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Ennio's Pasta House
Categories: Event Planning & Services Caterers Restaurants Italian Caterers, Italian [Edit]
384 King St NWaterloo, ON N2J 2Z3
(519) 893-0543
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 10 pm
Fri 11 am - 11 pm
Sat 12 pm - 11 pm
Sun 4 pm - 9 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
11 reviews for Ennio's Pasta House
11 reviews in English
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Review from Derick V.
Waterloo, ON
6/18/2010
If you are used to East Side Marios you will be pleasantly surprised.
Very authentic and flavourful food. I've been there a few times with friends and it has a very nice atmosphere conducive to relaxed dining but avoids being a dive. It's not as classy as you would find in many fine pasta restaurants in other cities, but you can get away with a casual presentation there and still feel comfortable.
Their bruschetta is very good and many of their pasta dishes are delicious. The desserts are also quite nice. A full meal will be costly so, if you're budget conscious, you might want to save this for a special occasion.
There are other restaurants in town that are similarly priced with much better food if you're willing to move outside of western European cuisine, but Italian doesn't get much better in Waterloo than Ennio's. -
Review from Elisa L.
12/11/2011
Had the arrabiata and the bettola. Both were great, arrabiata was very spicy for me (I like mild). Bettola had this creamy sauce that was used (kind of tasted like butter chicken sauce) and I really enjoyed that one.
Apparently their italian salad comes free with the pasta, but there's an upgrade charge for Caesar, which was mentioned by other reviewers too. I thought it was just my server, but it could be all of them. They serve warm bread for free, although their provided butter was all watery and gross.
Overall the food really filled me up, the atmosphere and interior is great. I actually went to the one on Fairway a few years back. Both of these location have the same dimmed lighting atmosphere, although the Fairway one is slightly smaller.
The price range is moderate, more on the expensive side if you actually want to have their better pastas ($16-19), while the plain Alfredo pastas are only $12. They also have overpriced drinks and desserts, which I just avoided.
Overall great place to have pasta, the servers could be a little more proactive and informative, and the atmosphere is wonderful. -
Review from Christopher M.
Waterloo, ON
11/18/2011
I've enjoyed the veal and mushroom risotto. Overall, an enjoyable experience and I would come back.
Interior could use an update, and it's usually busy. -
Review from Kim C.
1/13/2010
The in-laws took me to Ennio's as a special treat, and it was much better than expected.
As an Italian food snob who tends to want the food to taste as reminiscent as past trips to Italy as possible, the place definitely wasn't ideal - but it certainly was delicious.
First off, the interior leaves a LOT to be desired, and reminded me of a restaurant from the 80s - definitely could be renovated to be a lot more like an Italian restaurant.
Other downsides: Prices are steep, and that's me comparing to not only other restaurants in Waterloo, but also Seattle (my hometown), which tends to be pricy in general - $20+ for chicken parmesan is pretty intense. Also, the dinner salad included with the meal was pretty weak (iceberg lettuce, some red onion). The dressing was good, though.
But you know what? The food was good. Not 'reminds me of Italy' good, but solid, enjoyable fare. My chicken parmesan was really damn tasty, even though it was only one (massive) chicken breast. The pasta was perfectly al dente and the marinara was much tastier than I anticipated. Also awesome is you have an option of getting whole wheat OR rice noodles if you have dietary needs.
So is it a perfect italian restaurant? Definitely not. But I'd go to Ennio's again for sure. -
Review from Nikolaos N.
Montréal, QC
8/18/2009
I heard from multiple sources that Ennio's is one of the best restaurants in waterloo. If this is the best, I'm very disappointed. I the pasta was far from Al dente, the sauces lacked zing and the amabiance felt like a dark pub rather than a fine italian restaurant.
I don't even think they make fresh pasta, it felt like dried pasta to me.
I don't recommend. -
Review from William Z.
Waterloo, ON
4/22/2011
Ennio's is great but it's what you'd find at a regular pasta house. Although it may not serve to all you foodies out there, it's definitely still a good place to try.
-
Review from Bas G.
Waterloo, ON
3/19/2009
Not your typical run-off-the-mill pizza place. Ennio's delivers very high quality authentic italian food, even for a reasonable price.
The decor is coze, maybe a little dated. But it suits the atmosphere. Service is friendly and fast. Portions could be a little bigger. But they make up for it double in quality and freshness.
Arguably the best italian food in the area.
The pasta's were fresh, moist and well cooked. The pizza's were heaping with fresh ingredients, and not dripping with grease.
I'll be up for Ennio's any day! -
Review from Ellen T.
7/3/2011
THE FOOD: 5 stars
--Very fresh pasta/spaghetti. Got the Primavera pasta (yay for chicken included!) and Lasagna. Foresta pizza had great flavor.
THE PRICE: 3 stars
--Prices are comparable to Olive Garden's. Although there's less free soup/salad, the entrees are much better quality and less saucy. However, the taxes in this area are steeper than I'm used to, and also the waitress neglected to inform us of the extra charge on the Caesar salad (only the Italian salad comes with the pasta) and the "blush" sauce (combination of Alfredo and marinara sauce).
THE SETTING: 4 stars
--On the exterior you see a shabby brick building with boarded up windows. Thankfully, the interior is nicely decorated.
THE SERVICE: 4 stars
--I liked our hostess and waitress, both were very nice and responsive.
OVERALL: 4 stars
--The food here is delicious. I think it tasted better the next day, if that's even possible. My only complaint is the prices and invisible extra charges. -
Review from Mike S.
Kitchener, ON
1/20/2010
When I want Italian food, I go to Ennio's.
I worked at a hotel for a while, and I sent several guests to Ennio's and they all came back with full stomachs and ample thanks for the recommendation.
Cute decor (fireplace seats are the best), fantastic food, and friendly service. I cannot desire more from a restaurant. Try the pazzo bread and any of their pastas or pizzas. -
Review from Liz T.
Waterloo, ON
4/4/2010
Fantasic Italian based cuisine. Expensive for students but won't break the bank for special occasion or treats.
-
Review from Jeff M.
Vancouver, BC
7/19/2010
fairly decent italian restaurant. food itself good, but not sure if it's good enough to justify their prices. wild mushroom pizza was interesting. cozy yet boring decore.
