Strings Italian Cafe

This was the worst Italian food I"ve ever had. Terrible. Always had a strange aftertaste. And I say that as someone who has had some very good Italian food. Usually in Berkeley, CA. But it was quite tasty.
But I chose to give them another go when a friend wanted to celebrate her birthday there. But one thing had changed, I was now gluten intolerant. I was going and planning to eat a salad, but they advertised gluten free pasta. Yay. But then, none of the sauces were gluten free - Boo. However, they had zoodles - a yay for them. Except that I absolutely hate zucchini - a huge boo for me. It was the only purely gluten free option. Which blew, because I asked if they could put the zoodle sauce on some gluten free noodles - they couldn't. Never mind! It was a horrible experience.

So for the future - please note that your meal isn't gluten free if all components aren't truly gluten free. To serve gluten free pasta with a sauce that had wheat in it is insulting and dangerous to those with worse reactions than the one the I have to wheat! Shame on them!

Strings Italian Cafe is one of the few restaurants that can get my mom out of the house for dinner. Generally she would rather eat at home, so that is something! Even though Strings is a franchise, it still feels run like a family business. The portions aren't huge unless you're there on Wednesday's All You Can Eat Pasta Night. Still, the food is rich and filling.

My dad always sticks to the Lasagne and Meatballs, probably so he can take some home in a doggy bag. My mom enjoyed her Minestrone soup. Our super nice waiter gave her a small plate of spaghetti for free! This last time I tried the special Chicken & Artichoke Ravioli Lombardi. It was pretty tasty with lots of artichoke hearts but only four ravioli.

Strings decor is pretty run-of-the-mill, with hanging plastic plants and a hunter green, formica atmosphere. It always reminds me of Gordon Ramsay Kitchen Nightmares where he takes a rather plain restaurant and transforms it from 90s dated ambience into a contemporary look. I suspect the customers like Strings just as it is though.

You first got me with all you can eat....

Then you threw in three baskets of your fluffy hot garlic bread...

Then your kid's menu offer meals $4.99 and under...

Then add your terrific attentive service to the mix...

And you get goodness with no strings attached!

I've been to this place several times and for the most part leave 95% happy. This place can be rather busy during dinner time and on the weekends, which is to be expected. The service here can also be a hit or miss because of how busy it can get but the times that I have dined here it has been pretty decent. I have also called in my order on a busy weekend and waited about 10-15 minutes for someone to get my order and lay for it, which was slightly annoying since I called, because of this, the food is cold but it's nothing that a zap in the microwave can't fix. The food here is really good and the pastas are always cooked to perfection and the sauce is amazing! I can't say the same for the soup, so don't say that I didn't warn you.

For my last comment, the place needs a major remodel because the place has been around for awhile and everything inside is outdated. The carpets are gross, seats on the chairs need to be changed and the place could use a paint job, then it would look like its from the 20th century. Parking here is shared with other business but I've never had a problem with finding a parking spot here.

We've come here several times over the past year. The food is decent especially to satisfy quickly my cravings for Italian. The service on our last visit ...

There were only two tables occupied and one group at the counter. After seating us and taking our orders, our waitress ignored us. She was too preoccupied expressing her love for the Raiders and her frustration with being unavailable on Sundays to see games to the patrons at the counter. Not once did she check on us, to ask to refill my empty water glass, to ask how our food was, to see if we wanted bread (or even give us the basket of bread that is customary) after forgetting to give it to us - don't know why she thought it was OK to give it to us after we finished our meals.

Consider this an off day for this waitress, but sadly we'll be going elsewhere when we are craving Italian. Ciao.

The family and I were craving Italian after a long day hiking and spending time over in Point Reyes. We figured we would try Strings since it was on the way back to Alameda via the Richmond-San Rafael bridge. I would say the food was ok and nothing to get over excited about. The fettucine alfredo with chicken breast seemed like something my 11 year old could make by heating up some safeway brand sauce and pouring over overcooked noodles. But I was starving so be it. The service was ok as well but I still left an 18% tip as I think they tried their best but we did have to wait awhile to refill our water and bread. Its tough because its hard to find the old school Italian family restaurant in the bay area as they have been replaced with the more fancier Italian spots.

I will say they get bonus points for kids eating free.

Went here for a quick lunch while waiting for my car to be serviced right across the street today. Service was great and the jambalaya was decent. The star of my experience there was the freshly baked bread that was very soft and chewy. In comparison with other jambalaya's I've tried, this place uses a different selection of vegetables such as bell peppers and carrots rather than the more traditional ones like okra, celery, and onions. But for the same reason, the dish lacked the usual Cajun taste that I was craving for. Based on the slight crunchiness of the carrots, the dish could've been improved had they been a bit softer as well. Maybe the other menu items are better than this one, so it's worth giving them a try if you're in the area and looking for a quick bite. Parking could be really hard to find here since the lot is pretty small, so make sure to give yourself enough time to find one.

The Food is good, but service is terrible. My boyfriend and I ordered All you can eat Pasta, when we asked the waitress for a to go container, she yelled No..No..No!! Its all you can eat here.
So freaking loud the whole Restaurant heard her. It was so embarrassing! We didn't know that we couldn't take our leftover pasta. I'm so Upset I dont want to go there again. She could have said it in a more discreet way, instead of yelling at us like we were little kids.

Not even sure what to say! The food was always great, but my daughter and I went there tonight, only to find a notice on the door "closed until further notice" with a post on the door from the health department! They were shut down for rodent infestation! Kinda wanna barf now! ‍

Although this is a franchise, I consider Strings to be as good as it gets if you want affordable Italian cuisine. [This is coming from an actual Italian]

Their menu options are plentiful and the food is actually really good. Their all you can eat salad and bread is delicious. And their desserts will satisfy your sweet tooth.

My Personal Favorites:
Pasta Sienna:Shrimp and chicken sautéed in extra virgin olive oil, pesto, garlic and red chili pepper, tossed with sun-dried tomatoes and penne pasta, with a touch of Alfredo and a hint of curry, topped with fresh Roma tomatoes and Parmesan cheese

Brownie Lasagna: Vanilla bean ice cream sandwiched between two delicious layers of chocolate brownies, topped with Strings' home style raspberry sauce and whipped cream

Oh how I wish they would bring back their best item on the menu. I don't recall the exact name but it was Bow-Tie Pasta with chunks of salmon served with capers and dill with a cream sauce.

I have been to other String locations but I like this one the best. It's small, quiet and the staff is super friendly.