BAD: Anducci's

They have several locations, but I went to the one in Burnaby in Lougheed area, on 9604 Cameron Street.

Was here last night for my boyfriend's birthday dinner. He gave warnings that since they've changed management the past year, the food has definitely gone downhill.

Warning was right. As soon as we entered, I found the place in need of a bit of renovations. The drip looking paint looks kind of odd, the pictures don't have a theme to it, the music doesn't suit the mood, and it's too dimly lit.

The waitress was not happy to work there, took an hour for her to come and take out orders. And then another while for our food. The wait for our food made sense since we had 18 people with us, but an hour just to get our orders? No smiles and a bit of snooty attitude too. They served one calamari dish at our table and one person was eating that for half an hour or something. And the drinks were long done before the food came.

Since the place was known for pasta dishes, that's what most people got. I didn't hear any compliments really. Other than the fact that it's pretty generously portioned. The presentation is definitely lacking. All dishes were served in what looked like a big bowl. I heard complaints about the pizza, think it was the one with Italian sausage. The people who ordered it are also fellow food bloggers, and said that the pizza tasted a lot like a big piece of pita bread (looked like it too) with absolute minimal sauce and sprinkling of meat on top. I ordered the spinach and cheese cannelloni, which looked okay, but was very very bland. No amount of pepper or extra cheese would have saved it. Even though the whole thing was swimming in sauce it still tasted bland.

For 16 dollars or so per pasta dish, it wasn't worth it. The only thing Anducci's got right was the portion size. On top of that, they already did an automatic charge for service fee. This was necessary for a group as big as ours, but astounding that it was over 20% in tips or something. Most places charge about 15% which I am happy to give (or even more depending on food and service) but 20% for food like that and minimal service for a 21st birthday party.. I will definitely not be recommending this restaurant nor will I be returning. It may have scarred me from trying the other Anducci's locations too.