As a post-Valentine's Day date for me and my favorite valentine, we chose this Brooklyn location (first time for both of us). I tried making reservations over the phone, assuming it would be a busy weekend for romance. I was told they don't take reservations, but they do have a "call ahead" system that will let them know we're coming. I have no idea how that helped them or us, as we still ended up waiting half an hour (in a very (!) crowded lobby area) to be seated. How can that be safe or sanitary with servers and restaurant staff weaving in and out of standing-room-only patrons? Leah, our server, made it all better. After our wait, we were sat in her section. What a delight! Not only was she super nice, but she did her job well. We came two hours before closing and it was packed; and yet, Leah was smiling and pleasant and made us feel right at home the entire time. We knew what we wanted to order right away, so she got us started on our glasses of wine (prosecco and blackberry sangria - yum!), warmed bread and garlic oil (double yum!), and the to-die-for bowl (get the large!) of Cozze in Bianco. We completed our meal with an order of the Chicken Bryan and Sirloin Marsala. With as busy as the restaurant was, I had a few fleeting images of the show, "Hell's Kitchen." You know, when the cooks fall apart in the kitchen because of the demanding crowds, the food suffers, and Gordon Ramsay's head starts spinning? Thankfully, that was not the case for us - with our perfectly prepared chicken breast and steak medium-rare. Everything was spot on! Leah kept our bread basket filled and treated us like friends. Once we made it through the crazy lobby situation, the rest of our experience was worth repeating.
(4)
Tom D.
We all ordered our food, service at this point was good. My chk Marsalauce looked as if the Sous Chef really screwed up, slightly burnt sauce n little to no mushrooms , terrible, sent back.. My wife had meatballs, served cold with no sauce and a roll torn open! This was not a good experience and would suggest the food for a Dog ! Dinners beware ,!!!!
(1)
Mark M.
I brought in a coupon and they refused to accept it, they said it was fake. I even showed the Manager I printed it off from their corporate website. He still ignored me. What a jerk. The portion sizes for lunch are far too small and overpriced. This place needs work when it comes to the whole customer experience. The decor is nice, but looks only go so far.
(2)
Danielle F.
I have only been to carrabba's once in the past. My boyfriend and I wanted Italian but not the same old. He had spaghetti and meatballs and I had mezzaluna. My bf said he's was pretty good and I enjoyed mine. It had a tomato cream sauce, which I really liked, but wish there was more of it. There is no carrabba's super close to us, but we will make the trip again.
(4)
David B.
Date night! Not big on chains but everything from the apps( Calamari and risotto poppers) to entrees(seafood fett marinara and seared pork tenderloin and asparagus) was REALLY quite good! Doesn't hurt that they feature Peroni on tap!!! Left quite full and satisfied so maybe you might consider a short trek over to Tiedeman and see if I am spot on or clueless... Cheers!!!
(3)
rebecca t.
We went on a Saturday night, there was no wait which was great. The food was good but nothing special and the waitress efficient. We were seated by the front door which kept slamming shut throughout our meal. I would say it's worth giving this place a try!
(3)
Sara W.
I seriously love this place! We go to Carrabba's Italian Grill at least twice a month, and that's on the low end. I highly recommend any of the Marsala dishes: steak, chicken or pork. We have searched high and low for another Marsala dish that comes somewhat close to Carrabba's and NO ONE can touch it! They also have other delicious dishes like the Tag Pic Pac (what I normally get), and their house salad dressing is very good too. The staff is very friendly and willing to accommodate any order. The only reason that I gave this four stars instead of five is because they don't take reservations. Love it!
(4)
Russ P.
I recently took my wife for a nice lunch at Cabbera's. We were pleased to see that they were open for lunch at this location. The same high level of service and attention were in place. From the greeting at the door to the great service. As per normal the quality and taste of the food vas very good. The sausage and lental soup was perfact on a sunny fall day. The spaghtetti and meatballs ordered by my wife was excellent on all levels. I had ordered pasta in a light sun dried tomato sause which was wonderful. We both enjoyed the hot fresh bread anice addition to the meal. All in all a very nice relaxed Saturday lunch.
(4)
Courtney C.
My boyfriend and I went here on a Monday, and we we chose to sit at the bar where we were served promptly. We're foodie types, but we're not food snobs by any means. We went to Carrabba's because we were craving an unhealthy chain or diner type style of food (and I had a giftcard!). The service was fine, despite being slightly irritated that the bartender suggested that my ID was fake, since I'm young-ish and I have a an out-of-state ID. The Chianti was the special, and I enjoyed it. His Margarita was too sour for him, but the bartender set the expectation that it was a mix, so that's on us. We ordered quite a few things, and we didn't like any of it. The salad was coated and dripping with dressing. The minestrone was flavorless, and I suspect it wasn't cooked for very long, because the vegetables were undercooked. Plus, I like pasta in my minestrone, and it lacked that. The calamari was breaded with a breading that would be comparable to chicken strip breading, and the squid itself was "meh". My lobster mac-and-cheese had a thin cheese sauce that didn't coat the noodles, and the lobster was terrible: it tasted like it was from a can-- very fishy smelling and tasting. He had an Alfredo and shells dish with chicken. I thought it was better than my dish, but he barely touched it. The sauce was runny, and the chicken (and the entire dish, for that matter) tasted and smelt frozen, like a frozen dinner. The food we ordered is pretty simple to do right, so there is no excuse for how bad it was. I understand why a chain would use frozen food, and I'd accept that if the establishment wasn't charging me over $15 for it. There are fine dining Italian restaurants with comparable prices, so if you're looking for good Italian, you certainly should look elsewhere. If you're looking for some fried food and some unhealthy, home-style cheesy dishes, buy a box of mac-n-cheese and bag of frozen fried items from Giant Eagle--because that would be better than eating at Carrabba's. Oh yeah, I also woke up in the middle of the night with indigestion, and I puked the following morning. If you don't dig food poisoning, I suggest dining elsewhere. :)
(2)
Tim M.
This is the only chain Italian restaurant we will patronize. The food is fresh, and the selection is just right. The staff is always professional. The place is clean as well
(4)
Lex D.
The food was great! The Service was awsome... I really enjoyed the blackberry sangria and the calmari is seasoned perfectly!! This was my 1st time here but I will be going back !!!
(5)
Carly F.
I am so glad to see a Houston staple has made its way up to Cleveland!
(5)
Bianca P.
Hands down best lasagne I've ever had at a chain restuarant. I also tried the fried calamari it's was very tasty although a little uncooked but again very tasty. The bread has an old world look and taste I especially loved the olive oil and cheese butter. Yummy. The drinks are a little expensive but other than that go for this place!
(5)
Crystal P.
I really like Carrabba's updated menu but the prices are a bit too steep. All in all a decent value but for the money, I'd rather go to a non-chain Italian spot in Little Italy. Wine Wednesdays are a great deal, though! Try the Blackberry Sangria.
(3)
Wendy P.
Service was so-so and the food came out slow. Mixed drink was very expensive. Get the wine instead. Husband had Steak Skewers and the meat was tough. Ot was okay for dinner on a week night.
(3)
Rodney W.
Tonight, we took the in-laws to Carrabba's for dinner. My mother-in-law loves this place! There were 10 of us, but we were seated quickly because it was Monday night and the place was next to empty. I ordered the Chicken Trio and a Caesar Salad. The lemon chicken was just so-so, the goat cheese chicken was just okay, but the Chicken Marsala was outstanding, yet again. While I appreciate that they use organic chicken breasts, I miss the large breasts that I am used to at other venues. No, not strip clubs! Get your mind back on the menu! My daughter ordered Lasagna and she ate it slowly, which means she didn't like it very much. Her slow eating came to a grinding halt, so I tasted her Lasagna. It really wasn't that good. Actually, my wife bakes better Lasagna than this. I noticed several of those at the table did not eat their garlic mashed potatoes and I wondered why. How can you screw mashed potatoes up? Or was it that my in-laws just aren't used to eating them in their native Puerto Rico. So I grabbed a fork full from an abandoned plate and tasted them. They were overpoweringly seasoned with black pepper and way too much raw garlic. Wow. They were bad. No wonder there were heaps remaining. Then I looked at my sister-in-law and niece's plates...they too were half full of uneaten alfredo pasta. By this time, I was so full that I didn't have room to taste their pasta. But I was tempted nonetheless. I asked them how their pasta was, thinking they were simply overcome by a large portion. Nope! They both said it tasted bad. Finally, my mother-in-law said her Beef Brasato dish (you know, the one they're advertising on TV right now) was too heavily seasoned and she didn't finish it. Since she is getting on a plane to San Juan in the morning, she said I could have her leftovers for lunch. Not sure if that is a good thing considering the not-so-great-tasting-meal that we just ate. This is my first disappointing visit to Carrabba's and I must remove one star for the overbearing taste. Gah! I also must remove it from my favorite restaurants list too! This is getting to be a lot of work! Maybe they were training a new chef? Nope! I watched them cook the meal and they all seemed perfectly at ease. Maybe because it was Monday it was an off night. I don't know. My water didn't get refilled until I begged a second time either. Whatever. I'll reconsider visiting Carrabba's at this location on a Monday, to be sure.
(3)
David O.
I had an impromtu dinner there late last night with a friend of mine. I have never dined there before so my feelings and opinions were neutral from the start. I am not too big of a fan on chain restaurants in general, as they all appear to be bland across the board. I was satisfied with the menu selections, but disappointed with the portion sizes and the price for what you are paying for. I ordered a pasta dish that looked more like a luncheon portion then a dinner portion. It was luke warm, which tells me it was either reheated, or it sat under a heat lamp for quite some time. The service was a tad bit too slow, as it was a slow weeknight evening, i would have expected fast service. I would recommend this restaurant for maybe a light lunch option, but most certainly not for dinner, unless you want to walk away hungry. But, in my book, Carrabba's still beats out Olive Garden hands down for overall food quality and price.
(3)
Bart S.
FUCKING GARBAGE ....I ordered the tilapia and it was burnt crisp
(1)
Gina C.
Met some relatives here for dinner on a Friday evening. This was my first visit to a Carrabba's, and the food was cheaper than I had expected. The food was acceptable, but nothing memorable. The restaurant had an overall dirty feeling - bad smells, sticky floor, etc. The worst part of our visit was the service - so chaotic. I swear we had repeat every request to two different people. I hope to never go back.
(2)
Eric S.
This place sucks! From the dirty table we sat down to until the over priced burnt chick parm, never going again service & wait time is obnoxious! This is a 1 out of 10 for sure
(1)
John H.
Haven't been eating much at national chains the past 10 years but I occasionally pop in when running errands. Portion sizes have been decreased the past few years but the quality and taste have remained. Carry out service is better than the wait and they even give you a loaf of bread with the EVOO and herbs.
(3)
James S.
Ran out of scallops. How can they run out of a product that is in so many of their dishes?
(3)
Rachel W.
Carrabba's is a chain, which makes me like it less, but my sister and I went here recently and it was a great experience. We are both the grazing type who eat all day so when we go out we often split a meal. We split the lemon chicken and each had caesar salad. The chicken was fabulous, and it was just the right amount of food. Our waiter was prompt and friendly. I will come back here.
(4)
Milt B.
Call ahead expect good foodand service and have fun. The martini a are the best as are most drinks. We go to SAMs and eat there on way home. It's a fun dining experience for couples and family
(5)
Jim S.
Lasagna tasted like it was purchased from a grocery store freezer section....soup however was great. ..I will come back as I have had better meals here. ..
(3)
Danielle F.
I have only been to carrabba's once in the past. My boyfriend and I wanted Italian but not the same old. He had spaghetti and meatballs and I had mezzaluna. My bf said he's was pretty good and I enjoyed mine. It had a tomato cream sauce, which I really liked, but wish there was more of it. There is no carrabba's super close to us, but we will make the trip again.
(4)
David B.
Date night! Not big on chains but everything from the apps( Calamari and risotto poppers) to entrees(seafood fett marinara and seared pork tenderloin and asparagus) was REALLY quite good! Doesn't hurt that they feature Peroni on tap!!! Left quite full and satisfied so maybe you might consider a short trek over to Tiedeman and see if I am spot on or clueless... Cheers!!!
(3)
Amy H.
As a post-Valentine's Day date for me and my favorite valentine, we chose this Brooklyn location (first time for both of us). I tried making reservations over the phone, assuming it would be a busy weekend for romance. I was told they don't take reservations, but they do have a "call ahead" system that will let them know we're coming. I have no idea how that helped them or us, as we still ended up waiting half an hour (in a very (!) crowded lobby area) to be seated. How can that be safe or sanitary with servers and restaurant staff weaving in and out of standing-room-only patrons? Leah, our server, made it all better. After our wait, we were sat in her section. What a delight! Not only was she super nice, but she did her job well. We came two hours before closing and it was packed; and yet, Leah was smiling and pleasant and made us feel right at home the entire time. We knew what we wanted to order right away, so she got us started on our glasses of wine (prosecco and blackberry sangria - yum!), warmed bread and garlic oil (double yum!), and the to-die-for bowl (get the large!) of Cozze in Bianco. We completed our meal with an order of the Chicken Bryan and Sirloin Marsala. With as busy as the restaurant was, I had a few fleeting images of the show, "Hell's Kitchen." You know, when the cooks fall apart in the kitchen because of the demanding crowds, the food suffers, and Gordon Ramsay's head starts spinning? Thankfully, that was not the case for us - with our perfectly prepared chicken breast and steak medium-rare. Everything was spot on! Leah kept our bread basket filled and treated us like friends. Once we made it through the crazy lobby situation, the rest of our experience was worth repeating.
(4)
Gina C.
Met some relatives here for dinner on a Friday evening. This was my first visit to a Carrabba's, and the food was cheaper than I had expected. The food was acceptable, but nothing memorable. The restaurant had an overall dirty feeling - bad smells, sticky floor, etc. The worst part of our visit was the service - so chaotic. I swear we had repeat every request to two different people. I hope to never go back.
(2)
Wendy P.
Service was so-so and the food came out slow. Mixed drink was very expensive. Get the wine instead. Husband had Steak Skewers and the meat was tough. Ot was okay for dinner on a week night.
(3)
Eric S.
This place sucks! From the dirty table we sat down to until the over priced burnt chick parm, never going again service & wait time is obnoxious! This is a 1 out of 10 for sure
(1)
Tom D.
We all ordered our food, service at this point was good. My chk Marsalauce looked as if the Sous Chef really screwed up, slightly burnt sauce n little to no mushrooms , terrible, sent back.. My wife had meatballs, served cold with no sauce and a roll torn open! This was not a good experience and would suggest the food for a Dog ! Dinners beware ,!!!!
(1)
John H.
Haven't been eating much at national chains the past 10 years but I occasionally pop in when running errands. Portion sizes have been decreased the past few years but the quality and taste have remained. Carry out service is better than the wait and they even give you a loaf of bread with the EVOO and herbs.
(3)
James S.
Ran out of scallops. How can they run out of a product that is in so many of their dishes?
(3)
Rodney W.
Tonight, we took the in-laws to Carrabba's for dinner. My mother-in-law loves this place! There were 10 of us, but we were seated quickly because it was Monday night and the place was next to empty. I ordered the Chicken Trio and a Caesar Salad. The lemon chicken was just so-so, the goat cheese chicken was just okay, but the Chicken Marsala was outstanding, yet again. While I appreciate that they use organic chicken breasts, I miss the large breasts that I am used to at other venues. No, not strip clubs! Get your mind back on the menu! My daughter ordered Lasagna and she ate it slowly, which means she didn't like it very much. Her slow eating came to a grinding halt, so I tasted her Lasagna. It really wasn't that good. Actually, my wife bakes better Lasagna than this. I noticed several of those at the table did not eat their garlic mashed potatoes and I wondered why. How can you screw mashed potatoes up? Or was it that my in-laws just aren't used to eating them in their native Puerto Rico. So I grabbed a fork full from an abandoned plate and tasted them. They were overpoweringly seasoned with black pepper and way too much raw garlic. Wow. They were bad. No wonder there were heaps remaining. Then I looked at my sister-in-law and niece's plates...they too were half full of uneaten alfredo pasta. By this time, I was so full that I didn't have room to taste their pasta. But I was tempted nonetheless. I asked them how their pasta was, thinking they were simply overcome by a large portion. Nope! They both said it tasted bad. Finally, my mother-in-law said her Beef Brasato dish (you know, the one they're advertising on TV right now) was too heavily seasoned and she didn't finish it. Since she is getting on a plane to San Juan in the morning, she said I could have her leftovers for lunch. Not sure if that is a good thing considering the not-so-great-tasting-meal that we just ate. This is my first disappointing visit to Carrabba's and I must remove one star for the overbearing taste. Gah! I also must remove it from my favorite restaurants list too! This is getting to be a lot of work! Maybe they were training a new chef? Nope! I watched them cook the meal and they all seemed perfectly at ease. Maybe because it was Monday it was an off night. I don't know. My water didn't get refilled until I begged a second time either. Whatever. I'll reconsider visiting Carrabba's at this location on a Monday, to be sure.
(3)
David O.
I had an impromtu dinner there late last night with a friend of mine. I have never dined there before so my feelings and opinions were neutral from the start. I am not too big of a fan on chain restaurants in general, as they all appear to be bland across the board. I was satisfied with the menu selections, but disappointed with the portion sizes and the price for what you are paying for. I ordered a pasta dish that looked more like a luncheon portion then a dinner portion. It was luke warm, which tells me it was either reheated, or it sat under a heat lamp for quite some time. The service was a tad bit too slow, as it was a slow weeknight evening, i would have expected fast service. I would recommend this restaurant for maybe a light lunch option, but most certainly not for dinner, unless you want to walk away hungry. But, in my book, Carrabba's still beats out Olive Garden hands down for overall food quality and price.
(3)
Bart S.
FUCKING GARBAGE ....I ordered the tilapia and it was burnt crisp
(1)
Rachel W.
Carrabba's is a chain, which makes me like it less, but my sister and I went here recently and it was a great experience. We are both the grazing type who eat all day so when we go out we often split a meal. We split the lemon chicken and each had caesar salad. The chicken was fabulous, and it was just the right amount of food. Our waiter was prompt and friendly. I will come back here.
(4)
Milt B.
Call ahead expect good foodand service and have fun. The martini a are the best as are most drinks. We go to SAMs and eat there on way home. It's a fun dining experience for couples and family
(5)
Jim S.
Lasagna tasted like it was purchased from a grocery store freezer section....soup however was great. ..I will come back as I have had better meals here. ..
(3)
rebecca t.
We went on a Saturday night, there was no wait which was great. The food was good but nothing special and the waitress efficient. We were seated by the front door which kept slamming shut throughout our meal. I would say it's worth giving this place a try!
(3)
Tim M.
This is the only chain Italian restaurant we will patronize. The food is fresh, and the selection is just right. The staff is always professional. The place is clean as well
(4)
Lex D.
The food was great! The Service was awsome... I really enjoyed the blackberry sangria and the calmari is seasoned perfectly!! This was my 1st time here but I will be going back !!!
(5)
Carly F.
I am so glad to see a Houston staple has made its way up to Cleveland!
(5)
Courtney C.
My boyfriend and I went here on a Monday, and we we chose to sit at the bar where we were served promptly. We're foodie types, but we're not food snobs by any means. We went to Carrabba's because we were craving an unhealthy chain or diner type style of food (and I had a giftcard!). The service was fine, despite being slightly irritated that the bartender suggested that my ID was fake, since I'm young-ish and I have a an out-of-state ID. The Chianti was the special, and I enjoyed it. His Margarita was too sour for him, but the bartender set the expectation that it was a mix, so that's on us. We ordered quite a few things, and we didn't like any of it. The salad was coated and dripping with dressing. The minestrone was flavorless, and I suspect it wasn't cooked for very long, because the vegetables were undercooked. Plus, I like pasta in my minestrone, and it lacked that. The calamari was breaded with a breading that would be comparable to chicken strip breading, and the squid itself was "meh". My lobster mac-and-cheese had a thin cheese sauce that didn't coat the noodles, and the lobster was terrible: it tasted like it was from a can-- very fishy smelling and tasting. He had an Alfredo and shells dish with chicken. I thought it was better than my dish, but he barely touched it. The sauce was runny, and the chicken (and the entire dish, for that matter) tasted and smelt frozen, like a frozen dinner. The food we ordered is pretty simple to do right, so there is no excuse for how bad it was. I understand why a chain would use frozen food, and I'd accept that if the establishment wasn't charging me over $15 for it. There are fine dining Italian restaurants with comparable prices, so if you're looking for good Italian, you certainly should look elsewhere. If you're looking for some fried food and some unhealthy, home-style cheesy dishes, buy a box of mac-n-cheese and bag of frozen fried items from Giant Eagle--because that would be better than eating at Carrabba's. Oh yeah, I also woke up in the middle of the night with indigestion, and I puked the following morning. If you don't dig food poisoning, I suggest dining elsewhere. :)
(2)
Bianca P.
Hands down best lasagne I've ever had at a chain restuarant. I also tried the fried calamari it's was very tasty although a little uncooked but again very tasty. The bread has an old world look and taste I especially loved the olive oil and cheese butter. Yummy. The drinks are a little expensive but other than that go for this place!
(5)
Crystal P.
I really like Carrabba's updated menu but the prices are a bit too steep. All in all a decent value but for the money, I'd rather go to a non-chain Italian spot in Little Italy. Wine Wednesdays are a great deal, though! Try the Blackberry Sangria.
(3)
Mark M.
I brought in a coupon and they refused to accept it, they said it was fake. I even showed the Manager I printed it off from their corporate website. He still ignored me. What a jerk. The portion sizes for lunch are far too small and overpriced. This place needs work when it comes to the whole customer experience. The decor is nice, but looks only go so far.
(2)
Sara W.
I seriously love this place! We go to Carrabba's Italian Grill at least twice a month, and that's on the low end. I highly recommend any of the Marsala dishes: steak, chicken or pork. We have searched high and low for another Marsala dish that comes somewhat close to Carrabba's and NO ONE can touch it! They also have other delicious dishes like the Tag Pic Pac (what I normally get), and their house salad dressing is very good too. The staff is very friendly and willing to accommodate any order. The only reason that I gave this four stars instead of five is because they don't take reservations. Love it!
(4)
Russ P.
I recently took my wife for a nice lunch at Cabbera's. We were pleased to see that they were open for lunch at this location. The same high level of service and attention were in place. From the greeting at the door to the great service. As per normal the quality and taste of the food vas very good. The sausage and lental soup was perfact on a sunny fall day. The spaghtetti and meatballs ordered by my wife was excellent on all levels. I had ordered pasta in a light sun dried tomato sause which was wonderful. We both enjoyed the hot fresh bread anice addition to the meal. All in all a very nice relaxed Saturday lunch.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dessert Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Waiter Service : 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.
Amy H.
As a post-Valentine's Day date for me and my favorite valentine, we chose this Brooklyn location (first time for both of us). I tried making reservations over the phone, assuming it would be a busy weekend for romance. I was told they don't take reservations, but they do have a "call ahead" system that will let them know we're coming. I have no idea how that helped them or us, as we still ended up waiting half an hour (in a very (!) crowded lobby area) to be seated. How can that be safe or sanitary with servers and restaurant staff weaving in and out of standing-room-only patrons? Leah, our server, made it all better. After our wait, we were sat in her section. What a delight! Not only was she super nice, but she did her job well. We came two hours before closing and it was packed; and yet, Leah was smiling and pleasant and made us feel right at home the entire time. We knew what we wanted to order right away, so she got us started on our glasses of wine (prosecco and blackberry sangria - yum!), warmed bread and garlic oil (double yum!), and the to-die-for bowl (get the large!) of Cozze in Bianco. We completed our meal with an order of the Chicken Bryan and Sirloin Marsala. With as busy as the restaurant was, I had a few fleeting images of the show, "Hell's Kitchen." You know, when the cooks fall apart in the kitchen because of the demanding crowds, the food suffers, and Gordon Ramsay's head starts spinning? Thankfully, that was not the case for us - with our perfectly prepared chicken breast and steak medium-rare. Everything was spot on! Leah kept our bread basket filled and treated us like friends. Once we made it through the crazy lobby situation, the rest of our experience was worth repeating.
(4)Tom D.
We all ordered our food, service at this point was good. My chk Marsalauce looked as if the Sous Chef really screwed up, slightly burnt sauce n little to no mushrooms , terrible, sent back.. My wife had meatballs, served cold with no sauce and a roll torn open! This was not a good experience and would suggest the food for a Dog ! Dinners beware ,!!!!
(1)Mark M.
I brought in a coupon and they refused to accept it, they said it was fake. I even showed the Manager I printed it off from their corporate website. He still ignored me. What a jerk. The portion sizes for lunch are far too small and overpriced. This place needs work when it comes to the whole customer experience. The decor is nice, but looks only go so far.
(2)Danielle F.
I have only been to carrabba's once in the past. My boyfriend and I wanted Italian but not the same old. He had spaghetti and meatballs and I had mezzaluna. My bf said he's was pretty good and I enjoyed mine. It had a tomato cream sauce, which I really liked, but wish there was more of it. There is no carrabba's super close to us, but we will make the trip again.
(4)David B.
Date night! Not big on chains but everything from the apps( Calamari and risotto poppers) to entrees(seafood fett marinara and seared pork tenderloin and asparagus) was REALLY quite good! Doesn't hurt that they feature Peroni on tap!!! Left quite full and satisfied so maybe you might consider a short trek over to Tiedeman and see if I am spot on or clueless... Cheers!!!
(3)rebecca t.
We went on a Saturday night, there was no wait which was great. The food was good but nothing special and the waitress efficient. We were seated by the front door which kept slamming shut throughout our meal. I would say it's worth giving this place a try!
(3)Sara W.
I seriously love this place! We go to Carrabba's Italian Grill at least twice a month, and that's on the low end. I highly recommend any of the Marsala dishes: steak, chicken or pork. We have searched high and low for another Marsala dish that comes somewhat close to Carrabba's and NO ONE can touch it! They also have other delicious dishes like the Tag Pic Pac (what I normally get), and their house salad dressing is very good too. The staff is very friendly and willing to accommodate any order. The only reason that I gave this four stars instead of five is because they don't take reservations. Love it!
(4)Russ P.
I recently took my wife for a nice lunch at Cabbera's. We were pleased to see that they were open for lunch at this location. The same high level of service and attention were in place. From the greeting at the door to the great service. As per normal the quality and taste of the food vas very good. The sausage and lental soup was perfact on a sunny fall day. The spaghtetti and meatballs ordered by my wife was excellent on all levels. I had ordered pasta in a light sun dried tomato sause which was wonderful. We both enjoyed the hot fresh bread anice addition to the meal. All in all a very nice relaxed Saturday lunch.
(4)Courtney C.
My boyfriend and I went here on a Monday, and we we chose to sit at the bar where we were served promptly. We're foodie types, but we're not food snobs by any means. We went to Carrabba's because we were craving an unhealthy chain or diner type style of food (and I had a giftcard!). The service was fine, despite being slightly irritated that the bartender suggested that my ID was fake, since I'm young-ish and I have a an out-of-state ID. The Chianti was the special, and I enjoyed it. His Margarita was too sour for him, but the bartender set the expectation that it was a mix, so that's on us. We ordered quite a few things, and we didn't like any of it. The salad was coated and dripping with dressing. The minestrone was flavorless, and I suspect it wasn't cooked for very long, because the vegetables were undercooked. Plus, I like pasta in my minestrone, and it lacked that. The calamari was breaded with a breading that would be comparable to chicken strip breading, and the squid itself was "meh". My lobster mac-and-cheese had a thin cheese sauce that didn't coat the noodles, and the lobster was terrible: it tasted like it was from a can-- very fishy smelling and tasting. He had an Alfredo and shells dish with chicken. I thought it was better than my dish, but he barely touched it. The sauce was runny, and the chicken (and the entire dish, for that matter) tasted and smelt frozen, like a frozen dinner. The food we ordered is pretty simple to do right, so there is no excuse for how bad it was. I understand why a chain would use frozen food, and I'd accept that if the establishment wasn't charging me over $15 for it. There are fine dining Italian restaurants with comparable prices, so if you're looking for good Italian, you certainly should look elsewhere. If you're looking for some fried food and some unhealthy, home-style cheesy dishes, buy a box of mac-n-cheese and bag of frozen fried items from Giant Eagle--because that would be better than eating at Carrabba's. Oh yeah, I also woke up in the middle of the night with indigestion, and I puked the following morning. If you don't dig food poisoning, I suggest dining elsewhere. :)
(2)Tim M.
This is the only chain Italian restaurant we will patronize. The food is fresh, and the selection is just right. The staff is always professional. The place is clean as well
(4)Lex D.
The food was great! The Service was awsome... I really enjoyed the blackberry sangria and the calmari is seasoned perfectly!! This was my 1st time here but I will be going back !!!
(5)Carly F.
I am so glad to see a Houston staple has made its way up to Cleveland!
(5)Bianca P.
Hands down best lasagne I've ever had at a chain restuarant. I also tried the fried calamari it's was very tasty although a little uncooked but again very tasty. The bread has an old world look and taste I especially loved the olive oil and cheese butter. Yummy. The drinks are a little expensive but other than that go for this place!
(5)Crystal P.
I really like Carrabba's updated menu but the prices are a bit too steep. All in all a decent value but for the money, I'd rather go to a non-chain Italian spot in Little Italy. Wine Wednesdays are a great deal, though! Try the Blackberry Sangria.
(3)Wendy P.
Service was so-so and the food came out slow. Mixed drink was very expensive. Get the wine instead. Husband had Steak Skewers and the meat was tough. Ot was okay for dinner on a week night.
(3)Rodney W.
Tonight, we took the in-laws to Carrabba's for dinner. My mother-in-law loves this place! There were 10 of us, but we were seated quickly because it was Monday night and the place was next to empty. I ordered the Chicken Trio and a Caesar Salad. The lemon chicken was just so-so, the goat cheese chicken was just okay, but the Chicken Marsala was outstanding, yet again. While I appreciate that they use organic chicken breasts, I miss the large breasts that I am used to at other venues. No, not strip clubs! Get your mind back on the menu! My daughter ordered Lasagna and she ate it slowly, which means she didn't like it very much. Her slow eating came to a grinding halt, so I tasted her Lasagna. It really wasn't that good. Actually, my wife bakes better Lasagna than this. I noticed several of those at the table did not eat their garlic mashed potatoes and I wondered why. How can you screw mashed potatoes up? Or was it that my in-laws just aren't used to eating them in their native Puerto Rico. So I grabbed a fork full from an abandoned plate and tasted them. They were overpoweringly seasoned with black pepper and way too much raw garlic. Wow. They were bad. No wonder there were heaps remaining. Then I looked at my sister-in-law and niece's plates...they too were half full of uneaten alfredo pasta. By this time, I was so full that I didn't have room to taste their pasta. But I was tempted nonetheless. I asked them how their pasta was, thinking they were simply overcome by a large portion. Nope! They both said it tasted bad. Finally, my mother-in-law said her Beef Brasato dish (you know, the one they're advertising on TV right now) was too heavily seasoned and she didn't finish it. Since she is getting on a plane to San Juan in the morning, she said I could have her leftovers for lunch. Not sure if that is a good thing considering the not-so-great-tasting-meal that we just ate. This is my first disappointing visit to Carrabba's and I must remove one star for the overbearing taste. Gah! I also must remove it from my favorite restaurants list too! This is getting to be a lot of work! Maybe they were training a new chef? Nope! I watched them cook the meal and they all seemed perfectly at ease. Maybe because it was Monday it was an off night. I don't know. My water didn't get refilled until I begged a second time either. Whatever. I'll reconsider visiting Carrabba's at this location on a Monday, to be sure.
(3)David O.
I had an impromtu dinner there late last night with a friend of mine. I have never dined there before so my feelings and opinions were neutral from the start. I am not too big of a fan on chain restaurants in general, as they all appear to be bland across the board. I was satisfied with the menu selections, but disappointed with the portion sizes and the price for what you are paying for. I ordered a pasta dish that looked more like a luncheon portion then a dinner portion. It was luke warm, which tells me it was either reheated, or it sat under a heat lamp for quite some time. The service was a tad bit too slow, as it was a slow weeknight evening, i would have expected fast service. I would recommend this restaurant for maybe a light lunch option, but most certainly not for dinner, unless you want to walk away hungry. But, in my book, Carrabba's still beats out Olive Garden hands down for overall food quality and price.
(3)Bart S.
FUCKING GARBAGE ....I ordered the tilapia and it was burnt crisp
(1)Gina C.
Met some relatives here for dinner on a Friday evening. This was my first visit to a Carrabba's, and the food was cheaper than I had expected. The food was acceptable, but nothing memorable. The restaurant had an overall dirty feeling - bad smells, sticky floor, etc. The worst part of our visit was the service - so chaotic. I swear we had repeat every request to two different people. I hope to never go back.
(2)Eric S.
This place sucks! From the dirty table we sat down to until the over priced burnt chick parm, never going again service & wait time is obnoxious! This is a 1 out of 10 for sure
(1)John H.
Haven't been eating much at national chains the past 10 years but I occasionally pop in when running errands. Portion sizes have been decreased the past few years but the quality and taste have remained. Carry out service is better than the wait and they even give you a loaf of bread with the EVOO and herbs.
(3)James S.
Ran out of scallops. How can they run out of a product that is in so many of their dishes?
(3)Rachel W.
Carrabba's is a chain, which makes me like it less, but my sister and I went here recently and it was a great experience. We are both the grazing type who eat all day so when we go out we often split a meal. We split the lemon chicken and each had caesar salad. The chicken was fabulous, and it was just the right amount of food. Our waiter was prompt and friendly. I will come back here.
(4)Milt B.
Call ahead expect good foodand service and have fun. The martini a are the best as are most drinks. We go to SAMs and eat there on way home. It's a fun dining experience for couples and family
(5)Jim S.
Lasagna tasted like it was purchased from a grocery store freezer section....soup however was great. ..I will come back as I have had better meals here. ..
(3)Danielle F.
I have only been to carrabba's once in the past. My boyfriend and I wanted Italian but not the same old. He had spaghetti and meatballs and I had mezzaluna. My bf said he's was pretty good and I enjoyed mine. It had a tomato cream sauce, which I really liked, but wish there was more of it. There is no carrabba's super close to us, but we will make the trip again.
(4)David B.
Date night! Not big on chains but everything from the apps( Calamari and risotto poppers) to entrees(seafood fett marinara and seared pork tenderloin and asparagus) was REALLY quite good! Doesn't hurt that they feature Peroni on tap!!! Left quite full and satisfied so maybe you might consider a short trek over to Tiedeman and see if I am spot on or clueless... Cheers!!!
(3)Amy H.
As a post-Valentine's Day date for me and my favorite valentine, we chose this Brooklyn location (first time for both of us). I tried making reservations over the phone, assuming it would be a busy weekend for romance. I was told they don't take reservations, but they do have a "call ahead" system that will let them know we're coming. I have no idea how that helped them or us, as we still ended up waiting half an hour (in a very (!) crowded lobby area) to be seated. How can that be safe or sanitary with servers and restaurant staff weaving in and out of standing-room-only patrons? Leah, our server, made it all better. After our wait, we were sat in her section. What a delight! Not only was she super nice, but she did her job well. We came two hours before closing and it was packed; and yet, Leah was smiling and pleasant and made us feel right at home the entire time. We knew what we wanted to order right away, so she got us started on our glasses of wine (prosecco and blackberry sangria - yum!), warmed bread and garlic oil (double yum!), and the to-die-for bowl (get the large!) of Cozze in Bianco. We completed our meal with an order of the Chicken Bryan and Sirloin Marsala. With as busy as the restaurant was, I had a few fleeting images of the show, "Hell's Kitchen." You know, when the cooks fall apart in the kitchen because of the demanding crowds, the food suffers, and Gordon Ramsay's head starts spinning? Thankfully, that was not the case for us - with our perfectly prepared chicken breast and steak medium-rare. Everything was spot on! Leah kept our bread basket filled and treated us like friends. Once we made it through the crazy lobby situation, the rest of our experience was worth repeating.
(4)Gina C.
Met some relatives here for dinner on a Friday evening. This was my first visit to a Carrabba's, and the food was cheaper than I had expected. The food was acceptable, but nothing memorable. The restaurant had an overall dirty feeling - bad smells, sticky floor, etc. The worst part of our visit was the service - so chaotic. I swear we had repeat every request to two different people. I hope to never go back.
(2)Wendy P.
Service was so-so and the food came out slow. Mixed drink was very expensive. Get the wine instead. Husband had Steak Skewers and the meat was tough. Ot was okay for dinner on a week night.
(3)Eric S.
This place sucks! From the dirty table we sat down to until the over priced burnt chick parm, never going again service & wait time is obnoxious! This is a 1 out of 10 for sure
(1)Tom D.
We all ordered our food, service at this point was good. My chk Marsalauce looked as if the Sous Chef really screwed up, slightly burnt sauce n little to no mushrooms , terrible, sent back.. My wife had meatballs, served cold with no sauce and a roll torn open! This was not a good experience and would suggest the food for a Dog ! Dinners beware ,!!!!
(1)John H.
Haven't been eating much at national chains the past 10 years but I occasionally pop in when running errands. Portion sizes have been decreased the past few years but the quality and taste have remained. Carry out service is better than the wait and they even give you a loaf of bread with the EVOO and herbs.
(3)James S.
Ran out of scallops. How can they run out of a product that is in so many of their dishes?
(3)Rodney W.
Tonight, we took the in-laws to Carrabba's for dinner. My mother-in-law loves this place! There were 10 of us, but we were seated quickly because it was Monday night and the place was next to empty. I ordered the Chicken Trio and a Caesar Salad. The lemon chicken was just so-so, the goat cheese chicken was just okay, but the Chicken Marsala was outstanding, yet again. While I appreciate that they use organic chicken breasts, I miss the large breasts that I am used to at other venues. No, not strip clubs! Get your mind back on the menu! My daughter ordered Lasagna and she ate it slowly, which means she didn't like it very much. Her slow eating came to a grinding halt, so I tasted her Lasagna. It really wasn't that good. Actually, my wife bakes better Lasagna than this. I noticed several of those at the table did not eat their garlic mashed potatoes and I wondered why. How can you screw mashed potatoes up? Or was it that my in-laws just aren't used to eating them in their native Puerto Rico. So I grabbed a fork full from an abandoned plate and tasted them. They were overpoweringly seasoned with black pepper and way too much raw garlic. Wow. They were bad. No wonder there were heaps remaining. Then I looked at my sister-in-law and niece's plates...they too were half full of uneaten alfredo pasta. By this time, I was so full that I didn't have room to taste their pasta. But I was tempted nonetheless. I asked them how their pasta was, thinking they were simply overcome by a large portion. Nope! They both said it tasted bad. Finally, my mother-in-law said her Beef Brasato dish (you know, the one they're advertising on TV right now) was too heavily seasoned and she didn't finish it. Since she is getting on a plane to San Juan in the morning, she said I could have her leftovers for lunch. Not sure if that is a good thing considering the not-so-great-tasting-meal that we just ate. This is my first disappointing visit to Carrabba's and I must remove one star for the overbearing taste. Gah! I also must remove it from my favorite restaurants list too! This is getting to be a lot of work! Maybe they were training a new chef? Nope! I watched them cook the meal and they all seemed perfectly at ease. Maybe because it was Monday it was an off night. I don't know. My water didn't get refilled until I begged a second time either. Whatever. I'll reconsider visiting Carrabba's at this location on a Monday, to be sure.
(3)David O.
I had an impromtu dinner there late last night with a friend of mine. I have never dined there before so my feelings and opinions were neutral from the start. I am not too big of a fan on chain restaurants in general, as they all appear to be bland across the board. I was satisfied with the menu selections, but disappointed with the portion sizes and the price for what you are paying for. I ordered a pasta dish that looked more like a luncheon portion then a dinner portion. It was luke warm, which tells me it was either reheated, or it sat under a heat lamp for quite some time. The service was a tad bit too slow, as it was a slow weeknight evening, i would have expected fast service. I would recommend this restaurant for maybe a light lunch option, but most certainly not for dinner, unless you want to walk away hungry. But, in my book, Carrabba's still beats out Olive Garden hands down for overall food quality and price.
(3)Bart S.
FUCKING GARBAGE ....I ordered the tilapia and it was burnt crisp
(1)Rachel W.
Carrabba's is a chain, which makes me like it less, but my sister and I went here recently and it was a great experience. We are both the grazing type who eat all day so when we go out we often split a meal. We split the lemon chicken and each had caesar salad. The chicken was fabulous, and it was just the right amount of food. Our waiter was prompt and friendly. I will come back here.
(4)Milt B.
Call ahead expect good foodand service and have fun. The martini a are the best as are most drinks. We go to SAMs and eat there on way home. It's a fun dining experience for couples and family
(5)Jim S.
Lasagna tasted like it was purchased from a grocery store freezer section....soup however was great. ..I will come back as I have had better meals here. ..
(3)rebecca t.
We went on a Saturday night, there was no wait which was great. The food was good but nothing special and the waitress efficient. We were seated by the front door which kept slamming shut throughout our meal. I would say it's worth giving this place a try!
(3)Tim M.
This is the only chain Italian restaurant we will patronize. The food is fresh, and the selection is just right. The staff is always professional. The place is clean as well
(4)Lex D.
The food was great! The Service was awsome... I really enjoyed the blackberry sangria and the calmari is seasoned perfectly!! This was my 1st time here but I will be going back !!!
(5)Carly F.
I am so glad to see a Houston staple has made its way up to Cleveland!
(5)Courtney C.
My boyfriend and I went here on a Monday, and we we chose to sit at the bar where we were served promptly. We're foodie types, but we're not food snobs by any means. We went to Carrabba's because we were craving an unhealthy chain or diner type style of food (and I had a giftcard!). The service was fine, despite being slightly irritated that the bartender suggested that my ID was fake, since I'm young-ish and I have a an out-of-state ID. The Chianti was the special, and I enjoyed it. His Margarita was too sour for him, but the bartender set the expectation that it was a mix, so that's on us. We ordered quite a few things, and we didn't like any of it. The salad was coated and dripping with dressing. The minestrone was flavorless, and I suspect it wasn't cooked for very long, because the vegetables were undercooked. Plus, I like pasta in my minestrone, and it lacked that. The calamari was breaded with a breading that would be comparable to chicken strip breading, and the squid itself was "meh". My lobster mac-and-cheese had a thin cheese sauce that didn't coat the noodles, and the lobster was terrible: it tasted like it was from a can-- very fishy smelling and tasting. He had an Alfredo and shells dish with chicken. I thought it was better than my dish, but he barely touched it. The sauce was runny, and the chicken (and the entire dish, for that matter) tasted and smelt frozen, like a frozen dinner. The food we ordered is pretty simple to do right, so there is no excuse for how bad it was. I understand why a chain would use frozen food, and I'd accept that if the establishment wasn't charging me over $15 for it. There are fine dining Italian restaurants with comparable prices, so if you're looking for good Italian, you certainly should look elsewhere. If you're looking for some fried food and some unhealthy, home-style cheesy dishes, buy a box of mac-n-cheese and bag of frozen fried items from Giant Eagle--because that would be better than eating at Carrabba's. Oh yeah, I also woke up in the middle of the night with indigestion, and I puked the following morning. If you don't dig food poisoning, I suggest dining elsewhere. :)
(2)Bianca P.
Hands down best lasagne I've ever had at a chain restuarant. I also tried the fried calamari it's was very tasty although a little uncooked but again very tasty. The bread has an old world look and taste I especially loved the olive oil and cheese butter. Yummy. The drinks are a little expensive but other than that go for this place!
(5)Crystal P.
I really like Carrabba's updated menu but the prices are a bit too steep. All in all a decent value but for the money, I'd rather go to a non-chain Italian spot in Little Italy. Wine Wednesdays are a great deal, though! Try the Blackberry Sangria.
(3)Mark M.
I brought in a coupon and they refused to accept it, they said it was fake. I even showed the Manager I printed it off from their corporate website. He still ignored me. What a jerk. The portion sizes for lunch are far too small and overpriced. This place needs work when it comes to the whole customer experience. The decor is nice, but looks only go so far.
(2)Sara W.
I seriously love this place! We go to Carrabba's Italian Grill at least twice a month, and that's on the low end. I highly recommend any of the Marsala dishes: steak, chicken or pork. We have searched high and low for another Marsala dish that comes somewhat close to Carrabba's and NO ONE can touch it! They also have other delicious dishes like the Tag Pic Pac (what I normally get), and their house salad dressing is very good too. The staff is very friendly and willing to accommodate any order. The only reason that I gave this four stars instead of five is because they don't take reservations. Love it!
(4)Russ P.
I recently took my wife for a nice lunch at Cabbera's. We were pleased to see that they were open for lunch at this location. The same high level of service and attention were in place. From the greeting at the door to the great service. As per normal the quality and taste of the food vas very good. The sausage and lental soup was perfact on a sunny fall day. The spaghtetti and meatballs ordered by my wife was excellent on all levels. I had ordered pasta in a light sun dried tomato sause which was wonderful. We both enjoyed the hot fresh bread anice addition to the meal. All in all a very nice relaxed Saturday lunch.
(4)