I'm not usually such a huge fan of chain restaurants, but I can't get enough of this place. Every time I've been here, the service and food have been consistently great. I am obsessed with their Luna Carrabba dish which is a combination of the mezzaluna and the pasta Carrabba. It was briefly on the menu a few times but they can still make it if you ask. The dish consists of cheese filled ravioli covered with a creamy sauce, peas, mushrooms, and chicken. I'm starting to drool thinking about it. And honestly, there's another carrabbas that is closer to us now that we have moved, but I am so happy with the food and service at this location that I don't want to risk trying another one out. This is one of my favorite places to eat.
(5)
Ma-e M.
I like this particular #2. Carrabba (sometimes) than others I have been to. Nice and neat restaurant. Maybe, it was Monday that made it feel a little cozy because there was not many customers. I was hoping to eat new dish or seasonal, but I found nothing special so I picked from the regular menu. If you are like Calamari, Carrabba's is too bready and salty. It's not good. Try a different place like McCormick & Schmicks. I enjoyed though the tasty pasta and sauce. The chicken soup although spicy was suprisingly good. Definitely better than #4. Olive Garden (only when I have to). For me still, my number choice when it comes to Italian chain restaurants: #1.Macaroni Grill (eat here more often), #3. Bertucci (very occassionally).
(3)
Erik S.
Food was tasty and seasoned well. Very overpriced for the serving sizes we got. If I am going to spend over $75 for a family of 4, I would expect some leftovers. The waitress was very nice, but seemed over stressed, and had way too many tables to serve. Took forever to get a refill, and she took my child's meal before he was done. Tasty, but will pass on price and service.
(3)
Jimmy M.
Stay away from Carrabbas in Pasadena MD AKA CRAPabba's!!!!!! Carrabbas in Pasadena MD has to be renamed CRAPabbas(with capital CRAP)...Horrible service.........my wife and I arrived there with the kids hoping to have a beautiful and peaceful dinner on New Years Eve and I hope that tonight's service is a sign for 2013. My kid's food was cold; my wife house salad look identical to my Caesar salad, except her salad had carrots. My Marsala sirloin was very tough The refills took about 20 to 30 minutes.... finally we got the bread as a desert item with no VO and seasoning...when we ask why it took so long she stated they ran out....I was so pissed when she stated that comment because she brought the table behind us, who got there after us, their bread and VO with seasoning and asked them if they wanted more...our waitress didn't even ask us if we wanted desert...well don't know why I left a $5 tip when she clearly didn't deserve it...this is the last time I will ever/ever go to a Carraba's.
(1)
Laurie H.
The menu listed here is the old one. They renovated in Winter 2012/13. Sadly, the restaurant is just not the same. The old favorites that my party liked were no longer on the menu, and oddly the pasta dishes seemed to be cut down. They no longer had penne pasta. The portions were at least half of what they used to be and although still tasty the price had risen. Damn economy. However, while we were there which was on a Monday, the restaurant was not really crowded, but the service was slow. The table next to us got up and walked out. The food served although tasty was not presented well. One of our party got a grilled chicken breast and mashed potatoes and the plate was too big and the food looked too small for the plate, not very appealing with all the whiteness, perhaps a sprig of parsley would have made it more visually appealing. Overall, food was good, service on the slow side. But sadly it is no longer the best place for Italian in my opinion.
(2)
D L.
Surprise, surprise! Dinner at this Carrabba's was delightful. I ate in the chain in Northern VA (Reston area?) and was not impressed then. This location served dishes I had not noticed before - maybe new? We had the pork medallions with port wine reduction and garlic mashed and it was both amazingly good and reasonably priced. Portions were just right. So often the sauces on such dishes elsewhere are too salty, but not this time. By comparison, the chicken with goat cheese and sun-dried tomato was just okay, maybe a bit underdone, and a bit overpriced, as were the wines by the glass. But the savory grilled pork and friendly staff will bring me back again to try other offerings here. I'm sure we'll find more winners! We ate in the bar area which was more pleasant than the overlit and more crowded dining room, and the service was wonderful.
(4)
Shawn D.
Great food. Never had a problem with our order. Can get busy some nights though, so call ahead. Only reason I can think to ding them is the wait staff isn't as courteous & helpful as they could be. They just seem stressed out and being run ragged and don't have time to give proper attention.
(4)
Jamon W.
Really like going here with friends and family the food is great I usually get the herb salmon with garlic mash potatoes they the veggie of the day. Also they have a wonderful customer service and great waiters.
(5)
Novarro R.
Out for a birthday and the service was good, food was good(shrimp a little fishy), and the environment was relaxing and inviting
(4)
Ric P.
Excellent atmosphere, attentive wait staff, great wine listings. The Chicken Caesar salad is awesome, too! You can't go wrong with lunch or dinner at Carrabba's.
(4)
Joe K.
I suppose I dislike the corporate-fueled mega chain's, such as Carrabba's, but then then again as I traveled to Pasadena I thought, "where do I expect to to find a risotto in the dena?" Queue in Carrabba's! Ordering a head for pick-up is quick and easy, plus if you're really lazy you won't need to ever leave your car to get your meal. Everything was quick and ready when I picked up my meal. After making the trek home I opened my dish to one of the most disgusting risottos I have ever ate / laid eyes upon. A deep blood red orange colored mess which resembled more closely to vomit than a meal. I tried eating through the dense dish, but threw it half away - sadly. The tomato basil soup was good.... 2 stars, for the worst risotto I have ever ate!
(2)
Paul T.
I've always been a fan of Carrabba's. I like the atmosphere along with the great food. Good staff and and good food.
(4)
Sara D.
First off, we went on a Saturday night. Walked in and there was a 25 minute wait. No problem. Walked into the bar area where it is self seating and also they have self seating at the pasta and pizza bar. We found seats at the pizza bar and turned in our timer. The service to the bar area was slower than expected. We had to wait to get drinks but we were ready to order when the server got there. The food came out very promptly and it was cool being able to watch it being cooked. I loved the salad and my meal! All in all for it being a Saturday night we were able to sit right down and the food was delicious. We will return!
(4)
Patty L.
This is my favorite restaurant. Steamed mussels and fresh bread is the reason we dine here so frequently. All of the servers here are genuinely kind and do an awesome job. The Johnny is my favorite dish. Steak and chicken combo for 21. Bucks is a bargain. Food portions are large. I always have lunch leftovers for next day. The John Cole is an icecream dessert with caramelized pecans, to die for. Tiramisu is made with lady fingers and fresh homemade whipping cream. Love this place
(4)
Anthony B.
I like the Tara Misu they serve here... It's good. The Pasta Weezy was done perfectly, no complaints.
(3)
Vida O.
The restaurant is clean and the bathroom has those cool knobs that disinfect automatically so you don't have to be afraid of touching it. Now onto the food. They are pretty good but definitely overpriced for Italian. Even with a coupon it is pricey to eat here. I would come for special occasions but my son didn't really eat anything but the free bread appetizer. Staff is attentive and accommodating!
(3)
Bob T.
I actually was accidentally at the original opening night friends and family back in like 2004 or 2005 and had seen first hand how the original owner gradually allowed the quality and quantity of the food go downhill. It got so bad, that one time we had to practically beg for our bread and herbs and was told their new policy was not to give u bread and herbs unless requested. K, Say What!?!? Thankfully it has been sold twice since then and each new owner is improving the reputation and quality of this establishment. The current owner (Ryan) really seems to care. We have caught him helping out everywhere from flipping some pans to creating desserts. I have been to the busiest Carrabbas in the country many times in Sarasota Fl and Ryan is doing a nice job of bringing Pasadena's up to par. My favorite is of course the to die for Chicken Noodle soup. Anything Marsala and the Shrimp Diavalo are must haves.
(5)
Scott H.
Many years ago the wife and I had a terrible experience at a Carrabba's in Virginia which soured me on the franchise as a whole. It was at a location in Virginia, and I experienced some of the worst service I have ever had, plus all of our food tasted salty, as if the chefs were either salt-crazy or literally sweating in the food. While it may seem unfair to judge a whole franchise based off one experience - and I would somewhat agree - consistency amongst franchises is perhaps the most important control factor to a successful franchise. If I don't get a good meal at the first Carrabba's I go to, why should I expect better from another location? Flash forward to present day. I am visiting my friend who lives in "The Dena" and we went over options for dinner. He mentioned Carraba's. Anxious to wash the bad taste of a poor Italian lunch experience the prior week, and open to giving Carrabba's a second chance, I agreed. And I was glad that I did. My friend, like me, is very conscious of respecting the service industry and not imposing ourselves if it is too late to closing time. We arrived at about 9:20PM and asked when they closed. (We both knew they closed at 10PM) The greeter simply replied dude, were open, no problems, come in, sit, eat. We felt very welcome and unrushed, and our server also went to great lengths to make us feel welcome. I was also very pleased with the food. My friend ordered calamari as an appetizer and I snagged a couple of pieces. They were breaded nicely and perfectly cooked. I ordered the proscuitto-wrapped pork tenderloin medallions and was served three nicely portioned medallions with a nice sauce that they call a port-fig sauce. I went with fettuccine alfredo as my side. It was a $2 upcharge, but so worth it. Carrabba's is, in a sense, the anti-Olive Garden ... but in a good way. While Olive Garden is bright and vibrant, Carrabba's is more warm and intimate. Olive Garden tries to faithfully create Northern Italian cuisine, while Carrabba's does their own takes on homestyle Italian-American cuisine. There's definitely room in the universe of big chain Italian restaurants for them both. I'm glad I finally gave Carrabba's a second chance.
(4)
Benjamin L.
Got seated quickly, then waited 25 minutes until server got around to talking/serving us. Arnold Palmer and "homemade" lemonade were pink lemonade soda. "House" salad was terrible. Chicken soup was good as well as pasta and seafood. Server habitually gave us wrong drinks. Tipped 20% because I felt sorry for the staff.
(2)
William G.
It was okay nothing to write home about. The waitress that we had, kept saying "I am sorry I cannot hear you, I listen to heavy metal music alot" Just really shocked me from a service standpoint. Just overall okay, there are plenty other restaurants I would recommend that your not waiting 45 minutes to be seated.
(3)
Richard W.
Noise level - approaches a 4 out 5 so hard to carry on a conversation as place gets busy Food not exciting - very salty, nice portions 3/5 Service - our party of 7 was left waiting for long periods 2/5 House. Wines - white and red were blends and lean sweet. - I prefer Romano's - house wines more flavor. Overall - okay place - but not a place to run back.
(2)
Aurora A.
I've never eaten in the restaurant part but have sat at the bar many times. The drinks are consistently spot on, especially their martinis. Big plus is that they have Titos vodka available. The bartenders are personable and great at what they do here. In addition to fantastic service and great drinks, the food is delicious...although they definitely try to bring something different to standard Italian fare. I am not always a fan but I applaud their creativity (for example, there isn't a bruschetta that is simply fresh Tomatoes on French bread. Their version is roasted tomatoes, cooked down into a spread. Very tasty BUT lacks the crisp freshness of standard bruschetta which is what I look for personally). The pomodoro sauce and goat cheese- amazing creamy goat cheese medallions on delicious slightly sweet tomato sauce with crispy but still chewy baguette pieces. Gorgeous. The ravioli tasty and the ability to mix sauces is very customer friendly. I am not one that typically goes for chain restaurants but this Carrabas does a great job of serving up authentic friendliness without any corniness.
(4)
Sabina B.
The messed up my pasta. It was clumpy. How do you mess up pasta at an Italian place? The tic tag pasta was so overpriced and had barely anything in it. Rip off.
(1)
Sara F.
Clean, nice decor. Most of the staff is friendly & concerned about good customer service. The manager truly cares about the experience of the customers & the food is good.
(4)
Ashley W.
This place was amazzzinggggg! To start off, the waiter was friendly and knew her stuff. I ordered a sangria pitcher, which seemed too small to be true but as the waiter said, gave me a great buzz! For appetizer, we had crab cakes and w/e sauce it was in was awesome. For dinner, I had lasagna, which I also thought was to small to be true but was VERY filling. All-in-all the restuarant had an authentic italian taste, feel and portion sizes that were just right. No complaints. I will be back!
(5)
Gary H.
Service: 4.5 Stars Friendly and inviting. No complaints. Atmosphere: 5 Stars Warm colors and feel to the place. I approve. Seating Location: 2 Stars. We were near a side door that wait staff continually opened, letting cold air into the room. Also, one of the staff must have been smoking out there once because when they came back it smelled strongly of cigarettes for a few minutes. Luckily that was only once and it was before our food arrived. My Food: 4.5 stars. I ordered a seafood cannelloni and a tomato basil soup. They were both great. There was a little cream in the soup and the filling of the cannelloni was very rich. The lump crab on top was a bit overcooked, however. My wife's food: 2 stars. I highly recommend thinking twice before ordering anything on the menu with scallops. I'm not sure what happened, but I think that they have accidentally put rubber discs in the food instead of scallops because MAN were those things chewy. She had a spicy seafood linguine. Bad choice between the rubber scallops and boxed pasta. Despite being difficult to cook, any professional chef should know how to cook scallops or not cook them at all! Also, this is probably just the coffee geek in me, but any self-respecting Italian restaurant should not serve pre-packaged pre-ground coffee, but Carrabba's does. That is NEVER a sign of a good cup. I mean, those dudes practically invented the stuff! If you're particular about your coffee, I'd stay away from ordering a cup here.
(3)
Sidney F.
Really good food, and most of the staff are terrific. However, for a *second* time in as many visits (with four months in between), my friends and I were waited on by a server who was impatient and even seemed angry ("why does she have an attitude?" my friend asked). The server was abrupt and short with us, pressing us to order asap, even physically leaning in between us to prompt our order, cutting off our conversation -- after we'd been there five minutes -- and then rushing us through our meal. This was in stark contrast to literally everyone else, from hostess to the folks who brought out the entrees to the manager, who were very friendly and helpful. This second visit, though, we were discouraged from having the soup of the day ("too spicy"), which we ordered anyway (it was great). Later in the meal, we asked about dessert ("it was on the menu, do you want to see it again? We don't have anything special, if that's what you mean"), when in fact there was a dessert of the day, which we also ordered (and it also was very good). In our first visit, we assumed she had too many tables, but the second visit we were there right after the restaurant opened that day, and the server already seemed to hate her job (and us, although not the adjoining table, whom she seemed to know). Because of the good food, general atmosphere and location, I'll probably go again with my friends, but we will asked to be re-seated if we have the misfortune of encountering this server a third time. Maybe she's just having a rough patch in life, which all of us go through. I wish her the best but won't subject my friends and I to her service again.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
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.
Kristine N.
I'm not usually such a huge fan of chain restaurants, but I can't get enough of this place. Every time I've been here, the service and food have been consistently great. I am obsessed with their Luna Carrabba dish which is a combination of the mezzaluna and the pasta Carrabba. It was briefly on the menu a few times but they can still make it if you ask. The dish consists of cheese filled ravioli covered with a creamy sauce, peas, mushrooms, and chicken. I'm starting to drool thinking about it. And honestly, there's another carrabbas that is closer to us now that we have moved, but I am so happy with the food and service at this location that I don't want to risk trying another one out. This is one of my favorite places to eat.
(5)Ma-e M.
I like this particular #2. Carrabba (sometimes) than others I have been to. Nice and neat restaurant. Maybe, it was Monday that made it feel a little cozy because there was not many customers. I was hoping to eat new dish or seasonal, but I found nothing special so I picked from the regular menu. If you are like Calamari, Carrabba's is too bready and salty. It's not good. Try a different place like McCormick & Schmicks. I enjoyed though the tasty pasta and sauce. The chicken soup although spicy was suprisingly good. Definitely better than #4. Olive Garden (only when I have to). For me still, my number choice when it comes to Italian chain restaurants: #1.Macaroni Grill (eat here more often), #3. Bertucci (very occassionally).
(3)Erik S.
Food was tasty and seasoned well. Very overpriced for the serving sizes we got. If I am going to spend over $75 for a family of 4, I would expect some leftovers. The waitress was very nice, but seemed over stressed, and had way too many tables to serve. Took forever to get a refill, and she took my child's meal before he was done. Tasty, but will pass on price and service.
(3)Jimmy M.
Stay away from Carrabbas in Pasadena MD AKA CRAPabba's!!!!!! Carrabbas in Pasadena MD has to be renamed CRAPabbas(with capital CRAP)...Horrible service.........my wife and I arrived there with the kids hoping to have a beautiful and peaceful dinner on New Years Eve and I hope that tonight's service is a sign for 2013. My kid's food was cold; my wife house salad look identical to my Caesar salad, except her salad had carrots. My Marsala sirloin was very tough The refills took about 20 to 30 minutes.... finally we got the bread as a desert item with no VO and seasoning...when we ask why it took so long she stated they ran out....I was so pissed when she stated that comment because she brought the table behind us, who got there after us, their bread and VO with seasoning and asked them if they wanted more...our waitress didn't even ask us if we wanted desert...well don't know why I left a $5 tip when she clearly didn't deserve it...this is the last time I will ever/ever go to a Carraba's.
(1)Laurie H.
The menu listed here is the old one. They renovated in Winter 2012/13. Sadly, the restaurant is just not the same. The old favorites that my party liked were no longer on the menu, and oddly the pasta dishes seemed to be cut down. They no longer had penne pasta. The portions were at least half of what they used to be and although still tasty the price had risen. Damn economy. However, while we were there which was on a Monday, the restaurant was not really crowded, but the service was slow. The table next to us got up and walked out. The food served although tasty was not presented well. One of our party got a grilled chicken breast and mashed potatoes and the plate was too big and the food looked too small for the plate, not very appealing with all the whiteness, perhaps a sprig of parsley would have made it more visually appealing. Overall, food was good, service on the slow side. But sadly it is no longer the best place for Italian in my opinion.
(2)D L.
Surprise, surprise! Dinner at this Carrabba's was delightful. I ate in the chain in Northern VA (Reston area?) and was not impressed then. This location served dishes I had not noticed before - maybe new? We had the pork medallions with port wine reduction and garlic mashed and it was both amazingly good and reasonably priced. Portions were just right. So often the sauces on such dishes elsewhere are too salty, but not this time. By comparison, the chicken with goat cheese and sun-dried tomato was just okay, maybe a bit underdone, and a bit overpriced, as were the wines by the glass. But the savory grilled pork and friendly staff will bring me back again to try other offerings here. I'm sure we'll find more winners! We ate in the bar area which was more pleasant than the overlit and more crowded dining room, and the service was wonderful.
(4)Shawn D.
Great food. Never had a problem with our order. Can get busy some nights though, so call ahead. Only reason I can think to ding them is the wait staff isn't as courteous & helpful as they could be. They just seem stressed out and being run ragged and don't have time to give proper attention.
(4)Jamon W.
Really like going here with friends and family the food is great I usually get the herb salmon with garlic mash potatoes they the veggie of the day. Also they have a wonderful customer service and great waiters.
(5)Novarro R.
Out for a birthday and the service was good, food was good(shrimp a little fishy), and the environment was relaxing and inviting
(4)Ric P.
Excellent atmosphere, attentive wait staff, great wine listings. The Chicken Caesar salad is awesome, too! You can't go wrong with lunch or dinner at Carrabba's.
(4)Joe K.
I suppose I dislike the corporate-fueled mega chain's, such as Carrabba's, but then then again as I traveled to Pasadena I thought, "where do I expect to to find a risotto in the dena?" Queue in Carrabba's! Ordering a head for pick-up is quick and easy, plus if you're really lazy you won't need to ever leave your car to get your meal. Everything was quick and ready when I picked up my meal. After making the trek home I opened my dish to one of the most disgusting risottos I have ever ate / laid eyes upon. A deep blood red orange colored mess which resembled more closely to vomit than a meal. I tried eating through the dense dish, but threw it half away - sadly. The tomato basil soup was good.... 2 stars, for the worst risotto I have ever ate!
(2)Paul T.
I've always been a fan of Carrabba's. I like the atmosphere along with the great food. Good staff and and good food.
(4)Sara D.
First off, we went on a Saturday night. Walked in and there was a 25 minute wait. No problem. Walked into the bar area where it is self seating and also they have self seating at the pasta and pizza bar. We found seats at the pizza bar and turned in our timer. The service to the bar area was slower than expected. We had to wait to get drinks but we were ready to order when the server got there. The food came out very promptly and it was cool being able to watch it being cooked. I loved the salad and my meal! All in all for it being a Saturday night we were able to sit right down and the food was delicious. We will return!
(4)Patty L.
This is my favorite restaurant. Steamed mussels and fresh bread is the reason we dine here so frequently. All of the servers here are genuinely kind and do an awesome job. The Johnny is my favorite dish. Steak and chicken combo for 21. Bucks is a bargain. Food portions are large. I always have lunch leftovers for next day. The John Cole is an icecream dessert with caramelized pecans, to die for. Tiramisu is made with lady fingers and fresh homemade whipping cream. Love this place
(4)Anthony B.
I like the Tara Misu they serve here... It's good. The Pasta Weezy was done perfectly, no complaints.
(3)Vida O.
The restaurant is clean and the bathroom has those cool knobs that disinfect automatically so you don't have to be afraid of touching it. Now onto the food. They are pretty good but definitely overpriced for Italian. Even with a coupon it is pricey to eat here. I would come for special occasions but my son didn't really eat anything but the free bread appetizer. Staff is attentive and accommodating!
(3)Bob T.
I actually was accidentally at the original opening night friends and family back in like 2004 or 2005 and had seen first hand how the original owner gradually allowed the quality and quantity of the food go downhill. It got so bad, that one time we had to practically beg for our bread and herbs and was told their new policy was not to give u bread and herbs unless requested. K, Say What!?!? Thankfully it has been sold twice since then and each new owner is improving the reputation and quality of this establishment. The current owner (Ryan) really seems to care. We have caught him helping out everywhere from flipping some pans to creating desserts. I have been to the busiest Carrabbas in the country many times in Sarasota Fl and Ryan is doing a nice job of bringing Pasadena's up to par. My favorite is of course the to die for Chicken Noodle soup. Anything Marsala and the Shrimp Diavalo are must haves.
(5)Scott H.
Many years ago the wife and I had a terrible experience at a Carrabba's in Virginia which soured me on the franchise as a whole. It was at a location in Virginia, and I experienced some of the worst service I have ever had, plus all of our food tasted salty, as if the chefs were either salt-crazy or literally sweating in the food. While it may seem unfair to judge a whole franchise based off one experience - and I would somewhat agree - consistency amongst franchises is perhaps the most important control factor to a successful franchise. If I don't get a good meal at the first Carrabba's I go to, why should I expect better from another location? Flash forward to present day. I am visiting my friend who lives in "The Dena" and we went over options for dinner. He mentioned Carraba's. Anxious to wash the bad taste of a poor Italian lunch experience the prior week, and open to giving Carrabba's a second chance, I agreed. And I was glad that I did. My friend, like me, is very conscious of respecting the service industry and not imposing ourselves if it is too late to closing time. We arrived at about 9:20PM and asked when they closed. (We both knew they closed at 10PM) The greeter simply replied dude, were open, no problems, come in, sit, eat. We felt very welcome and unrushed, and our server also went to great lengths to make us feel welcome. I was also very pleased with the food. My friend ordered calamari as an appetizer and I snagged a couple of pieces. They were breaded nicely and perfectly cooked. I ordered the proscuitto-wrapped pork tenderloin medallions and was served three nicely portioned medallions with a nice sauce that they call a port-fig sauce. I went with fettuccine alfredo as my side. It was a $2 upcharge, but so worth it. Carrabba's is, in a sense, the anti-Olive Garden ... but in a good way. While Olive Garden is bright and vibrant, Carrabba's is more warm and intimate. Olive Garden tries to faithfully create Northern Italian cuisine, while Carrabba's does their own takes on homestyle Italian-American cuisine. There's definitely room in the universe of big chain Italian restaurants for them both. I'm glad I finally gave Carrabba's a second chance.
(4)Benjamin L.
Got seated quickly, then waited 25 minutes until server got around to talking/serving us. Arnold Palmer and "homemade" lemonade were pink lemonade soda. "House" salad was terrible. Chicken soup was good as well as pasta and seafood. Server habitually gave us wrong drinks. Tipped 20% because I felt sorry for the staff.
(2)William G.
It was okay nothing to write home about. The waitress that we had, kept saying "I am sorry I cannot hear you, I listen to heavy metal music alot" Just really shocked me from a service standpoint. Just overall okay, there are plenty other restaurants I would recommend that your not waiting 45 minutes to be seated.
(3)Richard W.
Noise level - approaches a 4 out 5 so hard to carry on a conversation as place gets busy Food not exciting - very salty, nice portions 3/5 Service - our party of 7 was left waiting for long periods 2/5 House. Wines - white and red were blends and lean sweet. - I prefer Romano's - house wines more flavor. Overall - okay place - but not a place to run back.
(2)Aurora A.
I've never eaten in the restaurant part but have sat at the bar many times. The drinks are consistently spot on, especially their martinis. Big plus is that they have Titos vodka available. The bartenders are personable and great at what they do here. In addition to fantastic service and great drinks, the food is delicious...although they definitely try to bring something different to standard Italian fare. I am not always a fan but I applaud their creativity (for example, there isn't a bruschetta that is simply fresh Tomatoes on French bread. Their version is roasted tomatoes, cooked down into a spread. Very tasty BUT lacks the crisp freshness of standard bruschetta which is what I look for personally). The pomodoro sauce and goat cheese- amazing creamy goat cheese medallions on delicious slightly sweet tomato sauce with crispy but still chewy baguette pieces. Gorgeous. The ravioli tasty and the ability to mix sauces is very customer friendly. I am not one that typically goes for chain restaurants but this Carrabas does a great job of serving up authentic friendliness without any corniness.
(4)Sabina B.
The messed up my pasta. It was clumpy. How do you mess up pasta at an Italian place? The tic tag pasta was so overpriced and had barely anything in it. Rip off.
(1)Sara F.
Clean, nice decor. Most of the staff is friendly & concerned about good customer service. The manager truly cares about the experience of the customers & the food is good.
(4)Ashley W.
This place was amazzzinggggg! To start off, the waiter was friendly and knew her stuff. I ordered a sangria pitcher, which seemed too small to be true but as the waiter said, gave me a great buzz! For appetizer, we had crab cakes and w/e sauce it was in was awesome. For dinner, I had lasagna, which I also thought was to small to be true but was VERY filling. All-in-all the restuarant had an authentic italian taste, feel and portion sizes that were just right. No complaints. I will be back!
(5)Gary H.
Service: 4.5 Stars Friendly and inviting. No complaints. Atmosphere: 5 Stars Warm colors and feel to the place. I approve. Seating Location: 2 Stars. We were near a side door that wait staff continually opened, letting cold air into the room. Also, one of the staff must have been smoking out there once because when they came back it smelled strongly of cigarettes for a few minutes. Luckily that was only once and it was before our food arrived. My Food: 4.5 stars. I ordered a seafood cannelloni and a tomato basil soup. They were both great. There was a little cream in the soup and the filling of the cannelloni was very rich. The lump crab on top was a bit overcooked, however. My wife's food: 2 stars. I highly recommend thinking twice before ordering anything on the menu with scallops. I'm not sure what happened, but I think that they have accidentally put rubber discs in the food instead of scallops because MAN were those things chewy. She had a spicy seafood linguine. Bad choice between the rubber scallops and boxed pasta. Despite being difficult to cook, any professional chef should know how to cook scallops or not cook them at all! Also, this is probably just the coffee geek in me, but any self-respecting Italian restaurant should not serve pre-packaged pre-ground coffee, but Carrabba's does. That is NEVER a sign of a good cup. I mean, those dudes practically invented the stuff! If you're particular about your coffee, I'd stay away from ordering a cup here.
(3)Sidney F.
Really good food, and most of the staff are terrific. However, for a *second* time in as many visits (with four months in between), my friends and I were waited on by a server who was impatient and even seemed angry ("why does she have an attitude?" my friend asked). The server was abrupt and short with us, pressing us to order asap, even physically leaning in between us to prompt our order, cutting off our conversation -- after we'd been there five minutes -- and then rushing us through our meal. This was in stark contrast to literally everyone else, from hostess to the folks who brought out the entrees to the manager, who were very friendly and helpful. This second visit, though, we were discouraged from having the soup of the day ("too spicy"), which we ordered anyway (it was great). Later in the meal, we asked about dessert ("it was on the menu, do you want to see it again? We don't have anything special, if that's what you mean"), when in fact there was a dessert of the day, which we also ordered (and it also was very good). In our first visit, we assumed she had too many tables, but the second visit we were there right after the restaurant opened that day, and the server already seemed to hate her job (and us, although not the adjoining table, whom she seemed to know). Because of the good food, general atmosphere and location, I'll probably go again with my friends, but we will asked to be re-seated if we have the misfortune of encountering this server a third time. Maybe she's just having a rough patch in life, which all of us go through. I wish her the best but won't subject my friends and I to her service again.
(3)