Pietro's of East Meadow — Restaurant in Town of Hempstead

Our waitress and the owner ruined a family dinner. I reserved an igloo a month in advance, 63 years old and I wear reading glasses, I dont make a habit of fine print. I have been going to this restaurant since 1984. Last night i brought family from out of town, at no time during our initial arrival (party of five) did anyone inform us, nor was there any signage referring to any minimum for our table. Our waitress, upon us asking for desert and coffee decided to then announce that we had reached 157.00 and that there was a 200.00 minimum not including a tip. We were frankly shocked. Its a plastic bubble outside in the back yard, give me a break. The owners parents would have never treated us so disrespectfully and frankly the attitude we were given was surly. We mentioned that we "did not" see any online mention of this policy and frankly we would have never booked the table if we knew, it a pizza 🍕 parlor, not a fine dining establishment. The waitress was so off putting and arrogant that we have, as a family decided that we will never return again, we don't need indigestion and arrogance as a side order with dinner, learn how to graciously appreciate your customers. At 157.00 plus your 20 percent tip for someone that didn't even pour our wine after the initial glass, you should have let it go. When we informed the waitress that we were so taken a back, she said "the owner doesn't care that you won't return here". In other words they don't need our hard earned money.

I've been dining out for both pleasure and business my entire adult life and have never been so insulted. The 5 of us collectively agreed that the lack of in house effort to inform this policy to diners is non existent and that's your problem. Don't hide behind and assume fine print on an open table reservation cuts it as an arrogant table side conversation. You ruined our dinner and our appetite and you have lost a very long time customer. Obviously you are not at all focused on customer service.

Your response is predictable, defensive rather than apologetic, your "waitress" told us she was speaking directly to you as we had requested to speak with the owner at our table, she told she was doing just that on our behalf so i'll add dishonesty to the list of poor service attributes. She told us that your reply to out request was that if were weren't will to pay the minimum, we were welcomed not to return and that you would in no way allow a 157.00 table to suffice. Again, your tone now in your reply shows where your priorities are. Your father would have never received a review like this, because he would never have done this to a customer, thats on you. Lots of luck. We can get pizza many other places without the side of...

(Edited my og review because it was poorly written and rushed.)

So there I was, on a spontaneous adventure, when suddenly, BAM! Google throws me a curveball - "Nutella Empanada." You bet I was intrigued. It was like the universe daring me, "Bet, let's go."

Stumble into this place, and it's like I've walked into the heart of the local scene. This guy, just oozing neighborhood vibes, hits me with, "You're not from around here, huh? Welcome to the best Italian spot in town." And he didn't stop there - gave me the lowdown on all the hidden gems nearby. This dude was living and breathing local charm, and I was here for it. The lobby? Packed with the coolest cats you could meet.

Turns out, snagging a table at this joint is usually like finding a unicorn - pretty darn rare. But guess what? They worked some magic and got us in... into an outdoor igloo, no less! Yeah, you read that right. An igloo! (Peep the pics for proof - it's as rad as it sounds.)

Now, let's talk food. Holy smokes, it's delish. The staff? Angels in disguise, I swear. Super friendly, on-point, and ready to make your experience top-notch.

Oh, and if you see anything with Vodka sauce on the menu, just do yourself a favor and order it. It's a solid 10/10. Trust.

All in all, this spot isn't just a restaurant; it's a local legend. Do yourself a favor and drop by. You...

They have really done amazing things with the appearance of this place. This restaurant has been a staple in the neighborhood for many many years. The dad recently passed away but the kids have stepped up And done a really nice job with decorating especially for the holidays right now and also service. Whatever he did he taught them how to run a business well and to ensure quality of food be consistent. Our waitress was a sweetheart. Very friendly, patient and sweet. All the other staff was very friendly and made for a very pleasant experience. My friend had the chicken piccata which was made very well And although I just had a grilled chicken Caesar salad it was a nice salad. They give you bread-and-butter to start. We also indulged with dessert afterwards having the pistachio cheesecake and chocolate covered Cream Puffs. They used to have Quick Draw there which was fun when you were on the pizza place side just having a slice of pizza But when the father passed away the license expired and they decided not to renew it. If you want to play Quick Draw you can go to a million other places. I do recommend this restaurant as a very casual quaint but homie feeling with good food experience. Again a local favorite for many years and it seems it will be continuing To be...