Buca di Beppo is pretty darn good for a chain in my opinion. The Westlake location is my favorite in this area. Buca has a great atmosphere. The restaurant has an interesting set up. There are little nooks and crannies to sit in and there isn't an ounce of wall space that isn't covered in some sort of knick-knack, painting or photograph. There is always something to look at, but it can be a bit overwhelming to the individual with ADHD. My favorite room to sit in at Buca is the Pope Room. Basically the Pope room has one huge round table with a Lazy Susan in the middle of it. In the middle of the table sits a case with a bust of the pope. This room is great for parties with families and friends. The best way to order at Buca is to get a variety of dishes and and share. Each dish come in small and large so don't expect to need to order one small dish per person. I have never had a bad meal at Buca. For being a chain I feel the food is pretty good quality and tasty! My boyfriend is on a gluten-free diet. Surprisingly, Buca has a dedicated Gluten Free menu. It is actually pretty extensive. The wait staff always seems pretty knowledgeable on this menu. Just mention to the hostess that you need to order off the this menu and they will bring one out to the table. Finding a good restaurant with a decent gluten-free menu can be very difficult when eating out. Buca is a breath of fresh air!!! I would definitely recommend Buca di Beppo to anyone who likes Italian!
(4)
Chylece H.
What's not to love? Really great food served family-style with attentive service, a great atmosphere and all of those pictures to look at, to boot! We always get the mozzarella garlic bread, the 1893 salad, chicken Parmesan, spaghetti and meatballs, and another dish which today was the baked stuffed shells. Everything was top notch!
(5)
Flavia M.
Something to keep in mind when deciding whether to go there: they serve meals family style. The 2 person size feeds two very well. The decor and atmosphere are very eclectic and cool!
(4)
Andrew H.
Food & service are good but the place is weird there is tons and tons of photographs there & some of them make you sick when you are eating and looking at them at the same time. Only good if you are a serious picture fan
(3)
Beth N.
I have been to Buca's all over the country and generally love their food, so I stopped by here tonight and ordered a carry out salad (di Bepo 1893) to take back to my hotel. They packed it with a nice, warm loaf of bread which was great. But when I opened the salad, I noticed that the salami and pepperoni were no where to be found. I called the restaurant about 5-10 mins after closing. The manager actually answered the phone, apologized profusely for the error, and then sent a new, correctly made salad over to my hotel! Plus more bread! (He made the guy who screwed it up do the delivery.) Maybe I shouldn't give them five stars for a screwed up order, but hey, everybody makes mistakes, and they really went above and beyond to make it right.
(5)
Alyssa E.
Uuuuuuuugh. If vegetables, pasta sauces that don't taste like generic canned marinara, and any peace and calm are high priorities in your dining experience, don't go to Buca. It's a vegetarian's nightmare (you can eat salad or desperately search the menu for something devoid of meat). The family style setting kind of defeats the purpose of going to a restaurant anyway ("Instead of all eating the same meal in, let's go out so we can all share the same two dishes!"). The rooms are loud, the food overpriced, and the experience is stressful. Again, uuuuuuuugh.
(2)
Sara S.
Ok, so Buca felt bad that we had such a bad time and kindly invited us back for another try. They didn't know it was me until after the meal. I have to say it was excellent this time-we didn't make reservations but were sat immediately, our waitress came by frequently to see if we needed anything, the chef and the manager also stopped by to make sure everything was going well. Our food and beverages came out quickly and were edible this time. Every staff member that we spoke to were extremely friendly and attentive. I actually would have given them five stars this time except I think its a bit overpriced. We ended up getting two small salads, a small order of meat balls, small eggplant parm and a side of spaghetti and 2 non-alcoholic beverages. The total was about $76 bucks but we did have enough leftovers for like two days. I don't know if they were just extremely understaffed last time or what but it was a much more enjoyable experience the second time around.
(4)
Rita K.
Attended a pre-wedding private party at this establishment this past weekend. I had trepidations about this restaurant as a native New Yorker and Italian, I was not sure of the authenticity of the Italian food. Boy was I wrong!!! It was amazing!!!! The food tasted authentic, delicious and plentiful. The drinks were superb. The service was fantastic!!! I know there is now one in NYC and plan to bring friends and family there!!!
(5)
Jake G.
Family of four - enjoyed the atmosphere with all the photos and art work. Love the Italian music and kids thought it was fun. Ordered ceaser salad - a little soggy , calamari was hot but not as good as carabas, spicy chicken rigitoni was taste but was cold when served, side of fettuccini alfredo was also cold and not great. The highlight was chicken parm that was served hot and was very taste. $100 bill and not very happy. I was very excited to go but may not go again
(2)
Debra S.
We made a very expensive mistake choosing Buca to provide food for our two Market Update meetings for our clients. Be aware that the portion sizes they advertise are no where near enough to feed the number of people that they represent. We had to DOUBLE the size of the order, beyond what they suggest, for our second session. The chicken was ok, not great and the baked penne was TERRIBLE. Dry and over cooked. The green beans and broccoli were good but the bread was stale. VERY DISAPPOINTING! ! ! VERY EXPENSIVE! ! !
(1)
Joel E.
Meh! Brought the family here due to a gift card that I received as a gift. Hostesses and wait staff was friendly enough. We got seated right away and got our food relatively quickly. The kids ordered off the kids menu, which listed that drinks are included. They both got chocolate milk. The food was bland and unimpressive. But what irked me was that we were charged separately for the kids chocolate milks. I reminded the waiter that they're supposed to be included, but he explained that only the fountain drinks are included. REALLY? It did not say that in the kids menu and I, like many parents I know, don't even give my kids any carbonated beverages. Disappointing.
(2)
Marilyn P.
I don't like to go to chain restaurants, but Buca is in a class by itself! It is a fun place, staff is efficient and friendly, and all (or most) of the food is great, for the money, which I think is reasonable. I usually go with my sister and her husband. We get the green salad, the chicken limone or chicken saltimbocca, plus the spaghetti with meat sauce, all great (the limone not quite as good as the saltimbocca). All the small size which serves 2-3. It's plenty of food for all of us and we sometimes take some leftovers home. I don't like the spaghetti marinara as well as the meat sauce, not the same flavor. If you want a fun atmosphere, homey, comfortable feeling, this place is great, whether for a romantic dinner for two, or a get-together of 10 in one of the private alcoves.
(5)
Evol R.
To me the food is spectacular here.......like nothing is subpar or seems like they skimped on it. Nothing feels out of a can or frozen junk it all seems pretty high end. Its a different type of restaurant because you get served in "family style", what this means is whatever you order is portioned for multiple people. It's a great place to go in groups. It's a little pricey compared to some other chain restaurants but remember #1 it's in a very nice area and #2 you're paying for large portions intended for multiple people (and most likely taking alot home) #3 it's high end food. The staff is very nice/attentive (especially the girls) i usually try to tip at least $15 just on my own.
(4)
Magda M.
My family (my parents, sister & grandparents) came here on a Sunday evening to celebrate my dad's birthday. We had a gift card to use so we "had to come here". Needless to say, we left very disappointed... We asked for water with lemon and got no lemon. The water took quite some time to come, yet the restaurant was fairly empty at this early dining hour. We ordered a large seasonal salad (had too much dressing), a large chicken marsala (although it should feed 6, it had only 5 small pieces of chicken), a small spaghetti marinara (simple but acceptable), and a large garlic mashed potatoes (incredibly small serving- I had to ask the waiter if this was truly the large!). The bread they served was fairly hard and cold. They pour olive oil and balsamic vinegar to eat with the bread, but it really needs some herbs or spices to be tasteful. Needless to say, we left hungry and dissatisfied. The waitress took over 20 minutes to bring us back our change. They gave my dad a nice brownie and scoop of ice cream, free of charge, but besides that, this dining experience was uninteresting and misleading (in portion sizes).
(1)
Jason S.
This was our first time to Buca Di Beppo and unfortunatley will most likely be our last. We decided to try it on the recomendation of my wifes co workers. Usually if we eat Italian out we go to Carrabbas but we are always looking for new places. It started out ok we were greeted right away and seated quickly, it was early though so there werent many people there yet. The waiter was new and couldnt find the kids menus right away but no big deal it is family style dining so just order big plates of stuff and share. Well it quickly went down hill from there. They brought out cold stale bread to dip in olive oil and balsamic. We ordered the chopped anti pasta salad which wasnt bad but we ordered no onions and clearly they didnt realize until they had already put some in there and then tried to pull them out but missed a few. For the Main Course we ordered Chicken marsala that was overcooked slabs of chicken breast that almost tasted microwaved which was covered in an overly sweet pre made tasting sauce (I have had alot of marsala before and never did it taste like this) my son thought it was orange chicken, lol. Along with the chicken we ordered the famed garlic mashed potatoes which reminded me of my childhood and the PASTE I used to eat in 1st grade!!! The worst mashed potatoes I have ever eaten. They were obviously way over mixed. You could literaly spackle a wall with them and the flavor was not good either. Oh yeah did I mention the waiter smelled like an ash tray. This was not waht I expected at all and I will not be returning the price tag for the pain was $80.00 which normally isnt bad if the food is descent. Maybe it was just a bad night but there are too many other good places in town to try this one again.
(2)
Evelyn H.
Buca di Beppo - We were at the Westlake location on Easter Sunday. It wasn't crowded. The service was about average but the food was the worst Italian food I've ever encountered. Cleveland has many excellent Italian restaurants but this isn't even close. Let me explain - the salad plates were hot and I mean like they just came out of the dish washer hot; there were 4 adults and we spent about $125. The best thing I can say is that we bought gift cards ahead of time so had fuel perks from our grocery store. We ordered one meatball and it was cold in the center; the chicken prosciutto was warm but there was almost no prosciutto in it; we ordered broccoli and the server came back to tell us they were out but we could have mashed potatoes instead - who ever has mashed potatoes with pasta; we also ordered alfredo and it was incredibly bad - it was as though it had sat out on a counter for a long time, the sauce was congealed and completely inedible. Couldn't locate the manager on duty if there was one so we couldn't register our unhappiness with the meal. When I got home I sent an email to Buca listing the above and was told someone would be in contact with me from the restaurant - I'm still waiting. Interestingly enough, I was at the beauty salon today and we were talking about what we did in the way of eating on Easter Sunday and I mentioned this and the woman next to me said she'd had a similar experience but didn't complain because it would have had no results and the woman working on my hair said she would never, ever go back after having two bad experiences. I can guarantee I will never, ever go back. It was a horrible meal.
(1)
Richard R.
It was ok. I would rather go to Macaroni Grill. Too expensive for the food.
(2)
TJ C.
I enjoy going to Buca, the people are always friendly, the food is always delicious and the decor is so fun. I know you don't always get great service at a restaurant every time, but I've been lucky here. I've always had competent and friendly service. My only complaint here is the prices are a little on the high side for Italian food. Coming from an Italian family, I know pasta is not usually too expensive too make (depending on the dish), and, I've seen it time and again on the news and in articles that Italian food is the most overpriced food out there. With that said, I took advantage of the e-mail club and visit whenever I get a good coupon to use - that, with the fun decor and friendly staff, makes this place a keeper on my list.
(4)
jake s.
Live 60 miles from Buca's but try to visit ever time in the area. They have the best Eggplant Parmesan without a doubt. High praise for a chain restaurant. Very fresh ingredients and alway served hot. They have a new limited menu for fall. Many interesting choices but my wife and I chose the butternut squash ravioli. Unique almost a sweet flavor. Undertones of almond and nutmeg in the filling. Great contrast between the acidy tomato eggplant and the sweet smooth butternut squash.
(5)
Daniel H.
Our girls soccer team was visiting from out of town. Great food and service was awesome. We got to walk through the kitchen too! Price was excellent and really loved the atmosphere.
(5)
Matt J.
Ever since Planet Hollywood purchased Buca and changed the recipes, this place has started to suck just a little. I USED to love this joint. Now, I just like it. The prices have gone up about 20% from just a couple of years ago. NO MATTER WHAT, do NOT go to any Buca without a $10 OFF coupon. The Entertainment Books are flooded with them and they are easy to get a hold of online. Smack in the face with your $10 coupon and enjoy a good, NOT GREAT dinner.
(3)
Peter S.
From time to time, it is inevitable. No one can ever be spared the experience of going to a chain restaurant, and quite frankly, sometimes there are hidden surprises out there. I'd like to go on record by saying this Buca di Beppo is one of them. Immediately upon entering, I felt as though I'd been transported into a movie set. There were hundreds of pictures on the walls, each depicting some famous or wannabe famous person. There were wonderful pictures of the beautiful, stunning Sophia Loren that surely ignited scandal in the fifties. There were knick-knacks, tchotchkies, statues and signs everywhere, and it felt surprisingly uncluttered, like a grandmother's living room, each picture a memory long since forgotten but easily reminded. And then there were the people -- To get to the dining room in the basement, you need to go through the kitchen, then down two flights of stairs. Every single person who saw our party walk through the kitchen said hello. And not in the way as to seem as if that it was something they had to say off a script. The cooks, the dishwasher, the cashier each said hello in different ways. We were greeted at the bottom of the stairs by a few servers in a warm and welcoming manner and I had never seen anything like it. The manager was funny as well, joking with a patron who said he was full by replying "Good. We don't want you to walk to the car, we want you to do dishes and work it off so you're hungry again." Not a forced, rehearsed line -- something genuine from his own humor. I love to see that sort of interaction between people, especially when it catches one off guard. I know what you might be thinking: Peter S., what about the food? Well, look: If you have an italian family, this may not be Grandma Willhemina's gravy and bread, but it's damn good. The meatballs were easily as big as my head (and my head is large in it's own right!) and the pasta was dressed perfectly -- there was just enough sauce for the noodles to be coated without dripping all over the plate, just enough to sop up with a piece of bread or three or four. The Chicken Parmesian was exquisite, the chicken cutlet tender and covered with baked mozzarella to form another kind of crust on the existing crust. The Lasagna? Oh, boy. The Alfredo? Oh, please. The Caprese? My belly's going to burst. My biggest surprise was the pizza. My son and I have an agreement when we go somewhere, where we both split our meals. I get a piece of what he's eating, he gets some of mine. His pepperoni pizza was fantastic, the crust thin and stone baked, the sauce sweet and garlicky. And when I asked him how his meatballs and spaghetti were, he just gave and thumbs up and devoured it. The best part of the meal came at the end, when we were sitting around chatting. The dining room was empty aside from our party, and I could feel the ambiance all over me. Frank was singing, and there was laughter in another room. I couldn't help but feel as though this was 1958, and the boys yukking it up in the other room were Dino, Sammy, Frank, Joey and Peter, instead of just a family from Bay Village. Make no mistake, People of Yelp, and People Who Take Words of Strangers To Help Form an Opinion: This isn't four stars for a chain. This is a legitimate four stars, mostly for the people and a good bit for the food as well. This Buca di Beppo is one of the better places to grab some italian fare on the West Side of Cleveland. If you've got to suffer through a chain, don't. Go here and feel like you're part of the family.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes 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.
John C.
Bucca Di Beppo never fails to provide good friendly service, food at fair prices, and an atmosphere unlike anything else anywhere you go. From walking to your table through the kitchen the whole experience is a trip to an Italian family type restaurant. The portions are family style which serve 2 to 4 people so you need to divide the entrée price by 2 or 4 when comparing to other restaurants. Although I do not normally like chains Bucca Di Beppo is an exception - I will go there at any port of call that I find one - FANTASTIC!
(5)Holly M.
Buca di Beppo is pretty darn good for a chain in my opinion. The Westlake location is my favorite in this area. Buca has a great atmosphere. The restaurant has an interesting set up. There are little nooks and crannies to sit in and there isn't an ounce of wall space that isn't covered in some sort of knick-knack, painting or photograph. There is always something to look at, but it can be a bit overwhelming to the individual with ADHD. My favorite room to sit in at Buca is the Pope Room. Basically the Pope room has one huge round table with a Lazy Susan in the middle of it. In the middle of the table sits a case with a bust of the pope. This room is great for parties with families and friends. The best way to order at Buca is to get a variety of dishes and and share. Each dish come in small and large so don't expect to need to order one small dish per person. I have never had a bad meal at Buca. For being a chain I feel the food is pretty good quality and tasty! My boyfriend is on a gluten-free diet. Surprisingly, Buca has a dedicated Gluten Free menu. It is actually pretty extensive. The wait staff always seems pretty knowledgeable on this menu. Just mention to the hostess that you need to order off the this menu and they will bring one out to the table. Finding a good restaurant with a decent gluten-free menu can be very difficult when eating out. Buca is a breath of fresh air!!! I would definitely recommend Buca di Beppo to anyone who likes Italian!
(4)Chylece H.
What's not to love? Really great food served family-style with attentive service, a great atmosphere and all of those pictures to look at, to boot! We always get the mozzarella garlic bread, the 1893 salad, chicken Parmesan, spaghetti and meatballs, and another dish which today was the baked stuffed shells. Everything was top notch!
(5)Flavia M.
Something to keep in mind when deciding whether to go there: they serve meals family style. The 2 person size feeds two very well. The decor and atmosphere are very eclectic and cool!
(4)Andrew H.
Food & service are good but the place is weird there is tons and tons of photographs there & some of them make you sick when you are eating and looking at them at the same time. Only good if you are a serious picture fan
(3)Beth N.
I have been to Buca's all over the country and generally love their food, so I stopped by here tonight and ordered a carry out salad (di Bepo 1893) to take back to my hotel. They packed it with a nice, warm loaf of bread which was great. But when I opened the salad, I noticed that the salami and pepperoni were no where to be found. I called the restaurant about 5-10 mins after closing. The manager actually answered the phone, apologized profusely for the error, and then sent a new, correctly made salad over to my hotel! Plus more bread! (He made the guy who screwed it up do the delivery.) Maybe I shouldn't give them five stars for a screwed up order, but hey, everybody makes mistakes, and they really went above and beyond to make it right.
(5)Alyssa E.
Uuuuuuuugh. If vegetables, pasta sauces that don't taste like generic canned marinara, and any peace and calm are high priorities in your dining experience, don't go to Buca. It's a vegetarian's nightmare (you can eat salad or desperately search the menu for something devoid of meat). The family style setting kind of defeats the purpose of going to a restaurant anyway ("Instead of all eating the same meal in, let's go out so we can all share the same two dishes!"). The rooms are loud, the food overpriced, and the experience is stressful. Again, uuuuuuuugh.
(2)Sara S.
Ok, so Buca felt bad that we had such a bad time and kindly invited us back for another try. They didn't know it was me until after the meal. I have to say it was excellent this time-we didn't make reservations but were sat immediately, our waitress came by frequently to see if we needed anything, the chef and the manager also stopped by to make sure everything was going well. Our food and beverages came out quickly and were edible this time. Every staff member that we spoke to were extremely friendly and attentive. I actually would have given them five stars this time except I think its a bit overpriced. We ended up getting two small salads, a small order of meat balls, small eggplant parm and a side of spaghetti and 2 non-alcoholic beverages. The total was about $76 bucks but we did have enough leftovers for like two days. I don't know if they were just extremely understaffed last time or what but it was a much more enjoyable experience the second time around.
(4)Rita K.
Attended a pre-wedding private party at this establishment this past weekend. I had trepidations about this restaurant as a native New Yorker and Italian, I was not sure of the authenticity of the Italian food. Boy was I wrong!!! It was amazing!!!! The food tasted authentic, delicious and plentiful. The drinks were superb. The service was fantastic!!! I know there is now one in NYC and plan to bring friends and family there!!!
(5)Jake G.
Family of four - enjoyed the atmosphere with all the photos and art work. Love the Italian music and kids thought it was fun. Ordered ceaser salad - a little soggy , calamari was hot but not as good as carabas, spicy chicken rigitoni was taste but was cold when served, side of fettuccini alfredo was also cold and not great. The highlight was chicken parm that was served hot and was very taste. $100 bill and not very happy. I was very excited to go but may not go again
(2)Debra S.
We made a very expensive mistake choosing Buca to provide food for our two Market Update meetings for our clients. Be aware that the portion sizes they advertise are no where near enough to feed the number of people that they represent. We had to DOUBLE the size of the order, beyond what they suggest, for our second session. The chicken was ok, not great and the baked penne was TERRIBLE. Dry and over cooked. The green beans and broccoli were good but the bread was stale. VERY DISAPPOINTING! ! ! VERY EXPENSIVE! ! !
(1)Joel E.
Meh! Brought the family here due to a gift card that I received as a gift. Hostesses and wait staff was friendly enough. We got seated right away and got our food relatively quickly. The kids ordered off the kids menu, which listed that drinks are included. They both got chocolate milk. The food was bland and unimpressive. But what irked me was that we were charged separately for the kids chocolate milks. I reminded the waiter that they're supposed to be included, but he explained that only the fountain drinks are included. REALLY? It did not say that in the kids menu and I, like many parents I know, don't even give my kids any carbonated beverages. Disappointing.
(2)Marilyn P.
I don't like to go to chain restaurants, but Buca is in a class by itself! It is a fun place, staff is efficient and friendly, and all (or most) of the food is great, for the money, which I think is reasonable. I usually go with my sister and her husband. We get the green salad, the chicken limone or chicken saltimbocca, plus the spaghetti with meat sauce, all great (the limone not quite as good as the saltimbocca). All the small size which serves 2-3. It's plenty of food for all of us and we sometimes take some leftovers home. I don't like the spaghetti marinara as well as the meat sauce, not the same flavor. If you want a fun atmosphere, homey, comfortable feeling, this place is great, whether for a romantic dinner for two, or a get-together of 10 in one of the private alcoves.
(5)Evol R.
To me the food is spectacular here.......like nothing is subpar or seems like they skimped on it. Nothing feels out of a can or frozen junk it all seems pretty high end. Its a different type of restaurant because you get served in "family style", what this means is whatever you order is portioned for multiple people. It's a great place to go in groups. It's a little pricey compared to some other chain restaurants but remember #1 it's in a very nice area and #2 you're paying for large portions intended for multiple people (and most likely taking alot home) #3 it's high end food. The staff is very nice/attentive (especially the girls) i usually try to tip at least $15 just on my own.
(4)Magda M.
My family (my parents, sister & grandparents) came here on a Sunday evening to celebrate my dad's birthday. We had a gift card to use so we "had to come here". Needless to say, we left very disappointed... We asked for water with lemon and got no lemon. The water took quite some time to come, yet the restaurant was fairly empty at this early dining hour. We ordered a large seasonal salad (had too much dressing), a large chicken marsala (although it should feed 6, it had only 5 small pieces of chicken), a small spaghetti marinara (simple but acceptable), and a large garlic mashed potatoes (incredibly small serving- I had to ask the waiter if this was truly the large!). The bread they served was fairly hard and cold. They pour olive oil and balsamic vinegar to eat with the bread, but it really needs some herbs or spices to be tasteful. Needless to say, we left hungry and dissatisfied. The waitress took over 20 minutes to bring us back our change. They gave my dad a nice brownie and scoop of ice cream, free of charge, but besides that, this dining experience was uninteresting and misleading (in portion sizes).
(1)Jason S.
This was our first time to Buca Di Beppo and unfortunatley will most likely be our last. We decided to try it on the recomendation of my wifes co workers. Usually if we eat Italian out we go to Carrabbas but we are always looking for new places. It started out ok we were greeted right away and seated quickly, it was early though so there werent many people there yet. The waiter was new and couldnt find the kids menus right away but no big deal it is family style dining so just order big plates of stuff and share. Well it quickly went down hill from there. They brought out cold stale bread to dip in olive oil and balsamic. We ordered the chopped anti pasta salad which wasnt bad but we ordered no onions and clearly they didnt realize until they had already put some in there and then tried to pull them out but missed a few. For the Main Course we ordered Chicken marsala that was overcooked slabs of chicken breast that almost tasted microwaved which was covered in an overly sweet pre made tasting sauce (I have had alot of marsala before and never did it taste like this) my son thought it was orange chicken, lol. Along with the chicken we ordered the famed garlic mashed potatoes which reminded me of my childhood and the PASTE I used to eat in 1st grade!!! The worst mashed potatoes I have ever eaten. They were obviously way over mixed. You could literaly spackle a wall with them and the flavor was not good either. Oh yeah did I mention the waiter smelled like an ash tray. This was not waht I expected at all and I will not be returning the price tag for the pain was $80.00 which normally isnt bad if the food is descent. Maybe it was just a bad night but there are too many other good places in town to try this one again.
(2)Evelyn H.
Buca di Beppo - We were at the Westlake location on Easter Sunday. It wasn't crowded. The service was about average but the food was the worst Italian food I've ever encountered. Cleveland has many excellent Italian restaurants but this isn't even close. Let me explain - the salad plates were hot and I mean like they just came out of the dish washer hot; there were 4 adults and we spent about $125. The best thing I can say is that we bought gift cards ahead of time so had fuel perks from our grocery store. We ordered one meatball and it was cold in the center; the chicken prosciutto was warm but there was almost no prosciutto in it; we ordered broccoli and the server came back to tell us they were out but we could have mashed potatoes instead - who ever has mashed potatoes with pasta; we also ordered alfredo and it was incredibly bad - it was as though it had sat out on a counter for a long time, the sauce was congealed and completely inedible. Couldn't locate the manager on duty if there was one so we couldn't register our unhappiness with the meal. When I got home I sent an email to Buca listing the above and was told someone would be in contact with me from the restaurant - I'm still waiting. Interestingly enough, I was at the beauty salon today and we were talking about what we did in the way of eating on Easter Sunday and I mentioned this and the woman next to me said she'd had a similar experience but didn't complain because it would have had no results and the woman working on my hair said she would never, ever go back after having two bad experiences. I can guarantee I will never, ever go back. It was a horrible meal.
(1)Richard R.
It was ok. I would rather go to Macaroni Grill. Too expensive for the food.
(2)TJ C.
I enjoy going to Buca, the people are always friendly, the food is always delicious and the decor is so fun. I know you don't always get great service at a restaurant every time, but I've been lucky here. I've always had competent and friendly service. My only complaint here is the prices are a little on the high side for Italian food. Coming from an Italian family, I know pasta is not usually too expensive too make (depending on the dish), and, I've seen it time and again on the news and in articles that Italian food is the most overpriced food out there. With that said, I took advantage of the e-mail club and visit whenever I get a good coupon to use - that, with the fun decor and friendly staff, makes this place a keeper on my list.
(4)jake s.
Live 60 miles from Buca's but try to visit ever time in the area. They have the best Eggplant Parmesan without a doubt. High praise for a chain restaurant. Very fresh ingredients and alway served hot. They have a new limited menu for fall. Many interesting choices but my wife and I chose the butternut squash ravioli. Unique almost a sweet flavor. Undertones of almond and nutmeg in the filling. Great contrast between the acidy tomato eggplant and the sweet smooth butternut squash.
(5)Daniel H.
Our girls soccer team was visiting from out of town. Great food and service was awesome. We got to walk through the kitchen too! Price was excellent and really loved the atmosphere.
(5)Matt J.
Ever since Planet Hollywood purchased Buca and changed the recipes, this place has started to suck just a little. I USED to love this joint. Now, I just like it. The prices have gone up about 20% from just a couple of years ago. NO MATTER WHAT, do NOT go to any Buca without a $10 OFF coupon. The Entertainment Books are flooded with them and they are easy to get a hold of online. Smack in the face with your $10 coupon and enjoy a good, NOT GREAT dinner.
(3)Peter S.
From time to time, it is inevitable. No one can ever be spared the experience of going to a chain restaurant, and quite frankly, sometimes there are hidden surprises out there. I'd like to go on record by saying this Buca di Beppo is one of them. Immediately upon entering, I felt as though I'd been transported into a movie set. There were hundreds of pictures on the walls, each depicting some famous or wannabe famous person. There were wonderful pictures of the beautiful, stunning Sophia Loren that surely ignited scandal in the fifties. There were knick-knacks, tchotchkies, statues and signs everywhere, and it felt surprisingly uncluttered, like a grandmother's living room, each picture a memory long since forgotten but easily reminded. And then there were the people -- To get to the dining room in the basement, you need to go through the kitchen, then down two flights of stairs. Every single person who saw our party walk through the kitchen said hello. And not in the way as to seem as if that it was something they had to say off a script. The cooks, the dishwasher, the cashier each said hello in different ways. We were greeted at the bottom of the stairs by a few servers in a warm and welcoming manner and I had never seen anything like it. The manager was funny as well, joking with a patron who said he was full by replying "Good. We don't want you to walk to the car, we want you to do dishes and work it off so you're hungry again." Not a forced, rehearsed line -- something genuine from his own humor. I love to see that sort of interaction between people, especially when it catches one off guard. I know what you might be thinking: Peter S., what about the food? Well, look: If you have an italian family, this may not be Grandma Willhemina's gravy and bread, but it's damn good. The meatballs were easily as big as my head (and my head is large in it's own right!) and the pasta was dressed perfectly -- there was just enough sauce for the noodles to be coated without dripping all over the plate, just enough to sop up with a piece of bread or three or four. The Chicken Parmesian was exquisite, the chicken cutlet tender and covered with baked mozzarella to form another kind of crust on the existing crust. The Lasagna? Oh, boy. The Alfredo? Oh, please. The Caprese? My belly's going to burst. My biggest surprise was the pizza. My son and I have an agreement when we go somewhere, where we both split our meals. I get a piece of what he's eating, he gets some of mine. His pepperoni pizza was fantastic, the crust thin and stone baked, the sauce sweet and garlicky. And when I asked him how his meatballs and spaghetti were, he just gave and thumbs up and devoured it. The best part of the meal came at the end, when we were sitting around chatting. The dining room was empty aside from our party, and I could feel the ambiance all over me. Frank was singing, and there was laughter in another room. I couldn't help but feel as though this was 1958, and the boys yukking it up in the other room were Dino, Sammy, Frank, Joey and Peter, instead of just a family from Bay Village. Make no mistake, People of Yelp, and People Who Take Words of Strangers To Help Form an Opinion: This isn't four stars for a chain. This is a legitimate four stars, mostly for the people and a good bit for the food as well. This Buca di Beppo is one of the better places to grab some italian fare on the West Side of Cleveland. If you've got to suffer through a chain, don't. Go here and feel like you're part of the family.
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