Ugo — Restaurant in Culver City

I was excited to try Ugo, when walking by in Santa Monica they were very welcoming and friendly when just looking over the menu on the promenade which is why I chose to give it a try in Culver City last night. It was OK. I went there on a first date. When ordering I asked if the pesto was vegetarian, he responded “you can get gluten free pasta.” This response did not make sense.

The waiter never came to check to see if we liked our food as a courtesy (I have waited tables and this is standard).

When ordering I don’t recall being provided a drink menu, and it appears when I ordered a simple glass of wine 🍷 that he intentionally wrung up a glass of wine that cost more than my dinner. I could see the shock in my dates’ eyes when looking over the bill. It was truly embarrassing for me because I thought I was ordering a basic glass of wine (especially since we were rushed out and hardly time to finish the glass). I would have never ordered this had a knew, and it made this part of the date very awkward.

We were rushed out because they were closing. I would have preferred to have been refused service when asking for a table and told it is too late, than to have them take our table, provide not so good service, rushed and spitefully served an over priced glass of wine. Originally they tried to get us to sit in their bar (because it is open later I guess), also a bar seating is an awkward vibe for a first date. So we opted for the table. And the wine actually gave me a huge headache afterwards. Needless to say I won’t be giving Ugo another go. Fritto Misto is...

We ordered the portobello mushroom fries. I specifically asked for them lightly done. They were so well done. They were one step away from being burnt to a crisp. Then for $15 they literally gave us 6 fries! That’s $2.50 per fry! For something that was burnt & impossible to chew. We ordered lobster ravioli, which we spent $28 on. We received four ravioli that were half hollow. There was not one tiny piece of lobster either! I am 100% positive that they used artificial lobster surimi stix (Which are made of cheap pollock & Cornstarch, etc.) becz I am allergic to pollock & I had a bad reaction. This is where the fact that they skimped on ingredients was to my benefit or else my reaction would’ve been worse. I took a photo of the so called “ Lobster” ravioli So you can see the minuscule amount of ingredients they gave & they were even cheap with the cheap surimi! Don’t expect anyone to be in charge. The owner is so cheap. They don’t even have a manager on premises.& It took 3 weeks of calling nonstop Until the owner‘s wife called me back. She asked me why I would expect to find real lobster Inside lobster...

There's one entrée I stick to at Ugo's. I've tried one other dish and didn't love it, so I get the same thing every time; the tortellini limone. I only get one dessert, tirimusu. Today, both were off... the pasta is usually seasoned perfectly with a hint of lemon. Today, there was zero lemon and so over salted that it tasted like a packaged pasta. Their tirimusu ranked top 2 for me, and I've had a loooooot of tirimusu! Today, it dropped to number 7 or 8. With that being said... the manager and waitress were amazing. They were very understanding and patient. They took the meals off our bill without hesitation. They offered to remake them, and overall, they were great! Going here & getting this meal has become a tradition to celebrate accomplishments for my daughter and I, so I'm hoping this was just a bad day because I really do enjoy...