Italian Grocery-La Mantia in Ventura, CA Closed now

Reviews about Italian Grocery-La Mantia

• ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

  September 26, 2019, by mark rock
  I'm astounded to read all of the positive reviews of this place. Some of them even state, with no intimation of irony, things to the effect of "this place is great if you don't mind being treated like pond scum." I do, actually. I have more self-respect than that; it is disappointing that others don't. The fact is, this place is run by a jackass, and no, the food doesn't justify his childish behavior. The first thing you notice is the signs: "No Restroom!" (complete with a cartoon of a cop kicking someone out of a bathroom (what?!)), the ubiquitous, "We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service to ANYONE", and a notice that you have to spend five dollars or more in order to use your credit card. Oh, and of course - in and among all this anti-customer paraphernalia - the obligatory tip jar. Is this guy kidding? Using my Visa card wasn't a problem, as the pastrami sandwich alone set me back more than eight dollars. With cheetos and a drink, my lunch totaled close to fourteen bucks. When I dared to ask what kind of bread the sandwich came on, the guy making the sandwiches - a dour, angry man with a grey ponytail and some kind of chip on his shoulder - marched over and stuck his finger on the menu. "It's right there!" he barked, with a tone that suggested that anyone who dares to ask anything about his products might as well have insulted his mom. Has this person ever considered, for a moment, that perhaps the reason I had questions was that this was my first time at his establishment? Or, that this was a make-or-break in terms of whether or not I ever come back or recommend him to others? Or review him favorably on the internet? Apparently not, as he continued to treat others (including a U.S. Marine from the recruiting station across the parking lot), with the same crappy attitude. To add injury to insult, the pastrami sandwich came out burned, and the meat tasted like it had been sitting around for weeks. Needless to say, I didn't make any effort to fortify the tip jar. Please go somewhere else and put this jerk out of business. Ventura sure doesn't need one more schmuck devoid of social skills, something those positive reviewers who live in Ventura should be well aware of. Oh, and anyone trying to make the argument that contemptuous treatment of paying customers is somehow excusable because the food is good (and in this case, that isn't even true) is, credibly speaking, treading on such thin ice that their review should be completely disregarded.