Vito’s Chop House
8633 International Drive,
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 354-2467
We were recently in Orlando on business for three days, attending several different conventions. Having been to Orlando many times, we know that restaurants can be crazy busy. But as crazy busy at it is, there’s no excuse for a hostess misleading you about a wait time. Upon arrival, we were told it would be about 45 minutes, not bad by Orlando’s standards, so we took our buzzer thingy and waited outside with our friends from Kentucky who had met us at the convention. An hour later, after standing out side (standing because there is absolutely no seating available), we went back inside to see where our name was on the list. The hostess then tells us it’ll be about another 25 minutes. Meanwhile, we see loads of people pulling up and going in and being seated. Apparently they called just before leaving their hotels, no one told us there was call ahead seating. We could have went outside, called and been seated sooner. Makes absolutely no sense to me. Well, 25 minutes last we’re still waiting, starving, it’s now 8:30 and we’ve been waiting 90 minutes. I don’t get hunger pains, my metabolism isn’t built that way, but even my stomach was hurting. Walking inside, we were told that we were the next table and that we’d be seated in about 5 minutes, as our table was being bussed. Finally, 20 minutes later we were seated.
It was another 10 minutes before any wait staff had come to our table to find out our beverage choice, we weren’t even given any water or bread up to that point. The 4 of us had already decided upon our appetizer and dinner, but we were only able to get our choice of water out nad 1 glass of wine before our waiter, Nemo, was off again. Water and wine came back about another 10 minutes later. He was about to leave when we told him we’d like to order and he took our appetizer order and was gone. It took 45 minutes from the time we sat down, until the time that our appetizers were delivered to the table. Who do you blame at that point, he blamed the kitchen for being slow, however there was another empty table when we had been seated and the people who were seated after us, already had their meal. I blame the waiter for the slowness, especially since we told him when we sat down that we were starving!
About 5 minutes before our appetizers arrived, we had bread delivered to the table. It was good bread, tasted freshly baked. But by then, my water glass was empty and despite my asking for a refill it didn’t come. Our appetizers were delivered, I stole my husband water since hewas drinking wine anyway. Our waiter finally game with the water pitcher and said he’d let us enjoy our appetizers for a bit before putting our dinner order in. It’s now almost 10pm….I immediately said no, please put our dinner orders in now. Yes, I was polite, no I was not rude and no I didn’t treat him poorly, I simply expressed our desire not to wait any longer than necessary.
I know some people like to enjoy a leisurely dinner and we do too. However, when you’ve been STANDING outside for nearly 2 hours, then sitting inside for another 45 minutes without being served a thing, you don’t want to wait any longer than necessary. He finally had gotten the hint that we were hungry. Earlier, he brought around a tray of steaks for us to see what they looked like and for him to give us an explanation between the variations…we didn’t need that either, the friends wer were dining with raised beef cattle and we’ve been to our fair share of high end steak houses, we know our beef. However, that’s not something he would have known, so I can’t fault him for doing his job.
Our appetizers arrived and were delicious. Hubby and I had ordered “Beef Carpaccio” and the serving size was HUGE! Plenty for 2 people and prepared perfectly and indeed delicious. The Caesar salad (mine with anchovies) was delicious. Our friends had ordered filet mignon for him and a pork chop for her. Nemo had tried to talk her into the double pork chop plate, but when this monster arrived it was massive. Who in the world could ever eat 2 – 32 oz pork chops?? Albeit is, it was ala carte and if you wanted a veggie or something you had to order separately, but goodness that’s a LOT of food. Hubby went for the 18oz sirloin and I had their smallest beef available, the 13 oz. filet mignon. I don’t eat a lot of beef, when I do I want it to be worth the calories and worth the cholesterol. (Not that I have high cholesterol, mine is actually perfect), but I am very choosy about the foods I put in my body.
My filet mignon had a fair amount of fat on one end, but I do have to say it was prepared exactly as ordered, rare….the inside was cold, the outside with a nice crisp to it, but the inside cool to cold. Perfect. And I swear it was the best tasting filet I have ever had. Felt like butter melting in my mouth.
The side we chose was satueed button mushrooms…I’m not 100% positive that they were not canned mushrooms, although in a place like Vito’s, if they were canned, I’d have to say shame on you.
For us, and the restaurants we are used to eating out, the prices were reasonable, in fact, inexpensive. For the 4 of us, without dessert, the bill came to $186 plus a 20% tip. By the time we were served dinner, it was just way too late for dessert. Had we received our dinner earlier, I think we would have ordered a piece of the chocolate cake we had seen served at another table.
All in all, Vito’s was good food wise. And, I think we would go back there again the next time we have a convention in Orlando. Definitely need to make reservations ahead of time. I’d even do it a few days ahead to be sure I could get in. In regards to service and speed, I have to say Vito’s failed. The hostess should have been honest about the wait time, although perhaps they are instructed by management not to be honest, as there are other restaurants within walking distance. And the waiter, when we were first seated, should have had water and bread to our table immediately, not 45 minutes later. And, when we expressed to him that we had been waiting 2 hours and were hungry, he should have seen to it that our orders were taken immediately.
I give Vito’s Chop House an “A” for food and a “C” for service.
