Salumeria 104 - Atlantic Beach — Restaurant in Atlantic Beach

My fiancé and I finally got a chance to try Salumeria tonight for an early Mother’s Day dinner. Let’s just say our feelings are definitely mixed.

ATMOSPHERE: 2/10 Upon entering the restaurant, it was jam packed (Saturday night, 7p) and had a fun vibe. However after about 5 minutes it was clear the music was way too loud and cacophonous to the point my blood pressure and heart rate were increased and not in a good way. People were shouting over one another and it felt very chaotic. Thankfully the staff accommodated us and turned the volume down when asked. (In the future please reconsider your choice of music! It didn’t go with the atmosphere whatsoever.) It was very hot inside the restaurant until they opened the patio door. Then it was perfect. Lastly, there is only one toilet for women and one toilet for men. In a restaurant that was holding what felt like 80 people, consider making bathrooms for men OR women (not assigned) as one toilet is unacceptable imho.

DRINKS: 8/10 We had the old fashioned and the lavender gimlet. Very tasty. Decently strong but small portion for the price.

FOOD: 5/10 We ordered the Chitarra Cacio E Pepe and Ravioli del Salumiere. The Cacio E Pepe was a 3/10. The gimmick of spinning the pasta in a wheel of cheese was fun but the actual pasta was too al dente for our liking and the flavor was mild and uninteresting. For over $28, I was extremely disappointed. For a “meager” $24 you can add black truffle. But if you need black truffle to elevate a pasta dish, is it even worth it?

The Ravioli was a 7/10. They really nailed the brown butter and sage flavor for sure…But we felt there wasn’t enough prosciutto filling inside the ravioli. Overall we were unfortunately underwhelmed by the flavors in these dishes which were both recommended to us by our server Pablo, who was very nice and attentive.

DESSERT: 10000/10 We ordered the tiramisu and it was honestly the best I have ever had in my life. Not too sweet, but creamy, light, airy, and they didn’t drown the lady fingers in espresso which usually results in a “wet” texture for most lesser than tiramisus. I would come back solely to have it again. It was also a giant portion size which we appreciated.

SERVICE: 9/10 Decent service made up for where they were lacking. Everyone was extremely nice and helpful. We appreciated this aspect greatly.

OVERALL: 5/10 For the price, we felt it was not worth it. Catullo’s still has the best and most authentic Italian food in the beaches area imho. However, we would definitely come back for drinks and dessert, no question. We think Salumeria has a lot of potential and we are looking forward to seeing what they come up with...

I want to preface this by saying I have never given a restaurant a bad review and I have worked many years in the fine dining industry so I know how the business is supposed to run. The food here is phenomenal- no doubt or complaint about it. Some of the best Ive ever had. But I have been here 4 times now since they’ve opened (spread out, differing days of the week, always about half capacity, so I’m not just catching them on a bad night) and it is hands down the worst service Ive continuously received at a restaurant. First of all- we had a reservation but when we got there we waited upwards of 5 minutes to even see a hostess. It’s been the same one every time, and she is rude and doesn't speak a word to you. The whole time you are there she is texting on her phone front and center. Secondly, it takes around 10 minutes to even be greeted or given water every time. Drinks have taken up to 20 minutes to be received (just a glass of wine) every time. I see our drinks sitting there and have to inquire several times before receiving them, while the waiters talk to each other. The first time I was there, our breaded pork dish came and it was completely raw when cut open. Not cooked a single bit. But our waiter never came by to see how the food was so we had to count on a manager randomly walking by to send it back. You will never see your waiter here by the way in case you need a water refill. Any time you need something you will have to count on flagging them down or getting up to go to them to ask for something, and even then they’re quick and rude. No appetizer plates or old cups are cleaned off the table, and despite the fantastic food the service is quite just not worth it. I gave it four chances before saying anything, but after 4 exceptionally bad experiences it becomes notable. If you want to experience the food, I suggest take out/pickup or trying another restaurant in...

The definition of mediocrity... We had a reservation. They were aware that it was my brother's birthday as the hostess welcomed us and wished him a happy birthday. We didn't expect anything special but we also never thought our dinner would be such a disappointment. Service was really slow and below expectations. Our server Pablo was not attentive at all. It seemed like they were severely understaffed as I could notice him taking orders all over the place far away from our table (highly doubt that his section was split like that). Almost every Italian restaurant serves bread once you're seated but not here. You have to ask for it which is an immediate red flag for an "Italian" place. Food was the definition of mediocrity. Table side service for cacio e pepe was completely unnecessary as it's one of those simple dishes that does not require a show or special presentation. It was ridiculous. The quality and execution of the dish itself could potentially appeal only to someone who isn't familiar with Italian cuisine at all. Portions were laughable for the price. Portion size would never bother me if the dish was executed properly but that was just not the case. Appetizers were ok but can you really mess up the Bresaola and cheeses. If there was a way to mess it up im sure they would find it. Ravioli were also just mediocre. We didn't even bother to have any desserts and went to have another round of drinks and a birthday dessert elsewhere. Definitely never coming back. Only positives were the hostess and one food runner who had an amazing attitude (not sure i think he said his name was Carlos, from Venezuela). He was the only one that shined with his great attitude when everything...