Trattoria Amalfi - Salem

We were seated in a corner, almost isolated from the rest of the restaurant, and it took nearly half an hour before we could place our orders. When our meals finally arrived, the portions seemed to be about half the size of what we had received months ago. I assumed it might be a response to the economy, but the prices remained unchanged. Throughout our meal, the waitress didn’t check on us at all, and we even went the entire time without drinks. My wife’s Chicken Amalfi, which she had previously raved about, was dry and lacked flavor. Our son was unimpressed with his Chicken Broccoli Alfredo. I enjoyed my Frutti Di Mare, but again, the amount of seafood was significantly less than what I remembered from our last visit. It wasn’t until we were nearly done with our meals that the waitress came over to inform us that she had instructed one of the staff serving water to check on us—however, it is presumably her responsibility to ensure her customers are satisfied. My wife could not finish her meal, and when the waitress took the leftovers away, she didn’t even ask if she wanted to keep them. By the time we brought up the lack of drinks, it was another ten minutes before anyone attended to us. We had considered ordering dessert but, given our experience, we weren't keen on waiting another twenty minutes for it to arrive. When my wife mentioned the poor service while settling the bill, the waitress simply replied, “I’m sorry,” without ever suggesting she should involve a manager. As a final insult, after leaving the restaurant, I called to speak with a manager about our experience. Though he initially listened, he quickly cut me off and seemed to dismiss my concerns. While he acknowledged that there may be issues with the service, he couldn’t understand how I could possibly complain about the food. His dismissive attitude resembled that of the waitress: “I’m sorry you feel that way.” Unless there are changes in their service, they’ve lost two customers who might have otherwise returned—and we know many people, so our feedback will spread!

We usually avoid dining at restaurants located in shopping plazas, but tonight we decided to give it a try—and it was the best decision we could have made! We sat at the bar, and the bartenders, Craig, Jen, and Liz, were fantastic! The Italian food was authentic, the drinks were excellent, and the desserts were absolutely delicious. I highly recommend this place! We will definitely be back soon!

This is the best Italian restaurant in the area! I've never had a bad meal here, and the staff is always friendly and welcoming. I highly recommend it! Be sure to make a reservation, as it tends to get quite busy.

I had a fantastic dinner! I particularly enjoyed the pasta and dessert selections.

My family came in with formal clothing jeans and T shirts. Host looked at my family and I up and down almost with a face of disgust and rejected to seat us when there was space in the dining room. We were a party of 4. After a party of 4 came in she seated them with no problem and when I asked a member of the other party they had no reservation but since they were dressed up she decided to seat them. But we are Hispanic wonder if that?s the true reason why?. We eat at high end restaurants very frequently. Their decor and ambiance is a T shirt and Jean dink. Disappointed!