Grotto

Doesn't Recommend

angelovetx

Joined 6 years ago

Where Did The Good Service Go?. My friends, family and fiance and I have all been eating here for years. Recently, the service has just his rock bottom. It's horrible. The manager stands around looking grumpy and pissed off. He is not friendly and obviously does not set a good example for his staff. All of the good staff is gone. The food has gone down in quality and the prices up. It takes forever to get waitstaff over to take your drink order. Then try getting a refill, it's impossible! This was once a great place that I loved going to at any time in the day but not now. I can get better service somewhere else. Bring in new management and bring this place back up to where it once was.

Doesn't Recommend

d R.

Joined 1 year ago

BAD service. Extremely dissapointed as the service is horrible. Been there twice and never want to go back. I wouldn't call it relaxing or enjoyable when you have to beg for everything (even things of the most basic nature, like a waiter or waitress to come to greet you and take your beverage order). All of us in both visits were very disappointed with the service and the attitude that considted of: I can't be bothered and I don't undertantd or want to understand and I don't care what you want. We got there before rush hour and there was only 1 table of 2 being served when our group of 4 arrived so you can't even give them credit having to contend with a heavy crowd. It's all about attitude and theirs is bad. And just FYI, Ministrone soup ISN"T pureed - well not unless your jaw is wired closed and you asked for it that way!

Doesn't Recommend

cl713

Joined 2 years ago

Good Food, Terrible Service. We were looking forward to the food, but then we had to get our own menus (my husband was furious). Then, we had to ask for wine lists when the waiter finally came. I also had to ask him to explain the antipasti bar and specials because he seemed to be either airy or distracted despite the fact that it was not that crowded yet. We spent the entire evening trying not to be so upset about how bad the service was. So our date night dinner was ruined! To top it all off, when we got home I realized that they didn't pack all of our leftovers! For a meal over $100, we expect a lot more. I'm calling the manager today and don't expect to go back.

Recommends

will832

Joined 3 years ago

good food, good location. My wife and I went to Grotto's for a sat evening dinner. It was a little crowded, but we like to "people watch" anyway. Food was very good, try the snapper it is great! Really the only complaint I can think of is the birds....but who can control that?

Doesn't Recommend

Kimberlyb842003

Joined 5 years ago

not worth it. This place was very busy for a Wednesday night at 8 so we thought, "Great, this must be good". No. We were dead wrong. Food was mediocre and the service was rushed. The server asked if we wanted anything to drink, but didn't bring a wine list. So he brought one after we asked for it and just stood there while we looked at it and I had to tell him we would need a few minutes. He never smiled and seemed to hate his job. Even if you hate your job you should pretend you like it to the patrons. Anyways, we ordered salads with our meals and when we got the bill boy were we shocked. $6.25 for a house salad of iceberg lettuce! And he told us the house was spinach with walnuts, tomatoes, and provolone which was not what we got. What a rip off. I don't know how there were so many people in there, the place is ridiculous! Go to Perbaccus for authentic homemade reasonably priced Italian.

Doesn't Recommend

jillgeorge

Joined 3 years ago

Bad restaurant for groups. Grotto is not the restaurant to go to for a group event. I had made reservations for a friend's bachelorette party for a large group. Before ordering, I asked to have separate checks but were told that couldn't be done. Instead, the manager brought us a calculator and long receipt to figure out what everyone owed. The servers and managers would not budge on this "policy" and despite being told that we would not return and that this policy made our experience bad, they wouldn't change it and didn't care one bit. Probably ok for a family or small group, but not for large groups! I will never return.

Doesn't Recommend

VGIRL2002

Joined 5 years ago

Don't Waste Your Time or Money!. We had a reservation and still had to wait a while to be seated. The location of the table was awkward because throughout dinner, servers and customers kept knocking into our chairs. The wine list was not accurate. We tried ordering 2 different bottles and were told that they were unavailable and that they were in the process of printing a new wine list. We settled on a bottle from one year, but they brought us a bottle from a different year and tried to tell us that was the one on the menu. It wasn't! We later spoke to the manager about it and he didn't seem to care. There was never any salt on the table, even though we kept requesting it. We finally had to borrow some from another table. The salads were served after a very long wait and the main dishes were served early. A request for more bread was finally honored when they brought dessert. If this sounds like a fun evening to you-enjoy! We won't be returning!!

Recommends

HoustonGirl004

Joined 5 years ago

Unimpressed. Went for dinner for the first time the other night. The restaurant was full so my group of 3 sat in the bar area. We had TERRIBLE service and did not ever have one specific server that waited on us. We had to constantly ask for things such as refills. The restaurant was also out of their complimentary bread that night which was a disappointment. I had the Agnolotti which consisted of 4 large yet very thin raviolis. It was decent. I had the tiramisu for dessert which was excellent and the best part of my experience. I won't be returning. I am SURE there is better Italian food (and service) in Houston.

Recommends

crystalcafe

Joined 7 years ago

Beautiful interior, Exceptional service. I have been here once, and I was very impressed. The interior of the restaurant is very elegant with neutral floors, ceilings, and seating, but colorful walls covered in playful paintings. The waiters (we had two serving our table of 6, plus people coming by to refill water just as frequently as necessary) were extremely friendly and ready to be at our service. In fact, even as I walked past wait staff to get to the restroom, I was treated very politely with "Excuse me"s and smiles. The food and drink was very excellent - I had spinach ravioli with a delicious tiramisu cake for dessert, followed by a perfectly mixed rose bellini from the bar. Sure, the tab was pricey, but with such a great over all experience, it's the perfect place for a special occasion. The only downfall? The food was so delicious that I wish their servings were larger.

Recommends

Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

The hoi polloi gab over tasty Italian dishes at this noisy, oversized cafe.. The Scene
Colorful murals depicting disorderly diners, charming Italian pottery and a display of vibrant antipasti greets diners. If you aren't in the upbeat Italian mood, you'll get there, along with the chatty, well-heeled clientele from nearby suburbia or the Galleria who fill the expansive room.

The Food
Although food and service varies depending on location, count on constants. A peachy Bellini pairs well with tenderly fried calamari and gutsy marinara. Ravioli napped in heady vodka rosa sauce is rave-worthy, as is the crunchy Italian chopped salad mounded with iceberg, prosciutto, Gorgonzola, bacon and balsamic vinaigrette. Fish lovers should try the snapper scarpariello, coated in crispy bread crumbs and topped with tangy red-wine sauce and jumbo shrimp. Cool panna cotta garnished with lime zest explodes with citrus flavor.