Ellie B.
Yelp
Where do I even begin? I used to be a big fan of Tutta Bella, and so was my mom. The Westlake location has since closed and relocated to Virginia Street. The new spot looks much more upscale, but it comes with fewer pizza options and a greater emphasis on cocktails and alcohol. So, is it still the same Tutta Bella we loved?
Anyways, we arrived at 6:55 and left at 8:37, and honestly, the experience was a disaster from start to finish. It took forever to get our drinks and pizzas, but I was patient since it's a new location and they seemed relatively busy--at first, anyway. But then things got even worse.
Once the initial rush died down (there were only five tables occupied), we were completely ignored for a long while. No water refills. Not even once. Desserts weren't brought out for 30 minutes, and I had ordered them at the same time as the main meals (pizzas). When I finally lost my patience and asked about them, it seemed like they suddenly remembered, and yet it still took another 10 minutes to arrive. And guess what? They brought the desserts without spoons.
It took another 5 minutes just to get the attention of our server, and when I asked for spoons, they said "okay" and then went off to pour water for a new table instead. When the waiter finally came back, it was with the CHECK--NOT THE SPOONS. Priorities, right? All while asking me if there was anything we wanted. At that point, I was completely done and told the waiter, "spoons, but honestly, just bring to-go boxes."
Eventually, the spoons and boxes showed up (at that point: 30 minutes waiting for desserts + 5 minutes to flag down the no-spoons situation + another 5-7 minutes when he arrived with the check instead of spoons = 42 minutes!!! Just to get the damn desserts!). I packed up my desserts to go. Zero tip, because zero effort. To top it all off, the manager (who greeted us so warmly and was so proud of how "fancy" the new location was when I pointed that out to him upon my arrival and looking at the place) completely ignored us as we walked out the door. No apology, no acknowledgment, nothing. If the manager doesn't care, why should the staff?
They seem to be having an identity crisis, trying to be an upscale, cocktail-focused spot with increased pizza prices but with very POOR execution and cheap fast-food chain customer service (with the food not even being fast, LOL). Honestly, good luck to this new location--you're going to need it. I will never be back, and I wouldn't recommend anyone else waste their time here either. This is NOT the Tutta Bella you once knew.