Mama Roberto's Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Mentor

I haven’t dined there in years, but we were regular patrons back in the day. Apparently, it was when their food was a lot better. When I heard an ill customer was horrendously disrespected by a member of the staff, I knew immediately that it was the owner woman. I’ve seen her get snippy and nasty with others and I’ve also seen her husband blow up and yell at people in the kitchen. It’s clear that they harbor great disdain for their customers. They are probably in the wrong business if they openly dislike people so much. It has always seemed like they took their success and the customers who brought them that success for granted.

Over the weekend, the general distaste for their customers hit a new low with a very ill young woman who is battling cancer and forced to drag around an oxygen tank everywhere she goes, the owner lady and the strict Mama Roberto’s rules for using a Groupon.

It’s astonishing that in this day and age a business owner could be so crass and careless. You should never be nasty to customers, but to loudly accuse someone of using an oxygen tank as an excuse for not following your Groupon rules, maybe you should reexamine yourself and whether you should or should not be in that business. Sometimes, all it takes is a semi-earnest apology to call off the social media lynch mob. Instead, the husband is angry at all the flak they’re getting and hung up on the ill woman’s friend.

Is all of this worth the extra twelve bucks or so they made by humiliating this couple at the cash register? I certainly hope it was.

The owner’s behavior was not only tactless, but it also lacked basic human decency. Put yourself in her position. Would you ever - IN A MILLION YEARS – accuse an obviously ill patron of using their oxygen tank to flout your Groupon rules??? Who does something like that? Probably someone with major character issues.

Fortunately, this story is spreading like wildfire throughout the local social media community and will soon hit the news. One would only hope that soon these people who seemingly hate being restaurateurs may no longer have to deal with...

I will never go here ever again... Every single time that I've been at this particular restaurant the food service was terrible, the waitress/waiter had a massive attitude, or the food came out ice cold.. the one time I waited for 55 minutes for a lukewarm dish that was simply spaghetti with meatballs.. that's it.. no fancy pasta.. no extras added.. just spaghetti and meatballs and that's all I wanted.. it was barely lukewarm when it came out and when I asked to talk to the manager I was greeted by a gentleman claiming to be the manager when I told him the food was very cold he looked at me and said quote ( well why don't you take it home and microwave it then? ) And walked away.. that was the last time that I was ever in this restaurant.. and then for those of you who don't remember couple years ago there was a woman with an oxygen tank that needed it in order to be able to breathe.. the owner's wife stopped her at the door and pretty much had a temper tantrum because the lady wanted to put the oxygen tank next to her table and the owner's wife refused her entry... That's something you simply don't forget about..based on my experience and other experiences from multiple associates.. if I could I would give it to 0 stars.. but unfortunately it's mandatory with one star... Save your money and go to zappitelli, primozz or davitino's... Much better food... Much friendlier staff.. and hot food that doesn't...

It is very unfortunate to read the reviews of the situation with the woman with special needs.

I've dined there several times. The only bad experience was when I had a Groupon. I presented it prior to ordering (not sure who Mama R is of if that was our server). She took it and processed it and told me it had already been used - WHICH it had not been. She reprocessed it and it was good - as I knew it was and she apologized, but it was an embarrassing situation. The server told us "people try to do that all of the time." Well, I don't appreciate being generalized.

I do understand their request for people to present the Groupon before ordering, so that they can authorize it and not run into people refusing to pay their bill if the Groupon is invalid after dining and the bill comes or they are trying to scam a small business.

I was also disappointed when I tried to order the "Homemade Spinach Ravioli" - it was on the Menu, but apparently they do not make that anymore. The Aglio-y-olio is something to pass on. Just way to greasy.

I just ordered another Groupon, so will update post after we use it.

I really like the pizza and the cheese ravioli with Alfredo that I always order a side of sautéed mushrooms with. They are deliciously gigantic.

I'll give Mama Roberto's another chance with the Groupon and will see how I am treated.

Remember to tip your server based on what the bill would be without...