The Old Spaghetti Factory (Kelowna) — Restaurant in Kelowna

16th Oct 2024 - I rate this place down from 5 to 1 as the butter they serve is NOT REAL BUTTER. It's basically margarine disguised in the name of butter. I, as a consumer, expect transparency! If you mention the same, I wouldn't mind because then I can choose not to have it, but not letting the customer know is - cheating!!! Its called keeping the customer in the dark and feeding them with something so unhealthy. It's just a blend of canola and palm oils, which can not be termed as butter. The freshly baked bread and whipped butter they serve at the start is NOT REAL BUTTER you guys. Some of you wouldn't mind who regularly uses margarine, but I am sure it would be helpful for people like me who watch what they put into their bodies. Disclose it as people have the right to know!!

Everyone has shared their mixed reviews of liking or not liking the place, I will share my experience as well as the pics so that you know yourself what's in store for you when you visit. I visited this place twice, and both of the times, I genuinely liked the place. I always saw many people walking in, but i tried this place after 3 years. I always thought it wouldn't be good enough for me as I am not into restaurant made pastas and sphagettis. I usually make them at home. But the overall service with a variety of food options was great. You get the main dish, soup, ice cream, and tea/ coffee with all that falls under "It's all included" menu. They serve sourdough bread with herbed butter on every table. You can also get another one if you need it, free of cost. The same goes for ice cream and coffee. What a fulfilling experience, I don't believe any other restaurant does that, that too, with a smile. Everything was better in my case on my second visit from food to service, etc. 1st time, I upgraded my regular minestrone soup to clam chowder and second time to french onion. Both were good. On my visit for a kids meal we got 3 chicken pieces and on the second visit we ordered meatballs but they were out of it so we again got chicken and fries and this time we got 2 chicken pieces. My 2 main dishes were seafood linguine and penne chicken. They also add parmesan cheese on top until you tell them to stop✋️😊 I wouldn't recommend seafood linguine as it lacked seafood. It was more of noodles with marinara. Even most of the mussels added on top were empty. Penne with chicken, on the other hand, was good. With kids' meals, they include soup, drink, and ice cream, totally worth it. Our server Grace was very good. We also got a plate of steamed mussels, which was good. Overall, this place is value for money.

Visited again: They never judge you even if you order less food, always serve you with a smile. Friendly manager and staff. Food was lovely as usual, and the service by Stu...

My daughter was visiting from Red Deer and I was tired of cooking so we decided to go out for dinner. She loves pasta so it was an easy decision to attend here.

Let me start with the good things. Service was excellent (but they were not busy so who knows on a busier night). The "everything included" prices are a very good deal.

Now, on to the food. I have been to the Old Spaghetti Factory here, and in Winnipeg, Vancouver, and in Calgary over the many years. Maybe my memory is faulty, but the food in my opinion has definitley gone down hill. We both had ceasar salad and they were extremely miserly with the salad dressing -- you could barely taste it. She had linguine with alfredo sauce and seafood. It looked good and she said she enjoyed it. I had plain old spaghetti with meat sauce. How could you get this wrong? Hardly any meat in the sauce, not enough sauce compared to the amount of spaghetti and I have never in my life needed salt on this dish but the sauce was so bland I had to ask for salt and pepper so I could add some to the sauce. To top it off, I had to ask for the salt and pepper there was none on the table.

My favorite has always been the unlimited bread served with dinner. Once again, it was disappointing. Although it was warm, it was not hot how I remember it. And it was crumbly and flavourless, not at all how I remember it.

Next time we go out for pasta I think we will be looking for a new place to try.

EDIT: UPDATE to my recent review. Management reached out to me by phone today (two days after my original review above) and gave me apologies and promised to do better next. Some of my questions were answered satisfactorily as well. So perhaps my final review would not be as harsh as what I recently wrote. We'll give them another try some time...

NEW REVIEW! 5 more new stars to give! (Feb 14/25)...

This was very reasonable! Super reasonable. Good service too. So many complained as of late on how expensive it is out there and I listened to so much of that on different radio stns that V day can cost up and over $300! Where are they going! Spag Fac was a nice choice for today and I am glad I reserved as always way in advance. Many showed up randomly and were told that the wait was 45 mins or longer! I do not have that time to waste like that! Thanks OV 103.9 - That '70s Station and many others for making me laugh today when I heard your stories on $300 plus dollars for V day meals! Check out this menu at Old Spaghetti Factory and consider them for next yr!!

Older nice reviews below!

Been 5 yrs since reviewing Old Spag Fac I call it.

See below for my review from 5 yrs ago.

Jan 11/24 was tonight's visit... If you want good caring service and nice tasting food and with good prices, just head here! Stu and the owner are always good to us and to everyone else that we notice each time we are in. This is a top 5 choice for us in Kelowna! I just wished the tv could finally be a bit bigger to watch the Canucks. And to hear the music more or 5 stars for atmosphere and ambience too. (:

Review from 5 yrs ago... Easily one of my fave choices of all restaurants in the Okanagan. Attentive service, good quality tasting food at super reasonable prices. Always a good choice! Added...Nov 16, 2018...still a...