I don't see why this place is so poorly rated. I wouldn't compare this place to the small mom and pop authentic Italian restaurants as it's a chain restaurant but the food is pretty good. Our first visit in December wasn't terrible but wasn't great either. Mainly service related issues. I filled out an online survey stated on the receipt about my experience and the manager contacted me to make it right (which is more than I can say about restaurants that actually really do suck really bad!). My husband and I returned last night for our anniversary. Everything was excellent. We had made reservations and were seated immediately. The restaurant was steady busy at 7 pm yet we did not have to wait on our server to come and greet us. He was prompt and friendly. His name is William and he is an excellent waiter. The manager, Jason, is also excellent. Greeting customers and making sure things are running smoothly. We didn't wait long at all for our appetizer, drinks, main courses and dessert to be served. Everything tasted great. I ordered the same appetizer and meal as the first visit and it was even better this time around. I recommend the Crispy Shrimp Napoli appetizer, the Petite Filet & Grilled Shrimp steak which is served on a romano crusted tomato and bed of lightly sauteed FRESH spinach (sooo goood) and their DELICIOUS cheesecake. The Rustica salad is really good also. My husband and I will be returning!
(5)
Elle K.
How is this place still in business? I went when it first opened. The food was terrible and I told myself I would never be back. Unfortunately, I was taken out here for something and thought maybe they would have improved after being open for a while. Totally not the case. The food was as awful as before. Everything was over-seasoned with dry spices and the pasta wasn't just al dente, it was raw. The food was reminiscent of an awful Lean Cuisine meal. The cups and plates were filthy and our coffee creamer had caked on tomato sauce inside of it. Service was awful and everything took longer than it should have. Seriously, just getting to the bread when our salad course is nearly over? I realize that this is a restaurant in the mall, but for the price you pay, your meal should be half-decent. If you need a good mall meal, go 10 steps across to The Cheesecake Factory.
(1)
Kenny W.
This place is new to the Willow Grove area and I've already been her 3 times. Great salads and flatbreads. The crispy shrimp napoli is a MUST try. I love the online ordering feature with the ability to designate your pick up time.
(4)
Dana B.
As is my family's usual custom of going out to dinner on Friday evenings, we all agreed that Italian food was something that would satisfy everyone, so since my brother wasn't into Bertucci's, we decided to try Bravo. While it took quite some time for our food to come out, my dad and I passed the time by playing Hangman on the paper placed over the tablecloth (they do have crayons available for kids to draw with as well). I settled on the Pasta Bravo--pasta and grilled chicken with mushrooms in a roasted red pepper cream sauce; it really hit the spot! Our waitress was very friendly and recommended the chocolate chip bread pudding of all the desserts on the dessert tray, so I split one with my folks, and it definitely lived up to her rave reviews! Now while I don't spend much time at Willow Grove Mall, Bravo is a great spot for a casual sit-down meal with friendly staff and great food.
(4)
Nicholas C.
Was there last night with family. Food was good but waitress was crappy. She was really good to her family that was sitting behind us though. That was very rude. But the kitchen is very well organized.
(3)
Jason V.
I should've waited the 3 hours at cheesecake factory next door. Everything was over salted to mask very bland flavors and sauces. The aioli for the calamari was the only part of the meal I would high five.
(2)
Robert B.
I am impressed with this new chain restaurant at the Willow Grove mall. The rating could be higher if some minor inconveniences are corrected. They do take reservations, and we tried at 12 PM the day we were going to eat. They told us the evening was already filled, they have both walk up and reserved tables. When we arrived that evening at 6:15 PM we were told we could go to the bar or have a 70 minute wait. There was a table in the bar area where we went immediately. The service was not real attentive during this busy holiday shopping weekend. Too often it seemed like we were waiting for the next course or even to be asked if we wanted something more. The water glass I had was empty early in the evening and only towards the end did they try to refill it. Yes, I could ask but they should be aware. The food is pretty good and that is where this place is going to keep itself going. I ordered a beef braised gnocchi. I was surprised at the smaller portion size. But, I was not able to finish it because it was so filling. This was rather tastey and the pasta was well executed. It had carrots and beef mixed in. The carrots were cut rustic like so they were not evenly cooked. I was fine with this as it needed some textures. The wife had Frutti De Marre and I was surprised at this course. The shrimp, mussells and clams were all rather small in size. She requested a whole wheat pasta instead of the usual pairing. She was thrilled with the course and stated the pasta was done to perfection. The waitress stated that she loves almost everything on the menu, even seafood items she does not normally like. We both ordered a chocolate chip bread pudding in a small size, yes you can pick the size. Not enough chocolate chips in the dessert but it was good. Wine selection is small but decent. Their is really no beer selection, just standard beers plus an Italian selection. As a guy who likes beer that was a disappointment. Better service and more attentiveness would have led to four stars.
(3)
Michael W.
Really open and nice place, I loved the portions and the atmosphere. The food was very tasty I had the Grilled Talapia and lobster bisque. One hint, you better go early because it gets very crowded after 5pm. Nice reasonably priced bar fare, this is gonnae my hangout place.
(4)
David L.
Great family spot. Atypically good food for a chain restaurant. There are solid options for kids and parents. The kitchen will always work with you if two kids want to share an "adult" dish.
(4)
M. C.
First visit tonight and loved it. My wife and I ordered the Italian wedding soup, a chopped salad, flat bread pizza and a pasta dish. The food was delicious and our waiter was perfect. I would recommend dinner here if you are at the Willow Grove Mall or nearby. Not sure why there are negative reviews but those critics should give it another try. Also, menu prices were very reasonable.
(5)
Barb G.
Went to the bar for drinks and appetizers. Waiter/bartender not very knowledgeable about wine on the menu. Told him I wanted a dry wine and the couple I ordered they were out of. Recommended a wine that was semi sweet, yuck. Seemed disappointed we only wanted to order appetizers (which were very good). Never asked if we wanted dessert. But must have asked if we wanted more drinks 3 times. Paid our bill and went someplace else for dessert.
(2)
Ben W.
My wife and I went here for our second anniversary. We sat down, and no one served us for almost 10 minutes even though there was hardly anyone there and waiters were standing around. So, I went up to the manager and politely asked if we had been overlooked. After that we promptly received service. As we ate our meal I have to say I enjoyed the food. But the 5 star rating is a result primarily of service and courtesy, not (just) culinary excellence. After we finished our appetizer the manager came to our booth, sat down and shook hands with us. We talked for a while and he gave us a card for a free "dinner for two" because of the trouble. This was very kind of him and we proceeded to enjoy the rest of our meal. We asked for the check and, to our surprise, the waitress brought out not one but TWO desserts in celebration of our anniversary. We were also given free cappuccinos. Then, to our shock, the manager said, "Tonight is all on me." Not only did they give us a free dinner for that night, they also gave us an incentive to come back for another free meal. The staff, although they made an initial mistake, were so friendly in correcting it that I do no hesitate to recommend this place to anyone. The environment is very open and Bravo is a great place to stop by on your way home from shopping if you want a good meal at a good price.
(5)
Cheeb Z.
Gotta agree with the other reviewers. Food is decent enough, but service sucks. Wait staff is very slow and not very knowledgeable.
(3)
Charles W.
My companion has been waiting for 2 months to try Bravo. We were finally able to score a table on a Friday night without a long wait. The service made up for the mediocre food. The tomato bisque was delicious and the bread was far superior to anything served by Olive Garden. However, the Pasta Mediterean was too al dente and the Eggplant Parmesan had very little sauce. The warm berry cake served as a great dessert.
(2)
Nick C.
This was our first visit. A busy Valentines meal. Excellent service. Our waiter Kevin was very attentive. I had the Italian wedding soup and it was some of the best I ever had. The salmon was cooked perfectly. My wife thought her chicken pesto rigatoni was perfect. Just the right balance of pesto and a good amount of chicken. Fresh spinach leaves, not shredded up. I was nervous after reading all the negative reviews but on the busiest night of the year, everything was all we could ask for and more.
(4)
Dawn B.
Love that I can walk right in without waiting!
(4)
Zac E.
What a miserable night. We went as a family and, from the start, the place was far too dark. It's one thing to set the mood but quite another to verge on requiring flashlights. Things started alright, and the drinks were good. However, once the appetizers arrived, things started going wrong. The bread had a strange flavor to it that even copious amounts of garlic oil couldn't overcome. Two of us ordered the veal parmesan, which tasted worse than parmesan dishes I've gotten for $7 at diners (I believe this was $16). The waitress forgot the vegetables for three other dishes, then said she "hoped" she could have them ready by the end of the meal. When we complained to the manager, she stood and glared at us the whole time then threw a tempter tantrum for all diners to see. Don't go here. Overpriced and lousy. It's a pretender.
(1)
Tim H.
Uninspired. Plain. Ok service. The restaurant was busy and the bar was excellent. Dinner was not great. Service was hurried and slow. Food was plain. Wife had chicken Parmesan that rivaled a chicken nugget. My crab cakes were small and burnt. Not worth it for the price.
(2)
J F.
We got there in the middle for Friday night dinner rush, 1/2 hour wait so we decided to just eat at the bar. The 2.95 apps were an excellent deal and made it easy to try items we were iffy about. I had the Beef gnocchi, better half had chicken scallopine. We were both very satisfied with the food - 4. As for the service....needs some work. There were 2 tenders plus one for service bar, yet we didnt get checked on and waited for refills. The other bartender did suggest the gnocchi, which as a good call. The runners for our food were very friendly...they actually had more personality than our tender. Granted when we got there was peak time, but you've got to do better - 2.5 As far as sit down chains in the mall area, I'd take Bravo over Cheesecake Factory, Fridays or OG 10 out of 10 times.
(3)
Anthony L.
Let me start with the service. The service was pretty terrible. We asked for recommendations and the server could not answer basic questions about her own likes/preferences. Our entrees took a long time to come out (long enough where the manager had to come out and apologize for the delay). As for the food the one decent/edible thing was the Italian wedding soup. The only negative is that it was very salty. I had the Sausage Tortelloni as my entree and it tasted like it was frozen tortelloni and frozen tomato sauce. The only reason I came here is because I had a gift certificate. I will not be coming back.
(1)
Karen L.
My Husband and I decided to try Bravo for my Birthday. I have 2 kids, age 7 and 5 so we needed a kids friendly restaurant. I made the reservation online for a party of 4 for 6:30PM. It was Saturday night, and we didn't want to risk a long wait. We got there at 6:15PM, but we couldn't be seated because it was too far ahead from our reserved time. There were 4 parties ahead of us even though you could see empty tables throughout the restaurant. Once we were seated at 6:30PM, the experience was very typical of a franchise. The food was okay, not great. My husband and I described it as one better than Olive Garden. Our server was good, very attentive and friendly. The noise level was loud. I could hear laughter's from a large party in another section. Overall, we were there for an hour and a half, we had ordered from appetizers to desserts. It was an okay experience.
(3)
Kelly S.
Went here last night with about ten of my old friends. Aside from the unpleasant greeters which didn't give us a good start, we were surprised about how well the service here was. The food was average but the service we got from our server was fantastic. It was later at night, but our server still gave us his all the help we needed. From questions about the menu to just being nice, he was great. He was probably one of the better servers I have had and he seemed to genuinely care about us. He asked us more about us as people rather than just doing his job. While we did not catch his name, we do know he is currently in school working for a graduate degree. We wish him luck and will be back and ask for him. Aside from the food being average and drinks taking sort of long to come out, our server made our experience worth it. Will be back again.
(5)
Doug B.
Very good food, great service is what we got here. I was really impressed with this restaurant, all of the elements worked well together. The waiter who served us was friendly and helped us pick the right dishes for what we wanted. The staff was attentive but not pushy, and checked back at just the right times. The food came out quickly and everything was delicious! I had the Tomato Bisque and a Chopping Chicken Salad. My date and I shared a "Trio" dessert that was very good. When we got there I wasn't expecting it to be that great, but it really was. I'll be back
(4)
P M W.
Let me start by saying I avoided going here because of the reviews. Apparently 2012 was not a good year for this restaurant. 2013, seems a much better year. They must have changed a few things, because we loved it here! Service was okay, not great. Not that knowledgable, not fast, but grabbable if we needed to get something. Atmosphere was nice. Good children's menu. We got lobster bisque, chicken parm, a pasta dish, a gluten-free grilled chicken dish, and a kid's chicken. All delicious and cooked perfectly. No long waits. Desserts were yummy. Chocolate cake and lava-esque cake. The ones we didn't choose looked good too. Nice, un-oily alternative to The Cheesecake Factory (across the way). It would have received 5 stars, but we all felt it is overpriced for what we received. Each dish was about $20, and none of us had leftovers. At the end, we all paid about $40 each for a nice dinner. We will definitely go back, just not frequently.
(4)
Castor Nail S.
In love with the food at bravo restaurant I being there couple time and I had very nice time with my kid to!!
(5)
Alison S.
My family and I have been here a number of times. We must be getting VERY lucky, because our food has always been very good and our service has been wonderful. I agree with how great the Italia Wedding Soup is...YUM ( but I admitedly had to add hot sauce) I also got the chicken parm- delish, I've tried the chicken scallopini and the flatbread with chicken, bacon and spinach. My favorite, however, is the Eggplant Parm....keep in mind that I don't really like eggplant parm, but I tried a bite - ordered it- and the rest was history! I like the decor and I like the prices. GO GO GO!!!
(4)
Valentino G.
My girlfriend brought me here for my 21st birthday dinner and I have to say it was very appetizing. It was very inexpensive and our waitress was such a sweet person and made sure we were taken care of perfectly. I will be back!
(4)
Bridget C.
Really nicely done baby shower at Bravo Cucina Italiana! I have had lunch here before when shopping with my gal pal and it's always good. The servers were really attentive and the food was delicious as always. Family style salads and buffet dinner. Great venue. Everyone really enjoyed themselves.
(5)
Jordan M.
The Good: The food was very good. I had the lasagna, and it was amazing! The Bad: The service was VERY slow. I would hate to go there on a busy night. There were only three tables in the place and it still took almost 45 minutes to get our pasta dishes.
(3)
Destinee W.
The server was great. They were advertising, by the door a burger. My husband decided to go here instead of cheesecake factory, for this burger. The girl said the burger was a lunch special, but the kitchen was willing to make it anyway. I ordered the lobster ravioli. My daughter got the kids grilled chicken. The grilled chicken was good but not excellent. The lobster ravioli was awful. It had little tiny shrimp scattered through the vodka sauce that tasted like strong fish. The "lobster" ravioli must not have had any lobster in it. It was foul. The only good thing about this was the server and the burger. I would most likely pass on this restaurant.
(3)
Louis W.
What a nice change! Compared to other restaurants in Blandville (aka Willow Grove), we were very surprised at how good the food was. The service was spot-on! Our server was very timely and had a great attitude - took care of our kids first and got their meals out quickly. Both my wife and I had pasta dishes, and they were both very tasty. Take it from someone who's had many top-knotch dining experiences, this was fantastic. We will be back here soon, and recommend you try it out for yourself.
(5)
Morgan W.
My daughter and I frequent Bravo! often. Each and every time we have come here, the service and the food has been excellent. However, tonight's experience was exceptionally poor. Starting off, the hostess seemed in a word, grumpy. Now I know we all have our bad days, so I looked past it. My daughter and I were seated in a booth furthest away from the kitchen. 15 minutes into being seated, our waiter comes by and apologizes for not coming to our table sooner. Now at the time, it was only 5pm so the restaurant was fairly empty so I wasn't sure what took so long but again, I overlooked it. He brought us our drinks and asked if we were ready to order. I ordered the chicken and pesto spaghettini without tomatoes and spinach, my favorite dish, and my daughter ordered chicken fingers. When our order came out, my daughter's was correct, mine was not. Mine was spaghettini in an Alfredo sauce with spinach. I had it sent back and in about 10 minutes, my correct order came out and it was delicious. After our meal, my daughter had to use the restroom so I walked her past the waiter and to the bathroom. When we got back to our table, our drinks had been cleared and our table had been covered with other people's empty drinks and plates. Someone came by to clear them and my daughter ordered dessert. It took about 20 minutes to get her dessert, which is a long time for a small brownie, so the waiter brought me one as well, which was a nice thought. Overall I spent about 1 hr 45 minutes dining tonight because of a lot of simple mistakes. Nothing was comped on my bill, a manager never apologized, and I left with a sour taste in my mouth. I'm not sure if I will come back to this location again.
(3)
Lautice M.
It saddens me to write this review since exactly a year ago I was this restaurant's biggest fan. The waiter we had last year was amazing! Anticipated our needs, knew how to handle a large party and we had an amazing experience. On to this year. First off, my mom arrived before anyone else and told the hostess that she was meeting a birthday party group here. Instead of asking for a name the hostess assumed she was with another party already there solely because they happened to be African American. One of the two waitresses that served our table was absolutely clueless. It took over 45 minutes for the food to come out. We had to prompt them to clear the table after each course. Very limited wine knowledge. Overall very disappointing: especially since we had a really great time the year before. To the manager's credit she definitely was proactive and stopped past the room where we dining to extend apologies for the long wait and if we were satisfied.
(2)
Steve B.
Went on the yelp rating. Quickly seated, got our drinks and appetizer. Calamari was very good. Waited over 30 minutes for our meal, which was a salmon salad and a mahi mahi. Food and service were very good. Would definitely come back.
(4)
Jessica K.
I sat at the bar and was greeted immediately. Got a cosmo to start then ordered their chicken and pesto spaghetti and it is delicious!
(5)
Sam D.
Came here with my sister in law for lunch and the foot was pretty good. It was a slow day there so the service was pretty good too. We started off with strawberry and raspberry lemonades. They were so damn good! Then I ordered the berry balsamic chicken salad, chicken fra diavolo (pasta in a tomato cream sauce), and the roasted tomato pizza. I ordered everything for me and her to share, so the waitress was kind enough to have the salad and pasta split in two separate plates for us. The salad was very flavorful, but they were a little heavy on the dressing, where it kind of weighed down the salad. So if you're like me who doesn't like too much dressing, you might want it on the side, but other then that it was still very good. The pasta was good too, but I wish the sauce was a little spicer and flavorful, but still very good. The pizza was so damn good. I love crispy crust pizza and you can't beat fresh sauce, cheese, and basil. Out of everything we ate, I lovedddd the pizza the most. First time going there, and will def go back.
I wish I could give this place .5 stars or maybe even a zero. We went here for a friend's birthday on a Saturday night. I was skeptical about it - didn't hear rave reviews going into it but thought, "why not?". It was the only place around that could accommodate a group of our size that night and our friend wanted to try it out for her birthday. I thought it might be very "commercial-style Italian" similar to Olive Garden but honestly, I think this place might be WORSE than Olive Garden...if that's even possible. Note to self: stick to the BYOBs of Italian cuisine. My friend and I got there early so we thought we would sit at the bar and have a drink before everyone arrived. The bartendars looked very crazed and anxious and were not communicating with each other at all. We were told, "We'll be right with you several times." They must have gotten their signals crossed because we sat and sat and sat some more for about 10 more minutes. Then, a couple sat down next to us and were served right away. So we said, "screw this" and got up. The bartendar saw us waiting for our table and came out to apologize but at that point it was too little, too late. I was already turned off by the service. Now to dinner: Our server was awesome. Very attentive, friendly, honest about the menu options - no complaints with him. My friend and I split a bottle of Riesling which was great. I had the caesar salad which tasted of chemicals and the parmesean cheese looked like it came from a plastic Kraft cheese container instead of freshly grated. The manager came over to us after 45 min of waiting for our meals and apologized for the delay. Our entrees - when they finally arrived - came out staggered and luke warm. I had the chicken pesto/basil pasta with grape tomatoes. Gross. The sauce was too thick, the spinach wasnt even cooked down. It was just laid across the pasta like it was a garnish. The chicken was questionable as well. I couldn't even finish it. I didn't want dessert and the chocolate cake our birthday girl got was disgusting and flavor-less. It's really a shame. I try to give fair reviews and I really do think this is fair. They are in such a prime location that they should be so much better than this. It was such a waste.
(1)
Kevin D.
Just finished an excellent lunch at Bravo! I had the lobster bisque soup and I highly recommend it. It was delicious. Also had the turkey with avocado and bacon sandwich that was served with a great tasting and unique side salad that had arugula, cucumbers, feta and couscous Mmmmm good! The only thing better than our food was the sweetest server that I have had in a long time. Her name was Sarah. She took time to explain the different menu items and she was the one to recommend the bisque. A beautiful restaurant with great food and service. We will definitely be back for dinner soon! :)
(5)
Felicia C.
This place is soooo much better than the three stars it has on Yelp! The salad I had was one of the best I've ever had. It was the Mediterranean vegetable salad and I ordered it topped with salmon. The salad itself was fantastic, chopped small and full of asparagus and zucchini, in addition to the usual salad vegetables. And the salmon was very juicy and delicious. The dessert I ordered was a chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream and it was soooo good. The service here was also excellent. Our waitress was so helpful and accommodating. My dad is a very picky eater and could not find anything on the menu he liked, so I told the waitress that my dad wanted salmon with angel hair pasta and tomato sauce and broccoli, and she said ok, we can do that! It was awesome! We will definitely be back.
(5)
Giuliano P.
I gave Bravo 3 chances which i usually do for most places, BUT i am done with them. Went when they opened and it was solid, decent food, staff was friendly...my favorite part was the place its self. Big open kitchen, nice mood lighting. So we decided to go back. Second Visit: Waited about a half hour to sit down (lots of tables open). Server was a little awkward, didn't really say much and didn't really know about anything on the menu. Shrimp was over cooked, calamari was blah and the entrees lacked flavor. But it could have been an off night so we gave it another shot. Third visit: No one was in the restaurant....server was rude and disappeared for 15 mins at a time...food was terrible and we were sat a dirty table with dirty silverware....yea we are done... Go to a family owned restaurant where they care about what they serve and how they serve you.
(1)
Zach V.
Great value for the price. My Fiance and I wanted to grab a quick dinner after shopping on a Friday night. There wasn't a wait for a table and we decided to sit at the bar. The interior of the restaurant was very modern and clean. I had their signature pasta and a Caesar salad. Both the salad and pasta were very good. I forget what my fiance had but she enjoyed it. When the check came I was surprised how cheap it was even with drinks. I will be back.
(4)
Jing O.
Went for happy hour and everything was all amazing and so affordable! Sangrias and creative tropical drinks were $4 with premium liquor and so delicious. Loved the mozzarella raviolis! Definitely coming back for more.
(5)
Charlotte D.
This is my third time here and the food is still great for their happy hour specials. We got the shrimp napoli, caprese salad and the bacon chicken flatbread. Everything was fantastic as usual. Amazing portions for the price. I did have a small issue, I found a lemon sticker on my plate. we told the waiter and the manager came right over to apologize, offered a dessert and when we declined he removed it from the bill. Both he and the waiter were very apologetic, sincere and still warm and friendly. Great recovery Bravo!
(5)
Allison H.
Eh. I honestly feel eh... We just had dinner here for the first time since they have opened and it was eh. We waited about 25 minutes for a table for 6. We sat down and out waiter was a bit abrupt, but we assumed it was a cultural thing. We asked to have some time to look at the menu and he was suggesting of appetizers, which we decided against. We asked for some time to look over the menu and then he disappeared for about 15 minutes. Finally he came back over we ordered and didn't have to wait to long for our salads and soup. The waiter knew our kids were very hungry and thankfully brought out their food with our salads and soup. A few minutes later out entree's came out. The food looked pretty, but it didn't have any taste? So I asked my husband and brother to try mine, because maybe I lost my tastebuds? Sure enough they agreed my food had no taste and then we were all trying each others food commenting about how tasteless it was? My brother got the wrong dish, that was 6 more dollars then he was planning to spend, but ok, language barrier. We all left, besides the kids, feeling very unsatisfied. It was very expensive for what you got. We will not be back and will wait the extra hours for cheese cake factory next time. I wish it had been better.
(1)
Sharpie S.
We had a great meal with an awesome new server on Thursday evening this week. There was a group of 8 of us and most of us really enjoyed everything. Grilled salmon was delish but had a bit too much balsamic on it. Lobster bisque was also very good but too salty for me. However, I use very little salt and this is a problem for me a lot at most restaurants. We will definitely be returning. I heard they have a great happy hour.
(4)
William R.
Went in for a quick dinner....service was great & efficient. Pasta dishes we're very good, but, the spring salad was pedestrian (mostly iceberg lettuce).
(4)
Dot M.
Food was good but within a half hour of leaving there our credit card number was stolen. When I called the manager Chris to alert him to what the bank told us - he said it was impossible since his employees don't have their phones on them -- and I guess they can't write the number down and pass it on?????? Lousy attitude and bad customer service make for lousy management. Loved this place but won't eat there again and you shouldn't either. Crappy attitude when all I was trying to do was alert them.
(1)
Anastasia B.
I completely forgot to update our second visit to the restaurant, and for that, I am sorry. We decided to give Bravo another try and I am glad we did. The manger came over to our table when he recognized us (my father and myself) from the previous week. He apologized for the prior weeks service which was so nice. He also bought us a dessert which was extremely kind if him. The apology meant a great deal to us, we were not looking for anything more so the the dessert was very very much appreciated. It was also so delicious we decided to take home a piece of choc cake to another family member. The service (waiter) was a solid 5 stars. The food was as well. We'll be back! And a big thank you to the manger for taking the time to acknowledge us, it meant a lot.
(5)
Peggy S.
The first time my husband and I went to Bravo we had good experience. Food & server were very good. Based on that experience we took friends back on Sat. 3/9/13. Service was bad and slow. Waiter seemed very inexperienced and rather aloof. Our Italian food had hardly any red sauce and side of linguini had no sauce at all. We asked for more sauce and we were given a tiny bit, reminded me that it was rationed. Ordered coffee & dessert and we were all finished coffee and still waiting for dessert. My husband and myself cancelled our dessert but the other couple eventually got theirs but without coffee. It is a real shame but we will never be back again and will tell our friends about our bad experience. Also, when Manager saw what was going on with the dessert, he should have at least come over with some kind of explanation instead of leaving us hanging and wondering
(2)
Amy L.
VERY disappointed!! I had loved going to the several different Bravo restaurants in the Pittsburgh area; the quality of the food was consistent from location to location, and all were great. Was so excited to see it opening here ... but had a terrible meal. The bread now has some herb in it (fennel? same as Macaroni Grill) that I despise so to me the bread was inedible ... and the rest of the food was poorly prepared (hot dishes served cold, heavy on oil, light on flavor) such that it bears no resemblance to any other Bravo meal I've ever had. The exception was the caramelized cheesecake that was still tasty, but cheesecake does not a meal make, and the restaurant is literally 6 steps from the front door of the Cheesecake Factory so no competition there. Too sad!!!
(1)
Kristen W.
I've gone here twice- both times sat at the bar. First time was great, stopped in just for a quick bite to eat! My friend and I both ordered from the bar bites menu (only 2.95!!) and our food came out really quickly... I got the chicken, bacon and spinach flatbread- I really enjoyed it. My friend got the bruschetta with mushrooms and boursin cheese. I tried some of it and it was awesome! The strawberry basil limonata signature drink was also really tasty. Our bartender was awesome and very knowledgable. I didn't like the fact that another bartender appeared to be arguing with a server over something- VERY unprofessional! Also thought it was odd that servers are permitted to eat in the bar area....?? Second visit my BF and I stopped in for an early dinner. The bartenders seemed distracted and uncaring...even though the bar was practically empty. We ordered a few bar bites to share: meatball sliders and fries, crispy shrimp napoli, and the bruschetta with mushrooms and boursin cheese (since I loved it the first time). He also ordered a Bravo chopped salad. The salad was great! It came out first and very quickly. I asked for bread which we never received. Then the bar bites came out. The shrimp napoli was good, but greasy- so I felt kind of sick halfway through eating it. Same with the bruschetta... The sliders looked good, but I was instantly turned off when I bit into it and the meatball was cold :( I wanted to ask for another order, but my BF said he would just eat it anyway...'ehhh' kinda sums up that visit...
(2)
Jeffrey F.
Tried tonight. It is completely average with mediocre service. We had to ask for water 3 times. We both had their signature drinks (one cucumber/basil another pineapple), both $8 each and both too sweet with little alcohol and subpar. We split the chopped chicken salad which was greasy and one of their bravo signature pasta/chicken dishes which was underwhelming and easily forgettable. The service left a lot to be desired- again no water until we asked three times (came after our entrees), there were tons of waitstaff milling around and setting tables, but no one seemed to care about clearing our plates. We will not repeat.
(1)
Mike M.
This restaraunt is the epitomy of average. We had a very nice waitress, however we had to wait until our food came out to finally get the complimentary bread (probably not the norm). The food was so-so. The guy next to me sent his meal back because it was cold. The manager lurks around spying on his wait staff like he doesn't trust them...I'd go back, but only if it was a long wait at The Cheesecake Factory next door. Even then I would try to think of another place to eat though.
(3)
Nina F.
VEry bad service, uninspired food. Servers don't know where food goes, what table, what patron and yell out like at a diner. Food is not good, but better than the service. We ended up getting 50% off our check because it was all so bad but it was not enough to ever get us back there. No wonder Cheesecake Factory has 30 minute wait while this place is 1/2 empty.
(1)
Krifka S.
After dining in the Naples, FL location, I was happy to see BRAVO open in Willow Grove because the decor is classy, the food is fair and the Happy Hour is CHEAP! The best deal is on Wednesday nights when you combine the $5 martini menu with the $2.95 BRAVO bites deal. Here is how it breaks down: $5 Martinis are only on Wednesday $2.95 bar bites are offered Monday- Friday from 3-7 pm and 9 pm- (in the bar only). So go on Wed, The flatbreads are huge, so for about $10 including tip you can get full on flatbread (not me anymore as I now can't eat wheat, but you should by all means), and have a nice strong martini. These 2 flatbreads were quite good: Balsamic Onion, Portobello & Gorgonzola Flatbread Sweet, carmelized onions with balsamic and rosemary, roasted portobellos topped with Gorgonzola 2.95 Pepperoni Flatbread Pepperoni, banana peppers, Mozzarella and Provolone cheeses with fresh oregano 2.95 So why the 2 stars? well the service at this location STINKS! The place is new, so I will give it a break--hopefully soon they will get their act together...and maybe get some gluten free flatbreads for us Celiacs :-) PS- the have hightop tables in the bar that you can seat your children in-- I did.
(2)
Rich B.
Went with the family here for Mother's day. Had the grilled vegetable salad(added grille chicken). Not bad, not good. Seemed like it was off of the salad bar at Whole Foods. Again, not bad, but would expect more for a $14 salad. There were only a few small pieces of grilled zucchini and some peppers. The service is what is what was really lacking here. The salad came out last, at least 10 minutes after the rest along with my wife's grandmother's meal. My brother-in-law and his wife ordered a pasta dish and a flatbread. The flatbread came to the table before the water! They seemed confused when we asked them why one meal came out without the rest. My wife ordered a side salad, which she was still eating when here pasta came out. The waitress tried to take it away. When my wife said she was still working on it, the waitress said "Are you sure?" A cup of hot tea was brought to the table and handed OVER my 5 yr old son's head. She then made a comment to be careful, that it was really hot. Maybe you shouldn't carry it over people's heads and walk the extra 6th to go around the table. The size of my son's kids pizza was pretty big, and not half bad, the only saving grace. The outside seating area (the hallway of the mall) made us feel like we were eating in the food court. Guess I shouldn't be surprised by the food or service. Won't be going back.
(2)
Frank P.
My wife and I ate here a few nights ago. The meal started off great with good service but ended terribly. Our appetizer was good but our main courses made us both feel sick! The shrimp in her dish was clearly "out of the bag" frozen shrimp and the sauce on my ravioli was so rich neither of us could get the taste out of our mouths. We couldn't get out of there fast enough. Avoid!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert 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 : Yes 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.
Dee D.
I don't see why this place is so poorly rated. I wouldn't compare this place to the small mom and pop authentic Italian restaurants as it's a chain restaurant but the food is pretty good. Our first visit in December wasn't terrible but wasn't great either. Mainly service related issues. I filled out an online survey stated on the receipt about my experience and the manager contacted me to make it right (which is more than I can say about restaurants that actually really do suck really bad!). My husband and I returned last night for our anniversary. Everything was excellent. We had made reservations and were seated immediately. The restaurant was steady busy at 7 pm yet we did not have to wait on our server to come and greet us. He was prompt and friendly. His name is William and he is an excellent waiter. The manager, Jason, is also excellent. Greeting customers and making sure things are running smoothly. We didn't wait long at all for our appetizer, drinks, main courses and dessert to be served. Everything tasted great. I ordered the same appetizer and meal as the first visit and it was even better this time around. I recommend the Crispy Shrimp Napoli appetizer, the Petite Filet & Grilled Shrimp steak which is served on a romano crusted tomato and bed of lightly sauteed FRESH spinach (sooo goood) and their DELICIOUS cheesecake. The Rustica salad is really good also. My husband and I will be returning!
(5)Elle K.
How is this place still in business? I went when it first opened. The food was terrible and I told myself I would never be back. Unfortunately, I was taken out here for something and thought maybe they would have improved after being open for a while. Totally not the case. The food was as awful as before. Everything was over-seasoned with dry spices and the pasta wasn't just al dente, it was raw. The food was reminiscent of an awful Lean Cuisine meal. The cups and plates were filthy and our coffee creamer had caked on tomato sauce inside of it. Service was awful and everything took longer than it should have. Seriously, just getting to the bread when our salad course is nearly over? I realize that this is a restaurant in the mall, but for the price you pay, your meal should be half-decent. If you need a good mall meal, go 10 steps across to The Cheesecake Factory.
(1)Kenny W.
This place is new to the Willow Grove area and I've already been her 3 times. Great salads and flatbreads. The crispy shrimp napoli is a MUST try. I love the online ordering feature with the ability to designate your pick up time.
(4)Dana B.
As is my family's usual custom of going out to dinner on Friday evenings, we all agreed that Italian food was something that would satisfy everyone, so since my brother wasn't into Bertucci's, we decided to try Bravo. While it took quite some time for our food to come out, my dad and I passed the time by playing Hangman on the paper placed over the tablecloth (they do have crayons available for kids to draw with as well). I settled on the Pasta Bravo--pasta and grilled chicken with mushrooms in a roasted red pepper cream sauce; it really hit the spot! Our waitress was very friendly and recommended the chocolate chip bread pudding of all the desserts on the dessert tray, so I split one with my folks, and it definitely lived up to her rave reviews! Now while I don't spend much time at Willow Grove Mall, Bravo is a great spot for a casual sit-down meal with friendly staff and great food.
(4)Nicholas C.
Was there last night with family. Food was good but waitress was crappy. She was really good to her family that was sitting behind us though. That was very rude. But the kitchen is very well organized.
(3)Jason V.
I should've waited the 3 hours at cheesecake factory next door. Everything was over salted to mask very bland flavors and sauces. The aioli for the calamari was the only part of the meal I would high five.
(2)Robert B.
I am impressed with this new chain restaurant at the Willow Grove mall. The rating could be higher if some minor inconveniences are corrected. They do take reservations, and we tried at 12 PM the day we were going to eat. They told us the evening was already filled, they have both walk up and reserved tables. When we arrived that evening at 6:15 PM we were told we could go to the bar or have a 70 minute wait. There was a table in the bar area where we went immediately. The service was not real attentive during this busy holiday shopping weekend. Too often it seemed like we were waiting for the next course or even to be asked if we wanted something more. The water glass I had was empty early in the evening and only towards the end did they try to refill it. Yes, I could ask but they should be aware. The food is pretty good and that is where this place is going to keep itself going. I ordered a beef braised gnocchi. I was surprised at the smaller portion size. But, I was not able to finish it because it was so filling. This was rather tastey and the pasta was well executed. It had carrots and beef mixed in. The carrots were cut rustic like so they were not evenly cooked. I was fine with this as it needed some textures. The wife had Frutti De Marre and I was surprised at this course. The shrimp, mussells and clams were all rather small in size. She requested a whole wheat pasta instead of the usual pairing. She was thrilled with the course and stated the pasta was done to perfection. The waitress stated that she loves almost everything on the menu, even seafood items she does not normally like. We both ordered a chocolate chip bread pudding in a small size, yes you can pick the size. Not enough chocolate chips in the dessert but it was good. Wine selection is small but decent. Their is really no beer selection, just standard beers plus an Italian selection. As a guy who likes beer that was a disappointment. Better service and more attentiveness would have led to four stars.
(3)Michael W.
Really open and nice place, I loved the portions and the atmosphere. The food was very tasty I had the Grilled Talapia and lobster bisque. One hint, you better go early because it gets very crowded after 5pm. Nice reasonably priced bar fare, this is gonnae my hangout place.
(4)David L.
Great family spot. Atypically good food for a chain restaurant. There are solid options for kids and parents. The kitchen will always work with you if two kids want to share an "adult" dish.
(4)M. C.
First visit tonight and loved it. My wife and I ordered the Italian wedding soup, a chopped salad, flat bread pizza and a pasta dish. The food was delicious and our waiter was perfect. I would recommend dinner here if you are at the Willow Grove Mall or nearby. Not sure why there are negative reviews but those critics should give it another try. Also, menu prices were very reasonable.
(5)Barb G.
Went to the bar for drinks and appetizers. Waiter/bartender not very knowledgeable about wine on the menu. Told him I wanted a dry wine and the couple I ordered they were out of. Recommended a wine that was semi sweet, yuck. Seemed disappointed we only wanted to order appetizers (which were very good). Never asked if we wanted dessert. But must have asked if we wanted more drinks 3 times. Paid our bill and went someplace else for dessert.
(2)Ben W.
My wife and I went here for our second anniversary. We sat down, and no one served us for almost 10 minutes even though there was hardly anyone there and waiters were standing around. So, I went up to the manager and politely asked if we had been overlooked. After that we promptly received service. As we ate our meal I have to say I enjoyed the food. But the 5 star rating is a result primarily of service and courtesy, not (just) culinary excellence. After we finished our appetizer the manager came to our booth, sat down and shook hands with us. We talked for a while and he gave us a card for a free "dinner for two" because of the trouble. This was very kind of him and we proceeded to enjoy the rest of our meal. We asked for the check and, to our surprise, the waitress brought out not one but TWO desserts in celebration of our anniversary. We were also given free cappuccinos. Then, to our shock, the manager said, "Tonight is all on me." Not only did they give us a free dinner for that night, they also gave us an incentive to come back for another free meal. The staff, although they made an initial mistake, were so friendly in correcting it that I do no hesitate to recommend this place to anyone. The environment is very open and Bravo is a great place to stop by on your way home from shopping if you want a good meal at a good price.
(5)Cheeb Z.
Gotta agree with the other reviewers. Food is decent enough, but service sucks. Wait staff is very slow and not very knowledgeable.
(3)Charles W.
My companion has been waiting for 2 months to try Bravo. We were finally able to score a table on a Friday night without a long wait. The service made up for the mediocre food. The tomato bisque was delicious and the bread was far superior to anything served by Olive Garden. However, the Pasta Mediterean was too al dente and the Eggplant Parmesan had very little sauce. The warm berry cake served as a great dessert.
(2)Nick C.
This was our first visit. A busy Valentines meal. Excellent service. Our waiter Kevin was very attentive. I had the Italian wedding soup and it was some of the best I ever had. The salmon was cooked perfectly. My wife thought her chicken pesto rigatoni was perfect. Just the right balance of pesto and a good amount of chicken. Fresh spinach leaves, not shredded up. I was nervous after reading all the negative reviews but on the busiest night of the year, everything was all we could ask for and more.
(4)Dawn B.
Love that I can walk right in without waiting!
(4)Zac E.
What a miserable night. We went as a family and, from the start, the place was far too dark. It's one thing to set the mood but quite another to verge on requiring flashlights. Things started alright, and the drinks were good. However, once the appetizers arrived, things started going wrong. The bread had a strange flavor to it that even copious amounts of garlic oil couldn't overcome. Two of us ordered the veal parmesan, which tasted worse than parmesan dishes I've gotten for $7 at diners (I believe this was $16). The waitress forgot the vegetables for three other dishes, then said she "hoped" she could have them ready by the end of the meal. When we complained to the manager, she stood and glared at us the whole time then threw a tempter tantrum for all diners to see. Don't go here. Overpriced and lousy. It's a pretender.
(1)Tim H.
Uninspired. Plain. Ok service. The restaurant was busy and the bar was excellent. Dinner was not great. Service was hurried and slow. Food was plain. Wife had chicken Parmesan that rivaled a chicken nugget. My crab cakes were small and burnt. Not worth it for the price.
(2)J F.
We got there in the middle for Friday night dinner rush, 1/2 hour wait so we decided to just eat at the bar. The 2.95 apps were an excellent deal and made it easy to try items we were iffy about. I had the Beef gnocchi, better half had chicken scallopine. We were both very satisfied with the food - 4. As for the service....needs some work. There were 2 tenders plus one for service bar, yet we didnt get checked on and waited for refills. The other bartender did suggest the gnocchi, which as a good call. The runners for our food were very friendly...they actually had more personality than our tender. Granted when we got there was peak time, but you've got to do better - 2.5 As far as sit down chains in the mall area, I'd take Bravo over Cheesecake Factory, Fridays or OG 10 out of 10 times.
(3)Anthony L.
Let me start with the service. The service was pretty terrible. We asked for recommendations and the server could not answer basic questions about her own likes/preferences. Our entrees took a long time to come out (long enough where the manager had to come out and apologize for the delay). As for the food the one decent/edible thing was the Italian wedding soup. The only negative is that it was very salty. I had the Sausage Tortelloni as my entree and it tasted like it was frozen tortelloni and frozen tomato sauce. The only reason I came here is because I had a gift certificate. I will not be coming back.
(1)Karen L.
My Husband and I decided to try Bravo for my Birthday. I have 2 kids, age 7 and 5 so we needed a kids friendly restaurant. I made the reservation online for a party of 4 for 6:30PM. It was Saturday night, and we didn't want to risk a long wait. We got there at 6:15PM, but we couldn't be seated because it was too far ahead from our reserved time. There were 4 parties ahead of us even though you could see empty tables throughout the restaurant. Once we were seated at 6:30PM, the experience was very typical of a franchise. The food was okay, not great. My husband and I described it as one better than Olive Garden. Our server was good, very attentive and friendly. The noise level was loud. I could hear laughter's from a large party in another section. Overall, we were there for an hour and a half, we had ordered from appetizers to desserts. It was an okay experience.
(3)Kelly S.
Went here last night with about ten of my old friends. Aside from the unpleasant greeters which didn't give us a good start, we were surprised about how well the service here was. The food was average but the service we got from our server was fantastic. It was later at night, but our server still gave us his all the help we needed. From questions about the menu to just being nice, he was great. He was probably one of the better servers I have had and he seemed to genuinely care about us. He asked us more about us as people rather than just doing his job. While we did not catch his name, we do know he is currently in school working for a graduate degree. We wish him luck and will be back and ask for him. Aside from the food being average and drinks taking sort of long to come out, our server made our experience worth it. Will be back again.
(5)Doug B.
Very good food, great service is what we got here. I was really impressed with this restaurant, all of the elements worked well together. The waiter who served us was friendly and helped us pick the right dishes for what we wanted. The staff was attentive but not pushy, and checked back at just the right times. The food came out quickly and everything was delicious! I had the Tomato Bisque and a Chopping Chicken Salad. My date and I shared a "Trio" dessert that was very good. When we got there I wasn't expecting it to be that great, but it really was. I'll be back
(4)P M W.
Let me start by saying I avoided going here because of the reviews. Apparently 2012 was not a good year for this restaurant. 2013, seems a much better year. They must have changed a few things, because we loved it here! Service was okay, not great. Not that knowledgable, not fast, but grabbable if we needed to get something. Atmosphere was nice. Good children's menu. We got lobster bisque, chicken parm, a pasta dish, a gluten-free grilled chicken dish, and a kid's chicken. All delicious and cooked perfectly. No long waits. Desserts were yummy. Chocolate cake and lava-esque cake. The ones we didn't choose looked good too. Nice, un-oily alternative to The Cheesecake Factory (across the way). It would have received 5 stars, but we all felt it is overpriced for what we received. Each dish was about $20, and none of us had leftovers. At the end, we all paid about $40 each for a nice dinner. We will definitely go back, just not frequently.
(4)Castor Nail S.
In love with the food at bravo restaurant I being there couple time and I had very nice time with my kid to!!
(5)Alison S.
My family and I have been here a number of times. We must be getting VERY lucky, because our food has always been very good and our service has been wonderful. I agree with how great the Italia Wedding Soup is...YUM ( but I admitedly had to add hot sauce) I also got the chicken parm- delish, I've tried the chicken scallopini and the flatbread with chicken, bacon and spinach. My favorite, however, is the Eggplant Parm....keep in mind that I don't really like eggplant parm, but I tried a bite - ordered it- and the rest was history! I like the decor and I like the prices. GO GO GO!!!
(4)Valentino G.
My girlfriend brought me here for my 21st birthday dinner and I have to say it was very appetizing. It was very inexpensive and our waitress was such a sweet person and made sure we were taken care of perfectly. I will be back!
(4)Bridget C.
Really nicely done baby shower at Bravo Cucina Italiana! I have had lunch here before when shopping with my gal pal and it's always good. The servers were really attentive and the food was delicious as always. Family style salads and buffet dinner. Great venue. Everyone really enjoyed themselves.
(5)Jordan M.
The Good: The food was very good. I had the lasagna, and it was amazing! The Bad: The service was VERY slow. I would hate to go there on a busy night. There were only three tables in the place and it still took almost 45 minutes to get our pasta dishes.
(3)Destinee W.
The server was great. They were advertising, by the door a burger. My husband decided to go here instead of cheesecake factory, for this burger. The girl said the burger was a lunch special, but the kitchen was willing to make it anyway. I ordered the lobster ravioli. My daughter got the kids grilled chicken. The grilled chicken was good but not excellent. The lobster ravioli was awful. It had little tiny shrimp scattered through the vodka sauce that tasted like strong fish. The "lobster" ravioli must not have had any lobster in it. It was foul. The only good thing about this was the server and the burger. I would most likely pass on this restaurant.
(3)Louis W.
What a nice change! Compared to other restaurants in Blandville (aka Willow Grove), we were very surprised at how good the food was. The service was spot-on! Our server was very timely and had a great attitude - took care of our kids first and got their meals out quickly. Both my wife and I had pasta dishes, and they were both very tasty. Take it from someone who's had many top-knotch dining experiences, this was fantastic. We will be back here soon, and recommend you try it out for yourself.
(5)Morgan W.
My daughter and I frequent Bravo! often. Each and every time we have come here, the service and the food has been excellent. However, tonight's experience was exceptionally poor. Starting off, the hostess seemed in a word, grumpy. Now I know we all have our bad days, so I looked past it. My daughter and I were seated in a booth furthest away from the kitchen. 15 minutes into being seated, our waiter comes by and apologizes for not coming to our table sooner. Now at the time, it was only 5pm so the restaurant was fairly empty so I wasn't sure what took so long but again, I overlooked it. He brought us our drinks and asked if we were ready to order. I ordered the chicken and pesto spaghettini without tomatoes and spinach, my favorite dish, and my daughter ordered chicken fingers. When our order came out, my daughter's was correct, mine was not. Mine was spaghettini in an Alfredo sauce with spinach. I had it sent back and in about 10 minutes, my correct order came out and it was delicious. After our meal, my daughter had to use the restroom so I walked her past the waiter and to the bathroom. When we got back to our table, our drinks had been cleared and our table had been covered with other people's empty drinks and plates. Someone came by to clear them and my daughter ordered dessert. It took about 20 minutes to get her dessert, which is a long time for a small brownie, so the waiter brought me one as well, which was a nice thought. Overall I spent about 1 hr 45 minutes dining tonight because of a lot of simple mistakes. Nothing was comped on my bill, a manager never apologized, and I left with a sour taste in my mouth. I'm not sure if I will come back to this location again.
(3)Lautice M.
It saddens me to write this review since exactly a year ago I was this restaurant's biggest fan. The waiter we had last year was amazing! Anticipated our needs, knew how to handle a large party and we had an amazing experience. On to this year. First off, my mom arrived before anyone else and told the hostess that she was meeting a birthday party group here. Instead of asking for a name the hostess assumed she was with another party already there solely because they happened to be African American. One of the two waitresses that served our table was absolutely clueless. It took over 45 minutes for the food to come out. We had to prompt them to clear the table after each course. Very limited wine knowledge. Overall very disappointing: especially since we had a really great time the year before. To the manager's credit she definitely was proactive and stopped past the room where we dining to extend apologies for the long wait and if we were satisfied.
(2)Steve B.
Went on the yelp rating. Quickly seated, got our drinks and appetizer. Calamari was very good. Waited over 30 minutes for our meal, which was a salmon salad and a mahi mahi. Food and service were very good. Would definitely come back.
(4)Jessica K.
I sat at the bar and was greeted immediately. Got a cosmo to start then ordered their chicken and pesto spaghetti and it is delicious!
(5)Sam D.
Came here with my sister in law for lunch and the foot was pretty good. It was a slow day there so the service was pretty good too. We started off with strawberry and raspberry lemonades. They were so damn good! Then I ordered the berry balsamic chicken salad, chicken fra diavolo (pasta in a tomato cream sauce), and the roasted tomato pizza. I ordered everything for me and her to share, so the waitress was kind enough to have the salad and pasta split in two separate plates for us. The salad was very flavorful, but they were a little heavy on the dressing, where it kind of weighed down the salad. So if you're like me who doesn't like too much dressing, you might want it on the side, but other then that it was still very good. The pasta was good too, but I wish the sauce was a little spicer and flavorful, but still very good. The pizza was so damn good. I love crispy crust pizza and you can't beat fresh sauce, cheese, and basil. Out of everything we ate, I lovedddd the pizza the most. First time going there, and will def go back.
(4)Diana H.
Something is lacking at Bravo. There was a 40 minute wait at The Cheesecake Factory, so we headed over to Bravo. There was no wait, so we decided to eat there. Hostess was nice. Atmosphere was nice. Our server barely spoke - not sure if she was having an off night or if that's just her personality. FOOD: Bread took a while to get to the table, but it was pretty good. $14.99 Eggplant Parmesan was delicious! The pasta that came with it had a good flavor, but was stuck together & didn't seem fresh. My friend's pasta was the same. $3.99 for a side Caesar was a bit steep, as it wasn't anything special but not bad either. $8.99 Dessert Trio isn't something Id try again. The creme brûlée was delicious & the mousse was decent, but the berry cheesecake was a soupy mess & just not good at all really. The server warned us not to get the plain cheesecake because it's "not good". $5.95 Children's Salmon with mixed veggies (we subbed fries) & mixed fruit was a hit with my 2 year old. At first the salmon looked microwaved or like it had been sitting under the warmer for a bit, but then I forked it apart & it was juicy & flakey. I think this place might be lacking personality & passionate kitchen staff.
(3)Kelli M.
I wish I could give this place .5 stars or maybe even a zero. We went here for a friend's birthday on a Saturday night. I was skeptical about it - didn't hear rave reviews going into it but thought, "why not?". It was the only place around that could accommodate a group of our size that night and our friend wanted to try it out for her birthday. I thought it might be very "commercial-style Italian" similar to Olive Garden but honestly, I think this place might be WORSE than Olive Garden...if that's even possible. Note to self: stick to the BYOBs of Italian cuisine. My friend and I got there early so we thought we would sit at the bar and have a drink before everyone arrived. The bartendars looked very crazed and anxious and were not communicating with each other at all. We were told, "We'll be right with you several times." They must have gotten their signals crossed because we sat and sat and sat some more for about 10 more minutes. Then, a couple sat down next to us and were served right away. So we said, "screw this" and got up. The bartendar saw us waiting for our table and came out to apologize but at that point it was too little, too late. I was already turned off by the service. Now to dinner: Our server was awesome. Very attentive, friendly, honest about the menu options - no complaints with him. My friend and I split a bottle of Riesling which was great. I had the caesar salad which tasted of chemicals and the parmesean cheese looked like it came from a plastic Kraft cheese container instead of freshly grated. The manager came over to us after 45 min of waiting for our meals and apologized for the delay. Our entrees - when they finally arrived - came out staggered and luke warm. I had the chicken pesto/basil pasta with grape tomatoes. Gross. The sauce was too thick, the spinach wasnt even cooked down. It was just laid across the pasta like it was a garnish. The chicken was questionable as well. I couldn't even finish it. I didn't want dessert and the chocolate cake our birthday girl got was disgusting and flavor-less. It's really a shame. I try to give fair reviews and I really do think this is fair. They are in such a prime location that they should be so much better than this. It was such a waste.
(1)Kevin D.
Just finished an excellent lunch at Bravo! I had the lobster bisque soup and I highly recommend it. It was delicious. Also had the turkey with avocado and bacon sandwich that was served with a great tasting and unique side salad that had arugula, cucumbers, feta and couscous Mmmmm good! The only thing better than our food was the sweetest server that I have had in a long time. Her name was Sarah. She took time to explain the different menu items and she was the one to recommend the bisque. A beautiful restaurant with great food and service. We will definitely be back for dinner soon! :)
(5)Felicia C.
This place is soooo much better than the three stars it has on Yelp! The salad I had was one of the best I've ever had. It was the Mediterranean vegetable salad and I ordered it topped with salmon. The salad itself was fantastic, chopped small and full of asparagus and zucchini, in addition to the usual salad vegetables. And the salmon was very juicy and delicious. The dessert I ordered was a chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream and it was soooo good. The service here was also excellent. Our waitress was so helpful and accommodating. My dad is a very picky eater and could not find anything on the menu he liked, so I told the waitress that my dad wanted salmon with angel hair pasta and tomato sauce and broccoli, and she said ok, we can do that! It was awesome! We will definitely be back.
(5)Giuliano P.
I gave Bravo 3 chances which i usually do for most places, BUT i am done with them. Went when they opened and it was solid, decent food, staff was friendly...my favorite part was the place its self. Big open kitchen, nice mood lighting. So we decided to go back. Second Visit: Waited about a half hour to sit down (lots of tables open). Server was a little awkward, didn't really say much and didn't really know about anything on the menu. Shrimp was over cooked, calamari was blah and the entrees lacked flavor. But it could have been an off night so we gave it another shot. Third visit: No one was in the restaurant....server was rude and disappeared for 15 mins at a time...food was terrible and we were sat a dirty table with dirty silverware....yea we are done... Go to a family owned restaurant where they care about what they serve and how they serve you.
(1)Zach V.
Great value for the price. My Fiance and I wanted to grab a quick dinner after shopping on a Friday night. There wasn't a wait for a table and we decided to sit at the bar. The interior of the restaurant was very modern and clean. I had their signature pasta and a Caesar salad. Both the salad and pasta were very good. I forget what my fiance had but she enjoyed it. When the check came I was surprised how cheap it was even with drinks. I will be back.
(4)Jing O.
Went for happy hour and everything was all amazing and so affordable! Sangrias and creative tropical drinks were $4 with premium liquor and so delicious. Loved the mozzarella raviolis! Definitely coming back for more.
(5)Charlotte D.
This is my third time here and the food is still great for their happy hour specials. We got the shrimp napoli, caprese salad and the bacon chicken flatbread. Everything was fantastic as usual. Amazing portions for the price. I did have a small issue, I found a lemon sticker on my plate. we told the waiter and the manager came right over to apologize, offered a dessert and when we declined he removed it from the bill. Both he and the waiter were very apologetic, sincere and still warm and friendly. Great recovery Bravo!
(5)Allison H.
Eh. I honestly feel eh... We just had dinner here for the first time since they have opened and it was eh. We waited about 25 minutes for a table for 6. We sat down and out waiter was a bit abrupt, but we assumed it was a cultural thing. We asked to have some time to look at the menu and he was suggesting of appetizers, which we decided against. We asked for some time to look over the menu and then he disappeared for about 15 minutes. Finally he came back over we ordered and didn't have to wait to long for our salads and soup. The waiter knew our kids were very hungry and thankfully brought out their food with our salads and soup. A few minutes later out entree's came out. The food looked pretty, but it didn't have any taste? So I asked my husband and brother to try mine, because maybe I lost my tastebuds? Sure enough they agreed my food had no taste and then we were all trying each others food commenting about how tasteless it was? My brother got the wrong dish, that was 6 more dollars then he was planning to spend, but ok, language barrier. We all left, besides the kids, feeling very unsatisfied. It was very expensive for what you got. We will not be back and will wait the extra hours for cheese cake factory next time. I wish it had been better.
(1)Sharpie S.
We had a great meal with an awesome new server on Thursday evening this week. There was a group of 8 of us and most of us really enjoyed everything. Grilled salmon was delish but had a bit too much balsamic on it. Lobster bisque was also very good but too salty for me. However, I use very little salt and this is a problem for me a lot at most restaurants. We will definitely be returning. I heard they have a great happy hour.
(4)William R.
Went in for a quick dinner....service was great & efficient. Pasta dishes we're very good, but, the spring salad was pedestrian (mostly iceberg lettuce).
(4)Dot M.
Food was good but within a half hour of leaving there our credit card number was stolen. When I called the manager Chris to alert him to what the bank told us - he said it was impossible since his employees don't have their phones on them -- and I guess they can't write the number down and pass it on?????? Lousy attitude and bad customer service make for lousy management. Loved this place but won't eat there again and you shouldn't either. Crappy attitude when all I was trying to do was alert them.
(1)Anastasia B.
I completely forgot to update our second visit to the restaurant, and for that, I am sorry. We decided to give Bravo another try and I am glad we did. The manger came over to our table when he recognized us (my father and myself) from the previous week. He apologized for the prior weeks service which was so nice. He also bought us a dessert which was extremely kind if him. The apology meant a great deal to us, we were not looking for anything more so the the dessert was very very much appreciated. It was also so delicious we decided to take home a piece of choc cake to another family member. The service (waiter) was a solid 5 stars. The food was as well. We'll be back! And a big thank you to the manger for taking the time to acknowledge us, it meant a lot.
(5)Peggy S.
The first time my husband and I went to Bravo we had good experience. Food & server were very good. Based on that experience we took friends back on Sat. 3/9/13. Service was bad and slow. Waiter seemed very inexperienced and rather aloof. Our Italian food had hardly any red sauce and side of linguini had no sauce at all. We asked for more sauce and we were given a tiny bit, reminded me that it was rationed. Ordered coffee & dessert and we were all finished coffee and still waiting for dessert. My husband and myself cancelled our dessert but the other couple eventually got theirs but without coffee. It is a real shame but we will never be back again and will tell our friends about our bad experience. Also, when Manager saw what was going on with the dessert, he should have at least come over with some kind of explanation instead of leaving us hanging and wondering
(2)Amy L.
VERY disappointed!! I had loved going to the several different Bravo restaurants in the Pittsburgh area; the quality of the food was consistent from location to location, and all were great. Was so excited to see it opening here ... but had a terrible meal. The bread now has some herb in it (fennel? same as Macaroni Grill) that I despise so to me the bread was inedible ... and the rest of the food was poorly prepared (hot dishes served cold, heavy on oil, light on flavor) such that it bears no resemblance to any other Bravo meal I've ever had. The exception was the caramelized cheesecake that was still tasty, but cheesecake does not a meal make, and the restaurant is literally 6 steps from the front door of the Cheesecake Factory so no competition there. Too sad!!!
(1)Kristen W.
I've gone here twice- both times sat at the bar. First time was great, stopped in just for a quick bite to eat! My friend and I both ordered from the bar bites menu (only 2.95!!) and our food came out really quickly... I got the chicken, bacon and spinach flatbread- I really enjoyed it. My friend got the bruschetta with mushrooms and boursin cheese. I tried some of it and it was awesome! The strawberry basil limonata signature drink was also really tasty. Our bartender was awesome and very knowledgable. I didn't like the fact that another bartender appeared to be arguing with a server over something- VERY unprofessional! Also thought it was odd that servers are permitted to eat in the bar area....?? Second visit my BF and I stopped in for an early dinner. The bartenders seemed distracted and uncaring...even though the bar was practically empty. We ordered a few bar bites to share: meatball sliders and fries, crispy shrimp napoli, and the bruschetta with mushrooms and boursin cheese (since I loved it the first time). He also ordered a Bravo chopped salad. The salad was great! It came out first and very quickly. I asked for bread which we never received. Then the bar bites came out. The shrimp napoli was good, but greasy- so I felt kind of sick halfway through eating it. Same with the bruschetta... The sliders looked good, but I was instantly turned off when I bit into it and the meatball was cold :( I wanted to ask for another order, but my BF said he would just eat it anyway...'ehhh' kinda sums up that visit...
(2)Jeffrey F.
Tried tonight. It is completely average with mediocre service. We had to ask for water 3 times. We both had their signature drinks (one cucumber/basil another pineapple), both $8 each and both too sweet with little alcohol and subpar. We split the chopped chicken salad which was greasy and one of their bravo signature pasta/chicken dishes which was underwhelming and easily forgettable. The service left a lot to be desired- again no water until we asked three times (came after our entrees), there were tons of waitstaff milling around and setting tables, but no one seemed to care about clearing our plates. We will not repeat.
(1)Mike M.
This restaraunt is the epitomy of average. We had a very nice waitress, however we had to wait until our food came out to finally get the complimentary bread (probably not the norm). The food was so-so. The guy next to me sent his meal back because it was cold. The manager lurks around spying on his wait staff like he doesn't trust them...I'd go back, but only if it was a long wait at The Cheesecake Factory next door. Even then I would try to think of another place to eat though.
(3)Nina F.
VEry bad service, uninspired food. Servers don't know where food goes, what table, what patron and yell out like at a diner. Food is not good, but better than the service. We ended up getting 50% off our check because it was all so bad but it was not enough to ever get us back there. No wonder Cheesecake Factory has 30 minute wait while this place is 1/2 empty.
(1)Krifka S.
After dining in the Naples, FL location, I was happy to see BRAVO open in Willow Grove because the decor is classy, the food is fair and the Happy Hour is CHEAP! The best deal is on Wednesday nights when you combine the $5 martini menu with the $2.95 BRAVO bites deal. Here is how it breaks down: $5 Martinis are only on Wednesday $2.95 bar bites are offered Monday- Friday from 3-7 pm and 9 pm- (in the bar only). So go on Wed, The flatbreads are huge, so for about $10 including tip you can get full on flatbread (not me anymore as I now can't eat wheat, but you should by all means), and have a nice strong martini. These 2 flatbreads were quite good: Balsamic Onion, Portobello & Gorgonzola Flatbread Sweet, carmelized onions with balsamic and rosemary, roasted portobellos topped with Gorgonzola 2.95 Pepperoni Flatbread Pepperoni, banana peppers, Mozzarella and Provolone cheeses with fresh oregano 2.95 So why the 2 stars? well the service at this location STINKS! The place is new, so I will give it a break--hopefully soon they will get their act together...and maybe get some gluten free flatbreads for us Celiacs :-) PS- the have hightop tables in the bar that you can seat your children in-- I did.
(2)Rich B.
Went with the family here for Mother's day. Had the grilled vegetable salad(added grille chicken). Not bad, not good. Seemed like it was off of the salad bar at Whole Foods. Again, not bad, but would expect more for a $14 salad. There were only a few small pieces of grilled zucchini and some peppers. The service is what is what was really lacking here. The salad came out last, at least 10 minutes after the rest along with my wife's grandmother's meal. My brother-in-law and his wife ordered a pasta dish and a flatbread. The flatbread came to the table before the water! They seemed confused when we asked them why one meal came out without the rest. My wife ordered a side salad, which she was still eating when here pasta came out. The waitress tried to take it away. When my wife said she was still working on it, the waitress said "Are you sure?" A cup of hot tea was brought to the table and handed OVER my 5 yr old son's head. She then made a comment to be careful, that it was really hot. Maybe you shouldn't carry it over people's heads and walk the extra 6th to go around the table. The size of my son's kids pizza was pretty big, and not half bad, the only saving grace. The outside seating area (the hallway of the mall) made us feel like we were eating in the food court. Guess I shouldn't be surprised by the food or service. Won't be going back.
(2)Frank P.
My wife and I ate here a few nights ago. The meal started off great with good service but ended terribly. Our appetizer was good but our main courses made us both feel sick! The shrimp in her dish was clearly "out of the bag" frozen shrimp and the sauce on my ravioli was so rich neither of us could get the taste out of our mouths. We couldn't get out of there fast enough. Avoid!
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