Review of Buona Sera

A cautionary tale for anyone with celiac or a severe gluten intolerance or allergy that is considering eating at Buona Sera in Red Bank. We were attending a party there with a pre fixed menu and called on 3 different occasions beforehand to confirm that they could accommodate my wife with celiac. They said they work with “gluten allergies” frequently and are aware of the precautions and would substitute her items for gluten free alternatives. During dinner when we asked the waitress about the gluten free alternatives she informed us that they can make her gluten free pasta. I asked if they could please ensure the pasta was cooked separately and she was very visibly bothered by the request and said she would need to speak with the manager to confirm. The manager Danielle came to our table to let us know that because the restaurant was “too busy“ and that they could not accommodate the request and only offered my wife a house salad even though we paid for the $50 pre fixed menu. I asked her once more if they could please just boil some pasta separately and was met with “we’re busy, you want to come see my kitchen and see for yourself?”. The staff at Buona Sera is unknowledgeable, inflexible and falsely advertise their ability to accommodate gluten free celiac requests. Had we not double checked again about the pasta they would have carelessly served it to my pregnant wife. As someone who knows how anxiety inducing it can be dining out with celiac, I just wanted to share our experience to warn others who may be considering eating here.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Poor