Fuzio

Sign from the Davis Commons location

Location

139 G Street

Hours

Sunday - Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Friday - Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Phone

(530)753-3877

Web site

http://fuzio.com

Fuzio is an Italian-fusion restaurant — "Universal pasta". They have mostly Italian pastas, with a few Asian noodle bowls and steak/tuna/salmon entrees. (If you're looking for something closer to true Italian rather than "fusion," then try Caffe Italia, Strings, Pasta, or Osteria Fasulo.) In May 2009, Fuzio re-opened in a new 3,000 sq. ft. location on G Street after moving from its original location in the Davis Commons. The new restaurant is at the site of the former Cantina del Cabo. The patio is a bit smaller but the inside is much more spacious.

From their opening, there has never been much of a wait, and there are always plenty of servers and bussers. This may be due to the servers being powered by a large fusion reactor that is buried in the ground under the restaurant giving them mutant server abilities and Hollywood-special-effects levels of attractiveness. Of course, that fusion reactor is probably a legend... or is it? (dun dun DUUUH!) In all seriousness, there are some a-holes who give dirty looks when they are asked for water. Perhaps that's a side effect of the mutant radiation?

GO TO FUZIO DURING HAPPY HOUR! That's when it's worth the money! It's Monday-Friday from 3pm-6pm. All the appetizers are $3, draft beers are $3, and martinis are discounted as well. It's totally worth it to go with a few friends; you can get like 6 appetizers for under $20. Their appetizers are all pretty good; a few popular ones include the Calamari, Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Firecracker Lettuce Wraps, Crab Cakes, and Firecracker Slyders. They also have half-priced pasta on Wednesday nights and half-priced bottles of featured wines on Thursdays.

Pastas are mostly under $10 and entrees are generally under $15, and the menu includes items like Shanghai Noodles with lemon grass and red curry, Blue Cheese Chicken Salad with Fuji apples, Caramelized Mushroom Linguine with arugula and basil, Italian steak with red peppers and pomodoro sauce, and Chicken Parmesan with Provolone. Other favorite dishes include the chicken curry noodles and the house specialty, the Firecracker Fusili. The portions are a bit small, but it could be a positive movement to help with the prevalence of obesity in America (or it could be just small). If you want a Pad Thai that is merely decent and also surreal in color, try Fuzio's version of this popular Thai item. Then go to one of Davis' five Thai restaurants and compare.

The new restaurant has a full bar and wine list, and Fuzio has good martinis and margaritas, too. They have excellent lemonade (raspberry, strawberry, or mango).

Depending on your budget and expectations, Fuzio can be a bit pricey, and the portions not so big.

There is an official Fuzio site with a menu and other items.

Fuzio is owned by Calmex, Inc., a Modesto-based company that also owns a few Chevys restaurants as a franchisee. Previously the Fuzio restaurants were even listed in the phone book as "Chevys" rather than "Fuzio." There are 12 other Fuzios in California, one in Missouri and one in Nevada. The first Fuzio opened in San Francisco's Castro district in 1996.

One of the owners of Sophia's is an ex-Fuzio manager and took several of the staff (especially bartenders) with him when he opened Sophia's bar.

Read a review of Fuzio from June 2008 in Davis Life Magazine.

Comments:

Note: You must be logged in to add comments

Overall, a pretty good, energized place to go if you're out with friends. 11 of my friends and I went there for dinner before Junior Prom. It was rather disappointing that we had to wait for 30 minutes past our reservation time, but once we were seated, service was quite good and efficient. —CynthiaHe

I went there with my boyfriend for lunch one day. The service was pretty decent, but the food was highly dissapointing in quality and the prices were ridiculous. I paid $8 for a calamari pasta dish that was the size of a bowl of ice cream at Baskin Robbins that was so saturated with lemon I could barely eat it, and my boyfriend got what he later called a "dish of vinegar with a lettuce leaf on the side" salad. I wouldn't go here again unless someone else were paying and I was out of other options for food. —MargieHalloran

This place is crap. Very expensive compared to most restauraunts in Davis and the portions are tiny. I am biased as I worked at The Macaroni Grill for two years and fuzios is our rival. however our food is much better, our portions are huge, and you get to color on the tablecloth. plus our foccacia is the shit. poo on fuzios. —AllanRae

Okay I have to go there - you worked at the MACARONI GRILL, but Fuzio is supposed to be expensive??? And yeah - ur foccacia is the shit. I'ma let you know I agree on that one LOL.. :) -joeistheish

2005-08-13 11:03:26   I have been here twice. Both times, the food was mediocre at best (but the mango lemonade was excellent). The food is also overpriced. I have no idea why this place is so popular when it's both mediocre and expensive. —AlexPomeranz

2005-08-23 17:50:12   I have not been to this Fuzio. I have been to the Fuzio in Dublin (west of Livermore). My father and I recently hit Fuzio's/Dublin and had a great meal. I don't want to compare it to food from Italy, but instead say that the menu items we had were tasty and novel. And cheap! Each entree was less than $10. I liked it so much that next time we were on the 580 going by it, we called ahead for takeout. —TonyZuccarino

2005-08-26 11:29:57   Their foccacia topped with parmesan and roma tomatoes is pretty yummy, and their salads are gigantic, as well as tasty. —AnnaJones

2005-10-03 12:37:58   People always tell me that the portions aren't large enough at Fuzio for the price but I've never noticed. The staff is usually friendly and apologetic if anything goes wrong (only one bad server but great food regardless). I recommend the thai mussels/clams, firecracker fusili, barbwire gemelli, and the caramelized mushroom linguine. Perhaps the portions depend on what you get? —LiRic

2005-10-13 17:32:46   Some of the food is okay. As for its popularity, take a look at the waiters: it will explain the appeal for gay men and straight women. —MisterProfessor

2005-11-07 15:28:29   On Saturday 11/5 we had a 20 minute wait. Our service was excellent. The waiter didn't hover and ask constantly how the food was. He came at well spaced intervals to refill drinks. The food was good too, I really liked the Chicken Marsala. —MyaBrn

2005-12-07 20:35:04   Basically, overpriced. Seafood dishes were good, the rest were just OK. —JohnNapier

2005-12-21 04:23:41   It always surprises me when it seems I missed a comment on a restaurant I've been to. I read about the bad things people said about Fuzio on the Wiki, but decided to try it out anyway because it's kind of pretty-looking inside. I was very, very disappointed. It seems as though the only thing good about this place is the way it looks. The service was probably the worst service I have ever, ever had. And the food! Usually when I go to Italian places I order a pasta dish, because I want to see just how cheap they are (cheap pasta places will bring out smaller dishes). Well, this was cheap, and it cost me a lot. I don't really plan on returning, ever. —SS

2006-02-05 03:31:34   After reading these comments I thought that these people were critizing fuzio like they were some expert on restaurants, after visiting this place for myself the other night, I thought that the food was excellent which I could see be made in front of me (I knew the ingrediants had to been fresh), and the service was just as good. The atmosphere is like no other in Davis, and their bartenders make the best martini's. Instead of reading all these ridiculous comments, you should give Fuzio a chance. Ask the cute asian bartenders for a rasberry lemon drop, they're the best! —KellySmith

2006-02-05 19:02:28   From 4-6 on weeknights they have their happy hour in which all apps are $2 and fuziotini's are a $1 off. Pretty cheap way to get filled up —JonAugst

2006-03-10 18:35:28   amazing food. i have been there with my family several times and the dishes are delicious every time. i would recommend the chicken marsala and the calamari appetizer. i dont know why everyone is claiming they are expensive, the chicken marsala dish (which i can barely finish) is only 12 bucks. i guess it could be called expensive, compared to FAST FOOD. my boyfriend and i go there everytime we go out. —CorinneEpley

2006-10-09 16:21:44   I like the setting. But the food was just alrite. The amount is too small considering how big the plate is and the expensive price. The seafood is good tho. —KiwiSelina

2007-02-22 08:21:07   OK. I actually think the food here is pretty good. I ordered the firecracker pork pasta, which was excellent, although hardly spicey at all. My brother ordered the marinara with meatballs. The meatballs were great the marinara was better than the other italian places in davis (by default) but the pasta was certainly overcooked. I think the portions are small for the price. I think part of the problem is that this place has an identity crisis, the food and atmosphere kind of say nuevo but the crowd and service says this is just another davis restaurant. Decent but i wont be popping in the door anytime in the very near future —MattHh

2007-03-12 14:56:25   I went there twice. Both times, the services are really good. I like the food!!!!!!!!!! (Although I found the table a little bit too narrow) —CarlieYang

2007-03-27 09:16:13   They don't have any beer on tap! My steak was fine, after I sent it back to get it cooked the way I had ordered it. —JoFeuerstein

2007-05-02 12:44:21   the taste of the food was not correctly seasoned and portions are quite small for the ridiculous price. —trambajuice

2007-05-02 20:30:24   This will sound like an odd comment, but they make a great tuna melt. A great tuna melt is hard to find. Most are soggy or greasy or use dark tuna or put pickles in the tuna. —CovertProfessor

2007-05-20 15:41:03   I just have to say this - I'm a new student in Davis, and EIGHT DOLLARS FOR A PASTA DISH IS NOT EXPENSIVE. I used to work full time, and went to plenty of restaurants in that timeframe (4 years) before transferring to the University and 8.00 is actually pretty reasonable. That being said, I LOVE this place. The pork fusilli dish is UH-MAZING if you like REAL spicy food. I especially have a close tie to this place because that have one in the heart of the Castro District in SF (the motherland). —joeistheish

2007-05-20 15:55:38   OH! I will say that it did take an act of CONGRESS one time to get some extra sour cream. I think our sever was new, though - bless her heart. —joeistheish

• Just to note, would that be oral congress? or normative congress? and was the cream good? ~Davepoole
  

2007-08-01 13:41:11   great food ,my favorite is happy hour with being able to order the 2 dollar appetizers. My friends and I always get several plates of food appetizers for under 10 bucks, the mussels are excellent, the romano tomatoe bread and above all the calamari. I have eaten here on several occasions and enjoy their fire cracker pork, and seafood medley pasta. UNIQUE FLAVORS! FRIENDLY staff ,but best of all cheap appetizers M-fri 3-6 i believe with a dish normally costing 8 dollars a plate who could go wrong with being able to try all the appetizers on the menu for under 10 bucks(very filling) —ElizabethBarthel

2007-10-12 20:09:26   I went here for a late weekday lunch, alone (with a book.) I felt comfortable dining alone here, and I dine alone often, so I value that. I sat inside because it was a little chilly and rain was threatening, but I love restaurants that have outside seating, and this outside seating area is nice enough, especially for people-watching. I had the pork fusilli. The pork (ginger-braised) was tender and delicious. The habanero pesto was quite spicy, but the sour cream cools it off and I LOVE sour cream. The pasta was perfectly cooked and an unusual type, which I appreciated. My waitress was friendly, attentive (but not overly so,) quick and happy to bring me some extra sour cream, and kept my water refilled. I thought that the portion was perfect. I suspect that most people are used to stuffing themselves and/or bringing home leftovers for less than $10, but as a recent San Francisco denizen, I do not have such expectations. I did not have an appetizer, just the pasta. I was starving and I left pleasantly full after eating the entire bowl of pasta. It was happy hour, so I enjoyed a $3 Hefeweizen, which I didn't think complimented the pasta, but that was my own mistake (I didn't ask my server for advice, which I usually do.) I'd eaten at the Fuzio in downtown SF before, and remember not being impressed with the food, but I don't remember what I ordered. I had a couple of martinis there, though, and they were great. I would definitely return to this restaurant for the pork fusilli. In fact, I think I'll go do that now... —EvoDiva

2007-10-19 18:13:24   The food was not bad: Not great but not that bad either. The lettuce wrap appetizer was the best part of the meal. I went with my boyfriend on a week night and we sat outside, which was nice. The service was very good. —LolaTorney

2007-11-19 16:28:02   We went here over the summer for happy hour. We were seated and given menus but no water or silverware. We sat there for ten minutes, trying to make eye contact with the servers walking past us but no one stopped to give us water or talk to us. We left without anyone having stopped by our table. There were only a few tables there as well; we were the only table inside, and there were only three tables outside. Ridiculous. —ElleWeber

2007-12-18 16:43:18   No matter how you feel about their food, you HAVE to love their $0 corkage fee! —Red

2008-02-15 17:52:37   Love Fuzio! The food is unique and tasty! The best part is that it isn't too expensive for the college student! —jglovicz

2008-02-20 19:16:04   If you are a minority don't go here! they are racist!we decided to go to Fuzio to try. We didn't go at a high peak time so we didn't ahve to wait. however when we went the waiter set us at an area where no one was and then put down the menus and left. That was it! he didn't even come back to ask whether we wanted something to drink or not. There wasn't even water available to us. NONE! no one even asked. however when white people came in they were served immediately, set at the place with all the people and given drinks. We waited over 15 minutes and nothing happened. That waiter never even came back to ask us for anything we just left. two of the waitresses were shocked there was people even in that secluded area when we left. But even when we left no one said thank you come again or something. DON'T GO HERE! THE SERVICE SUCKS! —JGG

2008-02-24 12:56:57   I have to agree with the above post. I don't know if we qualify as minorities, but regardless, the service here was terrible. We ordered a couple of drinks, waited 15 minutes for those, then over an hour for our meal. No water was offered, bread, nothing. When our food finally arrived, I got something I didn't order. To make things right, the manager offered to only charge us for the drinks, not the unrecognizable food that we didn't order. We decided to take off and find a meal elsewhere. No complaints about the bartenders though, the drinks were good. I guess I can't actually comment on the food since we were never served any. —joel

2008-05-15 19:42:25   The patio during nice weather makes the variable service tolerable. I go to Fuzio a lot during the warm months; it's my favorite outdoor dining spot in Davis. The Chinese elms provide a lovely filtered shade that makes even hot days pleasant. My favorite dish — the one I order whenever I'm there — is the Greek salad.

There was an ownership change recently, and while the change introduced some new items to the menu, it also brought an unwelcome change to the house bread: a mediocre focaccia in place of a decent sourdough. Still, for a relaxed place to dine on a warm day or evening, with friends, colleagues or just a good newspaper, Fuzio's patio is hard to beat. —JimFrame

2008-06-22 17:39:11   Ate at Fuzio today for the first time. Higher prices have often lead me astray to Habit Burger or Pluto's instead for a quicker, cheaper bite. I would agree that the service was somewhat slow, but they were very attentive to refilling our waters on such a hot day. The bread arrived with our meals. I had the mediterranean salmon, substituting a house salad for the pasta and it was DELICIOUS! Didn't mind waiting a little longer for the food since the outdoor seating was so nice. I will definatley return. —MissL

2008-06-22 19:34:48   The food is tasty. Portions are a bit small. Ok. More than a bit small. The bread pudding is seriously good. Service ranges from slow to glacial, although much of the service delay appears to be related to cooking time. (Don't go here if you are pressed for time. Seriously.) Prices are high for what you get. Note that the kitchen appears to close well before the restaurant does. The patio is pleasant to dine on, so long as the weather is good. —IDoNotExist

2008-07-12 12:15:08   Two words: Firecracker rocks!!! —SunjeetBaadkar

2008-08-02 22:14:07   Fuzio is really cutting back their hours. This is the second time, on different parts of the week, that I've found them closed a good hour before listed... chairs upside down and everything. —ChristopherPrice

2008-08-22 11:56:34   A few times when I've been there, the staff was not sure when they were closing. There was usually some debate over whether they were open or not. On one occasion, they let me stay. On the next (earlier in the evening), they said they were already closed. —IDoNotExist

2008-08-23 12:13:29   I wish I knew how they make their firecracker dishes. It seems like this place is closing down or something with their whole "are we open?" issues. It'd be a shame if they go away before I could figure out how to make it myself (not to say that I won't still go here if they stick around). —SunjeetBaadkar

2008-10-25 18:07:21   Great Happy Hour specials. The food is tasty and the atmosphere is fun. I don't tend to eat dinner here only because it is expensive (for what you get). Nothing upsets me more than to throw down a lot of money only to walk out still hungry. It's not that expensive, but it isn't a bargain, either. Why pay more for less? —CurlyGirl26

2008-10-28 10:19:53   Couldn't make it for Happy hour so we ended up there during normal dinner hours. I want to like Fuzio, I typically have a decent meal when I go there but something is always off during my experience. Last night the front was almost completely empty and yet they sit us all the way in the back with 2 other couples. We were much too close for how busy it was and the ambiance of the bathroom really isn't all that wonderful. The World Series and Monday night football were on TV and yet they don't even bother to think about asking if you would like to view either of them. We always have to ask for bread and at these prices it seems like it should be there automatically or at least offered. Upon asking they always provide it and I'm shocked they don't charge you for it. Some items are well sized and other's are simply way too small. Fuzio has good flavors and a nice variety of choices but I just never leave feeling like it was a great value or wonderful experience. Happy hour seems like the time the only smart time to visit this place. —loneshark

2008-11-06 22:32:47   I love Fuzio; the portions are pretty small, but I like it — it's just enough, so you have room for dessert. The tiramisu is AMAZING!! And HAPPY HOUR is the best — Monday thru Friday from 3-6, all the appetizers are $3, so you can get a bunch of em and stuff yourself for cheap! The servers are pretty hot too. :) —mday24

2008-11-06 22:33:57   For the record, they're not closing; they're moving to G Street, next to Froggy's, supposedly on Jan. 1 they'll open in the new location. —mday24

2009-01-30 01:07:52   This place is pretty good... I wasn't turned off by anything. The atmosphere was nice, the waitress was friendly and attentive, and the food was tasty. The portions were just right — I was able to finish my meal and feel satisfied, but not overly stuffed. I recommend their mango sangria... delicious! I had no clue that they're moving until I read it on here... but if and when they do, I'd eat there again for sure. —MichellePalmer

2009-02-02 13:54:49   If your dinner party can't decide on a cuisine, Fuzio has a few different types of food (Asian-inspired, Italian-inspired). However, this means that you can't really count on getting original or authentic flair. I had the pad thai, and though it wasn't bad, any other thai place in town could have done a better job. The wait staff was a bit slow, and my party spent about 20 minutes waiting for a check. It's a clean place and not badly priced, but if you want authentic flavors, go elsewhere. If you want food that is designed to suit a generalized palette, then Fuzio is the place. —AmanpreetSingh

2009-05-31 09:13:14   I'm going to miss this place and the carrot ginger soup... —KBathory

2009-06-01 15:01:38   Fuzio has reopened to a new location on G street. I can't say I'm thrilled to see it back as I always had horrible dining and drinking experiences at it's prior location. —nkristis

2009-07-10 22:00:43   I think its pretty good, but the portion size is kind of lacking for the price. I ordered calamari as an appetizer and for $10+, it was skimpy and I ordered some sort of Camboloza? Rigatoni and it turned out really plain for pasta with mushroom alfredo & chicken. I don't think I'd come back. —MissAmyQ

2009-09-07 23:27:59   terrible food. almost as bad as cafe italia, but with pretense. —JustinMehlhaff