Mio Posto Merrick — Restaurant in Town of Hempstead

Friday night my girlfriends took me here for my birthday. There were 5 ladies ranging in ages 35-48. We had called earlier in the week to make a reservation however we were told first come first serve. We arrived earlier than we wanted to but figured we would wait at the bar and be seated when they had a table for us. I and one other friend arrived first and we approached the host station and advised the host we would be 5 people we were told the only table he would have available was in the back tent despite the restaurant being empty (the bar was packed) we said okay to being seated in the tent. When the other members of our party arrived another man approached us whom I assume was the manager and said he had a table for us upstairs. We were then seated upstairs (think we would have preferred the tent) it was 100 degrees upstairs, I asked the waiter to please see if he could please turn on the air conditioner to which he replied "nothing I can do about it, it is what it is" at that point I just figured he had heard several complaints and was tired of hearing about it. We placed our appetizer and entrée order at the same time as well as some drinks. The waiter came back and just put a bunch of plates on our table and forks didn't have the courtesy to hand us each a plate. The whole thing felt extremely rushed. Our appetizers came and were very tasty and we enjoyed them. Our entrees then came out (also very tasty) before we were even finished with our apps. They sat us next to the DJ booth which was actually fun we were really enjoying ourselves some of us even got up to dance. The waiter then came back, and I asked for another glass of wine, to which I was told "NO" they needed the table. I was shocked! The waiter said they had a party of 14 coming and they needed the table. What? You don't take reservations, you have at least a dozen empty tables down stairs and we have to leave. My friends then said it’s her birthday we would like to order her dessert so we can sing to her, and they were told "NO" again. Wow so now I am really mad, upset, shocked and disgusted. The manager finally comes over and says he will buy us a drink at the bar however there was literally no place to walk or even stand at the bar how did they expect us to have a drink. Unfortunately, this restaurant has a particular clientele they cater too. Older single women with money and we didn’t fit their mold. However, eventually there will be a new place and the novelty of Mio Posto will end and their loyal clients will be gone. Instead of mistreating locals like they treated us it would be in their best interest to treat the people that live in the area with respect so that they will return and recommend to their friends and family. It's really sad another establishment in the area will inevitably close because they don't want to take the time to treat everyone...

DO NOT BOOK A PARTY HERE!

Just attended a baptism party here, and was not impressed. First, their party room has a convenience store storefront - real classy. The room itself is, in my opinion, devoid of any character whatsoever. They put some wainscoting up the wall, painted neutral colors and called it a day. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice compliment to the convenience store storefront.

The food was good, not great. I do not eat seafood, so the offerings on this particular menu were limited for me. The amount of food they give you is enough to feed a mouse. When I asked if they had any more chicken or potatoes I was told no. So, the hosts of the party paid for my plate and I wasn’t really given enough food to even constitute a plate, and I left hungry.

The service was terrible, the food was just okay, the ambiance sucked, and they didn’t give nearly enough food, or bring more around even when asked (it was family style). I also asked for beer because I didn’t want wine, was told it was open bar so that wasn’t an issue, and over the course of a 3+ hour party was only given one beer. With all of this, it seems like the business model is to charge an arm and a leg per person for a party, then skimp out on what they give the guests to make the profit margin as large as possible. I would never recommend this place to anyone looking to host a party and hope that this post at least helps one person from making a mistake...

Having frequented the Oceanside, Hicksville and now current Long Beach location,i of course I had to dine @ the Merrick location because it’s 5 minutes from my house! Of course my favorite Italian restaurant did not disappoint! The inside is absolutely beautiful,warm and inviting! Service as usual a second to none, they really treat you like family, And the food, served family style Is mouthwatering good! They have some of the best baked clams I’ve ever had in my life!, The seafood salad is so fresh and delicious!,Fried calamari is always perfectly fried with amazing marinara sauce!, even though it’s not on the menu I highly recommend the stuffed peppers! OMG! And the meatballs Clemenza! Just like my grandmothers! wife’s favorite dinner entrée would be the shrimp à la Wendy, it’s actually for the health-conscious but that does not take away from the flavor! All the pasta’s are incredible but I always go for the chicken traditional francese and penne ala vodka,My favorite sides are the burnt broccoli and roasted potatoes! So freaking good! For dessert we just go for the sampler platter which is always a sweet ending to a consistently perfect meal!, Just made reservations for this Friday night where they will have some great disco music playing to make it once again the ultimate dining experience with my family & close friends! Thank you for coming to...