This has happened to me several times in DTL...I'd say the worst service award in Lowell by far goes to Fortunato's. You should have an award for them, and what's up with the decor in there anyway?

So do tell us all of this horrid place , So that we the masses do not go there. Not only should it have been more than a poor tip, the manager of the restaurant needs to be informed!!!

I know the spot you refer to - a long time favorite eatery and watering hole for Lowell glitterati. But, sadly, the luster's gone, the food is just so-so and spotty crowds the past two times I've dined there attest to patrons dissatisfaction with a restaurant that was once the go-to place to see and be seen in Lowell. Could its future be like the long ago fav Speare House on the river - now just a memory since it was bulldozed over. Note to the chef/owner - get your waitstaff up to snuff and add some sizzle to the menu, or your days may be numbered, too, with the likes of Centro breathing down your back.
foodie

Not in Downtown, but just outside of ,in neighboring Dracut, but no the less one of my favorite buzzkill stories......
We were approached by a waitress who ran down the specials and started talking our ear off like we were old friends.....sometimes thats great....but when the waitron tells you she just spilled clam chowder into her apron pocket and now she "cant use her cell phone because it smells like clams" its safe to say the meal has hit a low point...I think these servers in the area need to realize they are here to make sure the diners are happy ,not to count there tips and complain that they deserved more......

You are so right about this one fav of ours...the glitter is gone, but the prices are up. Last visit there was underwhelming. I was embarassed to have recommended it to out of town clients. They said the service was fair at best.

I can attest. I worked there for 3 years and left shortly after the new owners-(one of them a mechanic) took over. Both have no restaurant experience and a sour attitude! How they remain open is beyond me!

I know the restaurant you speak of--the same exact thing happened to us while eating there (cleaning adjacent table while we were eating). Not to mention that we had a reservation for 6:30 and still had to wait an hour for our table!

The worst part of our experience was that I had to send back my steak because I found the sauce pairing to be disgusting (espresso sauce with steak? the bitterness was overpowering). After doing so, the chef came out to our table and started laying into us because we had criticized her food! We'll NEVER go back.

The only saving grace of that meal was the smoked salmon appetizer which was delicious, but not wonderful enough to get us to go back.

I don't understand bad service. If your income depends on giving good service, why don't I typically get good service when eating out? My pet peeve is either not refilling my glass of water or not getting me another beer. I can't eat without liquids. So then I wait for a beverage while my food gets cold. Happens all the time!!!!