As a food connoisseur & a resident of Melbourne I would have to advise anybody considering this restaurant to avoid at all costs. I visited this location on 05/02/2021 to celebrate my fiancés & mine anniversary with hopes of an amazing experience. Upon arrival, the...hostess was rude, directive & short. We were seated promptly & greeted by the waitress who began complaining about how she was underpaid & would rather work at [a gas station] as they give $25.00 to people who have their vaccine shot & some kind of bonus incentive. She then began to brag on how they are the best restaurant in Brevard county & that no other place is better. We ordered the appetizers, Escargot, Calamari (recommended by the waitress), & Stuffed Mushrooms.
Escargot - Very Oily, Bread it was served with was fried & the oil had an overwhelming amount of sodium. The escargot itself was tough & chewy.
Calamari - My fiancé enjoyed the calamari, but it wasn't any better than the next store on the list.
Stuffed Mushrooms - Taste very similar to the stuffed mushrooms which Olive garden used to server, nothing to special but the sauce was decent and flavorful.
The appetizers were decent & I had no complaints as it went down & everything on the table was edible at this point. For entrees, I ordered the chicken parmesan & my fiancé ordered the Penne Pasta w/ Vodka Sauce. Once the entrees came out I took my first bite & was biting something chewy, I looked down at the chicken & noticed a black piece of rubber sticking out. (see photo) you can imagine at this point my stomach is upset & I am only imagining the cross contamination of where this piece of rubber came from. I called the waitress over to explain to her that there was rubber in my meal & I would like it to be taken off the check. She returns 5 minutes later & tells me the chef is making another one & apologizes. I explain to her I would not like to pay for the chicken parmesan or my fiancés Penne Pasta w/ Vodka sauce as she then felt uneasy & I don't believe she should have to dig through her food to feel safe to eat. The waitress then screams & goes inside then comes back out & says don't shoot the messenger but we can't take either of those off, she then takes my fiancés penne w/ vodka sauce back as I said I would not like to pay for it (mind you not 1 bite has been consumed of either dish at this point.) She then returns 5 minutes later & says "You have to pay for this there is nothing I can do, either you pay for it or I pay for it & I don't have the money to do that" - These are the words that came out of my waitresses mouth. I then ask for a manager, which they then say the owner has went to the warehouse & there will be no managers available for the next couple of hours. I was shocked by the lack of customer service & attention to detail. My table was not once visited by a manager I ended up paying $59.44 for food appetizers & food that was not consumed. The "Servers" Name was Kunz L. Management really needs to rethink how customers are treated when their restaurant is at fault for food that has been poorly handled. I will never revisit & advise anybody who is considering to go to go anywhere else. (Hemming Ways Tavern) Next door is extremely better & has never disappointed. To end the story, me and my fiancé ended up going to Yellow Dog Café which treated us amazing & gave us a great experience. It is a shame to see an establishment not want to be what they claim themselves to be "the best restaurant in Brevard County" more like a pathetic excuse for an Italian Bistro. I will not be revisiting.More
