Bambinos Cafe on Battlefield — Restaurant in Springfield

I have attached a disclaimer on this five star review for those who've read any of my other reviews and maybe curious as to why they're all five star reviews. I guess it makes sense that they're all five stars because, like, who would spend all that time and money going to a bunch of places they hate and then write one star reviews about them? What was I talking about? ..... Oh yeah! Bambino's! Bambino's has a particularly awesome thing going for it and that thing is one of their their locations. This is one of the coolest little hidden away, hole in the wall restaurants in Springfield! it's in a little corner of the neighborhood across Grand St from MSU and the only way you can get to it is by driving through the neighborhood. This is a small location with an intimate feel, the outdoor dining is beautiful during the spring and fall. It's the perfect place for a first date complete with a good wine selection and something for everybody on the menu. Sometimes they even have live music. I don't mind hanging out around college kids, hell it's pretty much their neighborhood anyway. If you absolutely detest young adults because they give you hives, I'm going to warn you: there may be a few at the E. battlefield location as well. About the food: their Greek salad is probably one of the best, most fresh salads in town. Some restaurants don't mind serving you lettuce with brown spots on it which really grosses me out. Apparently Bambino's hates it too because the salad they serve is so fresh that looking at it will moisturize your eyes K? So definitely get that, there is not a bad pasta on their menu, there's no bad panini sandwich on their menu, I'm just going to cut my losses and say that there's nothing bad on their menu everything is delicious! Bambino's has been staffed with complete professionals every time I go there, I really appreciate that. It's also worth mentioning that Pamela and I can eat for under $30 and it feels like you're getting a lot more than you're paying for. If you haven't been there or, God forbid, have never heard of it, quit being cruel and ignorant towards yourself and go try it. Thanks for getting this far into my newest exceptionally wordy review. Here's the disclaimer I promised In regards to my seemingly reckless and unfocused awarding of 5 star reviews: I admit I'm pretty liberal with my dispersal of five star reviews, I don't mind giving give stars, even if I can pick out something I didn't love about my experience. I can't help it! It's not my fault that I like everything and I'm usually in a really good mood! I see so much negativity in this world, that I consider a five-star review about a location or person to be a contribution of positivity from myself, to a person who reads one of my reviews or a business owner or somebody that I've mentioned because of their awesomeness. By infusing my scant portion of positivity into this (what I perceive to be) overly cynical and unfriendly world, I validate my need to feel like I'm making the world a better place one person at a time apparently. oh yeah promoting the places that I love doesn't hurt a thing either! thanks for reading this long review! I've got more...

I thought this was supposed to be high quality, it was not. As soon as you walk in the atmosphere is loud and drab. Then the chair seems like it is going to fall apart. We get one that isn't falling apart and order drinks, are given bread, and order bruschetta. The bread was old, keep in mind the website makes you believe this is higher quality food, so that was a bummer. We asked for the Parmesan to be refilled so we can mix it in olive oil to dip our bread. She brings out a plastic cup of it, so now I am refilling the shaker bottle. I notice while waiting forever for the bruschetta that all the wait staff are dressed in street clothes. Some didn't even have an apron for you to know they worked there except that they were carrying a bunch of food. More and more all these, by themselves little, things made me concerned about how the back of the house was. Usually the front of the house is an indication for the back. If no one had any pride in their job up front then how can I be sure the food in the back is safe? It being now 40 min and still no appetizer, we put down more than enough money to pay for the drinks and a tip (even though not deserved) and left. We found another Italian restaurant that was everything I thought Bambinos was supposed to be and more. It was the best decision of the night and it made my birthday much more special. This is specific to the Battlefield location, I cannot speak...

I have been eating at Bambinos (both locations) for years. It’s one of my favorite restaurants, however, the last few times I’ve been into this location I have been very disappointed by the service. The waitstaff appears undertrained and overwhelmed. Tonight I placed a Togo order for a Greek salad, that’s it, and I could tell the waitresses looked a little stressed even though the restaurant wasn’t full, so I asked how long the wait would be before confirming my order. I was told about 15 minutes. After over 30 minutes, and 3 different waitresses asking for my name/what I was waiting on, I was told my order was either not put in or the ticket was lost. I got my salad shortly after and left, only to find there was no dressing. I understand mistakes happen, I’ve worked in food service before. However, during my wait I was sitting at the counter and overheard the waitresses chattering about multiple other orders they had forgotten to put in that evening. They need more training, a manager in house, or something. This is silly. While this was one of my more frustrating experiences, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened and tonight I witnessed it happen to a few other tables. This is an issue that needs addressed, as I love the food, but service...