Gianfabio's Italian Cafe — Restaurant in Chesterfield

We came in to have dinner. We were not aware that we needed a reservation but I saw many tables available. The host was very rude and gave a table all the way in the back next to a garbage pale and exit area. I asked to be seated somewhere else and he said “NO!!” With an extremely harsh tone. Needless to say , we said “thank you” and left. On my way out he said “have a good day” with a dismissive and rude way. I will never set food in this place. It was obvious that they do not need our business but their tone and unprofessional attitude was unacceptable.

1/9/24 I want to respond to the response from the owners of Gianfabios Italian restaurant. He responded to my review, but the “review “ website is not allowing me to respond on what he said. The owner is being less than truthful on his response. I would like to clarify that when the host offer me a seat in the back, and I responded, “I guess we don’t have a choice”, it’s because I was already offended by his tone and demeanor towards is when he found out that we didn’t have a reservation. The host gave us a table at the very back of the restaurant next to a trash can, and where they placed their dirty dishes after they clean a table. I did not wished to sit there as I knew that I was not going to enjoy my meal while looking at dirty dishes. I then pointed to another table and again, with a very nasty tone, he responded with a harsh “NO!!” (Second time saying “NO!!!” With a negative tone) The problem is that his respond was short and with an attitude and extremely rude. This is when decided to leave the restaurant. He is also lying when he claims to have given us a third choice. That never happened. He had an attitude from the moment we walked in there, and he had absolutely no intentions of accommodating us because we didn’t have a reservation. When we walked out the door, the host did say “have a good day”, but this was done in a condescending and dismissive manner, with sarcasm and rudeness. . I am not aware what the front page of your website states, I was not aware that we need a reservation before we went there, and, I’m also not aware that you are family owned and operated for the past 36 years. But what does that have to do with any? As I see it, none of that is relevant to the rude behavior of the host that night. If we went there, without a reservation, the host could have been nicer and said that in a more professional way. That would have given us an opportunity to have a pleasant meal or walk away knowing that we need to make a reservation the next time we want to dine there. But that will not happen because your host was absolutely and completely rude, discourteous, and disrespectful. Nice Italian restaurants are everywhere with better service. I do not need to be subjected to...

Their food isn't even real Italian food. It sucked. They buy all their products frozen by some food supplier. So the next time you think you're enjoying that special hand made ravioli, think again. As I left the "cafe" I had accidentally left my purse. We, the person I was with and myself were the last people to leave, besides the manager and the blonde waitress that served us. Right away, I realized that my purse was gone. I knew I had left it there. I specifically put it down aside the persons purse that I was with on the same chair, next to us. So, of course we went back to check. However, no one was there because it had closed for lunch that day. I called once they opened. The manager says, "Its not here. The waitress is a purse person and she would have turned it in to me." I called last, after two others called for me, before. The manager continues to blab on, "We've been open for 28 years and have never had this problem. Last week someone left their wallet and it got turned in." Excuse me? Are you kidding me? You've been open for 28 years? Yeah well how long have you been working there? What does that have to do about someone stealing my purse? Seriously, you're waitress is a "purse person"? Well, that waitress probably stole it. I had noticed her Michael Kors purse as we were leaving. He also says, "She said she didn't even notice you had one coming in." Yeah, right! She's going to say that because she stole it! Not that he cares, he just doesn't want me interfering with their business. So at the end of the day what really matters is this, if you go to Gianfabio's, go because you want processed fake Italian food and remember to not leave you're...

I live in the area and regularly see this place packed so I thought I’d finally give it a try. The server was very attentive and friendly, the decor dated and the food average. Gianfabio’s has apparently been around since 1987 and the plating and quality seems to be stuck right where they started.

The bread was warmed but had the texture and consistency of day old bread, which made it difficult to sop up the lackluster escargot sauce as it crumbled; it struck me as possibly a frozen commercial sauce.

The simple caprese salad was ok but unremarkable and would really benefit from a fresh, quality garden tomato to wake it up.

The main course, Chicken Marsala, had a nice taste though I’m fairly certain the chicken breasts were pre-frozen portions as they were very uniform, but they were cooked well and were not dry. The vegetable side was over done and under seasoned, and the four or five pieces of pan fried potatoes were an unusual addition. The Marsala sauce was well done and made up for the lack of creative or appealing plating.

Overall the restaurant and the food are like experiencing a milder version of Kitchen Nightmares: it’s not bad but it is dated, could use a facelift and cries out for both fresh ingredients and...