String’s Italian Cafe

This fabulous gem is located close to our doctor’s offices, and we could not be happier! Their luncheon menu is exquisite, appetizers generous, evening meals are also wonderful. Best of all, the staff is just wonderful — kind, knowledgeable, and quite accommodating. One of our favorite places!

This was my first time here. Granted, being from the Bay Area, we have awesome Italian eateries. I ordered the Veggie Pizza. Vegetables were all fresh, crust was great. However, we all thought it was quite amusing that 1) Our food server did NOT know what gnocchi was, 2) Read us the specials, and couldn’t pronounce the food, and her nose up at the description, and 3) the Veggie Pizza had an option of «can be made vegetarian upon request». My friends, who live in Auburn like this place, but their choices of Italian food are very limited. Almost all of the dishes came with a side of pasta covered in a thick white sauce. I’ve always heard of this place, so now I can say that I’ve been.

We like String’s, the food has always been spot on and servers courteous and responsive. If you have a Groupon, mention it *before ordering* and make sure it’s on the check. Otherwise, it can be a hassle for everyone, take my word for it.
But I’d like to give Strings 5 stars just for enforcing the State Health & Safety Code that bans dogs in restaurants. A lady and her dog, Riffles, were invited to dine on the String’s patio (OK as of 1÷1÷2014, depending on restaurant preference), but instead caused a fuss, calling String’s «dog haters» and leaving a 1-​star review here on Unilocal.
What wasn’t pointed out in the review was that the dog was on the counter… not the floor as pictured… and that’s not using common sense, or common courtesy, or being entirely truthful. Even though the dog may be clean enough to lick it’s fur… to some people, having it on the table is… unappetizing at best. We’re not dog haters, we just don’t want other’s dogs on the table where we’re eating.
If the owner still feels they’re *entitled* to do this in restaurants, they should refer to California Health and Safety Code Section 114 259.5

We went here only because we found a groupon deal. I’m sure glad we did. Our server was a most attentive sweet girl. We loved the bread, soup, shrimp, pesto gnocchi, and meat ravioli. With the groupon deal we only spent $ 33 and we have enough left overs for lunch for the 3 of us! We will definitely be back!

The menu has changed and they have now added a $ 4.25 split charge to entrees. We usually split a dinner and order an extra salad as our appetites are small. The portions seemed smaller (we each ordered our own entrée) and the sauce wasn’t the same as we remembered. Possibly a new cook in the kitchen? The salad dressing also seemed different and we were only given five small pieces of bread for four people. The wine list is very limited and not the best selection. We have been to String’s many times over the years and we’re not sure why they have made these negative changes. The seats in the booths are in dire need of being replaced as some are split and sunken in causing you to sit very low in the seat. I will say our waiter was personable and friendly and the four of us didn’t wait long to be served. Our friends both commented on the marinara sauce tasting different and quite sweet and way too much pesto on the second dish served. Just not the same as it used to be. We also noticed that on a Friday evening at 7:15 there were only a half a dozen tables full including the ones in the very dark and unattractive back dinning area. Not sure we’ll go back.

Met a friend here with our three kids to celebrate my sons birthday. Two of the kids ordered chicken tenders and one ordered the corn dog. Server brought two ordered of corn dogs, but immediately agreed to bring out another order of chicken tenders. My daughter’s tenders looked like fish, in a very greasy tempura type batter. The second order brought out looked completely different. The breeding fell off the chicken, and the kids said it was gross. I tasted their chicken and fries. It all tasted like it was cooked in very old dirty oil. Kids wouldn’t eat it. I had the penne Della Casa. It just tasted bland. My friend said the spaghetti sauce was super sweet like it had sugar in it. We will not be back. Terrible good!

I wanted to treat myself after an unplanned overnight stop in Auburn. I was on a road trip and decided to play it safe and wait out a blizzard before heading over the pass into Reno. Traveling alone is usually my preference, and when it comes to meals out on the road, I generally opt for fast and cheap. Well, I felt the need to go all out and looked for a nice place to treat myself to a fine meal. I looked over Groupon for a local last minute deal, and found what seemed like the perfect place to treat myself at. NOT! This place that seemed like a fancy Italian Restaurant online was no more than a glass fronted shop that looked like any strip mall store front. Upon entering, it looked like a diner or café, reminding me of an upscale Dennys. My groupon made little difference in my final bill total, which was too high for what I would call mediocre at best. And I ended up sending back my steak, as it was so raw I could to even chew it. I totally enjoyed my cup of minestrone soup, I must say that much. And my server deserves 5 stars!

This place only survives off groupon. They are terribly skimpy– watered down salad dressing, charged $.99 for a one once itty bitty thing of marinara for my son who didn’t get enough. The evening manager was so rude to our server and us! How embarrassing to treat your employees that way! Also, they tried to work the bill so we had to pay more and luckily I caught it before paying! This place deserved 0 stars! I’ve yet to have a good experience.

Made reservations and when we arrived our table was waiting for us even though they were busy. We appreciated that. Food was good as usual, especially the chicken parmigiana and the salads. Our server Corrine (?) was fantastic. Very attentive and friendly.
Monica, co-​owner with her husband, even came over and talked with us. She’s assembled a great staff that really focus on the customer. She was also very warm and friendly.
We recommend Strings for a good meal at a reasonable price with great service.

Autumn was our server, and she was friendly and very attentive. I am very health-​conscious with what I eat, and Chef Frank was more than happy to leave out the cream in my pasta sauce! How great is that! We had a very enjoyable lunch, and I will definitely return.

Our server was very nice and helpful, but… very, very slow. The restaurant was empty, ladybro. What were you doing back there instead of bringing us bread and wine?
My deconstructed meatball sandwich was really quite delightful and I wasn’t really disappointed by anything in particular. Except maybe the wine selection. Everything tasted like cheap crap. It was my grandpa’s 90^th birthday and he loves wine… like…loves wine… and he didn’t even want to finish the one he had.
I’d never come back if it weren’t with a World War II veteran. Those are my terms.

The food is OK. I have been here three times and have had the same dish twice. The first time my dish was delicious. The second time the dish was bland. The portions are small.

Accompanying an elderly gentleman with a walker, it was hot out and my friend felt faint. Fernando came right out with a chair for him to rest. Since the sun was still beating down on him, Fernando quickly came out again with a little cart and wheeled him right in.
Talk about customer service, Fernando is our hero AND our waiter! He went above and beyond… these 5 stars are for you, Fernando and the food gets a 3.
The minestrone soup is as great as I remember it but package salads always have a funny taste to me.

I ate here once. I can say it was not bad, but the food was not memorable — I know I ate here with my Mom for Mother’s Day about 4 years ago. But that is about all I can tell you about it. Not bad, just not memorable.

Amazing food! I’ll start with the minestrone soup, they do not skimp here! Hearty sized portions of vegetables and the flavor, overall, the best I’ve ever had. I’ve only ordered Togo, so I can’t comment on the atmosphere of the restaurant, though it’s got a cozy Italian feel to it. I’ve never had to wait too long for the food and they package it up nicely every time, where most other places don’t seem to care about the togo orders and throw everything in the box. Aaaand the Alfredo sauce is perfect, I’m a huge fettuccini Alfredo addict and hands down, the best sauce! This is the place to go if you want great priced home cooked Italian meal

We had a really good meal again! Baked ziti is delish, and it’s not on the menu but they will make it if u ask. Pasta Della casablanca is very good also! Bread, salad and were awesome. The waitress was right there if we needed anything. My dessert was yummy… the tiramisu! !

Good food and friendly staff and not too expensive.

Strings is like a typical average hometown Italian restaurant, not good and not bad. Bad cheesy wine décor, stale bread and saucy pasta. The only reason I keep going back is for the family style salad and my grandma has a crush on the 16 year old blue eyed busboy. I guess until the busboy graduates high school my grandma will keep dragging me back.

I have always had a satisfying experience at Strings, great selection and reasonable prices and it is nice to be greeted by name.

This is my first review here in a long time because Karen and I have our own page together now but after tonight’s fiasco, I had to write for myself once again.
Riffles, Karen and I got kicked out of our first restaurant tonight… «Strings in Auburn» of all places is the very first restaraunt to become labeled by us as DOG HATER’S. This is the very first restaurant to ever not allow us to eat there with Riffles in his carrier. We have eaten here 6 times in the last few months with Riffles in this same carrier but tonight they told us that they didn’t want our business after we were left with no choice other than to leave. Well honestly, after we were already out the door after being treated without kindness, the manager told us that we could eat on the patio in full sun but it was way to hot and filthy out there for our dog — aside from it being in full exposure of the sun and this was after the fact that we had already been left no choice but to leave. The patio was totally unprepared and the canopy’s were all closed down, or in this case never opened because it is in the full afternoon sun and a horrible place to be baked alive. Most definitely it was not inviting in any way. So as we were leaving, which is exactly what the she-​witch manager wanted, she told us about the patio to try and keep it legal. I mean Riffles doesn’t make a sound and is extremely well trained to be 100% quiet in his carrier and at 6lbs, and being a puppy, nobody has ever treated us rudely until tonight. I mean, it’s Strings you know, not exactly a high dollar restaurant and after all of these years of going there since they came to our town, tonight after watching the way their manager treated my wife because we had our dog here crated like always, they lost us as customers. On a personal note, this is the 4^th time that this new manager was leading this establishment when we arrived, and we have never ever had a problem with any of the other managers. I had to sit down after waiting for a few minutes for her to come back into the restaurant to tell us that we were not welcome. She was out front on the phone, so we had to wait until she was done talking with whoever… I could see it in her eyes as she was looking down at me that they had no want to ever have us as customers. I realize that it was 7:30pm and unusually late for us to be eating dinner, and they only had one waitress as the Hispanic waiter was going home. I mention him because until he pointed out to the manager that we had a crated dog, she had no problem with us at all, and until tonight he was my favorite waiter there and had served us many times in the last 5 or more years that he has worked there. What I am saying here is that we are not strangers here at all. But after tonight, we will never be back and this is really saying something being that I raised my family here from having my children eating here when they were young many times too, in the last few years, my grandchildren had eaten here with us many times. So this time we went across the street and had a great meal with Riffles at Applebees where we were treated great as always. Usually when we go in to any restaurant, they offer us a bowl of water for Riffles and we order raw hamburger for him at whatever price they want and then I always tip at 20%+ so I really don’t understand why they treated us so badly tonight? Never have I ever been treated so rudely. Honestly, they deserve a negative –10 for the way we were treated tonight. You can find Karen and I along with our honest reviews here now —