Lovi's Delicatessen — Restaurant in Calabasas

Very disappointed at this restaurant. Practically the worst dining experience I've ever encountered for a prominent restaurant.

First: The atmosphere:

UGH ... OMG -- WORST ever. Dogs barking all over the place, tails wagging, getting dogtail hair in my food, non-stop barking... NON-STOP barking. There were 6 dogs in the dining area and they were all going at it non-stop. I overheard the waiter tell one customer "I am not allowed to set this down, you have to do it" as he was handing a DOG BOWL (full of water) PROVIDED BY THE WAITER to the owner of the dog. They pretend they don't encourage this negative behavior, but they clearly do... why else would he be handing a dog bowl full of water to a customer. There were dogs behind me, in front of me, beside me, beyond me... there were 6 dogs relentlessly barking and the waiters didn't do shit about it. They just let them cause the ruckus and continued to server the patrons as if nothing was happening.

Next: The service:

Sucked balls. I Asked for water with lemon, never got it. My wife asked for potatoes with her meal - never got it. My son asked if there was an additional charge for a refill on Apple Juice, he was told no, so he ordered a refill - we were charged for it. Their menu clearly identifies a "side salad for 3.99" when you order a Philadelphia Cheesesteak sandwich, I was told I was not qualified for that special and it would cost me 11.99 if I wanted the side salad, EVEN THOUGH THE MENU CLEARLY STATES IT IS AN OPTION. They offered to refill my mother in laws' decaffeinated coffee with regular coffee... WORST !!!

Lastly: The food:

Meh.... it was average at best. I ordered a Philadelphia Cheesesteak - it was dry - no moisture whatsoever. The fries were so bad my 13 and 16 year old children refused to eat them... (they were nasty - I ate two). The potato salad I was forced to eat because they refused to allow me to order the side salad at the discounted menu price was okay.... I wouldn't market it, it was decent tasting though.

The service was slow, the atmosphere was pathetic and the...

We were original Lovi's customers. We dined there the 1st week it opened. We liked the food and were tolerant with the poor service, but we really needed a Deli in Calabasas. Last week, my wife ordered a Asian Chicken Salad and asked for no sauce on the chicken, as she did 3 or 4 other times she ordered it. After we finished dinner, we got the bill and found out they charged us $24 for her salad. I asked the server about it and he said the manager decided to charge us for a side 8oz. chicken breast because the terakihi chicken it normally came with, was pre-made. I was floored when he said that, especially because he never told us in advance and we were never charged this before. We reluctantly paid the bill and I talked to the deli owner about it and he confirmed that we ordered off the menu and that's the price. We left very upset but I told my wife that that wasn't a bad enough reason not to come to Lovi's anymore.... So we gave them another chance. We have a close family member suddenly pass away and I suggested we order Deli Platters from Lovi's after the funeral. We told them we needed food for 30-35 people and they quoted us a price. It was a little higher than Brent's Deli but Lovi's was closer and more convenient. She also asked for a plate of cookies which cost over $90. After spending over $700 for the event, she came home with the food. The corned beef wasn't eatable, everyone complained about it. The tuna tasted like it was made a week ago and the turkey was dried and flavorless.

This time we're done with Lovi's. We will drive a few extra miles to Brent's. Lovi's quality is poor and the food is...

Dear Lovis, it's not me, it's you. I know, we've been together for years, you made balloon animals for my kids, it all seemed great. Then, today, I ordered some take out and made the mistake of expecting my order to be right.

When you look at the picture, you may, as I did, note that this is not an egg salad sandwich, but a tuna sandwich. In the scope possible tragedies, pretty low, and I wasn't even mad at all. I did however think I shouldn't have to pay for the wrong sandwich, so I called up.

That's when I was informed that the owner does not allow them to do refunds, my only option is a credit (cool, I eat here enough, I'll use it). Unfortunately, I was also informed I would have to bring the sandwich back. Wait, what? Is there a rash of scammers asking for money back? Are the margins so low on my $15 sandwich that you can't give me the benefit of the doubt? Has your kitchen never made a mistake?

A simple mistake with a simple solution turned into the end of our deep, long term relationship.

Yes, you did call 15-20 minutes later after your GM offered to send out a replacement, but as you can imagine, I wasn't waiting around to find out if I was going to get to eat.

If you are a potential customer reading this, I can tell you that if you get the food you ordered, you will likely enjoy it. But if you order take out, and the person at the counter looks in your bag and says your order is correct, check for yourself, as the owner doesn't care after the...