Trattoria Alberto — Restaurant in Washington

I totally enjoyed my dining experience at Trattoria Alberto! And here's why:

Atmosphere - I decided to go here on a whim and it seemed very tight at first...until I went to the restroom and saw all of the nooks and crannies! 4 floors of seating! Very intimate, very nostalgic, very cool and it reminded you of being at your grandma's house with the family over on a Sunday afternoon.

Service - I had no problem with the service at all. As a matter of fact, the service was pretty awesome. There was a cute blonde girl who waited on us and she wasn't pushy, she was very attentive and knew exactly when to check on us. Everyone else on staff was very nice.

3 Food - Starting out with the calamari fritti, I ended up getting a chicken and pasta dish and my wife a scampi dish which she loved. We both finished our plates and ordered desert. The canoli was simply to die for!

Drinks - I ordered Amaretto Sours the entire night because I like Disarrono...and the were absolutely yummy! I will NOT divulge how many I had...ahem! =]

Price - for the price, it was an excellent night. Expect to spend around $80-$100 bucks for both you and the lady and a nice bottle of wine will considerably jump the total but it's well worth it if you like quiet, intimate and cozy settings. I loved this place!

You know, as I walked down the half-spiral stairway, I walked back out on to DC streets and felt as if I left a different world. Such a familiarity, such a cozy, warm environment, I would definitely recommend this place...

I went to this trattoria because it was in the neighborhood where I grew up. I had a very enjoyable conversation with Ernie Buruca, the bartender. Ernie is a very good Barcologist. For those that are not aware of what a Barcologist is, it's a bartender/psychologist. I had a very pleasant conversation that went from drinks, children, adult children, politics and government. Ernie was on point the whole time. Great job Ernie. Now the food 😋. The seafood linguine was outstanding. It had more than enough seafood to compliment the linguine. It was well prepared well seasoned. It's rare that you get the good seafood - spice blend 😋. It could be considered pricey by some, but remember you get what you pay for. It is well worth it. I ordered both white wine sauce and marinara. Both were great. I also ordered two additional entrees. All was to go. If you get your food and drive 20 miles and your food hasn't dried out or gotten soggy, and is still wonderful, the you have found a gem. I will rate the other entrees later. I need a nap. UPDATE: Okay I had my nap from eating all that wonderful seafood. Now the veal and chicken parmigan (two separate orders), were wonderful. I have had them with the veal or chicken patty was over cooked and dry. This was not the case. The veal and chicken were moist and didn't need to be drowned in sauce as is the case when it is over cooked. There was enough sauce and cheese to accentuate the flavor of the meat. Lastly, the presentation was outstanding. Look at the photo of seafood...

A one star review is rare from me. Please look at the many other reviews I’ve left if you don’t believe me.

The first strike against them happened before I even arrived. My grandpa, who lives in Florida, got a gift certificate for $100. I didn’t have a physical certificate as I had never been to the restaurant and he was in Florida. He was double charged ($200). After over a month, we thought it was rectified and we had two $100 gift certificates. We did not, we barely had the first one. I had to speak to at least three people to get the first gift certificate figured out.

The second strike is the food. Entrees are about $30. They are not worth $30. The chicken parm is adequate, the pasta was ridiculously overcooked. I can make better pasta when I’m half asleep. An early warning was the cold bread from a grocery store and butter we started with.

The final and worst part of the visit was what we heard. My husband, who is Hispanic, overheard some of the waitstaff. Normally I wouldn’t think anything of it. After dinner, he told me that one of them said “later I have to deal with that gay slur” it’s hard to believe it was not about us, the only homosexual couple in the restaurant. Even if it was about someone else, this is NEVER appropriate language in a customer facing situation.

I am frustrated and disappointed. I like to give even mediocre restaurants a second chance, but I’m not...