Angelina's — Restaurant in Ogunquit

I would like to start with the positives of our dinner. First off, we were a family of 11. We were able to book in advance which is a rarity in Ogunquit. Our server was a very efficient and lovely young woman. Most of the dishes out of the kitchen were quite tasty and nicely presented.

Now for the not so nice:

You get the feeling the owner is squeezing money out of your pockets right from the parking lot to the final bill. When arriving eager workers take your keys and tell you that the restaurant will charge you $5.00 on your bill, but they will not see any of it, so please remember to tip when picking up your vehicle. Then you pass by at least three more signs as you walk to the front door reminding you of same. Once in and seated, they hand you the menu, which is quite good. But at the bottom, it reminds you that if you enjoyed your dinner, the chefs work hard and it would be the proper thing to have them add $10.00 to your bill so the chefs can grab a drink after work. Do you think the staff actually get that money??

Now for my meal. My wife and I along with our son and his guest all enjoyed wonderful appetizers as did most of the other family members. When it came to the main course again all were quite happy, except that my NY steak came out Medium when I requested Rare. This was a very poor piece of meat. For the price, the chef that so badly wants a ten spot should have rejected it.

When our server came by, she specifically asked if the steak was cooked to my preference. I showed her the steak and she said that is certainly not rare. She let me know she would grab her manager. Shortly thereafter, the owner showed up at the table and gruffly asked me what the problem was. Again, I showed him the steak and asked him if this was Rare. He stated it is whatever you think it is. At this point I was very embarrassed that I even brought it up. He grabbed my plate and stated he would bring me another steak. While turning away, he stated curtly, you realize this will take at least 12 minutes, are you good with that. At this point, I said not really... He then cut me off and shoved my plate back on the table and said I will take off 50% and walked away.

When the bill arrived, they did take off 50% of the steak dinner, but that good feeling was dulled when we noticed that each soft drink re-fills was charged and that was never mentioned in the menu nor by our server.

So if you enjoy being put through the financial wringer and being centred out in the middle of the restaurant, and don't mind the odd bad dinner, then go ahead and make a reservation at Angelina's. If you do, please give my best to the owner, as I will not be going back. There are so many other great eating options in Ogunquit and surrounding area in which you are treated a lot better.

EDIT after Owner Response.

You are a lier. Plain and simple. You make things up. I never asked "what are you going to do for me". I NEVER ask a restaurant to discount my meal. I just want it done the way ordered. So please don't make a story to make out that I am some cheapo. Just because I complain about your silly ways of extracting money out of your guests. Maybe just charge a couple of bucks more for each meal and stop charging for the air we breathe and share it with your staff. You should have thanked me for all my positive comments and invited me back so you could do better next time. You have lived up to your poor reputation with your...

What was once of our favorite places for many years has become one that we will never visit again. I witnessed the “pager throwing” accusation review (see below)…it wasn’t thrown, it was placed abruptly and loudly on the hostess station, but not thrown. I witnessed this while waiting for our table , watching the owner and hostess scrambling around in an apparent state of confusion. It was busy, everyone coming in could see that and some chose to leave. Some that stayed wanted to order a drink while they waited and were upset when told that the bar was for reservation meals only, not to stand at and drink, David’s exact words were “it’s not that kind of bar”, which I get. Your bar, your rules. We accepted that and waited for our table. Our waiter had a great attitude once we were seated, pleasant but obviously spread too thin. He was in over his head. We witnesses people getting up from their table to find him in an attempt to place drink, app, meal orders. Realizing this, we ordered everything at once. The time from ordering to receiving our drinks, bruschetta and meals was a bit long, but again they were busy, so I expected it. The bruschetta was so overly salty that it was inedible..so I set it aside and told the waiter. “Oh ,ok” was the response. I didn’t expect to see it on my bill, but it was, so I paid it. The other food was ok, nothing spectacular, but not awful either. By the time we finished dinner, the crowd had cleared and many empty tables were around us, yet there was a table next to us with an elderly woman who was still up looking for her server. As we left we witnessed a staff member yelling at a family that had sent their drink back to the bar because it was not to their liking. Hands in the air he calls out loud “has anyone ever gotten a bad drink here?” “Not in 7 years has anyone ever sent a drink back”. I had the opportunity to talk with that family outside the restaurant, they were embarrassed and understandably angry. I used the restroom before I left and in there was a sigh that summarized says…tell us if something is wrong, drink, food service..we all make mistakes, we want to make it right, we’re a restaurant, things happen, signed David (owner) and staff. Based on his attitude( in person and responding to reviews) and his staffs response to customer s when they do try and speak up, I suggest David and his staff make a trip every so often to the head and read the sign that he apparently wrote and hung there. A little respect goes a long way. I await David’s negative comments and criticism to a 100% honest and unbiased review.

Update: That didn’t take long David, you sitting by your computer waiting to show your vitriol? I’m on a break, so luckily for us both I was able to write this, read your predictable response, and counter it. There must be a reason that the Falls took you off their list of preferred restaurants in the area, especially when you’re right next door. I guess being the only option in the immediate area has served you well but word will eventually get out. People will learn that there are far better options just a short distance away. As i said I’m my Facebook review, my goal isn’t to have people not go to your establishment, people are free to make poor choices. My goal is just to help to educate them as to what they can expect when they get there. Wishing you peace you angry...

ALLERGY WARNING: This review is rated low due to the confidence management portrayed and could not deliver. It started last year when I reached out to Angelina’s to determine whether my food allergic child could dine at this establishment. Like any restaurant we choose to eat at, I call ahead and ask to speak to the manager or chef. I explain my child’s food allergies and confirm possibilities of cross contamination. We were told we could eat there safely and he would guarantee the meal would have been safe for my child (first red flag).

Fast forward to July 11, 2023. We had called again this year to confirm the restaurant was ok with accommodating our family - again we were told yes. We sat down and I asked to speak to the manager personally. He was already at the table behind us and came over. I handed him our child’s allergy card which lists his allergens. I typically ask what food would be an option, and he quickly listed many types of pasta. When I informed him that wheat was an allergen and pointed to that on the card he was holding, he responded, “oh, your waitress is very well versed in allergies. She will take care of you!” (Red flag #2).

Our waitress was in fact caring and said that she checked with the chef regarding the allergens and what meal my son could safely consume. He ordered a grilled pork chop with steamed vegetables. When our meals came, it took a bit of convincing that it was safe to consume. I sampled a few bites to ensure there was no noticeable butter. After my son had a few bites of each item, he used his fork to pull apart the vegetables and a full strand of wheat spaghetti was found.

We quickly got up from the table and encountered our waitress to inform her. She was baffled and said it probably came from the steam basket that was used for the vegetables (did they use the same basket or steam pot that they cook their pasta in?!). Only the waitress came over to apologize, the manager/guarantor never came back.

We monitored our son for any anaphylaxis symptoms but thankfully did not need to use his epipen.

This review is meant to help those with food allergies. I hope it may help management take more care and understanding for those who need modified diets - it’s literally a matter or life and death. We realize they are in the hospitality business and they do their best, but their best isn’t good enough if they can’t 100% follow up on their “guarantee”. I do not recommend this restaurant for anyone with...