Via Roma — Restaurant in Weddington

Unfortunately, this was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had at this price point in years. I usually give local businesses the benefit of the doubt, but in this case I cannot.

The atmosphere was immediately off-putting: the dining room was dimmed so low it felt more like eating in a cave than in an upscale restaurant. When we went to order appetizers, we were told entrees had to be ordered at the same time or we’d face a 50 minute delay between courses. Even if it was meant as 15 minutes, it was a bizarre comment, pacing between courses should never be an issue like that.

Service declined steadily after that. Urgency seemed to be the main theme: we were rushed through appetizers, then our entrees arrived quickly, with staff making an unnecessary fuss about timing. Dinner itself was mediocre at best certainly not worth $30 a head. A side of “julienne vegetables” turned out to be what looked like scraps hastily fried together. The “seasonal vegetable” required checks with the kitchen and was ultimately revealed to be sautéed spinach, a side already listed on the menu. Service execution was equally sloppy water refills were done by reaching across the entire table, something I’ve never experienced at any respectable establishment.

The final straw came with the check. Our server immediately assumed one person would pay for the entire party, then dropped a bill with a glaring discrepancy: the itemized copy and the gratuity slip differed by exactly 15% or $50. For a party size that does not qualify for automatic gratuity, this looked very much like an attempt to sneak in a 15% service charge while hoping we wouldn’t notice, and then tip on top of it. Once the check hit the table, staff disappeared entirely, as if anticipating we would not catch the “error.” I really hate to make any sort of accusation like that but there was one other table in our section and the chances of their bill being 15% more on the nose are astronomical.

For a restaurant positioning itself as upscale, this was a deeply disappointing experience. Between the rushed pacing, subpar food, sloppy service, and what appeared to be a dishonest handling of the bill, I cannot recommend this...

We enjoyed this small, intimate restaurant and highly recommend it to others! The star dishes of the night were the Pasta del Giorno and the Osso Buco followed closely by both appetizers we ordered and the panna cotta for dessert.

Roasted Octopus Appetizer - Polipo Best octopus we ever had, cooked perfectly and very tender. Flavorful, tangy, Mediterranean-based spices.

Crab Cakes Appetizer- (Daily Special) Well-seasoned, heavy on the crab meat and only minor filler. Surprisingly good and held-up well in comparison to a quality Maryland crab cake.

Pasta del Giorno (Daily Special) This was a lovely, notable pasta dish. The fettuccini tasted homemade with a nice al dente texture in a light white wine and garlic sauce. The beef tips were an excellent addition as they balanced the light sauce and increased the depth of the dish without being too heavy. Further, the arugula and cherry tomatoes added a fresh, sweet summer taste to the dish without overcomplicating the dish. Overall, we loved this special and it was a highlight of the dinner.

Osso Buco Fantastic, the veal was so tender that you could cut it with a fork. It was complemented well by the saffron risotto which was very flavorful and had a smooth, creamy texture. The sauce was a rich, tomato-based sauce that complemented the veal and risotto. They were thoughtful and included a small fork to access the bone marrow - which was delicious.

Pesce del Giorno (Daily Special) Good pan-fried flounder that was cooked perfectly and paired with a well-seasoned spinach.

Mare Classic seafood pasta in a marinara sauce. The clams, mussels, and lobster were tender and cooked perfectly.

Panna Cotta This is one of my favorite traditional Italian desserts and it was well-represented here. It’s a sweet and tangy dessert that is fresh and light. The strawberry sauce was a strong, tangy complement to the sweet, custard.

Tiramisu Good ratio of coffee to sweetness, not too bitter or too heavy on the cream.

Crème brûlée Fantastic, hit the spot after a savory meal with a good balance of caramelized...

BEWARE....If you have a shelfish allergy!

My wife and I ate here during Restaurant Week. While reviewing the Restaurant Week menu, we inquired what the Fresh Catch of the Day was. We were told that it was flounder on a bed of risotto. It sounded good so we both decided to order it. When served, the fish had a little topping of greenery and spices on top of it. About half way through, I tasted something a little different and asked my wife if there was a little crab meat on it. It was very hard to tell because the potential crabmeat (which there was very little) blended in with the fish. Because she has a shellfish allergy, my wife scraped off the topping and finished her meal. After we paid the bill, I walked over to the maitre d' stand to look at the menu again to see if it said anything about crabmeat but it didn't. As I was putting down the menu, a woman appeared and asked if everything was okay. I asked her if she was the manager and told her we were wondering if the flounder special had crab meat on it. She said she was the owner's wife and that it did have crabmeat on it. I told her the menu should have stated that it contained crabmeat as some people, including my wife, have shellfish allergies and that in some cases these allergies can be extremely severe. She responded by saying they couldn't do that because they have a different Catch of the Day everyday and that would require printing a new menu every day during restaurant week. Her response surprised me as the Restaurant Week menu is printed on paper and surely can not cost much to print. I told her they could easily say that the daily special could contain shellfish and to ask the server for details. She responded by shrugging her shoulders indicating to me that she didn't really care. We will not return since her lack of concern made it clear to me that they do not care about the health of their customers. By the way, she never asked me if my wife was okay. The food was good, not great. There is another option for Italian food in South Charlotte that I believe is...