The Express

Such a hame

My firend and I, whch are former employees had gone to The Express for dinner yesterday night as last minute plans. We were looking forward to the great food they had as when we were kitchen staff there four years ago. We were greeted right away as we walked in. We were given our drinks quickly. The waitress was very young and did not seem like she knew what she was doing. As an appetizer we ordered the mare monte and the bruschetta. The burschetta was not seasoned properely and the presentation was poor. For the mare monte... the shrimp was over cooked and you can tell the bread was at least a few days old as it was very chewy. We both ordered pizzas for our entrees. We were both happy with the pizzas we had ordered which were the quatro stagoni and the chicken pesto. That is until we noticed the centre of the pizza was undercooked and very greasy. We were both full and we had paid our bill. We spoke to the chef on our way out and were greeted nicely by him. The open concept kitchen looked very dirty and un organized. I will not return. As for my friend... you'll have to ask her!

BAD SERVICE, BAD FOOD

Had the cheese ravioli, with tomato sauce only. It was undercooked (cheese was cold and hard) and took 50 minutes. How hard is it to cook ravioli... Had to ask 2 different servers and no one responded, asked again and got a snotty reply from a server. Food came out undercooked. The owner was rude and non apologetic, didn't even offer anything in return. I will never be returning there and I will tell people not to go there if they ask.

Not good at all

The restaurant should be renamed UNDERCOOKED OVERPRICED instead of EXPRESS (no pun intended). I was disappointed to get half cooked pasta when I specifically asked for NOT al dente. Twenty five minutes later I get half cooked pasta. Not good at all. This restaurant does this every once in a while. The Express is supposed to be a first rate restaurant. Unfortunately, their standards are not up there because I have had this sort of half cooked a few times in the last five years. I will stop going there for another year or so and hope for the best. Safe dish to order : Pizza. Not so safe to order : Pasta If you see a new waitress, you may consider repeating your order twice.

EXCELLENT, BOTH TIMES WE WENT!

REALLY EXCELLENT PASTAS! GREAT PIZZA!! REALLY GOOD CALZONE! Waitresses are really attentive and good as well. We Were So Happy to Find a Good Italian Restaurant. Not Fancy, but Good Food. We don't live in Hamilton, but drove there as heard it was a "good restaurant'. Well it was sooo good we went back the Next Friday Nite as Well! Pasta's were very fresh, cooked Al dente, and the Salmon (cream sauce with Salmon) Was EXCELLENT. Salmon super tasty and fresh!! and alot of it in the Pasta!! Ordered 4 cheese Pizza - shared it - it was really good! Ceasar Salads were ok, no compaints. Waitress gave us really good suggestions.. knew the menu well and suggested some popular (and her favourite items). We were impressed. She even was ontop with her wine selections... lol. Young girl, but ontop of her game! Only down side, is it can be a bit noisey. There was a large party at the end of the restaurant - and the kids were loud, as were the adults. No separation from the others... so made dinner conversation a bit challenging. However the second time we went there - no large party - and the sound was fine. My husband ordered a dessert - red velvet cake he said it was excellent..! Enjoyed every bite. DEFINATELY WILL RETURN! GOOD FOOD , GOOD VALUE, GOOD PRICE!!!

SATISFY YOUR HUNGER AND TASTE BUDS !

Wood Oven Pizza was Delicious , The Pasta is A La Dente and everything was fresh ! Waiting for good food should be appreciated. Sadly for those eating FAST FOOD this is not the place to Visit ! The portions are perfect if you come here and are hungry ! The Warehouse atmosphere is wonderful and you don't have to be Italian to Cook Italian although the Chef is ! Considering a new owner the Staff is the same as the previous so I wonder why Ownership should make a difference in Quality and taste ?

2nd times a charm

Try the Calzone, awesome. Baked chicken / w, fettuccine, terrific. Only negative is the single giant crouton on the Caesar salad. Everything was great. Carrot Cake shared, great

Our Vote? Not Good, Skip this place!

Someone recommended this place. It must have been a relative or someone who felt sorry for them. I wish they had felt sorry for us instead, we certainly did after eating here. I should have taken my clues from the dark and dingy atmosphere. The open kitchen revealed several disgruntled unfriendly cooks who at best should be kept away from guests. The only saving grace was the bread which was from an outside bakery (surprise, surprise). They served this with foil wrapped butter, another clue which I ignored. The veal parmesan was tough and stringly, not tenderized before breading and with very skimpy sauce which left it dry, hard to eat and the worst I've ever had. It was served with over-cooked penne with sauce that had an extremely unimpressive tomato sauce seasoned with almost non-existent seasoning. How can you go wrong with caesar salad? Wilted, dirty-looking romaine, tasteless croutons, boring cream sauce. Fettucine Alfrredo was pasty and thick. Leftovers were congealed after refrigeration which made us wonder what it was made of? I can't fault the waitress who was pleasant but the only one in a very repressed atmosphere. As we left we saw a dark back room being prepared for a little girl's 1st communion. Poor kid.

Nasty

I wish I had a time machine to warn myself about going in here, but since I don’t, I can at least warn others. Three of us came in, hungry from a long day ready for a warm, elegant meal. Pasta and pizza…what can go wrong? After all, my family and I used to visit The Express a few times here and there and it was great. I ordered the pasta primavera, a dish that traditionally showcases delicate spring veggies in a cream/cheese light sauce. I think the cooks need to re-learn their traditional Italian cuisine. I have never had such a mangled looking “primavera” ever. This plate consisted of thick cut, nay hunks of bell peppers, still half raw on top of pasta, and a rich coating of olive oil. Greasy…hard…and bland. The highlight of the meal? My ginger ale (hey it cut through the grease), and my tiramisu, which was obviously shipped in. My dinner mates had the same problem. Crappy, un-authentic overpriced “Italian”. I had tried to contact them a few months prior in regards to a family event, and catering…thank goodness we took our business elsewhere. I could not even fathom the embarrassment we would have if we had hired them. The Italians in my family would probably shun me for life.

I've noticed the most recent review about this restaurant was 2 months ago. It has vastly changed since then. We were there as a group for my daughters soccer team and it was a fairly large group, but it was Monday night and not too busy. We ordered our meals at approximately 6:15pm. At 7:05pm one of the families were told that the the kitchen just realized there were no mussels, (which they had ordered at 6:15pm) and needed to order something else. Now we were all wondering if there was a problem in the kitchen. At no time did anyone come by to explain why the delay. At 7:30pm with most of us starving as we had come from work, I asked for bread. Being an Italian restaurant, we thought that it would have been fresh and warm. Very far from it. Finally as we were becoming obiviously restless (the team had eaten at approx 6:30pm and the girls were all over the restaurant) around 7:40pm dishes started coming out. The gentlemen next me found a staple in his panzerotti. This was the icing on the cake. Between the poor attitude of the servers and the manager taking offense at our being upset (who waits for over an hour and a half for food), I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone with more than 2 people in their party. If you're not too picky with your quality either then take your chance.

Best Italian Food in Hamilton!

We live very close to The Express. It was recommended to me by my son, who visited with his father. We are very happy that we tried it! The décor and atmosphere in the restaurant is very classic Italian. There is a beautiful bar and bakery section, where the cakes and treats are on display behind a glass. There are nice old cappuccino machines as well, which prompted me to try one at the end of my meal, but I will get to that later. I really like that the tables are spread out, so it feels like you can have a conversation with your company without the whole restaurant hearing it. I also like the open concept of the restaurant, which feels very light, airy, and, well, open. The food was great. Our appetizer was totally delicious, and promptly arrived at our table. The bruschetta really tasted traditionally Italian, as opposed to the unhealthy, westernized breads offered at franchise restaurants. The pasta I enjoyed was also very delicious, and a nice, big portion. The sauce tasted homemade, and the TLC put into the dish was obvious. My companion had a stuffed chicken breast, which he also really enjoyed. The meat was very tender and juicy, and cooked to perfection. I really wanted to eat desert, as those cakes were starring at me for the entire meal (haha!), so we took one to go - we were both stuffed! I had a cappuccino after our meal was finished, and it was just delicious. I think I am going to go back just for the cappuccino when I need a boost! Lastly, the service is also excellent. The waiters and waitresses are very educated and helpful with the food, so if you have any questions, or need a dish recommendation, ask them! You won’t be disappointed. They are also very attentive, kind, and professional. We really don’t have a bad thing to say about this place. For high-quality Italian cuisine in the Hamilton-Stoney Creek-Grimsby area, do yourself a favour and head to The Express!

We heard about this place from some friends and were pleasantly surprised. It boarders on an industrial area and has a warehouse look and feel to it, but that's a good thing. The food was outstanding and the service prompt and friendly. I would go back in an instant.

Aprox.ten years ago we were regulars..Excellent...

Aprox.ten years ago we were regulars..Excellent food.Owner was very personable..Wood oven pizza by far the best thin crust pizza with in miles...Awesome authentic Italian cuisine... Unfortunately new owners took over the establishment..while the food is still top shelf ..Chef Santino and his kitchen is second to none... while the manager herself is an absolute professional she really knows how to run a tight ship...On the other hand the new owner Sonny leaves much to be desired.. Running around like a chicken with his head cut off. The Express catered a funeral for over one hundred it was a complete flop.. The food was excellent as always and the staff was very efficient and friendly....The difficulty was in the organization of the event. they had 5 waitress taking drink orders only to be stopped by only having one bartender .. It was very frustrating to say the least...would I recommend a party over 5-6 no but for intimate dining this is a great choice..As long as you get a night the owner is'nt in...Or you can always phone in a take out.....this is what I recommend

Great place to eat

Never judge a book by its cover...this place is located in a semi industrial area in an older building...but the food is as good as any Italian restaurant I've been to with great service. Authentic flavours and fresh ingredients add up to make a great meal in my books. Any time I want to take someone out for some great Italian food, this is the place we visit again and again...

Hidden Gem

I have gone to this restaurant several times and have yet to be disappointed. The service is always excellent and the cuisine certainly matches. The atmosphere allows for conversation but is not pretentious or overbearing. A real treasure found where you would least expect.

excellent atmosphere, great service, and the food...

excellent atmosphere, great service, and the food is very high quality, and tasty. We will definitely revisit

excellent food as usual, excellent service and...

excellent food as usual, excellent service and atmosphere. Try the Monte Mare, you'll love it!

have been here many times, the last 2 times I...

have been here many times, the last 2 times I have been in the food has been dreadful. Doubt I will go back.

We had valentine night out & it was amazing...

We had valentine night out & it was amazing experience with live entertainment, great service & fresh food taste awesome, it was our best night out, thanks to Express team & certainly would recommend to everyone to try You want to eat real good Italian food check this place you will be amazed Keep it up the good work 200 out of 100

Fantastic Italian Food - this is an excellent...

Fantastic Italian Food - this is an excellent restaurant - all homemade food (freshly made pasta too). 11 out of 10 for the food!