Fazoli's: It's Not Italian Fast Food

It's Italian Food, Fast

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.