Spinning Fork Restaurant

Nice little Italian spot for a quality meal at an affordable price. Ate here on a Friday night and had a minimal wait for a table for two. Our drinks were always full, food arrived promptly and was delicious. (Chicken Marsala and Italian Trio) We both thought our portion sizes were just right. The service was good; our server was attentive and friendly and the hostesses were also very kind.

My wife and I visited Fairfield area over the past weekend. For early dinner, we had a couple of choices of food around the area. We ended up at Spinning Fork because she loves Italian food.
Now, I rarely ever post reviews for anything on Unilocal.If I make one, I’d have to feel VERY strongly about my visit experience. This is one of them, and unfortunately, it wasn’t a good one.
* It was around 97 degree outside that day. One of the A/​C was broken… where we were seated. I was dripping in sweat by the end of the meal. To be fair, you can’t control when things will break so I can’t fault them, though they could have advised us upon seating.
* Our waitress seemed to be in a hurry. I don’t think they were that busy, though they might have been short on people so I can’t judge them there. There was no friendly vibe from her, and we don’t recall seeing her smiling once. I’m not sure if it’s the same waitress and the ones being mentioned in other negative reviews or not.
* Ordered Fried Calamari for appetizer. The dish was extra crunchy. I felt like I was eating fried flour because there was hardly any calamari in it.
* I ordered Chicken Alfredo. When the dish came out, something looked odd. I dug through, and sure enough, there weren’t any chicken. A few minutes later, I spotted our waitress, and she simply said that she keyed it in, and will go get me chicken — all in a not-​so-​apologetic tone. Eventually, a plate of chicken soaked in Alfredo sauce arrived. She did lightly apologize before she went her own way. I mixed chicken into pasta. Admittedly, the dish wasn’t half bad, but for a $ 14 dish, it was mediocre at best.
* Towards the end of the meal, my wife did notice something on her iced-​tea glass. Turns out to be big red lipstick mark. My wife wasn’t wearing any lipstick and was using straw. We let our waitress know when she brought our check. She apologized, told us she’ll take care of us, and took the check back. Now, with everything that went on, many other restaurants would offer a fair comp off our check for the experience. While I didn’t expect much, I also didn’t expect her to take off just ONE glass of ice-​tea. $ 2 worth, or whatever the price was.
* Went to male restroom. At this point, I was pretty ticked off, so I might be nitpicking. But the restroom floor was quite slippery — one could have easily slip and fall. Plus, the entire piece of sink faucet was loose… as in if you pull the knob, the entire faucet would come up with you.
On the positive note, my wife’s dish (I forgot the name, but it was that day’s special, with (angel hair?) pasta & cod, was pretty decent. And the greeter/​host was very friendly.
At the end of the day, I left completely unsatisfied. My wife and I both agree to never come back here again, especially given a lot of other alternatives around the area.

We decided to try this place because it is local and we pass by it a lot. We were craving Italian so we stopped by, and we were very disappointed.
The sauce was runny and lacked any depth of flavor (i.e. it tasted like someone opened up a can of tomato sauce but didn’t add any herbs, spices, or vegetables for seasoning). It was supposed to be a meat sauce but neither of us could taste any meat. Even our 2 year old didn’t really like the sauce on his pasta. The portions were very small for the price. My meatball wasn’t very flavorful, though my husband did like the chicken Parmesan (primarily because it was cheesier than he expected).
The service was exceptionally slow despite the fact that there was plenty of waitstaff and the restaurant was wasn’t full. Our server forgot a few things, like bringing our son a drink when we ordered drinks or bringing bread sticks when we asked for them. My husband had to hunt someone down to get a drink refill for our table and it took quite some timed to get the check.
The atmosphere is the dated and stereotypical «quaint Italian» that you would expect. Wooden casks, plastic grapes, wine bottles, giant jars of olives, and other allegedly Italian items can be found all over the place. It is actually somewhat nauseating. While they may not be trying very hard with the food or the service, they seem to be trying too hard with the décor.
Overall, our money would have been better spent at the crappy Italian chain restaurant down the street. For the same price, the food there tastes better and the atmosphere isn’t quite as sickening, though I would expect the same poor service.

Great food but the service is always a tad bit slow. The noodles are fresh and the wait staff seem invested in the food’s quality. If I want Italian food for a fair price, the Spinning Fork is the spot.

We are frequent diners at this decent little neighborhood spot. The décor and atmosphere are absolutely charming, and perfect. You will feel that you’ve been transported far, far from the dismal suburbs. From the wrought iron lampposts, to the retro art posters, to the omnipresent wine bottles, to the classy little bar with the old faithful Italian liqueurs on offer (not to mention Birra Moretti), to the sweet sounds of Sinatra and Bennett, the vibe is everything a family Italian restaurant ought to be.
Food is good, filling, and comforting. Not to die for, not the best you’ve ever had, but good solid Italian home cooking. Veal, chicken and shrimp are on offer in a variety of typical Italian preparations and sauces, as well as lasagna, manicotti, etc. plus a couple of baked fish options. Their sauces are quite tasty. Homemade soups, too, and fresh delicious salad. If you opt for the salad I recommend the house creamy Italian, which is a very light and delicate kind of creamy.
I agree that the kitchen uses a very light hand where salt is concerned, but there’s a shaker on your table if the food needs a boost. I found the pasta primavera to be nicely seasoned with basil, parsley and garlic, and my husband and I both love the piccata sauce. The fried calamari app is just enough for two, though I find the breading a little heavy, like a Milanese style. It’s accompanied by a beautiful chunky marinara. Baked breadsticks are a disappointment. Where, oh where, and when, will we ever find real Italian bread in this town?!
Service can be a bit rough around the edges. It often seems that there are not enough staff to go around. Maybe it helps keep the prices down… for this is a wallet friendly place to be sure. One app, two entrees, three glasses of wine, $ 55. Don’t overlook Spinning Fork for your family gathering OR for a date night. Ciao baby.

Service was great, food is bland and not very good. and the hostess was so rude! Jessica was her name

It’s a family tradition to have our birthday dinners at Spinning Fork! Well prepared familiar Italian favorites in a relaxed, family friendly atmosphere. The décor and noise level is nice enough to encourage you to share a bottle of wine over conversation (total opposite of Olive Garden!). The food is simple, consistent, tasty. We start with garlic bread with cheese and tomato sauce then order our entrees. I usually get manicotti and cannolini, my son gets meat and cheese ravioli and husband gets spaghetti with meat sauce and meatballs. These have always been delicious! No, it’s not cutting edge. But if you want to just enjoy a family dinner and be sure everyone has something they love, Spinning Fork is the place! Our wait staff have always been kind and attentive and last night was no exception — she brought a birthday Spumoni for my son. A special treat to end a satisfying meal! We always have a lot is laughs together here and will return again and again.

We’re new to the area and decided to give The Spinning Fork a try on Monday. We are rather early, around 5pm, so there were only a small handful of other diners, all Blue Plate-​ers.
When we arrived, there was no one up front to greet us for several moments. While we were waiting, the elderly gentleman in line in front of us (who is clearly a regular) took the liberty of wandering back into the kitchen in search of the hostess.
When she did arrive, she seemed flustered and was very polite and apologetic. At the time we got there, she seemed to be the only person on the floor, so we were understanding about the delay.
There’s not a whole lot to say about the food. It’s pretty standard Olive Garden — range pseudo Italian fare. Not bad at all, but not particularly remarkable either. It came out surprisingly quick after we ordered, which was nice.
I’ll probably go back here again, but not on a regular basis, and not before I explore other Italian options in the area.

Spinning Fork is awesome. Been eating there for many years. The food is great. I’ve never had an issue with service. There is no comparison to the quality of Spinning Fork over Olive Garden. This food here is made here and the noodles are never over cooked. I recommend the spaghetti with meat sauce, the red clam sauce, the white clam sauce and the sun-​dried tomato chicken pasta.

I want to like this place, I really do. It seemed to have that old mom and pop restaurant feel to it when you walk in, which I typically equate to good olé delicious home-​style Italian cooking. However, I was gravely underwhelmed by the blandness of the food. Everything seemed to lack salt, as in everything, from the entrée down to the breadsticks, and salad dressing. I ordered the Eggplant Parmesan which came with a side of salad and pasta. The eggplant was alright but the pasta was bland. And no matter how much parmesan I put on my pasta to remedy the lack of flavor, I still couldn’t salvage the food.
To put simply, I just don’t see myself coming back.

I’m from out of town and decided to try spinning fork because I have never heard of it. The hostess was not very nice and the food was ok. I’m not a huge fan of Olive Garden but it’s much better.

I’m almost 30, and this place is one of my Childhood memories with my Mom. We went to the one down the road closer to Jungle Jims and I remember the squeaky booths and food tiles all around the Restaurant. This place is delicious. It’s consistent as well. As, some of you know some Restaurants, like Frischs have good ones and bad ones, as well as what time to go for the best quality food. Spinning Fork, brunch, lunch, dinner-it’s always delicious. Prices are fair, I paid $ 9 for spaghetti w/​meat sauce, breadsticks and a drink. I miss the butter bread. Servers have always been attentive and friendly. It also holds a crowd very well. So if you see a lot of cars in the lot, dont be intimidated, your neighbor wont be sitting right on top of you.
Music, Sinatra. You can never go wrong with Sinatra. It’s not so loud you cant hold a conversation with company, not so quiet you cant understand the lyrics. Just right. Wines, beers both imported and domestics. I believe they have draft as well. Perfect place for a small business get together for lunch. Classy without being uppity like Kenwood. Affordable, without looking chincy or unoriginal like a lot of chain restaurants. Plus it’s proximity to 275 (maybe 8 minutes if you catch every light), make it an excellent place to meet.
The woman on ¹²⁄₁₀ that made the personal assumption another Unilocaler has vested interest, why would a reviewer, review another reviewers review and include it in their own review? (like I am now). It’s one thing when you acknowledge prior reviews, that have a consistent thesis– «smokey», «noisey», «slow» etc. But you singled out an individual, not a service. Therefore I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
Pros-​Prices, Location, Selection, Portion size, Cleanliness, Attentiveness, Routine coupons
Cons– The only thing that really sticks out, as petty as it seems is outside, the red mulch. I hate red mulch.

We absolutely love this place. My folks always want us to take them there when they are in town. The food tastes fresh and authentic (which is probably why those reviewers saying go to Olive Garden don’t like it). I always have a hard time choosing between the Chicken Piccata and the Eggplant Parmesan. Both are outstanding. I travel around the state a lot with my job and eat at a lot of Italian restaurants, and I have yet to find one that tops the Spinning Fork.

I’ve had the displeasure of eating at the Spinning Fork a handful of times. Each time I walk out mad at myself for eating here, instead of going down the road a couple minutes to Olive Garden.
Bland is the first and only word I would use to describe the food. I honestly don’t think they even use salt and pepper in most of the dishes, which is one of the first things you learn as a cook! The chicken Alfredo was plain and unappealing, just a beige taste-​less mess on my plate. The salad was a mix of Romaine and Iceburg lettuce with shredded cheese on top with your choice of dressing.
The service was fine, but the food was lame and upappetizing. It’s not worth it, honestly. If you have any taste buds at all, please be kind to them and skip this place.

The atmosphere was very nice, and it lead you to believe its going to be a great experience, but the food was on the bland side. We had three different meals. if they would just have leveled up the taste of the food, maybe more spice, it would be perfect. I really wanted to like it better.

I have been here a handful of times and the food is decent enough however the service is hit or miss.

I drove past it for several months going back and forth to work but never stopped in to grab a bite to eat. When my In-​laws came into town to visit us we took them to the Spinning Fork.
They sat us by a table of screaming kids. There were several tables open in other areas but I guess this was most convenient for the wait staff.
The food is marginal at best. It is ok for a casual meal but I was definitely expecting more. I would probably go to Fazoli’s next time I want this quality of food and screaming kids.
All in all not the best experience or food. I would go elsewhere.

Been around a long time. Food is bland and forgettable. How it has remained open this long is a mystery. Don’t waste your money. Spaghetti or ravioli in the can is better, and you won’t have to tip.

We loved this place. Our server was great. I hated the wine I ordered but she gladly swapped it out without making me feel like she wanted to poison me. She was pretty great. And we also liked the food. great food and at a pretty good price. it is hard to find an affordable place to eat italian food. i would def come here again. I also like that this place was not a chain. buy local

So as far as Italian restaurants open on Christmas Day go — this one is probably the best next to Taqueria Mercado, which isn’t an Italian restaurant at all, but won’t let you down as much if you’re expecting great Italian food.
The first time I was there, the service was painfully slow and the pasta was room temperature. It had been awhile since I’d been back and today being Christmas day and it being one of the 3 restaurants open, we decided to give it another try. After today, I’m pretty sure Josh G. has some stake in Spinning Fork’s profits or has only been exposed to Italian food through McDonald’s brief stint with the McPizza.
On a cold day, upon walking into the restaurant and being asked how many people are in your party — make sure to request seating farthest away from the poorly insulated walls that spill out freezing air. I would’ve ordered a weatherproofing kit to at least stop the insane leak in the molding, but it wasn’t on the menu.
So in addition to not loving having to wear a parka while eating at a restaurant, I’m also not a fan of guessing what non-​alcoholic drink I’ve been given, burnt tortilla chips or watching bagged lettuce drown in salad dressing. Therefore, I would still not recommend this place.
To top it all off, the spaghetti I ordered was incredibly bland and could easily be beaten by a lean cuisine or rest home food.
In summation — if you own a microwave, save yourself $ 8 and stay home with a lean cuisine and a bag of rusty lettuce. This place is tasteless, freezing in the winter, has slow service, questionable fountain drinks and is apparently drugging some of its patrons by the looks of some of the other reviews of this place.