Cafe Amore — Restaurant in Richardson

I have gone to Amore once a month for the past couple of years. The food is good if you can put up with the poor service, small tables, and the loud owner. If you have been there before you know exactly who I am talking about, the loud female owner. Over the past couple of years she has asked my already seated family, with drinks and food ordered, to move tables. I have seen her do this to other customers as well. This normally happens when there is a wait for a table on a Friday or Saturday evening, and allows the waiting customers to be able to sit and fit more in the restaurant. The first time this happened I thought it was odd, maybe a little rude, and complied. The second time it happened, I heard the loud owner yelling across the room asking her staff why we were sitting at a table for 6 when we only had 5. I saw her start heading our way and I tried to ignore her. Eventually she got my attention, asked us to move and I complied again. The third time we were asked, the loud owner wanted my group of 5 to move to a table for 4, and then add a 5th chair. At that time we had already ordered a large pizza and I told her no and she was fine with that response. The last and final time I went their to eat it was again a group of 5 and included my 92 year old Meemo. The restaurant wasn't packed but the large tables which seat 6 were taken. I told the loud owner we would wait until one of larger tables were open, or when they can squeeze 2 tables together. She said no problem and it will be about 15 minutes. As we waited my family and I watched the staff clear several tables that could have be pushed together for us to sit. Instead the staff would seat a group of 2 who had walked in after us. After 15 minutes I said something to the staff and was told we will be seated soon. After another 10 minutes passed, a total of 25 minutes and no communication from any staff, I started getting upset. My 92 year old Meemo and 8 yr old son were both tired and very hungry. I then walked across the restaurant over to the loud owner and asked what is going on with getting a table? With a loud fake chuckle I was told that she is doing the best as she can and that every restaurant in town is like this on a Saturday. I asked her again when will be seated. The loud owner repeated that she is doing the best she can and she would be willing to ask an already seated group to move tables or hurry up and leave. I quickly told her that I know how it feels to be asked to move or leave tables, please do not bother anyone and we will go somewhere else to eat. She seemed fine with me leaving until she saw that I was with my 92 year old Meemo. Immediately she started begging me to stay and again she said would ask a table to move. Half of the restaurant was now watching and I told her please no we do not want to bother another table. In the end we ended up getting back in the car and going a block north to Mi Cocina and being seated immediately. Because of this incident I do not plan to go back and I would warn you of the poor service, including the loud owner. There have also been times when we have waited a long to get our food or our order was wrong. If it wasn't us getting the poor service, it was another table. The loud owner does a great job of making an embarrassing scene. The restaurant reminds me of the places that you would see on a restaurant reality TV show. The food is great though. I would recommend to get the order for...

DO NOT EAT HERE! I ate here alone, single diner, one entree, $17 and they added a 20% service fee to the $17. Nowhere on the menu was a service fee listed. Nowhere in the restaurant at the entrance, on the walls, on the tables, was a 20% service fee posted on signs. Then they took the $17 + the 20%, added it together and calculated the Texas Sales Tax with that total. Then they went further and suggested a 15%-20% TIP based on the total of the 3 items: cost of the dinner + the 20% service fee + Sales Tax. TOTAL RIPOFF. I left $17 plus 8.25% Sales Tax in cash and walked out. The food wasn't that good either. 2 thin pieces of meats, a dollop of pasta like not even 3 oz. Water was never refilled. They get a lot of regular old customers who bring their own bottles of wine because the restaurant is BYOB and offers a wine uncorking service. Those tables get all the attention. Me being a solo diner, the waitress took my order and she was never to be seen again. Someone else brought my dinner and bread. After my dinner was delivered, no one did a check back within 5 minutes of it to see if my food was made to order, at correct temperature and if it was acceptable. Also no one came to check to see if I needed more bread or if I needed my water refilled. When I was finished eating, I sat there for a while waiting for someone to clear out my empty dishes and to ask if I want anything else: again, water refill, or dessert. NOBODY came by. I had to wave down a server and ask for the check. IT IS ILLEGAL TO ADD THINGS ON A RESTAURANT BILL IF IT'S NOT POSTED OR LISTED ON THE MENU. I CAN UNDERSTAND THE AUTOMATIC GRATUITY OF 15-18% FOR PARTIES OF 4-6 OR MORE BUT I WAS...

I had heard many stories about how great this restaurant was from various people. I finally had a chance to experience it firsthand this weekend.

I was pleased to see the menu had a wide variety of choices.

They provide freshly made bread rolls and dipping plates of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This was a very delicious pre-meal treat.

I decided to start with my go-to - spaghetti and meat sauce. it was a very good spaghetti and meat sauce. This sauce was clearly homemade and extremely tasty. The portion size was very generous. Many restaurants I frequent, the portion size has become very small but this was a decent size amount of spaghetti for a reasonable price.

I noticed that they have linguine puttanesca on the menu. When I return, that will be my choice. I have not been able to get that at my restaurants that I go to since the pandemic and this restaurant, I believe, will do a great job of that dish.

My spouse ordered eggplant parmesan. She reports that it was extremely tasty. It was served with a side order of spaghetti.

One of the members of our party ordered beef tenderloin which we thought was an unusual choice in an Italian restaurant. He reported that it was very good. He said it was better than many steakhouses. It also came with a side order of spaghetti.

In summary, the service was excellent, the food was great, the atmosphere...