Ballo Social Club - UNCASVILLE

I went to this restaurant last night with friends before a concert. The service and manager were both terrible in terms of hospitality and food quality. We had to specifically ask for bread, and when it finally arrived, the portions were incredibly small - almost the size of a baby's portion. Despite there being four adults at our table, we were left with crumbs. When we politely requested more bread, the waiter simply pointed to the small morsels on the plate and told us it was there, which was shocking. The portions, including the pasta servings, were ridiculously small and not at all satisfying. Even my Italian family would not consider this place to be authentic Italian. The service was poor, the portions were disappointingly small, and the food was not good. I would recommend avoiding Ballo restaurant at all costs.

My partner and I originally came for the drinks, but we were pleasantly surprised by how delicious the bread was at this restaurant. If it hadn't been Taco Tuesday, we would have definitely stayed for dinner. The service was friendly and attentive, although there were not many people there when we visited on a quiet weekday evening. Our favorite cocktail was a gin-based drink with chamomile tea mixed in (unfortunately, we forgot the name). It had a wonderful blend of earthy, floral, and citrus flavors and packed a moderate punch. We also tried a Blueberry Bianco Lemonade, which was tasty but a bit too sweet for my liking. It seemed more suited for a summer drink, so we felt a bit out of season enjoying it in the fall. The warm complimentary bread with herb butter and olive oil was a hit, and we had to resist filling up on it to save room for tacos at Sol Toro for Taco Tuesday. Given how delicious the drinks and bread were, we can only imagine that the food at this restaurant is fantastic as well. The ambiance was perfect, with dim lighting, real candles, and a romantic charm. With great service and potentially amazing food, we look forward to returning to this restaurant soon.

I have a few thoughts on Ballo: Service was excellent, with a professional and quick server. Seating was prompt and well-done. The restaurant has maintained its concept well for a 12-year-old establishment, reminiscent of dining in Edinburgh or London. It was a bit noisy, but that was to be expected. However, I was extremely disappointed with my pork chop, which was soaked in hot cherry peppers and overly spicy. The broccoli was overcooked and also doused in hot sauce. There was nothing remotely Italian about my dish, and it felt like I was eating a pork chop seasoned by Satan himself. I struggled to take a few bites, but ultimately could not finish the meal. Despite the high price of $35, there was no bread served on the table. It would have been nice if our server had informed us about the off-menu item, the Big Cheese, which was being served to other tables. The Chicken Francese at our table was much better than my dish, saving the meal from being a complete disaster. I am not sure if I will return to Ballo, as this experience was a disappointment compared to my previous visit to Michael Jordan's Steak House at Mohegan. Overall, I did not enjoy my meal at Ballo.

Big changes since last visit. Sad to see some. The bread (which is now by request only according to our waiter) changed from a really good sourdough to a piece of squared bread. The calamari we had were incredibly thin, and as a consequence, were overcooked, paper thin, and too crispy. The calamari served at a neighboring table looked totally different theirs were much better looking.. I 'd expect a bit more consistency. Ravioli had a really dramatic change since my last visit (huge pasta rims and less filler), as did the sauce. I noticed that the indicators that certain pastas (I think they used to be marked with asterisks on the menu) were house made had been stripped off the menu. Does that mean that the pastas are still house made not quite sure. The shrimp scampi tagliatelle was dropped from the menu, which is a shame because it was my favorite dish. I ended up with the chicken parm our waiter confirmed it used to be served with pasta but now it 's served alone. The atmosphere is still great, but the food product dropped a couple notches. Hoping they right the ship.

I guess this spot is ok if you are in the Casino and really want a carb load to soak up some drinks, but if you really want a nice dinner, go elsewhere. And definitely don't go to the Casino just for this. The menu is small and unappealing. There are only two vegetarian options, and one is a gluten free pasta. I saw some people getting bread, but it was never offered to us. I asked our waiter about it and he said that you need to ask for it, but that they will be discontinuing giving it entirely in a few weeks. The pasta was not fresh and my husband's was overcooked. Both dishes were completely underwhelming. My husband's second glass of wine was not the same as the first, even though he ordered another of the same, which led us to wonder which one was not the one we thought it was. Considering the difficulty getting to the restaurant from any parking structure, it is just not worth it on a number of levels. I do want to say that the wait staff was really nice and energetic.