Dmitri's

How have they survived?. I was last at Dmitri's many years ago, maybe as many as ten years. It was fantastic. I was there recently, and I cannot believe how bad things have gotten, yet they were able to open another location. The octopus, their signature dish, lacked the robust flavor I remember, and it was dry--not the worst I'd ever had, but certainly on the far lower end. The service was pitiful. No, I don't care that the tables are close together, or that it's loud, or that the staff need to squeeze around to serve you; in fact, these things appeal to me because they make me feel like I'm not in America, and add to the experience. No matter what you eat there, Dmitri's is now an American restaurant: Portions are HUGE, and include bland sides that aren't worth the effort; they squeeze your entree onto your table before you're done your appetizer--two quintessentially American practices that ruin a meal. The amount of food I imagine they throw out each night must be abominable. Doggie bags should be unnecessary in a good restaurant, and you'll see many leaving Dmitri's, I believe out of a sense of duty by some customers. Larger portions with less flavor are usually a sign that a restaurant is going under. I wish Dmitri's would get back to its origins before it becomes completely American...that is, closed.…

Shockingly Bad. I remember Dmitri's from the early days and it was very good. A recent visit revealed that it is less than a shadow of its former self. I can honestly say that of hundreds of meals eaten in dozen's of Philly restaurants, this just might have been the worst. I've never been served blander food -- nothing had any taste to it. The service was poor and the noise level is ridiculous, though frankly I could tolerate either of those if the food were decent. Definitely cross this one off your list -- it's a complete waste.…

Horrible Experience. We live in the neighborhood and usually love this restaurant. After our experience on Saturday night I would be embarrassed to recommend Dmitri's to anyone. The hostess was beyond rude from the moment we walked in. I understand it was a busy night but it is unacceptable to pass this on to paying customers. To top it off, both of the bathrooms were out of order! When we asked about the situation, we were told to go across the street to use the bar's restroom. I'm pretty sure a restaurant cannot be open without working bathrooms. Finally, after we were rushed through dinner we were told that we had to leave immediately upon finishing our last sips of wine. The food is not nearly good enough to be treated like this.…

Want to take a good mood and turn it bad? Go to Dimitri's!. My boyfriend lived in Philly years ago and used to love Dimitri's so after talking about going for so long we had a friend leaving town so we all went last night. The place had 3 tables in it that were full-all the rest wide open (it was 7:30). There were 3 of us and they put us at a 2 top with 3 chairs. We nicely asked if we could move and they said it was against their policy. SO the 3 of us who ordered 8 items off the menu sat with out knee's banging each other. The bread is served with oil-with barely any spices. I asked the server for butter. Oh no. They do not do that. I practically begged her. She acted like I asked her for her kidney. The food was average at best. You cannot even order app's and then order dinner a few min after ordering them. The order must be done at once. They are so mean and nasty. Why anyone would want to tip them is beyond my understanding. I will never go back.…