Graziano's — Restaurant in Virginia

Update- Just for clarification this pizza below is the 24" and we paid $5 for pepperoni and this is what we got. Also I do not appreciate this businesses response I find it very rude and very condescending. How as a business do you belittle the customer and make them feel like they've done something wrong? Oh and you DID NOT STAY OPEN FOR ME there were customers in your restaurant still eating their "questionable" food.

Let me begin by saying we used to get pizza here all the time when it was the old pizza place and it was delicious. We ordered pizza last month and this is the pizza below, you pay quite a bit for this little of toppings. So I gave them another chance and ordered pizza Christmas Eve I had called ahead of time and was told they closed at 6 so I said if we ordered for a 530 pick up after church they said that would be perfect. I called back and they said can you pick it up earlier we're closing early, I explained I was told 6 so they took my order, I was there at 525 and sat and waited. Left with my pizza and had to make another stop for another pizza because this one last time was so disappointing. My father said he wouldn't pay that kind of money for something like that again. I brought the pizza home, and once again I was disappointed again you pay quite a bit for toppings and as you can see there isn't a lot. On this night we paid $2 for pepperoni and $2 for pineapple (unfortunately I didn't take a picture of this) and once again barely any toppings. I don't know how you charge customers $2 for pineapple when you gave me 10 pieces on the whole pizza and the pepperoni was very slim as well. I was very hopeful with this order, but again was left very frustrated and disappointed. Also this pizza in the picture below is the 24" and there isn't a lot of pepperoni (we paid $5 for this pepperoni)oh and the pizza was spread out so thin that there was barely any dough. Pretty sure they use the same amount of dough for all their pizza...

Service was good. Kitchen was a little slow for being the only table, but I don’t mind at all if the food and quality are good. Unfortunately, the food just wasn’t up to par.

The kids liked their dishes, but I would avoid the chicken piccata (see pic - after I gave up on it). The noodles were way overcooked (nowhere close to al dente); the capers were very mushy (think sweat pea consistency), and the chicken had little to no sear. Sadly, the sauce didn’t save it either as it was bland. I like a zesty, flavorful, buttery sauce with distinct notes from the wine and lemon (sometimes with added undertones from garlic, shallots, etc.); this didn’t taste like anything but butter. The only lemon flavor was from the wedge I squeezed, and I even used 1/4 of their table parm and some salt & pepper to try to save the dish; but, as you see from the picture, I left about half of the plate. We also had the lasagna (wish I had a picture). My wife found it mediocre. The flavor was slightly better than the piccata, but the noodles were definitely too soft (worse than the other dish; they disintegrated on the tongue), and there was a pool of water that settled with the sauce (noodles not drained enough beforehand?).

I don’t like leaving poor reviews; however, I grew up in a big city with great Italian restaurants (my first job was even at a family-owned Italian joint), and this just didn’t come close to other experiences. Sorry.

We may come again just because of the kids liking their dishes, but I’ll probably just stick to a salad, unfortunately. Even then, I would ask for no onions (they serve yellow onion on the salad instead of your traditional sweeter red onion - maybe a personal preference, but I find raw yellow onion a bit harsh and overpowering...

rarely leave a review but I had to explain mine and a friend's experience. We both ordered two different pasta dishes. Both dishes had a very bitter strong oregano flavor that over powered the meals. The bread was hard and crumbled like a crouton. The salad barely had salad. The manager finally made one meal no charge however i still had to pay for mine. I barely touched the pasta. Neither one of us will return there. Shame too. If the food was edible we would. I guess some of the other food items are good but why would i want to go back and try it?

Update to the owner reply - First of all you are lying. My friend said he could teach how to make the sauce because he makes it himself. He agreed there was something overpowering in the sauce whether it was oregano or not who cares! No one brought an oregano shaker to our table and no one said the sauce was tasteless! I wish it had been. And yes i rarely leave reviews about anything and you really have no right to question me and be so rude and hateful. As an owner you are not doing your restaurant any favors. I will not return to your establishment again! And just so others realize new management took over a couple years ago. So the reviews are mostly from the previous ownership not this childish behavior you see responding to posts now. You need to grow up and take criticism and get to the bottom of what is wrong and improve the quality of your food. Getting nasty with customers only drives your...