La Masseria PBG — Restaurant in Palm Beach Gardens

I tried to write a supplemental review, but Google limits me to editing my prior review of a few days ago. As a result, my response appears first, followed by my original review:

Ms. Bingo-- I am truly sorry. I guess Bingo is your name-O. My explanation of what happened that evening IS accurate. It is not a "story" as you suggest. I was close enough to you at the bar that I heard the entire conversation...both yours and the bartender's. I repeat the same question that I asked you in my earlier review that appears below: If the food is "mediocre at best", why on earth would you have gone to La Masseria for many years as your review states? Every bar and restaurant makes comparable cocktails. I will answer the question for you, You have been going there for years because the food is great, the bartenders and the servers are incredible, management is friendly and accommodating and the atmosphere at the bar is fun. If you don't return, it is your loss.

I rarely write reviews, but I read them all the time because my wife and I dine out almost every night. In this case, however, I felt that I had to reply to the cruel and inequitable review written yesterday by Manuela Bingo, who didn't even have the courage to write the review under her real name. She gave La Masseria one star because of a situation that happened at the bar on Friday night (two nights ago). I happened to have been there at the bar on that night, and what she described is totally inaccurate and unfair to the bartenders and to the establishment. First, let me address a ridiculous comment she made. She claims she has been going to La Masseria for years, but "the food is mediocre at best". If that were true, why would she keep going back? No one I know repeatedly goes to a fine dining restaurant if the food is mediocre. So, Manuela is clearly just bitter. The situation that she described did not happen that way. I overheard and was present for the conversation. Two separate bartenders, whom we have known for a long time, politely asked Manuela and her friend to move down to different seats so that the bartenders could accommodate three individuals who wanted to sit together at the bar. The two women, responded rudely, and refused to move. We have been to a lot of bars in a lot of restaurants and on many occasions, we and others at the bar have been asked to move to other seats to accommodate other diners.Everyone does so gladly. NEVER have I heard such a nasty refusal that Manuela and her friend spouted. They continued to sit in their seats spitefully for 25 additional minutes and the other diners had to wait around until Manuela and cohort decided to leave. La Masseria has GREAT food, incredibly talented and friendly bartenders and servers and management that will bend over backwards to make all of their customers feel welcome and at home. Shame on you Manuela, or whatever your real name is, for lashing out at the restaurant and its staff who were trying to accommodate other diners as well as yourselves. What I experienced that night was not a rude bartender or non caring management, but two entitled women who cared only...

I had an icky experience at Masseria last night. I went with two girlfriends — we hadn’t seen each other in a very long time, and we were excited to catch up. From the beginning, it felt like the waiter was pressuring us to order and seemed impatient when we didn’t order right away (because we were talking). We had a nice meal and were still talking after we had paid and tipped nicely. The waiter kept coming over to check on us, remove glasses, etc. I wondered if they needed the table but thought they would let us know if that was the case. However, at one point, I noticed the hostess do the “chop chop” sign with her hand (side of one hand to palm of the other) while making a really angry face, at which point our waiter who was standing next to her swung his head around and looked directly at our table — message received. The hostess had also walked by several times prior to that looking annoyed and angry, but I didn’t realize until after her hand motion, that the annoyance was directed at us. Very embarrassing. After she made the hand motion and the waiter looked at us, I called him over and asked if they needed the table, and he said, ”yes, we kind of do.”

Instead of being passive aggressive and making your customers feel uncomfortable, they could have easily come over to our table and nicely communicated to us that they had another party waiting for the table. We would have immediately gotten up and gone elsewhere. I felt that the waiter and hostess handled the situation very poorly and immaturely. We were in our own world chatting, and it wasn’t until I saw her make that rude hand gesture that I realized what was going on, and we left immediately.

There was definitely a much kinder and nicer way to handle this, and I think the staff should be trained how to deal with situations like this in a way that is more respectful to their customers. I’ve been told there is new management at Masseria, and perhaps this happened as a result of that, as I have heard other stories of friends going recently and being treated rudely as well. That said, I will not go back to Masseria again after that experience. There are plenty of other restaurants nearby that are more respectful of...

I will not not give one star because the restaurant business is a labor of love that tends to attract warm hearted people. This review is for service and attitude, not for food, and I hope it helps to improve the intangibles that left us underwhelmed. Owners should take note.

My review: Pretentious. Unwelcoming. There is nothing wrong with smiling when you greet customers, and thanking them when they make reservations over the phone. We divide our time between the NY area and Florida and dine out frequently.

I called to make a reservation. The woman who answered the phone was cold as ice. It was immediately off-putting. When we arrived, she didn’t smile or make eye contact, again strange for someone hired to welcome and seat customers. It was early and the restaurant was fairly empty. We asked about a particular table and were told no, that table is for the owner. No ‘sorry that isn’t available tonight’, no smile, just a cold NO, as though we requested something extraordinary. I started laughing as she walked ahead of us to bring us to a table. Is this for real? Okaaaay....

Then we were shown a cramped table next to a wall. There were plenty of empty tables that looked more comfortable. We requested something else and she turned away briskly, left us standing there, and came back to offer another cramped table against another wall, take it or leave it.

We said no thank you, and promptly left. Quite frankly, it wasn’t so much about the quality of the tables offered but more the frosty experience with the hostess that made us want to get out of there.

The place is trying to be a “Scalinatella” in Palm Beach Gardens, but misses the bottom line: first impressions matter. The best restaurants in the world would not tolerate hosts with that kind of demeanor.

When we mentioned this experience to some friends they all said the place is too pretentious and that they won’t return. Go figure.

La Masseria, change the attitude and lighten the mood. We will try again and if it is not improved we will write this place...