Robintino's — Restaurant in Bountiful

Updating this to reflect the changes that I've seen with my most recent visit, as the last time I posted a review here the restaurant was under different management.

When I first pulled in, I honestly thought the place had been shutdown because their sign looked weathered, and the plants were either overgrown or dead, not to mention the parking lot was devoid of people despite it being prime time for dinner rush for 6 o'clock on a Thursday. I sat in the parking lot for probably 5 minutes scrolling social media trying to figure out if they were open or not, and honestly I was debating getting out at all or just going home. They used to be so sharp and clean with their outdoor environment and it always felt so homey, especially with their little rock garden/waterfall where you could throw your coins in - but now it's dried up and no longer runs, and looks unkempt, which was sad to see.

They were, in fact, open as I found out. My server was very kind, and since the restaurant was empty when I got there I was able to be seated immediately. She got my order quick and brought out my food in a spaced amount of time where I felt like I could still eat and enjoy it without feeling rushed, but still bringing it soon enough so I wasn't left wondering where my food was.

The food itself was still good, but definitely not what it used to be. You obviously get the complimentary bread at the beginning, which didn't taste much different, however the ranch tasted a bit different to me (don't know why exactly). I ordered a lemonade, and it tasted more bitter than sweet, which was fine but it still was kind of sad. I ordered their garlic bread, two slices, and that I noticed had actually seemed to improve in quality. It was super tasty, practically melted in my mouth but still retained that chewy bread quality. Then I got my main course - just a simple burger and fries. I noticed that the bun seemed almost stiff or stale and was falling apart just from being picked up, and the meat didn't have as much flavor as I remember used to loving so much. Having it with ketchup and ranch helped, but not by much. I then finished with a little Apple Crisp, which was actually pretty good, and a nice way to top off the meal. I'd give it a solid 4/5, mostly for nostalgia's sake since I've been coming to this restaurant literally since I was a little girl (almost 2 decades or so) so I love this place very much, and want it to thrive.

Overall 4/5, still recommend for pretty good food, good atmosphere and friendly staff, but I'm not as enthusiastic as...

Locals seem to love this place. I do not know why. It's not good, and Bountiful these days has much better.

The first thing we notice is the tacky decor and oily old menus, instantly making Olive Garden feel classy in comparison. So we got the garlic bread, which was a couple pieces of store-bought bread covered in store-bought garlic butter. There are some seasonings on top, probably from a bottle labeled "Italian seasoning." Then there are breadsticks. They come with ranch. The bread was pretty weak, I guess because they're meant to be dipped in something that completely overwhelms the flavor. The table next to me ordered "extra ranch" for theirs. Because I guess one plastic tub full just isn't enough to choke them down.

I'm sorry, but I have to take a little detour here. Ranch is NOT Italian. If you want to smother your food in it, fine, I won't judge you. I will judge the Italian restaurant that serves it by default, though. Smothering bland food in a single overwhelming flavor to make up for a lack of skill and imagination in cooking is everything wrong with bad American food. And you know what, the ranch wasn't even that good.

Alright, I'll get to the point. The soup is pathetic. All of the soups are sad, watery, and lacking flavor. The salads are pathetic in every imaginable way. I think you could find better gas station salad. The pizza was not Italian, and contained much of the same bread that needs to be smothered in Ranch dressing. That said, it wasn't terrible. The pasta is a gamble on whether you get mush or under-cooked, but there's no chance of winning that gamble as I can guarantee it won't be good when it's done.

We left most of the food uneaten, and declined to have it boxed up because it's just another step to put the garbage in the garbage. Why do people rave about this place? There's a place down the road with similar-quality pizza and better appetizers. I believe the Italians call it...

My recent visit to Robintino's was incredibly disappointing and a sad end to a long history with this restaurant. I have been a loyal customer for over 40 years and have many memories of celebrations and gatherings at this amazing restaurant. I've always loved their pizza and garlic bread (The Best!) and the other menu food was always homemade and fresh. However, the experience I had this last time was a complete shock.

From the moment I pulled into the parking lot, the restaurant looked abandoned. Once inside, the issues continued. The lobby and restaurant was clean (that was good), the sodas were flat, the glasses were filthy (so gross) and our waitress got multiple orders wrong. I didn't get my food because my order was incorrect. The waitress went to ask the cooks but then completely forgot. I asked her about it again later, and she insisted it was correct. She finally went back to the kitchen to check and realized it was wrong. By then, everyone at my table was finished eating, so I decided not to bother with getting my meal.

We believe in tipping even with poor service, but she had us pay at the table, and when paying with cash, she went to get change and never came back. We didn't think about it and we visit for about 5-10 more minutes and then left, resulting in an enormous and undeserved tip.

And if anyone wants to know, the Garlic Bread is NOT the same (it was more like burnt crispy toast and if you know Robintinos garlic bread, you know the center is fluffy moist and not crispy and burnt) but the ranch is still amazing.

While I'm not so much upset with the staff, this entire experience points to a serious lack of training and poor management.

It's heartbreaking to see what has happened to one of my favorite restaurants.

Based on this visit, I fear that without significant changes, this restaurant is on a path to...