Ciao Baby - East Massapequa

The food was disappointing. The pasta was so undercooked that it was impossible to cut with a knife. The manager was unhelpful, insisting it was "al dente." The service was poor—there was a lack of attentiveness. One staff member took our drink orders and then vanished, while another informed us about the specials but didn't answer any questions or offer to assist us further. The woman who delivered our food mistakenly tried to serve us a dish meant for another table and wasn't even sure of what she was bringing us. She announced a Penne Ala Vodka, but we had ordered Sun Dried Tomatoes with Penne. When we pointed this out, she seemed confused. There were no Sun Dried Tomatoes in the dish we received. It was incredibly frustrating. When we tried to discuss our concerns with the manager, he kept talking over us. I explained that the pasta was undercooked, but he insisted it was "al dente" and that the person who discussed the specials should have clarified that. It's really disappointing to feel patronized. I know the difference—if you can't cut the pasta, it's not "al dente"; it's simply undercooked. As a manager, you should listen to your customers and maybe even taste the food yourself. Don't promise to get us a new dish in five minutes when we've already waited twenty minutes for our main courses after finishing our appetizers. If you could do that in five minutes, it should have been ready the first time! Owners, take note—it's time for new management. By the way, I tried to submit this feedback directly to the restaurant through their comments page, but my submission was rejected. It's clear that the management of this restaurant does not care about customer feedback.

I dined at this restaurant a few years back and wasn't particularly impressed, but I kept hearing people praise Ciao Baby for its large portions, so I thought I'd give it another shot. We inquired about the stuffed peppers appetizer, and the waiter mentioned it had a bit of spice. However, when my friends and I tried it, we found it to be intensely spicy—one of the hottest dishes I've ever encountered. We decided to send it back and opted for baked clams instead. Unfortunately, the baked clams had a very off-putting smell. When the main course arrived, I ordered the chicken parmesan, and it was far from good. I didn't even bother to have the leftovers wrapped up because I have no intention of eating their food again!

My family and I thoroughly enjoyed the food and service at this restaurant. The Italian cuisine was fantastic! We had a great time ordering and sharing a variety of dishes.

I grew up in Massapequa but now live in Virginia. Up for the weekend, decided to try out Ciao Baby because I had heard good things. Showed up at 7:00 pm on Sat night, expected a long wait for a party of 3. Told 1 hr, 45 min. Fine. Checked throughout the wait. Little movement. Place is packed. At 3 hr 15 min. stepped outside to call my friends and tell them that we still hadn 't been seated and that we would be late for drinks. Find out our name had been called in that small window and our name was crossed off the list, after someone else told us our name was called. No sympathy, no ;we 'll take care of you after your 3 1/2 hour wait. ; They could care less, they are raking it in hand over fist, so what is a couple, and a mother who had already left, to them. Don 't be fooled like we were, and watch as the parties of 6 and 8 get seated while a party of three sits and pumps money into the bar. We were the chumps tonight, but not again. If they tell you a wait time, multiply by two, and do not expect any sympathy while those with all the hook ups get their tables. Couldn 't tell you anything about the food.

Party of ten.......All was great until we told the waiter the appetizers were cold. Instant attitude...Our friendly waiter turned into psycho. I am in this business and was I shocked. Service was so bad. Because we were a party of 10, 18% gratuity was added. Boy was he lucky. Normally I leave between 25 and 30%, but this experience was no more than 5%. The food was very good, but so much. I will never go back.