Vito's Italian Kitchen — Restaurant in Harrisonburg

I feel bad to leave this review but as someone who works in the industry I have to be honest and say that this was the worst service I have ever had in a restaurant. I am very low maintenance when it comes to bars and restaurants. I drink house everywhere and frequent dives. For such a beautiful restaurant, there is no excuse for the horrible service we experienced tonight. It’s a rainy Sunday, my date and I were one of the only tables here. I understand when there are a lot of servers scheduled on a slow shift, it can be hard to find things to do, but at the same time that’s making it hard to excuse. The ambience and decor were super nice! I enjoyed my eggplant parm and my date finished his dish. But our dinner was completely ruined by the attitude of the workers. Had planned on staying for drinks/dessert but it was just so bad. The entire time we were sat, there was a group of at least 4-6 kids hanging around the bar directly next to us, sitting eating takeout, on their phones, etc. Meanwhile, we only had knots as an appetizer and the empty plates, basket and dirty napkins were just sitting there for 20+ mins waiting to be cleared. Not that it’s in the way. But as a server, these are small elements of service that are IMPORTANT. Clearing tables. Checking in to see if anybody needs a drink or some water. And when it’s this slow? Come on guys. At one point, we had to interrupt the group socialization to just ask for a water, and they went to get our server who was off probably doing her job, rather than just grabbing it themselves? You’re right there. Work as a team. I could tell some were clocked out. But half were actively working shifts, and whether you’re on the job or not, you should not be hanging around the bar on your phone in front of customers. NO excuse to have to ask for service on a slow night with so many people standing around not paying attention. Our server herself was sweet and seems like she was just getting started. I don’t hold any of this against her. There was a small mistake with my food (asked for vodka sauce instead of marinara) so I had it sent back. this really wasn’t an issue, totally understand mistakes happen whether in the kitchen or due to server error. I do want to mention though that the plate I received with my corrected order was chipped and sharp. This along with what I’m about to mention are things that I think could be avoided if someone older or with more experience was present. The reason I even decided to write this is because of the horrible attitude from the girl behind the bar. When we first came in, she appeared to be training some people on how to open a bottle of wine. So I assumed that she was the person on tonight with the most experience, and was confused why she was standing around talking with coworkers that she is seemingly training. Girl, are you serious? tell them to get off their phones in front of customers- go to the back/kitchen! If you’re off, go sit at a table together, don’t form a huddle around the bar. And as for the people that were still on the clock- tell them to do a lap and see if anybody needs things taken off their tables, etc. The kicker was when we got up to leave. Said “thank you, have a good night” and not sarcastically. Just saying goodnight, because that’s a nice thing to do. Her response: “……bye???” Like we were bothering her. Hysterical, but very embarrassing way to conduct yourself in front of customers especially for the business owners. Nobody acknowledged us the whole night, even when we got up and left. Usually when you leave a restaurant, someone will at least look in your direction or say ‘goodnight’. Literally- backs turned, doing nothing, sitting on phones. If there was management on tonight, it wasn’t felt. I know this is a novel but i wanted to be as detailed as possible before making anyone aware...

First and foremost I'm going to do something with a review I've never done on any platform, and give this place a COMPLETE 5 STAR RATING. Even if we tried we could NOT find anything wrong with our experience here. From the second we walked in the door (30 minutes prior to close which is usually a Cardinal sin) we were immediately greeted with smiles and enthusiasm. Even the bartenders and the leftover crew hanging out seemed genuinely cheerful just to be there which set a great tone. I usually don't post names but i would be absolutely remiss not to state that as a former general manager in the food industry I have NEVER had a server as incredible as Nick Moxley. His attentiveness, his incredibly pleasant disposition, his effort to go above and beyond his call of service to make sure that we were taken care of to complete satisfaction is beyond anything I've experienced as a customer. It didn't feel like the typical server/customer transaction but my Fiancée and I felt WELCOME to be in the establishment and he made a very concerted effort to build a relationship no matter how short termed it would be. Being as honest as possible, the food was PHENOMENAL. Everything was HOT, well seasoned (which is rare in places claiming the "Italian" title) and cooked excellently. If you like sauce with your pasta THIS is the place to come to. My Fiancée and I are well traveled foodies, and with me being an over the road truck driver I've stopped and hundreds if not thousands of places that might taste ok, but are skimpy on the meal. The portions are absolutely the best part about the meal here. You feel like you get your money's worth easily. I'm about to attack my leftovers after finishing this and I can't wait. Usually when you ask to speak to a manager their response when coming to your table seems more like a chore than genuine concern but Morgan matched the energy in the room when she came over with the biggest smile possible and was just as nice as she could possibly be. We felt the need to let her know what an absolute treasure she has in Nick as a server, but we need her to know that she's a jewel to Vito's as well. If I had a crew like this when I ran the places I did I might still be in the food industry. THAT'S just how great this place was. When the bill came we tipped Nick 50%, and honestly even that might not have been enough. We came from NC on vacation and we're still debating on if we were coming back to the area but honestly we'd make the 4 hour drive JUST to eat here again. I...

We had dinner here on Mon. 9/12/22 5pm. This restaurant was recommended by our hotel, Double Tree by Hilton. Their courtesy car driver was familiar with the location near James Madison U. and brought us there in 10 min. We also checked out their website ahead. Well Monday Pasta Special was just what we were looking for after a day of exploring. For $10.95 you can choose from 6 pastas, 6 sauces, & your choice of two toppings from 25+ choices of meat, olives, peppers, cheese, etc (think pizza toppings). And if that's not enough incentive also on Mondays it's 1/2 off bottles of vino. What's not to like? Vito's is not a chain. This is authentic cooked to order Italian fare. There are specials on every day. They also have a market & deli next door. We sat at the bar and ordered a beer ($6) & a wine ($7) while make our dinner choices. My bride had angel hair pasta w/ pesto, chicken & fresh mozzarella. The portion was full dinner size & she took more than half back to our room. I had bucatini w/ spicy marinara, sweet Italian sausage, & kalamata olives. Again a generous portion. Very tasty marinara & al dente pasta. Full disclosure: I ate in all. LOL. It was a great first impression at Vito's. Our service was excellent. Bartender T was always checking on us even while cashing out all the take away orders. Very busy place on this Monday. It seems that they have built a brand and customer loyalty because of the food & the service. Specials everyday for lunch & dinner. Can place orders online and JMU students can use their JAC meal cards there also. Hours: WED-MON 11am-10pm, closed TUE. Happy Hour 3-6pm. A good recommendation for a great place to dine while travelling. Hope to see you the next time we're in VA. Thank you. Ciao. Nick &...