I rarely write negative reviews, but after several experiences at Romesco's, I feel this one is…read morewarranted.
My first issue happened during my birthday dinner, which my husband had planned to host as a surprise in the tapas bar area. When he booked the event, he was informed of a minimum spend requirement, which he agreed to. However, no one told him that it would be a half-off night. Because of that, and because some of our guests were charged separately for their meals (which we were embarrassed to discover after the fact), our final bill didn't come close to the required minimum.
When we asked to speak with a manager, we were initially ignored. After repeatedly asking through our server, the manager eventually provided a partial gift card toward the remaining balance--but the situation could have easily been avoided with clear communication upfront.
Unfortunately, things didn't improve when we returned to use that gift card. On multiple visits, we experienced long waits just to be acknowledged, and when we were told to seat ourselves, many of the tables were dirty and hadn't been cleared.
The most frustrating experience was with a takeout order. I ordered the chicken marsala, expecting a quality meal for the $30 price. Instead, I received four extremely thin pieces of chicken. When I called to politely share my concern, the manager argued the portions are always weighed to 8 oz. After weighing what remained (I ate one very small piece), it came out to just 3.9 oz. So it would've been 4.5 oz at best. I sent photos and was told I'd receive a call back--but never did.
I ended up bringing the food back to the restaurant, where I was told a gift card had been texted to me (it hadn't). It was resent on the spot, but even then, it didn't include the takeout fee. Yes, they charge a $6 service fee for takeout on top of the already overpriced dish!!! There was no apology or real acknowledgment of the issue. I was so hungry at that point that I ordered the shrimp and fries tapas--she charged me, minus the service fee lol. It was void of flavor tbh.
At the end of the day, the recurring issues are lack of communication, inconsistent service, and disappointing food quality for the price. A sincere apology, acknowledgment of falling short of expectations, or follow-through would have gone a long way, but unfortunately, that never happened.
It's disappointing because this place presents itself as a higher-end dining experience, but the service and quality just don't match. It's clear they only care about one thing...and it's definitely not the customer! I still have a significant balance left on the gift card, otherwise I likely wouldn't return.