Very nice menu, good food, very nice staff, but dinner was spoiled by a very rude owner.
We went to International Delight Cafe (IDC) in Bellmore on Friday, May 22, 2026 around 4:30 PM to celebrate my 92-year-old mother's birthday. My mother has Dementia, and she has a hard time remembering things, so she read the menu numerous times trying to decide what to order. There were some changes to the menu since the last time we were there, so it took a bit longer for her to make a decision. We had a very nice server who was very patient with us while my mother made her decision. She came back to the table several times to ask if we were ready to order, and she answered questions about the menu.
After a while, (probably about 15-25 minutes), we apologized to the server for taking so long, and we placed our order. After we ordered, I got up to go to the bathroom, and I was stopped by a white-haired man in a green shirt. He told me that we needed to either order quickly or leave the restaurant. I explained to him that we already placed the order, and that my mother is 92-years-old and has Dementia, so she has a hard time making decisions sometimes. His answer was "I'm old too" with an attitude that felt like he was angry that we were tying up his table. He was so rude that I just turned my back on him and walked away. I wanted to cancel the order and leave, but we came all the way from Queens, and I knew that my mother had been looking forward to going to IDC all day, and I didn't want to disappoint my mother on her birthday. When I got back to the table and told my wife what happened, we discussed whether or not to leave, but we agreed to stay for my mother.
When the server came back to the table, we asked if the rude man was a manager, and she apologized for him, and told us that he was the owner. We were shocked that the owner would be that rude to a customer. Several other employees apologized to us about the owner's rudeness, including the greeter who originally sat us at the table, and the busboy, but the owner was unapologetic.
As angry as we were at the owner, when we paid the bill, we made sure not to take our anger out on the server, and we left over 20% tip for her excellent service and pleasant attitude. She did everything she could to make a bad situation better.
We have been going to IDC for over 30 years, both this location and the location that was in Rockville Centre before it closed, and we have never been treated so rudely by anyone there before. We understand that prices have gone up a lot over the past few years, and we were willing to overlook that because the food is good and the portions sizes are big, but we refuse to be treated so rudely by anyone. This will probably be the last time we ever go there. read more