Biagio’s - Ottawa, Ontario

Night and day and not in a good way. Our family (3A2C) had previously been in to Biagio's for a new years meal about a year and a half ago and it was fantastic...so we on a whim decided to stop in for an early supper. That was unfortunate. We hadn't a reservation ... but the squeezed us in with the proviso that we'd be out by a certain time (more than enough to order, make the meal, and get out). This too would suggest that the kitchen would align to get us through quickly, but that wasn't the case whatsoever. Our server did a wonderful job , was pleasant, and friendly. Even compassionate to our issue which arose in our stay. Without a second thought, she (Katrina) was the highlight of our meal. After seating, we quickly went through the menus to be ready to order (for time's sake) and ordered promptly. Shortly there after we were served our drinks (a little late with the kid's milks) and a nice little bread loaf to share. And then we waited............ And waited.............. then we were informed that we were behind a groiup that had ordered a special menu and our meals wouldn't be long thereafter. We watched the parade of what looked wonderful plates go by which tempeted our tastebuds even further. Especially as we'd had our minds set to a high standard on our new years meal, we waited eagerly to dig in. And we waited.......... Finally when our meals arrived it was a complete let down. It was soooooooo sad to say, but the food was way below standard. My daughter's kid's cheesy pasta was the best thing on the table and even that was very bland milky cheese sauce covered noodles. My son's spaghetti and meatballs was a puddle of weatery noodles with a bland tomato sauce and 3 spongy meatballs that had ok flavour but the texture was off putting. My mother had a pizza which was surprisingly large and covered with good amounts of sauce, cheese, and pepperoni but unfortunately the grease puddled on top and the super thin and flimsy crust left it undercooked and only edible with a knife and fork. My wife had a tomato based seafood pasta which was so watery it was like a tomato seafood soup with noodles. A simple rule in salmon is if you have a crispy skin sit it on top to keep it crispy, other wise take it off the fish because it will be gummy and nasty in the plate which was EXACTLY what she had. My chicken parm was a large breast of dry (overcooked) chicken covered in that same boring tomato sauce and semi melted cheese with a (like my son) puddle of water with spag and tomato sauce on top. And just so you know I'm not exaggerating the small cast iron pan (why use that for a side noodle I have NO idea!!!) had about 3/4" of water in the pan under the noodles. I was the only one willing to say something and when I pointed it out th the server she agrred it was ridiculous and went to get me a side of linguine alfredo. And I waited............... almost 20 minutes later and after I had eaten all the chicken and everyone else at the table was finished eating their food the side showed up with the excuse that it's because it's made with fresh pasta it takes longer. FYI that's a load of crap because fresh pasta cooks in 3-5 minutes (depending on the noodle). It was also crazy to be that slow because it was a refire on a table they wanted out the door asap! We got our leftover pizza and my side dish and paid the bill which came with no reduction for delay or poor food (all the short comings of which were clearly communicated). Even on the way out we mentioned to the mgr the issues and he said that he saw it himself and talked to the kitchen about the poor quality of food (which leads to the question of why he didn;t come to the table/say something to us/offer a discount or even a dessert or something). I come from 30 yrs in the restaurant biz and I must say that this was a real surprise in how the whole thing was handled. We loved it once but what a let down this time. Read more

I visited recently with my extended family for my aunt’s celebration of life. The staff were amazingly considerate to our needs. My son and I have a number of anaphylactic allergies, which we made the staff aware of in advance. The staff were so kind as to point out which ... items would be safe for my son, and which to steer clear of. I then asked if they might be able to make me a dish that was no longer on their menu, and they obliged. It was just as delicious, if not better than I had remembered! 10/10 service, and 10/10+ food! We’ll be back soon, my son is still talking about the delicious Mac and cheese! Read more

We tried the mother's day menu. Food was delicious and really well presented! Our waiter was also attentive.

Came here for the first time for Easter dinner with my family. I chose the Ham and scalloped potatoes option, my dad chose the lamb, his girlfriend chose the cannaloni and my boyfriend had the Chicken Alfredo. The clientele is a bit older than average. We were probably the youngest people ... there. The service was extremely slow, possibly because old people are not in a hurry. The food was so much better than I had expected. Very delicious, expect for “scalloped potatoes”. Also there was some sort of sweet thing which we decided was “apricot” and when I asked the waitress what it was she said “…yeah… I don’t know.” The ham was good. Read more

Such a great place. The servers and host/hostesses were all polite and friendly. The food was amazing and even though it was a bit pricey it was well worth the money. The bathrooms were clean and so was the restaurant. I would love to go again sometime.