La Banca — Restaurant in Milton

First, I'd like to start off by saying the restaurant is absolutely beautiful and I loved the music. We had dinner reservations for Saturday at 6:30. We arrived 15 minutes early and we're able to be seated immediately with no wait. Our table was upstairs in the corner. Later an older group of 3 couples were seated to the side of us and a group of 8 younger adults were seated behind us. This will come into play later.

My husband and myself both ordered water to drink. When our drinks were brought my husband ordered the tomato tower as an appetizer. The description stated marinated hot house tomatoes. It was quite the opposite. It was a plain tomato straight from the grocery store sliced into 3 sections; top, middle and bottom. In between each section was a layer of fresh mozzarella and avocado. It was not marinated nor hot.

For our meals, my husband noticed the lasagna was listed twice on the menu; once under pasta for $12 and also under entrees for $19. My husband asked the server what was the difference. We were told portion size. In my opinion this should only be listed once with both sizes and prices in the same listing. At other restaurants you do not see meals with different portion sizes listed in different places. For example half rack ribs and full rack ribs or ribeye 12 oz and 16 oz. I did not notice the separate listing. My husband decided to go with the smaller lasagna and a side of linguine with house sauce. I ordered chicken Alfredo. We also ordered a side of garlic bread.

When our meals came, garlic bread was not brought out. I informed the server we had also ordered garlic bread. The garlic bread finally came after we had finished eating. I just asked for a box for the bread and for our food we didn't finish. From the time I asked for boxes it took 30 minutes for them to bring our bill. When the server brought our bill he did apologize for the service. I noticed we were charged for the larger portion of lasagna which I'm not sure which portion my husband actually received. The server did correct our bill.

While we were waiting the food came for the table of younger adults. Several different servers brought their meals. One of the meals was given to the table with the 3 older couples. The woman that received the meal told the server it wasn't hers and that she hadn't touched it. The server informed the correct diner of the situation and asked if she wanted that meal. The diner accepted the meal that was delivered to the wrong table. I didn't think that was allowed to give someone food that had already been given to someone else, but I've never worked in the food industry so I'm not sure.

While we're still waiting on our bill, the food came for the table of the 3 older couples. They were also missing items; 3 sides. They told the server to forget about them and just remove it from their bill. One of the gentleman at the table asked the others where they wanted to go after and another gentleman said McDonald's. Same for the table behind us of the younger adults, one said Chick-fil-A.

I would say service definitely needs addressed. We were never checked on. I wanted to try the chocolate mousse, but was not willing to wait an additional 30 minutes. I know people have bad days and for that I'm willing to give it a...

Sad and disappointed. Have been watching on Facebook the past months as the restaurant progressed and was super excited to finally dine there but this was a complete letdown.

The first problem was actually when we were seated. We sat upstairs and immediately noticed a cold draft. It was so cold it was uncomfortable and probably enough to make you sick. I got up and located the source. Ice cold air was coming out of their vents. We asked our server if we could relocate and we did. I then asked if the a/c was on and I was told yes it was because the kitchen was hot downstairs. Mind you it is 30 degrees outside…

After we got settled in a less drafty but still cold booth we ordered our food. Two chicken parms and two lasagna’s. We also ordered two salads and two orders of garlic bread because as others have noted neither bread nor salad come with the meal.

It took maybe 20 minutes for our food to arrive which isn’t bad but we never received our salads. I mentioned this to the server and told them since we now have our meals that the salads won’t be needed. Which based on other reviews and the price was probably fortunate for us.

As for our meals, again to echo other reviews, they were sadly not very good. The chicken parm, as others have stated, was tough, dry and overcooked. The lasagna lacked flavor.

The garlic bread that we paid extra for, had very little flavor.

Again, very disappointing.

After that we ordered desserts. The tiramisu was fine but it was your standard get from anywhere tiramisu. The panacota was ok but nothing special. However, the canoli was the worst canoli I’ve ever tasted. It had no ricotta filling and instead was simply filled with whipped cream. Plus, it had lime zest on top which I’ve never encountered ever on top of a canoli in the 40 or so years I’ve eaten them. It didn’t work…

Service was ok but also as others have mentioned was confused and unorganized.

And I really hate to post this review. The restaurant is gorgeous inside and out. It’s easy to see a lot of effort has been put into the facade and atmosphere. But the food and the service do not match with that.

$200 for four people for really bad food cannot be overcome with all the style and ambiance.

You can see from other reviews that other diners are describing these issues and the restaurant is responding and apologizing. But they need to fix these issues now and not have more customers report the same problems.

Frying a chicken breast properly is some simple stuff. Filling a canoli with whipped cream is generic as can be.

With this kind of food and service, La Banca won’t be open long regardless of prices if you don’t get these problems fixed right now.

Update.

After reviewing our bill we see that the server did not remove the two salads that we never received. That’s my fault for taking him at his word and not reviewing our...

We had an absolutely unforgettable dining experience at La Banca Restaurant in Milton, WV! From the moment we arrived, we were warmly greeted and immediately felt at home. Our server, Taylor, was a true standout. Friendly, attentive, and incredibly knowledgeable about the menu. Her suggestions were spot on and truly enhanced our meal. A particularly thoughtful touch was when she shared her schedule with us before we left, which made us feel even more valued. We will definitely be requesting her on our next visit!

We started with the Arancini appetizer, which was beautifully plated and just as delicious as it looked. The savory flavor was mouthwatering, with a crispy exterior and a soft, creamy interior that was pure perfection.

For the main course, my wife had the Shrimp alla Vodka, and she couldn't stop praising it. The shrimp were cooked to absolute perfection, and the vodka sauce was a beautiful balance of tangy and creamy, elevating the dish to a whole new level. The care put into the plating was also evident—each dish looked like a work of art, and the flavors followed suit. My wife was completely impressed by the culinary excellence of the dish.

As for me, I enjoyed the lasagna with meat sauce and meatballs. The portion was incredibly generous, so much so that I could only finish half, but the leftovers made for an amazing second meal! The pasta was wonderfully consistent, and the flavors were perfectly balanced. Once again, the plating was done with great attention to detail, making the meal feel truly special.

For dessert, my wife took Taylor’s expert recommendation and had the Chocolate Mousse. It was rich and creamy, yet light and fluffy which made for a perfect end to an outstanding dinner.

Before we left, we had the pleasure of speaking with the chef, who was incredibly friendly and genuinely appreciative of our feedback. It was clear that the entire team is passionate about their craft, and we felt truly taken care of throughout the experience.

As local residents of Milton, we are beyond thrilled to have La Banca Restaurant right here in our town. This dining experience is one we'll remember for a long time, and even if it weren’t so close, we’d happily make the drive for food and service of this caliber. The generous portions, exceptional value, and memorable atmosphere make this a must-visit. We can't wait to return!

Please be sure to pass along our feedback to Taylor and the Chef as they both played a big part in making this...