Lago Pasta — Restaurant in Chelan

I have to ask: has there been a change in ownership here since the summer? This used to be my go-to spot for pasta, but tonight’s experience was a total letdown.

First, the service was shockingly bad. The girl who took our order couldn’t have looked more uninterested if she tried—it felt like she just wanted to leave. Then, a heavier-set blonde woman who served us was rude and clearly annoyed by our presence. This was such a drastic change from the warm, attentive team I remember from earlier in the year. What happened?

And the food? Nothing like it used to be. When I mentioned my pasta was grainy and way too chewy, they just argued it was “al dente,” which only tells me they don’t know what that actually means. We tried four different pasta dishes, and all of them were seriously lacking. There was barely any meat, the seasoning was flat, and the flavors were just nonexistent.

I can’t help but wonder if this place is under new management. The owner I met over the summer seemed really committed to his restaurant, so I’m surprised he’d keep on staff that seemed so checked out and unfriendly. And the food quality? It’s like a different restaurant entirely. This wasn’t just a bad meal—it was disappointing to see a place I loved drop in...

Taking off a star because there was no toilet paper in the bathroom, no protein options except pork sausage, sold out of lasagna, and sold out of bread (but somehow the people behind us walked out carrying a full loaf?!?). The staff acted nice and the atmosphere was relaxed casual. The super freshly prepared pasta tasted delicious (so much so that I would have given a full 5 stars otherwise) but seemed like it would benefit from having more ingredients to eat with it. The entirety of the pasta dishes are only pasta with sauce and the entirety of the salads are only lettuce with dressing. As a result, I got the very strong sense that the intention of this pasta market is as a place for locals to pick up pasta to-go as a component in whatever lunch/dinner they plan on fixing at home in their own kitchen instead of the chefs wanting it to be a destination for tourists to sit down for a...

If I could give it 6 stars, I would. I’ve never had an experience quite like this before.

You order inside off of a very limited menu. They are very intentional about their items of the week. My fiancé and I chose the pomodoro and the vodka sauce (added pork sausage)

The pomodoro was fresh and light. It was over fusilli. The bright tomato flavor with the black pepper on top was delightful. The pasta itself was cooked a little north of al dente, which is perfect with fresh pasta.

The vodka sauce was with radiatori. This shape had a bit more thickness, which held up nicely to the creamy tomato sauce.

The outdoor seating was great. Nice tables and good shade. Quiet and away from the roads. We each enjoyed a nice can of Italian soda.

Both my fiancé and agreed that it was the best fresh pasta we...