La Favorita — Restaurant in Dothan

Don’t let the 4.5 stars fool you—this was absolute garbage. Update in response to owner's comment:

Let’s clear something up.

I posted one review—first from my business account (by mistake, which I removed), and then from my personal Level 7 Google account with nearly 20 million views. Accusing me of fake accounts or multiple reviews is not just false—it’s a distraction tactic.

If the food was as good as you claim, why were both meals sent back? If the dishes were “almost eaten,” why did your own staff say, “I assume you don’t want this to-go”? If you stand behind your product, why not address the specifics instead of attacking the customer?

Rather than taking responsibility for a documented experience—with time-stamped photos and receipts—this response tried to shift blame and question my credibility. That says more about your priorities than any review could.

And frankly, with how bad the food was, I wouldn’t be shocked if some of these glowing reviews were padded. What we received was bottom-tier, discount store quality:

Chewy, gamey chicken

Flavorless, rubbery pasta

Shrimp with tails still on, in thick, oily, reheated-looking sauce

Wine that was undrinkable

Frozen-style ravioli that my guest could barely eat two of

I’m not here to tear anyone down—but I won’t sugarcoat it either. My review is fact-based, supported by evidence, and written to help people make informed choices. Your response? Deflection, sarcasm, and denial.

If you’ve had a good experience here, that’s great. But mine? This was hands-down one of the worst meals I’ve had—and I’ve reviewed hundreds.

Original review:

La Favorita – 1 Star

Every other Friday is date night for us, and we always search for “top rated” restaurants nearby. That’s how we ended up at La Favorita in Dothan. With over 250 reviews and a 4.5-star rating, I thought we’d found a solid local spot. What we actually experienced was shockingly bad from start to finish.

Things started with plain bread tossed in a basket, served with only pre-packaged butter—no oil, no napkin, nothing that suggested care or attention. We ordered marinara sauce ($3.99) and it tasted like it came directly out of a dented can from a bargain store. It should’ve been the red flag we listened to.

I ordered the chicken piccata. Melissa ordered the shrimp tortellini. Both were so bad we sent them back. My chicken was chewy and gamey, and the pasta was rubbery and bland. Her shrimp still had the tails on, and the sauce had the look and taste of a microwaved seafood TV dinner—thick, oily, and flavorless.

We swapped meals. I got chicken parmesan; she tried the fried ravioli. Sadly, they were just as bad. The chicken was dry, the same bad pasta returned, and the ravioli tasted frozen and reheated—like something from the same discount freezer aisle as the sauce. She could only stomach two. Even the waitress clearing the table said, “I assume you don’t want any of this to-go?” No kidding.

To be clear: our server was polite and sweet—just very young and clearly not trained to answer basic wine questions. We ordered a Moscato and a Sauvignon Blanc, both $9 glasses. Neither were drinkable. Flat, stale, and cheap.

What’s crazy is—at my barber shop the next day, the guys told me someone had just been in raving about this place. And honestly? I can’t wrap my head around that. I don’t want to sound pompous, but this was garbage food. I lived in Tuscaloosa for 10 years, and the food there is miles better. And that’s saying something, because Dothan is a larger city. But in terms of food quality and consistency? It’s not even close.

I don’t know if people here have just settled or haven’t experienced better options—but this was one of the worst meals I’ve had anywhere. And I’ve reviewed hundreds of places.

If you’ve had a good experience here, I’m glad for you. But ours?...

First and foremost, we eat out.....a lot! One month this year, We visited 32 restaurants. I have had lots of meals over the years, and this one has to be one of the worst. We were excited that a new Italian restaurant was in town. We love Italian. Obviously, we love lots of different kinds of food. I have heard people say they wished they could rate a place less than one star, but I have never felt that way until now. As with most new restaurants, I tend to visit the bathroom before even ordering. First red flag. The bathroom in this "new" restaurant looks to be 20 years old. It needs a new paint job and a countertop. Sounds picky, I know, but you can tell a lot about a restaurant by how well the bathrooms are kept, kind of like you can sometimes tell a lot about a person's home by looking at the flower beds. Just sayin'. I ordered sweet tea because they don't have their liquor license yet, so there was no wine or beer. I thought it was odd that an Italian restaurant would open before being able to sell wine. Second flag. Sweet tea was very good. They use the small crushed ice that I like. First up was some garlic cheese bread. It was somewhat ok. Nothing fancy, just cheese bread. The marinara sauce was a bit sweet for my taste, but it was probably just not for my taste, I guess. Every time I bit into the bread, It smelled kind of funny. I thought it was a weird cheese at first, then finally realized it was the dang soap I had used to wash my hands in the bathroom. I don't know what kind it is, but holy cow, it stinks. My wife thought so, too. Third flag! Now, on to the entrée. We ordered the Tour of Italy, which I thought they stole the name from Olive Garden. It is a combo of chicken parmesan, lasagna, and fettuccine Alfredo. It also came with a side of bread. The fettuccine was decent but certainly nothing to write home about. It was creamy, and the noodles were cooked well but did not have much flavor. The chicken parmesan was also cooked ok but not very flavorful, plus it was covered in the marinara sauce that I didn't really care for. The lasagna was absolutely terrible. I would rather eat the north end of a south-bound Mule than to have to taste that again. I literally have a 5 year old McDonald's cheeseburger at home that would taste like Ruth's Chris compared to that lasagna. I honestly thought the meat in it may have been old or something but, of course, I don't know for sure. The bread had some kind of strange spice on it that smelled weird and it was also cold. I don't know how they prep the food there but it came out fast enough that it made me think it may be shipped to them precooked in bags. Again, not sure. Overall, this was a terrible experience. We didn't even eat a third of the meal. The bright part of the evening was the service. Everyone was very attentive and nice. JoJo was a great server. I didn't complain to her about any of this because she didn't cook it nor does she own the place. Businesses don't like bad reviews but I don't like spending hard-earned money on bad food. I have written many reviews and most have been good. This was bad and I hope they can fix it before it gets worse. I try to support all new businesses in our area but I can't get on board with this one. Too many red...

Stopped in for lunch on 7/13/2023. The restaurant hasn’t been open that long, according to friends. So originally being from the northeast part of the country and,having a grandfather who was from Italy and raised on homemade Italian food, decided to try it. We ordered an appetizer of the Mozzarella sticks which was accompanied by Marinara sauce. The sticks were still hot, the crust was crunchy in a good way. The Marinara sauce was really good. We also received some Herb dusted twists that were provided as part of the dining experience, which were more than adequate in size. They were hot and at the right consistency, not stale at all. Next for the entrees, I ordered the Sausage Arabiata, pic attached. The pink sauce had a touch too much heavy cream however the seasoning was spot on! The sausage had a slight kick to it which accented the dish nicely. Nothing seemed microwaved to me. My wife had the lunch sized Eggplant Parmigiana with spaghetti as a side. She noted, for her, maybe a tad too much olive oil. However, overall,the right consistency as far as being prepared. Just the right amount of mozzarella melted on top. We had desert to go since we were stuffed and even took left overs home. I had a cannoli and she had a slice of Chocolate Cheesecake. The cannoli was on par with others I have had back home in the northeast. Good size, crispy shell topped with some powdered sugar and chocolate drizzle. The ricotta cream filling was spot on, definitely a touch of sweetness but not overly sugary desert sweet, as it should be. My wife enjoyed the Chocolate Cheesecake, right amount of flavor and sweetness with great consistency. We had had two cold beverages,unsweet tea and Diet Coke. The total bill came to about $60.00 As far as being compared to a fast food type Italian restaurant, I disagree but to each their own. Portions were more than enough and as far as price, have you been to the grocery store lately? What we had tasted freshly prepared, not microwaved…again, just our take. There’s only one other place that has really good Italian offerings, although not as big a menu, and he is right around the corner on the circle. We will definitely be back… Pics attached so to show this isn’t a...