Pulcinella's Restaurant

Doesn't Recommend

tray22nc

Joined 5 years ago

Will NOT be going back. After getting incorrect directions from one of the people working in the restaurant, we arrived with about a 15 minute wait. We sat, ordered, and were brought our food. Problem is, I was brought one of my friends' dishes and told it was mine (she ordered eggplant parm, I ordered chicken parm). Someone else ordered Chicken Marsala that tasted as if it had been sitting for a while and the mushrooms tasted bitter and burnt. My chicken parm was a little tough, but wasn't horrible. We ordered the Lemoncello Mousse Cake for dessert. While it was pretty good, it was obviously a frozen cake. Definitely not worth the $6 they charge. The final blow was at the register. When I went to pay, some how, my bill ended up being $55, when it should have been closer to $37. With the noise level being over the top and the place being so tightly packed, I was ready to go, and didn't feel like arguing with the cashier. I will NOT be going back to this loud, unauthentic Italian wanna be restaurant again and would not recommend it to anyone else either. How it ended up with "Rated Number One," I'll NEVER know.

Recommends

leehays

Joined 7 years ago

Worth another try. Service was excellent and the food was good for a strip mall restaurant, but average Italian otherwise. Good value as well. The biggest distraction was the noise level. Noticed the ceiling tiles were plastic, likely the source of the sound din.

Recommends

sfarb2

Joined 4 years ago

Mirabella. Mirabella was great. She was so nice and we would come back just because of her; however, the food was more than good enough to warrant our return!

Doesn't Recommend

Craige

Joined 4 years ago

Don't expect "authentic". I figured I'd start with the "pollo parmesiana" since it was my first visit. Make that the last visit since they use frozen chicken tenders as their meat in a signature dish. That didn't quite match the description on the menu as hand breaded chicken cutlets. They charge $14 for this dish which has about $2 worth of product slopped together.

Doesn't Recommend

thebreadman1986

Joined 4 years ago

Terribly Disappointed : Today They Lost a Long Time Patron. For nearly 2 years now, my company has been venturing to Durham for lunch at Pulcinella's. The food is (for the majority of the time) fantastic and the owner seems to be a top notch guy.

However, for the majority of this time we've always had a joke about getting the kid with the short black hair. It never fails that you will have bad service with this waiter, but today took the cake. When the table leaving as you sit down says "good luck getting some water", it's never a good sign. The kid also failed to bring bread as well, something very important in a setting such as Pulcinella's.

If the problem is that it was too busy, that's never the case. Never have I felt scorn for asking for water prior to today. In the shape the economy is in today, customer service should be your top priority. Until this kid gets his attitude straightened out, try at all costs to avoid his service. Not one refill, check up, or smile the entire lunch. Only from the owner did we get any of these.

This is inexcusable, to the point that I took the time out of my day to write this review.

Recommends

WattsA

Joined 4 years ago

slightly disappointed. I have made it a habit to go there atleast once a week. At first I ignored the service (young kids usually not to0 focused on their work) until this last adventure.

I went there this week and ordered the special. I had a difficult time getting refills of water and ice and when my meal came it was luke warm at best. I was surprised because usually the food is hot.

When I called the waitress over and told her, she merely looked at me and offered no suggestions. I did not see Reno around so I just ask it to be wrapped up to take home.

I understood that the waitress was more interested in waiting on as many tables as she could than the quality of her service.

It's a shame because I did enjoy the environment and food.

Recommends

netsirk77

Joined 5 years ago

Love this place!. I have been a diner at Pulcinella's for years, recently they have redecorated and changed up the menu, and it is amazing. I am a huge fan of the chicken marsala and the homemade marinara sauce! The atmosphere in this restaurant is so cozy! Although if you are in a rush on a busy night, i.e. Fri. or Sat MAKE A RESERVATION! My husband and I dine here at least once a week, and are always satisfied! Kristen is usually our server, ensuring that we have quality service! We love this place; food, managment and other staff all together. CHECK IT OUT!

Doesn't Recommend

maggie17

Joined 6 years ago

If you want bad service and mediocre Italian come here.. I have been to this restraurant many times over the years and never have I had such bad service as I did the other night. I was very disappointed. First, after he had been staring at our table for about 10 min, I had to go and ask the owner just so our table could get some water and order our dinner. Although very apologetic, the owner (and the waiter that followed) did not do much to redeem the service. We asked for more bread, did not get it. We waited for our check for what seemed like forever while the owner and our waiter chit chatted with other tables and customers. Don't waste your time. There are plenty of other good Italian restraurants with superior service in Southern Durham.

Recommends

kawboyd

Joined 6 years ago

Always a Great Dining Experience. I really do like this place. It's what I would call a good neighborhood, family-friendly restaurant. The ambience is simple and open, and while it can get a bit noisy depending on who else is dining, we have never had a bad experience here. The service is attentive but not overbearing, and the food is always excellent. I highly recommend it. The eggplant parmesean is one of my wife's favorites.

Recommends

ODBNC

Joined 6 years ago

Best Priced Italian Food in the Triangle. Great portions, great sauces (especially their garlic toppings and marsala), and the best bread and dipping sauce around. I'd love to see these guys bottle and sell their homemade olive/sundried tomatoes/garlic dipping sauce, but, they say its made fresh every morning and bottling it would take away the flavor. Very friendly service and by far the best value for an authentic Italian fare in the Triangle (you must try the pink vodka sauce).