Joan G.
Yelp
I want to start by saying the food at Ado's is excellent. It's been one of my favorite restaurants in Boulder. The menu is international, with choices for all diets. The fettucine is to die for. Truly, everything on the menu is good. They are even keen to accommodate large groups. Ado is friendly and charming and often comes to the table to check on the food. I rated it a "3" because the ambience is mediocre at best and the service is spotty. They take reservations, but don't seem to write them down. In addition to showing up and not having my reservation on their books, I have had at least three other experiences that have colored my view on the restaurant. One night I called in a pick-up order. When we arrived, they told me they had just spaced it out. Another time I had a reservation before a show on the CU campus and upon arrival were told they had some electrical problem and were closed. (We were able to enter the restaurant.) If you know the Hill around the CU campus, you know that there are few fine dining places, and on the night of a performance on campus, it's nearly impossible to get a table. If you have people with reservations it seems that the professional thing to do is to call them and apologize when a situation arises. That way, we could have made other plans. But last night was beyond the pale for me. I showed up for a reservation, again before a campus performance. There was one table filled with dirty dishes and no one around. I walked around to the bar where a very drunk customer was sitting. I asked if anyone was working. He began yelling at the top of his lungs for Ado. No one showed up. I went back to my table to call the restaurant to see if anyone would answer the phone. No answer. Sat for 10 more minutes with the inebriated customer sporadically yelling for Ado and went back to the bar. I could see in the kitchen two giant pots boiling away over high flames on the stove. No one around. The man at the bar is alternately bellowing Ado's name and apologizing to me for being unsuccessful at rousing a worker. I am very sad about this. I don't know what to say except Ado's needs to get their shit together. Great food can only take you so far.