Scarpino - Pittsburgh

We enjoyed our visit to Scarpino. Went after the AAA travel show. Had the restaurant week meal. Also had their chile, which was very good. Nice friendly service.

My friend and I decided to try Scarpino for a quick dinner before heading to a symphony performance. We ordered the Scarpino Salad and a Margherita Pizza. The portion sizes were generous, easily enough for two people to share. The salad was fresh, and the dressing was light yet flavorful. Our pizza was delightful; the crust was crispy without being overly hard and had a wonderful taste. The restaurant can get quite loud, making it difficult to carry on a conversation, but the service was impressive—swift and attentive. Overall, we had a lovely experience.

We had a reservation for four at 7 PM this evening. Initially, we were told our table would be ready shortly, but we ended up leaving at 7:30 PM. The woman at the front desk mentioned that the manager had instructed her not to seat anyone, but she didn’t want to say it outright and upset anyone. Meanwhile, she continued to take names for other parties and assured them they could be seated. This situation is completely unacceptable and disrespectful of our time. If you aren’t going to accommodate customers with reservations, please let us know so we can find another place to eat. We were informed that the manager would come speak with us, but this never happened. Overall, we experienced extremely rude, disrespectful, and dishonest behavior.

I didn't find much value in this restaurant. The menu was unclear, leaving me unsure if it was meant to be casual or more upscale. It was extremely loud and overly crowded. We had gone before a show in the cultural district, and if it weren't for our server, we would have been at least half an hour late. Our reservation was for two hours before the show, which is usually more than enough time in Pittsburgh. We were seated at a high-top table despite having requested a standard seat. Our server explained that they had taken too many last-minute reservations due to a volleyball tournament at the convention center and mentioned that this happens frequently. To make matters worse, there was an incident at the bar that required security to remove someone, and this all took place before 7:30 PM. I wouldn't go back or recommend it. Our server was great, but the overall experience was disappointing.

This place was not what I expected. For a supposed high-end place. The food did not taste good at all. Barely cooked properly. Small portions at a high price. It's not worth over $100 for 2. Will not go back again.