Arooji's Wine Room — Restaurant in Weddington

Won't be going back again. Dinner last night was a bad experience from start to finish. Let me clarify that this was not my first time there, as I have (previously) enjoyed this restaurant for many years. - We arrived around 8 pm, the outdoor dining area was full, so we sat inside. There was only one other table active inside. The rest of the place was empty including the bar. Not a typical Saturday night that I have been accustomed to there. We were seated right away and given water. The first odd thing I noticed was the mariachi music playing in the background? I'd expect this at El Azteca, but seems really odd for an Italian restaurant. - The server came by and introduced himself and brought wine glasses for the bottle we brought with us. (That's another story) - Once we had the wine poured we ordered. My girlfriend had the shrimp and lobster fettuccine "special", and I had the chicken piccata. Until last night, I've never had a bad meal in this place, but that changed. It took almost 25 minutes for the food to arrive, and the "special" was anything but, with the lobster tasting awful and very chewy. The shrimp were somewhat overcooked also. The pasta and sauce were great so my GF went ahead and ate it since she was starving. My chicken piccata was terrible. Both cutlets were tough and chewy. This is a go-to dish for me so it's not like I don't know what to expect. Anyway, after trying a couple of bites I sent it back, and I just picked at some of my girlfriend's pasta. - The waiter removed my plate and asked if I wanted a replacement but by that time it was just too late. The manager came by later and asked about the situation which we explained to him. He took issue with my judgement of the picatta because no one else had sent it back all night. The attitude was really disrespectful, but I let it slide and just thanked him for coming by and asked for our check. Which they took their sweet time brining. Both of us were shocked to see a $25 bottle fee on the bill! As expected, they removed my entree from the bill, but I guess they decided to get it back by hitting us with an exorbitant bottle fee. I've been to nicer places that charge less. - So that was pretty much the final straw, and the end of my time and $$ being spent at Arooji's. Really sad, because I've always liked the place and wanted to have a nice "date night" with my girlfriend. - One final observation: The illuminated restaurant sign on the building facade is down to only 3 of 7 letters working. I'm afraid that speaks volumes about how the place is being run now if they don't even care about fixing their...

Located in the Promenade on Providence shopping center, Arooji’s Wine Room and Ristorante has been serving Tuscan-inspired cuisine for over 22 years, making it a long-standing spot in Ballantyne’s dining scene. With murals throughout the dining space, the ambiance leans into a rustic, old-world charm that complements their Italian menu.

I stopped by for lunch on a Sunday when only the lunch menu was available, which mainly featured soups, salads, sandwiches, and pastas. One thing to note is that their pastas are not made in-house. Fresh bread with oil and balsamic vinegar is served, a nice touch before the meal.

When trying a new Italian restaurant, eggplant parmigiana is usually my go-to. While the lunch menu only had it in sub form, my waiter, Joel, who was great and checked in at appropriate times, was able to accommodate me with a lunch-sized portion of the dinner eggplant parmigiana plate with spaghetti.

The red sauce leaned more acidic than sweet, which some may prefer, but the eggplant itself was roasted and baked rather than fried, resulting in a mushy texture. It was difficult to distinguish where the eggplant ended and the sauce began. I also didn’t see any mozzarella on top, just a light sprinkle of Parmesan. I know some Italians prefer it that way, but I wasn’t sure if that was intentional or just an oversight. The best way to describe this dish would be a roasted eggplant caponata without the capers and olives served over spaghetti.

The spaghetti itself was cooked correctly, and there was plenty of sauce to coat the pasta. But overall, this style of eggplant parmigiana wasn’t my preference.

One unexpected observation was the men’s restroom setup, which was a bit puzzling. There were two toilets, but one was out in the open instead of enclosed in a stall. Not sure about the logistics there.

Since Arooji’s is a bit of a drive for me, I would need some convincing to return. Nothing was bad, but it wasn’t my ideal style of Italian food. That said, I was told their lasagna and house-made meatballs, which are only available at dinner, are worth trying. If I do come back, that’s what I’ll...

I lied. Arooji's is not really a 5-star restaurant, but it has something no other Charlotte restaurant has: the most romantic restaurant of all. Arooji's is a grotto, a cave for lovers. But it needs help. It needs to be saved, and it's going to take a massive community effort to get the word out. This is a place for lovers who seek a quiet intimate place to dine. You enter a cave or grotto: dark, softly lit with quiet glowing colors, private booth seating or tables for two - even a private dining room. The bar is small and initimate. The music is soft Italian love songs. Arooji needs to dedicate this restaurant to lovers seeking a quiet intimate night of long, slow, fine dining and quiet conversation spoken in hushed tones. Loud guffawing Americans need to be limited to take-out! But you need to bear with me. The food and service need some work. Service is confused - forgetful, disorganized, but pleasant and well-meaning. It's as if the owner isn't present. The menu is great - in fact, I'm not sure how it can afford the vast array of choices. The problem is the food is just OK. I asked for al dente pasta. My server said it's "...close to al dente." I knew what that meant, and I was right. We who crave a small quiet romantic Italian grotto with reasonably priced fine wine need to flock to Arooji's and save it from extinction. I pray you're as starved for that small, local, private Italian corner restaurant as I, and am willing to go back and back again hoping to let the staff know we're there to support the restaurant if each time we visit, we see improvement in quality and service. Arooji's is a worthwhile venture. We need to invest in it. Join me in shunning the plethora of corporate chains sucking the life blood from our community and teaching the next generation how to be loud and over-pay for mediocre food and diner service. Please post your agreement, and pitch in to save Arooji's...