We came in and ordered the mussels, which were fantastic. We also ordered the pasta alfredo for dinner and that was good, it was about what you would expect for an italian chain. The desert we ordered was bland and a little mushy, it was a butter cake desert with bananas and strawberries (I don't recommend it). We have ordered the calamari here a few times, which we have always liked, with the garlic sauce. The service was also good. We will definately return.
(4)
Sibby S.
Ambiance: Attractive, yet generic cookie-cutter chain feel. Large, roomy bar area, where you also eat if your choose. Lots of tables, plus stool seating right at the kitchen counter. Soft music playing. Service: Hands down worst service I have had in over a year (and in over 125 yelp restaurant reviews). First off waiter came across as very schmaltzy, insincere and rehearsed. Sitting down with you when he takes your order -- this routine is old, and is off-putting, I don't like it. Although I am a fairly friendly person and enjoy some chit-chat with my waitperson, the waiter was trying too hard to be my "best friend". When my entree came, it was not delivered by the waiter, but by another waitress (I guess they tag-team). I am not kidding you, she rushed by my table at record speed (I think she was on her way to handle some escalation occurring at another table), and literally threw the entree on the table, and slid it across and hit me in the arm. (I was reading an article on my Iphone app and had no fore-warning of the incoming flying object heading my way.) No "enjoy your meal", "here you go", or anything. Not a word from her. After entree was finished, LONG wait for waiter to arrive with bill, despite the fact the place was not that busy on a Sunday afternoon around 3pm. First time in years I have stiffed a place with no tip. I should have complained to the manager about the service, but just didn't want to expend the energy necessary to do so. I did write a note on my bill, explaining why no tip was included (just leaving nothing would not have sent the message the service was bad, they would think I was just a cheapskate, which I am most certainly not.) Food: Not good folks. Salad was an iceberg-carrot mix with little else (no variety of salad greens). Very boring and almost taste-free. Pasta dishes are only a tad better than chef-boyarde. Pasta sauce (I had a tomato cream) was lacking flavor and spices. Very boring. Bread was decent, and the only saving grace of the meal. Overall, a rip off. Terrible service and unimaginative food (Italian this is not. It is not even good Italian-American food.) Also, this place is not cheap, which makes this whole experience even more disappointing, knowing there are several pretty good mom and pop Italian-American places in town that are really good, with inviting service (see some of my other reviews). This place does get a crowd (I guess the same people that are of the Red Lobster / Chili's / TGI Fridays ilk.) If you are a discerning diner, you can do much, much better than this place, and also save some dollars as well.
(1)
Sally C.
worse Italian food I have ever tasted, lasagna was burned and full of cinnamon, salad was not even cold, service slow, prices high, what good is there to say about this place ???
(1)
Aarron M.
This is the best you'll find when it comes to chains in the Springs for Italian food. I've only eaten at the North location, but they have another on the South end of town as well. The Caesar's are pretty good as are the mussels, and the menu, while limited, is always full of quality prepared dishes. This is the standard, Italian chain menu, with a couple of grilled items. When the wife and I are craving Italian, and I don't feel like cooking...this is where we go.
Carrabba's always satisfies. The food is more tasty than Olive Garden, and the prices are similar too. While Olive Garden offers bread stick and salad, Carrabbas offers unlimited fresh white bread /olive oil and the choice of soup and or salad with you entree, not unlimited. Unlike Olive Garden, Carrabbas' interior tends to be a little bit darker and has a more crowded feeling but is also more classy and edgy, more businessy than Oliver garden's family feel. There is always a rush at dinner time, make a reservation. I almost always get Chicken Parmesan. It's fantastic, crisply deep fried, marinara sauce and a slab of cooked mozzarella on top! It will leave you content. I pair it with minestrone soup, which is cabbage and bean heavy, that is good with cheese if you remember to ask for it. The waiters will pour fresh cheese on anything you want, so do it! The rest of the menu offers great traditional italian items, including steak and seafood fares. Order wine, order appetizers, enjoy dinner and have desert (if you can manage)!
(4)
Jo E.
Dinner was good but service was slow! Restaurant was almost empty due to snow storm.... service should have been better. Enjoyed the atmosphere!
(3)
Cecily A.
Let's just say, if I could eat here every night, I would. :) Chicken Marsala is the best in town, sirloin beef tips also amazing, good Caesar salads, homemade bread, and Tiramisu that makes you melt. Also love the peach sangria's! Staff attentive and informed.
(5)
David C.
There's hope for Carraba's! This restaurant was a 2 star experience 8 months ago but things seem to be much better. People are on top of it android quality was great.
(4)
Stephen K.
Very impressed for a chain. This isn't my first time here, but it probably was in about 5 years. My mom, me and a friend of mine went after she was released from the hospital. Mom had a Caesar salad with some shrimp, my friend had what looked like deep-fried ravioli and I had, surprisingly, lobster mac and cheese. Lobster M&C is one of those things, like sweet potato fries, monte cristos and udon noodle dishes, that I just *have* to try when I'm there. I only glancingly compare it to what I consider to be the lobster M&C gold standard in Denver in my to-date experience, at Corner Office. I have to admit, it was extremely good. The noodles were delicious and slightly chewy twisty cavatappi noodles - points for not making it standard elbow macaroni. The sauce was somewhat rich and thick, alas there was not enough of it for my liking - and more flavored as lobster than cheese. (I did, of course, let our server grate a bucketload of whatever cheese she had on top of my large bowl). There are a few cheeses mixed in with the sauce as well as the cavatappi, at least 2 or 3. Supposedly there is pancetta (Italian bacon) in there as well, but I only caught hints of flavor, not any serious pieces I saw. And the lobster, alas, was fairly skimpy. I would knock my experience down to 3 stars but the pasta and cheese was so good and the lobster sauce infused enough lobster flavor into the rest of the dish, I can overlook some obvious cost-cutting measures. Was fairly quiet and intimate, low music playing, a few tables filled - people should go out to dinner more often at 9pm. It might pay off. ;) Our server was attentive and we lacked for naught when we went there...very good effort indeed.
(4)
Denise Phil A.
Great service but horrible, horrible food. Very expensive for a very unenjoyable experience. First and last time we will visit. Ordered 3 different dishes and each was absolutely awful. ( But the soup was delicious.) Fettucini Alfredo. .....how does an italuan restaurant mess that up? Well they did. Lobster mac n cheese.......made without cheese and cost $17. Just dont waste your time or money!
(1)
Keebler F.
Had the tag something chicken. Gross. It turned me off Carrabbas for good. The pasta dish was swimming in tomato water. I asked the waitress about it and she said that it was from the 'fresh' tomatos. Those 'fresh' tomatoes were salty from hell. I hate when fresh tomatoes are salty. And there were slices of garlic in the dish. I have never had slices of garlic in a dish. Minced, or chopped, not sliced. Gross.
(1)
Kendra M.
Pricey for the decent food. Bread was great, but I had the chicken fettuccine & it was bland. We had great service though. Alfredo was our server. And all the other staff were friendly. I won't go back because of the prices. I would if the food had knocked my socks off, but not the case.
(3)
Matt O.
Last night was our first visit to Carrabba's and we were very impressed. The Pollo Rosa Maria was excellent! The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the restaurant was very clean. We will be back however, the higher prices will inhibit us from visiting frequently.
(4)
Jo L.
Carrabba's is a pretty good chain. I've eaten here about nine times in the last three years and I've always had an enjoyable visit. I've never had any issues with the staff, ever. The hostess is always welcoming, the wait staff is always efficient. Admittedly, the food can be too salty. This is true of most chain restaurants. Other than the sodium level, the food is decent to pretty good. The dinner salad is pretty standard and the house dressing is decent as well. I generally order one of their chicken dishes, Marsala or Rosa Maria. Carrabba's has the option to order 1/2 portions. The last time I got a pasta dish, Mezzaluna. which is ravioli, stuffed with a variety of cheeses, chicken and spinach, in a tomato cream sauce. It was so-so and I don't see myself ever ordering it again. I should have stuck with my usual order. Another thing I order on almost every visit is a blackberry sangria which is poured over a few pieces of fruit. I go to Carrabba's when I want familiar food which will be prepared just how I remember, every time.
(4)
Terry L.
We have been eating here since the late '90's and I have to say the food quality has gone down in the last few years. The portions are a lot smaller than before and the flavor has decreased somewhat. This used to be out favorite restaurant to go to but not anymore. The shrimp scampi has remained pretty much the same with good flavor. Tonight, the toasted bread that comes with it was sub-par. It was plain...toasted bread soaked in butter. It used to have seasoning on it. The fried cheese was not great either...I've had better from a box of frozen cheese sticks. The chicken Parmesan was pretty good but the fettucini was not very flavorful at all. I seldom go to Olive Garden because I really don't care for their menu items but that may change. Carrabba's needs to get back to what earned them their reputation before something really bad happens. The service is good though. The servers really do a nice job keeping up with what you need. There were eight of us there tonight and we really didn't have to beg for extra stuff. They make a great Shirley Temple though and they serve Aqua Panna in the bottle which reminds me of our Italy trip.
(3)
Sunny Joy B.
FIRST IMPRESSION: The hostess during Sunday lunch was dressed like she pulled her tattered black clothing from a Goodwill donation tower. Almost lost my appetite. TWO MINUTES LATER: Mark the Server came to the rescue, providing extensive knowledge of the various menus, the kitchen, his personal notes on Carrabas, even his own stellar life ventures. He was a refreshing delight that re-ignited my tastebuds. LASTING IMPRESSION: My Step-Dad was satisfied with his birthday steak and dessert. That is all that mattered to me. Mark and the Carrabas staff went the distance to please my family and I.
(5)
Derek B.
I remember carrabas being really good. Ordered the Johnny. Waited over 30 minutes to get it with the restaurant near empty, the steak was ice cold, chicken was burnt and tiny. If you're going to charge $20, don't present the plate looking as if it's empty. It wouldn't have been as obvious that they are ripping people off if they'd throw some veg on the plate to fill in the gaps. The server was really great, I just feel sorry that she had to bring that food out. I don't remember the last time I had to send a plate back or if I have at all, but I'd rather go hungry. Will not return.
(2)
Greg A.
I was surprised because this place has good reviews and I'm not even that picky, but apparently , things have changed... We went to Carrabas to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday by her choosing. My girlfriend stated that she hadn't been to the restaurant in about a year, but remembers good experiences from eating there in the past. The overall ambiance of the restaurant is good; however, the server was dressed a little bit sloppy, with stained clothing. I think for what's supposed to be an upper class Italian restaurant, he could have been cleaned up a little better. The first thing... I ask the waiter, "Do you make good mojitos?" He said, "Yes." I said, "I mean, like, GOOOOD mojitos?" He said, "absolutely." So I ordered a Mojito. The "fancy" drinks are served in cheap water glasses. The mojito I ordered came in no different served up with a large piece of rotting mint. Half of the "fresh mint" in my drink was old and the other half was black and rotting. I alerted our waiter and he tells me, "I'll get you another." GGGGRREEEAAAAATTT. The waiter promptly brought out the replacement mojito and left the other one at the table - like I was going to actually drink it. The replacement was pretty good - but not for $7.50. First we ordered calamari, which was served nicely but the breading on the calamari was white, it looked freezer burned, but tasted okay. I ordered cheese manicotti and my girlfriend ordered lasagna. Both of the entrees were served up in what appeared to be unclean dishes. Both of the dishes appeared to have old burnt food all over them. My dish had dirty, greasy finger prints smeared all over the edges of the top. My girlfriend's plate was hot but the lasagna not. Her dish was slightly warm, mine was fine. Both of the meals tasted OK, what I mean by okay is - they tasted like a microwave meal, and I eat microwave meals, but I usually only pay $3.00 for one - not $16.00. My girlfriend asked me, "how's your food?" I told her it was fine because I didn't want to hurt her feelings, but then she said, "this isn't anything like it used to be, this food is disgusting." She apologized and I felt terrible, even though I paid for the meal, I wanted her to have a better birthday experience. There is no doubt in my mind - ALL THE FOOD WAS FROZEN!
(1)
Anna H.
My family and I walked in Sat night and it was packed! Waiting time was 40-50 min. Normally we don't wait that much but it was ok because they feed people a piece of Italian bread. Yummy :) All of our foods were very very tasty and service was really great! I'm a fan of this place!! I wanna go back soon.
(4)
Elena H.
The sangria is to die for! The food is always consistent. But tonight after the Air Force game, it was very busy. We decided to eat at the bar, thinking it would be faster...... It took 2.5 hours before we left. And they were out of crab cakes :(
(3)
Mark D.
We were on our way home from Colorado Springs last night around 6:30 pm. We were pleasantly surprised that that there wasn't a long line to get in for dinner. We were seated right away. Our waitress was great and attentive to our needs... The food was great and overall experience very nice. Next time we are in Colorado Springs, we'll be sure to stop again!
(4)
Sarah N.
I used to come here as a treat in my college days. Now that I'm more conscious of patronizing locally-owned restaurants and actually have make the money to go out more often, Carrabba's is no longer high on my list. However, last night my coworkers wanted to meet with us here, and since it was their turn to pick a restaurant, we obliged without too much complaint (even though I had suggested we hit up Spice Island Grill...). For what it is (a large corporate chain), they're pretty decent. Carrabba's bread is some of the best. Our soups and entrees last night were actually good. I added chicken to my entree Tag Pic Pac, and the slices were still tender, juicy, and imparted flavor to my pasta. We got the peach crostata dessert, and I was impressed. 4* on food. But service was very uneven, 2*. When we first sat down, our server came by often - too often. And we were essentially told we talked too much (because we weren't ordering quick enough). Our food was brought out by a different server, and not remembering what our entrees were supposed to look like, he mixed ALL of our dishes up. Luckily for us we figured out whose was whose before anyone took a bite, but still. Anyway, our main server would then disappear for long stretches. At least our waters and Cokes were kept topped off, but whenever we actually needed something, she moved too fast to catch her eye and it'd be a long time before we'd see her again. This was especially true when it came time to pay; when she finally came back to drop the bill off, to finally split the bill, to fix the mixed up bills, and to finally pick the cards up and return them to us... she did apologize but it was a LONG process. And of course, the trained attitude was very impersonal and corporate. Good enough, I guess, if you just want some generic Italian.
(3)
Julian L.
Great food, great service! Everything was modestly portioned. It started with the beer, small, garden salad, very good & small. I ordered the Mezzaluna, tasted great, small. I'm not complaining, this is probably the size portions I should be eating. Overall worth the $$$. Don't want to spend the big bucks? Try the pizza
(5)
Nicholaos B.
Place has kind of gone downhill. Their portions are seemingly smaller than from a few years ago and as for the quality, you'd be better off grilling some chicken at home. They stilll have some signature styles, e.g. chicken bryan, pollo rosa maria, but its really just OK and not worth the price for what you get.
(3)
Davu Z.
If this is the Carabas off circle, Great place to eat. Nice atmosphere! Clean! I will return in the future.
(5)
Nicole H.
Absolutely delicious! By far my favorite restaurant. The food is filling and tasty, definitely worth the price. The service does not compare to the food though.
(5)
Jerry H.
We've wanted to try Carrabas for a long time, and this one has been open for years. It's in a really crappy, hard to reach location, so you really have to be intentional about patronizing them. So one afternoon we're watching a recorded program on the tube, and on comes a commercial for Carrabas. That was all it took, we succumbed to their marketing, and are we ever glad we did. Most of the time I like restaurants with open-display kitchens. It gives me a lot of confidence that the kitchen is clean and that they're really cooking food, not just heating things in microwaves like so many corporate chains. Carrabas does this better than most, because they don't shout at each other when they're prepping, cooking and popping plates onto the service counter. They are very well organized. This location has a low-ceiling, dark and dated feel, but is clean, comfortable and quiet, and that's 1/3 of the overall experience for us. The food is always out quickly, served with knowledge and care, and delicious. They are not a spaghetti and lasagna Italian restaurant. They are a creative Italian grill. We have returned three times since that chance evening this past summer, and we will continue to patronize this fine corporate eatery.
(4)
Jim H.
This is me and my wife's favorite restaurant. It's Italian food, but most definitely not your typical spaghetti and meatball place. Wonderful atmosphere with dimmed lighting and dark woods. And we have never had anything but spectacular service over the last 15 years we've been visiting this location. On occasion we will try a few new things on the menu, but more often than not we always come back to our favorites: Cozze In Bianco (mussels and wine appetizer), Spicy Sausage and Lentil soup, Caeser Salad, Spiedino de Mare, and Chicken Bryan. It gets no better than that! Sometimes we'll forgo the Cozze for an appetizer and request a Scotty Thompson instead (goat cheese, pomodoro sauce and crusty bread) . This is an appetizer they had on the menu many years ago but no longer do. Every time they've been happy to make it for us anyway. I simply cannot recommend a restaurant more.
(5)
Tiffany B.
While out on the west coast... I found this familiar place. The service was great! the food was great as always! My bartender was wonderful as well!
(4)
Jimmy S.
If you want to pay double Olive Garden prices for less than Olive Garden quality, then this is the place for you. Waited 30 minutes for a table when it was less than half full. I ordered seafood pasta and we smelled it from the kitchen and it tasted like a seafood market. I have had plenty of seafood meals and know how a good one should smell and taste. Chef Ramsay would have been very disappointed in the presentation as well, sloppy... The waitress was the saving grace and still received a good tip.
(1)
S H.
Super disappointed... had not been here in about a year. The menu has changed, and some of our favorite dishes were gone :( The replacements were not very good... a lot of it tasted like it was straight out of the can. Also, it's gotten far more expensive without improving the quality. To top it off, our server messed up our drink order, and besides a lukewarm apology did nothing to alter the bill. Probably won't go back!
(1)
Bob B.
We love going to Carrabas and have been more times than I care to remember. It's tasty and friendly. My wife loves the house salad dressing and we always get the chocolate dream dessert even if we don't have room. Just take it home and eat it later. I've tried most everything over the years and its all good. Favorites pollo rosa Maria and their steak Marsala. Plus I order calamari all the time wherever we go and I think that theirs is as good as even the expensive gourmet seafood places on the coasts. If you've never been try them out and if you didn't like what you ordered just get the chocolate dessert and all will be right with the world.
(5)
KJ P.
Good down home type Italian Food! Enough to satisfy vegetarian but not the focus of most dishes. Staff very attentive and helpful. Drinks were great!
(4)
cathy s.
Carabas Italian Restaurant was a great experience. The Chicken Marsala with garlic potatoes was perfect and I liked the fact that there were two sizes to choose from. The staff was friendly and quick I might add. The wait was short and I felt like I was really attended to. I will go here again when I am back in town
(4)
Troy G.
We ate here about 7 years ago and were disappointed with the food and price we paid for it. Never went back because of that experience We figured we'd give them one more shot before writing them off forever. We thoroughly enjoyed this meal. Fresh bread to start with a good combination of spices and quality olive oil. Ceasar salad was fresh and had great flavor. Chicken bryan was amazing. Could have used smaller slices of goat cheese since it had a tendancy to overpower at times, but that is probably just my preference. Will definitely be back sooner than our last hiatus with this place.
(3)
Kenneth B.
Another lame, nasty chain. Boiled to death pasta. Fetid shrimp. Frozen, tentacle-less calamari (so as not to offend). Hideous salads. Welcome to the TGI-Chili-Ruby Tuesdays of Italian food. Have a nice day! If Marcella Hazan died and went to hell, this is where the devil would get the poison to force feed her. The McTalian menu - dreamed up by corporate in Houston - has nothing to recommend, unless chef boy ar dee sugary red sauce is your thing.
(1)
Melinda B.
Our waiter was AWESOME!!! He was really funny and we had him pick out our entire meal start to finish! No complaints, everything was sooooo delicious! I got the Chicken Bryan (chicken, goat cheese, and tommy-toes), my bf got the Pollo Rosa Maria (chicken breasts stuffed with cheese & italian bacon), and we got the Shrimp Scampi for appetizer. The bread is awesome also... very traditional European style (cruncy exterior, doughy interior... altogether scrumptious!). Honestly, between the food and the service, I don't know which was better!! And to think I had compared it with Macaroni Grill when I first walked in... PSH! :P
(5)
Joe B.
It's official the changes to the food on the new menu is definitely not for the better. I only come for the Polo Rosa Maria and they have changed it. Ask before you order your favorite it may not be like you remember
(1)
S B.
We always have fantastic food & service!!! Highly recommend Shrimp & Scampi Spiedino & Chicken or Veal Marsala. We order Caesar salad & fettuccine which are both great. Entire staff operates like a well oiled machine. Appreciate the managers asking about our experience!
(5)
Rich S.
Interesting visit. The dining room was full, so we sat at the bar. Dinner rush. One bartender. He addressed us almost immediately and did a good job of up selling/ suggesting a wine at happy hour prices. He was clearly very busy and a little wait was to be expected. When he came to take the order, I experienced something very new: mid sentence, he left to address another customer on the other side of the bar. No "excuse me" or "I'll be right back", just walked away. Kinda tells me that I don't matter. He returned to take the order with no comment. We ordered dinner, and I ordered a side of the prosciutto-wrapped shrimp. He thought I was ordering the entree. Once I corrected him, he had a hard time getting the order into the POS. It took a little effort to get salt/pepper and drink refills. Dinner was served and they brought just a side of the regular shrimp. Another server, who delivered the meal, saw the error and placed a corrected order. Unfortunately, it didn't come until I was done with the meal. Now the good part: the veal Marsala was heavenly, tender, delicious. The new shrimp order was just as yummy. The ravioli was cooked just right and tasted great. The bartender, without prompting, took the shrimp off the bill. Despite the service snafu, the meal was good and we will be back.
(4)
Jo E.
Dinner was good but service was slow! Restaurant was almost empty due to snow storm.... service should have been better. Enjoyed the atmosphere!
(3)
Cecily A.
Let's just say, if I could eat here every night, I would. :) Chicken Marsala is the best in town, sirloin beef tips also amazing, good Caesar salads, homemade bread, and Tiramisu that makes you melt. Also love the peach sangria's! Staff attentive and informed.
(5)
David C.
There's hope for Carraba's! This restaurant was a 2 star experience 8 months ago but things seem to be much better. People are on top of it android quality was great.
(4)
Rich S.
Interesting visit. The dining room was full, so we sat at the bar. Dinner rush. One bartender. He addressed us almost immediately and did a good job of up selling/ suggesting a wine at happy hour prices. He was clearly very busy and a little wait was to be expected. When he came to take the order, I experienced something very new: mid sentence, he left to address another customer on the other side of the bar. No "excuse me" or "I'll be right back", just walked away. Kinda tells me that I don't matter. He returned to take the order with no comment. We ordered dinner, and I ordered a side of the prosciutto-wrapped shrimp. He thought I was ordering the entree. Once I corrected him, he had a hard time getting the order into the POS. It took a little effort to get salt/pepper and drink refills. Dinner was served and they brought just a side of the regular shrimp. Another server, who delivered the meal, saw the error and placed a corrected order. Unfortunately, it didn't come until I was done with the meal. Now the good part: the veal Marsala was heavenly, tender, delicious. The new shrimp order was just as yummy. The ravioli was cooked just right and tasted great. The bartender, without prompting, took the shrimp off the bill. Despite the service snafu, the meal was good and we will be back.
Carrabba's always satisfies. The food is more tasty than Olive Garden, and the prices are similar too. While Olive Garden offers bread stick and salad, Carrabbas offers unlimited fresh white bread /olive oil and the choice of soup and or salad with you entree, not unlimited. Unlike Olive Garden, Carrabbas' interior tends to be a little bit darker and has a more crowded feeling but is also more classy and edgy, more businessy than Oliver garden's family feel. There is always a rush at dinner time, make a reservation. I almost always get Chicken Parmesan. It's fantastic, crisply deep fried, marinara sauce and a slab of cooked mozzarella on top! It will leave you content. I pair it with minestrone soup, which is cabbage and bean heavy, that is good with cheese if you remember to ask for it. The waiters will pour fresh cheese on anything you want, so do it! The rest of the menu offers great traditional italian items, including steak and seafood fares. Order wine, order appetizers, enjoy dinner and have desert (if you can manage)!
(4)
Stephen K.
Very impressed for a chain. This isn't my first time here, but it probably was in about 5 years. My mom, me and a friend of mine went after she was released from the hospital. Mom had a Caesar salad with some shrimp, my friend had what looked like deep-fried ravioli and I had, surprisingly, lobster mac and cheese. Lobster M&C is one of those things, like sweet potato fries, monte cristos and udon noodle dishes, that I just *have* to try when I'm there. I only glancingly compare it to what I consider to be the lobster M&C gold standard in Denver in my to-date experience, at Corner Office. I have to admit, it was extremely good. The noodles were delicious and slightly chewy twisty cavatappi noodles - points for not making it standard elbow macaroni. The sauce was somewhat rich and thick, alas there was not enough of it for my liking - and more flavored as lobster than cheese. (I did, of course, let our server grate a bucketload of whatever cheese she had on top of my large bowl). There are a few cheeses mixed in with the sauce as well as the cavatappi, at least 2 or 3. Supposedly there is pancetta (Italian bacon) in there as well, but I only caught hints of flavor, not any serious pieces I saw. And the lobster, alas, was fairly skimpy. I would knock my experience down to 3 stars but the pasta and cheese was so good and the lobster sauce infused enough lobster flavor into the rest of the dish, I can overlook some obvious cost-cutting measures. Was fairly quiet and intimate, low music playing, a few tables filled - people should go out to dinner more often at 9pm. It might pay off. ;) Our server was attentive and we lacked for naught when we went there...very good effort indeed.
(4)
Denise Phil A.
Great service but horrible, horrible food. Very expensive for a very unenjoyable experience. First and last time we will visit. Ordered 3 different dishes and each was absolutely awful. ( But the soup was delicious.) Fettucini Alfredo. .....how does an italuan restaurant mess that up? Well they did. Lobster mac n cheese.......made without cheese and cost $17. Just dont waste your time or money!
(1)
Keebler F.
Had the tag something chicken. Gross. It turned me off Carrabbas for good. The pasta dish was swimming in tomato water. I asked the waitress about it and she said that it was from the 'fresh' tomatos. Those 'fresh' tomatoes were salty from hell. I hate when fresh tomatoes are salty. And there were slices of garlic in the dish. I have never had slices of garlic in a dish. Minced, or chopped, not sliced. Gross.
(1)
Kendra M.
Pricey for the decent food. Bread was great, but I had the chicken fettuccine & it was bland. We had great service though. Alfredo was our server. And all the other staff were friendly. I won't go back because of the prices. I would if the food had knocked my socks off, but not the case.
(3)
Matt O.
Last night was our first visit to Carrabba's and we were very impressed. The Pollo Rosa Maria was excellent! The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the restaurant was very clean. We will be back however, the higher prices will inhibit us from visiting frequently.
(4)
Joe B.
It's official the changes to the food on the new menu is definitely not for the better. I only come for the Polo Rosa Maria and they have changed it. Ask before you order your favorite it may not be like you remember
(1)
S B.
We always have fantastic food & service!!! Highly recommend Shrimp & Scampi Spiedino & Chicken or Veal Marsala. We order Caesar salad & fettuccine which are both great. Entire staff operates like a well oiled machine. Appreciate the managers asking about our experience!
(5)
Jo L.
Carrabba's is a pretty good chain. I've eaten here about nine times in the last three years and I've always had an enjoyable visit. I've never had any issues with the staff, ever. The hostess is always welcoming, the wait staff is always efficient. Admittedly, the food can be too salty. This is true of most chain restaurants. Other than the sodium level, the food is decent to pretty good. The dinner salad is pretty standard and the house dressing is decent as well. I generally order one of their chicken dishes, Marsala or Rosa Maria. Carrabba's has the option to order 1/2 portions. The last time I got a pasta dish, Mezzaluna. which is ravioli, stuffed with a variety of cheeses, chicken and spinach, in a tomato cream sauce. It was so-so and I don't see myself ever ordering it again. I should have stuck with my usual order. Another thing I order on almost every visit is a blackberry sangria which is poured over a few pieces of fruit. I go to Carrabba's when I want familiar food which will be prepared just how I remember, every time.
(4)
Terry L.
We have been eating here since the late '90's and I have to say the food quality has gone down in the last few years. The portions are a lot smaller than before and the flavor has decreased somewhat. This used to be out favorite restaurant to go to but not anymore. The shrimp scampi has remained pretty much the same with good flavor. Tonight, the toasted bread that comes with it was sub-par. It was plain...toasted bread soaked in butter. It used to have seasoning on it. The fried cheese was not great either...I've had better from a box of frozen cheese sticks. The chicken Parmesan was pretty good but the fettucini was not very flavorful at all. I seldom go to Olive Garden because I really don't care for their menu items but that may change. Carrabba's needs to get back to what earned them their reputation before something really bad happens. The service is good though. The servers really do a nice job keeping up with what you need. There were eight of us there tonight and we really didn't have to beg for extra stuff. They make a great Shirley Temple though and they serve Aqua Panna in the bottle which reminds me of our Italy trip.
(3)
Sunny Joy B.
FIRST IMPRESSION: The hostess during Sunday lunch was dressed like she pulled her tattered black clothing from a Goodwill donation tower. Almost lost my appetite. TWO MINUTES LATER: Mark the Server came to the rescue, providing extensive knowledge of the various menus, the kitchen, his personal notes on Carrabas, even his own stellar life ventures. He was a refreshing delight that re-ignited my tastebuds. LASTING IMPRESSION: My Step-Dad was satisfied with his birthday steak and dessert. That is all that mattered to me. Mark and the Carrabas staff went the distance to please my family and I.
(5)
Greg A.
I was surprised because this place has good reviews and I'm not even that picky, but apparently , things have changed... We went to Carrabas to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday by her choosing. My girlfriend stated that she hadn't been to the restaurant in about a year, but remembers good experiences from eating there in the past. The overall ambiance of the restaurant is good; however, the server was dressed a little bit sloppy, with stained clothing. I think for what's supposed to be an upper class Italian restaurant, he could have been cleaned up a little better. The first thing... I ask the waiter, "Do you make good mojitos?" He said, "Yes." I said, "I mean, like, GOOOOD mojitos?" He said, "absolutely." So I ordered a Mojito. The "fancy" drinks are served in cheap water glasses. The mojito I ordered came in no different served up with a large piece of rotting mint. Half of the "fresh mint" in my drink was old and the other half was black and rotting. I alerted our waiter and he tells me, "I'll get you another." GGGGRREEEAAAAATTT. The waiter promptly brought out the replacement mojito and left the other one at the table - like I was going to actually drink it. The replacement was pretty good - but not for $7.50. First we ordered calamari, which was served nicely but the breading on the calamari was white, it looked freezer burned, but tasted okay. I ordered cheese manicotti and my girlfriend ordered lasagna. Both of the entrees were served up in what appeared to be unclean dishes. Both of the dishes appeared to have old burnt food all over them. My dish had dirty, greasy finger prints smeared all over the edges of the top. My girlfriend's plate was hot but the lasagna not. Her dish was slightly warm, mine was fine. Both of the meals tasted OK, what I mean by okay is - they tasted like a microwave meal, and I eat microwave meals, but I usually only pay $3.00 for one - not $16.00. My girlfriend asked me, "how's your food?" I told her it was fine because I didn't want to hurt her feelings, but then she said, "this isn't anything like it used to be, this food is disgusting." She apologized and I felt terrible, even though I paid for the meal, I wanted her to have a better birthday experience. There is no doubt in my mind - ALL THE FOOD WAS FROZEN!
(1)
Anna H.
My family and I walked in Sat night and it was packed! Waiting time was 40-50 min. Normally we don't wait that much but it was ok because they feed people a piece of Italian bread. Yummy :) All of our foods were very very tasty and service was really great! I'm a fan of this place!! I wanna go back soon.
(4)
Elena H.
The sangria is to die for! The food is always consistent. But tonight after the Air Force game, it was very busy. We decided to eat at the bar, thinking it would be faster...... It took 2.5 hours before we left. And they were out of crab cakes :(
(3)
Mark D.
We were on our way home from Colorado Springs last night around 6:30 pm. We were pleasantly surprised that that there wasn't a long line to get in for dinner. We were seated right away. Our waitress was great and attentive to our needs... The food was great and overall experience very nice. Next time we are in Colorado Springs, we'll be sure to stop again!
(4)
Sarah N.
I used to come here as a treat in my college days. Now that I'm more conscious of patronizing locally-owned restaurants and actually have make the money to go out more often, Carrabba's is no longer high on my list. However, last night my coworkers wanted to meet with us here, and since it was their turn to pick a restaurant, we obliged without too much complaint (even though I had suggested we hit up Spice Island Grill...). For what it is (a large corporate chain), they're pretty decent. Carrabba's bread is some of the best. Our soups and entrees last night were actually good. I added chicken to my entree Tag Pic Pac, and the slices were still tender, juicy, and imparted flavor to my pasta. We got the peach crostata dessert, and I was impressed. 4* on food. But service was very uneven, 2*. When we first sat down, our server came by often - too often. And we were essentially told we talked too much (because we weren't ordering quick enough). Our food was brought out by a different server, and not remembering what our entrees were supposed to look like, he mixed ALL of our dishes up. Luckily for us we figured out whose was whose before anyone took a bite, but still. Anyway, our main server would then disappear for long stretches. At least our waters and Cokes were kept topped off, but whenever we actually needed something, she moved too fast to catch her eye and it'd be a long time before we'd see her again. This was especially true when it came time to pay; when she finally came back to drop the bill off, to finally split the bill, to fix the mixed up bills, and to finally pick the cards up and return them to us... she did apologize but it was a LONG process. And of course, the trained attitude was very impersonal and corporate. Good enough, I guess, if you just want some generic Italian.
(3)
Julian L.
Great food, great service! Everything was modestly portioned. It started with the beer, small, garden salad, very good & small. I ordered the Mezzaluna, tasted great, small. I'm not complaining, this is probably the size portions I should be eating. Overall worth the $$$. Don't want to spend the big bucks? Try the pizza
(5)
Nicholaos B.
Place has kind of gone downhill. Their portions are seemingly smaller than from a few years ago and as for the quality, you'd be better off grilling some chicken at home. They stilll have some signature styles, e.g. chicken bryan, pollo rosa maria, but its really just OK and not worth the price for what you get.
(3)
Davu Z.
If this is the Carabas off circle, Great place to eat. Nice atmosphere! Clean! I will return in the future.
(5)
Nicole H.
Absolutely delicious! By far my favorite restaurant. The food is filling and tasty, definitely worth the price. The service does not compare to the food though.
(5)
Derek B.
I remember carrabas being really good. Ordered the Johnny. Waited over 30 minutes to get it with the restaurant near empty, the steak was ice cold, chicken was burnt and tiny. If you're going to charge $20, don't present the plate looking as if it's empty. It wouldn't have been as obvious that they are ripping people off if they'd throw some veg on the plate to fill in the gaps. The server was really great, I just feel sorry that she had to bring that food out. I don't remember the last time I had to send a plate back or if I have at all, but I'd rather go hungry. Will not return.
(2)
Jerry H.
We've wanted to try Carrabas for a long time, and this one has been open for years. It's in a really crappy, hard to reach location, so you really have to be intentional about patronizing them. So one afternoon we're watching a recorded program on the tube, and on comes a commercial for Carrabas. That was all it took, we succumbed to their marketing, and are we ever glad we did. Most of the time I like restaurants with open-display kitchens. It gives me a lot of confidence that the kitchen is clean and that they're really cooking food, not just heating things in microwaves like so many corporate chains. Carrabas does this better than most, because they don't shout at each other when they're prepping, cooking and popping plates onto the service counter. They are very well organized. This location has a low-ceiling, dark and dated feel, but is clean, comfortable and quiet, and that's 1/3 of the overall experience for us. The food is always out quickly, served with knowledge and care, and delicious. They are not a spaghetti and lasagna Italian restaurant. They are a creative Italian grill. We have returned three times since that chance evening this past summer, and we will continue to patronize this fine corporate eatery.
(4)
Jim H.
This is me and my wife's favorite restaurant. It's Italian food, but most definitely not your typical spaghetti and meatball place. Wonderful atmosphere with dimmed lighting and dark woods. And we have never had anything but spectacular service over the last 15 years we've been visiting this location. On occasion we will try a few new things on the menu, but more often than not we always come back to our favorites: Cozze In Bianco (mussels and wine appetizer), Spicy Sausage and Lentil soup, Caeser Salad, Spiedino de Mare, and Chicken Bryan. It gets no better than that! Sometimes we'll forgo the Cozze for an appetizer and request a Scotty Thompson instead (goat cheese, pomodoro sauce and crusty bread) . This is an appetizer they had on the menu many years ago but no longer do. Every time they've been happy to make it for us anyway. I simply cannot recommend a restaurant more.
(5)
Tiffany B.
While out on the west coast... I found this familiar place. The service was great! the food was great as always! My bartender was wonderful as well!
(4)
Jimmy S.
If you want to pay double Olive Garden prices for less than Olive Garden quality, then this is the place for you. Waited 30 minutes for a table when it was less than half full. I ordered seafood pasta and we smelled it from the kitchen and it tasted like a seafood market. I have had plenty of seafood meals and know how a good one should smell and taste. Chef Ramsay would have been very disappointed in the presentation as well, sloppy... The waitress was the saving grace and still received a good tip.
(1)
S H.
Super disappointed... had not been here in about a year. The menu has changed, and some of our favorite dishes were gone :( The replacements were not very good... a lot of it tasted like it was straight out of the can. Also, it's gotten far more expensive without improving the quality. To top it off, our server messed up our drink order, and besides a lukewarm apology did nothing to alter the bill. Probably won't go back!
(1)
Bob B.
We love going to Carrabas and have been more times than I care to remember. It's tasty and friendly. My wife loves the house salad dressing and we always get the chocolate dream dessert even if we don't have room. Just take it home and eat it later. I've tried most everything over the years and its all good. Favorites pollo rosa Maria and their steak Marsala. Plus I order calamari all the time wherever we go and I think that theirs is as good as even the expensive gourmet seafood places on the coasts. If you've never been try them out and if you didn't like what you ordered just get the chocolate dessert and all will be right with the world.
(5)
KJ P.
Good down home type Italian Food! Enough to satisfy vegetarian but not the focus of most dishes. Staff very attentive and helpful. Drinks were great!
(4)
cathy s.
Carabas Italian Restaurant was a great experience. The Chicken Marsala with garlic potatoes was perfect and I liked the fact that there were two sizes to choose from. The staff was friendly and quick I might add. The wait was short and I felt like I was really attended to. I will go here again when I am back in town
(4)
Troy G.
We ate here about 7 years ago and were disappointed with the food and price we paid for it. Never went back because of that experience We figured we'd give them one more shot before writing them off forever. We thoroughly enjoyed this meal. Fresh bread to start with a good combination of spices and quality olive oil. Ceasar salad was fresh and had great flavor. Chicken bryan was amazing. Could have used smaller slices of goat cheese since it had a tendancy to overpower at times, but that is probably just my preference. Will definitely be back sooner than our last hiatus with this place.
(3)
Kenneth B.
Another lame, nasty chain. Boiled to death pasta. Fetid shrimp. Frozen, tentacle-less calamari (so as not to offend). Hideous salads. Welcome to the TGI-Chili-Ruby Tuesdays of Italian food. Have a nice day! If Marcella Hazan died and went to hell, this is where the devil would get the poison to force feed her. The McTalian menu - dreamed up by corporate in Houston - has nothing to recommend, unless chef boy ar dee sugary red sauce is your thing.
(1)
Sibby S.
Ambiance: Attractive, yet generic cookie-cutter chain feel. Large, roomy bar area, where you also eat if your choose. Lots of tables, plus stool seating right at the kitchen counter. Soft music playing. Service: Hands down worst service I have had in over a year (and in over 125 yelp restaurant reviews). First off waiter came across as very schmaltzy, insincere and rehearsed. Sitting down with you when he takes your order -- this routine is old, and is off-putting, I don't like it. Although I am a fairly friendly person and enjoy some chit-chat with my waitperson, the waiter was trying too hard to be my "best friend". When my entree came, it was not delivered by the waiter, but by another waitress (I guess they tag-team). I am not kidding you, she rushed by my table at record speed (I think she was on her way to handle some escalation occurring at another table), and literally threw the entree on the table, and slid it across and hit me in the arm. (I was reading an article on my Iphone app and had no fore-warning of the incoming flying object heading my way.) No "enjoy your meal", "here you go", or anything. Not a word from her. After entree was finished, LONG wait for waiter to arrive with bill, despite the fact the place was not that busy on a Sunday afternoon around 3pm. First time in years I have stiffed a place with no tip. I should have complained to the manager about the service, but just didn't want to expend the energy necessary to do so. I did write a note on my bill, explaining why no tip was included (just leaving nothing would not have sent the message the service was bad, they would think I was just a cheapskate, which I am most certainly not.) Food: Not good folks. Salad was an iceberg-carrot mix with little else (no variety of salad greens). Very boring and almost taste-free. Pasta dishes are only a tad better than chef-boyarde. Pasta sauce (I had a tomato cream) was lacking flavor and spices. Very boring. Bread was decent, and the only saving grace of the meal. Overall, a rip off. Terrible service and unimaginative food (Italian this is not. It is not even good Italian-American food.) Also, this place is not cheap, which makes this whole experience even more disappointing, knowing there are several pretty good mom and pop Italian-American places in town that are really good, with inviting service (see some of my other reviews). This place does get a crowd (I guess the same people that are of the Red Lobster / Chili's / TGI Fridays ilk.) If you are a discerning diner, you can do much, much better than this place, and also save some dollars as well.
(1)
Sally C.
worse Italian food I have ever tasted, lasagna was burned and full of cinnamon, salad was not even cold, service slow, prices high, what good is there to say about this place ???
(1)
Aarron M.
This is the best you'll find when it comes to chains in the Springs for Italian food. I've only eaten at the North location, but they have another on the South end of town as well. The Caesar's are pretty good as are the mussels, and the menu, while limited, is always full of quality prepared dishes. This is the standard, Italian chain menu, with a couple of grilled items. When the wife and I are craving Italian, and I don't feel like cooking...this is where we go.
(4)
Melinda B.
Our waiter was AWESOME!!! He was really funny and we had him pick out our entire meal start to finish! No complaints, everything was sooooo delicious! I got the Chicken Bryan (chicken, goat cheese, and tommy-toes), my bf got the Pollo Rosa Maria (chicken breasts stuffed with cheese & italian bacon), and we got the Shrimp Scampi for appetizer. The bread is awesome also... very traditional European style (cruncy exterior, doughy interior... altogether scrumptious!). Honestly, between the food and the service, I don't know which was better!! And to think I had compared it with Macaroni Grill when I first walked in... PSH! :P
(5)
Mel H.
We came in and ordered the mussels, which were fantastic. We also ordered the pasta alfredo for dinner and that was good, it was about what you would expect for an italian chain. The desert we ordered was bland and a little mushy, it was a butter cake desert with bananas and strawberries (I don't recommend it). We have ordered the calamari here a few times, which we have always liked, with the garlic sauce. The service was also good. We will definately return.
(4)
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Address :7120 Campus Dr
Colorado Springs, CO, 80920
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Mel H.
We came in and ordered the mussels, which were fantastic. We also ordered the pasta alfredo for dinner and that was good, it was about what you would expect for an italian chain. The desert we ordered was bland and a little mushy, it was a butter cake desert with bananas and strawberries (I don't recommend it). We have ordered the calamari here a few times, which we have always liked, with the garlic sauce. The service was also good. We will definately return.
(4)Sibby S.
Ambiance: Attractive, yet generic cookie-cutter chain feel. Large, roomy bar area, where you also eat if your choose. Lots of tables, plus stool seating right at the kitchen counter. Soft music playing. Service: Hands down worst service I have had in over a year (and in over 125 yelp restaurant reviews). First off waiter came across as very schmaltzy, insincere and rehearsed. Sitting down with you when he takes your order -- this routine is old, and is off-putting, I don't like it. Although I am a fairly friendly person and enjoy some chit-chat with my waitperson, the waiter was trying too hard to be my "best friend". When my entree came, it was not delivered by the waiter, but by another waitress (I guess they tag-team). I am not kidding you, she rushed by my table at record speed (I think she was on her way to handle some escalation occurring at another table), and literally threw the entree on the table, and slid it across and hit me in the arm. (I was reading an article on my Iphone app and had no fore-warning of the incoming flying object heading my way.) No "enjoy your meal", "here you go", or anything. Not a word from her. After entree was finished, LONG wait for waiter to arrive with bill, despite the fact the place was not that busy on a Sunday afternoon around 3pm. First time in years I have stiffed a place with no tip. I should have complained to the manager about the service, but just didn't want to expend the energy necessary to do so. I did write a note on my bill, explaining why no tip was included (just leaving nothing would not have sent the message the service was bad, they would think I was just a cheapskate, which I am most certainly not.) Food: Not good folks. Salad was an iceberg-carrot mix with little else (no variety of salad greens). Very boring and almost taste-free. Pasta dishes are only a tad better than chef-boyarde. Pasta sauce (I had a tomato cream) was lacking flavor and spices. Very boring. Bread was decent, and the only saving grace of the meal. Overall, a rip off. Terrible service and unimaginative food (Italian this is not. It is not even good Italian-American food.) Also, this place is not cheap, which makes this whole experience even more disappointing, knowing there are several pretty good mom and pop Italian-American places in town that are really good, with inviting service (see some of my other reviews). This place does get a crowd (I guess the same people that are of the Red Lobster / Chili's / TGI Fridays ilk.) If you are a discerning diner, you can do much, much better than this place, and also save some dollars as well.
(1)Sally C.
worse Italian food I have ever tasted, lasagna was burned and full of cinnamon, salad was not even cold, service slow, prices high, what good is there to say about this place ???
(1)Aarron M.
This is the best you'll find when it comes to chains in the Springs for Italian food. I've only eaten at the North location, but they have another on the South end of town as well. The Caesar's are pretty good as are the mussels, and the menu, while limited, is always full of quality prepared dishes. This is the standard, Italian chain menu, with a couple of grilled items. When the wife and I are craving Italian, and I don't feel like cooking...this is where we go.
(4)Kamil E.
Great food, it's been almost 11 years since my last visit to this place and it's still good, good variety, they had few specials going on so we got calamari salads and soups plus the entrée. Loved it!!
(5)Tim E.
Carrabba's always satisfies. The food is more tasty than Olive Garden, and the prices are similar too. While Olive Garden offers bread stick and salad, Carrabbas offers unlimited fresh white bread /olive oil and the choice of soup and or salad with you entree, not unlimited. Unlike Olive Garden, Carrabbas' interior tends to be a little bit darker and has a more crowded feeling but is also more classy and edgy, more businessy than Oliver garden's family feel. There is always a rush at dinner time, make a reservation. I almost always get Chicken Parmesan. It's fantastic, crisply deep fried, marinara sauce and a slab of cooked mozzarella on top! It will leave you content. I pair it with minestrone soup, which is cabbage and bean heavy, that is good with cheese if you remember to ask for it. The waiters will pour fresh cheese on anything you want, so do it! The rest of the menu offers great traditional italian items, including steak and seafood fares. Order wine, order appetizers, enjoy dinner and have desert (if you can manage)!
(4)Jo E.
Dinner was good but service was slow! Restaurant was almost empty due to snow storm.... service should have been better. Enjoyed the atmosphere!
(3)Cecily A.
Let's just say, if I could eat here every night, I would. :) Chicken Marsala is the best in town, sirloin beef tips also amazing, good Caesar salads, homemade bread, and Tiramisu that makes you melt. Also love the peach sangria's! Staff attentive and informed.
(5)David C.
There's hope for Carraba's! This restaurant was a 2 star experience 8 months ago but things seem to be much better. People are on top of it android quality was great.
(4)Stephen K.
Very impressed for a chain. This isn't my first time here, but it probably was in about 5 years. My mom, me and a friend of mine went after she was released from the hospital. Mom had a Caesar salad with some shrimp, my friend had what looked like deep-fried ravioli and I had, surprisingly, lobster mac and cheese. Lobster M&C is one of those things, like sweet potato fries, monte cristos and udon noodle dishes, that I just *have* to try when I'm there. I only glancingly compare it to what I consider to be the lobster M&C gold standard in Denver in my to-date experience, at Corner Office. I have to admit, it was extremely good. The noodles were delicious and slightly chewy twisty cavatappi noodles - points for not making it standard elbow macaroni. The sauce was somewhat rich and thick, alas there was not enough of it for my liking - and more flavored as lobster than cheese. (I did, of course, let our server grate a bucketload of whatever cheese she had on top of my large bowl). There are a few cheeses mixed in with the sauce as well as the cavatappi, at least 2 or 3. Supposedly there is pancetta (Italian bacon) in there as well, but I only caught hints of flavor, not any serious pieces I saw. And the lobster, alas, was fairly skimpy. I would knock my experience down to 3 stars but the pasta and cheese was so good and the lobster sauce infused enough lobster flavor into the rest of the dish, I can overlook some obvious cost-cutting measures. Was fairly quiet and intimate, low music playing, a few tables filled - people should go out to dinner more often at 9pm. It might pay off. ;) Our server was attentive and we lacked for naught when we went there...very good effort indeed.
(4)Denise Phil A.
Great service but horrible, horrible food. Very expensive for a very unenjoyable experience. First and last time we will visit. Ordered 3 different dishes and each was absolutely awful. ( But the soup was delicious.) Fettucini Alfredo. .....how does an italuan restaurant mess that up? Well they did. Lobster mac n cheese.......made without cheese and cost $17. Just dont waste your time or money!
(1)Keebler F.
Had the tag something chicken. Gross. It turned me off Carrabbas for good. The pasta dish was swimming in tomato water. I asked the waitress about it and she said that it was from the 'fresh' tomatos. Those 'fresh' tomatoes were salty from hell. I hate when fresh tomatoes are salty. And there were slices of garlic in the dish. I have never had slices of garlic in a dish. Minced, or chopped, not sliced. Gross.
(1)Kendra M.
Pricey for the decent food. Bread was great, but I had the chicken fettuccine & it was bland. We had great service though. Alfredo was our server. And all the other staff were friendly. I won't go back because of the prices. I would if the food had knocked my socks off, but not the case.
(3)Matt O.
Last night was our first visit to Carrabba's and we were very impressed. The Pollo Rosa Maria was excellent! The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the restaurant was very clean. We will be back however, the higher prices will inhibit us from visiting frequently.
(4)Jo L.
Carrabba's is a pretty good chain. I've eaten here about nine times in the last three years and I've always had an enjoyable visit. I've never had any issues with the staff, ever. The hostess is always welcoming, the wait staff is always efficient. Admittedly, the food can be too salty. This is true of most chain restaurants. Other than the sodium level, the food is decent to pretty good. The dinner salad is pretty standard and the house dressing is decent as well. I generally order one of their chicken dishes, Marsala or Rosa Maria. Carrabba's has the option to order 1/2 portions. The last time I got a pasta dish, Mezzaluna. which is ravioli, stuffed with a variety of cheeses, chicken and spinach, in a tomato cream sauce. It was so-so and I don't see myself ever ordering it again. I should have stuck with my usual order. Another thing I order on almost every visit is a blackberry sangria which is poured over a few pieces of fruit. I go to Carrabba's when I want familiar food which will be prepared just how I remember, every time.
(4)Terry L.
We have been eating here since the late '90's and I have to say the food quality has gone down in the last few years. The portions are a lot smaller than before and the flavor has decreased somewhat. This used to be out favorite restaurant to go to but not anymore. The shrimp scampi has remained pretty much the same with good flavor. Tonight, the toasted bread that comes with it was sub-par. It was plain...toasted bread soaked in butter. It used to have seasoning on it. The fried cheese was not great either...I've had better from a box of frozen cheese sticks. The chicken Parmesan was pretty good but the fettucini was not very flavorful at all. I seldom go to Olive Garden because I really don't care for their menu items but that may change. Carrabba's needs to get back to what earned them their reputation before something really bad happens. The service is good though. The servers really do a nice job keeping up with what you need. There were eight of us there tonight and we really didn't have to beg for extra stuff. They make a great Shirley Temple though and they serve Aqua Panna in the bottle which reminds me of our Italy trip.
(3)Sunny Joy B.
FIRST IMPRESSION: The hostess during Sunday lunch was dressed like she pulled her tattered black clothing from a Goodwill donation tower. Almost lost my appetite. TWO MINUTES LATER: Mark the Server came to the rescue, providing extensive knowledge of the various menus, the kitchen, his personal notes on Carrabas, even his own stellar life ventures. He was a refreshing delight that re-ignited my tastebuds. LASTING IMPRESSION: My Step-Dad was satisfied with his birthday steak and dessert. That is all that mattered to me. Mark and the Carrabas staff went the distance to please my family and I.
(5)Derek B.
I remember carrabas being really good. Ordered the Johnny. Waited over 30 minutes to get it with the restaurant near empty, the steak was ice cold, chicken was burnt and tiny. If you're going to charge $20, don't present the plate looking as if it's empty. It wouldn't have been as obvious that they are ripping people off if they'd throw some veg on the plate to fill in the gaps. The server was really great, I just feel sorry that she had to bring that food out. I don't remember the last time I had to send a plate back or if I have at all, but I'd rather go hungry. Will not return.
(2)Greg A.
I was surprised because this place has good reviews and I'm not even that picky, but apparently , things have changed... We went to Carrabas to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday by her choosing. My girlfriend stated that she hadn't been to the restaurant in about a year, but remembers good experiences from eating there in the past. The overall ambiance of the restaurant is good; however, the server was dressed a little bit sloppy, with stained clothing. I think for what's supposed to be an upper class Italian restaurant, he could have been cleaned up a little better. The first thing... I ask the waiter, "Do you make good mojitos?" He said, "Yes." I said, "I mean, like, GOOOOD mojitos?" He said, "absolutely." So I ordered a Mojito. The "fancy" drinks are served in cheap water glasses. The mojito I ordered came in no different served up with a large piece of rotting mint. Half of the "fresh mint" in my drink was old and the other half was black and rotting. I alerted our waiter and he tells me, "I'll get you another." GGGGRREEEAAAAATTT. The waiter promptly brought out the replacement mojito and left the other one at the table - like I was going to actually drink it. The replacement was pretty good - but not for $7.50. First we ordered calamari, which was served nicely but the breading on the calamari was white, it looked freezer burned, but tasted okay. I ordered cheese manicotti and my girlfriend ordered lasagna. Both of the entrees were served up in what appeared to be unclean dishes. Both of the dishes appeared to have old burnt food all over them. My dish had dirty, greasy finger prints smeared all over the edges of the top. My girlfriend's plate was hot but the lasagna not. Her dish was slightly warm, mine was fine. Both of the meals tasted OK, what I mean by okay is - they tasted like a microwave meal, and I eat microwave meals, but I usually only pay $3.00 for one - not $16.00. My girlfriend asked me, "how's your food?" I told her it was fine because I didn't want to hurt her feelings, but then she said, "this isn't anything like it used to be, this food is disgusting." She apologized and I felt terrible, even though I paid for the meal, I wanted her to have a better birthday experience. There is no doubt in my mind - ALL THE FOOD WAS FROZEN!
(1)Anna H.
My family and I walked in Sat night and it was packed! Waiting time was 40-50 min. Normally we don't wait that much but it was ok because they feed people a piece of Italian bread. Yummy :) All of our foods were very very tasty and service was really great! I'm a fan of this place!! I wanna go back soon.
(4)Elena H.
The sangria is to die for! The food is always consistent. But tonight after the Air Force game, it was very busy. We decided to eat at the bar, thinking it would be faster...... It took 2.5 hours before we left. And they were out of crab cakes :(
(3)Mark D.
We were on our way home from Colorado Springs last night around 6:30 pm. We were pleasantly surprised that that there wasn't a long line to get in for dinner. We were seated right away. Our waitress was great and attentive to our needs... The food was great and overall experience very nice. Next time we are in Colorado Springs, we'll be sure to stop again!
(4)Sarah N.
I used to come here as a treat in my college days. Now that I'm more conscious of patronizing locally-owned restaurants and actually have make the money to go out more often, Carrabba's is no longer high on my list. However, last night my coworkers wanted to meet with us here, and since it was their turn to pick a restaurant, we obliged without too much complaint (even though I had suggested we hit up Spice Island Grill...). For what it is (a large corporate chain), they're pretty decent. Carrabba's bread is some of the best. Our soups and entrees last night were actually good. I added chicken to my entree Tag Pic Pac, and the slices were still tender, juicy, and imparted flavor to my pasta. We got the peach crostata dessert, and I was impressed. 4* on food. But service was very uneven, 2*. When we first sat down, our server came by often - too often. And we were essentially told we talked too much (because we weren't ordering quick enough). Our food was brought out by a different server, and not remembering what our entrees were supposed to look like, he mixed ALL of our dishes up. Luckily for us we figured out whose was whose before anyone took a bite, but still. Anyway, our main server would then disappear for long stretches. At least our waters and Cokes were kept topped off, but whenever we actually needed something, she moved too fast to catch her eye and it'd be a long time before we'd see her again. This was especially true when it came time to pay; when she finally came back to drop the bill off, to finally split the bill, to fix the mixed up bills, and to finally pick the cards up and return them to us... she did apologize but it was a LONG process. And of course, the trained attitude was very impersonal and corporate. Good enough, I guess, if you just want some generic Italian.
(3)Julian L.
Great food, great service! Everything was modestly portioned. It started with the beer, small, garden salad, very good & small. I ordered the Mezzaluna, tasted great, small. I'm not complaining, this is probably the size portions I should be eating. Overall worth the $$$. Don't want to spend the big bucks? Try the pizza
(5)Nicholaos B.
Place has kind of gone downhill. Their portions are seemingly smaller than from a few years ago and as for the quality, you'd be better off grilling some chicken at home. They stilll have some signature styles, e.g. chicken bryan, pollo rosa maria, but its really just OK and not worth the price for what you get.
(3)Davu Z.
If this is the Carabas off circle, Great place to eat. Nice atmosphere! Clean! I will return in the future.
(5)Nicole H.
Absolutely delicious! By far my favorite restaurant. The food is filling and tasty, definitely worth the price. The service does not compare to the food though.
(5)Jerry H.
We've wanted to try Carrabas for a long time, and this one has been open for years. It's in a really crappy, hard to reach location, so you really have to be intentional about patronizing them. So one afternoon we're watching a recorded program on the tube, and on comes a commercial for Carrabas. That was all it took, we succumbed to their marketing, and are we ever glad we did. Most of the time I like restaurants with open-display kitchens. It gives me a lot of confidence that the kitchen is clean and that they're really cooking food, not just heating things in microwaves like so many corporate chains. Carrabas does this better than most, because they don't shout at each other when they're prepping, cooking and popping plates onto the service counter. They are very well organized. This location has a low-ceiling, dark and dated feel, but is clean, comfortable and quiet, and that's 1/3 of the overall experience for us. The food is always out quickly, served with knowledge and care, and delicious. They are not a spaghetti and lasagna Italian restaurant. They are a creative Italian grill. We have returned three times since that chance evening this past summer, and we will continue to patronize this fine corporate eatery.
(4)Jim H.
This is me and my wife's favorite restaurant. It's Italian food, but most definitely not your typical spaghetti and meatball place. Wonderful atmosphere with dimmed lighting and dark woods. And we have never had anything but spectacular service over the last 15 years we've been visiting this location. On occasion we will try a few new things on the menu, but more often than not we always come back to our favorites: Cozze In Bianco (mussels and wine appetizer), Spicy Sausage and Lentil soup, Caeser Salad, Spiedino de Mare, and Chicken Bryan. It gets no better than that! Sometimes we'll forgo the Cozze for an appetizer and request a Scotty Thompson instead (goat cheese, pomodoro sauce and crusty bread) . This is an appetizer they had on the menu many years ago but no longer do. Every time they've been happy to make it for us anyway. I simply cannot recommend a restaurant more.
(5)Tiffany B.
While out on the west coast... I found this familiar place. The service was great! the food was great as always! My bartender was wonderful as well!
(4)Jimmy S.
If you want to pay double Olive Garden prices for less than Olive Garden quality, then this is the place for you. Waited 30 minutes for a table when it was less than half full. I ordered seafood pasta and we smelled it from the kitchen and it tasted like a seafood market. I have had plenty of seafood meals and know how a good one should smell and taste. Chef Ramsay would have been very disappointed in the presentation as well, sloppy... The waitress was the saving grace and still received a good tip.
(1)S H.
Super disappointed... had not been here in about a year. The menu has changed, and some of our favorite dishes were gone :( The replacements were not very good... a lot of it tasted like it was straight out of the can. Also, it's gotten far more expensive without improving the quality. To top it off, our server messed up our drink order, and besides a lukewarm apology did nothing to alter the bill. Probably won't go back!
(1)Bob B.
We love going to Carrabas and have been more times than I care to remember. It's tasty and friendly. My wife loves the house salad dressing and we always get the chocolate dream dessert even if we don't have room. Just take it home and eat it later. I've tried most everything over the years and its all good. Favorites pollo rosa Maria and their steak Marsala. Plus I order calamari all the time wherever we go and I think that theirs is as good as even the expensive gourmet seafood places on the coasts. If you've never been try them out and if you didn't like what you ordered just get the chocolate dessert and all will be right with the world.
(5)KJ P.
Good down home type Italian Food! Enough to satisfy vegetarian but not the focus of most dishes. Staff very attentive and helpful. Drinks were great!
(4)cathy s.
Carabas Italian Restaurant was a great experience. The Chicken Marsala with garlic potatoes was perfect and I liked the fact that there were two sizes to choose from. The staff was friendly and quick I might add. The wait was short and I felt like I was really attended to. I will go here again when I am back in town
(4)Troy G.
We ate here about 7 years ago and were disappointed with the food and price we paid for it. Never went back because of that experience We figured we'd give them one more shot before writing them off forever. We thoroughly enjoyed this meal. Fresh bread to start with a good combination of spices and quality olive oil. Ceasar salad was fresh and had great flavor. Chicken bryan was amazing. Could have used smaller slices of goat cheese since it had a tendancy to overpower at times, but that is probably just my preference. Will definitely be back sooner than our last hiatus with this place.
(3)Kenneth B.
Another lame, nasty chain. Boiled to death pasta. Fetid shrimp. Frozen, tentacle-less calamari (so as not to offend). Hideous salads. Welcome to the TGI-Chili-Ruby Tuesdays of Italian food. Have a nice day! If Marcella Hazan died and went to hell, this is where the devil would get the poison to force feed her. The McTalian menu - dreamed up by corporate in Houston - has nothing to recommend, unless chef boy ar dee sugary red sauce is your thing.
(1)Melinda B.
Our waiter was AWESOME!!! He was really funny and we had him pick out our entire meal start to finish! No complaints, everything was sooooo delicious! I got the Chicken Bryan (chicken, goat cheese, and tommy-toes), my bf got the Pollo Rosa Maria (chicken breasts stuffed with cheese & italian bacon), and we got the Shrimp Scampi for appetizer. The bread is awesome also... very traditional European style (cruncy exterior, doughy interior... altogether scrumptious!). Honestly, between the food and the service, I don't know which was better!! And to think I had compared it with Macaroni Grill when I first walked in... PSH! :P
(5)Joe B.
It's official the changes to the food on the new menu is definitely not for the better. I only come for the Polo Rosa Maria and they have changed it. Ask before you order your favorite it may not be like you remember
(1)S B.
We always have fantastic food & service!!! Highly recommend Shrimp & Scampi Spiedino & Chicken or Veal Marsala. We order Caesar salad & fettuccine which are both great. Entire staff operates like a well oiled machine. Appreciate the managers asking about our experience!
(5)Rich S.
Interesting visit. The dining room was full, so we sat at the bar. Dinner rush. One bartender. He addressed us almost immediately and did a good job of up selling/ suggesting a wine at happy hour prices. He was clearly very busy and a little wait was to be expected. When he came to take the order, I experienced something very new: mid sentence, he left to address another customer on the other side of the bar. No "excuse me" or "I'll be right back", just walked away. Kinda tells me that I don't matter. He returned to take the order with no comment. We ordered dinner, and I ordered a side of the prosciutto-wrapped shrimp. He thought I was ordering the entree. Once I corrected him, he had a hard time getting the order into the POS. It took a little effort to get salt/pepper and drink refills. Dinner was served and they brought just a side of the regular shrimp. Another server, who delivered the meal, saw the error and placed a corrected order. Unfortunately, it didn't come until I was done with the meal. Now the good part: the veal Marsala was heavenly, tender, delicious. The new shrimp order was just as yummy. The ravioli was cooked just right and tasted great. The bartender, without prompting, took the shrimp off the bill. Despite the service snafu, the meal was good and we will be back.
(4)Jo E.
Dinner was good but service was slow! Restaurant was almost empty due to snow storm.... service should have been better. Enjoyed the atmosphere!
(3)Cecily A.
Let's just say, if I could eat here every night, I would. :) Chicken Marsala is the best in town, sirloin beef tips also amazing, good Caesar salads, homemade bread, and Tiramisu that makes you melt. Also love the peach sangria's! Staff attentive and informed.
(5)David C.
There's hope for Carraba's! This restaurant was a 2 star experience 8 months ago but things seem to be much better. People are on top of it android quality was great.
(4)Rich S.
Interesting visit. The dining room was full, so we sat at the bar. Dinner rush. One bartender. He addressed us almost immediately and did a good job of up selling/ suggesting a wine at happy hour prices. He was clearly very busy and a little wait was to be expected. When he came to take the order, I experienced something very new: mid sentence, he left to address another customer on the other side of the bar. No "excuse me" or "I'll be right back", just walked away. Kinda tells me that I don't matter. He returned to take the order with no comment. We ordered dinner, and I ordered a side of the prosciutto-wrapped shrimp. He thought I was ordering the entree. Once I corrected him, he had a hard time getting the order into the POS. It took a little effort to get salt/pepper and drink refills. Dinner was served and they brought just a side of the regular shrimp. Another server, who delivered the meal, saw the error and placed a corrected order. Unfortunately, it didn't come until I was done with the meal. Now the good part: the veal Marsala was heavenly, tender, delicious. The new shrimp order was just as yummy. The ravioli was cooked just right and tasted great. The bartender, without prompting, took the shrimp off the bill. Despite the service snafu, the meal was good and we will be back.
(4)Kamil E.
Great food, it's been almost 11 years since my last visit to this place and it's still good, good variety, they had few specials going on so we got calamari salads and soups plus the entrée. Loved it!!
(5)Tim E.
Carrabba's always satisfies. The food is more tasty than Olive Garden, and the prices are similar too. While Olive Garden offers bread stick and salad, Carrabbas offers unlimited fresh white bread /olive oil and the choice of soup and or salad with you entree, not unlimited. Unlike Olive Garden, Carrabbas' interior tends to be a little bit darker and has a more crowded feeling but is also more classy and edgy, more businessy than Oliver garden's family feel. There is always a rush at dinner time, make a reservation. I almost always get Chicken Parmesan. It's fantastic, crisply deep fried, marinara sauce and a slab of cooked mozzarella on top! It will leave you content. I pair it with minestrone soup, which is cabbage and bean heavy, that is good with cheese if you remember to ask for it. The waiters will pour fresh cheese on anything you want, so do it! The rest of the menu offers great traditional italian items, including steak and seafood fares. Order wine, order appetizers, enjoy dinner and have desert (if you can manage)!
(4)Stephen K.
Very impressed for a chain. This isn't my first time here, but it probably was in about 5 years. My mom, me and a friend of mine went after she was released from the hospital. Mom had a Caesar salad with some shrimp, my friend had what looked like deep-fried ravioli and I had, surprisingly, lobster mac and cheese. Lobster M&C is one of those things, like sweet potato fries, monte cristos and udon noodle dishes, that I just *have* to try when I'm there. I only glancingly compare it to what I consider to be the lobster M&C gold standard in Denver in my to-date experience, at Corner Office. I have to admit, it was extremely good. The noodles were delicious and slightly chewy twisty cavatappi noodles - points for not making it standard elbow macaroni. The sauce was somewhat rich and thick, alas there was not enough of it for my liking - and more flavored as lobster than cheese. (I did, of course, let our server grate a bucketload of whatever cheese she had on top of my large bowl). There are a few cheeses mixed in with the sauce as well as the cavatappi, at least 2 or 3. Supposedly there is pancetta (Italian bacon) in there as well, but I only caught hints of flavor, not any serious pieces I saw. And the lobster, alas, was fairly skimpy. I would knock my experience down to 3 stars but the pasta and cheese was so good and the lobster sauce infused enough lobster flavor into the rest of the dish, I can overlook some obvious cost-cutting measures. Was fairly quiet and intimate, low music playing, a few tables filled - people should go out to dinner more often at 9pm. It might pay off. ;) Our server was attentive and we lacked for naught when we went there...very good effort indeed.
(4)Denise Phil A.
Great service but horrible, horrible food. Very expensive for a very unenjoyable experience. First and last time we will visit. Ordered 3 different dishes and each was absolutely awful. ( But the soup was delicious.) Fettucini Alfredo. .....how does an italuan restaurant mess that up? Well they did. Lobster mac n cheese.......made without cheese and cost $17. Just dont waste your time or money!
(1)Keebler F.
Had the tag something chicken. Gross. It turned me off Carrabbas for good. The pasta dish was swimming in tomato water. I asked the waitress about it and she said that it was from the 'fresh' tomatos. Those 'fresh' tomatoes were salty from hell. I hate when fresh tomatoes are salty. And there were slices of garlic in the dish. I have never had slices of garlic in a dish. Minced, or chopped, not sliced. Gross.
(1)Kendra M.
Pricey for the decent food. Bread was great, but I had the chicken fettuccine & it was bland. We had great service though. Alfredo was our server. And all the other staff were friendly. I won't go back because of the prices. I would if the food had knocked my socks off, but not the case.
(3)Matt O.
Last night was our first visit to Carrabba's and we were very impressed. The Pollo Rosa Maria was excellent! The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the restaurant was very clean. We will be back however, the higher prices will inhibit us from visiting frequently.
(4)Joe B.
It's official the changes to the food on the new menu is definitely not for the better. I only come for the Polo Rosa Maria and they have changed it. Ask before you order your favorite it may not be like you remember
(1)S B.
We always have fantastic food & service!!! Highly recommend Shrimp & Scampi Spiedino & Chicken or Veal Marsala. We order Caesar salad & fettuccine which are both great. Entire staff operates like a well oiled machine. Appreciate the managers asking about our experience!
(5)Jo L.
Carrabba's is a pretty good chain. I've eaten here about nine times in the last three years and I've always had an enjoyable visit. I've never had any issues with the staff, ever. The hostess is always welcoming, the wait staff is always efficient. Admittedly, the food can be too salty. This is true of most chain restaurants. Other than the sodium level, the food is decent to pretty good. The dinner salad is pretty standard and the house dressing is decent as well. I generally order one of their chicken dishes, Marsala or Rosa Maria. Carrabba's has the option to order 1/2 portions. The last time I got a pasta dish, Mezzaluna. which is ravioli, stuffed with a variety of cheeses, chicken and spinach, in a tomato cream sauce. It was so-so and I don't see myself ever ordering it again. I should have stuck with my usual order. Another thing I order on almost every visit is a blackberry sangria which is poured over a few pieces of fruit. I go to Carrabba's when I want familiar food which will be prepared just how I remember, every time.
(4)Terry L.
We have been eating here since the late '90's and I have to say the food quality has gone down in the last few years. The portions are a lot smaller than before and the flavor has decreased somewhat. This used to be out favorite restaurant to go to but not anymore. The shrimp scampi has remained pretty much the same with good flavor. Tonight, the toasted bread that comes with it was sub-par. It was plain...toasted bread soaked in butter. It used to have seasoning on it. The fried cheese was not great either...I've had better from a box of frozen cheese sticks. The chicken Parmesan was pretty good but the fettucini was not very flavorful at all. I seldom go to Olive Garden because I really don't care for their menu items but that may change. Carrabba's needs to get back to what earned them their reputation before something really bad happens. The service is good though. The servers really do a nice job keeping up with what you need. There were eight of us there tonight and we really didn't have to beg for extra stuff. They make a great Shirley Temple though and they serve Aqua Panna in the bottle which reminds me of our Italy trip.
(3)Sunny Joy B.
FIRST IMPRESSION: The hostess during Sunday lunch was dressed like she pulled her tattered black clothing from a Goodwill donation tower. Almost lost my appetite. TWO MINUTES LATER: Mark the Server came to the rescue, providing extensive knowledge of the various menus, the kitchen, his personal notes on Carrabas, even his own stellar life ventures. He was a refreshing delight that re-ignited my tastebuds. LASTING IMPRESSION: My Step-Dad was satisfied with his birthday steak and dessert. That is all that mattered to me. Mark and the Carrabas staff went the distance to please my family and I.
(5)Greg A.
I was surprised because this place has good reviews and I'm not even that picky, but apparently , things have changed... We went to Carrabas to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday by her choosing. My girlfriend stated that she hadn't been to the restaurant in about a year, but remembers good experiences from eating there in the past. The overall ambiance of the restaurant is good; however, the server was dressed a little bit sloppy, with stained clothing. I think for what's supposed to be an upper class Italian restaurant, he could have been cleaned up a little better. The first thing... I ask the waiter, "Do you make good mojitos?" He said, "Yes." I said, "I mean, like, GOOOOD mojitos?" He said, "absolutely." So I ordered a Mojito. The "fancy" drinks are served in cheap water glasses. The mojito I ordered came in no different served up with a large piece of rotting mint. Half of the "fresh mint" in my drink was old and the other half was black and rotting. I alerted our waiter and he tells me, "I'll get you another." GGGGRREEEAAAAATTT. The waiter promptly brought out the replacement mojito and left the other one at the table - like I was going to actually drink it. The replacement was pretty good - but not for $7.50. First we ordered calamari, which was served nicely but the breading on the calamari was white, it looked freezer burned, but tasted okay. I ordered cheese manicotti and my girlfriend ordered lasagna. Both of the entrees were served up in what appeared to be unclean dishes. Both of the dishes appeared to have old burnt food all over them. My dish had dirty, greasy finger prints smeared all over the edges of the top. My girlfriend's plate was hot but the lasagna not. Her dish was slightly warm, mine was fine. Both of the meals tasted OK, what I mean by okay is - they tasted like a microwave meal, and I eat microwave meals, but I usually only pay $3.00 for one - not $16.00. My girlfriend asked me, "how's your food?" I told her it was fine because I didn't want to hurt her feelings, but then she said, "this isn't anything like it used to be, this food is disgusting." She apologized and I felt terrible, even though I paid for the meal, I wanted her to have a better birthday experience. There is no doubt in my mind - ALL THE FOOD WAS FROZEN!
(1)Anna H.
My family and I walked in Sat night and it was packed! Waiting time was 40-50 min. Normally we don't wait that much but it was ok because they feed people a piece of Italian bread. Yummy :) All of our foods were very very tasty and service was really great! I'm a fan of this place!! I wanna go back soon.
(4)Elena H.
The sangria is to die for! The food is always consistent. But tonight after the Air Force game, it was very busy. We decided to eat at the bar, thinking it would be faster...... It took 2.5 hours before we left. And they were out of crab cakes :(
(3)Mark D.
We were on our way home from Colorado Springs last night around 6:30 pm. We were pleasantly surprised that that there wasn't a long line to get in for dinner. We were seated right away. Our waitress was great and attentive to our needs... The food was great and overall experience very nice. Next time we are in Colorado Springs, we'll be sure to stop again!
(4)Sarah N.
I used to come here as a treat in my college days. Now that I'm more conscious of patronizing locally-owned restaurants and actually have make the money to go out more often, Carrabba's is no longer high on my list. However, last night my coworkers wanted to meet with us here, and since it was their turn to pick a restaurant, we obliged without too much complaint (even though I had suggested we hit up Spice Island Grill...). For what it is (a large corporate chain), they're pretty decent. Carrabba's bread is some of the best. Our soups and entrees last night were actually good. I added chicken to my entree Tag Pic Pac, and the slices were still tender, juicy, and imparted flavor to my pasta. We got the peach crostata dessert, and I was impressed. 4* on food. But service was very uneven, 2*. When we first sat down, our server came by often - too often. And we were essentially told we talked too much (because we weren't ordering quick enough). Our food was brought out by a different server, and not remembering what our entrees were supposed to look like, he mixed ALL of our dishes up. Luckily for us we figured out whose was whose before anyone took a bite, but still. Anyway, our main server would then disappear for long stretches. At least our waters and Cokes were kept topped off, but whenever we actually needed something, she moved too fast to catch her eye and it'd be a long time before we'd see her again. This was especially true when it came time to pay; when she finally came back to drop the bill off, to finally split the bill, to fix the mixed up bills, and to finally pick the cards up and return them to us... she did apologize but it was a LONG process. And of course, the trained attitude was very impersonal and corporate. Good enough, I guess, if you just want some generic Italian.
(3)Julian L.
Great food, great service! Everything was modestly portioned. It started with the beer, small, garden salad, very good & small. I ordered the Mezzaluna, tasted great, small. I'm not complaining, this is probably the size portions I should be eating. Overall worth the $$$. Don't want to spend the big bucks? Try the pizza
(5)Nicholaos B.
Place has kind of gone downhill. Their portions are seemingly smaller than from a few years ago and as for the quality, you'd be better off grilling some chicken at home. They stilll have some signature styles, e.g. chicken bryan, pollo rosa maria, but its really just OK and not worth the price for what you get.
(3)Davu Z.
If this is the Carabas off circle, Great place to eat. Nice atmosphere! Clean! I will return in the future.
(5)Nicole H.
Absolutely delicious! By far my favorite restaurant. The food is filling and tasty, definitely worth the price. The service does not compare to the food though.
(5)Derek B.
I remember carrabas being really good. Ordered the Johnny. Waited over 30 minutes to get it with the restaurant near empty, the steak was ice cold, chicken was burnt and tiny. If you're going to charge $20, don't present the plate looking as if it's empty. It wouldn't have been as obvious that they are ripping people off if they'd throw some veg on the plate to fill in the gaps. The server was really great, I just feel sorry that she had to bring that food out. I don't remember the last time I had to send a plate back or if I have at all, but I'd rather go hungry. Will not return.
(2)Jerry H.
We've wanted to try Carrabas for a long time, and this one has been open for years. It's in a really crappy, hard to reach location, so you really have to be intentional about patronizing them. So one afternoon we're watching a recorded program on the tube, and on comes a commercial for Carrabas. That was all it took, we succumbed to their marketing, and are we ever glad we did. Most of the time I like restaurants with open-display kitchens. It gives me a lot of confidence that the kitchen is clean and that they're really cooking food, not just heating things in microwaves like so many corporate chains. Carrabas does this better than most, because they don't shout at each other when they're prepping, cooking and popping plates onto the service counter. They are very well organized. This location has a low-ceiling, dark and dated feel, but is clean, comfortable and quiet, and that's 1/3 of the overall experience for us. The food is always out quickly, served with knowledge and care, and delicious. They are not a spaghetti and lasagna Italian restaurant. They are a creative Italian grill. We have returned three times since that chance evening this past summer, and we will continue to patronize this fine corporate eatery.
(4)Jim H.
This is me and my wife's favorite restaurant. It's Italian food, but most definitely not your typical spaghetti and meatball place. Wonderful atmosphere with dimmed lighting and dark woods. And we have never had anything but spectacular service over the last 15 years we've been visiting this location. On occasion we will try a few new things on the menu, but more often than not we always come back to our favorites: Cozze In Bianco (mussels and wine appetizer), Spicy Sausage and Lentil soup, Caeser Salad, Spiedino de Mare, and Chicken Bryan. It gets no better than that! Sometimes we'll forgo the Cozze for an appetizer and request a Scotty Thompson instead (goat cheese, pomodoro sauce and crusty bread) . This is an appetizer they had on the menu many years ago but no longer do. Every time they've been happy to make it for us anyway. I simply cannot recommend a restaurant more.
(5)Tiffany B.
While out on the west coast... I found this familiar place. The service was great! the food was great as always! My bartender was wonderful as well!
(4)Jimmy S.
If you want to pay double Olive Garden prices for less than Olive Garden quality, then this is the place for you. Waited 30 minutes for a table when it was less than half full. I ordered seafood pasta and we smelled it from the kitchen and it tasted like a seafood market. I have had plenty of seafood meals and know how a good one should smell and taste. Chef Ramsay would have been very disappointed in the presentation as well, sloppy... The waitress was the saving grace and still received a good tip.
(1)S H.
Super disappointed... had not been here in about a year. The menu has changed, and some of our favorite dishes were gone :( The replacements were not very good... a lot of it tasted like it was straight out of the can. Also, it's gotten far more expensive without improving the quality. To top it off, our server messed up our drink order, and besides a lukewarm apology did nothing to alter the bill. Probably won't go back!
(1)Bob B.
We love going to Carrabas and have been more times than I care to remember. It's tasty and friendly. My wife loves the house salad dressing and we always get the chocolate dream dessert even if we don't have room. Just take it home and eat it later. I've tried most everything over the years and its all good. Favorites pollo rosa Maria and their steak Marsala. Plus I order calamari all the time wherever we go and I think that theirs is as good as even the expensive gourmet seafood places on the coasts. If you've never been try them out and if you didn't like what you ordered just get the chocolate dessert and all will be right with the world.
(5)KJ P.
Good down home type Italian Food! Enough to satisfy vegetarian but not the focus of most dishes. Staff very attentive and helpful. Drinks were great!
(4)cathy s.
Carabas Italian Restaurant was a great experience. The Chicken Marsala with garlic potatoes was perfect and I liked the fact that there were two sizes to choose from. The staff was friendly and quick I might add. The wait was short and I felt like I was really attended to. I will go here again when I am back in town
(4)Troy G.
We ate here about 7 years ago and were disappointed with the food and price we paid for it. Never went back because of that experience We figured we'd give them one more shot before writing them off forever. We thoroughly enjoyed this meal. Fresh bread to start with a good combination of spices and quality olive oil. Ceasar salad was fresh and had great flavor. Chicken bryan was amazing. Could have used smaller slices of goat cheese since it had a tendancy to overpower at times, but that is probably just my preference. Will definitely be back sooner than our last hiatus with this place.
(3)Kenneth B.
Another lame, nasty chain. Boiled to death pasta. Fetid shrimp. Frozen, tentacle-less calamari (so as not to offend). Hideous salads. Welcome to the TGI-Chili-Ruby Tuesdays of Italian food. Have a nice day! If Marcella Hazan died and went to hell, this is where the devil would get the poison to force feed her. The McTalian menu - dreamed up by corporate in Houston - has nothing to recommend, unless chef boy ar dee sugary red sauce is your thing.
(1)Sibby S.
Ambiance: Attractive, yet generic cookie-cutter chain feel. Large, roomy bar area, where you also eat if your choose. Lots of tables, plus stool seating right at the kitchen counter. Soft music playing. Service: Hands down worst service I have had in over a year (and in over 125 yelp restaurant reviews). First off waiter came across as very schmaltzy, insincere and rehearsed. Sitting down with you when he takes your order -- this routine is old, and is off-putting, I don't like it. Although I am a fairly friendly person and enjoy some chit-chat with my waitperson, the waiter was trying too hard to be my "best friend". When my entree came, it was not delivered by the waiter, but by another waitress (I guess they tag-team). I am not kidding you, she rushed by my table at record speed (I think she was on her way to handle some escalation occurring at another table), and literally threw the entree on the table, and slid it across and hit me in the arm. (I was reading an article on my Iphone app and had no fore-warning of the incoming flying object heading my way.) No "enjoy your meal", "here you go", or anything. Not a word from her. After entree was finished, LONG wait for waiter to arrive with bill, despite the fact the place was not that busy on a Sunday afternoon around 3pm. First time in years I have stiffed a place with no tip. I should have complained to the manager about the service, but just didn't want to expend the energy necessary to do so. I did write a note on my bill, explaining why no tip was included (just leaving nothing would not have sent the message the service was bad, they would think I was just a cheapskate, which I am most certainly not.) Food: Not good folks. Salad was an iceberg-carrot mix with little else (no variety of salad greens). Very boring and almost taste-free. Pasta dishes are only a tad better than chef-boyarde. Pasta sauce (I had a tomato cream) was lacking flavor and spices. Very boring. Bread was decent, and the only saving grace of the meal. Overall, a rip off. Terrible service and unimaginative food (Italian this is not. It is not even good Italian-American food.) Also, this place is not cheap, which makes this whole experience even more disappointing, knowing there are several pretty good mom and pop Italian-American places in town that are really good, with inviting service (see some of my other reviews). This place does get a crowd (I guess the same people that are of the Red Lobster / Chili's / TGI Fridays ilk.) If you are a discerning diner, you can do much, much better than this place, and also save some dollars as well.
(1)Sally C.
worse Italian food I have ever tasted, lasagna was burned and full of cinnamon, salad was not even cold, service slow, prices high, what good is there to say about this place ???
(1)Aarron M.
This is the best you'll find when it comes to chains in the Springs for Italian food. I've only eaten at the North location, but they have another on the South end of town as well. The Caesar's are pretty good as are the mussels, and the menu, while limited, is always full of quality prepared dishes. This is the standard, Italian chain menu, with a couple of grilled items. When the wife and I are craving Italian, and I don't feel like cooking...this is where we go.
(4)Melinda B.
Our waiter was AWESOME!!! He was really funny and we had him pick out our entire meal start to finish! No complaints, everything was sooooo delicious! I got the Chicken Bryan (chicken, goat cheese, and tommy-toes), my bf got the Pollo Rosa Maria (chicken breasts stuffed with cheese & italian bacon), and we got the Shrimp Scampi for appetizer. The bread is awesome also... very traditional European style (cruncy exterior, doughy interior... altogether scrumptious!). Honestly, between the food and the service, I don't know which was better!! And to think I had compared it with Macaroni Grill when I first walked in... PSH! :P
(5)Mel H.
We came in and ordered the mussels, which were fantastic. We also ordered the pasta alfredo for dinner and that was good, it was about what you would expect for an italian chain. The desert we ordered was bland and a little mushy, it was a butter cake desert with bananas and strawberries (I don't recommend it). We have ordered the calamari here a few times, which we have always liked, with the garlic sauce. The service was also good. We will definately return.
(4)