Some will find BdB loud, tacky, boisterous and inauthentic. And they would be right. Yes, the portions are enormous, but the food is nowhere near as good as, say, Salvi's (Hilliard) or Moretti's (Dublin). BdB is not the place for a romantic first date or anniversary - you find yourself shrieking to be heard - but if you're looking for a fun night out with friends or having an informal celebration of some kind, I'd say check it out. The servers do their best to take care of everyone but don't expect your glass to be refilled immediately. Parking can also suck. Oh, and try the Spumoni with chocolate sauce. That IS delicious.
(3)
Chuck k.
Quantity over quality...
(2)
Kristen M.
Great food, great wine, great service!! I was there on a company dinner and the manager Travis and waiter Issac were absolutely wonderful!! The place was packed from so many people from the Arnold Classic but these two gentlemen took care of us from the moment we arrived to when we left and even assisted us in locating a few more bars for a night out on the town! Best Tip about this place: If you reserve it in advance you can eat in "The Pope Room"
(4)
Barbara S.
When Buca first opened up its doors years ago i loved everything about it but as the years go by things went downhill and so does my love for it: not good. the last time i went everything kinda fell off of the greatness of the place. the food was okay...the service..ugh. i just felt like things werent the same and so usually when i want a good italian dish now i try to venture out to other places because buca has lost its magic...
(3)
Aaron S.
Carabas is way better for the price.
(3)
Keith B.
I feel like they need an extra star, because they get riffed for being a chain. This place, I came with now now deceased mom many years ago - and it's the same damn place now, as it was when I worked downtown. It's good. It's simple. It's fuckin' Italian family style dining. The most recent trip? Ten of us, for my friend's birthday. We all ordered small plates, passed it around, tried a little of everything, the staff was good, friendly, attentive. All in all, a great experience. And when you are in a large group, and want some good comfort food? This is a good place to go.
(4)
Steve B.
First time, heard all the hype... And that's exactly what it is... Hype... Not impressed, the food was bland and tasteless... Really disappointing... The service was great, but it was also 6:00pm on a Monday evening... Loud also, nothing to absorb any sound from other obnoxious diners.... Especially when seated in the 'wine room'...? What's with the wait staff walking people through the kitchen and food prep areas to seat them?? Seems a little unhygienic to me...? Breathing, coughing and sneezing all the way through...?? Either way, I'm sure there are far better options for the area.. Its crossed off the list and won't be repeated... Happy Dining!
(1)
Ryan D.
How I have gone so many years without eating here is rather crazy since I feel I am the only one of my friends who had never been. The style was a little different to me but rather fun. We had gone for a friends birthday so a rather large group. Everyone picked out and agreed on the various meals to choose from. Server was always there, friendly and ready to get us anything we needed. The food was darn tasty... and being my first time I had a chance to sample so many dishes. The desert we all shared was just so huge but it goes with their style of sharing. I really enjoyed this concept and will go back in the future for sure. I must note how this location is a maze to get around. Not a bad thing just kinda fun.. a new room everywhere you go.
(3)
Gina M.
Buca is near and dear to my heart. Everything about it makes me feel like I'm at my grandparents' house, including the food. So much food. Everything is served family style, which can be kind of annoying when you go there as a party of 2 and you can only order one dish, but if you go with a big group it can be so much fun! They have many different Italian dishes to try, not just pasta, and everything from their salads to their appetizers to their desserts tastes great and comes in HUGE portions. There are some dishes which feel a little too Americanized, but overall, I love the food, I love the decor, and I love how the entire restaurant is like a maze of tiny hallways covered in old photos. The parking for this specific location can be a little difficult, but if you're going to Nationwide Arena for something anyway, I think it is one of your best food options!
(4)
Abbey W.
I just ate here this evening at the suggestion of my uncle who lives close by and eats here often. We ordered the red sangria, calamari to start, meatballs, and pasta a la vodka. The biggest disappointment was the vodka sauce. I order this at almost every Italian restaurant I eat at and sadly this version did not live up to its competitors. There was an over abundance of garlic and spicy pepper flakes. None of this was mentioned on the menu by the way. It would have not been an issue except the manager never came to the table, as requested by the waitress. That is extremely poor management in my book. We were told that they have new management so maybe they need to learn a thing or two. I'm also a bit surprised that they took away soup at dinner. Overall, this would not be my first choice for an Italian dinner.
(3)
Elizabeth G.
We called in an order of tiramisu to-go on a slow Tuesday evening to celebrate a birthday. The ordinarily great dessert came to us looking like someone threw it against a wall, scraped it up off the floor and smashed it into an aluminum pan shortly before dusting it with some cocoa powder to hide the mess below. This highly unacceptable presentation not only looked unappetizing, but affected the taste of the tiramisu as well, a dish we've ordered several times from the Worthington location without issue.
(1)
Andrew W.
This restaurant is....massive. Seriously, we walked and we walked and we walked and I genuinely wondered if the restaurant may ever end (spoiler: it does eventually stop). Everything about Buca was very, okay. The food was your standard pasta and sauce and the salad was your standard tossed salad; everything you would expect out of a chain Italian restaurant. But, let's not focus on what was...okay, let's focus on where they went above and beyond. I was with a particularly large party (23) and we only had two servers. They were absolutely phenomenal. Just truly accommodating to a rather rowdy bunch of adults and super attentive to a person who went through -- at minimum -- 30 glasses of water with his meal (I wish I were exaggerating). The restaurant was very kitschy and the service was just, truly astounding. Bottom line: the food was standard and probably wouldn't have me running back through the door. The service? Just truly top of the line and was comparable to some of the bougiest of establishments.
(3)
Bina P.
We came in, got told it was an hour wait, gave our number and got told that we'll be contacted when a booth opens up. We went to the North Market within the hour and came back. The hostess claimed she tried reaching us awhile ago....hmm...we didn't receive anything. We got lead through a kitchen tour to our table, which was nice! I ordered a Milan Mule. A beer and a coke were ordered. The rest of the table had Sangria. We asked for table bread and we had to remind our server to bring it out. It was nice and warm. The food came out fast! We ordered Eggplant Parmesan, Margherita pizza, customized pasta for cheese ravioli alla vodka (had a nice spicy kick to it), and shared a slice of cheesecake. I asked for a side salad portion of Apple Gorgonzola salad but server brought 'small' version which could feed our table and the one next to ours....needless to say, it mostly went to waste. Food was great but service was just ok. They did a nice birthday singalong for table next to us! They even had patio seating. There was nice Italian music. We had a filling lunch...we ate like kings!
(3)
Grace M.
Buca, I have been waiting to review you for many a moon so I hope you're listening up. To begin, we have never come as less than a group of 10. And with our numbers having reached 20 plus, we follow the reservation route. Over the years you have clearly aspired to attract and more importantly accommodate such gatherings via the table arrangements, family style menu, and servers who do not run for the hills when there are similarly sized groups throughout the restaurant. I'd like to start with what I've unfortunately seen decline. - Is it just me or has the overall Buca di Beppo experience been set aside? When we used to arrive, the host would explain why we were walking through the kitchen, point out the various themes, wave to tables, and explain the "history." Cheesy? Yes. But it served to set a fun, more inviting mood. Most recently we were simply shepherded to our table and left to wait for our server to appear. Thought you all marketed a vibe? So I know cooking large quantities of Italian dishes is a feat. And I used to love quite a few of those dishes (calamari, pizza, and ravioli). This leves me to dislike honestly feeling as if flavor has been set on your back burner. Sure our recent round of dishes were all good (yes, even the no-cheese veggie pizza made for my vegan cousin) and no one left hungry...but nothing was memorable. Sauce, which should be your backbone, needs revamped. Now onto the reasons we return. - The larger portions and their presentation encourage sharing and interaction. Genial and efficient service that still manages to not feel rushed. And of course the kitschy decor which ensures you will continuously find new things to discuss. Yeah, it's a chain but this location feels unique. To wrap this long winded review up, I'll say food: 2.5 stars, service 4 stars, ambiance 5 stars. Shall see where you go, Buca.
(4)
Angela H.
Food - Tasty. I'm not sure it's entirely worth the price though. Sometimes I feel like their prices are highway robbery considering it's PASTA. But I've never ordered a bad thing here. Absolutely love the Apple Gorgonzola salad and the Antipasto salads. The spicy chicken rigatoni is also amazing. Dinner is family style, but lunch you can order individual portions. For lunch I've gotten the Chicken Parmesan and it's always good. Service was fine. I've heard it's fun to sit at the round tables, but I've never had a chance to. Good option for lunch downtown, but there are so many better local places around Arena District and downtown that are worth trying instead.
(2)
Rashmi S.
Ordered a large calamari for the the table that was frankly quite small, especially given that the servings are supposed to be family size. The cake in the Mount Vesuvius dessert was a bit dry. And my sparkling red wine was not sparkling - zero carbonation. Plus, I was given the quartino size instead of the single glass, which was unnecessary and meant I had to pay more. Moreover, when I tried to order the wine the waitress expressed unease at our table's level of tipsiness. Granted, we WERE loud and tipsy, but nothing crazy and certainly not enough to disturb the EMPTY TABLES AND EMPTY ROOM. Also seems paradoxical to be concerned about a group's alcohol intake, then give someone in that party a larger than desired quantity of wine.
(2)
Brandy B.
I was here for the first time apart of the Yelp block party. Pepperoni Pizza was way better than expected. True Italian pizza taste. I will definitely be back!
(4)
Brian F.
There would have been a time when I would have told you that Buca was a really cool place to take your family or some friends to go eat. I've aged, and Buca hasn't. There must have been 75 people waiting to get in when we arrived at around 5 yesterday. 75! Still, we got seated relatively quickly, and the dining room is great if you like crowded and loud. With our group of 14, we had to have high level negotiations as to what food to order. We went with 2 orders of Florentine cheesy bread and two salads. The cheesy bread is great, and the apple gorgonzola salad was pretty good as well. For entrees, we got a pesto penne, spicy chicken something or other, and a baked ziti. The spicy chicken dish was by far the best! (I actually didn't eat the chicken, but had some of the pasta, which was very flavorful). The other two entrees were just average. Three sides included a small serving of brocolli, garlic mashed potatoes, and meatballs. I only got to try the mashed potatoes. They were fine, but I remembered them being fantastic so I was a little disappointed. Service was surprisingly good, and we were in and out in about 90 minutes. I deem that a success. It turned out our meal cost $20 a head (no drinks), which you could get much better food for that price elsewhere. Overall, I doubt I'll be visiting again anytime soon, but I do see the charm in what is a unique atmosphere.
(2)
Virginia W.
I made Valentine's Day reservations for a specific room. (So they didn't stick us into the same room that we always seemed get thrown in.) Since they do cater to requests for their themed rooms for reservations. Since a larger group had already booked the room, they didn't bother to tell me. (at the time I made my reservation.) So when we got there, they told us sorry the room had a larger group and they were going to put us "somewhere" to accommodate all of the over-flow. This area was where they put ALL the couples (parties of two). Who also trying to have a intimate and romantic dinner. We really didn't like how close and squished in we were. Which didn't feel like it was romantic or intimate at all. We love this restaurant, the service and the food on ANY other day, just not on holidays on days with events anymore.
(4)
Tara T.
Poor quality of food! Dry chicken and soupy pasta. Garlic cheese bread was bland. Badly tattered, dirty table cloth. Good service by Holly though! We will not go back but hope to see her at another restaurant.
(1)
Chris E.
Thursday night, empty dining areas. Should make for a cozy experience. It is 30 degrees outside. Why is the vent fans blowing cool air. Waiter was willing to move our table to one of the other empty ones in our section. Food was ok & took 40 minutes to come. Waiter was nice. It's a bit pricey for the experience. $70 for two is a bit steep for quality and quanity. Could have been a little better.
(2)
Corey Tess T.
Ok - so everything is HUGE and intended to be family style. Great for big groups. If you are just two people, I would recommend a pasta and a salad to share or a pie and a salad to share. The Spicy Arrabbiata pizza is pretty good here - nice and spicy. The Chopped Antipasto Salad is YUMMY. This is definitely a chain, but it has a lot of character. It's a fun place to go with a big group and have lots of pasta, pizza, bread and salad. They do the whole singing thing for birthdays - so its a good place to take a birthday group. I like the way they put the pizza on two tomato sauce cans - just sort of silly and fun. Definitely not fine dining, but for loud family style Italian with your rowdy bunch - this is a good place. Usually a long wait on weekends.
(3)
Helen D.
Food was alright, but forgettable and definitely not worth the price. We ordered the baked ziti, and it was plain and the sauce was really lightly coated on (which in all honesty was the best part of the dish). Service was alright and nothing out of the ordinary. Overall, pretty bland aside from the wall decor, and probably wouldn't return.
(2)
Angie T.
1st time visitor. HUGE portions. Great staff to guide you through choices. Food was delicious.
(5)
Emma L.
Meh. This place used to be fun and exciting when I was younger and had only experienced chain restaurants. The atmosphere is lively and there are lots of things to look at, so it can be fun for a kid but sensory overload for anyone who just wants to enjoy dinner. Prices are absurdly high for the quality you're receiving. I have yet to taste anything here I thought was better than what I could make at home for 1/4 the price - and the calories. Everything is bland, bland, bland. Portions are large because it's supposed to be family style, but the portions still don't justify what they're selling meals for. Service has been okay but wavers closer to poor. Lots of waiting time for refills, boxes, checks, etc. Really there are just too many other good places to go in the area. Don't waste your money here - even the constant coupon offers aren't worth it.
(2)
Glenn C.
Stuffed shells were the best I had. Sangria good going down. Cannolis were so delicious.
(4)
Parth B.
To start off, the waitress said the wait for a table for two would be about 15-20 minutes. An hour and 15 minutes later, we were still unseated. At last, as we were being walked through the restaurant, there was food and trash on the ground everywhere, and the kitchen was the dirtiest I have ever seen. Finally, we sat down. The dishes were dirty. However, the food came out pretty quickly. The quality of the food was average, at best. My fettuccine alfredo had no taste, but it was decent. Pricing was average (you get ALOT of food). The only reason why I came here was because I had a coupon for free pasta. Would not come here otherwise.
(2)
Patrick C.
Let me tell you something about this place. It is frickin expensive... and the food isn't all that much better than any other Italian place. You're paying for atmosphere and the location here. Now... I love Italian food and I love big meatballs. And in that department Buca totally delivers with a baseball sized meatball. Love it, I'll order two more and put them in my pockets to go. The pasta is also equally awesome. loads of noodles and sauce, they simply do not skimp on portions. Which also... could be a factor in the price now that I think about it. However, the quality of food, isn't making me melt in my booth. Could do with kick in the spices department, which isn't something hard to do. I don't care if some person thinks a certain food is too spicy, I would prefer it to have spice than nothing... The atmosphere is cool, loads of interesting photographs to look at as well as a pope statue (what the heck lol).
(3)
Mike W.
Food and service is great. Family style but also perfect for a couple to grab a fun dinner.
(4)
Brad B.
They've really started to go downhill the last few years. Terrible service and they really don't prepare the food well. The noodles are usually tough and rubbery and they skimp you on sauce almost every time. If you're in the Arena District there are literally a dozen better options for food.
(2)
Aubrey N.
Such a fun atmosphere, great for special occasions with a large group. Perfect restaurant to go to before heading over to the Big Bang Dueling Pianos. The staff is always great and fun too.
(5)
Josh N.
Today was my first experience with Buca. I didn't mind the idea of a shared dish, but would have expected a sampler style platter option. The Ceasar salad we got was good. We ordered the lasagna. I had high hopes considering the price and the location of this restaurant. After I took a bite, I realized the meat tasted like it came from a can. I seriously felt like going Gordon Ramsey on the place. The whole time, my wife knew I wasn't happy about the overpriced meal. I expected a much higher quality of product than I was given. Terrible.
(1)
Ryan A.
I could have made a better quality meal at home by boiling noodles and dumping original prego sauce onto it. Our pasta we received was very dry and boring. It felt as if I were eating only noodles. Also, drinks are very overpriced. After splitting out bill with the group, the bill for my girlfriend and me was around $70, which consisted of boring pasta, 3 drinks, and slow service. I don't plan on returning to this restaurant.
(2)
Mariem A.
We enjoyed our visit and didn't mind the crowds brought in during The Arnold Classic. We ordered off the gluten free menu and we very pleased with our meal. We enjoyed the Chicken Limone, Rosemary potatoes and green beans. I had the white sangria, which was really good. We sat at the bar and were taken care of by our awesome server, Jorden. Check out the apple walnut gorgonzola salad- by far one of our favorites. Overall, good food, large portions, friendly service and fun atmosphere!
(4)
Carly T.
I'll admit, I'm new to Buca. I had my first experience about three months ago in Worthington, and checked out the Arena District restaurant last Friday. Both times, I left with the feeling that I could have cooked up some better Italian at home. The Buca restaurants seems like a neat concept, at least in theory. You get a tour through the kitchen, the food is served family style (more on that later), and each room has a unique theme. I'll also say that at both restaurants, the staff was unbelievably friendly and accommodating, so they're doing a great job in terms of staffing. The food, however, is ridiculously overpriced for what you get. The "large" portions seemed much much appropriate for the price than the "small" ones, but still ridiculous at around $30 for a large. Honestly, the small portion (which they say feeds 2-3 people comfortably) was something I would expect in a single portion at a comparable Italian restaurant. Maybe that's the super-size-bigger-is-better American ideology coming out, but at a chain restaurant, I expect to get my money's worth. Aside from the price, the food is just okay at best. It's under-seasoned, poorly presented, and just...meh. I was unsatisfied both times. The three stars is for the kind, lively staff who seem to make the mediocre food a little more bearable.
(3)
Ry M.
I retract my last review. I was being a jerk. No manners or grammar. The meal was fantastic and came at a time I could not afford bread. I let someone influence me into thinking that I had bad service and deserved compensation. I am glad to be used as a training tool. The food was great and the host was sweet when I picked it up. Keep it up guys!
(4)
Karen W.
Been here many times, but tonight was the worst experience ever. The hubby and the in-laws made reservations for 5:45. We were seated at 6. (Keep in mind we have tickets to the Blue Jackets game at 7 pm.) Salad comes out with bread. No butter that we asked from our waiter. No Splenda for my tea - which I had to ask for twice. 6:50 pm, still no main course. Oh we were advised as we were ordering THAT THEY RAN OUT OF LASAGNA. At 6 pm at dinner time? We quickly had to choose a different entree, which didnt come out until 7 pm. (Take note that the game had started already.) No butter and no meat sauce to go with the entree. Great. Waiter comes around, we ask for our bill while trying to eat & not inhale our food. He brings the meat sauce AFTER he brings us our bill. Waiter shows very little concern for our experience. Told others in our party not to leave a tip, but they did. Goodbye Buca, you wont see me here ever again. Too many other places in the Arena District I can choose from.
(1)
Doug M.
You can make the same food, at home, for way less. Since the Buca's have begun multiplying the food quality has gone down. Some of the items on the menu that were great are now terrible. It tastes like creams and marinara are being replaced with water and tomato paste. I spent almost $70 on takeout for just a couple pans, and each pan was worse than the last. The meatballs tasted overcooked and underspiced, the Macaroni Rosa tasted cheap and like plastic. After complaining to the manager, I was chastised by the "chef" about not having good taste. Inexcusable. Bucca- bring back the quality ingredients and stop using cheap substitutes.
(1)
Mayuri M.
THE GOOD: The service was good! The atmosphere was interesting and pretty pleasant too. The portions are HUGE! Which was a real value for money and also just a nice change of pace. The manager was also really nice to comp our appetizer when it took too long to prepare. THE BAD: The food was pretty bland, lacking seasoning all around. We ordered the Trio Platter for the appetizer and a tomato-base seafood pasta (don't recall the exact name). The stuffed mushroom was bland, the calamari wasn't fresh (but it IS Columbus so thats understandable) and the fried mozzarella was a tad dry. The entree was decent - extremely fresh shrimp (Yum!!) but the linguine was stuck together and undercooked. The layout of the restaurant was pretty confusing too - I circled the restaurant twice trying to get from the restroom back to my table. OVERALL: I may return but will likely prefer other Italian restaurants. Not making pasta right is a rookie mistake for an Italian restaurant.
(3)
Charles H.
Terrible, my coworkers and I visited a week ago. The food is always below mediocre. Everything tasts canned and microwaved. I've been to this location a few times over the course of it's life. It's someplace that I do not plan to go to ever again.
(2)
Katy F.
I had the worst experience there the last time I went. A group of us went to celebrate my bachelorette party. Knowing we had a large group, we made reservations three weeks a head of time, even calling the day before to make sure everything was good to go. We all got there and it was just a disaster. Apparently they sat a party of 60 who were a half an hour late to their reservation. This pushed everything back over an hour. We finally got the manger to seat us an hour later and were unfortunately in the same room as the large party. Our service was as good as it could have been. They did comp up some drinks and food (it was still frozen!!). I was upset with the way the reservations were handled. We were there to have a good time and relax and it was stressful. We couldn't even all sit together. I would not recommend this buca to anyone. Very disappointed.
(1)
Melissa C.
My experience here was kind of a hot mess. After a basketball game this past weekend, my husband and I decided to get take out from Buca because it was close and we knew they had gluten free options. We ordered the small Caprese salad, small Chicken Marsala gluten free, and a side of spaghetti with marinara. The employee that took our order was very nice. We asked twice to ensure she had marked the chicken gluten free and sat down to wait. We were offered a beverage for free which was nice. We got our food, paid, and off we went. Or so we thought... we got back to our hotel to discover that the $11 caprese salad was missing and the chicken had breading. I called the restaurant to see if their chicken maybe had corn starch on it. After 11 minutes on the phone, I was informed the chicken was not gluten free. They told me to come back to the restaurant to get new food (including my missing salad). I have to say that they did fix the problem and gave us a large sized gluten free chicken marsala, the caprese salad, and another order of spaghetti which was fine originally. They also voided our credit card transaction so we didn't have to pay. When we got back the second time, the food was all good. Exactly what you expect from Buca. I appreciated their efforts to fix the issues which is why I gave three stars. But the fact that we double checked when the order went in and that another part of it was missing to begin with is my reasoning for three stars.
(3)
Elise S.
WATCH OUT. Good food and atmosphere. However - It's a shame that the server didn't warn us that the desserts are also meant to be shared. We ordered family style entrees and shared a few with 9 people. But when we started ordering desserts that we thought were individual, she didn't say a word - such as "Hey, that brownie sundae serves 4." What would have been a reasonable meal out ended up overpriced and with loads of desserts that can't travel home because they melted. I'm really disappointed and feel like the server was trying to get us to order more to bolster her tip. Talked to a supervisor about this and he said "oh yeah, everything is family style". He didn't offer anything - no offer to comp a dessert or even an apology. I'm not impressed.
(1)
M B.
Our first time in many years and it was terrible. We had a great waitress, Holly, but other than that, the food was terrible and the restaurant was filthy!!! Will not go back here again.
(1)
Kevin B.
Walked in and was greeted by my last name through my reservation. Was given a typical tour and was served in a fast fashion. Ordered artichoke dip because I always do everywhere and this presentation was delightful. Ordered the chicken stuffed with mozzarella. Can't wait. So far so good. They did mess up the chicken a tad but gave us free dessert. Used my coupon and gave the waitress $15 for the tip. Our table was right by an ac vent so it was super cold and our food got cold fast but overall great experience each and every time we visit!
(5)
Holly K.
I went here last time, for only the second time in my entire existence, for my friend's bachelorette kick-off dinner. I ended up with a four cheese pizza since that was the smallest possible thing on the menu I could order and no one seemed interested in group ordering so, alas. Our server was super friendly and gave us some sample wine tastings while we awaited on the lady-of-the-hour to arrive. She was quick, attentive and nice and considering all of us (20) wanted separate checks, she never complained or gave a snippy attitude about it. The manager (or at least I'd presume to be...) stopped by our table (pope table) to wish the bride-to-be well and for us to enjoy our food and evening. The main thing that sucked about that room is A) the pope is creepy (who wants a creepy statue watching you eat) and B) every time they brought people back through their tour I felt like we were on a parade float as we were seriously on display which got rather annoying. Maybe if the beer was cheaper and I was a bit more intoxicated I would've had fun messing with people...however, I was not. Food arrived rather quickly and my pizza was AHH-mazing. If I didn't cab it, I would've taken it with me as it was delicious but sadly, like many others, I had to leave it behind. Honestly, I KNOW this place is family-style. I get it. But I really, really wish they'd serve an extra small or a single-person dish. Not everyone who dines has a date they can share food with. And no single person in their right mind wants to be eating leftovers of the same thing (no matter how tasty) for four days. Just saying. Overall, great experience. Would definitely go back for the pizza...once I find a femme gay girl who is smart to date. Any takers? ;)
(3)
Joe B.
So, how hard is it to get an order of eggplant parmigiana - first I get chicken parmigiana - no, please correct and by the way please put in a to go since it'll take you too long to get to me as I ran out of time. They take it back and then I get the to go packaged with I'm sorry.. Yea, five hours later I find my eggplant parmigiana is ... Well veil parmigiana wrong again. Really, how hard is it to put the right order any the food in the container. So twice the wrong order, and no refill nor did the winter ask, he filled everyone else but mind WTH, why, are blind, am I invisible or did I offend you? Just very annoying, I wish I could rate these jockers a ZERO since this is what I got. Thank you, no lunch, and diner turned out to be the wrong order twice over - skip this place, not worth your breath and/money.
(1)
Nijole T.
I dont understand why there are so many mixed reviews about this place, we loved it! First of all it is a little strange going through the kitchen to get seated and the maze of underground seating. But I found it fun to explore and check out the bathroom, it felt like part of a secret italian mob scene. We ordered the Cheesy garlic bread which was very good, an italian salad, the rigatoni and veal parmegiana, it was all very good and a size small of each was more than enough for 3 people. It is a little pricey but we felt the taste and quality was well worth it. A fun dinner and even if the place is always packed, it still feels romantic.
(4)
Jose C.
Large plates and sharing in a restaurant is always a plus for me. I've been known to take down a burrito the size of a small baby, but that's another story. Every time I go to buca with a large group of people, it's always a good time. The atmosphere is fun and the service is great. Unfortunately, the food lately has been on the blah side. Last time I went, we had a reservation but still had to wait 40 minutes for our table. Granted, it was a saturday night, so we decided to start our drinking a little early that night. We ordered a lot of food and the portion sizes are always more than enough for most people, but not me. We started out with salad and garlic bread. I didn't touch the salad because I don't eat salad unless there's a piece of steak or pork on top of it. The garlic bread seems expensive to us for being 8 dollars for just a loaf. The calamari was amazing, anything that's breaded and deep fried is typically amazing no matter what. We ordered the vege pizza because that was what the girls wanted. I actually enjoyed the vege pizza and I don't eat vegetable unless it was to make my mom happy. Now for the downside; the pasta. I love pasta and it is the stable of italian and asian cooking. It's hard to mess it up but the pasta at Buca lately has been disappointing. The rotini was undercooked, meatballs were bland, and the lasagna had more ricotta cheese than regular cheese and beef combined. It's sad to say that Olive Garden has better pasta dishes than Buca. Maybe I went on a bad night, but I will be returning to Buca so long as my friends still want to hold celebrations there. Next time, we might just order all calamari and pizza.
(3)
Evalyn C.
For a chain, I rather fancy Buca. The family-style dining makes meals with large groups more interesting (and sometimes cheaper too). If you are just going with a couple people, then there are plenty of leftovers for everyone. The decor is funky and eclectic and styled after your Italian grandma's basement - as this place is named Joe's Basement, after all. The place is always spotless with no sticky tabel tops or gross bathrooms to be found. The desserts are all so amazing you'll want to try one of each, but will regret ordering just one because you'll have to loosen your belt and be rolled out the door. The main dishes aren't anything magical, but I can't complain. I always wind up enjoying what I'm eating and going back for seconds. If you are an Italian food snob (which I am decidedly not as I don't really like it but very infrequently), you are gonna want to go somewhere else. But this place is great for groups looking to eat a filling meal before celebrating the night away; family gatherings that save you from the stress of cooking yourself; and even work parties.
(4)
Heidi B.
I've never been to Buca Di Beppo before, but I will definitely go again if I have the opportunity. I was with a large group, the restaurant was very accommodating, and the food was excellent. The family style meals were split between all of us evenly and we paid separately and I thought extremely reasonably priced given the fact we had wine, salad, meal, and dessert!
(4)
Jess M.
I am unsure if possible a new sheriff is in town with regard to management but that individual should be taken out back and shot. Due to the fact a co-worker had a coupon we chose bucca for a team lunch. Thankfully this was a working lunch bc it was extremely slow service. Co-workers received their hot meals and my spinach salad was on delay. I was able to flag down the server to inform him I was still without a meal. Note my co workers, way too nice, let their own food go cold bc this was literally 10 minutes after their food arrived. Dressing, which I ordered on the side, did not come out with my meal. I flagged someone down again and another 10 minutes I received a bowl of dressing that at first glance u may have misdiagnosed as melted sherbet. Check out the pick this is no exaggeration. Bottom line I would recommend Gordon biersch anyday over this place. My last note was the waiter did apologize, but truly not enough and I prefer my Wendy's berry salad compared to this one
(1)
Tls K.
The rooms are dark and claustrophobic. Lots of interesting art. Portions are ridiculously huge which matches the entree costs. Their menu is meant to be family style; which is hard when one person in the party is vegan. Reservations are a must! Ask for the kitchen table if you like to watch the cooks in action and don't mind waiving hi to strangers come through for a tour every minute of your meal. The restaurant is NOT handicapped accessible and parking is not convenient. Go to the Worthington location for a private lot.
(2)
Beth R.
Great place for a big family or a co worker dinner. They do big groups well. The food is good and not too expensive. They also work hard to make it a fun event. It is easy to arrange and everyone could get there from work. We will probably plan our Christmas dinner there for my office!
(3)
Michael R.
I came here to eat one night while on a away trip for a football game. I honestly wasn't expecting much, but I was really blown away. The night started off pretty normally, we arrived as soon as possible, were given an ETA of about 45 minutes. We were pretty prepared to wait, but thankfully, we were seated in about 25 minutes. I thought it was pretty cool that they let us walk through the kitchen before being seated, to see what goes on behind the scenes. It gets a little shaky from here- we were greeted kindly, and we gave our orders at a pretty normal pace. We ordered an appetizer. For some reason, the appetizer never came, but we were served our main course on time. Pretty much, the appetizer never came. Here's what I give the 5 stars for: Our waitress was well aware about the fact that our appetizer never came, and apologized repeatedly for it. Apparently, it was a frequently ordered appetizer, so that whenever it came out of the kitchen to be served to us, another waiter/tress grabbed it beforehand. She was very concerned about it, and eventually, the manager cooked it herself, and brought it to us. She gave it to us for free. She then went further and gave us free desert, for everyone. They also gave us free pins that we requested, and pens, and treated us very kindly. They gave us as much food for free as we actually ordered and payed for. If you ever come here, ask for the waiter I had: her name is Lisa. Tell her hello from California!
(5)
Ethan B.
Spendy as anything, but WOW. I went with my girlfriend and our friends for the first time in January during Ohayocon. We'd had a great day, our panels went very well, I'd gotten a lot of really good pictures, and we thought we should celebrate. It was only Friday, too. Buca made it even better. The portions are HUGE. Our party of nine ordered a few SMALL items to split between us, and we still had food left over. We doggie-bagged it in the end and took it back to the hotel room after practically gorging ourselves at the restaurant. We really loved the little alcove we were seated in; it was nice and private and right next to the kitchen, so we pretty much got to see our food being made. The food itself is fantastic. It's so rich, and so good. Though this is much fancier than what I'm accustomed to, the atmosphere is laid back and makes you think you're in a dive. You have to do a double-take just to make sure that you're actually in this place because you've got grungy-looking brick walls, fascinating pictures (some are questionable in nature), and you're in a basement. The place is so clean though. I was super-impressed. Our server was a dear. She checked up on us periodically and she had a great time with us because we were having fun. She was the furthest thing from a nuisance; I've had annoying servers, and this girl was a sweetheart. She did everything right. I felt horribly underdressed, and I was. Next time, I will be sure to have a change of much nicer clothes on hand at our hotel, because even though I wasn't the only one wearing jeans, other patrons not associated with us were wearing really nice clothes (read: dress shirts and slacks). This is most definitely NOT a place I will visit on a regular basis because it's really spendy. It's going to be an Ohayocon tradition for us and nothing more than that. I'll adjust my rating after next year when we go back if things are any different.
(4)
Matt W.
I will be the first person to tell you that if you want GOOD Italian food in Columbus, go somewhere like Moretti's, Due Amici, or Luce. If you want to go somewhere for dinner in the Arena District, though, particularly after a hockey game? Buca is a reasonable option. Even though they officially close at 10, they have a very nice "flexible" policy on nights where hockey games or big concerts are taking place, and normally will seat tables for up to an hour after the end of the event. With the huge "family style" dishes, a group of four can order 2-3 "small" entrees and a big salad to share and still have everyone taking home leftovers. You also tend to see a lot of "event" days during the week featuring free desserts, extra side dishes, drink discounts, etx. Alcohol prices are a bit high, I agree, but service has always been pretty decent on the nights I've gone in. The ravioli pomodoro is actually pretty good, and I like their baked rigatoni, even though it's probably speeding my eventual heart attack. If you have room for dessert, my personal go-to is the cannoli, drizzled with some chocolate sambuca sauce and ground pistachios.
(3)
Crystal B.
I visited Bucca yesterday evening to celebrate Father's Day with my parents and fiance. Generally, Bucca always delivers on good value and good potions but last night they also delivered on exceptional service. We had a wonderful server who was both funny and charming and though our entrees took more than the normal amount of time to receive his constant communication with our table kept us in the loop of the process and kitchen issues. Moments after our entrees arrive, the manager on duty visited our table both apologizing for the delay and comping both our entrees, saving us $35.00 on our bill. Overall, the experience and company was great and the quality of service received highly exceeded any of my expectations. The entire family had a great meal and the laughter and stories shared over the meal made this Bucca experience one of the best. Thanks Bucca!
(4)
Michael S.
I've been to Bucca before and always loved the atmosphere but found the food to be "decent." This past weekend we had a large family gathering for my wife's birthday. The attention they gave us was supreme, and all the food was glorious. It is family style, so expect a small portion to feed two people. Lots of sharing, which is just fun. The stuffed shells are brilliant, and the veal is excellent. They even allowed us to bring in our own birthday cake, which they provided us plates for.
(5)
Adam K.
That's it - I can't take it anymore. I'm not a big Olive Garden fan. I'd rather go to Carraba's or any other smaller, family-owned Italian joint. But, I've tried Bucca three times now, tried something different each time, and I've been disappointed with everything. Same goes for the appetizers - just "okay" for me. While I'm not a HUGE Italian food fan, I do enjoy small, homemade Italian places, and again, Carraba's is great. Bucca tries hard, but falls short. It's sad - b/c the restaurant is cool and has a great ambiance. The service is good, but if I ever come back it would only be to have a drink (I'll eat at home before I go).
(2)
Trey B.
Finally tried Buca. Luckily, we were in a large group. Not cheap, but not really out of line either because the portions are so huge. Be prepared to take a lot of food home. Quality was pretty good and Italian friends have said it passes their standards. Kind of weird to be directed through the kitchen (I'd hate to work like that, stopping for people every minute), but I guess that's part of the charm...as if you're being taken to a special table a la "Goodfellas." The decor is cool, with unique themes to each room. Service was good (Thanks, Kelsey). I'd got back, but probably only with a group. Probably closer to 3.5 stars than 4.
(3)
Douglas B.
Awful cheap food at higher than they should be price. Can't cook basic Italian food like chicken cacciatore. Went twice and won't go ever again.
(1)
Sammy T.
Like a previous Yelper, there are just some thing about the Buca model that stress me out, I'd say that the Christmas light lit catacombs are the number 1. stressor. Good luck finding your party after your bathroom hunting adventure. I brought a group from work here because its what we normally do when there's a bunch of staff in town, cept usually we go to the one near 23 or Worthington. Which is above ground and less labyrinthine and therefore, better. Shame on us for going during Rib fest, but wholly moley was it loud in there. You would have thought you were in a BW3's during March madness because the din was off the hook. As a party of 10, the ordering went smoothly because it was delegated to one person. I tried to order just 2 family size portions and the waiter says "Oh that's definitely not going to be enough food". LIAR!!!!!! I've been to Buca several times and I'd say its damn near impossible not to order enough food. Noone wants to over order because it's pricey AND NOONE WANTS THE LEFT OVERS (unless its tiramisu). I think its terrible that Buca can't even give you bread or salad for free, especially after you pay their high prices. Even Olive Garden throws Salad and breadsticks at you left and right. Salad and bread were ordered and the salad came out promptly, but the bread was MIA. Our food arrived and the bread was still MIA. I asked the waiter about the bread, "oh, that rarely ever comes out" well make sure its not on the bill if that's the case. I didn't really care for the waiter because his manners had worn off and repeatedly tried to get us to order appetizers and dessert. Waiting tables is a hard job, but flippant remarks aren't cute or endearing.
(2)
Rachel P.
Once we got down to the Arena District, all of us girls had to park. If I thought it wouldn't be possible to hate Nickelback even more, they had a concert going on at the Nationwide Arena that night and all parking was $10+. Freaking fantastic. But wait! We were all going to get it validated and paid for by the restaurant! No worries. We get to the restaurant (which is practically empty) and ask for Rebecca's party. We are led THROUGH the kitchen and towards the huge table. I'm sorry, but I don't want to know what goes on in a kitchen... We sit down and get ready for our free appetizers. So we order a bunch of them. Salad comes, and then we get the food. I love Italian Food more than words, but I was just not impressed. Don't get me wrong, I was starving. It was already 9 o'clock. I swear, I would have eaten anything. However, the food was really bland. I mean, it needed a lot of salt and a lot of pepper. And the tiramisu? I think I was going to get wasted off of it. I swear that they used a whole bottle of rum in it, one slice was like a shot - they should card people before serving it. Disgusting. The bill comes. Its supposed to be split between 14 people. We had lost a bunch who were tired and just couldn't drive all the way downtown again. However, there were 17 at the table and two people had a check between them, and another person didn't order anything. Well, the check was still all wrong. After I had left to go home Rebecca said they were $50 short because of how it had been handled - leaving Rebecca to pay the leftover on her own. Happy freaking Birthday. Oh and those free Appetizers? Nill, they weren't docked. Free Parking? Zilch. Oy, a total mess that could have been easily avoided. I mean, it's not like they make things for people to communicate with each other these days.
(2)
Elizabeth D.
My first Buca's experience was 8 years ago, in the Seattle location on a trip to visit some friends. It was awesome - we had never heard of it, and were so pleasantly surprised by the fun concept, the amazing food, the great service and the abundant wine, we lamented going back to our very new home of Columbus. However, we were overjoyed when we found out there was a location just a mile from our Short North apartment. We were soon regulars and found ourselves eating garlicky bruschetta, marghertia pizza and glasses of rose as often as we could, on graduate student budgets. The visits trailed out a bit, over the years, but what we started to notice was a number of little changes that have culminated in our most recent bad experience that leads me to believe that we won't be going back. Many things have changed over the years, and at first I assumed it was just me, like the new Buca-for-two menus that didn't really fit with the concept at all, or the lunch items that were of much lesser quality than the dinner entrees (maybe because of lack of volume). Then the wine prices started going up, and they started removing clear favorites from the menu (like the warm tomato salad that we saw other tables around us ordering EVERY time we were there, until they axed it). Tonight's experience was sad. I called a week ago to make reservations for 4:30 on a Sunday, which isn't a terribly busy time, but it was after a downtown commencement ceremony, so better safe than sorry. We arrived on time, and our party of 9 was shuttled to the back cramped corner of a tiny room and split into a booth and a nearby table. It took us 15 minutes just to figure out how to fit everyone in. When we asked if there were another table we could be moved to, the waitress (who was very nice and accommodating) said that there weren't enough servers to open up some of the bigger rooms. I mentioned that I had made a reservation, and she said that they were actually having this problem with 4 other families. She did find a table we could move to, but by that time we had already been settled. One look at the ridiculously heavy, impossible-to-navigate, spiral-bound, laminated menu and it felt like we were at a TGI Fridays. All that was missing was a kitschy cocktail menu...oh, wait...there is one right there. Gone was the placemat and wall menus, and gone is the fun of choosing your food as a family. We ended up just delegating a person (me) to decipher the items and choose a few dishes. The prices, by the way, were astronomical, and the small/large size thing was confusing. At one point our server was trying to explain, and said "well, the pasta large is the same as an entree small, so if you're going to get three entree smalls, get 2 pasta larges and that should be good for our party." My suggestion? MAKE LARGE BE LARGE AND SMALL BE SMALL. We got the bruschetta and I almost cried. It was basically a huge grocery store hamburger bun, brushed with cheap olive oil with canned diced tomatoes dumped on top. There was no garlic, just a whisper of old brown basil, and, most of all, no flavor. I literally spit it out on my plate. The antipasti salad was fine, but drenched in dressing and not as good as I remember it. The margherita pizza was also still tasty. We got the rest of the dishes quickly; most of them were luke-warm and over-sauced, while the spaghetti and meatballs was undersauced. I felt sick after dinner because of all the heavy butter and unnecessary oil in the dishes. As silly as it is, this experience depressed me and we won't be going back any time soon. I will miss what it once was, and certainly won't be recommending it to anyone. Buca's hired the wrong managers that changed way too much from what was working about their restaurant, and I have no doubt their time as a company is limited.
(1)
Brad S.
My latest lunchtime visit to Buca di Beppo pretty much summed up my general feelings toward the restaurant - it's an overpriced, confusing, waste of time and garlic breath. First of all, I HATE "family-style" dining joints. This means you must find at least 1 or 2 other people who want exactly the same entree as you, which is nearly impossible, especially with such an indecisive, picky circle of friends as myself (I love you guys, pinky swear). Then you've got to scoop out your own portion of the entree, worrying the whole time whether you are taking an appropriate "hunk" of food, or if your bowl-mates will think you're being a pig. Also, if you take too little, you run the risk of running out of food and getting stiffed on your portion and cynically drinking water for the rest of your meal while cursing the very day this restaurant was built (full disclosure - yes, this has happened to me and I'm bitter, dammit). Yes, you can buy multiple bowls to avoid this from happening, but it is cost-prohibitive (each entree is in the $12 to $15 range) and you run the risk of having to cart around a doggy-bag for the rest of your evening out and offending fellow barhoppers as you waft garlic extract behind you with every step you take. The cost-prohibitive aspect extends to Buca's appetizers and drinks - a friend of mine at lunch the other day asked for a "side" of garlic bread. Buca's doesn't know the meaning of a "side" of anything. Everything is in GIGANTIC portions and is priced to match. My friend was brought out, literally, a pizza pan of garlic bread. For lunch. In addition to her entree. I think her reaction was "what the fuck is this?" when it was placed in front of her. So we spent most of our lunch trying to kill off this behemoth pan of garlic bread instead of enjoying our actual entree. We couldn't quite finish it off, and my friend was charged $10 for her trouble. This was in addition to her $10 entree. Drinks are also outrageously priced. They offer "italian sodas" which run over $3 a "pop" - but they don't offer refills on these. So, get this - my friend, with her entree, full sheet of garlic bread, side salad, and 2 Italian sodas, spent over $30 for lunch before tip. In what universe is this acceptable? This place is very busy on most weekends and before and after events at Nationwide Arena. Service is a bit harried, as most servers seem to run from table to table in a state of perpetual frenzy. The whole place just seems to be chaotic, from the moment you set foot in the front door (if you can - there is always a logjam at the front entrance on busy nights because it's too damn tiny, another infuriating aspect of this place). As an aside - service is predictably shitty out on the patio. Hell, it takes at least 5 minutes to navigate from the kitchen through the dining area and all of its twists and turns and kids running around and big groups of people with zero body awareness standing and blocking the aisles - so I can't really blame the servers in this case. Sit inside if you must have a meal here. Overall, this is Italian for the overindulgent, non-discriminating palate. If you like your food to come in a trough, and want to eventually end up on a TLC special where firefighters have to cut you out of your own house, have at it.
(2)
Christina C.
Hooray for: -family-style dining -a cool looking restaurant -uber-clean bathrooms -a great place to take a large party Nay for: -crabby waiters -insanely overpriced, mediocre food -$7 glasses of $9 BOTTLES of wine My dual bachelor/bachelorette party "family" and I ventured out to Bucca to get a good base before our big night out. Although the food was... filling... and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, our experience was overshadowed by our sarcastic server - whom we had to *remind* we were going to tip - and a price tag per drink that would have made a millionaire blush. I know my cheap wine, folks. And paying $7 for a glass of $10-bottle of wine is ridiculous. We came. We ate. We looked at the cool stuff on the walls. We left. Nothing more here, nothing less.
(3)
Keith R.
I was very surprised to find Buca in Columbus as the only one I have heard about was in DC and I had a less than favorable review on that one. What a difference in opinion the one in the Arena District has given me. I came in here after a stressful and unsuccessful day of apartment hunting. It was later in the evening past my normal dinner time and I was overall cranky. At this point in the day all I wanted was a good drink and full belly. Upon being seated, my waitress arrived promptly and explained the menu selections, offered me a sample of the Bucca Sangria. It was like a refreshing fruit explosion in my mouth. I ordered a full size glass to enjoy with dinner. They were not that busy, so the waitress actually took some time out to sit down and converse with me about why I was moving to town, where I was moving from, and gave me some recommendations on places to visit in town. My food arrived and it is one of the best Italian dishes I have ever ate. I actually think it has beaten out Olive Garden. Not sure if it was the Sangria or the belly full of food, but I walked out stuffed and feeling savvy. The only thing preventing a five star review is that bar area if it is busy, can act as a noise distraction to having a dinner conversation. I am 100% anticipating a return to Buca when I have visitors in town.
(4)
Leah N.
My husband loves Italian food so when I suggested we go here he was for it. We then started to go every time we went to Columbus and it was always so good. The food is filling and there is a lot of it. However, they recently redid their menu and no longer offer bucca mio meals (individual) so that is a terrible turnoff. Otherwise crowded, loud and geared more towards a group looking to pass their dishes around the table. The service is also spotty. Our last meal took 3 hours for 2 dishes but I won't even go there. spare yourself, there is better.
(2)
Mike S.
I must respectfully disagree with Kevin, although if he's a part-time gourmet I can understand his criticism to a degree. The bottom line is, Buca is not the place for authentic, world-class, fine Italian. But for really ~~good~~ Italian, flavorful and served in abundance...and for a really fun time, Buca is hard to beat. I find their garlic bread (and really all bread selections) to be among the best I've ever had, and the food is always served piping hot and there's plenty of it. It's family style, so unless your group is big enough, you may want to look elsewhere.
(4)
Brett F.
Ok I'll get a few things out of the way to start off. Buca is kind of a mess. I say this in the best way possible. It resembles a maze stuffed with hundreds of people. You'll wait a LONG time to be seated on a weekend. The food is not the best Italian ever, and yes, it's a little pricey. That being said, I still have a soft spot for Buca. It's one of the best places to go in Columbus when you're looking to accomodate a large group. The food is good enough. For about $20 per person, you'll get to eat an absolutely absurd amount of food. My two favorite things here are the Eggplant Parmesan & the Apple Gorgonzola Salad. Both of them are delicious and will leave you quite satisfied. Overall, I take Buca for what it is: a fun restaurant with decent food. You don't go here to eat anything fancy or to eat the best Italian you've ever had. But it's very hard to beat if you're looking for somewhere that will make nearly everyone happy. And make sure you ask for Tiffany--best waitress I've ever had!
(3)
Heather G.
When it comes to a large party, Buca di Beppo seems to be the obvious choice for some. You'll find a large and festive atmosphere with heaping piles of classic Italian dishes. The Buca experience just doesn't do it for me. The family-style dining can lead to a long decision making process and, as Lisa S. mentioned, a mess when it comes to the check. My last visit was much more enjoyable than those in the past. Our group sat at the kitchen table. Yes, you literally sit in the kitchen. The kitchen staff was fun and we enjoyed shouting hello at those that walked by. I didn't enjoy the fact one of the waiters continued to interrupt conversation to show us every single dish being served. Not just show, but wave it our faces. I thought is was old after we ordered, when we were eating, during dessert and waiting for the check. Oy. The food never impresses me too much. My margherita pizza was bland and they failed to cut the sausage in the pasta. I'd much rather go to Marcella's in the Short North. The exception was the rich chocolate cake. Skip the drinks, Christina C. is right--you'll pay $7 for a glass of $10 bottle wine.
(2)
Lisa S.
Please read my dire warning. Figure out payment before you go with a large group to Buca Di Beppo. Every time I've gone sorting out the check has been a huge ordeal, because people will want to share different dishes and no one wants to pay for something they didn't eat. If you can figure all of that out before you go, you'll have a good time. It might be wise to see what's going on in The Arena District the same night you're dining. Depending on what event is taking place, expect large crowds, long waits, and $10 parking. The food is okay, but you're really paying for the ambiance, atmosphere and memories.
(3)
LeAnne C.
So the owner/manager sent me a message on Yelp, apologizing and asking for my contact info which I gave and I haven't heard ANYTHING back. The ridiculous charade continues and my review stands. WORST ever. 9-4-12 I am revising my review. Was contacted by the district manager who got everything straightened out, refunded the overcharge and has given us a generous gift cert. to give the restaurant another try. This is altogether satisfactory and what I wanted in the first place. I will try it again and see what happens with a smaller group and re=post that experience. It could be totally different.
(1)
Amy S.
My favorite Buca Di Beppo location is the one in Worthington, but I still enjoy going to this one. I've only ever eaten at the Chef's table here, so I highly recommend it. For those of you who don't know, you can request that you sit at a table in the kitchen where you can watch the chef and the staff prepare the meals. We've been offered it at the Worthington location, but for some reason, we only ever get it here. This is a great place for a group and for special occasions. We usually use this as the birthday dinner spot because you can get a great group of friends together to eat, drink, and have a unique dinner in the kitchen. Their food is delicious and the Chicken Marsala is the best I've ever had. They swear its the Marsala wine and I'm on a quest to figure out what they use (they won't tell me)! Make sure you go with a group of friends with similar tastes as the portions are served family size!
(3)
Tessa S.
We had our rehearsal dinner here after the Happy Greek refused us since the rehearsal was during Gallery Hop. What a blessing in disguise. The food was excellent, the service was amazing, and the prices were comparable. I will definitely visit this specific location again.
(5)
Melissa W.
This may have been the single worst restaurant experience I have ever had in my whole life. Made a reservation for a lg group of 50 weeks in advance. Had to wait over an hour for our table. It took them 45 min to get our beverages. Had to actually wait 2 hours for our food. We were giving plastic take out lids to eat off of because they ran out of plates! We had pre ordered our food and when it finally came out the chicken parm wasn't even breaded...it looked like they threw a bunch of raw chicken breasts on a plate and microwaved them with a little sauce and cheese. It was so horrible! Also never once did a manager come to our table to apologize or check on us. Worst service I've ever had in my life!
(1)
Kathleen G.
Last Saturday February 9th, 2013 was my daughters sweethearts dance. She and 23 of her friends wanted to go to an extra special, fun place before for dinner so they chose Buca. Even though it was 25 minutes from our house this is where they really wanted to go. Their reservation was for 7:00 pm, which left them plenty of time to arrive fashionably late to the dance which started at 8:00 pm. By 7:45 pm they still had not gotten seated. In order to salvage the evening they left and went to a fast food establishment. Oh, and they had to pay $10 for parking per car! Thank goodness the dance was fun!
(1)
J. R.
Got there with friends last Saturday night, waited in the line for a long time, the front desk people were rude and totally ignored us. Even people who came after us all got seated! Then we asked the receptionist, finally someone came to guide us and gave a tour of the restaurant, during the tour I noticed that there were several four seats tables available! I can't believe that they just ignored us though we were standing in front of them! The waitress was extremely rude, she didn't bring us bread, which was supposed to be there when we order, and was giving us scornful looks while we asked for drinks! Her face looked like we owed her one million dollars! Food was so-so, the lasagna was already cold when it served. Anyway, this kind of service and food is not worth the price we paid! Will never go there anymore!
(1)
Melanie B.
Buca, you're alright! Admittedly, I have a laundry list of food hang-ups/anxieties, and Buca di Beppo meets almost all of them: Italian-American food, multi page menus, "family style" portions, chain-ish restaurants, vaguely (but not quite) ethnic cuisine... Of course, there's nothing inherently wrong with any of these things; don't worry - I realise it's me, not you, Buca. I have been cleverly avoiding Buca for four years because of the aforementioned neurosis, *even though* one of my good friends works there. However, for one of our friends birthdays, her husband set up a surprise party at Buca, so obviously I couldn't start to explain that, no actually I'm a neurotic fool and can't go. So I put my crazy aside, and drove to the Arena District this afternoon. Slight misfortune - the boy was at band practice and had to arrive a little later than me, so I did have a moment of panic over the multi-page menu (I worry when places sell so many items that they need multiple pages - how can you do so many things and have everything be good? Isn't this just a sign of American gluttony?), but that was soon resolved when A. the boy arrived just in time to order and B. our friend who works there (who wasn't working today and joined us for lunch, which was awesome) just ordered everything for everyone anyway. I sort of get that at a place like Buca, it's best to just let someone who has been there before or knows what they're doing order a bunch of things to share. So, this family style business - as Lisa S. says, it can be a bit complicated. There was some discussion as to whether we should just order for the table (there were a LOT of people - we were in the Pope Room - so hilarious - being Catholic, the boy and I very excited to be able to spin the lazy Susan and have the Pope stare people down ;) or if people should order in small groups. Fortunately, our friend who works at Buca helped us with that - but if we didn't have him, I can see me being very overwhelmed and traumatized by this process. I was pretty anxiety-ridden before the boy arrived and people were trying to figure this out. And also, when we went to pay at the end, it became even more complicated, since I didn't realize the whole family style situation, and boy and I hadn't discussed it, so neither of us had cash, and everyone else apparently did... and there was just one check... so yeah, I'm just saying...that part was weird. The food is good - as I said, Italian American food makes me a bit nervous, what with all the cheese and pasta and bread and sauce and whatnot - so I tried to stick to meat. The meatball, chicken parm, and the other chicken dish I tried were all very decent. It's not what i used to get in the North End in Boston (which didn't make me nervous because it was more Italian than American), but it's not Sbarro either, you know? The people I was dining with really enjoyed it, so I'm giving it three stars with the note that my friends from Ohio thought it was great. This place is huge! And it's super kitschy, but that's the appeal - I lovvvvved all the pictures of the Pope, and I really like the picture outside of the ladies with cleavage eating spaghetti. Yeah! I kind of thought of Buca as what Spaghetti Warehouse aspires to be (but will never be). Service was excellent, and if you're ever in the mood for some Italian in the Arena district, ask for my buddy Andy, he'll do you up right.
(3)
Rob B.
Buca is decent, but they have the magical ability to make food 3 time more expensive than other Italian restaurants that are much better tasting than buca.
(2)
Steven D.
The environment is pretty loud because usually big groups of people attend a place like this. For those that do not know, BdB is more of a family type restaurant, so the portion sizes are really big. But they do have single portions also. For me the colors and all the accessories throughout the restaurant were a bit distracting. The food was not that bad though, but not the greatest either. I would say it is almost worth the cost. I went as a group of four people and we ordered a small pasta dish, large entree, and a side.. definitely way too much food! The seafood linguine was a bit bland for me. The Pork and berry entree that we were skeptical about turned out to be better than we though, definitely give that a try - it was pork, berries, and broccoli. And a side of mash potatoes that was good. Don't forget to try their house wine, I enjoyed that. Hope this helps!
(3)
Sarah S.
My favorite parts about Buca are the random decorations and how you walk through the kitchen to get to your seat. My least favorite part is the fact that I don't get cell phone reception underground. Which, some would argue forces me to pay attention to my friends or date. The family-style portions are great, and I've felt full but not overstuffed every time except for with the cheesecake, which was entirely my fault. I love the calamari appetizer and all of the entrees I've tried. My boyfriend said his favorite part was the side of Italian sausage and that our ravioli would have been average without it. I completely disagree.
(4)
Matt C.
The three-star cumulative rating is right on. This place has an amazing atmosphere. Simply amazing! In addition, the family style service is a novel change of pace. However, the service is nothing special and the food is by and large kinda boring. For the price, its simply not worth the trip down town.
(3)
Matthew B.
To people around Columbus Buca di Beppo might not seem like a big deal, but to this New England transplant who had never even heard of such a thing, a trip to Buca di Beppo is like a great acid trip through some sort of warped Italyland designed by the playful sadists behind "It's a Small World." All in a good way, though. Got it? Yeah, it's stuffed to the gills with Italian and Italian-American kitsch but it's all so consistently gaudy and over-applied that it works, somehow, and becomes a sort of visual white noise until needed as a convenient distraction while chewing. And you'll be doing plenty of that, because the portions at Buca di Beppo would make Goliath blush. They recommend splitting them at least two ways (if not more), but even split it can be tough to make it through a whole dish. Buca di Beppo is all about sharing. As such, bring a huge group. When a few of my fellow managers were leaving my job this past winter, we all went out as a big group to stuff our faces and get delightfully drunk on beer and wine. The plan went smoothly, thanks to Buca di Beppo. (I recommend you take good friends, though, because sorting out a bill at Buca can involve higher math than I was ever taught.) I've had a taste of just about everything at this point, but I say go for things with meatballs if you're the sort of person who will appreciate a meatball that's just shy of the size of a softball. Delicious to boot! If you want to be absolutely bombarded with Italianesqueness from all directions, inside and out, get a caravan going and head to Buca di Beppo. Just the walk to your table can be an adventure- we got a short tour of the kitchen on our way in. Doesn't seem sanitary but it's hard to care!
(4)
Alison C.
I went here on a Sunday night with a group of 13 (we were at a conference at the Convention Center) and had a fantastic time. The family style dining was perfect for our group. In smaller groups we agreed on a few entrees, and got a couple of salads and breads for the table. There was definitely too much food (which was sad, as none of us had a fridge to take leftovers) but it was all delicious. I particularly enjoyed the lasagna (sauce on it was excellent) and the salad was quite crisp and fresh as well. We also shared the large dessert platter among the table, which worked well - people could get a little taste of what they were interested in, without committing to an entire dessert. When we got there, as a group we agreed that we'd split the bill evenly between everyone. We talked to our server about this, and he was able to provide a receipt that included the overall total, as well as what it worked out to divided up. He was also kind enough to allow us to pay separately (he wound up with some cash and running 8 credit cards, and had no complaints about it). Even with coffees for some of the table and two big bottles of wine, it wound up to $30 each (an that included about a 20% tip). We thought that was quite reasonable. The place was pretty dead on a Sunday night, but our waiter wasn't at all fazed by the size of our group. He was excellent, and I would highly recommend this as a place to go with a large group.
(4)
Seth D.
Here's the thing, for the money, and in the area, there are a ton of restaurants that are better than this. If you want family style Italian, go pick up some food from Rotolo's and enjoy it at home, with your family. That being said,the food is good, the wait staff is kind and helpful, and it's kind of a cool place to go.
(3)
Alec J.
Very chainy ok food awesome atmosphere good desert
(3)
Emily A.
3.5 stars for sheer, uhm, craziness.... It's hard to explain the appeal of this place to someone who's never been. My attempt goes something like this... Friend who's never been to Buca: How's the food? Me: It's okay. Well, not that great really. The pizza's good, and the garlic bread, but there aren't a lot of vegetarian options. And they only serve big portions that feed multiple people, so you have to agree on things, and their marinara sauce is pretty bland. Friend: How's the service? Me: Okay. Kinda slow sometimes. And one time, I swear our server was really stoned because he couldn't remember anything and kept making really really stupid jokes. Friend: How's the atmosphere? Me: Well, the decor is really tacky. And there are all these little rooms and it's a kind of like a maze, like you can get lost going to the bathroom. If you were claustrophobic, or didn't like crowds, you would have a total panic attack. And it's super loud; lots of big groups celebrating and getting drunk and obnoxious. Friend, skeptically: Then why would anyone go there? Me: Because it's FUN!
(3)
Lindsay B.
I hadn't been here in a while. They've changed the menu and unfortunately got rid of my favorite dish. Not to worry, I quickly found a new fav. I loved the shrimp fra diavolo. We had the trio appetizer as well which had calamari, fried mozerella, and stuffed mushrooms. I could have eaten a whole meal of stuffed mushrooms. All in all this place is fun and outgoing. Always a good choice for a group of people.
(4)
Kathy W.
I wish I had read some of the reviews about the Arena District Bucaramanga before I ordered take out for a last minute dinner for friends. I ordered the small Italian salad, green beans, large chicken Marsala for 6, and the tiramasu. the Italian salad was a bag of lettuce with 3 green olives, 3 small slivers of red onion, and a small container of dressing. Luckily, I had a cucumber, tomato, and black olives to add to it to make an edible salad. There were about 50 green beans with a tart lemony dressing on them. The chicken Marsala had a good flavor but there were only 5 small pieces for an entree described as feeding 6. the sauce was great and there were maybe 4 mushrooms included. The tiramasu was OK. I ended up making a bowl of pasta to serve as I was afraid I wouldn't have enough food. The tab for this dinner was $60. I think the cost to Bucaramanga was about $15. We live in the neighborhood and eat in the neighborhood. We won't be going back. I called the same night to talk to the manager but did not receive a return call. I emailed him the next day and have yet to receive a response. If management isn't interested in their customers, there are too many other restaurants in this area who love to have our business.
(1)
Keith W.
If your with a large group Buca Di Beppo is an alright place. Do not go in if you're on a date or small group, last time I was there everything was family style. There are a lot better Italian places out there. But overall it's a chain and you know what you get.
(3)
Kevin M.
Buca Di Beppo is... hard to capture in a sentence. "Family-style" dining in this case refers to an (Americanized) Italian menu with massive plates of food only (no individual servings), tons of kitsch on the walls, large tables that are usually reseved for parties of parties - retirement, birthday, bachelorette, mass prom dates, you name it. While it's a decent choice for a raucous party, no matter the occasion, it would never be my first choice. The "family-size-portions-only" menu leaves anyone picky out to dry and makes mandatory the "let's split the bill equally" paying style that penalizes teetotalers, vegetarians, and light eaters. And the food just isn't that great. If you and everyone you know have the same taste in food and don't mind throwing away $20 each on mediocre Italian, you'll probably have a pretty good time. Feel free to leave me off the invite list, though.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Garage Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes 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.
Caroline C.
Some will find BdB loud, tacky, boisterous and inauthentic. And they would be right. Yes, the portions are enormous, but the food is nowhere near as good as, say, Salvi's (Hilliard) or Moretti's (Dublin). BdB is not the place for a romantic first date or anniversary - you find yourself shrieking to be heard - but if you're looking for a fun night out with friends or having an informal celebration of some kind, I'd say check it out. The servers do their best to take care of everyone but don't expect your glass to be refilled immediately. Parking can also suck. Oh, and try the Spumoni with chocolate sauce. That IS delicious.
(3)Chuck k.
Quantity over quality...
(2)Kristen M.
Great food, great wine, great service!! I was there on a company dinner and the manager Travis and waiter Issac were absolutely wonderful!! The place was packed from so many people from the Arnold Classic but these two gentlemen took care of us from the moment we arrived to when we left and even assisted us in locating a few more bars for a night out on the town! Best Tip about this place: If you reserve it in advance you can eat in "The Pope Room"
(4)Barbara S.
When Buca first opened up its doors years ago i loved everything about it but as the years go by things went downhill and so does my love for it: not good. the last time i went everything kinda fell off of the greatness of the place. the food was okay...the service..ugh. i just felt like things werent the same and so usually when i want a good italian dish now i try to venture out to other places because buca has lost its magic...
(3)Aaron S.
Carabas is way better for the price.
(3)Keith B.
I feel like they need an extra star, because they get riffed for being a chain. This place, I came with now now deceased mom many years ago - and it's the same damn place now, as it was when I worked downtown. It's good. It's simple. It's fuckin' Italian family style dining. The most recent trip? Ten of us, for my friend's birthday. We all ordered small plates, passed it around, tried a little of everything, the staff was good, friendly, attentive. All in all, a great experience. And when you are in a large group, and want some good comfort food? This is a good place to go.
(4)Steve B.
First time, heard all the hype... And that's exactly what it is... Hype... Not impressed, the food was bland and tasteless... Really disappointing... The service was great, but it was also 6:00pm on a Monday evening... Loud also, nothing to absorb any sound from other obnoxious diners.... Especially when seated in the 'wine room'...? What's with the wait staff walking people through the kitchen and food prep areas to seat them?? Seems a little unhygienic to me...? Breathing, coughing and sneezing all the way through...?? Either way, I'm sure there are far better options for the area.. Its crossed off the list and won't be repeated... Happy Dining!
(1)Ryan D.
How I have gone so many years without eating here is rather crazy since I feel I am the only one of my friends who had never been. The style was a little different to me but rather fun. We had gone for a friends birthday so a rather large group. Everyone picked out and agreed on the various meals to choose from. Server was always there, friendly and ready to get us anything we needed. The food was darn tasty... and being my first time I had a chance to sample so many dishes. The desert we all shared was just so huge but it goes with their style of sharing. I really enjoyed this concept and will go back in the future for sure. I must note how this location is a maze to get around. Not a bad thing just kinda fun.. a new room everywhere you go.
(3)Gina M.
Buca is near and dear to my heart. Everything about it makes me feel like I'm at my grandparents' house, including the food. So much food. Everything is served family style, which can be kind of annoying when you go there as a party of 2 and you can only order one dish, but if you go with a big group it can be so much fun! They have many different Italian dishes to try, not just pasta, and everything from their salads to their appetizers to their desserts tastes great and comes in HUGE portions. There are some dishes which feel a little too Americanized, but overall, I love the food, I love the decor, and I love how the entire restaurant is like a maze of tiny hallways covered in old photos. The parking for this specific location can be a little difficult, but if you're going to Nationwide Arena for something anyway, I think it is one of your best food options!
(4)Abbey W.
I just ate here this evening at the suggestion of my uncle who lives close by and eats here often. We ordered the red sangria, calamari to start, meatballs, and pasta a la vodka. The biggest disappointment was the vodka sauce. I order this at almost every Italian restaurant I eat at and sadly this version did not live up to its competitors. There was an over abundance of garlic and spicy pepper flakes. None of this was mentioned on the menu by the way. It would have not been an issue except the manager never came to the table, as requested by the waitress. That is extremely poor management in my book. We were told that they have new management so maybe they need to learn a thing or two. I'm also a bit surprised that they took away soup at dinner. Overall, this would not be my first choice for an Italian dinner.
(3)Elizabeth G.
We called in an order of tiramisu to-go on a slow Tuesday evening to celebrate a birthday. The ordinarily great dessert came to us looking like someone threw it against a wall, scraped it up off the floor and smashed it into an aluminum pan shortly before dusting it with some cocoa powder to hide the mess below. This highly unacceptable presentation not only looked unappetizing, but affected the taste of the tiramisu as well, a dish we've ordered several times from the Worthington location without issue.
(1)Andrew W.
This restaurant is....massive. Seriously, we walked and we walked and we walked and I genuinely wondered if the restaurant may ever end (spoiler: it does eventually stop). Everything about Buca was very, okay. The food was your standard pasta and sauce and the salad was your standard tossed salad; everything you would expect out of a chain Italian restaurant. But, let's not focus on what was...okay, let's focus on where they went above and beyond. I was with a particularly large party (23) and we only had two servers. They were absolutely phenomenal. Just truly accommodating to a rather rowdy bunch of adults and super attentive to a person who went through -- at minimum -- 30 glasses of water with his meal (I wish I were exaggerating). The restaurant was very kitschy and the service was just, truly astounding. Bottom line: the food was standard and probably wouldn't have me running back through the door. The service? Just truly top of the line and was comparable to some of the bougiest of establishments.
(3)Bina P.
We came in, got told it was an hour wait, gave our number and got told that we'll be contacted when a booth opens up. We went to the North Market within the hour and came back. The hostess claimed she tried reaching us awhile ago....hmm...we didn't receive anything. We got lead through a kitchen tour to our table, which was nice! I ordered a Milan Mule. A beer and a coke were ordered. The rest of the table had Sangria. We asked for table bread and we had to remind our server to bring it out. It was nice and warm. The food came out fast! We ordered Eggplant Parmesan, Margherita pizza, customized pasta for cheese ravioli alla vodka (had a nice spicy kick to it), and shared a slice of cheesecake. I asked for a side salad portion of Apple Gorgonzola salad but server brought 'small' version which could feed our table and the one next to ours....needless to say, it mostly went to waste. Food was great but service was just ok. They did a nice birthday singalong for table next to us! They even had patio seating. There was nice Italian music. We had a filling lunch...we ate like kings!
(3)Grace M.
Buca, I have been waiting to review you for many a moon so I hope you're listening up. To begin, we have never come as less than a group of 10. And with our numbers having reached 20 plus, we follow the reservation route. Over the years you have clearly aspired to attract and more importantly accommodate such gatherings via the table arrangements, family style menu, and servers who do not run for the hills when there are similarly sized groups throughout the restaurant. I'd like to start with what I've unfortunately seen decline. - Is it just me or has the overall Buca di Beppo experience been set aside? When we used to arrive, the host would explain why we were walking through the kitchen, point out the various themes, wave to tables, and explain the "history." Cheesy? Yes. But it served to set a fun, more inviting mood. Most recently we were simply shepherded to our table and left to wait for our server to appear. Thought you all marketed a vibe? So I know cooking large quantities of Italian dishes is a feat. And I used to love quite a few of those dishes (calamari, pizza, and ravioli). This leves me to dislike honestly feeling as if flavor has been set on your back burner. Sure our recent round of dishes were all good (yes, even the no-cheese veggie pizza made for my vegan cousin) and no one left hungry...but nothing was memorable. Sauce, which should be your backbone, needs revamped. Now onto the reasons we return. - The larger portions and their presentation encourage sharing and interaction. Genial and efficient service that still manages to not feel rushed. And of course the kitschy decor which ensures you will continuously find new things to discuss. Yeah, it's a chain but this location feels unique. To wrap this long winded review up, I'll say food: 2.5 stars, service 4 stars, ambiance 5 stars. Shall see where you go, Buca.
(4)Angela H.
Food - Tasty. I'm not sure it's entirely worth the price though. Sometimes I feel like their prices are highway robbery considering it's PASTA. But I've never ordered a bad thing here. Absolutely love the Apple Gorgonzola salad and the Antipasto salads. The spicy chicken rigatoni is also amazing. Dinner is family style, but lunch you can order individual portions. For lunch I've gotten the Chicken Parmesan and it's always good. Service was fine. I've heard it's fun to sit at the round tables, but I've never had a chance to. Good option for lunch downtown, but there are so many better local places around Arena District and downtown that are worth trying instead.
(2)Rashmi S.
Ordered a large calamari for the the table that was frankly quite small, especially given that the servings are supposed to be family size. The cake in the Mount Vesuvius dessert was a bit dry. And my sparkling red wine was not sparkling - zero carbonation. Plus, I was given the quartino size instead of the single glass, which was unnecessary and meant I had to pay more. Moreover, when I tried to order the wine the waitress expressed unease at our table's level of tipsiness. Granted, we WERE loud and tipsy, but nothing crazy and certainly not enough to disturb the EMPTY TABLES AND EMPTY ROOM. Also seems paradoxical to be concerned about a group's alcohol intake, then give someone in that party a larger than desired quantity of wine.
(2)Brandy B.
I was here for the first time apart of the Yelp block party. Pepperoni Pizza was way better than expected. True Italian pizza taste. I will definitely be back!
(4)Brian F.
There would have been a time when I would have told you that Buca was a really cool place to take your family or some friends to go eat. I've aged, and Buca hasn't. There must have been 75 people waiting to get in when we arrived at around 5 yesterday. 75! Still, we got seated relatively quickly, and the dining room is great if you like crowded and loud. With our group of 14, we had to have high level negotiations as to what food to order. We went with 2 orders of Florentine cheesy bread and two salads. The cheesy bread is great, and the apple gorgonzola salad was pretty good as well. For entrees, we got a pesto penne, spicy chicken something or other, and a baked ziti. The spicy chicken dish was by far the best! (I actually didn't eat the chicken, but had some of the pasta, which was very flavorful). The other two entrees were just average. Three sides included a small serving of brocolli, garlic mashed potatoes, and meatballs. I only got to try the mashed potatoes. They were fine, but I remembered them being fantastic so I was a little disappointed. Service was surprisingly good, and we were in and out in about 90 minutes. I deem that a success. It turned out our meal cost $20 a head (no drinks), which you could get much better food for that price elsewhere. Overall, I doubt I'll be visiting again anytime soon, but I do see the charm in what is a unique atmosphere.
(2)Virginia W.
I made Valentine's Day reservations for a specific room. (So they didn't stick us into the same room that we always seemed get thrown in.) Since they do cater to requests for their themed rooms for reservations. Since a larger group had already booked the room, they didn't bother to tell me. (at the time I made my reservation.) So when we got there, they told us sorry the room had a larger group and they were going to put us "somewhere" to accommodate all of the over-flow. This area was where they put ALL the couples (parties of two). Who also trying to have a intimate and romantic dinner. We really didn't like how close and squished in we were. Which didn't feel like it was romantic or intimate at all. We love this restaurant, the service and the food on ANY other day, just not on holidays on days with events anymore.
(4)Tara T.
Poor quality of food! Dry chicken and soupy pasta. Garlic cheese bread was bland. Badly tattered, dirty table cloth. Good service by Holly though! We will not go back but hope to see her at another restaurant.
(1)Chris E.
Thursday night, empty dining areas. Should make for a cozy experience. It is 30 degrees outside. Why is the vent fans blowing cool air. Waiter was willing to move our table to one of the other empty ones in our section. Food was ok & took 40 minutes to come. Waiter was nice. It's a bit pricey for the experience. $70 for two is a bit steep for quality and quanity. Could have been a little better.
(2)Corey Tess T.
Ok - so everything is HUGE and intended to be family style. Great for big groups. If you are just two people, I would recommend a pasta and a salad to share or a pie and a salad to share. The Spicy Arrabbiata pizza is pretty good here - nice and spicy. The Chopped Antipasto Salad is YUMMY. This is definitely a chain, but it has a lot of character. It's a fun place to go with a big group and have lots of pasta, pizza, bread and salad. They do the whole singing thing for birthdays - so its a good place to take a birthday group. I like the way they put the pizza on two tomato sauce cans - just sort of silly and fun. Definitely not fine dining, but for loud family style Italian with your rowdy bunch - this is a good place. Usually a long wait on weekends.
(3)Helen D.
Food was alright, but forgettable and definitely not worth the price. We ordered the baked ziti, and it was plain and the sauce was really lightly coated on (which in all honesty was the best part of the dish). Service was alright and nothing out of the ordinary. Overall, pretty bland aside from the wall decor, and probably wouldn't return.
(2)Angie T.
1st time visitor. HUGE portions. Great staff to guide you through choices. Food was delicious.
(5)Emma L.
Meh. This place used to be fun and exciting when I was younger and had only experienced chain restaurants. The atmosphere is lively and there are lots of things to look at, so it can be fun for a kid but sensory overload for anyone who just wants to enjoy dinner. Prices are absurdly high for the quality you're receiving. I have yet to taste anything here I thought was better than what I could make at home for 1/4 the price - and the calories. Everything is bland, bland, bland. Portions are large because it's supposed to be family style, but the portions still don't justify what they're selling meals for. Service has been okay but wavers closer to poor. Lots of waiting time for refills, boxes, checks, etc. Really there are just too many other good places to go in the area. Don't waste your money here - even the constant coupon offers aren't worth it.
(2)Glenn C.
Stuffed shells were the best I had. Sangria good going down. Cannolis were so delicious.
(4)Parth B.
To start off, the waitress said the wait for a table for two would be about 15-20 minutes. An hour and 15 minutes later, we were still unseated. At last, as we were being walked through the restaurant, there was food and trash on the ground everywhere, and the kitchen was the dirtiest I have ever seen. Finally, we sat down. The dishes were dirty. However, the food came out pretty quickly. The quality of the food was average, at best. My fettuccine alfredo had no taste, but it was decent. Pricing was average (you get ALOT of food). The only reason why I came here was because I had a coupon for free pasta. Would not come here otherwise.
(2)Patrick C.
Let me tell you something about this place. It is frickin expensive... and the food isn't all that much better than any other Italian place. You're paying for atmosphere and the location here. Now... I love Italian food and I love big meatballs. And in that department Buca totally delivers with a baseball sized meatball. Love it, I'll order two more and put them in my pockets to go. The pasta is also equally awesome. loads of noodles and sauce, they simply do not skimp on portions. Which also... could be a factor in the price now that I think about it. However, the quality of food, isn't making me melt in my booth. Could do with kick in the spices department, which isn't something hard to do. I don't care if some person thinks a certain food is too spicy, I would prefer it to have spice than nothing... The atmosphere is cool, loads of interesting photographs to look at as well as a pope statue (what the heck lol).
(3)Mike W.
Food and service is great. Family style but also perfect for a couple to grab a fun dinner.
(4)Brad B.
They've really started to go downhill the last few years. Terrible service and they really don't prepare the food well. The noodles are usually tough and rubbery and they skimp you on sauce almost every time. If you're in the Arena District there are literally a dozen better options for food.
(2)Aubrey N.
Such a fun atmosphere, great for special occasions with a large group. Perfect restaurant to go to before heading over to the Big Bang Dueling Pianos. The staff is always great and fun too.
(5)Josh N.
Today was my first experience with Buca. I didn't mind the idea of a shared dish, but would have expected a sampler style platter option. The Ceasar salad we got was good. We ordered the lasagna. I had high hopes considering the price and the location of this restaurant. After I took a bite, I realized the meat tasted like it came from a can. I seriously felt like going Gordon Ramsey on the place. The whole time, my wife knew I wasn't happy about the overpriced meal. I expected a much higher quality of product than I was given. Terrible.
(1)Ryan A.
I could have made a better quality meal at home by boiling noodles and dumping original prego sauce onto it. Our pasta we received was very dry and boring. It felt as if I were eating only noodles. Also, drinks are very overpriced. After splitting out bill with the group, the bill for my girlfriend and me was around $70, which consisted of boring pasta, 3 drinks, and slow service. I don't plan on returning to this restaurant.
(2)Mariem A.
We enjoyed our visit and didn't mind the crowds brought in during The Arnold Classic. We ordered off the gluten free menu and we very pleased with our meal. We enjoyed the Chicken Limone, Rosemary potatoes and green beans. I had the white sangria, which was really good. We sat at the bar and were taken care of by our awesome server, Jorden. Check out the apple walnut gorgonzola salad- by far one of our favorites. Overall, good food, large portions, friendly service and fun atmosphere!
(4)Carly T.
I'll admit, I'm new to Buca. I had my first experience about three months ago in Worthington, and checked out the Arena District restaurant last Friday. Both times, I left with the feeling that I could have cooked up some better Italian at home. The Buca restaurants seems like a neat concept, at least in theory. You get a tour through the kitchen, the food is served family style (more on that later), and each room has a unique theme. I'll also say that at both restaurants, the staff was unbelievably friendly and accommodating, so they're doing a great job in terms of staffing. The food, however, is ridiculously overpriced for what you get. The "large" portions seemed much much appropriate for the price than the "small" ones, but still ridiculous at around $30 for a large. Honestly, the small portion (which they say feeds 2-3 people comfortably) was something I would expect in a single portion at a comparable Italian restaurant. Maybe that's the super-size-bigger-is-better American ideology coming out, but at a chain restaurant, I expect to get my money's worth. Aside from the price, the food is just okay at best. It's under-seasoned, poorly presented, and just...meh. I was unsatisfied both times. The three stars is for the kind, lively staff who seem to make the mediocre food a little more bearable.
(3)Ry M.
I retract my last review. I was being a jerk. No manners or grammar. The meal was fantastic and came at a time I could not afford bread. I let someone influence me into thinking that I had bad service and deserved compensation. I am glad to be used as a training tool. The food was great and the host was sweet when I picked it up. Keep it up guys!
(4)Karen W.
Been here many times, but tonight was the worst experience ever. The hubby and the in-laws made reservations for 5:45. We were seated at 6. (Keep in mind we have tickets to the Blue Jackets game at 7 pm.) Salad comes out with bread. No butter that we asked from our waiter. No Splenda for my tea - which I had to ask for twice. 6:50 pm, still no main course. Oh we were advised as we were ordering THAT THEY RAN OUT OF LASAGNA. At 6 pm at dinner time? We quickly had to choose a different entree, which didnt come out until 7 pm. (Take note that the game had started already.) No butter and no meat sauce to go with the entree. Great. Waiter comes around, we ask for our bill while trying to eat & not inhale our food. He brings the meat sauce AFTER he brings us our bill. Waiter shows very little concern for our experience. Told others in our party not to leave a tip, but they did. Goodbye Buca, you wont see me here ever again. Too many other places in the Arena District I can choose from.
(1)Doug M.
You can make the same food, at home, for way less. Since the Buca's have begun multiplying the food quality has gone down. Some of the items on the menu that were great are now terrible. It tastes like creams and marinara are being replaced with water and tomato paste. I spent almost $70 on takeout for just a couple pans, and each pan was worse than the last. The meatballs tasted overcooked and underspiced, the Macaroni Rosa tasted cheap and like plastic. After complaining to the manager, I was chastised by the "chef" about not having good taste. Inexcusable. Bucca- bring back the quality ingredients and stop using cheap substitutes.
(1)Mayuri M.
THE GOOD: The service was good! The atmosphere was interesting and pretty pleasant too. The portions are HUGE! Which was a real value for money and also just a nice change of pace. The manager was also really nice to comp our appetizer when it took too long to prepare. THE BAD: The food was pretty bland, lacking seasoning all around. We ordered the Trio Platter for the appetizer and a tomato-base seafood pasta (don't recall the exact name). The stuffed mushroom was bland, the calamari wasn't fresh (but it IS Columbus so thats understandable) and the fried mozzarella was a tad dry. The entree was decent - extremely fresh shrimp (Yum!!) but the linguine was stuck together and undercooked. The layout of the restaurant was pretty confusing too - I circled the restaurant twice trying to get from the restroom back to my table. OVERALL: I may return but will likely prefer other Italian restaurants. Not making pasta right is a rookie mistake for an Italian restaurant.
(3)Charles H.
Terrible, my coworkers and I visited a week ago. The food is always below mediocre. Everything tasts canned and microwaved. I've been to this location a few times over the course of it's life. It's someplace that I do not plan to go to ever again.
(2)Katy F.
I had the worst experience there the last time I went. A group of us went to celebrate my bachelorette party. Knowing we had a large group, we made reservations three weeks a head of time, even calling the day before to make sure everything was good to go. We all got there and it was just a disaster. Apparently they sat a party of 60 who were a half an hour late to their reservation. This pushed everything back over an hour. We finally got the manger to seat us an hour later and were unfortunately in the same room as the large party. Our service was as good as it could have been. They did comp up some drinks and food (it was still frozen!!). I was upset with the way the reservations were handled. We were there to have a good time and relax and it was stressful. We couldn't even all sit together. I would not recommend this buca to anyone. Very disappointed.
(1)Melissa C.
My experience here was kind of a hot mess. After a basketball game this past weekend, my husband and I decided to get take out from Buca because it was close and we knew they had gluten free options. We ordered the small Caprese salad, small Chicken Marsala gluten free, and a side of spaghetti with marinara. The employee that took our order was very nice. We asked twice to ensure she had marked the chicken gluten free and sat down to wait. We were offered a beverage for free which was nice. We got our food, paid, and off we went. Or so we thought... we got back to our hotel to discover that the $11 caprese salad was missing and the chicken had breading. I called the restaurant to see if their chicken maybe had corn starch on it. After 11 minutes on the phone, I was informed the chicken was not gluten free. They told me to come back to the restaurant to get new food (including my missing salad). I have to say that they did fix the problem and gave us a large sized gluten free chicken marsala, the caprese salad, and another order of spaghetti which was fine originally. They also voided our credit card transaction so we didn't have to pay. When we got back the second time, the food was all good. Exactly what you expect from Buca. I appreciated their efforts to fix the issues which is why I gave three stars. But the fact that we double checked when the order went in and that another part of it was missing to begin with is my reasoning for three stars.
(3)Elise S.
WATCH OUT. Good food and atmosphere. However - It's a shame that the server didn't warn us that the desserts are also meant to be shared. We ordered family style entrees and shared a few with 9 people. But when we started ordering desserts that we thought were individual, she didn't say a word - such as "Hey, that brownie sundae serves 4." What would have been a reasonable meal out ended up overpriced and with loads of desserts that can't travel home because they melted. I'm really disappointed and feel like the server was trying to get us to order more to bolster her tip. Talked to a supervisor about this and he said "oh yeah, everything is family style". He didn't offer anything - no offer to comp a dessert or even an apology. I'm not impressed.
(1)M B.
Our first time in many years and it was terrible. We had a great waitress, Holly, but other than that, the food was terrible and the restaurant was filthy!!! Will not go back here again.
(1)Kevin B.
Walked in and was greeted by my last name through my reservation. Was given a typical tour and was served in a fast fashion. Ordered artichoke dip because I always do everywhere and this presentation was delightful. Ordered the chicken stuffed with mozzarella. Can't wait. So far so good. They did mess up the chicken a tad but gave us free dessert. Used my coupon and gave the waitress $15 for the tip. Our table was right by an ac vent so it was super cold and our food got cold fast but overall great experience each and every time we visit!
(5)Holly K.
I went here last time, for only the second time in my entire existence, for my friend's bachelorette kick-off dinner. I ended up with a four cheese pizza since that was the smallest possible thing on the menu I could order and no one seemed interested in group ordering so, alas. Our server was super friendly and gave us some sample wine tastings while we awaited on the lady-of-the-hour to arrive. She was quick, attentive and nice and considering all of us (20) wanted separate checks, she never complained or gave a snippy attitude about it. The manager (or at least I'd presume to be...) stopped by our table (pope table) to wish the bride-to-be well and for us to enjoy our food and evening. The main thing that sucked about that room is A) the pope is creepy (who wants a creepy statue watching you eat) and B) every time they brought people back through their tour I felt like we were on a parade float as we were seriously on display which got rather annoying. Maybe if the beer was cheaper and I was a bit more intoxicated I would've had fun messing with people...however, I was not. Food arrived rather quickly and my pizza was AHH-mazing. If I didn't cab it, I would've taken it with me as it was delicious but sadly, like many others, I had to leave it behind. Honestly, I KNOW this place is family-style. I get it. But I really, really wish they'd serve an extra small or a single-person dish. Not everyone who dines has a date they can share food with. And no single person in their right mind wants to be eating leftovers of the same thing (no matter how tasty) for four days. Just saying. Overall, great experience. Would definitely go back for the pizza...once I find a femme gay girl who is smart to date. Any takers? ;)
(3)Joe B.
So, how hard is it to get an order of eggplant parmigiana - first I get chicken parmigiana - no, please correct and by the way please put in a to go since it'll take you too long to get to me as I ran out of time. They take it back and then I get the to go packaged with I'm sorry.. Yea, five hours later I find my eggplant parmigiana is ... Well veil parmigiana wrong again. Really, how hard is it to put the right order any the food in the container. So twice the wrong order, and no refill nor did the winter ask, he filled everyone else but mind WTH, why, are blind, am I invisible or did I offend you? Just very annoying, I wish I could rate these jockers a ZERO since this is what I got. Thank you, no lunch, and diner turned out to be the wrong order twice over - skip this place, not worth your breath and/money.
(1)Nijole T.
I dont understand why there are so many mixed reviews about this place, we loved it! First of all it is a little strange going through the kitchen to get seated and the maze of underground seating. But I found it fun to explore and check out the bathroom, it felt like part of a secret italian mob scene. We ordered the Cheesy garlic bread which was very good, an italian salad, the rigatoni and veal parmegiana, it was all very good and a size small of each was more than enough for 3 people. It is a little pricey but we felt the taste and quality was well worth it. A fun dinner and even if the place is always packed, it still feels romantic.
(4)Jose C.
Large plates and sharing in a restaurant is always a plus for me. I've been known to take down a burrito the size of a small baby, but that's another story. Every time I go to buca with a large group of people, it's always a good time. The atmosphere is fun and the service is great. Unfortunately, the food lately has been on the blah side. Last time I went, we had a reservation but still had to wait 40 minutes for our table. Granted, it was a saturday night, so we decided to start our drinking a little early that night. We ordered a lot of food and the portion sizes are always more than enough for most people, but not me. We started out with salad and garlic bread. I didn't touch the salad because I don't eat salad unless there's a piece of steak or pork on top of it. The garlic bread seems expensive to us for being 8 dollars for just a loaf. The calamari was amazing, anything that's breaded and deep fried is typically amazing no matter what. We ordered the vege pizza because that was what the girls wanted. I actually enjoyed the vege pizza and I don't eat vegetable unless it was to make my mom happy. Now for the downside; the pasta. I love pasta and it is the stable of italian and asian cooking. It's hard to mess it up but the pasta at Buca lately has been disappointing. The rotini was undercooked, meatballs were bland, and the lasagna had more ricotta cheese than regular cheese and beef combined. It's sad to say that Olive Garden has better pasta dishes than Buca. Maybe I went on a bad night, but I will be returning to Buca so long as my friends still want to hold celebrations there. Next time, we might just order all calamari and pizza.
(3)Evalyn C.
For a chain, I rather fancy Buca. The family-style dining makes meals with large groups more interesting (and sometimes cheaper too). If you are just going with a couple people, then there are plenty of leftovers for everyone. The decor is funky and eclectic and styled after your Italian grandma's basement - as this place is named Joe's Basement, after all. The place is always spotless with no sticky tabel tops or gross bathrooms to be found. The desserts are all so amazing you'll want to try one of each, but will regret ordering just one because you'll have to loosen your belt and be rolled out the door. The main dishes aren't anything magical, but I can't complain. I always wind up enjoying what I'm eating and going back for seconds. If you are an Italian food snob (which I am decidedly not as I don't really like it but very infrequently), you are gonna want to go somewhere else. But this place is great for groups looking to eat a filling meal before celebrating the night away; family gatherings that save you from the stress of cooking yourself; and even work parties.
(4)Heidi B.
I've never been to Buca Di Beppo before, but I will definitely go again if I have the opportunity. I was with a large group, the restaurant was very accommodating, and the food was excellent. The family style meals were split between all of us evenly and we paid separately and I thought extremely reasonably priced given the fact we had wine, salad, meal, and dessert!
(4)Jess M.
I am unsure if possible a new sheriff is in town with regard to management but that individual should be taken out back and shot. Due to the fact a co-worker had a coupon we chose bucca for a team lunch. Thankfully this was a working lunch bc it was extremely slow service. Co-workers received their hot meals and my spinach salad was on delay. I was able to flag down the server to inform him I was still without a meal. Note my co workers, way too nice, let their own food go cold bc this was literally 10 minutes after their food arrived. Dressing, which I ordered on the side, did not come out with my meal. I flagged someone down again and another 10 minutes I received a bowl of dressing that at first glance u may have misdiagnosed as melted sherbet. Check out the pick this is no exaggeration. Bottom line I would recommend Gordon biersch anyday over this place. My last note was the waiter did apologize, but truly not enough and I prefer my Wendy's berry salad compared to this one
(1)Tls K.
The rooms are dark and claustrophobic. Lots of interesting art. Portions are ridiculously huge which matches the entree costs. Their menu is meant to be family style; which is hard when one person in the party is vegan. Reservations are a must! Ask for the kitchen table if you like to watch the cooks in action and don't mind waiving hi to strangers come through for a tour every minute of your meal. The restaurant is NOT handicapped accessible and parking is not convenient. Go to the Worthington location for a private lot.
(2)Beth R.
Great place for a big family or a co worker dinner. They do big groups well. The food is good and not too expensive. They also work hard to make it a fun event. It is easy to arrange and everyone could get there from work. We will probably plan our Christmas dinner there for my office!
(3)Michael R.
I came here to eat one night while on a away trip for a football game. I honestly wasn't expecting much, but I was really blown away. The night started off pretty normally, we arrived as soon as possible, were given an ETA of about 45 minutes. We were pretty prepared to wait, but thankfully, we were seated in about 25 minutes. I thought it was pretty cool that they let us walk through the kitchen before being seated, to see what goes on behind the scenes. It gets a little shaky from here- we were greeted kindly, and we gave our orders at a pretty normal pace. We ordered an appetizer. For some reason, the appetizer never came, but we were served our main course on time. Pretty much, the appetizer never came. Here's what I give the 5 stars for: Our waitress was well aware about the fact that our appetizer never came, and apologized repeatedly for it. Apparently, it was a frequently ordered appetizer, so that whenever it came out of the kitchen to be served to us, another waiter/tress grabbed it beforehand. She was very concerned about it, and eventually, the manager cooked it herself, and brought it to us. She gave it to us for free. She then went further and gave us free desert, for everyone. They also gave us free pins that we requested, and pens, and treated us very kindly. They gave us as much food for free as we actually ordered and payed for. If you ever come here, ask for the waiter I had: her name is Lisa. Tell her hello from California!
(5)Ethan B.
Spendy as anything, but WOW. I went with my girlfriend and our friends for the first time in January during Ohayocon. We'd had a great day, our panels went very well, I'd gotten a lot of really good pictures, and we thought we should celebrate. It was only Friday, too. Buca made it even better. The portions are HUGE. Our party of nine ordered a few SMALL items to split between us, and we still had food left over. We doggie-bagged it in the end and took it back to the hotel room after practically gorging ourselves at the restaurant. We really loved the little alcove we were seated in; it was nice and private and right next to the kitchen, so we pretty much got to see our food being made. The food itself is fantastic. It's so rich, and so good. Though this is much fancier than what I'm accustomed to, the atmosphere is laid back and makes you think you're in a dive. You have to do a double-take just to make sure that you're actually in this place because you've got grungy-looking brick walls, fascinating pictures (some are questionable in nature), and you're in a basement. The place is so clean though. I was super-impressed. Our server was a dear. She checked up on us periodically and she had a great time with us because we were having fun. She was the furthest thing from a nuisance; I've had annoying servers, and this girl was a sweetheart. She did everything right. I felt horribly underdressed, and I was. Next time, I will be sure to have a change of much nicer clothes on hand at our hotel, because even though I wasn't the only one wearing jeans, other patrons not associated with us were wearing really nice clothes (read: dress shirts and slacks). This is most definitely NOT a place I will visit on a regular basis because it's really spendy. It's going to be an Ohayocon tradition for us and nothing more than that. I'll adjust my rating after next year when we go back if things are any different.
(4)Matt W.
I will be the first person to tell you that if you want GOOD Italian food in Columbus, go somewhere like Moretti's, Due Amici, or Luce. If you want to go somewhere for dinner in the Arena District, though, particularly after a hockey game? Buca is a reasonable option. Even though they officially close at 10, they have a very nice "flexible" policy on nights where hockey games or big concerts are taking place, and normally will seat tables for up to an hour after the end of the event. With the huge "family style" dishes, a group of four can order 2-3 "small" entrees and a big salad to share and still have everyone taking home leftovers. You also tend to see a lot of "event" days during the week featuring free desserts, extra side dishes, drink discounts, etx. Alcohol prices are a bit high, I agree, but service has always been pretty decent on the nights I've gone in. The ravioli pomodoro is actually pretty good, and I like their baked rigatoni, even though it's probably speeding my eventual heart attack. If you have room for dessert, my personal go-to is the cannoli, drizzled with some chocolate sambuca sauce and ground pistachios.
(3)Crystal B.
I visited Bucca yesterday evening to celebrate Father's Day with my parents and fiance. Generally, Bucca always delivers on good value and good potions but last night they also delivered on exceptional service. We had a wonderful server who was both funny and charming and though our entrees took more than the normal amount of time to receive his constant communication with our table kept us in the loop of the process and kitchen issues. Moments after our entrees arrive, the manager on duty visited our table both apologizing for the delay and comping both our entrees, saving us $35.00 on our bill. Overall, the experience and company was great and the quality of service received highly exceeded any of my expectations. The entire family had a great meal and the laughter and stories shared over the meal made this Bucca experience one of the best. Thanks Bucca!
(4)Michael S.
I've been to Bucca before and always loved the atmosphere but found the food to be "decent." This past weekend we had a large family gathering for my wife's birthday. The attention they gave us was supreme, and all the food was glorious. It is family style, so expect a small portion to feed two people. Lots of sharing, which is just fun. The stuffed shells are brilliant, and the veal is excellent. They even allowed us to bring in our own birthday cake, which they provided us plates for.
(5)Adam K.
That's it - I can't take it anymore. I'm not a big Olive Garden fan. I'd rather go to Carraba's or any other smaller, family-owned Italian joint. But, I've tried Bucca three times now, tried something different each time, and I've been disappointed with everything. Same goes for the appetizers - just "okay" for me. While I'm not a HUGE Italian food fan, I do enjoy small, homemade Italian places, and again, Carraba's is great. Bucca tries hard, but falls short. It's sad - b/c the restaurant is cool and has a great ambiance. The service is good, but if I ever come back it would only be to have a drink (I'll eat at home before I go).
(2)Trey B.
Finally tried Buca. Luckily, we were in a large group. Not cheap, but not really out of line either because the portions are so huge. Be prepared to take a lot of food home. Quality was pretty good and Italian friends have said it passes their standards. Kind of weird to be directed through the kitchen (I'd hate to work like that, stopping for people every minute), but I guess that's part of the charm...as if you're being taken to a special table a la "Goodfellas." The decor is cool, with unique themes to each room. Service was good (Thanks, Kelsey). I'd got back, but probably only with a group. Probably closer to 3.5 stars than 4.
(3)Douglas B.
Awful cheap food at higher than they should be price. Can't cook basic Italian food like chicken cacciatore. Went twice and won't go ever again.
(1)Sammy T.
Like a previous Yelper, there are just some thing about the Buca model that stress me out, I'd say that the Christmas light lit catacombs are the number 1. stressor. Good luck finding your party after your bathroom hunting adventure. I brought a group from work here because its what we normally do when there's a bunch of staff in town, cept usually we go to the one near 23 or Worthington. Which is above ground and less labyrinthine and therefore, better. Shame on us for going during Rib fest, but wholly moley was it loud in there. You would have thought you were in a BW3's during March madness because the din was off the hook. As a party of 10, the ordering went smoothly because it was delegated to one person. I tried to order just 2 family size portions and the waiter says "Oh that's definitely not going to be enough food". LIAR!!!!!! I've been to Buca several times and I'd say its damn near impossible not to order enough food. Noone wants to over order because it's pricey AND NOONE WANTS THE LEFT OVERS (unless its tiramisu). I think its terrible that Buca can't even give you bread or salad for free, especially after you pay their high prices. Even Olive Garden throws Salad and breadsticks at you left and right. Salad and bread were ordered and the salad came out promptly, but the bread was MIA. Our food arrived and the bread was still MIA. I asked the waiter about the bread, "oh, that rarely ever comes out" well make sure its not on the bill if that's the case. I didn't really care for the waiter because his manners had worn off and repeatedly tried to get us to order appetizers and dessert. Waiting tables is a hard job, but flippant remarks aren't cute or endearing.
(2)Rachel P.
Once we got down to the Arena District, all of us girls had to park. If I thought it wouldn't be possible to hate Nickelback even more, they had a concert going on at the Nationwide Arena that night and all parking was $10+. Freaking fantastic. But wait! We were all going to get it validated and paid for by the restaurant! No worries. We get to the restaurant (which is practically empty) and ask for Rebecca's party. We are led THROUGH the kitchen and towards the huge table. I'm sorry, but I don't want to know what goes on in a kitchen... We sit down and get ready for our free appetizers. So we order a bunch of them. Salad comes, and then we get the food. I love Italian Food more than words, but I was just not impressed. Don't get me wrong, I was starving. It was already 9 o'clock. I swear, I would have eaten anything. However, the food was really bland. I mean, it needed a lot of salt and a lot of pepper. And the tiramisu? I think I was going to get wasted off of it. I swear that they used a whole bottle of rum in it, one slice was like a shot - they should card people before serving it. Disgusting. The bill comes. Its supposed to be split between 14 people. We had lost a bunch who were tired and just couldn't drive all the way downtown again. However, there were 17 at the table and two people had a check between them, and another person didn't order anything. Well, the check was still all wrong. After I had left to go home Rebecca said they were $50 short because of how it had been handled - leaving Rebecca to pay the leftover on her own. Happy freaking Birthday. Oh and those free Appetizers? Nill, they weren't docked. Free Parking? Zilch. Oy, a total mess that could have been easily avoided. I mean, it's not like they make things for people to communicate with each other these days.
(2)Elizabeth D.
My first Buca's experience was 8 years ago, in the Seattle location on a trip to visit some friends. It was awesome - we had never heard of it, and were so pleasantly surprised by the fun concept, the amazing food, the great service and the abundant wine, we lamented going back to our very new home of Columbus. However, we were overjoyed when we found out there was a location just a mile from our Short North apartment. We were soon regulars and found ourselves eating garlicky bruschetta, marghertia pizza and glasses of rose as often as we could, on graduate student budgets. The visits trailed out a bit, over the years, but what we started to notice was a number of little changes that have culminated in our most recent bad experience that leads me to believe that we won't be going back. Many things have changed over the years, and at first I assumed it was just me, like the new Buca-for-two menus that didn't really fit with the concept at all, or the lunch items that were of much lesser quality than the dinner entrees (maybe because of lack of volume). Then the wine prices started going up, and they started removing clear favorites from the menu (like the warm tomato salad that we saw other tables around us ordering EVERY time we were there, until they axed it). Tonight's experience was sad. I called a week ago to make reservations for 4:30 on a Sunday, which isn't a terribly busy time, but it was after a downtown commencement ceremony, so better safe than sorry. We arrived on time, and our party of 9 was shuttled to the back cramped corner of a tiny room and split into a booth and a nearby table. It took us 15 minutes just to figure out how to fit everyone in. When we asked if there were another table we could be moved to, the waitress (who was very nice and accommodating) said that there weren't enough servers to open up some of the bigger rooms. I mentioned that I had made a reservation, and she said that they were actually having this problem with 4 other families. She did find a table we could move to, but by that time we had already been settled. One look at the ridiculously heavy, impossible-to-navigate, spiral-bound, laminated menu and it felt like we were at a TGI Fridays. All that was missing was a kitschy cocktail menu...oh, wait...there is one right there. Gone was the placemat and wall menus, and gone is the fun of choosing your food as a family. We ended up just delegating a person (me) to decipher the items and choose a few dishes. The prices, by the way, were astronomical, and the small/large size thing was confusing. At one point our server was trying to explain, and said "well, the pasta large is the same as an entree small, so if you're going to get three entree smalls, get 2 pasta larges and that should be good for our party." My suggestion? MAKE LARGE BE LARGE AND SMALL BE SMALL. We got the bruschetta and I almost cried. It was basically a huge grocery store hamburger bun, brushed with cheap olive oil with canned diced tomatoes dumped on top. There was no garlic, just a whisper of old brown basil, and, most of all, no flavor. I literally spit it out on my plate. The antipasti salad was fine, but drenched in dressing and not as good as I remember it. The margherita pizza was also still tasty. We got the rest of the dishes quickly; most of them were luke-warm and over-sauced, while the spaghetti and meatballs was undersauced. I felt sick after dinner because of all the heavy butter and unnecessary oil in the dishes. As silly as it is, this experience depressed me and we won't be going back any time soon. I will miss what it once was, and certainly won't be recommending it to anyone. Buca's hired the wrong managers that changed way too much from what was working about their restaurant, and I have no doubt their time as a company is limited.
(1)Brad S.
My latest lunchtime visit to Buca di Beppo pretty much summed up my general feelings toward the restaurant - it's an overpriced, confusing, waste of time and garlic breath. First of all, I HATE "family-style" dining joints. This means you must find at least 1 or 2 other people who want exactly the same entree as you, which is nearly impossible, especially with such an indecisive, picky circle of friends as myself (I love you guys, pinky swear). Then you've got to scoop out your own portion of the entree, worrying the whole time whether you are taking an appropriate "hunk" of food, or if your bowl-mates will think you're being a pig. Also, if you take too little, you run the risk of running out of food and getting stiffed on your portion and cynically drinking water for the rest of your meal while cursing the very day this restaurant was built (full disclosure - yes, this has happened to me and I'm bitter, dammit). Yes, you can buy multiple bowls to avoid this from happening, but it is cost-prohibitive (each entree is in the $12 to $15 range) and you run the risk of having to cart around a doggy-bag for the rest of your evening out and offending fellow barhoppers as you waft garlic extract behind you with every step you take. The cost-prohibitive aspect extends to Buca's appetizers and drinks - a friend of mine at lunch the other day asked for a "side" of garlic bread. Buca's doesn't know the meaning of a "side" of anything. Everything is in GIGANTIC portions and is priced to match. My friend was brought out, literally, a pizza pan of garlic bread. For lunch. In addition to her entree. I think her reaction was "what the fuck is this?" when it was placed in front of her. So we spent most of our lunch trying to kill off this behemoth pan of garlic bread instead of enjoying our actual entree. We couldn't quite finish it off, and my friend was charged $10 for her trouble. This was in addition to her $10 entree. Drinks are also outrageously priced. They offer "italian sodas" which run over $3 a "pop" - but they don't offer refills on these. So, get this - my friend, with her entree, full sheet of garlic bread, side salad, and 2 Italian sodas, spent over $30 for lunch before tip. In what universe is this acceptable? This place is very busy on most weekends and before and after events at Nationwide Arena. Service is a bit harried, as most servers seem to run from table to table in a state of perpetual frenzy. The whole place just seems to be chaotic, from the moment you set foot in the front door (if you can - there is always a logjam at the front entrance on busy nights because it's too damn tiny, another infuriating aspect of this place). As an aside - service is predictably shitty out on the patio. Hell, it takes at least 5 minutes to navigate from the kitchen through the dining area and all of its twists and turns and kids running around and big groups of people with zero body awareness standing and blocking the aisles - so I can't really blame the servers in this case. Sit inside if you must have a meal here. Overall, this is Italian for the overindulgent, non-discriminating palate. If you like your food to come in a trough, and want to eventually end up on a TLC special where firefighters have to cut you out of your own house, have at it.
(2)Christina C.
Hooray for: -family-style dining -a cool looking restaurant -uber-clean bathrooms -a great place to take a large party Nay for: -crabby waiters -insanely overpriced, mediocre food -$7 glasses of $9 BOTTLES of wine My dual bachelor/bachelorette party "family" and I ventured out to Bucca to get a good base before our big night out. Although the food was... filling... and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, our experience was overshadowed by our sarcastic server - whom we had to *remind* we were going to tip - and a price tag per drink that would have made a millionaire blush. I know my cheap wine, folks. And paying $7 for a glass of $10-bottle of wine is ridiculous. We came. We ate. We looked at the cool stuff on the walls. We left. Nothing more here, nothing less.
(3)Keith R.
I was very surprised to find Buca in Columbus as the only one I have heard about was in DC and I had a less than favorable review on that one. What a difference in opinion the one in the Arena District has given me. I came in here after a stressful and unsuccessful day of apartment hunting. It was later in the evening past my normal dinner time and I was overall cranky. At this point in the day all I wanted was a good drink and full belly. Upon being seated, my waitress arrived promptly and explained the menu selections, offered me a sample of the Bucca Sangria. It was like a refreshing fruit explosion in my mouth. I ordered a full size glass to enjoy with dinner. They were not that busy, so the waitress actually took some time out to sit down and converse with me about why I was moving to town, where I was moving from, and gave me some recommendations on places to visit in town. My food arrived and it is one of the best Italian dishes I have ever ate. I actually think it has beaten out Olive Garden. Not sure if it was the Sangria or the belly full of food, but I walked out stuffed and feeling savvy. The only thing preventing a five star review is that bar area if it is busy, can act as a noise distraction to having a dinner conversation. I am 100% anticipating a return to Buca when I have visitors in town.
(4)Leah N.
My husband loves Italian food so when I suggested we go here he was for it. We then started to go every time we went to Columbus and it was always so good. The food is filling and there is a lot of it. However, they recently redid their menu and no longer offer bucca mio meals (individual) so that is a terrible turnoff. Otherwise crowded, loud and geared more towards a group looking to pass their dishes around the table. The service is also spotty. Our last meal took 3 hours for 2 dishes but I won't even go there. spare yourself, there is better.
(2)Mike S.
I must respectfully disagree with Kevin, although if he's a part-time gourmet I can understand his criticism to a degree. The bottom line is, Buca is not the place for authentic, world-class, fine Italian. But for really ~~good~~ Italian, flavorful and served in abundance...and for a really fun time, Buca is hard to beat. I find their garlic bread (and really all bread selections) to be among the best I've ever had, and the food is always served piping hot and there's plenty of it. It's family style, so unless your group is big enough, you may want to look elsewhere.
(4)Brett F.
Ok I'll get a few things out of the way to start off. Buca is kind of a mess. I say this in the best way possible. It resembles a maze stuffed with hundreds of people. You'll wait a LONG time to be seated on a weekend. The food is not the best Italian ever, and yes, it's a little pricey. That being said, I still have a soft spot for Buca. It's one of the best places to go in Columbus when you're looking to accomodate a large group. The food is good enough. For about $20 per person, you'll get to eat an absolutely absurd amount of food. My two favorite things here are the Eggplant Parmesan & the Apple Gorgonzola Salad. Both of them are delicious and will leave you quite satisfied. Overall, I take Buca for what it is: a fun restaurant with decent food. You don't go here to eat anything fancy or to eat the best Italian you've ever had. But it's very hard to beat if you're looking for somewhere that will make nearly everyone happy. And make sure you ask for Tiffany--best waitress I've ever had!
(3)Heather G.
When it comes to a large party, Buca di Beppo seems to be the obvious choice for some. You'll find a large and festive atmosphere with heaping piles of classic Italian dishes. The Buca experience just doesn't do it for me. The family-style dining can lead to a long decision making process and, as Lisa S. mentioned, a mess when it comes to the check. My last visit was much more enjoyable than those in the past. Our group sat at the kitchen table. Yes, you literally sit in the kitchen. The kitchen staff was fun and we enjoyed shouting hello at those that walked by. I didn't enjoy the fact one of the waiters continued to interrupt conversation to show us every single dish being served. Not just show, but wave it our faces. I thought is was old after we ordered, when we were eating, during dessert and waiting for the check. Oy. The food never impresses me too much. My margherita pizza was bland and they failed to cut the sausage in the pasta. I'd much rather go to Marcella's in the Short North. The exception was the rich chocolate cake. Skip the drinks, Christina C. is right--you'll pay $7 for a glass of $10 bottle wine.
(2)Lisa S.
Please read my dire warning. Figure out payment before you go with a large group to Buca Di Beppo. Every time I've gone sorting out the check has been a huge ordeal, because people will want to share different dishes and no one wants to pay for something they didn't eat. If you can figure all of that out before you go, you'll have a good time. It might be wise to see what's going on in The Arena District the same night you're dining. Depending on what event is taking place, expect large crowds, long waits, and $10 parking. The food is okay, but you're really paying for the ambiance, atmosphere and memories.
(3)LeAnne C.
So the owner/manager sent me a message on Yelp, apologizing and asking for my contact info which I gave and I haven't heard ANYTHING back. The ridiculous charade continues and my review stands. WORST ever. 9-4-12 I am revising my review. Was contacted by the district manager who got everything straightened out, refunded the overcharge and has given us a generous gift cert. to give the restaurant another try. This is altogether satisfactory and what I wanted in the first place. I will try it again and see what happens with a smaller group and re=post that experience. It could be totally different.
(1)Amy S.
My favorite Buca Di Beppo location is the one in Worthington, but I still enjoy going to this one. I've only ever eaten at the Chef's table here, so I highly recommend it. For those of you who don't know, you can request that you sit at a table in the kitchen where you can watch the chef and the staff prepare the meals. We've been offered it at the Worthington location, but for some reason, we only ever get it here. This is a great place for a group and for special occasions. We usually use this as the birthday dinner spot because you can get a great group of friends together to eat, drink, and have a unique dinner in the kitchen. Their food is delicious and the Chicken Marsala is the best I've ever had. They swear its the Marsala wine and I'm on a quest to figure out what they use (they won't tell me)! Make sure you go with a group of friends with similar tastes as the portions are served family size!
(3)Tessa S.
We had our rehearsal dinner here after the Happy Greek refused us since the rehearsal was during Gallery Hop. What a blessing in disguise. The food was excellent, the service was amazing, and the prices were comparable. I will definitely visit this specific location again.
(5)Melissa W.
This may have been the single worst restaurant experience I have ever had in my whole life. Made a reservation for a lg group of 50 weeks in advance. Had to wait over an hour for our table. It took them 45 min to get our beverages. Had to actually wait 2 hours for our food. We were giving plastic take out lids to eat off of because they ran out of plates! We had pre ordered our food and when it finally came out the chicken parm wasn't even breaded...it looked like they threw a bunch of raw chicken breasts on a plate and microwaved them with a little sauce and cheese. It was so horrible! Also never once did a manager come to our table to apologize or check on us. Worst service I've ever had in my life!
(1)Kathleen G.
Last Saturday February 9th, 2013 was my daughters sweethearts dance. She and 23 of her friends wanted to go to an extra special, fun place before for dinner so they chose Buca. Even though it was 25 minutes from our house this is where they really wanted to go. Their reservation was for 7:00 pm, which left them plenty of time to arrive fashionably late to the dance which started at 8:00 pm. By 7:45 pm they still had not gotten seated. In order to salvage the evening they left and went to a fast food establishment. Oh, and they had to pay $10 for parking per car! Thank goodness the dance was fun!
(1)J. R.
Got there with friends last Saturday night, waited in the line for a long time, the front desk people were rude and totally ignored us. Even people who came after us all got seated! Then we asked the receptionist, finally someone came to guide us and gave a tour of the restaurant, during the tour I noticed that there were several four seats tables available! I can't believe that they just ignored us though we were standing in front of them! The waitress was extremely rude, she didn't bring us bread, which was supposed to be there when we order, and was giving us scornful looks while we asked for drinks! Her face looked like we owed her one million dollars! Food was so-so, the lasagna was already cold when it served. Anyway, this kind of service and food is not worth the price we paid! Will never go there anymore!
(1)Melanie B.
Buca, you're alright! Admittedly, I have a laundry list of food hang-ups/anxieties, and Buca di Beppo meets almost all of them: Italian-American food, multi page menus, "family style" portions, chain-ish restaurants, vaguely (but not quite) ethnic cuisine... Of course, there's nothing inherently wrong with any of these things; don't worry - I realise it's me, not you, Buca. I have been cleverly avoiding Buca for four years because of the aforementioned neurosis, *even though* one of my good friends works there. However, for one of our friends birthdays, her husband set up a surprise party at Buca, so obviously I couldn't start to explain that, no actually I'm a neurotic fool and can't go. So I put my crazy aside, and drove to the Arena District this afternoon. Slight misfortune - the boy was at band practice and had to arrive a little later than me, so I did have a moment of panic over the multi-page menu (I worry when places sell so many items that they need multiple pages - how can you do so many things and have everything be good? Isn't this just a sign of American gluttony?), but that was soon resolved when A. the boy arrived just in time to order and B. our friend who works there (who wasn't working today and joined us for lunch, which was awesome) just ordered everything for everyone anyway. I sort of get that at a place like Buca, it's best to just let someone who has been there before or knows what they're doing order a bunch of things to share. So, this family style business - as Lisa S. says, it can be a bit complicated. There was some discussion as to whether we should just order for the table (there were a LOT of people - we were in the Pope Room - so hilarious - being Catholic, the boy and I very excited to be able to spin the lazy Susan and have the Pope stare people down ;) or if people should order in small groups. Fortunately, our friend who works at Buca helped us with that - but if we didn't have him, I can see me being very overwhelmed and traumatized by this process. I was pretty anxiety-ridden before the boy arrived and people were trying to figure this out. And also, when we went to pay at the end, it became even more complicated, since I didn't realize the whole family style situation, and boy and I hadn't discussed it, so neither of us had cash, and everyone else apparently did... and there was just one check... so yeah, I'm just saying...that part was weird. The food is good - as I said, Italian American food makes me a bit nervous, what with all the cheese and pasta and bread and sauce and whatnot - so I tried to stick to meat. The meatball, chicken parm, and the other chicken dish I tried were all very decent. It's not what i used to get in the North End in Boston (which didn't make me nervous because it was more Italian than American), but it's not Sbarro either, you know? The people I was dining with really enjoyed it, so I'm giving it three stars with the note that my friends from Ohio thought it was great. This place is huge! And it's super kitschy, but that's the appeal - I lovvvvved all the pictures of the Pope, and I really like the picture outside of the ladies with cleavage eating spaghetti. Yeah! I kind of thought of Buca as what Spaghetti Warehouse aspires to be (but will never be). Service was excellent, and if you're ever in the mood for some Italian in the Arena district, ask for my buddy Andy, he'll do you up right.
(3)Rob B.
Buca is decent, but they have the magical ability to make food 3 time more expensive than other Italian restaurants that are much better tasting than buca.
(2)Steven D.
The environment is pretty loud because usually big groups of people attend a place like this. For those that do not know, BdB is more of a family type restaurant, so the portion sizes are really big. But they do have single portions also. For me the colors and all the accessories throughout the restaurant were a bit distracting. The food was not that bad though, but not the greatest either. I would say it is almost worth the cost. I went as a group of four people and we ordered a small pasta dish, large entree, and a side.. definitely way too much food! The seafood linguine was a bit bland for me. The Pork and berry entree that we were skeptical about turned out to be better than we though, definitely give that a try - it was pork, berries, and broccoli. And a side of mash potatoes that was good. Don't forget to try their house wine, I enjoyed that. Hope this helps!
(3)Sarah S.
My favorite parts about Buca are the random decorations and how you walk through the kitchen to get to your seat. My least favorite part is the fact that I don't get cell phone reception underground. Which, some would argue forces me to pay attention to my friends or date. The family-style portions are great, and I've felt full but not overstuffed every time except for with the cheesecake, which was entirely my fault. I love the calamari appetizer and all of the entrees I've tried. My boyfriend said his favorite part was the side of Italian sausage and that our ravioli would have been average without it. I completely disagree.
(4)Matt C.
The three-star cumulative rating is right on. This place has an amazing atmosphere. Simply amazing! In addition, the family style service is a novel change of pace. However, the service is nothing special and the food is by and large kinda boring. For the price, its simply not worth the trip down town.
(3)Matthew B.
To people around Columbus Buca di Beppo might not seem like a big deal, but to this New England transplant who had never even heard of such a thing, a trip to Buca di Beppo is like a great acid trip through some sort of warped Italyland designed by the playful sadists behind "It's a Small World." All in a good way, though. Got it? Yeah, it's stuffed to the gills with Italian and Italian-American kitsch but it's all so consistently gaudy and over-applied that it works, somehow, and becomes a sort of visual white noise until needed as a convenient distraction while chewing. And you'll be doing plenty of that, because the portions at Buca di Beppo would make Goliath blush. They recommend splitting them at least two ways (if not more), but even split it can be tough to make it through a whole dish. Buca di Beppo is all about sharing. As such, bring a huge group. When a few of my fellow managers were leaving my job this past winter, we all went out as a big group to stuff our faces and get delightfully drunk on beer and wine. The plan went smoothly, thanks to Buca di Beppo. (I recommend you take good friends, though, because sorting out a bill at Buca can involve higher math than I was ever taught.) I've had a taste of just about everything at this point, but I say go for things with meatballs if you're the sort of person who will appreciate a meatball that's just shy of the size of a softball. Delicious to boot! If you want to be absolutely bombarded with Italianesqueness from all directions, inside and out, get a caravan going and head to Buca di Beppo. Just the walk to your table can be an adventure- we got a short tour of the kitchen on our way in. Doesn't seem sanitary but it's hard to care!
(4)Alison C.
I went here on a Sunday night with a group of 13 (we were at a conference at the Convention Center) and had a fantastic time. The family style dining was perfect for our group. In smaller groups we agreed on a few entrees, and got a couple of salads and breads for the table. There was definitely too much food (which was sad, as none of us had a fridge to take leftovers) but it was all delicious. I particularly enjoyed the lasagna (sauce on it was excellent) and the salad was quite crisp and fresh as well. We also shared the large dessert platter among the table, which worked well - people could get a little taste of what they were interested in, without committing to an entire dessert. When we got there, as a group we agreed that we'd split the bill evenly between everyone. We talked to our server about this, and he was able to provide a receipt that included the overall total, as well as what it worked out to divided up. He was also kind enough to allow us to pay separately (he wound up with some cash and running 8 credit cards, and had no complaints about it). Even with coffees for some of the table and two big bottles of wine, it wound up to $30 each (an that included about a 20% tip). We thought that was quite reasonable. The place was pretty dead on a Sunday night, but our waiter wasn't at all fazed by the size of our group. He was excellent, and I would highly recommend this as a place to go with a large group.
(4)Seth D.
Here's the thing, for the money, and in the area, there are a ton of restaurants that are better than this. If you want family style Italian, go pick up some food from Rotolo's and enjoy it at home, with your family. That being said,the food is good, the wait staff is kind and helpful, and it's kind of a cool place to go.
(3)Alec J.
Very chainy ok food awesome atmosphere good desert
(3)Emily A.
3.5 stars for sheer, uhm, craziness.... It's hard to explain the appeal of this place to someone who's never been. My attempt goes something like this... Friend who's never been to Buca: How's the food? Me: It's okay. Well, not that great really. The pizza's good, and the garlic bread, but there aren't a lot of vegetarian options. And they only serve big portions that feed multiple people, so you have to agree on things, and their marinara sauce is pretty bland. Friend: How's the service? Me: Okay. Kinda slow sometimes. And one time, I swear our server was really stoned because he couldn't remember anything and kept making really really stupid jokes. Friend: How's the atmosphere? Me: Well, the decor is really tacky. And there are all these little rooms and it's a kind of like a maze, like you can get lost going to the bathroom. If you were claustrophobic, or didn't like crowds, you would have a total panic attack. And it's super loud; lots of big groups celebrating and getting drunk and obnoxious. Friend, skeptically: Then why would anyone go there? Me: Because it's FUN!
(3)Lindsay B.
I hadn't been here in a while. They've changed the menu and unfortunately got rid of my favorite dish. Not to worry, I quickly found a new fav. I loved the shrimp fra diavolo. We had the trio appetizer as well which had calamari, fried mozerella, and stuffed mushrooms. I could have eaten a whole meal of stuffed mushrooms. All in all this place is fun and outgoing. Always a good choice for a group of people.
(4)Kathy W.
I wish I had read some of the reviews about the Arena District Bucaramanga before I ordered take out for a last minute dinner for friends. I ordered the small Italian salad, green beans, large chicken Marsala for 6, and the tiramasu. the Italian salad was a bag of lettuce with 3 green olives, 3 small slivers of red onion, and a small container of dressing. Luckily, I had a cucumber, tomato, and black olives to add to it to make an edible salad. There were about 50 green beans with a tart lemony dressing on them. The chicken Marsala had a good flavor but there were only 5 small pieces for an entree described as feeding 6. the sauce was great and there were maybe 4 mushrooms included. The tiramasu was OK. I ended up making a bowl of pasta to serve as I was afraid I wouldn't have enough food. The tab for this dinner was $60. I think the cost to Bucaramanga was about $15. We live in the neighborhood and eat in the neighborhood. We won't be going back. I called the same night to talk to the manager but did not receive a return call. I emailed him the next day and have yet to receive a response. If management isn't interested in their customers, there are too many other restaurants in this area who love to have our business.
(1)Keith W.
If your with a large group Buca Di Beppo is an alright place. Do not go in if you're on a date or small group, last time I was there everything was family style. There are a lot better Italian places out there. But overall it's a chain and you know what you get.
(3)Kevin M.
Buca Di Beppo is... hard to capture in a sentence. "Family-style" dining in this case refers to an (Americanized) Italian menu with massive plates of food only (no individual servings), tons of kitsch on the walls, large tables that are usually reseved for parties of parties - retirement, birthday, bachelorette, mass prom dates, you name it. While it's a decent choice for a raucous party, no matter the occasion, it would never be my first choice. The "family-size-portions-only" menu leaves anyone picky out to dry and makes mandatory the "let's split the bill equally" paying style that penalizes teetotalers, vegetarians, and light eaters. And the food just isn't that great. If you and everyone you know have the same taste in food and don't mind throwing away $20 each on mediocre Italian, you'll probably have a pretty good time. Feel free to leave me off the invite list, though.
(2)