Piero's Acqua Pazza - (760) 862-9800

I've never been, but my boyfriend has brought leftovers home. Loved them. Saw the prices on the menu and gasped at the price. When I'm on a site that says "cheap eats", I expect the restaurants listed to be affordable.

Our family of 4 went here the Friday after Thanksgiving for a non-turkey oriented dinner. My mother-in-law had been wanting to go here for a while since purchasing their vacation home in La Quinta. It was very busy (the whole shopping center was, obviously) and on arrival we found out that you can only sit outside on the patio if you have a reservation. Strike one. We sat at the bar and had a drink - the house wine selection was pretty good so we were looking forward to dinner. After sitting and ordering appetizers the long wait for actual food began. Once our food finally arrived (30+ minutes later) my husbands kobe beef burger was way under-cooked (sent back), my order was wrong (I ordered tuna lettuce wraps and was given chicken), and my father in-laws chicken potpie was literally a bowl of watery soup with crust baked on top. The second time my order arrived it was tuna - but not a lettuce wrap dish (something that looked more like a sashimi plate). The third time it came to the table it was correct - but completely tastless. My husbands burger finally arrived (again) and was really salty (we all tried some and agreed). By the time everyone was done there were half eaten plates in front of each of us - and no one felt full or satisfied! We all agreed we should have gone elsewhere. The scene was like that of a cheesecake factory... loud, in-personal, gluttenous proportions, moderately high prices, and a ridiuclously long wait for un-fulfilling tasteless food. No manager ever stopped by to check in on us - the waiter never even appologized for the 4 mix-up/mistakes! Never again for us.

My husband and I tried this restaurant for the first time last Thursday night. Not only was the food outstanding, the service was great, and the prices were unbelievable. We ordered from the summer menu, a three course for $19.95. My husband had the Filet Mignon, juicy and tender cooked to perfection. I had the Chicken Picatta, sliced thin with the essence of lemon . We started with a fresh field green salad and creamy mushroom soup to die for. We ended the meal with the best flourless chocolate cake to date. Our server was charming, guiding us through every selection while the ambiance of the restaurant was very inviting. We would absolutely recommend this restaurant to anyone who is up for an incredible experience.