The Old Spaghetti Factory

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 more

Mmm... Mizithra Cheese a la Homer... Lots of food for not much money. And a faked out Bionic Six reference in the parking lot... and here I thought... more

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 more

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 more

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 more

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 more

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"" \r 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 more

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.\r 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 more

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 more

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 more

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 more

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 more

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! more

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 more

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 more

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 more

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 more

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 more

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 more

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 more