Terroni: neagative review of place suggested by some critics:

[kel]

This place has one of the most awful service problems--seemingly always short staffed. After you order long wait. Tables within inches or closer together. Cost is high for what you get

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Terroni
1 Balmoral Ave, Toronto, ON M4V3B9, CA

[TexSquared]

You're not alone. Take a look at these:

http://www.yelp.ca/filtered_reviews/846lAt9k0-jjM8TbBIRAmg?fsid=q_iF1AOMc3INTzth5dQB3g

http://www.yelp.ca/biz/terroni-toronto-4

Who ever heard of a pizza place that refuses to cut it into slices when requested (I can just imagine a waiter saying "you lazy bum, cut it yourself!"), and uses olives that still have pits in them so that you have to spit out onto your plate? Or a place where it seems that bad service is something they're PROUD of?

I'd rather dine at a chain restaurant than a place like this.

[Rabbit]

If you're looking for a pizza place where you have to spit out olives then you could try Italy. It's not at all strange there.

As for bad service... I have not experienced it firsthand. The no rez policy irks me and the no substitution policy seems a bit fanatical, but that's just part of the deal. I do think the food is very good including the pizzas (I like the quattro stagione), the molten chocolate cake finished in the pizza oven (fab!), and the wine selection is more interesting than most pizza joints. I prefer Mercatto to Terroni, but I have never had a bad meal at Terroni although I know others have their grievances.

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Mercatto
15 Toronto Street, Toronto, ON M5C 2E3, CA

[SMOG]

I'm a big fan of Terroni. I've never had a bad experience and have been 20+ times. Regardless, this is a very controversial topic that's covered in about 100 other threads. Not sure why people keep bringing this up. Wish we could just agree to disagree.

[apple_pie]

I agree - Terroni is one of those places people love to hate, and tends to garner extreme opposing views. I've probably gone to the Adelaide location at least 20 times as well, and never had a bad experience!! And I'm always on the look out as well with everything I read on this board, but I've had average to good service, and consistently good food. I think if you hate it, then just avoid it, but the comparison to McDonalds seems like a stretch. Yes, they have rules, and I'll agree that they're extreme, but if you know about that and are strongly against them, then don't bother going. I know about them and work around them and haven't had a problem yet.

[juneplum]

I absolutely agree. I am a huge fan of Terroni ... I could eat the pasta there every week (and for a stretch, I did!) The pasta is sooo perfectly cooked, the ingredients are fresh and simple and all round, I just love that it's a casual and easy breezy place to go for dinner. I think what I like about the pasta dishes is that the combinations and sauces taste light and 'real' ... as opposed to pastas drowning in salty or over-flavoured sauce. I like the pasta over their pizza (I'd pick Libretto for pizza over Terroni). I just wish the line-ups weren't so insane!

BTW I hear that they are opening a new flagship location near Summerhill with a huge and fabulous patio ... can anybody confirm this?

[Pincus]

I still want to try their pizza. That would be my second visit there. Unless the second visit is more inspiring than the first, it will also be my last. Food on first visit was OK. Service was OK. Crowding of tables was not OK. Nothing outstanding at all about the experience.

[foodyDudey]

It serves a purpose. Someone has to run the McDonald's of Italian food. I don't eat at McD either. But I suppose at McD there is not usually a long wait and poor service.

[ingloriouseater]

and mcdonalds will honour special requests (ie. no onions)

[westhead74]

Mc D's will also sell you diet pop.

[stet]

McDonald's also charges appropriate prices for what you get.

[ingloriouseater]

I've never recommended Terroni, will never recommend Terroni and will steer most people clear of it....I don't get the fascination with this place at all

[JennaBean]

Here here!