La Storia, Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Chicago

My sister, her boyfriend, and I visited for my birthday dinner. We were hoping for a nice evening to celebrate but were soon disappointed. The atmosphere was nice, though our server seemed very frazzled, despite the restaurant not being too busy (there were several open tables, though I don't know how tables are assigned to severs so they may not have been his empty tables). When I asked about a potential substitution (I am a vegetarian and there was meat in the sauce of one dish), our server instantly directed me to other dishes instead of checking to see if a substitution was possible. I ordered the spaghetti he suggested, despite that not being what I wanted. Unfortunately, I regretted that once it came out. The presentation was lacking compared to the salads my sister and her boyfriend ordered, and I had to request parmesan cheese because someone had forgotten to add it, according to our server. The more I had, the more I regretted going out; I easily could have made the same thing at home with Ragu or Prego. My sister's boyfriend ordered meatballs that were burnt on the outside and raw in the centre. When we explained our disappointment to the manager, he very generously compensated part of our meal, but at that point we just wanted to leave. The salads and drinks my sister and her boyfriend ordered were good. I don't know if someone was having a bad day in the kitchen or if something else was going on, but hopefully it's sorted out soon. I expected more from a Michelin recommended restaurant, and I'm saddened at how disappointed I was with this meal. It made my birthday a little worse. I hope if you go your experience is...

We went there last night for happy hour hoping for a pizza. We arrived at 5:00, happy hour ends at 6;00. There was no hostess, but a woman from the behind the bar seated us after waiting several minutes. There was only one waiter in charge of entire patio, and by about 5:10 took our drink order then quickly took orders from other newly seated people from the tables around us. At 5:20 he delivered our drinks and I asked about the pizza and he said the kitchen was no longer taking pizza orders! I don't blame the waiter but MANAGEMENT should specify on the menu and on the sign out front that even though happy hour lasts until 6:00, you're order has to be in by a certain time. We were FURIOUS! Our waiter tried to ask the kitchen to make an exception but they refused. MANAGEMENT shouldn't punish the customers because they only have one waiter trying to service the entire patio. We asked for the check and went next door to q and ordered from thier happy hour, while all through the check process, pizzas after pizzas were being served to every other table.

I should point out that we dined at La Storia two nights prior, had the same waiter, who was excellent and spent well over $200. We live nearby and have frequented this restaurant many times but now WILL NEVER GO BACK. I am...

I’ve dined at thousands of restaurants and have never experienced such unbelievably poor service from a bartender. The server in question—an orange-haired, visibly arrogant bartender—was hands down the worst I’ve encountered.

From the moment we sat down, there was no greeting, no professionalism, and an attitude that made it clear we were an inconvenience. When our appetizer arrived, we had to ask for basic items like napkins, and not even a simple “sorry” was offered. Things only got worse from there.

She dropped the check without asking if we needed anything else, then literally threw it on the bar and walked away without a thank you or a glance back.

What I truly cannot comprehend is how someone like this is still employed—unless the restaurant is desperate for help. I say this with restraint, because the food here is genuinely very good, but her attitude tarnishes the entire experience. She’s not just inattentive—she’s hostile, and that has no place in any hospitality setting.

This isn’t even my first bad experience with her. I believe in giving people second chances, but she has consistently proven herself to be one of the worst service representatives I’ve ever come across. She should not be the face of this restaurant, behind the bar...