Villa Maria is a delicious lunch spot for Mercer students craving Italian food. This restaurant and pizzeria, located at 3800 Quakerbridge Road in Hamilton Township, is a quick seven minute drive from MCCC’s West Windsor campus.
The restaurant is a modern pizzeria complete with booth seating, a countertop with a myriad of fresh-made pizzas, and two televisions. Opposite the entrance is the sit-down restaurant side of the establishment, as well as a private banquet room.
Walking further in the place transforms into an authentic Italian restaurant. This area has stone walls with dim pleasant lighting and a wall-mounted fireplace.
Villa Maria’s menu items are available for sit-down lunch and dinner service. They include Italian classics like chicken cacciatore, shrimp scampi, chicken parmigiana, fettuccine panna, and of course, a solid ziti vodka.
Their plain pie is well-balanced, without being too greasy. The crust is crunchy on the outside, and soft and supple on the inside. Their red sauce is sweet and tangy and pairs well with the cheese, which is rich, salty, pull-apart perfection – everything you’d want in a classic cheese pizza.
Giving a wide range of flavors, Villa Maria serves other classic pizzas like pepperoni, meat lover’s or the Brooklyn tomato pie, many with both thick and thin crust options.
On top of that, this restaurant boasts numerous specialty pizzas available by the slice for dine-in or takeout, such as the chicken parmesan, chicken bacon ranch, and even a baked ziti pizza.
Sam Verde, owner of Villa Maria said, “[a favorite slice] probably for a lot of college students is the buffalo.” Their chicken romano slice is another favorite, with tender chicken, mushrooms and spinach finished with a complex, savory cream sauce.
The restaurant serves subs as well, their chicken vodka hot sub is a hefty sandwich of breaded white meat chicken bathed in their creamy, pink vodka sauce. It’s simple, filling, and delicious. The bread is crunchy and holds everything together nicely while avoiding hot sub sogginess.
When asked about the ingredients used, Verde said, “Everything is fresh made, nothing is frozen. You eat fresh and healthy, you’re gonna be living a healthier lifestyle.”
Along with the food, Villa Maria’s staff are all committed to creating a welcoming experience for customers. They are friendly, helpful, and always willing to make friends with guests.
When asked what the best part of the job is, Nina Verde, server at Villa Maria said, “The crew! Definitely the crew. A lot of us have been here years.”
Villa Maria seems to be a popular lunch spot among the MCCC West Windsor campus already; several students recently visited the Italian restaurant for lunch.
Jo Applegate, a first year Audio Production major at MCCC said, “I feel like the pizza was really good. I really enjoyed it. I would definitely come back especially after classes because it’s convenient and it’s closeby to Mercer.”
Siyath Anandasiri, a dual enrollment student at MCCC said “It was good! I’d give the chicken romano 7.5 and I would give the buffalo chicken an eight out of ten.”
All things considered, Villa Maria is a place well worth trying for any Mercer students or faculty with a craving for Italian. A sprawling menu, fresh ingredients, pleasant atmosphere, and personable staff are all reasons to try this local gem.
