Pistacio Bar & Grille

08/12/2008 Posted by randjmom

I was in Center Valley for a team meeting (about 25 of us) and we went to dinner at Pistachio. Interestingly, the focus of our meeting was customer service and we observed the best example of POOR customer service during our dinner. Our table had 4 servers (which was great), but the food came out in such a haphazard random way that no one could enjoy their meal. There was at least 30 minutes between the time that the first person received their meal and the last two people. Then the last two people were yelled at and bullied by the manager. When they did receive their food (which was supposed to be the same dish that the 1st person served received-I have to ask why not prepare them at the same time), it was the wrong order. One of them was supposed to have lobster in their pasta. When it wasn't there, the manager gave huge attitude and basically threw a side play of lobster on the tabel for him to add to his own meal. The meals were terrible. Personally, I had two or three bites and couldn't get the lysol taste of my meal out of my mouth. For our trouble, the servers offered the last 2 people a free drink (not free meals, just drinks). Additionally, the manager was yelling so loudly at the servers that we could hear him from our table which totally ruined our meals. He came over several times to tell us basically that it was our fault that the food came out so late since we were a large group. But 1. what take the reservation if you can't handle that size party and 2. technially, we were four smaller parties, since we had 4 servers with about 6 people each. What was most infuriating was that after all was said and done, we paid about $2000 for this meal that left us all feelig extremely frustrated and hungry. Again, if you are looking for "training" on how NOT to make your customers happy, then this is your place. If not, stay away. There are other restaurants in the area that have better food, better managers...well, better everything.

Pros: none

Cons: Bad food, rude manager

07/27/2008 Posted by PFL

Our lunch party of 10 visited for a business lunch and unfortunately we were all quite disappointed not only with our meals but the overall restaurant's experience. First issue, even though the restaurant was practically empty, our business luncheon took a very long time to be prepared and served,(over 30 minutes!). While other tables around us were offered different varieties of freshly baked multi grain breads and rolls , our larger table , on the other hand, was only given a few tiny ,(and rock hard), crustini croutons with a tad of hummus, one of which almost damaged my colleague's dental work. The overall quality of the meals were also lacking given the highly priced selections offered. We also felt the menu lacked a reasonable amount of more appropriate lunch type portion selections.Actually there was NO LUNCH MENU. Finally either a waiter or "manager" was yelling loudly at one of the cooks about an order. Highly unprofessional conduct given it happened on the restaurant floor, and not to mention, right next to our table. It was extremely embarrassing to all of us. I have been to Pistachio's many times in the past and have never had this sort of unexcusablly poor experience for any meal before in the past. So you can imagine my complete and utter disappointment and embarrassment as I had actually highly recommended this restaurant to all my business associates. My huge mistake.

Pros: Large menu selections

Cons: Service, long wait for meals, overpriced and ala carte everything

06/17/2008 Posted by Courtney13

We sit and wait for a 'while' at least 10 minutes as wait staff whiz by. We had already eaten, so we werent in a hurry to order and chatted happily. We both made eye-contact with servers and the owners. My companions family owned restaurants in Manhattan, so he is versed in handling this situation politely and compassionately. With the guest to server ratio, there is no way they could be that busy and most poeple were finishing their meals. It became apparent that the owner, The SYD, had been telling them to not wait on us. After 25 minutes past, I yanked up out of the booth and headed for the door. The hostesses were engaged in gossip and texting and didnt even notice us. The owner, on the other hand, walked briskly over to the door and gave us a huge "GOOD NIGHT! HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT" . He had a grotesque smile on his face like he won this battle of wills. He won, He won? He lost two customers at least, wait until i start telling everyone I know. I found out from a former employee that Mr SYD really has no self-confidence and loves to hang on the big name of others. huh. Makes sense for his 'lacking' personality and tremendous people skills, doesnt it? And I said earlier, if he had any clue who me and mystery boy are....he'd be you-know-whating-himself right now. But let me say: NOBODY deserves his treatment: from famous person to homless person.....staff or customer. This guy is an idiot. Please spend your money somewhere else. Most of the staff is superb and Im sure you will see them waiting table at another fine (finer) establishment shortly. The food is close to what a good cook could make at home for 1/20th the cost without the attitude or childish behavior. Do yourself a favor and explore some of the lesser known haunts of the area, ask friends about established places that they go for fun or just good food.... this place is an over-rated hang-out for pretentious people that need to feel important by throwing money away.

Pros: Parking, Wait staff

Cons: The SYD, noise, big-time attitudes in a Pennsyltucky area

06/17/2008 Posted by Courtney1317

Believe what you read on here. i was personally touched by the "prince" on Friday night. Call him Syd, Sid, Psycho, Satan, Creep, Mentally Ill, whatever you want........he will always have a place in my heart. For in this down-turned economy, he let me know how much my business doesnt matter to him and saved me from spending money at his establishment. Thank you, sir,keep going this way...you'll end up alone and penniless. After dinner on Friday night, my par amour and I wanted a night-cap and he suggested Pistachio's. I happily jumped at the chance. Something I regret now and consider sending a bill for my wasted time. Now let me mention that this boy is a very rich and famous man from DC. Well dressed, great manners and used to getting treated like a human. I mention this not because my boy and I are 'better' than any other patron but the fact that we were treated so badly and Mr. Syd is quite the name-dropper/fame-whore type.....I found it ironic how we were treated. in short: we arrive for drinks, but the bell in the meat market bar area had rung and the dogs were salivating, loud and taking up all of the seat. I asked the 'hostess' if we could have a table (the place was mostly empty). They said NO. This was not their policy. If we wanted to drink we had to do it in the bar. The well-heeled man on my arm offered to buy desserts, tho we didnt want any, just so that we could have a table. The hostess was beside herself at this point and went back to check with the "prince". After a few minutes she came back and gave us massive attitude as she walked us back to a booth and threw 2 menus on the table. At this time, she said that we had to order two drinks. The man I was with does not drink, living off of Diet Coke, but offered to buy me at least two drinks, if not a whole bottle of anything I wanted. Again this was greeted with attitude and indifference...at the same time.

Pros: The Staff, parking, location

Cons: The SYD, noise, big-time attitudes in a Pennsyltucky area

04/24/2008 Posted by lala11

Alright, i worked at Pistacho for a while and i agree with what everyone else has to say. Sid is psycho and really is a horrible person. His wife Lynn is just as bad shes nice to your face and then goes and tells Sid if youre not doing what he asks you to. The one day he yelled at the hostess for not asking everyone who walked through the door for their email address. He said to one of the other servers "if she didnt ask one more person that "she was out of there"...sorry but people dont want to be annoyed like that. Although all the servers, hostesses, and managers are cool it the atmosphere is completely ruined by the owner and his wife. If they would sell the restaurant it would be a much better place. Oh and for that comment about the "sleezy manager" who was doing shots, those were his friends and he was not hitting on them. so all in all id say dont go here unless you want to pay an overpriced amount for food and hear the owner yell at his employees over nothing when without them he would make NO money due to the fact that he is not an appealing person.

Pros: food, servers

Cons: price, SID, LYNN

01/26/2008 Posted by jph333

We arrived at this restaurant excited, not having been here for about a year or so, there were three of us - we were told the wait would be about 40-50 minutes. About an hour and 15 minutes later, we were seated at a table that had been vacant since the moment we walked in the door. At least we had the bar to hang out at, except that the bartenders hardly acknowledged our presence and in that hour and 15 minutes we each had only one drink... After being seated, our waitress told us, "the kitchen is backed up tonight...i wanted to warn you..." we ordered immediately, ANOTHER hour later, our food finally arrived - MINE CAME SPECIAL WITH LONG HAIR LACED THROUGH THE VEGGIES.... We did not receive any apologies, no complimentary items, barely a "THANKS! Come again" (Which we will NOT anyway, thank you very much)....AND to top all of this, the sleazy manager was hitting on 50something has beens less than three feet from our table the whole time (doing shots and everything), and did not once acknowledge that anything was wrong with our service or our overall dining experience. I am sorry we opted to return to Pistachios, and we certainly WILL NOT make that mistake again....

Pros: vast menu

Cons: service, food, cleanliness

01/09/2008 Posted by ari_gold

As in the previous reviews, the owner kills this place. As a former employee, he used to tell us to post on city search and dine dot com to up the overall rating because they were so bad. His own secretary told us to keep our slips everyday because he shaved hours. SHAVED HOURS!!!! Just to save him money as if he needed it. He would come in and complain to all the employees because he wanted everything to be "perfect". He really did mess with his employees whole mood. His wife was a complete mess, and walked around like she knew what was going on as well. The food was bad, it was overpriced, and just a terrible place to eat. It looked nice, the other employees were cool, but once that guy walked in, it was all over for everyone. I don't even want to know what he paid the Spanish employees in the back that worked all day. I hope one of the employees catches him with proof of shaving hours so they can shut that place down or kick him out. Don't go!

Pros: The servers

Cons: Everything else

10/28/2007 Posted by sayhellowavegoodbye

I used to work at this dump, and honestly, if mediocre, overpriced food, a psychologically toxic atmosphere, and abusive and uncaring customer service are your bag, you've found your own personal purgatory for masochists. i have witnessed incredibly abusive treatment of fellow waitstaff as well as customers; woe to the poor soul who complains about one of their hastily thrown together faux-gourmet disasters, the wait time, or the seating, for you will be ignored. no refunds, no amenities. they simply don't care. i have seen many of my colleagues dissolve into tears after a particularly nasty diatribe delivered by the owner, who regularly insults his staff and customers (obscenities and inappropriate comments at no extra charge). i truly have never worked in a more psychologically unhealthy environment, and even with the employee discount the menu items weren't worth it--always a disappointment, sounded better than they tasted. the place is shoddily run with no efficiency or rationality, and believe me when i say that will be reflected in the quality of your experience. they have lost many customers and will continue to lose more because they don't put the customer first, they don't care, they treat you like you should kiss butt to be allwoed to eat at such a glorious establishment. the owner walks around yelling at everyone so often that they become so frazzled and upset they are incapable of doing their jobs, and no cooks ever stick around long enough to be able to learn how to prepare the dishes. so don't say i didn't warn you--pistachio is a fashionable disaster and it completely style over substance, with even the style being quite lacking. avoid like the plague!!!!!!!!!!!! take it from one who knows on all kinds of levels.

10/19/2007 Posted by melty

There when it opened... I have been visting this place since its inception and I have noticed constant trends. While the menu changed throughout the years, the overall direction has never improved. It wasn't until I noticed these reviews, when I decided to vent. The food has not lived up to the quality consistent with the prices. When you pay for a $20.00 plate of pasta, your expectations should be greater than what is served. Above all, while dining, you should not be subject to listening to a foul-mouth, obnoxious owner. If I treated my employees and customers with such little respect, I would expect to be out of business. When considering a place to eat in Allentown, I would pass by Pistachios and visit the better-run establishments in the area.

Pros: location

Cons: ownership, price

10/02/2007 Posted by coughcoolgo

i work at pistashios. i love the people i work with, the food is generally amazing( when the chefs are in charge of doing it themselves) and its a great place to hang out. the managers, ALL of them, are out for the best interests of the restaurant. that said, it should be the best place in the valley, agree? (it would be 4 or 5 stars if not for one element...) but. the owner... ahh, the guy who watches Food Network for a few hours a week and feels like he knows more than Flay or Batali... i have seen personally where he belittled the employees in front of customers. guys, its an EVERY DAY OCCURANCE. he has no place having any say in running any business, let alone a restaurant. i challange Sid to work on the line, deal with what they have to deal with, lets say on a saturday night.. i would love to see him squirm. would he finally have respect for what those chefs go through? probably not. but it would put him in his place a little, and that place is a lazy, fat, no good, know it all hothead who knows ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about food. its not the way YOU love food, Sid, that makes it a great dish. its the way the people PAYING YOUR SALARY like their food that you should have your chefs prepare it. replace chicken livers with say, lemon rosemary blue fish or something. just because everyone knows you love to eat food ( for free, ALL THE TIME) doesn't mean you know anything about it. please please sell Pistachios to soomeone who has a knowledge about food. maybe George, the manager who you talk down on all the time. and leave your wife at home. she brings NOTHING to the restaurant ( except, your condescending attitude toward employees, and her hunger for free food) sincerely, pistachios employee.

Pros: great food, great servers, great staff, great ambience

Cons: SID AND HIS WIFE