I have been to the downtown location and have always been pleased. I did not enjoy my dining experience at this location though. I called and made a reservation for the kitchen table and was assured that we had it at 6pm. Upon arriving and finding out that we obviously weren't given that table, we were told that they had no records of me requesting that table. And that they had just sat a table and we could either wait or be seated somewhere else. We decided to go ahead and be seated since we had a our 2 year old and 7 month old with us. The food we ordered was ok. Nothing too exciting. We had a lot of left overs but will probably not be finishing them since it wasn't that enjoyable. We ordered dessert and I ordered coffee. Coffee that never came and when I asked about it twice, was told a fresh pot had to be brewed. But because of the children getting tired, I decided not to wait on the coffee. $100 later...we could have gone somewhere else and had a mind blowing meal and not a mediocre experience.
(2)
Jason T.
I want to give this four-star so bad, but honestly this should be at least a 3 1/2. So I think the food used to be really good here a long long time ago, then it was bad, now it is pretty good again. We went on a Thursday night, and had excellent service. Of course they weren't very busy but you can still get bad service anytime today. Ordered the pizza, the supreme it was pretty good and it was huge. So if you're large be prepared to eat a lot! Prosciutto stuffed chicken!! The creamy pesto sauce is amazing!!
(3)
Teressa L.
You can only eat at at this establishment of you have an indiana state license. They are unaware how to tell the validity of other state license & will swiftly deny your services.
(1)
Shawna V.
We made reservations for valentine's day evening weeks in advance. The restaurant had a lot of tables available, yet we were seated at a table sandwiched between two others with barely enough room in between them for the waiter to stand. The hostess said that every table had a reservation. We were talking quietly but so close to other guests that a lady next to us actually joined our conversation at one point. Our waiter left much to be desired. He had little personality, and was not friendly. He didn't even wish us a happy Valentines Day. My husband ordered a long island iced tea and said it was very weak. The food was delicious as usual. We ordered the Ceasar salad, mozzarella garlic bread and stuffed shells. Overall, our experience has always been better at the greenwood location and we will not likely return to Castleton.
(3)
Mady A.
Was going to a party on New Year's Day and didn't want to show up empty handed. Ordered a tray of Rosemary potatoes and a tray of sausage and peppers. Ordered online to pick it up a few hours later. Items were ready at that time I requested and tasted delicious!
(4)
Alex D.
My girlfriend and I went to eat here around 9pm (an hour before close) which I understand can be frustrating for the kitchen staff. We waited in the lobby for 5 minutes with no sign of any hostess. I peeked around the corner into the dining room and saw an employee who made eye contact with me before returning into the kitchen. We heard laughter from the back of the restaurant and after waiting another 5 minutes before deciding to take our business elsewhere. We will definitely not be going back there again.
(1)
Kimmi M.
The entire restaurant is a maze with Italian crap on the walls. I feel the designer was going for "what Frank Sinatra saw while sleeping off a hangover." The reason this restaurant was chosen was due to a $20 off coupon on Yelp. I think they needed the coupon because the food was literally terrible. Aside from nervous kids going to prom for the first time, I can't imagine anyone really choosing to go here. Family style, ok great, this is not good for a date. Extremely bland food. Freshness of the table bread was laughable. Two stars for the service and for the drinks. I commend these brave servers for carrying the large portions of entrees, and the drinks were fantastic, albeit a little pricey.
(2)
Heather F.
If there were 1/2 stars, I'd give it a 3.5! I know the atmosphere is cheesy, with pictures and kitschy decorations everywhere. It's funny! The only issue is that they'd have to dust a LOT, and you know they don't! I went for a friend's birthday party and the wait for drinks and bread alone was at least 30 minutes. I understand they may not want to order the food till everyone is seated, but give us water and bread! I think we waited almost an hour (with everyone there) for our dinner order to be taken. Refills took a very long time. It was sort of ridiculous. It boiled down to the communication of the staff. There were other larger parties there, and maybe staff was shorthanded. But COMMUNICATION and PROMPTNESS are key for good service. I don't necessarily solely blame our one waitress, she should have had some help. I'll go back for sure, but not with a large party.
(3)
Kathy H.
I didn't even eat here tonight. I can in without a reservation and the lady at the desk was extremely rude to us. One of the other waitresses was a little nicer but we elected to leave because of the horrible reception.
(2)
Lindsey M.
My boyfriend and I went n on a date night dinner last night to Bucca's. I hadnt been there in 8 yrs, I had my 18th birthday party there, it is not the delicious bucca I remember. We ordered the chopped antipasto salad and it had no authentic taste, it was bland. Then we ordered the recommended mozzarella garlic cheese bread, it was disgusting. Then our main meal featured 'new' penne al forno on the menu, which I was so excited to enjoy was like eating a frozen meal, no good flavor, it tasted like frozen out of the box mostaccoli. I can stay home n cook that at home. The best part was our over priced bottle of wine their house special Rosso. Our waitress was nice, food is not impressive. Do not waste your Money, eat in.
(1)
Chrissy A.
Went here with a party of 12 and enjoyed the Pope Room. Love that table because of the "lazy Susan" in the middle. I think we ordered one of everything off the menu. I always get the Shrimp Diavlo which was good but was not as spicy as it should have been. The tomato, basil and mozzarella salad was good but the tomatoes did not seem ripe enough, the server was great! I absolutely hated the bread and oil that they served. It was olive oil with a bit of balsamic vinegar mixed in but it is just gross. Dessert makes me sad because they used to have the most delicious cake for birthdays and they have changed it and it is yucky. I am not sure why they changed it. I just get the cannoli now which is alright. Again a great place to go with groups but not my first pick for an Italian restaurant.
(3)
Candace Z.
This location has been disappointing. Needs new management. I have been to other locations and normally love there pizza. Suggestions: Train staff to be friendly and detailed. Play music (even at 11a when resturant opens). Train cooks to have their food taste like your Thousand Oaks, ca location. Pizza at castleton location tastes like cardboard. Serve fresh table bread. Bread tasted day old when ordered at 11a.
(2)
J R.
Sat in the "Pope room" for my brother's 21st. Our server was attentive and checked on us at appropriate times. Our center wheel needed greased, so we just passed around plates instead of turning the "lazy Susan". My husband and I shared the chicken saltimbocca (sp?) Tasted freshly prepared, artichokes, lemon and capers gave it a great finish. Tried the tiramisu for dessert. Wow, that thing was heavy on the rum! But delish. Would go back if invited, but not on my own accord, but mainly due to my low interest in Italian food.
(4)
Erin J.
My food was okay...and it's always okay. I had the cesar salad and chicken carbonara. The chicken in the pasta didn't have a great taste. In fact, I spit a bite out because it was a lumpy piece of fat. We had a large group and our service was good, but they kept putting families next to us....and they all asked to move because of the volume! (If it happens once...don't put anyone else in a small room with a 20 person group). Lastly, I noticed one waiter serving food with a toothpick in his mouth. Gross!
(2)
Richard H.
Um, I had not been to Buca di Beppo in a number of years -- and never to this location -- but I remembered it as being fairly mediocre Italian food in a kitschy setting. Visited for lunch today, and the place was almost empty. The intentionally tacky decor seemed a little more oppressive this time, perhaps because of the lack of people. Service was very friendly and attentive -- nice staff. The food, however, is awful -- much worse than I remembered. You can add a salad to your lunch for 99 cents, and trust me: it's a tiny salad worth about a quarter. The "Caesar" salad is abysmal. I was not expecting "authentic" Caesar salad but at least something approaching the Dole salad kits you can purchase at the supermarket. The margherita pizza is laughable. Thin, tasteless crust (which really surprised me, since their bread was actually delicious) and a sauce advertised on the menu as "authentic." Authentic to what, I do not know, as maragherita pizza typically has tomatoes and not some thin approximation of Chef Boyardee. Mozarella slices were plopped on top, and it was garnished very sparsely with the saddest basil in the world. The pastas are your typical unimaginative glop you would expect from a place like this, and I'm sure they're passable, but if I wanted chain Italian, I would head across the street and pay a little more at Bravo! I have often thought local places like Milano Inn and Iaria's were barely passable, but they're gourmet compared to this place. I guess it will be a number of years before I return . . .
(1)
Alex S.
This location has long been a standard within my family, especially for family events. Birthdays, rehearsal dinners, Mother's Day, etc. Sometimes family style can be a challenge to find items that everyone likes. I particularly am a fan of the Chicken Carbonara, but many times I'm the only person interested in getting it - in which case I have to skip in order for something else, because a Small for $21 that feeds 3 but only I would eat is not worth it. However, all of their food is great. Their cheesy garlic bread is fantastic - big cloves of garlic on it. I don't frequently go to Italian restaraunts, but when I do I like to take advantage to order food that I wouldn't normally cook at home. I recommend all of their specialty pastas. However, my biggest recommendation is the Apple Gorgonzola salad. The mixture of flavors is out of this world, and the dressing for it is what really makes it taste amazing. I was the first person in my family to order this salad years ago (they still used to order the regular salad), but now everyone in my family ends up eating it. The biggest reason to go here is because they are understanding of large parties and have many spaces available to accommodate for them. They take reservations in advance as long as it's not a special day like Mother's Day or Easter.
(4)
Jemmie W.
If I were in New York, Chicago, Toronto, or some place with a large Italian population, I wouldn't go to Buca. But I'm in Indianapolis so it's a pretty good option for a family as all dishes are served a la carte and family-style. The linguini with frutti de mare (seafood linguini) is pretty good but could have used more sauce and seafood juices. The calamari appetizer is pretty good, but it's hard to mess that up. Take a tour of the kitchen. Check out the photos and other stuff on the walls.
(4)
Meg E.
No wait was nice on a Friday night was nice. So was the tour through the restaurant, including the kitchen where you can sit to eat while you watch the chefs (you have to make a reservation for this table). Our filthy table, booth seats and menus covered in sauce & noodles was gross (we almost left then and I wish we had). The bread was delicious - nice and soft. The pasta was terrible - watery liquid with a few tomatoes on our spaghetti. Our fettuccine alfredo came out with NO alfredo, just the chicken on top of hard, rubbery noodles. It took 15 minutes to bring us alfredo and by then, our noodles were cold. We asked for refills on our waters 4 times before they finally came. Very disappointing experience...my family & I will never be back. I've been called to try to remedy this situation. I've been offered a gift card to come back and hopefully have a better experience. Once I receive the gift card (it's been 4 days but I'm told it can take up to 7 to receive it via email), I'll be sure to go in and see if things have changed for the better. I will then update the rest of my review. Thank you, Buca.
(1)
Christina G.
Service was poor. I ordered a glass of wine as soon as we sat down and it didn't come until they brought us our food. Our waiter didn't bring fresh bread or waters or sodas. But one waiter shouldn't reflect on the restaurant as a whole I guess. The food was good. Family style Italian so it's not gourmet but it's tasty for the price when trying to feed a large family on a budget. The house wine was just ok. I wouldn't order it again.
(2)
Ernest J.
Good service each time I've been there. Diabla Shirmp is the best if you like spicy foods. I found their house soup to be a bit saltly for my tastes, but I don't use salt when I cook so it was probably "normal". Staff are always nice and the manager does take a moment to come ask if everything was good. Also, this location is "hidden" from the main drag in the NE Quad, it's back across the street from Costco.
(4)
Mike P.
Service is on point. Food can use some work - I wouldn't recommend this place to vegetarians or vegans. The Romano/Alfredo sauce uses a chicken broth. Bartenders are extremely versatile and knowledgable on wine. My only complaint is the cleanliness. It could use some work.
(4)
Ram-a-lama D.
Italian is my least favorite but I thought this was pretty good. Family style and more food than you can possibly eat. Most of the dishes were tasty but honestly the spaghetti and meatballs were a bit blaaaa
(3)
Meg M.
If you think of Olive Garden as good Italian food, you will like this place too. It doesn't get much less authentic than this, but people in the mid-west don't seem to know the difference between good food and total crap. To top it all off, the service is bad and the decor is just plain frightening! P.S. Do not try the Sangria! It's awful!
(1)
Ange B.
I am completely unimpressed with this place, especially after hearing locals rave about it for years. I finally made it over to Buca, and let's just say the best thing about my meal was the Italian soda. The sauces are bland, and I'm pretty sure the only thing they use to flavor their food is garlic. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE garlic. However, it should be paired properly with OTHER flavors and spices so it doesn't become overkill. Also, this place is dirty, which is a huge turn off. I do like that everything is served "family style" (i.e. don't even think about ordering individual meals), but it's not enough to bring me back again.
(1)
Marcie M.
Bucca's downtown Indy is definitely one of my faves for group reservations and an affordable meal. Because it's family style, I would say the average price per person with the house wine (which is wonderful!) is under $20, which is great for a night out downtown. I love the salad with feta instead of blue cheese, spinach leaves, onions, vinaigrette and roasted walnuts. It is fantastically sweet and sour at the same time with a perfect balance and a great starter. I also love the fried mozzarella with marinara and the chicken fettuccine with broccoli. Their portions for family-style are insane, so if there are four or less, definitely get the small...four or more, just get two entrees for more variety. The cheese bread is also amazing and check out the brushetta too!! I also love the lemon cello (which you are supposed to sip but I also SHOOT) for an after dinner drink. They are one of the only places in town that offers it and it is GREAT! Great for group birthday dinners, families and rehearsal dinners. Not great for one on one (in my opinion) or for quiet first dates. It is really loud in the restaurant and even divided up into smaller rooms can be very hard to hear your dining mates. The downtown location is also a great place to start before heading out to the bars, as it is close to the circle and has garage parking attached, which is always nice and convenient.
(4)
Rahul J.
I know people go off on Bucca, it's large greasy so called Italian dishes, Snooky on a plate, crusted with cheap flower and double triple fried. But you know what, there's a time and a place. I bucca hits that spot once in a while. It's thick spaghetti in really meaty sauce and that wonderful taste of canned tomatoes. It's self destructive food, chipped plates and god awful chianti. Screams sub-standard service. I don't have too much to defend this place against reason and taste, but hey it's bucca. It's comfortable. Italian in the mid-west.
(3)
Ryan M.
You can always count on good food at Buca, and generally crappy service. The two basically even each other out. It's too bad everything is overpriced, otherwise the food might win out! I would agree there is no spice to anything I've had there, except maybe the Italian sausage. But overall, anything with meat is recommended. My last visit was with a large group. The food took forever - I suppose they may not have been ready on a Sunday afternoon. There were massive waits between visits from the waitress, though, and there was chocolate cake still mashed between our stack of plates. Blech. If you're in Indy I'd recommend the downtown location instead. From my experience the service there is at least marginally improved.
(3)
Lothar M.
Among the best American Italian restaurants I've been to. We had bruschetta, chopped salad, and spaghetti with meatballs. Huge portions and we (=2) almost finished it all, even though we were full after two-thirds. We'll be back! Indeed, we were back, and went for the same (minus bruschetta) with the same result: though this time I took one third of the pasta home for dinner two days later. :-)
(4)
Matthew S.
Went in for lunch. Service was OK, but food (lasagna) was cold when it arrived Wife's salad (chopped antipasto) was very good. Cherry on top of overall experience was even after the $10 off coupon the meal was $30 for 1 dinner sized piece of lasagna, 1salad and 1 kids plate of fettuccine (we didn't have drinks, we drank water). I've been to better Bucas before, this one was disappointing, especially for the price.
(2)
Chuck C.
If you think a meat ball should be the size of a small child's head then this is a great place. Me I would like to know that the food has so love in it, Italian food is all about love. The love of making it, the love of having other people enjoying it, and the love of know it came from your heart! When chain rest. understand that then a meat ball will no longer be the size of a small child's head by one that come from the love of the food! Remember to eat well and live well and please no chains!
(2)
Tom B.
I'm not really sure where to start. Service: As soon as we sat down at our table, our server was busy spilling food on a woman in the booth next to us. Never a good sign. Although our server was trying his best, he was doomed to failure. It's not humanly possible for a server to effectively wait on that many tables. We were his 8th table, and that's about 4 too many. Overall, it took forever to get our food, and our entire visit took 90 minutes. Ambience: The Buca downtown is notoriously loud. This wasn't quite as bad, but still noisy. I don't mind that the floor plan is a maze, but other Yelpers seem to be annoyed by it. The lack of windows and the low ceilings does make it a bit claustrophobic. Food quality: My Caesar salad was not fresh, nor was the bread (which many Yelp reviewers have commented on). The baked ziti and spaghetti were equally unimpressive. Mostly bland and flavorless. My wife also pulled a long, blonde hair out of her spaghetti. I hope it was her own hair. So anyway, even though this was a very disappointing experience, something good has come out of it. From this point on, I'll only be going to authentic Italian restaurants. I think I'm now officially done with these types of chains.
(2)
Jason S.
Headed in on a Saturday night and had a 2 hour wait. Wanting pasta, we put our names in and headed out for a little. We probably should have never came back. You know what you're getting food wise when you go to Buca. You're getting overpriced pasta so you're paying for the convenience and the service. We got our drinks about the same time our food came out and when one went empty, you were on your own. Additionally, she ordered the wrong dish and then was apparently too busy to bring crushed red pepper or anything else we asked for... all in all it was a lousy experience but at least our $30 spaghetti was good.
(2)
Lou R.
We never received the gift certificate that we were offered for incredibly poor service. Just no way to operate.
(1)
Kinsey C.
After posting my review, I was contacted by Buca management. I was happy that they reached out, so I decided to give Buca another shot. I love Buca's atmosphere and their family style dining, so I grabbed my favorite yelper and a friend and came for another visit. We decided to come around the same time we went the previous visit- early dinner on a Sunday. We were seated quickly. I stand by my assessment that the servers are overworked and often have too many tables to deal with resulting in long waits for refills or the check. It took about seven minutes for a waitress to come to our table and get drink orders. Our waitress was very friendly and we enjoyed talking with her. The food was wonderful. Served family style, with something on the menu for everyone. Soft bread with an oil dipping sauce was served while we made our choices. We went with the spicy chicken rigatoni (so yummy and flavorful) and the penne arrabiata. Two smalls (designed to feed 2+ people) gave the 3 of us plenty to eat, with lots of leftovers for the next day. All in all, this location seems to have slightly slower service than other Bucas I have been to; however, it is so friendly! You have won me over- I'll be back!
(4)
Zach G.
Haven't been to Buca in a while but I was pleasantly surprised. We came with a large group and the food was all served family style. It came out hot and it was delicious. My only complaint is that it was too good and I ate too much. Our servers name was Rob and he did great. He kept our drinks full and was polite and on top of it. Great place !
(5)
Marie F.
I think the "family style" food here is insanely overpriced. $20 for a bowl of noodles? $20 for a small pizza? I think the prices alone are the reason I will never go back, but the food is not amazing either. It's kitschy which I realize is the appeal, but it's annoyingly maze like. I didn't really love seeing the kitchen on the way in either. But my service was amazingly excellent. My waiter was very attentive and did a great job. The food came in the appropriate amount of time. So, overall, even with a $25 off coupon I feel like I barely got my moneys worth and would not go back to eat here.
(2)
Kaleend D.
Nice food and dessert..I love the baked ziti and the penne alla vodka pasta. The garlic bread with mozzarella are well worth the calories. Great size and great food!!
(4)
Doctor K.
We love Buca, but the Penne al Forno is one of the best Italian meals I've had. Fantastic!
(5)
Alison Y.
Used to love Buca di Beppo...like 7 years ago when they offered chicken cacciatore. I've come here every so often since then but have never left impressed. Business has also slowed down A LOT and I don't think the poor economy is the only reason why - the food has also suffered in salt and flavor over the years. Came here for Mother's Day and ordered calamari, pizza, and shrimp florentine pasta. The calamari is what keeps us coming back though we have found that the batter has less flavor (salt and seasoning) than years before. But their marinara sauce is pretty good. We created our own pizza with an alfredo sauce base with chicken and other veggies. The actual pizza crust was great! Wood grilled, thin, and nice and crispy but the alfredo sauce tasted like watery paste. No cheese or rich cream flavor whatsoever. I had to ask for extra marinara sauce to give it some taste. The shrimp florentine pasta was under salted but otherwise the shrimp and other ingredients were good. Keep in mind we also did ask them to put extra garlic in the pasta (which I personally think "saved" the dish). Overall, this dish is a really light flavored dish. I think I've had enough of this place...and MIGHT only come back for "to go" calamari.
(2)
Anand K.
For a person who loves pizza, this place clearly has a uniquely tasting pizza. I ordered a margherita pizza (which was one of the cheapest things on the menu) and I was absolutely blown away by the tomato flavor that was in the sauce. It was so juicy that I just couldn't stop eating. Normally I take time to finish pizzas but this one, VOW!! I just wanted to finish it as soon as possible coz it was so delicious :)
(4)
J.R. A.
They are fine, they cost far too much for what you get, don't get me wrong. I enjoy eating there. The food is good for the most part and service is superb. You are seated really fast and the waitress gets there fast and keeps up with you A+ on that. Other then that the last I ate there I had a groupon, which is why I went. Still ended up paying more as it cost SO MUCH to eat there. The meat was ok, but felt like it was microwaved and not the best or high quality food. The noodles were good but not that much. Now to the meat balls. You end up paying like $1+ for each one! You don't even get that many. I've been to the restaurants like 5 times, ever and this was the worst time.
(3)
Cory K.
This location is a 3 star, but the average Buca is a 4 star. This is because every time I have been here, including around 5 times the past 5-6 months, they ALWAYS under-staff the place. I saw it in other reviews, and it confirmed this. I have no clue why the owners seem to try and cut corners, but yesterday I went, and it finally made me realize that its not the waiter/waitresses fault for really slow service, it's the under-staffing. It took us 30 minutes to get seated, even though we had a reservation, and there weren't 4 other tables seated at the whole place. On top of having 1 waitress for the whole place. It ruins my perception on the Castleton location in terms of service and wanting to go to that Buca. But, on to the food. It is honestly really good. 2 gripes though. 1, it is a little expensive. We're talking pasta and pizza, and you pay a lot for what it is. You do get a lot though, depending on what you order. 2, there are a lot of seasoning issues. The fettuccine is good, but it would be great if they had SOME seasoning on it. I have to season it myself, and paying $30+ to do that is ridiculous. It seems like some dishes are bigger, some are seasoned better, etc. They just need a hair bit more consistency in their food. Although for the most part it is VERY bland food. But, I do kind of enjoy the place, and would enjoy going here with a group for a decent meal. But perhaps at a different location...
(3)
Jacci H.
Not returning again. Service is not very friendly once you sit down. They need new booth seats. They scoot apart when you sit down, and I felt like I needed a booster seat even though I am of average height. My $9.99 side order of broccoli was overcooked. The food is way overpriced even though the servings are generous. I like the decor, but after trying this place five times, we are going to give other Italian restaurants a try.
(2)
Sandy H.
I have been to their location in Pittsburgh at Station Square and it was awesome. I was visiting in Indy with a friend and suggested we have dinner here. The food was horrible. We ordered spaghetti and meatball. Had to ask for more sauce as it was very dry. The sauce was nothing but tomato sauce with a few bits if tomato. No flavor at all. Very bland. Will not go there again. Was very disappointed.
(2)
Andrew M.
Love this place, the food is great, the staff is friendly, and the athmosphere is pretty good - typical italian.
(5)
Suzie T.
My family threw a great Birthday party for me. It was great to have a private room and gather all around a big table! This wasn't my most recent Birthday but I don't think it has changed much. All the food was very good but nothing was extremely outstanding. The ambience made up for it! Should be 3.5. The next one was at Maggianos--Buca was much better!
(3)
Ande H.
Raspberry lemon drop ... as Joey would say, WOH. Fettuccine Alfredo ... richness of creamy love. Tony (our server) was THE BOMB! We also had PENNE ARRABBIATA with spicy fennel sausage and crushed red pepper in a zesty marinara. Started off with calamari with a kick-in-your-pants marinara sauce. It was just the two of us and we took more then 1/2 of our food home.
(5)
Swt P.
We have been going here so many times in the last 4 years, probably 4-6 times a year. The food is generally good, definitely much better than the food at The Olive Garden. Our favorite is calamari with spicy marinara sauce and mixed green salad with gorgonzola and prosciutto. The best time to come here is when you have a big group of adults that you can share variety of dishes. If you go there with only 2 adults - you definitely have to figure out which dish you are going to share, otherwise you will come home with too much food, enough for the next 2 days worth of lunch. My cons: 1. VERY Poor service - We had an OK service and often unpleasant service here. Our last experience was totally bad. Our waiter did not care about serving our table, and my husband had to yell at him to get his attention. He literally ran away as soon as he put the food on our table without saying anything. He never asked if we needed anything while dining (napkins, silverware, etc). We had to ask him to give us their free dinner bread (also some extra bread), and we had to pour the olive oil and vinegar for dipping sauce by ourself. 2. High noise level - very loud, too hard to make conversation. 3. Food portion - too big. A waste of food and money. 4. Overpriced 5. Kids meal - poorly prepared. It's better to order from the regular menu and share the food with the kids. Spaghetti and Pizza from the regular menu taste much better than the kids' version. Despite all of the cons, I gave this place 2 stars because I may return someday when I need to dine with my relatives or big group, so I do not have to worry about cooking or cleaning the dishes at my own house. :-) My recommendation: come here only with big group (at least 4 adults to share), or go somewhere else that will give you decent size of food and good service. Also, if you have $10 coupon from somewhere, don't forget to use it - it can buy a big dessert like tiramisu or creme brulee. Yum.
(2)
M S.
I have been here more times than I can count and it seems to be getting worse the last few. The food is decent... Wide variety of Italian. The service is about the same but the recent menu changes are a miss.
(2)
Greg L.
Ate here on Christmas night. Well I think the best way I can describe my dining experience was that it was unsurprising Italian food. It was wasn't terrible but cannot really be categorized as great either. I had never eaten at a Buca di Beppo and didn't know what to expect. We ordered the Caesar Salad, Stuffed Shells, Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken, Cheesy Bread Florentine, and Linguine Frutti Di Mare. My favorite was the Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken. The other items were decent to good. Only item I didn't care for was the Caesar Salad. The quality of the lettuce wasn't that great. The portion sizes for the 5 dishes we ordered were quite large as I expected. The only leftover we had was the Cheesy Bread. Service we experienced was somewhat slow but wasn't bad. It was Christmas and we were thankful that they were open. Side note: in Indiana on Christmas day it is illegal to sale or serve alcohol. Keep this in mind for future restaurant visits on Christmas day. We didn't hold it against the staff. It isn't their fault. I blame the ignorant Indiana state legislature. We did see an upset customer leave when they weren't able to be served any alcohol which I thought was so stupid considering the restaurant was just following the law. Anyway, I would recommend this chain restaurant to check out at least once. The food quality is about what you would expect from a chain restaurant and the atmosphere was engaging. Enjoy!
(3)
Shawna V.
Went out with friends for a big dinner to kick off our gen con. I got the Gnocci and the Hubby got the apple gorgonzola salad. We all shared with everyone at the table and walked off stuffed. Not a good place to go if you are diabetic like one of my peeps. Though he did say the meatballs were fantastic. I feel like the menu is pretty vegetarian friendly but will not work if you are vegan. It's on the pricey side but delicious none the less.
(4)
Christine B.
The food was excellent but very expensive for two people. Our order was about $60 for two people. Yes, I understand, family style, but if you want two different things, you better bring your money for it. Also, for what we paid, it would have been nice to have more rooms. Most people are terrified of their decor, I like it, but the tables are so small. We had 7 people and my friend on the end kept getting smacked everytime someone walked by. My other friend almost ended up with the waiters pencil in his eye. What irritated me more is that we were crammed into a tiny table and had a reservation while they kept seating 2 people at the giant boths across from us. If you are going to do a reservation family style, then you should have bigger tables for all that food. Sangria was just ok. Garlic cheese bread could have been better. Overall, downtown seems to have a better location. We also had reservations but still had to wait 15 minutes. Definitly not my favorite place. If you want the best italian in town, go across the street to Bravo.
(2)
Paul H.
God help me, i loved the food. Pricy and full of kids, but great
fairly good Italian food,,, family size portions neat atmosphere service could have been a little better...but not bad
(4)
J T.
I sometimes go here for team dinners. Nice, but decidedly Buca di Beppo, atmosphere. The food (family style) is consistently good. Salads are good as is the service. Now, imagine the next two sentences are in italics: As an aside, I think its funny when people eat at places like Buca and then complain that its not "authentic Italian." Whether it is or not...if you want that, get on a plane, go to Italy, stop complaining and get a life... Where was I?.. Oh yeah...What I like the most about Buca are the pictures - 100's of them - all over the walls. Old black and whites of mostly Italy everyday life. Completely eclectic - lots of interesting things on every flat surface. Imagine my delight when I walked into the men's room and the walls were filled with old pictures of guys standing at urinals. Classic. Never change Buca.
(4)
Steve P.
Update: After posting my original review, Buca's corporate office, in Florida, contacted me directly to learn more about my issues. The VP is spoke with was very pleasant and did not offer any excuses. They simply wanted to apologize and learn more about what happened, so it could be addressed with the manager of the restaurant. They also offered me the opportunity to try their downtown Indianapolis location, on their dime. This is the first business to bother following up with me, so at least they are trying to make things better.
(2)
Lesley S.
Best Pizza Chain Ever! It was kinda deserted when I visited here but it was early morning. They gave me a walk through and you can see the kitchen, which to me that is a plus. (nothing like making sure where you food is isn't skanky.) Pizza Angelo: AMAZING!!!!!! Tender chicken breast, mozzarella, roasted corn, fresh mushrooms, fresh thyme and Alfredo sauce topped with Parmesan potato chips.
(5)
Pam F.
I have not always been a fan of this restaurant, but when it came time to plan my daughter's 14th birthday party with 12 friends, Buca seemed like a good choice. I was pleased with every aspect of the experience. We were worried they would not seat the entire party because two guests were late and this was not a problem. The staff was great about letting me stow balloons and flowers at the hostess station when I arrived. The server, Brittney(sp?) was amazing. She was patient and helpful every step of the way with this boisterous bunch. My husband and I ate dinner in the bar and Brittney kept visiting our table to keep us posted on how the dinner was going. She followed my instructions with taking orders to help control the cost, which was very sweet. All of the staff were friendly, even the person who asked the table to lower their volume. As for my dinner, I enjoyed the green beans and would have liked another vegan option.
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 : Very Loud 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.
Nikki R.
I have been to the downtown location and have always been pleased. I did not enjoy my dining experience at this location though. I called and made a reservation for the kitchen table and was assured that we had it at 6pm. Upon arriving and finding out that we obviously weren't given that table, we were told that they had no records of me requesting that table. And that they had just sat a table and we could either wait or be seated somewhere else. We decided to go ahead and be seated since we had a our 2 year old and 7 month old with us. The food we ordered was ok. Nothing too exciting. We had a lot of left overs but will probably not be finishing them since it wasn't that enjoyable. We ordered dessert and I ordered coffee. Coffee that never came and when I asked about it twice, was told a fresh pot had to be brewed. But because of the children getting tired, I decided not to wait on the coffee. $100 later...we could have gone somewhere else and had a mind blowing meal and not a mediocre experience.
(2)Jason T.
I want to give this four-star so bad, but honestly this should be at least a 3 1/2. So I think the food used to be really good here a long long time ago, then it was bad, now it is pretty good again. We went on a Thursday night, and had excellent service. Of course they weren't very busy but you can still get bad service anytime today. Ordered the pizza, the supreme it was pretty good and it was huge. So if you're large be prepared to eat a lot! Prosciutto stuffed chicken!! The creamy pesto sauce is amazing!!
(3)Teressa L.
You can only eat at at this establishment of you have an indiana state license. They are unaware how to tell the validity of other state license & will swiftly deny your services.
(1)Shawna V.
We made reservations for valentine's day evening weeks in advance. The restaurant had a lot of tables available, yet we were seated at a table sandwiched between two others with barely enough room in between them for the waiter to stand. The hostess said that every table had a reservation. We were talking quietly but so close to other guests that a lady next to us actually joined our conversation at one point. Our waiter left much to be desired. He had little personality, and was not friendly. He didn't even wish us a happy Valentines Day. My husband ordered a long island iced tea and said it was very weak. The food was delicious as usual. We ordered the Ceasar salad, mozzarella garlic bread and stuffed shells. Overall, our experience has always been better at the greenwood location and we will not likely return to Castleton.
(3)Mady A.
Was going to a party on New Year's Day and didn't want to show up empty handed. Ordered a tray of Rosemary potatoes and a tray of sausage and peppers. Ordered online to pick it up a few hours later. Items were ready at that time I requested and tasted delicious!
(4)Alex D.
My girlfriend and I went to eat here around 9pm (an hour before close) which I understand can be frustrating for the kitchen staff. We waited in the lobby for 5 minutes with no sign of any hostess. I peeked around the corner into the dining room and saw an employee who made eye contact with me before returning into the kitchen. We heard laughter from the back of the restaurant and after waiting another 5 minutes before deciding to take our business elsewhere. We will definitely not be going back there again.
(1)Kimmi M.
The entire restaurant is a maze with Italian crap on the walls. I feel the designer was going for "what Frank Sinatra saw while sleeping off a hangover." The reason this restaurant was chosen was due to a $20 off coupon on Yelp. I think they needed the coupon because the food was literally terrible. Aside from nervous kids going to prom for the first time, I can't imagine anyone really choosing to go here. Family style, ok great, this is not good for a date. Extremely bland food. Freshness of the table bread was laughable. Two stars for the service and for the drinks. I commend these brave servers for carrying the large portions of entrees, and the drinks were fantastic, albeit a little pricey.
(2)Heather F.
If there were 1/2 stars, I'd give it a 3.5! I know the atmosphere is cheesy, with pictures and kitschy decorations everywhere. It's funny! The only issue is that they'd have to dust a LOT, and you know they don't! I went for a friend's birthday party and the wait for drinks and bread alone was at least 30 minutes. I understand they may not want to order the food till everyone is seated, but give us water and bread! I think we waited almost an hour (with everyone there) for our dinner order to be taken. Refills took a very long time. It was sort of ridiculous. It boiled down to the communication of the staff. There were other larger parties there, and maybe staff was shorthanded. But COMMUNICATION and PROMPTNESS are key for good service. I don't necessarily solely blame our one waitress, she should have had some help. I'll go back for sure, but not with a large party.
(3)Kathy H.
I didn't even eat here tonight. I can in without a reservation and the lady at the desk was extremely rude to us. One of the other waitresses was a little nicer but we elected to leave because of the horrible reception.
(2)Lindsey M.
My boyfriend and I went n on a date night dinner last night to Bucca's. I hadnt been there in 8 yrs, I had my 18th birthday party there, it is not the delicious bucca I remember. We ordered the chopped antipasto salad and it had no authentic taste, it was bland. Then we ordered the recommended mozzarella garlic cheese bread, it was disgusting. Then our main meal featured 'new' penne al forno on the menu, which I was so excited to enjoy was like eating a frozen meal, no good flavor, it tasted like frozen out of the box mostaccoli. I can stay home n cook that at home. The best part was our over priced bottle of wine their house special Rosso. Our waitress was nice, food is not impressive. Do not waste your Money, eat in.
(1)Chrissy A.
Went here with a party of 12 and enjoyed the Pope Room. Love that table because of the "lazy Susan" in the middle. I think we ordered one of everything off the menu. I always get the Shrimp Diavlo which was good but was not as spicy as it should have been. The tomato, basil and mozzarella salad was good but the tomatoes did not seem ripe enough, the server was great! I absolutely hated the bread and oil that they served. It was olive oil with a bit of balsamic vinegar mixed in but it is just gross. Dessert makes me sad because they used to have the most delicious cake for birthdays and they have changed it and it is yucky. I am not sure why they changed it. I just get the cannoli now which is alright. Again a great place to go with groups but not my first pick for an Italian restaurant.
(3)Candace Z.
This location has been disappointing. Needs new management. I have been to other locations and normally love there pizza. Suggestions: Train staff to be friendly and detailed. Play music (even at 11a when resturant opens). Train cooks to have their food taste like your Thousand Oaks, ca location. Pizza at castleton location tastes like cardboard. Serve fresh table bread. Bread tasted day old when ordered at 11a.
(2)J R.
Sat in the "Pope room" for my brother's 21st. Our server was attentive and checked on us at appropriate times. Our center wheel needed greased, so we just passed around plates instead of turning the "lazy Susan". My husband and I shared the chicken saltimbocca (sp?) Tasted freshly prepared, artichokes, lemon and capers gave it a great finish. Tried the tiramisu for dessert. Wow, that thing was heavy on the rum! But delish. Would go back if invited, but not on my own accord, but mainly due to my low interest in Italian food.
(4)Erin J.
My food was okay...and it's always okay. I had the cesar salad and chicken carbonara. The chicken in the pasta didn't have a great taste. In fact, I spit a bite out because it was a lumpy piece of fat. We had a large group and our service was good, but they kept putting families next to us....and they all asked to move because of the volume! (If it happens once...don't put anyone else in a small room with a 20 person group). Lastly, I noticed one waiter serving food with a toothpick in his mouth. Gross!
(2)Richard H.
Um, I had not been to Buca di Beppo in a number of years -- and never to this location -- but I remembered it as being fairly mediocre Italian food in a kitschy setting. Visited for lunch today, and the place was almost empty. The intentionally tacky decor seemed a little more oppressive this time, perhaps because of the lack of people. Service was very friendly and attentive -- nice staff. The food, however, is awful -- much worse than I remembered. You can add a salad to your lunch for 99 cents, and trust me: it's a tiny salad worth about a quarter. The "Caesar" salad is abysmal. I was not expecting "authentic" Caesar salad but at least something approaching the Dole salad kits you can purchase at the supermarket. The margherita pizza is laughable. Thin, tasteless crust (which really surprised me, since their bread was actually delicious) and a sauce advertised on the menu as "authentic." Authentic to what, I do not know, as maragherita pizza typically has tomatoes and not some thin approximation of Chef Boyardee. Mozarella slices were plopped on top, and it was garnished very sparsely with the saddest basil in the world. The pastas are your typical unimaginative glop you would expect from a place like this, and I'm sure they're passable, but if I wanted chain Italian, I would head across the street and pay a little more at Bravo! I have often thought local places like Milano Inn and Iaria's were barely passable, but they're gourmet compared to this place. I guess it will be a number of years before I return . . .
(1)Alex S.
This location has long been a standard within my family, especially for family events. Birthdays, rehearsal dinners, Mother's Day, etc. Sometimes family style can be a challenge to find items that everyone likes. I particularly am a fan of the Chicken Carbonara, but many times I'm the only person interested in getting it - in which case I have to skip in order for something else, because a Small for $21 that feeds 3 but only I would eat is not worth it. However, all of their food is great. Their cheesy garlic bread is fantastic - big cloves of garlic on it. I don't frequently go to Italian restaraunts, but when I do I like to take advantage to order food that I wouldn't normally cook at home. I recommend all of their specialty pastas. However, my biggest recommendation is the Apple Gorgonzola salad. The mixture of flavors is out of this world, and the dressing for it is what really makes it taste amazing. I was the first person in my family to order this salad years ago (they still used to order the regular salad), but now everyone in my family ends up eating it. The biggest reason to go here is because they are understanding of large parties and have many spaces available to accommodate for them. They take reservations in advance as long as it's not a special day like Mother's Day or Easter.
(4)Jemmie W.
If I were in New York, Chicago, Toronto, or some place with a large Italian population, I wouldn't go to Buca. But I'm in Indianapolis so it's a pretty good option for a family as all dishes are served a la carte and family-style. The linguini with frutti de mare (seafood linguini) is pretty good but could have used more sauce and seafood juices. The calamari appetizer is pretty good, but it's hard to mess that up. Take a tour of the kitchen. Check out the photos and other stuff on the walls.
(4)Meg E.
No wait was nice on a Friday night was nice. So was the tour through the restaurant, including the kitchen where you can sit to eat while you watch the chefs (you have to make a reservation for this table). Our filthy table, booth seats and menus covered in sauce & noodles was gross (we almost left then and I wish we had). The bread was delicious - nice and soft. The pasta was terrible - watery liquid with a few tomatoes on our spaghetti. Our fettuccine alfredo came out with NO alfredo, just the chicken on top of hard, rubbery noodles. It took 15 minutes to bring us alfredo and by then, our noodles were cold. We asked for refills on our waters 4 times before they finally came. Very disappointing experience...my family & I will never be back. I've been called to try to remedy this situation. I've been offered a gift card to come back and hopefully have a better experience. Once I receive the gift card (it's been 4 days but I'm told it can take up to 7 to receive it via email), I'll be sure to go in and see if things have changed for the better. I will then update the rest of my review. Thank you, Buca.
(1)Christina G.
Service was poor. I ordered a glass of wine as soon as we sat down and it didn't come until they brought us our food. Our waiter didn't bring fresh bread or waters or sodas. But one waiter shouldn't reflect on the restaurant as a whole I guess. The food was good. Family style Italian so it's not gourmet but it's tasty for the price when trying to feed a large family on a budget. The house wine was just ok. I wouldn't order it again.
(2)Ernest J.
Good service each time I've been there. Diabla Shirmp is the best if you like spicy foods. I found their house soup to be a bit saltly for my tastes, but I don't use salt when I cook so it was probably "normal". Staff are always nice and the manager does take a moment to come ask if everything was good. Also, this location is "hidden" from the main drag in the NE Quad, it's back across the street from Costco.
(4)Mike P.
Service is on point. Food can use some work - I wouldn't recommend this place to vegetarians or vegans. The Romano/Alfredo sauce uses a chicken broth. Bartenders are extremely versatile and knowledgable on wine. My only complaint is the cleanliness. It could use some work.
(4)Ram-a-lama D.
Italian is my least favorite but I thought this was pretty good. Family style and more food than you can possibly eat. Most of the dishes were tasty but honestly the spaghetti and meatballs were a bit blaaaa
(3)Meg M.
If you think of Olive Garden as good Italian food, you will like this place too. It doesn't get much less authentic than this, but people in the mid-west don't seem to know the difference between good food and total crap. To top it all off, the service is bad and the decor is just plain frightening! P.S. Do not try the Sangria! It's awful!
(1)Ange B.
I am completely unimpressed with this place, especially after hearing locals rave about it for years. I finally made it over to Buca, and let's just say the best thing about my meal was the Italian soda. The sauces are bland, and I'm pretty sure the only thing they use to flavor their food is garlic. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE garlic. However, it should be paired properly with OTHER flavors and spices so it doesn't become overkill. Also, this place is dirty, which is a huge turn off. I do like that everything is served "family style" (i.e. don't even think about ordering individual meals), but it's not enough to bring me back again.
(1)Marcie M.
Bucca's downtown Indy is definitely one of my faves for group reservations and an affordable meal. Because it's family style, I would say the average price per person with the house wine (which is wonderful!) is under $20, which is great for a night out downtown. I love the salad with feta instead of blue cheese, spinach leaves, onions, vinaigrette and roasted walnuts. It is fantastically sweet and sour at the same time with a perfect balance and a great starter. I also love the fried mozzarella with marinara and the chicken fettuccine with broccoli. Their portions for family-style are insane, so if there are four or less, definitely get the small...four or more, just get two entrees for more variety. The cheese bread is also amazing and check out the brushetta too!! I also love the lemon cello (which you are supposed to sip but I also SHOOT) for an after dinner drink. They are one of the only places in town that offers it and it is GREAT! Great for group birthday dinners, families and rehearsal dinners. Not great for one on one (in my opinion) or for quiet first dates. It is really loud in the restaurant and even divided up into smaller rooms can be very hard to hear your dining mates. The downtown location is also a great place to start before heading out to the bars, as it is close to the circle and has garage parking attached, which is always nice and convenient.
(4)Rahul J.
I know people go off on Bucca, it's large greasy so called Italian dishes, Snooky on a plate, crusted with cheap flower and double triple fried. But you know what, there's a time and a place. I bucca hits that spot once in a while. It's thick spaghetti in really meaty sauce and that wonderful taste of canned tomatoes. It's self destructive food, chipped plates and god awful chianti. Screams sub-standard service. I don't have too much to defend this place against reason and taste, but hey it's bucca. It's comfortable. Italian in the mid-west.
(3)Ryan M.
You can always count on good food at Buca, and generally crappy service. The two basically even each other out. It's too bad everything is overpriced, otherwise the food might win out! I would agree there is no spice to anything I've had there, except maybe the Italian sausage. But overall, anything with meat is recommended. My last visit was with a large group. The food took forever - I suppose they may not have been ready on a Sunday afternoon. There were massive waits between visits from the waitress, though, and there was chocolate cake still mashed between our stack of plates. Blech. If you're in Indy I'd recommend the downtown location instead. From my experience the service there is at least marginally improved.
(3)Lothar M.
Among the best American Italian restaurants I've been to. We had bruschetta, chopped salad, and spaghetti with meatballs. Huge portions and we (=2) almost finished it all, even though we were full after two-thirds. We'll be back! Indeed, we were back, and went for the same (minus bruschetta) with the same result: though this time I took one third of the pasta home for dinner two days later. :-)
(4)Matthew S.
Went in for lunch. Service was OK, but food (lasagna) was cold when it arrived Wife's salad (chopped antipasto) was very good. Cherry on top of overall experience was even after the $10 off coupon the meal was $30 for 1 dinner sized piece of lasagna, 1salad and 1 kids plate of fettuccine (we didn't have drinks, we drank water). I've been to better Bucas before, this one was disappointing, especially for the price.
(2)Chuck C.
If you think a meat ball should be the size of a small child's head then this is a great place. Me I would like to know that the food has so love in it, Italian food is all about love. The love of making it, the love of having other people enjoying it, and the love of know it came from your heart! When chain rest. understand that then a meat ball will no longer be the size of a small child's head by one that come from the love of the food! Remember to eat well and live well and please no chains!
(2)Tom B.
I'm not really sure where to start. Service: As soon as we sat down at our table, our server was busy spilling food on a woman in the booth next to us. Never a good sign. Although our server was trying his best, he was doomed to failure. It's not humanly possible for a server to effectively wait on that many tables. We were his 8th table, and that's about 4 too many. Overall, it took forever to get our food, and our entire visit took 90 minutes. Ambience: The Buca downtown is notoriously loud. This wasn't quite as bad, but still noisy. I don't mind that the floor plan is a maze, but other Yelpers seem to be annoyed by it. The lack of windows and the low ceilings does make it a bit claustrophobic. Food quality: My Caesar salad was not fresh, nor was the bread (which many Yelp reviewers have commented on). The baked ziti and spaghetti were equally unimpressive. Mostly bland and flavorless. My wife also pulled a long, blonde hair out of her spaghetti. I hope it was her own hair. So anyway, even though this was a very disappointing experience, something good has come out of it. From this point on, I'll only be going to authentic Italian restaurants. I think I'm now officially done with these types of chains.
(2)Jason S.
Headed in on a Saturday night and had a 2 hour wait. Wanting pasta, we put our names in and headed out for a little. We probably should have never came back. You know what you're getting food wise when you go to Buca. You're getting overpriced pasta so you're paying for the convenience and the service. We got our drinks about the same time our food came out and when one went empty, you were on your own. Additionally, she ordered the wrong dish and then was apparently too busy to bring crushed red pepper or anything else we asked for... all in all it was a lousy experience but at least our $30 spaghetti was good.
(2)Lou R.
We never received the gift certificate that we were offered for incredibly poor service. Just no way to operate.
(1)Kinsey C.
After posting my review, I was contacted by Buca management. I was happy that they reached out, so I decided to give Buca another shot. I love Buca's atmosphere and their family style dining, so I grabbed my favorite yelper and a friend and came for another visit. We decided to come around the same time we went the previous visit- early dinner on a Sunday. We were seated quickly. I stand by my assessment that the servers are overworked and often have too many tables to deal with resulting in long waits for refills or the check. It took about seven minutes for a waitress to come to our table and get drink orders. Our waitress was very friendly and we enjoyed talking with her. The food was wonderful. Served family style, with something on the menu for everyone. Soft bread with an oil dipping sauce was served while we made our choices. We went with the spicy chicken rigatoni (so yummy and flavorful) and the penne arrabiata. Two smalls (designed to feed 2+ people) gave the 3 of us plenty to eat, with lots of leftovers for the next day. All in all, this location seems to have slightly slower service than other Bucas I have been to; however, it is so friendly! You have won me over- I'll be back!
(4)Zach G.
Haven't been to Buca in a while but I was pleasantly surprised. We came with a large group and the food was all served family style. It came out hot and it was delicious. My only complaint is that it was too good and I ate too much. Our servers name was Rob and he did great. He kept our drinks full and was polite and on top of it. Great place !
(5)Marie F.
I think the "family style" food here is insanely overpriced. $20 for a bowl of noodles? $20 for a small pizza? I think the prices alone are the reason I will never go back, but the food is not amazing either. It's kitschy which I realize is the appeal, but it's annoyingly maze like. I didn't really love seeing the kitchen on the way in either. But my service was amazingly excellent. My waiter was very attentive and did a great job. The food came in the appropriate amount of time. So, overall, even with a $25 off coupon I feel like I barely got my moneys worth and would not go back to eat here.
(2)Kaleend D.
Nice food and dessert..I love the baked ziti and the penne alla vodka pasta. The garlic bread with mozzarella are well worth the calories. Great size and great food!!
(4)Doctor K.
We love Buca, but the Penne al Forno is one of the best Italian meals I've had. Fantastic!
(5)Alison Y.
Used to love Buca di Beppo...like 7 years ago when they offered chicken cacciatore. I've come here every so often since then but have never left impressed. Business has also slowed down A LOT and I don't think the poor economy is the only reason why - the food has also suffered in salt and flavor over the years. Came here for Mother's Day and ordered calamari, pizza, and shrimp florentine pasta. The calamari is what keeps us coming back though we have found that the batter has less flavor (salt and seasoning) than years before. But their marinara sauce is pretty good. We created our own pizza with an alfredo sauce base with chicken and other veggies. The actual pizza crust was great! Wood grilled, thin, and nice and crispy but the alfredo sauce tasted like watery paste. No cheese or rich cream flavor whatsoever. I had to ask for extra marinara sauce to give it some taste. The shrimp florentine pasta was under salted but otherwise the shrimp and other ingredients were good. Keep in mind we also did ask them to put extra garlic in the pasta (which I personally think "saved" the dish). Overall, this dish is a really light flavored dish. I think I've had enough of this place...and MIGHT only come back for "to go" calamari.
(2)Anand K.
For a person who loves pizza, this place clearly has a uniquely tasting pizza. I ordered a margherita pizza (which was one of the cheapest things on the menu) and I was absolutely blown away by the tomato flavor that was in the sauce. It was so juicy that I just couldn't stop eating. Normally I take time to finish pizzas but this one, VOW!! I just wanted to finish it as soon as possible coz it was so delicious :)
(4)J.R. A.
They are fine, they cost far too much for what you get, don't get me wrong. I enjoy eating there. The food is good for the most part and service is superb. You are seated really fast and the waitress gets there fast and keeps up with you A+ on that. Other then that the last I ate there I had a groupon, which is why I went. Still ended up paying more as it cost SO MUCH to eat there. The meat was ok, but felt like it was microwaved and not the best or high quality food. The noodles were good but not that much. Now to the meat balls. You end up paying like $1+ for each one! You don't even get that many. I've been to the restaurants like 5 times, ever and this was the worst time.
(3)Cory K.
This location is a 3 star, but the average Buca is a 4 star. This is because every time I have been here, including around 5 times the past 5-6 months, they ALWAYS under-staff the place. I saw it in other reviews, and it confirmed this. I have no clue why the owners seem to try and cut corners, but yesterday I went, and it finally made me realize that its not the waiter/waitresses fault for really slow service, it's the under-staffing. It took us 30 minutes to get seated, even though we had a reservation, and there weren't 4 other tables seated at the whole place. On top of having 1 waitress for the whole place. It ruins my perception on the Castleton location in terms of service and wanting to go to that Buca. But, on to the food. It is honestly really good. 2 gripes though. 1, it is a little expensive. We're talking pasta and pizza, and you pay a lot for what it is. You do get a lot though, depending on what you order. 2, there are a lot of seasoning issues. The fettuccine is good, but it would be great if they had SOME seasoning on it. I have to season it myself, and paying $30+ to do that is ridiculous. It seems like some dishes are bigger, some are seasoned better, etc. They just need a hair bit more consistency in their food. Although for the most part it is VERY bland food. But, I do kind of enjoy the place, and would enjoy going here with a group for a decent meal. But perhaps at a different location...
(3)Jacci H.
Not returning again. Service is not very friendly once you sit down. They need new booth seats. They scoot apart when you sit down, and I felt like I needed a booster seat even though I am of average height. My $9.99 side order of broccoli was overcooked. The food is way overpriced even though the servings are generous. I like the decor, but after trying this place five times, we are going to give other Italian restaurants a try.
(2)Sandy H.
I have been to their location in Pittsburgh at Station Square and it was awesome. I was visiting in Indy with a friend and suggested we have dinner here. The food was horrible. We ordered spaghetti and meatball. Had to ask for more sauce as it was very dry. The sauce was nothing but tomato sauce with a few bits if tomato. No flavor at all. Very bland. Will not go there again. Was very disappointed.
(2)Andrew M.
Love this place, the food is great, the staff is friendly, and the athmosphere is pretty good - typical italian.
(5)Suzie T.
My family threw a great Birthday party for me. It was great to have a private room and gather all around a big table! This wasn't my most recent Birthday but I don't think it has changed much. All the food was very good but nothing was extremely outstanding. The ambience made up for it! Should be 3.5. The next one was at Maggianos--Buca was much better!
(3)Ande H.
Raspberry lemon drop ... as Joey would say, WOH. Fettuccine Alfredo ... richness of creamy love. Tony (our server) was THE BOMB! We also had PENNE ARRABBIATA with spicy fennel sausage and crushed red pepper in a zesty marinara. Started off with calamari with a kick-in-your-pants marinara sauce. It was just the two of us and we took more then 1/2 of our food home.
(5)Swt P.
We have been going here so many times in the last 4 years, probably 4-6 times a year. The food is generally good, definitely much better than the food at The Olive Garden. Our favorite is calamari with spicy marinara sauce and mixed green salad with gorgonzola and prosciutto. The best time to come here is when you have a big group of adults that you can share variety of dishes. If you go there with only 2 adults - you definitely have to figure out which dish you are going to share, otherwise you will come home with too much food, enough for the next 2 days worth of lunch. My cons: 1. VERY Poor service - We had an OK service and often unpleasant service here. Our last experience was totally bad. Our waiter did not care about serving our table, and my husband had to yell at him to get his attention. He literally ran away as soon as he put the food on our table without saying anything. He never asked if we needed anything while dining (napkins, silverware, etc). We had to ask him to give us their free dinner bread (also some extra bread), and we had to pour the olive oil and vinegar for dipping sauce by ourself. 2. High noise level - very loud, too hard to make conversation. 3. Food portion - too big. A waste of food and money. 4. Overpriced 5. Kids meal - poorly prepared. It's better to order from the regular menu and share the food with the kids. Spaghetti and Pizza from the regular menu taste much better than the kids' version. Despite all of the cons, I gave this place 2 stars because I may return someday when I need to dine with my relatives or big group, so I do not have to worry about cooking or cleaning the dishes at my own house. :-) My recommendation: come here only with big group (at least 4 adults to share), or go somewhere else that will give you decent size of food and good service. Also, if you have $10 coupon from somewhere, don't forget to use it - it can buy a big dessert like tiramisu or creme brulee. Yum.
(2)M S.
I have been here more times than I can count and it seems to be getting worse the last few. The food is decent... Wide variety of Italian. The service is about the same but the recent menu changes are a miss.
(2)Greg L.
Ate here on Christmas night. Well I think the best way I can describe my dining experience was that it was unsurprising Italian food. It was wasn't terrible but cannot really be categorized as great either. I had never eaten at a Buca di Beppo and didn't know what to expect. We ordered the Caesar Salad, Stuffed Shells, Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken, Cheesy Bread Florentine, and Linguine Frutti Di Mare. My favorite was the Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken. The other items were decent to good. Only item I didn't care for was the Caesar Salad. The quality of the lettuce wasn't that great. The portion sizes for the 5 dishes we ordered were quite large as I expected. The only leftover we had was the Cheesy Bread. Service we experienced was somewhat slow but wasn't bad. It was Christmas and we were thankful that they were open. Side note: in Indiana on Christmas day it is illegal to sale or serve alcohol. Keep this in mind for future restaurant visits on Christmas day. We didn't hold it against the staff. It isn't their fault. I blame the ignorant Indiana state legislature. We did see an upset customer leave when they weren't able to be served any alcohol which I thought was so stupid considering the restaurant was just following the law. Anyway, I would recommend this chain restaurant to check out at least once. The food quality is about what you would expect from a chain restaurant and the atmosphere was engaging. Enjoy!
(3)Shawna V.
Went out with friends for a big dinner to kick off our gen con. I got the Gnocci and the Hubby got the apple gorgonzola salad. We all shared with everyone at the table and walked off stuffed. Not a good place to go if you are diabetic like one of my peeps. Though he did say the meatballs were fantastic. I feel like the menu is pretty vegetarian friendly but will not work if you are vegan. It's on the pricey side but delicious none the less.
(4)Christine B.
The food was excellent but very expensive for two people. Our order was about $60 for two people. Yes, I understand, family style, but if you want two different things, you better bring your money for it. Also, for what we paid, it would have been nice to have more rooms. Most people are terrified of their decor, I like it, but the tables are so small. We had 7 people and my friend on the end kept getting smacked everytime someone walked by. My other friend almost ended up with the waiters pencil in his eye. What irritated me more is that we were crammed into a tiny table and had a reservation while they kept seating 2 people at the giant boths across from us. If you are going to do a reservation family style, then you should have bigger tables for all that food. Sangria was just ok. Garlic cheese bread could have been better. Overall, downtown seems to have a better location. We also had reservations but still had to wait 15 minutes. Definitly not my favorite place. If you want the best italian in town, go across the street to Bravo.
(2)Paul H.
God help me, i loved the food. Pricy and full of kids, but great
(4)Sanford H.
Were it not Vicky's birthday, we would not have braved the blustery snowy evening to enjoy dinner out. Staying home would have been the better option, by far. Instead, we combated the elements for comfort food at Buca di Beppo's Castleton location in Indy. Having our pick of spots in the vacant lot, we parked as close to the entrance as possible and waited more than a minute before being greeted by a hostess/manager. Apologizing for keeping us waiting she proceeded to give us a tour of the restaurant where nary a patron could be seen nor heard. We had our pick of tables, rooms, and even the kitchen - equipped to seat a couple of diners. Having perused the menu on-line I knew which appetizer we both wanted and placed an order for the fried calamari. In asking about a sauce other than the traditional marinara we were told that was the only option, but when we asked about a garlic-butter sauce we were told they would make some for us. Bonus point for the server, who was pleasant and helpful - not to mention we were the only patrons, so it cost them nothing to satisfy a small request. Because Buca is a family-style restaurant, the portions are planned as either for two or four people. We were told the two-person portions were generous enough to easily serve three people. Three midgets on diets perhaps, but not three people with dinner appetites. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar poured somewhat sloppily onto a plate, but bread, a distant future supply which finally arrived with the calamari. While the calamari was good, not too chewy, not over fried, it was a little heavy on the spices and featured an abundance of tentacles by ratio to the rings. Adding to the unevenness of the kitchen work, the entrée of veal Marsala came out before we were halfway finished with the appetizer. When given the choice of taking the entrée or having it sit under a heat lamp to dry out in the kitchen, opt for the former. Three veal medallions each roughly the size of two silver dollars sat upon a plate with sliced canned mushrooms and a thin, but tasty, Marsala sauce. This plate should have been service for one, not two to three as advertised. I was but one bite into my piece of veal when Vicky emitted a gasp. A hair was embedded in her piece of veal. And by embedded, it was not simply atop the food, but positioned in such a manner that it could only have been cooked into the veal when the medallions were being fried. Beyond gross. We've patronized enough restaurants - good, bad, and ugly to know nobody's perfect, but, eww, hair? As our server was nowhere to be found for more than several minutes, I wandered into the kitchen to track her down. Returning to the table with me she was extremely apologetic and immediately left to find the manager, who was not nearly as remorseful. Adding insult to injury, the manager - the same woman who gave us the tour and seated us - instantly took to the defensive, gave Vicky a visual once over then said that no one in her kitchen has long hair. Only then did she manage an apology. We ordered a chicken dish and our server assured us our meal would be "taken care of." The chicken dish proved to be barely larger than its predecessor which included artichokes and capers - both favorites of ours. However, the artichoke pieces had a tough exterior indicating that one additional layer should have been removed. The artichokes, like the mushrooms, were canned. While eating the chicken, the manager returned, at which point I politely informed her that she had insulted Vicky with the insinuation that because no one in the kitchen had long hair, Vicky must have been at fault. The manager attempted to mollify Vicky by assuring her she meant no disrespect. Yet, all she did was make Vicky more upset. The manager imposed herself upon our dinner by sitting on Vicky's coat, scarf, and phone. Note to restaurant staff and even owners: unless invited, do not be so familiar as to join us at our table. We are neither pretentious nor snobs, but we prefer to have a two-way conversation after a long day instead of a three-way conversation. We spent more time talking to restaurant staff than to each other which also detracted from the now less than celebratory mood of the evening. Exit manager; reenter server, who asked if we were having dessert. Normally the answer would be no, but as this was Vicky's birthday, we opted for the bragged-about tiramisu. Eh, not so much about which to brag - cold, stiff, and sticking to the bottom of the dish. The coup de grace came minutes later when the check came and the server apologized before even presenting it to me as she informed us the manager was charging us for the dessert. This after we were told by the server the meal would be "taken care of." A fine time was not had by all, or even by any. This should serve as a warning to diners who care about how they spend their hard-earned dollars. Buca di Beppo should be ristorante non-grata. And a happy birthday to Vicky.
(1)The Yelp-inator W.
fairly good Italian food,,, family size portions neat atmosphere service could have been a little better...but not bad
(4)J T.
I sometimes go here for team dinners. Nice, but decidedly Buca di Beppo, atmosphere. The food (family style) is consistently good. Salads are good as is the service. Now, imagine the next two sentences are in italics: As an aside, I think its funny when people eat at places like Buca and then complain that its not "authentic Italian." Whether it is or not...if you want that, get on a plane, go to Italy, stop complaining and get a life... Where was I?.. Oh yeah...What I like the most about Buca are the pictures - 100's of them - all over the walls. Old black and whites of mostly Italy everyday life. Completely eclectic - lots of interesting things on every flat surface. Imagine my delight when I walked into the men's room and the walls were filled with old pictures of guys standing at urinals. Classic. Never change Buca.
(4)Steve P.
Update: After posting my original review, Buca's corporate office, in Florida, contacted me directly to learn more about my issues. The VP is spoke with was very pleasant and did not offer any excuses. They simply wanted to apologize and learn more about what happened, so it could be addressed with the manager of the restaurant. They also offered me the opportunity to try their downtown Indianapolis location, on their dime. This is the first business to bother following up with me, so at least they are trying to make things better.
(2)Lesley S.
Best Pizza Chain Ever! It was kinda deserted when I visited here but it was early morning. They gave me a walk through and you can see the kitchen, which to me that is a plus. (nothing like making sure where you food is isn't skanky.) Pizza Angelo: AMAZING!!!!!! Tender chicken breast, mozzarella, roasted corn, fresh mushrooms, fresh thyme and Alfredo sauce topped with Parmesan potato chips.
(5)Pam F.
I have not always been a fan of this restaurant, but when it came time to plan my daughter's 14th birthday party with 12 friends, Buca seemed like a good choice. I was pleased with every aspect of the experience. We were worried they would not seat the entire party because two guests were late and this was not a problem. The staff was great about letting me stow balloons and flowers at the hostess station when I arrived. The server, Brittney(sp?) was amazing. She was patient and helpful every step of the way with this boisterous bunch. My husband and I ate dinner in the bar and Brittney kept visiting our table to keep us posted on how the dinner was going. She followed my instructions with taking orders to help control the cost, which was very sweet. All of the staff were friendly, even the person who asked the table to lower their volume. As for my dinner, I enjoyed the green beans and would have liked another vegan option.
(3)