Fazoli’s: Italian food at Eastwood City
Has it been a month since our last pizza fix? Not quite but we had a bad craving yesterday. The kids wanted to see a movie so off we went to Eastwood City. We were looking for Italianni’s, couldn’t locate it, and that proved to be a blessing. We decided to go to Fazoli’s and what a discovery it was!
Fazoli’s has never been a high-profile restaurant. It’s been there for years and there has never been any fanfare about it. It was not “fashionable” in the sense that people don’t go there to hang out. That was what made it initially attractive yesterday — there was none of that just-to-be-seen crowd that Italianni’s and Starbucks are almost always full of.
We ordered different items but the photo of the best of the lot deserves to be posted first. That was my husband’s pasta with pesto and Italian chicken platter. As we always do, we sampled each other’s orders and I am speaking from personal experience when I say that my husband’s pasta was the best of all. Every noodle was coated with pesto yet the dish was not unnecessarily dripping with oil. The chicken — ah, the chicken! — so tender, so juicy and exploding with flavors.
I ordered spaghetti with meat sauce…
…with a slice of pizza.
My daughter Sam had a plate of very creamy Fettuccine Alfredo…
…Alex had baked spaghetti topped with what tasted like a combination of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
We enjoyed our food with bottomless drinks — choice of soda, iced tea or dalandan juice — priced at P40.00 per.
The total bill was P647.00. Amazing!
But the great dining experience did not end there. There’s an unlimited supply of croutons, parmesan cheese and other condiments so desirable with Italian food. And — notice the garlic bread with the pasta. They were so great that when I was about to finish mine, I asked my husband if he could order extra. Then, a girl walked by, with a basket of hot-from-the-oven garlic bread, and asked if we cared for more. Wow! And no extra charges. 
Then, it was time to go to the restrooms. They were located on the second floor, I was told. Up the stairs I climbed and was surprised to find that the second floor dining area was much larger. There was a drinks station there too and a condiments table. Had we taken a table on the second floor dining room, we would have needed to go down and up again if we wanted to refill our drinks or for an extra saucer of parmesan cheese.
The restroom was very clean, there were rolls of paper towels (how many restaurants provide toilet paper for free?) not only in the toilet cubicles but in the wash area too. There was an ample supply of liquid soap, a hand dryer and a conveniently positioned trash bin.
These are amenities that are often found only in expensive restaurants. But considering the moderate prices at Fazoli’s, it made me think. If a restaurant can earn a profit with those prices, maintain the reasonably good quality of food and still be able to provide clean restrooms well-stocked with toilet paper, why can’t others do the same? I know a lot of more expensive restaurants that can’t even maintain clean restrooms much less provide the customers with toilet paper.
It’s a fast food joint for all intents and purposes. You order at the counter, you’re given your food on a tray, you get a number for the items that still need to be prepared, you’re given glasses and you fill them up yourselves with your drinks of choice… But we did not have to suffer the artificial friendliness and memorized sing-song tones that afflict the staff of Jollibee and McDonald’s. None of the contrived twang of those at Starbucks either.
Ah, I loved my first dining experience at Fazoli’s. And we already vowed we’d go back there again and order a whole pizza next time.
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3 years na akong nagwowork dito sa eastwood pero di ko natry kumain diyan. pero ngayon nasubukan nyo na po at kayo’y naimpress, mayaya nga si misis mamaya….. hehehehe
we also ate there once, but we haven’t gone back since…yeah, the free bread is delicious and well…free, made it all the more delicious. the one and only time we were there, i was served with cold from the chiller pasta ( penne, if i recall correctly), the manager was so apologetic, we decided to let it go. the italian lemonade was just right for my taste, tangy and sweet. i would love to go back there…by the way, we also enjoyed their pizza…sarap din.
try nyo, eumir. nakakatuwa kasi walang OA sa food nila.
chunky, cold pasta? wow, if that happened to us, the review would be very, very different hehehehe
Fsvorite ko talaga sa Fazoli’s yung chicken nila and the free garlic bread! Sira ang diet pag kumain ka because their servings are big!
BTW, they also sell garlic bread separately if you want to take home some.
It’s been decades (oops, 4 or 5 years lang siguro… half) since I’ve last been at Fazoli’s and now that you’ve reminded me of it I’m definitely definitely craving for it again!
Dyan nga kami makapagdate ni misis… hehehe
Italiannis Eastwood is located in the ground floor of the building on the left when you enter from C5.
Haven’t tried Fazolis though. I don’t frequent Eastwood kasi and my family are Chinese food addicts. But your post makes me want to try the place.
yeah…i also like that resto. my cousin introduced me to that restaurant when they still have a branch in jupiter..that was years ago. and yes she recommended that pesto. oh so yummy! and the chicken…you are so right! and we also have to take home the free breads! sarap talaga!
Nikita, good thing that before ordering I asked what the difference was between a “regular” and a “large” order of pasta. Large was for two people! I almost made a mistake. And the “regular” was definitely more than enough for me. At pwede pala take home. hehehe Next time, next time…
Jon, if you try their dessert, let me know ha? We were planning on going to John’s Loft afterwards for dessert but we were so full.
Em, ah ok, across the building where all the tech gadgets are? I love Chinese food too but a break once is a while is good.
rannie, so the one in eastwood is the only remaining fazoli’s?
Fazoli’s can give it to you cheaper because their systems employs less service staff. Note the self-serve beverage station. Okay, Italianni’s is just plain overpriced — a slice of a chocolate pecan cake cost 350, if not 425, if I remember correctly), and overrated. And I’m sure you know how much the ingredients cost by now. Italian cuisine is popular because it’s cheap and filling!
Fazoli’s is good if you’re a large group but all that standing up does not for good company make if you’re just few in your party, or are deep into conversation.
The garlic bread refills are great, but am not impressed with the parmesan compound — it must be compounded with another cheese because it does not have that parmesan ‘bite’.
For me, Fazoli’s is a less ‘palengke’ Sbarro’s.
The food is very reasonably priced, the chicken a bit too salty, the desserts cheap and ok, smoking area outside. Downside: if you’re handicapped or aging (like me, but not you, Connie), those stairs to the 2nd floor (where the restrooms are) are a bit difficult to navigate: steep, with irregular winding steps.
We always meet kasi at Jack’s loft or Pho Hoa next door when the amigas get together. Fazoli’s has a younger crowd, the pasta lovers.
By the way, Milabs will be back on the 22nd, and I on the 23rd to meet up with her and for a family book launching on the 26th. Free up your calendar. We can Fazoli’s this time if you like (but of course I prefer Vieux)!
Lisa, it’s always great to hear it from the perspective of a restauranteur. Definitely, Fazoli’s is not for an intimate dinner nor for prolonged company. But then no fast food is. And it is a fast food so the beverage station is not exactly out of place. It’s for barkada and family with youngish kids. Eat and go. Fast service without the stressful and annoying fast food ambience, and often filthy floors, tables and chairs, that I always equate with Jollibee and McDonald’s. Eeewww. Prices 10% to 20% higher for pasta that is 100% better than what is being passed off as spaghetti in Jollibee. Double eeewww.
Am ok with the last week of the month. And Vieux Chalet, definitely. No contest naman with Fazoli’s, ano? Vieux Chalet forever.
Yes, the low rise building with the enclosed open parking.
hi!
glad i found your blog. lalo ako na homesick. i will surely try some of the recipes. is it ok to link you up?
Have you tried Bellini’s in Cubao X (formerly Marikina Shoe Expo). They’ll give you a treat after your meal, some sort of sweet wine as desert(?).
P.S. to Lisa, I missed the reference to Sbarro’s earlier. Funny that you refer to Sbarro as palengke. You were the one who introduced me to the place. hehehe
Got that, Em.
Of course, Juliana, you may. And thanks.
No, BenRaq, I haven’t. Haven’t been in that part of the Cubao commercial center in ages. Formerly Marikina Shoe Expo? So, the shoe stores aren’t there anymore?
hello connie, i really enjoy reading your stories. Me and my hubby loves italian food and we tried out Fazoli’s before at Sm Manila. They really have good food plus not to mention the price.
Hi! my friend and I went there two weeks ago, that was also my first time to eat at Fazoli’s , well we did not actually dine at the place we had our food to go since it was already getting late. We got home, and I fell in love with their Stromboli! I had the Fettucine Alfredo and also liked it, but I’ll try the one with the pesto next time. Yummy! Great pictures too!
Hola! Yes, Bellini’s is a must try. The location is not so easy to find but the hunt is well worth it after you get a taste of their food. The price is a bargain for something like it – Italian cuisine plus the wine.
One must also try Amici’s in Don Bosco, Makati. Their desserts are heavenly especially the orange ice cream. Homemade gelato stuffed into hollowed oranges. Their hours though are not that flexible – they close early like the schools and the last time I was home in Manila, they dont open on weekends.
There is also a hole-in-the-wall kind of Italian resto along Pasay just before you reach the Heritage Hotel. Its a bit after the supermarket there if you’re coming from the North, beside a Rai Rai Ken and an Oriental Spa. If my memory serves me well, the resto’s name is Mama Tina’s. They serve authentic Italian Spaghetti and pizza and wine with the ambiance. (Just like what they say, ambiance is part of what you pay for when you dine out.) The service was excellent, too. One wouldn’t have to call the attendants to have their glasses refilled. Its where one can go for some intimate dining without the overrated tab.
Let me know if its still there and If its still the same. Ill put it on my IT when I get back in Manila.
another addition to my list of “to visit” when I go home in October… Yipee, malapit na…
I would love to try the spag with Pesto and baked mac, they looked deeeelicious and hubby is a garlic bread addict so I’m sure enjoy kami dito.
hi connie! my o my, now i crave for italian food. where in eastwood is fazoli’s. good eat ha and reasonably priced too. nice review!
Nope. They are still there Ms. Coney but some stalls are now occupied by art galleries, a quaint shop that sells retro inspired display pieces, antique shops, bookstores and ,yeah, some ukay-an.
Sori I misspelled your name. I just saw Coney Reyes on TV.
for BenRaq: the wine they offer in Bellini’s is called Grappa. It’s not intended as a dessert but some sort of alcoholic drink for cleaning your palate after a meal. It’s 38% alcohol.
Hi!
I first tried Fazoli’s at SM Manila way back 2003. I love their italian chicken so much as well as their pasta dishes. We ordered a pasta sampler plate and some slices of pizza to go along with the chicken. And the bottemless garlic bread was a treat! I hope they would branch out to other SM malls.
O.T.
Please try Aviennetto Pizzerria at Visayas Ave. I’m sure you’ll love their pizza and pasta too. I think its one of the most underrated italian restos. They have huge slice of pizzas aw well as great pasta dishes. Their pasta dishes are good for three persons per order. I’m just disappointed with their expansion, when they opened new branches(with their sister company Napoli) they did not kept the original recipe and the serving got smaller. its like when you eat from branch to branch oftheir resto its like eating at another resto. Hope you could give a review on Aviennetto some time soon. I really enjoyed your blog and I never missed a chance to browse your site everyday.. More power. God Bless!
Hello,
For real, pinag-usapan nyo talaga ang mga masasarap ng putahe kahit gawang dayuhan, about pasta mga bawang na tinapay and so on,. ang sa akin lang , pwede kayang maka
hingi nga tuyo >>>> hehe , sa inyo na po ang mga pasta and so on..tuyo na lang po sa akin..hehehe..
regards to you conie
Hi! I’ve been reading your blog for a while now… I have been a quiet lurker, but I love it…always brings me closer to home, so I thought I’d speak out just to let you know how much I appreciate it…I’ve tried a few recipes and turned out very well…I’ve actually compiled printouts for my personal collection…Anyway, I left a comment on the custard tart, saying how the puff pastry crust was a bit soggy on my first try…I tried it a second time, but baked the puff pastry a bit first (with some uncooked rice) and made the custard a bit thicker (I was too excited and impatient on my first try)…it worked well
…my son, who’s a very fussy eater loved it…Also, thanks for this post on Fazoli’s…We’ll definitely try it when we come back to the Phils this December…My husband loves pesto pasta…We love Sbarro’s too…I love the eggplant parmigiana…My husband and I used to go to the SM branch on dates during our University days…Thanks again…looking forward to more posts!
Was impressed with the clean restrooms and abundance of toilet paper. Now, the free bread and delicious yet reasonably-priced food?Wow, mayaya nga si J pag uwi nya.
Re: the to-be-seen crowd and sing-song tunes of fast food crew-LOL, parang yung nasa PA system ng SM. I roll my eyes everytime I hear that.
hi everyone.. i plan to baptise my first born daughter on this coming christmas day, and i want the reception in luyong restaurant (jp rizal, marikina), is anyone knows here where i can get some inquiries regarding their package deal? coz im still here at brunei.. thnx in advance..
or email me at this address : nelson_medilo19@yahoo.com.ph
yup yup… fazoli’s…… my friend introduced me and my best buddy to this place…. back then, medyo apprehensive ako kasi sya lang ang me work nun, kami ng best bud ko, nasa University pa ( not to mention babae pa sya and kami ng buddy ko boys… nyahahahaha.. ) and thinking of the place, yung perception namin sa price’s, mahal. I think she ordered a slice of pizza and chicken, my best bud a slicepizza too and me, the pesto pasta. WOW… that pasta was one of the best that I tried and when I looked at the tab, I was surprised that the our bill was not that high at all. The next weekend, I took my GF ( now my wife ) there telling her that I found an alternative to Sbarro ( is not that nagsasawa na kami sa Sbarro pero we love to try no places kasi and what new thing/s will they offer) and seriously, she sweared that it was heaven. Now that you mentioned it, I guess I have to take them out today together with our 3 yr old. =)
its my alternative to sbarro… but their chicken is better than sbarro.. well. sbarro doesnt have fried chicken:) food here is ok naman. no complaints really:)
i love dining at Fazoli’s. My friends and I call it our “bonding place”. We always go there if we want to escape the office. We love the food and the service.
Yeah, the garlic bread. Sometimes I get full just by eating that, specially when it just came out of the oven.
*hungry again*
angaz,
i can only help you with the contact number of luyong.
here’s their number- 941-1694. ask for marico ( owner).
current employed here at Fazolis, nice ambiance.. plus the free concert outside,
oh, the bread, its just complimentary not unlimited
it is in the commandment ..