Sfizio — Restaurant in Oakland

Was here a couple of months ago with two other people and then again this past Thursday. There was a line out the door on both occasions, one line for those with reservations and the other for walk-ins. We were lucky as 'walk-ins' and only had to wait 10-15 minutes each time. There is a full yet limited menu on the wall from which you order everything upfront at the front counter. On the menu there are three different pastas... 1-2 apps, 3 pastas and 2 desserts. Oh, and there is a decent wine menu too. They hand you drinks and then escort you to an available table. Note, they do not have waiters assigned to tables. They all work together which I found really efficient.

On my first visit, I ordered the spaghetti with meatballs. They were really good, moist, flavorful, and the pasta was clearly homemade and cooked al dente. It left a lasting impression, which is why I ordered it again on my second visit. The other two in my party ordered the other pastas and found them equally delicious. We each got to try a bite of the different pastas. On my second visit with a girlfriend, I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs again, however this time it was very disappointing... dry , salty and the noodles were overcooked. Not worth $16. Unfortunately, I hyped up the spaghetti and meatballs, and after one bite, we both knew it wasn't all that. (Both of us can make much better spaghetti and meatballs at home.) We also ordered the squid with garbanzo beans and fennel in a cilantro based sauce. The flavor was delicious. However, it was one small squid of maybe 3" in length. The table next to us also ordered the same for their appetizer and complained about the size of the squid, so the server brought them another piece. For $12, they should include two pieces of squid! For dessert, we ordered the baked apple served with whipped cream, and oatmeal clusters. That was probably the best of all three dishes.

The restaurant has maybe eight tables inside and 6 to 7 tables outside. It is cozy, and the music was good, but loud for a small venue. Unfortunately, we had an extremely loud guest sitting next to us where we could barely hear each other. That didn't help things!

One complaint I do have is when I ordered my iced tea at the front counter. I noticed that the person taking our order was touching all kinds of different surfaces and devices, and then proceeded to make my iced tea. He used his bare hands to grab ice along with a wedge of lemon and drop them in my glass. I immediately asked him to make another, but in the second attempt, he still used his bare hands to pick up the lemon. That was not a good start to our dinner! 🙄

All in all, would I return? Likely not. Food was inconsistent, and the spaghetti and meatballs are what they are known for. Also, better training when handling drinks with ice...

Food: Presentation was good! We ordered the panzanella, pappardelle and campanelle. Panzanella was solid and well-balanced. Pasta on the other hand - which was supposably the main draw - was uninspired, overcooked and didn't give me that emotional satisfaction of eating pasta.. Campanelle is such a beautiful shape, with lots of edges and a nice contrasting texture to contrast from the thick sauces it's usually served with, but Sfizio's campanelle was overcooked to the point it was texturally indistinguishable from the ricotta sauce it was served with. Even for the typical American preference for less al dente, I'd expect a restaurant that primarily serves pasta to at least ask if you'd prefer your pasta to have any texture or bite to it. Cocktails were solid.

Service: Servers were pleasant, if overworked and understaffed - at 6 pm on a Friday, there was already a line out the door. There's no information anywhere about how long the wait is for a table and servers seemed primarily occupied with serving food and drinks to tables as quickly as possible. You order at the register, which is fine, except it's a little unusual that the servers leave in the middle of you ordering to do table service for someone else. The service is honestly fine - it's not unusual for a new restaurant, and they clearly need more servers for the amount of dinner guests they'd like, but there's not really enough space for more servers.

Atmosphere: Inside, I could hear the table next to me more clearly than the person sitting across from me - it was nigh impossible to have a conversation, especially with the noise from the kitchen itself. If you had to eat here, I would recommend not getting a table near the kitchen/corners if possible. Space is cramped and decor is minimalistic. Could benefit from more soft surfaces to help absorb noise. It was completely packed at 6 pm - which is an hour after they open. It's a fairly chaotic space, servers & cooks will pass within 2 feet behind you (if you're not against the wall) constantly carrying food, drinks etc.

Photo: This pot was unattended for at least thirty seconds on my way out.. I don't know why, but I feel it's a good indicator of a kitchen that could use...

We were excited to try this place and thought it was interesting that noodle theory had been replaced by a pasta shop.

We were lucky and got a table immediately without a reservation (only take reservations for 5pm, rest is walk in). The woman at the register was kind and friendly, a little odd she took the order, payment (including tip) and handed drinks (wine) which we carried to our table. Food came, it was good and that night our pasta/texture was good ( I read it is hit or miss). We had no complaints about the food.

We would like to go back, but probably won’t. We felt very rushed. Yes, it is small, but we spent 30 min total from ordering, sitting, eating and leaving. I had finished (barely) and the wait staff took my plate before my partner was done (maybe two bites left)… asked about dessert 2 times in a couple of minutes and we told them we needed a little time & our conversation was interrupted multiple times in a very short period.

We decided to leave instead of getting another drink or dessert (which we had planned to do) bc of the rushed services & inability to even converse with each other. Dining (for us) is an experience and you tip accordingly… they get you here bc you tip before you sit down so now incentive to do more than the basics and rush you out so they can turn tables. I get that we are in a VHCOL. Maybe get some heat lamps for the outside tables to accommodate more ppl and the line out the door.

Although it didn’t taste or look like fast food, it felt barely a step up from a fast food dining experience.

Allow us to tip after the service… not when you place and pay for the order.

If you are going on a 1st date and just want a quick dinner without being rude and ghosting, this is a great choice for that. You can always choose to get drinks/dessert elsewhere (we did and were not rushed).

Even though this place is “reasonably priced” for the Bay Area, there are way better dining experiences that won’t rush you out when you’ve barely...