Amalfi's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria — Restaurant in Mount Pleasant

We went here last night and were beyond dissapointed. First, we were told by the staff that it would be just five to ten minutes before a table would be open to us. The staff members indicated a table nearby where the guests were readying to leave. We were then ushered back out into the cold to wait for our table. We saw the indicated party leave after a few minutes. We saw the table cleared and set with four place settings. But were never called in from the cold to be seated. I then saw them clearing two of the settings from the table and went in to inquire after the table. The staff member informed me that they had had a mix up in the reservations and so we would have to wait longer outside for another table to open up, even though we were the only ones presently waiting at the restaraunt for a table at that time. I explained we were all very uncomfortable having to wait outside and pointed out that she had promised us that table. She was quite rude and abrupt in her response and was just about to tell us there was nothing she could do and wasn't about to give us that table, when the other staff member pointed out that another table was leaving and so they could reserve that table for the non present guests! So, she begrudgingly had that staff member seat us. Our waitress was nice and great with service. Although, she missed that one of our party had ordered shrimp fettuccine and placed an order for regular fettucine, she quickly remedied it and had a side of shrimp brought to the table. As for the food, we were all greatly disappointed. The bread that preceded the meal was fantastic and really led me to expect that the rest of our meal would be at that same level. However, we ordered garlic knots and found them to be completely inedible. The consensus at the table was that salt had been accidently swapped for garlic! They were sooooooo salty, and the garlic flavor was completely absent. It was as if you were sucking on a cheap heavily salted mall pretzel. I don't like to send food back, but we sent those back and had them struck from the bill. We really couldn't eat them. I ordered the baked ziti and the pasta was mushy and the sauce was heavily salty and sweet. The cheese was just a thick rubbery sheet I could flop around my plate with my fork. Honestly, it was inedible. I took a couple bites trying to make the most of it, but I ended up leaving an entire uneaten plate of food on the table. I am normally of the clean your plate club, but in this case a few bites were all I could handle. My son even tasted my dish and found it to be "gross." My husband and my son's girlfriend also couldn't finish their food and did not want to take any of it home. My son's girlfriend ordered the shrimp fettuccine and found it to be a thick gloppy cheesy mess. She also said the noodles were closer to the hard texture. That is normally one of her favorite dishes, but she too could only eat a few bites. My husband ordered a chicken salad, but also didn't finish it. My son was the only one to finish his meal and ask for a box to go. He ordered the chicken parmigian. He said it was about on par with a microwave version, but still edible. All in all, we definitely will not be returning. I am actually from a big Italian family, and grew up eating many Italian dinners and found this attempt at Italian food to be an insult. In the future, be welcoming to guests, pasta should be cooked al dente, lay off the salt and add more garlic, reevaluate the quality and amount of cheese you incorporate into your dishes, and nix that combination of sauces you used in the baked ziti. But keep the bread, balsamic and olive oil. That bread recipe works! If only everything else that followed was on that...

Evidently, a Sunday night in Mount Pleasant is the new Saturday night on upper King Street. When my friend and I arrived at 605 pm, we found ourselves waiting outside due to a party inside blocking the entrance. After five minutes with no movement, we decided to leave. Should have stuck with that gut instinct. However, Google showed nice reviews, so I called the restaurant at 6:13 pm and was assured that there would be no waiting. Encouraged by this, we walked back from the car and were seated immediately. Placed an order for two pieces of pizza and some gluten-free pasta within five minutes of being seated.

Regrettably, we waited 50+ minutes after placing an order and still had no food. Frustrated, I left $40 on the table for a $29 bill, informing the server that we were leaving without the food due to the long wait.

The server then told us that the food would be ready soon and offered to pack it to go. Looking back, I should have just walked away and left $40 and moved on. If the server had mentioned the kitchen is backed up, it would have been helpful. This isn't Hall's, The Ordinary, or Burton's. It's a small local business with good reviews. Our experience could have been better. The chef (maybe the owner) offered to comp the meal after I showed him my cell phone and the call to his restaurant from just outside his door at 613 pm, and the current time was 710 pm when we got the order packaged to go. It took 50+ minutes to get a simple order.

Accepting his offer felt like I am complaining for a free meal. That wasn't the case, so I didn't allow him to give me my money back. Hope the owners will have chat with their servers and have them tell patrons "It's going to take nearly an hour for two pieces of pizza and some very bland Gluten Free pasta.

Will stick with the MP spots that don't disappoint. I lived in Charleton for 20+ years and won't be back to Amalifi's. At least the $3.50 pizza by the slice didn't go to waste...

I do not understand how this restaurant has a rating of 4.4. It was the worst food I ate in a long time. I do not rate them 0 stars because the lowest I can go is 1. My wife and I were in a mini-vacation in Charleston. We love Italian cuisine since we lived in Italy for 8 years. After having a great dinner at NICO oysters and seafood, we check wanted to try some Italian food at Charleston since the seafood is fresh. We read several reviews and we decided to try Amalfi's. All I can say is what a disappointment. I started with the Tomato Bisque', it was cold, and grainy, I did not like the texture, then the main course, I order the Gamberi & Vongole Fra'diavolo and when I saw the plate, full of liquid, the linguini tasted old, everything was drenched in a sauce that tasted three weeks old. It was by far the most disappointing Italian food I ate in 10 years. The food came to the table so fast, that we did not have time to finish our appetizers, or salads. My children order the Gnocchi alla Sorrentino, you could tell the Gnocchi were not house made, they were store bought, then the sauce again, OMG, my wife order the Pasta and veal and it was the same stuff, all full of water, bad liquid and it was so disgusting, that we actually left. We paid for all of our food BTW, since the manager did not wanted to talk to us. They asked us if we wanted to go boxes, WHAT??? TO GO BOXES??? WE DID NOT EVEN EAT TWO BITES OF THE PLATES!!! The best thing of the restaurant is the bread, definitely the bread. But from ambiance, to service, to the FOOD, OMG THE FOOD, TO THE MUSIC, EVERYTHING IN THIS RESTAURANT IS TERRIBLE. We spent $80, to leave and make another reservation at NICO. Thanks to God we did because the food was amazing and the service was second to none. If you are in Charleston, and you are looking for an Italian Restaurant, please save your money, gas, and health, DO NOT GO...