Emilio's Ballato — Restaurant in New York

Hands down the worst dining experience I’ve had in over 14 years of living in NYC.

Let me start by saying: I have never written a bad review in my life. I always try to give the benefit of the doubt to any establishment. But this experience left me no choice—this is the first negative review I’ve ever written, and I’m doing so because people deserve to know what they’re walking into.

We made a reservation weeks in advance for my sister’s birthday. You’d think that would mean something—but no. We were made to wait 45 minutes past our reservation time, only to be shoved into a tiny, hot corner of the restaurant so cramped I could feel the body heat—and sweat—of the strangers next to me. I wish I were exaggerating.

There was zero acknowledgment that we were there to celebrate a special occasion. No effort, no care, not even a simple “happy birthday.” Once seated, it took another 30 minutes for anyone to even greet us or offer water. They didn’t bring enough glasses for our table of 12, and after flagging them down multiple times, they finally brought the rest—ten minutes later. The drink orders were wrong. The service was disorganized, aloof, and bordering on rude.

Then came the food. The only remotely enjoyable thing was the mozzarella, tomato, and red pepper appetizer—which actually tasted fresh. Beyond that? We were served a sad excuse for a “family-style” Italian meal that tasted like cheap, boxed grocery store pasta loaded with filler ingredients and zero love. You know that gummy, overcooked, flavorless pasta you might get at a school cafeteria or from a microwave tray? Yeah—worse than that.

And let’s talk about the portions. For 12 people, they served what most halfway-decent restaurants would give to a table of six. And for dessert? Two tiny slices of cake. For a birthday dinner. For twelve guests.

To make matters even more absurd, the cramped little room they stuffed us into looked more like their storage closet than a dining area—complete with boxes visible in the background. I’m posting a photo to prove it. I’m sorry, but that is not an aesthetic.

The price? $200 per person. The value? Absolute robbery. Drinks weren’t even included. That’s extra. And the cherry on top? They added a 25% gratuity automatically—without saying a word.

People don’t come to Emilio’s Ballato for the food or the service—they come for the name. And what they leave with is a bloated stomach, designer clothes soaked in sweat, and a dinner bill that insults your intelligence.

This place is a joke. An overpriced, overrated, underperforming mess. And worst of all, they have the nerve to call it Italian cuisine. As someone who respects and reveres Italy’s culinary heritage, I can confidently say Emilio’s Ballato is a disgrace to Italian food and culture.

If you’re thinking about dining here—don’t. Spend your money somewhere that actually gives a damn about the people walking...

Disclaimer: The food is good. If that’s all you care about, feel free to stop reading here. But if you’re a person of color (not a celebrity) who values receiving fair and equal treatment when dining out, keep reading.

Arrival & Seating Experience: We arrived around 8 PM on a Thursday evening, fully expecting a wait. There were two parties ahead of us, and we reached the front of the line in about 20 minutes. That’s when things shifted.

Suddenly, there were no tables for two. Staff came out repeatedly to say, “We’re not going to have tables for a long time. You can wait if you want, but it’ll be a while.” Meanwhile, the line behind us kept growing.

They began prioritizing larger groups or parties willing to share tables. I personally preferred not to share, so I waited — patiently. After a full hour, we were finally seated at a standard two-top table.

To my surprise (and disappointment), a larger table next to ours was empty when we sat down, only to be filled by another two-person party minutes later. No need to guess — they were not people of color. So much for “no tables for two.”

Service & Treatment: Our waiter didn’t greet us — just placed the paper cover down and returned later with menus. I asked for the house red wine, which had been highly recommended. His response? “It’s $100 — you sure you want that?” It was on the menu. I didn’t ask for financial advice, just wine.

Other tables — seated after us — received bread first. It got so bad I had to ask for the bread, we eventually got ours: one plate, four slices, cold. Still tasty, but cold. We were mid-conversation and slowly working through it when a different waiter snatched the olive oil from our table without a word and handed it off to another table. Again — not people of color. Other tables were automatically given bread refills. We were not.

Our food arrived without the offer of parmesan cheese, which every other table seemed to receive. We had the chicken parm and their take on vodka rigatoni. Both were solid:

Chicken Parm: Crispy, well-covered with cheese.

Vodka Rigatoni: Al dente and flavorful.

We would’ve ordered more, but our small table couldn’t hold additional plates alongside the wine and water.

Food & Drink Ratings:

Food: 8.8/10

Bread (Cold but Tasty): 8/10

Wine: 7/10 – Dry and clingy, which can overpower the food. Might suit your taste, but not mine.

Cannoli: 6/10 - WAY too sweet

Final Thoughts: I didn’t complain. I didn’t make a fuss. We tipped, though under 20%, due to everything outlined above. Nothing was egregious but definitely some undertones but I just prefer to avoid. It’s disheartening that in 2025 — in NYC, in the Lower East Side/SoHo, no less — you still have to brace yourself for lesser service if you’re a person of color. We all grew up in this city together, and it’s that very diversity that makes NYC what it is. But...

You have got to be kidding me. Daniel takes us in after an overly long 25 minute wait at the head of the line. He eventually lets us in and acts like he’s doing us a big favor by letting us pick what room we sit in. (“I never do this!”) We opt to sit in the back room… we’re sat by a bunch of sad dirty boxes of forgotten cheap wine. And I mean our table touched these boxes. Wires hanged from the ceiling, there were some abandoned refrigerators, random haphazard art… Daniel says Hasan will take excellent care of us. We meet Hasan some 10 minutes later. Dead eyed, he tells us they have fried calamari, and salmon and leaves. He comes back 10 minutes later, I order a diet coke. “We don’t have diet coke, only coke zero” I gladly accept the coke zero. Five minutes later, he comes back with a diet coke.

We order. We opt for the baked clams, followed by spaghetti and meatballs and the chicken parmesan. May as well see how they treat the classics.

The clam appetizer was laughably bad. Rubbery, frozen clams and the breadcrumb topping arrived soaking wet, but burned on top. This was made by a five year old. $24.

They clear our appetizer plates leaving me forkless. They Lovelessly put the spaghetti and meatballs on the table. $35. The chicken parmesan comes with no sides or pasta. $40. I see that I have no fork. Another five minutes pass before I see Hasan and can ask for one. I order a quick side of pasta pomodoro while I have him. Hasan tells me, almost with contempt, that the pasta only comes in one size. It’s my birthday, I’m worth it. It can’t be that expensive.

We finish our meal. It’s been 15 more minutes. We ask to wrap up the rest. The pasta pomodoro never came. Hasan literally dumps it in a tin and has us put the lid on it and press the foil shut ourselves. He comes back with the pasta pomodoro ($32, just pasta and sauce) and another tin… dumps the pasta in it. Again, we have to close it, put it in the plastic bag he dumped on the table earlier.

I give him my credit card. He goes away. Sees me five minutes after that. Says, ah yes, your check. Brings me the check. I tell him I need a pen to sign it. He tells me he needs my credit card. I remind him he has it. He drops off the check. We leave.

This place is an absolute trash heap and a scam. I have ZERO problem spending money on an even acceptable meal. These idiots are charging highest end prices for pasta and sauce and their sauce lacks acid. It’s a middling sauce at best.

In all, you’ll be happier at ANY other Italian in the city. These losers are doing nothing...