Fazoli's

In a word:  Cafeteria Italia (PLUS free breadsticks!)

The specs: #0175
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; tesg's review; Wikipedia entry; official web site;

Latest Fazoli's news and reviews at del.icio.us

Andrew ate the fettucine alfredo with garlic shrimp, broccoli, and tomato.
JM ate the ravioli.
John ate the ultimate sampler and original submarino.
Nichole ate the peppery chicken alfredo with a lemon ice.
Samantha ate the baked spaghetti and meatballs with a lemon ice.
The bill was $42, or $8.40/person.
John gave Fazoli's a B+; Nichole gave Fazoli's a B; JM gave Fazoli's a B-; Andrew gave Fazoli's a C- (see our grading rubric).

Ah, Fazoli's - once upon a time a jewel in the crown of an Eau Claire undergrad's dining options. These days it's still pretty good for speedy service, and we're still suckers for the free breadsticks. As always, good company made for a better meal.

JM ate his favorite dish again, but was a little less satisfied than prior trips.  Everything was OK to him but not great.  He does love the breadsticks, but we all agreed that they weren't coming fast enough.

Each dish in John's pasta sampler had a distinct flavor, which exceeded his expectations. The "submarino" had great toasted bread and good fillings, and there was enough left over for lunch.

Samantha, an expatriate Wisconsinite on furlough from NY (where, she reports, fancy restaurants give Wisconsin Cheddar a spot on the slab with gourmet cheeses from other continents) appreciated that there was enough cheese on the spaghetti. Would that she could say the same of the meatballs, of which there were just 3 smallish ones. The cheesecake was excellent, although pre-portioned, and turned out to be more chocolate than anything else.

Andrew was a little put off by the fact that the first thing he heard after coming through the door was the manager coaching the cashier on the importance of upselling to get her (the manager) a kickback laptop. Although Andrew described his fetuccine as just mediocre, Nichole was jealous of his vegetables. Sometimes she just doesn't think fast enough to order the right thing.

Overall, we agree that online reviewer tesg has it right: Fazoli's is just fine for chain Italian food - why would one ever pay more? Just watch out for brain freeze if you slurp your Italian Ice too fast.

Comments

[steve green]

I was a manager for three loooong years at Fazolis. It sucked. Mother Fucking breadsticks !!! I hate them I used to piss on the whirl we used to make the bastards with .

Fuck everyone who likes the things/

[steve green]

No, I did not piss on them actually. I take that back not to make people sick. But I want you to know that I HATE MAKING, SERVING, ANYTHING CLOSELY RESEMBLING A FUCKING FAZOLIS BREADFUCK STICK.

Go fuck yourself if you like those crap, fuck things AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kyle]

It's a good thing you were able to leave the job and move on with your life. Otherwise, you'd be a seriously disturbed and disturbing individual. Imagine what would have happened if you hadn't gotten out of that job? You'd be hung up on those breadsticks long after you left work. You might even seek out a forum in which to rant nonsensically about them!

Me, I tend to not like Fazoli's because I like my Italian food slightly more authentic than that.

[Kathy]

I worked for Fazolis also and loved the breadsticks! It was the way the management was treated that I didn't like. Pay is not enough and the Fazolis in Auburn Indiana is now closed That really sucks!

[Melissa]

i have worked at fazoli's for years now. and i have to say that that steve green guy really sucks. i mean, sure i hate making breadsticks but i don't flip out over it. it's my job. i choose to do so. get a grip man!! haha. the breadsticks are awesome, regardless. the fazoli's i work at is wonderful!! i work with awesome people who get along and don't worry about who's "upselling" to get stuff. that's just not necessary.

[Crystal]

Just wanted to say that I LOVE their breadsticks and that's what keeps me coming back. Glad I'm not a manager there, though.

[Elizabeth]

I just at Fazoli's for the first. I wanted something fast because we were leaving my new dog alone for the first time. I thought the food was fine for fast food. I don't expect much from fast food.

It tasted so much like Olive Garden...down to the bread sticks. It's a lot cheaper than Olive Garden. It brings me back to why would anyone go to Olive Garden? If you are going to spend Olive Garden money, there are many places that are so much better. If you want food that tastes like Olive Garden, why not go to Fazoli's?

[Sarah]

I worked at the Vincennes, IN Fazoli's for a couple of years. It was by far the grossest job I've ever had. Staff is horribly underpaid, understaffed, and they employ people in the "work-release" program. (Basically people who are still technically in jail, but can leave to work. They are in for a variety of charges. Most were harmless but there were some real sketchy ones for awhile.) Amy was a horrible, horrible manager and probably the most miserable human being I've ever met.

I agree with the above posts-FUCK THOSE FUCKING BREADSTICKS. Do you have any idea how bad they are for you? There's nothing that irritated me more than people asking for 8 more when they've already had 8. THIS IS WHY YOU'RE FAT.

[Kyle]

Sarah, if you knew how many places employ Huber inmates (that's the program in Wisconsin that allows jail inmates to have work release)...well, you'd be less likely to try to condemn Fazoli's specifically for hiring them, anyway.

Why does Fazoli's inspire its former employees to rant so ferociously? That's what I want to know.

/this job'd be great if it wasn't for the fucking customers.

[Carla]

Um... To all of you slightly psychotic ex-Fazolis workers:

It's fast food. It's all like that. Fazoli's isn't special. You weren't the only one who had a crappy manager. You weren't the only one who had to make a lot of food. They paid you. You were compensated. If you didn't like it, you could have quit. If you quit, you are probably happier. I assume the angrier ones got fired. I would have fired you.

I like Fazoli's. And I'm super-glad I never encountered any of you while I was there.