Having used to work at Carrabba's in Florida it's still my fall back. I travel a lot for work so I know I can always rely on Carrabba's for a great meal! Seafood, steak, pasta, or pizza it's all great. The service as always was great and speedy. Very friendly servers and food timed perfectly. The only reason I'm not giving the 5th star is the sauce was pretty watery on my cavatapi martino. It's a tomato cream sauce which is usually really nice and thick and a little on the chunky side. Having it thinner made it a little more bland than it should be. Other than that, great as always!
(4)
Kathy G.
I eat here often when I am in North Charleston for business. The food is very good. Tea is weak like water. Service is hit or miss. Tonight, nice waitress but barely good service. The wait people were huddled around bar area talking about GPAs and other stuff that had nothing to do with getting service done for their patrons. The Chicken Ryan was as god as usual and the sauce is very good or the pasta. I love the crispy bread. My waitress let my tea get very low as in empty and then waited on another table prior to getting my refill which is always irritating. Having traveled for 24 years with work, I sure could train wait staff how to get good tips.
(3)
Kat R.
The service here was great, but the food left us wishing we ate elsewhere. The only items that were really great were the bread, tomato soup, and green beans. Everything else was either not cooked properly, ingredients didn't taste fresh, or something felt like it was missing in general.
(3)
Elizabeth U.
Being a server, I was very excited to have a night off my feet and order take out with a Carrabbas gift card I received as a gift. I got the chicken Parmesan and my husband got another chicken dish as well. According to him, his turned out OK. MY chicken parm tasted funny and I thought something was off so I turned the chicken over and it was completely black and burned. The only marinara sauce I got with the meal was what was put on the chicken and the noodles were a VERY small portion. I've had other good experiences at different Carrabbas so I hope this was a fluke, but I'm definitely not going back to that location.
(2)
Lynwood M.
Carrabba's has good good at an affordable price. I have been here for dinner and came back for lunch. The hostess was personable and remembered me and other guests. The Ceasar salad is great as well as most chicken dishes.
(4)
Ruby G.
Amore Monday...3 courses for $12, $15, or $18 We just recently were invited to a tasting of the new Pasta Seconds menu for being a part of the Amici Club. The Amici Club is Carrabba's email club. It takes two seconds to join and you stay up to date on all new menu items, occasional free appetizer or dessert coupons, and invitations to tastings. The Mahi Wulfe and Clam Linguine were my favorites. The Mahi Wulfe is a girlled piece of mahi topped with lemon butter, artichokes and sun dried tomatoes. The mahi was perfectly cooked with great grill marks and the lemon butter added the perfect light citurs touch. Our service was great. The manager routinely checked on us, our servers described each dish in detail. Everyone was very attentive to any of our needs. Overall, we had a great experience.
We were given bread to start, which was quite good. The bread was served warm, with a very soft center and crispy exterior. We shared a Quattro Formaggi Roman-Style Pizza as an appetizer. The crust was nice and crispy, but the pizza was a bit on the salty side (Yes, I'm a aware that pizza is salty, but this was saltier than your average pizza). Overall, the pizza had decent flavor. For my entree, I had the Procutto-Wrapped Shrimp. The presentation left a lot to be desired. This dish was super salty and greasy! There was not enough pasta to offset the heaviness of the wrapped shrimp. The shrimp had a nice underlying grill taste, but it was drowned out by all the salt. My husband had the Lobster Mac & Cheese. This was a huge disappointment. This dish was bland in flavor and barely had any cheese. Most of the pasta was naked and the lobster tasted like canned tuna. Final Thoughts: Decor and service are average. As a chain restaurant this a slight step above most. Set expectations low and you won't be disappointed.
(3)
Zohra B.
Never a huge fan of chains, but decided to try this out because I had a gift card from a Yelp event here. We sat at the bar area, and the bartender was very knowledgeable about the various wines we asked about. Decided to go with the Italian Red Sangria. Love this drink. They add brandy to it - and it gives it a really good and different flavor. We had the Mussels for an appetizer, was very good. Nice flavor, they could have let the mussels soak a little more in the juice, but all in all - it wasnt bad. The bread that they give you is really very good. nice and crispy on the outside, fluffy and soft on the inside. We decided to go with the 3 course special for $15.99 and share it. For our main course we had the Shrimp and Scallop Linguine Alla Vodka. WOW. delicious!!! and the serving was way more than enough to share. I like the new way they redid the restaurant, the ambiance is very laid back and nice. The food was much better than I had expected (for a chain...IMO)
(3)
Robii M.
I've been dinning at Carrabbas since I was about 11 years old, I'm 23 now. Carrabbas is awesome, I always get the Pasta Wessie with a yummy Cesar Salad. I love how fresh the pasta taste seriously awesome! I'd be really surprised if they didn't make their pasta homemade and by homemade I mean by with a pasta maker. I hate (Box Pasta Quality) and this is Great Quality. You can taste the wine in the dishes (food) as well it gives it such umph. When I'm only craving salad I love just order a Cesar and overly enjoy the warm bread with oil and herbs, and water with lemons. I have noticed that the portions of food seems to be getting smaller over the years, but that's not to say you won't be full because you will be,(I always have leftovers) however I can tell the portions are a bit smaller. Overall still my favorite place for hubby and I to dine after all these years.
(5)
Alison M.
Servers were good but got some raw chicken. They gave us another plate but nothing off the bill. Expected more.
(1)
Kate O.
Waiter spilled my entire lemonade all over me, and then still charged me for it. I had to get on a plane right after my lunch and was a sticky mess! Manager came over & apologized, said our check would be taken care of...but only took $10 off! House salad was an all mayonnaise dressing. Disgusting. Chicken ravioli was pretty decent. Overall... Not impressed. How do u not comp a check after a situation like this?
(1)
Mark J.
I hadn't eaten here in a while, but after a recent Yelp event, I was re-interested in the food served at Carrabba's Italian Grill. I often mistake this place for one of the "fast casual" dining restaurants like Applebees, and Ruby Tuesdays... I have to say that the meals I've had here recently have been fantastic. They seem to be much more real and wholesome than the salt-sugar-fat foods you'll get in any of those other chain restaurants. Whole basil leaves on our caprese. Fresh olive oils. Clean, well prepared foods. The atmosphere is just right: being bright enough to enjoy yourself, but dark enough to feel cosy and private. I enjoy my meals every time, and if I didn't I know they would fix the food or make it right, and at the end of the day, that's all I can ask for from a restaurant.
(4)
Jess L.
In the seven years that I've lived in the area, this was probably the third time I've been to this restaurant...and it was probably the best visit. We spoke with the current manager, and he said that they has just remodeled and even closed off the patio dining area-it's now part of the indoor dining. The service we received was great on this night! We were seated right away and servers were always there, always proactive with refills and disposing of unneeded cups/plates. The ambiance was very soft and inviting and the noise level wasn't near as bad as I remember it being. People often compare it to Olive Garden. Well, that is somewhat warranted. They are both Italian-ish and both located right next to each other, but for me that's where the similarities end. I will say I thought Carrabbas has better food, but Olive Garden takes the cake as far as the bread sticks and Alfredo dipping sauce are concerned. I didn't care at all for their bread here, but that's just me. I really like the sirloin skewers, though I did hear others complain that it was too salty. Mine wasn't though, and I enjoyed it! I guess the biggest downside, for me, is that when we decide to go out to eat, this isn't usually the location we head off to. Between Summerville, Mt P, and obviously downtown Charleston, this area just usually isn't a priority/an option/a thought. BUT, this was a good experience and I would definitely go again if we were in the area!
Best Italian in North Charleston. Well, Genneros is great too. Carrabas is always very nice about making a special order for me that they don't even have on the menu. Yummy.
(5)
Avis F.
The staff was very nice & it seemed clean enough, but come on....this is not Italian food. I lived in San Francisco for 30 years, I've had some excellent Italian food. Unfortunately, this food doesn't bear even a passing resemblance. The food is too salty & the entree comes way before you're done with the starter. If you want to eat at a chain restaurant get a Maggianos for Charleston area, at least their food is Italian and edible.
(1)
S S.
Was in town from California. Family was in the area and decided to come here for some appetizers and drinks. Calamari was good. The soup of the day was the Tomato Bisque. It looked delicious. They also ask if you want freshly grated cheese on top. That made it look even better. I got the small Chicken Marsala with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and a house salad. The house salad was good. The dressing was cheesy. The Chicken Marsala was alright. Chicken was juicy so that's good. The Marsala sauce didn't wow me. The garlic mashed potatoes were whatever. Had a few bites and left it alone. Our server was very attentive with our drinks. I barely took a sip of my refill and she already had another glass ready to go.
(3)
Lindsay H.
My boyfriend and I went here for dinner and had a very nice time. The food we ordered (lasagna and Carrabbas Fettuccine) arrived at our table with little wait and were both excellent meals. Our waiter Charles H. Was personable, friendly, and attentive to what our table needed. Our drinks were often refilled and we enjoyed some pleasant conversation with him. :) I would recommend Carrabbas and if you can get Charles as a waiter you will have an excellent evening.
(4)
Richard C.
Had a great meal service was a little slow but the food was amazing! Had the Chicken Bryan with garlic mash and a Caesar salad. Just amazing!
(4)
Aleks K.
We dined here as a party of 9 - 5 adults and 4 kids. When you first come into the restaurant all you smell is cheap Parmesan cheese. The restaurant is currently under construction yet it's still open. To me, this is blatant restaurant chain greed. To think that it's fine to be open and have customers dine in a construction zone is embarrassing. It wasn't just one section that was taped off, there was exposed dry wall in several places. I came here unknowingly and was with a large group so we stayed. The bread was pale, the barely baked and frozen variety. I liked the seasoning mix for the oil dip, I will give them that. I tried the calamari, which were really good and came with a side of tomato sauce. We were off to a mixed start. I had a hard time choosing what to order since everything seemed to be wood grilled or have mushrooms. The menu has all Italian names, like a vocabulary lesson. Don't get me wrong, I know my pasta shape definitions but I don't want to butcher them out loud. I had the Conchiglie ai Formaggi, which even the waitress said she couldn't pronounce, don't make people feel stupid Carrabba's. Turned out to be your basic shells with cheese sauce, with added grilled chicken it came to be $14.5. The portion size was small, not what I would expect from a chain pasta place. I did not leave with leftovers, neither did anyone else. We were all surprised at the size compared to the price of the plates. Our pastas came with side salads, either garden or Caesar. Their Caesar salad came heavily dressed and was heavy on spicy mustard. One of our salads came out wrong. The only reason I wanted to try Carrabba's was for the sangria. I had the peach which was good but had an old strawberry bobbing around inside with a lemon wedge. The wine must be watered down because after their mid portion, which is a glass and a half, I didn't even feel a buzz. Overall, a pasta with a salad, an order of mozz sticks (looked greasy, were said to be just ok), a side salad and a glass and a half of sangria set us back $50. We won't be back and I should've known better.
(2)
Kris G.
I love some Italian food and they normally don't disappoint when it comes to the food. Service is another story, its hit or miss to say the least. We come here often because my husband loves this food and most of the time services is lacking. The food is normally pretty decent obviously not homemade Italian but not terrible. For being a chain restaurant their not bad.
(3)
Scott M.
Ok...I know it's a chain. My expectations were low. But it was late when I made the hotel. How bad could it be. My first pizza had to be remade because the waitress spilled someone's salad on it. The replacement came out cold. How does a replacement that was "freshly made" be cold? Don't know but it was. Pizza number three tasted good but by that time I was just irritated.
(1)
A.J. P.
In my opinion, overpriced and you get a very small serving for your money. Food is bland. Will not be back!
(2)
Heidi K.
Unfortunately for this location, it's another case of not that great of service because we look young. *sigh* My husband and I went here on our wedding anniversary last year. It was overpriced for the quality of their food. I MUCH prefer Olive Garden. Their olive oil dipping sauce is gross and nothing about this place really stuck out to me as good.
(2)
Sasha H.
Good food, but again, super green adolescents are servers here, so expect appropriate service.
(3)
mina s.
Very nice feel, food is outstanding, I went few times and every time I ordered it was very good, if you like grilled food this is place to go, and it is a very welcoming restaurant.
(5)
Sandy H.
What an unpleasant experience! I ordered by phone to pick up. When I arrived, the reserved pick up spots were full so I took the next spot in line...a handicap spot( don't worry...I have a handicap sticker). I sat for 10 minutes with no one acknowledging me. One of the reserved spots came open so I moved. No one came to check on me there after 3 minutes so I went in. I noticed a red car with no one in it taking up a reserved spot. I was told first of all they did not see me in the handicapped spot right next to he last reserved space and secondly the empty car belonged to the manager/ owner...OSCAR. I asked to see OSCAR. He sent a girl out with his keys to move his car. I stated that was nice but I would like to speak to OSCAR. Finally he came and said....I had my car moved...What is your problem....My problem ,I stated , is you are an owner....you should know better than to park in the pick up spaces and from the comments I just heard from your staff...you do it all the time. My food is cold because I could not get service from one space down from your car. His response and I quote. " I own this place and I will park any where I want to. I don't care who likes it". I was shocked!!! I promised him to never return to HIS Restaurant and to tell everyone I can or his arrogance and lack of customer respect and service! I give one star because the franchise is a good one. I love their food....but service is KEY to a dining experience and there is a true lack of it there STARTING AT THE TOP! Since my post I have not heard back from corporate or Oscars Boss....guess they don't care.....If you are wanting Carrabbas great food but do not want the service or attitude of management in North Charleston....go to Mt. Pleasant...they are awesome!
(1)
Aaron R.
To start, I'd like to give this 3.5 stars, but can't see myself giving a chain restaurant 4. They're my feelings, don't judge. So there I was, stranded in a hotel, in a humid state which I knew precisely 1 person that was unavailable. Peering through my window watching sheets of rain fall through the 80 degree air, I saw Carrabba's within walking distance. I phoned in my order of manicotti and their Limoncello Bread Pudding. Walked over (yes walked) and was helped by a very attentive, kind (and cute) staff member. Got my food and scurried back to my hotel room. Salad came out of a bag, no doubt about that Manicotti was good, hot, flavorful, but definitely not my mom's Bread pudding was AMAZING. No joke. Specifically called my friend who lives their to tell her she had to try it. Overall a good experience, not top notch, but much better than an Olive Garden
(3)
Michele A.
I hadn't been to a Carrabba's in about 10 years and now I know why. The atmosphere is on the silly side, the waiter couldn't care less about his job, and the food was the very definition of bland. However, with an appetizer and two entrees our bill came out to $20 or so which blew our minds. It is ridiculously cheap food, but it also tastes like cheap food. I will not be returning to a Carrabba's for probably another 10 years when I again find myself stuck at a hotel near a mall on the verge of starvation.
(1)
Jamie M.
Yeah, I know this is a chain, but I'd never heard of them until I came out here, since there aren't any on the west coast. They're pretty comparable to Olive Garden in their price and menu offerings but there were a few minor differences in our meals. Instead of breadsticks, they offer a traditional crusty loaf bread, with olive oil for dipping. Their minestrone soup is chicken broth based, so it tastes more like chicken noodle soup than minestrone to me. Their red sauce (I had manicotti) also, tastes a little sweet to me, which isn't my favorite way of having a red sauce. Our service was great and while I still like OG better, I wouldn't be opposed to going here again. They're located at Northwoods Mall, almost right next door to an OG, so you have your choice.
(3)
Amanda H.
We had visited this location previously for a Yelp event and won a gift card, so we ventured back in to test out their new menu and recently renovated restaurant. For starters, we had the Arancini appetizer, which was pretty good. I am a big fan of these, but not of their marinara dipping sauce. It's too chunky for a dip, IMO. While I thought the bread was amazing (it was soft and fresh), my husband thought it was undercooked and not nearly crunchy enough on the outside. So, there's that. I supposed a lot of this depends on what you prefer, but I thought my ceasar salad was terrible. It was mostly the lighter lettuce and those clear-ish inner parts, such as iceberg, which I am NOT a fan of. They did let me add tomatoes, which was nice. I would have enjoyed it so much more if it had been a dark leaf or red leaf romaine. Their dressing is also pretty thick, so be careful when askign for extras - you basically have to spread it on there. I ordered the Chicken Bryan, which was great, as always. I am a sucker for anything with goat cheese. My spouse ordered some sort of Chicken Alfredo that he wasn't thrilled with. The chicken was plain and the pasta sauce was just alfredo - nothing special. For dessert, we always get that super chocolate-y tower of mousse and chocolate cakey goodness. While our portion seemed considerably smaller than usual, we took it to go and went about our way. The service was decent. We went an hour before close and the waitstaff were sweeping right next to us as we ate, which really grosses me out. All in all, it was alright. I think we are going to stick to ordering carside to go.
(3)
Kristen K.
Love this place and due to health cannot get out much, but Carrabba's always makes the list.... Except today *frown* Was having lunch with family friends, fried zucchini- superb. Service, wonderful, polite, & patient with my medical needs. Downfall: treated myself with the amazing Steak Marsala. Needed to take home after eating the app. No worries b/c I had cut it in half to check doneness and it's perfectly cooked. Unfortunately, I cut the wrong half! Who knew?! Literally as I cut into big chunks once home and half of the darn steak is gristle. HALF! I 'get' having some fat; fat=flavor.... But half??? Feeling completely let down. This was a big deal to go out. I used coveted gift certificates and gave server a high tip as well. Feeling deceived. Not nice Carrabba's! Not nice!
(2)
Alondra R.
This is a restaurant that you expect descent service. My family and I came in to have dinner and Unfortunately this place was a total disappointment. We visited the location in Mount Pleasant and they have the same exact problem. Tonight Our waiter seemed like he was not there very strange! We asked for refills and never got them. At the end it took him time to finally give us our check. Only plus must say food was great just a little over priced. I mean is not a steak house ! right?! Overall we will try a local italian place to eat next time. When in craving italian food!
(3)
Evelyn E.
Tried out their Amore Mondays for three course meal at 12.99. got lasagna, lentil and sausage soup and mini cannoli and total came out to 13.26. It was so delicious. will definently try it again. However i made online order and went to pick it up and it was never made somehow it got deleted so I had to wait for them to make it.
(4)
Babes S.
We went on a Sunday evening and the place was about 40% full, so was a little skeptical about how the food and service would be. But for being a chain restaurant, our experience surprisingly ended up being one of the more pleasant dinners of the vacation. Our server Ryan was very attentive and friendly, along with the rest of the staff(very friendly and actually seemed to like their job). Food was decent. The bread was fresh, and the herbs they use with the bread seems fresh, added with olive oil was perfect. Anna got the manicotti, and I got a lasagna and chicken parm with garlic mashed. The dinner itself was average, prob about a 3 star. Overall good experience.
(4)
Kyle S.
I love the setting of this place. We had a booth under the ivy and it was really awesome. We could see the food being made! I love me some bread and oil which they had. The food was ok. I think that they had food that was far more sophisticated than I'm used to. I had goat cheese chicken.....I don't think I like goat cheese. I had the chicken trio which was really good! I want to go back!
(4)
Erik D.
EXCELLENT SERVICE! i walked in at 1045pm (near closing time), was provided with prompt, professional service from my server, Paul, excellent quality dinner, and will definitely return when I'm in the Charleston, SC area! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
(5)
Emmelia Z.
To be honest about Carrabba's Italian Grill - their overall performance is better than Olive Garden. With Carrabba's, they take pride in the overall performance of the prepration of the food and the doors open at 4pm in the evening because they began preparing their foods in a mornings. Like the person said preivously, Carrabba's prices are not like Olive Garden's... they are actually more in cost. The reason why is because their foods have more in quality. The Olive Garden meals are horrible and kind of "pre-made". The servers at Carrabba's take more pride in how their guests are treated. Carrabba's has the open kitchen so you can see how they prepare your food and the OG doesn't -- if you knew what goes on behind those doors, you'd go to Carrabba's. Trust me... I KNOW FIRST HAND!
(4)
Arturo G.
I do know this is not 100% really Italian food but I have to say that the food is really good. The service is one of the best never had a problem, never ran out of sweet tea, everything we need the waiter is there. Great place to take your family, friends, girlfriend or any special occasion. I recommend you to make a reservation on special holidays or else you would have to wait a long time.
(5)
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Address :2150 Northwoods Blvd,Bldg 100
N. Charleston, SC, 29406
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Romantic Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Hannah T.
Having used to work at Carrabba's in Florida it's still my fall back. I travel a lot for work so I know I can always rely on Carrabba's for a great meal! Seafood, steak, pasta, or pizza it's all great. The service as always was great and speedy. Very friendly servers and food timed perfectly. The only reason I'm not giving the 5th star is the sauce was pretty watery on my cavatapi martino. It's a tomato cream sauce which is usually really nice and thick and a little on the chunky side. Having it thinner made it a little more bland than it should be. Other than that, great as always!
(4)Kathy G.
I eat here often when I am in North Charleston for business. The food is very good. Tea is weak like water. Service is hit or miss. Tonight, nice waitress but barely good service. The wait people were huddled around bar area talking about GPAs and other stuff that had nothing to do with getting service done for their patrons. The Chicken Ryan was as god as usual and the sauce is very good or the pasta. I love the crispy bread. My waitress let my tea get very low as in empty and then waited on another table prior to getting my refill which is always irritating. Having traveled for 24 years with work, I sure could train wait staff how to get good tips.
(3)Kat R.
The service here was great, but the food left us wishing we ate elsewhere. The only items that were really great were the bread, tomato soup, and green beans. Everything else was either not cooked properly, ingredients didn't taste fresh, or something felt like it was missing in general.
(3)Elizabeth U.
Being a server, I was very excited to have a night off my feet and order take out with a Carrabbas gift card I received as a gift. I got the chicken Parmesan and my husband got another chicken dish as well. According to him, his turned out OK. MY chicken parm tasted funny and I thought something was off so I turned the chicken over and it was completely black and burned. The only marinara sauce I got with the meal was what was put on the chicken and the noodles were a VERY small portion. I've had other good experiences at different Carrabbas so I hope this was a fluke, but I'm definitely not going back to that location.
(2)Lynwood M.
Carrabba's has good good at an affordable price. I have been here for dinner and came back for lunch. The hostess was personable and remembered me and other guests. The Ceasar salad is great as well as most chicken dishes.
(4)Ruby G.
Amore Monday...3 courses for $12, $15, or $18 We just recently were invited to a tasting of the new Pasta Seconds menu for being a part of the Amici Club. The Amici Club is Carrabba's email club. It takes two seconds to join and you stay up to date on all new menu items, occasional free appetizer or dessert coupons, and invitations to tastings. The Mahi Wulfe and Clam Linguine were my favorites. The Mahi Wulfe is a girlled piece of mahi topped with lemon butter, artichokes and sun dried tomatoes. The mahi was perfectly cooked with great grill marks and the lemon butter added the perfect light citurs touch. Our service was great. The manager routinely checked on us, our servers described each dish in detail. Everyone was very attentive to any of our needs. Overall, we had a great experience.
(4)Mackenzie B.
It was my birthday. My husband and I ordered food "to go" at the bar. (By the way, awesome happy hour). We get home and realize we're missing an entrée. I called them to let them know what happened and they not only recooked both meals, they included free dessert. What a treat! Thank you, Carrabba's staff.
(5)Banana S.
We were given bread to start, which was quite good. The bread was served warm, with a very soft center and crispy exterior. We shared a Quattro Formaggi Roman-Style Pizza as an appetizer. The crust was nice and crispy, but the pizza was a bit on the salty side (Yes, I'm a aware that pizza is salty, but this was saltier than your average pizza). Overall, the pizza had decent flavor. For my entree, I had the Procutto-Wrapped Shrimp. The presentation left a lot to be desired. This dish was super salty and greasy! There was not enough pasta to offset the heaviness of the wrapped shrimp. The shrimp had a nice underlying grill taste, but it was drowned out by all the salt. My husband had the Lobster Mac & Cheese. This was a huge disappointment. This dish was bland in flavor and barely had any cheese. Most of the pasta was naked and the lobster tasted like canned tuna. Final Thoughts: Decor and service are average. As a chain restaurant this a slight step above most. Set expectations low and you won't be disappointed.
(3)Zohra B.
Never a huge fan of chains, but decided to try this out because I had a gift card from a Yelp event here. We sat at the bar area, and the bartender was very knowledgeable about the various wines we asked about. Decided to go with the Italian Red Sangria. Love this drink. They add brandy to it - and it gives it a really good and different flavor. We had the Mussels for an appetizer, was very good. Nice flavor, they could have let the mussels soak a little more in the juice, but all in all - it wasnt bad. The bread that they give you is really very good. nice and crispy on the outside, fluffy and soft on the inside. We decided to go with the 3 course special for $15.99 and share it. For our main course we had the Shrimp and Scallop Linguine Alla Vodka. WOW. delicious!!! and the serving was way more than enough to share. I like the new way they redid the restaurant, the ambiance is very laid back and nice. The food was much better than I had expected (for a chain...IMO)
(3)Robii M.
I've been dinning at Carrabbas since I was about 11 years old, I'm 23 now. Carrabbas is awesome, I always get the Pasta Wessie with a yummy Cesar Salad. I love how fresh the pasta taste seriously awesome! I'd be really surprised if they didn't make their pasta homemade and by homemade I mean by with a pasta maker. I hate (Box Pasta Quality) and this is Great Quality. You can taste the wine in the dishes (food) as well it gives it such umph. When I'm only craving salad I love just order a Cesar and overly enjoy the warm bread with oil and herbs, and water with lemons. I have noticed that the portions of food seems to be getting smaller over the years, but that's not to say you won't be full because you will be,(I always have leftovers) however I can tell the portions are a bit smaller. Overall still my favorite place for hubby and I to dine after all these years.
(5)Alison M.
Servers were good but got some raw chicken. They gave us another plate but nothing off the bill. Expected more.
(1)Kate O.
Waiter spilled my entire lemonade all over me, and then still charged me for it. I had to get on a plane right after my lunch and was a sticky mess! Manager came over & apologized, said our check would be taken care of...but only took $10 off! House salad was an all mayonnaise dressing. Disgusting. Chicken ravioli was pretty decent. Overall... Not impressed. How do u not comp a check after a situation like this?
(1)Mark J.
I hadn't eaten here in a while, but after a recent Yelp event, I was re-interested in the food served at Carrabba's Italian Grill. I often mistake this place for one of the "fast casual" dining restaurants like Applebees, and Ruby Tuesdays... I have to say that the meals I've had here recently have been fantastic. They seem to be much more real and wholesome than the salt-sugar-fat foods you'll get in any of those other chain restaurants. Whole basil leaves on our caprese. Fresh olive oils. Clean, well prepared foods. The atmosphere is just right: being bright enough to enjoy yourself, but dark enough to feel cosy and private. I enjoy my meals every time, and if I didn't I know they would fix the food or make it right, and at the end of the day, that's all I can ask for from a restaurant.
(4)Jess L.
In the seven years that I've lived in the area, this was probably the third time I've been to this restaurant...and it was probably the best visit. We spoke with the current manager, and he said that they has just remodeled and even closed off the patio dining area-it's now part of the indoor dining. The service we received was great on this night! We were seated right away and servers were always there, always proactive with refills and disposing of unneeded cups/plates. The ambiance was very soft and inviting and the noise level wasn't near as bad as I remember it being. People often compare it to Olive Garden. Well, that is somewhat warranted. They are both Italian-ish and both located right next to each other, but for me that's where the similarities end. I will say I thought Carrabbas has better food, but Olive Garden takes the cake as far as the bread sticks and Alfredo dipping sauce are concerned. I didn't care at all for their bread here, but that's just me. I really like the sirloin skewers, though I did hear others complain that it was too salty. Mine wasn't though, and I enjoyed it! I guess the biggest downside, for me, is that when we decide to go out to eat, this isn't usually the location we head off to. Between Summerville, Mt P, and obviously downtown Charleston, this area just usually isn't a priority/an option/a thought. BUT, this was a good experience and I would definitely go again if we were in the area!
(4)Sheila B.
I'm from Chicago, IL and we don't have a Carrabbas in Chicago proper. So, when my sister, my mother and I were looking for a restaurant on our first night in Charleston, SC we decided to stop in. The food smelled delicious and our greeter was very friendly. He suggested an entree that was chicken with goat cheese and I ordered it with sautéed spinach. It was excellent! My mother and I aren't heavy eaters, so we usually split an entree and it was enough for both of us. The manager was so very nice. Because my mother is 93 yrs. old he decided to give her a complimentary desert. I ordered Tiramisu for her and for me and he gave both of us desert free of charge. I really enjoy the food here and I'll be going back. It's a little far, but one day I'll drive out, so I can experience that chicken, again.
(5)Sandy W.
Best Italian in North Charleston. Well, Genneros is great too. Carrabas is always very nice about making a special order for me that they don't even have on the menu. Yummy.
(5)Avis F.
The staff was very nice & it seemed clean enough, but come on....this is not Italian food. I lived in San Francisco for 30 years, I've had some excellent Italian food. Unfortunately, this food doesn't bear even a passing resemblance. The food is too salty & the entree comes way before you're done with the starter. If you want to eat at a chain restaurant get a Maggianos for Charleston area, at least their food is Italian and edible.
(1)S S.
Was in town from California. Family was in the area and decided to come here for some appetizers and drinks. Calamari was good. The soup of the day was the Tomato Bisque. It looked delicious. They also ask if you want freshly grated cheese on top. That made it look even better. I got the small Chicken Marsala with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and a house salad. The house salad was good. The dressing was cheesy. The Chicken Marsala was alright. Chicken was juicy so that's good. The Marsala sauce didn't wow me. The garlic mashed potatoes were whatever. Had a few bites and left it alone. Our server was very attentive with our drinks. I barely took a sip of my refill and she already had another glass ready to go.
(3)Lindsay H.
My boyfriend and I went here for dinner and had a very nice time. The food we ordered (lasagna and Carrabbas Fettuccine) arrived at our table with little wait and were both excellent meals. Our waiter Charles H. Was personable, friendly, and attentive to what our table needed. Our drinks were often refilled and we enjoyed some pleasant conversation with him. :) I would recommend Carrabbas and if you can get Charles as a waiter you will have an excellent evening.
(4)Richard C.
Had a great meal service was a little slow but the food was amazing! Had the Chicken Bryan with garlic mash and a Caesar salad. Just amazing!
(4)Aleks K.
We dined here as a party of 9 - 5 adults and 4 kids. When you first come into the restaurant all you smell is cheap Parmesan cheese. The restaurant is currently under construction yet it's still open. To me, this is blatant restaurant chain greed. To think that it's fine to be open and have customers dine in a construction zone is embarrassing. It wasn't just one section that was taped off, there was exposed dry wall in several places. I came here unknowingly and was with a large group so we stayed. The bread was pale, the barely baked and frozen variety. I liked the seasoning mix for the oil dip, I will give them that. I tried the calamari, which were really good and came with a side of tomato sauce. We were off to a mixed start. I had a hard time choosing what to order since everything seemed to be wood grilled or have mushrooms. The menu has all Italian names, like a vocabulary lesson. Don't get me wrong, I know my pasta shape definitions but I don't want to butcher them out loud. I had the Conchiglie ai Formaggi, which even the waitress said she couldn't pronounce, don't make people feel stupid Carrabba's. Turned out to be your basic shells with cheese sauce, with added grilled chicken it came to be $14.5. The portion size was small, not what I would expect from a chain pasta place. I did not leave with leftovers, neither did anyone else. We were all surprised at the size compared to the price of the plates. Our pastas came with side salads, either garden or Caesar. Their Caesar salad came heavily dressed and was heavy on spicy mustard. One of our salads came out wrong. The only reason I wanted to try Carrabba's was for the sangria. I had the peach which was good but had an old strawberry bobbing around inside with a lemon wedge. The wine must be watered down because after their mid portion, which is a glass and a half, I didn't even feel a buzz. Overall, a pasta with a salad, an order of mozz sticks (looked greasy, were said to be just ok), a side salad and a glass and a half of sangria set us back $50. We won't be back and I should've known better.
(2)Kris G.
I love some Italian food and they normally don't disappoint when it comes to the food. Service is another story, its hit or miss to say the least. We come here often because my husband loves this food and most of the time services is lacking. The food is normally pretty decent obviously not homemade Italian but not terrible. For being a chain restaurant their not bad.
(3)Scott M.
Ok...I know it's a chain. My expectations were low. But it was late when I made the hotel. How bad could it be. My first pizza had to be remade because the waitress spilled someone's salad on it. The replacement came out cold. How does a replacement that was "freshly made" be cold? Don't know but it was. Pizza number three tasted good but by that time I was just irritated.
(1)A.J. P.
In my opinion, overpriced and you get a very small serving for your money. Food is bland. Will not be back!
(2)Heidi K.
Unfortunately for this location, it's another case of not that great of service because we look young. *sigh* My husband and I went here on our wedding anniversary last year. It was overpriced for the quality of their food. I MUCH prefer Olive Garden. Their olive oil dipping sauce is gross and nothing about this place really stuck out to me as good.
(2)Sasha H.
Good food, but again, super green adolescents are servers here, so expect appropriate service.
(3)mina s.
Very nice feel, food is outstanding, I went few times and every time I ordered it was very good, if you like grilled food this is place to go, and it is a very welcoming restaurant.
(5)Sandy H.
What an unpleasant experience! I ordered by phone to pick up. When I arrived, the reserved pick up spots were full so I took the next spot in line...a handicap spot( don't worry...I have a handicap sticker). I sat for 10 minutes with no one acknowledging me. One of the reserved spots came open so I moved. No one came to check on me there after 3 minutes so I went in. I noticed a red car with no one in it taking up a reserved spot. I was told first of all they did not see me in the handicapped spot right next to he last reserved space and secondly the empty car belonged to the manager/ owner...OSCAR. I asked to see OSCAR. He sent a girl out with his keys to move his car. I stated that was nice but I would like to speak to OSCAR. Finally he came and said....I had my car moved...What is your problem....My problem ,I stated , is you are an owner....you should know better than to park in the pick up spaces and from the comments I just heard from your staff...you do it all the time. My food is cold because I could not get service from one space down from your car. His response and I quote. " I own this place and I will park any where I want to. I don't care who likes it". I was shocked!!! I promised him to never return to HIS Restaurant and to tell everyone I can or his arrogance and lack of customer respect and service! I give one star because the franchise is a good one. I love their food....but service is KEY to a dining experience and there is a true lack of it there STARTING AT THE TOP! Since my post I have not heard back from corporate or Oscars Boss....guess they don't care.....If you are wanting Carrabbas great food but do not want the service or attitude of management in North Charleston....go to Mt. Pleasant...they are awesome!
(1)Aaron R.
To start, I'd like to give this 3.5 stars, but can't see myself giving a chain restaurant 4. They're my feelings, don't judge. So there I was, stranded in a hotel, in a humid state which I knew precisely 1 person that was unavailable. Peering through my window watching sheets of rain fall through the 80 degree air, I saw Carrabba's within walking distance. I phoned in my order of manicotti and their Limoncello Bread Pudding. Walked over (yes walked) and was helped by a very attentive, kind (and cute) staff member. Got my food and scurried back to my hotel room. Salad came out of a bag, no doubt about that Manicotti was good, hot, flavorful, but definitely not my mom's Bread pudding was AMAZING. No joke. Specifically called my friend who lives their to tell her she had to try it. Overall a good experience, not top notch, but much better than an Olive Garden
(3)Michele A.
I hadn't been to a Carrabba's in about 10 years and now I know why. The atmosphere is on the silly side, the waiter couldn't care less about his job, and the food was the very definition of bland. However, with an appetizer and two entrees our bill came out to $20 or so which blew our minds. It is ridiculously cheap food, but it also tastes like cheap food. I will not be returning to a Carrabba's for probably another 10 years when I again find myself stuck at a hotel near a mall on the verge of starvation.
(1)Jamie M.
Yeah, I know this is a chain, but I'd never heard of them until I came out here, since there aren't any on the west coast. They're pretty comparable to Olive Garden in their price and menu offerings but there were a few minor differences in our meals. Instead of breadsticks, they offer a traditional crusty loaf bread, with olive oil for dipping. Their minestrone soup is chicken broth based, so it tastes more like chicken noodle soup than minestrone to me. Their red sauce (I had manicotti) also, tastes a little sweet to me, which isn't my favorite way of having a red sauce. Our service was great and while I still like OG better, I wouldn't be opposed to going here again. They're located at Northwoods Mall, almost right next door to an OG, so you have your choice.
(3)Amanda H.
We had visited this location previously for a Yelp event and won a gift card, so we ventured back in to test out their new menu and recently renovated restaurant. For starters, we had the Arancini appetizer, which was pretty good. I am a big fan of these, but not of their marinara dipping sauce. It's too chunky for a dip, IMO. While I thought the bread was amazing (it was soft and fresh), my husband thought it was undercooked and not nearly crunchy enough on the outside. So, there's that. I supposed a lot of this depends on what you prefer, but I thought my ceasar salad was terrible. It was mostly the lighter lettuce and those clear-ish inner parts, such as iceberg, which I am NOT a fan of. They did let me add tomatoes, which was nice. I would have enjoyed it so much more if it had been a dark leaf or red leaf romaine. Their dressing is also pretty thick, so be careful when askign for extras - you basically have to spread it on there. I ordered the Chicken Bryan, which was great, as always. I am a sucker for anything with goat cheese. My spouse ordered some sort of Chicken Alfredo that he wasn't thrilled with. The chicken was plain and the pasta sauce was just alfredo - nothing special. For dessert, we always get that super chocolate-y tower of mousse and chocolate cakey goodness. While our portion seemed considerably smaller than usual, we took it to go and went about our way. The service was decent. We went an hour before close and the waitstaff were sweeping right next to us as we ate, which really grosses me out. All in all, it was alright. I think we are going to stick to ordering carside to go.
(3)Kristen K.
Love this place and due to health cannot get out much, but Carrabba's always makes the list.... Except today *frown* Was having lunch with family friends, fried zucchini- superb. Service, wonderful, polite, & patient with my medical needs. Downfall: treated myself with the amazing Steak Marsala. Needed to take home after eating the app. No worries b/c I had cut it in half to check doneness and it's perfectly cooked. Unfortunately, I cut the wrong half! Who knew?! Literally as I cut into big chunks once home and half of the darn steak is gristle. HALF! I 'get' having some fat; fat=flavor.... But half??? Feeling completely let down. This was a big deal to go out. I used coveted gift certificates and gave server a high tip as well. Feeling deceived. Not nice Carrabba's! Not nice!
(2)Alondra R.
This is a restaurant that you expect descent service. My family and I came in to have dinner and Unfortunately this place was a total disappointment. We visited the location in Mount Pleasant and they have the same exact problem. Tonight Our waiter seemed like he was not there very strange! We asked for refills and never got them. At the end it took him time to finally give us our check. Only plus must say food was great just a little over priced. I mean is not a steak house ! right?! Overall we will try a local italian place to eat next time. When in craving italian food!
(3)Evelyn E.
Tried out their Amore Mondays for three course meal at 12.99. got lasagna, lentil and sausage soup and mini cannoli and total came out to 13.26. It was so delicious. will definently try it again. However i made online order and went to pick it up and it was never made somehow it got deleted so I had to wait for them to make it.
(4)Babes S.
We went on a Sunday evening and the place was about 40% full, so was a little skeptical about how the food and service would be. But for being a chain restaurant, our experience surprisingly ended up being one of the more pleasant dinners of the vacation. Our server Ryan was very attentive and friendly, along with the rest of the staff(very friendly and actually seemed to like their job). Food was decent. The bread was fresh, and the herbs they use with the bread seems fresh, added with olive oil was perfect. Anna got the manicotti, and I got a lasagna and chicken parm with garlic mashed. The dinner itself was average, prob about a 3 star. Overall good experience.
(4)Kyle S.
I love the setting of this place. We had a booth under the ivy and it was really awesome. We could see the food being made! I love me some bread and oil which they had. The food was ok. I think that they had food that was far more sophisticated than I'm used to. I had goat cheese chicken.....I don't think I like goat cheese. I had the chicken trio which was really good! I want to go back!
(4)Erik D.
EXCELLENT SERVICE! i walked in at 1045pm (near closing time), was provided with prompt, professional service from my server, Paul, excellent quality dinner, and will definitely return when I'm in the Charleston, SC area! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
(5)Emmelia Z.
To be honest about Carrabba's Italian Grill - their overall performance is better than Olive Garden. With Carrabba's, they take pride in the overall performance of the prepration of the food and the doors open at 4pm in the evening because they began preparing their foods in a mornings. Like the person said preivously, Carrabba's prices are not like Olive Garden's... they are actually more in cost. The reason why is because their foods have more in quality. The Olive Garden meals are horrible and kind of "pre-made". The servers at Carrabba's take more pride in how their guests are treated. Carrabba's has the open kitchen so you can see how they prepare your food and the OG doesn't -- if you knew what goes on behind those doors, you'd go to Carrabba's. Trust me... I KNOW FIRST HAND!
(4)Arturo G.
I do know this is not 100% really Italian food but I have to say that the food is really good. The service is one of the best never had a problem, never ran out of sweet tea, everything we need the waiter is there. Great place to take your family, friends, girlfriend or any special occasion. I recommend you to make a reservation on special holidays or else you would have to wait a long time.
(5)