Albero Bistro — Restaurant in Kansas

I struggle to give such a low rating to a local restaurant. I love local places and want them to survive. However, I just wasn't as impressed with this place as I wanted to be. My family and I have come here several times over the last few years, including birthday dinners for both of my kids in the last year when they wanted Italian for their special day. We came in for a late dinner tonight, arriving about 75 minutes before closing. When we walked in, we were hit with a strong chemical smell as the floor had recently been mopped. It was still wet and a sign was out. I suspect something had spilled prior to our arrival based on how sticky the floor felt under our feet when we left. Our dinner included a garlic bread appetizer, Margherita Flatbread, Garlic Chicken Flatbread, Caprese Sandwich, and Grilled Salmon. The appetizer was simply a sandwich roll cut in half with oil and seasoning on it and toasted. It didn't feel like a restaurant quality dish, more like something I'd make at home craving garlic bread as a late night snack. It tasted fine. It was seasoned well, just not much to it. My kids both had Flatbread. The Margherita Flatbread was generally what I expected with chunks of tomatoes and mozzarella melted over everything. It probably had basil under the cheese, but I didn't notice it. When my son's food came out (the birthday boy), our waiter apologized that one of the pieces of the flatbread had fallen on the floor before it made it to our table. No offer to remake or correct the error in our bill. I didn't want to make a fuss, so I left it alone, but was shocked and disappointed. The Garlic Chicken Flatbread had onion and tomato both on it. I was surprised that the onion appeared to simply be placed under the cheese and broiled with the whole Flatbread. They were still essentially sliced of raw onion. I expected them to be sautéed down at least a little. I can't remember what the description said, probably just listed onion, I just didn't expect large slices still crunchy and raw. This could be my expectations and not be the fault of the restaurant, but again, not terribly impressed. My husband liked his Caprese Sandwich and the homemade chips were delicious! The whole family helped him eat them. My salmon came with broccoli, grilled(?) tomatoes, and a fried cornmeal(?) patty of some sort that I was unfamiliar with. The cornmeal patty was very tasty and well seasoned. I enjoyed it and ate it all. The tomatoes were fine. Some of my broccoli was just stems, the tops had been sliced off. I thought this was strange, but I like broccoli, so I ate it. My salmon was fine, had a little too much lemon for me, but again, that could simply be my preference. Unfortunately, a few bites of my salmon tasted "off". Can't quite put my finger on it, but something didn't seem right. The atmosphere is great at Albero Bistro. Our waiter was attentive, but we were the only people at the restaurant at the time, so I suppose that's to be expected. When our bill came, I was disappointed to see no amends made for part of our food falling on the floor, but I didn't want to make a fuss, so I paid and we left. Overall, I wasn't terribly impressed with our meal, especially for the price. Feeding our family of 4 ended up at $95 after tip. Felt like a lot for an underwhelming meal. Fortunately, my birthday boy was happy enough with his meal, and that's what mattered tonight. I keep wanting to like this place, and the adult beverages we've got during past visits have been sensational, but it's just not as great as we want it to be. i think we'll be looking for a new to-go, local...

I am hard on Italian restaurants because I cook a lot of it at home in the traditional way, which even means making my own pesto in a pestle. When I rate an Italian restaurant I do so in a "can I do this better at home" kind of scale and weigh the price to what it would cost me to make in my own kitchen. For the starter I chose Arancini because they are such a pain to make, and Albero did not completelydifferent

My wife and I had dinner here tonight, and overall, the experience left us feeling a bit underwhelmed. Service: The initial greeting was cold and uninviting. The host walked us to our table, dropped the menus, and left without saying much. No specials were introduced, and nothing about the menu was explained. Our waitress was polite but very direct, almost robotic in her approach. She was quick to take our order and encourage us to add more items, but the interaction lacked warmth or personality. As someone who grew up on the East Coast and has eaten at many Italian restaurants, I’ve come to expect servers to be knowledgeable, friendly, and willing to explain or recommend dishes. Food: I ordered the spaghetti Bolognese, and my wife had the chicken scallopini. Both dishes had good flavor and decent portion sizes. Presentation, however, could have been better. Unlike most Italian restaurants I’ve been to, no bread, soup, or salad was offered with the entrées, which made the meal feel a bit incomplete. For dessert, we shared a limoncello cheesecake with raspberry sauce. While it tasted fine, it seemed like it may have been pre-made or sourced from elsewhere, rather than freshly prepared in-house. Atmosphere: The dining room felt more like an empty storefront than a cozy Italian eatery. While clean, it lacked the warmth, décor, and inviting touches that help set the mood. Watching our server roll silverware at a nearby table while we waited for the check didn’t help the impression. We were also surprised that no military or veteran discount was offered. The food itself was decent, but the service, atmosphere, and overall experience left a lot to be desired. With some adjustments—like friendlier service, more inviting décor, and small touches such as bread or salad with entrées—this could be a much more enjoyable dining...