Pannullo's Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Winter Park

I rarely write bad reviews but my recent experience at this restaurant was very disappointing. I’ve been to this restaurant twice now the first time was great however the second time not so much. I wanted to take my long distance boyfriend out to this restaurant cause it was great when I first tried it and wanted to have a nice night out with him. The owner of this restaurant is very nasty and ruined dinner for both me and my boyfriend. We were seated outside, our server Johnny (i believe that was his name) was amazing, we enjoyed our appetizers and starter drinks everything was going well. As we received our entrees and started to eat there were these two children, (one was 9 the other was 14 years old) walking around park avenue, came up to us and another couple seated outside asking for donations towards this organization they were sent by. We were in the process of making a donation before they went on their way. while we were in the process of making this online donation we were warning them that they shouldn’t be here if they were asked to leave the first time around. We explained that they should only be on the sidewalks not in or near an establishment. As we were trying to complete our online donation the owner came storming out started to yell at these two kids to leave, startling me and my boyfriend. He began to yell at my boyfriend telling him to make his donation elsewhere, mind you we were unaware this was occurring numerous times to the restaurant until a server came out before the owner warning the kids. I found the owners actions to be very distasteful and unprofessional, he ruined our dinner didn’t even apologize instead apologized to the other couple sitting outside who he didn’t yell directly in front of so that made me even more upset. We lost our appetite so we paid for dinner & took it to go. the owner killed our vibe at dinner and didn’t feel sorry one bit. I understand frustration but I’ve been working in the restaurant industry and have a college degree in culinary management and there are numerous ways he could’ve went about this situation to avoid causing chaos and disruption in the restaurant. At the end of the day these are CHILDREN if he had such a huge issue with taking donations near his restaurant take it up with the organization who sent them don’t scream at kids. You’re an adult you should know better. Will not be...

The reservations widget on their website was glitched regardless of browser, so a call was needed. Hostess was friendly if a bit brusque and confirmed the date and time and outdoor seat. Called two weeks later to reconfirm and was told the outdoor seating was first come-first served. Told the hostess that was potentially a problem to which her reply was "yeah". ... Early afternoon reservation on a Friday so it turned out to not be an issue. Decor and ambiance were nice. Definitely gave a mellow, relaxed vibe but the amount of traffic due to the sidewalk location serves to break the illusion a bit.

Patio area largely unoccupied as the dinner rush hadn't started. Seated at a table that either hadn't been cleaned or done so quite sloppily. Rings and food from the glasses and plates of prior diners on the table and crumbs liberally scattered across several seats. Wife brushed off her chair and told me when she went to the restroom to wash her hands there was no soap in the dispenser and the staff she notified were of no help. Her exact words were "they pretty obviously couldn't have cared less".

Server shows up, cheery and knowledgeable when asked about options. We go for the red sangria and complimentary bruschetta. Sangria was tasteless and watery and the equally flavorless bruschetta had to be eaten with a fork and knife as the bread was soggy. Didn't bother finishing the pitcher. Had a beer and glass of wine, respectively.

Caesar salads were the side of choice and were fine. Chicken Copertino was my entree and was very happy with it. Portion size, temp, and flavors were all on point. Wife had grilled salmon which she declared was ok but nothing to write home about.

Dessert was disappointing. My go-to cannoli was in a surprisingly hard shell. The filling was cloyingly thick and so cold I wondered how long it had been in a back corner of the refrigerator. At least it tasted ok.

Throughout this the server wasn't around too much but not completely AWOL. Dishes mounted on the table long enough to be obtrusive which is always annoying but not long enough to be worthy of further note.

Overall a mildly disappointing experience. Nothing flagrantly offensive with a bright spot or two but no compelling reason...

I am extremely disappointed with this restaurant. It was my sister's birthday and she is gluten free. We found Pannullo's was close to me and offered vegetarian /Gluten free options. I purchased 6 meals. I asked about what dishes could be made GF. I was told the pasta options. I then asked separately if the eggplant parmagiana could be made GF and was told yes it could. So I purchased it. When we picked up and drove to our celebration location 30 mins away I open the container to find breading. So I called to ask about the breading. I was told by Charlet that she did not know and had to speak to the chef. She comes back on and says no. It is not GF. Then proceeds to tell me about the pasta choices again. If some one is GF they cannot have any gluten. So changing out the pasta is useless. Charlet then told me "There is nothing I can do about it" So when I clarified, because I was taken aback with her tone and choice of words. She said, "I mean I can get a manager for you. But I can't do anything about it." I completely understand that, but there are ways to speak to customers especially after you directly ruin a birthday dinner. At no time did I speak to her in a disrespectful tone or choose harsh words. So, I ended up telling her I don't want to speak to a manger at the moment because everyone else was eating and now I have to figure out a meal on the fly for the birthday girl. She then proceeds to hang up on me. No goodbye, no apology, nothing, just a click.

Customer service is everything and I personally felt disrespected an passed over as a customer. Dinner had a very sour tone and the birthday girl did not get her choice. I usually do not leave negative reviews but this year we really wanted to make my sister feel special due to some bad news. This was a very horrible experience and if you have food allergens/restrictions, I would steer clear of this...