The good Old Spaghetti Factory; I heart you. I can remember eating here so many times with my family as a young adult, and eating at other locations across the nation as I grew up and traveled. I love this place! I want to visit all of their locations. (No, not kidding. Sounds like a fun series of road-trips.)
The really good experiences here make you forget about the less good ones, at least for a little while, and we had great service last night!! The server (Aaron, I think?) spent the night reading our minds. Before having to ask, he offered to mix water with apple juice for the 14 mo. old at the table. He also brought me extra marinara right at the moment I had said to my table I wished I had more. At the end of the meal we were distracted by our little nephew and left our to-go food on the table. Having done this the meal before and it ruining my day, I can't describe how happy I was when the manager Heather ran out to make sure we got it. (Stupid us!) Luckily we hadn't gone far. We were walking at the speed of a toddler.
Our dinner was so nice! For the last 10 years or so I've only ordered one menu choice: the Manager's Favorite (which is combination of two of your favorites) I always pick mizithra/browned butter and marinara. This time I went with the potpourri (a combination of four house favorites, those two plus clam and meat sauce). I substituted meat for a extra marinara.
1/3/13
BUY A LARGE PORTION OF THEIR SPUMONI ICE CREAM TO TAKE HOME
I reviewed Toscana restaurant a year or so ago (also in Todos Santos Plaza) and in my review said not to waste your time there, to save your money and walk over to OSF. A man named Vahid sent me a terrible email afterward saying I must work for OSF or be paid by them. Neither of these is the case - and I can't believe I hadn't reviewed OSF before now!
I love this place. Most of my friends do not share my feelings toward it. I order the exact same thing every time and I have for years! The manager's favorite $12.79 (which is your choice of two of their pastas) - I like the mizithra cheese and browned butter for one half, and a red sauce, usually with mushroom, for my other half. A salad with creamy pesto, an iced tea, and my spumoni ice cream for dessert. Bread comes with the meal but almost always arrives with salad. I wish they'd bring it first. Our last visit they had run out of bread! Didn't get any until we were almost done eating :(
I like sitting in the caboose seats inside the restaurant but this is where the worst service can be found. That's okay with me though. You might have to go get your own straw, or hunt down a beverage refill, but I don't care. I'm telling you now, you aren't going to OSF for the service.
The meal is inexpensive and good (well, the only items I think are good on the menu are the ones I order every time.) I try bites of other peoples and none are ever as good as my meal. Your drink is include. Dessert is included. Heck yes!
Expect a wait on certain nights of the week. They lose a star for not accepting reservations.There is a bar at the front where you could wait but I rarely go in here. It's so much food I don't want to fill up on alcohol ahead of dinner. I always have left over so I bring a reuseable tupperware container to put it in.
OSF recently made a TERRIBLE switch for their to-go containers. Changing from paper (Chinese-food style) boxes to horrible styrofoam. Why OSF?? Why???
I sipped on complimentary hot tea while we waited for the hot, fresh bread and garlic butter to arrive. It showed up with the salads so I used my extra creamy pesto dressing for the bread, in addition to the yummy butter. Dinner was timed nicely and our plates arrived once I'd finished off my salad, and then my husband's blue cheese salad afterward. We never felt rushed and there weren't big waits in between courses.
I had to turn down the free bowl of ice cream at the end, but did steal some vanilla from my sister-in-law and some spumoni from my husband. So I left very happy. Last night was probably the best dining experience I've had there. Ever! I look forward to more :D
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