Cugini Grille - Delray Beach

We went to Cugini’s on a Thursday night for dinner. Having been there before for lunch and a previous New Year’s Eve (we live around the corner) we wanted to have dinner. When we got there there was a musician playing… very good music. When we first got there the music was pretty good and the volume was perfect. As the night got later and later the music got louder and louder. To give you an idea we are in our 30’s, we enjoy music but this music was SO loud that we could not even carry on a conversation having to yell across the table to say anything. When we tried to ask the manager to ask the musician to decrease the amplifier just a bit our response was “we can’t do anything about it”. As long time patrons of the restauarant we were shocked that their only solution was to move us to the back of the restaurant after our main course had arrived. All we were asking was to decrease the volume so that we could have a converstaion with our dinner. They care more about the people dancing on the street than the people who are paying $40.00 for a steak. We were so disgusted that we asked for a check and will never return to that restaurant again.

A few months ago, after an absolutely horrific dining experience at Cugini Grill, I called the owners, Debbie or Joe, to discuss our experience in their restaurant . Although it took five phone calls to talk to one of them, Joe did assure me that our miserable experience see below was an isolated incident and would not happen again. He promptly sent me a $50.00 gift certificate which was very nice and urged me to come back. I promised I would refrain from writing a negative review on Menuismr until I gave Cugini Grill a second chance. Regrettably, the second experience was also not good. Albeit, not quite as horrific as the first experience. Here’s what happened TWO MONTHS AGO Our server, Burt yelled at us. I know should be unheard of but a server yelled at a customer me! It was 5:30pm on a Sunday evening. We were one of only two couples in the restaurant at the time. When we arrived, we were seated promptly and our drinks were served efficiently. My husband ordered the crab and corn chowder and I ordered a Caesar salad with dressing on the side. We watched as our soup and salad were made and brought to the pass. We sat for about 20 minutes while Burt disappeared. Finally, he emerged and brought our appetizers. My husband’s soup was room temperature and a skin had formed on top. My Caesar salad arrived with dressing tossed in – not on the side, as I had ordered it. Burt assured me that the dressing was light and it would be to my liking. I agreed to “try it.” My husband sent back his soup as it was inedible. After about 10 more minutes, Burt returned – not with hot soup but with an explanation. He said the soup is supposed to be served room temperature because it’s very spicy. His story was that spicy soups need to be served at room temperature so the heat does not overwhelm ?? . My husband then decided to forgo the soup. At this point, I had tried my Caesar salad but it was drenched in dressing. Because I couldn’t eat it, asked Burt to bring me a new one with the dressing on the side. I told him I had tried it his way but couldn’t eat it. I was taken aback when Burt got angry and raised his voice at me. He told me that I was essentially wasting his time and now he had to go back to the kitchen again. He was upset because I didn’t send it back initially although I had tried to . He still insisted that the dressing was light and that it should be fine. At this point, my husband jumped in and told Burt to bring us our check for the drinks – we were going to eat elsewhere. Then Burt redirected his anger from me to my husband and raised his voice again. He kept repeating the same thing, “Why? What did I do? Why? What did I do?” And my husband had to repeat several times, “It’s just not working out. Please bring our check.” But after a repeating himself about three times, my husband just stopped talking while Burt kept insisting on an answer. Finally after getting nothing but silence from us, he brought the check. But instead of handing it to my husband or placing it down on the table, he jabbed it into my husband’s hand. I was literally shaking when we finally left the restaurant. Here’s what happened LAST NIGHT — Knowing Burt was no longer working at the restaurant and with gift certificate in hand, we walked into Cugini Grille last night at 9:45pm for dinner. The restaurant was mostly empty. We did find it odd since it was Saturday night. Vic Angelo’s, the restaurant next door had a one hour wait for a table. Anyway, our dinner began uneventfully. Our server, Mitch, was very pleasant. Again, my husband ordered the same soup crab and corn chowder and I ordered the Caesar salad with dressing on the side. The chowder was served at an appropriate temperature it could have been hotter but it was fine , and my salad was perfect – and arrived with dressing on the side. The salad was excellent but the chowder was nothing special and certainly not spicy. As we were waiting for our tapas to arrive, servers began removing tables from the middle of the restaurant. Apparently the restaurant turns into a discotheque at 10PM including dance floor, DJ, loud sound system and lights! So much for our quiet romantic dinner…no one told us about the discotheque when we were seated for dinner! Mitch, our server, was very gracious when we asked to be moved to the outside seating where it was quieter even though there was a steady flow of passersby . While I didn’t mind the fact that it was 90 degrees outside yes, even at that hour , I don’t like cigarette or cigar smoke especially while eating. Once situated outside we were surrounded by smokers. No matter which way the breeze went, we were overcome by smoke. Good grief! We were in deep and past the point of no return. The next tapas that arrived were the spring rolls and beef Carpaccio. The spring rolls were good – not great. The beef Carpaccio was good, although not among the best I’ve eaten. Oh no! The servers opened the windows of the restaurant. At this point, there absolutely no way to avoid being subjected to the discotheque! The chicken quesadillas, the last of the tapas, finally arrived as 5 pie shaped pieces. The outside of the quesadillas wasn’t a traditional tortilla but some sort of dough Pillsbury? . Two of the five pieces had no filling of any kind in them. The three middle sections had chicken and cheese but tasted so incredibly dry. The quesadillas were drizzled with a balsamic sauce but no salsa or dipping sauce was provided. This was the worst chicken quesadillas I had ever been served. There just wasn’t a point to say anything to Mitch regarding this dish. We just wanted to get the check and leave. There are some restaurants where the food is good and the ambiance isn’t. There are others that the ambiance is good but the food is isn’t. Cugini Grill missed on both counts. This restaurant is clearly hanging on because of Vic Angelo’s overflow folks not wanting to wait the hour for a table . Don’t be part of the overflow – wait the hour or try somewhere else. There are much better restaurants in Delray Beach. Cugini Grill shouldn’t even be considered. Cugini Grille: Never again!

I’ve eaten at Cugini Grille three times, with my three young children. The food and service were perfect each time. I especially recommend the veal shank. It’s pricey, but worth it. Children are welcomed, but don’t expect a cheap kids meal.