Sugo — Restaurant in Toronto

I have visited Sugo twice over the past few years and while my first experience was great, my last experience was by far the worst experience that I've ever had in a restaurant. To start, a male worker told us we would have to wait for a table, so we gave him our phone number and waited around 15 minutes which was fine. The male worker then called us by phone to confirm that our table was ready. However, at the door, he told us to go back outside. He then refused to let us in and told us we still needed to wait for our table, contradicting what he had just said on the phone minutes prior. Patiently, we waited approximately 15-20 minutes more outside while he let several walk-in customers go in before us. Finally, we were seated and, after what felt like forever, we were greeted and then served. Not only did my plate of food come with a hair in it, but the same male worker who refused to let us in after calling us, came to "clean the window" and sprayed an unknown chemical solution all over my face, food, and drink - somehow without appearing to notice what he did. Completely traumatized, I was unable to speak out of shock and fear of whatever chemicals I must have just been doused in. My friend politely told our waitress what happened, she apologized, removed the meal from my bill, and brought out a new dish. At this point, I was unable to eat as my day had been effectively ruined and my appetite was gone, but I remained seated while my friend finished her meal. Naturally, I was on guard for the male worker (or any other worker for that matter) who might return to spray more chemicals. I cannot say for certain whether or not I was targeted, but given that I was the only patron sprayed, the only part of the window that needed cleaning was the part near me, and my prior encounters with the same male worker had been very strange - I can absolutely say that it was highly suspicious. Everything about his behaviour was odd. I have no idea why a worker would decide to clean windows while patrons are dining - furthermore, why or how he would aimlessly and obliviously spray an unknown chemical solution at a patron and their food and drink. To make matters worse, the restaurant still charged me for my drink. Not only could the window cleaning have waited until we left, but I find it truly hard to believe that he was completely unaware that he had sprayed me instead of the window. I can assure you that I do not look anything like a glass window. Horrible experience, I will never return and I will tell everyone that I know to avoid...

Stepping into Sugo Italian feels like a trip to a classic Italian neighbourhood in New York, but right here at home. The restaurant’s atmosphere is warm and inviting, and you can tell a lot of care has gone into the design, including that fascinating wood oven! It's so cool that the owners have a special connection to it—using bricks from their old school is a quirky and unique touch that adds to the charm of the place.

We were lucky to have a fantastic server who was attentive, friendly, and really knew their stuff. The menu offers a great selection, and it was hard to choose with so many delicious-sounding options.

We ended up ordering a few different dishes to share, and we were not disappointed.

The Spaghetti Bolognese was a true classic. The sauce was rich and flavourful with a perfect balance of meat and sauce, and it was generously topped with cheese. A solid 9/10!

The Pesto Cream Spaghetti was another hit. The sauce was aromatic and velvety, clinging perfectly to the al dente pasta. Absolutely delicious and a definite 9/10.

The Margueretta Street Pizza was a little bit of a surprise. While the cheese and sauce were plentiful, the sauce was a bit on the sour side for my taste. Still, it was a solid 8/10.

However, the pizzas that truly stole the show were the Mama's Mushroom and the Vinny Massimo. The Mama's Mushroom with its delightful mix of mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and dollops of ricotta was absolutely divine—a perfect 10/10!

And the Vinny Massimo—with its pepperoni, mushrooms, jalapeños, and garlic—was hands down one of the best pizzas I’ve had in the city. The slightly crispy pepperoni was a fantastic touch, adding a great texture. Another perfect 10/10!

Final Thoughts If you're looking for a casual and delicious Italian meal, Sugo is a must-try. The food is incredible, the staff are wonderful, and the service is top-notch. Just remember that they don't take reservations, so it's first-come, first-seated. It’s the perfect spot to grab some friends and treat yourself to an...

I don’t get to experience Sugo very often, but when I do, I’m never disappointed.

I’m always curious about their specials. I recently had the spaghetti carbonara which was excellent, and I’m always keeping my eye out for the lasagna! Whenever the specials might not be appealing to me, my regular menu go to is the rigatoni or spaghetti, and always a garden salad.

The food quality is consistently fresh, delicious, and well prepared.

The service is pleasant and sometimes direct, which I appreciate because I understand that they’re never not busy. It’s for this reason that I always arrive prepared to order by reviewing the menu and checking their social media in advance of any intention to dine in.

The atmosphere is a broad blend of restaurant sounds and ambience music, a vibe that is not for everyone, luckily they do offer take out which is an excellent alternative. If it’s a nice day, bring an outdoor blanket, hop on the subway for 1 or 2 stops westbound and go have a picnic in beautiful High Park!

To be clear, this is a very small establishment who seems to get a lot of flack in the one star reviews here about wait times and their no reservations policy, which they are reasonably upfront about. No reservations allow for fairness for all guests, also no-show reservations can be very disruptive to a business. Sugo should never have to be apologetic about their no reservations policy, ever.

There was one time when an item was missing from our takeout order and we didn’t realize until we were all the way home 15K away. We called Sugo and they were very apologetic and went above and beyond to correct the error.

I would also like to point out that in the 5+ years that I’ve been following Sugo’s social media, I have noticed that they do contribute to their community by donation of time and food, for example, they made many prepared meals for front line workers during the pandemic, and I believe they have made donations to food...