I am getting so tired of these absurdly over-priced corporate chains pretending to be genuine ethnic restaurants. I wouldn't feed Brea's Buca di Bimbo's grub to my dog! It was one of the worst experiences of our lives. We were there for the first (and last time) on Sunday, October 12th, at around 6:00 PM. NEVER and I mean NEVER go there on a Saturday or Sunday because everyone and their hoards of screaming shrill kids, friends, associates, and extended families gather for some birthday, shower, anniversary or other group celebration making it the loudest, most obnoxious place on Earth. It's like everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs at once and there was no end to the audible torture -- no semi-quiet place to escape and hear yourself think, much less have a conversation. Management needs to add sound-insulation or partition banquet rooms, so that couples or groups under four can enjoy their dining experience as well. The moment we entered, my date and I felt like our heads were going to explode. We should have left immediately, but then an aggressive hostess grabbed us by the arm and lead us through the kitchen to our loud booth surrounded by three groups of insane high-volumed screamers. Btw, who leads patrons through the kitchen anyway? Was this supposed to be some campy corporate re-enactment from a scene of the movie Good Fellas? How idiotic! Beyond the overt pretense and high-pitched assault, the service was beyond inept and rude. I ordered a double Grey Goose straight up with NO ICE! What could be easier than a straight double-pour? No olives, limes, lemons, onions...just bring over a double shot in a glass. So, what did they serve? A blended chilled Martini with olives. We ordered water too with lemon slices. Did we get that?...nope, of course not. Maybe they couldn't hear our order. And the prices were so ridiculously expensive. Seriously, what's cheaper than a bowl of pasta? I don't care if it is "family-style" (their rationale-mantra). Every entree started at $25+ and ala-carte. I don't mind spending money, when there's value, but this was grossly insulting. And it only got worse. The nasty waiter literally slammed the piled bread platters on our table and stormed off. Then he returned and tossed a basket of nearly-frozen stale bread at the end of our table. We each took a bite and it tasted like saw-dust, so we both simultaneously spat it out before we swallowed it and got sick. When was the last time the Board of Health inspected this place? Enough was enough! We walked out swearing to never return and went across the parking lot to "Lucille's" (the rib joint), another corporate chain, which wasn't the greatest, but we were hungry and their food was edible, the server was pleasant, and it was a comfortable and quiet environment.
(1)
Yves S.
Love this place! My family comes here for celebrations of birthdays, graduations, or just because. Haven't had a bad experience always good!!!
(5)
Tracey C.
We ordered a large salad that was completely overdressed. There was about a quarter cup of dressing left in the bottom of the bowl:(
(2)
Brian M.
Review based on catering/take out order. I arrived way early for my order, and had some last minute additions and coupons (you know, THAT customer). They handled it well! The customer service from Jessica and Nick was outstanding.. They treated me like a king. Very polite and helpful and friendly. Wouldn't even let me carry my own food to the car. The food was exactly what we ordered, a good amount, and came with extra sauces and condiments, and was excellent! Food was a big hit for our party. Even sat at the bar and had a beer while i waited for the order. Bartender was friendly and cool too (sorry I didn't catch his name), and Jessica came to find me when my order was ready. In and out hassle free. Can't wait til the next shindig. Coming back here. Get the prosciutto stuffed chicken!
(5)
Little S.
My parents and I went to it for a very late lunch yesterday with a coupon at about 3 PM PDT. It was our first time there. It was great! Too much food though, but good for left overs to eat at home! Nice theme and setups with framed pictures. Also, sense of humor like the papers on the tables.
(4)
Yong Y.
we got their favorite, and it was good. and the quantity was good. ambiance was good. waiter was good. buca de beppo was good
(5)
Alan M.
Typically a 30-45 minute wait which isn't bad for a good restaurant. A family of four can eat till you burst for around $100 which is very reasonable. The decor is fun to look at and always pretty entertaining. There are surprises all over the walls so pay attention to detail. If your just passing thru, make the stop. You won't regret it. Service has always been good and friendly. Never had any complaints at an Buca di Beppo!
(5)
Manuel R.
Wow. Service sucks our server looks like it's her 1st day on the job, running around back and forth and it's barely 6:30PM and looks like she needs help. The food is to be expected from a chain restaurant so no surprises there. Like that at least we can bring the kids and they can be themselves so that's cool.
(2)
Esther B.
The service of this location was super bad! The manager completely did not know what she was doing as she let the wrong customer pay for the wrong order and they were not busy! I never received an apology and had to wait for the order for 20 minutes after the actual given time for me to pick up the order. If I need to order food from an Italian restaurant I will definitely go somewhere else! I will not be returning to this location!!!!
(2)
Lowey M.
Like the two star title: "Meh, I've expererienced better" I like that Buca has big servings but every location I've tried has had this weird sticky muggy scent to it.. As for the food- Last time I tried the chicken parm and it was sooo mouthwatering. This time my friend and i wanted to try something new so we opted for one of the specialty pastas, the spicy chicken rigatoni. I have to say its not the worst pasta i've had but certainly not the best either. It was just... "meh" Their meat balls are savory and delish even for someone like me who hates marinara sauce, but i was boggled that the servings for this app were so small considering how everyone raves on and on about big portions at buca..
(2)
Allen L.
Service was really poor. Our food came out after a table that was sat after us. I had to ask for my water to be refilled. Took order and sat for 25 minutes with nobody coming by. Finally had to ask for our server from another server. Server's response was "I already took their order". Our Server was a guy who wears an underarmor band on his arm with pens in it. While here, other table had a server bring out the wrong dish.Then, when he got to the table, he proudly told the table he was talking to someone and got distracted and forgot which table it was for. Not a good thing to admit to customers. We won't be back. If we're going to pay all this money for pasta, this better be amazing and service better be there. We will just make it ourselves next time.
(2)
Thomas T.
Had a great time with our church group. Came for one of our people's birthday. Great food at a good price for large groups. Christian at the host stand was super friendly and courteous and very accommodating. He also blessed us in a way we have never had before. Robert our waiter was the best waiter we ever had here. Really funny guy and efficient at getting our drinks and food. He and Christian made our dinner experience a memorable one. Thanks Christian and Robert! Will def come back for our large gatherings again. The best Buca experience ever!
(5)
Niki S.
Who would order Veggie Pizza at Buca di Beppo??? ME....and I am not even a vegetarian:D it has eggplant, broccoli, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, mozzarella, provolone and our authentic pizza sauce. I didn't remember I had tasted eggplant in my pizza!? because I don't think its even exist!! those ingredients did not distribute well on the pizza so some part of the pizza was quite bland. The crust was good as I remembered. (If I can add my own topping like artichoke that would be great!) We also had Specialty Pasta Chicken Carbonara, chicken breast, prosciutto, peas and garlic in Alfredo sauce. I would say most people probably can make it home including me. Conclusion: I think Buca de Peppo is specialized in their homemade marinara sauce or meatball. Their lighter and healthier choices just not that great. Food always tastes better when you have to fight food with others. I came here few times before and was always with a big group (8+ people). when it comes to only two people who ordered a large pizza, small pasta and Tiramisu...it just not tastes that good anymore Peroni is one of my favorite since I was introduced to it at Cucina Alessa
(3)
Jeffrey H.
To start off, I'm not a big fan of Italian food so reviewing how it tastes is somewhat pointless. However, the portions are absolutely MASSIVE. Share with your group or you'll have leftovers for days. The wedding lunch party I was with had made reservations luckily and we were walked through the kitchen to our seat in the back room (a lot like that scene in The Goodfellas with the really long continuous camera shot). The service is so damn friendly which made it a very warm environment. It was a very fun family style meal although not very keen on Italian food, I'd recommend to a pasta lover.
(4)
Nashi A.
OkAlright. So this how it goes. Get here waitress says it'll be 10 minutes. Get to our table and sit down. Waiter comes by and says he will serve us. Proceeds to say he will be back in a few minutes. A waitress comes by and asks us of we have been helped. Nice girl, but why the fuck did I have to ask for utensils and napkins. Why the fuck is the guy who was supposed to serve us, not doing his job and serving a table NEXT to us while never coming back to us ever. My water cup is still empty and never once refilled. Waitress' s family is eating next to us, and while my water cup is STILL empty she asks if anything is wrong and proceeds to ignore my empty cup and sits down with her family to talk while on the job. Our pizza was greasy as hell and partially burnt. Overall please do better. The fuck, why do I need to ask for shit when they are NECESSITIES. Utensils and napkins I'm not eating with my face you know. other restaurants lower class than this always refill my water every 15 minutes. Come on why weren't the utensils already laid out!!! *sigh* overall 2 out of 5 for the experience. Food was okay, but my experience was mediocre at best. Edit: Asked for a box 15 minutes ago. Waitress comes by with no box and helps another table. Uhm is a box hard to find? ONE BOX. Edit 2: "sorry about your box I'll get that right away" WHERE THE FUCK IS MY BOX. Gave her the check STILL NO BOX. THE FUCK. Edit 3: Why the fuck is there a picture of a dog's balls in front of our table. Gross as shit. I don't want to stare at that while eating. Seriously...
(2)
Ashley F.
My group had been told it would be an hour wait for a party of four. I was anticipating a frustrating experience filled with waiting for seating, drinks, food and...well everything. The wait ended up only being 40 minutes on a busy Saturday night, which my very pregnant feet were thankful for. Our server, Alex, was easily the best I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was entertaining, friendly, prompt, and knowledgeable of the menu. When my group vaguely described a dish we had seen in passing he was able to identify and present it to our complete satisfaction. I will be requesting him in the future. Now the food, all of this food is always amazing, but it was particularly great this night. I never have anything bad to say about the food...not even when leftovers are reheated. Still amazing. Can't wait to come back for more!
(5)
Jennifer R.
They kept bringing someone else's food to our table, over & over again. Different waiters! Probably because our waiter never bothered to write anything down when we ordered. I guess he thinks he has bionic memory or something. Food was excellent, however.
(3)
Kam B.
I don't know why all the bad reviews I think they serve good food! I tried fettuccine Alfredo and the baked ziti and both were really delish! Yes there pricey but you get a huge portion that you can share! And I think it's a bit werid that you have to walk through the kitchen to be seated but other then that the atmosphere is relaxing I like this place!
(5)
Teresa T.
Today, I ordered a Seafood Linguini Frutti di Mare to-go and they did not even close the container lid tightly. By the time I got home, all the sauce leaked into the bag (and on the car seat), causing the bag to be wet and weak. I pulled it out of my car, the linguini split the bottom of the bag open, and the container lid slipped off and the pasta just spilled onto my garage floor. Thank you for ruining my dinner!
(1)
Kris S.
Blech. Over priced. Marginal food. Love the concept of family dining but the food is sub par. Service not great. Over hyped. They need to revisit their business model.
(2)
Mini G.
The ambiance in this restaurant is nice. I love the loud music. I thought the food was ok. I came at lunch time and that might have been the problem. You do get a lot of food, but I wasn't impressed with the quality of the food or the prices. If you have time and money to burn - this is not a bad restaurant to go to.
(3)
Allison P.
The food was good. We ordered spicy chicken and artichoke and spinach dip. Service could have been better. Austin wasn't very attentive and took forever to come to our table. We were never given bread. I love the bread with olive oil. We gave Austin our groupon when we first sat down. He never took it off the bill. After about 10 minutes waiting for him to come back we found a random server and let him know the situation. He was nice and apologized. The turn off was when we walked through the kitchen and a young cook was talking away with others chefs and throwing fbombs left and right. When. I'm spending $22 on chicken pasta I don't want to hear trashy talk from the staff.
(3)
Cheng C.
Worse place to book a party. Made a reservation for a party of 30. I called to verify on the day of the event and they told me my name was not listed. The manager had the nerve to question why I sent my invites without confirming my party. They took all my info and confirmed I have the spot when I called and finding out the last minute, they did not put my party on their list. I did not even hear an apology from her.
(1)
Steven V.
I just wasted a hour and half I will never get back. Even though my waiter was a nice person service was lacking. We ordered a pepperoni pizza, it was a little to grease and we needed extra napkins which we never got. When the pizza was delivered we had to ask the bus boy for plates. When we first walked in we were quoted a hour wait for a party of 2 but our wait was only 20 minutes. As we waited to be sat, I kept hearing crazy wait times up to an hour and 20 minutes. When our time came to be sat, they walked us to our table and I noticed several unoccupied tables. I can't imagine how a restaurant can stay in business operating like that.
(2)
Chris C.
There seems to an obvious issue with this Buca di Beppo location. THE SERVICE. Keep in mind, that we haven't even gotten to the food yet. That alone could be a potential disaster, but I'll keep this one simple and just focus on the assistance. In my opinion, it really needs an upgrade or some kind of damage control. We had a going away party for a fellow co-worker and we ordered 3 trays of food TO GO. Since, I didn't place the order, I didn't do a full check of the items and my ignorance cost us a missing entree. What surprised me is that the server who brought me my food, guaranteed that it was all there, and that I didn't need to bother with inspecting it. She did help me to my car and it was just my luck that I didn't have any spare bills for tip. Had I tipped them, I would have been livid with giving something for a job done wrong. Hungry employees notice when food is missing. Yet, they were in good spirits (TGIF) and we called back a few days later to file a complaint. They manager did right by providing us an entree of our choice for FREE in the near future. Fast forward 2 weeks later and my teammates are planning another potluck. My co-worker makes the order and of course she's promised that it will be done proper and legit. To ensure that I don't goof this one up, I call the day before and double check to make sure that our food is delivered. I'm assured the world. Yet, when I ask the manager if they had my phone number in case they couldn't find the building, I just hear crickets chirp. Something about providing that phone number really helped me out in the long run. WHY? Cause, the driver got lost and was late delivering the food. Wasn't I told that they knew what they were doing? I went downstairs to the lobby to retrieve my order, but by this time, all I wanted was the food and nothing more. The best thing about the Buca di Beppo chain has to be the cool venue with all the pictures of famous celebrities. The next best thing? The bar. Cause if they're constantly making mistakes, you might need a drink or two to calm your nerves and make your mind erased of all the things that didn't go so swell. Bottoms up?
(2)
Eden O.
I have never been to one of these Buca di Beppos before and now I know why I haven't. . . it was extremely lackluster in all aspects. The place is decorated with Italian chotchkies, very low ceilings, and large group tables for screaming children. We were seated quickly, our server was present but not really friendly. . . seemed to lack any personality (picture Jennifer Anniston in Office Space). I'm sure you are all aware of how the family style works so I don't need to explain. We split the Caesar salad and a creamy pasta dish. The dressing for the salad was store bought. The sauce for the pasta was essentially flavorless. All I could think about was the calories I was wasting on bad creamy pasta, oh and how our waitress had accidentally stuck her thumb in the pasta while carrying it. . . Gross? Unless you have a gift certificate (as we did) I would skip this one.
(1)
Griselda S.
In reality this is a 3.5 star restaurant, but my family and I had a lot of fun so Im giving it the 4. Had a reservation and got seated on time. Party of 15 with a bill at $260.. Not too bad, cheaper than Olive Garden. Although, I have to say I prefer the food at Olive Garden because it is richer in flavor, served hot, and comes with complementary salad and bread. At Buca you need to order salad and bread aside. However Buca is GREAT for family or group dinners, and very noise friendly. Service was friendly.
(4)
Tiffany L.
This place used to be so good just five years ago or even more recent than that. This was a go-to place for family and friend gatherings and perfect for big groups and filling portions. Now, the menu has changed -- A LOT SMALLER -- and lots of favorites are gone, especially in the pizza and pasta selection. Anyone know why they changed so much?! The portions are also smaller and NOT worth the high price. Two SMALL pizzas are almost $40 total. Very disappointed.
(2)
David P.
Great food great waiter enjoy our fabulous dinner there is salmon is over the top the meatballs are to die for
(4)
Michael C.
Great food and dessert. Recommended for family or friend gathering or simply if u love Italian style of food. Price range is fair due to the fact that the size they serve is huge. Overall great experience
(4)
Maylee H.
I know I know, this place is a chain, but it's pretty darn good. I've been there before and they must of improved their menu because I don't remember the food being so tasty. The tomato sauce on the pizza was amazing. Put a little black pepper and hot pepper flakes and BAM!! Also the pasta dish we ordered was pretty good. Maybe we just ordered the right things. The service was also great. We sat in the bar seating area and the bartender was our waiter. He was very attentive and helpful with suggestions.
(5)
Chelsey O.
Made reservations on open table and was seated just a few minutes after my arrival. The host was nice, she seemed new. We asked a guy , Dejon for some bread and he wasn't particularly friendly. He kind of did the "uh huh" answer without being attentive and threw down the bread basket. The server, Andy was nice and attentive. He came over and took care of us through the night. We wanted dessert but nothing as big as the brownie sundae. He assisted by offering a smaller sundae off the menu. Food: Caesar salad, baked ziti, and garlic green beans. All was really delicious.
We usually like this Buca, but the last couple visits we've had dirty plates and slow service. Plus, it seems like the new menu has come with new pricing too. :(
(2)
Marcel W.
OMG!! Best Italian restaurant I've ever been to! It's the most consistent. It's also pretty authentic too. Made reservations for new years eve for 7:30pm. It was busy and those without reservations suffered big time! Anyways after checking in my wife and I o my waited about 3 mins! that's pretty prompt on a busy night! We got seated and the waiter took our drink orders. brought us some warm tasty bread and then we already decided what we wanted. Although the portions are for 2 to 3 people... my wife and I love the lasagna here so we split the lasagna and also ordered the baked ziti a pasta dish to split as well. Both were great but the lasagna is to die for! We couldn't finish the baked ziti so we got a to go box. My wife new the waiter so we got one dish scratched off the bill.. which i prolly shouldn't have said but what the heck it's a 5 star review! Anyways make a reservation order the lasagna that's all you need to know! I will always keep coming back! Keep it up Buca!
(5)
Christina H.
This ambience of this place is okay and a tad bit overpriced, but their food is good. I'm glad our server was kind, but one of the servers there actually ended up spilling their drink all over a customer's back and handled the situation poorly. Also, the seating arrangements were not thought out. The only reason I came here was because I had a gift card, otherwise I don't think I would particularly come back. If you do go there however, their stuffed chicken pesto is tastes good and so does their parmesan chicken.
(3)
Beachy K.
OMG!!! Deafening loud environment with pricey corporate chain menu and poor service. If you're celebrating some special group event when quantity trumps quality, this place may suit your needs. Sundays are a frenzied madhouse, a faux Italian Chucky Cheese filled beyond capacity with balloons and screaming children. If you value your hearing and sanity, try going another day.
(1)
Anna C.
My daughter's Sweet Fifteen celebration was exactly two weeks ago. Two weeks ago Elegant Parties catering services (Chef Robert) canceled 3 hours earlier. I checked my phone one hour before the reception and to my disbelief and disappointment, I had no plan B. My friend told me to call Buca, and I did. They had all the food ready for 80 people by 7:30pm (3 hrs. later). The food was an absolute success and the prize was reasonable. It included paper plates and utensils in a bag with salt and pepper (donated them). I became terrified, the manager assured me everything would be ready for my dinner. I will thank Buca forever. I thought I had called Lucilles since that was restaurant #2 recommended. Elegant Parties are fraud, their Web page does not exist anymore.
(5)
Sylvia A.
I went in to pick up dinner for take out. The young lady who answered the phone to take my order was an ABSOLUTE DOLL!!!! She was so sweet and patient with my families not so simple order. When we got there DEVIN was as sweet as she was on the phone. Our order was perfect and everything was great. DEVIN WAS A DOLL and made the whole experience such a pleasure!!!
(5)
Vrinkley P.
Still expensive. Never expect to spend less than $50 here. But food was a lot better and satisfying as my last experience. Save money by buying gift cards at Costco!
(3)
Nikki T.
Horrible awkward service. Came in the hostess seemed vey bored and unenthusiastic about her job. After 5 minutes of being sat, we were greeted by our server. No name intro, no intro about bucco di beppo(considering it was our first time). Asked us if we needed a couple of more minutes to look over the menu. Honestly this pissed me off. I'm a server and I would NEVER do this to one of my customer. This is just plain rude. On top of that when the bread came out, our server poured sauce into a saucer and of course we didnt know what the heck it was! Honestly this just ruined the whole experience. I'm glad I did not leave a tip. I want my tip to go to a server who actually cares about their guests.
(2)
Gen E.
I love the food, the family style serving portions (because I love to pick off of other people's plates). I do recommend that you call in for reservations, especially on the weekends as this place gets pretty busy. I want to give a shout out to one of the waiters, Justin, who always seems to end up being my waiter. He has great energy, a positive attitude, he is very patient and attentive.
(5)
Rena K.
I went there last night for dinner with my boyfriend, who rightfully told me that a review on this isn't worth his time! However, I will write a review to save some of you - who expect to be treated as smart, valuable customers - the trouble of trying this one out. We were greeted by 4 people (hostesses and servers) as soon as we got there. All 4 of them were just sitting there chit chatting. We were told there was a 25 minute wait. We were ok with that so we decided to wait. We asked if we could wait at the bar and so we went inside. Sat at the bar for 10 minutes only to realize that there were empty tables everywhere and still they were making people wait to be seated. Btw throughout the 10 minutes the bar tender ha his back tuned at us and didn't even say "hi". Anyway, then we were seated at a table and realized that barely 1/3 of the tables were full. The place was almost empty! Still they sat a family right next to us when they could have seated them a little further away given the MANY empty tables. We ordered and they brought the salad and bread and salad plates but NO SILVERWARE! What are we?! Savages?! To eat with our bare hands??! We asked for silverware and they just threw (literally threw) 2 sets on our table! The salad was very good and generous portion!! The drinks were good too but we were too upset to really enjoy anything at that point. The spaghetti with meatballs was below average. Too much garlic and not at all tasty. And what's up with the not-really-round but huuuuge meatballs...?? We had way better spaghetti with meatballs at the kiosk at San Diego Zoo!! I should also say that the place is not very hygienic since there is dust everywhere, filthy bottles for olive oil and balsamic vinegar and the table right across from us was dirty (ever since we got there) and had 5-6 dirty glasses on it that they bothered to pick up as we were leaving!! And the place wasn't busy AT ALL!! Your choice if you decide to give this place a try... I did my part and warned you...
(1)
Angela P.
I used to love coming to this place restaurant even though it is a chain, but I think this will be the last time. My husband and I ate at the bar which was great because we could watch a hockey playoff game that night. We ordered the house salad and the spicy chicken pasta. I didn't realize, or maybe forgot that all you get is iceberg lettuce and a couple of olives in the salsa!!! Please upgrade to at least some field of greens, some cucumbers and tomatoes. Come on it's just a couple cents more for you guys to save some decent salad, the iceberg is just a total ripoff and I was very unhappy with it. The pasta was less than al dente meaning that it was still hard and hard for me to swallow. Even though it was tasty I couldn't get over the texture and stopped eating it since my jaw got tired if chewing. Then had to pay $40 bucks for a very unsatisfying meal. Oh well, I am sticking to the family owned Italian places from now on whenever I can.
(2)
Frank S.
This location's service and offerings are a bit questionable... We had a party of 7, but they only gave us dinnerware for just 4 people and one tiny basket of bread. Really? When we finished that basket and asked for more, they then brought out the bigger basket of bread; they should've brought us the bigger basket from the beginning. Dinnerware was incomplete and instead of taking the initiative, they waited until we asked for more and made us wait. We wanted to order some drinks later on but this was impossible because our server didn't come back to check up on us for a long ass time. I had to flag down another server to place the order. And to top it off, the food was pretty meh.
(2)
D C.
not the best...passable but certainly far from good. the veal masala has the tasty brown sauce back (they experimented with yucky white sauce before)..however, the veal is tough, overcooked and chewy...and 3 small pieces are $27++ I wouldn't mind paying that price for good food..but when it's below average food, it feels like a rip off.
(1)
Van D.
My original review was removed so I'm gonna keep this brief... It was my friend's bday dinner and we always always go to buca... usually the one in claremont. however this year, it was more convenient for everyone to meet up here. - our waitress was pushy and she was convinced we didnt have enough food (in the end there was extra) - not enough place settings and had to ask a million times to get it - constantly rushing us to wrap up when it was clearly a slow night at the restaurant - at one point in the night, my friend was scratched by the knife -_-' - we were rushed to pack up our food, when one of our friends barely arrived.. .. .. - a million other things that were annoying, but those were the main points Overall the service just KILLED IT .. .. .. I will not return to this location. *** editing this to clarify something... Frank S asked me what I meant by scratched by the knife "scratched by the knife? huh? like self-inflicted?"... I meant: the waitress was handling the knife carelessly and the blade end scratched into my friend's arm
(1)
Theresa E.
The service was dreadful. The food was hugely overpriced. Many screaming babies and loud drunks. No meatballs or minestrone available early on a Saturday night at a family-style Italian restaurant? If somebody gives us another gift card we'll throw it away.
(1)
Ashley H.
If I had to describe this restaurant in one word, it would be "Meh." The food isn't bad, but I've never had anything that was extraordinary there. I know of several other local Italian restaurants that have much more flavorful food at a fraction of the cost. Furthermore, decor is great and it is a fun atmosphere to dine in. As mentioned by other Yelpers, the service at this location needs help. Our server seemed uninterested in us; despite the fact that it was very slow at that time. (It was about 8:30 PM on a Wednesday evening.) One last thing...it really annoyed me that they insist on taking your photo and trying to sell it to you. It's really not that special of a restaurant, and I hate being bothered and feeling pressured to spend more money on something I don't need
(3)
Christian M.
Huge portions but way overpriced. Nothing special in terms of taste. Mediocre at best.
(3)
Kathy G.
It turns out that there was a lot of people ordering lasagna so it took a bit longer to get our order. It was yummy.
(3)
Tiffany S.
The only reason to go here is if you have a large group to feed and you are craving starchy pasta. We dined with a fairly large group for a birthday party and it was really a let down! Our drinks took more than 20 minutes to get, our waitress was nice but not capable of dealing with a party our size, she couldn't get bread out fast enough, no one got refills when they needed them, and some of our food came out cold! The manager on duty came out eventually and got most of the problems fixed. She was very nice any very apologetic, and really the only thing that saved the night! If you go with a large group and can tell that your waiter/waitress is not going to be able to take care of you, just say something ahead of time and you might have a better experience than we did! Sorry to say, but we will not be back!
(2)
Howard J.
I really like the food here! Everything we ordered was great! The service was good too but when we came in On Saturday afternoon. It wasn't that busy! Although the Tiramisu was better than most other places, but it can use a little more rum!
(4)
Wesley S.
I enjoy the food, that's not even a question or problem. However the server I had was completely lazy. I ordered a fountain drink ($2.99) and informed my server that my drink was flat. So instead of fixing or changing the carbonation from the bar, where he was getting my drink from, he went else where to retrieve my drink. But when he went to refill my drink he went back to the bar and no surprise my drink was yet flat again.
(3)
Jasmine M.
Idk why the one at Pasadena sucked balls but the brea service is definitely way better. We came in on a Monday afternoon and the wait wasn't that bad The pasta tastes great, right on point. The apple salad was tasty as well. The fried calamari felt like sth is missing? It was just different from the one we had at Pasadena. The waiters were patient and attentive. Serving sizes (small) were enough for 4 people. Overall the experience was good!
(4)
Juliet Rachel C.
Gathered here for a family dinner on a weeknight recently. We invited 2 family friends who were visiting internationally, whom had never had Italian/Americanized Italian food. We had reservations, were seated promptly, but unfortunately, service was quite disappointing throughout the evening. It was especially dismal for the period of time right after being seated. No menus were even provided to us and we also had no clue who our waiter was since it was the receptionist who seated us. Our family patiently waited for a good 15 minutes before I decided to take action and walk over towards the kitchen area to notify someone that we needed and required service! How pathetic. One of the servers in the area said he'd find our waiter for us. Mind you, the restaurant wasn't busy AT ALL. there were about 4 other groups, but many more empty tables. Our party waited another 10 minutes before our designated waiter came over with our menus...FINALLLLLY. Our waiter was young; perhaps early 20's, he didn't apologize, but was friendly. Since he didn't pick up on the obvious social cues, I told him that we had been waiting to be served for well over the amount of time that was deemed acceptable. I stated that no menus were brought over and no drink orders were even taken during our wait. Our waiter then apologized and his performance was a bit better after that, but we still had to flag him down many times throughout the evening for services that should have been offered without us having to ask (refilling our drinks, to bring over napkins, to take away empty plates, etc.). The waiter's total lack of attention to detail & his incompetence was so frustrating to deal with. Made the meal so much more unpleasant. Another thing that was really annoying was that the waiter said he'd bring us the complimentary basket of bread, but he never did. I had to ask him for it when our appetizer dishes arrived. The plates here are all meant to be shared family style and many come with 2 options: Small sizes (can feed 2 or more) or Large sizes (can feed 4 or more). Here's what we ordered for the evening: Garlic Bread: Italian loaf brushed with garlic-infused olive oil, then baked with Parmesan cheese and lots of fresh garlic ($6.99). Garlic was overpowering, didn't like the texture or the taste of the bread, either. Chopped Anitpasto Salad (Large size): Pepperoni, red onions, pepperoncini peppers, cucumbers, roma tomatoes, provolone, feta and Gorgonzola with mixed lettuce in our signature Italian vinaigrette ($20.99). The vinaigrette over-saturated the entire salad. Too much dressing. The vegetables didn't taste fresh, either. Bianco Pizza (Small size): A white pizza with ricotta, fresh mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan, garlic and oregano ($13.99). Pizza cut into squares. This was really good. I liked the thin, perfectly baked crust and the rich, creamy cheese topping. Well seasoned & tasty. Our group finished the pizza easily. Veggie Pizza (Small size): Eggplant, broccoli, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, mozzarella, provolone and our authentic pizza sauce ($16.99). Pizza cut into squares. Baked very nicely and was delicious, too. Great variety of veggies. Our group finished the entire pizza easily. Salmon Sorrento (Small size): Lemon butter sauce, tomatoes and capers ($24.99). The salmon was cooked well and we all enjoyed it very much. The plate came with 3 filets and they flaked nicely. I really liked the lemon butter sauce and the capers with the salmon. Linguine Frutti di Mare (Large size): Shrimp, baby clams, mussels and calamari in spicy red clam sauce ($34.99). I love seafood, so this dish was easily my favorite for the evening. The large size order wasn't large; it was seriously gargantuan, OMG. I'm glad that we only ordered small sizes for the other entrees. This dish had a generous amount of mussels, calamari, octopi, etc., the linguine was cooked perfectly, and there was a good amount of sauce, but the sauce could have been much heartier and richer. It was a bit on the watery side. Overall, still quite good. Ravioli al Pomodoro (Small size); Cheese filled ($15.99). The plate of ravioli was topped with red sauce and diced tomatoes. The sauce wasn't that great, but the ravioli itself was good. Good textured dough and creamy, tasty cheese filling. I seriously wish that there was a Maggiano's here instead of Buca di Beppo. Maggiano's is also a family style Italian restaurant, but the establishment is ranked higher than Buca, the food is much higher quality with much more variety, and the service there has always top notch. Despite the bad service for the evening at Buca with my family, we still kept it classy and tipped our waiter 20%. I know that being a waiter/waitress is a demanding and difficult job; with a definite learning curve, so perhaps our waiter just needs more training, more time to adapt, and we really hope that he will improve.
I've never eaten here before and my boyfriend made a reservation for us. So glad we made a reservation because there were a lot of people there (we went on a Friday night). We waited for about 10-15 minutes before we were seated. Since it was my first time we were offered a tour around the kitchen which I thought was pretty neat, and then we were seated. Our waiter was very friendly. She recommended us some great things and even let us know that if we were ok with it, she'd give us her opinion on what we ordered which I thought was funny and very admirable. I like dining out and I like being recommended new things to try because I tend to stick to the same type of food, and I like being told if what I'm ordering is going to taste like crap or not (which she honestly told me). The menu is a la carte so me and my bf shared. We got the small portions of this garlic cheese bread thing, shrimp pasta and chicken stuffed with prosciutto. SO BOMB. It was enough for me and my bf to eat as well as leftovers which lasted me about 3 days :P They also took pictures of me and my bf and gave it to us for free which I thought was really neat. This place is pretty pricey, but for the quality of the food and the amount you get, I think it's worth it. I would come back, but only for special occasions!
(3)
Cindy D.
Same as any other Buca, just closer to home. (: My housemate took my roommate and I here for dinner to celebrate my birthday. So, thank you for that, Paul. My housemates and I knew that Buca is known for their large portions so we tried not to over-order.. We ended getting their... - Trio Appetizer plate 4/5 ; which consists of stuffed mushrooms, fried calamari, and I think bruschetta. It was good, but I think they out too much cheese in the stuffed mushrooms. It was a bit overpowering. - Marinara Linguini with Squid and Mussels. 4/5 ; It was yummy! Ask your server for red pepper flakes and sprinkle it on too of the dish. - Stuffed Shells. 5/5 ; This was simply orgasmic. The stuffing was creamy, with a hint of spiciness. It was soooo good.
(3)
Kevin L.
Damn this place has the craziest sized portions. I can't imagine people leaving here still hungry. This place is really good for large parties, just book in advance. Seems for the most part they are very very accommodating. Food tastes good, but can get pricey if you order too much. Portions for family style are huge, should be plenty if you just stick to 1-2 dishes for a party of 2-4 respectively. I approve -Goodfood.LA
(3)
Eric L.
Service was poor and food was an average. We had a party of 14 including 3 kids under 4 years of age. We made a reservation so that we could sit in one table. But they presented us with two separate tables.. we asked if we could connect the two tables and they let us. that was fine. Then the server came to take our drink orders. One of us asked for coffee and we ordered our drinks. All ae out except the coffee was more close to room temperature and nothing near hot. So she asked for a "fresh" coffee and the server replied that this WAS a fresh coffee. After moments of hesitants from my friend, she couldnt just let this pass and asked server for the fresh one. She brought it out about 20 minutes later saying that they were brewing it. After we got our drinks I ordered for the whole group for couple of salads, a bruschetta, two pizzas, and two pastas all in large size. But the bread that gets served in the beginning of the whole dining experience at Italian restaurant was never to be found until we asked for it after we were sitting with just our drinks for 15 minutes. By this time, I was already feeling anxious about their service and was hoping at least the food will be great.. Our salads came out which were delicious. A caesar salad and apple gorgonzola salad. They both had fresh veggies and good dressinf. A bruschetta came out about 10 minutes after and that was all good. Then we were waiting for our main food for about another 15 minutes. Yes.. lots of waiting.. When it finally did come out, the food were nothing close to hot. Pastas were okay, still too lukewarm for a good food to be priced at such.. The pizzas (margherita and supremo italiano) were not hot. It felt like it was sitting on the table for about half an hour before it was brought to us. The cheese on the margherita pizza was already solidified. It wasnt cold but it wasnt hot either. It seemed like there was a problem with temperature control on the food served to us... I was displeased by this. Actually most of us were. Then a guy came by to take a free photo for us and took bunch of photos from us at no charge until he brought about 15 pictures to present to us in a printed and framed format for sale. The pictures were nice but it was practically 10 per picture for us to take. I think this was a pleasurable experience and we ended up getting 4 pictures for 40 bucks. It was our friends birthday and they came by to sing for us. The culture and everything of this restaurant are pretty unique and friendly. Then when it came for time to pay, we paid with the gift cards for food worth of 203 dollars. We were going to pay the tip as well with the giftcard because it said we can, but the cashier said theyd have to ask the manager. After she comes back she said no we cant pay for the tip with the gift card and I talk to the manager and showed them the gift card instruction for proof. Then they opened another check to clear this tipping with gift card to finally get it done. This was a painstaking experience that they didnt even know (or at least said so) this policy of the gift card. I think this Buca was below average compared to the buca ive been to next to disneyland. So it was displeasing for me. I wouldnt come back to this place. Thanks for reading my detailed review. Hope you enjoyed it.
(2)
Christie L.
I was taken here for my birthday. It was great! They had a cardboard cut-out of Danny DeVito as you entered that I thought was hilarious! I had to take my pic with it :) They put a sign on the table that said "happy birthday" which I thought was a nice touch. I had Lasagna and it was terrific! I totally recommend this place!
(5)
Andrew A.
We arrive approximately 30 min before my OpenTable reservation. The Hostess was very pleasant and said about 10 minutes or so to seat our party of 9. As we were waiting they seated about 4 double digit parties, the Yelp 3 stars and service complaints were all I could think about. It was about 12 minutes or so and we were good to go. Seating was one long table, perfect for our group of Adults/Kids. The waiter was on us in about 1 minute taking our drink and appetizer order. He came back around once before we were ready to order the main dishes and maybe 5 minutes later returned to take that order. Drinks, appetizers, main dish, refills, desert, coffee, ALL without a hiccup. I thought hard about the 5 stars, so what could they improve? The facility could use a ceiling to floor scrub down. It is impossible to over clean a restaurant!!!
(5)
Vanessa C.
I had an amazing first experience at Buca this past weekend. It was my sister's birthday weekend and we had her dinner with with 8 of her friends, a total of 10. We made a reservation beforehand and got straight to our table without waiting. I already knew what we wanted because again, we looked at the menu beforehand. The brusetta was delicious, one of the best I've had before. The bread and tomatos went really well together, and enough for each person to get at least one. Lasagna was very average. Rich and cheesey.. Chicken Sausage and Ziti was SO GOOD. It was cheesy, flavorful, just enough that it wasnt overpowering. This was my favorite dish of the evening. Andy was our waiter and he did a great job serving us that night. He took care of the drinks while our guests individually showed up at different times. Made sure we were doing alright and even helped us take pictures when I asked him. Overall I am very happy with the food and venue of this place. I will definitely come back again. Remember to use a coupon because I FORGOT... so sad. I love italian and the family style is very nice here! Definitely a good birthday party style, a little bit of everything makes it seem like I ate a lot more than I would have just a single portion at a different restaurant.
(4)
BB A.
We ordered Baked Ziti and Linguine Frutti Di Mar. Both tastes better than average! My children especially like the linguine they said it's very delicious! The service is also good. Jeremy always come back to make sure everything is ok for us. We will sure to come back n try others!
(3)
Rennay L.
Worst place ever! The portions they give you are big. I went with my family and got really bad service. The waiter knew I was paying with a gift card so the service was awful. The food came and everything we had ordered was cold. We didn't even bother complaining but the manager came and saw we sent all of our food back. Do not go to the one in brea and if you do , do not say you have a gift card!!
(1)
Jeannie C.
It was my first time here and I was excited to try this place out since I've always heard of it and never been. My bf had planned out a whole itinerary for our second anniversary and he had made reservations for this place at 7pm. Of course, we ran a little late and ended up getting there at 7:30pm (oops). Because we were late by 30 minutes it got cancelled :/ The management was fairly nice and got us seated right away, which was a relief. They took us through the kitchen (which was kind of cool). Never had that happen before and we ordered. The food was indeed family sized and portions were huge. I got the seafood pasta (can't remember what it's called) but it had small clams, shrimp, calamari and regular clams. It was really good. My bf ordered a chicken alfredo like pasta (again I don't remember the name). That was good too. The mini meatballs for appetizers were surprisingly good as well. The only thing I didn't really like about this place was the noise level. It seemed like there was a birthday at every table so we had to hear the staff and guests sing happy birthday along with the loud clapping. That was semi annoying, but whatever. I loved their decor and how homey they tried making the place. Our server was good, but kind of slow and would take a while before she came back with a refill or water. Other than that it was all good. ^ ^ We had a good time and left feeling full.
(3)
roger l.
Took mom out for lunch here. Mom liked the atmosphere, but the spoon and knife she got were dirty...with residue shown on both...yuck...Our attentive waitress immediately apologized and had the manager come over(otherwise it would be a 2 star review). At the end the waitress told us a discount was given(which was always nice). We ordered the linguini which came with a lot of seafood, the small size was good for about 3 to 4 people and since there were only 2 of us, we had the remainder togo. We also ordered the tiramisu which IMO was just average, I like Maggiano's better. All in all, this would be a great place for bdays or large groups to celebrate (any excuse)
(4)
Kalee T.
Let me just establish that we ate here on Nov. 17, 2013 at 7:45 p.m. Whoever the manager was at this time is extremely incompetant and rude. Our waiter didn't care whatsoever about our table. He had a large party and was always around them. He never once came back to ask if we needed refills. Anytime we needed something, we had to flag him down, which was almost impossible because he was never near us. Our food took forever to come out, and we never even got any bread which is always complimentary at buca. Once the appetizers came out, they were COLD. I told the manager who said, "okay do you want me to reheat them?" I said, "No. I don't want you to reheat it." And then, as if she never said it in the first place, she said "No i'll get you a new one, not reheat it," With SO much attitude. So I said forget it, I don't want it at all. No apology from her or the waiter WHATSOEVER. And she made me think I Was crazy so I asked everyone at my table and they all heard her say she would reheat our old appetizer. We use to be loyal patrons of this location but you can be sure we will not be back. And once we got the rest of our food, it was obvious the quality went waaaaay down.
(1)
Andrea J.
We came here last night because I was craving frutti di mare. We got there at 10pm and the hosts were so nice, giving us a mini tour of the place as they were seating us. The reason why this place got 4 stars is because it took 10 minutes for a server to come to our table. We saw 3 other servers walk by and look at our table, but no one stopped. Another table was seated near us and another server (who hasn't walked by previously) greeted them and took their drink order. When he was done, I called him over and explained we had been sitting there for 10 minutes and he was really friendly and nice and said he would take our table and apologized for the wait. His name was Brett and he had turned what would have been a bad/negative experience into a positive one (buca di beppo would have probably gotten a 1 star review if he hadn't changed our experience). Anyway, I ordered frutti di mare and the boyfriend ordered some kind of stuffed chicken. We both loved our food. On a $65 tab, the server was tipped $35.
(4)
May C.
First time here and I like the big portion style. We tried the stuffed mushroom, seafood linguine, chicken & sausage ziti, and tiramisu. I luv them all, but the seafood pasta isn't as flavorful as I expected. The tiramisu was huge & rich. I wouldn't say its the best one I've ever had but its very satisfying n we 3 ppl can't finish it. It's at Sunday evening, pretty busy w many b-day parties. The waitress was kinda slow. I'll come back for more next time!
(4)
Christine M.
Service is absolutely awful. Just sat here for an hour waiting on our food. Families arriving after us were served way before us. Just tried to ask the guy that delivered our food where the rest of it was and he was a total ass and in no way tried to actually find out the answer. The waiter tried but could overhear him complaining how mgmt has him both bar tending and serving tables. Food is overpriced and not worth it
(1)
John T.
We always enjoy this place! Great food, peach beginning, chicken prosciutto, spaghetti and Italian creme cake. Yum!
(5)
Paul R.
Had reservation for 7:30 arrival five minutes late found out they our table away!!!!we have to wait for 20 minutes great customer service!!!!! Being sarcastic customer service very weak.
(1)
Katie Y.
Came on Sunday night 12/7 @ 6:30pm. I have been to this location before and it was a solid 3 star place: decent food, decent service. This time it all fell apart. Everything was bad. Management tried to recover and comped our entire meal and gave us a free dessert which was nice. At least they understood that they were failing miserably in every way possible. However, the quality of service didn't improve after we complained which was really surprising to me. I do not recommend sitting in the bar area if you want to see your server occasionally, and I recommend they hire more kitchen staff to get the food out correctly and in a timely manner. After we complained a server (not ours) sat down at a booth across from us as a busser was cleaning it and proceeded to shout that the kitchen was so slow tonight but that "At least all her tables had been really nice and understanding about it!" The way she was saying it just seemed like she was acting- like she was staging this interaction in front of us on purpose. Shouldn't she have been waiting her tables instead of sitting down talking to the busser? My drink was still empty, she could have gotten me a refil! Lol. It will probably be a long time before I give it another try, if ever. I was a server for 3 years and understand when things are out of the servers control. However, if that happened to me, I would have been communicating with my table, not missing in action for 20 minutes at a time myself. If waiting on food was the only issue, it would not have been so bad, but when you don't have drinks for 15 minutes multiple times during your meal, have to ask for bread 15 minutes after the server brought the balsamic and oil, wait 35 minutes for your food, don't have plates to eat your food off of, then get dirty plates, then realize they got your order wrong, after you had to change seats because the first room they sat you is was 100 degrees, then the replacement food take 20 minutes too, it gets to be inexcusable. Manager was very nice but server was still MIA even after we complained. I would have thought the manager would make sure the server took better care of us while she was working on getting our replacement food, but that was not the case, unfortunately.
(1)
Sarah K.
I love the family-style concept when having a meal. I wouldn't come here with only two people. This is definitely a group gathering place. Here's what I had and what I would recommend: 1. Spaghetti with Meatballs (added meat sauce for $3 more) - There are three huge meatballs in a large size and it was plenty for 8 people to share. It's not the most interesting food, but it was still delicious. It's the safe route when everyone can't come to a decision. 2. Chicken Saltimbocca - The chicken was well seasoned/flavored, but I loved the artichoke. It was perfectly cooked and a vegetable that I probably would never prepare for myself. It was a good pairing to the red sauce pasta. 3. Veggie pizza (large) - It was a FANTASTIC choice. I've had the very meaty Italian Sausage pizza before too, and I choose this Veggie pizza over any of the other ones I've had so far.
(4)
Elaine N.
Family favorite. Big portions, family style. Margherita pizza is delicious. Shrimp pasta was good. Veal was dry.
(4)
Gen L.
The apple gorgonzola salad was a bit salty and margherita pizza was very thin and a bit soggy. Not at all what I expected. The host was friendly and the waitress was friendly and timely in refilling our drinks. Service was good. Food was ok, at best, this time.
(3)
Steph L.
review based on my take out dinner huge, generous portion (i ordered a small and it fed 4 of us) pasta was very fresh - i had the LINGUINE FRUTTI DI MARE - lots of seafood and they all very fresh .. especially the shrimps .. so juicy and succulent ~ ^^ had the warm tomato and spinach salad and the dressing was superb i'd come here over olive garden, tony romas, claim jumper, or TGI any day .. but price is a bit high .. about $14 - $30 for a plate of pasta .. you can sign up online to get their bi-weekly coupon which is $10 off $30 .. pretty good deal
(4)
Melody L.
I like Buca because of the ambiance, it's very family style with an italian homestyle feel. The food here is kind of subpar. I like the penne arrabiata, which is my favorite thing to eat here. My boyfriend got the lasagna but he didn't like it because the sauce was too sour, and I agree as I had to eat it because my boyfriend wanted to switch. It wasn't a very good lasagna, I don't feel like it's worth how much we paid for it. The garlic bread is really good but they charge you $9 for a basket of it and there weren't even that much in the basket. The only reason we came here was because I had a coupon. Other than that, I would very rarely come here because this place is pretty pricey. The service here is kinda eh.. I've only been here one other time and the server before that wasn't much better than the server we had here recently. We came here when there weren't a lot of people here and it still took forever for us to get our waiter's attention. He would also talk to us from across the room and be very awkward. He would just come to us and wait for us to automatically know he was ready to take our order. It was just a very awkward experience in general. Overall, bleh. Only come here when I'm REALLY craving the penne arrabiata, other than that, I would rather make it myself or go somewhere that's actually worth the money.
(3)
Sherianne B.
HIDEOUS. Went for a retirement party. The party was to begin at 6. Tables were still not set up at 6:15. People were milling around, trying to get out of the way of the workers setting up tables and rearranging chairs. Once we sat down, we waited 40 minutes for salad. Bread came out a bit later. One tiny tray for 2 long tables of people. The lady next to me grabbed 3 slices. FOR HERSELF. I was reduced to picking up a little leftover crumbs. I mean, come on. I had waited 45 minutes, and all I got was a crumb? No one ever brought more bread. I had to pretty much stare 3-slice lady into handing one over. I had to ask, MORE than once, for water, soda, etc. We sat 45 minutes without being able to get anything to drink. Service was absolutely atrocious. The food, meh. Entrees are very heavy. I drove home feeling as if I had eaten a brick. Would not return in this lifetime.
(1)
Virginia K.
I came here for a Graduation party. I've always wanted to come to Buca's. People always rave about how great it is and so I was amped about this Grad party being here. The reservation was for 7PM. I actually got there around 6:40ish. We sat at the bar and had drinks. Great service at the bar! The party was for 56 people and all 56 of us did not get seated until 7:30PM... (just imagine like 20 people in the bar, about 15 in the waiting area and the rest outside... it was packed!!) We had 3 main host/servers. Service was pretty slow but you could see by thier faces they were really rushing around. At one point of the evening my husband asked a waiter who was standing by the kitchen if he could get him a drink and the waiter replied "I'm not your server" and he walked off. RUDE!!! Not all the tables had the vinager/oil bottles and honestly our table didn't realize we were lacking it until about 5 minutes before the appetizers came out. We didnt all have our food at the same time. Some tables didn't get an appetizer (calamari) even after the other tables were getting a second course (pizza). The lasagna was extremely salty!!! The pasta with seafood was dry and lacking flavor. But the mussels on the side were delicious! The tiramisu was drenched in myers rum.. and it was quite strong... I think I got a buzz... The chocolate cake was extremley rich... too rich for me... I doubt I will be returning... I really didn't think the food was all that great.
(2)
Angela D.
This is a very decent place to get your Italian food fix, especially with the $10 coupon that's flying around, it's even better. You spend at least $20 and use the $10 off coupon, one of the best deals in town. We get the same thing everytime, we start off with the calamari, which is delicious. Then the Margherita pizza, if you like thin crust pizza with lots of cheese, tomatoes & basil this is your best bet, it's simple & good. The Fettuccine Supremo is awesome, it's got chicken, broccoli, sweet red bell peppers, fettuccine egg noodles covered with creamy alfredo sauce, boy oh boy! I'm not a big fan of their desserts, I had the cannoli and that was the worth thing ever, yuck. The service is good, we try not to come when there's a long wait because it takes FOREVER to get seated. 3 stars is about right.
(3)
Angela K.
Garlic bread was tasty. I also liked the fried calamari. I had the frutti di mare and the portions were huge.
(3)
Calvin T.
lovin' the tiramisu..one of the best one's I've had. $11.80 (with tax)
(4)
Princess J.
A really average, "so, so" Italian restaurant. If you were going to open a restaurant, why open an average, "so, so" restaurant? Well, that's what Buca Di Beppo decided to do. First of all, the decorations at Buca Di Beppo are so fake. It's a total wannabe of the authentic Italian restaurants. It looks worse than movie sets. It looks like cheap Barbie toys. Thus, making us feel like we are been treated like little kids who don't know what real Italian restaurant should look like. The bread is average, nothing special. The water is faucet water. The wine is cheap. The cooking is average for me, it would be considered bad if you had gone to culinary school. They look like they were cooked by amateurs. We had salmon with pesto sauce and pine nuts. The idea is great but the execution is terrible. It's really awkward that these dishes do not come with at least some pasta. We had to order a side of pasta to go with it, and the pasta that came had alfredo sauce on it, which made it difficult to eat with the pesto sauce on the salmon. Well the waiter suggested this. I just don't get it, you are charging $24.00 for a plate, couldn't they just throw in some $.50 pasta on the side so we can complete the meal? The salmon was over smoked, tasted dry, and the pine nuts were just thrown in there. All of the ingredients were thrown in together the last minute, they were not incorporated together like a piece of art. Ok, the food is not terrible, it's ok to eat. But they are made by amateurs not professionals. The service is not terrible, but just kind of sloppy. Everybody seems so out of it. Disgruntled workers? We asked three different people for our water, and bread. Her hair is a mess! Not the stylish mess, but more like she got ran over by a truck kind of mess. The attitudes and the smiles are all kind of broken. Disgruntled workers? It's not a terrible experience. But Buca Di Beppo always delivers a boring and fake Italian experience.
(2)
James S.
I had dinner last night with a friend of mine at this brea location. I think the huntington beach one is better. Even though they are both supposed to be the same, they are not. We ordered take out. I had the lasanga and eggplant parm. The lasagna was ok and i did not like the eggplant. I have had way better. I think private family owned italian places make way better food.
(2)
Jon N.
My therapist pin pointed Buca Di Beppo as the reason why I have an irrational fear of the pope.
(2)
Holly B.
I've eaten at many a Buca's, and generally enjoyed myself, but I had to yelp about the dirty silverware, cloudy wine glasses and incredibly sloooow service my colleagues and I had on a very uncrowded Monday night. Still, the food was pretty decent (hopefully cleaner than the tablewares.)
(2)
Kelly G.
Reading some of these bad reviews makes me think we went to different places. I went during one of the busiest times, dinner on a Saturday. I easily had made a reservation online so we didn't have to wait. We got one of the table signs because it was our 1 year anniversary. Everyone that walked by said hello and said something about our celebrating. Drink refills were instant, even when my bf decided he wanted to change drinks. The place was packed but the food still seemed to come really fast. We had the caesar salad, the supremo pizza, and the baked pasta sampler. All were good and we were stuffed and have plenty of leftovers. The only bad thing was the tiramisu. It was so strong! They should warn you! However that alone was not enough to knock a star off. Overall the vibe was incredibly fun. We clapped and sang along for various birthdays and enjoyed looking at all the things on the walls. Talk about one great first impression!
(5)
Erwin R.
A friend of mine took to here for lunch last year and man it was delicious. The atmosphere was great and the service was too. I usually do not eat seafood at restaurants and I choose to try it here. The Salmon was light, and sauce was great and the portions were just right. The price range was great for lunch and for family. Definitely going back again this year. Enjoy!
(4)
Jorge A.
Delicious italian restaurant. I went there 3 times in August 2008. I ordered alfredo fetuccini with shrimp, margarita pizza, salad bread (garlic bread with tomatoe salad on top and cut in 4 squared pieces). I suggest you to order the smallest size (personal) since I the portions are huge!!!!!
(4)
Ivon G.
Really? This is Buca?! I love Italian food so when we made a stop here to grab a bite to eat I was excited... We go in cool place I guess, loud, etc. Check out the menu everything is family servings so I had to come a a mutual agreement with my boyfriend on the meal. We ordered the fried frut de mer in a giant martini glass, and let me tell you it was good! Given the joy I had over the appetizer I was excited for the entree to arrive. I had ordered some pasta Alfredo sauce with white whine and chicken, snow peas, other veggies and sun dried tomatoes.... Got the order and my first thought was "where's the chicken in this thing?!" I decided not to panic before I gave it a taste... It was pretty bland more snow peas than chicken and the chicken I think they were rationing it off or maybe it was made of gold because their was barely any. And it was thinly cut in these slices that reminded me of frozen tv dinner chicken slices.... What gives?! The waitress after forever stopped to ask how we liked our food, I gave her my answer, "meeh. It's alrighttttt I guess." but did not complain i did not want spat at food. In short I didn't really eat the entree and just left it there. It was such a disappointment, I will not be coming here by choice...
(2)
Angela B.
Went here for a "sorry you got laid off" lunch with about 12 people. We waited a long time for bread. The server brought everyone cans of Diet Pepsi and Pepsi because something was wrong with their soda machine. They brought two pizzas because the other one was "shaped wrong." Thanks for the free pizza -- why? The spaghetti sauce was actually OK. I don't really like the idea of sharing big drippy piles of spaghetti with my co-workers. Oh, and the meatballs were super dry and tasteless . And I found a hard plastic shard -- stuck to the roof of my mouth! Nice. The free gelato also blew. Overall, it's like The Spaghetti Factory with better decoration. Or the Olive Garden. If you like massive piles of so-so spaghetti, come here.
(2)
Cuong K.
Wow..Im not surprise with the rating for this place. Ive been here a couple of times and it's good to bring a good number of people to eat dinner, but the pasta here is alright-no wow factor-so a good family dinner. I guess the wow factor is the portion, but i would rather pay a high price meal than a hearty meal with no taste. These simple pastas should be cooked to wow because it's so simple you can do it at home. If i were to go out and eat, I would want the restaurant food to outdo me.
(2)
Grace T.
We came here last night because I love their Neapolitan style pizzas. We were originally told that our wait would be 20 minutes but we were seated in about 5 minutes. Everything is served family style so there's plenty of food to be had. We ordered the green salad with prosciutto and Gorgonzola, macaroni rosa, and the sausage and mushroom pizza. The salad came out first and although we ordered a small, it could have served a family of four. Then they came out with the bread, and shortly after our pasta came out. It was the perfect about of rosa sauce over al dente pasta, chicken, broccoli, and peas. A while later the pizza came out, piping hot with a crispy crust and spicy pieces of sausage. The hun was happy because he got to take home all the leftovers for dinner this week.
(4)
Peter T.
Experience-wise, it's definitely up there with its crazy decor and atmosphere. Food-wise, I am less impressed the more I go. Sure the portions are large, but the prices are still slightly on the high side. It's really nothing to write home about, as even the popular Olive Garden is much superior to the quality of this. Definitely worth a visit.
(2)
Gary D B.
I have had dinner once and lunch once...both times came away with less than average feelings...first time for dinner had a male "diva" waiter...guess he was used to giving less than adequate service to the "cougars" and getting big tips for flirting...my adult son and I just wanted good service and food....after a mediocre pasta, we payed with cash and waited ten minutes for change.."had to go across the street for change", was the excuse......Next visit was for lunch...upon sitting @ the table, noticed one dish had crumbs on it...the waiter came by...I handed it to him stating it had been used....He looked @ me like I was crazy.....Food wasn't memorable, but service was actually ok, with the exception of wrong dish being delivered @the table..."these dishes all look alike", was the response......The decor in this place is great!!!....To bad the food and service R subpar.....Customers deserve better!!!!....Will not return for a third visit...
(2)
Glenda R.
I had this coupons 3 of them that I got from the last Buca that we ate from in El Segundo, CA that was in exchange of the dish that I totally was disappointed in. So when I checked it the last day to use it was on the 30th of September. So I told me family, we need to eat dinner out. I also called my priest friend to have dinner with us to have an early celebration for my daughter. My favorite Buca was in Universal City walk but it was 22 miles from my place. So I used my Android and the nearest Buca was in Brea, CA. I read the reviews in Yelp and it really made me nervous. But oh well, let's try it anyway..it's the nearest. It was easy to find, there was ample parking. It was beside the Brea Mall. The waiting time was ten minutes for a table. The waiter who served us...was so nice, polite and good looking. He was very patient and we were very pleased with his service. Even the priest was surprised to find such good service which is rare these days. So we ordered my fav. Lemon Chicken (the best), Large Calamari platter, pizza..forgot what it was...then I asked the waiter (Jon), he advised the Chicken Carbonara...it was awesome...then our dessert was the Brownie with ice cream..forgot what its called that serves 6. We really had a good dinner and would definitely come back. The place is so big, we had a tour of it and there was this table with a pope's head on it revolving..the pictures though were revealing but oh well..twas the food that we came for..I got coupons though again..
(5)
Carese L.
ask for SY to be your waiter if you can. he is ALL the entertainment you'll need for the night, and he loves the word "honayyyy" he's also one of the most enthusiastic singers if you're celebrating a birthday and want your song to sound different than every other table that seems to be celebrating that night also. if you can't get Sy, go elsewhere!
(3)
Ed L.
I think Buca serves the purposes for which it exists. The food is not all that authentic, but neither are 9 out of 10 italian restaurants in your neighborhood. It is loud and chaotic. And in my humble opinion that makes it a lot of fun. I advise that if you decide to dine at Buca's make sure to go in a large crowd. And also, try your best to make sure your large crowd is the loudest and having the most fun. I agree that the restaurant's wait time is extremely long without a reservation. Fortunately they allow you to make reservations via the internet or through a quick phone call. As for the seating. THEY DO SIT YOU TOO CLOSE TO OTHERS. That's all I can actually say about that.
(4)
Richard L.
I had heard about the "cool" table in the kitchen and the great decorations throughout the restaurant but the friends who told me this never mentioned the food and now i know why. All of the reviews before mine are right on target; you get the "wow" factor with all of the themed dining rooms and the tour through the kitchen but once you are served and take a bite the disappointment begins. I've had frozen meals from the supermarket that tasted way better. I can only recommend this place for the visual experience.
(2)
Nick J.
Food is OK. Its great when you want to come with families/friends.
(2)
Lynhdan N.
Interesting place. If its your first time, the server will walk you through the kitchen, showing you how everything is being run. The food is huge, but not good. It needs more flavoring. The service is ok, you can tell the server is not sincere in providing good service.
(2)
Chris C.
Good Italian food and LOTS of it! Come hungry or bring a lot of people with you if you decide to try a few of their signature dishes. The portions are HUGE! Not too hungry? Then the appetizers are just as good. Interesting decor at this place...looks like anything they can slap on the wall, they did. The servers are fun too! I recommend calling in early to make a reservation. They get pretty busy and loud at night and especially weekends. If you get there early, then hang out for a bit at the bar and start off the evening with a few cocktails. I've been to this branch in Fullerton many times with friends, and it's always a fun time and major food coma afterwards.
(4)
Marcus C.
I had a quick peek at the other reviewers opinions and there seems to be a theme here. The service. My table service was OK, the few brief moments I saw them, but the lecture I got from the lady at the front desk in front of the group of 16 people that I had brought to the restaurant will ensure that I will only ever go to this restaurant if there is no other feasible option. I was really late, and they had reason to be frustrated but they must have forgot that I am the customer and any warnings about timing should be given privately, discreetly and with moderation. This would be a one star BUT the food is good there and the portions fab. Sorry Buca chefs you are being let down by your front lady.
(2)
K F.
Corporate Italian mush. Loud, noisy room with cramped conditions. And the food... Let's just say I was dragged here, kicking and screaming, so perhaps I may be biased. Not any worse than my previous exposures to the chain, but that's not saying much. Looks like stuff you could throw together in about 30 minute if you had access to a toaster oven, a boiling pot of water, and a can of sauce. Only you have to pay for something you could have easily done better. Large portions, but of what? Would gladly rather endure the 1+ hour wait at nearby Lucille's, and I'm not even a fan of the place.
(1)
Sandy O.
Big portions of food... Was kind of weird that we went through the kitchen but it was funny. The pepperoni pizza was super good and love that it was covered all over.
(4)
Paul I.
We have been to many Buca di Beppos, and like any good chain, you know what you are going to get. The Italian mother's basement feel, the pasta dripping with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese and Dean Martin playing in the background. Unfortunately, the Buca di Beppo in Brea was a major letdown. Our waitress, Tia, was delightful and on top of her game. The food was the issue. Everything was lacking. The Fried Mozzarella and Apple Gorgonzola salad lacked considerable flavor and the Penne alla Vodka contained too much garlic, rendering it inedible. We rarely send food back, but the garlic was too sharp to be eaten. Perhaps the cook had an off night or missing crucial ingredients. Whatever the reason, we advise to try other Bucas in the region until the Brea locale improves.
(2)
Sepi E.
4 stars for service. 2 stars for food. 3 stars overall. I shared the baked ziti and it was really heavy and overly cheesy for my liking. Some portions of it also weren't very warm. Overall it was alright. Other people in my party enjoyed their orders. The service was good. The server was attentive and got us everything we needed and he was really friendly. We were seated in a bigger table than the number of people in our party and my silverware had food left on it so I went to grab another set of silverware on the table and same thing. The next one I grabbed was good though. We had a birthday in the party and I thought it was weird that the restaurant doesn't give a a little dessert. But they did sing a song and bring out a candle. But I've never seen a place not give you a little birthday treat so I thought that was strange. The price is really high considering I've been to better and more authentic Italian places that have been cheaper than here. So if I want Italian food I'd rather go there and have some really good food for a better and more reasonable price. Don't think I'd go back unless someone insisted on coming. It was overall ok.
(3)
Michelle R.
Buca Di Beppo is a place I come to celebrate something.. birthdays, usually. On most occasions, I try to sit at the Kitchen Table, because it gives us something to do while we wait for our food. Plus, you are pretty much guaranteed that the food will be hot and fresh. I came here on a Monday night to celebrate my friend's birthday. Our server was not exceptional, but did an ok job. He tried to memorize our order without writing it down, and did get 1 item incorrect. We ordered: 1 small antipasto (and he gave us a large) 1 large chicken limone and 3 small pastas. (supposedly servings for 2-3 people) Our drinks were refilled regularly, and we even got a group photo from the restaurant's photographer. The birthday boy even got a group photo, compliments of the house. Portions are very generous. For a group of 6 people, we ended up taking 3 items home. Prices are a bit pricey (total for the 5 items came to $145 before tip), but fortunately we had a coupon (so $20 off) and I went to Costco and got a $100 gift card for $79.99 (saving an additional $20). We never got interaction from the kitchen staff, which was disappointing. In other times, they would parade the food from other people, enticing us to try next time. We DID get a Happy Birthday song and a scoop of ice cream, on the house. Ample parking but the place is a bit hidden. Upon driving into the plaza, turn left and follow the road facing the 57 freeway.
(3)
Mari K.
I dined at the venues in Pasadena and Universal City Walk. Both serve good Italian food. However, the prices at Universal City Walk was much more expensive and lacked the side veggies I had expected. I would not recommend the restaurant in Universal City Walk unless you are spending a day at the Park and really want Italian food. I will go back to the venue in Pasadena. Much better there.
(3)
Steve F.
It was Valentine's Day, and I had let my girlfriend decide where to go for our romantic dinner that night. Imagine my chagrin when I found out she had made reservations for Buca di Beppo... don't get me wrong, I love my lady, but Buca di Beppo feels a bit cliche for Valentine's Day. Especially as the wait times between getting seated, waiting for our appetizers, our entree, and our dessert was about half an hour between each... let me put it this way, we got seated at 8:20 (five minute wait to be seated, not too bad), and left around 11 pm! If you've been to a Buca di Beppo, you know what to expect - a trip through the kitchen on the way to your seat, lots of Italian kitsch on the walls and all over the restaurant (there's an altar to Frank Sinatra and a table with the Pope's bust on it... which I actually wish we could be seated at next time), and large portion sizes even if you order the Buca Small. But if anything, they are consistent with their food quality. Our order of Linguine Frutti de Mare (linguini with seafood in a red sauce), while not as spicy as I've had it before, pleased both of us - especially as it was Kathy's first time having it. The garden salad was on point, and the tiramisu... you definitely could taste the coffee mixed with the ladyfingers! Allthough our servers got orders a bit mixed up - several different orders were mistakenly sent to our table - we understood it was a busy night and mistakes happen, and for the most part, our server did check on us and made sure we were taken care of during the night. If there was half-stars offered on Yelp, I would give this Buca di Beppo location a 3.5 rating, and we wouldn't mind coming back here to try some more of the menu.
(3)
Matt S.
This is the next Olive Garden. Service was nonexistent, they came by to ask how we like everything before we received any food. Bread (not even warm) came about 20 minutes after seating and they were NOT busy, lots o empty tables. The fettuccine Alfredo was not Italian it was more like someone's strange flavourless version of fettuccine Alfredo. Pricing was just silly for the food/service received. Clearly, there is no management that is keeping this franchise up to its intended level, so sad.
(1)
Michael R.
Went here on a date to celebrate mine and my girlfriend's 6-monthversary. Knowing Bucca is known for its family portions, we ordered one specialty pasta. I figured to get my mom's favorite pasta in any Italian restaurant, which would be Linguine Frutti di Mare. I wanted my girlfriend to try it. It was really good! The seafood was just right, the pasta well cooked, and the sauce in it tasted very good! No problem whatsoever! We settled down to just this and left with a nice stomach. Keep in mind, the wait may take some time. Waited about 30 minutes. But just do something while you're at it. :)
(4)
karen r.
We were told the wait would be an hour and 15 minutes. It was onky 10 minutes. As we walked through 3 nearly empty rooms. (3-5 small full tables in each room) it did not appear busy. We had a coupon that gave a $15% diiscount which was nice. Portions were very large, enough for 2 meals after leaving, but service was mediocre. We had to ssk for bread and olive oil/ basalmic vinegar. Drinkk refils were slow. We had to wsit linger than normal to get our check and dessert wasnt even suggested, so we skipped it. The manager began serving and than a waitress took over. It did not appear busy but the waitress seemed frazled. Maybe we hust didnt see it. When we left it still was not busy but people were told there was an hour snd a half wait. Guess lots of staff cslled out for Memorial Day.
(3)
G.G S.
Wow! DARLENE is an excellent server! We had such a fantastic experience here. She handled all our requests beautifully. It really made for a great evening. This young lady is a true gem!
(5)
Peter K.
Family style restaurant, if you come here be ready to share the food with everyone else. Great people working here, friendly and nice, and they sing for every birthday person in the house. When I was dining there with my friends, I think there were four people had their birthday dinner there, and we probably spent a good 15mins total just to sign the birthday songs. By the way no TVs at the main dinning door, we wanted to watch the NBA all star game, but is all good since I got to spend some time with my friends.
(4)
Christina L.
This place sucked! Service was so slow. & all of our food wasn't good at all. even though we were the kitchen table, our food was last priority because our server was NEVER there. We had to keep bothering random helpers to help us. Their spaghetti and meatballs was so watery... baked ziti was so dry. And stuffed mushrooms was too salty. Gross. Big portions but the food is not good so I guess the bigger portions is used to compensate for the disgusting food. My first and last time coming. It was also a birthday celebration and I would expect a little dessert or something but nope. Nothing. Not coming back to any Bucas again... Thumbs down!
(1)
Rara M.
3 1/2 Stars ... Okay I'll round up. I have been here several times with large parties. Buca is a true family style dining due to their insanely large portions. -Service - okay -Food: mostly good -Ambience - kinda crazy The best dishes I've had at this restaurant are: -Spicy chicken rigatoni (Great kick and perfectly cooked chicken) -Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken (Heavy, but yum) -Chicken Carbonara (Everyone's favorite. It has a slight peanut buttery taste..) -Fried calamary (Delish) I would stay far away from the spaghetti and meatballs. The pasta was overcooked and the sauce was extremely watered down and tasteless. The fettucini and baked ziti were also mediocre.
(4)
Rhonda J.
Good food and service. BUT some of the "art" was pretty crude. There are photos taken from angles that showcase testicles of a dog, adult male statue, a child statue and women's breasts as they leaned forward eating spaghetti without using utensils. And on the way out, there is a sign that reads "enema, just what the doctor ordered". It was disturbing. This is not what comes to mind when I think "family style restaurant". Fortunately, my family was not with us. I don't get it... what are they thinking??
(3)
Haley K.
This place was pretty empty when I went, so we were seated right away, and the service was really quick. Our server was super kind too(: The food was delicious. LOTS of cheese 10\10!
(5)
Jesica M.
It was great coming here. The waiter Jonathan A. was great. The only thing that when we ask for lasagna they told us they didn't have any.
(4)
Rachel H.
Wow Talk about incredible service! We had a party for my friend, Robert was our server. He was friendly happy and took great care of us. We ordered pizza, spaghetti and Gorgonzola salad. Robert and Starla took the time to make this meal special for all of us. Thank you Bucca! We know where to bring our big parties and celebrations for food.
(5)
Kaylan P.
My friends and I decided to stop by buca for lunch because we had a coupon from groupon. Right as we walked in, the host, MARVIN was really rude and unwelcoming. He seemed like he hated his job and escorting us to our table was the hardest thing he's ever had to done. When we got to our table, our server, JONATHAN, was great! He was friendly and really helpful. As for the food, it's average. The portion is great for its price.
(3)
Christina L.
Called ahead on a Saturday Night at 7pm to check on the wait time. The high pitched voice on the other end told me that they no longer provide wait times over the phone and assured me that the restaurant was busy. Ok. So my girlfriend and I decided to take a chance and drove up to the restaurant 20 minutes later. I run in, notice that no one is waiting in the lobby, and learned that the wait time was less than 15 minutes!!! I ordered the Chicken and Sausage Ziti while my friend ordered the Cheese Manicotti and a side of Fettucini Alfredo (we're not pigs! we were ordering for lunch for the next couple days!) I've been to numerous Buca di Beppo's and it's always the same thing. Bland food cooked in bulk. The garlic cream, marinara, and fettucini sauces lacked any robust flavor and tasted as if they came out of a jar. The pasta was al dente and the bread was good. The customer service was often lacking. I felt like the waiters were overwhelmed with the amount of noise and customers in the restaurant. This used to be a great place for large gatherings but the quality of the food is just not worth the price tag. Check out mom and pop's like Palomino in Los Feliz for an authentic Italian dinner. More love cooked into the food there!
(2)
Lauren S.
Ok, so to start the food is good. The service... Lacks!!! We came here for 2 birthdays in one large group. It took 15 minutes for our waiter to stop by and take drink orders. Another 20 for them to come back and take our order. Once we got appetizers, we didn't have any plates (took another 10 to get plates). We finally got our food. We were missing a plate. Turns out they took it to the wrong table! They then brought it out with the check in a togo box. Not too happy right now and feel bad for bringing my friends here on their bday. 2 stars for the food only!
(2)
Lucy K.
This was a first time visit for my daughter to the Buca di Beppo on Imperial Highway in Brea. She loves Italian food, so I figured this would be a great place to take her to eat. She loved the inside of the restaurant, the service was excellent, and the food was great. We ordered the Baked Ziti, Linguini and Clams (we asked for white sauce), meatballs, and some cannoli for dessert. She loved the Baked Ziti, it was fresh, not dry-just the perfect amount of sauce and cheese. The Linguini and Clams was just the way I like it, with plenty of clams, shrimp, etc. The meatballs are huge and delicious- tender, not dry, or hard. And...the cannoli were great too. Very rich dessert. No complaints about the food at all. Our waitress was attentive, and on top of any request we made. It's a bit expensive, but you need to know that Buca di Beppo is a family style restaurant in the sense that everything is in huge bowls and plates- the portions are big. Overall, a great experience! My daughter asked when we can return-as we were heading out the door. :-)
(5)
Charlin C.
I used to like their baked ziti and this joint used to have better food compared to the one in pasadena....until today! I picked up my baked ziti, got home and found my baked ziti is dry, sauce less and the portion is extremely small! Plus they didn't throw in the bread that used to comes with! !!! This restaurant is off my list.
(1)
Aysha H.
My night started off good since we got a complimentary appetizer for our long wait. We had the Fried Mozerella, which was a good size for a group of 8.We ordered the Fettucinni Alfredo and a Baked Ziti with our 4 for $40. The portions were good and the pastas were great! Our waiter in the beginning was very attentive, but when we were wanting the check it took a while for him to come back. I was surprised that the person in our group forgot about the different size prices. We went from a small to a large and it cost everyone to pay at least $15 (tip included)! I might as well have ordered something for myself since it came up to $120 for the whole table. But overall the food was great and there was enough to take home for leftovers. Even our waiter said that you'll always be taking some food home.
(4)
Debbie C.
If you're really hungry and love pasta,this is the place for you. Definitely go with other hungry people too, because the portions are family style (huge). We tried the hot artichoke dip, which did not last very long at all. Our waiter refilled the bread we had devoured as we waited for the rest of our party to arrive. The cheese ravioli was tasty, and they were kind enough to put the meatballs on the side of the spaghetti for my meat-loving friends. It was all very tasty and we all left very full. Even though we shared an appetizer, a salad, and 2 large pastas, our bill still e need up costing about 23 bucks per person, before tip. In a past visit, I've sat in the Pope's room. It's good to reserve if you have a big group, and the acoustics make it pretty easy to hear everyone in your party talk, despite the large round table. If you have a large party, call in and make reservations ahead of time. The place gets pretty full at dinner time.
(4)
Keun L.
We went to Buca yesterday and had a reservation for 7:30. We were 5 to 10 minutes late, and the seat wasn't even ready. They made us wait 45 minutes even though we had a reservation. We even preordered the food, but when we got to our table, they gave it to us one at a time, 10 minutes after another. We were in a really bad mood and decided that we are never going to go their again.
(1)
Tanya H.
Was in the area yesterday with my boyfriend and had a great experience here. We felt welcomed the second we walked in. It was our first time trying Buca and decided to do take-out, Devin was very helpful guiding us though the menu and making sure we were satisfied with our order. There's nothing I love more than good customer service and good food.
(5)
Nelson B.
It was my first time here with my sister and friend to this restaurant. My cousin gave me a gift card for Christmas which is the reason I am coming here to eat with my friend. I would not come here again due to the fact the food were disgusting. We ordered garlic bread which taste like regular bread! Very disappointing. Also, we ordered lasagna and one of there fettucini dish and both of the dishes tasted extremely bland. I would rather go to Olive Garden that here. The waiter was very incompetent. He forgot to put an extra setting on the table as well as forgot the drink my sister wanted. He even said, "Oh I just forgot." What kind of customer service is this. He didn't even try to apologize for his mistake. Also, my friend specifically requested no peas in the one dish he ordered and of course it came out with it and he said "it was the kitchens fault" versus trying to fix the situation. This was our worse first time experience from beginning to the end. Everyone you have been warned. The food in the pictures may look great but it's false advertisement.
(1)
Ting H.
Exceptional! Five of us girls went for a birthday dinner. The service was awesome! Our servers Alex and Justin definitely helped with making our dinner even more enjoyable! Drinks - Peach Bellinis! So MUCH fooood! We ended up taking quite a bit home. - Mussels Bianca - Spicy Chicken Rigatoni - Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo - Lasagna
(5)
Vanessa G.
No matter how commercial this is or how much I am not a huge fan of Italian Food, I just love Bucca! There are just so many savory flavors! The portions are HUGE and great for sharing with friends and family! The walls are so much fun to admire, laugh at, and smile for! The people are always nice and the food is faithfully filling! Every aspect of this restaurant is quality and impressive! I love this place because I can easily enjoy time with others here! I love the meatballs! I loved all the baked dishes! I love the salads! I love the creamy pastas! I love the meat entrees! I love the bread! It is just all so good!
(5)
Lisa Marie B.
First off, you have to set your expectations. This is a mid-priced 2-star restaurant. It is good for families who want a (small) step above Olive Garden. It is basic Italian/American fare. The atmosphere is good for a birthday party or family dinner. I wouldn't bring a date here though. We started off with the Cheesy Garlic Bread Florentine. Then we ordered the Stuffed Shells, large pasta shells filled w/ spicy sausage, ricotta, and covered in Alfredo sauce. We also ordered the Veal Parmigiana with a nice red sauce. Overall the food was good. We're not talking gourmet or real authentic Italian, but good enough for a Saturday dinner before a movie. The place was a little loud, especially with the crying kids, but if you say, "family restaurant" you should expect it to be loud. The walls have lots of nostalgic style pictures. All-in-all it is pretty good for what it tries to be.
(3)
Terry D.
Food is marginal. No way does the price justify either quantity or quality. We hadn't been here for a long time. Bought dinner for friends who had been hospitalized. Portion was small and overpriced. Probably won't go back. I recommend finding a real Italian restaurant.
(2)
Ashley R.
Sunday night and it's super busy....about an hour wait! Make a reservation for sure.....even for small parties.
(3)
Melissa H.
The food here is amazing. This is the kind of place you need to come with a group because it is served large portions family style, That way you can try multiple dishes at a reasonable cost. We had a birthday celebration with 10 people. Since it was a Tuesday they let us take our time and we never felt rushed. The staff was friendly.
(4)
Ellie N.
2stars for the food only! Food tasted average it wasn't bad and it wasn't great either. SERVICE! Was horrible! And really really slow! We were a party of 6 with 2 servers/waiters and neither could get their work done right! To get our check took 20mins then to finally process out order and get out of the restaurant took another 30 to 40 minutes literally we were only last people in there. Manager never came to our table but seemed rude and annoyed. Same with the waiters. All I know is to never come to this location again! Waste of money & time
(2)
Dan C.
DATE OF VISIT - 12/13/14 (dine-in), 12/24/14 (take-out) SCORE EXPLANATION: 5 stars - Transcendent experience that is totally unique 4 stars - Would take visitors from out of town there (or a date, if I were single) 3 stars - Good enough for me to become a regular 2 stars - Edible, but would not return 1 star - Encountered serious problems BULLET POINTS - - This place can get EXTREMELY busy, and the service definitely suffers when that happens; the manager is conscientious and active in damage control, but the bottom line is, there may be damage - Pasta is done perfectly when dine-in; our take out was a bit soggy, possibly because it sat for awhile - Pizza was inferior to Bottega Louie and all of the little places in New York City due to the crust being a bit soggy and limp - Portions are measured for very large appetites (small fed 3-4 for us, and large 6) - Decor is a negative, which is funny coming from a Chinese person FOOD - Items tried included - Spicy Chicken Rigatoni (dine-in) - I'm not a fan of peas, but the rest of the dish made up for that. There is a nice kick, a decent amount of chicken (could have had a little more for my tastes), and the pasta was a perfect al dente. The sauce was smooth and not too rich, not watery, and not greasy. Excellent dish. - Margherita pizza (dine-in) - Plenty of topping, crust was thin but soggy, which really had a negative impact. Because of the poor texture I unfortunately did not focus much on the taste. I don't remember any kick of basil or particularly memorable mozzarella, though both were on there. - Linguine Frutti di Mare (take-out) - The pasta was not al dente, though perhaps this dish isn't meant to have chewy noodles. There was a decent amount of seafood, though again I think it falls short of "generous". A very tasty and popular dish that I have ordered multiple times, and it has never failed to please. PORTIONS - - Dine-in for 2 - One small pasta and one small pizza - Had one serving of pasta for wife's lunch the next day and more than half of the pizza for a late night snack - Take-out for 6 - One large pasta had two servings left for lunch the next day, though it was served with a salad and 2 rotisserie chickens from other places SERVICE - - Dine-in experience was marred by the waitress not showing up very often, and me almost having to get up to fill my own water. There was a large table next to us and the waitress was spending a disproportionate amount of time there. Had to ask for bread from a different server, and the response was "you want the house bread?" Um, yes, isn't it part of every meal? The follow up question: "Do you want some olive oil as well?" Are you going to ask if I want plates when the entrees come out? - Take-out on Christmas Eve was an interesting experience. Our order came out without a problem, but there was a lot of commotion and chaos. There were issues with some orders, which the manager was doing everything he could to rectify, and one of the employees was shutting down from the stress of it all. ATMOSPHERE - - There are some strange pictures on the wall that I didn't enjoy eating near. See the photographs for all the explanation you need. - Noisy, family atmosphere, which isn't necessarily bad. Bring your own group. =p VERDICT - - Will continue to come back for great pasta; pizza needs improvement and service means I will be choosy about the right time to dine-in, and the right time to get take-out - Generous portions mean that this place will always be a consideration for groups
(3)
Lachelle I.
I love this place, always have great service and food. The servers are funny and attentive. My aunt always orders the lobster ravioli or spaghetti and its pretty damn good. I like to mix it up and try something different each time we go,but I have never been disappointed. The portion sizes here are BIG so you will have enough for lunch the next day. The price for the amount you get is great. LOVE this place.
(5)
Maggie M.
Food was very good! The Marinara sauce, very flavorful, the Muscles bianca, DELISH!!!!! The Prosciutto stuffed chicken breast....GREAT.... I think the masterpiece of the night though was the Stuffed Mushrooms in that pesto cream sauce...... OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Calamari, Mozzarella were delish, all the food was very good... The portions are very big... be mindful of that. I just wish they had more seafood options that were not with pastas... The alcohol beverages very sweet.....I love a fruit martini, but none that make me diabetic.... easy on the syrup!!! The server was very nice, answered all our questions and really took care of us.. Only reason this isnt a 4th star is that Buca books and overbooks and before we were done in our area, we were basically deseated by a family of 30!!! If we arent done, then we arent done..... This should have been card for. Ayache was a great server, this wasnt his fault!
(3)
Jenny L.
It can accommodate large groups. I've had engagement dinners, family dinners and get togethers. Food quality is consistent. The service is somewhat consistent. Parking can be tough at this location. For the holiday, the shopping center offers complimentary valet.
(4)
Grace C.
Came here to buy one gift card. Waited around 10 minutes, as it was one host seating guests and one server that was helping with to go orders. Nice people, but the wait was a bit long for just purchasing a gift card. But, they do have gift cards in any denomination you want! Otherwise, Costco may be a better choice if you want bulk $50 gift cards... Came to this site years ago, but never came back because of our to go experience that time. Will probably try the place again, but only to eat-in, not to go.
(3)
Amanda L.
Unfortunately, yelp requires you to give atleast one star...if it didn't, you better believe I would have given this place a whopping ZERO! First off, I always try to see the light in every situation. This time however, the only light I saw was from the dim ceiling bulbs! To start of, upon arrival the hostess was the most mono toned, not wanting to deal with people person I have ever met! Okay, I still saw the light thinking atleast she wasn't going to be our server! In the back of my mind, I was thinking things can only go up from here but low and behold...we met JEREMY, the WORLDS MOST RUDE SERVER IN THE HISTORY OF RESTAURANTS!!!!! And, I did leave out the hostess hit my mom in the head with the menu and never apologized but thats neither here nor there with the rest of our dining experience. Well, well...nice to met you Jeremy! First off, my brothers ID was expired without his knowledge since we were there for HIS birthday, he wanted to order a drink. Yes, totally my brothers fault for not checking! but the way Jeremy handled it was pretty epic in the worst way. "Ummm...this is expired, do you have another form of id thats not expired" in the most sarcastic way! Then he proceeded to say, thats what I check for, I cant help you. Did i mention, he never once smiled. Whatever! I thought. He must be having a bad day. Next, he asked if we had ever been there, we said no. He asked if we wanted bread and salad and without seeing the menu yet since he JUST passed them out, i said yes both (thinking this was like olive garden) since he never stated any options knowing we had never been there before...or....just maybe....he thought we were mind readers because next... Jeremy just stares at me for an awkward second. I thought he didn't hear me so I repeated myself and he said "okay, what kind, there are many kinds...look at the menu, I'll be back". I literally was waiting for the "thats right, you idiot look at the menu" that was so obviously what he was thinking just by his tone and facial expressions". At this point, my whole family is feeling very uncomfortable. ..the people across from us are complaining about him as well. The rest of the meal continues on this way, i am shocked at every next sentance that comes out of his mouth but I let it go because my brother is starting to feel very uncomfortable. He brings us our bill, we pay, we leave. Still not once did the guy smile! It was pretty unfortunate that we don't get to see my brother very often and this experience took away from his visit. Instead of chatting about catching up, our conversation quickly changed to Jeremy and reasons of why he was still employed. On the ride home, I realized that I had let this nobody ruin my day so I decided to call the restaurant and discuss with them the awkwardly rude experience we had at their restaurant. This next part is pretty interesting, I got the store manager on the line that proceeded to tell me they have had several complaints about Jeremy and I should speak with the general manager. The general manager was extremely nice and pleasant BUT why keep staff that continue to be rude to customers. On that principal alone, i will never be back! I will shout from the rooftops to anyone that will listen to never go back! This restaurant should be shut down, board the doors and windows. No human who is paying for a service should be treated that terribly. JEREMEY SHOULD FIGURE OUT HIS PROBLEMS AND DEAL WITH THEM, HE SEEMS VERY UNHAPPY. WHAT A SHAME TO BRING THAT TO EVERYONE ELSE HE COMES ACROSS.
(1)
Daniela F.
We had dinner there yesterday to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken was overcooked and the Baked Ziti was burned and tasteless. The house wine was also really bad and gave me a headache so stay away from it!!! In resume, we paid a lot of money for a very poor Italian dinner.
(1)
Rho L.
Another lackluster experience at Buca. We had a dinner here with our immediate family --all 20 of us. We were promptly seated and our service was good. Unfortunately, the food...well, not so much. Other than the pizza which was decent and the carbonara which the kids actually liked, everything else was a miss. We ordered quite a few dishes, but I won't elaborate on each one. Great place for feeding a lot of people without spending too much money, but definitely you lose taste and quality.
(2)
Alex D.
worst italian food i have ever had. service is mediocre. mixed drinks are bad. seafood x3 appetizer.. yuck. just gross. came out to over $30 a person
(1)
Jennifer A.
My friend made reservations for Friday at 7:30, but it really wasn't that crowded. Probably because it was pouring outside and the parking lot was a mini lake which resulted in my shoe filling up with water. Anyway... I think Buca di Beppo in general is just ok. You can't go wrong with fried calamari, the linguini frutti di mare was super bland, the penne san remo was meh, but the real surprise was the pepperoni pizza which was really good. Loads of pepperoni and a thin crispy crust. I like the whole family style thing, but the portions are just so big that even with 7 of us we only got to try an appetizer and 3 dishes. Don't forget to print out the $10 off coupon because they won't accept it if you just show them your phone.
(3)
Sheryl B.
So we decided to go to Buca to celebrate my brother's promotion at his work since it's a family style restraurant. When we got there we were sat at a round table where it was pretty tight squeeze considering it's on a corner and there were 10 of us! I wish they sat us somewhere more spacious. Our waiter was ok. I wish he could have been more attentive espcially our food came longer than expected. It took over 45 minutes before our food arrived. The food was good. Good portion. Prices were decent. One thing we did notice though that one other server wasn't having a good day. He spilled drinks on one of the guest on another table. Poor guy! He was even wearing a dress slacks, button up shirt and a tie. I'm suprised he didn't yell at the waiter but he did ask for the manager. Not long after that the same waiter spilled drinks (again) luckily the guests on the table didn't get wet. All we were thinking seeing those incident was "Thank goodness he was not our waiter!"
(3)
Karen C.
Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken & Penne San Remo is what we ordered and have to say both were great. The stuffed chicken could have had a bit more Prosciutto but good just the same. Loved the tour of the place when they seat you and the decor is fabulous. The service was good and the prices reasonable since there is so much food you have one or two meals leftover. And I joined there mailing list and already got a coupon for free appetizer. I will see how it goes on my next visit and report back but I do recommend the place so far.
(4)
Cinthia S.
Food was not what we expected!! And the service was not the best. The made us wait for 10 min even though there was nobody else waiting at that moment, and the host kept talking with other waiter without paying attention we were there.
(1)
Nina K.
I came here with my family, being a party of 8. We had an excellent experience. The portions were a bit smaller than we had expected, but we still ended up fully satisfied. Our waiter was a guy named Hugh. He was excellent and friendly. The food doesn't come out as promptly as many would like, but it didn't bother us because we had a great time just talking and enjoying each other's company.
(5)
Jackie C.
Came here with my dad for Father's Day. My dad was treated with "Happy Father's Day" by at least 5 different people. The cook even shook his hand when we walked though the kitchen. It was a very warming and impressive experience. I was shocked at how kind everyone was. I wasn't expecting everyone to be so inviting. Now for the food. We shared a small of the Pene San Reme and cheese garlic bread. I was surprised at how quickly the food came out and it was superb! The pasta was perfectly cooked; not too mushy or crunchy. There was tons of flavor. And lots of it. The cheesy garlic bread, oh my! I am a garlic lover and the bread had generous slices of garlic on it. I was in heaven! The portions here are huge! Seriously, it's amazing how much food we got. I have enough leftovers for two meals and we just got a small order. You can't beat the price for the amount you get. Plus if you sign up for the e-mail club, they send you coupons! Overall it was a fantastic experience. I love Buca and will definitely be coming back.
(5)
Corinne M.
Came for lunch and the food was great as well as the service. Quick, polite, asking if we need anything.. Very good!
(5)
Jennifer Y.
Great family size meals
(5)
Samarie R.
What happened??? I've been to this Buca di Beppo several times and have had a typical Buca di Beppo experience of fun kitschy decor, large portions, decent food, upbeat and friendly servers. Tonight - not so much. We were a large group so there were plenty of opportunities for the staff to get things right. That also means that there were plenty of opportunities to get things wrong. Unfortunately there was a lot that was wrong. First the good - The mussels in wine sauce and the fried calamari were both delicious appetizers. The chicken saltimbocca was delicious. A ziti dish with chicken and sausage was good. The sangria was tasty. The bad - We had one server for our large group and she was not friendly, timely, or attentive. She was impatient in taking our orders and kept walking away before an order was complete. We waited long to give drink orders, and then to get drinks. The veal Marsala was terrible. The meat was too thick, overcooked, and tough instead of the tender smooth texture it should be. The Marsala sauce was sickeningly sweet as if sugar had been added to the sauce. We had to return the dish because it was inedible. One dish we ordered never came out to the table. An order of manicotti, or cannelloni was delivered to the table lukewarm and so dry that the pasta was crunchy hard. The server came around one time to offer drink refills but never again after that. Many of the dinner plates brought to the table were dirty with dried food stuck to them and greasy smudges around the rims. Several pieces of silverware had dried food stuck to them. When the server brought out replacements they were not any cleaner. It appears there are significant problems in the kitchen both with the cooking staff and with the dishwashing machines or perhaps the dishwashing staff. It also appears that servers and busboys don't look at the cleanliness of the dishes before giving them to customers. While the manager came out to our table and tried to do damage control there was just so much wrong. Any server, cook, or busboy can have an "off" day but this experience was much more than an occasional "off" day. In fairness to the restaurant, we were not charged for the veal marsala that was returned nor were we charged for the order that never arrived. Appropriately so.
(1)
Kat C.
Aww, this place is rated only 2.5 stars? Well my lova took me here as part of our one year anniversary. The waiter was so funny, agreeing enthusiastically with everything we ordered. Us: "We'll have the Linguine Frutti di Mare..." Waiter: "Good choice!" Us: "And the Prosciutto Stuffed Mushrooms..." Waiter: "Oh! That's my favorite appetizer!" Us: "And to drink, a coke and a Peach Bellini, blended." Waiter: "Oh! That's my favorite drink! Can I see ID please?" He didn't really look like a mushroom or bellini type of guy, but I appreciate the fact that he tried. Our orders came out pretty quickly. The drink was yummy. My lova who hates mushrooms, loved the antipasti because of the prosciutto stuffed inside. And the shrimp linguine was spicy and it hit the spot. Personally, I really like the fried calamari, but my lova does not like it at all. We had also ordered the pesto dish before and both our palates liked it. It's a little pricey for my wallet, but after having signed up for their eClub, I'd go back with a coupon.
(4)
G.A. P.
If you're looking for an upgrade to your fond memories of your middle school lunch meals, then this is the place for you. Thank goodness for my Italian instincts and intuition, once I got over the shoddy memorabilia all over the walls including the bathrooms, I realized that I was sitting on a horrible picnic bench with stained dishes that looked like someone spit on them. I knew that here was a problem when the main course was served first and appetizers came ten minutes later. And the waiter act surprised about the whole thing. I wasn't sure if I was served a microwaved meal or leftovers. All the meals were oversized and overpriced. Someone's idea of Italian cuisine was skewed with bad impersonation of Hamburger Helper. Although the waiter attempted to do his best, I still felt like I didn't receive the best service.
(2)
Vickey L.
I went to Buca for the second time yesterday afternoon for a late lunch/early dinner. I loved their decor; very colorful and lots of interesting things to look at. The dining area we were in was pretty dim so this place is good for date nights if you don't mind the noisy atmosphere. The only downside was the pricing. I think $17 is pretty price for a plate of Fettuccine Alfredo. And that's the price for a small size. However, the small size serves up to 3 people and the large portion serves up to 6 people. So if you're having a group of 4 or above, this is a good restaurant to go to. For "antipasti", we ordered the fried calamari. And for entree, we had Shrimp Fra Diavolo for entree. I was kinda debating between the garlic bread and the fried calamari to have for appetizer, but apparently they also offer you bread and it comes with olive oil and vinegar. So i was pretty glad I went with the calamari. In addition, I also ordered a glass of iced tea and a side of mashed potato. The total was $50... with tips included. And I tipped about 15%. For that price I think I'd rather go to a fine dining restaurant... Loved the food, but it's a bit on the pricey side for couples. Great place for groups though!
(4)
Scott T.
Food is good, but no chance to try the meat ball...will go again for other appertizer
(3)
Peter C.
Its been years since I had eaten at Buca and I was very disappointed at what this place has become compared to what it was. The food quality has diminished quite a bit and the service was extremely slow. I will never accept the fact that a restaurant is busy as an excuse for bad service. RESTAURANTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE BUSY. It is reflection on the operations of a business if they cant adequately staff their restaurant for Friday night dinner service, especially at a large chain restaurant. I don't think I'll be returning to Buca for a while.
(2)
Tejas M.
Ended up here after the Angel game with an Italian friend. Their Alfredo and Arrabiata sauces are non-veg so we had a limited choice. The Ravioli with marina and Eggplant permasian were good. But the cheese pizza was the best one!
(3)
Kevin S.
I understand you're busy on a Saturday night. Everyone is. But when I call and put my name in for a party of two and you say it'll be 20 minutes, try and either be honest or realistic. So we show up 20 mins later, oh yeah, there's our name on the list nowhere near the top. Fast forward 25 more mins and now we are bothering the hostess and the other four employees standing around the lobby/takeout window who'd rather stare straight off into space than help anyone. So we left hungry with our $2 kid-sized milk. Been here once five years ago, wasn't impressed then. Definitely won't be back. I hate to say it, but take a lesson from Olive Garden.
(1)
Dr. Catherine L.
Love the setup and Italian feel. We had Italian music playing in the background which also added to the experience. Our waitress was very attentive and very friendly. She explained their special and Italian dishes that she was recommending so ordering was not hard. The food came out hot and fresh. I loved the flavors. Very very good place to bring family and friends for ANY TYPE of celebration. The prices are moderately fair, considering the HUGE portions they serve you. Would I come back here? MOST DEFINITELY!
(5)
Tasha H.
My best friend and I had planned to stop by for dinner since we had a coupon and she said the location in Vegas was good. We were greeted by a nice bubbly hostess that walked us to our table and gave the welcome to Buca de Beppo speech. But there after it was a downhill slide. We were seated at our table for over 15 minutes before our drink orders were taken. Then we had to wait another 15 minutes for bread. We ordered the spicy calamari appetizer which was burnt and saturated in oil. During our entire dinner our waitress barley checked in with us and seemed annoyed to be serving us. I ordered the chicken cannelloni which was just ok and not worth the price. It was bland and lacked much needed seasoning, not to mention it was not hot. My BFF ordered a lobster ravioli item on their seasonal menu and was also underwhelmed. I did not taste it but she cut open all of her ravioli pieces and could not find any lobster. According to her the meal was under seasoned and was also cold. We may have been more inclined to try this place to again if the service was good but it was not. Bad food + Bad service= a waste of money! We will not be back!
(1)
Logan H.
the food here is always amazing!!! the only drawback this place has is the service. it is always slooooooooow. for some reason no matter what waiter or waitress i have, they take forever to bring me refills or anything else. The food takes a while but the only reason for that is it is freshly made to order. its not sitting in a bag somewhere and then boiled out. It is ALWAYS made fresh to order. the only reason they do not get 5 out of 5 stars is due to the service. For a sweet drink. try the raspberry lemon drop martini!!! so amazing!
(4)
Sandra L.
The wait was ridiculously long, even though we had a reservation. Parking was just as bad and to top it all off the food was just ok, and COLD.
(2)
Sophia J.
I use to think this place was bomb.com when i was younger (like 7 years ago when i was in high school hahhaha!) and didn't know better. I use to love their frutti di mare, their salads, pizza, and everything in general. But geez is it so expensive for the quality of food and for being a chain. This is a fun place to have dinner IF you get the right servers. Its very loud but makes quite a unique experience starting from the kitchen/restuarant tour to the family size platters, all the pictures on the walls, etc. Last weekend, i took my family out since i had a gift card as well as the $10 off coupon. Upon arrival, the doorman was nice and courteous. Other than that, all the staff don't really look at you in the eye when they talk or introduce themselves. They just talk in the air and lead you to your table without even telling us about the restuarant/kitchen tour. Our waiter was nice but inattentive and never came back to check on us unless we hailed him down. It was very frustrating and annoying! We had the seafood trio appetizer platter, frutti di mare, and spicy chicken rigatoni. The frutti di mare was SO bland with wimpy pieces of seafood and the seafood trio which consisted of fried calamari (bland), mussels (unremarkable) ,and shrimp scampi (very delicious because of garlic/butter. helllo you can't go wrong with garlic and butter -_- ) The only thing that was delicious was the spicy chicken rigatoni. Spicy is subjective as it wasn't spicy at all to us. I will not be returning to Buca ever in the near future. Sorry Buca but no more.
(2)
Suzy M.
Great place to go with a large group and have a good time.
(4)
Shannon R.
Horrible experience!! My family and I ate here for the first time for my son's bday- BIG MISTAKE!! * We were a party of 7 and we were given only 3 place settings; * When we asked our server if they serve bread with the balsamic/olive oil, he said "Yea. Oh did you want some? We give it only upon request." ... Okkkk, how were suppose to know to request it if it wasn't offered in the first place!! * When our server brought us our appetizer sampler, he didn't give us any plates with it. So while we waited forever for him to get them (AFTER we had to ask, of course) we just used our napkins to put the appetizers on. * One of the entrees we ordered was the Shrimp Florentine which looked amazing in the pic but when I took the first bite of ours it seriously had no taste to it- it was like I was eating a plate of plain boiled noodles and the water was their sauce- RIDICULOUS!! * Any time we wanted refills or anything else we had to wave our server down, which would again take so long even though we seemed to be the only ones in the restaurant (hmmm... Go figure!). The only decent thing we had was the pepperoni pizza... Overall, our waiter was not attentive and the chef must have been half asleep that night because this experience was a huge disappointment for all of us... and we're not even too picky. The best part of the night here was walkin out the door to go home... and still hungry!! I am definitely not going back to this location!!
(1)
Sang S.
The portion is still large. Probably the best place to go if you are feeding always hungry college kids as I had to recently. But the food is not special and wait is too long during weekend.
(3)
Codes M.
Way overpriced for the food we got, I could cook better than this and will in the future! Our Hostess was rude and curt with us, and our waitress practically ignored us. We literally had to jump up and down and yell at her just for her to come over and give us silverware, glasses, water, take our order. After a long ass time, about 40 min our one order came out. Then we ordered a far overpriced order of canoles, which it was obvious one was stolen (yet denied).Five minutes later in this empty restaurant the waitress is pushing and rushing us to pay the check and leave. The whole thing was a disgrace and a sham, I'll never eat at this place again. It only gets one star because the decorations where entertaining.
(1)
D M.
Not happy at all. Pasta was way over cooked, when we requested it al dente. When we informed the server it was over cooked, he said no no its al dente. Not able to eat it at all.
(1)
Chef M.
Pretty good over all portions are for family style so if you don't want the same food as the people you come with the bill can rack up pretty high good food great for large party's
(4)
Elesha N.
The only reason Id give this place 3 stars instead of 2 is the fun ambiance and the value. The dishes lack a certain italian authenticity. However, the ambiance makes up for what the food lacks. My boyfriend is kosher so he doesnt eat meat with dairy. And I dont eat dairy... We came here for pasta. Didnt look at the menu before we came, but figured i could be happy with spaggeti and meatballs if all else failed. Earlier that week I had the most amazing olive oil and vegitarian pasta at cheesecake factory but wanted to try something new. We knew it was family style and were ok sharing a dish. However, we found a lot of trouble finding any pasta that did not contain cream sauce... Our server explained to us that even the spaggeti and meatballs uses parmeasean in the meatballs and butter in the marina. like really??? who does that??? lol So the only option was the spaggeti bolognes with meat sauce. That tomato meat sauce contained no dairy. Cons only 1 dairy free pasta sauces (spagetti with meatsauce)- no pesto pasta or olive oil pastas. only 1 vegitarian pasta but it was loaded with cream sauce. we were very limited in the pastas. Pros italian/fun ambiance great service 13.95 for bolognes for 2
(3)
Jen G.
Horrible service. We sat in our seats for a good 15 minutes until our order was taken. Usually i don't mind, but there were only 2 other families in there at the time and plenty of employees to help us out.We were only a group of 2 but that doesn't mean we should be last on the priority list especially when we came in before one of the families. My boyfriend and i had been waiting for quite a while after we ordered. the wait got so ridiculous I had to flag down our waitress. Turns out our food was just sitting there for a while after being made. Not only that but they also got our order wrong. I have enjoyed my past visits at Buca but this had changed my views on the restaurant and its employees. We will not be coming back.
(1)
Jon T.
came here for a gathering of friends. ordered quite alot of food, and it was delicious. i cant remember today what we ordered, but all i know is we were all full and we all enjoyed it. What was memorable was that we ordered a sangria, but because one of our people didnt want bubbles, we ordered without the club soda. boy, did that taste bad. It wasnt their fault, but if you ever get a sangria, ordered it as is. really awesome server. forgot his name. Gave us a few puns and here, and he was definitely able to cut some awkwardness. best idea is to make RESERVATIONS! YAY!
(4)
Angie W.
We come to this restaurant occasionally and it never disappoints. We even had our rehearsal dinner here 4 years ago. We recently visited this place for a family birthday lunch. They had a 4 for $40 deal which came with salad, garlic bread and a large pasta. We had 6 people, so we added the linguine di mare. This was more than enough food and all the dishes tasted great. I miss their chicken cacciatore which used to be on the menu and was my all time favorite. This location was empty on a saturday afternoon, which I felt sad about since the food and service were all great.
(4)
Danny N.
Great place for pasta! Their dishes can be able to feed about 2-4 depending on your appetite. The pasta was really really good. One of the best Italian places I've had.
(4)
David H.
Agree with most of the reviews. Typical chain Italian food. Nothing fancy and just ok. Just average no matter what you get. The portions here are huge. A small bowl can easily feed two. Keep this in mind when ordering.
(3)
Naomi H.
I went a few times two years ago. Unfortunately things have changed. 1. The bread is smaller, less fluffy, not warm, and has less sourdough flavor. 2. The prices jumped up quite a bit There is a new menu with new prices. Some items have been taken out and others have been added. The quality of the food is still great. I always thought the amount of food served was an awesome deal for the price, but not anymore. The amount of food you get for what you pay for is not going to be as impressive as it used to be.
(3)
Desiree B.
Humorous posters and quirky old advertisements covered the walls and the vaulted ceiling of the little room we were seated in. But hey, if their is a dull moment with your guest just point out something and talk about that. There's plenty to look at. The waiter mentioned family style portions and how a Buca "small" serves up to three people. I'm sure he was talking about the pasta... right? We ordered the pizza and it came out a lot smaller than anticipated. And of course, it was devoured. Glad we had the spicy calamari as an appetizer. Covered with a spicy sauce, minced garlic and banana peppers galore it is definitely a must. The service was alright. Our waiter was nice but seemed more attentive to other guests. Is it because I used a coupon? $10 off I might add. Ahhh... yes I think so.
(3)
Meek E.
I had fond memories of this place, but when I went to take my girlfriend out on a date here, we were quite disappointed. First off, the wait which was said to be 20 minutes turned into 45. Being this was my girlfriend's first time, she was patient enough to wait. Once seated, we shared a watered down Sangria. We ordered an appetizer and 2 main dishes. Out of those three, the only dish that tasted good was their new Penne San Remo. Though our server was kind, it took a while for our dishes to come out. We left feeling we paid too much and wasted too much time. It took over an hour to order, eat, and leave.
(2)
Hanz W.
Today's service was horrendous, came in around 1pm. Bread came out stone cold like it was made the day before or it was bought premade from some place. It seems like butter isn't a Bucca thing cuz it comes packaged like a hotel breakfast in little squares and its clearly well refrigerated, however, very cold butter equals very hard to spread butter. Plus the very cold and flimsy bread made it very difficult to spread. Sorry Bucca, I just don't like oil+vinegar on my bread. Server took our orders. Me+gf shared a Stuffed Shells and last time I saw a "something Pear Cream Soda" and so I went after it this visit, turns out its a "PURPLE Pear reg/cream soda". The shells came out a little unappealing visually, it looked like they were old or dry cuz it had this white cracked layer of powder on some spots. A little bit of white sauce was drizzled over it. Marinara looking sauce surrounded the six large shells but was still on the short side. The shells turned out to be great texture and great temp (it just came out, nice). Truly, insufficient sauce though. $16.95 for 6 shells. I don't understand why my Pear Cream Soda had to be turned purple. I'm fairly certain purple doesn't add a flavor. The only thing I think of when I saw the "purple pear" was that Barney had come to Bucca's to make sodas. Surprisingly, it was the best cream soda I've ever had and I usually like other places cream sodas. Last visit, gf got the raspberry cream soda and the strawberry cream soda. Of the two, the raspberry was decent, the strawberry one tasted like medicine. The Purple Pear cream soda reminds me of an Airhead or my gf said it reminded her of a blue jolly rancher. It also reminded me of Martinelli's sparkling pear cider but with a bolder flavor. $3.95 for a fizzy awesome pear/candy tasting soda ::thumbs up:: The GRIPE: Service was really bad on this very empty day at this very empty hour of 1pm. We are promptly seated. We promptly order. We wait. Water delivered, no straws. Wait. Bread delivered, requested straws. Wait. After our 1st bread basket, which took a couple server visits to get ahold of, the basket remained empty and no server came to check the table for a good 10 minutes (wow). Server drops by to take the basket and returns later with a filled basket of bread, again not even warm. Wait. 2nd bread basket emptied. Wait. Wait. Flag down a server for a different area of the restaurant for bread refill AND my missing Barney Pear Cream Soda. Wait. OUR server arrives with bread and my lavender soda that looked like it overfilled and ran down the outside and so everytime i touched the plastic cup, it came off sticky. Entree arrives shortly, piping hot. Soda refill, comes back lighter in color and tastes like sprite, send it back for redo, comes out perfect =). 6 shells, 2 people, finish in under 15 minutes. Refill soda. Pay check. Leave. While our server was nice, he kept disappearing for very long periods of time and no one was around to notice our basket was empty most of the time or that the bread was very cold and flaccid. PS: gf said the girls' bathroom had one roll of toilet paper out of the 3 stalls. PSS: Music played this song about how this guy could get all these vegetables and fruits but no bananas. He was very sad he could not get bananas.
(2)
Samira F.
Our waiter Damian was the BEST. Food was great
(5)
Goofyjj L.
Reserved at 7. Arrived at 6:55. Started seating people that arrived after my group. Were not seated by 7:25. Host extremely rude. Will not go back ever again. Btw, not my first time not being seated on time even with the reservations...
(1)
Alvin Joseph R.
I would say 1.45 stars. Probably the only thing I liked about this place was the service. Our server was great. She was very attentive to our table and tried to stay on top of things regardless of how busy she was. On all our dishes, the pasta was undercooked and the taste was pretty bland. I did however enjoy the stuffing of the stuffed shell pasta. Too bad the shells felt like seashells. We also got the spicy chicken rigatoni (eh) and the prosciutto stuffed chicken (not bad, but nothing special). It felt like these dishes were just thrown together. Big disappointment. We didn't end up staying for dessert because we realized later on that we were already paying wayyyy to much for this kind of food. Would I come here again? Probably not. Half-cooked pasta just isn't my thing.
(1)
Andrew S.
Horrible experience. I have been to other locations and enjoyed it somewhat, but this location was blah. We were seated in the BAR area....which is never really an issue...HOWEVER, they decided to seat a party of like 1000 directly behind us, which included about 50% children under the age of 10. So if you do that math that is about 500 loud children, and 500 idiot parents who feel it shouldnt be a problem to have their kids screaming at the top of their lungs, and running around like animals. I understand this is a "family" place, but I don't think they should seat families with children in the damn BAR. So what could have been a decent and relaxing evening of food and a few drinks....ended up being a loud and annoying experience. shame on you buca di beppo....you should know better then to allow 500 children into the bar area, especially when it was totally obvious that every adult in the bar was annoyed at the loud crying from the kids, and the laughter from the adults who were all drinking and probably forgot the kids were brought along with them.
(1)
Nick J.
My lack of enthusiasm about Buca di Beppo mostly stems from the atmosphere than the actual presentation and taste of the food. But don't get me wrong; the overpriced "family fare" is about as authentic and tasty as anything prepared by Chef Boyardee. And I used to love Chef Boyardee... when I was 5. Which probably explains why the few times that I've gone to Buca, the place seems to be overrun with families and their little ankle bitters. From the garish decor and poor lighting to the throngs of loud patrons, it becomes difficult to enjoy a meal amongst the chaos. To be fair, Buca prides themselves on their "family-style" dinning. So large groups are to be expected. You should also expect to wait. The service is not exactly speedy. I gave it a few shots, but this place just isn't for me. Pass!
(2)
Mike L.
This is the Buca restaurant that I go to most. And I've never had a bad experience. The staff is friendly and always talkative. I do love a few of their dishes very much, mainly the Penne Basilica, Lasagna and the Chicken Limone (Not to forget the sides of Broccoli and Mashed Potatoes!). I must say that I go here a lot because of the $10 off $20 or more coupon I get every few weeks. And for that price you cant pass that kind of deal up! Me and my GF plan to try everything on the menu at some point:)
(4)
Holly L.
I came here to order take out. Cashier was not friendly at all. She took a long time to finish my transaction and not even apologize for long wait why it took so long. I had to ask twice to get take out utensils and she forgot my bread too. I came here before and service was also bad. Never again, will go to different location now
(1)
Benson And Karen I.
Family-Sized Portions. I had a horrendous first-time experience. But then again, I'm a extremely picky eater. Long story short, I ended up buying food somewhere else right after. Why? I ordered their salmon (small) for twenty dollars I believe. When it came it looked like fried chicken cutlets. I was aghast. (But then again, I ordered it without the pesto and tomatoes. . . ) However, I honestly was not aware that they breaded their salmon. Geez, anyone would probably say to me" Well you shouldn't have expected good seafood at an mediocre Italian restaurant?" HAha maybe. I went with my family, my brother enjoyed it (It meaning- anything but the salmon that we ordered), and my parents had a sub-par time. I personally would not go there again. Number one pro was the decor of the place. I felt like I was in another world. . . . sorta exotic. My family loved the dinner bread they served here. And you see lots of families here, and couples celebrating birthdays. So it can't possibly be that bad at all.
(2)
Kione E.
o.k. Can we admit that when it comes to good Italian food...that Buca di Beppo fails...big time? What they don't fail in is: Being a pretty good place to go to for last minute catered-style company-lunches. Having decent prices. And, pretty good customer service. I've never been or ever will be a fan of theme restaurants who tries to sell the public on the idea that they are having a great time and are actually eating good food. But, hey...Buca was there for what I needed them for. That's about it.
(3)
Jon O.
I've been to Buca a few times before at several other sites and usually I've been satisfied with the service. However this site on Imperial in Brea was the worst by far. Service: I called to make a reservation and my family and I still had to wait an hour before being seated. The hostess said she made a mistake in the seating arrangements. To make matters worse it was my dad's birthday, so this was a horrible way to start the evening. Fortunately, the manager made up for the horrible hostess' mistake by giving us FREE appetizers. Our server was nice and totally made up for that hostess' mistake. Food: The food was delicious. It definitely made up for the whole experience, which is why I gave 2 stars, not 1. Price is justified. Overall: I will NEVER RETURN to this Buca site ever again. After the atrocious wait period even after making a reservation is inexcusable. Thank you horrible hostess. If you want good authentic italian, but don't want to wait very long, do not come to this Buca in Brea.
(2)
Alberto E.
Great place for big groups and the price is right. The family enjoyed the Margherita pizza, spaghetti with meatballs and the bread with olive oil plus vinegar. Plenty of leftovers for tomorrow. The service was pretty good because we went early on a Sunday morning and the place was not that busy.
(4)
Kajza M.
Not sure why there are so many bad reviews! I kind of feel like a crazy person because I absolutely love this place! The food has always been amazing and the service has been as well. We have never been with an extremely larger group (8 at the most), so I can't speak to how that works. We usually get the muscles marinara (not on the menu), quatro al forno (I have no clue how to spell it) and a salad or cheesy bread. Last time we got the apple and gorgonzola salad and it was to die for! We cleaned the bowl. Even my husband who isn't a big salad fan ( or gorgonzola for that matter) went back for seconds. We love this place and will be back!
(5)
Anak N.
Our reservation was cancelled because of somewhat weird excuse: "somebody called yesterday to cancel." But they did scrambled to set up tables ASAP. Too bad our banquet menu hasn't been prepared yet... We have to wait a long time for our food. Let's see if they r worthy for another star by giving us discount or comp. us anything.
(1)
Vincent T.
So I waited three years before I decided to come try this place out. Wasn't worth it. Big portions, but lack of quality. The sangria had too much ice. On the bright side, the place reminded me of Disneyland. My friends and I felt like we were in a ride like Pinocchio or any other ride in the Adventureland neighborhood of Disneyland. I could almost imagine a track running down the aisles and at anytime, we would be ushered into little cute cars and slowly crawl through the entire building, with bright and cheery classic Italian tunes echoing, following us wherever we went.
(3)
Stefany N.
I'm in love with Buca di Beppo and can never get enough! This place is great. I love the decorations of posters, art, and photos on the walls. The music is great. Anyone can come here, an intimate date, large family or friends dinner, birthday dinner, celebrations of any kind. The environment of this place is FUN and energetic! The food is DELICIOUS! You get large amounts of food at a good price. I had my birthday dinner here, mom's birthday dinner, mother's day, and I've always had great experiences. The service here is good with friendly, however I have had some waiters that are not that energetic, other than that, GO HERE!
(5)
Anthony L.
Good food and good service. The music and noise level is always a bit much but it's what you could expect at Buca di Beppo.
(3)
Micki W.
What's not to love about a restaurant that walks you in through the kitchen for a quick tour on the way to your table? My pasta loving son was in giant meatball heaven just seeing a chef plate one of those beauties as we walked through on the mini-tour! It did take a while for our order to arrive, but, hey, they're cooking here folks! We got complimentary bread with olive oil and balsamic fairly quickly. Eventually our garlic, mozzarella bread arrived and mannnnnnn it was worth the wait! Sooo good! Warning: not a first date dish...unless you are trying to avoid a second date request! Finally our two pasta dishes arrived. The spaghetti and meatballs was delish! Simple, tangy marinara sauce was divinely covering giant, well-seasoned meatballs and perfectly cooked pasta. The chicken carbonara was beyond! The salty pancetta and perfect amount of sweet peas could have made the chicken pointless. But, why not have a bit of protein to offset the carbolisciousness? The portions could have easily satisfied four people. I ordered cannoli to go and found it quite lovely with a hot tea at home. It wasn't too sweet and the pastry was very fresh and crisp. Bucca di Beppo, we shall return, soon!
(4)
James S.
Wow this place killed Bucca for me. Our server was a little on the rude side, and took forever even though the place was empty. The Garlic bread was an overpriced joke, and got suckered into ordering green beans as a side. I swear he made it sound like it came with the pasta dish. It went something like this: "I'll have the linguine please." "Would you like green beans or mashed potatoes with that?" "Green beans or mashed potatoes...with linguine?" "Sure" "Well. I guess green beans" Turns out the green beans were a 7 dollar side dish he weaseled on us. Weird!! My fond memories of eating decent Italian in a fun environment were cut down with my trip to this run down Bucca.
(1)
Jonathan Z.
Nothing Special. This was not my first time to Buca di Beppo. I had Buca back in 2009 in Palos Verdes and enjoyed the food there. I was not overly impressed by my visit this time. I typically hold Buca in high regard to Olive Garden, but this location leaves me wanting. We had the baked rigatoni, stuffed shells, and stuffed chicken. The baked rigatoni was so-so. The stuffed shells had a tasty filling, but I was a little turned off by the texture of the pasta. The texture of the pasta for both the rigatoni and stuffed shells was that of a hollow stress toy. It was not "al dente" as it stated in the menu. The best part of the meal was the stuffed chicken that was served at the perfect temperature. It was hot enough so that the cheese was melted and parted from the rest of the entree easily without it being too hot and branding my palate. The flavor of the chicken was very good, as was the filling of the stuffed shells, but again, the texture of the pasta was a big turn-off for me. The bread served before dinner was also sub-par. It was cold and kind of hard and we had to keep asking for oil and vinegar as they do not leave it at the table anymore. Overall, this location gets a 3. The flavor of the food was not bad, but the quality of the pasta could be better. I do not see myself returning to this location.
(3)
Ted L.
Worst service ever. First and last time I'm ever coming to this place. Took an hour to get my food after I ordered it. Waiters were awful. Also saw a waiter drop a whole tray of food on a girl in another party. Food wasn't anything to brag about either. Only giving 1 star because I have to.
(1)
jolie d.
went on a saturday night . the wait was only 10 min. we ordered brochette to start off and it was really good.they have everything in small or large portions . perfect for sharing. then we shared a Cheese Manicotti basically its pasta rolled up with chesse inside on top of marinara sauce. came with 3 rolls perfect for two people. didn't get dessert cuz we were both too full will definitely go back.
(3)
Joy K.
This place is definitely a family restaurant. I came here for lunch with my family and relatives. We ordered 1 caesar salad, 3 pastas (spaghetti with Meatballs, Chicken Carbonara, and Linguine Frutti di Mare), and finished our meal with 1 apple crostata dessert. This was all shared by 8 people, but we were so stuffed that we had to take almost half of each pasta home with us. They also give you unlimited bread along with olive oil + balsamic vinegar to dip your bread in, such a great combination! Their meatballs for Spaghetti with meatballs were HUGE! All of their food was very tasty in huge portions. I would definitely recommend this place for all occasions, particularly if you have a large group.
(4)
Stephanie W.
Made a reso for 6:30, but we showed up about 5 mins early, and they made us wait until 6:30 before taking us to a table. We ordered their special appetizer - a cheesy bread with spinach... a little over $11 for 4 pieces of bread... a tad over priced... we also ordered the ravioli pomodoro, and the proscuitto stuffed chicken. The chicken was a little on the tough side... could barely cut it with the knife on the table... Overall the food was alright. We had a $10 off coupon, so that lightened the blow a bit...
(3)
Tj G.
Big portions for all your friends and family. Everything is delicious! Want to try the sundae dessert but always too full to get it by the time we done with our pasta.
(4)
san s.
The line for take out is long.. very unorganized.
(1)
Lorence L.
One of the more unique places I've been too, I felt like I was walking into an ancient Rome/Don Corleone designed place, lmao. It's great. Of course the food is served family style and the theory is every dish that is ordered is for everyone at the table. I had the baked ravioli and the pepperoni pizza. Both were amazing, and the sauce they use has a little "kick" to it. The server was very friendly and seemed glad that she could be of service. Highly recommend. I wish I could give it 3.5
(3)
Jeffrey C.
I had dinner last week at the Brea location. The kitchen took forever to deliver our appetizers. We ordered fried calamari, but gave us cheese bread instead. Our appetizer finally came out after our dinner was nearly over. We cancelled the calamari because it was taking so long; thankfully, they took it off our bill. Good look finding parking either. It's pricey for what you get, and the food was bland. At least they take reservations.
(2)
haute m.
Portions are huge. Main entres are very good; however the salad was completely drenched in dressing and was not good. Get dressings on the side. Service is great.
(4)
Greg R.
I have tried NOT to write a negative review for them. I have given them many opportunities to right their wrongs... To no avail. So here I find myself writing my first negative restaurant review... I have visited many of their locations. Brea, City Walk, Pasadena, etc.. And for th emost part... they are consitant...consistantly disappointing. My most recent "experience" was in Brea on Sunday night. We were sat promptly at our table, as we had a reservation for my birthday. Which was nice. The drink order took forever to place and even longer to get. They were very good about refilling our bread over and over.. However, it seemed any time we placed a food or drink order, the server was in such a rush that she walked away mid order, every time. Now.. as a party of 15, and obviously not worrying about how much we spent, you would think this kind of party would be a priority.. I could be wrong... Once we placed our food order..finally... it took FOREVER to come out.. it came out in shifts.. one order was gross looking...barely warm..and undercooked, yet over heat lamped... Another order was just digsuting.. POORLY prepared meat, horrible sauce, and again, barely warm.. and again, we were running into a less than friendly server, who had an edge of attitude and FAR from "service oriented" after about 45 minutes and most of the GOOD food was being eaten, I chose to cancel the order on one of the dishes we never recieved (close to an hour later) I was told: "well it's ready now." ok.... so we got 6 dishes, PLUS 4 appetizers out..eaten them all...and my other dish was ready?? Meaning sitting there?? No thanks.. She then told me "well we'll take it off, but since it is already made, we'll box it up for you" I said "well since it wasnt served, would you guys like to enjoy it on your break?" She said "No" and reiterated that she would bring it out in a box to take home.... we never got it... I WILL say... the mussels, calimari, Caprese, and all the other dishes were as good as Buca Di Beppo can get... So those were not any more disappointing than usual. But the other dishes, the service, and excuses were enough to NEVER bring a large party to again. Mind you.. we were ordering drinks and food left and right..and EASY several hundred dollar tab of which we had no issue with. The manager came out and comped the food we sent back and we also had a military member with us and they honored a special discount for that too. The manager did the best she could and handled it well considering. This place is good if you have a huge group of people who arent picky about their food or drinks. The best thing here was the Sangria and appetizers.. But if you have a refined pallate, don't bother. Go to sizzler. I will never go back to another Buca again. this is far from the first time I have had bad service and less than par food. I have had ONE "perfect" experience out of half a dozen... I tried..But they continued to fail. Especially at the BREA location.
(2)
Gerry F.
Was not in the same class as other Buca's I've been to. No reservation fine, was told by the "Hostess" that it would be a 45 minute wait. Waited 45 minutes and noticed other people who came waaaaay after us being seated, asked the "Hostess" and she said, well those people have reservations. Really? you didn't see the reservations on the damn sheet in front of you when you said 45 minutes? Never going back there again.
(1)
Erin H.
For starters, this place is like an Italian restaurant is supposed to be: LOUD! We there on Saturday night for dinner with a 6:30 reservation. wee were running about 15 mins late, so I called from my car and asked them to hold the table for us. They were very sweet on the phone, and they held our table. There were about a gazillion people waiting, (What don't you people get about the concept of planning ahead and making a reservation?) but we walked right in. Our waiter, Hugh, was right there for us all night, and we even got three table touches from the manager! Service was great. The food was wonderful! Well-prepared, served nice and hot and absolutely delicious. The house Chianti is a very agreeable and drinkable table wine. Ambience, like said above, was LOUD. Everybody in the room was having a great time, including the staff! This place was a party going on the whole time we were there. Italians are loud people who like to eat loud food, and that is what this place is all about. Dinner for ttwo, with tip and a few drinks, was about $110, which may seem a bit high to some folks. All I can say is, you get what you pay for. We received a good value for what we spent, definitely! We will be going back.
(5)
Paul C.
Went here a few weeks ago with a friend since he was in the mood for some Italian grub. We arrive and got a number and the waiting time was 40 minutes. Place was packed like any other on a Saturday night. We went to Gamestop to kill some time but when we got back they supposedly called our pager so we had to wait another 15 minutes but we got in within 5. Got seated and ordered a few dishes. I can't remember the names so I'll describe em as best as I could. 1st dish was a new dish they had on their menu. Some spicy chicken with rigatoni. It was alright but not that spicy. 2nd dish was a chicken carbonara with linguini. This one tasted pretty good although I know it's super fattening. :) 3rd dish was the 9 layer lasagna. To me this tasted like any other Italian place. Nothing special really. Tasted ok. We also got this stuffed chicken with prosciutto with some spinach cream sauce. I enjoyed this one as well. All the stuff we ate was in small portions obviously since there were only 3 of us so it made sense not to get large. Service here was decent. Our orders came out within 15 minutes and our drinks were constantly refilled. There were several birthdays going on that day and one of them happened to be where we were sitting so one of the servers had everyone in the area start clapping or something. Anyway the only downside to this place is the design of the building. You can easily get lost in here because of all the twist and turns.
(3)
Darlene B.
I was a little apprehensive about going here for lunch based on the previous reviews but I had a coupon for $10 off of $20 so I figured what the heck and I was pleasently surprised! They like to walk you threw the kitchen on the way to your seat which I thought was odd, but hey it looked pretty clean :) I ordered the Chicken Saltimocce which is a chicken breast with lemon, capers, and artichoke with fetticine alfredo.....It was very very tasty Service was great and I only rated them with four stars as they are a bit pricey
(4)
Matthew H.
Atmosphere : 4 Stars - We asked for Kitchen Table, and It was wonderful experience to be able to watch Chef being in Zone and cooking big portion of foods. It was fascinating to watch pizza maker put and taking pizza out from oven, and watching other people working their butt off. Price : 4 Stars - Cant really complain on pricing, We ordered alot of food, and we was full and happy. It is kinda expensive in some area but hey good food, reasonable. Food: 4 Stars -We had Spicy Calamari *it was pretty yummy but little bit soggy with couple pieces*, Chopped Antipasto Salad *it was nice light delicious salad* , Pizza *was great, kinda greasy but it got it its own favor.* , Spicy Chicken Rigatoni *best part of this meal, its pretty impressive and it got some spiciness into it with tender chicken*, Chicken Parmigiana *the chicken need to be breaded more or leave fried for few more mins, because I like mine crispy but the sauce was good*, And at last, We had mozzarella caprese *need more frying, it taste pretty good but wish it was more crisper like i messaged that i like my food to have it own snap.* Service: 5 Stars- The Service was quick and clean. Nothing to complain really. Workers: 5 Stars- Very Responsive, always moving. I like that.
(4)
jamie j.
I was was here with a party of about 40 people...hard for a gluten free person to eat at Buca Di Beppo, but asked the server for an order the Chicken Saltimbocca without gluten (no breading and ensure sauce doesn't have flour). It was delicious....large order (about $30) had about 6 medium size chicken breasts. On a side note, I don't think the Sangria actually had any alcohol. The noise level is pretty high, thus great for kids.
(4)
April T.
My boyfriend and I came here for lunch so we can use our $10 reward card (for previously buying a $50gc) We usually get the spaghetti which is so good and decided to try the lasagna as well. What a good decision it was, the lasagna just melts in your mouth! We also got calamari which is always good. Our total came out to be only $10.26 can't go wrong with that! :)
(4)
Brad K.
When I look at chain restaurants in grading them, if it's a place that I return to and like and the food and everything is the same as all the others, I'll give it 3 stars. It's A-OK overall and everyone knows the food so no reason to really break it down. I'm of the opinion that chain restaurant food can only be so good and 3 stars is perfect, unless it's just one of my all time favs. That being said, when the food is on par, but the service sucks, unless it's ridiculous, I give it a star under, 2 stars. That's what's going on here. The service here sucks. The waiters leave you far too long and don't seem to be all together. Of course you have to blame management, which also seems to not be all together just based on the few interactions with the managers on duty at the times I've been.
(2)
Charm J.
I walked out of this place PISSED! My fiance and I went in for lunch and regretted it right after. First, the hostess was rude and failed to acknowledge us and when she did she very rudely said, "Wait there and someone will be with you." Ok, fine, if there were large crowds and it was a busy night, I'd definitely understand. HOWEVER, there wasn't anyone waiting much less in the restaurant! We finally get seated in the boonies and we give the server our order. I ordered cheese ravioli and my fiance ordered a pizza. It took about 20 minutes for the pizza to come out. After we both ate a slice of SOGGY pizza we were dying for the cheese ravioli. So we wait...and wait...and wait...IT NEVER CAME OUT! We had to ask the manager about our food and he comes back with, "oh I guess we sent your food to another table." what?!?! So he finally brings us our ravioli, which by the way, was no better than the pizza. Being the manager you'd think he would have offered it to us on the house seeing as it came out 40 minutes after we ordered. But no, nothing of the sort. Server brings us our check with no discount, no explanation, no apology. I mean, cooommmeee on, seriously?! As Stephanie Tanner would say, "HOW RUDE!" Go somewhere else! I beg of you!!
(1)
Nascent X.
A Slow Buca Buca Di Beppo is pretty much the same no matter where you go. The decoration is always superfluous; you get a ton of stuff to look at on the walls. It makes it look busier than it really is, but I suppose the restaurant really wants you to have an 'authentic' experience. As if just by putting a bunch of decoration on the walls will teleport you to a new country. Anyways Yelpers, I would give one suggestion to everyone. Come to this restaurant in a large group! Trust me on this one. Experiencing a bit of every dish as family style is the way to eat at this restaurant. You just do not want to be stuck with the same taste throughout your meal because the portions here can get big. I suggest eating with at least 5 people and up. The food here is overall good, and you can easily read the descriptions to get your ideal dish. My group ate the calamari & salad as appetizers, ordered 2 pizzas, and 3 other entrees. The Chicken Pesto Pizza was superb! The Supremo Pizza was "eh, not so great". The Baked Rigatoni, Proscuitto Chicken, and oven roasted salmon were delicious! A word of warning however, is if you are not patient this place is not for you. The service here is substandard. You'll easily wait 10 minutes just to get a to-go box (which I did). So, arrive here with an appetite, a good group of friends, and have conversation picked out because you may find yourself waiting a bit longer than you'd like. The food - good. The service - slow. Overall 3 stars.
(3)
Vicky T.
Delicous! A group of 13 of us came here for a group date on Valentine's Day. Our waiter(s) were pretty quick and chill too. We started off with complimentary bread (of course, it's an italian restaurant) with some vinegar and oil. My boyfriend and I split the small CHICKEN CARBARONA and it was delicious! Oh gosh! It had fettucine, chicken, pancetta (i'm saying it like how giada delaurentiis says it haha) and peas mixed in with alfredo sauce. I haven't been craving pasta lately but Buca made my cravings come back. So much carbs though!!! But it was a lovely experience. If anyone who was sitting around our table is reading this, I want to apologize on behalf of my party if we ruined your Valentine's Day. I know that if you did not get laid that night, you can pretty much blame us for it -___-
(4)
Krista I.
Bad services and bad food. We had a party like 80people from 7:30-9:30. They had seats for us like 7:45, they served us the last dish in last 5mins..like around 9:25. Of course we cannot finish it withhin 5mins. We late to leave like 10mins. They charged 150bucks. My god. Also, there are some tables are missing some dishes we ordered. The manager said the people on that table refused to get it. NO WAY! BS....I don't recommend this restaurant. BE SMART!!
(1)
Shirley M. J.
My girlfriend, Deae Mae and I stopped by to order my main course and a side dish to go after a long day day-tripping to Riverside, CA. The food to go was exceptionally fast-I waited aproximately 20 minutes to receive my order to go. While waiting for the Chef to make my food order, Deae and I had a barrel of laughs taking pics inside this entertaining restaurant and we began snooping around the premises. Deae and I are always snooping around observing the wait staff, including checking all the cool archival pics this restaurant displayed in the dining room, counting the bottles of liquor the bar had in stock, and how clean the bathrooms are. The Chef's kitchen is off to the left side of the Food To Go in the front foyer of the restaurant which seemed very large and full of high tech pro kitchen equipment. I ordered the Linguine Frutti Di Mare and a tossed spinach salad. The restaurant packaged my food in an aluminum sealed 8" X 11" baking dish ( very large portion), and Food To Go Receptionist gave me plastic plates, spoons, forks, knives, butter for the bread, plus another little tub of butter accompanying an eight inch round of garlic, sage, and rosemary bread for free. My restaurant bill cost me $21.54. Well, I finally ate the the main course and side dish I ordered. I was sadly disappointed because the main course I ordered was awfully greasy laced with so much olive oil, I had a difficult time eating the coagulated Linguine Frutti Di Mare! The olive oil dripped so much from my plastic fork, I had to eat my main course with a handful of bread the restaurant gave me to sop up the accumulated, coagulated olive oil with each bite! O=:-( Mama Mia! The only thing that was alright to eat was the tossed salad and the bread. Please take a peak of the pics I took of this restaurant and the main course I ordered. You can readily see the olive oil oozing out of the linguine noodles! Anyway, I took the To Go Menu and to my surprise this restaurant has a chain located in San Francisco-415.543.POPE which comprises restaurant locations in 26 ConUS. I will call the SF location and inquire where the Chefs at this restaurant received their expertise and training. I am hoping that the SF Chef will prepare the main course I ordered in Brea, Ca with vast improvements! Buca di Beppo has a URL: buccadibeppo.com so you can check for the nearest location for you to dine. Also, Buca di Beppo has a phone number to call for reservations: 1.866.EAT .BUCA (1.866.328.2822). Manga, Bello e Bella-you want curb service?! Si! FYI: I took all of my pics of Buca Di Beppo Restaurant with my Nokia 6260 International Cellphone.
(3)
A P.
Decor was fun.....food was bland and very disappointing. Lasagna noodles over cooked, meat was mushy and sauce was bland. Antipasta pasta salad had hardly anything in it, and the other two dishes were just boring...no Italian kick to the food. Very overpriced for the lack of quality....won't return.
(1)
Jerrold S.
My dad wanted spaghetti and eggplant parmesan for his birthday. We were going to take him to a nice Italian restaurant until we realized that our party was for 13 people. Oops. I have nothing against some nice family style home made old school red sauce and checkered table cloth Italian food. We are very familiar with that type of stuff from growing up in Queens. But we're not in Queens anymore. The only redeeming items on the menu were the pizza and the chicken parmesan. They were much better than I could have imagined. Just like in sales under deliver and over promise for a much better experience at a mediocre restaurant. The spaghetti and meatballs were a joke. They might have well as sent out egg noodles with ketchup. The spicy chicken rigatoni was made spicy with the inclusion of crushed red pepper flakes sprinkled on top of the dish. Come on let's make a little bit of an effort here. The eggplant parmesan was a mushy disaster that lacked, cheese and flavor but more than made up by breading and slop. So if you order correctly you can probably get out of here with an ok meal.
(2)
Juan J.
Love this place my we come in here atleast 3 times a month never get tired of it. It can get busy so YOU plan ahead. Food portions are huge always take home left overs :)
(5)
Zachary B.
I came here for Mother's Day with a party of 8 On May 11th 2014. The service that we got throughout the night was good. The server was nice and looked like he was a good guy overall. When he asked us for our drinks I ordered a sierra mist. When it came out I found something small and yellow that I don't think was supposed to be there. The food was really good but I had a hard time eating because there were pictures of topless girls and peoples butts all over the wall. The pictures of the naked people were awful if the restaurant would take down those pictures I would give this place a better rating
(2)
Andrea V.
Went here for my friends birthday. The service was excellent. Sal is such an amazing 5-star server! We were here during the La Habra earthquake and one of our friend's alcohol drink spilled and they happily replaced it free of charge. Sal warned us that the portions are very large even when you order "S" (small) so he saved my friend and I from splitting a 7-8 serving Large dish. Even then we couldn't finish our food! It was good (spicy chicken rigatoni)- not amazing but still up there because of the portion size and because I love pasta and pasta sauce. We got our money's worth. But I recommend splitting with 3 people for the small serving size. The Artichoke Florentine Dip is a MUST TRY. Then again, I really love artichoke dip... so I am biased. Bucca di Beppo was very accommodating for our birthday girl. We brought a tiara and our own cake and they brought it out for us. They took pictures for us... which they later sold to us ($5 for the print out and $10 with the frame). You can't take a picture of the printout because it's copyrighted so be sure to take lots of your own photos so you don't fall too in love with the photos they take. We ended up buying 4 printouts but for our Birthday Girl, it was worth treating her to tangible memories of the event:) 4.5 overall and rounding to 5 just because Sal was great. Thanks Sal!
(5)
George M.
Better be hungry! Buca di Beppo serves their portions large! We ordered the baked Ziti family portion (serves 4) delicious! And the freshly baked bread is to die for! And how they decorated the place with Italian Kitsch with vintage photos of vintage photos from Italy from the 1950's and 1960's to photos of Frank Sinatra, Sophia Loren and others and for large parties The Pope Room featuring the Popes from Vatican City . Buca di Beppo is the fun place to go for "Famiglia Italia" style!
(5)
Diana T.
I just LOVE italian food! Girls, I suggest you wear a dress or leggings because you will be STUFFED! Boys, just wear sweats! lol. The minute you are seated, if you are sitting towards the back of the restaurant, you get to walk through the kitchen and all the workers are super nice! The chefs, waiters, and waitresses all say hi to you! I went with a friend and we ordered only two items! We also had a coupon $10 off a $20 purchase! We ordered: Fried Mozzarella($9.99): These are hand-breaded mozzarella fried golden brown and served on a bed of homemade marinara sauce. mmmm these pieces of fried mozzarella were so big!! Love the marinara sauce that it comes in too! Baked Ziti ($15.99): Mozzarella, Parmesan, provolone and ricotta cheeses mixed with imported Italian ziti and freshly made marinara and creamy Alfredo sauces, baked with Italian breadcrumbs. This was very delicious, even if it was meatless(can have the option of adding meat or shrimp). Our waiter, Jamal, was super duper nice! we ordered a small pasta and when it came out, i was in shock! that does not look like a small. He said he upgrade our pasta dish to a LARGE but charged us for a small! What a nice man!!! Thanks! Leftovers to take home is always nice because then I don't have to make lunch for work! Service was great, atmosphere was a bit loud since we were seated by a party of like 30 people! Overall, great place with big portions! NOTE: -Sign up for their email club and you get coupons! -Serve family style -Complimentary bread -Complimentary dessert if its your birthday with a bday song!
(4)
Samuel H.
Nice environment, good food, especially the salads!
(5)
Michael W.
Update: so a "manager" at Buca contacted me after reading my review. She asked for my contact information because she wanted to contact me (maybe to explain the rare poor service?). Needless to say, I haven't been contacted. Sad that their service truly is all-around bad. Bummer, Buca.
(1)
Sonia I.
Came here to celebrate my son's 1 year old b-day with family on a Wednesday night. Not busy at all and the staff was super friendly. They brought out a candlestick and sung an Italian b-day song, which was fine because I didn't want my 1 year old eating cake just yet anyway (you know, because usually restaurants bring a free dessert for b-days). He loved the Macaroni Rosa and the Chicken parm was better than I remembered. the food was good, nothing to rave about. At first, I was really impressed because an employee came to take our pictures for a free postcard (I've never seen a restaurant offer this before) and later when he returned he told us "because you guys had such great smiles I printed out some extra pictures! I'll set them here and check on you guys later." I thought he was being really nice because it was my cute baby's birthday (all the employees kept coming by to see him, probably because it was a slow night but also because babies are cute) and because he made no mention of price (this isn't the fair or some other place that tries to get more money out of you, right??). Unfortunately, it was a way to make more money and charge us overpriced pictures. I told him it was not cool to be misleading and he claimed he would give us a deal, but $7.50 for a photo in a cheap cardboard frame is not a deal. SO, if this happens to you, I strongly suggest you just ask him to take pictures of your group with your phone and then go to CVS or wherever does 20 cent photo print-outs instead.
(2)
Cesar R.
3 free big ass pork chops (didn't have to pay cuz it was my dad in laws bday...and you know damn well I didn't pick this place to eat at) yelp.com/biz_photos/buca… So much pork that I didn't really know what to do with myself. So I just ate it. And life went on.
(3)
Julie B.
A wonderful place to celebrate with any size group! Our group of 13 ladies had the best service, from bread and dipping oil on the tables ready for munching, to the staffs willingness to pace the meal as we waited for others to join us. And the rigatoni and chicken parma-so delicious! The family style servings were perfect and we all had leftovers to take home, so we could enjoy the heavenly cannoli! Jon and Miles took great care of us and our pictures were perfect-I would highly recommend Buca for any occasion and I know I'll be back!
(5)
Katherine O.
I wish I was a bigger fan of Buca. I just feel like the prices are too expensive and I don't really like the family style plates... it is kind of a problem when you are trying to cater to multiple people. I also wish they served soup. We ordered a small spaghetti and salad for 3 people and I was still hungry. The next time, we had 4 people and ordered: mozarella and tomatos and a large pasta (chicken carbonara) and we were stuffed. Here are my thoughts on this location specifically. Service is good. Bring a warm coat- it is always freezing inside (hence my soup desire)! One tip is to do a reservation online (or open table) because they sometimes have a long wait.
(3)
Sherry C.
All in all, a fantastic authentic Italian experience for a casual dinner for my mom and I. Went there at about 5:00 on a Friday afternoon and we were seated right away. Gave us the usual routine through the kitchen and dining areas. I always find it interesting how the hostess points out her favorite picture frame while on the little tour. Ordered a "small" serving of Mozzarella Garlic Bread and a "small" serving of Penne Arrabiata. Complimentary house bread was also automatically served, much better than the last time we were here when we actually had to flag down our waiter to ask for the complimentary bread. House bread came with a neat little concoction of vinegar and olive oil as the dipping sauce for the bread. Since there were only a handful of tables already dining, our dishes arrived in a reasonably quick time frame. Now finally onto the food: Mozzarella Garlic Bread ($9.99): +DEFINITELY order this as an alternative to the complimentary house bread. I know, I know, you have to pay an extra 10 for this hidden gem, but trust me, this is a definite must-order! +Perfectly toasty and crunchy. +Served in the cute little breadbasket. -Actual slices of garlic on the bread (a minus for me since I do not like the horrific after-stench of garlic in my mouth). -The mozzarella was not spread evenly throughout all the slices of the bread. I'm left with 4 end-pieces of the bread that just doesn't have any toppings on it! Penne Arrabiata ($18.99): +Penne pasta with roasted red peppers and 2 Italian sausages. +Super authentic homemade marinara sauce. Love it so so much! +Don't know if it was just the after-effect of eating the spicy sausages, but I thought the marinara sauce also had a zing of spice to it! Very nice. + -Sausage was a bit overcooked; the outer skin was a bit tough and hard to chew.
(5)
C D.
We went to Buca for lunch today and tried to use our coupon for Nurses Week as they have offered. When we first got there the guy asked if we were celebrating anything... I told him nurses week... Said he never heard of it... When we sat down i showed it to our waitress and she told us it was a bogus offer!!!! So we ordered our entrees. I searched on my phone to bring up the offer to show that it was from their website. The waitress said she had to show it to the manager. Really???? Is it not clear enough? Anyway, the manager was called and she came to the table to check the website on my phone and then she brings out a copy of one to verify some code... So in my mind, she knew about it!!! Why the drama around it? It's even printed on their paper placemats!!!! One day they'll need a nurse... And I wonder how they would feel if their complaints or ailments are thought of as bogus, and then smacked with a large hospital bill! Big FAIL Buca!
(1)
Sue C.
Had dinner there tonight with a Birthday coupon they had sent me for $20 off our order, which I was excited to use. They sat us in the room with the wine bottles overhead against the wall. It took a while to get a waiter, they said he had cut his hand up and was having it bandaged. This wasn't a good sign and I started thinking about blood getting in the food. He eventually came out with his hand bandaged and said he was fine and took our order. The bread was yummy and our meal came and was really tasty. I had the Prosciutto stuffed chicken and for pasta we had the Chicken Carbonara, both were good. While eating the noise level became so loud my husband and I couldn't even hold a conversation. Someone in the room with small children kept saying loudly Weeeeee, every 10 seconds over and over. It was like nails on a chalk board. I got up found my waiter and asked him to bring boxes we needed to leave right away! He said he would give me a coupon for our trouble but we never got anything when the bill came only a giant MIGRAIN! I will only get take out from this location and never eat their again unless I'm babysitting my four little grandsons since this place has become the new chuck e cheese in noise level!
(2)
Steve J.
I love the spaghetti at Buca de Beppo. If you've never been there before take the tour you could even get to go see the kitchen. They are family sized portions. You will get a lot of food for your money. The lasagna is especially tasty. Spaghetti is the family favorite. The meat balls are the size of the fist. The chocolate cake will make you go crazy. Be sure to do a lot of cardio after you go to Buca di Beppo. This is Steve justice signing off.
(5)
Ricky K.
First impressions of this place was that the decor was slightly overwhelming as the walls were plastered with a variety of photographs of Italian culture; however, I can understand that it adds to the overall feel and style of the restaurant. To begin after being sat, the waitress was very gracious and kind in letting us know that there may be a possible delay on the meals because of a large catering service that they are attending to. Despite the delays service was attentive. When the food arrived everything was splendid. One thing that should be pointed out is that portion sizes are extremely hard so the description provided by the waitress were very off especially when it came down to the portion sizes of dessert. Authentic food, would recommend the come with a larger party due to the enormity of the entrees.
(4)
Danny N.
When we visit family in town we go to this Buca location. The service and food has always been excellent. Great for large groups or parties. We had pizza, macaroni rosa and Chicken saltinboca. Everything tasted great as usual!
(5)
Steve M.
Enjoyable meal.. Chicken Limon is great... Pasta dishes are bountiful and tasty. Been here several times and its consistently good.. Ends up being more than expected as well. Large asz portions so beware of not ordering too much.
(4)
MÃ ria C.
Wow was there today for the very first time, it was great I will be going there very soon. Thank you Johnathan best service ever. The baked Ziti was great.
(4)
Nancy M.
Came here for the first time with 3 of my friends for lunch. It's located in the plaza where the Brea Discount Movie theater is! It's kinda hidden on the left side between other stores/buildings. When we arrived, the apathetic waiter took us through the kitchen and basically a maze to get to our table and apparently, he was supposed to describe what we were passing through, like "here is the kitchen, here is the bar" etc etc but he didn't... he just made us walk in a circle without telling us why... but anyways, we ordered the Apple Gorgonzola Salad, Seafood Trio, Small family style Spicy Chicken Rigatoni and a lunch portion Chicken Penne. We received free bread w/ olive oil&red wine vinaigrette dip and the bread wasn't toasted so I was kind of disappointed, but it was still good. The "family style" portions of pasta are HUGE. It's enough for 2 people to eat one w/out needing appetizer or anything. Apple Gorgonzola Salad: Tasted okay, it was just iceberg lettuce tossed with some citrus-y dressing, candied walnuts and apple slices on top. Nothing too special about it. Seafood trio: ($22.99) Fried shrimp, Mussles in red sauce, Fried calamari and Fried octopus. Comes with a marinara dip. It was pretty average tasting. It just tasted like normal fried stuff with dip. Spicy Chicken Rigatoni: ($20.99) Contained too much garlic. There were giant chunks of garlic in this so the taste was really strong and overpowering the dish. I honestly did not think it tasted good. Chicken Penne: I didn't try it but my friend liked it! Overall, our bill came out to around $76 for the table and I was surprised. I didn't believe the average food warranted such an expensive bill, especially considering most of it was pasta related. In addition, the decorations looked gaudy and dingy so I felt kind of uncomfortable eating in here. The plates were also a little dirty and the servers all looked apathetic and bored. I will probably not returning to this place because I didn't get a great first impression the first time.
(3)
D N.
First, this is for lunch only. Second, this is directed to corporate for allowing them to be open at lunch. Third, has nothing to do with the service. Service was adequate--not fantastic but I'd call it at least 3 stars. No, this has to do with their lunch. If you've been to Buca before, you know you can't really tell how full the restaurant is because the waiting area is a separate room from the dining area. Our first sign should have been the fact that as we were going to be seated, there was only one other couple in the restaurant. My wife ordered the soup and salad. How do you screw up a soup and salad lunch? First, take a tiny cup of canned salsa and some beans, heat it up in a microwave and call it minestrone. Second, throw some lettuce in a small bowl. Include 2 pepperoncinis and 2 olives and throw some Italian dressing on. Charge 8 bucks and that's how you screw up a soup and salad lunch. I ordered the pasta and soup. Same canned salsa soup they call minestrone. This time let me take some penne and throw some alfredo sauce on top. Charge 9 bucks and call it soup and pasta. I realize a restaurant needs to be profitable but there is a thing called repeat business. Lunch is a new thing at this restaurant and to be quite honest, management needs to think about either promoting something good so people will return or sticking to family style dinners only.
(1)
Miyeon L.
Eclectic gone bad. Honestly, when I first tried out Buca, it was amazing. A walk through the kitchen, interesting decor, and family-style Italian dining -- FUN! But as the restaurant started to lose its novelty by becoming a franchise and the various alterations in their menu designs & food options, it started to go down-hill for me. Like a relationship that has outlived its honeymoon stage, Buca and I are on a break. There are still some things that I like about Buca, after all, it was my first... family-style Italian dining experience. My choice picks are: Mozzarella garlic bread Fried Calamari Supremo Italiano Pizza Penne Arrabbiata Shrimp Fra Diavolo Also, they have lunch portions now, which is good if you don't want a basin-full amount of pasta. Either I've become used to the size of their family-dining portions or I've developed a larger appetite, but the family portions appear to be smaller than they were before. Whenever my friends have large group events here, I am so disappointed. Most of the time, we end up each paying around $30+ for not eating the money's worth. What did I just pay for?? Also, I went last week for a friend's bon voyage party and one of the employees came around and asked if she could take a picture of our group... something new they're doing I assume. She later comes back with printed copies of that picture asking if we wanted to make a purchase. I don't know how I feel about that. Times are tough I guess -- gotta hustle to make the money these days. Buca has definitely lost it's charm. The whole "mom & pops", Italian family feeling has dissipated. Even with friends and loved ones to join me in my dining experience, the fact that Buca is now a franchised name brand is obvious. Sorry Buca, you've changed and I'm not sure if I see us together in the long run. It was good while it lasted, right? Still friends?
(3)
Jeannie S.
Four stars for the food - Zero for service. After living out of state for many years my daughter was excited to celebrate her 18th birthday at BDP. What a disappointment! First we were seated in the bar...on a Tuesday night. The restaurant was practically empty and we're seated in the bar. WTH?!?! If that wasn't bad enough our service was almost the worst I've ever had. I can compare it to the last time I had terrible service and like our dinner tonight it was when the gratuity was added due to the size of our party. To top it off some lady comes by our table and offers to take photos for a free collage postcard for the birthday girl then comes by a few minutes later "selling" us the "free" photos like those cheesy rose sellers at dance clubs. Seriously??? BDP has great food but I would not recommend going to the Brea location - especially if you're dining with a large party.
(2)
Bree H.
I was confused by the "Do you have a reservation?" Right upon entering. What is this place, the melting pot? Is it really that popular these days? I forgot it even existed! Annnnyway. Their bruschetta is superb. They serve it in a giant martini glass that would be good to share among 4-6 people. Two people shared and ate it but you see, we have the belly of behemoths... So we can stomach those sorts of things. Sy is a fantastic server. No, I don't know him personally. But he was nice, efficient, knew how to be attentive without being suffocating, and he's pretty much an asset to the atmosphere of the place. The prices, I don't love so much, but the food is large sized. COME WITH COUPONS ;) They're in the Sunday paper. Great place to go if you're willing to fork over a little extra dough. Great place for groups and friends.
(3)
Shawn D.
Another Five Star!! Yes! That reads right. No matter which location, and I've been to a few, I enjoy Buca all the way! What I really like about this joint, which stands out from alot of other restaurants in general, is that just before you even enter the establishment, you can just smell the overwhelming aroma of Italian Food. Right there and then you just want to eat "whatever" seems to be on the menu. It smells THAT GOOD! Every time I eat here, I usually get a Pasta Dish (dur!). In particular the Fettuccine Alfredo, the Ravioli al Pomodoro, the Chicken and Sausage Ziti, or even the Penne Basicilia. NOT ALL OF THEM AT ONCE, but trust me...sometimes in that part of my mind, the crazy part, wants to ;-) The atmosphere is very nice. It's intimate with that true Italian setting. The staff is always very pleasing and never seems to miss a beat. Now, I can't speak for all locations, but the few that I've been to, have been very nice. One of the things that always stand out to me when it comes to Buca di Beppo, and I find it amusing and have ever since I first stepped foot into a Buca, well over 10 years ago, is the Restrooms. Come on. I don't know what the Women's Bathroom has in there, but the Men's....okay....there are those out there that KNOW what I'm talkin' about. Hehe. Picture this. You step in to go use the urinal and as you're going, you look up to see pictures of little naked kids. It's all innocent though, little butt shots and I could have sworn I saw a little boy relieving himself in one of the pictures too. It was an OLD OLD picture, looked to be well close or over 100 years old (when it was taken, NOT the picture in the frame itself). Okay, that was the only comic relief as far as Buca's bathrooms are concerned. All else...Food, Service and Setting...get's a high rating in my book! When I drive by one, I just think "Man, THAT smell that hits you before you EVEN hit the door......*drool*" Yep. Anywho...check out a Buca near you! Here's the MENU for your VIEWING pleasure: bucadibeppo.com/menu Enjoy it and keep going back to ENJOY, ENJOY....and ENJOY AGAIN!! ¡Buca Di Beppo, come en o quita, usted no será arrepentido! ¡Es Magnificant!
(5)
Dorcee S.
I was surprised just how good the food was. Just two of us dining, but we took a lot of food home. Here's what we had: Artichoke Florentine Dip - 5 stars Served with buttered, toasted bread. Unbelievably good! Chicken Saltimbocca - 4.5 stars. Delicious, but needed a bit more sauce...will ask for extra sauce next time. Broccoli Romano - 3 stars. Broccoli needed steamed a little more. Won't order again as $9.99 was expensive. Chocolate Chip Cannoli - 5 stars. Perfect! Service was wonderful. Our server Dominique was knowledgeable about the dishes and helped us make a decision on our main entree. We'll definitely come back!
(4)
Shu N.
Make reservation at 9:45pm and the server never come to greet us. The bar tender is awesome. He helped us with the order and give us suggestion about our order.
(4)
Jackie T.
I'm only giving this place 2 stars because it's bigger than the one in City Walk and because of the waiter. Right when we walked in, we were greeted with " Do you have a reservation?" My first thought was ," wow they must be packed" but then a minute later, they walked us through the kitchen and to a table. The hostess who walked us in wasn't too enthusiastic and looked like she wanted to leave. Me and my boyfriend were celebrating my birthday and they had this cute little" IT'S MY BIRTHDAY" sign to set on my table. Our waiter was super talkative and in high spirits serving us. He seemed a bit disappointed that we only ordered the small lasagna to share between us. He was kind enough to fill our bread basket a couple of times without us asking. He checked up on us plenty of times to make sure I was having a great birthday dinner. The food. The food was... well... pretty bad. The lasagna noodles were mushy and over cooked. The plate was hot but the food was just barely warmed through. The cheese filling just was flavorless and grainy. The meat filling was pretty decent. I ended up not finishing it because I just couldn't. Overall, I'll never come back. I feel like I'm better off going to Yardhouse or to the Olive Garden. I had high hopes for this place.
(2)
Justin M.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is great, but that's about it. I only dine here for large family gatherings when other family members have chosen where to eat. I'd never come on my own. If you're looking for a good Italian dinner (or even a DECENT Italian dinner), you can do MUCH better elsewhere. Garlic dishes tend to have giant, misshapen slivers of garlic, pasta dishes taste like frozen entrees from the supermarket, and the Chicken Parmesan probably ranks the lowest on my list of quality for similar dishes at other restaurants. If you've never been to Buca di Beppo, by all means, go once: you'll have fun. Just don't set your standards too high.
(2)
William G.
We got a kick a*s server. She was on the ball from the very start. The portions were HUGE. The food was good, very family style. The place had an energy that felt good. Great for groups or hanging out with friends. I'll be back
(4)
Cate C.
Their tiramisu is amazing- Five stars for that alone. The apple gorgonzola salad was refreshing. Other than that most of the food is pretty heavy, as expected. I tried a bit of the baked Ziti ,chicken parmigiana Pan, both were average. But the penne basilica was really creamy.
(5)
Kyung Jae S.
I actually think the cost to quantity break down of this place is just average. Most people rave about how much food you're going to get and how you're going to have left overs, but this never happens when I come here and the bill always comes out to quite a lot. Maybe I'm just a big eater. Anyhow, the last time I came here was a few days ago (It's still a decent place to go with a group that doesn't mind family style dining) was with a party of four including me. Besides me, the party comprised of my wife, my friend, and his fiance. None of them are big eaters. We ordered the seafood trio appetizer, the Buca salad, shrimp alfredo, chicken rigatoni, and a colossal ice cream sundae (no drinks). No left overs and I definitely had room to eat more. The rest of my party did seem satisfied with the portions. After tax and tip, the bill came out to about $120 ($30 a person). After cost to quantity inevitably comes quality. $30 can take me a lot further elsewhere with better quality Italian food. I certainly miss Roma's Italian Dining in Fullerton (doubt anyone who can use the Internet remembers this place). Hate to see mom and pops places lose out to these bigger restaurants. At the end of the day, I'll keep on coming here because it's better than Olive Garden and other pre-packaged/franchised Italian restaurants. I'd probably give Buca equal footing as Old Spaghetti Factory. Hmmm... When did Buca stop giving free bread? OSF +1!!! Perhaps it's just this location that's missing the pre-dinner stuffing bread. Really folks, this place isn't bad for groups who don't mind sharing. Try it out, but don't be surprised leaving with a feeling of mediocreness.
(3)
Lauren G.
All right; so too make a long story short I made reservations a week in advance for the pope room for my dads 60th birthday and my sisters 22nd. I told the guy on the phone that this is the table he specifically asked for and I was willing to come at any time so I could get this table with my party of 9 with one heavily pregnant sister in law. He said yes he would be able to give us the table at 430. Then the day of the party I get a call to confirm the reservation, they moved my table to another table due to not having enough ppl; even though I specifically arranged to have this table and was willing to change the time to a more agreeable time for them. After much arguing I was not able to get the table my dad and sister wanted :/ When we got there, the manager heard of our problem and went out of her way too make sure my dad and sister had an awesome birthday. She comped most of the meal (free appetizers and the large dessert tray) to say they were sorry! Plus she made sure we had the best service; which we did. Will I be going back, yes for sure! But hopefully in the pope room ;)
(5)
Yvonne G.
After reading the reviews on Yelp for this restaurant I was hesitant to make a reservation for my birthday dinner but thought I'd take my chances as the "Pope room" accommodated our party of 15 in a nice semi-private room in the restaurant. Also, we bought gift cards from Costco for Buca which did help us save on our bill. To my surprise I was very impressed with our server Jon Ayache. He was very attentive, polite and professional. The portions were also appropriate for the price and very !!! i had a wonderful birthday celebration that Friday night and would definitely return!!!
(5)
Vivian W.
Okay, I love pasta and pizza and I love Buca. Do I think this is as good as it gets? No, but it's pretty darn awesome. My favorite pasta here thus far as been the spicy chicken rigatoni which, contrary to the title, is not really spicy. I can't even eat hot cheetos so that kind of tells you where it is on the heat spectrum. The calamari is definitely something worth trying. It is probably one of the most well seasoned calamaris I've ever tried, even beating out places in San Francisco and Monterey Bay. Texture is great, the sauce is great, and it's a pretty big portion. Speaking of which, all the portions are huge...so make sure you share! The service is here is pretty good, it's comparable to the one in Pasadena and I've never had a problem at either location. I just wish the bread was hot when it came out.
(4)
Denise F.
Came here for a birthday celebration.. worst service ever. You know something is up when your salad was the highligh of your experience at an "italian" spot. Our server was terrible- we waited forever to get seated and when the server finally came to take our order she was cold and rude... to top it all off after she took our order she came back 10 min later and said " ok so let m repeat it" like what the hell? We are starving please put our food in! I am pretty sure she knew the tip was already going to be included so she didnt give a damn about her service to us! SHE WAS TERRIBLE I wish I remembered her name... her voice was deep She didnt even offer or bring out any bread no suggestions no smiles no laughs no nothing my spaghetti with meat sauce was a joke " egg noodles & ketchup" to refrence goodfellas however the chicken ceaser was so delicious so was the proscuitto stuffed chicken my glass of proseco was ok and its pretty neat that the bartenders let me try drinks to see what I liked.. however I will never ever return to this location it was terrible.. unless I have to return to Buca I wont.
(1)
Edmond H.
Quality: 4 Price: 4 Service: 5 I consider this place better than most chain Italian places in terms of food quality. The only thing stopping me from coming back more often is the huge portion sizes - eating a "small" with my fiance would be a challenge but it's definitely cost effective. Additionally, their servers are pretty friendly.
(4)
Mary Grace G.
It was my first time dining here. I was with my family & overall.. I loved it! Their food portions were so HUGE that not even my boyfriend could finish it. & he usually finished his plate... And mine! This place is pricey however but I don't regret it at all. I loved the fried calamari & the chicken Alfredo. Mind you, we both got a small size plate..... However, the portions were not small at all. The environment is great with a lot of vintage decors. Service was great & we all had a great time. :)
(5)
Mario G.
This is the first time I have gone to the place and overall the service good and the food was pretty good too. I really don't have anything to complain except for the wait!!! I will give this place a second try and hope it will better or the same.
(4)
Edward Y.
I still think about the baked rigatoni here, the wide tubes of rigatoni have chunks of spicy Italian sausage and ricotta all inside of them and surrounded by hearty meat sauce and melted mozzarella. The portions are huge here, so bring the entourage. Even the small is more than enough for 2 people, especially if you get appetizers or pizza on the side. Ambiance is fun, loud Italian vibes with lots of hot pasta is always a good time.
(4)
Trista T.
I visited Buca di Beppo for the first time last night. I had a very hard time picking something to order, everything sounded to good. Every kind of pasta you could want. I ordered this small 4 pasta sampler thing (dont remember the name sry). Loved it, it wasnt too much food and I got to try some different things, all were delicious. My wine was also tasty, some peach Riesling. Service was fantastic. Very charismatic host showed us to our table. Waiter was attentive but not intrusive. Some sort of management stopped by our table as well. Everyone was all smiles with great attitudes. Overall great experience, 4 stars only because I have a few other top favorite Italian places.
(4)
Richard L.
Came here as part of a wedding rehearsal lunch. The bread they serve you for free is delicious and they give you an oil and vinaigrette sauce to dip it in. Everything that the bride and groom ordered was delicious. We had the house salad, caesar salad, spaghetti, baked rotini, chicken piccata, chocolate cake, and tiramisu cake. We were totally stuffed by the end and had plenty to take home too. I believe they serve everything "family" style meaning you get huge dishes so keep that in mind when ordering food. My only complaint with this place is the parking situation. It can be a bit hard to find parking during peak hours.
(4)
T. H.
I liked Buca once upon a time. The time when they had the garlic mashed potatoes and the tortellini Alfredo. Their food was rich and full of flavor. Now, the food is just ordinary. You can eat the same quality by buying a frozen Stouffers Italian meal. The service was lousy - drinks running empty, long waits after a request and an attitude of indifference.
(2)
Lawrence L.
I don't understand why the relatively low ratings here but been to Buca Di Beppo's all over the place including this one probably between 20 or 30 times by now over the years so our expectations might be somewhat fixed. Sometimes there are minute differences between locations like one location won't have a particular dish for example but we pretty much know what we like by now and usually stick to those anyway. They change the menu over time to replace some of their items... they recently change their menu again a couple of weeks ago. One reason for the low ratings as far as we're concerned may have to do with the wait... it gets crowded at Buca's and having a reservation doesn't mean squat. We had reservations at 5pm and noticed that we were seated after another party that arrived after we did... I don't think they had reservations but I'm positive that we arrived before they did. I also noticed that they were seating all of the larger parties before they got around to seating us... hmmmmm... Anyways, it's best to come as a group... 6 or more is good... I wouldn't eat at Buca's without 4 people minimum. That's because they serve up large portions meant to be shared. If you don't come with enough people there will be too much food. We came this last weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday so we had 4 in our party. We ordered our favorites: 1) Buca Trio Platter: We usually just order the Fried Calamari but we decided to go all out and have the mushrooms and fried mozzarella too. Comes with a light pesto and cocktail shrimp dipping sauces. 2) (small) Linguine Frutti Di Mare: Shellfish seafood in a bowl of linguine noodles tossed with a tomato-y red sauce. I love seafood pasta. We order this dish every time we come it's one of our favorites. 3) (small) Quattro Al Forno: An assortment of filled pastas to go along with the meal. Just ok because I don't always like filled shells or cheese manicotti to begin with but it's a nice dish for variety. 4) (small) Chianti Braised Short Ribs: Two boneless strips of fork tender beef smothered with a gravy of braising sauce. Very rich and hardy. 5) Tiramisu: This is Buca's version of the classic layers of rum-soaked lady finger breading interspersed with mascarpone cream cheese and dusted on top with cocca and chocolate chunks... they serve it in a bowl... we order this all the time too. Fans of rum cakes will like this. Our waitress was relatively new but she did a good job responding to our requests and being polite and attentive. One of the managers came by too to ask how our evening was going and we told him that the wait service was excellent tonight... he offered us 2 coupons for our next visit... $10 off if you spend at least $20... cool. I might mention that there are often coupons in the mail with promotional offers at Buca's so keep an eye out for them. Also, if you go online and signup, you get promotional offers that way too. Oh yeah... try to reserve the booth in the kitchen if you're into that... enough to seat 4 or 5 people and you can watch the food as it's being prepared. Come to Buca if you want to eat family-style... the food is good but hardly what I would consider gourmet Italian food... just large helpings of good comfort food. Don't expect this to be really cheap either... you get a lot of food but you pay for it too.
(4)
lisa c.
I had the worst customer service experience of my life at this Buca di Beppo. The only reason I'm giving 2 stars instead 1 star is because I've had some positive dining experience at this restaurant over the years. It's good for kids and large groups, and decent food for the price range. My problem is with their take-out service. I should have known better than to order take-out from here again after the mediocre quality the first time I got take-out. The food had been room temperature when I got home and I live only 5 minutes away and made a point of getting there early so I can bring it home for my guests as soon as food came out. Pizza was cold and soggy and pasta dishes were lukewarm. Well, i made the mistake of giving them another chance and , boy, did I regret it! There was no one working the pick-up window when I arrived to pick up an order I had phoned. After I wait several minutes for someone to show up at the window, the host informs me I need to be helped by the server at the bar area. Well, she was less than thrilled to be helping a take-out customer on top of the couple of parties seated at tables near the bar. She treated me like I was invisible and when I finally got my food 20 minutes past the pick-up time, it took her another 10 minutes to just give me my change! Seriously, I would have let them keep the change rather than stand there like a log as she kep passing by ignoring me. But, unfortunately, I had more than $15 of change ti receive. I'm a soft-spoken person and let things go rather than speak up, but I felt compelled to let this server know that it is not right to wait so long to receive some change. Then she glares at me and tells me that take-out customers are not a priority! This certainly was news to me. Since when are take-out customers considered second-class citizens by food iustry?! Maybe this petson was having a bad day or maybe she got extra responsibility thrown on her last minute, but no customer should be treated in such manner. Well, no surprise that food was cold when I got home. I probably should have walked right out of this restaurant and gone elsewhere the minute got a whiff of this employee's attitude. I'll know better next time.
(2)
Vicente C.
What's with all the bad reviews. Food was excellent, they served us in a timely manner. We had a 25 group dinner and they made no mistakes. Loved it here.
(5)
Mya J M.
This was my second time here in 6 years, and the atmosphere of the restaurant was as nice as I remembered. It's a pretty loud place so if you want somewhere quite and romantic, this is not it. My boyfriend and I ordered the Spicy Chicken Rigatoni and Supremo Italiano Pizza (small). I usually don't much care for non-Asian dishes, but I would give a thumb up for the Spicy Chicken Rigatoni. As for the pizza, it was good, only because I like thin and crunchy crusts. The portion was pretty big. We had enough leftover for lunch the next day. We spent about $40 for the two dishes. I would've had a better experience here if our waiter didn't damper our mood. I guess she was trying to conserve her energy because she never came by once to ask how our food was or what we needed (ex. more water, more bread, maybe some butter with my bread would be nice). I guess she was trying to conserve energy by not smiling too. As we left and graced pass her, she didn't even acknowledged us, another waiter wait bye to us. Sad face. This kind of attitude I expected.... AT A CHINESE RESTAURANT, but not Buca di Beppo. I am disappointed at myself that I gave her a 15% tip.
(3)
Joanna Y.
This restaurant is the most confusing restaurant i've ever had to navigate through. No matter how many times I've been here, I always manage to get lost on the way to and from the bathroom. Food is mediocre, service isn't great, and prices are surprisingly high for italian food (even when accounting for the fact that all the entrees are meant to be "family style"). Good place for birthdays, as the singing done by workers can be enjoyable, but does get annoying when everyone in your close proximity has a birthday to celebrate as well. Come here with a coupon (look online or sift through the mail for one). EDIT- Added one more star because customer service reached out to me after this review. I was surprised and impressed. Good job Buca! Nice to see that you care about your customers enough to contact them :)
(3)
Connie J.
Super close to where I live and the food was actually pretty good. It's not your high end gourmet Italian restaurant but it's definitely a great place to go! The portions are HUGE; the small can feed at least 4. I would go back.
(3)
Mae S.
Once again we were entertaining family at home for Christmas and thought we would again pickup Buca di Beppo (since it was wonderful the previous Christmas). What a big mistake! We ordered 2 salads, 2 pasta dishes and a chicken dish ($140 worth). Although the restaurant was very busy when we picked up, the food was ready and we were assured that all the dishes were in the bags. What a surprise when we unpacked the food at home and found NO bread and NO salad dressings. The chopped antipasto salad was 99% lettuce with only a few tiny bits of pepperoni, tomatoes,and cucumber; the shrimp florentine had no more than 8 shrimp in the entire dish; and the only Italian sausage in the large baked rigatoni were the few pieces scattered on top. We felt totally ripped-off and will not be returning to Buca di Bepo. We'll give our business to the local family-owned Italian restaurant.
(1)
Jennifer C.
The service was amazing...first of all my boo & i were asked if we were celebrating n e thin which we said no...walk thru the kitchen...and were sat down....waters kame first as well as a GENEROUS helping of FREE bread...our orders Warm Tomato & Spinach Salad: i ordered this with no dressing and it was still delicious...a bit of a kick to it which was surprising Quattro Al Forno: Cheese Manicotti, Chicken Cannelloni, Baked Ravioli and Stuffed Shells...same sauce of all four but they are all different!!! so0o good! our waitress even gave us an extra bowl of marinara for this! We also had a scratcher which we won free large pizza or salad for next time =] great service, food & atmosphere!!!
(5)
VALERIE Z.
Our Service was good. the food wasn't great. it seems like everything had an underlying taste of plastic. including the caesar salad, which was a sorry excuse for a caesar salad. I couldnt tell if it was actually romaine, or just chopped up iceberg, and it was super soggy. We split a small salad and a small entree. the quatro fiorno i tghink it was called. it had 4 different types of pasta, Nothing to write home about. i'd try it again and order something else and maybe they will change my mind.
(2)
Heba A.
After going here once with my entire family and enjoying the food and the atmosphere we decided to come back again about a month later. We went really late (40 mins off from closing) and we ordered our food and waited.... and waited. there was only 2 others tables seated besides us and they took too long. When we received our food we noticed it wasn't cooked all the way. By then it was super late and we didnt feel like asking them to make a new plate. we instead took nearly the entire plate home and decided we would eat it later. about 40 mins after we went home all of us started to feel sick. turns out we all got food poisoning from the food and when asked for a refund for the nearly untouched food we received an answer of NO. NEVER COMING BACK HERE AGAIN.
(1)
Cherise K.
The ambiance is nice, very authentic and somewhat trasnports you to their time and place. We went for a reunion dinner but planned late, but was able to easily reserve a table and wait no more than 10 minutes once we got there. We got the apple vinaigrette salad, Shrimp Fra Diavolo, Bucatini Ala Enzo, and Margherita Pizza all in the small portion. It ended up being the perfect size for all 5 of us but the quality wasn't very good. I would have to say the salad or the pizza was the best part. It was mainly the flavor of the pasta that i didn't like and maybe the fact that i wanted to try their half pound meatball which looked delicious on the other tables. All in all i would have to say that the place is okay for the food but good for getting together with friends or family. They specialize in sharing and family style which is nice and the price is a bit much but its manageable.
(3)
Kevin S.
I had a positive experience here on a Friday night. We ordered the spicy rigatoni(~$12) and the stuffed chicken(~$21) and both were delicious. We also ordered a small calamari appetizer (~$11) and the cheesy garlic bread (~$10), which both were tasty. However, the food quantity to price left something to be desired. On that note, we had ordered the waiter recommended honey-infused beer. While it was good, it came out to $12/beer!! At least we got to keep the glass. Service was slow to average, but not terrible. We were able to show the overspammed $10 coupon to this place through an iPhone and they were OK with it (we had left our physical copy in the car). I suppose if you love Italian food, then this is a reasonable place to go... I personally am not a huge fan though.
(3)
Mr. G.
Like most other locations, this is another decent place to get Italian-American fare. I really enjoy the family style meal orientation. Just be sure you don't over order. Plates are large. What they say is intended for two can often be adequately split between four. I was pleased with our service a this location. Our server was very sweet and hospitable. Nothing to complain about on the food. The ambiance was nice.
(4)
MyandSam A.
Gone are the days of home style cooking.. you can taste the "franchise" in their food. The portions are still big but the selection & the flavors are a disappointment. But if you have to feed a big group of people on a budget..this is def the place to go.
(2)
Evelyn V.
I've gone to a few Bucca di Beppo's in the past but this was by far the worst one. I had the chicken marsala and they put way too much marsala wine and it was too sweet. I like some sweetness in some dishes but the mushrooms were filled with a sweet syrup. I guess they didn't put enough salt or fresh spices to offset the sweetness of the wine. I also ordered the mashed potatoes and they were cold and dry. I make better ones at home so paying $15.00 for them was a waste of money. Tiramisu was great! they go a little overboard on their booze but I guess it's ok, don't order any drinks if you're getting this lol. I think they overdid it on the rum and brandy mixture hahaha. I would stay away from this particular location and go to the one in Hollywood or the one Redondo Beach.
(2)
Sam Y.
This restaurant was visited for my little brother's birthday, treated by my fantastically wonderful boyfriend. Bro loves Italian but I DO NOT. Why? Cheese. There's cheese everywhere! One of the sad things of why I can never be a multicultural food critic =[ We got: Fried Calamari, Spaghetti with meatballs, Chicken Parmigiana, Shrimp Florentine, and a full bottle of Muscato wine. This review might not be legitimate at all because I ONLY ate my spaghetti with meatballs. Server said meatballs had cheese but it was so subtle that I won't even taste it. Aaaaannd she was correct! I loved it! I really wish I can tell you how the others tasted but I kept that away from my mouth. (Giggity) Fried calamari was standard, and wine was pretty good even though alcohol isn't my forte. Boyfriend and brother said they enjoyed their entree so I guess we can count that for a yay?
(4)
Melanie T.
I was here last Friday for my friend's birthday and all things considered I left pretty satisfied. I've had my birthday, graduation dinner, and family birthday's here and the service has always been satisfactory. For my graduation dinner, there were about 20 of us and we filled up about two tables in a corner. We ordered salads, pizza, and pastas all of which were delicious! They even gave me a red-velvet graduation cake, but apparently they don't know how to spell "Congratulations" and put " Congratulatios" For my most recent visit, it was a party of seven girls and we were seated in a corner near the bar. Our reservation was at 6:30, but we were seated around 7. Between the six of us, we shared two large pastas which was more than enough. I even had to finish off one of the pastas because my friends were all full after their first plate -_-. One of the things I hate about this place is that I can NEVER find the bathroom. I've been here plenty of times and every time it takes me a good 5 mins because all of the rooms look the same. As far as food goes, I'd definitely recommend the Linguine Frutti di Mare. It's my favorite dish and I get it every time I come here. This place is best for groups because it's way easier to split the bill that way because the dishes do get pricey. In addition to that most of the plates are served family style. A small pasta was around 20 bucks and a large 30 bucks. However, between the 7 of us splitting two large pastas we only had to pay about 10 bucks each. All things considered, it's a nice place to have a large group dinner. Make sure you make reservations or else you'll be waiting FOREVER!
(3)
Kyle S.
Not the first Buca di Beppo I have been to but the first one in California and the standards here seem to be a lot different from Hawaii. First off the server seemed very aloof, an inattentive not refilling waters and needing to be asked multiple times for things such a cutlery. I am also used to having the house bread served with olive oil and red wine vinegar but they didn't even do that. I am not sure if that is a location thing or what. While the service here was lacking the food was delicious as always. So other than my gripe about not having the bread the usual way I expect I will be back. (Especially when they have those amazing coupons of $10 off a $20 purchase.)
(3)
Angela W.
Buca Di Beppo is one of the few chain restaurants that doesn't make me cringe. With that being said, the service at this location is always a hit or miss. So, if you hate dealing with crappy service, don't go during peak hours. A few of us had decided that we were starving (after 3 hours of organic chemistry. bleh!) so we dropped by at noon and voila, it was empty! We were led through the kitchen and sat into a comfy booth surrounded by endless amounts of wall decor. We were in a rush and figured that a one hour lunch would be appropriate. We had decided on the fritto misto appetizer & a large margherita pizza. The appetizer consisted of breaded calamari, shrimp, and pepperoncinis that were served in a massive margarita glass. It's pretty difficult to wreck a dish that involves a deep fryer unless the food is disgustingly breaded or super oily. Thankfully, this wasn't the case. And of course, it came with a lemon and marinara sauce. I love a perfectly deep fried pepperoncini! The margherita pizza was thin, had a perfectly crispy crust, and the sauce was flavorful with just enough tanginess. I've had better pizzas but for a chain, it honestly wasn't half bad. We finished lunch and were out of there within 40 minutes. Cha-ching!
(3)
paulette m.
Our server tonight was so awful. We had to ask for everything! He didn't bring us any bread, and by the time we asked for it, our appetizer and salad were already on the table. He also didn't bring any oil and vinegar for the bread or any sugar for my iced tea. No crushed pepper for anything. What an awful experience. I just felt like I was chasing down our server the entire meal.
(1)
Rudy F.
I received an email from Bucca, saying they want to send a gift card to give us another opportunity to try them out...never received it! FAIL!!!
(1)
Merry J.
Extremely average tasting food. I was disappointed after reading other reviews and realizing my bad service was pretty standard for the joint. Won't be returning, not worth it
(1)
Cynthia A.
Amazing Customer Service!!! Our party of 8 arrived on Sunday around 4:30 pm. We did not have reservations; however, the managers accommodated our party in two adjacent booths and we were seated within 1/2 hour. The bartender was super friendly and he also made sure that our party of now 11 were comfortable. He and another manager found our now larger party a table where we could all sit together and celebrate family style! Our server (Damian) was excellent! There were several large parties and he was equally attentive. The food was great also! We ordered two larges and one small which was way too much food for our party. Lots of leftovers. The baked ziti was delish as was the baked rigatoni (this dish was recommended by the bartender) It was spicy for some due to the sausage. But I am a fan of spicy foods. We also ordered macaroni chicken rosa. All in all it was an excellent time. It was a team effort to ensure that our party was comfortable and satisfied when we walked in!
(5)
Jessica O.
Oh no Buca, what happened? What has made you this way? Smaller portions, a sub-par cesar salad that lost that delicious anchovy flavor in the dressing, NO PIZZA OIL (my pizza will never be the same again), and a bunch of menu items that are missing. You, my friend, are not what you used to be. I don't even know you anymore. BUT. The waitstaff was still great. Wonderful attitudes. The Spicy Chicken Rigatoni, Baked Ziti, and Frutti Di Mare was delicious, even though the Supremo Italiano Pizza was ridiculously salty.
(2)
Rick K.
Always like the ambience here. Very "family style" environment. Kid friendly with a lot of photos. As for food, nothing to write home about but good hearty tasty meal.
(3)
Nancy P.
This was only my second time eating here and the first time was about 10 years ago. I really like the food but the service isn't very good and the constant loud birthday noise and clapping is horrible. Everyone at my table was bothered by the noise, it took our waiter away from us and it kept interrupting our conversations. We did love the fettuccine and some type of pasta with Rosa sauce. The garlic bread was also good but the pieces were not cut properly so, the pieces were mangled. We all think that if they got rid of all that singing and noisy clapping crap that the service would improve and they would get more business in the future. If I have to ask for water then my waiter is not doing his job. Here, I think they can't do their best because they have to do a song and dance and not just concentrate on providing a good dining experience. We are not going to run back there even though we have 4 coupons for this place.
(3)
J L.
We loved this place for their great food and good value, but lately, there is no more good value. Simple garlic cheese bread is now $10!! And its not even as good as it used to be. It was no wonder when we went for lunch that the place was dead. Oh well, time to support our local mom and pop Italian restaurants. Arrivederci
(2)
Anne M.
Been wanting to eat here and finally. Had lasagna and pizza...they're both good and yummy. We shared food for Buca is known for big servings. I love the area, nice interior and great place to celebrate your birthday. Service is awesome and they're very pleasant. Don't forget to bring your camera.
(4)
Mike W.
Wowzers, so many recent bad reviews, I feel like a heretic for going against the grain, but... man, I had a GREAT time here this past Saturday. So, a grip of us Asian peeps invaded this Italian eatery to celebrate my good friend's big (#)2 and from the get-go it was great service, good food and fun times. The waiter was spot on; the table was prep'd before we sat down, the drinks were rarely ever empty (even tho he had several parties to attend), the food was good (I mean c'mon it's Buca so we can't expect Mario Batali fare) and he brought out the cake and made the entire restaurant sing for us. I think this place is good not great not bad but def. worth eating a casual dinner.
(4)
Bj U.
Walk through the Kitchen to get to our table..... that was new to me... not sure if it was a good idea, wouldnt want to be in the way or anything. lots of old pictures on the wall i thought was fun... especially next to the bathroom theres a picture of an elephant with his trunk in the other elephants butt... chuckled and walked off.. anyway Food. Tasted ok, everything is family sized so a "Small" could feed 2 ppl. Ordered some chicken thing (Figure i go be adventurous with my food and order something i never heard of..) it was in some sort of wrap and i guess the chicken was grounded into little bits smothered with white cheese.. -it tasted pretty good actually.. Ravioli were huge and tasted fine also had some noodle/sausage shenanigan mixture going on.. but it too was pretty good... the sausage was spicy.. so if u dont like spicy... dont order the noodle/sausage shenanigan plate.. (forgot the actual name sry =) overall the food was fine experience was fine everything was just.... fine..
(3)
Thomas T.
Their Pizza can have 4 stars, but their service and operation gets a 1 star. We were a party of 9 and it took almost 2 hours and 45 mins to complete our dinning experience. Our server was semi friendly, but was not attentive. We sat around multiply times looking for her, to get refills, ask question about the menu, order food, order more food, and then finally at the end I handed her my ticket for the b-day cake we brought. It took her 20+ minutes to come back with it, which seemed very like to much time. The restaurant was slow and there was only 9 of us not 30.
(1)
Cody B.
Service is pretty bad, food a little better. Service: Not horrible, but far from great. Waiters seem to dislike their job. Food: Pretty bland :/ All in all a waste of money and time.
(3)
Aaron R.
The food here was average. That's not why this location rates only one star. The reason is due to how my party was seated, and the problems it caused. First off, the restaurant was, at best, 3/4 full. We had a party of about 10, mostly my wife's family. Easily dealt with. For some reason, they decided to seat our party at the smallest tables in the smallest section, RIGHT NEXT to another large party. I am not exaggerating when I say right next to; I sincerely thought they were my wife's family members I hadn't met yet. Not only was every one of us cramped and uncomfortable, but none of the waiters or waitresses could serve us food without bumping our chairs. These were not light bumps, I might add. So we were all hot due to close proximity(body heat), uncomfortable, and constantly being jostled by the waitstaff. What I have not yet mentioned is that my wife's family is Asian. Why is this significant, you may ask? The other group I mentioned was also Asian, reinforcing the idea that they were family. When I first entered the restaurant, I noticed several large spaces available that could easily (and comfortably) have accommodated either group. When I got up to use the restroom, these spaces were still available. This leads me to believe that Buca di Beppo has an issue with Asians. Not a problem. I know at least 10 Asians that now have a problem with you. **UPDATE: The Regional VP of Marketing reached out to me to give Buca Di Beppo another chance. He was kind, polite, and very apologetic regarding our experience. While we will never again go back to this location, we did go to the Pasadena location, where we had a MUCH better experience. Thank you again for convincing us to give Buca another chance, we didn't regret it in the slightest.
(1)
Kristin H.
Huge portions & yummmmmy food!
(4)
Tony M.
Save your hard earned money and have dinner somewhere else! The decor is interesting, nostalgic and feels like your Italian grandma's house. We ordered Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken, Chopped Antipasto Salad, Rosemary Potatoes and Fettuccine Alfredo. The Chicken and Salad are the reason for the one star. The service, fettuccine and potatoes were terrible. This was my first time there and my last. I took family here for dinner to celebrate my wife's birthday.
(1)
Kevin Y.
It was exellant chloice of meatball spagetti. Afordable dinner for 6.
(4)
David B.
I celebrated my birthday here last Friday. The Ceasar salad and Ravioli Pomodoro were excellent. Service and atmosphere were are also great. Albert made sure our visit was perfect. I highly suggest the brownie for dessert. Bravo!
(5)
Linda J.
I personally LOVE Buca! It's always a good experience everytime I come! First off, I really love the whole atmosphere and design of the place. The lighting is kind of dim, and there are a TON of pictures on the wall. I don't know, but for me, I really really enjoy the decor. It makes the atmosphere very cozy especially with the people. The portion sizes are also very big. It's great to come to this restaurant with a group of people. I think this place is also great for any event. Tonight, I went to Buca with a couple of friends for a birthday celebration. As always, we had to wait around 15 minutes before we got seated. We ordered the Spicy Chicken Rigato and the Bruschetta for appetizer. Both were delicious! I loved the how tender the chicken was and how flavorful the pasta was. The Bruschetta was packed with flavor too! I love how the raw tomatoes on top was so full of flavor too! I guess what everyone says is right though. The service was kind of slow as our server didn't come until we were seated for about 15 minutes already. Also, there is always a wait when we come so be prepared! Other than that, I love this place! The food is delicious and the atmosphere is great! Great place for a gathering with friends!
(4)
Eileen H.
Had the worst service of my life here. I have never felt the need to complain about a restaurant before. I can't even begin to convey my anger and disbelief at what horrible service we had. Its bad enough the food is over priced for what you get, but add horrible service!!!!!!! I would never come back to the brea location again.
(1)
Jennifer N.
I've heard of this restaurant from a few friends, but never decided to come until another friend said that it was really good and they gave really big portions. So, my friends & I decided to, four people total. It was really packed and we decided to wait and for the seat of four, the hostess said that we needed to wait for 45mins - 1hr only to be seated. 2 hours later, WE THEN GET SEATED. We were starving and luckily we ordered when he asked us what drinks we wanted, or else we would had to wait for another 10 mins for him to come back. It's like they come back once every 20-30 minutes only T_T. Such bad service. We all got water and 5mins later he then gives us our bread.... and we never got refills cause we knew they lagged. 10 mins after that, he then comes and ask what we wanted to order... thankfully we ordered when he asked because then we would have to wait again. We ordered the Chicken w/ Lemon, Fettucine Supremo & this plate that had ravioli and other sorts of stuff. Total was 45 something cause we had a 10 dollar coupon... but the food was okay.... we can make stuff like that at home. I dont even know why there were so many people. We were paying and it took about 20 minutes for them to give back our chance. WTF is that. If I had a chance to go here, I wouldn't. Not worth the wait and stufff that came def. be made @ home, better. In addition, service was horrible!
(2)
Jessica L.
Let me first start off by telling you that as much as i've heard good things about this restaurant, my first experience with it wasn't quite enjoyable. Me and a couple of my friend's decided to try it because one was raving about how delicious the food was so i gave in. The Wait time was horrible and the service was lame. The waitresses told us that it'll be about 45 mins, but when really 45 minutes turned about to be 1 hr and 30 mins. So basically we almost waited for 2 hrs and when they finally seated us our waiter came over to take our orders and such and i excitedly waited for the food to come. After the long wait time the food finally came, they had mistaken ed one of our orders and had to take it back. We had ordered the chicken alfredo supremo, a 4 pasta dish, and the chicken with lemon & capers. Our waiter kept dissappearing, so everytime we needed him he was no where to be seen and the other waiters completely ignored us. The food was decent, nothing special and most definately NOT WORTH the wait of 2 hrs. If you're craving for good italian food then you're better off eatting at Olive Garden or Romano's Macaroni Grill for half the wait time & better food. Prices were decent, but it was a bit expensive for the food quality, so in the end i had to give it 2 stars because really This buca is nothing special.
(2)
Kevin T.
Food's good-love the decor, typical for Buca
(4)
Brian S.
I think this may be "The Birthday Spot" of north O.C. [gag]. Reservations are a must for large parties and you can count on not being seated at your reservation time. I had been to BDB's once before and wasn't impressed at all. So this visit should have only one place to go....up. Again I wasn't impressed. I guess it was ok because I was there with a group for a surprise birthday party and that part rocked. I must say our friend was completely fooled and never thought we'd get together at BDB's. Anyway, the place is crowded...overly so. Not sure if it's the amount of people or the lack of space. Either way it comes off stuffy and cramped. The service is ok for a chain type place that employs nothing but 18-20 yr old college kids. The lost art of being a professional waiter is long gone. The decor is cheesy Italian. I lived in Italy for 3 years and never saw anything decorated like this. It can be best described as clutter meets every mob movie ever made. Did I mention cramped? The food. Clearly nothing special going on here. It's not even Olive Garden quality. I've had better microwave meals. Quantity on the other hand is something they do well. Massive portions. We decided to order 5 super-size entres to split between all of us (about 14 people) and we still had food left over. Lastly, it is loud! Approximately every two minutes the waiters encourage some table of 10-20 to sing happy birthday. This is not a date place unless it's her birthday and you have another 8-10 friends with you.
(1)
Ralph A.
After expressing my thoughts on the service at this location, managers have contacted me and have been nothing but gracious for voicing my opinion and they are making an effort to win me back. I will definitely post an updated review upon my return to this location.
(3)
Jeremy M.
Solid. I'm not too easy to please, so i'm a little suprised that my rating is so much higher than the average on this one. If you aren't familiar with the chain, it's over the top on the decor, trying to give that Little Italy vibe with some serious cheekyness. It's a love it or hate it kinda deal. The food is LEGIT. Big family style portions and it's all delicious. Come with a group and enjoy!
(4)
Rob C.
This place WAS the Bomb but not it's just bombs. If you want to go back and relive the good food they use to serve just forget it. This place is no longer any good.
(1)
Joebina V.
Out of all Buca di beppo this is the best one of all. The service was remarkable the management was outstanding. If you are looking for a place to gather with family and friends to celebrate! This is the place to be.
(4)
Marti L.
Went for dinner and though I've been here before and even had a server who was slightly charming, overall it just wasn't that good. And I guess to top it off, our server wasn't very attentive. My wine came quickly, which made me happy, but it took a long while for my date's to arrive. No bueno. I had the house chianti, which was meh. Tasted a bit watered down. When we finally got bread, we sat there for a few wondering if there was oil & balsamic or at least some butter, then he came with oil, no vinegar. A few minutes later, vinegar, which we had to pour ourselves. The two of us split the Quattro al Forno, which again was meh. We served ourselves and it was almost like the ravioli was burnt or had started to. I've had the spaghetti and the gnocchi before and those were both good but this visit just wasn't up to the regular standard. I do like the deco and the family-style portions. Prices are okay. Noise level was way up there but that's not necessarily bad. Singing "Happy Birthday" a few times is kinda funny. Service was nothing special really but he wasn't rude and it was late night. Everyone seemed really friendly when we were leaving, though. : ) I'd say, come here for so-so food in a casual environment and don't expect a "fine dining" uber-attentive experience and it's all good.
(2)
Edwin C.
Buca Di Beppo is an interesting Italian restaurant chain. Its food is hit or miss (and it misses rather wildly most of the time) and the decor is.. unique but not sure if I actually like it or not. Every time I visit, I wind up contemplating if the haphazard and sexually suggestive images on the walls are colorful or off putting. The chain specializes in "family-sized" fare, with massive portions of just about everything. If Italian pasta was a car, their pasta would be a Ford Taurus - mass produced, cheaply made, and ultimately flavorless. The baked lasagna is OK, but the other pasta dishes I've had were very bland, as if the flavor just slides off every strand of noodle. The Italian Soda I had was diluted to the extreme, and it felt like I was drinking club soda. The pizza is better, although I think that flat crust pizzas should make up for their lack of crustiness with more ingredients, which didn't quite happen. Cheese and sauce were both lacking, but the flavor was good. The tiramisu famously packs a nice rum-filled karate kick.
(2)
Cristina K.
Oh Yelpers, I was so scared of this Buca when I read all the discouraging reviews. I was even tempted to make reservations at the Garden Grove Buca instead. In this case, GG Buca was too out of the way - so reservations at Brea it is! I made reservations for 9 on Sunday at 6:30pm - celebrating my baby cousin's 12th birthday :) :) :) he loves loves Italian and my fam loves family style! When we arrived ~6:10pm, there were hordes of people waiting outside and inside the restaurant! "OMG, we are going to wait an HOUR" was going through my head. I checked in with the hostess and we were seated in 10 minutes! Reservations = life savior. The hostess was very friendly and walked us through the kitchen where the Kitchen Table is ... I'm glad I special requested "No Kitchen Table, Please" bc baby cousin's 12th bday would have been a bummer if we had to see all the waiters/waitress flying around, not to mention the other group of guests that would stare at us as they were taking their tour of the kitchen. Our order: Sm Bruschetta (free app coupon used) --Plain, ok - simple tomato-y satisfaction with a hint of balsamic vinegar... enough to curb our hunger - though I would like to get the Calamari next time! Prosciutto Stuffed Mushrooms --CREAMY and meaty goodness. Everyone loved this app except BF who hates all fungus. Nicely sized mushrooms stuffed with a cheesy prosciutto filling on top of pesto cream sauce (also yummy on the complimentary bread!) Sm Spaghetti and Meatballs --I LOVE their simple spaghetti and meatballs. Very simple, minimal flavors and with a little salt and pepper, it is fantastic IMO. My uncle really enjoyed this dish so kudos to him! :) Sm Fettuccine Supremo --This was WAY too creamy and rich for me - I had a hard time finishing it. However, Bday boy LOVES any type of Alfredo and this was his #1 choice! OMG, he inhaled his portion. His younger brother, Baby Cousin #2 was avoiding everyone as he was shoving his portion into his mouth as fast as he could. This was a top fave for many in the group - I could tell since it was the first dish to be empty! TONS of fettuccine with lots of creamy, Parmesan goodness, chicken, red bell peppers, broccoli. Sm. Fettuccine Linguine Di Mare --So we had our beef, our chicken, and now we need seafood! Spicy red clam sauce was not that spicy :( However, this was a nice change from the other proteins and carbs we had - intense seafood flavor due to the mussels, clams, calamari and shrimp. Sm Chicken Parmigiana --Very Yummy though some in our group believed Olive Garden's was much better. It was a nice compliment to the Spaghetti and Meatballs. Chocolate Vesuvio --OMG my chocolate craving was finally sated. It was a HUGE brownie slice with a scoop of Vanilla Bean gelato on both sides. Drizzled with caramel and chocolate sauce... a bunch of us were in dessert heaven. Next time we are most definitely trying the cheesecake! Birthday Cupcake :D --It was basically a huge funfetti muffin with vanilla frosting and sprinkles. Thanks Buca! Service was OK - a tad slow at times, but we were celebrating a bday, relaxing, and going with the flow. The waiter was awesome at the end about baby cousin's bday! Total bill was ~130 with tip. Grat wasn't included. That's a pretty reasonable meal considering we stuffed our fat faces with all those carbs and still had a little bit of leftovers! Everyone left satisfied with the meal - baby cousin got tons of new clothes and the first time buca goers loved the new experience! YAY, birthday success!
(4)
Ryan D.
Total Birthday fail on this establishment. We looked this place up online under the top places to visit during your birthday. We saw that Buca di Beppo was on there because if you signed up for the online deal promotion, you get a "free appetizer" on your birthday. So naturally, we signed up. Additionally, you get a free desert for your birthday. We have witnessed that on previous visits to this place. Comes with a jingle they sing as well. Well, everything seemed fine until we sat down. So after signing on and relinquishing our private information so that Buca di Beppo can send us offers, we didn't receive any sort of email confirmation. So after a few hours of hanging around the house, we finally left to go get our birthday meal. Our waitress, a skinny african american female with an annoying superficial cheer, informed us that we needed a coupon to claim the birthday free appetizer. We didn't have one, nor was one sent to us through email...so she went to go ask about it while she got our drinks. She comes back stating that it may take up to 2 to 3 weeks to get the coupons, which doesn't do us much good since 3 weeks from now wouldn't be my girlfriend's birthday. I asked her if something could be done because we came here specifically because of their birthday appentizer and free desert. She stated that she would talk to her manager and see. Never heard about that again for the entire dining experience. Later, when we got our pizza, none of us had any plates. We waited a bit, then started eating without them. We were half way done with our pizza by the time we waved her down and asked for some red pepper since there was none on our table. She said, "coming right up." A few minutes passed and we stopped eating our pizza because we wanted the red pepper. She comes back and asks, "Is everything alright?" We asked again for the red pepper and some plates. Another few minutes pass and we finally delivers the ESSENTIALS for eating. After we finished, she drops by with the desert menu to tell us that they stopped doing the free birthday desert months ago so no free birthday brownie...which was odd because I thought I remembered seeing it a month ago at a previous visit. Additionally, they still do the song and dance embarrassment...isn't that done around a free birthday cake or something? Anyhow, that just topped off the entire visit. Total Birthday epic fail. Our waitress DID give us lots of "I am sorry" and frowny faces. It would have certainly been nice if she told me about the canceled birthday desert when I stated, "We went out of our way to come here for the free birthday appetizer and desert" when all this disappointment started. This place shouldn't have been on the birthday list at ALL because we got absolutely nothing but a lot of griping and an incompetent waitress to provide us horrid service. At least the food was good, but it arrived at different times and there was confusion of which table it was to go to. My girlfriend still likes this place, but I am personally writing this place off. Talk about impersonal! They made no effort to make a "celebration" out of this occasion for us at all, nor did they try to satisfy our frustrations with their non existent birthday specials.
(1)
Won P.
Came here with a huge party of approximately 30 people for a friend's birthday. luckily we made reservations and so they were able to seat us pretty quickly. we actually had a few more people come than we expected, but the waiter was kind enough to set up an additional table for us. i cant really say that much about the service because there was about 30 of us, but i will say that waitress that we had (hanna) was nice and very down to earth. gave us a few laughs that's for sure. in terms of the food, my table started off with the warm tomato and spinach salad. this is basicaly a salad made up of mainly spinach with some red onions and tomatos. from the description you would think teh salad is warm but what makes the salad taste warm is the warm balsamic vinaigrette that comes with it. personally i wasnt too big a fan of the kick that you get out to the vinaigrette but the goat cheese in the salad helps mellow it out. then our table got a large spicy arrabbiata pizza. the pizza is pretty big and comes with 12 slices but i kinda feel as if they were a little stingy with the cheese on the pizza. and plus, the pizza was just kinda warm and not hot so that wasnt great. finally we ended with the chicken carbonara pasta that comes with a white sauce. personally, i thought teh pasta was a little heavy and they didnt really give a lot of chicken in the pasta. it was definitely large enough to feed 5 people though. i would definitely say that in terms of the food, this place is more about quantity rather than quality. let me add, that some of the people in our group ordered the spaghetti and meatballs and they told us that they ran out of meatballs and had to make more. I'm sorry, but what italian restaurant runs out of meatballs for the spaghetti and meatballs? the bread that they serve here that u dip into the olive oil and vinegar is good in that it comes out fresh and warm though. in terms of the environment, this place is definitely kinda loud. it is a family style eating restaurant though so you should know that it's goign to be loud and crowded when you come here.
(3)
Aisha L.
I used to like Buca, then they stopped leaving the oil and vinegar on the table, so I got annoyed and stopped going. :D However, I was near one today and had a craving for lasagna so I stopped in. Their mixed green salad is always great and I recommend the lasagna and ravioli. The pizzas are pretty good too, and if you like white sauce, the Penne San Remo is a good dish. Luckily, the server let me keep my oil and vinegar at the table and so I was able to eat my food in peace. :) Thanks to that, this place has gone up a notch with me.
(3)
Cheryl H.
I love how they give you a tour of the restaurant. It's kinda like Disneyland with a tour guide and everything. The food is fantastic, the drinks are really good too. I love how it's family style portions so everyone can share. It is a little over priced for what you get so be prepared to spend some money.
(4)
Brian B.
Literally translated means "Joe's Basement" and that's where it belongs, maybe on the floor of the basement. Large portions of bad corporate americanized italian food, which is an insult to Italians. The food here made me think of "National Lampoon's European Vacation" where they are in Paris and in the kitchen of the restaurant they are transferring TV dinners onto the plates. I think I got the same Lasagna at Costco.
(1)
Leroy B.
I never liked going out for Italian other than Pizza before. I will have to say I love the food here the chicken carbanara and chicken parmsian are awesome. I have tried others but will not venture far from a great thing.
(5)
Greg D.
Decent food, large portions. Had a family gathering here and it went well thanks to a semiprivate dining area
(3)
Crystal M.
Nice decor , staff was good, bruschetta was excellent, chicken Marsala fabulous, cannoli not so good. A little on the pricey side compared to portions and variety of Olive Garden
(3)
Miguel E.
There was a long wait when I visited this particular Buca Di Beppo, but it was well worth it. The food was great. I almost never order desert but had to try the Tiramisu. I highly recommend it! The portion to cost ratio is about right. The food is good and tastes like it was just made, not microwaved or frozen (yes, I'm looking at you Olive Garden). To top it all off, we had a terrific waiter. I'm usually very picky with my waiters, and have to say that was the best I've had in a while. He was friendly and funny enough but not intrusive or annoying. He was totally attentive and never let my drink run dry. It was a great experience and I'm definitely coming back.
(4)
Reese G.
This is my second time coming to this location, and I have to say I have lost my love for Buca :( Came here for the sister's birthday today and experienced better last time and at other locations. Pros: typical buca decorations -pizza -calamari (haha I just love calamari) Cons: - horrible service: 1. the guy who walked us in didn't even do the usual introducing the place and the kitchen thing that (i think) they usually do) 2. he was not very friendly or welcoming 3. waiter was slow and barely checked us. - for some reason we didn't get no birthday dessert we just got candles and the waiter got the celebrants birthday wrong (that was funny) -food was okay this time. pasta was okay. I didnt overstuff myself today (maybe because the food was eh) I like the one in Claremont better because the service was better and I like the enthusiastic waiter that sang for my sister's birthday.
(2)
Ron L.
Some (appetizer) Bread rolls were brought to us and that disappeared quickly...that went fast.. we ask the waiter for more rolls... and those rolls disappeaed quicklyr. Drinks took a little while to arrive, and it was hard to get refills... Food arrives It's pretty good....but the orders got messed up...
(3)
Les H.
Love the large portions, always some to take home for later.
(4)
George E.
BIG mistake. Not to be repeated! Service extremely poor. Food below standard. Very overcrowded. Real hard sell on extras (booze). Water glasses left empty entire meal, waiter was never around. Food was delivered just warm, salad swimming in dressing, quantities of cardboard but not real good food, Extra tables added that blocked people from movement to and from their seats(dangerous). TOO much money for what they provide. Stay away.
(1)
Claudia R.
Pretty good food, HUGE portions. Best part about that you ask? I ordered a Newcastle and it was HUGE. My only gripe? ENOUGH with the birthday songs. JEEZ...how about singing to all the birthdays in the room at one time?
(3)
Richard H.
Service was good, although food was nothing special. My favorite dish was the lobster ravioli.
(3)
Ricky P.
Service was good. Portions of food are amazing. You definitely will leave full.
(4)
Ryan C.
wow i wonder why all the bad reviews took the wife and her friends out to dinner i called a head and got the kitchen table. We got there we walked in the kitchen and there was our table great service and great food it was cool to see them cook all the food and listen to the servers talk about the tables there were serving you can tell they really have to watch what they say when your at that table great food will come back again
(5)
Bram B.
Food was good but service was really slow. Not a good dining experience. Sangria was weak.
(2)
Tim L.
food is really good but service can be a bit slow at times. (maybe its because we had a party of 15) it can be a bit pricey if u order one dish on your own but if u split it with people it can be pretty cheap. Food portions are big and tasty
(4)
Jonathan D.
Honestly, i don't understand how this place is getting such bad reviews. Here is what some people had to say about Buca di Beppo: 1. The service is terrible. - Really? I've been here a number of times and service has always been perfect. Plus, people that said that also say they've only been here once. It was probably just bad luck on them cuz I mean every restaurant is going to have at least one waiter who isn't that great. Every one I've dealt with was very attentive, nice, and deserving of a good tip. 2. The food isn't authentic. - Let me tell you this. It's authenticity is a far step beyond Olive Garden or any other big Italian restaurant chain. Plus, i come from an Italian family AND I've been to plenty of high end Italian restaurants, such as Il Fornaio. Their food is nothing less authentic than anything else I've ever had. I was actually recommended here by my friend's family, who are also true Italians. And trust me, they know good Italian food. 3. Their pizza isn't that great. - This one is easy. If you go to a good Italian restaurant and order pizza, you obviously don't know anything about good food. My family and I love this place, and so does every friend I've ever taken here. My personal favorite dishes are their Chicken Marsala which has more flavor than any other Chciken Marsala I've ever had, Linguini Frutti di Mare which comes with lots of very freash seafood, and Lasagna, which is huge by the way. I've had a number of other dishes as well and they were all amazing. Their tiramisu is made with rum instead of brandy, giving it a more strong yet unique flavor. I personally love it cuz I have had a lot of tiramisu that just didn't cut it for me, and it's my favorite dessert. So, please give Buca di Beppo a legit chance =]
(5)
Salvador A.
It began as any other date night. Tired from a day of drudgery at the box factory, me and my girlfriend wanted to eat somewhere fun...somewhere festive and lively. "Bucca di Beppo!" "Hoote--r...uca di Beppo!" We screamed in unison. We decided to stop by the one in Brea, since it was closer than the one in Tustin we frequent. The place was a little more decrepit than the Tustin location, the statues out front a little worse for wear. The place was packed; big overweight tourists and tiny asian families were crammed in the stuffy foyer tighter than a new inmate's butt his first night in prison. As I waited for the hostess (who was busy talking on her cellphone), the lingering odor of sour sweat bombarded my olfactory nerve. It was the hefty gentleman waiting besides me, his BO tinged by the rapist cologne of the baggy shirted teenager behind me. It was not exactly gastronomic foreplay. One hour wait. After trying out the new Hello Kitty game at the nearby Gamestop (this took one hour), we came back to the restaurant to find that we still had 5 families in front of us. Fuming, me and my girlfriend looked over the menu to ready our orders. By now my stomach was punching my innards, threatening more pain if I did not quench its insatiable lust for sustenance. "Soon, my pet. Soon." It wasn't until 30 minutes later that we were finally sat at a small booth in a corner of the restaurant. Our waiter was nowhere to be seen. Another 15 minutes passed before our drink orders were taken. I tried to give him our meal orders as well, but he insisted on getting our drinks first. Big mistake. Another 10 minutes passed before he brought out our drinks (iced water) and took our orders. By this point, my girlfriend was crying her eyes out from hunger, and I was contemplating rushing the kitchen and grabbing the first edible thing I could find, throat chopping anyone that stood in my way. Our waiter, a nice, balding man, looked visibly stressed. He was serving a horrible party of teenagers in suits and dresses (Prom kids) and I understood his pain. They'd probably tip him some combination of spare change and bubble gum, leaving him to punch a wall in anger and hang himself in the supply closet. So I could forgive him for being a little scatterbrained. Well...at least until the food came out. The garlic bread was pathetic. It was in worse shape than the stale house bread, covered with what looked to be a single square of cheese and one clove of garlic. I almost lost it. I was going to pay 10 dollars for a single piece of fucking cheese and a clove of garlic nuked on top of stale house bread? My girlfriend held my clenched fists down, reminding me not to break parole again by punching shit up. 30 minutes later, the main course, the Carbonara pasta, arrived. At this point, it felt like a midget with cleats was doing cartwheels in my bowels. Another edible but otherwise pathetic dish. The oil was separating from the cheese, making a nice pool of yellow cholesterol at the bottom of the bowl. The toppings were sparse, the garlic nonexistent(must have been rationing it for the garlic bread), and the grease plentiful. Now I've had Bucca di Beppo before. And this was NOT it. This was NOT it. We bagged up the rest of our dinner (for the dog), though we are usually able to finish an entire bowl ourselves. It was time to get the hell out of dodge...but not before waiting another 20 minutes for the check to finally come. Total time spent: 3 hours 23 minutes. Conclusion: FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS SACRED AND HOLY, DON'T GO TO THIS BUCA!!! The one in Tustin is about 15 minutes further, but your sanity (and your stomach) will thank you for making the sacrifice. 1.5/5 (bumped to 2 because our waiter had it tough)
(2)
Norman N.
Nice size portions for a family of 5 or a big group of 10+. Very good food...spaghetti with the giant meatballs is good. Baked ravioli was awesome! Had the chicken parmigiana before and loved it! Bread with vinegar/olive oil is a great start.
Came here for a friend's birthday. The waitress was on her A game on tonight, got us our drinks refilled quick, enough bread to munch while waiting for our food to come out, and definitely kept us happy. The food was pretty good, of course huge portions for family style. If you're in the seafood mood, go for the Linguine Frutti di Mare. But the winner for me was the Chicken Saltimbocca, the plate was packed with artichoke hearts and the chicken was super juicy and flavorful.
(4)
James L.
Wow.........wow.......wow....... How does an italian restaurant mess up pizza and spaghetti.....I can not believe this flavor-less-mess they have placed in front of me. The appetizers was the only thing worth eating. Please, please, turn your car/truck or feet away from this establishment and eat some were else. I heard McDonalds is down the street. Go eat there instead.
(1)
Sophia V.
Tiramisu to go. $10.79 RUM-ilicious for SURE. I am the first to say that I want to taste RUM in my tiramisu...but this... seemed like they forgot espresso =[ I think the rum was a generous amount and it would have been perfect if they had soaked it in rum once. and then again in espresso. it's too overpowering as is. and the espresso would have given it more dimension. this was like eating a strong kahlua the marscapone layer is pretty thick but it's good. getting it to-go means a cut down in size but it was still too much for 5 ppl. i think 6-7 would have been perfect. overall: good but it's missing an element. best tiramisu yet? FAIL.
(3)
Lynn J.
Never impressed with buca when I go there. Pasta seemed to be overcooked and gummy. We ordered a pasta special and requested linguine sub, so the server decided to bring out a different dish completely and then try to tell us it had the same ingredients as the special. It wasn't. The sausage in the penne arrabiata was dry and tasted like it had been reheated too many times. The fresh bread was stale and service was lacking. Now I remember why I haven't eaten at buca in over 3 years.
(2)
Cel J.
I eat anything italian,food was good and so was or server...only thing that sucked was the parking...went when it was during construction.
(3)
Vicki C.
the wait is long if you dont get a reservation. but if you really want to go there on a saturday make a reservation for 4:30 or 5:00 having an early dinner is not going to kill you. i like the pasta because its always al dente, while olive garden can get quite soft. tiramisu is so good. the pizza... i got the white sauce with chicken and it was delicious, the crust was nice and thin. since i went with my parents and my brother we got two smalls, a pizza and a tiramisu. there was a lot left, so we took it home. since it was an early dinner i just heated some pasta later while i watched SNL it was perfect. give Buca a chance
(4)
Sonny L.
After hearing of Buca Di Beppo for a while me and my family went for dinner for a birthday celebration of about 10 ppl, this location has a shared parking lot with several other places, but not a problem finding parking. As we went inside I didn't care for the entrance as you have to maneuver through the kitchen & getting in the way of employees that had to stop working as crowds arrive to let guest pass by. Okay getting to the food we started with antipasto salad that was great & the vibe was also pleasant, but a little strange of the picture across from the restroom (Elephant sticking his trunk inside of another elephants A'hole) , but the veal Parmesan was rubbery, chicken was a little better, spaghetti was average to below average and unsure about our other dishes name, but it was some type of stuffed pasta shells that were descent. As for our server he was really friendly, but probably had too many tables to take care of, because we had to keep asking for refills, bread, cutlery and had to send most of our plates back because our plates had dried tomato sauce or salad dressing. But overall experience was just descent & probably would be back ( Not this location though)
(3)
Guadalupe L.
Came here for the first time with a friend of mine. They took us in a tour around the kitchen which I thought it was cool...Their regular portions are HUGE. So thankfully they have lunch portions now which is smaller, but still pretty big hahaha. Their shells are delicious....I would really recommend that dish. Also their italian soda is good too!
(5)
K G.
If Buca was a vacation, it would be a cruise. The people who go on those all-you-can-eat floating buffet trips love this place for the same reason - quantity, not quality. It's not that the food is horrible, there's just TONS of it. We asked if the individual portion lasagna was enough for a couple of us to share, and our server told us "oh no, that's just for one." So we skipped it and actually laughed out loud when we saw it come out to someone else. It was the size of a brick. The large family-style dishes are supposed to serve 4? I would say more like 6. A large pizza is about 4 feet long. Are you feeling me? We had the plain cheese pizza (decent, a light crust and extra garlicky) and also the baked ravioli (canned tomato sauce and bland, boring ricotta ravioli). It's NOT baked by the way. The mixed green salad was actually pretty good, I liked the lemony dressing on it. Our service sucked. We had 4 different waiter/waitresses and had no idea who our server was, and everyone we asked questions of seemed put out, like we should have known we were supposed to ask someone else to help us. Lots of crying kids and loud talkers to ignore. Buca is probably a decent place for a kid's birthday party or a cheap dinner for a big group, but otherwise I think it's a pass.
(1)
abby c.
the spicy chicken rigatoni was really, really good. service? pretty horrible.
(2)
Serena L.
We found a $10 off $20 coupon in the value pack and decided to have dinner here. We had the fried calamari, antipasto salad, seafood pasta and chicken marsala. Everything tasted good. The problem with our dinner was the speed of the meal. The appetizer and the salad came SUPER quick, but we then waited over 30 minutes for entrees to come. Our server was very nice and apologetic for our entrees taking so long, but sitting and waiting for so long really was a turn off.
(2)
Melissa S.
Buca use to have this little dish called the spicy arribiata pizza, its name alone makes me drool with nostalgia. It was a thin crispy crust, packed with delicious marinera sauce with sun dried tomatos, spicy sausage, perfect salty pepperoni, and glazed red onions. It was heavenly! Honestly, my favorite food ever...I came here for my birthday, my friends birthday's, and we NEVER ordered anything else...I'd had some pasta and some other things, they were ok...but the pizza was delicious! then one day, it seems the company switched hands and went big time, and they just stopped carrying about things tasting good...and took the spicy arribiata pizza off the menu! To my disgust, they have offered to make the pizza with similar ingredient, but it just does not taste the same. I seriously have no reason to go there anymore, becuase it's the only thing I ever ordered, so I don't go anymore. The staff is ok, and it's a nice place to have drinks and pasta if you enjoy mediocre pasta. So yeah, I hate you buca for destroying my dreams.
(2)
S S.
Went here for a relative's engagement dinner. We had a party of at least 25. Every table got the same thing since my cousin made a reservation a few weeks in advance already. The bread is always good dipped in the oil and you can always ask for the vinegar. The bruschetta came out as our appetizer and that hit the spot. A lot of tomatoes on top of some an okay-warm-ish piece of garlic bread. Our salads came out next and it was the walnut and apple salad and caesar. A lot of flavor in these salads. The walnut and apple salad was really good and I, myself, am not a big salad eater. Then came our pasta. We had the pasta in what seemed like some cream of mushroom? It's the one with artichokes in it. It's pretty good, but a bit on the bland side. For the rigatoni with spicy sausage, that was very good. A good spice to it, but not too spicy. And the sauce was done right with some cheese on top. Delicious. We also had chicken parmesan which everyone enjoyed as well. Overall, a good place if you have 4 or more people to share because that's how this restaurant works. It's not a typical American restaurant in which you become the greedy one and each person orders one thing. Not here. You order and it's communal which is good for groups if you want to pay less than 10 bucks and come out with a stuffed belly. Would I go here every week? Probably not. It's one of those certain, once in a blue moon, special occasion type of place.
(3)
Nat S.
The service isn't what it used to be and neither is the food. I usually get the Macaroni Rosa, pizza, and the warm tomato and spinach salad. First of all, damn is the salad good! I know you could probably make it at home but its still good! I always ask for extra goat cheese because it isn't as strong as regular goat cheese that i've ate at other places and it blends so well with the balsamic vinagrette and sweet walnuts. Definitely get it. The food has always been pretty good here to me. Their pizzas are good. They are thin crust and very flavorful. No complaints here. I will probably go back w/o a complaint. If you go here with a party of 56, expect to have a shitty time as any place would give you a shitty time. It's 56! Can you imagine trying to make orders for 56 people as well as other tables at one time? This isn't a banquet hall man, its a restaurant that isn't going to hire all their staff on one day just to please your party.
(3)
Christa N.
I don't go to Buca very often. To tell you the truth, i've only been once, and since then, i've never been back. We came here with a large group for a going away party for my cousin who was leaving his job (long story, don't ask!) My cousin called in three weeks in advance and made reservations. She also took the initiative to take all our orders ahead of time and emailed it to their store a few days in advance of our arrival. Is that organized or what? ...apparently not enough for them. we got there, our reservations were for 7:30, they "couldn't seat us til 80 percent was there". we had 80 percent and they still didn't seat us until an hour later (despite the herds of people we saw them seating). that's not even the worse part, we had really SHADY service (auto grat!). they forgot a few of our dishes, and though its understandable for a huge party, the bad attitude was something we didn't appreciate. would i ever go back? HELL NO. either go to a different Buca, or don't go to one at all :)
(1)
Nnyleg J.
I've been going to this location for a while now. What makes us come back is the $10 off coupon we receive in the mail. The last time we went here, we were a party of 12. The turn off is the "photolady." I guess this is a new thing where they take your group picture and purchase it if you're interested. Okay fine take our picture and go. She kept on coming back and asking if we wanted to purchase them. I might add we are a party of 12. Ordering food, drinks, etc..can be crazy. The photolady came over our table 5 times asking us if we had the chance to take a look at the photo yet. Are you serious? The food was okay but it was not as warm. The pasta was a bit salty and the stuffed chicken was not cooked well.
(2)
Jesus V.
Service was ok considering they served us day old veal parmesan. I told the manager and nothing was done. Big thumbs down!
(1)
Bridget K.
Cute decor, but that's about it. Plenty to eat for omnivores, I guess, and the eggplant parmigiana is good. But for vegans, it's subpar spaghetti and marinara. The service is usually slow and disorganized, but it won't ruin your time. I come here when others want to, but otherwise I'd prefer Mama Cozza's for Italian. Also, they now have individual-sized portions of most entrees, so you don't have to do family-style if you don't want to.
(2)
Conrad C.
The food at this place is very consistent. One of the things I always order is the caramelized onion/gorgonzola pizza. It's the best. Ravioli, tortellini, spaghetti - all of these are great. The service here was okay. Orange County sucks, but this made my trip slightly better. Vegetarian options are fairly decent. Don't come to this one, though.... you might as well make the trip to LA if there's no traffic...
(3)
James K.
Average Italian restaurant. A step above Olive Garden, however. Do not be alarmed at the prices because the entree's are good for 2 or 3 people to share that business. The pizza's are thin and flavorful. I guess it's a good place to pass small events such as "Thank God I'm Fat" Day or "I don't want to work tomorrow" day and many others. Oh, and please do ask for lemon in your water because their water is filtered straight through their asses and into your cup. Enjoy!
(3)
Dwigt S.
This place is good for (1) large parties, (2) delicious house chianti, and (3) very simple margherita pizza. Aside from that, I didn't have anything I couldn't make myself at home (spaghetti bolognese, fettucine alfredo, and chicken parmigiana). It wasn't bad...it just wasn't great. Service was decent. I just realized that this is another way of saying that it wasn't bad...just not great. So my experience here wasn't so deplorable as to merit a 1-star rating, but it wasn't remarkable enough for a 3-star rating. I'd only return if there was a dinner party here, and I was invited.
(2)
Michelle K.
the food is delicious. the chicken pesto pizza and penne is the best. the service could be better. the price is good for the amount. the salad sholdnt be over $20..not worth it. employees could service more...that's what they get paid for? they should try to be more original. i loved the buca before it became BIG. overall, needs better service..
(3)
Diana H.
If you like Buca Di beppo DO NOT go to BREA location! We have reservations at 6pm and they did not seat us until almost 7pm. The party before us had reservations too and had to wait over 45 mins too. They have poor managment there. The guys that work in the front does not how to estimate the time for folks. People should not wait for soo long if you ahve reservations. The manager was that great because to help the situation he should've gave a prep talk to the guys that work in the front. Pasadena Buca Di Beppo has better service and they're accurate about seating their customers right away.
(1)
James W.
Fun place to eat, but bad food to swallow... Buca di Beppo is one of the most entertaining restaurant to walk into. For first time visitors, the waitress will walk you through the kitchen first, where there would actually be a table there for brave/hungry people to sit and eat. Then you would pass by a large table with the head of the Pope in the middle, watching/judging you as you chew on your food... The rest of the tour will make you go "ooooh" and "ahhh" as you pass by the hundreds of interesting (sometimes sexually suggestive) photographs along the wall. This tour of the restaurant is REALLY fun. And then the food starts, and the fun ends... The food is expensive, and badly done. It truly tasted like something that I could've done on my own, and there are simply too much cheese on almost everything. The food is inconsistent (taste vary from visit to visit), and the amount of grease in every dish is simply unacceptable. The ONLY positive aspect in the food is the Costco-like portions... You can rest assured that you will NOT leave hungry. To put it simply, it is a fun place to visit, but a terrible place to eat at. Definitely my least favorite among all Americanized Italian chains.
(2)
Frances M.
My boyfriend and I have been in this location couple months ago, and I came back with my girlfriend for the second time yesterday. Because of the bad experience, I got to give them low rating. The reason this location receive low rating is because the service is terrible. Waitresses are poorly trained. First time I was here was couple months ago, my boy friend and I order fried calamari for appetizer, Margherita pizza and Spicy Chicken Rigatoni for entree. The food is awesome, that is why I come back. Anyway, back to my bad experience. When we set down, there are not utensils, plates, napkins... the table was empty besides the menu. We had ordered our food and thought the waitress will bring us the plates and all that. We had waited our food for more than half hour, the waitress did even come back at all. We kept asking the other waitress to get us the order. At the end, the waitress told us because she had to serve all the birthday tables in her section, and no time to come back for us!!! Terrible experience. The other bad experience was yesterday. I suggested my girlfriend to try this place because one of our girlfriend have not yet tried this restaurant. We were there around 8:15pm. The wait wasn't that long, it took us 20 minutes, we had total of six adults and one kid. The waitress was better because she came right away. We had order fried calamari, Spicy Chicken Rigatoni, Fettuccine Supremo, Chicken Limone and Margherita pizza. After the appetizer arrived, we realized the waitress did not bring us the bread. I kindly asked the waitress, a different one because our waitress disappear, to bring us the bread. Fifteen minutes later, the bread did not come and we ask OUR waitress to bring us the bread. (Is not like their bread is that good, but it is a complementary bread, of course I got to have it.) The waitress brought us all our entrees but still NO bread. My other girlfriend has asked again for our bread, and finally she got us the bread. (This was like half hours later when all the food and appetizer are served.) At the end of our meal, the waitress ask us to passed all our plates to her, so she can clean up. What is wrong with her? Do I need to clean up the whole table for you? Anyway, if you like pizza and pasta, and don't mind the service, I suggest you to come here. The small portion can serve 3-4 people, don't over order it unless you want to try all their dishes.
(2)
Kenny L.
This is definitely one of the best chain Italian restaurants around! When you walking around inside (even the bathroom), you'll notice all the quirky but interesting photos that make up the Italian culture. And before you get seated, you'll walk through the kitchen, where there is a table especially reserved for those that want to eat in the kitchen! Most of the dishes are family portions, so bring lots of family or friends to get the most variety. My family favorite are the spaghetti with meat sauce, chicken saltimbocca, chicken and veal parmigiana.The Pizzas are very good too (they are thin, Sicilian style)! If you not filled yet, try their spumoni ice cream or other tasty desserts. If you're giving one star to this, what would you give Olive Garden? Give it a try and I guarantee it you won't regret it!
(3)
Matthew K.
I wish I could half a star! My whole party remembered this place as being pretty decent... We were all very disappointed. The food was all pretty bland and to top it off the manager actually tried to tell a table full of cooks and food lovers that veal was a typically tough meat!! Hahaha
(1)
Julie T.
MY hubby and I went here late at night to stuff our faces..I've never been here and my hubby has..they walked us through the kitchen and we were seated next to the bar. Our server was awesome! He was very friendly and the food was way too much even though we ordered sm..We ordered stuff shell and fettuccine alfredo. The stuff shell was splendid!
(4)
Marie C.
I've been to Buca di Beppo at Redondo and the one by Disneyland. I love the food and ambiance of this chain restaurant. I decided to have my birthday party here and invite 13 of my friends. I'd never been to the one in Brea, but it was the closest one to my University (CSUF), so it seemed like the perfect location. I made reservations a month in advance for a table of 13 at 8:30 pm. It was NOT a holiday, just you're average friday night.. Everything that could possibly go wrong ON THEIR PART did. I told all my friends to meet in front of the restaurant at 8pm so we could be seated on time at 8:30pm. Despite my reservations, we were not seated until 9:30 pm in a long table in the corner. As we were waiting for our food 4 other groups were sung the happy birthday song. That is not what annoyed me, what did annoy me was that 3 of those tables were seated AFTER us. After an hour of waiting for our food, the table next to us with a party of 7, seated quite a while after us were given their main courses. NONE of our food, including the salad had been given by our waitress. When I complained to the waitress, she flat out lied and said it was because they "only ordered appetizers"; one of the dishes on their table was the pasta dish with muscles I had ordered. Perhaps the cherry ontop of this awful experience was 10 minutes after we finally received our food (almost 2 hours after ordering), three girls came to sing happy birthday to me. I was not in the mood, and ontop of that they did some trashy version of the "her name was Lola" song, where they gave me some Pg-13 lap dance. First of all, my boyfriend was there, and there were children in that room, did not want a lap dance from 3 girls! The bill was over $250, which I picked up. And they could care less of my complaints since our party was over 8, so they got there tip money despite their awful service. Way to ruin my birthday. Buca's food is amazing, but go to any other location, NOT the one in Brea!
(1)
Yuching J.
I don't know why the ratings on Yelp are so low, but they serve really good linguini frutti di mare in GIGANTIC portions. The waiters are very attentive, and completely deserve to be tipped extra. The food is excellent if you know what to get, and so far, it's been good every time I've been there.
(4)
Jan P.
If it was possible for me to give this place negative stars, I would. It is beyond awful. I have been here two times and both times were dreadful. The first time I ordered togo it took them over half an hour to get my food ready. Then I got home and realized they forgot part of my order. I called in and they sent me gift cards as an apology. The second time I came in very reluctantly and there was HAIR IN MY LASAGNA!!! Not to mention the service was awful (the waiters don't care and take forever) and their food is overpriced (their portions are small)! I never want to go back and hope no one goes either!
(1)
Toby W.
We came in on a Sunday early afternoon. The manager apologized to us because one or two of the waiters called in sick. However, the service and food was good. The manager was nice about everything.
(4)
miss m.
I was thinking if I should give 2 or 3 stars. Large portions. The Chicken Marsala was too sweet. The Seafood Linguini was ok. We enjoyed the Tiramisu. I dont know the other locations in LA, but Buca Di Beppo in Seattle is much better though.
(3)
Gioconda A.
Always a fun place for dinner. The food never disappoints. The staff is super friendly and accommodating.
(3)
Andy C.
This place is ridiculous. We get there and I sit down and order a strawberry tea. It takes 20 minutes to get the tea, the waiter even comes to the table TWICE before he brings the drink and each time he says "I'll bring that drink right now"... I ordered the Chicken Canto-something-or-other and it was pretty good, small, but good. While I'm eating I want a refill on my tea, ugh. I tell the waiter and he disappears, a waitress comes 10 minutes later and I tell her I needed a refill and the guy hasn't come back, she goes off to attempt to get it for me, ANOTHER 20 minutes later a DIFFERENT waiter comes and I ask him, and he finally brings it! (All of this would be unacceptable, but they didn't charge me for my drink, so fair trade....I guess) I got some big brownie thing to share with a friend and it was fantastic, (the only highlight of this restaurant) and when we ask for the checks for our two tables... it takes literally AN HOUR for it it come, our tables tab comes out to be 90ish bucks and we all pay (I count the money myself 3 times over to make sure we paid up, and we did... we didnt leave much of a tip though because of the crappy service and long waits) when we walk out of the restaurant the waitress chases us down and tells us we are short 3 bucks. Bulls**t I tell her. I counted it myself.. (she was trying to haggle more money out of us cause we left her a crappy tip) one of my friends gives her the money and she snaps "have a good night" at us and goes back inside. If it wasn't for the friendly company I had, this would have been one of my worst dining experiences ever.... EVER. PLEASE go elsewhere. Go to Olive Garden instead of this crap shack., ( I will not go into detail about their over the top, gaudy, CORNY wall decorations. It's like TGI Fridays on crack)
(2)
bernie p.
This was my first time at BUCA although my wife had been there on other occasions. I really enjoyed the meal and tried something new, the Calimari. It was very tasty and I realized I should have ordered the larger portion. The pizza was delicious and the chicken cannoli was satisfying pleasing to the palate. There was enough food left over for dinner the following day. My next trip will be for more Calimari and the meatballs. I do not know when I will sample the dessert menu as it looks extensive and tasty also. The coupon was also a great incentive to go again and again as was the food. The staff was friendly and knowledgable, making it great place to enjoy good food.
(5)
Holly S.
Buca di Beppo was the friendliest, highest quality for fun, food and services I have had in along time!! The food was outstanding! Our server Kenneth was fun, knowledgeable on the menu, and amazingly attentive to all our dinning needs! I noticed how quick and enthusiastic he was with managing all his tables. GREAT costumer service and good food will bring me back again and again. Thanks to Buca and Kenneth for a wonderful evening!!
(5)
Rob M.
It was mediocre. We had the marsala chicken & fettuccine chicken. It's family style dining, so the only way to get anything like a variety was too much food, and consequently too expensive, for my wife and me. The marsala was different from what I'm used to, sweeter. Not bad, just different. But I don't like that you simply get 3 chicken breasts and have to order a side if you want pasta with it. the fettuccine chicken was kind of bland. The service was adequate, friendly enough but not very attentive.
(2)
Joseph B.
Service was slow and pathetic. I think server forgot to put in our order. I've eaten at this restaurant several times before so I know what is normal. Our soup was cold, but tasty, but I would have preferred hot soup.
(2)
Richard C.
Didn't eat here but ordered Buca To Go for pickup. Had a coupon for 20% off your bill that expired 3 days ago and this location gladly accepted it. Tried to get same discount at Garden Grove location but manager kept insisting "Oh we can no longer offer that you because it's no longer in our system." HUH!? WTF lady I was planning to drop a boatload of cash and you weren't even willing to swing a little my way? So my kudos go to the assistant general manager Jermaine Dawson at the Brea location...you are da man! We had 6 people over and got large orders of eggplant parmigiana, chicken marsala, fettuccini with veggies, garlic bread with mozzarella, and mixed green salad with prosciutto and gorgonzola. Total came to $108 but the 20% discount knocked us down to $87 or about a $21 savings. That's alot in this economy. I personally liked the chicken marsala and it's sweet sauce and oh so large and tender mushrooms. Fettuccini was kind of messy but that's the point. Lots of leftovers for lunch on Saturday. As usual the place was PACKED on a Friday at 7pm along with 20 people waiting outdoors for a table.
(5)
Paul P.
Actually, I give thus place no stars. Just left Bucca with an empty stomache on Christmas Eve. Went there to have a nice family dinner but alas it was not meant to be. Sister had called earlier and was told reservations were not needed so we showed up at 6:30pm and was told the wait time was 30 minutes. Over an hour later, we were still waiting and was told we were next on the waiting list but there were 5 reservations ahead of us AT THAT TIME! So the hostess, Nicole, said she cannot give us a wait time cause IF there were more reservations, those will be seated 1st. Now, how can you NOT know already how many more reservations there will be? Look at your stupid chart! People were even showing up claiming to have reservations but not on the list and got seated ahead of us. Overall it was ridiculous listening to her excuses and since we didn't want to wait til they closed to get a table, the family decided to leave.
(1)
John P.
I hadn't eaten here in about 5 years. We took our son here Friday night for his birthday and what a HUGE disappointment. This restaurant chain underwent an ownership change in 2008 and it's painfully obvious. Everything is done on the chaep now and the cuisine has suffered substantially. The clams linguine was horrible and the cannoli's were filled with some kind of cream concotion. We WILL NOT be going back.
(1)
Hello A.
Don't be deceived-not all Buca di Beppo restaurants are created equal!! I have been to several Buca restaurants and have had excellent experiences-the food excellent, the portions generous, and the ambiance makes you feel like you're in Italy, but the Buca restaurant in Brea did not have any one of these. My husband, daughter and I had dinner there tonight and we were disappointed with our meal and experience. The food portions were small and overpriced. More importantly the flavor of the food did not scream "Italia!" or the excellent quality and quantity of food we are accustomed to having at Buca restaurants. Thank goodness we had a $10 coupon...to ease the pain of buying overpriced, low quality italian food. Beyond this our server was fine. She checked on us frequently, but the food was delivered to our table at a slow pace. My family and I will not return to this Buca and frankly this poor experience has turned us off to Buca restaurants in general...
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No 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.
Charlie B.
I am getting so tired of these absurdly over-priced corporate chains pretending to be genuine ethnic restaurants. I wouldn't feed Brea's Buca di Bimbo's grub to my dog! It was one of the worst experiences of our lives. We were there for the first (and last time) on Sunday, October 12th, at around 6:00 PM. NEVER and I mean NEVER go there on a Saturday or Sunday because everyone and their hoards of screaming shrill kids, friends, associates, and extended families gather for some birthday, shower, anniversary or other group celebration making it the loudest, most obnoxious place on Earth. It's like everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs at once and there was no end to the audible torture -- no semi-quiet place to escape and hear yourself think, much less have a conversation. Management needs to add sound-insulation or partition banquet rooms, so that couples or groups under four can enjoy their dining experience as well. The moment we entered, my date and I felt like our heads were going to explode. We should have left immediately, but then an aggressive hostess grabbed us by the arm and lead us through the kitchen to our loud booth surrounded by three groups of insane high-volumed screamers. Btw, who leads patrons through the kitchen anyway? Was this supposed to be some campy corporate re-enactment from a scene of the movie Good Fellas? How idiotic! Beyond the overt pretense and high-pitched assault, the service was beyond inept and rude. I ordered a double Grey Goose straight up with NO ICE! What could be easier than a straight double-pour? No olives, limes, lemons, onions...just bring over a double shot in a glass. So, what did they serve? A blended chilled Martini with olives. We ordered water too with lemon slices. Did we get that?...nope, of course not. Maybe they couldn't hear our order. And the prices were so ridiculously expensive. Seriously, what's cheaper than a bowl of pasta? I don't care if it is "family-style" (their rationale-mantra). Every entree started at $25+ and ala-carte. I don't mind spending money, when there's value, but this was grossly insulting. And it only got worse. The nasty waiter literally slammed the piled bread platters on our table and stormed off. Then he returned and tossed a basket of nearly-frozen stale bread at the end of our table. We each took a bite and it tasted like saw-dust, so we both simultaneously spat it out before we swallowed it and got sick. When was the last time the Board of Health inspected this place? Enough was enough! We walked out swearing to never return and went across the parking lot to "Lucille's" (the rib joint), another corporate chain, which wasn't the greatest, but we were hungry and their food was edible, the server was pleasant, and it was a comfortable and quiet environment.
(1)Yves S.
Love this place! My family comes here for celebrations of birthdays, graduations, or just because. Haven't had a bad experience always good!!!
(5)Tracey C.
We ordered a large salad that was completely overdressed. There was about a quarter cup of dressing left in the bottom of the bowl:(
(2)Brian M.
Review based on catering/take out order. I arrived way early for my order, and had some last minute additions and coupons (you know, THAT customer). They handled it well! The customer service from Jessica and Nick was outstanding.. They treated me like a king. Very polite and helpful and friendly. Wouldn't even let me carry my own food to the car. The food was exactly what we ordered, a good amount, and came with extra sauces and condiments, and was excellent! Food was a big hit for our party. Even sat at the bar and had a beer while i waited for the order. Bartender was friendly and cool too (sorry I didn't catch his name), and Jessica came to find me when my order was ready. In and out hassle free. Can't wait til the next shindig. Coming back here. Get the prosciutto stuffed chicken!
(5)Little S.
My parents and I went to it for a very late lunch yesterday with a coupon at about 3 PM PDT. It was our first time there. It was great! Too much food though, but good for left overs to eat at home! Nice theme and setups with framed pictures. Also, sense of humor like the papers on the tables.
(4)Yong Y.
we got their favorite, and it was good. and the quantity was good. ambiance was good. waiter was good. buca de beppo was good
(5)Alan M.
Typically a 30-45 minute wait which isn't bad for a good restaurant. A family of four can eat till you burst for around $100 which is very reasonable. The decor is fun to look at and always pretty entertaining. There are surprises all over the walls so pay attention to detail. If your just passing thru, make the stop. You won't regret it. Service has always been good and friendly. Never had any complaints at an Buca di Beppo!
(5)Manuel R.
Wow. Service sucks our server looks like it's her 1st day on the job, running around back and forth and it's barely 6:30PM and looks like she needs help. The food is to be expected from a chain restaurant so no surprises there. Like that at least we can bring the kids and they can be themselves so that's cool.
(2)Esther B.
The service of this location was super bad! The manager completely did not know what she was doing as she let the wrong customer pay for the wrong order and they were not busy! I never received an apology and had to wait for the order for 20 minutes after the actual given time for me to pick up the order. If I need to order food from an Italian restaurant I will definitely go somewhere else! I will not be returning to this location!!!!
(2)Lowey M.
Like the two star title: "Meh, I've expererienced better" I like that Buca has big servings but every location I've tried has had this weird sticky muggy scent to it.. As for the food- Last time I tried the chicken parm and it was sooo mouthwatering. This time my friend and i wanted to try something new so we opted for one of the specialty pastas, the spicy chicken rigatoni. I have to say its not the worst pasta i've had but certainly not the best either. It was just... "meh" Their meat balls are savory and delish even for someone like me who hates marinara sauce, but i was boggled that the servings for this app were so small considering how everyone raves on and on about big portions at buca..
(2)Allen L.
Service was really poor. Our food came out after a table that was sat after us. I had to ask for my water to be refilled. Took order and sat for 25 minutes with nobody coming by. Finally had to ask for our server from another server. Server's response was "I already took their order". Our Server was a guy who wears an underarmor band on his arm with pens in it. While here, other table had a server bring out the wrong dish.Then, when he got to the table, he proudly told the table he was talking to someone and got distracted and forgot which table it was for. Not a good thing to admit to customers. We won't be back. If we're going to pay all this money for pasta, this better be amazing and service better be there. We will just make it ourselves next time.
(2)Thomas T.
Had a great time with our church group. Came for one of our people's birthday. Great food at a good price for large groups. Christian at the host stand was super friendly and courteous and very accommodating. He also blessed us in a way we have never had before. Robert our waiter was the best waiter we ever had here. Really funny guy and efficient at getting our drinks and food. He and Christian made our dinner experience a memorable one. Thanks Christian and Robert! Will def come back for our large gatherings again. The best Buca experience ever!
(5)Niki S.
Who would order Veggie Pizza at Buca di Beppo??? ME....and I am not even a vegetarian:D it has eggplant, broccoli, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, mozzarella, provolone and our authentic pizza sauce. I didn't remember I had tasted eggplant in my pizza!? because I don't think its even exist!! those ingredients did not distribute well on the pizza so some part of the pizza was quite bland. The crust was good as I remembered. (If I can add my own topping like artichoke that would be great!) We also had Specialty Pasta Chicken Carbonara, chicken breast, prosciutto, peas and garlic in Alfredo sauce. I would say most people probably can make it home including me. Conclusion: I think Buca de Peppo is specialized in their homemade marinara sauce or meatball. Their lighter and healthier choices just not that great. Food always tastes better when you have to fight food with others. I came here few times before and was always with a big group (8+ people). when it comes to only two people who ordered a large pizza, small pasta and Tiramisu...it just not tastes that good anymore Peroni is one of my favorite since I was introduced to it at Cucina Alessa
(3)Jeffrey H.
To start off, I'm not a big fan of Italian food so reviewing how it tastes is somewhat pointless. However, the portions are absolutely MASSIVE. Share with your group or you'll have leftovers for days. The wedding lunch party I was with had made reservations luckily and we were walked through the kitchen to our seat in the back room (a lot like that scene in The Goodfellas with the really long continuous camera shot). The service is so damn friendly which made it a very warm environment. It was a very fun family style meal although not very keen on Italian food, I'd recommend to a pasta lover.
(4)Nashi A.
OkAlright. So this how it goes. Get here waitress says it'll be 10 minutes. Get to our table and sit down. Waiter comes by and says he will serve us. Proceeds to say he will be back in a few minutes. A waitress comes by and asks us of we have been helped. Nice girl, but why the fuck did I have to ask for utensils and napkins. Why the fuck is the guy who was supposed to serve us, not doing his job and serving a table NEXT to us while never coming back to us ever. My water cup is still empty and never once refilled. Waitress' s family is eating next to us, and while my water cup is STILL empty she asks if anything is wrong and proceeds to ignore my empty cup and sits down with her family to talk while on the job. Our pizza was greasy as hell and partially burnt. Overall please do better. The fuck, why do I need to ask for shit when they are NECESSITIES. Utensils and napkins I'm not eating with my face you know. other restaurants lower class than this always refill my water every 15 minutes. Come on why weren't the utensils already laid out!!! *sigh* overall 2 out of 5 for the experience. Food was okay, but my experience was mediocre at best. Edit: Asked for a box 15 minutes ago. Waitress comes by with no box and helps another table. Uhm is a box hard to find? ONE BOX. Edit 2: "sorry about your box I'll get that right away" WHERE THE FUCK IS MY BOX. Gave her the check STILL NO BOX. THE FUCK. Edit 3: Why the fuck is there a picture of a dog's balls in front of our table. Gross as shit. I don't want to stare at that while eating. Seriously...
(2)Ashley F.
My group had been told it would be an hour wait for a party of four. I was anticipating a frustrating experience filled with waiting for seating, drinks, food and...well everything. The wait ended up only being 40 minutes on a busy Saturday night, which my very pregnant feet were thankful for. Our server, Alex, was easily the best I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was entertaining, friendly, prompt, and knowledgeable of the menu. When my group vaguely described a dish we had seen in passing he was able to identify and present it to our complete satisfaction. I will be requesting him in the future. Now the food, all of this food is always amazing, but it was particularly great this night. I never have anything bad to say about the food...not even when leftovers are reheated. Still amazing. Can't wait to come back for more!
(5)Jennifer R.
They kept bringing someone else's food to our table, over & over again. Different waiters! Probably because our waiter never bothered to write anything down when we ordered. I guess he thinks he has bionic memory or something. Food was excellent, however.
(3)Kam B.
I don't know why all the bad reviews I think they serve good food! I tried fettuccine Alfredo and the baked ziti and both were really delish! Yes there pricey but you get a huge portion that you can share! And I think it's a bit werid that you have to walk through the kitchen to be seated but other then that the atmosphere is relaxing I like this place!
(5)Teresa T.
Today, I ordered a Seafood Linguini Frutti di Mare to-go and they did not even close the container lid tightly. By the time I got home, all the sauce leaked into the bag (and on the car seat), causing the bag to be wet and weak. I pulled it out of my car, the linguini split the bottom of the bag open, and the container lid slipped off and the pasta just spilled onto my garage floor. Thank you for ruining my dinner!
(1)Kris S.
Blech. Over priced. Marginal food. Love the concept of family dining but the food is sub par. Service not great. Over hyped. They need to revisit their business model.
(2)Mini G.
The ambiance in this restaurant is nice. I love the loud music. I thought the food was ok. I came at lunch time and that might have been the problem. You do get a lot of food, but I wasn't impressed with the quality of the food or the prices. If you have time and money to burn - this is not a bad restaurant to go to.
(3)Allison P.
The food was good. We ordered spicy chicken and artichoke and spinach dip. Service could have been better. Austin wasn't very attentive and took forever to come to our table. We were never given bread. I love the bread with olive oil. We gave Austin our groupon when we first sat down. He never took it off the bill. After about 10 minutes waiting for him to come back we found a random server and let him know the situation. He was nice and apologized. The turn off was when we walked through the kitchen and a young cook was talking away with others chefs and throwing fbombs left and right. When. I'm spending $22 on chicken pasta I don't want to hear trashy talk from the staff.
(3)Cheng C.
Worse place to book a party. Made a reservation for a party of 30. I called to verify on the day of the event and they told me my name was not listed. The manager had the nerve to question why I sent my invites without confirming my party. They took all my info and confirmed I have the spot when I called and finding out the last minute, they did not put my party on their list. I did not even hear an apology from her.
(1)Steven V.
I just wasted a hour and half I will never get back. Even though my waiter was a nice person service was lacking. We ordered a pepperoni pizza, it was a little to grease and we needed extra napkins which we never got. When the pizza was delivered we had to ask the bus boy for plates. When we first walked in we were quoted a hour wait for a party of 2 but our wait was only 20 minutes. As we waited to be sat, I kept hearing crazy wait times up to an hour and 20 minutes. When our time came to be sat, they walked us to our table and I noticed several unoccupied tables. I can't imagine how a restaurant can stay in business operating like that.
(2)Chris C.
There seems to an obvious issue with this Buca di Beppo location. THE SERVICE. Keep in mind, that we haven't even gotten to the food yet. That alone could be a potential disaster, but I'll keep this one simple and just focus on the assistance. In my opinion, it really needs an upgrade or some kind of damage control. We had a going away party for a fellow co-worker and we ordered 3 trays of food TO GO. Since, I didn't place the order, I didn't do a full check of the items and my ignorance cost us a missing entree. What surprised me is that the server who brought me my food, guaranteed that it was all there, and that I didn't need to bother with inspecting it. She did help me to my car and it was just my luck that I didn't have any spare bills for tip. Had I tipped them, I would have been livid with giving something for a job done wrong. Hungry employees notice when food is missing. Yet, they were in good spirits (TGIF) and we called back a few days later to file a complaint. They manager did right by providing us an entree of our choice for FREE in the near future. Fast forward 2 weeks later and my teammates are planning another potluck. My co-worker makes the order and of course she's promised that it will be done proper and legit. To ensure that I don't goof this one up, I call the day before and double check to make sure that our food is delivered. I'm assured the world. Yet, when I ask the manager if they had my phone number in case they couldn't find the building, I just hear crickets chirp. Something about providing that phone number really helped me out in the long run. WHY? Cause, the driver got lost and was late delivering the food. Wasn't I told that they knew what they were doing? I went downstairs to the lobby to retrieve my order, but by this time, all I wanted was the food and nothing more. The best thing about the Buca di Beppo chain has to be the cool venue with all the pictures of famous celebrities. The next best thing? The bar. Cause if they're constantly making mistakes, you might need a drink or two to calm your nerves and make your mind erased of all the things that didn't go so swell. Bottoms up?
(2)Eden O.
I have never been to one of these Buca di Beppos before and now I know why I haven't. . . it was extremely lackluster in all aspects. The place is decorated with Italian chotchkies, very low ceilings, and large group tables for screaming children. We were seated quickly, our server was present but not really friendly. . . seemed to lack any personality (picture Jennifer Anniston in Office Space). I'm sure you are all aware of how the family style works so I don't need to explain. We split the Caesar salad and a creamy pasta dish. The dressing for the salad was store bought. The sauce for the pasta was essentially flavorless. All I could think about was the calories I was wasting on bad creamy pasta, oh and how our waitress had accidentally stuck her thumb in the pasta while carrying it. . . Gross? Unless you have a gift certificate (as we did) I would skip this one.
(1)Griselda S.
In reality this is a 3.5 star restaurant, but my family and I had a lot of fun so Im giving it the 4. Had a reservation and got seated on time. Party of 15 with a bill at $260.. Not too bad, cheaper than Olive Garden. Although, I have to say I prefer the food at Olive Garden because it is richer in flavor, served hot, and comes with complementary salad and bread. At Buca you need to order salad and bread aside. However Buca is GREAT for family or group dinners, and very noise friendly. Service was friendly.
(4)Tiffany L.
This place used to be so good just five years ago or even more recent than that. This was a go-to place for family and friend gatherings and perfect for big groups and filling portions. Now, the menu has changed -- A LOT SMALLER -- and lots of favorites are gone, especially in the pizza and pasta selection. Anyone know why they changed so much?! The portions are also smaller and NOT worth the high price. Two SMALL pizzas are almost $40 total. Very disappointed.
(2)David P.
Great food great waiter enjoy our fabulous dinner there is salmon is over the top the meatballs are to die for
(4)Michael C.
Great food and dessert. Recommended for family or friend gathering or simply if u love Italian style of food. Price range is fair due to the fact that the size they serve is huge. Overall great experience
(4)Maylee H.
I know I know, this place is a chain, but it's pretty darn good. I've been there before and they must of improved their menu because I don't remember the food being so tasty. The tomato sauce on the pizza was amazing. Put a little black pepper and hot pepper flakes and BAM!! Also the pasta dish we ordered was pretty good. Maybe we just ordered the right things. The service was also great. We sat in the bar seating area and the bartender was our waiter. He was very attentive and helpful with suggestions.
(5)Chelsey O.
Made reservations on open table and was seated just a few minutes after my arrival. The host was nice, she seemed new. We asked a guy , Dejon for some bread and he wasn't particularly friendly. He kind of did the "uh huh" answer without being attentive and threw down the bread basket. The server, Andy was nice and attentive. He came over and took care of us through the night. We wanted dessert but nothing as big as the brownie sundae. He assisted by offering a smaller sundae off the menu. Food: Caesar salad, baked ziti, and garlic green beans. All was really delicious.
(4)Paul A.
expensive, probably not if you really break it down, but it's also hard to look at a menu and say, "we'll take the spaghetti". Ordering one entrée seems weird, but that's the only way for the meal to not be outrageous. I always order a pizza when I go to a place like this, because I like it and it supplements the meal. kids had fettuccini alfredo and that was enough or them. We got the colossal ice cream sundae- I highly recommend, although better for 4+ people. our fathers day meal came with pics, which was costly but will be a nice keep sake, slightly turned off that there was a surcharge to use my credit card... just have the items added to the bill folks, anything else seems shady... Great day at a fun spot.
(3)Brian B.
We usually like this Buca, but the last couple visits we've had dirty plates and slow service. Plus, it seems like the new menu has come with new pricing too. :(
(2)Marcel W.
OMG!! Best Italian restaurant I've ever been to! It's the most consistent. It's also pretty authentic too. Made reservations for new years eve for 7:30pm. It was busy and those without reservations suffered big time! Anyways after checking in my wife and I o my waited about 3 mins! that's pretty prompt on a busy night! We got seated and the waiter took our drink orders. brought us some warm tasty bread and then we already decided what we wanted. Although the portions are for 2 to 3 people... my wife and I love the lasagna here so we split the lasagna and also ordered the baked ziti a pasta dish to split as well. Both were great but the lasagna is to die for! We couldn't finish the baked ziti so we got a to go box. My wife new the waiter so we got one dish scratched off the bill.. which i prolly shouldn't have said but what the heck it's a 5 star review! Anyways make a reservation order the lasagna that's all you need to know! I will always keep coming back! Keep it up Buca!
(5)Christina H.
This ambience of this place is okay and a tad bit overpriced, but their food is good. I'm glad our server was kind, but one of the servers there actually ended up spilling their drink all over a customer's back and handled the situation poorly. Also, the seating arrangements were not thought out. The only reason I came here was because I had a gift card, otherwise I don't think I would particularly come back. If you do go there however, their stuffed chicken pesto is tastes good and so does their parmesan chicken.
(3)Beachy K.
OMG!!! Deafening loud environment with pricey corporate chain menu and poor service. If you're celebrating some special group event when quantity trumps quality, this place may suit your needs. Sundays are a frenzied madhouse, a faux Italian Chucky Cheese filled beyond capacity with balloons and screaming children. If you value your hearing and sanity, try going another day.
(1)Anna C.
My daughter's Sweet Fifteen celebration was exactly two weeks ago. Two weeks ago Elegant Parties catering services (Chef Robert) canceled 3 hours earlier. I checked my phone one hour before the reception and to my disbelief and disappointment, I had no plan B. My friend told me to call Buca, and I did. They had all the food ready for 80 people by 7:30pm (3 hrs. later). The food was an absolute success and the prize was reasonable. It included paper plates and utensils in a bag with salt and pepper (donated them). I became terrified, the manager assured me everything would be ready for my dinner. I will thank Buca forever. I thought I had called Lucilles since that was restaurant #2 recommended. Elegant Parties are fraud, their Web page does not exist anymore.
(5)Sylvia A.
I went in to pick up dinner for take out. The young lady who answered the phone to take my order was an ABSOLUTE DOLL!!!! She was so sweet and patient with my families not so simple order. When we got there DEVIN was as sweet as she was on the phone. Our order was perfect and everything was great. DEVIN WAS A DOLL and made the whole experience such a pleasure!!!
(5)Vrinkley P.
Still expensive. Never expect to spend less than $50 here. But food was a lot better and satisfying as my last experience. Save money by buying gift cards at Costco!
(3)Nikki T.
Horrible awkward service. Came in the hostess seemed vey bored and unenthusiastic about her job. After 5 minutes of being sat, we were greeted by our server. No name intro, no intro about bucco di beppo(considering it was our first time). Asked us if we needed a couple of more minutes to look over the menu. Honestly this pissed me off. I'm a server and I would NEVER do this to one of my customer. This is just plain rude. On top of that when the bread came out, our server poured sauce into a saucer and of course we didnt know what the heck it was! Honestly this just ruined the whole experience. I'm glad I did not leave a tip. I want my tip to go to a server who actually cares about their guests.
(2)Gen E.
I love the food, the family style serving portions (because I love to pick off of other people's plates). I do recommend that you call in for reservations, especially on the weekends as this place gets pretty busy. I want to give a shout out to one of the waiters, Justin, who always seems to end up being my waiter. He has great energy, a positive attitude, he is very patient and attentive.
(5)Rena K.
I went there last night for dinner with my boyfriend, who rightfully told me that a review on this isn't worth his time! However, I will write a review to save some of you - who expect to be treated as smart, valuable customers - the trouble of trying this one out. We were greeted by 4 people (hostesses and servers) as soon as we got there. All 4 of them were just sitting there chit chatting. We were told there was a 25 minute wait. We were ok with that so we decided to wait. We asked if we could wait at the bar and so we went inside. Sat at the bar for 10 minutes only to realize that there were empty tables everywhere and still they were making people wait to be seated. Btw throughout the 10 minutes the bar tender ha his back tuned at us and didn't even say "hi". Anyway, then we were seated at a table and realized that barely 1/3 of the tables were full. The place was almost empty! Still they sat a family right next to us when they could have seated them a little further away given the MANY empty tables. We ordered and they brought the salad and bread and salad plates but NO SILVERWARE! What are we?! Savages?! To eat with our bare hands??! We asked for silverware and they just threw (literally threw) 2 sets on our table! The salad was very good and generous portion!! The drinks were good too but we were too upset to really enjoy anything at that point. The spaghetti with meatballs was below average. Too much garlic and not at all tasty. And what's up with the not-really-round but huuuuge meatballs...?? We had way better spaghetti with meatballs at the kiosk at San Diego Zoo!! I should also say that the place is not very hygienic since there is dust everywhere, filthy bottles for olive oil and balsamic vinegar and the table right across from us was dirty (ever since we got there) and had 5-6 dirty glasses on it that they bothered to pick up as we were leaving!! And the place wasn't busy AT ALL!! Your choice if you decide to give this place a try... I did my part and warned you...
(1)Angela P.
I used to love coming to this place restaurant even though it is a chain, but I think this will be the last time. My husband and I ate at the bar which was great because we could watch a hockey playoff game that night. We ordered the house salad and the spicy chicken pasta. I didn't realize, or maybe forgot that all you get is iceberg lettuce and a couple of olives in the salsa!!! Please upgrade to at least some field of greens, some cucumbers and tomatoes. Come on it's just a couple cents more for you guys to save some decent salad, the iceberg is just a total ripoff and I was very unhappy with it. The pasta was less than al dente meaning that it was still hard and hard for me to swallow. Even though it was tasty I couldn't get over the texture and stopped eating it since my jaw got tired if chewing. Then had to pay $40 bucks for a very unsatisfying meal. Oh well, I am sticking to the family owned Italian places from now on whenever I can.
(2)Frank S.
This location's service and offerings are a bit questionable... We had a party of 7, but they only gave us dinnerware for just 4 people and one tiny basket of bread. Really? When we finished that basket and asked for more, they then brought out the bigger basket of bread; they should've brought us the bigger basket from the beginning. Dinnerware was incomplete and instead of taking the initiative, they waited until we asked for more and made us wait. We wanted to order some drinks later on but this was impossible because our server didn't come back to check up on us for a long ass time. I had to flag down another server to place the order. And to top it off, the food was pretty meh.
(2)D C.
not the best...passable but certainly far from good. the veal masala has the tasty brown sauce back (they experimented with yucky white sauce before)..however, the veal is tough, overcooked and chewy...and 3 small pieces are $27++ I wouldn't mind paying that price for good food..but when it's below average food, it feels like a rip off.
(1)Van D.
My original review was removed so I'm gonna keep this brief... It was my friend's bday dinner and we always always go to buca... usually the one in claremont. however this year, it was more convenient for everyone to meet up here. - our waitress was pushy and she was convinced we didnt have enough food (in the end there was extra) - not enough place settings and had to ask a million times to get it - constantly rushing us to wrap up when it was clearly a slow night at the restaurant - at one point in the night, my friend was scratched by the knife -_-' - we were rushed to pack up our food, when one of our friends barely arrived.. .. .. - a million other things that were annoying, but those were the main points Overall the service just KILLED IT .. .. .. I will not return to this location. *** editing this to clarify something... Frank S asked me what I meant by scratched by the knife "scratched by the knife? huh? like self-inflicted?"... I meant: the waitress was handling the knife carelessly and the blade end scratched into my friend's arm
(1)Theresa E.
The service was dreadful. The food was hugely overpriced. Many screaming babies and loud drunks. No meatballs or minestrone available early on a Saturday night at a family-style Italian restaurant? If somebody gives us another gift card we'll throw it away.
(1)Ashley H.
If I had to describe this restaurant in one word, it would be "Meh." The food isn't bad, but I've never had anything that was extraordinary there. I know of several other local Italian restaurants that have much more flavorful food at a fraction of the cost. Furthermore, decor is great and it is a fun atmosphere to dine in. As mentioned by other Yelpers, the service at this location needs help. Our server seemed uninterested in us; despite the fact that it was very slow at that time. (It was about 8:30 PM on a Wednesday evening.) One last thing...it really annoyed me that they insist on taking your photo and trying to sell it to you. It's really not that special of a restaurant, and I hate being bothered and feeling pressured to spend more money on something I don't need
(3)Christian M.
Huge portions but way overpriced. Nothing special in terms of taste. Mediocre at best.
(3)Kathy G.
It turns out that there was a lot of people ordering lasagna so it took a bit longer to get our order. It was yummy.
(3)Tiffany S.
The only reason to go here is if you have a large group to feed and you are craving starchy pasta. We dined with a fairly large group for a birthday party and it was really a let down! Our drinks took more than 20 minutes to get, our waitress was nice but not capable of dealing with a party our size, she couldn't get bread out fast enough, no one got refills when they needed them, and some of our food came out cold! The manager on duty came out eventually and got most of the problems fixed. She was very nice any very apologetic, and really the only thing that saved the night! If you go with a large group and can tell that your waiter/waitress is not going to be able to take care of you, just say something ahead of time and you might have a better experience than we did! Sorry to say, but we will not be back!
(2)Howard J.
I really like the food here! Everything we ordered was great! The service was good too but when we came in On Saturday afternoon. It wasn't that busy! Although the Tiramisu was better than most other places, but it can use a little more rum!
(4)Wesley S.
I enjoy the food, that's not even a question or problem. However the server I had was completely lazy. I ordered a fountain drink ($2.99) and informed my server that my drink was flat. So instead of fixing or changing the carbonation from the bar, where he was getting my drink from, he went else where to retrieve my drink. But when he went to refill my drink he went back to the bar and no surprise my drink was yet flat again.
(3)Jasmine M.
Idk why the one at Pasadena sucked balls but the brea service is definitely way better. We came in on a Monday afternoon and the wait wasn't that bad The pasta tastes great, right on point. The apple salad was tasty as well. The fried calamari felt like sth is missing? It was just different from the one we had at Pasadena. The waiters were patient and attentive. Serving sizes (small) were enough for 4 people. Overall the experience was good!
(4)Juliet Rachel C.
Gathered here for a family dinner on a weeknight recently. We invited 2 family friends who were visiting internationally, whom had never had Italian/Americanized Italian food. We had reservations, were seated promptly, but unfortunately, service was quite disappointing throughout the evening. It was especially dismal for the period of time right after being seated. No menus were even provided to us and we also had no clue who our waiter was since it was the receptionist who seated us. Our family patiently waited for a good 15 minutes before I decided to take action and walk over towards the kitchen area to notify someone that we needed and required service! How pathetic. One of the servers in the area said he'd find our waiter for us. Mind you, the restaurant wasn't busy AT ALL. there were about 4 other groups, but many more empty tables. Our party waited another 10 minutes before our designated waiter came over with our menus...FINALLLLLY. Our waiter was young; perhaps early 20's, he didn't apologize, but was friendly. Since he didn't pick up on the obvious social cues, I told him that we had been waiting to be served for well over the amount of time that was deemed acceptable. I stated that no menus were brought over and no drink orders were even taken during our wait. Our waiter then apologized and his performance was a bit better after that, but we still had to flag him down many times throughout the evening for services that should have been offered without us having to ask (refilling our drinks, to bring over napkins, to take away empty plates, etc.). The waiter's total lack of attention to detail & his incompetence was so frustrating to deal with. Made the meal so much more unpleasant. Another thing that was really annoying was that the waiter said he'd bring us the complimentary basket of bread, but he never did. I had to ask him for it when our appetizer dishes arrived. The plates here are all meant to be shared family style and many come with 2 options: Small sizes (can feed 2 or more) or Large sizes (can feed 4 or more). Here's what we ordered for the evening: Garlic Bread: Italian loaf brushed with garlic-infused olive oil, then baked with Parmesan cheese and lots of fresh garlic ($6.99). Garlic was overpowering, didn't like the texture or the taste of the bread, either. Chopped Anitpasto Salad (Large size): Pepperoni, red onions, pepperoncini peppers, cucumbers, roma tomatoes, provolone, feta and Gorgonzola with mixed lettuce in our signature Italian vinaigrette ($20.99). The vinaigrette over-saturated the entire salad. Too much dressing. The vegetables didn't taste fresh, either. Bianco Pizza (Small size): A white pizza with ricotta, fresh mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan, garlic and oregano ($13.99). Pizza cut into squares. This was really good. I liked the thin, perfectly baked crust and the rich, creamy cheese topping. Well seasoned & tasty. Our group finished the pizza easily. Veggie Pizza (Small size): Eggplant, broccoli, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, mozzarella, provolone and our authentic pizza sauce ($16.99). Pizza cut into squares. Baked very nicely and was delicious, too. Great variety of veggies. Our group finished the entire pizza easily. Salmon Sorrento (Small size): Lemon butter sauce, tomatoes and capers ($24.99). The salmon was cooked well and we all enjoyed it very much. The plate came with 3 filets and they flaked nicely. I really liked the lemon butter sauce and the capers with the salmon. Linguine Frutti di Mare (Large size): Shrimp, baby clams, mussels and calamari in spicy red clam sauce ($34.99). I love seafood, so this dish was easily my favorite for the evening. The large size order wasn't large; it was seriously gargantuan, OMG. I'm glad that we only ordered small sizes for the other entrees. This dish had a generous amount of mussels, calamari, octopi, etc., the linguine was cooked perfectly, and there was a good amount of sauce, but the sauce could have been much heartier and richer. It was a bit on the watery side. Overall, still quite good. Ravioli al Pomodoro (Small size); Cheese filled ($15.99). The plate of ravioli was topped with red sauce and diced tomatoes. The sauce wasn't that great, but the ravioli itself was good. Good textured dough and creamy, tasty cheese filling. I seriously wish that there was a Maggiano's here instead of Buca di Beppo. Maggiano's is also a family style Italian restaurant, but the establishment is ranked higher than Buca, the food is much higher quality with much more variety, and the service there has always top notch. Despite the bad service for the evening at Buca with my family, we still kept it classy and tipped our waiter 20%. I know that being a waiter/waitress is a demanding and difficult job; with a definite learning curve, so perhaps our waiter just needs more training, more time to adapt, and we really hope that he will improve.
(2)Nancy M.
I love this location. It is very conveniently place right off the 57 freeway. I was able to get a reservation on the Saturday night, which was very busy already but we were seated immediately upon arrival. I love the Decour in the different rooms they have to please see when. I came in to celebrate a late birthday celebrations, and I love the royal treatment they give you. I brought my coupon for a free entrée and they honored it. You get a free dessert and a large candelabra for you to blow out as thy sing to you. Their food is great, I love getting the baked ziti and the cannolis. It's great to come with family or friends since they give you a really large portions, so you are getting what you pay for. I've been here a few times and love the service but this visit our food took a while for it to come out. Overall great restaurant to come and eat, you get large portions of food, convenient, and fun atmosphere.
(4)Den E.
I've never eaten here before and my boyfriend made a reservation for us. So glad we made a reservation because there were a lot of people there (we went on a Friday night). We waited for about 10-15 minutes before we were seated. Since it was my first time we were offered a tour around the kitchen which I thought was pretty neat, and then we were seated. Our waiter was very friendly. She recommended us some great things and even let us know that if we were ok with it, she'd give us her opinion on what we ordered which I thought was funny and very admirable. I like dining out and I like being recommended new things to try because I tend to stick to the same type of food, and I like being told if what I'm ordering is going to taste like crap or not (which she honestly told me). The menu is a la carte so me and my bf shared. We got the small portions of this garlic cheese bread thing, shrimp pasta and chicken stuffed with prosciutto. SO BOMB. It was enough for me and my bf to eat as well as leftovers which lasted me about 3 days :P They also took pictures of me and my bf and gave it to us for free which I thought was really neat. This place is pretty pricey, but for the quality of the food and the amount you get, I think it's worth it. I would come back, but only for special occasions!
(3)Cindy D.
Same as any other Buca, just closer to home. (: My housemate took my roommate and I here for dinner to celebrate my birthday. So, thank you for that, Paul. My housemates and I knew that Buca is known for their large portions so we tried not to over-order.. We ended getting their... - Trio Appetizer plate 4/5 ; which consists of stuffed mushrooms, fried calamari, and I think bruschetta. It was good, but I think they out too much cheese in the stuffed mushrooms. It was a bit overpowering. - Marinara Linguini with Squid and Mussels. 4/5 ; It was yummy! Ask your server for red pepper flakes and sprinkle it on too of the dish. - Stuffed Shells. 5/5 ; This was simply orgasmic. The stuffing was creamy, with a hint of spiciness. It was soooo good.
(3)Kevin L.
Damn this place has the craziest sized portions. I can't imagine people leaving here still hungry. This place is really good for large parties, just book in advance. Seems for the most part they are very very accommodating. Food tastes good, but can get pricey if you order too much. Portions for family style are huge, should be plenty if you just stick to 1-2 dishes for a party of 2-4 respectively. I approve -Goodfood.LA
(3)Eric L.
Service was poor and food was an average. We had a party of 14 including 3 kids under 4 years of age. We made a reservation so that we could sit in one table. But they presented us with two separate tables.. we asked if we could connect the two tables and they let us. that was fine. Then the server came to take our drink orders. One of us asked for coffee and we ordered our drinks. All ae out except the coffee was more close to room temperature and nothing near hot. So she asked for a "fresh" coffee and the server replied that this WAS a fresh coffee. After moments of hesitants from my friend, she couldnt just let this pass and asked server for the fresh one. She brought it out about 20 minutes later saying that they were brewing it. After we got our drinks I ordered for the whole group for couple of salads, a bruschetta, two pizzas, and two pastas all in large size. But the bread that gets served in the beginning of the whole dining experience at Italian restaurant was never to be found until we asked for it after we were sitting with just our drinks for 15 minutes. By this time, I was already feeling anxious about their service and was hoping at least the food will be great.. Our salads came out which were delicious. A caesar salad and apple gorgonzola salad. They both had fresh veggies and good dressinf. A bruschetta came out about 10 minutes after and that was all good. Then we were waiting for our main food for about another 15 minutes. Yes.. lots of waiting.. When it finally did come out, the food were nothing close to hot. Pastas were okay, still too lukewarm for a good food to be priced at such.. The pizzas (margherita and supremo italiano) were not hot. It felt like it was sitting on the table for about half an hour before it was brought to us. The cheese on the margherita pizza was already solidified. It wasnt cold but it wasnt hot either. It seemed like there was a problem with temperature control on the food served to us... I was displeased by this. Actually most of us were. Then a guy came by to take a free photo for us and took bunch of photos from us at no charge until he brought about 15 pictures to present to us in a printed and framed format for sale. The pictures were nice but it was practically 10 per picture for us to take. I think this was a pleasurable experience and we ended up getting 4 pictures for 40 bucks. It was our friends birthday and they came by to sing for us. The culture and everything of this restaurant are pretty unique and friendly. Then when it came for time to pay, we paid with the gift cards for food worth of 203 dollars. We were going to pay the tip as well with the giftcard because it said we can, but the cashier said theyd have to ask the manager. After she comes back she said no we cant pay for the tip with the gift card and I talk to the manager and showed them the gift card instruction for proof. Then they opened another check to clear this tipping with gift card to finally get it done. This was a painstaking experience that they didnt even know (or at least said so) this policy of the gift card. I think this Buca was below average compared to the buca ive been to next to disneyland. So it was displeasing for me. I wouldnt come back to this place. Thanks for reading my detailed review. Hope you enjoyed it.
(2)Christie L.
I was taken here for my birthday. It was great! They had a cardboard cut-out of Danny DeVito as you entered that I thought was hilarious! I had to take my pic with it :) They put a sign on the table that said "happy birthday" which I thought was a nice touch. I had Lasagna and it was terrific! I totally recommend this place!
(5)Andrew A.
We arrive approximately 30 min before my OpenTable reservation. The Hostess was very pleasant and said about 10 minutes or so to seat our party of 9. As we were waiting they seated about 4 double digit parties, the Yelp 3 stars and service complaints were all I could think about. It was about 12 minutes or so and we were good to go. Seating was one long table, perfect for our group of Adults/Kids. The waiter was on us in about 1 minute taking our drink and appetizer order. He came back around once before we were ready to order the main dishes and maybe 5 minutes later returned to take that order. Drinks, appetizers, main dish, refills, desert, coffee, ALL without a hiccup. I thought hard about the 5 stars, so what could they improve? The facility could use a ceiling to floor scrub down. It is impossible to over clean a restaurant!!!
(5)Vanessa C.
I had an amazing first experience at Buca this past weekend. It was my sister's birthday weekend and we had her dinner with with 8 of her friends, a total of 10. We made a reservation beforehand and got straight to our table without waiting. I already knew what we wanted because again, we looked at the menu beforehand. The brusetta was delicious, one of the best I've had before. The bread and tomatos went really well together, and enough for each person to get at least one. Lasagna was very average. Rich and cheesey.. Chicken Sausage and Ziti was SO GOOD. It was cheesy, flavorful, just enough that it wasnt overpowering. This was my favorite dish of the evening. Andy was our waiter and he did a great job serving us that night. He took care of the drinks while our guests individually showed up at different times. Made sure we were doing alright and even helped us take pictures when I asked him. Overall I am very happy with the food and venue of this place. I will definitely come back again. Remember to use a coupon because I FORGOT... so sad. I love italian and the family style is very nice here! Definitely a good birthday party style, a little bit of everything makes it seem like I ate a lot more than I would have just a single portion at a different restaurant.
(4)BB A.
We ordered Baked Ziti and Linguine Frutti Di Mar. Both tastes better than average! My children especially like the linguine they said it's very delicious! The service is also good. Jeremy always come back to make sure everything is ok for us. We will sure to come back n try others!
(3)Rennay L.
Worst place ever! The portions they give you are big. I went with my family and got really bad service. The waiter knew I was paying with a gift card so the service was awful. The food came and everything we had ordered was cold. We didn't even bother complaining but the manager came and saw we sent all of our food back. Do not go to the one in brea and if you do , do not say you have a gift card!!
(1)Jeannie C.
It was my first time here and I was excited to try this place out since I've always heard of it and never been. My bf had planned out a whole itinerary for our second anniversary and he had made reservations for this place at 7pm. Of course, we ran a little late and ended up getting there at 7:30pm (oops). Because we were late by 30 minutes it got cancelled :/ The management was fairly nice and got us seated right away, which was a relief. They took us through the kitchen (which was kind of cool). Never had that happen before and we ordered. The food was indeed family sized and portions were huge. I got the seafood pasta (can't remember what it's called) but it had small clams, shrimp, calamari and regular clams. It was really good. My bf ordered a chicken alfredo like pasta (again I don't remember the name). That was good too. The mini meatballs for appetizers were surprisingly good as well. The only thing I didn't really like about this place was the noise level. It seemed like there was a birthday at every table so we had to hear the staff and guests sing happy birthday along with the loud clapping. That was semi annoying, but whatever. I loved their decor and how homey they tried making the place. Our server was good, but kind of slow and would take a while before she came back with a refill or water. Other than that it was all good. ^ ^ We had a good time and left feeling full.
(3)roger l.
Took mom out for lunch here. Mom liked the atmosphere, but the spoon and knife she got were dirty...with residue shown on both...yuck...Our attentive waitress immediately apologized and had the manager come over(otherwise it would be a 2 star review). At the end the waitress told us a discount was given(which was always nice). We ordered the linguini which came with a lot of seafood, the small size was good for about 3 to 4 people and since there were only 2 of us, we had the remainder togo. We also ordered the tiramisu which IMO was just average, I like Maggiano's better. All in all, this would be a great place for bdays or large groups to celebrate (any excuse)
(4)Kalee T.
Let me just establish that we ate here on Nov. 17, 2013 at 7:45 p.m. Whoever the manager was at this time is extremely incompetant and rude. Our waiter didn't care whatsoever about our table. He had a large party and was always around them. He never once came back to ask if we needed refills. Anytime we needed something, we had to flag him down, which was almost impossible because he was never near us. Our food took forever to come out, and we never even got any bread which is always complimentary at buca. Once the appetizers came out, they were COLD. I told the manager who said, "okay do you want me to reheat them?" I said, "No. I don't want you to reheat it." And then, as if she never said it in the first place, she said "No i'll get you a new one, not reheat it," With SO much attitude. So I said forget it, I don't want it at all. No apology from her or the waiter WHATSOEVER. And she made me think I Was crazy so I asked everyone at my table and they all heard her say she would reheat our old appetizer. We use to be loyal patrons of this location but you can be sure we will not be back. And once we got the rest of our food, it was obvious the quality went waaaaay down.
(1)Andrea J.
We came here last night because I was craving frutti di mare. We got there at 10pm and the hosts were so nice, giving us a mini tour of the place as they were seating us. The reason why this place got 4 stars is because it took 10 minutes for a server to come to our table. We saw 3 other servers walk by and look at our table, but no one stopped. Another table was seated near us and another server (who hasn't walked by previously) greeted them and took their drink order. When he was done, I called him over and explained we had been sitting there for 10 minutes and he was really friendly and nice and said he would take our table and apologized for the wait. His name was Brett and he had turned what would have been a bad/negative experience into a positive one (buca di beppo would have probably gotten a 1 star review if he hadn't changed our experience). Anyway, I ordered frutti di mare and the boyfriend ordered some kind of stuffed chicken. We both loved our food. On a $65 tab, the server was tipped $35.
(4)May C.
First time here and I like the big portion style. We tried the stuffed mushroom, seafood linguine, chicken & sausage ziti, and tiramisu. I luv them all, but the seafood pasta isn't as flavorful as I expected. The tiramisu was huge & rich. I wouldn't say its the best one I've ever had but its very satisfying n we 3 ppl can't finish it. It's at Sunday evening, pretty busy w many b-day parties. The waitress was kinda slow. I'll come back for more next time!
(4)Christine M.
Service is absolutely awful. Just sat here for an hour waiting on our food. Families arriving after us were served way before us. Just tried to ask the guy that delivered our food where the rest of it was and he was a total ass and in no way tried to actually find out the answer. The waiter tried but could overhear him complaining how mgmt has him both bar tending and serving tables. Food is overpriced and not worth it
(1)John T.
We always enjoy this place! Great food, peach beginning, chicken prosciutto, spaghetti and Italian creme cake. Yum!
(5)Paul R.
Had reservation for 7:30 arrival five minutes late found out they our table away!!!!we have to wait for 20 minutes great customer service!!!!! Being sarcastic customer service very weak.
(1)Katie Y.
Came on Sunday night 12/7 @ 6:30pm. I have been to this location before and it was a solid 3 star place: decent food, decent service. This time it all fell apart. Everything was bad. Management tried to recover and comped our entire meal and gave us a free dessert which was nice. At least they understood that they were failing miserably in every way possible. However, the quality of service didn't improve after we complained which was really surprising to me. I do not recommend sitting in the bar area if you want to see your server occasionally, and I recommend they hire more kitchen staff to get the food out correctly and in a timely manner. After we complained a server (not ours) sat down at a booth across from us as a busser was cleaning it and proceeded to shout that the kitchen was so slow tonight but that "At least all her tables had been really nice and understanding about it!" The way she was saying it just seemed like she was acting- like she was staging this interaction in front of us on purpose. Shouldn't she have been waiting her tables instead of sitting down talking to the busser? My drink was still empty, she could have gotten me a refil! Lol. It will probably be a long time before I give it another try, if ever. I was a server for 3 years and understand when things are out of the servers control. However, if that happened to me, I would have been communicating with my table, not missing in action for 20 minutes at a time myself. If waiting on food was the only issue, it would not have been so bad, but when you don't have drinks for 15 minutes multiple times during your meal, have to ask for bread 15 minutes after the server brought the balsamic and oil, wait 35 minutes for your food, don't have plates to eat your food off of, then get dirty plates, then realize they got your order wrong, after you had to change seats because the first room they sat you is was 100 degrees, then the replacement food take 20 minutes too, it gets to be inexcusable. Manager was very nice but server was still MIA even after we complained. I would have thought the manager would make sure the server took better care of us while she was working on getting our replacement food, but that was not the case, unfortunately.
(1)Sarah K.
I love the family-style concept when having a meal. I wouldn't come here with only two people. This is definitely a group gathering place. Here's what I had and what I would recommend: 1. Spaghetti with Meatballs (added meat sauce for $3 more) - There are three huge meatballs in a large size and it was plenty for 8 people to share. It's not the most interesting food, but it was still delicious. It's the safe route when everyone can't come to a decision. 2. Chicken Saltimbocca - The chicken was well seasoned/flavored, but I loved the artichoke. It was perfectly cooked and a vegetable that I probably would never prepare for myself. It was a good pairing to the red sauce pasta. 3. Veggie pizza (large) - It was a FANTASTIC choice. I've had the very meaty Italian Sausage pizza before too, and I choose this Veggie pizza over any of the other ones I've had so far.
(4)Elaine N.
Family favorite. Big portions, family style. Margherita pizza is delicious. Shrimp pasta was good. Veal was dry.
(4)Gen L.
The apple gorgonzola salad was a bit salty and margherita pizza was very thin and a bit soggy. Not at all what I expected. The host was friendly and the waitress was friendly and timely in refilling our drinks. Service was good. Food was ok, at best, this time.
(3)Steph L.
review based on my take out dinner huge, generous portion (i ordered a small and it fed 4 of us) pasta was very fresh - i had the LINGUINE FRUTTI DI MARE - lots of seafood and they all very fresh .. especially the shrimps .. so juicy and succulent ~ ^^ had the warm tomato and spinach salad and the dressing was superb i'd come here over olive garden, tony romas, claim jumper, or TGI any day .. but price is a bit high .. about $14 - $30 for a plate of pasta .. you can sign up online to get their bi-weekly coupon which is $10 off $30 .. pretty good deal
(4)Melody L.
I like Buca because of the ambiance, it's very family style with an italian homestyle feel. The food here is kind of subpar. I like the penne arrabiata, which is my favorite thing to eat here. My boyfriend got the lasagna but he didn't like it because the sauce was too sour, and I agree as I had to eat it because my boyfriend wanted to switch. It wasn't a very good lasagna, I don't feel like it's worth how much we paid for it. The garlic bread is really good but they charge you $9 for a basket of it and there weren't even that much in the basket. The only reason we came here was because I had a coupon. Other than that, I would very rarely come here because this place is pretty pricey. The service here is kinda eh.. I've only been here one other time and the server before that wasn't much better than the server we had here recently. We came here when there weren't a lot of people here and it still took forever for us to get our waiter's attention. He would also talk to us from across the room and be very awkward. He would just come to us and wait for us to automatically know he was ready to take our order. It was just a very awkward experience in general. Overall, bleh. Only come here when I'm REALLY craving the penne arrabiata, other than that, I would rather make it myself or go somewhere that's actually worth the money.
(3)Sherianne B.
HIDEOUS. Went for a retirement party. The party was to begin at 6. Tables were still not set up at 6:15. People were milling around, trying to get out of the way of the workers setting up tables and rearranging chairs. Once we sat down, we waited 40 minutes for salad. Bread came out a bit later. One tiny tray for 2 long tables of people. The lady next to me grabbed 3 slices. FOR HERSELF. I was reduced to picking up a little leftover crumbs. I mean, come on. I had waited 45 minutes, and all I got was a crumb? No one ever brought more bread. I had to pretty much stare 3-slice lady into handing one over. I had to ask, MORE than once, for water, soda, etc. We sat 45 minutes without being able to get anything to drink. Service was absolutely atrocious. The food, meh. Entrees are very heavy. I drove home feeling as if I had eaten a brick. Would not return in this lifetime.
(1)Virginia K.
I came here for a Graduation party. I've always wanted to come to Buca's. People always rave about how great it is and so I was amped about this Grad party being here. The reservation was for 7PM. I actually got there around 6:40ish. We sat at the bar and had drinks. Great service at the bar! The party was for 56 people and all 56 of us did not get seated until 7:30PM... (just imagine like 20 people in the bar, about 15 in the waiting area and the rest outside... it was packed!!) We had 3 main host/servers. Service was pretty slow but you could see by thier faces they were really rushing around. At one point of the evening my husband asked a waiter who was standing by the kitchen if he could get him a drink and the waiter replied "I'm not your server" and he walked off. RUDE!!! Not all the tables had the vinager/oil bottles and honestly our table didn't realize we were lacking it until about 5 minutes before the appetizers came out. We didnt all have our food at the same time. Some tables didn't get an appetizer (calamari) even after the other tables were getting a second course (pizza). The lasagna was extremely salty!!! The pasta with seafood was dry and lacking flavor. But the mussels on the side were delicious! The tiramisu was drenched in myers rum.. and it was quite strong... I think I got a buzz... The chocolate cake was extremley rich... too rich for me... I doubt I will be returning... I really didn't think the food was all that great.
(2)Angela D.
This is a very decent place to get your Italian food fix, especially with the $10 coupon that's flying around, it's even better. You spend at least $20 and use the $10 off coupon, one of the best deals in town. We get the same thing everytime, we start off with the calamari, which is delicious. Then the Margherita pizza, if you like thin crust pizza with lots of cheese, tomatoes & basil this is your best bet, it's simple & good. The Fettuccine Supremo is awesome, it's got chicken, broccoli, sweet red bell peppers, fettuccine egg noodles covered with creamy alfredo sauce, boy oh boy! I'm not a big fan of their desserts, I had the cannoli and that was the worth thing ever, yuck. The service is good, we try not to come when there's a long wait because it takes FOREVER to get seated. 3 stars is about right.
(3)Angela K.
Garlic bread was tasty. I also liked the fried calamari. I had the frutti di mare and the portions were huge.
(3)Calvin T.
lovin' the tiramisu..one of the best one's I've had. $11.80 (with tax)
(4)Princess J.
A really average, "so, so" Italian restaurant. If you were going to open a restaurant, why open an average, "so, so" restaurant? Well, that's what Buca Di Beppo decided to do. First of all, the decorations at Buca Di Beppo are so fake. It's a total wannabe of the authentic Italian restaurants. It looks worse than movie sets. It looks like cheap Barbie toys. Thus, making us feel like we are been treated like little kids who don't know what real Italian restaurant should look like. The bread is average, nothing special. The water is faucet water. The wine is cheap. The cooking is average for me, it would be considered bad if you had gone to culinary school. They look like they were cooked by amateurs. We had salmon with pesto sauce and pine nuts. The idea is great but the execution is terrible. It's really awkward that these dishes do not come with at least some pasta. We had to order a side of pasta to go with it, and the pasta that came had alfredo sauce on it, which made it difficult to eat with the pesto sauce on the salmon. Well the waiter suggested this. I just don't get it, you are charging $24.00 for a plate, couldn't they just throw in some $.50 pasta on the side so we can complete the meal? The salmon was over smoked, tasted dry, and the pine nuts were just thrown in there. All of the ingredients were thrown in together the last minute, they were not incorporated together like a piece of art. Ok, the food is not terrible, it's ok to eat. But they are made by amateurs not professionals. The service is not terrible, but just kind of sloppy. Everybody seems so out of it. Disgruntled workers? We asked three different people for our water, and bread. Her hair is a mess! Not the stylish mess, but more like she got ran over by a truck kind of mess. The attitudes and the smiles are all kind of broken. Disgruntled workers? It's not a terrible experience. But Buca Di Beppo always delivers a boring and fake Italian experience.
(2)James S.
I had dinner last night with a friend of mine at this brea location. I think the huntington beach one is better. Even though they are both supposed to be the same, they are not. We ordered take out. I had the lasanga and eggplant parm. The lasagna was ok and i did not like the eggplant. I have had way better. I think private family owned italian places make way better food.
(2)Jon N.
My therapist pin pointed Buca Di Beppo as the reason why I have an irrational fear of the pope.
(2)Holly B.
I've eaten at many a Buca's, and generally enjoyed myself, but I had to yelp about the dirty silverware, cloudy wine glasses and incredibly sloooow service my colleagues and I had on a very uncrowded Monday night. Still, the food was pretty decent (hopefully cleaner than the tablewares.)
(2)Kelly G.
Reading some of these bad reviews makes me think we went to different places. I went during one of the busiest times, dinner on a Saturday. I easily had made a reservation online so we didn't have to wait. We got one of the table signs because it was our 1 year anniversary. Everyone that walked by said hello and said something about our celebrating. Drink refills were instant, even when my bf decided he wanted to change drinks. The place was packed but the food still seemed to come really fast. We had the caesar salad, the supremo pizza, and the baked pasta sampler. All were good and we were stuffed and have plenty of leftovers. The only bad thing was the tiramisu. It was so strong! They should warn you! However that alone was not enough to knock a star off. Overall the vibe was incredibly fun. We clapped and sang along for various birthdays and enjoyed looking at all the things on the walls. Talk about one great first impression!
(5)Erwin R.
A friend of mine took to here for lunch last year and man it was delicious. The atmosphere was great and the service was too. I usually do not eat seafood at restaurants and I choose to try it here. The Salmon was light, and sauce was great and the portions were just right. The price range was great for lunch and for family. Definitely going back again this year. Enjoy!
(4)Jorge A.
Delicious italian restaurant. I went there 3 times in August 2008. I ordered alfredo fetuccini with shrimp, margarita pizza, salad bread (garlic bread with tomatoe salad on top and cut in 4 squared pieces). I suggest you to order the smallest size (personal) since I the portions are huge!!!!!
(4)Ivon G.
Really? This is Buca?! I love Italian food so when we made a stop here to grab a bite to eat I was excited... We go in cool place I guess, loud, etc. Check out the menu everything is family servings so I had to come a a mutual agreement with my boyfriend on the meal. We ordered the fried frut de mer in a giant martini glass, and let me tell you it was good! Given the joy I had over the appetizer I was excited for the entree to arrive. I had ordered some pasta Alfredo sauce with white whine and chicken, snow peas, other veggies and sun dried tomatoes.... Got the order and my first thought was "where's the chicken in this thing?!" I decided not to panic before I gave it a taste... It was pretty bland more snow peas than chicken and the chicken I think they were rationing it off or maybe it was made of gold because their was barely any. And it was thinly cut in these slices that reminded me of frozen tv dinner chicken slices.... What gives?! The waitress after forever stopped to ask how we liked our food, I gave her my answer, "meeh. It's alrighttttt I guess." but did not complain i did not want spat at food. In short I didn't really eat the entree and just left it there. It was such a disappointment, I will not be coming here by choice...
(2)Angela B.
Went here for a "sorry you got laid off" lunch with about 12 people. We waited a long time for bread. The server brought everyone cans of Diet Pepsi and Pepsi because something was wrong with their soda machine. They brought two pizzas because the other one was "shaped wrong." Thanks for the free pizza -- why? The spaghetti sauce was actually OK. I don't really like the idea of sharing big drippy piles of spaghetti with my co-workers. Oh, and the meatballs were super dry and tasteless . And I found a hard plastic shard -- stuck to the roof of my mouth! Nice. The free gelato also blew. Overall, it's like The Spaghetti Factory with better decoration. Or the Olive Garden. If you like massive piles of so-so spaghetti, come here.
(2)Cuong K.
Wow..Im not surprise with the rating for this place. Ive been here a couple of times and it's good to bring a good number of people to eat dinner, but the pasta here is alright-no wow factor-so a good family dinner. I guess the wow factor is the portion, but i would rather pay a high price meal than a hearty meal with no taste. These simple pastas should be cooked to wow because it's so simple you can do it at home. If i were to go out and eat, I would want the restaurant food to outdo me.
(2)Grace T.
We came here last night because I love their Neapolitan style pizzas. We were originally told that our wait would be 20 minutes but we were seated in about 5 minutes. Everything is served family style so there's plenty of food to be had. We ordered the green salad with prosciutto and Gorgonzola, macaroni rosa, and the sausage and mushroom pizza. The salad came out first and although we ordered a small, it could have served a family of four. Then they came out with the bread, and shortly after our pasta came out. It was the perfect about of rosa sauce over al dente pasta, chicken, broccoli, and peas. A while later the pizza came out, piping hot with a crispy crust and spicy pieces of sausage. The hun was happy because he got to take home all the leftovers for dinner this week.
(4)Peter T.
Experience-wise, it's definitely up there with its crazy decor and atmosphere. Food-wise, I am less impressed the more I go. Sure the portions are large, but the prices are still slightly on the high side. It's really nothing to write home about, as even the popular Olive Garden is much superior to the quality of this. Definitely worth a visit.
(2)Gary D B.
I have had dinner once and lunch once...both times came away with less than average feelings...first time for dinner had a male "diva" waiter...guess he was used to giving less than adequate service to the "cougars" and getting big tips for flirting...my adult son and I just wanted good service and food....after a mediocre pasta, we payed with cash and waited ten minutes for change.."had to go across the street for change", was the excuse......Next visit was for lunch...upon sitting @ the table, noticed one dish had crumbs on it...the waiter came by...I handed it to him stating it had been used....He looked @ me like I was crazy.....Food wasn't memorable, but service was actually ok, with the exception of wrong dish being delivered @the table..."these dishes all look alike", was the response......The decor in this place is great!!!....To bad the food and service R subpar.....Customers deserve better!!!!....Will not return for a third visit...
(2)Glenda R.
I had this coupons 3 of them that I got from the last Buca that we ate from in El Segundo, CA that was in exchange of the dish that I totally was disappointed in. So when I checked it the last day to use it was on the 30th of September. So I told me family, we need to eat dinner out. I also called my priest friend to have dinner with us to have an early celebration for my daughter. My favorite Buca was in Universal City walk but it was 22 miles from my place. So I used my Android and the nearest Buca was in Brea, CA. I read the reviews in Yelp and it really made me nervous. But oh well, let's try it anyway..it's the nearest. It was easy to find, there was ample parking. It was beside the Brea Mall. The waiting time was ten minutes for a table. The waiter who served us...was so nice, polite and good looking. He was very patient and we were very pleased with his service. Even the priest was surprised to find such good service which is rare these days. So we ordered my fav. Lemon Chicken (the best), Large Calamari platter, pizza..forgot what it was...then I asked the waiter (Jon), he advised the Chicken Carbonara...it was awesome...then our dessert was the Brownie with ice cream..forgot what its called that serves 6. We really had a good dinner and would definitely come back. The place is so big, we had a tour of it and there was this table with a pope's head on it revolving..the pictures though were revealing but oh well..twas the food that we came for..I got coupons though again..
(5)Carese L.
ask for SY to be your waiter if you can. he is ALL the entertainment you'll need for the night, and he loves the word "honayyyy" he's also one of the most enthusiastic singers if you're celebrating a birthday and want your song to sound different than every other table that seems to be celebrating that night also. if you can't get Sy, go elsewhere!
(3)Ed L.
I think Buca serves the purposes for which it exists. The food is not all that authentic, but neither are 9 out of 10 italian restaurants in your neighborhood. It is loud and chaotic. And in my humble opinion that makes it a lot of fun. I advise that if you decide to dine at Buca's make sure to go in a large crowd. And also, try your best to make sure your large crowd is the loudest and having the most fun. I agree that the restaurant's wait time is extremely long without a reservation. Fortunately they allow you to make reservations via the internet or through a quick phone call. As for the seating. THEY DO SIT YOU TOO CLOSE TO OTHERS. That's all I can actually say about that.
(4)Richard L.
I had heard about the "cool" table in the kitchen and the great decorations throughout the restaurant but the friends who told me this never mentioned the food and now i know why. All of the reviews before mine are right on target; you get the "wow" factor with all of the themed dining rooms and the tour through the kitchen but once you are served and take a bite the disappointment begins. I've had frozen meals from the supermarket that tasted way better. I can only recommend this place for the visual experience.
(2)Nick J.
Food is OK. Its great when you want to come with families/friends.
(2)Lynhdan N.
Interesting place. If its your first time, the server will walk you through the kitchen, showing you how everything is being run. The food is huge, but not good. It needs more flavoring. The service is ok, you can tell the server is not sincere in providing good service.
(2)Chris C.
Good Italian food and LOTS of it! Come hungry or bring a lot of people with you if you decide to try a few of their signature dishes. The portions are HUGE! Not too hungry? Then the appetizers are just as good. Interesting decor at this place...looks like anything they can slap on the wall, they did. The servers are fun too! I recommend calling in early to make a reservation. They get pretty busy and loud at night and especially weekends. If you get there early, then hang out for a bit at the bar and start off the evening with a few cocktails. I've been to this branch in Fullerton many times with friends, and it's always a fun time and major food coma afterwards.
(4)Marcus C.
I had a quick peek at the other reviewers opinions and there seems to be a theme here. The service. My table service was OK, the few brief moments I saw them, but the lecture I got from the lady at the front desk in front of the group of 16 people that I had brought to the restaurant will ensure that I will only ever go to this restaurant if there is no other feasible option. I was really late, and they had reason to be frustrated but they must have forgot that I am the customer and any warnings about timing should be given privately, discreetly and with moderation. This would be a one star BUT the food is good there and the portions fab. Sorry Buca chefs you are being let down by your front lady.
(2)K F.
Corporate Italian mush. Loud, noisy room with cramped conditions. And the food... Let's just say I was dragged here, kicking and screaming, so perhaps I may be biased. Not any worse than my previous exposures to the chain, but that's not saying much. Looks like stuff you could throw together in about 30 minute if you had access to a toaster oven, a boiling pot of water, and a can of sauce. Only you have to pay for something you could have easily done better. Large portions, but of what? Would gladly rather endure the 1+ hour wait at nearby Lucille's, and I'm not even a fan of the place.
(1)Sandy O.
Big portions of food... Was kind of weird that we went through the kitchen but it was funny. The pepperoni pizza was super good and love that it was covered all over.
(4)Paul I.
We have been to many Buca di Beppos, and like any good chain, you know what you are going to get. The Italian mother's basement feel, the pasta dripping with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese and Dean Martin playing in the background. Unfortunately, the Buca di Beppo in Brea was a major letdown. Our waitress, Tia, was delightful and on top of her game. The food was the issue. Everything was lacking. The Fried Mozzarella and Apple Gorgonzola salad lacked considerable flavor and the Penne alla Vodka contained too much garlic, rendering it inedible. We rarely send food back, but the garlic was too sharp to be eaten. Perhaps the cook had an off night or missing crucial ingredients. Whatever the reason, we advise to try other Bucas in the region until the Brea locale improves.
(2)Sepi E.
4 stars for service. 2 stars for food. 3 stars overall. I shared the baked ziti and it was really heavy and overly cheesy for my liking. Some portions of it also weren't very warm. Overall it was alright. Other people in my party enjoyed their orders. The service was good. The server was attentive and got us everything we needed and he was really friendly. We were seated in a bigger table than the number of people in our party and my silverware had food left on it so I went to grab another set of silverware on the table and same thing. The next one I grabbed was good though. We had a birthday in the party and I thought it was weird that the restaurant doesn't give a a little dessert. But they did sing a song and bring out a candle. But I've never seen a place not give you a little birthday treat so I thought that was strange. The price is really high considering I've been to better and more authentic Italian places that have been cheaper than here. So if I want Italian food I'd rather go there and have some really good food for a better and more reasonable price. Don't think I'd go back unless someone insisted on coming. It was overall ok.
(3)Michelle R.
Buca Di Beppo is a place I come to celebrate something.. birthdays, usually. On most occasions, I try to sit at the Kitchen Table, because it gives us something to do while we wait for our food. Plus, you are pretty much guaranteed that the food will be hot and fresh. I came here on a Monday night to celebrate my friend's birthday. Our server was not exceptional, but did an ok job. He tried to memorize our order without writing it down, and did get 1 item incorrect. We ordered: 1 small antipasto (and he gave us a large) 1 large chicken limone and 3 small pastas. (supposedly servings for 2-3 people) Our drinks were refilled regularly, and we even got a group photo from the restaurant's photographer. The birthday boy even got a group photo, compliments of the house. Portions are very generous. For a group of 6 people, we ended up taking 3 items home. Prices are a bit pricey (total for the 5 items came to $145 before tip), but fortunately we had a coupon (so $20 off) and I went to Costco and got a $100 gift card for $79.99 (saving an additional $20). We never got interaction from the kitchen staff, which was disappointing. In other times, they would parade the food from other people, enticing us to try next time. We DID get a Happy Birthday song and a scoop of ice cream, on the house. Ample parking but the place is a bit hidden. Upon driving into the plaza, turn left and follow the road facing the 57 freeway.
(3)Mari K.
I dined at the venues in Pasadena and Universal City Walk. Both serve good Italian food. However, the prices at Universal City Walk was much more expensive and lacked the side veggies I had expected. I would not recommend the restaurant in Universal City Walk unless you are spending a day at the Park and really want Italian food. I will go back to the venue in Pasadena. Much better there.
(3)Steve F.
It was Valentine's Day, and I had let my girlfriend decide where to go for our romantic dinner that night. Imagine my chagrin when I found out she had made reservations for Buca di Beppo... don't get me wrong, I love my lady, but Buca di Beppo feels a bit cliche for Valentine's Day. Especially as the wait times between getting seated, waiting for our appetizers, our entree, and our dessert was about half an hour between each... let me put it this way, we got seated at 8:20 (five minute wait to be seated, not too bad), and left around 11 pm! If you've been to a Buca di Beppo, you know what to expect - a trip through the kitchen on the way to your seat, lots of Italian kitsch on the walls and all over the restaurant (there's an altar to Frank Sinatra and a table with the Pope's bust on it... which I actually wish we could be seated at next time), and large portion sizes even if you order the Buca Small. But if anything, they are consistent with their food quality. Our order of Linguine Frutti de Mare (linguini with seafood in a red sauce), while not as spicy as I've had it before, pleased both of us - especially as it was Kathy's first time having it. The garden salad was on point, and the tiramisu... you definitely could taste the coffee mixed with the ladyfingers! Allthough our servers got orders a bit mixed up - several different orders were mistakenly sent to our table - we understood it was a busy night and mistakes happen, and for the most part, our server did check on us and made sure we were taken care of during the night. If there was half-stars offered on Yelp, I would give this Buca di Beppo location a 3.5 rating, and we wouldn't mind coming back here to try some more of the menu.
(3)Matt S.
This is the next Olive Garden. Service was nonexistent, they came by to ask how we like everything before we received any food. Bread (not even warm) came about 20 minutes after seating and they were NOT busy, lots o empty tables. The fettuccine Alfredo was not Italian it was more like someone's strange flavourless version of fettuccine Alfredo. Pricing was just silly for the food/service received. Clearly, there is no management that is keeping this franchise up to its intended level, so sad.
(1)Michael R.
Went here on a date to celebrate mine and my girlfriend's 6-monthversary. Knowing Bucca is known for its family portions, we ordered one specialty pasta. I figured to get my mom's favorite pasta in any Italian restaurant, which would be Linguine Frutti di Mare. I wanted my girlfriend to try it. It was really good! The seafood was just right, the pasta well cooked, and the sauce in it tasted very good! No problem whatsoever! We settled down to just this and left with a nice stomach. Keep in mind, the wait may take some time. Waited about 30 minutes. But just do something while you're at it. :)
(4)karen r.
We were told the wait would be an hour and 15 minutes. It was onky 10 minutes. As we walked through 3 nearly empty rooms. (3-5 small full tables in each room) it did not appear busy. We had a coupon that gave a $15% diiscount which was nice. Portions were very large, enough for 2 meals after leaving, but service was mediocre. We had to ssk for bread and olive oil/ basalmic vinegar. Drinkk refils were slow. We had to wsit linger than normal to get our check and dessert wasnt even suggested, so we skipped it. The manager began serving and than a waitress took over. It did not appear busy but the waitress seemed frazled. Maybe we hust didnt see it. When we left it still was not busy but people were told there was an hour snd a half wait. Guess lots of staff cslled out for Memorial Day.
(3)G.G S.
Wow! DARLENE is an excellent server! We had such a fantastic experience here. She handled all our requests beautifully. It really made for a great evening. This young lady is a true gem!
(5)Peter K.
Family style restaurant, if you come here be ready to share the food with everyone else. Great people working here, friendly and nice, and they sing for every birthday person in the house. When I was dining there with my friends, I think there were four people had their birthday dinner there, and we probably spent a good 15mins total just to sign the birthday songs. By the way no TVs at the main dinning door, we wanted to watch the NBA all star game, but is all good since I got to spend some time with my friends.
(4)Christina L.
This place sucked! Service was so slow. & all of our food wasn't good at all. even though we were the kitchen table, our food was last priority because our server was NEVER there. We had to keep bothering random helpers to help us. Their spaghetti and meatballs was so watery... baked ziti was so dry. And stuffed mushrooms was too salty. Gross. Big portions but the food is not good so I guess the bigger portions is used to compensate for the disgusting food. My first and last time coming. It was also a birthday celebration and I would expect a little dessert or something but nope. Nothing. Not coming back to any Bucas again... Thumbs down!
(1)Rara M.
3 1/2 Stars ... Okay I'll round up. I have been here several times with large parties. Buca is a true family style dining due to their insanely large portions. -Service - okay -Food: mostly good -Ambience - kinda crazy The best dishes I've had at this restaurant are: -Spicy chicken rigatoni (Great kick and perfectly cooked chicken) -Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken (Heavy, but yum) -Chicken Carbonara (Everyone's favorite. It has a slight peanut buttery taste..) -Fried calamary (Delish) I would stay far away from the spaghetti and meatballs. The pasta was overcooked and the sauce was extremely watered down and tasteless. The fettucini and baked ziti were also mediocre.
(4)Rhonda J.
Good food and service. BUT some of the "art" was pretty crude. There are photos taken from angles that showcase testicles of a dog, adult male statue, a child statue and women's breasts as they leaned forward eating spaghetti without using utensils. And on the way out, there is a sign that reads "enema, just what the doctor ordered". It was disturbing. This is not what comes to mind when I think "family style restaurant". Fortunately, my family was not with us. I don't get it... what are they thinking??
(3)Haley K.
This place was pretty empty when I went, so we were seated right away, and the service was really quick. Our server was super kind too(: The food was delicious. LOTS of cheese 10\10!
(5)Jesica M.
It was great coming here. The waiter Jonathan A. was great. The only thing that when we ask for lasagna they told us they didn't have any.
(4)Rachel H.
Wow Talk about incredible service! We had a party for my friend, Robert was our server. He was friendly happy and took great care of us. We ordered pizza, spaghetti and Gorgonzola salad. Robert and Starla took the time to make this meal special for all of us. Thank you Bucca! We know where to bring our big parties and celebrations for food.
(5)Kaylan P.
My friends and I decided to stop by buca for lunch because we had a coupon from groupon. Right as we walked in, the host, MARVIN was really rude and unwelcoming. He seemed like he hated his job and escorting us to our table was the hardest thing he's ever had to done. When we got to our table, our server, JONATHAN, was great! He was friendly and really helpful. As for the food, it's average. The portion is great for its price.
(3)Christina L.
Called ahead on a Saturday Night at 7pm to check on the wait time. The high pitched voice on the other end told me that they no longer provide wait times over the phone and assured me that the restaurant was busy. Ok. So my girlfriend and I decided to take a chance and drove up to the restaurant 20 minutes later. I run in, notice that no one is waiting in the lobby, and learned that the wait time was less than 15 minutes!!! I ordered the Chicken and Sausage Ziti while my friend ordered the Cheese Manicotti and a side of Fettucini Alfredo (we're not pigs! we were ordering for lunch for the next couple days!) I've been to numerous Buca di Beppo's and it's always the same thing. Bland food cooked in bulk. The garlic cream, marinara, and fettucini sauces lacked any robust flavor and tasted as if they came out of a jar. The pasta was al dente and the bread was good. The customer service was often lacking. I felt like the waiters were overwhelmed with the amount of noise and customers in the restaurant. This used to be a great place for large gatherings but the quality of the food is just not worth the price tag. Check out mom and pop's like Palomino in Los Feliz for an authentic Italian dinner. More love cooked into the food there!
(2)Lauren S.
Ok, so to start the food is good. The service... Lacks!!! We came here for 2 birthdays in one large group. It took 15 minutes for our waiter to stop by and take drink orders. Another 20 for them to come back and take our order. Once we got appetizers, we didn't have any plates (took another 10 to get plates). We finally got our food. We were missing a plate. Turns out they took it to the wrong table! They then brought it out with the check in a togo box. Not too happy right now and feel bad for bringing my friends here on their bday. 2 stars for the food only!
(2)Lucy K.
This was a first time visit for my daughter to the Buca di Beppo on Imperial Highway in Brea. She loves Italian food, so I figured this would be a great place to take her to eat. She loved the inside of the restaurant, the service was excellent, and the food was great. We ordered the Baked Ziti, Linguini and Clams (we asked for white sauce), meatballs, and some cannoli for dessert. She loved the Baked Ziti, it was fresh, not dry-just the perfect amount of sauce and cheese. The Linguini and Clams was just the way I like it, with plenty of clams, shrimp, etc. The meatballs are huge and delicious- tender, not dry, or hard. And...the cannoli were great too. Very rich dessert. No complaints about the food at all. Our waitress was attentive, and on top of any request we made. It's a bit expensive, but you need to know that Buca di Beppo is a family style restaurant in the sense that everything is in huge bowls and plates- the portions are big. Overall, a great experience! My daughter asked when we can return-as we were heading out the door. :-)
(5)Charlin C.
I used to like their baked ziti and this joint used to have better food compared to the one in pasadena....until today! I picked up my baked ziti, got home and found my baked ziti is dry, sauce less and the portion is extremely small! Plus they didn't throw in the bread that used to comes with! !!! This restaurant is off my list.
(1)Aysha H.
My night started off good since we got a complimentary appetizer for our long wait. We had the Fried Mozerella, which was a good size for a group of 8.We ordered the Fettucinni Alfredo and a Baked Ziti with our 4 for $40. The portions were good and the pastas were great! Our waiter in the beginning was very attentive, but when we were wanting the check it took a while for him to come back. I was surprised that the person in our group forgot about the different size prices. We went from a small to a large and it cost everyone to pay at least $15 (tip included)! I might as well have ordered something for myself since it came up to $120 for the whole table. But overall the food was great and there was enough to take home for leftovers. Even our waiter said that you'll always be taking some food home.
(4)Debbie C.
If you're really hungry and love pasta,this is the place for you. Definitely go with other hungry people too, because the portions are family style (huge). We tried the hot artichoke dip, which did not last very long at all. Our waiter refilled the bread we had devoured as we waited for the rest of our party to arrive. The cheese ravioli was tasty, and they were kind enough to put the meatballs on the side of the spaghetti for my meat-loving friends. It was all very tasty and we all left very full. Even though we shared an appetizer, a salad, and 2 large pastas, our bill still e need up costing about 23 bucks per person, before tip. In a past visit, I've sat in the Pope's room. It's good to reserve if you have a big group, and the acoustics make it pretty easy to hear everyone in your party talk, despite the large round table. If you have a large party, call in and make reservations ahead of time. The place gets pretty full at dinner time.
(4)Keun L.
We went to Buca yesterday and had a reservation for 7:30. We were 5 to 10 minutes late, and the seat wasn't even ready. They made us wait 45 minutes even though we had a reservation. We even preordered the food, but when we got to our table, they gave it to us one at a time, 10 minutes after another. We were in a really bad mood and decided that we are never going to go their again.
(1)Tanya H.
Was in the area yesterday with my boyfriend and had a great experience here. We felt welcomed the second we walked in. It was our first time trying Buca and decided to do take-out, Devin was very helpful guiding us though the menu and making sure we were satisfied with our order. There's nothing I love more than good customer service and good food.
(5)Nelson B.
It was my first time here with my sister and friend to this restaurant. My cousin gave me a gift card for Christmas which is the reason I am coming here to eat with my friend. I would not come here again due to the fact the food were disgusting. We ordered garlic bread which taste like regular bread! Very disappointing. Also, we ordered lasagna and one of there fettucini dish and both of the dishes tasted extremely bland. I would rather go to Olive Garden that here. The waiter was very incompetent. He forgot to put an extra setting on the table as well as forgot the drink my sister wanted. He even said, "Oh I just forgot." What kind of customer service is this. He didn't even try to apologize for his mistake. Also, my friend specifically requested no peas in the one dish he ordered and of course it came out with it and he said "it was the kitchens fault" versus trying to fix the situation. This was our worse first time experience from beginning to the end. Everyone you have been warned. The food in the pictures may look great but it's false advertisement.
(1)Ting H.
Exceptional! Five of us girls went for a birthday dinner. The service was awesome! Our servers Alex and Justin definitely helped with making our dinner even more enjoyable! Drinks - Peach Bellinis! So MUCH fooood! We ended up taking quite a bit home. - Mussels Bianca - Spicy Chicken Rigatoni - Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo - Lasagna
(5)Vanessa G.
No matter how commercial this is or how much I am not a huge fan of Italian Food, I just love Bucca! There are just so many savory flavors! The portions are HUGE and great for sharing with friends and family! The walls are so much fun to admire, laugh at, and smile for! The people are always nice and the food is faithfully filling! Every aspect of this restaurant is quality and impressive! I love this place because I can easily enjoy time with others here! I love the meatballs! I loved all the baked dishes! I love the salads! I love the creamy pastas! I love the meat entrees! I love the bread! It is just all so good!
(5)Lisa Marie B.
First off, you have to set your expectations. This is a mid-priced 2-star restaurant. It is good for families who want a (small) step above Olive Garden. It is basic Italian/American fare. The atmosphere is good for a birthday party or family dinner. I wouldn't bring a date here though. We started off with the Cheesy Garlic Bread Florentine. Then we ordered the Stuffed Shells, large pasta shells filled w/ spicy sausage, ricotta, and covered in Alfredo sauce. We also ordered the Veal Parmigiana with a nice red sauce. Overall the food was good. We're not talking gourmet or real authentic Italian, but good enough for a Saturday dinner before a movie. The place was a little loud, especially with the crying kids, but if you say, "family restaurant" you should expect it to be loud. The walls have lots of nostalgic style pictures. All-in-all it is pretty good for what it tries to be.
(3)Terry D.
Food is marginal. No way does the price justify either quantity or quality. We hadn't been here for a long time. Bought dinner for friends who had been hospitalized. Portion was small and overpriced. Probably won't go back. I recommend finding a real Italian restaurant.
(2)Ashley R.
Sunday night and it's super busy....about an hour wait! Make a reservation for sure.....even for small parties.
(3)Melissa H.
The food here is amazing. This is the kind of place you need to come with a group because it is served large portions family style, That way you can try multiple dishes at a reasonable cost. We had a birthday celebration with 10 people. Since it was a Tuesday they let us take our time and we never felt rushed. The staff was friendly.
(4)Ellie N.
2stars for the food only! Food tasted average it wasn't bad and it wasn't great either. SERVICE! Was horrible! And really really slow! We were a party of 6 with 2 servers/waiters and neither could get their work done right! To get our check took 20mins then to finally process out order and get out of the restaurant took another 30 to 40 minutes literally we were only last people in there. Manager never came to our table but seemed rude and annoyed. Same with the waiters. All I know is to never come to this location again! Waste of money & time
(2)Dan C.
DATE OF VISIT - 12/13/14 (dine-in), 12/24/14 (take-out) SCORE EXPLANATION: 5 stars - Transcendent experience that is totally unique 4 stars - Would take visitors from out of town there (or a date, if I were single) 3 stars - Good enough for me to become a regular 2 stars - Edible, but would not return 1 star - Encountered serious problems BULLET POINTS - - This place can get EXTREMELY busy, and the service definitely suffers when that happens; the manager is conscientious and active in damage control, but the bottom line is, there may be damage - Pasta is done perfectly when dine-in; our take out was a bit soggy, possibly because it sat for awhile - Pizza was inferior to Bottega Louie and all of the little places in New York City due to the crust being a bit soggy and limp - Portions are measured for very large appetites (small fed 3-4 for us, and large 6) - Decor is a negative, which is funny coming from a Chinese person FOOD - Items tried included - Spicy Chicken Rigatoni (dine-in) - I'm not a fan of peas, but the rest of the dish made up for that. There is a nice kick, a decent amount of chicken (could have had a little more for my tastes), and the pasta was a perfect al dente. The sauce was smooth and not too rich, not watery, and not greasy. Excellent dish. - Margherita pizza (dine-in) - Plenty of topping, crust was thin but soggy, which really had a negative impact. Because of the poor texture I unfortunately did not focus much on the taste. I don't remember any kick of basil or particularly memorable mozzarella, though both were on there. - Linguine Frutti di Mare (take-out) - The pasta was not al dente, though perhaps this dish isn't meant to have chewy noodles. There was a decent amount of seafood, though again I think it falls short of "generous". A very tasty and popular dish that I have ordered multiple times, and it has never failed to please. PORTIONS - - Dine-in for 2 - One small pasta and one small pizza - Had one serving of pasta for wife's lunch the next day and more than half of the pizza for a late night snack - Take-out for 6 - One large pasta had two servings left for lunch the next day, though it was served with a salad and 2 rotisserie chickens from other places SERVICE - - Dine-in experience was marred by the waitress not showing up very often, and me almost having to get up to fill my own water. There was a large table next to us and the waitress was spending a disproportionate amount of time there. Had to ask for bread from a different server, and the response was "you want the house bread?" Um, yes, isn't it part of every meal? The follow up question: "Do you want some olive oil as well?" Are you going to ask if I want plates when the entrees come out? - Take-out on Christmas Eve was an interesting experience. Our order came out without a problem, but there was a lot of commotion and chaos. There were issues with some orders, which the manager was doing everything he could to rectify, and one of the employees was shutting down from the stress of it all. ATMOSPHERE - - There are some strange pictures on the wall that I didn't enjoy eating near. See the photographs for all the explanation you need. - Noisy, family atmosphere, which isn't necessarily bad. Bring your own group. =p VERDICT - - Will continue to come back for great pasta; pizza needs improvement and service means I will be choosy about the right time to dine-in, and the right time to get take-out - Generous portions mean that this place will always be a consideration for groups
(3)Lachelle I.
I love this place, always have great service and food. The servers are funny and attentive. My aunt always orders the lobster ravioli or spaghetti and its pretty damn good. I like to mix it up and try something different each time we go,but I have never been disappointed. The portion sizes here are BIG so you will have enough for lunch the next day. The price for the amount you get is great. LOVE this place.
(5)Maggie M.
Food was very good! The Marinara sauce, very flavorful, the Muscles bianca, DELISH!!!!! The Prosciutto stuffed chicken breast....GREAT.... I think the masterpiece of the night though was the Stuffed Mushrooms in that pesto cream sauce...... OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Calamari, Mozzarella were delish, all the food was very good... The portions are very big... be mindful of that. I just wish they had more seafood options that were not with pastas... The alcohol beverages very sweet.....I love a fruit martini, but none that make me diabetic.... easy on the syrup!!! The server was very nice, answered all our questions and really took care of us.. Only reason this isnt a 4th star is that Buca books and overbooks and before we were done in our area, we were basically deseated by a family of 30!!! If we arent done, then we arent done..... This should have been card for. Ayache was a great server, this wasnt his fault!
(3)Jenny L.
It can accommodate large groups. I've had engagement dinners, family dinners and get togethers. Food quality is consistent. The service is somewhat consistent. Parking can be tough at this location. For the holiday, the shopping center offers complimentary valet.
(4)Grace C.
Came here to buy one gift card. Waited around 10 minutes, as it was one host seating guests and one server that was helping with to go orders. Nice people, but the wait was a bit long for just purchasing a gift card. But, they do have gift cards in any denomination you want! Otherwise, Costco may be a better choice if you want bulk $50 gift cards... Came to this site years ago, but never came back because of our to go experience that time. Will probably try the place again, but only to eat-in, not to go.
(3)Amanda L.
Unfortunately, yelp requires you to give atleast one star...if it didn't, you better believe I would have given this place a whopping ZERO! First off, I always try to see the light in every situation. This time however, the only light I saw was from the dim ceiling bulbs! To start of, upon arrival the hostess was the most mono toned, not wanting to deal with people person I have ever met! Okay, I still saw the light thinking atleast she wasn't going to be our server! In the back of my mind, I was thinking things can only go up from here but low and behold...we met JEREMY, the WORLDS MOST RUDE SERVER IN THE HISTORY OF RESTAURANTS!!!!! And, I did leave out the hostess hit my mom in the head with the menu and never apologized but thats neither here nor there with the rest of our dining experience. Well, well...nice to met you Jeremy! First off, my brothers ID was expired without his knowledge since we were there for HIS birthday, he wanted to order a drink. Yes, totally my brothers fault for not checking! but the way Jeremy handled it was pretty epic in the worst way. "Ummm...this is expired, do you have another form of id thats not expired" in the most sarcastic way! Then he proceeded to say, thats what I check for, I cant help you. Did i mention, he never once smiled. Whatever! I thought. He must be having a bad day. Next, he asked if we had ever been there, we said no. He asked if we wanted bread and salad and without seeing the menu yet since he JUST passed them out, i said yes both (thinking this was like olive garden) since he never stated any options knowing we had never been there before...or....just maybe....he thought we were mind readers because next... Jeremy just stares at me for an awkward second. I thought he didn't hear me so I repeated myself and he said "okay, what kind, there are many kinds...look at the menu, I'll be back". I literally was waiting for the "thats right, you idiot look at the menu" that was so obviously what he was thinking just by his tone and facial expressions". At this point, my whole family is feeling very uncomfortable. ..the people across from us are complaining about him as well. The rest of the meal continues on this way, i am shocked at every next sentance that comes out of his mouth but I let it go because my brother is starting to feel very uncomfortable. He brings us our bill, we pay, we leave. Still not once did the guy smile! It was pretty unfortunate that we don't get to see my brother very often and this experience took away from his visit. Instead of chatting about catching up, our conversation quickly changed to Jeremy and reasons of why he was still employed. On the ride home, I realized that I had let this nobody ruin my day so I decided to call the restaurant and discuss with them the awkwardly rude experience we had at their restaurant. This next part is pretty interesting, I got the store manager on the line that proceeded to tell me they have had several complaints about Jeremy and I should speak with the general manager. The general manager was extremely nice and pleasant BUT why keep staff that continue to be rude to customers. On that principal alone, i will never be back! I will shout from the rooftops to anyone that will listen to never go back! This restaurant should be shut down, board the doors and windows. No human who is paying for a service should be treated that terribly. JEREMEY SHOULD FIGURE OUT HIS PROBLEMS AND DEAL WITH THEM, HE SEEMS VERY UNHAPPY. WHAT A SHAME TO BRING THAT TO EVERYONE ELSE HE COMES ACROSS.
(1)Daniela F.
We had dinner there yesterday to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken was overcooked and the Baked Ziti was burned and tasteless. The house wine was also really bad and gave me a headache so stay away from it!!! In resume, we paid a lot of money for a very poor Italian dinner.
(1)Rho L.
Another lackluster experience at Buca. We had a dinner here with our immediate family --all 20 of us. We were promptly seated and our service was good. Unfortunately, the food...well, not so much. Other than the pizza which was decent and the carbonara which the kids actually liked, everything else was a miss. We ordered quite a few dishes, but I won't elaborate on each one. Great place for feeding a lot of people without spending too much money, but definitely you lose taste and quality.
(2)Alex D.
worst italian food i have ever had. service is mediocre. mixed drinks are bad. seafood x3 appetizer.. yuck. just gross. came out to over $30 a person
(1)Jennifer A.
My friend made reservations for Friday at 7:30, but it really wasn't that crowded. Probably because it was pouring outside and the parking lot was a mini lake which resulted in my shoe filling up with water. Anyway... I think Buca di Beppo in general is just ok. You can't go wrong with fried calamari, the linguini frutti di mare was super bland, the penne san remo was meh, but the real surprise was the pepperoni pizza which was really good. Loads of pepperoni and a thin crispy crust. I like the whole family style thing, but the portions are just so big that even with 7 of us we only got to try an appetizer and 3 dishes. Don't forget to print out the $10 off coupon because they won't accept it if you just show them your phone.
(3)Sheryl B.
So we decided to go to Buca to celebrate my brother's promotion at his work since it's a family style restraurant. When we got there we were sat at a round table where it was pretty tight squeeze considering it's on a corner and there were 10 of us! I wish they sat us somewhere more spacious. Our waiter was ok. I wish he could have been more attentive espcially our food came longer than expected. It took over 45 minutes before our food arrived. The food was good. Good portion. Prices were decent. One thing we did notice though that one other server wasn't having a good day. He spilled drinks on one of the guest on another table. Poor guy! He was even wearing a dress slacks, button up shirt and a tie. I'm suprised he didn't yell at the waiter but he did ask for the manager. Not long after that the same waiter spilled drinks (again) luckily the guests on the table didn't get wet. All we were thinking seeing those incident was "Thank goodness he was not our waiter!"
(3)Karen C.
Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken & Penne San Remo is what we ordered and have to say both were great. The stuffed chicken could have had a bit more Prosciutto but good just the same. Loved the tour of the place when they seat you and the decor is fabulous. The service was good and the prices reasonable since there is so much food you have one or two meals leftover. And I joined there mailing list and already got a coupon for free appetizer. I will see how it goes on my next visit and report back but I do recommend the place so far.
(4)Cinthia S.
Food was not what we expected!! And the service was not the best. The made us wait for 10 min even though there was nobody else waiting at that moment, and the host kept talking with other waiter without paying attention we were there.
(1)Nina K.
I came here with my family, being a party of 8. We had an excellent experience. The portions were a bit smaller than we had expected, but we still ended up fully satisfied. Our waiter was a guy named Hugh. He was excellent and friendly. The food doesn't come out as promptly as many would like, but it didn't bother us because we had a great time just talking and enjoying each other's company.
(5)Jackie C.
Came here with my dad for Father's Day. My dad was treated with "Happy Father's Day" by at least 5 different people. The cook even shook his hand when we walked though the kitchen. It was a very warming and impressive experience. I was shocked at how kind everyone was. I wasn't expecting everyone to be so inviting. Now for the food. We shared a small of the Pene San Reme and cheese garlic bread. I was surprised at how quickly the food came out and it was superb! The pasta was perfectly cooked; not too mushy or crunchy. There was tons of flavor. And lots of it. The cheesy garlic bread, oh my! I am a garlic lover and the bread had generous slices of garlic on it. I was in heaven! The portions here are huge! Seriously, it's amazing how much food we got. I have enough leftovers for two meals and we just got a small order. You can't beat the price for the amount you get. Plus if you sign up for the e-mail club, they send you coupons! Overall it was a fantastic experience. I love Buca and will definitely be coming back.
(5)Corinne M.
Came for lunch and the food was great as well as the service. Quick, polite, asking if we need anything.. Very good!
(5)Jennifer Y.
Great family size meals
(5)Samarie R.
What happened??? I've been to this Buca di Beppo several times and have had a typical Buca di Beppo experience of fun kitschy decor, large portions, decent food, upbeat and friendly servers. Tonight - not so much. We were a large group so there were plenty of opportunities for the staff to get things right. That also means that there were plenty of opportunities to get things wrong. Unfortunately there was a lot that was wrong. First the good - The mussels in wine sauce and the fried calamari were both delicious appetizers. The chicken saltimbocca was delicious. A ziti dish with chicken and sausage was good. The sangria was tasty. The bad - We had one server for our large group and she was not friendly, timely, or attentive. She was impatient in taking our orders and kept walking away before an order was complete. We waited long to give drink orders, and then to get drinks. The veal Marsala was terrible. The meat was too thick, overcooked, and tough instead of the tender smooth texture it should be. The Marsala sauce was sickeningly sweet as if sugar had been added to the sauce. We had to return the dish because it was inedible. One dish we ordered never came out to the table. An order of manicotti, or cannelloni was delivered to the table lukewarm and so dry that the pasta was crunchy hard. The server came around one time to offer drink refills but never again after that. Many of the dinner plates brought to the table were dirty with dried food stuck to them and greasy smudges around the rims. Several pieces of silverware had dried food stuck to them. When the server brought out replacements they were not any cleaner. It appears there are significant problems in the kitchen both with the cooking staff and with the dishwashing machines or perhaps the dishwashing staff. It also appears that servers and busboys don't look at the cleanliness of the dishes before giving them to customers. While the manager came out to our table and tried to do damage control there was just so much wrong. Any server, cook, or busboy can have an "off" day but this experience was much more than an occasional "off" day. In fairness to the restaurant, we were not charged for the veal marsala that was returned nor were we charged for the order that never arrived. Appropriately so.
(1)Kat C.
Aww, this place is rated only 2.5 stars? Well my lova took me here as part of our one year anniversary. The waiter was so funny, agreeing enthusiastically with everything we ordered. Us: "We'll have the Linguine Frutti di Mare..." Waiter: "Good choice!" Us: "And the Prosciutto Stuffed Mushrooms..." Waiter: "Oh! That's my favorite appetizer!" Us: "And to drink, a coke and a Peach Bellini, blended." Waiter: "Oh! That's my favorite drink! Can I see ID please?" He didn't really look like a mushroom or bellini type of guy, but I appreciate the fact that he tried. Our orders came out pretty quickly. The drink was yummy. My lova who hates mushrooms, loved the antipasti because of the prosciutto stuffed inside. And the shrimp linguine was spicy and it hit the spot. Personally, I really like the fried calamari, but my lova does not like it at all. We had also ordered the pesto dish before and both our palates liked it. It's a little pricey for my wallet, but after having signed up for their eClub, I'd go back with a coupon.
(4)G.A. P.
If you're looking for an upgrade to your fond memories of your middle school lunch meals, then this is the place for you. Thank goodness for my Italian instincts and intuition, once I got over the shoddy memorabilia all over the walls including the bathrooms, I realized that I was sitting on a horrible picnic bench with stained dishes that looked like someone spit on them. I knew that here was a problem when the main course was served first and appetizers came ten minutes later. And the waiter act surprised about the whole thing. I wasn't sure if I was served a microwaved meal or leftovers. All the meals were oversized and overpriced. Someone's idea of Italian cuisine was skewed with bad impersonation of Hamburger Helper. Although the waiter attempted to do his best, I still felt like I didn't receive the best service.
(2)Vickey L.
I went to Buca for the second time yesterday afternoon for a late lunch/early dinner. I loved their decor; very colorful and lots of interesting things to look at. The dining area we were in was pretty dim so this place is good for date nights if you don't mind the noisy atmosphere. The only downside was the pricing. I think $17 is pretty price for a plate of Fettuccine Alfredo. And that's the price for a small size. However, the small size serves up to 3 people and the large portion serves up to 6 people. So if you're having a group of 4 or above, this is a good restaurant to go to. For "antipasti", we ordered the fried calamari. And for entree, we had Shrimp Fra Diavolo for entree. I was kinda debating between the garlic bread and the fried calamari to have for appetizer, but apparently they also offer you bread and it comes with olive oil and vinegar. So i was pretty glad I went with the calamari. In addition, I also ordered a glass of iced tea and a side of mashed potato. The total was $50... with tips included. And I tipped about 15%. For that price I think I'd rather go to a fine dining restaurant... Loved the food, but it's a bit on the pricey side for couples. Great place for groups though!
(4)Scott T.
Food is good, but no chance to try the meat ball...will go again for other appertizer
(3)Peter C.
Its been years since I had eaten at Buca and I was very disappointed at what this place has become compared to what it was. The food quality has diminished quite a bit and the service was extremely slow. I will never accept the fact that a restaurant is busy as an excuse for bad service. RESTAURANTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE BUSY. It is reflection on the operations of a business if they cant adequately staff their restaurant for Friday night dinner service, especially at a large chain restaurant. I don't think I'll be returning to Buca for a while.
(2)Tejas M.
Ended up here after the Angel game with an Italian friend. Their Alfredo and Arrabiata sauces are non-veg so we had a limited choice. The Ravioli with marina and Eggplant permasian were good. But the cheese pizza was the best one!
(3)Kevin S.
I understand you're busy on a Saturday night. Everyone is. But when I call and put my name in for a party of two and you say it'll be 20 minutes, try and either be honest or realistic. So we show up 20 mins later, oh yeah, there's our name on the list nowhere near the top. Fast forward 25 more mins and now we are bothering the hostess and the other four employees standing around the lobby/takeout window who'd rather stare straight off into space than help anyone. So we left hungry with our $2 kid-sized milk. Been here once five years ago, wasn't impressed then. Definitely won't be back. I hate to say it, but take a lesson from Olive Garden.
(1)Dr. Catherine L.
Love the setup and Italian feel. We had Italian music playing in the background which also added to the experience. Our waitress was very attentive and very friendly. She explained their special and Italian dishes that she was recommending so ordering was not hard. The food came out hot and fresh. I loved the flavors. Very very good place to bring family and friends for ANY TYPE of celebration. The prices are moderately fair, considering the HUGE portions they serve you. Would I come back here? MOST DEFINITELY!
(5)Tasha H.
My best friend and I had planned to stop by for dinner since we had a coupon and she said the location in Vegas was good. We were greeted by a nice bubbly hostess that walked us to our table and gave the welcome to Buca de Beppo speech. But there after it was a downhill slide. We were seated at our table for over 15 minutes before our drink orders were taken. Then we had to wait another 15 minutes for bread. We ordered the spicy calamari appetizer which was burnt and saturated in oil. During our entire dinner our waitress barley checked in with us and seemed annoyed to be serving us. I ordered the chicken cannelloni which was just ok and not worth the price. It was bland and lacked much needed seasoning, not to mention it was not hot. My BFF ordered a lobster ravioli item on their seasonal menu and was also underwhelmed. I did not taste it but she cut open all of her ravioli pieces and could not find any lobster. According to her the meal was under seasoned and was also cold. We may have been more inclined to try this place to again if the service was good but it was not. Bad food + Bad service= a waste of money! We will not be back!
(1)Logan H.
the food here is always amazing!!! the only drawback this place has is the service. it is always slooooooooow. for some reason no matter what waiter or waitress i have, they take forever to bring me refills or anything else. The food takes a while but the only reason for that is it is freshly made to order. its not sitting in a bag somewhere and then boiled out. It is ALWAYS made fresh to order. the only reason they do not get 5 out of 5 stars is due to the service. For a sweet drink. try the raspberry lemon drop martini!!! so amazing!
(4)Sandra L.
The wait was ridiculously long, even though we had a reservation. Parking was just as bad and to top it all off the food was just ok, and COLD.
(2)Sophia J.
I use to think this place was bomb.com when i was younger (like 7 years ago when i was in high school hahhaha!) and didn't know better. I use to love their frutti di mare, their salads, pizza, and everything in general. But geez is it so expensive for the quality of food and for being a chain. This is a fun place to have dinner IF you get the right servers. Its very loud but makes quite a unique experience starting from the kitchen/restuarant tour to the family size platters, all the pictures on the walls, etc. Last weekend, i took my family out since i had a gift card as well as the $10 off coupon. Upon arrival, the doorman was nice and courteous. Other than that, all the staff don't really look at you in the eye when they talk or introduce themselves. They just talk in the air and lead you to your table without even telling us about the restuarant/kitchen tour. Our waiter was nice but inattentive and never came back to check on us unless we hailed him down. It was very frustrating and annoying! We had the seafood trio appetizer platter, frutti di mare, and spicy chicken rigatoni. The frutti di mare was SO bland with wimpy pieces of seafood and the seafood trio which consisted of fried calamari (bland), mussels (unremarkable) ,and shrimp scampi (very delicious because of garlic/butter. helllo you can't go wrong with garlic and butter -_- ) The only thing that was delicious was the spicy chicken rigatoni. Spicy is subjective as it wasn't spicy at all to us. I will not be returning to Buca ever in the near future. Sorry Buca but no more.
(2)Suzy M.
Great place to go with a large group and have a good time.
(4)Shannon R.
Horrible experience!! My family and I ate here for the first time for my son's bday- BIG MISTAKE!! * We were a party of 7 and we were given only 3 place settings; * When we asked our server if they serve bread with the balsamic/olive oil, he said "Yea. Oh did you want some? We give it only upon request." ... Okkkk, how were suppose to know to request it if it wasn't offered in the first place!! * When our server brought us our appetizer sampler, he didn't give us any plates with it. So while we waited forever for him to get them (AFTER we had to ask, of course) we just used our napkins to put the appetizers on. * One of the entrees we ordered was the Shrimp Florentine which looked amazing in the pic but when I took the first bite of ours it seriously had no taste to it- it was like I was eating a plate of plain boiled noodles and the water was their sauce- RIDICULOUS!! * Any time we wanted refills or anything else we had to wave our server down, which would again take so long even though we seemed to be the only ones in the restaurant (hmmm... Go figure!). The only decent thing we had was the pepperoni pizza... Overall, our waiter was not attentive and the chef must have been half asleep that night because this experience was a huge disappointment for all of us... and we're not even too picky. The best part of the night here was walkin out the door to go home... and still hungry!! I am definitely not going back to this location!!
(1)Sang S.
The portion is still large. Probably the best place to go if you are feeding always hungry college kids as I had to recently. But the food is not special and wait is too long during weekend.
(3)Codes M.
Way overpriced for the food we got, I could cook better than this and will in the future! Our Hostess was rude and curt with us, and our waitress practically ignored us. We literally had to jump up and down and yell at her just for her to come over and give us silverware, glasses, water, take our order. After a long ass time, about 40 min our one order came out. Then we ordered a far overpriced order of canoles, which it was obvious one was stolen (yet denied).Five minutes later in this empty restaurant the waitress is pushing and rushing us to pay the check and leave. The whole thing was a disgrace and a sham, I'll never eat at this place again. It only gets one star because the decorations where entertaining.
(1)D M.
Not happy at all. Pasta was way over cooked, when we requested it al dente. When we informed the server it was over cooked, he said no no its al dente. Not able to eat it at all.
(1)Chef M.
Pretty good over all portions are for family style so if you don't want the same food as the people you come with the bill can rack up pretty high good food great for large party's
(4)Elesha N.
The only reason Id give this place 3 stars instead of 2 is the fun ambiance and the value. The dishes lack a certain italian authenticity. However, the ambiance makes up for what the food lacks. My boyfriend is kosher so he doesnt eat meat with dairy. And I dont eat dairy... We came here for pasta. Didnt look at the menu before we came, but figured i could be happy with spaggeti and meatballs if all else failed. Earlier that week I had the most amazing olive oil and vegitarian pasta at cheesecake factory but wanted to try something new. We knew it was family style and were ok sharing a dish. However, we found a lot of trouble finding any pasta that did not contain cream sauce... Our server explained to us that even the spaggeti and meatballs uses parmeasean in the meatballs and butter in the marina. like really??? who does that??? lol So the only option was the spaggeti bolognes with meat sauce. That tomato meat sauce contained no dairy. Cons only 1 dairy free pasta sauces (spagetti with meatsauce)- no pesto pasta or olive oil pastas. only 1 vegitarian pasta but it was loaded with cream sauce. we were very limited in the pastas. Pros italian/fun ambiance great service 13.95 for bolognes for 2
(3)Jen G.
Horrible service. We sat in our seats for a good 15 minutes until our order was taken. Usually i don't mind, but there were only 2 other families in there at the time and plenty of employees to help us out.We were only a group of 2 but that doesn't mean we should be last on the priority list especially when we came in before one of the families. My boyfriend and i had been waiting for quite a while after we ordered. the wait got so ridiculous I had to flag down our waitress. Turns out our food was just sitting there for a while after being made. Not only that but they also got our order wrong. I have enjoyed my past visits at Buca but this had changed my views on the restaurant and its employees. We will not be coming back.
(1)Jon T.
came here for a gathering of friends. ordered quite alot of food, and it was delicious. i cant remember today what we ordered, but all i know is we were all full and we all enjoyed it. What was memorable was that we ordered a sangria, but because one of our people didnt want bubbles, we ordered without the club soda. boy, did that taste bad. It wasnt their fault, but if you ever get a sangria, ordered it as is. really awesome server. forgot his name. Gave us a few puns and here, and he was definitely able to cut some awkwardness. best idea is to make RESERVATIONS! YAY!
(4)Angie W.
We come to this restaurant occasionally and it never disappoints. We even had our rehearsal dinner here 4 years ago. We recently visited this place for a family birthday lunch. They had a 4 for $40 deal which came with salad, garlic bread and a large pasta. We had 6 people, so we added the linguine di mare. This was more than enough food and all the dishes tasted great. I miss their chicken cacciatore which used to be on the menu and was my all time favorite. This location was empty on a saturday afternoon, which I felt sad about since the food and service were all great.
(4)Danny N.
Great place for pasta! Their dishes can be able to feed about 2-4 depending on your appetite. The pasta was really really good. One of the best Italian places I've had.
(4)David H.
Agree with most of the reviews. Typical chain Italian food. Nothing fancy and just ok. Just average no matter what you get. The portions here are huge. A small bowl can easily feed two. Keep this in mind when ordering.
(3)Naomi H.
I went a few times two years ago. Unfortunately things have changed. 1. The bread is smaller, less fluffy, not warm, and has less sourdough flavor. 2. The prices jumped up quite a bit There is a new menu with new prices. Some items have been taken out and others have been added. The quality of the food is still great. I always thought the amount of food served was an awesome deal for the price, but not anymore. The amount of food you get for what you pay for is not going to be as impressive as it used to be.
(3)Desiree B.
Humorous posters and quirky old advertisements covered the walls and the vaulted ceiling of the little room we were seated in. But hey, if their is a dull moment with your guest just point out something and talk about that. There's plenty to look at. The waiter mentioned family style portions and how a Buca "small" serves up to three people. I'm sure he was talking about the pasta... right? We ordered the pizza and it came out a lot smaller than anticipated. And of course, it was devoured. Glad we had the spicy calamari as an appetizer. Covered with a spicy sauce, minced garlic and banana peppers galore it is definitely a must. The service was alright. Our waiter was nice but seemed more attentive to other guests. Is it because I used a coupon? $10 off I might add. Ahhh... yes I think so.
(3)Meek E.
I had fond memories of this place, but when I went to take my girlfriend out on a date here, we were quite disappointed. First off, the wait which was said to be 20 minutes turned into 45. Being this was my girlfriend's first time, she was patient enough to wait. Once seated, we shared a watered down Sangria. We ordered an appetizer and 2 main dishes. Out of those three, the only dish that tasted good was their new Penne San Remo. Though our server was kind, it took a while for our dishes to come out. We left feeling we paid too much and wasted too much time. It took over an hour to order, eat, and leave.
(2)Hanz W.
Today's service was horrendous, came in around 1pm. Bread came out stone cold like it was made the day before or it was bought premade from some place. It seems like butter isn't a Bucca thing cuz it comes packaged like a hotel breakfast in little squares and its clearly well refrigerated, however, very cold butter equals very hard to spread butter. Plus the very cold and flimsy bread made it very difficult to spread. Sorry Bucca, I just don't like oil+vinegar on my bread. Server took our orders. Me+gf shared a Stuffed Shells and last time I saw a "something Pear Cream Soda" and so I went after it this visit, turns out its a "PURPLE Pear reg/cream soda". The shells came out a little unappealing visually, it looked like they were old or dry cuz it had this white cracked layer of powder on some spots. A little bit of white sauce was drizzled over it. Marinara looking sauce surrounded the six large shells but was still on the short side. The shells turned out to be great texture and great temp (it just came out, nice). Truly, insufficient sauce though. $16.95 for 6 shells. I don't understand why my Pear Cream Soda had to be turned purple. I'm fairly certain purple doesn't add a flavor. The only thing I think of when I saw the "purple pear" was that Barney had come to Bucca's to make sodas. Surprisingly, it was the best cream soda I've ever had and I usually like other places cream sodas. Last visit, gf got the raspberry cream soda and the strawberry cream soda. Of the two, the raspberry was decent, the strawberry one tasted like medicine. The Purple Pear cream soda reminds me of an Airhead or my gf said it reminded her of a blue jolly rancher. It also reminded me of Martinelli's sparkling pear cider but with a bolder flavor. $3.95 for a fizzy awesome pear/candy tasting soda ::thumbs up:: The GRIPE: Service was really bad on this very empty day at this very empty hour of 1pm. We are promptly seated. We promptly order. We wait. Water delivered, no straws. Wait. Bread delivered, requested straws. Wait. After our 1st bread basket, which took a couple server visits to get ahold of, the basket remained empty and no server came to check the table for a good 10 minutes (wow). Server drops by to take the basket and returns later with a filled basket of bread, again not even warm. Wait. 2nd bread basket emptied. Wait. Wait. Flag down a server for a different area of the restaurant for bread refill AND my missing Barney Pear Cream Soda. Wait. OUR server arrives with bread and my lavender soda that looked like it overfilled and ran down the outside and so everytime i touched the plastic cup, it came off sticky. Entree arrives shortly, piping hot. Soda refill, comes back lighter in color and tastes like sprite, send it back for redo, comes out perfect =). 6 shells, 2 people, finish in under 15 minutes. Refill soda. Pay check. Leave. While our server was nice, he kept disappearing for very long periods of time and no one was around to notice our basket was empty most of the time or that the bread was very cold and flaccid. PS: gf said the girls' bathroom had one roll of toilet paper out of the 3 stalls. PSS: Music played this song about how this guy could get all these vegetables and fruits but no bananas. He was very sad he could not get bananas.
(2)Samira F.
Our waiter Damian was the BEST. Food was great
(5)Goofyjj L.
Reserved at 7. Arrived at 6:55. Started seating people that arrived after my group. Were not seated by 7:25. Host extremely rude. Will not go back ever again. Btw, not my first time not being seated on time even with the reservations...
(1)Alvin Joseph R.
I would say 1.45 stars. Probably the only thing I liked about this place was the service. Our server was great. She was very attentive to our table and tried to stay on top of things regardless of how busy she was. On all our dishes, the pasta was undercooked and the taste was pretty bland. I did however enjoy the stuffing of the stuffed shell pasta. Too bad the shells felt like seashells. We also got the spicy chicken rigatoni (eh) and the prosciutto stuffed chicken (not bad, but nothing special). It felt like these dishes were just thrown together. Big disappointment. We didn't end up staying for dessert because we realized later on that we were already paying wayyyy to much for this kind of food. Would I come here again? Probably not. Half-cooked pasta just isn't my thing.
(1)Andrew S.
Horrible experience. I have been to other locations and enjoyed it somewhat, but this location was blah. We were seated in the BAR area....which is never really an issue...HOWEVER, they decided to seat a party of like 1000 directly behind us, which included about 50% children under the age of 10. So if you do that math that is about 500 loud children, and 500 idiot parents who feel it shouldnt be a problem to have their kids screaming at the top of their lungs, and running around like animals. I understand this is a "family" place, but I don't think they should seat families with children in the damn BAR. So what could have been a decent and relaxing evening of food and a few drinks....ended up being a loud and annoying experience. shame on you buca di beppo....you should know better then to allow 500 children into the bar area, especially when it was totally obvious that every adult in the bar was annoyed at the loud crying from the kids, and the laughter from the adults who were all drinking and probably forgot the kids were brought along with them.
(1)Nick J.
My lack of enthusiasm about Buca di Beppo mostly stems from the atmosphere than the actual presentation and taste of the food. But don't get me wrong; the overpriced "family fare" is about as authentic and tasty as anything prepared by Chef Boyardee. And I used to love Chef Boyardee... when I was 5. Which probably explains why the few times that I've gone to Buca, the place seems to be overrun with families and their little ankle bitters. From the garish decor and poor lighting to the throngs of loud patrons, it becomes difficult to enjoy a meal amongst the chaos. To be fair, Buca prides themselves on their "family-style" dinning. So large groups are to be expected. You should also expect to wait. The service is not exactly speedy. I gave it a few shots, but this place just isn't for me. Pass!
(2)Mike L.
This is the Buca restaurant that I go to most. And I've never had a bad experience. The staff is friendly and always talkative. I do love a few of their dishes very much, mainly the Penne Basilica, Lasagna and the Chicken Limone (Not to forget the sides of Broccoli and Mashed Potatoes!). I must say that I go here a lot because of the $10 off $20 or more coupon I get every few weeks. And for that price you cant pass that kind of deal up! Me and my GF plan to try everything on the menu at some point:)
(4)Holly L.
I came here to order take out. Cashier was not friendly at all. She took a long time to finish my transaction and not even apologize for long wait why it took so long. I had to ask twice to get take out utensils and she forgot my bread too. I came here before and service was also bad. Never again, will go to different location now
(1)Benson And Karen I.
Family-Sized Portions. I had a horrendous first-time experience. But then again, I'm a extremely picky eater. Long story short, I ended up buying food somewhere else right after. Why? I ordered their salmon (small) for twenty dollars I believe. When it came it looked like fried chicken cutlets. I was aghast. (But then again, I ordered it without the pesto and tomatoes. . . ) However, I honestly was not aware that they breaded their salmon. Geez, anyone would probably say to me" Well you shouldn't have expected good seafood at an mediocre Italian restaurant?" HAha maybe. I went with my family, my brother enjoyed it (It meaning- anything but the salmon that we ordered), and my parents had a sub-par time. I personally would not go there again. Number one pro was the decor of the place. I felt like I was in another world. . . . sorta exotic. My family loved the dinner bread they served here. And you see lots of families here, and couples celebrating birthdays. So it can't possibly be that bad at all.
(2)Kione E.
o.k. Can we admit that when it comes to good Italian food...that Buca di Beppo fails...big time? What they don't fail in is: Being a pretty good place to go to for last minute catered-style company-lunches. Having decent prices. And, pretty good customer service. I've never been or ever will be a fan of theme restaurants who tries to sell the public on the idea that they are having a great time and are actually eating good food. But, hey...Buca was there for what I needed them for. That's about it.
(3)Jon O.
I've been to Buca a few times before at several other sites and usually I've been satisfied with the service. However this site on Imperial in Brea was the worst by far. Service: I called to make a reservation and my family and I still had to wait an hour before being seated. The hostess said she made a mistake in the seating arrangements. To make matters worse it was my dad's birthday, so this was a horrible way to start the evening. Fortunately, the manager made up for the horrible hostess' mistake by giving us FREE appetizers. Our server was nice and totally made up for that hostess' mistake. Food: The food was delicious. It definitely made up for the whole experience, which is why I gave 2 stars, not 1. Price is justified. Overall: I will NEVER RETURN to this Buca site ever again. After the atrocious wait period even after making a reservation is inexcusable. Thank you horrible hostess. If you want good authentic italian, but don't want to wait very long, do not come to this Buca in Brea.
(2)Alberto E.
Great place for big groups and the price is right. The family enjoyed the Margherita pizza, spaghetti with meatballs and the bread with olive oil plus vinegar. Plenty of leftovers for tomorrow. The service was pretty good because we went early on a Sunday morning and the place was not that busy.
(4)Kajza M.
Not sure why there are so many bad reviews! I kind of feel like a crazy person because I absolutely love this place! The food has always been amazing and the service has been as well. We have never been with an extremely larger group (8 at the most), so I can't speak to how that works. We usually get the muscles marinara (not on the menu), quatro al forno (I have no clue how to spell it) and a salad or cheesy bread. Last time we got the apple and gorgonzola salad and it was to die for! We cleaned the bowl. Even my husband who isn't a big salad fan ( or gorgonzola for that matter) went back for seconds. We love this place and will be back!
(5)Anak N.
Our reservation was cancelled because of somewhat weird excuse: "somebody called yesterday to cancel." But they did scrambled to set up tables ASAP. Too bad our banquet menu hasn't been prepared yet... We have to wait a long time for our food. Let's see if they r worthy for another star by giving us discount or comp. us anything.
(1)Vincent T.
So I waited three years before I decided to come try this place out. Wasn't worth it. Big portions, but lack of quality. The sangria had too much ice. On the bright side, the place reminded me of Disneyland. My friends and I felt like we were in a ride like Pinocchio or any other ride in the Adventureland neighborhood of Disneyland. I could almost imagine a track running down the aisles and at anytime, we would be ushered into little cute cars and slowly crawl through the entire building, with bright and cheery classic Italian tunes echoing, following us wherever we went.
(3)Stefany N.
I'm in love with Buca di Beppo and can never get enough! This place is great. I love the decorations of posters, art, and photos on the walls. The music is great. Anyone can come here, an intimate date, large family or friends dinner, birthday dinner, celebrations of any kind. The environment of this place is FUN and energetic! The food is DELICIOUS! You get large amounts of food at a good price. I had my birthday dinner here, mom's birthday dinner, mother's day, and I've always had great experiences. The service here is good with friendly, however I have had some waiters that are not that energetic, other than that, GO HERE!
(5)Anthony L.
Good food and good service. The music and noise level is always a bit much but it's what you could expect at Buca di Beppo.
(3)Micki W.
What's not to love about a restaurant that walks you in through the kitchen for a quick tour on the way to your table? My pasta loving son was in giant meatball heaven just seeing a chef plate one of those beauties as we walked through on the mini-tour! It did take a while for our order to arrive, but, hey, they're cooking here folks! We got complimentary bread with olive oil and balsamic fairly quickly. Eventually our garlic, mozzarella bread arrived and mannnnnnn it was worth the wait! Sooo good! Warning: not a first date dish...unless you are trying to avoid a second date request! Finally our two pasta dishes arrived. The spaghetti and meatballs was delish! Simple, tangy marinara sauce was divinely covering giant, well-seasoned meatballs and perfectly cooked pasta. The chicken carbonara was beyond! The salty pancetta and perfect amount of sweet peas could have made the chicken pointless. But, why not have a bit of protein to offset the carbolisciousness? The portions could have easily satisfied four people. I ordered cannoli to go and found it quite lovely with a hot tea at home. It wasn't too sweet and the pastry was very fresh and crisp. Bucca di Beppo, we shall return, soon!
(4)James S.
Wow this place killed Bucca for me. Our server was a little on the rude side, and took forever even though the place was empty. The Garlic bread was an overpriced joke, and got suckered into ordering green beans as a side. I swear he made it sound like it came with the pasta dish. It went something like this: "I'll have the linguine please." "Would you like green beans or mashed potatoes with that?" "Green beans or mashed potatoes...with linguine?" "Sure" "Well. I guess green beans" Turns out the green beans were a 7 dollar side dish he weaseled on us. Weird!! My fond memories of eating decent Italian in a fun environment were cut down with my trip to this run down Bucca.
(1)Jonathan Z.
Nothing Special. This was not my first time to Buca di Beppo. I had Buca back in 2009 in Palos Verdes and enjoyed the food there. I was not overly impressed by my visit this time. I typically hold Buca in high regard to Olive Garden, but this location leaves me wanting. We had the baked rigatoni, stuffed shells, and stuffed chicken. The baked rigatoni was so-so. The stuffed shells had a tasty filling, but I was a little turned off by the texture of the pasta. The texture of the pasta for both the rigatoni and stuffed shells was that of a hollow stress toy. It was not "al dente" as it stated in the menu. The best part of the meal was the stuffed chicken that was served at the perfect temperature. It was hot enough so that the cheese was melted and parted from the rest of the entree easily without it being too hot and branding my palate. The flavor of the chicken was very good, as was the filling of the stuffed shells, but again, the texture of the pasta was a big turn-off for me. The bread served before dinner was also sub-par. It was cold and kind of hard and we had to keep asking for oil and vinegar as they do not leave it at the table anymore. Overall, this location gets a 3. The flavor of the food was not bad, but the quality of the pasta could be better. I do not see myself returning to this location.
(3)Ted L.
Worst service ever. First and last time I'm ever coming to this place. Took an hour to get my food after I ordered it. Waiters were awful. Also saw a waiter drop a whole tray of food on a girl in another party. Food wasn't anything to brag about either. Only giving 1 star because I have to.
(1)jolie d.
went on a saturday night . the wait was only 10 min. we ordered brochette to start off and it was really good.they have everything in small or large portions . perfect for sharing. then we shared a Cheese Manicotti basically its pasta rolled up with chesse inside on top of marinara sauce. came with 3 rolls perfect for two people. didn't get dessert cuz we were both too full will definitely go back.
(3)Joy K.
This place is definitely a family restaurant. I came here for lunch with my family and relatives. We ordered 1 caesar salad, 3 pastas (spaghetti with Meatballs, Chicken Carbonara, and Linguine Frutti di Mare), and finished our meal with 1 apple crostata dessert. This was all shared by 8 people, but we were so stuffed that we had to take almost half of each pasta home with us. They also give you unlimited bread along with olive oil + balsamic vinegar to dip your bread in, such a great combination! Their meatballs for Spaghetti with meatballs were HUGE! All of their food was very tasty in huge portions. I would definitely recommend this place for all occasions, particularly if you have a large group.
(4)Stephanie W.
Made a reso for 6:30, but we showed up about 5 mins early, and they made us wait until 6:30 before taking us to a table. We ordered their special appetizer - a cheesy bread with spinach... a little over $11 for 4 pieces of bread... a tad over priced... we also ordered the ravioli pomodoro, and the proscuitto stuffed chicken. The chicken was a little on the tough side... could barely cut it with the knife on the table... Overall the food was alright. We had a $10 off coupon, so that lightened the blow a bit...
(3)Tj G.
Big portions for all your friends and family. Everything is delicious! Want to try the sundae dessert but always too full to get it by the time we done with our pasta.
(4)san s.
The line for take out is long.. very unorganized.
(1)Lorence L.
One of the more unique places I've been too, I felt like I was walking into an ancient Rome/Don Corleone designed place, lmao. It's great. Of course the food is served family style and the theory is every dish that is ordered is for everyone at the table. I had the baked ravioli and the pepperoni pizza. Both were amazing, and the sauce they use has a little "kick" to it. The server was very friendly and seemed glad that she could be of service. Highly recommend. I wish I could give it 3.5
(3)Jeffrey C.
I had dinner last week at the Brea location. The kitchen took forever to deliver our appetizers. We ordered fried calamari, but gave us cheese bread instead. Our appetizer finally came out after our dinner was nearly over. We cancelled the calamari because it was taking so long; thankfully, they took it off our bill. Good look finding parking either. It's pricey for what you get, and the food was bland. At least they take reservations.
(2)haute m.
Portions are huge. Main entres are very good; however the salad was completely drenched in dressing and was not good. Get dressings on the side. Service is great.
(4)Greg R.
I have tried NOT to write a negative review for them. I have given them many opportunities to right their wrongs... To no avail. So here I find myself writing my first negative restaurant review... I have visited many of their locations. Brea, City Walk, Pasadena, etc.. And for th emost part... they are consitant...consistantly disappointing. My most recent "experience" was in Brea on Sunday night. We were sat promptly at our table, as we had a reservation for my birthday. Which was nice. The drink order took forever to place and even longer to get. They were very good about refilling our bread over and over.. However, it seemed any time we placed a food or drink order, the server was in such a rush that she walked away mid order, every time. Now.. as a party of 15, and obviously not worrying about how much we spent, you would think this kind of party would be a priority.. I could be wrong... Once we placed our food order..finally... it took FOREVER to come out.. it came out in shifts.. one order was gross looking...barely warm..and undercooked, yet over heat lamped... Another order was just digsuting.. POORLY prepared meat, horrible sauce, and again, barely warm.. and again, we were running into a less than friendly server, who had an edge of attitude and FAR from "service oriented" after about 45 minutes and most of the GOOD food was being eaten, I chose to cancel the order on one of the dishes we never recieved (close to an hour later) I was told: "well it's ready now." ok.... so we got 6 dishes, PLUS 4 appetizers out..eaten them all...and my other dish was ready?? Meaning sitting there?? No thanks.. She then told me "well we'll take it off, but since it is already made, we'll box it up for you" I said "well since it wasnt served, would you guys like to enjoy it on your break?" She said "No" and reiterated that she would bring it out in a box to take home.... we never got it... I WILL say... the mussels, calimari, Caprese, and all the other dishes were as good as Buca Di Beppo can get... So those were not any more disappointing than usual. But the other dishes, the service, and excuses were enough to NEVER bring a large party to again. Mind you.. we were ordering drinks and food left and right..and EASY several hundred dollar tab of which we had no issue with. The manager came out and comped the food we sent back and we also had a military member with us and they honored a special discount for that too. The manager did the best she could and handled it well considering. This place is good if you have a huge group of people who arent picky about their food or drinks. The best thing here was the Sangria and appetizers.. But if you have a refined pallate, don't bother. Go to sizzler. I will never go back to another Buca again. this is far from the first time I have had bad service and less than par food. I have had ONE "perfect" experience out of half a dozen... I tried..But they continued to fail. Especially at the BREA location.
(2)Gerry F.
Was not in the same class as other Buca's I've been to. No reservation fine, was told by the "Hostess" that it would be a 45 minute wait. Waited 45 minutes and noticed other people who came waaaaay after us being seated, asked the "Hostess" and she said, well those people have reservations. Really? you didn't see the reservations on the damn sheet in front of you when you said 45 minutes? Never going back there again.
(1)Erin H.
For starters, this place is like an Italian restaurant is supposed to be: LOUD! We there on Saturday night for dinner with a 6:30 reservation. wee were running about 15 mins late, so I called from my car and asked them to hold the table for us. They were very sweet on the phone, and they held our table. There were about a gazillion people waiting, (What don't you people get about the concept of planning ahead and making a reservation?) but we walked right in. Our waiter, Hugh, was right there for us all night, and we even got three table touches from the manager! Service was great. The food was wonderful! Well-prepared, served nice and hot and absolutely delicious. The house Chianti is a very agreeable and drinkable table wine. Ambience, like said above, was LOUD. Everybody in the room was having a great time, including the staff! This place was a party going on the whole time we were there. Italians are loud people who like to eat loud food, and that is what this place is all about. Dinner for ttwo, with tip and a few drinks, was about $110, which may seem a bit high to some folks. All I can say is, you get what you pay for. We received a good value for what we spent, definitely! We will be going back.
(5)Paul C.
Went here a few weeks ago with a friend since he was in the mood for some Italian grub. We arrive and got a number and the waiting time was 40 minutes. Place was packed like any other on a Saturday night. We went to Gamestop to kill some time but when we got back they supposedly called our pager so we had to wait another 15 minutes but we got in within 5. Got seated and ordered a few dishes. I can't remember the names so I'll describe em as best as I could. 1st dish was a new dish they had on their menu. Some spicy chicken with rigatoni. It was alright but not that spicy. 2nd dish was a chicken carbonara with linguini. This one tasted pretty good although I know it's super fattening. :) 3rd dish was the 9 layer lasagna. To me this tasted like any other Italian place. Nothing special really. Tasted ok. We also got this stuffed chicken with prosciutto with some spinach cream sauce. I enjoyed this one as well. All the stuff we ate was in small portions obviously since there were only 3 of us so it made sense not to get large. Service here was decent. Our orders came out within 15 minutes and our drinks were constantly refilled. There were several birthdays going on that day and one of them happened to be where we were sitting so one of the servers had everyone in the area start clapping or something. Anyway the only downside to this place is the design of the building. You can easily get lost in here because of all the twist and turns.
(3)Darlene B.
I was a little apprehensive about going here for lunch based on the previous reviews but I had a coupon for $10 off of $20 so I figured what the heck and I was pleasently surprised! They like to walk you threw the kitchen on the way to your seat which I thought was odd, but hey it looked pretty clean :) I ordered the Chicken Saltimocce which is a chicken breast with lemon, capers, and artichoke with fetticine alfredo.....It was very very tasty Service was great and I only rated them with four stars as they are a bit pricey
(4)Matthew H.
Atmosphere : 4 Stars - We asked for Kitchen Table, and It was wonderful experience to be able to watch Chef being in Zone and cooking big portion of foods. It was fascinating to watch pizza maker put and taking pizza out from oven, and watching other people working their butt off. Price : 4 Stars - Cant really complain on pricing, We ordered alot of food, and we was full and happy. It is kinda expensive in some area but hey good food, reasonable. Food: 4 Stars -We had Spicy Calamari *it was pretty yummy but little bit soggy with couple pieces*, Chopped Antipasto Salad *it was nice light delicious salad* , Pizza *was great, kinda greasy but it got it its own favor.* , Spicy Chicken Rigatoni *best part of this meal, its pretty impressive and it got some spiciness into it with tender chicken*, Chicken Parmigiana *the chicken need to be breaded more or leave fried for few more mins, because I like mine crispy but the sauce was good*, And at last, We had mozzarella caprese *need more frying, it taste pretty good but wish it was more crisper like i messaged that i like my food to have it own snap.* Service: 5 Stars- The Service was quick and clean. Nothing to complain really. Workers: 5 Stars- Very Responsive, always moving. I like that.
(4)jamie j.
I was was here with a party of about 40 people...hard for a gluten free person to eat at Buca Di Beppo, but asked the server for an order the Chicken Saltimbocca without gluten (no breading and ensure sauce doesn't have flour). It was delicious....large order (about $30) had about 6 medium size chicken breasts. On a side note, I don't think the Sangria actually had any alcohol. The noise level is pretty high, thus great for kids.
(4)April T.
My boyfriend and I came here for lunch so we can use our $10 reward card (for previously buying a $50gc) We usually get the spaghetti which is so good and decided to try the lasagna as well. What a good decision it was, the lasagna just melts in your mouth! We also got calamari which is always good. Our total came out to be only $10.26 can't go wrong with that! :)
(4)Brad K.
When I look at chain restaurants in grading them, if it's a place that I return to and like and the food and everything is the same as all the others, I'll give it 3 stars. It's A-OK overall and everyone knows the food so no reason to really break it down. I'm of the opinion that chain restaurant food can only be so good and 3 stars is perfect, unless it's just one of my all time favs. That being said, when the food is on par, but the service sucks, unless it's ridiculous, I give it a star under, 2 stars. That's what's going on here. The service here sucks. The waiters leave you far too long and don't seem to be all together. Of course you have to blame management, which also seems to not be all together just based on the few interactions with the managers on duty at the times I've been.
(2)Charm J.
I walked out of this place PISSED! My fiance and I went in for lunch and regretted it right after. First, the hostess was rude and failed to acknowledge us and when she did she very rudely said, "Wait there and someone will be with you." Ok, fine, if there were large crowds and it was a busy night, I'd definitely understand. HOWEVER, there wasn't anyone waiting much less in the restaurant! We finally get seated in the boonies and we give the server our order. I ordered cheese ravioli and my fiance ordered a pizza. It took about 20 minutes for the pizza to come out. After we both ate a slice of SOGGY pizza we were dying for the cheese ravioli. So we wait...and wait...and wait...IT NEVER CAME OUT! We had to ask the manager about our food and he comes back with, "oh I guess we sent your food to another table." what?!?! So he finally brings us our ravioli, which by the way, was no better than the pizza. Being the manager you'd think he would have offered it to us on the house seeing as it came out 40 minutes after we ordered. But no, nothing of the sort. Server brings us our check with no discount, no explanation, no apology. I mean, cooommmeee on, seriously?! As Stephanie Tanner would say, "HOW RUDE!" Go somewhere else! I beg of you!!
(1)Nascent X.
A Slow Buca Buca Di Beppo is pretty much the same no matter where you go. The decoration is always superfluous; you get a ton of stuff to look at on the walls. It makes it look busier than it really is, but I suppose the restaurant really wants you to have an 'authentic' experience. As if just by putting a bunch of decoration on the walls will teleport you to a new country. Anyways Yelpers, I would give one suggestion to everyone. Come to this restaurant in a large group! Trust me on this one. Experiencing a bit of every dish as family style is the way to eat at this restaurant. You just do not want to be stuck with the same taste throughout your meal because the portions here can get big. I suggest eating with at least 5 people and up. The food here is overall good, and you can easily read the descriptions to get your ideal dish. My group ate the calamari & salad as appetizers, ordered 2 pizzas, and 3 other entrees. The Chicken Pesto Pizza was superb! The Supremo Pizza was "eh, not so great". The Baked Rigatoni, Proscuitto Chicken, and oven roasted salmon were delicious! A word of warning however, is if you are not patient this place is not for you. The service here is substandard. You'll easily wait 10 minutes just to get a to-go box (which I did). So, arrive here with an appetite, a good group of friends, and have conversation picked out because you may find yourself waiting a bit longer than you'd like. The food - good. The service - slow. Overall 3 stars.
(3)Vicky T.
Delicous! A group of 13 of us came here for a group date on Valentine's Day. Our waiter(s) were pretty quick and chill too. We started off with complimentary bread (of course, it's an italian restaurant) with some vinegar and oil. My boyfriend and I split the small CHICKEN CARBARONA and it was delicious! Oh gosh! It had fettucine, chicken, pancetta (i'm saying it like how giada delaurentiis says it haha) and peas mixed in with alfredo sauce. I haven't been craving pasta lately but Buca made my cravings come back. So much carbs though!!! But it was a lovely experience. If anyone who was sitting around our table is reading this, I want to apologize on behalf of my party if we ruined your Valentine's Day. I know that if you did not get laid that night, you can pretty much blame us for it -___-
(4)Krista I.
Bad services and bad food. We had a party like 80people from 7:30-9:30. They had seats for us like 7:45, they served us the last dish in last 5mins..like around 9:25. Of course we cannot finish it withhin 5mins. We late to leave like 10mins. They charged 150bucks. My god. Also, there are some tables are missing some dishes we ordered. The manager said the people on that table refused to get it. NO WAY! BS....I don't recommend this restaurant. BE SMART!!
(1)Shirley M. J.
My girlfriend, Deae Mae and I stopped by to order my main course and a side dish to go after a long day day-tripping to Riverside, CA. The food to go was exceptionally fast-I waited aproximately 20 minutes to receive my order to go. While waiting for the Chef to make my food order, Deae and I had a barrel of laughs taking pics inside this entertaining restaurant and we began snooping around the premises. Deae and I are always snooping around observing the wait staff, including checking all the cool archival pics this restaurant displayed in the dining room, counting the bottles of liquor the bar had in stock, and how clean the bathrooms are. The Chef's kitchen is off to the left side of the Food To Go in the front foyer of the restaurant which seemed very large and full of high tech pro kitchen equipment. I ordered the Linguine Frutti Di Mare and a tossed spinach salad. The restaurant packaged my food in an aluminum sealed 8" X 11" baking dish ( very large portion), and Food To Go Receptionist gave me plastic plates, spoons, forks, knives, butter for the bread, plus another little tub of butter accompanying an eight inch round of garlic, sage, and rosemary bread for free. My restaurant bill cost me $21.54. Well, I finally ate the the main course and side dish I ordered. I was sadly disappointed because the main course I ordered was awfully greasy laced with so much olive oil, I had a difficult time eating the coagulated Linguine Frutti Di Mare! The olive oil dripped so much from my plastic fork, I had to eat my main course with a handful of bread the restaurant gave me to sop up the accumulated, coagulated olive oil with each bite! O=:-( Mama Mia! The only thing that was alright to eat was the tossed salad and the bread. Please take a peak of the pics I took of this restaurant and the main course I ordered. You can readily see the olive oil oozing out of the linguine noodles! Anyway, I took the To Go Menu and to my surprise this restaurant has a chain located in San Francisco-415.543.POPE which comprises restaurant locations in 26 ConUS. I will call the SF location and inquire where the Chefs at this restaurant received their expertise and training. I am hoping that the SF Chef will prepare the main course I ordered in Brea, Ca with vast improvements! Buca di Beppo has a URL: buccadibeppo.com so you can check for the nearest location for you to dine. Also, Buca di Beppo has a phone number to call for reservations: 1.866.EAT .BUCA (1.866.328.2822). Manga, Bello e Bella-you want curb service?! Si! FYI: I took all of my pics of Buca Di Beppo Restaurant with my Nokia 6260 International Cellphone.
(3)A P.
Decor was fun.....food was bland and very disappointing. Lasagna noodles over cooked, meat was mushy and sauce was bland. Antipasta pasta salad had hardly anything in it, and the other two dishes were just boring...no Italian kick to the food. Very overpriced for the lack of quality....won't return.
(1)Jerrold S.
My dad wanted spaghetti and eggplant parmesan for his birthday. We were going to take him to a nice Italian restaurant until we realized that our party was for 13 people. Oops. I have nothing against some nice family style home made old school red sauce and checkered table cloth Italian food. We are very familiar with that type of stuff from growing up in Queens. But we're not in Queens anymore. The only redeeming items on the menu were the pizza and the chicken parmesan. They were much better than I could have imagined. Just like in sales under deliver and over promise for a much better experience at a mediocre restaurant. The spaghetti and meatballs were a joke. They might have well as sent out egg noodles with ketchup. The spicy chicken rigatoni was made spicy with the inclusion of crushed red pepper flakes sprinkled on top of the dish. Come on let's make a little bit of an effort here. The eggplant parmesan was a mushy disaster that lacked, cheese and flavor but more than made up by breading and slop. So if you order correctly you can probably get out of here with an ok meal.
(2)Juan J.
Love this place my we come in here atleast 3 times a month never get tired of it. It can get busy so YOU plan ahead. Food portions are huge always take home left overs :)
(5)Zachary B.
I came here for Mother's Day with a party of 8 On May 11th 2014. The service that we got throughout the night was good. The server was nice and looked like he was a good guy overall. When he asked us for our drinks I ordered a sierra mist. When it came out I found something small and yellow that I don't think was supposed to be there. The food was really good but I had a hard time eating because there were pictures of topless girls and peoples butts all over the wall. The pictures of the naked people were awful if the restaurant would take down those pictures I would give this place a better rating
(2)Andrea V.
Went here for my friends birthday. The service was excellent. Sal is such an amazing 5-star server! We were here during the La Habra earthquake and one of our friend's alcohol drink spilled and they happily replaced it free of charge. Sal warned us that the portions are very large even when you order "S" (small) so he saved my friend and I from splitting a 7-8 serving Large dish. Even then we couldn't finish our food! It was good (spicy chicken rigatoni)- not amazing but still up there because of the portion size and because I love pasta and pasta sauce. We got our money's worth. But I recommend splitting with 3 people for the small serving size. The Artichoke Florentine Dip is a MUST TRY. Then again, I really love artichoke dip... so I am biased. Bucca di Beppo was very accommodating for our birthday girl. We brought a tiara and our own cake and they brought it out for us. They took pictures for us... which they later sold to us ($5 for the print out and $10 with the frame). You can't take a picture of the printout because it's copyrighted so be sure to take lots of your own photos so you don't fall too in love with the photos they take. We ended up buying 4 printouts but for our Birthday Girl, it was worth treating her to tangible memories of the event:) 4.5 overall and rounding to 5 just because Sal was great. Thanks Sal!
(5)George M.
Better be hungry! Buca di Beppo serves their portions large! We ordered the baked Ziti family portion (serves 4) delicious! And the freshly baked bread is to die for! And how they decorated the place with Italian Kitsch with vintage photos of vintage photos from Italy from the 1950's and 1960's to photos of Frank Sinatra, Sophia Loren and others and for large parties The Pope Room featuring the Popes from Vatican City . Buca di Beppo is the fun place to go for "Famiglia Italia" style!
(5)Diana T.
I just LOVE italian food! Girls, I suggest you wear a dress or leggings because you will be STUFFED! Boys, just wear sweats! lol. The minute you are seated, if you are sitting towards the back of the restaurant, you get to walk through the kitchen and all the workers are super nice! The chefs, waiters, and waitresses all say hi to you! I went with a friend and we ordered only two items! We also had a coupon $10 off a $20 purchase! We ordered: Fried Mozzarella($9.99): These are hand-breaded mozzarella fried golden brown and served on a bed of homemade marinara sauce. mmmm these pieces of fried mozzarella were so big!! Love the marinara sauce that it comes in too! Baked Ziti ($15.99): Mozzarella, Parmesan, provolone and ricotta cheeses mixed with imported Italian ziti and freshly made marinara and creamy Alfredo sauces, baked with Italian breadcrumbs. This was very delicious, even if it was meatless(can have the option of adding meat or shrimp). Our waiter, Jamal, was super duper nice! we ordered a small pasta and when it came out, i was in shock! that does not look like a small. He said he upgrade our pasta dish to a LARGE but charged us for a small! What a nice man!!! Thanks! Leftovers to take home is always nice because then I don't have to make lunch for work! Service was great, atmosphere was a bit loud since we were seated by a party of like 30 people! Overall, great place with big portions! NOTE: -Sign up for their email club and you get coupons! -Serve family style -Complimentary bread -Complimentary dessert if its your birthday with a bday song!
(4)Samuel H.
Nice environment, good food, especially the salads!
(5)Michael W.
Update: so a "manager" at Buca contacted me after reading my review. She asked for my contact information because she wanted to contact me (maybe to explain the rare poor service?). Needless to say, I haven't been contacted. Sad that their service truly is all-around bad. Bummer, Buca.
(1)Sonia I.
Came here to celebrate my son's 1 year old b-day with family on a Wednesday night. Not busy at all and the staff was super friendly. They brought out a candlestick and sung an Italian b-day song, which was fine because I didn't want my 1 year old eating cake just yet anyway (you know, because usually restaurants bring a free dessert for b-days). He loved the Macaroni Rosa and the Chicken parm was better than I remembered. the food was good, nothing to rave about. At first, I was really impressed because an employee came to take our pictures for a free postcard (I've never seen a restaurant offer this before) and later when he returned he told us "because you guys had such great smiles I printed out some extra pictures! I'll set them here and check on you guys later." I thought he was being really nice because it was my cute baby's birthday (all the employees kept coming by to see him, probably because it was a slow night but also because babies are cute) and because he made no mention of price (this isn't the fair or some other place that tries to get more money out of you, right??). Unfortunately, it was a way to make more money and charge us overpriced pictures. I told him it was not cool to be misleading and he claimed he would give us a deal, but $7.50 for a photo in a cheap cardboard frame is not a deal. SO, if this happens to you, I strongly suggest you just ask him to take pictures of your group with your phone and then go to CVS or wherever does 20 cent photo print-outs instead.
(2)Cesar R.
3 free big ass pork chops (didn't have to pay cuz it was my dad in laws bday...and you know damn well I didn't pick this place to eat at) yelp.com/biz_photos/buca… So much pork that I didn't really know what to do with myself. So I just ate it. And life went on.
(3)Julie B.
A wonderful place to celebrate with any size group! Our group of 13 ladies had the best service, from bread and dipping oil on the tables ready for munching, to the staffs willingness to pace the meal as we waited for others to join us. And the rigatoni and chicken parma-so delicious! The family style servings were perfect and we all had leftovers to take home, so we could enjoy the heavenly cannoli! Jon and Miles took great care of us and our pictures were perfect-I would highly recommend Buca for any occasion and I know I'll be back!
(5)Katherine O.
I wish I was a bigger fan of Buca. I just feel like the prices are too expensive and I don't really like the family style plates... it is kind of a problem when you are trying to cater to multiple people. I also wish they served soup. We ordered a small spaghetti and salad for 3 people and I was still hungry. The next time, we had 4 people and ordered: mozarella and tomatos and a large pasta (chicken carbonara) and we were stuffed. Here are my thoughts on this location specifically. Service is good. Bring a warm coat- it is always freezing inside (hence my soup desire)! One tip is to do a reservation online (or open table) because they sometimes have a long wait.
(3)Sherry C.
All in all, a fantastic authentic Italian experience for a casual dinner for my mom and I. Went there at about 5:00 on a Friday afternoon and we were seated right away. Gave us the usual routine through the kitchen and dining areas. I always find it interesting how the hostess points out her favorite picture frame while on the little tour. Ordered a "small" serving of Mozzarella Garlic Bread and a "small" serving of Penne Arrabiata. Complimentary house bread was also automatically served, much better than the last time we were here when we actually had to flag down our waiter to ask for the complimentary bread. House bread came with a neat little concoction of vinegar and olive oil as the dipping sauce for the bread. Since there were only a handful of tables already dining, our dishes arrived in a reasonably quick time frame. Now finally onto the food: Mozzarella Garlic Bread ($9.99): +DEFINITELY order this as an alternative to the complimentary house bread. I know, I know, you have to pay an extra 10 for this hidden gem, but trust me, this is a definite must-order! +Perfectly toasty and crunchy. +Served in the cute little breadbasket. -Actual slices of garlic on the bread (a minus for me since I do not like the horrific after-stench of garlic in my mouth). -The mozzarella was not spread evenly throughout all the slices of the bread. I'm left with 4 end-pieces of the bread that just doesn't have any toppings on it! Penne Arrabiata ($18.99): +Penne pasta with roasted red peppers and 2 Italian sausages. +Super authentic homemade marinara sauce. Love it so so much! +Don't know if it was just the after-effect of eating the spicy sausages, but I thought the marinara sauce also had a zing of spice to it! Very nice. + -Sausage was a bit overcooked; the outer skin was a bit tough and hard to chew.
(5)C D.
We went to Buca for lunch today and tried to use our coupon for Nurses Week as they have offered. When we first got there the guy asked if we were celebrating anything... I told him nurses week... Said he never heard of it... When we sat down i showed it to our waitress and she told us it was a bogus offer!!!! So we ordered our entrees. I searched on my phone to bring up the offer to show that it was from their website. The waitress said she had to show it to the manager. Really???? Is it not clear enough? Anyway, the manager was called and she came to the table to check the website on my phone and then she brings out a copy of one to verify some code... So in my mind, she knew about it!!! Why the drama around it? It's even printed on their paper placemats!!!! One day they'll need a nurse... And I wonder how they would feel if their complaints or ailments are thought of as bogus, and then smacked with a large hospital bill! Big FAIL Buca!
(1)Sue C.
Had dinner there tonight with a Birthday coupon they had sent me for $20 off our order, which I was excited to use. They sat us in the room with the wine bottles overhead against the wall. It took a while to get a waiter, they said he had cut his hand up and was having it bandaged. This wasn't a good sign and I started thinking about blood getting in the food. He eventually came out with his hand bandaged and said he was fine and took our order. The bread was yummy and our meal came and was really tasty. I had the Prosciutto stuffed chicken and for pasta we had the Chicken Carbonara, both were good. While eating the noise level became so loud my husband and I couldn't even hold a conversation. Someone in the room with small children kept saying loudly Weeeeee, every 10 seconds over and over. It was like nails on a chalk board. I got up found my waiter and asked him to bring boxes we needed to leave right away! He said he would give me a coupon for our trouble but we never got anything when the bill came only a giant MIGRAIN! I will only get take out from this location and never eat their again unless I'm babysitting my four little grandsons since this place has become the new chuck e cheese in noise level!
(2)Steve J.
I love the spaghetti at Buca de Beppo. If you've never been there before take the tour you could even get to go see the kitchen. They are family sized portions. You will get a lot of food for your money. The lasagna is especially tasty. Spaghetti is the family favorite. The meat balls are the size of the fist. The chocolate cake will make you go crazy. Be sure to do a lot of cardio after you go to Buca di Beppo. This is Steve justice signing off.
(5)Ricky K.
First impressions of this place was that the decor was slightly overwhelming as the walls were plastered with a variety of photographs of Italian culture; however, I can understand that it adds to the overall feel and style of the restaurant. To begin after being sat, the waitress was very gracious and kind in letting us know that there may be a possible delay on the meals because of a large catering service that they are attending to. Despite the delays service was attentive. When the food arrived everything was splendid. One thing that should be pointed out is that portion sizes are extremely hard so the description provided by the waitress were very off especially when it came down to the portion sizes of dessert. Authentic food, would recommend the come with a larger party due to the enormity of the entrees.
(4)Danny N.
When we visit family in town we go to this Buca location. The service and food has always been excellent. Great for large groups or parties. We had pizza, macaroni rosa and Chicken saltinboca. Everything tasted great as usual!
(5)Steve M.
Enjoyable meal.. Chicken Limon is great... Pasta dishes are bountiful and tasty. Been here several times and its consistently good.. Ends up being more than expected as well. Large asz portions so beware of not ordering too much.
(4)MÃ ria C.
Wow was there today for the very first time, it was great I will be going there very soon. Thank you Johnathan best service ever. The baked Ziti was great.
(4)Nancy M.
Came here for the first time with 3 of my friends for lunch. It's located in the plaza where the Brea Discount Movie theater is! It's kinda hidden on the left side between other stores/buildings. When we arrived, the apathetic waiter took us through the kitchen and basically a maze to get to our table and apparently, he was supposed to describe what we were passing through, like "here is the kitchen, here is the bar" etc etc but he didn't... he just made us walk in a circle without telling us why... but anyways, we ordered the Apple Gorgonzola Salad, Seafood Trio, Small family style Spicy Chicken Rigatoni and a lunch portion Chicken Penne. We received free bread w/ olive oil&red wine vinaigrette dip and the bread wasn't toasted so I was kind of disappointed, but it was still good. The "family style" portions of pasta are HUGE. It's enough for 2 people to eat one w/out needing appetizer or anything. Apple Gorgonzola Salad: Tasted okay, it was just iceberg lettuce tossed with some citrus-y dressing, candied walnuts and apple slices on top. Nothing too special about it. Seafood trio: ($22.99) Fried shrimp, Mussles in red sauce, Fried calamari and Fried octopus. Comes with a marinara dip. It was pretty average tasting. It just tasted like normal fried stuff with dip. Spicy Chicken Rigatoni: ($20.99) Contained too much garlic. There were giant chunks of garlic in this so the taste was really strong and overpowering the dish. I honestly did not think it tasted good. Chicken Penne: I didn't try it but my friend liked it! Overall, our bill came out to around $76 for the table and I was surprised. I didn't believe the average food warranted such an expensive bill, especially considering most of it was pasta related. In addition, the decorations looked gaudy and dingy so I felt kind of uncomfortable eating in here. The plates were also a little dirty and the servers all looked apathetic and bored. I will probably not returning to this place because I didn't get a great first impression the first time.
(3)D N.
First, this is for lunch only. Second, this is directed to corporate for allowing them to be open at lunch. Third, has nothing to do with the service. Service was adequate--not fantastic but I'd call it at least 3 stars. No, this has to do with their lunch. If you've been to Buca before, you know you can't really tell how full the restaurant is because the waiting area is a separate room from the dining area. Our first sign should have been the fact that as we were going to be seated, there was only one other couple in the restaurant. My wife ordered the soup and salad. How do you screw up a soup and salad lunch? First, take a tiny cup of canned salsa and some beans, heat it up in a microwave and call it minestrone. Second, throw some lettuce in a small bowl. Include 2 pepperoncinis and 2 olives and throw some Italian dressing on. Charge 8 bucks and that's how you screw up a soup and salad lunch. I ordered the pasta and soup. Same canned salsa soup they call minestrone. This time let me take some penne and throw some alfredo sauce on top. Charge 9 bucks and call it soup and pasta. I realize a restaurant needs to be profitable but there is a thing called repeat business. Lunch is a new thing at this restaurant and to be quite honest, management needs to think about either promoting something good so people will return or sticking to family style dinners only.
(1)Miyeon L.
Eclectic gone bad. Honestly, when I first tried out Buca, it was amazing. A walk through the kitchen, interesting decor, and family-style Italian dining -- FUN! But as the restaurant started to lose its novelty by becoming a franchise and the various alterations in their menu designs & food options, it started to go down-hill for me. Like a relationship that has outlived its honeymoon stage, Buca and I are on a break. There are still some things that I like about Buca, after all, it was my first... family-style Italian dining experience. My choice picks are: Mozzarella garlic bread Fried Calamari Supremo Italiano Pizza Penne Arrabbiata Shrimp Fra Diavolo Also, they have lunch portions now, which is good if you don't want a basin-full amount of pasta. Either I've become used to the size of their family-dining portions or I've developed a larger appetite, but the family portions appear to be smaller than they were before. Whenever my friends have large group events here, I am so disappointed. Most of the time, we end up each paying around $30+ for not eating the money's worth. What did I just pay for?? Also, I went last week for a friend's bon voyage party and one of the employees came around and asked if she could take a picture of our group... something new they're doing I assume. She later comes back with printed copies of that picture asking if we wanted to make a purchase. I don't know how I feel about that. Times are tough I guess -- gotta hustle to make the money these days. Buca has definitely lost it's charm. The whole "mom & pops", Italian family feeling has dissipated. Even with friends and loved ones to join me in my dining experience, the fact that Buca is now a franchised name brand is obvious. Sorry Buca, you've changed and I'm not sure if I see us together in the long run. It was good while it lasted, right? Still friends?
(3)Jeannie S.
Four stars for the food - Zero for service. After living out of state for many years my daughter was excited to celebrate her 18th birthday at BDP. What a disappointment! First we were seated in the bar...on a Tuesday night. The restaurant was practically empty and we're seated in the bar. WTH?!?! If that wasn't bad enough our service was almost the worst I've ever had. I can compare it to the last time I had terrible service and like our dinner tonight it was when the gratuity was added due to the size of our party. To top it off some lady comes by our table and offers to take photos for a free collage postcard for the birthday girl then comes by a few minutes later "selling" us the "free" photos like those cheesy rose sellers at dance clubs. Seriously??? BDP has great food but I would not recommend going to the Brea location - especially if you're dining with a large party.
(2)Bree H.
I was confused by the "Do you have a reservation?" Right upon entering. What is this place, the melting pot? Is it really that popular these days? I forgot it even existed! Annnnyway. Their bruschetta is superb. They serve it in a giant martini glass that would be good to share among 4-6 people. Two people shared and ate it but you see, we have the belly of behemoths... So we can stomach those sorts of things. Sy is a fantastic server. No, I don't know him personally. But he was nice, efficient, knew how to be attentive without being suffocating, and he's pretty much an asset to the atmosphere of the place. The prices, I don't love so much, but the food is large sized. COME WITH COUPONS ;) They're in the Sunday paper. Great place to go if you're willing to fork over a little extra dough. Great place for groups and friends.
(3)Shawn D.
Another Five Star!! Yes! That reads right. No matter which location, and I've been to a few, I enjoy Buca all the way! What I really like about this joint, which stands out from alot of other restaurants in general, is that just before you even enter the establishment, you can just smell the overwhelming aroma of Italian Food. Right there and then you just want to eat "whatever" seems to be on the menu. It smells THAT GOOD! Every time I eat here, I usually get a Pasta Dish (dur!). In particular the Fettuccine Alfredo, the Ravioli al Pomodoro, the Chicken and Sausage Ziti, or even the Penne Basicilia. NOT ALL OF THEM AT ONCE, but trust me...sometimes in that part of my mind, the crazy part, wants to ;-) The atmosphere is very nice. It's intimate with that true Italian setting. The staff is always very pleasing and never seems to miss a beat. Now, I can't speak for all locations, but the few that I've been to, have been very nice. One of the things that always stand out to me when it comes to Buca di Beppo, and I find it amusing and have ever since I first stepped foot into a Buca, well over 10 years ago, is the Restrooms. Come on. I don't know what the Women's Bathroom has in there, but the Men's....okay....there are those out there that KNOW what I'm talkin' about. Hehe. Picture this. You step in to go use the urinal and as you're going, you look up to see pictures of little naked kids. It's all innocent though, little butt shots and I could have sworn I saw a little boy relieving himself in one of the pictures too. It was an OLD OLD picture, looked to be well close or over 100 years old (when it was taken, NOT the picture in the frame itself). Okay, that was the only comic relief as far as Buca's bathrooms are concerned. All else...Food, Service and Setting...get's a high rating in my book! When I drive by one, I just think "Man, THAT smell that hits you before you EVEN hit the door......*drool*" Yep. Anywho...check out a Buca near you! Here's the MENU for your VIEWING pleasure: bucadibeppo.com/menu Enjoy it and keep going back to ENJOY, ENJOY....and ENJOY AGAIN!! ¡Buca Di Beppo, come en o quita, usted no será arrepentido! ¡Es Magnificant!
(5)Dorcee S.
I was surprised just how good the food was. Just two of us dining, but we took a lot of food home. Here's what we had: Artichoke Florentine Dip - 5 stars Served with buttered, toasted bread. Unbelievably good! Chicken Saltimbocca - 4.5 stars. Delicious, but needed a bit more sauce...will ask for extra sauce next time. Broccoli Romano - 3 stars. Broccoli needed steamed a little more. Won't order again as $9.99 was expensive. Chocolate Chip Cannoli - 5 stars. Perfect! Service was wonderful. Our server Dominique was knowledgeable about the dishes and helped us make a decision on our main entree. We'll definitely come back!
(4)Shu N.
Make reservation at 9:45pm and the server never come to greet us. The bar tender is awesome. He helped us with the order and give us suggestion about our order.
(4)Jackie T.
I'm only giving this place 2 stars because it's bigger than the one in City Walk and because of the waiter. Right when we walked in, we were greeted with " Do you have a reservation?" My first thought was ," wow they must be packed" but then a minute later, they walked us through the kitchen and to a table. The hostess who walked us in wasn't too enthusiastic and looked like she wanted to leave. Me and my boyfriend were celebrating my birthday and they had this cute little" IT'S MY BIRTHDAY" sign to set on my table. Our waiter was super talkative and in high spirits serving us. He seemed a bit disappointed that we only ordered the small lasagna to share between us. He was kind enough to fill our bread basket a couple of times without us asking. He checked up on us plenty of times to make sure I was having a great birthday dinner. The food. The food was... well... pretty bad. The lasagna noodles were mushy and over cooked. The plate was hot but the food was just barely warmed through. The cheese filling just was flavorless and grainy. The meat filling was pretty decent. I ended up not finishing it because I just couldn't. Overall, I'll never come back. I feel like I'm better off going to Yardhouse or to the Olive Garden. I had high hopes for this place.
(2)Justin M.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is great, but that's about it. I only dine here for large family gatherings when other family members have chosen where to eat. I'd never come on my own. If you're looking for a good Italian dinner (or even a DECENT Italian dinner), you can do MUCH better elsewhere. Garlic dishes tend to have giant, misshapen slivers of garlic, pasta dishes taste like frozen entrees from the supermarket, and the Chicken Parmesan probably ranks the lowest on my list of quality for similar dishes at other restaurants. If you've never been to Buca di Beppo, by all means, go once: you'll have fun. Just don't set your standards too high.
(2)William G.
We got a kick a*s server. She was on the ball from the very start. The portions were HUGE. The food was good, very family style. The place had an energy that felt good. Great for groups or hanging out with friends. I'll be back
(4)Cate C.
Their tiramisu is amazing- Five stars for that alone. The apple gorgonzola salad was refreshing. Other than that most of the food is pretty heavy, as expected. I tried a bit of the baked Ziti ,chicken parmigiana Pan, both were average. But the penne basilica was really creamy.
(5)Kyung Jae S.
I actually think the cost to quantity break down of this place is just average. Most people rave about how much food you're going to get and how you're going to have left overs, but this never happens when I come here and the bill always comes out to quite a lot. Maybe I'm just a big eater. Anyhow, the last time I came here was a few days ago (It's still a decent place to go with a group that doesn't mind family style dining) was with a party of four including me. Besides me, the party comprised of my wife, my friend, and his fiance. None of them are big eaters. We ordered the seafood trio appetizer, the Buca salad, shrimp alfredo, chicken rigatoni, and a colossal ice cream sundae (no drinks). No left overs and I definitely had room to eat more. The rest of my party did seem satisfied with the portions. After tax and tip, the bill came out to about $120 ($30 a person). After cost to quantity inevitably comes quality. $30 can take me a lot further elsewhere with better quality Italian food. I certainly miss Roma's Italian Dining in Fullerton (doubt anyone who can use the Internet remembers this place). Hate to see mom and pops places lose out to these bigger restaurants. At the end of the day, I'll keep on coming here because it's better than Olive Garden and other pre-packaged/franchised Italian restaurants. I'd probably give Buca equal footing as Old Spaghetti Factory. Hmmm... When did Buca stop giving free bread? OSF +1!!! Perhaps it's just this location that's missing the pre-dinner stuffing bread. Really folks, this place isn't bad for groups who don't mind sharing. Try it out, but don't be surprised leaving with a feeling of mediocreness.
(3)Lauren G.
All right; so too make a long story short I made reservations a week in advance for the pope room for my dads 60th birthday and my sisters 22nd. I told the guy on the phone that this is the table he specifically asked for and I was willing to come at any time so I could get this table with my party of 9 with one heavily pregnant sister in law. He said yes he would be able to give us the table at 430. Then the day of the party I get a call to confirm the reservation, they moved my table to another table due to not having enough ppl; even though I specifically arranged to have this table and was willing to change the time to a more agreeable time for them. After much arguing I was not able to get the table my dad and sister wanted :/ When we got there, the manager heard of our problem and went out of her way too make sure my dad and sister had an awesome birthday. She comped most of the meal (free appetizers and the large dessert tray) to say they were sorry! Plus she made sure we had the best service; which we did. Will I be going back, yes for sure! But hopefully in the pope room ;)
(5)Yvonne G.
After reading the reviews on Yelp for this restaurant I was hesitant to make a reservation for my birthday dinner but thought I'd take my chances as the "Pope room" accommodated our party of 15 in a nice semi-private room in the restaurant. Also, we bought gift cards from Costco for Buca which did help us save on our bill. To my surprise I was very impressed with our server Jon Ayache. He was very attentive, polite and professional. The portions were also appropriate for the price and very !!! i had a wonderful birthday celebration that Friday night and would definitely return!!!
(5)Vivian W.
Okay, I love pasta and pizza and I love Buca. Do I think this is as good as it gets? No, but it's pretty darn awesome. My favorite pasta here thus far as been the spicy chicken rigatoni which, contrary to the title, is not really spicy. I can't even eat hot cheetos so that kind of tells you where it is on the heat spectrum. The calamari is definitely something worth trying. It is probably one of the most well seasoned calamaris I've ever tried, even beating out places in San Francisco and Monterey Bay. Texture is great, the sauce is great, and it's a pretty big portion. Speaking of which, all the portions are huge...so make sure you share! The service is here is pretty good, it's comparable to the one in Pasadena and I've never had a problem at either location. I just wish the bread was hot when it came out.
(4)Denise F.
Came here for a birthday celebration.. worst service ever. You know something is up when your salad was the highligh of your experience at an "italian" spot. Our server was terrible- we waited forever to get seated and when the server finally came to take our order she was cold and rude... to top it all off after she took our order she came back 10 min later and said " ok so let m repeat it" like what the hell? We are starving please put our food in! I am pretty sure she knew the tip was already going to be included so she didnt give a damn about her service to us! SHE WAS TERRIBLE I wish I remembered her name... her voice was deep She didnt even offer or bring out any bread no suggestions no smiles no laughs no nothing my spaghetti with meat sauce was a joke " egg noodles & ketchup" to refrence goodfellas however the chicken ceaser was so delicious so was the proscuitto stuffed chicken my glass of proseco was ok and its pretty neat that the bartenders let me try drinks to see what I liked.. however I will never ever return to this location it was terrible.. unless I have to return to Buca I wont.
(1)Edmond H.
Quality: 4 Price: 4 Service: 5 I consider this place better than most chain Italian places in terms of food quality. The only thing stopping me from coming back more often is the huge portion sizes - eating a "small" with my fiance would be a challenge but it's definitely cost effective. Additionally, their servers are pretty friendly.
(4)Mary Grace G.
It was my first time dining here. I was with my family & overall.. I loved it! Their food portions were so HUGE that not even my boyfriend could finish it. & he usually finished his plate... And mine! This place is pricey however but I don't regret it at all. I loved the fried calamari & the chicken Alfredo. Mind you, we both got a small size plate..... However, the portions were not small at all. The environment is great with a lot of vintage decors. Service was great & we all had a great time. :)
(5)Mario G.
This is the first time I have gone to the place and overall the service good and the food was pretty good too. I really don't have anything to complain except for the wait!!! I will give this place a second try and hope it will better or the same.
(4)Edward Y.
I still think about the baked rigatoni here, the wide tubes of rigatoni have chunks of spicy Italian sausage and ricotta all inside of them and surrounded by hearty meat sauce and melted mozzarella. The portions are huge here, so bring the entourage. Even the small is more than enough for 2 people, especially if you get appetizers or pizza on the side. Ambiance is fun, loud Italian vibes with lots of hot pasta is always a good time.
(4)Trista T.
I visited Buca di Beppo for the first time last night. I had a very hard time picking something to order, everything sounded to good. Every kind of pasta you could want. I ordered this small 4 pasta sampler thing (dont remember the name sry). Loved it, it wasnt too much food and I got to try some different things, all were delicious. My wine was also tasty, some peach Riesling. Service was fantastic. Very charismatic host showed us to our table. Waiter was attentive but not intrusive. Some sort of management stopped by our table as well. Everyone was all smiles with great attitudes. Overall great experience, 4 stars only because I have a few other top favorite Italian places.
(4)Richard L.
Came here as part of a wedding rehearsal lunch. The bread they serve you for free is delicious and they give you an oil and vinaigrette sauce to dip it in. Everything that the bride and groom ordered was delicious. We had the house salad, caesar salad, spaghetti, baked rotini, chicken piccata, chocolate cake, and tiramisu cake. We were totally stuffed by the end and had plenty to take home too. I believe they serve everything "family" style meaning you get huge dishes so keep that in mind when ordering food. My only complaint with this place is the parking situation. It can be a bit hard to find parking during peak hours.
(4)T. H.
I liked Buca once upon a time. The time when they had the garlic mashed potatoes and the tortellini Alfredo. Their food was rich and full of flavor. Now, the food is just ordinary. You can eat the same quality by buying a frozen Stouffers Italian meal. The service was lousy - drinks running empty, long waits after a request and an attitude of indifference.
(2)Lawrence L.
I don't understand why the relatively low ratings here but been to Buca Di Beppo's all over the place including this one probably between 20 or 30 times by now over the years so our expectations might be somewhat fixed. Sometimes there are minute differences between locations like one location won't have a particular dish for example but we pretty much know what we like by now and usually stick to those anyway. They change the menu over time to replace some of their items... they recently change their menu again a couple of weeks ago. One reason for the low ratings as far as we're concerned may have to do with the wait... it gets crowded at Buca's and having a reservation doesn't mean squat. We had reservations at 5pm and noticed that we were seated after another party that arrived after we did... I don't think they had reservations but I'm positive that we arrived before they did. I also noticed that they were seating all of the larger parties before they got around to seating us... hmmmmm... Anyways, it's best to come as a group... 6 or more is good... I wouldn't eat at Buca's without 4 people minimum. That's because they serve up large portions meant to be shared. If you don't come with enough people there will be too much food. We came this last weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday so we had 4 in our party. We ordered our favorites: 1) Buca Trio Platter: We usually just order the Fried Calamari but we decided to go all out and have the mushrooms and fried mozzarella too. Comes with a light pesto and cocktail shrimp dipping sauces. 2) (small) Linguine Frutti Di Mare: Shellfish seafood in a bowl of linguine noodles tossed with a tomato-y red sauce. I love seafood pasta. We order this dish every time we come it's one of our favorites. 3) (small) Quattro Al Forno: An assortment of filled pastas to go along with the meal. Just ok because I don't always like filled shells or cheese manicotti to begin with but it's a nice dish for variety. 4) (small) Chianti Braised Short Ribs: Two boneless strips of fork tender beef smothered with a gravy of braising sauce. Very rich and hardy. 5) Tiramisu: This is Buca's version of the classic layers of rum-soaked lady finger breading interspersed with mascarpone cream cheese and dusted on top with cocca and chocolate chunks... they serve it in a bowl... we order this all the time too. Fans of rum cakes will like this. Our waitress was relatively new but she did a good job responding to our requests and being polite and attentive. One of the managers came by too to ask how our evening was going and we told him that the wait service was excellent tonight... he offered us 2 coupons for our next visit... $10 off if you spend at least $20... cool. I might mention that there are often coupons in the mail with promotional offers at Buca's so keep an eye out for them. Also, if you go online and signup, you get promotional offers that way too. Oh yeah... try to reserve the booth in the kitchen if you're into that... enough to seat 4 or 5 people and you can watch the food as it's being prepared. Come to Buca if you want to eat family-style... the food is good but hardly what I would consider gourmet Italian food... just large helpings of good comfort food. Don't expect this to be really cheap either... you get a lot of food but you pay for it too.
(4)lisa c.
I had the worst customer service experience of my life at this Buca di Beppo. The only reason I'm giving 2 stars instead 1 star is because I've had some positive dining experience at this restaurant over the years. It's good for kids and large groups, and decent food for the price range. My problem is with their take-out service. I should have known better than to order take-out from here again after the mediocre quality the first time I got take-out. The food had been room temperature when I got home and I live only 5 minutes away and made a point of getting there early so I can bring it home for my guests as soon as food came out. Pizza was cold and soggy and pasta dishes were lukewarm. Well, i made the mistake of giving them another chance and , boy, did I regret it! There was no one working the pick-up window when I arrived to pick up an order I had phoned. After I wait several minutes for someone to show up at the window, the host informs me I need to be helped by the server at the bar area. Well, she was less than thrilled to be helping a take-out customer on top of the couple of parties seated at tables near the bar. She treated me like I was invisible and when I finally got my food 20 minutes past the pick-up time, it took her another 10 minutes to just give me my change! Seriously, I would have let them keep the change rather than stand there like a log as she kep passing by ignoring me. But, unfortunately, I had more than $15 of change ti receive. I'm a soft-spoken person and let things go rather than speak up, but I felt compelled to let this server know that it is not right to wait so long to receive some change. Then she glares at me and tells me that take-out customers are not a priority! This certainly was news to me. Since when are take-out customers considered second-class citizens by food iustry?! Maybe this petson was having a bad day or maybe she got extra responsibility thrown on her last minute, but no customer should be treated in such manner. Well, no surprise that food was cold when I got home. I probably should have walked right out of this restaurant and gone elsewhere the minute got a whiff of this employee's attitude. I'll know better next time.
(2)Vicente C.
What's with all the bad reviews. Food was excellent, they served us in a timely manner. We had a 25 group dinner and they made no mistakes. Loved it here.
(5)Mya J M.
This was my second time here in 6 years, and the atmosphere of the restaurant was as nice as I remembered. It's a pretty loud place so if you want somewhere quite and romantic, this is not it. My boyfriend and I ordered the Spicy Chicken Rigatoni and Supremo Italiano Pizza (small). I usually don't much care for non-Asian dishes, but I would give a thumb up for the Spicy Chicken Rigatoni. As for the pizza, it was good, only because I like thin and crunchy crusts. The portion was pretty big. We had enough leftover for lunch the next day. We spent about $40 for the two dishes. I would've had a better experience here if our waiter didn't damper our mood. I guess she was trying to conserve her energy because she never came by once to ask how our food was or what we needed (ex. more water, more bread, maybe some butter with my bread would be nice). I guess she was trying to conserve energy by not smiling too. As we left and graced pass her, she didn't even acknowledged us, another waiter wait bye to us. Sad face. This kind of attitude I expected.... AT A CHINESE RESTAURANT, but not Buca di Beppo. I am disappointed at myself that I gave her a 15% tip.
(3)Joanna Y.
This restaurant is the most confusing restaurant i've ever had to navigate through. No matter how many times I've been here, I always manage to get lost on the way to and from the bathroom. Food is mediocre, service isn't great, and prices are surprisingly high for italian food (even when accounting for the fact that all the entrees are meant to be "family style"). Good place for birthdays, as the singing done by workers can be enjoyable, but does get annoying when everyone in your close proximity has a birthday to celebrate as well. Come here with a coupon (look online or sift through the mail for one). EDIT- Added one more star because customer service reached out to me after this review. I was surprised and impressed. Good job Buca! Nice to see that you care about your customers enough to contact them :)
(3)Connie J.
Super close to where I live and the food was actually pretty good. It's not your high end gourmet Italian restaurant but it's definitely a great place to go! The portions are HUGE; the small can feed at least 4. I would go back.
(3)Mae S.
Once again we were entertaining family at home for Christmas and thought we would again pickup Buca di Beppo (since it was wonderful the previous Christmas). What a big mistake! We ordered 2 salads, 2 pasta dishes and a chicken dish ($140 worth). Although the restaurant was very busy when we picked up, the food was ready and we were assured that all the dishes were in the bags. What a surprise when we unpacked the food at home and found NO bread and NO salad dressings. The chopped antipasto salad was 99% lettuce with only a few tiny bits of pepperoni, tomatoes,and cucumber; the shrimp florentine had no more than 8 shrimp in the entire dish; and the only Italian sausage in the large baked rigatoni were the few pieces scattered on top. We felt totally ripped-off and will not be returning to Buca di Bepo. We'll give our business to the local family-owned Italian restaurant.
(1)Jennifer C.
The service was amazing...first of all my boo & i were asked if we were celebrating n e thin which we said no...walk thru the kitchen...and were sat down....waters kame first as well as a GENEROUS helping of FREE bread...our orders Warm Tomato & Spinach Salad: i ordered this with no dressing and it was still delicious...a bit of a kick to it which was surprising Quattro Al Forno: Cheese Manicotti, Chicken Cannelloni, Baked Ravioli and Stuffed Shells...same sauce of all four but they are all different!!! so0o good! our waitress even gave us an extra bowl of marinara for this! We also had a scratcher which we won free large pizza or salad for next time =] great service, food & atmosphere!!!
(5)VALERIE Z.
Our Service was good. the food wasn't great. it seems like everything had an underlying taste of plastic. including the caesar salad, which was a sorry excuse for a caesar salad. I couldnt tell if it was actually romaine, or just chopped up iceberg, and it was super soggy. We split a small salad and a small entree. the quatro fiorno i tghink it was called. it had 4 different types of pasta, Nothing to write home about. i'd try it again and order something else and maybe they will change my mind.
(2)Heba A.
After going here once with my entire family and enjoying the food and the atmosphere we decided to come back again about a month later. We went really late (40 mins off from closing) and we ordered our food and waited.... and waited. there was only 2 others tables seated besides us and they took too long. When we received our food we noticed it wasn't cooked all the way. By then it was super late and we didnt feel like asking them to make a new plate. we instead took nearly the entire plate home and decided we would eat it later. about 40 mins after we went home all of us started to feel sick. turns out we all got food poisoning from the food and when asked for a refund for the nearly untouched food we received an answer of NO. NEVER COMING BACK HERE AGAIN.
(1)Cherise K.
The ambiance is nice, very authentic and somewhat trasnports you to their time and place. We went for a reunion dinner but planned late, but was able to easily reserve a table and wait no more than 10 minutes once we got there. We got the apple vinaigrette salad, Shrimp Fra Diavolo, Bucatini Ala Enzo, and Margherita Pizza all in the small portion. It ended up being the perfect size for all 5 of us but the quality wasn't very good. I would have to say the salad or the pizza was the best part. It was mainly the flavor of the pasta that i didn't like and maybe the fact that i wanted to try their half pound meatball which looked delicious on the other tables. All in all i would have to say that the place is okay for the food but good for getting together with friends or family. They specialize in sharing and family style which is nice and the price is a bit much but its manageable.
(3)Kevin S.
I had a positive experience here on a Friday night. We ordered the spicy rigatoni(~$12) and the stuffed chicken(~$21) and both were delicious. We also ordered a small calamari appetizer (~$11) and the cheesy garlic bread (~$10), which both were tasty. However, the food quantity to price left something to be desired. On that note, we had ordered the waiter recommended honey-infused beer. While it was good, it came out to $12/beer!! At least we got to keep the glass. Service was slow to average, but not terrible. We were able to show the overspammed $10 coupon to this place through an iPhone and they were OK with it (we had left our physical copy in the car). I suppose if you love Italian food, then this is a reasonable place to go... I personally am not a huge fan though.
(3)Mr. G.
Like most other locations, this is another decent place to get Italian-American fare. I really enjoy the family style meal orientation. Just be sure you don't over order. Plates are large. What they say is intended for two can often be adequately split between four. I was pleased with our service a this location. Our server was very sweet and hospitable. Nothing to complain about on the food. The ambiance was nice.
(4)MyandSam A.
Gone are the days of home style cooking.. you can taste the "franchise" in their food. The portions are still big but the selection & the flavors are a disappointment. But if you have to feed a big group of people on a budget..this is def the place to go.
(2)Evelyn V.
I've gone to a few Bucca di Beppo's in the past but this was by far the worst one. I had the chicken marsala and they put way too much marsala wine and it was too sweet. I like some sweetness in some dishes but the mushrooms were filled with a sweet syrup. I guess they didn't put enough salt or fresh spices to offset the sweetness of the wine. I also ordered the mashed potatoes and they were cold and dry. I make better ones at home so paying $15.00 for them was a waste of money. Tiramisu was great! they go a little overboard on their booze but I guess it's ok, don't order any drinks if you're getting this lol. I think they overdid it on the rum and brandy mixture hahaha. I would stay away from this particular location and go to the one in Hollywood or the one Redondo Beach.
(2)Sam Y.
This restaurant was visited for my little brother's birthday, treated by my fantastically wonderful boyfriend. Bro loves Italian but I DO NOT. Why? Cheese. There's cheese everywhere! One of the sad things of why I can never be a multicultural food critic =[ We got: Fried Calamari, Spaghetti with meatballs, Chicken Parmigiana, Shrimp Florentine, and a full bottle of Muscato wine. This review might not be legitimate at all because I ONLY ate my spaghetti with meatballs. Server said meatballs had cheese but it was so subtle that I won't even taste it. Aaaaannd she was correct! I loved it! I really wish I can tell you how the others tasted but I kept that away from my mouth. (Giggity) Fried calamari was standard, and wine was pretty good even though alcohol isn't my forte. Boyfriend and brother said they enjoyed their entree so I guess we can count that for a yay?
(4)Melanie T.
I was here last Friday for my friend's birthday and all things considered I left pretty satisfied. I've had my birthday, graduation dinner, and family birthday's here and the service has always been satisfactory. For my graduation dinner, there were about 20 of us and we filled up about two tables in a corner. We ordered salads, pizza, and pastas all of which were delicious! They even gave me a red-velvet graduation cake, but apparently they don't know how to spell "Congratulations" and put " Congratulatios" For my most recent visit, it was a party of seven girls and we were seated in a corner near the bar. Our reservation was at 6:30, but we were seated around 7. Between the six of us, we shared two large pastas which was more than enough. I even had to finish off one of the pastas because my friends were all full after their first plate -_-. One of the things I hate about this place is that I can NEVER find the bathroom. I've been here plenty of times and every time it takes me a good 5 mins because all of the rooms look the same. As far as food goes, I'd definitely recommend the Linguine Frutti di Mare. It's my favorite dish and I get it every time I come here. This place is best for groups because it's way easier to split the bill that way because the dishes do get pricey. In addition to that most of the plates are served family style. A small pasta was around 20 bucks and a large 30 bucks. However, between the 7 of us splitting two large pastas we only had to pay about 10 bucks each. All things considered, it's a nice place to have a large group dinner. Make sure you make reservations or else you'll be waiting FOREVER!
(3)Kyle S.
Not the first Buca di Beppo I have been to but the first one in California and the standards here seem to be a lot different from Hawaii. First off the server seemed very aloof, an inattentive not refilling waters and needing to be asked multiple times for things such a cutlery. I am also used to having the house bread served with olive oil and red wine vinegar but they didn't even do that. I am not sure if that is a location thing or what. While the service here was lacking the food was delicious as always. So other than my gripe about not having the bread the usual way I expect I will be back. (Especially when they have those amazing coupons of $10 off a $20 purchase.)
(3)Angela W.
Buca Di Beppo is one of the few chain restaurants that doesn't make me cringe. With that being said, the service at this location is always a hit or miss. So, if you hate dealing with crappy service, don't go during peak hours. A few of us had decided that we were starving (after 3 hours of organic chemistry. bleh!) so we dropped by at noon and voila, it was empty! We were led through the kitchen and sat into a comfy booth surrounded by endless amounts of wall decor. We were in a rush and figured that a one hour lunch would be appropriate. We had decided on the fritto misto appetizer & a large margherita pizza. The appetizer consisted of breaded calamari, shrimp, and pepperoncinis that were served in a massive margarita glass. It's pretty difficult to wreck a dish that involves a deep fryer unless the food is disgustingly breaded or super oily. Thankfully, this wasn't the case. And of course, it came with a lemon and marinara sauce. I love a perfectly deep fried pepperoncini! The margherita pizza was thin, had a perfectly crispy crust, and the sauce was flavorful with just enough tanginess. I've had better pizzas but for a chain, it honestly wasn't half bad. We finished lunch and were out of there within 40 minutes. Cha-ching!
(3)paulette m.
Our server tonight was so awful. We had to ask for everything! He didn't bring us any bread, and by the time we asked for it, our appetizer and salad were already on the table. He also didn't bring any oil and vinegar for the bread or any sugar for my iced tea. No crushed pepper for anything. What an awful experience. I just felt like I was chasing down our server the entire meal.
(1)Rudy F.
I received an email from Bucca, saying they want to send a gift card to give us another opportunity to try them out...never received it! FAIL!!!
(1)Merry J.
Extremely average tasting food. I was disappointed after reading other reviews and realizing my bad service was pretty standard for the joint. Won't be returning, not worth it
(1)Cynthia A.
Amazing Customer Service!!! Our party of 8 arrived on Sunday around 4:30 pm. We did not have reservations; however, the managers accommodated our party in two adjacent booths and we were seated within 1/2 hour. The bartender was super friendly and he also made sure that our party of now 11 were comfortable. He and another manager found our now larger party a table where we could all sit together and celebrate family style! Our server (Damian) was excellent! There were several large parties and he was equally attentive. The food was great also! We ordered two larges and one small which was way too much food for our party. Lots of leftovers. The baked ziti was delish as was the baked rigatoni (this dish was recommended by the bartender) It was spicy for some due to the sausage. But I am a fan of spicy foods. We also ordered macaroni chicken rosa. All in all it was an excellent time. It was a team effort to ensure that our party was comfortable and satisfied when we walked in!
(5)Jessica O.
Oh no Buca, what happened? What has made you this way? Smaller portions, a sub-par cesar salad that lost that delicious anchovy flavor in the dressing, NO PIZZA OIL (my pizza will never be the same again), and a bunch of menu items that are missing. You, my friend, are not what you used to be. I don't even know you anymore. BUT. The waitstaff was still great. Wonderful attitudes. The Spicy Chicken Rigatoni, Baked Ziti, and Frutti Di Mare was delicious, even though the Supremo Italiano Pizza was ridiculously salty.
(2)Rick K.
Always like the ambience here. Very "family style" environment. Kid friendly with a lot of photos. As for food, nothing to write home about but good hearty tasty meal.
(3)Nancy P.
This was only my second time eating here and the first time was about 10 years ago. I really like the food but the service isn't very good and the constant loud birthday noise and clapping is horrible. Everyone at my table was bothered by the noise, it took our waiter away from us and it kept interrupting our conversations. We did love the fettuccine and some type of pasta with Rosa sauce. The garlic bread was also good but the pieces were not cut properly so, the pieces were mangled. We all think that if they got rid of all that singing and noisy clapping crap that the service would improve and they would get more business in the future. If I have to ask for water then my waiter is not doing his job. Here, I think they can't do their best because they have to do a song and dance and not just concentrate on providing a good dining experience. We are not going to run back there even though we have 4 coupons for this place.
(3)J L.
We loved this place for their great food and good value, but lately, there is no more good value. Simple garlic cheese bread is now $10!! And its not even as good as it used to be. It was no wonder when we went for lunch that the place was dead. Oh well, time to support our local mom and pop Italian restaurants. Arrivederci
(2)Anne M.
Been wanting to eat here and finally. Had lasagna and pizza...they're both good and yummy. We shared food for Buca is known for big servings. I love the area, nice interior and great place to celebrate your birthday. Service is awesome and they're very pleasant. Don't forget to bring your camera.
(4)Mike W.
Wowzers, so many recent bad reviews, I feel like a heretic for going against the grain, but... man, I had a GREAT time here this past Saturday. So, a grip of us Asian peeps invaded this Italian eatery to celebrate my good friend's big (#)2 and from the get-go it was great service, good food and fun times. The waiter was spot on; the table was prep'd before we sat down, the drinks were rarely ever empty (even tho he had several parties to attend), the food was good (I mean c'mon it's Buca so we can't expect Mario Batali fare) and he brought out the cake and made the entire restaurant sing for us. I think this place is good not great not bad but def. worth eating a casual dinner.
(4)Bj U.
Walk through the Kitchen to get to our table..... that was new to me... not sure if it was a good idea, wouldnt want to be in the way or anything. lots of old pictures on the wall i thought was fun... especially next to the bathroom theres a picture of an elephant with his trunk in the other elephants butt... chuckled and walked off.. anyway Food. Tasted ok, everything is family sized so a "Small" could feed 2 ppl. Ordered some chicken thing (Figure i go be adventurous with my food and order something i never heard of..) it was in some sort of wrap and i guess the chicken was grounded into little bits smothered with white cheese.. -it tasted pretty good actually.. Ravioli were huge and tasted fine also had some noodle/sausage shenanigan mixture going on.. but it too was pretty good... the sausage was spicy.. so if u dont like spicy... dont order the noodle/sausage shenanigan plate.. (forgot the actual name sry =) overall the food was fine experience was fine everything was just.... fine..
(3)Thomas T.
Their Pizza can have 4 stars, but their service and operation gets a 1 star. We were a party of 9 and it took almost 2 hours and 45 mins to complete our dinning experience. Our server was semi friendly, but was not attentive. We sat around multiply times looking for her, to get refills, ask question about the menu, order food, order more food, and then finally at the end I handed her my ticket for the b-day cake we brought. It took her 20+ minutes to come back with it, which seemed very like to much time. The restaurant was slow and there was only 9 of us not 30.
(1)Cody B.
Service is pretty bad, food a little better. Service: Not horrible, but far from great. Waiters seem to dislike their job. Food: Pretty bland :/ All in all a waste of money and time.
(3)Aaron R.
The food here was average. That's not why this location rates only one star. The reason is due to how my party was seated, and the problems it caused. First off, the restaurant was, at best, 3/4 full. We had a party of about 10, mostly my wife's family. Easily dealt with. For some reason, they decided to seat our party at the smallest tables in the smallest section, RIGHT NEXT to another large party. I am not exaggerating when I say right next to; I sincerely thought they were my wife's family members I hadn't met yet. Not only was every one of us cramped and uncomfortable, but none of the waiters or waitresses could serve us food without bumping our chairs. These were not light bumps, I might add. So we were all hot due to close proximity(body heat), uncomfortable, and constantly being jostled by the waitstaff. What I have not yet mentioned is that my wife's family is Asian. Why is this significant, you may ask? The other group I mentioned was also Asian, reinforcing the idea that they were family. When I first entered the restaurant, I noticed several large spaces available that could easily (and comfortably) have accommodated either group. When I got up to use the restroom, these spaces were still available. This leads me to believe that Buca di Beppo has an issue with Asians. Not a problem. I know at least 10 Asians that now have a problem with you. **UPDATE: The Regional VP of Marketing reached out to me to give Buca Di Beppo another chance. He was kind, polite, and very apologetic regarding our experience. While we will never again go back to this location, we did go to the Pasadena location, where we had a MUCH better experience. Thank you again for convincing us to give Buca another chance, we didn't regret it in the slightest.
(1)Kristin H.
Huge portions & yummmmmy food!
(4)Tony M.
Save your hard earned money and have dinner somewhere else! The decor is interesting, nostalgic and feels like your Italian grandma's house. We ordered Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken, Chopped Antipasto Salad, Rosemary Potatoes and Fettuccine Alfredo. The Chicken and Salad are the reason for the one star. The service, fettuccine and potatoes were terrible. This was my first time there and my last. I took family here for dinner to celebrate my wife's birthday.
(1)Kevin Y.
It was exellant chloice of meatball spagetti. Afordable dinner for 6.
(4)David B.
I celebrated my birthday here last Friday. The Ceasar salad and Ravioli Pomodoro were excellent. Service and atmosphere were are also great. Albert made sure our visit was perfect. I highly suggest the brownie for dessert. Bravo!
(5)Linda J.
I personally LOVE Buca! It's always a good experience everytime I come! First off, I really love the whole atmosphere and design of the place. The lighting is kind of dim, and there are a TON of pictures on the wall. I don't know, but for me, I really really enjoy the decor. It makes the atmosphere very cozy especially with the people. The portion sizes are also very big. It's great to come to this restaurant with a group of people. I think this place is also great for any event. Tonight, I went to Buca with a couple of friends for a birthday celebration. As always, we had to wait around 15 minutes before we got seated. We ordered the Spicy Chicken Rigato and the Bruschetta for appetizer. Both were delicious! I loved the how tender the chicken was and how flavorful the pasta was. The Bruschetta was packed with flavor too! I love how the raw tomatoes on top was so full of flavor too! I guess what everyone says is right though. The service was kind of slow as our server didn't come until we were seated for about 15 minutes already. Also, there is always a wait when we come so be prepared! Other than that, I love this place! The food is delicious and the atmosphere is great! Great place for a gathering with friends!
(4)Eileen H.
Had the worst service of my life here. I have never felt the need to complain about a restaurant before. I can't even begin to convey my anger and disbelief at what horrible service we had. Its bad enough the food is over priced for what you get, but add horrible service!!!!!!! I would never come back to the brea location again.
(1)Jennifer N.
I've heard of this restaurant from a few friends, but never decided to come until another friend said that it was really good and they gave really big portions. So, my friends & I decided to, four people total. It was really packed and we decided to wait and for the seat of four, the hostess said that we needed to wait for 45mins - 1hr only to be seated. 2 hours later, WE THEN GET SEATED. We were starving and luckily we ordered when he asked us what drinks we wanted, or else we would had to wait for another 10 mins for him to come back. It's like they come back once every 20-30 minutes only T_T. Such bad service. We all got water and 5mins later he then gives us our bread.... and we never got refills cause we knew they lagged. 10 mins after that, he then comes and ask what we wanted to order... thankfully we ordered when he asked because then we would have to wait again. We ordered the Chicken w/ Lemon, Fettucine Supremo & this plate that had ravioli and other sorts of stuff. Total was 45 something cause we had a 10 dollar coupon... but the food was okay.... we can make stuff like that at home. I dont even know why there were so many people. We were paying and it took about 20 minutes for them to give back our chance. WTF is that. If I had a chance to go here, I wouldn't. Not worth the wait and stufff that came def. be made @ home, better. In addition, service was horrible!
(2)Jessica L.
Let me first start off by telling you that as much as i've heard good things about this restaurant, my first experience with it wasn't quite enjoyable. Me and a couple of my friend's decided to try it because one was raving about how delicious the food was so i gave in. The Wait time was horrible and the service was lame. The waitresses told us that it'll be about 45 mins, but when really 45 minutes turned about to be 1 hr and 30 mins. So basically we almost waited for 2 hrs and when they finally seated us our waiter came over to take our orders and such and i excitedly waited for the food to come. After the long wait time the food finally came, they had mistaken ed one of our orders and had to take it back. We had ordered the chicken alfredo supremo, a 4 pasta dish, and the chicken with lemon & capers. Our waiter kept dissappearing, so everytime we needed him he was no where to be seen and the other waiters completely ignored us. The food was decent, nothing special and most definately NOT WORTH the wait of 2 hrs. If you're craving for good italian food then you're better off eatting at Olive Garden or Romano's Macaroni Grill for half the wait time & better food. Prices were decent, but it was a bit expensive for the food quality, so in the end i had to give it 2 stars because really This buca is nothing special.
(2)Kevin T.
Food's good-love the decor, typical for Buca
(4)Brian S.
I think this may be "The Birthday Spot" of north O.C. [gag]. Reservations are a must for large parties and you can count on not being seated at your reservation time. I had been to BDB's once before and wasn't impressed at all. So this visit should have only one place to go....up. Again I wasn't impressed. I guess it was ok because I was there with a group for a surprise birthday party and that part rocked. I must say our friend was completely fooled and never thought we'd get together at BDB's. Anyway, the place is crowded...overly so. Not sure if it's the amount of people or the lack of space. Either way it comes off stuffy and cramped. The service is ok for a chain type place that employs nothing but 18-20 yr old college kids. The lost art of being a professional waiter is long gone. The decor is cheesy Italian. I lived in Italy for 3 years and never saw anything decorated like this. It can be best described as clutter meets every mob movie ever made. Did I mention cramped? The food. Clearly nothing special going on here. It's not even Olive Garden quality. I've had better microwave meals. Quantity on the other hand is something they do well. Massive portions. We decided to order 5 super-size entres to split between all of us (about 14 people) and we still had food left over. Lastly, it is loud! Approximately every two minutes the waiters encourage some table of 10-20 to sing happy birthday. This is not a date place unless it's her birthday and you have another 8-10 friends with you.
(1)Ralph A.
After expressing my thoughts on the service at this location, managers have contacted me and have been nothing but gracious for voicing my opinion and they are making an effort to win me back. I will definitely post an updated review upon my return to this location.
(3)Jeremy M.
Solid. I'm not too easy to please, so i'm a little suprised that my rating is so much higher than the average on this one. If you aren't familiar with the chain, it's over the top on the decor, trying to give that Little Italy vibe with some serious cheekyness. It's a love it or hate it kinda deal. The food is LEGIT. Big family style portions and it's all delicious. Come with a group and enjoy!
(4)Rob C.
This place WAS the Bomb but not it's just bombs. If you want to go back and relive the good food they use to serve just forget it. This place is no longer any good.
(1)Joebina V.
Out of all Buca di beppo this is the best one of all. The service was remarkable the management was outstanding. If you are looking for a place to gather with family and friends to celebrate! This is the place to be.
(4)Marti L.
Went for dinner and though I've been here before and even had a server who was slightly charming, overall it just wasn't that good. And I guess to top it off, our server wasn't very attentive. My wine came quickly, which made me happy, but it took a long while for my date's to arrive. No bueno. I had the house chianti, which was meh. Tasted a bit watered down. When we finally got bread, we sat there for a few wondering if there was oil & balsamic or at least some butter, then he came with oil, no vinegar. A few minutes later, vinegar, which we had to pour ourselves. The two of us split the Quattro al Forno, which again was meh. We served ourselves and it was almost like the ravioli was burnt or had started to. I've had the spaghetti and the gnocchi before and those were both good but this visit just wasn't up to the regular standard. I do like the deco and the family-style portions. Prices are okay. Noise level was way up there but that's not necessarily bad. Singing "Happy Birthday" a few times is kinda funny. Service was nothing special really but he wasn't rude and it was late night. Everyone seemed really friendly when we were leaving, though. : ) I'd say, come here for so-so food in a casual environment and don't expect a "fine dining" uber-attentive experience and it's all good.
(2)Edwin C.
Buca Di Beppo is an interesting Italian restaurant chain. Its food is hit or miss (and it misses rather wildly most of the time) and the decor is.. unique but not sure if I actually like it or not. Every time I visit, I wind up contemplating if the haphazard and sexually suggestive images on the walls are colorful or off putting. The chain specializes in "family-sized" fare, with massive portions of just about everything. If Italian pasta was a car, their pasta would be a Ford Taurus - mass produced, cheaply made, and ultimately flavorless. The baked lasagna is OK, but the other pasta dishes I've had were very bland, as if the flavor just slides off every strand of noodle. The Italian Soda I had was diluted to the extreme, and it felt like I was drinking club soda. The pizza is better, although I think that flat crust pizzas should make up for their lack of crustiness with more ingredients, which didn't quite happen. Cheese and sauce were both lacking, but the flavor was good. The tiramisu famously packs a nice rum-filled karate kick.
(2)Cristina K.
Oh Yelpers, I was so scared of this Buca when I read all the discouraging reviews. I was even tempted to make reservations at the Garden Grove Buca instead. In this case, GG Buca was too out of the way - so reservations at Brea it is! I made reservations for 9 on Sunday at 6:30pm - celebrating my baby cousin's 12th birthday :) :) :) he loves loves Italian and my fam loves family style! When we arrived ~6:10pm, there were hordes of people waiting outside and inside the restaurant! "OMG, we are going to wait an HOUR" was going through my head. I checked in with the hostess and we were seated in 10 minutes! Reservations = life savior. The hostess was very friendly and walked us through the kitchen where the Kitchen Table is ... I'm glad I special requested "No Kitchen Table, Please" bc baby cousin's 12th bday would have been a bummer if we had to see all the waiters/waitress flying around, not to mention the other group of guests that would stare at us as they were taking their tour of the kitchen. Our order: Sm Bruschetta (free app coupon used) --Plain, ok - simple tomato-y satisfaction with a hint of balsamic vinegar... enough to curb our hunger - though I would like to get the Calamari next time! Prosciutto Stuffed Mushrooms --CREAMY and meaty goodness. Everyone loved this app except BF who hates all fungus. Nicely sized mushrooms stuffed with a cheesy prosciutto filling on top of pesto cream sauce (also yummy on the complimentary bread!) Sm Spaghetti and Meatballs --I LOVE their simple spaghetti and meatballs. Very simple, minimal flavors and with a little salt and pepper, it is fantastic IMO. My uncle really enjoyed this dish so kudos to him! :) Sm Fettuccine Supremo --This was WAY too creamy and rich for me - I had a hard time finishing it. However, Bday boy LOVES any type of Alfredo and this was his #1 choice! OMG, he inhaled his portion. His younger brother, Baby Cousin #2 was avoiding everyone as he was shoving his portion into his mouth as fast as he could. This was a top fave for many in the group - I could tell since it was the first dish to be empty! TONS of fettuccine with lots of creamy, Parmesan goodness, chicken, red bell peppers, broccoli. Sm. Fettuccine Linguine Di Mare --So we had our beef, our chicken, and now we need seafood! Spicy red clam sauce was not that spicy :( However, this was a nice change from the other proteins and carbs we had - intense seafood flavor due to the mussels, clams, calamari and shrimp. Sm Chicken Parmigiana --Very Yummy though some in our group believed Olive Garden's was much better. It was a nice compliment to the Spaghetti and Meatballs. Chocolate Vesuvio --OMG my chocolate craving was finally sated. It was a HUGE brownie slice with a scoop of Vanilla Bean gelato on both sides. Drizzled with caramel and chocolate sauce... a bunch of us were in dessert heaven. Next time we are most definitely trying the cheesecake! Birthday Cupcake :D --It was basically a huge funfetti muffin with vanilla frosting and sprinkles. Thanks Buca! Service was OK - a tad slow at times, but we were celebrating a bday, relaxing, and going with the flow. The waiter was awesome at the end about baby cousin's bday! Total bill was ~130 with tip. Grat wasn't included. That's a pretty reasonable meal considering we stuffed our fat faces with all those carbs and still had a little bit of leftovers! Everyone left satisfied with the meal - baby cousin got tons of new clothes and the first time buca goers loved the new experience! YAY, birthday success!
(4)Ryan D.
Total Birthday fail on this establishment. We looked this place up online under the top places to visit during your birthday. We saw that Buca di Beppo was on there because if you signed up for the online deal promotion, you get a "free appetizer" on your birthday. So naturally, we signed up. Additionally, you get a free desert for your birthday. We have witnessed that on previous visits to this place. Comes with a jingle they sing as well. Well, everything seemed fine until we sat down. So after signing on and relinquishing our private information so that Buca di Beppo can send us offers, we didn't receive any sort of email confirmation. So after a few hours of hanging around the house, we finally left to go get our birthday meal. Our waitress, a skinny african american female with an annoying superficial cheer, informed us that we needed a coupon to claim the birthday free appetizer. We didn't have one, nor was one sent to us through email...so she went to go ask about it while she got our drinks. She comes back stating that it may take up to 2 to 3 weeks to get the coupons, which doesn't do us much good since 3 weeks from now wouldn't be my girlfriend's birthday. I asked her if something could be done because we came here specifically because of their birthday appentizer and free desert. She stated that she would talk to her manager and see. Never heard about that again for the entire dining experience. Later, when we got our pizza, none of us had any plates. We waited a bit, then started eating without them. We were half way done with our pizza by the time we waved her down and asked for some red pepper since there was none on our table. She said, "coming right up." A few minutes passed and we stopped eating our pizza because we wanted the red pepper. She comes back and asks, "Is everything alright?" We asked again for the red pepper and some plates. Another few minutes pass and we finally delivers the ESSENTIALS for eating. After we finished, she drops by with the desert menu to tell us that they stopped doing the free birthday desert months ago so no free birthday brownie...which was odd because I thought I remembered seeing it a month ago at a previous visit. Additionally, they still do the song and dance embarrassment...isn't that done around a free birthday cake or something? Anyhow, that just topped off the entire visit. Total Birthday epic fail. Our waitress DID give us lots of "I am sorry" and frowny faces. It would have certainly been nice if she told me about the canceled birthday desert when I stated, "We went out of our way to come here for the free birthday appetizer and desert" when all this disappointment started. This place shouldn't have been on the birthday list at ALL because we got absolutely nothing but a lot of griping and an incompetent waitress to provide us horrid service. At least the food was good, but it arrived at different times and there was confusion of which table it was to go to. My girlfriend still likes this place, but I am personally writing this place off. Talk about impersonal! They made no effort to make a "celebration" out of this occasion for us at all, nor did they try to satisfy our frustrations with their non existent birthday specials.
(1)Won P.
Came here with a huge party of approximately 30 people for a friend's birthday. luckily we made reservations and so they were able to seat us pretty quickly. we actually had a few more people come than we expected, but the waiter was kind enough to set up an additional table for us. i cant really say that much about the service because there was about 30 of us, but i will say that waitress that we had (hanna) was nice and very down to earth. gave us a few laughs that's for sure. in terms of the food, my table started off with the warm tomato and spinach salad. this is basicaly a salad made up of mainly spinach with some red onions and tomatos. from the description you would think teh salad is warm but what makes the salad taste warm is the warm balsamic vinaigrette that comes with it. personally i wasnt too big a fan of the kick that you get out to the vinaigrette but the goat cheese in the salad helps mellow it out. then our table got a large spicy arrabbiata pizza. the pizza is pretty big and comes with 12 slices but i kinda feel as if they were a little stingy with the cheese on the pizza. and plus, the pizza was just kinda warm and not hot so that wasnt great. finally we ended with the chicken carbonara pasta that comes with a white sauce. personally, i thought teh pasta was a little heavy and they didnt really give a lot of chicken in the pasta. it was definitely large enough to feed 5 people though. i would definitely say that in terms of the food, this place is more about quantity rather than quality. let me add, that some of the people in our group ordered the spaghetti and meatballs and they told us that they ran out of meatballs and had to make more. I'm sorry, but what italian restaurant runs out of meatballs for the spaghetti and meatballs? the bread that they serve here that u dip into the olive oil and vinegar is good in that it comes out fresh and warm though. in terms of the environment, this place is definitely kinda loud. it is a family style eating restaurant though so you should know that it's goign to be loud and crowded when you come here.
(3)Aisha L.
I used to like Buca, then they stopped leaving the oil and vinegar on the table, so I got annoyed and stopped going. :D However, I was near one today and had a craving for lasagna so I stopped in. Their mixed green salad is always great and I recommend the lasagna and ravioli. The pizzas are pretty good too, and if you like white sauce, the Penne San Remo is a good dish. Luckily, the server let me keep my oil and vinegar at the table and so I was able to eat my food in peace. :) Thanks to that, this place has gone up a notch with me.
(3)Cheryl H.
I love how they give you a tour of the restaurant. It's kinda like Disneyland with a tour guide and everything. The food is fantastic, the drinks are really good too. I love how it's family style portions so everyone can share. It is a little over priced for what you get so be prepared to spend some money.
(4)Brian B.
Literally translated means "Joe's Basement" and that's where it belongs, maybe on the floor of the basement. Large portions of bad corporate americanized italian food, which is an insult to Italians. The food here made me think of "National Lampoon's European Vacation" where they are in Paris and in the kitchen of the restaurant they are transferring TV dinners onto the plates. I think I got the same Lasagna at Costco.
(1)Leroy B.
I never liked going out for Italian other than Pizza before. I will have to say I love the food here the chicken carbanara and chicken parmsian are awesome. I have tried others but will not venture far from a great thing.
(5)Greg D.
Decent food, large portions. Had a family gathering here and it went well thanks to a semiprivate dining area
(3)Crystal M.
Nice decor , staff was good, bruschetta was excellent, chicken Marsala fabulous, cannoli not so good. A little on the pricey side compared to portions and variety of Olive Garden
(3)Miguel E.
There was a long wait when I visited this particular Buca Di Beppo, but it was well worth it. The food was great. I almost never order desert but had to try the Tiramisu. I highly recommend it! The portion to cost ratio is about right. The food is good and tastes like it was just made, not microwaved or frozen (yes, I'm looking at you Olive Garden). To top it all off, we had a terrific waiter. I'm usually very picky with my waiters, and have to say that was the best I've had in a while. He was friendly and funny enough but not intrusive or annoying. He was totally attentive and never let my drink run dry. It was a great experience and I'm definitely coming back.
(4)Reese G.
This is my second time coming to this location, and I have to say I have lost my love for Buca :( Came here for the sister's birthday today and experienced better last time and at other locations. Pros: typical buca decorations -pizza -calamari (haha I just love calamari) Cons: - horrible service: 1. the guy who walked us in didn't even do the usual introducing the place and the kitchen thing that (i think) they usually do) 2. he was not very friendly or welcoming 3. waiter was slow and barely checked us. - for some reason we didn't get no birthday dessert we just got candles and the waiter got the celebrants birthday wrong (that was funny) -food was okay this time. pasta was okay. I didnt overstuff myself today (maybe because the food was eh) I like the one in Claremont better because the service was better and I like the enthusiastic waiter that sang for my sister's birthday.
(2)Ron L.
Some (appetizer) Bread rolls were brought to us and that disappeared quickly...that went fast.. we ask the waiter for more rolls... and those rolls disappeaed quicklyr. Drinks took a little while to arrive, and it was hard to get refills... Food arrives It's pretty good....but the orders got messed up...
(3)Les H.
Love the large portions, always some to take home for later.
(4)George E.
BIG mistake. Not to be repeated! Service extremely poor. Food below standard. Very overcrowded. Real hard sell on extras (booze). Water glasses left empty entire meal, waiter was never around. Food was delivered just warm, salad swimming in dressing, quantities of cardboard but not real good food, Extra tables added that blocked people from movement to and from their seats(dangerous). TOO much money for what they provide. Stay away.
(1)Claudia R.
Pretty good food, HUGE portions. Best part about that you ask? I ordered a Newcastle and it was HUGE. My only gripe? ENOUGH with the birthday songs. JEEZ...how about singing to all the birthdays in the room at one time?
(3)Richard H.
Service was good, although food was nothing special. My favorite dish was the lobster ravioli.
(3)Ricky P.
Service was good. Portions of food are amazing. You definitely will leave full.
(4)Ryan C.
wow i wonder why all the bad reviews took the wife and her friends out to dinner i called a head and got the kitchen table. We got there we walked in the kitchen and there was our table great service and great food it was cool to see them cook all the food and listen to the servers talk about the tables there were serving you can tell they really have to watch what they say when your at that table great food will come back again
(5)Bram B.
Food was good but service was really slow. Not a good dining experience. Sangria was weak.
(2)Tim L.
food is really good but service can be a bit slow at times. (maybe its because we had a party of 15) it can be a bit pricey if u order one dish on your own but if u split it with people it can be pretty cheap. Food portions are big and tasty
(4)Jonathan D.
Honestly, i don't understand how this place is getting such bad reviews. Here is what some people had to say about Buca di Beppo: 1. The service is terrible. - Really? I've been here a number of times and service has always been perfect. Plus, people that said that also say they've only been here once. It was probably just bad luck on them cuz I mean every restaurant is going to have at least one waiter who isn't that great. Every one I've dealt with was very attentive, nice, and deserving of a good tip. 2. The food isn't authentic. - Let me tell you this. It's authenticity is a far step beyond Olive Garden or any other big Italian restaurant chain. Plus, i come from an Italian family AND I've been to plenty of high end Italian restaurants, such as Il Fornaio. Their food is nothing less authentic than anything else I've ever had. I was actually recommended here by my friend's family, who are also true Italians. And trust me, they know good Italian food. 3. Their pizza isn't that great. - This one is easy. If you go to a good Italian restaurant and order pizza, you obviously don't know anything about good food. My family and I love this place, and so does every friend I've ever taken here. My personal favorite dishes are their Chicken Marsala which has more flavor than any other Chciken Marsala I've ever had, Linguini Frutti di Mare which comes with lots of very freash seafood, and Lasagna, which is huge by the way. I've had a number of other dishes as well and they were all amazing. Their tiramisu is made with rum instead of brandy, giving it a more strong yet unique flavor. I personally love it cuz I have had a lot of tiramisu that just didn't cut it for me, and it's my favorite dessert. So, please give Buca di Beppo a legit chance =]
(5)Salvador A.
It began as any other date night. Tired from a day of drudgery at the box factory, me and my girlfriend wanted to eat somewhere fun...somewhere festive and lively. "Bucca di Beppo!" "Hoote--r...uca di Beppo!" We screamed in unison. We decided to stop by the one in Brea, since it was closer than the one in Tustin we frequent. The place was a little more decrepit than the Tustin location, the statues out front a little worse for wear. The place was packed; big overweight tourists and tiny asian families were crammed in the stuffy foyer tighter than a new inmate's butt his first night in prison. As I waited for the hostess (who was busy talking on her cellphone), the lingering odor of sour sweat bombarded my olfactory nerve. It was the hefty gentleman waiting besides me, his BO tinged by the rapist cologne of the baggy shirted teenager behind me. It was not exactly gastronomic foreplay. One hour wait. After trying out the new Hello Kitty game at the nearby Gamestop (this took one hour), we came back to the restaurant to find that we still had 5 families in front of us. Fuming, me and my girlfriend looked over the menu to ready our orders. By now my stomach was punching my innards, threatening more pain if I did not quench its insatiable lust for sustenance. "Soon, my pet. Soon." It wasn't until 30 minutes later that we were finally sat at a small booth in a corner of the restaurant. Our waiter was nowhere to be seen. Another 15 minutes passed before our drink orders were taken. I tried to give him our meal orders as well, but he insisted on getting our drinks first. Big mistake. Another 10 minutes passed before he brought out our drinks (iced water) and took our orders. By this point, my girlfriend was crying her eyes out from hunger, and I was contemplating rushing the kitchen and grabbing the first edible thing I could find, throat chopping anyone that stood in my way. Our waiter, a nice, balding man, looked visibly stressed. He was serving a horrible party of teenagers in suits and dresses (Prom kids) and I understood his pain. They'd probably tip him some combination of spare change and bubble gum, leaving him to punch a wall in anger and hang himself in the supply closet. So I could forgive him for being a little scatterbrained. Well...at least until the food came out. The garlic bread was pathetic. It was in worse shape than the stale house bread, covered with what looked to be a single square of cheese and one clove of garlic. I almost lost it. I was going to pay 10 dollars for a single piece of fucking cheese and a clove of garlic nuked on top of stale house bread? My girlfriend held my clenched fists down, reminding me not to break parole again by punching shit up. 30 minutes later, the main course, the Carbonara pasta, arrived. At this point, it felt like a midget with cleats was doing cartwheels in my bowels. Another edible but otherwise pathetic dish. The oil was separating from the cheese, making a nice pool of yellow cholesterol at the bottom of the bowl. The toppings were sparse, the garlic nonexistent(must have been rationing it for the garlic bread), and the grease plentiful. Now I've had Bucca di Beppo before. And this was NOT it. This was NOT it. We bagged up the rest of our dinner (for the dog), though we are usually able to finish an entire bowl ourselves. It was time to get the hell out of dodge...but not before waiting another 20 minutes for the check to finally come. Total time spent: 3 hours 23 minutes. Conclusion: FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS SACRED AND HOLY, DON'T GO TO THIS BUCA!!! The one in Tustin is about 15 minutes further, but your sanity (and your stomach) will thank you for making the sacrifice. 1.5/5 (bumped to 2 because our waiter had it tough)
(2)Norman N.
Nice size portions for a family of 5 or a big group of 10+. Very good food...spaghetti with the giant meatballs is good. Baked ravioli was awesome! Had the chicken parmigiana before and loved it! Bread with vinegar/olive oil is a great start.
(4)Sonya G.
If you plan to have a group join you then this is the place --- it's loud. My hubby and friends came here to celebrate a birthday, we had a BLAST!!! the waiters are great and so are the servers. If you love to eat this is right out the place for you! The servings are HUGE. The food is absolute delisioso (did I spell that right) yeah & I'm a Latina. HA anyway back to review. So my favorite is the Apple Gorgonzola Salad Oh man this is good and they give you tons. Let me tell you about the dish hubby & I tried for the first time. The Porchetta Rustica......juicy herb-roasted boneless pork loin topped with a rustic red wine sauce that perfectly blends Balsamic vinegar, blueberries, capers and hazelnuts with Italian Broccoli Romano oh boy that sound good right now. YOU GOTTA TRY IT!!! it's FAB! My next choice would be fried calamari followed by Bruschetta then the green Beans that are crisp green beans are sautéed in olive oil and fresh lemon juice...YUMMY, I think I'll head over this weekend. Anyhow, I love love the food here PERIOD the end! :)
(5)Crystal C.
Came here for a friend's birthday. The waitress was on her A game on tonight, got us our drinks refilled quick, enough bread to munch while waiting for our food to come out, and definitely kept us happy. The food was pretty good, of course huge portions for family style. If you're in the seafood mood, go for the Linguine Frutti di Mare. But the winner for me was the Chicken Saltimbocca, the plate was packed with artichoke hearts and the chicken was super juicy and flavorful.
(4)James L.
Wow.........wow.......wow....... How does an italian restaurant mess up pizza and spaghetti.....I can not believe this flavor-less-mess they have placed in front of me. The appetizers was the only thing worth eating. Please, please, turn your car/truck or feet away from this establishment and eat some were else. I heard McDonalds is down the street. Go eat there instead.
(1)Sophia V.
Tiramisu to go. $10.79 RUM-ilicious for SURE. I am the first to say that I want to taste RUM in my tiramisu...but this... seemed like they forgot espresso =[ I think the rum was a generous amount and it would have been perfect if they had soaked it in rum once. and then again in espresso. it's too overpowering as is. and the espresso would have given it more dimension. this was like eating a strong kahlua the marscapone layer is pretty thick but it's good. getting it to-go means a cut down in size but it was still too much for 5 ppl. i think 6-7 would have been perfect. overall: good but it's missing an element. best tiramisu yet? FAIL.
(3)Lynn J.
Never impressed with buca when I go there. Pasta seemed to be overcooked and gummy. We ordered a pasta special and requested linguine sub, so the server decided to bring out a different dish completely and then try to tell us it had the same ingredients as the special. It wasn't. The sausage in the penne arrabiata was dry and tasted like it had been reheated too many times. The fresh bread was stale and service was lacking. Now I remember why I haven't eaten at buca in over 3 years.
(2)Cel J.
I eat anything italian,food was good and so was or server...only thing that sucked was the parking...went when it was during construction.
(3)Vicki C.
the wait is long if you dont get a reservation. but if you really want to go there on a saturday make a reservation for 4:30 or 5:00 having an early dinner is not going to kill you. i like the pasta because its always al dente, while olive garden can get quite soft. tiramisu is so good. the pizza... i got the white sauce with chicken and it was delicious, the crust was nice and thin. since i went with my parents and my brother we got two smalls, a pizza and a tiramisu. there was a lot left, so we took it home. since it was an early dinner i just heated some pasta later while i watched SNL it was perfect. give Buca a chance
(4)Sonny L.
After hearing of Buca Di Beppo for a while me and my family went for dinner for a birthday celebration of about 10 ppl, this location has a shared parking lot with several other places, but not a problem finding parking. As we went inside I didn't care for the entrance as you have to maneuver through the kitchen & getting in the way of employees that had to stop working as crowds arrive to let guest pass by. Okay getting to the food we started with antipasto salad that was great & the vibe was also pleasant, but a little strange of the picture across from the restroom (Elephant sticking his trunk inside of another elephants A'hole) , but the veal Parmesan was rubbery, chicken was a little better, spaghetti was average to below average and unsure about our other dishes name, but it was some type of stuffed pasta shells that were descent. As for our server he was really friendly, but probably had too many tables to take care of, because we had to keep asking for refills, bread, cutlery and had to send most of our plates back because our plates had dried tomato sauce or salad dressing. But overall experience was just descent & probably would be back ( Not this location though)
(3)Guadalupe L.
Came here for the first time with a friend of mine. They took us in a tour around the kitchen which I thought it was cool...Their regular portions are HUGE. So thankfully they have lunch portions now which is smaller, but still pretty big hahaha. Their shells are delicious....I would really recommend that dish. Also their italian soda is good too!
(5)K G.
If Buca was a vacation, it would be a cruise. The people who go on those all-you-can-eat floating buffet trips love this place for the same reason - quantity, not quality. It's not that the food is horrible, there's just TONS of it. We asked if the individual portion lasagna was enough for a couple of us to share, and our server told us "oh no, that's just for one." So we skipped it and actually laughed out loud when we saw it come out to someone else. It was the size of a brick. The large family-style dishes are supposed to serve 4? I would say more like 6. A large pizza is about 4 feet long. Are you feeling me? We had the plain cheese pizza (decent, a light crust and extra garlicky) and also the baked ravioli (canned tomato sauce and bland, boring ricotta ravioli). It's NOT baked by the way. The mixed green salad was actually pretty good, I liked the lemony dressing on it. Our service sucked. We had 4 different waiter/waitresses and had no idea who our server was, and everyone we asked questions of seemed put out, like we should have known we were supposed to ask someone else to help us. Lots of crying kids and loud talkers to ignore. Buca is probably a decent place for a kid's birthday party or a cheap dinner for a big group, but otherwise I think it's a pass.
(1)abby c.
the spicy chicken rigatoni was really, really good. service? pretty horrible.
(2)Serena L.
We found a $10 off $20 coupon in the value pack and decided to have dinner here. We had the fried calamari, antipasto salad, seafood pasta and chicken marsala. Everything tasted good. The problem with our dinner was the speed of the meal. The appetizer and the salad came SUPER quick, but we then waited over 30 minutes for entrees to come. Our server was very nice and apologetic for our entrees taking so long, but sitting and waiting for so long really was a turn off.
(2)Melissa S.
Buca use to have this little dish called the spicy arribiata pizza, its name alone makes me drool with nostalgia. It was a thin crispy crust, packed with delicious marinera sauce with sun dried tomatos, spicy sausage, perfect salty pepperoni, and glazed red onions. It was heavenly! Honestly, my favorite food ever...I came here for my birthday, my friends birthday's, and we NEVER ordered anything else...I'd had some pasta and some other things, they were ok...but the pizza was delicious! then one day, it seems the company switched hands and went big time, and they just stopped carrying about things tasting good...and took the spicy arribiata pizza off the menu! To my disgust, they have offered to make the pizza with similar ingredient, but it just does not taste the same. I seriously have no reason to go there anymore, becuase it's the only thing I ever ordered, so I don't go anymore. The staff is ok, and it's a nice place to have drinks and pasta if you enjoy mediocre pasta. So yeah, I hate you buca for destroying my dreams.
(2)S S.
Went here for a relative's engagement dinner. We had a party of at least 25. Every table got the same thing since my cousin made a reservation a few weeks in advance already. The bread is always good dipped in the oil and you can always ask for the vinegar. The bruschetta came out as our appetizer and that hit the spot. A lot of tomatoes on top of some an okay-warm-ish piece of garlic bread. Our salads came out next and it was the walnut and apple salad and caesar. A lot of flavor in these salads. The walnut and apple salad was really good and I, myself, am not a big salad eater. Then came our pasta. We had the pasta in what seemed like some cream of mushroom? It's the one with artichokes in it. It's pretty good, but a bit on the bland side. For the rigatoni with spicy sausage, that was very good. A good spice to it, but not too spicy. And the sauce was done right with some cheese on top. Delicious. We also had chicken parmesan which everyone enjoyed as well. Overall, a good place if you have 4 or more people to share because that's how this restaurant works. It's not a typical American restaurant in which you become the greedy one and each person orders one thing. Not here. You order and it's communal which is good for groups if you want to pay less than 10 bucks and come out with a stuffed belly. Would I go here every week? Probably not. It's one of those certain, once in a blue moon, special occasion type of place.
(3)Nat S.
The service isn't what it used to be and neither is the food. I usually get the Macaroni Rosa, pizza, and the warm tomato and spinach salad. First of all, damn is the salad good! I know you could probably make it at home but its still good! I always ask for extra goat cheese because it isn't as strong as regular goat cheese that i've ate at other places and it blends so well with the balsamic vinagrette and sweet walnuts. Definitely get it. The food has always been pretty good here to me. Their pizzas are good. They are thin crust and very flavorful. No complaints here. I will probably go back w/o a complaint. If you go here with a party of 56, expect to have a shitty time as any place would give you a shitty time. It's 56! Can you imagine trying to make orders for 56 people as well as other tables at one time? This isn't a banquet hall man, its a restaurant that isn't going to hire all their staff on one day just to please your party.
(3)Christa N.
I don't go to Buca very often. To tell you the truth, i've only been once, and since then, i've never been back. We came here with a large group for a going away party for my cousin who was leaving his job (long story, don't ask!) My cousin called in three weeks in advance and made reservations. She also took the initiative to take all our orders ahead of time and emailed it to their store a few days in advance of our arrival. Is that organized or what? ...apparently not enough for them. we got there, our reservations were for 7:30, they "couldn't seat us til 80 percent was there". we had 80 percent and they still didn't seat us until an hour later (despite the herds of people we saw them seating). that's not even the worse part, we had really SHADY service (auto grat!). they forgot a few of our dishes, and though its understandable for a huge party, the bad attitude was something we didn't appreciate. would i ever go back? HELL NO. either go to a different Buca, or don't go to one at all :)
(1)Nnyleg J.
I've been going to this location for a while now. What makes us come back is the $10 off coupon we receive in the mail. The last time we went here, we were a party of 12. The turn off is the "photolady." I guess this is a new thing where they take your group picture and purchase it if you're interested. Okay fine take our picture and go. She kept on coming back and asking if we wanted to purchase them. I might add we are a party of 12. Ordering food, drinks, etc..can be crazy. The photolady came over our table 5 times asking us if we had the chance to take a look at the photo yet. Are you serious? The food was okay but it was not as warm. The pasta was a bit salty and the stuffed chicken was not cooked well.
(2)Jesus V.
Service was ok considering they served us day old veal parmesan. I told the manager and nothing was done. Big thumbs down!
(1)Bridget K.
Cute decor, but that's about it. Plenty to eat for omnivores, I guess, and the eggplant parmigiana is good. But for vegans, it's subpar spaghetti and marinara. The service is usually slow and disorganized, but it won't ruin your time. I come here when others want to, but otherwise I'd prefer Mama Cozza's for Italian. Also, they now have individual-sized portions of most entrees, so you don't have to do family-style if you don't want to.
(2)Conrad C.
The food at this place is very consistent. One of the things I always order is the caramelized onion/gorgonzola pizza. It's the best. Ravioli, tortellini, spaghetti - all of these are great. The service here was okay. Orange County sucks, but this made my trip slightly better. Vegetarian options are fairly decent. Don't come to this one, though.... you might as well make the trip to LA if there's no traffic...
(3)James K.
Average Italian restaurant. A step above Olive Garden, however. Do not be alarmed at the prices because the entree's are good for 2 or 3 people to share that business. The pizza's are thin and flavorful. I guess it's a good place to pass small events such as "Thank God I'm Fat" Day or "I don't want to work tomorrow" day and many others. Oh, and please do ask for lemon in your water because their water is filtered straight through their asses and into your cup. Enjoy!
(3)Dwigt S.
This place is good for (1) large parties, (2) delicious house chianti, and (3) very simple margherita pizza. Aside from that, I didn't have anything I couldn't make myself at home (spaghetti bolognese, fettucine alfredo, and chicken parmigiana). It wasn't bad...it just wasn't great. Service was decent. I just realized that this is another way of saying that it wasn't bad...just not great. So my experience here wasn't so deplorable as to merit a 1-star rating, but it wasn't remarkable enough for a 3-star rating. I'd only return if there was a dinner party here, and I was invited.
(2)Michelle K.
the food is delicious. the chicken pesto pizza and penne is the best. the service could be better. the price is good for the amount. the salad sholdnt be over $20..not worth it. employees could service more...that's what they get paid for? they should try to be more original. i loved the buca before it became BIG. overall, needs better service..
(3)Diana H.
If you like Buca Di beppo DO NOT go to BREA location! We have reservations at 6pm and they did not seat us until almost 7pm. The party before us had reservations too and had to wait over 45 mins too. They have poor managment there. The guys that work in the front does not how to estimate the time for folks. People should not wait for soo long if you ahve reservations. The manager was that great because to help the situation he should've gave a prep talk to the guys that work in the front. Pasadena Buca Di Beppo has better service and they're accurate about seating their customers right away.
(1)James W.
Fun place to eat, but bad food to swallow... Buca di Beppo is one of the most entertaining restaurant to walk into. For first time visitors, the waitress will walk you through the kitchen first, where there would actually be a table there for brave/hungry people to sit and eat. Then you would pass by a large table with the head of the Pope in the middle, watching/judging you as you chew on your food... The rest of the tour will make you go "ooooh" and "ahhh" as you pass by the hundreds of interesting (sometimes sexually suggestive) photographs along the wall. This tour of the restaurant is REALLY fun. And then the food starts, and the fun ends... The food is expensive, and badly done. It truly tasted like something that I could've done on my own, and there are simply too much cheese on almost everything. The food is inconsistent (taste vary from visit to visit), and the amount of grease in every dish is simply unacceptable. The ONLY positive aspect in the food is the Costco-like portions... You can rest assured that you will NOT leave hungry. To put it simply, it is a fun place to visit, but a terrible place to eat at. Definitely my least favorite among all Americanized Italian chains.
(2)Frances M.
My boyfriend and I have been in this location couple months ago, and I came back with my girlfriend for the second time yesterday. Because of the bad experience, I got to give them low rating. The reason this location receive low rating is because the service is terrible. Waitresses are poorly trained. First time I was here was couple months ago, my boy friend and I order fried calamari for appetizer, Margherita pizza and Spicy Chicken Rigatoni for entree. The food is awesome, that is why I come back. Anyway, back to my bad experience. When we set down, there are not utensils, plates, napkins... the table was empty besides the menu. We had ordered our food and thought the waitress will bring us the plates and all that. We had waited our food for more than half hour, the waitress did even come back at all. We kept asking the other waitress to get us the order. At the end, the waitress told us because she had to serve all the birthday tables in her section, and no time to come back for us!!! Terrible experience. The other bad experience was yesterday. I suggested my girlfriend to try this place because one of our girlfriend have not yet tried this restaurant. We were there around 8:15pm. The wait wasn't that long, it took us 20 minutes, we had total of six adults and one kid. The waitress was better because she came right away. We had order fried calamari, Spicy Chicken Rigatoni, Fettuccine Supremo, Chicken Limone and Margherita pizza. After the appetizer arrived, we realized the waitress did not bring us the bread. I kindly asked the waitress, a different one because our waitress disappear, to bring us the bread. Fifteen minutes later, the bread did not come and we ask OUR waitress to bring us the bread. (Is not like their bread is that good, but it is a complementary bread, of course I got to have it.) The waitress brought us all our entrees but still NO bread. My other girlfriend has asked again for our bread, and finally she got us the bread. (This was like half hours later when all the food and appetizer are served.) At the end of our meal, the waitress ask us to passed all our plates to her, so she can clean up. What is wrong with her? Do I need to clean up the whole table for you? Anyway, if you like pizza and pasta, and don't mind the service, I suggest you to come here. The small portion can serve 3-4 people, don't over order it unless you want to try all their dishes.
(2)Kenny L.
This is definitely one of the best chain Italian restaurants around! When you walking around inside (even the bathroom), you'll notice all the quirky but interesting photos that make up the Italian culture. And before you get seated, you'll walk through the kitchen, where there is a table especially reserved for those that want to eat in the kitchen! Most of the dishes are family portions, so bring lots of family or friends to get the most variety. My family favorite are the spaghetti with meat sauce, chicken saltimbocca, chicken and veal parmigiana.The Pizzas are very good too (they are thin, Sicilian style)! If you not filled yet, try their spumoni ice cream or other tasty desserts. If you're giving one star to this, what would you give Olive Garden? Give it a try and I guarantee it you won't regret it!
(3)Matthew K.
I wish I could half a star! My whole party remembered this place as being pretty decent... We were all very disappointed. The food was all pretty bland and to top it off the manager actually tried to tell a table full of cooks and food lovers that veal was a typically tough meat!! Hahaha
(1)Julie T.
MY hubby and I went here late at night to stuff our faces..I've never been here and my hubby has..they walked us through the kitchen and we were seated next to the bar. Our server was awesome! He was very friendly and the food was way too much even though we ordered sm..We ordered stuff shell and fettuccine alfredo. The stuff shell was splendid!
(4)Marie C.
I've been to Buca di Beppo at Redondo and the one by Disneyland. I love the food and ambiance of this chain restaurant. I decided to have my birthday party here and invite 13 of my friends. I'd never been to the one in Brea, but it was the closest one to my University (CSUF), so it seemed like the perfect location. I made reservations a month in advance for a table of 13 at 8:30 pm. It was NOT a holiday, just you're average friday night.. Everything that could possibly go wrong ON THEIR PART did. I told all my friends to meet in front of the restaurant at 8pm so we could be seated on time at 8:30pm. Despite my reservations, we were not seated until 9:30 pm in a long table in the corner. As we were waiting for our food 4 other groups were sung the happy birthday song. That is not what annoyed me, what did annoy me was that 3 of those tables were seated AFTER us. After an hour of waiting for our food, the table next to us with a party of 7, seated quite a while after us were given their main courses. NONE of our food, including the salad had been given by our waitress. When I complained to the waitress, she flat out lied and said it was because they "only ordered appetizers"; one of the dishes on their table was the pasta dish with muscles I had ordered. Perhaps the cherry ontop of this awful experience was 10 minutes after we finally received our food (almost 2 hours after ordering), three girls came to sing happy birthday to me. I was not in the mood, and ontop of that they did some trashy version of the "her name was Lola" song, where they gave me some Pg-13 lap dance. First of all, my boyfriend was there, and there were children in that room, did not want a lap dance from 3 girls! The bill was over $250, which I picked up. And they could care less of my complaints since our party was over 8, so they got there tip money despite their awful service. Way to ruin my birthday. Buca's food is amazing, but go to any other location, NOT the one in Brea!
(1)Yuching J.
I don't know why the ratings on Yelp are so low, but they serve really good linguini frutti di mare in GIGANTIC portions. The waiters are very attentive, and completely deserve to be tipped extra. The food is excellent if you know what to get, and so far, it's been good every time I've been there.
(4)Jan P.
If it was possible for me to give this place negative stars, I would. It is beyond awful. I have been here two times and both times were dreadful. The first time I ordered togo it took them over half an hour to get my food ready. Then I got home and realized they forgot part of my order. I called in and they sent me gift cards as an apology. The second time I came in very reluctantly and there was HAIR IN MY LASAGNA!!! Not to mention the service was awful (the waiters don't care and take forever) and their food is overpriced (their portions are small)! I never want to go back and hope no one goes either!
(1)Toby W.
We came in on a Sunday early afternoon. The manager apologized to us because one or two of the waiters called in sick. However, the service and food was good. The manager was nice about everything.
(4)miss m.
I was thinking if I should give 2 or 3 stars. Large portions. The Chicken Marsala was too sweet. The Seafood Linguini was ok. We enjoyed the Tiramisu. I dont know the other locations in LA, but Buca Di Beppo in Seattle is much better though.
(3)Gioconda A.
Always a fun place for dinner. The food never disappoints. The staff is super friendly and accommodating.
(3)Andy C.
This place is ridiculous. We get there and I sit down and order a strawberry tea. It takes 20 minutes to get the tea, the waiter even comes to the table TWICE before he brings the drink and each time he says "I'll bring that drink right now"... I ordered the Chicken Canto-something-or-other and it was pretty good, small, but good. While I'm eating I want a refill on my tea, ugh. I tell the waiter and he disappears, a waitress comes 10 minutes later and I tell her I needed a refill and the guy hasn't come back, she goes off to attempt to get it for me, ANOTHER 20 minutes later a DIFFERENT waiter comes and I ask him, and he finally brings it! (All of this would be unacceptable, but they didn't charge me for my drink, so fair trade....I guess) I got some big brownie thing to share with a friend and it was fantastic, (the only highlight of this restaurant) and when we ask for the checks for our two tables... it takes literally AN HOUR for it it come, our tables tab comes out to be 90ish bucks and we all pay (I count the money myself 3 times over to make sure we paid up, and we did... we didnt leave much of a tip though because of the crappy service and long waits) when we walk out of the restaurant the waitress chases us down and tells us we are short 3 bucks. Bulls**t I tell her. I counted it myself.. (she was trying to haggle more money out of us cause we left her a crappy tip) one of my friends gives her the money and she snaps "have a good night" at us and goes back inside. If it wasn't for the friendly company I had, this would have been one of my worst dining experiences ever.... EVER. PLEASE go elsewhere. Go to Olive Garden instead of this crap shack., ( I will not go into detail about their over the top, gaudy, CORNY wall decorations. It's like TGI Fridays on crack)
(2)bernie p.
This was my first time at BUCA although my wife had been there on other occasions. I really enjoyed the meal and tried something new, the Calimari. It was very tasty and I realized I should have ordered the larger portion. The pizza was delicious and the chicken cannoli was satisfying pleasing to the palate. There was enough food left over for dinner the following day. My next trip will be for more Calimari and the meatballs. I do not know when I will sample the dessert menu as it looks extensive and tasty also. The coupon was also a great incentive to go again and again as was the food. The staff was friendly and knowledgable, making it great place to enjoy good food.
(5)Holly S.
Buca di Beppo was the friendliest, highest quality for fun, food and services I have had in along time!! The food was outstanding! Our server Kenneth was fun, knowledgeable on the menu, and amazingly attentive to all our dinning needs! I noticed how quick and enthusiastic he was with managing all his tables. GREAT costumer service and good food will bring me back again and again. Thanks to Buca and Kenneth for a wonderful evening!!
(5)Rob M.
It was mediocre. We had the marsala chicken & fettuccine chicken. It's family style dining, so the only way to get anything like a variety was too much food, and consequently too expensive, for my wife and me. The marsala was different from what I'm used to, sweeter. Not bad, just different. But I don't like that you simply get 3 chicken breasts and have to order a side if you want pasta with it. the fettuccine chicken was kind of bland. The service was adequate, friendly enough but not very attentive.
(2)Joseph B.
Service was slow and pathetic. I think server forgot to put in our order. I've eaten at this restaurant several times before so I know what is normal. Our soup was cold, but tasty, but I would have preferred hot soup.
(2)Richard C.
Didn't eat here but ordered Buca To Go for pickup. Had a coupon for 20% off your bill that expired 3 days ago and this location gladly accepted it. Tried to get same discount at Garden Grove location but manager kept insisting "Oh we can no longer offer that you because it's no longer in our system." HUH!? WTF lady I was planning to drop a boatload of cash and you weren't even willing to swing a little my way? So my kudos go to the assistant general manager Jermaine Dawson at the Brea location...you are da man! We had 6 people over and got large orders of eggplant parmigiana, chicken marsala, fettuccini with veggies, garlic bread with mozzarella, and mixed green salad with prosciutto and gorgonzola. Total came to $108 but the 20% discount knocked us down to $87 or about a $21 savings. That's alot in this economy. I personally liked the chicken marsala and it's sweet sauce and oh so large and tender mushrooms. Fettuccini was kind of messy but that's the point. Lots of leftovers for lunch on Saturday. As usual the place was PACKED on a Friday at 7pm along with 20 people waiting outdoors for a table.
(5)Paul P.
Actually, I give thus place no stars. Just left Bucca with an empty stomache on Christmas Eve. Went there to have a nice family dinner but alas it was not meant to be. Sister had called earlier and was told reservations were not needed so we showed up at 6:30pm and was told the wait time was 30 minutes. Over an hour later, we were still waiting and was told we were next on the waiting list but there were 5 reservations ahead of us AT THAT TIME! So the hostess, Nicole, said she cannot give us a wait time cause IF there were more reservations, those will be seated 1st. Now, how can you NOT know already how many more reservations there will be? Look at your stupid chart! People were even showing up claiming to have reservations but not on the list and got seated ahead of us. Overall it was ridiculous listening to her excuses and since we didn't want to wait til they closed to get a table, the family decided to leave.
(1)John P.
I hadn't eaten here in about 5 years. We took our son here Friday night for his birthday and what a HUGE disappointment. This restaurant chain underwent an ownership change in 2008 and it's painfully obvious. Everything is done on the chaep now and the cuisine has suffered substantially. The clams linguine was horrible and the cannoli's were filled with some kind of cream concotion. We WILL NOT be going back.
(1)Hello A.
Don't be deceived-not all Buca di Beppo restaurants are created equal!! I have been to several Buca restaurants and have had excellent experiences-the food excellent, the portions generous, and the ambiance makes you feel like you're in Italy, but the Buca restaurant in Brea did not have any one of these. My husband, daughter and I had dinner there tonight and we were disappointed with our meal and experience. The food portions were small and overpriced. More importantly the flavor of the food did not scream "Italia!" or the excellent quality and quantity of food we are accustomed to having at Buca restaurants. Thank goodness we had a $10 coupon...to ease the pain of buying overpriced, low quality italian food. Beyond this our server was fine. She checked on us frequently, but the food was delivered to our table at a slow pace. My family and I will not return to this Buca and frankly this poor experience has turned us off to Buca restaurants in general...
(1)