GREAT place to eat! Awesome prices and even better food. I absolutely love their lobster mac n'cheese! Also, their pomegranate martini is to die for! Their dessert is really spectacular. Service is great and we don't ever wait too long. We go very often.
(5)
Sylvia G.
I came here last Monday (labor day) primarily because I arrived from the airport, I was starving and could not find anything opened so I went to the mall. Coincidentally all shops were closed but the restaurant was still open. I ordered grilled salmon with two vegetables. This is Italian place but there was nothing Italian about my meal. The food was good and so was the service, nothing outstanding, rather average but good and not overpriced.
(4)
William R.
Disappointed by experience. Went in for lunch, not busy at all, was promptly seated in a near empty restaurant behind hostess desk and near door. Phone ringing and the disheveled hostess constantly asking employees if tables were clear. (Maybe take a little stroll around the room perhaps??) was wondering why we were seated there next to personal conversations and constants phone ringing. Service was ok, slow but ok. Especially for lunch. Food is only thing helping this review. Ceased salad is out of this world. Entrees were great as well. Would go back again for eating but I know this time to not rely on hostess for seating, will ask next time.
(3)
Faatimah S.
Food was ok. This is the second time I came to this place and service was so so. My waiter, Dave, was not very attentive and was missing in action during our meal. I ordered shrimp and scallops and the plate was small as an appetizer.?
(2)
Kevin O.
I have gone to the Carabba's in Springfield for several years. I love the food there (especially the chicken bryan), but was extremely disappointed after my last visit. After shopping in the mall we decided to stop in for dinner. We were quickly seated at a booth near the corner of the restaurant near the mall side. After a short time a gentleman with a printer and computer entered the restaurant. He began setting up a min-office in the corner of the restaurant. I could feel bumps in the back of my seat as he pulled back chair cushions and moved the table searching for an outlet to setup his mobile office. Unsuccessful in his search he contacted the store manager. As we were waiting for our food the store manager approached us at our table. He asked if he could peek under the table with his cell phone. He urged us to remain seated so as not to inconvenience us. Obviously weirded out my wife and I quickly stood. To his disappointment there was no cord electrical outlet under this table either. I suppose if there were he could have run an extension cord beneath our legs to outfit the neighboring booth and their mini pop up office. As if this were not odd enough what became immediately obvious was even more disappointing. Apparently the manager had a deal with a travel agency/Time Share Organization to pitch time shares in the restaurant. This was extremely distracting. Men in suits would constantly walk back and forth to meet with their boss regarding their latest potential buyer. As my wife and I perused the restaurant we saw about five or six tables where salmon were forcefully selling time shares to various couples, many of them seemed to be senior citizens. The entire ambiance of the dinner was ruined. We verified what was going on with our waitress. She informed us that this was the first time that she had known this to go on and we were on a long list of tables she had served that expressed similar concerns about this practice going on in the restaurant. I am extremely disappointed that Carabba's would sell out like this. I used to think of Carabba's as slightly more upscale than an Applebee's or TGI Fridays. However, this last experience has left a sour taste for my wife and I. It is a shame because the food is great and the prices are decent. My wife and I will no longer be going to this Carabba's. Just wanted to provide other Yelp users with a heads up that if you choose to go here, you may have to witness this charade.
(2)
Erin B.
Hm, a chain restaurant. In a mall. Not my normal MO, but i was hungry. No wait, friendly staff, Wednesday night. Not too much going on. Our server was prompt and attentive when we needed him, and our food came out timely and was hot and delicious. I wasn't super keen on the warm Bruschette but the hubs liked it. i love the warm bread for the table. mmm, with pesto oil for dipping! i got the Pollo Rosa with vegetables (at the suggestion of our waiter) and it was fantastic!! Not too buttery, very light and with lots of flavor. Hubs got the Chicken Parm and loved it. It was our first experience with Carabba's and certainly won't be our last.
(4)
Leah Y.
I Love this place we always start with catamaran and crab cakes appetizer and the fresh squeezed lemonade and pasta weezy with extra mushroom add scallops and Yes the Best fettucini Alfredo I have ever had to date
(4)
Lauren C.
WOW.... a memorable meal to say the least. My boyfriend and I swung into this location with 1 purpose- to spend a gift card. We walked in the front door from the mall parking lot, and we were told that there would be a 1/2 hour wait... which seemed crazy since the restaurant was EMPTY! We thought we'd go to the bar and have a drink, but there was no bartender, so we went to peruse the mall. Also noteworthy is that there were at least 15 other people hanging by the hostess stand sort of like a train station waiting for a table.. in a restaurant that was pretty empty! We were called to sit down at our table after about 20 minutes. We were given a table right next to the kitchen, but there was a booth open. I asked if i could sit there, but was told that it wasn't an option... so by this point, if i didn't have a gift card, i'd be running. We received menus, and were told that Carrabbas recently shook things up! Formerly, their food was primarily frozen, and now they'd be using fresh ingredients. TMI in my opinion... as I had no baseline opinion of Carrabbas until right then... and it wasn't good! I'm glad i'd at least be getting fresh food! So I took a look at the menu, and ordered a glass of wine. While we were deciding what we wanted, two employees in the kitchen began an argument. It was subtle to begin with, and then it escalated into quite a shouting match... and our little 2 top right next to the kitchen had a front row seat to all the action. Our waiter came back and apologized for the show which was nice. We ordered- I got the 3 courses for $12- mozarella sticks, salad, and pasta with spinach, artichokes and tomatos. My boyfriend got the calamari and chicken parm with a side of pasta. Appetizers came out first. My mozarella sticks were stacked like a little log cabin. Very nice presentation, and they were cooked perfectly, and quite tasty. My boyfriend said his calamari was good, but as he ate more, he changed his tune. He said the batter was really salty and overpowered the calamari. He ate one of my mozzarella sticks instead. Our salads came next. They appeared to be out of a bag or something. Lots of iceburg lettuce, and lettuce that was turning brownish. It was a decent mixture of veggies. My boyfriend had like 5 olives... I didn't have any. That was strange. Next came our entrees. My pasta had a noodle that I couldn't quite identify. It was flat, like linguini, but of a smaller stature, like spaghetti. It almost looked like ramen noodles. It was pretty tasty though, so i went with it. My boyfriend said his was good... not amazing... not bad... but fine. We took some leftovers to go. Our bill was about $10 after our gift card. All in all, this was a very strange meal. The food was fair... but the peripheral factors were just bizarre. I don't think Carrabbbas is for us...
(1)
Patti C.
I love the Chicken Bryan...Yummilious!!! Also the lobster Mac & cheese is way fab!! Prices are fair and the wait isn't bad. Defiantly a Go To when I'm out and about :)
(4)
Nick D.
I have been going to Carabbas for years and my favorite dish is the Polo Rosa Maria. They changed the way they prepare it. Please go back to the way you prepared it the past.
(3)
Kenyatta A.
Love the food here!! Italian food is my everything, anytime I'm here, they never disappoint!
(4)
Cait T.
Everything was delish!!! I would highly recommend! Great bang for your buck!! We can't wait to go!!
(5)
Cynthia H.
Food was good. Not incredible but quite good. The problem is the price. It is completely over priced for the small portions they are putting out. I highly recommend the Chicken Bryan it is very good. Their filet is on point too. Which is weird for an Italian place. A nice surprise none the less. I recommend avoiding the Marsala. It's not good at all. Their desserts are EPIC FAILS. For $23.50 we got 2 mini (and I do mean MINI) cannolis. A separated Panna Cotta and a slice of yellow cake with some stewed fruit and whip cream on top. Over all - this is where I asked to be taken because I love Italian, I loved Macaroni Grille and probably mistakenly thought it would be on par. It's not. It finds it's niche somewhere between Olive Garden and Bertucci's. Macaroni Grille is a step above those. But all in all, the service was very good and knowledgeable. Stuff came out of the kitchen in the proper order and everything. That's why I am giving three stars cause our waiter Nate was great considering how obviously trying it is to work there, what with the manager playing expediter at the pass and all servers being forced to deliver everyone elses tables food it was very hectic and not at all fun to watch despite being seated right by the open air kitchen. My elderly aunt raved about the coffee though. I just don't think it was worth the $216 bill for 5 people.
(3)
Karen F.
Carrabas is Carrabas - and as chain Faux-talian goes it's fine. Mid priced (dinner for 2 with one beer each and no dessert no app was about $45. They also have promotions all the time - the one they offered when we were there was a $13 deal for a soup or salad and 2 (yes 2) plates of pasta (one for now and one for home. Whatever, My friend had the soup which he enjoyed and I had a very boring "house salad" with iceberg, a few shreds of carrot and 2 pieces of celery and 3 olives. No cuke, no tomato. Just BORING. Hot bread (good for white bread) and herbed olive oil followed. The pasta plates are enormous. Carbo loading at its finest. Not gourmet - but in the Spingfield Mall - this is the best you'll get (There's a Ruby Tuesday and a Sbarro) for a sit-down meal. Oh - and the place was FULL of kids on the Thursday night we went.
(3)
Doug T.
Poor management of call ahead service. I called a week ahead of time for a party of 12. They were very accommodating over the phone. They even called to confirm our attendance 4 hours ahead of time. I came15 min ahead of the group to announce our presence. Upon showing, I was told we would have to wait 20 minutes. OK, no problem. Everyone else coming in had a minimum of an hour wait. After waiting 30 min, we were told the servers were clearing the tables. Twenty minutes later. I played about our wait. We were told it would be a few minutes more. Meanwhile, guests groups of 4 and 5 are coming in and being seated after less than an hour wait. Finally, after waiting one hour and15 minutes, what were led to our tables. So, why have call ahead service if you will wait as long as anyone else? 12 Frustrated Guests.
(2)
Nichole B.
Hated this location. We were seated abt 345p we didnt recieve our entree until 443p after we spoke 2 the Mgr at 440p our food came out 3min later lukewarm below standard. I had the congille tht had no goat cheese or romano only alfredo..Yuck! My husband is a chef he was appauled 2 be nice. Later he became violently ill from this nightmarish food experience. Im now suffering from stomach pains. Smh I loved the Willow Grove location however. This Springfield location sucked ass. Our waitress said she checked on our food 3 times obviously not when the cook lesiurely deglazed a pan for an hour with no regard 4 preparing our entree until theMgr reminded him of our already extremely late order. We got our entree finally, after sending it back bcz it was cold. Asked for take out trays n we left pissed & dissatisfied. The calamari was great though. Mgr was too he just manages incompetent staff. This Monday night dinner sucked. Not 2 mention the 3 slivers of chicken in my congille. Never Again!
(1)
Michele F.
Ok so last night got there at 8:45. Not knowing they close at 9:00 on Sunday. We were sitted. Had a wonderful waiter.
(5)
Kamika K.
Whenever I am in the mall I always stop in for my dose of calamari. It hasn't failed me yet. The new apple crostata dessert is awesome.
(4)
Ann T.
Normally we are big fans of Carrabbas. Last night, 1/17/15, was an exception. We waited 45 minutes to be seated after calling ahead. The place was very crowded. We sat at the table for 10 minutes before Stephanie S approached our table. She took our drink order and said she would bring bread. She brought the drinks but no bread. Also, she never explained the specials (we happened to overhear the waiter at the table next to us explaining them.) The salad came and I had to ask for the bread. The food, as usual, was good. I had tilapia and my husband had mahi, with sides of spinach and garlic mashed potatoes which were all very good. As soon as I put my fork down, the waitress swooped behind me and took the plate away while my husband was still eating. She never asked if I was finished. She seemed very stressed out and her service reflected it. Such a shame because normally the waitstaff is very cordial and accommodating.
I've eaten here 3 times. The food is pretty good. Great for price. Kid friendly which I like but doesn't have the cheap feel that TGIF has. I got the mahi which is great. The Calamari is bad though. Super crispy and crunchy. Don't order. Other then that pretty good experience.
(4)
Junior M.
When I don't eat a meatball they have to be really bad. I ate 1/4 of one and left 2 3/4 there. Coors Light 5.50 per bottle. I ordered Mezaluna. If figured that the Lean Cuisine Mezaluna was really great ( and I am Italian ) therefore the restaurant Mezaluna has to be sensational. Sensational....NO Memorable....Oh YEAH.... I WILL REMEMBER THIS DISH FOREVER!! Raviolis were previously frozen...although they swore they were cooked to order. I've been around a long time. Skewered beef was about as tender as beef jerky. Broscetta was black meaning the sauce was burnt, overcooked and re-heated. A total disaster that costs 4 of us $130.00 incl (4 beers) Sbarros in the Mall or Tony Lukes 1,000 time better
(1)
Lauren W.
The location here in Springfield was my first time at a Carrabas. To me, it was very similar to an Olive Garden, but a little more expensive. There was a crazy wait for a table on a weekend night, but bar seats and high tops were seat yourself, so we didn't have to wait too long to snag one. Service was very nice the whole time, even though we were in a off the beaten path section of the restaurant that was being rotated by several servers. We decided to split (a ton of food) the appetizer sampler, and I ordered pasta w/ a bolognese sauce and my man got the seafood cannelloni. The sampler was comprised of fried calamari, mozzarella sticks, and bruschetta. The calamari was cooked fine, but had a ton of breading that was too heavily spiced. The bruschetta was okay as well. Not many tomatoes, a lot of cheese, and the bread was a little crispy for me. It did go well with the soft bread that they serve everyone. I would not get any of these again. All entrees come with a soup or salad, it seems. Not many places do this, so I was impressed by that. Their soup of the day was a fish chowder. If they have this when you are there, please get it! It was actually my favorite part of the meal, really good. My pasta dish was one of their new specials: buy one entree, get another gratis. Unlike other restaurants that do this special, they are required to bring both dishes at the same time. Odd, but it wasn't a problem to send it back to boxed so we could have elbow room. My dish was nice and hearty. Nothing super special but just what I was in the mood for. His seafood dish had a flavorful, creamy tomato sauce, and I thought it tasted good, but the seafood he allowed me to taste was fairly overcooked. All in all, we are actually not picky eaters and enjoyed our time here. Our bill was a little steep ($50) for two people and the quality of food we received. I wouldn't say no to coming back, but perhaps trying different options.
(3)
Steve S.
This is a hit or miss place. It always has been. The reviews so far seem to corroborate this. So you have to come in here with that in mind. Since I had a gift card that hadn't been used yet, we decided to give them a shot tonight. So first off, at any chain restaurant, you never know what kind of server you will get. Fortunately tonight, our server Stephanie was very good to us and very attentive. So there they hit. The bread basket we got with olive oil and herbs was a nice warm sourdough. We couldn't get enough of it. Another hit. Soup and salad was pretty good. My soup was the Sicilian Chicken which was decent if not totally spectacular with a good amount of chicken. The wife was getting addicted to the house parmesan dressing on her salad. So far, so good. For the entrees, the wife got the small portion of Chicken Parmigana, and I went for the Chicken Trio, which included one portion each of Chicken Bryan, Chicken Rosa Maria, and Chicken Marsala. So I got a perfect sampling of their menu in my mind. Now, here is where you run into the problems at any of these types of chains. To break them down separately, the Chicken Bryan was the best of the three. The goat cheese topping was perfect, the sauce wasn't overbearing, and the sun dried tomatoes topped it off perfectly. The Chicken Rosa Maria, while good, seemed a bit more overpowering. The sauce had a little too much lemon, and not enough butter in this case. The Marsala, again, had a sauce that just didn't seem quite right to me. While all of the sauces were fine, they didn't enhance the dishes too well. This inconsistency is what is the downfall of chain dining. The wife's entree was interesting in that for $15 she got one small piece of chicken and what appeared to be a double order of garlic mashed potatoes. It doesn't seem like a $15 entree to me. Mine was $19, and might have been overpriced for what I got, but at least I got a decent portion for my money. Her's was completely overpriced for her portion. The taste was fine as I had a bite, though the mashed potatoes seemed not too flavorful to me. I did enjoy my side of the Cavatappi Amatriciana, which was standard chain comfort food. They have the mini dessert shots which were good for a sampling. I gave a try to their Dessert Rosa, which was told to me as a buttercream cake with fruit topping and whipped cream. It didn't taste too much like buttercream cake to me, so I was mildly disappointed. The wife said she could have eaten 12 of her Chocolate Coconut Mousse shot, so there's an endorsement. A cup of coffee with the dessert was practically water. So definitely hit or miss on the final course. While it wasn't a bad experience, they've done nothing food-wise to make me recommend them to anyone over other choices in the area. But they're fine for what they are. I've had other decent meals there in the past, I've had others that let me down. If you asked me to rank them in the Italian chain restaurant world, I'd say they're not as good as Maggiano's, not as good as Bertucci's in my opinion, but slightly better than Olive Garden, and on par with a Macaroni Grille. They sure won't make me choose them over a local mom and pop Italian place, that's for sure.
(3)
Caralee G.
For an easy and quick Italian bite out, this place is great! Bang for your buck and the pasta is homeade. Enough for leftovers too! When I left the restaurant, the manager gave me a free appetizer coupon. Everyone was friendly, drinks were good, food was good. Thumbs up!
(3)
Steven B.
The lovely wife and I stopped in for a late lunch/early dinner. I'll call it lunner. Maybe this new word will gain wide acceptance but somehow I doubt it. So we are in a chain restaurant in a mall and we lucked out and had a wonderful waitress. Her name was Jenn and she was delightful and efficient throughout our entire meal. We began with hot fresh bread with olive oil and spicy pesto for dipping. It was quickly replenished as requested. The wife noticed and appetizer special that she thought was perfect for her. Chicken Spiedini- Skewers of chicken, rustic focaccia and tomatoes, wood-grilled and seasoned with fresh herbs. It was served over arugula salad, topped with a balsamic glaze and ricotta salata for $7.50. It looked so good that she ordered one for her appetizer and another for her meal. Waitress Jenn smiled and made it happen. They were both as good as she expected. The juicy chicken was beautifully cooked and the grill marks made it especially flavorful. I ordered the Chicken & Spinach Cannelloni- Chicken, spinach, garlic, fresh herbs, fontina and romano cheese, topped with pomodoro and cream sauce for $14.00. It was a baked dish and served hot and fresh. By the way, it came with a soup or salad. I choose a tasty bowl of sausage and lentil soup. What about adult libations? I was drinking ice cold Stella draft and the wife tried their version of a raspberry martini. Hers was shaken and poured tableside. A nice touch. Our dinner including three drinks was $50.00. It doesn't get much better than this for a chain restaurant. It's very rare for me to award four stars to a chain but on this occasion they deserved it!
(4)
Steve C.
Disappointing. Ordered a filet medium and it came out very well done. I sent it back and the second one tasted better but it was still over done. Not sure why. This was always a great place. Not as good as it used to be.
I am hot and cold about this Carabbas but give it four stars based on my experience this past week. It is very much a step up from other Italian chain restaurants such as Olive Garden. I will not go here on a weekend, it is just terrible, the service is bad and being attached to the mall adds to the chaos. During the week however the experience is quite different. I recently went on a Tuesday evening. We were seated right away, it was crowded but nothing compared to the weekend and the noise level was at a low. Our server George was wonderful, pleasant and extremely attentive. He talked us in to a wine sampler. Sampling wine at Carrabbas is a little "why would you", I think they are going out on a limb with his one but I got it anyway. The wine was pretty good, you had your choice of either 3 whites or 3 reds. I went white my husband went red. For the price, $8 for 3 2 ounce glasses the wine wasn't bad and included what they consider their house premiums. Premium to Carrabba's standards so do not expect anything earth shattering here. The only over the top thing was that he samples are served in huge wine glasses so we ended up with 6 wine glasses plus 2 water glasses on our table. It was a little ridiculous! George was there to clear them away though as we finished. In my opinion I feel the blackberry sangria is here best drink and will stick to that going forward. For an app we had the antipasti plate which included mozzarella marinara, calamari and bruschette. It was good and they were accommodating to add in calamari Ricardo. We both had salads, an Italian and house. I am not a huge fan of he salad but my husband raves over the parmesan dressing. The entrees are always well prepared. This night I tried the shrimp in cartoccio. My entree was really good. Iw was served in parchment consisting of shrimp, summer veggies, orzo with a lemon sauce. It was light, not overwhelming and a great summer dish. My husband flopped on his entree choice. With the suggestion of our server he went with the the pollo caprese. He was anticipating something completely different than what he got which was basically chicken parm. He ate it anyway and by no means was it Carrabbas fault. Our server did ask what he thought of it, my husband honestly told him and the waiter agreed but walked away. Kind of comical.
(4)
Dinah L.
Stopped at the bar for a drink....... It's another average Italian restaurant, competing with Olive Garden.
(3)
Kimmy S.
This place is usually really crowded for dinner, but worth the wait. It is a chain, but they have a great menu and the food doesn't disappoint. I love their grilled chicken and garlic mashed potatoes. The service is a little slow, but it's understandable with the large crowd.
(4)
Terri K.
Visited this past Sunday at 5 p.m. We were a party of 7. We were able to be seated within 5 minutes which was fine but also what I would expect on a Sunday at 5. We were stuffed into a corner which wasn't terrible but also wasn't very good either. The restaurant is very noisy with too many people too close together, televisions on, and music playing. We absolutely could not talk to the other end of our table, which was just two small tables pushed together. The two tables had one of everything so if you wanted sweetener or some oil for your bread, you had to play whisper down the lane. I ordered a large zucchini fritte as an appetizer to share and it was extremely limp and oily with no taste of zucchini. Two of us had the citrus arugula salad which was terrible. It was just arugula soaked with dressing, a few onion slices, a small amount of nuts, and the "citrus" was a poorly cut-up orange with too much peel still on it and seeds still in it. We were cautious to eat the round nuts not knowing if they were nuts or orange seeds. At least 5 people thanked us for coming on our way out but for me it was too little; too late.
(2)
Emily D.
My husband and I LOVE to come here! Our favorite place to eat! It is hit or miss, which I don't like.. I like consistency! The managers that come around and ask how things are always do it when you just get your food - which is weird to me. Anyway, their filet is DELICIOUS! Better than Outback Steakhouse. You wouldn't expect a good steak at an Italian restaurant - but it's superb. Most of the staff are friendly, but that's at any place. The only reason this location doesn't get 5 stars from me- is consistency. Love this place!
(4)
Rob M.
The place has nice decor. The food is great, the service is alright. I would recommend this place.
(4)
Kathy C.
Me and my Husband enjoyed our waitress Debbie, shes a firecracker and really has a lovely personality. The ambiance was nice but alittle chilly. I ordered a sausage peperoni pizza which I have to say I did not enjoy the sauce. The caesar salad was bland. The pasta dish My husband got was delish. So we will be back. Maybe when its warmer out.
(3)
John L.
Meh, standard mass produced Italian fare mixed with a bunch of non-foodie people.
(3)
Milkyway B.
Carrabba's manager called me to discuss my complaint and was very kind and helpful. Even gave us Carrabba's cash towards our next visit. Been back twice since then and both times it was a great experience Update: last two times weren't that great. No sausage in my sausage & lentil soup and HORRIBLE value for your hard earned $$
(3)
Steve M.
Had dinner there tonight. Not bad, but not great - I'd rate it more like a 2.5. Service was OK - the waiter originally forgot to take my order (the rest of the table did order) but he came back. Food was OK - frankly I'd rate both Bertuccis and Olive Garden better if you are looking for mass-market Italian food.
(3)
L D.
Very nice meal. The ravioli and steak special was very good and a great deal ($13.99). Solid chunks of lobster. The steak was decent. The Italian soda is great, raspberry is the best of the flavor options. The veal is even better, tasty and tender. Ambience is decent, lighting is dim but enough to see your food. Solid place for a good meal with friends.
(4)
Ashley B.
Meh. This place gets three stars because we were in a rush and our waitress was very accommodating and nice at the same time. The bread was tasty, but the dipping oil was infused with way too much garlic (and I LOVE garlic-- I put it in everything). Then came the caesar salad, which was bitter (must have been the stem), and so bitter that I didn't really eat it. Then I got the Tag Pic Pac, which was relatively flavorless, except that again it had A LOT of garlic. I found a full clove of garlic on my plate--- that should have never made its way onto my plate. Garlic is not a substitute for seasoning. Overall, I wouldn't return.
(3)
Diana M.
No doubt- the Food is Great! Just make sure that your server tells you how much a glass of wine will cost! (He will sell you the MOST expensive, if you don't know your wine - stupid me-I didnt)To be fair though- the food is REALLY GOOD! We'll be back-but will BYOB! :)
(5)
Claude H.
This is one of those places I wished I liked more. But looking back, three is probably generous. There wasn't anything specifically "wrong" about the evening. So lets start with the Positives. The Staff was incredible. Attentive, made sure all members of our party (big and small) were given attention - and didn't make anyone feel rushed - nor like they had to wait forever. We tried a large sample of the pretty extensive menu. The food was good - though portion sizes were a bit on the small size. And then the bill came. I knew from past visits to other Carrabba's that it isn't a $$ place. But the bill for this night was a bit of a shock, all things considered. I would say at least 30% higher than I usually pay for this level of Italian.
(3)
Marc P.
This place is pretty good. I'm not crazy about it being open right up to the mall as it catches a lot of that riff raff. All in all not terrible for a chain Italian place.
(3)
Nic W.
The food was just okay, but what really ruined the experience was the guy who greeted us. He noticed that my husband had a couple of bags in his hand. The greeter guy immediately launches into a diatribe about how women do nothing but spend your money and drag you around the mall. It was quite possibly the most sexist thing I've ever heard from a restaurant employee. Neither my husband nor I will be returning to Carrabba's. If I want to be insulted for being a woman, I'll turn on Fox News.
(1)
Kimberly D.
Um...not such a great restaurant. We hadn't been there in 5 years (had a meal there the week we moved into the city). We used their "call ahead" service and arrived there to be told it would be a 10 minute wait. The people in front of us were told 25-30 minutes, so we thought it was a good idea. 30 minutes later, everyone was seated in front of us and we were finally seated (not happy). Had to ask for silverware and salt after the appetizer came. HATED the kitchen staff. We were seated at a table in the bar area with lots of people and noise, and we could still hear this chef **screaming** repeatedly with every order that was being plated. Literally, like she was standing next to us and she was ALL the way across the restaurant. It was bad enough that we told the manager when he stopped by. He basically said, "I'm well aware and I apologize." Poor guy. The rest of the staff didn't seem happy (lots of grumbling amongst themselves that we heard because we were near the aisle). The house salad was yucky (plain romaine, literally 2 kalamata olives and 2 pieces of sliced celery that were black for some reason). The salad dressing was super-thick and not that great. My chicken was okay (two very thin fillets on a plate with two large scoops of mashed potato) but toward the end I realized the piece I was chewing on was RAW under the breading. I carefully cut around that area (about a 2 x 2" piece) and showed the server when he was picking up the plates. He basically said "oops." The hostesses were horrible about turning over tables. There was a guy waiting who we heard on his cell phone complaining to someone that there were 5 tables in the back unseated and he'd been waiting for 40 minutes. There was a table behind us that took 25 minutes to turn over (literally, just to bus and reseat). They're not doing something correctly. Hopefully I won't get food poisoning from the piece(s) I ate. It'll be another 5 years before we try again. Our gift cards would be better spent at Outback or someplace else.
(1)
matt f.
I was out with my girlfriend. Although the food was good, the waitress was horrible We first ordered 1 soda and 1 ice tea, and 2 waters she didn't bring us the water for another 15 minutes after we got the soda and ice tea. When we asked for 2 minutes-, that turned into 16 minutes We actually had to wave down the Hostess and ask where our waitress went so we could order. When the host asked the manager where she was, he got her. The waitress came over to take our order Nothing- not even an apology or smile.. Not a "Sorry for the wait" We ordered the Zuccini Frities, Chicken,Veal Parm. Food was all good. Bread was good. We order the small portions. she screwed up the order- She brought us the regular sized ones. I made sure she didn't charge us for the regular ones - She in fact did and didn't take it off till the last moment- probably trying to sneak it by us hoping we wouldn't see so she would get a bigger tip. She never came over and asked how our meal was. she never looked over to our table ONCE.After i got my meal i needed a drink refill. once again she disappeared for almost 15 minutes It was around 3pm on a Sunday- there were plenty of servers, waitresses on the floor that night The restaurant was NOT packed. There was NO wait for our table when we arrived.And it it wasn't dinner hour yet. Our waitress appeared to be working only 4 tables in total.If it was any other restaurant That waitress would be catering to our every needs quickly and professionally with a smile on their face. I have been to many restaurants and 90% of them have better service than this. The food was good but I would rather stay at home than deal with this sub par and rude service. She messed up the order was late with the drinks, never apologized and disappeared alot Trust me guys, go to a better class area than Springfield or dont be surprised if you walk away disappointed with the service.
(1)
Larry M.
Have been here many times over the past few years. Used to go almost every other month now don't go that often or even at all. At first this place was pretty good for a chain restaurant a little above the rest of the chains but it has declined and isn't as good as it used to be in food and service.
(3)
Eileen B.
The food here was good, in general, but what we were told was squid was octopus. Our server apparently didn't know the difference, which was plain to see when she brought the dish. Octopus is much less commonly eaten than squid--to some people it is strictly taboo, and the server should have known the difference--or the person who wrote the menu.
(2)
Michael W.
I stopped by the Springfield Mall location for a quick dinner on my way home from the gym. I sat at the bar, since I was alone, and the bar always feels right for diners that.... dine alone (a table for 1 is too depressing for me to even fathom). When i sat down at the bar a menu was already made available to me. The bartender was cordial, and I use that word because I don't want to say she was overly friendly, mean, or any of the other emotional extremes. She simply was just THERE. She took my drink and food order very systematically, and I began wondering if she may have been a cyborg (and this was before I had my drink). Now onto the important tidbits. I ordered the Veal Piccata as my entree with a side of pasta (garlic and olive oil), and the lentil and sausage soup to go along with. Overall, the food felt very pre-prepared and reheated frozen-like. It was fine, just the typical overly salty, overly rich sauces you would come to expect from Italian chains like Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill, and Bertucci's. The side of pasta I mentioned before that had the olive oil and garlic was wayyyyyy overcooked and had close to maybe 4 cloves of garlic chunked up throughout it, talk about overkill! I hinted at the style of service I received earlier, and I wanted to talk about that more since it was the most memorable aspect of my trip. The service, overall, had a very cold quality to it, not inviting,happy, or hospitable at all. I guess it's a typical mentality for these restaurants which is a shame since it all probably boils down to the patrons being pretty cheap and not even tipping the standard 20%, which can lead to a disenchantment with good service amongst the employees. At least that's why I think the typical chain-restaurant worker isn't that good. There was also another bartender behind the counter that was dealing with all the dining room drink orders that came in. I could sense the tension that he gave off, he seemed so miserable and the tone of his voice was borderline seething. Although when it was time to get the check, he was very (surprisingly) polite towards me. Other highlights of the meal included receiving the wrong soup the first time around and the bartender yelling across the bar to waitstaff passing by, practically begging them to pick up her bar orders from the kitchen (it wasn't like she was busy at all, with me and maybe 4 other people at the bar). Long story short, don't expect sensational, and don't expect comfort, at least at the bar. I digress slightly since I have eaten in the dining room at this specific Carrabbas location and the service was some of the best I have received at a chain restaurant. If anything, this outing proves that consistency is always key across your dining establishment, whether a guest eats at the bar OR in the dining room.
(2)
Harry H.
Average Carrabba's in a nice location.
(4)
Rhonda W.
Went there on a busy Saturday around 5:30 pm. We were informed of a 45-50 minute wait, which was expected. After finally being seated at around 6:30, we waited patiently for our server who eventually came over to take drink orders. We got our drinks in a timely manner, and it was all down hill from there. Appetizers taken to the wrong table RIGHT NEXT TO OURS! Waited 15 minutes for appetizers again, 15 more minutes for bread, 20 more minutes for our salad, another half hour for entrees, 15 minutes for the check, after having plates removed . Bottom line...the manager came over to apologize, though we never complained, and took 20 dollars off our check. That saved this from being a 1 star review. Bad day at Carrabba's...and it was our first time ever going.
(2)
Danielle R.
After shopping in the Springfield Mall last Sunday, my boyfriend and I decided to stop at Carrabba's. Neither of us had eaten at Carrabba's in a few years, so we both had almost forgotten about it. There was a 45 minute wait (I guess everyone had the same idea as us), but we were told we could sit "at the bar." I didn't realize that "at the bar" meant we'd be sitting on super high stools, with a direct view of the cooks. Literally, there was a plastic foot-high divider not an arm's length away from my body. Behind the "divider", was the prep station, and I could see everyone's food being prepared, cooked, and sent away. Granted, I did see that everything looked clean. However, knowing that all the food was frozen, cooked until it was dried out almost and then sauce is thrown on it, makes me not want to eat there again anytime soon. My boyfriend got the Manicotti, which was decent. I ordered the Seafood Canelloni. I had high expectations, it had scallops, shrimp, crab and lobster in it! I think through the entire meal I had one piece of shrimp and one sliver of crab/lobster meat. The sauce placed on top of the canelloni was very tasty. (Canelloni - I may be misspelling that, but it's basically stuff thrown in manicotti-shaped pasta. I am not sure where all the rest of the seafood went, but I was disappointed with my meal. The crab cake appetizer we ordered was absolutely delicious though. Our waitress was very very nice and good, considering she had to reach over us (due to the bar and the high stools.) I am short (5'1") so it certainly wasn't comfortable by any means for me. Watching the food preparation was cool for about 20 minutes, then I got sick of hearing people yelling at each other about what foods to prepare. This was by no means a relaxing meal. The food was just alright, (aside from the appeitzer which was very very good) and the service was excellent, however I did not like that atmosphere of cooks yelling at each other and food splattering all over (my napkin was covered in red splatter sauce. This is not a restaurant I will go to very often, there are other italian restaurants that have much better food and seating arrangements.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
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.
Cassandra P.
GREAT place to eat! Awesome prices and even better food. I absolutely love their lobster mac n'cheese! Also, their pomegranate martini is to die for! Their dessert is really spectacular. Service is great and we don't ever wait too long. We go very often.
(5)Sylvia G.
I came here last Monday (labor day) primarily because I arrived from the airport, I was starving and could not find anything opened so I went to the mall. Coincidentally all shops were closed but the restaurant was still open. I ordered grilled salmon with two vegetables. This is Italian place but there was nothing Italian about my meal. The food was good and so was the service, nothing outstanding, rather average but good and not overpriced.
(4)William R.
Disappointed by experience. Went in for lunch, not busy at all, was promptly seated in a near empty restaurant behind hostess desk and near door. Phone ringing and the disheveled hostess constantly asking employees if tables were clear. (Maybe take a little stroll around the room perhaps??) was wondering why we were seated there next to personal conversations and constants phone ringing. Service was ok, slow but ok. Especially for lunch. Food is only thing helping this review. Ceased salad is out of this world. Entrees were great as well. Would go back again for eating but I know this time to not rely on hostess for seating, will ask next time.
(3)Faatimah S.
Food was ok. This is the second time I came to this place and service was so so. My waiter, Dave, was not very attentive and was missing in action during our meal. I ordered shrimp and scallops and the plate was small as an appetizer.?
(2)Kevin O.
I have gone to the Carabba's in Springfield for several years. I love the food there (especially the chicken bryan), but was extremely disappointed after my last visit. After shopping in the mall we decided to stop in for dinner. We were quickly seated at a booth near the corner of the restaurant near the mall side. After a short time a gentleman with a printer and computer entered the restaurant. He began setting up a min-office in the corner of the restaurant. I could feel bumps in the back of my seat as he pulled back chair cushions and moved the table searching for an outlet to setup his mobile office. Unsuccessful in his search he contacted the store manager. As we were waiting for our food the store manager approached us at our table. He asked if he could peek under the table with his cell phone. He urged us to remain seated so as not to inconvenience us. Obviously weirded out my wife and I quickly stood. To his disappointment there was no cord electrical outlet under this table either. I suppose if there were he could have run an extension cord beneath our legs to outfit the neighboring booth and their mini pop up office. As if this were not odd enough what became immediately obvious was even more disappointing. Apparently the manager had a deal with a travel agency/Time Share Organization to pitch time shares in the restaurant. This was extremely distracting. Men in suits would constantly walk back and forth to meet with their boss regarding their latest potential buyer. As my wife and I perused the restaurant we saw about five or six tables where salmon were forcefully selling time shares to various couples, many of them seemed to be senior citizens. The entire ambiance of the dinner was ruined. We verified what was going on with our waitress. She informed us that this was the first time that she had known this to go on and we were on a long list of tables she had served that expressed similar concerns about this practice going on in the restaurant. I am extremely disappointed that Carabba's would sell out like this. I used to think of Carabba's as slightly more upscale than an Applebee's or TGI Fridays. However, this last experience has left a sour taste for my wife and I. It is a shame because the food is great and the prices are decent. My wife and I will no longer be going to this Carabba's. Just wanted to provide other Yelp users with a heads up that if you choose to go here, you may have to witness this charade.
(2)Erin B.
Hm, a chain restaurant. In a mall. Not my normal MO, but i was hungry. No wait, friendly staff, Wednesday night. Not too much going on. Our server was prompt and attentive when we needed him, and our food came out timely and was hot and delicious. I wasn't super keen on the warm Bruschette but the hubs liked it. i love the warm bread for the table. mmm, with pesto oil for dipping! i got the Pollo Rosa with vegetables (at the suggestion of our waiter) and it was fantastic!! Not too buttery, very light and with lots of flavor. Hubs got the Chicken Parm and loved it. It was our first experience with Carabba's and certainly won't be our last.
(4)Leah Y.
I Love this place we always start with catamaran and crab cakes appetizer and the fresh squeezed lemonade and pasta weezy with extra mushroom add scallops and Yes the Best fettucini Alfredo I have ever had to date
(4)Lauren C.
WOW.... a memorable meal to say the least. My boyfriend and I swung into this location with 1 purpose- to spend a gift card. We walked in the front door from the mall parking lot, and we were told that there would be a 1/2 hour wait... which seemed crazy since the restaurant was EMPTY! We thought we'd go to the bar and have a drink, but there was no bartender, so we went to peruse the mall. Also noteworthy is that there were at least 15 other people hanging by the hostess stand sort of like a train station waiting for a table.. in a restaurant that was pretty empty! We were called to sit down at our table after about 20 minutes. We were given a table right next to the kitchen, but there was a booth open. I asked if i could sit there, but was told that it wasn't an option... so by this point, if i didn't have a gift card, i'd be running. We received menus, and were told that Carrabbas recently shook things up! Formerly, their food was primarily frozen, and now they'd be using fresh ingredients. TMI in my opinion... as I had no baseline opinion of Carrabbas until right then... and it wasn't good! I'm glad i'd at least be getting fresh food! So I took a look at the menu, and ordered a glass of wine. While we were deciding what we wanted, two employees in the kitchen began an argument. It was subtle to begin with, and then it escalated into quite a shouting match... and our little 2 top right next to the kitchen had a front row seat to all the action. Our waiter came back and apologized for the show which was nice. We ordered- I got the 3 courses for $12- mozarella sticks, salad, and pasta with spinach, artichokes and tomatos. My boyfriend got the calamari and chicken parm with a side of pasta. Appetizers came out first. My mozarella sticks were stacked like a little log cabin. Very nice presentation, and they were cooked perfectly, and quite tasty. My boyfriend said his calamari was good, but as he ate more, he changed his tune. He said the batter was really salty and overpowered the calamari. He ate one of my mozzarella sticks instead. Our salads came next. They appeared to be out of a bag or something. Lots of iceburg lettuce, and lettuce that was turning brownish. It was a decent mixture of veggies. My boyfriend had like 5 olives... I didn't have any. That was strange. Next came our entrees. My pasta had a noodle that I couldn't quite identify. It was flat, like linguini, but of a smaller stature, like spaghetti. It almost looked like ramen noodles. It was pretty tasty though, so i went with it. My boyfriend said his was good... not amazing... not bad... but fine. We took some leftovers to go. Our bill was about $10 after our gift card. All in all, this was a very strange meal. The food was fair... but the peripheral factors were just bizarre. I don't think Carrabbbas is for us...
(1)Patti C.
I love the Chicken Bryan...Yummilious!!! Also the lobster Mac & cheese is way fab!! Prices are fair and the wait isn't bad. Defiantly a Go To when I'm out and about :)
(4)Nick D.
I have been going to Carabbas for years and my favorite dish is the Polo Rosa Maria. They changed the way they prepare it. Please go back to the way you prepared it the past.
(3)Kenyatta A.
Love the food here!! Italian food is my everything, anytime I'm here, they never disappoint!
(4)Cait T.
Everything was delish!!! I would highly recommend! Great bang for your buck!! We can't wait to go!!
(5)Cynthia H.
Food was good. Not incredible but quite good. The problem is the price. It is completely over priced for the small portions they are putting out. I highly recommend the Chicken Bryan it is very good. Their filet is on point too. Which is weird for an Italian place. A nice surprise none the less. I recommend avoiding the Marsala. It's not good at all. Their desserts are EPIC FAILS. For $23.50 we got 2 mini (and I do mean MINI) cannolis. A separated Panna Cotta and a slice of yellow cake with some stewed fruit and whip cream on top. Over all - this is where I asked to be taken because I love Italian, I loved Macaroni Grille and probably mistakenly thought it would be on par. It's not. It finds it's niche somewhere between Olive Garden and Bertucci's. Macaroni Grille is a step above those. But all in all, the service was very good and knowledgeable. Stuff came out of the kitchen in the proper order and everything. That's why I am giving three stars cause our waiter Nate was great considering how obviously trying it is to work there, what with the manager playing expediter at the pass and all servers being forced to deliver everyone elses tables food it was very hectic and not at all fun to watch despite being seated right by the open air kitchen. My elderly aunt raved about the coffee though. I just don't think it was worth the $216 bill for 5 people.
(3)Karen F.
Carrabas is Carrabas - and as chain Faux-talian goes it's fine. Mid priced (dinner for 2 with one beer each and no dessert no app was about $45. They also have promotions all the time - the one they offered when we were there was a $13 deal for a soup or salad and 2 (yes 2) plates of pasta (one for now and one for home. Whatever, My friend had the soup which he enjoyed and I had a very boring "house salad" with iceberg, a few shreds of carrot and 2 pieces of celery and 3 olives. No cuke, no tomato. Just BORING. Hot bread (good for white bread) and herbed olive oil followed. The pasta plates are enormous. Carbo loading at its finest. Not gourmet - but in the Spingfield Mall - this is the best you'll get (There's a Ruby Tuesday and a Sbarro) for a sit-down meal. Oh - and the place was FULL of kids on the Thursday night we went.
(3)Doug T.
Poor management of call ahead service. I called a week ahead of time for a party of 12. They were very accommodating over the phone. They even called to confirm our attendance 4 hours ahead of time. I came15 min ahead of the group to announce our presence. Upon showing, I was told we would have to wait 20 minutes. OK, no problem. Everyone else coming in had a minimum of an hour wait. After waiting 30 min, we were told the servers were clearing the tables. Twenty minutes later. I played about our wait. We were told it would be a few minutes more. Meanwhile, guests groups of 4 and 5 are coming in and being seated after less than an hour wait. Finally, after waiting one hour and15 minutes, what were led to our tables. So, why have call ahead service if you will wait as long as anyone else? 12 Frustrated Guests.
(2)Nichole B.
Hated this location. We were seated abt 345p we didnt recieve our entree until 443p after we spoke 2 the Mgr at 440p our food came out 3min later lukewarm below standard. I had the congille tht had no goat cheese or romano only alfredo..Yuck! My husband is a chef he was appauled 2 be nice. Later he became violently ill from this nightmarish food experience. Im now suffering from stomach pains. Smh I loved the Willow Grove location however. This Springfield location sucked ass. Our waitress said she checked on our food 3 times obviously not when the cook lesiurely deglazed a pan for an hour with no regard 4 preparing our entree until theMgr reminded him of our already extremely late order. We got our entree finally, after sending it back bcz it was cold. Asked for take out trays n we left pissed & dissatisfied. The calamari was great though. Mgr was too he just manages incompetent staff. This Monday night dinner sucked. Not 2 mention the 3 slivers of chicken in my congille. Never Again!
(1)Michele F.
Ok so last night got there at 8:45. Not knowing they close at 9:00 on Sunday. We were sitted. Had a wonderful waiter.
(5)Kamika K.
Whenever I am in the mall I always stop in for my dose of calamari. It hasn't failed me yet. The new apple crostata dessert is awesome.
(4)Ann T.
Normally we are big fans of Carrabbas. Last night, 1/17/15, was an exception. We waited 45 minutes to be seated after calling ahead. The place was very crowded. We sat at the table for 10 minutes before Stephanie S approached our table. She took our drink order and said she would bring bread. She brought the drinks but no bread. Also, she never explained the specials (we happened to overhear the waiter at the table next to us explaining them.) The salad came and I had to ask for the bread. The food, as usual, was good. I had tilapia and my husband had mahi, with sides of spinach and garlic mashed potatoes which were all very good. As soon as I put my fork down, the waitress swooped behind me and took the plate away while my husband was still eating. She never asked if I was finished. She seemed very stressed out and her service reflected it. Such a shame because normally the waitstaff is very cordial and accommodating.
(2)Tony D.
I stopped in here for lunch this Sunday. This was my first visit to Carrabba's. I wasn't expecting much, and will say that it was better than the Olive Garden, which I despise. I tried a glass of the red sangria, and it was very sweet, but had a good taste. The warm bread they bring out with the olive oil and herb dip was the best part of the meal. I had the Sicilian chicken soup and my girlfriend had the César salad. The soup was very hearty and had a little bit of a kick to it. I enjoyed it. The salad was very average. For our entrees I had the pasta Carrabba, which is fettuccine alfredo, with grilled chicken, sautéed mushrooms and peas. It was very bland. There also was not enough alfredo sauce. It was very dry. The pasta was also stuck together in one large clump on the plate. That was very disconcerting, as you would expect an Italian place to be able to at least cook the pasta correctly. My girlfriend had the pasta weesie, which is fettuccine alfredo with shrimp sautéed in a garlic, lemon butter, white wine sauce with sautéed mushrooms and scallions. She really enjoyed hers, although I tasted one of the shrimp and it seemed undercooked to me. All in all, it was just a very average dining experience. The service was fine, nothing special, and the food was what you would expect for a chain restaurants. I will probably not go back, as there are many other places out there you can get better food at for the same price.
(2)Sarah L.
I've eaten here 3 times. The food is pretty good. Great for price. Kid friendly which I like but doesn't have the cheap feel that TGIF has. I got the mahi which is great. The Calamari is bad though. Super crispy and crunchy. Don't order. Other then that pretty good experience.
(4)Junior M.
When I don't eat a meatball they have to be really bad. I ate 1/4 of one and left 2 3/4 there. Coors Light 5.50 per bottle. I ordered Mezaluna. If figured that the Lean Cuisine Mezaluna was really great ( and I am Italian ) therefore the restaurant Mezaluna has to be sensational. Sensational....NO Memorable....Oh YEAH.... I WILL REMEMBER THIS DISH FOREVER!! Raviolis were previously frozen...although they swore they were cooked to order. I've been around a long time. Skewered beef was about as tender as beef jerky. Broscetta was black meaning the sauce was burnt, overcooked and re-heated. A total disaster that costs 4 of us $130.00 incl (4 beers) Sbarros in the Mall or Tony Lukes 1,000 time better
(1)Lauren W.
The location here in Springfield was my first time at a Carrabas. To me, it was very similar to an Olive Garden, but a little more expensive. There was a crazy wait for a table on a weekend night, but bar seats and high tops were seat yourself, so we didn't have to wait too long to snag one. Service was very nice the whole time, even though we were in a off the beaten path section of the restaurant that was being rotated by several servers. We decided to split (a ton of food) the appetizer sampler, and I ordered pasta w/ a bolognese sauce and my man got the seafood cannelloni. The sampler was comprised of fried calamari, mozzarella sticks, and bruschetta. The calamari was cooked fine, but had a ton of breading that was too heavily spiced. The bruschetta was okay as well. Not many tomatoes, a lot of cheese, and the bread was a little crispy for me. It did go well with the soft bread that they serve everyone. I would not get any of these again. All entrees come with a soup or salad, it seems. Not many places do this, so I was impressed by that. Their soup of the day was a fish chowder. If they have this when you are there, please get it! It was actually my favorite part of the meal, really good. My pasta dish was one of their new specials: buy one entree, get another gratis. Unlike other restaurants that do this special, they are required to bring both dishes at the same time. Odd, but it wasn't a problem to send it back to boxed so we could have elbow room. My dish was nice and hearty. Nothing super special but just what I was in the mood for. His seafood dish had a flavorful, creamy tomato sauce, and I thought it tasted good, but the seafood he allowed me to taste was fairly overcooked. All in all, we are actually not picky eaters and enjoyed our time here. Our bill was a little steep ($50) for two people and the quality of food we received. I wouldn't say no to coming back, but perhaps trying different options.
(3)Steve S.
This is a hit or miss place. It always has been. The reviews so far seem to corroborate this. So you have to come in here with that in mind. Since I had a gift card that hadn't been used yet, we decided to give them a shot tonight. So first off, at any chain restaurant, you never know what kind of server you will get. Fortunately tonight, our server Stephanie was very good to us and very attentive. So there they hit. The bread basket we got with olive oil and herbs was a nice warm sourdough. We couldn't get enough of it. Another hit. Soup and salad was pretty good. My soup was the Sicilian Chicken which was decent if not totally spectacular with a good amount of chicken. The wife was getting addicted to the house parmesan dressing on her salad. So far, so good. For the entrees, the wife got the small portion of Chicken Parmigana, and I went for the Chicken Trio, which included one portion each of Chicken Bryan, Chicken Rosa Maria, and Chicken Marsala. So I got a perfect sampling of their menu in my mind. Now, here is where you run into the problems at any of these types of chains. To break them down separately, the Chicken Bryan was the best of the three. The goat cheese topping was perfect, the sauce wasn't overbearing, and the sun dried tomatoes topped it off perfectly. The Chicken Rosa Maria, while good, seemed a bit more overpowering. The sauce had a little too much lemon, and not enough butter in this case. The Marsala, again, had a sauce that just didn't seem quite right to me. While all of the sauces were fine, they didn't enhance the dishes too well. This inconsistency is what is the downfall of chain dining. The wife's entree was interesting in that for $15 she got one small piece of chicken and what appeared to be a double order of garlic mashed potatoes. It doesn't seem like a $15 entree to me. Mine was $19, and might have been overpriced for what I got, but at least I got a decent portion for my money. Her's was completely overpriced for her portion. The taste was fine as I had a bite, though the mashed potatoes seemed not too flavorful to me. I did enjoy my side of the Cavatappi Amatriciana, which was standard chain comfort food. They have the mini dessert shots which were good for a sampling. I gave a try to their Dessert Rosa, which was told to me as a buttercream cake with fruit topping and whipped cream. It didn't taste too much like buttercream cake to me, so I was mildly disappointed. The wife said she could have eaten 12 of her Chocolate Coconut Mousse shot, so there's an endorsement. A cup of coffee with the dessert was practically water. So definitely hit or miss on the final course. While it wasn't a bad experience, they've done nothing food-wise to make me recommend them to anyone over other choices in the area. But they're fine for what they are. I've had other decent meals there in the past, I've had others that let me down. If you asked me to rank them in the Italian chain restaurant world, I'd say they're not as good as Maggiano's, not as good as Bertucci's in my opinion, but slightly better than Olive Garden, and on par with a Macaroni Grille. They sure won't make me choose them over a local mom and pop Italian place, that's for sure.
(3)Caralee G.
For an easy and quick Italian bite out, this place is great! Bang for your buck and the pasta is homeade. Enough for leftovers too! When I left the restaurant, the manager gave me a free appetizer coupon. Everyone was friendly, drinks were good, food was good. Thumbs up!
(3)Steven B.
The lovely wife and I stopped in for a late lunch/early dinner. I'll call it lunner. Maybe this new word will gain wide acceptance but somehow I doubt it. So we are in a chain restaurant in a mall and we lucked out and had a wonderful waitress. Her name was Jenn and she was delightful and efficient throughout our entire meal. We began with hot fresh bread with olive oil and spicy pesto for dipping. It was quickly replenished as requested. The wife noticed and appetizer special that she thought was perfect for her. Chicken Spiedini- Skewers of chicken, rustic focaccia and tomatoes, wood-grilled and seasoned with fresh herbs. It was served over arugula salad, topped with a balsamic glaze and ricotta salata for $7.50. It looked so good that she ordered one for her appetizer and another for her meal. Waitress Jenn smiled and made it happen. They were both as good as she expected. The juicy chicken was beautifully cooked and the grill marks made it especially flavorful. I ordered the Chicken & Spinach Cannelloni- Chicken, spinach, garlic, fresh herbs, fontina and romano cheese, topped with pomodoro and cream sauce for $14.00. It was a baked dish and served hot and fresh. By the way, it came with a soup or salad. I choose a tasty bowl of sausage and lentil soup. What about adult libations? I was drinking ice cold Stella draft and the wife tried their version of a raspberry martini. Hers was shaken and poured tableside. A nice touch. Our dinner including three drinks was $50.00. It doesn't get much better than this for a chain restaurant. It's very rare for me to award four stars to a chain but on this occasion they deserved it!
(4)Steve C.
Disappointing. Ordered a filet medium and it came out very well done. I sent it back and the second one tasted better but it was still over done. Not sure why. This was always a great place. Not as good as it used to be.
(3)Macia N.
The food was mediocre at best. The plating was non-existent. The Creme brûlée was cold and bland. The waitress never checked on us after the entrees came out until we were done eating and my glass was empty longer than it was full. It's been a while since I've visited this chain and after tonight's meal I won't be visiting again.
(2)Richard C.
I am hot and cold about this Carabbas but give it four stars based on my experience this past week. It is very much a step up from other Italian chain restaurants such as Olive Garden. I will not go here on a weekend, it is just terrible, the service is bad and being attached to the mall adds to the chaos. During the week however the experience is quite different. I recently went on a Tuesday evening. We were seated right away, it was crowded but nothing compared to the weekend and the noise level was at a low. Our server George was wonderful, pleasant and extremely attentive. He talked us in to a wine sampler. Sampling wine at Carrabbas is a little "why would you", I think they are going out on a limb with his one but I got it anyway. The wine was pretty good, you had your choice of either 3 whites or 3 reds. I went white my husband went red. For the price, $8 for 3 2 ounce glasses the wine wasn't bad and included what they consider their house premiums. Premium to Carrabba's standards so do not expect anything earth shattering here. The only over the top thing was that he samples are served in huge wine glasses so we ended up with 6 wine glasses plus 2 water glasses on our table. It was a little ridiculous! George was there to clear them away though as we finished. In my opinion I feel the blackberry sangria is here best drink and will stick to that going forward. For an app we had the antipasti plate which included mozzarella marinara, calamari and bruschette. It was good and they were accommodating to add in calamari Ricardo. We both had salads, an Italian and house. I am not a huge fan of he salad but my husband raves over the parmesan dressing. The entrees are always well prepared. This night I tried the shrimp in cartoccio. My entree was really good. Iw was served in parchment consisting of shrimp, summer veggies, orzo with a lemon sauce. It was light, not overwhelming and a great summer dish. My husband flopped on his entree choice. With the suggestion of our server he went with the the pollo caprese. He was anticipating something completely different than what he got which was basically chicken parm. He ate it anyway and by no means was it Carrabbas fault. Our server did ask what he thought of it, my husband honestly told him and the waiter agreed but walked away. Kind of comical.
(4)Dinah L.
Stopped at the bar for a drink....... It's another average Italian restaurant, competing with Olive Garden.
(3)Kimmy S.
This place is usually really crowded for dinner, but worth the wait. It is a chain, but they have a great menu and the food doesn't disappoint. I love their grilled chicken and garlic mashed potatoes. The service is a little slow, but it's understandable with the large crowd.
(4)Terri K.
Visited this past Sunday at 5 p.m. We were a party of 7. We were able to be seated within 5 minutes which was fine but also what I would expect on a Sunday at 5. We were stuffed into a corner which wasn't terrible but also wasn't very good either. The restaurant is very noisy with too many people too close together, televisions on, and music playing. We absolutely could not talk to the other end of our table, which was just two small tables pushed together. The two tables had one of everything so if you wanted sweetener or some oil for your bread, you had to play whisper down the lane. I ordered a large zucchini fritte as an appetizer to share and it was extremely limp and oily with no taste of zucchini. Two of us had the citrus arugula salad which was terrible. It was just arugula soaked with dressing, a few onion slices, a small amount of nuts, and the "citrus" was a poorly cut-up orange with too much peel still on it and seeds still in it. We were cautious to eat the round nuts not knowing if they were nuts or orange seeds. At least 5 people thanked us for coming on our way out but for me it was too little; too late.
(2)Emily D.
My husband and I LOVE to come here! Our favorite place to eat! It is hit or miss, which I don't like.. I like consistency! The managers that come around and ask how things are always do it when you just get your food - which is weird to me. Anyway, their filet is DELICIOUS! Better than Outback Steakhouse. You wouldn't expect a good steak at an Italian restaurant - but it's superb. Most of the staff are friendly, but that's at any place. The only reason this location doesn't get 5 stars from me- is consistency. Love this place!
(4)Rob M.
The place has nice decor. The food is great, the service is alright. I would recommend this place.
(4)Kathy C.
Me and my Husband enjoyed our waitress Debbie, shes a firecracker and really has a lovely personality. The ambiance was nice but alittle chilly. I ordered a sausage peperoni pizza which I have to say I did not enjoy the sauce. The caesar salad was bland. The pasta dish My husband got was delish. So we will be back. Maybe when its warmer out.
(3)John L.
Meh, standard mass produced Italian fare mixed with a bunch of non-foodie people.
(3)Milkyway B.
Carrabba's manager called me to discuss my complaint and was very kind and helpful. Even gave us Carrabba's cash towards our next visit. Been back twice since then and both times it was a great experience Update: last two times weren't that great. No sausage in my sausage & lentil soup and HORRIBLE value for your hard earned $$
(3)Steve M.
Had dinner there tonight. Not bad, but not great - I'd rate it more like a 2.5. Service was OK - the waiter originally forgot to take my order (the rest of the table did order) but he came back. Food was OK - frankly I'd rate both Bertuccis and Olive Garden better if you are looking for mass-market Italian food.
(3)L D.
Very nice meal. The ravioli and steak special was very good and a great deal ($13.99). Solid chunks of lobster. The steak was decent. The Italian soda is great, raspberry is the best of the flavor options. The veal is even better, tasty and tender. Ambience is decent, lighting is dim but enough to see your food. Solid place for a good meal with friends.
(4)Ashley B.
Meh. This place gets three stars because we were in a rush and our waitress was very accommodating and nice at the same time. The bread was tasty, but the dipping oil was infused with way too much garlic (and I LOVE garlic-- I put it in everything). Then came the caesar salad, which was bitter (must have been the stem), and so bitter that I didn't really eat it. Then I got the Tag Pic Pac, which was relatively flavorless, except that again it had A LOT of garlic. I found a full clove of garlic on my plate--- that should have never made its way onto my plate. Garlic is not a substitute for seasoning. Overall, I wouldn't return.
(3)Diana M.
No doubt- the Food is Great! Just make sure that your server tells you how much a glass of wine will cost! (He will sell you the MOST expensive, if you don't know your wine - stupid me-I didnt)To be fair though- the food is REALLY GOOD! We'll be back-but will BYOB! :)
(5)Claude H.
This is one of those places I wished I liked more. But looking back, three is probably generous. There wasn't anything specifically "wrong" about the evening. So lets start with the Positives. The Staff was incredible. Attentive, made sure all members of our party (big and small) were given attention - and didn't make anyone feel rushed - nor like they had to wait forever. We tried a large sample of the pretty extensive menu. The food was good - though portion sizes were a bit on the small size. And then the bill came. I knew from past visits to other Carrabba's that it isn't a $$ place. But the bill for this night was a bit of a shock, all things considered. I would say at least 30% higher than I usually pay for this level of Italian.
(3)Marc P.
This place is pretty good. I'm not crazy about it being open right up to the mall as it catches a lot of that riff raff. All in all not terrible for a chain Italian place.
(3)Nic W.
The food was just okay, but what really ruined the experience was the guy who greeted us. He noticed that my husband had a couple of bags in his hand. The greeter guy immediately launches into a diatribe about how women do nothing but spend your money and drag you around the mall. It was quite possibly the most sexist thing I've ever heard from a restaurant employee. Neither my husband nor I will be returning to Carrabba's. If I want to be insulted for being a woman, I'll turn on Fox News.
(1)Kimberly D.
Um...not such a great restaurant. We hadn't been there in 5 years (had a meal there the week we moved into the city). We used their "call ahead" service and arrived there to be told it would be a 10 minute wait. The people in front of us were told 25-30 minutes, so we thought it was a good idea. 30 minutes later, everyone was seated in front of us and we were finally seated (not happy). Had to ask for silverware and salt after the appetizer came. HATED the kitchen staff. We were seated at a table in the bar area with lots of people and noise, and we could still hear this chef **screaming** repeatedly with every order that was being plated. Literally, like she was standing next to us and she was ALL the way across the restaurant. It was bad enough that we told the manager when he stopped by. He basically said, "I'm well aware and I apologize." Poor guy. The rest of the staff didn't seem happy (lots of grumbling amongst themselves that we heard because we were near the aisle). The house salad was yucky (plain romaine, literally 2 kalamata olives and 2 pieces of sliced celery that were black for some reason). The salad dressing was super-thick and not that great. My chicken was okay (two very thin fillets on a plate with two large scoops of mashed potato) but toward the end I realized the piece I was chewing on was RAW under the breading. I carefully cut around that area (about a 2 x 2" piece) and showed the server when he was picking up the plates. He basically said "oops." The hostesses were horrible about turning over tables. There was a guy waiting who we heard on his cell phone complaining to someone that there were 5 tables in the back unseated and he'd been waiting for 40 minutes. There was a table behind us that took 25 minutes to turn over (literally, just to bus and reseat). They're not doing something correctly. Hopefully I won't get food poisoning from the piece(s) I ate. It'll be another 5 years before we try again. Our gift cards would be better spent at Outback or someplace else.
(1)matt f.
I was out with my girlfriend. Although the food was good, the waitress was horrible We first ordered 1 soda and 1 ice tea, and 2 waters she didn't bring us the water for another 15 minutes after we got the soda and ice tea. When we asked for 2 minutes-, that turned into 16 minutes We actually had to wave down the Hostess and ask where our waitress went so we could order. When the host asked the manager where she was, he got her. The waitress came over to take our order Nothing- not even an apology or smile.. Not a "Sorry for the wait" We ordered the Zuccini Frities, Chicken,Veal Parm. Food was all good. Bread was good. We order the small portions. she screwed up the order- She brought us the regular sized ones. I made sure she didn't charge us for the regular ones - She in fact did and didn't take it off till the last moment- probably trying to sneak it by us hoping we wouldn't see so she would get a bigger tip. She never came over and asked how our meal was. she never looked over to our table ONCE.After i got my meal i needed a drink refill. once again she disappeared for almost 15 minutes It was around 3pm on a Sunday- there were plenty of servers, waitresses on the floor that night The restaurant was NOT packed. There was NO wait for our table when we arrived.And it it wasn't dinner hour yet. Our waitress appeared to be working only 4 tables in total.If it was any other restaurant That waitress would be catering to our every needs quickly and professionally with a smile on their face. I have been to many restaurants and 90% of them have better service than this. The food was good but I would rather stay at home than deal with this sub par and rude service. She messed up the order was late with the drinks, never apologized and disappeared alot Trust me guys, go to a better class area than Springfield or dont be surprised if you walk away disappointed with the service.
(1)Larry M.
Have been here many times over the past few years. Used to go almost every other month now don't go that often or even at all. At first this place was pretty good for a chain restaurant a little above the rest of the chains but it has declined and isn't as good as it used to be in food and service.
(3)Eileen B.
The food here was good, in general, but what we were told was squid was octopus. Our server apparently didn't know the difference, which was plain to see when she brought the dish. Octopus is much less commonly eaten than squid--to some people it is strictly taboo, and the server should have known the difference--or the person who wrote the menu.
(2)Michael W.
I stopped by the Springfield Mall location for a quick dinner on my way home from the gym. I sat at the bar, since I was alone, and the bar always feels right for diners that.... dine alone (a table for 1 is too depressing for me to even fathom). When i sat down at the bar a menu was already made available to me. The bartender was cordial, and I use that word because I don't want to say she was overly friendly, mean, or any of the other emotional extremes. She simply was just THERE. She took my drink and food order very systematically, and I began wondering if she may have been a cyborg (and this was before I had my drink). Now onto the important tidbits. I ordered the Veal Piccata as my entree with a side of pasta (garlic and olive oil), and the lentil and sausage soup to go along with. Overall, the food felt very pre-prepared and reheated frozen-like. It was fine, just the typical overly salty, overly rich sauces you would come to expect from Italian chains like Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill, and Bertucci's. The side of pasta I mentioned before that had the olive oil and garlic was wayyyyyy overcooked and had close to maybe 4 cloves of garlic chunked up throughout it, talk about overkill! I hinted at the style of service I received earlier, and I wanted to talk about that more since it was the most memorable aspect of my trip. The service, overall, had a very cold quality to it, not inviting,happy, or hospitable at all. I guess it's a typical mentality for these restaurants which is a shame since it all probably boils down to the patrons being pretty cheap and not even tipping the standard 20%, which can lead to a disenchantment with good service amongst the employees. At least that's why I think the typical chain-restaurant worker isn't that good. There was also another bartender behind the counter that was dealing with all the dining room drink orders that came in. I could sense the tension that he gave off, he seemed so miserable and the tone of his voice was borderline seething. Although when it was time to get the check, he was very (surprisingly) polite towards me. Other highlights of the meal included receiving the wrong soup the first time around and the bartender yelling across the bar to waitstaff passing by, practically begging them to pick up her bar orders from the kitchen (it wasn't like she was busy at all, with me and maybe 4 other people at the bar). Long story short, don't expect sensational, and don't expect comfort, at least at the bar. I digress slightly since I have eaten in the dining room at this specific Carrabbas location and the service was some of the best I have received at a chain restaurant. If anything, this outing proves that consistency is always key across your dining establishment, whether a guest eats at the bar OR in the dining room.
(2)Harry H.
Average Carrabba's in a nice location.
(4)Rhonda W.
Went there on a busy Saturday around 5:30 pm. We were informed of a 45-50 minute wait, which was expected. After finally being seated at around 6:30, we waited patiently for our server who eventually came over to take drink orders. We got our drinks in a timely manner, and it was all down hill from there. Appetizers taken to the wrong table RIGHT NEXT TO OURS! Waited 15 minutes for appetizers again, 15 more minutes for bread, 20 more minutes for our salad, another half hour for entrees, 15 minutes for the check, after having plates removed . Bottom line...the manager came over to apologize, though we never complained, and took 20 dollars off our check. That saved this from being a 1 star review. Bad day at Carrabba's...and it was our first time ever going.
(2)Danielle R.
After shopping in the Springfield Mall last Sunday, my boyfriend and I decided to stop at Carrabba's. Neither of us had eaten at Carrabba's in a few years, so we both had almost forgotten about it. There was a 45 minute wait (I guess everyone had the same idea as us), but we were told we could sit "at the bar." I didn't realize that "at the bar" meant we'd be sitting on super high stools, with a direct view of the cooks. Literally, there was a plastic foot-high divider not an arm's length away from my body. Behind the "divider", was the prep station, and I could see everyone's food being prepared, cooked, and sent away. Granted, I did see that everything looked clean. However, knowing that all the food was frozen, cooked until it was dried out almost and then sauce is thrown on it, makes me not want to eat there again anytime soon. My boyfriend got the Manicotti, which was decent. I ordered the Seafood Canelloni. I had high expectations, it had scallops, shrimp, crab and lobster in it! I think through the entire meal I had one piece of shrimp and one sliver of crab/lobster meat. The sauce placed on top of the canelloni was very tasty. (Canelloni - I may be misspelling that, but it's basically stuff thrown in manicotti-shaped pasta. I am not sure where all the rest of the seafood went, but I was disappointed with my meal. The crab cake appetizer we ordered was absolutely delicious though. Our waitress was very very nice and good, considering she had to reach over us (due to the bar and the high stools.) I am short (5'1") so it certainly wasn't comfortable by any means for me. Watching the food preparation was cool for about 20 minutes, then I got sick of hearing people yelling at each other about what foods to prepare. This was by no means a relaxing meal. The food was just alright, (aside from the appeitzer which was very very good) and the service was excellent, however I did not like that atmosphere of cooks yelling at each other and food splattering all over (my napkin was covered in red splatter sauce. This is not a restaurant I will go to very often, there are other italian restaurants that have much better food and seating arrangements.
(3)