Armando’s - Lake Nona — Restaurant in Florida

As exciting as it was to have an Armandos in Lake Nona -- I have to say there are some challenges they are going to face with the staff they are employing here. We were eagerly anticipating a visit to Armando's last weekend, and although we had plans for Saturday, in need of a preview, we ordered a pizza Friday night to support our new local restaurant. Upon arriving, I gave the hostess my name for the order and presented a credit card to pay for it. She told me the credit card machine was down, and asked if I had cash. I did not, so she looked at her higher-up standing next to her who seemed to be some sort of manager, and she advised me there was an ATM next door and I could get cash. I told her I only had a credit card, and offered to leave the card with them until their machine was back up and retrieve it later, to avoid any delays. She said, hold on a moment and went to the back of the restaurant for about 5 minutes. Upon her return, she said -- the machine may be back up again let's try it --which seemed shady considering we didn't try it before, but I didn't think anything of it at the time. The card went through on the first time, and the order was paid for. At this time, the hostess walked away, and I filled out my credit card receipt leaving a take out tip as I appreciated that they allowed me to pay for the order using a credit card as if this was some sort of privilege I earned, although in this day and age, contactless and non cash payments are the trend. The hostess walked away, and what I believed to be my pizza sat on the counter behind the manager who was still there. 10 minutes had already passed since I entered the restaurant, and this pizza has been sitting there the whole time so I asked her if she could hand me the Pizza which she replied with no eye contact and an attitude as if she was holding it against me for using a credit card that "that is not your pizza". I waited about 5 minutes later, and nothing came out of the oven. Then, the hostess returns, sees me still standing there and hands me the same pizza that has been there for almost 20 minutes since I originally arrived. I looked at the who I hope is not an actual manager who was still there and told her "that was my pizza". She goes "oh sorry -- " and walks away. I shook my head, and in retrospect should have probably just left them their cold pizza and left. So terrible to have a bad experience with one person, and I am no Reviewer by nature, but this rubbed me the wrong way, and I truly hope they clean up their act if they want to survive in this part of town. -- As for the pizza -- it is hard to truly critique it as it was not even close to fresh by the time we got home. That being said, the flavors, the dough and the combination of cheeses of their White Pizza was reflective of their Winter Park location, and can be in the same conversation of our other local favorite, but in the restaurant business not even with the best food will you survive if you don't have the decency of understanding how to deal with people, and appreciating...

I don't like to post this types pf review when the things gone wrong. But, taking in mind this is happening frequently I want to let know my experience on my last visit to dine in family on Saturday May 12 of 2025. I wanted to visit this restaurant since a long time ago, I had the chance to do it treating my family to a special italian dinner. My daughter and wife love the italian food and we enjoy the special traditional italian cuisine. When we arrived they offered a open table with no reservation, the server took several minutes to take care of us but we understood he was very busy with other tables. He started saying the kitchen had a delay preparing the food around 20 to 25 minutes, but also he offered an appetizer to start up and drinks coming right away meanwhile we checked the menu to order the main food. So far the things were going well, despite we accepted to assume the kitchen delay. We observed the rest of the table and the restaurant in my appreciation was 65% of occupancy. Our server was literally running between the kitchen and the rest of the tables that were being attended by him. We arrived around 6:15pm and had spent 10 minutes before he took our first order of drinks and appetizers, 10 minutes later he brought the Bruschetta like we ordered, but not the drinks. The drinks came around 15 minutes later. Then we decided to order the main food. Veal Pizzaiola, Chicken Tatiana and Spaghettis Carbonara for my daughter. We waited around 45 minutes more for the food, looking other people who arrived later than us, receiving the food first than us. After around 1 hour later the food came to the table but guess what? Two of the dishes were wrong, Pasta al Burro came in place of the Spaghetti Carbonara and Chicken Tatiana was replaced by the Chicken Marsala. We were very upset and returned those to the kitchen and almost we leave that place. But, the server was very ashamed and offered us an immediate replacement from the kitchen in 5 minutes or less. He accomplished that final offer but the food was fair, nos so tasty as expected, seems like were prepared in the fastest and careless way, like in a fast food buffet. The server was very kind and was trying to redress the all that bad experience and I could say he did his best in the name of that restaurant. I think we will never go back again and rather to select another known place instead for a future day. I hadn't the chance to take pictures of the food because we were starving. I hope they should better the service of...

Well another bad review for the books. My husband placed a take out order for bruschetta , pasta alle Mia and a chicken parm . Upon entering my husband was greeted by the host and soon left on his own after being told that she needed something from her manager . Upon return the young lady continue to Kiki with the “manager” and still hasn’t helped my husband . $64 later we’re sitting down to eat when I’m met with the most stinky meal. Now I know it’s mussels but still my nasal passages were assaulted and proceed to try it as oil is dripping from gnocchi i finally bit into it and im left wanting more.. more flavor .. LESS SALT.. maybe possibly the flavor presence of pesto .. even though I can clearly see that it is in the dish the flavor is left much to desire . I proceeded to call even before my husband had been able to greet his meal I’m speaking with the same hostess who so graciously “helped” my husband . I explain to her my repulsion and she proceeds to tell me “well it’s made with pesto and oil …” HUH I couldn’t tell… she does inform me that manager is indeed NOT at the restaurant like she told my husband and that they were closed so I could come another day and talk to the manager . Now my husband finally has started to eat his meal and offers me a bit of the lackluster rubbery RAW piece of chicken. The chicken was SQUISHY AND RUBBERY . The flour was not seasoned and clearly someone in the kitchen does not need to be cooking . I don’t know if they treat their dine in guests differently but I would not waste my money here again. This is a health hazard with raw chicken . It may not be pink but it is not fully cooked . The pesto sauce is oil soup . Although the bruschetta 10/10 no notes except 3 piece of bread for $13 does feel alittle like a stick up. Where has the integrity gone ? This went through atleast 3 hands to get to me . Are we not temping chicken BEFORE we serve it??? Are we not quality controlling pasta dishes that are $25 dollars ? Most people don’t even make $25 an hour . I would not be writing this review if their voicemail wasn’t filled and the hostess didn’t try to mansplain pesto to me . Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk and for the manager who reads this refund my money for the two pasta dishes . I don’t want a credit like your hostess mentioned and i genuinely don’t want to ever step foot in this...