This place is so pathetic it's actually laughable. The food and service are terrible with two exceptions - the desserts and the drinks. The veal was like shoeleather. The caprese was mediocre. The pizza was lousy. And so on... Their top-shelf margarita was excellent but cost $15. The service was exceedingly bad and the manager was very rude. I would return to this place only if I had a $100 gift card, and I would only order drinks and eat dessert. Oh, I almost forgot that they have good bread.
(1)
Richard R.
What an experience!!! It was a lot to take in as a first time visitor, but I would easy say I haven't had an experience quite like this before. The walls are covered with photo's of celebrities and scattered throughout are pictures of some guy they call Big Joe. I'm assuming this guy is some sort of inside joke, but I could be wrong. The seating here is broken up into many intimate sections and connected with a series of long hallways. It almost felt like we were in a maze at times. We had reservations in the Pope Room. The host escorted our party of 11 on a route through the kitchen where dead smack in the middle there was a table of guests eating! I was already shocked to be taken through the kitchen, but practically floored to see guest eating there!!! So tickled by this I just had to get a picture of the customers seated at the kitchen table. Don't worry, they were totally into it! Once we made it to our table I understood why they called it the Pope Room. There was literally Pope paraphernalia EVERYWHERE. There was even a Pope-like seat at the head of the table (which we reserved for the birthday boy) and a bust of a Pope's head encased in plexiglass in the middle of our table. Since the dinning here is family style, the bust sat on a large rotating lazy susan, which jokingly we all made sure the Pope always had our birthday boy in his direct line of sight. THE FOOD I was clueless as to what to order so I left those decisions up to the rest of our party. My only requirements were a glass of their sweet specialty drink and a round of calamari (my favorite appetizer). Our meal included all of the following: *CALAMARI | 3 stars Good seasoning and nicely cooked with a tad hint of spiciness. * MINI MEATBALLS | 3 stars Not bad! Some had italian cheese inside while others didn't. I liked the ones with the cheese much better than the ones without. * PROSCIUTTO STUFFED CHICKEN | 3.5 stars This was my favorite dish of the evening. Although it was a little dry, I really enjoyed the flavor and the pesto sauce was a nice touch. * BAKED ZITI | 2 stars I've had better but it was nice that the manager sent us this dish on the house. * SPICY CHICKEN RIGATONI | 2.75 stars I thought this was okay, but not likely to order it again if I ever come back. * SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS | 3 stars The meatballs were HUGE, but overall the flavor was just average. * MOZZARELLA GARLIC BREAD | 2 stars * VERONA PUNCH | 4 stars As much as I enjoyed this sweet & fruity drink, I wish I had paid more attention to the price. They charged me $16 for my first glass (which also included the price of the glass) and $10 for a refill. I paid $34 after tax & tip for my two drinks alone. Since I'm not a drinker, I have no idea if this is what people normally pay for drinks... but I won't be paying that ever again! And I will most certainly be paying more attention to price when I order. Speaking of price, between 11 people the bill for the food was $22.81 each + tip. FINAL THOUGHTS As first time experiences go I had a great time, but my wallet & taste buds were a little upset! The decor was wonderfully strange and interesting while the Pope Room was thee perfect setting for our group. The huge round table made conversation easy and gave plenty of elbow room. However, the truth of the matter is this place is not where you'd want to go if you are looking for really good Italian food, but it is definitely a fun place to enjoy time with a group of friends. It was a cool experience, but I'm not so sure I would go back unless it was with a group of people who'd never been before. It would be fun to see their reaction to the oddity of this place. I 100% agree with Michelle K's review (whom I happened to be in the same company with tonight) when she says: "You come to Buca for the restaurant environment but not necessarily the food itself." 2.75 stars rounded up.
(3)
Michelle K.
We went here last night for our friend Bill's birthday dinner & I now realize why I haven't been to a "Buca" in over a decade. The pasta was just mediocre. We were a group of 11, including the birthday boy and sat in the "pope room." It was nice to sit at a round table & see everyones faces but I can't say the same for our dinner. The decor & the positive energy you get from dining here is what draws folks in but the food here is just standard. We ordered the calamari, cheesy bread & mini meatballs for appetizers. Then we had the baked ziti with chicken, pesto chicken, spaghetti and meatballs & spicy chicken rigatoni. It was nice of the management team to send us a complimentary platter of baked ziti but again, the food here was just average so we had plenty of leftovers. I was starving when I got to the restaurant so I ate more bread here than I do on a monthly basis plus ate the pasta because I needed to fill my stomach with something before suffering additional pain from an empty stomach. Overall, the staff here is pleasant & dinner was great because of the friends at dinner, not the food. If you're craving average Italian food then you won't be disappointed. If you're craving more than that, I would recommend somewhere else. You come to Buca for the restaurant environment but not necessarily the food itself.
(2)
David M.
So after the poor review, I got a response asking me for a contact so they can call me or contact me to "rectify" the situation. So I promptly provided my e mail and just like the restaurant experience, have waited for someone to contact me. This lack of concern is epidemic at this joint. If they ever call me, Ill post again.
(1)
Pete L.
Big portion family style dishes and the pasta was just OK. The service was OK too. The waiter was having a hard time trying to figure out how to split the bills btwn 8 people. took him almost an hour, did it wrong twice, and the final bill was still wrong. Turned out he still didn't apply our coupon. Total bill is like $120 for 2 large bowls pasta and 1 medium veggie pasta with 8 drinks, tips enforced.
(2)
Shannon M.
Yelp says they deliver, but when I called they were confused. Apparently the only way you can get it delivered is to go online and order through gowaiter.com . Delivery is $7! Expected much better food and larger portions for the price. Also, ordered a bottled water that they apparently didn't have. I guess they tried calling me (I missed it), but they didn't leave a message (so I was not sure who it was calling or what they wanted). In any case, instead of sending a different drink with my order or refunding me they sent no drink and still charged me for it.
(2)
Lani J.
The quality has really gone downhill... This used to be one of my favorite Italian restaurants but they started taking too many shortcuts. Instead of slices of garlic on the garlic bread they know use only powdered Garlic. It's also not being kept up as well as it used to be. When I sat down on the bench I got marinara sauce all over my pants. I'm sorry to say that I will never return.
(2)
Jen L.
I loved Buca di Beppo growing up in Florida so I decided to give this location a try. We waited for about 30 minutes for a table, not because it was crowded but because I think they were understaffed. We got taken to the table by our actual waiter himself who seemed sweaty and out of breath. The people at the next table were complaining about the amount of time it took for their food to come out. Our food came out rather quickly! We ordered the Shrimp Florentine, Chicken Marsala and Chicken Parmesan in Rosa Sauce (as a special request). I loved the Chicken Parmesan! It came out perfectly cooked with just enough delicious Rosa sauce. The Shrimp Florentine was a whole other story. It wasn't very flavorful and was pretty watery. We also ordered the Chicken Marsala which was extremely sweet! Probably the sweetest Marsala sauce I had ever tasted but still very delicious since I like sweet sauces. All the dishes were very different in their own way. This restaurant is a chain but the food is usually constant so I enjoy it! It's great for large families as the dishes come out in sharing portions. The small entrees serve 2 or more people and the large entrees serve about 3-4 people. They also offer many coupons in your daily newspaper or mailbox.
(3)
Lynx M.
Came here on a business lunch meeting, I suggested this place because all of my friends raved about it. Walked in with my client and was seated almost immediately, the host led us to the table and explained the restaurants over the top decor. You won't run out of stuff to look at in this place that's for sure! The waitress gave excellent customer service and the food was meh... salad and bread are served Ala cart vs this restaurants competitors that offer it complimentary. I was turned off by the price but the portion sizes are big enough to feed 2 people who are some what hungry but it can be polished off in one sitting depending on how hungry you are. I ordered the chicken marsala. It was ok.. it's nothing this restaurant could've done better, the service was great, but the food had no wow factor for me which is the reason for 3 out of 5 stars. The chicken marsala honestly tasted like one of those Campbell's skillet sauce meals with more garlic **shrugs**. 2 people can eat there for about $60 -$100 excluding tax, tip, and wine. It's worth checking out to see for yourself but this isn't my first choice of Italian restaurants. I think ippolitos food and Ala cart menu is better than here.
(3)
Sid B.
Authentic?. Not what I have eaten in italy nor ny Good yes though. Had veal marsela, chicken parm, and baked ziti. Baked ziti excellent. Desserts too big for even 4 people. Noise level way too high when crowded. But noticed a few tables near bar that were quiet. Service just medium too
(3)
Yunye Y.
Very large portion, pasta is pretty good. Waitress will lead you walk through the kitchen. Setting and decoration is cool but a bit too much...
(4)
Adam B.
My family and I just ate here. The waitress said we could each section of our family could use a coupon and then at the end sent the manager out saying we could not that is just wrong. The portion sizes are divided up into persons of two or four people which is not very good for ordering in my opinion. The main dishes do not come with pasta you have to order that separately, this is an Italian restaurant it should come with the meal. That's just not right. My niece got the kids sized chicken Parmesan and the sauce tasted like it was SpaghettiOs. That's just not right. The waitress packaged up our meals at the end when we're done eating which was nice but she did not include the Alfredo sauce which was part of her meal. That's not right. It also took the waitress about 15 minutes to return with my change. I would not recommend this overpriced restaurant to anyone looking for a meal.
(1)
Jin P.
Be ware if you order online for to go pickup. Ordered for 1100 am pickup. It's 1141 am and order not yet complete. Kendra the manager arrives at restaurant at 1110 am. She investigates and say the problem is a printer malfunction. That didn't really make be feel any better. Be prepared for late orders or order for pickup at least 30 minutes ahead of intended pickup time. I think this is very poorly managed restaurant.
(1)
Esther K.
My husband and I have been here twice, and each time the food has been mediocre at best. All entrees are very large portions; a small pasta is more than enough for the both of us. We ordered the spicy calamari, the meatball, and for our entree we got the Linguine Frutti di Mare. The calamari was significantly over cooked, and the rest of the food was under seasoned. Overall, it was just a ton of bland tasting food. The service and atmosphere were awesome but my ratings are always based on the food, hence the 2 stars.
(2)
Mark M.
Large portions. Above average Italian food. Cool atmosphere. Our server was pretty good. If you have not dined here before I highly recommend you giving it a try. Most of the meals are family style coming in large and small feeding anywhere from 2-3 or 4-5 I believe. This place is ideal if you have a large family or a get together with some friends or co-workers. We will return again.
(4)
Paul K.
Time and Date of visit: Sunday 8/3/2014 Party Size: 3 Ambiance: The restaurant is decked with pictures all over. Anyone with ADD will still have their eyes glancing back and forth to check out all the various pictures. It adds character but a little bit over done. Getting the usual tour, I did spot one table that had a mannequins head of a famous person ( I forgot, was it a president?) encased in a glass box, rotating on a lazy susan. I'm not sure I could feel that I could enjoy my meal with that on the table. Freaky weird. Cool for others I guess. There's also a table right in the kitchen, that can only be sitted at least 2 hours prior to closing. The hostess did hint that it gets the fastest service. A bit noisy though. Fits a party of 8 if I recall. Service: We came in an hour before closing on a Sunday night and were immediately greeted. No wait time on getting a table for 3. Since this was our first time at this location, the hostess gave us a tour around the whole restaurant and through the kitchen before sitting us. Our server was Zack. He was quite helpful in answering our questions about the entrees. Though he did forget a drink one of my friends ordered, I'm not going to ding him on points as he was juggling take out orders and closing. I would still recommend him as he was attentive on service. Food: Just as the server and the menu suggest, this is family style. Portions are huge. So don't come if you aren't starving or coming off of fasting. Mozzarella Caprese Salad: Small size. From what's pictured on the menu, the small serving is just one row of salad. We shared this for three and felt that it was good amount. Thick cuts of ripe tomato. Along with a healthy chunk of mozzarella. All sitting on a shallow pool of olive oil. This is a good app to start off with. And I'm glad there is a table side of salt and pepper cracker. I like to add a little bit more on my share. Chicken & Sausage Ziti: Small size. I actually liked the sauce on the dish my roommate ordered. I favor more cream kinds of sauces myself. I just feel like there's more flavor, though it's probably not as healthy as clam or wine sauces. The pasta was cooked al dente, with a healthy serving of chicken and pieces of sausage here and there. It does leave you feeling a bit heavy afterwards. Linguine Frutti di Mare: Small size. I feel as though the red clam sauce is a bit watery. Soup like almost. Other than that, the pasta comes served with a generous amount of mussels. Bits of clams through out the pasta playing hide and seek. It could use a little more pieces of shrimp but overall this dish wasn't able to be conquered and had to be taken to go to finish off. After a night in the fridge, the flavoring holds well. I'm sure everyone in the office got a whiff after I microwaved it and walked down the halls back to my office. Total Bill w/ Tip & Tax: $42.89 w/soft drinks and beer. Summary: Come hungry and with friends to share! Decent franchise Italian food if Olive Garden is too packed.
(3)
T-Nicole T.
Oh yeah it was good. We ordered a large Quattro d forno for the two of us. for our first experience. It was delish. Their marinara sauce is so good. Only wish they had garlic bread instead of the sliced bread. Our waiter Trevon was great very friendly and helpful. They give you a tour of the restaurant which was cute. Very clean place. There are pics of all things Italy everywhere. Did I mention the food is fantastic. They will see us again. Join the club and you get free food too.
(5)
Randy H.
Buca is a decent place if you are going with at least one other person or a family. The portions are fairly large and are meant to be shared with others. We waited for about minutes for table. My guess is they were understaffed. We ordered the Shrimp Florentine, Chicken Marsala and Chicken Parmesan in Rosa Sauce (as a special request). I thought the Shrimp Florentine was not bad. Seemed a little watery but we added a bit of garlic to the dish and it tasted a lot better. I would recommend it but hope it is not as watery. The Chicken Marsala was sweet and flavorful. It is a different taste to the traditional marsala. The Chicken Parm w/ Rosa sauce was definitely different and cooked pretty well. I'd recommend this restaurant if you are looking to feed a large group or family.
(3)
Allison Y.
I came for dinner with my family for my niece's graduation. The food was mediocre at best and the service was horrible. Complete waste of money. The gratuity was included in our bill but was not earned. Will not go back.
(1)
Anna P.
Came in thinking the food was going to be great but the spaghetti and meatballs was sitting in water. Could've made something better at home. When we complained, there wasn't good customer service. Ended up paying full price for awful food. Don't come here if you are looking for good italian food. The quality is not good at all.
(1)
Trisha D.
I hate to give bad reviews bc I know how much people pay attention to them...but after eating their food more than once I have to say it's just not worth the money. I got 2 small pizzas to go last weekend, it was $38 and the pizza was literally like flatbread covered in flour with bad tomato sauce and a splash of cheese. With a whole entire garlic clove on it to try and make up for the lack of everything else. It was awful. I'll never spend money there again...unfortunately, the food is terrible and therefore WAY overpriced.
(1)
Christina M.
My husband and I came here the other night, I'd been bugging him for months and finally he broke down because it was my birthday. We set up a reservation, got seated right away but then proceeded to get ignored for OVER 20 minutes! Not even a glass of water for us! I tried to make eye contact with the waiter who was serving the table next to us and behind us but he completely ignored me. We finally walked out after 20 or so minutes of absolutely NO SERVICE. It was really upsetting to me because I had been so looking forward to going here and to get treated like dirt, especially on your birthday just makes it all the more awful. I am so disgusted with this place I will probably never go back.
(1)
Robert S.
Arrived at 5:15 on a Saturday. there was no one waiting and there was hardly anyone there. Was told a hour and a half wait since we didn't have reservations. Didn't stay turned around and left. That was our first and last time.
(1)
Sathya N.
We hosted our daughter's first birthday party at this fabulous place. We were happy to get the Pope's table. The room was pretty interesting and served as a good cultural lesson for the kids! We had a few friends (plus kids) and we got to a rocky start. We were served bread( which was fresh and very good), but the appetizers never showed up for a long time and my wife had to politely (but sternly) remind the manager that the first birthday party was getting ruined. What happened after that is just unbelievable - Folks immediately swung into action and made sure we had the best possible time. Food was fabulous and they let us occupy the place till we decided to vacate! It did not end here. When I asked for the check, the manager showed up again and said the entire expense is on the house for causing the delay to serve the food and he was extremely apologetic. I had to force them to charge me for something as I knew it was a large bill and was feeling very guilty. Eventually they charged us for one drink and that's it. In spite of some hiccups early on, I am giving a 5 star rating for this place for one and only reason. Folks accepted the mistake and instead of making things worse, made sure we had the best possible time and made my daughter's first birthday very memorable. Way to go guys - you are the best!
(5)
Allie D.
This was my absolute favorite Italian place in the Atlanta area, so much so that my wedding rehearsal dinner was held here. The food is delicious, the service is impeccable, and the atmosphere is very friendly and welcoming. If you come in during their off hours (before 3pm on weekends), you may get a whole corner of the restaurant to yourself. I can't vouch for the authenticity of the food since I've never been to Italy and my family has not one drop of Italian heritage. But it is tasty! The portions are large and meant to be served family style, so even with the small size you'll have leftovers. The prices seem high at first glance but when you realize how much food you're getting, it's a good value. My favorite dishes are the penne san remo, shrimp fra diavolo, veal saltimbocca and tiramisu. The pizza, chicken marsala and double chocolate cake are good too though. I've been here several times and never had a bad experience, and everyone enjoyed the rehearsal dinner. Highly recommend!
(5)
Dorothy R.
Amazing restaurant! It's very unique and warming. The food is great for sharing and the cannolis are just AMAZING!!! The server Freddie was great and very friendly.
(5)
Paige N.
If you can, ask for "the kitchen table." That's my first piece of advice when eating at Buca di Beppo - it will not disappoint. A group of 5 of us went there for my friend's birthday a few weekends ago. It was my first time, but a tradition of his to celebrate there, consume a huge amount of family style Italian food, and then go go-karting immediately afterwards. Sounds like a recipe for disaster but I love go-karts (especially the souped up ones at Andretti's), so I was definitely game. We arrived around 8 PM and I'd made a reservation on Open Table and noted it was his birthday, so they asked who the birthday boy was, then if we'd mind sitting in the kitchen? No one objected (no one had been in the kitchen before) and off we went for our tour of the restaurant: red room, Pope room, wine bottle ceiling room, etc before we were deposited in the kitchen. What a cool spot! We actually got to see everything being made, waiters and chefs and others hurrying by and delivering the largest plates and bowls of food I'd ever seen, and everything else that happens in a kitchen. Surprisingly it wasn't overwhelmingly hot or loud - it was controlled and ordered chaos. Our waiter for the night was Sean and he was very good. I was especially impressed by his ability to pick up the dishes after we were done - those things were huge and still quite full of food. Let me preface the order by saying that a "small order" constituted a serving for a small Chinese family of 5, a "large" would serve the entire population of Nome, Alaska. So, being with pros, I left the ordering completely to them and here's what we got: a "small" order of spicy chicken rigatoni, a "small" spaghetti and meatballs, and a "large" quattro al forno. For 5 people. I don't know what they were thinking except: leftovers. And don't let me forget to mention that before any of this came out, because it was my friend's birthday we got free appetizers of meatballs, cheesy bread and mashed potatoes - just to whet our appetites (or satisfy them). The food was very good: huge, huge portions or warm, cheesy, saucy, meaty pasta, lasagna, stuffed shells and spaghetti. Way more than 5 people could do justice to - especially post delicious appetizers. To top it all off, the staff came in clapping at the end, sang a cheesy birthday song (to which the kitchen staff joined in banging on pots and pans) and really gave us a great send off. It was delightful, I felt like I was in a food coma and I know that's definitely a "special occasion" type of restaurant - not your let's-just-grab-a-bite type of restaurant. Go to Buca di Beppo at least once for the experience. It's a fun one for sure!
(4)
Casandra L.
I love the food and service there and portions a re great for sharing which makes is very affordable. Be warned though large groups will be taken before 2 people if it's during a busy time....p.s: coupons galore :)
The food here could have been good, maybe enough to return, but the service was completely lacking. We came with a group of 10 on a lunch break from work. There were three servers assisting our table. 2 of the people in our group had orders that were incorrect or forgotten. Unfortunately the forgotten meals took so long to come out that most of the other people had eaten or their food had gone cold. The whole experience took about 1 hr 45min-2hrs. which was much longer than we had planned to be in the restaurant. The overall experience wasn't great for me, but the meals that were actually eaten hot and on time seemed to go over very well with the group. The pizza's especially looked good.
(2)
Lu N.
Lasagna was awesome but I didn't like complimentary bread. Try the mozzarella garlic bread. The portion size on the lasagna was rather small. I got a small but it was only enough barely for two people.
(4)
Angela M.
Not bad for groups. I've been here a handful of times, always with coworkers, always with groups of at least 6. A few times we've made the reservations for the Pope room, which I highly recommend for 10-12 folks. The Pope room is circular, with a vaulted ceiling (so you can hear the person on the opposite end of the table as clearly as if she is sitting next to you), a lazy susan (so you don't have to pass the huge serving dishes), and a bust of the Pope in the middle of the table (so you'll be on your best behavior). Everything is family size. Even the small portions are designed to be shared by at least 2 people. For our group of 10 we had: Bucca Trio (calamari, stuffed mushrooms, fried mozzarella) Apple Gorgonzola Salad Bruschetta Gluten Free Chicken Saltimbocca Gluten Free Chicken Marsala Spaghetti with Meatballs Eggplant Parmigiana Chicken Cannelloni Tiramisu Brownie Sundae The free bread tasted a little stale. The olive oil and vinegar for dipping was surprisingly bland. The appetizers and salads were safe choices - nothing wrong, but nothing memorable, other than the bruschetta coming in a HUGE martini glass. My favorites were the Chicken Saltimbocca and the Eggplant Parmigiana. The chicken was well-cooked, the prosciutto and artichokes were slightly crispy to add some texture, the capers gave the right amount of tanginess to the lemon butter sauce. The eggplant was thin sliced and had just enough breading that didn't get soggy to add some nice flavor. My least favorite were the spaghetti with meatballs and the chicken cannelloni. The spaghetti and meatballs had no flavor, and the texture of the meatball was very off putting. There was essentially no sauce on the pasta. The chicken cannelloni, made with spinach pasta, was all lumpy cheese and sauce - I couldn't taste the chicken at all. I didn't try the desserts, but I was impressed that when our gluten-free diners ordered it without the brownies, they brought us the brownies on a side plate so that others could enjoy them. Service was ok. We had one main server who was helped by others throughout the night. We had to remind her a few times about the GF menu. But she kept our waters and beverages full, despite walking up in the midst of some awkward conversations. She brought us take out containers so that we could package up what we wanted to take home. I took some of my two favorites. The eggplant reheated fairly well, but the prosciutto on the saltimbocca got a little too tough. All in all, a safe, if somewhat cliche, Italian place that's designed for groups.
(3)
Annie L.
Pleasant upgrade from the last experience. I guess having a great server really makes the experience worthwhile! Three and a half stars rounded up. After my first trip to buca, I wasn't sure if I really wanted to return. But alas, we were craving Italian and had to make our way back. This time around I felt that buca hit all the spots. Service was spot on (props to our outstanding server Gabriel), bread was brought out more than once, water was filled, and check was brought out accordingly. Food wise, I still feel the salad is just a salad brought out from a Kroger bag or something. Pasta dishes were aren't necessarily memorable but they were tasty. Portions are large, although that might be debatable. I believe Cheesecake Factory gives your just as large portions at a cheaper price. Still a great place for groups!
(4)
Ariel M.
Bland. Another "bigger is better" cutesy theme type place. I've been here for office parties and thought it was standard catering-type food, but came for fun with friends so didn't mind so much. Father-in-law wanted to go so we indulged him, but honestly I can make better at home, and I'm not that much of a cook. As another Yelper mentioned, it's a rather Olive Garden type place (and that's not a compliment). Calamari could have been fried anything, no taste. Fried mozzarella cheese, ditto. Cheese bread florentine - the bread was cold with some alfredo sauce and frozen spinach dabbed on top - ugh. Fettucine Supremo had boiled, sliced chicken in it (no seasoning) and the pasta was gummy. Lasagna was bland, and I mean Stouffer's-level bland. Stuffed mushrooms were filled some exceedingly salty cheese, swimming in a yellow-green herb cream. Unappetizing. $108 for dinner for four with no wine. Total waste of money, IMO. They can accommodate large groups and the food is guaranteed to be "yeah, it was okay" level for even the most spice-phobic amongst us. So if you want something to eat as an afterthought to an office party, it seems like an okay place. For actual dining though, try somewhere else. Where I have no idea, Atlanta has a shockingly poor selection of Italian restaurants. They're on every street corner in Chicago, if you can find them buried behind the snow drifts, can someone pleeeeease import a few to our poor city?
(2)
Kim M.
Not such a fan. Moved from New England where Italian Restaurants are everywhere, and this is NOT good Italian. The food portions they said were HUGE - and they are somewhat large. But not for the price!!! The price is WAY OVER where it should be. To me the dishes were somewhat tasteless, as they didn't have much garlic, and other spices that would have made the food better. The salad though is good. I would go back for a salad and drinks.
(2)
Tuong Vi P.
My sister and I stopped by for lunch last Wednesday and the parking lot was pretty empty around 12:30. I saw the low Yelp rating but since I had a coupon for $10 off 2 pasta dishes, I thought I'd give the restaurant a chance. Bad idea. We waited for almost 10 minutes without one person acknowledging us. There was no host/hostess at the door and a waitress in the dining area looked at us 4 (yes, FOUR) times and proceeded to completely ignore us each time. I will not return, seeing how service is during a super-slow lunch hour. Terrible. No wonder the parking lot had about 3 cars, while nearby dining establishments had their lots teeming with office workers' vehicles.
(1)
Amy J.
My family recently moved from Texas to the Atlanta area. Over the years we formed a tradition that we would eat at Buca at the chef's table for family celebrations like birthdays. My daughter turned 8 so we made reservations at this Buca. We expected no less than the same superior service we have received from the many Buca's we have gone to in the Dallas area - wow, what an incredible disappointment. When we drove to the parking lot at 2 on a Saturday and it was empty, should have been our first clue. When we walked in, there was no one in the hostess area. A random employee yelled from the kitchen area that someone would be with us. Eventually some one was. She was indifferent to us at best. She walked us to our table. The energy in the kitchen was flat compared to the high energy we have grown accustomed. We were greeted by our server who was also less than energetic. We ordered, waited, waited - asked for bread. She made an "oops" face and walked away. Seriously, this was a sad excuse for a chef table experience. Here is where things turn from bad to worse...... We get our bread, ate on it a bit and my husband moved his top plate from his bottom plate and......horror of all horror, there was a living silverfish bug on the bottom plate. My little girl was horrified and began to cry. Our celebration quickly turned to a disaster. My husband hunted down a person to talk to (seriously, there was no staff around) and he got a couple of "I'm sorry" but they didn't seem as horrified as we did. It almost seemed like it was not an irregular occurrence. We left quickly. Sadly, this experience ruined over 6 years of tradition for our family. We went across to PFChangs and it was packed. Sadly, our afternoon late lunch celebration had been destroyed by our wretched experience at Buca. Ew.
(1)
Cheryl D.
Worst service I have ever seen. Left before being seated after waiting 30 min. In an empty lobby. Had a child who was very vocal about how unhappy he was and they just ignored him.
(1)
Michael L.
Came early at 430. Food is great, had 1893 salad and chicken rigatoni. Food came fast since it was early. We had dirty plates and the first bread was cold.
(4)
Kari L.
After mentioning on Yelp that I never had any follow up to my original complaint, the folks over at Buco di Beppo got in touch again and apologized for the mistake. They sent us a gift certificate, which I took my parents out with (since they were involved in the original complaint). Food was okay, fine for a weeknight. I'd put it somewhat on par with going to an Olive Garden. Relaxed, easy going and plenty that the whole family would enjoy. Although it's not really my style, it's a good family place. I'd also like to thank them for taking such good care of my family in light of all the previous snafus.
(2)
Lorie D.
I used to love Buca di Beppo in Universal City, CA. It was one of my favorite Italian places by far. Since I have been in Georgia I have been here twice. The first time was Ok. My visit a couple of weeks ago, has officially knocked it off my list and that was the last dining experience I will have at Buca. We waited an oddly long time for a white pizza (which may have been held up by the pizza guy who I happened to notice was scrolling his smart phone during the kitchen tour) The bread was cold, plates dirty and service inconsistent. The fried calamari was always a consistent favorite in CA but here, it was just ok, definitely not the same quality. It's always a toss up with chain but I was terribly disappointed with Buca Alpharetta.
(2)
Tom E.
I was starving last night. Aren't I always starving? My family and I had not been to Buca in a while, and we were in the area.. we decided to go for it. When we got there, it was about a 5 minute wait, to thin out the crowd in the waiting area (one thing I did realize- a cramped waiting area for such a big restaurant). We got seated, and then we were able to order. Right now they have a special lobster/seafood menu- I suggest you try it out if you like seafood! I got a Lobster Pizza, side of alfredo, and ate off the ziti and spaghetti. Each meatball weighs 8oz FYI, so come hungry! Also note, EVERYTHING is sized family style, small=2-3ppl, large=4-6. Same with desserts... I did have the pleasure to eat some of the spaghetti this morning after work :D
(4)
P S C.
I am really a fan of this group friendly restaurant. It is the best place to take your entire extended family or your large group of friends. They have a very good menu with lots of varieties, and different amounts for different number of people. The food is very good and authentic. For desserts, their Tiramisu is the best in town. I would recommend anybody to this place, it is just that not many people know about this chain. Even being a chain, they have pretty good food. They have a kitchen tour and seating which is another attraction. The list can go on.
(4)
C D.
Loved this place. Hostess gave us a tour of the entire restaurant, even the kitchen! You can even request a table in the kitchen! Great food. Great service! I was impressed with their house signature dishes, including prosciutto stuffed chicken. Perfect place to bring large groups!
(5)
Mehul A.
Went with a large party and was impressed with the service. That is what my review is based on. The food is better than frozen but nothing to rave about. The salad (1893) was awesome tho. Overall, great service and awesome atmosphere but the food is nothing to rave about.
(3)
Dan W.
Cheesy, yes, but I always like going there. The kitchen table is awesome and the Pope room is cool if you have a group. If you have never been, the theme is that you are in some guys basement. There are irreverent pictures all over the place that add to the ambience. Think "shabby chic". Great place to take the kids for a good family. They send out tons of special offers and coupons so I would not recommend going without a coupon. They serve rustic Italian dishes family style in small and large sizes. For a family of 4 (2 adults 2 kids), we usually get a small app (the calamari is awesome), a small salad, a small entree and 2 kids meals. With an adult beverage each using one of there coupons that send out liberally, we usually come out at about $60. Give it a shot with an open mind and I bet you enjoy it.
(3)
Denis S.
The beauty of buca is that it's exactly the same wherever you go. Same photos on the wall, same layout, same menu and (most importantly) same huge portions. I was there with one other person, we shared the cheesy garlic bread and gnocchi. Both were very juicy and pretty good, but nothing special. Quantity wise it was more than enough to fill us up, and we were hungry.
(3)
Mick D.
Kudos go to our server, who was working hard and kept things efficient. If I ever go back here, I know I'll get good service. But for now, whatever mildly positive thing I might have said about this entity is being erased by gastrointestinal distress. I was going to comment on the mass quantities of tasty food. I was going to suggest that if you go, you take more than three people and order small. (A small portion of anything here can feed at least three people. At least. When they say "family style," they mean it.) I was going to warn you to prepare to experience some sensory overload with the sheer gaudiness of the decor. I would have suggested you get there early, because this place seems to get busy and stay busy. I was going to say, "Have a good time." But as I said in the third sentence...
(2)
Brian R.
2nd time here in a few weeks....1st time did not go well and I was given a gift certificate from them to give them another chance....while I can say it was better than the first time, still not a good experience. We were given a wait time of 25-30 minutes, ended up waiting 50+ minutes. The front of the house was very disorganized, they called us once but then changed their minds, they had no host at the front greeting guests and names of customers taken after they had been there a few minutes and the (what looked like the manager) came back from seating people. Finally seated, ready to order and their out of meatballs!!! Huh?!?! And a little later I heard another server inform guests of 6-7 items they were out of. Not sure why the long wait for a table and why they were out of so many items as they didn't seem busy to me. My wife even overheard a server relieved that we didn't get seated in his section like he was ready to go home...so, food was much better this time, we didn't feel pressured to hurry and order and we left stuffed with leftovers. Our server was much better but slow and overwhelmed - we were given one small plate of oil and vinegar for 5 people and our server took the bottles with him...We brought family with us this time to dine hoping it would be a good experience as they have never eaten (or heard of) at Buca before but they weren't overly impressed with the experience. I'm not sure what happened to the quality of Buca based on when I used to eat here, but I don't think we will be going back again - the experience and quality of service just isn't the same as it used to be. And the price!?!? Wow are they expensive. Had I actually paid out of pocket for this experience, I would be much more upset and would have made it a point to speak with a manager. I would sadly not recommend Buca to anybody.
(1)
Laura N.
Buca di Beppo has some delicious Americanized Italian food, but it's merely average when compared to other local Italian restaurants, including other national chains. I sampled over half a dozen family-style items. The pastas and salad were not memorable. The chicken saltimbocca, which was the most outstanding entree that we ordered, was really tender and juicy. My favorites were actually the desserts, specifically the cannoli and the cheesecake. Buca di Beppo is a great place for a family-style dinner, but everything is overpriced. You can easily find much higher quality family-style Italian food with similar prices at Maggiano's.
(3)
Chris J.
Took the family for dinner last night....place had maybe 20 people at 5:30.....with that, expected service to be attentive. We sat and watched as our server "Ish" argued with another server. The food was ok at best but at the end of the meal when it was time to collect the dishes...'Ish" motioned with his hand to my wife hand the plates over to him. He did this 4 times in order to collect the plates versus doing it himself. I thought about letting management know but what for. As I have read reviews on this site, it seems that management is not listening. We will not be going back.
(1)
Connie J.
The food portions are great and I enjoy the ambience.
(5)
Steve M.
Thanks for closing the door in our face and locking the door on 2 of your regulars and our 5 year old daughter on our anniversary night. Closing at 9:22 when your hours say 10 is rude and inconvenient to people who go out of their way to visit your establishment especially on a special night. We will never return again so congratulations on loosing our business.
(1)
jen d.
As far as fun & interesting environments goes, I've eaten in enough places in Alpharetta now to be able to say that locally, this place is second to none in the category & typically I'm not real big on any form of chain but frankly it just doesn't feel like one. A group of [25+] of my colleagues and I went out to celebrate one night and we got the bar area. At first I thought it too broken up for us to be able to enjoy each other, but we broke into rotating groups, ordered pizzas, had drinks and it was definitely one of our most memorable and pleasant outings - much better than anything taco Mac or the like could have provided. I've taken the kids and they love coming here as well. If you've not been, just watch the portion size you order... You don't want to end up eating for six. And if you're a local whose not been do yourself a favour and go... Absorb all of the awesome photography-decor & great food of this manufactured gem.
(4)
Juan P.
We are regulars at buca, we always get the Linguini Fruti di Mari and it's always perfect, plenty of seafood and the sauce is the best.
(5)
Tig G.
Been a couple of times because of friends wanting to go and have never been impressed. Food was SO-SO and the service was alright. I would not choose this place on my own.
(3)
Rock T.
Buca is one of our favorites if we want a festive place to meet family or friends for lunch or dinner. Never fails to disappoint. I always enjoy their eggplant Parmesan.
(4)
John G.
Awesome place! Fun and upbeat!
(5)
Dee K.
Do not eat 2 days before you come in for Dinner. Food is great- sizes are humongous and service is always top notch. Drink selection is descent and Italian without wine is a crime in my books. Try the Apple Gorgonzola salad, it's one of my fav here. Pasta selection is great and garlic bread is the best. Too much food even for leftovers but its a must try.
(4)
Michaelene M.
I get a kick out of the ambiance of Buca, but honestly the food doesn't taste that great and for the price we paid, I expected more deliberate and less harried service. The baked ziti was so sweet it tasted like store-bought Ragu with sugar added. I probably won't be back.
(2)
Shauvik R.
Probably the best Tiramisu I have had in town! This place is good for groups. Most of their Entrees, as the server said are either small (feeds 2-3) or large (feeds 4-6). However, I think I could have finished the salmon all by myself :) - was good!
(5)
jane s.
Where it's great to be a glutton! Where it's encouraged to stare at the walls! Where you aspire to eat in the kitchen! Or better yet, the Pope Room! Best when arriving with a large party - otherwise, you'll be eating leftovers for at least a week. Please drink Danny DeVito's Limoncello. Muah!
(4)
Kevin C.
Ordered takeout and was disappointed by size of small chicken parm for $20. Nothing worse then spending $50 for a meal and still being hungry. Seems like they have transformed toward less for more. Will think twice about going back.
(2)
Waring J.
Went for our 22nd Anniversary, and reserved the kitchen table, thinking it would be special, what a disappointment. Other than an eye opener on watching the kit staff, who ignore you, plus being very noisy.....nothing great about sitting here. Staff looked like they rolled out of bed in their clothes. Our waiter gave us wet dishes - which we had to ask for when they brought our appetizer....we had to dry them off. He did not know wines or even how to open one - guess they do not train their staff. I could go on but I think you will get the idea of our experience. Very disappointed. Never received an acknowledgment from them or their hdqtrs where we wrote. Will never come back and I recommend they call in Chef Ramsey to turn this place around.
(1)
David K.
If you like Italian food and come here with the expectation that the food is good (all be it a bit pricey) and that dinner may take awhile, you will not likely be disappointed. This was my first visit to this restaurant. I came with a group of 8, 2 couples and 4 singles as an impromptu choice after some afternoon, early evening activities so was not able to take advantage of available coupons mentioned in other reviews. It was a Saturday night and an on-line reservation was made via smart phone at 7:45pm with an estimated seating time of 8:45pm. We arrived about 8:30pm. While the group waited outside on the small covered patio (it was a balmy winter night), I walked around the restaurant just to see the layout and noticed at least a dozen empty tables with dirty dishes (a clear sign that service will be slow and that the facility is understaffed). Although not something you really want to see at a restaurant, not necessarily something that would dissuade me from eating there (especially on a first visit). We were called in around 8:40pm (so cuddos to being accurate on the seating time). There are some tables in the bar area up front (all were empty with dirty dishes) and the rest of the tables are in the back which is where we were seated. We did the traditional "walk through the kitchen" noting the lone "Kitchen Table" which seats 4 people and giving you the ability to watch all the kitchen goings on (must usually be reserved well in advance) and then passed the "Pope Table" (huge bust of the Pope in the center of the table) which seats maybe 10 people(?) and also must be reserved in advance. There are pictures of old actors and such on the walls as well as various colored lights hanging on the walls. Our table was a round table that snuggly fit all 8 of us. It took maybe 5 minutes for our server to stop by and say she would be with us shortly which ended up being another 10 minutes. She took our drink and appetizer orders, a couple folks ordering the Calimari which they commented was very tasty. As noted on the lower front cover of the Buca menu, they have two portion sizes, "(S) - feeds 2+ people and (L) - feeds 4+ people" so clearly a "family style" restaurant with their portion sizes (although again, you're paying additional for the larger portion sizes). If you go as a single with a group and don't share, plan on taking leftovers home. The appetizer came out 15 minutes later at which time the server took our dinner order, noting that the meals are "entree only" and that salad and sides are "a la carte" and come at an additional cost. I ordered the Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken (S) with a side of spaghetti. The menu indicated this is a "Buca Favorite" and did not disappoint as it was very tasty. The other dishes that were ordered included the Samon Sorrento, Chicken Cannelloni, and some pasta dish that came in a bowl. Our meals arrived roughly 30 minutes after ordering with positive comments (and sharing) by all. Water glasses were generally refilled fairly promptly when empty, and we did have some heavy water drinkers at the table so this was important. One person ordered the Purple Pear (w/cream) drink (freshly made by the restaurant) noting it was tasty and did taste like pear. As we were all pretty full, no one opted for a dessert. Our checks were delivered with each person's/couple's order split accordingly (although the server had forgotten the Purple Pear) and an 18% tip added (which is generally standard for large groups at many restaurants). We waited another 10 minutes or so for the billfolds with our credit cards to be picked and left shortly after they were returned maybe 5 minutes later with a total "in facility" time of about 1 hour 40 minutes which wasn't really that bad for a Saturday night. All and all a good experience, although I would say this is likely better appreciated with a group where good food is expected; however, with the many Italian choices in the area would choose another restaurant for a better couple's experience.
(4)
Shalin P.
I know this is a generic national chain, but my wife and I really like Buca. The decor is cheesy (lots of old pictures on the wall), and they walk you through the kitchen like you're Henry Hill in "GoodFellas". But their tasty bread is served with olive oil and vinegar (instead of butter), which is always a bonus in my book. Their normal entrees are of Maggiano's quality I would say. But the one dish that makes Buca stand out for us is their gnocchi. It is served in a pink rosa sauce and comes with small cubes of fresh mozzarella. This dish is great and much better than the gnocchi at Figo or Maggiano's. We probably would never eat here if they didn't have this dish. The desserts are decent- their tiramisu is probably the most alcohol-filled version you'll find (which I think detracts from the flavor).
(4)
Katie K.
I've been to Buca tons of times with the family. I just really dig the family style eating. There's nothing beter than giant bowls of spaghetti that everyone just digs into. And true, Buca is getting a little bit too chain-y for me... I definitely prefer the old school menu-on-the-wall deal, because now they offer way too many menu items. Better to be simple, I think! Still, I came here today with my parents for a really random 3pm lunch. We ordered a small apple gorgonzola salad (amazing! very refreshing!) to start out with, and then for our meal had a small garlic bread, with a small order of cheese ravioli and plain old spaghetti marinara. There is something special about their marinara sauce... very fresh, very tomatoe-y! The ravioli was incredible, as always... fresh, with tons of cheese inside. Service, as always, was very quick. I really like how all the servers here tend to be very personable, but not in an overbearing sort of way. Prices are reasonable, $50 for a small salad, garlic bread, and 2 small entrees fed 3 three people very well.
(4)
Allyson R.
For a chain restaurant, I really enjoy Buca Di Beppo. The food is family style so you can order a few things and then share between a lot of people. Since my boyfriend and I are both vegetarians, we always order the Eggplant Parmesan....it is SOOOO good. We also get the small side (not the main dish, the side), of spaghetti and marinara. This is enough food for 4 meals! We always take half to go and always have enough for the next day. It's awesome! We always have decent to good service and have never had any problems while there. The manager always stops by our table and asks how things are. He/she always gives us a few $10 off coupons for the next time we go. So we always get $10 off, which is awesome! I recommend this location because there is never a wait, because it is SO large, and the staff is friendly and on top of things! Oh, PS- they are NOT open for lunch...only dinner.
(4)
Bonnie B.
Hi, so I enjoyed a nice meal here last night, which was yummy! There was 4 in the party and 2 of the party have been before and 2 have not been. When your taken to your table, your taken through the kitchen and you can smell the food cooking. They also have a table in the kitchen for special occasions, that you have to reserve by calling and talking to the host is the best way! We were seated and the waiter took our drink orders. We browsed the menu for a bit. Food: The apple salad- was enjoyed by all I just had a couple of the apples. I'm not a big salad eater. Baked ziti- very yummy and I would get this again next time. Chicken Marsala- also very good, the sauce was really sweet, which I enjoyed. Also they bring bread and oil and vinegar when drinks are brought. Dessert: I had a hard time deciding between a couple of the desserts. The brownie Sunday or cannoli's. We/I decided on the cannoli's this time. Next time I'm going to have to try brownie Sunday since it looked so good!! Serves- was very good, brought everything we asked for and gave some good suggestion as well. Yes there are some low reviews but ours is high. Ps: there's tons of pictures and the bathrooms even have fun stuff in there to check out. Will be returning next month to celebrate a bday!! (Not mine though) PSS: funny moment- when my Dad dropped his drink they brought him another with a cover and straw!! Very funny!!
(5)
Bill S.
We usually try to avoid reviewing national chains, but after we dined here we felt maybe a short comment was in order. We're not very familiar with this operation, though it struck us as somewhat similar to Maggianos, only not as good. Actually, bland would be the proper word for the chicken and pasta dishes we sampled. The sauces were close to average -- either under-seasoned or wildly over-the-top -- but generally not much related to the food, whether veal or chicken. The kitchen would seem either a bit disorganized in preparation or too closely following someone's antiquated menu advice. (That's a lot of "either or," we know; our apologies). The bottom line is that the food was in no way memorable, nor was the wine, whether cab or merlot. The servings are large, the prices edging toward the high side, and our waitress, while smiling a lot, was constantly interrupting our dinner to ask how things were going. Overall our experience wasn't awful, but for what we got and were charged for, we were seriously under-whelmed.
(2)
TK B.
I don't particularly have to come back. That's what I told my mom last night as we walked out of Buca di Beppo. We went because we always get the $10.00 off coupon in the mail. We ordered the Mozzarella Garlic Bread. It was good. Then we ordered Baked Rigatoni. It looked good, it smelled good, but the taste was not what I desired. Plus all the food we got was served lukewarm and had to be sent back to the kitchen. I love all the kitschy little decor though. Makes ya feel like you're in someone's house almost. Our server left and didn't come back for another 15 (yes, literally 15) minutes. I don't know what that was about, but she seemed less than thrilled to be there. Now that I've experienced it, I don't have to go again.
(2)
Jerry C.
We came for the pizza! Love the place. Love every picture of Sophia Loren - even the one where the underarms need maintenance. Love the rest of the visual clutter. Love the walk through the kitchen. Love the big cans of crushed tomatoes that use to support the pie on your table. Peroni on tap was an added bonus. We got the large Supremo Italiano. Good spice to the sausage and pepperonis. The sauce was effective but not overpowering. It seemed to work really well with the beef. Perfectly gooey mozz. They really put good stuff on this pizza. The rectangular pie at Buca is inconsistent in the way it is cooked, I suspect, due to the shape. On the outside edges the crust is really crispy. They hold up well and you don't need to fold to eat them. This is especially true at the corners. But as you move into the pie, the crust is much less crisp. Here you fold the slice. Still good. By the time you get to the middle, the crust has become saturated by the toppings. It does not hold up and your are well served to dump it in the plate and eat it with a fork. But by God it is still good. We have also been here in a big group for the family style Italian meal. Buca is quirky and cute for a chain. The whole schtick might annoy others but we find it quite amusing. Play along. Have fun! I ate too much!
(4)
Shaina L.
Amazing Italian and tons of it. I'm also fond of the crazy decor. Be aware that the salad with the Granny Smith apples has a very strong onion taste! Found that out the unfortunate way...
(4)
Christine F.
Hosted a birthday party for my Sister here. There were about 30 people and the staff did a great job. The large family style portions worked out very well and they blocked off half of an area for us and had it all organized with an area for gifts. The food was very good, we had lasagna, penne san remo (my favorite with artichoke hearts & sundried tomatoes) and linguine with mussels. We brought cake but also had the cheesecake which was excellent...but had nuts on top which we didn't realize until after received. The waiter even sang especially for my sister's birthday. It was a great time overall and cost about $20 a person...but noone left hungry. I only gave it 4 stars because I don't think that it would have been as much fun going as a couple or smaller group due to the portion options.
(4)
Chloe M.
I went to Buca when it first opened a couple of years ago just to satisfy my curiosity. I have never been back. Until two weeks ago. And only because I attended a get-together with close friends. There were 45 of us. The organizer thought best to have a family-style dining which is an excellent idea given our number. To me, family-style is more intimate: everyone at the table gets to eat everything. It also simplifies discussions about food since you ate exactly the same thing as the next person. After being ushered to a huge private room, our evening started with a Mixed Green Salad, Bruschetta, and Fried Calamari. Our organizer thought it best to pre-order a set menu for the group which was another excellent idea. Not only did it alert the kitchen in advance, our food was ready as soon as we finished our cocktails. I enjoyed the salad more than anything else. It had crisp greens and the vinaigrette dressing was really good. The bruschetta was a little too crunchy on the edges (think biscotti) but topped with an obscene amount of fresh, ripe roma tomatoes which I love. The calamari was also fresh but nothing to write home about. The Spaghetti Meatballs was just that: ordinary-tasting meatballs on fresh yet mediocre marinara sauce. I like my sauce hearty and saucy. Not runny. Theirs can't even coat the spaghetti properly. The Chicken Parmigiana was pretty good but still not fantastic. The breaded chicken breasts were topped with prosciutto, bruschetta, and provolone cheese. With all the strong-tasting toppings plus the fact that they were all swimming in marinara sauce, I couldn't really taste the chicken at all. We had Mashed Potatoes to go with the chicken but since we also had two pasta dishes, no one really wanted to touch it anymore. Mashed potatoes is mashed potatoes; theirs is chunky (which I like). The Fettuccine Supremo was the other pasta dish we had. It had slices of chicken breast, broccoli, and red peppers on fettuccine pasta with Alfedo sauce. I don't know about you but I can differentiate fresh from dried pasta. I prefer fresh. Theirs is not. Buca di Beppo, if anything else, is a fun place. I do have to commend our server. She was the most methodical, most efficient, funniest, friendliest (okay, she was way too friendly at times but it made for good laughs) server I have ever encountered. She gave each person/couple a number so that she can keep track of drink tabs. The per person cost for our meal was $39.95 (drinks, tax, and gratuity not included) -- way to steep for the kind and taste of the food we got. For that price, there are other, much better places like this one. And although I was disappointed (again) with the food, the company made up for it, big time. Insider tip: There is a chef's table in the kitchen that seats 4. I've never been one to enjoy eating (at a restaurant, no less) while watching tons of raw, salmonella-laden chicken butchered in front of me. Of course, I exaggerate but you get my point. Still, if that's you're thing, then make sure to call ahead and reserve it.
(1)
Tiffany S.
a.k.a. 'Joe's Basement' or at least, that's what the waitress told me. The deco of the place is awesome. The wine bottles in the ceiling and the informal pictures, like a page out of someone's scrapbook. Also walked past the table located IN the kitchen (not that I would really want to eat there...but the idea's pretty cool). As for the food - they give you gigantic portions so there's plenty to eat and take home. My friend thought this place was really good, but I think it was kind of generic as far as Italian food goes. But, the pizza was good...had corn and chips =). And hey, the food doesn't taste half bad as leftovers either!
(3)
Vincent V.
Huge portions, but not a lot of creativity or risks on the menu. If you've eaten at a big family style Italian chain restaurant before, then you know what to expect from this one. The decor is Italian corporate concept quirky. Lots of "rustic" pics of Italy, menus painted on walls...I can't remember if it was this location or the one I went to in Florida with my parents that has a room decorated in all Pope memorabilia. It might be every location, actually. The Pope Room was pretty sweet looking. In the giant portion Italian chain restaurant hierarchy, I rank them above Olive Garden and about equal to Maggiano's. It's good if you want to get a ton of food and potentially have some in your fridge for the next day or two as leftovers.
The best Chicken Marsala in the multiverse! A great place for any occasion if you want to enjoy great food, good service & an awesome environment that is by itself a massive conversation piece. The portions are massive so that you can share them with others at the table & very affordable. I consider Buca Di Beppo as one of the two greatest Italian restaurants in the Atlanta area. Go eat!
(4)
Nick B.
The service was good but the Lasagna was not very tasty. i went on a free coupon so that was good but i most likely would not go back.
(2)
Edie S.
We LOVE Buca! Everything we get there is wonderful - the sauce is always perfect, tastes like a homemade tomato "gravy" as my true Italian friends say. I don't know where they get their Italian sausage but it is perfect, spicy and just enough crunch. We like the Chicken Saltimbocca when we're trying to be "good" and it's always piping hot and full of flavor. Everything is great and such a value, sometimes we even have stuff to take home! This is our favorite Italian restaurant.
(5)
Timothy M.
Had the Chicken Parm with a side of Fettuccine Alfredo and a giant Peroni. Loved the food and the service was good. It was Friday night just before the rush, not sure if that worked to my advantage or not but I'll update this review if I come back and get crappy service. In my opinion the food was outstanding, I'll be back.
(4)
Frankie B.
Not half bad for a chain concept, but Italian I happen to be a wee bit more picky about than others so hence the three stars. If you're in the area from out of town and looking for something that will more than likely be a safe bet definitely try it. I didn't find much on the menu that really stuck out as being unique, but the family style serving of the meal was pretty sweet and the food was good with ginormous portions.
(3)
Frank B.
Great food and ambience. Beware- they add service/ gratuity to bill and don't warn u- so check your bill.
(4)
Cory F.
Drew is right on the point in everything he says. Although as far as the food, I don't see it any better than Olive Garden's food, and defiantly not as good as Maggiano's. This one does have The Pope Room and I think it is a great little place in honor of the pope. I'm sure there are a few restaurants in Texas with "The Big, Badd Bush Room". I think it is a great place for family for fun. But if you want food and service worth the price you are paying, then this isn't the place.
(3)
Robert H.
As a lover of garlic the overloaded garlic bread had me. The rest of the meal was totally unremarkable
(2)
Christine K.
I have been to Buca countless times with my family; really, it is the perfect Italian restaurant to go with your family, especially with the large portions and fun atmosphere. I've never had a bad experience and the food has always left me happy, satisfied, and full. The only thing is that I wish they would serve the garlic bread the way they used to (the pizza pan), and not like plain bread in the basket. Also, they recently changed their menu and now, the menu is no longer on the wall but on actual laminated Cheesecake Factory-like booklet menus. This looks nice and all, but I miss the simplicity of their menu and this change sort of detracts from the casual family feeling - you know, eating at your friend's big Italian family's house. With the new menu, they've added a lot of new things, so I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not. But despite this, Buca will always have a special place in my heart (it's worth the often long wait!) ...try the dessert, too - it's great!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Drew H.
This place is so pathetic it's actually laughable. The food and service are terrible with two exceptions - the desserts and the drinks. The veal was like shoeleather. The caprese was mediocre. The pizza was lousy. And so on... Their top-shelf margarita was excellent but cost $15. The service was exceedingly bad and the manager was very rude. I would return to this place only if I had a $100 gift card, and I would only order drinks and eat dessert. Oh, I almost forgot that they have good bread.
(1)Richard R.
What an experience!!! It was a lot to take in as a first time visitor, but I would easy say I haven't had an experience quite like this before. The walls are covered with photo's of celebrities and scattered throughout are pictures of some guy they call Big Joe. I'm assuming this guy is some sort of inside joke, but I could be wrong. The seating here is broken up into many intimate sections and connected with a series of long hallways. It almost felt like we were in a maze at times. We had reservations in the Pope Room. The host escorted our party of 11 on a route through the kitchen where dead smack in the middle there was a table of guests eating! I was already shocked to be taken through the kitchen, but practically floored to see guest eating there!!! So tickled by this I just had to get a picture of the customers seated at the kitchen table. Don't worry, they were totally into it! Once we made it to our table I understood why they called it the Pope Room. There was literally Pope paraphernalia EVERYWHERE. There was even a Pope-like seat at the head of the table (which we reserved for the birthday boy) and a bust of a Pope's head encased in plexiglass in the middle of our table. Since the dinning here is family style, the bust sat on a large rotating lazy susan, which jokingly we all made sure the Pope always had our birthday boy in his direct line of sight. THE FOOD I was clueless as to what to order so I left those decisions up to the rest of our party. My only requirements were a glass of their sweet specialty drink and a round of calamari (my favorite appetizer). Our meal included all of the following: *CALAMARI | 3 stars Good seasoning and nicely cooked with a tad hint of spiciness. * MINI MEATBALLS | 3 stars Not bad! Some had italian cheese inside while others didn't. I liked the ones with the cheese much better than the ones without. * PROSCIUTTO STUFFED CHICKEN | 3.5 stars This was my favorite dish of the evening. Although it was a little dry, I really enjoyed the flavor and the pesto sauce was a nice touch. * BAKED ZITI | 2 stars I've had better but it was nice that the manager sent us this dish on the house. * SPICY CHICKEN RIGATONI | 2.75 stars I thought this was okay, but not likely to order it again if I ever come back. * SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS | 3 stars The meatballs were HUGE, but overall the flavor was just average. * MOZZARELLA GARLIC BREAD | 2 stars * VERONA PUNCH | 4 stars As much as I enjoyed this sweet & fruity drink, I wish I had paid more attention to the price. They charged me $16 for my first glass (which also included the price of the glass) and $10 for a refill. I paid $34 after tax & tip for my two drinks alone. Since I'm not a drinker, I have no idea if this is what people normally pay for drinks... but I won't be paying that ever again! And I will most certainly be paying more attention to price when I order. Speaking of price, between 11 people the bill for the food was $22.81 each + tip. FINAL THOUGHTS As first time experiences go I had a great time, but my wallet & taste buds were a little upset! The decor was wonderfully strange and interesting while the Pope Room was thee perfect setting for our group. The huge round table made conversation easy and gave plenty of elbow room. However, the truth of the matter is this place is not where you'd want to go if you are looking for really good Italian food, but it is definitely a fun place to enjoy time with a group of friends. It was a cool experience, but I'm not so sure I would go back unless it was with a group of people who'd never been before. It would be fun to see their reaction to the oddity of this place. I 100% agree with Michelle K's review (whom I happened to be in the same company with tonight) when she says: "You come to Buca for the restaurant environment but not necessarily the food itself." 2.75 stars rounded up.
(3)Michelle K.
We went here last night for our friend Bill's birthday dinner & I now realize why I haven't been to a "Buca" in over a decade. The pasta was just mediocre. We were a group of 11, including the birthday boy and sat in the "pope room." It was nice to sit at a round table & see everyones faces but I can't say the same for our dinner. The decor & the positive energy you get from dining here is what draws folks in but the food here is just standard. We ordered the calamari, cheesy bread & mini meatballs for appetizers. Then we had the baked ziti with chicken, pesto chicken, spaghetti and meatballs & spicy chicken rigatoni. It was nice of the management team to send us a complimentary platter of baked ziti but again, the food here was just average so we had plenty of leftovers. I was starving when I got to the restaurant so I ate more bread here than I do on a monthly basis plus ate the pasta because I needed to fill my stomach with something before suffering additional pain from an empty stomach. Overall, the staff here is pleasant & dinner was great because of the friends at dinner, not the food. If you're craving average Italian food then you won't be disappointed. If you're craving more than that, I would recommend somewhere else. You come to Buca for the restaurant environment but not necessarily the food itself.
(2)David M.
So after the poor review, I got a response asking me for a contact so they can call me or contact me to "rectify" the situation. So I promptly provided my e mail and just like the restaurant experience, have waited for someone to contact me. This lack of concern is epidemic at this joint. If they ever call me, Ill post again.
(1)Pete L.
Big portion family style dishes and the pasta was just OK. The service was OK too. The waiter was having a hard time trying to figure out how to split the bills btwn 8 people. took him almost an hour, did it wrong twice, and the final bill was still wrong. Turned out he still didn't apply our coupon. Total bill is like $120 for 2 large bowls pasta and 1 medium veggie pasta with 8 drinks, tips enforced.
(2)Shannon M.
Yelp says they deliver, but when I called they were confused. Apparently the only way you can get it delivered is to go online and order through gowaiter.com . Delivery is $7! Expected much better food and larger portions for the price. Also, ordered a bottled water that they apparently didn't have. I guess they tried calling me (I missed it), but they didn't leave a message (so I was not sure who it was calling or what they wanted). In any case, instead of sending a different drink with my order or refunding me they sent no drink and still charged me for it.
(2)Lani J.
The quality has really gone downhill... This used to be one of my favorite Italian restaurants but they started taking too many shortcuts. Instead of slices of garlic on the garlic bread they know use only powdered Garlic. It's also not being kept up as well as it used to be. When I sat down on the bench I got marinara sauce all over my pants. I'm sorry to say that I will never return.
(2)Jen L.
I loved Buca di Beppo growing up in Florida so I decided to give this location a try. We waited for about 30 minutes for a table, not because it was crowded but because I think they were understaffed. We got taken to the table by our actual waiter himself who seemed sweaty and out of breath. The people at the next table were complaining about the amount of time it took for their food to come out. Our food came out rather quickly! We ordered the Shrimp Florentine, Chicken Marsala and Chicken Parmesan in Rosa Sauce (as a special request). I loved the Chicken Parmesan! It came out perfectly cooked with just enough delicious Rosa sauce. The Shrimp Florentine was a whole other story. It wasn't very flavorful and was pretty watery. We also ordered the Chicken Marsala which was extremely sweet! Probably the sweetest Marsala sauce I had ever tasted but still very delicious since I like sweet sauces. All the dishes were very different in their own way. This restaurant is a chain but the food is usually constant so I enjoy it! It's great for large families as the dishes come out in sharing portions. The small entrees serve 2 or more people and the large entrees serve about 3-4 people. They also offer many coupons in your daily newspaper or mailbox.
(3)Lynx M.
Came here on a business lunch meeting, I suggested this place because all of my friends raved about it. Walked in with my client and was seated almost immediately, the host led us to the table and explained the restaurants over the top decor. You won't run out of stuff to look at in this place that's for sure! The waitress gave excellent customer service and the food was meh... salad and bread are served Ala cart vs this restaurants competitors that offer it complimentary. I was turned off by the price but the portion sizes are big enough to feed 2 people who are some what hungry but it can be polished off in one sitting depending on how hungry you are. I ordered the chicken marsala. It was ok.. it's nothing this restaurant could've done better, the service was great, but the food had no wow factor for me which is the reason for 3 out of 5 stars. The chicken marsala honestly tasted like one of those Campbell's skillet sauce meals with more garlic **shrugs**. 2 people can eat there for about $60 -$100 excluding tax, tip, and wine. It's worth checking out to see for yourself but this isn't my first choice of Italian restaurants. I think ippolitos food and Ala cart menu is better than here.
(3)Sid B.
Authentic?. Not what I have eaten in italy nor ny Good yes though. Had veal marsela, chicken parm, and baked ziti. Baked ziti excellent. Desserts too big for even 4 people. Noise level way too high when crowded. But noticed a few tables near bar that were quiet. Service just medium too
(3)Yunye Y.
Very large portion, pasta is pretty good. Waitress will lead you walk through the kitchen. Setting and decoration is cool but a bit too much...
(4)Adam B.
My family and I just ate here. The waitress said we could each section of our family could use a coupon and then at the end sent the manager out saying we could not that is just wrong. The portion sizes are divided up into persons of two or four people which is not very good for ordering in my opinion. The main dishes do not come with pasta you have to order that separately, this is an Italian restaurant it should come with the meal. That's just not right. My niece got the kids sized chicken Parmesan and the sauce tasted like it was SpaghettiOs. That's just not right. The waitress packaged up our meals at the end when we're done eating which was nice but she did not include the Alfredo sauce which was part of her meal. That's not right. It also took the waitress about 15 minutes to return with my change. I would not recommend this overpriced restaurant to anyone looking for a meal.
(1)Jin P.
Be ware if you order online for to go pickup. Ordered for 1100 am pickup. It's 1141 am and order not yet complete. Kendra the manager arrives at restaurant at 1110 am. She investigates and say the problem is a printer malfunction. That didn't really make be feel any better. Be prepared for late orders or order for pickup at least 30 minutes ahead of intended pickup time. I think this is very poorly managed restaurant.
(1)Esther K.
My husband and I have been here twice, and each time the food has been mediocre at best. All entrees are very large portions; a small pasta is more than enough for the both of us. We ordered the spicy calamari, the meatball, and for our entree we got the Linguine Frutti di Mare. The calamari was significantly over cooked, and the rest of the food was under seasoned. Overall, it was just a ton of bland tasting food. The service and atmosphere were awesome but my ratings are always based on the food, hence the 2 stars.
(2)Mark M.
Large portions. Above average Italian food. Cool atmosphere. Our server was pretty good. If you have not dined here before I highly recommend you giving it a try. Most of the meals are family style coming in large and small feeding anywhere from 2-3 or 4-5 I believe. This place is ideal if you have a large family or a get together with some friends or co-workers. We will return again.
(4)Paul K.
Time and Date of visit: Sunday 8/3/2014 Party Size: 3 Ambiance: The restaurant is decked with pictures all over. Anyone with ADD will still have their eyes glancing back and forth to check out all the various pictures. It adds character but a little bit over done. Getting the usual tour, I did spot one table that had a mannequins head of a famous person ( I forgot, was it a president?) encased in a glass box, rotating on a lazy susan. I'm not sure I could feel that I could enjoy my meal with that on the table. Freaky weird. Cool for others I guess. There's also a table right in the kitchen, that can only be sitted at least 2 hours prior to closing. The hostess did hint that it gets the fastest service. A bit noisy though. Fits a party of 8 if I recall. Service: We came in an hour before closing on a Sunday night and were immediately greeted. No wait time on getting a table for 3. Since this was our first time at this location, the hostess gave us a tour around the whole restaurant and through the kitchen before sitting us. Our server was Zack. He was quite helpful in answering our questions about the entrees. Though he did forget a drink one of my friends ordered, I'm not going to ding him on points as he was juggling take out orders and closing. I would still recommend him as he was attentive on service. Food: Just as the server and the menu suggest, this is family style. Portions are huge. So don't come if you aren't starving or coming off of fasting. Mozzarella Caprese Salad: Small size. From what's pictured on the menu, the small serving is just one row of salad. We shared this for three and felt that it was good amount. Thick cuts of ripe tomato. Along with a healthy chunk of mozzarella. All sitting on a shallow pool of olive oil. This is a good app to start off with. And I'm glad there is a table side of salt and pepper cracker. I like to add a little bit more on my share. Chicken & Sausage Ziti: Small size. I actually liked the sauce on the dish my roommate ordered. I favor more cream kinds of sauces myself. I just feel like there's more flavor, though it's probably not as healthy as clam or wine sauces. The pasta was cooked al dente, with a healthy serving of chicken and pieces of sausage here and there. It does leave you feeling a bit heavy afterwards. Linguine Frutti di Mare: Small size. I feel as though the red clam sauce is a bit watery. Soup like almost. Other than that, the pasta comes served with a generous amount of mussels. Bits of clams through out the pasta playing hide and seek. It could use a little more pieces of shrimp but overall this dish wasn't able to be conquered and had to be taken to go to finish off. After a night in the fridge, the flavoring holds well. I'm sure everyone in the office got a whiff after I microwaved it and walked down the halls back to my office. Total Bill w/ Tip & Tax: $42.89 w/soft drinks and beer. Summary: Come hungry and with friends to share! Decent franchise Italian food if Olive Garden is too packed.
(3)T-Nicole T.
Oh yeah it was good. We ordered a large Quattro d forno for the two of us. for our first experience. It was delish. Their marinara sauce is so good. Only wish they had garlic bread instead of the sliced bread. Our waiter Trevon was great very friendly and helpful. They give you a tour of the restaurant which was cute. Very clean place. There are pics of all things Italy everywhere. Did I mention the food is fantastic. They will see us again. Join the club and you get free food too.
(5)Randy H.
Buca is a decent place if you are going with at least one other person or a family. The portions are fairly large and are meant to be shared with others. We waited for about minutes for table. My guess is they were understaffed. We ordered the Shrimp Florentine, Chicken Marsala and Chicken Parmesan in Rosa Sauce (as a special request). I thought the Shrimp Florentine was not bad. Seemed a little watery but we added a bit of garlic to the dish and it tasted a lot better. I would recommend it but hope it is not as watery. The Chicken Marsala was sweet and flavorful. It is a different taste to the traditional marsala. The Chicken Parm w/ Rosa sauce was definitely different and cooked pretty well. I'd recommend this restaurant if you are looking to feed a large group or family.
(3)Allison Y.
I came for dinner with my family for my niece's graduation. The food was mediocre at best and the service was horrible. Complete waste of money. The gratuity was included in our bill but was not earned. Will not go back.
(1)Anna P.
Came in thinking the food was going to be great but the spaghetti and meatballs was sitting in water. Could've made something better at home. When we complained, there wasn't good customer service. Ended up paying full price for awful food. Don't come here if you are looking for good italian food. The quality is not good at all.
(1)Trisha D.
I hate to give bad reviews bc I know how much people pay attention to them...but after eating their food more than once I have to say it's just not worth the money. I got 2 small pizzas to go last weekend, it was $38 and the pizza was literally like flatbread covered in flour with bad tomato sauce and a splash of cheese. With a whole entire garlic clove on it to try and make up for the lack of everything else. It was awful. I'll never spend money there again...unfortunately, the food is terrible and therefore WAY overpriced.
(1)Christina M.
My husband and I came here the other night, I'd been bugging him for months and finally he broke down because it was my birthday. We set up a reservation, got seated right away but then proceeded to get ignored for OVER 20 minutes! Not even a glass of water for us! I tried to make eye contact with the waiter who was serving the table next to us and behind us but he completely ignored me. We finally walked out after 20 or so minutes of absolutely NO SERVICE. It was really upsetting to me because I had been so looking forward to going here and to get treated like dirt, especially on your birthday just makes it all the more awful. I am so disgusted with this place I will probably never go back.
(1)Robert S.
Arrived at 5:15 on a Saturday. there was no one waiting and there was hardly anyone there. Was told a hour and a half wait since we didn't have reservations. Didn't stay turned around and left. That was our first and last time.
(1)Sathya N.
We hosted our daughter's first birthday party at this fabulous place. We were happy to get the Pope's table. The room was pretty interesting and served as a good cultural lesson for the kids! We had a few friends (plus kids) and we got to a rocky start. We were served bread( which was fresh and very good), but the appetizers never showed up for a long time and my wife had to politely (but sternly) remind the manager that the first birthday party was getting ruined. What happened after that is just unbelievable - Folks immediately swung into action and made sure we had the best possible time. Food was fabulous and they let us occupy the place till we decided to vacate! It did not end here. When I asked for the check, the manager showed up again and said the entire expense is on the house for causing the delay to serve the food and he was extremely apologetic. I had to force them to charge me for something as I knew it was a large bill and was feeling very guilty. Eventually they charged us for one drink and that's it. In spite of some hiccups early on, I am giving a 5 star rating for this place for one and only reason. Folks accepted the mistake and instead of making things worse, made sure we had the best possible time and made my daughter's first birthday very memorable. Way to go guys - you are the best!
(5)Allie D.
This was my absolute favorite Italian place in the Atlanta area, so much so that my wedding rehearsal dinner was held here. The food is delicious, the service is impeccable, and the atmosphere is very friendly and welcoming. If you come in during their off hours (before 3pm on weekends), you may get a whole corner of the restaurant to yourself. I can't vouch for the authenticity of the food since I've never been to Italy and my family has not one drop of Italian heritage. But it is tasty! The portions are large and meant to be served family style, so even with the small size you'll have leftovers. The prices seem high at first glance but when you realize how much food you're getting, it's a good value. My favorite dishes are the penne san remo, shrimp fra diavolo, veal saltimbocca and tiramisu. The pizza, chicken marsala and double chocolate cake are good too though. I've been here several times and never had a bad experience, and everyone enjoyed the rehearsal dinner. Highly recommend!
(5)Dorothy R.
Amazing restaurant! It's very unique and warming. The food is great for sharing and the cannolis are just AMAZING!!! The server Freddie was great and very friendly.
(5)Paige N.
If you can, ask for "the kitchen table." That's my first piece of advice when eating at Buca di Beppo - it will not disappoint. A group of 5 of us went there for my friend's birthday a few weekends ago. It was my first time, but a tradition of his to celebrate there, consume a huge amount of family style Italian food, and then go go-karting immediately afterwards. Sounds like a recipe for disaster but I love go-karts (especially the souped up ones at Andretti's), so I was definitely game. We arrived around 8 PM and I'd made a reservation on Open Table and noted it was his birthday, so they asked who the birthday boy was, then if we'd mind sitting in the kitchen? No one objected (no one had been in the kitchen before) and off we went for our tour of the restaurant: red room, Pope room, wine bottle ceiling room, etc before we were deposited in the kitchen. What a cool spot! We actually got to see everything being made, waiters and chefs and others hurrying by and delivering the largest plates and bowls of food I'd ever seen, and everything else that happens in a kitchen. Surprisingly it wasn't overwhelmingly hot or loud - it was controlled and ordered chaos. Our waiter for the night was Sean and he was very good. I was especially impressed by his ability to pick up the dishes after we were done - those things were huge and still quite full of food. Let me preface the order by saying that a "small order" constituted a serving for a small Chinese family of 5, a "large" would serve the entire population of Nome, Alaska. So, being with pros, I left the ordering completely to them and here's what we got: a "small" order of spicy chicken rigatoni, a "small" spaghetti and meatballs, and a "large" quattro al forno. For 5 people. I don't know what they were thinking except: leftovers. And don't let me forget to mention that before any of this came out, because it was my friend's birthday we got free appetizers of meatballs, cheesy bread and mashed potatoes - just to whet our appetites (or satisfy them). The food was very good: huge, huge portions or warm, cheesy, saucy, meaty pasta, lasagna, stuffed shells and spaghetti. Way more than 5 people could do justice to - especially post delicious appetizers. To top it all off, the staff came in clapping at the end, sang a cheesy birthday song (to which the kitchen staff joined in banging on pots and pans) and really gave us a great send off. It was delightful, I felt like I was in a food coma and I know that's definitely a "special occasion" type of restaurant - not your let's-just-grab-a-bite type of restaurant. Go to Buca di Beppo at least once for the experience. It's a fun one for sure!
(4)Casandra L.
I love the food and service there and portions a re great for sharing which makes is very affordable. Be warned though large groups will be taken before 2 people if it's during a busy time....p.s: coupons galore :)
(4)Tina P.
Great food, excellent service. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. My 1st visit but will visit there again. So, much food in a single serving. A small entrée is enough for 2 person. The large will feed a family of 3 to 4 person.
(5)Lauren A.
The food here could have been good, maybe enough to return, but the service was completely lacking. We came with a group of 10 on a lunch break from work. There were three servers assisting our table. 2 of the people in our group had orders that were incorrect or forgotten. Unfortunately the forgotten meals took so long to come out that most of the other people had eaten or their food had gone cold. The whole experience took about 1 hr 45min-2hrs. which was much longer than we had planned to be in the restaurant. The overall experience wasn't great for me, but the meals that were actually eaten hot and on time seemed to go over very well with the group. The pizza's especially looked good.
(2)Lu N.
Lasagna was awesome but I didn't like complimentary bread. Try the mozzarella garlic bread. The portion size on the lasagna was rather small. I got a small but it was only enough barely for two people.
(4)Angela M.
Not bad for groups. I've been here a handful of times, always with coworkers, always with groups of at least 6. A few times we've made the reservations for the Pope room, which I highly recommend for 10-12 folks. The Pope room is circular, with a vaulted ceiling (so you can hear the person on the opposite end of the table as clearly as if she is sitting next to you), a lazy susan (so you don't have to pass the huge serving dishes), and a bust of the Pope in the middle of the table (so you'll be on your best behavior). Everything is family size. Even the small portions are designed to be shared by at least 2 people. For our group of 10 we had: Bucca Trio (calamari, stuffed mushrooms, fried mozzarella) Apple Gorgonzola Salad Bruschetta Gluten Free Chicken Saltimbocca Gluten Free Chicken Marsala Spaghetti with Meatballs Eggplant Parmigiana Chicken Cannelloni Tiramisu Brownie Sundae The free bread tasted a little stale. The olive oil and vinegar for dipping was surprisingly bland. The appetizers and salads were safe choices - nothing wrong, but nothing memorable, other than the bruschetta coming in a HUGE martini glass. My favorites were the Chicken Saltimbocca and the Eggplant Parmigiana. The chicken was well-cooked, the prosciutto and artichokes were slightly crispy to add some texture, the capers gave the right amount of tanginess to the lemon butter sauce. The eggplant was thin sliced and had just enough breading that didn't get soggy to add some nice flavor. My least favorite were the spaghetti with meatballs and the chicken cannelloni. The spaghetti and meatballs had no flavor, and the texture of the meatball was very off putting. There was essentially no sauce on the pasta. The chicken cannelloni, made with spinach pasta, was all lumpy cheese and sauce - I couldn't taste the chicken at all. I didn't try the desserts, but I was impressed that when our gluten-free diners ordered it without the brownies, they brought us the brownies on a side plate so that others could enjoy them. Service was ok. We had one main server who was helped by others throughout the night. We had to remind her a few times about the GF menu. But she kept our waters and beverages full, despite walking up in the midst of some awkward conversations. She brought us take out containers so that we could package up what we wanted to take home. I took some of my two favorites. The eggplant reheated fairly well, but the prosciutto on the saltimbocca got a little too tough. All in all, a safe, if somewhat cliche, Italian place that's designed for groups.
(3)Annie L.
Pleasant upgrade from the last experience. I guess having a great server really makes the experience worthwhile! Three and a half stars rounded up. After my first trip to buca, I wasn't sure if I really wanted to return. But alas, we were craving Italian and had to make our way back. This time around I felt that buca hit all the spots. Service was spot on (props to our outstanding server Gabriel), bread was brought out more than once, water was filled, and check was brought out accordingly. Food wise, I still feel the salad is just a salad brought out from a Kroger bag or something. Pasta dishes were aren't necessarily memorable but they were tasty. Portions are large, although that might be debatable. I believe Cheesecake Factory gives your just as large portions at a cheaper price. Still a great place for groups!
(4)Ariel M.
Bland. Another "bigger is better" cutesy theme type place. I've been here for office parties and thought it was standard catering-type food, but came for fun with friends so didn't mind so much. Father-in-law wanted to go so we indulged him, but honestly I can make better at home, and I'm not that much of a cook. As another Yelper mentioned, it's a rather Olive Garden type place (and that's not a compliment). Calamari could have been fried anything, no taste. Fried mozzarella cheese, ditto. Cheese bread florentine - the bread was cold with some alfredo sauce and frozen spinach dabbed on top - ugh. Fettucine Supremo had boiled, sliced chicken in it (no seasoning) and the pasta was gummy. Lasagna was bland, and I mean Stouffer's-level bland. Stuffed mushrooms were filled some exceedingly salty cheese, swimming in a yellow-green herb cream. Unappetizing. $108 for dinner for four with no wine. Total waste of money, IMO. They can accommodate large groups and the food is guaranteed to be "yeah, it was okay" level for even the most spice-phobic amongst us. So if you want something to eat as an afterthought to an office party, it seems like an okay place. For actual dining though, try somewhere else. Where I have no idea, Atlanta has a shockingly poor selection of Italian restaurants. They're on every street corner in Chicago, if you can find them buried behind the snow drifts, can someone pleeeeease import a few to our poor city?
(2)Kim M.
Not such a fan. Moved from New England where Italian Restaurants are everywhere, and this is NOT good Italian. The food portions they said were HUGE - and they are somewhat large. But not for the price!!! The price is WAY OVER where it should be. To me the dishes were somewhat tasteless, as they didn't have much garlic, and other spices that would have made the food better. The salad though is good. I would go back for a salad and drinks.
(2)Tuong Vi P.
My sister and I stopped by for lunch last Wednesday and the parking lot was pretty empty around 12:30. I saw the low Yelp rating but since I had a coupon for $10 off 2 pasta dishes, I thought I'd give the restaurant a chance. Bad idea. We waited for almost 10 minutes without one person acknowledging us. There was no host/hostess at the door and a waitress in the dining area looked at us 4 (yes, FOUR) times and proceeded to completely ignore us each time. I will not return, seeing how service is during a super-slow lunch hour. Terrible. No wonder the parking lot had about 3 cars, while nearby dining establishments had their lots teeming with office workers' vehicles.
(1)Amy J.
My family recently moved from Texas to the Atlanta area. Over the years we formed a tradition that we would eat at Buca at the chef's table for family celebrations like birthdays. My daughter turned 8 so we made reservations at this Buca. We expected no less than the same superior service we have received from the many Buca's we have gone to in the Dallas area - wow, what an incredible disappointment. When we drove to the parking lot at 2 on a Saturday and it was empty, should have been our first clue. When we walked in, there was no one in the hostess area. A random employee yelled from the kitchen area that someone would be with us. Eventually some one was. She was indifferent to us at best. She walked us to our table. The energy in the kitchen was flat compared to the high energy we have grown accustomed. We were greeted by our server who was also less than energetic. We ordered, waited, waited - asked for bread. She made an "oops" face and walked away. Seriously, this was a sad excuse for a chef table experience. Here is where things turn from bad to worse...... We get our bread, ate on it a bit and my husband moved his top plate from his bottom plate and......horror of all horror, there was a living silverfish bug on the bottom plate. My little girl was horrified and began to cry. Our celebration quickly turned to a disaster. My husband hunted down a person to talk to (seriously, there was no staff around) and he got a couple of "I'm sorry" but they didn't seem as horrified as we did. It almost seemed like it was not an irregular occurrence. We left quickly. Sadly, this experience ruined over 6 years of tradition for our family. We went across to PFChangs and it was packed. Sadly, our afternoon late lunch celebration had been destroyed by our wretched experience at Buca. Ew.
(1)Cheryl D.
Worst service I have ever seen. Left before being seated after waiting 30 min. In an empty lobby. Had a child who was very vocal about how unhappy he was and they just ignored him.
(1)Michael L.
Came early at 430. Food is great, had 1893 salad and chicken rigatoni. Food came fast since it was early. We had dirty plates and the first bread was cold.
(4)Kari L.
After mentioning on Yelp that I never had any follow up to my original complaint, the folks over at Buco di Beppo got in touch again and apologized for the mistake. They sent us a gift certificate, which I took my parents out with (since they were involved in the original complaint). Food was okay, fine for a weeknight. I'd put it somewhat on par with going to an Olive Garden. Relaxed, easy going and plenty that the whole family would enjoy. Although it's not really my style, it's a good family place. I'd also like to thank them for taking such good care of my family in light of all the previous snafus.
(2)Lorie D.
I used to love Buca di Beppo in Universal City, CA. It was one of my favorite Italian places by far. Since I have been in Georgia I have been here twice. The first time was Ok. My visit a couple of weeks ago, has officially knocked it off my list and that was the last dining experience I will have at Buca. We waited an oddly long time for a white pizza (which may have been held up by the pizza guy who I happened to notice was scrolling his smart phone during the kitchen tour) The bread was cold, plates dirty and service inconsistent. The fried calamari was always a consistent favorite in CA but here, it was just ok, definitely not the same quality. It's always a toss up with chain but I was terribly disappointed with Buca Alpharetta.
(2)Tom E.
I was starving last night. Aren't I always starving? My family and I had not been to Buca in a while, and we were in the area.. we decided to go for it. When we got there, it was about a 5 minute wait, to thin out the crowd in the waiting area (one thing I did realize- a cramped waiting area for such a big restaurant). We got seated, and then we were able to order. Right now they have a special lobster/seafood menu- I suggest you try it out if you like seafood! I got a Lobster Pizza, side of alfredo, and ate off the ziti and spaghetti. Each meatball weighs 8oz FYI, so come hungry! Also note, EVERYTHING is sized family style, small=2-3ppl, large=4-6. Same with desserts... I did have the pleasure to eat some of the spaghetti this morning after work :D
(4)P S C.
I am really a fan of this group friendly restaurant. It is the best place to take your entire extended family or your large group of friends. They have a very good menu with lots of varieties, and different amounts for different number of people. The food is very good and authentic. For desserts, their Tiramisu is the best in town. I would recommend anybody to this place, it is just that not many people know about this chain. Even being a chain, they have pretty good food. They have a kitchen tour and seating which is another attraction. The list can go on.
(4)C D.
Loved this place. Hostess gave us a tour of the entire restaurant, even the kitchen! You can even request a table in the kitchen! Great food. Great service! I was impressed with their house signature dishes, including prosciutto stuffed chicken. Perfect place to bring large groups!
(5)Mehul A.
Went with a large party and was impressed with the service. That is what my review is based on. The food is better than frozen but nothing to rave about. The salad (1893) was awesome tho. Overall, great service and awesome atmosphere but the food is nothing to rave about.
(3)Dan W.
Cheesy, yes, but I always like going there. The kitchen table is awesome and the Pope room is cool if you have a group. If you have never been, the theme is that you are in some guys basement. There are irreverent pictures all over the place that add to the ambience. Think "shabby chic". Great place to take the kids for a good family. They send out tons of special offers and coupons so I would not recommend going without a coupon. They serve rustic Italian dishes family style in small and large sizes. For a family of 4 (2 adults 2 kids), we usually get a small app (the calamari is awesome), a small salad, a small entree and 2 kids meals. With an adult beverage each using one of there coupons that send out liberally, we usually come out at about $60. Give it a shot with an open mind and I bet you enjoy it.
(3)Denis S.
The beauty of buca is that it's exactly the same wherever you go. Same photos on the wall, same layout, same menu and (most importantly) same huge portions. I was there with one other person, we shared the cheesy garlic bread and gnocchi. Both were very juicy and pretty good, but nothing special. Quantity wise it was more than enough to fill us up, and we were hungry.
(3)Mick D.
Kudos go to our server, who was working hard and kept things efficient. If I ever go back here, I know I'll get good service. But for now, whatever mildly positive thing I might have said about this entity is being erased by gastrointestinal distress. I was going to comment on the mass quantities of tasty food. I was going to suggest that if you go, you take more than three people and order small. (A small portion of anything here can feed at least three people. At least. When they say "family style," they mean it.) I was going to warn you to prepare to experience some sensory overload with the sheer gaudiness of the decor. I would have suggested you get there early, because this place seems to get busy and stay busy. I was going to say, "Have a good time." But as I said in the third sentence...
(2)Brian R.
2nd time here in a few weeks....1st time did not go well and I was given a gift certificate from them to give them another chance....while I can say it was better than the first time, still not a good experience. We were given a wait time of 25-30 minutes, ended up waiting 50+ minutes. The front of the house was very disorganized, they called us once but then changed their minds, they had no host at the front greeting guests and names of customers taken after they had been there a few minutes and the (what looked like the manager) came back from seating people. Finally seated, ready to order and their out of meatballs!!! Huh?!?! And a little later I heard another server inform guests of 6-7 items they were out of. Not sure why the long wait for a table and why they were out of so many items as they didn't seem busy to me. My wife even overheard a server relieved that we didn't get seated in his section like he was ready to go home...so, food was much better this time, we didn't feel pressured to hurry and order and we left stuffed with leftovers. Our server was much better but slow and overwhelmed - we were given one small plate of oil and vinegar for 5 people and our server took the bottles with him...We brought family with us this time to dine hoping it would be a good experience as they have never eaten (or heard of) at Buca before but they weren't overly impressed with the experience. I'm not sure what happened to the quality of Buca based on when I used to eat here, but I don't think we will be going back again - the experience and quality of service just isn't the same as it used to be. And the price!?!? Wow are they expensive. Had I actually paid out of pocket for this experience, I would be much more upset and would have made it a point to speak with a manager. I would sadly not recommend Buca to anybody.
(1)Laura N.
Buca di Beppo has some delicious Americanized Italian food, but it's merely average when compared to other local Italian restaurants, including other national chains. I sampled over half a dozen family-style items. The pastas and salad were not memorable. The chicken saltimbocca, which was the most outstanding entree that we ordered, was really tender and juicy. My favorites were actually the desserts, specifically the cannoli and the cheesecake. Buca di Beppo is a great place for a family-style dinner, but everything is overpriced. You can easily find much higher quality family-style Italian food with similar prices at Maggiano's.
(3)Chris J.
Took the family for dinner last night....place had maybe 20 people at 5:30.....with that, expected service to be attentive. We sat and watched as our server "Ish" argued with another server. The food was ok at best but at the end of the meal when it was time to collect the dishes...'Ish" motioned with his hand to my wife hand the plates over to him. He did this 4 times in order to collect the plates versus doing it himself. I thought about letting management know but what for. As I have read reviews on this site, it seems that management is not listening. We will not be going back.
(1)Connie J.
The food portions are great and I enjoy the ambience.
(5)Steve M.
Thanks for closing the door in our face and locking the door on 2 of your regulars and our 5 year old daughter on our anniversary night. Closing at 9:22 when your hours say 10 is rude and inconvenient to people who go out of their way to visit your establishment especially on a special night. We will never return again so congratulations on loosing our business.
(1)jen d.
As far as fun & interesting environments goes, I've eaten in enough places in Alpharetta now to be able to say that locally, this place is second to none in the category & typically I'm not real big on any form of chain but frankly it just doesn't feel like one. A group of [25+] of my colleagues and I went out to celebrate one night and we got the bar area. At first I thought it too broken up for us to be able to enjoy each other, but we broke into rotating groups, ordered pizzas, had drinks and it was definitely one of our most memorable and pleasant outings - much better than anything taco Mac or the like could have provided. I've taken the kids and they love coming here as well. If you've not been, just watch the portion size you order... You don't want to end up eating for six. And if you're a local whose not been do yourself a favour and go... Absorb all of the awesome photography-decor & great food of this manufactured gem.
(4)Juan P.
We are regulars at buca, we always get the Linguini Fruti di Mari and it's always perfect, plenty of seafood and the sauce is the best.
(5)Tig G.
Been a couple of times because of friends wanting to go and have never been impressed. Food was SO-SO and the service was alright. I would not choose this place on my own.
(3)Rock T.
Buca is one of our favorites if we want a festive place to meet family or friends for lunch or dinner. Never fails to disappoint. I always enjoy their eggplant Parmesan.
(4)John G.
Awesome place! Fun and upbeat!
(5)Dee K.
Do not eat 2 days before you come in for Dinner. Food is great- sizes are humongous and service is always top notch. Drink selection is descent and Italian without wine is a crime in my books. Try the Apple Gorgonzola salad, it's one of my fav here. Pasta selection is great and garlic bread is the best. Too much food even for leftovers but its a must try.
(4)Michaelene M.
I get a kick out of the ambiance of Buca, but honestly the food doesn't taste that great and for the price we paid, I expected more deliberate and less harried service. The baked ziti was so sweet it tasted like store-bought Ragu with sugar added. I probably won't be back.
(2)Shauvik R.
Probably the best Tiramisu I have had in town! This place is good for groups. Most of their Entrees, as the server said are either small (feeds 2-3) or large (feeds 4-6). However, I think I could have finished the salmon all by myself :) - was good!
(5)jane s.
Where it's great to be a glutton! Where it's encouraged to stare at the walls! Where you aspire to eat in the kitchen! Or better yet, the Pope Room! Best when arriving with a large party - otherwise, you'll be eating leftovers for at least a week. Please drink Danny DeVito's Limoncello. Muah!
(4)Kevin C.
Ordered takeout and was disappointed by size of small chicken parm for $20. Nothing worse then spending $50 for a meal and still being hungry. Seems like they have transformed toward less for more. Will think twice about going back.
(2)Waring J.
Went for our 22nd Anniversary, and reserved the kitchen table, thinking it would be special, what a disappointment. Other than an eye opener on watching the kit staff, who ignore you, plus being very noisy.....nothing great about sitting here. Staff looked like they rolled out of bed in their clothes. Our waiter gave us wet dishes - which we had to ask for when they brought our appetizer....we had to dry them off. He did not know wines or even how to open one - guess they do not train their staff. I could go on but I think you will get the idea of our experience. Very disappointed. Never received an acknowledgment from them or their hdqtrs where we wrote. Will never come back and I recommend they call in Chef Ramsey to turn this place around.
(1)David K.
If you like Italian food and come here with the expectation that the food is good (all be it a bit pricey) and that dinner may take awhile, you will not likely be disappointed. This was my first visit to this restaurant. I came with a group of 8, 2 couples and 4 singles as an impromptu choice after some afternoon, early evening activities so was not able to take advantage of available coupons mentioned in other reviews. It was a Saturday night and an on-line reservation was made via smart phone at 7:45pm with an estimated seating time of 8:45pm. We arrived about 8:30pm. While the group waited outside on the small covered patio (it was a balmy winter night), I walked around the restaurant just to see the layout and noticed at least a dozen empty tables with dirty dishes (a clear sign that service will be slow and that the facility is understaffed). Although not something you really want to see at a restaurant, not necessarily something that would dissuade me from eating there (especially on a first visit). We were called in around 8:40pm (so cuddos to being accurate on the seating time). There are some tables in the bar area up front (all were empty with dirty dishes) and the rest of the tables are in the back which is where we were seated. We did the traditional "walk through the kitchen" noting the lone "Kitchen Table" which seats 4 people and giving you the ability to watch all the kitchen goings on (must usually be reserved well in advance) and then passed the "Pope Table" (huge bust of the Pope in the center of the table) which seats maybe 10 people(?) and also must be reserved in advance. There are pictures of old actors and such on the walls as well as various colored lights hanging on the walls. Our table was a round table that snuggly fit all 8 of us. It took maybe 5 minutes for our server to stop by and say she would be with us shortly which ended up being another 10 minutes. She took our drink and appetizer orders, a couple folks ordering the Calimari which they commented was very tasty. As noted on the lower front cover of the Buca menu, they have two portion sizes, "(S) - feeds 2+ people and (L) - feeds 4+ people" so clearly a "family style" restaurant with their portion sizes (although again, you're paying additional for the larger portion sizes). If you go as a single with a group and don't share, plan on taking leftovers home. The appetizer came out 15 minutes later at which time the server took our dinner order, noting that the meals are "entree only" and that salad and sides are "a la carte" and come at an additional cost. I ordered the Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken (S) with a side of spaghetti. The menu indicated this is a "Buca Favorite" and did not disappoint as it was very tasty. The other dishes that were ordered included the Samon Sorrento, Chicken Cannelloni, and some pasta dish that came in a bowl. Our meals arrived roughly 30 minutes after ordering with positive comments (and sharing) by all. Water glasses were generally refilled fairly promptly when empty, and we did have some heavy water drinkers at the table so this was important. One person ordered the Purple Pear (w/cream) drink (freshly made by the restaurant) noting it was tasty and did taste like pear. As we were all pretty full, no one opted for a dessert. Our checks were delivered with each person's/couple's order split accordingly (although the server had forgotten the Purple Pear) and an 18% tip added (which is generally standard for large groups at many restaurants). We waited another 10 minutes or so for the billfolds with our credit cards to be picked and left shortly after they were returned maybe 5 minutes later with a total "in facility" time of about 1 hour 40 minutes which wasn't really that bad for a Saturday night. All and all a good experience, although I would say this is likely better appreciated with a group where good food is expected; however, with the many Italian choices in the area would choose another restaurant for a better couple's experience.
(4)Shalin P.
I know this is a generic national chain, but my wife and I really like Buca. The decor is cheesy (lots of old pictures on the wall), and they walk you through the kitchen like you're Henry Hill in "GoodFellas". But their tasty bread is served with olive oil and vinegar (instead of butter), which is always a bonus in my book. Their normal entrees are of Maggiano's quality I would say. But the one dish that makes Buca stand out for us is their gnocchi. It is served in a pink rosa sauce and comes with small cubes of fresh mozzarella. This dish is great and much better than the gnocchi at Figo or Maggiano's. We probably would never eat here if they didn't have this dish. The desserts are decent- their tiramisu is probably the most alcohol-filled version you'll find (which I think detracts from the flavor).
(4)Katie K.
I've been to Buca tons of times with the family. I just really dig the family style eating. There's nothing beter than giant bowls of spaghetti that everyone just digs into. And true, Buca is getting a little bit too chain-y for me... I definitely prefer the old school menu-on-the-wall deal, because now they offer way too many menu items. Better to be simple, I think! Still, I came here today with my parents for a really random 3pm lunch. We ordered a small apple gorgonzola salad (amazing! very refreshing!) to start out with, and then for our meal had a small garlic bread, with a small order of cheese ravioli and plain old spaghetti marinara. There is something special about their marinara sauce... very fresh, very tomatoe-y! The ravioli was incredible, as always... fresh, with tons of cheese inside. Service, as always, was very quick. I really like how all the servers here tend to be very personable, but not in an overbearing sort of way. Prices are reasonable, $50 for a small salad, garlic bread, and 2 small entrees fed 3 three people very well.
(4)Allyson R.
For a chain restaurant, I really enjoy Buca Di Beppo. The food is family style so you can order a few things and then share between a lot of people. Since my boyfriend and I are both vegetarians, we always order the Eggplant Parmesan....it is SOOOO good. We also get the small side (not the main dish, the side), of spaghetti and marinara. This is enough food for 4 meals! We always take half to go and always have enough for the next day. It's awesome! We always have decent to good service and have never had any problems while there. The manager always stops by our table and asks how things are. He/she always gives us a few $10 off coupons for the next time we go. So we always get $10 off, which is awesome! I recommend this location because there is never a wait, because it is SO large, and the staff is friendly and on top of things! Oh, PS- they are NOT open for lunch...only dinner.
(4)Bonnie B.
Hi, so I enjoyed a nice meal here last night, which was yummy! There was 4 in the party and 2 of the party have been before and 2 have not been. When your taken to your table, your taken through the kitchen and you can smell the food cooking. They also have a table in the kitchen for special occasions, that you have to reserve by calling and talking to the host is the best way! We were seated and the waiter took our drink orders. We browsed the menu for a bit. Food: The apple salad- was enjoyed by all I just had a couple of the apples. I'm not a big salad eater. Baked ziti- very yummy and I would get this again next time. Chicken Marsala- also very good, the sauce was really sweet, which I enjoyed. Also they bring bread and oil and vinegar when drinks are brought. Dessert: I had a hard time deciding between a couple of the desserts. The brownie Sunday or cannoli's. We/I decided on the cannoli's this time. Next time I'm going to have to try brownie Sunday since it looked so good!! Serves- was very good, brought everything we asked for and gave some good suggestion as well. Yes there are some low reviews but ours is high. Ps: there's tons of pictures and the bathrooms even have fun stuff in there to check out. Will be returning next month to celebrate a bday!! (Not mine though) PSS: funny moment- when my Dad dropped his drink they brought him another with a cover and straw!! Very funny!!
(5)Bill S.
We usually try to avoid reviewing national chains, but after we dined here we felt maybe a short comment was in order. We're not very familiar with this operation, though it struck us as somewhat similar to Maggianos, only not as good. Actually, bland would be the proper word for the chicken and pasta dishes we sampled. The sauces were close to average -- either under-seasoned or wildly over-the-top -- but generally not much related to the food, whether veal or chicken. The kitchen would seem either a bit disorganized in preparation or too closely following someone's antiquated menu advice. (That's a lot of "either or," we know; our apologies). The bottom line is that the food was in no way memorable, nor was the wine, whether cab or merlot. The servings are large, the prices edging toward the high side, and our waitress, while smiling a lot, was constantly interrupting our dinner to ask how things were going. Overall our experience wasn't awful, but for what we got and were charged for, we were seriously under-whelmed.
(2)TK B.
I don't particularly have to come back. That's what I told my mom last night as we walked out of Buca di Beppo. We went because we always get the $10.00 off coupon in the mail. We ordered the Mozzarella Garlic Bread. It was good. Then we ordered Baked Rigatoni. It looked good, it smelled good, but the taste was not what I desired. Plus all the food we got was served lukewarm and had to be sent back to the kitchen. I love all the kitschy little decor though. Makes ya feel like you're in someone's house almost. Our server left and didn't come back for another 15 (yes, literally 15) minutes. I don't know what that was about, but she seemed less than thrilled to be there. Now that I've experienced it, I don't have to go again.
(2)Jerry C.
We came for the pizza! Love the place. Love every picture of Sophia Loren - even the one where the underarms need maintenance. Love the rest of the visual clutter. Love the walk through the kitchen. Love the big cans of crushed tomatoes that use to support the pie on your table. Peroni on tap was an added bonus. We got the large Supremo Italiano. Good spice to the sausage and pepperonis. The sauce was effective but not overpowering. It seemed to work really well with the beef. Perfectly gooey mozz. They really put good stuff on this pizza. The rectangular pie at Buca is inconsistent in the way it is cooked, I suspect, due to the shape. On the outside edges the crust is really crispy. They hold up well and you don't need to fold to eat them. This is especially true at the corners. But as you move into the pie, the crust is much less crisp. Here you fold the slice. Still good. By the time you get to the middle, the crust has become saturated by the toppings. It does not hold up and your are well served to dump it in the plate and eat it with a fork. But by God it is still good. We have also been here in a big group for the family style Italian meal. Buca is quirky and cute for a chain. The whole schtick might annoy others but we find it quite amusing. Play along. Have fun! I ate too much!
(4)Shaina L.
Amazing Italian and tons of it. I'm also fond of the crazy decor. Be aware that the salad with the Granny Smith apples has a very strong onion taste! Found that out the unfortunate way...
(4)Christine F.
Hosted a birthday party for my Sister here. There were about 30 people and the staff did a great job. The large family style portions worked out very well and they blocked off half of an area for us and had it all organized with an area for gifts. The food was very good, we had lasagna, penne san remo (my favorite with artichoke hearts & sundried tomatoes) and linguine with mussels. We brought cake but also had the cheesecake which was excellent...but had nuts on top which we didn't realize until after received. The waiter even sang especially for my sister's birthday. It was a great time overall and cost about $20 a person...but noone left hungry. I only gave it 4 stars because I don't think that it would have been as much fun going as a couple or smaller group due to the portion options.
(4)Chloe M.
I went to Buca when it first opened a couple of years ago just to satisfy my curiosity. I have never been back. Until two weeks ago. And only because I attended a get-together with close friends. There were 45 of us. The organizer thought best to have a family-style dining which is an excellent idea given our number. To me, family-style is more intimate: everyone at the table gets to eat everything. It also simplifies discussions about food since you ate exactly the same thing as the next person. After being ushered to a huge private room, our evening started with a Mixed Green Salad, Bruschetta, and Fried Calamari. Our organizer thought it best to pre-order a set menu for the group which was another excellent idea. Not only did it alert the kitchen in advance, our food was ready as soon as we finished our cocktails. I enjoyed the salad more than anything else. It had crisp greens and the vinaigrette dressing was really good. The bruschetta was a little too crunchy on the edges (think biscotti) but topped with an obscene amount of fresh, ripe roma tomatoes which I love. The calamari was also fresh but nothing to write home about. The Spaghetti Meatballs was just that: ordinary-tasting meatballs on fresh yet mediocre marinara sauce. I like my sauce hearty and saucy. Not runny. Theirs can't even coat the spaghetti properly. The Chicken Parmigiana was pretty good but still not fantastic. The breaded chicken breasts were topped with prosciutto, bruschetta, and provolone cheese. With all the strong-tasting toppings plus the fact that they were all swimming in marinara sauce, I couldn't really taste the chicken at all. We had Mashed Potatoes to go with the chicken but since we also had two pasta dishes, no one really wanted to touch it anymore. Mashed potatoes is mashed potatoes; theirs is chunky (which I like). The Fettuccine Supremo was the other pasta dish we had. It had slices of chicken breast, broccoli, and red peppers on fettuccine pasta with Alfedo sauce. I don't know about you but I can differentiate fresh from dried pasta. I prefer fresh. Theirs is not. Buca di Beppo, if anything else, is a fun place. I do have to commend our server. She was the most methodical, most efficient, funniest, friendliest (okay, she was way too friendly at times but it made for good laughs) server I have ever encountered. She gave each person/couple a number so that she can keep track of drink tabs. The per person cost for our meal was $39.95 (drinks, tax, and gratuity not included) -- way to steep for the kind and taste of the food we got. For that price, there are other, much better places like this one. And although I was disappointed (again) with the food, the company made up for it, big time. Insider tip: There is a chef's table in the kitchen that seats 4. I've never been one to enjoy eating (at a restaurant, no less) while watching tons of raw, salmonella-laden chicken butchered in front of me. Of course, I exaggerate but you get my point. Still, if that's you're thing, then make sure to call ahead and reserve it.
(1)Tiffany S.
a.k.a. 'Joe's Basement' or at least, that's what the waitress told me. The deco of the place is awesome. The wine bottles in the ceiling and the informal pictures, like a page out of someone's scrapbook. Also walked past the table located IN the kitchen (not that I would really want to eat there...but the idea's pretty cool). As for the food - they give you gigantic portions so there's plenty to eat and take home. My friend thought this place was really good, but I think it was kind of generic as far as Italian food goes. But, the pizza was good...had corn and chips =). And hey, the food doesn't taste half bad as leftovers either!
(3)Vincent V.
Huge portions, but not a lot of creativity or risks on the menu. If you've eaten at a big family style Italian chain restaurant before, then you know what to expect from this one. The decor is Italian corporate concept quirky. Lots of "rustic" pics of Italy, menus painted on walls...I can't remember if it was this location or the one I went to in Florida with my parents that has a room decorated in all Pope memorabilia. It might be every location, actually. The Pope Room was pretty sweet looking. In the giant portion Italian chain restaurant hierarchy, I rank them above Olive Garden and about equal to Maggiano's. It's good if you want to get a ton of food and potentially have some in your fridge for the next day or two as leftovers.
(3)Lindsey H.
Went there for the first time last night. Had to wait for a table in an empty restaurant while the staff argued over who got to go home and how tired they were. Finally get seated and order a cosmopolitan martini. I was served fruit punch with rum. All credit due, the server did have it corrected. Food was ok. Maybe I'm spoiled since I've eaten at real American Italian restaurants in New York and Chicago. Décor is funny and entertaining though.
(2)Chillos S.
The best Chicken Marsala in the multiverse! A great place for any occasion if you want to enjoy great food, good service & an awesome environment that is by itself a massive conversation piece. The portions are massive so that you can share them with others at the table & very affordable. I consider Buca Di Beppo as one of the two greatest Italian restaurants in the Atlanta area. Go eat!
(4)Nick B.
The service was good but the Lasagna was not very tasty. i went on a free coupon so that was good but i most likely would not go back.
(2)Edie S.
We LOVE Buca! Everything we get there is wonderful - the sauce is always perfect, tastes like a homemade tomato "gravy" as my true Italian friends say. I don't know where they get their Italian sausage but it is perfect, spicy and just enough crunch. We like the Chicken Saltimbocca when we're trying to be "good" and it's always piping hot and full of flavor. Everything is great and such a value, sometimes we even have stuff to take home! This is our favorite Italian restaurant.
(5)Timothy M.
Had the Chicken Parm with a side of Fettuccine Alfredo and a giant Peroni. Loved the food and the service was good. It was Friday night just before the rush, not sure if that worked to my advantage or not but I'll update this review if I come back and get crappy service. In my opinion the food was outstanding, I'll be back.
(4)Frankie B.
Not half bad for a chain concept, but Italian I happen to be a wee bit more picky about than others so hence the three stars. If you're in the area from out of town and looking for something that will more than likely be a safe bet definitely try it. I didn't find much on the menu that really stuck out as being unique, but the family style serving of the meal was pretty sweet and the food was good with ginormous portions.
(3)Frank B.
Great food and ambience. Beware- they add service/ gratuity to bill and don't warn u- so check your bill.
(4)Cory F.
Drew is right on the point in everything he says. Although as far as the food, I don't see it any better than Olive Garden's food, and defiantly not as good as Maggiano's. This one does have The Pope Room and I think it is a great little place in honor of the pope. I'm sure there are a few restaurants in Texas with "The Big, Badd Bush Room". I think it is a great place for family for fun. But if you want food and service worth the price you are paying, then this isn't the place.
(3)Robert H.
As a lover of garlic the overloaded garlic bread had me. The rest of the meal was totally unremarkable
(2)Christine K.
I have been to Buca countless times with my family; really, it is the perfect Italian restaurant to go with your family, especially with the large portions and fun atmosphere. I've never had a bad experience and the food has always left me happy, satisfied, and full. The only thing is that I wish they would serve the garlic bread the way they used to (the pizza pan), and not like plain bread in the basket. Also, they recently changed their menu and now, the menu is no longer on the wall but on actual laminated Cheesecake Factory-like booklet menus. This looks nice and all, but I miss the simplicity of their menu and this change sort of detracts from the casual family feeling - you know, eating at your friend's big Italian family's house. With the new menu, they've added a lot of new things, so I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not. But despite this, Buca will always have a special place in my heart (it's worth the often long wait!) ...try the dessert, too - it's great!
(4)