Madeline's Cafe And Bakery

I have been wanting to try the Pasta Garage for a while so I was super excited when we made the trip. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as good as expected. The service was friendly but the food was a bit lacking. I went back and forth between a 4 and 5 star since some of my critiques was personal but ultimately the food was not hot. The pasta itself was very fresh but I am a sauce person and my Ragu Alla Bolognese was under sauced and had three tiny pieces of meat. When I looked at other google pics before our visit I saw the dish and it did have more sauce than mine when it was served. My husband had the Baked Ravioli and it was a much better dish and had a great flavor. I was not a huge fan of their bread sticks because they were a bit airy for me but that is just personal preference. The portion size of both dishes was very good.

Pasta Garage, Pasta Garage, Pasta Garage. I live out of State now and I dream of the chicken parmigiana. Every time I’m in Lexington, I got to Pasta Garage. They make their dishes in their very own kitchen. Their noodles are made from scratch and you can tell the difference. Angel, who has worked their for a couple years now is always there when I go and he is always very kind, helpful, and knowledgeable. The renovations and art have also improved the atmosphere while eating. The paintings of the bourbon speak Kentucky and makes me feel like I am around good company and good food.

I had really high hopes for pasta garage and I’ve been meaning to try it since I moved to Lexington. When my friend came in from out of town we decided it would be the perfect dinner that was casual, comfy, and not a stuffy long dinner. Unfortunately pasta garage did not at all live up to any of our expectations. There was NO line when we got there but it took an HOUR to get our food. For pasta that needs to be dropped in boiling water, and sauce that is already made that is ABSURD especially when there was NO line. Absolutely no one in front of us placing an order. Then when we get our food, an hour later, it’s in a to go bag which made it really difficult to eat in the restaurant when we wanted to share all different pastas. Those that got their food after us (also visibly frustrated, and audibly frustrated as they also said “FINALLY!” When their buzzer rang) were all served their food in proper plates. On top of all that, we were missing an entree and had to head to the window again and wait on that. We had planned to grab dessert there, but were so frustrated we left as soon as we finished our mediocre meals. The ravioli was way over cooked to the point where it had opened up and the Kentucky shaped pasta was no where near Al dente. Thankfully my kid slurped up her spaghetti with no issues but this is not an establishment I plan to eat at again, especially since not one person apologized for the long wait time or for the missing food.

I don’t know how else to explain how much I love this place other than to say in a single 3 day trip I went every day! Yea a little over the top but it happened by accident when in town for a conference & the lunch company who joined me each day wanted Italian. Luckily their menu is so diverse I never at the same thing twice! I love that their noodles & sauce are all made in house fresh! I personally like making my own bowls, but in several trips over 2 stays in the Lex area in the 3 years I’ve tried som staples as well. You can’t go wrong with much on the menu! It’s close to UK & the Campbell House Hilton Hotel & downtown Lex. You would be missing out if you skipped it!

I wasn't aware that the restaurant was cafeteria-style ordering, but the food was good. The atmosphere is campy, but nice. Don't bother with the wine. My $7 glass was as small as a juice glass and the wine was warm. Chicken piccatta was tasty, but not much meat. My nephew enjoyed his mac and cheese. My husband was unenthusiastic about his lasagna. The flies kept us fanning our food when not eating, so we ate too fast. I might do pick-up sometime, but it is too far a drive to do another dine-in, considering what we experienced.

This is my experience with the pasta garage Italian cafe. I want to say first that I don't like giving negative reviews. This being said, I was super excited to have gluten-free pasta, which traveling can be difficult. I called the restaurant and talked exclusively to a young man, explaining I do have a gluten allergy what is available?. I chose blackened chicken Alfredo with gluten-free pasta and a salad. He told me to list on doordash that everything needs to be gluten-free, which I did. I called the restaurant to confirm my order through doordash, and it was going to be gluten-free. I also asked the doordash driver to confirm the food was gluten-free before leaving the restaurant. Everyone confirmed it was gluten-free. When I opened my salad, I immediately saw croutons on the salad. I was shocked. I called the restaurant immediately, talking to the same guy to previous times that confirmed the order was gluten-free. I ask why my salad has croutons? He states that I should have said no croutons? Really? What is gluten? I saw all the reviews of gluten-free guests with no problems. I was shocked! I ask, is the pasta 100% gluten-free? He said yes. How can I believe someone who just sent croutons on a salad with my life? No! I could not eat anything. I was very disappointed, to say the least. You have been warned! If you order food to go, don't do it. I don't even know about go to the restaurant. This place is a bust for me.