Parm Upper West Side — Restaurant in New York

Came in at 1:45 pm on a Friday afternoon (today). Ordered a drink and a chicken Parm. Was excited to try the place as I heard it was tasty. The dining room in the back was completely empty. Drink came and was delicious. Finished it after 20 mins but still waiting for my food. Ordered another drink, which came promptly. The room started to fill up and I finished my second drink. Still no food, but recently seated people on the restaurant were getting their sandwiches, garlic bread and chicken parms. I knew I'd been waiting for a while, but that was my queue that there was an issue. So I signaled to another server to ask where my food was as I'd been there nearly an hour. She went to check with my server, and then came back over to confirm my order, which made it clear that my server never put in my order. After sitting in an empty dining room for an hour with no food, I was very unhappy. I watched my server have drinks at the bar and hang out with the staff, but did not come over to check on me after my long wait. Both servers made excuses and did not own the mistake. They tried to tell me it had only been half an hour, which was a lie. They were full of excuses and did not own the mistake that I was forgotten, even as the sole patron sitting in the back dining room. I spoke to the manager who only comped my drinks after I told him that he should and threatened to write a bad review. I am still writing this review as the servers had zero remorse and tried to make it seem like it was my fault. Just own it when you mess up. I'm a forgiving person, but pretending that they put in the order when they clearly had not, was the tipping point for me. I had a terrible experience there and wasted over an hour waiting for food that never came. I did get two free negronis out of it, but had to talk to the manager and push them to do it. Hence I am still sharing my feedback. The lack of ownership and weak excuses are why I'm still posting this. I'd avoid this place based on my experience, but hopefully it was a just instance of a mistake plus a server unwilling to admit the mistake as opposed to something that happens on a consistent basis.

Fwiw the negronis...

I have to say this before I forget. I went yesterday for my daughter’s birthday. The staff heard me say her name once, and they included it in her Birthday song. That was on point. The decor speaks of old kitchens and of a grandmas or in this case a nona, might have her home feel, one can’t help but take a deep breath and let your worries slip away. Every freaking Staff member was amazing. We were seamlessly ushered in by an inviting young lady with stylishly cropped hair. (Loved it!) She was a positive force tower upon entering the establishment.

Jane our initial greeter was sweet and attentive. A soothing presence. Took care of us immediately.

Joel, was hands down, the best. He’s got a great head of beautiful hair and a personality to match that sets you at complete ease. He took care of us like we were family. He checked in, foresaw any challenges, and handled them with a precision that was flawless. The buss men removed plates before i blinked. Like magic. Our group was a little bit behind schedule, but we were not rushed, in any way. In fact, they were extremely understanding. Which in today’s times is just so dope. The pièce de résistance, Their manager Frieda. Her spirit was so warm, and so inviting. Imagine going on a ship where the captain is at peace. With all the energy of different sounds and around us, She brought the calm. That means our experience was at peace. She literally floated from corner to corner, i never heard her speak, until we were face to face. She was a the best host welcoming you into her most cherished home. I am coming back to be in that energy.

And OMG The food… I ate so much they had to roll me out. The Mozzarella sticks were breaded to perfection, The chocolate martini was absolutely delicious and expertly made. And the pink vodka sauce made me buy two orders.

My advice, Only go to this restaurant with this Staff if you want to be taken care of and treated with expert care.

Great night. Thank you. From our...

I stumbled upon Parm while walking around this area of the Upper West Side to kill time before my 7:30 pm movie at AMC - Lincoln Square. I was drawn in by the atmosphere and the fact that they had a busy crowd seated indoors and outdoors. I just figured it was one of those hot spots. I honestly just wanted to go to a decent place that honored happy hour and wasn't far from the AMC movie theatre. Parm has happy hour signs posted that includes $6 bites (pizza knots, mozz sticks, crispy zucchini, buffalo cucumbers, pesto arancini) and 1/2 off drinks (a lager, a pilsner, an IPA, aperol spritz, Moscow Mule, Old Fashioned, Rosé, Pinot Grigio, Montepulciano). Their happy hour is Monday through Friday from 4 pm until 7 pm. I ordered the pizza knots and pesto arancini to munch on and a Moscow Mule for my first drink and then an Old Fashioned for my final drink. The drinks were well made (the bartender was attentive and very skilled) and the food was good overall. The Moscow Mule was delicious with a nice and spicy ginger kick. The Old Fashioned was potent. For $7.50 each (happy hour price) the drinks steal the show. I really enjoyed the savory pizza knots accompanied by the dipping sauce. The pesto arancini was just okay. Nothing to rave about and return for. I have two dislikes for this place which knocks my rating down a bit. They don't have a single meat item on the happy hour menu and it was also warm as hell inside. My pet peeve with restaurants is when I have to use their menu as a fan to try and cool off. Yikes!

Overall, I would only return here for happy hour drinks if I'm...