Genovese's Italian Cafe — Restaurant in Daytona Beach Shores

So the experience started off good. Were sat almost as soon as we walked in. Got our drink order in and theu came out fairly quick. Ordered dinner and a few apps. Apps came out quick along with 1 dish that was requested to come out with the dinner. But we overlooked that. Finished a drink and then waited over 15 minutes before we were offered another. Waitress walked by over 6 times and never stopped to check on us during that time. Finally got offered another drink but by that point was already not in the mood so just got a water. Food finally came out. Portions are not worth the price. The amount of chicken in the chicken parm was pathetic. There is more chicken in a 10 piece nugget from any fast food place. However that was not the main issue. The chicken tasted like it was frozen and the pasta tasted tasteless and cheap. After the food was on the table for 10 minutes the waitress finally stopped by again to check on us. I stated my feelings about the taste of the chicken and was immediately told i was wrong and it was never frozen. Either way i was not going to eat it and asked that it be taken away. Was not offered to order anything else or a replacement dish. After another 8 to 10 minutes (as everyone else at the table was finishing up their food) a "manager" came out and asked what was wrong. I kindly explained how horrible the chicken tasted and the complete lack of servuve that we experienced. The "manager" told me that i was wrong and the service was good and thatvthey were "doing their best since they were busy". I eat out often and never have had a manager come back with such a completely frontal customer is wrong attitude. Even after the "manager" walked away saying she would get the check it took another 10 min to get the check. When we finally got the check the manager said "i took the chicken parm off the bill". Well i would hope that when food is returned because it was inedible and no replacement was offered that it would not be expected for the customer to pay for it. Nothing else was offered for the horrible experiance. I can say that the apps were great. However service, "management", food quality, and price to portion are not good at all. I would highly recommend going elsewhere unless you like horrible service and a "manager" that tells you that you are wrong when you point out an issue. Overall would never go back there again and would recommend others to go elsewhere. Would have left negative stars if that was an option.

Update. I also posted this same review on trip advisor. The owner replied there inferring that my behavior was an issue and that I was the reason my experience was bad there. To clarify at no point was i rude or disrespectful or wven loud with anyone. You can see from the review above what happened. The "manager" there that night was completely unprofessional and would not accept that service was horrible that noght. The owner then took the side if the "manager" and is unwilling to admit that they had an issue with there service that night. Maybe they normally do have better service and higher quality food. However on this day they did not. Please go and look through my many reviews. You can see that I post manay manay more positive reviews then negative ones. This night we had an acceptionally bad experience and the "manager" and owner both refuse to believe that it was possible to...

I visited here last week and got the most amazing pizza; plenty of toppings, cooked perfectly, and the sauce was amazing (I got extra because I love a saucy pizza)and I was super excited to return again tonight since I'm visiting Daytona again! So I walked in and I ordered the same exact pizza; a medium meatball, onion and green pepper, extra sauce, as I got before. They were busy so it was going to be 30-35 minutes, no biggie, I went to get a coffee and came back. I took a peek at it before walking back to my hotel and it was super sad, like barely any toppings at all, cheese kinda lacking, so strange and kind of embarrassing honestly. So as much as I literally try never to be a Karen (because it's my name, sadly), I did the unthinkable and went back in and mentioned that it seemed really lacking in toppings and was nothing like the pizza I had last week. (I had to assume this wasn't the standard!) The person who I spoke to told me they'd give me some toppings on the side...but then took the pizza to to the kitchen and came back and said they'd have to make me a new one, it would be 15 minutes. I had no problem with waiting, I figured maybe it was an oversight or someone new in the kitchen, etc. What I was handed 15 minutes later was a pizza that was dried out and all of the onions were now black, and the cheese was solidified. Basically an overdone, dry pizza with maybe a few more veggies than originally and some crumbled meat here and there.

I can't remember the last time I actually spoke up about food I was served, but after having such amazing pizza the prior week, I politely tried to give them a chance to make it right and what I got was even worse, so I'd say it appears they can be inconsistent, so be aware. I got the feta salad and it was nice, but the pizza really made me sad and this dinner at the beach is a complete bust. I don't eat out much because money is tight, and now I don't even want to take the leftovers home because I can't imagine reheating this. I spent almost $40 with a tip and I'm pretty sure I won't bother trying again now since it kinda felt like the replacement pizza was my punishment for "complaining". Nobody came out to talk to me or anything. I really was surprised they presented me with a "fresh" pizza so quickly that was so overdone. What a total bummer.

The 2 single slice pictures are from last week, an amazing pizza, and the whole pie pic is my pizza tonight, taken in natural lighting with no filter.

*Edit to add that the business offered to remake my pie, so in fairness to them, next time I return I'll be happy to give that a shot if that's an option (I leave in the morning). I know all too well that everyone's standards in an establishment are not always aligned with the owners, and since I never spoke to management, I'm not even sure they were aware of the issue tonight. I'll update my review accordingly when I return, and appreciate them...

I think it's important for restaurants to know why they have lost long-term customers. My husband and I moved to Ponce Inlet a year ago. Every Friday night we order a medium cheese pizza and a feta salad with no peppercinis. We used to love to come here as our date night, however that has gone out the window. The last three times we have tried to eat in at this establishment, it has turned into a nightmare. The waitress in charge of seating can't seem to get it right. A month ago we came here and got sat at this crappy little 2 seater table by the mural wall. We had young teenagers talking about abortion to our right, and a British family arguing the whole time to our left. They were so close, you could hear them whispering. It ruined our entire meal. I said never again! The waitress knew I was upset and didn't bother to ask. I told my husband we were never going to go back. After a month, he somehow convinced me to go again tonight. I just got out of the hospital, I'm covered in bruises, and I asked for a seat with a booth because I'm in a lot of pain. It's pretty obvious I'm in bad shape and need some help. Not one person bothered to ask if I was okay. The same waitress that always messes up the seating told me she would give me a booth but then tried to give my booth to the next family that walked in. She literally ran over to the table to start cleaning it and told them they could have the seat. I watched the whole thing. That's when I got angry. I finally had to say something to one of the waitresses about her giving away my booth seat. Then an entire hissy-fit ensued. This waitress sat behind the partition having a fit and telling the other girls that they had to go tell the family that they couldn't have the booth seat now. This all happened because she was going to give away my seat. She has done this to us twice before! I don't know what her problem is, but she is not very good at her job. We were then seated and pretty much ignored. It was awkward and strange and again our date night was ruined. My husband and I don't get to eat out every night of the week. I don't think it's too much to ask that the restaurant that I spend a lot of money at and give patronage to act like they care even slightly about their customers. I am disgusted and I can tell you right now I will never return to this restaurant, including takeout. My husband agrees this time was the last. What a rotten experience. Truly. And to the owners... Get rid of the crappy two seater tables. You can't fit any food on them, they are uncomfortable, and it is a terrible thing to do to...