The Old Spaghetti Factory

Ate there with friends a few weeks ago. The salad was just short of compost ready, the sauce ingredients were straight from the can and the temperature was lukewarm. Don't waste your money.

Pros: Nice building

Cons: the food

Posted 10/04/09

Limited selection menu, over priced drinks, bus boy almost broke my arm with the dish holder. Not on my list of places to go ever again!

Posted 05/19/09

I am/was a loyal customer - I grew up going to the restaurant with family - I go on average 1x/month with the family. An incident now 12 days ago - I had a shard of glass (1 inch length) in the spaghetti - it cut my tongue and my palate - fortunately I saw the bleeding out of my mouth and stopped chewing, I retrieved the glass and controlled the bleeding without making a scene in the restaurant. My wife, 3 and 5 yr old kids were at the table. This is not a joke. Obviously the meal was paid for, talked with manager that night and the following day - it is now 12 days later and I am still awaiting a call or any contact from the coorporate headquarters to see how I am doing.

You can draw your own conclusions.

Posted 02/10/09

The building is very beautiful and very unique inside! as soon as you enter the bright purple roofed building your welcomed with oversize chairs and a large chandeleer! the staff is very friendly and offer fast service. There is a street car right in the middle of the resturaunt were you can dine and some of the booths are made from bed frames! and the architecture inside is reall something! The menu is rather limited, i did have the mizithra and brown buttered pasta, it was good... kinda dry/bland, something i would never order again. However my boyfriend had the meatlovers lasagna and loved it, seeing how it was toppeled with sausage and ground beef and took over half his plate! we also hade the Sicilian cheesy garlic bread and we could both agree that was veryyy good! The meals come with salad/soup, bread and a scoop of ice cream for dessert ( spumoni, sherbert, vanilla) Overall the place was fun and service was fast, and although we really loved that aspect would prolly never return seeing how the menu lacked any wow factors

---- Also for the family with children: very family friendly there were lots of children seated near us and a balloon man actually came out with a huge ballon hat, and a belt with assorted colors. He made all the kids animals and hats of their choice it was very cute! the kids were in awe!

Pros: fun atmosphere

Cons: Food was 'blah' nothing special

Posted 09/14/08

The only compliment I can give is that the service was quick and friendly. I feel for the server that has to serve this "Italian" style food. I really can't find anything good to say about the food, and I eat about anything. My relatives from the Old Country would probably bury me in the vineyard if I took them out to eat at this establishment. How hard is it to use mixed greens for a salad instead of the generic Iceberg lettuce? I think investing a little more money into the food instead of the decor may be a good idea. I had the "Sicillian" meatbaIIs which are more like meatloaf baIIs. No seafood featured, probably a good thing given the quality of the cooking. I am sure the can opener gets more use than the chef knife. In a city like Portland, you can do better blindfolded with a severe head cold in choosing a restaurant. Of course, any restaurant with Factory in the name should be warning enough.

Pros: Good Service after the lunch rush

Cons: everything else

Posted 09/09/08

Yes, not fine dining. But where else can you get a complete meal at these prices. Friendly, smiling service. I can't wait to go back. Try the Mizithra and browned-butter over spaghetti. Very kid-friendly.

Pros: Value, service

Cons: Informal - not fine-dining

Posted 08/21/08

My husband and I went here last night. I've heard people mention this place before and judging by the wait to be seated, it's a popular establishment.
Because there was just the two of us, we were seated quickly, ahead of the larger parties that waited up to 15 minutes. I am a big fan of their atmosphere. Beautiful hard wood floors, large tables, interesting chairs and unique decor.

It was after being seated that my good experience ended. Our waitress took so long just to take our drink order, that we had already read through the entire menu and had been waiting to give our meal order. Our drinks were delivered quickly... although she did get my order wrong. Rather than waiting for a replacement, I just drank it. I took notice that our waitress was serving a total of 6 tables. No one appeared very demanding or requiring too much time. None the less, we didn't see her again until our meals were delivered 30 minutes later... and she got the order wrong again. I ordered Chicken Parmigiana and was given Chicken Penne pasta. When I was finally given the correct dish, it was a bland, under cooked, small single chicken breast with a dolup of spaghetti and a splash of marinara sauce. Cost of material for the meal could not have exceeded one dollar. Cost to consumer: $12. I've had better Chicken Parmigiana from Hungry Man frozen dinners... and bigger portions. My husband order Chicken Vesuvius. Again, small bland portions and the noodles were too al dente.

After receiving our meals, our waitress vanished for the next 20 minutes. When I finally spotted her, I asked for a refill of my soda which had been empty since the meal arrived. My refill arrived at the same time as our 2go boxes. The check took another 15 minutes.

My final word: Over priced, under seasoned, under cooked, small portions with terrible service.

Pros: Decor

Cons: Bland food and horrid service

Posted 07/14/08

This used to be my husbands favorite place....until he married an Italian... and although I'm no award winning chef, I do my fair share of Italian cooking from scratch and I must honestly ay that Speghetti Factory has some of the BLANDEST sauces I have ever had. Even the signature Myzithra dish requires you to add quite a bit of salt to bring out a sharp flavor. I work in a hospital and the patient food has more flavor then Spaghetti Factory. The bonus is that your meal will usually include a salad, bread and spamoni ice cream, although your salad consists of iceberg lettuce, where as a more traditional fresh spring mix would be more compatible with pasta, however more costly to the establishment.
An OK place to go with Aunt Edna and Uncle Bob and the grandkids, but if your looking to venture out to experience a new taste sensation......go someplace else.

Pros: Roomy, parking, all inclusive meal.

Cons: lack of flavor.

Posted 06/01/08

Bad, bad, bad food. I would never go back, I would never recommend this place. Never, never, never again.
The minestrone soup was awful, the lasagna was bland, the beer was warm.
That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

Pros: No wait.

Cons: Awful food.

Posted 05/09/08

It seemed like a nice place, but my boyfriend and I sat there for about 8 minutes without being acknowledged. The servers didn't seem busy at all. We watched 3 of them walk right by us several times without a greet. We decided we didn't want to 'inconvenience' anyone so we left and went somewhere else.
It was pretty disappointing since we were looking forward to trying something new and having a nice dinner.

Cons: Service

Posted 04/19/08

See where it says spaghetti in the name of the restaurant? It doesnt call itself Old Caviar Factory or Old Foi Gras Factory. Its SPAGHETTI.

And its not bad. Sure it doesnt below you away with flavor but it will fill you up, its hearty, the sides are fresh and testy (the bread is very good). Leave your pretensions in the car and there is a very good chance you will enjoy your meal.

For starters you get to be in very charming surroundings right down next to the Willamette River. The lobby is fun to hang out in if you have a short wait A real overbuilt godfather gothic feel. The place is so huge that the turnover is quick. Usually about ten minutes tops. The servers are nice and not snooty and dont waste your time. If you get a table by the window the view is really panoramic up and down the river. They throw in the ice cream dessert. Great place for kids.

Open your mind a bit. OSF is a fun place to get filled up.

Pros: A great facility, a good family feel, you wont leave hungry

Cons: sauces are not all that flavorful

Posted 03/29/08

Im writing in response to sonjalala. you know sonjalala stop being RUDE you'll get treated NICELY by the way if you decide you want to talk to the owners of the spagetti factory go back the portland oregon one because its a family that owns every one of those and they at that one because its there headquarters and it is where they test out new recpies on the customers.

Pros: Everything

Posted 07/08/07

The waitstaff were very friendly and hard working. We arrived early so were lucky enough to get a great river view table. However, we were very disappointed with the food. My spicy sausage and penne had absolutely no spice (or flavor) and basically tasted like the bland tomato sauce. My mother's salmon was not fresh tasting and the pasta with it was soaking in oil. Although prices are fair, it was not such a great deal considering we left the majority of our food. The only thing we really liked was the fresh bread.

Pros: Great view, ambience, service

Cons: Below average food-no flavor

Posted 06/14/07

I went with my father, and honestly, I don't know what is so great about this place. It was incredibly noisy with screaming kids everywhere and there were no partitions among the room, just one big, open space that only magnified the noise, and we were there early! The chicken dinners were not good, either. My chicken was very dry and the sauce tasted like it came from a can, something that I could make at home easily. My father's chicken meal had no taste and looked poorly prepared. The food presentation was non-existent, almost like they threw it on a plate and didn't care. Our server never came back to refill our drinks, only to ask if we wanted the free dessert (and come on, no chocolate flavor?) I was very disappointed, and good luck getting a table with a nice view of the river!

Pros: Cheap enough, free dessert

Cons: Horrible, canned-tasting food, noisy, crowded ALL THE TIME

Posted 12/05/06

I am/ have been a fan of the Spaghetti Factory for quite some time, and find it quite amusing to see what people have to comment regarding OSF. The bottom line is that you get what you pay for there; the meal is quality, the servers are friendly (and work their tails off!) in addition to a beautiful view. There are plenty of restaurants offering genuine Italian cooking in an intimate atmosphere but when it comes to finding a family environment, with reasonably priced meals and Americanized-Italian, it really doesn't get better than OSF.

Pros: parking, alfredo with 1/2 tomato sauce, beautiful restaurant

Cons: crowded at times

Posted 11/07/06

I went here for dinner on my birthday, and it is a beautiful place. The windows and chairs are very traditional for the Italian setting. There is also an upstairs area too for private parties. Everything tasted really good, and we didn't wait too long. The servers were nice and not too overbearing and not checking up too frequently. Everyone who went was happy.

Pros: Great food, beautiful environment

Cons: Often crowded, main room feels cluttered

Posted 11/02/06

This is a nice place, and I have been a faithful customer for about 10 years. Aside from good food and service, watch out for a fat little blonde woman who is usually in a pink shirt. She is a manager, and I'm quite dissapointed that OSF would be so reckless to hire someone of this nature. She wears an overly happy facade of hospitalty, but it is easy to see through that facade that she is a prime example of the greedy corporate scumbag. For some terrible reason my family and I have had the inconvenience of meeting with this lady the past two visits to the OSF. Last night was the very last. She greeted my family and I with a most fake and insincere greeting, as expected. But then she had the nerve to bend down and get 2 inches from my 3 year old boy's face and say "And who are you?" He was frightened by this and hid behind my wife with a look of concern and confusion on his face. I asked politely, how long will it be before we are seated. We were the only ones in the lobby. She blaitantly ignored my question and greeted another guest who walked into the restaurant. My wife, apalled by this said "excuse me, my husband just asked you a question, and you ignored him"
She said with a fake smile and hostile eyes "You just wait here OK?", and then she hastily began to make her way into the kitchen. On her way back out to the dining room, an employee stopped her and asked a question regarding clocking-in for work. She said "hold on sweetie" ignoring his question and then proceeded to stand at the hostess desk gossiping with a hostess, leaving the employee standing there looking like a fool. Apparantly, she doesn't care about her employees either. 15 minutes later we were seated. The food and service were good. But at the end of our meal, I was not surprised to hear the fat pink lady badmouthing my family to another manager. Never coming back

Pros: good service while eating

Cons: the fat lady in the pink shirt

Posted 10/06/06

What more could you ask for? The river view and cool decorations make the ambiance. Yes, it's loud and crowded, but it's all part of the charm. If you're an uptight gourmet foodie expecting classic Tuscan dishes, go to Tuscany. This place offers Americanized Italian food, and it's delicious. The spaghetti and myzithra is TO DIE FOR. The house pesto dressing is good enough to drink--order your salad's dressing on the side and dip your bread in it.
Be prepared for a wait and your servers to be high school kids, but also be prepared for great pasta at a great value.

Pros: Great pasta, great value

Cons: Long waits

Posted 07/18/06

The atmosphere is pretty nice, the food on the other hand needs some life. Their brown butter spaghetti lacks life and needs even less salt. Their basic meat sauce spaghetti tastes like it came out of a can, if you like mall food in a nicer setting this place is for you. I got a double shot of gin once that was less than two fingers and it cost $15. Needless to say, that put me a bit off on the whole place. Why the hell would anyone hire a bartender who hasn't started shaving yet? Granted, I was once one too but hey I knew how to pour a stiff drink.

Pros: atmosphere

Cons: food

Posted 06/06/06

restaurant about 4 times in the last 10 years.

All I can say is....

If you don't have taste buds, GO FOR IT!!! Otherwise, you would be better off opening a can of spaghetti "O"s.

Not recommened!!!!

Pros: Waterfront, Waterfront, Waterfront

Cons: Food, Food, Food

Posted 05/15/06

If you enjoy consistency at the places you dine, with beautiful furniture and a waterfront view,
this place has it. Their friendly service is also a plus.
The food is flavorful and well cooked.
I recommend having the pesto dressing with your salad.
The complimentary bread is fresh and usually hot, and it is served with butter and garlic butter.
Although the wait to be seated can be as much as 25 minutes, I think the total value is worth it.

I would rate this restaurant 8.0
-Buono Appetito
Christo Del Bistro

Pros: Good parking, friendly staff, full bar

Posted 11/27/04

I decided to give the joint a second try and was just as dissatisfied. Though we were seating quickly and our server seems genuinely attentive, our service was horrible. We had to ask for ice water and utensils and our food came BEFORE our salads. No refills on coffee or soda were offered. I would not recommend this place.

Pros: Seated Quickly

Cons: , Mediocre Food, Over-rated

Posted 09/30/04

OK, so this isn't an upscale joint but it is a great place for a good dinner. The food might not be authentic italian food but it tastes great and it is a 3 course meal for an affordable price. The hostesses aren't the sharpest tools in the shed, and usually need an adult to help get things organized, but once you get to your table the service is good and there is a great view. If you take the time to relax you might actually enjoy it!

Posted 07/29/04

This place is awesome. I don't understand all this complaining about the food. The browned butter and mizithra is to die for! And it's a 3 course meal for about $7! And yeah, sorry, you are going to have to wait pretty much wherever you go so calm down. Stop complaining and maybe you'll enjoy yourself.

Pros: Food, Good value

Posted 07/04/04

Ok, this is the place to either have an enjoyable lunch (view and all) OR take your family (with yound children) for a nice little dinner in town. It is mildly entertaining to read the tales of people who may think this is the place to take your date or that, in fact, it offers "haute" cuisine...People, do your homework BEFORE going to a restaurant and you'd rarely be disappointed...As for the genius who thought OSF should offer authentic Italian cuisine, perhaps he/she thinks "French Toast" comes from France, too...Oh, well!

Pros: Kid Friendly, Easy Parking, Inexpensive

Cons: , Crowded

Posted 04/30/04

I remember when going to the Old Spaghetti Factory was fun and good - oh wait it never really was good, just cheap.
Unfortunately the wife and I got $50 gift certificate for our wedding (from my dope of a cousin) but we decided to make the best of it.
The Spag. Fac has a great location and view but that is it. Average server is aged 17, sweet but inept. The place is a mess. Kids are running amok and parents in tank tops drink their beer and could care less.
The food. Well inedible. Just bland and no potential to be anything other than Chef Boy R Dee out of the can.
We're using the left over $25 at the bar.

Pros: view

Cons: food, uncontrolled kids, service

Posted 08/29/03

I've been to this location on many occasions and was very interested in the place when I was growing up as a kid. The service has declined and so has the quality of it's food. It's ironic that the establishment goes so far to portray lavish decorations and an aesthetic interior space, only to find sub-par delectables and a poor wait staff. Go here if you have kids that need to be entertained and not much money.

Pros: Nice decor, Good atmosphere, Wonderful view

Cons: Slow seating, Low quality food, Deceiving building

Posted 07/03/03

We were rerouted to the spaghetti factory after finding out that the restaurant we intended to go to had closed. When we arrived, we waited at LEAST 15 minutes, even though there was NO ONE else waiting, and over half of the tables were empty (this was particularly annoying since we had walked 2.5 miles to get there because we were told that it was close). After being seated, the service improved. The menu selection was pretty bleak (at least for vegetarians). The food was mediocre at best. The pasta was served in a clump, and there really wasnt enough sauce. But the bread was good. Though. In all honesty, the prices arent that fabulous compared to many other downtown restaurants. I highly recommend La Terraza/Pasta Veloche over TOSF. Their prices are similar, but your food is fresh, flavorful, and overall fabulous. And I havent EVER had to wait there!

Pros: Good bread, Atmosphere

Cons: mediocre food, mediocre service, selection

Posted 06/27/03

Overpriced for what you get. Cheap spagetti, bread that is too hard to cut and one cup of coffee.

A bunch of young trainees that don't know how to serve the public.

Pros: Cheap

Cons: small portions of mea, Inexperienced servers, Noisy

Posted 02/07/03

TOSF offer novelty and decent food, however, it's just not the same as it used to be. Am I getting wiser or just growing old? I sure feels like things are going down hill for my taste, but kids sure like it (I think it's atmosphere). It's just that I don't enjoy dining out when the food is worse than what I can make at home...or something like that. The TOSFs in CA were little better, especially the one in DT San Jose.

Pros: Ambience, Kid friendly

Cons: decreasing quality

Posted 12/20/02

Great value for the money, the pasta dishes are adequate, certainly tasty. OSF is best enjoyed with a group of 4 or more, kids really seem to love it.

Posted 12/05/02

This is about the best restaurant for small and a little bigger children. The staff is very good, very patient with all - good training. Adults should not complain about the food (the lasagna is a comfortable choice) since that is not the point unless there is a serious monetary challenge and then it's quite suitable.

Pros: parking, cheap for what you ge, child proof

Cons: hard to find, downscale food

Posted 11/21/02

I felt the food was alright. However, the entire experience wasn't worth the amount i was charged for a variety of reasons.

Posted 11/17/02

Why don't they just call it the Old Ragu Spaghetti factory? This is about as Italian as I am. In other words, not at all. Get a clue people.

Pros: Uh...garlic bread?

Cons: overpriced food, overpriced drinks, lack of flavor

Posted 11/15/02

Good cheap eats, but best food in town? Not bloody likely. Get what you pay for-

Posted 11/13/02

My kids always enjoy sitting in a trolley car. Food is always good. Prices are even better. Menu items can vary but prices are always the same. Honolulu to Seattle or Tacoma to San Jose, you can always count on the value. The Portland site on the river is my favorite. My advice is to try something new every time.

Pros: Inexpensive, Great food, Interior amenities

Cons: Busy sometimes, Large group seating

Posted 11/09/02

Sure, the building inside and out is very picturesque, what with its Wilamette river location and all, but usually I don't go to restaurants just for the scenery. Well, sadly, that's all I got here. The food tasted like it came out of a Chef Boyardee can, the portions were very wee compared to the price. After seeing the building, and before I tried the food, I wanted my wedding reception here, but after trying the food and prices I ducked out and had it at Izzy's instead. Go to Antonio's in Oak Grove if you want Authentic Italian food.

Pros: Great river view, lots of seating, ample parking

Cons: food, pricing, portion size

Posted 10/09/02

Cute, relatively inexpensive place to eat on the water... but great food? Can't say so... chain restaurants just don't cut the ten best list.

Posted 10/03/02

The only good thing I can say about this restaurant is that it is inexpensive and kid-friendly.
The pasta is pre-cooked and sticky/slimy, sauces were very mediocre at best. Salad dressing was not good, obviously not made on the premises.

I used to love this restaurant 20 years ago. The food was good and it was cheap. Now it is just cheap, and for the quality I would rather get a burger at DQ.

Posted 10/02/02

the audience nominees for such "best of" surveys are always embarassing, but Old Spaghetti Factory? I have to say I haven't dined specifically at the Portland outpost of this crappy chain, but surely its food and schtick are consistently lame coast to coast. If you want cheap Italian, can't you make it to a la buca or something? Or that great new pasta bar on Broadway? Old Spaghetti Factory is SO BAD. So bad.

Pros: none

Cons: slimy food, lame schtick, lifeless chain

Posted 10/02/02

The decor of the restaurant is GREAT. They have very reasonable prices for lunch, although the portions are on the small side. They have great service and great food. I would recomend the creamy pesto dressing for the salad. This is a great place to hold a birthday party for adults Overall it is a very nice restaurant.

Pros: Creamy pesto dressing, Decor, Speed

Cons: portion sizes/prices

Posted 09/17/02

Very casual Italian dining; great for groups or families with kids. So-so food at a good value.

Posted 09/03/02

The Old Spaghetti Factory has wonderful food at reasonable prices. They always have good service and the decor is interesting without detracting from the experience. The one downtown even has a river view. What could be better?

Pros: reasonable price, food, service

Cons: sometimes crowded

Posted 08/09/02

I enjoy the river view and walkway more than anything else. Not the greatest pasta in the world, but what do you expect for $6? And that INCLUDES salad or soup, bread, ice cream and soda or coffee. Overall great value, good place for kids, mediocre service, decent drinks, can be very crowded and very loud.

Pros: Good value

Cons: Crowded=Long waits, Loud

Posted 08/06/02