Vero Italian — Restaurant in Miami

Originally, I'd typed a LONG review and linked it here- seeing as that won't work, I'll instead just try to condense all my points.

TL:DR- do NOT come here at all. Olive Garden would be a better choice.

Initially, I'd stated that this place was a Siren at Sea: it looks alluring with its nice decor and fancy-sounding menu, but in reality, its food is upward of double the price of Olive Garden for less quality than school cafeteria spaghetti. While this all holds true, I'd like to add another point: The owners are liars and dodge accountability.

Not only did all our dishes lack any seasoning (Literally no salt, no pepper, no Italian spices visible nor taste-able), but half of us had undercooked pasta. One of my friends said as much in his review and the owners responded talking about the concept of al dente, as if he were dense- we KNOW what al dente means, and we know that was NOT al dente: it was undercooked. On top of that, another friend who'd ordered a lobster ravioli dish was essentially handed flaccid cardboard: it's one thing to skimp on fillings, but it's another to put such a thin layer that you cannot even feel the texture of it, let alone the taste.

We also had to flag down our waitress to have her take our order after 30+ minutes, which my friend also mentioned in his review. While it's fair enough that they only had one waitress, what the owners were more than happy to blatantly lie about was that "there were so many tables". The restaurant wasn't even at 1/3rd of its capacity when we arrived, nor did it exceed that during our time there. Again, none of my friends and I lack common sense: we wouldn't be complaining about slow service if there was a full restaurant and just one waitress.

And all of this is topped by the fact that not only is their food unseasoned and tasteless, but their ingredients are comparable in quality AT BEST to store-brand ingredients. The Bolognese that we'd ordered could've been done significantly better with a jar of Ragu and Walmart ground beef.

You can look at various other bad reviews before me, we are NOT the first to complain about undercooked pasta, bland food, etc- as a matter of fact, we weren't even shocked when the Owner's responded with comments about the concept of al dente and about how not all tastes will appeal to everyone: we were counting on it. The fact that they're so predictable in their response is more indicative of them wanting to stand by bad food and pin it on customers rather than take responsibility for lackluster food and improve.

Before the owners mention it themselves, I'll also say that yes, this is my first review: I've never given reviews, good nor bad- our experience here was so woefully disappointing that I couldn't NOT mention it. They also tried pulling this card on a friend of mine who left a review, as if that would take away from the fact that the experience was nothing short of a scam: we walked into a place that looked 4-stars at least, only to be given food that isn't even worth one star (The lack of any flavor rendered it more sustenance than food: you'd eat it simply because it's edible and you're hungry) and then charged upward of $25 a dish.

I'd initially intended to be less crude in my response, but I have no patience for my friends and I being treated like clueless tourists who don't know what al dente is, or what seasonings (Such as SALT) should appear in...

Greeted by Paola (Owner) Ambiance: rustic romantic Background: Open 5 years, family owned & operated Beverages: wine, Diet Coke Appetizer: Octopus Salad: Cesar salad Entree: Ribeye Dessert: Coconut Panacotta Note: Parking lots and garages are aplenty!

Paola greeted me at the door when she noticed me hovering while taking in the vibe and layout of the restaurant. I asked to be seated inside with a full view of the restaurant as I am a people watcher, and like to see the different types of people from all backgrounds that were coming through.

I want to start with the wine which is a Murphy Goode out of California. It was divine as I mentioned because of the rich and fruity flavors that was an explosion for my normally unenthused tastebuds! How marvelous to have found a wine made in the USA!

The appetizer was the Octopus alla Puttanesca, which according to the menu was "overnight sous vide" in their Puttanesca sauce. I would have preferred less olives, however, that's just a personal taste, I am sure its popularity isn't because many other patrons hated it.

Now, I'm an absolute lover of César salad and theirs was oh-so creamy and rich! It's tangy sweetness had the French mustard alioli to thank, and I have never had prosciutto cubes (thought they were bacon bits, I'm such a plebeian in some instances). I did enjoy it very much, however, the generous heaping of chunky parmesan cheese may have been a bit much, since my tongue felt a little rough after eating the whole plate. So, don't say that I didn't warn you of the richness and let me just say YUMMYNESS of this salad!

I had pizza for lunch, so I was not in the mood for that or any of the pasta entrees. I was in the mood for a ribeye after reading it was An Angus ribeye and sous vide cooked for 4 hours. Flavorful with hints of rosemary, garlic, and a tangy sweet flavor. The temperature was a little off at the ends of the steak. It's not the best steak, but I didn't expect the best steak from an Italian restaurant. Next time, I will be sure to try the pasta dishes which are aplenty. Keto recommendation

Desert was a Coconut Pannacotta served with wild berries compote. Absolutely delicious and my favorite dessert for 2019 thus far from a new restaurant!! This decadent and oh-so light tasting heaven on a plate, is the perfect finale to a satisfying meal. I'm a coconut-a-holic and let me just say, this made the meal for me!

Paola was super attentive throughout the meal and as the traffic increased, as it got later, she still presented herself to each table and gave that personal touch to each and everyone. This is what makes a meal memorable for me, is being welcomed and nurtured as if we were in your home. Great restaurant to consider for gatherings, as the inside is spacious and ambiance relaxing....

To start, I wanted to give a background based on my overall star rating:

-Service: 1 star -Food: 5 stars

-Overall Average: 3 stars

My partner and I came to Vero on a Saturday night at 8 PM and it was slightly busy (about 7 or 8 tables). We had a reservation confirmed a week in advance. When we arrived, one couple was waiting with us at the restaurant entry and no one greeted us for about 10 minutes. When we finally were greeted by owner Paula, she said they were too busy due to the Miami Marathon and couldn't accommodate the reservation (despite having at least 2 or 3 tables open). After mentioning once again that we had a reservation, she then sat us at a dirty table which remained dirty for the duration of the meal.

From the way it appeared Paula was the only server and also was seating people as well. They had at least 2 or 3 support staff bussing dishes from your table and taking food from the kitchen, but it looked like she needed additional support taking orders, etc.

After being seated, we were very patient, we waited about 20 minutes and then had to flag down Paula to acknowledge that we were ready to place our order. She then showed up at our table and just said "What?" and was pretty cold to us for most of the meal.

For drinks, they offer standard options (tea, coffee, soft drinks, and beer and wine). We ordered a bottle of Italian Chianti ($38).

Fortunately, the food really made it up to us. For food, we ordered the Il Plato della Casa ($26.90) to start. This is a must order for starters! The shared plate had a variety of sliced meats, cheeses, eggplant parmesan, olives, and mushrooms. Everything was very flavorful and the food quality was amazing.

For entrees, we ordered the Fettuccine Bolognese ($18.50) and the Bucatini a Amatriciana ($19.50). Both pastas were very large portions and had great flavor, and all pastas are made fresh in house. The Bucatini was a little spicy due to chili in the mix.. so if you're sensitive to spicy foods, ask for it to be modified. But I loved it, it gave it a nice little kick! :)

We were full by the time we got through with the tasting plate and entrees so we declined dessert, but all of the dessert options looked great as well!

If you drive to the area, there are a number of private parking lots in the vicinity, expect to spend between $10-25 for parking. Would I come back? Probably not, the food was good, but service lacked. There are many other great Italian restaurants throughout Miami with...