Im am very very disappointed in this place we came here hungry ready to eat.. i ordered a steak and 45 mins after waiting for my food to come they say we dont have steak i couldnt beleive i came here hungry and they had me waiting a long time to tell them they dont have it... but the manager was great and made up for it.. good guy
(3)
Allison B.
Let me start out by saying since this is a chain I am not going to break it all down menu wise. I mainly just will say this is a chain that offers a variety of Italian fare. It was my first time here so when I first checked the menu I felt like it was over priced compared to Maggianos and Bucca . I still don't know if this place made its way to one of my favorite Italian chains but our server Tyler did such an amazing job I had to rate them 4 stars . We didn't have an easy party to deal with , my grandparents are both in their 80s and suffer from physical and mental handicaps. Tyler was patient and on point every step of the way. Which is why we not only left stuffed but super happy filled with dessert. Once the food arrived I still wasn't convinced until I took samplings of everyone's food. Each dish ordered was delicious. I feel like this menu offers something for everyone. They even know how to make delicious raspberry Italian soda that you can just keep drinking (free refills ). My favorite of the night was definitely the Panna cotta .. Don't go here if you're looking for a Olive Garden type experience . Prepare yourself for more of a Maggianos type dining without the yummy bread!
(4)
Natasha P.
This was my first time coming to this chain restaurant. My wife had a jack and coke and I had a peach sangria. Later I had a vodka and cranberry it was only $6 and the jack & coke $8. Sangria was $12 for a full glass. We had bread & oil, than ordered an appetizer bruschetta. Bruschetta was excellent. I had the chicken Parmesan and the wife had steak skewers. Our check was $88, I felt like we could of went to Friday's instead. Not a bad restaurant the food was regular. Nothing stood out or was particularly great. But it's good to try different restaurants.
(3)
Barbara V.
We've been to this location several times and it just isn't as good as it used to be. Last night we went in for an early dinner and the kitchen was struggling even though it wasn't very busy. Ordered the shrimp diavolo as an appetizer because it was so good last time. This time they overdid the spice and under did the lemon butter. Caesar salads were really small and had like 2 tiny croutons and no Parmesan on top. My boyfriend ordered the steak medium and it came out very rare, so he ate his mashed potatoes while I ate my pasta and they threw the steak back on the grill. The lady at the table near us sent her chicken back because it was raw. We ordered a to go meal for my daughter and they put in the lentil soup instead of the chicken soup I asked for. Our server was nice and helpful or I would have given our night 1 star.
(2)
Xm D.
We love this restaurant. We always get a solid Italian meal. I like the veal Marsala or veal parm. Good election of wine and beer. Good kids meal menu.
(4)
Celinda A.
Food: 3 stars Service:1 star 2 stars Went in for lunch with my 2 kids, right after the rush around 1/1:30. The hostess was friendly and very sweet to the boys. We got seated immediately as there were only 2 other tables in the restaurant. The server came over quite quickly and took our drink order. Brought over the drinks and bread/oil and took our order. It took over 15 minutes for my cup of soup to come out and he did not offer cheese. Finally noticed that my soda needed a refill and offered one. However he did not remove the empty bread basket or bread plates (they stayed there the entire meal and even after I got the check). The soup was the "soup of the day" and it was really delicious. I wasn't sure what to expect but the lentil soup was really good. We waited for an additional 20 minutes for lunch to arrive (kid ravioli, kid cheese pizza and a Mediterranean salad). Thank goodness for the kid menus that are filled with pages of activities. In this waiting period, he did not come by to check on us or give us refills. He also never removed the empty soup plate. Since we were only 3 people, the empty 4th seat became our dirty dishes and empty cup area. Not that he noticed. He delivered lunch with my soda refill (finally). After the food was delivered the entire wait staff disappeared. Only noticed since he never came to to ensure our meal was tasty. I also wanted to order an extra bowl of noddles for my son, since he only got 4 medium sized ravioli without any sides (pricy for $6). I finally saw the sweet hostess who, shared the waitstaff was at a team meeting with the manager and would be out shortly. About 8 minutes passed before he came over to our table and we finally ordered the bowl of pasta. It took an additional 10 minutes for the pasta to arrive. Waiting 10 minutes for a kid sized bowl of buttered noodles is crazy. He again ignored us and never came back to check on us. I will say that my salad was good while it was slightly over dressed and my salmon was cold by the time it was delivered. The pizza was also warm. While my kids were finishing up lunch, the server offered us dessert. I kindly rejected it and the check was presented immediately after. (The table was in shambles and the boys were still eating). I paid with a gift card and my credit card - which took over 10 minutes to process. While the food was good, the service was unacceptable given the lack of diners in the restaurant. In addition, the lack of checking in to ensure the food was hot and tasty was ridiculous. An establishment that charges $2.99 for a 8oz soda is laughable. I should have ordered a beer :) I likely will not return as the food was good but not enough to deal with crappy service on a $44 lunch with kids! Plus who wants to spend over an hour at lunch?!? No one.
(2)
Starr B.
First time visiting this restaurant. Never really been a fan of Italian food....but this is DELICIOUS!!
(5)
Ina H.
It was my first time here and I'm not coming back. I ordered the chicken Bryan and unfortunately it was too salty for my taste. I love the idea of combining goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes with chicken and if they would have left out that table spoon of salt, I would have loved the dish.
(2)
Joseph B.
We went on Friday night, only had a 5 minute wait. The food was good but the service was bad. It took our server several minutes to get our drink orders then several minutes to bring the drinks. After taking our order, we went several minutes again without any food so i had to ask for bread. It then took several minutes before we got our salads and then the food runner brings meals to our table that were meant for another group. We were still eating our salads when the entrees arrived. 2 of the 3 meals came out at lukewarm temperature and had to be reheated. My spaghetti side tasted like the pasta was not cooked all the way. We then ordered an ice cream sundae which took another several minutes to be brought to us. The server was very nice but seemed to be overwhelmed. In summary, the food earned a 4 star rating but the service only garnished a two star rating for a total of 3. When i spoke to the person at the front, he was aware of this issue but i think if you are aware of this issue then you need to provide more training or give extra assistance until the server is up to speed.
(3)
Eddie K.
Probably one of the worst dining experience. Never been here before- walked in and the hostess said the wait was five to ten minutes. Forty minutes later we were seated. I went to the bar while waiting and had a beer. Good draft selections- bartender was nice and prompt- should of just ate there. Once seated I asked our waiter what they had on draft and he said they only had four while I know they had a larger selection since I was just at the bar. Even told him what beer I drank at the bar but he kept on repeating the same four. He didn't mention any specials and when I asked him he looked at our menu and said- oh there should of been a special insert in the menu- 15 minutes later he came back with another menu that had the specials listed. You would think he should have it memorized. Took over twenty minutes to place our order and the food came forty minutes later- I am starting to see a pattern here. Wife and I had the steak Marsala- what a mistake. This was the worst sirloin steak ever. It was so tough it was like chewing leather even though it was cooked medium. After a long dinner- we just wanted to get out of there. For chain restaurants- this place has a long way to go. TGI Fridays has their act together. Won't ever go back.
(1)
Mike A.
Went here for dinner with a small group. Wine and cheese samples at front door but no one available to serve (Nick, the loud guy in the tiny blue apron, was busy flitting around talking with his friends). We finally poured a few wine samples for people in our group, and loud guy Nick came over and made a scene. Nick, don't have the samples if you can't have someone there to serve it. You lost our business.
(1)
Ty J.
Had a great middle of the week evening meal. I had the Pollo al Prosecco from the new seasonal menu. The meal was good, but the the drink I had was even better! The Taste of Tuscany was awesome...in my opinion! I love sweet drinks that aren't overpowered by the alcohol. Good food and great service!
(4)
Bianca F.
My review is mostly for the food. I started going to Carrabba's in Texas & have always liked their food. I was very excited to find out they had a location in the East Coast near me. I always get the Johnny Rocco salad. It comes with mixed greens, roasted red peppers, pitted olives, grilled scallops and grilled shrimp with a dash of fresh shaved cheese. It is always good. I highly recommend that salad. I'm a big fan of seafood and this is a health way for me to get my fix. The minestrone soup is always a good addition to your meal. It comes with chunks of fresh vegetables and tastes great. I picked up my order to go. They were great with taking my order and meeting me outside in the pickup area to get my meal. Overall, it was fast, efficient, tasty and cost friendly.
(4)
Libby F.
My neighbor and I had been talking about coming here for over a year. I dreamed about trying their lobster ravioli. I have been giving my mailman a gift certificate for this restaurant for the past several years. He lives near here and had never been. Now, he loves it! Well, our experience was not so great. The brushette appetizer, "Scotty Thompson" was disappointing. It was a bowl of sauce with a few thin slices of goat cheese placed on top. It's served with six slices of toasted ciabatta bread. According to Carrabba's website it says, and this is a quote, "We use only traditional focaccia bread in our recipe." The calamari is very good, but not the best I've ever had. (Sorry, Kristene P.) Also, our waiter did not mention I had a choice of sauces, and I would have preferred the lemon butter sauce over the marinara. My bad for not paying attention. His bad for not offering the option. My friend thought her $18 steak was tough. I didn't get the lobster ravioli. I regret that now. I decided to get the $18 special which included my calamari w/ a choice of three entrees. I got the lobster mac and cheese. While it had many chunks of lobster, where were the four cheeses?! Where was the breadcrumb topping? It was very bland, almost like eating noodles and butter, like a toddler would get. I took most of it home, which I plan to add cheese to and microwave. Lastly, the peach sangria was good, but it was $11.20 for a quart (glass and a half). I think a pitcher was $30, which our waiter said we should get because it was cheaper. You got four glasses. Huh? Let me see... 3 glasses for $22.40...Four glasses for $30.00. Not really. Well, we came and got this out of our system. Neither of us has any desire to return.
(2)
Brian P.
Stinks. Dirty. Mediocre food. We used to like this place even though it was a chain. Really went down hill
(1)
Andres G.
Place was dirty, tables unclean. Salad was not good (how do you mess up a salad?!) Pasta wasn't very good but the Italian sausage was. Let's be honest, this is an Olive Garden-wannabe restaurant that falls short and leaves a lot to be desired. The waiters are friendly, but the place felt understaffed at times.
(1)
Angela L.
We are regulars here. The best things are the bread (because bread is life), the mahi, house salad, calamari, and the spaghetti and meat sauce. Oh, the wrapped pork tenet loin. It's a little pricey but if you are looking for a quiet, drama free bar to enjoy an hour of happiness after work, this is the place. You might stay for two hours. Don't be surprised.
(5)
Rob O.
Horrible!!! was there yesterday and the service was horrible. My wife asked for a new "coke" cause it seemed flat to her. The waiter had the nerve to ask " was it flat from sitting on the table or did it come out flat? If it came out flat then I'm going to have to go change the lines. My daughter ordered the chicken tenders off the children's menu. The tenders came that came out, looked to be freezer burned. ( the meat was yellow!) I ordered a soup that came out cold, not just warm.... COLD! The restaurant used to be great but over the years the service has really declined. We won't be going back. Too many other Italian restaurants in the area that actually care about their customers to give my hard earned money too.
(1)
Mercedes C.
I was a bit weary about coming to Carrabba's because I'm not a huge fan of Italian food, but with the crazy weather in the DMV area my bf and I decided to come here since it was down the street from his house. I have to say I was actually happy we came here. I enjoyed a glass of sangiovese with my Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin (medium rare) and it was soo tasty! The value of the entrees are actually pretty affordable and it comes with a starter and a choice of a side. Our waiter (I cant remember his name :-/) was super friendly and even made great recommendations for my indecisive bf. We'll definitely be returning here!
(4)
Kelly R.
After many years of visiting this location, my boyfriend were so disappointed with the customer service, that we left before we even got a seat. Let me first say that we have enjoyed the ambiance, the food and the service in the past, but our experience last Saturday left a BAD taste in our mouths. We were told that that wait would be 15 minutes--(not bad for a Saturday night). 25 minutes later we watched as people came in, and were seated in front of us. Hey, we were there 1st! Yes--I said it. Why were they seated ahead of us?, you ask. My boyfriend thinks it was because they all had more diners in their party (which equals=more money). I Honestly think they just weren't paying attention. They even offered one couple to sit at the bar if they did not want to wait. We were NOT extended that same courtesy. My boyfriend asked to speak with the manager and when he comes, he automatically goes to the host's list and angrily points at it telling us that they go by the list. OK--fine, but we watched the last 2 families, and a couple come and be seated right away. They were not waiting, as we were. I just felt that it could have been handled with a little more courtesy. Instead of telling us we were wrong... how about just politely say, "We are so sorry for the inconvenience, we will be sure to seat you shortly." That would have been fine with us, and diffused the situation! A little kindness goes a LONG way when one is dealing with hungry customers. He was not kind or collected, and that just caused us to Walk Out, and go to the next Italian restaurant in Germantown. Carrabba's lost my business, and trust me, they got a lot of my money before this incident. Until they change manager's I will go to a place where customer's are treated appropriately.
(1)
Natalie D.
I checked in and I gave simple review starting to server to drinks. Now, I'm doing my overall rating (it's a lil overdue...my phone died when we were at carrabba's). So here we go. Let's start with our server: he was very helpful and welcoming. He explained about the food and shared some info about the restaurant (our first time! Can you believe that!) lol! Overall: 5 stars! Drink: I ordered blueberry sangria. I'm very picky when it comes to sangria, but their bb sangria is the BOMB! I love it! Overall: 5 stars! Food: very tasty, chicken is not over cook. My lasagna was perfectly made! Overall: 5 stars. Bread and dipping oil: 4 stars. Why I gave 4 stars total? It was our first time so I'll come back again and will see if everything will be the same! First timer: GREAT EXPERIENCE! :)
(4)
Chris H.
Worst experience ever not only did they take 1 hour and half to sit us but we didnt see our waiter for awhile we had to ask a waiter to find us a waiter.... worst part is im a regular here .. i even come here sometimes 2 times in a week ... i need to find a new italian resturant to go to
(1)
Nelly B.
I live in the area, so I've visited frequently, but I don't know about my future visits after the experience I've had. I am not sure if management changed or what, but first, the servers are fake when they talk to you and they can't answer questions about the food 100% of the time because they don't know the menu. Second, the martinis used to come withe the little shakers they were made in, which is not the case anymore. Third, the entree I got, Pollo Rosa Maria, was very salty and there was a hair in it. I know what it's supposed to taste like because it's not my first time ordering it. And fourth, I got the Panna Cotta for dessert (which is "Housemade Madagascar vanilla bean custard with fresh raspberries"), but mine included half of a baby tomato with the tomato sauce, so you can imagine the taste.
(2)
Fred B.
You just can't beat Carrabba's !! And Carrabba's Germantown is no exception. The service was phenomenal. Major Kudos go out to Nick the Pizza/Flatbread Chef. We sat at the Kitchen Bar Seating and watched Nick craft those special oven fired pizzas. What a pro! The food was exceptional as usual with any Carrabba's. The staff at the Germantown, MD is exceptional.
(5)
Nancy N.
My daughter and I went during the middle of day. Despite many empty seats, we were taken to a table right front of the restrooms. The waiter showed up after about 10 minutes and I asked to be moved to different table. There just weren't enough waiters or the waiters who were there were extremely slow. For the appetizer, we ordered the calamari, which was very salty. The noodles of the Tag Pic Pac were overcooked.
(1)
Christa R.
Went today at 5pm. Ordered one of the 4 Cavatappi pasta dishes on the menu. When it arrived it was penne. Questioned why it was penne, waitress went to the server area (not the kitchen) came back and said they are out of cavatappi. Pretty ballsy of them to make the substitution choice without asking me first. I would have ordered something else but wont now. I know what happens when food is sent back. How does an "italian" restaurant run out of a type of pasta by 5pm on a not busy sunday. Boxed penne pasta is not what I was looking for. She basically said pasta is pasta. Last time we were there we ordered a rigatoni dish and were served.. penne... they must keep the local safeway in business with their dried pasta sales. A cavatappi special is listed on the board outside the front door... shouldnt it be erased? Shouldnt servers know they are out of a pasta? Oh and someone else was served cavatappi after we were told they ran out. BS wont be back
(1)
Karen G.
Sorry to say, but do not expect a quality meal from this restaurant. Went to dinner there last week and my husband sent the lasagna back claiming it tasted like stale wine. I ordered fried cheese ravioli and it tasted like freezer-burned mozzarella sticks from the freezer section of the grocery store. The waitstaff was friendly, management seemed uncaring as they didn't visit us after the lasagna was sent back, although it was deducted from our bill. The place is noisy, not good for intimate conversation. If you go after reading this you've been forewarned!
(2)
S M.
This is one of the better Carrabbas I have ever been to. Everyone is always very friendly and the service is about an average wait time. The Chicken Bryan is my favorite especially because they let me customize it (I don't like goat cheese). The only reason they lost a star is because every once in awhile there is a cook who is a little heavy handed on the salt which kind of ruins the food. Other than that everything is delicious.
(4)
John B.
It's a nice ambiance with low lights and an open kitchen. The food used to be better than it is. I tend to get their pizza, which used to come out piping hot with a colorful array of peppers and ground black pepper on top, but recently has switched to less peppers with only one color, no ground pepper, and lower quality overall. Their pasta dishes are hit or miss, and they don't have a ton of vegetarian options. While the quality of food has gone down, the prices have gone up. I do regret having to write a negative review because they do, more often than not, have excellent servers. The bread dipped in spiced olive oil that they bring out for free is always good and tastes fresh. And whatever can be said about the food overall, people are still packing it in. They don't take reservations as such, but you can call ahead a few minutes before you come to reserve a spot in line, and there is often a long line. They have pasta bar seating if you don't want to wait, and you don't get the intimate booth setting, but you can watch sports. If you need Italian, it'll do, but this location isn't worth the crowds if you have a choice in the matter. If this location restored their former level of quality, I'd bump the rating up.
(2)
Boris W.
So sad, this place used to be pretty good. Last visit in late January was my last. My wife's steak was good, but the mashed potatoes were cold. She sent them back and new ones came about when she was done with the steak. I had a shrimp scallop pasta which was seasoned to perfection - but the scallops were lumpy and at best canned. The pasta was way overcooked so I decided to send it back. I received a new one (I told them to hold the scallops) and the pasta was hard/undercooked. Again, very nicely seasoned, but what kind of Italian restaurant can't cook pasta on 2 tries?!
(1)
Denise L.
One of our LEAST favorites in Germantown! The food is mediocre at best. I'm giving two stars because I actually like the lasagna but overall the food will send anyone into a coma via overdose of sodium. It's like salt is their only method of seasoning. And the mussels are possibly the worst option on the menu. Eeekkk! Frankly all of the "Italian" dinning options in Germantown SUCK so I'm not too surprised. Curbside service is slow, dinning service is unpleasant and the food is not worth the time. Thanks me later.
(2)
Jose G.
First off I have to give paÃses to our server, we ordered steak skewers for out son, when they brought it to the table it was not well done like we had ordered it. When she noticed us questioning it she just said don't worry I will take care of this, and twice the cos didn't get it right, but she made sure they finally did, the fact fact that she took our sons well being into regards the way that she did meant a lot. So if you are there make sure to ask for Maria, and take good care of her. The food was great, just in car I fail to mention something about the food.
(4)
Julie K.
Getting a table with very easy. Getting somebody to wait on us to go over 10 minutes. The poor waitress apologised about the reason why we had to wait. The manager never came over to us to apologize for wait I was extremely disappointed . The food was ok nothing to write home about. I was very disappointed, we usually have very good service and very good food here.
(2)
Sabrina A.
I don't know why this place has such bad reviews. This is my first time at this location and I haven't been to one in years. My friend and I had a great time, great food and great service! Nice ambiance here on a Saturday night! Will definitely come back!
(5)
Kimberley P.
I went here for cheat day, and I really made the most of it. Bread, calamari, 9oz filet bryan (the best way to have it) with garlic mashed potatoes, wine, panna cotta, cappuccino, frangelico......calorie count somewhere north of 3000 (no joke) but totally worth it. Our server was Amber, and she was really nice, attentive, and professional. The food was excellent, and the price was about right for a nice meal out in Germantown. Carrabba's is very family-friendly and there were a LOT of children there on a Friday evening, so if you're looking for something quiet and intimate, you're not going to find that here. My chair was bumped several times while we were eating - asking for booth seating next time.
(4)
Barbara C.
What the heck happened?? I haven't been to Carrabba's in ages so I decided to treat myself. What a disappointment!! The bread wasn't as good as it used to be. The olive oil was bitter. I was so disappointed. I ended up only ordering the fried gnocchi, which was okay. I decided not to order an entree. I didn't want to waste any more money on this place. If they can't get the bread & olive oil right, then I know the entree wasn't going to be any better. :-(
(2)
Vee N.
I usually sit at the bar...Service is always good. Food is always good; I try different selections each time I go. Drinks are pretty good as well. Inexpensive...
(4)
Marina I.
Worst experience ever. We dined there few weeks ago , party of five . Toll blonde waitress was trying to go home I guess even though we were there around 8:00 . Rushed through dinner. In 45 min we were presented with the check even though did not ask for it . I feel that if there is a lack of attention from the management. I realize is not a fine dining kind of place but trying to make your guests unwelcome is not what u have to focus on guys! Not coming back .
(1)
Alaina P.
This restaurant is overpriced and average in all other areas. Service was decent and the menu was standard for a casual Italian place. The food, predominately pastas, was average and pretty expensive for the quality, especially for the salads which could have been bagged salads with dressing poured on top. My friends and I came here for a homecoming dinner and, although I had made reservations 2 weeks in advance and confirmed them the week of, we were not seated for around 45 minutes as they did not have any space ready for us even though we arrived 5 minutes before our reservations. The staff at the front did not handle the other homecoming crowds well and could not answer my questions when I asked about the delay in our reserved seating.
(2)
Faith M.
Terrible food!! It tasted like cheap microwaveable food. I could definitely make better and fresher food at home. I have been to a Carrabbas in another State that was much better quality. Highly disappointed!
(2)
Glenn F.
It's a chain restaurant, but we enjoy certain menu items. This location has good service. All around a known good place to go for Italian.
(3)
Braden J.
Carrabba's recently opened for lunch in Germantown and has been a great addition to the lunch scene. It is some of the only Italian in this area (next closes place I know is Agrodolce) and all the food I have tried here is really good. My office goes here a lot for special occasions: if we win an award at work, someone's birthday, etc. As a result, we role deep, like 15-30 people. I have always been impressed by how easily Carrabba's has seated us. They have lots of room and lots of large tables. The best thing here maybe the warm bread served with olive oil and herbs. It is complimentary and is so good it makes you wonder if you can just eat that for your meal. Luckily, I have always thought better of this because the entrees I have had here are delectable. I am a pretty big fan of pasta so the last two times I have gotten the lobster ravioli and the shrimp fettuccine. Both of these have been slightly smaller than average sized portions, but still filling especially if you start with a salad or eat a loaf of bread (trust me it is hard not to). A few of the previous reviews have not been impressed by the service here, but I have always had good experiences. My waiters/esses have always been attentive and last time I went they did separate checks for 15+ of us. Also, lots of times when we go a couple people need to get back early for a meeting. Whenever this happens the wait staff has been especially good at making sure they get those people their checks first so they can leave quickly. Overall I have always enjoyed this place. The food is a little pricey for lunch (got to get your bosses to pay), but all the food is good and service is exceptional.
(4)
Sheena S.
Went for dinner- ordered Tag Pic Pac, glass of Chianti, and Tiramisu. Tag Pic Pac- was just as ordered- good but not great. I could replicate the dish at home. Chianti- always good. Smooooth Tiramisu- eh. I've had much better. It had a real strong taste of rum- which is good if you enjoy that but if you don't- it's a real turn off. It was super sweet, creamy and choc lately otherwise. Would go there again but I have had consistent service and pretty good food in the past but not ordering the dishes above. I must mention our wonderful waiter- Ryan! He was attentive, gracious and very nice.
(3)
John H.
Went in right before closing. The staff was very friendly, and I don't know why...I would have kicked me out lol. Anyway, food was average overall but the shrimp in their shrimp Alfredo thing is really succulent. Nothing special...I prefer bucca di beppo.
(3)
Mary J.
Ask for Oscar!!! One of THE best server EVER!!! Very friendly and knowledgeable Great service great food!!!!
(5)
Lynn M.
I have no idea why there are so many bad reviews for this Carrabas? We came on a whim Thursday night, it was busy and we were seated in about 20 minutes. Our appetizer of Calamari was delicious, salads arrived on time and everyone was more than happy with our entrees (lobster ravioli, chicken Marsala, chicken mascarpone, kids pizza and kids chicken fingers). Our server seemed busy but service was good. As always the bread and dip was amazing. We will definitely return to this Carrabas.
(4)
Maz W.
We went back recently. Improved menu and service, and I have to say we were impressed. The lentil soup was exquisite and so was the rigatoni martino that I ordered. My wife loved the arancinis. Most importantly, it is kid friendly and kids drinks are included. Our server was very attentive and was almost reading our minds. We will definitely return.
(5)
Scott A.
Excellent meals around for our family and the service was great. Perfect Sunday lunch spot.
(5)
Cheryl K.
Much better! It seems they revamped the menu and remodeled the inside. My food was fresh and excellent.
(4)
Kara D.
The food here is delicious, I just cannot say enough good things about it. The service is also excellent. They have a wide variety of food, while still sticking to their Italian theme. Don't come here for a burger, fries, and side salad with ranch--they won't have it. Their signature creamy Parmesan dressing is fantastic; their pizzas, paninis, and of course their pasta is over-the-top satisfying. You will want a nap afterwards. The prices are not too expensive, either. Very modern ambiance and helpful, polite staff. I love it when you can watch the action in an open kitchen.
(5)
Agnieszka S.
I really want to like this place and keep coming back because I enjoy the food and drinks but the service is awful. Every time I go there I keep and open mind and every time they disappoint. There are too many instances to list but here is an experience from last night: we got there and asked for a booth. As the hostess walked us to our table one of the servers ( turned out to be ours) ran up and told her where to seat us. Ok fine he needs tables, no problem. He didn't come back for 10 min to get our drink order and kept on looking away at the entrance as he was talking to us. He got our drinks and again disappeared for a while. I asked for a straw and he didn't bring it the next time he came back but said he will return with it I a sec. 5 min go by. I can finally have my first sip....25 min in. Someone else brought our food and he didn't check on us until we were finished. Another couple sat next to us and then left 15 min later as no one attended their table, as they were getting up( our server ) ran up and said he was ready for their order. Lol. Needless to say it was too late. We waited another 10 minutes for our check and then some more for him to take if off our table, even though he walked by us few times. Again, the food is good and I really like their sangarias so I will probably come back and hope it won't happen again. Hopefully the management takes some initiative to try and fix things up before they start loosing customers for good.
(2)
Rafael A.
Amazing food. I don't understand why Carrabas has a low rating. 10/10 would bang the food.
(5)
Grace M.
I wish I could give this place more stars! But I have to be honest Ill say that I only came because I had 2 gift cards, so I was honestly feasting for free. The food: Apps: I had the Arancini? Which is fried risotto balls with sausage in it (and other stuff). They were delicious, the menu claims it has sausage in it, but as I cut into them i didn't see any, the flavor of it was there though and prominent, very yummy, but I didn't see any lol I don't recommend the marinara dipping sauce it comes with, it just doesn't go with it, nor is it very good or special, I do believe they need to be dipped in a sauce, but not this one. As well the Italian side salad, Was nothing special, yummy dressing, but I could've made and bought that dressing at home. I had the Chicken Marsala, which I had them put on top of pasta. My choice for the night was spaghetti pasta with just the marsala sauce nothing else. It was honestly not very good, The Cheesecake Factory has better chicken marsala, Actually let me not downplay The Cheesecake Factory, it is the Bomb-Diggity and there chicken marsala is great! Hmm..this reminds me I should go review the Cheesecake Factory......Anyways yes no good here, not at all. So the food was blah, Although I had there Strawberry Daiquiri! Virgin of course as I am under age and like to follow the law..for the most part..sike no i follow the law... :( I'm boring sorry, and also I just don't drink at all (I know Crazy!!!), anyways i think that just makes it strawberry slush? It was damn good strawberry slush and a lot of it, I loved it. Customer Service: Was Very Good, but nothing Spectacular, I think it's what all restaurants customer service should be like. We got there and it was busy, told it would be a 20 min wait, and we were sat in 10 min. Our server was very nice, on time and I changed my mind about my pasta choice last minute (from penne to spaghetti) and he still managed to get it changed and out on time. So he was great, but I just think this is what should be done, I was a server and as annoying as I am as a customer sometimes (think sally from When Harry Met Sally) were getting paid to serve so serve. And of course we tipped him 20% for his troubles. Anywho, food was averaged out as OK (barely), and Customer Service as should be expected, Good. I'll come again when my mom get's these gift cards for christmas and I have a chance to steal them again.
(3)
Brad G.
From the moment I walked in the door I was pleasantly greeted and taken to our seats. Our server and staff were great! The food and atmosphere was relaxing. Great place to come and unwind, definitely coming back again.
(5)
Victoria P.
Food is good all the time. Service is good and so is the atmosphere.
(3)
Sujit B.
Nice atmosphere, good servers and staff, okay food. It isnt good enough for me to want to return. Not many vegetarian options and the ones they had were super unhealthy. Meh.
(3)
Leilani R.
Ok despite my initial review of the hostess who wasn't so pleasant as a greeter and sat us at a dirty table, the servers did an awesome job helping each other out. I'm sure the hostess had an awesome NYE celebration the night before but you ARE the greeter at the restaurant. Be a little more enthusiastic, please. It was New Years Day so they looked short on staff. Our server was behind catching up with good sized parties that sat before us. Despite tending to the other tables, she made every effort to acknowledge us while working the other tables. They were simple and courteous gestures that I think ALL servers should learn. She turned to give us a nod to let us know we were placed in her section. As the other tables took FOREVER to place their orders, she looked over and told us that she'll be with us soon. Once it became evident that her two tables before us were time consuming, she grabbed the bartender or possibly the manager to help with our table. He was very good and he ended up being our server during our meal. Great team work and we walked out very pleased.
(3)
Erin O.
The food is decent, for a chain Italian restaurant. Unfortunately I can't say the same about the service. It's terrible!! Doesn't matter if the restaurant is full, or practically empty - it's always slow. They brought my daughters food out first, which I can appreciate because sometimes it's hard for a little kid to wait long for food, but her food came out before our appetizer did! Then my entree took so long that she was ready to leave by the time my food got there. We've had several experiences like this - just terrible service!
(2)
Ebrahim B.
To start out, I don't like chain restaurants ( so this review might be a little biased ) fried calamari : overly salty , I expect briny but not salty. The sauce, meh . When you have a fried fritter no more than an inch big, you expect a luscious marinara, not a chunky one. Arancini : was ok (luckily not the same marinara). The stuffing was good (fennel sausage) , but it's not cheesy like you expect it to be. The seasonal "bisteca" filet mignon wasnt defrosted correctly. My med- steak landed up being more like well- thanks to the additional gratination (cheese). The blue cheese & tomato topping added little to the flavor. Panna cotta: creamy texture(not overly sweet!) but was over powered by the raspberry compote. Serving it in a mason jar makes for good plating but ensures that you can't have just the pannacotta. All in all: I would recommend agrodolce down the road, or il pizico in Gaithersburg over this place.
(3)
Danielle S.
Great food and wonderful service! They always have really good specials and I can honestly say I have never had a bad meal here. Highly recommend.
(5)
Rima B.
I never knew any restaurant owner could be this nasty. Doug probably the big Boss called to talk to me about my giftcard experience. According to him it was my fault that the card didn't work and my daughter had tried to use the bonus card . I told him that No I did not give it to her as they started on January1. He was nasty and had an attitude. I know you are busy but remember every customer counts.
(1)
W G.
Regrettably after many years of having enjoyed going here I must get the word out that the service, at least, has gone down the tubes at this Carrabba's. To set the stage here, this Carrabba's has some limited outside seating. When it is nice enough out I like to sit outside. A couple of times in the recent past, we specifically asked for outside seating, and were told it would be a fairly long wait as admittedly the outside was full/near full. We sat inside on these occasions though I noticed on at least one of these times I clearly saw a couple come in a few minutes after us and were magically seated outside right away. Well, this past Friday night we show up- nice and early, about 5:15 PM, having seen at least one empty table outside on the side of the restaurant nearest the main entrance. We walked in right behind another pair of older ladies. These people did not request outside seating...We requested to sit outside and were told they just needed to quickly finish setting up the table and we would be able to be seated there. The older ladies who came in before us then overheard our request to sit outside and then said to the girl at the desk, "Oh, we want to sit outside, can we?" This was after we had clearly requested to sit outside when they did not, because we were right there behind them when they walked in. Of course, rather than say "I'm sorry, these other people requested to sit outside first, we will give you the next available outside table" the front desk girl proceeded to give our table away to the other people even though they did not state they wanted outside seating until after overhearing us ask for it specifically. One of the girls at the desk then said "sorry, no more outside seating right now". This lack of proper customer service convinces me my money can be spent at another Italian restaurant from now on.
(1)
Whitney R.
Meh. The hostesses are usually a bit snide. The waiters/waitresses are usually smiling and extremely busy trying to see due to the fact that they keep is so dimly lit in there. The food is nothing to write home about. It is food you can easily prepare yourself at home and would probably taste a lot better.
(3)
Alison M.
My experience was a comedy of errors - beer was spilled on my dad; I ordered a special which included appetizer/salad/meal; my daughter ordered special which included salad/dinner/dessert....we never received my appetizer - or my daughters dessert- manager comped my dads meal for the spilled beer and mine for the forgotten app- never got my daughters dessert which he took $3 off. I don't blame the server - I blame management cause he had only been working for 2 wks- he was obviously not ready to be out on the floor with as many tables as he had.
(1)
James R.
The food and service just simply phenomenal. They were extremely busy and my father and myself were seated in a timely manner. Only reason its not 5 stars is because we paid $6 for each of our beers thats too expensive for road weary travelers!
(4)
John R.
This is a great restaurant and location. My wife and I go out of our way to go to this particular Carrabba's. Hail and Oscar are both amazing servers. The managers have always been very friendly and accommodating. I only wish we could go more often.
(5)
Marry K.
Carrabas has always been a favorite of ours and up until yesterday the dining experience has always been pleasant. However after tucking into the Caesar salad during our entre I noticed something out of place, after staring at it for a while my sister and I deduced that it was indeed a WASP! The waitress expressed concern, however the manager on duty last night sauntered to our table and implied that he was "curious" as to how it had ended up in the salad. Hm. That was our question as well. He was not kind about it, and to add insult to injury, he took off a whopping $3.00 off the bill. Really? It was not about the money, it was the principle. We will not be going to Carrabas again, the standard has dropped significantly. Which is a shame because we have always enjoyed it so much.
(1)
Paul E.
Amazing as always. Service and food is always consistent. Servers are always on point and always knowledgeable of specials. Have never had a bad experience there. I'm extremely full and very happy Good job carrabas
(5)
Kim A.
WOW I'm looking at the reviews customers are right .. I came here because i never been here so me and my friend sat at the table. Our waiter comes we started ordering and he tells us there wont be any bread because they ran out. If there isnt any bread me thinking in my head you don't have to tell us. I ordered a drink of lemonade I finished my lemonade waiter told me there's no more lemonade. wow You really don't have anything at this carrabas.. So i'm feeling disappointed. Then we get the check. He brings back THE WRONG CREDIT CARDS. Someone elses credit card. My friend looking all upset i said whats wrong he said this dude gave me someone elses credit card. So a different waiter comes and says do you want a bag for your food i said yes thank you. The waiter said he might have something on his mind.. WOAH I Dont know if i want to give this carrabas another shot at it. Olive gardens shits on Carrabas by the way.
(2)
Eric B.
As you can already see from the other recent reviews, something is definitely not right at Carrabba's in Germantown. Like most people, I had been going to that location and to Carrabba's in general for many years, but after the experience I had recently, I doubt I will ever go back and honestly recommend that you consider avoiding this place. I guess they thought that by redesigning it, it would distract people from realizing that the food and service had both taken a nose dive. It was not busy on the night I went with a group of 10. Overall, we had a good time in spite of poor service and mediocre food. During the meal, the entrees came before the salads. When we pointed this out, the person delivering them said "Well that's awkward". At the time I did not know how much that sentiment would come to describe my Carrabba's "experience". When the bill came, we had a question. "Manager 1" came to our table and instead of just explaining it politely, he was very rude, acted like we were stupid for not understanding since it was so clear (it was not), and when he left, he very sarcastically asked if I wanted to keep the original receipt so I would not forget how it works next time. I decided to post what happened on Carrabba's site. About 2 hours later, I got a call from "Manager 2" from the Germantown restaurant. He told me that our experience was very disturbing and unusual (I had not checked Yelp to see that it was in fact very common). He said that he had gone over my complaints with his entire staff and wanted to make it up to the group by having us come back for a meal, free of charge. After talking to the group, I called back and set it up with "Manager 2". He said that he would not be in the restaurant that day, but that everyone would know what was going on. When we went for the second visit, the hostess' were trying to figure out where to seat us when one said that "Manager 1" wanted us to sit at the Godfather table. When we sat down, a new waiter came and started taking our drink orders, but he did not have any idea about the free meal. "Manager 1" came to the table and asked if we had been to Carrabba's before and acted like he had no idea who we were. I don't see how it is possible since from what the hostess said, he knew we were coming. I had to explain to "Manager 1" how we were offered a free meal by "Manager 2". "Manager 1" asked what the issues were that we had the previous time we visited. This was incredibly awkward since the main issue we had was him being rude to us. After the initial awkwardness, "Manager 1" said that he would be bringing some exciting new dishes for us to try and that we should order light because of this. I asked if some people were supposed to eat those dishes as their entrees and he said no, they are more like appetizers, and that everyone should order entrees as normal, and the bill will be taken care of at the end. At the end of the meal, we got the check and instead of it being free, it was $100 off (and the appetizers were free). I asked to talk to "Manager 1" hoping it was just a mistake. He came and said that although at the beginning of the meal he told us all to order entrees and that they would be free, he called and talked to "Manager 2" during the meal, and "Manager 2" told him to only take off $100. He also said that he did mention to order light, and brought up that some people got expensive stuff like the Chicken Trio ($21?). Feeling tricked, we paid and left. 2 days later, I called "Manager 2" and told him what happened. He said that he wanted the meal to be completely free, that "Manager 1" never called him that night, and that he was going to have to talk to the owner this time and that I would hear from him soon. 2 weeks after hearing nothing, I called back and "Manager 2" said he thought that they had sent us a gift card to make up for the fact that we had to pay the second time. Originally I thought that "Manager 1" was the liar, but now I am pretty sure that both are liars. He gave me a bunch of lame excuses and said that he would understand if I never came back to that Carrabba's let alone any Carrabba's. I pointed out that all recent Yelp reviews were negative and he agreed that something shady is going on at the restaurant. He offered to personally fedex the gift card overnight to me which I would have told him forget since I think he is a liar, but he said it can be used at the other restaurants (Outback, Bonefish) owned by the same company, so I said okay and gave him my address. One week later, nothing came. I am left with a month of bad Carrabba's experiences, and Carrabba's is left with 10+ less customers. I really hope that Carrabba's can somehow fix the issues that many people are having lately, but I am skeptical. As "Manager 2" said when I pointed out that all recent reviews are negative and they have a 2.5 star rating on Yelp, "keep checking Yelp, you will see us bring up that rating", and we know he never lies, right?...
(1)
Dee A.
Usually so happy with this place........but went in for the new advertised mahi dish last night at dinner time. After ordering, it took the server 20 minutes to come back to tell me they were "out of the mahi". So much for that. The chicken bryan I got instead, usually delicious, was really dry. The server put the wrong size order in, never even brought the salad, and got the side orders wrong. I was so disappointed with the food and the terrible service, when this is usually my go to spot for consistent food. I also wish they went back to their old bread -- the new bread sucks. I'm gonna wait several months before going back again just to let the bad experience fade a bit.
(2)
Sonia C.
Love the new changes to the place it's a great place to have dinner. The staff was helpful. The food was fabulous. I was sad that 3 items I ordered was not available. They ran out. Also running out of shrimp so my favorite dish pasta wessie was a no go until the waiter suggested crab meat which was so good!!!!!
(4)
Cheryl M.
I usually don't go on Yelp and write reviews however, I feel like I needed to do this. Let me just say my boyfriend and I go to Carrabba's all the time it's our favorite place to go eat. so, last night we go there and are greeted by a very nasty hostess! We always like to get a booth, we feel its more intimate. My boyfriend asked can we have a booth the Hostess said "all we have are tables" I Then said that's okay we'll wait for a booth, she said well I don't know how long that's going to be with such a nasty attitude. I stay calm and said that's okay we'll wait, we're in no rush. We then went and sat down at the waiting area and of course I kind of talk to my boyfriend about how rude I thought she was and I'm sure she heard me but I didn't mind. About a minute later she then yells over to us that she had a half Booth half table and I again told her that we would wait for booth and Thank you so much (with a bit of sarcasm wrapped with a smile). About five minutes later she says she had a booth ready for us and she walks us all the way to the back and there was spaghetti and a fork all over the floor and says this is all we have so I'll send someone over to clean it up eventually....... are you kidding me? I didn't say that to her but I was thinking it by this time my blood was boiling to the point of no return. I took a picture of the floor and found the first guy that walked by to ask for the manager, and he was super friendly. Before the manager came over our waiter came and started sweeping it up but he asked if he could do so first and I told him no problem I already took a picture. Then the manager came up his name Was Josh and he was so understanding and asked me to point out the hostess that was so rude and I told him I'd walk him right to her. We walk towards the front and I pointed her out and she was about five steps in front of me so she knew and I was totally okay with pointing at her because I was still fuming! After that the manager wanted to make it right wanted to know if we wanted anything from the bar I said no thank you water would be fine we don't need anything free we love the food and that's why we came. Our waiter Eric was so awesome that from now on we'll ask for his section :-) At the end we asked for the check and there was no discount, but we didn't care because Eric was so wonderful and made us forget that our bad experience didn't exist. My boyfriend paid and we were getting ready to leave and Josh the manager came up and said he voided the transaction and was so thankful for us staying to dine there after our experience. Because of Eric and Josh we will continue to go there and eat and hopefully avoid the nasty hostess upfront.
(3)
Theresa J.
I've had better Italian food, a lot better! The food was bearable, but the service sucked! For me, personally, the service can either make the meal enjoyable or awful. Not only was the waiting ridiculously long (when there clearly were several empty tables, and not busy), but they stuck us into the most comfortable seating (into a random corner). In addition, with the horrible seating ... maybe the server couldn't see us .. ?? ... but it took more than 10minutes to even get greeted by the server & get waters. The rest if the evening wasn't any better. long waits, food that wasn't served hot, a big waste of time & money! I cannot recommend this restaurant to friends (or anyone), I do recommend Agrodolce down the street (in the Milestone Shopping center ~ off 355)
(1)
Eun Y.
The food at Carabbas is mediocre compared to other Italian restaurants around the area. However, I had a great experience here last night. The food came out very warm and the bread is amazing! What really caused me to give them five stars was their friendly service. The staff was one of the most welcoming and nicest that I have ever been served by. My boyfriend and I especially loved the service from our waiter, Nick! We will most definitely be returning hoping for a similar experience.
(5)
Jay M.
Friendly staff and nice atmosphere, but really the food was not good. My wife and daughter enjoyed their meals but I had the lentil and sausage soup, which tasted fine but had bits of bone in it, followed by the lobster mac & cheese which was entirely awful. The pasta was overcooked, the cheese was barely detectable and the bits of lobster meat smelled strongly and not in a good way. I've had better meals cooked by boy scouts, not kidding. Blame me for ordering something without Italian words in the name, maybe, but there shouldn't be anything on the menu that's just flat out repulsive. Two stars for the meals that my family enjoyed and the attentive waitress, but I won't be back.
(2)
Anita C.
Huge, huge portions. And salty. Satisfying if you're craving a big n' hearty meal. I came here for dinner last night for my mom's birthday, and my family left very, very full. Let's start with the bread. Warm, soft, DELICIOUS. Complemented perfectly with olive oil & rosemary. My only complaint is that they're only allowed to bring you extra orders of bread until your entrees come - after that, there's a charge. So get as many extra baskets as you can before your entrees come!! Next, the entrees. We ordered the lobster ravioli ($18), shrimp & scallop spiedino ($18), veal, and a red-sauce spaghetti dish. A couple of the orders come with an additional choice of salad (House, Italian, or caesar - I recommend the Italian) and a choice of side (mashed potatoes, penne pasta w/tomato sauce, or vegetables). Gigantic portions. Every dish comes with the side salad. My seafood spiedino consisted of lightly breaded shrimp & scallops in a lemon-butter sauce. It was waaaaay too salty. The first bite was good, and from then on it was a salt overload. My sister's lobster ravioli was tasty, the veal was disgusting, and the spaghetti dish was nothing special. Out of everything we ordered, I would recommend the lobster ravioli. Our waitress was friendly, but the service was again, nothing special. I would return for that delicious bread and the lobster ravioli. However, be prepared to feel sickeningly full of butter & salt after - it's a VERY heavy meal.
(3)
Harris H.
Back in 2004, my wife and myself had bad experiences with the food. After the 3rd time of them cooking the steak wrong, I wrote corporate and never got a word back. So, we didn't go for over 6 years. We have been going back the last 3 years to a satisfactory time, with sometimes being good. I guess I am saying, it can be a real hit or miss type place. Our last experience, about 2 months ago, they brought out my wife's steak and it was cooked wrong. By the time they had corrected it, I was basically done my meal. The one thing that absolutely ticks me off is going out to dinner with friends/family, and not be able to eat together because someone's meal is all messed up. I did write in to corporate, and the same manager that took care of us that night did contact me. For me, for any meat, I prefer to go to Longhorn, or Outback and for something Italian, Macaroni Grill in the Kentlands, or even Mama Lucia's before going to Carrabbas. I suspect we probably will not be back here unless we have no say in the dinner plans. On a side note, it is so dark in there that it is hard to look at a menu without using a cell phone as a flash light.
(2)
Carrie H.
This place is basically equivalent to the Olive Garden. I'm not sure what is up with all the negative reviews. We approached dinner with some trepidation because of them, but we had a perfectly decent experience. We wanted pasta, and the pasta was good. If I wanted an amazing steak I would go to a steak house and for amazing fish I would go to O'Donnell's. I had the Pasta Weesie with shrimp in it and they were fine, not rubbery or anything. The pasta was cooked really well, which surprised me. It was enough to take half home for lunch the next day. My dining partner had the spaghetti and meatballs and liked it. Our server was very friendly. He asked if we wanted more bread as soon as we had finished stuffing the first basket in our faces. He refilled our sodas incessantly. He made recommendations on the menu items. A manager came by at one point to ask if everything was ok. Everything was fine. No wait for a table on a Monday night. I would go back.
(4)
Melissa P.
We went here for the first time after being out shopping for random things all day. I had never been and their commercials look okay so why not. The mozzarella sticks we got as an appetizer were okay... then again, can you really mess those up? Then came the food. It was ok, mine was cold but I was super hungry. Until I found four round large hard things in my mashed potatoes. No clue what they were. Bones of some sort maybe?. I don't mean hard like potatoes that didn't boil I mean hard like couldn't cut them with the knife. After that I was done. The worst part was when I called the waitress over she tried to just bring more over! Then, they didn't take them off the check until I was like, yeah I didn't eat that and am not paying for it. Wont go there again.
(1)
Brandy K.
I'm giving this place 3 stars because I like the food. Carrabba's is (or used to be) one of my favorite restaurants. But like alot of others have shared, this location just sucks. About 10 years ago, it used to be great, but it has gone down some major hill since then. I cringe at the thought of going here; if it werent for the pasta weise and bread, I wouldn't. Pros: Good bread (ask for more spice in the oil if you can) and inventive italian food Cons: service, service, service...waiters are rushed and can be rude
(3)
Valencia W.
It seems like people have a lot of mixed reviews so I went ahead and decided to take my hubby here knowing it could be a hit or miss experience. We arrived without making reservations and waited for about 5 minutes on one of the booths. The place is rather dim which makes for a romantic evening if you're looking for that. I wasn't a fan of the dim lighting. I did like that it was very open and seeing the chefs work their magic is always intriguing to me. Our waitress was very excited to have us there as we told her it was our first time. She did a great job explaining the menu to us and giving us advice as I had no idea of what I wanted. I ended up getting ravioli and the hubby got chicken marinara. He was happy with his meal and mine was ehh... OK. I wasn't impressed by it and wasn't disgusted by it. It just seems average-nothing to rant about. In total our dining experience was OK. Definitely nothing to go home and rave about. We might give Carraba's another shot but, I'm not sure I want to go and pay money for another mediocre experience. But, if my hubby wants to go and he pays--I'm alright with that. I would give it a 2.5 stars but I gave it 3 for the waitress being so friendly and helpful.
(3)
Aaron W.
Run. RUN. RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN. We went for the holiday season. The bread was so tasteless, lifeless and boring that the best I could do was construct a small model of Stonehenge with it - it should not be eaten. I got food with a champagne sauce, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't champagne - I'm thinking it was Garbage Island champagne, where a few grapes grew through the toxic sludge. The service was also godawful. The food was godawful. What's not to hate? Do...not...go.
(1)
Samantha S.
My husband and I used to love coming here but last ime we did the mussels tasted like black liquorice and they took off the seafood conle. After telling the waitress she just laughed. We havent been back
(1)
Margaret Z.
1.5 stars, but I'll be generous and give it an official 2. My experience here last night can be summed up with the following: I would rather go to Olive Garden (or any other restaurant, for that matter) on any given day/night. Starting with the service: the WORST service I have gotten at a restaurant in a LONG time. It took us (party of 3) 20 minutes to be seated, which was fine, but the server had a very snooty attitude when walking us to our booth. When we got there, the dirty dishes hadn't even been cleared yet. After sitting down, it took another 15 minutes for our waiter to even come by, and another 10 minutes for him to bring us 3 glasses of water. We did not get bread until AFTER our appetizer was served... the waiter's reaction was, "Oh! I didn't get you guys plates or bread yet..." Nice. He only came by ONCE during our entire meal and seemed to be paying more attention to the larger table next to us. When bringing us takeout boxes, he failed to realize that one small box could not possibly fit the leftovers from the 3 plates we had. Disappointed. Now onto the food. I would say this is one of the more mediocre meals I have had in the past year. Started with the calamari - not impressed. It was really salty and didn't have much other flavor. Portion was a little skimpier than I have experienced at other restaurants. My mom ordered the Veal Marsala with Spaghetti Marinara and the Sicilian Chicken Soup. The veal was average at best, but we've made better spaghetti at home. The soup was tasty for the first few sips but was quickly too salty for our tastes. Dad ordered the special of lamb chops in bourbon sauce... I don't like lamb, so I didn't try but he said they weren't too bad, but not phenomenal either. He also had a Sausage and Lentil Bean soup, which I did not sample, but he's a sausage and beans type guy so no complaints there. Now to speak for myself... I ordered the Classics: chicken parm and lasagna plate. The chicken parm was pretty good, but I've had better at home. The lasagna did NOT suit my tastes at all... there was goat or feta cheese mixed in and no meat sauce at all. Could just be my own error, but I did not enjoy this dish or touch it for the rest of the night. Both were extremely salty. Got garlic mashed potatoes as a side and those were average. Caesar salad to start was simply lettuce with dressing, very skimpy shredded cheese and a total of TWO croutons. Yes, there were only two. Will not be back. Ever. The combination of extremely poor and discourteous service combined with the less-than-tasty food has ensured that this is the one and only time you will ever see me at a Carrabba's.
(2)
Lisa G.
Portions were very small for high prices. We are on a diet and wanted a salad... It was tiny... Ended up snacking after a $30 meal at home! Last time!
(1)
Tyler S.
Not quite sure why there's negative reviews here. YES, they are large portions of food, but you get what you pay for. I would choose this place ANY day over OLIVE GARDEN. Then again, I HATE chain restaurants. If I was to take a girl out to dinner and she said Olive Garden, I would rather take here here first. But if I wanted real Italian Cooking, I would take her down to Little Italy...of course, maybe on the 5th date or so :P The food was prepared well. Our drinks were fabulous. And I loved the Bruchette. Then again, you can't really mess that recipe up. I loved our server. I don't remember her name, but she was quite a doll! Not one of my top picks, but better than Olive Garden. If you want a little bit better, take a trip to White Marsh and visit Libratore's Restaurant. Much much better.
Went to curbside pickup after ordering online. Had to wait an extra 15 minutes from the online ready time. The girl who helped me was nice and was serving in the rain. It wasn't until I got home and started eating that I found our food was cold. I don't really know who is at fault but it was apparent the supervisor didn't care because after being on hold for 10 minutes to discuss my issues I hung up. Clearly this place has management issues and lack of quality control not to mention a manager who doesn't have the time to take a phone call. So I decided to write my review. Although nobody at Carraba's will have time to read this maybe you will benefit from this in some way. Good luck if you visit it is at your own risk!
(1)
Dee B.
I didn't know it was possible to make food this flavorless. My grilled salmon and my spinach had practically no flavor whatsoever. The cafeteria at work prepares tastier salmon!! The only redeeming factor was the bread, which was warm/crusty/chewy and the awesome spice/herb mixture they put into the olive oil for dipping.
(2)
William S.
It is hard to believe this is a chain because the food is so good and fresh tasting.
(4)
Jennifer M.
Some of the best manicotti anywhere. I love their fresh hot bread and tomato sauce. Not my favorite dessert menu though
(4)
Sid R.
I was not sure what to expect given the mixed reviews but we liked the food and the service. Okay we are not Italian descents but having been to other 4 rated restuaruants, we felt happier here. We tried 4 dishes across white meat and veggies. Will definitely go again
(4)
Janet H.
Came here last weekend for lunch. We ordered the Calamari as starter and a Pasta Jumba off the menu of the day (comes with soup or salad). We weren't that hungry so we decided to just share. Service was ok. Our waiter spoke way too fast, I had him repeat and it still couldn't catch all of what he said... yeah. Anyway, this place's got a pretty nice atmosphere inside. We were seated at one of the larger booth (that can sit up to 6) and it was very comfy. The calamari was good but wish it had a bit more flavor. The Pasta Jumba I thought was pretty good. We ordered the pasta with crab meat rather than the shrimp or lobster option. They did not skimp on the crab meat and you can see and taste the chunks of crab :) The pasta was light and just enough flavor that won't make you feel fat and sick. Oh, I really like their bread too. Their prices are very affordable so you won't walk out feeling like you lost a chunk of your paycheck!
(3)
Thomas L.
Im not a big Italian Food eater, but if whoever Im with wants Italian, this is one of the chain restaurants Id prefer to go to. Ive been there maybe a total of 6 or 7 times and each time was pretty good. Nothing extraordinary but good enough to keep me coming back. Last I had steak, it was not cooked properly and it was a very cheap cut of meat so it was definitely not worth the money. The pastas I have had are nicely flavored and the more popular dishes such as chicken parmigiana taste pretty much the same as any other place. So if you were to come here, I recommend picking something you haven't had before because their specialty dishes aren't too shabby. One thing I definitely recommend is the mussels appetizer. The cream sauce that they are served in is superb, which is good because I can get good mussels without having to go all the way to Bistrot du Coin in Dupont Circle.
(3)
Ij A.
My family ordered carryout meal for Father's Day. The calamari was overcooked and very salty. Also, we received a bag of bread that looked like garbage. Overall, my Father's Day meal was terrible.
(2)
Alijohn G.
Ordered take out over the phone, very polite staff but unfortunately that did not make up for the poor quality of food. Very heavy and completely different from what I was expecting. Might give this restaurant another shot in the future but not anytime soon.
(1)
Eric D.
Love it. My wife and I dine here when we want dinner that is guaranteed to please. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but this place is WAY better than ANY Olive Garden I've been to. Try the chicken trio. It is not on the menu but they'll make it for you. If this doesn't satisfy then you're just the type that likes to complain and is never pleased.
(5)
Orlangela A.
He said, "Well just not that great...service was good, but the food was missing something...like for 99 cents I could of gone to Giant and bought a box of pasta that tasted the same and that would of saved me 20 bucks. I can't say the same for my girlfriends brother in law though...he ordered the soup with the shredded bits of glass...not his best day. They did get a few bucks off their meal and at least he didn't have to get stitches on his tongue. Other than that...yea not going there anytime soon." She said, "yeah not great...glass in soup, hard bread, and pasta that a 5 year old could have made, i didnt really like anything i had expect for my salad and my shirley temple. if you want chain italian food, go to olive garden...yum."
(2)
Steve P.
Food was not very good. I love Carrabas, but this was very disappointing.
(1)
Michael T.
The foods quality was mediocre. Two antipasti (hot plates) were served lukewarm/cold. The seafood entree dish we had were very fishy. We did complain to our waiter about it. He apologized but did nothing. Too much butter were added to our pasta dishes. We will not go back to this restaurant at this location.
(2)
Matt B.
Great tasting chicken Marsala and others. A lil greasy so it tastes good but might not b the spot to go before/after a workout. Bread is ridiculous. Gets expensive quick. Make reservations fri n sat.
(3)
Frank W.
We sat at the bar this time and the service we excellent. The Bartender told us about Wine-Wednesday, accommodated our special orders and the food was tasty too. The food menu could use some more variety.
(3)
Nicole O.
Excellent Italian food! We've been several times and the Chicken Bryan is my favorite. They also let you order wine by the "quatrino" instead of the glass so you get more and save money! The bread and olive oil/herbs that they serve before dinner is very tasty as well.
(5)
Sa'lome H.
Nice Italian spot.
(3)
Irene A.
I love Carrabba's! It's my favorite restaurant, and my husband and I go there often. Also love the atmosphere of the place! The only thing I think they could do better is to put less oil in the vegetable sides. Other than that, I love their food, especially the desserts! Can't go wrong with the dessert minis, but my #1 favorite is the limoncello bread pudding...
(5)
Matthew B.
Carrabas is a solid 3, maybe 3 1/2 star chain restaurant. It is consistent and reasonably priced but not remarkable (except for one dessert discussed below). Certainly better than the Olive Garden and on par with the Macaroni Grill. The menu has all of the typical pasta and meat dishes that you'd expect to find and the entrees usually come with a nice salad--get the dressing on the side because they go crazy on the Caesar and Italian salads. As with a lot of US chain restaurants, the portions are HUGE and can easily serve as lunch the following day. The one thing that sets Carrabas apart is their dessert called The John Cole. It's a simple dish of vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce and candied pecans but the ice cream that they use--Blue Bell--is the very best vanilla ice cream I have ever had. It's a small Texas based creamery that has amazing, flavorful ice cream and is otherwise not available in the area. If they ever stop serving this dessert or change the ice cream I will have no real reason to eat here. Go there, eat half an entree and save room for The John Cole.
(3)
choad x.
This place is so good!!!!! You start off with the best bread ever and they give you this herb to mix with the olive oil. The three of us polished off the bread before the server had come back to take our order! For $70 we got: Linguine Pescatore: Shrimp, scallops and mussels tossed with linguine in a spicy marinara sauce Tiramisu Veal Piccata Grilled Salmon Spiedino Di Mare: Shrimp coated with Italian breadcrumbs, grilled and topped with with lemon butter sauce Lobster Ravioli Lentil and italian sausage soup. We were on the verge of being rolled out of there, due to being so stuffed with food. This is one of my favorite restaurants outside of Baltimore.
(5)
Kristene P.
My husband and four year son came here for dinner in the midst of the big power outage in July. The line was out the door and we waited 45 minutes to get seated. It was worth the wait! The calamari was the best I have ever had and I've had a lot of calamari! Bid, tender pieces, crunchy and yummy. The ceasar salad was delicious as well. For the entree, I had the lobster stuffed ravioli and my husband, the manicotti. Both were beyond our expectations. The service was fast, courtious and very attentive and that restaurant was packed! When we left, there was still a line out the door.
(5)
Laura B.
My family and I had a very disappointing experience at this restaurant last night. My parents and brother were in town so my husband and I offered to take them to dinner. My dad had seen the Carrabba's on the way to our home and commented on the greenery on the roof of the restaurant. My husband and I had had an issue with undercooked chicken the previous time we had dined there but my dad wanted to try it so we agreed. It was after 6 pm so I asked my husband to call ahead since we had 5 people in our party. When he called, the host informed him that it was not busy and that they didn't do call ahead seating unless it was busy. We drove to the restaurant and arrived within 5-10 minutes. When we got there, the line was out the door and the seating in the reception area was packed. We stood in line to put our name on the list and wondered why they had said that it wasn't busy only 5-10 minutes before. The couple in line in front of us asked the host the same question. We were told that the wait would be 15-20 minutes so we waited off to the side. I really question the judgment shown by the management of this restaurant as it relates to call ahead seating. We tried to call ahead to avoid the very situation we found ourselves in upon arriving at the restaurant. 15 minutes passed and very few parties had been seated. We waited another 10 minutes because my father had really wanted to try the restaurant. Just as the 30 minute mark passed and we were getting ready to leave, the host informed us that our table was ready. Awesome. She then informed us that, actually, it was a 4 person booth and asked if it would be okay if they stuck a chair onto the end of the booth to accommodate our party of 5. We acquiesced-- what choice did we have after having waited for more than 30 minutes at that point? We were sat at the booth and my poor husband was a good sport and took the chair on the end of the booth. The chair stuck out into traffic pretty badly. We were handed menus and it was several minutes before we saw a waiter. We ordered drinks and our waiter disappeared for 10 minutes. Our drinks arrived and my drink order was wrong-- he brought me a Diet Coke when I had ordered a Sprite. He apologized and set off to get me a Sprite. He returned several minutes later with my drink and we proceeded to order. I ordered a regular order of Mozzarella Marinara for an appetizer. My parents ordered pasta, my brother and husband each ordered a pizza, and I ordered the special--Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin. Fifteen minutes pass and the waiter returns to let us know that our appetizer choice is unavailable. How is it possible for an Italian restaurant to run out of mozzarella cheese?!? He offered us an opportunity to order another appetizer or dessert instead. We anticipated that dinner would be arriving soon so we opted for dessert. Salads arrived shortly thereafter for me and my dad. We both had Caesar Side Salads. The lettuce was a pale yellow green--not the healthy green of fresh Romaine lettuce. It was a soggy, bad tasting, unappetizing mess. Dinner arrives 10-15 minutes after that. The first thing that I notice is that my side order is wrong. I had ordered a side of mashed potatoes but there is a side of zucchini on my plate instead. I remind the waiter that I had ordered mashed potatoes and he sets off to find out what happened. He comes back a few minutes later with the news that the kitchen is out of mashed potatoes. Again, aren't mashed potatoes a pretty standard side item? How is it possible for a restaurant to be out of mashed potatoes?!? I don't like zucchini so I just left it on the plate and went without a side. My brother and husband's pizzas were pretty sorry for the $9.50 we paid for each of them. The menu had said that the pizzas were baked in a brick oven at 600 degrees but the pizzas that we got were very soft and floppy. My brother remarked that his pizza was just about the same mediocre quality as the pizza in his college dining hall. College kids eat a lot of pizza so I trust his assessment. My husband was really hungry after the extremely long wait for dinner so he ate half of his pizza but had to stop because it made him feel sick. We had had about enough and asked for our check the next time we were able to get our waiter's attention. He asked us if we still wanted dessert and we said no. We got the check, paid, and left as quickly as possible. At no time did a manager come over to apologize for our disappointing experience. I did not ask to speak to a manager at the time because the chaos of the restaurant led me to conclude that if there was a manager on duty, he or she was not very competent. We heard many complaints from fellow diners at nearby tables throughout our dining experience. The problem was systemic. We should have gone to Buca di Beppo or Romano's Macaroni Grill. We will not be returning to Carrabba's Italian Grill. What poor customer service!
(1)
Tina H.
I was here the other day with my friends, and it was all of ours' first time. 1 of my friends got the Pasta Carraba. My two other friends kind of "created" their own pasta. They just told the waiter what they wanted and she puts it together for them. It was pasta with tomato sauce, mushrooms & sausages. I got the Pasta Weesie with penne instead of fettucine alfredo. All the entrees came with a choice of either salad or soup. The salad was simple, no meats or krutons. My friends got salad and they said it was okay. I got the soup, and I think it was the best dish that night lol. You have serveral choices for the soup but our waiter spoke too fast so i went with chicken. The soup was pretty good though! Came in a bow with little cut up pastas, chicken, carrots, and veggies. I liked it more than my main entree. The Pasta Weesie was way too cheesy. I can barely finish half the dish. Maybe i'll try something else next time. The price is alright, not cheap but not too pricey. Friendly service as well.
(3)
Katie P.
Overall a solid place to eat. Food is good and consistent- think better than Olive Garden, but no Little Italy. Soup is amazing- I've had the chicken noodle (has a little kick to it) and the pasta fagioli. Order spaghetti and meatballs and you will be disappointed. Chicken parm is a solid choice. Staff seems to be mainly plucked from the high school down the street... so they tend to be gossipy and chatty up at the hostess stand. Waiters are older and have been consistenly awesome. Came here with my mom late one Christmas eve as it was the only place in the area still open. She loved it! Prices aren't too bad... they had a pretty good prefix menu last time I visited. Definitely my favorite eatery on this side of Germantown, although at times the wait can get bad.
(3)
Thomas C.
Let's see after a year from not going to this place, I still give it 2, but to be truthful, this time I will give it a half more, since the waiter didn't steal the tip and she was nicer and more attentive to my table. Last time the waiter wrote down 10 bucks more on the tab and after I went to the manager they still didn't credit my card. My credit card company had to credit me for the difference, and I filed a complaint with the restaurant. If you go here, just beware of the server. The server was nice this time but still got my drink order wrong. Oh well what can you expect from a cookie cutter Italian place. If anybody say they are wow by this place, then one have to really question their experience. The food was ok but definitely no wow factor, again just a little little bit better than Olive Garden without the all you can eat soup and salad, but not much better.
(2)
Richard G.
We went here after seeing commercials on TV. We drove from Rockville to Germantown. The food was good. It was your normal Italian causual dining food. The service was sucky. Our waitress seemed like she didnt want to be there. She told me I got a choice of a side with my pollo caprino, but when I got the bill, the side was charged. Also the mini desserts come to the table for you to choose. There's no dessert tray, you get it right there and then.
(2)
V L.
DO NOT GO HERE! Accidentally left my wallet on the table, came back a little bit later and all my cash was gone. The manager didn't care to discipline their staff. This place hires criminals, I wouldn't be surprised if they stole people credit card's numbers!
(1)
Claude H.
Don't remember what I had - it was a while ago - but I remember it was good food and good atmosphere, albeit pricey. But at least it's for decently cooked food, unlike Timpano's, where they don't know how to cook a $30 steak without burning one side. Idiots.
(4)
M.D. O.
Very average Italian food. About what you'd expect from a chain restaurant. Not terrible, but not particularly good, either. The staff is very young and not very polished. If you've a craving for Italian food, you can do better than this place.
(2)
Ame C.
My husband loved it here but I wasn't at all excited. The food was not at all what I was expecting. In MY opinion- I'd rather drive 30 miles to that other italian chain (can't think of it right now) than drive the 5 miles to this place. Missing the salad and bread from that other chain.
(2)
Ricky B.
Carrabas is ok. THE BREAD IS PHENOMINAL. Outside of the bread the food is just okay. The service is just okay. The restaurant has a cozy somewhat upscale looking atmosphere. The ambiance is nice, and it does not get loud in there. The Pollo Rosa Maria, and Sirloin Marsala are the dishes that stand out. The seafood dishes there are not very good, just ok. The sausage and lentil soup is real good. The calamari is ok, but not great. It's an average Italian place to go with your family or out to eat with your spouse, but nothing fancy. I go there with my Girlfriend maybe once every 4-5 months.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Chris H.
Im am very very disappointed in this place we came here hungry ready to eat.. i ordered a steak and 45 mins after waiting for my food to come they say we dont have steak i couldnt beleive i came here hungry and they had me waiting a long time to tell them they dont have it... but the manager was great and made up for it.. good guy
(3)Allison B.
Let me start out by saying since this is a chain I am not going to break it all down menu wise. I mainly just will say this is a chain that offers a variety of Italian fare. It was my first time here so when I first checked the menu I felt like it was over priced compared to Maggianos and Bucca . I still don't know if this place made its way to one of my favorite Italian chains but our server Tyler did such an amazing job I had to rate them 4 stars . We didn't have an easy party to deal with , my grandparents are both in their 80s and suffer from physical and mental handicaps. Tyler was patient and on point every step of the way. Which is why we not only left stuffed but super happy filled with dessert. Once the food arrived I still wasn't convinced until I took samplings of everyone's food. Each dish ordered was delicious. I feel like this menu offers something for everyone. They even know how to make delicious raspberry Italian soda that you can just keep drinking (free refills ). My favorite of the night was definitely the Panna cotta .. Don't go here if you're looking for a Olive Garden type experience . Prepare yourself for more of a Maggianos type dining without the yummy bread!
(4)Natasha P.
This was my first time coming to this chain restaurant. My wife had a jack and coke and I had a peach sangria. Later I had a vodka and cranberry it was only $6 and the jack & coke $8. Sangria was $12 for a full glass. We had bread & oil, than ordered an appetizer bruschetta. Bruschetta was excellent. I had the chicken Parmesan and the wife had steak skewers. Our check was $88, I felt like we could of went to Friday's instead. Not a bad restaurant the food was regular. Nothing stood out or was particularly great. But it's good to try different restaurants.
(3)Barbara V.
We've been to this location several times and it just isn't as good as it used to be. Last night we went in for an early dinner and the kitchen was struggling even though it wasn't very busy. Ordered the shrimp diavolo as an appetizer because it was so good last time. This time they overdid the spice and under did the lemon butter. Caesar salads were really small and had like 2 tiny croutons and no Parmesan on top. My boyfriend ordered the steak medium and it came out very rare, so he ate his mashed potatoes while I ate my pasta and they threw the steak back on the grill. The lady at the table near us sent her chicken back because it was raw. We ordered a to go meal for my daughter and they put in the lentil soup instead of the chicken soup I asked for. Our server was nice and helpful or I would have given our night 1 star.
(2)Xm D.
We love this restaurant. We always get a solid Italian meal. I like the veal Marsala or veal parm. Good election of wine and beer. Good kids meal menu.
(4)Celinda A.
Food: 3 stars Service:1 star 2 stars Went in for lunch with my 2 kids, right after the rush around 1/1:30. The hostess was friendly and very sweet to the boys. We got seated immediately as there were only 2 other tables in the restaurant. The server came over quite quickly and took our drink order. Brought over the drinks and bread/oil and took our order. It took over 15 minutes for my cup of soup to come out and he did not offer cheese. Finally noticed that my soda needed a refill and offered one. However he did not remove the empty bread basket or bread plates (they stayed there the entire meal and even after I got the check). The soup was the "soup of the day" and it was really delicious. I wasn't sure what to expect but the lentil soup was really good. We waited for an additional 20 minutes for lunch to arrive (kid ravioli, kid cheese pizza and a Mediterranean salad). Thank goodness for the kid menus that are filled with pages of activities. In this waiting period, he did not come by to check on us or give us refills. He also never removed the empty soup plate. Since we were only 3 people, the empty 4th seat became our dirty dishes and empty cup area. Not that he noticed. He delivered lunch with my soda refill (finally). After the food was delivered the entire wait staff disappeared. Only noticed since he never came to to ensure our meal was tasty. I also wanted to order an extra bowl of noddles for my son, since he only got 4 medium sized ravioli without any sides (pricy for $6). I finally saw the sweet hostess who, shared the waitstaff was at a team meeting with the manager and would be out shortly. About 8 minutes passed before he came over to our table and we finally ordered the bowl of pasta. It took an additional 10 minutes for the pasta to arrive. Waiting 10 minutes for a kid sized bowl of buttered noodles is crazy. He again ignored us and never came back to check on us. I will say that my salad was good while it was slightly over dressed and my salmon was cold by the time it was delivered. The pizza was also warm. While my kids were finishing up lunch, the server offered us dessert. I kindly rejected it and the check was presented immediately after. (The table was in shambles and the boys were still eating). I paid with a gift card and my credit card - which took over 10 minutes to process. While the food was good, the service was unacceptable given the lack of diners in the restaurant. In addition, the lack of checking in to ensure the food was hot and tasty was ridiculous. An establishment that charges $2.99 for a 8oz soda is laughable. I should have ordered a beer :) I likely will not return as the food was good but not enough to deal with crappy service on a $44 lunch with kids! Plus who wants to spend over an hour at lunch?!? No one.
(2)Starr B.
First time visiting this restaurant. Never really been a fan of Italian food....but this is DELICIOUS!!
(5)Ina H.
It was my first time here and I'm not coming back. I ordered the chicken Bryan and unfortunately it was too salty for my taste. I love the idea of combining goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes with chicken and if they would have left out that table spoon of salt, I would have loved the dish.
(2)Joseph B.
We went on Friday night, only had a 5 minute wait. The food was good but the service was bad. It took our server several minutes to get our drink orders then several minutes to bring the drinks. After taking our order, we went several minutes again without any food so i had to ask for bread. It then took several minutes before we got our salads and then the food runner brings meals to our table that were meant for another group. We were still eating our salads when the entrees arrived. 2 of the 3 meals came out at lukewarm temperature and had to be reheated. My spaghetti side tasted like the pasta was not cooked all the way. We then ordered an ice cream sundae which took another several minutes to be brought to us. The server was very nice but seemed to be overwhelmed. In summary, the food earned a 4 star rating but the service only garnished a two star rating for a total of 3. When i spoke to the person at the front, he was aware of this issue but i think if you are aware of this issue then you need to provide more training or give extra assistance until the server is up to speed.
(3)Eddie K.
Probably one of the worst dining experience. Never been here before- walked in and the hostess said the wait was five to ten minutes. Forty minutes later we were seated. I went to the bar while waiting and had a beer. Good draft selections- bartender was nice and prompt- should of just ate there. Once seated I asked our waiter what they had on draft and he said they only had four while I know they had a larger selection since I was just at the bar. Even told him what beer I drank at the bar but he kept on repeating the same four. He didn't mention any specials and when I asked him he looked at our menu and said- oh there should of been a special insert in the menu- 15 minutes later he came back with another menu that had the specials listed. You would think he should have it memorized. Took over twenty minutes to place our order and the food came forty minutes later- I am starting to see a pattern here. Wife and I had the steak Marsala- what a mistake. This was the worst sirloin steak ever. It was so tough it was like chewing leather even though it was cooked medium. After a long dinner- we just wanted to get out of there. For chain restaurants- this place has a long way to go. TGI Fridays has their act together. Won't ever go back.
(1)Mike A.
Went here for dinner with a small group. Wine and cheese samples at front door but no one available to serve (Nick, the loud guy in the tiny blue apron, was busy flitting around talking with his friends). We finally poured a few wine samples for people in our group, and loud guy Nick came over and made a scene. Nick, don't have the samples if you can't have someone there to serve it. You lost our business.
(1)Ty J.
Had a great middle of the week evening meal. I had the Pollo al Prosecco from the new seasonal menu. The meal was good, but the the drink I had was even better! The Taste of Tuscany was awesome...in my opinion! I love sweet drinks that aren't overpowered by the alcohol. Good food and great service!
(4)Bianca F.
My review is mostly for the food. I started going to Carrabba's in Texas & have always liked their food. I was very excited to find out they had a location in the East Coast near me. I always get the Johnny Rocco salad. It comes with mixed greens, roasted red peppers, pitted olives, grilled scallops and grilled shrimp with a dash of fresh shaved cheese. It is always good. I highly recommend that salad. I'm a big fan of seafood and this is a health way for me to get my fix. The minestrone soup is always a good addition to your meal. It comes with chunks of fresh vegetables and tastes great. I picked up my order to go. They were great with taking my order and meeting me outside in the pickup area to get my meal. Overall, it was fast, efficient, tasty and cost friendly.
(4)Libby F.
My neighbor and I had been talking about coming here for over a year. I dreamed about trying their lobster ravioli. I have been giving my mailman a gift certificate for this restaurant for the past several years. He lives near here and had never been. Now, he loves it! Well, our experience was not so great. The brushette appetizer, "Scotty Thompson" was disappointing. It was a bowl of sauce with a few thin slices of goat cheese placed on top. It's served with six slices of toasted ciabatta bread. According to Carrabba's website it says, and this is a quote, "We use only traditional focaccia bread in our recipe." The calamari is very good, but not the best I've ever had. (Sorry, Kristene P.) Also, our waiter did not mention I had a choice of sauces, and I would have preferred the lemon butter sauce over the marinara. My bad for not paying attention. His bad for not offering the option. My friend thought her $18 steak was tough. I didn't get the lobster ravioli. I regret that now. I decided to get the $18 special which included my calamari w/ a choice of three entrees. I got the lobster mac and cheese. While it had many chunks of lobster, where were the four cheeses?! Where was the breadcrumb topping? It was very bland, almost like eating noodles and butter, like a toddler would get. I took most of it home, which I plan to add cheese to and microwave. Lastly, the peach sangria was good, but it was $11.20 for a quart (glass and a half). I think a pitcher was $30, which our waiter said we should get because it was cheaper. You got four glasses. Huh? Let me see... 3 glasses for $22.40...Four glasses for $30.00. Not really. Well, we came and got this out of our system. Neither of us has any desire to return.
(2)Brian P.
Stinks. Dirty. Mediocre food. We used to like this place even though it was a chain. Really went down hill
(1)Andres G.
Place was dirty, tables unclean. Salad was not good (how do you mess up a salad?!) Pasta wasn't very good but the Italian sausage was. Let's be honest, this is an Olive Garden-wannabe restaurant that falls short and leaves a lot to be desired. The waiters are friendly, but the place felt understaffed at times.
(1)Angela L.
We are regulars here. The best things are the bread (because bread is life), the mahi, house salad, calamari, and the spaghetti and meat sauce. Oh, the wrapped pork tenet loin. It's a little pricey but if you are looking for a quiet, drama free bar to enjoy an hour of happiness after work, this is the place. You might stay for two hours. Don't be surprised.
(5)Rob O.
Horrible!!! was there yesterday and the service was horrible. My wife asked for a new "coke" cause it seemed flat to her. The waiter had the nerve to ask " was it flat from sitting on the table or did it come out flat? If it came out flat then I'm going to have to go change the lines. My daughter ordered the chicken tenders off the children's menu. The tenders came that came out, looked to be freezer burned. ( the meat was yellow!) I ordered a soup that came out cold, not just warm.... COLD! The restaurant used to be great but over the years the service has really declined. We won't be going back. Too many other Italian restaurants in the area that actually care about their customers to give my hard earned money too.
(1)Mercedes C.
I was a bit weary about coming to Carrabba's because I'm not a huge fan of Italian food, but with the crazy weather in the DMV area my bf and I decided to come here since it was down the street from his house. I have to say I was actually happy we came here. I enjoyed a glass of sangiovese with my Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin (medium rare) and it was soo tasty! The value of the entrees are actually pretty affordable and it comes with a starter and a choice of a side. Our waiter (I cant remember his name :-/) was super friendly and even made great recommendations for my indecisive bf. We'll definitely be returning here!
(4)Kelly R.
After many years of visiting this location, my boyfriend were so disappointed with the customer service, that we left before we even got a seat. Let me first say that we have enjoyed the ambiance, the food and the service in the past, but our experience last Saturday left a BAD taste in our mouths. We were told that that wait would be 15 minutes--(not bad for a Saturday night). 25 minutes later we watched as people came in, and were seated in front of us. Hey, we were there 1st! Yes--I said it. Why were they seated ahead of us?, you ask. My boyfriend thinks it was because they all had more diners in their party (which equals=more money). I Honestly think they just weren't paying attention. They even offered one couple to sit at the bar if they did not want to wait. We were NOT extended that same courtesy. My boyfriend asked to speak with the manager and when he comes, he automatically goes to the host's list and angrily points at it telling us that they go by the list. OK--fine, but we watched the last 2 families, and a couple come and be seated right away. They were not waiting, as we were. I just felt that it could have been handled with a little more courtesy. Instead of telling us we were wrong... how about just politely say, "We are so sorry for the inconvenience, we will be sure to seat you shortly." That would have been fine with us, and diffused the situation! A little kindness goes a LONG way when one is dealing with hungry customers. He was not kind or collected, and that just caused us to Walk Out, and go to the next Italian restaurant in Germantown. Carrabba's lost my business, and trust me, they got a lot of my money before this incident. Until they change manager's I will go to a place where customer's are treated appropriately.
(1)Natalie D.
I checked in and I gave simple review starting to server to drinks. Now, I'm doing my overall rating (it's a lil overdue...my phone died when we were at carrabba's). So here we go. Let's start with our server: he was very helpful and welcoming. He explained about the food and shared some info about the restaurant (our first time! Can you believe that!) lol! Overall: 5 stars! Drink: I ordered blueberry sangria. I'm very picky when it comes to sangria, but their bb sangria is the BOMB! I love it! Overall: 5 stars! Food: very tasty, chicken is not over cook. My lasagna was perfectly made! Overall: 5 stars. Bread and dipping oil: 4 stars. Why I gave 4 stars total? It was our first time so I'll come back again and will see if everything will be the same! First timer: GREAT EXPERIENCE! :)
(4)Chris H.
Worst experience ever not only did they take 1 hour and half to sit us but we didnt see our waiter for awhile we had to ask a waiter to find us a waiter.... worst part is im a regular here .. i even come here sometimes 2 times in a week ... i need to find a new italian resturant to go to
(1)Nelly B.
I live in the area, so I've visited frequently, but I don't know about my future visits after the experience I've had. I am not sure if management changed or what, but first, the servers are fake when they talk to you and they can't answer questions about the food 100% of the time because they don't know the menu. Second, the martinis used to come withe the little shakers they were made in, which is not the case anymore. Third, the entree I got, Pollo Rosa Maria, was very salty and there was a hair in it. I know what it's supposed to taste like because it's not my first time ordering it. And fourth, I got the Panna Cotta for dessert (which is "Housemade Madagascar vanilla bean custard with fresh raspberries"), but mine included half of a baby tomato with the tomato sauce, so you can imagine the taste.
(2)Fred B.
You just can't beat Carrabba's !! And Carrabba's Germantown is no exception. The service was phenomenal. Major Kudos go out to Nick the Pizza/Flatbread Chef. We sat at the Kitchen Bar Seating and watched Nick craft those special oven fired pizzas. What a pro! The food was exceptional as usual with any Carrabba's. The staff at the Germantown, MD is exceptional.
(5)Nancy N.
My daughter and I went during the middle of day. Despite many empty seats, we were taken to a table right front of the restrooms. The waiter showed up after about 10 minutes and I asked to be moved to different table. There just weren't enough waiters or the waiters who were there were extremely slow. For the appetizer, we ordered the calamari, which was very salty. The noodles of the Tag Pic Pac were overcooked.
(1)Christa R.
Went today at 5pm. Ordered one of the 4 Cavatappi pasta dishes on the menu. When it arrived it was penne. Questioned why it was penne, waitress went to the server area (not the kitchen) came back and said they are out of cavatappi. Pretty ballsy of them to make the substitution choice without asking me first. I would have ordered something else but wont now. I know what happens when food is sent back. How does an "italian" restaurant run out of a type of pasta by 5pm on a not busy sunday. Boxed penne pasta is not what I was looking for. She basically said pasta is pasta. Last time we were there we ordered a rigatoni dish and were served.. penne... they must keep the local safeway in business with their dried pasta sales. A cavatappi special is listed on the board outside the front door... shouldnt it be erased? Shouldnt servers know they are out of a pasta? Oh and someone else was served cavatappi after we were told they ran out. BS wont be back
(1)Karen G.
Sorry to say, but do not expect a quality meal from this restaurant. Went to dinner there last week and my husband sent the lasagna back claiming it tasted like stale wine. I ordered fried cheese ravioli and it tasted like freezer-burned mozzarella sticks from the freezer section of the grocery store. The waitstaff was friendly, management seemed uncaring as they didn't visit us after the lasagna was sent back, although it was deducted from our bill. The place is noisy, not good for intimate conversation. If you go after reading this you've been forewarned!
(2)S M.
This is one of the better Carrabbas I have ever been to. Everyone is always very friendly and the service is about an average wait time. The Chicken Bryan is my favorite especially because they let me customize it (I don't like goat cheese). The only reason they lost a star is because every once in awhile there is a cook who is a little heavy handed on the salt which kind of ruins the food. Other than that everything is delicious.
(4)John B.
It's a nice ambiance with low lights and an open kitchen. The food used to be better than it is. I tend to get their pizza, which used to come out piping hot with a colorful array of peppers and ground black pepper on top, but recently has switched to less peppers with only one color, no ground pepper, and lower quality overall. Their pasta dishes are hit or miss, and they don't have a ton of vegetarian options. While the quality of food has gone down, the prices have gone up. I do regret having to write a negative review because they do, more often than not, have excellent servers. The bread dipped in spiced olive oil that they bring out for free is always good and tastes fresh. And whatever can be said about the food overall, people are still packing it in. They don't take reservations as such, but you can call ahead a few minutes before you come to reserve a spot in line, and there is often a long line. They have pasta bar seating if you don't want to wait, and you don't get the intimate booth setting, but you can watch sports. If you need Italian, it'll do, but this location isn't worth the crowds if you have a choice in the matter. If this location restored their former level of quality, I'd bump the rating up.
(2)Boris W.
So sad, this place used to be pretty good. Last visit in late January was my last. My wife's steak was good, but the mashed potatoes were cold. She sent them back and new ones came about when she was done with the steak. I had a shrimp scallop pasta which was seasoned to perfection - but the scallops were lumpy and at best canned. The pasta was way overcooked so I decided to send it back. I received a new one (I told them to hold the scallops) and the pasta was hard/undercooked. Again, very nicely seasoned, but what kind of Italian restaurant can't cook pasta on 2 tries?!
(1)Denise L.
One of our LEAST favorites in Germantown! The food is mediocre at best. I'm giving two stars because I actually like the lasagna but overall the food will send anyone into a coma via overdose of sodium. It's like salt is their only method of seasoning. And the mussels are possibly the worst option on the menu. Eeekkk! Frankly all of the "Italian" dinning options in Germantown SUCK so I'm not too surprised. Curbside service is slow, dinning service is unpleasant and the food is not worth the time. Thanks me later.
(2)Jose G.
First off I have to give paÃses to our server, we ordered steak skewers for out son, when they brought it to the table it was not well done like we had ordered it. When she noticed us questioning it she just said don't worry I will take care of this, and twice the cos didn't get it right, but she made sure they finally did, the fact fact that she took our sons well being into regards the way that she did meant a lot. So if you are there make sure to ask for Maria, and take good care of her. The food was great, just in car I fail to mention something about the food.
(4)Julie K.
Getting a table with very easy. Getting somebody to wait on us to go over 10 minutes. The poor waitress apologised about the reason why we had to wait. The manager never came over to us to apologize for wait I was extremely disappointed . The food was ok nothing to write home about. I was very disappointed, we usually have very good service and very good food here.
(2)Sabrina A.
I don't know why this place has such bad reviews. This is my first time at this location and I haven't been to one in years. My friend and I had a great time, great food and great service! Nice ambiance here on a Saturday night! Will definitely come back!
(5)Kimberley P.
I went here for cheat day, and I really made the most of it. Bread, calamari, 9oz filet bryan (the best way to have it) with garlic mashed potatoes, wine, panna cotta, cappuccino, frangelico......calorie count somewhere north of 3000 (no joke) but totally worth it. Our server was Amber, and she was really nice, attentive, and professional. The food was excellent, and the price was about right for a nice meal out in Germantown. Carrabba's is very family-friendly and there were a LOT of children there on a Friday evening, so if you're looking for something quiet and intimate, you're not going to find that here. My chair was bumped several times while we were eating - asking for booth seating next time.
(4)Barbara C.
What the heck happened?? I haven't been to Carrabba's in ages so I decided to treat myself. What a disappointment!! The bread wasn't as good as it used to be. The olive oil was bitter. I was so disappointed. I ended up only ordering the fried gnocchi, which was okay. I decided not to order an entree. I didn't want to waste any more money on this place. If they can't get the bread & olive oil right, then I know the entree wasn't going to be any better. :-(
(2)Vee N.
I usually sit at the bar...Service is always good. Food is always good; I try different selections each time I go. Drinks are pretty good as well. Inexpensive...
(4)Marina I.
Worst experience ever. We dined there few weeks ago , party of five . Toll blonde waitress was trying to go home I guess even though we were there around 8:00 . Rushed through dinner. In 45 min we were presented with the check even though did not ask for it . I feel that if there is a lack of attention from the management. I realize is not a fine dining kind of place but trying to make your guests unwelcome is not what u have to focus on guys! Not coming back .
(1)Alaina P.
This restaurant is overpriced and average in all other areas. Service was decent and the menu was standard for a casual Italian place. The food, predominately pastas, was average and pretty expensive for the quality, especially for the salads which could have been bagged salads with dressing poured on top. My friends and I came here for a homecoming dinner and, although I had made reservations 2 weeks in advance and confirmed them the week of, we were not seated for around 45 minutes as they did not have any space ready for us even though we arrived 5 minutes before our reservations. The staff at the front did not handle the other homecoming crowds well and could not answer my questions when I asked about the delay in our reserved seating.
(2)Faith M.
Terrible food!! It tasted like cheap microwaveable food. I could definitely make better and fresher food at home. I have been to a Carrabbas in another State that was much better quality. Highly disappointed!
(2)Glenn F.
It's a chain restaurant, but we enjoy certain menu items. This location has good service. All around a known good place to go for Italian.
(3)Braden J.
Carrabba's recently opened for lunch in Germantown and has been a great addition to the lunch scene. It is some of the only Italian in this area (next closes place I know is Agrodolce) and all the food I have tried here is really good. My office goes here a lot for special occasions: if we win an award at work, someone's birthday, etc. As a result, we role deep, like 15-30 people. I have always been impressed by how easily Carrabba's has seated us. They have lots of room and lots of large tables. The best thing here maybe the warm bread served with olive oil and herbs. It is complimentary and is so good it makes you wonder if you can just eat that for your meal. Luckily, I have always thought better of this because the entrees I have had here are delectable. I am a pretty big fan of pasta so the last two times I have gotten the lobster ravioli and the shrimp fettuccine. Both of these have been slightly smaller than average sized portions, but still filling especially if you start with a salad or eat a loaf of bread (trust me it is hard not to). A few of the previous reviews have not been impressed by the service here, but I have always had good experiences. My waiters/esses have always been attentive and last time I went they did separate checks for 15+ of us. Also, lots of times when we go a couple people need to get back early for a meeting. Whenever this happens the wait staff has been especially good at making sure they get those people their checks first so they can leave quickly. Overall I have always enjoyed this place. The food is a little pricey for lunch (got to get your bosses to pay), but all the food is good and service is exceptional.
(4)Sheena S.
Went for dinner- ordered Tag Pic Pac, glass of Chianti, and Tiramisu. Tag Pic Pac- was just as ordered- good but not great. I could replicate the dish at home. Chianti- always good. Smooooth Tiramisu- eh. I've had much better. It had a real strong taste of rum- which is good if you enjoy that but if you don't- it's a real turn off. It was super sweet, creamy and choc lately otherwise. Would go there again but I have had consistent service and pretty good food in the past but not ordering the dishes above. I must mention our wonderful waiter- Ryan! He was attentive, gracious and very nice.
(3)John H.
Went in right before closing. The staff was very friendly, and I don't know why...I would have kicked me out lol. Anyway, food was average overall but the shrimp in their shrimp Alfredo thing is really succulent. Nothing special...I prefer bucca di beppo.
(3)Mary J.
Ask for Oscar!!! One of THE best server EVER!!! Very friendly and knowledgeable Great service great food!!!!
(5)Lynn M.
I have no idea why there are so many bad reviews for this Carrabas? We came on a whim Thursday night, it was busy and we were seated in about 20 minutes. Our appetizer of Calamari was delicious, salads arrived on time and everyone was more than happy with our entrees (lobster ravioli, chicken Marsala, chicken mascarpone, kids pizza and kids chicken fingers). Our server seemed busy but service was good. As always the bread and dip was amazing. We will definitely return to this Carrabas.
(4)Maz W.
We went back recently. Improved menu and service, and I have to say we were impressed. The lentil soup was exquisite and so was the rigatoni martino that I ordered. My wife loved the arancinis. Most importantly, it is kid friendly and kids drinks are included. Our server was very attentive and was almost reading our minds. We will definitely return.
(5)Scott A.
Excellent meals around for our family and the service was great. Perfect Sunday lunch spot.
(5)Cheryl K.
Much better! It seems they revamped the menu and remodeled the inside. My food was fresh and excellent.
(4)Kara D.
The food here is delicious, I just cannot say enough good things about it. The service is also excellent. They have a wide variety of food, while still sticking to their Italian theme. Don't come here for a burger, fries, and side salad with ranch--they won't have it. Their signature creamy Parmesan dressing is fantastic; their pizzas, paninis, and of course their pasta is over-the-top satisfying. You will want a nap afterwards. The prices are not too expensive, either. Very modern ambiance and helpful, polite staff. I love it when you can watch the action in an open kitchen.
(5)Agnieszka S.
I really want to like this place and keep coming back because I enjoy the food and drinks but the service is awful. Every time I go there I keep and open mind and every time they disappoint. There are too many instances to list but here is an experience from last night: we got there and asked for a booth. As the hostess walked us to our table one of the servers ( turned out to be ours) ran up and told her where to seat us. Ok fine he needs tables, no problem. He didn't come back for 10 min to get our drink order and kept on looking away at the entrance as he was talking to us. He got our drinks and again disappeared for a while. I asked for a straw and he didn't bring it the next time he came back but said he will return with it I a sec. 5 min go by. I can finally have my first sip....25 min in. Someone else brought our food and he didn't check on us until we were finished. Another couple sat next to us and then left 15 min later as no one attended their table, as they were getting up( our server ) ran up and said he was ready for their order. Lol. Needless to say it was too late. We waited another 10 minutes for our check and then some more for him to take if off our table, even though he walked by us few times. Again, the food is good and I really like their sangarias so I will probably come back and hope it won't happen again. Hopefully the management takes some initiative to try and fix things up before they start loosing customers for good.
(2)Rafael A.
Amazing food. I don't understand why Carrabas has a low rating. 10/10 would bang the food.
(5)Grace M.
I wish I could give this place more stars! But I have to be honest Ill say that I only came because I had 2 gift cards, so I was honestly feasting for free. The food: Apps: I had the Arancini? Which is fried risotto balls with sausage in it (and other stuff). They were delicious, the menu claims it has sausage in it, but as I cut into them i didn't see any, the flavor of it was there though and prominent, very yummy, but I didn't see any lol I don't recommend the marinara dipping sauce it comes with, it just doesn't go with it, nor is it very good or special, I do believe they need to be dipped in a sauce, but not this one. As well the Italian side salad, Was nothing special, yummy dressing, but I could've made and bought that dressing at home. I had the Chicken Marsala, which I had them put on top of pasta. My choice for the night was spaghetti pasta with just the marsala sauce nothing else. It was honestly not very good, The Cheesecake Factory has better chicken marsala, Actually let me not downplay The Cheesecake Factory, it is the Bomb-Diggity and there chicken marsala is great! Hmm..this reminds me I should go review the Cheesecake Factory......Anyways yes no good here, not at all. So the food was blah, Although I had there Strawberry Daiquiri! Virgin of course as I am under age and like to follow the law..for the most part..sike no i follow the law... :( I'm boring sorry, and also I just don't drink at all (I know Crazy!!!), anyways i think that just makes it strawberry slush? It was damn good strawberry slush and a lot of it, I loved it. Customer Service: Was Very Good, but nothing Spectacular, I think it's what all restaurants customer service should be like. We got there and it was busy, told it would be a 20 min wait, and we were sat in 10 min. Our server was very nice, on time and I changed my mind about my pasta choice last minute (from penne to spaghetti) and he still managed to get it changed and out on time. So he was great, but I just think this is what should be done, I was a server and as annoying as I am as a customer sometimes (think sally from When Harry Met Sally) were getting paid to serve so serve. And of course we tipped him 20% for his troubles. Anywho, food was averaged out as OK (barely), and Customer Service as should be expected, Good. I'll come again when my mom get's these gift cards for christmas and I have a chance to steal them again.
(3)Brad G.
From the moment I walked in the door I was pleasantly greeted and taken to our seats. Our server and staff were great! The food and atmosphere was relaxing. Great place to come and unwind, definitely coming back again.
(5)Victoria P.
Food is good all the time. Service is good and so is the atmosphere.
(3)Sujit B.
Nice atmosphere, good servers and staff, okay food. It isnt good enough for me to want to return. Not many vegetarian options and the ones they had were super unhealthy. Meh.
(3)Leilani R.
Ok despite my initial review of the hostess who wasn't so pleasant as a greeter and sat us at a dirty table, the servers did an awesome job helping each other out. I'm sure the hostess had an awesome NYE celebration the night before but you ARE the greeter at the restaurant. Be a little more enthusiastic, please. It was New Years Day so they looked short on staff. Our server was behind catching up with good sized parties that sat before us. Despite tending to the other tables, she made every effort to acknowledge us while working the other tables. They were simple and courteous gestures that I think ALL servers should learn. She turned to give us a nod to let us know we were placed in her section. As the other tables took FOREVER to place their orders, she looked over and told us that she'll be with us soon. Once it became evident that her two tables before us were time consuming, she grabbed the bartender or possibly the manager to help with our table. He was very good and he ended up being our server during our meal. Great team work and we walked out very pleased.
(3)Erin O.
The food is decent, for a chain Italian restaurant. Unfortunately I can't say the same about the service. It's terrible!! Doesn't matter if the restaurant is full, or practically empty - it's always slow. They brought my daughters food out first, which I can appreciate because sometimes it's hard for a little kid to wait long for food, but her food came out before our appetizer did! Then my entree took so long that she was ready to leave by the time my food got there. We've had several experiences like this - just terrible service!
(2)Ebrahim B.
To start out, I don't like chain restaurants ( so this review might be a little biased ) fried calamari : overly salty , I expect briny but not salty. The sauce, meh . When you have a fried fritter no more than an inch big, you expect a luscious marinara, not a chunky one. Arancini : was ok (luckily not the same marinara). The stuffing was good (fennel sausage) , but it's not cheesy like you expect it to be. The seasonal "bisteca" filet mignon wasnt defrosted correctly. My med- steak landed up being more like well- thanks to the additional gratination (cheese). The blue cheese & tomato topping added little to the flavor. Panna cotta: creamy texture(not overly sweet!) but was over powered by the raspberry compote. Serving it in a mason jar makes for good plating but ensures that you can't have just the pannacotta. All in all: I would recommend agrodolce down the road, or il pizico in Gaithersburg over this place.
(3)Danielle S.
Great food and wonderful service! They always have really good specials and I can honestly say I have never had a bad meal here. Highly recommend.
(5)Rima B.
I never knew any restaurant owner could be this nasty. Doug probably the big Boss called to talk to me about my giftcard experience. According to him it was my fault that the card didn't work and my daughter had tried to use the bonus card . I told him that No I did not give it to her as they started on January1. He was nasty and had an attitude. I know you are busy but remember every customer counts.
(1)W G.
Regrettably after many years of having enjoyed going here I must get the word out that the service, at least, has gone down the tubes at this Carrabba's. To set the stage here, this Carrabba's has some limited outside seating. When it is nice enough out I like to sit outside. A couple of times in the recent past, we specifically asked for outside seating, and were told it would be a fairly long wait as admittedly the outside was full/near full. We sat inside on these occasions though I noticed on at least one of these times I clearly saw a couple come in a few minutes after us and were magically seated outside right away. Well, this past Friday night we show up- nice and early, about 5:15 PM, having seen at least one empty table outside on the side of the restaurant nearest the main entrance. We walked in right behind another pair of older ladies. These people did not request outside seating...We requested to sit outside and were told they just needed to quickly finish setting up the table and we would be able to be seated there. The older ladies who came in before us then overheard our request to sit outside and then said to the girl at the desk, "Oh, we want to sit outside, can we?" This was after we had clearly requested to sit outside when they did not, because we were right there behind them when they walked in. Of course, rather than say "I'm sorry, these other people requested to sit outside first, we will give you the next available outside table" the front desk girl proceeded to give our table away to the other people even though they did not state they wanted outside seating until after overhearing us ask for it specifically. One of the girls at the desk then said "sorry, no more outside seating right now". This lack of proper customer service convinces me my money can be spent at another Italian restaurant from now on.
(1)Whitney R.
Meh. The hostesses are usually a bit snide. The waiters/waitresses are usually smiling and extremely busy trying to see due to the fact that they keep is so dimly lit in there. The food is nothing to write home about. It is food you can easily prepare yourself at home and would probably taste a lot better.
(3)Alison M.
My experience was a comedy of errors - beer was spilled on my dad; I ordered a special which included appetizer/salad/meal; my daughter ordered special which included salad/dinner/dessert....we never received my appetizer - or my daughters dessert- manager comped my dads meal for the spilled beer and mine for the forgotten app- never got my daughters dessert which he took $3 off. I don't blame the server - I blame management cause he had only been working for 2 wks- he was obviously not ready to be out on the floor with as many tables as he had.
(1)James R.
The food and service just simply phenomenal. They were extremely busy and my father and myself were seated in a timely manner. Only reason its not 5 stars is because we paid $6 for each of our beers thats too expensive for road weary travelers!
(4)John R.
This is a great restaurant and location. My wife and I go out of our way to go to this particular Carrabba's. Hail and Oscar are both amazing servers. The managers have always been very friendly and accommodating. I only wish we could go more often.
(5)Marry K.
Carrabas has always been a favorite of ours and up until yesterday the dining experience has always been pleasant. However after tucking into the Caesar salad during our entre I noticed something out of place, after staring at it for a while my sister and I deduced that it was indeed a WASP! The waitress expressed concern, however the manager on duty last night sauntered to our table and implied that he was "curious" as to how it had ended up in the salad. Hm. That was our question as well. He was not kind about it, and to add insult to injury, he took off a whopping $3.00 off the bill. Really? It was not about the money, it was the principle. We will not be going to Carrabas again, the standard has dropped significantly. Which is a shame because we have always enjoyed it so much.
(1)Paul E.
Amazing as always. Service and food is always consistent. Servers are always on point and always knowledgeable of specials. Have never had a bad experience there. I'm extremely full and very happy Good job carrabas
(5)Kim A.
WOW I'm looking at the reviews customers are right .. I came here because i never been here so me and my friend sat at the table. Our waiter comes we started ordering and he tells us there wont be any bread because they ran out. If there isnt any bread me thinking in my head you don't have to tell us. I ordered a drink of lemonade I finished my lemonade waiter told me there's no more lemonade. wow You really don't have anything at this carrabas.. So i'm feeling disappointed. Then we get the check. He brings back THE WRONG CREDIT CARDS. Someone elses credit card. My friend looking all upset i said whats wrong he said this dude gave me someone elses credit card. So a different waiter comes and says do you want a bag for your food i said yes thank you. The waiter said he might have something on his mind.. WOAH I Dont know if i want to give this carrabas another shot at it. Olive gardens shits on Carrabas by the way.
(2)Eric B.
As you can already see from the other recent reviews, something is definitely not right at Carrabba's in Germantown. Like most people, I had been going to that location and to Carrabba's in general for many years, but after the experience I had recently, I doubt I will ever go back and honestly recommend that you consider avoiding this place. I guess they thought that by redesigning it, it would distract people from realizing that the food and service had both taken a nose dive. It was not busy on the night I went with a group of 10. Overall, we had a good time in spite of poor service and mediocre food. During the meal, the entrees came before the salads. When we pointed this out, the person delivering them said "Well that's awkward". At the time I did not know how much that sentiment would come to describe my Carrabba's "experience". When the bill came, we had a question. "Manager 1" came to our table and instead of just explaining it politely, he was very rude, acted like we were stupid for not understanding since it was so clear (it was not), and when he left, he very sarcastically asked if I wanted to keep the original receipt so I would not forget how it works next time. I decided to post what happened on Carrabba's site. About 2 hours later, I got a call from "Manager 2" from the Germantown restaurant. He told me that our experience was very disturbing and unusual (I had not checked Yelp to see that it was in fact very common). He said that he had gone over my complaints with his entire staff and wanted to make it up to the group by having us come back for a meal, free of charge. After talking to the group, I called back and set it up with "Manager 2". He said that he would not be in the restaurant that day, but that everyone would know what was going on. When we went for the second visit, the hostess' were trying to figure out where to seat us when one said that "Manager 1" wanted us to sit at the Godfather table. When we sat down, a new waiter came and started taking our drink orders, but he did not have any idea about the free meal. "Manager 1" came to the table and asked if we had been to Carrabba's before and acted like he had no idea who we were. I don't see how it is possible since from what the hostess said, he knew we were coming. I had to explain to "Manager 1" how we were offered a free meal by "Manager 2". "Manager 1" asked what the issues were that we had the previous time we visited. This was incredibly awkward since the main issue we had was him being rude to us. After the initial awkwardness, "Manager 1" said that he would be bringing some exciting new dishes for us to try and that we should order light because of this. I asked if some people were supposed to eat those dishes as their entrees and he said no, they are more like appetizers, and that everyone should order entrees as normal, and the bill will be taken care of at the end. At the end of the meal, we got the check and instead of it being free, it was $100 off (and the appetizers were free). I asked to talk to "Manager 1" hoping it was just a mistake. He came and said that although at the beginning of the meal he told us all to order entrees and that they would be free, he called and talked to "Manager 2" during the meal, and "Manager 2" told him to only take off $100. He also said that he did mention to order light, and brought up that some people got expensive stuff like the Chicken Trio ($21?). Feeling tricked, we paid and left. 2 days later, I called "Manager 2" and told him what happened. He said that he wanted the meal to be completely free, that "Manager 1" never called him that night, and that he was going to have to talk to the owner this time and that I would hear from him soon. 2 weeks after hearing nothing, I called back and "Manager 2" said he thought that they had sent us a gift card to make up for the fact that we had to pay the second time. Originally I thought that "Manager 1" was the liar, but now I am pretty sure that both are liars. He gave me a bunch of lame excuses and said that he would understand if I never came back to that Carrabba's let alone any Carrabba's. I pointed out that all recent Yelp reviews were negative and he agreed that something shady is going on at the restaurant. He offered to personally fedex the gift card overnight to me which I would have told him forget since I think he is a liar, but he said it can be used at the other restaurants (Outback, Bonefish) owned by the same company, so I said okay and gave him my address. One week later, nothing came. I am left with a month of bad Carrabba's experiences, and Carrabba's is left with 10+ less customers. I really hope that Carrabba's can somehow fix the issues that many people are having lately, but I am skeptical. As "Manager 2" said when I pointed out that all recent reviews are negative and they have a 2.5 star rating on Yelp, "keep checking Yelp, you will see us bring up that rating", and we know he never lies, right?...
(1)Dee A.
Usually so happy with this place........but went in for the new advertised mahi dish last night at dinner time. After ordering, it took the server 20 minutes to come back to tell me they were "out of the mahi". So much for that. The chicken bryan I got instead, usually delicious, was really dry. The server put the wrong size order in, never even brought the salad, and got the side orders wrong. I was so disappointed with the food and the terrible service, when this is usually my go to spot for consistent food. I also wish they went back to their old bread -- the new bread sucks. I'm gonna wait several months before going back again just to let the bad experience fade a bit.
(2)Sonia C.
Love the new changes to the place it's a great place to have dinner. The staff was helpful. The food was fabulous. I was sad that 3 items I ordered was not available. They ran out. Also running out of shrimp so my favorite dish pasta wessie was a no go until the waiter suggested crab meat which was so good!!!!!
(4)Cheryl M.
I usually don't go on Yelp and write reviews however, I feel like I needed to do this. Let me just say my boyfriend and I go to Carrabba's all the time it's our favorite place to go eat. so, last night we go there and are greeted by a very nasty hostess! We always like to get a booth, we feel its more intimate. My boyfriend asked can we have a booth the Hostess said "all we have are tables" I Then said that's okay we'll wait for a booth, she said well I don't know how long that's going to be with such a nasty attitude. I stay calm and said that's okay we'll wait, we're in no rush. We then went and sat down at the waiting area and of course I kind of talk to my boyfriend about how rude I thought she was and I'm sure she heard me but I didn't mind. About a minute later she then yells over to us that she had a half Booth half table and I again told her that we would wait for booth and Thank you so much (with a bit of sarcasm wrapped with a smile). About five minutes later she says she had a booth ready for us and she walks us all the way to the back and there was spaghetti and a fork all over the floor and says this is all we have so I'll send someone over to clean it up eventually....... are you kidding me? I didn't say that to her but I was thinking it by this time my blood was boiling to the point of no return. I took a picture of the floor and found the first guy that walked by to ask for the manager, and he was super friendly. Before the manager came over our waiter came and started sweeping it up but he asked if he could do so first and I told him no problem I already took a picture. Then the manager came up his name Was Josh and he was so understanding and asked me to point out the hostess that was so rude and I told him I'd walk him right to her. We walk towards the front and I pointed her out and she was about five steps in front of me so she knew and I was totally okay with pointing at her because I was still fuming! After that the manager wanted to make it right wanted to know if we wanted anything from the bar I said no thank you water would be fine we don't need anything free we love the food and that's why we came. Our waiter Eric was so awesome that from now on we'll ask for his section :-) At the end we asked for the check and there was no discount, but we didn't care because Eric was so wonderful and made us forget that our bad experience didn't exist. My boyfriend paid and we were getting ready to leave and Josh the manager came up and said he voided the transaction and was so thankful for us staying to dine there after our experience. Because of Eric and Josh we will continue to go there and eat and hopefully avoid the nasty hostess upfront.
(3)Theresa J.
I've had better Italian food, a lot better! The food was bearable, but the service sucked! For me, personally, the service can either make the meal enjoyable or awful. Not only was the waiting ridiculously long (when there clearly were several empty tables, and not busy), but they stuck us into the most comfortable seating (into a random corner). In addition, with the horrible seating ... maybe the server couldn't see us .. ?? ... but it took more than 10minutes to even get greeted by the server & get waters. The rest if the evening wasn't any better. long waits, food that wasn't served hot, a big waste of time & money! I cannot recommend this restaurant to friends (or anyone), I do recommend Agrodolce down the street (in the Milestone Shopping center ~ off 355)
(1)Eun Y.
The food at Carabbas is mediocre compared to other Italian restaurants around the area. However, I had a great experience here last night. The food came out very warm and the bread is amazing! What really caused me to give them five stars was their friendly service. The staff was one of the most welcoming and nicest that I have ever been served by. My boyfriend and I especially loved the service from our waiter, Nick! We will most definitely be returning hoping for a similar experience.
(5)Jay M.
Friendly staff and nice atmosphere, but really the food was not good. My wife and daughter enjoyed their meals but I had the lentil and sausage soup, which tasted fine but had bits of bone in it, followed by the lobster mac & cheese which was entirely awful. The pasta was overcooked, the cheese was barely detectable and the bits of lobster meat smelled strongly and not in a good way. I've had better meals cooked by boy scouts, not kidding. Blame me for ordering something without Italian words in the name, maybe, but there shouldn't be anything on the menu that's just flat out repulsive. Two stars for the meals that my family enjoyed and the attentive waitress, but I won't be back.
(2)Anita C.
Huge, huge portions. And salty. Satisfying if you're craving a big n' hearty meal. I came here for dinner last night for my mom's birthday, and my family left very, very full. Let's start with the bread. Warm, soft, DELICIOUS. Complemented perfectly with olive oil & rosemary. My only complaint is that they're only allowed to bring you extra orders of bread until your entrees come - after that, there's a charge. So get as many extra baskets as you can before your entrees come!! Next, the entrees. We ordered the lobster ravioli ($18), shrimp & scallop spiedino ($18), veal, and a red-sauce spaghetti dish. A couple of the orders come with an additional choice of salad (House, Italian, or caesar - I recommend the Italian) and a choice of side (mashed potatoes, penne pasta w/tomato sauce, or vegetables). Gigantic portions. Every dish comes with the side salad. My seafood spiedino consisted of lightly breaded shrimp & scallops in a lemon-butter sauce. It was waaaaay too salty. The first bite was good, and from then on it was a salt overload. My sister's lobster ravioli was tasty, the veal was disgusting, and the spaghetti dish was nothing special. Out of everything we ordered, I would recommend the lobster ravioli. Our waitress was friendly, but the service was again, nothing special. I would return for that delicious bread and the lobster ravioli. However, be prepared to feel sickeningly full of butter & salt after - it's a VERY heavy meal.
(3)Harris H.
Back in 2004, my wife and myself had bad experiences with the food. After the 3rd time of them cooking the steak wrong, I wrote corporate and never got a word back. So, we didn't go for over 6 years. We have been going back the last 3 years to a satisfactory time, with sometimes being good. I guess I am saying, it can be a real hit or miss type place. Our last experience, about 2 months ago, they brought out my wife's steak and it was cooked wrong. By the time they had corrected it, I was basically done my meal. The one thing that absolutely ticks me off is going out to dinner with friends/family, and not be able to eat together because someone's meal is all messed up. I did write in to corporate, and the same manager that took care of us that night did contact me. For me, for any meat, I prefer to go to Longhorn, or Outback and for something Italian, Macaroni Grill in the Kentlands, or even Mama Lucia's before going to Carrabbas. I suspect we probably will not be back here unless we have no say in the dinner plans. On a side note, it is so dark in there that it is hard to look at a menu without using a cell phone as a flash light.
(2)Carrie H.
This place is basically equivalent to the Olive Garden. I'm not sure what is up with all the negative reviews. We approached dinner with some trepidation because of them, but we had a perfectly decent experience. We wanted pasta, and the pasta was good. If I wanted an amazing steak I would go to a steak house and for amazing fish I would go to O'Donnell's. I had the Pasta Weesie with shrimp in it and they were fine, not rubbery or anything. The pasta was cooked really well, which surprised me. It was enough to take half home for lunch the next day. My dining partner had the spaghetti and meatballs and liked it. Our server was very friendly. He asked if we wanted more bread as soon as we had finished stuffing the first basket in our faces. He refilled our sodas incessantly. He made recommendations on the menu items. A manager came by at one point to ask if everything was ok. Everything was fine. No wait for a table on a Monday night. I would go back.
(4)Melissa P.
We went here for the first time after being out shopping for random things all day. I had never been and their commercials look okay so why not. The mozzarella sticks we got as an appetizer were okay... then again, can you really mess those up? Then came the food. It was ok, mine was cold but I was super hungry. Until I found four round large hard things in my mashed potatoes. No clue what they were. Bones of some sort maybe?. I don't mean hard like potatoes that didn't boil I mean hard like couldn't cut them with the knife. After that I was done. The worst part was when I called the waitress over she tried to just bring more over! Then, they didn't take them off the check until I was like, yeah I didn't eat that and am not paying for it. Wont go there again.
(1)Brandy K.
I'm giving this place 3 stars because I like the food. Carrabba's is (or used to be) one of my favorite restaurants. But like alot of others have shared, this location just sucks. About 10 years ago, it used to be great, but it has gone down some major hill since then. I cringe at the thought of going here; if it werent for the pasta weise and bread, I wouldn't. Pros: Good bread (ask for more spice in the oil if you can) and inventive italian food Cons: service, service, service...waiters are rushed and can be rude
(3)Valencia W.
It seems like people have a lot of mixed reviews so I went ahead and decided to take my hubby here knowing it could be a hit or miss experience. We arrived without making reservations and waited for about 5 minutes on one of the booths. The place is rather dim which makes for a romantic evening if you're looking for that. I wasn't a fan of the dim lighting. I did like that it was very open and seeing the chefs work their magic is always intriguing to me. Our waitress was very excited to have us there as we told her it was our first time. She did a great job explaining the menu to us and giving us advice as I had no idea of what I wanted. I ended up getting ravioli and the hubby got chicken marinara. He was happy with his meal and mine was ehh... OK. I wasn't impressed by it and wasn't disgusted by it. It just seems average-nothing to rant about. In total our dining experience was OK. Definitely nothing to go home and rave about. We might give Carraba's another shot but, I'm not sure I want to go and pay money for another mediocre experience. But, if my hubby wants to go and he pays--I'm alright with that. I would give it a 2.5 stars but I gave it 3 for the waitress being so friendly and helpful.
(3)Aaron W.
Run. RUN. RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN. We went for the holiday season. The bread was so tasteless, lifeless and boring that the best I could do was construct a small model of Stonehenge with it - it should not be eaten. I got food with a champagne sauce, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't champagne - I'm thinking it was Garbage Island champagne, where a few grapes grew through the toxic sludge. The service was also godawful. The food was godawful. What's not to hate? Do...not...go.
(1)Samantha S.
My husband and I used to love coming here but last ime we did the mussels tasted like black liquorice and they took off the seafood conle. After telling the waitress she just laughed. We havent been back
(1)Margaret Z.
1.5 stars, but I'll be generous and give it an official 2. My experience here last night can be summed up with the following: I would rather go to Olive Garden (or any other restaurant, for that matter) on any given day/night. Starting with the service: the WORST service I have gotten at a restaurant in a LONG time. It took us (party of 3) 20 minutes to be seated, which was fine, but the server had a very snooty attitude when walking us to our booth. When we got there, the dirty dishes hadn't even been cleared yet. After sitting down, it took another 15 minutes for our waiter to even come by, and another 10 minutes for him to bring us 3 glasses of water. We did not get bread until AFTER our appetizer was served... the waiter's reaction was, "Oh! I didn't get you guys plates or bread yet..." Nice. He only came by ONCE during our entire meal and seemed to be paying more attention to the larger table next to us. When bringing us takeout boxes, he failed to realize that one small box could not possibly fit the leftovers from the 3 plates we had. Disappointed. Now onto the food. I would say this is one of the more mediocre meals I have had in the past year. Started with the calamari - not impressed. It was really salty and didn't have much other flavor. Portion was a little skimpier than I have experienced at other restaurants. My mom ordered the Veal Marsala with Spaghetti Marinara and the Sicilian Chicken Soup. The veal was average at best, but we've made better spaghetti at home. The soup was tasty for the first few sips but was quickly too salty for our tastes. Dad ordered the special of lamb chops in bourbon sauce... I don't like lamb, so I didn't try but he said they weren't too bad, but not phenomenal either. He also had a Sausage and Lentil Bean soup, which I did not sample, but he's a sausage and beans type guy so no complaints there. Now to speak for myself... I ordered the Classics: chicken parm and lasagna plate. The chicken parm was pretty good, but I've had better at home. The lasagna did NOT suit my tastes at all... there was goat or feta cheese mixed in and no meat sauce at all. Could just be my own error, but I did not enjoy this dish or touch it for the rest of the night. Both were extremely salty. Got garlic mashed potatoes as a side and those were average. Caesar salad to start was simply lettuce with dressing, very skimpy shredded cheese and a total of TWO croutons. Yes, there were only two. Will not be back. Ever. The combination of extremely poor and discourteous service combined with the less-than-tasty food has ensured that this is the one and only time you will ever see me at a Carrabba's.
(2)Lisa G.
Portions were very small for high prices. We are on a diet and wanted a salad... It was tiny... Ended up snacking after a $30 meal at home! Last time!
(1)Tyler S.
Not quite sure why there's negative reviews here. YES, they are large portions of food, but you get what you pay for. I would choose this place ANY day over OLIVE GARDEN. Then again, I HATE chain restaurants. If I was to take a girl out to dinner and she said Olive Garden, I would rather take here here first. But if I wanted real Italian Cooking, I would take her down to Little Italy...of course, maybe on the 5th date or so :P The food was prepared well. Our drinks were fabulous. And I loved the Bruchette. Then again, you can't really mess that recipe up. I loved our server. I don't remember her name, but she was quite a doll! Not one of my top picks, but better than Olive Garden. If you want a little bit better, take a trip to White Marsh and visit Libratore's Restaurant. Much much better.
(4)Sam D.
I gotta agree with everyone else in that something isn't right at Carrabbas. I hadn't been there in a long time and wasn't worried about quality/service since my family had been going there for years. After this recent experience I thought about giving the place another shot but that probably won't happen since based on other reviews it seems that these downfalls are a common occurrence. We went on a Saturday night and the place was packed. Rather than waiting a half hour for a table we asked if we could sit outside since we noticed 4-5 open tables on their patio. The hostess' response to this was "there are tables outside?" Umm, yes. So after seating us outside and realizing there were other tables open they went ahead and laid out table cloths on the other tables and started seating other parties there as well. Just odd that they didn't even know there were open tables and had people waiting around on a Saturday night. So we went ahead and ordered our meals and salads as a starter. Two of us ordered pasta dishes and one of us ordered an entrée seafood salad (that was priced well over $10). The first downfall was that our starter salads came out with our food. Second, the seafood salad came with lettuce. Just lettuce (and even worse it had 2-3 stumps from the ends of the lettuce). No dressing, no seafood, nothing. It looked like a small side salad rather than an entrée salad. We asked the waiter where the rest of the salad was and after a little apology he asked us if we wanted him to bring out a side of seafood. We should have just asked for a new salad but we went ahead and said yes to the seafood and asked for a side of dressing as well. By the time the seafood and dressing got there the other 2 of us were done with our meals. It was pretty disappointing to be eating lettuce (stumps included) with a side of seafood and a side of dressing when you expect a fancy entrée salad. In the meantime the waiter hardly apologized, forgot 2 drink orders and didn't take anything off the check. Our pasta dishes were mediocre as well. Definitely not as tasty as I remember it.
(2)M F.
Went to curbside pickup after ordering online. Had to wait an extra 15 minutes from the online ready time. The girl who helped me was nice and was serving in the rain. It wasn't until I got home and started eating that I found our food was cold. I don't really know who is at fault but it was apparent the supervisor didn't care because after being on hold for 10 minutes to discuss my issues I hung up. Clearly this place has management issues and lack of quality control not to mention a manager who doesn't have the time to take a phone call. So I decided to write my review. Although nobody at Carraba's will have time to read this maybe you will benefit from this in some way. Good luck if you visit it is at your own risk!
(1)Dee B.
I didn't know it was possible to make food this flavorless. My grilled salmon and my spinach had practically no flavor whatsoever. The cafeteria at work prepares tastier salmon!! The only redeeming factor was the bread, which was warm/crusty/chewy and the awesome spice/herb mixture they put into the olive oil for dipping.
(2)William S.
It is hard to believe this is a chain because the food is so good and fresh tasting.
(4)Jennifer M.
Some of the best manicotti anywhere. I love their fresh hot bread and tomato sauce. Not my favorite dessert menu though
(4)Sid R.
I was not sure what to expect given the mixed reviews but we liked the food and the service. Okay we are not Italian descents but having been to other 4 rated restuaruants, we felt happier here. We tried 4 dishes across white meat and veggies. Will definitely go again
(4)Janet H.
Came here last weekend for lunch. We ordered the Calamari as starter and a Pasta Jumba off the menu of the day (comes with soup or salad). We weren't that hungry so we decided to just share. Service was ok. Our waiter spoke way too fast, I had him repeat and it still couldn't catch all of what he said... yeah. Anyway, this place's got a pretty nice atmosphere inside. We were seated at one of the larger booth (that can sit up to 6) and it was very comfy. The calamari was good but wish it had a bit more flavor. The Pasta Jumba I thought was pretty good. We ordered the pasta with crab meat rather than the shrimp or lobster option. They did not skimp on the crab meat and you can see and taste the chunks of crab :) The pasta was light and just enough flavor that won't make you feel fat and sick. Oh, I really like their bread too. Their prices are very affordable so you won't walk out feeling like you lost a chunk of your paycheck!
(3)Thomas L.
Im not a big Italian Food eater, but if whoever Im with wants Italian, this is one of the chain restaurants Id prefer to go to. Ive been there maybe a total of 6 or 7 times and each time was pretty good. Nothing extraordinary but good enough to keep me coming back. Last I had steak, it was not cooked properly and it was a very cheap cut of meat so it was definitely not worth the money. The pastas I have had are nicely flavored and the more popular dishes such as chicken parmigiana taste pretty much the same as any other place. So if you were to come here, I recommend picking something you haven't had before because their specialty dishes aren't too shabby. One thing I definitely recommend is the mussels appetizer. The cream sauce that they are served in is superb, which is good because I can get good mussels without having to go all the way to Bistrot du Coin in Dupont Circle.
(3)Ij A.
My family ordered carryout meal for Father's Day. The calamari was overcooked and very salty. Also, we received a bag of bread that looked like garbage. Overall, my Father's Day meal was terrible.
(2)Alijohn G.
Ordered take out over the phone, very polite staff but unfortunately that did not make up for the poor quality of food. Very heavy and completely different from what I was expecting. Might give this restaurant another shot in the future but not anytime soon.
(1)Eric D.
Love it. My wife and I dine here when we want dinner that is guaranteed to please. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but this place is WAY better than ANY Olive Garden I've been to. Try the chicken trio. It is not on the menu but they'll make it for you. If this doesn't satisfy then you're just the type that likes to complain and is never pleased.
(5)Orlangela A.
He said, "Well just not that great...service was good, but the food was missing something...like for 99 cents I could of gone to Giant and bought a box of pasta that tasted the same and that would of saved me 20 bucks. I can't say the same for my girlfriends brother in law though...he ordered the soup with the shredded bits of glass...not his best day. They did get a few bucks off their meal and at least he didn't have to get stitches on his tongue. Other than that...yea not going there anytime soon." She said, "yeah not great...glass in soup, hard bread, and pasta that a 5 year old could have made, i didnt really like anything i had expect for my salad and my shirley temple. if you want chain italian food, go to olive garden...yum."
(2)Steve P.
Food was not very good. I love Carrabas, but this was very disappointing.
(1)Michael T.
The foods quality was mediocre. Two antipasti (hot plates) were served lukewarm/cold. The seafood entree dish we had were very fishy. We did complain to our waiter about it. He apologized but did nothing. Too much butter were added to our pasta dishes. We will not go back to this restaurant at this location.
(2)Matt B.
Great tasting chicken Marsala and others. A lil greasy so it tastes good but might not b the spot to go before/after a workout. Bread is ridiculous. Gets expensive quick. Make reservations fri n sat.
(3)Frank W.
We sat at the bar this time and the service we excellent. The Bartender told us about Wine-Wednesday, accommodated our special orders and the food was tasty too. The food menu could use some more variety.
(3)Nicole O.
Excellent Italian food! We've been several times and the Chicken Bryan is my favorite. They also let you order wine by the "quatrino" instead of the glass so you get more and save money! The bread and olive oil/herbs that they serve before dinner is very tasty as well.
(5)Sa'lome H.
Nice Italian spot.
(3)Irene A.
I love Carrabba's! It's my favorite restaurant, and my husband and I go there often. Also love the atmosphere of the place! The only thing I think they could do better is to put less oil in the vegetable sides. Other than that, I love their food, especially the desserts! Can't go wrong with the dessert minis, but my #1 favorite is the limoncello bread pudding...
(5)Matthew B.
Carrabas is a solid 3, maybe 3 1/2 star chain restaurant. It is consistent and reasonably priced but not remarkable (except for one dessert discussed below). Certainly better than the Olive Garden and on par with the Macaroni Grill. The menu has all of the typical pasta and meat dishes that you'd expect to find and the entrees usually come with a nice salad--get the dressing on the side because they go crazy on the Caesar and Italian salads. As with a lot of US chain restaurants, the portions are HUGE and can easily serve as lunch the following day. The one thing that sets Carrabas apart is their dessert called The John Cole. It's a simple dish of vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce and candied pecans but the ice cream that they use--Blue Bell--is the very best vanilla ice cream I have ever had. It's a small Texas based creamery that has amazing, flavorful ice cream and is otherwise not available in the area. If they ever stop serving this dessert or change the ice cream I will have no real reason to eat here. Go there, eat half an entree and save room for The John Cole.
(3)choad x.
This place is so good!!!!! You start off with the best bread ever and they give you this herb to mix with the olive oil. The three of us polished off the bread before the server had come back to take our order! For $70 we got: Linguine Pescatore: Shrimp, scallops and mussels tossed with linguine in a spicy marinara sauce Tiramisu Veal Piccata Grilled Salmon Spiedino Di Mare: Shrimp coated with Italian breadcrumbs, grilled and topped with with lemon butter sauce Lobster Ravioli Lentil and italian sausage soup. We were on the verge of being rolled out of there, due to being so stuffed with food. This is one of my favorite restaurants outside of Baltimore.
(5)Kristene P.
My husband and four year son came here for dinner in the midst of the big power outage in July. The line was out the door and we waited 45 minutes to get seated. It was worth the wait! The calamari was the best I have ever had and I've had a lot of calamari! Bid, tender pieces, crunchy and yummy. The ceasar salad was delicious as well. For the entree, I had the lobster stuffed ravioli and my husband, the manicotti. Both were beyond our expectations. The service was fast, courtious and very attentive and that restaurant was packed! When we left, there was still a line out the door.
(5)Laura B.
My family and I had a very disappointing experience at this restaurant last night. My parents and brother were in town so my husband and I offered to take them to dinner. My dad had seen the Carrabba's on the way to our home and commented on the greenery on the roof of the restaurant. My husband and I had had an issue with undercooked chicken the previous time we had dined there but my dad wanted to try it so we agreed. It was after 6 pm so I asked my husband to call ahead since we had 5 people in our party. When he called, the host informed him that it was not busy and that they didn't do call ahead seating unless it was busy. We drove to the restaurant and arrived within 5-10 minutes. When we got there, the line was out the door and the seating in the reception area was packed. We stood in line to put our name on the list and wondered why they had said that it wasn't busy only 5-10 minutes before. The couple in line in front of us asked the host the same question. We were told that the wait would be 15-20 minutes so we waited off to the side. I really question the judgment shown by the management of this restaurant as it relates to call ahead seating. We tried to call ahead to avoid the very situation we found ourselves in upon arriving at the restaurant. 15 minutes passed and very few parties had been seated. We waited another 10 minutes because my father had really wanted to try the restaurant. Just as the 30 minute mark passed and we were getting ready to leave, the host informed us that our table was ready. Awesome. She then informed us that, actually, it was a 4 person booth and asked if it would be okay if they stuck a chair onto the end of the booth to accommodate our party of 5. We acquiesced-- what choice did we have after having waited for more than 30 minutes at that point? We were sat at the booth and my poor husband was a good sport and took the chair on the end of the booth. The chair stuck out into traffic pretty badly. We were handed menus and it was several minutes before we saw a waiter. We ordered drinks and our waiter disappeared for 10 minutes. Our drinks arrived and my drink order was wrong-- he brought me a Diet Coke when I had ordered a Sprite. He apologized and set off to get me a Sprite. He returned several minutes later with my drink and we proceeded to order. I ordered a regular order of Mozzarella Marinara for an appetizer. My parents ordered pasta, my brother and husband each ordered a pizza, and I ordered the special--Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin. Fifteen minutes pass and the waiter returns to let us know that our appetizer choice is unavailable. How is it possible for an Italian restaurant to run out of mozzarella cheese?!? He offered us an opportunity to order another appetizer or dessert instead. We anticipated that dinner would be arriving soon so we opted for dessert. Salads arrived shortly thereafter for me and my dad. We both had Caesar Side Salads. The lettuce was a pale yellow green--not the healthy green of fresh Romaine lettuce. It was a soggy, bad tasting, unappetizing mess. Dinner arrives 10-15 minutes after that. The first thing that I notice is that my side order is wrong. I had ordered a side of mashed potatoes but there is a side of zucchini on my plate instead. I remind the waiter that I had ordered mashed potatoes and he sets off to find out what happened. He comes back a few minutes later with the news that the kitchen is out of mashed potatoes. Again, aren't mashed potatoes a pretty standard side item? How is it possible for a restaurant to be out of mashed potatoes?!? I don't like zucchini so I just left it on the plate and went without a side. My brother and husband's pizzas were pretty sorry for the $9.50 we paid for each of them. The menu had said that the pizzas were baked in a brick oven at 600 degrees but the pizzas that we got were very soft and floppy. My brother remarked that his pizza was just about the same mediocre quality as the pizza in his college dining hall. College kids eat a lot of pizza so I trust his assessment. My husband was really hungry after the extremely long wait for dinner so he ate half of his pizza but had to stop because it made him feel sick. We had had about enough and asked for our check the next time we were able to get our waiter's attention. He asked us if we still wanted dessert and we said no. We got the check, paid, and left as quickly as possible. At no time did a manager come over to apologize for our disappointing experience. I did not ask to speak to a manager at the time because the chaos of the restaurant led me to conclude that if there was a manager on duty, he or she was not very competent. We heard many complaints from fellow diners at nearby tables throughout our dining experience. The problem was systemic. We should have gone to Buca di Beppo or Romano's Macaroni Grill. We will not be returning to Carrabba's Italian Grill. What poor customer service!
(1)Tina H.
I was here the other day with my friends, and it was all of ours' first time. 1 of my friends got the Pasta Carraba. My two other friends kind of "created" their own pasta. They just told the waiter what they wanted and she puts it together for them. It was pasta with tomato sauce, mushrooms & sausages. I got the Pasta Weesie with penne instead of fettucine alfredo. All the entrees came with a choice of either salad or soup. The salad was simple, no meats or krutons. My friends got salad and they said it was okay. I got the soup, and I think it was the best dish that night lol. You have serveral choices for the soup but our waiter spoke too fast so i went with chicken. The soup was pretty good though! Came in a bow with little cut up pastas, chicken, carrots, and veggies. I liked it more than my main entree. The Pasta Weesie was way too cheesy. I can barely finish half the dish. Maybe i'll try something else next time. The price is alright, not cheap but not too pricey. Friendly service as well.
(3)Katie P.
Overall a solid place to eat. Food is good and consistent- think better than Olive Garden, but no Little Italy. Soup is amazing- I've had the chicken noodle (has a little kick to it) and the pasta fagioli. Order spaghetti and meatballs and you will be disappointed. Chicken parm is a solid choice. Staff seems to be mainly plucked from the high school down the street... so they tend to be gossipy and chatty up at the hostess stand. Waiters are older and have been consistenly awesome. Came here with my mom late one Christmas eve as it was the only place in the area still open. She loved it! Prices aren't too bad... they had a pretty good prefix menu last time I visited. Definitely my favorite eatery on this side of Germantown, although at times the wait can get bad.
(3)Thomas C.
Let's see after a year from not going to this place, I still give it 2, but to be truthful, this time I will give it a half more, since the waiter didn't steal the tip and she was nicer and more attentive to my table. Last time the waiter wrote down 10 bucks more on the tab and after I went to the manager they still didn't credit my card. My credit card company had to credit me for the difference, and I filed a complaint with the restaurant. If you go here, just beware of the server. The server was nice this time but still got my drink order wrong. Oh well what can you expect from a cookie cutter Italian place. If anybody say they are wow by this place, then one have to really question their experience. The food was ok but definitely no wow factor, again just a little little bit better than Olive Garden without the all you can eat soup and salad, but not much better.
(2)Richard G.
We went here after seeing commercials on TV. We drove from Rockville to Germantown. The food was good. It was your normal Italian causual dining food. The service was sucky. Our waitress seemed like she didnt want to be there. She told me I got a choice of a side with my pollo caprino, but when I got the bill, the side was charged. Also the mini desserts come to the table for you to choose. There's no dessert tray, you get it right there and then.
(2)V L.
DO NOT GO HERE! Accidentally left my wallet on the table, came back a little bit later and all my cash was gone. The manager didn't care to discipline their staff. This place hires criminals, I wouldn't be surprised if they stole people credit card's numbers!
(1)Claude H.
Don't remember what I had - it was a while ago - but I remember it was good food and good atmosphere, albeit pricey. But at least it's for decently cooked food, unlike Timpano's, where they don't know how to cook a $30 steak without burning one side. Idiots.
(4)M.D. O.
Very average Italian food. About what you'd expect from a chain restaurant. Not terrible, but not particularly good, either. The staff is very young and not very polished. If you've a craving for Italian food, you can do better than this place.
(2)Ame C.
My husband loved it here but I wasn't at all excited. The food was not at all what I was expecting. In MY opinion- I'd rather drive 30 miles to that other italian chain (can't think of it right now) than drive the 5 miles to this place. Missing the salad and bread from that other chain.
(2)Ricky B.
Carrabas is ok. THE BREAD IS PHENOMINAL. Outside of the bread the food is just okay. The service is just okay. The restaurant has a cozy somewhat upscale looking atmosphere. The ambiance is nice, and it does not get loud in there. The Pollo Rosa Maria, and Sirloin Marsala are the dishes that stand out. The seafood dishes there are not very good, just ok. The sausage and lentil soup is real good. The calamari is ok, but not great. It's an average Italian place to go with your family or out to eat with your spouse, but nothing fancy. I go there with my Girlfriend maybe once every 4-5 months.
(3)