The price I paid reminded me of a suspect getting away with robbery. I was the victim. I paid $4.99 for the tiny chicken slices, and $12.99 for noodles and cream, which was the "Chicken Alfredo" I ordered. The tiny chicken slices, noodles and cream was bland and needed flavor, so I had to use my own seasoning to make it taste better. Looks are definitely deceiving at Strings. read more

Strings Italian Cafe - Bland food - Italian Near Me - Modesto, California

Thanks Keelie!!! Lunch was great as always... Food and service are always top notch! The Artichoke Dip Appetizer is one of my favorites. Every entree I've had is d'lish and the desserts (YUM!) Thanks again! Will be back soon read more

We ordered Strings (delivery). Paid $70 for a very sad portion and with disappointing or lack of flavor. We ordered the Portabella Raviolis with shrimp and the Cheese Tortellini, it came out to almost $70. I honestly would have only paid $30 tops for it. The Portabella Raviolis were supposed to come in a sun-dried sauce and I'm honestly not sure what that sauce was. The best thing about the order was the side salad. I'm haven't had Strings in quite awhile, but my opinion has definitely gone from great food, to disappointed. read more

Strings Italian Cafe - Italian Near Me - Modesto, California

Food was good , service was very good...music was good but way to loud...couldn't even hear what people were saying at your own table...asked for it to be turned down, that never happen so we finished eating and left so we could talk to each other as this was a girls night out! Only will go back if there is no music or weather nice enough to set out on the patio where it wasn't so loud read more

Terrible food. Completely fake frozen Italian and sauce is just completely fake. Bread isn't even good.

Good stuff here, one of my favorite places to go for a nice somewhat quiet dinner, ive had several dishes all were good. We've met people ther for lunch and they have liked it too. Salad and bread is a good opener. Totally recommend this place read more

I'm really sad. I thought new ownership would not change a thing, but boy, was I wrong. The food is so inconsistent. Sometimes it's hot and good. Well, yesterday was not good. Our "Alfredo sauce " had the consistency of sour cream, It was thick and cold. The one male waiter is always so cold that it makes you feel like you're bothering him. Honestly, we loved going to Strings for family dinner, but for the prices ,service, and not sure if the food is going to be good or not. We pass more often than not. **UPDATE** 5/30/24 around 7:30pm. I honestly think it's his personality, but he doesn't seem like he wants to be there. it is just take your order serve your order move on. He's that way every time we have gone. 1 ticket we had the spinach ravioli with Alfredo 2 kids meals with pene and Alfredo. The other party had the spinach. Pepperoni bake it was really dry. It was super hot but dry so she asked for a side of Alfredo they also had 2 sides of meatballs, which he said were really good side of sausage and side of chicken and shrimp scampi appetizer. read more

Service was okay. Table was sticky. Oil and Vinegar bottles need to be wiped down! Food was mediocre. I haven't been to Strings in over 10 years and most likely won't be back either! read more

Strings Italian Cafe - Calamari appetizer. - Italian Near Me - Modesto, California

My husband and I was so glad to see Strings reopened under new management. That's good but we always bought Calzones but when they come from the back and our first bite we knew it was not the same. Actually mine was disgusting, the chicken in it was not all the way defrosted and the broccoli and mushrooms were very scant. Needless to say "Bye bye Strings". You just didn't hold a stick to the old one. Our meal was $45.09 and I will not go back! read more

Tasteless, small portions and pricey. You're better off cooking a box of Pasta Roni at home. At least it would have flavor.

This place is great! We came here on a Saturday night, my wife's birthday. Initially we were planning on eating at Olive Garden since we had gift cards there, but the wait was too long, and with two little ones, we decided to go elsewhere. And so glad we did! My wife and I love Strings in Manteca, so we decided to head over to the one in Modesto. When we got there, we were seated right away by a very friendly lady. The server was wonderful, helped me choose the pasta Siena, which was delicious! My wife loved her soup and salad, and the kids loved their macaroni and cheese and cheese pizza. The four of us left there with a bill under $50, probably cheaper than Olive Garden and in my opinion, much better food than Fina where we ate the previous weekend, and a lot more inexpensive too! We are already looking forward to going back! read more

I've been to Strings pre-Covid and post-Covid and i think a solid 3 solid stars is what it deserves. It's not my go to Italian restaurant, but it's what my family likes. They do have good pizza. read more

I am sooooo disappointed! I will not be eating here again. I ordered lunch today. Baked lasagna with meatballs..it was a 2.5 x 3.5 cut of lasagna and 2 meatballs plus side salad and that was 15 bucks. The meatballs were horrible! Cheap pre-made and frozen packaged! Oh rubbery too! Ugh The lasagna was ok once you got rid of the hard gross edges. Like how many times was it baked?? I am including pictures.. the salad was wilted and brown... really bummed!! read more

Strings Italian Cafe - Brown slime edges - Italian Near Me - Modesto, California

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This is kind of late to be leaving a review for Strings, as I have been coming here literally since I was in junior high school. Love this place, never disappointed. I am only NOW posting a review to tell about my last experience here. Came in on Mother's Day with my Mother to have lunch for the holiday. Was seated immediately. Had the privilege of being served by the most adorable waitress who had PERFECT eyebrows, excellent customer service, a smile and positive attitude the entire time we were there. She was on it. But in the midst of us enjoying our meal, I don't know if it was a manager or one of her coworkers, but there was a male that came in and started to give her a hard time. It was not quiet at all, what I do for a living, I am a very CALM person, so nothing startles me, but I kept looking up from my meal to watch this man upsetting her; dude was a pest honestly. At one point even my Mother turned around to watch IT. I don't know what was even going on, but that was NOT IT; nor was it professional. Side bar, I hate the new decor WAY too modern. Doesn't feel like an Italian place, Reminds me of those TV shows where they come in and redecorate the spot, there is no character at all. I wish they would've kept it how it looked previously. JMO .. Food. Was. Excellent. read more

Strings Italian Cafe - Moms meal, no idea what it was, but it was delicious .. - Italian Near Me - Modesto, California

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Most disgusting fettuccini Alfredo I've ever had. The sauce tasted like something out of a jar you could find at the grocery store. Not even homemade, yet still overpriced. The food was cold. Totally disgusting. Never going back. read more

Delicious food and great service! The food prep was quick and spot in to our request. Definitely a family staple!

We went for are Anniversary Great food and Great service, very nice place. we will be back.

Amazing time, the food was so delicious literally 100/100, mash potatoes are heaven sent. I love this place so much and can't wait to come back read more

Strings Italian Cafe - amazing time , the food was spectacular,comfy, Must try, food is literally OUTSTANDING! & order mashed potatoes, TRUST ME - Italian Near Me - Modesto, California

I ordered food via door Dash and the food arrived cold and it was rancid and smelled awful. I had to call door Dash and get a full refund I will not be going back to Strings. read more

Sure do like the lunch option of pick your pasta and sauce. What a deal! Also have learned that you can order your salad as you like. I don't like raisins or the creamy garlic (my wife like both) so I order greens with ranch and am very happy now. Not a problem, so tell the server. When you are knackered and hungry, drop in, relax and have a nice homey meal and glass or two of wine. And the tab will not break the bank. Don't understand the negative reviews. Am I am a fussy critic. read more

Simple Italian food hit the spot but price point a bit too high for what it was. Ordered the family meal to go (salad, bread, pasta with veggies) and it was good but it was $70! I'm not sure why adding veggies to the pasta is $25 more (meal advertised as $45 with plain fettuccine and add EITHER CHICKEN OR VEGGIES FOR $25). BJs restaurant family meals are cheaper and ready quicker. read more

My husband and I went to Strings in Modesto off Oakdale road. Our server, Keelie, took our drink/food order and the hostess did the rest. The server didn't ask how we were doing until the end of our dinner, when I needed a box. She didn't even take our check and bring it back with our receipt, that was the work of the table busser. There were 7 other tables she was tending to, but 2 others were suffering as well. We got refills and checked on by the hostess. She was the one to receive the tip from us. I understand that some places might be overstaffed, but this restaurant was small and she could've easily came to check on us more than once. read more

Strings Italian Cafe - Receipt with name of server - Italian Near Me - Modesto, California

We love strings but last night we ordered the artichoke dip appetizer and it was so thin. this is a picture after just one dip. It was just a small thin layer. I'm hoping it was just a mistake of the day and not how it is normally prepared. read more

Strings Italian Cafe - Artichoke Dip Dinner Appetizer - Italian Near Me - Modesto, California

We have been going here often. The food is good, service is good. One of the waitresses knows our drink orders. It's good to have good food and good service during the pandemic. read more

Well, where do I start. Sunday 10-22-17 4:15pm It would be helpful if you had a sign that either said, seat yourself, or please wait to be seated. After standing in the doorway a couple of minutes without being acknowledged, we decided to seat our party of 4 ourselves. We then got scolded by your employee to wait to be seated. We then were seated, and not asked what anyone wanted to drink. We wondered after a while if we were going to be even waited on. Soon thereafter, a very somber gal, ask for our drink order. Then, our waitress finally took our order in which we felt we were a bother to her. Unfortunately, we will choose to go to another Italian Restaurant in Modesto where we are treated as a customer and not an inconvenience. read more

Ordered delivery on a Thursday night and the wait time was surprisingly minimal. I ordered the Spaghetti dinner w/meatballs (++ chose the pomodoro sauce option) and went with the seafood bisque as my side. The bisque was screamin (dare i say....bitchin, even?) and the meatballs were BAMB.COM.Now for my complaints. The pomodoro sauce left so much to be desired. An "effort" that i can only imagine its creator attempting to pass off as 'rustic' is nothing more than a hack job. This is unless i was given maranara on accident. In which case... The maranara sauce on my spaghetti was forgettable at best. (SIDEBAR FUNFACT:Typically pomodoro consists of minced tomatoes that simmer for hours, producing a thicker viscosity.....) Also I was hoping that after not finding an option to order table bread or even garlic bread on the menu anywhere that maybe they might siliently include it with the order since id imagine its served pre dinner when one dines in. Alas i did not. So placing an option to order any sort of bread might be clutch considering this is "traditional" Italian food. And no side of parmesan cheese was the most disturbing of all my complaints. Now, I'm not a kook, so I'm fully aware that the owners, nor the chefs or servers, or the grub hub delivery girl don't know me from Adam.... But the no parm. thing. It seriously sucked...and it felt deeply personal. read more

I used to really like this place, but the last few times I've dined here, the experience was not good. Maybe I'll come back in a few months and see if things have improved. My experience on 9-30 was telling. I had ordered ice tea with my meal, and the waitress brought me salad and bread but no ice tea. Then she disappeared. It was not busy, and yet she did not return until my entree was ready, still no tea. I had to request it again when the meal came. I finally got my tea and ate. Bread was not fresh and the chicken marsala was chewy and slightly dry. The waitress did not check on me to refill my drink or inquire about my meal. When the check arrived, I contemplated not leaving a tip, but that is not really my style. Instead, I waited and waited for the waitress to take the money. Eventually, the host saw me waiting and took the money and said he would give it to the server. I still left a tip. Maybe they are short handed? Although, there were only about three or four other diners there, and what looked like maybe a small party off to the side. Perhaps the restaurant should have been closed to the public if the party caused the service to suffer. read more

We have ordered take out and loved the lasagna and spaghetti with meatballs, but last night was our first time dining in the Cafe! We had a reservation of 11 and our waitress Amy was amazing....She was there for our needs before we had to even ask!! The food was outstanding!! We ordered take out tonight... it's so fresh and tasty!!! I Highly recommend dine in or take out! The customer service is A+++ Thank you!! read more

The calzones are our favorite! Love their salad as well. Have had some of their pastas and those are good too. Overall, a solid place to eat if you're craving quick Italian. read more

If I could give negative stars I would!!! Worst customer service experience in a very long time. The two female child servers should most definitely find a different line of work. Customer service/food service is not their line of work for sure! They looked down their noses at both my daughters every time they walked by. The kitchen is wide open for all to be able to see in and those two girls would stand there behind the counter gossiping and flat out not doing their jobs. Our server could get our order right. It was completely apparent that she has no idea what she was doing. We will never be back to this strings location ever again. Shame on you Strings!! read more

The best part of any of the meals is the salad dressing and the bread. The calzones are large with plenty of filling. The peperoni alfredo is good. read more

This is one of our favorite places and we are long-time patrons. We just ordered another delicious meal that we picked up and it was wonderful. Even in these difficult times, Strings continues to have courteous service and super tasty food, we love it! This spot continues to be one of our long-time and go-to restaurants for our favorite dining experiences. read more

Slop thats what I received. I dont know how service is in the resturant but I did order from grubhub. And for a chicken fettuccine meal it was gross. I had a side of vegetable soup with no vegetables (only some onions) The whole meal was over priced, and Im Not talking about the grubhub charges. Some seasoning in the sauce would make it a little more edible. read more

The food was disgusting tasted like frozen food..... very bland I never add salt to my food but I sure did for the chicken Alfredo. The chicken tasted and looked like frozen food. The kids Mac and cheese was disgusting looked like sloppy mess. Also it's irritating that all the employees just stand in the corner and not one asks if we are doing ok, or ask if we need a refill. We got our bread after we asked for it four times. (They were probably defrosting it) I will NOT GO BACK for this over priced crap! read more

We arrived 30 min before they closed, thinking we'd take food to go but before we got completely through the front door, we were told WE'RE CLOSED. I said, don't you close at 9? The young lady said, uhhh, yeah . . . Let me talk to the kirchen . . . At that point, I didn't want my food spit in, so we left. Went next door to chicken barn where they were happy to serve us. We are out of there before 9, btw read more

I used strings for catering this past weekend for a party of about 40. We had them deliver to us. When the food arrived it was hot and fresh. They did forget the salad dressing and silverware but they were very nice about it and had some delivered ASAP. Everyone raved about the food at the party especially the meatballs. I would 10/10 recommend. The prices were fair as well. read more

Horrible service. There were three waitress and maybe five tables with diners. We had to ask for bread four times before we got any... and when we did get it, it was halfway through our meal. I have been here many times over the years and have never had that bad of service. Maybe they shouldn't have spent money on the remodel and spent it to hire better employees. Will not be going back again. read more

The food here was very, very good. I feel like it is overpriced by a few dollars per entree however. The service was slow at first, but picked up and the waitresses were very attentive and super polite. I live close to this location so I can see returning, however I would hope they could see that the pricing should be adjusted. read more

My wife and I have been going to Strings a lot over the years. We have always loved the rustic and quaint ambiance that this small, intimate Italian restaurant provided, We loved the salad the most. When we went tonight for the first time since they remodeled we thought we had arrived at a cafe. The lighting was so bright and harsh and felt like a cold fast food restaurant. The food was not up to par either. The lettuce was limp, and the fettuccine under cooked. We were really disappointed. I will say the service was good but I don't think we will return which is too bad. It was always one of our favorites. read more

The restaurant was clean and the service was fast and friendly. The only problem was the over priced obviously frozen food, just garbage. I had the spicy short rib and sausage, and my girlfriend had the artichoke ravioli. The short rib was gamey and the ravioli tasted freezer burnt, both were poorly masked in overly salted sauces. I do not like leaving a bad review, but this "food" was disgusting. read more