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Fusaro's Kitchen
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
147 Spadina AveToronto, ON M5V 2L7
Neighbourhoods: Entertainment District, Downtown Core
(416) 260-8414
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
16 reviews for Fusaro's Kitchen
16 reviews in English
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Review from Jenny H.
Toronto, ON
12/16/2011
It's not a big restaurant, so the long lunch line that stretches to the door can be intimidating. Fear not, it ends up moving pretty quickly since most lunchers here are regulars who know exactly what they are getting. While you wait in line, sometimes they offer samples of fresh bread as snacks (who doesn't like free samples?).
As a whole, a great place to get comforting food that is priced fairly and tastes like homemade Italian cooking. -
Review from Evelyn W.
11/1/2011
This place is a bumpin' take-out lunch spot for the office building dwellers in the entertainment district. The food is delicious, but the lines can be long and slow. I love dropping in for lunch, but often regret spending the $15 and 15 minutes on my lunch hour. Such a toss up.
I'm also partial to looking at their beautiful foods on display through glass in true Italian form.
Hints:
The chef's pasta special is always the best choice, unless you are a late diner -- then it will have been sitting under the lights.
If you're getting your food to go, open it up and sprinkle on some fresh parm and chili flakes from their extras station. -
Review from Tara A.
2/6/2011
I work right across the street and have a hard time not going into this place everyday for lunch. I will say the line up at lunch hour does sway me sometimes when I need something quick and easy. This is also not the place to go to if you don't want to be noticed. You will definitely run into someone you know!
The Pasta is incredible and I am quite smitten with the Cesear Salads (their croutons are unbelievable...) The atmosphere is like a warm hug and everyone is so friendly and happy all of the time.
My suggestion if ever going to Fusaros is to not order ahead. Your ordering head makes you less of a priority than the people in line and you end up waiting anyways. Go, wait in the line, enjoy the free snacks they put out and know that sometimes, as in the case with Fusaros, the wait is worth the payoff. -
Review from Tara Z.
10/22/2010
A lineup this long usually means good things, and this place is indeed a good thing. It serves pastas, sandwiches, and salads: the trifecta of "I feel like Italian for lunch." The sandwich I had (breaded eggplant) was excellent--not too heavy, but nicely filling, with briny artichokes and fresh tomatoes to complement the eggplant.
Go only if you have time for a wait, though--the place is popular at peak lunch hours, and the prices make this place more a treat than a regular lunch spot. -
Review from Sergey S.
11/20/2010
The place is cheap, popular and unmistakably Italian. Or at least Latin, if we're talking about the people on the other side of the counter.
Huge lineups are normal - that's a common take-out lunch destination for all those offices around. Food is good, though nothing special - just a normal stuff anyone would get for lunch "feeling like eating something Italian today". I usually get gnocci con bolognese there, and those are always fresh and well made (that's not from the menu, by the way, but you can ask for it and get it).
I can only recommend this place for take-outs - trying to eat inside is a huge fail. Employees of this place are seriously wasted, there is no way you can expect courteous or fast service. They are not bad people, just really, really tired and overloaded. -
Review from Kat F.
Updated - 7/29/2010
The girl that works the cash at Fusaro's has literally (by my watch at least) never had a day off in the five years that I've been coming here. Along with the lunch hour lineups she is the one consistent thing about this place.
I wish I could say the same about my beloved gnocchi, which varies wildly from visit to visit. Sometimes the sauce is creamy cream, sometimes it's oily tomato, sometimes it's jarred tomato. For the record, if anyone from Fusaro's is listening, the only winner in that list is creamy tomato. And I also like the days when fresh basil and parmagiano reggiano are involved.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/9/2009
I've never been to Fusaro's for dinner as I believe they close at the early hour of 6 or 7pm, but I… Read more »
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Review from Velshin C.
Toronto, ON
2/10/2011
Good pasta, great place to pop in for lunch. Dinner? Not as much.
If you're looking for authenticity, Fusaro's is a bit Canadian-ized. Most of the right stuff is in there, but not always the right amount. Healthy Italian food this is not. Consistency is an issue at lunch. Sometimes the dishes are overwhelmed with olive oil and/or butter, sometimes not.
Absolutely worth a try if you work nearby. It's yummy! -
Review from Chris G.
Whitby, ON
8/15/2011
Just because there's a long line up at lunch doesnt necessarily mean that the food is good does it? Well, in this case it does. We waited on a Monday afternoon for maybe 10mins, had a chance to read the chalkboard menu and specials as well as check out the display you eventually are lined up against (free pizza samples too!). Since I was there with a regular, I went with her choice, a smoked turkey panini, with a herbed mayo, cucumber, pepper, lettuce and marble cheese. You order over the counter, your tray is set up on top of the counter and, no matter if your choice is quicker than those ahead, you wait in sequence to pay.
Took our sandwiches to the small patio and dug in. For about the same price of a turkey sandwich from Subway immediately next door, Fusaro's wins hands down. The mayo alone is a win.
I will go back. The pastas, the salads and the quiche all looked delicious, and by the looks ofnthe full Corona box on the floor, they're licensed! -
Review from KL M.
Toronto, ON
8/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
I've only been here once, but definitely plan to return. It has great word-of-mouth and now I know why. Many things looked appetizing but I settled on the stuffed eggplant. SO good!
It's a busy lunch place, so it's best to arrive early if you can. All the items are freshly pre-made (an oxymoron, but it's cafeteria style), on display and ready to be heated. -
Review from Keith B.
7/30/2009
I have been here a few times and the only negative thing I can think of about this place is the hours (closed on sunday, only open until 4pm on saturday).
Other than that, this place probably makes one of the best panini in Toronto. They have other items on the menu which are ok, but if this is your first time I would recommend trying a panini.
Inside the place is nice and they have a nice small patio in front. The service is also fantastic. I have found the servers to be very friendly and will take the time to chat with you and ask if you are enjoying your meal.
All in all, this is a fantastic place for a sandwich and a cold italian beer! (they offer 'Poretti' which I had for the first time here - it's a very light beer and will appeal to the heineken/stella crowd) -
Review from john g.
9/14/2009
Though it has become somewhat expected to find a good panini in any major world city, I'd say that Fusaro's makes a very good one.
Tried the "Otto"; grilled chicken, roasted peppers, provolone and pesto mayo, and it was excellent. All the ingredients were fresh and tasty, and the pairing of tastes was perfect.
Fun little place too, with outdoor seating and some interesting-looking pasta dishes. -
Review from Neil L.
Toronto, ON
9/8/2008
One or two of the servers have a serious attitude problem, but the prices are *very* reasonable and the food is excellent. Besides Italian sandwiches, Fusaros has a really nice selection of pastas to choose from and it's all quite excellent.
One person can eat for under $10. You can't beat that with a stick. -
Review from John L.
Toronto, ON
1/17/2011
Been going here for years. One of my favourites in all of Toronto. Their "Uno" sandwich has been a weekly staple for me for quite some time now. Great rice balls too! They also do awesome sandwich platters for catering.
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Review from Vanessa G.
Toronto, ON
9/16/2008
Get here before lunch during the week cause Fusaros gets PACKED! It's a popular spot and rightly so - the food is superb. If you've got a hankering fo some good old fashioned Italian food, this is the place to go!
Their pasta is absolutely delicious and I've had several different ones and never been disappointed. My favorite has to be the rigatoni, with spinach chicken and tomato sauce - and it comes with bread. They also have a selection of paninis, which are filled with a delicious variety of Italian meats and cheese. They also have a salads to order, daily made pizzas and Italian favourites like veal parmigiana and spaghetti and meatballs.
Beware, seating in here in sparse so make sure you get it to go if you can! -
Review from Alejandro A.
Toronto, ON
11/20/2008
A popular lunch time spot in the area, Fusaro's is, basically, a take-out Italian Food restaurant. They certainly have seating, but it's not a serviced seating area. That knowledge doesn't stop customers from coming into the store, as there is almost always a line-up from 11:30 'til about 1:30/2ish.
Specializing in Panini sandwiches and pasta ("please be prepared to wait 8-10 minutes"), they pump out food like crazy. It's an extremely organized assembly line operation, with as many as 4 different people taking orders from the same single line-up.
The food itself is delicious, and while I've heard complaints about the portion sizes being too large (hah!) I haven't found that to be a problem. If you're in the mood for a spicy sandwich, try Panini Uno. If spicy sandwiches aren't your thing, I'm also a big fan of Panini Cinque. -
Review from Erin B.
Toronto, ON
7/21/2009
This place is amazing! Cute little Italian restaurant at Richmond and Spadina - cafeteria style, and there's always a plate of samples that make waiting in the always-long lineup worth it! Awesome food - from pizza, to paninis, to daily pastas, to salads...and the rice balls are to die for. Don't forget to get there early to get a spot on the patio!
