Esca Restaurant & Wine Bar

Reviews 5

JE

Jeff Sawyer

Simply terrible! First thing we notice is our bread plates and forks had old crusted food stuck on them. We asked for new ones and figured it was a simple mistake… We should have left at that point, it only got worse. We shared the Sundried Tomato Ravioli. There was so much oil in the dish that I could have put in a separate bowl and dipped my bread in it! The Ravioli was under cooked and doughy on top of it. Again should have left… I ordered the Murray‘s Free Range Chicken. I wanted to substitute Fennel for Asparagus. Was told I could but would have to pay extra. I never understood this… Do I get a credit for the Fennel? I was annoyed; I can’t stand when I spend $22 on dinner to get nickeled and dimed for substituting vegetables that are on the menu. When I received my dinner, I was surprised to see the chicken had the bone in it. There was no mention of this on the menu. My two little legs of chicken barely had enough meat to feed a cat. The entire dish tasted like they put a pound of salt on it. It was awful! My girlfriend ordered the Seared Diver Scallops. Which came out with more oil than risotto.. If you like oil and salt this is your place! Why is there oil in Risotto? Looked like cereal in milk. It got worse she cut into the scallops and found they were RAW. We then waited about 15 minutes for our waiter to come over and tell them the scallops were raw. At that point we just wanted to pay the bill and get the hell out of this dump. The manager came over and proceeded to tell us that is how they cock scallops at the restaurant raw to medium and the server should have told us that! She then said they could put them back in the oven? You never re-cook scallops, I know that and I am not a chef. She was rude and didn’t apologize. She also ran the waiter under the bus. As we left she gave us “I hope you enjoy your evening”, her tone was unbelievable! How about..” I am sorry you had a crappy meal and are leaving my restaurant hungry and disappointed” She was so unprofessional and didn’t care at all about us as customers. I will never go back to that place again because of how we were treated and spoke too. I would rather eat at Olive Garden then this restaurant! If I could I would not even give them one star!

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A

A Private User

Absolutely unprofessional! I reserved part of the upstairs room 3-4 months prior to my wedding, to use for our rehearsal dinner. I asked if a deposit was needed, and was told there was no need for this. We had chosen this place since it was central for all concerned, and close to the hotel where most of the guests were staying. I called and double checked a month or two before and was informed all was well, and that we would need to share the upstairs room with another party, which was what we expected, so all was well. Less than 2 weeks before the rehearsal dinner (and my wedding), I got a call saying the other party has grown to 80 people and theyve paid a deposit so now we cannot use the upstairs room. In other words, just because they had a better business opportunity, they basically compromised a standing, confirmed business arrangement just to make a bit more money on the day. We had to re-arrange all of our plans pretty much at the last minute, and find a different restaurant. There was a reason why we booked for a rehearsal dinner so much in advance, and now it became a last minute annoyance. So - in other words, make reservations here at your own risk. Oh a word on the food - and I am not saying this because I am miffed with them. The food is mediocre at best. You have much, much better food if you go towards West Hartford, or even to the other Italian plces in Middletown itself. The wine selection is broad, but overpriced.

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JI

Jim Simon

I walked in off the street while waiting for a meeting, just looking for something to drink and a light snack ...which can be a challenge for a fancy Italian restaurant. Shared the Charcuterie Board with a date, which turned out to be a truly superb experience. I wont spoil the list of specialty cured meat surprises, but some were unique, none will ever be found at your grocery deli counter, and all brought distinctive flavor experiences. While this appetizer is as expensive as a meal at lesser restaurants, those with an interest in modernist food experiences could describe it as a bargain worth my 40 mile drive. Note that a charcuterie board is a very salty experience, and youll want to balance it with additional selections. Im subject to ordinary guy weaknesses, so I ate many of the tasty bread snacks that came to the table. Salty, but irresistible. If the rest of the offerings at Esca are similar in quality, Ill have to walk those 40 miles to stay in shape. The setting emphasizes carefully hewn stone and elegant tiles which provide a natural and very clean feel. The layout includes multiple levels which gives the restaurant an uncrowded feel. Additional decor items offer a visually rich but not uncomfortably lavish experience. Service was prompt and faultlessly courteous. Before i return, I want to save up some good jokes to make the wait staff laugh.

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JA

Jan Smith

Recently, my party of six had lunch at Esca. First impression is that the restaurant is rather tired. The menus were frayed, the decor is dated, and they were understaffed. Our server was at first attentive, (he did give some of us dinner menus rather than lunch). However, as the meal progressed, he appeared disorganized and distracted. The wait times between courses were incredibly long! By the time all but one of the entrees arrived at our table, he asked if we needed anything else. We had to point out one of our party did not have their entree. Appetizers (the hangar steak bruscetta and cheese and fruit plate) were delicious. My paella entree was very salty, almost inedible. The crab cake was burnt on the outside and mushy on the inside. The penne pasta was swimming in sauce. On the bright side, the bacon blue burger was too tall but tasty, the roll was not up to the burger. We had to wait yet again for the check. Then, we had to give it to the other server and finally one of our party had to track our server down to pay. Based on our experience, we will not be returning to Esca.

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EM

Emma Lee

This restaurant was upscale without those steep upscale prices. The drink selection was very impressive as well as the food. I had ordered the jumbo shrimp, three of them, along with the cheese fondu and split an appetizer of fried calamari with my friend and everything was delicious. The calamari was fried just right, not too chewy done just right. I ordered three different martinis: lavender, lemon, and the revolver and our waiter brought each new glass with the shaker and poured the beverage into the glass for me at the table. Very nice place for a date night and they have happy hour Monday through Friday 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm

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