First, DO NOT go here if you are not Caucasian. The servers including the manager will not recognise your presence, purposely forget your order (drinks or otherwise) and make sure to serve you last IF your food does get ordered. It is as though one has stepped back in time to the days of Jim Crow. As for the food, after finally getting my entree I was hugely surprised that the crab cakes were the size of quarters and full of table salt. Since they were a premium, one would expect if you can't get it fresh, it would be removed from the menu. No, they just give you obviously poorly frozen cheap claw meat. Then served on top of some absolutely horribly salty asparagus puree and a cheap bottled balsamic reduction. Needless to say I couldn't and subsequently did not eat it. Not the the staff cared. The server basically spit in my face (his name was John) with his horrendously pretentious attitude, telling me very slowly and loudly as if I were a child that I would not understand good food and therefore he would not attempt to get me a replacement. After speaking with the manager, she had the audacity to offer me a coupon for a free meal! As horrible as this experience was it did make for a great story.
(1)
Dwayne K.
Just so so. Kind of expensive, small portions.
(2)
Lindsey O.
We had a catered lunch at this location, and I was very surprised to see that the restaurant received a low rating on yelp. The food was delicious. It was fatty, heavy, but very tasty. The meat balls were perfect (not runny or dry - compact and tasty). The 'lobster' ravioli was the group favorite, even thought the restaurant used crab meat. I'm going to assume they used crab meat from a can, but the meat tasted great. Overall, the back room was very spacious and seated our whole group. I would definitely look into hosting here again if in Dover DE.
(5)
James M.
I had 2 meals here recently while visiting from out of town. I think the secret to enjoying the food here is knowing what to order. There is an extensive menu, which is always a warning flag for me, as it is hard to do 60 or 80 different things well. The salads are exceptionally fresh and served with wonderful dressings. I had a side salad for dinner the first night and wanted a larger version of that for lunch the next day - no problem - even though it wasn't on the menu, they were glad to do it. The seasonal specials are worth checking out. I had the best soft shell crab (appetizer size) that I have ever eaten - served perfectly crispy and tender on a simple bed of greens with lemon juice. I could have been happy with a few more of those for a meal, but I went with the cappellini with garlic and olive oil. The pasta was delicious, perfectly cooked, but much too large a portion to finish. The lemon tart was a good dessert. There are many heavier dishes available which might be right up your alley - but don't hesitate to go to Roma for lighter, fresher fare as well.
(4)
Ron H.
Great meal..the lobster ravioli was divine.. Tasty oil infused with garlic to go with the bread. The salad had a great house Italian . The calamari was so tender and ever our kids ate it up. We are about an hour away in Ocean City Maryland but the next time we are up and over we would make a point to go by there and have a great early dinner again
(4)
Mark G.
this is my favorite restaurant in Dover the Italian food is excellent and the service is outstanding. Allison is always my waitress and she doesn't excellent job very attentive and polite. Everything I have here is prepared perfectly and the bread and oil before my meal is so darn good I can't stay away from it. My ties do not like this place so much as I always have to get them cleaned after eating here! sooooo good
(5)
Christine R.
I have to agree with other ratings and reviewers - that empty restaurant, do you have a reservation question was strange. We weren't allowed to sit in any of the empty booths and were seated at a (2 top) table in the middle of what I'd call an aisle. As the wait staff got drinks from the bar and food from the kitchen they practically ran over us. I was bumped on the arm while eating with no apology from the waiter. My companion had a waiter lift a tray full of food that going to a table right over his head. I can't believe I stayed and we both agreed we should have walked ou at that minute. However we were hungry, so my dining companion ordered pasta with sauce since it's hard to mess up (he was unimpressed) and I ordered the seafood marinara which was missing the mussels and shrimp. When I finally found a waitress to get ours (we were abandoned as well) I asked the waitress & she said that they cost extra. Huh? I asked to speak to the manager and was scolded by him. We paid over $85 not including the tip. A huge disappointment from my prior visit a few years earlier when the waiters were attentive, food was top notch and prices were reasonable. NEVER AGAIN!
(1)
Shante M.
I loved the food and service! I I have ate dinner here many times as a party of 2. The food and service was still great when I came here for dinner with a large group.
(5)
Mike M.
Celebrated anniversary this week, and had a very good experience. Nice booth in front room, welcoming hostess and waitress, former model from Latvia was pleasant and attentive. Our meals were fine (lobster ravioli and cioppino), plenty of hot bread, good salads plus a complimentary glass of champagne for our anniversary. If they are always this good, I would rate it highly and we will return.
(4)
Gwynedd D.
I've had a great meal there once, and then thereafter, something that could only qualify as food in a general famine. We had a large party there, reserved. The steak was microwaved. Gray, rubbery, inedible. I can tell if a steak is microwaved and not broiled or even seared/oven finished. This was thrown directly into the 'wave. To speed things up. The staff sat on their hands through the dinner and offered no coffee at the end. The owner or manager was invisible. This place is nothing to write home about, expensive and inconsistent. Honestly, I'd rather eat at a fast food joint. At least I'd get my money's worth.
(1)
Anthony B.
Ambiance/Decor/Atmosphere: Roma's decor is slightly antiquated but nonetheless neat with a feel of reminiscent Italian scenery. For the most part it is a classy enough looking restaurant that is inviting and warm. The level of lighting is just right, not too dark but enough to set the mood. Noise/sound level: The noise level is average, nothing out of the ordinary here. Menu: The menu is a little small and contains household Italian items that everyone should already know of. It is a little plain and boring and could sway diners to other restaurants that are not interested in the specials or standard fare. But, there are a small handful of intriguing items to be had. Service: The service is average, nothing bad here, a little slow but at least the servers pay attention to detail enough to keep everyone satisfied. The staff are pretty friendly and the restaurant is quite accommodating. Food: The food is excellent, I'm not particularly fond of Italian food but this was some of the best I've had. The party I was with had vegetable risotto, chicken parm, seafood fra diavolo, and ciopino. None of the seafood was gritty or over cooked, the rice was rich and creamy and not dry, and the chicken parms were cooked correctly, not like you can really mess that up. Even if there are a few hits or misses the food more than makes up for it. Bar: The bartender was a little lost and did not know how to make certain drinks for some of the diners with me. It would have been best if they asked first or suggested something else. Price: Everything except the chicken parm was priced well. The chicken parm costs $17 which is quite ridiculous but my eight fish ciopino costs $25 and that included another soup and bread along with the accompanied pasta. I don't think you can beat that with a rocket launcher if you wanted to. I am not too sure why this place has taken a review beating like it has. Everything is very good to nearly excellent and some of these reviews seem begrudgingly phony. I know people will experience and expect different things but sometimes people will have off days. It's unfortunate all it takes to damage a restaurant's credibility is a few lame reviews from a few spoiled whiny diners. I will definitely go back, too bad you won't.
(4)
Sharon B.
My husband and I have been coming here since we were dating and it has always been our favorite Italian restaurant. We loved the sauce best, which we feel makes an Italian restaurant. It almost pains me to give a bad review, but after our last visits, it's time to find a new favorite. The food no longer is stellar, but Ok. It appears they have either changed their sauce recipe or chef, because it is not the same. Service is ridiculous. There were four of us for dinner and the waitress hardly checked on us. This is a small restaurant with the bar barely 50 feet away, which is where our server hung out talking to the other server and bartender, and at one point laying her head down on the bar! Must have been exhausted from not covering not her three tables! Too bad, they have lost some very loyal customers.
(2)
David T.
If you can get past the slow service, terrible food, and sticky bathroom floors then go for it. Otherwise...steer clear!
(1)
Jessie C.
I am surprised at the low average rating. We have been here five or six times and have always been very happy with the food. The service is okay, not excellent, but we are able to look past it because the eats are delicious. Try the risotto.
(4)
Gwen M.
My parents try to eat here regularly to help local business which has been shrinking in Dover. I have eaten here many times over the years and usually end up here with them once a year since I no longer live in Dover. We were there Saturday and our meals were very good. I had Chicken Piccata and a cup of Italian Wedding soup and enjoyed both. It came with a side of pasta as well. My parents also enjoyed the food they ordered. While the decor is a bit dated and the service is good ( not great) I would certainly tell people looking for fine Italian (not Olive Garden chain Italian) to eat here. Others questioned the low ratings. Keep in mind some are from a few years ago. I find more recent reviews are more helpful as they may have fixed issues people were complaining about.
(4)
Candice S.
Excellent food always! Love it here.
(5)
Avonel R.
I had high hopes for this place because I desperately wanted to find a restaurant in Delaware that serves quality food in a fine-dining atmosphere. I have no problem paying for great food, but for the price, Roma's is not worth it. The lasagna I had was sub-par. In comparison to other restaurants in Delaware, this might be your best bet, but don't expect to get what you pay for.
(2)
Joe O.
My wife and I have driven past this restaurant for several years and were very excited to try it. I made reservations for this Valentine's Day and surprised her. Once she knew where we were going she was excited as well. After arriving and being seated quickly, our waitress came to our table. She was very short with us - I figured she was just busy, took our drink order and said she would be back. 10 mins later she arrived with our drinks (but no water, we had to request it). At this point she took our appetizer and meal order. The drinks were affordable, and tasted great! The bread we ate while waiting was very good as well. To get quickly to the point, we waited over an hour with nothing - not even a water refill - between our appetizers and our food. I had to get up from the table and wave another waitress down and explain to her we hadn't eaten yet. Meanwhile tables around us had come and gone. Our food came out about 15 mins after I said something. The food was wonderful, and the manager came over and apologized and said she would comp our drinks. An apology is good, so we continued eating. While eating we overheard a waitress at a different table introduce herself. She continued telling her table about several Valentine's Day specials not on the menu that our waitress never even mentioned. In fact, when she talked to us at all, which was rare she was abrupt and just seemed bothered. At this point, we just felt we needed to thank management for giving us the drinks free, but explain this was our first time and the service from our particular waitress was just bad. We had the manager come to the table. I thanked her and explained the situation. I said we would love to come back but overall for our first time this was just a negative experience. Her response was, "It is a holiday and we tend to get overwhelmed. Probably not the best idea to come your first time on a holiday." We were floored. She literally told us not to come to the restaurant, because they get overwhelmed on a holiday. Then she told us dessert was on the house, but walked away before the conversation was over. I feel like we gave them several chances, and I am even open to going back with another clear apology that takes some ownership for the mistakes. The food was wonderful, but we were there for 2 1/2 hours just to get pasta. We sat for over an hour without a refill of water or any bread. When they did refill water they left empty glasses on the table. It was not just unimpressive, it was bad. We hope to find a local restaurant that we can support for nights like this, but at this point this is NOT it.
(1)
Michele F.
Una brutta figura! Non recommendato! (English translation: Bad impression! Not recommended!) My husband and I are in Dover on military orders....and we're coming to find that the restaurant selections are less than stellar. We love authentic Italian food and I felt hopeful when I found this place online. The menu selection seemed very promising so we decided to give it a try. When I give such a low rating for a restaurant- I feel it is only fair to explain in detail. So allow me to set the stage, if I may: 6:30 on a Friday night- we arrive at the restaurant and are greeted by a young brunette hostess. We tell her it will be the two of us dining and she asks "Is a table ok?"....we looked around and saw no less than 4 booths available, and responded "it's ok, but we would prefer a booth"- she reviewed her seating chart and furrowed her brow (I think that she was trying to be fair to the the servers....something we can appreciate....) Then she called over a young blonde for help. The girl comes to the stand and responds with what seemed to be attitude "Well, do you have a reservation?" .....crickets..... We were shocked. "Um, no? But we can wait....or should we just come back?" We were almost ready to leave. She responded "No, no we can work something out" .....still tense but relieved we walked over to one of many empty booths and took a seat. As we sat and reviewed the menu, we discussed how strange the incident was and how, as guests we almost felt like an imposition. Not good...but we were still willing to give it a try. Looking around the place was dark and a bit outdated....it is Dover after all, so ok. The waitress came over to explain the specials. I heard "broccoli rabe" and got excited....maybe the food will be good enough to outshine the poor hospitality? She gives us time to think. Seconds later, we're discussing our selections amongst ourselves when the blond hostess returns to our table. She snaps down a business card next to me and says (again with perceived attitude) "If you ever want to make a reservation...here's our number" Then flips her hair around and walks away before I had a moment to even blink. My husband and I looked at one another, mouths open in shock...and without even a word between us we both got up from our hard-earned booth and left. We never made it far enough to taste the food- the utter lack of hospitality from the host staff was too much of an obstacle. Dinner prices are high for the area and we didn't think we could justify spending upwards of $60 to feel like an imposition. After that we went to a more reliable establishment for dinner: HOME!
(1)
Kristina R.
Roma was disappointing from the moment I sat down, and I wish I had left before ordering. It took far too long to get a glass of water, and the busy waiter didn't even realize I was there until just before I was ready to walk out. I chose Roma because I can usually count on Italian restaurants to fulfill my desire for non meat, egg, and dairy foods; this shouldn't have been an exception. I checked the menu ahead of time to see that salads and pasta dishes were available with simple tweaks to meet my needs, and confirmed that pasta was egg-free and cheese could be omitted. Even so, the dipping oil for bread came with cheese mixed in, and the fettuccine with olive oil and garlic entree I ordered was prepared in a mixture of chicken and beef broth. The waiter was apologetic, but it was too little, too late.
(2)
Carloalexi M.
I came here two years ago with a group of my friends from work and elsewhere. From what I remember, the atmosphere was rather overly dark. We came here around 8pm and spent the next 2 hours dining on yummy pasta and pizza. I rate it a mere 3 because for being in Dover and having to pay nearly $40/person, it was kinda pricey. Having moved to San Francisco since, $40/person dinner is a normality... but that's SF... and not Dover. It was strangely tucked away next to the on-ramp from US-13 to US-113N/US-1N freeways. Needless to say, service was just as I expect from any resto in Dover, DE... "good enough".
(3)
Kate M.
Decent food, probably the best we've had in Dover. I had a vegetable personal pizza and it had plenty of fresh veggies on it, including some (soy beans, corn, carrots) that I don't think I've ever seen on a pizza before. It wasn't out of this world or anything, but I liked that it had lots of veggies. The rest of my party had pasta dishes and really liked them as well. I would have bumped this place up to 5 stars were it not for a strange incident with the waitress. When the other two people with me ordered, the waitress asked "soup or salad?" So they ordered a spinach salad and a fruit salad (I think). First of all, the waitress didn't bring a fruit salad, she brought a Caesar. Then she charged them for their salads, without ever telling them that they were extra. So they each paid twice what they were expecting to pay. I didn't get a close look at the menu, so I don't know how obvious this was, but if two intelligent people made the same mistake, it must have seemed like they could order any salad. And the waitress should have alerted them to it regardless. And she should have brought the right salads, too. The price was great for lunch, but I hear it's much more expensive for dinner. The place was good enough that I'd probably only go back for lunch.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
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Pizza
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Mia P.
First, DO NOT go here if you are not Caucasian. The servers including the manager will not recognise your presence, purposely forget your order (drinks or otherwise) and make sure to serve you last IF your food does get ordered. It is as though one has stepped back in time to the days of Jim Crow. As for the food, after finally getting my entree I was hugely surprised that the crab cakes were the size of quarters and full of table salt. Since they were a premium, one would expect if you can't get it fresh, it would be removed from the menu. No, they just give you obviously poorly frozen cheap claw meat. Then served on top of some absolutely horribly salty asparagus puree and a cheap bottled balsamic reduction. Needless to say I couldn't and subsequently did not eat it. Not the the staff cared. The server basically spit in my face (his name was John) with his horrendously pretentious attitude, telling me very slowly and loudly as if I were a child that I would not understand good food and therefore he would not attempt to get me a replacement. After speaking with the manager, she had the audacity to offer me a coupon for a free meal! As horrible as this experience was it did make for a great story.
(1)Dwayne K.
Just so so. Kind of expensive, small portions.
(2)Lindsey O.
We had a catered lunch at this location, and I was very surprised to see that the restaurant received a low rating on yelp. The food was delicious. It was fatty, heavy, but very tasty. The meat balls were perfect (not runny or dry - compact and tasty). The 'lobster' ravioli was the group favorite, even thought the restaurant used crab meat. I'm going to assume they used crab meat from a can, but the meat tasted great. Overall, the back room was very spacious and seated our whole group. I would definitely look into hosting here again if in Dover DE.
(5)James M.
I had 2 meals here recently while visiting from out of town. I think the secret to enjoying the food here is knowing what to order. There is an extensive menu, which is always a warning flag for me, as it is hard to do 60 or 80 different things well. The salads are exceptionally fresh and served with wonderful dressings. I had a side salad for dinner the first night and wanted a larger version of that for lunch the next day - no problem - even though it wasn't on the menu, they were glad to do it. The seasonal specials are worth checking out. I had the best soft shell crab (appetizer size) that I have ever eaten - served perfectly crispy and tender on a simple bed of greens with lemon juice. I could have been happy with a few more of those for a meal, but I went with the cappellini with garlic and olive oil. The pasta was delicious, perfectly cooked, but much too large a portion to finish. The lemon tart was a good dessert. There are many heavier dishes available which might be right up your alley - but don't hesitate to go to Roma for lighter, fresher fare as well.
(4)Ron H.
Great meal..the lobster ravioli was divine.. Tasty oil infused with garlic to go with the bread. The salad had a great house Italian . The calamari was so tender and ever our kids ate it up. We are about an hour away in Ocean City Maryland but the next time we are up and over we would make a point to go by there and have a great early dinner again
(4)Mark G.
this is my favorite restaurant in Dover the Italian food is excellent and the service is outstanding. Allison is always my waitress and she doesn't excellent job very attentive and polite. Everything I have here is prepared perfectly and the bread and oil before my meal is so darn good I can't stay away from it. My ties do not like this place so much as I always have to get them cleaned after eating here! sooooo good
(5)Christine R.
I have to agree with other ratings and reviewers - that empty restaurant, do you have a reservation question was strange. We weren't allowed to sit in any of the empty booths and were seated at a (2 top) table in the middle of what I'd call an aisle. As the wait staff got drinks from the bar and food from the kitchen they practically ran over us. I was bumped on the arm while eating with no apology from the waiter. My companion had a waiter lift a tray full of food that going to a table right over his head. I can't believe I stayed and we both agreed we should have walked ou at that minute. However we were hungry, so my dining companion ordered pasta with sauce since it's hard to mess up (he was unimpressed) and I ordered the seafood marinara which was missing the mussels and shrimp. When I finally found a waitress to get ours (we were abandoned as well) I asked the waitress & she said that they cost extra. Huh? I asked to speak to the manager and was scolded by him. We paid over $85 not including the tip. A huge disappointment from my prior visit a few years earlier when the waiters were attentive, food was top notch and prices were reasonable. NEVER AGAIN!
(1)Shante M.
I loved the food and service! I I have ate dinner here many times as a party of 2. The food and service was still great when I came here for dinner with a large group.
(5)Mike M.
Celebrated anniversary this week, and had a very good experience. Nice booth in front room, welcoming hostess and waitress, former model from Latvia was pleasant and attentive. Our meals were fine (lobster ravioli and cioppino), plenty of hot bread, good salads plus a complimentary glass of champagne for our anniversary. If they are always this good, I would rate it highly and we will return.
(4)Gwynedd D.
I've had a great meal there once, and then thereafter, something that could only qualify as food in a general famine. We had a large party there, reserved. The steak was microwaved. Gray, rubbery, inedible. I can tell if a steak is microwaved and not broiled or even seared/oven finished. This was thrown directly into the 'wave. To speed things up. The staff sat on their hands through the dinner and offered no coffee at the end. The owner or manager was invisible. This place is nothing to write home about, expensive and inconsistent. Honestly, I'd rather eat at a fast food joint. At least I'd get my money's worth.
(1)Anthony B.
Ambiance/Decor/Atmosphere: Roma's decor is slightly antiquated but nonetheless neat with a feel of reminiscent Italian scenery. For the most part it is a classy enough looking restaurant that is inviting and warm. The level of lighting is just right, not too dark but enough to set the mood. Noise/sound level: The noise level is average, nothing out of the ordinary here. Menu: The menu is a little small and contains household Italian items that everyone should already know of. It is a little plain and boring and could sway diners to other restaurants that are not interested in the specials or standard fare. But, there are a small handful of intriguing items to be had. Service: The service is average, nothing bad here, a little slow but at least the servers pay attention to detail enough to keep everyone satisfied. The staff are pretty friendly and the restaurant is quite accommodating. Food: The food is excellent, I'm not particularly fond of Italian food but this was some of the best I've had. The party I was with had vegetable risotto, chicken parm, seafood fra diavolo, and ciopino. None of the seafood was gritty or over cooked, the rice was rich and creamy and not dry, and the chicken parms were cooked correctly, not like you can really mess that up. Even if there are a few hits or misses the food more than makes up for it. Bar: The bartender was a little lost and did not know how to make certain drinks for some of the diners with me. It would have been best if they asked first or suggested something else. Price: Everything except the chicken parm was priced well. The chicken parm costs $17 which is quite ridiculous but my eight fish ciopino costs $25 and that included another soup and bread along with the accompanied pasta. I don't think you can beat that with a rocket launcher if you wanted to. I am not too sure why this place has taken a review beating like it has. Everything is very good to nearly excellent and some of these reviews seem begrudgingly phony. I know people will experience and expect different things but sometimes people will have off days. It's unfortunate all it takes to damage a restaurant's credibility is a few lame reviews from a few spoiled whiny diners. I will definitely go back, too bad you won't.
(4)Sharon B.
My husband and I have been coming here since we were dating and it has always been our favorite Italian restaurant. We loved the sauce best, which we feel makes an Italian restaurant. It almost pains me to give a bad review, but after our last visits, it's time to find a new favorite. The food no longer is stellar, but Ok. It appears they have either changed their sauce recipe or chef, because it is not the same. Service is ridiculous. There were four of us for dinner and the waitress hardly checked on us. This is a small restaurant with the bar barely 50 feet away, which is where our server hung out talking to the other server and bartender, and at one point laying her head down on the bar! Must have been exhausted from not covering not her three tables! Too bad, they have lost some very loyal customers.
(2)David T.
If you can get past the slow service, terrible food, and sticky bathroom floors then go for it. Otherwise...steer clear!
(1)Jessie C.
I am surprised at the low average rating. We have been here five or six times and have always been very happy with the food. The service is okay, not excellent, but we are able to look past it because the eats are delicious. Try the risotto.
(4)Gwen M.
My parents try to eat here regularly to help local business which has been shrinking in Dover. I have eaten here many times over the years and usually end up here with them once a year since I no longer live in Dover. We were there Saturday and our meals were very good. I had Chicken Piccata and a cup of Italian Wedding soup and enjoyed both. It came with a side of pasta as well. My parents also enjoyed the food they ordered. While the decor is a bit dated and the service is good ( not great) I would certainly tell people looking for fine Italian (not Olive Garden chain Italian) to eat here. Others questioned the low ratings. Keep in mind some are from a few years ago. I find more recent reviews are more helpful as they may have fixed issues people were complaining about.
(4)Candice S.
Excellent food always! Love it here.
(5)Avonel R.
I had high hopes for this place because I desperately wanted to find a restaurant in Delaware that serves quality food in a fine-dining atmosphere. I have no problem paying for great food, but for the price, Roma's is not worth it. The lasagna I had was sub-par. In comparison to other restaurants in Delaware, this might be your best bet, but don't expect to get what you pay for.
(2)Joe O.
My wife and I have driven past this restaurant for several years and were very excited to try it. I made reservations for this Valentine's Day and surprised her. Once she knew where we were going she was excited as well. After arriving and being seated quickly, our waitress came to our table. She was very short with us - I figured she was just busy, took our drink order and said she would be back. 10 mins later she arrived with our drinks (but no water, we had to request it). At this point she took our appetizer and meal order. The drinks were affordable, and tasted great! The bread we ate while waiting was very good as well. To get quickly to the point, we waited over an hour with nothing - not even a water refill - between our appetizers and our food. I had to get up from the table and wave another waitress down and explain to her we hadn't eaten yet. Meanwhile tables around us had come and gone. Our food came out about 15 mins after I said something. The food was wonderful, and the manager came over and apologized and said she would comp our drinks. An apology is good, so we continued eating. While eating we overheard a waitress at a different table introduce herself. She continued telling her table about several Valentine's Day specials not on the menu that our waitress never even mentioned. In fact, when she talked to us at all, which was rare she was abrupt and just seemed bothered. At this point, we just felt we needed to thank management for giving us the drinks free, but explain this was our first time and the service from our particular waitress was just bad. We had the manager come to the table. I thanked her and explained the situation. I said we would love to come back but overall for our first time this was just a negative experience. Her response was, "It is a holiday and we tend to get overwhelmed. Probably not the best idea to come your first time on a holiday." We were floored. She literally told us not to come to the restaurant, because they get overwhelmed on a holiday. Then she told us dessert was on the house, but walked away before the conversation was over. I feel like we gave them several chances, and I am even open to going back with another clear apology that takes some ownership for the mistakes. The food was wonderful, but we were there for 2 1/2 hours just to get pasta. We sat for over an hour without a refill of water or any bread. When they did refill water they left empty glasses on the table. It was not just unimpressive, it was bad. We hope to find a local restaurant that we can support for nights like this, but at this point this is NOT it.
(1)Michele F.
Una brutta figura! Non recommendato! (English translation: Bad impression! Not recommended!) My husband and I are in Dover on military orders....and we're coming to find that the restaurant selections are less than stellar. We love authentic Italian food and I felt hopeful when I found this place online. The menu selection seemed very promising so we decided to give it a try. When I give such a low rating for a restaurant- I feel it is only fair to explain in detail. So allow me to set the stage, if I may: 6:30 on a Friday night- we arrive at the restaurant and are greeted by a young brunette hostess. We tell her it will be the two of us dining and she asks "Is a table ok?"....we looked around and saw no less than 4 booths available, and responded "it's ok, but we would prefer a booth"- she reviewed her seating chart and furrowed her brow (I think that she was trying to be fair to the the servers....something we can appreciate....) Then she called over a young blonde for help. The girl comes to the stand and responds with what seemed to be attitude "Well, do you have a reservation?" .....crickets..... We were shocked. "Um, no? But we can wait....or should we just come back?" We were almost ready to leave. She responded "No, no we can work something out" .....still tense but relieved we walked over to one of many empty booths and took a seat. As we sat and reviewed the menu, we discussed how strange the incident was and how, as guests we almost felt like an imposition. Not good...but we were still willing to give it a try. Looking around the place was dark and a bit outdated....it is Dover after all, so ok. The waitress came over to explain the specials. I heard "broccoli rabe" and got excited....maybe the food will be good enough to outshine the poor hospitality? She gives us time to think. Seconds later, we're discussing our selections amongst ourselves when the blond hostess returns to our table. She snaps down a business card next to me and says (again with perceived attitude) "If you ever want to make a reservation...here's our number" Then flips her hair around and walks away before I had a moment to even blink. My husband and I looked at one another, mouths open in shock...and without even a word between us we both got up from our hard-earned booth and left. We never made it far enough to taste the food- the utter lack of hospitality from the host staff was too much of an obstacle. Dinner prices are high for the area and we didn't think we could justify spending upwards of $60 to feel like an imposition. After that we went to a more reliable establishment for dinner: HOME!
(1)Kristina R.
Roma was disappointing from the moment I sat down, and I wish I had left before ordering. It took far too long to get a glass of water, and the busy waiter didn't even realize I was there until just before I was ready to walk out. I chose Roma because I can usually count on Italian restaurants to fulfill my desire for non meat, egg, and dairy foods; this shouldn't have been an exception. I checked the menu ahead of time to see that salads and pasta dishes were available with simple tweaks to meet my needs, and confirmed that pasta was egg-free and cheese could be omitted. Even so, the dipping oil for bread came with cheese mixed in, and the fettuccine with olive oil and garlic entree I ordered was prepared in a mixture of chicken and beef broth. The waiter was apologetic, but it was too little, too late.
(2)Carloalexi M.
I came here two years ago with a group of my friends from work and elsewhere. From what I remember, the atmosphere was rather overly dark. We came here around 8pm and spent the next 2 hours dining on yummy pasta and pizza. I rate it a mere 3 because for being in Dover and having to pay nearly $40/person, it was kinda pricey. Having moved to San Francisco since, $40/person dinner is a normality... but that's SF... and not Dover. It was strangely tucked away next to the on-ramp from US-13 to US-113N/US-1N freeways. Needless to say, service was just as I expect from any resto in Dover, DE... "good enough".
(3)Kate M.
Decent food, probably the best we've had in Dover. I had a vegetable personal pizza and it had plenty of fresh veggies on it, including some (soy beans, corn, carrots) that I don't think I've ever seen on a pizza before. It wasn't out of this world or anything, but I liked that it had lots of veggies. The rest of my party had pasta dishes and really liked them as well. I would have bumped this place up to 5 stars were it not for a strange incident with the waitress. When the other two people with me ordered, the waitress asked "soup or salad?" So they ordered a spinach salad and a fruit salad (I think). First of all, the waitress didn't bring a fruit salad, she brought a Caesar. Then she charged them for their salads, without ever telling them that they were extra. So they each paid twice what they were expecting to pay. I didn't get a close look at the menu, so I don't know how obvious this was, but if two intelligent people made the same mistake, it must have seemed like they could order any salad. And the waitress should have alerted them to it regardless. And she should have brought the right salads, too. The price was great for lunch, but I hear it's much more expensive for dinner. The place was good enough that I'd probably only go back for lunch.
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