Piada Italian Street Food — Restaurant in Sharon Township

The build-your-own meal is pretty popular, and this place seems to copy the tried-and-true format pretty well. However, there are some issues I had during my first visit here that turned me off a little.

First, the 'main' entrance that gets you to the order line is not marked clearly. The door closest to the road is labeled 'pickup order entry', whereas the door set back from the other corner is not labeled at all, except for 'Seasonal' in bold letters. Not even a listing of operational hours, which is the gold standard of marking your front entrance. Awkwardly, I walked around the building as I wasn't sure if any of these doors were partitioned separately from the main area (Spoiler: they aren't). I ended up just walking into the nearest door because it was a hassle at this point.

Upon entering the restaurant, the very first thing I noticed was the lack of a menu-board above the order counter. I was a little off-put by this and scanned around the restaurant looking for some information on what was on offer and the price. The only thing I could find was a large one above their espresso machine, for the coffee menu. Weird. I didn't know until the employee at the serving area pointed out the menus that were placed on the half-wall next to the order line. Very odd. I had discounted these menus as usually I associate this type of display with limited seasonal items or some in-house advertisement, not the actual menu I would order from.

The menus were attractive, if a bit weird to deal with. This isn't a sit-down-and-order type of place that would, in my mind, necessitate them. I was the only person in the restaurant at the time, so it wasn't that big of a deal. However, when it would be busy I could see this becoming a slight issue. There are only two places to pick these menus up from. One at the start of the order line and another at the end. Eventually, I can imagine the menus migrating from the start to the end. Then someone would have to move them. At this point, its no better than just ordering from a menu board anyway, since you are right there staring at your slightly impatient food server. A better option would be to put a menu on the wall right next to the order line. It would be literally inches from your face. Instead there is this generic picture of some taxi thing with the logo of the establishment. That's a great and wonderful use there. We don't want to mess up those clean lines with unnecessary information after all. Sarcasm.

Let's continue. Ordering was straight forward, as long as you have a menu in your hand. Without one, you are blowing about freely in the the breeze as to cost, and the name of the predetermined 'combos'. Like any other build-your-own-whatever, you basically order a base and add whatever protein you want with it, and additional topping as needed. Additional cost, always. In my case I had the "Summer Avocado Piada" with steak. I left it 'as-is' topping-wise. The service was fast, friendly, and it was made accurately. No complaints there.

So once again, here is where a menu-board would nice to have. I wanted something to drink. I saw soda cups, a Peroni beer, some mineral water, and wine. I ordered a soda. What I did not know, until I looked again at the menu (online no less), is that they offered Italian sodas. I would like to have had an Italian soda, not an American soda. This really irked me. For fast casual dining there is a serious shortcoming here. What is on the menu, and where can a person find it? This should be the very first thing to get right.

For the food itself, it was pretty 'Meh'. I do like that they use Arugula lettuce in the wraps, much better taste-wise. The 1/4 avocado they added for my "Summer Avocado Piada" got quite a bit lost in the jumble, and wasn't the highlight of the wrap at all. The corn was however, and could have been better as an optional ingredient. The steak was a little bland.

Overall I was not impressed, mainly due to the hassle for mediocre food. The atmosphere is trendy, open, and a bit noisy. It's OK. Not...

Family Lunch at Piada Italian Street Food

Our family decided to try something different for lunch, so we headed to Piada Italian Street Food. As soon as we walked in, the casual and welcoming atmosphere set the tone for a relaxed family meal.

We started by exploring the menu, which offered a variety of fresh and flavorful options. Piada specializes in Italian-inspired street food, so there were plenty of choices that catered to all of our tastes. From their signature piadas—thin, rolled sandwiches—to hearty pasta bowls and crisp salads, there was something for everyone.

Marry - the manager came and asked if we like the food and was ready to change things if needed.

My kids loved customizing their meals, picking out their favorite ingredients to create a personalized dish. I opted for a classic Piada with grilled chicken, fresh vegetables, and a drizzle of creamy parmesan dressing. My partner went for a pasta bowl, loaded with Italian sausage, marinara sauce, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

The food was served quickly, and everything tasted fresh and delicious. The portions were generous, and we appreciated the quality of the ingredients. We also shared a side of crispy calamari, which was perfectly cooked and paired well with the tangy dipping sauce.

One of the highlights was the atmosphere—Piada was busy but not too crowded, allowing us to enjoy our meal and conversation without feeling rushed. The staff was friendly and attentive, making sure we had everything we needed.

Overall, our family lunch at Piada was a great experience. The combination of tasty food, a casual setting, and the ability to customize our meals made it a hit with everyone. We’ll definitely be back for another...

Update: I was able to speak with Justin Gilbert who oversees the Columbus restaurants. He was incredibly courteous and made sure that my refund had been processed, as well as assuring me that he will be addressing the matter with personnel. We look forward to enjoying other Piada locations in the future. **I understand that things are tight in the restaurant industry. I was in the hospitality industry for a decade and don't take 1-star reviews lightly. What happened today is unacceptable. I placed my lunch order online. DoorDash was a DoorDisaster delivering it, but I don't hold that against Piada. The bowl that I ordered wasn't even close to what was delivered and the garlic dough was so salty that I spat it out. I could not eat the delivered bowl either, due to dietary restrictions. My lunch was inedible. Again, things happen; I just wanted a refund because I paid $25 for a lunch I couldn't eat. I called and was on hold for 4 minutes before the call was disconnected. I called back and was on hold for 7 minutes before I heard the employee hang up on me. I called back a third time and was immediately given to the chef. He told me that the employee hung up on me because he (the chef) told him to "never answer a phone call during lunch again". I gave the chef my order number and he found it in the system. He then said "I refunded your money, what else do you want?" I replied, admittedly with a tone, that I wanted lunch. He said "well my line's out the door so if you want lunch, you can come wait for it like everyone else". This is the second time I've ordered delivery from them and the second wrong order but I won't give a second chance to someone to speak to...