Respect Is Burning Kitchen — Restaurant in Greater Sudbury

I was told that Respect is a must-do for a delicious Sudbury experience, so I was very excited to try it! However, my customer service experience was so incredibly awful that I will never go back.

Service was very slow- understandable because it was a Friday night. However, while the rest of the table recieved their food (pizzas and apps), I never got mine. After the others finished eating I was able to flag down the waitress to ask if my pizza was still coming. Turns out that she forgot to put in the order, and the kitchen was closed now but she could still offer a regular pepperoni pizza. That's totally fine! Mistakes happen, so I happily ordered the pepperoni.

After another 45 minutes the final bills were brought out, and still no pizza. When she gave the bill (which included the pizza) I pointed out that I never recieved it. She went back to check with the kitchen and apparently the pizza was made but never made it to the table. She took off the pizza from the bill, and when we asked if we could have a discount on the cake we did get (the only other thing we ordered) she asked her manager. The manager said no, and she said if we didn't agree that she could get him for us- we said sure, we would like to hear it from him.

This is where my 1 star review comes in. The waitress returned and said, verbatim: "He's very busy in the kitchen right now. We are very understaffed and he does not have time to deal with a petty little problem like this. You have to pay the full price and leave."

I understand that you are busy- it's Friday night. I don't really get why he was busy in the kitchen as the kitchen closed at 11, but still that's fine. But telling your customer, TO THEIR FACE, that their valid complaint about the meal and service was "a petty little problem"? Completely unacceptable.

As the restaurant themselves replied to another review, this is a human business that makes mistakes sometimes. Calling your customer, to their face, a "petty little problem" is no mistake. I was not acting irrationally, I did not raise my voice, I politely said "yes" when SHE OFFERED to get the manager to come talk to me. I am genuinely baffled at a comment like this being said directly to a customer.

Many of the negative reviews involve the restaurant being short staffed, which is a problem that can be out of the managers hands sometimes. But perhaps the staff that do actually show up should undergo a bit of customer...

Respect Is Burning is a restaurant which features a bar and is connected to a nightclub (of sorts). It is also undeniably somewhere that seeks to become a regular fabric of your life (which I will just go ahead and say is a good thing). The staff here are friendly and a reflection of the values of the owner. Rob is someone who wants you to feel comfortable when you get in and it's undeniable in the choice of furniture, the decor, and the way that the restaurant is set up. He regularly introduces himself to patrons (and definitely knows his regulars) and is very helpful with providing recommendations on the menu. To paraphrase him, this menu is your Italian grandmother's menu - not the type of fancy Italian stuff that you might splurge on at another restaurant across town, but the type of thing that you sit down to and enjoy.

I myself could not figure out what I wanted to eat, so Rob offered to pick a few things for me to try. I do not know what exactly I was given (with the exception that it was universally delicious), but I started the meal off with a sort of bruschetta (well seasoned, started off the meal perfectly). Followed up with a pasta dish which was delightful. But the next two dishes were undoubtedly the highlights. There was a light salad which featured lightly fried shiitake mushrooms, which paired excellently with the rest of the greens. I highly recommend some variation of this salad to anyone who comes in. Coupled with the salad was a dry aged steak which was seared brilliantly, served in a tomato-sauce which gave it just the right amount of acidity.

The pricing of the dishes were unknown to myself, as the final bill only featured my drink and the item 'open dishes', but from my perusal of the menu prior to my conversation with Rob, it definitely seems fairly priced for a restaurant with the type of culinary output that I enjoyed.

I really enjoyed myself and if I am ever back in the area, will undoubtedly return. It is clear that Rob cares about his patrons, is involved in the regular running of his restaurant, and his staff also share the same dedication to service as far as...

Wow…is it still bad manners to lick the plate clean?

After 3 severely disappointing meals here in Sudbury, we asked for a recommendation from hotel staff, figuring locals will know the spots to go. This was definitely the right choice!

At first glance, it was a busy loud place, but packed to the brim, which is always a good sign.

We were seated in the back room, a dark but charming area, full of little rustic touches and nostalgia. Our waitress Amy was amazing throughout our visit (Koodos !) and so knowledgeable about the menu, and the little ‘secrets ‘ that make the food so good.

Good does not do this food justice.

While awaiting our own meals, we watched as plates were served around us, and they all looked so appetizing we were already getting our hopes up. We were not disappointed.

The chicken wing starter was hot, fresh and crispy (some of the best we’ve ever had at a restaurant) served ‘salt and pepper’ with dips on the side, yum!

My meal, the Ribeye ‘Fiorentina’ was served on a bed of kidney beans in a sauce my Nona would be proud of. The steak was perfectly cooked and seasoned (as full as I am, my mouth is watering thinking of it!)

Hubby had the Rustic Ribs, a dry roast rib that was anything but. Tender, and seasoned wonderfully, Amy tells us the secret is a toss in wine vinegar (who knew?)

The side of Zia’s beans, we’re tender-crisp, topped with cheese…a wonderful addition .

If you’re ever in the Sudbury area, or just looking for an amazing meal, run (don’t walk) over to *Respect is Burning * you won’t regret it! (Cross-posted it...