Famoso Italian Pizzeria - McKenzie Towne — Restaurant in Calgary

Have frequented this location many times in the past, and for good reason, however, our experience yesterday was outstanding to say the least. We decided to celebrate a mini high school reunion lunch at this Famoso location because I knew how enjoyable the experience would be at this particular location and also because McKenzie Towne is one of the my favourite, coziest spots in Calgary.

Called only a mere two hours ahead to make a reservation for 10 people at 2:00 PM, which I humbly understand was a bit too close and could have caused complications and undeserved stress on the staff, yet to our surprise our table was all set up and ready to go even when some of our party members arrived several minutes before 2:00 PM.

Who’s to thank for this you might ask? None other than our absolutely wonderful server Sandra. Right off the bat, her aura was notably welcoming and friendly. Due to how distracted I was in catching up with old friends that I haven’t seen in so long, I kept forgetting to look at the menu, so every few minutes when she would politely ask if I was ready to order, I would have to regretfully apologize to her and ask her to come back again in a few minutes, which was always returned with kindness and understanding - I cannot tell you how much I appreciated not only the sheer amount of patience Sandra possessed, but her ability to respond amicably, along with grace and laughter, that truly lightened the mood of our table when she deservedly could have reacted with frustration or annoyance.

When discussing menu items, she was super informative and her tips and suggestions were beyond appreciated when making decisions over food. She was very caring and attentive to our needs, so much so that while I was once again, too distracted in conversation, she would repeatedly serve our drinks and take away our finished dishes without me even noticing - and I normally think of myself as observant. Every single interaction between her and our table was not only efficient and almost stealth-like, but it was always dressed in a politeness, kindness, and friendliness.

Although I could be wrong, I believe it is worth mentioning that she also managed to accomplish all this and cater to our party of 10 while manning the entire front of house by herself - talk about a remarkable employee.

Cannot express how much I appreciate Sandra and the respect I have for her. Her friendly nature and welcoming aura will never go unnoticed. I hope she enjoys Calgary, perhaps even as much as Kelowna, and I am actively praying for success in all her future endeavours, to which I know will be greeted by her...

Our family went to this Famoso location tonight for a quick weekday birthday dinner, and was unfortunately quite disappointed, mainly with the service. Our server was a cheerful young lad who was pleasant, although he seemed very very new at the job. First off, he had no clue what the daily special was and seemed unfamiliar with the menu in general. My wife specifically asked what is the beer special on tap, to which he said Wednesday special is for wine only and not beer. We reminded him that the board at the entrance clearly states that the 16oz guest tap was on special, and he said oh yes, we have a IPA and a lager on special, so we order two IPA.

Generally wait times were long between everything, there was no gesture to refill the water. Appetizers were not brought out even after we started eating the main. We asked about the appy and was told that there was an error with the order, and it came not too long after. We also had to really try and get the server's attention to ask for another peer. This time we asked for two pints of the other larger on special. Because it is a birthday in the family, we were all in a good mood and didn't really mind these little details. However when the bill came at the end of the night my wife noticed that several items were rung in wrong, and we were charged about 30 something dollars more than we should. Partly it was because supposedly the menu prices had changed for an item, and the restaurant did not update their paper menu to reflect that. However the big mistake was that all 4 beers were charged as regular price instead of the daily special price. The server admitted that he had made a mistake, and would fix the bill for us. When the bill came the second time, it was still wrong, despite the manager giving a discount to reflect the discrepancy between the updated menu price. The issue is still with the beers. 2 beers were changed to the daily special, the other 2 remained at regular price, and we were charged 4x "pint upgrade". Remind me if I am wrong, but a pint = 16oz does it not? And why only fix half the mistake? At this point the server said that there is nothing more he can do about the bill because "it already went through the system". We did not feel like arguing on someone's birthday, so we just paid, tipped and left. This really left a bad taste in the mouth, while the food was good, the thought of having to go through such frustration just to get the right bill (and still fail to get the right bill in the end) will put us off from coming back. It seems Famoso has a lovely staff, but perhaps more training is...

Edit: While we do appreciate the offer extended to us by the manager, we will not be taking him up on his offer. I am always open to giving a place a second chance if the food was bad because it could have been an off day for the kitchen or maybe super busy. However a server like the one we had is inexcusable and leaves a bad taste for the place. We feel that going back under the pretense of "free" this or that with most likely guaranteed good service is an unfair representation of an average experience at this restaurant. My review stands it was good food and to others I wish you best of luck with your service.

This was my first time visiting a Famoso restaurant, visited during lunchtime with the group I was with. I was told the food was good and that they recommended it highly after their experience at a different location. Now i can say that the food was good crust was nice and sauce was tasty, however the food is where the good ended. We were seated by one delightful server but served by another who never introduced herself which is probably good for her sake in retaining her job. We are a group of non drinkers and when we ordered waters she gave this demeanor of oh your cheap not ordering drinks, which got even worse when a gift card was presented prior to ordering just to ask if she needed it before or after. After this start we got our water which was not even refilled once then she disappeared, she was not even the one who delivered our food! Then everything was cleared from the table, we sat that for a rather long time while the other server attended her tables frequently and attentively. While ours just kinda hung out at the bar twiddling her thumbs on her phone, till we went up and asked how we pay since she never came back.

Overall it kinda sucks cuz the food was good but the bad service really turned me off of even trying another location. I have heard the one downtown is better but I will not be visiting. The only reason at all that you are getting a 2 is from the food thats it.

Also if our server happens to see this just a little FYI for you. Check size doesnt guarantee a good tip! Your attitude, attentiveness, and overall level of service are what get you a tip. None of which you showed today with your judmental...