I am always treated very well at Carraba's. The service is quick, friendly and on point. As we were seated, our waiter was in the middle of taking an order at another table so a different waiter, I want to say his name is Bryan......he kindly came over to fill our drink orders since our waiter was busy. I thought that was a nice touch to step in. Not that I was in a hurry, just that it was good team work on his part and showed excellent customer service. After our waiter finished up at the other table he came over and introduced to himself. I find that the Carraba staff are always very friendly and professional. My daughter ordered the Chicken Bryan. $15.99. Topped with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and lemon butter sauce. Scrumptious! I had the Fettuccine Weezy, $16.59. My favorite. Fettuccine Alfredo with sauteed shrimp, garlic and mushrooms in our white wine lemon butter sauce. Sometimes the flavor of Alfredo can be strong but this tones down the flavor with the wine lemon butter sauce. All the flavors meld together so nicely and bring extra dimension of flavors. Highly recommend giving this a try. Another one to try is the Chicken Trio.$22.79. If you want to sample a couple different chicken dishes this is the one for you. Or if you just can't make up or you mind. This Trio comes with: Bryan, Marsala and Rosa Maria
(5)
Regina W.
I haven't been here in awhile, but I did like what I consumed! It was a crowded night full of people! That's always a good sign to me! The service we received really was great - quick and attentive. My water was refilled frequently, which is always a nice thing. Especially in this hot summer heat! You do get a basket of sliced bread wrapped in a napkin. Their bread was fresh and warm and was really tasty with the oil and balsamic vinegarette. I ordered the lobster ravioli. The chunks of lobster really impressed me because I could actually taste the lobster! It balanced really nicely with the cheese and pasta and sauce. The sauce was delicious and flavorful. Portion size was good enough for me. Our other pasta dish was a little on the smaller portion size (especially for a man), which was surprising to me for an Italian type of place. But I guess you don't want to be rolling out of a restaurant regretting all the carbs you packed on that belly!
(4)
Alex D.
Very good service , they don't have the flavor( syrups ) to add to the tea like most others do, they tell you the cost is too high yet they have the highest sales in the valley, go figure. The food has always been very good. No major issues at all, there very consistent with quality and attention they provide.
(4)
Daniel S.
We eat here several times a year, it's one on my wife's favorite places to eat. The starter of bread and oil is very good, the food is above average, however,the price is high for what you get. The environment is very nice and always pleasant. The staff has always been very helpful and willing to assist.
(3)
Alexa M.
Let me start off by saying the employees were very nice. I was able to get seated right away as well and I enjoyed my ice tea, but that is where the positive experience ended. I took my mom to have dinner and we both ordered the Pollo Rosa Maria with grilled asparagus which costs an additional $1.50 and that is fine, however when I tried to cut it in half it was like cutting into hard straw. Then I tried to put a piece in my mouth and I had to spit it out as it was like chewing into hard straw... these were even skinny stalks. So the $17.00 cost for the chicken was just that.. just the chicken. No sides accompany this unless you want to pay more. The chicken itself was terrible tasting and super salty. I only ended up taking a small bite and was done. I had ordered us Ceasars salad and a shrimp appetizer. The lettuce was completely white and came drenched in dressing. Simply could not force myself to put any of that into my mouth. And the appetizer never came. I asked my waiter for the manager letting the waiter know that nothing he did was wrong well accept never bringing us the appetizer. Manager came and I delicately explained everything to him. He was nice and said they would take care of the bill asking us if we wanted to order something else. I just couldn't do it. I was already passed being hungry and did not want to risk waiting another 30 minutes or so for another meal. I definitely do not recommend spending hard earned money here. It was very disappointing.
(2)
David W.
Went for my daughters birthday. They made sure it was all about her. Great service. very nice atmosphere. The food was a different story. Very small portions. everybody at the table got asparagus. it was the size of of a large nail. and dry. Chicken was below Mcdonalds .99 cent special standards. I sat there looking out the window wishing i was at the Outback Steakhouse next door. don't go here. total waste of money, unless your on a 500 calorie a day diet.
(3)
Joan G.
It was good but nothing great. One of my daughters really likes this place so I took her for her birthday and it was good but there are better choices for the same or less money. I just wasn't wowed or impressed. I will have to try more dishes. My daughter likes the shrimp and scallop linguine. The sauce was good but the shrimp were overcooked. The atmosphere is nice and the service was very good. Bread was also good.
(3)
Curtis C.
Bread is the corner stone of this place. Amazing!!! We love the lintle and minestrone soup with the chicken Cesar salad. The chicken tastes amazing. Great place and atmosphere for the price. Expect to wait 30 -40 mins on fri and sat night.
(5)
Megan D.
Great service, drinks and food! Zucchini fritte were great, loved the dipping sauce! I thought the pitcher of peach sangria was pretty pricey ($31) only because I don't think there was much alcohol in it but it tasted so good! Also tried the limoncello raspberry martini. SO GOOD. I seriously said mmm and yum after each sip. I want to try the limoncello rosemary gimlet next time! We ordered two pasta dishes to share. The conchiglie al formaggi is super cheesy, we loved it! We are vegetarians so it was nice that our server Linda let us add in veggies to our other pasta dish. We added mushroom and zucchini to the tag pic pac and was perfect. Linda was awesome, friendly and helpful. I will be back!
(5)
John W.
First time here and will be back. Had the special steak with crab cake. Everything was cooked to perfection and was delicious Eric was are waiter and provided excellent service.
(5)
Stephen C.
This is one of my all time favorite (stateside) Italian restaurants. The service is always friendly, the food is always large portions, piping hot, and delicious! I see some people have left negative reviews, weather it be from service, or food... but I'm here to say that I've never had a single bad experience here. I think our favorite part is the bread with oil and herbs they give you while you wait for your meal... no need to buy an appetizer as the bread is so damn good especially when you dip it in the herb oil. Talking with our waiter the last time we were there, we discovered that they are going to be changing up their menu a bit. They are bringing in some new classic Italian fare, and removing some of their less popular dishes. I think the new menu sounds amazing, and personally can't wait to try it out. Anyhow, if you love good Italian at a decent price, then you should try Carrabba's... Much better then Olive Garden IMHO.
(5)
Aaron S.
We love Carrabba's and eat here at least once every few weeks. Way better than any of the other local Italian restaurants. The zucchini fritti is a must as a starter. The garlic aioli they serve it with is delicious, and you might find yourself dipping your bread in it too. Their soups are also great. Their fillet Marsala is one of the best steaks I've ever eaten. I don't think we've ever had a bad meal here. Make sure you save room for the chocolate Sonjo (spell check). One of the best desserts we've ever had.
(5)
Samantha C.
Some family members were in AZ for the week and on their last night we had a large group meet for dinner at this Carraba's. My boyfriend, Sister, and myself were the first to arrive and told the hostess we would have a group of 8 and she sat us at a large table in the bar section. We had a lot of room because the area was pretty empty, but the table was very high and the chairs we so awkward to move because they were all squeezed in next to the others, plus no space at all for purses so I had to put mine on the ground under my feet, sad face! I was smiling when I saw it was still happy hour and all drinks were half off. After a vodka cran with lime I was ready to check out the menu. There were a few apps also half off so we ordered some bacon onion flatbread to munch on while we waited for the rest of our party. Time passed and everyone arrived, but not our flatbread. Our friends and family ordered some calamari, and another flatbread. A few minutes later their calamari came out, still no flatbread! I asked and finally another waitress came out carrying it. It was decent, nothing amazing. I ate more of the calamari. After looking through the menu I decided on some type of chicken spinach stuffed pasta. Our waiter brought out some very heavy bread to dip in olive oil and herbs. I was eagerly waiting the main courses to come out, and about fifteen minutes later a woman came out calling my dishes name, I was ready for a plate to be placed on the table but instead I saw her empty handed. She informed me they were out of my dishes ingredients and they would not have another delivery of them for some time. This tells me two things, one they probably order this dish frozen and reheat it in the kitchen because how can a restaurant not have pasta shells, chicken, and spinach to throw together? Those are total staples. And two, our waiter was not on his A-game because it had been over FIFTEEN minutes since we ordered and he couldn't come out sooner to let me know? So then I had to quickly scan the menu and to be honest nothing else sounded even close to what I felt like eating so I just went with some combo of lasagna and chicken parm. Not only would I be waiting longer but I filled up on breads and drinks. When my dish finally did come out I tried two bites, the lasagna was overpowered with ricotta and totally turned me off. The chicken parm was alright, the breading was burnt black in some parts and the chicken was bland. The next time I saw our waiter I asked for a box and one of their after dinner boozy coffee drinks and asked him to not charge it to the bill in return for them not having what I originally ordered. He looked surprised and said he had heard about someone not getting what they ordered but didn't know it was me and apologized and said he would see what he could do about comping my drink. I don't know if that ended up happening because I wasn't the one paying the bill, but I was disappointed in their confusion. The coffee drink helped me leave in a better mood but not enough to make me want to return.
(3)
Dani C.
Went for a late dinner. I've been a fan of this chain for years. I was surprised it was still so busy at almost 8pm (I know, 8pm isn't late, but it is when you're used to eating with your kids at 6) ! We were seated right away even though it was busy, but the service was a little on the slow side after that. That usually doesn't bother me though, I see it's busy and we weren't in a hurry. We split one meal, and they were kind enough to bring it out on separate plates. LOVE the Chicken Bryan, it's the only thing I've ever had to eat there besides the Lobster Ravioli, which is also excellent.
(4)
Anne L.
Let me first start off saying that I LOVE Carraba's. I know that it is a chain, but as a chain goes it goes out of it's way to fool your taste buds into thinking that you are actually eating artfully prepared Italian cuisine at a more casual and affordable atmosphere. They will tailor to your requests for your food to be prepared a certain way, even if it isn't on the menu. I prefer to have a steak, but the Steak Bryan, which is a filet, or a another cut of steak with their special goat cheese, basil, and sun dried tomato on top. Another worthy mention is their grilled chicken dishes. Too many places love to over cook chicken then flavor it after the fact, but at Carrabba's you know they marinate them which keeps them juicy. I am sorry that Matt had a bad review on service, because I will tell you that they have FABULOUS service. Every place has their bad nights, but this particular Carrabbba's knows how to treat their customers. We visited one night and they forgot our appetizer. We were in a hurry and we told them to not worry about it, but in return they apologized profusely and gave us a coupon for a free appetizer for the next visit and a free desert. When we arrived home, my 3 year old daughter had left her small puzzle there and my husband went back to retrieve it, but it was gone. It wasn't a big deal, but a few days later, the manager (I think owner as well) James called us at home to again apologize and said that he had bought some puzzles and that when we came in again to ask for them. I was speechless, and had never had such wonderful customer service. We went in and he gave us not just one, but four puzzles, and of course made sure that everything went to our liking. I cannot recommend this location enough and have told my friends and family of our experience. WONDERFUL location, GREAT service, and FABULOUS food!
(5)
John M.
We loave carrabbas, the food is always great and the service friendly.
(4)
Matt K.
This is a great place to eat! Great service and great food! We'll be back for sure!
(5)
Shoshana R.
The food is great, but the service leaves a lot to be desired. I particularly dislike it when the hostess says "How are we doing tonight"? Then the server says "what would we like to eat tonight?" when he come back to take the order. That's so rude and condescending. We got the bum's rush as far as service is concerned. We were in and out in 35 minutes! I never got offered a refill on my iced tea either! Next time I am going to one of the independent Italian restaurants in town.
(2)
Sarah P.
I LOVE this place, it is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the Phoenix area. We went here for New Years Eve and only had to wait a 1/2 hour and received excellent service and got to choose from the full menu. They have fantastic wine here. The bread is DELICIOUS with their olive oil and herb mixture. That's a big part of an Italian restaurant experience too. I usually order the Chicken Parmesan, it is too die for, their marinara and spicy red sauces are both the bomb. Everything else I've tried here has been really tasty too. The Caesar salad is great, very fresh tasting. So family friendly, we always bring the kids. Definitely recommend it!
(5)
Rob S.
Food has always been great and service pretty good here. Their pasta dishes are awesome (what I usually get, I'm not adventurous by any means) and they have huge portions, so cost isn't a huge deal because I usually get 2 meals out of one...it's called portion-control people! I've been here probably 5-6 times with my family over the last 3 years and have never had even a semi-questionable experience. Carrabba's over Olive Garden anyday.
(4)
Julie Y.
We were pleasantly surprised about this restaurant! Expecting more of an Olive Garden "vibe", it exceeded our expectations. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars was because of the slightly unorganized service. Our waitress was friendly and great with the kids, but once I had to go to the bar to get my husband's diet coke and we had to ask other wait staff for help a couple times because our waitress was nowhere to be found. I think our table was far from her actual "section". But when we did see her (which always seemed to be seconds after we flagged another server) she was awesome! And the food...also AWESOME!! From the bread to the Cesar side salads to the pasta dishes, we enjoyed everything! My husband had the Mezzaluna pasta dish which I tasted...yummy! I had one of the special "wood fired" pasta dishes ( not on normal menu)....penne pasta with chicken in a pesto cream sauce with some kind of yummy melted cheese (mozzerellaish). I wanted to finish it all, but I had to stop and take the rest home. The warm soft bread they bring you with the olive oil for dipping was so good, too (probably why I couldn't finish my pasta). My 2 year old loved the corkscrew pasta with Alfredo sauce, which we were able to custom order for him and my other two enjoyed the chicken fingers. All around, everyone was happy! We will definitely be coming back!
(4)
Walter d.
Ate here with friend, while in Arizona to judge horse show. Noticed that many exhibitors were also here. Smelled great--waiter very attentive-wait maybe 10 minutes, on a Friday night. Good bread and olive oil escarpeta-parmesan. I had lemonade, she had iced tea-OK. Had whitefish that was really good. She had chicken w/proscutto & cheese-center was a bit raw--was taken away and re-cooked. Chef came out and was polite, but dancing--- Had it not been for that, would be 4 stars--would go there again
(3)
Tammy M.
After having been told by my cousin and neighbors how good this place was, I finally visited with my family last Saturday night. It was delicious. The bread is to die for along with the pasta side that comes with the meat meals. Very good. I will never go to Olive Garden again.
(5)
Judy C.
This is the best restaurant chain EVER!!!! I love EVERYTHING there and the service has always been A+. The fried zucchini strips (appetizer) are the best in the world, the Caesar salad is the best I ever had, even their croutons on the salad are better than any!!! Olive oil herb dip is Fabulous, the warm bread is like no other. Most of the dinners that I have tried have been excellent but the Chicken Bryan is magnificent. Waiters and manager the best.
(5)
Jessica B.
I absolutely LOVE this place. I usually always get the SIRLOIN MARSALA so we only come here on occasions since it's a little pricier than just a standard night out (but still a good price for steak). But the food is amazing, the bread and dip are delicious, and the atmosphere is not flashy and perfect for dates. I have had the CHICKEN PARMESAN which was tasty too, but I just can't get enough of the marsala sauce. Never have been disappointed here, or any other Carrabbas in fact. A co-worker of mine brings leftovers in to work every so often and it makes my mouth water, even though I would never have thought of that dish as good (egg plant gross). The seasonings make anything seem appetizing. More than enough food at one time so I rarely get dessert, although I never mind that since I am left completely satisfied.
(5)
Geoffrey M.
We realize that if we want some good Italian food, our hands are pretty much tied. For my wife's birthday, we wanted something a little more than Oregano's and a little less pricey than Tutti Santi. Let's face it, Carrabba's is just that middle man and their recent advertising spree had our mouths watering with images of plates filled with authentic looking Italian delights! What we received however was a cross between what I would expect Astronaut food and Jail food to taste like. Before I unleash my furor, I would like to say that there were a few positives regarding our experience. 1. The kids loved the mozzarella sticks. 2. The bread was piping hot. 3. The water and the drinks were cold. 4. The pasta portion of my wife's dinner was hot. 5. The waitstaff and manager were "nice". Starting with our server, she was nice enough but I am certain that she had neither washed her uniform or her hair in the past two week and on a 4-top, was handing us our drinks rather than placing them on the table. Who cares right? Terrible service is the norm here in Gilbert. At least she was nice. When our appetizer arrived, the calamari was literally inedible. It wasn't burned either, it was a light golden brown in color. Of course it is frozen calamari, of course it comes in a bag... We aren't sitting on a pier in San Francisco, I get it but I swear, this bag had been sitting open at the back of the freezer collecting every bit of flavor the other foods had to offer while simultaneously losing every molecule of moisture. This stuff tasted like cardboard... origami calamari anyone? The manager graciously took the calamari away from us and gave us more mozzarella sticks... deep fried luxury right there. Sadly, he had the nerve to offer us more calamari. I could go on and on but the bottom line is that the food was sub-par. Worse than my already low expectations could handle. Now, I fully understand that managers and cooks are people too but the managers really need to step their game up at that location. 1. Make sure your staff look professional. Not disheveled, greasy and dirty. 2. Look at the food you are serving. My calamari was paper thin. My chicken Marsala came with 2 half full scoops of (instant?) mashed potatoes and a double (not cut in half) chicken breast covered in overly salty, non-cooked off raw wine tasting "mushroom" sauce. 3. Cover the salad in the walk in... the grated carrots tasted like EVERYTHING in the walk in. I doubt that anyone deliberately did anything to sabotage our meals just the same as I doubt anyone thought they were doing anything wrong... which is the most frightening part.
(1)
She S.
Love this place! At first I thought it was a chain so I wasn't expecting much, it sure did exceed my expectation. I love the tilapia and the wine selection is amazing
(5)
Darrin S.
I had ordered on the phone for my order to go. When I picked my order up it was fast. So when I got home I could not believe the small portions that was in the the bag. I had ordered the penne franco and the Italian classics dishes. For the amount they charge it is a ripoff. My strong suggestion is to head over to Romano's Macaroni Grill. Much more worth it.
(2)
Bob K.
Came here on a wednesday night. Sat down quickly. Someone took are drink order as our server was busy. We thought it was going to be a horrible night out. After getting our drinks, Mason our waiter came over and then brought awesome bread! My wife got Chicken Marsala with garlic mashed potatoes while I got the Pasta Carrabba which is chicken alfredo. We both loved our food! The soup had huge real pieces of chicken. The biggest pieces I have ever seen in soup. It was the same kind of chicken that comes in an entree. So not the cheap chicken. At the end, we spoke to Mason about other places n such. He stated they do not have a microwave at all and everything is cooked from scratch! For me and my wife it was $43 out the door including tax and tip of $7. My wife ordered water for a drink and I got an iced tea. Just remember you get what you pay for, so all in all if you want a great Italian dinner then I'd highly recommend Carrabba's.
(5)
Kevin C.
As chain restaurants go, Carraba's is pretty dang good. Good menu choices with some innovative choices, nice atmosphere, consistently good wait staff in my experience, and fair prices. MUCH better than Olive Garden IMHO, in all respects. When it comes to Italian, I prefer the mom & pop joints with red & white checked tablecloths, 50-yr old Olympia beer signs covered in dust, and Grandpa sitting over in the corner at "his" table all night, monitoring the goings-on.. but when one of those joints isn't available, Carraba's isn't a bad choice at all.
(4)
Brett B.
Once I tried their steak, I knew I'd be going against the old adage: Don't go to an Italian restaurant for a steak. Went on a Friday night. Ordered a modified antipasti appetizer. Was kind of surprised at the skimpy portions, for a $12 appetizer. Good taste though. Love the fried zucchini, as they were cut like french fries and battered. The sirloin was tasty, although the Marsala was a bit scanty. My daughter loved her Pollo Rosa Maria, but found the baked veggies to appear less than appetizing (although she appreciated the healthy cooking method). My salmon had a great consistency and was flavorful, but had a smidge of a fishy taste. The tiramisu had a strong rum flavor, and did not rank well against others I've had from different eateries. Without alcohol, dinner, beverages and 1 dessert for 3 was close to $100 with tip.
(4)
Raffi M.
From a chain Italian restaurant you can't usually expect much, but Carrabba's does very well. Some of the friendliest service we have experienced at a chain restaurant. Very accommodating with special requests, and with the staff that we have had on our visits we can tell that they enjoy having people in their restaurant. The oil olive served with the bread is amazing with the cracked spices (you can buy the spice mix to take home!). I remember the calamari being nice and crisp but not too greasy, and the other items in the appetizer combo were very tasty (I enjoyed the Bruschetta quite a bit). One of the entrees we ordered was a chicken dinner and it was cooked very well. I do remember one thing on our visit very well; the Tiramisu. Although initially I was not hit with the boldness of liquor, after dinner I felt the alcohol more than any other Tiramisu I have had. I love a strong Tiramisu, and this one met that in addition to being rich, creamy, and sized just right for two people to share. Lots to try on the menu, very friendly staff, super accommodating with regards to dietary needs, and fair priced food make Carrabba's a good choice for a reliable Italian restaurant in a casual setting.
(4)
Tara S.
My family loves Carrabas and always orders the same thing. We came on a busy Friday night and had no problem waiting the 45 minutes to be seated. Once we were, the waitress took our drink orders- soda for my husband and I and milk for my toddler. Literally 20 minutes later she came back with water. I reminded her that we had ordered sodas and she apologized and said she'd be right back. We waited. And waited. She came back 15 minutes later, no drinks in hand for our food order. We again asked for our drinks and ordered our food, asking that my son's kids meal come with the appetizer as he was starving. We witnessed her for the next 30 minutes talking with customers at the bar who were apparently friends, and finally grabbed an older man out of uniform, who I assume was the manager and asked if our food would be much longer. 15 minutes later he, ( not her) dropped off freezing cold food at our table with not so much as a word. After one bite I got up, tracked him down (waitress still nowhere in sight), and told him the food was cold. He offered to have it remade but by this time we had been sitting for an hour and my patience had grown thin. He popped it in the microwave and we ate as quickly as we could to get out of there. Now we have a cranky 2 year old, a cranky pregnant momma (me), and HaHa, still no sodas. Bill came, we paid and left. I emailed corporate via Facebook and they called me immediately and were beyond apologetic. They wanted to know our server's name, but I simply wanted to inform them of the problem, not get anyone fired so I declined. They sent me a $50 gift card and we returned on a less busy week night. Our server Adam was amazing, prompt, and all without knowing our dinner had been comped. We will definitely be returning again, as I'm very happy with the way they settled my complaint. And besides, their chicken marsala is hands down the best EVER!
(3)
ashley m.
We frequent Carrabbas since it close to our house. I have never had to wait for a table more then about 15 minutes and that was on a busy Friday night. Everyone is always very polite. I always get the Veal Piccatta because.. well I love it. It comes with garlic mashed potatoes that are soooo good. Their bread and oil for dipping are also splendid! MMM - They also have a very good Parmesean dressing for salads that my daughter puts away by the handful (she is 2 haha!) All in all it is a moderately priced, delicious, quick meal which is very important when you have a 2 year old :)
(4)
Ricky D.
These guys make the best Chicken Marsala on the planet!! Well done!
(4)
Helen F.
This is our go to dinner restaurant. Service is great, food is even better and the blackberry sangria makes me happy :) Try the Chicken Bryan and don't be afraid of the goats cheese. I didn't think I'd like it but I tasted a friends and the cheese is smooth and mild. Since that taste almost two years ago I haven't ordered anything but Chicken Bryan. The bread and herb oil is delicious too.
(5)
J P.
I don't expect a lot from chain Italian restaurants (which begs the question why did I go here...because the place I wanted to go to is closed on Monday) but surprisingly it wasn't horrible. The wife had Pasta Weesie. Except for the name, it was actually pretty good although when I tasted it I found the mushrooms in it to be a bit salty. I had Chicken & Spinach Cannelloni not bad. As an aside, Cannelloni, normal name for an italian dish as opposed to Pasta Weesie...see was that hard? For reasons I'm still trying to figure out we ordered Italian Sangria. First, Weesie pasta and now Italian Sangria. What's that all about? But aside from my cognitive dissonance with their naming convention for things on the menu the only thing they should really rethink is the whole Italian Sangria. Way to sweet and had a weird cinnamon after taste. Granted cinnamon was one of the ingredients in the drink but between the sweetness and the cinnamon I'll be real happy if I don't end up gacking the stuff back up. So to summarize, food not bad. Sangria, something to take a pass on.
(3)
Evan B.
They really focous on the grill part. The meul is full of griled chicken, meat and a fish item. There also are pizzas and pastas. My main grip with this place i having highly adulterated dishes, go to italy and fettuccine Alfredo means, noodles and sauce, no chicken. The theme is carries out thought the menu, in a poor attempt to seem original lobster, sausage or chicken is added to most traditional dishes. This left me a vegetarian with only a few choices, I went with the Grilled salmon (no sauce) with the garlic mashed potato. The salmon was a standard farm raised variety and typically over cooked for my tastes. The potatoes were decent as enough garlic and butter can make anything good. ($17) I did like the bread here but that is not enough of a reason to get me back. A long wait for mediocre Salmon at a less than stellar price.
(2)
Giselle M.
I have been employed at Carrabbas for almost 2 and a half years. As a server we are required to try everything on the the menu. Our food is made from scratch and we don't have microwaves. I love the food there!! I probably gained 10 pounds. My husband and I go quite often there, our children love the mozzarella marinara and the calamari. My husband loves the wood grilled salmon and I love the chicken Bryan. Our happy hour is fantastic!! Our happy hour is 7 days a week. Monday- Friday it's 4PM-7PM Saturday and Sunday it's from 3PM-7PM. All tap beers and our Cosmopolitan, Pomegranate Martini, Carrabbarita on the rocks and Razzmitini are half off. Our house wines and homemade sangrias are on special as well. You get a quartino for the price of a glass. A quartino is a glass and a half. Our sangrias are delicious!! We have peach, red and blackberry sangrias. Certain well drinks are also half off. All drink specials are through out the restaurant and all our appetizers are half off in the bar only. On Monday nights we have Amore Mondays, this is a great dea,l it is a special menu where you get a great deal for your money. This menu comes with your choice of an appetizer or a dessert, an entree and choice of soup or salad starting at $12.00. I hope you come and visit us and try us out, I guarantee you'll love it as much as I do!! Come and ask for me (Giselle)
(5)
T W.
Had a gift card, so we decided to visit for happy hour. The happy hour deal is 1/2 off their appetizers, plus some drink specials. So this is really a review of their appetizers. We didn't get an entree. We ordered the bruscetta, the calamari, and the arranzini (I think that's the name). The bruschetta was really good. I liked it a lot. If everything else was that good I'd probably go at least 4 stars. The arranzini were sorta like meatballs but they weren't all meat. There was other stuff in them. Sort of reminded me of falafel. They were pretty good. A solid three stars there. The calamari was a disappointment. It was cooked well enough (usually the problem is they do it wrong and it's like chewing on a tire). But the seasoning was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too salty. I mean getting-a-mouth-full-of-sea-water salty. To their credit they took it back, but then brought out a batch with no seasoning. Imagine calamari with no seasoning...yeah...zzzzzzzzz. Somewhere between chewing on rock salt and no seasoning is a happy place called "properly seasoned". Their chef should look into that. I can't quite bring myself to give the calamari two stars. Gotta go with one. Just not good. Only the marinara dipping sauce made it tolerable. So, overall, three stars. You could do better, you could do worse. At least for appetizers. Perhaps I'll return and do an entree. I still have a balance on that gift card.
(3)
Jenny L.
Everything was so ON POINT at this restaurant. It reminds me of an 12x upgrade of the Olive Garden. We were at first debating if I wanted to eat at the pizza place across the parking lot but last minute decided to come here. Best decision! I'm quite the critic when it comes to food, service , cleanliness, quality and appearance. We were greeted as we walked in, our waitress was Linda, she is such a sweet lady. I was debating between the lobster ravioli and the tenderloin Marsala, Linda our waitress told me I can get a side of lobster ravioli for couple more dollars to get best of both. They were both so good! The tenderloin was really tender and it just melted in your mouth & very flavorful. Linda came back frequently to check up on us. I was definitely come back if and when I come back to Arizona. (From California) To all the bad reviews I have written for bad service, they need to get customer service Lessons from Linda. Linda deserves a raise!! Rating: Cleanliness 5/5 Customer service 6/5 Food appearance 5/5 Quality 5/5 (way to go cooks)
(5)
Rhonda S.
I've always enjoyed Carrabba's. Nothing extravagant but good food, good service. It's kind of my go to place if I am in the mood for pasta.
(3)
Matt K.
We had a really good experience here yesterday. I was wanting a steak with a little pasta and knew this was a place that did both. We had our 2 kids with us and it was nice to see their kids menu had more than just mac and cheese. They even got some raw pizza dough to play with. The ambience is definitely that of a chain restaurant but the food came out extremely fast and didn't overlap. Salads came out nearly instantly after we ordered, kids food shortly thereafter as requested, and after we finished our salads, mains came out promptly. My fillet was more towards the rare side than medium rare, but flavor and texture were wonderful. Pasta had a bit too fiddly of a sauce but did the job. The butter cake dessert was devoured quickly by our quartet. Overall, a pretty good meal!
(4)
Tyler S.
I've been coming to this Carrabba's for a few years, and I've only ever had one lackluster meal. The spot in Mesa isn't great, but this location is the most consistently spectacular eatery I've ever been to. The Chicken Bryan (grilled chicken with lemon butter) is as good as food gets. I always get it with a side of cavatappi, also covered in lemon butter, and a bowl of chicken soup. As far as appetizers go, I love the meatball ricotta flatbread, and the basket of bread they give you at the start of the meal is always appreciated. If you feel like quality Italian food, this place can't be beat. The food, service, and ambiance are second to none.
(5)
Lisa B.
We came here for my mom's birthday. Great service! Eric was our server and made our time there very enjoyable. He was attentive, quick with drinks and on top of refills. He has a good attitude and was great with my kids. Food is always great. It's great to see managers on the floor too.
(5)
Shar S.
Horribly rude hostess to begin with..... We went to seat ourselves at the bar, and she came up raised her voice saying she can only sit us and to go back in front and wait. There was not a crowd or wait, the place was over half empty!!!! Then our waiter who was CLUELESS brought our drinks, the overly-salted shrimp diablo and the fishy smelling mussels. Totally forgot our soups, he never apologized either so we paid our bill and went to BRIO where the service and food blows this shameful place away!
(1)
Olivia T.
We have been coming to this location since it opened and we have always enjoyed a nice family meal. I've actually moved to North Phoenix and we aren't exactly near to this location any longer. But, when I pick up my daughter from her Dad's this is our fave place to go. I chose the lentil and sausage soup and the house salad for dinner. I've noticed that their salads have been shrinking in size for some time now. Now, they come to the table half the size that they used to be, no pepperoncini's, and a very dry salad..... Tonight's meal however would be made extra special by the presence of a long, light colored hair in my bowl of soup. I'm a brunette so, it was not mine. The manager removed the item from my bill and offered a free dessert to make up for the "hairy" soup. Needless to say we will not be back to this location anytime soon if ever at all. Epic fail Carrabbas's..... We never expected anything like this to happen at your restaurant.
(1)
Mario S.
My family and I used to love Carrabas but last night was our worst experience ever. Server poor, seemed like she didn't want to be there. Had to ask her twice to bring our beverages. Then she copped an attitude for the remaining portion of our dinner. Food portion size extremely small. Prosciutto and pork medallions was a joke. 3 medallions were size of walnuts with maybe a half of a slice of prosciutto. My side dish was approximately 12 string beans. Very disappointed, seems like they're more interested in getting you in and getting you out turning tables then providing you with a nice dining experience.. Won't ever go back....$102 wasted in my opinion
(1)
Marissa D.
Went in around 9pm for a late dinner. The hostess was very friendly and sat us right away. We had Justin as our server and he was great! He had full knowledge of the menu and had great suggestions that were delicious. He was attentive and friendly. Definitely ask for Justin when you go in. I ordered the calamari and it was pretty good! Kind of greasy but it was fried so eh. But it was good. Definitely will come back.
(4)
Jim S.
Went here the other night with spouse. We've been going there over 12 years. The service is always great, the food is good. The only issue is price versus portion size. They greatly reduced it from previous visits. For example, we quit ordering appetizers because we couldn't finish the dinner. Following the same principle, when we visited we actually left and went to get a desert somewhere else because we gave them $65 and weren't going to give them anymore. We both felt like we paid for dinner portions and received lunch portions. This isn't a food quality issue or a staff issue, this is a management or owner issue. California pizza kitchen tried this, and after two years of falling revenues they got the message. We might try them again in a couple years.... :-(
(2)
Eric H.
Love this place! I only wish they had better hours. This would be a great place to have lunch for office meetings or just with friends, but they are only open for dinner. That would be a huge bonus. But, I have always had great service and food here. The other night the waitress forgot to put our food order in and she gave us a free appetizer then and another one for our next visit. The ambiance is perfect for a date.
Loved it!!! Great service, awesome food!!! The decor wasn't amazing but it's my new fav Italian spot!!
(5)
David D.
This restaurant is expensive for the little amount of food you receive. The food is good. I don't mind paying top dollar, but I want to get my moneys worth if I do. The environment is quaint and the service was good. The bread is the star here. They have the best complimentary bread over any other restaurant.
(3)
Brian H.
I ordered curbside pickup for Mothers Day. My pickup time was 6:20 pm. I pulled up to the restaurant at exactly 6:21 pm and at that time there were 2 bags of food sitting outside on a table. One employee was bouncing between cars and the restaurant dropping off and picking up the bills. After five minutes he picked up one of the bags off the table and brought it to the car next to ours. Next, our bill came and the employee apologized for the wait exclaiming that they've been busier than normal. I told him we understood and he went on his way. At 6:40 (19 minutes after we had arrived) a guy picked up the bag of food that had been sitting for 19+ minutes and hands it to me. I said "no no no, that has been sitting there since we pulled up twenty minutes ago!" His response was "I'll try to be quicker on my feet next time". And then he ran inside. By the time we get home our food had sat for 30+ minutes. The food was cold and our appetizer was soggy. It was aweful, a huge waste of money, and a disappointing Mother's Day dinner for my wife, my kids, and myself. I can't imagine any restaurant deeming it acceptable or even safe to serve food under those conditions. We have always loved eating at carrabbas but this experience really rubbed us the wrong way. It is not right or safe to serve people food that has sat for that long. I have made multiple attempts to contact Carrabbas and have yet to receive a response.
(1)
Sandra N.
The food is what you would normally expect, but the dining experience was less than desired. During our entire meal the table behind us had an endless parade of people. The diners work at the restaurant so everyone and their mother had to come by for a conversation. In addition, I became privy to all the gossip at the restaurant and it got so bad that I was unable to hear what my husband was saying. You would think that since they work here they would understand discretion and how to be around customers.
(1)
Kara F.
This was my first time eating at a Carrabba's and it's not that I had high hopes, but this restaurant was horrendous and completely killed my desire to ever eat at a Carrabba's again. It was one of the most uncomfortable situations I have ever experienced at a restaurant. Happy hour was going on and me and my boyfriend were eyeing some blackberry lemonade, seems innocent right? I ordered one, thinking it was just lemonade with blackberry syrup in it. The waiter never asked for my ID nor mentioned anything of this blackberry lemonade being alcoholic. I received the drink and noticed it was in a fancy glass, not one that I could hurriedly drink due to being parched. My boyfriend then asked a waiter passing by if the drink was alcoholic and she had no idea. A couple of minutes pass, and then BAM! The bartender comes out of nowhere demanding to see my ID to see if I was older than 21, which luckily I was, but who knows what would have happened if I wasn't. She then walks off as if it's okay to bombard a table for something that they had no idea about nor did anything wrong. Our waiter then shows up out of nowhere, just says my mistake, doesn't offer me anything else to drink or even if I want to keep the alcoholic drink. I refused to drink it and got an ice tea instead. And for the rest of my meal I was treated like an outcast. My server refused to look me in the eye and no longer directed questions towards me or cared to see if I was doing okay. ONE OF THE MOST UNCOMFORTABLE AND AWKWARD SITUATIONS I HAVE EVER HAD AT A RESTAURANT. It was like I was in time out until I left the restaurant and that I was the criminal. I am NEVER going back to Carrabba's, and besides, Olive Garden's food is way better than the tasteless crap they serve here. Needless to say we still left 20% because I use to work as a server, but I did not leave a tip based on service or performance it was out of sheer generosity.
(1)
Charissa G.
Our favorite!!!! So many people over look their famous chicken dishes and dont forget their yummy steak!!! We love the Pollo Rosa Maria, Chicken Bryan, Sirloin with Marsala sauce.. They have amazing mussels, bread, The Best Sangria, The house salad dressing "creamy Parmesan" Yummy Alfredo sauce too, (hard to find good sauce)!! Go try it, youll be glad you did!
(5)
Liz S.
The food is great but this location's customer service is poor. We had made reservations and specifically told the hostess and the server is was a birthday celebration. We were introduced by one server but only saw her one time after she took our drink order. The rest of the service was done by three other people and they had no communication among each other. It took about 20 minutes to get our salads then our food was brought out not even two minutes later. In the process of trying to make room for more plates my drink was spilled. I assumed they would bring me a new one but it never came. So eventually I had to ask for another one and the server asked me if I was serious. I have been to the carrabbas in chandler on ray and the 10. Everything there was FANTASTIC! I was completely thrown off by the gilbert location's poor service and how rushed they made us feel. They knew it was a birthday dinner but made the only memorable moment of the evening their poor service. I will never go back to this location again.
(2)
Nancy C.
I'm no stranger to good Italian food, and I wasn't expecting anything special but I was knocked out by the quality of Carrabba's food. The tomato basil soup was absolutely fresh, with complex flavors, texture, and spice, along with lovely wilted basil leaves to top it off. I thought this would be chain restaurant stuff, and it's really quite a few steps higher quality than its price point. I loved the olive oil dip and bread (which I tried not to overeat), and my husband and I shared each other's entree. I'll be back! Highly recommended. Attentive service too.
(5)
Matt S.
Sad to give this place a 1 star cause I love the food, and every time I have been to any Carrabba's it has been amazing (food wise) but this specific one gets a ONE STAR FOR POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. We got to the place and they said about 5 min wait, and since we have kids, that was perfect - if it was longer we would have went somewhere else....so we wait and wait and wait ... I go ask and they say they are working on getting our table. Long story short they forgot about us and we ended up waiting almost 45 min before we got seated....we decided to stay so long because we thought it was "almost ready" and did not expect it to turn out the way it did. Then the waiter got our food messed up - good thing everything on the menu is good because my wife got half of mine, and I got half of hers and then the waiter goes nuts trying to blame everyone else Very unprofessional! Horrible service and will probably not go back to this one again unless they convince me otherwise!
(1)
Jim W.
Three point six seven nine stars. I have some gift cards from Carrabba's and I must say that even though I am fairly anti-chain and pro-independent...Carrabba's ain't half bad. As a matter of fact it's better than half good. The service here was outstanding and the food was well beyond just ok - better than I was expecting from a chain. We ordered several things to share amongst the family - spaghetti with meatballs, chicken caeser salad, mozzarella sticks. I particularly enjoyed the chicken caesar salad. I still prefer independents but Carrabba's is a safe chain apparently. I think.
(3)
Trent G.
My wife and I will not go back to this unit. So inconsistent....service, food, etc..... The unit in Mesa is much more consistent. 4 more miles to drive but I am tired of being disappointed.
(2)
Liz S.
...and the 1 star is being super kind. My husband and I walked into the restaurant around 8:30 pm and was seated by a hostess that never made eye contact with us. Never. Then we were helped by a server that, and I'm almost positive, hates her job and doesn't want to be there. Again, no eye contact but whatever. We started off with the mozzarella- horrible. It came out still dripping in grease and the taste was of old cooking oil. I had the fettuccini and it was terrible. I've had better out of a jar at home. Our bill was stupid for the amount of crappy food that we had. I usually feel bad saying terrible things about a joint but not in this case. They should just shut it down. I am confident in my next statement- I will never, in my life, eat at this place even if it's between life and death. I'd much rather die. On the plus side, the water was cold.
I had a very good dinner with my wifey! Great service, good and tasty dinner, and good atmosphere:). Recommend Carrabas at San Tan for wholesome dinner out with family. Great values what you get!
(4)
Mr. E.
This Carrabba's is just 'ok'. I went in with a friend a couple hours before they closed. It was the typical olive garden/italian chain decor with dim lighting. The host seated us promptly, and our server said hello right away. The service itself was great. She answered all of our questions, and made a lot of suggestions. I ended up ordering the Chicken Bryan Ravioli, and my friend ordered the Seafood Cannelloni. It definitely smelled like seafood. With each meal a soup or salad was included, along with complimentary bread and olive oil with herbs. I probably should have ordered something else, but I had hiked camelback mountain and I was starving. The shredded chicken inside reminded me of what canned cat food looks like... It tasted ok, but didn't look that good. Portions were a bit small, and the sangria tasted like Juice. Nothing was wrong with the service, the manager even stopped by to ask how everything was. I would go back here, but I think I'll keep it more simple with what I order. Maybe just a chicken parm, or alfredo. If you want to try food that is a step above Olive Garden, go here. If you just want free stuff, and average service- go to Olive Garden or Brio's Tuscan Grille. I really did like our waitress and would go back just because of that.
(3)
KC M.
Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous! From the clean facility, to the friendly staff to the amazingly delicious food . . . Carrabba's rocks! IF you want to be wined and dined . . . this is the place. What a blessing to have them in the east valley. Blessings to them as they provide quality service at a moderate price : ) KC
(5)
Beth L.
I am always treated very well at Carraba's. The service is quick, friendly and on point. As we were seated, our waiter was in the middle of taking an order at another table so a different waiter, I want to say his name is Bryan......he kindly came over to fill our drink orders since our waiter was busy. I thought that was a nice touch to step in. Not that I was in a hurry, just that it was good team work on his part and showed excellent customer service. After our waiter finished up at the other table he came over and introduced to himself. I find that the Carraba staff are always very friendly and professional. My daughter ordered the Chicken Bryan. $15.99. Topped with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and lemon butter sauce. Scrumptious! I had the Fettuccine Weezy, $16.59. My favorite. Fettuccine Alfredo with sauteed shrimp, garlic and mushrooms in our white wine lemon butter sauce. Sometimes the flavor of Alfredo can be strong but this tones down the flavor with the wine lemon butter sauce. All the flavors meld together so nicely and bring extra dimension of flavors. Highly recommend giving this a try. Another one to try is the Chicken Trio.$22.79. If you want to sample a couple different chicken dishes this is the one for you. Or if you just can't make up or you mind. This Trio comes with: Bryan, Marsala and Rosa Maria
(5)
Regina W.
I haven't been here in awhile, but I did like what I consumed! It was a crowded night full of people! That's always a good sign to me! The service we received really was great - quick and attentive. My water was refilled frequently, which is always a nice thing. Especially in this hot summer heat! You do get a basket of sliced bread wrapped in a napkin. Their bread was fresh and warm and was really tasty with the oil and balsamic vinegarette. I ordered the lobster ravioli. The chunks of lobster really impressed me because I could actually taste the lobster! It balanced really nicely with the cheese and pasta and sauce. The sauce was delicious and flavorful. Portion size was good enough for me. Our other pasta dish was a little on the smaller portion size (especially for a man), which was surprising to me for an Italian type of place. But I guess you don't want to be rolling out of a restaurant regretting all the carbs you packed on that belly!
(4)
Alex D.
Very good service , they don't have the flavor( syrups ) to add to the tea like most others do, they tell you the cost is too high yet they have the highest sales in the valley, go figure. The food has always been very good. No major issues at all, there very consistent with quality and attention they provide.
(4)
Daniel S.
We eat here several times a year, it's one on my wife's favorite places to eat. The starter of bread and oil is very good, the food is above average, however,the price is high for what you get. The environment is very nice and always pleasant. The staff has always been very helpful and willing to assist.
(3)
Eric H.
Love this place! I only wish they had better hours. This would be a great place to have lunch for office meetings or just with friends, but they are only open for dinner. That would be a huge bonus. But, I have always had great service and food here. The other night the waitress forgot to put our food order in and she gave us a free appetizer then and another one for our next visit. The ambiance is perfect for a date.
(5)
Marissa D.
Went in around 9pm for a late dinner. The hostess was very friendly and sat us right away. We had Justin as our server and he was great! He had full knowledge of the menu and had great suggestions that were delicious. He was attentive and friendly. Definitely ask for Justin when you go in. I ordered the calamari and it was pretty good! Kind of greasy but it was fried so eh. But it was good. Definitely will come back.
(4)
Jim S.
Went here the other night with spouse. We've been going there over 12 years. The service is always great, the food is good. The only issue is price versus portion size. They greatly reduced it from previous visits. For example, we quit ordering appetizers because we couldn't finish the dinner. Following the same principle, when we visited we actually left and went to get a desert somewhere else because we gave them $65 and weren't going to give them anymore. We both felt like we paid for dinner portions and received lunch portions. This isn't a food quality issue or a staff issue, this is a management or owner issue. California pizza kitchen tried this, and after two years of falling revenues they got the message. We might try them again in a couple years.... :-(
(2)
Shar S.
Horribly rude hostess to begin with..... We went to seat ourselves at the bar, and she came up raised her voice saying she can only sit us and to go back in front and wait. There was not a crowd or wait, the place was over half empty!!!! Then our waiter who was CLUELESS brought our drinks, the overly-salted shrimp diablo and the fishy smelling mussels. Totally forgot our soups, he never apologized either so we paid our bill and went to BRIO where the service and food blows this shameful place away!
Loved it!!! Great service, awesome food!!! The decor wasn't amazing but it's my new fav Italian spot!!
(5)
David D.
This restaurant is expensive for the little amount of food you receive. The food is good. I don't mind paying top dollar, but I want to get my moneys worth if I do. The environment is quaint and the service was good. The bread is the star here. They have the best complimentary bread over any other restaurant.
(3)
Brian H.
I ordered curbside pickup for Mothers Day. My pickup time was 6:20 pm. I pulled up to the restaurant at exactly 6:21 pm and at that time there were 2 bags of food sitting outside on a table. One employee was bouncing between cars and the restaurant dropping off and picking up the bills. After five minutes he picked up one of the bags off the table and brought it to the car next to ours. Next, our bill came and the employee apologized for the wait exclaiming that they've been busier than normal. I told him we understood and he went on his way. At 6:40 (19 minutes after we had arrived) a guy picked up the bag of food that had been sitting for 19+ minutes and hands it to me. I said "no no no, that has been sitting there since we pulled up twenty minutes ago!" His response was "I'll try to be quicker on my feet next time". And then he ran inside. By the time we get home our food had sat for 30+ minutes. The food was cold and our appetizer was soggy. It was aweful, a huge waste of money, and a disappointing Mother's Day dinner for my wife, my kids, and myself. I can't imagine any restaurant deeming it acceptable or even safe to serve food under those conditions. We have always loved eating at carrabbas but this experience really rubbed us the wrong way. It is not right or safe to serve people food that has sat for that long. I have made multiple attempts to contact Carrabbas and have yet to receive a response.
(1)
Sandra N.
The food is what you would normally expect, but the dining experience was less than desired. During our entire meal the table behind us had an endless parade of people. The diners work at the restaurant so everyone and their mother had to come by for a conversation. In addition, I became privy to all the gossip at the restaurant and it got so bad that I was unable to hear what my husband was saying. You would think that since they work here they would understand discretion and how to be around customers.
(1)
Geoffrey M.
We realize that if we want some good Italian food, our hands are pretty much tied. For my wife's birthday, we wanted something a little more than Oregano's and a little less pricey than Tutti Santi. Let's face it, Carrabba's is just that middle man and their recent advertising spree had our mouths watering with images of plates filled with authentic looking Italian delights! What we received however was a cross between what I would expect Astronaut food and Jail food to taste like. Before I unleash my furor, I would like to say that there were a few positives regarding our experience. 1. The kids loved the mozzarella sticks. 2. The bread was piping hot. 3. The water and the drinks were cold. 4. The pasta portion of my wife's dinner was hot. 5. The waitstaff and manager were "nice". Starting with our server, she was nice enough but I am certain that she had neither washed her uniform or her hair in the past two week and on a 4-top, was handing us our drinks rather than placing them on the table. Who cares right? Terrible service is the norm here in Gilbert. At least she was nice. When our appetizer arrived, the calamari was literally inedible. It wasn't burned either, it was a light golden brown in color. Of course it is frozen calamari, of course it comes in a bag... We aren't sitting on a pier in San Francisco, I get it but I swear, this bag had been sitting open at the back of the freezer collecting every bit of flavor the other foods had to offer while simultaneously losing every molecule of moisture. This stuff tasted like cardboard... origami calamari anyone? The manager graciously took the calamari away from us and gave us more mozzarella sticks... deep fried luxury right there. Sadly, he had the nerve to offer us more calamari. I could go on and on but the bottom line is that the food was sub-par. Worse than my already low expectations could handle. Now, I fully understand that managers and cooks are people too but the managers really need to step their game up at that location. 1. Make sure your staff look professional. Not disheveled, greasy and dirty. 2. Look at the food you are serving. My calamari was paper thin. My chicken Marsala came with 2 half full scoops of (instant?) mashed potatoes and a double (not cut in half) chicken breast covered in overly salty, non-cooked off raw wine tasting "mushroom" sauce. 3. Cover the salad in the walk in... the grated carrots tasted like EVERYTHING in the walk in. I doubt that anyone deliberately did anything to sabotage our meals just the same as I doubt anyone thought they were doing anything wrong... which is the most frightening part.
(1)
She S.
Love this place! At first I thought it was a chain so I wasn't expecting much, it sure did exceed my expectation. I love the tilapia and the wine selection is amazing
(5)
Samantha C.
Some family members were in AZ for the week and on their last night we had a large group meet for dinner at this Carraba's. My boyfriend, Sister, and myself were the first to arrive and told the hostess we would have a group of 8 and she sat us at a large table in the bar section. We had a lot of room because the area was pretty empty, but the table was very high and the chairs we so awkward to move because they were all squeezed in next to the others, plus no space at all for purses so I had to put mine on the ground under my feet, sad face! I was smiling when I saw it was still happy hour and all drinks were half off. After a vodka cran with lime I was ready to check out the menu. There were a few apps also half off so we ordered some bacon onion flatbread to munch on while we waited for the rest of our party. Time passed and everyone arrived, but not our flatbread. Our friends and family ordered some calamari, and another flatbread. A few minutes later their calamari came out, still no flatbread! I asked and finally another waitress came out carrying it. It was decent, nothing amazing. I ate more of the calamari. After looking through the menu I decided on some type of chicken spinach stuffed pasta. Our waiter brought out some very heavy bread to dip in olive oil and herbs. I was eagerly waiting the main courses to come out, and about fifteen minutes later a woman came out calling my dishes name, I was ready for a plate to be placed on the table but instead I saw her empty handed. She informed me they were out of my dishes ingredients and they would not have another delivery of them for some time. This tells me two things, one they probably order this dish frozen and reheat it in the kitchen because how can a restaurant not have pasta shells, chicken, and spinach to throw together? Those are total staples. And two, our waiter was not on his A-game because it had been over FIFTEEN minutes since we ordered and he couldn't come out sooner to let me know? So then I had to quickly scan the menu and to be honest nothing else sounded even close to what I felt like eating so I just went with some combo of lasagna and chicken parm. Not only would I be waiting longer but I filled up on breads and drinks. When my dish finally did come out I tried two bites, the lasagna was overpowered with ricotta and totally turned me off. The chicken parm was alright, the breading was burnt black in some parts and the chicken was bland. The next time I saw our waiter I asked for a box and one of their after dinner boozy coffee drinks and asked him to not charge it to the bill in return for them not having what I originally ordered. He looked surprised and said he had heard about someone not getting what they ordered but didn't know it was me and apologized and said he would see what he could do about comping my drink. I don't know if that ended up happening because I wasn't the one paying the bill, but I was disappointed in their confusion. The coffee drink helped me leave in a better mood but not enough to make me want to return.
(3)
Shar S.
Horribly rude hostess to begin with..... We went to seat ourselves at the bar, and she came up raised her voice saying she can only sit us and to go back in front and wait. There was not a crowd or wait, the place was over half empty!!!! Then our waiter who was CLUELESS brought our drinks, the overly-salted shrimp diablo and the fishy smelling mussels. Totally forgot our soups, he never apologized either so we paid our bill and went to BRIO where the service and food blows this shameful place away!
(1)
Beth L.
I am always treated very well at Carraba's. The service is quick, friendly and on point. As we were seated, our waiter was in the middle of taking an order at another table so a different waiter, I want to say his name is Bryan......he kindly came over to fill our drink orders since our waiter was busy. I thought that was a nice touch to step in. Not that I was in a hurry, just that it was good team work on his part and showed excellent customer service. After our waiter finished up at the other table he came over and introduced to himself. I find that the Carraba staff are always very friendly and professional. My daughter ordered the Chicken Bryan. $15.99. Topped with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and lemon butter sauce. Scrumptious! I had the Fettuccine Weezy, $16.59. My favorite. Fettuccine Alfredo with sauteed shrimp, garlic and mushrooms in our white wine lemon butter sauce. Sometimes the flavor of Alfredo can be strong but this tones down the flavor with the wine lemon butter sauce. All the flavors meld together so nicely and bring extra dimension of flavors. Highly recommend giving this a try. Another one to try is the Chicken Trio.$22.79. If you want to sample a couple different chicken dishes this is the one for you. Or if you just can't make up or you mind. This Trio comes with: Bryan, Marsala and Rosa Maria
(5)
Regina W.
I haven't been here in awhile, but I did like what I consumed! It was a crowded night full of people! That's always a good sign to me! The service we received really was great - quick and attentive. My water was refilled frequently, which is always a nice thing. Especially in this hot summer heat! You do get a basket of sliced bread wrapped in a napkin. Their bread was fresh and warm and was really tasty with the oil and balsamic vinegarette. I ordered the lobster ravioli. The chunks of lobster really impressed me because I could actually taste the lobster! It balanced really nicely with the cheese and pasta and sauce. The sauce was delicious and flavorful. Portion size was good enough for me. Our other pasta dish was a little on the smaller portion size (especially for a man), which was surprising to me for an Italian type of place. But I guess you don't want to be rolling out of a restaurant regretting all the carbs you packed on that belly!
(4)
Alex D.
Very good service , they don't have the flavor( syrups ) to add to the tea like most others do, they tell you the cost is too high yet they have the highest sales in the valley, go figure. The food has always been very good. No major issues at all, there very consistent with quality and attention they provide.
(4)
Daniel S.
We eat here several times a year, it's one on my wife's favorite places to eat. The starter of bread and oil is very good, the food is above average, however,the price is high for what you get. The environment is very nice and always pleasant. The staff has always been very helpful and willing to assist.
(3)
Bob K.
Came here on a wednesday night. Sat down quickly. Someone took are drink order as our server was busy. We thought it was going to be a horrible night out. After getting our drinks, Mason our waiter came over and then brought awesome bread! My wife got Chicken Marsala with garlic mashed potatoes while I got the Pasta Carrabba which is chicken alfredo. We both loved our food! The soup had huge real pieces of chicken. The biggest pieces I have ever seen in soup. It was the same kind of chicken that comes in an entree. So not the cheap chicken. At the end, we spoke to Mason about other places n such. He stated they do not have a microwave at all and everything is cooked from scratch! For me and my wife it was $43 out the door including tax and tip of $7. My wife ordered water for a drink and I got an iced tea. Just remember you get what you pay for, so all in all if you want a great Italian dinner then I'd highly recommend Carrabba's.
(5)
Kevin C.
As chain restaurants go, Carraba's is pretty dang good. Good menu choices with some innovative choices, nice atmosphere, consistently good wait staff in my experience, and fair prices. MUCH better than Olive Garden IMHO, in all respects. When it comes to Italian, I prefer the mom & pop joints with red & white checked tablecloths, 50-yr old Olympia beer signs covered in dust, and Grandpa sitting over in the corner at "his" table all night, monitoring the goings-on.. but when one of those joints isn't available, Carraba's isn't a bad choice at all.
(4)
Brett B.
Once I tried their steak, I knew I'd be going against the old adage: Don't go to an Italian restaurant for a steak. Went on a Friday night. Ordered a modified antipasti appetizer. Was kind of surprised at the skimpy portions, for a $12 appetizer. Good taste though. Love the fried zucchini, as they were cut like french fries and battered. The sirloin was tasty, although the Marsala was a bit scanty. My daughter loved her Pollo Rosa Maria, but found the baked veggies to appear less than appetizing (although she appreciated the healthy cooking method). My salmon had a great consistency and was flavorful, but had a smidge of a fishy taste. The tiramisu had a strong rum flavor, and did not rank well against others I've had from different eateries. Without alcohol, dinner, beverages and 1 dessert for 3 was close to $100 with tip.
Loved it!!! Great service, awesome food!!! The decor wasn't amazing but it's my new fav Italian spot!!
(5)
David D.
This restaurant is expensive for the little amount of food you receive. The food is good. I don't mind paying top dollar, but I want to get my moneys worth if I do. The environment is quaint and the service was good. The bread is the star here. They have the best complimentary bread over any other restaurant.
(3)
T W.
Had a gift card, so we decided to visit for happy hour. The happy hour deal is 1/2 off their appetizers, plus some drink specials. So this is really a review of their appetizers. We didn't get an entree. We ordered the bruscetta, the calamari, and the arranzini (I think that's the name). The bruschetta was really good. I liked it a lot. If everything else was that good I'd probably go at least 4 stars. The arranzini were sorta like meatballs but they weren't all meat. There was other stuff in them. Sort of reminded me of falafel. They were pretty good. A solid three stars there. The calamari was a disappointment. It was cooked well enough (usually the problem is they do it wrong and it's like chewing on a tire). But the seasoning was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too salty. I mean getting-a-mouth-full-of-sea-water salty. To their credit they took it back, but then brought out a batch with no seasoning. Imagine calamari with no seasoning...yeah...zzzzzzzzz. Somewhere between chewing on rock salt and no seasoning is a happy place called "properly seasoned". Their chef should look into that. I can't quite bring myself to give the calamari two stars. Gotta go with one. Just not good. Only the marinara dipping sauce made it tolerable. So, overall, three stars. You could do better, you could do worse. At least for appetizers. Perhaps I'll return and do an entree. I still have a balance on that gift card.
(3)
Jenny L.
Everything was so ON POINT at this restaurant. It reminds me of an 12x upgrade of the Olive Garden. We were at first debating if I wanted to eat at the pizza place across the parking lot but last minute decided to come here. Best decision! I'm quite the critic when it comes to food, service , cleanliness, quality and appearance. We were greeted as we walked in, our waitress was Linda, she is such a sweet lady. I was debating between the lobster ravioli and the tenderloin Marsala, Linda our waitress told me I can get a side of lobster ravioli for couple more dollars to get best of both. They were both so good! The tenderloin was really tender and it just melted in your mouth & very flavorful. Linda came back frequently to check up on us. I was definitely come back if and when I come back to Arizona. (From California) To all the bad reviews I have written for bad service, they need to get customer service Lessons from Linda. Linda deserves a raise!! Rating: Cleanliness 5/5 Customer service 6/5 Food appearance 5/5 Quality 5/5 (way to go cooks)
(5)
Rhonda S.
I've always enjoyed Carrabba's. Nothing extravagant but good food, good service. It's kind of my go to place if I am in the mood for pasta.
(3)
Matt K.
We had a really good experience here yesterday. I was wanting a steak with a little pasta and knew this was a place that did both. We had our 2 kids with us and it was nice to see their kids menu had more than just mac and cheese. They even got some raw pizza dough to play with. The ambience is definitely that of a chain restaurant but the food came out extremely fast and didn't overlap. Salads came out nearly instantly after we ordered, kids food shortly thereafter as requested, and after we finished our salads, mains came out promptly. My fillet was more towards the rare side than medium rare, but flavor and texture were wonderful. Pasta had a bit too fiddly of a sauce but did the job. The butter cake dessert was devoured quickly by our quartet. Overall, a pretty good meal!
(4)
Alexa M.
Let me start off by saying the employees were very nice. I was able to get seated right away as well and I enjoyed my ice tea, but that is where the positive experience ended. I took my mom to have dinner and we both ordered the Pollo Rosa Maria with grilled asparagus which costs an additional $1.50 and that is fine, however when I tried to cut it in half it was like cutting into hard straw. Then I tried to put a piece in my mouth and I had to spit it out as it was like chewing into hard straw... these were even skinny stalks. So the $17.00 cost for the chicken was just that.. just the chicken. No sides accompany this unless you want to pay more. The chicken itself was terrible tasting and super salty. I only ended up taking a small bite and was done. I had ordered us Ceasars salad and a shrimp appetizer. The lettuce was completely white and came drenched in dressing. Simply could not force myself to put any of that into my mouth. And the appetizer never came. I asked my waiter for the manager letting the waiter know that nothing he did was wrong well accept never bringing us the appetizer. Manager came and I delicately explained everything to him. He was nice and said they would take care of the bill asking us if we wanted to order something else. I just couldn't do it. I was already passed being hungry and did not want to risk waiting another 30 minutes or so for another meal. I definitely do not recommend spending hard earned money here. It was very disappointing.
(2)
David W.
Went for my daughters birthday. They made sure it was all about her. Great service. very nice atmosphere. The food was a different story. Very small portions. everybody at the table got asparagus. it was the size of of a large nail. and dry. Chicken was below Mcdonalds .99 cent special standards. I sat there looking out the window wishing i was at the Outback Steakhouse next door. don't go here. total waste of money, unless your on a 500 calorie a day diet.
(3)
Tyler S.
I've been coming to this Carrabba's for a few years, and I've only ever had one lackluster meal. The spot in Mesa isn't great, but this location is the most consistently spectacular eatery I've ever been to. The Chicken Bryan (grilled chicken with lemon butter) is as good as food gets. I always get it with a side of cavatappi, also covered in lemon butter, and a bowl of chicken soup. As far as appetizers go, I love the meatball ricotta flatbread, and the basket of bread they give you at the start of the meal is always appreciated. If you feel like quality Italian food, this place can't be beat. The food, service, and ambiance are second to none.
(5)
Joan G.
It was good but nothing great. One of my daughters really likes this place so I took her for her birthday and it was good but there are better choices for the same or less money. I just wasn't wowed or impressed. I will have to try more dishes. My daughter likes the shrimp and scallop linguine. The sauce was good but the shrimp were overcooked. The atmosphere is nice and the service was very good. Bread was also good.
(3)
Curtis C.
Bread is the corner stone of this place. Amazing!!! We love the lintle and minestrone soup with the chicken Cesar salad. The chicken tastes amazing. Great place and atmosphere for the price. Expect to wait 30 -40 mins on fri and sat night.
(5)
Megan D.
Great service, drinks and food! Zucchini fritte were great, loved the dipping sauce! I thought the pitcher of peach sangria was pretty pricey ($31) only because I don't think there was much alcohol in it but it tasted so good! Also tried the limoncello raspberry martini. SO GOOD. I seriously said mmm and yum after each sip. I want to try the limoncello rosemary gimlet next time! We ordered two pasta dishes to share. The conchiglie al formaggi is super cheesy, we loved it! We are vegetarians so it was nice that our server Linda let us add in veggies to our other pasta dish. We added mushroom and zucchini to the tag pic pac and was perfect. Linda was awesome, friendly and helpful. I will be back!
(5)
John W.
First time here and will be back. Had the special steak with crab cake. Everything was cooked to perfection and was delicious Eric was are waiter and provided excellent service.
(5)
Stephen C.
This is one of my all time favorite (stateside) Italian restaurants. The service is always friendly, the food is always large portions, piping hot, and delicious! I see some people have left negative reviews, weather it be from service, or food... but I'm here to say that I've never had a single bad experience here. I think our favorite part is the bread with oil and herbs they give you while you wait for your meal... no need to buy an appetizer as the bread is so damn good especially when you dip it in the herb oil. Talking with our waiter the last time we were there, we discovered that they are going to be changing up their menu a bit. They are bringing in some new classic Italian fare, and removing some of their less popular dishes. I think the new menu sounds amazing, and personally can't wait to try it out. Anyhow, if you love good Italian at a decent price, then you should try Carrabba's... Much better then Olive Garden IMHO.
(5)
Aaron S.
We love Carrabba's and eat here at least once every few weeks. Way better than any of the other local Italian restaurants. The zucchini fritti is a must as a starter. The garlic aioli they serve it with is delicious, and you might find yourself dipping your bread in it too. Their soups are also great. Their fillet Marsala is one of the best steaks I've ever eaten. I don't think we've ever had a bad meal here. Make sure you save room for the chocolate Sonjo (spell check). One of the best desserts we've ever had.
(5)
Lisa B.
We came here for my mom's birthday. Great service! Eric was our server and made our time there very enjoyable. He was attentive, quick with drinks and on top of refills. He has a good attitude and was great with my kids. Food is always great. It's great to see managers on the floor too.
(5)
Olivia T.
We have been coming to this location since it opened and we have always enjoyed a nice family meal. I've actually moved to North Phoenix and we aren't exactly near to this location any longer. But, when I pick up my daughter from her Dad's this is our fave place to go. I chose the lentil and sausage soup and the house salad for dinner. I've noticed that their salads have been shrinking in size for some time now. Now, they come to the table half the size that they used to be, no pepperoncini's, and a very dry salad..... Tonight's meal however would be made extra special by the presence of a long, light colored hair in my bowl of soup. I'm a brunette so, it was not mine. The manager removed the item from my bill and offered a free dessert to make up for the "hairy" soup. Needless to say we will not be back to this location anytime soon if ever at all. Epic fail Carrabbas's..... We never expected anything like this to happen at your restaurant.
(1)
Marissa D.
Went in around 9pm for a late dinner. The hostess was very friendly and sat us right away. We had Justin as our server and he was great! He had full knowledge of the menu and had great suggestions that were delicious. He was attentive and friendly. Definitely ask for Justin when you go in. I ordered the calamari and it was pretty good! Kind of greasy but it was fried so eh. But it was good. Definitely will come back.
(4)
Mario S.
My family and I used to love Carrabas but last night was our worst experience ever. Server poor, seemed like she didn't want to be there. Had to ask her twice to bring our beverages. Then she copped an attitude for the remaining portion of our dinner. Food portion size extremely small. Prosciutto and pork medallions was a joke. 3 medallions were size of walnuts with maybe a half of a slice of prosciutto. My side dish was approximately 12 string beans. Very disappointed, seems like they're more interested in getting you in and getting you out turning tables then providing you with a nice dining experience.. Won't ever go back....$102 wasted in my opinion
(1)
Jim S.
Went here the other night with spouse. We've been going there over 12 years. The service is always great, the food is good. The only issue is price versus portion size. They greatly reduced it from previous visits. For example, we quit ordering appetizers because we couldn't finish the dinner. Following the same principle, when we visited we actually left and went to get a desert somewhere else because we gave them $65 and weren't going to give them anymore. We both felt like we paid for dinner portions and received lunch portions. This isn't a food quality issue or a staff issue, this is a management or owner issue. California pizza kitchen tried this, and after two years of falling revenues they got the message. We might try them again in a couple years.... :-(
(2)
Eric H.
Love this place! I only wish they had better hours. This would be a great place to have lunch for office meetings or just with friends, but they are only open for dinner. That would be a huge bonus. But, I have always had great service and food here. The other night the waitress forgot to put our food order in and she gave us a free appetizer then and another one for our next visit. The ambiance is perfect for a date.
(5)
Brian H.
I ordered curbside pickup for Mothers Day. My pickup time was 6:20 pm. I pulled up to the restaurant at exactly 6:21 pm and at that time there were 2 bags of food sitting outside on a table. One employee was bouncing between cars and the restaurant dropping off and picking up the bills. After five minutes he picked up one of the bags off the table and brought it to the car next to ours. Next, our bill came and the employee apologized for the wait exclaiming that they've been busier than normal. I told him we understood and he went on his way. At 6:40 (19 minutes after we had arrived) a guy picked up the bag of food that had been sitting for 19+ minutes and hands it to me. I said "no no no, that has been sitting there since we pulled up twenty minutes ago!" His response was "I'll try to be quicker on my feet next time". And then he ran inside. By the time we get home our food had sat for 30+ minutes. The food was cold and our appetizer was soggy. It was aweful, a huge waste of money, and a disappointing Mother's Day dinner for my wife, my kids, and myself. I can't imagine any restaurant deeming it acceptable or even safe to serve food under those conditions. We have always loved eating at carrabbas but this experience really rubbed us the wrong way. It is not right or safe to serve people food that has sat for that long. I have made multiple attempts to contact Carrabbas and have yet to receive a response.
(1)
Sandra N.
The food is what you would normally expect, but the dining experience was less than desired. During our entire meal the table behind us had an endless parade of people. The diners work at the restaurant so everyone and their mother had to come by for a conversation. In addition, I became privy to all the gossip at the restaurant and it got so bad that I was unable to hear what my husband was saying. You would think that since they work here they would understand discretion and how to be around customers.
(1)
Kara F.
This was my first time eating at a Carrabba's and it's not that I had high hopes, but this restaurant was horrendous and completely killed my desire to ever eat at a Carrabba's again. It was one of the most uncomfortable situations I have ever experienced at a restaurant. Happy hour was going on and me and my boyfriend were eyeing some blackberry lemonade, seems innocent right? I ordered one, thinking it was just lemonade with blackberry syrup in it. The waiter never asked for my ID nor mentioned anything of this blackberry lemonade being alcoholic. I received the drink and noticed it was in a fancy glass, not one that I could hurriedly drink due to being parched. My boyfriend then asked a waiter passing by if the drink was alcoholic and she had no idea. A couple of minutes pass, and then BAM! The bartender comes out of nowhere demanding to see my ID to see if I was older than 21, which luckily I was, but who knows what would have happened if I wasn't. She then walks off as if it's okay to bombard a table for something that they had no idea about nor did anything wrong. Our waiter then shows up out of nowhere, just says my mistake, doesn't offer me anything else to drink or even if I want to keep the alcoholic drink. I refused to drink it and got an ice tea instead. And for the rest of my meal I was treated like an outcast. My server refused to look me in the eye and no longer directed questions towards me or cared to see if I was doing okay. ONE OF THE MOST UNCOMFORTABLE AND AWKWARD SITUATIONS I HAVE EVER HAD AT A RESTAURANT. It was like I was in time out until I left the restaurant and that I was the criminal. I am NEVER going back to Carrabba's, and besides, Olive Garden's food is way better than the tasteless crap they serve here. Needless to say we still left 20% because I use to work as a server, but I did not leave a tip based on service or performance it was out of sheer generosity.
(1)
Charissa G.
Our favorite!!!! So many people over look their famous chicken dishes and dont forget their yummy steak!!! We love the Pollo Rosa Maria, Chicken Bryan, Sirloin with Marsala sauce.. They have amazing mussels, bread, The Best Sangria, The house salad dressing "creamy Parmesan" Yummy Alfredo sauce too, (hard to find good sauce)!! Go try it, youll be glad you did!
(5)
Samantha C.
Some family members were in AZ for the week and on their last night we had a large group meet for dinner at this Carraba's. My boyfriend, Sister, and myself were the first to arrive and told the hostess we would have a group of 8 and she sat us at a large table in the bar section. We had a lot of room because the area was pretty empty, but the table was very high and the chairs we so awkward to move because they were all squeezed in next to the others, plus no space at all for purses so I had to put mine on the ground under my feet, sad face! I was smiling when I saw it was still happy hour and all drinks were half off. After a vodka cran with lime I was ready to check out the menu. There were a few apps also half off so we ordered some bacon onion flatbread to munch on while we waited for the rest of our party. Time passed and everyone arrived, but not our flatbread. Our friends and family ordered some calamari, and another flatbread. A few minutes later their calamari came out, still no flatbread! I asked and finally another waitress came out carrying it. It was decent, nothing amazing. I ate more of the calamari. After looking through the menu I decided on some type of chicken spinach stuffed pasta. Our waiter brought out some very heavy bread to dip in olive oil and herbs. I was eagerly waiting the main courses to come out, and about fifteen minutes later a woman came out calling my dishes name, I was ready for a plate to be placed on the table but instead I saw her empty handed. She informed me they were out of my dishes ingredients and they would not have another delivery of them for some time. This tells me two things, one they probably order this dish frozen and reheat it in the kitchen because how can a restaurant not have pasta shells, chicken, and spinach to throw together? Those are total staples. And two, our waiter was not on his A-game because it had been over FIFTEEN minutes since we ordered and he couldn't come out sooner to let me know? So then I had to quickly scan the menu and to be honest nothing else sounded even close to what I felt like eating so I just went with some combo of lasagna and chicken parm. Not only would I be waiting longer but I filled up on breads and drinks. When my dish finally did come out I tried two bites, the lasagna was overpowered with ricotta and totally turned me off. The chicken parm was alright, the breading was burnt black in some parts and the chicken was bland. The next time I saw our waiter I asked for a box and one of their after dinner boozy coffee drinks and asked him to not charge it to the bill in return for them not having what I originally ordered. He looked surprised and said he had heard about someone not getting what they ordered but didn't know it was me and apologized and said he would see what he could do about comping my drink. I don't know if that ended up happening because I wasn't the one paying the bill, but I was disappointed in their confusion. The coffee drink helped me leave in a better mood but not enough to make me want to return.
(3)
Geoffrey M.
We realize that if we want some good Italian food, our hands are pretty much tied. For my wife's birthday, we wanted something a little more than Oregano's and a little less pricey than Tutti Santi. Let's face it, Carrabba's is just that middle man and their recent advertising spree had our mouths watering with images of plates filled with authentic looking Italian delights! What we received however was a cross between what I would expect Astronaut food and Jail food to taste like. Before I unleash my furor, I would like to say that there were a few positives regarding our experience. 1. The kids loved the mozzarella sticks. 2. The bread was piping hot. 3. The water and the drinks were cold. 4. The pasta portion of my wife's dinner was hot. 5. The waitstaff and manager were "nice". Starting with our server, she was nice enough but I am certain that she had neither washed her uniform or her hair in the past two week and on a 4-top, was handing us our drinks rather than placing them on the table. Who cares right? Terrible service is the norm here in Gilbert. At least she was nice. When our appetizer arrived, the calamari was literally inedible. It wasn't burned either, it was a light golden brown in color. Of course it is frozen calamari, of course it comes in a bag... We aren't sitting on a pier in San Francisco, I get it but I swear, this bag had been sitting open at the back of the freezer collecting every bit of flavor the other foods had to offer while simultaneously losing every molecule of moisture. This stuff tasted like cardboard... origami calamari anyone? The manager graciously took the calamari away from us and gave us more mozzarella sticks... deep fried luxury right there. Sadly, he had the nerve to offer us more calamari. I could go on and on but the bottom line is that the food was sub-par. Worse than my already low expectations could handle. Now, I fully understand that managers and cooks are people too but the managers really need to step their game up at that location. 1. Make sure your staff look professional. Not disheveled, greasy and dirty. 2. Look at the food you are serving. My calamari was paper thin. My chicken Marsala came with 2 half full scoops of (instant?) mashed potatoes and a double (not cut in half) chicken breast covered in overly salty, non-cooked off raw wine tasting "mushroom" sauce. 3. Cover the salad in the walk in... the grated carrots tasted like EVERYTHING in the walk in. I doubt that anyone deliberately did anything to sabotage our meals just the same as I doubt anyone thought they were doing anything wrong... which is the most frightening part.
(1)
She S.
Love this place! At first I thought it was a chain so I wasn't expecting much, it sure did exceed my expectation. I love the tilapia and the wine selection is amazing
(5)
Darrin S.
I had ordered on the phone for my order to go. When I picked my order up it was fast. So when I got home I could not believe the small portions that was in the the bag. I had ordered the penne franco and the Italian classics dishes. For the amount they charge it is a ripoff. My strong suggestion is to head over to Romano's Macaroni Grill. Much more worth it.
(2)
Raffi M.
From a chain Italian restaurant you can't usually expect much, but Carrabba's does very well. Some of the friendliest service we have experienced at a chain restaurant. Very accommodating with special requests, and with the staff that we have had on our visits we can tell that they enjoy having people in their restaurant. The oil olive served with the bread is amazing with the cracked spices (you can buy the spice mix to take home!). I remember the calamari being nice and crisp but not too greasy, and the other items in the appetizer combo were very tasty (I enjoyed the Bruschetta quite a bit). One of the entrees we ordered was a chicken dinner and it was cooked very well. I do remember one thing on our visit very well; the Tiramisu. Although initially I was not hit with the boldness of liquor, after dinner I felt the alcohol more than any other Tiramisu I have had. I love a strong Tiramisu, and this one met that in addition to being rich, creamy, and sized just right for two people to share. Lots to try on the menu, very friendly staff, super accommodating with regards to dietary needs, and fair priced food make Carrabba's a good choice for a reliable Italian restaurant in a casual setting.
(4)
Tara S.
My family loves Carrabas and always orders the same thing. We came on a busy Friday night and had no problem waiting the 45 minutes to be seated. Once we were, the waitress took our drink orders- soda for my husband and I and milk for my toddler. Literally 20 minutes later she came back with water. I reminded her that we had ordered sodas and she apologized and said she'd be right back. We waited. And waited. She came back 15 minutes later, no drinks in hand for our food order. We again asked for our drinks and ordered our food, asking that my son's kids meal come with the appetizer as he was starving. We witnessed her for the next 30 minutes talking with customers at the bar who were apparently friends, and finally grabbed an older man out of uniform, who I assume was the manager and asked if our food would be much longer. 15 minutes later he, ( not her) dropped off freezing cold food at our table with not so much as a word. After one bite I got up, tracked him down (waitress still nowhere in sight), and told him the food was cold. He offered to have it remade but by this time we had been sitting for an hour and my patience had grown thin. He popped it in the microwave and we ate as quickly as we could to get out of there. Now we have a cranky 2 year old, a cranky pregnant momma (me), and HaHa, still no sodas. Bill came, we paid and left. I emailed corporate via Facebook and they called me immediately and were beyond apologetic. They wanted to know our server's name, but I simply wanted to inform them of the problem, not get anyone fired so I declined. They sent me a $50 gift card and we returned on a less busy week night. Our server Adam was amazing, prompt, and all without knowing our dinner had been comped. We will definitely be returning again, as I'm very happy with the way they settled my complaint. And besides, their chicken marsala is hands down the best EVER!
(3)
T W.
Had a gift card, so we decided to visit for happy hour. The happy hour deal is 1/2 off their appetizers, plus some drink specials. So this is really a review of their appetizers. We didn't get an entree. We ordered the bruscetta, the calamari, and the arranzini (I think that's the name). The bruschetta was really good. I liked it a lot. If everything else was that good I'd probably go at least 4 stars. The arranzini were sorta like meatballs but they weren't all meat. There was other stuff in them. Sort of reminded me of falafel. They were pretty good. A solid three stars there. The calamari was a disappointment. It was cooked well enough (usually the problem is they do it wrong and it's like chewing on a tire). But the seasoning was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too salty. I mean getting-a-mouth-full-of-sea-water salty. To their credit they took it back, but then brought out a batch with no seasoning. Imagine calamari with no seasoning...yeah...zzzzzzzzz. Somewhere between chewing on rock salt and no seasoning is a happy place called "properly seasoned". Their chef should look into that. I can't quite bring myself to give the calamari two stars. Gotta go with one. Just not good. Only the marinara dipping sauce made it tolerable. So, overall, three stars. You could do better, you could do worse. At least for appetizers. Perhaps I'll return and do an entree. I still have a balance on that gift card.
(3)
John W.
First time here and will be back. Had the special steak with crab cake. Everything was cooked to perfection and was delicious Eric was are waiter and provided excellent service.
(5)
Stephen C.
This is one of my all time favorite (stateside) Italian restaurants. The service is always friendly, the food is always large portions, piping hot, and delicious! I see some people have left negative reviews, weather it be from service, or food... but I'm here to say that I've never had a single bad experience here. I think our favorite part is the bread with oil and herbs they give you while you wait for your meal... no need to buy an appetizer as the bread is so damn good especially when you dip it in the herb oil. Talking with our waiter the last time we were there, we discovered that they are going to be changing up their menu a bit. They are bringing in some new classic Italian fare, and removing some of their less popular dishes. I think the new menu sounds amazing, and personally can't wait to try it out. Anyhow, if you love good Italian at a decent price, then you should try Carrabba's... Much better then Olive Garden IMHO.
(5)
Olivia T.
We have been coming to this location since it opened and we have always enjoyed a nice family meal. I've actually moved to North Phoenix and we aren't exactly near to this location any longer. But, when I pick up my daughter from her Dad's this is our fave place to go. I chose the lentil and sausage soup and the house salad for dinner. I've noticed that their salads have been shrinking in size for some time now. Now, they come to the table half the size that they used to be, no pepperoncini's, and a very dry salad..... Tonight's meal however would be made extra special by the presence of a long, light colored hair in my bowl of soup. I'm a brunette so, it was not mine. The manager removed the item from my bill and offered a free dessert to make up for the "hairy" soup. Needless to say we will not be back to this location anytime soon if ever at all. Epic fail Carrabbas's..... We never expected anything like this to happen at your restaurant.
(1)
Mario S.
My family and I used to love Carrabas but last night was our worst experience ever. Server poor, seemed like she didn't want to be there. Had to ask her twice to bring our beverages. Then she copped an attitude for the remaining portion of our dinner. Food portion size extremely small. Prosciutto and pork medallions was a joke. 3 medallions were size of walnuts with maybe a half of a slice of prosciutto. My side dish was approximately 12 string beans. Very disappointed, seems like they're more interested in getting you in and getting you out turning tables then providing you with a nice dining experience.. Won't ever go back....$102 wasted in my opinion
(1)
Jenny L.
Everything was so ON POINT at this restaurant. It reminds me of an 12x upgrade of the Olive Garden. We were at first debating if I wanted to eat at the pizza place across the parking lot but last minute decided to come here. Best decision! I'm quite the critic when it comes to food, service , cleanliness, quality and appearance. We were greeted as we walked in, our waitress was Linda, she is such a sweet lady. I was debating between the lobster ravioli and the tenderloin Marsala, Linda our waitress told me I can get a side of lobster ravioli for couple more dollars to get best of both. They were both so good! The tenderloin was really tender and it just melted in your mouth & very flavorful. Linda came back frequently to check up on us. I was definitely come back if and when I come back to Arizona. (From California) To all the bad reviews I have written for bad service, they need to get customer service Lessons from Linda. Linda deserves a raise!! Rating: Cleanliness 5/5 Customer service 6/5 Food appearance 5/5 Quality 5/5 (way to go cooks)
(5)
Rhonda S.
I've always enjoyed Carrabba's. Nothing extravagant but good food, good service. It's kind of my go to place if I am in the mood for pasta.
(3)
Matt K.
We had a really good experience here yesterday. I was wanting a steak with a little pasta and knew this was a place that did both. We had our 2 kids with us and it was nice to see their kids menu had more than just mac and cheese. They even got some raw pizza dough to play with. The ambience is definitely that of a chain restaurant but the food came out extremely fast and didn't overlap. Salads came out nearly instantly after we ordered, kids food shortly thereafter as requested, and after we finished our salads, mains came out promptly. My fillet was more towards the rare side than medium rare, but flavor and texture were wonderful. Pasta had a bit too fiddly of a sauce but did the job. The butter cake dessert was devoured quickly by our quartet. Overall, a pretty good meal!
(4)
Alexa M.
Let me start off by saying the employees were very nice. I was able to get seated right away as well and I enjoyed my ice tea, but that is where the positive experience ended. I took my mom to have dinner and we both ordered the Pollo Rosa Maria with grilled asparagus which costs an additional $1.50 and that is fine, however when I tried to cut it in half it was like cutting into hard straw. Then I tried to put a piece in my mouth and I had to spit it out as it was like chewing into hard straw... these were even skinny stalks. So the $17.00 cost for the chicken was just that.. just the chicken. No sides accompany this unless you want to pay more. The chicken itself was terrible tasting and super salty. I only ended up taking a small bite and was done. I had ordered us Ceasars salad and a shrimp appetizer. The lettuce was completely white and came drenched in dressing. Simply could not force myself to put any of that into my mouth. And the appetizer never came. I asked my waiter for the manager letting the waiter know that nothing he did was wrong well accept never bringing us the appetizer. Manager came and I delicately explained everything to him. He was nice and said they would take care of the bill asking us if we wanted to order something else. I just couldn't do it. I was already passed being hungry and did not want to risk waiting another 30 minutes or so for another meal. I definitely do not recommend spending hard earned money here. It was very disappointing.
(2)
Lisa B.
We came here for my mom's birthday. Great service! Eric was our server and made our time there very enjoyable. He was attentive, quick with drinks and on top of refills. He has a good attitude and was great with my kids. Food is always great. It's great to see managers on the floor too.
(5)
Kara F.
This was my first time eating at a Carrabba's and it's not that I had high hopes, but this restaurant was horrendous and completely killed my desire to ever eat at a Carrabba's again. It was one of the most uncomfortable situations I have ever experienced at a restaurant. Happy hour was going on and me and my boyfriend were eyeing some blackberry lemonade, seems innocent right? I ordered one, thinking it was just lemonade with blackberry syrup in it. The waiter never asked for my ID nor mentioned anything of this blackberry lemonade being alcoholic. I received the drink and noticed it was in a fancy glass, not one that I could hurriedly drink due to being parched. My boyfriend then asked a waiter passing by if the drink was alcoholic and she had no idea. A couple of minutes pass, and then BAM! The bartender comes out of nowhere demanding to see my ID to see if I was older than 21, which luckily I was, but who knows what would have happened if I wasn't. She then walks off as if it's okay to bombard a table for something that they had no idea about nor did anything wrong. Our waiter then shows up out of nowhere, just says my mistake, doesn't offer me anything else to drink or even if I want to keep the alcoholic drink. I refused to drink it and got an ice tea instead. And for the rest of my meal I was treated like an outcast. My server refused to look me in the eye and no longer directed questions towards me or cared to see if I was doing okay. ONE OF THE MOST UNCOMFORTABLE AND AWKWARD SITUATIONS I HAVE EVER HAD AT A RESTAURANT. It was like I was in time out until I left the restaurant and that I was the criminal. I am NEVER going back to Carrabba's, and besides, Olive Garden's food is way better than the tasteless crap they serve here. Needless to say we still left 20% because I use to work as a server, but I did not leave a tip based on service or performance it was out of sheer generosity.
(1)
Charissa G.
Our favorite!!!! So many people over look their famous chicken dishes and dont forget their yummy steak!!! We love the Pollo Rosa Maria, Chicken Bryan, Sirloin with Marsala sauce.. They have amazing mussels, bread, The Best Sangria, The house salad dressing "creamy Parmesan" Yummy Alfredo sauce too, (hard to find good sauce)!! Go try it, youll be glad you did!
(5)
Evan B.
They really focous on the grill part. The meul is full of griled chicken, meat and a fish item. There also are pizzas and pastas. My main grip with this place i having highly adulterated dishes, go to italy and fettuccine Alfredo means, noodles and sauce, no chicken. The theme is carries out thought the menu, in a poor attempt to seem original lobster, sausage or chicken is added to most traditional dishes. This left me a vegetarian with only a few choices, I went with the Grilled salmon (no sauce) with the garlic mashed potato. The salmon was a standard farm raised variety and typically over cooked for my tastes. The potatoes were decent as enough garlic and butter can make anything good. ($17) I did like the bread here but that is not enough of a reason to get me back. A long wait for mediocre Salmon at a less than stellar price.
(2)
Giselle M.
I have been employed at Carrabbas for almost 2 and a half years. As a server we are required to try everything on the the menu. Our food is made from scratch and we don't have microwaves. I love the food there!! I probably gained 10 pounds. My husband and I go quite often there, our children love the mozzarella marinara and the calamari. My husband loves the wood grilled salmon and I love the chicken Bryan. Our happy hour is fantastic!! Our happy hour is 7 days a week. Monday- Friday it's 4PM-7PM Saturday and Sunday it's from 3PM-7PM. All tap beers and our Cosmopolitan, Pomegranate Martini, Carrabbarita on the rocks and Razzmitini are half off. Our house wines and homemade sangrias are on special as well. You get a quartino for the price of a glass. A quartino is a glass and a half. Our sangrias are delicious!! We have peach, red and blackberry sangrias. Certain well drinks are also half off. All drink specials are through out the restaurant and all our appetizers are half off in the bar only. On Monday nights we have Amore Mondays, this is a great dea,l it is a special menu where you get a great deal for your money. This menu comes with your choice of an appetizer or a dessert, an entree and choice of soup or salad starting at $12.00. I hope you come and visit us and try us out, I guarantee you'll love it as much as I do!! Come and ask for me (Giselle)
(5)
Jim W.
Three point six seven nine stars. I have some gift cards from Carrabba's and I must say that even though I am fairly anti-chain and pro-independent...Carrabba's ain't half bad. As a matter of fact it's better than half good. The service here was outstanding and the food was well beyond just ok - better than I was expecting from a chain. We ordered several things to share amongst the family - spaghetti with meatballs, chicken caeser salad, mozzarella sticks. I particularly enjoyed the chicken caesar salad. I still prefer independents but Carrabba's is a safe chain apparently. I think.
(3)
Mr. E.
This Carrabba's is just 'ok'. I went in with a friend a couple hours before they closed. It was the typical olive garden/italian chain decor with dim lighting. The host seated us promptly, and our server said hello right away. The service itself was great. She answered all of our questions, and made a lot of suggestions. I ended up ordering the Chicken Bryan Ravioli, and my friend ordered the Seafood Cannelloni. It definitely smelled like seafood. With each meal a soup or salad was included, along with complimentary bread and olive oil with herbs. I probably should have ordered something else, but I had hiked camelback mountain and I was starving. The shredded chicken inside reminded me of what canned cat food looks like... It tasted ok, but didn't look that good. Portions were a bit small, and the sangria tasted like Juice. Nothing was wrong with the service, the manager even stopped by to ask how everything was. I would go back here, but I think I'll keep it more simple with what I order. Maybe just a chicken parm, or alfredo. If you want to try food that is a step above Olive Garden, go here. If you just want free stuff, and average service- go to Olive Garden or Brio's Tuscan Grille. I really did like our waitress and would go back just because of that.
(3)
KC M.
Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous! From the clean facility, to the friendly staff to the amazingly delicious food . . . Carrabba's rocks! IF you want to be wined and dined . . . this is the place. What a blessing to have them in the east valley. Blessings to them as they provide quality service at a moderate price : ) KC
(5)
Jessica B.
I absolutely LOVE this place. I usually always get the SIRLOIN MARSALA so we only come here on occasions since it's a little pricier than just a standard night out (but still a good price for steak). But the food is amazing, the bread and dip are delicious, and the atmosphere is not flashy and perfect for dates. I have had the CHICKEN PARMESAN which was tasty too, but I just can't get enough of the marsala sauce. Never have been disappointed here, or any other Carrabbas in fact. A co-worker of mine brings leftovers in to work every so often and it makes my mouth water, even though I would never have thought of that dish as good (egg plant gross). The seasonings make anything seem appetizing. More than enough food at one time so I rarely get dessert, although I never mind that since I am left completely satisfied.
(5)
Darrin S.
I had ordered on the phone for my order to go. When I picked my order up it was fast. So when I got home I could not believe the small portions that was in the the bag. I had ordered the penne franco and the Italian classics dishes. For the amount they charge it is a ripoff. My strong suggestion is to head over to Romano's Macaroni Grill. Much more worth it.
(2)
Bob K.
Came here on a wednesday night. Sat down quickly. Someone took are drink order as our server was busy. We thought it was going to be a horrible night out. After getting our drinks, Mason our waiter came over and then brought awesome bread! My wife got Chicken Marsala with garlic mashed potatoes while I got the Pasta Carrabba which is chicken alfredo. We both loved our food! The soup had huge real pieces of chicken. The biggest pieces I have ever seen in soup. It was the same kind of chicken that comes in an entree. So not the cheap chicken. At the end, we spoke to Mason about other places n such. He stated they do not have a microwave at all and everything is cooked from scratch! For me and my wife it was $43 out the door including tax and tip of $7. My wife ordered water for a drink and I got an iced tea. Just remember you get what you pay for, so all in all if you want a great Italian dinner then I'd highly recommend Carrabba's.
(5)
Kevin C.
As chain restaurants go, Carraba's is pretty dang good. Good menu choices with some innovative choices, nice atmosphere, consistently good wait staff in my experience, and fair prices. MUCH better than Olive Garden IMHO, in all respects. When it comes to Italian, I prefer the mom & pop joints with red & white checked tablecloths, 50-yr old Olympia beer signs covered in dust, and Grandpa sitting over in the corner at "his" table all night, monitoring the goings-on.. but when one of those joints isn't available, Carraba's isn't a bad choice at all.
(4)
Brett B.
Once I tried their steak, I knew I'd be going against the old adage: Don't go to an Italian restaurant for a steak. Went on a Friday night. Ordered a modified antipasti appetizer. Was kind of surprised at the skimpy portions, for a $12 appetizer. Good taste though. Love the fried zucchini, as they were cut like french fries and battered. The sirloin was tasty, although the Marsala was a bit scanty. My daughter loved her Pollo Rosa Maria, but found the baked veggies to appear less than appetizing (although she appreciated the healthy cooking method). My salmon had a great consistency and was flavorful, but had a smidge of a fishy taste. The tiramisu had a strong rum flavor, and did not rank well against others I've had from different eateries. Without alcohol, dinner, beverages and 1 dessert for 3 was close to $100 with tip.
(4)
Raffi M.
From a chain Italian restaurant you can't usually expect much, but Carrabba's does very well. Some of the friendliest service we have experienced at a chain restaurant. Very accommodating with special requests, and with the staff that we have had on our visits we can tell that they enjoy having people in their restaurant. The oil olive served with the bread is amazing with the cracked spices (you can buy the spice mix to take home!). I remember the calamari being nice and crisp but not too greasy, and the other items in the appetizer combo were very tasty (I enjoyed the Bruschetta quite a bit). One of the entrees we ordered was a chicken dinner and it was cooked very well. I do remember one thing on our visit very well; the Tiramisu. Although initially I was not hit with the boldness of liquor, after dinner I felt the alcohol more than any other Tiramisu I have had. I love a strong Tiramisu, and this one met that in addition to being rich, creamy, and sized just right for two people to share. Lots to try on the menu, very friendly staff, super accommodating with regards to dietary needs, and fair priced food make Carrabba's a good choice for a reliable Italian restaurant in a casual setting.
(4)
Tara S.
My family loves Carrabas and always orders the same thing. We came on a busy Friday night and had no problem waiting the 45 minutes to be seated. Once we were, the waitress took our drink orders- soda for my husband and I and milk for my toddler. Literally 20 minutes later she came back with water. I reminded her that we had ordered sodas and she apologized and said she'd be right back. We waited. And waited. She came back 15 minutes later, no drinks in hand for our food order. We again asked for our drinks and ordered our food, asking that my son's kids meal come with the appetizer as he was starving. We witnessed her for the next 30 minutes talking with customers at the bar who were apparently friends, and finally grabbed an older man out of uniform, who I assume was the manager and asked if our food would be much longer. 15 minutes later he, ( not her) dropped off freezing cold food at our table with not so much as a word. After one bite I got up, tracked him down (waitress still nowhere in sight), and told him the food was cold. He offered to have it remade but by this time we had been sitting for an hour and my patience had grown thin. He popped it in the microwave and we ate as quickly as we could to get out of there. Now we have a cranky 2 year old, a cranky pregnant momma (me), and HaHa, still no sodas. Bill came, we paid and left. I emailed corporate via Facebook and they called me immediately and were beyond apologetic. They wanted to know our server's name, but I simply wanted to inform them of the problem, not get anyone fired so I declined. They sent me a $50 gift card and we returned on a less busy week night. Our server Adam was amazing, prompt, and all without knowing our dinner had been comped. We will definitely be returning again, as I'm very happy with the way they settled my complaint. And besides, their chicken marsala is hands down the best EVER!
(3)
Trent G.
My wife and I will not go back to this unit. So inconsistent....service, food, etc..... The unit in Mesa is much more consistent. 4 more miles to drive but I am tired of being disappointed.
(2)
ashley m.
We frequent Carrabbas since it close to our house. I have never had to wait for a table more then about 15 minutes and that was on a busy Friday night. Everyone is always very polite. I always get the Veal Piccatta because.. well I love it. It comes with garlic mashed potatoes that are soooo good. Their bread and oil for dipping are also splendid! MMM - They also have a very good Parmesean dressing for salads that my daughter puts away by the handful (she is 2 haha!) All in all it is a moderately priced, delicious, quick meal which is very important when you have a 2 year old :)
(4)
J P.
I don't expect a lot from chain Italian restaurants (which begs the question why did I go here...because the place I wanted to go to is closed on Monday) but surprisingly it wasn't horrible. The wife had Pasta Weesie. Except for the name, it was actually pretty good although when I tasted it I found the mushrooms in it to be a bit salty. I had Chicken & Spinach Cannelloni not bad. As an aside, Cannelloni, normal name for an italian dish as opposed to Pasta Weesie...see was that hard? For reasons I'm still trying to figure out we ordered Italian Sangria. First, Weesie pasta and now Italian Sangria. What's that all about? But aside from my cognitive dissonance with their naming convention for things on the menu the only thing they should really rethink is the whole Italian Sangria. Way to sweet and had a weird cinnamon after taste. Granted cinnamon was one of the ingredients in the drink but between the sweetness and the cinnamon I'll be real happy if I don't end up gacking the stuff back up. So to summarize, food not bad. Sangria, something to take a pass on.
(3)
Ricky D.
These guys make the best Chicken Marsala on the planet!! Well done!
(4)
Helen F.
This is our go to dinner restaurant. Service is great, food is even better and the blackberry sangria makes me happy :) Try the Chicken Bryan and don't be afraid of the goats cheese. I didn't think I'd like it but I tasted a friends and the cheese is smooth and mild. Since that taste almost two years ago I haven't ordered anything but Chicken Bryan. The bread and herb oil is delicious too.
(5)
Liz S.
...and the 1 star is being super kind. My husband and I walked into the restaurant around 8:30 pm and was seated by a hostess that never made eye contact with us. Never. Then we were helped by a server that, and I'm almost positive, hates her job and doesn't want to be there. Again, no eye contact but whatever. We started off with the mozzarella- horrible. It came out still dripping in grease and the taste was of old cooking oil. I had the fettuccini and it was terrible. I've had better out of a jar at home. Our bill was stupid for the amount of crappy food that we had. I usually feel bad saying terrible things about a joint but not in this case. They should just shut it down. I am confident in my next statement- I will never, in my life, eat at this place even if it's between life and death. I'd much rather die. On the plus side, the water was cold.
I had a very good dinner with my wifey! Great service, good and tasty dinner, and good atmosphere:). Recommend Carrabas at San Tan for wholesome dinner out with family. Great values what you get!
(4)
Sarah P.
I LOVE this place, it is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the Phoenix area. We went here for New Years Eve and only had to wait a 1/2 hour and received excellent service and got to choose from the full menu. They have fantastic wine here. The bread is DELICIOUS with their olive oil and herb mixture. That's a big part of an Italian restaurant experience too. I usually order the Chicken Parmesan, it is too die for, their marinara and spicy red sauces are both the bomb. Everything else I've tried here has been really tasty too. The Caesar salad is great, very fresh tasting. So family friendly, we always bring the kids. Definitely recommend it!
(5)
Rob S.
Food has always been great and service pretty good here. Their pasta dishes are awesome (what I usually get, I'm not adventurous by any means) and they have huge portions, so cost isn't a huge deal because I usually get 2 meals out of one...it's called portion-control people! I've been here probably 5-6 times with my family over the last 3 years and have never had even a semi-questionable experience. Carrabba's over Olive Garden anyday.
(4)
Julie Y.
We were pleasantly surprised about this restaurant! Expecting more of an Olive Garden "vibe", it exceeded our expectations. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars was because of the slightly unorganized service. Our waitress was friendly and great with the kids, but once I had to go to the bar to get my husband's diet coke and we had to ask other wait staff for help a couple times because our waitress was nowhere to be found. I think our table was far from her actual "section". But when we did see her (which always seemed to be seconds after we flagged another server) she was awesome! And the food...also AWESOME!! From the bread to the Cesar side salads to the pasta dishes, we enjoyed everything! My husband had the Mezzaluna pasta dish which I tasted...yummy! I had one of the special "wood fired" pasta dishes ( not on normal menu)....penne pasta with chicken in a pesto cream sauce with some kind of yummy melted cheese (mozzerellaish). I wanted to finish it all, but I had to stop and take the rest home. The warm soft bread they bring you with the olive oil for dipping was so good, too (probably why I couldn't finish my pasta). My 2 year old loved the corkscrew pasta with Alfredo sauce, which we were able to custom order for him and my other two enjoyed the chicken fingers. All around, everyone was happy! We will definitely be coming back!
(4)
Walter d.
Ate here with friend, while in Arizona to judge horse show. Noticed that many exhibitors were also here. Smelled great--waiter very attentive-wait maybe 10 minutes, on a Friday night. Good bread and olive oil escarpeta-parmesan. I had lemonade, she had iced tea-OK. Had whitefish that was really good. She had chicken w/proscutto & cheese-center was a bit raw--was taken away and re-cooked. Chef came out and was polite, but dancing--- Had it not been for that, would be 4 stars--would go there again
(3)
Liz S.
The food is great but this location's customer service is poor. We had made reservations and specifically told the hostess and the server is was a birthday celebration. We were introduced by one server but only saw her one time after she took our drink order. The rest of the service was done by three other people and they had no communication among each other. It took about 20 minutes to get our salads then our food was brought out not even two minutes later. In the process of trying to make room for more plates my drink was spilled. I assumed they would bring me a new one but it never came. So eventually I had to ask for another one and the server asked me if I was serious. I have been to the carrabbas in chandler on ray and the 10. Everything there was FANTASTIC! I was completely thrown off by the gilbert location's poor service and how rushed they made us feel. They knew it was a birthday dinner but made the only memorable moment of the evening their poor service. I will never go back to this location again.
(2)
Nancy C.
I'm no stranger to good Italian food, and I wasn't expecting anything special but I was knocked out by the quality of Carrabba's food. The tomato basil soup was absolutely fresh, with complex flavors, texture, and spice, along with lovely wilted basil leaves to top it off. I thought this would be chain restaurant stuff, and it's really quite a few steps higher quality than its price point. I loved the olive oil dip and bread (which I tried not to overeat), and my husband and I shared each other's entree. I'll be back! Highly recommended. Attentive service too.
(5)
Matt S.
Sad to give this place a 1 star cause I love the food, and every time I have been to any Carrabba's it has been amazing (food wise) but this specific one gets a ONE STAR FOR POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. We got to the place and they said about 5 min wait, and since we have kids, that was perfect - if it was longer we would have went somewhere else....so we wait and wait and wait ... I go ask and they say they are working on getting our table. Long story short they forgot about us and we ended up waiting almost 45 min before we got seated....we decided to stay so long because we thought it was "almost ready" and did not expect it to turn out the way it did. Then the waiter got our food messed up - good thing everything on the menu is good because my wife got half of mine, and I got half of hers and then the waiter goes nuts trying to blame everyone else Very unprofessional! Horrible service and will probably not go back to this one again unless they convince me otherwise!
(1)
Tammy M.
After having been told by my cousin and neighbors how good this place was, I finally visited with my family last Saturday night. It was delicious. The bread is to die for along with the pasta side that comes with the meat meals. Very good. I will never go to Olive Garden again.
(5)
Judy C.
This is the best restaurant chain EVER!!!! I love EVERYTHING there and the service has always been A+. The fried zucchini strips (appetizer) are the best in the world, the Caesar salad is the best I ever had, even their croutons on the salad are better than any!!! Olive oil herb dip is Fabulous, the warm bread is like no other. Most of the dinners that I have tried have been excellent but the Chicken Bryan is magnificent. Waiters and manager the best.
(5)
Dani C.
Went for a late dinner. I've been a fan of this chain for years. I was surprised it was still so busy at almost 8pm (I know, 8pm isn't late, but it is when you're used to eating with your kids at 6) ! We were seated right away even though it was busy, but the service was a little on the slow side after that. That usually doesn't bother me though, I see it's busy and we weren't in a hurry. We split one meal, and they were kind enough to bring it out on separate plates. LOVE the Chicken Bryan, it's the only thing I've ever had to eat there besides the Lobster Ravioli, which is also excellent.
(4)
Anne L.
Let me first start off saying that I LOVE Carraba's. I know that it is a chain, but as a chain goes it goes out of it's way to fool your taste buds into thinking that you are actually eating artfully prepared Italian cuisine at a more casual and affordable atmosphere. They will tailor to your requests for your food to be prepared a certain way, even if it isn't on the menu. I prefer to have a steak, but the Steak Bryan, which is a filet, or a another cut of steak with their special goat cheese, basil, and sun dried tomato on top. Another worthy mention is their grilled chicken dishes. Too many places love to over cook chicken then flavor it after the fact, but at Carrabba's you know they marinate them which keeps them juicy. I am sorry that Matt had a bad review on service, because I will tell you that they have FABULOUS service. Every place has their bad nights, but this particular Carrabbba's knows how to treat their customers. We visited one night and they forgot our appetizer. We were in a hurry and we told them to not worry about it, but in return they apologized profusely and gave us a coupon for a free appetizer for the next visit and a free desert. When we arrived home, my 3 year old daughter had left her small puzzle there and my husband went back to retrieve it, but it was gone. It wasn't a big deal, but a few days later, the manager (I think owner as well) James called us at home to again apologize and said that he had bought some puzzles and that when we came in again to ask for them. I was speechless, and had never had such wonderful customer service. We went in and he gave us not just one, but four puzzles, and of course made sure that everything went to our liking. I cannot recommend this location enough and have told my friends and family of our experience. WONDERFUL location, GREAT service, and FABULOUS food!
(5)
John M.
We loave carrabbas, the food is always great and the service friendly.
(4)
Matt K.
This is a great place to eat! Great service and great food! We'll be back for sure!
(5)
Shoshana R.
The food is great, but the service leaves a lot to be desired. I particularly dislike it when the hostess says "How are we doing tonight"? Then the server says "what would we like to eat tonight?" when he come back to take the order. That's so rude and condescending. We got the bum's rush as far as service is concerned. We were in and out in 35 minutes! I never got offered a refill on my iced tea either! Next time I am going to one of the independent Italian restaurants in town.
(2)
David W.
Went for my daughters birthday. They made sure it was all about her. Great service. very nice atmosphere. The food was a different story. Very small portions. everybody at the table got asparagus. it was the size of of a large nail. and dry. Chicken was below Mcdonalds .99 cent special standards. I sat there looking out the window wishing i was at the Outback Steakhouse next door. don't go here. total waste of money, unless your on a 500 calorie a day diet.
(3)
Tyler S.
I've been coming to this Carrabba's for a few years, and I've only ever had one lackluster meal. The spot in Mesa isn't great, but this location is the most consistently spectacular eatery I've ever been to. The Chicken Bryan (grilled chicken with lemon butter) is as good as food gets. I always get it with a side of cavatappi, also covered in lemon butter, and a bowl of chicken soup. As far as appetizers go, I love the meatball ricotta flatbread, and the basket of bread they give you at the start of the meal is always appreciated. If you feel like quality Italian food, this place can't be beat. The food, service, and ambiance are second to none.
(5)
Joan G.
It was good but nothing great. One of my daughters really likes this place so I took her for her birthday and it was good but there are better choices for the same or less money. I just wasn't wowed or impressed. I will have to try more dishes. My daughter likes the shrimp and scallop linguine. The sauce was good but the shrimp were overcooked. The atmosphere is nice and the service was very good. Bread was also good.
(3)
Curtis C.
Bread is the corner stone of this place. Amazing!!! We love the lintle and minestrone soup with the chicken Cesar salad. The chicken tastes amazing. Great place and atmosphere for the price. Expect to wait 30 -40 mins on fri and sat night.
(5)
Megan D.
Great service, drinks and food! Zucchini fritte were great, loved the dipping sauce! I thought the pitcher of peach sangria was pretty pricey ($31) only because I don't think there was much alcohol in it but it tasted so good! Also tried the limoncello raspberry martini. SO GOOD. I seriously said mmm and yum after each sip. I want to try the limoncello rosemary gimlet next time! We ordered two pasta dishes to share. The conchiglie al formaggi is super cheesy, we loved it! We are vegetarians so it was nice that our server Linda let us add in veggies to our other pasta dish. We added mushroom and zucchini to the tag pic pac and was perfect. Linda was awesome, friendly and helpful. I will be back!
(5)
Aaron S.
We love Carrabba's and eat here at least once every few weeks. Way better than any of the other local Italian restaurants. The zucchini fritti is a must as a starter. The garlic aioli they serve it with is delicious, and you might find yourself dipping your bread in it too. Their soups are also great. Their fillet Marsala is one of the best steaks I've ever eaten. I don't think we've ever had a bad meal here. Make sure you save room for the chocolate Sonjo (spell check). One of the best desserts we've ever had.
(5)
J P.
I don't expect a lot from chain Italian restaurants (which begs the question why did I go here...because the place I wanted to go to is closed on Monday) but surprisingly it wasn't horrible. The wife had Pasta Weesie. Except for the name, it was actually pretty good although when I tasted it I found the mushrooms in it to be a bit salty. I had Chicken & Spinach Cannelloni not bad. As an aside, Cannelloni, normal name for an italian dish as opposed to Pasta Weesie...see was that hard? For reasons I'm still trying to figure out we ordered Italian Sangria. First, Weesie pasta and now Italian Sangria. What's that all about? But aside from my cognitive dissonance with their naming convention for things on the menu the only thing they should really rethink is the whole Italian Sangria. Way to sweet and had a weird cinnamon after taste. Granted cinnamon was one of the ingredients in the drink but between the sweetness and the cinnamon I'll be real happy if I don't end up gacking the stuff back up. So to summarize, food not bad. Sangria, something to take a pass on.
(3)
Liz S.
The food is great but this location's customer service is poor. We had made reservations and specifically told the hostess and the server is was a birthday celebration. We were introduced by one server but only saw her one time after she took our drink order. The rest of the service was done by three other people and they had no communication among each other. It took about 20 minutes to get our salads then our food was brought out not even two minutes later. In the process of trying to make room for more plates my drink was spilled. I assumed they would bring me a new one but it never came. So eventually I had to ask for another one and the server asked me if I was serious. I have been to the carrabbas in chandler on ray and the 10. Everything there was FANTASTIC! I was completely thrown off by the gilbert location's poor service and how rushed they made us feel. They knew it was a birthday dinner but made the only memorable moment of the evening their poor service. I will never go back to this location again.
(2)
Nancy C.
I'm no stranger to good Italian food, and I wasn't expecting anything special but I was knocked out by the quality of Carrabba's food. The tomato basil soup was absolutely fresh, with complex flavors, texture, and spice, along with lovely wilted basil leaves to top it off. I thought this would be chain restaurant stuff, and it's really quite a few steps higher quality than its price point. I loved the olive oil dip and bread (which I tried not to overeat), and my husband and I shared each other's entree. I'll be back! Highly recommended. Attentive service too.
(5)
Ricky D.
These guys make the best Chicken Marsala on the planet!! Well done!
(4)
Helen F.
This is our go to dinner restaurant. Service is great, food is even better and the blackberry sangria makes me happy :) Try the Chicken Bryan and don't be afraid of the goats cheese. I didn't think I'd like it but I tasted a friends and the cheese is smooth and mild. Since that taste almost two years ago I haven't ordered anything but Chicken Bryan. The bread and herb oil is delicious too.
(5)
Trent G.
My wife and I will not go back to this unit. So inconsistent....service, food, etc..... The unit in Mesa is much more consistent. 4 more miles to drive but I am tired of being disappointed.
(2)
ashley m.
We frequent Carrabbas since it close to our house. I have never had to wait for a table more then about 15 minutes and that was on a busy Friday night. Everyone is always very polite. I always get the Veal Piccatta because.. well I love it. It comes with garlic mashed potatoes that are soooo good. Their bread and oil for dipping are also splendid! MMM - They also have a very good Parmesean dressing for salads that my daughter puts away by the handful (she is 2 haha!) All in all it is a moderately priced, delicious, quick meal which is very important when you have a 2 year old :)
(4)
Matt S.
Sad to give this place a 1 star cause I love the food, and every time I have been to any Carrabba's it has been amazing (food wise) but this specific one gets a ONE STAR FOR POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. We got to the place and they said about 5 min wait, and since we have kids, that was perfect - if it was longer we would have went somewhere else....so we wait and wait and wait ... I go ask and they say they are working on getting our table. Long story short they forgot about us and we ended up waiting almost 45 min before we got seated....we decided to stay so long because we thought it was "almost ready" and did not expect it to turn out the way it did. Then the waiter got our food messed up - good thing everything on the menu is good because my wife got half of mine, and I got half of hers and then the waiter goes nuts trying to blame everyone else Very unprofessional! Horrible service and will probably not go back to this one again unless they convince me otherwise!
(1)
Mr. E.
This Carrabba's is just 'ok'. I went in with a friend a couple hours before they closed. It was the typical olive garden/italian chain decor with dim lighting. The host seated us promptly, and our server said hello right away. The service itself was great. She answered all of our questions, and made a lot of suggestions. I ended up ordering the Chicken Bryan Ravioli, and my friend ordered the Seafood Cannelloni. It definitely smelled like seafood. With each meal a soup or salad was included, along with complimentary bread and olive oil with herbs. I probably should have ordered something else, but I had hiked camelback mountain and I was starving. The shredded chicken inside reminded me of what canned cat food looks like... It tasted ok, but didn't look that good. Portions were a bit small, and the sangria tasted like Juice. Nothing was wrong with the service, the manager even stopped by to ask how everything was. I would go back here, but I think I'll keep it more simple with what I order. Maybe just a chicken parm, or alfredo. If you want to try food that is a step above Olive Garden, go here. If you just want free stuff, and average service- go to Olive Garden or Brio's Tuscan Grille. I really did like our waitress and would go back just because of that.
(3)
KC M.
Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous! From the clean facility, to the friendly staff to the amazingly delicious food . . . Carrabba's rocks! IF you want to be wined and dined . . . this is the place. What a blessing to have them in the east valley. Blessings to them as they provide quality service at a moderate price : ) KC
(5)
Dani C.
Went for a late dinner. I've been a fan of this chain for years. I was surprised it was still so busy at almost 8pm (I know, 8pm isn't late, but it is when you're used to eating with your kids at 6) ! We were seated right away even though it was busy, but the service was a little on the slow side after that. That usually doesn't bother me though, I see it's busy and we weren't in a hurry. We split one meal, and they were kind enough to bring it out on separate plates. LOVE the Chicken Bryan, it's the only thing I've ever had to eat there besides the Lobster Ravioli, which is also excellent.
(4)
Anne L.
Let me first start off saying that I LOVE Carraba's. I know that it is a chain, but as a chain goes it goes out of it's way to fool your taste buds into thinking that you are actually eating artfully prepared Italian cuisine at a more casual and affordable atmosphere. They will tailor to your requests for your food to be prepared a certain way, even if it isn't on the menu. I prefer to have a steak, but the Steak Bryan, which is a filet, or a another cut of steak with their special goat cheese, basil, and sun dried tomato on top. Another worthy mention is their grilled chicken dishes. Too many places love to over cook chicken then flavor it after the fact, but at Carrabba's you know they marinate them which keeps them juicy. I am sorry that Matt had a bad review on service, because I will tell you that they have FABULOUS service. Every place has their bad nights, but this particular Carrabbba's knows how to treat their customers. We visited one night and they forgot our appetizer. We were in a hurry and we told them to not worry about it, but in return they apologized profusely and gave us a coupon for a free appetizer for the next visit and a free desert. When we arrived home, my 3 year old daughter had left her small puzzle there and my husband went back to retrieve it, but it was gone. It wasn't a big deal, but a few days later, the manager (I think owner as well) James called us at home to again apologize and said that he had bought some puzzles and that when we came in again to ask for them. I was speechless, and had never had such wonderful customer service. We went in and he gave us not just one, but four puzzles, and of course made sure that everything went to our liking. I cannot recommend this location enough and have told my friends and family of our experience. WONDERFUL location, GREAT service, and FABULOUS food!
(5)
John M.
We loave carrabbas, the food is always great and the service friendly.
(4)
Matt K.
This is a great place to eat! Great service and great food! We'll be back for sure!
(5)
Shoshana R.
The food is great, but the service leaves a lot to be desired. I particularly dislike it when the hostess says "How are we doing tonight"? Then the server says "what would we like to eat tonight?" when he come back to take the order. That's so rude and condescending. We got the bum's rush as far as service is concerned. We were in and out in 35 minutes! I never got offered a refill on my iced tea either! Next time I am going to one of the independent Italian restaurants in town.
(2)
Tammy M.
After having been told by my cousin and neighbors how good this place was, I finally visited with my family last Saturday night. It was delicious. The bread is to die for along with the pasta side that comes with the meat meals. Very good. I will never go to Olive Garden again.
(5)
Judy C.
This is the best restaurant chain EVER!!!! I love EVERYTHING there and the service has always been A+. The fried zucchini strips (appetizer) are the best in the world, the Caesar salad is the best I ever had, even their croutons on the salad are better than any!!! Olive oil herb dip is Fabulous, the warm bread is like no other. Most of the dinners that I have tried have been excellent but the Chicken Bryan is magnificent. Waiters and manager the best.
(5)
Jessica B.
I absolutely LOVE this place. I usually always get the SIRLOIN MARSALA so we only come here on occasions since it's a little pricier than just a standard night out (but still a good price for steak). But the food is amazing, the bread and dip are delicious, and the atmosphere is not flashy and perfect for dates. I have had the CHICKEN PARMESAN which was tasty too, but I just can't get enough of the marsala sauce. Never have been disappointed here, or any other Carrabbas in fact. A co-worker of mine brings leftovers in to work every so often and it makes my mouth water, even though I would never have thought of that dish as good (egg plant gross). The seasonings make anything seem appetizing. More than enough food at one time so I rarely get dessert, although I never mind that since I am left completely satisfied.
(5)
Evan B.
They really focous on the grill part. The meul is full of griled chicken, meat and a fish item. There also are pizzas and pastas. My main grip with this place i having highly adulterated dishes, go to italy and fettuccine Alfredo means, noodles and sauce, no chicken. The theme is carries out thought the menu, in a poor attempt to seem original lobster, sausage or chicken is added to most traditional dishes. This left me a vegetarian with only a few choices, I went with the Grilled salmon (no sauce) with the garlic mashed potato. The salmon was a standard farm raised variety and typically over cooked for my tastes. The potatoes were decent as enough garlic and butter can make anything good. ($17) I did like the bread here but that is not enough of a reason to get me back. A long wait for mediocre Salmon at a less than stellar price.
(2)
Giselle M.
I have been employed at Carrabbas for almost 2 and a half years. As a server we are required to try everything on the the menu. Our food is made from scratch and we don't have microwaves. I love the food there!! I probably gained 10 pounds. My husband and I go quite often there, our children love the mozzarella marinara and the calamari. My husband loves the wood grilled salmon and I love the chicken Bryan. Our happy hour is fantastic!! Our happy hour is 7 days a week. Monday- Friday it's 4PM-7PM Saturday and Sunday it's from 3PM-7PM. All tap beers and our Cosmopolitan, Pomegranate Martini, Carrabbarita on the rocks and Razzmitini are half off. Our house wines and homemade sangrias are on special as well. You get a quartino for the price of a glass. A quartino is a glass and a half. Our sangrias are delicious!! We have peach, red and blackberry sangrias. Certain well drinks are also half off. All drink specials are through out the restaurant and all our appetizers are half off in the bar only. On Monday nights we have Amore Mondays, this is a great dea,l it is a special menu where you get a great deal for your money. This menu comes with your choice of an appetizer or a dessert, an entree and choice of soup or salad starting at $12.00. I hope you come and visit us and try us out, I guarantee you'll love it as much as I do!! Come and ask for me (Giselle)
(5)
Jim W.
Three point six seven nine stars. I have some gift cards from Carrabba's and I must say that even though I am fairly anti-chain and pro-independent...Carrabba's ain't half bad. As a matter of fact it's better than half good. The service here was outstanding and the food was well beyond just ok - better than I was expecting from a chain. We ordered several things to share amongst the family - spaghetti with meatballs, chicken caeser salad, mozzarella sticks. I particularly enjoyed the chicken caesar salad. I still prefer independents but Carrabba's is a safe chain apparently. I think.
(3)
Liz S.
...and the 1 star is being super kind. My husband and I walked into the restaurant around 8:30 pm and was seated by a hostess that never made eye contact with us. Never. Then we were helped by a server that, and I'm almost positive, hates her job and doesn't want to be there. Again, no eye contact but whatever. We started off with the mozzarella- horrible. It came out still dripping in grease and the taste was of old cooking oil. I had the fettuccini and it was terrible. I've had better out of a jar at home. Our bill was stupid for the amount of crappy food that we had. I usually feel bad saying terrible things about a joint but not in this case. They should just shut it down. I am confident in my next statement- I will never, in my life, eat at this place even if it's between life and death. I'd much rather die. On the plus side, the water was cold.
I had a very good dinner with my wifey! Great service, good and tasty dinner, and good atmosphere:). Recommend Carrabas at San Tan for wholesome dinner out with family. Great values what you get!
(4)
Sarah P.
I LOVE this place, it is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the Phoenix area. We went here for New Years Eve and only had to wait a 1/2 hour and received excellent service and got to choose from the full menu. They have fantastic wine here. The bread is DELICIOUS with their olive oil and herb mixture. That's a big part of an Italian restaurant experience too. I usually order the Chicken Parmesan, it is too die for, their marinara and spicy red sauces are both the bomb. Everything else I've tried here has been really tasty too. The Caesar salad is great, very fresh tasting. So family friendly, we always bring the kids. Definitely recommend it!
(5)
Rob S.
Food has always been great and service pretty good here. Their pasta dishes are awesome (what I usually get, I'm not adventurous by any means) and they have huge portions, so cost isn't a huge deal because I usually get 2 meals out of one...it's called portion-control people! I've been here probably 5-6 times with my family over the last 3 years and have never had even a semi-questionable experience. Carrabba's over Olive Garden anyday.
(4)
Julie Y.
We were pleasantly surprised about this restaurant! Expecting more of an Olive Garden "vibe", it exceeded our expectations. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars was because of the slightly unorganized service. Our waitress was friendly and great with the kids, but once I had to go to the bar to get my husband's diet coke and we had to ask other wait staff for help a couple times because our waitress was nowhere to be found. I think our table was far from her actual "section". But when we did see her (which always seemed to be seconds after we flagged another server) she was awesome! And the food...also AWESOME!! From the bread to the Cesar side salads to the pasta dishes, we enjoyed everything! My husband had the Mezzaluna pasta dish which I tasted...yummy! I had one of the special "wood fired" pasta dishes ( not on normal menu)....penne pasta with chicken in a pesto cream sauce with some kind of yummy melted cheese (mozzerellaish). I wanted to finish it all, but I had to stop and take the rest home. The warm soft bread they bring you with the olive oil for dipping was so good, too (probably why I couldn't finish my pasta). My 2 year old loved the corkscrew pasta with Alfredo sauce, which we were able to custom order for him and my other two enjoyed the chicken fingers. All around, everyone was happy! We will definitely be coming back!
(4)
Walter d.
Ate here with friend, while in Arizona to judge horse show. Noticed that many exhibitors were also here. Smelled great--waiter very attentive-wait maybe 10 minutes, on a Friday night. Good bread and olive oil escarpeta-parmesan. I had lemonade, she had iced tea-OK. Had whitefish that was really good. She had chicken w/proscutto & cheese-center was a bit raw--was taken away and re-cooked. Chef came out and was polite, but dancing--- Had it not been for that, would be 4 stars--would go there again
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes 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.
Beth L.
I am always treated very well at Carraba's. The service is quick, friendly and on point. As we were seated, our waiter was in the middle of taking an order at another table so a different waiter, I want to say his name is Bryan......he kindly came over to fill our drink orders since our waiter was busy. I thought that was a nice touch to step in. Not that I was in a hurry, just that it was good team work on his part and showed excellent customer service. After our waiter finished up at the other table he came over and introduced to himself. I find that the Carraba staff are always very friendly and professional. My daughter ordered the Chicken Bryan. $15.99. Topped with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and lemon butter sauce. Scrumptious! I had the Fettuccine Weezy, $16.59. My favorite. Fettuccine Alfredo with sauteed shrimp, garlic and mushrooms in our white wine lemon butter sauce. Sometimes the flavor of Alfredo can be strong but this tones down the flavor with the wine lemon butter sauce. All the flavors meld together so nicely and bring extra dimension of flavors. Highly recommend giving this a try. Another one to try is the Chicken Trio.$22.79. If you want to sample a couple different chicken dishes this is the one for you. Or if you just can't make up or you mind. This Trio comes with: Bryan, Marsala and Rosa Maria
(5)Regina W.
I haven't been here in awhile, but I did like what I consumed! It was a crowded night full of people! That's always a good sign to me! The service we received really was great - quick and attentive. My water was refilled frequently, which is always a nice thing. Especially in this hot summer heat! You do get a basket of sliced bread wrapped in a napkin. Their bread was fresh and warm and was really tasty with the oil and balsamic vinegarette. I ordered the lobster ravioli. The chunks of lobster really impressed me because I could actually taste the lobster! It balanced really nicely with the cheese and pasta and sauce. The sauce was delicious and flavorful. Portion size was good enough for me. Our other pasta dish was a little on the smaller portion size (especially for a man), which was surprising to me for an Italian type of place. But I guess you don't want to be rolling out of a restaurant regretting all the carbs you packed on that belly!
(4)Alex D.
Very good service , they don't have the flavor( syrups ) to add to the tea like most others do, they tell you the cost is too high yet they have the highest sales in the valley, go figure. The food has always been very good. No major issues at all, there very consistent with quality and attention they provide.
(4)Daniel S.
We eat here several times a year, it's one on my wife's favorite places to eat. The starter of bread and oil is very good, the food is above average, however,the price is high for what you get. The environment is very nice and always pleasant. The staff has always been very helpful and willing to assist.
(3)Alexa M.
Let me start off by saying the employees were very nice. I was able to get seated right away as well and I enjoyed my ice tea, but that is where the positive experience ended. I took my mom to have dinner and we both ordered the Pollo Rosa Maria with grilled asparagus which costs an additional $1.50 and that is fine, however when I tried to cut it in half it was like cutting into hard straw. Then I tried to put a piece in my mouth and I had to spit it out as it was like chewing into hard straw... these were even skinny stalks. So the $17.00 cost for the chicken was just that.. just the chicken. No sides accompany this unless you want to pay more. The chicken itself was terrible tasting and super salty. I only ended up taking a small bite and was done. I had ordered us Ceasars salad and a shrimp appetizer. The lettuce was completely white and came drenched in dressing. Simply could not force myself to put any of that into my mouth. And the appetizer never came. I asked my waiter for the manager letting the waiter know that nothing he did was wrong well accept never bringing us the appetizer. Manager came and I delicately explained everything to him. He was nice and said they would take care of the bill asking us if we wanted to order something else. I just couldn't do it. I was already passed being hungry and did not want to risk waiting another 30 minutes or so for another meal. I definitely do not recommend spending hard earned money here. It was very disappointing.
(2)David W.
Went for my daughters birthday. They made sure it was all about her. Great service. very nice atmosphere. The food was a different story. Very small portions. everybody at the table got asparagus. it was the size of of a large nail. and dry. Chicken was below Mcdonalds .99 cent special standards. I sat there looking out the window wishing i was at the Outback Steakhouse next door. don't go here. total waste of money, unless your on a 500 calorie a day diet.
(3)Joan G.
It was good but nothing great. One of my daughters really likes this place so I took her for her birthday and it was good but there are better choices for the same or less money. I just wasn't wowed or impressed. I will have to try more dishes. My daughter likes the shrimp and scallop linguine. The sauce was good but the shrimp were overcooked. The atmosphere is nice and the service was very good. Bread was also good.
(3)Curtis C.
Bread is the corner stone of this place. Amazing!!! We love the lintle and minestrone soup with the chicken Cesar salad. The chicken tastes amazing. Great place and atmosphere for the price. Expect to wait 30 -40 mins on fri and sat night.
(5)Megan D.
Great service, drinks and food! Zucchini fritte were great, loved the dipping sauce! I thought the pitcher of peach sangria was pretty pricey ($31) only because I don't think there was much alcohol in it but it tasted so good! Also tried the limoncello raspberry martini. SO GOOD. I seriously said mmm and yum after each sip. I want to try the limoncello rosemary gimlet next time! We ordered two pasta dishes to share. The conchiglie al formaggi is super cheesy, we loved it! We are vegetarians so it was nice that our server Linda let us add in veggies to our other pasta dish. We added mushroom and zucchini to the tag pic pac and was perfect. Linda was awesome, friendly and helpful. I will be back!
(5)John W.
First time here and will be back. Had the special steak with crab cake. Everything was cooked to perfection and was delicious Eric was are waiter and provided excellent service.
(5)Stephen C.
This is one of my all time favorite (stateside) Italian restaurants. The service is always friendly, the food is always large portions, piping hot, and delicious! I see some people have left negative reviews, weather it be from service, or food... but I'm here to say that I've never had a single bad experience here. I think our favorite part is the bread with oil and herbs they give you while you wait for your meal... no need to buy an appetizer as the bread is so damn good especially when you dip it in the herb oil. Talking with our waiter the last time we were there, we discovered that they are going to be changing up their menu a bit. They are bringing in some new classic Italian fare, and removing some of their less popular dishes. I think the new menu sounds amazing, and personally can't wait to try it out. Anyhow, if you love good Italian at a decent price, then you should try Carrabba's... Much better then Olive Garden IMHO.
(5)Aaron S.
We love Carrabba's and eat here at least once every few weeks. Way better than any of the other local Italian restaurants. The zucchini fritti is a must as a starter. The garlic aioli they serve it with is delicious, and you might find yourself dipping your bread in it too. Their soups are also great. Their fillet Marsala is one of the best steaks I've ever eaten. I don't think we've ever had a bad meal here. Make sure you save room for the chocolate Sonjo (spell check). One of the best desserts we've ever had.
(5)Samantha C.
Some family members were in AZ for the week and on their last night we had a large group meet for dinner at this Carraba's. My boyfriend, Sister, and myself were the first to arrive and told the hostess we would have a group of 8 and she sat us at a large table in the bar section. We had a lot of room because the area was pretty empty, but the table was very high and the chairs we so awkward to move because they were all squeezed in next to the others, plus no space at all for purses so I had to put mine on the ground under my feet, sad face! I was smiling when I saw it was still happy hour and all drinks were half off. After a vodka cran with lime I was ready to check out the menu. There were a few apps also half off so we ordered some bacon onion flatbread to munch on while we waited for the rest of our party. Time passed and everyone arrived, but not our flatbread. Our friends and family ordered some calamari, and another flatbread. A few minutes later their calamari came out, still no flatbread! I asked and finally another waitress came out carrying it. It was decent, nothing amazing. I ate more of the calamari. After looking through the menu I decided on some type of chicken spinach stuffed pasta. Our waiter brought out some very heavy bread to dip in olive oil and herbs. I was eagerly waiting the main courses to come out, and about fifteen minutes later a woman came out calling my dishes name, I was ready for a plate to be placed on the table but instead I saw her empty handed. She informed me they were out of my dishes ingredients and they would not have another delivery of them for some time. This tells me two things, one they probably order this dish frozen and reheat it in the kitchen because how can a restaurant not have pasta shells, chicken, and spinach to throw together? Those are total staples. And two, our waiter was not on his A-game because it had been over FIFTEEN minutes since we ordered and he couldn't come out sooner to let me know? So then I had to quickly scan the menu and to be honest nothing else sounded even close to what I felt like eating so I just went with some combo of lasagna and chicken parm. Not only would I be waiting longer but I filled up on breads and drinks. When my dish finally did come out I tried two bites, the lasagna was overpowered with ricotta and totally turned me off. The chicken parm was alright, the breading was burnt black in some parts and the chicken was bland. The next time I saw our waiter I asked for a box and one of their after dinner boozy coffee drinks and asked him to not charge it to the bill in return for them not having what I originally ordered. He looked surprised and said he had heard about someone not getting what they ordered but didn't know it was me and apologized and said he would see what he could do about comping my drink. I don't know if that ended up happening because I wasn't the one paying the bill, but I was disappointed in their confusion. The coffee drink helped me leave in a better mood but not enough to make me want to return.
(3)Dani C.
Went for a late dinner. I've been a fan of this chain for years. I was surprised it was still so busy at almost 8pm (I know, 8pm isn't late, but it is when you're used to eating with your kids at 6) ! We were seated right away even though it was busy, but the service was a little on the slow side after that. That usually doesn't bother me though, I see it's busy and we weren't in a hurry. We split one meal, and they were kind enough to bring it out on separate plates. LOVE the Chicken Bryan, it's the only thing I've ever had to eat there besides the Lobster Ravioli, which is also excellent.
(4)Anne L.
Let me first start off saying that I LOVE Carraba's. I know that it is a chain, but as a chain goes it goes out of it's way to fool your taste buds into thinking that you are actually eating artfully prepared Italian cuisine at a more casual and affordable atmosphere. They will tailor to your requests for your food to be prepared a certain way, even if it isn't on the menu. I prefer to have a steak, but the Steak Bryan, which is a filet, or a another cut of steak with their special goat cheese, basil, and sun dried tomato on top. Another worthy mention is their grilled chicken dishes. Too many places love to over cook chicken then flavor it after the fact, but at Carrabba's you know they marinate them which keeps them juicy. I am sorry that Matt had a bad review on service, because I will tell you that they have FABULOUS service. Every place has their bad nights, but this particular Carrabbba's knows how to treat their customers. We visited one night and they forgot our appetizer. We were in a hurry and we told them to not worry about it, but in return they apologized profusely and gave us a coupon for a free appetizer for the next visit and a free desert. When we arrived home, my 3 year old daughter had left her small puzzle there and my husband went back to retrieve it, but it was gone. It wasn't a big deal, but a few days later, the manager (I think owner as well) James called us at home to again apologize and said that he had bought some puzzles and that when we came in again to ask for them. I was speechless, and had never had such wonderful customer service. We went in and he gave us not just one, but four puzzles, and of course made sure that everything went to our liking. I cannot recommend this location enough and have told my friends and family of our experience. WONDERFUL location, GREAT service, and FABULOUS food!
(5)John M.
We loave carrabbas, the food is always great and the service friendly.
(4)Matt K.
This is a great place to eat! Great service and great food! We'll be back for sure!
(5)Shoshana R.
The food is great, but the service leaves a lot to be desired. I particularly dislike it when the hostess says "How are we doing tonight"? Then the server says "what would we like to eat tonight?" when he come back to take the order. That's so rude and condescending. We got the bum's rush as far as service is concerned. We were in and out in 35 minutes! I never got offered a refill on my iced tea either! Next time I am going to one of the independent Italian restaurants in town.
(2)Sarah P.
I LOVE this place, it is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the Phoenix area. We went here for New Years Eve and only had to wait a 1/2 hour and received excellent service and got to choose from the full menu. They have fantastic wine here. The bread is DELICIOUS with their olive oil and herb mixture. That's a big part of an Italian restaurant experience too. I usually order the Chicken Parmesan, it is too die for, their marinara and spicy red sauces are both the bomb. Everything else I've tried here has been really tasty too. The Caesar salad is great, very fresh tasting. So family friendly, we always bring the kids. Definitely recommend it!
(5)Rob S.
Food has always been great and service pretty good here. Their pasta dishes are awesome (what I usually get, I'm not adventurous by any means) and they have huge portions, so cost isn't a huge deal because I usually get 2 meals out of one...it's called portion-control people! I've been here probably 5-6 times with my family over the last 3 years and have never had even a semi-questionable experience. Carrabba's over Olive Garden anyday.
(4)Julie Y.
We were pleasantly surprised about this restaurant! Expecting more of an Olive Garden "vibe", it exceeded our expectations. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars was because of the slightly unorganized service. Our waitress was friendly and great with the kids, but once I had to go to the bar to get my husband's diet coke and we had to ask other wait staff for help a couple times because our waitress was nowhere to be found. I think our table was far from her actual "section". But when we did see her (which always seemed to be seconds after we flagged another server) she was awesome! And the food...also AWESOME!! From the bread to the Cesar side salads to the pasta dishes, we enjoyed everything! My husband had the Mezzaluna pasta dish which I tasted...yummy! I had one of the special "wood fired" pasta dishes ( not on normal menu)....penne pasta with chicken in a pesto cream sauce with some kind of yummy melted cheese (mozzerellaish). I wanted to finish it all, but I had to stop and take the rest home. The warm soft bread they bring you with the olive oil for dipping was so good, too (probably why I couldn't finish my pasta). My 2 year old loved the corkscrew pasta with Alfredo sauce, which we were able to custom order for him and my other two enjoyed the chicken fingers. All around, everyone was happy! We will definitely be coming back!
(4)Walter d.
Ate here with friend, while in Arizona to judge horse show. Noticed that many exhibitors were also here. Smelled great--waiter very attentive-wait maybe 10 minutes, on a Friday night. Good bread and olive oil escarpeta-parmesan. I had lemonade, she had iced tea-OK. Had whitefish that was really good. She had chicken w/proscutto & cheese-center was a bit raw--was taken away and re-cooked. Chef came out and was polite, but dancing--- Had it not been for that, would be 4 stars--would go there again
(3)Tammy M.
After having been told by my cousin and neighbors how good this place was, I finally visited with my family last Saturday night. It was delicious. The bread is to die for along with the pasta side that comes with the meat meals. Very good. I will never go to Olive Garden again.
(5)Judy C.
This is the best restaurant chain EVER!!!! I love EVERYTHING there and the service has always been A+. The fried zucchini strips (appetizer) are the best in the world, the Caesar salad is the best I ever had, even their croutons on the salad are better than any!!! Olive oil herb dip is Fabulous, the warm bread is like no other. Most of the dinners that I have tried have been excellent but the Chicken Bryan is magnificent. Waiters and manager the best.
(5)Jessica B.
I absolutely LOVE this place. I usually always get the SIRLOIN MARSALA so we only come here on occasions since it's a little pricier than just a standard night out (but still a good price for steak). But the food is amazing, the bread and dip are delicious, and the atmosphere is not flashy and perfect for dates. I have had the CHICKEN PARMESAN which was tasty too, but I just can't get enough of the marsala sauce. Never have been disappointed here, or any other Carrabbas in fact. A co-worker of mine brings leftovers in to work every so often and it makes my mouth water, even though I would never have thought of that dish as good (egg plant gross). The seasonings make anything seem appetizing. More than enough food at one time so I rarely get dessert, although I never mind that since I am left completely satisfied.
(5)Geoffrey M.
We realize that if we want some good Italian food, our hands are pretty much tied. For my wife's birthday, we wanted something a little more than Oregano's and a little less pricey than Tutti Santi. Let's face it, Carrabba's is just that middle man and their recent advertising spree had our mouths watering with images of plates filled with authentic looking Italian delights! What we received however was a cross between what I would expect Astronaut food and Jail food to taste like. Before I unleash my furor, I would like to say that there were a few positives regarding our experience. 1. The kids loved the mozzarella sticks. 2. The bread was piping hot. 3. The water and the drinks were cold. 4. The pasta portion of my wife's dinner was hot. 5. The waitstaff and manager were "nice". Starting with our server, she was nice enough but I am certain that she had neither washed her uniform or her hair in the past two week and on a 4-top, was handing us our drinks rather than placing them on the table. Who cares right? Terrible service is the norm here in Gilbert. At least she was nice. When our appetizer arrived, the calamari was literally inedible. It wasn't burned either, it was a light golden brown in color. Of course it is frozen calamari, of course it comes in a bag... We aren't sitting on a pier in San Francisco, I get it but I swear, this bag had been sitting open at the back of the freezer collecting every bit of flavor the other foods had to offer while simultaneously losing every molecule of moisture. This stuff tasted like cardboard... origami calamari anyone? The manager graciously took the calamari away from us and gave us more mozzarella sticks... deep fried luxury right there. Sadly, he had the nerve to offer us more calamari. I could go on and on but the bottom line is that the food was sub-par. Worse than my already low expectations could handle. Now, I fully understand that managers and cooks are people too but the managers really need to step their game up at that location. 1. Make sure your staff look professional. Not disheveled, greasy and dirty. 2. Look at the food you are serving. My calamari was paper thin. My chicken Marsala came with 2 half full scoops of (instant?) mashed potatoes and a double (not cut in half) chicken breast covered in overly salty, non-cooked off raw wine tasting "mushroom" sauce. 3. Cover the salad in the walk in... the grated carrots tasted like EVERYTHING in the walk in. I doubt that anyone deliberately did anything to sabotage our meals just the same as I doubt anyone thought they were doing anything wrong... which is the most frightening part.
(1)She S.
Love this place! At first I thought it was a chain so I wasn't expecting much, it sure did exceed my expectation. I love the tilapia and the wine selection is amazing
(5)Darrin S.
I had ordered on the phone for my order to go. When I picked my order up it was fast. So when I got home I could not believe the small portions that was in the the bag. I had ordered the penne franco and the Italian classics dishes. For the amount they charge it is a ripoff. My strong suggestion is to head over to Romano's Macaroni Grill. Much more worth it.
(2)Bob K.
Came here on a wednesday night. Sat down quickly. Someone took are drink order as our server was busy. We thought it was going to be a horrible night out. After getting our drinks, Mason our waiter came over and then brought awesome bread! My wife got Chicken Marsala with garlic mashed potatoes while I got the Pasta Carrabba which is chicken alfredo. We both loved our food! The soup had huge real pieces of chicken. The biggest pieces I have ever seen in soup. It was the same kind of chicken that comes in an entree. So not the cheap chicken. At the end, we spoke to Mason about other places n such. He stated they do not have a microwave at all and everything is cooked from scratch! For me and my wife it was $43 out the door including tax and tip of $7. My wife ordered water for a drink and I got an iced tea. Just remember you get what you pay for, so all in all if you want a great Italian dinner then I'd highly recommend Carrabba's.
(5)Kevin C.
As chain restaurants go, Carraba's is pretty dang good. Good menu choices with some innovative choices, nice atmosphere, consistently good wait staff in my experience, and fair prices. MUCH better than Olive Garden IMHO, in all respects. When it comes to Italian, I prefer the mom & pop joints with red & white checked tablecloths, 50-yr old Olympia beer signs covered in dust, and Grandpa sitting over in the corner at "his" table all night, monitoring the goings-on.. but when one of those joints isn't available, Carraba's isn't a bad choice at all.
(4)Brett B.
Once I tried their steak, I knew I'd be going against the old adage: Don't go to an Italian restaurant for a steak. Went on a Friday night. Ordered a modified antipasti appetizer. Was kind of surprised at the skimpy portions, for a $12 appetizer. Good taste though. Love the fried zucchini, as they were cut like french fries and battered. The sirloin was tasty, although the Marsala was a bit scanty. My daughter loved her Pollo Rosa Maria, but found the baked veggies to appear less than appetizing (although she appreciated the healthy cooking method). My salmon had a great consistency and was flavorful, but had a smidge of a fishy taste. The tiramisu had a strong rum flavor, and did not rank well against others I've had from different eateries. Without alcohol, dinner, beverages and 1 dessert for 3 was close to $100 with tip.
(4)Raffi M.
From a chain Italian restaurant you can't usually expect much, but Carrabba's does very well. Some of the friendliest service we have experienced at a chain restaurant. Very accommodating with special requests, and with the staff that we have had on our visits we can tell that they enjoy having people in their restaurant. The oil olive served with the bread is amazing with the cracked spices (you can buy the spice mix to take home!). I remember the calamari being nice and crisp but not too greasy, and the other items in the appetizer combo were very tasty (I enjoyed the Bruschetta quite a bit). One of the entrees we ordered was a chicken dinner and it was cooked very well. I do remember one thing on our visit very well; the Tiramisu. Although initially I was not hit with the boldness of liquor, after dinner I felt the alcohol more than any other Tiramisu I have had. I love a strong Tiramisu, and this one met that in addition to being rich, creamy, and sized just right for two people to share. Lots to try on the menu, very friendly staff, super accommodating with regards to dietary needs, and fair priced food make Carrabba's a good choice for a reliable Italian restaurant in a casual setting.
(4)Tara S.
My family loves Carrabas and always orders the same thing. We came on a busy Friday night and had no problem waiting the 45 minutes to be seated. Once we were, the waitress took our drink orders- soda for my husband and I and milk for my toddler. Literally 20 minutes later she came back with water. I reminded her that we had ordered sodas and she apologized and said she'd be right back. We waited. And waited. She came back 15 minutes later, no drinks in hand for our food order. We again asked for our drinks and ordered our food, asking that my son's kids meal come with the appetizer as he was starving. We witnessed her for the next 30 minutes talking with customers at the bar who were apparently friends, and finally grabbed an older man out of uniform, who I assume was the manager and asked if our food would be much longer. 15 minutes later he, ( not her) dropped off freezing cold food at our table with not so much as a word. After one bite I got up, tracked him down (waitress still nowhere in sight), and told him the food was cold. He offered to have it remade but by this time we had been sitting for an hour and my patience had grown thin. He popped it in the microwave and we ate as quickly as we could to get out of there. Now we have a cranky 2 year old, a cranky pregnant momma (me), and HaHa, still no sodas. Bill came, we paid and left. I emailed corporate via Facebook and they called me immediately and were beyond apologetic. They wanted to know our server's name, but I simply wanted to inform them of the problem, not get anyone fired so I declined. They sent me a $50 gift card and we returned on a less busy week night. Our server Adam was amazing, prompt, and all without knowing our dinner had been comped. We will definitely be returning again, as I'm very happy with the way they settled my complaint. And besides, their chicken marsala is hands down the best EVER!
(3)ashley m.
We frequent Carrabbas since it close to our house. I have never had to wait for a table more then about 15 minutes and that was on a busy Friday night. Everyone is always very polite. I always get the Veal Piccatta because.. well I love it. It comes with garlic mashed potatoes that are soooo good. Their bread and oil for dipping are also splendid! MMM - They also have a very good Parmesean dressing for salads that my daughter puts away by the handful (she is 2 haha!) All in all it is a moderately priced, delicious, quick meal which is very important when you have a 2 year old :)
(4)Ricky D.
These guys make the best Chicken Marsala on the planet!! Well done!
(4)Helen F.
This is our go to dinner restaurant. Service is great, food is even better and the blackberry sangria makes me happy :) Try the Chicken Bryan and don't be afraid of the goats cheese. I didn't think I'd like it but I tasted a friends and the cheese is smooth and mild. Since that taste almost two years ago I haven't ordered anything but Chicken Bryan. The bread and herb oil is delicious too.
(5)J P.
I don't expect a lot from chain Italian restaurants (which begs the question why did I go here...because the place I wanted to go to is closed on Monday) but surprisingly it wasn't horrible. The wife had Pasta Weesie. Except for the name, it was actually pretty good although when I tasted it I found the mushrooms in it to be a bit salty. I had Chicken & Spinach Cannelloni not bad. As an aside, Cannelloni, normal name for an italian dish as opposed to Pasta Weesie...see was that hard? For reasons I'm still trying to figure out we ordered Italian Sangria. First, Weesie pasta and now Italian Sangria. What's that all about? But aside from my cognitive dissonance with their naming convention for things on the menu the only thing they should really rethink is the whole Italian Sangria. Way to sweet and had a weird cinnamon after taste. Granted cinnamon was one of the ingredients in the drink but between the sweetness and the cinnamon I'll be real happy if I don't end up gacking the stuff back up. So to summarize, food not bad. Sangria, something to take a pass on.
(3)Evan B.
They really focous on the grill part. The meul is full of griled chicken, meat and a fish item. There also are pizzas and pastas. My main grip with this place i having highly adulterated dishes, go to italy and fettuccine Alfredo means, noodles and sauce, no chicken. The theme is carries out thought the menu, in a poor attempt to seem original lobster, sausage or chicken is added to most traditional dishes. This left me a vegetarian with only a few choices, I went with the Grilled salmon (no sauce) with the garlic mashed potato. The salmon was a standard farm raised variety and typically over cooked for my tastes. The potatoes were decent as enough garlic and butter can make anything good. ($17) I did like the bread here but that is not enough of a reason to get me back. A long wait for mediocre Salmon at a less than stellar price.
(2)Giselle M.
I have been employed at Carrabbas for almost 2 and a half years. As a server we are required to try everything on the the menu. Our food is made from scratch and we don't have microwaves. I love the food there!! I probably gained 10 pounds. My husband and I go quite often there, our children love the mozzarella marinara and the calamari. My husband loves the wood grilled salmon and I love the chicken Bryan. Our happy hour is fantastic!! Our happy hour is 7 days a week. Monday- Friday it's 4PM-7PM Saturday and Sunday it's from 3PM-7PM. All tap beers and our Cosmopolitan, Pomegranate Martini, Carrabbarita on the rocks and Razzmitini are half off. Our house wines and homemade sangrias are on special as well. You get a quartino for the price of a glass. A quartino is a glass and a half. Our sangrias are delicious!! We have peach, red and blackberry sangrias. Certain well drinks are also half off. All drink specials are through out the restaurant and all our appetizers are half off in the bar only. On Monday nights we have Amore Mondays, this is a great dea,l it is a special menu where you get a great deal for your money. This menu comes with your choice of an appetizer or a dessert, an entree and choice of soup or salad starting at $12.00. I hope you come and visit us and try us out, I guarantee you'll love it as much as I do!! Come and ask for me (Giselle)
(5)T W.
Had a gift card, so we decided to visit for happy hour. The happy hour deal is 1/2 off their appetizers, plus some drink specials. So this is really a review of their appetizers. We didn't get an entree. We ordered the bruscetta, the calamari, and the arranzini (I think that's the name). The bruschetta was really good. I liked it a lot. If everything else was that good I'd probably go at least 4 stars. The arranzini were sorta like meatballs but they weren't all meat. There was other stuff in them. Sort of reminded me of falafel. They were pretty good. A solid three stars there. The calamari was a disappointment. It was cooked well enough (usually the problem is they do it wrong and it's like chewing on a tire). But the seasoning was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too salty. I mean getting-a-mouth-full-of-sea-water salty. To their credit they took it back, but then brought out a batch with no seasoning. Imagine calamari with no seasoning...yeah...zzzzzzzzz. Somewhere between chewing on rock salt and no seasoning is a happy place called "properly seasoned". Their chef should look into that. I can't quite bring myself to give the calamari two stars. Gotta go with one. Just not good. Only the marinara dipping sauce made it tolerable. So, overall, three stars. You could do better, you could do worse. At least for appetizers. Perhaps I'll return and do an entree. I still have a balance on that gift card.
(3)Jenny L.
Everything was so ON POINT at this restaurant. It reminds me of an 12x upgrade of the Olive Garden. We were at first debating if I wanted to eat at the pizza place across the parking lot but last minute decided to come here. Best decision! I'm quite the critic when it comes to food, service , cleanliness, quality and appearance. We were greeted as we walked in, our waitress was Linda, she is such a sweet lady. I was debating between the lobster ravioli and the tenderloin Marsala, Linda our waitress told me I can get a side of lobster ravioli for couple more dollars to get best of both. They were both so good! The tenderloin was really tender and it just melted in your mouth & very flavorful. Linda came back frequently to check up on us. I was definitely come back if and when I come back to Arizona. (From California) To all the bad reviews I have written for bad service, they need to get customer service Lessons from Linda. Linda deserves a raise!! Rating: Cleanliness 5/5 Customer service 6/5 Food appearance 5/5 Quality 5/5 (way to go cooks)
(5)Rhonda S.
I've always enjoyed Carrabba's. Nothing extravagant but good food, good service. It's kind of my go to place if I am in the mood for pasta.
(3)Matt K.
We had a really good experience here yesterday. I was wanting a steak with a little pasta and knew this was a place that did both. We had our 2 kids with us and it was nice to see their kids menu had more than just mac and cheese. They even got some raw pizza dough to play with. The ambience is definitely that of a chain restaurant but the food came out extremely fast and didn't overlap. Salads came out nearly instantly after we ordered, kids food shortly thereafter as requested, and after we finished our salads, mains came out promptly. My fillet was more towards the rare side than medium rare, but flavor and texture were wonderful. Pasta had a bit too fiddly of a sauce but did the job. The butter cake dessert was devoured quickly by our quartet. Overall, a pretty good meal!
(4)Tyler S.
I've been coming to this Carrabba's for a few years, and I've only ever had one lackluster meal. The spot in Mesa isn't great, but this location is the most consistently spectacular eatery I've ever been to. The Chicken Bryan (grilled chicken with lemon butter) is as good as food gets. I always get it with a side of cavatappi, also covered in lemon butter, and a bowl of chicken soup. As far as appetizers go, I love the meatball ricotta flatbread, and the basket of bread they give you at the start of the meal is always appreciated. If you feel like quality Italian food, this place can't be beat. The food, service, and ambiance are second to none.
(5)Lisa B.
We came here for my mom's birthday. Great service! Eric was our server and made our time there very enjoyable. He was attentive, quick with drinks and on top of refills. He has a good attitude and was great with my kids. Food is always great. It's great to see managers on the floor too.
(5)Shar S.
Horribly rude hostess to begin with..... We went to seat ourselves at the bar, and she came up raised her voice saying she can only sit us and to go back in front and wait. There was not a crowd or wait, the place was over half empty!!!! Then our waiter who was CLUELESS brought our drinks, the overly-salted shrimp diablo and the fishy smelling mussels. Totally forgot our soups, he never apologized either so we paid our bill and went to BRIO where the service and food blows this shameful place away!
(1)Olivia T.
We have been coming to this location since it opened and we have always enjoyed a nice family meal. I've actually moved to North Phoenix and we aren't exactly near to this location any longer. But, when I pick up my daughter from her Dad's this is our fave place to go. I chose the lentil and sausage soup and the house salad for dinner. I've noticed that their salads have been shrinking in size for some time now. Now, they come to the table half the size that they used to be, no pepperoncini's, and a very dry salad..... Tonight's meal however would be made extra special by the presence of a long, light colored hair in my bowl of soup. I'm a brunette so, it was not mine. The manager removed the item from my bill and offered a free dessert to make up for the "hairy" soup. Needless to say we will not be back to this location anytime soon if ever at all. Epic fail Carrabbas's..... We never expected anything like this to happen at your restaurant.
(1)Mario S.
My family and I used to love Carrabas but last night was our worst experience ever. Server poor, seemed like she didn't want to be there. Had to ask her twice to bring our beverages. Then she copped an attitude for the remaining portion of our dinner. Food portion size extremely small. Prosciutto and pork medallions was a joke. 3 medallions were size of walnuts with maybe a half of a slice of prosciutto. My side dish was approximately 12 string beans. Very disappointed, seems like they're more interested in getting you in and getting you out turning tables then providing you with a nice dining experience.. Won't ever go back....$102 wasted in my opinion
(1)Marissa D.
Went in around 9pm for a late dinner. The hostess was very friendly and sat us right away. We had Justin as our server and he was great! He had full knowledge of the menu and had great suggestions that were delicious. He was attentive and friendly. Definitely ask for Justin when you go in. I ordered the calamari and it was pretty good! Kind of greasy but it was fried so eh. But it was good. Definitely will come back.
(4)Jim S.
Went here the other night with spouse. We've been going there over 12 years. The service is always great, the food is good. The only issue is price versus portion size. They greatly reduced it from previous visits. For example, we quit ordering appetizers because we couldn't finish the dinner. Following the same principle, when we visited we actually left and went to get a desert somewhere else because we gave them $65 and weren't going to give them anymore. We both felt like we paid for dinner portions and received lunch portions. This isn't a food quality issue or a staff issue, this is a management or owner issue. California pizza kitchen tried this, and after two years of falling revenues they got the message. We might try them again in a couple years.... :-(
(2)Eric H.
Love this place! I only wish they had better hours. This would be a great place to have lunch for office meetings or just with friends, but they are only open for dinner. That would be a huge bonus. But, I have always had great service and food here. The other night the waitress forgot to put our food order in and she gave us a free appetizer then and another one for our next visit. The ambiance is perfect for a date.
(5)Dana B.
The piccata was fantastic! They happily allowed me to have chicken instead of veal. Make sure to ask them to add the capers. Yummy! The side of broccoli was okay. They add peppers and onions to it which is not my preference. Why mess with a good thing? The salad was ok, bread was excellent. The Chicken Bryan was very flavorful. We had creme brûlée for dessert which was also very good although we would've preferred to have had the top a bit more brûlée. Service was excellent, even the chef came by to check how the meal was. I also enjoyed my leftovers fir lunch today. We will be back!
(4)Alicia H.
Loved it!!! Great service, awesome food!!! The decor wasn't amazing but it's my new fav Italian spot!!
(5)David D.
This restaurant is expensive for the little amount of food you receive. The food is good. I don't mind paying top dollar, but I want to get my moneys worth if I do. The environment is quaint and the service was good. The bread is the star here. They have the best complimentary bread over any other restaurant.
(3)Brian H.
I ordered curbside pickup for Mothers Day. My pickup time was 6:20 pm. I pulled up to the restaurant at exactly 6:21 pm and at that time there were 2 bags of food sitting outside on a table. One employee was bouncing between cars and the restaurant dropping off and picking up the bills. After five minutes he picked up one of the bags off the table and brought it to the car next to ours. Next, our bill came and the employee apologized for the wait exclaiming that they've been busier than normal. I told him we understood and he went on his way. At 6:40 (19 minutes after we had arrived) a guy picked up the bag of food that had been sitting for 19+ minutes and hands it to me. I said "no no no, that has been sitting there since we pulled up twenty minutes ago!" His response was "I'll try to be quicker on my feet next time". And then he ran inside. By the time we get home our food had sat for 30+ minutes. The food was cold and our appetizer was soggy. It was aweful, a huge waste of money, and a disappointing Mother's Day dinner for my wife, my kids, and myself. I can't imagine any restaurant deeming it acceptable or even safe to serve food under those conditions. We have always loved eating at carrabbas but this experience really rubbed us the wrong way. It is not right or safe to serve people food that has sat for that long. I have made multiple attempts to contact Carrabbas and have yet to receive a response.
(1)Sandra N.
The food is what you would normally expect, but the dining experience was less than desired. During our entire meal the table behind us had an endless parade of people. The diners work at the restaurant so everyone and their mother had to come by for a conversation. In addition, I became privy to all the gossip at the restaurant and it got so bad that I was unable to hear what my husband was saying. You would think that since they work here they would understand discretion and how to be around customers.
(1)Kara F.
This was my first time eating at a Carrabba's and it's not that I had high hopes, but this restaurant was horrendous and completely killed my desire to ever eat at a Carrabba's again. It was one of the most uncomfortable situations I have ever experienced at a restaurant. Happy hour was going on and me and my boyfriend were eyeing some blackberry lemonade, seems innocent right? I ordered one, thinking it was just lemonade with blackberry syrup in it. The waiter never asked for my ID nor mentioned anything of this blackberry lemonade being alcoholic. I received the drink and noticed it was in a fancy glass, not one that I could hurriedly drink due to being parched. My boyfriend then asked a waiter passing by if the drink was alcoholic and she had no idea. A couple of minutes pass, and then BAM! The bartender comes out of nowhere demanding to see my ID to see if I was older than 21, which luckily I was, but who knows what would have happened if I wasn't. She then walks off as if it's okay to bombard a table for something that they had no idea about nor did anything wrong. Our waiter then shows up out of nowhere, just says my mistake, doesn't offer me anything else to drink or even if I want to keep the alcoholic drink. I refused to drink it and got an ice tea instead. And for the rest of my meal I was treated like an outcast. My server refused to look me in the eye and no longer directed questions towards me or cared to see if I was doing okay. ONE OF THE MOST UNCOMFORTABLE AND AWKWARD SITUATIONS I HAVE EVER HAD AT A RESTAURANT. It was like I was in time out until I left the restaurant and that I was the criminal. I am NEVER going back to Carrabba's, and besides, Olive Garden's food is way better than the tasteless crap they serve here. Needless to say we still left 20% because I use to work as a server, but I did not leave a tip based on service or performance it was out of sheer generosity.
(1)Charissa G.
Our favorite!!!! So many people over look their famous chicken dishes and dont forget their yummy steak!!! We love the Pollo Rosa Maria, Chicken Bryan, Sirloin with Marsala sauce.. They have amazing mussels, bread, The Best Sangria, The house salad dressing "creamy Parmesan" Yummy Alfredo sauce too, (hard to find good sauce)!! Go try it, youll be glad you did!
(5)Liz S.
The food is great but this location's customer service is poor. We had made reservations and specifically told the hostess and the server is was a birthday celebration. We were introduced by one server but only saw her one time after she took our drink order. The rest of the service was done by three other people and they had no communication among each other. It took about 20 minutes to get our salads then our food was brought out not even two minutes later. In the process of trying to make room for more plates my drink was spilled. I assumed they would bring me a new one but it never came. So eventually I had to ask for another one and the server asked me if I was serious. I have been to the carrabbas in chandler on ray and the 10. Everything there was FANTASTIC! I was completely thrown off by the gilbert location's poor service and how rushed they made us feel. They knew it was a birthday dinner but made the only memorable moment of the evening their poor service. I will never go back to this location again.
(2)Nancy C.
I'm no stranger to good Italian food, and I wasn't expecting anything special but I was knocked out by the quality of Carrabba's food. The tomato basil soup was absolutely fresh, with complex flavors, texture, and spice, along with lovely wilted basil leaves to top it off. I thought this would be chain restaurant stuff, and it's really quite a few steps higher quality than its price point. I loved the olive oil dip and bread (which I tried not to overeat), and my husband and I shared each other's entree. I'll be back! Highly recommended. Attentive service too.
(5)Matt S.
Sad to give this place a 1 star cause I love the food, and every time I have been to any Carrabba's it has been amazing (food wise) but this specific one gets a ONE STAR FOR POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. We got to the place and they said about 5 min wait, and since we have kids, that was perfect - if it was longer we would have went somewhere else....so we wait and wait and wait ... I go ask and they say they are working on getting our table. Long story short they forgot about us and we ended up waiting almost 45 min before we got seated....we decided to stay so long because we thought it was "almost ready" and did not expect it to turn out the way it did. Then the waiter got our food messed up - good thing everything on the menu is good because my wife got half of mine, and I got half of hers and then the waiter goes nuts trying to blame everyone else Very unprofessional! Horrible service and will probably not go back to this one again unless they convince me otherwise!
(1)Jim W.
Three point six seven nine stars. I have some gift cards from Carrabba's and I must say that even though I am fairly anti-chain and pro-independent...Carrabba's ain't half bad. As a matter of fact it's better than half good. The service here was outstanding and the food was well beyond just ok - better than I was expecting from a chain. We ordered several things to share amongst the family - spaghetti with meatballs, chicken caeser salad, mozzarella sticks. I particularly enjoyed the chicken caesar salad. I still prefer independents but Carrabba's is a safe chain apparently. I think.
(3)Trent G.
My wife and I will not go back to this unit. So inconsistent....service, food, etc..... The unit in Mesa is much more consistent. 4 more miles to drive but I am tired of being disappointed.
(2)Liz S.
...and the 1 star is being super kind. My husband and I walked into the restaurant around 8:30 pm and was seated by a hostess that never made eye contact with us. Never. Then we were helped by a server that, and I'm almost positive, hates her job and doesn't want to be there. Again, no eye contact but whatever. We started off with the mozzarella- horrible. It came out still dripping in grease and the taste was of old cooking oil. I had the fettuccini and it was terrible. I've had better out of a jar at home. Our bill was stupid for the amount of crappy food that we had. I usually feel bad saying terrible things about a joint but not in this case. They should just shut it down. I am confident in my next statement- I will never, in my life, eat at this place even if it's between life and death. I'd much rather die. On the plus side, the water was cold.
(1)Karen O.
Our favorite local Italian restaurant! The bread and the dipping oil with herbs is just amazing. Hubby and I had about three of their little loaves, thank you very much. Started out with the chicken zucchini flatbread appetizer. It was fresh and delicious. Wouldn't have minded if it was a smidge larger, though. Our beverages were a raspberry Italian soda and some Italian beer on tap - both were great tasting! I ordered the tilapia for my entrée, and the piece of fish I received was massive. Also I upgraded my side to the fettuccine Alfredo. I was not disappointed. My husband opted for the linguine Pescatore. After placing our order, our super nice waitress, Alli, returned to our table to report that the kitchen did not have mussels for my husband's linguine dish. To compensate for the missing item, he was given extra amounts of shrimp & scallops - score! Since this was a complete splurge meal, we finished off with their Chocolate Dream dessert. Ummm...yum! Great atmosphere, great food, great staff, decent prices. Will definitely be returning. (Just not right away - I'm still trying to burn off these calories....)
(5)Won-Woo P.
I had a very good dinner with my wifey! Great service, good and tasty dinner, and good atmosphere:). Recommend Carrabas at San Tan for wholesome dinner out with family. Great values what you get!
(4)Mr. E.
This Carrabba's is just 'ok'. I went in with a friend a couple hours before they closed. It was the typical olive garden/italian chain decor with dim lighting. The host seated us promptly, and our server said hello right away. The service itself was great. She answered all of our questions, and made a lot of suggestions. I ended up ordering the Chicken Bryan Ravioli, and my friend ordered the Seafood Cannelloni. It definitely smelled like seafood. With each meal a soup or salad was included, along with complimentary bread and olive oil with herbs. I probably should have ordered something else, but I had hiked camelback mountain and I was starving. The shredded chicken inside reminded me of what canned cat food looks like... It tasted ok, but didn't look that good. Portions were a bit small, and the sangria tasted like Juice. Nothing was wrong with the service, the manager even stopped by to ask how everything was. I would go back here, but I think I'll keep it more simple with what I order. Maybe just a chicken parm, or alfredo. If you want to try food that is a step above Olive Garden, go here. If you just want free stuff, and average service- go to Olive Garden or Brio's Tuscan Grille. I really did like our waitress and would go back just because of that.
(3)KC M.
Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous! From the clean facility, to the friendly staff to the amazingly delicious food . . . Carrabba's rocks! IF you want to be wined and dined . . . this is the place. What a blessing to have them in the east valley. Blessings to them as they provide quality service at a moderate price : ) KC
(5)Beth L.
I am always treated very well at Carraba's. The service is quick, friendly and on point. As we were seated, our waiter was in the middle of taking an order at another table so a different waiter, I want to say his name is Bryan......he kindly came over to fill our drink orders since our waiter was busy. I thought that was a nice touch to step in. Not that I was in a hurry, just that it was good team work on his part and showed excellent customer service. After our waiter finished up at the other table he came over and introduced to himself. I find that the Carraba staff are always very friendly and professional. My daughter ordered the Chicken Bryan. $15.99. Topped with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and lemon butter sauce. Scrumptious! I had the Fettuccine Weezy, $16.59. My favorite. Fettuccine Alfredo with sauteed shrimp, garlic and mushrooms in our white wine lemon butter sauce. Sometimes the flavor of Alfredo can be strong but this tones down the flavor with the wine lemon butter sauce. All the flavors meld together so nicely and bring extra dimension of flavors. Highly recommend giving this a try. Another one to try is the Chicken Trio.$22.79. If you want to sample a couple different chicken dishes this is the one for you. Or if you just can't make up or you mind. This Trio comes with: Bryan, Marsala and Rosa Maria
(5)Regina W.
I haven't been here in awhile, but I did like what I consumed! It was a crowded night full of people! That's always a good sign to me! The service we received really was great - quick and attentive. My water was refilled frequently, which is always a nice thing. Especially in this hot summer heat! You do get a basket of sliced bread wrapped in a napkin. Their bread was fresh and warm and was really tasty with the oil and balsamic vinegarette. I ordered the lobster ravioli. The chunks of lobster really impressed me because I could actually taste the lobster! It balanced really nicely with the cheese and pasta and sauce. The sauce was delicious and flavorful. Portion size was good enough for me. Our other pasta dish was a little on the smaller portion size (especially for a man), which was surprising to me for an Italian type of place. But I guess you don't want to be rolling out of a restaurant regretting all the carbs you packed on that belly!
(4)Alex D.
Very good service , they don't have the flavor( syrups ) to add to the tea like most others do, they tell you the cost is too high yet they have the highest sales in the valley, go figure. The food has always been very good. No major issues at all, there very consistent with quality and attention they provide.
(4)Daniel S.
We eat here several times a year, it's one on my wife's favorite places to eat. The starter of bread and oil is very good, the food is above average, however,the price is high for what you get. The environment is very nice and always pleasant. The staff has always been very helpful and willing to assist.
(3)Eric H.
Love this place! I only wish they had better hours. This would be a great place to have lunch for office meetings or just with friends, but they are only open for dinner. That would be a huge bonus. But, I have always had great service and food here. The other night the waitress forgot to put our food order in and she gave us a free appetizer then and another one for our next visit. The ambiance is perfect for a date.
(5)Marissa D.
Went in around 9pm for a late dinner. The hostess was very friendly and sat us right away. We had Justin as our server and he was great! He had full knowledge of the menu and had great suggestions that were delicious. He was attentive and friendly. Definitely ask for Justin when you go in. I ordered the calamari and it was pretty good! Kind of greasy but it was fried so eh. But it was good. Definitely will come back.
(4)Jim S.
Went here the other night with spouse. We've been going there over 12 years. The service is always great, the food is good. The only issue is price versus portion size. They greatly reduced it from previous visits. For example, we quit ordering appetizers because we couldn't finish the dinner. Following the same principle, when we visited we actually left and went to get a desert somewhere else because we gave them $65 and weren't going to give them anymore. We both felt like we paid for dinner portions and received lunch portions. This isn't a food quality issue or a staff issue, this is a management or owner issue. California pizza kitchen tried this, and after two years of falling revenues they got the message. We might try them again in a couple years.... :-(
(2)Shar S.
Horribly rude hostess to begin with..... We went to seat ourselves at the bar, and she came up raised her voice saying she can only sit us and to go back in front and wait. There was not a crowd or wait, the place was over half empty!!!! Then our waiter who was CLUELESS brought our drinks, the overly-salted shrimp diablo and the fishy smelling mussels. Totally forgot our soups, he never apologized either so we paid our bill and went to BRIO where the service and food blows this shameful place away!
(1)Dana B.
The piccata was fantastic! They happily allowed me to have chicken instead of veal. Make sure to ask them to add the capers. Yummy! The side of broccoli was okay. They add peppers and onions to it which is not my preference. Why mess with a good thing? The salad was ok, bread was excellent. The Chicken Bryan was very flavorful. We had creme brûlée for dessert which was also very good although we would've preferred to have had the top a bit more brûlée. Service was excellent, even the chef came by to check how the meal was. I also enjoyed my leftovers fir lunch today. We will be back!
(4)Alicia H.
Loved it!!! Great service, awesome food!!! The decor wasn't amazing but it's my new fav Italian spot!!
(5)David D.
This restaurant is expensive for the little amount of food you receive. The food is good. I don't mind paying top dollar, but I want to get my moneys worth if I do. The environment is quaint and the service was good. The bread is the star here. They have the best complimentary bread over any other restaurant.
(3)Brian H.
I ordered curbside pickup for Mothers Day. My pickup time was 6:20 pm. I pulled up to the restaurant at exactly 6:21 pm and at that time there were 2 bags of food sitting outside on a table. One employee was bouncing between cars and the restaurant dropping off and picking up the bills. After five minutes he picked up one of the bags off the table and brought it to the car next to ours. Next, our bill came and the employee apologized for the wait exclaiming that they've been busier than normal. I told him we understood and he went on his way. At 6:40 (19 minutes after we had arrived) a guy picked up the bag of food that had been sitting for 19+ minutes and hands it to me. I said "no no no, that has been sitting there since we pulled up twenty minutes ago!" His response was "I'll try to be quicker on my feet next time". And then he ran inside. By the time we get home our food had sat for 30+ minutes. The food was cold and our appetizer was soggy. It was aweful, a huge waste of money, and a disappointing Mother's Day dinner for my wife, my kids, and myself. I can't imagine any restaurant deeming it acceptable or even safe to serve food under those conditions. We have always loved eating at carrabbas but this experience really rubbed us the wrong way. It is not right or safe to serve people food that has sat for that long. I have made multiple attempts to contact Carrabbas and have yet to receive a response.
(1)Sandra N.
The food is what you would normally expect, but the dining experience was less than desired. During our entire meal the table behind us had an endless parade of people. The diners work at the restaurant so everyone and their mother had to come by for a conversation. In addition, I became privy to all the gossip at the restaurant and it got so bad that I was unable to hear what my husband was saying. You would think that since they work here they would understand discretion and how to be around customers.
(1)Geoffrey M.
We realize that if we want some good Italian food, our hands are pretty much tied. For my wife's birthday, we wanted something a little more than Oregano's and a little less pricey than Tutti Santi. Let's face it, Carrabba's is just that middle man and their recent advertising spree had our mouths watering with images of plates filled with authentic looking Italian delights! What we received however was a cross between what I would expect Astronaut food and Jail food to taste like. Before I unleash my furor, I would like to say that there were a few positives regarding our experience. 1. The kids loved the mozzarella sticks. 2. The bread was piping hot. 3. The water and the drinks were cold. 4. The pasta portion of my wife's dinner was hot. 5. The waitstaff and manager were "nice". Starting with our server, she was nice enough but I am certain that she had neither washed her uniform or her hair in the past two week and on a 4-top, was handing us our drinks rather than placing them on the table. Who cares right? Terrible service is the norm here in Gilbert. At least she was nice. When our appetizer arrived, the calamari was literally inedible. It wasn't burned either, it was a light golden brown in color. Of course it is frozen calamari, of course it comes in a bag... We aren't sitting on a pier in San Francisco, I get it but I swear, this bag had been sitting open at the back of the freezer collecting every bit of flavor the other foods had to offer while simultaneously losing every molecule of moisture. This stuff tasted like cardboard... origami calamari anyone? The manager graciously took the calamari away from us and gave us more mozzarella sticks... deep fried luxury right there. Sadly, he had the nerve to offer us more calamari. I could go on and on but the bottom line is that the food was sub-par. Worse than my already low expectations could handle. Now, I fully understand that managers and cooks are people too but the managers really need to step their game up at that location. 1. Make sure your staff look professional. Not disheveled, greasy and dirty. 2. Look at the food you are serving. My calamari was paper thin. My chicken Marsala came with 2 half full scoops of (instant?) mashed potatoes and a double (not cut in half) chicken breast covered in overly salty, non-cooked off raw wine tasting "mushroom" sauce. 3. Cover the salad in the walk in... the grated carrots tasted like EVERYTHING in the walk in. I doubt that anyone deliberately did anything to sabotage our meals just the same as I doubt anyone thought they were doing anything wrong... which is the most frightening part.
(1)She S.
Love this place! At first I thought it was a chain so I wasn't expecting much, it sure did exceed my expectation. I love the tilapia and the wine selection is amazing
(5)Samantha C.
Some family members were in AZ for the week and on their last night we had a large group meet for dinner at this Carraba's. My boyfriend, Sister, and myself were the first to arrive and told the hostess we would have a group of 8 and she sat us at a large table in the bar section. We had a lot of room because the area was pretty empty, but the table was very high and the chairs we so awkward to move because they were all squeezed in next to the others, plus no space at all for purses so I had to put mine on the ground under my feet, sad face! I was smiling when I saw it was still happy hour and all drinks were half off. After a vodka cran with lime I was ready to check out the menu. There were a few apps also half off so we ordered some bacon onion flatbread to munch on while we waited for the rest of our party. Time passed and everyone arrived, but not our flatbread. Our friends and family ordered some calamari, and another flatbread. A few minutes later their calamari came out, still no flatbread! I asked and finally another waitress came out carrying it. It was decent, nothing amazing. I ate more of the calamari. After looking through the menu I decided on some type of chicken spinach stuffed pasta. Our waiter brought out some very heavy bread to dip in olive oil and herbs. I was eagerly waiting the main courses to come out, and about fifteen minutes later a woman came out calling my dishes name, I was ready for a plate to be placed on the table but instead I saw her empty handed. She informed me they were out of my dishes ingredients and they would not have another delivery of them for some time. This tells me two things, one they probably order this dish frozen and reheat it in the kitchen because how can a restaurant not have pasta shells, chicken, and spinach to throw together? Those are total staples. And two, our waiter was not on his A-game because it had been over FIFTEEN minutes since we ordered and he couldn't come out sooner to let me know? So then I had to quickly scan the menu and to be honest nothing else sounded even close to what I felt like eating so I just went with some combo of lasagna and chicken parm. Not only would I be waiting longer but I filled up on breads and drinks. When my dish finally did come out I tried two bites, the lasagna was overpowered with ricotta and totally turned me off. The chicken parm was alright, the breading was burnt black in some parts and the chicken was bland. The next time I saw our waiter I asked for a box and one of their after dinner boozy coffee drinks and asked him to not charge it to the bill in return for them not having what I originally ordered. He looked surprised and said he had heard about someone not getting what they ordered but didn't know it was me and apologized and said he would see what he could do about comping my drink. I don't know if that ended up happening because I wasn't the one paying the bill, but I was disappointed in their confusion. The coffee drink helped me leave in a better mood but not enough to make me want to return.
(3)Shar S.
Horribly rude hostess to begin with..... We went to seat ourselves at the bar, and she came up raised her voice saying she can only sit us and to go back in front and wait. There was not a crowd or wait, the place was over half empty!!!! Then our waiter who was CLUELESS brought our drinks, the overly-salted shrimp diablo and the fishy smelling mussels. Totally forgot our soups, he never apologized either so we paid our bill and went to BRIO where the service and food blows this shameful place away!
(1)Beth L.
I am always treated very well at Carraba's. The service is quick, friendly and on point. As we were seated, our waiter was in the middle of taking an order at another table so a different waiter, I want to say his name is Bryan......he kindly came over to fill our drink orders since our waiter was busy. I thought that was a nice touch to step in. Not that I was in a hurry, just that it was good team work on his part and showed excellent customer service. After our waiter finished up at the other table he came over and introduced to himself. I find that the Carraba staff are always very friendly and professional. My daughter ordered the Chicken Bryan. $15.99. Topped with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and lemon butter sauce. Scrumptious! I had the Fettuccine Weezy, $16.59. My favorite. Fettuccine Alfredo with sauteed shrimp, garlic and mushrooms in our white wine lemon butter sauce. Sometimes the flavor of Alfredo can be strong but this tones down the flavor with the wine lemon butter sauce. All the flavors meld together so nicely and bring extra dimension of flavors. Highly recommend giving this a try. Another one to try is the Chicken Trio.$22.79. If you want to sample a couple different chicken dishes this is the one for you. Or if you just can't make up or you mind. This Trio comes with: Bryan, Marsala and Rosa Maria
(5)Regina W.
I haven't been here in awhile, but I did like what I consumed! It was a crowded night full of people! That's always a good sign to me! The service we received really was great - quick and attentive. My water was refilled frequently, which is always a nice thing. Especially in this hot summer heat! You do get a basket of sliced bread wrapped in a napkin. Their bread was fresh and warm and was really tasty with the oil and balsamic vinegarette. I ordered the lobster ravioli. The chunks of lobster really impressed me because I could actually taste the lobster! It balanced really nicely with the cheese and pasta and sauce. The sauce was delicious and flavorful. Portion size was good enough for me. Our other pasta dish was a little on the smaller portion size (especially for a man), which was surprising to me for an Italian type of place. But I guess you don't want to be rolling out of a restaurant regretting all the carbs you packed on that belly!
(4)Alex D.
Very good service , they don't have the flavor( syrups ) to add to the tea like most others do, they tell you the cost is too high yet they have the highest sales in the valley, go figure. The food has always been very good. No major issues at all, there very consistent with quality and attention they provide.
(4)Daniel S.
We eat here several times a year, it's one on my wife's favorite places to eat. The starter of bread and oil is very good, the food is above average, however,the price is high for what you get. The environment is very nice and always pleasant. The staff has always been very helpful and willing to assist.
(3)Bob K.
Came here on a wednesday night. Sat down quickly. Someone took are drink order as our server was busy. We thought it was going to be a horrible night out. After getting our drinks, Mason our waiter came over and then brought awesome bread! My wife got Chicken Marsala with garlic mashed potatoes while I got the Pasta Carrabba which is chicken alfredo. We both loved our food! The soup had huge real pieces of chicken. The biggest pieces I have ever seen in soup. It was the same kind of chicken that comes in an entree. So not the cheap chicken. At the end, we spoke to Mason about other places n such. He stated they do not have a microwave at all and everything is cooked from scratch! For me and my wife it was $43 out the door including tax and tip of $7. My wife ordered water for a drink and I got an iced tea. Just remember you get what you pay for, so all in all if you want a great Italian dinner then I'd highly recommend Carrabba's.
(5)Kevin C.
As chain restaurants go, Carraba's is pretty dang good. Good menu choices with some innovative choices, nice atmosphere, consistently good wait staff in my experience, and fair prices. MUCH better than Olive Garden IMHO, in all respects. When it comes to Italian, I prefer the mom & pop joints with red & white checked tablecloths, 50-yr old Olympia beer signs covered in dust, and Grandpa sitting over in the corner at "his" table all night, monitoring the goings-on.. but when one of those joints isn't available, Carraba's isn't a bad choice at all.
(4)Brett B.
Once I tried their steak, I knew I'd be going against the old adage: Don't go to an Italian restaurant for a steak. Went on a Friday night. Ordered a modified antipasti appetizer. Was kind of surprised at the skimpy portions, for a $12 appetizer. Good taste though. Love the fried zucchini, as they were cut like french fries and battered. The sirloin was tasty, although the Marsala was a bit scanty. My daughter loved her Pollo Rosa Maria, but found the baked veggies to appear less than appetizing (although she appreciated the healthy cooking method). My salmon had a great consistency and was flavorful, but had a smidge of a fishy taste. The tiramisu had a strong rum flavor, and did not rank well against others I've had from different eateries. Without alcohol, dinner, beverages and 1 dessert for 3 was close to $100 with tip.
(4)Dana B.
The piccata was fantastic! They happily allowed me to have chicken instead of veal. Make sure to ask them to add the capers. Yummy! The side of broccoli was okay. They add peppers and onions to it which is not my preference. Why mess with a good thing? The salad was ok, bread was excellent. The Chicken Bryan was very flavorful. We had creme brûlée for dessert which was also very good although we would've preferred to have had the top a bit more brûlée. Service was excellent, even the chef came by to check how the meal was. I also enjoyed my leftovers fir lunch today. We will be back!
(4)Alicia H.
Loved it!!! Great service, awesome food!!! The decor wasn't amazing but it's my new fav Italian spot!!
(5)David D.
This restaurant is expensive for the little amount of food you receive. The food is good. I don't mind paying top dollar, but I want to get my moneys worth if I do. The environment is quaint and the service was good. The bread is the star here. They have the best complimentary bread over any other restaurant.
(3)T W.
Had a gift card, so we decided to visit for happy hour. The happy hour deal is 1/2 off their appetizers, plus some drink specials. So this is really a review of their appetizers. We didn't get an entree. We ordered the bruscetta, the calamari, and the arranzini (I think that's the name). The bruschetta was really good. I liked it a lot. If everything else was that good I'd probably go at least 4 stars. The arranzini were sorta like meatballs but they weren't all meat. There was other stuff in them. Sort of reminded me of falafel. They were pretty good. A solid three stars there. The calamari was a disappointment. It was cooked well enough (usually the problem is they do it wrong and it's like chewing on a tire). But the seasoning was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too salty. I mean getting-a-mouth-full-of-sea-water salty. To their credit they took it back, but then brought out a batch with no seasoning. Imagine calamari with no seasoning...yeah...zzzzzzzzz. Somewhere between chewing on rock salt and no seasoning is a happy place called "properly seasoned". Their chef should look into that. I can't quite bring myself to give the calamari two stars. Gotta go with one. Just not good. Only the marinara dipping sauce made it tolerable. So, overall, three stars. You could do better, you could do worse. At least for appetizers. Perhaps I'll return and do an entree. I still have a balance on that gift card.
(3)Jenny L.
Everything was so ON POINT at this restaurant. It reminds me of an 12x upgrade of the Olive Garden. We were at first debating if I wanted to eat at the pizza place across the parking lot but last minute decided to come here. Best decision! I'm quite the critic when it comes to food, service , cleanliness, quality and appearance. We were greeted as we walked in, our waitress was Linda, she is such a sweet lady. I was debating between the lobster ravioli and the tenderloin Marsala, Linda our waitress told me I can get a side of lobster ravioli for couple more dollars to get best of both. They were both so good! The tenderloin was really tender and it just melted in your mouth & very flavorful. Linda came back frequently to check up on us. I was definitely come back if and when I come back to Arizona. (From California) To all the bad reviews I have written for bad service, they need to get customer service Lessons from Linda. Linda deserves a raise!! Rating: Cleanliness 5/5 Customer service 6/5 Food appearance 5/5 Quality 5/5 (way to go cooks)
(5)Rhonda S.
I've always enjoyed Carrabba's. Nothing extravagant but good food, good service. It's kind of my go to place if I am in the mood for pasta.
(3)Matt K.
We had a really good experience here yesterday. I was wanting a steak with a little pasta and knew this was a place that did both. We had our 2 kids with us and it was nice to see their kids menu had more than just mac and cheese. They even got some raw pizza dough to play with. The ambience is definitely that of a chain restaurant but the food came out extremely fast and didn't overlap. Salads came out nearly instantly after we ordered, kids food shortly thereafter as requested, and after we finished our salads, mains came out promptly. My fillet was more towards the rare side than medium rare, but flavor and texture were wonderful. Pasta had a bit too fiddly of a sauce but did the job. The butter cake dessert was devoured quickly by our quartet. Overall, a pretty good meal!
(4)Alexa M.
Let me start off by saying the employees were very nice. I was able to get seated right away as well and I enjoyed my ice tea, but that is where the positive experience ended. I took my mom to have dinner and we both ordered the Pollo Rosa Maria with grilled asparagus which costs an additional $1.50 and that is fine, however when I tried to cut it in half it was like cutting into hard straw. Then I tried to put a piece in my mouth and I had to spit it out as it was like chewing into hard straw... these were even skinny stalks. So the $17.00 cost for the chicken was just that.. just the chicken. No sides accompany this unless you want to pay more. The chicken itself was terrible tasting and super salty. I only ended up taking a small bite and was done. I had ordered us Ceasars salad and a shrimp appetizer. The lettuce was completely white and came drenched in dressing. Simply could not force myself to put any of that into my mouth. And the appetizer never came. I asked my waiter for the manager letting the waiter know that nothing he did was wrong well accept never bringing us the appetizer. Manager came and I delicately explained everything to him. He was nice and said they would take care of the bill asking us if we wanted to order something else. I just couldn't do it. I was already passed being hungry and did not want to risk waiting another 30 minutes or so for another meal. I definitely do not recommend spending hard earned money here. It was very disappointing.
(2)David W.
Went for my daughters birthday. They made sure it was all about her. Great service. very nice atmosphere. The food was a different story. Very small portions. everybody at the table got asparagus. it was the size of of a large nail. and dry. Chicken was below Mcdonalds .99 cent special standards. I sat there looking out the window wishing i was at the Outback Steakhouse next door. don't go here. total waste of money, unless your on a 500 calorie a day diet.
(3)Tyler S.
I've been coming to this Carrabba's for a few years, and I've only ever had one lackluster meal. The spot in Mesa isn't great, but this location is the most consistently spectacular eatery I've ever been to. The Chicken Bryan (grilled chicken with lemon butter) is as good as food gets. I always get it with a side of cavatappi, also covered in lemon butter, and a bowl of chicken soup. As far as appetizers go, I love the meatball ricotta flatbread, and the basket of bread they give you at the start of the meal is always appreciated. If you feel like quality Italian food, this place can't be beat. The food, service, and ambiance are second to none.
(5)Joan G.
It was good but nothing great. One of my daughters really likes this place so I took her for her birthday and it was good but there are better choices for the same or less money. I just wasn't wowed or impressed. I will have to try more dishes. My daughter likes the shrimp and scallop linguine. The sauce was good but the shrimp were overcooked. The atmosphere is nice and the service was very good. Bread was also good.
(3)Curtis C.
Bread is the corner stone of this place. Amazing!!! We love the lintle and minestrone soup with the chicken Cesar salad. The chicken tastes amazing. Great place and atmosphere for the price. Expect to wait 30 -40 mins on fri and sat night.
(5)Megan D.
Great service, drinks and food! Zucchini fritte were great, loved the dipping sauce! I thought the pitcher of peach sangria was pretty pricey ($31) only because I don't think there was much alcohol in it but it tasted so good! Also tried the limoncello raspberry martini. SO GOOD. I seriously said mmm and yum after each sip. I want to try the limoncello rosemary gimlet next time! We ordered two pasta dishes to share. The conchiglie al formaggi is super cheesy, we loved it! We are vegetarians so it was nice that our server Linda let us add in veggies to our other pasta dish. We added mushroom and zucchini to the tag pic pac and was perfect. Linda was awesome, friendly and helpful. I will be back!
(5)John W.
First time here and will be back. Had the special steak with crab cake. Everything was cooked to perfection and was delicious Eric was are waiter and provided excellent service.
(5)Stephen C.
This is one of my all time favorite (stateside) Italian restaurants. The service is always friendly, the food is always large portions, piping hot, and delicious! I see some people have left negative reviews, weather it be from service, or food... but I'm here to say that I've never had a single bad experience here. I think our favorite part is the bread with oil and herbs they give you while you wait for your meal... no need to buy an appetizer as the bread is so damn good especially when you dip it in the herb oil. Talking with our waiter the last time we were there, we discovered that they are going to be changing up their menu a bit. They are bringing in some new classic Italian fare, and removing some of their less popular dishes. I think the new menu sounds amazing, and personally can't wait to try it out. Anyhow, if you love good Italian at a decent price, then you should try Carrabba's... Much better then Olive Garden IMHO.
(5)Aaron S.
We love Carrabba's and eat here at least once every few weeks. Way better than any of the other local Italian restaurants. The zucchini fritti is a must as a starter. The garlic aioli they serve it with is delicious, and you might find yourself dipping your bread in it too. Their soups are also great. Their fillet Marsala is one of the best steaks I've ever eaten. I don't think we've ever had a bad meal here. Make sure you save room for the chocolate Sonjo (spell check). One of the best desserts we've ever had.
(5)Lisa B.
We came here for my mom's birthday. Great service! Eric was our server and made our time there very enjoyable. He was attentive, quick with drinks and on top of refills. He has a good attitude and was great with my kids. Food is always great. It's great to see managers on the floor too.
(5)Olivia T.
We have been coming to this location since it opened and we have always enjoyed a nice family meal. I've actually moved to North Phoenix and we aren't exactly near to this location any longer. But, when I pick up my daughter from her Dad's this is our fave place to go. I chose the lentil and sausage soup and the house salad for dinner. I've noticed that their salads have been shrinking in size for some time now. Now, they come to the table half the size that they used to be, no pepperoncini's, and a very dry salad..... Tonight's meal however would be made extra special by the presence of a long, light colored hair in my bowl of soup. I'm a brunette so, it was not mine. The manager removed the item from my bill and offered a free dessert to make up for the "hairy" soup. Needless to say we will not be back to this location anytime soon if ever at all. Epic fail Carrabbas's..... We never expected anything like this to happen at your restaurant.
(1)Marissa D.
Went in around 9pm for a late dinner. The hostess was very friendly and sat us right away. We had Justin as our server and he was great! He had full knowledge of the menu and had great suggestions that were delicious. He was attentive and friendly. Definitely ask for Justin when you go in. I ordered the calamari and it was pretty good! Kind of greasy but it was fried so eh. But it was good. Definitely will come back.
(4)Mario S.
My family and I used to love Carrabas but last night was our worst experience ever. Server poor, seemed like she didn't want to be there. Had to ask her twice to bring our beverages. Then she copped an attitude for the remaining portion of our dinner. Food portion size extremely small. Prosciutto and pork medallions was a joke. 3 medallions were size of walnuts with maybe a half of a slice of prosciutto. My side dish was approximately 12 string beans. Very disappointed, seems like they're more interested in getting you in and getting you out turning tables then providing you with a nice dining experience.. Won't ever go back....$102 wasted in my opinion
(1)Jim S.
Went here the other night with spouse. We've been going there over 12 years. The service is always great, the food is good. The only issue is price versus portion size. They greatly reduced it from previous visits. For example, we quit ordering appetizers because we couldn't finish the dinner. Following the same principle, when we visited we actually left and went to get a desert somewhere else because we gave them $65 and weren't going to give them anymore. We both felt like we paid for dinner portions and received lunch portions. This isn't a food quality issue or a staff issue, this is a management or owner issue. California pizza kitchen tried this, and after two years of falling revenues they got the message. We might try them again in a couple years.... :-(
(2)Eric H.
Love this place! I only wish they had better hours. This would be a great place to have lunch for office meetings or just with friends, but they are only open for dinner. That would be a huge bonus. But, I have always had great service and food here. The other night the waitress forgot to put our food order in and she gave us a free appetizer then and another one for our next visit. The ambiance is perfect for a date.
(5)Brian H.
I ordered curbside pickup for Mothers Day. My pickup time was 6:20 pm. I pulled up to the restaurant at exactly 6:21 pm and at that time there were 2 bags of food sitting outside on a table. One employee was bouncing between cars and the restaurant dropping off and picking up the bills. After five minutes he picked up one of the bags off the table and brought it to the car next to ours. Next, our bill came and the employee apologized for the wait exclaiming that they've been busier than normal. I told him we understood and he went on his way. At 6:40 (19 minutes after we had arrived) a guy picked up the bag of food that had been sitting for 19+ minutes and hands it to me. I said "no no no, that has been sitting there since we pulled up twenty minutes ago!" His response was "I'll try to be quicker on my feet next time". And then he ran inside. By the time we get home our food had sat for 30+ minutes. The food was cold and our appetizer was soggy. It was aweful, a huge waste of money, and a disappointing Mother's Day dinner for my wife, my kids, and myself. I can't imagine any restaurant deeming it acceptable or even safe to serve food under those conditions. We have always loved eating at carrabbas but this experience really rubbed us the wrong way. It is not right or safe to serve people food that has sat for that long. I have made multiple attempts to contact Carrabbas and have yet to receive a response.
(1)Sandra N.
The food is what you would normally expect, but the dining experience was less than desired. During our entire meal the table behind us had an endless parade of people. The diners work at the restaurant so everyone and their mother had to come by for a conversation. In addition, I became privy to all the gossip at the restaurant and it got so bad that I was unable to hear what my husband was saying. You would think that since they work here they would understand discretion and how to be around customers.
(1)Kara F.
This was my first time eating at a Carrabba's and it's not that I had high hopes, but this restaurant was horrendous and completely killed my desire to ever eat at a Carrabba's again. It was one of the most uncomfortable situations I have ever experienced at a restaurant. Happy hour was going on and me and my boyfriend were eyeing some blackberry lemonade, seems innocent right? I ordered one, thinking it was just lemonade with blackberry syrup in it. The waiter never asked for my ID nor mentioned anything of this blackberry lemonade being alcoholic. I received the drink and noticed it was in a fancy glass, not one that I could hurriedly drink due to being parched. My boyfriend then asked a waiter passing by if the drink was alcoholic and she had no idea. A couple of minutes pass, and then BAM! The bartender comes out of nowhere demanding to see my ID to see if I was older than 21, which luckily I was, but who knows what would have happened if I wasn't. She then walks off as if it's okay to bombard a table for something that they had no idea about nor did anything wrong. Our waiter then shows up out of nowhere, just says my mistake, doesn't offer me anything else to drink or even if I want to keep the alcoholic drink. I refused to drink it and got an ice tea instead. And for the rest of my meal I was treated like an outcast. My server refused to look me in the eye and no longer directed questions towards me or cared to see if I was doing okay. ONE OF THE MOST UNCOMFORTABLE AND AWKWARD SITUATIONS I HAVE EVER HAD AT A RESTAURANT. It was like I was in time out until I left the restaurant and that I was the criminal. I am NEVER going back to Carrabba's, and besides, Olive Garden's food is way better than the tasteless crap they serve here. Needless to say we still left 20% because I use to work as a server, but I did not leave a tip based on service or performance it was out of sheer generosity.
(1)Charissa G.
Our favorite!!!! So many people over look their famous chicken dishes and dont forget their yummy steak!!! We love the Pollo Rosa Maria, Chicken Bryan, Sirloin with Marsala sauce.. They have amazing mussels, bread, The Best Sangria, The house salad dressing "creamy Parmesan" Yummy Alfredo sauce too, (hard to find good sauce)!! Go try it, youll be glad you did!
(5)Samantha C.
Some family members were in AZ for the week and on their last night we had a large group meet for dinner at this Carraba's. My boyfriend, Sister, and myself were the first to arrive and told the hostess we would have a group of 8 and she sat us at a large table in the bar section. We had a lot of room because the area was pretty empty, but the table was very high and the chairs we so awkward to move because they were all squeezed in next to the others, plus no space at all for purses so I had to put mine on the ground under my feet, sad face! I was smiling when I saw it was still happy hour and all drinks were half off. After a vodka cran with lime I was ready to check out the menu. There were a few apps also half off so we ordered some bacon onion flatbread to munch on while we waited for the rest of our party. Time passed and everyone arrived, but not our flatbread. Our friends and family ordered some calamari, and another flatbread. A few minutes later their calamari came out, still no flatbread! I asked and finally another waitress came out carrying it. It was decent, nothing amazing. I ate more of the calamari. After looking through the menu I decided on some type of chicken spinach stuffed pasta. Our waiter brought out some very heavy bread to dip in olive oil and herbs. I was eagerly waiting the main courses to come out, and about fifteen minutes later a woman came out calling my dishes name, I was ready for a plate to be placed on the table but instead I saw her empty handed. She informed me they were out of my dishes ingredients and they would not have another delivery of them for some time. This tells me two things, one they probably order this dish frozen and reheat it in the kitchen because how can a restaurant not have pasta shells, chicken, and spinach to throw together? Those are total staples. And two, our waiter was not on his A-game because it had been over FIFTEEN minutes since we ordered and he couldn't come out sooner to let me know? So then I had to quickly scan the menu and to be honest nothing else sounded even close to what I felt like eating so I just went with some combo of lasagna and chicken parm. Not only would I be waiting longer but I filled up on breads and drinks. When my dish finally did come out I tried two bites, the lasagna was overpowered with ricotta and totally turned me off. The chicken parm was alright, the breading was burnt black in some parts and the chicken was bland. The next time I saw our waiter I asked for a box and one of their after dinner boozy coffee drinks and asked him to not charge it to the bill in return for them not having what I originally ordered. He looked surprised and said he had heard about someone not getting what they ordered but didn't know it was me and apologized and said he would see what he could do about comping my drink. I don't know if that ended up happening because I wasn't the one paying the bill, but I was disappointed in their confusion. The coffee drink helped me leave in a better mood but not enough to make me want to return.
(3)Geoffrey M.
We realize that if we want some good Italian food, our hands are pretty much tied. For my wife's birthday, we wanted something a little more than Oregano's and a little less pricey than Tutti Santi. Let's face it, Carrabba's is just that middle man and their recent advertising spree had our mouths watering with images of plates filled with authentic looking Italian delights! What we received however was a cross between what I would expect Astronaut food and Jail food to taste like. Before I unleash my furor, I would like to say that there were a few positives regarding our experience. 1. The kids loved the mozzarella sticks. 2. The bread was piping hot. 3. The water and the drinks were cold. 4. The pasta portion of my wife's dinner was hot. 5. The waitstaff and manager were "nice". Starting with our server, she was nice enough but I am certain that she had neither washed her uniform or her hair in the past two week and on a 4-top, was handing us our drinks rather than placing them on the table. Who cares right? Terrible service is the norm here in Gilbert. At least she was nice. When our appetizer arrived, the calamari was literally inedible. It wasn't burned either, it was a light golden brown in color. Of course it is frozen calamari, of course it comes in a bag... We aren't sitting on a pier in San Francisco, I get it but I swear, this bag had been sitting open at the back of the freezer collecting every bit of flavor the other foods had to offer while simultaneously losing every molecule of moisture. This stuff tasted like cardboard... origami calamari anyone? The manager graciously took the calamari away from us and gave us more mozzarella sticks... deep fried luxury right there. Sadly, he had the nerve to offer us more calamari. I could go on and on but the bottom line is that the food was sub-par. Worse than my already low expectations could handle. Now, I fully understand that managers and cooks are people too but the managers really need to step their game up at that location. 1. Make sure your staff look professional. Not disheveled, greasy and dirty. 2. Look at the food you are serving. My calamari was paper thin. My chicken Marsala came with 2 half full scoops of (instant?) mashed potatoes and a double (not cut in half) chicken breast covered in overly salty, non-cooked off raw wine tasting "mushroom" sauce. 3. Cover the salad in the walk in... the grated carrots tasted like EVERYTHING in the walk in. I doubt that anyone deliberately did anything to sabotage our meals just the same as I doubt anyone thought they were doing anything wrong... which is the most frightening part.
(1)She S.
Love this place! At first I thought it was a chain so I wasn't expecting much, it sure did exceed my expectation. I love the tilapia and the wine selection is amazing
(5)Darrin S.
I had ordered on the phone for my order to go. When I picked my order up it was fast. So when I got home I could not believe the small portions that was in the the bag. I had ordered the penne franco and the Italian classics dishes. For the amount they charge it is a ripoff. My strong suggestion is to head over to Romano's Macaroni Grill. Much more worth it.
(2)Raffi M.
From a chain Italian restaurant you can't usually expect much, but Carrabba's does very well. Some of the friendliest service we have experienced at a chain restaurant. Very accommodating with special requests, and with the staff that we have had on our visits we can tell that they enjoy having people in their restaurant. The oil olive served with the bread is amazing with the cracked spices (you can buy the spice mix to take home!). I remember the calamari being nice and crisp but not too greasy, and the other items in the appetizer combo were very tasty (I enjoyed the Bruschetta quite a bit). One of the entrees we ordered was a chicken dinner and it was cooked very well. I do remember one thing on our visit very well; the Tiramisu. Although initially I was not hit with the boldness of liquor, after dinner I felt the alcohol more than any other Tiramisu I have had. I love a strong Tiramisu, and this one met that in addition to being rich, creamy, and sized just right for two people to share. Lots to try on the menu, very friendly staff, super accommodating with regards to dietary needs, and fair priced food make Carrabba's a good choice for a reliable Italian restaurant in a casual setting.
(4)Tara S.
My family loves Carrabas and always orders the same thing. We came on a busy Friday night and had no problem waiting the 45 minutes to be seated. Once we were, the waitress took our drink orders- soda for my husband and I and milk for my toddler. Literally 20 minutes later she came back with water. I reminded her that we had ordered sodas and she apologized and said she'd be right back. We waited. And waited. She came back 15 minutes later, no drinks in hand for our food order. We again asked for our drinks and ordered our food, asking that my son's kids meal come with the appetizer as he was starving. We witnessed her for the next 30 minutes talking with customers at the bar who were apparently friends, and finally grabbed an older man out of uniform, who I assume was the manager and asked if our food would be much longer. 15 minutes later he, ( not her) dropped off freezing cold food at our table with not so much as a word. After one bite I got up, tracked him down (waitress still nowhere in sight), and told him the food was cold. He offered to have it remade but by this time we had been sitting for an hour and my patience had grown thin. He popped it in the microwave and we ate as quickly as we could to get out of there. Now we have a cranky 2 year old, a cranky pregnant momma (me), and HaHa, still no sodas. Bill came, we paid and left. I emailed corporate via Facebook and they called me immediately and were beyond apologetic. They wanted to know our server's name, but I simply wanted to inform them of the problem, not get anyone fired so I declined. They sent me a $50 gift card and we returned on a less busy week night. Our server Adam was amazing, prompt, and all without knowing our dinner had been comped. We will definitely be returning again, as I'm very happy with the way they settled my complaint. And besides, their chicken marsala is hands down the best EVER!
(3)T W.
Had a gift card, so we decided to visit for happy hour. The happy hour deal is 1/2 off their appetizers, plus some drink specials. So this is really a review of their appetizers. We didn't get an entree. We ordered the bruscetta, the calamari, and the arranzini (I think that's the name). The bruschetta was really good. I liked it a lot. If everything else was that good I'd probably go at least 4 stars. The arranzini were sorta like meatballs but they weren't all meat. There was other stuff in them. Sort of reminded me of falafel. They were pretty good. A solid three stars there. The calamari was a disappointment. It was cooked well enough (usually the problem is they do it wrong and it's like chewing on a tire). But the seasoning was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too salty. I mean getting-a-mouth-full-of-sea-water salty. To their credit they took it back, but then brought out a batch with no seasoning. Imagine calamari with no seasoning...yeah...zzzzzzzzz. Somewhere between chewing on rock salt and no seasoning is a happy place called "properly seasoned". Their chef should look into that. I can't quite bring myself to give the calamari two stars. Gotta go with one. Just not good. Only the marinara dipping sauce made it tolerable. So, overall, three stars. You could do better, you could do worse. At least for appetizers. Perhaps I'll return and do an entree. I still have a balance on that gift card.
(3)John W.
First time here and will be back. Had the special steak with crab cake. Everything was cooked to perfection and was delicious Eric was are waiter and provided excellent service.
(5)Stephen C.
This is one of my all time favorite (stateside) Italian restaurants. The service is always friendly, the food is always large portions, piping hot, and delicious! I see some people have left negative reviews, weather it be from service, or food... but I'm here to say that I've never had a single bad experience here. I think our favorite part is the bread with oil and herbs they give you while you wait for your meal... no need to buy an appetizer as the bread is so damn good especially when you dip it in the herb oil. Talking with our waiter the last time we were there, we discovered that they are going to be changing up their menu a bit. They are bringing in some new classic Italian fare, and removing some of their less popular dishes. I think the new menu sounds amazing, and personally can't wait to try it out. Anyhow, if you love good Italian at a decent price, then you should try Carrabba's... Much better then Olive Garden IMHO.
(5)Olivia T.
We have been coming to this location since it opened and we have always enjoyed a nice family meal. I've actually moved to North Phoenix and we aren't exactly near to this location any longer. But, when I pick up my daughter from her Dad's this is our fave place to go. I chose the lentil and sausage soup and the house salad for dinner. I've noticed that their salads have been shrinking in size for some time now. Now, they come to the table half the size that they used to be, no pepperoncini's, and a very dry salad..... Tonight's meal however would be made extra special by the presence of a long, light colored hair in my bowl of soup. I'm a brunette so, it was not mine. The manager removed the item from my bill and offered a free dessert to make up for the "hairy" soup. Needless to say we will not be back to this location anytime soon if ever at all. Epic fail Carrabbas's..... We never expected anything like this to happen at your restaurant.
(1)Mario S.
My family and I used to love Carrabas but last night was our worst experience ever. Server poor, seemed like she didn't want to be there. Had to ask her twice to bring our beverages. Then she copped an attitude for the remaining portion of our dinner. Food portion size extremely small. Prosciutto and pork medallions was a joke. 3 medallions were size of walnuts with maybe a half of a slice of prosciutto. My side dish was approximately 12 string beans. Very disappointed, seems like they're more interested in getting you in and getting you out turning tables then providing you with a nice dining experience.. Won't ever go back....$102 wasted in my opinion
(1)Jenny L.
Everything was so ON POINT at this restaurant. It reminds me of an 12x upgrade of the Olive Garden. We were at first debating if I wanted to eat at the pizza place across the parking lot but last minute decided to come here. Best decision! I'm quite the critic when it comes to food, service , cleanliness, quality and appearance. We were greeted as we walked in, our waitress was Linda, she is such a sweet lady. I was debating between the lobster ravioli and the tenderloin Marsala, Linda our waitress told me I can get a side of lobster ravioli for couple more dollars to get best of both. They were both so good! The tenderloin was really tender and it just melted in your mouth & very flavorful. Linda came back frequently to check up on us. I was definitely come back if and when I come back to Arizona. (From California) To all the bad reviews I have written for bad service, they need to get customer service Lessons from Linda. Linda deserves a raise!! Rating: Cleanliness 5/5 Customer service 6/5 Food appearance 5/5 Quality 5/5 (way to go cooks)
(5)Rhonda S.
I've always enjoyed Carrabba's. Nothing extravagant but good food, good service. It's kind of my go to place if I am in the mood for pasta.
(3)Matt K.
We had a really good experience here yesterday. I was wanting a steak with a little pasta and knew this was a place that did both. We had our 2 kids with us and it was nice to see their kids menu had more than just mac and cheese. They even got some raw pizza dough to play with. The ambience is definitely that of a chain restaurant but the food came out extremely fast and didn't overlap. Salads came out nearly instantly after we ordered, kids food shortly thereafter as requested, and after we finished our salads, mains came out promptly. My fillet was more towards the rare side than medium rare, but flavor and texture were wonderful. Pasta had a bit too fiddly of a sauce but did the job. The butter cake dessert was devoured quickly by our quartet. Overall, a pretty good meal!
(4)Alexa M.
Let me start off by saying the employees were very nice. I was able to get seated right away as well and I enjoyed my ice tea, but that is where the positive experience ended. I took my mom to have dinner and we both ordered the Pollo Rosa Maria with grilled asparagus which costs an additional $1.50 and that is fine, however when I tried to cut it in half it was like cutting into hard straw. Then I tried to put a piece in my mouth and I had to spit it out as it was like chewing into hard straw... these were even skinny stalks. So the $17.00 cost for the chicken was just that.. just the chicken. No sides accompany this unless you want to pay more. The chicken itself was terrible tasting and super salty. I only ended up taking a small bite and was done. I had ordered us Ceasars salad and a shrimp appetizer. The lettuce was completely white and came drenched in dressing. Simply could not force myself to put any of that into my mouth. And the appetizer never came. I asked my waiter for the manager letting the waiter know that nothing he did was wrong well accept never bringing us the appetizer. Manager came and I delicately explained everything to him. He was nice and said they would take care of the bill asking us if we wanted to order something else. I just couldn't do it. I was already passed being hungry and did not want to risk waiting another 30 minutes or so for another meal. I definitely do not recommend spending hard earned money here. It was very disappointing.
(2)Lisa B.
We came here for my mom's birthday. Great service! Eric was our server and made our time there very enjoyable. He was attentive, quick with drinks and on top of refills. He has a good attitude and was great with my kids. Food is always great. It's great to see managers on the floor too.
(5)Kara F.
This was my first time eating at a Carrabba's and it's not that I had high hopes, but this restaurant was horrendous and completely killed my desire to ever eat at a Carrabba's again. It was one of the most uncomfortable situations I have ever experienced at a restaurant. Happy hour was going on and me and my boyfriend were eyeing some blackberry lemonade, seems innocent right? I ordered one, thinking it was just lemonade with blackberry syrup in it. The waiter never asked for my ID nor mentioned anything of this blackberry lemonade being alcoholic. I received the drink and noticed it was in a fancy glass, not one that I could hurriedly drink due to being parched. My boyfriend then asked a waiter passing by if the drink was alcoholic and she had no idea. A couple of minutes pass, and then BAM! The bartender comes out of nowhere demanding to see my ID to see if I was older than 21, which luckily I was, but who knows what would have happened if I wasn't. She then walks off as if it's okay to bombard a table for something that they had no idea about nor did anything wrong. Our waiter then shows up out of nowhere, just says my mistake, doesn't offer me anything else to drink or even if I want to keep the alcoholic drink. I refused to drink it and got an ice tea instead. And for the rest of my meal I was treated like an outcast. My server refused to look me in the eye and no longer directed questions towards me or cared to see if I was doing okay. ONE OF THE MOST UNCOMFORTABLE AND AWKWARD SITUATIONS I HAVE EVER HAD AT A RESTAURANT. It was like I was in time out until I left the restaurant and that I was the criminal. I am NEVER going back to Carrabba's, and besides, Olive Garden's food is way better than the tasteless crap they serve here. Needless to say we still left 20% because I use to work as a server, but I did not leave a tip based on service or performance it was out of sheer generosity.
(1)Charissa G.
Our favorite!!!! So many people over look their famous chicken dishes and dont forget their yummy steak!!! We love the Pollo Rosa Maria, Chicken Bryan, Sirloin with Marsala sauce.. They have amazing mussels, bread, The Best Sangria, The house salad dressing "creamy Parmesan" Yummy Alfredo sauce too, (hard to find good sauce)!! Go try it, youll be glad you did!
(5)Evan B.
They really focous on the grill part. The meul is full of griled chicken, meat and a fish item. There also are pizzas and pastas. My main grip with this place i having highly adulterated dishes, go to italy and fettuccine Alfredo means, noodles and sauce, no chicken. The theme is carries out thought the menu, in a poor attempt to seem original lobster, sausage or chicken is added to most traditional dishes. This left me a vegetarian with only a few choices, I went with the Grilled salmon (no sauce) with the garlic mashed potato. The salmon was a standard farm raised variety and typically over cooked for my tastes. The potatoes were decent as enough garlic and butter can make anything good. ($17) I did like the bread here but that is not enough of a reason to get me back. A long wait for mediocre Salmon at a less than stellar price.
(2)Giselle M.
I have been employed at Carrabbas for almost 2 and a half years. As a server we are required to try everything on the the menu. Our food is made from scratch and we don't have microwaves. I love the food there!! I probably gained 10 pounds. My husband and I go quite often there, our children love the mozzarella marinara and the calamari. My husband loves the wood grilled salmon and I love the chicken Bryan. Our happy hour is fantastic!! Our happy hour is 7 days a week. Monday- Friday it's 4PM-7PM Saturday and Sunday it's from 3PM-7PM. All tap beers and our Cosmopolitan, Pomegranate Martini, Carrabbarita on the rocks and Razzmitini are half off. Our house wines and homemade sangrias are on special as well. You get a quartino for the price of a glass. A quartino is a glass and a half. Our sangrias are delicious!! We have peach, red and blackberry sangrias. Certain well drinks are also half off. All drink specials are through out the restaurant and all our appetizers are half off in the bar only. On Monday nights we have Amore Mondays, this is a great dea,l it is a special menu where you get a great deal for your money. This menu comes with your choice of an appetizer or a dessert, an entree and choice of soup or salad starting at $12.00. I hope you come and visit us and try us out, I guarantee you'll love it as much as I do!! Come and ask for me (Giselle)
(5)Jim W.
Three point six seven nine stars. I have some gift cards from Carrabba's and I must say that even though I am fairly anti-chain and pro-independent...Carrabba's ain't half bad. As a matter of fact it's better than half good. The service here was outstanding and the food was well beyond just ok - better than I was expecting from a chain. We ordered several things to share amongst the family - spaghetti with meatballs, chicken caeser salad, mozzarella sticks. I particularly enjoyed the chicken caesar salad. I still prefer independents but Carrabba's is a safe chain apparently. I think.
(3)Mr. E.
This Carrabba's is just 'ok'. I went in with a friend a couple hours before they closed. It was the typical olive garden/italian chain decor with dim lighting. The host seated us promptly, and our server said hello right away. The service itself was great. She answered all of our questions, and made a lot of suggestions. I ended up ordering the Chicken Bryan Ravioli, and my friend ordered the Seafood Cannelloni. It definitely smelled like seafood. With each meal a soup or salad was included, along with complimentary bread and olive oil with herbs. I probably should have ordered something else, but I had hiked camelback mountain and I was starving. The shredded chicken inside reminded me of what canned cat food looks like... It tasted ok, but didn't look that good. Portions were a bit small, and the sangria tasted like Juice. Nothing was wrong with the service, the manager even stopped by to ask how everything was. I would go back here, but I think I'll keep it more simple with what I order. Maybe just a chicken parm, or alfredo. If you want to try food that is a step above Olive Garden, go here. If you just want free stuff, and average service- go to Olive Garden or Brio's Tuscan Grille. I really did like our waitress and would go back just because of that.
(3)KC M.
Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous! From the clean facility, to the friendly staff to the amazingly delicious food . . . Carrabba's rocks! IF you want to be wined and dined . . . this is the place. What a blessing to have them in the east valley. Blessings to them as they provide quality service at a moderate price : ) KC
(5)Jessica B.
I absolutely LOVE this place. I usually always get the SIRLOIN MARSALA so we only come here on occasions since it's a little pricier than just a standard night out (but still a good price for steak). But the food is amazing, the bread and dip are delicious, and the atmosphere is not flashy and perfect for dates. I have had the CHICKEN PARMESAN which was tasty too, but I just can't get enough of the marsala sauce. Never have been disappointed here, or any other Carrabbas in fact. A co-worker of mine brings leftovers in to work every so often and it makes my mouth water, even though I would never have thought of that dish as good (egg plant gross). The seasonings make anything seem appetizing. More than enough food at one time so I rarely get dessert, although I never mind that since I am left completely satisfied.
(5)Darrin S.
I had ordered on the phone for my order to go. When I picked my order up it was fast. So when I got home I could not believe the small portions that was in the the bag. I had ordered the penne franco and the Italian classics dishes. For the amount they charge it is a ripoff. My strong suggestion is to head over to Romano's Macaroni Grill. Much more worth it.
(2)Bob K.
Came here on a wednesday night. Sat down quickly. Someone took are drink order as our server was busy. We thought it was going to be a horrible night out. After getting our drinks, Mason our waiter came over and then brought awesome bread! My wife got Chicken Marsala with garlic mashed potatoes while I got the Pasta Carrabba which is chicken alfredo. We both loved our food! The soup had huge real pieces of chicken. The biggest pieces I have ever seen in soup. It was the same kind of chicken that comes in an entree. So not the cheap chicken. At the end, we spoke to Mason about other places n such. He stated they do not have a microwave at all and everything is cooked from scratch! For me and my wife it was $43 out the door including tax and tip of $7. My wife ordered water for a drink and I got an iced tea. Just remember you get what you pay for, so all in all if you want a great Italian dinner then I'd highly recommend Carrabba's.
(5)Kevin C.
As chain restaurants go, Carraba's is pretty dang good. Good menu choices with some innovative choices, nice atmosphere, consistently good wait staff in my experience, and fair prices. MUCH better than Olive Garden IMHO, in all respects. When it comes to Italian, I prefer the mom & pop joints with red & white checked tablecloths, 50-yr old Olympia beer signs covered in dust, and Grandpa sitting over in the corner at "his" table all night, monitoring the goings-on.. but when one of those joints isn't available, Carraba's isn't a bad choice at all.
(4)Brett B.
Once I tried their steak, I knew I'd be going against the old adage: Don't go to an Italian restaurant for a steak. Went on a Friday night. Ordered a modified antipasti appetizer. Was kind of surprised at the skimpy portions, for a $12 appetizer. Good taste though. Love the fried zucchini, as they were cut like french fries and battered. The sirloin was tasty, although the Marsala was a bit scanty. My daughter loved her Pollo Rosa Maria, but found the baked veggies to appear less than appetizing (although she appreciated the healthy cooking method). My salmon had a great consistency and was flavorful, but had a smidge of a fishy taste. The tiramisu had a strong rum flavor, and did not rank well against others I've had from different eateries. Without alcohol, dinner, beverages and 1 dessert for 3 was close to $100 with tip.
(4)Raffi M.
From a chain Italian restaurant you can't usually expect much, but Carrabba's does very well. Some of the friendliest service we have experienced at a chain restaurant. Very accommodating with special requests, and with the staff that we have had on our visits we can tell that they enjoy having people in their restaurant. The oil olive served with the bread is amazing with the cracked spices (you can buy the spice mix to take home!). I remember the calamari being nice and crisp but not too greasy, and the other items in the appetizer combo were very tasty (I enjoyed the Bruschetta quite a bit). One of the entrees we ordered was a chicken dinner and it was cooked very well. I do remember one thing on our visit very well; the Tiramisu. Although initially I was not hit with the boldness of liquor, after dinner I felt the alcohol more than any other Tiramisu I have had. I love a strong Tiramisu, and this one met that in addition to being rich, creamy, and sized just right for two people to share. Lots to try on the menu, very friendly staff, super accommodating with regards to dietary needs, and fair priced food make Carrabba's a good choice for a reliable Italian restaurant in a casual setting.
(4)Tara S.
My family loves Carrabas and always orders the same thing. We came on a busy Friday night and had no problem waiting the 45 minutes to be seated. Once we were, the waitress took our drink orders- soda for my husband and I and milk for my toddler. Literally 20 minutes later she came back with water. I reminded her that we had ordered sodas and she apologized and said she'd be right back. We waited. And waited. She came back 15 minutes later, no drinks in hand for our food order. We again asked for our drinks and ordered our food, asking that my son's kids meal come with the appetizer as he was starving. We witnessed her for the next 30 minutes talking with customers at the bar who were apparently friends, and finally grabbed an older man out of uniform, who I assume was the manager and asked if our food would be much longer. 15 minutes later he, ( not her) dropped off freezing cold food at our table with not so much as a word. After one bite I got up, tracked him down (waitress still nowhere in sight), and told him the food was cold. He offered to have it remade but by this time we had been sitting for an hour and my patience had grown thin. He popped it in the microwave and we ate as quickly as we could to get out of there. Now we have a cranky 2 year old, a cranky pregnant momma (me), and HaHa, still no sodas. Bill came, we paid and left. I emailed corporate via Facebook and they called me immediately and were beyond apologetic. They wanted to know our server's name, but I simply wanted to inform them of the problem, not get anyone fired so I declined. They sent me a $50 gift card and we returned on a less busy week night. Our server Adam was amazing, prompt, and all without knowing our dinner had been comped. We will definitely be returning again, as I'm very happy with the way they settled my complaint. And besides, their chicken marsala is hands down the best EVER!
(3)Trent G.
My wife and I will not go back to this unit. So inconsistent....service, food, etc..... The unit in Mesa is much more consistent. 4 more miles to drive but I am tired of being disappointed.
(2)ashley m.
We frequent Carrabbas since it close to our house. I have never had to wait for a table more then about 15 minutes and that was on a busy Friday night. Everyone is always very polite. I always get the Veal Piccatta because.. well I love it. It comes with garlic mashed potatoes that are soooo good. Their bread and oil for dipping are also splendid! MMM - They also have a very good Parmesean dressing for salads that my daughter puts away by the handful (she is 2 haha!) All in all it is a moderately priced, delicious, quick meal which is very important when you have a 2 year old :)
(4)J P.
I don't expect a lot from chain Italian restaurants (which begs the question why did I go here...because the place I wanted to go to is closed on Monday) but surprisingly it wasn't horrible. The wife had Pasta Weesie. Except for the name, it was actually pretty good although when I tasted it I found the mushrooms in it to be a bit salty. I had Chicken & Spinach Cannelloni not bad. As an aside, Cannelloni, normal name for an italian dish as opposed to Pasta Weesie...see was that hard? For reasons I'm still trying to figure out we ordered Italian Sangria. First, Weesie pasta and now Italian Sangria. What's that all about? But aside from my cognitive dissonance with their naming convention for things on the menu the only thing they should really rethink is the whole Italian Sangria. Way to sweet and had a weird cinnamon after taste. Granted cinnamon was one of the ingredients in the drink but between the sweetness and the cinnamon I'll be real happy if I don't end up gacking the stuff back up. So to summarize, food not bad. Sangria, something to take a pass on.
(3)Ricky D.
These guys make the best Chicken Marsala on the planet!! Well done!
(4)Helen F.
This is our go to dinner restaurant. Service is great, food is even better and the blackberry sangria makes me happy :) Try the Chicken Bryan and don't be afraid of the goats cheese. I didn't think I'd like it but I tasted a friends and the cheese is smooth and mild. Since that taste almost two years ago I haven't ordered anything but Chicken Bryan. The bread and herb oil is delicious too.
(5)Liz S.
...and the 1 star is being super kind. My husband and I walked into the restaurant around 8:30 pm and was seated by a hostess that never made eye contact with us. Never. Then we were helped by a server that, and I'm almost positive, hates her job and doesn't want to be there. Again, no eye contact but whatever. We started off with the mozzarella- horrible. It came out still dripping in grease and the taste was of old cooking oil. I had the fettuccini and it was terrible. I've had better out of a jar at home. Our bill was stupid for the amount of crappy food that we had. I usually feel bad saying terrible things about a joint but not in this case. They should just shut it down. I am confident in my next statement- I will never, in my life, eat at this place even if it's between life and death. I'd much rather die. On the plus side, the water was cold.
(1)Karen O.
Our favorite local Italian restaurant! The bread and the dipping oil with herbs is just amazing. Hubby and I had about three of their little loaves, thank you very much. Started out with the chicken zucchini flatbread appetizer. It was fresh and delicious. Wouldn't have minded if it was a smidge larger, though. Our beverages were a raspberry Italian soda and some Italian beer on tap - both were great tasting! I ordered the tilapia for my entrée, and the piece of fish I received was massive. Also I upgraded my side to the fettuccine Alfredo. I was not disappointed. My husband opted for the linguine Pescatore. After placing our order, our super nice waitress, Alli, returned to our table to report that the kitchen did not have mussels for my husband's linguine dish. To compensate for the missing item, he was given extra amounts of shrimp & scallops - score! Since this was a complete splurge meal, we finished off with their Chocolate Dream dessert. Ummm...yum! Great atmosphere, great food, great staff, decent prices. Will definitely be returning. (Just not right away - I'm still trying to burn off these calories....)
(5)Won-Woo P.
I had a very good dinner with my wifey! Great service, good and tasty dinner, and good atmosphere:). Recommend Carrabas at San Tan for wholesome dinner out with family. Great values what you get!
(4)Sarah P.
I LOVE this place, it is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the Phoenix area. We went here for New Years Eve and only had to wait a 1/2 hour and received excellent service and got to choose from the full menu. They have fantastic wine here. The bread is DELICIOUS with their olive oil and herb mixture. That's a big part of an Italian restaurant experience too. I usually order the Chicken Parmesan, it is too die for, their marinara and spicy red sauces are both the bomb. Everything else I've tried here has been really tasty too. The Caesar salad is great, very fresh tasting. So family friendly, we always bring the kids. Definitely recommend it!
(5)Rob S.
Food has always been great and service pretty good here. Their pasta dishes are awesome (what I usually get, I'm not adventurous by any means) and they have huge portions, so cost isn't a huge deal because I usually get 2 meals out of one...it's called portion-control people! I've been here probably 5-6 times with my family over the last 3 years and have never had even a semi-questionable experience. Carrabba's over Olive Garden anyday.
(4)Julie Y.
We were pleasantly surprised about this restaurant! Expecting more of an Olive Garden "vibe", it exceeded our expectations. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars was because of the slightly unorganized service. Our waitress was friendly and great with the kids, but once I had to go to the bar to get my husband's diet coke and we had to ask other wait staff for help a couple times because our waitress was nowhere to be found. I think our table was far from her actual "section". But when we did see her (which always seemed to be seconds after we flagged another server) she was awesome! And the food...also AWESOME!! From the bread to the Cesar side salads to the pasta dishes, we enjoyed everything! My husband had the Mezzaluna pasta dish which I tasted...yummy! I had one of the special "wood fired" pasta dishes ( not on normal menu)....penne pasta with chicken in a pesto cream sauce with some kind of yummy melted cheese (mozzerellaish). I wanted to finish it all, but I had to stop and take the rest home. The warm soft bread they bring you with the olive oil for dipping was so good, too (probably why I couldn't finish my pasta). My 2 year old loved the corkscrew pasta with Alfredo sauce, which we were able to custom order for him and my other two enjoyed the chicken fingers. All around, everyone was happy! We will definitely be coming back!
(4)Walter d.
Ate here with friend, while in Arizona to judge horse show. Noticed that many exhibitors were also here. Smelled great--waiter very attentive-wait maybe 10 minutes, on a Friday night. Good bread and olive oil escarpeta-parmesan. I had lemonade, she had iced tea-OK. Had whitefish that was really good. She had chicken w/proscutto & cheese-center was a bit raw--was taken away and re-cooked. Chef came out and was polite, but dancing--- Had it not been for that, would be 4 stars--would go there again
(3)Liz S.
The food is great but this location's customer service is poor. We had made reservations and specifically told the hostess and the server is was a birthday celebration. We were introduced by one server but only saw her one time after she took our drink order. The rest of the service was done by three other people and they had no communication among each other. It took about 20 minutes to get our salads then our food was brought out not even two minutes later. In the process of trying to make room for more plates my drink was spilled. I assumed they would bring me a new one but it never came. So eventually I had to ask for another one and the server asked me if I was serious. I have been to the carrabbas in chandler on ray and the 10. Everything there was FANTASTIC! I was completely thrown off by the gilbert location's poor service and how rushed they made us feel. They knew it was a birthday dinner but made the only memorable moment of the evening their poor service. I will never go back to this location again.
(2)Nancy C.
I'm no stranger to good Italian food, and I wasn't expecting anything special but I was knocked out by the quality of Carrabba's food. The tomato basil soup was absolutely fresh, with complex flavors, texture, and spice, along with lovely wilted basil leaves to top it off. I thought this would be chain restaurant stuff, and it's really quite a few steps higher quality than its price point. I loved the olive oil dip and bread (which I tried not to overeat), and my husband and I shared each other's entree. I'll be back! Highly recommended. Attentive service too.
(5)Matt S.
Sad to give this place a 1 star cause I love the food, and every time I have been to any Carrabba's it has been amazing (food wise) but this specific one gets a ONE STAR FOR POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. We got to the place and they said about 5 min wait, and since we have kids, that was perfect - if it was longer we would have went somewhere else....so we wait and wait and wait ... I go ask and they say they are working on getting our table. Long story short they forgot about us and we ended up waiting almost 45 min before we got seated....we decided to stay so long because we thought it was "almost ready" and did not expect it to turn out the way it did. Then the waiter got our food messed up - good thing everything on the menu is good because my wife got half of mine, and I got half of hers and then the waiter goes nuts trying to blame everyone else Very unprofessional! Horrible service and will probably not go back to this one again unless they convince me otherwise!
(1)Tammy M.
After having been told by my cousin and neighbors how good this place was, I finally visited with my family last Saturday night. It was delicious. The bread is to die for along with the pasta side that comes with the meat meals. Very good. I will never go to Olive Garden again.
(5)Judy C.
This is the best restaurant chain EVER!!!! I love EVERYTHING there and the service has always been A+. The fried zucchini strips (appetizer) are the best in the world, the Caesar salad is the best I ever had, even their croutons on the salad are better than any!!! Olive oil herb dip is Fabulous, the warm bread is like no other. Most of the dinners that I have tried have been excellent but the Chicken Bryan is magnificent. Waiters and manager the best.
(5)Dani C.
Went for a late dinner. I've been a fan of this chain for years. I was surprised it was still so busy at almost 8pm (I know, 8pm isn't late, but it is when you're used to eating with your kids at 6) ! We were seated right away even though it was busy, but the service was a little on the slow side after that. That usually doesn't bother me though, I see it's busy and we weren't in a hurry. We split one meal, and they were kind enough to bring it out on separate plates. LOVE the Chicken Bryan, it's the only thing I've ever had to eat there besides the Lobster Ravioli, which is also excellent.
(4)Anne L.
Let me first start off saying that I LOVE Carraba's. I know that it is a chain, but as a chain goes it goes out of it's way to fool your taste buds into thinking that you are actually eating artfully prepared Italian cuisine at a more casual and affordable atmosphere. They will tailor to your requests for your food to be prepared a certain way, even if it isn't on the menu. I prefer to have a steak, but the Steak Bryan, which is a filet, or a another cut of steak with their special goat cheese, basil, and sun dried tomato on top. Another worthy mention is their grilled chicken dishes. Too many places love to over cook chicken then flavor it after the fact, but at Carrabba's you know they marinate them which keeps them juicy. I am sorry that Matt had a bad review on service, because I will tell you that they have FABULOUS service. Every place has their bad nights, but this particular Carrabbba's knows how to treat their customers. We visited one night and they forgot our appetizer. We were in a hurry and we told them to not worry about it, but in return they apologized profusely and gave us a coupon for a free appetizer for the next visit and a free desert. When we arrived home, my 3 year old daughter had left her small puzzle there and my husband went back to retrieve it, but it was gone. It wasn't a big deal, but a few days later, the manager (I think owner as well) James called us at home to again apologize and said that he had bought some puzzles and that when we came in again to ask for them. I was speechless, and had never had such wonderful customer service. We went in and he gave us not just one, but four puzzles, and of course made sure that everything went to our liking. I cannot recommend this location enough and have told my friends and family of our experience. WONDERFUL location, GREAT service, and FABULOUS food!
(5)John M.
We loave carrabbas, the food is always great and the service friendly.
(4)Matt K.
This is a great place to eat! Great service and great food! We'll be back for sure!
(5)Shoshana R.
The food is great, but the service leaves a lot to be desired. I particularly dislike it when the hostess says "How are we doing tonight"? Then the server says "what would we like to eat tonight?" when he come back to take the order. That's so rude and condescending. We got the bum's rush as far as service is concerned. We were in and out in 35 minutes! I never got offered a refill on my iced tea either! Next time I am going to one of the independent Italian restaurants in town.
(2)David W.
Went for my daughters birthday. They made sure it was all about her. Great service. very nice atmosphere. The food was a different story. Very small portions. everybody at the table got asparagus. it was the size of of a large nail. and dry. Chicken was below Mcdonalds .99 cent special standards. I sat there looking out the window wishing i was at the Outback Steakhouse next door. don't go here. total waste of money, unless your on a 500 calorie a day diet.
(3)Tyler S.
I've been coming to this Carrabba's for a few years, and I've only ever had one lackluster meal. The spot in Mesa isn't great, but this location is the most consistently spectacular eatery I've ever been to. The Chicken Bryan (grilled chicken with lemon butter) is as good as food gets. I always get it with a side of cavatappi, also covered in lemon butter, and a bowl of chicken soup. As far as appetizers go, I love the meatball ricotta flatbread, and the basket of bread they give you at the start of the meal is always appreciated. If you feel like quality Italian food, this place can't be beat. The food, service, and ambiance are second to none.
(5)Joan G.
It was good but nothing great. One of my daughters really likes this place so I took her for her birthday and it was good but there are better choices for the same or less money. I just wasn't wowed or impressed. I will have to try more dishes. My daughter likes the shrimp and scallop linguine. The sauce was good but the shrimp were overcooked. The atmosphere is nice and the service was very good. Bread was also good.
(3)Curtis C.
Bread is the corner stone of this place. Amazing!!! We love the lintle and minestrone soup with the chicken Cesar salad. The chicken tastes amazing. Great place and atmosphere for the price. Expect to wait 30 -40 mins on fri and sat night.
(5)Megan D.
Great service, drinks and food! Zucchini fritte were great, loved the dipping sauce! I thought the pitcher of peach sangria was pretty pricey ($31) only because I don't think there was much alcohol in it but it tasted so good! Also tried the limoncello raspberry martini. SO GOOD. I seriously said mmm and yum after each sip. I want to try the limoncello rosemary gimlet next time! We ordered two pasta dishes to share. The conchiglie al formaggi is super cheesy, we loved it! We are vegetarians so it was nice that our server Linda let us add in veggies to our other pasta dish. We added mushroom and zucchini to the tag pic pac and was perfect. Linda was awesome, friendly and helpful. I will be back!
(5)Aaron S.
We love Carrabba's and eat here at least once every few weeks. Way better than any of the other local Italian restaurants. The zucchini fritti is a must as a starter. The garlic aioli they serve it with is delicious, and you might find yourself dipping your bread in it too. Their soups are also great. Their fillet Marsala is one of the best steaks I've ever eaten. I don't think we've ever had a bad meal here. Make sure you save room for the chocolate Sonjo (spell check). One of the best desserts we've ever had.
(5)J P.
I don't expect a lot from chain Italian restaurants (which begs the question why did I go here...because the place I wanted to go to is closed on Monday) but surprisingly it wasn't horrible. The wife had Pasta Weesie. Except for the name, it was actually pretty good although when I tasted it I found the mushrooms in it to be a bit salty. I had Chicken & Spinach Cannelloni not bad. As an aside, Cannelloni, normal name for an italian dish as opposed to Pasta Weesie...see was that hard? For reasons I'm still trying to figure out we ordered Italian Sangria. First, Weesie pasta and now Italian Sangria. What's that all about? But aside from my cognitive dissonance with their naming convention for things on the menu the only thing they should really rethink is the whole Italian Sangria. Way to sweet and had a weird cinnamon after taste. Granted cinnamon was one of the ingredients in the drink but between the sweetness and the cinnamon I'll be real happy if I don't end up gacking the stuff back up. So to summarize, food not bad. Sangria, something to take a pass on.
(3)Liz S.
The food is great but this location's customer service is poor. We had made reservations and specifically told the hostess and the server is was a birthday celebration. We were introduced by one server but only saw her one time after she took our drink order. The rest of the service was done by three other people and they had no communication among each other. It took about 20 minutes to get our salads then our food was brought out not even two minutes later. In the process of trying to make room for more plates my drink was spilled. I assumed they would bring me a new one but it never came. So eventually I had to ask for another one and the server asked me if I was serious. I have been to the carrabbas in chandler on ray and the 10. Everything there was FANTASTIC! I was completely thrown off by the gilbert location's poor service and how rushed they made us feel. They knew it was a birthday dinner but made the only memorable moment of the evening their poor service. I will never go back to this location again.
(2)Nancy C.
I'm no stranger to good Italian food, and I wasn't expecting anything special but I was knocked out by the quality of Carrabba's food. The tomato basil soup was absolutely fresh, with complex flavors, texture, and spice, along with lovely wilted basil leaves to top it off. I thought this would be chain restaurant stuff, and it's really quite a few steps higher quality than its price point. I loved the olive oil dip and bread (which I tried not to overeat), and my husband and I shared each other's entree. I'll be back! Highly recommended. Attentive service too.
(5)Ricky D.
These guys make the best Chicken Marsala on the planet!! Well done!
(4)Helen F.
This is our go to dinner restaurant. Service is great, food is even better and the blackberry sangria makes me happy :) Try the Chicken Bryan and don't be afraid of the goats cheese. I didn't think I'd like it but I tasted a friends and the cheese is smooth and mild. Since that taste almost two years ago I haven't ordered anything but Chicken Bryan. The bread and herb oil is delicious too.
(5)Trent G.
My wife and I will not go back to this unit. So inconsistent....service, food, etc..... The unit in Mesa is much more consistent. 4 more miles to drive but I am tired of being disappointed.
(2)ashley m.
We frequent Carrabbas since it close to our house. I have never had to wait for a table more then about 15 minutes and that was on a busy Friday night. Everyone is always very polite. I always get the Veal Piccatta because.. well I love it. It comes with garlic mashed potatoes that are soooo good. Their bread and oil for dipping are also splendid! MMM - They also have a very good Parmesean dressing for salads that my daughter puts away by the handful (she is 2 haha!) All in all it is a moderately priced, delicious, quick meal which is very important when you have a 2 year old :)
(4)Matt S.
Sad to give this place a 1 star cause I love the food, and every time I have been to any Carrabba's it has been amazing (food wise) but this specific one gets a ONE STAR FOR POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. We got to the place and they said about 5 min wait, and since we have kids, that was perfect - if it was longer we would have went somewhere else....so we wait and wait and wait ... I go ask and they say they are working on getting our table. Long story short they forgot about us and we ended up waiting almost 45 min before we got seated....we decided to stay so long because we thought it was "almost ready" and did not expect it to turn out the way it did. Then the waiter got our food messed up - good thing everything on the menu is good because my wife got half of mine, and I got half of hers and then the waiter goes nuts trying to blame everyone else Very unprofessional! Horrible service and will probably not go back to this one again unless they convince me otherwise!
(1)Mr. E.
This Carrabba's is just 'ok'. I went in with a friend a couple hours before they closed. It was the typical olive garden/italian chain decor with dim lighting. The host seated us promptly, and our server said hello right away. The service itself was great. She answered all of our questions, and made a lot of suggestions. I ended up ordering the Chicken Bryan Ravioli, and my friend ordered the Seafood Cannelloni. It definitely smelled like seafood. With each meal a soup or salad was included, along with complimentary bread and olive oil with herbs. I probably should have ordered something else, but I had hiked camelback mountain and I was starving. The shredded chicken inside reminded me of what canned cat food looks like... It tasted ok, but didn't look that good. Portions were a bit small, and the sangria tasted like Juice. Nothing was wrong with the service, the manager even stopped by to ask how everything was. I would go back here, but I think I'll keep it more simple with what I order. Maybe just a chicken parm, or alfredo. If you want to try food that is a step above Olive Garden, go here. If you just want free stuff, and average service- go to Olive Garden or Brio's Tuscan Grille. I really did like our waitress and would go back just because of that.
(3)KC M.
Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous! From the clean facility, to the friendly staff to the amazingly delicious food . . . Carrabba's rocks! IF you want to be wined and dined . . . this is the place. What a blessing to have them in the east valley. Blessings to them as they provide quality service at a moderate price : ) KC
(5)Dani C.
Went for a late dinner. I've been a fan of this chain for years. I was surprised it was still so busy at almost 8pm (I know, 8pm isn't late, but it is when you're used to eating with your kids at 6) ! We were seated right away even though it was busy, but the service was a little on the slow side after that. That usually doesn't bother me though, I see it's busy and we weren't in a hurry. We split one meal, and they were kind enough to bring it out on separate plates. LOVE the Chicken Bryan, it's the only thing I've ever had to eat there besides the Lobster Ravioli, which is also excellent.
(4)Anne L.
Let me first start off saying that I LOVE Carraba's. I know that it is a chain, but as a chain goes it goes out of it's way to fool your taste buds into thinking that you are actually eating artfully prepared Italian cuisine at a more casual and affordable atmosphere. They will tailor to your requests for your food to be prepared a certain way, even if it isn't on the menu. I prefer to have a steak, but the Steak Bryan, which is a filet, or a another cut of steak with their special goat cheese, basil, and sun dried tomato on top. Another worthy mention is their grilled chicken dishes. Too many places love to over cook chicken then flavor it after the fact, but at Carrabba's you know they marinate them which keeps them juicy. I am sorry that Matt had a bad review on service, because I will tell you that they have FABULOUS service. Every place has their bad nights, but this particular Carrabbba's knows how to treat their customers. We visited one night and they forgot our appetizer. We were in a hurry and we told them to not worry about it, but in return they apologized profusely and gave us a coupon for a free appetizer for the next visit and a free desert. When we arrived home, my 3 year old daughter had left her small puzzle there and my husband went back to retrieve it, but it was gone. It wasn't a big deal, but a few days later, the manager (I think owner as well) James called us at home to again apologize and said that he had bought some puzzles and that when we came in again to ask for them. I was speechless, and had never had such wonderful customer service. We went in and he gave us not just one, but four puzzles, and of course made sure that everything went to our liking. I cannot recommend this location enough and have told my friends and family of our experience. WONDERFUL location, GREAT service, and FABULOUS food!
(5)John M.
We loave carrabbas, the food is always great and the service friendly.
(4)Matt K.
This is a great place to eat! Great service and great food! We'll be back for sure!
(5)Shoshana R.
The food is great, but the service leaves a lot to be desired. I particularly dislike it when the hostess says "How are we doing tonight"? Then the server says "what would we like to eat tonight?" when he come back to take the order. That's so rude and condescending. We got the bum's rush as far as service is concerned. We were in and out in 35 minutes! I never got offered a refill on my iced tea either! Next time I am going to one of the independent Italian restaurants in town.
(2)Tammy M.
After having been told by my cousin and neighbors how good this place was, I finally visited with my family last Saturday night. It was delicious. The bread is to die for along with the pasta side that comes with the meat meals. Very good. I will never go to Olive Garden again.
(5)Judy C.
This is the best restaurant chain EVER!!!! I love EVERYTHING there and the service has always been A+. The fried zucchini strips (appetizer) are the best in the world, the Caesar salad is the best I ever had, even their croutons on the salad are better than any!!! Olive oil herb dip is Fabulous, the warm bread is like no other. Most of the dinners that I have tried have been excellent but the Chicken Bryan is magnificent. Waiters and manager the best.
(5)Jessica B.
I absolutely LOVE this place. I usually always get the SIRLOIN MARSALA so we only come here on occasions since it's a little pricier than just a standard night out (but still a good price for steak). But the food is amazing, the bread and dip are delicious, and the atmosphere is not flashy and perfect for dates. I have had the CHICKEN PARMESAN which was tasty too, but I just can't get enough of the marsala sauce. Never have been disappointed here, or any other Carrabbas in fact. A co-worker of mine brings leftovers in to work every so often and it makes my mouth water, even though I would never have thought of that dish as good (egg plant gross). The seasonings make anything seem appetizing. More than enough food at one time so I rarely get dessert, although I never mind that since I am left completely satisfied.
(5)Evan B.
They really focous on the grill part. The meul is full of griled chicken, meat and a fish item. There also are pizzas and pastas. My main grip with this place i having highly adulterated dishes, go to italy and fettuccine Alfredo means, noodles and sauce, no chicken. The theme is carries out thought the menu, in a poor attempt to seem original lobster, sausage or chicken is added to most traditional dishes. This left me a vegetarian with only a few choices, I went with the Grilled salmon (no sauce) with the garlic mashed potato. The salmon was a standard farm raised variety and typically over cooked for my tastes. The potatoes were decent as enough garlic and butter can make anything good. ($17) I did like the bread here but that is not enough of a reason to get me back. A long wait for mediocre Salmon at a less than stellar price.
(2)Giselle M.
I have been employed at Carrabbas for almost 2 and a half years. As a server we are required to try everything on the the menu. Our food is made from scratch and we don't have microwaves. I love the food there!! I probably gained 10 pounds. My husband and I go quite often there, our children love the mozzarella marinara and the calamari. My husband loves the wood grilled salmon and I love the chicken Bryan. Our happy hour is fantastic!! Our happy hour is 7 days a week. Monday- Friday it's 4PM-7PM Saturday and Sunday it's from 3PM-7PM. All tap beers and our Cosmopolitan, Pomegranate Martini, Carrabbarita on the rocks and Razzmitini are half off. Our house wines and homemade sangrias are on special as well. You get a quartino for the price of a glass. A quartino is a glass and a half. Our sangrias are delicious!! We have peach, red and blackberry sangrias. Certain well drinks are also half off. All drink specials are through out the restaurant and all our appetizers are half off in the bar only. On Monday nights we have Amore Mondays, this is a great dea,l it is a special menu where you get a great deal for your money. This menu comes with your choice of an appetizer or a dessert, an entree and choice of soup or salad starting at $12.00. I hope you come and visit us and try us out, I guarantee you'll love it as much as I do!! Come and ask for me (Giselle)
(5)Jim W.
Three point six seven nine stars. I have some gift cards from Carrabba's and I must say that even though I am fairly anti-chain and pro-independent...Carrabba's ain't half bad. As a matter of fact it's better than half good. The service here was outstanding and the food was well beyond just ok - better than I was expecting from a chain. We ordered several things to share amongst the family - spaghetti with meatballs, chicken caeser salad, mozzarella sticks. I particularly enjoyed the chicken caesar salad. I still prefer independents but Carrabba's is a safe chain apparently. I think.
(3)Liz S.
...and the 1 star is being super kind. My husband and I walked into the restaurant around 8:30 pm and was seated by a hostess that never made eye contact with us. Never. Then we were helped by a server that, and I'm almost positive, hates her job and doesn't want to be there. Again, no eye contact but whatever. We started off with the mozzarella- horrible. It came out still dripping in grease and the taste was of old cooking oil. I had the fettuccini and it was terrible. I've had better out of a jar at home. Our bill was stupid for the amount of crappy food that we had. I usually feel bad saying terrible things about a joint but not in this case. They should just shut it down. I am confident in my next statement- I will never, in my life, eat at this place even if it's between life and death. I'd much rather die. On the plus side, the water was cold.
(1)Karen O.
Our favorite local Italian restaurant! The bread and the dipping oil with herbs is just amazing. Hubby and I had about three of their little loaves, thank you very much. Started out with the chicken zucchini flatbread appetizer. It was fresh and delicious. Wouldn't have minded if it was a smidge larger, though. Our beverages were a raspberry Italian soda and some Italian beer on tap - both were great tasting! I ordered the tilapia for my entrée, and the piece of fish I received was massive. Also I upgraded my side to the fettuccine Alfredo. I was not disappointed. My husband opted for the linguine Pescatore. After placing our order, our super nice waitress, Alli, returned to our table to report that the kitchen did not have mussels for my husband's linguine dish. To compensate for the missing item, he was given extra amounts of shrimp & scallops - score! Since this was a complete splurge meal, we finished off with their Chocolate Dream dessert. Ummm...yum! Great atmosphere, great food, great staff, decent prices. Will definitely be returning. (Just not right away - I'm still trying to burn off these calories....)
(5)Won-Woo P.
I had a very good dinner with my wifey! Great service, good and tasty dinner, and good atmosphere:). Recommend Carrabas at San Tan for wholesome dinner out with family. Great values what you get!
(4)Sarah P.
I LOVE this place, it is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the Phoenix area. We went here for New Years Eve and only had to wait a 1/2 hour and received excellent service and got to choose from the full menu. They have fantastic wine here. The bread is DELICIOUS with their olive oil and herb mixture. That's a big part of an Italian restaurant experience too. I usually order the Chicken Parmesan, it is too die for, their marinara and spicy red sauces are both the bomb. Everything else I've tried here has been really tasty too. The Caesar salad is great, very fresh tasting. So family friendly, we always bring the kids. Definitely recommend it!
(5)Rob S.
Food has always been great and service pretty good here. Their pasta dishes are awesome (what I usually get, I'm not adventurous by any means) and they have huge portions, so cost isn't a huge deal because I usually get 2 meals out of one...it's called portion-control people! I've been here probably 5-6 times with my family over the last 3 years and have never had even a semi-questionable experience. Carrabba's over Olive Garden anyday.
(4)Julie Y.
We were pleasantly surprised about this restaurant! Expecting more of an Olive Garden "vibe", it exceeded our expectations. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars was because of the slightly unorganized service. Our waitress was friendly and great with the kids, but once I had to go to the bar to get my husband's diet coke and we had to ask other wait staff for help a couple times because our waitress was nowhere to be found. I think our table was far from her actual "section". But when we did see her (which always seemed to be seconds after we flagged another server) she was awesome! And the food...also AWESOME!! From the bread to the Cesar side salads to the pasta dishes, we enjoyed everything! My husband had the Mezzaluna pasta dish which I tasted...yummy! I had one of the special "wood fired" pasta dishes ( not on normal menu)....penne pasta with chicken in a pesto cream sauce with some kind of yummy melted cheese (mozzerellaish). I wanted to finish it all, but I had to stop and take the rest home. The warm soft bread they bring you with the olive oil for dipping was so good, too (probably why I couldn't finish my pasta). My 2 year old loved the corkscrew pasta with Alfredo sauce, which we were able to custom order for him and my other two enjoyed the chicken fingers. All around, everyone was happy! We will definitely be coming back!
(4)Walter d.
Ate here with friend, while in Arizona to judge horse show. Noticed that many exhibitors were also here. Smelled great--waiter very attentive-wait maybe 10 minutes, on a Friday night. Good bread and olive oil escarpeta-parmesan. I had lemonade, she had iced tea-OK. Had whitefish that was really good. She had chicken w/proscutto & cheese-center was a bit raw--was taken away and re-cooked. Chef came out and was polite, but dancing--- Had it not been for that, would be 4 stars--would go there again
(3)