My boyfriend and I dined here on a Friday night two weeks ago. They were pretty busy but there was no wait for seating. Our waitress Daysha was wonderful; she was attentive, helpful, and welcoming. I started off with Mama Mandola's Sicilian Chicken Soup which was flavorful and actually had good sized chunks of chicken in it. For my entree I had the Fettucine Carrabba. The pasta tasted fresh and was cooked perfectly. The sauce wasn't super thick which I liked and the grilled chicken was moist. I didn't have high expectations coming in but I enjoyed my dinner immensely. I will definitely come back to this location.
(4)
Diane H.
Not sure how busy this would be "In Season" but on the fringes it is a fabulous place to go for a good Italian dinner. My father especially loves the drink specials that enables him to have a martini for less than $4.00 with his bread appetizer. What I love about Carrabbas is its consistency - no matter where you go, you get the same high level of service with great food at a reasonable price.
(4)
Raf N.
Chicken soup was the bomb. So was the zucchini fritte. Service was the bomb too. Carrabba's is the bomb squad.
(4)
Ramon R.
very dissapointed I have been eating at Carrabbas for over 15 years. this used to be my go to place often going 3-4 times per month. However, this past visit totally ruined it for me. until now I had never been dissapointed at this chain. let me start that it seems as this place is cutting a lot of corners. the Pollo Rosamaria which I have been ordering for the last 15 or so years was completly changed. the portion is half the size and the prep (chicken no longer stuffed) is no good. the cheese and proscuitto is just thrown on top. the price is higher and portion is half the size. girlfriend ordered scallops.... what a joke she and my daughter were on a scavenger hunt to try to find something inside the scallops almost seemed as they had been emptied before they got to the table. Daughter Mahi dish was overcooked and was like mush. waitress Maggi P didnt seem to care much when I mentioned some of the issues and said that this is how its suppose to be. the manager said that they had changed the recipe so the chicken would be juicier come on really a flat piece of chicken that looked like shoe leather.. I didnt cause much comotion and opted to just deal with it. we left most of our meals but the waitress didnt even notice that we nad left almost full plates. nearly 70 dollars later I would be better off at the frozen food aisle. August 14 2015..
(2)
D J.
Welllll, I only ended up here because Olive Garden was further than I wanted to drive. So I said "Hey!" I haven't been to Carrabba's in years let me check them out down here in FL. First, the greeter/hostess was very friendly & seated me swiftly. My waitress was prompt and just as friendly. However, when she brought out the bread she didn't bring any cheese & oil (years ago when I had been to one in Chicago it was standard). Second, my Italian salad was "okay" (it was over dressed)...Olive Gardens is much better. Third, my lobster ravioli was soooooo delicious but the plating was blah (which really didn't matter to me because it was so good). Overall, it was average. Would I go back? Yes, for the lobster ravioli (& I'll request cheese & olive oil & maybe try the house salad)
(3)
Tony V.
Prompt service and accommodating with two kids. Server was very polite and made good suggestions for drinks and for the entrees. The red sangria was delicious and the food was good. I recommend the chicken trio.
(5)
Kyle S.
Went here with my family and my god was the food horrible, how do you ruin 4 out of 4 Italian dishes in a Italian restaurant? I had a chicken parm sandwich that tasted like it was completely raw I could only finish a quarter of it. The sauce had no taste to it, the cheese had the consistency of rubber and the bread of the sandwich I thought was sour dough in fact there was green splotches of mold on the inside. I got food poisoning from the little portion I did eat and I complained to the server and manger they couldn't do anything about it and blamed the chefs. I'm hoping this place turned around in the lat year and a half and updated their service and retrained from the back of the house to front because my experience was horrible and me and my family will never come back here. It seems that this place is always busy so either they have an incredible happy hour and rediculously good prices on drinks or people who come here to eat have iron stomached and can withstand food poisoning.
Hair in my ravioli. No offer by waiter to get me a new one or even an offer for a complimentary dessert. Nothing. I'm pregnant and was hungry so I just took the hairy ravioli out and forged on. The waiter actually said "sorry about that, the girls in the back to a good job but sometimes a hair string gets loose". Gross. Had to ask several times to have my lemonade refilled. I get it, you're busy. But help a thirsty girl out! With so many other Italian restaurant options out there I would seriously consider another dining location. Otherwise, best of luck and look out for those "hair strings coming loose"!
(2)
Sara S.
Good ol' Carrabba's. It's a nice consistent chain with nothing spectacular but nothing wrong. The bonus is the service, I must say. The managers must do a great job hiring their staff b/c everyone we've dealt with is friendly and helpful. I always get the Chicken Bryan, goat cheese, brown butter sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, YUM! They have awesome bread and olive oil parm mix at the start of the meal and their house creamy Italian is tasty. The pick pack chicken or something is really good too, but expect garlic breath the rest of the night. They're extremely kid-friendly as well. The kids get a ball of dough to play with or crayons and paper. The curb side pick up is a parent's dream or lazy man's dream. I originally rated this place 3 stars, but I think after writing my review I need to change it to a 4. It's not authentic Italian, but it's consistent, customer-oriented and pretty tasty!
Enjoyed a very good lunch at Carrabba's...they recently began opening for lunch every day. The place was virtually empty at 12:30, and as a result, service was exceptionally friendly and efficient. Our party had the Italian Cobb Salad, the Chicken Caesar Salad and the HalfPanini/Soup combination. All three were made with fresh ingredients and were portioned perfectly. Fresh bread with tasty dipping oil was a pleasant accompaniment. Although a tad pricier than most "lunch places," the quality and taste of the food were top drawer. We will definitely return for lunch in the future, and would certainly highly recommend this location.
(5)
Shari B.
I usually love this place... Pork Marsala was really tough and the meat had very weird flavor? I thought maybe it was just me , I ate very little then had leftovers for lunch and still bad and strange taste? An hr later was sick. Makes me mad that I will never go back again because I love the food there! But I'm not risking that sickness again! Bye carrabas.
(1)
Sue H.
Great place, good service and food. We were in and out in 45 minutes! We like to eat out once a week.
(5)
Jill B.
Bartenders are awesome, very personable. I like the Monday triple dinner deal starting at 12.99....only Bummer is that you can't use the 15% coupon with deal:/ The chicken soup is delish! Call ahead seating is a must here!!!!
(4)
Ashley R.
Place was packed, but we were seated in about 10 minutes (table for 2). Server was courteous and efficient. Chicken soup was very good. I could have made a meal out of that alone. The fettucini Carraba was solid. Don't skip the cheese on top, it needs it. I guess my main complaint would be the setup of the restaurant. We were seated right next to the kitchen and I saw at least a dozen near misses with patrons and servers. It was a minefield trying to get to the restroom, which is inconveniently located down a hall with servers darting in and out with loaded trays.
(4)
Cathy J.
I am a big fan of Carrabba's! Not many Italian restaurants offer a delicious filet that my husband can enjoy while I'm able to get my pasta fix on. Carrabba's accomplishes both! We have been frequenting this Carrabba's for years now and have never had a bad meal. The service and quality of food is always consistent, which is probably why it is always packed! Fortunately, Carrabba's does offer call-ahead seating which I definitely recommend utilizing, especially now that we are entering into "season." We love the delicious bread and pesto olive oil dipping sauce that is served complimentary. As for the meals, I have never ordered something I didn't love. Some of my favorites are the Chicken Marsala, Chicken Parm & Chicken Bryan. I like that you can order a "small" portion if you aren't particularly hungry. The cavatappi pasta side is my absolute fave, but when I'm trying to be good, I do love their broccoli! My husband orders the filet each and every time and loves it. And he's a picky one. I always start my meal with the Mama's Sicilian chicken soup...order it. It is the best.soup.ever. Carrabba's also offers deals such as "Wine Wednesdays" in which they offer $10 off all bottles of wine, and I believe their happy hour lasts until 7 pm. Overall, if you are in the mood for a decent Italian meal at a reasonable price, you can't beat Carrabba's! OH and P.S....Carrabba's offers a fantastic gluten-free menu!
(5)
Hunter M.
Went with a group of friends, we started with an appetizer we had mozzarella chess sticks I give them a 5/5 they were perfect and had a great temperature and they were cheesy, for my main corse I ordered lobster raviolis with white wine sauce it was a great dish one of my best 5/5 but the only thing is they could have put a few more raviolis with the dish, the waitress was on her game, the food was a little slow to come out but she kept on refiling our drinks, she gets a 5/5.
(5)
Moe G.
We went there with the family. In the heart of Orlando and the Main Street international drive. We had a nice meal margarita pizza was not really great. Shrimp and scallops very nice meal with linguini. Also another fish of mani fish and penne. We also took a delicious dish of 4 cheeses ravioli. Service is decent and price for the family came out to $65 and we tipped the waiter good for the service.
(4)
Jennifer K.
Love this place. The hostess greets my husband by name because we are here so much! Lobster ravioli is the best dish. I also like the eggplant parmiagian but its not on the menu. And get the wedding cake martini it is the most delicious martini!! Again its not on the menu.
(5)
Itsagirl A.
We love to go to Carrabba's. It's my father's favorite when he comes to town. He loves the dipping oil with the herbs for the very yummy bread. I love the chicken dishes (all of them :-) ). The ortions are just right and the service is excellent. The only negative I have is that during "season" it's a bit of a wait for a table. Sitting at the bar with small kids isn't reasonable or appropriate. But for a great meal, we are wiling to wait!
(4)
Didi D.
I want to give this place three stars, because our server was excellent, however, this chain really doesn't warrant more than two and a half stars at best. We are determined to try every restaurant on University (just moved a bit north of the airport), and I wanted Italian this weekend. Neither of us had been to a Carraba's before. Now that we have it is unlikely that we'll ever go back to one. After ten minutes we were seated (the place was packed), and both of us felt that the waitress and service was the best part of the meal. She was cheerful, talkative, and genuine, kept our drinks filled, and the plates of food coming. Kudos to her for being able to handle her tables so well on a busy night. We ordered the Arancini as a starter, and the pollo sorrento, and rigatoni martino for entrees. The Arancini is sausage, rice, and seasonings that has been rolled in breadcrumbs and fried. It's a fried mushball. It's kinda bland, but you'll eat it 'cause you're hungry and this is 'Merica where rolling foods in dough or crumbs, and then frying them means it is an automatic win. Meh. We went with Caesar salads with our dinners. Salads were kinda crummy in my opinion. The lettuce was too wilted, and the dressing was sopped on far too generously. Maybe the Italian salad is better? Speaking of Italian, we both ordered Italian sodas. My partner got a raspberry, and I got a pomegranate. His was good, but mine was bubbles with red food coloring in it. I swapped it for an orange, and that one was ok. If at first you don't succeed... The pollo sorrento comes with two chicken breasts (I only ate one) for those of you longing for massive portions. I had high hopes for the fig sauce, because I love figs, but it was too salty and relied mostly on sugar (high fructose corn syrup?) and salt for flavor. Young kids would like it, because it was slightly reminiscent of fruit roll ups. The pasta side that came with my meal was a massive let down. I can throw together some diced tomatoes and olive oil on my own. Dazzle me with fresh herbs, and stunning flavors, damn it! The rigatoni martino wasn't anything special either. It was alright, but for the price I expected something of higher quality. PRICE is the problem with this place. I'm happy to pay seventeen dollars for an entree, but I want that entree to be better than average! If the meals we picked were ten dollars this place would nab a third star, but the quality simply isn't there to warrant a higher price tag. I'd rather have smaller portions of unforgettable amazing food, than a large platter of mediocre stuff that I could prepare better myself at home. This is basically an Olive Garden with less selection that charges five or six dollars more per plate. If you are ok paying these prices THERE ARE BETTER ITALIAN RESTAURANTS in Sarasota.
(2)
Scott V.
When it comes down to picking places, when Carrabba's name comes up the discussion has pretty much ended. The bread and dipping oil, could make a meal of that. Atmosphere is great in the general seating, at the bar or at the pasta bar. The new expansion has really opened up the place. Not too long ago we thought the prices were going up and the serving size going down but the new menu items have us stuffed on the drive home. Great turn around and took this place from 4 up to 5 stars for us.
(5)
Nancy N.
By now, one would think that the food would at least be acceptable. Wrong! I do admit that the bread was more than passable, so I anticipated the calamari with high hopes. Not so. It was grossly overly spiced and thickly crusted, like extra crispy KFC at a bad franchise. I guess that's what Carrabbas is I could not taste the squid at all, and it seemed tough and definitely previously frozen.. My raviolis were mostly thick, with one or two of a more delicate texture. They too seemed like the frozen kind--fresh out of the plastic bag. I will never return, since the quality of their offerings has diminished so severely. but I have to say that at least our server was efficient, friendly and quite cheerful. Beware!
(1)
Kathleen K.
My husband and I have been to this restaurant numerous times, sometimes just the two of us and other times with a larger party. In general, the food seems to have degraded lately. The latest visit, we ate at the bar. The soups were good. My husband ordered a chicken dish; the presentation was awful, a totally gray plate and skimpy portion. My chicken dish was presented better, but the chicken was overcooked and dry. But my worst complaint, and this was not the first time, was the impertinent service at the bar. TJ and Jake have the habit of addressing their older patrons as 'kids', as in 'what can I get you kids', come back soon kids', and the like. Some people may like this, but it really annoys me. I find it disrespectful, condescending and patronizing. The manager needs to retrain the staff in the correct way to address all patrons respectfully.
(2)
Richard C.
This is a great restaurant. Very close to real Italian food you can find in America. While the selection of dishes isn't entirely Italian it is still very good and approximates the experience you would get in many Trattoria's in North or Central Italy. Great friendly staff and reasonable prices. What more could you ask for!
(5)
Mike M.
Very good food but I am not happy they have made the portions smaller now I pay extra when I order veggie with my meal. I wish they would serve refills on drinks faster. I will be back.
(4)
Felicia N.
Visiting from out of town and decided to stop for dinner. We were seated very quickly and were greated by our server. This is when it went down hill. Our server was absolutely awful and made us feel like we were eating at a slummy bar. He spoke to us like we were his college buddys or someone he knew in highschool. He also blamed the cooks for his mistake when he didnt ring in our order correctly. We also found a hair on our daughter kids pizza, a mishap that i know is a complete accident. Over all the food was a 7 out of 10. Probably will not eat here again.
(3)
Cathy K.
If you like decent Italian food, forget about visiting Carrabbas! Every dish, from salad to main course, was not decent Italian, nor fit to be eaten! I would expect Itatian fooc to have some sauce and not dry as our 3 meals were. The salad was mixed greens but the dressing was not to be found or tasted....it was nonesistant. My pasta was plain raviola with a tablespoon of cooked tomato. My husband''s and mom's meals were also dry and had no resembleance to normal Itatian. I asked for cooked spinach which was exactly that...no seasoning or moisture. Everything was bare - not like Italian food I know with sauces and cheese, etc. I think the restaurant was being cheap to not sauce or season anything! I give this restaurant NO stars! (had to rate but would not let me pick NO stars. I eat out a lot and am easy to please but this place was so bad that I had to write and warn others...meaning YOU who want to eat there.
(1)
Matthew T.
I do not understand restaurants like this, but obviously they speak to someone as they are all over the place, on TV and packed. Went here for a co-workers going away party. The only reason I crossed the threshold. ANd yes, I might have gone in with preconceived notions, but I hate to admit most of my fears were realized. My usual complaints about chain/corporate/soulless restaurants are true here: 1)bait and switch things on the bill (total that shows a suggested tip in bold, I'm a good tipper but when I get grumpy) and no clear indication in the menu regarding happy hour in the bar or the wait staff forgets to mention the happy our menu and prices. 2)Huge portions, enough for two people, that is without the side salad! Does anyone need two chicken breasts? 3)Crazy icky alfrado sauce on just about everything, Everything is better with cheese out of a container, right? I did not order these but people I was with did. 4) way too much salt, and I like salt! We shared a few things in the bar, calamari, bland and an odd color (but at least not over salted!)and the flat breads were ok. Loved the over priced beer, but I should have gotten smart and ordered the bad beers on tap and it would have at least been cheaper than water. I also tried the mussels, which were barely warm, covered in some odd cream sauce (supposed to have been wine and lemon, where did the cream come from?). Yes, I'm grumpy. When there are places in this town that make good things, why come to this robot factory of blandness? Why not cook at home?
(2)
Lyndsey H.
Literally worst service I've ever received at a restaurant with Rett as our server. Forgot our orders of beers and apps and didn't comp a single thing. Will not return when we've been going here once a month for the past year. Way thumbs down for Rett.
(1)
Nancy H.
Last night 4 of us had dinner there, and 3 of the meals were horrible! 2 had veal picatta. Have you ever had picatta without lemon or capers? That's right - disgusting! Plus the presentation stink - a blob of white piccata and a blob of white mashed potatoes - nothing else on the plate - very unappetizing! So don't waste your money here. Very disappointing!
(1)
Kathy H.
Lasagna was warm at best. Next table was served cold soup and sent it back. Waitress was attentive to drinks but not food. No extra bread or even stopped long enough to tell her the lasagna was not hot enough to consume. Go eat next door, much better food and service!!
(1)
Nick H.
Unambiguous shit. The food was bland and drowning in whatever slop sauce it was served in. The waitstaff was completely clueless. Some of other the reviews on Yelp are positive, but I suspect that if you are repulsed by chains like Chili's or Friday's, you won't like Carrabba's either. Bread was mediocre. The waitress brought out a ground up spice catnip shit mixture and poured olive oil on it. The small plates for the bread were wet, as if she had walked through the rain to get to our table. We asked about different types of bruschetta that were offered. A waitress helpfully passing by chimed in that "my boyfriend says that the bruschetta with the goat cheese tastes like toothpaste!" That's probably not too far off from the truth. Next came the salads. They were terribly uninspired, and soppy with dressing. Less than a minute after we were given the salads, the waittress brought out the entrees. One man in our party, who had a full plate of food and was actively eating, was asked, "Are you still working on that?" Yes, I'm still "working" on it! You just brought it out, and I've barely taken three bites! (Leaving aside the issue of how asking "are you still working on that" as opposed to "are you finished eating" makes it sound like the food is a pile of matter that I'm trying to make disappear instead of a meal I'm trying to enjoy. I suppose that at Carrabba's, the former case is accurate.) The entrees continued to disappoint. I could barely eat more than a few bites of mine, which was so submerged in sauce that it was as if a deity were punishing a planet by drowning it. My water glass was filled precisely once throughout the meal. Despite my requests, it was never refilled. There were flies constantly buzzing around our table, which was outdoors. The waitstaff had no concept of subtlety. They bellowed across the patio about how they were going to do their jobs, as well as a variety of other uninteresting topics. Throughout the meal, dirty dishes were piled within arm's reach of my table: i.imgur.com/KK1bt.jpg . Eating shit like this would be marginally acceptable if it were dirt cheap. But that's not the case here. I would not recommend Carrabba's to anyone I cared about.
(1)
John B.
Great service and food. Our server always had my drink filled. Zucchini Fritte appetizer is excellent. Pasta Weesie is excellent. Love their bread and oil.
(5)
Scott C.
I was given a Carrabba's gift card as a Christmas present so I thought I would give it a try for lunch. When I walked in at 12:30 it was quite busy. The restaurant next door, Stonefish Grill was on fire so Carrabba's had twice the normal business. I sat at bar as I like to do when I'm alone so I can watch ESPN talk about the importance of collage football. The bartender/waitress was excellent. I forget her name but she was very friendly and knew the menu. I ordered the carnivore pizza and salad. The pizza was very good and I liked the fresh basil leaves. The salad, not so much. It was made up of plain iceberg lettuce, chopped and chunky. It was a bit wilted too. I think the "salad chef" went to the same culinary school that trains airplane food chefs. Service was superb, pizza was very good. Bathroom report, because that's what I gotta do: clean and useable.
(3)
Carey Y.
I do not have high hopes when visiting chain restaurants. I think of Bonefish, Applebees, Chili's, Olive Garden etc in a category that I like to call 'not really worth my time or money'. I will now add Carrabba's to the list. My mom and step-dad enjoy eating here and invited us to join them for dinner a few weeks ago. Never being people to say no to a meal out, my fiance and I met them there and we were seated in about 10 minutes. We ordered sangria to share for the table and it was brought out along with some warm bread and herbed olive oil for dipping. The sangria was basically grape juice with some fruit floating in it. It may or may not also have had some red wine mixed in. I'm really not sure. I started with an Italian salad with a side of crumbled blue cheese and vinegarette. The salad was fresh and had a nice mix of veggies and the cheese, though it did cost extra, was a nice addition. I probably should have stopped there as I would have been perfectly happy with a nice salad and warm bread. For our entrees, Gabriel and I shared two. We ordered the Penne Franco and asked them to use the homemade tagliarini instead of the pennee thinking, 'why have boxed pasta if homemade is an option?' We also asked them to add shrimp to that one. For our other dish, we ordered the chicken parmesan with steamed garlic spinach on the side. When the pasta dish was brought out, apparently no one got (or gave?) the message that we'd asked for the tagliarini. The waiter took it back with apologies and said he'd be right back with the correct dish. We started working on our chicken instead. The chicken was totally overcooked and dry and the cheese on top was somehow flavorless. The sweet tomato sauce didn't disguise the chicken enough to not notice how much it was lacking in any moisture content whatsoever. The spinach had so much oil on it that any nutritional benefit we'd hoped to gain from eating it was definitely lost. I love garlic, but it was too much, even for me. Just then, our pasta dish came out and we looked forward to switching over to that one. Sadly, this too was way over oiled and over-salted. The shrimp and veggies were ok, but other than that, the dish was a big fail. The answer to my 'why not have the homemade pasta' question was answered when we realized that their homemade pasta sucks. It's mushy and overcooked and simply not good. Sigh. This meal was the night of a half marathon that I'd run that morning. I SO deserved an outstanding, carb-laden, pasta and bread filled dinner and this was a pretty big bummer. Don't get me wrong, I ALWAYS appreciate when my generous parents take me and my honey out for meals...but usually they take us to places we love and this one will definitely NOT get another visit from me. Booooooooo.
(1)
Patsy T.
I keep going to restaurants and keep getting good service. Maybe it's the Florida sunshine that's keeping the staff friendly. Carrabba's was a treat. We arrived but they were very busy, but outside seating was first available and it wasn't full. so we sat outside on a beautiful evening. Who wouldn't want to be out there? I ordered Spiedino di mare, which is shrimp and scallops sauteed in a lemon butter sauce. It was really good! I added the pasta and side salad and left waddling out but happy!
(4)
Lauren W.
Well, I must say everything was great and dandy until we got to meet our waitress. The three of us went to Carrabba's on a Sunday and the waiters and waitresses just seemed like they didn't want to be here. Other than that the place was great! Delicious food, comfy seating, and beautiful atmosphere as far as the eye can see! I recommend eating here. Delicious!
(4)
George B.
Just about every time I visit my parents in Sarasota, we stop by Carrabba's for dinner. I do like this place a lot - the food is good and reasonably priced. My parents like the veal marsala a lot, with a side of angel hair pasta. I ordered one of the specials, a combination of the sirloin marsala, the chicken bryan and the mezzaluna ravioli. Both the sirloin, which came covered with mushrooms and a wine marsala sauce, and the chicken, topped with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes, were very good. The mezzaluna, half-moon ravioli stuffed with chicken, spinach and ricotta was somewhat underwhelming, possibly because the other two bits were very tasty and savory. The dishes ordered from the menu came with either soup or salad. However, there was an additional charge to add a salad to my special dish. Of course, the fresh bread, served warm, is always a highlight, which we look forward when sitting at the table. Overall, I really like Carrabba's for the food and the pleasant service. Definitely worth the trip, even from New York!
(4)
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Address :5425 University Parkway
Sarasota, FL, 34201
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
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.
Helen L.
My boyfriend and I dined here on a Friday night two weeks ago. They were pretty busy but there was no wait for seating. Our waitress Daysha was wonderful; she was attentive, helpful, and welcoming. I started off with Mama Mandola's Sicilian Chicken Soup which was flavorful and actually had good sized chunks of chicken in it. For my entree I had the Fettucine Carrabba. The pasta tasted fresh and was cooked perfectly. The sauce wasn't super thick which I liked and the grilled chicken was moist. I didn't have high expectations coming in but I enjoyed my dinner immensely. I will definitely come back to this location.
(4)Diane H.
Not sure how busy this would be "In Season" but on the fringes it is a fabulous place to go for a good Italian dinner. My father especially loves the drink specials that enables him to have a martini for less than $4.00 with his bread appetizer. What I love about Carrabbas is its consistency - no matter where you go, you get the same high level of service with great food at a reasonable price.
(4)Raf N.
Chicken soup was the bomb. So was the zucchini fritte. Service was the bomb too. Carrabba's is the bomb squad.
(4)Ramon R.
very dissapointed I have been eating at Carrabbas for over 15 years. this used to be my go to place often going 3-4 times per month. However, this past visit totally ruined it for me. until now I had never been dissapointed at this chain. let me start that it seems as this place is cutting a lot of corners. the Pollo Rosamaria which I have been ordering for the last 15 or so years was completly changed. the portion is half the size and the prep (chicken no longer stuffed) is no good. the cheese and proscuitto is just thrown on top. the price is higher and portion is half the size. girlfriend ordered scallops.... what a joke she and my daughter were on a scavenger hunt to try to find something inside the scallops almost seemed as they had been emptied before they got to the table. Daughter Mahi dish was overcooked and was like mush. waitress Maggi P didnt seem to care much when I mentioned some of the issues and said that this is how its suppose to be. the manager said that they had changed the recipe so the chicken would be juicier come on really a flat piece of chicken that looked like shoe leather.. I didnt cause much comotion and opted to just deal with it. we left most of our meals but the waitress didnt even notice that we nad left almost full plates. nearly 70 dollars later I would be better off at the frozen food aisle. August 14 2015..
(2)D J.
Welllll, I only ended up here because Olive Garden was further than I wanted to drive. So I said "Hey!" I haven't been to Carrabba's in years let me check them out down here in FL. First, the greeter/hostess was very friendly & seated me swiftly. My waitress was prompt and just as friendly. However, when she brought out the bread she didn't bring any cheese & oil (years ago when I had been to one in Chicago it was standard). Second, my Italian salad was "okay" (it was over dressed)...Olive Gardens is much better. Third, my lobster ravioli was soooooo delicious but the plating was blah (which really didn't matter to me because it was so good). Overall, it was average. Would I go back? Yes, for the lobster ravioli (& I'll request cheese & olive oil & maybe try the house salad)
(3)Tony V.
Prompt service and accommodating with two kids. Server was very polite and made good suggestions for drinks and for the entrees. The red sangria was delicious and the food was good. I recommend the chicken trio.
(5)Kyle S.
Went here with my family and my god was the food horrible, how do you ruin 4 out of 4 Italian dishes in a Italian restaurant? I had a chicken parm sandwich that tasted like it was completely raw I could only finish a quarter of it. The sauce had no taste to it, the cheese had the consistency of rubber and the bread of the sandwich I thought was sour dough in fact there was green splotches of mold on the inside. I got food poisoning from the little portion I did eat and I complained to the server and manger they couldn't do anything about it and blamed the chefs. I'm hoping this place turned around in the lat year and a half and updated their service and retrained from the back of the house to front because my experience was horrible and me and my family will never come back here. It seems that this place is always busy so either they have an incredible happy hour and rediculously good prices on drinks or people who come here to eat have iron stomached and can withstand food poisoning.
(1)L M.
We ordered fried zucchini and it was delicious. Bread & dipping sauce - not so hot. Had quite a wait for drink refills & entrees. Granted, place was busy but over 15 minutes for a drink is over the limit, in my opinion. Finally got entrées: Sirloin Marsala - meat tender, potatoes good, needed salt & pepper Shrimp & scallops w/vodka sauce - very bland, would not get it again Chicken parm - chicken dry, wasn't bad otherwise Pizza - great!! Pepperoni & Italian sausage Shrimp & scallops de mare - excellent For the price - meh. It was all okay. Not great for everyone.
(3)Alicia D.
Hair in my ravioli. No offer by waiter to get me a new one or even an offer for a complimentary dessert. Nothing. I'm pregnant and was hungry so I just took the hairy ravioli out and forged on. The waiter actually said "sorry about that, the girls in the back to a good job but sometimes a hair string gets loose". Gross. Had to ask several times to have my lemonade refilled. I get it, you're busy. But help a thirsty girl out! With so many other Italian restaurant options out there I would seriously consider another dining location. Otherwise, best of luck and look out for those "hair strings coming loose"!
(2)Sara S.
Good ol' Carrabba's. It's a nice consistent chain with nothing spectacular but nothing wrong. The bonus is the service, I must say. The managers must do a great job hiring their staff b/c everyone we've dealt with is friendly and helpful. I always get the Chicken Bryan, goat cheese, brown butter sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, YUM! They have awesome bread and olive oil parm mix at the start of the meal and their house creamy Italian is tasty. The pick pack chicken or something is really good too, but expect garlic breath the rest of the night. They're extremely kid-friendly as well. The kids get a ball of dough to play with or crayons and paper. The curb side pick up is a parent's dream or lazy man's dream. I originally rated this place 3 stars, but I think after writing my review I need to change it to a 4. It's not authentic Italian, but it's consistent, customer-oriented and pretty tasty!
(4)Jim H.
We hadn't been here in many months and because it's "season" we got a call ahead reservation. It was a good thing as they were quite busy; seems that Carrabba's and it's sister operations Out Back and Lee Roy Selmon's are always busy. I guess well run quality chains are more recession proof than other operations. We checked with the two hostesses on duty and were verbally given a number. No more vibrating flashing mini flying saucers to hold on too. When your number flashes on a nearby screen your table is ready. Note to those afflicted with early onset dementia; bring a pencil and paper to write it down! We waited maybe ten minutes for a table. Reasonable based on the waiting crowd. As busy as they were a server approached immediately and supplied warm bread along with a small bowl of spices to be mixed with olive oil. Happy hour (2 for 1) is from 4PM till 7PM. We ordered a Vodka Martini which was a nice size and served with two plump olives. They also offer on Wednesday's only, full bottles of certain wines at a $10.00 discount. We started with fried Calamari served with a generous portion of marinara sauce. I prefer it with just lemon juice and salt. This is now offered in two sizes; a small at $7.00 and a regular at $9.00. I've had better (and lots worse) Calamari elsewhere, but theirs is always lightly battered, crispy and delicious. It's a great start with cocktails. Dinners included a side and choice of soup, house or Caesar salads. We each had Caesar salads served cold and crisp along with the requested extra anchovies. At this point we briefly discussed having the coming dinners boxed to go but forged ahead anyway! My wife had the Eggplant Parmesan ($14.00) served with a side of ziti and a tomato based sauce. It was a large portion and most of it was brought home for later. She loved it. I had their popular (been on the menu forever) Pollo Rosa Maria. Described on the menu as Chicken stuffed with fontina cheese, prosciutto, topped with mushrooms and a basil lemon butter sauce. This is cooked on a wood burning grill and that flavor clearly came through. My regular portion ($16.50) was a full split breast beautifully presented and full of flavor. They also provided a pasta side with this entrée. I assume they offer some type of dessert, but on our many visits we've never been able to finish dinner, let alone have dessert. My wife suggested on arrival (women being the far more practical of the species) that we do what she and three girlfriends often do at Carrabba's; have happy hour drinks and three or four apps. A cost effective and delicious way to have a party. Maybe next time. Carrabba's consistently provides great tasting food, reasonably priced with excellent service. What's not to like?
(4)Bill P.
Enjoyed a very good lunch at Carrabba's...they recently began opening for lunch every day. The place was virtually empty at 12:30, and as a result, service was exceptionally friendly and efficient. Our party had the Italian Cobb Salad, the Chicken Caesar Salad and the HalfPanini/Soup combination. All three were made with fresh ingredients and were portioned perfectly. Fresh bread with tasty dipping oil was a pleasant accompaniment. Although a tad pricier than most "lunch places," the quality and taste of the food were top drawer. We will definitely return for lunch in the future, and would certainly highly recommend this location.
(5)Shari B.
I usually love this place... Pork Marsala was really tough and the meat had very weird flavor? I thought maybe it was just me , I ate very little then had leftovers for lunch and still bad and strange taste? An hr later was sick. Makes me mad that I will never go back again because I love the food there! But I'm not risking that sickness again! Bye carrabas.
(1)Sue H.
Great place, good service and food. We were in and out in 45 minutes! We like to eat out once a week.
(5)Jill B.
Bartenders are awesome, very personable. I like the Monday triple dinner deal starting at 12.99....only Bummer is that you can't use the 15% coupon with deal:/ The chicken soup is delish! Call ahead seating is a must here!!!!
(4)Ashley R.
Place was packed, but we were seated in about 10 minutes (table for 2). Server was courteous and efficient. Chicken soup was very good. I could have made a meal out of that alone. The fettucini Carraba was solid. Don't skip the cheese on top, it needs it. I guess my main complaint would be the setup of the restaurant. We were seated right next to the kitchen and I saw at least a dozen near misses with patrons and servers. It was a minefield trying to get to the restroom, which is inconveniently located down a hall with servers darting in and out with loaded trays.
(4)Cathy J.
I am a big fan of Carrabba's! Not many Italian restaurants offer a delicious filet that my husband can enjoy while I'm able to get my pasta fix on. Carrabba's accomplishes both! We have been frequenting this Carrabba's for years now and have never had a bad meal. The service and quality of food is always consistent, which is probably why it is always packed! Fortunately, Carrabba's does offer call-ahead seating which I definitely recommend utilizing, especially now that we are entering into "season." We love the delicious bread and pesto olive oil dipping sauce that is served complimentary. As for the meals, I have never ordered something I didn't love. Some of my favorites are the Chicken Marsala, Chicken Parm & Chicken Bryan. I like that you can order a "small" portion if you aren't particularly hungry. The cavatappi pasta side is my absolute fave, but when I'm trying to be good, I do love their broccoli! My husband orders the filet each and every time and loves it. And he's a picky one. I always start my meal with the Mama's Sicilian chicken soup...order it. It is the best.soup.ever. Carrabba's also offers deals such as "Wine Wednesdays" in which they offer $10 off all bottles of wine, and I believe their happy hour lasts until 7 pm. Overall, if you are in the mood for a decent Italian meal at a reasonable price, you can't beat Carrabba's! OH and P.S....Carrabba's offers a fantastic gluten-free menu!
(5)Hunter M.
Went with a group of friends, we started with an appetizer we had mozzarella chess sticks I give them a 5/5 they were perfect and had a great temperature and they were cheesy, for my main corse I ordered lobster raviolis with white wine sauce it was a great dish one of my best 5/5 but the only thing is they could have put a few more raviolis with the dish, the waitress was on her game, the food was a little slow to come out but she kept on refiling our drinks, she gets a 5/5.
(5)Moe G.
We went there with the family. In the heart of Orlando and the Main Street international drive. We had a nice meal margarita pizza was not really great. Shrimp and scallops very nice meal with linguini. Also another fish of mani fish and penne. We also took a delicious dish of 4 cheeses ravioli. Service is decent and price for the family came out to $65 and we tipped the waiter good for the service.
(4)Jennifer K.
Love this place. The hostess greets my husband by name because we are here so much! Lobster ravioli is the best dish. I also like the eggplant parmiagian but its not on the menu. And get the wedding cake martini it is the most delicious martini!! Again its not on the menu.
(5)Itsagirl A.
We love to go to Carrabba's. It's my father's favorite when he comes to town. He loves the dipping oil with the herbs for the very yummy bread. I love the chicken dishes (all of them :-) ). The ortions are just right and the service is excellent. The only negative I have is that during "season" it's a bit of a wait for a table. Sitting at the bar with small kids isn't reasonable or appropriate. But for a great meal, we are wiling to wait!
(4)Didi D.
I want to give this place three stars, because our server was excellent, however, this chain really doesn't warrant more than two and a half stars at best. We are determined to try every restaurant on University (just moved a bit north of the airport), and I wanted Italian this weekend. Neither of us had been to a Carraba's before. Now that we have it is unlikely that we'll ever go back to one. After ten minutes we were seated (the place was packed), and both of us felt that the waitress and service was the best part of the meal. She was cheerful, talkative, and genuine, kept our drinks filled, and the plates of food coming. Kudos to her for being able to handle her tables so well on a busy night. We ordered the Arancini as a starter, and the pollo sorrento, and rigatoni martino for entrees. The Arancini is sausage, rice, and seasonings that has been rolled in breadcrumbs and fried. It's a fried mushball. It's kinda bland, but you'll eat it 'cause you're hungry and this is 'Merica where rolling foods in dough or crumbs, and then frying them means it is an automatic win. Meh. We went with Caesar salads with our dinners. Salads were kinda crummy in my opinion. The lettuce was too wilted, and the dressing was sopped on far too generously. Maybe the Italian salad is better? Speaking of Italian, we both ordered Italian sodas. My partner got a raspberry, and I got a pomegranate. His was good, but mine was bubbles with red food coloring in it. I swapped it for an orange, and that one was ok. If at first you don't succeed... The pollo sorrento comes with two chicken breasts (I only ate one) for those of you longing for massive portions. I had high hopes for the fig sauce, because I love figs, but it was too salty and relied mostly on sugar (high fructose corn syrup?) and salt for flavor. Young kids would like it, because it was slightly reminiscent of fruit roll ups. The pasta side that came with my meal was a massive let down. I can throw together some diced tomatoes and olive oil on my own. Dazzle me with fresh herbs, and stunning flavors, damn it! The rigatoni martino wasn't anything special either. It was alright, but for the price I expected something of higher quality. PRICE is the problem with this place. I'm happy to pay seventeen dollars for an entree, but I want that entree to be better than average! If the meals we picked were ten dollars this place would nab a third star, but the quality simply isn't there to warrant a higher price tag. I'd rather have smaller portions of unforgettable amazing food, than a large platter of mediocre stuff that I could prepare better myself at home. This is basically an Olive Garden with less selection that charges five or six dollars more per plate. If you are ok paying these prices THERE ARE BETTER ITALIAN RESTAURANTS in Sarasota.
(2)Scott V.
When it comes down to picking places, when Carrabba's name comes up the discussion has pretty much ended. The bread and dipping oil, could make a meal of that. Atmosphere is great in the general seating, at the bar or at the pasta bar. The new expansion has really opened up the place. Not too long ago we thought the prices were going up and the serving size going down but the new menu items have us stuffed on the drive home. Great turn around and took this place from 4 up to 5 stars for us.
(5)Nancy N.
By now, one would think that the food would at least be acceptable. Wrong! I do admit that the bread was more than passable, so I anticipated the calamari with high hopes. Not so. It was grossly overly spiced and thickly crusted, like extra crispy KFC at a bad franchise. I guess that's what Carrabbas is I could not taste the squid at all, and it seemed tough and definitely previously frozen.. My raviolis were mostly thick, with one or two of a more delicate texture. They too seemed like the frozen kind--fresh out of the plastic bag. I will never return, since the quality of their offerings has diminished so severely. but I have to say that at least our server was efficient, friendly and quite cheerful. Beware!
(1)Kathleen K.
My husband and I have been to this restaurant numerous times, sometimes just the two of us and other times with a larger party. In general, the food seems to have degraded lately. The latest visit, we ate at the bar. The soups were good. My husband ordered a chicken dish; the presentation was awful, a totally gray plate and skimpy portion. My chicken dish was presented better, but the chicken was overcooked and dry. But my worst complaint, and this was not the first time, was the impertinent service at the bar. TJ and Jake have the habit of addressing their older patrons as 'kids', as in 'what can I get you kids', come back soon kids', and the like. Some people may like this, but it really annoys me. I find it disrespectful, condescending and patronizing. The manager needs to retrain the staff in the correct way to address all patrons respectfully.
(2)Richard C.
This is a great restaurant. Very close to real Italian food you can find in America. While the selection of dishes isn't entirely Italian it is still very good and approximates the experience you would get in many Trattoria's in North or Central Italy. Great friendly staff and reasonable prices. What more could you ask for!
(5)Mike M.
Very good food but I am not happy they have made the portions smaller now I pay extra when I order veggie with my meal. I wish they would serve refills on drinks faster. I will be back.
(4)Felicia N.
Visiting from out of town and decided to stop for dinner. We were seated very quickly and were greated by our server. This is when it went down hill. Our server was absolutely awful and made us feel like we were eating at a slummy bar. He spoke to us like we were his college buddys or someone he knew in highschool. He also blamed the cooks for his mistake when he didnt ring in our order correctly. We also found a hair on our daughter kids pizza, a mishap that i know is a complete accident. Over all the food was a 7 out of 10. Probably will not eat here again.
(3)Cathy K.
If you like decent Italian food, forget about visiting Carrabbas! Every dish, from salad to main course, was not decent Italian, nor fit to be eaten! I would expect Itatian fooc to have some sauce and not dry as our 3 meals were. The salad was mixed greens but the dressing was not to be found or tasted....it was nonesistant. My pasta was plain raviola with a tablespoon of cooked tomato. My husband''s and mom's meals were also dry and had no resembleance to normal Itatian. I asked for cooked spinach which was exactly that...no seasoning or moisture. Everything was bare - not like Italian food I know with sauces and cheese, etc. I think the restaurant was being cheap to not sauce or season anything! I give this restaurant NO stars! (had to rate but would not let me pick NO stars. I eat out a lot and am easy to please but this place was so bad that I had to write and warn others...meaning YOU who want to eat there.
(1)Matthew T.
I do not understand restaurants like this, but obviously they speak to someone as they are all over the place, on TV and packed. Went here for a co-workers going away party. The only reason I crossed the threshold. ANd yes, I might have gone in with preconceived notions, but I hate to admit most of my fears were realized. My usual complaints about chain/corporate/soulless restaurants are true here: 1)bait and switch things on the bill (total that shows a suggested tip in bold, I'm a good tipper but when I get grumpy) and no clear indication in the menu regarding happy hour in the bar or the wait staff forgets to mention the happy our menu and prices. 2)Huge portions, enough for two people, that is without the side salad! Does anyone need two chicken breasts? 3)Crazy icky alfrado sauce on just about everything, Everything is better with cheese out of a container, right? I did not order these but people I was with did. 4) way too much salt, and I like salt! We shared a few things in the bar, calamari, bland and an odd color (but at least not over salted!)and the flat breads were ok. Loved the over priced beer, but I should have gotten smart and ordered the bad beers on tap and it would have at least been cheaper than water. I also tried the mussels, which were barely warm, covered in some odd cream sauce (supposed to have been wine and lemon, where did the cream come from?). Yes, I'm grumpy. When there are places in this town that make good things, why come to this robot factory of blandness? Why not cook at home?
(2)Lyndsey H.
Literally worst service I've ever received at a restaurant with Rett as our server. Forgot our orders of beers and apps and didn't comp a single thing. Will not return when we've been going here once a month for the past year. Way thumbs down for Rett.
(1)Nancy H.
Last night 4 of us had dinner there, and 3 of the meals were horrible! 2 had veal picatta. Have you ever had picatta without lemon or capers? That's right - disgusting! Plus the presentation stink - a blob of white piccata and a blob of white mashed potatoes - nothing else on the plate - very unappetizing! So don't waste your money here. Very disappointing!
(1)Kathy H.
Lasagna was warm at best. Next table was served cold soup and sent it back. Waitress was attentive to drinks but not food. No extra bread or even stopped long enough to tell her the lasagna was not hot enough to consume. Go eat next door, much better food and service!!
(1)Nick H.
Unambiguous shit. The food was bland and drowning in whatever slop sauce it was served in. The waitstaff was completely clueless. Some of other the reviews on Yelp are positive, but I suspect that if you are repulsed by chains like Chili's or Friday's, you won't like Carrabba's either. Bread was mediocre. The waitress brought out a ground up spice catnip shit mixture and poured olive oil on it. The small plates for the bread were wet, as if she had walked through the rain to get to our table. We asked about different types of bruschetta that were offered. A waitress helpfully passing by chimed in that "my boyfriend says that the bruschetta with the goat cheese tastes like toothpaste!" That's probably not too far off from the truth. Next came the salads. They were terribly uninspired, and soppy with dressing. Less than a minute after we were given the salads, the waittress brought out the entrees. One man in our party, who had a full plate of food and was actively eating, was asked, "Are you still working on that?" Yes, I'm still "working" on it! You just brought it out, and I've barely taken three bites! (Leaving aside the issue of how asking "are you still working on that" as opposed to "are you finished eating" makes it sound like the food is a pile of matter that I'm trying to make disappear instead of a meal I'm trying to enjoy. I suppose that at Carrabba's, the former case is accurate.) The entrees continued to disappoint. I could barely eat more than a few bites of mine, which was so submerged in sauce that it was as if a deity were punishing a planet by drowning it. My water glass was filled precisely once throughout the meal. Despite my requests, it was never refilled. There were flies constantly buzzing around our table, which was outdoors. The waitstaff had no concept of subtlety. They bellowed across the patio about how they were going to do their jobs, as well as a variety of other uninteresting topics. Throughout the meal, dirty dishes were piled within arm's reach of my table: i.imgur.com/KK1bt.jpg . Eating shit like this would be marginally acceptable if it were dirt cheap. But that's not the case here. I would not recommend Carrabba's to anyone I cared about.
(1)John B.
Great service and food. Our server always had my drink filled. Zucchini Fritte appetizer is excellent. Pasta Weesie is excellent. Love their bread and oil.
(5)Scott C.
I was given a Carrabba's gift card as a Christmas present so I thought I would give it a try for lunch. When I walked in at 12:30 it was quite busy. The restaurant next door, Stonefish Grill was on fire so Carrabba's had twice the normal business. I sat at bar as I like to do when I'm alone so I can watch ESPN talk about the importance of collage football. The bartender/waitress was excellent. I forget her name but she was very friendly and knew the menu. I ordered the carnivore pizza and salad. The pizza was very good and I liked the fresh basil leaves. The salad, not so much. It was made up of plain iceberg lettuce, chopped and chunky. It was a bit wilted too. I think the "salad chef" went to the same culinary school that trains airplane food chefs. Service was superb, pizza was very good. Bathroom report, because that's what I gotta do: clean and useable.
(3)Carey Y.
I do not have high hopes when visiting chain restaurants. I think of Bonefish, Applebees, Chili's, Olive Garden etc in a category that I like to call 'not really worth my time or money'. I will now add Carrabba's to the list. My mom and step-dad enjoy eating here and invited us to join them for dinner a few weeks ago. Never being people to say no to a meal out, my fiance and I met them there and we were seated in about 10 minutes. We ordered sangria to share for the table and it was brought out along with some warm bread and herbed olive oil for dipping. The sangria was basically grape juice with some fruit floating in it. It may or may not also have had some red wine mixed in. I'm really not sure. I started with an Italian salad with a side of crumbled blue cheese and vinegarette. The salad was fresh and had a nice mix of veggies and the cheese, though it did cost extra, was a nice addition. I probably should have stopped there as I would have been perfectly happy with a nice salad and warm bread. For our entrees, Gabriel and I shared two. We ordered the Penne Franco and asked them to use the homemade tagliarini instead of the pennee thinking, 'why have boxed pasta if homemade is an option?' We also asked them to add shrimp to that one. For our other dish, we ordered the chicken parmesan with steamed garlic spinach on the side. When the pasta dish was brought out, apparently no one got (or gave?) the message that we'd asked for the tagliarini. The waiter took it back with apologies and said he'd be right back with the correct dish. We started working on our chicken instead. The chicken was totally overcooked and dry and the cheese on top was somehow flavorless. The sweet tomato sauce didn't disguise the chicken enough to not notice how much it was lacking in any moisture content whatsoever. The spinach had so much oil on it that any nutritional benefit we'd hoped to gain from eating it was definitely lost. I love garlic, but it was too much, even for me. Just then, our pasta dish came out and we looked forward to switching over to that one. Sadly, this too was way over oiled and over-salted. The shrimp and veggies were ok, but other than that, the dish was a big fail. The answer to my 'why not have the homemade pasta' question was answered when we realized that their homemade pasta sucks. It's mushy and overcooked and simply not good. Sigh. This meal was the night of a half marathon that I'd run that morning. I SO deserved an outstanding, carb-laden, pasta and bread filled dinner and this was a pretty big bummer. Don't get me wrong, I ALWAYS appreciate when my generous parents take me and my honey out for meals...but usually they take us to places we love and this one will definitely NOT get another visit from me. Booooooooo.
(1)Patsy T.
I keep going to restaurants and keep getting good service. Maybe it's the Florida sunshine that's keeping the staff friendly. Carrabba's was a treat. We arrived but they were very busy, but outside seating was first available and it wasn't full. so we sat outside on a beautiful evening. Who wouldn't want to be out there? I ordered Spiedino di mare, which is shrimp and scallops sauteed in a lemon butter sauce. It was really good! I added the pasta and side salad and left waddling out but happy!
(4)Lauren W.
Well, I must say everything was great and dandy until we got to meet our waitress. The three of us went to Carrabba's on a Sunday and the waiters and waitresses just seemed like they didn't want to be here. Other than that the place was great! Delicious food, comfy seating, and beautiful atmosphere as far as the eye can see! I recommend eating here. Delicious!
(4)George B.
Just about every time I visit my parents in Sarasota, we stop by Carrabba's for dinner. I do like this place a lot - the food is good and reasonably priced. My parents like the veal marsala a lot, with a side of angel hair pasta. I ordered one of the specials, a combination of the sirloin marsala, the chicken bryan and the mezzaluna ravioli. Both the sirloin, which came covered with mushrooms and a wine marsala sauce, and the chicken, topped with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes, were very good. The mezzaluna, half-moon ravioli stuffed with chicken, spinach and ricotta was somewhat underwhelming, possibly because the other two bits were very tasty and savory. The dishes ordered from the menu came with either soup or salad. However, there was an additional charge to add a salad to my special dish. Of course, the fresh bread, served warm, is always a highlight, which we look forward when sitting at the table. Overall, I really like Carrabba's for the food and the pleasant service. Definitely worth the trip, even from New York!
(4)