Fratelli Lyon: Is the Food Worth Poor Service at a Hallway Table?

John Zur

​The Design District's Fratelli Lyon stands out for its authentic take on Italy's light fare. From the antipasti, salumi, and formaggi to the house-made pastas, the restaurant prides itself on staying true to modest portions and freshness.

But is the food worth enduring subpar service and perhaps sitting in a dark concrete hallway?

How can the staff members be so rude, and poorly trained, at an eatery offering $12 salads and $27 entrées? How can they justify seating customers in a dim hallway at a cocktail table with plastic seats? Why is it so damn dark you have to strain to read the olive-oil-stained paper menus folded in half? Why couldn't they chill the room-temperature water served in a reusable one-liter glass bottle? And why do the shabbily dressed order-takers ("servers" is reserved for those of a higher calling) -- wearing jeans and sneakers and lacking knowledge of the menu and the basic requirements of their profession -- allow patrons to wait more than ten minutes for cocktails?

By the time the rude order-taker returned, our appetites had vanished and we decided not to order dinner. When we asked for the check, the order-taker processed the credit card, set the bill on a plate, and returned to pull the payment off the table before we were finished with our drinks.

John Zur

The dark hallway that was our so-called dining room.

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