The Kouzzina — Restaurant in Greater Sudbury

4 of us ate here the evening of April 18th. We frequent another local restaurant but wanted something different this time, as it was a special occasion.

Service was amazing. We were greeted quickly and sat right away. Our server was very friendly, funny, and the right amount of attentive. She was patient while we waited for the other 2 to join us.

The table we were sat at was so dark that we all had to use our phones to see the menus. None of us are over 50, so our eyes are not that bad yet. It was just extremely dark. The table was near the bathrooms, in a spot that in a way made it look like it didn't belong there.

My wife had a chicken caesar salad. She didn't think much of it, but the chicken was cooked nicely. She said it was lacking flavour (needed more dressing maybe?). I had the special, which was a bone-in version of the signature dish from their regular menu, chicken asiago al forno. The chicken was dry. So dry that I was wishing there was a lot more mushroom marsala sauce to dip it in. I looked at photos others have posted and found one of this dish, it had at least 4 times the amount of sauce I had on my plate. The stuffing was bitter and underwhelming. I think it lacked cheese, but it was too dark to really see. I felt the chicken and stuffing lacked salt. The veggies were cooked nicely, I enjoyed them. The potatoes (the reason I got the special) were extremely delicious. Those need to go on their regular menu. Like damn.

I didn't say anything that night because we were there with friends and didn't want to make things awkward. That's on me. I've been (infrequently) coming to this restaurant for over 25 years. I've never had a meal that disappointed me, but I can't recall having a meal that made me want to rush back again. We will be back. As long as the next experience is better I will make a point of updating my review. But it's not like this 3 star review will make a difference in the high rating this restaurant has!

It would be nice if the restaurant carried a dark beer on tap. A stout would be great, but even a porter or brown ale would...

Pro A TON of parking is available Staff was friendly

Con Prices are not worth the quality of the food Very slow service Menu is very limited

I had low hopes going into Pat and Mario's as the last time I went almost six years ago, the experience was uneventful.

So, I decided to try again. The parking lot is large which is great and the staff were pretty friendly. Getting a table was quick, even for a Friday night when the place was packed. That is about when the positive atmosphere ended.

We got asked what we wanted as beverages very quickly - which was great. However, it took almost twenty minutes to just get those beverages and to order our food. Add another thirty minutes to get our food after we ordered. Very slow.

The options are very limited as well. Either you get steak that starts at $38, a pasta dish like spaghetti or cappeletti that is about $20 or a salad. Not wanting to pay $38 for a steak I chose a simple Spaghetti and Meatballs dish.

Now, lets remember that with these prices, a $19 Spaghetti and Meatball dish should include a bread and a sauce that would be delicious. Nope. No bread. Meatballs that were good, although tasted about the same as the ones you get at Superstore for $10 in a gigantic bag. The sauce - this is where this review loses all my 'positive' energy - was watery, and no better than a store bought can of tomato sauce. No spices. No additional cloves or garnish to enhance taste. Just a watery mess on $0.50 Spaghetti. Shamefull, really.

I will not eat here again, unfortunately. My experience years ago was sub par, and this current experience was just as bad. I would suggest East Side Mario's - which costs about the same, but you get better tasting food and ayce salad/soup/bread. For a better 'real' restaurant experience, I would try Gusto's. They are similarly priced, however offer much much better food (the pasta is delicious), sauce that has taste and is not watery and options if you don't want to pay as...

So glad we decided to eat here for our one night in Sudbury!

For a large, busy place this was cozy and inviting. The hostess was very friendly and real, not that typical phony welcome you get from chain restaurants. We asked for a quiet booth and we were accommodated.

Our server Greg was perfect! Attentive, friendly, knowledgeable and he offered awesome drink and meal suggestions that did not disappoint, without any sense that he was trying to upsell us. He’s probably the main reason we’ll be back next time we’re in Sudbury!

The drinks: Lisa had The Kouz martini, and she was VERY happy with it! Perfectly concocted without being too sweet or overpowering. “I could have five more of these if I didn’t have to drive!” Ha! I had the white sangria, which was so refreshing and tasty! I had a second one for dessert.

We started with a Caesar salad for Lisa and the calamari for me. Both were great to begin our meal with. For mains Lisa had the cheese cappelletti with chicken. Amazing sauce, beautifully cheesy and the perfect portion. The added chicken provided a nice contrast to the cheesiness of the cappelletti. I had the Chicken Diavola which came highly recommended by Greg. Man, he made the perfect choice for me! The sauce had a perfect level of spice (I like spicy food and like Greg said, probably a 5/10 on the spice scale). The chicken was juicy and flavourful, while the bed of wild rice and side vegetables were a lovely complement to the dish.

For dessert we shared a vanilla cheesecake with carrot cake chunks, caramel drizzled on top and on the plate. Sweet ending to a superb dining experience!

Greg’s attention and service was timed perfectly. There was never an empty glass of water nor an empty plate lingering at the table. The owners of Kouzzina should consider him their ultimate ambassador and a gem of a team member! Thank you, Greg, for a memorable night out! As I said to the manager as we walked out, “You be Beethoven,...