Vapiano Reston

Reviews 4

AN

Andrew Hokenson

A high priced food court My wife works near here and her employees are constantly raving about it. This was our first time at this restaurant and we really didn’t know what we were doing. We were told to sit down anywhere and then go to one of the food stations to order our food. I stood at a food station for 15 minutes plus before anyone acknowledged my existence. The more knowledgeable people walked up to other stations and the chefs helped them even though they knew I was waiting a lot longer. I attempted to order my food and was told I had to go to two other areas for the rest of my food. My wife said it seemed more like we were in a high priced food court than an actual restaurant. My pizza and appetizer were made fairly quickly. The ravioli however took forever because the chef kept making the orders of the people behind me. While I was walking some of my items back to the table my ravioli was put up on the counter directly under the face of a guy that was coughing everywhere. The thing that bothered me the most was when one of the staff members pushed past me while I was carrying my six month old daughter. Fortunately I was able to move just in time so she actually ran into me rather than my daughter. The bruschetta duo was actually pretty good. The bread was a little tougher than I would have liked but it was still good. The Prosciutto pizza was a decent size with generous amount of toppings however it was fairly dry. The ravioli was not good. Don’t worry about guessing the secret ingredient, it is salt. My wife saw the size of the cheesecake and thought we should order some dessert to take home to share. She ended up getting the death by chocolate. The only way you are at risk of death by this is if you get an infection from the tiny sliver of dessert. The cashier asked me how we enjoyed our first time at Vapianos. I guess she could tell by my look that I was less than satisfied and said nothing further. I do not see any reason whatsoever that we would return to this place. There are so many other options in the Reston Town Center area. This restaurant was not that crowded but the service was really slow. The moderate amount of people in the bar area created a very noisy atmosphere and we could barely hear one another when speaking.

A

A Private User

Really bizarre place. First the plus points: the location and the ambiance, sort of. The cons: 1) The concept doesnt make sense. If i want to have a salad, a soup and an entree; my choices are either to get them all at the same time, and watch my entree and soup get cold while i eat the salad, or get the salad, eat the salad, the go get the soup, have the soup, and then go get the entree. Its a stupid way of doing something which defeats the very purpose of going out to eat. 2) The food was overly salty. I ordered a wild mushroom pizza and a spinach ravioli which were both tasted by people other than me, and everyone came to the same conclusion. 3) There are people employed who stand at the entrance instructing everyone about this overly complicated and unnecessary process. Why not have waiters? Its not as if its going to increase the operational cost. Waiters barely get paid in the first place. What if want a refill halfway through my dinner? 4) No clear process flow here: as another reviewer mentioned, there are 4 lines for pasta, 1 for salads, another for pizza. Where to get the soup or dessert is anyones guess. There are drinks behind the counter where the food is being prepared, then a separate soft drink fountain sandwiched between the restrooms and the pasta making room, and finally a separate bar in the middle of the establishment. Its perplexing to say the least. 5) This is an intangible, but italian food is hearty food which is meant to be enjoyed by everyone together. How is that possible when everyone in one party is running around like headless chickens trying to get different kinds of food from different counters? 6) Finally, one can go to Carrabbas less than a mile from vapianos and eat the same amount of food, while choosing from a wider selection of menu items, while being served, for almost the same cost. Granted, youll have to tip, but since when is that a deciding factor in eating out?

J

J Harwood

While the food was excellent and the cook staff great the greeters and management are horrid. They have a different system for ordering and payment which is not well communicated in signage or verbally. They expect you to hold a card for the whole event per adult. The why behind this what was not explained. Come to find out the reason is they track your orders on the card. We had all our orders on the card we kept to make sure we would be able to settle up. Upon leaving we did not have all our cards, but had all our charges, all $35, and that is when we got basically attacked. The attendant called her manager over, a gent about 510 with short brown hair and a well trimmed beard, and he was clearly aggravated to start. In short he said we needed to pay $50 per card and our bill or he was calling the police. When I stated I would pay the bill but no fees he said I was rediculous and a thief and would call the police if I did not pay the fees or produce the cards. I replied I would pay the bill but no more or leave. After further name calling he picked up the phone as I was walking out and then I realized I had some cash. I simply left him the cash as he was saying get out and that I was a thief and rediculous....All right in the foyer. Again, I admit ignorance in understanding thier attempt at a new way to conduct business, but to treat me like that while I am attempting to pay the bill is unbelievable. There are too many good choices in Reston to eat to give your money to this group.

A

A Private User

Vapiano is an interesting place to eat. It typifies the things I appreciate and dislike in American culture. Tip jars are everywhere, and smart marketing involved - they all have some cash in them so you know they are fancy tip jars instead of plastic boxes. They have resource allocation issues with five lines for pasta and one line each for salad and pizza. That tells me it must be cheaper to make the pasta dishes because they are discouraging you from eating the salad and pizza by the long lines. Also, why would a customer tip? 1) Its counter service, 2) You pick up your own silverware, napkins, dishes, and drink, 3) You have to fight for a seat when it is at all busy, 4) and you take your own card to the cashier to pay. Maybe someone will bus your table while you are still there but unlikely. So while you are waiting for literally ten minutes at the salad counter the pasta guys are hanging out looking at their shoes and the cocktailer is eating the gummy bears up front. Its an amazing display of American DIY while making the customer believe they are being treated to excellent customer service. On the up side the food was good but drinks were expensive.