I haven't eaten at a Carrabba's restaurant in probably 15 years. Now I remember why. I was staying at a hotel near by this place the week of July 12th while my house was being renovated. I was told by the hotel front desk that Carrabba's gave the hotel guests a comp menu item, usually a drink, dessert or an appetizer. I was in the mood for pasta so I went. Being a major foodie (I live in Boulder where the choices are endless and most places are very good) and lover of Italian food, as well as a very good cook myself, I was hoping for a good meal at a reasonable price, even though I know it's a chain franchise. I came in at 5:40p. It was very busy for a Tues. night. Waited at the door for 10 mins before anyone came to tell me the hostess stand is halfway INSIDE the place. A waiter from the bar directed me to the stand and then left me there. I waited another 10 minutes before the same waiter finally came to seat me. Where was the host or hostess? Since I was a solo diner, I was sat in the bar. Not a big deal. My waitress showed up quickly. I told her my hotel suggested this place and she said they offer of a free glass of wine, an appetizer or a dessert for hotel guests. I wasn't drinking that evening so I asked for a free appetizer... I chose the fried zucchini. I also asked about the specials, but none of them sounded appealing; so, after looking over the menu, I asked for a recommendation between the Trout Nicciola and the Chicken Trio. I know, not a pasta dish, but hey, I thought why not try something unique. The waitress recommended the Trout, saying it was one of her personal favorites, so I order it, with pasta as a side. The meal came with a salad too. I love fried zucchini, but what I was served was greasy and limp. This is a common problem with fried zucchini. Even I've had it do the same thing to me when I've made it at home. There is a trick to making it come out firm and not greasy though. First, make sure the oil is HOT, and two, don't cook it too long. The zucchini inside the breading needs to stay firm. The serving size was large, but the roasted garlic aioli that came with it tasted like regular mayo. Not much garlic taste to it. Very disappointing. Next, my salad arrived about halfway into my eating of the appetizer. Timing wasn't well done here. I told the waitress about the sad zucchini and she said nothing. Halfway into eating the salad, my Trout Nicciola arrived. Again, poor timing. The trout was smothered in sauce, which overpowered it. The fish itself had little to no flavor on it's own, which means it was probably farm raised, not wild caught. The whole dish was only luke-warm too. When the waitress returned, it was many minutes later and she didn't even ask how my meal was, only refilled my water glass. A few minutes later, I stopped her as she was going by to tell her of my disappointment in her suggestion and the luke-warm nature of my meal. She apologized, then asked if I wanted to order another dish instead, but I said, "No." I was not interested in eating there any longer. Ok, I did order a dessert to go, the Sogno Di Cioccolata "Chocolate Dream". A very large potion, but it too was only ho-hum too. For what I paid for this meal, I would have expected much better food and service. The worst thing though was this: when I got my credit card bill a couple of days ago, I saw the charge for my meal at Carrabba's was more than $10 OVER what my actual receipt was! The waitress had given herself a $15 tip on a $24 meal. I had only given her a $4.30 tip, which was more than she deserved anyway! I immediately called my credit card company to dispute the charge and then called the restaurant to talk to the manager about it. The manager/owner, Lisa Alagua, gave me plenty of excuses as to how the tip amount might have been mistakenly entered, but I didn't agree with her at all. I told her my opinion of the food and the poor service - the lack of a voluntary satisfaction of my meal check-back by my waitress, or anyone else for that matter. She was very apologetic telling me how everything is fresh made there, nothing frozen, and the lack of service was inexcusable. In her defense, she volunteered to refund the entire meal and tip amount. She said she would also be sending me a $50 gift certificate for a future meal. She said to call ahead to make sure she is there the night I come in and she personally will make sure everything is done correctly and to my satisfaction. Well, that's great Lisa, but that's really not a remedy for everyday and anyone else who might have a similar experience.
(1)
Jamie L.
This one's somewhere between 2 and 3. The food, for a chain, was surprisingly (at least to me) palatable, but the service makes me want to hit kittens until they are the consistency of Skittles. We walked in for a late lunch (3pm) The place was nearly empty, but the bartender was behind the bar, which is what the Hostess Stand is in the middle of. No worries, though, she didn't say hello to us. Neither did anyone else. Coupla minutes go by, and the Server who had been sitting AT one of his tables with his friends, chatting, got up and asked us "Two?" Aww..... he can count. Cute. Well whatever, it was nearby where we were going and I was craving a Caesar Salad. The lunch menu was passable, and we ended up with a Caesar to start, a surprisingly good Steak Hoagie (Sliced, medium-rare-ish Sirloin on a Baguette with mushrooms, provolone, and marsala sauce.) For $9, that came with house-made potato chips. I got the Mussels appetizer, $11 for a HUGE bowl that I managed to eat 2/3 of, and share the rest. The server managed to refill our drinks on time, and the food was hot, good, and well-presented, but even with that down, the lack of personality and caring was just blah. Naturally, we got "That Receipt"... the one with the SURVEY on it. They all must have known that they treated us like crap, because not only did the guy not MENTION the survey, but he went so far as to FOLD the receipt so that I wouldn't see it! Hah. I did. I win. On our way out, I asked the preteen hostess if they had any mints. (Garlic. Much.) Her reply? "Nope." Sooooo yeah, I probably won't be back, despite the passable food. It's not near any of my normal destinations, and these apathetic people working there make in simply undesirable and unwelcoming.
(3)
Bartle R.
I would give -5 stars if I could. Simply, this place was completely horrible. First, the waitress spills water on my moms iPhone. She then gets the wrong thing for her. My friends food was over salted to the extreme. With too much Parmesan which made it even more salty. My dad's lobster ravioli tasted like Mac and cheese powder. And I got the pasta weesie and that was horrible. I got a big blob of ground garlic in the middle. The only good thing there was the bread while you waited the 40 minutes for your food.
(1)
Katy S.
I enjoy going to Carrabbas!! Their mussel appetizer is great and I get it every time I go there! I have never had a bad meal there before and I think that the service has always been great! The servers always seem to be very personable with me! I am kind of surprised by all of the bad reviews of this place. I honestly think that it is great and I enjoy going there!
(5)
Claire B.
I tried this restaurant for the first time the other night and had a horrible experience. We waited about over fifteen after our reservation time for our table and then were greeted by the most unfriendly waiter of all time! He acted as if his used car business went under and he was enslaved at Carrabba's. He was genuinely unhelpful in telling us about the menu, asserting our meal wasn't large enough multiple times even though he refused to answer questions about portion size (a little ironic, isn't it?). Our meal had shredded and diced chicken that was too gummy to chew threw and must have not been fresh. Their red sauce was good and the hostesses were friendly. Those were the two redeeming points of the evening. The interior of Carrabba's doesn't match its exterior at all. There are trees on the roof - a sign to me that you must be able to concoct something good and fresh in the kitchen and have an equally beautiful interior. Not the case. The interior was dingy and looked as if it hadn't really been remodeld since a 90's art deco craze. It was a very unappetizing and unclean ambience. The floor was absurdly dirty and it stunk like old fish/cleaner where we sat by the kitchen. What a meal!
(1)
Raoul B.
Not a place I'd ordinarily go to, but since we got a gift certificate, we went here for lunch the other day. I'm a sucker for ambience. And this place has it, in spades. I mean, it's a beautiful, civilized place, but it only gets 3 stars 'cause of, you guessed it, THE FOOD. As the other Yelpers have noted, kinda pricey for what you get. I don't mind paying $12-16 for an Italian entree as long as they give me enough to take some home for lunch the next day. And while the food is tasty enough, not really blowin' up my skirt with either. I was intrigued by the Lobster Mac n' Cheese, so we had some, and sure enough, there was lobster in it. Sauce was kinda blah, some kind of parmesan cream, not cheddar. My wife had a salad with grilled shrimp and scallops, I had the Chicken parm. Again, tasty enough, but nothing to write home about, and the portions were kinda measly. Place was not too busy for lunch, so service was good, although these guys do that food runner thing, a practice I can't stand, and most of the chains do. Look, Mr. Waiter, if I'm tippin' YOU, I damn well expect to have the food brought out by YOU. Then we don't have to play that little guessing game about who ordered what, 'cause YOU, who took the order, set the food in front of the person who ordered it. Arrgh. OK place, may try it again some time when I'm feeling like blowing $50-75 on lunch.
(3)
Ed D.
very disappointed, paid 12.00 for a salad the size of what you would get at Wendy's drive through. Just lettuce and a few slices of chicken over the top. Very disappointed.
(1)
Colie J.
Let me start by saying this a 2.5 star review, but since they have curbside & online ordering I bumped it up to 3. This is my second time eating Carraba's but my first time ordering at this one and my first one for takeout. What I ordered Chicken Parmesan w/ garlic mashed & house salad Lobster Mac & Cheese (daily special) Placed my order online (yay!) and it was promptly ready when my husband arrived by the given time. Previously I went to one in Lansing,MI and ate Pasta Weeze and shared a pizza with a friend. I should have ordered pizza today. Chicken Parmesan was okay. It just lacked sauce, not dry but it really needed more marinara for all the herbs on the chicken. This is not served with pasta as typically seen at other rest. so I ordered garlic mashed potatoes that were again, just okay. I will say the actual portion of chicken was 2 huge pieces, but at $16.50 I would hope so. Lobster Mac & Cheese needed more cheese and lobster. Some of the lobster was overcooked . This was $9.50 and I would not order this again. I had this dish at a restaurant in Denver and it was DELICIOUS! I guess I was expecting that but in a smaller portion, it did not deliver. Salad was decent. Bread was DELICIOUS. It actually helped me eat my food since the herbs in the chicken and the seasoning on lobster were a bit much. I am not discouraged from going back or even ordering to-go again, I just hope my food is more impressive next time. A couple of additional notes 1) I called twice. Once to find out if they have eggplant parmesan and then to ask if any of their cheese in my food would be unpasterized. They were very friendly and helpful both times. They will make you eggplant instead of chicken but you have to call a few hours before you intend to come in. If I had eggplant with some extra marinara I think my meal would have been A+. 2) Sometimes I give the food the benefit of the doubt if it is takeout. I don't think my impression would have been any different in this case had I eaten in the restaurant. 3) no nutritional information online. I think ALL restaurants should be required to post this information.
(3)
Alannah B.
I seem to eat here a few times a year, only because my parents love this place. I have to say, the food is okay, but I've certainly never been impressed. We always eat here on a weekend evening and it's a given that it will be extremely crowded and busy. I noticed when we ate here last weekend that they had changed the menu. I am vegetarian, and whatever my usual standby entree was (something with capers) was gone, and it didn't seem like they replaced it with anything similar. There were only a couple of choices without meat, and none of them were particulary tempting. I went with the manicotti this last time, and after eating it I remembered that I had had it before. It definitely isn't anything worth trying. Maybe I'm spoiled by my mother's version, but hers isn't even made from scratch and it's much, much better! Our waiter was friendly, but very distracted, and even took off a couple of times (once when my mom was in mid-sentence, asking for butter with the bread... no "be right back" or anything--he did come back with it but it was a bit strange). It seemed like they were short-handed on the floor, but honestly every time I've been there the service has been mediocre at best. Our waiter never did ask anybody at our table if they needed refills or even more water. Overall, this place is okay. It's not as though the food is bad, but honestly it's way overpriced for the quality, the selection is a bit disappointing (for a vegetarian) and considering the service I'd rather go somewhere else. If not for my parents, I would never choose to eat here on my own. They both eat meat so maybe that makes all the difference. I would've rated it two and 1/2 stars if I was able, but I'll give them the extra just because my parents seem to like it so much.
(3)
John A.
Loved everything! The veal picatta was great but best part though was the Sicilian chicken soup!!
(5)
J T.
Nice place, pretty good food, a buck or two too much for the entree's. Nice selection of drinks, desserts, etc. I would go again next time I am in town for work.
(3)
Cherie P.
We really enjoyed our meal. Salads on chilled plates, bruschetta delicious , lasagna and chcken parmisan both delicious...thanks for a great meal
(4)
Eric M.
We've eaten here 4x. Food-tasty. Service-great.
(4)
Steve M.
We just went here to chowdown on pasta the night before a race and I was really impressed! Well, first we had to wait for over an hour. These damn restaurants in the suburbs always have horrible waits. Apparently no one cooks at home anymore. But once we were seated, the pesto, or whatever it is, that comes with the bread is delicious. The bread is hot and tasty as well. Our waiter was probably one of the best I've ever had anywhere. Like I said, this place was crammed full and he was running around, but he never let my Coke get empty and I must have had 7 or 8 refills. Ah yeah, onto the food. I had a shrimp scampi pasta dish that really hit the spot. I don't know what my wife had, but she liked hers as well. For a chain restaurant, I was really impressed. The service and food were top notch.
(4)
Stephanie S.
I give them 2.5 stars. Have eaten there quite a few times over the years. They have always been expensive but the food was pretty good, grated cheese plentiful and several dishes included 2 veggies besides the salad, and the staff was friendly and inviting. So what has changed! The portions are smaller, many items just have a single veggie now, and grated cheese has to be asked for, and then the wait staff gets defensive about it. Prices are way out of line. They are definitely downgrading the food, portions and service.
(2)
Brad P.
I was here for a group business event. At the end when we were trying to pay our checks, there was some confusion and the waiter did not get my check and payment. I walked up to the wait station and asked if someone could please run my card as I had been waiting for a while to make payment. A young lady politely said she would and took my credit card. Then, as I walked out of the bathroom, I caught her and a co-worker talking about me - she mimicked exactly what I said and the co-worker said "it's a f*&king sit down restaurant, chill out" referring to me asking for someone to run my credit card. When I confronted her, she denied it. I know what it is to be waitstaff and I know that sometimes you talk about customers, but I busted your a** and you still denied it. Then you paid for my lunch - which I did not ask you to do. I appreciate your apology, but next time you are busted own up to it. The salad was excellent, great Arnold Palmer, but the margarita pizza was below average.
(2)
Natalie J.
Best food!! Great calamaris! Dairy free options! One of my favorite restaurants for sure!
(5)
Paul M.
I would say 2.5 stars if it was an option. I have been to this chain a decent amount of times and most of the time I am left down. During lunch if you are ordering off the lunch menu you will probably be ignored more then normal by your server as they know your bill isn't going to be up there. My favorite dish is the calamari which is hard to find here in Colorado. If they took this off the menu I would probably never go in here again as most their other food is sub par at best.
(2)
Molly R.
Meh! The food was not that great, definitely not worth the price tag. I had the Marsala sirloin. It was not Marsala, tasted more like a brown gravy with mushrooms. We ordered mussels app and my youngest child a mussel lover turned them down after trying two them. I thought they were boring. All in all the food was disappointing and bland. The only reason I give it 2 stars is because of the service. Our server was very attentive and having worked in the service industry I thought he did an exceptional job. We will not return.
(2)
Pam C.
I tried this place for the first time. I decided to have take out for lunch. I ordered the Caprese Panini and had a side of cucumber, tomato salad with it. The flavors were good. However, I told them the time I would be there for pick up. My panini was so soggy on one side, that it was pretty gross. I'm guessing they didn't pay attention to my pick up time and just made it right away and it sat until I got there. I'm always looking for places near work to grab a quick lunch (not fast food). I probably won't bother with this place again.
(3)
Stephen D.
Service was poor. Black bar girl was busy chit chatting with friends rather than serving us. No refill. No plates for appetizer. Appetizer was an F- Two 1/16im tomatoes with a small hunk of mozzerella. No basil. Bill was 80$ for two people at lunch. Should have been 20$ for their frozen entrees. Do not waste the gas money to go here.
(1)
Donna C.
Is ok. Have never had any problems ... Food ok, service good, no wait times for seating, clean restaurant and good food overall. I'd like to see more change in the menu, but that is a lot to expect from a chain.
(4)
Lorenzo S.
Decided to eat here after late work one evening and WOW WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! Soup before dinner came out room temperature. When asked for replacement, they simply microwaved my portion and returned. I ordered the Lasagna and Chicken La Scala combination and it also arrived late and portions were at room temperature. Not sure if the waiter was behind the curve or the grill deliberately held my plate back in retribution for complaining, but this time it was a total letdown. I have eaten at multiple Carraba's locations around the nation dozens of times and never had this issue. This is what really surprised me because I'm used to great dinners at this chain. The owner and manager should be reading these reviews.
(2)
Kim B.
LOVE this Carraba's! I have never been disappointed! I have been to this particular Carraba's several times over the past 6 years and have always had very good to excellent food, very good to excellent service and I find the prices fair. Last night was no exception. We often enjoy sitting at the bar, especially when our favorite bartender, James is working. He's extremely pleasant, professional and provides excellent service. I had the Chicken Bryan and it was to die for! Each bite was so mouthwatering I could hardly keep from licking the plate! The green beans were very fresh and cooked to perfection. The side salad was full of flavor. My boyfriend had the wood-grilled chicken dish and chose the lentil soup, which he says is mighty fine! Naturally, the bread and herbs they serve up, along with the cocktails are always delicious and the atmosphere is friendly without being too casual. I can't understand the few negative experiences folks have mentioned here, but the managers and staff are very open to their customers and will go to any reasonable length to make things right for you. Highly recommended!
(5)
Martin B.
Great wood grilled chicken. Highly impressed Most chains like this are. " ok" or "Mediocre" but this is really good. Even my wife, who is a huge critic of chains really likes this place.
(4)
Ashley B.
2012 Review #59: I cannot fathom how this restaurant still exists. This location alone, let alone the chain itself. I have been here twice and while the first visit was mediocre's definition, the second visit was just gross. The first time I came I was pretty young and got the shrimp scampi appetizer as my entree. That's fine and all except that it is literally 6 tiny, pre-frozen shrimp in a basic butter/garlic sauce. No bread, no pasta, nothing to eat the shrimp on or with to help cut the fatty sauce. It was probably $8-9 at the time and just not really worth it. My second visit I was vegetarian and ordered the Eggplant Parmesan, which is no longer on the menu. It was, in a word, repellent. They had some seriously old eggplant, which they didn't even cook all the way, let alone bread in anything. It was the slimiest thing I have ever eaten. It was greenish brown, had no seasoning, really no sauce, just awful. It also didn't come with anything on the side to at least distract me from how gross it was. It was just bad. Since then I've never returned. I don't find myself really wanting Italian that often but with all the options in Denver that I haven't gotten to try yet, there's no reason I would ever bother coming here again.
(2)
Kit L.
This is one of our favorite italian places to eat. I always get the rigatoni campagnolo - it is not even on the menu anymore and I have to call ahead to have them make it but they always make it for me and I love this place for doing that. My wife always get the mezzaluna and it has been consistently good. We like sitting at the counter by the pizza oven and seeing them make pizzas! They have always been accommodating to us anyway - if you have a bad experience it would be good to speak with a manager or a good experience for that matter. The only thing that keeps us from eating there more often is the prices and the distance to drive for us.
(5)
Mei W.
My family's favorite restaurant. Have never had a bad meal here. I always order the Pollo Rosa Maria with the Momma's Mandolo Chicken soup. Not close to where I live, but worth the drive!
(5)
Nina M.
Maybe I'm just getting pickier with age, but this Carrabba's used to be better. I was here for a business meeting, which by the way, they are great at accommodating. They have a fairly private back room for large groups and they can set up the room in various ways to suit the needs of your large party. The food I thought has gone downhill, though. The Marsala entrees are featured quite prominently on their menu, so I assumed it had to be good. The sauce was decent, albeit salty, but the chicken was ridiculously dry. The salad was also kind of a joke. A soggy mess of dressing-drenched iceberg lettuce with a few carrot strands and exactly one olive is not what I call a salad. Dessert was somewhat redeeming; the mini chocolate mousse is super-tasty and is served in what looks like a glorified shot glass. I don't need a lot of dessert - just a smidge to satisfy the sweet tooth while sparing the waistline.
(3)
Martin B.
Great wood grilled chicken. Highly impressed Most chains like this are. " ok" or "Mediocre" but this is really good. Even my wife, who is a huge critic of chains really likes this place.
(4)
Pam C.
I tried this place for the first time. I decided to have take out for lunch. I ordered the Caprese Panini and had a side of cucumber, tomato salad with it. The flavors were good. However, I told them the time I would be there for pick up. My panini was so soggy on one side, that it was pretty gross. I'm guessing they didn't pay attention to my pick up time and just made it right away and it sat until I got there. I'm always looking for places near work to grab a quick lunch (not fast food). I probably won't bother with this place again.
(3)
Mei W.
My family's favorite restaurant. Have never had a bad meal here. I always order the Pollo Rosa Maria with the Momma's Mandolo Chicken soup. Not close to where I live, but worth the drive!
(5)
Kit L.
This is one of our favorite italian places to eat. I always get the rigatoni campagnolo - it is not even on the menu anymore and I have to call ahead to have them make it but they always make it for me and I love this place for doing that. My wife always get the mezzaluna and it has been consistently good. We like sitting at the counter by the pizza oven and seeing them make pizzas! They have always been accommodating to us anyway - if you have a bad experience it would be good to speak with a manager or a good experience for that matter. The only thing that keeps us from eating there more often is the prices and the distance to drive for us.
(5)
Stephen D.
Service was poor. Black bar girl was busy chit chatting with friends rather than serving us. No refill. No plates for appetizer. Appetizer was an F- Two 1/16im tomatoes with a small hunk of mozzerella. No basil. Bill was 80$ for two people at lunch. Should have been 20$ for their frozen entrees. Do not waste the gas money to go here.
(1)
Donna C.
Is ok. Have never had any problems ... Food ok, service good, no wait times for seating, clean restaurant and good food overall. I'd like to see more change in the menu, but that is a lot to expect from a chain.
(4)
Nina M.
Maybe I'm just getting pickier with age, but this Carrabba's used to be better. I was here for a business meeting, which by the way, they are great at accommodating. They have a fairly private back room for large groups and they can set up the room in various ways to suit the needs of your large party. The food I thought has gone downhill, though. The Marsala entrees are featured quite prominently on their menu, so I assumed it had to be good. The sauce was decent, albeit salty, but the chicken was ridiculously dry. The salad was also kind of a joke. A soggy mess of dressing-drenched iceberg lettuce with a few carrot strands and exactly one olive is not what I call a salad. Dessert was somewhat redeeming; the mini chocolate mousse is super-tasty and is served in what looks like a glorified shot glass. I don't need a lot of dessert - just a smidge to satisfy the sweet tooth while sparing the waistline.
(3)
Bartle R.
I would give -5 stars if I could. Simply, this place was completely horrible. First, the waitress spills water on my moms iPhone. She then gets the wrong thing for her. My friends food was over salted to the extreme. With too much Parmesan which made it even more salty. My dad's lobster ravioli tasted like Mac and cheese powder. And I got the pasta weesie and that was horrible. I got a big blob of ground garlic in the middle. The only good thing there was the bread while you waited the 40 minutes for your food.
(1)
Molly R.
Meh! The food was not that great, definitely not worth the price tag. I had the Marsala sirloin. It was not Marsala, tasted more like a brown gravy with mushrooms. We ordered mussels app and my youngest child a mussel lover turned them down after trying two them. I thought they were boring. All in all the food was disappointing and bland. The only reason I give it 2 stars is because of the service. Our server was very attentive and having worked in the service industry I thought he did an exceptional job. We will not return.
(2)
Paul M.
I would say 2.5 stars if it was an option. I have been to this chain a decent amount of times and most of the time I am left down. During lunch if you are ordering off the lunch menu you will probably be ignored more then normal by your server as they know your bill isn't going to be up there. My favorite dish is the calamari which is hard to find here in Colorado. If they took this off the menu I would probably never go in here again as most their other food is sub par at best.
(2)
Claire B.
I tried this restaurant for the first time the other night and had a horrible experience. We waited about over fifteen after our reservation time for our table and then were greeted by the most unfriendly waiter of all time! He acted as if his used car business went under and he was enslaved at Carrabba's. He was genuinely unhelpful in telling us about the menu, asserting our meal wasn't large enough multiple times even though he refused to answer questions about portion size (a little ironic, isn't it?). Our meal had shredded and diced chicken that was too gummy to chew threw and must have not been fresh. Their red sauce was good and the hostesses were friendly. Those were the two redeeming points of the evening. The interior of Carrabba's doesn't match its exterior at all. There are trees on the roof - a sign to me that you must be able to concoct something good and fresh in the kitchen and have an equally beautiful interior. Not the case. The interior was dingy and looked as if it hadn't really been remodeld since a 90's art deco craze. It was a very unappetizing and unclean ambience. The floor was absurdly dirty and it stunk like old fish/cleaner where we sat by the kitchen. What a meal!
(1)
Raoul B.
Not a place I'd ordinarily go to, but since we got a gift certificate, we went here for lunch the other day. I'm a sucker for ambience. And this place has it, in spades. I mean, it's a beautiful, civilized place, but it only gets 3 stars 'cause of, you guessed it, THE FOOD. As the other Yelpers have noted, kinda pricey for what you get. I don't mind paying $12-16 for an Italian entree as long as they give me enough to take some home for lunch the next day. And while the food is tasty enough, not really blowin' up my skirt with either. I was intrigued by the Lobster Mac n' Cheese, so we had some, and sure enough, there was lobster in it. Sauce was kinda blah, some kind of parmesan cream, not cheddar. My wife had a salad with grilled shrimp and scallops, I had the Chicken parm. Again, tasty enough, but nothing to write home about, and the portions were kinda measly. Place was not too busy for lunch, so service was good, although these guys do that food runner thing, a practice I can't stand, and most of the chains do. Look, Mr. Waiter, if I'm tippin' YOU, I damn well expect to have the food brought out by YOU. Then we don't have to play that little guessing game about who ordered what, 'cause YOU, who took the order, set the food in front of the person who ordered it. Arrgh. OK place, may try it again some time when I'm feeling like blowing $50-75 on lunch.
(3)
Ed D.
very disappointed, paid 12.00 for a salad the size of what you would get at Wendy's drive through. Just lettuce and a few slices of chicken over the top. Very disappointed.
(1)
Colie J.
Let me start by saying this a 2.5 star review, but since they have curbside & online ordering I bumped it up to 3. This is my second time eating Carraba's but my first time ordering at this one and my first one for takeout. What I ordered Chicken Parmesan w/ garlic mashed & house salad Lobster Mac & Cheese (daily special) Placed my order online (yay!) and it was promptly ready when my husband arrived by the given time. Previously I went to one in Lansing,MI and ate Pasta Weeze and shared a pizza with a friend. I should have ordered pizza today. Chicken Parmesan was okay. It just lacked sauce, not dry but it really needed more marinara for all the herbs on the chicken. This is not served with pasta as typically seen at other rest. so I ordered garlic mashed potatoes that were again, just okay. I will say the actual portion of chicken was 2 huge pieces, but at $16.50 I would hope so. Lobster Mac & Cheese needed more cheese and lobster. Some of the lobster was overcooked . This was $9.50 and I would not order this again. I had this dish at a restaurant in Denver and it was DELICIOUS! I guess I was expecting that but in a smaller portion, it did not deliver. Salad was decent. Bread was DELICIOUS. It actually helped me eat my food since the herbs in the chicken and the seasoning on lobster were a bit much. I am not discouraged from going back or even ordering to-go again, I just hope my food is more impressive next time. A couple of additional notes 1) I called twice. Once to find out if they have eggplant parmesan and then to ask if any of their cheese in my food would be unpasterized. They were very friendly and helpful both times. They will make you eggplant instead of chicken but you have to call a few hours before you intend to come in. If I had eggplant with some extra marinara I think my meal would have been A+. 2) Sometimes I give the food the benefit of the doubt if it is takeout. I don't think my impression would have been any different in this case had I eaten in the restaurant. 3) no nutritional information online. I think ALL restaurants should be required to post this information.
(3)
JeZippy E.
I haven't eaten at a Carrabba's restaurant in probably 15 years. Now I remember why. I was staying at a hotel near by this place the week of July 12th while my house was being renovated. I was told by the hotel front desk that Carrabba's gave the hotel guests a comp menu item, usually a drink, dessert or an appetizer. I was in the mood for pasta so I went. Being a major foodie (I live in Boulder where the choices are endless and most places are very good) and lover of Italian food, as well as a very good cook myself, I was hoping for a good meal at a reasonable price, even though I know it's a chain franchise. I came in at 5:40p. It was very busy for a Tues. night. Waited at the door for 10 mins before anyone came to tell me the hostess stand is halfway INSIDE the place. A waiter from the bar directed me to the stand and then left me there. I waited another 10 minutes before the same waiter finally came to seat me. Where was the host or hostess? Since I was a solo diner, I was sat in the bar. Not a big deal. My waitress showed up quickly. I told her my hotel suggested this place and she said they offer of a free glass of wine, an appetizer or a dessert for hotel guests. I wasn't drinking that evening so I asked for a free appetizer... I chose the fried zucchini. I also asked about the specials, but none of them sounded appealing; so, after looking over the menu, I asked for a recommendation between the Trout Nicciola and the Chicken Trio. I know, not a pasta dish, but hey, I thought why not try something unique. The waitress recommended the Trout, saying it was one of her personal favorites, so I order it, with pasta as a side. The meal came with a salad too. I love fried zucchini, but what I was served was greasy and limp. This is a common problem with fried zucchini. Even I've had it do the same thing to me when I've made it at home. There is a trick to making it come out firm and not greasy though. First, make sure the oil is HOT, and two, don't cook it too long. The zucchini inside the breading needs to stay firm. The serving size was large, but the roasted garlic aioli that came with it tasted like regular mayo. Not much garlic taste to it. Very disappointing. Next, my salad arrived about halfway into my eating of the appetizer. Timing wasn't well done here. I told the waitress about the sad zucchini and she said nothing. Halfway into eating the salad, my Trout Nicciola arrived. Again, poor timing. The trout was smothered in sauce, which overpowered it. The fish itself had little to no flavor on it's own, which means it was probably farm raised, not wild caught. The whole dish was only luke-warm too. When the waitress returned, it was many minutes later and she didn't even ask how my meal was, only refilled my water glass. A few minutes later, I stopped her as she was going by to tell her of my disappointment in her suggestion and the luke-warm nature of my meal. She apologized, then asked if I wanted to order another dish instead, but I said, "No." I was not interested in eating there any longer. Ok, I did order a dessert to go, the Sogno Di Cioccolata "Chocolate Dream". A very large potion, but it too was only ho-hum too. For what I paid for this meal, I would have expected much better food and service. The worst thing though was this: when I got my credit card bill a couple of days ago, I saw the charge for my meal at Carrabba's was more than $10 OVER what my actual receipt was! The waitress had given herself a $15 tip on a $24 meal. I had only given her a $4.30 tip, which was more than she deserved anyway! I immediately called my credit card company to dispute the charge and then called the restaurant to talk to the manager about it. The manager/owner, Lisa Alagua, gave me plenty of excuses as to how the tip amount might have been mistakenly entered, but I didn't agree with her at all. I told her my opinion of the food and the poor service - the lack of a voluntary satisfaction of my meal check-back by my waitress, or anyone else for that matter. She was very apologetic telling me how everything is fresh made there, nothing frozen, and the lack of service was inexcusable. In her defense, she volunteered to refund the entire meal and tip amount. She said she would also be sending me a $50 gift certificate for a future meal. She said to call ahead to make sure she is there the night I come in and she personally will make sure everything is done correctly and to my satisfaction. Well, that's great Lisa, but that's really not a remedy for everyday and anyone else who might have a similar experience.
(1)
Cherie P.
We really enjoyed our meal. Salads on chilled plates, bruschetta delicious , lasagna and chcken parmisan both delicious...thanks for a great meal
(4)
Alannah B.
I seem to eat here a few times a year, only because my parents love this place. I have to say, the food is okay, but I've certainly never been impressed. We always eat here on a weekend evening and it's a given that it will be extremely crowded and busy. I noticed when we ate here last weekend that they had changed the menu. I am vegetarian, and whatever my usual standby entree was (something with capers) was gone, and it didn't seem like they replaced it with anything similar. There were only a couple of choices without meat, and none of them were particulary tempting. I went with the manicotti this last time, and after eating it I remembered that I had had it before. It definitely isn't anything worth trying. Maybe I'm spoiled by my mother's version, but hers isn't even made from scratch and it's much, much better! Our waiter was friendly, but very distracted, and even took off a couple of times (once when my mom was in mid-sentence, asking for butter with the bread... no "be right back" or anything--he did come back with it but it was a bit strange). It seemed like they were short-handed on the floor, but honestly every time I've been there the service has been mediocre at best. Our waiter never did ask anybody at our table if they needed refills or even more water. Overall, this place is okay. It's not as though the food is bad, but honestly it's way overpriced for the quality, the selection is a bit disappointing (for a vegetarian) and considering the service I'd rather go somewhere else. If not for my parents, I would never choose to eat here on my own. They both eat meat so maybe that makes all the difference. I would've rated it two and 1/2 stars if I was able, but I'll give them the extra just because my parents seem to like it so much.
(3)
John A.
Loved everything! The veal picatta was great but best part though was the Sicilian chicken soup!!
(5)
J T.
Nice place, pretty good food, a buck or two too much for the entree's. Nice selection of drinks, desserts, etc. I would go again next time I am in town for work.
(3)
Eric M.
We've eaten here 4x. Food-tasty. Service-great.
(4)
Steve M.
We just went here to chowdown on pasta the night before a race and I was really impressed! Well, first we had to wait for over an hour. These damn restaurants in the suburbs always have horrible waits. Apparently no one cooks at home anymore. But once we were seated, the pesto, or whatever it is, that comes with the bread is delicious. The bread is hot and tasty as well. Our waiter was probably one of the best I've ever had anywhere. Like I said, this place was crammed full and he was running around, but he never let my Coke get empty and I must have had 7 or 8 refills. Ah yeah, onto the food. I had a shrimp scampi pasta dish that really hit the spot. I don't know what my wife had, but she liked hers as well. For a chain restaurant, I was really impressed. The service and food were top notch.
(4)
Stephanie S.
I give them 2.5 stars. Have eaten there quite a few times over the years. They have always been expensive but the food was pretty good, grated cheese plentiful and several dishes included 2 veggies besides the salad, and the staff was friendly and inviting. So what has changed! The portions are smaller, many items just have a single veggie now, and grated cheese has to be asked for, and then the wait staff gets defensive about it. Prices are way out of line. They are definitely downgrading the food, portions and service.
(2)
Natalie J.
Best food!! Great calamaris! Dairy free options! One of my favorite restaurants for sure!
(5)
Brad P.
I was here for a group business event. At the end when we were trying to pay our checks, there was some confusion and the waiter did not get my check and payment. I walked up to the wait station and asked if someone could please run my card as I had been waiting for a while to make payment. A young lady politely said she would and took my credit card. Then, as I walked out of the bathroom, I caught her and a co-worker talking about me - she mimicked exactly what I said and the co-worker said "it's a f*&king sit down restaurant, chill out" referring to me asking for someone to run my credit card. When I confronted her, she denied it. I know what it is to be waitstaff and I know that sometimes you talk about customers, but I busted your a** and you still denied it. Then you paid for my lunch - which I did not ask you to do. I appreciate your apology, but next time you are busted own up to it. The salad was excellent, great Arnold Palmer, but the margarita pizza was below average.
(2)
Ashley B.
2012 Review #59: I cannot fathom how this restaurant still exists. This location alone, let alone the chain itself. I have been here twice and while the first visit was mediocre's definition, the second visit was just gross. The first time I came I was pretty young and got the shrimp scampi appetizer as my entree. That's fine and all except that it is literally 6 tiny, pre-frozen shrimp in a basic butter/garlic sauce. No bread, no pasta, nothing to eat the shrimp on or with to help cut the fatty sauce. It was probably $8-9 at the time and just not really worth it. My second visit I was vegetarian and ordered the Eggplant Parmesan, which is no longer on the menu. It was, in a word, repellent. They had some seriously old eggplant, which they didn't even cook all the way, let alone bread in anything. It was the slimiest thing I have ever eaten. It was greenish brown, had no seasoning, really no sauce, just awful. It also didn't come with anything on the side to at least distract me from how gross it was. It was just bad. Since then I've never returned. I don't find myself really wanting Italian that often but with all the options in Denver that I haven't gotten to try yet, there's no reason I would ever bother coming here again.
(2)
Jamie L.
This one's somewhere between 2 and 3. The food, for a chain, was surprisingly (at least to me) palatable, but the service makes me want to hit kittens until they are the consistency of Skittles. We walked in for a late lunch (3pm) The place was nearly empty, but the bartender was behind the bar, which is what the Hostess Stand is in the middle of. No worries, though, she didn't say hello to us. Neither did anyone else. Coupla minutes go by, and the Server who had been sitting AT one of his tables with his friends, chatting, got up and asked us "Two?" Aww..... he can count. Cute. Well whatever, it was nearby where we were going and I was craving a Caesar Salad. The lunch menu was passable, and we ended up with a Caesar to start, a surprisingly good Steak Hoagie (Sliced, medium-rare-ish Sirloin on a Baguette with mushrooms, provolone, and marsala sauce.) For $9, that came with house-made potato chips. I got the Mussels appetizer, $11 for a HUGE bowl that I managed to eat 2/3 of, and share the rest. The server managed to refill our drinks on time, and the food was hot, good, and well-presented, but even with that down, the lack of personality and caring was just blah. Naturally, we got "That Receipt"... the one with the SURVEY on it. They all must have known that they treated us like crap, because not only did the guy not MENTION the survey, but he went so far as to FOLD the receipt so that I wouldn't see it! Hah. I did. I win. On our way out, I asked the preteen hostess if they had any mints. (Garlic. Much.) Her reply? "Nope." Sooooo yeah, I probably won't be back, despite the passable food. It's not near any of my normal destinations, and these apathetic people working there make in simply undesirable and unwelcoming.
(3)
Katy S.
I enjoy going to Carrabbas!! Their mussel appetizer is great and I get it every time I go there! I have never had a bad meal there before and I think that the service has always been great! The servers always seem to be very personable with me! I am kind of surprised by all of the bad reviews of this place. I honestly think that it is great and I enjoy going there!
(5)
Lorenzo S.
Decided to eat here after late work one evening and WOW WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! Soup before dinner came out room temperature. When asked for replacement, they simply microwaved my portion and returned. I ordered the Lasagna and Chicken La Scala combination and it also arrived late and portions were at room temperature. Not sure if the waiter was behind the curve or the grill deliberately held my plate back in retribution for complaining, but this time it was a total letdown. I have eaten at multiple Carraba's locations around the nation dozens of times and never had this issue. This is what really surprised me because I'm used to great dinners at this chain. The owner and manager should be reading these reviews.
(2)
Kim B.
LOVE this Carraba's! I have never been disappointed! I have been to this particular Carraba's several times over the past 6 years and have always had very good to excellent food, very good to excellent service and I find the prices fair. Last night was no exception. We often enjoy sitting at the bar, especially when our favorite bartender, James is working. He's extremely pleasant, professional and provides excellent service. I had the Chicken Bryan and it was to die for! Each bite was so mouthwatering I could hardly keep from licking the plate! The green beans were very fresh and cooked to perfection. The side salad was full of flavor. My boyfriend had the wood-grilled chicken dish and chose the lentil soup, which he says is mighty fine! Naturally, the bread and herbs they serve up, along with the cocktails are always delicious and the atmosphere is friendly without being too casual. I can't understand the few negative experiences folks have mentioned here, but the managers and staff are very open to their customers and will go to any reasonable length to make things right for you. Highly recommended!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
JeZippy E.
I haven't eaten at a Carrabba's restaurant in probably 15 years. Now I remember why. I was staying at a hotel near by this place the week of July 12th while my house was being renovated. I was told by the hotel front desk that Carrabba's gave the hotel guests a comp menu item, usually a drink, dessert or an appetizer. I was in the mood for pasta so I went. Being a major foodie (I live in Boulder where the choices are endless and most places are very good) and lover of Italian food, as well as a very good cook myself, I was hoping for a good meal at a reasonable price, even though I know it's a chain franchise. I came in at 5:40p. It was very busy for a Tues. night. Waited at the door for 10 mins before anyone came to tell me the hostess stand is halfway INSIDE the place. A waiter from the bar directed me to the stand and then left me there. I waited another 10 minutes before the same waiter finally came to seat me. Where was the host or hostess? Since I was a solo diner, I was sat in the bar. Not a big deal. My waitress showed up quickly. I told her my hotel suggested this place and she said they offer of a free glass of wine, an appetizer or a dessert for hotel guests. I wasn't drinking that evening so I asked for a free appetizer... I chose the fried zucchini. I also asked about the specials, but none of them sounded appealing; so, after looking over the menu, I asked for a recommendation between the Trout Nicciola and the Chicken Trio. I know, not a pasta dish, but hey, I thought why not try something unique. The waitress recommended the Trout, saying it was one of her personal favorites, so I order it, with pasta as a side. The meal came with a salad too. I love fried zucchini, but what I was served was greasy and limp. This is a common problem with fried zucchini. Even I've had it do the same thing to me when I've made it at home. There is a trick to making it come out firm and not greasy though. First, make sure the oil is HOT, and two, don't cook it too long. The zucchini inside the breading needs to stay firm. The serving size was large, but the roasted garlic aioli that came with it tasted like regular mayo. Not much garlic taste to it. Very disappointing. Next, my salad arrived about halfway into my eating of the appetizer. Timing wasn't well done here. I told the waitress about the sad zucchini and she said nothing. Halfway into eating the salad, my Trout Nicciola arrived. Again, poor timing. The trout was smothered in sauce, which overpowered it. The fish itself had little to no flavor on it's own, which means it was probably farm raised, not wild caught. The whole dish was only luke-warm too. When the waitress returned, it was many minutes later and she didn't even ask how my meal was, only refilled my water glass. A few minutes later, I stopped her as she was going by to tell her of my disappointment in her suggestion and the luke-warm nature of my meal. She apologized, then asked if I wanted to order another dish instead, but I said, "No." I was not interested in eating there any longer. Ok, I did order a dessert to go, the Sogno Di Cioccolata "Chocolate Dream". A very large potion, but it too was only ho-hum too. For what I paid for this meal, I would have expected much better food and service. The worst thing though was this: when I got my credit card bill a couple of days ago, I saw the charge for my meal at Carrabba's was more than $10 OVER what my actual receipt was! The waitress had given herself a $15 tip on a $24 meal. I had only given her a $4.30 tip, which was more than she deserved anyway! I immediately called my credit card company to dispute the charge and then called the restaurant to talk to the manager about it. The manager/owner, Lisa Alagua, gave me plenty of excuses as to how the tip amount might have been mistakenly entered, but I didn't agree with her at all. I told her my opinion of the food and the poor service - the lack of a voluntary satisfaction of my meal check-back by my waitress, or anyone else for that matter. She was very apologetic telling me how everything is fresh made there, nothing frozen, and the lack of service was inexcusable. In her defense, she volunteered to refund the entire meal and tip amount. She said she would also be sending me a $50 gift certificate for a future meal. She said to call ahead to make sure she is there the night I come in and she personally will make sure everything is done correctly and to my satisfaction. Well, that's great Lisa, but that's really not a remedy for everyday and anyone else who might have a similar experience.
(1)Jamie L.
This one's somewhere between 2 and 3. The food, for a chain, was surprisingly (at least to me) palatable, but the service makes me want to hit kittens until they are the consistency of Skittles. We walked in for a late lunch (3pm) The place was nearly empty, but the bartender was behind the bar, which is what the Hostess Stand is in the middle of. No worries, though, she didn't say hello to us. Neither did anyone else. Coupla minutes go by, and the Server who had been sitting AT one of his tables with his friends, chatting, got up and asked us "Two?" Aww..... he can count. Cute. Well whatever, it was nearby where we were going and I was craving a Caesar Salad. The lunch menu was passable, and we ended up with a Caesar to start, a surprisingly good Steak Hoagie (Sliced, medium-rare-ish Sirloin on a Baguette with mushrooms, provolone, and marsala sauce.) For $9, that came with house-made potato chips. I got the Mussels appetizer, $11 for a HUGE bowl that I managed to eat 2/3 of, and share the rest. The server managed to refill our drinks on time, and the food was hot, good, and well-presented, but even with that down, the lack of personality and caring was just blah. Naturally, we got "That Receipt"... the one with the SURVEY on it. They all must have known that they treated us like crap, because not only did the guy not MENTION the survey, but he went so far as to FOLD the receipt so that I wouldn't see it! Hah. I did. I win. On our way out, I asked the preteen hostess if they had any mints. (Garlic. Much.) Her reply? "Nope." Sooooo yeah, I probably won't be back, despite the passable food. It's not near any of my normal destinations, and these apathetic people working there make in simply undesirable and unwelcoming.
(3)Bartle R.
I would give -5 stars if I could. Simply, this place was completely horrible. First, the waitress spills water on my moms iPhone. She then gets the wrong thing for her. My friends food was over salted to the extreme. With too much Parmesan which made it even more salty. My dad's lobster ravioli tasted like Mac and cheese powder. And I got the pasta weesie and that was horrible. I got a big blob of ground garlic in the middle. The only good thing there was the bread while you waited the 40 minutes for your food.
(1)Katy S.
I enjoy going to Carrabbas!! Their mussel appetizer is great and I get it every time I go there! I have never had a bad meal there before and I think that the service has always been great! The servers always seem to be very personable with me! I am kind of surprised by all of the bad reviews of this place. I honestly think that it is great and I enjoy going there!
(5)Claire B.
I tried this restaurant for the first time the other night and had a horrible experience. We waited about over fifteen after our reservation time for our table and then were greeted by the most unfriendly waiter of all time! He acted as if his used car business went under and he was enslaved at Carrabba's. He was genuinely unhelpful in telling us about the menu, asserting our meal wasn't large enough multiple times even though he refused to answer questions about portion size (a little ironic, isn't it?). Our meal had shredded and diced chicken that was too gummy to chew threw and must have not been fresh. Their red sauce was good and the hostesses were friendly. Those were the two redeeming points of the evening. The interior of Carrabba's doesn't match its exterior at all. There are trees on the roof - a sign to me that you must be able to concoct something good and fresh in the kitchen and have an equally beautiful interior. Not the case. The interior was dingy and looked as if it hadn't really been remodeld since a 90's art deco craze. It was a very unappetizing and unclean ambience. The floor was absurdly dirty and it stunk like old fish/cleaner where we sat by the kitchen. What a meal!
(1)Raoul B.
Not a place I'd ordinarily go to, but since we got a gift certificate, we went here for lunch the other day. I'm a sucker for ambience. And this place has it, in spades. I mean, it's a beautiful, civilized place, but it only gets 3 stars 'cause of, you guessed it, THE FOOD. As the other Yelpers have noted, kinda pricey for what you get. I don't mind paying $12-16 for an Italian entree as long as they give me enough to take some home for lunch the next day. And while the food is tasty enough, not really blowin' up my skirt with either. I was intrigued by the Lobster Mac n' Cheese, so we had some, and sure enough, there was lobster in it. Sauce was kinda blah, some kind of parmesan cream, not cheddar. My wife had a salad with grilled shrimp and scallops, I had the Chicken parm. Again, tasty enough, but nothing to write home about, and the portions were kinda measly. Place was not too busy for lunch, so service was good, although these guys do that food runner thing, a practice I can't stand, and most of the chains do. Look, Mr. Waiter, if I'm tippin' YOU, I damn well expect to have the food brought out by YOU. Then we don't have to play that little guessing game about who ordered what, 'cause YOU, who took the order, set the food in front of the person who ordered it. Arrgh. OK place, may try it again some time when I'm feeling like blowing $50-75 on lunch.
(3)Ed D.
very disappointed, paid 12.00 for a salad the size of what you would get at Wendy's drive through. Just lettuce and a few slices of chicken over the top. Very disappointed.
(1)Colie J.
Let me start by saying this a 2.5 star review, but since they have curbside & online ordering I bumped it up to 3. This is my second time eating Carraba's but my first time ordering at this one and my first one for takeout. What I ordered Chicken Parmesan w/ garlic mashed & house salad Lobster Mac & Cheese (daily special) Placed my order online (yay!) and it was promptly ready when my husband arrived by the given time. Previously I went to one in Lansing,MI and ate Pasta Weeze and shared a pizza with a friend. I should have ordered pizza today. Chicken Parmesan was okay. It just lacked sauce, not dry but it really needed more marinara for all the herbs on the chicken. This is not served with pasta as typically seen at other rest. so I ordered garlic mashed potatoes that were again, just okay. I will say the actual portion of chicken was 2 huge pieces, but at $16.50 I would hope so. Lobster Mac & Cheese needed more cheese and lobster. Some of the lobster was overcooked . This was $9.50 and I would not order this again. I had this dish at a restaurant in Denver and it was DELICIOUS! I guess I was expecting that but in a smaller portion, it did not deliver. Salad was decent. Bread was DELICIOUS. It actually helped me eat my food since the herbs in the chicken and the seasoning on lobster were a bit much. I am not discouraged from going back or even ordering to-go again, I just hope my food is more impressive next time. A couple of additional notes 1) I called twice. Once to find out if they have eggplant parmesan and then to ask if any of their cheese in my food would be unpasterized. They were very friendly and helpful both times. They will make you eggplant instead of chicken but you have to call a few hours before you intend to come in. If I had eggplant with some extra marinara I think my meal would have been A+. 2) Sometimes I give the food the benefit of the doubt if it is takeout. I don't think my impression would have been any different in this case had I eaten in the restaurant. 3) no nutritional information online. I think ALL restaurants should be required to post this information.
(3)Alannah B.
I seem to eat here a few times a year, only because my parents love this place. I have to say, the food is okay, but I've certainly never been impressed. We always eat here on a weekend evening and it's a given that it will be extremely crowded and busy. I noticed when we ate here last weekend that they had changed the menu. I am vegetarian, and whatever my usual standby entree was (something with capers) was gone, and it didn't seem like they replaced it with anything similar. There were only a couple of choices without meat, and none of them were particulary tempting. I went with the manicotti this last time, and after eating it I remembered that I had had it before. It definitely isn't anything worth trying. Maybe I'm spoiled by my mother's version, but hers isn't even made from scratch and it's much, much better! Our waiter was friendly, but very distracted, and even took off a couple of times (once when my mom was in mid-sentence, asking for butter with the bread... no "be right back" or anything--he did come back with it but it was a bit strange). It seemed like they were short-handed on the floor, but honestly every time I've been there the service has been mediocre at best. Our waiter never did ask anybody at our table if they needed refills or even more water. Overall, this place is okay. It's not as though the food is bad, but honestly it's way overpriced for the quality, the selection is a bit disappointing (for a vegetarian) and considering the service I'd rather go somewhere else. If not for my parents, I would never choose to eat here on my own. They both eat meat so maybe that makes all the difference. I would've rated it two and 1/2 stars if I was able, but I'll give them the extra just because my parents seem to like it so much.
(3)John A.
Loved everything! The veal picatta was great but best part though was the Sicilian chicken soup!!
(5)J T.
Nice place, pretty good food, a buck or two too much for the entree's. Nice selection of drinks, desserts, etc. I would go again next time I am in town for work.
(3)Cherie P.
We really enjoyed our meal. Salads on chilled plates, bruschetta delicious , lasagna and chcken parmisan both delicious...thanks for a great meal
(4)Eric M.
We've eaten here 4x. Food-tasty. Service-great.
(4)Steve M.
We just went here to chowdown on pasta the night before a race and I was really impressed! Well, first we had to wait for over an hour. These damn restaurants in the suburbs always have horrible waits. Apparently no one cooks at home anymore. But once we were seated, the pesto, or whatever it is, that comes with the bread is delicious. The bread is hot and tasty as well. Our waiter was probably one of the best I've ever had anywhere. Like I said, this place was crammed full and he was running around, but he never let my Coke get empty and I must have had 7 or 8 refills. Ah yeah, onto the food. I had a shrimp scampi pasta dish that really hit the spot. I don't know what my wife had, but she liked hers as well. For a chain restaurant, I was really impressed. The service and food were top notch.
(4)Stephanie S.
I give them 2.5 stars. Have eaten there quite a few times over the years. They have always been expensive but the food was pretty good, grated cheese plentiful and several dishes included 2 veggies besides the salad, and the staff was friendly and inviting. So what has changed! The portions are smaller, many items just have a single veggie now, and grated cheese has to be asked for, and then the wait staff gets defensive about it. Prices are way out of line. They are definitely downgrading the food, portions and service.
(2)Brad P.
I was here for a group business event. At the end when we were trying to pay our checks, there was some confusion and the waiter did not get my check and payment. I walked up to the wait station and asked if someone could please run my card as I had been waiting for a while to make payment. A young lady politely said she would and took my credit card. Then, as I walked out of the bathroom, I caught her and a co-worker talking about me - she mimicked exactly what I said and the co-worker said "it's a f*&king sit down restaurant, chill out" referring to me asking for someone to run my credit card. When I confronted her, she denied it. I know what it is to be waitstaff and I know that sometimes you talk about customers, but I busted your a** and you still denied it. Then you paid for my lunch - which I did not ask you to do. I appreciate your apology, but next time you are busted own up to it. The salad was excellent, great Arnold Palmer, but the margarita pizza was below average.
(2)Natalie J.
Best food!! Great calamaris! Dairy free options! One of my favorite restaurants for sure!
(5)Paul M.
I would say 2.5 stars if it was an option. I have been to this chain a decent amount of times and most of the time I am left down. During lunch if you are ordering off the lunch menu you will probably be ignored more then normal by your server as they know your bill isn't going to be up there. My favorite dish is the calamari which is hard to find here in Colorado. If they took this off the menu I would probably never go in here again as most their other food is sub par at best.
(2)Molly R.
Meh! The food was not that great, definitely not worth the price tag. I had the Marsala sirloin. It was not Marsala, tasted more like a brown gravy with mushrooms. We ordered mussels app and my youngest child a mussel lover turned them down after trying two them. I thought they were boring. All in all the food was disappointing and bland. The only reason I give it 2 stars is because of the service. Our server was very attentive and having worked in the service industry I thought he did an exceptional job. We will not return.
(2)Pam C.
I tried this place for the first time. I decided to have take out for lunch. I ordered the Caprese Panini and had a side of cucumber, tomato salad with it. The flavors were good. However, I told them the time I would be there for pick up. My panini was so soggy on one side, that it was pretty gross. I'm guessing they didn't pay attention to my pick up time and just made it right away and it sat until I got there. I'm always looking for places near work to grab a quick lunch (not fast food). I probably won't bother with this place again.
(3)Stephen D.
Service was poor. Black bar girl was busy chit chatting with friends rather than serving us. No refill. No plates for appetizer. Appetizer was an F- Two 1/16im tomatoes with a small hunk of mozzerella. No basil. Bill was 80$ for two people at lunch. Should have been 20$ for their frozen entrees. Do not waste the gas money to go here.
(1)Donna C.
Is ok. Have never had any problems ... Food ok, service good, no wait times for seating, clean restaurant and good food overall. I'd like to see more change in the menu, but that is a lot to expect from a chain.
(4)Lorenzo S.
Decided to eat here after late work one evening and WOW WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! Soup before dinner came out room temperature. When asked for replacement, they simply microwaved my portion and returned. I ordered the Lasagna and Chicken La Scala combination and it also arrived late and portions were at room temperature. Not sure if the waiter was behind the curve or the grill deliberately held my plate back in retribution for complaining, but this time it was a total letdown. I have eaten at multiple Carraba's locations around the nation dozens of times and never had this issue. This is what really surprised me because I'm used to great dinners at this chain. The owner and manager should be reading these reviews.
(2)Kim B.
LOVE this Carraba's! I have never been disappointed! I have been to this particular Carraba's several times over the past 6 years and have always had very good to excellent food, very good to excellent service and I find the prices fair. Last night was no exception. We often enjoy sitting at the bar, especially when our favorite bartender, James is working. He's extremely pleasant, professional and provides excellent service. I had the Chicken Bryan and it was to die for! Each bite was so mouthwatering I could hardly keep from licking the plate! The green beans were very fresh and cooked to perfection. The side salad was full of flavor. My boyfriend had the wood-grilled chicken dish and chose the lentil soup, which he says is mighty fine! Naturally, the bread and herbs they serve up, along with the cocktails are always delicious and the atmosphere is friendly without being too casual. I can't understand the few negative experiences folks have mentioned here, but the managers and staff are very open to their customers and will go to any reasonable length to make things right for you. Highly recommended!
(5)Martin B.
Great wood grilled chicken. Highly impressed Most chains like this are. " ok" or "Mediocre" but this is really good. Even my wife, who is a huge critic of chains really likes this place.
(4)Ashley B.
2012 Review #59: I cannot fathom how this restaurant still exists. This location alone, let alone the chain itself. I have been here twice and while the first visit was mediocre's definition, the second visit was just gross. The first time I came I was pretty young and got the shrimp scampi appetizer as my entree. That's fine and all except that it is literally 6 tiny, pre-frozen shrimp in a basic butter/garlic sauce. No bread, no pasta, nothing to eat the shrimp on or with to help cut the fatty sauce. It was probably $8-9 at the time and just not really worth it. My second visit I was vegetarian and ordered the Eggplant Parmesan, which is no longer on the menu. It was, in a word, repellent. They had some seriously old eggplant, which they didn't even cook all the way, let alone bread in anything. It was the slimiest thing I have ever eaten. It was greenish brown, had no seasoning, really no sauce, just awful. It also didn't come with anything on the side to at least distract me from how gross it was. It was just bad. Since then I've never returned. I don't find myself really wanting Italian that often but with all the options in Denver that I haven't gotten to try yet, there's no reason I would ever bother coming here again.
(2)Kit L.
This is one of our favorite italian places to eat. I always get the rigatoni campagnolo - it is not even on the menu anymore and I have to call ahead to have them make it but they always make it for me and I love this place for doing that. My wife always get the mezzaluna and it has been consistently good. We like sitting at the counter by the pizza oven and seeing them make pizzas! They have always been accommodating to us anyway - if you have a bad experience it would be good to speak with a manager or a good experience for that matter. The only thing that keeps us from eating there more often is the prices and the distance to drive for us.
(5)Mei W.
My family's favorite restaurant. Have never had a bad meal here. I always order the Pollo Rosa Maria with the Momma's Mandolo Chicken soup. Not close to where I live, but worth the drive!
(5)Nina M.
Maybe I'm just getting pickier with age, but this Carrabba's used to be better. I was here for a business meeting, which by the way, they are great at accommodating. They have a fairly private back room for large groups and they can set up the room in various ways to suit the needs of your large party. The food I thought has gone downhill, though. The Marsala entrees are featured quite prominently on their menu, so I assumed it had to be good. The sauce was decent, albeit salty, but the chicken was ridiculously dry. The salad was also kind of a joke. A soggy mess of dressing-drenched iceberg lettuce with a few carrot strands and exactly one olive is not what I call a salad. Dessert was somewhat redeeming; the mini chocolate mousse is super-tasty and is served in what looks like a glorified shot glass. I don't need a lot of dessert - just a smidge to satisfy the sweet tooth while sparing the waistline.
(3)Martin B.
Great wood grilled chicken. Highly impressed Most chains like this are. " ok" or "Mediocre" but this is really good. Even my wife, who is a huge critic of chains really likes this place.
(4)Pam C.
I tried this place for the first time. I decided to have take out for lunch. I ordered the Caprese Panini and had a side of cucumber, tomato salad with it. The flavors were good. However, I told them the time I would be there for pick up. My panini was so soggy on one side, that it was pretty gross. I'm guessing they didn't pay attention to my pick up time and just made it right away and it sat until I got there. I'm always looking for places near work to grab a quick lunch (not fast food). I probably won't bother with this place again.
(3)Mei W.
My family's favorite restaurant. Have never had a bad meal here. I always order the Pollo Rosa Maria with the Momma's Mandolo Chicken soup. Not close to where I live, but worth the drive!
(5)Kit L.
This is one of our favorite italian places to eat. I always get the rigatoni campagnolo - it is not even on the menu anymore and I have to call ahead to have them make it but they always make it for me and I love this place for doing that. My wife always get the mezzaluna and it has been consistently good. We like sitting at the counter by the pizza oven and seeing them make pizzas! They have always been accommodating to us anyway - if you have a bad experience it would be good to speak with a manager or a good experience for that matter. The only thing that keeps us from eating there more often is the prices and the distance to drive for us.
(5)Stephen D.
Service was poor. Black bar girl was busy chit chatting with friends rather than serving us. No refill. No plates for appetizer. Appetizer was an F- Two 1/16im tomatoes with a small hunk of mozzerella. No basil. Bill was 80$ for two people at lunch. Should have been 20$ for their frozen entrees. Do not waste the gas money to go here.
(1)Donna C.
Is ok. Have never had any problems ... Food ok, service good, no wait times for seating, clean restaurant and good food overall. I'd like to see more change in the menu, but that is a lot to expect from a chain.
(4)Nina M.
Maybe I'm just getting pickier with age, but this Carrabba's used to be better. I was here for a business meeting, which by the way, they are great at accommodating. They have a fairly private back room for large groups and they can set up the room in various ways to suit the needs of your large party. The food I thought has gone downhill, though. The Marsala entrees are featured quite prominently on their menu, so I assumed it had to be good. The sauce was decent, albeit salty, but the chicken was ridiculously dry. The salad was also kind of a joke. A soggy mess of dressing-drenched iceberg lettuce with a few carrot strands and exactly one olive is not what I call a salad. Dessert was somewhat redeeming; the mini chocolate mousse is super-tasty and is served in what looks like a glorified shot glass. I don't need a lot of dessert - just a smidge to satisfy the sweet tooth while sparing the waistline.
(3)Bartle R.
I would give -5 stars if I could. Simply, this place was completely horrible. First, the waitress spills water on my moms iPhone. She then gets the wrong thing for her. My friends food was over salted to the extreme. With too much Parmesan which made it even more salty. My dad's lobster ravioli tasted like Mac and cheese powder. And I got the pasta weesie and that was horrible. I got a big blob of ground garlic in the middle. The only good thing there was the bread while you waited the 40 minutes for your food.
(1)Molly R.
Meh! The food was not that great, definitely not worth the price tag. I had the Marsala sirloin. It was not Marsala, tasted more like a brown gravy with mushrooms. We ordered mussels app and my youngest child a mussel lover turned them down after trying two them. I thought they were boring. All in all the food was disappointing and bland. The only reason I give it 2 stars is because of the service. Our server was very attentive and having worked in the service industry I thought he did an exceptional job. We will not return.
(2)Paul M.
I would say 2.5 stars if it was an option. I have been to this chain a decent amount of times and most of the time I am left down. During lunch if you are ordering off the lunch menu you will probably be ignored more then normal by your server as they know your bill isn't going to be up there. My favorite dish is the calamari which is hard to find here in Colorado. If they took this off the menu I would probably never go in here again as most their other food is sub par at best.
(2)Claire B.
I tried this restaurant for the first time the other night and had a horrible experience. We waited about over fifteen after our reservation time for our table and then were greeted by the most unfriendly waiter of all time! He acted as if his used car business went under and he was enslaved at Carrabba's. He was genuinely unhelpful in telling us about the menu, asserting our meal wasn't large enough multiple times even though he refused to answer questions about portion size (a little ironic, isn't it?). Our meal had shredded and diced chicken that was too gummy to chew threw and must have not been fresh. Their red sauce was good and the hostesses were friendly. Those were the two redeeming points of the evening. The interior of Carrabba's doesn't match its exterior at all. There are trees on the roof - a sign to me that you must be able to concoct something good and fresh in the kitchen and have an equally beautiful interior. Not the case. The interior was dingy and looked as if it hadn't really been remodeld since a 90's art deco craze. It was a very unappetizing and unclean ambience. The floor was absurdly dirty and it stunk like old fish/cleaner where we sat by the kitchen. What a meal!
(1)Raoul B.
Not a place I'd ordinarily go to, but since we got a gift certificate, we went here for lunch the other day. I'm a sucker for ambience. And this place has it, in spades. I mean, it's a beautiful, civilized place, but it only gets 3 stars 'cause of, you guessed it, THE FOOD. As the other Yelpers have noted, kinda pricey for what you get. I don't mind paying $12-16 for an Italian entree as long as they give me enough to take some home for lunch the next day. And while the food is tasty enough, not really blowin' up my skirt with either. I was intrigued by the Lobster Mac n' Cheese, so we had some, and sure enough, there was lobster in it. Sauce was kinda blah, some kind of parmesan cream, not cheddar. My wife had a salad with grilled shrimp and scallops, I had the Chicken parm. Again, tasty enough, but nothing to write home about, and the portions were kinda measly. Place was not too busy for lunch, so service was good, although these guys do that food runner thing, a practice I can't stand, and most of the chains do. Look, Mr. Waiter, if I'm tippin' YOU, I damn well expect to have the food brought out by YOU. Then we don't have to play that little guessing game about who ordered what, 'cause YOU, who took the order, set the food in front of the person who ordered it. Arrgh. OK place, may try it again some time when I'm feeling like blowing $50-75 on lunch.
(3)Ed D.
very disappointed, paid 12.00 for a salad the size of what you would get at Wendy's drive through. Just lettuce and a few slices of chicken over the top. Very disappointed.
(1)Colie J.
Let me start by saying this a 2.5 star review, but since they have curbside & online ordering I bumped it up to 3. This is my second time eating Carraba's but my first time ordering at this one and my first one for takeout. What I ordered Chicken Parmesan w/ garlic mashed & house salad Lobster Mac & Cheese (daily special) Placed my order online (yay!) and it was promptly ready when my husband arrived by the given time. Previously I went to one in Lansing,MI and ate Pasta Weeze and shared a pizza with a friend. I should have ordered pizza today. Chicken Parmesan was okay. It just lacked sauce, not dry but it really needed more marinara for all the herbs on the chicken. This is not served with pasta as typically seen at other rest. so I ordered garlic mashed potatoes that were again, just okay. I will say the actual portion of chicken was 2 huge pieces, but at $16.50 I would hope so. Lobster Mac & Cheese needed more cheese and lobster. Some of the lobster was overcooked . This was $9.50 and I would not order this again. I had this dish at a restaurant in Denver and it was DELICIOUS! I guess I was expecting that but in a smaller portion, it did not deliver. Salad was decent. Bread was DELICIOUS. It actually helped me eat my food since the herbs in the chicken and the seasoning on lobster were a bit much. I am not discouraged from going back or even ordering to-go again, I just hope my food is more impressive next time. A couple of additional notes 1) I called twice. Once to find out if they have eggplant parmesan and then to ask if any of their cheese in my food would be unpasterized. They were very friendly and helpful both times. They will make you eggplant instead of chicken but you have to call a few hours before you intend to come in. If I had eggplant with some extra marinara I think my meal would have been A+. 2) Sometimes I give the food the benefit of the doubt if it is takeout. I don't think my impression would have been any different in this case had I eaten in the restaurant. 3) no nutritional information online. I think ALL restaurants should be required to post this information.
(3)JeZippy E.
I haven't eaten at a Carrabba's restaurant in probably 15 years. Now I remember why. I was staying at a hotel near by this place the week of July 12th while my house was being renovated. I was told by the hotel front desk that Carrabba's gave the hotel guests a comp menu item, usually a drink, dessert or an appetizer. I was in the mood for pasta so I went. Being a major foodie (I live in Boulder where the choices are endless and most places are very good) and lover of Italian food, as well as a very good cook myself, I was hoping for a good meal at a reasonable price, even though I know it's a chain franchise. I came in at 5:40p. It was very busy for a Tues. night. Waited at the door for 10 mins before anyone came to tell me the hostess stand is halfway INSIDE the place. A waiter from the bar directed me to the stand and then left me there. I waited another 10 minutes before the same waiter finally came to seat me. Where was the host or hostess? Since I was a solo diner, I was sat in the bar. Not a big deal. My waitress showed up quickly. I told her my hotel suggested this place and she said they offer of a free glass of wine, an appetizer or a dessert for hotel guests. I wasn't drinking that evening so I asked for a free appetizer... I chose the fried zucchini. I also asked about the specials, but none of them sounded appealing; so, after looking over the menu, I asked for a recommendation between the Trout Nicciola and the Chicken Trio. I know, not a pasta dish, but hey, I thought why not try something unique. The waitress recommended the Trout, saying it was one of her personal favorites, so I order it, with pasta as a side. The meal came with a salad too. I love fried zucchini, but what I was served was greasy and limp. This is a common problem with fried zucchini. Even I've had it do the same thing to me when I've made it at home. There is a trick to making it come out firm and not greasy though. First, make sure the oil is HOT, and two, don't cook it too long. The zucchini inside the breading needs to stay firm. The serving size was large, but the roasted garlic aioli that came with it tasted like regular mayo. Not much garlic taste to it. Very disappointing. Next, my salad arrived about halfway into my eating of the appetizer. Timing wasn't well done here. I told the waitress about the sad zucchini and she said nothing. Halfway into eating the salad, my Trout Nicciola arrived. Again, poor timing. The trout was smothered in sauce, which overpowered it. The fish itself had little to no flavor on it's own, which means it was probably farm raised, not wild caught. The whole dish was only luke-warm too. When the waitress returned, it was many minutes later and she didn't even ask how my meal was, only refilled my water glass. A few minutes later, I stopped her as she was going by to tell her of my disappointment in her suggestion and the luke-warm nature of my meal. She apologized, then asked if I wanted to order another dish instead, but I said, "No." I was not interested in eating there any longer. Ok, I did order a dessert to go, the Sogno Di Cioccolata "Chocolate Dream". A very large potion, but it too was only ho-hum too. For what I paid for this meal, I would have expected much better food and service. The worst thing though was this: when I got my credit card bill a couple of days ago, I saw the charge for my meal at Carrabba's was more than $10 OVER what my actual receipt was! The waitress had given herself a $15 tip on a $24 meal. I had only given her a $4.30 tip, which was more than she deserved anyway! I immediately called my credit card company to dispute the charge and then called the restaurant to talk to the manager about it. The manager/owner, Lisa Alagua, gave me plenty of excuses as to how the tip amount might have been mistakenly entered, but I didn't agree with her at all. I told her my opinion of the food and the poor service - the lack of a voluntary satisfaction of my meal check-back by my waitress, or anyone else for that matter. She was very apologetic telling me how everything is fresh made there, nothing frozen, and the lack of service was inexcusable. In her defense, she volunteered to refund the entire meal and tip amount. She said she would also be sending me a $50 gift certificate for a future meal. She said to call ahead to make sure she is there the night I come in and she personally will make sure everything is done correctly and to my satisfaction. Well, that's great Lisa, but that's really not a remedy for everyday and anyone else who might have a similar experience.
(1)Cherie P.
We really enjoyed our meal. Salads on chilled plates, bruschetta delicious , lasagna and chcken parmisan both delicious...thanks for a great meal
(4)Alannah B.
I seem to eat here a few times a year, only because my parents love this place. I have to say, the food is okay, but I've certainly never been impressed. We always eat here on a weekend evening and it's a given that it will be extremely crowded and busy. I noticed when we ate here last weekend that they had changed the menu. I am vegetarian, and whatever my usual standby entree was (something with capers) was gone, and it didn't seem like they replaced it with anything similar. There were only a couple of choices without meat, and none of them were particulary tempting. I went with the manicotti this last time, and after eating it I remembered that I had had it before. It definitely isn't anything worth trying. Maybe I'm spoiled by my mother's version, but hers isn't even made from scratch and it's much, much better! Our waiter was friendly, but very distracted, and even took off a couple of times (once when my mom was in mid-sentence, asking for butter with the bread... no "be right back" or anything--he did come back with it but it was a bit strange). It seemed like they were short-handed on the floor, but honestly every time I've been there the service has been mediocre at best. Our waiter never did ask anybody at our table if they needed refills or even more water. Overall, this place is okay. It's not as though the food is bad, but honestly it's way overpriced for the quality, the selection is a bit disappointing (for a vegetarian) and considering the service I'd rather go somewhere else. If not for my parents, I would never choose to eat here on my own. They both eat meat so maybe that makes all the difference. I would've rated it two and 1/2 stars if I was able, but I'll give them the extra just because my parents seem to like it so much.
(3)John A.
Loved everything! The veal picatta was great but best part though was the Sicilian chicken soup!!
(5)J T.
Nice place, pretty good food, a buck or two too much for the entree's. Nice selection of drinks, desserts, etc. I would go again next time I am in town for work.
(3)Eric M.
We've eaten here 4x. Food-tasty. Service-great.
(4)Steve M.
We just went here to chowdown on pasta the night before a race and I was really impressed! Well, first we had to wait for over an hour. These damn restaurants in the suburbs always have horrible waits. Apparently no one cooks at home anymore. But once we were seated, the pesto, or whatever it is, that comes with the bread is delicious. The bread is hot and tasty as well. Our waiter was probably one of the best I've ever had anywhere. Like I said, this place was crammed full and he was running around, but he never let my Coke get empty and I must have had 7 or 8 refills. Ah yeah, onto the food. I had a shrimp scampi pasta dish that really hit the spot. I don't know what my wife had, but she liked hers as well. For a chain restaurant, I was really impressed. The service and food were top notch.
(4)Stephanie S.
I give them 2.5 stars. Have eaten there quite a few times over the years. They have always been expensive but the food was pretty good, grated cheese plentiful and several dishes included 2 veggies besides the salad, and the staff was friendly and inviting. So what has changed! The portions are smaller, many items just have a single veggie now, and grated cheese has to be asked for, and then the wait staff gets defensive about it. Prices are way out of line. They are definitely downgrading the food, portions and service.
(2)Natalie J.
Best food!! Great calamaris! Dairy free options! One of my favorite restaurants for sure!
(5)Brad P.
I was here for a group business event. At the end when we were trying to pay our checks, there was some confusion and the waiter did not get my check and payment. I walked up to the wait station and asked if someone could please run my card as I had been waiting for a while to make payment. A young lady politely said she would and took my credit card. Then, as I walked out of the bathroom, I caught her and a co-worker talking about me - she mimicked exactly what I said and the co-worker said "it's a f*&king sit down restaurant, chill out" referring to me asking for someone to run my credit card. When I confronted her, she denied it. I know what it is to be waitstaff and I know that sometimes you talk about customers, but I busted your a** and you still denied it. Then you paid for my lunch - which I did not ask you to do. I appreciate your apology, but next time you are busted own up to it. The salad was excellent, great Arnold Palmer, but the margarita pizza was below average.
(2)Ashley B.
2012 Review #59: I cannot fathom how this restaurant still exists. This location alone, let alone the chain itself. I have been here twice and while the first visit was mediocre's definition, the second visit was just gross. The first time I came I was pretty young and got the shrimp scampi appetizer as my entree. That's fine and all except that it is literally 6 tiny, pre-frozen shrimp in a basic butter/garlic sauce. No bread, no pasta, nothing to eat the shrimp on or with to help cut the fatty sauce. It was probably $8-9 at the time and just not really worth it. My second visit I was vegetarian and ordered the Eggplant Parmesan, which is no longer on the menu. It was, in a word, repellent. They had some seriously old eggplant, which they didn't even cook all the way, let alone bread in anything. It was the slimiest thing I have ever eaten. It was greenish brown, had no seasoning, really no sauce, just awful. It also didn't come with anything on the side to at least distract me from how gross it was. It was just bad. Since then I've never returned. I don't find myself really wanting Italian that often but with all the options in Denver that I haven't gotten to try yet, there's no reason I would ever bother coming here again.
(2)Jamie L.
This one's somewhere between 2 and 3. The food, for a chain, was surprisingly (at least to me) palatable, but the service makes me want to hit kittens until they are the consistency of Skittles. We walked in for a late lunch (3pm) The place was nearly empty, but the bartender was behind the bar, which is what the Hostess Stand is in the middle of. No worries, though, she didn't say hello to us. Neither did anyone else. Coupla minutes go by, and the Server who had been sitting AT one of his tables with his friends, chatting, got up and asked us "Two?" Aww..... he can count. Cute. Well whatever, it was nearby where we were going and I was craving a Caesar Salad. The lunch menu was passable, and we ended up with a Caesar to start, a surprisingly good Steak Hoagie (Sliced, medium-rare-ish Sirloin on a Baguette with mushrooms, provolone, and marsala sauce.) For $9, that came with house-made potato chips. I got the Mussels appetizer, $11 for a HUGE bowl that I managed to eat 2/3 of, and share the rest. The server managed to refill our drinks on time, and the food was hot, good, and well-presented, but even with that down, the lack of personality and caring was just blah. Naturally, we got "That Receipt"... the one with the SURVEY on it. They all must have known that they treated us like crap, because not only did the guy not MENTION the survey, but he went so far as to FOLD the receipt so that I wouldn't see it! Hah. I did. I win. On our way out, I asked the preteen hostess if they had any mints. (Garlic. Much.) Her reply? "Nope." Sooooo yeah, I probably won't be back, despite the passable food. It's not near any of my normal destinations, and these apathetic people working there make in simply undesirable and unwelcoming.
(3)Katy S.
I enjoy going to Carrabbas!! Their mussel appetizer is great and I get it every time I go there! I have never had a bad meal there before and I think that the service has always been great! The servers always seem to be very personable with me! I am kind of surprised by all of the bad reviews of this place. I honestly think that it is great and I enjoy going there!
(5)Lorenzo S.
Decided to eat here after late work one evening and WOW WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! Soup before dinner came out room temperature. When asked for replacement, they simply microwaved my portion and returned. I ordered the Lasagna and Chicken La Scala combination and it also arrived late and portions were at room temperature. Not sure if the waiter was behind the curve or the grill deliberately held my plate back in retribution for complaining, but this time it was a total letdown. I have eaten at multiple Carraba's locations around the nation dozens of times and never had this issue. This is what really surprised me because I'm used to great dinners at this chain. The owner and manager should be reading these reviews.
(2)Kim B.
LOVE this Carraba's! I have never been disappointed! I have been to this particular Carraba's several times over the past 6 years and have always had very good to excellent food, very good to excellent service and I find the prices fair. Last night was no exception. We often enjoy sitting at the bar, especially when our favorite bartender, James is working. He's extremely pleasant, professional and provides excellent service. I had the Chicken Bryan and it was to die for! Each bite was so mouthwatering I could hardly keep from licking the plate! The green beans were very fresh and cooked to perfection. The side salad was full of flavor. My boyfriend had the wood-grilled chicken dish and chose the lentil soup, which he says is mighty fine! Naturally, the bread and herbs they serve up, along with the cocktails are always delicious and the atmosphere is friendly without being too casual. I can't understand the few negative experiences folks have mentioned here, but the managers and staff are very open to their customers and will go to any reasonable length to make things right for you. Highly recommended!
(5)