Fazoli's: It's Not Italian Fast Food

When most people think about really good Italian food, they tend to picture a fancy restaurant featuring mood enhancing lighting and a subdued decor, with typical mandolin music in the background. I like those places too, but sometimes you don't want to mortgage your house for dinner. That's where Fazoli's comes in. First, a bit of history.

Fazoli's began life in Lexington, Kentucky as Gratzi's in 1988, launched by Jerrico, the company that brought us Long John Silver's. Two years later the business, which had grown to several Kentucky locations, was purchased by the Seed Restaurant Group of Lexington, and they in turn sold to Sun Capital Partners in October 2006. Their motto is "Fast. Fresh. Friendly", and they live up to it. My family's favorite location, and there are now 380 in 32 states, is at 1333 Glassell St. in Orange, California. It's a stand alone store in a strip mall, but don't let that scare you away. As far as looks go, at first glance it's a typical fast food place. Upon entering, you have the obligatory "cattle trail" of cordons guiding you to a counter where you place your order. There lies your first surprise.

The menu board features a wide array of choices, some of which are not available at that upscale restaurant across town. Let me give you a sample. You can order several types of pasta, including spaghetti, ziti, ravioli, fettuccini, and lasagna. For those watching their weight, an assortment of salads is kept in an attractive display case. Choose from pasta salad made with light Italian dressing instead of the American style in mayo, garden, Caesar, grilled chicken, Italian Market, or chicken and pasta Caesar. If you're in the mood for a sandwich, Fazoli's selection is embarrassingly large and ranges from a classic Italian submarine with salami, pepperoni, ham, sausage, vegetables and mayo to three different Panini sandwiches.

A minestrone soup is available, as is a wonderful side order of meatballs and, of course, the eternal Italian favorite--pizza, by the slice or as whole pies. Fazoli's is kid-friendly as well, with special children's meals available with low-fat milk and a couple of dessert choices that will put a smile on the little ones' faces. Your order taker will be glad to hand you a sealed pack of four crayons along with a special leaflet made for coloring. There are always adequate supplies of booster seats and high chairs. Each restaurant in the chain features a slightly different decor. The Orange location has old fashioned baskets and kitchen instruments hanging from the ceiling, and the music varies. Sometimes you'll hear Italian songs, and other times 70s and 80s soft rock and pop. Seating is at either diner-style padded booths or wooden chairs around tables.

For those of you who have never been to Fazoli's, I heartily recommend what is known as The Ultimate Sampler. Priced at $6.49, it's a combination platter that will give you a good cross-section of their menu. The Ultimate has a generous serving of 6-layer lasagna, spaghetti, fettuccini, and ziti. The lasagna is superb, with tender wide noodles framing two layers of ricotta cheese, mozzarella, provolone, roasted garlic, and a zesty meat sauce. The spaghetti is covered with meaty marinara sauce. The fettuccini is topped with a smooth and tasty Alfredo sauce. The ziti is twice-baked and features a robust marinara sauce made with beef, sausage, mozzarella, and provolone. Some people won't be able to finish this hefty platter, so for them there is the Classic Sampler, a bit cheaper in price and with only the ziti missing.

Fazoli's offers their dine-in customers free drink refills at a self-serve island, so you can save a bit by ordering a smaller drink and replenishing it as needed. Another perk to eating in the restaurant is the constantly-roaming employee who comes by to give you limitless and absolutely heavenly garlic buttered soft, fresh-baked breadsticks. If you crave more of these delectable sticks, you can order a dozen to go for a low price. Customers at the drive thru window and those walking in to take their orders home will find a small stash of the breadsticks packed with their order, free.

OK, so what's a meal without dessert? Fazoli's offers a choice of simple and tasty sweets headed by something called called a Freezi, a frozen drink made of strawberry or strawberry banana. You can also get lemon Italian ice, chocolate chunk cookies, or cheesecake in either classic New York style or Turtle, which has chocolate, caramel, and nuts.

Fazoli's also does catering for that special occasion at home or the office. People worried about their diet should note that most of the items on their menu has 0 grams of trans fat, and apart from grilling chicken for a few of their dishes, just about everything is baked. Fazoli's will treat you to great tasting Italian food at bargain basement prices and no trans fat guilt.