daNina Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Town of Ramapo

*edited in response to the business *

The outdoor atmosphere was very nice. They charge 4% (3.99% , I stand corrected) cc fee to the customer which is very high. the typical fee places charge is 3.5%. It is also not listed on the menu that they charge the customer. **we did not know about the charge until we already paid so we did not know to pay with cash like suggested below. The sign is only on the front door which you do not see when you go to outdoor seating.

They also charge per soft drink.**they have every right to do so but I would like to know this before going somewhere so I included it in my review. We dropped some food in the soda and asked for a new one. There was no bug like the business stated and we were still charged for it. In fact we were charged for an extra wine on the bill which was taken off promptly when we brought it to their attention politely.

The meals were not that great. The farfalle with shrimp and scallops was extremely oily. Two bugs and a hair was in my meal. The server saw the bugs. I did understand we were outside and I was not about to make a scene over anything, especially with people handling my food so I did my best to eat around. The shrimp and scallops were good in the meal but I don’t prefer it with as much oil. I ate a quarter of the meal and was asked to take it home and I said no thank you. The flavor of the meal was fine but I prefer my meals to be lighter and less oily. The only meal we took home was the gnocchi bolognese which I would recommend you get there. The shrimp marinara was also not finished or taken home. The clams with linguini and spinach linguini with clams and shrimp was finished. This was a half portion which is a great option if you know you can do that. The children’s vodka sauce was very light and more of a pink sauce which is how I would prefer it.

The desserts were all great, **especially the blueberry pie and crème brûlée which had a lemon hint.

Our 2 year old was drinking his water cup and threw it on the ground. I was very surprised by the situation and taken aback I had no clue what to say without sounding rude myself so I awkwardly laughed. ** The server picked it up and scolded him for throwing it, kept it under her armpit with an open straw, and gave it back to him saying if he threw it again she would take it. **Even though the intention may have been playful like the business stated below, I stand by this not being appropriate and I don’t know why I would have to tell another adult that. They are correct, the server was attentive and they did ask if we wanted refills promptly. Overall, I would not return **especially after their response below.

**I typically write short, factual reviews and do not appreciate the restaurant attacking my character and telling me how to handle a situation. I did try to reach out to the restaurant privately after their response below and will update my review upon their...

To begin, this review is solely based on our experience during the pandemic. The restaurant did a nice job converting the parking lot to a dining area. Plenty of soft lighting and tables were space appropriately. We were seated and each distributed flatware that was neatly wrapped in plastic wrap with an alcohol wipe for sanitizing. So far so good. After a while someone came with water. It took about 10 minutes before someone came back for drink orders and another 5 or so with bread. After that it all went down hill with the service. They were clearly understaffed and the employees were working to get each table what they needed. Unfortunately this understaffing lead to us sitting at a table for about an hour before we got any food. We actually had to flag down the server to put in our order and after about 35 minutes of waiting were told that sometimes it takes 35 to 40 minutes to make the special that they had on the menu!! Hmmmm, I've been to restaurants from East Coast to West Coast and it is just bad business to even put an item on the menu that takes that long to prepare. Again, the staff was professional and as accommodating as they could be, there just weren't enough of them to go around. The food was good, most at my table were very satisfied with the food, however the staff never asked if we wanted refills on our drinks and never asked if we wanted dessert (which after waiting for so long just to get our food, wasn't even an option, but still). Over all I gave them a 3 for effort and quality of food. I do hope that they hire more staff. I must note I have eaten at this establishment pre pandemic and the service was good; however since this is the most recent it is only fair that I share this most...

I hate doing this but i have to. DaNina’s is a small business which normally has incredible food. It is one my favorites and we have been going their for years. We have tried very hard to support local business but it has been hard to justify paying $30 for an entree. Still all this time, when we want something special, we are grateful that Da Nina’s always delivered, well sort of. One time we ordered from door dash and our order wasn’t correct. We called and the person who picked up told us he didn’t care. It wasn’t a big deal. They gave us dessert instead of the appetizer we ordered. But last night was unacceptable. I understand that restaurants are having trouble but we as consumers are doing whatever we can to support these small businesses but I cannot ever again justify paying $28.95 for a chicken parmigiana that I don’t even know was chicken. It was the worst chicken parm I have ever eaten. I forced it down my throat. The sauce was amazing, the order was right, but the chicken, was rubber. I have supported this business through the pandemic and well I would continue but the prices are just not worth it and the food is no longer cooked with love. I hope that the owners read this and do something about it. Da Nina’s lost a good customer last night and I understand that it’s covid but if you are going to stop your quality of food, then you should not be charging $30 for an entree. The food last night, I could have paid 7.95 at a pizzeria. Never again will I order DaNina’s and I hope through this, the owner will remember that a successful restaurant is successful because they cook with love. They cook with passion. This...