Ristorante Pesto Reviews Summary

Food Quality

Pros:

• "The food is great, service is fantastic."
• "Great Italian food... with delicious sauces on them."
• "They have the best marine sauce I've ever had and the ricotta cheesecake so good."
• "The pasta was delicious and al dente."
• "The food here was on another level, rich, great flavor, and the portions were more than generous to take some home."
• "The food was a symphony of tastes, and each dish was full of emotion and authenticity."
• "The food is amazing and It is BYOB wine, but you can get drinks there also."

Cons:

• "The Gnocchi... tasted like they used instant mashed potatoes instead of fresh."
• "Food wasn't bad, but was bland and not hot."
• "The food was mediocre at best."
• "Chicken served with the fettuccine had no seasoning at all and was very dry."
• "I also ordered clams casino .. just terrible.. to me they did not taste anything like clam .. had a weird taste and texture."
• "Every dish came out looking like it had been dropped on the floor & dumped back on the plate/bowl. Not one of us ate more than 2 bites of our meal."
• "All entrees were swimming in sauce."

Service

Pros:

• "The manager greeted our group and checked in with us several times, you could tell she really cared."
• "Concetta, the owner knows how to make you feel welcome with multiple table visits & conversation."
• "Service was extraordinary."
• "The staff gave amazing service."
• "The service was attentive and friendly."
• "The service here was absolutely outstanding -- comped a free appetizer!"
• "Service is top-notch, food is the best of the best and everyone is SO welcoming."

Cons:

• "Not sure about the great reviews here. The lady who appeared to be in charge was unpleasant and borderline rude."
• "I can think of only two reasons why she treated us so poorly."
• "I have never experienced a server who physically points to the things on the menu that they like and reach over me like that, it felt kinda weird."
• "Also everyone is seated pretty close together in the small room upstairs. Be prepared to feel squished and not be able to talk without yelling a bit."
• "Was instantly put in a bad mood because of our waitress, who was a surly middle-aged woman."
• "She never even came back to check how we were doing so we couldn't even complain about the weird hard piece of something found in our fettuccine alfredo."
• "The waiter... never came back to see how our food was."

Ambiance

Pros:

• "A proper trattoria, true to the craft."
• "Great ambiance."
• "Atmosphere good."
• "The atmosphere of the restaurant is perfect, upscale but also comfortable."
• "It's such a warm atmosphere."
• "The atmosphere is warm, inviting and casual."
• "Cozy atmosphere - like eating dinner in a friend's house!"

Cons:

• "Get there early as street parking is a challenge."
• "It was a bit loud, many tables were filled."
• "The atmosphere was very loud tonight."
• "We ended up feeling like we were at a used car dealership with heavy selling pressure."
• "When we wanted another drink, we had to ask the busser and the food server."
• "Parking is dicey in the area but it's south Philly so you have to expect that and leave earlier to grab a spot."
• "We took Septa as there is no parking."

Management and Staff

Pros:

• "Concetta was wonderful to work with."
• "The owner and her daughter made our visit amazing."
• "Owners personally stopped by our table to check in on our experience."
• "The owner was so friendly and hospitable."
• "The owners, Concetta, Giovanni, Maria and their entire staff were all so attentive, they really make you feel like family."
• "The owner Connie was an absolute gem."
• "The owner and staff were so incredibly welcoming."

Cons:

• "The owner is pushy."
• "I wanted to give a half star for the a little amateurish service but it can be over looked."
• "Most likely won't be returning."
• "We had my mother in law's surprise birthday dinner there. It was in one of their private rooms."
• "I would have loved to had the specials written so I didn’t have to ask the waitress to repeat them."
• "The waiter was ok but never came back until he had our check."
• "There was no bread or salad offered."