North Italia

As an office lunch, we decided to order from North.

The process was not a good experience for sure, but luckily, that doesn't impact the food.

I got the Prosciutto with fig, arugula.  That's one of my favorite from that place.  Good quality ingredients everywhere.  It was so good.  

Don't mind the corner, I grabbed a handful of Zucca Chips.  This time it's not as crispy as before, but I felt healthy for having some veggie, whichever shape it comes.

So, let me share my online ordering experience as a cautionary tale.  I placed the order via their website and it is by way of Doordash to take the payment and delivery.  In theory, it's great right? You got that piece out-sourced, all. you have to do is to manage the kitchen piece of it.  

I placed the order before they even open for lunch.  At first, they provided very good updates, we got your order, we confirmed your order, and to be delivered between X time and X time.  Well, the time past, it gave update that they are waiting on the kitchen.  Well, ok, things happen, I had it scheduled early and taken delays into account.  However, it kept getting postponed and postponed, then no updates altogether.  

I finally called the store myself.  I mean, if the issue was pending a driver to be assigned, I can just go there myself and pick up the food.  I know it's a privilege to use a service like that, but going to pick up in person is not beneath me.  As I talked to the Manager, turns out: if you order thru DoorDash's site direct, it goes thru the bar.  If you order on North's website, the order goes directly to the kitchen.  The poor Manager I spoke with was checking both front and back of the house.  As he discovered no order to be had, he went ahead and took my order via phone - the good o' fashion way.  When it's all said and done, it was over 2 hours over the previously scheduled delivery time.

So, here's the kicker.  It's not the Manager or the restaurant's fault because they didn't get the order, nor would they have known or predicted the issue.  DoorDash best effort is to cancel the order on their end.  So, even though they took, confirmed, and charged my order, their person on the support line can only cancel the charge.  Of course they were kind enough to re-do my order, but that's pointless at the point.  Which, by the way to connect with a natural person (not a chat bot) is very difficult on DoorDash's site.  So the only person that lost out was me, the user.  No compensation or the like.  As a matter of fact, somehow the order placed via phone is $7 more than what I placed on the website.  So, then now I lost on time, my personally going to pickup, and got charged more.  Let that be a lesson to you...

North Italia

1700 Post Oak Blvd

Ste 190

Houston, TX 77056

281-605-4030

https://www.northitalia.com/locations/houston-tx-blvd-place/