Reviews & Ratings for Bella Italian Grill

09/14/09

Beautiful Buffet

by Jhuron at Citysearch

My family and I went to Bella on Sunday for their brunch, we had a party of 6 walk in when it was busy. We were seated promptly by the hostess and our server was at our table immediately filling our water glasses and explaining the brunch to us and where to locate everything.

Overall we had a great time at Bella and we will definitely be back for the brunch. Reading some of these reviews and seeing the negative responses about the service makes me wonder if we were at the same restaurant? We were greeted with a smile by the hostess our server was absolutely helpful and the staff was really great. Maybe it just depends on when you go and who is working? If that staff will be there next Sunday you bet I will be there.

• Pros: Great service and brunch.

09/13/09

This restaurant doesn't care for it's customers

by parangil at Citysearch

We have a new baby and had not gone out to a decent restaurant in a while. Finally managed to plan a Saturday around the baby's schedule and hoped to have lunch at Bella. Got everybody cleaned, dressed and made it to the restuarant at 2:05 pm this Saturday. While the staff was figuring out where to seat us the Manager came out and told the staff they had closed for lunch at 2:00 pm. Now, I had just checked their website before leaving my house and it clearly said they served lunch until 2:30 pm on Saturdays. The Manager promptly left without a word of apology or explanation to us, his local customers. I was quite perturbed by this behavior. The staff was a bit embarrassed and tried to apologize to us; even they were not aware that their website said lunch until 2:30 pm. Clearly this reflects a lack of customer focus and even decency. I had to pack my baby back into the car and went to Axel's bonfire for lunch; they had much better service than Bella.

• Pros: decent food
• Cons: poor customer focus

08/16/09

Horrible

by Anni13 at Citysearch

I was at Bella and there was mold in the parmsean tins, the server said they don't wash them but consistntly fill them every night!! The service was horrible. Also when I found out they sisco delivers threir food, I thought it was extrmely overpriced!

• Cons: Mold in parmasean cheese

07/20/09

Adequate, Overpriced Food; Poor Service

by Biff911 at Citysearch

I have dined at Bella on several occasions and have consistently walked away less than impressed and dissatisfied that I spent my money there. If you do not live in the north metro, there is absolutely no need to travel out of your way to dine at Bella.

The food is the ubiquitous Americanized Italian fare that is adequately tasty, but nothing out of the ordinary. I would not have a problem with this if their pricing reflected the quality of their food and substandard service. At Bella, you pay Pazzaluna prices and get upscale Olive Garden cuisine. My service experience has ranged from adequate to poor. Service is generally slow and management unhelpful, but I have run into an occasional server that is knowledgeable and pleasant.

The patio area is well manicured and enjoyable in the summer, and the interior is modern and relatively inviting. A decent setting for a strip mall restaurant.

If they lowered their prices and improved their service, they might have a winning combination of their hands. For me, I will not return unless I use a Happenings or other coupon and go with low expectations.

• Pros: Nice Patio Area
• Cons: Poor service and management; Overpriced

05/11/09

Horrible Management

by bcbauer at Citysearch

The ownership needs to take a serious look at their management. Unprofessional and rude, avoid Kenny at all costs, not only will he ask you to take your hat off but he might grab you.

• Pros: $2, 16oz. Bud Light Cans.
• Cons: All management.

04/06/09

Great Brunch

by digger22 at Citysearch

I read some of the latest reviews - are you guys sure we are talking about the same place.? We went there on Sunday and had the greatest brunch we had ever had. The place was very busy, but we were taken care of...very well. Our server was excellent, he kept making sure that we had everything we needed. We will definately go back - and tell our friends.

In reading some of the previous reviews - it looks to me like the management did just the right thing - it got rid of disgruntled employees - the ones who were causing problems and probably writing their own reviews.

This is a fine dining restaurant which shouldn't have to deal with people like this.

Thank you for a wonderful dining experience.

• Pros: What a value brunch
• Cons: professional service

03/24/09

Poor Management, Great Bartenders....

by Logator57 at Citysearch

As a person who frequents this place known as "BELLA", I would first like to start off saying there was a lot of potential for this establishment to succeed. Great food intimate setting not all the drama you find at other bars. Well unfortunately it has gone straight down hill. Here are a list of things I have noticed in the last 3 months.

*They finally figured out how to keep all of the outside lights the same color, keep it classy bella!

*The best bar manager they had, got let go. And the only reason half of the 30 people that ever go there did.

*Kenny the manager is always being seen hitting on patrons, mostly men and sometimes inappropriately touching women patrons.

*Kenny the manager getting into verbal and physical confrontations with patrons of the bar and employees. Meanwhile he was heavily intoxicated! And it was completely his starting of the issues.

*A female GM was seen just this weekend on Friday, wasted on the job asking women to take of there shirts stand on the bar. Taking and giving free shots to those women! When I say drunk I mean drunk, I can drink and this GM was wasted and mind you on the job and to the point the bartenders looked uncomfortable around her!

If you ask me Bella didn't need to let some of it's staff go that they did. They needed to take a good look at what they are left with and realize that's who should be gone! The management is horrible, look at what happened to Rapids !?!?! Related issue...I think so! The only thing right at that place is a couple Bartenders and the guys behind the wall cooking the food. Good Luck Bella, I would love to open a Buffalo Wild Wings in your spot!

• Pros: Great brunch/Bar service
• Cons: Drunk out of control Managers

03/19/09

Wanted to eat there but they never came to seat us.

by Panzerfaust at Citysearch

Stopped in there with two of my friends on a whim to get dinner one night. We stood by their host/hostess reception area and waited for about 5 to 10 minutes for someone to come by and seat us. In that time we were noticed by a bartender and a server but got 0 service.

Went a few shops down to another Italian restaurant that was fantastic for roughly 1/3rd of the price.

• Pros: Looks decent from the outside
• Cons: No host/hostess to seat you.

03/19/09

Word of mouth referrals

by HuckFinn at Citysearch

We used to live in the Twin Cities and still have family near Blaine. We usually come down about once every couple of months and like to try new restaurants.

We were considering the Bella for our next trip down (end of March), but I will never, ever consider eating in a restaurant where very inappropriate behavior by employees, on the clock or not, is tolerated.

How in the heck is this Kenneth guy still employed?

Thank you, Citysearch, for helping me avoid a potential catastrophe. Thank you, SIAndy, for spreading the word to the people you know.

What a joke.

• Pros: Not a chain
• Cons: Very poor reviews, both online & in person

03/16/09

Kenneth Didnt get suspended...Not even FIRED!

by JimmyPlease at Citysearch

Being the DJ in the whole situation I would like to state my side of story. The manager we speak of walked into Bella belligerant and immediately walked up to the DJ booth stating "I am the evilest mother F-er in the world" Giving him a passive look I continued my job playing music. about 10 or so minutes later Kenny was fighting with the gentlemen in the above story. Claiming he was a manager he told the 3 men to leave Bella and that he "ran this b*tch" When the men asked to speak with a manager Kenny stated "I am the manager mother f-er" The manager on duty stepped in and tried to calm down Kenny...with no prevail. 10 minutes later Kenny went back to the kitchen area and stayed there for a little bit. He then came to the DJ booth where he started using profanities with me. I told him "Kenny, I do not know whats going on, but I am only here to play the music." He then went on saying that I was nothing but a h@nky and threatened to call his boys from Chicago to come get me. He continued taunting me for about TWENTY MINUTES! I then packed up my DJ gear, told the manager I didnt have to take this, and I left. I was told that others working at Bella were injured during the restraining of Kenny after I had left although I was not there to witness. The following week I went into work to find Kenny already working. Surprised that he was not fired, NOT EVEN SUSPENDED, I told the manager I would not work for a company who condoned this type of behavior and I left. I said I would come back if something was done. The next day I found out that nothing was going to be done and they were going to just sweep it under the rug. I was told that "Kenny was not on duty the night of the incident, therefore we cant do anything about it." The problem is, Kenny represented himself as not only an employee at the time but was kicking people out like a manager would do. It does not matter if he was clocked in or not, he represented himself as a manager. I have been DJing at Bella for quite some time now and have always enjoyed the people who worked alongside with me. Unfortunately I have lost all respect for not only Kenny, but for a restaurant who would still want to employ someone who would behave so badly. I will no longer be DJing at Bella. I was completely disgusted with the whole scenario and apologize to any patrons who had witnessed the horrific acts that occurred that night. My reputation has been tarnished and I'm sure Bellas has been destroyed. For that I am sorry.

• Pros: Did have good music
• Cons: DJ quit