Via Baci — Restaurant in Lone Tree

The customer service at this restaurant was some of the worst I’ve ever experienced. The restaurant opened at 11:30am and we arrived at about 11:25. There were about 5 people in front of us. As we had a party if 4 adults, 2 infants, and one child, we thought we would set our car seat down on the (large, open, empty) patio while we waited for a hostess/server (for the restaurant which opened in a few minutes). Immediately, a side door opened and a fierce-looking employee with bright red lipstick and a well-defined scowl stormed out onto the patio to chastise us. In a very angry tone, she coldly barked, “You need to wait to be greeted by a server” and “There is a large party of 8 in front of you we were going to seat right there!” (There were only 5 other people total in line so we were confused about what she was talking about). We apologized, explaining we hadn’t meant to cause any trouble, and moved back to the front door, and she didn’t even acknowledge the apology-storming back inside with the door slamming behind her.

We were all in shock about how rude she had been and considered going to a different restaurant because of that but decided to give the benefit of the doubt and stay. The couple in front of us said, “We got the same lecture.” (Lecture? Paying customers shouldn’t feel like they are being chastised or yelled at…even if staff need to advise of a policy, certainly they could do so professionally and positively).

Our server (different than the other employee lecturing guests) was just as cold. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. We weren’t quite ready to order when she arrived and she exasperatedly snapped, “I’ll just come back!” ….our food took 3x as long to arrive as the table next to us (the ONLY other party seated on the large empty patio where the alleged party of 8 the big table was being saved for forgot to show up), our server was cold and rude, and she seemed hugely inconvenienced by the request of a side of ranch. We tried hard to smile and say thank you….and we were greeted with uncomfortable tension in return.

Customer service makes or breaks an establishment. Don’t waste your time and money. Instead, go somewhere where they seem grateful for your business, not where your presence seems to be a great inconvenience for the staff who seem reluctant to serve the few guests who did show up at their otherwise empty...

*this is now an edit. After speaking with the manager Amy about my concerns and the experience, my friends and I went in for dinner last night and I have to say, it was top notch, I can now change this to a 5 star all around for the review. The staff and service was what we had always previously experienced at Via Baci. I am so happy that it’s back to that. Amy thank you for speaking with me.

Origianl: My friends and I have been coming here pretty regularly for the past year or so and the customer service has always been great and above and beyond until lately. I can’t remember the waitresses name I had a couple weeks ago but she was just rude and you could totally tell she didn’t want to be there. Never refilled our sodas, and just would get irritated when you would try and ask a question. I had family in town this weekend and wanted to take them to dinner and in hopes that the bad service was a one time thing, I made reservations for 5pm on Sunday the 14th. We got there about 20 minutes early and were able to be seated right away. The two people at the hostess stand were just plain rude and not friendly at all. Our waitress Shelbi acted like she was horrified that a child was seated in her section. She was very unfriendly, spent most of her time flirting with some guy at the bar. But the second she had to interact with someone in her section it was like a stone cold atmosphere hit her. We at first had said no to desert so she brought our check, but then my niece asked for dessert so we asked to see a menu and she visibly sighed and you could tell she was upset that she had to do her job. Even noticed that she was the same way to the two ladies dining next to us when they were asking some questions about a couple of the pasta dishes and what she would recommend. It’s so sad that this is happening. My friends and I love Via Baci, but the service is making me want to not go back....

We went in on a Friday around 4. There were about a dozen customers and the same amount of front house employees. We ordered wine and appetizers off of the happy hour menu, and the waitress asked if she could take our menus. We told her we were going to order dinner too. She came back and we ordered and my fiance asked what salad came with the lasagna, and she told us we couldn't have those items bc those were the lunch menus. She brought us the dinner menus and we asked what the difference was in the lasagna. She said it was a way bigger portion. We also noticed that they failed to give us the Specials menu that the other people coming in were getting. Our food came and I was highly disappointed. It all tasted like it had been sitting under a heatlamp for hours waiting to be ordered, and there was nothing spectacular abt any of it- could make the same type of food at home. The lasagna was not near as big as she made it seem, and the dinner portion didn't come with salad. She asked if I wanted another glass of wine and I said yes I would take the same cabernet, and also a water (why would they have not already brought us water?) She came back with my water and asked if I said I wanted another wine or not. At this time my fiance also ordered another glass and she came back with them and didn't know who's was who's. I tried smelling them to help her and she said 'well if you can't figure it out let me know' How is that our responsibility? Before the dinner was over a guy was going around lighting the candles on the tables and came to outs and said 'where's your candle?!' and stared at us for abt 5 seconds like we had stolen it or something. The whole situation was very unprofessional and the food was subpar. Will...