The Sauce Pasta Cafe

The Sauce Pasta Cafe is a hidden gem on Denman. We ordered the gnocchi, ravioli, and garlic bread, and each dish exceeded our expectations. The gnocchi was exquisitely soft, melting in the mouth, with a perfectly balanced white sauce that added depth and richness. The garlic bread was equally delightful, crisp on the outside and wonderfully fluffy, gooey inside. The owner’s warm and welcoming presence made our experience even more enjoyable, checking in with genuine care. What sets this place apart is the customization—you can craft your pasta just the way you like it, with a variety of fresh ingredients and sauces. For anyone craving authentic, well-executed pasta in a cozy setting, this is it!

I absolutely love this pasta restaurant. The food is so light and comforting, leaving me feeling great after eating. The staff and the owner are incredibly kind and always strike up friendly conversations. I will definitely keep coming back often!

So delicious! We were visiting from out of town on a work trip and wanted a restaurant that could please a few different people and this restaurant was perfect! You choose your sauce, pasta and add ons, so you get exactly what you want. Great, friendly service and an easy area to walk around. We will definitely go again!

The most delicious pasta I’ve ever had! It tastes just like homemade, and I’m so happy to have found this place. I’ve tried pasta at many fancy restaurants, but this is far better. The owner is also incredibly friendly, which makes the experience even more special. Highly recommend!

My family and I are visiting Vancouver from Alberta, and while we were walking down the street to look for something to eat, my son spotted this restaurant and asked if we could eat here. Him and I ate lunch. He had the lasagna and I had the fresh pasta of the day with the Alfredo sauce and chicken. It was so good! In fact, my son has asked if we could come back every day while we were here. The staff have been so welcoming and friendly, and every thing that we've tried has tasted amazing. Definitely recommend eating here, and we'll be sure to stop by here again next time we come to Vancouver. 🙂

Authentic homemade Italian pasta place! I was visiting Vancouver and found this place next to my hotel. Everything was freshly made and owners were constantly checking on me and food. Food: I tried AGLIO, OLIO & PEPPERONCINO added Parmesan cheese + pesto mozzarella flat bread. Pasta was cooked perfectly andante and sauce was not too salty not too oily just perfect!! They have always fresh made pasta of a day so check it out!! Service: friendly owners will recommend and help you. It is not a big restaurant but they have dine in tables and food comes out pretty fast! Highly recommend :)

Upon seeing all the glowing reviews, I decided to go here and am here with my own glowing review! I got the four cheese ravioli with Alfredo sauce and chicken, and it was amazing!!! I’ve actually never gotten a spoon to finish off the last bit of remaining sauce in an Alfredo dish before today because it was THAT good. 😊 Furthermore, the staff here was so nice and checked on me (as was said the reviews I had seen hehe). Very great experience! 😋

This is a tiny little restaurant, but I was pretty impressed by the food! They have a choose-your-own-pasta-adventure menu where you select the type of pasta and your sauce, and can optionally add on extra veggies and/or parmesan cheese for a small additional cost. They have a board advertising which pasta shapes are fresh. The base prices are pretty reasonable, so the end price even with add-ons isn't exorbitant. I ordered the gnocchi puttanesca. It was an excellent dish - the gnocchi had the perfect texture and the puttanesca sauce was delicious. I actually ordered it with spinach, but they forgot to add the spinach when they cooked the dish, so instead brought it out in a small side dish in some sauce, but after trying the gnocchi I thought it was perfect as it was, so I just ate the spinach on the side. It was one of the chefs/cooks who delivered my food to my table and he seemed really nice. The portion was just right for me. They also had a few desserts available in the fridge. I got a slice of chocolate tuxedo cake. Good cake, very rich, and a pretty generous slice. It kind of looks like a hole in the wall and it's a little tight inside, but I would highly recommend them if you want some restaurant-quality pasta fast or without the fuss of a fancy restaurant.

This is a tiny little restaurant, but I was pretty impressed by the food! They have a choose-your-own-pasta-adventure menu where you select the type of pasta and your sauce, and can optionally add on extra veggies and/or parmesan cheese for a small additional cost. They have a board advertising which pasta shapes are fresh. The base prices are pretty reasonable, so the end price even with add-ons isn't exorbitant. I ordered the gnocchi puttanesca. It was an excellent dish - the gnocchi had the perfect texture and the puttanesca sauce was delicious. I actually ordered it with spinach, but they forgot to add the spinach when they cooked the dish, so instead brought it out in a small side dish in some sauce, but after trying the gnocchi I thought it was perfect as it was, so I just ate the spinach on the side. It was one of the chefs/cooks who delivered my food to my table and he seemed really nice. The portion was just right for me. They also had a few desserts available in the fridge. I got a slice of chocolate tuxedo cake. Good cake, very rich, and a pretty generous slice. It kind of looks like a hole in the wall and it's a little tight inside, but I would highly recommend them if you want some restaurant-quality pasta fast or without the fuss of a fancy restaurant.

Delicious homemade pasta and sauce! Also highly recommend the cheesy garlic bread it was so tasty. Loved eating in at this cute cafe. Very friendly too.

Small pasta joint located on Denman street. Most affordable sit down pasta in town and very delicious! I went with the featured special ravioli and friend got the meat sauce with penne. You get charged extra for Parmesan cheese. But it comes out to $13-$15 for his pasta bowl, and $18 for mine. The garlic bread was yummy too!! They also have drinks for purchase and tap water. I'd steer clear from the bathroom, minimal storage in there for this hole in the wall.

*Review for takeout during COVID Had a BOGO coupon from the Entertainment book and decided to give this place a shot. I love how you can pick and choose the type of pasta and sauce. They even recommend which sauces pair well with the different types of pasta, so if you're not sure I'd go with their suggestions. I ordered four different types of pasta and loved them all! The portion sizes were great too, I had leftovers for the next day too. I got the ravioli with arrabbiatta, Rigatoni with rose, gemelli with creamy mushroom and the penne with pesto. I wish the gemelli with creamy mushroom sauce had more sauce as it was a bit dry but besides that they were all delicious. Definitely returning to this hidden gem soon!

I really loves the portion size given the price. The food is hot and ready to go in a very gourmet style. It's not a fast food restaurant kind of pasta, as it feels like you're getting top notch pasta from Italy. And it has a cute little dine in atmosphere.

Meh! Fettuccine Alfredo was fine. Rather bland. Serving size was alright. Service was good, just so bland! Needed salt or something! Would not recommend.

Fun mom and pop shop for pasta with nice variety and choices to make your own combo! Friendly owners! My choice in sauce was Nonna's meat sauce and if I had to do it over I would have chosen differently. The sauce lacked seasoning and flavor. My wife's creamy mushroom sauce was delightful however which tells me that some things are better than others at this quaint shop in West End! Go and make your own choices to support local businesses and hope your choice turns out well!

Fresh rigatoni with Alfredo and mushrooms was DELISH!!!! We try Alfredo everywhere we go and this was one of the best and for the price you CANNOT best it!!! Def give it a try!

This is a small, mainly takeout place on Denman Street. From their website, "Fresh Italian no longer means breaking the bank or grabbing mediocre takeout because you don't have time to sit in a restaurant... ". I completely agree! The prices are reasonable, the portions are decent and the food is great! We tried the Pesto with penne and the Aglio, Olio (garlic, olive oil and dried chili flakes). Both were fresh and well flavoured, the pesto was fresh and delicious and not overly oily as it can be at other places I've tried. Pasta perfectly cooked. Next time I would add spinach & mushrooms, but they were also great on their own. The Caesar salad tasted good but a little too much dressing for my personal liking. The focaccia was good, more like pizza dough with garlic seasonings on top but it was tasty; it's a small serving but at $2.50 it's still a good deal. At around $10-12 per pasta dish this place is a good value. The gentleman who served us was friendly and nice. Take out was physically distanced and easy. We would definitely order from here again!

Fettucini Alfredo with Chicken _ Mmm Italian noods! Another hidden gem in downtown tucked away on Denman They're a pretty small joint so I'd recommend to order take out for a cozy night in I definitely think this is much better than Basil Pasta Bar which I think is most comparable. The portions are just the right amount for one person and pasta is made fresh daily my only complaint would be the tiny amount of protein they give you when you have it as an add-on

We happened to walk by the sauce pasta cafe during car free day and were pleased to find this little joint on denman. There is a very small seating area with two tables and bar seats. I think all together the place sits about 8 or 10 people. But since this is a take out pasta place it's a great place to grab food and eat at the beach. You order at the counter and you have a choice of pasta, sauce and add ons. There are meat add ons like chicken and meatballs where there is an extra charge. But you can also add spinach, peas or mushrooms at no extra charge. We asked what was the most popular and the hostess recommended Nonna's meat sauce. Also the two fresh pastas they had were the gnocchi and the paparadelle. We ordered the gnocchi with arrabiatta which was delicious and spicy. It had the right amount of spice. The gnocchi tasted to fluffy and it didn't feel heavy at all. The paparadelle was also delicious with Nonna's meat sauce. I would order the paparadelle again because I love the texture. Although I do think it's difficult to eat out of the take out box. So bear in mind that it can get messy. I also favoured the meat sauce because it was more savoury which I loved. But both were delicious sauces. I would recommend either and will be back again the next time we are on denman.

Hands down the best pasta place in the area. Service was nice and the pasta itself was amazing. Noodles were cooked to perfection and the sauce (I ordered the daily special carbonara) was very rich and fresh. The price was exceptional compared to other pasta places in downtown. I would definitely return and recommend if you want to grab a nice plate after a walk alongside the beach.

I went here with my husband after walking around all day and working up an appetite--that only a large serving of pasta could fix--and would definitely recommend! The lovely girl who helped us (I think the owner) was so kind even though the place was getting busy and she didn't have backup at the moment. Friendliness makes ALL the difference with us! I love the idea of being able to customize your sauce and noodles! I ordered the arrabbiata with spaghetti noodles and my husband ordered marinara sauce with penne noodles. We ate in and people-watched out the window. The place is small but cozy. The pasta itself was a good lunch for us! Large portion too. We will definitely be back to mix and match other pastas, and we'll recommend this lovely place to friends and family.

If you can't open a jar of spaghetti sauce and boil noodles, then this is the place for you because that's what the food tastes like. Bland, under-seasoned and undercooked pasta. Over priced. Their positive reviews are from people who probably think Denny's is fine dining. Will never return.

Quick and quite affordable, with pasta that has a home cooked flavor. Was impressed, they delivered more than expected!

We park right in front of this place, we were looking for something quick to eat, and there it was, The sauce, we gave it a try, and it was exactly what we were looking for. It was tasty, quick, good price, nice volume. The flavours were there, really fresh, we will definitely come back when we are around in the area. Next time I'll try the vodka cream sauce.

Got the rosé with penne (added peas for free) for $10.95. Came out SUPER fast and it was hot! They put a good amount of sauce, they're not stingy. Seems like you're getting a small portion when you get your bowl, but it's actually a lot of pasta. Good customer serve as well!

Go to take out place when I don't feel like cooking. The pasta is pretty good for the price and experience. There are a few downfalls. 1. The restaurant closes much to early (8pm - which is right when I tend to have dinner) 2. The pesto just tastes like someone dumped a pile of salt on it 3. They sometimes over cook the pasta Overall it's OK and great if you are in a hurry and don't want to get complete junk for take out food.

The service was fast, the staff was friendly and the product was delicious. Nice packaging.

I gave this pasta cafe a few months to get the kinks out before trying it out. Having read and given some positive feedback from some coworkers and friends, I decided to give this local run business a try. There are 8 pastas and sauces to choose from so many combinatiin options. All pasta is $10.95. They also have a daily special offered at $12.95. I opted for the very basic Marinara with penne and I added meatballs for an additional $1.50. I must say, the pasta was done an almost perfect al dente and the Marinara was clean and robust with a developed tomato umami. The meatballs (3) could be a bit more tender, but for the price, I cannot complain much. All in all, a solid food option along this stretch of the West End when you want the pasta kick. Pasta is available for take out as well as dine in. My only suggestion would be to provide another means of serving for dine in other than an generic open take out container. It would've been nicer to have it served in the customized take out box. I love supporting local small businesses and I recommend The Sauce whenever you yen for good, fast, customized pasta whilst strolling through the West End of Vancouver

Brand new shop. Had lunch, Alfredo sauce with fettucine, plus tiramisu. Verdict: Somewhat disappointing because they had billed themselves as 'gourmet'. The alfredo sauce was too thin. In the carrying box, the sauce drained to the bottom. Taste was not exceptional. The dessert was okay, though the bottom slice was unexpectedly heavy. Too sweet for my taste. IMO, the shop needs to add side dishes like antipasto and meatballs to complete their dinner menu. Bottom line: Work in progress. I'll come back in 6 months to try again.

Really really good pasta! Done al dente, as it should be, with fabulous sauces - I've tried the wild mushroom and the Nonna's meat sauce so far. Large enough portion that I get two dinners out of it when I add a salad at home. Nice people running the place, and it's very clean. We live nearby, which is a problem as we're getting hooked on this place!

Ordered takeout - one special Mac and cheese and one fettuccini. Both excellent and decent sized portions. Can't remember the cost but it was reasonable given the quality and portion size. Service also excellent. Nice to have this place in the west end since there are so few good Italian restaurants in the area. We'll go back for sure.

Favorite new restaurant! Have eaten here 3x ready. Love the vodka cream sauce with veggies added on gluten free pasta. Delicious, fresh and well priced. It's perfect to grab pasta to go, or when you need to dip into somewhere for a warm, causal dinner!

I have ordered almost every item. It's just ordinary and basic. The added ingredients in a dish like bacon or olives, meat sauce etc have not much flavour. it does not seem as reasonable as I think it is.

Great spot to stop in and grab a reasonably priced amazing dish of pasta. We just had the stuffed ravioli special with the vodka sauce, loved it, can't wait to go back, if you love pasta, give this place a whirl!

We had four cheese ravioli with creamy mushroom sauce, and Nanna's rigatoni. It was very comforting food especially rainy and cold day. Must be nice to bring it to the beach in next summer as well! Great location and great people. Definitely recommended!

I've tried two of their pastas now, both very delicious and cooked perfectly! Large portions and great sauce ratio too. I just hope they have longer hours one day. There've been a couple times I went over to grab some food but they weren't open yet.

Was excited to try .. it was "ok" prices are defiantly fare .. wait time is decent.. just eh.....

I ate here a week ago and was treated to the best meatballs of my life. Tonight I tried the marinara sauce with gnocchi and meatballs. I must say that I preferred the arribbiatta sauce and cavetelli from the first night, but both are delicious! This place is exactly what you're looking for on a cool fall evening. Comfort food at its best.

Decent value, big portions, but sauces are under seasoned and lacking in flavour overall. A little salt and pepper at home, maybe some fresh basil, will help bring this stuff to life, but it's still gonna be just okay, I think.

The Sauce has excellent Pasta! The portions are reasonably sized and also reasonably priced. Though it's a quick in and out place the pasta is some of the best I've ever had. I will continue to be a repeat customer!