Italian Kitchen — Restaurant in Vero Beach

I had seen reviews saying the pizza is really good so my companion and I decided to give it a try. We walked in, mid afternoon, and the place was mostly empty with two people at one table having pizza and three people behind the counter. We were asked if we wanted to sit outside or inside and we said inside and were told to just sit anywhere so we sat at a table near the counter and waited. No menu at the table so we just waited and chatted for a few minutes. No one brought us a menu or anything. After what must have been at least five minutes but seemed more like ten, another couple walked in and was greeted and asked if they wanted to sit inside or outside. They said they wanted something inside, then would move outside for something else. They were immediately handed menus and their initial order was taken. We were sitting there like "What are we? Chopped liver?" So we stood up and started towards the door. The woman who had just taken the other couple's order asked if we had decided to eat outside. We said no, we were just leaving. How hard is it to give someone a menu, maybe take a drink order within five minutes of entering a nearly empty restaurant? And then they wait on the next people in the door while continuing to ignore the two waiting customers who have been sitting there for five or ten minutes. It's not like there's anything to look at while you wait. The place has approximately zero atmosphere but as I mentioned I had heard the pizza was good. We wanted to try it, but after being ignored for quite a while and then watching the next customers get immediate service we were frankly insulted. Maybe the pizza makes up for the inattentive waitstaff but it's unlikely we will ever find out. No rating for the food because we...

What do you get when you go to Italian Kitchen? It's very simple - bad food at a high price with lousy managing and inexperienced chefs. This place disguises itself as a local gem that cares about the quality they put out, while actually putting in the minimal amount of effort and charging the most they can possibly get away with.

I ordered a stuffed pizza with 6 toppings (because each additional topping is $2.25). Waited an hour and they came to our table and told us they messed up our pizza and could either take what they're gonna give us or repeat that wait all over again - being hungry and having just spent $25 bucks on a pizza, we took the thick crust pizza they made and to our every disappointment. There are more flavorful frozen pizza's at grocers, and at 1/4 the price. I'm someone who loves pizza but isn't particularly picky, and when there's a domino's in 10 minutes distance from this place, with pizza that tastes infinitely better and at half the price - I have to ask myself what the point of going here would ever be other than to look like a jackass who is "too good for takeout"?

Picking up my first slice, the cheese, minimal amount of sauce, and every topping slid right off; and I'd just realized that I'd paid a quarter of a hundred bucks for a waste time. What's worse? When 10 minutes into eating this slop the waiter comes over to once again tell us that 2 more items in our order (calzones) were made incorrectly, and we would have to accept their mistakes or wait another 30 minutes.

I urge you not to go here, as I won't be ever again. Don't overpay for less...

Review for Italian Kitchen - January 4, 2025

I've been a loyal customer of Italian Kitchen for over 10 years, but my experience this evening has left me deeply disappointed. I ordered the chicken parmigiana, priced at over $20, expecting the hearty meal depicted on the menu. Instead, I received a dish with what seemed like a child's portion - the chicken appeared to be only about 4 ounces and was extremely thin, not at all resembling the image on the website.

Understanding that food costs have risen, I was still taken aback by the portion size, especially since chicken parmigiana is typically one of the more economical dishes to prepare. When I expressed my concerns, the manager simply explained that this was the standard price and portion size, offering no further solution or apology.

To add to the evening's frustrations, I observed two other customers leave due to long wait times, despite several empty tables that needed only to be cleared. This oversight in service further compounded my dissatisfaction.

Unfortunately, I did not capture a photo of the meal. Given this experience, I doubt I will return to Italian Kitchen or recommend...