Primo Nesticos Bistro & Bar — Restaurant in Town of Cicero

Where do I begin? After reviewing over 100 establishments and visiting over 300 restaurants in the past few years, this has been my WORST EXPERIENCE EVER. The owner, "Peter" is the most inconsiderate, rude, and unfriendly person I have ever met.

We "visited" Nestico's this week because we received a Groupon for this restaurant as a Christmas present. Being new in the area, we were excited to try this restaurant. We read the fine print on the Groupon and this is what it stated.... "$25 Value for Lunch or Dinner with Non-Alcoholic Drinks for Two or More Adults $50 Value for Lunch or Dinner with Non-Alcoholic Drinks for Four or More Adults"

We received two $50 Groupons as gifts, however there were only two of us because we just moved to the area. I called and spoke with an associate to confirm that we would be able to use the Groupon once we got there since there were only two of us. The associate on the phone stated that we would be "all set", as long as we "ordered 4 entrees." Upon arriving, I asked the waitress about the Groupon before we ordered any food or drinks. The waitress checked with "Peter" and he swiftly came to our table. He was very rude, called me a liar, and told me that my "money was not good enough for him". He then walked away mid conversation.

Needless to say, we immediately left without ordering food and I will NEVER return. Not only does the manager need to learn basic manners, he probably shouldn't work in the food industry as a whole. As I previously stated, I have reviewed and ate at hundreds of restaurants around the world and this has by far been my worst experience. I would rather throw my $100 Groupon away than have to see that man ever again, never mind give...

We had high hopes about dinner here after reading some reviews. Those were quickly let down as soon as we received our first course. The layout and ambiance were inviting, but the service was just okay and the food was sub-par. After asking what would be the "signature" dish , I was told the calamari ( w/ additional $3 hot pepper sauce) was the definite go to. Our server/bartender discouraged ordering the pizza and related it to being more like a tortilla as it was too crispy. The very large portion of over-breaded, deep fried calamari was served with the hot pepper sauce on the side. I don't know where to start with this sauce. Just don't. We then ordered the signature spinach salad and a bowl of fettuccine pasta with the red sauce. The spinach salad came with walnuts, butternut squash, goat cheese, and was served with a side of olive oil. Which the menu stated and I must have misread, as I thought it was an oil based dressing. The salad turned out to be good after I requested some balsamic to drown it in. The only issue was the numerous walnut shell pieces we kept biting into. The pasta dish was a disaster. The noodles were not good and the sauce was like red water. Not even the pre-grated Parmesan cheese served in the coffee mug or a tsp of crushed red pepper could help. All in all the meal was very disappointing. The bottle of Tempranillo was pretty good and it seems as if the bar area would be a good place for drinks before dining...

The short: Amazing local restaurant where you are treated as a true guest. Food & service is amazing. The next time I'm in town I will be back.

The Long: This small business will forever be part of my memory.

At my uncle's recommendation I called on a Wednesday needing a reservation on Friday for a party of 12. My family was coming to Syracuse for my cousin's wedding.

Our party had several guests that were....let's say, not the ideal guest. But our server never batted an eye (my sister & I did) even when we took forever to leave or when the uncle's end of the table got too loud.

While enjoying our cocktails & appetizers my sister & I sat in this cozy restaurant looking at pictures our mom's cousin had brought. Smiling & laughing with my grandparents sitting across from us. They remembered every single photo.

We took our time enjoying our food & each other. Walking back to our cars my sister & I sang to our grandfather a thank you song we made up as kids. We would sing this to him every time he treated us to dinner out.

This would be the last time we would get to sing this song to him. He has since passed. We were so lucky to have him for 91 years.

Our whole long weekend was absolutely magical & this small business was a huge part of that.

Thank you for making my family a part of your community for one night. I hope to be back...