The Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurant
| 221 E. Brady St. | 918-587-4440
Sun - Thu: 11:00 am-10:00 pm, Fri - Sat: 11:00 am-11:00 pm
After almost 20 years, Spaghetti Warehouse remains a stalwart of downtown dining in its prime Brady District location, just across the street from ONEOK Field. The corporation is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and it continues to have the reputation for making "every meal feel like a celebration."
A brief glance to its past finds the first Spaghetti Warehouse opened in 1972 in Dallas' old warehouse district, from which the restaurant gets its name. When the Tulsa location opened in the early '90s, it became one of the first pillars of the Brady District and wider downtown revitalization that is still taking place. The company website states: "We are a warehouse, with many of our restaurants bringing fresh life to big historic spaces that we fill with delightful pieces of nostalgia ... to authentic trolley cars you can actually dine inside."
  Heath Sharp |
The evening my friend and I were here, we were a little surprised that the diners, who were scattered about the restaurant, were so few. Many restaurants do well to reinvent themselves through the years, yet apart from a few modifications, Spaghetti Warehouse has remained a constant in décor. We were seated just outside the entrance of the trolley car, located in the middle section of the restaurant. With a good view through the expansive eastside windows, we were privy to people walking by, coming to and from a Drillers' game.
Our server came to our table soon after we were seated. We gingerly opened the menus as they were in need of a good wipe down from prior use. There is an ample selection of Italian-inspired entrees. The menu includes appetizers, soup and salad, spaghetti, lasagne, pasta and dessert. Beverages include beer and wine, cocktails, sodas and tea.
To begin, we ordered Calamari ($7.99) from the appetizer selections. A few other options include Sicilian Sampler, Stuffed Mushrooms, Mozzarella Fritta, Spinach Artichoke Dip, Bruschetta and more. We enjoyed the squid which was coated slightly with a spicy breading and topped with grated Parmesan cheese and parsley; it was delightful. Warm marinara sauce and garlicaioli sauce accompanied the squid. Of the two, we enjoyed the garlic sauce the best for its delicate flavor and creaminess.
Of all the possible selections on the menu, I was eager to sample a basic house specialty, something that every good Italian restaurant should feature. I decided upon the house Spaghetti and Meatballs ($10.49) and a cup of Minestrone soup, and my friend ordered Our Incredible 15-Layer Lasagne ($11.49) and a salad. All entrees are served with the dinner's choice of bottomless Fresh Garden Salad or Savory Soup and Fresh-Baked Sourdough Bread. This fresh, hot sour dough bread kept our hunger pangs at bay until our meals arrived. The bread was hot, soft and easy on the butter.
We had just begun enjoying the calamari in earnest when our entrees arrived, served by someone other than our regular server. In fact, our server was even surprised and apologetic that they were served so quickly.
So we made our way through the bread, calamari, soup, salad and entrees in no particular order. The minestrone soup was warm; I prefer a steamy hot soup. It was made with an assortment of vegetables as good Italian minestrone should be. It had plenty of celery, cabbage, carrots, green squash, elbow pasta, green beans and white navy beans, all in a tomato-based broth. The spaghetti was good, a decent dish for this evening. The sauce was sweet, too much so for my liking. The consistency was fairly thick, heavy enough to coat the pasta well. The oven-baked meatballs were very large, about 1 inches in diameter. Mixed with pork and beef, the balls were very tender, but lacked a good Italian taste with a richness of spices usually associated with meatballs, such as oregano, parsley and garlic. They were very tender, yet bland.
Other original spaghetti recipes here include Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce, Seafood Mediterraneo, Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce, Spaghetti with Garlic Butter, Spaghetti & Mushrooms, Spaghetti with Beer Chili, Spaghetti & Mushrooms in Garlic Butter Sauce, Spaghetti & Italian Sausage and Spaghetti Feast and Chicken Tettrazini. An option to create your own sauce by selecting any expands the menu even more.
 That's Amore. Indulge in roasted garlic shrimp over angel hair pasta and other Italian favorites with your amore at Spaghetti Warehouse, 221 E. Brady St. Heath Sharp |
My friend's 15-layer lasagne is touted as "our all-time guest favorite." Layers of lasagne noodles are divided with their "robust meat sauce," which is Italian pork sausage, ground beef, and cheeses: Romano, ricotta and mozzarella. Another generous portion of meat sauce was poured over the lasagne square and finally topped with chopped parsley. This was a very large serving, ample for a hearty Italian appetite. My friend found the lasagna to be simple, filling, but rather ordinary. His side salad was quite routine: iceberg lettuce, shredded red cabbage, a few croutons, a wide-cut slice of red onion and Italian dressing.
The wine and beer selections are good and priced reasonably. We each had a glass of wine with dinner, Bell'Agio Chianti "Wicker" ($6.50) for me, and Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon ($4.50) for my friend. They were nice complements to the meal.
We did save room for dessert -- I'm always on the lookout for the finest tiramisu. I sampled the Warehouse Tiramisu ($4.99). Coffee-soaked ladyfingers were layered with rum-flavored cream and cappuccino icing. This was quite good. It was not too sweet, but rich and creamy with the classic tiramisu flavors of coffee and liquor. This was a fine ending to our dinner.
Service was adequate this evening. Our server was very attentive and kind, willing to do what she could to make are dining experience a pleasant one, yet she was less than familiar with the wine menu and some of the basics of front-of-the-house service. For her benefit (and ours), with proper instruction, she will be a very fine server.
Send all comments and feedback regarding Eats to kkelly@urbantulsa.com.