The Old Spaghetti Factory

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2801 Elliott Ave
Seattle, WA 98121

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(206) 441-7724
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The Old Spaghetti Factory - Seattle, WA
Reviews
( 4 )
( 8 )
( 5 )
( 6 )
( 4 )

Best

The Old Spaghetti Factory is quick to become a family favorite because their service is fast, friendly and their food is delicious. Adult...

Worst

I have patronized this restaurant as well as the one in Tacoma, WA. Both restaurants serve very mediocre to poor quality tasting food. I mean, afterall, is it Mrs. Smith's second ...

Convenient with Kids 1/5/2013

The Old Spaghetti Factory is quick to become a family favorite because their service is fast, friendly and their food is delicious. Adult... more
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A fun place to eat for years upon years. 1/1/2012

This is a quirky pasta place in an old building that provides a good meal at a remarkable price. This is not a gourmet Italian restaurant so I'm a bit confused by some of the other reviews. Were you confused when you walked into the giant red brick warehouse? There are lots of great snooty Italian places to eat in Seattle but there aren't a lot of novelty fun places to eat. This is one of the remaining ones. The location is a bit difficult because of parking but if you are able to find a parking place in the lot, or one near the railroad tracks where the train won't crush your car, then you're going to have a good meal at a good price that is more fun than three of the snooty places all together. Finish it off with some Spumoni ice cream and you're set. (My favorite is the spaghetti with browned butter & Mizithra cheese with a side order of meat sauce). more
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Busy but quick! 11/26/2010

We brought our daughter here for her birthday and found the place just as charming as it was back when it first opened in 1969. I couldn't possibly eat all my dinner so I took it home and had it for lunch the next day. It was so tasty! The service was quick and efficient. Nice clean bathrooms with a stall just for the little ones! more
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Great Family Restaurant 9/14/2008

I am sad to see so many poor reviews of the Old Spaghetti Factory. It is true that the wait can be lengthy but if you take 30 seconds to call the restaurant about an hour before you plan to arrive you will be put on a waiting list, and when you do arrive your wait is usually five to ten minutes. There are many options on the menu and the price includes your drink (refills are free on soda and iced tea), bread, Minestrone soup or a salad, your main entree and dessert. The setting is very warm and comforting and there is a great view of the Seattle waterfront. The restaurant is family friendly and kids will love the trolley, which you can sit and eat in. Service is always friendly and surprisingly speedy considering the size and popularity of the restaurant. You could find better Italian food in Seattle but you won?t find a better price, ambience or location. Pros: location, ambience, service, price Cons: parking, wait can be lengthy if you don't call ahead more
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Why would you ever want to eat here!? 5/13/2008

-The sauce comes from a can and lacks any flavor, about the same quality as a high school cafeteria. more
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An enjoyable experience.............in spite of what I read here. 3/21/2008

After reading some of the reviews below, my wife and I were a bit apprehensive. We were therefore surprised at what an enjoyable evening we had. The service was excellent...prompt and polite. We enjoyed the cheese bread and our meals. The atmosphere was cozy....very clean and picturesque. A dessert (icecream) and beverage were included with the price. We will definitely return. more
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Mediocre to Poor 11/23/2007

I have patronized this restaurant as well as the one in Tacoma, WA. Both restaurants serve very mediocre to poor quality tasting food. I mean, afterall, is it Mrs. Smith's second grade class cooking in the kitchen because that is how it tastes in my mouth!! The food is bland, uncreative, and not far from something I can make from a jar. Also, I do not care if the dessert is part of the overall dinner order....it had FREEZER BURNS on the ice cream. If you want atmosphere, this restaurant has it, but if you want something better than what your kids get when they buy school lunches, then go elsewhere. Pros: Atmosphere, decor Cons: Entree, salad, dessert more
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GREAT food but... SAW A MICCE HERE! 7/13/2007

Couple of friends and I went to this place couple months ago and while we were waiting for our food we saw this rodent crawling across the wooden floors. We told the waiter there but he brushed it off like he didn't even hear us. Pros: good service, spaghetti is great. good portions - no need to order the hearty meal Cons: see the review... more
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Bring the kids. 11/20/2006

This place is the best for families! Even the pickiest eaters should find something they like on the kids' menu (mac-n-cheese, applesauce, spaghetti). And parents have a variety of standard Italian dishes to choose from. The atmosphere is noisy and enthusiastic. On weekends and during the summer (tourist) months, the wait can be extremely long. But there is an active train track that travels alongside the restaurant to help entertain young train enthusiasts. The best part? You will leave with some money in your pocket. Pros: Value. Family-oriented. Cons: Wait more
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Not impressed 11/16/2006

I heard for a long time that this was a good place to eat. So when I went with some ppl, I was surprised at the quality of this restaurant. I had spaghetti and tasted some of my friend's food too...it wasn't all that great. The salad also was unimpressive. I mean, how can you mess up spaghetti? The place was extremely busy and it took us a very long time to be seated (we had a very large group and had previously made reservations). The waitress was nice, but I was not impressed by the experience at all. Pros: Kid friendly Cons: food wasn't good more
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An Institution 10/25/2006

I;ve been coming here for longer than I can remember, and its always the same story. Huge portions of predictable pasta served by eager servers in a bustling dining space. The food isn't fantastic, but its certainly affordable, a definite family favorite. Pros: Service, Value Cons: Crowds, Food Quality more
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Good value 9/29/2006

If you are near the waterfront and don't want to spend a fortune, the Spaghetti Factory is the place to go. You may have to wait awhile because the Factory is always crowded. Most times the wait is about 30 minutes, it looks like it will be longer but they move a lot of people through there. The food and service are good, the price is excellent. A nice touch is the complimentary dessert ice cream. I like the spumoni. Pros: value Cons: crowded more
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Cafeteria Italian food 6/26/2006

Good ambiance, awesome location, awkward servers, gross food. Ick. To start, the lettuce in my salad was chewy & rubbery. Why would a restaurant knowingly serve OLD lettuce? They served us big hearty portions of lasagne and chicken marsala, but sadly it tasted like cafeteria food. Chef-boi-R-D, watch out! The one thing I did like was the set meal... Drink, salad, and icecream are included with the meal. That was the only redeeming thing. I was very disappointed and will not be going back. Pros: Location, Set meal price Cons: BAD italian food, weird waiters more
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Horrible 4/9/2006

I agree with the other review-how this place stays in business I have no idea. Service and Managers are horrible, and the food is bland. Why bother coming here when you can make your own spaghetti at home. HORRIBLE SERVICE HORRIBLE Managers. I politly complained to the manager and he ROLLED HIS EYES at me. I had to laugh this manager, and simply left, I will never understand why so many people love this place. more
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Taking Mediocrity to New Heights 1/13/2006

I can't figure how this chain manages to stay in business. While it's true the food is a few notches above Chef Boyardee, that's not saying much, is it? I have a couple friends who love OSF, resulting in annual, birthday-dinner visits. One thing this place has going for it, is its location. It attracts an overabundance of tourists in the summer; curiously, it's equally busy with locals in the winter. The teeming masses, packed like lemmings into the large waiting area, ALWAYS results in lengthy waiting times. Their reward? Over-cooked pasta, smothered under bland, luke-warm sauces. Perhaps the appeal is the overall atmosphere, which can be festive if you're with a big group or the reasonable prices. It's probably not as bad as I make it out to be, but it's certainly not a place I go to willingly. Go, if you must, but don't say you weren't warned... Pros: leaving, inexpensive Cons: waiting, food more
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Al Dente is not their way... 9/9/2005

If your not worried if your pasta is re-cooked (precooked pasta dumped in boiling water for a minute before serving) then your going to be a happy camper. Why is the pasta hard? Because its been sitting in a plastic cup for awhile. Why is my pasta watery? Because they didnt thoroughly shake the plastic container after pulling from the boiling water. Pros: Pot Pouri, Baked chicken, Lasagne Cons: Not Italian, Long waiting time, Stinks of cheese more
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Just Yuck 9/9/2005

I've gotten better pasta from a can. The sauce was wattery, just yuck. The value was good, but for gross food who really cares. more
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really great so-so 7/10/2005

Seattle is over the top with really great food, and much of it can be found right around the corner in Belltown. So why would anybody want to eat at this just so-so joint? Well, it could be that they do so-so really great! The out of towners with a fear of being force fed West Coast ""exotic"" food flock The Old Spaghetti Factory where they can count on same-o so-so fare. I like to snag a comfort food meal there sometimes myself - and I get the added comfort of knowing that my view of Elliott Bay is preserved as long as the Spaghetti Factory keeps slinging cheap pasta plates in a low rise building across the street from my condo! Ya just gotta try it. Really. Save my view! Pros: low rise building, comfort food, no "exotic" food Cons: whats not to like?, too many kids, by railroad tracks more
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Blah 6/17/2005

Very crowded restaurant with a longer than average seat time... the salad looked like it came straight from the bag at a grocery store.. the spaghetti wasn't all that great.. definately not what I expected from ""The Old Spaghetti Factory"". The atmosphere seemed like a 3ring circus with loud and obnoxious children as the main attraction. The wait staff was less than caring or attentive. I will not be going back to this establishment or be reccomending it to my friends or family Cons: blah food, loud, poor wait staff more
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A Good Experience 7/24/2004

Very much family-oriented with young, enthusiastic and friendly service for devotees of honest Italian food with generous portions------large crowds rewarded with exceptional value. Hey critics----you get the most authentic ethnic Italian in NYC. Pros: Value, Service, Friendly Staff more
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Menu for The Old Spaghetti Factory


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Our atmosphere is as inviting as our mouthwatering menu

Owner Message

  • For more than a generation, families and friends have been coming to The Old Spaghetti Factories, located across the United States, to enjoy our delicious food, charming atmosphere and friendly service. We invite you to dine amid fine antiques, collected from around the world, while savoring perfectly cooked pasta and spaghetti sauces, freshly made, using only the finest ingredients.

    The Old Spaghetti Factory has banquet rooms which are perfect for occasions like birthday parties, anniversaries, team sports events, company meetings, club gatherings, etc. Our rooms accommodate an intimate gathering of 25 up to a large party of 75 or more.

Editorial

  • The Old Spaghetti Factory is quick to become a family favorite because their service is fast, friendly and their food is delicious. Adult...

  • 8/28/2012 Provided by KidScore
Additional information
  • Hours: Sat-Sun 24 Hours, Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm
  • Payments: American Express, Master Card, Discover, Visa
  • Neighborhoods: Downtown, Belltown
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