Carbone's Pizzaria Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Lexington

I have revised my opinion

We decided to give them another try because we really missed their pizza and cheese bread. The pizza was amazing just like old times. In case it was a fluke, we tried them again - excellent. And again - Excellent. Several times since - Excellent.

They obviously paid attention to the comments and worked on resolving the issues they were having.

They even added steak bites to the menu. They are better than Bonfire's - which is great since Bonfire's is closed now.

Sad to say that my business is going elsewhere.

I moved to the area 15 years ago and had been a loyal customer ever since. We ordered delivery every Sunday (to enjoy with Walking Dead) in addition to dine-in several times a year. We ordered so much that the person answering knew who we were.

Things started to change over the past year. Delivery started taking over an hour and several times the order was wrong or the food not cooked like we were used to. Lately the pizza has been dry (not enough sauce) and gobs of cheese. A few weeks ago, I decided to pick-up vs. delivery (we have stopped doing delivery due to amount of time it takes). When I ordered, specifically requested light cheese more sauce. When I got home, it was heavy cheese, barely sauce.

I decided to give them one more chance. My daughter and I dined in last night. First off, we sat for over 10 minutes before we were acknowledged. The person who seated us, forgot it was her section for a while. We almost ready to leave when she finally approached us and laughed about forgetting it was her section when she seated us. I ordered a large sausage/pepperoni pizza with light cheese and extra sauce (so we could take some home for later), wings for app and my daughter ordered spaghetti.

The place was busy but not packed. The wings took about 25-30 minutes. The pizza and spaghetti came out about 25 minutes later. The pizza was way overcooked so the server said she would have them make another one right away. By the time the replacement came out, my daughter was done eating her spaghetti.

The new pizza had 0 cheese, on it at all and Canadian bacon. Barely any sauce. Basically meat on crust. I asked why the Canadian bacon was on it and the server said because CB comes on the Meat Lovers. I reminded her I ordered sausage/pepperoni not Meat Lovers. She looked at me totally confused and pretty much insisted that I ordered what came. She did take the pizza back and removed it from my bill. So after being there for almost 2 hours, my dinner was about 5 chicken wings.

My thoughts: Since the new ownership the quality has deteriorated, the service has deteriorated. Food quality is inconsistent. The pizzas used to come the same way, regardless of who cooked it. We have given them about 10 chances too many. So sad because this had been...

I want to know that your actions impact other people.

Yesterday 04/05/2016 I worked until 8pm at night. While I was at work I pulled up the website for Carbone’s on Lexington in Minnesota and it said they were open until 10pm. Then, just to make sure, on my break I called them an asked – A girl informed me that yes, they were open until 10pm.

So, after work I had errands to do. You see, I am caring for my dad who just received a diagnosis of stage 4 lymphoma cancer. He possibly has a few weeks, to a few months to live. At this point we are doing our best to make my father comfortable. So I hurried and ran my errands to the stores I needed to go that close at 9pm first, but early enough where I could make it to your restaurant. I was happy when I found what I needed and was at Carbone’s by 8:57! You see, this is my Dad’s favorite pizza, so I was going to multi task get something for myself, and then order him a small pizza to go. It would have made his day!

Instead I got to a restaurant with all of the lights on. There were Cars in the parking lot, and a locked door. There was no sign informing us why they had closed down – just one female employee that dived behind the back door hoping I did not see her.

Had I known that you were going to close early I would not have rushed – gosh knows I am stressed enough as it is. Had I known you were going to close early I would have simply rushed to the 7th Street Carbone’s in St. Paul, since that is his favorite anyhow – but I counted on the information that was provided to me.

Yes, I did eat elsewhere, and yes, I went grocery shopping for my dad afterwards, and was still able to feed him a little.

But I wasted my time, which I could have been spending with my father. I wasted my gasoline – which I cannot afford due to medical costs. And got angered because I was lied to on the phone, I was offered no explanation at the door, and I have employees hiding from their customers in the store. I just wanted to inform you that this is awful business practice. And closing an hour, and hour and a half earlier than your advertised time may not be a big deal for you – but for others, it may be. Your actions...

I'm not a frequent flyer here as far as having been a prior customer for Carbone's pizza. We usually have ordered from CR's Carbone's as it's closer and 3.50 less expensive for the same menu item. (Lg House Special)

Everything went fine right up until the pickup at the counter, where I had asked for Parmigiano and some hot red pepper to go with the takeout. My experience with CR's, I get the small convenience packets of those items like one does at a gas station or as such. Here, at this location, they had those condiments prepped into small containers which definitely is more desirable as far as flavor and freshness, so when the lovely woman who was accommodating the request brought me 5 containers of each, I was surprised and said, "oh, no, I don't need that much, just give me like 3 each"

As it just so happened, that, what I presume was the owner or a manager had been walking past as I was saying this and the individual became involved in the perception of the request exchange, to which that devolved into becoming "you need all that for one pizza?"

Needless to say, I was a bit taken aback.

I just wanted to get out of there with my food and a misunderstanding occurred over the condiments format and volume as I hadn't known.

I then picked my order, and said "just give me two each" which was accommodated with no further problem by the wait staff.

It was the managers or owners comment and how he came across as though I was being intentionally greedy and his incredulous demeanor of implying as such by his exclamation that, as I left with my two containers of each of the condiments that I said under my breath

"I'm not coming back here again"

To which, I'll continue to give CR's Carbone's my business - where the incriminating is less prevalent and accommodation more to my satisfaction, as well as the pricing.

No fault upon the lovely lady who rang me up. The service was very much above par save for the manager who could've handled that a bit better for the sake of a returning customer now lost, bot that I was a frequent flyer there...