Made In Italy Bistro — Restaurant in Thousand Oaks

Went here with my girlfriend last night. We had been wanting to try this place for some time. Took the drive from Calabasas solely based on the pizza pictures we saw here on Yelp.

Sad to say, but this place is irksome. In short, it's polarizing because the food is great, but the format is really really wrong. I don't feel you can charge those prices and not offer full service. I do not want to stand in line, order at a counter, and walk away with a $90 bill for 1 salad, 1 pizza, 1 pasta, & 2 drinks. Happy to do so for proper table service.

Money aside, the big issue we had was the HORRIBLE TIMING. Our salad, pizza, and pasta dishes were all on our table within a few minutes. NO PACING WHATSOEVER, but kudos to your speedy kitchen. This was really off-putting and annoying. We were two bites into our salad, and a "Server" is hovering over us with our pizza, offering no help or suggestions how to accommodate them, forcing us to scramble to make room. Um, ok...there's no space left on our 2-top for the salad setups, drinks, and a large pizza, so I guess just pack up our salads please? Which is what happened. A bite into the pizza and here's the pasta! So, basically, which dish would you like to eat cold? This is where I regretted signing for a 20% tip ahead of time. It was made very clear to us we were not getting service, just plates being dropped off, like at a California Chicken Cafe.

Important to note, when ordering, this place uses one of those iPad/Square ordering systems, complete with the awkward tip-us-right-now-while-I-stare-at-you dynamic. Their automatic tip calculations are based on the after tax total...that gets under my skin. YOU DON'T TIP ON TAX. When I was emailed my receipt, I saw the bill also included a 2.5% "Kitchen Love" HIDDEN FEE, which is also included in the total, and therefore the tip calculations. So, we tipped on tax AND a secret fee! That's just plain deceptive and unappreciated. I'm sorry, but I know what it's like to wait tables and work in a kitchen. For the prices you're charging, pay your staff better if you want to show them some love, instead of sneakily baking it into your iPad ordering system...which I'm sure no one sees in the moment. This technique is widely unaccepted. Patrons don't like "Guilt Fees".

We left there discussing our grievances, instead of the great food we had just consumed. After we got home, we wanted to see if others thought the same, and these themes resonate throughout many other Yelp reviews here.

The nail in the coffin was the passive aggressive and patronizing tone in the ridiculous Yelp review responses from the owner. After observing him work the floor during our meal, and then reading his replies to anyone not giving him a glowing review, I'm sure we'll choose a less confrontational dining experience next time.

The place was jam-packed, so I'm sure business is good, and a review like this will get buried amongst the many ridiculously generous 5-star reviewers. So, I don't expect things to change here. When you have food that good, but leave the place focused on the bad, there's a real problem.

Which sucks for us...we probably won't be back unless...

Met my friend here for lunch to celebrate my birthday. I wanted Italian food because it's my favorite but also because I just got back from a cruise to Italy and wanted to keep eating Italian food. I was hoping to try some homemade pasta and perhaps some chicken parmigiana or eggplant parmigiana but I felt it was just too hot to eat something that hot and heavy while eating outside in the heat. (My friend and I both love being outdoors so we decided to eat on their patio, complete with umbrellas, despite the heat) We both decided to order the Quinoa Salad and the focaccia bread. OK, I am very picky about my focaccia and this was absolute perfect! It was served warm, a bit crispy and seasoned perfectly! They had a high-quality olive oil to dip our bread in. This is an absolute 'must to order'! Our salad was served chilled (as salads should be served) with fresh, crisp ingredients. The citrus vinaigrette accompanied the salad beautifully and had just the right amount of dressing and didn't make it "soggy". The serving was generous and neither of us could finish ours. After our lunch we ordered 2 affogotos (my first time having one). They brought out our affogotos and a birthday pasty. Our servers sang Happy Birthday in Italian!!! I absolutely loved that! The affogoto was scrumptious and it was perfect in the heat. It was a scoop of gelato with espresso poured over it. YUMMY! The birthday pastry (complete with birthday candle :) ) was flaky with something that tasted like Nutella. It was delicious! As we were finishing our dessert, the owner, Antonio, came out to introduce himself and wish me a Happy Birthday. I told him how wonderful our lunch was and how I just got back from a cruise to Italy. He told us how he grew up on the Amalfi coast and worked in a restaurant in Positano before going to culinary school. I enjoyed our brief interaction with him and knew why I loved this restaurant...it truly felt like Italian hospitality! I plan on coming back for the fresh pasta and perhaps the Branzino and to get a taste of Italy once again! Thank you, Antonio and your wait staff. You made my birthday...

I was going to rant and rave about this place until I notice the receipt this morning.

They add a "kitchen love" fee on the bill and do try to hide it. When it came time for the bill, the server walked over with a tablet. Showed us the bottom line and asked to sign it. I had to ask for a receipt and the tablet was not itemized. It seemed to be inline with the prices of what we ordered so not concerned.

Our bill was $141 and the kitchen love was only $3.54. I left a 25% tip on it not seeing the fee. It is fine and dandy if a place wants to offer some cash pay to their kitchen staff but be open about it. The fact that I was not show an itemized bill nor told about it leaves a pretty bad taste in my mouth. I have an issue with deceit.

It is not the money, it is having this done without my knowledge. It is clearly intentional since they do not give you a bill on the table first. It really put damper on what was otherwise an amazing meal. We even chatted with the owner, Antonio, for five minutes at the end.

Truthfully, if every restaurant had a secondary tip section for kitchen staff I would happily leave money there, too. I worked in a kitchen as a kid and know how hot it can get. In no aspect am I cheap. I would not have dropped the tip on the bill to add something for kitchen staff, with or without the drama and financial stress created by covid and closing everything up. I also would have left more than a measly $3.50 for them. I think it is a great idea for this to be an option for patrons.

After seeing the receipt this morning and adding in how odd I thought it was that I was not offered a bill prior to paying has taken us from 100% returning and making it a regular visit to very hesitant. It is not the money, purely the principle. The food was incredible. The taste of the deceit, at this moment, overshadows the enjoyment...