Limonata by Paninos — Restaurant in Fort Collins

My husband and I drove up from Denver to go to Limonata for a date night and it was one of the best meals we’ve had all summer!!

We made a reservation in advance, so there was no wait when we arrived. I liked that you got to choose your preferred seating when making the reservation, and we chose to sit on the outdoor patio (which is SO cute with flower baskets, twinkle lights, etc).

The service was outstanding from start to finish. Every staff member we encountered (mostly teens and young adults) was above and beyond kind and respectful.

I love that the menu features classic Italian with some really fun twists and flavor combinations that tie the “Limonata” theme really beautifully throughout. It feels very intentionally crafted.

For drinks, my husband ordered a glass of wine and I got a sparkling cherry mint lemonade (which was a very tough decision because I also wanted to try the regular lemonade, blackberry lemonade, & strawberry basil lemonade…if they create a lemonade flight, I’d be here for it!).

For our appetizer, we shared the burrata Limonata, which was a really different and delicious take on burrata featuring arugula, citrus, pistachio pesto, pickled onions, etc. My mouth is watering thinking about it.

For entrees we got a baked chicken alfredo and a chicken parmigiana w/spaghetti marinara (classic Italian staples that we love). The chicken even stayed crispy around the edges, so chef’s kiss for that.

And then to top things off we got a crème brûlée and a Palisade peach & caramel cheesecake for dessert. Which were both absolutely incredible.

The check even came with two little lemon drops for us on top…How cute is that??

I can’t believe they’ve only been open for 6 weeks. Everything ran so smoothly, the ambience was perfect for a summer evening, and the food was seriously amazing. I’ll be thinking about this meal for...

Went for date night; had a reservation. Got seated upon arrival in the patio - very nice space and even on a hot day it had a good breeze and fans for ventilation. This is where the issues began. 5-10 minute wait before anyone talked to us or brought water. Ordered drinks (a beer and a mocktail). Another 10+ minutes go by and nothing. People around us are getting drinks and food (including those seated after us). Drinks finally arrive and we order an appetizer. App arrives. I have to ask the waitress to take the empty glasses when she brings a 2nd drink. We order main dishes which we're told come with a side salad which we both order. Main food comes out, no salads. We're about 3/4's done with the meal before waitress checks in - she does not bring up missing salads. I mention we didn't get them - she then says they are out of a few ingredients to make them and we could get a different salad or she could take it off the check. We opt for the latter. She comes back with the handheld check out machine and asks if we're ready to check out. No "would you like dessert", etc. She then reads off what we had and hands me the machine. I ask her if she took off the salads and she had not. Overall awful service for our 1st time. Everyone around us seemed to have a much better service experience. I asked what ingredients were missing from making a house salad and was told cucumbers and onions. I mean - either come back and offer a different salad prior to our main course showing up, or just bring the house salad without those two ingredients - we wouldn't have known or cared. Everyone else got little lemon candies with their check, we did not. Overall communication was poor. Food tasted good across the board and might get us to return, but if service is like this every time it's...

Staff just seemed confused. First one person came to take our drink order, then another. Then the drinks took a long time

We ordered two "Paninos", which came with a "side". The waiter told us what the sides were and said for a small upcharge we could change to a side salad. We chose that for one. We should have asked the "how much" question, but when someone tells me "small" and the entree is only $16 I do not expect the upcharge to be $6.00.

We were talking to the owner, I believe, when the bill came. This is when we noticed the excessive fee. She agreed.

We also noted that they had added a "kitchen appreciation fee" which was not on the menu. I asked her about this and was told "everyone in old town does that". Well, I eat out a lot in old town and challenged her, since the only place I know that does is it Blue Agave, and they state it on the menu. She agreed that maybe it was not so common.

She also told us that she could just not keep kitchen staff at what she was willing to pay them if she did not have the charge.

I respond: "Pay your staff what they are worth and don't try and sneak it by me". I told her I thought it was very sleazy. I believe it is.

Interestingly, they also charge tax on that fee.

The Paninos were OK - a little dry, and we would not have them again.

So, to me, it is a sleazy operation (my opinion), who do not pay their staff enough, with not...