Sluurpy > Restaurants in Edmonton > Old Spaghetti Factory (downtown Edmonton)

Review Old Spaghetti Factory (downtown Edmonton) - Edmonton

alexa davies
Great food! However I recommend the next time someone places an order for takeout put utensils in the bag... it's one extra step to add them to the bag not everyone who orders pickup is heading back home... I shouldn't have to ask for the basics when ordering food from a restaurant. picnic date night ruined :/
Pino Petrucci
Christ we been making pasta for over 3000 years, along come these guys and bastardize a simple peasant dish like spaghetti. If the owners aren't Italian or the chef then it just vomit at its best. What filth..that pasta below
Nadine Smith
Place was super busy after an Oilers game. Sara was our server and we didn't have to wait very long for her to come to us, but even still she politely apologized for the wait. She was very friendly and very attentive to us. There were two of us and we had the rainbow tortellini pomodoro and the pot-pourri spaghetti sampler. One meal we got the Minestrone soup and one with the side salad. Our bread loaf came super speedy, and our meals not long after. For how busy the place was, we definitely expected to wait way longer than we did. Both meals were delicious and both pasta cooked perfectly! Both meals came with a scoop of spumoni ice cream for dessert, and after everything, we were both comfortably full. No issues, no complaints, would definitely go here again!
Rachelyn Erickson
Seriously amazing. Definitely my favorite restaurant chain ever. You get quality food at a bang for your buck. Been telling my husband and everyone I know about this place for so long and I was finally able to bring him along and show him how good it is! He's hooked and telling everyone now. Fast service, great prices, amazing food. Can't ask for much more!
Sullivan Baker
The Old Spaghetti Factory is a Canadian Classic. The downtown location still hosts a street car in the middle of the restaurant. All included meals ranging in price from $18-$25 come with the classic bread and garlic butter (I noticed the regular butter has been removed in the past few years), a soup or salad, and a pasta dish. Drinks are comparably less expensive to other downtown restaurants these days. The downside is often crying children during your dinner which can be heard all throughout the large open dining room, however I have been coming to the old spaghetti factory since I was a small child myself so I can't judge them too harshly for that. There are often multiple large groups dining while I am there, meaning they are able to accommodate an array of group sizes on busy evenings. An experience possibly worth mentioning is that I made a reservation for ten people on a Friday night, having called the Friday prior to book. I ended up calling to cancel the reservation but they didn't have my group booked in the system. The situation worked out because I had to cancel, but I likely would have been out of luck if I had gone and they didn't have a table for me, likely without room for a group of ten on a Friday. From now on I would call to double check they put my reservation in the system. The parkade across the street is reasonably priced at $13 for the night (not sure about hourly) which is worth mentioning as street parking in this area has been drastically reduced. The Old Spaghetti Factory will continue to be a downtown favorite of mine, and I'll return again and again.
Laura Hollingshead
Food was a solid 4, service was excellent and quick. They handled a huge game night crowd efficiently. Price is great, drinks were yummy. Bellini and margaritas both delicious, although the blood orange flavor was unavailable. We'd go back for a pre game dinner!
Michele H
Excellent service and amazing food. It's such a a beautiful place to come have a romantic dinner or a quick appy before the hockey game. I'm in love with the atmosphere and thank them for a wonderful time.
Elly G
The food is as good as always. Price is same as before the pandemic ~
Carlie Savannah Sim
I love dining at the Old Spaghetti Factory downtown. The food is always good and the staff are friendly and efficient. I love the menu options. There is always something for me to eat. (I am a Vegetarian) I have never had an unpleasant experience here.
Jason Webb
This Restaurant is a true Downtown Edmonton Gem. I have eaten here many times over the years as and have always found the service to be very efficient and attentive with such a warm ambiance. The menu has all the classic American Italian dishes (I recommend the Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti) well prepared and very tasty and during my most recent visit I felt that this restaurant deserved my honest opinion and review for others to read and to give it a try for yourselves. No where can you eat three full courses for five people for $100. And Parking at the city center mall was only $5. So don't forget about the Old Spaghetti Factory for a fun Family night out!!!
Cheesecakes
Last time i was here my friends and I were looking for something quick and cheap. So we thought we'd drop by the old spaghetti factory. We thought everything was going well, then the server dropped off a plate of popcorn shrimp at our table. She mumbled something to us about the kitchen so we thought it was just an extra order and she was just being nice to us. After eating some of it she came back to our table and said that dish wasn't ours. We felt pretty bad about it and apologized but it seemed as if she didn't mind. It wasn't until the end of our meal that she started to give us a lecture about how we shouldn't eat food that we didn't order. I got into a big confrontation about how we knew it was our mistake but we don't need her to give us a lecture about it as it was a miscommunication. All she could bring up was about how hard her life is. Normally I hate it when people cause a stir with their server and this is probably the first time i actually got into a confrontation with one of them. Left me feeling bad vibes.
Missguomeiyun
Hii! I'm Anita~ I'm from/living in Edmonton, AB, Canada. I love to eat, eat, & eat, & travel, Kpop/Kdramas, & art~ This is a personal blog about my food & travel stories~ I hope you'll enjoy reading my posts, & visit some of the places I post about. Pls give me some feedback, or other comments/questions: missguomeiyun@gmail.com. Thankyouu :)
Dilly
The chicken parm was good but pretty much everything else sucked. It was so uncomfortably hot and the service was terrible. First they brought the soup and salad out. The soup was extremely hot and we had kids with us so it took a while to cool it off so they could eat it I hadn't even touched my soup when the entrées came out and the waitress tried to take the full bowls of soup away. After that we didn't see her again for an hour!! I would not go back.
Let's Eat YEG
Last week, Old Spaghetti Factory (Downtown Location) invited me to try their restaurant. I’ve only been to this location once before, so I figured I’d give it another try. I remember trying their Bam Bam Shrimp at last year’s Taste of Edmonton, which was chosen as a ‘crowd favourite’ in 2015, and it was pretty enjoyable. One thing that’s unique about the downtown location is that it’s actually one of the few franchise-owned restaurants. It gives them more liberties to kind of experiment and do their own thing. It’s located right across the street from the Bay and relatively easy to get to via the LRT station. There’s also quite a bit of meter parking around, which is free after 6 and on Sundays. (Apologies for the horrible photos… was having some focusing issues that night)
CorieApple
Venue: Cozy and intimate.<br/>Staff: Lovely - Welcoming atmosphere. We were a very large group and our waiter was attentive, patient and very kind.<br/>Food: Excellent. Everyone enjoyed their meal.
Fat Sal
Chicken Parmesan sandwich with spaghetti and spicy meat sauce<br/><br/>Only reason we went here is because somebody had only 20 bucks. This place covers soup, entrée and dessert for about 15. Minestrone soup was OK, better with Parmesan obviously. Chicken Parm you taste so good. Only because I was craving it for 5 weeks since the Nationwide commercial. The parm was mediocre at best. Ice cream was good though, pistachio and chocolate is a dope combo. Did I forget The spaghetti? I did on purpose, cause it sucked. <br/>This is probably the best location for an old spag because of the trolley car. This is the place to go if you're short on cash like if you have a family and can't afford olive garden, or you want a first date here....that will be your last date for sure. <br/>Sal says: Deny it <br/>@adubalicious Take advantage of the endless bread. Food coma. Good life choices.
Jay B
The high rating is only because I have mastered my "regular order" at the Old Spaghetti Factory. This of course came with trial and error - one thing I should note is that the pasta at OSF is lacking in taste and quality. With that said I now never order pasta, I always order the hunters chicken with fries and a side of gravy. I order the standard green salad with blue cheese dressing (which makes the once plain green salad, something desirable). With this fail proof "regular order" I always leave satisfied, the bread/butter and Spumoni ice cream is all bonus. One last comment would be that being able to order ice tea as part of the "it's all included" deal seems to be hit or miss depending on the server you get.
OneEyedFred
If there was an award for consistency in the restaurant business this place would get it.  <br/>Good food - Always.<br/>Good service - Always<br/>If there is something wrong it gets fixed, no questions - Always.<br/>There are a lot of places that could learn from this one.  I do remember days when they were not like this but once the current manager took over everything is right - Always.<br/>The best part is that you get good value for your money - Always.
Ladyrose
This restaurant is still the most affordable Italian inspired restaurant. $20 will get you soup or salad, unlimited warm bread, pasta entree, dessert, and coffee everyday of the week. Service is quick and polite. Spaghetti factor may be the same as it always has been but why change what isn't broken?
Kristi Lem
Didn't fill cup with soup. I ordered take out- spaghetti and meat balls with a side of clam chowder soup. The spaghetti and meatballs were good, but they BARELY filled the soup half way in the cup. I found out when I got home so I couldn't go back.
JT
Consistently consistent. I've been here a few times before in the last few years, and I've had fairly good service and food when stopping by. I stopped by with a few other friends recently for Edmonton's Downtown Dining Week ($28 for a 4 course meal at OSF), where I had a fairly positive experience. The service was fantastic as always, with constant refills of drinks and bread. However, we had made a reservation, and while the restaurant was more than half empty, we got put in a corner booth (for 6 people), leaving us squished next to each other and next to a large table where there was a party going on. The food itself.....I have very mixed reviews, but overall left with a good impression, which is how I often felt after my dining experiences at OSF. The sheer amount of food given for $28 was in a typical OSF style, which is fairly decent quality and a LOT of food for the price. I enjoyed their Tomato Basil Flatbread and Cheesecake, and would recommend these to anyone. I also had their French Onion Soup which I found to be too cheesy and salty, and their Ribs with Fries. In hindsight, it was probably a bad idea getting Ribs and fries from a pasta place, and the results were typical. The ribs were slightly burnt and didn't have much meat on them, and the fries were limp and tasteless. I've had better experiences with their pasta for sure. Overall, avoid the non-pasta foods, and you should have a great experience and time at OSF
Jason Lafitte
Terrible Service. Well I have been coming here for many years, and today was a very poor dining experience. We had a group of 4 people today.<br/>I ordered a large size spaghetti, after waiting almost 30 minutes, it arrived, it was a small size, with very little sauce on.<br/>We asked for more bread, it never did arrive<br/>I never got a refill for my pop once.<br/>Never got asked how our food was.<br/>I actually left the restaurant still hungry.<br/><br/>one of the girls meal was cold, the other 2 were happy with their meal.
Mandieviolet
Love Everything!. Although the parking can be difficult at times this place is AWESOME! the food the service the quality and the price just cant be beat
Kaylafiliatrault
Awesome!!. My brother and I went for dinner here, and to say the least it was quite wonderful! The overall set up of the place is lovely, but the food served was really tasty as well! Not to mention our handsome french server was a delight :)
Ndeis
Been here a few times with large family groups. Service has always been efficient and friendly. Lots of little ones in our group but the meal was painless, good time had by all.
Tammyrachynski
A lunchtime favorite. More gluten free menu options have been added lately. Good service and always tasty food. One of the few remaining restaurants that include your coffee and dessert with your meal. Nice atmosphere as well.
Marsha Jeffrey
Love it!!! I have never had a bad meal here, I usually get the chicken and penne or the manicotti, my boyfriend ordered the chicken Parmesan with spaghetti and he thought it was really good too, love the minestrone soup and ice cream they serve at the end :) I have been coming here for years, always great service and great prices :)
Kim P
I would liken the food here to a mall court pasta! Over cooked and mushy. The service was good and the prices were great, so I really shouldn't complain. But when you call yourselves a Soaghetti Factory, you would think they had the recipe perfected!
R-SM
The server was friendly and accommodating. The main dish was really good (manicotti, lasagna, and chicken parmesean), the garden salad could be improved. The signature Ice Cream was delishious.
BananaRocket
Like an old shoe. Service is pretty good.<br/><br/>Room has never changed in years, and that's a good thing. Despite the age, it is kept clean and organized.<br/><br/>Portions are big, they give you lots of everything.<br/><br/>Been going here on and off for almost 20 years. They off great value and a relaxing atmosphere. Avoid peat hours because it get very busy.<br/><br/>Like any OSF's, one of the best things is the unlimited fresh bread. You get butter, a cutting board and a loaf of hot bread with knife stuck in it. it fantastic.<br/><br/>The food is nothing fancy but it is good. It come is big portions with lots of cheese on top.<br/><br/>Everything I come in, its like slipping on an old shoe.
Sjeezy
Average at best, but great value. The decor is very rustic and gives it an appearance that is unique.<br/><br/>The service is always pretty consistent, never spectacular, but satisfactory <br/><br/>The meals are priced reasonably well (around $12-$17), but include a garden salad and a scoop of pistachio ice cream.<br/><br/>Good for a cheap date night,<br/><br/>My favorites: Lasagna and Mannicoti
Freshie
Surprisingly good. Took the family here for dinner on a Sat night and was pleasantly surprised. I was prepared for a mediocre experience, as family restaurants often are. The salad was crispy and fresh, the minestrone homemade with real chunks of vegetables, and decent pasta dishes. Prices were more than reasonable, and the service was fine even though the place was packed.
StephanieP
Good Food, reasonably priced! Our sever was excellent! Greeted us And took our order very quickly. Our food was great! We will definately be back!
CyniC-
Surprisingly good... even after me being so picky over the years.... Yeah, I thought this place was a dump... I refused to go... then I caved after so many years of not visiting. It was actually surprisingly good! I don't care if it's a mundane restaurant with cheap food on the menu, but my hunter's chicken (most expensive dish there? $16?) was just so good. The chicken was seasoned with lots of garlic and herbs and the skin (!) attached to the chicken is just pan-fried to perfection. I still remember that years ago the lasagna was my all time favorite but probably not so much anymore. Come here if you are on a budget and want to chill out.<br/><br/>This other time I got the ribs and spaghetti and it was probably the worst thing I've had in a restaurant for a while.  I think this place is dish dependent.  The lasagna and hunter's chicken were so good yet the ribs are worse than the frozen ribs I get from Costco.  The spaghetti sauce was also tangier than most.  Worse than Costco once again.  <br/><br/>P.S. It's also a good place for a first date to see if the other person is down-to-earth or they just want to be lavishly pampered.  This can be your litmus test!<br/><br/>;)
Lizzie
Good food for a great price. My favorite dish so far is the spicy meat sauce. The service is normally great and the speed is well within my expectations. I visit this place fairly often and will continue to keep doing so.
Travellingtastebuds
Not so much gluten-free.... It started great: prices are good and food was tasty. I asked for the gf menu and the manager came out and talked to me, even asking if it was for medical reasons. I got halfway through my plate of pasta and right in the center was a piece of regular pasta. I informed the manager (who was rightly embarrassed) and said he didn't know how it could have happened since the gf food is prepared in a separate area of the kitchen.<br/><br/>It was tasty food and the service was good, but I'm skeptical of the "gf" menu claim now.
Adam Farsi
Third time to this place in the past 6 months and almost nothing has improved: service is sluggish and you see many people serving and running around but you still need 20 minutes to get a pop refill. Worst part is the soup, though tasty but very chunky and cold or not hot enough. I made the comment in the past 2 times but they still serve this soup in funny plates not even soup plates. Bread and better came fast but bread was cold. One loaf was not enough for our party of five so we asked for a second. It only came after we were almost done eating. Salad was bitter tasting as greens used really tasted bad and tart. Italian dressing was good. Pasta quality was excellent not overbooked but problems overwhelmed the enjoyment of the food: chicken breast cooked with fat surrounding and tissues, grilled chicken breast had the skin which covered it and made it lack any flavor and worst part is that this Italian cooking lacked any Italian flavor: tomato sauce tasted like cans and red sauce tasted like Rague and white sauce had no flavor other than super cheesy. Where is the zesty flavors: olive oil, oregano, basil, fresh garlic, even black pepper??? On the price issue, I have to admit that 14.95 for an entree with salad or soup and some green ice cream and not so flavorful coffee is still good.
Driagirl
An Old Favourite, Not So Shiny Anymore. I have many memories of coming here. It was reasonably priced for us when we were students but we still felt like we were going out. Their pitcher of bellinis is worth it. The last few times we've gone, the quality of the service has been terrible. Our last server was downright rude and didn't give us the correct information or get our orders right. I don't know that I'll be back anymore. Maybe it's best to keep the good memories and move on . . .
Gabriel Renwick
Spagalicious. Food and service was great, pricing a little steep but worth it.
Albertaborn
This is the best place to go with large group! They are consistant and quick. I have been going there for over 30 years and have never been disappointed for the price. this is one of the only restaurants in Edmonton you can get a large group into with short notice. Good simple food for a very good price!
RestaurantGirl
The best location in Edmonton ! The way it's supossed to be, like I remember it! From the old fashioned decor and antiques to the friendly service! And not to mention the food quality is amazing... Homemade minestrone with tons of veggies! I recommend the spaghetti a la homer with mizithra cheese !! A must try !!! Delicious
Alphabet
Something's different. Sometimes I like to revisit old haunts to see if their situation has changed (for example my Bul-Go-Gi House review) and this time I revisited the Spaghetti Factory. Previously I thought their pasta was Chef Boy-R-Dee on an expensive plate with terrible service so my expectations were low.<br/><br/>This time I went for lunch with some co-workers. I swear the interior has not changed in this place for 20 years. It is in some screaming need of an update! And maybe some chairs that don't feel like they're going to snap!<br/><br/>I ordered the Spicy Churizo (a la Fresca, $11). It comes with the standard fresh bread with garlic and butter spreads, soup or salad and either one can be upgraded to a French Onion or Caesar for a fee. <br/><br/>The first surprise I received was the salad was properly prepared; not a limp lettuce to be found and no runny dressing. This was a proper appetizer! My coworkers also commented on their minestrone soups stating it seemed better then the last time they were there. <br/><br/>The spicy chorizo was good. The penne was a bit overcooked and the sausage was not house-made, but it was very tasty with a very, very light spicy sauce. A bit of a peeve is that it came with a bush-worth of fresh parsley (it's a condiment, not a central part of the meal).<br/><br/>There were more comments about how good their Philly Cheese Steak sandwich tasted ($11, w soup/salad, fries). The juices and the hint of horseradish made the sandwich a winner.<br/><br/>We were served by three different people, two servers passing off between shifts and a manager making the rounds to make sure everything was spot on. The service was excellent, I felt very well taken care of. The bill was automatically split into separate bills without our prompting.<br/><br/>For $11 you cannot beat the value of soup/salad, bread, and pasta with good service like this. Keep it up, and this could become my new/old haunt.
Brandy
An oldy but a goody. The downtown Spaghetti Factory is 100% better than the one in West Ed. The atmospher is so rustic and old that it makes you feel like you have gone back in time. I love that it is super well priced and you get salad, pasta and ice cream for that one low price. They also have the most fantastic, home-made cheese sticks which are so good in ranch.
Meika
Regular pasta. Its nothing special, regular pasta. but the Mizithra cheese is so delicious, its what I order every time an no other place I've been to has offered it, so it has me sold. Also the whipppe garlic butter they give you with the bread is good. Its not fine dining, but I have a soft spot for that cheesy goodness.
Food Lover
Dont like it!. We were not really impressed with the experience at all.
Tom
They offer a fine dining experience... if you are seven years old...
Annony8
It works.... The food is always decent, but its always the same.<br/>Ive never complained, but I have been very bored having to ever eat there more than once or twice a year.<br/>There is too many kids there, if you are looking for a little romance normally. <br/>In the long run though, food is good, and the service is usually pretty decent.<br/>Try their french salad dressing...it is AMAZING!! Went to one in Banff, and asked for a sample to take home. They gave me a HUGE container full, and I loved every bite of it!
Bahumat
Boring.. The Old Spaghetti Factory is, at least, consistent. You'll never get a *bad* meal out of them, but you'll never get a great meal, either. <br/><br/>For your money, there are far better choices available in Edmonton for pasta.
Kimmy Kat
Tastes good if u like Italian food
Darby Sherard
Good food, better service
Lindamargaretwrites
I ordered an main Fettuccine Pasta with chunks of chicken (their words). It had a creamy sauce and mushrooms, and was then baked in the oven with multiple types of cheese. It was rich! but in a blizzard, just what the doctor ordered. With all mains you receive a complimentary salad and ice cream of coffee. A pretty good deal for $11 to $16. Blair got the New York steak for $16 so he was happy.<br/>
Gluten Free Edmonton
They have a separate GF menu with about 5 items on it. Different sauces to chose from, the option of adding plain steak or chicken with your dish, cheese on top etc.
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