Giana G.
Yelp
We were really excited to try this new pizza spot--came with a group of six and were happy to wait the estimated hour for a table. The space was vibrant, and we appreciated being called down early after grabbing drinks upstairs. But unfortunately, the experience that followed was one of the most confusing and disappointing dining situations we've had in Durham.
They seated us outside at a 4 top but since we were 6 we offered to push 2 tables together - turns out there was a wasps nest in the corner of the table and a member of our group was stung several times. Shockingly, staff admitted they knew about the nest earlier that day, but nothing had been done to remove it or warn guests. After that incident, there was no fast reaction from staff. In fact none of them sprung into action.
Service continued to be extremely disorganized. It took over 70 minutes for water (for six people--only three cups were brought at first). One order of wings arrived about 20 min after we ordered and then the rest arrived after 90 minutes. We ordered 4 pizzas and 3 salads. Two salads arrived then one pizza then one salad then one pizza then another - it took almost an additional 30 minutes for the food to trickle out and we were still missing a pizza. We were hungry, confused, and trying to stay patient, but it was difficult.
At the end of the night, we calmly asked to speak to someone about our experience. The owner came out visibly defensive and immediately shut us down by saying "don't tell me anything, I already know everything." It escalated from there, with her dismissing our concerns, telling one of us "cry me a river," and generally showing little willingness to listen. Ultimately, she comped our meal but it was one of the most confounding experiences I've ever had at a restaurant.
We understand that new restaurants often face growing pains, and, the team did mention that not all of their equipment was up and running yet and that things had been challenging. We empathize with that--truly as we've all also worked in the restaurant / service industry. But we'd strongly recommend being upfront with guests about those limitations so people know what to expect going in. Clear communication can go a long way in setting the tone for understanding and patience.
That said, safety, communication, and basic hospitality still matter. We left feeling disrespected and disappointed. I genuinely hope the team takes this feedback to heart and makes changes--because the food could be worth coming back for, but only if the experience improves dramatically.
