Restaurant Review: The Old Spaghetti Factory in Hillsboro, Oregon

Address: 18925 NW Tanasbourne Dr
Hillsboro, OR 97124

The Old Spaghetti Factory is a national chain restaurant specializing in, well, Spaghetti. I'd eaten at one here in the Seattle area a couple of times, and found the food to be delicious and the service to be quick and courteous. So, when after attending my family's church's Easter program the night before Easter in Oregon, I along with everyone else thought it sounded like a great suggestion when one of my aunt's mentioned it as a good place for us all to go for a quick meal. We wanted to spend time together, but we needed something somewhat fast on a Saturday night since it was late, several in our party had kids, and one of my aunt's had to be back at the church at 6:00 AM for her part in the Easter dramatization.

We arrived at the restaurant at about 7:45 PM, expecting a bit of a wait for seating. We had a party of fourteen initially, and three more joined us later. Amazingly, the restaurant wasn't very crowded, especially for a Saturday, so were seated within about five minutes of arriving. Unfortunately, this was the only part of the evening which went quickly.

Within about ten minutes of being seated, a server came to take our drink orders. Those who ordered soft drinks were served within about fifteen minutes. I ordered a beer and my daughter and some of the other kids wanted juice, which had to come from the bar. From the time we ordered, it was about forty-five minutes before we received our beverages. Luckily, all of the beverages were correct. However, later in the evening, one of my uncle's ordered a glass of wine, and after a twenty minute wait, the wrong wine was brought. Luckily, the error was corrected in a timely manner.

We waited to order our meals until everyone had arrived. We placed the meal orders a few minutes before 9:00. The food finally arrived a couple minutes before 10:00 PM. Having eaten in other Old Spaghetti Factory locations at different times of day, and having been there when they were much more crowded, I was surprised as how long everything took. Everyone else in my party who had eaten there before was surprised as well.

As it turned out, there was a reason, though not necessarily a good one, for the service delays. Our server had only worked for the restaurant for a few days, and was only on her second day out of training. Also, instead of assisting her with such a large party, the manager was off chatting with other customers most of the evening. I must say that, despite the length of time it took to get our drinks and our meals, our server did a remarkable job and kept her poise for her first time handling such a large party. Usually, when my family goes out, restaurants make sure there are at least two servers so the volume can be handled efficiently.

Though the service was slow, the food was wonderful, and well-worth the wait. I ordered a dish featuring Portugese sausage in a marinara sauce over penne pasta, mixed with peppers and other veggies. It was very flavorful, and I'd definitely go back for it again, though maybe at lunch time or on a weeknight when it's less likely to take so long. The portions were huge, and I was thankful that I hadn't ordered an appetizer; I was barely able to finish the meal. The consensus around the table seemed to be that the food was very good, even though the menu itself is limited to mostly various types of spaghetti, with a lasagna thrown in for good measure. The meal came with bread, a choice of soup or salad, a beverage choice of coffee, milk, or tea, and ice cream for dessert. I chose the Ministrone Soup as it was the only soup option, and I wasn't in the mood for a salad. It was, by far, the best, most flavorful ministrone I'd ever eaten, even surpassing The Olive Garden. The bread was great, and the coffee tasted very good and complimented the meal nicely.

They do offer a childrens' menu, but as our daughter is a picky eater, my wife ordered a combo meal of spaghetti and lasagna, and there was plenty of food for both of them. Both left full and happy.

In closing, the service wasn't bad, just slow. The food was wonderful and consistent with my experiences at other Old Spaghetti Factory restaurants. I would certainly give the Hillsboro location another try, in hopes that the slow service was simply a fluke. Just in case though, I'd advise making sure you're not in a hurry and don't have anywhere to be afterward. If you like spaghetti and pasta in various forms and with different sauces and meats, this is the place to go. The menu is limited; you won't find pizzas or calzones or subs...But what they do offer, they make right and make it worth whatever wait there may be.