We came here for my husband's birthday with a large group most of which had never been to Bucca before. We ordered a variety of dishes and they were all good. Service was a little slow but they did take good care of us.
(4)
Pablo O.
Never know what to expect at any Buca at any time. Went in at lunch and had a beer and a large salad. Salad was OK as expected, Paulo the server was great !! He was training a new employee and never missed a beat. $20 for $10 Living Social got us in there. Get the deal and visit.....
(4)
David J.
Excellent service on a Friday night. Kevin took care of all our needs and helped us celebrate my daughter's birthday. Pizza was great. Peroni is cold.
(4)
Marissa H.
Last minute decided to go out for dinner instead of cooking and did a quick look through of Groupons and found one for Buca $10 for $20 of food. Great we thought we won't spend so much money! Wrong.. Totally wrong the service was ok, water cups got pretty empty, server didn't seem to know the menu very well but she was nice and pleasant. Food was ehh nothing super or even great. Ordered a side of broccoli so the kids could have some vegetable with their super greasy pizzas but the broccoli is made with red chili peppers and I think the server should have let us know that. It burned my 2 year olds little mouth the second she tasted it. I tried it after and it was stupidly spicy. If a side dish is going to be so spicy it should have been clearer on the menu. The manager came by and said they took care of that off the bill, which was nice I didn't have to ask. My sister ordered just the mushroom Marsala sauce and pasta with no meat and at first they sent out just pasta with very little Marsala sauce but no mushrooms. 20 minutes later they brought the mushrooms and sauce. The sauce was tasty but with cold noodles not so much. The veggie pizza was decent, again nothing exciting. Big waste of money for one eh not so great meal. Update! I was contacted by the regional manager who was really apologetic and convinced me to give Buca another chance. He was very sincere and cares a great deal about his restaurants and the customers so we will be giving them another shot and hoping for a better visit. Was really impressed that I was actually contacted by someone and that they wanted to make it a better experience for my family. Will have a new review after our visit!
(3)
Jeff T.
We have come here several times in past years and had enjoyable dining experiences. It's been a few months since the last visit, though, and there sure have been changes. New menus, new prices (which are significantly higher), and some old favorites are no longer available - in particular the 1893 Salad. The veal parmesan was tough, chewy, almost rubbery - and expensive. Standard salad and cheese bread were fine. Dinner for two of us, with small salad, small entree, small pasta, bread, no drinks, was nearly $80, before tip. And, the restaurant is showing quite a bit of wear and tear. The ceiling in the room where we were seated had a gaping hole in it. Benches were lumpy. Overall a big disappointment. We aren't very excited about coming back.
(2)
Tyler H.
Buca's is always a fun place to go and eat with friends. As usual, the food was consistent delicious as always. The Scottsdale Buca's was one of the best I've been to.. They fit us on the schedule to get in on the chef's table located in the kitchen. What an experience for 3 people who had never been to Buca's. Waiters was incredible and kitchen was extremely clean! Nice job Scottsdale Buca Di Beppo, keep it up, you're the standard for a BDB's.
(5)
Connie C.
The worst service ever! Just one degree below the food- which was horrible. The wait staff is untrained & the food is cafeteria quality.
(1)
Jen R.
The okay: The food was decent, albeit extremely overpriced. EXTREMELY. $24 for a 2-person portion of chicken, with nothing on the side? Seriously? Ridiculous. The good: Our server (bigger guy with long hair) was awesome and very good at dealing with 10 people who needed to eat and be out in 1 hour. He gets 5/5. The manager I spoke to today was pleasant. Gave me the impression that he is used to handling Snottsdale people with kid gloves. The reasons we will not return: I would advise the owner to check out their booking practices, and perhaps do some drug testing on their employees. 1) My friend made a reservation and we were supposed to have the pope room. My boyfriend and I arrived first and were at the bar when a manager (who skeeved me OUT) came up to tell us that they had "accidentally" double booked the room and we were being bumped to a table in the regular dining room. My friend was NOT pleased but we rolled with it. I then Yelped the place, and discovered multiple other reviews of people being 'double booked' out of the pope room. I think they are intentionally doing this bait-and-switch 'double booking' thing, because by the time you get there and they tell you the mistake, no way are you going to take your entire party of 10+ people and try to find another restaurant at 6pm on a Friday. They can smash as many large parties in as possible that way. Clever, clever. 2) We tried to cash out, and the bartender had disappeared. When he returned, his face was bright red and he was sniffling. Boyfriend and I exchanged one look and simultaneously muttered "Cokehead". This was confirmed when he ran our card for $147 instead of just our 2 drinks. He reversed it, but the charge still went through to the bank.... because we got hit with multiple overdraft fees today, as we had used the card for several other transactions that night. Now we have to argue with Wells Fargo about this. I know, people make mistakes, yada yada, but had this guy not just obviously done a line in the back, he likely would not have made that mistake.
(2)
Lindsey E.
Oh man. Came here on a Saturday night with 7 coworkers on a work trip. We waited in the lobby, for lack of a better term, for literally 10 minutes before a hostess came. There was another party sitting down that looked like they were waiting for the rest of their group to join them - they weren't. They'd literally taken a seat because they'd been there waiting to be seated even longer than us! That's completely unacceptable. From that moment on, I knew this was going to be a shit-show of a dinning experience so I started a timer to record just how awful it really was. It took over 10 minutes for a waitress to greet us and take our drink orders. Amazing! We put in our food orders and almost 46 minutes later got our dinner. The food was decent. Nothing to write home about or return for. All in all, our experience was over an hour and a half. Our drinks were never refilled and the entire customer service experience in that restaurant is deplorable at best. They also walk you through the kitchen on the way to your table. There was shit everywhere and it was filthy to say the least. See my attached picture of the floor.
We came here for my birthday while visiting Scottsdale. We hadn't been to this restaurant chain before, so we weren't sure what to expect. Interestingly, they start you off for a walk through the kitchen. There's even a booth in the kitchen (by reservation for you foodies out there!) if you want to watch them cook. My husband is Italian, and he enjoyed the meal, so it must be good. We had an appetizer platter with mozzarella sticks, calamari and stuffed mushrooms, and a special gnocchi with pancetta (I'm pescatarian so I had to pick around a bit). The food is delicious and served family style. We had enough food for lunch the next day!
(4)
Alex B.
Buca is good, just not great. Came in for a large party and they "accidentally double booked" the pope room. Reservations were made a month and a half in advance, yet we were the ones to lose the room. We ended up smashed in the center of one of their dining rooms and it took 20 minutes to get checks figured out after we took them back and did all the work for our server. I love the food, drinks are a little expensive and the service is always friendly. Again, I like the place. Just don't love it.
(3)
Nora M.
Food is average but pricey. Been before, this time asked for a quiet table then a kid who kept scrwaming, kicking seat and running around was seated behind us. Birthday, can't use free sundae coupon with 20% off, they will sing to you, but no free dessert, soooo not birthday worthy!!!
(2)
Faridah S.
I went for a late lunch because Buca sent me an email coupon for a free small pasta dish. I was hungry and had an hour to spare so I stopped in. The service was very friendly, and a server came to take my order very quickly. She was knowledgeable about the menu and very helpful in the ordering process. What threw me off was when she indicated that my order should only take about 5 minutes (for baked ziti). About 20 minutes later when I was able to get her attention (she was working alone and several tables had filled up) she indicated that she would bring my food right out. What I anticipated as a small plate of baked ziti was enough to feed a family. I ate what I could, but took home two take-out containers full of pasta. Summary, portion sizes are huge, service is friendly, but slow when they get busy. Food was just ok.
(2)
Berj D.
Writing this review only because I care about Buca and this last visit (Yesterday 03.29.2015) was awful. The Good: 1- I made a reservation on open table and we got in 15 minutes early yet we got seated right away. 2- Were greeted by a hostess and she was very welcoming 3- The food as always is good 4- Our server Paulo was good as he was doing EVERYTHING, literally, everything and see the BAD section for more details. The Bad: 1- Service was VERY SLOW, and that is not because Paulo, it is because Paulo was doing EVERYTHING. From clearing tables, then cleaning them, getting the food out, checking on everyone to make sure they have everything. 2- Service was very slow 3- Service was very slow The management at this restaurant seems that they did not care yesterday. As there were no buss staff, clearing tables or food runners to get t he food out. They did not care to at least pick up the pace and come over an ask at least how things were, knowing that the section the server was serving at is short staffed. I felt so bad for the server, that i really wanted to get up and do something. A party of 5 or 6 showed up after us an the hostess brought them to the same section we were seated, and Paulo the server was making sure we were taken care of but at the same time he asked that group to wait for a few minutes while he cleaned the table they were being seated at. The Hostess did not even bother to help clear the table. Overall it was bad and we have been to too many different Buca locations and this is the first time i see such a mess. So Paulo gets 5 stars, the restaurant however gets 3 or less.
(3)
Adele W.
Zach is the best bus boy you will ever meet. Let him clear a table near you- especially if the table next to you was a huge group (-:
(5)
Michele W.
I went here recently for a group event. I chose this location as they had a private room for a decent sized group which is hard to come by in Old Town (without having to spend over $200). When I arrived, I was disappointed that it wasn't really a private room. I was hoping for something with four walls as it was for a business type meeting where we don't want strangers overhearing our conversations. The service was very friendly and great. The food was also good too. The large portions says that they feed 4 people, but it definitely feeds way more than that. We had so much leftovers where everyone could take some food home.
(4)
Brett B.
Its been maybe 7+ years since I last visited and I always remembered this as a distinctly average place with a cutesy decor. However the food here was so bad tonight (Christmas eve) that is unlikely that I will ever return again. I've had better Italian food at an Olive Garden. The "mouse trap" which brought the family into this mediocre establishment after all these years was a Bucca $50 gift card given to me by a business associate. After reviewing the menu it struck that prices here seemed sky high - even considering the family style platters. Most pasta dishes averaged $20 for a small plate and $30+ for a large. The selections are all the typical Ameri-Italian fare you might expect - chicken parm, spaghetti and meatballs, Marsala, etc When we were seated we did the obligatory walk through the working kitchen to the dining room - gee what a clever novelty. The fact is that if your seeking this type of food experience, the Maggianos chain is far (far) superior to the lousy food being heaped at customers at this crummy restaurant. We ordered the the Mozzarella Caprese to start - pretty simple. When the dish arrived we all noticed that the sliced tomatoes all looked rather unripe. These looked AND tasted like the cheap tomatoes you might get on a $2.00 burger at McDonalds - certainly not at a moderately priced sit down restaurant where your average bill for 4 is probably $100 or more. Needless to say the Caprese was a big letdown - low grade olive oil drizzled over pink tomatoes with generous sprinkles of salt & pepper. We also ordered the $8 garlic bread basket -another massive dud appetizer which tasted like the bland & doughy "assembly line" French loaves you might get at a Safeway market in a foil bag. Little garlic to be found, stale tasting bread - no one liked it. Yelpers let me ask you - even with the supposedly kitschy decor if the food is no good than what is the point? This whole Bucca concept is so cliche with the endless looping Frank Sinatra/ Dean Martin music and goofy photos throughout. Why is this place so busy? Mystery! Oy vey this place is like Outback Steakhouse but with Italian food - a genuine mystery, especially with so many wonderful and moderately priced restaurants nearby. What is the draw here? Our waiter was Paolo (who was trying mightily to come off debonair) took our orders and his service was adequate. We ordered the chicken parm and a penne with vodka sauce. When the plates arrived we all found that the chicken was over-breaded (the breading was literally dripping off the sides of the chicken) with a deep fried taste & consistency, way too much gooey cheese and very little sauce. Just plain yuck. The penne was just too spicy and too creamy for a rosa sauce - again just meh. Total damages with one beer was about $90 including the gratuity. What a joke right? No one liked the food and it pretty much ruined our evening. We all talked about the bad experience here for hours after leaving - that is the kind of impression it left. Even with our $50 gift certificate we all felt like we were taken to the cleaners with the awful food here. Why spend big $ here for so-so food when there are a plethora of great places nearby that actually care about serving quality food? Note to self - avoid this place at all costs.
(1)
Nick O.
At this location the service was terrible. It took over an hour to get our 2 pasta dishes and the waitress brought us the wrong drinks on two different occasions. Not to mention she was very rude and short with us. We asked about food multiple times because it was taking so long and she brushed us off and told us she will have her manager come over. (This happened twice). When food finally arrived they brought us the wrong dish and we ended up having to wait even longer. I would be more understanding if these were complicated dishes but the fact that it was pasta made this even more ridiculous. Overall it was a poor experience with bad service and average food. Hopefully they read these reviews and work on changing the way they run this Scottsdale restaurant.
(1)
Carolina R.
My wife and I came in with very low expectations. We realize that this is not fine Italian food, but what we encounter was not even good enough to meet our already low expectations. First, we ordered a calamari appetizer and a bottle of wine. The problem started when our food was delivered before the wine. I mean, we finished the calamari and no sign of the wine. By the time the waiter (paolo) brought the wine, it was a little too late to enjoy it. I told the waiter that we would take 2 glasses instead of the complete bottle. After a few minutes the food came. It was a spicy pasta with chicken. Unfortunately, the sauce tasted like sea food. It was truly bad! The place is crowded, the food is below average and the service is just as bad...find another restaurant. You will be happier going to an olive garden, macaroni grill or any other chain restaurant. Don't waste your money!
(1)
Antonio P.
We loved the food and the service. Is also family oriented.
(5)
Natalie S.
Took a group of 30 in on late notice last night. The service and food were both great!
(4)
Ty R.
The place is charming but i feel that the kitchen gets overwhelmed when the rush hits and there are misteps. We went for Thanksgiving dinner which is a good value at about 55 bucks for 3 people, however it was served room temperature and the waitress forgot the cranberry sauce, so we had to flag her doin the bar and the bartender was talking so loud it was distracting. The feel is a bit like Oregano's, but with big expensive family portions, so be ready to split menu items, and take a doggy bag home. The host has a spiel about walking through the kitchen that plays like a broken record if you sit near the entrance. They are open on holidays which is a plus, and probably the only time we will go there.
(3)
Preston C.
Tonight was my first time at Bucca and beforehand all I knew was that it was Italian... The atmosphere and decor are very NY/family/warm. It was nice to look at all the pictures on the walls :) After looking at the menu we decided to get the fried calamari as an appetizer. It was a decent amount and the sauce was good. I was pleased with this dish. For my main entree I decided on the spaghetti with meat sauce... It took about 20-30 minutes to get to me, I am a patient person but I was really hungry... But I didn't let that bother me :) I got the Small dish thinking it was just a plate and boy, it was a bowl to feed 3 people at least... By this time I was a little full of bread, water, and calamari... But I did like the flavor of the sauce as well as the noodles... I was satisfied with my spaghetti... Next time I know to take more people and split dishes :) there seems to be a lot of reviews with complaints on proportion so we will keep that in mind... Ps one of the strawberry desserts looked awful yummy! I need to try it next time!
(4)
Brad W.
Seems like I end up here on major holidays, but Buca did deliver a very good Thanksgiving meal. It was family style of course, but quality food was involved all around. The turkey was all breast meat and pre-sliced and top quality bird. The best side dish was probably the garlic mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. The string beans were good, but did not have that wow factor - just plain ole beans and the stuffing was laced with sausage, so I passed on that dish. No way, the pumpkin pie was fresh made, tasted like Marie Callender's or Sara Lee. The bonus star was for ordering an extra dish from the real menu. The quattro formaggio pasta was a great baked dish with four different kinds of stuffed pasta, all covered with lots of cheese. The garlic cheese mozzarella bread was also top notch on this night. I think it was 98 bucks to feed six and we had five and a ton of leftovers. Didn't think Buca was a good turkey day choice, but it passed the test on most items despite large crowds.
(4)
Michael S.
Came here for lunch on a Sunday 2/8/2015. First sign something was off was when we walked through the kitchen and the "chef" was reading the picture cards on how to prepare the food. Only 4 tables seated, we ordered a pasta dish and a pizza. Well 70 minutes later we were done waiting. Asked for the manager and he couldn't have been more rude or condescending. Never going back and certainly explains why this restaurant was dead and everything else on Scottsdale Road was packed. Looking forward to a new concept coming soon to this location.
(1)
Christopher C.
Very disappointing. Went there with a large group and ordered the Chicken Parmesan and Minestrone soup. The soup was the worst I have ever had in my life. (no exaggeration). It was completely inedible. Other people at our table that ordered it agreed and couldn't eat theirs as well. I mentioned it to the server and she shrugged it off. The chicken was decent - not great, but not bad. When the check came, she had made no effort to take off the soup. What great customer service! Before posting on here, I complained privately to corporate. They clearly don't care about customer service because my complaint was ignored. If you are looking for medium end Italian food, Olive Garden or Carrabbas are heads and tails above this place. AVOID!
(2)
Maritza A.
After everything I went through with my fist experience we gave it a second chance and it turned GREAT! We had food delivered to my home and since I didn't call ahead I was told the delivery time frame would be 2 hours. They made it so simple and easy to place the order over the phone. After just 1 hour and a half my food did arrive and the delivery girl was very nice. Only thing is my pizza was cold, other than that the food was great!
(4)
Hannah F.
I just organized a business dinner for 28 at this location. The staff greeting me as soon as I arrived and made sure that I have everything I needed for my group. The servers were very friendly. We had a private room. It is especially nice that there was no room rental fee, which is hard to find with such a big group. I was able to arrange to stay in the room for a bit longer than it would take to dine, and we conducted some break out sessions in the room. It worked wonderfully and the staff was perfectly patient.
(5)
Bryan G.
Great family style Italian. A great place for friends to get together.
(4)
Michael W.
My family and I came here for my little sister's graduation quite some time ago. It was definitely an experience. The parking was alright. It was in front. I just hate serving around Scottsdale since the streets are so narrow with my SUV near all these sportsters that are the size of Miatas. I feel like I'm going to crush a car underneath my tires. The inside was clean. There was plenty of seating. It has a part that is like a walk through kitchen area. Kind of cool. There was a lot of pictures up. My older sister said that this place serves family style so when we order...each order is meant to feed a family. The food came and it was no joke. It was enough to feed the six of us. Dessert was plentiful too. I left stuffed. I would come here again.
(4)
Humble P.
Things got really salty here.
(2)
Chris S.
The restaurant can get pretty loud and it is big inside, seemingly with a labyrinth of dining rooms to dine in. Service was friendly but they did run out of the house wine we were drinking and were limited on other choices that they had in stock. I have no idea who would want to sit in the kitchen but the option is there if you should choose to try it. To summarize: *Vegetarian options: the eggplant parmesan was very good. The eggplant was not soggy, fried correctly and sauce accompanying it tasted homemade. *Spaghetti and Meatballs-Al dente but I was told the meatballs lacked substantial flavor. *Chicken Carbonara-very good, creamy and you won't be able to stop eating it! *Traditional wicker basket chianti was very good, smooth and fruity!
(3)
Steph H.
Ate there with a group of 13. Not sure what the issue was but waitress was replaced right after we ordered which resulted in our appetizers not being delivered correctly and slow service. Then, manager came by to see how everything turned out --when we told her we had not yet gotten our food --she was quick to retort "you have appetizers and drinks!" without a further care and left. Why did she even ask? The food was awful, service slow, and you are supposed to go there when you have a large group. Clearly they weren't prepared to handle a large group on a Saturday night. Oh and their gluten free options leave much to be desired --horrible choices and the food was awful. We finally asked them to just saute some shrimp in some butter for my 9yo GFree son --that took forever to do but that was something he would eat. Don't bother going there --not worth it at all -
(1)
Jason D.
Normally very happy with this place but came here for Mother's Day. 16 people. Made reservations using open table for 7:15. It's now 8:50 and still don't have food yet. Very unhappy. They obviously overbooked and couldn't handle it.
(1)
Dejuan D.
First off... Went on Christmas Day and Most of the food was fantastic. Incredible flavors and cooked to perfection. Reserved via OpenTable and check in was quick and we were seated about 5 minutes before our time even though the place was packed. We ordered a family Salad and as we were all about to eat it my 9 year old noticed something on her fork full of lettuce.... A bug. I examined it closely and sure enough it was one. So I told a passing waiter who apologized and asked if we wanted another salad. We declined... Since we figured all the salad had come from the same source. The manager eventually came over and assured us that we'd be "taken care of." He said... The "salad is on the house." My wife said... "That's good because we didn't eat it," and we waited for an offer to maybe comp something else. The owner explained... It probably came from the supplier that way and he hopes we understand. I won't say that the bug in our salad totally ruined our meal... But I thought the manager could have done more to make sure we returned as customers. As of right now... I won't be returning.
(3)
Traci H.
I ordered spaghetti and rigatoni for take out. Nice girl at the counter tries to ring up my order and computer will not work. Played with it for about 8 mins. She gets manager Joshua Gleason to help. He plays with it for about 5 mins and restarts it. Waited for the reboot and still not working. Food is sitting on cart. She finds Joshua again. We have now been here for about 20 mins. He plays with the computer and can't get it to work. Nice girl walks away, Manager does not offer an apology, acknowledge our presence, says nothing to me. He took my card and walked away. Finished the transaction elsewhere and returns my card to girl in the takeout area. Who passes it to me. Very poor example for his employee who was very nice. He never offered an apology, a dessert, a discount. But first and foremost an apology. I was VERY disappointed with his actions. When my kids were teenager and had friends over, I ordered lots of food from Buca in Chandler. They are adults now, and servings are too large. So I haven't been back in a while. I will not return to the Scottsdale store again.
(2)
Amrita R.
I had called in at 11am the morning of 2/7/15 for a 'to go ' order for a group of 25 people at my home. Spent a good 30minutes on the phone to jut place my order ( as I was placed on hold 4 times ! ) I requested that my order be ready for med to pick up at 5.30pm . When I arrived to pick up - I was asked my name and asked to sit at the bar while they were getting my order out . I paid for my order and waited ! After about 20mins the bartender went to check 'what was taking so long' and came back and told me 'it should be out shortly' Another 15mins went by and when my order still had not come out, I asked what the delay was . To my disbelief - I was told now that ' my order was -not put in ' !!! The manager came to talk and asked 'who ' I had had placed the order with /what time etc and I gave him all the details. Apparently the moron who took my order that morning had 'not placed the order' and now was conveniently 'gone' for the day. They had 'charged' me for someone else's order !!! By now it was 6.10pm - and there was no trace of my order ! My guests were to be arriving at my home by 7pm ! The manager , asked if I wanted to 'put the order in now ' , I really had NO choice at this point and asked if he could then have the food delivered. He promptly said "No ! I don't have drivers that are free !!!' I had remained calm through this entire drama but by now was getting quite frustrated as it seemed like 'no one really cared !!' In the meanwhile -the lady who's order I had paid for -arrived to pick her food up. This was not ready either and she was 'over the top ' -creating a BIG scene !! The manager was visibly shaken and tried to calm her -apologizing etc... It was 6,40pm by now and I am still waiting for them to 'cancel ' the previous charges on my credit card and ring up my new invoice. The manager settled down the lady who 'making a big noise' first and then took care of my check. I asked for a confirmation to make sure the previous charges were void but was told 'I had to take his word for it- they was no print out to show me'. Manager now told me he was 'writing off two items from my order AND would deliver the food to my house after all !! It was almost 7pm and I to rush out as my guests were arriving at my house already ! The food did arrive to my house at 8.30pm missing the bread eventually ! I am extremely disappointed with how my situation was handled and how I was treated . I was there for almost 1 and a 1/2 hr !!! I am not one to 'scream' and 'demand' things or 'create a scene' !! I understand that 'human errors' can happen and was really working with the team there to just make the best of my 'situation gone wrong' . It believe would have only been fair for them to have offered to have my order 'on the house' as this was totally the fault of their moron employee and the should have offered to deliver it right away ! Not only will I not go or order from Buca di Beppo but ALL my guests (25 + people) were horrified by this experience of mine and have vowed NOT to ever go there or order from there ever again .TOO BAD as ALL of us live around them and have OFTEN ordered for our large get togethers .
(1)
Christina S.
I went to this resturaunt for my first time tonight and it was amazing! My waiter Analissa was one of the best servers I have had in a long time! Super friendly and educated on all the menu items! I had the spicy chicken rigotonni and it was fabulous! A little spicy but it was delicious! All around the staff was super friendly and The waiter was super helpful when it came to trying new things!! Definitely going back again for more!!
(5)
Margaret L.
For a large party, they were able to accommodate about 50 of us. I didn't like the bread. It didn't taste fresh and even trying to dip it in olive oil + balsaminic vinegar didn't help. Bread is so important, I wish it was tastier. The caesar salad was good. So I am not sure what we ordered specifically because we got a special deal or something and we just got bunch of food. We had a penne pasta with white sauce that included chicken, peas, dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. It looks good but it didn't have much flavor to it. The chicken parmesan was good. I wouldn't come back again if I had a smaller party and I'll go come again for a LARGE party (larger than 20) because family size makes it easier but it is a little bit pircey for mediocre food. Note: They added 21% gratuity on our check.
(3)
Jaime B.
The shrimp Alfredo is fantastic! But the waiter was kind of like a car salesman. He kept trying to tempt us with drinks, and at one point, he said "Oh! I forgot to ask if you two wanted bread!" (Keep in mind, he knew it was my first time there) Thinking it was complimentary, I said yes. Thank you for selling us 10 dollar bread. Excellent food and service, but please don't press things on customers! And maybe let them know that it costs an arm and a leg first!
(4)
Jennifer B.
Saturday night.... We were seated right away. The manager found Game 3 of the Stanley Cup... The customer service was superb (thank you, Damen!) and the food.... Phenomenal!
(5)
Jennifer S.
You come here for the family meals and will be full after you leave. We had the mussels in the white wine sauce, spaghetti and meatballs and the pesto stuffed chicken. We ate it all and enjoyed it. No big surprise with the dishes.
(3)
Cande G.
Let's just say we left after forty five minutes. The place was empty and where was our food? I know it does not take forty minutes to cook fish. When we're said we needed to leave because we had to be somewhere by six they brought out the food. Cold. Hence, we did not have dinner.
(1)
Mario C.
The smell when you walk in the place is pretty good. Especially when it is cold outside. There is a wonderful smell of sauce and spice cooking. Love it. The staff here is friendly and the decor is great! It is always a busy place. They recently put coupons out so that makes them even busier. Food is very good here. Nice and hot as well. It can get beyond loud when everyone is in here. This is a trend i have noticed more than once. Lots of noise. But, food is good and the price is great. Bathrooms are clean. Sounds like a plan!
(4)
Steve G.
Went there on Xmas night with reservations- the cascade of deficiencies made it downright comical by the end. With reservation, arriving on time, we waited 35 min to be seated. Our waiter Paolo was rude and inattentive. Both wine order and water refill request required reminders before they arrived. We received our appetizer twice. Thats right. They brought a very nice bruschetta. Ten minutes after we finished it, they brought another one, as if they had never seen us before. Later the waiter stopped by to say they were out of chicken and we needed to change our order. We switched to fett alfredo. Somehow it was cold when it got to us. And bland. No I mean very bland. When receiving the check we learned a probable cause for that- Paolo told us they had run out of cheese. I know, right? Italian Rest out of cheese? Paolo thought the reason was because they had been sending takeout orders out all day since 8 am. Said they had started receiving those orders over a month ago. That's right- the ONLY thing we must care about on Xmas day is your money. Shameful
(1)
gerry s.
used to go there a lot...lately not so much. decided to try it again as the salad and pasta is usually pretty good. this time...salad ..well...if you could get flavor out of the very tiny schredded items then maybe it could have been good...and if you could find the olives... for almost 14 bucks..not worth it the pasta with Maranara..horrible...sauce was watery and BITTER...like did you cook this??? not tasty at all bread...what happened to the nice bread you could dip in olive oil and balsamic? this stuff was like pizza dough with the worst chees and garlic spread...ugh..I love bread and I could barely down this... the one star is for service which was very good..but the place was almost empty so why not? very expensive for a salad and pasta meal and almost 4 bucks for ice tea???? we wont go back
(1)
Paul P.
Come as at least a small group as everything is served shareably sized family style-the small chicken dishes contain three large breasts each. Small basket of garlic bread is at least 18 inches of an italian bread loaf cut in pieces and prepared. Whimsical nostalgia decor of family pictures and memorabilia provides entertainment. The food is good standard Italian with attentive service.
(4)
Ben D.
As an out of towner just trying to enjoy a holiday with my family, I found it quite entertaining that they chose to come here when we could have gone to a Buca di Beppo back home... but my family is not adventurous and knew that they were serving a "traditional holiday menu." When we got here, they sat us immediately at a large table and I'm sure because of our reservations they already knew what to expect. A big, loud, Italian mixed family. They started off with a huge bottle of wine, and then the food started pouring onto the table (benefits of advance notice of what we would be ordering). I still felt bad for our server though because we can be quite demanding, though he seemed to take it in stride. The meal was delicious, we had a fine mixture of traditional holiday foods as well as a few of our Italian classics. My only real complaint was that I ate too much and felt very uncomfortable. Why then you ask am I giving it only four stars? The food WAS delicious, and the service was impeccable, but you could still tell it was a national chain restaurant, and you could still tell that the servers didn't want to be there working on the holiday. Would I come back? Maybe, but I will head to one closer to home.
(4)
James N.
The wait staff are really marginal no sense of dedication lack manners and serving skills. Food is expensive for the lack of quality. Bread horrible the loaves of bread that are on display in kitchen as props look better. Would absolutely not return.
(1)
Sheila P.
I really don't get what all the fuss is about, we've been here twice and each time it was just...okay--not bad, but not amazing like everyone says it is. Service is fine, but I've definitely had better, tastier Italian. Especially this last time; we were at a rehearsal dinner, and they had bread, salads, chicken marsala, meat spaghetti and alfredo. Everything was just bland and dry, maybe because it was a big rehearsal dinner, but still. Being that Bucca di Beppo is in downtown Scottsdale and parking is horrendous, we probably won't be going back anytime soon.
(3)
Cuong S.
this place is awful, the food is also awful. Noisey enviroment. definately, i will no go back . I wish yelp would have a spot for no stars. I would even give one!
(1)
Shayna W.
I've been to this specific location two times so far. Had male waiters both times, and both guys were very friendly. I knew I loved the arrowhead location, so for Thanksgiving my friend and I decided to go here, and for Xmas eve my friend and I decided to return with her out of state family in hand. The out of towners loved the place, said they never knew it existed until then. They believed the staff to be friendly as well, and stated that they would look for one in their home state and they hoped it was as nice and friendly as our Arizona one. They also loved the location, surrounded by old town Scottsdale, great places to walk around if you're into taking a little stroll after your meal. Both times I've been to this location I made sure to do reservations because I know how busy they get and how the lines get long and ridiculous, which should say something right there on how good they are if that many people are willing to wait an hour or more sometimes. With reservations in hand, we didn't even have to wait a minute both times, they sat us immediately when we showed up. Each time we had multiple courses of food, shared of course since the portions are large. And both times the waiters were right there, they were anticipating our completion of a meal between the 3 courses to make sure the next was out shortly. So there you have it, friendly staff, no wait if you get a reservation, amazing yummy food, and affordable!!! Geez, was it nice and cheap!
(5)
Amber A.
This was a fun and delicious dinner to celebrate a birthday. We had stuffed shells, spaghetti and meatballs, delicious green beans, and a pasta with different kinds of seafood. Everything was delicious and perfectly cooked. We also had calamari to start and it was very good.
(4)
Albert M.
Happy Birthday Chey-Chey!
(5)
Shayna F.
Where to begin... found a HAIR in my FOOD. Told waitress, she told manager. Manager was not happy that I found a hair...instead of apologizing for the DISGUSTING hair in my ravioli, he said he could make me something else. I said, 'no thanks" He didn't say anything for a few seconds then grabbed my plate and said 'FINE, we'll take it off the bill' Manager made it VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. I felt like I was a dog being scolded instead of a customer being pleased. Lesson is, don't go to this DIRTY, CROWDED, fire hazard of a restaurant. It's riddled with DIRT and GRIME and apparently hairs in the food. If you go here, don't be surprised if you gag on something that isn't meant to be eaten. This place is GROSS. So here's what you need to know about this place... 1. VERY DIRTY 2. LOUD, OBNOXIOUS WAITERS 3. OVER CROWDED INTERIOR 4. TERRIBLE MANAGER (how he has a job, I do not know. Complete A$$) 5. DISGUSTING FOOD 6. UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE
(1)
Alicia S.
My husband and I celebrated our first anniversary here, and we sat at a Kitchen Table. Interacting with the staff was great, they we're all fun and friendly. The food was delicious; we ordered fried mozzarella, chicken Saltimbocca, and Fettuccine Alfredo, and it all tasted amazing, especially the house bread!! We will definitely be back!
(5)
Jennifer R.
Good food and good fun! Always a good choice!
(4)
Scott D.
My wife and I met another couple with a young child for dinner. We ordered a small Works pizza which was excellent. In addition we had the chicken parmasean which was average and the ravioli with meat sauce which is on my "no fly list", but everyone else seemed to enjoy it. The problem with family style restaurants is that you tend to over order and spend way too much. I would give the Food 4 stars, the Price 3 stars and the Service 3 stars. Our meal with tip was $106 or $26.50 per adult (the child didn't really eat anything). I would only recommend going to Buca if you were in a group of 8 people or more so that everyone's cravings can be satisfied instead of having approximately 6 servings per dish and finding out that only one or two people in your party enjoy that particular dish.
(3)
Laura M.
I don't see what people see about this place, except its good for large parties. The food was not very good, no flavor at all, mostly tasted garlic. Don't plan on going back.
(2)
Gee L.
I guess being from the NY Metro area, I was searching for something similar. We went here Sunday evening, place was busy. Service was fine, but my issue is paying $20 for spaghetti and meatballs and not getting a sald? I mean, come on....the pasta was box-like, nothing special, sauce your basic marinara. I just expected more as I was told this is the BEST spaghetti in AZ. If so, stick to the AZ fast food circuit and use your savings for a trip to NY/NJ where pizzerias serve the same thing for $7.95. With a sald. And hot garlic bread. real bread. I won't even go there. I guess when peopl e are in Scottsdale-Spend mode, they don't care about adding $10 for a side sald. Food was okay, My search for the best spaghetti and meatballs goes on. As far as the rest of the meal, all good, all overpriced, none NYC quality.
(3)
Ariella L.
Bucca di Beppo advertises Italian family style dining....well, I don't know much about Italian families, but I know there wasn't enough food for my Jewish family. The way the sizing works at Bucca di Beppo is that a small dish feed 3 and a large dish feeds 6...except that those numbers are not very accurate. My family was celebrating my grandmothers 75th birthday and this was the only place she would even consider going. She loves the atmosphere and she loves the food. I understand where she is coming in those regards. The atmosphere is very warm and inviting (4/5) and the food is pretty decent Italian fare (3/5-a little skimpy on the sauce). It's really just the amounts I protested. Our party of 9 ordered 1 large dish and 4 small dishes. By Bucca di Beppo's logic, that amount of food should feed 18 people and yet my family was scrounging for food by the end. We all expected to walk away from that table completely stuffed and regretting that meal the next morning when we stepped on the scale, but we all walked out feeling pretty light and not at all regretful. My problem is not with the food at this restaurant, but with their measurements. I think I'll go back to Bucca di Beppo, but this time I'll come knowing that I need to order much more than they recommend.
(3)
William B.
This place has always been one of my more favorite places to eat over the years. Last night was the exception. There were 9 of us for very special 15th birthday party dinner for Ashley. We also broke Stan (Ashleys Grand Ffather) out of his rehabillitation facility to join us as a family meal would not be complete without him. For dinner and we had a slew of food, all of which was great as expected, see below. The down side was the service. It was just terrible! The waitress added in the 18% gratuity so knowing full well she was going to get paid well for a large party, paying attention to us was a second thought. There were far too many other tables to attend to where the gratuity would have to be earned and not just added on automatically. Both Melissa and Ryan had to play "waitress/waiter" and get refills for our water and ice tea, as if this was something they were reuired to do. Where was our waitress? Who knew? As far as the food goes, we had 2 trays of Calimari, Cheesey Garlic Bread and a large mixed salad. Delicious! For the entree we chose Lobster Spaghetti, Chicken Carbonara and Baked Ziti. Again, Delicious! The Carbonara was the bomb!! The food alone is what allows this to rate a 2 star evening. The service tore it apart and stopped any kind of positive statement to be made. Sorry guys, you need to get your wait staff in check. We brought our own dessert, a store bought birthday cake which allowed us to opt out of their offerings. They are usually quite good though! Overall, I still love this place for the quality of the food and will certainly go back. Lets see how they change by the next time we all return. Enjoy!!
(2)
Brian B.
Well. I'll just get right to the point. This atmosphere is fun, the wait staff is very friendly, and care to answer questions. The food on the other hand, it isn't worth what it costs. The pictures on the wall are fun to look at. Some of which you can see the story behind it. All in all, fun place.. but.. lacks the taste in the food.
(3)
Kirstin E.
Meh. Its average (at best) Italian food. We went here last week for a dinner with the hubs company. We were in a small semiprivate room and there were maybe 15 people in our group. Our waiter was pretty bad, acted like he didn't want to be there, and at one point when someone FINALLY got his attention after attempting to flag him down twice to ask for a drink refill he actually snarled his lip a bit! The food. Some was really good, some was really bad. I had the Caesar salad, it was salad, its hard to mess up. I also had a piece of the plain bread...its really "doughy". For the main course there was the chicken Marsala which was very sweet, almost to sweet. The baked zitti tasted pretty spot on and was the best of the three. Lastly there was the fettuccine Alfredo, holy blob of white tasteless pasta. I salt and peppered and added more grated parm to it and it still lacked flavor, it was beyond gross. For dessert there was cheese cake and chocolate cake. The cheese cake had no crust but was decent. The chocolate cake was pretty moist and good. Will I go back here again? Only if invited by someone else and they are paying, no way would I put my own money towards this place.
(2)
Ursula K.
Came here with a large party. The meal was memorable but not Ina good way. We told the waiter in advance we needed to split the bill and they said that's fine. There were about 35 of us and they are supposedly known for their ability to handle big groups. Unfortunately our food and drinks came out completely haphazardly. Some people had their entire meal while others hadn't even gotten their drinks. It seemed like the people who ordered last got their order first. Some people's food was forgotten. The bills were all wrong. And the food was only so-so. Oh well.
(2)
Heather C.
Had our service been anything better than pathetically bad, Buca would be a solid 3 stars. So here's the deal on the service. I got a coupon in the mail for a free spaghetti with marinara. That's what brought us in. But we also ordered two appetizers and an entree to start with. I commented that I thought the coupon was a nice idea to bring people in (give away a little spaghetti but sell twice that in other menu items). His response was "yeah, if people are like you and order other stuff, but if they just order spaghetti and water... (insert monotone robotic voice)." Well, okay then, he should be grateful we didn't do that. Everything we ordered was terribly slow to come. Kitchen's fault? Maybe, but we notice where the other servers on the patio are coming and going, our server is rarely seen and when he is around, he's dragging his feet appearing to be on his way to the gas chamber. Other than taking and delivering our order, he did nothing for us. While not rude, he was not pleasant or overly friendly either. The other guys on the patio helped us out with drink refills, clearing plates, etc. After a long wait at the end of the meal, he returned remarking someone else was supposed to be helping. We ordered dessert to go, another terrible wait, and asked our food be boxed. Finally, he brings the dessert and realizes he never brought the leftovers. Off he shuffles. Upon returning, he says he's sorry about the wait. Not half as sorry as he would be upon seeing his tip I'm sure. As for the food, it's good, but nothing outstanding. Even for family style plates, I think it's slightly overpriced. When they say a small serves 2-3, that's 2-3 lunch sized portions. If you're a "healthy" eater, count on 2. Here's what we ordered: Small garlic bread. Really good bread slathered in fresh garlic, but $7.99. Yes, it's a good sized basket, but it's still just garlic bread. Perhaps bread should be offered at no charge. Small mozzarella caprese. Five nice thick slices of tomato with good quality cheese and whole basil leaves. $9.99 but worth it. Small spaghetti with marinara, normally $9.99 but free. I would say this serves two for a main dish, three as a side. Marinara was okay, nothing special. Small chicken parmigiana. Tasty but overpriced at $17.99 for two breasts IMO. Remember it does not come with any pasta, just the chicken. Tiramisu. Best value at $9.95. It's the size of a small pie and could easily serve four, but I didn't think it was fantastic. It's a little too "wet," like you could squeeze the cake and get a cup of coffee out of it. We wanted to have a after-lunch drink, but the service turned us off to that. Might come back, might not.
(2)
Joe P.
All I can say is wow. Easily some of the best Italian food I've had. You certainly get what you pay for, the portions are no joke. If you are in the mood for a classy, delicious Italian dinner... this is the place to go!
(5)
Seung Eun C.
My nephew's birthday was last week and we came here because he wanted some good ole spaghetti & meatballs. The food wasn't spectacular, but it was good and really hit the spot! Meatballs are the size of your head and the tomato sauce tasted more like freshly canned tomatoes rather than one that has been cooked down to stew.. But boy, the portions are HUGE! We also had the penne with chicken & sundried tomato in cream sauce. The pasta was cooke al dente and the flavors worked really well together in this dish. And the chopped salad? Good. Stuffed mushroom? Ok, but the pesto sauce outshined the mushrooms. Needless to say, we stuffed ourselves silly but still took leftover home to last for a week. My nephew was happy and had the biggest smile when the entire dining room sang happy birthday to him. This is a fun restaurant and a great place to celebrate a birthday!!
(3)
Candace R.
Went here after an event for a banquet of about 40 people. Was a little hesitant of the $20/person charge, but whatever. We were there for the experience and the food. Our 4-course meal consisted of bread, cheese pizza, spaghetti in meat sauce, and gelato. We were all pretty hungry but as we were scarfing down the food, noted that it was good, but not $20/plate excellent. The service was really good though and I'd probably come again with a smaller party.
(3)
Sunny B.
People that go to places like Olive Garden and Buca, then complain about chain restaurants crack me up. It's like going to the DMV and expecting not to wait in line. You know what you're getting before you get there. Wise up. Buca is fun for a chain. Their eggplant parm rocks, as does their cesar salad. Four stars because you get to walk through the kitchen when you come in and they bring a wine bottle with the menu, I love not having to wait for wine. If you are looking for real home made Italian go to Giuseppe's. But if chain suits your fancy Buca is pretty cool.
(4)
T W.
We have been fans of Buca for a while now. We don't usually make it to the Scottsdale location, but this time we did. And they did not disappoint. The carbonara was very good, as was the supremo pizza (thin crust, slightly charred, crispy, and very flavorful sauce and toppings). Service was reasonably good. So far it's probably the best Italian food we've found in the Valley. Which is amazing for a chain restaurant! There may be some mom-and-pop place that's better, but we haven't found it yet. This is our first choice for Italian.
(4)
Rayna S.
So we decided to have Thanksgiving Italian style. I have been here before, and have enjoyed it. They offered a Thanksgiving dinner including sliced turkey, green beans, stuffing but we went with Italian flare. Had the mozarella caprese salad, spagetti and chicken parmasean and garlic bread. What I was really craving was a cannoli!! Maybe it was from the recent airing of all three Godfather movies? But lo and behold when I ordered cannolis, I was informed they had ran out!! How can you run out of cannolis!! So I was disappointed!! But at least we got to sit at the table in the kitchen which is smack in the kitchen when you walk through, kind of like a Goodfellas moment!
(3)
Jason T.
If a more than healthy portion of mediocre Italian food is your thing this is the place to be. The service was excellent even though the overall knowledge of our server was lackluster. Out waiter claimed my tasteless glass of malbec was from Spain. I think not. What's next ... Champagne from Napa phwww
(3)
Jeanette A.
I've always been a fan of Buca. I've been to this location before and loved it the last time. However, I've never been there for lunch before. They tell you that they downsize the entrees for the lunch specials. That's a lie. They still bring you a full-sized dish. If you've ever been to Buca, you know that a full-sized dish is perfect for two people. I had soup, salad, and a side of spicy sausage in a marinara sauce. Super delicious and very filling. If i wasn't trying to be good, I would've tore up some rigatoni or baked lasagna. I went with a party of 8 and it was terribly tempting. Everything smelled delicious and I heard nothing but good things about the taste. I was surprised by the prices as well. I would recommend splitting a "Buca small" entree with someone. Cheaper, and you'll still have enough to chow. Perfect for a lunch out with your co-workers. The only downfall was the timing. An hour long lunch turned into a 1.5 hour long lunch. The size of the group was a factor, I believe. If I go back for a lunch, it will be for a lunch on the weekend sometime.
(4)
Vivacious M.
Bucca- traditional Italian style, great pictures all over the walls. It is interesting how they take guests though the kitchen for seating in the main dining area- you can see the food being made fresh and the aroma- yes that makes you hungry! great selection of wines, nice choice of menu and specials and tasty Italian food. It is a little on the expensive side than a corner italian joint, but we are talking North Scottsdale- so that should not be a show stopper. Great food, great ambiance- best with great company :)
(4)
william b.
Okay, just last Thursday night my wife and I went to Buca di Beppo and had an incredible dinner. We split the Shrimp Fra Diavolo, and it was absolutely incredible. We also had the lobster sauce appetizer that was to die for. The atmosphere is a typical fun Italian style atmosphere, and our waiter was wonderful. Old Town Scottsdale is always a fun place to go, and if you're there try Buca di Beppo. I recommend it highly.
(5)
Kat V.
Ohhhh I love Buca Birthday song! I came here to celebrate my birthday and the song is the best!! I should record it when everybody sang the song.
(4)
Vic M.
If you want great Italian food and a place where you can actually talk with your family and spend time with them I've great food you can share this is the place for you. Great food, great staff and it feels as if I'm at my grandmas house for a home made meal. This is a great place for a big group or family. I'm from Los Angeles originally and this location is the same as it is in Pasadena. I had such a good experience, when I go back home I'm going to go to the Pasadena location!
(4)
Andre L.
I like Bucca,. We come here sometimes with just the kids and split a pizza and order of green beans and it's always fast, good and the kids enjoy the place. Sometimes we come with a large group, and that's always fun too. Reservations are good for large groups, of course.
(4)
Cadence C.
Hit or Miss. But I won't take my chances. It really depend who's the server, and who's the chef. Avoid the fat grumpy mean looking woman server with the broad face. (brunette, pink-ish skin tone, very shaped eyebrows that look angry) Holy *** the fat mean looking waitress with the blocky eyebrows will eat you alive, regurgitate, and chew you up and then spit you out. Stay away. She's brash, unattentive, and discriminates against certain customers. She was continuously kissing @$$ to the customers next to us but treating my group of four with disrespect and contempt. I doesn't feel great to be discriminated against. As a customer, we're all spending money there, and I think we deserve the service we pay for. ~*~* aside from that one waitress... *~*~* the other servers seem fine. The greeters are friendly. Food is either hit or miss. 50/50 chance of getting excellent food vs. bland food. Over the years, the quality went down. I really wouldn't risk it and rather go to the Chandler location if I could
The hostess didn't ask us where we wanted to sit and forgot to set our table. Our waitress was very good but seemed to be too busy. They need better management to train their people to work as a team. The host staff should have been helping in other areas. Other than that the food was good but it would have been nice to get some warm complimentary bread. I had to ask multiple times for the bread and when we did finally get some it was cold and slightly stale.
(2)
Alli B.
My friend from out of town and I came here on her last night because i was recommended by an associate of mine. I was incredibly disappointed. It's a monday night, three tables in the dining room (as far as i could tell) the server never told us his name, and seemed frazzled from the get-go. That should have been our cue to leave, but we decided to stick around for a bit. The service was simply awful, and I'm pretty easy to please, as I've waited tables for over five years The food was mediocre at best, the caesar salad was probably the best thing that we ordered. i will not be returning.
(1)
Christina M.
I usually don't go to corporate joints but a friend had a coupon so hey...why the hell not? There were 3 of us on a busy night and we had no reservations so we sat at the bar and waited for our table. The hostess taking names could've been a little more friendly or perhaps crack a smile but whatever, I wasn't here to make friends. The bartender was kinda bizarre. We thought we'd try a new dip on the menu but he quickly talked us out of it,saying that no-one ever finishes it. So we just didn't get anything because nothing else looked good. Then the same thing with a drink my friend ordered, he said not to try it. That nobody likes it. He did however make a suggestion for another drink that's more popular. We were seated in a room that was fairly warm. Not sure if they had the heat on 80 or what, but it was pretty hot in there. We had a ceaser salad, spaghetti and meatballs and garlic bread. All delicious. Its family style so 1 large dish is plenty for 3-4 people. Nicole was our server and was awesome. Everything came out in a timely manner and she was super friendly even though they were crazy busy. The manager came by so that was great,too. So, usually we would've done dessert but it was just too much food and the desserts are huge too. I don't know that I'll come back but I wouldn't be opposed to it.
(3)
Tim S.
In need of a place to take a large group of people? Want to take your kids but need to save money? Then Buca is for you! With 4 kids and a tight wallet my wife and I look for place where kids eat free or the food is cheap and plentiful. While Buca doesn't offer kids free food they do offer GREAT food at a reasonable price with portions large enough to SHARE and SPARE. The dinning experience is great! The restaurant is split into semiprivate rooms with only a few tables in each space. There is a real family feel here! Although, the photo's and art that decorates the walls have sparked some interesting conversations with my 7 year old the decor is really fun! I certainly recommend this restaurant!
(4)
Michael C.
For a chain I really like this place. The atmosphere is very casual, and the food is consistently delicious. This is a great place to go with a large group as they have so many little rooms. The portions are huge so order with care... Location is perfect -- great place to dine before hitting the old town Scottsdale scene later. Bar area is decent with a reasonable crowd around happy hour.
(4)
Tiffany W.
I give this place 5-stars because not because of yummy food, but because of their CHEESECAKE! But I'll get to that later. THE FIRST VISIT: After skimming through a friends photo album on Facebook, I saw that they ate here and I decided to give it a try! I went on a Wednesday afternoon with my boyfriend for some early lunching! I ordered the Linguine Frutti de Mare, its light and hits the spot for pasta and seafood! There are like a gazillion baby clams in that dish I swear. My boyfriend ordered a ton of stuff but I don't remember... He throughly enjoyed his meal and said it was the best Italian food outside his mother's cooking! (He also mentioned that he'd never eat at Olive Garden after coming here.) Even after we were pretty much stuffed and ready to be wheeled out by our soft spoken and chipper waitress, we had to try the cheesecake, because I love cheesecake. It arrived, and the first spoonful of the stuff was heavenly, it was rich and almost heavy, but it just ... Melts in your mouth, that it doesn't matter that you're probably gonna weigh six thousand pounds after the meal. It had roasted hazelnuts and raspberry sauce slathered all over it, oh god, I'm probably going to have to go tomorrow... And order TWO slices of cheesecake. Haha! My first time here was amazing, our waitress was very attentive and humorous. The second time wasn't so awesome, but I'll cut the waiter that we got some slack because it got really busy really fast compared to the quiet lunch I had the first time. The second time our drinks were empty almost 75% of the time and that's no bueno in my book. The only reason I will come back is for the cheesecake. I hope that stays consistent.
(5)
Jeff C.
Went to Bucca di Beppo yesterday with a party of 5. All of us thought the place was neat...somewhat "corporatized" but still neat. The food was decent to good... service (sergio) was outstanding. We all left extremely full and satisfied. The bread should be warm ...(only drawback). Because of where it is and what it is price was moderatly high After all it is pasta and sauce...but we got 2 large dishes and my son got a kids pizza.. We had plenty left over. Go enjoy the food and atmosphere.
(4)
Richard Z.
Ooooookay. Here is the deal about buca. I do enjoy the food but I am very outraged by the prices. The waiter here has a crush on bradford and I'm straight but brad is a sexy guy. Soe we got a couple of beers and an app and three meals for over a hundred clams after tax and tip. So 1 star is deducted. If you go there get the chicken saltimbocca. Sheer delight!
(3)
Ann Marie K.
Buca De Beppo is a great place to go with all of your friends. I'm sick of being penalized with waits or reservations when a group of friends and I want to go out to eat at the last minute. Buca De Beppo however is different. With a family style menu and a mansion of a restaurant I have always got in very quickly. As I mentioned the menu is made to be ordered in either medium or large portions. The Medium portions are for about two or three people and the large are more around four or five. Last time I was there we had polenta and garlic breadf or appetizers. For entrees we had Caesar salad, chicken parmesan, and the manacotti. This was for six starving people. The chicken Parmesan is unlike any I have had. Instead of a basic fried chicken breast they grill it and top it off with fresh tomato sauce and a little sprinkled cheese. The manacotti was also delicious and the cheese was so filling I could barely finish one. Our waitress was a bit flighty but she was nice. The ambiance of Buca is also very interesting you won't spend a dull moment at your table because the walls are engrossed with quirky photographs.
(4)
Max A.
Revised: Mediocre food, but it's great for large groups because the portions are huge. To be fair, some of the food items are pretty good - above average even. However, some items are simply awful. Their chicken is crappy and their alfredo sauce is flavorless. Most of their dishes say "chain" to me. Their prices do not though. I've ordered takeout from this place more than a few times - typically pizza. For 20 bucks, you get a lot of food. I actually really like their pizza - the pepperonis they use are the size of your fist. The Caesar salad here is gross. Hit or miss from dish to dish. I have mixed feelings about Buca. I think I'm between a 3 and a 4 on this place... originally, I had this at a 4, but I'm now changing that to a 3. The service there is great and I really like the decor and atmosphere... it's just that the food can be so hit or miss. The main issue here is that there are several italian restaurants in spitting distance that are heaps better. This place serves the needs of a special niche - large group dining. Take a friend here for a birthday bash. Have a family get together here. Dungeons and Dragons reunion meeting. Dinner for two? Forget about it...
(3)
Sand F.
It was about 3 years ago, this restaurant made me wait 2 hours for a cold dish that they serve to us on the patio outside next to the dumpsters... when I complained to management about the location of our table near the dumpster, he told me and my guest that we should try this place when it's not so busy if we want nice seating. never again will i be in this trough... I have blacklisted this place and use it as an example of poor customer service.
(1)
Julie D.
Went here for sisters birthday last Wednesday and we all had a great time! We had about 15 guests and we all shared 3-4 different entree's as a group. Excellent service by Ricky, he was very patient and anything we wanted he was sure to help us with and did it in a prompt manner. The food was amazing like always and we left very full and happy!
(5)
Maureen K.
I was at the Az School of RE and had only 45 minutes for lunch.The service was great, but my lunch was inexpensive and delicious. I will return. Great find!!!!
(5)
Trice P.
We ate here after my goddaughter's Confirmation and First Communion. Reservations were made ahead of time for 17 people and the menu was selected ahead of time since we were a large group. I've been to the Bucca in San Francisco, but it's been awhile so my review here does not have any reflection on that location. When we first arrived, we were brought through the kitchen. I imagine it was supposed to be a tour of some sort. But, honestly, the hostess didn't tell us anything about the restaurant or why it would be any different than any other kitchen. There was a booth in there. So, I guess that meant it is available if you wanted to sit in the kitchen to watch them prepare the food. We were placed in a "private" room on the second floor that was long and I think they had three tables arranged end to end. There ended up only being 15 of us, so it would have been nice if they made more room my removing some of the chairs. Every time the server came, she bumped into someone and most of the food was placed on one end of the tables since she couldn't fit to make it to the tables that were further in. So, I give the accommodation two stars. Since we ordered ahead of time, we would have thought that once the drinks were served, the first course of salads would have come out immediately. Our reservation was for 1, we didn't get that first course until about 1:45. What's the use of ordering ahead of time, if you are going to wait? The main course of pasta dishes came out a little more quickly. Refills were a bit slow coming out. We asked for boxes for the leftovers (we had a lot of them) and you would have thought that dessert would have come out shortly after we had asked for the boxes. But, they boxed up all the dishes first, put the bags aside and we waited another 10 minutes or so before she asked if the dessert should be brought out. Again, what's the use of ordering ahead of time, if you are going to wait. So, I give them two stars for service (I should also mention that it was not that busy so that it was understable for the long wait). As for the food, it was pretty decent. There was certainly a lot of it since we ordered family style. We probably would have been fine if we ordered half of what we actually got. I imagine they based it based on the number of people, even though I don't think they should have counted the kids. So, I would give the food three stars. Overall, I would eat at this restaurant again. Can't say it's my favorite and that I would go out of my way for it. But, I think it's an overall three stars.
(3)
Cindy M.
The waiter was great....but other than that.....we were seated at a table that we too big for us and we couldn't talk to each other well, in a sort of alcove that was painted with faux roman scenes that were on the violent side-- really a little creepy. The salad was good -- the rest was not. Plenty of other restaurants nearby -- go to those.
(1)
Alana H.
Great time with awesome service. Highly recommend reservations on a weekend night, I made mine online via yelp walked in and was sat for party of 5,heard 1 1/2 hour wait for walk up although by 8 there wasn't any wait. We were waited on by Sierra who did a great job as busy as they were, always topping off drinks,etc. The only thing I missed was valet parking as parking on a Saturday night gets tough downtown old Scottsdale ,overflow parking on lot next door if available.
(4)
Joshua H.
We ordered one of their large salads to go a few weekends ago, and it was fantastic! We brought it to a potluck dinner with friends. For the insanely huge size and great quality, the price was right. It was also made very quickly. I highly recommend checking out their menu for a meal to go!
(4)
Philip D.
I went for dinner when I was in town for business and therefore, I was alone. Seeing that I often go to the bar to eat, I was a bit put off when there were absolutely zero people in the bar area... the entire night. That's probably because the bar is completely removed from the restaurant. So that right there sort of made me feel a bit awkward, not even being able to feel the vibe of the rest of the place. I'll start off that I've been to Buca several times at different locations and have always love the atmosphere, food, vibe, etc. So please note this review is only for this particular Buca. I started with a cocktail (sorta bland and weak) and ordered a Caesar salad and baked ravioli. The bartender was kind enough to remind me the portions are large and said I could even order off the lunch menu. I really appreciated that. He then brought out some boring soft bread (a la Subway) with flavorless olive oil. I decided to wait for something better. The Caesar was OK.. nothing better than any average Caesar you would get anywhere else. Probably even less interesting than the store bought Cardini dressing I buy at the supermarket. The croutons were the best part. The baked cheese ravioli was pretty good. They came in a fresh marinara sauce with melted mozzarella cheese on them. The sauce was a nice fresh balance to the heavier cheese, though the ravioli themselves were light and very nice. Oh, I also had a glass of their 'best' Chianti by the glass.. ugh.. tasted like two buck chuck.. I don't think so, especially if you're an Italian restaurant. Overall, three stars for OK.. nothing special, I probably won't go back but won't discourage anyone else. I'm sure I'll check out another Buca again, just not this one.
(3)
Daniel E.
Buca is a great place to get a lot of food that you can share. The food is tasty and can be a good place to go when you want something a little more than Oreganos or Olive Garden. I would recommend this place for big families or parties that like family style food!
(4)
John S.
The service was excellent!
(5)
Lisa H.
My husband and I enjoyed our 3rd anniversary here. Growing up in a big (loud) Italian family Bucca made me feel right at home. I love waling through the kitchen to get to your table, the family style dining, the music, and the artwork. Thank you for making our evening so special!
(5)
Asaad M.
The place has a great atmosphere but neither food nor service was up to the mark. It gets 3 just for the place and the place is really good for groups. Dinner portions are only for 3 or 6 people. There is no single serving size for dinner!
(2)
Matt S.
Went for lunch and got right in! The service was amazing and very friendly. I had the ceasar salad (which was THE BEST ceasar salad I have ever had in my life) Also ordered the chicken parmesan (lunch portion - not the normal HUGE one) and it was still almost more then I could eat. It really was probably in my top 3 of the best chicken parmesan I have ever ate in my life. I am a sucker for it! We sat there for about 2 hours talking (was kind of a business meeting) and they kept refilling us, and it was pleasant. I love this location (besides the construction going on around downtown Scottsdale!
(5)
Emily M.
Buca Di Beppo is a chain restaurant and for that I dock a star, but they do have great Itailian food. Everything is family style so dont be surprised when the prices look high, almost every portion serves between 2 and 5 people. I went on a business dinner with 8 of us and service was great. Since they are used to handling big groups of people, our orders were nothing new. Nice to be able to have a good meal with lots of people and finally not complain about the service. Decent wine selection, tasty desserts and a fun atmosphere.
(4)
Georgia R.
Buca Di Beppo is an awesome family-style restaurant that serves up authentic Italian dishes in a cozy atmosphere. They always play Italian music and the last time I went, some mobster look-alikes were having a nice dinner before they went and wacked someone I'm sure. The dishes are all big enough to share, so it's fun to order a few different dishes and then pass them around the table. If you have a big enough party and you make reservations ahead of time, you can ask to be seated in the 'Pope' room. There is actually a pope head in the middle of the table, and you can spin him around and if he happens to land on you, you're supposed to confess all of your sins. It's funny, I swear.
(4)
Philip Q.
I do not understand how a plate of pasta and a glass of wine can turn into a $60 bill. Quality of the dish is more in line with a $5 plate fom a food court.
(2)
Megan N.
Great Italian meal. Lovely atmosphere. It makes you feel like you are in the heart of Little italy somewhere. The service was great. Thought it was slightly odd that you walk through the kitchen to get to your seat, but acutally a great idea. I just was not expecting to see the kitchen. The House Chianti could have been better as well. All in all a great place for some comfort food. The fettucine alfredo is amazing.
(4)
Vince G.
If your primary objective is to have a relaxing place to go with friends or the kids and the food does not matter very much the Buca Di Beppo is the place for you. The food is OK but that it about it. When you get past the quantity you realize that the food is pretty bland. It is the Olive Garden of family style Italian. A chain that does family style right, although it is a bit more pricey, is Maggiano's Little Italy. There you can get loud, enjoy your friends, but have much better quality food.
(2)
D Y.
it's good family style italian, just make sure you bring the family.
(2)
Linda B.
It took us an hour-and-a-half to get into Scottsdale's Buca di Beppo. And this was right after a Giants game in spring training (March). I think one of the problems was that there are very few tables for two. There are tables for four, tables for six or eight aplenty. This is a family restaurant. You know something? It was worth it. Absolutely incredible meal, and very friendly service. Just a wonderful experience. Except for the waiting part.
(5)
Jake C.
A little overdone, I know, but I like chowing down here from time to time. First off, though, it's important to know going in that portions here are ginormous. If they say it serves 2, it actually probably serves 3 or 4. If they say something serves 3 or 4, it's probably 5 or 6. And so on and so forth. You get the idea. They have a few special eating areas, including the pope room, for larger groups, and the kitchen table, which is right in the middle of all the action. The kitchen table is a perfect conversation starter for dates and keeps things interesting throughout the course of your meal. Just be sure to get some to-go boxes when you're ready to go . . .
(4)
michael j.
For those of you that don't realize... Buca's is a franchise resturant. I found my first Buca's back home in PA and was pleasently surprised at the food. I am a bit fussy about eating Italian out especially when it comes to red sauce. I like my gravy SMOOTH! Not chunky. My german girlfriend on the other hand loves chunky gravy. The amount of food you get is amazing and a small entree can surely be shared by 2 people so don't let the prices scare you. We ordered chicken carbanara white is in an alfredo style sauce with peas, panchetta bacon, chicken and proschuitto. She got a side of marinara which was some what chunky but not quite as spicey as she likes. But overall the meal was delicious to me even though the bacon was not panchetta. We also had Italian wedding soup which was NOT traditional but was equally delicious! They added roasted red peppers to it to spice it up and it was really good plus the bowl was HUGE! We finished off with an order of tiramisu which was very good also and was enough to feed 5 or 6, it was literally the size of a 8 or 9 inch pie!!! This is pretty good Italian food served just like your grandmother would have done... Enouth to feed a batallion of Marines! Two iced teas, two bowls of soup, one small entree and one dessert... $45.00. Our waitress Suzanna was very nice and did a wonderful job! You won't go wrong here unless your too picky when it comes to your gravy! LOL!
(4)
David K.
Buca is the pioneer for family style Italian food. Everything on the menu is good especially the lemon chicken. Come with a family or group of people you enjoy spending time with and this restaurant will provide a very fun and memorable atmosphere. If you are lucky enough to reserve the kitchen table you will sit in the kitchen and watch the chefs prepare all the food as well as sample different dishes throughout your dining experience. For a large party, the Pope table will suit you well. It is a very large round table with a rotating Pope head in the middle, very interesting. The only problem is if you are coming here with just one other person because the portions can be quite overwhelming and get expensive.
(4)
Stephanie S.
I came here with a big group and was excited to have a good dinner, however that did not happen. First, half of our party was going to be late so we decided to put in an order of appetizers and order two bottles of wine for the table. Ten minutes later the rest of our party showed up.. Another five minutes our caprese appetizer came, then the wine a couple minutes after that. Finally after 10 more minutes we reminded our waitress about the garlic bread we ordered and only then did it come to the table. Then as the rest of the party was getting their drinks the waitress spilled a tray of three ice teas all over one of the women in my group and her purse. Since we were a big party and the waitress obviously messed up I thought it would be appropriate for her to offer to comp some of our drinks, this did not happen. Later, we were ordering all of our food and we decided to just split all of the entrees. Since I'm a vegetarian I decided I was going to order the gnocchi to be sure there was a dish I could eat, however our waitress informed me they were all out of the gnocchi that night. So not wanting to make a big deal about it I informed her I was vegetarian and since one of the dishes my party had already ordered was the Quattro al Forno (which included the Cheese Manicotti, Chicken Cannelloni, Baked Ravioli and Stuffed Shells), she explained that all were vegetarian except the chicken cannelloni. I hadn't really studied the menu so I trusted what she said and told her that i could get by on eating off of those plates. Fast forward to when we finally get our dinner, someone in my party advocated for me to get first pick at the plates "without meat" so I got a stuffed shell and some of the baked ravioli. After eating the baked ravioli i started chewing some of the stuffed shell and realized there was indeed meat in it. I quickly spit it out but couldn't believe there would be meat in the dish. When the waitress came back a member of my party asked the waitress again if there was meat in the stuffed shells and she said no. Then I spoke up and said there was and that I had tasted it. She responded that she would go check on that. She came back a few minutes later and told me what I already knew, that there was meat in the shells. She offered no real apology to me, did not offer to bring me out another dish or comp anything. I was so upset and felt so sick after that it really ruined the rest of my dinner and night, not to mention I have been vegetarian for six years and this waitress couldn't even offer me an apology for something that was clearly her mess up.
(1)
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Address :3828 N Scottsdale Rd
Scottsdale, AZ, 85251
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Valet, Street 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 : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Amy M.
We came here for my husband's birthday with a large group most of which had never been to Bucca before. We ordered a variety of dishes and they were all good. Service was a little slow but they did take good care of us.
(4)Pablo O.
Never know what to expect at any Buca at any time. Went in at lunch and had a beer and a large salad. Salad was OK as expected, Paulo the server was great !! He was training a new employee and never missed a beat. $20 for $10 Living Social got us in there. Get the deal and visit.....
(4)David J.
Excellent service on a Friday night. Kevin took care of all our needs and helped us celebrate my daughter's birthday. Pizza was great. Peroni is cold.
(4)Marissa H.
Last minute decided to go out for dinner instead of cooking and did a quick look through of Groupons and found one for Buca $10 for $20 of food. Great we thought we won't spend so much money! Wrong.. Totally wrong the service was ok, water cups got pretty empty, server didn't seem to know the menu very well but she was nice and pleasant. Food was ehh nothing super or even great. Ordered a side of broccoli so the kids could have some vegetable with their super greasy pizzas but the broccoli is made with red chili peppers and I think the server should have let us know that. It burned my 2 year olds little mouth the second she tasted it. I tried it after and it was stupidly spicy. If a side dish is going to be so spicy it should have been clearer on the menu. The manager came by and said they took care of that off the bill, which was nice I didn't have to ask. My sister ordered just the mushroom Marsala sauce and pasta with no meat and at first they sent out just pasta with very little Marsala sauce but no mushrooms. 20 minutes later they brought the mushrooms and sauce. The sauce was tasty but with cold noodles not so much. The veggie pizza was decent, again nothing exciting. Big waste of money for one eh not so great meal. Update! I was contacted by the regional manager who was really apologetic and convinced me to give Buca another chance. He was very sincere and cares a great deal about his restaurants and the customers so we will be giving them another shot and hoping for a better visit. Was really impressed that I was actually contacted by someone and that they wanted to make it a better experience for my family. Will have a new review after our visit!
(3)Jeff T.
We have come here several times in past years and had enjoyable dining experiences. It's been a few months since the last visit, though, and there sure have been changes. New menus, new prices (which are significantly higher), and some old favorites are no longer available - in particular the 1893 Salad. The veal parmesan was tough, chewy, almost rubbery - and expensive. Standard salad and cheese bread were fine. Dinner for two of us, with small salad, small entree, small pasta, bread, no drinks, was nearly $80, before tip. And, the restaurant is showing quite a bit of wear and tear. The ceiling in the room where we were seated had a gaping hole in it. Benches were lumpy. Overall a big disappointment. We aren't very excited about coming back.
(2)Tyler H.
Buca's is always a fun place to go and eat with friends. As usual, the food was consistent delicious as always. The Scottsdale Buca's was one of the best I've been to.. They fit us on the schedule to get in on the chef's table located in the kitchen. What an experience for 3 people who had never been to Buca's. Waiters was incredible and kitchen was extremely clean! Nice job Scottsdale Buca Di Beppo, keep it up, you're the standard for a BDB's.
(5)Connie C.
The worst service ever! Just one degree below the food- which was horrible. The wait staff is untrained & the food is cafeteria quality.
(1)Jen R.
The okay: The food was decent, albeit extremely overpriced. EXTREMELY. $24 for a 2-person portion of chicken, with nothing on the side? Seriously? Ridiculous. The good: Our server (bigger guy with long hair) was awesome and very good at dealing with 10 people who needed to eat and be out in 1 hour. He gets 5/5. The manager I spoke to today was pleasant. Gave me the impression that he is used to handling Snottsdale people with kid gloves. The reasons we will not return: I would advise the owner to check out their booking practices, and perhaps do some drug testing on their employees. 1) My friend made a reservation and we were supposed to have the pope room. My boyfriend and I arrived first and were at the bar when a manager (who skeeved me OUT) came up to tell us that they had "accidentally" double booked the room and we were being bumped to a table in the regular dining room. My friend was NOT pleased but we rolled with it. I then Yelped the place, and discovered multiple other reviews of people being 'double booked' out of the pope room. I think they are intentionally doing this bait-and-switch 'double booking' thing, because by the time you get there and they tell you the mistake, no way are you going to take your entire party of 10+ people and try to find another restaurant at 6pm on a Friday. They can smash as many large parties in as possible that way. Clever, clever. 2) We tried to cash out, and the bartender had disappeared. When he returned, his face was bright red and he was sniffling. Boyfriend and I exchanged one look and simultaneously muttered "Cokehead". This was confirmed when he ran our card for $147 instead of just our 2 drinks. He reversed it, but the charge still went through to the bank.... because we got hit with multiple overdraft fees today, as we had used the card for several other transactions that night. Now we have to argue with Wells Fargo about this. I know, people make mistakes, yada yada, but had this guy not just obviously done a line in the back, he likely would not have made that mistake.
(2)Lindsey E.
Oh man. Came here on a Saturday night with 7 coworkers on a work trip. We waited in the lobby, for lack of a better term, for literally 10 minutes before a hostess came. There was another party sitting down that looked like they were waiting for the rest of their group to join them - they weren't. They'd literally taken a seat because they'd been there waiting to be seated even longer than us! That's completely unacceptable. From that moment on, I knew this was going to be a shit-show of a dinning experience so I started a timer to record just how awful it really was. It took over 10 minutes for a waitress to greet us and take our drink orders. Amazing! We put in our food orders and almost 46 minutes later got our dinner. The food was decent. Nothing to write home about or return for. All in all, our experience was over an hour and a half. Our drinks were never refilled and the entire customer service experience in that restaurant is deplorable at best. They also walk you through the kitchen on the way to your table. There was shit everywhere and it was filthy to say the least. See my attached picture of the floor.
(1)Art B.
It's Olive Garden with a personality. Buca di Beppo, though a chain, has more than a few things going for it. The Scottsdale location can easily accommodate large groups. Family style servings contribute to great interaction with friends and family. The décor is gaudy and creative, with an emphasis on Italian heritage and a touch of humor here and there. Gene Simmons on the celebrity wall? Generally friendly staff. Kid friendly (triangular crayons!). And the food is decent. Any negatives? The entrees, while solid, don't have the impact of a true fine Italian restaurant. On this visit we ordered the Apple Gorgonzola Salad. It was enjoyed by all. The Chicken Cannelloni and the Chicken Marsala were great. The Baked Ziti, however, was dry and far from flavorful. Three out of four isn't bad I suppose. And a single mistake is less catastrophic since everything is being shared family style anyway. We had two children in our group and felt pressured to pop for the $4.99 kid's Cioccolata and Pisa Punch served in glasses with flashing lights in their base. The lids were poorly designed, subject to spillage around the straw, but the kids did enjoy the beverages. $10 of enjoyment? Well. At least refills were free. Ordering the right amount of food from the family style menu can be tricky. The portions are generous, so it's easy to order too much. For example, our server's recommendation to share a small salad for four adults was perfect, even though the written menu would have suggested the larger size. I'd recommend getting some friends together and ordering several small entrees for variety, I'd also recommend just letting kids share the adult family style entrees rather than ordering from the children's menu (unless they just have to have macaroni and cheese). The four and five year olds in our party were fine with it and it helped them feel fully part of the group. They weren't quite as supportive, however, when we refused to order the giant brownie sundae. I was willing, but...
(3)Alaina B.
We came here for my birthday while visiting Scottsdale. We hadn't been to this restaurant chain before, so we weren't sure what to expect. Interestingly, they start you off for a walk through the kitchen. There's even a booth in the kitchen (by reservation for you foodies out there!) if you want to watch them cook. My husband is Italian, and he enjoyed the meal, so it must be good. We had an appetizer platter with mozzarella sticks, calamari and stuffed mushrooms, and a special gnocchi with pancetta (I'm pescatarian so I had to pick around a bit). The food is delicious and served family style. We had enough food for lunch the next day!
(4)Alex B.
Buca is good, just not great. Came in for a large party and they "accidentally double booked" the pope room. Reservations were made a month and a half in advance, yet we were the ones to lose the room. We ended up smashed in the center of one of their dining rooms and it took 20 minutes to get checks figured out after we took them back and did all the work for our server. I love the food, drinks are a little expensive and the service is always friendly. Again, I like the place. Just don't love it.
(3)Nora M.
Food is average but pricey. Been before, this time asked for a quiet table then a kid who kept scrwaming, kicking seat and running around was seated behind us. Birthday, can't use free sundae coupon with 20% off, they will sing to you, but no free dessert, soooo not birthday worthy!!!
(2)Faridah S.
I went for a late lunch because Buca sent me an email coupon for a free small pasta dish. I was hungry and had an hour to spare so I stopped in. The service was very friendly, and a server came to take my order very quickly. She was knowledgeable about the menu and very helpful in the ordering process. What threw me off was when she indicated that my order should only take about 5 minutes (for baked ziti). About 20 minutes later when I was able to get her attention (she was working alone and several tables had filled up) she indicated that she would bring my food right out. What I anticipated as a small plate of baked ziti was enough to feed a family. I ate what I could, but took home two take-out containers full of pasta. Summary, portion sizes are huge, service is friendly, but slow when they get busy. Food was just ok.
(2)Berj D.
Writing this review only because I care about Buca and this last visit (Yesterday 03.29.2015) was awful. The Good: 1- I made a reservation on open table and we got in 15 minutes early yet we got seated right away. 2- Were greeted by a hostess and she was very welcoming 3- The food as always is good 4- Our server Paulo was good as he was doing EVERYTHING, literally, everything and see the BAD section for more details. The Bad: 1- Service was VERY SLOW, and that is not because Paulo, it is because Paulo was doing EVERYTHING. From clearing tables, then cleaning them, getting the food out, checking on everyone to make sure they have everything. 2- Service was very slow 3- Service was very slow The management at this restaurant seems that they did not care yesterday. As there were no buss staff, clearing tables or food runners to get t he food out. They did not care to at least pick up the pace and come over an ask at least how things were, knowing that the section the server was serving at is short staffed. I felt so bad for the server, that i really wanted to get up and do something. A party of 5 or 6 showed up after us an the hostess brought them to the same section we were seated, and Paulo the server was making sure we were taken care of but at the same time he asked that group to wait for a few minutes while he cleaned the table they were being seated at. The Hostess did not even bother to help clear the table. Overall it was bad and we have been to too many different Buca locations and this is the first time i see such a mess. So Paulo gets 5 stars, the restaurant however gets 3 or less.
(3)Adele W.
Zach is the best bus boy you will ever meet. Let him clear a table near you- especially if the table next to you was a huge group (-:
(5)Michele W.
I went here recently for a group event. I chose this location as they had a private room for a decent sized group which is hard to come by in Old Town (without having to spend over $200). When I arrived, I was disappointed that it wasn't really a private room. I was hoping for something with four walls as it was for a business type meeting where we don't want strangers overhearing our conversations. The service was very friendly and great. The food was also good too. The large portions says that they feed 4 people, but it definitely feeds way more than that. We had so much leftovers where everyone could take some food home.
(4)Brett B.
Its been maybe 7+ years since I last visited and I always remembered this as a distinctly average place with a cutesy decor. However the food here was so bad tonight (Christmas eve) that is unlikely that I will ever return again. I've had better Italian food at an Olive Garden. The "mouse trap" which brought the family into this mediocre establishment after all these years was a Bucca $50 gift card given to me by a business associate. After reviewing the menu it struck that prices here seemed sky high - even considering the family style platters. Most pasta dishes averaged $20 for a small plate and $30+ for a large. The selections are all the typical Ameri-Italian fare you might expect - chicken parm, spaghetti and meatballs, Marsala, etc When we were seated we did the obligatory walk through the working kitchen to the dining room - gee what a clever novelty. The fact is that if your seeking this type of food experience, the Maggianos chain is far (far) superior to the lousy food being heaped at customers at this crummy restaurant. We ordered the the Mozzarella Caprese to start - pretty simple. When the dish arrived we all noticed that the sliced tomatoes all looked rather unripe. These looked AND tasted like the cheap tomatoes you might get on a $2.00 burger at McDonalds - certainly not at a moderately priced sit down restaurant where your average bill for 4 is probably $100 or more. Needless to say the Caprese was a big letdown - low grade olive oil drizzled over pink tomatoes with generous sprinkles of salt & pepper. We also ordered the $8 garlic bread basket -another massive dud appetizer which tasted like the bland & doughy "assembly line" French loaves you might get at a Safeway market in a foil bag. Little garlic to be found, stale tasting bread - no one liked it. Yelpers let me ask you - even with the supposedly kitschy decor if the food is no good than what is the point? This whole Bucca concept is so cliche with the endless looping Frank Sinatra/ Dean Martin music and goofy photos throughout. Why is this place so busy? Mystery! Oy vey this place is like Outback Steakhouse but with Italian food - a genuine mystery, especially with so many wonderful and moderately priced restaurants nearby. What is the draw here? Our waiter was Paolo (who was trying mightily to come off debonair) took our orders and his service was adequate. We ordered the chicken parm and a penne with vodka sauce. When the plates arrived we all found that the chicken was over-breaded (the breading was literally dripping off the sides of the chicken) with a deep fried taste & consistency, way too much gooey cheese and very little sauce. Just plain yuck. The penne was just too spicy and too creamy for a rosa sauce - again just meh. Total damages with one beer was about $90 including the gratuity. What a joke right? No one liked the food and it pretty much ruined our evening. We all talked about the bad experience here for hours after leaving - that is the kind of impression it left. Even with our $50 gift certificate we all felt like we were taken to the cleaners with the awful food here. Why spend big $ here for so-so food when there are a plethora of great places nearby that actually care about serving quality food? Note to self - avoid this place at all costs.
(1)Nick O.
At this location the service was terrible. It took over an hour to get our 2 pasta dishes and the waitress brought us the wrong drinks on two different occasions. Not to mention she was very rude and short with us. We asked about food multiple times because it was taking so long and she brushed us off and told us she will have her manager come over. (This happened twice). When food finally arrived they brought us the wrong dish and we ended up having to wait even longer. I would be more understanding if these were complicated dishes but the fact that it was pasta made this even more ridiculous. Overall it was a poor experience with bad service and average food. Hopefully they read these reviews and work on changing the way they run this Scottsdale restaurant.
(1)Carolina R.
My wife and I came in with very low expectations. We realize that this is not fine Italian food, but what we encounter was not even good enough to meet our already low expectations. First, we ordered a calamari appetizer and a bottle of wine. The problem started when our food was delivered before the wine. I mean, we finished the calamari and no sign of the wine. By the time the waiter (paolo) brought the wine, it was a little too late to enjoy it. I told the waiter that we would take 2 glasses instead of the complete bottle. After a few minutes the food came. It was a spicy pasta with chicken. Unfortunately, the sauce tasted like sea food. It was truly bad! The place is crowded, the food is below average and the service is just as bad...find another restaurant. You will be happier going to an olive garden, macaroni grill or any other chain restaurant. Don't waste your money!
(1)Antonio P.
We loved the food and the service. Is also family oriented.
(5)Natalie S.
Took a group of 30 in on late notice last night. The service and food were both great!
(4)Ty R.
The place is charming but i feel that the kitchen gets overwhelmed when the rush hits and there are misteps. We went for Thanksgiving dinner which is a good value at about 55 bucks for 3 people, however it was served room temperature and the waitress forgot the cranberry sauce, so we had to flag her doin the bar and the bartender was talking so loud it was distracting. The feel is a bit like Oregano's, but with big expensive family portions, so be ready to split menu items, and take a doggy bag home. The host has a spiel about walking through the kitchen that plays like a broken record if you sit near the entrance. They are open on holidays which is a plus, and probably the only time we will go there.
(3)Preston C.
Tonight was my first time at Bucca and beforehand all I knew was that it was Italian... The atmosphere and decor are very NY/family/warm. It was nice to look at all the pictures on the walls :) After looking at the menu we decided to get the fried calamari as an appetizer. It was a decent amount and the sauce was good. I was pleased with this dish. For my main entree I decided on the spaghetti with meat sauce... It took about 20-30 minutes to get to me, I am a patient person but I was really hungry... But I didn't let that bother me :) I got the Small dish thinking it was just a plate and boy, it was a bowl to feed 3 people at least... By this time I was a little full of bread, water, and calamari... But I did like the flavor of the sauce as well as the noodles... I was satisfied with my spaghetti... Next time I know to take more people and split dishes :) there seems to be a lot of reviews with complaints on proportion so we will keep that in mind... Ps one of the strawberry desserts looked awful yummy! I need to try it next time!
(4)Brad W.
Seems like I end up here on major holidays, but Buca did deliver a very good Thanksgiving meal. It was family style of course, but quality food was involved all around. The turkey was all breast meat and pre-sliced and top quality bird. The best side dish was probably the garlic mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. The string beans were good, but did not have that wow factor - just plain ole beans and the stuffing was laced with sausage, so I passed on that dish. No way, the pumpkin pie was fresh made, tasted like Marie Callender's or Sara Lee. The bonus star was for ordering an extra dish from the real menu. The quattro formaggio pasta was a great baked dish with four different kinds of stuffed pasta, all covered with lots of cheese. The garlic cheese mozzarella bread was also top notch on this night. I think it was 98 bucks to feed six and we had five and a ton of leftovers. Didn't think Buca was a good turkey day choice, but it passed the test on most items despite large crowds.
(4)Michael S.
Came here for lunch on a Sunday 2/8/2015. First sign something was off was when we walked through the kitchen and the "chef" was reading the picture cards on how to prepare the food. Only 4 tables seated, we ordered a pasta dish and a pizza. Well 70 minutes later we were done waiting. Asked for the manager and he couldn't have been more rude or condescending. Never going back and certainly explains why this restaurant was dead and everything else on Scottsdale Road was packed. Looking forward to a new concept coming soon to this location.
(1)Christopher C.
Very disappointing. Went there with a large group and ordered the Chicken Parmesan and Minestrone soup. The soup was the worst I have ever had in my life. (no exaggeration). It was completely inedible. Other people at our table that ordered it agreed and couldn't eat theirs as well. I mentioned it to the server and she shrugged it off. The chicken was decent - not great, but not bad. When the check came, she had made no effort to take off the soup. What great customer service! Before posting on here, I complained privately to corporate. They clearly don't care about customer service because my complaint was ignored. If you are looking for medium end Italian food, Olive Garden or Carrabbas are heads and tails above this place. AVOID!
(2)Maritza A.
After everything I went through with my fist experience we gave it a second chance and it turned GREAT! We had food delivered to my home and since I didn't call ahead I was told the delivery time frame would be 2 hours. They made it so simple and easy to place the order over the phone. After just 1 hour and a half my food did arrive and the delivery girl was very nice. Only thing is my pizza was cold, other than that the food was great!
(4)Hannah F.
I just organized a business dinner for 28 at this location. The staff greeting me as soon as I arrived and made sure that I have everything I needed for my group. The servers were very friendly. We had a private room. It is especially nice that there was no room rental fee, which is hard to find with such a big group. I was able to arrange to stay in the room for a bit longer than it would take to dine, and we conducted some break out sessions in the room. It worked wonderfully and the staff was perfectly patient.
(5)Bryan G.
Great family style Italian. A great place for friends to get together.
(4)Michael W.
My family and I came here for my little sister's graduation quite some time ago. It was definitely an experience. The parking was alright. It was in front. I just hate serving around Scottsdale since the streets are so narrow with my SUV near all these sportsters that are the size of Miatas. I feel like I'm going to crush a car underneath my tires. The inside was clean. There was plenty of seating. It has a part that is like a walk through kitchen area. Kind of cool. There was a lot of pictures up. My older sister said that this place serves family style so when we order...each order is meant to feed a family. The food came and it was no joke. It was enough to feed the six of us. Dessert was plentiful too. I left stuffed. I would come here again.
(4)Humble P.
Things got really salty here.
(2)Chris S.
The restaurant can get pretty loud and it is big inside, seemingly with a labyrinth of dining rooms to dine in. Service was friendly but they did run out of the house wine we were drinking and were limited on other choices that they had in stock. I have no idea who would want to sit in the kitchen but the option is there if you should choose to try it. To summarize: *Vegetarian options: the eggplant parmesan was very good. The eggplant was not soggy, fried correctly and sauce accompanying it tasted homemade. *Spaghetti and Meatballs-Al dente but I was told the meatballs lacked substantial flavor. *Chicken Carbonara-very good, creamy and you won't be able to stop eating it! *Traditional wicker basket chianti was very good, smooth and fruity!
(3)Steph H.
Ate there with a group of 13. Not sure what the issue was but waitress was replaced right after we ordered which resulted in our appetizers not being delivered correctly and slow service. Then, manager came by to see how everything turned out --when we told her we had not yet gotten our food --she was quick to retort "you have appetizers and drinks!" without a further care and left. Why did she even ask? The food was awful, service slow, and you are supposed to go there when you have a large group. Clearly they weren't prepared to handle a large group on a Saturday night. Oh and their gluten free options leave much to be desired --horrible choices and the food was awful. We finally asked them to just saute some shrimp in some butter for my 9yo GFree son --that took forever to do but that was something he would eat. Don't bother going there --not worth it at all -
(1)Jason D.
Normally very happy with this place but came here for Mother's Day. 16 people. Made reservations using open table for 7:15. It's now 8:50 and still don't have food yet. Very unhappy. They obviously overbooked and couldn't handle it.
(1)Dejuan D.
First off... Went on Christmas Day and Most of the food was fantastic. Incredible flavors and cooked to perfection. Reserved via OpenTable and check in was quick and we were seated about 5 minutes before our time even though the place was packed. We ordered a family Salad and as we were all about to eat it my 9 year old noticed something on her fork full of lettuce.... A bug. I examined it closely and sure enough it was one. So I told a passing waiter who apologized and asked if we wanted another salad. We declined... Since we figured all the salad had come from the same source. The manager eventually came over and assured us that we'd be "taken care of." He said... The "salad is on the house." My wife said... "That's good because we didn't eat it," and we waited for an offer to maybe comp something else. The owner explained... It probably came from the supplier that way and he hopes we understand. I won't say that the bug in our salad totally ruined our meal... But I thought the manager could have done more to make sure we returned as customers. As of right now... I won't be returning.
(3)Traci H.
I ordered spaghetti and rigatoni for take out. Nice girl at the counter tries to ring up my order and computer will not work. Played with it for about 8 mins. She gets manager Joshua Gleason to help. He plays with it for about 5 mins and restarts it. Waited for the reboot and still not working. Food is sitting on cart. She finds Joshua again. We have now been here for about 20 mins. He plays with the computer and can't get it to work. Nice girl walks away, Manager does not offer an apology, acknowledge our presence, says nothing to me. He took my card and walked away. Finished the transaction elsewhere and returns my card to girl in the takeout area. Who passes it to me. Very poor example for his employee who was very nice. He never offered an apology, a dessert, a discount. But first and foremost an apology. I was VERY disappointed with his actions. When my kids were teenager and had friends over, I ordered lots of food from Buca in Chandler. They are adults now, and servings are too large. So I haven't been back in a while. I will not return to the Scottsdale store again.
(2)Amrita R.
I had called in at 11am the morning of 2/7/15 for a 'to go ' order for a group of 25 people at my home. Spent a good 30minutes on the phone to jut place my order ( as I was placed on hold 4 times ! ) I requested that my order be ready for med to pick up at 5.30pm . When I arrived to pick up - I was asked my name and asked to sit at the bar while they were getting my order out . I paid for my order and waited ! After about 20mins the bartender went to check 'what was taking so long' and came back and told me 'it should be out shortly' Another 15mins went by and when my order still had not come out, I asked what the delay was . To my disbelief - I was told now that ' my order was -not put in ' !!! The manager came to talk and asked 'who ' I had had placed the order with /what time etc and I gave him all the details. Apparently the moron who took my order that morning had 'not placed the order' and now was conveniently 'gone' for the day. They had 'charged' me for someone else's order !!! By now it was 6.10pm - and there was no trace of my order ! My guests were to be arriving at my home by 7pm ! The manager , asked if I wanted to 'put the order in now ' , I really had NO choice at this point and asked if he could then have the food delivered. He promptly said "No ! I don't have drivers that are free !!!' I had remained calm through this entire drama but by now was getting quite frustrated as it seemed like 'no one really cared !!' In the meanwhile -the lady who's order I had paid for -arrived to pick her food up. This was not ready either and she was 'over the top ' -creating a BIG scene !! The manager was visibly shaken and tried to calm her -apologizing etc... It was 6,40pm by now and I am still waiting for them to 'cancel ' the previous charges on my credit card and ring up my new invoice. The manager settled down the lady who 'making a big noise' first and then took care of my check. I asked for a confirmation to make sure the previous charges were void but was told 'I had to take his word for it- they was no print out to show me'. Manager now told me he was 'writing off two items from my order AND would deliver the food to my house after all !! It was almost 7pm and I to rush out as my guests were arriving at my house already ! The food did arrive to my house at 8.30pm missing the bread eventually ! I am extremely disappointed with how my situation was handled and how I was treated . I was there for almost 1 and a 1/2 hr !!! I am not one to 'scream' and 'demand' things or 'create a scene' !! I understand that 'human errors' can happen and was really working with the team there to just make the best of my 'situation gone wrong' . It believe would have only been fair for them to have offered to have my order 'on the house' as this was totally the fault of their moron employee and the should have offered to deliver it right away ! Not only will I not go or order from Buca di Beppo but ALL my guests (25 + people) were horrified by this experience of mine and have vowed NOT to ever go there or order from there ever again .TOO BAD as ALL of us live around them and have OFTEN ordered for our large get togethers .
(1)Christina S.
I went to this resturaunt for my first time tonight and it was amazing! My waiter Analissa was one of the best servers I have had in a long time! Super friendly and educated on all the menu items! I had the spicy chicken rigotonni and it was fabulous! A little spicy but it was delicious! All around the staff was super friendly and The waiter was super helpful when it came to trying new things!! Definitely going back again for more!!
(5)Margaret L.
For a large party, they were able to accommodate about 50 of us. I didn't like the bread. It didn't taste fresh and even trying to dip it in olive oil + balsaminic vinegar didn't help. Bread is so important, I wish it was tastier. The caesar salad was good. So I am not sure what we ordered specifically because we got a special deal or something and we just got bunch of food. We had a penne pasta with white sauce that included chicken, peas, dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. It looks good but it didn't have much flavor to it. The chicken parmesan was good. I wouldn't come back again if I had a smaller party and I'll go come again for a LARGE party (larger than 20) because family size makes it easier but it is a little bit pircey for mediocre food. Note: They added 21% gratuity on our check.
(3)Jaime B.
The shrimp Alfredo is fantastic! But the waiter was kind of like a car salesman. He kept trying to tempt us with drinks, and at one point, he said "Oh! I forgot to ask if you two wanted bread!" (Keep in mind, he knew it was my first time there) Thinking it was complimentary, I said yes. Thank you for selling us 10 dollar bread. Excellent food and service, but please don't press things on customers! And maybe let them know that it costs an arm and a leg first!
(4)Jennifer B.
Saturday night.... We were seated right away. The manager found Game 3 of the Stanley Cup... The customer service was superb (thank you, Damen!) and the food.... Phenomenal!
(5)Jennifer S.
You come here for the family meals and will be full after you leave. We had the mussels in the white wine sauce, spaghetti and meatballs and the pesto stuffed chicken. We ate it all and enjoyed it. No big surprise with the dishes.
(3)Cande G.
Let's just say we left after forty five minutes. The place was empty and where was our food? I know it does not take forty minutes to cook fish. When we're said we needed to leave because we had to be somewhere by six they brought out the food. Cold. Hence, we did not have dinner.
(1)Mario C.
The smell when you walk in the place is pretty good. Especially when it is cold outside. There is a wonderful smell of sauce and spice cooking. Love it. The staff here is friendly and the decor is great! It is always a busy place. They recently put coupons out so that makes them even busier. Food is very good here. Nice and hot as well. It can get beyond loud when everyone is in here. This is a trend i have noticed more than once. Lots of noise. But, food is good and the price is great. Bathrooms are clean. Sounds like a plan!
(4)Steve G.
Went there on Xmas night with reservations- the cascade of deficiencies made it downright comical by the end. With reservation, arriving on time, we waited 35 min to be seated. Our waiter Paolo was rude and inattentive. Both wine order and water refill request required reminders before they arrived. We received our appetizer twice. Thats right. They brought a very nice bruschetta. Ten minutes after we finished it, they brought another one, as if they had never seen us before. Later the waiter stopped by to say they were out of chicken and we needed to change our order. We switched to fett alfredo. Somehow it was cold when it got to us. And bland. No I mean very bland. When receiving the check we learned a probable cause for that- Paolo told us they had run out of cheese. I know, right? Italian Rest out of cheese? Paolo thought the reason was because they had been sending takeout orders out all day since 8 am. Said they had started receiving those orders over a month ago. That's right- the ONLY thing we must care about on Xmas day is your money. Shameful
(1)gerry s.
used to go there a lot...lately not so much. decided to try it again as the salad and pasta is usually pretty good. this time...salad ..well...if you could get flavor out of the very tiny schredded items then maybe it could have been good...and if you could find the olives... for almost 14 bucks..not worth it the pasta with Maranara..horrible...sauce was watery and BITTER...like did you cook this??? not tasty at all bread...what happened to the nice bread you could dip in olive oil and balsamic? this stuff was like pizza dough with the worst chees and garlic spread...ugh..I love bread and I could barely down this... the one star is for service which was very good..but the place was almost empty so why not? very expensive for a salad and pasta meal and almost 4 bucks for ice tea???? we wont go back
(1)Paul P.
Come as at least a small group as everything is served shareably sized family style-the small chicken dishes contain three large breasts each. Small basket of garlic bread is at least 18 inches of an italian bread loaf cut in pieces and prepared. Whimsical nostalgia decor of family pictures and memorabilia provides entertainment. The food is good standard Italian with attentive service.
(4)Ben D.
As an out of towner just trying to enjoy a holiday with my family, I found it quite entertaining that they chose to come here when we could have gone to a Buca di Beppo back home... but my family is not adventurous and knew that they were serving a "traditional holiday menu." When we got here, they sat us immediately at a large table and I'm sure because of our reservations they already knew what to expect. A big, loud, Italian mixed family. They started off with a huge bottle of wine, and then the food started pouring onto the table (benefits of advance notice of what we would be ordering). I still felt bad for our server though because we can be quite demanding, though he seemed to take it in stride. The meal was delicious, we had a fine mixture of traditional holiday foods as well as a few of our Italian classics. My only real complaint was that I ate too much and felt very uncomfortable. Why then you ask am I giving it only four stars? The food WAS delicious, and the service was impeccable, but you could still tell it was a national chain restaurant, and you could still tell that the servers didn't want to be there working on the holiday. Would I come back? Maybe, but I will head to one closer to home.
(4)James N.
The wait staff are really marginal no sense of dedication lack manners and serving skills. Food is expensive for the lack of quality. Bread horrible the loaves of bread that are on display in kitchen as props look better. Would absolutely not return.
(1)Sheila P.
I really don't get what all the fuss is about, we've been here twice and each time it was just...okay--not bad, but not amazing like everyone says it is. Service is fine, but I've definitely had better, tastier Italian. Especially this last time; we were at a rehearsal dinner, and they had bread, salads, chicken marsala, meat spaghetti and alfredo. Everything was just bland and dry, maybe because it was a big rehearsal dinner, but still. Being that Bucca di Beppo is in downtown Scottsdale and parking is horrendous, we probably won't be going back anytime soon.
(3)Cuong S.
this place is awful, the food is also awful. Noisey enviroment. definately, i will no go back . I wish yelp would have a spot for no stars. I would even give one!
(1)Shayna W.
I've been to this specific location two times so far. Had male waiters both times, and both guys were very friendly. I knew I loved the arrowhead location, so for Thanksgiving my friend and I decided to go here, and for Xmas eve my friend and I decided to return with her out of state family in hand. The out of towners loved the place, said they never knew it existed until then. They believed the staff to be friendly as well, and stated that they would look for one in their home state and they hoped it was as nice and friendly as our Arizona one. They also loved the location, surrounded by old town Scottsdale, great places to walk around if you're into taking a little stroll after your meal. Both times I've been to this location I made sure to do reservations because I know how busy they get and how the lines get long and ridiculous, which should say something right there on how good they are if that many people are willing to wait an hour or more sometimes. With reservations in hand, we didn't even have to wait a minute both times, they sat us immediately when we showed up. Each time we had multiple courses of food, shared of course since the portions are large. And both times the waiters were right there, they were anticipating our completion of a meal between the 3 courses to make sure the next was out shortly. So there you have it, friendly staff, no wait if you get a reservation, amazing yummy food, and affordable!!! Geez, was it nice and cheap!
(5)Amber A.
This was a fun and delicious dinner to celebrate a birthday. We had stuffed shells, spaghetti and meatballs, delicious green beans, and a pasta with different kinds of seafood. Everything was delicious and perfectly cooked. We also had calamari to start and it was very good.
(4)Albert M.
Happy Birthday Chey-Chey!
(5)Shayna F.
Where to begin... found a HAIR in my FOOD. Told waitress, she told manager. Manager was not happy that I found a hair...instead of apologizing for the DISGUSTING hair in my ravioli, he said he could make me something else. I said, 'no thanks" He didn't say anything for a few seconds then grabbed my plate and said 'FINE, we'll take it off the bill' Manager made it VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. I felt like I was a dog being scolded instead of a customer being pleased. Lesson is, don't go to this DIRTY, CROWDED, fire hazard of a restaurant. It's riddled with DIRT and GRIME and apparently hairs in the food. If you go here, don't be surprised if you gag on something that isn't meant to be eaten. This place is GROSS. So here's what you need to know about this place... 1. VERY DIRTY 2. LOUD, OBNOXIOUS WAITERS 3. OVER CROWDED INTERIOR 4. TERRIBLE MANAGER (how he has a job, I do not know. Complete A$$) 5. DISGUSTING FOOD 6. UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE
(1)Alicia S.
My husband and I celebrated our first anniversary here, and we sat at a Kitchen Table. Interacting with the staff was great, they we're all fun and friendly. The food was delicious; we ordered fried mozzarella, chicken Saltimbocca, and Fettuccine Alfredo, and it all tasted amazing, especially the house bread!! We will definitely be back!
(5)Jennifer R.
Good food and good fun! Always a good choice!
(4)Scott D.
My wife and I met another couple with a young child for dinner. We ordered a small Works pizza which was excellent. In addition we had the chicken parmasean which was average and the ravioli with meat sauce which is on my "no fly list", but everyone else seemed to enjoy it. The problem with family style restaurants is that you tend to over order and spend way too much. I would give the Food 4 stars, the Price 3 stars and the Service 3 stars. Our meal with tip was $106 or $26.50 per adult (the child didn't really eat anything). I would only recommend going to Buca if you were in a group of 8 people or more so that everyone's cravings can be satisfied instead of having approximately 6 servings per dish and finding out that only one or two people in your party enjoy that particular dish.
(3)Laura M.
I don't see what people see about this place, except its good for large parties. The food was not very good, no flavor at all, mostly tasted garlic. Don't plan on going back.
(2)Gee L.
I guess being from the NY Metro area, I was searching for something similar. We went here Sunday evening, place was busy. Service was fine, but my issue is paying $20 for spaghetti and meatballs and not getting a sald? I mean, come on....the pasta was box-like, nothing special, sauce your basic marinara. I just expected more as I was told this is the BEST spaghetti in AZ. If so, stick to the AZ fast food circuit and use your savings for a trip to NY/NJ where pizzerias serve the same thing for $7.95. With a sald. And hot garlic bread. real bread. I won't even go there. I guess when peopl e are in Scottsdale-Spend mode, they don't care about adding $10 for a side sald. Food was okay, My search for the best spaghetti and meatballs goes on. As far as the rest of the meal, all good, all overpriced, none NYC quality.
(3)Ariella L.
Bucca di Beppo advertises Italian family style dining....well, I don't know much about Italian families, but I know there wasn't enough food for my Jewish family. The way the sizing works at Bucca di Beppo is that a small dish feed 3 and a large dish feeds 6...except that those numbers are not very accurate. My family was celebrating my grandmothers 75th birthday and this was the only place she would even consider going. She loves the atmosphere and she loves the food. I understand where she is coming in those regards. The atmosphere is very warm and inviting (4/5) and the food is pretty decent Italian fare (3/5-a little skimpy on the sauce). It's really just the amounts I protested. Our party of 9 ordered 1 large dish and 4 small dishes. By Bucca di Beppo's logic, that amount of food should feed 18 people and yet my family was scrounging for food by the end. We all expected to walk away from that table completely stuffed and regretting that meal the next morning when we stepped on the scale, but we all walked out feeling pretty light and not at all regretful. My problem is not with the food at this restaurant, but with their measurements. I think I'll go back to Bucca di Beppo, but this time I'll come knowing that I need to order much more than they recommend.
(3)William B.
This place has always been one of my more favorite places to eat over the years. Last night was the exception. There were 9 of us for very special 15th birthday party dinner for Ashley. We also broke Stan (Ashleys Grand Ffather) out of his rehabillitation facility to join us as a family meal would not be complete without him. For dinner and we had a slew of food, all of which was great as expected, see below. The down side was the service. It was just terrible! The waitress added in the 18% gratuity so knowing full well she was going to get paid well for a large party, paying attention to us was a second thought. There were far too many other tables to attend to where the gratuity would have to be earned and not just added on automatically. Both Melissa and Ryan had to play "waitress/waiter" and get refills for our water and ice tea, as if this was something they were reuired to do. Where was our waitress? Who knew? As far as the food goes, we had 2 trays of Calimari, Cheesey Garlic Bread and a large mixed salad. Delicious! For the entree we chose Lobster Spaghetti, Chicken Carbonara and Baked Ziti. Again, Delicious! The Carbonara was the bomb!! The food alone is what allows this to rate a 2 star evening. The service tore it apart and stopped any kind of positive statement to be made. Sorry guys, you need to get your wait staff in check. We brought our own dessert, a store bought birthday cake which allowed us to opt out of their offerings. They are usually quite good though! Overall, I still love this place for the quality of the food and will certainly go back. Lets see how they change by the next time we all return. Enjoy!!
(2)Brian B.
Well. I'll just get right to the point. This atmosphere is fun, the wait staff is very friendly, and care to answer questions. The food on the other hand, it isn't worth what it costs. The pictures on the wall are fun to look at. Some of which you can see the story behind it. All in all, fun place.. but.. lacks the taste in the food.
(3)Kirstin E.
Meh. Its average (at best) Italian food. We went here last week for a dinner with the hubs company. We were in a small semiprivate room and there were maybe 15 people in our group. Our waiter was pretty bad, acted like he didn't want to be there, and at one point when someone FINALLY got his attention after attempting to flag him down twice to ask for a drink refill he actually snarled his lip a bit! The food. Some was really good, some was really bad. I had the Caesar salad, it was salad, its hard to mess up. I also had a piece of the plain bread...its really "doughy". For the main course there was the chicken Marsala which was very sweet, almost to sweet. The baked zitti tasted pretty spot on and was the best of the three. Lastly there was the fettuccine Alfredo, holy blob of white tasteless pasta. I salt and peppered and added more grated parm to it and it still lacked flavor, it was beyond gross. For dessert there was cheese cake and chocolate cake. The cheese cake had no crust but was decent. The chocolate cake was pretty moist and good. Will I go back here again? Only if invited by someone else and they are paying, no way would I put my own money towards this place.
(2)Ursula K.
Came here with a large party. The meal was memorable but not Ina good way. We told the waiter in advance we needed to split the bill and they said that's fine. There were about 35 of us and they are supposedly known for their ability to handle big groups. Unfortunately our food and drinks came out completely haphazardly. Some people had their entire meal while others hadn't even gotten their drinks. It seemed like the people who ordered last got their order first. Some people's food was forgotten. The bills were all wrong. And the food was only so-so. Oh well.
(2)Heather C.
Had our service been anything better than pathetically bad, Buca would be a solid 3 stars. So here's the deal on the service. I got a coupon in the mail for a free spaghetti with marinara. That's what brought us in. But we also ordered two appetizers and an entree to start with. I commented that I thought the coupon was a nice idea to bring people in (give away a little spaghetti but sell twice that in other menu items). His response was "yeah, if people are like you and order other stuff, but if they just order spaghetti and water... (insert monotone robotic voice)." Well, okay then, he should be grateful we didn't do that. Everything we ordered was terribly slow to come. Kitchen's fault? Maybe, but we notice where the other servers on the patio are coming and going, our server is rarely seen and when he is around, he's dragging his feet appearing to be on his way to the gas chamber. Other than taking and delivering our order, he did nothing for us. While not rude, he was not pleasant or overly friendly either. The other guys on the patio helped us out with drink refills, clearing plates, etc. After a long wait at the end of the meal, he returned remarking someone else was supposed to be helping. We ordered dessert to go, another terrible wait, and asked our food be boxed. Finally, he brings the dessert and realizes he never brought the leftovers. Off he shuffles. Upon returning, he says he's sorry about the wait. Not half as sorry as he would be upon seeing his tip I'm sure. As for the food, it's good, but nothing outstanding. Even for family style plates, I think it's slightly overpriced. When they say a small serves 2-3, that's 2-3 lunch sized portions. If you're a "healthy" eater, count on 2. Here's what we ordered: Small garlic bread. Really good bread slathered in fresh garlic, but $7.99. Yes, it's a good sized basket, but it's still just garlic bread. Perhaps bread should be offered at no charge. Small mozzarella caprese. Five nice thick slices of tomato with good quality cheese and whole basil leaves. $9.99 but worth it. Small spaghetti with marinara, normally $9.99 but free. I would say this serves two for a main dish, three as a side. Marinara was okay, nothing special. Small chicken parmigiana. Tasty but overpriced at $17.99 for two breasts IMO. Remember it does not come with any pasta, just the chicken. Tiramisu. Best value at $9.95. It's the size of a small pie and could easily serve four, but I didn't think it was fantastic. It's a little too "wet," like you could squeeze the cake and get a cup of coffee out of it. We wanted to have a after-lunch drink, but the service turned us off to that. Might come back, might not.
(2)Joe P.
All I can say is wow. Easily some of the best Italian food I've had. You certainly get what you pay for, the portions are no joke. If you are in the mood for a classy, delicious Italian dinner... this is the place to go!
(5)Seung Eun C.
My nephew's birthday was last week and we came here because he wanted some good ole spaghetti & meatballs. The food wasn't spectacular, but it was good and really hit the spot! Meatballs are the size of your head and the tomato sauce tasted more like freshly canned tomatoes rather than one that has been cooked down to stew.. But boy, the portions are HUGE! We also had the penne with chicken & sundried tomato in cream sauce. The pasta was cooke al dente and the flavors worked really well together in this dish. And the chopped salad? Good. Stuffed mushroom? Ok, but the pesto sauce outshined the mushrooms. Needless to say, we stuffed ourselves silly but still took leftover home to last for a week. My nephew was happy and had the biggest smile when the entire dining room sang happy birthday to him. This is a fun restaurant and a great place to celebrate a birthday!!
(3)Candace R.
Went here after an event for a banquet of about 40 people. Was a little hesitant of the $20/person charge, but whatever. We were there for the experience and the food. Our 4-course meal consisted of bread, cheese pizza, spaghetti in meat sauce, and gelato. We were all pretty hungry but as we were scarfing down the food, noted that it was good, but not $20/plate excellent. The service was really good though and I'd probably come again with a smaller party.
(3)Sunny B.
People that go to places like Olive Garden and Buca, then complain about chain restaurants crack me up. It's like going to the DMV and expecting not to wait in line. You know what you're getting before you get there. Wise up. Buca is fun for a chain. Their eggplant parm rocks, as does their cesar salad. Four stars because you get to walk through the kitchen when you come in and they bring a wine bottle with the menu, I love not having to wait for wine. If you are looking for real home made Italian go to Giuseppe's. But if chain suits your fancy Buca is pretty cool.
(4)T W.
We have been fans of Buca for a while now. We don't usually make it to the Scottsdale location, but this time we did. And they did not disappoint. The carbonara was very good, as was the supremo pizza (thin crust, slightly charred, crispy, and very flavorful sauce and toppings). Service was reasonably good. So far it's probably the best Italian food we've found in the Valley. Which is amazing for a chain restaurant! There may be some mom-and-pop place that's better, but we haven't found it yet. This is our first choice for Italian.
(4)Rayna S.
So we decided to have Thanksgiving Italian style. I have been here before, and have enjoyed it. They offered a Thanksgiving dinner including sliced turkey, green beans, stuffing but we went with Italian flare. Had the mozarella caprese salad, spagetti and chicken parmasean and garlic bread. What I was really craving was a cannoli!! Maybe it was from the recent airing of all three Godfather movies? But lo and behold when I ordered cannolis, I was informed they had ran out!! How can you run out of cannolis!! So I was disappointed!! But at least we got to sit at the table in the kitchen which is smack in the kitchen when you walk through, kind of like a Goodfellas moment!
(3)Jason T.
If a more than healthy portion of mediocre Italian food is your thing this is the place to be. The service was excellent even though the overall knowledge of our server was lackluster. Out waiter claimed my tasteless glass of malbec was from Spain. I think not. What's next ... Champagne from Napa phwww
(3)Jeanette A.
I've always been a fan of Buca. I've been to this location before and loved it the last time. However, I've never been there for lunch before. They tell you that they downsize the entrees for the lunch specials. That's a lie. They still bring you a full-sized dish. If you've ever been to Buca, you know that a full-sized dish is perfect for two people. I had soup, salad, and a side of spicy sausage in a marinara sauce. Super delicious and very filling. If i wasn't trying to be good, I would've tore up some rigatoni or baked lasagna. I went with a party of 8 and it was terribly tempting. Everything smelled delicious and I heard nothing but good things about the taste. I was surprised by the prices as well. I would recommend splitting a "Buca small" entree with someone. Cheaper, and you'll still have enough to chow. Perfect for a lunch out with your co-workers. The only downfall was the timing. An hour long lunch turned into a 1.5 hour long lunch. The size of the group was a factor, I believe. If I go back for a lunch, it will be for a lunch on the weekend sometime.
(4)Vivacious M.
Bucca- traditional Italian style, great pictures all over the walls. It is interesting how they take guests though the kitchen for seating in the main dining area- you can see the food being made fresh and the aroma- yes that makes you hungry! great selection of wines, nice choice of menu and specials and tasty Italian food. It is a little on the expensive side than a corner italian joint, but we are talking North Scottsdale- so that should not be a show stopper. Great food, great ambiance- best with great company :)
(4)william b.
Okay, just last Thursday night my wife and I went to Buca di Beppo and had an incredible dinner. We split the Shrimp Fra Diavolo, and it was absolutely incredible. We also had the lobster sauce appetizer that was to die for. The atmosphere is a typical fun Italian style atmosphere, and our waiter was wonderful. Old Town Scottsdale is always a fun place to go, and if you're there try Buca di Beppo. I recommend it highly.
(5)Kat V.
Ohhhh I love Buca Birthday song! I came here to celebrate my birthday and the song is the best!! I should record it when everybody sang the song.
(4)Vic M.
If you want great Italian food and a place where you can actually talk with your family and spend time with them I've great food you can share this is the place for you. Great food, great staff and it feels as if I'm at my grandmas house for a home made meal. This is a great place for a big group or family. I'm from Los Angeles originally and this location is the same as it is in Pasadena. I had such a good experience, when I go back home I'm going to go to the Pasadena location!
(4)Andre L.
I like Bucca,. We come here sometimes with just the kids and split a pizza and order of green beans and it's always fast, good and the kids enjoy the place. Sometimes we come with a large group, and that's always fun too. Reservations are good for large groups, of course.
(4)Cadence C.
Hit or Miss. But I won't take my chances. It really depend who's the server, and who's the chef. Avoid the fat grumpy mean looking woman server with the broad face. (brunette, pink-ish skin tone, very shaped eyebrows that look angry) Holy *** the fat mean looking waitress with the blocky eyebrows will eat you alive, regurgitate, and chew you up and then spit you out. Stay away. She's brash, unattentive, and discriminates against certain customers. She was continuously kissing @$$ to the customers next to us but treating my group of four with disrespect and contempt. I doesn't feel great to be discriminated against. As a customer, we're all spending money there, and I think we deserve the service we pay for. ~*~* aside from that one waitress... *~*~* the other servers seem fine. The greeters are friendly. Food is either hit or miss. 50/50 chance of getting excellent food vs. bland food. Over the years, the quality went down. I really wouldn't risk it and rather go to the Chandler location if I could
(1)Jacqueline M.
All food is served family style and Meant to be Shared" This is one of those fun, themed, chain restaurants that manage to retain their unique identity, even though there are 51 other locations. You would never guess that they all look just like the one you are in right now. Okay, this restaurant is strictly for people with big appetites, a true love for starch, and lots of cheese (so, no atkins diet, lactose intolerant people please). No need to list the assortment of classic Italian dishes like the Fettuccini , Lasagna, and Chicken Parmigiana, but one thing you must know: you have two choices between small and large portions. Because this is family style dining, you either get a serving for 2-4 people, or 4-6. This is traditional italian cooking, in a setting reminiscent of a devoutly catholic and Italian home. Pictures of the pope, Joe DiMaggio, Sophia Loren, and everyone Italian, are everywhere. The particular location we visited had over 2,000 photographs on the wall. There is unique seating throughout the restaurant. Reserve a table in the kitchen (seats 6-10), or for large parties, reserve the "Pope's Table" that seats 12-18. With upstairs and downstairs seating, there is plenty of room, and each corner of the restaurant will give you something to feast your eyes on. Everything Italian, you can hear traditional Italian Folk music overhead, or classic Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. My Favorite: Antipasti: Garlic Bread with Mozzarella. 5.95 (small) like a pizza pie of bread, with whole garlic cloves and plenty of mozza Entrée: Chicken with Lemon 13.95 (SMALL) two tender pieces of chicken breast, doused in a lemony caper sauce. I get it every time I come here. go to the website, and they list the entire menu. see their list of accolades, or make a reservation online!
(4)Marti R.
The hostess didn't ask us where we wanted to sit and forgot to set our table. Our waitress was very good but seemed to be too busy. They need better management to train their people to work as a team. The host staff should have been helping in other areas. Other than that the food was good but it would have been nice to get some warm complimentary bread. I had to ask multiple times for the bread and when we did finally get some it was cold and slightly stale.
(2)Alli B.
My friend from out of town and I came here on her last night because i was recommended by an associate of mine. I was incredibly disappointed. It's a monday night, three tables in the dining room (as far as i could tell) the server never told us his name, and seemed frazzled from the get-go. That should have been our cue to leave, but we decided to stick around for a bit. The service was simply awful, and I'm pretty easy to please, as I've waited tables for over five years The food was mediocre at best, the caesar salad was probably the best thing that we ordered. i will not be returning.
(1)Christina M.
I usually don't go to corporate joints but a friend had a coupon so hey...why the hell not? There were 3 of us on a busy night and we had no reservations so we sat at the bar and waited for our table. The hostess taking names could've been a little more friendly or perhaps crack a smile but whatever, I wasn't here to make friends. The bartender was kinda bizarre. We thought we'd try a new dip on the menu but he quickly talked us out of it,saying that no-one ever finishes it. So we just didn't get anything because nothing else looked good. Then the same thing with a drink my friend ordered, he said not to try it. That nobody likes it. He did however make a suggestion for another drink that's more popular. We were seated in a room that was fairly warm. Not sure if they had the heat on 80 or what, but it was pretty hot in there. We had a ceaser salad, spaghetti and meatballs and garlic bread. All delicious. Its family style so 1 large dish is plenty for 3-4 people. Nicole was our server and was awesome. Everything came out in a timely manner and she was super friendly even though they were crazy busy. The manager came by so that was great,too. So, usually we would've done dessert but it was just too much food and the desserts are huge too. I don't know that I'll come back but I wouldn't be opposed to it.
(3)Tim S.
In need of a place to take a large group of people? Want to take your kids but need to save money? Then Buca is for you! With 4 kids and a tight wallet my wife and I look for place where kids eat free or the food is cheap and plentiful. While Buca doesn't offer kids free food they do offer GREAT food at a reasonable price with portions large enough to SHARE and SPARE. The dinning experience is great! The restaurant is split into semiprivate rooms with only a few tables in each space. There is a real family feel here! Although, the photo's and art that decorates the walls have sparked some interesting conversations with my 7 year old the decor is really fun! I certainly recommend this restaurant!
(4)Michael C.
For a chain I really like this place. The atmosphere is very casual, and the food is consistently delicious. This is a great place to go with a large group as they have so many little rooms. The portions are huge so order with care... Location is perfect -- great place to dine before hitting the old town Scottsdale scene later. Bar area is decent with a reasonable crowd around happy hour.
(4)Tiffany W.
I give this place 5-stars because not because of yummy food, but because of their CHEESECAKE! But I'll get to that later. THE FIRST VISIT: After skimming through a friends photo album on Facebook, I saw that they ate here and I decided to give it a try! I went on a Wednesday afternoon with my boyfriend for some early lunching! I ordered the Linguine Frutti de Mare, its light and hits the spot for pasta and seafood! There are like a gazillion baby clams in that dish I swear. My boyfriend ordered a ton of stuff but I don't remember... He throughly enjoyed his meal and said it was the best Italian food outside his mother's cooking! (He also mentioned that he'd never eat at Olive Garden after coming here.) Even after we were pretty much stuffed and ready to be wheeled out by our soft spoken and chipper waitress, we had to try the cheesecake, because I love cheesecake. It arrived, and the first spoonful of the stuff was heavenly, it was rich and almost heavy, but it just ... Melts in your mouth, that it doesn't matter that you're probably gonna weigh six thousand pounds after the meal. It had roasted hazelnuts and raspberry sauce slathered all over it, oh god, I'm probably going to have to go tomorrow... And order TWO slices of cheesecake. Haha! My first time here was amazing, our waitress was very attentive and humorous. The second time wasn't so awesome, but I'll cut the waiter that we got some slack because it got really busy really fast compared to the quiet lunch I had the first time. The second time our drinks were empty almost 75% of the time and that's no bueno in my book. The only reason I will come back is for the cheesecake. I hope that stays consistent.
(5)Jeff C.
Went to Bucca di Beppo yesterday with a party of 5. All of us thought the place was neat...somewhat "corporatized" but still neat. The food was decent to good... service (sergio) was outstanding. We all left extremely full and satisfied. The bread should be warm ...(only drawback). Because of where it is and what it is price was moderatly high After all it is pasta and sauce...but we got 2 large dishes and my son got a kids pizza.. We had plenty left over. Go enjoy the food and atmosphere.
(4)Richard Z.
Ooooookay. Here is the deal about buca. I do enjoy the food but I am very outraged by the prices. The waiter here has a crush on bradford and I'm straight but brad is a sexy guy. Soe we got a couple of beers and an app and three meals for over a hundred clams after tax and tip. So 1 star is deducted. If you go there get the chicken saltimbocca. Sheer delight!
(3)Ann Marie K.
Buca De Beppo is a great place to go with all of your friends. I'm sick of being penalized with waits or reservations when a group of friends and I want to go out to eat at the last minute. Buca De Beppo however is different. With a family style menu and a mansion of a restaurant I have always got in very quickly. As I mentioned the menu is made to be ordered in either medium or large portions. The Medium portions are for about two or three people and the large are more around four or five. Last time I was there we had polenta and garlic breadf or appetizers. For entrees we had Caesar salad, chicken parmesan, and the manacotti. This was for six starving people. The chicken Parmesan is unlike any I have had. Instead of a basic fried chicken breast they grill it and top it off with fresh tomato sauce and a little sprinkled cheese. The manacotti was also delicious and the cheese was so filling I could barely finish one. Our waitress was a bit flighty but she was nice. The ambiance of Buca is also very interesting you won't spend a dull moment at your table because the walls are engrossed with quirky photographs.
(4)Max A.
Revised: Mediocre food, but it's great for large groups because the portions are huge. To be fair, some of the food items are pretty good - above average even. However, some items are simply awful. Their chicken is crappy and their alfredo sauce is flavorless. Most of their dishes say "chain" to me. Their prices do not though. I've ordered takeout from this place more than a few times - typically pizza. For 20 bucks, you get a lot of food. I actually really like their pizza - the pepperonis they use are the size of your fist. The Caesar salad here is gross. Hit or miss from dish to dish. I have mixed feelings about Buca. I think I'm between a 3 and a 4 on this place... originally, I had this at a 4, but I'm now changing that to a 3. The service there is great and I really like the decor and atmosphere... it's just that the food can be so hit or miss. The main issue here is that there are several italian restaurants in spitting distance that are heaps better. This place serves the needs of a special niche - large group dining. Take a friend here for a birthday bash. Have a family get together here. Dungeons and Dragons reunion meeting. Dinner for two? Forget about it...
(3)Sand F.
It was about 3 years ago, this restaurant made me wait 2 hours for a cold dish that they serve to us on the patio outside next to the dumpsters... when I complained to management about the location of our table near the dumpster, he told me and my guest that we should try this place when it's not so busy if we want nice seating. never again will i be in this trough... I have blacklisted this place and use it as an example of poor customer service.
(1)Julie D.
Went here for sisters birthday last Wednesday and we all had a great time! We had about 15 guests and we all shared 3-4 different entree's as a group. Excellent service by Ricky, he was very patient and anything we wanted he was sure to help us with and did it in a prompt manner. The food was amazing like always and we left very full and happy!
(5)Maureen K.
I was at the Az School of RE and had only 45 minutes for lunch.The service was great, but my lunch was inexpensive and delicious. I will return. Great find!!!!
(5)Trice P.
We ate here after my goddaughter's Confirmation and First Communion. Reservations were made ahead of time for 17 people and the menu was selected ahead of time since we were a large group. I've been to the Bucca in San Francisco, but it's been awhile so my review here does not have any reflection on that location. When we first arrived, we were brought through the kitchen. I imagine it was supposed to be a tour of some sort. But, honestly, the hostess didn't tell us anything about the restaurant or why it would be any different than any other kitchen. There was a booth in there. So, I guess that meant it is available if you wanted to sit in the kitchen to watch them prepare the food. We were placed in a "private" room on the second floor that was long and I think they had three tables arranged end to end. There ended up only being 15 of us, so it would have been nice if they made more room my removing some of the chairs. Every time the server came, she bumped into someone and most of the food was placed on one end of the tables since she couldn't fit to make it to the tables that were further in. So, I give the accommodation two stars. Since we ordered ahead of time, we would have thought that once the drinks were served, the first course of salads would have come out immediately. Our reservation was for 1, we didn't get that first course until about 1:45. What's the use of ordering ahead of time, if you are going to wait? The main course of pasta dishes came out a little more quickly. Refills were a bit slow coming out. We asked for boxes for the leftovers (we had a lot of them) and you would have thought that dessert would have come out shortly after we had asked for the boxes. But, they boxed up all the dishes first, put the bags aside and we waited another 10 minutes or so before she asked if the dessert should be brought out. Again, what's the use of ordering ahead of time, if you are going to wait. So, I give them two stars for service (I should also mention that it was not that busy so that it was understable for the long wait). As for the food, it was pretty decent. There was certainly a lot of it since we ordered family style. We probably would have been fine if we ordered half of what we actually got. I imagine they based it based on the number of people, even though I don't think they should have counted the kids. So, I would give the food three stars. Overall, I would eat at this restaurant again. Can't say it's my favorite and that I would go out of my way for it. But, I think it's an overall three stars.
(3)Cindy M.
The waiter was great....but other than that.....we were seated at a table that we too big for us and we couldn't talk to each other well, in a sort of alcove that was painted with faux roman scenes that were on the violent side-- really a little creepy. The salad was good -- the rest was not. Plenty of other restaurants nearby -- go to those.
(1)Alana H.
Great time with awesome service. Highly recommend reservations on a weekend night, I made mine online via yelp walked in and was sat for party of 5,heard 1 1/2 hour wait for walk up although by 8 there wasn't any wait. We were waited on by Sierra who did a great job as busy as they were, always topping off drinks,etc. The only thing I missed was valet parking as parking on a Saturday night gets tough downtown old Scottsdale ,overflow parking on lot next door if available.
(4)Joshua H.
We ordered one of their large salads to go a few weekends ago, and it was fantastic! We brought it to a potluck dinner with friends. For the insanely huge size and great quality, the price was right. It was also made very quickly. I highly recommend checking out their menu for a meal to go!
(4)Philip D.
I went for dinner when I was in town for business and therefore, I was alone. Seeing that I often go to the bar to eat, I was a bit put off when there were absolutely zero people in the bar area... the entire night. That's probably because the bar is completely removed from the restaurant. So that right there sort of made me feel a bit awkward, not even being able to feel the vibe of the rest of the place. I'll start off that I've been to Buca several times at different locations and have always love the atmosphere, food, vibe, etc. So please note this review is only for this particular Buca. I started with a cocktail (sorta bland and weak) and ordered a Caesar salad and baked ravioli. The bartender was kind enough to remind me the portions are large and said I could even order off the lunch menu. I really appreciated that. He then brought out some boring soft bread (a la Subway) with flavorless olive oil. I decided to wait for something better. The Caesar was OK.. nothing better than any average Caesar you would get anywhere else. Probably even less interesting than the store bought Cardini dressing I buy at the supermarket. The croutons were the best part. The baked cheese ravioli was pretty good. They came in a fresh marinara sauce with melted mozzarella cheese on them. The sauce was a nice fresh balance to the heavier cheese, though the ravioli themselves were light and very nice. Oh, I also had a glass of their 'best' Chianti by the glass.. ugh.. tasted like two buck chuck.. I don't think so, especially if you're an Italian restaurant. Overall, three stars for OK.. nothing special, I probably won't go back but won't discourage anyone else. I'm sure I'll check out another Buca again, just not this one.
(3)Daniel E.
Buca is a great place to get a lot of food that you can share. The food is tasty and can be a good place to go when you want something a little more than Oreganos or Olive Garden. I would recommend this place for big families or parties that like family style food!
(4)John S.
The service was excellent!
(5)Lisa H.
My husband and I enjoyed our 3rd anniversary here. Growing up in a big (loud) Italian family Bucca made me feel right at home. I love waling through the kitchen to get to your table, the family style dining, the music, and the artwork. Thank you for making our evening so special!
(5)Asaad M.
The place has a great atmosphere but neither food nor service was up to the mark. It gets 3 just for the place and the place is really good for groups. Dinner portions are only for 3 or 6 people. There is no single serving size for dinner!
(2)Matt S.
Went for lunch and got right in! The service was amazing and very friendly. I had the ceasar salad (which was THE BEST ceasar salad I have ever had in my life) Also ordered the chicken parmesan (lunch portion - not the normal HUGE one) and it was still almost more then I could eat. It really was probably in my top 3 of the best chicken parmesan I have ever ate in my life. I am a sucker for it! We sat there for about 2 hours talking (was kind of a business meeting) and they kept refilling us, and it was pleasant. I love this location (besides the construction going on around downtown Scottsdale!
(5)Emily M.
Buca Di Beppo is a chain restaurant and for that I dock a star, but they do have great Itailian food. Everything is family style so dont be surprised when the prices look high, almost every portion serves between 2 and 5 people. I went on a business dinner with 8 of us and service was great. Since they are used to handling big groups of people, our orders were nothing new. Nice to be able to have a good meal with lots of people and finally not complain about the service. Decent wine selection, tasty desserts and a fun atmosphere.
(4)Georgia R.
Buca Di Beppo is an awesome family-style restaurant that serves up authentic Italian dishes in a cozy atmosphere. They always play Italian music and the last time I went, some mobster look-alikes were having a nice dinner before they went and wacked someone I'm sure. The dishes are all big enough to share, so it's fun to order a few different dishes and then pass them around the table. If you have a big enough party and you make reservations ahead of time, you can ask to be seated in the 'Pope' room. There is actually a pope head in the middle of the table, and you can spin him around and if he happens to land on you, you're supposed to confess all of your sins. It's funny, I swear.
(4)Philip Q.
I do not understand how a plate of pasta and a glass of wine can turn into a $60 bill. Quality of the dish is more in line with a $5 plate fom a food court.
(2)Megan N.
Great Italian meal. Lovely atmosphere. It makes you feel like you are in the heart of Little italy somewhere. The service was great. Thought it was slightly odd that you walk through the kitchen to get to your seat, but acutally a great idea. I just was not expecting to see the kitchen. The House Chianti could have been better as well. All in all a great place for some comfort food. The fettucine alfredo is amazing.
(4)Vince G.
If your primary objective is to have a relaxing place to go with friends or the kids and the food does not matter very much the Buca Di Beppo is the place for you. The food is OK but that it about it. When you get past the quantity you realize that the food is pretty bland. It is the Olive Garden of family style Italian. A chain that does family style right, although it is a bit more pricey, is Maggiano's Little Italy. There you can get loud, enjoy your friends, but have much better quality food.
(2)D Y.
it's good family style italian, just make sure you bring the family.
(2)Linda B.
It took us an hour-and-a-half to get into Scottsdale's Buca di Beppo. And this was right after a Giants game in spring training (March). I think one of the problems was that there are very few tables for two. There are tables for four, tables for six or eight aplenty. This is a family restaurant. You know something? It was worth it. Absolutely incredible meal, and very friendly service. Just a wonderful experience. Except for the waiting part.
(5)Jake C.
A little overdone, I know, but I like chowing down here from time to time. First off, though, it's important to know going in that portions here are ginormous. If they say it serves 2, it actually probably serves 3 or 4. If they say something serves 3 or 4, it's probably 5 or 6. And so on and so forth. You get the idea. They have a few special eating areas, including the pope room, for larger groups, and the kitchen table, which is right in the middle of all the action. The kitchen table is a perfect conversation starter for dates and keeps things interesting throughout the course of your meal. Just be sure to get some to-go boxes when you're ready to go . . .
(4)michael j.
For those of you that don't realize... Buca's is a franchise resturant. I found my first Buca's back home in PA and was pleasently surprised at the food. I am a bit fussy about eating Italian out especially when it comes to red sauce. I like my gravy SMOOTH! Not chunky. My german girlfriend on the other hand loves chunky gravy. The amount of food you get is amazing and a small entree can surely be shared by 2 people so don't let the prices scare you. We ordered chicken carbanara white is in an alfredo style sauce with peas, panchetta bacon, chicken and proschuitto. She got a side of marinara which was some what chunky but not quite as spicey as she likes. But overall the meal was delicious to me even though the bacon was not panchetta. We also had Italian wedding soup which was NOT traditional but was equally delicious! They added roasted red peppers to it to spice it up and it was really good plus the bowl was HUGE! We finished off with an order of tiramisu which was very good also and was enough to feed 5 or 6, it was literally the size of a 8 or 9 inch pie!!! This is pretty good Italian food served just like your grandmother would have done... Enouth to feed a batallion of Marines! Two iced teas, two bowls of soup, one small entree and one dessert... $45.00. Our waitress Suzanna was very nice and did a wonderful job! You won't go wrong here unless your too picky when it comes to your gravy! LOL!
(4)David K.
Buca is the pioneer for family style Italian food. Everything on the menu is good especially the lemon chicken. Come with a family or group of people you enjoy spending time with and this restaurant will provide a very fun and memorable atmosphere. If you are lucky enough to reserve the kitchen table you will sit in the kitchen and watch the chefs prepare all the food as well as sample different dishes throughout your dining experience. For a large party, the Pope table will suit you well. It is a very large round table with a rotating Pope head in the middle, very interesting. The only problem is if you are coming here with just one other person because the portions can be quite overwhelming and get expensive.
(4)Stephanie S.
I came here with a big group and was excited to have a good dinner, however that did not happen. First, half of our party was going to be late so we decided to put in an order of appetizers and order two bottles of wine for the table. Ten minutes later the rest of our party showed up.. Another five minutes our caprese appetizer came, then the wine a couple minutes after that. Finally after 10 more minutes we reminded our waitress about the garlic bread we ordered and only then did it come to the table. Then as the rest of the party was getting their drinks the waitress spilled a tray of three ice teas all over one of the women in my group and her purse. Since we were a big party and the waitress obviously messed up I thought it would be appropriate for her to offer to comp some of our drinks, this did not happen. Later, we were ordering all of our food and we decided to just split all of the entrees. Since I'm a vegetarian I decided I was going to order the gnocchi to be sure there was a dish I could eat, however our waitress informed me they were all out of the gnocchi that night. So not wanting to make a big deal about it I informed her I was vegetarian and since one of the dishes my party had already ordered was the Quattro al Forno (which included the Cheese Manicotti, Chicken Cannelloni, Baked Ravioli and Stuffed Shells), she explained that all were vegetarian except the chicken cannelloni. I hadn't really studied the menu so I trusted what she said and told her that i could get by on eating off of those plates. Fast forward to when we finally get our dinner, someone in my party advocated for me to get first pick at the plates "without meat" so I got a stuffed shell and some of the baked ravioli. After eating the baked ravioli i started chewing some of the stuffed shell and realized there was indeed meat in it. I quickly spit it out but couldn't believe there would be meat in the dish. When the waitress came back a member of my party asked the waitress again if there was meat in the stuffed shells and she said no. Then I spoke up and said there was and that I had tasted it. She responded that she would go check on that. She came back a few minutes later and told me what I already knew, that there was meat in the shells. She offered no real apology to me, did not offer to bring me out another dish or comp anything. I was so upset and felt so sick after that it really ruined the rest of my dinner and night, not to mention I have been vegetarian for six years and this waitress couldn't even offer me an apology for something that was clearly her mess up.
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