Crooks in Black Suits!!!!!!!!!! Just went there for a bachelorette party and have NEVER EVER had a WORSE dining experience in my life. Started off great with fun music and the server seemed nice but he was prepping us for the premeditated scam about to unfold. We told him we have never been there before. He told us the restaurant was "family style" with "generous portions." He also stated that a group of 10 should order 2 appetizers and 3 entrees. He then stated, and I quote, "I will portion it out for you and serve everyone." So we order 1 appetizer of "generous sized" meatballs and 1 order of "generous sized "caprese salad." ONE plate comes out with 4 medium sized meatballs on it. We assumed it was our ONE order of meatballs ($14.00) that we ordered. Later we get our bill and discover that we were actually charged for 7 appetizers instead of 2. The waiter took it upon himself to order us 4 orders of meatballs (at $14.00 A MEATBALL!!!) and 3 orders of caprece salad (at $18.00 a pop). When I asked the server about it, he said "honey, i told you we were going to portion it out." He said this many times. I kindly explained to him that "portion it out" to everyone at our table and in the dictionary means that you cut the serving into pieces and divy it up. He said that he knew 1 meatball wasn't enough for us so he ordered us 4.... So without our permission, we were served $60.00 worth of meatballs (again 4 meatballs on 1 plate so it appeared to us to be 1 "generous- LOL" order or we would have questioned earlier). I asked the same about the caprece salad. HE COULD NOT GRASP that he should not spend other peoples money without asking. He kept saying "family style." Family style does not mean server decides how hungry and/or rich you are and stuns you at the end....it means you order food to pass. The CUSTOMER orders food to pass. Getting no where with this swindler, I asked for a manager. About 10 minutes later an uninterested fellow greets us and I explain to him that the server could have made suggestions to us but should not have quadrupled our order and spent $90 extra of our money without our permission. The "manager" made it very clear from the beginning that he did not give a rats a** and that its "just how we do things." I then asked him for his credit card so that I could go shopping b/c I should be allowed to spend his money. He didn't follow. I then asked if it would be acceptable to order 1 drink at the bar and then later get charged $90 more by the bartender b/c the bartender FELT as if you needed more to drink. We are adults and we can order more if we need to...It's not up to the server! Tweedle Dum manager then offered to buy everyone a round of drinks after 10 minutes of us pleading our case. UMMMM....how about you save the $100 you are going to spend on making 10 girls drinks and take the 5 appetizers we didn't order off of our bill?!?! SO THEN.......the table behind us of 8-10 people ask to speak to the manager as well. They had the same server...COMMON DENOMINATOR. Are 20 people dumber than this 1 server or is he scamming everyone w/management's approval? The server had also taken it upon himself to add at least $100.00 worth to their bill without their knowledge. And remember it all comes out on 1 plate so you think you are eating your "generous portion" instead of 4 orders!!! The General Manager (Jersey Shore type who walks up with his arms crossed as if this should be fight instead of an adult conversation) gets called out for this guy unlike Tweedle Dum that I got to talk to. The GM states to this guy for all to hear, "Are you really that strapped for cash?" The customer keeps his cool and tells him he is not going to pay for food he did not order. His bill was well over $300.00. THE GM OF THIS RESTAURANT STATED IN FRONT OF 20 CUSTOMERS, "F*** YOU!" I am not joking. Cops were then called and rightfully so they stated that the issue is civil and they couldn't help us. The shocking part is that 20 customers just spent about $600.00 and have the same issue with the same server and the same management...and the argument is very public at this point and is now in the front of the restaurant for all the world to see.....AND THESE MORONIC PEOPLE don't do anything to appease us. So in the end, CAFE MARTORANO STOLE almost $100 bucks from our table and over $100 from the table behind us. You do that to every table and you got a good racket going. Most people do not have the time to take a restaurant to civil court and since you mistakenly ate what you thought was your $14.00 order of 4 meatballs instead of realizing each meatball was $14.00....you can't walk out on your bill or you are committing theft! They got you by the balls at this place. No pun intended. I initially tried to see their side of the story but then I realized that not 1 person that worked for the restaurant gave a crap nor did they have a good argument...therefore, they must do this on a regular basis and are not sorry for it. It is a premeditated system in which they lure you in by saying we serve "generous helpings which we will portion out for you" when they really mean that the server will add to your order when he wants to and stiff you in the end. They must be doing really well for $60.00 for 4 meatballs!!! AGAIN- If you are a normal working person that looks at your bill and/or you don't appreciate someone else spending your money without your permission and/or you don't like being told "F*** you" or "you must be strapped for cash" after bringing the dispute to MANAGEMENT after spending $600.00.......DON'T GO TO CAFE MARTORANO. THIS PLACE IS MANIPULATIVE AND DISHONEST AND CORRUPT AND THEY DON'T GIVE A DARN IF THEY STEAL YOUR MONEY AND YOU DON'T LIKE IT. NEVER EVER EVER EVER HOPE TO DINE ANYWHERE LIKE THIS PLACE AGAIN. The people who know about this and steal from customers on a normal basis should be ashamed and disgusted of themselves. The person responsible for hiring these "professionals" that curse and fight with customers and allow a half hour long scene to ruin the experience for other guests, should be embarrassed. It's sad that people can be this disgusting....I feel better after writing this but that won't get me my $100.00 back.
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