The hostess was garbage, lost track of our reservation, and even gave it to someone else. Then told us that we would get the next table that opened. We stood there next to her, and she still called 4 other parties in ahead of us... WTF? The portions were worth the price, but between the hostess, and the waitress who spent more time laughing with the table behind us, than providing any service to us, it ruined this outing at this particular restaurant or us.
(3)
Bklyn M.
they just started serving linguine in white clam sauce(or red), one of my favorite pasta dishes, i went yesterday and had it. for a chain restaurant it was pretty good. right amount of garlic, plenty of clams, could use a little more sauce/juice. i hope they put this on their regular menu.
(4)
Kriste K.
Buca has been around for a long time And had Always been fantastic! They've got Italian down to a science! Awesome atmosphere, great staff! Love it!
(5)
Tim Y.
Amazing food and atmosphere. Portions are great for sharing several dishes among a group or to have leftovers for the next day. A little pricey but very tasty. Pleasant, helpful staff.
(4)
Daniel B. O.
Great place for family style food! Like their Shrimp Diavolo and stuffed mushrooms. Their Tiramisu is good too. However, the place decor is horrible. I understand they wanted to make it look Italian but some of the pictures on the walls are disgusting.
(3)
Jace S.
This is a fun restaurant. If you are a food-snob and are looking for gourmet Italian food at inflated prices, you won't find it here; but if you want high-volume, commercial Italian, this comes with a lot more. I admit I'm an Italian food junkie and will always gravitate to an Italian restaurant over all else; that not withstanding, Buca is a fun destination and always tops my list for "special occasions". Part of the charm is the energy of the Wait Staff. They are fun, smile easily, they want you to have a good time, yet they are relaxed while hustling to make sure everything is perfect; they are strive to be readily available so that each time you look up (to see if your waiter is there), they are! They don't hover or rush you but yet make sure you have everything you need in a fun way. Clearly they have an incredible training program for new-hires, AND they look for high energy folks who aren't pretending - but rather are genuine. Probably their # 1 strength. I would hire 90% of them for my company if I could! The food: It's fun. If you want $60 a plate NYC fine Italian dining, this isn't the place for you - and leave your attitude in NY btw. If you want a high energy, fun decor with huge portions, reasonable prices, fun wait staff, and good food - this is your place too. A few of my family members say: "The portions are too large". Duh, they are family size and they happily box up if you want "to go" the left overs. Great value. Lots of fun. Good food. High energy and not the right choice if you are looking for a "quiet business lunch to review last quarters revenues." Load up the car, bring the in-laws and that one maiden aunt we all seem to have, and drag on down to Davie. Capture the Buca moment in photos, you'll look back at them and smile. After reading my own review, I upgraded from 4 stars to a 5 stars. They work SUPER hard and they deserve 5 stars. Bravo Buca.
(5)
Lisa A.
What more can you ask for when you leave a restaurant stuffed and laughing? Not much! This place has got it down pat. From the kitchy decor to the warm, fried mozzarella. I went here with a large group of (15) people. They did an excellent job of getting our food out in a timely manner and keeping our drinks full. The staff was amazing! We had a lot of fun here and will definitly return.
(5)
Kerry M.
Love Buca. Have been to multiple locations and always happy. But want to give a warning to those dining at the Davie location. Our waitress Ashley offered us bread when we sat down and asked plain or garlic. We opted for garlic bread only to realize when the check came, the garlic bread was $7! She was so non-chalant about it and even after bringing the bread, continued to push us to order appetizers, acting as if the bread wasn't one. You'd think bread at an Italian restaurant would come with the meal. Guess not. When Ashley asks you if you want bread, make sure you get plain if you don't want to pay.
(3)
JJ S.
Ordered take out for ten. Great from ordering to consumption. Taste and Portions were good and every enjoyed. I would do that again anytime.
(4)
Mrr R.
Loved the atmosphere - beautiful layout, the carpet and pictures on the wall reminded me of a place we had gone to in Turin Italy - and the food was great too. Service was good/OK, but in their defense it was a busy Saturday night - will revisit/re-review again for those huge plates of quality pasta.
(4)
Arleen C.
Went here last night with another couple and their son. When we arrived the place was pretty busy and the hostess greeted us with a huge smile and a great attitude. She said it would be about 10 mins. and she was just about right. They walked us thru the kitchen (awesome view of food!) to our booth in the back of the restaurant. We had TODD as our WONDERFUL waiter and he immediately took our drink order and our antipasto salad order. The portions, as previously mentioned, are HUGE and totally DELICIOUS!!! since our friends said we were eating there I had been craving the Antipasto Salad and, let me tell you, it was no disappointment. The salad has tons of ingredients with its lettuce, red onions, salami, olives, cheese and so many other ingredients it's just YUMMY!!! We shared the Lasagna that is was OMG DELISH and the chicken cacciatore which was good too. We were extremely stuffed but Todd described the desserts so nicely and he said that the cheesecake was his favorite and the tiramisu his second favorite, that we had to order one of each and share. And he was so right....mmmmmmmm...awesome!!! The perfect place for an easy evening out with friends with great food and EXCELLENT SERVICE.
(4)
Crystal M.
I love Bucas. I used to go here at least a few times a year when in high school just for fun, but haven't been back in a long long time. We went around 8 pm on a Saturday night. We were a party of four, and the wait was 1 hour and 15 minutes. I put our names down and wandered over to Walgreens. Came back in an hour, and we were seated right on time. The thing about Bucas is you come here for the ambiance. There is alot o hustle and bustle, a lot of noise, birthdays, families, and crazy photos on the walls. It's fun to be here! But the food prices are very high, for what it is, so be prepared for that. Let the waitress know if it's your first time there, and they will fill you in on how the place goes. A fun thing they do is lead you through the actual kitchen where they work as part of a tour. There is even a table in there you can reserve. The restaurant is separated into 7 or so mini rooms. The best is the pope room, right in the center, which is a large circle table you have to reserve with a big ol pope head smack dab in the center of your table. This place is all family style, you order large or small portions of the food (small serves 2-3, large 4-6) and share with the table. We sat down and ordered a margharita pizza for an appetizer (large: 18.99), and split a small pesto prosciutto chicken ($22), small garlic mashed potatoes ($7), large past assortment ($30), and a small lasagna ($15). For dessert we got the italian lemon and raspberry cake. The pizza is insanely good. Thin crust, sweet chunky sauce, fresh mozzerella. This is the only reason I even like margharita pizza. Worth it. HUGE too. The main dishes were decent, nothing spectacular or worth what they charge. The pasta sampler is fun for groups so you can try a little of everything (canneloni, manicotti, stuffed shells, ravioli). The lasagna wasn't anything special. Mom really liked the chicken. It's cooked very well and the dish was beautiful. The desserts are insanely large. They should be split. Worth it, in my opinion. Overall, the bill, with tax and tip, was $140 for 4 people with 4 small take home boxes. 5 for ambiance and fun. 3.5 for food. 2 for value. I'm coming back but maybe in another year.
(3)
Ron N.
I think we will be cutting back our visits to Buca and this one in particular. We had an unfortunate experience 7/14/11 that may have cost you a customer for a while. One of our favorite experiences in your place is sitting in the kitchen table. My 7 year old son loves it so much that we often reserve it specifically when we dine. Such was the case on July 14th, so we delayed our dinner to accommodate the reservation. A mistake was made and they gave the table to other guests just before we arrived. I can understand that mistakes happen and don't expect them to move other guests. However what REALLY UPSET us was the response from the reservation staff and the manager. The hostess was very blase about the mistake, and I had to request the manager come out to talk. The manager Jack was equally unmoved by our disappointment and was magnanimous enough to offer us another table. I explained how we specifically drove down there an hour later just to sit at that table. Jack said "sorry, what can I do". I asked his name, shook his hand, and told him I would let you guys know about it. We left the restaurant and won't be back for a long time, if at all. It's too bad that 10 years of loyalty is rewarded with blank stares.
(1)
Jodi C.
Typical generic chain food with no flavor & slow service.
(2)
Daniel S.
Overpriced Olive Garden, not worth it.
(1)
Kevin G.
The food was just ok. The eggplant was burnt and the waitstaff arent nice. nasty.
(1)
Stan P.
The spicy chicken rigatoni is absolutely amazing The atmosphere is very traditional & family oriented, very welcoming Definitely coming back here to try every dish.
(5)
Samantha P.
Upon entering the restaurant, my husband and I were excited. Great decor, nice girls greeted us at the door. It was Sat night and we only waited for 15 minutes. The hostess walked us through the kitchen and explained a few things about the restaurant which we thought was very cool. We were seated in a room and were greeted by a waitress, who said she was working with another waiter as well. We ordered ice waters with lemon, she brought back just waters and said shed be right back with lemon, she didnt come back with the lemon....ever. The other waiter brought us bread and a saucer for olive oil but didn't pour us any...I asked for some lemons and he brought us a bunch of lemons loaded and I mean loaded with seeds. The female waitress finally came back, no mention of the lemons she left to get. We ordered....45 mins later we got our food....we did not see either waiter once during that time, no drink refills, no I'm sorrys, nothing. When our food finally came, it was bland, and boring. Thank god we had a coupon for $20 off because paying for that crappy food full price would have been horrible. So the female waitress makes another appearance and we immediately ask for boxes and our check....she says ok, would you like coffee, cappuccino, dessert.....seriously? We want our check! We just asked for it! Remember? Probably not! So she comes back with one box, we asked for 2 and she said she would go get another and amend the check with our coupon....another 15 minutes......the male waiter comes and says there's something wrong with the computer....just a minute...uh huh....so we ask him for another box because she's obviously gone...he brings us the box and our check and my husband immediately puts the card in a gives it to him before he can leave...on his way he stops to sing happy birthday....my husband was like "seriously man"? We never saw the female waitress again after she left with our check promising to return with the other box.....Horrible experience and we had high hopes. Now I did see the other waiters busting their butts making their tables happy but our 2 were complete crap. Food, eh, no big deal at all...prices are nuts! To give you an idea...a side of green beans $8.99 I didn't complain to the manager because my husband is anti complain...so here's my way to complain.
(1)
Amy B.
You know, for a chain restaurant, they've sure nailed it. The decor is a little over the top but it keeps you entertained as you're sitting there at your old school red and white checkered table cloth. The waiter was very friendly and was accommodating that we had a baby with us. We ordered the cheesy garlic bread which is ooey-gooey-garlicky overload. I could eat boat loads of this stuff! We also ordered the prosciutto stuffed chicken that was a breaded breast of chicken stuffed with prosciutto and cheese on a bed of pesto crean topped with tomato sauce. It was cooked perfectly. The outside was crispy and the sauces really complimented the whole dish. We also had the rigatoni with sausage and ricotta. It was a very large portion and we brought a lot home. The sausage was sliced very thinly into the sauce and the rigatoni was perfectly al dente with giant balls of ricotta through out. I would be back here whether it's with a large group or just a couple of us. This place would be great for either. BTW.. their house chianti is quite good!
(4)
Wayne B.
This place is awful. Was invited here for a birthday party. If you like medicore Italian this place is for you !
(1)
Laura G.
Awww I love this place. Its fantastic for large groups if you can come to terms on what to share. My first experience with Buca is that of many other Miamians, we saw it somewhere out of state. For me, my first bite of Buca was in Washington D.C., I went with my school so had no choice on what to order, but they accommodated my tastes and brought me a small plate of pasta just for me! ^^ I've been a fan since. Their food is consistently good and the staff is always friendly. For my friend Vicky's birthday we went with a group of about 7 people and determining what to eat seemed almost impossible, however, we finally agreed. Everything was yummy and very affordable. There was a group of Asian gals next to us, one of their birthdays as well, after they sang happy birthday to my friend they came to our table and offered us a piece of their cake. We were amazed. I think it's safe to say only friendly people come into Buca, and I appreciate that. Very recommended. It is not fine dining, but it is good with good company.
(4)
Jen D.
The antithesis of fine Italian dining. I don't enjoy giving bad reviews but I think people should know what kind of restaurant this is: minus 3 stars kind of restaurant. Truly sloppy American food.
(1)
Santee W.
Food is tasty. Gorgonzola salad is the best. Great place to have large groups.
(3)
Mike B.
My wife and I dined here for the first time this weekend. We're huge fans now. Lively atmosphere, great food, and great service. An ALMOST flawless experience... PROS: - Prior to seating us, the Maître d' gave us a brief tour of the place including their kitchen. Awesome. I have an enormous respect for a place that is comfortable showing their kitchen; no tricks. - Our waiter was friendly and attentive. He also scheduled our orders so that they came out at the perfect time. - Large food portions. Items are divided in the small and large dishes; all of which are intended to be shared between guests. - Absolutely delicious salads... - Beers are huge -- smallest they come in is 14 OZ. - Plenty of space (especially booths). NEUTRAL: - The place can get really noisy. it didn't really bother us but I can see how it could get annoying. CONS: - None. TIPS: - Get there early if you can. We arrived around 5:30 and had virtually no wait. - Keep in mind that dishes are shared; dining parties may not necessarily agree on all things.
(4)
Brittany M.
Mamma mia! This is some awesome Italian cuisine. This is a family style restaurant where the dishes are prepared in 1-2 or 3-4 person serving options. You get a tour of the kitchen and a little background of the restaurant on the way to your table, and the walls are decorated with everything Italian. Awesome to look at while you are waiting for your food to arrive. The garlic bread and mozzarella sticks are awesome and the chicken parmesan is the bomb! This is definitely the place for a happy tummy!
(4)
Beth E.
I have been to the Buca restaurant in Pittsburgh on several occasions and have always enjoyed my meal, so with wanting to stay close to my hotel, while also seeking out "comfort food," I headed to Carb Heaven. This restaurant is large, almost maze-like. Upon being seated, my server took me through the kitchen area (there is a booth in the kitchen if you want to be THAT close to the action). At first, there were only a few patrons, but as I was leaving, the restaurant started to fill up. Jason, my server, was fantastic! Very attentive and very friendly. This is not necessarily the type of restaurant that a solo diner would come to, unless you have not eaten for days, where you can "have at it." The portions are large, marketed to be family-style, so this is a great place for large groups and families. I had the ravilios ($13.95), and Jason was able to pursuade the kitchen to make me the "lunch" size portion of the Apple/Gorgonzola salad. Even still, there was plenty for 2+ people. My raviolis were very good. Just what I was looking for... A great place to spend time with family and friends! This also seems like a great location for a "date night."
(4)
Sunny N.
It was a really cool fun place. The decor was great a bunch of stuff all over the place. Definately destracts from the time u wait for your food. The pope room is a must see-I wanna go back just to bring my mom to eat with the pope's head in the middle of the table :) I went with the bf and his bff and we had fun. It was loud as heck in there and the wait for food is a no no but the food was awesome. The pizza was thin as paper LITERALY paper. I'm from Chicago and we eat out pizza on dough not air, but I must say that sauce was soooooooo amazing-it was the best marinara sauce I had in my life-I swear! Mmmmmmm Great place Great decor Great food Great price Even the bathrooms are greatly decorated!
(4)
Natalia P.
This is a family place! The portions are huge. I went with a group of 6 friends and we split a chicken Parmesan, fettuccine Alfredo and an Apple Gorgonzola salad with food left over. The food is always amazing and the restaurant has a really nice environment.
(5)
Hans S.
Not impressed. Called in a to go order 18 mins before closing and server told me no more orders. Guess they don't want more biz. Spoke to supervisor and manager who did nothing. promised a call back - still waiting now for over a month.
(1)
Fern B.
I was at this restaurant last Sunday to celebrate my brother in law's b-day. Actually the look is very nice, environment is excellent and food comes with great taste and portion. The reason I'm giving 3 stars is because the waiter didn't advise how big the family portions would be. We were 8 people in total, so we decide to ask for family size plates so everyone could get a portion of each plate, we also agree to split the chech evenly, at the end, we all ended eating like 25% of the total amount of food was brought. The waiter was just writing orders with a single warning that the amount of food might be too much. After almost $300.oo check, we came out taking about it and laughing one to each other about how naive we were. What else could we do?
(3)
isaac l.
The food here is a JOKE! Terrible! The "Tuscany Bean Soup" was watery with a few white beans. Better buy a can of Campbells. Fettuchine Alfredo had a thin, watery sauce. We returned it and got back (after a wait) a better rendition, but FAR from the creamy masterpiece this is supposed to be. The "improved" version was closer to school cafeteria food. Lasagne was to gag over. Overcooked, over salted with a tasteless sauce. Almost no filling. A mushy mouthful of salted, soft pasta. Waiter told me they make neither the noodles nor the "Italian" bread, which was soft, commercial and unsatisfying. Guess they depend on the tourists -- the decor is oppressively kitsch, with hundreds of cliched, stereotyped photographs you get tired of staring at. Do yourself a favor. STAY AWAY.
(1)
Gina B.
If you're never been to one of the Buca's then you are missing out. They have great family-style entrees that are made for sharing. Everything is filing, glutenous, and retardedly good. Their lemon chicken is delicious. Everything on the menu is good, it really doesn't matter what you order. Come in a large group and order a few things, the waitors will help you determine how much to order. This place is great for a kids birthday. They make a big deal and the place itself is just loud and tons of fun. If you have a big group they will let you sit in the Pope's room which is a big room with a large table and a lazy susan in the middle with a pope's head on it. I didn't really get it at first but I think they are trying to recreat something cheesy like your grandma would have in her actual dining room. My grandma didn't have a pope's head but she did have lots of crusifixes in weird places and stuff like that so I guess that's what they are going for. Anyways, if you think the food is good wait until you get to the deserts. Yummmy. Also, take a trip to the bathroom even if you don't have to. Talk about weird and cheesy. That place is histerical. I can't even imagine what they have in the boys. Bottom line: good Italian food.
(4)
Mick M.
This is another classic Italian food chain, but I must admit it's a good one. They have all kind favorite dishes that the American people know as "classic Italian". The decoration is really nice as well. We were a party of 15 people and since their portions a really big, we shared all. The pizza is really good, the fried calamari appetizer is a little oily but good and the pasta goos as well. You must remember that portions are big, even the "small ones" so don't order what you're not going to eat, even when you will take the doggy bag home. The only bad thing is that meat or chicken dishes (chicken parmigiana or the veal picatta) don't come with any side so you have to order it making the combination a little expensive. Also, service in busy days seems to be slow and disorganized, but for the quality of the food and the amount of the bill (really affordable since a dish is shared by 2 or 3 people) you may want to overlook that and with a little patience, enjoy this Italian "alla Americana" restaurant.
(4)
K M.
Went for dinner on Sunday eve, HUGE mistake.... The food was good, the rest sucked. There were litterally 16 kids at one table and the kept screaming as if Justin Beaver was in concert. Our server kept getting everything wrong and overall it sucked.
(2)
Debbie H.
After a morning at the Aveda Institute, my mom and I were ready for a nice big glass of wine and satisfying meal! I did my usual research a head of time to have choices to bring to my mom and of course family style italian at Bucca Di Peppo was the answer. This was my very first visit to this location though I have visited one in Chicago years ago. Seeing as how it was the days after new years, the wine selection was a bit on the low - bunch of alcoholics in Davie, Eh? You'd think there was something to celebrate about Italian styleee in what used to be not much more than a horse town. We settled on a glass since bottles were scarce. It was all so comical and our waiter was the conductor at such a cute little lunch between mother and daughter!!! The themed chain restaurant is everything you would hope it would be. Carefully placed statues out front with fake bouquets of flowers accenting the front windows when you approach the entrance will either make you feel right at home, laugh hysterically or feel as if you are entering a funeral parlor. The tables are outfitted in picnic table patterns and you get a tour of the kitchen. You know you can trust what's going on when they let you into the gates of heaven! We started off with their Chopped Anitpasto Salad and fresh bread. Every element of what makes a good salad to me was an ingredient in this salad. It could have ended there and I would have left satisfied - crap wine and all!!! We next shared (family style - come hungry) the penne with meatballs. I am italian and have a hard time ordering this basic dish out but every now and then I take the plunge especially at places that are family style (ref: Carmines in NYC). Their sauce was pleasantly not sweet or thick. It had the right amount of oil and the tomatoes were smooth. The meatballs are big and good, not excellent or "to die for" but arguably worth ordering again. In review, the waiter in the bar area was excellent, the food was just right and the ambiance was themed and camp but perfect for our afternoon!
(3)
Athena L.
If I could give this place negative stars I would. We were in Sunrise/Plantation for a recent concert, before going I attempted to find somewhere fantastic via Yelp for dinner the only find which suited everyone's tastes was not open on Monday which happened to be the night we were in town. Someone in the group saw Buca and couldn't stop talking about their calamari so we figured what the heck it couldn't be terrible if he liked it. Well we were all wrong. The service was the worst and the food was not any better. To start we ordered a pitcher of Sangria, a beer, and a captain/coke (which the server had to go investigate if they even stocked rum in their bar let alone captain??!!) The server brought the sangria and the captain/coke and walked away. Awhile later as she was walking by to help another table we flagged her down to find the missing beer. She said she didn't hear him order it and went to the bar coming back with a coors light in place of the mich ultra ordered (if they don't carry the ultra at least ask what the person wanted in place of it) As anyone who has eaten there knows the portions are outrageous so we ordered an antipasto for the girls to share and the guys ordered a seafood trio and chicken parm. The seafood trio came out as calamari, stuffed mushrooms, and fried mozzerella; not a trio of seafood at all. When we told the server it was incorrect she proceeded to argue that it was the buca trio that we ordered which everyone at the table clearly heard him order seafood and he himself pointed at the image while ordering. She argued the point never offering to take it back as it was her mistake she didn't even apologize. At this point the chicken parm had not come up and we waited another 7 minutes before she walked by and had to ask where it was. Like I had mentioned previous we were on our way to a concert so the whole disaster just didn't allow us the time to speak to a manager we just placed the cash for the bill and left. But had it been a different situation we would have sent everything delivered to the table back to the kitchen. We ended up spending another 40$ at the hotel afterward b/c nobody enjoyed their 100$ dinner at Buca. In the land of chain restaurants steer clear of this one!!
(1)
Boris B.
Heard about it recently, decided to go today. They have a very unique menu in which you can have a typical appetizer followed by entree and desert, but they give you the option of each meal coming in either a small portion or a large portion. The small portions are actually big enough to feed 2-3 people (depending) while the large portions are actually big enough to serve 4-5 people. They actually suggested that we share portions....so me and my girlfriend shared a Baked Ziti small portion and not only was it so convenient, it tasted great! I tend to eat Baked Ziti at school events and it often comes up lacking enough cheese. Meanwhile the other two people in our party including my sister enjoyed a whole platter f calamari, fried mozzerella and more, and they were fully satisfied. I was so impressed with the way the portions are that yes, I'm a fan and will return with my gf to share a small portion of chicken parmiagiana and another small portion of speghetti. Message for my fellow Italian lovers, stop just setting for Maggianos and Olive Garden, check this place out! Get a large portion and take what you don't finish home! Now I will say that I went there during a very dead part of the day, so while the service was great and the atmosphere was event better, they offer a lot for parties and birthdays, so maybe at nights its a different story. O and I agree, make sure you tell them it's your first time, and walking through the kitchen is something special I've never experienced in any other restaurant ever. Yes, I'm a fan!
(4)
Janessa A.
I love this place, besides olive garden, its a winner!! The setting has a bunch of frames on the wall of funny pics, it feels like your in the dining room of one big italian family. The food comes in either small or large sizes, small feeds two up to 3 depending on your appetite and large feeds four-5. The garlic bread and cheesy garlic bread is fabulous, very ooey,gooey, and yummy. The lasagna is fabulous very good and I am very picky with lasagna. The sauce is very sweet, you can taste the real tomatoes, not a store bought tomato sauce. The eggplant parm, is very good, also the chicken with lemon and capers is supposed to be excellent. Theyre dessert menu looks fantastic have to go back to try. Great atmosphere for party or get together.
(5)
Darrell B.
This is an Americanized Italian restaurant in the style of the old Mama Leones in New York City. While a few of the dishes I had there were good, the rest were definatively unimpressive. The marinara sauce was rather bland, as was the raviolli. The antipasto salad was iceburg lettuce and I did not notice any salamis in it. The spicy chicken rigatoni again lacked flavor and any sense of being spicy. On the plus side the calamari and the veal saltimbocca were quite food and nicely flavored, but they proved to be the exceptions in an otherwise bland meal overall. The decoration follows that old theme and is rather kitchy trying to be cute. They even have a room decorated with pictures of the pope right down to a bad plaster bust of a pope under plastic in the center of the table. It was quite busy on the night I went, and finding parking was another challenge. There were several parties (being Christmas time) going on around us so the noise level at times was very very high, but that may have been the exception rather then the norm. Service at the table was quite attentive and good. We did not have to wait for our server, she was attentive, checking in frequently and taking very good care of us. The greeter was not as good. I was part of a medium sized party and it took some discussion before she could figure out where I was supposed to be. She did not have a list with names and was trying to do it from memory and failing. If you want chain style Americanized Italian that will not offend anyone, this is a place to go. If you want real Italian food, look elsewhere.
(2)
Krista L.
I enjoy the restaurant ambience.. Looove the decor and the food portions is plentiful. Bread is yummy and service is excellent! LOVE BUCA!
(5)
Lynn G.
Buca di Beppo is my new favorite Italian place. They've ruined me for Olive Garden. Anyway, we always have great service and great food. I joined their e-mail list and don't regret it for once, they send coupons frequently which is great and makes them more affordable. My favorite dish so far is the Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken. The bread is okay, not great- so I suggest asking for a small dish of Alfredo, Marinara or Pesto Cream Sauce to dip it in. For dessert, I love their double chocolate cake.
(5)
Tati N.
I absolutely love this place, and like every Buca I've been to (this one, one in Orlando and one somewhere in Los Angeles, CA), the experience has been nothing short of wonderful. None of the pasta dishes have ever been bad to me, and I've tried plenty, but my favorites are the shrimp fra diavolo and the chicken canneloni. My parents love the chicken marsala. Everyone LOVES the tiramisu, which is completely soaked in rum and coffee, to the point of fighting for it - even though the dessert comes family sized like everything else on the menu. You can get individual portions if you want, but why would you if sharing the food is half the fun and allows you to pick and choose from a wider variety? Your table suddenly becomes your own family buffet table and the more people you bring, the better! I truly love this place and usually come here for special occasions when my family comes over to visit.
(5)
Tamela S.
This review is for a take out order. We wanted to try Buca di Beppo for a long time out of curiosity. As for the restaurant, it looks like a nice place for a group function. There's a lot of things to look at even in the waiting area. So there's that. Now, onto the food. We ordered some appetizers, garlic bread and Chicken Marsala, which I usually devour, and it's loaded with protein, a must for my diet. Mushrooms are also very good for me because my diet requires more Vitamin D along with the protein. So, we were looking forward to this meal, as we hadn't had Chicken Marsala in awhile. The appetizers were the combination, stuffed mushrooms, fried mozzarella, and fried calamari. I try not to waste too many calories on this kind of stuff, but occasionally, I can't help myself. These, however, were just okay, and I was easily able to control myself. The garlic bread was also just okay. I don't think any of these were bad, mind you. They were just okay. I thought, that was great actually because I had more room for the protein! Then on to the star of the show, the Chicken Marsala. Wow. What a disappointment. I have been trying to figure out how they ruined this. Was it frozen and microwaved? I don't know. The chicken texture was even strange. Was it even real chicken? I just never tasted anything quite like that. The sauce was super sweet, which normally I like, but this was beyond sweet. I struggled with it. The mushrooms seemed okay though. The rest was just awful. Hubby wasn't happy either, and he is not nearly as picky as I am. Normally, we try other things on the menu if we don't like the first thing we try. However, for the money we spent, that's not another bet we will be taking.
(2)
Leighton D.
I don't know, maybe this may be a little harsh, but I felt this BdB was "average" when compared to other locations in the brand. The portion sizes are huge, and great for sharing as long as more than one person wants the same thing. They have a lot of good deals that can really add value. For me, what sets locations apart are service and timeliness. Both weren't bad, but weren't great. Ordered the cheesy garlic bread as an appetizer, but it arrived after our entree...that's a big #fail for me. When it DID arrive, it was just bland, and so was the entree... like I said, not bad, but just average. As far as service.. The service was pleasant but slow. Nothing really good or bad to write about. Good place to take the family or friends for casual dining... but not a bucket list item.
(3)
Athena C.
I absolutely love this place!! Food is great and service is great. No complaints here
(5)
Michael S.
This place makes me so happy. Maybe it's the friendly service. Maybe it's sharing large portions with family and friends. Maybe is the great food and awesome decor. You can't go wrong here and you won't go home on an empty stomach. Everything I've had here, I've loved. I suggesr bringing a bunch of people and and coming hungry. Chicken parm is my favorite, along with, calamari and pizza. Make reservations, this place gets packed. Once you try it, you'll keep coming.
(4)
Doreen R.
The place is really cute. The food was good and the service was great.
(4)
Joy L.
I have been to this Buca di Beppo many times and every one of them has been a fantastic experience. From the management down, the service is phenomenal- smiles and professionalism are exuded from everyone that works there. This place is great for romantic dinners as well as for large parties. Because of how this place is set up, they separate guests depending on their size. So if you come as just a duo on a date, you will not be seated next to a party of 20 for a birthday. I think that this is ingenious! The most recent time was last night for my dad's birthday. Even with 2 babies under the age of 2- everything was fantastic! The waitress was all smiles and they even found some bottled water (which they do not sell) for me to make a bottle for the baby (since I forgot my own). All of the food was very very good, but I was amazed by the desert. I have only seen something similar at Jaxson's- This was a HUGE goblet- martini glass filled with ice cream, brownies, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. This was for 8 people. My favorite celebration at Buca tp date was my Bridal shower. We called ahead and I contacted the manager Rob, who assisted me with creating a menu for my guests. We set a date, a time, and since the party was over 50 people we chose the Passion Room. We were able to bring in our own cake for the occasion. We chose the Classico dinner package and added a carafe of sangria for each table. All of my guests complimented on the food and the atmosphere. There was plenty of room for everyone to walk around the room and mingle. The ladies could get up and out of their chairs freely to use the restroom or move from table to table to visit with other guests. All the wait staff for the party were fantastic. It was a memorable time, and I am extremely happy that we chose Buca.
(5)
Aimee T.
Our waiter Alex was absolutely phenomenal!!! He was attentive, friendly, and genuinely happy. Best service I've had in a long time! Thank you!
(5)
D H.
Used to go to this location often but not anymore. Went this past week for a birthday celebration. What a disappointment. Food is not like is used to be. Overpriced and nothing special. Started with a large house salad, which now is about the size of the small one in the past. I commented on the size of the bowl and the server said, "things aren't like they used to be." You could barely tell there was dressing on the salad. Also ordered chicken parmesan, which came burnt and with barely any sauce on it and baked ziti, also with barely any sauce on it. We asked for additional marinara sauce and never got it. The ziti looked like it had been sitting around for a while before coming to our table. We had requested they sing to the birthday person. Nothing, until I finally wrote on the bill they gave me that we were expecting them to sing as this person had never been to Buca. And this location no longer gives you slice of cake for birthdays. Called the manager and he was too busy closing for the night. Said he would call the next day. It's been 4 days now and still no call.
(2)
Willie G.
Wow you get the bang for your bucks !! All portions are huge and at a great price! Food is amazing so is service! Definitely coming back
(5)
Gabriella S.
They are the first REAL italian-food Italian restaurant I've been to. Not in the pretentious way either. I mean "RE italian-food" as in what you would have for dinner if your from-Italy Italian grandmother (or in my case, my grandmothers brother-in-law) were cooking. I ordered the Sassy Strawberry cream soda which I was hesitant about, only because I always seem to have bad luck ordering anything to drink that isn't just a coke. It was delicious! I thought it'd be too sweet and end up filing me up in between the food, but I actually think the right level of sweetness kept me FROM feeling full. After the warm and wonderful bread, our "small" orders of Quattro al forno and Baked ziti arrived. Both huge. The quatro could easily have fed 2 people, and the ziti would have served three quite hungry people. You know it's the real deal when the food doesn't purely smell and taste of garlic, onions and black pepper. We also ordered the prosciutto stuffed chicken, but I won't rate that entree since we ordered it "to go" and I have yet to taste it. For dessert, we shared the Italian cream cake. It was so dense in a perfect spongey way, as well as flavored with what I'm guessing was lemon zest rather than a flat out lemon cake or a cake batter that has clearly had lemon extract added to it. The cream filling wasn't overwhelming either, which made it even harder to will ourselves to only eat half of this SIX layered cake. I saw the table next to ours order a "small" lasagna, and it too looked as good as it was BIG. As was the enormous sundae served in a giant martini glass (and evidently mostly ordered as a birthday surprise for an entire table to share). Great food, great shareable portions and great prices.
(5)
Laura R.
The hype about this place is totally real! Came here friday night for dinner and this place exceed my expectations. We ordered the proscutto and cheese stuffed chicken, fried mozzarella, stuffed shells. All were amazing, and all of this was enough for three people to share! The drink I ordered was not strong at ALL, you would think that for $13 it would be at least a little strong... but it wasn't. Service was great, the food took a little too long to come out but when it did, it was evidently worth the wait. Totally coming back to this place!
(5)
Jeff D.
6 of us at Buca Saturday Night. They were on a wait so we went to the bar and Lori was FANTASTIC! She is a WONDERFUL bartender...overflowing with personality, wit & charm. Completely engaging, entertaining, knowledgeable & an apparent work horse of a bartender who only knows 1 speed...LIGHT SPEED! The only way she could possibly take care of guests & wait staff quicker would be to put her on roller skates. VERY impressive! Our waitress was Heather. She had a very huge party also to take care of and she did a good job with us. She was friendly & attentive and we were very happy with her. We were NOT happy with the kitchen's timing though. For some reason, after a LONG wait...our cheese bread, appetizer pizza and the entrees all came out together. It was disappointing to wait so long for cheese bread & pizza...but when the food FINALY came, it was all incredibly delicious. The manager removed the pizza from our bill to make amends, which was very fair & appreciated. Once again, we'll definitely be back, and we are going to call ahead & make sure Lori is working :-)
(4)
Joel G.
Busca de horrible! Had reservation for four adults to kids and a baby, was given a circle booth which would not work to our senior citizens! Moved to table/booth next to us which was even worse. Huge party of 15 to 20 people in room, extremely loud and because of large party room was hot as hell! Air conditioner was not working correct per front staff. Food was ok but waited for service too long. Waitress was great but atmosphere sucked. Also had a scare in parking lot, drunk or high man approached me and my baby outside preparing a bottle, scared me to death! Dark parking lot high security risk! Ended up having dessert to go, because 10 month old as well as All at table were sweaty and miserable. Will never ever go back to this hell hole!
(1)
Jordan L.
Buca di beppo was really good, the food is amazing, and I love the large portions!
(5)
Sharry V.
Omg...what an incredible meal. It was a meal fit for royalty. I love Italian food and nothing beats Buca di Beppo. We ate in the kitchen which is always a wonderful experience. We started out with delicious mozzarella Caprese. Then we had Chicken Parmigiana, Penne ala Vodka and fettuccine Alfredo. If that wasn't enough we also had broccoli with garlic and oil and tasted yummy hot sausages. To top off the meal we ended with a brownie hot fudge sundae. What a feast and the service was superb too. As always eating at Buca di Beppo is a foodies dream come true.
(5)
Mia Z.
I actualy love this chain! But every time i comme here there is sonething! They just dont care about there costumers!!point blank!! I will never comme back here just horrible...
(1)
Patrick M.
Decent enough for italian.
(3)
Harvey D.
Wow! What a difference the location makes. I had eaten at another Bucca a couple of times and had awful service and ordinary (at best) food. I pretty much vowed to not go back. However, after trying to come up with dinner plans on a Wednesday night, my wife and I decided to give this Bucca a shot. (We had a coupon which made the decision a little easier.) The restaurant was fairly empty although we were seated in the same room as a big party so their bill in itself was satisfactory revenue for the night. The hostess took us on a tour of the kitchen on the way to our table which was kind of cool. They do have a chef's table where you can watch them preparing the food since you are sitting right there. Something to maybe try in the future.... Our waiter was really friendly and made us feel that he wanted us to have a great experience that night. We decided to start with the caesar salad and then move onto the macaroni rosa and spaghetti with meatballs. Everything was really good and the service was great. He refilled our drinks in a timely fashion and cleared away dirty dishes as necessary. This place is kinid of expensive in the sense that you are going to pay between $20-$30/dish; however, you do get a of food and I even made three meals out of it. I was very impressed with this restaurant and the other location I ate at needs to send someone here to watch and learn. And take notes.... This is not the kind of place I can eat at all the time because it's a little on the expensive side; however, once in a while isn't so bad. I can definitely see myself returning if I am in the mood for Italian and don't mind having leftovers.
(4)
Yvette R.
We recently visited Buca di Beppo during a our stay in Florida. Loved the fact that they bring you through the kitchen so you can see the different food stations. We made a reservation and were seated quickly. Our waiter was extremely polite and attentive and took our drink order promptly. He also brought a bread basket with dipping oil (balsamic/olive oil). The bread was cold and stale which was surprising since we had seen the bread station during our trip through the kitchen and they appeared fresh. He replaced the bread with another bread basket that was fresh and warm. We ordered three small orders for the our group of 3. The portions were large and could easily feed 3. When the dishes were delivered we had a mishap with a water glass which partially fell into the plate containing stuffed chicken breasts. This is where it went downhill, the food runner (not our waiter) indicated that he could take the plate back and remove the water and add fresh sauce or we could wait 25 minutes for them to deliver a new plate. Neither was acceptable but we chose to have them remove the water from the plate and add fresh sauce which was a mistake since the chicken was watery. We told our waiter who apparently didn't know what to do so we flagged down the manager. He was appalled at how the situation was handled and offered us a complimentary dessert which was amazing (brownie sundae). All and all not bad for a chain.
(3)
Alexander P.
The service was good, both friendly and attentive. The prices are a bit high, but for the price you get a ton of food! Between myself and two friends, we ordered a pizza and a pasta dish, and had more than enough. We actually had enough for left overs! The food quality was also pretty good, nothing out of this world, but better than most casual Italian restaurants I've been to. Last but not least, the environment was clean, from the bathroom to the table. Would I go here again? Sure! Would I come here frequently? No. The prices are what separate this place from most casual restaurants, in my opinion. P.S. The place has a lot of personality. In my opinion, it's kinda like museum and Italian restaurant had a baby. Lol
(4)
Andy V.
Started off well...In a nutshell it was bad. I normally don't like to berate places but the service was bad. Food was as to be expected, good. Service was bad. Quite literally all the tables in our section were visually irritated including us and the server was apologizing profusely. I mean this guy, as well in tensioned as he was, probably received a master's in apologetics. He ended up leaving and had someone else come in to take over the area. She was great. But at the point the fun was over and the 5 of us had a dining experience that couldn't be salvaged overall. Without asking, the manager comped the entire meal and even the chianti. Didn't expect that at all. The new server was so good that we ended up tipping her $50 cash. I won't go there again. I'd rather go support a small mom n pop Italian joint any and everytime.
(2)
Erin A.
I'd like to take this opportunity to give an extra thank you to the chef, Felton. We ordered the veal marsala (among other things) and it was not to our personal liking. Felton came out to our table personally, and not only apologized (although he had done nothing wrong), but he accommodated my dietary restrictions and altered a dish so that I could enjoy it. Being a Friday night, it was greatly appreciated, and we will certainly return. You have a very classy employee in Felton, and I hope you don't take him for granted. Thank you, again!
(4)
Michael S.
Not any near as horrible as the time I ate in a Buca di Beppo in Daytona Beach. being a chain, the interiors were similar if not exactly the same. Cute, sort of like an Italian grandmothers house exploding all over the inside of a well partitioned warehouse. To get the most out of this place I think you just need to order carefully. Don't think fancy, think basic. The chopped salad was fair. The fried cheese was fair. I had the mussels appetizer with marinara sauce for my main course and it was more than enough. it was fair, the mussels were over cooked a bit and the sauce was way too thick but it wasn't horrible. I tasted pasta with vodka sauce and the spaghetti with meat balls. the pasta with vodka sauce was way over sauced but OK. The spaghetti with meatballs was also just OK.
(3)
Natalie C.
Love love love this place! The portions are HUGE and the service is awesome. Ask them about the wine bottle special :)
(5)
Jillian B.
Amazing place, love the food and the ambiance. They play legit italian old songs, you feel like you are in Italy. the servers are always attentive to your needs, I never had a wait problem even when they were packed. Great place to have business meetings also.
(4)
Ed H.
Went there once before for a family affair and found the food OK, the service slow, and the prices a bit too high. Went there tonight (not my pick) and I swear you couldn't pay me to ever go there again! Arrived for our reservation at 6 PM and didn't get entrees delivered till 8:05 PM, and one of them was missing. Horrible food, the WORST service I ever experienced and a nightmare of mistakes! Never again!
(1)
JoAnna L.
We came here for thanksgiving dinner (I know how dumb that sounds, it wasn't up to me). The staff were amazing! ! Every single person we walked by greeted us and said Happy Thanksgiving! I felt like I was in somebody's home, not a restaurant. This was a nice touch because I'd be pissed to be working on thanksgiving. But they at least looked like they were truly happy to be there. We got the thanksgiving feast, which was reasonably priced with huge portions. We were 6 adults and 3 children and we had leftovers. We also added on a pasta dish and a kids meal. Even the kids meal was enough food for 2 adults! The food itself was just ok. But I wasn't expecting much, being that it's an Italian restaurant. The salad and pasta dish were good though. If we're ever in the area again I would go back for their Italian food. Remember that it's family style dining, so go with a few people.
(4)
Tom Z.
Poor reservation system. Made reservation 3 months ago, and still waited 45 minutes. Once seated, service was a little slow as there were other large parties around. I will say the food was very good! That's why people put up with the wait and always book for family events and parties!
(4)
Tomas B.
Really not sure where to go here as this rating is not up against 5 Star Italian dining but against places of similar price points and ambiance.. Macraroni Grill, Carrabas etc... Concept is Family style dining where dishes are meant to be shared.. 4 Guys here after a round of golf tonight so we are pretty hungry.. Winding out way through this very old configuration to a table in the back near the kitchen.. quiet and suitable for our dinner tonight. Wine was not over priced though bottle pricing certainly better value than by the glass a $30.00 cabernet is selected while bread is presented... Ixnay on the Breadnay... Pretty bad. Di Beppo 1893 Salad with pepperoni, salami, provolone, feta, mixed greens, roma tomato wedges, red onion, cucumbers, red and yellow roasted peppers, pepperoncini peppers, Kalamata and green olives in our signature Italian vinaigrette $14.99 was small for two we split it for 4 persons and it was more than enough very tasty decent quality meets and extra dressing was brought quickly and needed but pretty good. Mini Meatballs $11.99 - mini meatballs, made with talian cheese blend, sauteed in our homemade marinara, served with our house-baked Italian bread.. They were actually pretty good and made it around the table as we inhaled them. Entrees were - $24.99 Veal Saltimbocca Veal Saltimbocca, lemon butter sauce, sage, prosciutto, artichoke hearts, lemon and capers I thought was Ok nothing special and small for $24.99 at this place. Shrimp Fra Diavolo Shrimp Fra Diavolo Buca Favorite Menu Item! - garlic shrimp and crushed red pepper with penne in spicy rosa sauce $22.99 more of a creamy red / white mix and not very spicy but abundant amount of shrimp and pasta flavor was OK. Couple of side dishes: Rosemary Potatoes $8.99 not a large portion for $9.00 for potatoes but tasty.. while the $6.99 Italian Sausage Italian Sausage Two spicy Italian sausage links served with marinara sauce. was shall we say lacking. All I would say in short it is Average food.. more like 2.5 stars but service was excellent - and nothing was terrible just not Great... Doubt I'd repeat with all the other options in the area but can't say I hated it.
(3)
Chelsea G.
Love this restaurant- It is perfect for a big family dinner!
(4)
Janice D.
Poor service. Waited a long time for food to arrive considering we were there at 5:30 for dinner and were a party of 4. Small portions. Not all entrees include pasta. What's up with that? Salad not included??!! Will definitely not return!
(1)
Kayla M.
Just had my Birthday dinner! A large party of 10-12 people and we had Bre as a server she was pretty cool and kept hp with this crazy group! Food was AMAZING! I did find out from a member at the oartt that Bre did charge her for something sge did not order. When confronted she said she thought my friend still wanted it:-( I think to provide great service she should have removed or adjusted the bill.
(3)
Nancy A.
Big portions! Come hungry! The tomato soup is delish, do a reservation if you don't want to wait, and of course I recommend the kitchen table. Private and entertaining all in one. The portions are BIG, so be careful about ordering with your eyes! oh and a tip: check online, there are always good cupoons online.
(3)
Michelle M.
The star is for the service not the food. We were a large party of 10 with a reservation. The food we love as we always do but the service was deplorable. This is the second time we go and he second time we get service which wasn't up to our standards. We waited about 15 min before the server even arrived... After I flagged him down to which he rudely dismissed me and told me he would be back. He finally arrived and wouldn't even take the time to listen to what I was telling him because he kept interrupting me. We ordered the house chianti but they didn't have the large bottle, so we ordered the house red wine which they also didn't have so we opted for the pino Grigio. They brought us wine glasses but 4 had to be given back because there were pieces of food on the glasses and lipstick. It wasn't until about 45 min of being seated that they finally brought the high chair we requested. We also made a special request on the sauce but they failed to follow our request so we ended up asking for sauce on the side but by the time it came most of the food had been devoured because we'd been waiting so long for our food. But the worst part was the attitude of one of the servers in the restroom... I proceeded to inform her that there wasn't toilet paper or paper towel and her response was that they were human and we shouldn't be complaining so much. Ridiculous! As much as I love their food I've had many issues with their service at this location and they never seem to make any improvements. While the food was good, I can find food just as good closer to home and with better service.
(1)
Laura K.
I had always wanted to try this restaurant out because I've heard such good reviews. But after going to the restaurant, I don't know why this place is popular. I saw a coupon on groupon and thought why not. That Saturday night my boyfriend and I went to the restaurant where we waited for 10 minutes to be seated with no one in front of us in line. They finally sat us in a booth where the couple behind us was screaming about their martial issues. That wasn't the restaurants fault but it added fuel to the fired when our appetizer came out. We ordered seven dollar garlic bread that was burn and I know you can buy the same brand at Publix for much cheaper. I'm not the type of person to complain or make a scene so I just sat there hoping my entree would be better. My food was mediocre at best but my boyfriend is not polite when it comes to bad food. He ordered fettuccine Alfredo and it was ice cold. Not cold like it sat on the counter a little too long cold like they dumped cold sauce on cold pasta then put it in the freezer. The waiter was flirting with other employees and if we walked out I don't think he would of even noticed. When we finally got his attention my boyfriend was so fed up he just wanted to pay and leave. A fifty dollar dinner to eat a couple bites... Won't ever come back!
(1)
Clara S.
This review is for the Bucca Di Beppo (Davie's location) Catering Service: I ordered online to surprise a friend with lunch for her birthday. I ordered two 1/2 pans of pasta and a pan of chocolate chip cannolis a day before the event. It came with a pan of bread too. Silverware, plates, and napkins came with the delivery. It arrived on time with a birthday message since I called that morning and informed them not to include the receipt and they offered to put in a birthday message. It had a large card that said "Happy Birthday" and the employee wrote a message from me. My friend was very surprised and very happy. It's one of her favorite places to eat so I knew she would like the food. I just wanted to say it was easy to order online and trust the catering services from this location if you were interested. At this time, it is a $25 delivery fee, with a minimum $100 food order for catering services.
(5)
Norlan D.
I know it's a chain, but my fiance and I love it here. The food has always been delicious, the portions are obviously HUGE as they are a family-style restaurant, and the drinks are good, too. There are always coupons to be had, so sign up for their email list. We have always had friendly service here as well.
(5)
Diane N.
Five of us went for lunch last week. This was my first time at this location. The food was really good. I had spaghetti with marinara sauce. So many restaurants overcook pasta. It was perfectly cooked here. My friend ordered chicken limone. He said it was delicious. The prices for lunch were reasonable and the servings were large.
(4)
Jen S.
It was 3rd time here and the service tonight was really bad, slow, not kind, food was really good but i doubt we'll be back here, service can kill your business
(2)
Ivette R.
Love Buca di Beppo and haven't been there in years I went to the one in DAVIE love the food
(5)
Kate H.
I had a great time at this Buca di Beppo! We went for my birthday a couple weeks ago & of course they have to sing. We called ahead and made reservations & were seated right away when we got there. I love the family style servings. Our waitress was in training, so we also had a waiter who was pretty entertaining. They were both very attentive. I would definitely go back to this location.
(4)
Jose C.
Good Italian food, Great service and Awesome deals and prices. thanks a lot from Advance Business Consulting mba4help.com
(5)
Jeremy Z.
a chain Italian restaurant, i'd rather eat at a local place but the food is good as is the service.
Best chicken parmesan I've ever had. I also recommend the meatballs. They serve everything family style making it a great place to dine for the family.
(5)
Lucinda A.
Out of all my restaurant choices on University, my biggest mistake was choosing this place for lunch. I ate lunch alone and was automatically placed in the bar section. Hidden by a wall....the bar was empty and I'm at the worst table without being visible. Anyways, the only times I saw my waiter was when he took my order and when he dropped it off. The waiter NEVER CAME BACK....I was half way through my meal and needed another refill...NO REFILL...NO FOLLOW-UP ASKING HOW MY MEAL WAS.....NOTHING.... I was so ready to bail. I left half my meal, paid my bill and stupidly gave him a tip. Wish I hadn't. Next time if I want italian, I'll head to Carabas.
(1)
Christina M.
This has to be one of my favorite commercial italian restaurants. Me being Italian myself, I usually have high expectations when it comes to food from the mother land but boy does this place exceed expectations. Firstly I want to mention how amazing the service is. Every time I take the infamous kitchen walk through everyone greets me, especially the cooks. The waiters are on point and extremely helpful. And even the hostesses are accommodating. The atmosphere is one of a kind, with the abnormal amounts of pictures decorating the place to the pope room- the decor is especially entertaining. Now, the food, madonne mia! If you are here for the first time you MUST try the meatballs. They are huge and can easily be split amongst 2 people. Don't tell my mother but they are so much better than my momma's meatballs (sssshh!). Any of the pasta dishes are superb but my absolute favorite is the carbonara. My favorite meat dish is hands down the chicken parmigiana. The chicken is fresh and the cheese is succulent and the sauce is just perfect. If you have never tried this place. I urge you to check it out! You absolutely wholeheartedly will not regret it! Bon appetite!
(5)
Maram B.
Awesome place to go with a group of people. Portions are huge and can be shared. The chicken pesto is awesome. The small fried cheese appetizer is really good and comes with six pieces. It's a little pricey but because the portion size is huge.
(4)
Daniel M.
Was better before Planet Hollywood purchased chain. I hate their ties and I miss Susan the bartender.
(2)
Nathalie P.
Great family restaurant. Portions are huge, so come hungry. Best dish by far is the spicy chicken bucatini pasta... Simply delicious. Service was decent, the entrees took a little long to come out, but everyone was very nice and the food was good, I'll be back.
(4)
Frances G.
Amazing food, if you are looking for a "private" dinner w/ your party and or your significant other this is a great place. The restaurant is divide into diff areas (rooms) but at the sane time 1 so it feels private and cozy. Food is great, but portions are huge (they are meant to be shared). Would go back here again soon!!
(5)
Andreas B.
What a terrible restaurant. After being seated it took them some toime to even acknowledge us. The waiter did not take much time for us. After 30 min wait the appetizer came and it was not what we expected. Saugage and peppers but in reality it was lacking peppers completely. I had salmon with lemon pepper sauce but all i had on the plate was some salmon in some oily substance. This place is way overprised and had bad customer service. Avoid it.
(1)
Leatrice R.
The staff is so friendly and welcoming! Tiara and Alexis are so professional and accommodating. Kudos on the great service!!
(5)
Rich B.
"A buon intenditor poche parole." Literal translation: "Few words to the good knowledgeable" TIPS: - They serve breakfast & it's good - Make a reservation or use open table so you won't have to wait. - Ask for the kitchen table, I love the fact that I can request the kitchen table ;) - Come with friends for the family style meals. (I love to break bread with good company) The food highlights: - The calamari came out first. Cooked perfectly! The sauce was a perfect level of spicy. - Next came the chicken. Chicken Saltimboca is chicken wrapped in prosciutto, then fried and covered with a delicious tart sauce. WTH.... why isn't everyone else doing this? - Tiramisu. Great wait staff, great food, the food is excellent, and the manager Robert came by to make sure we were taken care of. Ciao, Richao
(5)
Adetoun Tina A.
Went for the first time for a friends birthday. Sat in Pope room. About 15 of us including husbands and kids. I would recommend bringing cash. Family style italian food so large portions that everyone will more than likely share. Make reservations especially if your a large group desert was amazing, dont like coffee but love coffee desert. Having a Pope stare at you during dinner could be a bit creepy but we had fun with it.
(4)
Hin C.
Great Family Style restaurant! We got a tour through the kitchen while hesding to our table in the back. The staff was very friendly especially our waitress, Vanessa. The wall decorations are full of Italian History and that made it feel like I'm somewhere in Italy! Portions are family sized (1-2 or 3-4). My friend and I had the Shrimp and mussel Pasta in a spicy red wine sauce, even though it wasn't spicy (and my tolerance for spicy is low). The pizza was phenomenal! The caramelized onions were to die for!! If you're a huge fan of onions, the first pizza on the Dine-in menu is the way to go! I would definitely come back here with my family or a big group of friends.
(4)
Andrew S.
Horrible experience. We came here to celebrate my cousin's 16th birthday, and everything that could go wrong went wrong. The service was really spotty. We had to ask 5 different people for silverware, but no one ever came by. We eventually had to take a few rolls from a rack in the hallway. The food wasn't really good- the spaghetti and meatballs came out cold, and the Chicken Marsala lacked chicken. There were only three small pieces of chicken on the plate, which is pathetic seeing how everything here is served "family style". The restaurant itself wasn't clean. There was dust everywhere, with the ceiling in some of the rooms completely covered in dust. And seeing how the ceilings are really low in here, it easily poses a health risk. All in all, this was terrible. If you are in the mood for Italian, stick to Carrabba's or (dare I say) Olive Garden.
(1)
Mauricio B.
This review is for their take out service. They have a separate catering menu you can order from. Most of their main dishes are included in this menu, but in a larger format. They also have a dedicated person to take care of your catering/take out order, and she was very helpful through the whole process. I had an idea of the type of dishes I wanted, but she helped me choose the right size and combination, and offered alternatives. When I went to pick up my order, they told they had made a mistake and prepared one of the dishes with the wrong type of pasta, so it would take 15 more minutes for them to make a new one. Even though I had to wait, I was pleased they checked before giving me the order because I would not have checked until I got home, and then it would been s problem. Overall I was very pleased with the service I received and the quality of the food. Prices were not bad either.
(4)
Carlos N.
Although I liked that atmosphere of old family style italian. I also like the walk through the kitchen experience but thats where all the good ends... Food was below average and overpriced . Tables were left dirty as the parties left. The fried calamari was soggy with oil.. I would definitely pick Carrabas over this any day.. I really expected much more from all the advertising but unfortunately they fell way short for my first and most likely last experience here..
(2)
Dee B.
This review is for a party I reserved. Keep in mind, I was totally discombobulated, I did not have an accurate guest count and I had no idea how it all worked or how to order or preorder. That being said, my two amazing waiters took the reigns that night and let me have the best dinner for what went from a party of 16 to a party of 25 as the night blossomed for us. I deeply apologize for no pictures because people kept showing up and I just went into some happy face-catching-up-table-hopping-hostess-autopilot mode, no camera in hand. Lol I made reservations online then shortly afterwards I started getting a lot of Buca emails; that was a little annoying, but I kept an eye out for any kind of coupon that I could have used for the party. Setup - I called a few times before the party to ask if I should preorder. Each time I was told don't worry, order when I got there. Six of us arrived about 30 minutes early, they seated us about 15 minutes later, which was impressive, since it was a little busy. They had set up a long table in a narrow long room with about 5 booths, a narrow aisle separated the table and booths. Thank goodness because as my unaccounted for guests streamed in and there was no more room at the table, they were seated in booths and were still close enough to the action to feel very included. Ordering - family style menu or per person menu? We were assigned two waiters. The lead waiter took me to the side and whispered "do not stress out. You and me, we are a team, we got this. Do the family style. Tell me what you want your guests to have". LOVED HIM. He became my personal assistant for directing dinner, which made things feel natural for me, being a small time work-related event planner anyway. The two of them made service seamless, guests excited wondering what dish was next. He and the sweetie pie other waiter were constantly moving platters around, making sure everyone's glasses were not empty and everyone had a shot at every dish served. Food - amazing good no complaints raves from all 25 of my guests; I stuck to basics - bottles of house red (surprisingly raved about), carafes of sangria, Caesar salad, mixed green salad, calamari appetizers, lots of comp bread baskets, lasagna, chicken parm, spaghetti and meat sauce, huge meatballs, chicken Alfredo, baked ziti, and the prosciutto stuffed chicken (NOM). Two of my guests ordered individual vegetarian meals, a few ordered iced tea. Two desert platters were enough, just as the waiter suggested. Lots to send home togo next-day lunch containers with few folks. Yay! Well worth it family style/with which turned out to be about $38 person including gratuity and a 15% off mailer coupon given to me by one of my awesome guests. Great!
(5)
Chelsea C.
I was there for dinner tonight and they say my boyfriend and myself by the kitchen which is fine until they were starting to close and the staff became loud and obnoxious. At one point they were even screaming dees nuts jokes. It was also terrible hearing servers talk about their tables... "My table wants extra sauce but you already put it away... Sucks for him. Sucks for him" continuing to say sucks for him over and over. On another note. Our server was fantastic. The food took forever... A dinner that should have taken an hour took almost two. We had the minimeatballs which were awesome. Warm spinach salad which came to the table missing the feta and the nuts. Once they were added it really made the salad. The stuffed chicken with the pesto cream sauce was nice as well. The brownie Sunday was a let down. By the time it got to the table the ice cream was melted.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Joe W.
The hostess was garbage, lost track of our reservation, and even gave it to someone else. Then told us that we would get the next table that opened. We stood there next to her, and she still called 4 other parties in ahead of us... WTF? The portions were worth the price, but between the hostess, and the waitress who spent more time laughing with the table behind us, than providing any service to us, it ruined this outing at this particular restaurant or us.
(3)Bklyn M.
they just started serving linguine in white clam sauce(or red), one of my favorite pasta dishes, i went yesterday and had it. for a chain restaurant it was pretty good. right amount of garlic, plenty of clams, could use a little more sauce/juice. i hope they put this on their regular menu.
(4)Kriste K.
Buca has been around for a long time And had Always been fantastic! They've got Italian down to a science! Awesome atmosphere, great staff! Love it!
(5)Tim Y.
Amazing food and atmosphere. Portions are great for sharing several dishes among a group or to have leftovers for the next day. A little pricey but very tasty. Pleasant, helpful staff.
(4)Daniel B. O.
Great place for family style food! Like their Shrimp Diavolo and stuffed mushrooms. Their Tiramisu is good too. However, the place decor is horrible. I understand they wanted to make it look Italian but some of the pictures on the walls are disgusting.
(3)Jace S.
This is a fun restaurant. If you are a food-snob and are looking for gourmet Italian food at inflated prices, you won't find it here; but if you want high-volume, commercial Italian, this comes with a lot more. I admit I'm an Italian food junkie and will always gravitate to an Italian restaurant over all else; that not withstanding, Buca is a fun destination and always tops my list for "special occasions". Part of the charm is the energy of the Wait Staff. They are fun, smile easily, they want you to have a good time, yet they are relaxed while hustling to make sure everything is perfect; they are strive to be readily available so that each time you look up (to see if your waiter is there), they are! They don't hover or rush you but yet make sure you have everything you need in a fun way. Clearly they have an incredible training program for new-hires, AND they look for high energy folks who aren't pretending - but rather are genuine. Probably their # 1 strength. I would hire 90% of them for my company if I could! The food: It's fun. If you want $60 a plate NYC fine Italian dining, this isn't the place for you - and leave your attitude in NY btw. If you want a high energy, fun decor with huge portions, reasonable prices, fun wait staff, and good food - this is your place too. A few of my family members say: "The portions are too large". Duh, they are family size and they happily box up if you want "to go" the left overs. Great value. Lots of fun. Good food. High energy and not the right choice if you are looking for a "quiet business lunch to review last quarters revenues." Load up the car, bring the in-laws and that one maiden aunt we all seem to have, and drag on down to Davie. Capture the Buca moment in photos, you'll look back at them and smile. After reading my own review, I upgraded from 4 stars to a 5 stars. They work SUPER hard and they deserve 5 stars. Bravo Buca.
(5)Lisa A.
What more can you ask for when you leave a restaurant stuffed and laughing? Not much! This place has got it down pat. From the kitchy decor to the warm, fried mozzarella. I went here with a large group of (15) people. They did an excellent job of getting our food out in a timely manner and keeping our drinks full. The staff was amazing! We had a lot of fun here and will definitly return.
(5)Kerry M.
Love Buca. Have been to multiple locations and always happy. But want to give a warning to those dining at the Davie location. Our waitress Ashley offered us bread when we sat down and asked plain or garlic. We opted for garlic bread only to realize when the check came, the garlic bread was $7! She was so non-chalant about it and even after bringing the bread, continued to push us to order appetizers, acting as if the bread wasn't one. You'd think bread at an Italian restaurant would come with the meal. Guess not. When Ashley asks you if you want bread, make sure you get plain if you don't want to pay.
(3)JJ S.
Ordered take out for ten. Great from ordering to consumption. Taste and Portions were good and every enjoyed. I would do that again anytime.
(4)Mrr R.
Loved the atmosphere - beautiful layout, the carpet and pictures on the wall reminded me of a place we had gone to in Turin Italy - and the food was great too. Service was good/OK, but in their defense it was a busy Saturday night - will revisit/re-review again for those huge plates of quality pasta.
(4)Arleen C.
Went here last night with another couple and their son. When we arrived the place was pretty busy and the hostess greeted us with a huge smile and a great attitude. She said it would be about 10 mins. and she was just about right. They walked us thru the kitchen (awesome view of food!) to our booth in the back of the restaurant. We had TODD as our WONDERFUL waiter and he immediately took our drink order and our antipasto salad order. The portions, as previously mentioned, are HUGE and totally DELICIOUS!!! since our friends said we were eating there I had been craving the Antipasto Salad and, let me tell you, it was no disappointment. The salad has tons of ingredients with its lettuce, red onions, salami, olives, cheese and so many other ingredients it's just YUMMY!!! We shared the Lasagna that is was OMG DELISH and the chicken cacciatore which was good too. We were extremely stuffed but Todd described the desserts so nicely and he said that the cheesecake was his favorite and the tiramisu his second favorite, that we had to order one of each and share. And he was so right....mmmmmmmm...awesome!!! The perfect place for an easy evening out with friends with great food and EXCELLENT SERVICE.
(4)Crystal M.
I love Bucas. I used to go here at least a few times a year when in high school just for fun, but haven't been back in a long long time. We went around 8 pm on a Saturday night. We were a party of four, and the wait was 1 hour and 15 minutes. I put our names down and wandered over to Walgreens. Came back in an hour, and we were seated right on time. The thing about Bucas is you come here for the ambiance. There is alot o hustle and bustle, a lot of noise, birthdays, families, and crazy photos on the walls. It's fun to be here! But the food prices are very high, for what it is, so be prepared for that. Let the waitress know if it's your first time there, and they will fill you in on how the place goes. A fun thing they do is lead you through the actual kitchen where they work as part of a tour. There is even a table in there you can reserve. The restaurant is separated into 7 or so mini rooms. The best is the pope room, right in the center, which is a large circle table you have to reserve with a big ol pope head smack dab in the center of your table. This place is all family style, you order large or small portions of the food (small serves 2-3, large 4-6) and share with the table. We sat down and ordered a margharita pizza for an appetizer (large: 18.99), and split a small pesto prosciutto chicken ($22), small garlic mashed potatoes ($7), large past assortment ($30), and a small lasagna ($15). For dessert we got the italian lemon and raspberry cake. The pizza is insanely good. Thin crust, sweet chunky sauce, fresh mozzerella. This is the only reason I even like margharita pizza. Worth it. HUGE too. The main dishes were decent, nothing spectacular or worth what they charge. The pasta sampler is fun for groups so you can try a little of everything (canneloni, manicotti, stuffed shells, ravioli). The lasagna wasn't anything special. Mom really liked the chicken. It's cooked very well and the dish was beautiful. The desserts are insanely large. They should be split. Worth it, in my opinion. Overall, the bill, with tax and tip, was $140 for 4 people with 4 small take home boxes. 5 for ambiance and fun. 3.5 for food. 2 for value. I'm coming back but maybe in another year.
(3)Ron N.
I think we will be cutting back our visits to Buca and this one in particular. We had an unfortunate experience 7/14/11 that may have cost you a customer for a while. One of our favorite experiences in your place is sitting in the kitchen table. My 7 year old son loves it so much that we often reserve it specifically when we dine. Such was the case on July 14th, so we delayed our dinner to accommodate the reservation. A mistake was made and they gave the table to other guests just before we arrived. I can understand that mistakes happen and don't expect them to move other guests. However what REALLY UPSET us was the response from the reservation staff and the manager. The hostess was very blase about the mistake, and I had to request the manager come out to talk. The manager Jack was equally unmoved by our disappointment and was magnanimous enough to offer us another table. I explained how we specifically drove down there an hour later just to sit at that table. Jack said "sorry, what can I do". I asked his name, shook his hand, and told him I would let you guys know about it. We left the restaurant and won't be back for a long time, if at all. It's too bad that 10 years of loyalty is rewarded with blank stares.
(1)Jodi C.
Typical generic chain food with no flavor & slow service.
(2)Daniel S.
Overpriced Olive Garden, not worth it.
(1)Kevin G.
The food was just ok. The eggplant was burnt and the waitstaff arent nice. nasty.
(1)Stan P.
The spicy chicken rigatoni is absolutely amazing The atmosphere is very traditional & family oriented, very welcoming Definitely coming back here to try every dish.
(5)Samantha P.
Upon entering the restaurant, my husband and I were excited. Great decor, nice girls greeted us at the door. It was Sat night and we only waited for 15 minutes. The hostess walked us through the kitchen and explained a few things about the restaurant which we thought was very cool. We were seated in a room and were greeted by a waitress, who said she was working with another waiter as well. We ordered ice waters with lemon, she brought back just waters and said shed be right back with lemon, she didnt come back with the lemon....ever. The other waiter brought us bread and a saucer for olive oil but didn't pour us any...I asked for some lemons and he brought us a bunch of lemons loaded and I mean loaded with seeds. The female waitress finally came back, no mention of the lemons she left to get. We ordered....45 mins later we got our food....we did not see either waiter once during that time, no drink refills, no I'm sorrys, nothing. When our food finally came, it was bland, and boring. Thank god we had a coupon for $20 off because paying for that crappy food full price would have been horrible. So the female waitress makes another appearance and we immediately ask for boxes and our check....she says ok, would you like coffee, cappuccino, dessert.....seriously? We want our check! We just asked for it! Remember? Probably not! So she comes back with one box, we asked for 2 and she said she would go get another and amend the check with our coupon....another 15 minutes......the male waiter comes and says there's something wrong with the computer....just a minute...uh huh....so we ask him for another box because she's obviously gone...he brings us the box and our check and my husband immediately puts the card in a gives it to him before he can leave...on his way he stops to sing happy birthday....my husband was like "seriously man"? We never saw the female waitress again after she left with our check promising to return with the other box.....Horrible experience and we had high hopes. Now I did see the other waiters busting their butts making their tables happy but our 2 were complete crap. Food, eh, no big deal at all...prices are nuts! To give you an idea...a side of green beans $8.99 I didn't complain to the manager because my husband is anti complain...so here's my way to complain.
(1)Amy B.
You know, for a chain restaurant, they've sure nailed it. The decor is a little over the top but it keeps you entertained as you're sitting there at your old school red and white checkered table cloth. The waiter was very friendly and was accommodating that we had a baby with us. We ordered the cheesy garlic bread which is ooey-gooey-garlicky overload. I could eat boat loads of this stuff! We also ordered the prosciutto stuffed chicken that was a breaded breast of chicken stuffed with prosciutto and cheese on a bed of pesto crean topped with tomato sauce. It was cooked perfectly. The outside was crispy and the sauces really complimented the whole dish. We also had the rigatoni with sausage and ricotta. It was a very large portion and we brought a lot home. The sausage was sliced very thinly into the sauce and the rigatoni was perfectly al dente with giant balls of ricotta through out. I would be back here whether it's with a large group or just a couple of us. This place would be great for either. BTW.. their house chianti is quite good!
(4)Wayne B.
This place is awful. Was invited here for a birthday party. If you like medicore Italian this place is for you !
(1)Laura G.
Awww I love this place. Its fantastic for large groups if you can come to terms on what to share. My first experience with Buca is that of many other Miamians, we saw it somewhere out of state. For me, my first bite of Buca was in Washington D.C., I went with my school so had no choice on what to order, but they accommodated my tastes and brought me a small plate of pasta just for me! ^^ I've been a fan since. Their food is consistently good and the staff is always friendly. For my friend Vicky's birthday we went with a group of about 7 people and determining what to eat seemed almost impossible, however, we finally agreed. Everything was yummy and very affordable. There was a group of Asian gals next to us, one of their birthdays as well, after they sang happy birthday to my friend they came to our table and offered us a piece of their cake. We were amazed. I think it's safe to say only friendly people come into Buca, and I appreciate that. Very recommended. It is not fine dining, but it is good with good company.
(4)Jen D.
The antithesis of fine Italian dining. I don't enjoy giving bad reviews but I think people should know what kind of restaurant this is: minus 3 stars kind of restaurant. Truly sloppy American food.
(1)Santee W.
Food is tasty. Gorgonzola salad is the best. Great place to have large groups.
(3)Mike B.
My wife and I dined here for the first time this weekend. We're huge fans now. Lively atmosphere, great food, and great service. An ALMOST flawless experience... PROS: - Prior to seating us, the Maître d' gave us a brief tour of the place including their kitchen. Awesome. I have an enormous respect for a place that is comfortable showing their kitchen; no tricks. - Our waiter was friendly and attentive. He also scheduled our orders so that they came out at the perfect time. - Large food portions. Items are divided in the small and large dishes; all of which are intended to be shared between guests. - Absolutely delicious salads... - Beers are huge -- smallest they come in is 14 OZ. - Plenty of space (especially booths). NEUTRAL: - The place can get really noisy. it didn't really bother us but I can see how it could get annoying. CONS: - None. TIPS: - Get there early if you can. We arrived around 5:30 and had virtually no wait. - Keep in mind that dishes are shared; dining parties may not necessarily agree on all things.
(4)Brittany M.
Mamma mia! This is some awesome Italian cuisine. This is a family style restaurant where the dishes are prepared in 1-2 or 3-4 person serving options. You get a tour of the kitchen and a little background of the restaurant on the way to your table, and the walls are decorated with everything Italian. Awesome to look at while you are waiting for your food to arrive. The garlic bread and mozzarella sticks are awesome and the chicken parmesan is the bomb! This is definitely the place for a happy tummy!
(4)Beth E.
I have been to the Buca restaurant in Pittsburgh on several occasions and have always enjoyed my meal, so with wanting to stay close to my hotel, while also seeking out "comfort food," I headed to Carb Heaven. This restaurant is large, almost maze-like. Upon being seated, my server took me through the kitchen area (there is a booth in the kitchen if you want to be THAT close to the action). At first, there were only a few patrons, but as I was leaving, the restaurant started to fill up. Jason, my server, was fantastic! Very attentive and very friendly. This is not necessarily the type of restaurant that a solo diner would come to, unless you have not eaten for days, where you can "have at it." The portions are large, marketed to be family-style, so this is a great place for large groups and families. I had the ravilios ($13.95), and Jason was able to pursuade the kitchen to make me the "lunch" size portion of the Apple/Gorgonzola salad. Even still, there was plenty for 2+ people. My raviolis were very good. Just what I was looking for... A great place to spend time with family and friends! This also seems like a great location for a "date night."
(4)Sunny N.
It was a really cool fun place. The decor was great a bunch of stuff all over the place. Definately destracts from the time u wait for your food. The pope room is a must see-I wanna go back just to bring my mom to eat with the pope's head in the middle of the table :) I went with the bf and his bff and we had fun. It was loud as heck in there and the wait for food is a no no but the food was awesome. The pizza was thin as paper LITERALY paper. I'm from Chicago and we eat out pizza on dough not air, but I must say that sauce was soooooooo amazing-it was the best marinara sauce I had in my life-I swear! Mmmmmmm Great place Great decor Great food Great price Even the bathrooms are greatly decorated!
(4)Natalia P.
This is a family place! The portions are huge. I went with a group of 6 friends and we split a chicken Parmesan, fettuccine Alfredo and an Apple Gorgonzola salad with food left over. The food is always amazing and the restaurant has a really nice environment.
(5)Hans S.
Not impressed. Called in a to go order 18 mins before closing and server told me no more orders. Guess they don't want more biz. Spoke to supervisor and manager who did nothing. promised a call back - still waiting now for over a month.
(1)Fern B.
I was at this restaurant last Sunday to celebrate my brother in law's b-day. Actually the look is very nice, environment is excellent and food comes with great taste and portion. The reason I'm giving 3 stars is because the waiter didn't advise how big the family portions would be. We were 8 people in total, so we decide to ask for family size plates so everyone could get a portion of each plate, we also agree to split the chech evenly, at the end, we all ended eating like 25% of the total amount of food was brought. The waiter was just writing orders with a single warning that the amount of food might be too much. After almost $300.oo check, we came out taking about it and laughing one to each other about how naive we were. What else could we do?
(3)isaac l.
The food here is a JOKE! Terrible! The "Tuscany Bean Soup" was watery with a few white beans. Better buy a can of Campbells. Fettuchine Alfredo had a thin, watery sauce. We returned it and got back (after a wait) a better rendition, but FAR from the creamy masterpiece this is supposed to be. The "improved" version was closer to school cafeteria food. Lasagne was to gag over. Overcooked, over salted with a tasteless sauce. Almost no filling. A mushy mouthful of salted, soft pasta. Waiter told me they make neither the noodles nor the "Italian" bread, which was soft, commercial and unsatisfying. Guess they depend on the tourists -- the decor is oppressively kitsch, with hundreds of cliched, stereotyped photographs you get tired of staring at. Do yourself a favor. STAY AWAY.
(1)Gina B.
If you're never been to one of the Buca's then you are missing out. They have great family-style entrees that are made for sharing. Everything is filing, glutenous, and retardedly good. Their lemon chicken is delicious. Everything on the menu is good, it really doesn't matter what you order. Come in a large group and order a few things, the waitors will help you determine how much to order. This place is great for a kids birthday. They make a big deal and the place itself is just loud and tons of fun. If you have a big group they will let you sit in the Pope's room which is a big room with a large table and a lazy susan in the middle with a pope's head on it. I didn't really get it at first but I think they are trying to recreat something cheesy like your grandma would have in her actual dining room. My grandma didn't have a pope's head but she did have lots of crusifixes in weird places and stuff like that so I guess that's what they are going for. Anyways, if you think the food is good wait until you get to the deserts. Yummmy. Also, take a trip to the bathroom even if you don't have to. Talk about weird and cheesy. That place is histerical. I can't even imagine what they have in the boys. Bottom line: good Italian food.
(4)Mick M.
This is another classic Italian food chain, but I must admit it's a good one. They have all kind favorite dishes that the American people know as "classic Italian". The decoration is really nice as well. We were a party of 15 people and since their portions a really big, we shared all. The pizza is really good, the fried calamari appetizer is a little oily but good and the pasta goos as well. You must remember that portions are big, even the "small ones" so don't order what you're not going to eat, even when you will take the doggy bag home. The only bad thing is that meat or chicken dishes (chicken parmigiana or the veal picatta) don't come with any side so you have to order it making the combination a little expensive. Also, service in busy days seems to be slow and disorganized, but for the quality of the food and the amount of the bill (really affordable since a dish is shared by 2 or 3 people) you may want to overlook that and with a little patience, enjoy this Italian "alla Americana" restaurant.
(4)K M.
Went for dinner on Sunday eve, HUGE mistake.... The food was good, the rest sucked. There were litterally 16 kids at one table and the kept screaming as if Justin Beaver was in concert. Our server kept getting everything wrong and overall it sucked.
(2)Debbie H.
After a morning at the Aveda Institute, my mom and I were ready for a nice big glass of wine and satisfying meal! I did my usual research a head of time to have choices to bring to my mom and of course family style italian at Bucca Di Peppo was the answer. This was my very first visit to this location though I have visited one in Chicago years ago. Seeing as how it was the days after new years, the wine selection was a bit on the low - bunch of alcoholics in Davie, Eh? You'd think there was something to celebrate about Italian styleee in what used to be not much more than a horse town. We settled on a glass since bottles were scarce. It was all so comical and our waiter was the conductor at such a cute little lunch between mother and daughter!!! The themed chain restaurant is everything you would hope it would be. Carefully placed statues out front with fake bouquets of flowers accenting the front windows when you approach the entrance will either make you feel right at home, laugh hysterically or feel as if you are entering a funeral parlor. The tables are outfitted in picnic table patterns and you get a tour of the kitchen. You know you can trust what's going on when they let you into the gates of heaven! We started off with their Chopped Anitpasto Salad and fresh bread. Every element of what makes a good salad to me was an ingredient in this salad. It could have ended there and I would have left satisfied - crap wine and all!!! We next shared (family style - come hungry) the penne with meatballs. I am italian and have a hard time ordering this basic dish out but every now and then I take the plunge especially at places that are family style (ref: Carmines in NYC). Their sauce was pleasantly not sweet or thick. It had the right amount of oil and the tomatoes were smooth. The meatballs are big and good, not excellent or "to die for" but arguably worth ordering again. In review, the waiter in the bar area was excellent, the food was just right and the ambiance was themed and camp but perfect for our afternoon!
(3)Athena L.
If I could give this place negative stars I would. We were in Sunrise/Plantation for a recent concert, before going I attempted to find somewhere fantastic via Yelp for dinner the only find which suited everyone's tastes was not open on Monday which happened to be the night we were in town. Someone in the group saw Buca and couldn't stop talking about their calamari so we figured what the heck it couldn't be terrible if he liked it. Well we were all wrong. The service was the worst and the food was not any better. To start we ordered a pitcher of Sangria, a beer, and a captain/coke (which the server had to go investigate if they even stocked rum in their bar let alone captain??!!) The server brought the sangria and the captain/coke and walked away. Awhile later as she was walking by to help another table we flagged her down to find the missing beer. She said she didn't hear him order it and went to the bar coming back with a coors light in place of the mich ultra ordered (if they don't carry the ultra at least ask what the person wanted in place of it) As anyone who has eaten there knows the portions are outrageous so we ordered an antipasto for the girls to share and the guys ordered a seafood trio and chicken parm. The seafood trio came out as calamari, stuffed mushrooms, and fried mozzerella; not a trio of seafood at all. When we told the server it was incorrect she proceeded to argue that it was the buca trio that we ordered which everyone at the table clearly heard him order seafood and he himself pointed at the image while ordering. She argued the point never offering to take it back as it was her mistake she didn't even apologize. At this point the chicken parm had not come up and we waited another 7 minutes before she walked by and had to ask where it was. Like I had mentioned previous we were on our way to a concert so the whole disaster just didn't allow us the time to speak to a manager we just placed the cash for the bill and left. But had it been a different situation we would have sent everything delivered to the table back to the kitchen. We ended up spending another 40$ at the hotel afterward b/c nobody enjoyed their 100$ dinner at Buca. In the land of chain restaurants steer clear of this one!!
(1)Boris B.
Heard about it recently, decided to go today. They have a very unique menu in which you can have a typical appetizer followed by entree and desert, but they give you the option of each meal coming in either a small portion or a large portion. The small portions are actually big enough to feed 2-3 people (depending) while the large portions are actually big enough to serve 4-5 people. They actually suggested that we share portions....so me and my girlfriend shared a Baked Ziti small portion and not only was it so convenient, it tasted great! I tend to eat Baked Ziti at school events and it often comes up lacking enough cheese. Meanwhile the other two people in our party including my sister enjoyed a whole platter f calamari, fried mozzerella and more, and they were fully satisfied. I was so impressed with the way the portions are that yes, I'm a fan and will return with my gf to share a small portion of chicken parmiagiana and another small portion of speghetti. Message for my fellow Italian lovers, stop just setting for Maggianos and Olive Garden, check this place out! Get a large portion and take what you don't finish home! Now I will say that I went there during a very dead part of the day, so while the service was great and the atmosphere was event better, they offer a lot for parties and birthdays, so maybe at nights its a different story. O and I agree, make sure you tell them it's your first time, and walking through the kitchen is something special I've never experienced in any other restaurant ever. Yes, I'm a fan!
(4)Janessa A.
I love this place, besides olive garden, its a winner!! The setting has a bunch of frames on the wall of funny pics, it feels like your in the dining room of one big italian family. The food comes in either small or large sizes, small feeds two up to 3 depending on your appetite and large feeds four-5. The garlic bread and cheesy garlic bread is fabulous, very ooey,gooey, and yummy. The lasagna is fabulous very good and I am very picky with lasagna. The sauce is very sweet, you can taste the real tomatoes, not a store bought tomato sauce. The eggplant parm, is very good, also the chicken with lemon and capers is supposed to be excellent. Theyre dessert menu looks fantastic have to go back to try. Great atmosphere for party or get together.
(5)Darrell B.
This is an Americanized Italian restaurant in the style of the old Mama Leones in New York City. While a few of the dishes I had there were good, the rest were definatively unimpressive. The marinara sauce was rather bland, as was the raviolli. The antipasto salad was iceburg lettuce and I did not notice any salamis in it. The spicy chicken rigatoni again lacked flavor and any sense of being spicy. On the plus side the calamari and the veal saltimbocca were quite food and nicely flavored, but they proved to be the exceptions in an otherwise bland meal overall. The decoration follows that old theme and is rather kitchy trying to be cute. They even have a room decorated with pictures of the pope right down to a bad plaster bust of a pope under plastic in the center of the table. It was quite busy on the night I went, and finding parking was another challenge. There were several parties (being Christmas time) going on around us so the noise level at times was very very high, but that may have been the exception rather then the norm. Service at the table was quite attentive and good. We did not have to wait for our server, she was attentive, checking in frequently and taking very good care of us. The greeter was not as good. I was part of a medium sized party and it took some discussion before she could figure out where I was supposed to be. She did not have a list with names and was trying to do it from memory and failing. If you want chain style Americanized Italian that will not offend anyone, this is a place to go. If you want real Italian food, look elsewhere.
(2)Krista L.
I enjoy the restaurant ambience.. Looove the decor and the food portions is plentiful. Bread is yummy and service is excellent! LOVE BUCA!
(5)Lynn G.
Buca di Beppo is my new favorite Italian place. They've ruined me for Olive Garden. Anyway, we always have great service and great food. I joined their e-mail list and don't regret it for once, they send coupons frequently which is great and makes them more affordable. My favorite dish so far is the Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken. The bread is okay, not great- so I suggest asking for a small dish of Alfredo, Marinara or Pesto Cream Sauce to dip it in. For dessert, I love their double chocolate cake.
(5)Tati N.
I absolutely love this place, and like every Buca I've been to (this one, one in Orlando and one somewhere in Los Angeles, CA), the experience has been nothing short of wonderful. None of the pasta dishes have ever been bad to me, and I've tried plenty, but my favorites are the shrimp fra diavolo and the chicken canneloni. My parents love the chicken marsala. Everyone LOVES the tiramisu, which is completely soaked in rum and coffee, to the point of fighting for it - even though the dessert comes family sized like everything else on the menu. You can get individual portions if you want, but why would you if sharing the food is half the fun and allows you to pick and choose from a wider variety? Your table suddenly becomes your own family buffet table and the more people you bring, the better! I truly love this place and usually come here for special occasions when my family comes over to visit.
(5)Tamela S.
This review is for a take out order. We wanted to try Buca di Beppo for a long time out of curiosity. As for the restaurant, it looks like a nice place for a group function. There's a lot of things to look at even in the waiting area. So there's that. Now, onto the food. We ordered some appetizers, garlic bread and Chicken Marsala, which I usually devour, and it's loaded with protein, a must for my diet. Mushrooms are also very good for me because my diet requires more Vitamin D along with the protein. So, we were looking forward to this meal, as we hadn't had Chicken Marsala in awhile. The appetizers were the combination, stuffed mushrooms, fried mozzarella, and fried calamari. I try not to waste too many calories on this kind of stuff, but occasionally, I can't help myself. These, however, were just okay, and I was easily able to control myself. The garlic bread was also just okay. I don't think any of these were bad, mind you. They were just okay. I thought, that was great actually because I had more room for the protein! Then on to the star of the show, the Chicken Marsala. Wow. What a disappointment. I have been trying to figure out how they ruined this. Was it frozen and microwaved? I don't know. The chicken texture was even strange. Was it even real chicken? I just never tasted anything quite like that. The sauce was super sweet, which normally I like, but this was beyond sweet. I struggled with it. The mushrooms seemed okay though. The rest was just awful. Hubby wasn't happy either, and he is not nearly as picky as I am. Normally, we try other things on the menu if we don't like the first thing we try. However, for the money we spent, that's not another bet we will be taking.
(2)Leighton D.
I don't know, maybe this may be a little harsh, but I felt this BdB was "average" when compared to other locations in the brand. The portion sizes are huge, and great for sharing as long as more than one person wants the same thing. They have a lot of good deals that can really add value. For me, what sets locations apart are service and timeliness. Both weren't bad, but weren't great. Ordered the cheesy garlic bread as an appetizer, but it arrived after our entree...that's a big #fail for me. When it DID arrive, it was just bland, and so was the entree... like I said, not bad, but just average. As far as service.. The service was pleasant but slow. Nothing really good or bad to write about. Good place to take the family or friends for casual dining... but not a bucket list item.
(3)Athena C.
I absolutely love this place!! Food is great and service is great. No complaints here
(5)Michael S.
This place makes me so happy. Maybe it's the friendly service. Maybe it's sharing large portions with family and friends. Maybe is the great food and awesome decor. You can't go wrong here and you won't go home on an empty stomach. Everything I've had here, I've loved. I suggesr bringing a bunch of people and and coming hungry. Chicken parm is my favorite, along with, calamari and pizza. Make reservations, this place gets packed. Once you try it, you'll keep coming.
(4)Doreen R.
The place is really cute. The food was good and the service was great.
(4)Joy L.
I have been to this Buca di Beppo many times and every one of them has been a fantastic experience. From the management down, the service is phenomenal- smiles and professionalism are exuded from everyone that works there. This place is great for romantic dinners as well as for large parties. Because of how this place is set up, they separate guests depending on their size. So if you come as just a duo on a date, you will not be seated next to a party of 20 for a birthday. I think that this is ingenious! The most recent time was last night for my dad's birthday. Even with 2 babies under the age of 2- everything was fantastic! The waitress was all smiles and they even found some bottled water (which they do not sell) for me to make a bottle for the baby (since I forgot my own). All of the food was very very good, but I was amazed by the desert. I have only seen something similar at Jaxson's- This was a HUGE goblet- martini glass filled with ice cream, brownies, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. This was for 8 people. My favorite celebration at Buca tp date was my Bridal shower. We called ahead and I contacted the manager Rob, who assisted me with creating a menu for my guests. We set a date, a time, and since the party was over 50 people we chose the Passion Room. We were able to bring in our own cake for the occasion. We chose the Classico dinner package and added a carafe of sangria for each table. All of my guests complimented on the food and the atmosphere. There was plenty of room for everyone to walk around the room and mingle. The ladies could get up and out of their chairs freely to use the restroom or move from table to table to visit with other guests. All the wait staff for the party were fantastic. It was a memorable time, and I am extremely happy that we chose Buca.
(5)Aimee T.
Our waiter Alex was absolutely phenomenal!!! He was attentive, friendly, and genuinely happy. Best service I've had in a long time! Thank you!
(5)D H.
Used to go to this location often but not anymore. Went this past week for a birthday celebration. What a disappointment. Food is not like is used to be. Overpriced and nothing special. Started with a large house salad, which now is about the size of the small one in the past. I commented on the size of the bowl and the server said, "things aren't like they used to be." You could barely tell there was dressing on the salad. Also ordered chicken parmesan, which came burnt and with barely any sauce on it and baked ziti, also with barely any sauce on it. We asked for additional marinara sauce and never got it. The ziti looked like it had been sitting around for a while before coming to our table. We had requested they sing to the birthday person. Nothing, until I finally wrote on the bill they gave me that we were expecting them to sing as this person had never been to Buca. And this location no longer gives you slice of cake for birthdays. Called the manager and he was too busy closing for the night. Said he would call the next day. It's been 4 days now and still no call.
(2)Willie G.
Wow you get the bang for your bucks !! All portions are huge and at a great price! Food is amazing so is service! Definitely coming back
(5)Gabriella S.
They are the first REAL italian-food Italian restaurant I've been to. Not in the pretentious way either. I mean "RE italian-food" as in what you would have for dinner if your from-Italy Italian grandmother (or in my case, my grandmothers brother-in-law) were cooking. I ordered the Sassy Strawberry cream soda which I was hesitant about, only because I always seem to have bad luck ordering anything to drink that isn't just a coke. It was delicious! I thought it'd be too sweet and end up filing me up in between the food, but I actually think the right level of sweetness kept me FROM feeling full. After the warm and wonderful bread, our "small" orders of Quattro al forno and Baked ziti arrived. Both huge. The quatro could easily have fed 2 people, and the ziti would have served three quite hungry people. You know it's the real deal when the food doesn't purely smell and taste of garlic, onions and black pepper. We also ordered the prosciutto stuffed chicken, but I won't rate that entree since we ordered it "to go" and I have yet to taste it. For dessert, we shared the Italian cream cake. It was so dense in a perfect spongey way, as well as flavored with what I'm guessing was lemon zest rather than a flat out lemon cake or a cake batter that has clearly had lemon extract added to it. The cream filling wasn't overwhelming either, which made it even harder to will ourselves to only eat half of this SIX layered cake. I saw the table next to ours order a "small" lasagna, and it too looked as good as it was BIG. As was the enormous sundae served in a giant martini glass (and evidently mostly ordered as a birthday surprise for an entire table to share). Great food, great shareable portions and great prices.
(5)Laura R.
The hype about this place is totally real! Came here friday night for dinner and this place exceed my expectations. We ordered the proscutto and cheese stuffed chicken, fried mozzarella, stuffed shells. All were amazing, and all of this was enough for three people to share! The drink I ordered was not strong at ALL, you would think that for $13 it would be at least a little strong... but it wasn't. Service was great, the food took a little too long to come out but when it did, it was evidently worth the wait. Totally coming back to this place!
(5)Jeff D.
6 of us at Buca Saturday Night. They were on a wait so we went to the bar and Lori was FANTASTIC! She is a WONDERFUL bartender...overflowing with personality, wit & charm. Completely engaging, entertaining, knowledgeable & an apparent work horse of a bartender who only knows 1 speed...LIGHT SPEED! The only way she could possibly take care of guests & wait staff quicker would be to put her on roller skates. VERY impressive! Our waitress was Heather. She had a very huge party also to take care of and she did a good job with us. She was friendly & attentive and we were very happy with her. We were NOT happy with the kitchen's timing though. For some reason, after a LONG wait...our cheese bread, appetizer pizza and the entrees all came out together. It was disappointing to wait so long for cheese bread & pizza...but when the food FINALY came, it was all incredibly delicious. The manager removed the pizza from our bill to make amends, which was very fair & appreciated. Once again, we'll definitely be back, and we are going to call ahead & make sure Lori is working :-)
(4)Joel G.
Busca de horrible! Had reservation for four adults to kids and a baby, was given a circle booth which would not work to our senior citizens! Moved to table/booth next to us which was even worse. Huge party of 15 to 20 people in room, extremely loud and because of large party room was hot as hell! Air conditioner was not working correct per front staff. Food was ok but waited for service too long. Waitress was great but atmosphere sucked. Also had a scare in parking lot, drunk or high man approached me and my baby outside preparing a bottle, scared me to death! Dark parking lot high security risk! Ended up having dessert to go, because 10 month old as well as All at table were sweaty and miserable. Will never ever go back to this hell hole!
(1)Jordan L.
Buca di beppo was really good, the food is amazing, and I love the large portions!
(5)Sharry V.
Omg...what an incredible meal. It was a meal fit for royalty. I love Italian food and nothing beats Buca di Beppo. We ate in the kitchen which is always a wonderful experience. We started out with delicious mozzarella Caprese. Then we had Chicken Parmigiana, Penne ala Vodka and fettuccine Alfredo. If that wasn't enough we also had broccoli with garlic and oil and tasted yummy hot sausages. To top off the meal we ended with a brownie hot fudge sundae. What a feast and the service was superb too. As always eating at Buca di Beppo is a foodies dream come true.
(5)Mia Z.
I actualy love this chain! But every time i comme here there is sonething! They just dont care about there costumers!!point blank!! I will never comme back here just horrible...
(1)Patrick M.
Decent enough for italian.
(3)Harvey D.
Wow! What a difference the location makes. I had eaten at another Bucca a couple of times and had awful service and ordinary (at best) food. I pretty much vowed to not go back. However, after trying to come up with dinner plans on a Wednesday night, my wife and I decided to give this Bucca a shot. (We had a coupon which made the decision a little easier.) The restaurant was fairly empty although we were seated in the same room as a big party so their bill in itself was satisfactory revenue for the night. The hostess took us on a tour of the kitchen on the way to our table which was kind of cool. They do have a chef's table where you can watch them preparing the food since you are sitting right there. Something to maybe try in the future.... Our waiter was really friendly and made us feel that he wanted us to have a great experience that night. We decided to start with the caesar salad and then move onto the macaroni rosa and spaghetti with meatballs. Everything was really good and the service was great. He refilled our drinks in a timely fashion and cleared away dirty dishes as necessary. This place is kinid of expensive in the sense that you are going to pay between $20-$30/dish; however, you do get a of food and I even made three meals out of it. I was very impressed with this restaurant and the other location I ate at needs to send someone here to watch and learn. And take notes.... This is not the kind of place I can eat at all the time because it's a little on the expensive side; however, once in a while isn't so bad. I can definitely see myself returning if I am in the mood for Italian and don't mind having leftovers.
(4)Yvette R.
We recently visited Buca di Beppo during a our stay in Florida. Loved the fact that they bring you through the kitchen so you can see the different food stations. We made a reservation and were seated quickly. Our waiter was extremely polite and attentive and took our drink order promptly. He also brought a bread basket with dipping oil (balsamic/olive oil). The bread was cold and stale which was surprising since we had seen the bread station during our trip through the kitchen and they appeared fresh. He replaced the bread with another bread basket that was fresh and warm. We ordered three small orders for the our group of 3. The portions were large and could easily feed 3. When the dishes were delivered we had a mishap with a water glass which partially fell into the plate containing stuffed chicken breasts. This is where it went downhill, the food runner (not our waiter) indicated that he could take the plate back and remove the water and add fresh sauce or we could wait 25 minutes for them to deliver a new plate. Neither was acceptable but we chose to have them remove the water from the plate and add fresh sauce which was a mistake since the chicken was watery. We told our waiter who apparently didn't know what to do so we flagged down the manager. He was appalled at how the situation was handled and offered us a complimentary dessert which was amazing (brownie sundae). All and all not bad for a chain.
(3)Alexander P.
The service was good, both friendly and attentive. The prices are a bit high, but for the price you get a ton of food! Between myself and two friends, we ordered a pizza and a pasta dish, and had more than enough. We actually had enough for left overs! The food quality was also pretty good, nothing out of this world, but better than most casual Italian restaurants I've been to. Last but not least, the environment was clean, from the bathroom to the table. Would I go here again? Sure! Would I come here frequently? No. The prices are what separate this place from most casual restaurants, in my opinion. P.S. The place has a lot of personality. In my opinion, it's kinda like museum and Italian restaurant had a baby. Lol
(4)Andy V.
Started off well...In a nutshell it was bad. I normally don't like to berate places but the service was bad. Food was as to be expected, good. Service was bad. Quite literally all the tables in our section were visually irritated including us and the server was apologizing profusely. I mean this guy, as well in tensioned as he was, probably received a master's in apologetics. He ended up leaving and had someone else come in to take over the area. She was great. But at the point the fun was over and the 5 of us had a dining experience that couldn't be salvaged overall. Without asking, the manager comped the entire meal and even the chianti. Didn't expect that at all. The new server was so good that we ended up tipping her $50 cash. I won't go there again. I'd rather go support a small mom n pop Italian joint any and everytime.
(2)Erin A.
I'd like to take this opportunity to give an extra thank you to the chef, Felton. We ordered the veal marsala (among other things) and it was not to our personal liking. Felton came out to our table personally, and not only apologized (although he had done nothing wrong), but he accommodated my dietary restrictions and altered a dish so that I could enjoy it. Being a Friday night, it was greatly appreciated, and we will certainly return. You have a very classy employee in Felton, and I hope you don't take him for granted. Thank you, again!
(4)Michael S.
Not any near as horrible as the time I ate in a Buca di Beppo in Daytona Beach. being a chain, the interiors were similar if not exactly the same. Cute, sort of like an Italian grandmothers house exploding all over the inside of a well partitioned warehouse. To get the most out of this place I think you just need to order carefully. Don't think fancy, think basic. The chopped salad was fair. The fried cheese was fair. I had the mussels appetizer with marinara sauce for my main course and it was more than enough. it was fair, the mussels were over cooked a bit and the sauce was way too thick but it wasn't horrible. I tasted pasta with vodka sauce and the spaghetti with meat balls. the pasta with vodka sauce was way over sauced but OK. The spaghetti with meatballs was also just OK.
(3)Natalie C.
Love love love this place! The portions are HUGE and the service is awesome. Ask them about the wine bottle special :)
(5)Jillian B.
Amazing place, love the food and the ambiance. They play legit italian old songs, you feel like you are in Italy. the servers are always attentive to your needs, I never had a wait problem even when they were packed. Great place to have business meetings also.
(4)Ed H.
Went there once before for a family affair and found the food OK, the service slow, and the prices a bit too high. Went there tonight (not my pick) and I swear you couldn't pay me to ever go there again! Arrived for our reservation at 6 PM and didn't get entrees delivered till 8:05 PM, and one of them was missing. Horrible food, the WORST service I ever experienced and a nightmare of mistakes! Never again!
(1)JoAnna L.
We came here for thanksgiving dinner (I know how dumb that sounds, it wasn't up to me). The staff were amazing! ! Every single person we walked by greeted us and said Happy Thanksgiving! I felt like I was in somebody's home, not a restaurant. This was a nice touch because I'd be pissed to be working on thanksgiving. But they at least looked like they were truly happy to be there. We got the thanksgiving feast, which was reasonably priced with huge portions. We were 6 adults and 3 children and we had leftovers. We also added on a pasta dish and a kids meal. Even the kids meal was enough food for 2 adults! The food itself was just ok. But I wasn't expecting much, being that it's an Italian restaurant. The salad and pasta dish were good though. If we're ever in the area again I would go back for their Italian food. Remember that it's family style dining, so go with a few people.
(4)Tom Z.
Poor reservation system. Made reservation 3 months ago, and still waited 45 minutes. Once seated, service was a little slow as there were other large parties around. I will say the food was very good! That's why people put up with the wait and always book for family events and parties!
(4)Tomas B.
Really not sure where to go here as this rating is not up against 5 Star Italian dining but against places of similar price points and ambiance.. Macraroni Grill, Carrabas etc... Concept is Family style dining where dishes are meant to be shared.. 4 Guys here after a round of golf tonight so we are pretty hungry.. Winding out way through this very old configuration to a table in the back near the kitchen.. quiet and suitable for our dinner tonight. Wine was not over priced though bottle pricing certainly better value than by the glass a $30.00 cabernet is selected while bread is presented... Ixnay on the Breadnay... Pretty bad. Di Beppo 1893 Salad with pepperoni, salami, provolone, feta, mixed greens, roma tomato wedges, red onion, cucumbers, red and yellow roasted peppers, pepperoncini peppers, Kalamata and green olives in our signature Italian vinaigrette $14.99 was small for two we split it for 4 persons and it was more than enough very tasty decent quality meets and extra dressing was brought quickly and needed but pretty good. Mini Meatballs $11.99 - mini meatballs, made with talian cheese blend, sauteed in our homemade marinara, served with our house-baked Italian bread.. They were actually pretty good and made it around the table as we inhaled them. Entrees were - $24.99 Veal Saltimbocca Veal Saltimbocca, lemon butter sauce, sage, prosciutto, artichoke hearts, lemon and capers I thought was Ok nothing special and small for $24.99 at this place. Shrimp Fra Diavolo Shrimp Fra Diavolo Buca Favorite Menu Item! - garlic shrimp and crushed red pepper with penne in spicy rosa sauce $22.99 more of a creamy red / white mix and not very spicy but abundant amount of shrimp and pasta flavor was OK. Couple of side dishes: Rosemary Potatoes $8.99 not a large portion for $9.00 for potatoes but tasty.. while the $6.99 Italian Sausage Italian Sausage Two spicy Italian sausage links served with marinara sauce. was shall we say lacking. All I would say in short it is Average food.. more like 2.5 stars but service was excellent - and nothing was terrible just not Great... Doubt I'd repeat with all the other options in the area but can't say I hated it.
(3)Chelsea G.
Love this restaurant- It is perfect for a big family dinner!
(4)Janice D.
Poor service. Waited a long time for food to arrive considering we were there at 5:30 for dinner and were a party of 4. Small portions. Not all entrees include pasta. What's up with that? Salad not included??!! Will definitely not return!
(1)Kayla M.
Just had my Birthday dinner! A large party of 10-12 people and we had Bre as a server she was pretty cool and kept hp with this crazy group! Food was AMAZING! I did find out from a member at the oartt that Bre did charge her for something sge did not order. When confronted she said she thought my friend still wanted it:-( I think to provide great service she should have removed or adjusted the bill.
(3)Nancy A.
Big portions! Come hungry! The tomato soup is delish, do a reservation if you don't want to wait, and of course I recommend the kitchen table. Private and entertaining all in one. The portions are BIG, so be careful about ordering with your eyes! oh and a tip: check online, there are always good cupoons online.
(3)Michelle M.
The star is for the service not the food. We were a large party of 10 with a reservation. The food we love as we always do but the service was deplorable. This is the second time we go and he second time we get service which wasn't up to our standards. We waited about 15 min before the server even arrived... After I flagged him down to which he rudely dismissed me and told me he would be back. He finally arrived and wouldn't even take the time to listen to what I was telling him because he kept interrupting me. We ordered the house chianti but they didn't have the large bottle, so we ordered the house red wine which they also didn't have so we opted for the pino Grigio. They brought us wine glasses but 4 had to be given back because there were pieces of food on the glasses and lipstick. It wasn't until about 45 min of being seated that they finally brought the high chair we requested. We also made a special request on the sauce but they failed to follow our request so we ended up asking for sauce on the side but by the time it came most of the food had been devoured because we'd been waiting so long for our food. But the worst part was the attitude of one of the servers in the restroom... I proceeded to inform her that there wasn't toilet paper or paper towel and her response was that they were human and we shouldn't be complaining so much. Ridiculous! As much as I love their food I've had many issues with their service at this location and they never seem to make any improvements. While the food was good, I can find food just as good closer to home and with better service.
(1)Laura K.
I had always wanted to try this restaurant out because I've heard such good reviews. But after going to the restaurant, I don't know why this place is popular. I saw a coupon on groupon and thought why not. That Saturday night my boyfriend and I went to the restaurant where we waited for 10 minutes to be seated with no one in front of us in line. They finally sat us in a booth where the couple behind us was screaming about their martial issues. That wasn't the restaurants fault but it added fuel to the fired when our appetizer came out. We ordered seven dollar garlic bread that was burn and I know you can buy the same brand at Publix for much cheaper. I'm not the type of person to complain or make a scene so I just sat there hoping my entree would be better. My food was mediocre at best but my boyfriend is not polite when it comes to bad food. He ordered fettuccine Alfredo and it was ice cold. Not cold like it sat on the counter a little too long cold like they dumped cold sauce on cold pasta then put it in the freezer. The waiter was flirting with other employees and if we walked out I don't think he would of even noticed. When we finally got his attention my boyfriend was so fed up he just wanted to pay and leave. A fifty dollar dinner to eat a couple bites... Won't ever come back!
(1)Clara S.
This review is for the Bucca Di Beppo (Davie's location) Catering Service: I ordered online to surprise a friend with lunch for her birthday. I ordered two 1/2 pans of pasta and a pan of chocolate chip cannolis a day before the event. It came with a pan of bread too. Silverware, plates, and napkins came with the delivery. It arrived on time with a birthday message since I called that morning and informed them not to include the receipt and they offered to put in a birthday message. It had a large card that said "Happy Birthday" and the employee wrote a message from me. My friend was very surprised and very happy. It's one of her favorite places to eat so I knew she would like the food. I just wanted to say it was easy to order online and trust the catering services from this location if you were interested. At this time, it is a $25 delivery fee, with a minimum $100 food order for catering services.
(5)Norlan D.
I know it's a chain, but my fiance and I love it here. The food has always been delicious, the portions are obviously HUGE as they are a family-style restaurant, and the drinks are good, too. There are always coupons to be had, so sign up for their email list. We have always had friendly service here as well.
(5)Diane N.
Five of us went for lunch last week. This was my first time at this location. The food was really good. I had spaghetti with marinara sauce. So many restaurants overcook pasta. It was perfectly cooked here. My friend ordered chicken limone. He said it was delicious. The prices for lunch were reasonable and the servings were large.
(4)Jen S.
It was 3rd time here and the service tonight was really bad, slow, not kind, food was really good but i doubt we'll be back here, service can kill your business
(2)Ivette R.
Love Buca di Beppo and haven't been there in years I went to the one in DAVIE love the food
(5)Kate H.
I had a great time at this Buca di Beppo! We went for my birthday a couple weeks ago & of course they have to sing. We called ahead and made reservations & were seated right away when we got there. I love the family style servings. Our waitress was in training, so we also had a waiter who was pretty entertaining. They were both very attentive. I would definitely go back to this location.
(4)Jose C.
Good Italian food, Great service and Awesome deals and prices. thanks a lot from Advance Business Consulting mba4help.com
(5)Jeremy Z.
a chain Italian restaurant, i'd rather eat at a local place but the food is good as is the service.
(3)Jo W.
I have only been to Buca di Beppo once before and I was not impressed. The only reason I ended up back here was because they were having a buy one get one free lunch special and my friend invited me along (I hope she knows I am the free). I know they are trying to create the impression of grandma's house and they succeeded if my grandma was a hoarder. I get it, but for me it is just way too over decorated and eclectic but maybe that makes some people feel warm and fuzzy inside. The at home feeling is also projected into the service. One of the unique things about this restaurant is that they take you through the kitchen so that you can see the chefs in the kitchen preparing the food before you are taken to your seat. You can also reserve a table to eat in the kitchen if you really wanted to do that. I did find the wine bottles on the ceiling, where we were seated, to be a pretty cool accent. It is always great when a restaurant starts you off with complimentary bread. It is also especially great when it is fresh and tastes good. Being an Italian restaurant, balsamic vinegar and olive oil come with it which is definitely a plus. A lot of Italian breads are tough but this was actually soft. Not too many choices on the menu stood out to me but one, the Spicy Chicken Rigatoni. The dish is described as tender chicken breast sautéed with garlic and red pepper, tossed with peas, a spicy rosa sauce and imported Italian rigatoni pasta. I am not sure what makes the imported Italian rigatoni special since it tasted like regular dry pasta and the tender chicken breast was tender, but also tasted previously frozen. The dish wasn't horrible but with all the "this is home" presentation, I expected a bit more. My friend ordered the Baked Lasagna. I didn't mind it although I found the sauce to be a little sweet for my taste. My friend however, didn't like it and actually liked my dish better. Go figure! Buca di Beppo has some charm, and everyone is really friendly. The food itself just isn't up to the standards it should be. It's an interesting concept that is probably best suited for large groups, but for the average night out, I would probably go someplace else.
(2)Cynthia M.
Best chicken parmesan I've ever had. I also recommend the meatballs. They serve everything family style making it a great place to dine for the family.
(5)Lucinda A.
Out of all my restaurant choices on University, my biggest mistake was choosing this place for lunch. I ate lunch alone and was automatically placed in the bar section. Hidden by a wall....the bar was empty and I'm at the worst table without being visible. Anyways, the only times I saw my waiter was when he took my order and when he dropped it off. The waiter NEVER CAME BACK....I was half way through my meal and needed another refill...NO REFILL...NO FOLLOW-UP ASKING HOW MY MEAL WAS.....NOTHING.... I was so ready to bail. I left half my meal, paid my bill and stupidly gave him a tip. Wish I hadn't. Next time if I want italian, I'll head to Carabas.
(1)Christina M.
This has to be one of my favorite commercial italian restaurants. Me being Italian myself, I usually have high expectations when it comes to food from the mother land but boy does this place exceed expectations. Firstly I want to mention how amazing the service is. Every time I take the infamous kitchen walk through everyone greets me, especially the cooks. The waiters are on point and extremely helpful. And even the hostesses are accommodating. The atmosphere is one of a kind, with the abnormal amounts of pictures decorating the place to the pope room- the decor is especially entertaining. Now, the food, madonne mia! If you are here for the first time you MUST try the meatballs. They are huge and can easily be split amongst 2 people. Don't tell my mother but they are so much better than my momma's meatballs (sssshh!). Any of the pasta dishes are superb but my absolute favorite is the carbonara. My favorite meat dish is hands down the chicken parmigiana. The chicken is fresh and the cheese is succulent and the sauce is just perfect. If you have never tried this place. I urge you to check it out! You absolutely wholeheartedly will not regret it! Bon appetite!
(5)Maram B.
Awesome place to go with a group of people. Portions are huge and can be shared. The chicken pesto is awesome. The small fried cheese appetizer is really good and comes with six pieces. It's a little pricey but because the portion size is huge.
(4)Daniel M.
Was better before Planet Hollywood purchased chain. I hate their ties and I miss Susan the bartender.
(2)Nathalie P.
Great family restaurant. Portions are huge, so come hungry. Best dish by far is the spicy chicken bucatini pasta... Simply delicious. Service was decent, the entrees took a little long to come out, but everyone was very nice and the food was good, I'll be back.
(4)Frances G.
Amazing food, if you are looking for a "private" dinner w/ your party and or your significant other this is a great place. The restaurant is divide into diff areas (rooms) but at the sane time 1 so it feels private and cozy. Food is great, but portions are huge (they are meant to be shared). Would go back here again soon!!
(5)Andreas B.
What a terrible restaurant. After being seated it took them some toime to even acknowledge us. The waiter did not take much time for us. After 30 min wait the appetizer came and it was not what we expected. Saugage and peppers but in reality it was lacking peppers completely. I had salmon with lemon pepper sauce but all i had on the plate was some salmon in some oily substance. This place is way overprised and had bad customer service. Avoid it.
(1)Leatrice R.
The staff is so friendly and welcoming! Tiara and Alexis are so professional and accommodating. Kudos on the great service!!
(5)Rich B.
"A buon intenditor poche parole." Literal translation: "Few words to the good knowledgeable" TIPS: - They serve breakfast & it's good - Make a reservation or use open table so you won't have to wait. - Ask for the kitchen table, I love the fact that I can request the kitchen table ;) - Come with friends for the family style meals. (I love to break bread with good company) The food highlights: - The calamari came out first. Cooked perfectly! The sauce was a perfect level of spicy. - Next came the chicken. Chicken Saltimboca is chicken wrapped in prosciutto, then fried and covered with a delicious tart sauce. WTH.... why isn't everyone else doing this? - Tiramisu. Great wait staff, great food, the food is excellent, and the manager Robert came by to make sure we were taken care of. Ciao, Richao
(5)Adetoun Tina A.
Went for the first time for a friends birthday. Sat in Pope room. About 15 of us including husbands and kids. I would recommend bringing cash. Family style italian food so large portions that everyone will more than likely share. Make reservations especially if your a large group desert was amazing, dont like coffee but love coffee desert. Having a Pope stare at you during dinner could be a bit creepy but we had fun with it.
(4)Hin C.
Great Family Style restaurant! We got a tour through the kitchen while hesding to our table in the back. The staff was very friendly especially our waitress, Vanessa. The wall decorations are full of Italian History and that made it feel like I'm somewhere in Italy! Portions are family sized (1-2 or 3-4). My friend and I had the Shrimp and mussel Pasta in a spicy red wine sauce, even though it wasn't spicy (and my tolerance for spicy is low). The pizza was phenomenal! The caramelized onions were to die for!! If you're a huge fan of onions, the first pizza on the Dine-in menu is the way to go! I would definitely come back here with my family or a big group of friends.
(4)Andrew S.
Horrible experience. We came here to celebrate my cousin's 16th birthday, and everything that could go wrong went wrong. The service was really spotty. We had to ask 5 different people for silverware, but no one ever came by. We eventually had to take a few rolls from a rack in the hallway. The food wasn't really good- the spaghetti and meatballs came out cold, and the Chicken Marsala lacked chicken. There were only three small pieces of chicken on the plate, which is pathetic seeing how everything here is served "family style". The restaurant itself wasn't clean. There was dust everywhere, with the ceiling in some of the rooms completely covered in dust. And seeing how the ceilings are really low in here, it easily poses a health risk. All in all, this was terrible. If you are in the mood for Italian, stick to Carrabba's or (dare I say) Olive Garden.
(1)Mauricio B.
This review is for their take out service. They have a separate catering menu you can order from. Most of their main dishes are included in this menu, but in a larger format. They also have a dedicated person to take care of your catering/take out order, and she was very helpful through the whole process. I had an idea of the type of dishes I wanted, but she helped me choose the right size and combination, and offered alternatives. When I went to pick up my order, they told they had made a mistake and prepared one of the dishes with the wrong type of pasta, so it would take 15 more minutes for them to make a new one. Even though I had to wait, I was pleased they checked before giving me the order because I would not have checked until I got home, and then it would been s problem. Overall I was very pleased with the service I received and the quality of the food. Prices were not bad either.
(4)Carlos N.
Although I liked that atmosphere of old family style italian. I also like the walk through the kitchen experience but thats where all the good ends... Food was below average and overpriced . Tables were left dirty as the parties left. The fried calamari was soggy with oil.. I would definitely pick Carrabas over this any day.. I really expected much more from all the advertising but unfortunately they fell way short for my first and most likely last experience here..
(2)Dee B.
This review is for a party I reserved. Keep in mind, I was totally discombobulated, I did not have an accurate guest count and I had no idea how it all worked or how to order or preorder. That being said, my two amazing waiters took the reigns that night and let me have the best dinner for what went from a party of 16 to a party of 25 as the night blossomed for us. I deeply apologize for no pictures because people kept showing up and I just went into some happy face-catching-up-table-hopping-hostess-autopilot mode, no camera in hand. Lol I made reservations online then shortly afterwards I started getting a lot of Buca emails; that was a little annoying, but I kept an eye out for any kind of coupon that I could have used for the party. Setup - I called a few times before the party to ask if I should preorder. Each time I was told don't worry, order when I got there. Six of us arrived about 30 minutes early, they seated us about 15 minutes later, which was impressive, since it was a little busy. They had set up a long table in a narrow long room with about 5 booths, a narrow aisle separated the table and booths. Thank goodness because as my unaccounted for guests streamed in and there was no more room at the table, they were seated in booths and were still close enough to the action to feel very included. Ordering - family style menu or per person menu? We were assigned two waiters. The lead waiter took me to the side and whispered "do not stress out. You and me, we are a team, we got this. Do the family style. Tell me what you want your guests to have". LOVED HIM. He became my personal assistant for directing dinner, which made things feel natural for me, being a small time work-related event planner anyway. The two of them made service seamless, guests excited wondering what dish was next. He and the sweetie pie other waiter were constantly moving platters around, making sure everyone's glasses were not empty and everyone had a shot at every dish served. Food - amazing good no complaints raves from all 25 of my guests; I stuck to basics - bottles of house red (surprisingly raved about), carafes of sangria, Caesar salad, mixed green salad, calamari appetizers, lots of comp bread baskets, lasagna, chicken parm, spaghetti and meat sauce, huge meatballs, chicken Alfredo, baked ziti, and the prosciutto stuffed chicken (NOM). Two of my guests ordered individual vegetarian meals, a few ordered iced tea. Two desert platters were enough, just as the waiter suggested. Lots to send home togo next-day lunch containers with few folks. Yay! Well worth it family style/with which turned out to be about $38 person including gratuity and a 15% off mailer coupon given to me by one of my awesome guests. Great!
(5)Chelsea C.
I was there for dinner tonight and they say my boyfriend and myself by the kitchen which is fine until they were starting to close and the staff became loud and obnoxious. At one point they were even screaming dees nuts jokes. It was also terrible hearing servers talk about their tables... "My table wants extra sauce but you already put it away... Sucks for him. Sucks for him" continuing to say sucks for him over and over. On another note. Our server was fantastic. The food took forever... A dinner that should have taken an hour took almost two. We had the minimeatballs which were awesome. Warm spinach salad which came to the table missing the feta and the nuts. Once they were added it really made the salad. The stuffed chicken with the pesto cream sauce was nice as well. The brownie Sunday was a let down. By the time it got to the table the ice cream was melted.
(3)