La Posta Pizzeria — Restaurant in Maryland

We went to La Posta this evening for my daughter's birthday, so it was a group of 12 (10 girls, my son, and me). The quality of the food has slightly declined since the restaurant opened but it is still acceptable; I would not choose to go here myself, but it was my daughter's choice, so whatever. The service was average through the end of the meal and the kitchen looked to be a bit understaffed (took 25 minutes to get some fries on the table as an appetizer). Regardless, the kids were having a good time and that is what is important.

Fast forward to the end of the evening and this was the beginning of the end for La Posta. I received the check and saw a "non-cash" fee added onto the bill of 3%. Perhaps others think nothing of it but I was concerned to see a surcharge on the bill that had not been indicated anywhere on the menu, so I asked the waiter (Eli) about it. Instead of apologizing or attempting the courteous route, Eli became belligerent with his response and I had to get the manager involved (and it was at this point that Eli lost his tip completely due to his rude and arrogant response). I appreciated the manager's (Alex) time and explanation - he was professional and understanding - but he basically indicated that a few weeks ago, Charlie (the owner) decided to implement this surcharge and because he had just printed new menus, didn't want to have to print again in order to save money. Instead, he had posted one little piece of paper - inconspicuously, in an area that you wouldn't look unless you were directed to look there - indicating a 3% surcharge for ANY non-cash payment. I firmly told the manager that I would not be paying this fee and - although I generally tip 25-30% when I go out to eat - would not be tipping the waiter either, due to his unprofessional and antagonistic response to my inquiry.

Upon returning home, I did a little research and discovered that - while it is legal for merchants to charge credit card surcharge fees - they must have clear signage and notification of this at BOTH point of entry (this was not done) AND point of sale. Furthermore, it is ILLEGAL to charge a blanket fee for non-cash transactions, as the Durban Amendment of Dodd-Frank (2010) explicitly prohibits this. Hence, this general surcharge at La Posta is ILLEGAL; it can apply to credit cards when appropriately advertised but NOT to debit cards, and I wonder how many consumers have simply taken it up the * without realizing what is going on.

In conclusion, so disappointing. We have dined at La Posta on numerous occasions over the years since it opened but after this, we will definitely not be back. Even without this happening, I constantly remind myself that for the diminished quality of the pizza, the price point is too high. However, when you unceremoniously try to nickel and dime the consumer, that is the end of the road. My recommendation is to avoid this place like you...

The food is pretty good, however both times we've dined there the service was pretty slow and the dining room wasn't packed. The entrees are expensive compared to their competitors in the area (Cafe Mezz, namely).

The pizza is alright, however I prefer Little Carmine's to La Posta.

Overall, the experience is average and expensive. We paid ~$100 for an app, two entrees, a dessert, and two glasses of wine before tip.

It's important to call out that we've had the same server twice in a row and during our visit last night, we ordered grilled calamari as an appetizer. When the food was run, he dropped fried calamari at the table. When I mentioned we had order grilled and not fried, he produced his pad and showed me he had written down fried.

...ok, dude.. you clearly messed up.

I'm pretty sure he expected us to keep the fried calamari but we sent it back in favor of our original order. I was pretty miffed that he challenged the fact we ordered grilled in the first place.

During this experience, the drinks took about 15 minutes to drop at the table and we had to remind the server about them. Beer was not cold.

Last but not least, no one bussed the apps until our entrees had been consumed and bread wasn't dropped until after the app was about halfway consumed (after it was remade).

We won't...

Don't let the "pizzeria" fool you, it's a great little Italian place that was selected as the best Italian in Severna Park for 2021. The centerpiece of the restaurant is the wood-fired oven behind the bar where we watched a lot of dishes come out of. The decor is a bit typical for Italian pizza shops but the bar selections are not. The wine and bourbon selections are expansive as is the menu. The bartenders, Ben and Cliff, were very attentive and a lot of fun to talk to. Try the burrata app for something different. I had the lasagna which was very good but didn't look like the typical lasagna. I only wish they had a meat marinara for the lasagna instead of red gravy to give it some more depth. My wife had the ravioli which she devoured. For dessert, we tried the tiramisu that had fresh strawberry slices atop. I don't think we can ever have tiramisu without strawberries ever again! We found out later that they get the tiramisu and the cannolis from a Baltimore Italian bakery. For a Coke, a bourbon, 2 glasses of wine, app, 2 mains and the dessert the bill came to $99 (before tip). Definitely worth every penny and we'll certainly be back to try...