Villa Gennaro

I booked a private party here after hearing great food reviews from family members. A few weeks prior to the party, I had lunch here to "taste test" what I was ordering for my party: chicken parm was over baked and dry with very little flavor or seasoning; the salmon and the chicken saltimbocca were decent; the pasta with oil and garlic was too al dente and very chewy. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the food did taste better the day of the party. When I received the final bill at the end of my event, it was $750 more than I was quoted when I called to confirm my headcount. I had to guarantee 30 people, regardless if I had less in attendance or not, which I understood and was fine with. Looli (the owner) told me that the 7 kids we had at the party did not count toward the 30 overall people. I worked closely with her son, Al, when planning my party and I explained that he never disclosed this. She did adjust the bill, but it was still $300 more than I was originally quoted as my balance. Overall, in the moment of the party, everything including the service was "good". However, once the party ended and I had time to reflect on some things that could be improved: the owner and her son rarely smile and do not give a very approachable vibe but are friendly, the food is average in a decent environment, the stairs going down to the private room smelled of cigarette smoke, there was no heat in the entry room or restroom, the restroom does not have a baby changing table, and there is no coat room. Likewise, the owner who was serving our party, forgot to bring out the cannolis and cookies that were included in our food package until the end of the event when most of the guests had already left.

Last weekend we were a party of 5 that dined there. The food was decent, prices comparable to other places, and atmosphere was okay ( a bit noisy)! The service was somewhat lacking all around. 2 servers waited on us and they seemed to rush us. Forgot the bread in the beginning and never offered dessert menu after the meal. Just wanted to give us the check. We asked and did order dessert. Then the waitress charged us for our dinner and someone else’s bill was put on the credit card. My husband told the waitress of the error and she said she fixed it, all was taken care of. We gave her a hefty tip too. But needless to say the error wasn’t fixed and my husband had to put in a dispute claim with credit card company. Very disappointed and no apology after spending $170. And charged for another $120. I think the servers need some training in how to treat customers and be better servers!

We found Villa Gennaro while searching for an Italian restaurant near Menlo Park Mall and it looked promising. The service was good, likely because the restaurant was not very crowded. Bread was served promptly after we were seated. We ordered a Greek salad, two chicken entrees, Chicken Cacciatore and Chicken Piccata, and the Vodka Burrata pizza. Unfortunately, the Vodka Burrata pizza was the only dish we truly enjoyed and stood out among everything we tried. The Greek salad was just average, while both chicken entrees were bland and lacked flavor, which was disappointing. They were also out of several menu items. The restaurant is BYOB and adds a 20 percent service charge, which seems to be increasingly common. Overall, this feels like a once tried and done place and is probably better suited for takeout rather than a dine in experience.

Been buying food from here for almost 2-3 years. Usually Grubhub- I generally like the food. I just don’t like the service. Asked the receptionist guy for a bag to take out since i work at JFK hospital. The guy straight up said he doesn’t do bags for these orders and refused to give me a bag. Don’t see what the big deal was. I usually get take out here from lunch and always get it in a bag with napkins and utensils. Nothing this time, and refused to give it to me when I asked.

We went there for the first time to celebrate our wedding anniversary, and Victor's service was incredible. The atmosphere is very welcoming, and the food is some of the most delicious I've ever eaten in my life. Truly authentic Italian! We will definitely be back many times. There's parking in the back, and you can enter through there. And you can bring your own drinks if you wish.