Last week my mom treated Ric, Amanda and I to lunch at Sienna Restaurant at Mashpee Commons. We enjoyed our meals yet were disappointed to find it is only partially wheelchair accessible. Sienna specializes in delicious Italian dishes made from fresh, local ingredients.

There are plenty of handicap parking spaces in the Mashpee Commons parking lot. There are two entry doors and neither is automatic so Amanda held it open while Ric pushed my manual chair inside; the first leads into a foyer and the second into the restaurant. Upon entering we were warmly greeted by a hostess who showed us to a table that was of a prefect accessible height for me to comfortably sit and reach my food and drink.

The dining room has plenty of accessible tables and some booths which are not accessible; outdoor dining are all wheelchair accessible and of a good accessible height. Our waitress was very friendly and kind as she took our lunch order. We all ordered grilled chicken salads which were delicious and low calorie.

We saw an upstairs dining area and were told it was used for private functions. We asked our waitress if there is wheelchair access to the upper function room and were told no. If you’re planning a special event and are inviting people in wheelchairs this is not the place for you.

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A bar/lounge is located adjacent to the dining room has no accessible seating. The bar is too high and all the tables are tall bar style tables that are too high. A large flat screen TV is hanging on the wall for customers in the lounge to view. You are out of luck if you want to stop for a drink and watch a sports game on TV while your wife or girlfriend shops.

The restrooms are accessible yet we found it extremely difficult to access the restrooms because children booster seats were blocking access in the hall leading to the restrooms. My friend Ric had to move the booster seats so I could get by. The restrooms are spacious yet there is not much room to maneuver your chair because the wastebasket and baby changing station blocks access. The sink is of a good accessible height yet the pipes underneath are not covered as is ADA required.

I give Siena restaurant TWO STARS for wheelchair accessibility. In order to earn the other Three Stars they would need to install automatic entry doors so a person in a wheelchair can enter and exit independently; place some accessible tables in the lounge; lower a section of the bar to an accessible height so a customer in a wheelchair can sit and enjoy a drink while watching the large flat screen TV; install an elevator to the second floor function room; remove the booster seats that block wheelchair access; move the wastebasket in the restroom; and place babies changing on the wall which can pull out like many other restrooms have so it doesn’t block access to the toilet.

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