Beccafico — Restaurant in Lititz

We were very excited to try this new Southern Italian restaurant in Lititz. Unfortunately, while the food was above average our overall experience was very disappointing.

Despite having a reservation for 4 at 8 pm, we were informed by the hostess there would be a 20 minute wait. The very unapologetic hostess stated their manager had overbooked the evening. I asked if we could grab a drink at the bar while we wait and was informed the bar was full but we could go order one and bring it back to their waiting area. There were several other parties waiting for tables as well. Thankfully their waiting area is spacious with seating. When finally seated, menus were dropped in a pile on the table and we were asked for our drink order. We had to ask for a drink menu. There was really no introduction/review of the menu. I am unsure if there were specials for the evening as it was not mentioned by the server. I have seen special dishes posted on their social media for other weekends. We placed an antipasti order for the meatballs, arancini, and bread. When it arrived we had to wait for our server to return to ask for plates. The meatballs and arancini were okay. The bread was very good. The aperol spritz was seemingly just aperol and club soda, I could not appreciate any Prosecco. One person in our party had the Italian wedding soup which was stellar. We each ordered a pasta dish for our entrees along with the cimi di rapa and the funghi trifolati. The entree dishes came out at different times. Two of us had to wait for our dishes to arrive while the others were getting cold during the wait. They all came out a little lukewarm. The sides arrived later. The quality of the homemade pasta was great pasta but to be honest our taste buds could have really been soured by the poor experience at this point. Our waitress was sweet but preoccupied by a leak in the wine cellar which apparently she had to attend to. We finished our meals, no one checked in during our entree course to see if we needed more drinks or water. Another server arrived at our table and asked if we needed boxes. We had to ask for a dessert menu and water twice. Dessert was served and many of the used plates from dinner had not been removed from the table. The orange olive oil cake was a saving grace! The cannoli was alright, and another member of our party had the sponge cake with a marzipan layer on top which was very good. The bill slip was brought to the table right after dessert was served and we were informed that we could pay at the bar when we were done!??? We were never offered an opportunity to order a digestif or coffee.

I had high hopes for this place to be a standout restaurant for Lititz. I can forgive and have empathy for some hiccups when opening a new business. However, I believe the issues experienced during our visit could have been handled with better care from the staff and management. The food was above average but the experience really detracted from enjoying the food itself. Hope they use this feedback for their future customers experience. It may be some time before I...

My husband and I dined here for a late dinner. There were a couple of hiccups with our server. First, she brought out the wrong bottled water. I asked for sparkling and she opened and poured the bottle before asking to check. As she poured, I looked into the glass and asked her if that’s sparkling. Then she asked me if I had wanted still, and reluctantly, I said yes. And when she realized she made a mistake, she apologized and went back to switch the bottles. I had already asked her what brand the sparkling water was and she didn’t know. The bottle she brought out was a brand that I’ve never seen or heard of, but she said that it’s imported from Italy. That was a bit of an awkward start. Then, we ordered entrees. I got the Ragu di Coniglio which is papardelle with braised rabbit and mushrooms. My husband got the Fruitti di Mare which is basically like a spaghetti with mussels and shrimp. I’ve dined at tons of authentic Italian restaurants before, so my dish was a bit underwhelming. I thought the crème sauce was good, but there wasn’t enough of it. The pasta was cooked al denté which is not my personal preference. The rabbit was a weird pairing and it didn’t taste like anything other than some dark chicken meat. The meat was just pulled apart and tossed in the dish. I think the rabbit was an odd choice for texture and flavor. I think braised beef that’s tender and juicy would’ve made a better dish, but again, that’s my opinion. My husband said his dish was okay but he felt that it was overpriced for what it turned out to be. It was a small portion and he felt like he could’ve made that at home. Sadly, we were both a bit dissatisfied with our meals. Finally, it was dessert time. We ordered a cannoli since that seemed to be the popular pick based off the other tables. After a few minutes had gone by, our waitress walked over and told us that unfortunately they were sold out of the cannoli. We looked at each other with our faces in shock. That was the one we were looking forward to. I said that’s fine and just asked for the check. Now, when she brought us the handheld POS, I only saw the total and tapped my card. I opted for an email instead of a printout bc then she would have to go grab it from the back. After I got home, I opened my email and read the receipt. The iced tea that my husband got was $3, which didn’t taste like ice tea. But the sparkling water was $9! That is ridiculous. How do you charge $9 for a bottle of sparkling water that isn’t even a premium brand and it’s not that good? I was shocked by their prices. My husband even said that if the prices were $10 cheaper, then he’d probably go back, but these prices didn’t justify the taste, quality, nor quantity. I don’t know if I’ll come back. Maybe for...

A story seems best to start at the beginning. A windy cold FRIDAY, but Fire & Ice is later. We are local B&B owners checking out places to send guests for a hard-to-find-in-Lancaster Italian food. A party of three. Doors open…receptionist is behind a “booth” which makes it difficult to have immediate contact, fortunately a server has just returned some menus. Seating is soon, yet the receptionist is still behind that obstruction (perhaps make it lower in height?). Seating is mainly designed for couples, but tables can be joined for larger partyies, and the space is well configured with appropriate moulding and large Italian scene art. Crisp layout design and clean. Water is served…perhaps the water person could ALWAYS ask about different types of water and the acceptance of ice. Server KAILENE is promptly there, and engages persoanlly and professionally offers information and comments about menu items. Root beer is available, but perhaps some cider would do as well, and the Melbac wine is chosen (? no strong Italian Reds?). The sweet sauce pizza sauce needs a good red contrasting taste. Plate of warmed bread arrives, while it’s doughy, it goes well with the tasty olive oil/balsamic dip. Order: antipasti, arancini al ragu, caccamo. Food arrives within appropriate time given many tables are occupied. All adequately tasty, yet the pizza dough is the same as the bread, i/e too doughy for Southern Italian; the broccolini is too tough (check this at the stack end); the sausage is minimal (Southern Italian like their meat, so serve more) and spread the cheese throughout. Is Southern Italian sauce always this sweet? The antipasti could do with other thin slices of Southern Italian meats that are a bit spicy? KAILENE checks on us with appropriate frequency, clears plates and offers dessert (thanks, we are full here)…¿no coffee suggestion? So, our story ends for today, but further encounters should be considered. KAILENE was the best part of this event, then the ambiance and food presentation, and finally the food, which could be more consistent with Southern Italian fare. Well priced, but should be even better value when meeting the food considerations mentioned. See...