Gregorio's Trattoria — Restaurant in Maryland

Caruso’s Grocery or Gregorio’s Trattoria. I’m new in this community and that’s the advice I’ve been given. I went to Mama Lucia’s and well… you can read about how that went. Caruso’s was closed tonight, so I tried this spot. It’s located in a beautiful and intentional set of shops - higher end and very busy. Parking was easy, though, and there are convenient spots out front for people making quick pickups. I made a reservation for 6 pm (it’s 6:57 as I write this) for just me. When I walked in, the hostess said hello and went on to finish what she was doing. She then said “are you picking up?” I said no, I have a reservation for one. An entire conversation ensued with another person… and she sat me at a perfect little spot tucked between two big families. The staff were running around, but it appeared as though the majority of them were not servers and weren’t empowered to take an order. Poor planning… and… tons of tables sitting with just water and orders not taken. By 6:14 pm I got water and was asked if I wanted something else to drink. A non-server dropped bread and marinara at my table - warm, soft, and delicious. The marinara was a bit sweeter than I prefer, but it was delicious. By 6:22 pm the same woman came and took my order. It was as if I was a bother… I watched her be playful and even kiss and hug other people, but I was an annoyance, it seemed. My food came fast and it was incredibly hot. While this was a bolognese, it appeared as though it wasn’t just a fine mince, but that the cream had gotten so hot it curdled rather than leaving the sauce velvety. It was still tasty. Again, a non-server came to my table to ask how the food was. I said it was ok - my water was filled (this was the first of 3x). I also asked to place an order to go. He said he would let the server know. I watched her walk around filling waters… chatting… and when she came to my table I asked if she’d been told I wanted an order to go. She said she had but, “it’s not that busy in here so you can get it later.” I explained that I was ready to go, and I wasn’t staying long. She took the order. A manager came by and asked about the experience, I said I was ok. He said “just ok?” I fumbled in my wallet for my card to hand him. He said “what could we have done better?” I said “probably service” and he offered to bring me dessert. I said no thank you and he left before I could hand him my card. A non server came with the bill. I handed him the card. He ran it, I signed and I left.

This seems like a pretty uninteresting post, I’m sure. And maybe to some it is. On paper, everything went to plan, I guess.

And in real life? It’s the holiday season. When someone comes in alone, it wouldn’t hurt to show a tiny bit of kindness. In every one of those interactions it was clear that looking busy was more important than connection and compassion. If I wanted food shoved at me and more water than a camel needs, I would have stayed home and ordered Door Dash.

If the food is not exceptional, at least consider making the service a little better. Complacency seems to be the theme of the moment, and I’m looking for my regular go-to Italian spot. This isn’t it for me. And, maybe it would be different for you. After reading the other posts, it’s possible that race impacts care… and the joy and warmth is reserved for the people wanted there…

Happy New Year. I hope the...

This evening, my aunt, my four-year-old cousin, my 18-month-old son, and I dined at Gregorio’s Trattoria in Cabin John Village, Potomac. Unfortunately, our experience was extremely disappointing and left me feeling both unwelcome and disrespected.

We initially sat outside but requested to move indoors after it began to rain. Once settled inside, we were served our entrees. While eating, my toddler accidentally bit into a fry that was too hot, causing him to cry briefly. I quickly calmed him down, and the rest of the meal was smooth. In fact, several customers and staff members interacted kindly with my son, complimenting him and even playing with him. For the majority of the evening, he was calm, playful, and simply laughing at his cousin’s silly faces — nothing disruptive or excessive.

Later, the manager stopped by our table, complimented my son, and may have quietly asked my aunt to “keep it down,” though nothing was said directly to me as his mother. Regardless, my son was not crying, screaming, or disturbing other diners. He was simply laughing — as any 18-month-old child does.

When we finished eating, our server brought the check without offering a dessert menu, which felt dismissive, especially since we were there to celebrate my aunt’s birthday. Eventually, a slice of cake was brought out, which we appreciated. However, the evening took a very upsetting turn when a group of older Caucasian women at another table told me that my son was “too loud” and “shouldn’t be in the restaurant.” This was deeply offensive, especially because my child had only been laughing softly with his cousin. Their comments were not only unkind but discriminatory in nature.

What was most disappointing was the response from the staff. Instead of addressing the inappropriate remarks directed at us, our server told me to leave after I stood up for my child. At no point had management or staff ever indicated that my son was being disruptive — only these customers. Yet the restaurant chose to side with them. Given the dynamic and the fact that the women were of a different race, I cannot overlook the racial undertones in how this situation was handled.

Gregorio’s presents itself as a family-friendly restaurant, yet our treatment suggested the opposite. Families with young children deserve to feel welcome and respected while dining out, especially when children are simply laughing at the table. I’ve dined with my son at finer establishments and have never experienced such hostility or discrimination.

This experience was unacceptable. I will not be returning, and I urge management to reflect on how they handle situations involving families and, more importantly, how racial bias may influence their decisions. Every paying customer deserves to be treated with dignity...

I think Gregorio's probably has a loyal contingent of slightly older patrons and that's great for them. But if you're in the area, looking for a delicious italian meal, this is not your place. Their pizza may be good (not sure, we didn't try it) but the rest just did not pass muster.

First the good: our server was absolutely lovely, even if slightly absent. And we happened in on half price bottle of wine night so $13 for a bottle of vino at a restaurant wasn't a bad deal! Beyond that, I don't have much good to report.

$16 gets you 4 stacks of 1 slice of hot house tomato + 1 basil leaf + 1 slice store-bought mozz. Y'all, that's $4 for a slice of bland tomato, a slice of bland mozz, and a basil leaf. C'mon!!! They didn't even have the decency to use an heirloom, bufala, or burrata.

Entrees weren't terrible but weren't even beginning to cut it at the $25+ price point. I ordered the chicken saltimbocca and it was positively swimming in the marsala "sauce" (broth). Hubs did like his Rigatoni Al Capone alright but the sausage looked store bought and the dish was definitely also overly sauced. Everything was under salted. Also, no fresh grated parm offered. At $27/entree, you'd better be offering me some super fresh, straight from Italy, grated off the block Parmigiano Reggiano.

Lastly, it was about 80 degrees inside and to the point where all our beverages were sweating after 5 minutes; even the marble wine cooler couldn't keep the bottle from getting warm at the end. Staff was all carrying on like everything was normal so not sure if that's just another day at Gregorio's or if A/C was on the fritz... either way, we were uncomfortable as hell (literally, like so hot) by the end of our meal and couldn't wait to get out of there.

TL;DR: don't let the regulars' 5-stars and glowing reviews lure you in; the food and experience absolutely did not cut it for the...