Scale of 1-10 (multiple visits): 7 Food 8 Service 8 Atmosphere 7 Value
(3)
Nicole C.
This place is awesome for traditional Italian food. This is a great place for a large group or a couple, all of their dishes come family style in a small or large portion. I have had their baked rigatoni with meatballs, spaghetti with meatballs, and their rigatoni with spicy Italian sausage. All of these dishes were cooked perfectly using just the right amount of sauce and cheese. The meatballs are super moist and have great flavor. Now when it comes to desserts I am always a sucker for their Tiramisu which is amazing and is great even as left overs. Overall I love coming to Buca di Beppo for a great Italian meal, they are light on the wallet even with having portions so large you are almost certain to bring home some left overs :-)
(4)
Devon H.
It was good. Not great, food portions wonderful, staff good. Had a coupon. :) Not a bad choice for a night out. Great cocktails.
(4)
Evy O.
I was craving for Italian food the other day and what's better version of Italian than having a perfectly good spaghetti. This food has been my most favorite since my sis in law always took me to this place and order the linguine de mare (seafood spaghetti that has the black mussels, clams, squids, and delicious spicy marinara sauce). It's the bomb! So I went there and order one along with black mussels. The place was really crowded on Friday nights and there's a lot of people having birthdays so we got waiters and waitress singing and clapping for birthdays songs the whole night. The free appetizer comes, bread with olive oil and vinegars. I tried to ask for butter but my waiter was kinda forgetting my request cause the poor waiter had to take order and sing the birthday songs in three tables. And finally the black mussels was arrived and its totally become my favorite food of the day. The sweetness and freshness of the mussels along with white wine, garlic and butter just gave the superb flavor away. I immediately felt in love with this food. Finally after the appetizer was gone and the black mussels too we waited again for 20 minutes until our spaghetti is coming and we already full cause of the long waiting and the appetizer. Luckily the taste of the spaghetti was still great so i don't regret my decision to wait in this place. Overall I learned my lessons to have carry out anytime I'm cracking that black mussels and seafood spaghetti.
(4)
Shannon W.
Third time here and still a huge fan. Would be 5 stars but the sangria was awful, watered down and just plain blah. The Calamari was under cooked as well. Server again was Rhys and he as always was very helpful.
(3)
Kelly R.
Meh. This is okay. Interesting kitchy atmosphere, but the food is lacking. I think Buca thrives on the "quantity versus quality" philosophy of most Americans when it comes to food. We ordered two large salads(antipasti and apple walnut) and a small entree for two couples. The waiter made sure we meant "small" and not "large" and seemed to be taken aback by our lack of need to gorge. The salads were good, but nothing you can't do at home...although we ALL know even a mediocre salad is better when someone ELSE makes it! The entre was sub-par. It was a "sampler" of a few things...that all tasted relatively the same. The stuffed shells were OVERWHELMED by the amount of fennel in the sausage. I would have to say that the best part was the bread. The iced tea was also good. An okay place if you want massive amounts of "Olive Garden"y Italian.
(2)
Ian M.
This was my first time at a Buca di Beppo and I have to say that I was impressed. The food wasn't the best Italian food (and probably not the most authentic, either), but I enjoyed the aspect of sharing that the restaurant promotes. Between eight people, we shared four small dishes and two salads, much less than the waitress-suggested four large dishes and two salads. The entire party was quite full at the end of it, so I'm glad we got the small sizes. One of our party had a birthday and they made an effort to make it fun for her. The interior was a bit confusing and I got seriously lost on the way to the bathroom, but that's okay. It's also a little intense on the eyes (read: gaudy).
(4)
Sylvia C.
I've been wanting to try this place and it f wasn't too bad! I got the veal saltimbocca and it started off tasting good but then it seemed to be a bit greasy! The service was good and I did enjoy the Frank Sinatra music!
(3)
Cadence C.
Aww sh*t,... food poisoning.
(1)
Nicole H.
I went into Buca di Beppo today for lunch and it was so dead. Now I know why! I ordered off the lunch menu and added a side salad for 99 cents which I thought was great, but I do not like olives or onions and asked to NOT have them on my salad. Sure enough I was brought a salad with onions and olives...since it was lunch time and I was on a time crunch I picked them out but I could still taste the onions :( The server didn't say anything about me piling them on the bread plate. Good thing I didn't like the plain, cold, and stale bread anyway. My food was alright, but again kind of plain! Will not be going back here for Italian Food!
(2)
Alexis C.
We had a special occasion that we were celebrating with the whole family. It was easy to make the reservation- this place is the BEST if you have a large group. The service was great, tons of delicious food, which is perfect for sharing family-style. We had a wonderful dinner celebration. Very pleased with the experience and will be back either with just my husband or the whole family!
(4)
Kevin U.
Buca di Beppo is know for its great culture and large plates. Chandler Buca offers personal attention to its customers with a positive attitude. Joe the Paisano has produced a restaurant that reflects his easy going attitude and dedication to high service and food quality. Buca is a great place to host a large group of people. For small events rent out a room with no extra charge, what is better than that. If you like chocolate try the cake or treat yourself and a few friends to Buca's Tiramisu.
(4)
Jonathan S.
No go for a couple but family's and groups will have a good time. Family style food is consistently good.
(4)
Sean E.
Our experience on New Year's Eve was perfect. The gentleman who held the door for us upon entering the restaurant was extremely polite and welcoming. We later found out he was the general manager. He ensured we had a fantastic evening. It is easy to see he cares about his guests and his business, and takes pride in what he does. Both the food and the service kicked off our night the right way. Thank you.
(5)
Beth B.
This time we just ordered the tiramisu for take out. A couple girlfriends and I were having a girls night in and wanted something sweet! It was to die for! I've never had a bad experience there. Make sure you have at least 4 people going or plan to bring home leftovers! The food is fresh and tasty and the service is delightful! A little pricy for pasta dishes but as I said the food is tasty!
(4)
Jillian G.
I used to really like it here, but now everytime I go I end up dissapointed. Its really not that good and so overpriced. I do love the decor and the family dinning they support it allows you to really spend time with the people you came with.
(2)
Lori C.
Maybe it is cultural, but I do not like the food here. I want my own food and not have to eat what everyone else wants. We had a chicken dish last time with capers that was so dry that drinking water with it at the same time was a necessity. I felt like a raccoon. It was too loud for us to have a real conversation and I didn't want to yell.
(1)
Len M.
I really enjoy the place, it can get busy and noisy but the food is worth it. Meatballs the size of baseballs and good family style portions. I usually get a large tray to go and me and the family enjoy it, I find coupons for $10 off so for around $25 I can feed 4-6 people something good.
(4)
Marnie B.
We made a reservation online. Arrived and we were seated right away. That's where the good service ended. The service was very poor and super slow. My husband ordered a glass of wine when the waiter finally arrived to take our drink order. His took 15 minutes to arrive and when they did bring his I decided to get one also. It took 30 minutes for my glass of wine to arrive! 55 minutes for food. Were never asked if we wanted a refill and had to flag down the waiter for more water. No one ever came back to ask if everything was ok, how was the food, did we need anything. Food was decent, not spectacular but it took almost 90 minutes for two people to have dinner. Although the food was ok the whole experience was pretty poor. Not sure if we will ever go back.
(2)
Cynthia R.
I went to this location with my nieces and had a great experience. The food was delicious and the service was great. It was a little busy but it was expected for a Saturday night. Great for large parties and don't forget to tip your server!
(4)
Crystal H.
Buca used to be one of our favorite restaurants, but the quality has gone downhill fast. After our visit this evening, we will not return. Garlic bread was bland/favor-less. Not worth the price. Caesar salad was also bland, small and wilted. Totally not worth the $11. (It used to be my favorite thing at Buca, but clearly the dressing is not the same nor is the overall quality). The meatballs were "okay" but not the normal spectacular-ness. The quatro al forno/stuffed pasta combo plate was also okay, but nothing like it used to be. We also got some wine, a Buca Chianti, and it was also not worth the price tag. Overall the $100 price tag of this meal was a complete rip off. It was worth more like $40. We should have gone to Olive Garden -- at least you get what you pay for there. Also the waitress didn't really seem to have any idea about the menu or current offers even though she had worked there for "years." She was nice, but not very attentive. And to top it off the guests at the table next to us proceeded to yell and use tons of profanity and it was clear the employees noticed but did nothing. I don't particularly enjoy going to any restaurant and having to listen to that - nor do I want my young daughter to listen to it. And I certainly don't want to pay that much for that kind of experience. Buca has become one of those bad cookie cutter chain restaurants. They are overpriced and the food isn't that good. You are better off choosing a chain restaurant with average or bad food and paying at least half as much.
(1)
Chuck K.
The Costco of Italian restaurants. Terrible food and service. Listen, I get Italian family style dining. In fact I am a fan of it, especially being from NY. But what you serve I wouldn't feed my dog. Please leave. Thank you and good day.
(1)
Emily R.
My boyfriend and I came here on St. Patrick's Day hoping to escape the crowds and definitely found it at Buca. When we came into the restaurant, they took us through the kitchen first and all of the cooks greeted us warmly. There were a variety of "rooms" each with a different theme, and the host explained them to us on a short tour on the way to our seats. It was really neat! We really liked that the meals were served family style, and they were well-priced. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms and the Quattro al Forno platter along with a couple of beers (because it was St. Paddy's Day, not because beer really seems to go with Italian food at all). I loved the food, especially the creamy pesto sauce that came with the stuffed mushrooms. The service was phenomenal; the waiter checked on us frequently to fill our waters and was prompt with serving our food and giving us the bill when we asked. We came in with a $10 off a $20 meal coupon, and they'd given us two more before we left. We would have come back anyway paying full price. I highly recommend this restaurant!
(5)
Erin C.
We really wanted Italian food but wanted it to go-didn't feel like sitting in a restaurant this night. We called Bucca di Beppo and placed our order-very nice lady on the phone. We let her know that we had a coupon for $10 for our order of $20 or more. When I got to Bucca to pick up the food the lady that helped me was plain rude! She took my credit card and I asked if she had discounted the coupon and before I could answer she swiped my card. I got my phone out to show her the coupon on my phone and she said "we only take coupons you have to give us." As I was still talking to her she walked away from me-out of the room and showed up behind me with my food-again while I was still taking! Honesty I don't know that I have ever been treated so poorly! The food was good but I wouldn't recommend going there if that is how they are goign to treat their customers. There are plenty of other options out there with good food that will be happy to take my money!
(2)
madstop m.
The ambiance of buca di beppo is quirky and fun. The food was good - not the most amazing Italian food but it was fine for the price. We shared a vegetable pasta dish and started with garlic bread. The garlic bread was ok (even better the next day when heated up at home). The chocolate gelato was a nice end to the meal - though again not the best I've had. This would be a fun place to go with a large group - especially since the meals are mostly made family style for sharing. Our waiter was great.
(3)
Jose T.
I absolutely HATE chain restaurants! Although in this case, I have to make an exception. I'm really into the food at Buca. I used to live in the SF Bay Area, and I had to wait damn near 2 hours to eat at the Buca located at downtown SF. I now live in Chandler, AZ and the first time I visited a Buca here, I didn't have to wait any longer than 30 seconds. I usually have a standard list of items that I order for the entire table when my family goes to Buca: Bruschetta Linguine Frutti DiMare Margherita Pizza Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Marsala I also frequent other independently owned Italian restaurants, but Buca holds a special place in my heart, and my stomach. They have a signature flavor to their dishes. The best waiter in the world, Lee works at this particular one. Request to be seated at his station and give him a big tip!
(4)
Ted S.
We have eaten or gotten take-out here several times. I like the fun decor and atmoshpere, except that it can be WAY too loud. That just means another group is having fun, but they get some pretty large groups and it is quite annoying to be seated a few feet away. Regardless of the decor, don't come for the food, because it is not very good and is apparently *very* inconsistent. We have tried their baked dishes and didn't finish them because they were bland and just didn't taste good. Usually the spaghetti with meat sauce is practically all pasta. You can ask for extra sauce but they want to charge you for it (at least this is the case for take-out). The meat sauce has a funny taste. It isn't old, but the taste reminds me of something that is old. Nonetheless, when we went out of town we decided to get pizza (usually good here) and pasta from Buca di Beppo to leave with the kids, and this is when it got bizarre. They must have made too much sauce that morning, or maybe it was a weird prank, because this time the "spaghetti" was probably three-quarters meat sauce! Weird; and not appetizing, and not a normal meal. And we didn't even ask for extra meat sauce. But the strangest thing is that when we got home from our trip, we found out the kids didn't eat any of the pizza. They would heat it up and throw it out because they didn't like it. I decided to have some just to get rid of it. It was pretty limp so I baked it in the toaster oven on the highest setting. Tried a bite and despite being re-baked, it was just plain mushy. It turns out there was meat sauce in the pizza -- lots of it! My wife did not order any meat sauce on the pizza. If all pizza tasted like this, I would never eat pizza again. This tale might have ended okay if the restaurant did the right thing. Since the pizza was a total loss, my wife took it back to the restaurant the day after we got back. It is hard to believe but they would not give a refund, "because it's been a week." This is not a good way to do business. *UPDATE 05/28/2013* I was pretty offended on behalf of my wife when I wrote this, she having been brushed off by the person on duty at the cash register. Regardless, the fact is that my wife is back to buying take out here, now and then. So the food isn't (normally) bad, although it is still a matter of taste.
(2)
Herman D.
Our first time at bucca the services was good not great but good the food was real good I liked it family style dinner I would go back
(4)
Melissa H.
I have a confession to make before I go any further with this review: My husband and I occasionally visit chain restaurants when we really don't want to put much effort into going out to eat. OK now that is out of my system, I can continue. We've been to Buca before (visited the location in Columbus probably about 8-10 times with friends for group dinners) so we know the concept and that it's about sharing and all that jazz. We ended up at this location on Sunday night when we were trying to find *gasp* TGI Fridays. Well let me save you a drive to this part of town and tell you that Fridays is no longer there. Anyway, we saw Buca and decided to suck it up and eat there. We had about a five minute wait and then were led back through the kitchen (as you are at any Buca) to our table. We had some confusion with our service because at one point we were told our waitress got a big party and wouldn't be handling our table anymore, and then she did for the rest of our night. Weird. Unfortunately the food was not as good as we remembered. The cheese garlic bread was cut into squares and wasn't served in a pie shaped. The caesar salad was under-dressed, but as a plus it held up nicely as a leftover for me to have the next night for dinner. Chris thought the chicken parm was not as good as it used to be (we think they changed the recipe or something). My side of fettucini alfredo was good thankfully and heated up nicely on Tuesday night as my dinner. All and all, the food was a major disappointment even for chain restaurant standards! The bright spot was that for $69 (includes tip) we got four meals out of the food we ordered. Buca was a 2.5 star experience for us, but I'm rounding down to 2 due to not living up to our standards.
(2)
Susan P.
Two experiences both good. The first was a Party pan-to-go event after my daughter's wedding while many people were still in town. The meal was hosted by the in-laws and everyone enjoyed the cheese bread, penne ala vodka and my favorite penne arrabbita. Fast forward several months.... looking for a place to pick up dinner and thought of Buca. Only the two of us but Italian holds for left-overs better than almost any other cuisine. Same daughter....both loved the Arrabbita previously so that's what we ordered along with a small Chopped Antipasto Salad. The portion of 2+ is an understatement, if you're not gluttonous it probably feeds 4 easily. The zesty sauce was as good as I remembered and plenty of sausage. They also do not skimp on the sauce which is key if you plan on reheating it another day as we did. The Antipasto Salad was excellent and HUGE. This very large salad was choked with various cheeses, vegetables and lots of pepperoni. At home I was thinking what a $9 salad looks like at other establishments and this salad is more than double or perhaps triple the size. Great value, lots of goodies and for that alone I'll return. I have no personal experience for eating in the restaurant but get that if you're not keen on sharing someone else's choice it could be a drag. The pricing for two may seem high but not really as you've got food for days. UNLESS I can't kill the salad before it turns brown and needs tossed. Food was good and absolutely would recommend for a big outing, large group or party. I see good value in their shared portions. YMMV. Oh, side note - Terrific service at the front. Order was taken quickly, offered a drink while I waited, offered to help me out to my car, held the door, thanked me, etc etc. Very plesant staff at Chandler!
(4)
The P.
Regret having our Family Holiday Dinner here. The Service was great, but the food - bland and less than even average - we had Spaghetti & meatballs, a big bowl of pasta with some chunks of tomatoes on it and ok meatballs. Chicken Marsala was laced with a lot of sugar - yuk! Desserts were awesome, reason for a 2nd star. We will not choose this place again -- spent way too much money for a not even mediocre meal.
(2)
Deb S.
It has been way too long Buca... And you were so damn delicious last night. Service was exceptional except for the bread that never came. No matter though. The bruschetta was freshly chopped tomatoes, garlic, and peppers on golden toasts. Love the presentation too. The fried appie plate was flavorful bits of calamari, mozzarella, and cheesy mushrooms. We shared the frutti del mar spiced delicately and filled with shrimp, mussels, and squid. The chicken pram was heavenly as was the baked ziti. No dessert tonight for us... Too full!! I will be back Buca and it won't be a three year wait.
(5)
Tina L.
I came here for a friends birthday dinner this past weekend and I wasn't too impressed. Everything on the menu is like family style, small feeds about 2-3 people and the large feeds 4-5. My husband and I ordered the chicken Alfredo with broccoli and when our food came out I must say it was a pretty big portion for a small. It actually fed 4 of us. I was very disappointed because they had no hot sauce, but I understand some places don't offer it. The meal was bland , it didn't really have a taste to it. It was just missing something. I must say our waiter was delightful ! He was very attentive and always made sure we were taken care of.
(3)
DJ L.
I always appreciate a restaurant that tries to accommodate a food allergy. This place was very accommodating ! ! ! Our server was Patrick. He was great, very outgoing and friendly. Our food was delicious. Yes, it is a little pricy, but the portions are huge. It is the perfect place for the two of you to go out for an early dinner, and then bring home the leftovers to the little Munchkins. You get time together, and they get a hot delicious dinner, too. We love it.
(5)
Nora M.
I have been to many locations in various states, it used to be a favorite restaurant but this is the last visit. It has changed since being sold and in my opinion, not for the better! The garlic bread was a half of a round loaf with slices of garlic on it cut into wedges, now it is just slices of bread with garlic butter. Our evening started off fine, we sat in the bar in hopes of watching the Cardinals game, it wasn't on but we asked a manager and he changed it. Our server, Helena was attentive, but a bit too familiar, calling everyone Loves, Honey etc I feel this is unprofessional and it is uncomfortable. She wss bringing our carafe of red sangria which was full of ice, too sour from the citrus and knowing how much I can drink and feel it-1 glass of wine, i assume it was not much alcohol! We had 2 cups of minestrone and the packages of saltiness stunk horribly! We gave them to the server, she never brought more! The two managers, bartenders and some servers decided to loudly argue about shifts and performance in the bar, in front of everyone at this time! Very unprofessional! We were still eating our soup, which was hot but average, when the pepperoni pizza and baked rigatoni arrived. The pizza was very greasy. The rigatoni could have had more cheese and sausage for the price!! At this point we were eating, a couple tables got up and left, including the one next to us who ordered a salad and green beans only, then complained that their salad was too small to be a large and they would only pay for a small, so the manager fawned all over them! Helena was AWOL! The bartender was sloping buckets of water from the mop bucket onto the floor with the sanibucket, a bit nasty! We stopped eating and still no Helena, a minimum of 15 minutes, I think more, we were done, needing our food wrapped and our check! She seemed to be very grumpy, maybe the manager yelled at her about the salad! She took the pizza to wtap, didn't come back, didn't come back... we were going to get dessert but decided not to! She finally came back, packaged the rigatoni and brought the check. Neither manager EVER said Hello, mentioned the horrible, stinky crackers, etc! As we left, the bartender seemed frustrated.. I think the earlier conversation and whatever went on in the kitchen rolled over into the dining room, spoiling our experience, which is very bad management! The food is not as good as it used to be and with the change in the garlic bread and getting rid of the Sambuca chocolate sauce, there is no reason to go back!
(1)
C J D.
Unique and cool Ambiance. A bit corky, but great seating that gives you room. I recommend that you sit in the kitchen at least once. There pastas are okay, calamari is good. Their stuffed shells are very good. Service is slow, but it is meant to be a place where you can sit, talk and relax. It is suppose to be a bit slow. Overall, good. Above average food, great ambiance and descent service.
(4)
Jenn A.
Christina is a gem! From the moment I locked eyes with her when she greeted us at the table.. She was attentive, kind, generous and most of all patient. The food was amazing and the atmosphere was fun and casual. We will be back 100 more times.
(5)
Dave R.
we came here for a birthday dinner with several other large parties in the room they seated us in. The wait was incredibly long, it took two plus hours to eat! The wait would not have been so bad if the food was worth it but it was very mediocre. The salads were the best part of the dinner. We don't think we will be back.
(2)
Kim C.
this is the worst experience I've ever had at this restaurant. I am BEYOND disappointed and just plain hungry. whenever we come to town, we like to come here because we don't have one at home. I made a reservation and got here about 5 minutes early. the first thing we smelled was an amazing garlic smell in the parking lot. unfortunately the closer we got to the front doors of the restaurant, the more it smelled like raw sewage. then we found out that we would have to wait because our table wasn't ready. and they don't have pagers so you HAVE to wait by the front door or you can't hear the girl with the tiny voice call your name. so we had to stand in that smell for 45 MINUTES. despite our reservation we waited almost an hour. we watched other people get tables and come out already fed in the time we waited. then when we finally got a table, they couldn't accommodate our party of 7 so we had to split up just so we could eat. what was supposed to be a nice welcome meal to celebrate a friend coming to arizona for the first time has turned into "let's eat and get the hell outta here." our appetizers were cold and our entrees were alright. when we ordered drinks there weren't any clean glasses so we had to wait again. then we got nothing but a quick "uh sorry" about the entire thing from our hostess. the one shining star in all this was out server, Christina. she was awesome. but NEVER AGAIN. the star is for Christina. if it weren't for her, I wouldn't give any stars at all. the manager needs to be retrained, the hostesses need a class on customer service and even that might not help.
(1)
M A.
UPDATE: After posting my review I was contacted by someone from Buca di Beppo corporate who asked for my contact information to discuss my visit. I promptly replied and never heard anything again. Apparently they really don't care and just like to waste my time pretending. For that I change the 2 stars to 1 star, just horrible through and through!!!
(1)
Heidi L.
Enjoyed a birthday dinner (for 4) - have not been to Bucca in quite a long time. The portions for 4 people are huge! The food was delicious (antipasto salad, garlic bread, baked ziti, chicken parmesan and tiramisu). The service was great, no complaints.
(4)
Khoa N.
Went for lunch. Atmosphere was cool. Service wasn't the best. Kind of felt like they hustled us. After we ordered our waiter asked us if we wanted bread sticks and salad made it seem like it came with what we ordered. Didn't ask what size we wanted. Just brought it out. Then when the check came out we were charged for a large garlic bread and large salad. Which was 30 additional to what we ordered. Other then being hustled food was a little bland. Baked zete was over baked. Made it really dry. Shrimp Florentine needed salt. Most likely will not be coming back.
(3)
Mark G.
Went there on a Friday night and it wasn't too busy. Service was slow and we were always waiting for something longer than normal. Food was good, but not enough sauce came on our stuffed shells. The sauce that did come with the food was dry and stuck to the plate. Not a great presentation. Waitress was nice, but seemed overwhelmed on a night that wasn't too busy.
(3)
Amy h.
Very mediocre. Too expensive for the quality of the food and service. Our food wasn't cold when it came out, it wasn't hot...more luke warm. The salad was wilted with way too much dressing and the dessert tasted almost freezer burnt? The service was sooooo slow. I took a group of people there for a celebratory dinner and I can say with 100% certainly I will not choose this place again. Oh, and the waitress spilled water on my husbands lap. Good times. UPDATE: Someone from Buca replied here to give them my email address supposedly in an effort to make it right. Guess what's they never contacted me back! About par for the course I guess. Taking my rating down from 2 to 1. Now I think they are fake. They pretend they care. They probably just asked me to give off the perception to other people reading reviews that they have the heart to make things right for the customer. Not the case. UPDATE Jan2015: Emily Bishop the Division Vice President emailed me saying she wanted to "restore my faith in Buca" I promptly responded with an email about what happened... Guess what?.... NO RESPONSE BACK! (It's now been over a month) Wow is all I have to say....
(1)
Leticia W.
Eh.... just average, but really it's how i feel about all Bucca De Bepo's. We came to this location for our one year anniversary OnLY because we had a gift card. From my experiences w Bucca i knew the food had much to be desired so I sought the advice from my fellow Yelpers on what to order, maybe there was something i was missing out out on. So i tried the Ceasar salad that someone said was the best they'd ever had, which makes me sad for her. It was far from the best, the lettuce was wilted and soggy. I went on my own for the main dish. I forgot the name of it, but it was a spicy shrimp pasta dish. It was pretty good. My son ordered the fetticcini Alfredo. The sauce was clumpy and lacked flavor. Decided to try the highly recommended tiramisu. I was expecting a slice but got a huge bowl (i know, duh I'm at Bucca). Again it was ok. Nothing to rave about. Then again i doubt anything can beat the tiramisu that i had at an Italian Deli in San Fran. Overall... service and food was, like i said, eh.
(3)
Cindy T.
There isn't a whole lot I can write about Buca that hasn't been said before. The theming is cute, family style can be fun or not depending on if you can all get along in your choices and the food is pretty generic. There is nothing here that will knock your socks off but it surely isn't the worst food you can have either. I feel bad that I don't have a whole lot to say about this place but it's a chain and it's all been said before.
(3)
Stacy L.
Been awhile since I've gone, and usually with a group. It was nice with lunch they do have smaller options. Also a few gluten-free meals. Better than I ever remembered.
(4)
Doug T.
I came to Buca with some co-workers for a job well done celebration. I'm not a real fan of chain Italian restaurants, but Buca is different with the atmosphere, being able to handle large parties, and if course family-style dining. We were seated in the Pope room which is fun but little freaky. Pictures of the Pope all over with a head of the Pope on the middle of the table and the Pope chair. Strange but cool having the Pope watch you eat. We started off by having the Mozzarella Garlic bread which was really good, the Chopped Antipasto salad, and the Apple Gorgonzola salad. The salads were pretty good not great but I thought it had a little too much vinegar for my liking. We had the Margherita pizza with fresh mozzarella which I thought was very good, Chianti Braised Short Ribs where they gave us three huge ribs that were boneless and covered in gravy which was very tender and very good. We couldn't have ribs without Rosemary Potatoes (meat & potatoes kind of guy) and they were really tasty and cooked perfectly. To top it off we had the Macaroni Rosa that had macaroni (of course) with a creamy sauce and chicken, broccoli and peas. It was really good. We ate it all up and had very little leftovers so that tells you the food was pretty good. No one seemed to be holding back. We can't forget about desert so we had the Dolce Platter which included Tiramisu, Double Dark Chocolate cake, Cheese cake, and Apple Crostata. The deserts were fantastic. Really good and everyone enjoyed it. The service was right on. Filling up our water glasses, beer, wine, ice tea, and soft drinks. Food came out in a timely manner too. So I have no complaints about the service. So overall, I had a very good meal with lots of variety of food and massive amounts to fill up everyone. Coming here is about having a fun time and good Italian food. So enjoy, eat up but don't forget to unbuckle that belt after you eat all that food.
(4)
Kayleigh S.
Prior to my experience this evening I would have given this location five stars. While my husband and I were having dinner there was a large group that was extremely drunk and loud. They started by singing but quickly crossed the line from amusing to obnoxious. They were yelling and screaming so loudly that my husband and I could not even have a conversation because we couldn't hear each other. What was most disappointing was the manager's response (or lack thereof). He came out, circled around them a bit, but said nothing. He could have simply asked them to quiet down but instead he stood off to the side complaining to some employees. Other guests were clearly uncomfortable and irritated yet the manager did nothing. Overall my experience was very disappointing.
(1)
Lisa N.
Thank goodness our server was good. The food is flavorless, over cooked and overpriced. We sat in the Pope room, which is fun, but the clears box the Pope sits in was fithly, perhaps taking a cloth to clean the glass or at least dust it off would be beneficial. I already had a predetermined thought that if the main guy is dirty the food probably isn't going to be very good. There are much better places than this. Won't be back.
(2)
Shannon E.
I held my company Christmas party here over the weekend and it was a wonderful experience. From the moment I requested information on holiday parties back in September and was responded to immediately by the Sales Manager, Rebecca; to the moment I walked in for the actual party and was escorted to our private event room the whole experience was efficient, friendly and professional. Our party went smoothly, the food was delicious, the cocktails (with the exception of the mojito, which seemed to be mixed in an 'unusual' way) were very good, and the servers assigned to us, Jordan and another young man (who's name I didn't catch), were very efficient and friendly. I will not hesitate to hold another event here. I was really very pleased.
(5)
Terri T.
I usually love Bucca di Beppo but was sorely disappointed tonight. Called in for take out and was told it would be ready in 20 minutes. Got there and waited another 20 minutes. Got home to find a salad with no dressing so useless (called to have it take off the bill which they said they would do), cold chicken limone (probably because we also ordered baked ziti which was a bit warmer and they didn't time things with that dish in mind), a side of fettucini alfredo that was tasteless paste that went straight into the trash, and an OK slice of cake. Almost $90 dinner. Regret giving the $5 tip. Rigatony's is much better.
(2)
Tonya M.
Came to this location last week with another couple. We ordered an appetizer of calamari, I didn't have any but the other 3 in my group loved it. So I had my fill of bread which is served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I don't know if it was just our server but the ratio was way off, more vinegar would have been ideal. I think saying the entrees will feed 2 or more is extremely misleading, we ordered 2 entrees based on the suggestion it would be more than enough. It wasn't. We had one order of Cheese Ravioli and one order of Chicken Marsala. The sauce on the Ravioli was bland, not a lot of flavor. The Chicken Marsala had a great flavor but just three small pieces of chicken and nothing else. I really expected it to come with a little pasta or potatoes. Very disappointing. I left with 3 people who weren't full and with a lot less cash in our pockets.
(3)
Kristina J.
The food is very mediocre not worth the price. I don't understand how an Italian restaurant can mess up pasta but there it was, undercooked. No flavor. No taste. And no refills to help wash it down. We had to ask 3 different times for another beer to go with our meal Then proceed to chase down the waitress so we could finally get the drinks... Horrible service. Don't waste your hard earned money here. Go to RigaTony's!
(1)
Anil K.
Best eggplant parm. and really good pasta dishes. Since all the meals are family style there are portioned for 4 or 5 people. So if you go with two people its pricy. But if you go with 3-4 its really reasonable and really good.
(3)
Frankie A.
Upon entering this establishment, we were greeted with an awful odor. After a few minutes discussing it we came to the conclusion that a bathroom drain somewhere is flowing the wrong way. All this aside we decided to stay and tough it out. Some of the silverware was dirty. The bread was good! The chicken saltimbucco was over cooked and therefore dry. The saving grace was the tiramisu. It was amazing! Our service was shaky at first but got better. So check the smell and if u can take it, grab some bread and tiramisu and run! Solid 3 stars!
(3)
Whitney T.
I'm truly astonished at the amount of negative reviews for Buca! I've had nothing but excellent service and great food at this place. This place, hands down, has the best caesar salad I've ever had in my life (100% serious). Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of taking a chunk out of my life savings to pay for a dinner bill for 3 people, but I've always left painfully full with a large bag of leftovers. It doesn't have the warm, hole-in-the-wall Italian ristorante thing going on, but the atmosphere is still very welcoming and I love that for large parties, you have your own private section. Each room has it's own theme and you can stare at the walls all night and still find something you missed before. Anyone who is unhappy with the wall decor was evidently not seated in the room with the pope head because if that's not class to you, I don't want to know you. Perhaps those decorating needs would be better met at a faux-posh restaurant with paintings and wall decor that looks strikingly similar to the Big Lots Home Accents section like they have at The Olive Garden (which is still super delicious by the way). Seriously with the food though, definitely on my top 10 list of death row meals. I could totally go down with their Veal Parmesan making itself a coffin out of my stomach.
(4)
Valeria M.
I liked this place portions were big enough for 2 people. The service was good, we didn't have to wait to order or anything. And of course quality of food was up too par. We had mozzarella tomato appetizer and seafood pasta delicious.
(4)
Kelly S.
Pros: always have coupons that you can just show on your phone, friendly staff, free plain bread. Cons: you can only order in larger quantities so if you have two people you will either be stuck eating the same thing or will have a high bill and leftovers. they walk you through the kitchen as a "tour" before you're seated. Menu has variety but not any beef dishes besides veal so any pasta with meat is pork. They won't let you choose not to have sausage cause I guess the food is already made. That would explain why the taste is very average. So it's not really a kitchen as much as it is a reheat/prep area. I know most places don't make the food there but that's what I'd still prefer. Or at least trick me and pretend you do.
(3)
Dan D.
Made reservations for a private room to celebrate my girlfriends birthday with family. When we got there they hade put another party in the room no apologies for there mistake. They sat us down in a room full of obnoxious big mouth people and we couldn't even have a conversation with each other. Food came out and it was total shit and so was the service. Will never go back.
(1)
Jessica C.
The place is overcrowded with kitschy things on the walls and in every corner. We also noticed all the flowers outside were fake and pretty worn out, which made the place look ridiculous, cheap, and unkempt. So for environment, we would rate it a 2 star.We placed our order online, which was convenient, but when we showed up to pick up our food the place was dead and we couldn't find anyone to help us. Two employees actually made eye contact with us and then went right back to talking and slacking off. After about 10 minutes, someone did finally wander up front to get us our order. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms, Penne San Remo, stuffed shells, and chocolate chip cannolis. The meal came with french bread but the bread was stale and cold. The mushrooms weren't too bad. The sauce was tasty but the stuffing overpowered the mushrooms so it ended up tasting like sharp cheese and sauce. The penne san remo is supposed to contain artichoke but we only found two chunks of artichoke out of a container with enough food to feed 3 people. So that was disappointing. The sauce was also really bland and the chicken was overcooked/rubbery. The stuffed shells were ok, no major issues, they just weren't worth the price. Actually, none of the food we got was worth the price. We paid over 60 dollars for a dinner that was maybe worth 30. All in all we weren't impressed and won't be returning.
(3)
Monique L.
This place was horrible. We Went on lunch on Thursday and were the first customers. We Got our drink orders and food orders taken care of right away. Then nothing, no coming to refill our drinks or to let us know our food was going to take a while. We got our food after 40 minutes we immediately asked for the checks and to go boxes. The waitress apologized for how long everything took and still took a total of 15 minutes to check us out and give us our boxes. My g Food was good, I got the spicy rigatoni. My friends who got the spaghetti complained of the noodles having no flavor and the sauce tasted like just plain tomatoes with no seasoning at all. I called bucca to complain and they didn't answer and I'm still waiting to hear from corporate since Thursday. very disappointed especially since this was a work birthday lunch.
(1)
Christine S.
In 2004, my employer was doing construction nearby. An employee from BdB dropped by with cannolis and some other food to welcome us. They gave us catering menus. We later used them for group business dinners--nice stmosphere, great food, good facility. And I do "to go" orders maybe 3 or 4 times a year. Just did their lunch offer a few weeks ago. All of this from a simple gesture of cannolis!
(4)
Barbara H.
How could anyone not love Buca It is our all-time favorite place. Price is reasonable, food spectacular, service has always been excellent. I could go once a week. I even went and bought a bag full and took it on the plane to Groton CT
(5)
Lucy M.
My husband just took me there today and I loved it! We had to share the baked ziti plate because the plates are HUGE. I also had an Italian margarita and of course it was delicious. Definitely going to be back.
(5)
Kimberly D.
Dined here a couple of nights ago and had an okay experience. Not bad but nothing that will stand out in my mind. The service was great and our waiter was very good about coming back to check on us even though there was a huge party on the other side of the restaurant that he was also assisting. Good service. The food was okay. We got the Quattro Forno dish which is four different kinds of stuffed shells including manicotti, ravioli, shells and canolli. The food was cooked well and it had good flavor but it was not anything that I would go out of my way to have again. We also got a small order of cheesy garlic bread which could have stood to be cooked a little longer. It tasted good but got cold really fast and no one likes cold bread. I do not recommend coming here with just two people. The family style dishes are huge even if you just get one small order between two people. They probably gave us 20 large pieces of garlic bread which we definitely could not finish and garlic bread does not reheat well so I felt like I was just wasting it. I would recommend coming here with a party of four or more. Not sure if I will be back. Maybe if I have a large party and we need a lot of food for a certain occasion.
(3)
Monica J.
The quality of food at Buca di Beppo has really gone downhill. I was here for dinner a couple nights ago and I didn't enjoy the food at all. My minestrone soup had no broth or flavor. It tasted as though it was a can of crushed tomatoes combined with a drained can of green beans. And that's it. My husband's Caesar salad was not fresh. The chicken rigatoni came with a nice spicy tomato sauce which the chef inexplicably decided to ruin by dumping a bag of frozen peas into it. The decor was tacky to begin with and now its just looking tired and dusty. I think the only people who come here are large families or groups wanting to take advantage of the humongous portion sizes. There were no less than three tables with toddlers whose parents thought it was ok to let them scream their head off and/or run around the restaurant while they sat at the table with a glass of wine talking to their friends. Which reminds me, their Chianti is terrible. I see no reason to return.
(2)
Mark C.
Meh about says it. I've been to this place a bunch of times. In hindsight I don't know why. Italian is one of my favorite foods and I've never had anything, other than the garlic bread, that really stands out here. Yeah the inside is neat and the staff is always good... but the pasta sauce is nothing special. Everything seems like bland Italian food, in comparison of the many other options in the category especially. It also isn't cheap. For chain Italian restaurants, I'd take Olive Garden, Carabba's, Brio. Also, I somehow end up with in this place with work people or friends that don't like some damn thing. I'll eat everything, but considering the menu is just OK as it is, I end up getting stuck with the most mediocre dish at a medicre restaurant. This makes me want to stab someone. Family style is great if you are with your family, if you are with a bunch of vegetarians... REDRUM! REDRUM! Yeah yeah, I can get individual orders now. So I can be THAT guy, that goes to a family style restaurant and is like, NO, I'm ordering my own thing, you all suck. While YES, that is totally true, I don't want everyone to necessarily know it. Pizza places is where you are supposed to go with a group of people and argue about what to order, not pasta places.
(2)
Angelo E.
I've come to this Buca several times and it seems like a hit or miss sometimes. I'm not sure if it's better to go in big groups or just on date night but the last time I came with my g/f and some friends, the food was okay. I didn't think it was worth the price but oh well. But my experience prior to that which was several months ago, it was great. Everything we got seemed to fit the bill and was delicious. I always love the Garlic Bread here and the Caprese. Great starters. The atmosphere is nice and definitely feels like family place which I like. I wish I can maybe give 3 1/2 stars just because of the past experiences that were good and some okay and some that were..eh...it's alright. Also, what happened to the Angelo pizza? Had it once and i thought it was pretty good. Haven't seen it in several years now. :(
(3)
Jen C.
Hubby had never been to a Buca, so we figured why not? Of course we went during I'm guessing prom night...which on a side note when did prom start to look like a bunch of strippers running around? Wow. Anyway it was really busy, but no huge wait time. Seated promptly and began to look over the menu. Our server was amazing and very quick with everything, and had excellent communication and was really friendly and prompt even with the onslaught of teens next to us. Anyway, someone accidentally picked up our order sho we had to wait a moment more which was perfectly fine in my opinion. Food was good, but we both felt it could use a little more sauce. Ordered a cocktail, which was good, boozy, and of course came with a souvenir glass. I don't live that idea, cuz I really don't even want a souvenir glass from an actual destination place, but oh well. At the end when our bill came, they had taken of the entire entree because we had to wait so long. I was stunned. I really want even upset about the wait, however I.appreciate it because it makes me want to be a repeat customer. So thank you for providing customer service and we shall return!
(4)
Inaie R.
It is a lovely place and the food is good, but the protions are so big you have to share... I have never hadthe chance to order what I reallyw ant because I ened to compromise and share with someone else... :-(
(3)
Brenda P.
We have been to this location a couple of times, but this last one was slightly disappointing. The stuffed mushrooms in the creamy pesto was pretty delicious. The warm house bread was good, but the vinegar and oil they provide with it was not proportioned well and was bland. The braised short ribs, though slightly expensive, tasted like cheap pot roast. The highlight of the evening was ordering the Colossal Sundae, knowing full well what was coming. Our friends were not expecting the sheer size of the dessert, resulting in a very genuine, very hilarious "WHAT THE..!!"
(3)
Mindi R.
I wanted to do something different for Thanksgiving so we tried Buca. We got it to go and were anxiously awaiting a delicious Italian meal at home. We ordered the Veal Marsala, it was bland and the veal was overcooked. Next on the menu was the Sorrento Salmon it wasn't bad the Salmon was also a little overcooked. The spaghetti and meatballs bleh worst marinara sauce I've had in a long time. The rosemary potatoes tasted sweet and very very dry. I am so disappointed that I was the one that suggested we try this place out for a non traditional Thanksgiving meal. We wil never ever eat here again. Terrible food.
(1)
Luke T.
Came for lunch on Saturday around 1:30p. Rarely come to Buca, had $10 off coupon from mail. There were about 2 other tables occupied. Chicken carbonara was delicious, not for health-conscious folks. Eggplant parmigiana was very good too. Service was fast and efficient. The only issue was, we were asked whether we would like bread, I said yes and chose garlic. I didn't know it would cost $6.99, wasn't told either. I thought it would be complimentary like breadsticks in Olive Garden. Didn't make it a big deal because everything else was good plus the coupon helped.
(3)
Monika M.
This place will not see our family again. I made a reservation for our family party of 12 in advance to celebrate our son's 13th birthday. I was completely prepared ahead of time. I arrived 15 beforehand with a handwritten list of food and wine to place the order before all the family arrived. When I handed over our Baskin Robbins ice cream cake I looked the server directly in the eye and told her to BE CERTAIN to place it in the freezer- not the fridge- as it is an ice cream cake. She laughed and said "Absolutely, Of course!" I was disappointed to find that our party of 12 was seated in two separate tables right next to another family that had 3 toddlers. It was a Sunday night at 5pm and the restaurant was very empty. The toddlers next to us were absolutely screaming the entire time and we were not able to hear our family conversation. Surely they could've placed us with more space between us to make our evening more pleasant instead of what was easier for the server. It took our waitress far too long to bring out my son's cake when we asked again. To my horror, the waitress delivered our half-melted ice cream cake and ran off as I said, "Oh no! What happened?" No one stayed. They ran!! We tried to serve some of the middle that was a bit slushy, but it was ridiculous. The waitress emerged with our bill and said she took off our salad because they ruined our cake. The salad was $21. Our cake was $40!! No manager, no apology. No chance anyone in my extended family will return. It was our first visit and definitely our last.
(1)
Karen W.
Buca di Beppo is my go-to place if I'm going with people that are indecisive about their meal. Since everything is family-style, I can just get a few entrees that everyone can share. Service at this location is friendly, and it is easy to get a reservation through Opentable.com . There is enough variety that even the pickiest eaters will find something good. The mood is pretty festive every time we go, and everyone meets and greets you with a smile. My favorite item here so far is the linguine frutti di mare. It comes with a flavorful tomato sauce and is packed with various seafood, which makes it a good deal for the price. Last time I went it was in celebration of my mother's birthday, who likes to have the waiters sing to her on her birthday. I mentioned that it was my mother's birthday in the comments section of the Opentable reservation site, and I mentioned it to the waitress right before ordering our dessert (No free dessert for birthdays, but they do sing for you, she said), but no one ever came to sing for her. We felt a little disappointed, but the tiramisu dessert we did have was rich, creamy, and quite tasty.
(3)
Jenney H.
My Father, Daughter and I went here for dinner tonight and I will say it was great. Everything made fresh there. You can actually taste the ingredients in the food! It was wonderful! My Father and I ended up ordering the Lasanga and my Daughter the traditional Fetticine. Both were excellent. Thought the portions at this place are ridiculous. A small dish will feed at least three people and the large, forget about it. The large will feed at least the whole family. We definitly brought food home! The atmosphere in this place is wonderful too. They take you throught hte kitchen to get your table and you go through the kitchen again to leave.Definitly gives you the feeling like you just came home to have dinner. I loved it and will plan to return again soon.
(4)
Alison T.
Eh...this place is okay. I've been to other locations that seem better than this one. Food is so-so, staff is friendly enough, and the atmosphere is fun but it's never been my first choice for Italian when in Chandler.
(3)
Johnny L.
It's a chain. Chicken Parm isn't bad, especially when you aren't paying for it. Ya feel me?
(3)
M G.
Maria...host, rolled her eyes and seemed to have a attitude problem Kyahl? Sounds like Kyle. was actually pretty good, he answered my mother in law's questions to the best of his abilities. The food is always kind of hit or miss...the veal parm was good but the macaroni rosa was very bland and the broccoli in it weren't cooked and the pasta was a more al dente than we are use too...there was still a crunch
(3)
Lindsey P.
Big portions. Be prepared to share. We had the lasagna & the chopped antipasto salad... both were delicious. The lasagna was freshly baked (the plate was about a thousand degrees) & stuffed with cheese. Left me wanting more meat though. The salad was everything I want an antipasto to be-- just the right amount of cheeses, meats & veggies. Ordered smalls & the two of us definitely left full. Our total with a glass of wine & a beer was about $50. Good place to celebrate a special occasion-- there is plenty of room for big parties. For a chain restaurant, they're doing it right.
(5)
Sheera G.
Absolutely disappointed to the point I will probably never return. We went for dinner after the dinner rush at 7pm, this place was super noisy to the point where we couldn't have a conversation with people at the table. Seemed like they were seating by the rooms vs by server, so once one room was filled up they would seat in another area. My biggest complaint is that I ordered Veal Marsala, my veal was VERY overcooked and tough to even cut into, I did tell our server who swapped out for Chicken Marsala however it took them about 40 minutes and by the time I was super annoyed and not hungry let alone my friends and family were already finished eating. Also, two people at my table ordered meatballs, they were also overcooked and came to the table luke warm, they were not eaten and asked to be taken off the bill. The manager said that the meatballs were boiled and probably at the bottom of the pot and not stirred. Christina was our server and probably the ONLY thing positive I can say was that she was very sweet and accommodating however I would suggest giving this girl a promotion to manager as the manager who came to speak with us never introduced himself, had a bad attitude and did the bare minimum by taking the meatballs and Marsala off the bill but his attitude wasn't one of a manager should have. The only way I knew his name was that his initials are on the bill and it on the door. And for a suggestion.....it would be really nice if they offered gluten-free pasta for those of us with allergies since they are a pasta establishment. I had 5 things to choose from, and 3 of those I couldn't eat...you know the rest of the two other options. Meh!
(1)
Jasen S.
I had written a bad review about the this place not long ago and they were happy to give me another shot at eating at the place and paying for my meal. I'm glad they were willing to allow me to have another chance at it. However, though it wasn't as bad as last time I ate here they food hasn't much improved. I ordered the same meal, the Buca Trio Platter. I was a little hesitant to order the same thing that made me sick before but they were assuring me it was going to be good. I the mozzarella triangles aren't bad for frozen food. The stuffed mushrooms weren't as wet as last time but this time my biggest issue was the calamari. Last time I ate it, it made me sick, and had food poisoning. This time around, wasn't much better. It didn't make me sick but half of it was cold and the other half was hot. This tells me that they were cooked at different times. I'm sorry to staff at Bucca but I still give it one star as the food was not good and the chefs must not care about the quality of their food.
(1)
Laura L.
We like Buca for informal family gatherings. Going to Buca means everyone will find SOMETHING they like. It means we will have leftovers. It means we won't have to clean up after ourselves. The quality of Buca noticeably deteriorated after Planet Hollywood took over. We'd been going to Buca for years in various states and things we loved started to disappear. For example, Buca used to give you really good complimentary rosemary focaccia when you sat down. Now they give you a semi-crusty white bread with zero flavor. What do you want to bet they started selling more garlic bread and bruschetta when they stopped giving you the good free stuff?! The portion sizes also changed noticeably. Still, you always have enough to eat (or more than enough). You always also have a good time. How can you not? We always look forward to seeing the old pictures... especially of old Italian movie stars, The Pope and various mischievous children. Is this the best, most authentic Italian food around? No. But they do have a lot of Italian-American classics that your family will surely enjoy. I can't give it a 4 stars due to commonly having received extra slow service (due to the kitchen) on busy nights and usually having a wait even with a reservation. But the food is definitely better than, say, Chili's or other like-priced places. It's served family style for the most part, but you CAN get individual portions of most things at lunch. Want a tip? If you're craving spaghetti but you don't want to order a full portion, you can order the SIDE of spaghetti for only $5.99! It is about 1/2 to 2/3 the size of the small spaghetti at a fraction of the price.
(3)
G B.
Meh. I've experienced better its totally correct! However, if you live close by and want something to feed the family that is ok and relatively cheap, this a good place. It''s very loud inside and the decor is very busy but nice. My reason for one start is because three times now we have ordered to go food and it seems that our dish was sabotaged each time! Twice came without chicken and all twice with the bread being super cold as taken out of a freezer recently. One time came swimming in sauce and it became disgusting to eat. I called the restaurant for one of the occasions. They didn't act if it was important or a big deal. They refunded me only after I requested and it took over a day. I was told someone would call me back to follow up and I received no calls. If you are in business to serve people their meals, you should take a little extra precautions that the food is done correctly. I should not have to get home with hungry kids and have items missing. This should never happen twice or even a third time. It seems to me that this Bucca di Beppo is careless with the food they serve and how they treat their customers.
(1)
Joseph P.
I had driven by this spot many times I did not hear good things... But I was moving out of town and a coworker want to hit it up for lunch so I was like let's do it... I found it strange we were guided through the kitchen to our table... I went with the lunch special Baked Rigatoni - Rich meat sauce and spicy Italian sausage tossed with imported Italian rigatoni and lots of mozzarella. Topped with Parmesan and dollops of ricotta cheese then baked to golden perfection with a Caesar Side salad... I rate the experience as followed. Baked Rigatoni - C Caesar Side Salad - B Staff - B+ The food was nothing to write home about... As I was leaving I still felt weird walking in the kitchen but that could just be me.
(3)
Candace R.
The bf and I had plans for July 3rd in Ahwatukee but since the entire city was out to watch the fireworks, our plans got squashed and we decided to just grab dinner and call it a night. There wasn't a wait at buca and we were seated in their wine room. I hadn't been there in a couple of years and the bf had never been so we made some rookie mistakes. We started with an order of calamari which was really good. We decided to get two small entrees (main mistake). He had the spicy sausage with ziti dish and I had the stuffed shells. I wish our server had emphasized how big the servings are because they are giant. The two small entrees could have easily served at least four - so it is best to share a small entree if it's just two people. The two entrees were good, nothing spectacular but good. the service was good and the dinner was overall a good experience, I probably won't be back anytime soon though.
(3)
Amanda b.
One word: disappointed. I ordered the most simple dish, spaghetti and meat balls, and the sauce tasted like it came out of a can. It really tasted like they opened up a can of diced tomatoes and poured it on top and it also was sweet, as if they added sugar. The meat balls were generous in size but was not an Italian meat ball. It just had no flavor, seasoning, or Italian spices to it! This is not a good place to eat at if you want real Italian food. I will not be returning.
(1)
Ahana M.
Had I written this review yesterday because I was hungry, craving pasta and eating here pretty late at 9 pm, it would have gotten one more star for coming to my rescue while driving around looking for food. 24 hours later , with a clearer mind, i can say this place is average. The bread very plain, the shrimp linguine quite bland. The service and decor are quite good though. And finally, so Not the place to go for a meal for one.The size of helpings is HUGE. I had enough left over for lunch. Which would have been a good thing had the food been tasty.
(2)
Andy G.
Something about this place always told me to stay far, far away. But by all rights, all of us should try every Italian restaurant around, because someone, somewhere, must be nailing "Italian Restaurant", the triple-Axel of the culinary business. I just haven't found them yet. I should have listened to my impulse to stay away, but my wife has been wanting to try this place for years. For some reason we thought we would forgo some risk by using the To Go service and ordering online. Nay, the problems this place has pervade all its crevices. all the way out to the parking lot. I ordered some junk online: A small Caesar Salad, a Small Quattro al Forno, and a Small Eggplant Parmesan. It would be ready from 5:00-5:15pm. I got there at about 4:50 and a friendly lady came out right away and gave me the bill to sign. She said my food was "not quite done". Fine, cool, whatever. I was early. I could wait a few. A half hour later, it would dawn on me that "not quite done" in restaurant parlance actually means "We haven't started cooking your food." After I watched numerous people park at the To Go window and leave with their food, the harried lady finally came back out with my stuff, explaining that "they had to cut more eggplant". Ah, the mysterious "they" and their lack of kitchen management skills. An order for eggplant comes in online at 4:30.. why cut up any eggplant? Silly. I got home and discovered that the rest of my order had apparently been sitting around while the eggplant dish was prepared. The eggplant was moderately hot -- however, the Quattro al Forno was room temperature and so was the salad. The eggplant was way too thin and not seasoned well, and featured chunks of uneven Parmesan that had clearly been cut instead of grated. The Quattro al Forno might have been good when it was designed to be served, but its temperature made me quesy. When all was said and done, I realized that I'd consumed passable Italian food at quite a premium price with poor service to go with it. I felt full of lukewarm food and disappointed, which is really a strange sensation. I'm sure this place has its moments when it's hitting on all cylinders, but it ain't Sunday at 5pm.
(2)
Chris K.
I only give it a second star because I like the atmosphere, seating and cozy/social feel. I also liked that the waitress walks you through the kitchen to get to your table. That was the upside. Here is the downside. As you can tell from other reviews it is very pricey. If you are looking for good Italian kitchen family style food you must go to Maggiano's, 5 star and you get a ton more food for the same price as this joint. The service tonight was slow and I didn't expect that since we came in after the rush. The waitress seem experienced but she only pretended to care. She seem as if she could not be bothered by us even after we introduced ourselves as first time customers. We ordered the Chicken Limone and it was very dry. Enough said. The spicy chicken (insert your favorite little Italian pasta name here) was pretty good. My wife asked what I thought and I said it was okay but I wouldn't exactly come running back.
(2)
T W.
It's been a year since my last review. Yes, I'm still a fan! Went for lunch today. They are now offering lunch portions (at lower prices), and honestly they are still pretty huge! My wife and I were not able to finish either of our dishes. We each have another meal from the leftovers. For 99 cents you can add either soup or salad to a lunch entree. The food is good, the portions are large, and they do a lot of coupons (which make the price quite reasonable). Without a coupon they are a little expensive, though not outrageous. Join their e-club and you'll get coupons in email, plus they have them in the paper and sometimes in coupon mailers. So they aren't difficult to get. Today I tried their Tuscan bean soup. I think it would have been good if it weren't so salty. I mean really salty! But behind the salt I could taste what seemed like a decent bean soup. This is the only thing I remember having a problem with at Buca. But they replaced it with minestrone, and that was pretty good. We will be back before Sunday as we have a $10 off of $20 purchase email coupon, and we definitely want to use it!!
(4)
Jon B.
I loved the baked ziti but the meatball was terrible. Dry old. Burned. No flavor. What puzzles me is why the menu says its one of their special items. Clearly they don't make them fresh
(2)
Mario C.
I have been here a few times now so I can give them a proper review. THey always try to get you a seat as quickly as they can and the staff is above friendly. We came here on Saturday night for a quick dinner. We were seated very quickly. We got a booth in a very loud room. There were a lot of teenagers there so the noise was unreal. We could not hear the waitress, we had to yell and so did she. Our waitress was a sweet girl named Megan. She was very sorry about all the noise and said it should end soon. 2 of the tables finally left but, the one that stayed had 7 of the loudest teens I have ever experianced in a Public place. Anyway,never mind all that. The Food!! So many choices to be had, We ended up by getting a mixed plate of stuffed shells and Cantonolis, It is called Quattro al Forno. Plus we had bread first with vinegar and Olive Oil. We were not too hungry this day, so it was really a lot of food. They have really great starters, the Calamari is fantastic. We did not have dessert but, we saw some of the desserts being brought to other tables. The Ice Cream Sundae is huge,all served in a giant Maritini glass. Everything is family style so keep that in mind when you order. There is a lot of food here. Great place to have a party or family get together. The staff works really hard here, I do not know how the can do it everyday. The noise is just over the top. Another thing that is a little differant is you walk through the Kitchen to get to the dining area. You can even make reservations to get a table in the kitchen. Which surprised me is very popular to do.
(4)
Connor C.
We visited the restaurant in Chandler AZ on Ray road Sunday February 12th with my friends. I must say that every time we go back there we are more and more disappointed. The value of the food vs. the cost just is just ridiculous and the taste, well lets just say it used to be a lot better. Another very disappointing thing is that when I tried to order a non alcoholic strawberry dakari, I was informed that they could not serve it to me at the table and I would have to go to the bar and drink it if I wanted it. I ask you, what kind of crap is that? If I ordered a coke or lemonade they could served it at my table or even a regular dakari with alcohol but that was not what I wanted. They told me some story that I believe to be nothing but BS about the liquor laws, and found out I was right too. To confirm this, I just had dinner at The Keg restaurant in Chandler, yes the same city governed by the same laws as the Buca I ate at on Sunday, and I was informed by the manager that to his knowledge there was no such law in Chandler or AZ. He even confirmed that with another manager. I got my non alcoholic dakari with my dinner at my table. Sometimes I can over look bad food or even bad service from a restaurant but I have a hard time overlooking being lied to! The only good thing I can say about our visit Sunday night was that all the employees there were really nice. They lied to us but at least they did it with a smile on their face.
(1)
Susan M.
Pretty darn good lunch! Good fresh food, excellent service so I was pleasantly surprised. The only thing is that by the time you pay for each little individual thing, I think the value of the family dinners at Maggiano's far exceed the value here. I will return again for lunch but would do family dinners at Maggiano's for sure. We split a Garlic Bread with cheese, had two drinks and split the Quattro something plate (one Cannelloni, One Manicotti, two shells and some ravioli) and the check with a $10 off $20 was still about thirty bucks with tip.
(4)
Cookie M.
Everyone at Buca is very friendly. Their lunch is nice sized portions (unlike their dinner portions which are only suitable for "family style" sharing). My g/f and I ordered their Apple Gorgonzola Salad and their Vegetarian Pizza. Both were "just ok". The salad had too many competing flavors including overly cinnamon seasoned walnuts competing with the other fresh flavors. Also, their Italian vinaigrette didn't quite seem to match the other ingredients. The pizza had a limp crust. The toppings were nice with broccoli, peppers and mushroom flavors standing out. Overall, the experience was 'ok' but I won't be rushing to go back.
(2)
Eric L.
I have been to a number of Buca's across Phoenix. I am a fan of the food and the unique atmosphere. Perfect place to have a party, in fact I had my college graduation party here a few years back and it was a blast. Place was designed for family sized gatherings. My only gripe is that this place is not really designed for one or two people. In smaller groups the bill seems very high and the portions seem to be a bit lacking, your wallet can take a real beating if you want to have a diverse experience. Still I give this place a big thumbs up, just make sure you book a party and visit the pope room.
(4)
Wendi H.
Recently had a rehearsal dinner there for my sons wedding our total party had 25 people. My biggest complaint was there wasnt enough food served for everyone at the table to try everything. We were seated at one long table and the food was brought in and placed mostly at the ends. By the time the serving plates reached those in the middle they were pretty much empty and the servers didnt bring anymore food. Also cheesecake and cannoli were to be served for desert. There was only enough cheesecake for half the guests and the rest had to have cannoli. Really dissapointing. Also, the food on the whole was just so-so...pretty much on the level of Olive Garden. Im not a fan of "family style" plating so with so many other choices for Italian around town I dont think I will be coming here again.
(2)
Kimberly S.
We went in a group of 6 for dinner on a Wednesday around 6pm the place was empty and it still them for ever to take our order and bring out any drinks(20 min and I had get up ask to please get some one to help us). After that I got up and said we were ready to order and no one came for another 10 min?? We ordered our food came and it was so delicious! But our drinks were not filled even once. I think if we do a next time it will be to go.
(2)
J G.
Buca is my absolute favorite chain Italian restaurant! Everything is wonderful!
(4)
Ann W.
After experiencing Buca's in California, we were excited to see one here! The atmosphere was wonderful, as was the food. Huge portions never disappoint for lunch the next day. The welcoming staff was wonderful to hold the door open for us. We were given the "tour" through the kitchen enroute our table. Our waiter was a bit overwhelmed as he was solo in our area. We were the only table at 4, but 3 other tables filled soon thereafter. He served us well and didn't miss anything; even keeping our glasses full...albeit a bit slow. The only reason for 4 stars was the lack of wait staff. We'll go again!
(4)
Matt B.
Horrible service. Had to ask for bread to start the meal when normally they bring it out without hesitation. Then later refills on water never came. The main entree ordered was burnt when the restaurant was no even busy so there was extra waiting time to wait for the entree to be ready again. When the entree was finally done it came out burnt still on the noodles. Finally when it came to the check it was about 15 to 20 minutes before we left to pay and leave. We were the only table the waitress had and she decided to prepare drinks behind the bar before giving us the check and a box for our food. So she asked another server to get the check for us. When I put my card in the billfold we had to wait for the other server to process the payment while the waitress was still making drinks. It was very poor service and I was very disappointed and confused why she put drinks before servicing her only table. Her name was Cindy and if you ever have her as your waitress there I feel sorry for you. So bottom line I do not recommend this location to go dine at. One of the managers even asked our waitress if she knew how to make a certain drink and she responded yes. Why would the manager ask her that if she was the one responsible and hired as the bartender and should know all the main drinks that need to be served. I don't plan on coming back to this location any time soon. Likely never again.
(1)
Erin C.
We really wanted Italian food but wanted it to go-didn't feel like sitting in a restaurant this night. We called Bucca di Beppo and placed our order-very nice lady on the phone. We let her know that we had a coupon for $10 for our order of $20 or more. When I got to Bucca to pick up the food the lady that helped me was plain rude! She took my credit card and I asked if she had discounted the coupon and before I could answer she swiped my card. I got my phone out to show her the coupon on my phone and she said "we only take coupons you have to give us." As I was still talking to her she walked away from me-out of the room and showed up behind me with my food-again while I was still taking! Honesty I don't know that I have ever been treated so poorly! The food was good but I wouldn't recommend going there if that is how they are goign to treat their customers. There are plenty of other options out there with good food that will be happy to take my money!
(2)
Herman D.
Our first time at bucca the services was good not great but good the food was real good I liked it family style dinner I would go back
(4)
Jose T.
I absolutely HATE chain restaurants! Although in this case, I have to make an exception. I'm really into the food at Buca. I used to live in the SF Bay Area, and I had to wait damn near 2 hours to eat at the Buca located at downtown SF. I now live in Chandler, AZ and the first time I visited a Buca here, I didn't have to wait any longer than 30 seconds. I usually have a standard list of items that I order for the entire table when my family goes to Buca: Bruschetta Linguine Frutti DiMare Margherita Pizza Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Marsala I also frequent other independently owned Italian restaurants, but Buca holds a special place in my heart, and my stomach. They have a signature flavor to their dishes. The best waiter in the world, Lee works at this particular one. Request to be seated at his station and give him a big tip!
(4)
Ted S.
We have eaten or gotten take-out here several times. I like the fun decor and atmoshpere, except that it can be WAY too loud. That just means another group is having fun, but they get some pretty large groups and it is quite annoying to be seated a few feet away. Regardless of the decor, don't come for the food, because it is not very good and is apparently *very* inconsistent. We have tried their baked dishes and didn't finish them because they were bland and just didn't taste good. Usually the spaghetti with meat sauce is practically all pasta. You can ask for extra sauce but they want to charge you for it (at least this is the case for take-out). The meat sauce has a funny taste. It isn't old, but the taste reminds me of something that is old. Nonetheless, when we went out of town we decided to get pizza (usually good here) and pasta from Buca di Beppo to leave with the kids, and this is when it got bizarre. They must have made too much sauce that morning, or maybe it was a weird prank, because this time the "spaghetti" was probably three-quarters meat sauce! Weird; and not appetizing, and not a normal meal. And we didn't even ask for extra meat sauce. But the strangest thing is that when we got home from our trip, we found out the kids didn't eat any of the pizza. They would heat it up and throw it out because they didn't like it. I decided to have some just to get rid of it. It was pretty limp so I baked it in the toaster oven on the highest setting. Tried a bite and despite being re-baked, it was just plain mushy. It turns out there was meat sauce in the pizza -- lots of it! My wife did not order any meat sauce on the pizza. If all pizza tasted like this, I would never eat pizza again. This tale might have ended okay if the restaurant did the right thing. Since the pizza was a total loss, my wife took it back to the restaurant the day after we got back. It is hard to believe but they would not give a refund, "because it's been a week." This is not a good way to do business. *UPDATE 05/28/2013* I was pretty offended on behalf of my wife when I wrote this, she having been brushed off by the person on duty at the cash register. Regardless, the fact is that my wife is back to buying take out here, now and then. So the food isn't (normally) bad, although it is still a matter of taste.
(2)
Sean E.
Our experience on New Year's Eve was perfect. The gentleman who held the door for us upon entering the restaurant was extremely polite and welcoming. We later found out he was the general manager. He ensured we had a fantastic evening. It is easy to see he cares about his guests and his business, and takes pride in what he does. Both the food and the service kicked off our night the right way. Thank you.
(5)
_ _.
Scale of 1-10 (multiple visits): 7 Food 8 Service 8 Atmosphere 7 Value
(3)
Melissa H.
I have a confession to make before I go any further with this review: My husband and I occasionally visit chain restaurants when we really don't want to put much effort into going out to eat. OK now that is out of my system, I can continue. We've been to Buca before (visited the location in Columbus probably about 8-10 times with friends for group dinners) so we know the concept and that it's about sharing and all that jazz. We ended up at this location on Sunday night when we were trying to find *gasp* TGI Fridays. Well let me save you a drive to this part of town and tell you that Fridays is no longer there. Anyway, we saw Buca and decided to suck it up and eat there. We had about a five minute wait and then were led back through the kitchen (as you are at any Buca) to our table. We had some confusion with our service because at one point we were told our waitress got a big party and wouldn't be handling our table anymore, and then she did for the rest of our night. Weird. Unfortunately the food was not as good as we remembered. The cheese garlic bread was cut into squares and wasn't served in a pie shaped. The caesar salad was under-dressed, but as a plus it held up nicely as a leftover for me to have the next night for dinner. Chris thought the chicken parm was not as good as it used to be (we think they changed the recipe or something). My side of fettucini alfredo was good thankfully and heated up nicely on Tuesday night as my dinner. All and all, the food was a major disappointment even for chain restaurant standards! The bright spot was that for $69 (includes tip) we got four meals out of the food we ordered. Buca was a 2.5 star experience for us, but I'm rounding down to 2 due to not living up to our standards.
(2)
Susan P.
Two experiences both good. The first was a Party pan-to-go event after my daughter's wedding while many people were still in town. The meal was hosted by the in-laws and everyone enjoyed the cheese bread, penne ala vodka and my favorite penne arrabbita. Fast forward several months.... looking for a place to pick up dinner and thought of Buca. Only the two of us but Italian holds for left-overs better than almost any other cuisine. Same daughter....both loved the Arrabbita previously so that's what we ordered along with a small Chopped Antipasto Salad. The portion of 2+ is an understatement, if you're not gluttonous it probably feeds 4 easily. The zesty sauce was as good as I remembered and plenty of sausage. They also do not skimp on the sauce which is key if you plan on reheating it another day as we did. The Antipasto Salad was excellent and HUGE. This very large salad was choked with various cheeses, vegetables and lots of pepperoni. At home I was thinking what a $9 salad looks like at other establishments and this salad is more than double or perhaps triple the size. Great value, lots of goodies and for that alone I'll return. I have no personal experience for eating in the restaurant but get that if you're not keen on sharing someone else's choice it could be a drag. The pricing for two may seem high but not really as you've got food for days. UNLESS I can't kill the salad before it turns brown and needs tossed. Food was good and absolutely would recommend for a big outing, large group or party. I see good value in their shared portions. YMMV. Oh, side note - Terrific service at the front. Order was taken quickly, offered a drink while I waited, offered to help me out to my car, held the door, thanked me, etc etc. Very plesant staff at Chandler!
(4)
Shannon W.
Third time here and still a huge fan. Would be 5 stars but the sangria was awful, watered down and just plain blah. The Calamari was under cooked as well. Server again was Rhys and he as always was very helpful.
(3)
Kevin U.
Buca di Beppo is know for its great culture and large plates. Chandler Buca offers personal attention to its customers with a positive attitude. Joe the Paisano has produced a restaurant that reflects his easy going attitude and dedication to high service and food quality. Buca is a great place to host a large group of people. For small events rent out a room with no extra charge, what is better than that. If you like chocolate try the cake or treat yourself and a few friends to Buca's Tiramisu.
(4)
Jonathan S.
No go for a couple but family's and groups will have a good time. Family style food is consistently good.
(4)
Kelly R.
Meh. This is okay. Interesting kitchy atmosphere, but the food is lacking. I think Buca thrives on the "quantity versus quality" philosophy of most Americans when it comes to food. We ordered two large salads(antipasti and apple walnut) and a small entree for two couples. The waiter made sure we meant "small" and not "large" and seemed to be taken aback by our lack of need to gorge. The salads were good, but nothing you can't do at home...although we ALL know even a mediocre salad is better when someone ELSE makes it! The entre was sub-par. It was a "sampler" of a few things...that all tasted relatively the same. The stuffed shells were OVERWHELMED by the amount of fennel in the sausage. I would have to say that the best part was the bread. The iced tea was also good. An okay place if you want massive amounts of "Olive Garden"y Italian.
(2)
Beth B.
This time we just ordered the tiramisu for take out. A couple girlfriends and I were having a girls night in and wanted something sweet! It was to die for! I've never had a bad experience there. Make sure you have at least 4 people going or plan to bring home leftovers! The food is fresh and tasty and the service is delightful! A little pricy for pasta dishes but as I said the food is tasty!
(4)
Jillian G.
I used to really like it here, but now everytime I go I end up dissapointed. Its really not that good and so overpriced. I do love the decor and the family dinning they support it allows you to really spend time with the people you came with.
(2)
Nicole H.
I went into Buca di Beppo today for lunch and it was so dead. Now I know why! I ordered off the lunch menu and added a side salad for 99 cents which I thought was great, but I do not like olives or onions and asked to NOT have them on my salad. Sure enough I was brought a salad with onions and olives...since it was lunch time and I was on a time crunch I picked them out but I could still taste the onions :( The server didn't say anything about me piling them on the bread plate. Good thing I didn't like the plain, cold, and stale bread anyway. My food was alright, but again kind of plain! Will not be going back here for Italian Food!
(2)
Doug T.
I came to Buca with some co-workers for a job well done celebration. I'm not a real fan of chain Italian restaurants, but Buca is different with the atmosphere, being able to handle large parties, and if course family-style dining. We were seated in the Pope room which is fun but little freaky. Pictures of the Pope all over with a head of the Pope on the middle of the table and the Pope chair. Strange but cool having the Pope watch you eat. We started off by having the Mozzarella Garlic bread which was really good, the Chopped Antipasto salad, and the Apple Gorgonzola salad. The salads were pretty good not great but I thought it had a little too much vinegar for my liking. We had the Margherita pizza with fresh mozzarella which I thought was very good, Chianti Braised Short Ribs where they gave us three huge ribs that were boneless and covered in gravy which was very tender and very good. We couldn't have ribs without Rosemary Potatoes (meat & potatoes kind of guy) and they were really tasty and cooked perfectly. To top it off we had the Macaroni Rosa that had macaroni (of course) with a creamy sauce and chicken, broccoli and peas. It was really good. We ate it all up and had very little leftovers so that tells you the food was pretty good. No one seemed to be holding back. We can't forget about desert so we had the Dolce Platter which included Tiramisu, Double Dark Chocolate cake, Cheese cake, and Apple Crostata. The deserts were fantastic. Really good and everyone enjoyed it. The service was right on. Filling up our water glasses, beer, wine, ice tea, and soft drinks. Food came out in a timely manner too. So I have no complaints about the service. So overall, I had a very good meal with lots of variety of food and massive amounts to fill up everyone. Coming here is about having a fun time and good Italian food. So enjoy, eat up but don't forget to unbuckle that belt after you eat all that food.
(4)
Kayleigh S.
Prior to my experience this evening I would have given this location five stars. While my husband and I were having dinner there was a large group that was extremely drunk and loud. They started by singing but quickly crossed the line from amusing to obnoxious. They were yelling and screaming so loudly that my husband and I could not even have a conversation because we couldn't hear each other. What was most disappointing was the manager's response (or lack thereof). He came out, circled around them a bit, but said nothing. He could have simply asked them to quiet down but instead he stood off to the side complaining to some employees. Other guests were clearly uncomfortable and irritated yet the manager did nothing. Overall my experience was very disappointing.
(1)
Lisa N.
Thank goodness our server was good. The food is flavorless, over cooked and overpriced. We sat in the Pope room, which is fun, but the clears box the Pope sits in was fithly, perhaps taking a cloth to clean the glass or at least dust it off would be beneficial. I already had a predetermined thought that if the main guy is dirty the food probably isn't going to be very good. There are much better places than this. Won't be back.
(2)
Monika M.
This place will not see our family again. I made a reservation for our family party of 12 in advance to celebrate our son's 13th birthday. I was completely prepared ahead of time. I arrived 15 beforehand with a handwritten list of food and wine to place the order before all the family arrived. When I handed over our Baskin Robbins ice cream cake I looked the server directly in the eye and told her to BE CERTAIN to place it in the freezer- not the fridge- as it is an ice cream cake. She laughed and said "Absolutely, Of course!" I was disappointed to find that our party of 12 was seated in two separate tables right next to another family that had 3 toddlers. It was a Sunday night at 5pm and the restaurant was very empty. The toddlers next to us were absolutely screaming the entire time and we were not able to hear our family conversation. Surely they could've placed us with more space between us to make our evening more pleasant instead of what was easier for the server. It took our waitress far too long to bring out my son's cake when we asked again. To my horror, the waitress delivered our half-melted ice cream cake and ran off as I said, "Oh no! What happened?" No one stayed. They ran!! We tried to serve some of the middle that was a bit slushy, but it was ridiculous. The waitress emerged with our bill and said she took off our salad because they ruined our cake. The salad was $21. Our cake was $40!! No manager, no apology. No chance anyone in my extended family will return. It was our first visit and definitely our last.
(1)
Karen W.
Buca di Beppo is my go-to place if I'm going with people that are indecisive about their meal. Since everything is family-style, I can just get a few entrees that everyone can share. Service at this location is friendly, and it is easy to get a reservation through Opentable.com . There is enough variety that even the pickiest eaters will find something good. The mood is pretty festive every time we go, and everyone meets and greets you with a smile. My favorite item here so far is the linguine frutti di mare. It comes with a flavorful tomato sauce and is packed with various seafood, which makes it a good deal for the price. Last time I went it was in celebration of my mother's birthday, who likes to have the waiters sing to her on her birthday. I mentioned that it was my mother's birthday in the comments section of the Opentable reservation site, and I mentioned it to the waitress right before ordering our dessert (No free dessert for birthdays, but they do sing for you, she said), but no one ever came to sing for her. We felt a little disappointed, but the tiramisu dessert we did have was rich, creamy, and quite tasty.
(3)
Jenney H.
My Father, Daughter and I went here for dinner tonight and I will say it was great. Everything made fresh there. You can actually taste the ingredients in the food! It was wonderful! My Father and I ended up ordering the Lasanga and my Daughter the traditional Fetticine. Both were excellent. Thought the portions at this place are ridiculous. A small dish will feed at least three people and the large, forget about it. The large will feed at least the whole family. We definitly brought food home! The atmosphere in this place is wonderful too. They take you throught hte kitchen to get your table and you go through the kitchen again to leave.Definitly gives you the feeling like you just came home to have dinner. I loved it and will plan to return again soon.
(4)
Marnie B.
We made a reservation online. Arrived and we were seated right away. That's where the good service ended. The service was very poor and super slow. My husband ordered a glass of wine when the waiter finally arrived to take our drink order. His took 15 minutes to arrive and when they did bring his I decided to get one also. It took 30 minutes for my glass of wine to arrive! 55 minutes for food. Were never asked if we wanted a refill and had to flag down the waiter for more water. No one ever came back to ask if everything was ok, how was the food, did we need anything. Food was decent, not spectacular but it took almost 90 minutes for two people to have dinner. Although the food was ok the whole experience was pretty poor. Not sure if we will ever go back.
(2)
Cynthia R.
I went to this location with my nieces and had a great experience. The food was delicious and the service was great. It was a little busy but it was expected for a Saturday night. Great for large parties and don't forget to tip your server!
(4)
Crystal H.
Buca used to be one of our favorite restaurants, but the quality has gone downhill fast. After our visit this evening, we will not return. Garlic bread was bland/favor-less. Not worth the price. Caesar salad was also bland, small and wilted. Totally not worth the $11. (It used to be my favorite thing at Buca, but clearly the dressing is not the same nor is the overall quality). The meatballs were "okay" but not the normal spectacular-ness. The quatro al forno/stuffed pasta combo plate was also okay, but nothing like it used to be. We also got some wine, a Buca Chianti, and it was also not worth the price tag. Overall the $100 price tag of this meal was a complete rip off. It was worth more like $40. We should have gone to Olive Garden -- at least you get what you pay for there. Also the waitress didn't really seem to have any idea about the menu or current offers even though she had worked there for "years." She was nice, but not very attentive. And to top it off the guests at the table next to us proceeded to yell and use tons of profanity and it was clear the employees noticed but did nothing. I don't particularly enjoy going to any restaurant and having to listen to that - nor do I want my young daughter to listen to it. And I certainly don't want to pay that much for that kind of experience. Buca has become one of those bad cookie cutter chain restaurants. They are overpriced and the food isn't that good. You are better off choosing a chain restaurant with average or bad food and paying at least half as much.
(1)
Chuck K.
The Costco of Italian restaurants. Terrible food and service. Listen, I get Italian family style dining. In fact I am a fan of it, especially being from NY. But what you serve I wouldn't feed my dog. Please leave. Thank you and good day.
(1)
DJ L.
I always appreciate a restaurant that tries to accommodate a food allergy. This place was very accommodating ! ! ! Our server was Patrick. He was great, very outgoing and friendly. Our food was delicious. Yes, it is a little pricy, but the portions are huge. It is the perfect place for the two of you to go out for an early dinner, and then bring home the leftovers to the little Munchkins. You get time together, and they get a hot delicious dinner, too. We love it.
(5)
The P.
Regret having our Family Holiday Dinner here. The Service was great, but the food - bland and less than even average - we had Spaghetti & meatballs, a big bowl of pasta with some chunks of tomatoes on it and ok meatballs. Chicken Marsala was laced with a lot of sugar - yuk! Desserts were awesome, reason for a 2nd star. We will not choose this place again -- spent way too much money for a not even mediocre meal.
(2)
Tina L.
I came here for a friends birthday dinner this past weekend and I wasn't too impressed. Everything on the menu is like family style, small feeds about 2-3 people and the large feeds 4-5. My husband and I ordered the chicken Alfredo with broccoli and when our food came out I must say it was a pretty big portion for a small. It actually fed 4 of us. I was very disappointed because they had no hot sauce, but I understand some places don't offer it. The meal was bland , it didn't really have a taste to it. It was just missing something. I must say our waiter was delightful ! He was very attentive and always made sure we were taken care of.
(3)
Deb S.
It has been way too long Buca... And you were so damn delicious last night. Service was exceptional except for the bread that never came. No matter though. The bruschetta was freshly chopped tomatoes, garlic, and peppers on golden toasts. Love the presentation too. The fried appie plate was flavorful bits of calamari, mozzarella, and cheesy mushrooms. We shared the frutti del mar spiced delicately and filled with shrimp, mussels, and squid. The chicken pram was heavenly as was the baked ziti. No dessert tonight for us... Too full!! I will be back Buca and it won't be a three year wait.
(5)
Nora M.
I have been to many locations in various states, it used to be a favorite restaurant but this is the last visit. It has changed since being sold and in my opinion, not for the better! The garlic bread was a half of a round loaf with slices of garlic on it cut into wedges, now it is just slices of bread with garlic butter. Our evening started off fine, we sat in the bar in hopes of watching the Cardinals game, it wasn't on but we asked a manager and he changed it. Our server, Helena was attentive, but a bit too familiar, calling everyone Loves, Honey etc I feel this is unprofessional and it is uncomfortable. She wss bringing our carafe of red sangria which was full of ice, too sour from the citrus and knowing how much I can drink and feel it-1 glass of wine, i assume it was not much alcohol! We had 2 cups of minestrone and the packages of saltiness stunk horribly! We gave them to the server, she never brought more! The two managers, bartenders and some servers decided to loudly argue about shifts and performance in the bar, in front of everyone at this time! Very unprofessional! We were still eating our soup, which was hot but average, when the pepperoni pizza and baked rigatoni arrived. The pizza was very greasy. The rigatoni could have had more cheese and sausage for the price!! At this point we were eating, a couple tables got up and left, including the one next to us who ordered a salad and green beans only, then complained that their salad was too small to be a large and they would only pay for a small, so the manager fawned all over them! Helena was AWOL! The bartender was sloping buckets of water from the mop bucket onto the floor with the sanibucket, a bit nasty! We stopped eating and still no Helena, a minimum of 15 minutes, I think more, we were done, needing our food wrapped and our check! She seemed to be very grumpy, maybe the manager yelled at her about the salad! She took the pizza to wtap, didn't come back, didn't come back... we were going to get dessert but decided not to! She finally came back, packaged the rigatoni and brought the check. Neither manager EVER said Hello, mentioned the horrible, stinky crackers, etc! As we left, the bartender seemed frustrated.. I think the earlier conversation and whatever went on in the kitchen rolled over into the dining room, spoiling our experience, which is very bad management! The food is not as good as it used to be and with the change in the garlic bread and getting rid of the Sambuca chocolate sauce, there is no reason to go back!
(1)
C J D.
Unique and cool Ambiance. A bit corky, but great seating that gives you room. I recommend that you sit in the kitchen at least once. There pastas are okay, calamari is good. Their stuffed shells are very good. Service is slow, but it is meant to be a place where you can sit, talk and relax. It is suppose to be a bit slow. Overall, good. Above average food, great ambiance and descent service.
(4)
Jenn A.
Christina is a gem! From the moment I locked eyes with her when she greeted us at the table.. She was attentive, kind, generous and most of all patient. The food was amazing and the atmosphere was fun and casual. We will be back 100 more times.
(5)
Dave R.
we came here for a birthday dinner with several other large parties in the room they seated us in. The wait was incredibly long, it took two plus hours to eat! The wait would not have been so bad if the food was worth it but it was very mediocre. The salads were the best part of the dinner. We don't think we will be back.
(2)
Kim C.
this is the worst experience I've ever had at this restaurant. I am BEYOND disappointed and just plain hungry. whenever we come to town, we like to come here because we don't have one at home. I made a reservation and got here about 5 minutes early. the first thing we smelled was an amazing garlic smell in the parking lot. unfortunately the closer we got to the front doors of the restaurant, the more it smelled like raw sewage. then we found out that we would have to wait because our table wasn't ready. and they don't have pagers so you HAVE to wait by the front door or you can't hear the girl with the tiny voice call your name. so we had to stand in that smell for 45 MINUTES. despite our reservation we waited almost an hour. we watched other people get tables and come out already fed in the time we waited. then when we finally got a table, they couldn't accommodate our party of 7 so we had to split up just so we could eat. what was supposed to be a nice welcome meal to celebrate a friend coming to arizona for the first time has turned into "let's eat and get the hell outta here." our appetizers were cold and our entrees were alright. when we ordered drinks there weren't any clean glasses so we had to wait again. then we got nothing but a quick "uh sorry" about the entire thing from our hostess. the one shining star in all this was out server, Christina. she was awesome. but NEVER AGAIN. the star is for Christina. if it weren't for her, I wouldn't give any stars at all. the manager needs to be retrained, the hostesses need a class on customer service and even that might not help.
(1)
M A.
UPDATE: After posting my review I was contacted by someone from Buca di Beppo corporate who asked for my contact information to discuss my visit. I promptly replied and never heard anything again. Apparently they really don't care and just like to waste my time pretending. For that I change the 2 stars to 1 star, just horrible through and through!!!
(1)
Heidi L.
Enjoyed a birthday dinner (for 4) - have not been to Bucca in quite a long time. The portions for 4 people are huge! The food was delicious (antipasto salad, garlic bread, baked ziti, chicken parmesan and tiramisu). The service was great, no complaints.
(4)
Khoa N.
Went for lunch. Atmosphere was cool. Service wasn't the best. Kind of felt like they hustled us. After we ordered our waiter asked us if we wanted bread sticks and salad made it seem like it came with what we ordered. Didn't ask what size we wanted. Just brought it out. Then when the check came out we were charged for a large garlic bread and large salad. Which was 30 additional to what we ordered. Other then being hustled food was a little bland. Baked zete was over baked. Made it really dry. Shrimp Florentine needed salt. Most likely will not be coming back.
(3)
Mark G.
Went there on a Friday night and it wasn't too busy. Service was slow and we were always waiting for something longer than normal. Food was good, but not enough sauce came on our stuffed shells. The sauce that did come with the food was dry and stuck to the plate. Not a great presentation. Waitress was nice, but seemed overwhelmed on a night that wasn't too busy.
(3)
Amy h.
Very mediocre. Too expensive for the quality of the food and service. Our food wasn't cold when it came out, it wasn't hot...more luke warm. The salad was wilted with way too much dressing and the dessert tasted almost freezer burnt? The service was sooooo slow. I took a group of people there for a celebratory dinner and I can say with 100% certainly I will not choose this place again. Oh, and the waitress spilled water on my husbands lap. Good times. UPDATE: Someone from Buca replied here to give them my email address supposedly in an effort to make it right. Guess what's they never contacted me back! About par for the course I guess. Taking my rating down from 2 to 1. Now I think they are fake. They pretend they care. They probably just asked me to give off the perception to other people reading reviews that they have the heart to make things right for the customer. Not the case. UPDATE Jan2015: Emily Bishop the Division Vice President emailed me saying she wanted to "restore my faith in Buca" I promptly responded with an email about what happened... Guess what?.... NO RESPONSE BACK! (It's now been over a month) Wow is all I have to say....
(1)
Leticia W.
Eh.... just average, but really it's how i feel about all Bucca De Bepo's. We came to this location for our one year anniversary OnLY because we had a gift card. From my experiences w Bucca i knew the food had much to be desired so I sought the advice from my fellow Yelpers on what to order, maybe there was something i was missing out out on. So i tried the Ceasar salad that someone said was the best they'd ever had, which makes me sad for her. It was far from the best, the lettuce was wilted and soggy. I went on my own for the main dish. I forgot the name of it, but it was a spicy shrimp pasta dish. It was pretty good. My son ordered the fetticcini Alfredo. The sauce was clumpy and lacked flavor. Decided to try the highly recommended tiramisu. I was expecting a slice but got a huge bowl (i know, duh I'm at Bucca). Again it was ok. Nothing to rave about. Then again i doubt anything can beat the tiramisu that i had at an Italian Deli in San Fran. Overall... service and food was, like i said, eh.
(3)
Cindy T.
There isn't a whole lot I can write about Buca that hasn't been said before. The theming is cute, family style can be fun or not depending on if you can all get along in your choices and the food is pretty generic. There is nothing here that will knock your socks off but it surely isn't the worst food you can have either. I feel bad that I don't have a whole lot to say about this place but it's a chain and it's all been said before.
(3)
Stacy L.
Been awhile since I've gone, and usually with a group. It was nice with lunch they do have smaller options. Also a few gluten-free meals. Better than I ever remembered.
(4)
Shannon E.
I held my company Christmas party here over the weekend and it was a wonderful experience. From the moment I requested information on holiday parties back in September and was responded to immediately by the Sales Manager, Rebecca; to the moment I walked in for the actual party and was escorted to our private event room the whole experience was efficient, friendly and professional. Our party went smoothly, the food was delicious, the cocktails (with the exception of the mojito, which seemed to be mixed in an 'unusual' way) were very good, and the servers assigned to us, Jordan and another young man (who's name I didn't catch), were very efficient and friendly. I will not hesitate to hold another event here. I was really very pleased.
(5)
Terri T.
I usually love Bucca di Beppo but was sorely disappointed tonight. Called in for take out and was told it would be ready in 20 minutes. Got there and waited another 20 minutes. Got home to find a salad with no dressing so useless (called to have it take off the bill which they said they would do), cold chicken limone (probably because we also ordered baked ziti which was a bit warmer and they didn't time things with that dish in mind), a side of fettucini alfredo that was tasteless paste that went straight into the trash, and an OK slice of cake. Almost $90 dinner. Regret giving the $5 tip. Rigatony's is much better.
(2)
Tonya M.
Came to this location last week with another couple. We ordered an appetizer of calamari, I didn't have any but the other 3 in my group loved it. So I had my fill of bread which is served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I don't know if it was just our server but the ratio was way off, more vinegar would have been ideal. I think saying the entrees will feed 2 or more is extremely misleading, we ordered 2 entrees based on the suggestion it would be more than enough. It wasn't. We had one order of Cheese Ravioli and one order of Chicken Marsala. The sauce on the Ravioli was bland, not a lot of flavor. The Chicken Marsala had a great flavor but just three small pieces of chicken and nothing else. I really expected it to come with a little pasta or potatoes. Very disappointing. I left with 3 people who weren't full and with a lot less cash in our pockets.
(3)
Kristina J.
The food is very mediocre not worth the price. I don't understand how an Italian restaurant can mess up pasta but there it was, undercooked. No flavor. No taste. And no refills to help wash it down. We had to ask 3 different times for another beer to go with our meal Then proceed to chase down the waitress so we could finally get the drinks... Horrible service. Don't waste your hard earned money here. Go to RigaTony's!
(1)
Anil K.
Best eggplant parm. and really good pasta dishes. Since all the meals are family style there are portioned for 4 or 5 people. So if you go with two people its pricy. But if you go with 3-4 its really reasonable and really good.
(3)
Frankie A.
Upon entering this establishment, we were greeted with an awful odor. After a few minutes discussing it we came to the conclusion that a bathroom drain somewhere is flowing the wrong way. All this aside we decided to stay and tough it out. Some of the silverware was dirty. The bread was good! The chicken saltimbucco was over cooked and therefore dry. The saving grace was the tiramisu. It was amazing! Our service was shaky at first but got better. So check the smell and if u can take it, grab some bread and tiramisu and run! Solid 3 stars!
(3)
Whitney T.
I'm truly astonished at the amount of negative reviews for Buca! I've had nothing but excellent service and great food at this place. This place, hands down, has the best caesar salad I've ever had in my life (100% serious). Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of taking a chunk out of my life savings to pay for a dinner bill for 3 people, but I've always left painfully full with a large bag of leftovers. It doesn't have the warm, hole-in-the-wall Italian ristorante thing going on, but the atmosphere is still very welcoming and I love that for large parties, you have your own private section. Each room has it's own theme and you can stare at the walls all night and still find something you missed before. Anyone who is unhappy with the wall decor was evidently not seated in the room with the pope head because if that's not class to you, I don't want to know you. Perhaps those decorating needs would be better met at a faux-posh restaurant with paintings and wall decor that looks strikingly similar to the Big Lots Home Accents section like they have at The Olive Garden (which is still super delicious by the way). Seriously with the food though, definitely on my top 10 list of death row meals. I could totally go down with their Veal Parmesan making itself a coffin out of my stomach.
(4)
Valeria M.
I liked this place portions were big enough for 2 people. The service was good, we didn't have to wait to order or anything. And of course quality of food was up too par. We had mozzarella tomato appetizer and seafood pasta delicious.
(4)
Kelly S.
Pros: always have coupons that you can just show on your phone, friendly staff, free plain bread. Cons: you can only order in larger quantities so if you have two people you will either be stuck eating the same thing or will have a high bill and leftovers. they walk you through the kitchen as a "tour" before you're seated. Menu has variety but not any beef dishes besides veal so any pasta with meat is pork. They won't let you choose not to have sausage cause I guess the food is already made. That would explain why the taste is very average. So it's not really a kitchen as much as it is a reheat/prep area. I know most places don't make the food there but that's what I'd still prefer. Or at least trick me and pretend you do.
(3)
Dan D.
Made reservations for a private room to celebrate my girlfriends birthday with family. When we got there they hade put another party in the room no apologies for there mistake. They sat us down in a room full of obnoxious big mouth people and we couldn't even have a conversation with each other. Food came out and it was total shit and so was the service. Will never go back.
(1)
Jessica C.
The place is overcrowded with kitschy things on the walls and in every corner. We also noticed all the flowers outside were fake and pretty worn out, which made the place look ridiculous, cheap, and unkempt. So for environment, we would rate it a 2 star.We placed our order online, which was convenient, but when we showed up to pick up our food the place was dead and we couldn't find anyone to help us. Two employees actually made eye contact with us and then went right back to talking and slacking off. After about 10 minutes, someone did finally wander up front to get us our order. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms, Penne San Remo, stuffed shells, and chocolate chip cannolis. The meal came with french bread but the bread was stale and cold. The mushrooms weren't too bad. The sauce was tasty but the stuffing overpowered the mushrooms so it ended up tasting like sharp cheese and sauce. The penne san remo is supposed to contain artichoke but we only found two chunks of artichoke out of a container with enough food to feed 3 people. So that was disappointing. The sauce was also really bland and the chicken was overcooked/rubbery. The stuffed shells were ok, no major issues, they just weren't worth the price. Actually, none of the food we got was worth the price. We paid over 60 dollars for a dinner that was maybe worth 30. All in all we weren't impressed and won't be returning.
(3)
Monique L.
This place was horrible. We Went on lunch on Thursday and were the first customers. We Got our drink orders and food orders taken care of right away. Then nothing, no coming to refill our drinks or to let us know our food was going to take a while. We got our food after 40 minutes we immediately asked for the checks and to go boxes. The waitress apologized for how long everything took and still took a total of 15 minutes to check us out and give us our boxes. My g Food was good, I got the spicy rigatoni. My friends who got the spaghetti complained of the noodles having no flavor and the sauce tasted like just plain tomatoes with no seasoning at all. I called bucca to complain and they didn't answer and I'm still waiting to hear from corporate since Thursday. very disappointed especially since this was a work birthday lunch.
(1)
Christine S.
In 2004, my employer was doing construction nearby. An employee from BdB dropped by with cannolis and some other food to welcome us. They gave us catering menus. We later used them for group business dinners--nice stmosphere, great food, good facility. And I do "to go" orders maybe 3 or 4 times a year. Just did their lunch offer a few weeks ago. All of this from a simple gesture of cannolis!
(4)
Barbara H.
How could anyone not love Buca It is our all-time favorite place. Price is reasonable, food spectacular, service has always been excellent. I could go once a week. I even went and bought a bag full and took it on the plane to Groton CT
(5)
Lucy M.
My husband just took me there today and I loved it! We had to share the baked ziti plate because the plates are HUGE. I also had an Italian margarita and of course it was delicious. Definitely going to be back.
(5)
Kimberly D.
Dined here a couple of nights ago and had an okay experience. Not bad but nothing that will stand out in my mind. The service was great and our waiter was very good about coming back to check on us even though there was a huge party on the other side of the restaurant that he was also assisting. Good service. The food was okay. We got the Quattro Forno dish which is four different kinds of stuffed shells including manicotti, ravioli, shells and canolli. The food was cooked well and it had good flavor but it was not anything that I would go out of my way to have again. We also got a small order of cheesy garlic bread which could have stood to be cooked a little longer. It tasted good but got cold really fast and no one likes cold bread. I do not recommend coming here with just two people. The family style dishes are huge even if you just get one small order between two people. They probably gave us 20 large pieces of garlic bread which we definitely could not finish and garlic bread does not reheat well so I felt like I was just wasting it. I would recommend coming here with a party of four or more. Not sure if I will be back. Maybe if I have a large party and we need a lot of food for a certain occasion.
(3)
Monica J.
The quality of food at Buca di Beppo has really gone downhill. I was here for dinner a couple nights ago and I didn't enjoy the food at all. My minestrone soup had no broth or flavor. It tasted as though it was a can of crushed tomatoes combined with a drained can of green beans. And that's it. My husband's Caesar salad was not fresh. The chicken rigatoni came with a nice spicy tomato sauce which the chef inexplicably decided to ruin by dumping a bag of frozen peas into it. The decor was tacky to begin with and now its just looking tired and dusty. I think the only people who come here are large families or groups wanting to take advantage of the humongous portion sizes. There were no less than three tables with toddlers whose parents thought it was ok to let them scream their head off and/or run around the restaurant while they sat at the table with a glass of wine talking to their friends. Which reminds me, their Chianti is terrible. I see no reason to return.
(2)
Mark C.
Meh about says it. I've been to this place a bunch of times. In hindsight I don't know why. Italian is one of my favorite foods and I've never had anything, other than the garlic bread, that really stands out here. Yeah the inside is neat and the staff is always good... but the pasta sauce is nothing special. Everything seems like bland Italian food, in comparison of the many other options in the category especially. It also isn't cheap. For chain Italian restaurants, I'd take Olive Garden, Carabba's, Brio. Also, I somehow end up with in this place with work people or friends that don't like some damn thing. I'll eat everything, but considering the menu is just OK as it is, I end up getting stuck with the most mediocre dish at a medicre restaurant. This makes me want to stab someone. Family style is great if you are with your family, if you are with a bunch of vegetarians... REDRUM! REDRUM! Yeah yeah, I can get individual orders now. So I can be THAT guy, that goes to a family style restaurant and is like, NO, I'm ordering my own thing, you all suck. While YES, that is totally true, I don't want everyone to necessarily know it. Pizza places is where you are supposed to go with a group of people and argue about what to order, not pasta places.
(2)
Angelo E.
I've come to this Buca several times and it seems like a hit or miss sometimes. I'm not sure if it's better to go in big groups or just on date night but the last time I came with my g/f and some friends, the food was okay. I didn't think it was worth the price but oh well. But my experience prior to that which was several months ago, it was great. Everything we got seemed to fit the bill and was delicious. I always love the Garlic Bread here and the Caprese. Great starters. The atmosphere is nice and definitely feels like family place which I like. I wish I can maybe give 3 1/2 stars just because of the past experiences that were good and some okay and some that were..eh...it's alright. Also, what happened to the Angelo pizza? Had it once and i thought it was pretty good. Haven't seen it in several years now. :(
(3)
Jen C.
Hubby had never been to a Buca, so we figured why not? Of course we went during I'm guessing prom night...which on a side note when did prom start to look like a bunch of strippers running around? Wow. Anyway it was really busy, but no huge wait time. Seated promptly and began to look over the menu. Our server was amazing and very quick with everything, and had excellent communication and was really friendly and prompt even with the onslaught of teens next to us. Anyway, someone accidentally picked up our order sho we had to wait a moment more which was perfectly fine in my opinion. Food was good, but we both felt it could use a little more sauce. Ordered a cocktail, which was good, boozy, and of course came with a souvenir glass. I don't live that idea, cuz I really don't even want a souvenir glass from an actual destination place, but oh well. At the end when our bill came, they had taken of the entire entree because we had to wait so long. I was stunned. I really want even upset about the wait, however I.appreciate it because it makes me want to be a repeat customer. So thank you for providing customer service and we shall return!
(4)
Mindi R.
I wanted to do something different for Thanksgiving so we tried Buca. We got it to go and were anxiously awaiting a delicious Italian meal at home. We ordered the Veal Marsala, it was bland and the veal was overcooked. Next on the menu was the Sorrento Salmon it wasn't bad the Salmon was also a little overcooked. The spaghetti and meatballs bleh worst marinara sauce I've had in a long time. The rosemary potatoes tasted sweet and very very dry. I am so disappointed that I was the one that suggested we try this place out for a non traditional Thanksgiving meal. We wil never ever eat here again. Terrible food.
(1)
Ian M.
This was my first time at a Buca di Beppo and I have to say that I was impressed. The food wasn't the best Italian food (and probably not the most authentic, either), but I enjoyed the aspect of sharing that the restaurant promotes. Between eight people, we shared four small dishes and two salads, much less than the waitress-suggested four large dishes and two salads. The entire party was quite full at the end of it, so I'm glad we got the small sizes. One of our party had a birthday and they made an effort to make it fun for her. The interior was a bit confusing and I got seriously lost on the way to the bathroom, but that's okay. It's also a little intense on the eyes (read: gaudy).
(4)
Sylvia C.
I've been wanting to try this place and it f wasn't too bad! I got the veal saltimbocca and it started off tasting good but then it seemed to be a bit greasy! The service was good and I did enjoy the Frank Sinatra music!
(3)
Cadence C.
Aww sh*t,... food poisoning.
(1)
Alexis C.
We had a special occasion that we were celebrating with the whole family. It was easy to make the reservation- this place is the BEST if you have a large group. The service was great, tons of delicious food, which is perfect for sharing family-style. We had a wonderful dinner celebration. Very pleased with the experience and will be back either with just my husband or the whole family!
(4)
Luke T.
Came for lunch on Saturday around 1:30p. Rarely come to Buca, had $10 off coupon from mail. There were about 2 other tables occupied. Chicken carbonara was delicious, not for health-conscious folks. Eggplant parmigiana was very good too. Service was fast and efficient. The only issue was, we were asked whether we would like bread, I said yes and chose garlic. I didn't know it would cost $6.99, wasn't told either. I thought it would be complimentary like breadsticks in Olive Garden. Didn't make it a big deal because everything else was good plus the coupon helped.
(3)
Nicole C.
This place is awesome for traditional Italian food. This is a great place for a large group or a couple, all of their dishes come family style in a small or large portion. I have had their baked rigatoni with meatballs, spaghetti with meatballs, and their rigatoni with spicy Italian sausage. All of these dishes were cooked perfectly using just the right amount of sauce and cheese. The meatballs are super moist and have great flavor. Now when it comes to desserts I am always a sucker for their Tiramisu which is amazing and is great even as left overs. Overall I love coming to Buca di Beppo for a great Italian meal, they are light on the wallet even with having portions so large you are almost certain to bring home some left overs :-)
(4)
Devon H.
It was good. Not great, food portions wonderful, staff good. Had a coupon. :) Not a bad choice for a night out. Great cocktails.
(4)
Evy O.
I was craving for Italian food the other day and what's better version of Italian than having a perfectly good spaghetti. This food has been my most favorite since my sis in law always took me to this place and order the linguine de mare (seafood spaghetti that has the black mussels, clams, squids, and delicious spicy marinara sauce). It's the bomb! So I went there and order one along with black mussels. The place was really crowded on Friday nights and there's a lot of people having birthdays so we got waiters and waitress singing and clapping for birthdays songs the whole night. The free appetizer comes, bread with olive oil and vinegars. I tried to ask for butter but my waiter was kinda forgetting my request cause the poor waiter had to take order and sing the birthday songs in three tables. And finally the black mussels was arrived and its totally become my favorite food of the day. The sweetness and freshness of the mussels along with white wine, garlic and butter just gave the superb flavor away. I immediately felt in love with this food. Finally after the appetizer was gone and the black mussels too we waited again for 20 minutes until our spaghetti is coming and we already full cause of the long waiting and the appetizer. Luckily the taste of the spaghetti was still great so i don't regret my decision to wait in this place. Overall I learned my lessons to have carry out anytime I'm cracking that black mussels and seafood spaghetti.
(4)
Alison T.
Eh...this place is okay. I've been to other locations that seem better than this one. Food is so-so, staff is friendly enough, and the atmosphere is fun but it's never been my first choice for Italian when in Chandler.
(3)
Lindsey P.
Big portions. Be prepared to share. We had the lasagna & the chopped antipasto salad... both were delicious. The lasagna was freshly baked (the plate was about a thousand degrees) & stuffed with cheese. Left me wanting more meat though. The salad was everything I want an antipasto to be-- just the right amount of cheeses, meats & veggies. Ordered smalls & the two of us definitely left full. Our total with a glass of wine & a beer was about $50. Good place to celebrate a special occasion-- there is plenty of room for big parties. For a chain restaurant, they're doing it right.
(5)
Brenda P.
We have been to this location a couple of times, but this last one was slightly disappointing. The stuffed mushrooms in the creamy pesto was pretty delicious. The warm house bread was good, but the vinegar and oil they provide with it was not proportioned well and was bland. The braised short ribs, though slightly expensive, tasted like cheap pot roast. The highlight of the evening was ordering the Colossal Sundae, knowing full well what was coming. Our friends were not expecting the sheer size of the dessert, resulting in a very genuine, very hilarious "WHAT THE..!!"
(3)
Sheera G.
Absolutely disappointed to the point I will probably never return. We went for dinner after the dinner rush at 7pm, this place was super noisy to the point where we couldn't have a conversation with people at the table. Seemed like they were seating by the rooms vs by server, so once one room was filled up they would seat in another area. My biggest complaint is that I ordered Veal Marsala, my veal was VERY overcooked and tough to even cut into, I did tell our server who swapped out for Chicken Marsala however it took them about 40 minutes and by the time I was super annoyed and not hungry let alone my friends and family were already finished eating. Also, two people at my table ordered meatballs, they were also overcooked and came to the table luke warm, they were not eaten and asked to be taken off the bill. The manager said that the meatballs were boiled and probably at the bottom of the pot and not stirred. Christina was our server and probably the ONLY thing positive I can say was that she was very sweet and accommodating however I would suggest giving this girl a promotion to manager as the manager who came to speak with us never introduced himself, had a bad attitude and did the bare minimum by taking the meatballs and Marsala off the bill but his attitude wasn't one of a manager should have. The only way I knew his name was that his initials are on the bill and it on the door. And for a suggestion.....it would be really nice if they offered gluten-free pasta for those of us with allergies since they are a pasta establishment. I had 5 things to choose from, and 3 of those I couldn't eat...you know the rest of the two other options. Meh!
(1)
Jasen S.
I had written a bad review about the this place not long ago and they were happy to give me another shot at eating at the place and paying for my meal. I'm glad they were willing to allow me to have another chance at it. However, though it wasn't as bad as last time I ate here they food hasn't much improved. I ordered the same meal, the Buca Trio Platter. I was a little hesitant to order the same thing that made me sick before but they were assuring me it was going to be good. I the mozzarella triangles aren't bad for frozen food. The stuffed mushrooms weren't as wet as last time but this time my biggest issue was the calamari. Last time I ate it, it made me sick, and had food poisoning. This time around, wasn't much better. It didn't make me sick but half of it was cold and the other half was hot. This tells me that they were cooked at different times. I'm sorry to staff at Bucca but I still give it one star as the food was not good and the chefs must not care about the quality of their food.
(1)
Johnny L.
It's a chain. Chicken Parm isn't bad, especially when you aren't paying for it. Ya feel me?
(3)
M G.
Maria...host, rolled her eyes and seemed to have a attitude problem Kyahl? Sounds like Kyle. was actually pretty good, he answered my mother in law's questions to the best of his abilities. The food is always kind of hit or miss...the veal parm was good but the macaroni rosa was very bland and the broccoli in it weren't cooked and the pasta was a more al dente than we are use too...there was still a crunch
(3)
Laura L.
We like Buca for informal family gatherings. Going to Buca means everyone will find SOMETHING they like. It means we will have leftovers. It means we won't have to clean up after ourselves. The quality of Buca noticeably deteriorated after Planet Hollywood took over. We'd been going to Buca for years in various states and things we loved started to disappear. For example, Buca used to give you really good complimentary rosemary focaccia when you sat down. Now they give you a semi-crusty white bread with zero flavor. What do you want to bet they started selling more garlic bread and bruschetta when they stopped giving you the good free stuff?! The portion sizes also changed noticeably. Still, you always have enough to eat (or more than enough). You always also have a good time. How can you not? We always look forward to seeing the old pictures... especially of old Italian movie stars, The Pope and various mischievous children. Is this the best, most authentic Italian food around? No. But they do have a lot of Italian-American classics that your family will surely enjoy. I can't give it a 4 stars due to commonly having received extra slow service (due to the kitchen) on busy nights and usually having a wait even with a reservation. But the food is definitely better than, say, Chili's or other like-priced places. It's served family style for the most part, but you CAN get individual portions of most things at lunch. Want a tip? If you're craving spaghetti but you don't want to order a full portion, you can order the SIDE of spaghetti for only $5.99! It is about 1/2 to 2/3 the size of the small spaghetti at a fraction of the price.
(3)
G B.
Meh. I've experienced better its totally correct! However, if you live close by and want something to feed the family that is ok and relatively cheap, this a good place. It''s very loud inside and the decor is very busy but nice. My reason for one start is because three times now we have ordered to go food and it seems that our dish was sabotaged each time! Twice came without chicken and all twice with the bread being super cold as taken out of a freezer recently. One time came swimming in sauce and it became disgusting to eat. I called the restaurant for one of the occasions. They didn't act if it was important or a big deal. They refunded me only after I requested and it took over a day. I was told someone would call me back to follow up and I received no calls. If you are in business to serve people their meals, you should take a little extra precautions that the food is done correctly. I should not have to get home with hungry kids and have items missing. This should never happen twice or even a third time. It seems to me that this Bucca di Beppo is careless with the food they serve and how they treat their customers.
(1)
Joseph P.
I had driven by this spot many times I did not hear good things... But I was moving out of town and a coworker want to hit it up for lunch so I was like let's do it... I found it strange we were guided through the kitchen to our table... I went with the lunch special Baked Rigatoni - Rich meat sauce and spicy Italian sausage tossed with imported Italian rigatoni and lots of mozzarella. Topped with Parmesan and dollops of ricotta cheese then baked to golden perfection with a Caesar Side salad... I rate the experience as followed. Baked Rigatoni - C Caesar Side Salad - B Staff - B+ The food was nothing to write home about... As I was leaving I still felt weird walking in the kitchen but that could just be me.
(3)
Inaie R.
It is a lovely place and the food is good, but the protions are so big you have to share... I have never hadthe chance to order what I reallyw ant because I ened to compromise and share with someone else... :-(
(3)
Candace R.
The bf and I had plans for July 3rd in Ahwatukee but since the entire city was out to watch the fireworks, our plans got squashed and we decided to just grab dinner and call it a night. There wasn't a wait at buca and we were seated in their wine room. I hadn't been there in a couple of years and the bf had never been so we made some rookie mistakes. We started with an order of calamari which was really good. We decided to get two small entrees (main mistake). He had the spicy sausage with ziti dish and I had the stuffed shells. I wish our server had emphasized how big the servings are because they are giant. The two small entrees could have easily served at least four - so it is best to share a small entree if it's just two people. The two entrees were good, nothing spectacular but good. the service was good and the dinner was overall a good experience, I probably won't be back anytime soon though.
(3)
Amanda b.
One word: disappointed. I ordered the most simple dish, spaghetti and meat balls, and the sauce tasted like it came out of a can. It really tasted like they opened up a can of diced tomatoes and poured it on top and it also was sweet, as if they added sugar. The meat balls were generous in size but was not an Italian meat ball. It just had no flavor, seasoning, or Italian spices to it! This is not a good place to eat at if you want real Italian food. I will not be returning.
(1)
Ahana M.
Had I written this review yesterday because I was hungry, craving pasta and eating here pretty late at 9 pm, it would have gotten one more star for coming to my rescue while driving around looking for food. 24 hours later , with a clearer mind, i can say this place is average. The bread very plain, the shrimp linguine quite bland. The service and decor are quite good though. And finally, so Not the place to go for a meal for one.The size of helpings is HUGE. I had enough left over for lunch. Which would have been a good thing had the food been tasty.
(2)
Lori C.
Maybe it is cultural, but I do not like the food here. I want my own food and not have to eat what everyone else wants. We had a chicken dish last time with capers that was so dry that drinking water with it at the same time was a necessity. I felt like a raccoon. It was too loud for us to have a real conversation and I didn't want to yell.
(1)
Len M.
I really enjoy the place, it can get busy and noisy but the food is worth it. Meatballs the size of baseballs and good family style portions. I usually get a large tray to go and me and the family enjoy it, I find coupons for $10 off so for around $25 I can feed 4-6 people something good.
(4)
Andy G.
Something about this place always told me to stay far, far away. But by all rights, all of us should try every Italian restaurant around, because someone, somewhere, must be nailing "Italian Restaurant", the triple-Axel of the culinary business. I just haven't found them yet. I should have listened to my impulse to stay away, but my wife has been wanting to try this place for years. For some reason we thought we would forgo some risk by using the To Go service and ordering online. Nay, the problems this place has pervade all its crevices. all the way out to the parking lot. I ordered some junk online: A small Caesar Salad, a Small Quattro al Forno, and a Small Eggplant Parmesan. It would be ready from 5:00-5:15pm. I got there at about 4:50 and a friendly lady came out right away and gave me the bill to sign. She said my food was "not quite done". Fine, cool, whatever. I was early. I could wait a few. A half hour later, it would dawn on me that "not quite done" in restaurant parlance actually means "We haven't started cooking your food." After I watched numerous people park at the To Go window and leave with their food, the harried lady finally came back out with my stuff, explaining that "they had to cut more eggplant". Ah, the mysterious "they" and their lack of kitchen management skills. An order for eggplant comes in online at 4:30.. why cut up any eggplant? Silly. I got home and discovered that the rest of my order had apparently been sitting around while the eggplant dish was prepared. The eggplant was moderately hot -- however, the Quattro al Forno was room temperature and so was the salad. The eggplant was way too thin and not seasoned well, and featured chunks of uneven Parmesan that had clearly been cut instead of grated. The Quattro al Forno might have been good when it was designed to be served, but its temperature made me quesy. When all was said and done, I realized that I'd consumed passable Italian food at quite a premium price with poor service to go with it. I felt full of lukewarm food and disappointed, which is really a strange sensation. I'm sure this place has its moments when it's hitting on all cylinders, but it ain't Sunday at 5pm.
(2)
Chris K.
I only give it a second star because I like the atmosphere, seating and cozy/social feel. I also liked that the waitress walks you through the kitchen to get to your table. That was the upside. Here is the downside. As you can tell from other reviews it is very pricey. If you are looking for good Italian kitchen family style food you must go to Maggiano's, 5 star and you get a ton more food for the same price as this joint. The service tonight was slow and I didn't expect that since we came in after the rush. The waitress seem experienced but she only pretended to care. She seem as if she could not be bothered by us even after we introduced ourselves as first time customers. We ordered the Chicken Limone and it was very dry. Enough said. The spicy chicken (insert your favorite little Italian pasta name here) was pretty good. My wife asked what I thought and I said it was okay but I wouldn't exactly come running back.
(2)
Jeff K.
It's good for a chain.
(4)
T W.
It's been a year since my last review. Yes, I'm still a fan! Went for lunch today. They are now offering lunch portions (at lower prices), and honestly they are still pretty huge! My wife and I were not able to finish either of our dishes. We each have another meal from the leftovers. For 99 cents you can add either soup or salad to a lunch entree. The food is good, the portions are large, and they do a lot of coupons (which make the price quite reasonable). Without a coupon they are a little expensive, though not outrageous. Join their e-club and you'll get coupons in email, plus they have them in the paper and sometimes in coupon mailers. So they aren't difficult to get. Today I tried their Tuscan bean soup. I think it would have been good if it weren't so salty. I mean really salty! But behind the salt I could taste what seemed like a decent bean soup. This is the only thing I remember having a problem with at Buca. But they replaced it with minestrone, and that was pretty good. We will be back before Sunday as we have a $10 off of $20 purchase email coupon, and we definitely want to use it!!
(4)
Jon B.
I loved the baked ziti but the meatball was terrible. Dry old. Burned. No flavor. What puzzles me is why the menu says its one of their special items. Clearly they don't make them fresh
(2)
Mario C.
I have been here a few times now so I can give them a proper review. THey always try to get you a seat as quickly as they can and the staff is above friendly. We came here on Saturday night for a quick dinner. We were seated very quickly. We got a booth in a very loud room. There were a lot of teenagers there so the noise was unreal. We could not hear the waitress, we had to yell and so did she. Our waitress was a sweet girl named Megan. She was very sorry about all the noise and said it should end soon. 2 of the tables finally left but, the one that stayed had 7 of the loudest teens I have ever experianced in a Public place. Anyway,never mind all that. The Food!! So many choices to be had, We ended up by getting a mixed plate of stuffed shells and Cantonolis, It is called Quattro al Forno. Plus we had bread first with vinegar and Olive Oil. We were not too hungry this day, so it was really a lot of food. They have really great starters, the Calamari is fantastic. We did not have dessert but, we saw some of the desserts being brought to other tables. The Ice Cream Sundae is huge,all served in a giant Maritini glass. Everything is family style so keep that in mind when you order. There is a lot of food here. Great place to have a party or family get together. The staff works really hard here, I do not know how the can do it everyday. The noise is just over the top. Another thing that is a little differant is you walk through the Kitchen to get to the dining area. You can even make reservations to get a table in the kitchen. Which surprised me is very popular to do.
(4)
Connor C.
We visited the restaurant in Chandler AZ on Ray road Sunday February 12th with my friends. I must say that every time we go back there we are more and more disappointed. The value of the food vs. the cost just is just ridiculous and the taste, well lets just say it used to be a lot better. Another very disappointing thing is that when I tried to order a non alcoholic strawberry dakari, I was informed that they could not serve it to me at the table and I would have to go to the bar and drink it if I wanted it. I ask you, what kind of crap is that? If I ordered a coke or lemonade they could served it at my table or even a regular dakari with alcohol but that was not what I wanted. They told me some story that I believe to be nothing but BS about the liquor laws, and found out I was right too. To confirm this, I just had dinner at The Keg restaurant in Chandler, yes the same city governed by the same laws as the Buca I ate at on Sunday, and I was informed by the manager that to his knowledge there was no such law in Chandler or AZ. He even confirmed that with another manager. I got my non alcoholic dakari with my dinner at my table. Sometimes I can over look bad food or even bad service from a restaurant but I have a hard time overlooking being lied to! The only good thing I can say about our visit Sunday night was that all the employees there were really nice. They lied to us but at least they did it with a smile on their face.
(1)
Susan M.
Pretty darn good lunch! Good fresh food, excellent service so I was pleasantly surprised. The only thing is that by the time you pay for each little individual thing, I think the value of the family dinners at Maggiano's far exceed the value here. I will return again for lunch but would do family dinners at Maggiano's for sure. We split a Garlic Bread with cheese, had two drinks and split the Quattro something plate (one Cannelloni, One Manicotti, two shells and some ravioli) and the check with a $10 off $20 was still about thirty bucks with tip.
(4)
Cookie M.
Everyone at Buca is very friendly. Their lunch is nice sized portions (unlike their dinner portions which are only suitable for "family style" sharing). My g/f and I ordered their Apple Gorgonzola Salad and their Vegetarian Pizza. Both were "just ok". The salad had too many competing flavors including overly cinnamon seasoned walnuts competing with the other fresh flavors. Also, their Italian vinaigrette didn't quite seem to match the other ingredients. The pizza had a limp crust. The toppings were nice with broccoli, peppers and mushroom flavors standing out. Overall, the experience was 'ok' but I won't be rushing to go back.
(2)
Eric L.
I have been to a number of Buca's across Phoenix. I am a fan of the food and the unique atmosphere. Perfect place to have a party, in fact I had my college graduation party here a few years back and it was a blast. Place was designed for family sized gatherings. My only gripe is that this place is not really designed for one or two people. In smaller groups the bill seems very high and the portions seem to be a bit lacking, your wallet can take a real beating if you want to have a diverse experience. Still I give this place a big thumbs up, just make sure you book a party and visit the pope room.
(4)
Wendi H.
Recently had a rehearsal dinner there for my sons wedding our total party had 25 people. My biggest complaint was there wasnt enough food served for everyone at the table to try everything. We were seated at one long table and the food was brought in and placed mostly at the ends. By the time the serving plates reached those in the middle they were pretty much empty and the servers didnt bring anymore food. Also cheesecake and cannoli were to be served for desert. There was only enough cheesecake for half the guests and the rest had to have cannoli. Really dissapointing. Also, the food on the whole was just so-so...pretty much on the level of Olive Garden. Im not a fan of "family style" plating so with so many other choices for Italian around town I dont think I will be coming here again.
(2)
Kimberly S.
We went in a group of 6 for dinner on a Wednesday around 6pm the place was empty and it still them for ever to take our order and bring out any drinks(20 min and I had get up ask to please get some one to help us). After that I got up and said we were ready to order and no one came for another 10 min?? We ordered our food came and it was so delicious! But our drinks were not filled even once. I think if we do a next time it will be to go.
(2)
J G.
Buca is my absolute favorite chain Italian restaurant! Everything is wonderful!
(4)
Ann W.
After experiencing Buca's in California, we were excited to see one here! The atmosphere was wonderful, as was the food. Huge portions never disappoint for lunch the next day. The welcoming staff was wonderful to hold the door open for us. We were given the "tour" through the kitchen enroute our table. Our waiter was a bit overwhelmed as he was solo in our area. We were the only table at 4, but 3 other tables filled soon thereafter. He served us well and didn't miss anything; even keeping our glasses full...albeit a bit slow. The only reason for 4 stars was the lack of wait staff. We'll go again!
(4)
Matt B.
Horrible service. Had to ask for bread to start the meal when normally they bring it out without hesitation. Then later refills on water never came. The main entree ordered was burnt when the restaurant was no even busy so there was extra waiting time to wait for the entree to be ready again. When the entree was finally done it came out burnt still on the noodles. Finally when it came to the check it was about 15 to 20 minutes before we left to pay and leave. We were the only table the waitress had and she decided to prepare drinks behind the bar before giving us the check and a box for our food. So she asked another server to get the check for us. When I put my card in the billfold we had to wait for the other server to process the payment while the waitress was still making drinks. It was very poor service and I was very disappointed and confused why she put drinks before servicing her only table. Her name was Cindy and if you ever have her as your waitress there I feel sorry for you. So bottom line I do not recommend this location to go dine at. One of the managers even asked our waitress if she knew how to make a certain drink and she responded yes. Why would the manager ask her that if she was the one responsible and hired as the bartender and should know all the main drinks that need to be served. I don't plan on coming back to this location any time soon. Likely never again.
(1)
Emily R.
My boyfriend and I came here on St. Patrick's Day hoping to escape the crowds and definitely found it at Buca. When we came into the restaurant, they took us through the kitchen first and all of the cooks greeted us warmly. There were a variety of "rooms" each with a different theme, and the host explained them to us on a short tour on the way to our seats. It was really neat! We really liked that the meals were served family style, and they were well-priced. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms and the Quattro al Forno platter along with a couple of beers (because it was St. Paddy's Day, not because beer really seems to go with Italian food at all). I loved the food, especially the creamy pesto sauce that came with the stuffed mushrooms. The service was phenomenal; the waiter checked on us frequently to fill our waters and was prompt with serving our food and giving us the bill when we asked. We came in with a $10 off a $20 meal coupon, and they'd given us two more before we left. We would have come back anyway paying full price. I highly recommend this restaurant!
(5)
madstop m.
The ambiance of buca di beppo is quirky and fun. The food was good - not the most amazing Italian food but it was fine for the price. We shared a vegetable pasta dish and started with garlic bread. The garlic bread was ok (even better the next day when heated up at home). The chocolate gelato was a nice end to the meal - though again not the best I've had. This would be a fun place to go with a large group - especially since the meals are mostly made family style for sharing. Our waiter was great.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Jeff K.
It's good for a chain.
(4)_ _.
Scale of 1-10 (multiple visits): 7 Food 8 Service 8 Atmosphere 7 Value
(3)Nicole C.
This place is awesome for traditional Italian food. This is a great place for a large group or a couple, all of their dishes come family style in a small or large portion. I have had their baked rigatoni with meatballs, spaghetti with meatballs, and their rigatoni with spicy Italian sausage. All of these dishes were cooked perfectly using just the right amount of sauce and cheese. The meatballs are super moist and have great flavor. Now when it comes to desserts I am always a sucker for their Tiramisu which is amazing and is great even as left overs. Overall I love coming to Buca di Beppo for a great Italian meal, they are light on the wallet even with having portions so large you are almost certain to bring home some left overs :-)
(4)Devon H.
It was good. Not great, food portions wonderful, staff good. Had a coupon. :) Not a bad choice for a night out. Great cocktails.
(4)Evy O.
I was craving for Italian food the other day and what's better version of Italian than having a perfectly good spaghetti. This food has been my most favorite since my sis in law always took me to this place and order the linguine de mare (seafood spaghetti that has the black mussels, clams, squids, and delicious spicy marinara sauce). It's the bomb! So I went there and order one along with black mussels. The place was really crowded on Friday nights and there's a lot of people having birthdays so we got waiters and waitress singing and clapping for birthdays songs the whole night. The free appetizer comes, bread with olive oil and vinegars. I tried to ask for butter but my waiter was kinda forgetting my request cause the poor waiter had to take order and sing the birthday songs in three tables. And finally the black mussels was arrived and its totally become my favorite food of the day. The sweetness and freshness of the mussels along with white wine, garlic and butter just gave the superb flavor away. I immediately felt in love with this food. Finally after the appetizer was gone and the black mussels too we waited again for 20 minutes until our spaghetti is coming and we already full cause of the long waiting and the appetizer. Luckily the taste of the spaghetti was still great so i don't regret my decision to wait in this place. Overall I learned my lessons to have carry out anytime I'm cracking that black mussels and seafood spaghetti.
(4)Shannon W.
Third time here and still a huge fan. Would be 5 stars but the sangria was awful, watered down and just plain blah. The Calamari was under cooked as well. Server again was Rhys and he as always was very helpful.
(3)Kelly R.
Meh. This is okay. Interesting kitchy atmosphere, but the food is lacking. I think Buca thrives on the "quantity versus quality" philosophy of most Americans when it comes to food. We ordered two large salads(antipasti and apple walnut) and a small entree for two couples. The waiter made sure we meant "small" and not "large" and seemed to be taken aback by our lack of need to gorge. The salads were good, but nothing you can't do at home...although we ALL know even a mediocre salad is better when someone ELSE makes it! The entre was sub-par. It was a "sampler" of a few things...that all tasted relatively the same. The stuffed shells were OVERWHELMED by the amount of fennel in the sausage. I would have to say that the best part was the bread. The iced tea was also good. An okay place if you want massive amounts of "Olive Garden"y Italian.
(2)Ian M.
This was my first time at a Buca di Beppo and I have to say that I was impressed. The food wasn't the best Italian food (and probably not the most authentic, either), but I enjoyed the aspect of sharing that the restaurant promotes. Between eight people, we shared four small dishes and two salads, much less than the waitress-suggested four large dishes and two salads. The entire party was quite full at the end of it, so I'm glad we got the small sizes. One of our party had a birthday and they made an effort to make it fun for her. The interior was a bit confusing and I got seriously lost on the way to the bathroom, but that's okay. It's also a little intense on the eyes (read: gaudy).
(4)Sylvia C.
I've been wanting to try this place and it f wasn't too bad! I got the veal saltimbocca and it started off tasting good but then it seemed to be a bit greasy! The service was good and I did enjoy the Frank Sinatra music!
(3)Cadence C.
Aww sh*t,... food poisoning.
(1)Nicole H.
I went into Buca di Beppo today for lunch and it was so dead. Now I know why! I ordered off the lunch menu and added a side salad for 99 cents which I thought was great, but I do not like olives or onions and asked to NOT have them on my salad. Sure enough I was brought a salad with onions and olives...since it was lunch time and I was on a time crunch I picked them out but I could still taste the onions :( The server didn't say anything about me piling them on the bread plate. Good thing I didn't like the plain, cold, and stale bread anyway. My food was alright, but again kind of plain! Will not be going back here for Italian Food!
(2)Alexis C.
We had a special occasion that we were celebrating with the whole family. It was easy to make the reservation- this place is the BEST if you have a large group. The service was great, tons of delicious food, which is perfect for sharing family-style. We had a wonderful dinner celebration. Very pleased with the experience and will be back either with just my husband or the whole family!
(4)Kevin U.
Buca di Beppo is know for its great culture and large plates. Chandler Buca offers personal attention to its customers with a positive attitude. Joe the Paisano has produced a restaurant that reflects his easy going attitude and dedication to high service and food quality. Buca is a great place to host a large group of people. For small events rent out a room with no extra charge, what is better than that. If you like chocolate try the cake or treat yourself and a few friends to Buca's Tiramisu.
(4)Jonathan S.
No go for a couple but family's and groups will have a good time. Family style food is consistently good.
(4)Sean E.
Our experience on New Year's Eve was perfect. The gentleman who held the door for us upon entering the restaurant was extremely polite and welcoming. We later found out he was the general manager. He ensured we had a fantastic evening. It is easy to see he cares about his guests and his business, and takes pride in what he does. Both the food and the service kicked off our night the right way. Thank you.
(5)Beth B.
This time we just ordered the tiramisu for take out. A couple girlfriends and I were having a girls night in and wanted something sweet! It was to die for! I've never had a bad experience there. Make sure you have at least 4 people going or plan to bring home leftovers! The food is fresh and tasty and the service is delightful! A little pricy for pasta dishes but as I said the food is tasty!
(4)Jillian G.
I used to really like it here, but now everytime I go I end up dissapointed. Its really not that good and so overpriced. I do love the decor and the family dinning they support it allows you to really spend time with the people you came with.
(2)Lori C.
Maybe it is cultural, but I do not like the food here. I want my own food and not have to eat what everyone else wants. We had a chicken dish last time with capers that was so dry that drinking water with it at the same time was a necessity. I felt like a raccoon. It was too loud for us to have a real conversation and I didn't want to yell.
(1)Len M.
I really enjoy the place, it can get busy and noisy but the food is worth it. Meatballs the size of baseballs and good family style portions. I usually get a large tray to go and me and the family enjoy it, I find coupons for $10 off so for around $25 I can feed 4-6 people something good.
(4)Marnie B.
We made a reservation online. Arrived and we were seated right away. That's where the good service ended. The service was very poor and super slow. My husband ordered a glass of wine when the waiter finally arrived to take our drink order. His took 15 minutes to arrive and when they did bring his I decided to get one also. It took 30 minutes for my glass of wine to arrive! 55 minutes for food. Were never asked if we wanted a refill and had to flag down the waiter for more water. No one ever came back to ask if everything was ok, how was the food, did we need anything. Food was decent, not spectacular but it took almost 90 minutes for two people to have dinner. Although the food was ok the whole experience was pretty poor. Not sure if we will ever go back.
(2)Cynthia R.
I went to this location with my nieces and had a great experience. The food was delicious and the service was great. It was a little busy but it was expected for a Saturday night. Great for large parties and don't forget to tip your server!
(4)Crystal H.
Buca used to be one of our favorite restaurants, but the quality has gone downhill fast. After our visit this evening, we will not return. Garlic bread was bland/favor-less. Not worth the price. Caesar salad was also bland, small and wilted. Totally not worth the $11. (It used to be my favorite thing at Buca, but clearly the dressing is not the same nor is the overall quality). The meatballs were "okay" but not the normal spectacular-ness. The quatro al forno/stuffed pasta combo plate was also okay, but nothing like it used to be. We also got some wine, a Buca Chianti, and it was also not worth the price tag. Overall the $100 price tag of this meal was a complete rip off. It was worth more like $40. We should have gone to Olive Garden -- at least you get what you pay for there. Also the waitress didn't really seem to have any idea about the menu or current offers even though she had worked there for "years." She was nice, but not very attentive. And to top it off the guests at the table next to us proceeded to yell and use tons of profanity and it was clear the employees noticed but did nothing. I don't particularly enjoy going to any restaurant and having to listen to that - nor do I want my young daughter to listen to it. And I certainly don't want to pay that much for that kind of experience. Buca has become one of those bad cookie cutter chain restaurants. They are overpriced and the food isn't that good. You are better off choosing a chain restaurant with average or bad food and paying at least half as much.
(1)Chuck K.
The Costco of Italian restaurants. Terrible food and service. Listen, I get Italian family style dining. In fact I am a fan of it, especially being from NY. But what you serve I wouldn't feed my dog. Please leave. Thank you and good day.
(1)Emily R.
My boyfriend and I came here on St. Patrick's Day hoping to escape the crowds and definitely found it at Buca. When we came into the restaurant, they took us through the kitchen first and all of the cooks greeted us warmly. There were a variety of "rooms" each with a different theme, and the host explained them to us on a short tour on the way to our seats. It was really neat! We really liked that the meals were served family style, and they were well-priced. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms and the Quattro al Forno platter along with a couple of beers (because it was St. Paddy's Day, not because beer really seems to go with Italian food at all). I loved the food, especially the creamy pesto sauce that came with the stuffed mushrooms. The service was phenomenal; the waiter checked on us frequently to fill our waters and was prompt with serving our food and giving us the bill when we asked. We came in with a $10 off a $20 meal coupon, and they'd given us two more before we left. We would have come back anyway paying full price. I highly recommend this restaurant!
(5)Erin C.
We really wanted Italian food but wanted it to go-didn't feel like sitting in a restaurant this night. We called Bucca di Beppo and placed our order-very nice lady on the phone. We let her know that we had a coupon for $10 for our order of $20 or more. When I got to Bucca to pick up the food the lady that helped me was plain rude! She took my credit card and I asked if she had discounted the coupon and before I could answer she swiped my card. I got my phone out to show her the coupon on my phone and she said "we only take coupons you have to give us." As I was still talking to her she walked away from me-out of the room and showed up behind me with my food-again while I was still taking! Honesty I don't know that I have ever been treated so poorly! The food was good but I wouldn't recommend going there if that is how they are goign to treat their customers. There are plenty of other options out there with good food that will be happy to take my money!
(2)madstop m.
The ambiance of buca di beppo is quirky and fun. The food was good - not the most amazing Italian food but it was fine for the price. We shared a vegetable pasta dish and started with garlic bread. The garlic bread was ok (even better the next day when heated up at home). The chocolate gelato was a nice end to the meal - though again not the best I've had. This would be a fun place to go with a large group - especially since the meals are mostly made family style for sharing. Our waiter was great.
(3)Jose T.
I absolutely HATE chain restaurants! Although in this case, I have to make an exception. I'm really into the food at Buca. I used to live in the SF Bay Area, and I had to wait damn near 2 hours to eat at the Buca located at downtown SF. I now live in Chandler, AZ and the first time I visited a Buca here, I didn't have to wait any longer than 30 seconds. I usually have a standard list of items that I order for the entire table when my family goes to Buca: Bruschetta Linguine Frutti DiMare Margherita Pizza Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Marsala I also frequent other independently owned Italian restaurants, but Buca holds a special place in my heart, and my stomach. They have a signature flavor to their dishes. The best waiter in the world, Lee works at this particular one. Request to be seated at his station and give him a big tip!
(4)Ted S.
We have eaten or gotten take-out here several times. I like the fun decor and atmoshpere, except that it can be WAY too loud. That just means another group is having fun, but they get some pretty large groups and it is quite annoying to be seated a few feet away. Regardless of the decor, don't come for the food, because it is not very good and is apparently *very* inconsistent. We have tried their baked dishes and didn't finish them because they were bland and just didn't taste good. Usually the spaghetti with meat sauce is practically all pasta. You can ask for extra sauce but they want to charge you for it (at least this is the case for take-out). The meat sauce has a funny taste. It isn't old, but the taste reminds me of something that is old. Nonetheless, when we went out of town we decided to get pizza (usually good here) and pasta from Buca di Beppo to leave with the kids, and this is when it got bizarre. They must have made too much sauce that morning, or maybe it was a weird prank, because this time the "spaghetti" was probably three-quarters meat sauce! Weird; and not appetizing, and not a normal meal. And we didn't even ask for extra meat sauce. But the strangest thing is that when we got home from our trip, we found out the kids didn't eat any of the pizza. They would heat it up and throw it out because they didn't like it. I decided to have some just to get rid of it. It was pretty limp so I baked it in the toaster oven on the highest setting. Tried a bite and despite being re-baked, it was just plain mushy. It turns out there was meat sauce in the pizza -- lots of it! My wife did not order any meat sauce on the pizza. If all pizza tasted like this, I would never eat pizza again. This tale might have ended okay if the restaurant did the right thing. Since the pizza was a total loss, my wife took it back to the restaurant the day after we got back. It is hard to believe but they would not give a refund, "because it's been a week." This is not a good way to do business. *UPDATE 05/28/2013* I was pretty offended on behalf of my wife when I wrote this, she having been brushed off by the person on duty at the cash register. Regardless, the fact is that my wife is back to buying take out here, now and then. So the food isn't (normally) bad, although it is still a matter of taste.
(2)Herman D.
Our first time at bucca the services was good not great but good the food was real good I liked it family style dinner I would go back
(4)Melissa H.
I have a confession to make before I go any further with this review: My husband and I occasionally visit chain restaurants when we really don't want to put much effort into going out to eat. OK now that is out of my system, I can continue. We've been to Buca before (visited the location in Columbus probably about 8-10 times with friends for group dinners) so we know the concept and that it's about sharing and all that jazz. We ended up at this location on Sunday night when we were trying to find *gasp* TGI Fridays. Well let me save you a drive to this part of town and tell you that Fridays is no longer there. Anyway, we saw Buca and decided to suck it up and eat there. We had about a five minute wait and then were led back through the kitchen (as you are at any Buca) to our table. We had some confusion with our service because at one point we were told our waitress got a big party and wouldn't be handling our table anymore, and then she did for the rest of our night. Weird. Unfortunately the food was not as good as we remembered. The cheese garlic bread was cut into squares and wasn't served in a pie shaped. The caesar salad was under-dressed, but as a plus it held up nicely as a leftover for me to have the next night for dinner. Chris thought the chicken parm was not as good as it used to be (we think they changed the recipe or something). My side of fettucini alfredo was good thankfully and heated up nicely on Tuesday night as my dinner. All and all, the food was a major disappointment even for chain restaurant standards! The bright spot was that for $69 (includes tip) we got four meals out of the food we ordered. Buca was a 2.5 star experience for us, but I'm rounding down to 2 due to not living up to our standards.
(2)Susan P.
Two experiences both good. The first was a Party pan-to-go event after my daughter's wedding while many people were still in town. The meal was hosted by the in-laws and everyone enjoyed the cheese bread, penne ala vodka and my favorite penne arrabbita. Fast forward several months.... looking for a place to pick up dinner and thought of Buca. Only the two of us but Italian holds for left-overs better than almost any other cuisine. Same daughter....both loved the Arrabbita previously so that's what we ordered along with a small Chopped Antipasto Salad. The portion of 2+ is an understatement, if you're not gluttonous it probably feeds 4 easily. The zesty sauce was as good as I remembered and plenty of sausage. They also do not skimp on the sauce which is key if you plan on reheating it another day as we did. The Antipasto Salad was excellent and HUGE. This very large salad was choked with various cheeses, vegetables and lots of pepperoni. At home I was thinking what a $9 salad looks like at other establishments and this salad is more than double or perhaps triple the size. Great value, lots of goodies and for that alone I'll return. I have no personal experience for eating in the restaurant but get that if you're not keen on sharing someone else's choice it could be a drag. The pricing for two may seem high but not really as you've got food for days. UNLESS I can't kill the salad before it turns brown and needs tossed. Food was good and absolutely would recommend for a big outing, large group or party. I see good value in their shared portions. YMMV. Oh, side note - Terrific service at the front. Order was taken quickly, offered a drink while I waited, offered to help me out to my car, held the door, thanked me, etc etc. Very plesant staff at Chandler!
(4)The P.
Regret having our Family Holiday Dinner here. The Service was great, but the food - bland and less than even average - we had Spaghetti & meatballs, a big bowl of pasta with some chunks of tomatoes on it and ok meatballs. Chicken Marsala was laced with a lot of sugar - yuk! Desserts were awesome, reason for a 2nd star. We will not choose this place again -- spent way too much money for a not even mediocre meal.
(2)Deb S.
It has been way too long Buca... And you were so damn delicious last night. Service was exceptional except for the bread that never came. No matter though. The bruschetta was freshly chopped tomatoes, garlic, and peppers on golden toasts. Love the presentation too. The fried appie plate was flavorful bits of calamari, mozzarella, and cheesy mushrooms. We shared the frutti del mar spiced delicately and filled with shrimp, mussels, and squid. The chicken pram was heavenly as was the baked ziti. No dessert tonight for us... Too full!! I will be back Buca and it won't be a three year wait.
(5)Tina L.
I came here for a friends birthday dinner this past weekend and I wasn't too impressed. Everything on the menu is like family style, small feeds about 2-3 people and the large feeds 4-5. My husband and I ordered the chicken Alfredo with broccoli and when our food came out I must say it was a pretty big portion for a small. It actually fed 4 of us. I was very disappointed because they had no hot sauce, but I understand some places don't offer it. The meal was bland , it didn't really have a taste to it. It was just missing something. I must say our waiter was delightful ! He was very attentive and always made sure we were taken care of.
(3)DJ L.
I always appreciate a restaurant that tries to accommodate a food allergy. This place was very accommodating ! ! ! Our server was Patrick. He was great, very outgoing and friendly. Our food was delicious. Yes, it is a little pricy, but the portions are huge. It is the perfect place for the two of you to go out for an early dinner, and then bring home the leftovers to the little Munchkins. You get time together, and they get a hot delicious dinner, too. We love it.
(5)Nora M.
I have been to many locations in various states, it used to be a favorite restaurant but this is the last visit. It has changed since being sold and in my opinion, not for the better! The garlic bread was a half of a round loaf with slices of garlic on it cut into wedges, now it is just slices of bread with garlic butter. Our evening started off fine, we sat in the bar in hopes of watching the Cardinals game, it wasn't on but we asked a manager and he changed it. Our server, Helena was attentive, but a bit too familiar, calling everyone Loves, Honey etc I feel this is unprofessional and it is uncomfortable. She wss bringing our carafe of red sangria which was full of ice, too sour from the citrus and knowing how much I can drink and feel it-1 glass of wine, i assume it was not much alcohol! We had 2 cups of minestrone and the packages of saltiness stunk horribly! We gave them to the server, she never brought more! The two managers, bartenders and some servers decided to loudly argue about shifts and performance in the bar, in front of everyone at this time! Very unprofessional! We were still eating our soup, which was hot but average, when the pepperoni pizza and baked rigatoni arrived. The pizza was very greasy. The rigatoni could have had more cheese and sausage for the price!! At this point we were eating, a couple tables got up and left, including the one next to us who ordered a salad and green beans only, then complained that their salad was too small to be a large and they would only pay for a small, so the manager fawned all over them! Helena was AWOL! The bartender was sloping buckets of water from the mop bucket onto the floor with the sanibucket, a bit nasty! We stopped eating and still no Helena, a minimum of 15 minutes, I think more, we were done, needing our food wrapped and our check! She seemed to be very grumpy, maybe the manager yelled at her about the salad! She took the pizza to wtap, didn't come back, didn't come back... we were going to get dessert but decided not to! She finally came back, packaged the rigatoni and brought the check. Neither manager EVER said Hello, mentioned the horrible, stinky crackers, etc! As we left, the bartender seemed frustrated.. I think the earlier conversation and whatever went on in the kitchen rolled over into the dining room, spoiling our experience, which is very bad management! The food is not as good as it used to be and with the change in the garlic bread and getting rid of the Sambuca chocolate sauce, there is no reason to go back!
(1)C J D.
Unique and cool Ambiance. A bit corky, but great seating that gives you room. I recommend that you sit in the kitchen at least once. There pastas are okay, calamari is good. Their stuffed shells are very good. Service is slow, but it is meant to be a place where you can sit, talk and relax. It is suppose to be a bit slow. Overall, good. Above average food, great ambiance and descent service.
(4)Jenn A.
Christina is a gem! From the moment I locked eyes with her when she greeted us at the table.. She was attentive, kind, generous and most of all patient. The food was amazing and the atmosphere was fun and casual. We will be back 100 more times.
(5)Dave R.
we came here for a birthday dinner with several other large parties in the room they seated us in. The wait was incredibly long, it took two plus hours to eat! The wait would not have been so bad if the food was worth it but it was very mediocre. The salads were the best part of the dinner. We don't think we will be back.
(2)Kim C.
this is the worst experience I've ever had at this restaurant. I am BEYOND disappointed and just plain hungry. whenever we come to town, we like to come here because we don't have one at home. I made a reservation and got here about 5 minutes early. the first thing we smelled was an amazing garlic smell in the parking lot. unfortunately the closer we got to the front doors of the restaurant, the more it smelled like raw sewage. then we found out that we would have to wait because our table wasn't ready. and they don't have pagers so you HAVE to wait by the front door or you can't hear the girl with the tiny voice call your name. so we had to stand in that smell for 45 MINUTES. despite our reservation we waited almost an hour. we watched other people get tables and come out already fed in the time we waited. then when we finally got a table, they couldn't accommodate our party of 7 so we had to split up just so we could eat. what was supposed to be a nice welcome meal to celebrate a friend coming to arizona for the first time has turned into "let's eat and get the hell outta here." our appetizers were cold and our entrees were alright. when we ordered drinks there weren't any clean glasses so we had to wait again. then we got nothing but a quick "uh sorry" about the entire thing from our hostess. the one shining star in all this was out server, Christina. she was awesome. but NEVER AGAIN. the star is for Christina. if it weren't for her, I wouldn't give any stars at all. the manager needs to be retrained, the hostesses need a class on customer service and even that might not help.
(1)M A.
UPDATE: After posting my review I was contacted by someone from Buca di Beppo corporate who asked for my contact information to discuss my visit. I promptly replied and never heard anything again. Apparently they really don't care and just like to waste my time pretending. For that I change the 2 stars to 1 star, just horrible through and through!!!
(1)Heidi L.
Enjoyed a birthday dinner (for 4) - have not been to Bucca in quite a long time. The portions for 4 people are huge! The food was delicious (antipasto salad, garlic bread, baked ziti, chicken parmesan and tiramisu). The service was great, no complaints.
(4)Khoa N.
Went for lunch. Atmosphere was cool. Service wasn't the best. Kind of felt like they hustled us. After we ordered our waiter asked us if we wanted bread sticks and salad made it seem like it came with what we ordered. Didn't ask what size we wanted. Just brought it out. Then when the check came out we were charged for a large garlic bread and large salad. Which was 30 additional to what we ordered. Other then being hustled food was a little bland. Baked zete was over baked. Made it really dry. Shrimp Florentine needed salt. Most likely will not be coming back.
(3)Mark G.
Went there on a Friday night and it wasn't too busy. Service was slow and we were always waiting for something longer than normal. Food was good, but not enough sauce came on our stuffed shells. The sauce that did come with the food was dry and stuck to the plate. Not a great presentation. Waitress was nice, but seemed overwhelmed on a night that wasn't too busy.
(3)Amy h.
Very mediocre. Too expensive for the quality of the food and service. Our food wasn't cold when it came out, it wasn't hot...more luke warm. The salad was wilted with way too much dressing and the dessert tasted almost freezer burnt? The service was sooooo slow. I took a group of people there for a celebratory dinner and I can say with 100% certainly I will not choose this place again. Oh, and the waitress spilled water on my husbands lap. Good times. UPDATE: Someone from Buca replied here to give them my email address supposedly in an effort to make it right. Guess what's they never contacted me back! About par for the course I guess. Taking my rating down from 2 to 1. Now I think they are fake. They pretend they care. They probably just asked me to give off the perception to other people reading reviews that they have the heart to make things right for the customer. Not the case. UPDATE Jan2015: Emily Bishop the Division Vice President emailed me saying she wanted to "restore my faith in Buca" I promptly responded with an email about what happened... Guess what?.... NO RESPONSE BACK! (It's now been over a month) Wow is all I have to say....
(1)Leticia W.
Eh.... just average, but really it's how i feel about all Bucca De Bepo's. We came to this location for our one year anniversary OnLY because we had a gift card. From my experiences w Bucca i knew the food had much to be desired so I sought the advice from my fellow Yelpers on what to order, maybe there was something i was missing out out on. So i tried the Ceasar salad that someone said was the best they'd ever had, which makes me sad for her. It was far from the best, the lettuce was wilted and soggy. I went on my own for the main dish. I forgot the name of it, but it was a spicy shrimp pasta dish. It was pretty good. My son ordered the fetticcini Alfredo. The sauce was clumpy and lacked flavor. Decided to try the highly recommended tiramisu. I was expecting a slice but got a huge bowl (i know, duh I'm at Bucca). Again it was ok. Nothing to rave about. Then again i doubt anything can beat the tiramisu that i had at an Italian Deli in San Fran. Overall... service and food was, like i said, eh.
(3)Cindy T.
There isn't a whole lot I can write about Buca that hasn't been said before. The theming is cute, family style can be fun or not depending on if you can all get along in your choices and the food is pretty generic. There is nothing here that will knock your socks off but it surely isn't the worst food you can have either. I feel bad that I don't have a whole lot to say about this place but it's a chain and it's all been said before.
(3)Stacy L.
Been awhile since I've gone, and usually with a group. It was nice with lunch they do have smaller options. Also a few gluten-free meals. Better than I ever remembered.
(4)Doug T.
I came to Buca with some co-workers for a job well done celebration. I'm not a real fan of chain Italian restaurants, but Buca is different with the atmosphere, being able to handle large parties, and if course family-style dining. We were seated in the Pope room which is fun but little freaky. Pictures of the Pope all over with a head of the Pope on the middle of the table and the Pope chair. Strange but cool having the Pope watch you eat. We started off by having the Mozzarella Garlic bread which was really good, the Chopped Antipasto salad, and the Apple Gorgonzola salad. The salads were pretty good not great but I thought it had a little too much vinegar for my liking. We had the Margherita pizza with fresh mozzarella which I thought was very good, Chianti Braised Short Ribs where they gave us three huge ribs that were boneless and covered in gravy which was very tender and very good. We couldn't have ribs without Rosemary Potatoes (meat & potatoes kind of guy) and they were really tasty and cooked perfectly. To top it off we had the Macaroni Rosa that had macaroni (of course) with a creamy sauce and chicken, broccoli and peas. It was really good. We ate it all up and had very little leftovers so that tells you the food was pretty good. No one seemed to be holding back. We can't forget about desert so we had the Dolce Platter which included Tiramisu, Double Dark Chocolate cake, Cheese cake, and Apple Crostata. The deserts were fantastic. Really good and everyone enjoyed it. The service was right on. Filling up our water glasses, beer, wine, ice tea, and soft drinks. Food came out in a timely manner too. So I have no complaints about the service. So overall, I had a very good meal with lots of variety of food and massive amounts to fill up everyone. Coming here is about having a fun time and good Italian food. So enjoy, eat up but don't forget to unbuckle that belt after you eat all that food.
(4)Kayleigh S.
Prior to my experience this evening I would have given this location five stars. While my husband and I were having dinner there was a large group that was extremely drunk and loud. They started by singing but quickly crossed the line from amusing to obnoxious. They were yelling and screaming so loudly that my husband and I could not even have a conversation because we couldn't hear each other. What was most disappointing was the manager's response (or lack thereof). He came out, circled around them a bit, but said nothing. He could have simply asked them to quiet down but instead he stood off to the side complaining to some employees. Other guests were clearly uncomfortable and irritated yet the manager did nothing. Overall my experience was very disappointing.
(1)Lisa N.
Thank goodness our server was good. The food is flavorless, over cooked and overpriced. We sat in the Pope room, which is fun, but the clears box the Pope sits in was fithly, perhaps taking a cloth to clean the glass or at least dust it off would be beneficial. I already had a predetermined thought that if the main guy is dirty the food probably isn't going to be very good. There are much better places than this. Won't be back.
(2)Shannon E.
I held my company Christmas party here over the weekend and it was a wonderful experience. From the moment I requested information on holiday parties back in September and was responded to immediately by the Sales Manager, Rebecca; to the moment I walked in for the actual party and was escorted to our private event room the whole experience was efficient, friendly and professional. Our party went smoothly, the food was delicious, the cocktails (with the exception of the mojito, which seemed to be mixed in an 'unusual' way) were very good, and the servers assigned to us, Jordan and another young man (who's name I didn't catch), were very efficient and friendly. I will not hesitate to hold another event here. I was really very pleased.
(5)Terri T.
I usually love Bucca di Beppo but was sorely disappointed tonight. Called in for take out and was told it would be ready in 20 minutes. Got there and waited another 20 minutes. Got home to find a salad with no dressing so useless (called to have it take off the bill which they said they would do), cold chicken limone (probably because we also ordered baked ziti which was a bit warmer and they didn't time things with that dish in mind), a side of fettucini alfredo that was tasteless paste that went straight into the trash, and an OK slice of cake. Almost $90 dinner. Regret giving the $5 tip. Rigatony's is much better.
(2)Tonya M.
Came to this location last week with another couple. We ordered an appetizer of calamari, I didn't have any but the other 3 in my group loved it. So I had my fill of bread which is served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I don't know if it was just our server but the ratio was way off, more vinegar would have been ideal. I think saying the entrees will feed 2 or more is extremely misleading, we ordered 2 entrees based on the suggestion it would be more than enough. It wasn't. We had one order of Cheese Ravioli and one order of Chicken Marsala. The sauce on the Ravioli was bland, not a lot of flavor. The Chicken Marsala had a great flavor but just three small pieces of chicken and nothing else. I really expected it to come with a little pasta or potatoes. Very disappointing. I left with 3 people who weren't full and with a lot less cash in our pockets.
(3)Kristina J.
The food is very mediocre not worth the price. I don't understand how an Italian restaurant can mess up pasta but there it was, undercooked. No flavor. No taste. And no refills to help wash it down. We had to ask 3 different times for another beer to go with our meal Then proceed to chase down the waitress so we could finally get the drinks... Horrible service. Don't waste your hard earned money here. Go to RigaTony's!
(1)Anil K.
Best eggplant parm. and really good pasta dishes. Since all the meals are family style there are portioned for 4 or 5 people. So if you go with two people its pricy. But if you go with 3-4 its really reasonable and really good.
(3)Frankie A.
Upon entering this establishment, we were greeted with an awful odor. After a few minutes discussing it we came to the conclusion that a bathroom drain somewhere is flowing the wrong way. All this aside we decided to stay and tough it out. Some of the silverware was dirty. The bread was good! The chicken saltimbucco was over cooked and therefore dry. The saving grace was the tiramisu. It was amazing! Our service was shaky at first but got better. So check the smell and if u can take it, grab some bread and tiramisu and run! Solid 3 stars!
(3)Whitney T.
I'm truly astonished at the amount of negative reviews for Buca! I've had nothing but excellent service and great food at this place. This place, hands down, has the best caesar salad I've ever had in my life (100% serious). Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of taking a chunk out of my life savings to pay for a dinner bill for 3 people, but I've always left painfully full with a large bag of leftovers. It doesn't have the warm, hole-in-the-wall Italian ristorante thing going on, but the atmosphere is still very welcoming and I love that for large parties, you have your own private section. Each room has it's own theme and you can stare at the walls all night and still find something you missed before. Anyone who is unhappy with the wall decor was evidently not seated in the room with the pope head because if that's not class to you, I don't want to know you. Perhaps those decorating needs would be better met at a faux-posh restaurant with paintings and wall decor that looks strikingly similar to the Big Lots Home Accents section like they have at The Olive Garden (which is still super delicious by the way). Seriously with the food though, definitely on my top 10 list of death row meals. I could totally go down with their Veal Parmesan making itself a coffin out of my stomach.
(4)Valeria M.
I liked this place portions were big enough for 2 people. The service was good, we didn't have to wait to order or anything. And of course quality of food was up too par. We had mozzarella tomato appetizer and seafood pasta delicious.
(4)Kelly S.
Pros: always have coupons that you can just show on your phone, friendly staff, free plain bread. Cons: you can only order in larger quantities so if you have two people you will either be stuck eating the same thing or will have a high bill and leftovers. they walk you through the kitchen as a "tour" before you're seated. Menu has variety but not any beef dishes besides veal so any pasta with meat is pork. They won't let you choose not to have sausage cause I guess the food is already made. That would explain why the taste is very average. So it's not really a kitchen as much as it is a reheat/prep area. I know most places don't make the food there but that's what I'd still prefer. Or at least trick me and pretend you do.
(3)Dan D.
Made reservations for a private room to celebrate my girlfriends birthday with family. When we got there they hade put another party in the room no apologies for there mistake. They sat us down in a room full of obnoxious big mouth people and we couldn't even have a conversation with each other. Food came out and it was total shit and so was the service. Will never go back.
(1)Jessica C.
The place is overcrowded with kitschy things on the walls and in every corner. We also noticed all the flowers outside were fake and pretty worn out, which made the place look ridiculous, cheap, and unkempt. So for environment, we would rate it a 2 star.We placed our order online, which was convenient, but when we showed up to pick up our food the place was dead and we couldn't find anyone to help us. Two employees actually made eye contact with us and then went right back to talking and slacking off. After about 10 minutes, someone did finally wander up front to get us our order. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms, Penne San Remo, stuffed shells, and chocolate chip cannolis. The meal came with french bread but the bread was stale and cold. The mushrooms weren't too bad. The sauce was tasty but the stuffing overpowered the mushrooms so it ended up tasting like sharp cheese and sauce. The penne san remo is supposed to contain artichoke but we only found two chunks of artichoke out of a container with enough food to feed 3 people. So that was disappointing. The sauce was also really bland and the chicken was overcooked/rubbery. The stuffed shells were ok, no major issues, they just weren't worth the price. Actually, none of the food we got was worth the price. We paid over 60 dollars for a dinner that was maybe worth 30. All in all we weren't impressed and won't be returning.
(3)Monique L.
This place was horrible. We Went on lunch on Thursday and were the first customers. We Got our drink orders and food orders taken care of right away. Then nothing, no coming to refill our drinks or to let us know our food was going to take a while. We got our food after 40 minutes we immediately asked for the checks and to go boxes. The waitress apologized for how long everything took and still took a total of 15 minutes to check us out and give us our boxes. My g Food was good, I got the spicy rigatoni. My friends who got the spaghetti complained of the noodles having no flavor and the sauce tasted like just plain tomatoes with no seasoning at all. I called bucca to complain and they didn't answer and I'm still waiting to hear from corporate since Thursday. very disappointed especially since this was a work birthday lunch.
(1)Christine S.
In 2004, my employer was doing construction nearby. An employee from BdB dropped by with cannolis and some other food to welcome us. They gave us catering menus. We later used them for group business dinners--nice stmosphere, great food, good facility. And I do "to go" orders maybe 3 or 4 times a year. Just did their lunch offer a few weeks ago. All of this from a simple gesture of cannolis!
(4)Barbara H.
How could anyone not love Buca It is our all-time favorite place. Price is reasonable, food spectacular, service has always been excellent. I could go once a week. I even went and bought a bag full and took it on the plane to Groton CT
(5)Lucy M.
My husband just took me there today and I loved it! We had to share the baked ziti plate because the plates are HUGE. I also had an Italian margarita and of course it was delicious. Definitely going to be back.
(5)Kimberly D.
Dined here a couple of nights ago and had an okay experience. Not bad but nothing that will stand out in my mind. The service was great and our waiter was very good about coming back to check on us even though there was a huge party on the other side of the restaurant that he was also assisting. Good service. The food was okay. We got the Quattro Forno dish which is four different kinds of stuffed shells including manicotti, ravioli, shells and canolli. The food was cooked well and it had good flavor but it was not anything that I would go out of my way to have again. We also got a small order of cheesy garlic bread which could have stood to be cooked a little longer. It tasted good but got cold really fast and no one likes cold bread. I do not recommend coming here with just two people. The family style dishes are huge even if you just get one small order between two people. They probably gave us 20 large pieces of garlic bread which we definitely could not finish and garlic bread does not reheat well so I felt like I was just wasting it. I would recommend coming here with a party of four or more. Not sure if I will be back. Maybe if I have a large party and we need a lot of food for a certain occasion.
(3)Monica J.
The quality of food at Buca di Beppo has really gone downhill. I was here for dinner a couple nights ago and I didn't enjoy the food at all. My minestrone soup had no broth or flavor. It tasted as though it was a can of crushed tomatoes combined with a drained can of green beans. And that's it. My husband's Caesar salad was not fresh. The chicken rigatoni came with a nice spicy tomato sauce which the chef inexplicably decided to ruin by dumping a bag of frozen peas into it. The decor was tacky to begin with and now its just looking tired and dusty. I think the only people who come here are large families or groups wanting to take advantage of the humongous portion sizes. There were no less than three tables with toddlers whose parents thought it was ok to let them scream their head off and/or run around the restaurant while they sat at the table with a glass of wine talking to their friends. Which reminds me, their Chianti is terrible. I see no reason to return.
(2)Mark C.
Meh about says it. I've been to this place a bunch of times. In hindsight I don't know why. Italian is one of my favorite foods and I've never had anything, other than the garlic bread, that really stands out here. Yeah the inside is neat and the staff is always good... but the pasta sauce is nothing special. Everything seems like bland Italian food, in comparison of the many other options in the category especially. It also isn't cheap. For chain Italian restaurants, I'd take Olive Garden, Carabba's, Brio. Also, I somehow end up with in this place with work people or friends that don't like some damn thing. I'll eat everything, but considering the menu is just OK as it is, I end up getting stuck with the most mediocre dish at a medicre restaurant. This makes me want to stab someone. Family style is great if you are with your family, if you are with a bunch of vegetarians... REDRUM! REDRUM! Yeah yeah, I can get individual orders now. So I can be THAT guy, that goes to a family style restaurant and is like, NO, I'm ordering my own thing, you all suck. While YES, that is totally true, I don't want everyone to necessarily know it. Pizza places is where you are supposed to go with a group of people and argue about what to order, not pasta places.
(2)Angelo E.
I've come to this Buca several times and it seems like a hit or miss sometimes. I'm not sure if it's better to go in big groups or just on date night but the last time I came with my g/f and some friends, the food was okay. I didn't think it was worth the price but oh well. But my experience prior to that which was several months ago, it was great. Everything we got seemed to fit the bill and was delicious. I always love the Garlic Bread here and the Caprese. Great starters. The atmosphere is nice and definitely feels like family place which I like. I wish I can maybe give 3 1/2 stars just because of the past experiences that were good and some okay and some that were..eh...it's alright. Also, what happened to the Angelo pizza? Had it once and i thought it was pretty good. Haven't seen it in several years now. :(
(3)Jen C.
Hubby had never been to a Buca, so we figured why not? Of course we went during I'm guessing prom night...which on a side note when did prom start to look like a bunch of strippers running around? Wow. Anyway it was really busy, but no huge wait time. Seated promptly and began to look over the menu. Our server was amazing and very quick with everything, and had excellent communication and was really friendly and prompt even with the onslaught of teens next to us. Anyway, someone accidentally picked up our order sho we had to wait a moment more which was perfectly fine in my opinion. Food was good, but we both felt it could use a little more sauce. Ordered a cocktail, which was good, boozy, and of course came with a souvenir glass. I don't live that idea, cuz I really don't even want a souvenir glass from an actual destination place, but oh well. At the end when our bill came, they had taken of the entire entree because we had to wait so long. I was stunned. I really want even upset about the wait, however I.appreciate it because it makes me want to be a repeat customer. So thank you for providing customer service and we shall return!
(4)Inaie R.
It is a lovely place and the food is good, but the protions are so big you have to share... I have never hadthe chance to order what I reallyw ant because I ened to compromise and share with someone else... :-(
(3)Brenda P.
We have been to this location a couple of times, but this last one was slightly disappointing. The stuffed mushrooms in the creamy pesto was pretty delicious. The warm house bread was good, but the vinegar and oil they provide with it was not proportioned well and was bland. The braised short ribs, though slightly expensive, tasted like cheap pot roast. The highlight of the evening was ordering the Colossal Sundae, knowing full well what was coming. Our friends were not expecting the sheer size of the dessert, resulting in a very genuine, very hilarious "WHAT THE..!!"
(3)Mindi R.
I wanted to do something different for Thanksgiving so we tried Buca. We got it to go and were anxiously awaiting a delicious Italian meal at home. We ordered the Veal Marsala, it was bland and the veal was overcooked. Next on the menu was the Sorrento Salmon it wasn't bad the Salmon was also a little overcooked. The spaghetti and meatballs bleh worst marinara sauce I've had in a long time. The rosemary potatoes tasted sweet and very very dry. I am so disappointed that I was the one that suggested we try this place out for a non traditional Thanksgiving meal. We wil never ever eat here again. Terrible food.
(1)Luke T.
Came for lunch on Saturday around 1:30p. Rarely come to Buca, had $10 off coupon from mail. There were about 2 other tables occupied. Chicken carbonara was delicious, not for health-conscious folks. Eggplant parmigiana was very good too. Service was fast and efficient. The only issue was, we were asked whether we would like bread, I said yes and chose garlic. I didn't know it would cost $6.99, wasn't told either. I thought it would be complimentary like breadsticks in Olive Garden. Didn't make it a big deal because everything else was good plus the coupon helped.
(3)Monika M.
This place will not see our family again. I made a reservation for our family party of 12 in advance to celebrate our son's 13th birthday. I was completely prepared ahead of time. I arrived 15 beforehand with a handwritten list of food and wine to place the order before all the family arrived. When I handed over our Baskin Robbins ice cream cake I looked the server directly in the eye and told her to BE CERTAIN to place it in the freezer- not the fridge- as it is an ice cream cake. She laughed and said "Absolutely, Of course!" I was disappointed to find that our party of 12 was seated in two separate tables right next to another family that had 3 toddlers. It was a Sunday night at 5pm and the restaurant was very empty. The toddlers next to us were absolutely screaming the entire time and we were not able to hear our family conversation. Surely they could've placed us with more space between us to make our evening more pleasant instead of what was easier for the server. It took our waitress far too long to bring out my son's cake when we asked again. To my horror, the waitress delivered our half-melted ice cream cake and ran off as I said, "Oh no! What happened?" No one stayed. They ran!! We tried to serve some of the middle that was a bit slushy, but it was ridiculous. The waitress emerged with our bill and said she took off our salad because they ruined our cake. The salad was $21. Our cake was $40!! No manager, no apology. No chance anyone in my extended family will return. It was our first visit and definitely our last.
(1)Karen W.
Buca di Beppo is my go-to place if I'm going with people that are indecisive about their meal. Since everything is family-style, I can just get a few entrees that everyone can share. Service at this location is friendly, and it is easy to get a reservation through Opentable.com . There is enough variety that even the pickiest eaters will find something good. The mood is pretty festive every time we go, and everyone meets and greets you with a smile. My favorite item here so far is the linguine frutti di mare. It comes with a flavorful tomato sauce and is packed with various seafood, which makes it a good deal for the price. Last time I went it was in celebration of my mother's birthday, who likes to have the waiters sing to her on her birthday. I mentioned that it was my mother's birthday in the comments section of the Opentable reservation site, and I mentioned it to the waitress right before ordering our dessert (No free dessert for birthdays, but they do sing for you, she said), but no one ever came to sing for her. We felt a little disappointed, but the tiramisu dessert we did have was rich, creamy, and quite tasty.
(3)Jenney H.
My Father, Daughter and I went here for dinner tonight and I will say it was great. Everything made fresh there. You can actually taste the ingredients in the food! It was wonderful! My Father and I ended up ordering the Lasanga and my Daughter the traditional Fetticine. Both were excellent. Thought the portions at this place are ridiculous. A small dish will feed at least three people and the large, forget about it. The large will feed at least the whole family. We definitly brought food home! The atmosphere in this place is wonderful too. They take you throught hte kitchen to get your table and you go through the kitchen again to leave.Definitly gives you the feeling like you just came home to have dinner. I loved it and will plan to return again soon.
(4)Alison T.
Eh...this place is okay. I've been to other locations that seem better than this one. Food is so-so, staff is friendly enough, and the atmosphere is fun but it's never been my first choice for Italian when in Chandler.
(3)Johnny L.
It's a chain. Chicken Parm isn't bad, especially when you aren't paying for it. Ya feel me?
(3)M G.
Maria...host, rolled her eyes and seemed to have a attitude problem Kyahl? Sounds like Kyle. was actually pretty good, he answered my mother in law's questions to the best of his abilities. The food is always kind of hit or miss...the veal parm was good but the macaroni rosa was very bland and the broccoli in it weren't cooked and the pasta was a more al dente than we are use too...there was still a crunch
(3)Lindsey P.
Big portions. Be prepared to share. We had the lasagna & the chopped antipasto salad... both were delicious. The lasagna was freshly baked (the plate was about a thousand degrees) & stuffed with cheese. Left me wanting more meat though. The salad was everything I want an antipasto to be-- just the right amount of cheeses, meats & veggies. Ordered smalls & the two of us definitely left full. Our total with a glass of wine & a beer was about $50. Good place to celebrate a special occasion-- there is plenty of room for big parties. For a chain restaurant, they're doing it right.
(5)Sheera G.
Absolutely disappointed to the point I will probably never return. We went for dinner after the dinner rush at 7pm, this place was super noisy to the point where we couldn't have a conversation with people at the table. Seemed like they were seating by the rooms vs by server, so once one room was filled up they would seat in another area. My biggest complaint is that I ordered Veal Marsala, my veal was VERY overcooked and tough to even cut into, I did tell our server who swapped out for Chicken Marsala however it took them about 40 minutes and by the time I was super annoyed and not hungry let alone my friends and family were already finished eating. Also, two people at my table ordered meatballs, they were also overcooked and came to the table luke warm, they were not eaten and asked to be taken off the bill. The manager said that the meatballs were boiled and probably at the bottom of the pot and not stirred. Christina was our server and probably the ONLY thing positive I can say was that she was very sweet and accommodating however I would suggest giving this girl a promotion to manager as the manager who came to speak with us never introduced himself, had a bad attitude and did the bare minimum by taking the meatballs and Marsala off the bill but his attitude wasn't one of a manager should have. The only way I knew his name was that his initials are on the bill and it on the door. And for a suggestion.....it would be really nice if they offered gluten-free pasta for those of us with allergies since they are a pasta establishment. I had 5 things to choose from, and 3 of those I couldn't eat...you know the rest of the two other options. Meh!
(1)Jasen S.
I had written a bad review about the this place not long ago and they were happy to give me another shot at eating at the place and paying for my meal. I'm glad they were willing to allow me to have another chance at it. However, though it wasn't as bad as last time I ate here they food hasn't much improved. I ordered the same meal, the Buca Trio Platter. I was a little hesitant to order the same thing that made me sick before but they were assuring me it was going to be good. I the mozzarella triangles aren't bad for frozen food. The stuffed mushrooms weren't as wet as last time but this time my biggest issue was the calamari. Last time I ate it, it made me sick, and had food poisoning. This time around, wasn't much better. It didn't make me sick but half of it was cold and the other half was hot. This tells me that they were cooked at different times. I'm sorry to staff at Bucca but I still give it one star as the food was not good and the chefs must not care about the quality of their food.
(1)Laura L.
We like Buca for informal family gatherings. Going to Buca means everyone will find SOMETHING they like. It means we will have leftovers. It means we won't have to clean up after ourselves. The quality of Buca noticeably deteriorated after Planet Hollywood took over. We'd been going to Buca for years in various states and things we loved started to disappear. For example, Buca used to give you really good complimentary rosemary focaccia when you sat down. Now they give you a semi-crusty white bread with zero flavor. What do you want to bet they started selling more garlic bread and bruschetta when they stopped giving you the good free stuff?! The portion sizes also changed noticeably. Still, you always have enough to eat (or more than enough). You always also have a good time. How can you not? We always look forward to seeing the old pictures... especially of old Italian movie stars, The Pope and various mischievous children. Is this the best, most authentic Italian food around? No. But they do have a lot of Italian-American classics that your family will surely enjoy. I can't give it a 4 stars due to commonly having received extra slow service (due to the kitchen) on busy nights and usually having a wait even with a reservation. But the food is definitely better than, say, Chili's or other like-priced places. It's served family style for the most part, but you CAN get individual portions of most things at lunch. Want a tip? If you're craving spaghetti but you don't want to order a full portion, you can order the SIDE of spaghetti for only $5.99! It is about 1/2 to 2/3 the size of the small spaghetti at a fraction of the price.
(3)G B.
Meh. I've experienced better its totally correct! However, if you live close by and want something to feed the family that is ok and relatively cheap, this a good place. It''s very loud inside and the decor is very busy but nice. My reason for one start is because three times now we have ordered to go food and it seems that our dish was sabotaged each time! Twice came without chicken and all twice with the bread being super cold as taken out of a freezer recently. One time came swimming in sauce and it became disgusting to eat. I called the restaurant for one of the occasions. They didn't act if it was important or a big deal. They refunded me only after I requested and it took over a day. I was told someone would call me back to follow up and I received no calls. If you are in business to serve people their meals, you should take a little extra precautions that the food is done correctly. I should not have to get home with hungry kids and have items missing. This should never happen twice or even a third time. It seems to me that this Bucca di Beppo is careless with the food they serve and how they treat their customers.
(1)Joseph P.
I had driven by this spot many times I did not hear good things... But I was moving out of town and a coworker want to hit it up for lunch so I was like let's do it... I found it strange we were guided through the kitchen to our table... I went with the lunch special Baked Rigatoni - Rich meat sauce and spicy Italian sausage tossed with imported Italian rigatoni and lots of mozzarella. Topped with Parmesan and dollops of ricotta cheese then baked to golden perfection with a Caesar Side salad... I rate the experience as followed. Baked Rigatoni - C Caesar Side Salad - B Staff - B+ The food was nothing to write home about... As I was leaving I still felt weird walking in the kitchen but that could just be me.
(3)Candace R.
The bf and I had plans for July 3rd in Ahwatukee but since the entire city was out to watch the fireworks, our plans got squashed and we decided to just grab dinner and call it a night. There wasn't a wait at buca and we were seated in their wine room. I hadn't been there in a couple of years and the bf had never been so we made some rookie mistakes. We started with an order of calamari which was really good. We decided to get two small entrees (main mistake). He had the spicy sausage with ziti dish and I had the stuffed shells. I wish our server had emphasized how big the servings are because they are giant. The two small entrees could have easily served at least four - so it is best to share a small entree if it's just two people. The two entrees were good, nothing spectacular but good. the service was good and the dinner was overall a good experience, I probably won't be back anytime soon though.
(3)Amanda b.
One word: disappointed. I ordered the most simple dish, spaghetti and meat balls, and the sauce tasted like it came out of a can. It really tasted like they opened up a can of diced tomatoes and poured it on top and it also was sweet, as if they added sugar. The meat balls were generous in size but was not an Italian meat ball. It just had no flavor, seasoning, or Italian spices to it! This is not a good place to eat at if you want real Italian food. I will not be returning.
(1)Ahana M.
Had I written this review yesterday because I was hungry, craving pasta and eating here pretty late at 9 pm, it would have gotten one more star for coming to my rescue while driving around looking for food. 24 hours later , with a clearer mind, i can say this place is average. The bread very plain, the shrimp linguine quite bland. The service and decor are quite good though. And finally, so Not the place to go for a meal for one.The size of helpings is HUGE. I had enough left over for lunch. Which would have been a good thing had the food been tasty.
(2)Andy G.
Something about this place always told me to stay far, far away. But by all rights, all of us should try every Italian restaurant around, because someone, somewhere, must be nailing "Italian Restaurant", the triple-Axel of the culinary business. I just haven't found them yet. I should have listened to my impulse to stay away, but my wife has been wanting to try this place for years. For some reason we thought we would forgo some risk by using the To Go service and ordering online. Nay, the problems this place has pervade all its crevices. all the way out to the parking lot. I ordered some junk online: A small Caesar Salad, a Small Quattro al Forno, and a Small Eggplant Parmesan. It would be ready from 5:00-5:15pm. I got there at about 4:50 and a friendly lady came out right away and gave me the bill to sign. She said my food was "not quite done". Fine, cool, whatever. I was early. I could wait a few. A half hour later, it would dawn on me that "not quite done" in restaurant parlance actually means "We haven't started cooking your food." After I watched numerous people park at the To Go window and leave with their food, the harried lady finally came back out with my stuff, explaining that "they had to cut more eggplant". Ah, the mysterious "they" and their lack of kitchen management skills. An order for eggplant comes in online at 4:30.. why cut up any eggplant? Silly. I got home and discovered that the rest of my order had apparently been sitting around while the eggplant dish was prepared. The eggplant was moderately hot -- however, the Quattro al Forno was room temperature and so was the salad. The eggplant was way too thin and not seasoned well, and featured chunks of uneven Parmesan that had clearly been cut instead of grated. The Quattro al Forno might have been good when it was designed to be served, but its temperature made me quesy. When all was said and done, I realized that I'd consumed passable Italian food at quite a premium price with poor service to go with it. I felt full of lukewarm food and disappointed, which is really a strange sensation. I'm sure this place has its moments when it's hitting on all cylinders, but it ain't Sunday at 5pm.
(2)Chris K.
I only give it a second star because I like the atmosphere, seating and cozy/social feel. I also liked that the waitress walks you through the kitchen to get to your table. That was the upside. Here is the downside. As you can tell from other reviews it is very pricey. If you are looking for good Italian kitchen family style food you must go to Maggiano's, 5 star and you get a ton more food for the same price as this joint. The service tonight was slow and I didn't expect that since we came in after the rush. The waitress seem experienced but she only pretended to care. She seem as if she could not be bothered by us even after we introduced ourselves as first time customers. We ordered the Chicken Limone and it was very dry. Enough said. The spicy chicken (insert your favorite little Italian pasta name here) was pretty good. My wife asked what I thought and I said it was okay but I wouldn't exactly come running back.
(2)T W.
It's been a year since my last review. Yes, I'm still a fan! Went for lunch today. They are now offering lunch portions (at lower prices), and honestly they are still pretty huge! My wife and I were not able to finish either of our dishes. We each have another meal from the leftovers. For 99 cents you can add either soup or salad to a lunch entree. The food is good, the portions are large, and they do a lot of coupons (which make the price quite reasonable). Without a coupon they are a little expensive, though not outrageous. Join their e-club and you'll get coupons in email, plus they have them in the paper and sometimes in coupon mailers. So they aren't difficult to get. Today I tried their Tuscan bean soup. I think it would have been good if it weren't so salty. I mean really salty! But behind the salt I could taste what seemed like a decent bean soup. This is the only thing I remember having a problem with at Buca. But they replaced it with minestrone, and that was pretty good. We will be back before Sunday as we have a $10 off of $20 purchase email coupon, and we definitely want to use it!!
(4)Jon B.
I loved the baked ziti but the meatball was terrible. Dry old. Burned. No flavor. What puzzles me is why the menu says its one of their special items. Clearly they don't make them fresh
(2)Mario C.
I have been here a few times now so I can give them a proper review. THey always try to get you a seat as quickly as they can and the staff is above friendly. We came here on Saturday night for a quick dinner. We were seated very quickly. We got a booth in a very loud room. There were a lot of teenagers there so the noise was unreal. We could not hear the waitress, we had to yell and so did she. Our waitress was a sweet girl named Megan. She was very sorry about all the noise and said it should end soon. 2 of the tables finally left but, the one that stayed had 7 of the loudest teens I have ever experianced in a Public place. Anyway,never mind all that. The Food!! So many choices to be had, We ended up by getting a mixed plate of stuffed shells and Cantonolis, It is called Quattro al Forno. Plus we had bread first with vinegar and Olive Oil. We were not too hungry this day, so it was really a lot of food. They have really great starters, the Calamari is fantastic. We did not have dessert but, we saw some of the desserts being brought to other tables. The Ice Cream Sundae is huge,all served in a giant Maritini glass. Everything is family style so keep that in mind when you order. There is a lot of food here. Great place to have a party or family get together. The staff works really hard here, I do not know how the can do it everyday. The noise is just over the top. Another thing that is a little differant is you walk through the Kitchen to get to the dining area. You can even make reservations to get a table in the kitchen. Which surprised me is very popular to do.
(4)Connor C.
We visited the restaurant in Chandler AZ on Ray road Sunday February 12th with my friends. I must say that every time we go back there we are more and more disappointed. The value of the food vs. the cost just is just ridiculous and the taste, well lets just say it used to be a lot better. Another very disappointing thing is that when I tried to order a non alcoholic strawberry dakari, I was informed that they could not serve it to me at the table and I would have to go to the bar and drink it if I wanted it. I ask you, what kind of crap is that? If I ordered a coke or lemonade they could served it at my table or even a regular dakari with alcohol but that was not what I wanted. They told me some story that I believe to be nothing but BS about the liquor laws, and found out I was right too. To confirm this, I just had dinner at The Keg restaurant in Chandler, yes the same city governed by the same laws as the Buca I ate at on Sunday, and I was informed by the manager that to his knowledge there was no such law in Chandler or AZ. He even confirmed that with another manager. I got my non alcoholic dakari with my dinner at my table. Sometimes I can over look bad food or even bad service from a restaurant but I have a hard time overlooking being lied to! The only good thing I can say about our visit Sunday night was that all the employees there were really nice. They lied to us but at least they did it with a smile on their face.
(1)Susan M.
Pretty darn good lunch! Good fresh food, excellent service so I was pleasantly surprised. The only thing is that by the time you pay for each little individual thing, I think the value of the family dinners at Maggiano's far exceed the value here. I will return again for lunch but would do family dinners at Maggiano's for sure. We split a Garlic Bread with cheese, had two drinks and split the Quattro something plate (one Cannelloni, One Manicotti, two shells and some ravioli) and the check with a $10 off $20 was still about thirty bucks with tip.
(4)Cookie M.
Everyone at Buca is very friendly. Their lunch is nice sized portions (unlike their dinner portions which are only suitable for "family style" sharing). My g/f and I ordered their Apple Gorgonzola Salad and their Vegetarian Pizza. Both were "just ok". The salad had too many competing flavors including overly cinnamon seasoned walnuts competing with the other fresh flavors. Also, their Italian vinaigrette didn't quite seem to match the other ingredients. The pizza had a limp crust. The toppings were nice with broccoli, peppers and mushroom flavors standing out. Overall, the experience was 'ok' but I won't be rushing to go back.
(2)Eric L.
I have been to a number of Buca's across Phoenix. I am a fan of the food and the unique atmosphere. Perfect place to have a party, in fact I had my college graduation party here a few years back and it was a blast. Place was designed for family sized gatherings. My only gripe is that this place is not really designed for one or two people. In smaller groups the bill seems very high and the portions seem to be a bit lacking, your wallet can take a real beating if you want to have a diverse experience. Still I give this place a big thumbs up, just make sure you book a party and visit the pope room.
(4)Wendi H.
Recently had a rehearsal dinner there for my sons wedding our total party had 25 people. My biggest complaint was there wasnt enough food served for everyone at the table to try everything. We were seated at one long table and the food was brought in and placed mostly at the ends. By the time the serving plates reached those in the middle they were pretty much empty and the servers didnt bring anymore food. Also cheesecake and cannoli were to be served for desert. There was only enough cheesecake for half the guests and the rest had to have cannoli. Really dissapointing. Also, the food on the whole was just so-so...pretty much on the level of Olive Garden. Im not a fan of "family style" plating so with so many other choices for Italian around town I dont think I will be coming here again.
(2)Kimberly S.
We went in a group of 6 for dinner on a Wednesday around 6pm the place was empty and it still them for ever to take our order and bring out any drinks(20 min and I had get up ask to please get some one to help us). After that I got up and said we were ready to order and no one came for another 10 min?? We ordered our food came and it was so delicious! But our drinks were not filled even once. I think if we do a next time it will be to go.
(2)J G.
Buca is my absolute favorite chain Italian restaurant! Everything is wonderful!
(4)Ann W.
After experiencing Buca's in California, we were excited to see one here! The atmosphere was wonderful, as was the food. Huge portions never disappoint for lunch the next day. The welcoming staff was wonderful to hold the door open for us. We were given the "tour" through the kitchen enroute our table. Our waiter was a bit overwhelmed as he was solo in our area. We were the only table at 4, but 3 other tables filled soon thereafter. He served us well and didn't miss anything; even keeping our glasses full...albeit a bit slow. The only reason for 4 stars was the lack of wait staff. We'll go again!
(4)Matt B.
Horrible service. Had to ask for bread to start the meal when normally they bring it out without hesitation. Then later refills on water never came. The main entree ordered was burnt when the restaurant was no even busy so there was extra waiting time to wait for the entree to be ready again. When the entree was finally done it came out burnt still on the noodles. Finally when it came to the check it was about 15 to 20 minutes before we left to pay and leave. We were the only table the waitress had and she decided to prepare drinks behind the bar before giving us the check and a box for our food. So she asked another server to get the check for us. When I put my card in the billfold we had to wait for the other server to process the payment while the waitress was still making drinks. It was very poor service and I was very disappointed and confused why she put drinks before servicing her only table. Her name was Cindy and if you ever have her as your waitress there I feel sorry for you. So bottom line I do not recommend this location to go dine at. One of the managers even asked our waitress if she knew how to make a certain drink and she responded yes. Why would the manager ask her that if she was the one responsible and hired as the bartender and should know all the main drinks that need to be served. I don't plan on coming back to this location any time soon. Likely never again.
(1)Erin C.
We really wanted Italian food but wanted it to go-didn't feel like sitting in a restaurant this night. We called Bucca di Beppo and placed our order-very nice lady on the phone. We let her know that we had a coupon for $10 for our order of $20 or more. When I got to Bucca to pick up the food the lady that helped me was plain rude! She took my credit card and I asked if she had discounted the coupon and before I could answer she swiped my card. I got my phone out to show her the coupon on my phone and she said "we only take coupons you have to give us." As I was still talking to her she walked away from me-out of the room and showed up behind me with my food-again while I was still taking! Honesty I don't know that I have ever been treated so poorly! The food was good but I wouldn't recommend going there if that is how they are goign to treat their customers. There are plenty of other options out there with good food that will be happy to take my money!
(2)Herman D.
Our first time at bucca the services was good not great but good the food was real good I liked it family style dinner I would go back
(4)Jose T.
I absolutely HATE chain restaurants! Although in this case, I have to make an exception. I'm really into the food at Buca. I used to live in the SF Bay Area, and I had to wait damn near 2 hours to eat at the Buca located at downtown SF. I now live in Chandler, AZ and the first time I visited a Buca here, I didn't have to wait any longer than 30 seconds. I usually have a standard list of items that I order for the entire table when my family goes to Buca: Bruschetta Linguine Frutti DiMare Margherita Pizza Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Marsala I also frequent other independently owned Italian restaurants, but Buca holds a special place in my heart, and my stomach. They have a signature flavor to their dishes. The best waiter in the world, Lee works at this particular one. Request to be seated at his station and give him a big tip!
(4)Ted S.
We have eaten or gotten take-out here several times. I like the fun decor and atmoshpere, except that it can be WAY too loud. That just means another group is having fun, but they get some pretty large groups and it is quite annoying to be seated a few feet away. Regardless of the decor, don't come for the food, because it is not very good and is apparently *very* inconsistent. We have tried their baked dishes and didn't finish them because they were bland and just didn't taste good. Usually the spaghetti with meat sauce is practically all pasta. You can ask for extra sauce but they want to charge you for it (at least this is the case for take-out). The meat sauce has a funny taste. It isn't old, but the taste reminds me of something that is old. Nonetheless, when we went out of town we decided to get pizza (usually good here) and pasta from Buca di Beppo to leave with the kids, and this is when it got bizarre. They must have made too much sauce that morning, or maybe it was a weird prank, because this time the "spaghetti" was probably three-quarters meat sauce! Weird; and not appetizing, and not a normal meal. And we didn't even ask for extra meat sauce. But the strangest thing is that when we got home from our trip, we found out the kids didn't eat any of the pizza. They would heat it up and throw it out because they didn't like it. I decided to have some just to get rid of it. It was pretty limp so I baked it in the toaster oven on the highest setting. Tried a bite and despite being re-baked, it was just plain mushy. It turns out there was meat sauce in the pizza -- lots of it! My wife did not order any meat sauce on the pizza. If all pizza tasted like this, I would never eat pizza again. This tale might have ended okay if the restaurant did the right thing. Since the pizza was a total loss, my wife took it back to the restaurant the day after we got back. It is hard to believe but they would not give a refund, "because it's been a week." This is not a good way to do business. *UPDATE 05/28/2013* I was pretty offended on behalf of my wife when I wrote this, she having been brushed off by the person on duty at the cash register. Regardless, the fact is that my wife is back to buying take out here, now and then. So the food isn't (normally) bad, although it is still a matter of taste.
(2)Sean E.
Our experience on New Year's Eve was perfect. The gentleman who held the door for us upon entering the restaurant was extremely polite and welcoming. We later found out he was the general manager. He ensured we had a fantastic evening. It is easy to see he cares about his guests and his business, and takes pride in what he does. Both the food and the service kicked off our night the right way. Thank you.
(5)_ _.
Scale of 1-10 (multiple visits): 7 Food 8 Service 8 Atmosphere 7 Value
(3)Melissa H.
I have a confession to make before I go any further with this review: My husband and I occasionally visit chain restaurants when we really don't want to put much effort into going out to eat. OK now that is out of my system, I can continue. We've been to Buca before (visited the location in Columbus probably about 8-10 times with friends for group dinners) so we know the concept and that it's about sharing and all that jazz. We ended up at this location on Sunday night when we were trying to find *gasp* TGI Fridays. Well let me save you a drive to this part of town and tell you that Fridays is no longer there. Anyway, we saw Buca and decided to suck it up and eat there. We had about a five minute wait and then were led back through the kitchen (as you are at any Buca) to our table. We had some confusion with our service because at one point we were told our waitress got a big party and wouldn't be handling our table anymore, and then she did for the rest of our night. Weird. Unfortunately the food was not as good as we remembered. The cheese garlic bread was cut into squares and wasn't served in a pie shaped. The caesar salad was under-dressed, but as a plus it held up nicely as a leftover for me to have the next night for dinner. Chris thought the chicken parm was not as good as it used to be (we think they changed the recipe or something). My side of fettucini alfredo was good thankfully and heated up nicely on Tuesday night as my dinner. All and all, the food was a major disappointment even for chain restaurant standards! The bright spot was that for $69 (includes tip) we got four meals out of the food we ordered. Buca was a 2.5 star experience for us, but I'm rounding down to 2 due to not living up to our standards.
(2)Susan P.
Two experiences both good. The first was a Party pan-to-go event after my daughter's wedding while many people were still in town. The meal was hosted by the in-laws and everyone enjoyed the cheese bread, penne ala vodka and my favorite penne arrabbita. Fast forward several months.... looking for a place to pick up dinner and thought of Buca. Only the two of us but Italian holds for left-overs better than almost any other cuisine. Same daughter....both loved the Arrabbita previously so that's what we ordered along with a small Chopped Antipasto Salad. The portion of 2+ is an understatement, if you're not gluttonous it probably feeds 4 easily. The zesty sauce was as good as I remembered and plenty of sausage. They also do not skimp on the sauce which is key if you plan on reheating it another day as we did. The Antipasto Salad was excellent and HUGE. This very large salad was choked with various cheeses, vegetables and lots of pepperoni. At home I was thinking what a $9 salad looks like at other establishments and this salad is more than double or perhaps triple the size. Great value, lots of goodies and for that alone I'll return. I have no personal experience for eating in the restaurant but get that if you're not keen on sharing someone else's choice it could be a drag. The pricing for two may seem high but not really as you've got food for days. UNLESS I can't kill the salad before it turns brown and needs tossed. Food was good and absolutely would recommend for a big outing, large group or party. I see good value in their shared portions. YMMV. Oh, side note - Terrific service at the front. Order was taken quickly, offered a drink while I waited, offered to help me out to my car, held the door, thanked me, etc etc. Very plesant staff at Chandler!
(4)Shannon W.
Third time here and still a huge fan. Would be 5 stars but the sangria was awful, watered down and just plain blah. The Calamari was under cooked as well. Server again was Rhys and he as always was very helpful.
(3)Kevin U.
Buca di Beppo is know for its great culture and large plates. Chandler Buca offers personal attention to its customers with a positive attitude. Joe the Paisano has produced a restaurant that reflects his easy going attitude and dedication to high service and food quality. Buca is a great place to host a large group of people. For small events rent out a room with no extra charge, what is better than that. If you like chocolate try the cake or treat yourself and a few friends to Buca's Tiramisu.
(4)Jonathan S.
No go for a couple but family's and groups will have a good time. Family style food is consistently good.
(4)Kelly R.
Meh. This is okay. Interesting kitchy atmosphere, but the food is lacking. I think Buca thrives on the "quantity versus quality" philosophy of most Americans when it comes to food. We ordered two large salads(antipasti and apple walnut) and a small entree for two couples. The waiter made sure we meant "small" and not "large" and seemed to be taken aback by our lack of need to gorge. The salads were good, but nothing you can't do at home...although we ALL know even a mediocre salad is better when someone ELSE makes it! The entre was sub-par. It was a "sampler" of a few things...that all tasted relatively the same. The stuffed shells were OVERWHELMED by the amount of fennel in the sausage. I would have to say that the best part was the bread. The iced tea was also good. An okay place if you want massive amounts of "Olive Garden"y Italian.
(2)Beth B.
This time we just ordered the tiramisu for take out. A couple girlfriends and I were having a girls night in and wanted something sweet! It was to die for! I've never had a bad experience there. Make sure you have at least 4 people going or plan to bring home leftovers! The food is fresh and tasty and the service is delightful! A little pricy for pasta dishes but as I said the food is tasty!
(4)Jillian G.
I used to really like it here, but now everytime I go I end up dissapointed. Its really not that good and so overpriced. I do love the decor and the family dinning they support it allows you to really spend time with the people you came with.
(2)Nicole H.
I went into Buca di Beppo today for lunch and it was so dead. Now I know why! I ordered off the lunch menu and added a side salad for 99 cents which I thought was great, but I do not like olives or onions and asked to NOT have them on my salad. Sure enough I was brought a salad with onions and olives...since it was lunch time and I was on a time crunch I picked them out but I could still taste the onions :( The server didn't say anything about me piling them on the bread plate. Good thing I didn't like the plain, cold, and stale bread anyway. My food was alright, but again kind of plain! Will not be going back here for Italian Food!
(2)Doug T.
I came to Buca with some co-workers for a job well done celebration. I'm not a real fan of chain Italian restaurants, but Buca is different with the atmosphere, being able to handle large parties, and if course family-style dining. We were seated in the Pope room which is fun but little freaky. Pictures of the Pope all over with a head of the Pope on the middle of the table and the Pope chair. Strange but cool having the Pope watch you eat. We started off by having the Mozzarella Garlic bread which was really good, the Chopped Antipasto salad, and the Apple Gorgonzola salad. The salads were pretty good not great but I thought it had a little too much vinegar for my liking. We had the Margherita pizza with fresh mozzarella which I thought was very good, Chianti Braised Short Ribs where they gave us three huge ribs that were boneless and covered in gravy which was very tender and very good. We couldn't have ribs without Rosemary Potatoes (meat & potatoes kind of guy) and they were really tasty and cooked perfectly. To top it off we had the Macaroni Rosa that had macaroni (of course) with a creamy sauce and chicken, broccoli and peas. It was really good. We ate it all up and had very little leftovers so that tells you the food was pretty good. No one seemed to be holding back. We can't forget about desert so we had the Dolce Platter which included Tiramisu, Double Dark Chocolate cake, Cheese cake, and Apple Crostata. The deserts were fantastic. Really good and everyone enjoyed it. The service was right on. Filling up our water glasses, beer, wine, ice tea, and soft drinks. Food came out in a timely manner too. So I have no complaints about the service. So overall, I had a very good meal with lots of variety of food and massive amounts to fill up everyone. Coming here is about having a fun time and good Italian food. So enjoy, eat up but don't forget to unbuckle that belt after you eat all that food.
(4)Kayleigh S.
Prior to my experience this evening I would have given this location five stars. While my husband and I were having dinner there was a large group that was extremely drunk and loud. They started by singing but quickly crossed the line from amusing to obnoxious. They were yelling and screaming so loudly that my husband and I could not even have a conversation because we couldn't hear each other. What was most disappointing was the manager's response (or lack thereof). He came out, circled around them a bit, but said nothing. He could have simply asked them to quiet down but instead he stood off to the side complaining to some employees. Other guests were clearly uncomfortable and irritated yet the manager did nothing. Overall my experience was very disappointing.
(1)Lisa N.
Thank goodness our server was good. The food is flavorless, over cooked and overpriced. We sat in the Pope room, which is fun, but the clears box the Pope sits in was fithly, perhaps taking a cloth to clean the glass or at least dust it off would be beneficial. I already had a predetermined thought that if the main guy is dirty the food probably isn't going to be very good. There are much better places than this. Won't be back.
(2)Monika M.
This place will not see our family again. I made a reservation for our family party of 12 in advance to celebrate our son's 13th birthday. I was completely prepared ahead of time. I arrived 15 beforehand with a handwritten list of food and wine to place the order before all the family arrived. When I handed over our Baskin Robbins ice cream cake I looked the server directly in the eye and told her to BE CERTAIN to place it in the freezer- not the fridge- as it is an ice cream cake. She laughed and said "Absolutely, Of course!" I was disappointed to find that our party of 12 was seated in two separate tables right next to another family that had 3 toddlers. It was a Sunday night at 5pm and the restaurant was very empty. The toddlers next to us were absolutely screaming the entire time and we were not able to hear our family conversation. Surely they could've placed us with more space between us to make our evening more pleasant instead of what was easier for the server. It took our waitress far too long to bring out my son's cake when we asked again. To my horror, the waitress delivered our half-melted ice cream cake and ran off as I said, "Oh no! What happened?" No one stayed. They ran!! We tried to serve some of the middle that was a bit slushy, but it was ridiculous. The waitress emerged with our bill and said she took off our salad because they ruined our cake. The salad was $21. Our cake was $40!! No manager, no apology. No chance anyone in my extended family will return. It was our first visit and definitely our last.
(1)Karen W.
Buca di Beppo is my go-to place if I'm going with people that are indecisive about their meal. Since everything is family-style, I can just get a few entrees that everyone can share. Service at this location is friendly, and it is easy to get a reservation through Opentable.com . There is enough variety that even the pickiest eaters will find something good. The mood is pretty festive every time we go, and everyone meets and greets you with a smile. My favorite item here so far is the linguine frutti di mare. It comes with a flavorful tomato sauce and is packed with various seafood, which makes it a good deal for the price. Last time I went it was in celebration of my mother's birthday, who likes to have the waiters sing to her on her birthday. I mentioned that it was my mother's birthday in the comments section of the Opentable reservation site, and I mentioned it to the waitress right before ordering our dessert (No free dessert for birthdays, but they do sing for you, she said), but no one ever came to sing for her. We felt a little disappointed, but the tiramisu dessert we did have was rich, creamy, and quite tasty.
(3)Jenney H.
My Father, Daughter and I went here for dinner tonight and I will say it was great. Everything made fresh there. You can actually taste the ingredients in the food! It was wonderful! My Father and I ended up ordering the Lasanga and my Daughter the traditional Fetticine. Both were excellent. Thought the portions at this place are ridiculous. A small dish will feed at least three people and the large, forget about it. The large will feed at least the whole family. We definitly brought food home! The atmosphere in this place is wonderful too. They take you throught hte kitchen to get your table and you go through the kitchen again to leave.Definitly gives you the feeling like you just came home to have dinner. I loved it and will plan to return again soon.
(4)Marnie B.
We made a reservation online. Arrived and we were seated right away. That's where the good service ended. The service was very poor and super slow. My husband ordered a glass of wine when the waiter finally arrived to take our drink order. His took 15 minutes to arrive and when they did bring his I decided to get one also. It took 30 minutes for my glass of wine to arrive! 55 minutes for food. Were never asked if we wanted a refill and had to flag down the waiter for more water. No one ever came back to ask if everything was ok, how was the food, did we need anything. Food was decent, not spectacular but it took almost 90 minutes for two people to have dinner. Although the food was ok the whole experience was pretty poor. Not sure if we will ever go back.
(2)Cynthia R.
I went to this location with my nieces and had a great experience. The food was delicious and the service was great. It was a little busy but it was expected for a Saturday night. Great for large parties and don't forget to tip your server!
(4)Crystal H.
Buca used to be one of our favorite restaurants, but the quality has gone downhill fast. After our visit this evening, we will not return. Garlic bread was bland/favor-less. Not worth the price. Caesar salad was also bland, small and wilted. Totally not worth the $11. (It used to be my favorite thing at Buca, but clearly the dressing is not the same nor is the overall quality). The meatballs were "okay" but not the normal spectacular-ness. The quatro al forno/stuffed pasta combo plate was also okay, but nothing like it used to be. We also got some wine, a Buca Chianti, and it was also not worth the price tag. Overall the $100 price tag of this meal was a complete rip off. It was worth more like $40. We should have gone to Olive Garden -- at least you get what you pay for there. Also the waitress didn't really seem to have any idea about the menu or current offers even though she had worked there for "years." She was nice, but not very attentive. And to top it off the guests at the table next to us proceeded to yell and use tons of profanity and it was clear the employees noticed but did nothing. I don't particularly enjoy going to any restaurant and having to listen to that - nor do I want my young daughter to listen to it. And I certainly don't want to pay that much for that kind of experience. Buca has become one of those bad cookie cutter chain restaurants. They are overpriced and the food isn't that good. You are better off choosing a chain restaurant with average or bad food and paying at least half as much.
(1)Chuck K.
The Costco of Italian restaurants. Terrible food and service. Listen, I get Italian family style dining. In fact I am a fan of it, especially being from NY. But what you serve I wouldn't feed my dog. Please leave. Thank you and good day.
(1)DJ L.
I always appreciate a restaurant that tries to accommodate a food allergy. This place was very accommodating ! ! ! Our server was Patrick. He was great, very outgoing and friendly. Our food was delicious. Yes, it is a little pricy, but the portions are huge. It is the perfect place for the two of you to go out for an early dinner, and then bring home the leftovers to the little Munchkins. You get time together, and they get a hot delicious dinner, too. We love it.
(5)The P.
Regret having our Family Holiday Dinner here. The Service was great, but the food - bland and less than even average - we had Spaghetti & meatballs, a big bowl of pasta with some chunks of tomatoes on it and ok meatballs. Chicken Marsala was laced with a lot of sugar - yuk! Desserts were awesome, reason for a 2nd star. We will not choose this place again -- spent way too much money for a not even mediocre meal.
(2)Tina L.
I came here for a friends birthday dinner this past weekend and I wasn't too impressed. Everything on the menu is like family style, small feeds about 2-3 people and the large feeds 4-5. My husband and I ordered the chicken Alfredo with broccoli and when our food came out I must say it was a pretty big portion for a small. It actually fed 4 of us. I was very disappointed because they had no hot sauce, but I understand some places don't offer it. The meal was bland , it didn't really have a taste to it. It was just missing something. I must say our waiter was delightful ! He was very attentive and always made sure we were taken care of.
(3)Deb S.
It has been way too long Buca... And you were so damn delicious last night. Service was exceptional except for the bread that never came. No matter though. The bruschetta was freshly chopped tomatoes, garlic, and peppers on golden toasts. Love the presentation too. The fried appie plate was flavorful bits of calamari, mozzarella, and cheesy mushrooms. We shared the frutti del mar spiced delicately and filled with shrimp, mussels, and squid. The chicken pram was heavenly as was the baked ziti. No dessert tonight for us... Too full!! I will be back Buca and it won't be a three year wait.
(5)Nora M.
I have been to many locations in various states, it used to be a favorite restaurant but this is the last visit. It has changed since being sold and in my opinion, not for the better! The garlic bread was a half of a round loaf with slices of garlic on it cut into wedges, now it is just slices of bread with garlic butter. Our evening started off fine, we sat in the bar in hopes of watching the Cardinals game, it wasn't on but we asked a manager and he changed it. Our server, Helena was attentive, but a bit too familiar, calling everyone Loves, Honey etc I feel this is unprofessional and it is uncomfortable. She wss bringing our carafe of red sangria which was full of ice, too sour from the citrus and knowing how much I can drink and feel it-1 glass of wine, i assume it was not much alcohol! We had 2 cups of minestrone and the packages of saltiness stunk horribly! We gave them to the server, she never brought more! The two managers, bartenders and some servers decided to loudly argue about shifts and performance in the bar, in front of everyone at this time! Very unprofessional! We were still eating our soup, which was hot but average, when the pepperoni pizza and baked rigatoni arrived. The pizza was very greasy. The rigatoni could have had more cheese and sausage for the price!! At this point we were eating, a couple tables got up and left, including the one next to us who ordered a salad and green beans only, then complained that their salad was too small to be a large and they would only pay for a small, so the manager fawned all over them! Helena was AWOL! The bartender was sloping buckets of water from the mop bucket onto the floor with the sanibucket, a bit nasty! We stopped eating and still no Helena, a minimum of 15 minutes, I think more, we were done, needing our food wrapped and our check! She seemed to be very grumpy, maybe the manager yelled at her about the salad! She took the pizza to wtap, didn't come back, didn't come back... we were going to get dessert but decided not to! She finally came back, packaged the rigatoni and brought the check. Neither manager EVER said Hello, mentioned the horrible, stinky crackers, etc! As we left, the bartender seemed frustrated.. I think the earlier conversation and whatever went on in the kitchen rolled over into the dining room, spoiling our experience, which is very bad management! The food is not as good as it used to be and with the change in the garlic bread and getting rid of the Sambuca chocolate sauce, there is no reason to go back!
(1)C J D.
Unique and cool Ambiance. A bit corky, but great seating that gives you room. I recommend that you sit in the kitchen at least once. There pastas are okay, calamari is good. Their stuffed shells are very good. Service is slow, but it is meant to be a place where you can sit, talk and relax. It is suppose to be a bit slow. Overall, good. Above average food, great ambiance and descent service.
(4)Jenn A.
Christina is a gem! From the moment I locked eyes with her when she greeted us at the table.. She was attentive, kind, generous and most of all patient. The food was amazing and the atmosphere was fun and casual. We will be back 100 more times.
(5)Dave R.
we came here for a birthday dinner with several other large parties in the room they seated us in. The wait was incredibly long, it took two plus hours to eat! The wait would not have been so bad if the food was worth it but it was very mediocre. The salads were the best part of the dinner. We don't think we will be back.
(2)Kim C.
this is the worst experience I've ever had at this restaurant. I am BEYOND disappointed and just plain hungry. whenever we come to town, we like to come here because we don't have one at home. I made a reservation and got here about 5 minutes early. the first thing we smelled was an amazing garlic smell in the parking lot. unfortunately the closer we got to the front doors of the restaurant, the more it smelled like raw sewage. then we found out that we would have to wait because our table wasn't ready. and they don't have pagers so you HAVE to wait by the front door or you can't hear the girl with the tiny voice call your name. so we had to stand in that smell for 45 MINUTES. despite our reservation we waited almost an hour. we watched other people get tables and come out already fed in the time we waited. then when we finally got a table, they couldn't accommodate our party of 7 so we had to split up just so we could eat. what was supposed to be a nice welcome meal to celebrate a friend coming to arizona for the first time has turned into "let's eat and get the hell outta here." our appetizers were cold and our entrees were alright. when we ordered drinks there weren't any clean glasses so we had to wait again. then we got nothing but a quick "uh sorry" about the entire thing from our hostess. the one shining star in all this was out server, Christina. she was awesome. but NEVER AGAIN. the star is for Christina. if it weren't for her, I wouldn't give any stars at all. the manager needs to be retrained, the hostesses need a class on customer service and even that might not help.
(1)M A.
UPDATE: After posting my review I was contacted by someone from Buca di Beppo corporate who asked for my contact information to discuss my visit. I promptly replied and never heard anything again. Apparently they really don't care and just like to waste my time pretending. For that I change the 2 stars to 1 star, just horrible through and through!!!
(1)Heidi L.
Enjoyed a birthday dinner (for 4) - have not been to Bucca in quite a long time. The portions for 4 people are huge! The food was delicious (antipasto salad, garlic bread, baked ziti, chicken parmesan and tiramisu). The service was great, no complaints.
(4)Khoa N.
Went for lunch. Atmosphere was cool. Service wasn't the best. Kind of felt like they hustled us. After we ordered our waiter asked us if we wanted bread sticks and salad made it seem like it came with what we ordered. Didn't ask what size we wanted. Just brought it out. Then when the check came out we were charged for a large garlic bread and large salad. Which was 30 additional to what we ordered. Other then being hustled food was a little bland. Baked zete was over baked. Made it really dry. Shrimp Florentine needed salt. Most likely will not be coming back.
(3)Mark G.
Went there on a Friday night and it wasn't too busy. Service was slow and we were always waiting for something longer than normal. Food was good, but not enough sauce came on our stuffed shells. The sauce that did come with the food was dry and stuck to the plate. Not a great presentation. Waitress was nice, but seemed overwhelmed on a night that wasn't too busy.
(3)Amy h.
Very mediocre. Too expensive for the quality of the food and service. Our food wasn't cold when it came out, it wasn't hot...more luke warm. The salad was wilted with way too much dressing and the dessert tasted almost freezer burnt? The service was sooooo slow. I took a group of people there for a celebratory dinner and I can say with 100% certainly I will not choose this place again. Oh, and the waitress spilled water on my husbands lap. Good times. UPDATE: Someone from Buca replied here to give them my email address supposedly in an effort to make it right. Guess what's they never contacted me back! About par for the course I guess. Taking my rating down from 2 to 1. Now I think they are fake. They pretend they care. They probably just asked me to give off the perception to other people reading reviews that they have the heart to make things right for the customer. Not the case. UPDATE Jan2015: Emily Bishop the Division Vice President emailed me saying she wanted to "restore my faith in Buca" I promptly responded with an email about what happened... Guess what?.... NO RESPONSE BACK! (It's now been over a month) Wow is all I have to say....
(1)Leticia W.
Eh.... just average, but really it's how i feel about all Bucca De Bepo's. We came to this location for our one year anniversary OnLY because we had a gift card. From my experiences w Bucca i knew the food had much to be desired so I sought the advice from my fellow Yelpers on what to order, maybe there was something i was missing out out on. So i tried the Ceasar salad that someone said was the best they'd ever had, which makes me sad for her. It was far from the best, the lettuce was wilted and soggy. I went on my own for the main dish. I forgot the name of it, but it was a spicy shrimp pasta dish. It was pretty good. My son ordered the fetticcini Alfredo. The sauce was clumpy and lacked flavor. Decided to try the highly recommended tiramisu. I was expecting a slice but got a huge bowl (i know, duh I'm at Bucca). Again it was ok. Nothing to rave about. Then again i doubt anything can beat the tiramisu that i had at an Italian Deli in San Fran. Overall... service and food was, like i said, eh.
(3)Cindy T.
There isn't a whole lot I can write about Buca that hasn't been said before. The theming is cute, family style can be fun or not depending on if you can all get along in your choices and the food is pretty generic. There is nothing here that will knock your socks off but it surely isn't the worst food you can have either. I feel bad that I don't have a whole lot to say about this place but it's a chain and it's all been said before.
(3)Stacy L.
Been awhile since I've gone, and usually with a group. It was nice with lunch they do have smaller options. Also a few gluten-free meals. Better than I ever remembered.
(4)Shannon E.
I held my company Christmas party here over the weekend and it was a wonderful experience. From the moment I requested information on holiday parties back in September and was responded to immediately by the Sales Manager, Rebecca; to the moment I walked in for the actual party and was escorted to our private event room the whole experience was efficient, friendly and professional. Our party went smoothly, the food was delicious, the cocktails (with the exception of the mojito, which seemed to be mixed in an 'unusual' way) were very good, and the servers assigned to us, Jordan and another young man (who's name I didn't catch), were very efficient and friendly. I will not hesitate to hold another event here. I was really very pleased.
(5)Terri T.
I usually love Bucca di Beppo but was sorely disappointed tonight. Called in for take out and was told it would be ready in 20 minutes. Got there and waited another 20 minutes. Got home to find a salad with no dressing so useless (called to have it take off the bill which they said they would do), cold chicken limone (probably because we also ordered baked ziti which was a bit warmer and they didn't time things with that dish in mind), a side of fettucini alfredo that was tasteless paste that went straight into the trash, and an OK slice of cake. Almost $90 dinner. Regret giving the $5 tip. Rigatony's is much better.
(2)Tonya M.
Came to this location last week with another couple. We ordered an appetizer of calamari, I didn't have any but the other 3 in my group loved it. So I had my fill of bread which is served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I don't know if it was just our server but the ratio was way off, more vinegar would have been ideal. I think saying the entrees will feed 2 or more is extremely misleading, we ordered 2 entrees based on the suggestion it would be more than enough. It wasn't. We had one order of Cheese Ravioli and one order of Chicken Marsala. The sauce on the Ravioli was bland, not a lot of flavor. The Chicken Marsala had a great flavor but just three small pieces of chicken and nothing else. I really expected it to come with a little pasta or potatoes. Very disappointing. I left with 3 people who weren't full and with a lot less cash in our pockets.
(3)Kristina J.
The food is very mediocre not worth the price. I don't understand how an Italian restaurant can mess up pasta but there it was, undercooked. No flavor. No taste. And no refills to help wash it down. We had to ask 3 different times for another beer to go with our meal Then proceed to chase down the waitress so we could finally get the drinks... Horrible service. Don't waste your hard earned money here. Go to RigaTony's!
(1)Anil K.
Best eggplant parm. and really good pasta dishes. Since all the meals are family style there are portioned for 4 or 5 people. So if you go with two people its pricy. But if you go with 3-4 its really reasonable and really good.
(3)Frankie A.
Upon entering this establishment, we were greeted with an awful odor. After a few minutes discussing it we came to the conclusion that a bathroom drain somewhere is flowing the wrong way. All this aside we decided to stay and tough it out. Some of the silverware was dirty. The bread was good! The chicken saltimbucco was over cooked and therefore dry. The saving grace was the tiramisu. It was amazing! Our service was shaky at first but got better. So check the smell and if u can take it, grab some bread and tiramisu and run! Solid 3 stars!
(3)Whitney T.
I'm truly astonished at the amount of negative reviews for Buca! I've had nothing but excellent service and great food at this place. This place, hands down, has the best caesar salad I've ever had in my life (100% serious). Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of taking a chunk out of my life savings to pay for a dinner bill for 3 people, but I've always left painfully full with a large bag of leftovers. It doesn't have the warm, hole-in-the-wall Italian ristorante thing going on, but the atmosphere is still very welcoming and I love that for large parties, you have your own private section. Each room has it's own theme and you can stare at the walls all night and still find something you missed before. Anyone who is unhappy with the wall decor was evidently not seated in the room with the pope head because if that's not class to you, I don't want to know you. Perhaps those decorating needs would be better met at a faux-posh restaurant with paintings and wall decor that looks strikingly similar to the Big Lots Home Accents section like they have at The Olive Garden (which is still super delicious by the way). Seriously with the food though, definitely on my top 10 list of death row meals. I could totally go down with their Veal Parmesan making itself a coffin out of my stomach.
(4)Valeria M.
I liked this place portions were big enough for 2 people. The service was good, we didn't have to wait to order or anything. And of course quality of food was up too par. We had mozzarella tomato appetizer and seafood pasta delicious.
(4)Kelly S.
Pros: always have coupons that you can just show on your phone, friendly staff, free plain bread. Cons: you can only order in larger quantities so if you have two people you will either be stuck eating the same thing or will have a high bill and leftovers. they walk you through the kitchen as a "tour" before you're seated. Menu has variety but not any beef dishes besides veal so any pasta with meat is pork. They won't let you choose not to have sausage cause I guess the food is already made. That would explain why the taste is very average. So it's not really a kitchen as much as it is a reheat/prep area. I know most places don't make the food there but that's what I'd still prefer. Or at least trick me and pretend you do.
(3)Dan D.
Made reservations for a private room to celebrate my girlfriends birthday with family. When we got there they hade put another party in the room no apologies for there mistake. They sat us down in a room full of obnoxious big mouth people and we couldn't even have a conversation with each other. Food came out and it was total shit and so was the service. Will never go back.
(1)Jessica C.
The place is overcrowded with kitschy things on the walls and in every corner. We also noticed all the flowers outside were fake and pretty worn out, which made the place look ridiculous, cheap, and unkempt. So for environment, we would rate it a 2 star.We placed our order online, which was convenient, but when we showed up to pick up our food the place was dead and we couldn't find anyone to help us. Two employees actually made eye contact with us and then went right back to talking and slacking off. After about 10 minutes, someone did finally wander up front to get us our order. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms, Penne San Remo, stuffed shells, and chocolate chip cannolis. The meal came with french bread but the bread was stale and cold. The mushrooms weren't too bad. The sauce was tasty but the stuffing overpowered the mushrooms so it ended up tasting like sharp cheese and sauce. The penne san remo is supposed to contain artichoke but we only found two chunks of artichoke out of a container with enough food to feed 3 people. So that was disappointing. The sauce was also really bland and the chicken was overcooked/rubbery. The stuffed shells were ok, no major issues, they just weren't worth the price. Actually, none of the food we got was worth the price. We paid over 60 dollars for a dinner that was maybe worth 30. All in all we weren't impressed and won't be returning.
(3)Monique L.
This place was horrible. We Went on lunch on Thursday and were the first customers. We Got our drink orders and food orders taken care of right away. Then nothing, no coming to refill our drinks or to let us know our food was going to take a while. We got our food after 40 minutes we immediately asked for the checks and to go boxes. The waitress apologized for how long everything took and still took a total of 15 minutes to check us out and give us our boxes. My g Food was good, I got the spicy rigatoni. My friends who got the spaghetti complained of the noodles having no flavor and the sauce tasted like just plain tomatoes with no seasoning at all. I called bucca to complain and they didn't answer and I'm still waiting to hear from corporate since Thursday. very disappointed especially since this was a work birthday lunch.
(1)Christine S.
In 2004, my employer was doing construction nearby. An employee from BdB dropped by with cannolis and some other food to welcome us. They gave us catering menus. We later used them for group business dinners--nice stmosphere, great food, good facility. And I do "to go" orders maybe 3 or 4 times a year. Just did their lunch offer a few weeks ago. All of this from a simple gesture of cannolis!
(4)Barbara H.
How could anyone not love Buca It is our all-time favorite place. Price is reasonable, food spectacular, service has always been excellent. I could go once a week. I even went and bought a bag full and took it on the plane to Groton CT
(5)Lucy M.
My husband just took me there today and I loved it! We had to share the baked ziti plate because the plates are HUGE. I also had an Italian margarita and of course it was delicious. Definitely going to be back.
(5)Kimberly D.
Dined here a couple of nights ago and had an okay experience. Not bad but nothing that will stand out in my mind. The service was great and our waiter was very good about coming back to check on us even though there was a huge party on the other side of the restaurant that he was also assisting. Good service. The food was okay. We got the Quattro Forno dish which is four different kinds of stuffed shells including manicotti, ravioli, shells and canolli. The food was cooked well and it had good flavor but it was not anything that I would go out of my way to have again. We also got a small order of cheesy garlic bread which could have stood to be cooked a little longer. It tasted good but got cold really fast and no one likes cold bread. I do not recommend coming here with just two people. The family style dishes are huge even if you just get one small order between two people. They probably gave us 20 large pieces of garlic bread which we definitely could not finish and garlic bread does not reheat well so I felt like I was just wasting it. I would recommend coming here with a party of four or more. Not sure if I will be back. Maybe if I have a large party and we need a lot of food for a certain occasion.
(3)Monica J.
The quality of food at Buca di Beppo has really gone downhill. I was here for dinner a couple nights ago and I didn't enjoy the food at all. My minestrone soup had no broth or flavor. It tasted as though it was a can of crushed tomatoes combined with a drained can of green beans. And that's it. My husband's Caesar salad was not fresh. The chicken rigatoni came with a nice spicy tomato sauce which the chef inexplicably decided to ruin by dumping a bag of frozen peas into it. The decor was tacky to begin with and now its just looking tired and dusty. I think the only people who come here are large families or groups wanting to take advantage of the humongous portion sizes. There were no less than three tables with toddlers whose parents thought it was ok to let them scream their head off and/or run around the restaurant while they sat at the table with a glass of wine talking to their friends. Which reminds me, their Chianti is terrible. I see no reason to return.
(2)Mark C.
Meh about says it. I've been to this place a bunch of times. In hindsight I don't know why. Italian is one of my favorite foods and I've never had anything, other than the garlic bread, that really stands out here. Yeah the inside is neat and the staff is always good... but the pasta sauce is nothing special. Everything seems like bland Italian food, in comparison of the many other options in the category especially. It also isn't cheap. For chain Italian restaurants, I'd take Olive Garden, Carabba's, Brio. Also, I somehow end up with in this place with work people or friends that don't like some damn thing. I'll eat everything, but considering the menu is just OK as it is, I end up getting stuck with the most mediocre dish at a medicre restaurant. This makes me want to stab someone. Family style is great if you are with your family, if you are with a bunch of vegetarians... REDRUM! REDRUM! Yeah yeah, I can get individual orders now. So I can be THAT guy, that goes to a family style restaurant and is like, NO, I'm ordering my own thing, you all suck. While YES, that is totally true, I don't want everyone to necessarily know it. Pizza places is where you are supposed to go with a group of people and argue about what to order, not pasta places.
(2)Angelo E.
I've come to this Buca several times and it seems like a hit or miss sometimes. I'm not sure if it's better to go in big groups or just on date night but the last time I came with my g/f and some friends, the food was okay. I didn't think it was worth the price but oh well. But my experience prior to that which was several months ago, it was great. Everything we got seemed to fit the bill and was delicious. I always love the Garlic Bread here and the Caprese. Great starters. The atmosphere is nice and definitely feels like family place which I like. I wish I can maybe give 3 1/2 stars just because of the past experiences that were good and some okay and some that were..eh...it's alright. Also, what happened to the Angelo pizza? Had it once and i thought it was pretty good. Haven't seen it in several years now. :(
(3)Jen C.
Hubby had never been to a Buca, so we figured why not? Of course we went during I'm guessing prom night...which on a side note when did prom start to look like a bunch of strippers running around? Wow. Anyway it was really busy, but no huge wait time. Seated promptly and began to look over the menu. Our server was amazing and very quick with everything, and had excellent communication and was really friendly and prompt even with the onslaught of teens next to us. Anyway, someone accidentally picked up our order sho we had to wait a moment more which was perfectly fine in my opinion. Food was good, but we both felt it could use a little more sauce. Ordered a cocktail, which was good, boozy, and of course came with a souvenir glass. I don't live that idea, cuz I really don't even want a souvenir glass from an actual destination place, but oh well. At the end when our bill came, they had taken of the entire entree because we had to wait so long. I was stunned. I really want even upset about the wait, however I.appreciate it because it makes me want to be a repeat customer. So thank you for providing customer service and we shall return!
(4)Mindi R.
I wanted to do something different for Thanksgiving so we tried Buca. We got it to go and were anxiously awaiting a delicious Italian meal at home. We ordered the Veal Marsala, it was bland and the veal was overcooked. Next on the menu was the Sorrento Salmon it wasn't bad the Salmon was also a little overcooked. The spaghetti and meatballs bleh worst marinara sauce I've had in a long time. The rosemary potatoes tasted sweet and very very dry. I am so disappointed that I was the one that suggested we try this place out for a non traditional Thanksgiving meal. We wil never ever eat here again. Terrible food.
(1)Ian M.
This was my first time at a Buca di Beppo and I have to say that I was impressed. The food wasn't the best Italian food (and probably not the most authentic, either), but I enjoyed the aspect of sharing that the restaurant promotes. Between eight people, we shared four small dishes and two salads, much less than the waitress-suggested four large dishes and two salads. The entire party was quite full at the end of it, so I'm glad we got the small sizes. One of our party had a birthday and they made an effort to make it fun for her. The interior was a bit confusing and I got seriously lost on the way to the bathroom, but that's okay. It's also a little intense on the eyes (read: gaudy).
(4)Sylvia C.
I've been wanting to try this place and it f wasn't too bad! I got the veal saltimbocca and it started off tasting good but then it seemed to be a bit greasy! The service was good and I did enjoy the Frank Sinatra music!
(3)Cadence C.
Aww sh*t,... food poisoning.
(1)Alexis C.
We had a special occasion that we were celebrating with the whole family. It was easy to make the reservation- this place is the BEST if you have a large group. The service was great, tons of delicious food, which is perfect for sharing family-style. We had a wonderful dinner celebration. Very pleased with the experience and will be back either with just my husband or the whole family!
(4)Luke T.
Came for lunch on Saturday around 1:30p. Rarely come to Buca, had $10 off coupon from mail. There were about 2 other tables occupied. Chicken carbonara was delicious, not for health-conscious folks. Eggplant parmigiana was very good too. Service was fast and efficient. The only issue was, we were asked whether we would like bread, I said yes and chose garlic. I didn't know it would cost $6.99, wasn't told either. I thought it would be complimentary like breadsticks in Olive Garden. Didn't make it a big deal because everything else was good plus the coupon helped.
(3)Nicole C.
This place is awesome for traditional Italian food. This is a great place for a large group or a couple, all of their dishes come family style in a small or large portion. I have had their baked rigatoni with meatballs, spaghetti with meatballs, and their rigatoni with spicy Italian sausage. All of these dishes were cooked perfectly using just the right amount of sauce and cheese. The meatballs are super moist and have great flavor. Now when it comes to desserts I am always a sucker for their Tiramisu which is amazing and is great even as left overs. Overall I love coming to Buca di Beppo for a great Italian meal, they are light on the wallet even with having portions so large you are almost certain to bring home some left overs :-)
(4)Devon H.
It was good. Not great, food portions wonderful, staff good. Had a coupon. :) Not a bad choice for a night out. Great cocktails.
(4)Evy O.
I was craving for Italian food the other day and what's better version of Italian than having a perfectly good spaghetti. This food has been my most favorite since my sis in law always took me to this place and order the linguine de mare (seafood spaghetti that has the black mussels, clams, squids, and delicious spicy marinara sauce). It's the bomb! So I went there and order one along with black mussels. The place was really crowded on Friday nights and there's a lot of people having birthdays so we got waiters and waitress singing and clapping for birthdays songs the whole night. The free appetizer comes, bread with olive oil and vinegars. I tried to ask for butter but my waiter was kinda forgetting my request cause the poor waiter had to take order and sing the birthday songs in three tables. And finally the black mussels was arrived and its totally become my favorite food of the day. The sweetness and freshness of the mussels along with white wine, garlic and butter just gave the superb flavor away. I immediately felt in love with this food. Finally after the appetizer was gone and the black mussels too we waited again for 20 minutes until our spaghetti is coming and we already full cause of the long waiting and the appetizer. Luckily the taste of the spaghetti was still great so i don't regret my decision to wait in this place. Overall I learned my lessons to have carry out anytime I'm cracking that black mussels and seafood spaghetti.
(4)Alison T.
Eh...this place is okay. I've been to other locations that seem better than this one. Food is so-so, staff is friendly enough, and the atmosphere is fun but it's never been my first choice for Italian when in Chandler.
(3)Lindsey P.
Big portions. Be prepared to share. We had the lasagna & the chopped antipasto salad... both were delicious. The lasagna was freshly baked (the plate was about a thousand degrees) & stuffed with cheese. Left me wanting more meat though. The salad was everything I want an antipasto to be-- just the right amount of cheeses, meats & veggies. Ordered smalls & the two of us definitely left full. Our total with a glass of wine & a beer was about $50. Good place to celebrate a special occasion-- there is plenty of room for big parties. For a chain restaurant, they're doing it right.
(5)Brenda P.
We have been to this location a couple of times, but this last one was slightly disappointing. The stuffed mushrooms in the creamy pesto was pretty delicious. The warm house bread was good, but the vinegar and oil they provide with it was not proportioned well and was bland. The braised short ribs, though slightly expensive, tasted like cheap pot roast. The highlight of the evening was ordering the Colossal Sundae, knowing full well what was coming. Our friends were not expecting the sheer size of the dessert, resulting in a very genuine, very hilarious "WHAT THE..!!"
(3)Sheera G.
Absolutely disappointed to the point I will probably never return. We went for dinner after the dinner rush at 7pm, this place was super noisy to the point where we couldn't have a conversation with people at the table. Seemed like they were seating by the rooms vs by server, so once one room was filled up they would seat in another area. My biggest complaint is that I ordered Veal Marsala, my veal was VERY overcooked and tough to even cut into, I did tell our server who swapped out for Chicken Marsala however it took them about 40 minutes and by the time I was super annoyed and not hungry let alone my friends and family were already finished eating. Also, two people at my table ordered meatballs, they were also overcooked and came to the table luke warm, they were not eaten and asked to be taken off the bill. The manager said that the meatballs were boiled and probably at the bottom of the pot and not stirred. Christina was our server and probably the ONLY thing positive I can say was that she was very sweet and accommodating however I would suggest giving this girl a promotion to manager as the manager who came to speak with us never introduced himself, had a bad attitude and did the bare minimum by taking the meatballs and Marsala off the bill but his attitude wasn't one of a manager should have. The only way I knew his name was that his initials are on the bill and it on the door. And for a suggestion.....it would be really nice if they offered gluten-free pasta for those of us with allergies since they are a pasta establishment. I had 5 things to choose from, and 3 of those I couldn't eat...you know the rest of the two other options. Meh!
(1)Jasen S.
I had written a bad review about the this place not long ago and they were happy to give me another shot at eating at the place and paying for my meal. I'm glad they were willing to allow me to have another chance at it. However, though it wasn't as bad as last time I ate here they food hasn't much improved. I ordered the same meal, the Buca Trio Platter. I was a little hesitant to order the same thing that made me sick before but they were assuring me it was going to be good. I the mozzarella triangles aren't bad for frozen food. The stuffed mushrooms weren't as wet as last time but this time my biggest issue was the calamari. Last time I ate it, it made me sick, and had food poisoning. This time around, wasn't much better. It didn't make me sick but half of it was cold and the other half was hot. This tells me that they were cooked at different times. I'm sorry to staff at Bucca but I still give it one star as the food was not good and the chefs must not care about the quality of their food.
(1)Johnny L.
It's a chain. Chicken Parm isn't bad, especially when you aren't paying for it. Ya feel me?
(3)M G.
Maria...host, rolled her eyes and seemed to have a attitude problem Kyahl? Sounds like Kyle. was actually pretty good, he answered my mother in law's questions to the best of his abilities. The food is always kind of hit or miss...the veal parm was good but the macaroni rosa was very bland and the broccoli in it weren't cooked and the pasta was a more al dente than we are use too...there was still a crunch
(3)Laura L.
We like Buca for informal family gatherings. Going to Buca means everyone will find SOMETHING they like. It means we will have leftovers. It means we won't have to clean up after ourselves. The quality of Buca noticeably deteriorated after Planet Hollywood took over. We'd been going to Buca for years in various states and things we loved started to disappear. For example, Buca used to give you really good complimentary rosemary focaccia when you sat down. Now they give you a semi-crusty white bread with zero flavor. What do you want to bet they started selling more garlic bread and bruschetta when they stopped giving you the good free stuff?! The portion sizes also changed noticeably. Still, you always have enough to eat (or more than enough). You always also have a good time. How can you not? We always look forward to seeing the old pictures... especially of old Italian movie stars, The Pope and various mischievous children. Is this the best, most authentic Italian food around? No. But they do have a lot of Italian-American classics that your family will surely enjoy. I can't give it a 4 stars due to commonly having received extra slow service (due to the kitchen) on busy nights and usually having a wait even with a reservation. But the food is definitely better than, say, Chili's or other like-priced places. It's served family style for the most part, but you CAN get individual portions of most things at lunch. Want a tip? If you're craving spaghetti but you don't want to order a full portion, you can order the SIDE of spaghetti for only $5.99! It is about 1/2 to 2/3 the size of the small spaghetti at a fraction of the price.
(3)G B.
Meh. I've experienced better its totally correct! However, if you live close by and want something to feed the family that is ok and relatively cheap, this a good place. It''s very loud inside and the decor is very busy but nice. My reason for one start is because three times now we have ordered to go food and it seems that our dish was sabotaged each time! Twice came without chicken and all twice with the bread being super cold as taken out of a freezer recently. One time came swimming in sauce and it became disgusting to eat. I called the restaurant for one of the occasions. They didn't act if it was important or a big deal. They refunded me only after I requested and it took over a day. I was told someone would call me back to follow up and I received no calls. If you are in business to serve people their meals, you should take a little extra precautions that the food is done correctly. I should not have to get home with hungry kids and have items missing. This should never happen twice or even a third time. It seems to me that this Bucca di Beppo is careless with the food they serve and how they treat their customers.
(1)Joseph P.
I had driven by this spot many times I did not hear good things... But I was moving out of town and a coworker want to hit it up for lunch so I was like let's do it... I found it strange we were guided through the kitchen to our table... I went with the lunch special Baked Rigatoni - Rich meat sauce and spicy Italian sausage tossed with imported Italian rigatoni and lots of mozzarella. Topped with Parmesan and dollops of ricotta cheese then baked to golden perfection with a Caesar Side salad... I rate the experience as followed. Baked Rigatoni - C Caesar Side Salad - B Staff - B+ The food was nothing to write home about... As I was leaving I still felt weird walking in the kitchen but that could just be me.
(3)Inaie R.
It is a lovely place and the food is good, but the protions are so big you have to share... I have never hadthe chance to order what I reallyw ant because I ened to compromise and share with someone else... :-(
(3)Candace R.
The bf and I had plans for July 3rd in Ahwatukee but since the entire city was out to watch the fireworks, our plans got squashed and we decided to just grab dinner and call it a night. There wasn't a wait at buca and we were seated in their wine room. I hadn't been there in a couple of years and the bf had never been so we made some rookie mistakes. We started with an order of calamari which was really good. We decided to get two small entrees (main mistake). He had the spicy sausage with ziti dish and I had the stuffed shells. I wish our server had emphasized how big the servings are because they are giant. The two small entrees could have easily served at least four - so it is best to share a small entree if it's just two people. The two entrees were good, nothing spectacular but good. the service was good and the dinner was overall a good experience, I probably won't be back anytime soon though.
(3)Amanda b.
One word: disappointed. I ordered the most simple dish, spaghetti and meat balls, and the sauce tasted like it came out of a can. It really tasted like they opened up a can of diced tomatoes and poured it on top and it also was sweet, as if they added sugar. The meat balls were generous in size but was not an Italian meat ball. It just had no flavor, seasoning, or Italian spices to it! This is not a good place to eat at if you want real Italian food. I will not be returning.
(1)Ahana M.
Had I written this review yesterday because I was hungry, craving pasta and eating here pretty late at 9 pm, it would have gotten one more star for coming to my rescue while driving around looking for food. 24 hours later , with a clearer mind, i can say this place is average. The bread very plain, the shrimp linguine quite bland. The service and decor are quite good though. And finally, so Not the place to go for a meal for one.The size of helpings is HUGE. I had enough left over for lunch. Which would have been a good thing had the food been tasty.
(2)Lori C.
Maybe it is cultural, but I do not like the food here. I want my own food and not have to eat what everyone else wants. We had a chicken dish last time with capers that was so dry that drinking water with it at the same time was a necessity. I felt like a raccoon. It was too loud for us to have a real conversation and I didn't want to yell.
(1)Len M.
I really enjoy the place, it can get busy and noisy but the food is worth it. Meatballs the size of baseballs and good family style portions. I usually get a large tray to go and me and the family enjoy it, I find coupons for $10 off so for around $25 I can feed 4-6 people something good.
(4)Andy G.
Something about this place always told me to stay far, far away. But by all rights, all of us should try every Italian restaurant around, because someone, somewhere, must be nailing "Italian Restaurant", the triple-Axel of the culinary business. I just haven't found them yet. I should have listened to my impulse to stay away, but my wife has been wanting to try this place for years. For some reason we thought we would forgo some risk by using the To Go service and ordering online. Nay, the problems this place has pervade all its crevices. all the way out to the parking lot. I ordered some junk online: A small Caesar Salad, a Small Quattro al Forno, and a Small Eggplant Parmesan. It would be ready from 5:00-5:15pm. I got there at about 4:50 and a friendly lady came out right away and gave me the bill to sign. She said my food was "not quite done". Fine, cool, whatever. I was early. I could wait a few. A half hour later, it would dawn on me that "not quite done" in restaurant parlance actually means "We haven't started cooking your food." After I watched numerous people park at the To Go window and leave with their food, the harried lady finally came back out with my stuff, explaining that "they had to cut more eggplant". Ah, the mysterious "they" and their lack of kitchen management skills. An order for eggplant comes in online at 4:30.. why cut up any eggplant? Silly. I got home and discovered that the rest of my order had apparently been sitting around while the eggplant dish was prepared. The eggplant was moderately hot -- however, the Quattro al Forno was room temperature and so was the salad. The eggplant was way too thin and not seasoned well, and featured chunks of uneven Parmesan that had clearly been cut instead of grated. The Quattro al Forno might have been good when it was designed to be served, but its temperature made me quesy. When all was said and done, I realized that I'd consumed passable Italian food at quite a premium price with poor service to go with it. I felt full of lukewarm food and disappointed, which is really a strange sensation. I'm sure this place has its moments when it's hitting on all cylinders, but it ain't Sunday at 5pm.
(2)Chris K.
I only give it a second star because I like the atmosphere, seating and cozy/social feel. I also liked that the waitress walks you through the kitchen to get to your table. That was the upside. Here is the downside. As you can tell from other reviews it is very pricey. If you are looking for good Italian kitchen family style food you must go to Maggiano's, 5 star and you get a ton more food for the same price as this joint. The service tonight was slow and I didn't expect that since we came in after the rush. The waitress seem experienced but she only pretended to care. She seem as if she could not be bothered by us even after we introduced ourselves as first time customers. We ordered the Chicken Limone and it was very dry. Enough said. The spicy chicken (insert your favorite little Italian pasta name here) was pretty good. My wife asked what I thought and I said it was okay but I wouldn't exactly come running back.
(2)Jeff K.
It's good for a chain.
(4)T W.
It's been a year since my last review. Yes, I'm still a fan! Went for lunch today. They are now offering lunch portions (at lower prices), and honestly they are still pretty huge! My wife and I were not able to finish either of our dishes. We each have another meal from the leftovers. For 99 cents you can add either soup or salad to a lunch entree. The food is good, the portions are large, and they do a lot of coupons (which make the price quite reasonable). Without a coupon they are a little expensive, though not outrageous. Join their e-club and you'll get coupons in email, plus they have them in the paper and sometimes in coupon mailers. So they aren't difficult to get. Today I tried their Tuscan bean soup. I think it would have been good if it weren't so salty. I mean really salty! But behind the salt I could taste what seemed like a decent bean soup. This is the only thing I remember having a problem with at Buca. But they replaced it with minestrone, and that was pretty good. We will be back before Sunday as we have a $10 off of $20 purchase email coupon, and we definitely want to use it!!
(4)Jon B.
I loved the baked ziti but the meatball was terrible. Dry old. Burned. No flavor. What puzzles me is why the menu says its one of their special items. Clearly they don't make them fresh
(2)Mario C.
I have been here a few times now so I can give them a proper review. THey always try to get you a seat as quickly as they can and the staff is above friendly. We came here on Saturday night for a quick dinner. We were seated very quickly. We got a booth in a very loud room. There were a lot of teenagers there so the noise was unreal. We could not hear the waitress, we had to yell and so did she. Our waitress was a sweet girl named Megan. She was very sorry about all the noise and said it should end soon. 2 of the tables finally left but, the one that stayed had 7 of the loudest teens I have ever experianced in a Public place. Anyway,never mind all that. The Food!! So many choices to be had, We ended up by getting a mixed plate of stuffed shells and Cantonolis, It is called Quattro al Forno. Plus we had bread first with vinegar and Olive Oil. We were not too hungry this day, so it was really a lot of food. They have really great starters, the Calamari is fantastic. We did not have dessert but, we saw some of the desserts being brought to other tables. The Ice Cream Sundae is huge,all served in a giant Maritini glass. Everything is family style so keep that in mind when you order. There is a lot of food here. Great place to have a party or family get together. The staff works really hard here, I do not know how the can do it everyday. The noise is just over the top. Another thing that is a little differant is you walk through the Kitchen to get to the dining area. You can even make reservations to get a table in the kitchen. Which surprised me is very popular to do.
(4)Connor C.
We visited the restaurant in Chandler AZ on Ray road Sunday February 12th with my friends. I must say that every time we go back there we are more and more disappointed. The value of the food vs. the cost just is just ridiculous and the taste, well lets just say it used to be a lot better. Another very disappointing thing is that when I tried to order a non alcoholic strawberry dakari, I was informed that they could not serve it to me at the table and I would have to go to the bar and drink it if I wanted it. I ask you, what kind of crap is that? If I ordered a coke or lemonade they could served it at my table or even a regular dakari with alcohol but that was not what I wanted. They told me some story that I believe to be nothing but BS about the liquor laws, and found out I was right too. To confirm this, I just had dinner at The Keg restaurant in Chandler, yes the same city governed by the same laws as the Buca I ate at on Sunday, and I was informed by the manager that to his knowledge there was no such law in Chandler or AZ. He even confirmed that with another manager. I got my non alcoholic dakari with my dinner at my table. Sometimes I can over look bad food or even bad service from a restaurant but I have a hard time overlooking being lied to! The only good thing I can say about our visit Sunday night was that all the employees there were really nice. They lied to us but at least they did it with a smile on their face.
(1)Susan M.
Pretty darn good lunch! Good fresh food, excellent service so I was pleasantly surprised. The only thing is that by the time you pay for each little individual thing, I think the value of the family dinners at Maggiano's far exceed the value here. I will return again for lunch but would do family dinners at Maggiano's for sure. We split a Garlic Bread with cheese, had two drinks and split the Quattro something plate (one Cannelloni, One Manicotti, two shells and some ravioli) and the check with a $10 off $20 was still about thirty bucks with tip.
(4)Cookie M.
Everyone at Buca is very friendly. Their lunch is nice sized portions (unlike their dinner portions which are only suitable for "family style" sharing). My g/f and I ordered their Apple Gorgonzola Salad and their Vegetarian Pizza. Both were "just ok". The salad had too many competing flavors including overly cinnamon seasoned walnuts competing with the other fresh flavors. Also, their Italian vinaigrette didn't quite seem to match the other ingredients. The pizza had a limp crust. The toppings were nice with broccoli, peppers and mushroom flavors standing out. Overall, the experience was 'ok' but I won't be rushing to go back.
(2)Eric L.
I have been to a number of Buca's across Phoenix. I am a fan of the food and the unique atmosphere. Perfect place to have a party, in fact I had my college graduation party here a few years back and it was a blast. Place was designed for family sized gatherings. My only gripe is that this place is not really designed for one or two people. In smaller groups the bill seems very high and the portions seem to be a bit lacking, your wallet can take a real beating if you want to have a diverse experience. Still I give this place a big thumbs up, just make sure you book a party and visit the pope room.
(4)Wendi H.
Recently had a rehearsal dinner there for my sons wedding our total party had 25 people. My biggest complaint was there wasnt enough food served for everyone at the table to try everything. We were seated at one long table and the food was brought in and placed mostly at the ends. By the time the serving plates reached those in the middle they were pretty much empty and the servers didnt bring anymore food. Also cheesecake and cannoli were to be served for desert. There was only enough cheesecake for half the guests and the rest had to have cannoli. Really dissapointing. Also, the food on the whole was just so-so...pretty much on the level of Olive Garden. Im not a fan of "family style" plating so with so many other choices for Italian around town I dont think I will be coming here again.
(2)Kimberly S.
We went in a group of 6 for dinner on a Wednesday around 6pm the place was empty and it still them for ever to take our order and bring out any drinks(20 min and I had get up ask to please get some one to help us). After that I got up and said we were ready to order and no one came for another 10 min?? We ordered our food came and it was so delicious! But our drinks were not filled even once. I think if we do a next time it will be to go.
(2)J G.
Buca is my absolute favorite chain Italian restaurant! Everything is wonderful!
(4)Ann W.
After experiencing Buca's in California, we were excited to see one here! The atmosphere was wonderful, as was the food. Huge portions never disappoint for lunch the next day. The welcoming staff was wonderful to hold the door open for us. We were given the "tour" through the kitchen enroute our table. Our waiter was a bit overwhelmed as he was solo in our area. We were the only table at 4, but 3 other tables filled soon thereafter. He served us well and didn't miss anything; even keeping our glasses full...albeit a bit slow. The only reason for 4 stars was the lack of wait staff. We'll go again!
(4)Matt B.
Horrible service. Had to ask for bread to start the meal when normally they bring it out without hesitation. Then later refills on water never came. The main entree ordered was burnt when the restaurant was no even busy so there was extra waiting time to wait for the entree to be ready again. When the entree was finally done it came out burnt still on the noodles. Finally when it came to the check it was about 15 to 20 minutes before we left to pay and leave. We were the only table the waitress had and she decided to prepare drinks behind the bar before giving us the check and a box for our food. So she asked another server to get the check for us. When I put my card in the billfold we had to wait for the other server to process the payment while the waitress was still making drinks. It was very poor service and I was very disappointed and confused why she put drinks before servicing her only table. Her name was Cindy and if you ever have her as your waitress there I feel sorry for you. So bottom line I do not recommend this location to go dine at. One of the managers even asked our waitress if she knew how to make a certain drink and she responded yes. Why would the manager ask her that if she was the one responsible and hired as the bartender and should know all the main drinks that need to be served. I don't plan on coming back to this location any time soon. Likely never again.
(1)Emily R.
My boyfriend and I came here on St. Patrick's Day hoping to escape the crowds and definitely found it at Buca. When we came into the restaurant, they took us through the kitchen first and all of the cooks greeted us warmly. There were a variety of "rooms" each with a different theme, and the host explained them to us on a short tour on the way to our seats. It was really neat! We really liked that the meals were served family style, and they were well-priced. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms and the Quattro al Forno platter along with a couple of beers (because it was St. Paddy's Day, not because beer really seems to go with Italian food at all). I loved the food, especially the creamy pesto sauce that came with the stuffed mushrooms. The service was phenomenal; the waiter checked on us frequently to fill our waters and was prompt with serving our food and giving us the bill when we asked. We came in with a $10 off a $20 meal coupon, and they'd given us two more before we left. We would have come back anyway paying full price. I highly recommend this restaurant!
(5)madstop m.
The ambiance of buca di beppo is quirky and fun. The food was good - not the most amazing Italian food but it was fine for the price. We shared a vegetable pasta dish and started with garlic bread. The garlic bread was ok (even better the next day when heated up at home). The chocolate gelato was a nice end to the meal - though again not the best I've had. This would be a fun place to go with a large group - especially since the meals are mostly made family style for sharing. Our waiter was great.
(3)