Bella's Italian Cafe — Restaurant in Savannah

Terrible people who run this restaurant! Such rude, inappropriate and insulting behavior from the hostess who claims to “be the owner”.

I traveled in from out of town with 87 year old Italian father from his 75th reunion on the USS Yorktown in Charleston to have dinner with my daughter who is in college at SCAD. They insulted my father and demanded we leave merely because we ask about being seated.

We had reservations for 6 pm. I dropped off my father and 3 others at 6 pm and went back the Chatham Apartments dorm to get 4 of my daughters friends we invited as guests. We arrived back around 6:25 pm. Upon entering I find my father and daughter and others squeezed into the corner waiting. The hostess, a young woman appearing to be around 30, wouldn’t seat them until the entire group was present. OK. We figured no problem. I notified the hostess that our whole group was now there. With a dismissive tone and look, she says, “thanks” and turns away barely making eye contact.

30 mins later we’re still sitting there. Many parties were seated in the meantime. Moreover, there’s the only two tables that could hold a party of 9 in the entire place and they have been set but vacant the entire time. I explained to the my daughter and friends, “maybe they’re short in wait staff so not seating all the tables”.

When we hit 40 minutes, I approach the hostess and politely asked “can you tell me the ETA for seating our group”. She gives me a disgusted look and says, “I don’t know, maybe 40 minutes.” I inquired, “can’t you just seat us. We have 9 people crammed into the corner” and she says, “ I don’t have a table for you”. When I inquire about the two vacant large tables, she says “ this is what happens when you show up late!” I repeated my question about the two vacant tables saying, “wouldn’t one of these be where you would seat us?” Asking if we can merely sit down, she says, “I’ll seat you where and when I want, it’s my decision! Like I said, you were late so now you can wait or you can leave”.

I was polite throughout but at this point I responded, “perhaps I need to speak to the manager or owner” to which she says, “you’re looking at her and now I’m taking you off the list, you can leave”. She goes over to my father and tells him to get out. He was so offended. This is a man who is pleasant to everyone. He told her “I’ve never been treated so rudely in all my life.” Then she goes and gets her father who comes and seeks to escort our party out a side door. He actually went so far as to grab my brother by the arm, who had just walked in from outside and knew nothing of any of this, and tell him he has to leave and starts to pull on him. Then as I was looking up the name of an alternate restaurant on my phone and saying nothing at all to them nor even making eye contact with them, the hostess’ father starts to berate me with trash talk, albeit quietly, telling me “you’re a sad, sad man. Is this how you get you’re excitement and make yourself feel important, by making a scene. I feel sorry for you….” and so on. I ignored him looking for alternative restaurant. I finally looked up at him and said, “sir” I am merely sitting her in the corner on this chair not saying a word trying to find a place to take my father and daughter and her friends to dinner since I’m from out of town, please just leave me alone”. He continues making rude, insulting remarks until I got so frustrated I just got up and stood on the street corner to do it.

Ultimately, we went 2 doors up to “5 Spot Midtown”. My father didn’t get the Italian Sunday dinner experience he was hoping for but the gentleman who sat and waited on on us, Charles G., possibly the owner, was great. We had a nice time talking & joking with him & service was great.

Everyone in our group vowed to never go to Bella and to let all their friends know to stay away as well. There’s just no excuse for the rude, nasty behavior of the young hostess, for her attitude, for her head games, and especially for the hostess’s father to put his...

After a wonderful day in Savannah, my wife and our friends walked in to what seemed to be a busy night. We signed up for the wait list and attempted to walk inside to get out of the cold. The manager, rudely said we only seat 4 inside, you 4 have to get out!!! At which point, my buddy and I walked out and let my wife and his wife sit in the warm lobby area. 5 minutes later a huge group walks in and sits down. Once they sit, the manger walks up to my wife and her cousin and tells them they need to wait outside only 4 people can be in there. Consequently, my wife informs her that with the two people there before them and them two they were four. The people that had just walked in came in afterwards. The manager decides to kick my wife and her cousin out and when they walkout, the manager says that my wife is a very nasty girl and that I should be careful. Apparently, this person who just met my wife of 8 years, has the audacity to tell me that she is nasty and that I should watch out. This is not what Savannah is about. I come here every year since 2016 and I’ve never been disrespected this way. I’ve never been disrespected this way at any restaurant. This was embarrassing and when I told the manager I’d be writing a review for what she said, she said she doesn’t care and walked away. People have bad days, I understand. But this crosses a line. If the owners are reading this, I would like to have a conversation with you to clear the air and understand exactly how this person could say that to one of your customers. If the manager that I spoke to is the owner, shame on you! That is no way to treat a customer who at no point was rude to you or disrespectful..not to mention, a paying customer! I’m so disgusted! In a time like COVID where small businesses need customers the most! Not to mention, we are brown Hispanics, and everyone that came in at the time was of her own skin color. It’s no coincidence she targeted the darkest people in the room at the time. I’m sorry, but I am so disappointed with her behavior. It truly explains the reason equality in this country is huge issue!!

Response to owners comment: after reading your responses to all reviews, it’s funny that I see multiple complaints for the same thing. Not to mention, now I look back and someone reviewed you tonight regarding your behavior with your patrons. Doesn’t look like I’m the only one. I’m sure you have a list of excuses for your actions. Nonetheless, that is also your prerogative. Your excuses reflect your mediocrity and reflect how distasteful you, in fact, really are. An apology would have been sufficient. Criticism is part of your business, but when you refuse to put yourself in the shoes of your customers that pay your bills, you, ma’am, become the inevitable metaphorical wall that your business will hit if you don’t change. Please be nicer. Please treat all customers regardless of age, color, sexual orientation equally and these issues will not arise. Enjoy your evening! One of your competitors enjoyed our business. Furthermore, for people reading this review, please see how she responds to negative reviews. Always an excuse. Always a sad apology. And in multiple occasions people have mentioned her attitude and behavior. One review specifically explains how she snatched a napkin from a child to give to a mother to clean her child after he/she became sick. You have one interaction with me. I’m sure you don’t care. But I’m seeing a pattern of your disrespect to your customers. Learn to take criticism, adjust, apologize, carry on. Children make excuses for behavior. Adults respond professionally both in person and on Google. I welcome more excuses that I will...

Horrible service and treatment , racist manager and negligent owner , went there for a date with my wife, she used to work for them for 2 days didn’t work out but it was her fav place to eat and I was just to get her a good meal, I ordered an appetizer I eat half of it, my wife got a wine and she didn’t drink it , she ate 1 piece of bread and got sick and went to puke at the restroom , then she left the table and went outside to get some fresh air, I went outside with her, to ask what happened, she wasn’t feeling okay I was outside for 30s-1min and then come back inside and seat by myself waiting for my wife and my food.

Next thing that I notice and happened the manager outrageous and obnoxious delirante and rude came to the table without asking anything just handing me the bill with my wife’s card saying that she’s outside sitting in a playground , then after couple min the food came out she without hesitation told me if I want a to go boxes like she was trying to kick me out or something I haven’t even took a bite try the food or even touched it , I was confused why she had my wife’s card and why she paid , when I was going to do that , I put everything inside the to go boxes and left to see what happened to my wife, then she told me that the manager went outside as soon as she saw her walking outside and harass her and accused her of stealing food and suspicious activities she threaten her of calling the cops for trespassing into a park if she don’t give her card , she Snatch it from my wife hands came back inside charge the whole bill on her while I was inside waiting for my food.

I went back inside and ask for my money back cuz after that kind of service I felt so insulted and abused I asked nicely for a void and she didn’t even care she said no I won’t , if you order food you got to paid it , I’m a server and if someone tell me there’s something wrong the food I got to do a void , as a customer after knowing how my wife was treat and how she was false accused why would i want to pay for a meal that i didnt have time to even try she start lying abt everything threaten me of calling the cops that she saw us trasspassing a park and that I'm not welcome on that restaurant anymore, i said okay this is not fair you are stealing from me 80$ worth of food and drinks after accusing my wife from steeling.

the owner show up hear me about what happened and instead of keep treat me like trash he said everything the manager said is correct, I'm wrong they will not give us the money back and we should go its time to go cuz they call the cops i stayed there for an hour no cops show up i ended up leaving and never got my money back, i'm hispanic and the whole time i felt like they were taking advantage of my poor english , all i wanted was justice the police never show up, idk what to do in that situation but what you would ended up doing in...