NOT LGBTQ+ FRIENDLY
We visited Nola on Sunday 14th June. While I want to acknowledge that the food was outstanding, the jazz music was incredible, and the other servers we interacted with were very kind, our overall evening was completely ruined by the service we received from our main waiter, Carlo, and the shocking management response that followed.
Throughout our meal, it became undeniably clear that my partner and I (a same-sex couple) were being treated entirely differently than the heterosexual couples seated right next to us. While Carlo politely chatted with the other tables, explained the menu, recommended ordering sizes, and checked in on their meals, he completely iced us out. He refused to make eye contact with us, ignored our table while checking on everyone else, shoved dessert menus down without a word, and rudely slammed the card machine on the table. When we chose not to leave a tip due to this treatment, he snatched the card reader away and walked off without saying a word. The stark contrast in service made us feel incredibly uncomfortable, stressed, and targeted.
Hoping the restaurant took inclusivity and service standards seriously, we reached out privately to management. Shockingly, the manager's response was incredibly defensive and unprofessional. While the manager explicitly admitted to checking the CCTV and confirming that Carlo did indeed treat our table differently, they completely refused to acknowledge that bias or discrimination could play a part.
Instead of investigating the service failure, the manager chose to invalidate our experience, insult us, and protect their staff member by stating that he had previously designed a Pride logo in Italy. When we expressed our disappointment, the manager escalated their language, calling our complaint "disgusting," "childish," and "immature," and even claimed that we were the ones being discriminatory by mentioning the LGBTQ+ community.
It is deeply disappointing to see a business handle a complaint about bias with such hostility and gaslighting. A customer pointing out documented, unequal treatment is not an insult; it is a reality.
Potential patrons (especially members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies) should be aware that if you experience bias or subpar treatment here, management will insult you rather than address it. We will not be returning.