“The best kept secret” in Rhode Island is what I used to call it. About three or four years ago Café Andiamo’s really was “the best kept secret” in Rhode Island. I remember my family and I (a group of 7), going there twice a month. Those were the good old days. As time went on, it became more and more apparent that Andiamo’s was no longer a secret. It got to the point where reservations had to be made three to four weeks out. This made it difficult for busier people who usually book 10-12 days out, but it was still worth it. As it became busier, we noticed the quality slipping. About 6 months ago, we went to Andiamo’s and the food was awful and the service was worse. Could it be? The best spot in Rhode Island couldn’t keep up with this huge influx of business? We decided to take a break. Two visits like that in a row would have made the most loyal customer run in the opposite direction. That brings us to 4 weeks ago. It was at that point that we decided to bring my grandmother there for her 85th birthday. Andiamo’s was always her favorite and she never understood why we stopped going. So, we got the reservations for this past Saturday. Right on her birthday. Even with the 3-4 week notice, we still had to settle on a 7:30pm time slot (not easy for an 85 year old). Nevertheless, we were excited for our return. On Saturday we packed the coolers (BYOB) and headed off. When we got there, we were greeted by a younger gentleman. He asked my name and when I gave it, he said that we didn’t have reservations. I told him it was impossible and explained. He said there was nothing he could do. I asked him for the manager. He went in the back and when he returned he said that his manager told him that after I made the reservations, my “secretary” called to change the day to Friday. Lmao…..I don’t have a secretary. I asked top speak to the manager. She finally came out and stuck to the secretary story. I told her that I don’t have one and I asked her why she wouldn’t call the person who made the actual reservations to see if they really wanted to switch. She had no answer. I asked for the owner and guess what……she was the owner. She then went to the back and returned 5 minutes later with a desk calendar, which she had obviously altered in the back office. On it, our name was erased on Saturday (with nobody filling the time slot) and we were penciled in on Friday (in the 5:00pm time slot). At this point my grandmother was confused and hungry and I was angry and shocked. She did nothing. She did offer to comp my wife and I a dinner some time. I told her that I didn’t need her money. I needed to celebrate a birthday. I wanted nothing but a place to sit. It never came and we had to leave. By the time we got to another restaurant and were served, my 85 year old grandmother was eating her main course at 9:30pm. I am a prominent figure in the public community who used to talk about Andiamo’s in seminars as the model of a great customer experience. Those days are long gone folks. It is very obvious that Café Andiamo’s has their “regulars” and that they don’t know how to handle the volume of business that an “upscale” restaurant is able to. “The best kept secret” is no longer a secret….and it’s no longer a restaurant worth your time or money.
Pros: BYOB...if it's worth the headache
Cons: Read on...
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