Santucci's Original Square Pizza - Ventnor, NJ — Restaurant in Ventnor City

We’ll do this review in steps: 1.) My friend and I arrived at the upstairs patio around 4:30pm. We asked to be seated inside downstairs, because it was about to start raining. We were told inside was closed, so we were sat at the bar on the upstairs patio (because the manager “didn’t want the servers having to go up and down the stairs”). 2.) We waited about 10 minutes to get menus and for our order to be taken. At this point, it is raining and we are getting soaked. We then asked if we could, once again, sit inside. We were told to move downstairs and sit wherever inside. 3.) Once inside, we did not have a server and had to ask a different person for help each time to get menu’s, silverware, and eventually place our order, despite the masses of wait staff standing around, rolling silverware and chatting amongst each other about how much they hated the restaurant. 4.) When I finally placed my order I asked for a veggie works pizza, with added black olives and extra sauce. What was brought to me, about 25 minutes later, was a pizza with just Kalamata olives. No veggies at all, just olives, that weren’t even the kind I asked for. At that moment, we had waited so long for food and I was so hungry, that I just ate it, rather than sending it back and having to wait another half an hour for food. BUT, I took a picture of my pizza so that I could prove that I shouldn’t have be charged for veggie pizza when what I received was a kalamata’s only pizza. (Pizza pictured below, for reference.) 5.) We also ordered garlic parm fries. They were soggy, clearly frozen, cold, and just dusted with parm. 6.) When the check arrived, (which had to be provided by the bar “because we were at the bar upstairs and it was impossible to transfer it to a table”), I was charged $3 extra for my “added toppings.” I then proceeded to explain to one of the many different servers that my pizza was not in fact a veggie works with added toppings, but just an olive pizza, and that I shouldn’t be charged extra, when I didn’t even get the basic toppings. The sever claimed that the $3 was for the “extra sauce.” When I continued to try to explain that my pizza wasn’t even the original veggie pizza that it was supposed to be, much less an “added toppings” order, the server said “the manager will be over shortly to talk about it and explain.” 7.) 20 minutes later, the manager, who was behind the bar directly across from our table, still had not come over. By that point, my patience had run out, so I ended up just paying and leaving in order to get on with our evening.

Overall, poor service, bad attitudes, mediocre food, and far too many complaints by the service staff about their own restaurant. Save your money and your palate and...

Let me start off by saying I’m not a “Karen” and rarely complain, but my wife and I had such a bad experience there tonight, I wanted to share it in hopes that it gets corrected.

We live locally and have enjoy the atmosphere they’ve created there. We’ve gone there a lot this past off season and the bartender Jordan has been great every time. The atmosphere in the summer is great / busy, but I wouldn’t recommend if you are COVID shy.

This last time however was a different story... we stopped by to grab a “quick” drink and we weren’t even greeted. We sat AT THE BAR for at least 10-15 minutes before even being offered a drink. It was slow, there were 2 bartenders working, and a total of about 8 people there... the bartender “Kelly” (as my receipt said) hardly acknowledged us the whole time as she was busy taking shots with her friends, cleaning, and just about anything other than attending to us. After my wife and I both finished our beers and NO ONE said anything to us or asked if we wanted another beer, I began to get frustrated. Our beers set empty for 15 more minutes before I got annoyed and just put my credit card on the bar. Still nothing. My credit card and empty beer were sitting on the bar for 25-30 minutes (at least) with no acknowledgement, a practically empty bar and 2 bartenders. If you think I’m lying please check the cameras. My wife finally walk downstairs to see if anyone would help us. After being there for over an hour “Kelly” asked if I was done and then asked what I had... the nicest she was to me was when handing me my tab (finally).

I used to work as a server in high school and I’m a generous tipper, but I think this was the second time in my life I didn’t leave a tip. I realize servers / bartender are human and maybe having an off day... idk but it looks like some other people have had the same experience based off of recent reviews. I really hope this...

On Thursday, July 3rd we decided to take our out of town guests to dinner. We made a reso for 7 people at 6:30. When we arrived at 6:30 we were told the reservation "didn't exist". Do not make a reso on open table. They told us they don't look at it. We waited till a table became available and sat down. The DJ there helped us put tables together. We ordered a round of drinks, waited 45 minutes for drinks. The saving grace was the DJ having karaoke. Our food came out in all different orders. There was no sequence of service. It took us 2 hours to get chicken wings. Come on Ava. You never checked to see if we had water. We watched our beers die at the service bar. Then, when Ava brought them out, one had a fly in it. I swear, you can't make this stuff up. When we brought it up management, it was the son. He said he just arrived 20 minutes ago. He brought us our wings. Oh! How could I forget, the reason we had to order wings is because ....[drum roll please] THEY RAN OUT OF PIZZA DOUGH! This establishment whose name has "pizza" in it. Can you, dearest Google reader, even believe it? To top off this experience, not a single person in management (not the women, not the son) even attempted to make it up to us. We had to wrap up our own food and take it with us, without being able to eat it, before leaving to watch the fireworks on the beach. In today's day and age, when pizza places are a dime a dozen.. I explore you to reconsider visiting this establishment. My experience at this restaurant was extremely disappointing. I just experience a costly lesson, $300 (including tip) to be exact. I strongly advise against...