Delucca Gaucho Pizza & Wine - Dallas — Restaurant in Dallas

Unfortunately, I had one of the worst experiences at this restaurant location. We typically frequent the Plano location and were very disappointed in the service here. Upon arrival and seating, we were initially greeted by the waiter (who I will not mention by name), and we simply informed the waiter that we do not eat pork or drink alcohol, so for the appetizers we would only like the salad (no meatballs and no lobster bisque due to the alcohol content). But after informing the waiter of this, the service took a twist and just went downhill. We actually left hungry. Our waiter only made self-initiated contact with us once, and that was when we were seated, while he went to tables around us, including a couple seated next to us (side by side), to constantly check on them and ask them if they needed anything. When we needed a drink & arugula refill, we had to catch him and address the waiter as he was walking by us after checking in on another table, not us. And when we asked for the refill of the salad and drink, the waiter made it seem like we were a chore (mind you, this was only the second point of contact, which we had to initiate). We were there for almost 2 hrs., and since we arrived at opening, it took almost 30 min to get the first pizza out, which is fine. Though we were seated for so long without having any pizza, it just got to the point where those walking around the pizza operated under the assumption that we were seated for a long period of time and probably got every pizza, which we did not, even though our card was green. We attempted to make a third point of contact with our waiter to inform him of the pizzas we were waiting on to see if he could help. Again, it seemed like a chore to him. We waited another 20 to 30 minutes after that, and none of those pizzas came, nor were we asked again, so at that point I was starving and wanted to leave and had to chase him again to get the check. It was a terrible experience, and we do not know why the tables around us, whether large parties or just a party of two, were treated attentively while we were beyond polite, patient, and please and thank you were in every sentence while others were aggressive with the waiter and did not show the same level of respect. Again, out of respect for the waiter, I will not include the name publicly, but we were extremely disappointed and left hungry, which has never been the case with our previous visits. The experience left a bad taste in our mouths, unsure whether we will continue to visit even though we loved the concept and...

Disappointed and Shocked at the Service – A Huge Letdown.

I’ve been a loyal fan of Delucca and always look forward to dining here when I visit from Mission, TX. Unfortunately, this last experience at the Design District location was a complete disaster and has made me reconsider ever returning.

We made a reservation and specifically requested outdoor seating. When we arrived, we still had to wait, only to be told after seating us inside that the outdoor area was closed—without any explanation. One of the main reasons we chose this location was for the outdoor scenery, so this was already a huge letdown. To make matters worse, the interior was incredibly loud, making it impossible to have a conversation with our group.

Service was appalling. Our reservation was at 7 PM, and by the time we left—past 9 PM—we were frustrated, still hungry, and dissatisfied. The waitstaff ignored us for the first 20 minutes, skipping over our table with pizzas and never asking if we wanted drinks. My husband had to walk to the bar to get drinks for the table, which is unacceptable for a restaurant of this caliber.

When I finally requested Nutella pizza, the waiter spilled hot Nutella all over me and my husband. My arms were exposed, and it burned me; his long sleeves were ruined. I heard no apology, no compensation, nothing. On top of that, the food was subpar and poorly portioned. There were four of us, yet we received only one salad and one plate of four meatballs. When we asked for more salad, it never arrived. It felt like we were at a low-budget buffet, not Delucca.

The water glasses were stained, the water tasted like unfiltered tap, and the glasses themselves stank. To top it off, the waiter tried to take my husband’s beer (which he ordered himself at the bar) before he was even finished and didn’t bother to offer another.

I’m truly heartbroken by this experience, especially after hyping up this place to my husband for his first visit. The entire evening was ruined food wise. For a restaurant I’ve loved and recommended, this was beyond disappointing.

This visit left me feeling like I wasted my time and money. If this is the direction Delucca is heading, you’re losing customers fast. I hope corporate takes this feedback seriously and makes it right. This is unacceptable for a restaurant that markets itself as an upscale...

I booked a reservation a week in advance to celebrate my birthday, expecting a smooth and enjoyable evening. Unfortunately, it was anything but. Upon arrival, we waited over an hour past our reservation time to be seated. When we were finally shown to our table, it was a cramped six-top for a party of twelve, leaving everyone uncomfortable.

The service was disorganized from the start. Our waiter arrived without providing menus or utensils, and it took another 30 minutes just to order drinks. After an excessive wait of over an hour—by which time the restaurant was closing—we finally received our lobster bisque, only to find it cold. To add to the frustration, we were already eating dessert by then.

When we asked for the checks, we had to track down a different server because our original waiter had disappeared. We were rudely informed that they couldn’t split checks, despite witnessing another large group nearby having their checks divided without issue. The situation escalated when we requested to speak with the manager. The waiter’s response? “I don’t work for you, you can’t tell me what to do,” blatantly refusing to get the manager.

While waiting, we discovered multiple billing errors: auto-gratuity of 20% was added without notice, we were charged for two extra meals, and billed for drinks we never received. To top it all off, we were informed that the manager would not be coming to address our concerns. After reluctantly paying (only after correcting the errors), the staff shut the lights off on us as we were waiting for our cards to be returned.

I understand that busy nights happen, and mistakes can occur in hospitality. However, this was beyond a bad night—it felt like a reflection of poor management and a toxic service culture where basic respect for customers is lacking.

Do yourself a favor and spend your money elsewhere. There are plenty of establishments that know how to treat guests with decency and provide the service...