10/23/09

Poor Experience - Bad Wine

by thediner

There were six in our party. Waiter had some training but this must have been his first job. It started with taking a wine order and returning after a long time only to tell us the "we are out of it:" No suggestions offered. We ordered a white wine from the house branded labels for $43. It had no body and no finish. It was a wine for someone who doesn't like wine -- no taste. The wine would be an embarrassment if I served it to anyone.

Waiter never returned for a second serving of "insalata 'Casare" alla Lidia" even though I tried to get the attention of a "manager." The first serving is what I would call a sampling. When everyone else finished I was offered a serving. This was 1.5 hours after our seating. Everyone had finished their meals. I declined under these circumstances.

Three of the six at our table liked how their food was prepared. Overall I think the staff is inexperienced, under trained and under managed. It's hard to ruin my day, but they sure did. I can't recommend this restaurant.

• Pros: Two of Six in Party Liked Their Meal
• Cons: Poor Service - House Branded Wine Terrible

10/10/09

Horrible Lunchtime Experience

by daryabeads

A friend and I went to the Heinz History Museum with our kids. We decided to eat at Lidia's for the convenience even though it is a little expensive. Our server was condescending and gave us the worst service I have had in a long time. The kids meals were two pieces of chicken with 3 steak fries for $9.00. The kids were still hungry. The adult meals didn't come even after the kids were done. With no apology the waiter talked to the Manager (who avoided us at all costs) Either they hate kids or we didn't look rich enough!

I would absolutely NEVER go to this restaurant again and neither would my friend. I am telling everyone I know. No one should be treated this rude.

• Pros: Have had decent meals here in the past
• Cons: Horrible Service, Kids Meals Outrageous and Manager Ignored

02/16/09

The Food Was Fantastic!

by Skydiamond

The food was not a dissappointment. We went for the Sunday brunch. I was dissappointed that there was not a selection of fresh cheeses on the salad table. Also, the staff seemed very disorganized for they kept running out of bowls for the soup and plates for the salad table. But the food made up for it. You could tell that good quailty ingredients were used. We had the manigotti and the cheese was fresh and of good quality. The sauce was a plain tomatoe which was surprising flavorable. We would definately come and dine there again! And you can't beat the price for a Sunday brunch!

• Pros: excellent quality of ingredients used in the food
• Cons: staff seemed disorganized and lack keeping up with replacing food, plates, soup bowls and forks and spoons

02/09/09

Real Italian- Stupire!

by Pavel203

First off, this is real Italian food, so if you wanted spaghetti and marinara sauce then olive garden might be running a special. Second, learn to appreciate real food, many people are writing bad reviews, one even compared Lidia's to McDonald's, but if thats all you can afford, I'd imagine all food will taste the same after a while, I get it, so I can't hold that against him. Everything is fantastic and worth the money

• Pros: The food, atmosphere, the wine (order the montiplicano)
• Cons: Service is slow, Italian Imigrant waiters are hard to understand

01/07/09

Worst Italian Food in PA

by Spike716

We just got back from girlfriend's birthday dinner, and Lidia's served the worst Italian food I've ever eaten. Worse than a cafeteria, worse than the spaghetti served on boyscout outings, and reminiscent of Chef Boyardee in look and taste. We did not enjoy the appetizer. Large, flat, soggy noodles in ketchup. Chef Boyardee's beefaroni with the same quality of ingredients. I tried the pasta trio figuring there was no way to go wrong. I was overwhelmed by the garlic flavoring in the egg noodles. The stuffed square noodles were pretty much inedible. The spinach was slimy and flavorless, and left a film in my mouth. The next pasta, which was my favorite of the three, tasted like Chef Boyardee, which is ok when you pay a dollar for a can of it. My girlfriend's lasagna was edible, but certainly not what she had in mind for a birthday dinner. It was mushy with low quality cheese and unidentifiable sauces. The best part was the bread, which was served in three varieties. It wasn't warm, but somewhat fresh. It was served with what looked to be pesto and olive tapenade, but was blended into a paste and melon-scooped onto a little olive oil. Both tasted pretty awful, and we just soaked the bread in the tiny bit of olive oil surrounding the two lumps of who knows what. I'm certainly not a picky eater, but this food did not have anything good in it. It used the same ingredients as fast food, but lacked the delicious flavor of fast food. The only pro was the attentive staff who acted as though Lidia's was a nicer restaurant than it was. Do yourself a favor, and go to Olive Garden, Bucca di bepo, joe mamas, or just about anywhere. At least it is edible, and you will be able to eat your entire meal and the food tastes decent. The selection was horrible, too. Under pasta there were about 3 things. They didn't even have spaghetti with meatballs. NEVER GO HERE. Ive never posted before but felt the need to warn everyone.

• Pros: wine list and attentive and friendly staff
• Cons: all of the food

07/16/08

Quite a disappointment

by jordica13

This was my second time visiting Lidia's for dinner, and my second disappointment. The first time, which was over a year ago, I ordered a vegetable lasagna, which was made with eggplant other grilled veggies. It was very disappointing, but I suspected that I had just ordered the wrong thing. I just went back two weeks ago and ordered the trio, Lidia's specialty. I was so excited because all 3 pastas sounded great. But I was shocked to find that none of the three impressed me. One was a sage butter spinach ravioli, which were OK. The next choice was an overcooked, mushy, lukewarm linguine in a buttery sauce with grilled asparagus and squash. This had to have been the most flavorless meal I have ever eaten. Lastly, there was a penne with chicken and a red sauce of some sort. The chicken was extremely tender, but I only received 3 little pieces with my first serving and 0 pieces in my second serving. The chicken dish was definitely the best of the three options, but all were extremely oily and lacking flavor. Our waiter was attentive, the hostess was very nice and the wine list was extensive. But overall, the qualit y of my meal was certainly sub-par.

• Pros: Service, Parking (inexpensive valet), Ambience
• Cons: Food quality

03/22/08

Passion for Food is apparent in Lidia's kitchen

by realdon99

I would reccomend Lidia's only to people who have a passion for Fine Food and Wine. The diner who is used to an olive garden or italian oven might be suprised at the difference between northern italian or Tuscan as too a red sauce "joint". My wife and I where taken back by the fresh beet and goat cheese starter as well as the well prepared, homemade pasta, especially the gnocci. The waiter was a little unprofesional and inexperienced. The food runner was very knowledgable in red wine and had a long chat with us about some of the pinots and chiantis on the list. A very pleasurable experience overall due to the atmosphere and food quality. The prices very reasonable as well.

• Pros: food quality, ambience
• Cons: server experience

02/12/08

Northern Italian taken up a notch!

by trevtnyc

I'm really surprised at some of the bad reviews of Lidia's unless the people who went there are expecting all of their food drowned in tomato sauce and have never had Northern Italian food! This was one of my top 3 best meals and dining experiences I've ever had, we were seated promptly inspite of a packed house, our waitstaff were friendly and helpful without any attitude whatsoever. Every dish we had was cooked to perfection and served beautifully, from appetizer to salad to main course and dessert, all in a beautiful homey mediterranean setting with amazing tuscan decantor chandelier's draping down in the main dining room. This place isn't for everyone, if you're expecting Southern Italian cuisine (tomato sauce) then go to Spaghetti Factory or Olive Garden, we got our money's worth and more at Lidia's. I will go there again on my next trip to Pittsburgh and recommend this restaraunt to everyone I know! It''s fabulous!

• Pros: prompt seating, great staff, fabulous Northern Italian cuisine, moderate prices, great wine list!
• Cons: none

02/05/08

paid too much for mcdonalds type food

by pittsburghrn

after hearing many great reviews of this restaurant, my family and i attended. disappointing doesn't even come close. the food was awful, the service shockingly unprofessional and the price outrageous. They sure act like they are better than anything else, but i would have been better off having one of those salads you shake yourself from mcdonalds! Avoid this place

• Pros: lighting
• Cons: food, service, attitude

01/30/08

A very nice dining experience

by LovesToDineabc

My daughter and I recently had dinner at Lidia's for the first time, and it will not be the last. Wonderful wine, great food and the atmosphere was comfortable. Our server, Ashley, was extremely accomodating and knowledgeable and was right on the mark with dinner suggestions. We had the Italian Trio. So Good! We also had so much fun with our wine selections and again received great recommondations. We both agree that Lidia's is a must try when you're in Pittsburgh!