Filippi's Pizza Grotto Santee — Restaurant in Santee

The lunch time takeout staff at this location could use a lesson in Customer Service 101.

I have eaten here many times, and gotten to-go orders many more times.

Several times when calling to get their lunch special (which they offer until 2pm) I was given a hard time and rudely told by one particular girl who answers the phone that I was calling "too close to 2pm" and next time I needed to call around 1:30pm to 1:45pm.

When I inquired as to why they don't take orders right up until their cutoff when their cutoff is 2pm I was told "because the cooks don't like it when you place orders too close to 2pm".

Excuse me? Your cooks "don't like it" when I'm repeatedly calling to give you business and pay you money?

Now, I've worked in the restaurant industry. I get it. At a breakfast restaurant, the Sunday breakfast special is only offered on Sundays, so you can't come in on a Saturday expecting to be able to order it.

But, I'm not asking for any sort of special treatment here. I just don't expect to get a hard time if I call before your cutoff. If your ACTUAL cutoff is 1:45pm or 1:30pm, then just make that the cutoff.

Maybe they are so incredibly slammed on weekdays at 2pm that they simply can't take any more orders?

Nope.

Last time I picked up an order at that time every single table was empty except 4.

The time before that, every single table in the whole restaurant was empty! Not a single person eating there when I came to pick up my order and you're going to give me a hard time about not calling early enough???

My apologies for inconveniencing you with my order. I won't be back to...

Placed online order for pick up. Was given 90 minutes wait! Called to check status and was rudely told they don't usually check order status for people because they don't have time. Also given incorrect info on status of order and was told they don't always hear the NAME on the order correctly and I was given wrong info. Waited 15 more minutes at the restaurant which totalled an hour and 15 minute wait from time I placed my order. Tried to cancel order online but was unable due to convoluted steps to take and no guarantee that it would be cancelled and my money refunded. I gave a tip online before being givien wait time, so no one had to deliver, no one had to cash me out at the register...all they had to do was put pre-made pasta in oven, take it out and put in bag and hand it to me...the kitchen staff deserved the 15% tip...certainly not the waitress or hostess or the rude person who answered the phone. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen! You work for the customer! And with the high price and added gratuity, a simple gesture called RESPECT for those who pay you to have that job...without the customer, you would have no job. BOB OWNER you need to hire more help, or efficient help in your Hostess position...she definitely needs the help and the money you make hand over fist every couple minutes a minimum of $25 being rung up...YOU CAN AFFORD to HIRE MORE HELP! REMEMBER! You may be the owner, but you have no business without customers. If people receive treatment like I did, you will become non-existent in Santee and be replaced just like Iowa Porker, your predecessor...

We have eaten there a few times in the past and we're satisfied, but not today. We knew we were going at a peak time, but surprisingly, we were seated immediately. The waitress, who was actually very nice, was obviously quite busy and it took about 10 minutes for her to take our order. We both ordered pasta with meat sauce which was bundled with a salad and bread.

It took about 15 minutes to get the bread which was delicious.... But, after about a half an hour, the waitress, who actually must have felt guilty, stop by every 5 or 10 minutes to tell us that she was going to try and find out why we had not been served our entrees.

Well over an hour after we had been seated, a manager came by to explain that she was going to make sure we got our food right away and have free desserts.

About another 10 minutes later, a total now of over an hour, a second manager and the waitress finally arrived with the food. Mind you, we still had not received our salads.

The pasta was totally overcooked, just about the consistency of loose mashed potatoes.

We did take home one slice of cake which was fine, but despite our request for the salads to be removed from the check that didn't happen.

Now, with our dinner basically trashed, we just paid the check and walked out.

I left a fairly fat tip for the waitress anyway, cuz she was great, actually all the employees were friendly and helpful, except that it took well over an hour to get a plate of spaghetti and then it was grotesque.

If I had been running this show, I would have told my guests: This dinner is absolutely...