Christo's Pizzeria & Lounge — Restaurant in Salem

We decided to go to Christos to celebrate my sister‘s birthday. It was my first time dining there. We had five adults and two kids. We each got different items such as pizzas, pastas, and calzones. When all the food eventually got to our table, everything was ready and looked delicious, except for the calzone, which was very black and burnt, we brought up to our server that it was a little burnt and they had no problem making a new one. The only thing that bothered us was that it was interesting that they felt comfortable enough to serve us completely burnt food when we brought that up they said that the owner was OK with having that food brought out to us. We were more surprised that they thought that that would be acceptable to serve, but we’ are a pretty unproblematic family so we just politely asked if they could bring out another one which they did. Unfortunately, by the time his new one came out, everyone was finished with their meal and my one brother had to eat by himself. We also were wanting to order more bread for a table when we ran out and we were informed that that was the last of the bread for the night. When they brought out the calzone and were trying to replace it, they brought out more bread and told us that it was complementary. Lastly, as we were getting things boxed up, I asked if they had a birthday dessert for my sister which they said they had desserts But didn’t specify anything else and ended up, bringing out an ice cream for her, which was great. I had a very small cake for us to celebrate her birthday which I brought in. When the bills came, we saw that we were charged a fee for bringing an outside birthday cake. This came as a surprise to me as one, we were not informed that we were going to be charged for that and I didn’t see it anywhere on their website that stated that an outside dessert would be reason for a charge. I inquired about the charge which was $15. I was told that they serve dessert and we were bringing an outside dessert that they would charge for it. We ended up paying it anyways, and honestly, would’ve been fine if we were just notified of that charge ahead of time, but I was just more caught off That we weren’t notified that something was going to be charged for or we weren’t informed I guess. I was also told that it was “common knowledge” and that a lot of Oregon restaurants do that. I had some time to follow up on other restaurants similar such as Olive Garden, Gambarettis and Geppettos, and they all mentioned that it would be no problem and that they would even refrigerate it if needed for us but that if we wanted to bring outside wines, there would be a few which I also understand. Overall, after we were served the burnt meal, the vibe definitely changed And I’m not sure if I would ever dine there again. The food was good that we ordered And mine and my husband’s bill was about $140 just us and there were three other adults that ordered multiple appetizers and entrées each. We all work hard for our money and are really selective of where we choose to spend it. It was disappointing that there seem to be some lack of communication and lack of accountability for burnt food that have been served and surprised charges...

Extremely Disappointing Experience – Poor Service & Food Quality

I wish I could say our latest visit to Christos was enjoyable, but it was by far the worst experience we've ever had at this restaurant.

We had a reservation for 6:15 PM, yet we weren’t seated until 6:20 PM. Waiting a few extra minutes wasn’t a huge issue—we assumed they needed time to prepare a table. However, once we were seated, it became clear that plenty of tables were open and were being assigned to other customers shortly after.

We ordered promptly since we already knew what we wanted—just a pizza. Yet, it took almost 40 minutes for it to arrive. To make matters worse, people who were seated after us received their pizza before we did.

The server overheard our frustration about the wait and took it upon herself to address the issue, informing us that our pizza would be out in about 5 minutes. In reality, it took longer than that. When it finally arrived, it was barely above room temperature, as if it had been sitting out for an extended period rather than served fresh.

Hoping for at least some acknowledgment or effort to correct the situation, we voiced our concerns to the server. However, nothing was done to make things right—no offer to remake the pizza, no meaningful apology, just a simple acknowledgment and nothing more.

At the end of the meal, I asked my wife if she at least enjoyed the pizza. Her response? “It tasted weird.” I started inspecting her side and found that green onions had been left on the pizza—despite her explicitly requesting they be removed.

After this disappointing experience, I reached out to Christos via Facebook Messenger—something I have done in the past with success when addressing previous issues. However, this time, they did not bother to respond. I had hoped they would take one last opportunity to rectify the situation, but their silence speaks volumes.

Christos used to be a great place, but unfortunately, that is no longer the case. My wife has been dining here for 15 years, and until now, it was one of her favorite pizza places. After this visit, she no longer wants to return.

Since the restaurant refuses to acknowledge or address customer concerns, I am writing this review so others know what to expect. If you value quality food and respectful service, I cannot recommend this restaurant anymore.

Edit: After leaving this review Christo's reached out to me to rectify the situation. Which I greatly appreciate. I just wished the server would had done more...

Had to come back & sadly i have to update the review.

Pizza was great again. Waiter (Joshua) left a lot to be desired. Took 10 minutes for him to come to my table. Took my order. Asked if I wanted anything else, and as soon as I said no, he was already moving on. Didn't even let me finish my sentence.

Brings me my drink & same thing happens. He books from the table while I was mid sentence.

Get my food after being seated for a half hour. He proceeds to tell me that's it's really hot & be careful with my first slice... because it might burn my mouth. Serously. I'm not 4 years old. Asks if I need anything else & it's already starting to turn before I even answer him. 🙃

Mid-way through my second slice (less than 10 minutes), he comes back again, suggesting dessert. I decline, and he asks if I'm ready for my ticket and suggests a to-go box.

Yeah, I had it at that point. I reminded him that I just got my food & was still eating. At this point, I'm just irritated & don't want to deal with him anymore. I asked someone else to get me a box & my ticket so I can leave.

Guess who comes back... yes, Joshua comes back, dumbfounded that he did anything wrong. Now he proceeds to ask me what he did wrong so he can improve... and he's hovering over me.

Note: that's not my job to train your staff. Also, he shouldn't ever take the initiative to resolve issues if he's the source (or perceived source) of the issue.

When I tried to explain it, he's in denial. I gave him my card just to get him away from me.

That was the first time that I can remember that I didn't...