Motorino (North) — Restaurant in King

My boyfriend and I came to Motorino last weekend during the heatwave to dine in, While there was no shortage of servers or waiters… there was a shortage of customer service. We stood there waiting for someone to take us to a table for a few minutes, Despite servers passing us by and making eye contact - no one assured us that someone would be with us when possible. Imagine completely ignoring customers at your door who want to dine at your establishment. Eventually we were seated - seated by someone who was unenthusiastic. The restaurant wasn’t busy and there was plenty of tables, so I really do not understand the wait to seat two customers at one table.

We sat there for ten minutes. Nobody came to ask us what we wanted to start with to drink. Servers passed us by despite seeing that no one had tended to our table for water or offering to take drink orders. Shameful. Eventually we had a waitress come over and admit “Sorry for the wait, We were confused with who was going to serve the table.” Seriously? You’re a team. If you see a table of customers who haven’t been offered water or drinks, you’re just going to ignore them? Zero communication between the serving team and taking initiative. Don’t leave it up to the customers to wave someone down to get some water. We requested one glass of water and one coca-cola for the table, We already decided what we wanted to order for main course as well since we waited to even be acknowledged by the waitress, she takes our food order. The waitress disappears and comes back to pour water. Doesn’t bring a coca-cola for the table, She doesn’t tell us if it’s going to be a moment for the drink.

After ten minutes my boyfriend and I are aghast by the disrespect and disappointment that we felt by Motorino’s serving staff, During a heat wave how do you fail to bring a customer their drink with some sort of consideration???? Eventually a different waitress approaches our table with a coca-cola, looking at us like we have three eyes in the back of our heads “Sorry, Did someone order a Coca-Cola here?” I was very fed up at this point and I nod and point to my boyfriend.

When dinner comes to us it is served by two other different waiters, My boyfriend ordered the Penne Vodka, I ordered the Margarita Pizza. When we ordered my boyfriend requested a small dish of Parmesan or Parmigiana so he could add more to his Penne. When the dish was served to him, There was no small dish of cheese, So he asks the different waiter “Could you bring me some extra cheese?” The waiter nods and disappears. We wait five minutes, but we are both so fed up and don’t want the dish to chill so we begin to eat. We can’t rely on the slow staff who don’t seem to care at all. And Then ANOTHER DIFFERENT waiter comes with cheese in his bare hand and a grader, “Did you want cheese?” He asks my boyfriend. He gives my boyfriend the cheese for his penne and disappears.

By the time the first original waitress comes by to ask us if the meal is good, We are done. We want the bill so we can pay and never return. I ask her for the bill and machine. She disappears and brings the bill, Disappears again for five minutes to get the machine. As I pay, I leave no tip. Why would I tip when we were treated like cattle and like nuisances. The waitress takes the machine and walks off. No “Goodbye” No “Thanks for dining with us”. Utterly disgraceful. You can’t be surprised by getting no tip when you made no effort, kept disappearing, didn’t serve us, and didn’t take proper orders. Absolutely disgusting behaviour...

Came to Motorino's as a party of eight. We had a reservation and were seated. The restaurant itself looked fine, nothing special but nothing bad either, an average restaurant. We were looking forward to this dinner, however, left thoroughly disappointed. Firstly, we ordered a lamb skewer appetizer, and the portion was minuscule, they said it severed four, but each serving had roughly two bites. If they tasted good this wouldn't be an issue, however, the skewers itself were burnt and the lamb was dry. Next, the margarita pizza. It was horrible. There was barley any cheese, and I mean barley, it was as though they ran out and were rationing for a week. Furthermore, the cheese wasn't even melted on, which was even more disappointing, as there was a lack of cheese, and the cheese that was there was not even melted. Incredibly disappointing! Additionally, everyone who ordered pasta in our party, received it undercooked, more undercooked than al dente, and no one even requested it this style. The pasta was incredibly chewy and undercooked which was disappointing. The penne alla vodka was sub optimal. Next, the fettucine veal meatballs. This was supposed to come with a tomato sauce, however, mine was just a smashed tomato-like-puree, no real sauce as the menu said. Very disappointing. The pasta, as said prior, was undercooked, with a not actually-sauce-sauce. The meat balls were not bad, though they were dry. To conclude the food was sub optimal and was lacking in many ways. In addition, one member ordered the 12 oz steak, it came underdone, and when we told staff, no apology was issued. They took the steak to cook more without more than saying they would cook it some more. Finally, the service. The service was quite bad. The staff were not friendly. Several times, we called for the waiter, and they would be within three feet of us, and not acknowledge us. This was a repetitive scenario. We had to request water each time the we finished a cup, and even if they was it they would not refill it or offer us more. Furthermore, we asked our waited for the cheque three times before she brought it. They were quite pushy about tipping as well. For the price, the food is not worth it. There are MANY other Italian restaurants in the area that offer better service, and food that doesn't appear to be thrown onto a plate in a rush, while getting undercooked. Do...

My husband and I used to visit this restaurant at least once a month with our two young children. But our recent visits have made it clear that the management at this restaurant at the very minimum condones (if not promotes) certain values that we do not prescribe to. So we will not be visiting again and will be sure to spread the word.

A few weeks ago we visited during the busy early evening hours. We are a biracial couple; my husband and I are both visible minorities. After a while it became quite noticeable that the staff were seating all patrons of colour within one specific, separated and small area of the restaurant, while white patrons were seated around the rest of the restaurant. The more patrons that joined the more obvious this seating arrangement became.

We, foolishly, decided to let it go, eat our dinner and leave and chalked the whole thing up to coincidence (call it willful blindness because our toddler happens to like this restaurant).

Today we visited again, it was not a busy time at all. There were in total 2 other groups apart from us. The other two groups were white. One had arrived shortly after us. In the 20 minutes that we were seated and waited to be served, no one, not a single staff member, approached us to even bring water let alone take our order. In the meantime the other groups were served, their orders taken, and their drinks served. After 20 minutes, and with our children getting understandably restless, we decided to leave. This was not a situation were they were busy and didn't have enough servers. We counted at least 4 servers and one lady who looked like she was the manager as she was not in the uniform the servers wear.

I am appalled by the obvious display of racism. As I said we will not be returning and will be letting our friends, family and colleagues know about the questionable conduct they can expect...