★★★★★
You can't go wrong with The Old Spaghetti Factory. Classic pasta dishes, their mizithra and brown butter is my absolute favorite, every time. Your entree comes with your choice of soup or salad, half a loaf of bread, and a scoop of ice cream, even if you order to go. We ordered to go, I got my usual, Hubby got a white clam sauce with their meatballs and a sausage, we shared a serving of their broccoli with mizithra and brown butter. Mine came with the salad, their creamy pesto dressing is drinkable, love it. His came with the minestrone soup which was also pleasant. The salad came with croutons and the dressing on the side, awesome! With each entree/item you're asked if you want individual silverware, so you aren't wasting a spoon if all you need is a fork. Overall A+ from us.
★★★★★
After this experience, I doubt I'll be returning.
I understand that restaurants are facing rising costs and difficult economic realities. If prices need to increase, then increase them. What I don't appreciate is nickel-and-diming loyal customers without transparency. I've been coming to this location for nearly 20 years, and I've always received dressing with the bread. Not once have I ever been charged for it. If that policy has changed, customers should be informed before the charge appears on the bill. That's simply good hospitality.
My daughter and I both ordered the same dish, and both plates arrived noticeably dry. When I mentioned it to our server, he said he would have the kitchen bring out additional sauce. At that moment, I suspected there would be an extra charge. Sure enough, there was.
The issue isn't the $3. It's the principle. I've ordered this same dish for years and have never been served it that way. Had we been informed there would be a charge for correcting what was, in our opinion, an improperly prepared dish, this situation could have been avoided.
To be clear, our server was excellent. I tipped him over 20% because he was attentive and professional. However, someone should have communicated that additional charges would apply.
What ultimately left the worst impression was my conversation with management. When I spoke with the manager, she stated that she had been there for five years and that the kitchen had always served only one ladle of sauce. That explanation simply doesn't align with my experience as a customer of nearly two decades. Rather than acknowledging the concern, it felt like an attempt to redirect the conversation and dismiss the issue altogether.
Good restaurants build loyalty through consistency, transparency, and accountability. Unfortunately, this visit fell short on all three. The $3 charge wasn't what bothered me—it was the feeling that a long-time customer was being nickel-and-dimed and then told his experience wasn't valid.
Next time, I'll save the money and make it at home.
