Concierge.com's insider take:

There's no sign, just a small door with red curtains. Inside you'll find a jumble of wooden tables and a sawdust-covered floor—and homemade pasta, gnocchi, and other comfort food worth the often-long wait. Though Margherita herself has become too old to cook, two assistants who trained at her side for years continue to offer straightforward, traditional food at very reasonable prices: pasta and chickpea soup, tonnarelli cacio e pepe (thick spaghetti with grated cheese and black pepper), fried zucchini flowers, osso buco, and Roman Jewish specialties, including fried artichokes. Be forewarned: The restaurant doesn't take credit cards.

Open Tuesdays through Thursdays and Sundays 12:30 to 3 pm; Fridays and Saturdays 12:30 to 3 pm and 8 to 10:30 pm, September through July.The restaurant sometimes closes on summer Saturdays as well; call ahead to check.