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Big Ragu
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
15 reviews for Big Ragu
15 reviews in English
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Review from Richard R.
Etobicoke, ON
1/30/2012
We've been here several times and each time it was a group event. The restaurant is a small, intimate place that feels very traditional. Service is friendlt and even with the large groups we never felt as if we were waiting long for our dishes.
Each time we've organized is so that we get a taste of most of whats on the menu. Appetizers such as the antipasto, magic mushroom salad, and eggplant parmigian was all delicious and filling. Then the mains come out! The seafood pasta is my fave but all pastas taste like what we have back home.
Not sure I understand the low reviews but some are picky and some I guess aren't so critical. I live this place a lot and will be back obviously. -
Review from Ellie A.
4/3/2011
They say hunger is the best sauce, so take this in the spirit of the famished post-moving day spirit my family and I were in tonight.
We headed over to the Big Ragu because my brother-in-law just moved into the neighbourhood. I was skeptical, due to some previous reviews I read, but we were hungry after lugging boxes and our choices were limited. I have to say I was really impressed.
Cocktails of prosecco, Campari and soda provided a great combo of sweetness and bitterness while still being refreshing. Off to a good start...
The magic mushroom salad was terrific. Mushrooms and goat cheese are nothing new, but these were baked which gave them an intensity of flavour and texture that matched beautifully with the fresh arugula and sweet balsamic reduction/dressing. I also snuck a taste of the rapini starter and it was fantastically smokey and garlicky. Really delicious.
We all ordered pastas and to a one they were satisfying, yummy and certainly not over-cooked. I had a super-garlicked light lemon pasta with spinach and capers. The salty capers blended really well with generous shaves of slightly sweet grana padano cheese. Tomatoey penne and rich mushroom pappardelle were also hits.
Our server managed the packed restaurant on his own and he was efficient, confident and warm. Generally, things moved slowly (only 2 people staffing the kitchen as far as we could see) and it's a pretty small place, so don't come when you're in a rush.
Vegetarian score = 7/10 (lots of choices, didn't feel discriminated against)Listed in: The St. Clair Strip, Best of the Best: Must try…
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Review from Zachary G.
Toronto, ON
5/8/2011
Before coming to the restaurant for Mother's Day, I checked Yelp, saw the mixed reviews and hoped for the best. Unfortunately, it is clear that the one and two star reviews are far more accurate.
The first problem is the service. I've seen slow service before but this was atrocious. It took over an hour and a half from when we were seated to when we received our entrees. That is just unacceptable, especially in a restaurant that can only seat five or six parties.
As for the food, I can't say it was much better. The magic mushroom salad was the only item that I can rave about. A perfect combination of mushrooms and cheese that I would recommend you order. After that, it was downhill. The ravioli in bolognese sauce was rather bland. The mushroom salad side dish had about 10x more thyme than was required. The rapini was soggy and literally dripping in oil.
I would never return to this restaurant and I suggest you take my word for it and save yourself the $30/person. -
Review from Deborah A.
Toronto, ON
1/18/2011
I have been here 3 times and can honestly say each time was a disappointment.
The last time we were in was truly monumental, the waitress complained the entire time about her boss and all the people who had quit or were quitting!!!!!! Are you kidding me!!!
The Lamb Ragu had no lamb and the Risotto was a bit disappointing, hate to say but mine is better!!! -
Review from eric g.
Toronto, ON
10/14/2010
Ridiculously hectic day, miserable rainy fall night, big hunger... The answer: Big Ragu. This is the place to go for a big plate of comfort pasta and a glass of chianti -- just the thing to cure the Toronto weather blues.
The food: The house specialty, papardelle with lamb ragu, is good but not outstanding. Nice red sauce, but could have more lamb. The pasta al forno (that evening's special) is everything I want: ricotta, spinach, bits of smoky bacon... delicious -- my stomach couldn't be happier. We also get the evening's contorni, roasted broccoli with parmigiano. The broccoli is overdone, but anytime you stick good grated parmigiano in the oven, it's hard to fail completely.
Half-litre of red does the trick - we relax. Our bellies full, we are ready for bed. -
Review from Christine C.
Etobicoke, ON
4/18/2010 11 photos
Eating dinner at Carmine Accogli's restaurant the Big Ragu is like coming home to an old friend's place or better yet dinner at Nonna's casa! The BR is an old restaurant spot (formerly Venezia) and stepping into it one can't help but to feel like you've really stepped into an authentic Italian experience. What a great change of pace from the College Street Italia chichi scene or the overly hyped overly priced Bene Note.
It was my husband's birthday so I invited friends to celebrate with us. I made a reservation which was a good thing because the BR is a small dining spot (between 30-40 seats) and the place was hopping. Right from the minute we got there Carm took care of us and treated us like we were la familia! :) He is so personable and his love for his business, the food he serves and the customers is so very evident.
We started with cocktails and asked Carm if he could bring us some antipasti. No problem. A few minutes later out came three plates. Two with assorted salumi's/prosciutto, artichokes, roasted peppers and olives. The last plate had three Italian cheeses and they were plentiful. Then he took his time to go over the specials of the day and answered any questions we had. In detail he talked about how things were cooked and what spices, herbs, wines etc. were used.
Three different salads got ordered. A magic mushroom salad, a grilled calamari salad and a pear & Parmesan salad. All salads were fantastic but I have to say the magic mushroom salad stole my heart! Baked mushrooms with goats cheese atop a bed of arugula. Sometimes goats cheese in salad can drown the greens but not at the Big Ragu.
Our mains included the Braised Lamb of the day; a baked Cod and I opted for the provimi veal, pan seared in white wine and sage and then topped with prosciutto. It was a flavour explosion. The only downside of my veal dish is that that potatoes just weren't cooked enough, just a tad to hard still. The lamb was fall off the bone tender in a gorgeous sauce that was so good my friend next to me used a spoon to scoop up the last of the sauce. The baked cod completely caught me off guard. I'm usually not big for cod, I find it smelly and salty but boy was this fish de-lish!
We ordered a side of rapini sauteed in garlic and olive oil and a bowl of spaghetti because leaving the Big Ragu without trying the pasta just wasn't going to happen. Everyone got to taste and we agreed the sauce was hearty, stuck to the pasta and had a slight edge of an arrabiata attitude. We washed down all this home styled Italian goodness with a couple of bottles of Chianti.
Carmine showed his class and his host who is the most side by bringing out a tray of glasses filled with Prosecco to mark the birthday occasion. Let me tell you something about Carmine, this boy can sing! He's got opera pipes! All of a sudden the lights in the whole restaurant go out and in the darkness out comes Carmen with a slice of cake and a candle and he is singing in this unbelievable voice, rendering his operatic version Happy Birthday. For the most part I usually find the singing birthday cake thingy kinda cheesy but at the Big Ragu it works. We finished off with coffees, espressos, cappuchinos. It was a great night.
So the low down was this: 4 cocktails, 2 beers, 2 bottles of Chianti, a table sized antipasti for six people, 5 salads, 6 mains, 5 coffees and the total of the bill with taxes came in at $350. We felt that for the level of food and service that the Big Ragu put out this bill was a bargain.
Check out the pics. If you are ever up in that neck of the woods (Lansdowne & St. Clair) then I would highly recommend you stop in and meet Carm and treat yourself to some really awesome, home styled Italian food.Listed in: La Vida Es Buena!
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Review from Alfio A.
Toronto, ON
2/2/2011
Ok, so I'm of Italian descent and this restaurant is around the corner from my house. It has a quaint atmosphere and looks like a family run establishment so I was excited and expected something truly special.
Not so much !!!!!! I've even gone back 3 times to give them an honest chance but in the end I think I'd rather go to Terroni .. and I hate Terroni.
Extremely underwhelming. -
Review from Allan W.
Toronto, ON
5/26/2011
Like eating in your own home, The Big Ragu has a homey atmosphere, great food and a reasonable wine list. The pastas are all excellent, but I prefer the lasagna the most. The place is very small, so reservations are a must, but the service is friendly and the overall costs are reasonable. A great, reliable place to eat.
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Review from Vanessa M.
North York, ON
8/23/2009
After reading several big hyped up reviews by some foodie websites, I decided to visit this place with a friend. It is located on St. Clair, but you have to drive through the ghettos to get there... so keep that in mind. Parking was free on the side street.
The restaurant itself was very tiny. Cute and quaint, but borderline clusterphobic. Tables were really small; you really had to think about where to place your glasses, cutlery, etc.. (luckly the waitress was attentive and picked up used plates right away).
Right away, we were served some water and a basket of breads while we decided on our dinner. The garlic bread was room temperature, and was extremely salty, and so were the the flatbread biscuits.
For appetizers, we ordered the P&P salad (pear and parm), which was pretty good but quite small in size. The sausage and rapini was huge in portions though. I wish they controlled the portions better--one person would be half full, and the other would still be hungry.
For entree, I ordered the chicken marsala. The chicken breast was coooked bone in with skin on, and it was nice and moist. The skin was not crispy, however. The sauce was very rich, and the potatoes were superbly done, with rosemary herb and crunchy on the outside. I only received 3 pieces though.
My friend ordered the lamb ragu... I sampled it, and it was yummy as well. The pasta very nicely done.
For dessert, we both had tiramisu with cappuccino. It was advertised as the best in the city--but it fell way short. It was a bit of a wet slop in a martini glass.
After tip, the bill came to $130 (included two glasses of wine each). Overall, despite some high points, not very impressed, and a repeat visit is highly unlikely. -
Review from N. C.
Toronto, ON
1/12/2010
This is a remarkable restaurant. I've been there on many occasions and the place never lets me down. Although when it gets packed, don't expect it to be as good as it can be.
The menu always changes and the food is traditional and home-cooked. The owner really loves his food, so his passion for the restaurant really shows. The eggplant parmigiana is delicious and their seafood platters are wonderful. The menu isn't cheap, but when you consider the ingredients, you simply get what you pay for. It is certainly worth trying a lot of little dishes. You should consider sharing up the platters and having the whole multi-course dining experience. However, if you want to go light (and more economical), try a couple of appetizers and a pasta, skipping the more expensive fish and meat entrees.
The wine list is extensive and well-paired with the menu items Ask for advice and you'll get honest answers. The wait staff and owners certainly drink and try their stock--so you won't get some rehearsed tasting note that involves words like "peppery," "full," and "vanilla."
They sometimes have live entertainment and when I was there one night, we were asked if we could take our wine down to the basement where a live band was playing. It was a lot of fun and very welcoming.
The roster of well-known Torontonians that eat there is apparent. People in the know know.
Make reservations as the restaurant is small. -
Review from ritchie c.
Toronto, ON
1/7/2011
Don't go out of your way for this place. It's small, quaint and cute, too bad the food is disappointing and sad. It has the charm of a family run, mom and pop Italian eatery, but the food is Olive Garden.
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Review from Nadia C.
Toronto, ON
3/14/2011
Over priced, over cooked pasta.. Service is so so, not sure what's the hype about this restaurant,
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Review from Jane T.
Toronto, ON
5/12/2010
My mother is not a very good cook. Even so, I keep going back to her kitchen because it's one of my favorite places to eat. Such is the same with the Big Ragu. The atmosphere is so intoxicating that it makes me forgive the fact that the food is often so-so.
Red checkered table clothes and the smell of garlic bring warmth to the quaint & unpretentious space. Specials are written on the blackboard, which hangs lopsided on the wall. The wine list is small, and approachable. But it was our waitress, who was the star of the show. With infinite patience and humour she tended to our large, boisterous group without ever losing her smile. Carmen joined in to help with the desserts, making the night feel even more special
As for the food? Well, some of the appetizers were thrilling, while most of the mains were not. But it didn't matter. I just washed the dry clam pasta down with a few glasses of Pinot Grigio and basked in the charm of my surroundings. -
Review from Jennifer R.
Toronto, ON
7/4/2011
Food was awful. I wouldn't feed that lasagna to my dog. Not to mention the fact that they seemed really put out that we didn't have a reservation though the place was completely empty! Really bad experience.
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Review from Jennifer M.
Toronto, ON
3/4/2009
What a hidden gem! A large group of us went to the Big Ragu for a birthday celebration. The food was unique and authentic Italian. The dining experience felt like all of the patrons of the restaurant were one big family. The owner made his rounds to each table and had everyone in stitches. Not great for an intimate first date but fantastic for a solid second!
