personal favorite is their eggplant parm… no, their turkey with fresh mozzarella and gravy… no no, it’s their roast beef… Erm… I can’t decide!
Yes, it’s that good. I always get their sandwiches with gravy and freshly slicked mozzarella. Absolutely delicious with their pickled peppers. Yum!!!
They take credit card, so it’s a double bonus. Go! Now and get it!