Restaurant setting is quirky but not in a negative way. Decor is unique - lots of 'authentic' black and white Italian photos. Our waitress (Ashley) was very friendly but service was fairly slow (possibly due to volume of people in restaurant). Food quality is average at best. Meatballs are fried rather than baked and came to the table luke warm and greasy. Bread did not appear very fresh. My entree (sausage and chicken ziti or something to that effect) was way too saucy and similar to a frozen meal you would microwave from walmart. The worst part of the entire meal was the check. $135 without tip for 2 adults and 2 kids ($160 with 20% tip). Admittedly we had 3 beers, one dessert and an after dinner drink but with the sub-par quality of the food, I would have traded the entire meal for a Pizza and a 6 pack and saved $100.
(2)
Samantha P.
I believe this was my first time to this location (or it has been a crazy long time) but I was very skeptical going into it all after a very awkward and unpleasant visit at another central Indiana Buca location...but it just goes to show that the people at a location can make all the difference. We ended up using Buca di Beppo for my rehearsal dinner at the suggestion of my sister-in-law, it was a place we could all agree upon that allowed for planned ahead reservations for a larger number. Let me start by saying the sales/booking process was great! They really have that down and take the group dining seriously. We first worked with a general sales person and then were eventually given a local sales contact for all other necessary questions and details. Stephanie at the local level was fantastic! She answered a lot of e-mails when my family brought up questions and helped us feel prepared going into it. My husband and I had to pick the menu since no one else would, haha, and it was tough as we had not been to any Buca's in some time. We tried to get ones that sounded like many different people would like. The day arrives and it is true that the entrance is strange and you will likely have to pay for parking (it is in the heart of downtown...) but we didn't care because we just wanted to relax and eat after the rehearsal. We get there and they won't let anyone sit until I show up since I booked it (whoops, some of my party had to wait a bit since I was the last to leave the wedding venue). But once we were there, everything went so smoothly. They took us to our area that was reserved, plenty of servers started taking drink orders (our head server was AWESOME, I wish I remembered his name) and bread and salads came quickly. I was very impressed with the flow of the meal, it was all fast but not too fast and they accommodated me wanting to surprise my brother-in-law with a small birthday cake since that day was his actual birthday and he had to spend it with me for my wedding. They made a big deal of it and let us serve cake, it was great. The food choices we had, from what I remember, were very good, sadly, I was suffering from the typical bridal nerves and didn't eat a ton but everything I did try was delicious. I actually got a lot of compliments from the guests. Especially the pesto chicken pasta and chocolate chip cannoli, mmmm. I also enjoyed a few glasses of sangria thanks to my man of honor, hehe. They were prompt with clean up and didn't say anything as some family members stayed and talked. All in all, I would definitely recommend Buca di Beppo for a large dining event like a rehearsal dinner if you are looking for a place in downtown Indy that won't break your bank!
(5)
Courtney P.
Just stopped in here last night on a recommendation from a friend. The service was excellent and very attentive and the food portions were huge-- we both left stuffed! The family-style dining is really nice, too. In all though, probably won't be back anytime soon. The food was pretty unremarkable. The garlic bread was amazing and the broccoli side was pretty good. My boyfriend enjoyed the chicken/pasta dish we ordered, despite the fact that the pasta was undercooked while the chicken was overcooked. A solid 3-star experience :)
(3)
Carrie G.
Wonderful food! They give you huge portions, so be prepared to share with everyone! The small portions easily fed three of us. We ordered the baked Ziti which was good- but the vegetable lasagna was perfect! Cheesy and good and full of veggies! Our waiter was very attentive and energetic. It was kind of fun walking through the maze of corridors. :)
(5)
Kevin F.
I really like the food here. Spaghetti and Meatballs is one of my favorite.
(4)
Peter P.
This is the type of "Italian" restaurant that makes mothers in the old country cringe. There's so much kitsch on the walls (pictures of the pope, priests playing volleyball, nuns, etc.) and the cheesy Godfather-esque music. There's also a kind of funk in the air that I can't put my finger on. The smell made me a little nauseous (it may have something to do with the amount of garlic they put in their food and the enclosed space). We must have been one of the first customers of the day (arrived around 11:30 AM) and the bread that they brought out was stale and room temperature. Our server was obviously new (he later said that he used to be a cook and wanted to get out of the kitchen) as he was unfamiliar with the menu and my order came out without chicken (he was friendly enough though). My caesar salad came out before the entree (which is how I wanted it) but then when my entree came out, there was another caesar salad on the plate (they let me keep it). The alfredo sauce on my rigatoni had about as much flavor as the sole of my shoe. Also, there was hardly any on my plate. The server (ex-cook) noticed and brought me a little bowl of additional alfredo sauce but, it too, had zero flavor. My dining partner's drink was never refilled until we got our check. The only reason I come here anymore is it's less than 2 blocks from work, and my co-worker likes it (and I had a coupon for a free entree). Otherwise, what's the point?
(2)
Brittany S.
Let me start off by saying that Buca is a great business for large groups - especially meetings in which you need a more private space. The restaurant has a way of being both spacious and cozy at the same time. The pros of Buca: -fast service -budget-friendly prices (especially when you find coupons) -Italian music swirling overhead -tasty salads The cons: -lacks an authentic vibe - almost like a Disney-style version of Italy (don't get me wrong, Disney and I are like (this)) -sauces lean on the Ragu-ish side of things - which can be perfect for those days where you might be hankering for some guilt-ridden pasta
(3)
Just Us ..
Craving some spaghetti in this meat and potato town and ran into Bucas. I wish I wrote down the name of the person who took my order, he was very friendly and polite (this comes as a surprise to me after all the covert racism I came across in town). I want to give them a 5 star just for his service... unfortunately the food was the usual fair and not something spectacular.
(3)
Laquetta D.
Don't see what the hype about this place was about. I was very disappointed and frustrated. It was too crowded (everyone who was getting married this weekend all decided to come on the same night). The layout of the place was confusing. I felt like I was going through a maze. My service was not good. Had to ask repeatedly for refills I didn't receive. To top it off; now I'm a former waitress so I know a thing or two about serving and the culture if it but I was annoyed by the fact that my waitress received a $30 tip by default (our party was more than 6) and I feel like because she knew she was getting that automatically she didn't take care of business. I won't be back. I'm hesitant to try the greenwood location. Really disappointed by the whole experience. O and I get the whole nostalgia theme with the pictures but do I really need to be looking at naked behinds while I'm eating??! No, don't think I do.
(1)
J F.
After waiting for 45 minutes after our reservation without a seat, we left. The wait in the kitchen did allow for a great view of food sitting on the warmer for 20+ minutes. This management staff clearly has no idea how to handle high volume peaks.
(1)
Mandy M.
So bad.. Not worth the money.. I felt like I was in an episode of Kitchen Nightmares! So disappointing.. Microwaved food and the worst Artichoke dip Iv ever had.
(1)
Liz K.
If Buca di Beppo was a theater show, I'd describe it as having a lackluster performance. I can't really think of a better way to describe it. Mary, you were a great waitress and your service deserves higher stars. But the food and some other elements of the meal left a lot to be desired; for example, my wine glass smelled like pure bleach. Not the first impression I was looking for. There were 5 of us dining, and so we opted for a small salad and three small pasta dishes. One (the penne a la vodka) was wrong, so we had to send that back. Once it came back, the seafood smell was overwhelming in the worst way possible. The Penne San Remo looked fantastic in the picture but had no flavor at all, despite the artichoke, chicken, and peas that you would think would do the trick. The lasagna was ok, but the end of it was clearly overcooked as evidenced by my rubbery noodle. On the bright side, they listened to our request to not have the birthday song sung for my mom, but by then we were very much over the bland food we had eaten. Plus, our quiet corner was infiltrated by a group of 12 teenagers who were really excited to yell at one another across the table. Yay. If you absolutely love Italian style food, it may be worth a try - but if you're more concerned with flavor and quality, I'd look elsewhere.
(2)
Charla C.
Recently we came as a family during the holiday season. Family style meals are always a plus with a large group but I wouldn't necessarily call this authentic Italian. Not meant to be insulting but the food is a half step up from Olive Garden. The layout of the restaurant is a pain too. It's a maze. We needed help getting from our table to the restroom and back. But overall it got the job done. Plenty of food for a large group at a fair rate.
(3)
Jason R.
I recently went to Buca di Beppo for my friend Beth's birthday and it was, without a doubt, the worst dining experience of my life. I'm not usually a negative person, and I tend to give most eateries the benefit of the doubt (see most of my other reviews), but this night could not have gone much worse. We arrived at 7:30 with a reservation and were seated promptly. After waiting 15 minutes our waiter arrived and took our drink orders. We ordered a bottle of wine, 5 waters, and an order of Cheesy Bread Florentine as an appetizer. After a few minutes our wine arrived along with 4 clean wine glasses and one with a half eaten cherry clinging to it's underside. We pointed out the cherry and he went to retrieve another glass. In a few minutes he returned with a new wine glass and the bread we ordered, but it was just an ordinary order of garlic bread. We informed him that we had ordered the Cheesy Bread Florentine and informed us we would not be charged for the garlic bread and he left to put in a new order for our bread. We had to ask 2 to 3 more times before we received our waters. It was at this point that we ordered our food. We ordered a small baked rigatoni and a large Quattro al Forno. After waiting another 45-50 minutes our food arrived lukewarm with the rigatoni undercooked with pieces of the pasta still somewhat hard. One of the plates we received for our entrees had cheese and sauce still on it from the last guest so, again, we requested another. After waiting 10 minutes we just decided to walk to the bar and request a new plate since our waiter never returned with one. What was cooked correctly was decent overall. Our waiter could tell we were upset and returned with a manager who apologied for the service and stated we would receive a discount on our food when the bill was brought out later. This somewhat lightened the mood so we decided since it was our friends birthday to stick it out and order dessert. We ordered the Colossal Brownie Sundae, which arrived in about 15 minutes. While it was good, the overall experience had been ruined and we were just ready to leave. Our check arrived with the garlic bread not charged but the discount the manager had promised was not applied. It was at this point a few people had had enough and asked to talk to the manager again. Our waiter again apologized, stating that he was upset by the original complaint and had allowed it to weigh on his service for the rest of the meal. Not something you expect to hear from your waiter. He returned with his manager who said he would take care of our dinner and that we would only be charged for the bottle of wine. While we appreciated the gesture, but it was sad it had to come to that. We were at Buca di Beppo for a little over 2 hours and most of the time was spent waiting on food and wondering where our waiter was. I could ignore mediocre food, but not when it's paired with the worst costumer service I've ever received. Over the course of the night we saw our waiter 3 or 4 times and at one point he asked if we needed anything, then walked away in the middle of us talking to him. He had obviously checked out on us by the end of the night. I doubt any of us will return.
(1)
Nathan H.
The food here is always high quality and great tasting. The price is high for Italian food (~$30 for large spaghetti?) The service is great, and the atmosphere certainly is fun for most people.
(4)
DeAnna P.
The quality of the food at this location continues to decline to the point that there is really no reason at all to go here. Service is mediocre. Our party of two ordered well in advance of the party of 8 next to us, yet they got their food before us. Our server said ours was taking a while because I ordered a meatball. At 11:30 a.m. on a weekday, how can an Italian restaurant not have meatballs at the ready? And as bland and soft as it was, it wasn't worth the wait. Oh, and don't bother checking your smartphone for a better place to go if you are inside. The place is a black hole for phone reception. If you are meeting someone for lunch, make sure they know where to go or wait outside for them. Twice I've missed calls before they don't go through inside their cavernous restaurant.
(2)
Michael F.
I have been a return customer of Buca's for over 10 years. Unfortunately, the last 3 times I have been there, the experiences have been a bit short of the mark. Most recently I went there with work colleagues as this is a wonderful place for large parties. A combination of luke warm food, dirty silverware, dirty plates, and undercooked pasta soured the meal for me and my guests. After my first occurrence with a few of these issues (lukewarm food, slow service, dirty plates) approx 5 months ago, I wrote off as a bad night and an out of place data point. The second time at the Illinois St location approx 3 months ago, I thought perhaps it was another unlucky event. With this third data point, it is too much to ignore. Management was made aware of the feedback after each of the subpar experiences. It is sad to say but it is unlikely that I will return to Buca for some time, if ever.
(2)
Major T.
This is by far the worst Italian food you could ever eat. The place is full of mold and disgust, I wouldn't trust anything that is supposed to be clean there. If you like unprofessional employees, then this is the place for you!! Service sucks, and the food is horrible, go elsewhere because anything is better than this shit hole.
(1)
Jennifer M.
Went with a group of 9. We had good food, good drinks. My husband actually said he had too much whiskey in his whiskey sour! The waiter was attentive.
(4)
Sharon M.
Started with raspberry fizz and strawberry fusion Italian cream sodas for something different and they were good. Mozzarella garlic bread was fair. The supreme pizza and Apple Gorgonzola salad were good but not spectacular. A little heavy on the dressing on the salad and the bleu cheese. Portions are large so be sure to share. The hallway to the dining area was a little crowded.
(3)
Trish L.
Went with a group of 18 and they had no problem splitting bill or accommodating us. Food was very good and atmosphere was fun shrimp di ablo was spicy !! Would definitely go again was a very cheap night out as it is served family style
(4)
John W.
Let me start this review by saying I am not a big Italian food person. We just got home from here Christmas Day 12-25-2014 we made a reservation through open table and when we got here we were seated immediately. Having never been here before I was not sure what to expect. So we ordered drinks, and for some reason due to state laws or something they could not serve alcohol so thank god they had pepsi products or it would have been water for me. Anyway, they did offer a traditional ham or turkey meal with the traditional fixings for about $28 per person but we decided it was probably better to stick with the cuisine they normally prepare and we were not disappointed at all. We started out with the Mozzarella Bread which was very good. Then for entrees since they serve everything family style we ordered two things and I can assure you that we only needed one because we brought most of our food home with us. But we ordered the Fettuccine Supremo minus the red peppers and then we got a Bianca a white pizza with ricotta, fresh mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan, garlic, oregano and garlic-infused olive oil and we added chicken to it. that was probably the best pizza i have ever eaten. And then for dessert it took me a while to decided but I finally decided on the homemade cheesecake and it did not disappoint. We were only able to eat about half of it and I did not dare box the rest so we left it there. Service was decent. The manager did come by the table to see how our meal was. So two people set us back $80 well $100 with the gratuity. I love going downtown so this will be a good excuse to go more often. we did sign up for their loyalty club before leaving home and it had said you will get some sort of pasta dish but that never arrived in my email before i left so i guess it will eventually arrive and we will have that as well, nothing was mentioned about rewards so i assume that they do not work off of a purchase system or if they do we didn't get credit for today's visit. Just make sure you sign up for their program and you will get a pasta dish sent to your email eventually. Also they give you stuff on your birthday as well. or so i read.
(4)
Douglas S.
Service is great, the food, not the greatest... It was good and definitely worth the try, but very expensive. I don't know why they mark this with only 2 $$ signs, for me and my family of 5 it was $90.00 without the tip... But they have HUGE portions. The after taste is really bad, I was still burping up nasty Itialian food the next day...
(3)
Brandon K.
Do yourself a favor- Go to the store, get some pasta & a can of Prego sauce. You'll end up with a much better result than spending your money here.
(1)
Beth W.
We had reservations for 6:30... We weren't seated until 7. By the way, the line goes through the kitchen, with all of the restaurants patrons waiting only a few feet from the food on slippery floors. After getting to our cramped table in a loud room half an hour late, drinks weren't served for another 15 minutes. The salad we ordered didn't come until an hour after we were seated... And although it was tasty... We hardly had time to eat it because we had to arrive at a show at 815. After I informed our server that we didn't have time and had to cancel our entre order... She refused to let us talk to a manager. We weren't offered any compensation or apology. I suppose if you want to wait 2 hours in a loud cramped room for food prepared in a public hallway and pay a hefty price... Buca is the place to go.
(1)
Greg H.
This was our family's first visit to Buca, but it will not be our last. We made a reservation, and it was a good thing too as there were prom goers all throughout the restaurant. The restaurant itself was clean, crowded(in an ok busy way), not overly noisy for all the large groups. It was interesting to enter the building and standing in the kitchen while we waited for our table. It offered us a view in to how LARGE the portions are. Comes with being a family style dinning. Our waiter was great. He had a good personality. He got us everything we asked for, checked on us without being too absent or overly attentive. Our food showed up correctly and hot. Now the food got raves from everyone at our table. The garlic bread with cheese started things off which had nice size pieces of roasted garlic. It was a new experience for our daughters, but it was great. Then the main courses came which was cheese manicotti and chicken parm. Both were really warm and big hits with everyone.
(4)
Maria A.
Today...great service and awesome food! Loved it!
(4)
Aubree D.
Buca di Beppo is a top notch experience for delicious taste, an energizing atmosphere, and a affordable price. Buca was chosen for my birthday dinner ( great pick for a Tuesday night), because it wasn't packed like it is on the weekends. I had been wanting to go somewhere with great meatballs for WEEKS (once you have one you will understand) and Buca's meatballs succeeded my high expectations. My boyfriend and I ordered the large size spaghetti and meatballs, which ended up being lunch for the next few days there was so much to take home. The atmosphere is a cultural escape, set to entertain your eyes wherever they wander. The restaurant has a lot of personality, but so does the staff. I enjoyed this particular Buca more than ones that I have in the past because the waiter was always personable and ahead of the game. Not once did I have to ask for anything or remind him and he brought was seemed like he loved working their as well. In Columbus, Ohio, where I am from, Buca is one of the most popular restaurants in the down town for large groups and I wish more people knew what Italian experience they were missing out on in Indianapolis. I have been to the Old Spaghetti Factory (for my birthday last year), and it is safe to say that Buca is a much more lively, Italian, FULLfilling experience (so much more food). I encourage people who don't have a ton of time, to check this place out during the week days, or make a reservation days in advance for the weekends!
(4)
Colton R.
Italian food has three qualities that make it Italian: it's simple, it's fresh, and it's good. This restaurant had none of those. Our fettuccine alfredo was not cooked long enough because the fettuccine seemed hard. The sauce was bland. And the food was overpriced. Sure, you get double the portion you would at a place like Olive Garden, but it's half the quality. My girlfriend's strawberry lemonade was filled with sick tasting syrup that was so sweet she couldn't take more than a sip. It wasn't even stirred up. The only redeeming thing was that they serve cream soda the way a cream soda is supposed to be served- with cream in it. And even then it wasn't that good. Overall, the service was lousy and the price was too high for such a mediocre product. I won't be returning.
(2)
Katie S.
Fair warning to start: I have only eaten here once, and it was for a party, so I can't speak to how this place is if you come with just a few people. My husband and I ate here last week for our company's holiday party, and we were incredibly disappointed. I had always heard about the plentiful food at Buca, and what we got was the complete opposite. Our table received our first round of drinks promptly, and I did get one refill on my soda. After that, our server completely forgot about drinks. I'd say we were probably all out of drinks by the time the salad course was done, and none of us got refills. So that was a a point against Buca already. The bread was delicious and thankfully it was plentiful, because that's pretty much what we had to fill ourselves up on. The two salads we received (it was "family style") were just ok. The lettuce was inexpensive iceberg that seemed a bit wet, which was disappointing, but there were some decent toppings on each. The real issue, though, were the "main courses". Our table had 6 people and they brought us (I kid you not) 1 plate with 8 ravioli on it and 1 plate with 6 small pieces of chicken. That's it. So each person was literally allotted 1 1/3 ravioli and the equivalent of about 1/2 of a chicken breast. And the ravioli wasn't even very good. We all agreed that it tasted about the same as Chef Boyardee (which, don't get me wrong, is yummy, but it's not what you expect at a restaurant). We begged our server for more food and we were able to get 1 more plate of ravioli, but we were told that we could only have more chicken if we waited half an hour or more, because "management only prepares enough for each person". So apparently, half a chicken breast is what Buca considers to be a serving size. None of us were close to full, so we were hoping that some of the famous Buca cheesecake would help to top us off. No luck there, either. The slices of cheesecake were (and again, I am not kidding here) about 3/4 of an inch wide at the top and equated to maybe 4-5 regular bites. And they were plain, with no garnish of any sort. Considering how much this meal cost per person, the amount of food provided was laughable. Well, it would have been laughable if we hadn't all been starving by that time. I would never, ever consider hosting an event here, given the poor attention paid to drinks and the pitifully small amount of food provided. I didn't expect them to drown us in food, but I at least expected something close to an actual single serving!
(1)
Zach F.
This is a great place to go get a good family-style Italian meal. You get a lot for what you pay. The baked ziti is amazing. The rest of the dishes we've tried have been really good too. The garlic cheese bread is pretty good if you want a starter. If you still have room for dessert afterward, I would recommend the brownie with ice cream thing that comes in the huge martini glass. It is fantastic. If you have multiple sweet teeth, like I do, you're sure to enjoy that one. As for the service, I have yet to have a bad experience. They are generally quick with the dishes and with refills on your drinks. We used their catering service once and the gal that runs it, Gina, was great to work with. She was very helpful and extremely nice to work with. I would highly recommend coming here if you're looking for a good, family-style place. I would also recommend giving Gina a call if you are in need of catering.
(4)
Kelly M.
We ate here the night before the Monumental Marathon. We made a reservation and were seated immediately. We were in and out of this place in less than 40 minutes. That's a huge selling point for me since we wanted to get off our feet and to bed early for the main event. We order garlic bread and spaghetti with marinara (boring, but you have to keep it simple the night before a marathon). Everything was served quickly as described and at the right temperature. The pasta was well-done as well.
(5)
Brian J.
My wife and I were downtown for a surprise birthday party that would happen later in the evening and decided to stop by Buca's for dinner. We did not call ahead for a reservation. We didn't realize there was a cheerleading event downtown. There was no open seating until after 9pm (a 3 hour wait), but the host told us to check the bar so we did. Luckily there were two seats at the end of the bar so we sat and were entertained by the bartender, Luke, and his barback whose name I cannot recall, but wish I could because both were hilarious to listen to as they worked. Buca's is just really good italian food. If you are familiar with the brand then you know that you walk through the kitchen to get to your table and that most meals are served family style. Buca's has changed portioning a bit as now you can order a small which is easy for two people to split and still bring home leftovers. The large would feed a family of 4-5 people especially if you are ordering any sides like garlic bread which we did...yum! As we looked over the menu, the barback jokingly told us that there's only three bad things on the menu so we had pretty good odds of picking something good. He was correct as we ordered the Chicken Carbonara and it was excellent! We also ordered the garlic bread with cheese. Again, this was very tasty. The food came out fast and the service was prompt and friendly. We finished up with tiramisu for dessert savoring every bite. We took home leftovers for all three items and I'm looking forward to a great Sunday lunch of leftover Buca food. The three food items, two soft drinks, and a 9oz pinot noir came out to ~$55 before tip. The entertainment from our servers was free. This is only the second time I've been to Buca and I hope to return soon. It's a great place to meet friends, have date night, or bring a group. Just remember to book your reservation in advance because there is always something going on in downtown Indy. Better safe than sorry as I almost had to write a food truck review this morning!
(4)
Dan B.
I'm a fan of this restaurant for a specific reason. They offer really great food for a large group. This place isn't quite as good for a couple, or even four people. If you have 6 or more, this is great choice, otherwise it can be extremely pricey. My wife and I have very similar taste and can usually decide on a dish to share, which is important here. The food is served "family style" meaning one dish is enough for 3-4 people. We ordered one dish of Ziti and it was enough for 2 meals for each of us. The food is good. Nothing spectacular, but it's really reliable, and i've not had anything terrible here. The dessert is really, really good. The large size adds "wow" factor to the desserts and entrees. In short, either go in knowing you can compromise and eat something good and garlicy, or save this place for a large group and sample a bunch of dishes.
(4)
Lane M.
This was my second time eating at a Bucca Di Beppo, and probably my last based on these experiences at different locations. In both cases, the food was quite bland, as if the portion sizes somehow made up for quality with quantity. At the Illinois Street location, I sat in one of the most uncomfortable booth seats I have ever met, seemingly following an obese "food enthusiast" that compressed the stiff springs under the worn vinyl surface with a left-leaning bias. I get that the restaurant is going for a traditional appearance, but this is not an excuse for neglecting investment in your seating. We started with the Chopped Antipasto Salad, which was above average but not spectacular. The Small size that claims to feed at least two people was not a lot of salad for $13. In addition to the above, it was the Ravioli With Meat Sauce that ultimately earned two stars from me. The dish was just not restaurant quality, but more like store-bought ravioli with some faintly seasoned ground beef stirred in. As someone who appreciates flavor, this did not cut it for me, and gave me no reason to come back.
(2)
Jodi D.
Hands down the best Italian I've had since I was a kid eating in my Italian grandma's kitchen.
(5)
Jennifer C.
I just ate there yesterday with my family. The food and service was wonderful. My only complaint is where we were seated, or around. We were at a table in the bar area. A lot of the staff were talking and clocking in for their shift, and I thought we really didn't need to hear all of them talking.
(5)
Ashley M.
I love Bucca di Beppo because you always know what to expect. The food is always on point and I have yet to have bad service. The downtown location is my favorite as the building is so neat. Went there for Mother's Day and my family came away satisfied and full. Being able to share the family style meal is so nice because then you don't have to choose just one thing (which is really helpful with little kids!) Will definitely go back.
(5)
Brian B.
Another good chain. The food is consistently good and the atmosphere is fun--great place to go with kids if you are travelling. We've been to the one in Kansas City as well. The pasta at this one was ok, the Pomodoro sauce was ok too but nothing spectacular. There seemed to be a logistical problem in the kitchen this night as the fresh-made bread was not available until the end of the meal (but it was good). There are probably other local Italian restaurants in these cities that offer better value (I know there are in St. Louis), but these are well-located for travellers and fun for families and groups. (I really like the subterranean floorplan and entry through the kitchen, as well as the entertaining decor.)
(3)
Steve C.
I have to say I was very disappointed by the service provided by the downtown location of Buca di Beppo. I made a reservation for 8 people on a Friday night at this location. I understood that this was a large party to accommodate so I made the reservation a few weeks ahead of the scheduled date. The Thursday before the dinner was to take place I received a confirmation call from Buca di Beppo. I confirmed with everyone in my party that we were all set to go for dinner on Friday night. Then on Friday AFTERNOON of the schedule dinner I receive a call from Buca di Beppo informing me that they could not accommodate my reservation and that it had been canceled. No other solution was offered. Needless to say I had to scramble to find a restaurant to accommodate such a large party at such a last minute notice. Luckily I was able to get all of us in at the Ratskeller. The environment and food was great.
(1)
Andrea G.
I'll start by saying that I may be overly tough on Italian restaurants. There are just so many of them that it really takes something special to get me to return. With that in mind Buca di Beppo can be a great place for families and large groups. Their family style serving means that each dish will serve a number of people and that you'll get to walk away having tried a number of dishes. They are also good for groups on a budget or looking for a quieter place to meet up. Their chopped antipasto salad was good but I wasn't in love with their red sauces and felt that the flavor just wasn't developed. Most dishes were a little bland and over sauced for my taste but none of it was bad.
(2)
Andrew C.
If you are in Indianapolis YOU HAVE TO GO HERE. It is so insane, you will see what I mean. Average food, and weak Gin and Tonic, I may have just built up my expectations too high, given that I drove 16 hours straight to get there!
(3)
Kerem T.
Maybe I'm being overly critical coming from NJ, where good Italian food is everywhere, but if you are looking for authentic Italian this is NOT where to look. My father and I stopped in here on our first night in Indy because the place was very busy. When we sat down we decided to share the Chicken Glorioso which, according to the menu, is chicken with white wine, Alfredo sauce, artichoke hearts, and sun dried tomatoes. We also got an order of broccoli and an order of spaghetti with marinara sauce. After we placed our order we waited well over 30 minutes before we even saw our server again. To start, EVERYTHING is expensive, family style or not. There's no way I'm paying four bucks for a bread basket. the chicken was BLAND BLAND BLAND with one exception. It was COVERED in hot red pepper flakes (the kind you put on your pizza). It was so bad that it turned the sauce red and left the chicken so spicy that it was all we could taste. The broccoli was no better. It was covered in cheese and was still somehow completely lacking in any flavor at all. The spaghetti was ok, but their "famous" marinara sauce tasted no better than the Ragu they serve in my campus dining hall. All this, with slow service and Bennigans style crap covering the walls. It was clear to me that this place is just a glorified Olive Garden. Avoid this place at all costs. 65 bucks for a bunch of crap Italian is not my idea of a good dinner.
(1)
Lisa G.
A nice place to take a bunch of people and feed them filling pasta at a cheap price. Portions are enormous! The decor is gaudy.
(3)
John S.
I'm not a negative person at all. Having said that.... The cleanliness and the sanitation in this restaurant is disgusting. I watched a pasta cook dig into a rub of pasta with both hands. Keep in mind... He wasn't wearing any gloves. He also had been scratching his dirty hair. This is all happening in front of the kitchen table that we were seated at. We watched another cook take a piece of calamari off a plate in the window and pop it in his mouth. The restrooms... Wow! They have urine, and poop stains on all the toilets. Trash all over the floor. Toilet paper dispensers coming off the walls. Tile broken. Ceiling tiles falling off. Mold under the kitchen equipment. The dish room can be seen by every guest. It's a disaster. Dish washers yelling and screaming, and cussing. I have children with me. I will never be back. The dingy smell of the restaurant is nauseating.
(1)
Meg M.
If you think of Olive Garden as good Italian food, you will like this place too. It doesn't get much less authentic than this, but people in the mid-west don't seem to know the difference between good food and total crap. To top it all off, the service is bad and the decor is just plain frightening! P.S. Do not try the Sangria! It's awful!
(1)
Klaus W.
Had the spicy chicken rigatoni for lunch. Not much spice to it really. I wondered why there was so little sauce on the pasta when served. I found it eventually, coagulated at the bottom of the bowl. It wasn't creamy at that point, more paste-like. My guess is that it sat under a heat lamp too long and it all eventualy oozed to the bottom. It didn't taste bad, but wasn't as good as I expected. Not saying I'll never return, but I think I need to try the competition first.
(2)
CATHERINE C.
Came here Saturday night with a large group (14) for an 8:45pm reservation. The waiter (I wish I remembered his name) was SUPER friendly and had our whole group pleased. The manager on duty came over a couple times to check on how we were doing and if we were happy. They were more than helpful. The food was good but somewhat standard Italian fare. The restaurant is a bit of a maze and ended up in the kitchen a few times. Would definitely recommend sitting at the Popes table with the large lazy susan that delivered all the food to our guests. Great choice!!
(4)
Anna P.
If your an Italian restaurant then at the very least your marinara sauce and meatballs had better be spot on! The marinara tastes like canned tomatoes with no seasoning, and the meatball texture resembles that of my cats food and I bet in a blind taste test you wouldn't taste the difference. The only reason this place gets a star from me is because I must give one!!!
(1)
Ann L.
Excellent! Courtney the server was too good to be true. She was amazing. We loved her. I think she's the best server we've ever had when going out. Only downside to this place was the bar -- we waited in the bar while a table was getting ready for us, and the bartender preferred to show off his bottle juggling skills to a woman rather than serve us. We walked out of the bar. I'm also not sure about the safety of the wet floors, and servers and customers being so close -- I feel like I'm going to run into someone's food.
(5)
MJ W.
I am giving two stars for our last experience at Buca. Our food was cold when it came out, but so was everyones that day. We had to wait in the kitchen for a while and realized it is freezing in there. No wonder the food was so cold. I think it is a problem with the building. I think Indianapolis has much better italian food options.
(2)
Kjirsten K.
This place is horrible. Our last experience was especially bad and we vowed never to return. Despite having a reservation we had to wait 45 minutes for our table. After waiting and waiting we finally checked in again at the podium and it was apparent they had forgotten about us. We were placed in a back room, the service was inattentive, the food was cold, and to top it all off I found a piece of broken plate in my food. This was the worst dining experience I have ever had.
(1)
Andrew R.
This place was heavily recommended by my coworker, so while in town for a convention we decided to stop in for dinner. The food was really good, first of all. I had a chicken dish served over a creamy pesto and with a dallop of their homemade marinara on top of each piece. Delicious. We had calimari for an appetizer, which was good but not incredible. The service was friendly and attentive too, which was nice. The downside, however, was the atmosphere. I'm still not sure why, when so many tables were open during our early dinner time frame, we were seated in a room with multiple tables with multiple young kids. Screaming. Laughing. Running about. Two guys in business apparel, really hostess? We should have just sat at the bar.
(4)
Donovan M.
I like Buca more than some of my friends. I've always found the food good and abundant, its a nice atmosphere....if you're looking for above avg (but not great) Italian for a decent price (they even have coupons sometimes) then its definitely a decent place to go to.
(4)
Stacy J.
It's a great place to take a group (when it isn't too crowded and noisy) at a reasonable price. Food was good and we enjoyed ourselves... atmosphere is nice... wait staff did an average job... so nothing really stood out to me... If I had my druthers and wanted something similar, I'd go to Old Spaghetti factory instead!
(3)
Craig R.
My wife and I went here for luncheon a saturday. The place is big and the staff was super friendly. The food comes in huge portions and is ll done. We got the spicy chicken and rigatoni and it was delicious! Prices are not too bad. This place would be good for a group of people that enjoy eating family style. I will return.
(4)
Jon A.
This visit to "Buca's," was in the shackles of a sibling's birthday dinner. Going to wherever your sibling chooses is as agonizing as watching a 6 year-old squirm over the choice of go-gurt or Cheez-its for lunch. You just have to do it...I suppose of course it'd be different if your sibling wasn't my sibling. Before going to Buca di Beppo I groveled over the pastiche, over the expected clientele not knowing why it's Sophia Lauren on the wall and not Jessica Alba. Or, why the rear entrance is long and windy. Or, maybe, even, why all the dishes are served "family style." (By the way...is this an appeal for people? Because the party I went with...interestingly enough...a family...all ordered their own items. Is Buca trying to tell us we aren't a family? Buca are you just trying to make us feel bad for not even attempting to order within your rules. In fact! If you do end up going to Buca di Beppo...as a table...I'd recommend ordering all of your own items -- entirely out of spite of this "family style.") I remember my first experience here...ten years ago I sat in the bar section with my Mother and we ordered a bottle of Lambrusco, and the bartender looked just like the Italian Soccer players on the TV. It felt genuine. It felt patient. Maybe the key is that there wasn't food involved. But now...the process is different. All the servers seemed rushed -- having the hurry up & wait mentality of serving a dozen things, then taking a break, so little black sheep items like a glass of wine instead of dessert (like the rest of the table) lagged behind because the server wasn't use to serving someone, err...something that wasn't a table of nine Iowans. I'll admit...I got caught up in the long and windy rear-entrance...I touched my face hoping to feel pockmarks like Ray Liotta's in Goodfellas. But then...when I got to my table that woman on the front of the menu...(it was just like finding out that it was a Sicilian playing the Native American in the Environmental TV commercial of the 1970s). I simply wasn't compelled to eat Italian. That's a big issue for a restaurant that...well...seems Italian, yet the place compelled me more to have a Philly Cheese Steak (which they didn't have). So, case & point...I ordered the "Apple & Walnut Salad." Not very Italian. I was relieved to see it though (like a Farmers Market in a Wal-Mart parking lot)...and it was decent enough...but not Italian. If I had a knee-jerk instinct to have Italian and my only option to go out to dinner was here...I'd rather just wander to the fridge in my Tony Soprano terricloth robe and snack on some pepperoni. Or, I'll wait 'til the State Fair in August and have deep-fried tomatoes. O, and the parking garage was wildly over-priced at $5 for 2 hours? Wow.
(2)
Kami L.
I went to Buca as part of a large group. We were treated rudely from the start by the waitstaff and I was given the wrong wine. When I pointed it out she said I had already drank some of it and would have to pay for it! I was so shocked I didn't argue but just sat there in silence throughout the meal. The food was average and the prices were high. I would recommend Maggiano's Little Italy on the northside over them by far. It was painful and I won't be coming back. On a side note, 2 friends of mine have worked there and both have complained about how terrible the management is. Poor attitudes trickle down from the top, so that at least explained something.
(2)
Alejandro A.
Had dinner with the wife for our anniversary. Food was great and the environment is casual. The cost was not as price as the other restaurants around.
(4)
Henry S.
I had forgotten how great Buca Di Beppo is until I recently came here. Yes there are Buca Di Beppo's in California and we had a friend with us who had never tried it so we stopped in for dinner. The wait was about 30-40 minutes so we made our way into the bar for some drinks. The bar was pretty much empty so we sat down, enjoyed a few drinks and decided to order an appetizer because were starved and had just flown into Indy. We got to talking to the bar tender "Joe" and he gave us a few pointers on places to check out and to eat while in Indy. He was so friendly and fun to talk to. We were seated after about 40 minutes and ordered our meals. We had the chicken stuffed with prosciutto and a sample platter of stuff shells, cannelloni, and penne. Everything was delicious and service was great. Definitely recommend coming here to Buca Di Beppo!
(5)
Justin S.
Where do I start? They had shared "family style" dining which made it hard to order if you party doesn't like the same things. Over priced. Calamari was really chewy. We had to send it back. At best calamari was ok, even then. The one good thing was the cheese ravioli in meat sauce. It was supposed to feed four and it did two adults and two small children. Ravioli large 28.99 and calamari small 12.99. Would not go back.
(2)
Robert R.
We love this place. We went before the Super Bowl and New Year Eve. This place is amazing. A bit pricey for pasta but we do get a ton of food. Fried motz was to die for! Sampler platter with ravioli, lasagna, and some other pastas is my favorite! Oh, and get at least a couple meatballs!
(5)
Melissa F.
We had reservations on a busy night. We were promptly seated. The food was good and the server helpful. We would return again.
(4)
Thuy T.
Seems like this location really need to pick up on their customer service. I'm usually really laid back about that department so it has to be pretty bad when I have to rant about it. I went to Buca with a party of 12+ two Saturday night ago for my friend's Birthday dinner. They decided to sat us in the "party" section with two other large parties, one of them with more than 10 kids. At first it wasn't so bad but then it got way out of control. Both of these parties were having a shouting contest, yes grown men and women having a shouting contest with children. The next thing you know they were playing tag because these kids were running all over the place bumming into our table. And it gets even worst when the adults continue to consume more alcohol. We were unable to talk to each other throughout dinner because we literally could not even hear ourselves think. Buca should have done something to control these two parties, I mean come on even the waitresses were complaining about them. After two hours of screaming and horse playing Buca finally asked one of the party to leave. I felt bad for the one couple that got stuck in the same section, they ate and left real fast. On top of the bad company, Buca gave up really bad service as well. Our waitress was never around, every time we needed our waitress I had to wave down another waitress. The food came out quickly for some and forever for the others. It just totally ruined my friend's Birthday dinner. Next time i'm going to Maggiano's!
(2)
John J.
This review is for Christmas day since they were open and we had tickets to wicked.The management obviously didnt plan on a large crowd because my server told me they had only 7 servers.It seemed everybody who was attending the 8:00 showing of Wicked was there. I had a 6:15 reservation and was finally seated at 6:45. Food arrived at 7:15 and we basically boxed it up and left as we did not want to be late for the show.Food was just ok,but the host was in shambles with all the mad people.The worst part was that they forgot to give me my open table points!!!!
(2)
Rachel P.
I came here as part of a party of 8 and we were seated immediately since we were willing to sit outside. I was the only vegetarian so I was a little worried about doing family style, but luckily everyone could agree on two veggie dishes: the gnocchi (yum) and the baked ziti, which was just alright. The garlic bread was highly garlicky but somehow not as flavorful as I wanted. The caesar salad was pretty tasty. It was decent, but nothing amazing.
(3)
Chris B.
We hadn't been to Buca in years and had a great experience at our visit last night with our two young children. There was no wait at 6pm on a Tuesday evening--probably because it's Thanksgiving week. Our waiter was pleasant, good with kids and attentive. We ordered a small spaghetti and the wonderful gorgonzola/apple salad. The spaghetti with TWO HUGE MEATBALLS fed our family of four with some left over! The meatballs were flavorful, tender. The sauce was more of a crushed tomato/olive oil/garlic-type sauce than a thick red sauce. Everyone loved it. The salad was so unique with its cinnamon-glazed walnuts, granny smilth apples and gorgonzola cheese over romaine. The dressing was a zingy, red-wine viniagrette with herbs and onions. Well done. We waited around 15 minutes for our food but gnoshed on rustica bread and olive oil while we waited. You can't beat the decor for a fun game of I Spy with kids.
(4)
Maurice S.
The food was very good and plentiful. Good salads and chicken parmesan is great. I like more sauce on pasta though, but the food remained flavorful. The pasta reminds me of the pasta in Italy. The semi-mellow atmosphere and wall art helps create a good environment for family eating and conversation. I recommend checking it out.
(4)
Thom N Jennifer H.
A little bit of a letdown, honestly. The food was neither plentiful nor especially good. Our chicken parm was slightly scorched and two smallish chicken breasts rarely feeds three. Our waitress showed promise of good service but didn't follow through. Granted we were late diners but if a restaurant is willing to seat you they should be happy to provide service - good attentive service. For the money paid, we would have been better off at Olive Garden or the Italian restaurant in our hotel. I've had much better experiences at other locations particularly the one in Charlotte, NC. I don't think we will return to this one.
(2)
Nichole H.
Buca di Beppo is great if you want a ton of food for your large party. We had 7 for dinner on Friday night, so we popped in there. The food is decent and pretty consistent. We ordered the cheesy garlic bread and the antipasto salad to start. For our main meal we had the Quattro al Forno which is the baked pasta sampler and the Chicken Saltimbocca. The Chicken Saltimbocca is my favorite dish at Buca. Lemon butter, capers, artichoke and prosciutto? Yes please! With 2 bottles and 5 glasses of wine, and 2 beers, the total was $230. Not too bad. Our server was very pleasant and helpful. One tip - if you've got a large party on a Saturday night - make a reservation or you'll be waiting forever.
(3)
Alyssa D.
Very good. Great service, the wait staff made you feel comfortable and were really friendly. The food was great. We had the quattro something. It was like a sampler of all the baked, stuffed dishes.
(4)
Sarah S.
Buca is a fun place to go if you have a large group. They don't joke about the "family size" stuff. Anything you order will literally be a *ton* of food. I remember coming here with a high school boyfriend before prom, unaware of Buca's MO, and foolishly ordering an entree for each of us. Hah! We had tortellini coming out our ears, and couldn't even really box it up, as we were on our way to a dance. Tragic! The food is fairly good, I think, but the shtick does get a bit old. And the decor is, in my opinion, overwhelming. It's definitely a loud, boisterous place with copious amounts of food, so be prepared for that if you come here. If you're yearning for a quiet, romantic night out with your honey, keep looking.
(3)
Chad B.
Absolutely one of my favorite Italian restaurants ever. If you aren't into garlic, do not come here. Yes, the food comes in huge portions. Be prepared that one entree and a side is enough for 2 people normally. This is not someplace to go every week, as it is a bit expensive and kind of a diet killer. I highly recommend this place. Try the garlic mashed potatoes! Amazing.
(5)
Kate S.
The only thing this place had going for it was a wonderful waitress. She made what otherwise would have been an expensive and disappointing meal at least palatable. That said, I hope she finds a new place to be an awesome server because this Buca really stinks. The food is mediocre at best and the portions are unfortunately huge. "Family Style" doesn't have to mean "heart attack inducing".
(1)
Whitney P.
What a fun and visually entertaining dining experience. When you enter they take you right through the kitchen and down long corridors to the actual dining area . The portions are huge and the food is good and garlicy. I had the chicken saltamboca with a side broccoli. It didn't disappoint.My husband had a mountain of lasagna and I mean a mountain. It was actually the small portion so I can't imagine what the large would have looked like. It's a great family atmosphere. Lots of hustle and bustle.
(3)
Chris N.
Went with a large group from work and I had great anticipatory excitement from hearing about this family-style Italian restaurant. The portions are huge and the decorum is truly something to take in. However, I was largely unimpressed with the food. I found the pasta to be lacking seasoning and it was, in a word, bland. The salad was fresh, but the meatballs were HUGE and again not seasoned very well. All-in-all it was a nice place to go with a group from work, but I wouldn't dare go back with my family spending my hard-earned cash.
(2)
Olga N.
We just walked by Buca and looked like an interesting place. The food was great and their drinks were different and delicious. The only issue was that the waiter didnt tell us this was a family stylerestaurant where the small portion could feed 3 people. So we each order a plate were we could only eat less than a third. With this in mind the restaurant has great food and good environment. Doesnt feel like a chain restaurant. The entrance through the kitchen took us by surprise but it reminded us of some italian mob movie.
(4)
Jared B.
Yes I know, Buca's is chain Italian food. Still, it's done with such gusto that I can't help but be appreciative. The softball sized meatballs on top of spaghetti marinara are delicious, and the booze-soaked tiramisu is what keeps me coming back. The bar is also well stocked and the wine is cheap. I'm not a fan of the salads, since they're authentic (anchovies in the ceasar) which makes vegetable options slim. Bring a large group and you'll go home happy. If there's only one or two of you in your group, you'll have trouble with the family-sized portions.
(4)
Toriphil E.
it's a chain. service is hit and miss. it's way over priced. i give it 3 because i always seem to have a good time dispite its flaws
(3)
m b.
this place is a joke. was forced to go there while on business, as i knew it would suck based upon several obvious clues. service- shockingly bad. food- bad to average. portions- lame. concept- annoying. terrible chain. there are tons of great choices for italian food in different cities- ny, boston, indy, wherever- so why anyone in a city would choose some cheesy chain italian restaurant is beyond me! it was funny to see the reaction of the various guests at the table- some of them you could tell eat out quite a bit & know what good food is, others you could tell had no idea what a good dining experience is! one girl next to me was rolling her eyes at how bad this place was, whereas the guy next to me was like wow this place is good!! even the drinks managed to suck here! dont go here!! "buca"-pfff- what a joke- please get off of an otherwise pretty good dining scene in the heart of indy.
(1)
Tony G.
Went here to get a bite to eat while visiting the Indy area. Food here is served family style which may shock some folks. Don't let the looks of this place scare you, not only is the food good, but the atmosphere and nostalgia is worth the trip. Everything we had was very tasty and full of flavor. This is a nice place to take a group, but if you are looking for a quiet place to have a meal, not the place to go. The place is very busy and bustling with activity. If you come to the Indy area and like Italian food give this place a try !!
(4)
Nathan F.
A great, fun place to eat! I would have given them 5 stars, but the procedure to check in with our reservation was extremely confusing. Thankfully, I'm the size of a truck and just pushed past the line to get to the lady with the reservation book. The food was great! My wife and I got the classic spaghetti and meatballs with a Caesar salad and fried mozzarella. The marinara was amazing with the perfect amount of zing! Our server was excited and attentive. The manager, Leo, stopped by and listened to our criticisms and praise. Overall, it was a great place to eat!
(4)
Vin R.
Came here as a group of 8 (4 adults and 4 kids) with reservations for 6:45. Entering the restaurant was a little odd as the main entrance takes you through a long tiled hallway and past the kitchen to the maitre'd stand. I actually walked halfway down the hall with kids in tow and then turned around and went back out to the street because I thought we came in through the service entrance. I've only been to one other Buca Di Beppos before and the rest of the restaurant was pretty similar. Low ceilings, dark walls and tons of stuff on the wall, most notably a high number of Sophia Lauren pics. Anyway, we were seated right away and our server took our orders for drinks. We went ahead and put food orders in for the kids with our drinks to avoid a potential hungry, cranky kid problem. The drinks were fine, though it was odd that my wife's first two choices were already sold out (at 7pm?) but she's not too choosey about that stuff. The kids' food was fine and ended up being enjoyed by both the adults and the kids as our food order was significantly delayed... To the point where the kids were finished with their food and were ready to leave. So we ended up canceling the grown ups' orders and getting our check. Kind of a bummer, but the serving sizes are so big, the kids' food ended up being enough for everyone. Our server and the manager apologized profusely, saying the kitchen was inundated with a large volume of orders all at the same time. Indeed, the kitchen did look very busy as we navigated our way out of the restaurant...
(2)
Charity P.
We absolutely LOVE this place! Every time we come to Indy we come here. Jose has served us many times and he has never disappointed us. He is wonderful! We met the new chef Michael and was amazed he remembered our names. The food here tastes like real Italian. In fact, even my 9 yr old will eat it. He is very picky about his Italian food. If it doesn't taste like my homemade dishes he won't eat it. The drinks are great too. I ordered a lemon drop martini and was not disappointed. The food is served family style so everyone can enjoy dif things. If you order the dessert ice cream, warning! It's huge!!!!!!
(5)
Tyra B.
I am being generous to give 1 star. We arrived at noon on Monday for lunch before heading back to our hometown. We were seated promptly, (in a section with only 2 tables occupied), where we remained, ungreeted, unacknowledged for 20 minutes. At that point, I placed a very courteous phone call to the restaurant. The host that seated us took my call and stated "I will send a manager back to you now." After waiting another 15 minutes, we decided to leave and dine at The Old Spaghetti Factory. Upon departure, the manager and 3 employees were standing in the bar area. We asked for the number to call corporate and we left. The manager was less than interested in our frustration. Horrible service! We will not return to Buca Downtown.
(1)
Patrick L.
The portions are ridiculously huge, definitely party sizes and a great place for a large group. You can always tell if a place is good if their traditional spaghetti and meatball is good, and this place is good. Although it's not the best I've had, it's still pretty good. The meatball was huge, and it's not dry. The only thing I didn't like was that the sauce was too liquidy. It's NOT waterdown, just liquidy. Other than that, it was great, and so were the other dishes I tried which includes the Penne San Remo, Chicken & Sausage Ziti, and Cheesy Bread Florentine.
(4)
Kristin M.
Went with a group of co-workers for lunch and the portion sizes are *huge*!! Way more than any of us could eat. The Chicken Parmesana was amazing but felt my pasta was a bit over cooked. Service was fair and I'd go back as I see the value for the price!
(4)
Joe L.
Always enjoy going here when it's a group of us, always get plenty of food and food is really good.
(4)
Jennifer M.
We came here for a nice Italian meal and we were not disappointed. We had the eggplant parmigiana and the broccoli with a carafe of the house Pinot Grigio. It was delicious - the broccoli was cooked perfectly with garlic and hot peppers. The eggplant was wonderful- we ordered the small-since there was 3 of us. Great Meal
(4)
Paula S.
We went early on a Saturday night to beat the crowd. Had our 17 month old grandson with us. The food was delicious and piping hot. The staff was attentive and the price was reasonable! A great experience.
(4)
Rachael H.
I have determined Buca isn't worth my time or money. After a second rather disappointing visit to this "authentic Italian" restaurant for dinner, I think I would rather just go to Olive Garden if I'm going to pick a chain Italian for my dining choice (if that tells you anything). The first was just with my husband for a nice dinner out. I will hand it to them that the decor, while it is kitschy and a little over done, does make Buca seem cozy and friendly. Their cuisine however is lacking in what I would consider real Italian flair. I am a big seafood fan, especially mussels prepared with linguine, and was looking forward to trying their version. The mussels came with very little marinara and they were quite chewy (as if someone had left them under the lamp too long in the window.) Now, I will say that our server was kind enough to not charge us for this and offered to get me something else to compensate. This made me feel like giving them at least one more try. Last night was round 2 dining with the Buca crew at their downtown location. I was with a much larger group in town for a convention, but we did have reservations. We were seated promptly and our servers seemed attentive. Unfortunately the bar and kitchen staff just didn't have it together. We waited a whole hour for our drinks to come to the table, and the bar-tending crew couldn't just admit they didn't have the ingredients to create the frozen drinks we had asked for. When our food finally arrived (AFTER two other tables who were sat after us got their food first!), the entrees were just okay. The fettuccine alfredo needed some serious pepper to spice it up and the calamari was so overcooked, I couldn't tell if the tentacles were actually squid or dead spiders. Very disappointing indeed. To be fair, our waiter seemed like he was trying his best while under pressure...apologizing for the delays and trying to check on our orders as often as he could. But, the rest of the kitchen staff needs to seriously pull it together if they're ever going to want me to visit this establishment again. In addition, they could have given us some kind of discount for waiting so long for our food AND drinks. My suggestion....if you want family style Italian, it's worth shelling out just a little more for Maggiano's up by the Fashion Mall. The ambiance is better, the food is ALWAYS stellar, and the drinks keep coming....ON TIME!!!
(2)
Naser A.
I have tried this place in Pittsburgh over nine years. So I can say this is my "first" experience. The place looks unique, and very authentic Italian resturant. The waitresses are very welcoming and the place is large. Most of their dishes like any italian resturant are sharing plates, and a Small size is good for two people. And Large usually for four people and more. We got their signature salad, the Apple something. It tasted good. It has blue cheese, cinnamon pecan and lettuce. We got breaded chicken with marinated sauce. Overall, the food tastes good, but I feel like it is missing something. I would go again, and probably reserve the place for a big party next time since they have many seating and rooms.
(4)
Pascal L.
Run, run very far. There's a new manager, or at least there has been several in the past few months. There is also a new cook. The food will make you gag. Something horrible is going on in here and this place needs help. Used to be one of the best places to eat for a restaurant of its kind in the downtown Indy area.
Ebony was my server and she was awesome!!! Everything was on time, and we had a great experience!!!
(5)
Dan F.
I have had many a great meals in my life and there are so many different eats that it is hard to find a true gem. This is one of them. I was served by Mr. Thomas who explained the menu and its portion sizes. When he said a "small" feeds 2 people - he wasn't kidding. I ordered the Caprese app and it was delicious. I proceeded to get the "small" Quattro al Forno and it was fantastic!!! My coworker got the Lasagna and it was just as equally impressive and tasteful. I will say that I have gotten dessert at many places, primarily the Tiramisu - but I have NEVER seen or tasted anything like what I ate tonight (see picture) and it was SO great - I had to take some home (or rather I could not finish the "small" portion). Great food, service and price for what you get. It really feels like you are eating with and for family here!!
(5)
Tom B.
The quality of the food is decent, but my two complaints are fairly simple: 1) The noise. This place is LOUD. 2) The cleanliness factor is a little questionable. It's not necessarily dirty inside, but it's almost getting that way. Buca's main competition is the Old Spaghetti Factory. We prefer the Old Spaghetti Factory.
(2)
Traci D.
First off our waiter, Thomas was great! He was full of humor and class :) It's always great to have a good laugh at dinner. Our waiter attended to all of our needs! A+ dude! We used a free coupon for a small alfredo pasta. It was good and the serving size was perfect for my boyfriend and I. The garlic bread was so-so, not much flavor. I suggest using olive oil with it. Thomas asked us if we wanted some so of course we said yes! The atmosphere was great. We went at 4:30 so it was rather quiet.
(5)
Tige W.
Management reached out to me to try to make things right. I appreciate their effort and will upgrade to 2 stars for that but unfortunately I don't think they can change quality and taste of food and as I am out of town, I certainly won't be back.
(2)
Chris P.
My first visit was a bad experience in regards to slow service. The manager called and emailed to to personally apologize. I decided to give this location a second try, So I'm updating my review after a second visit. This time the food was perfect, service was excellent, fast and friendly and I would definitely recommend this Buca in a heartbeat. The food is to die for!! Enjoy!
(5)
Ken B.
Great Italian food is the deal here. Service was great and the environment is one of a kind. I came with a large group and we had a great meal. The food is served family style which may be odd for some folks. I thought it was perfect for our large group because we ordered a bunch of different menu items and got to sample each. The signature pizza was my personal favorite. Trust me, we were all full by the end of the night. The decor is something else. Thousands of pictures litter the walls along with shrines to the Pope, Frank Sinatra and more. It was definitely a different take, but I like the character it added to the place. They had a special booth that was right near the kitchen which gave it the authentic Italian restaurant feel. Next time I'm in town I will be coming back!
(5)
Alison S.
Buca Di Beppo is the prime Italian experience for any person of any age or culture. I recently ate there with my roommate and her mother. We ordered the normal spaghetti, with a raspberry vinaigrette salad and some cheesy bread as a side. One thing to keep in mind while ordering their food is that they are a family style restaurant, meaning one order is roughly 2-3 portions. The prices are reasonable for how much you receive, and the food is excellent quality. I would highly recommend Buca to anyone who is craving Italian or trying something new.
(4)
Devin H.
Not like it used to be... There doesn't seem to me much flavor like years past. The garlic potatoes were dry and bland... no garlic and no butter. The garlic bread in a basket, What happened to the skillet? Not likely to return... very disappointed. :(
(2)
Steven L.
Decent food, although greasy, but ultra dirty restaurant and staff makes you wonder. Eat at your own risk.
(3)
Houston F.
Having been to the Columbus, OH location, I had high expectations for this restaurant. Unfortunately, the food fell quite short. I ordered a glass of wine and my girlfriend ordered a 9 oz "quartino". These typically come in a small carafe, but her glass was just very slightly fuller than mine for $5 more. Both glasses had stains on them which is not acceptable for the price. We ordered the Baked Ziti. Instead of a hearty baked dish, it was essentially just pasta with very little sauce. Flavor was lacking in all components and the pasta had a strange texture, as if it was perhaps reheated. Chicken was very dry. Food was served lukewarm. Service was good, but food quality does not come near the price point.
(2)
Alyssa D.
This was literally the worst dining experience my party and I have ever had. There were four of us, we waited 45 minutes for a table. We were seated at a broken table, the table leaves were falling on our legs, so we asked to switch tables (a both three feet away). We waited 20 minutes for a waitress to show up (now over an hour), ordered three waters and waited 10 minutes for those to arrive. Ordered an appetizer and out entrees at the same time, the waitress came back ten minutes later and said they were out of it. Fine, we will skip the appetizer. Five minutes after that, she came back and said they were out of the entree we ordered. It was 8pm, and she said she apologized but it is towards the end of the night. If it was the end of the night, why did we wait 45 minutes for a table. At this point, we were so disgusted with the service we up and left. Never will I return to this restaurant. So disappointing.
(1)
Charles W.
I have never been for a fan but my marathon partner wanted pasta before our race. There is nothing beyond the traditional Americanized Italian dishes. The food was so-so. The bread was not tasty. The price is okay for the size of the portions.
(2)
Tiger A.
I just gave them 5 stars! It might have been that I was really hungry when I ordered 6 different plates for 3 adults & 2 children at a "family style" restaurant. Let's just say there was plenty of leftovers to eat for the next day. Ok the details... Everything was awesome!!! Seriously, EVERYTHING!!! Service included. Never said this before: Gladly paid $232.00 plus tip. Tiger
(5)
Jake O.
Pretty good. Foods served family style. Server was great and quick to get us anything we needed. Would like to go back again and try a few different things.
(4)
Ron Z.
Love Buca di Beppo, great Italian food and a great atmosphere in the restaurant. We sat in the booth in the kitchen this evening, and thought we'd might be on display, with everyone walking past the booth, but it was a great experience and I was totally impressed for the skill and speed of the kitchen staff. Proms, NRA convention and just being a Friday night makes this booth a great place to people watch.
(5)
Maurice C.
Certainly would have given this establishment 4 stars but I was a bit disappointed...I arrive on a Thursday evening along with two friends. As soon as we walked in the door we were asked if we had a reservation. We didn't. We were told the wait would be two hours. The hostess informed us that the table in the kitchen was available. Because we were feeling pretty peckish we decided to sit at the table in the kitchen. This experience was a bit unpleasant as we smells as if we had been cooking in the kitchen all day when we left. To add insult to smell, about 15 tables were available from the time we arrived to the time we departed. On a positive note, the food was absolutely amazing! The portion size was enough to satisfy the largest of appetites for several days. I recommend you be sure to call ahead and arrange a reservation.
(3)
Jerry M.
Felt this place was a rip off. All meals start as a serving for at least 2 or more so not for single person on business. Ordered a house Merlot glass of wine and my business associate had the same. We shared one dish of Chicken Saltimbocca $26 (3 chicken breast) and $9 side dish of garlic mashed potatoes. The garlic mashed came out looking like a bowl of thick potato soup. Chicken was tough and dried out. Total bill $63 plus tip for waitress. Waitress did not print an itemized receipts for food and drink so not sure of the cost of house merlot.
(1)
Trey M.
When you first enter off the street, you follow a long hallway past the kitchen to the hostess area. It's strange to be able to see the kitchen while you wait for a table, but it adds to the character. Speaking of character, the walls are completely covered with an array of black and white pictures of "Old Italy" and what appears to be Italian family portraits. These pictures and memorabilia help create the Italian atmosphere. When my parents and I arrived, there was a huge line out the door due to a high school band competition in town. However, we were able to bypass the group and were seated in a room with its ceiling covered in wine bottles. Our waitress was friendly and graciously welcomed us and explained how Bucca's dinner offerings were family-style, meaning you order a few dishes to share with your table. We started off by ordering the mozzarella garlic bread and marinara sauce for an appetizer. My dad loved the chunks of fresh tomatoes, and the generous serving of bread allowed us to enjoy it as an appetizer and with our entrees. We ordered a small order (which serves two - three people) of the fettuccine Alfredo with grilled chicken and small order of the shrimp Florentine with garlic shrimp, roma tomatoes and spinach with linguine in a garlic butter sauce. Our food arrived fairly quickly and was absolutely delicious. As for the serving size, the three of us shared both entrees and still had plenty of leftovers. The fettuccine Alfredo need a little more chicken, especially for the $4 charge to add it. If you're looking for Italian food and/or an Italian vibe, definitely check out Buca di Peppo. My parents loved their experience and are excited to come back when they're in town.
(4)
Laura V.
Such a disappointing experience from beginning to end: Rude hostesses, seated at a table next to an overflowing trash can, inattentive waitress (zero water glass re-fills). And the food - ugh. The food took forever to come out and when it did, it was bad. My daughter was given plain pasta with nothing on it. The pasta in my dish was undercooked. The garlic bread was cold. I could go on and on. The thing is, I used to really enjoy this place. But I felt like this recent visit was beyond bad. I would never recommend this place. There are much better options in downtown Indy.
(1)
Laura C.
Purchased a groupon - cost $8 for $20 worth of food. Three people shared a small chopped salad (great) and a small baked penne pasta (ok). We were satisfied and the service was good. Awkward start, though, for the downtown location - thought the hostess area was when you first walk into the place, when really it's around the corner in the kitchen.
(3)
Dennis R.
How can you not like an Italian joint that serves family style?? The food was great, the service was great and we celebrated birthdays with family!! It's irreverent and gaudy decor makes this place even more enjoyable. The food selections are wonderful and we started with great drinks and bread...life is so good in Italy!! Take an afternoon and enjoy the food and hospitality of Buca di Beppo!!
(4)
Stephanie R.
Hadn't been to Buca in a long time since there aren't any near home. And I was craving some pasta. Our party of 4 had reservations on a Saturday night and were seated promptly. But the service once seated was incredibly slooow. We ordered 1 salad & 2 pasta dishes that took more than a hour to be delivered. What's more the pasta dishes seem to have slipped in quality and "downsized" considerably. A regular serving of ravioli barely fed my 7 and 12 year old and the meat sauce had huge chunks of "crumbled" ground beef. All the pasta dishes were bland - even the one we got when we ordered something else. But since we'd waited an hour, I didn't dare send it back! Quality has suffered over the years significantly and I won't go back. Bummer. Used to love this place.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Garage Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : 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 : No 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.
Lee R.
Restaurant setting is quirky but not in a negative way. Decor is unique - lots of 'authentic' black and white Italian photos. Our waitress (Ashley) was very friendly but service was fairly slow (possibly due to volume of people in restaurant). Food quality is average at best. Meatballs are fried rather than baked and came to the table luke warm and greasy. Bread did not appear very fresh. My entree (sausage and chicken ziti or something to that effect) was way too saucy and similar to a frozen meal you would microwave from walmart. The worst part of the entire meal was the check. $135 without tip for 2 adults and 2 kids ($160 with 20% tip). Admittedly we had 3 beers, one dessert and an after dinner drink but with the sub-par quality of the food, I would have traded the entire meal for a Pizza and a 6 pack and saved $100.
(2)Samantha P.
I believe this was my first time to this location (or it has been a crazy long time) but I was very skeptical going into it all after a very awkward and unpleasant visit at another central Indiana Buca location...but it just goes to show that the people at a location can make all the difference. We ended up using Buca di Beppo for my rehearsal dinner at the suggestion of my sister-in-law, it was a place we could all agree upon that allowed for planned ahead reservations for a larger number. Let me start by saying the sales/booking process was great! They really have that down and take the group dining seriously. We first worked with a general sales person and then were eventually given a local sales contact for all other necessary questions and details. Stephanie at the local level was fantastic! She answered a lot of e-mails when my family brought up questions and helped us feel prepared going into it. My husband and I had to pick the menu since no one else would, haha, and it was tough as we had not been to any Buca's in some time. We tried to get ones that sounded like many different people would like. The day arrives and it is true that the entrance is strange and you will likely have to pay for parking (it is in the heart of downtown...) but we didn't care because we just wanted to relax and eat after the rehearsal. We get there and they won't let anyone sit until I show up since I booked it (whoops, some of my party had to wait a bit since I was the last to leave the wedding venue). But once we were there, everything went so smoothly. They took us to our area that was reserved, plenty of servers started taking drink orders (our head server was AWESOME, I wish I remembered his name) and bread and salads came quickly. I was very impressed with the flow of the meal, it was all fast but not too fast and they accommodated me wanting to surprise my brother-in-law with a small birthday cake since that day was his actual birthday and he had to spend it with me for my wedding. They made a big deal of it and let us serve cake, it was great. The food choices we had, from what I remember, were very good, sadly, I was suffering from the typical bridal nerves and didn't eat a ton but everything I did try was delicious. I actually got a lot of compliments from the guests. Especially the pesto chicken pasta and chocolate chip cannoli, mmmm. I also enjoyed a few glasses of sangria thanks to my man of honor, hehe. They were prompt with clean up and didn't say anything as some family members stayed and talked. All in all, I would definitely recommend Buca di Beppo for a large dining event like a rehearsal dinner if you are looking for a place in downtown Indy that won't break your bank!
(5)Courtney P.
Just stopped in here last night on a recommendation from a friend. The service was excellent and very attentive and the food portions were huge-- we both left stuffed! The family-style dining is really nice, too. In all though, probably won't be back anytime soon. The food was pretty unremarkable. The garlic bread was amazing and the broccoli side was pretty good. My boyfriend enjoyed the chicken/pasta dish we ordered, despite the fact that the pasta was undercooked while the chicken was overcooked. A solid 3-star experience :)
(3)Carrie G.
Wonderful food! They give you huge portions, so be prepared to share with everyone! The small portions easily fed three of us. We ordered the baked Ziti which was good- but the vegetable lasagna was perfect! Cheesy and good and full of veggies! Our waiter was very attentive and energetic. It was kind of fun walking through the maze of corridors. :)
(5)Kevin F.
I really like the food here. Spaghetti and Meatballs is one of my favorite.
(4)Peter P.
This is the type of "Italian" restaurant that makes mothers in the old country cringe. There's so much kitsch on the walls (pictures of the pope, priests playing volleyball, nuns, etc.) and the cheesy Godfather-esque music. There's also a kind of funk in the air that I can't put my finger on. The smell made me a little nauseous (it may have something to do with the amount of garlic they put in their food and the enclosed space). We must have been one of the first customers of the day (arrived around 11:30 AM) and the bread that they brought out was stale and room temperature. Our server was obviously new (he later said that he used to be a cook and wanted to get out of the kitchen) as he was unfamiliar with the menu and my order came out without chicken (he was friendly enough though). My caesar salad came out before the entree (which is how I wanted it) but then when my entree came out, there was another caesar salad on the plate (they let me keep it). The alfredo sauce on my rigatoni had about as much flavor as the sole of my shoe. Also, there was hardly any on my plate. The server (ex-cook) noticed and brought me a little bowl of additional alfredo sauce but, it too, had zero flavor. My dining partner's drink was never refilled until we got our check. The only reason I come here anymore is it's less than 2 blocks from work, and my co-worker likes it (and I had a coupon for a free entree). Otherwise, what's the point?
(2)Brittany S.
Let me start off by saying that Buca is a great business for large groups - especially meetings in which you need a more private space. The restaurant has a way of being both spacious and cozy at the same time. The pros of Buca: -fast service -budget-friendly prices (especially when you find coupons) -Italian music swirling overhead -tasty salads The cons: -lacks an authentic vibe - almost like a Disney-style version of Italy (don't get me wrong, Disney and I are like (this)) -sauces lean on the Ragu-ish side of things - which can be perfect for those days where you might be hankering for some guilt-ridden pasta
(3)Just Us ..
Craving some spaghetti in this meat and potato town and ran into Bucas. I wish I wrote down the name of the person who took my order, he was very friendly and polite (this comes as a surprise to me after all the covert racism I came across in town). I want to give them a 5 star just for his service... unfortunately the food was the usual fair and not something spectacular.
(3)Laquetta D.
Don't see what the hype about this place was about. I was very disappointed and frustrated. It was too crowded (everyone who was getting married this weekend all decided to come on the same night). The layout of the place was confusing. I felt like I was going through a maze. My service was not good. Had to ask repeatedly for refills I didn't receive. To top it off; now I'm a former waitress so I know a thing or two about serving and the culture if it but I was annoyed by the fact that my waitress received a $30 tip by default (our party was more than 6) and I feel like because she knew she was getting that automatically she didn't take care of business. I won't be back. I'm hesitant to try the greenwood location. Really disappointed by the whole experience. O and I get the whole nostalgia theme with the pictures but do I really need to be looking at naked behinds while I'm eating??! No, don't think I do.
(1)J F.
After waiting for 45 minutes after our reservation without a seat, we left. The wait in the kitchen did allow for a great view of food sitting on the warmer for 20+ minutes. This management staff clearly has no idea how to handle high volume peaks.
(1)Mandy M.
So bad.. Not worth the money.. I felt like I was in an episode of Kitchen Nightmares! So disappointing.. Microwaved food and the worst Artichoke dip Iv ever had.
(1)Liz K.
If Buca di Beppo was a theater show, I'd describe it as having a lackluster performance. I can't really think of a better way to describe it. Mary, you were a great waitress and your service deserves higher stars. But the food and some other elements of the meal left a lot to be desired; for example, my wine glass smelled like pure bleach. Not the first impression I was looking for. There were 5 of us dining, and so we opted for a small salad and three small pasta dishes. One (the penne a la vodka) was wrong, so we had to send that back. Once it came back, the seafood smell was overwhelming in the worst way possible. The Penne San Remo looked fantastic in the picture but had no flavor at all, despite the artichoke, chicken, and peas that you would think would do the trick. The lasagna was ok, but the end of it was clearly overcooked as evidenced by my rubbery noodle. On the bright side, they listened to our request to not have the birthday song sung for my mom, but by then we were very much over the bland food we had eaten. Plus, our quiet corner was infiltrated by a group of 12 teenagers who were really excited to yell at one another across the table. Yay. If you absolutely love Italian style food, it may be worth a try - but if you're more concerned with flavor and quality, I'd look elsewhere.
(2)Charla C.
Recently we came as a family during the holiday season. Family style meals are always a plus with a large group but I wouldn't necessarily call this authentic Italian. Not meant to be insulting but the food is a half step up from Olive Garden. The layout of the restaurant is a pain too. It's a maze. We needed help getting from our table to the restroom and back. But overall it got the job done. Plenty of food for a large group at a fair rate.
(3)Jason R.
I recently went to Buca di Beppo for my friend Beth's birthday and it was, without a doubt, the worst dining experience of my life. I'm not usually a negative person, and I tend to give most eateries the benefit of the doubt (see most of my other reviews), but this night could not have gone much worse. We arrived at 7:30 with a reservation and were seated promptly. After waiting 15 minutes our waiter arrived and took our drink orders. We ordered a bottle of wine, 5 waters, and an order of Cheesy Bread Florentine as an appetizer. After a few minutes our wine arrived along with 4 clean wine glasses and one with a half eaten cherry clinging to it's underside. We pointed out the cherry and he went to retrieve another glass. In a few minutes he returned with a new wine glass and the bread we ordered, but it was just an ordinary order of garlic bread. We informed him that we had ordered the Cheesy Bread Florentine and informed us we would not be charged for the garlic bread and he left to put in a new order for our bread. We had to ask 2 to 3 more times before we received our waters. It was at this point that we ordered our food. We ordered a small baked rigatoni and a large Quattro al Forno. After waiting another 45-50 minutes our food arrived lukewarm with the rigatoni undercooked with pieces of the pasta still somewhat hard. One of the plates we received for our entrees had cheese and sauce still on it from the last guest so, again, we requested another. After waiting 10 minutes we just decided to walk to the bar and request a new plate since our waiter never returned with one. What was cooked correctly was decent overall. Our waiter could tell we were upset and returned with a manager who apologied for the service and stated we would receive a discount on our food when the bill was brought out later. This somewhat lightened the mood so we decided since it was our friends birthday to stick it out and order dessert. We ordered the Colossal Brownie Sundae, which arrived in about 15 minutes. While it was good, the overall experience had been ruined and we were just ready to leave. Our check arrived with the garlic bread not charged but the discount the manager had promised was not applied. It was at this point a few people had had enough and asked to talk to the manager again. Our waiter again apologized, stating that he was upset by the original complaint and had allowed it to weigh on his service for the rest of the meal. Not something you expect to hear from your waiter. He returned with his manager who said he would take care of our dinner and that we would only be charged for the bottle of wine. While we appreciated the gesture, but it was sad it had to come to that. We were at Buca di Beppo for a little over 2 hours and most of the time was spent waiting on food and wondering where our waiter was. I could ignore mediocre food, but not when it's paired with the worst costumer service I've ever received. Over the course of the night we saw our waiter 3 or 4 times and at one point he asked if we needed anything, then walked away in the middle of us talking to him. He had obviously checked out on us by the end of the night. I doubt any of us will return.
(1)Nathan H.
The food here is always high quality and great tasting. The price is high for Italian food (~$30 for large spaghetti?) The service is great, and the atmosphere certainly is fun for most people.
(4)DeAnna P.
The quality of the food at this location continues to decline to the point that there is really no reason at all to go here. Service is mediocre. Our party of two ordered well in advance of the party of 8 next to us, yet they got their food before us. Our server said ours was taking a while because I ordered a meatball. At 11:30 a.m. on a weekday, how can an Italian restaurant not have meatballs at the ready? And as bland and soft as it was, it wasn't worth the wait. Oh, and don't bother checking your smartphone for a better place to go if you are inside. The place is a black hole for phone reception. If you are meeting someone for lunch, make sure they know where to go or wait outside for them. Twice I've missed calls before they don't go through inside their cavernous restaurant.
(2)Michael F.
I have been a return customer of Buca's for over 10 years. Unfortunately, the last 3 times I have been there, the experiences have been a bit short of the mark. Most recently I went there with work colleagues as this is a wonderful place for large parties. A combination of luke warm food, dirty silverware, dirty plates, and undercooked pasta soured the meal for me and my guests. After my first occurrence with a few of these issues (lukewarm food, slow service, dirty plates) approx 5 months ago, I wrote off as a bad night and an out of place data point. The second time at the Illinois St location approx 3 months ago, I thought perhaps it was another unlucky event. With this third data point, it is too much to ignore. Management was made aware of the feedback after each of the subpar experiences. It is sad to say but it is unlikely that I will return to Buca for some time, if ever.
(2)Major T.
This is by far the worst Italian food you could ever eat. The place is full of mold and disgust, I wouldn't trust anything that is supposed to be clean there. If you like unprofessional employees, then this is the place for you!! Service sucks, and the food is horrible, go elsewhere because anything is better than this shit hole.
(1)Jennifer M.
Went with a group of 9. We had good food, good drinks. My husband actually said he had too much whiskey in his whiskey sour! The waiter was attentive.
(4)Sharon M.
Started with raspberry fizz and strawberry fusion Italian cream sodas for something different and they were good. Mozzarella garlic bread was fair. The supreme pizza and Apple Gorgonzola salad were good but not spectacular. A little heavy on the dressing on the salad and the bleu cheese. Portions are large so be sure to share. The hallway to the dining area was a little crowded.
(3)Trish L.
Went with a group of 18 and they had no problem splitting bill or accommodating us. Food was very good and atmosphere was fun shrimp di ablo was spicy !! Would definitely go again was a very cheap night out as it is served family style
(4)John W.
Let me start this review by saying I am not a big Italian food person. We just got home from here Christmas Day 12-25-2014 we made a reservation through open table and when we got here we were seated immediately. Having never been here before I was not sure what to expect. So we ordered drinks, and for some reason due to state laws or something they could not serve alcohol so thank god they had pepsi products or it would have been water for me. Anyway, they did offer a traditional ham or turkey meal with the traditional fixings for about $28 per person but we decided it was probably better to stick with the cuisine they normally prepare and we were not disappointed at all. We started out with the Mozzarella Bread which was very good. Then for entrees since they serve everything family style we ordered two things and I can assure you that we only needed one because we brought most of our food home with us. But we ordered the Fettuccine Supremo minus the red peppers and then we got a Bianca a white pizza with ricotta, fresh mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan, garlic, oregano and garlic-infused olive oil and we added chicken to it. that was probably the best pizza i have ever eaten. And then for dessert it took me a while to decided but I finally decided on the homemade cheesecake and it did not disappoint. We were only able to eat about half of it and I did not dare box the rest so we left it there. Service was decent. The manager did come by the table to see how our meal was. So two people set us back $80 well $100 with the gratuity. I love going downtown so this will be a good excuse to go more often. we did sign up for their loyalty club before leaving home and it had said you will get some sort of pasta dish but that never arrived in my email before i left so i guess it will eventually arrive and we will have that as well, nothing was mentioned about rewards so i assume that they do not work off of a purchase system or if they do we didn't get credit for today's visit. Just make sure you sign up for their program and you will get a pasta dish sent to your email eventually. Also they give you stuff on your birthday as well. or so i read.
(4)Douglas S.
Service is great, the food, not the greatest... It was good and definitely worth the try, but very expensive. I don't know why they mark this with only 2 $$ signs, for me and my family of 5 it was $90.00 without the tip... But they have HUGE portions. The after taste is really bad, I was still burping up nasty Itialian food the next day...
(3)Brandon K.
Do yourself a favor- Go to the store, get some pasta & a can of Prego sauce. You'll end up with a much better result than spending your money here.
(1)Beth W.
We had reservations for 6:30... We weren't seated until 7. By the way, the line goes through the kitchen, with all of the restaurants patrons waiting only a few feet from the food on slippery floors. After getting to our cramped table in a loud room half an hour late, drinks weren't served for another 15 minutes. The salad we ordered didn't come until an hour after we were seated... And although it was tasty... We hardly had time to eat it because we had to arrive at a show at 815. After I informed our server that we didn't have time and had to cancel our entre order... She refused to let us talk to a manager. We weren't offered any compensation or apology. I suppose if you want to wait 2 hours in a loud cramped room for food prepared in a public hallway and pay a hefty price... Buca is the place to go.
(1)Greg H.
This was our family's first visit to Buca, but it will not be our last. We made a reservation, and it was a good thing too as there were prom goers all throughout the restaurant. The restaurant itself was clean, crowded(in an ok busy way), not overly noisy for all the large groups. It was interesting to enter the building and standing in the kitchen while we waited for our table. It offered us a view in to how LARGE the portions are. Comes with being a family style dinning. Our waiter was great. He had a good personality. He got us everything we asked for, checked on us without being too absent or overly attentive. Our food showed up correctly and hot. Now the food got raves from everyone at our table. The garlic bread with cheese started things off which had nice size pieces of roasted garlic. It was a new experience for our daughters, but it was great. Then the main courses came which was cheese manicotti and chicken parm. Both were really warm and big hits with everyone.
(4)Maria A.
Today...great service and awesome food! Loved it!
(4)Aubree D.
Buca di Beppo is a top notch experience for delicious taste, an energizing atmosphere, and a affordable price. Buca was chosen for my birthday dinner ( great pick for a Tuesday night), because it wasn't packed like it is on the weekends. I had been wanting to go somewhere with great meatballs for WEEKS (once you have one you will understand) and Buca's meatballs succeeded my high expectations. My boyfriend and I ordered the large size spaghetti and meatballs, which ended up being lunch for the next few days there was so much to take home. The atmosphere is a cultural escape, set to entertain your eyes wherever they wander. The restaurant has a lot of personality, but so does the staff. I enjoyed this particular Buca more than ones that I have in the past because the waiter was always personable and ahead of the game. Not once did I have to ask for anything or remind him and he brought was seemed like he loved working their as well. In Columbus, Ohio, where I am from, Buca is one of the most popular restaurants in the down town for large groups and I wish more people knew what Italian experience they were missing out on in Indianapolis. I have been to the Old Spaghetti Factory (for my birthday last year), and it is safe to say that Buca is a much more lively, Italian, FULLfilling experience (so much more food). I encourage people who don't have a ton of time, to check this place out during the week days, or make a reservation days in advance for the weekends!
(4)Colton R.
Italian food has three qualities that make it Italian: it's simple, it's fresh, and it's good. This restaurant had none of those. Our fettuccine alfredo was not cooked long enough because the fettuccine seemed hard. The sauce was bland. And the food was overpriced. Sure, you get double the portion you would at a place like Olive Garden, but it's half the quality. My girlfriend's strawberry lemonade was filled with sick tasting syrup that was so sweet she couldn't take more than a sip. It wasn't even stirred up. The only redeeming thing was that they serve cream soda the way a cream soda is supposed to be served- with cream in it. And even then it wasn't that good. Overall, the service was lousy and the price was too high for such a mediocre product. I won't be returning.
(2)Katie S.
Fair warning to start: I have only eaten here once, and it was for a party, so I can't speak to how this place is if you come with just a few people. My husband and I ate here last week for our company's holiday party, and we were incredibly disappointed. I had always heard about the plentiful food at Buca, and what we got was the complete opposite. Our table received our first round of drinks promptly, and I did get one refill on my soda. After that, our server completely forgot about drinks. I'd say we were probably all out of drinks by the time the salad course was done, and none of us got refills. So that was a a point against Buca already. The bread was delicious and thankfully it was plentiful, because that's pretty much what we had to fill ourselves up on. The two salads we received (it was "family style") were just ok. The lettuce was inexpensive iceberg that seemed a bit wet, which was disappointing, but there were some decent toppings on each. The real issue, though, were the "main courses". Our table had 6 people and they brought us (I kid you not) 1 plate with 8 ravioli on it and 1 plate with 6 small pieces of chicken. That's it. So each person was literally allotted 1 1/3 ravioli and the equivalent of about 1/2 of a chicken breast. And the ravioli wasn't even very good. We all agreed that it tasted about the same as Chef Boyardee (which, don't get me wrong, is yummy, but it's not what you expect at a restaurant). We begged our server for more food and we were able to get 1 more plate of ravioli, but we were told that we could only have more chicken if we waited half an hour or more, because "management only prepares enough for each person". So apparently, half a chicken breast is what Buca considers to be a serving size. None of us were close to full, so we were hoping that some of the famous Buca cheesecake would help to top us off. No luck there, either. The slices of cheesecake were (and again, I am not kidding here) about 3/4 of an inch wide at the top and equated to maybe 4-5 regular bites. And they were plain, with no garnish of any sort. Considering how much this meal cost per person, the amount of food provided was laughable. Well, it would have been laughable if we hadn't all been starving by that time. I would never, ever consider hosting an event here, given the poor attention paid to drinks and the pitifully small amount of food provided. I didn't expect them to drown us in food, but I at least expected something close to an actual single serving!
(1)Zach F.
This is a great place to go get a good family-style Italian meal. You get a lot for what you pay. The baked ziti is amazing. The rest of the dishes we've tried have been really good too. The garlic cheese bread is pretty good if you want a starter. If you still have room for dessert afterward, I would recommend the brownie with ice cream thing that comes in the huge martini glass. It is fantastic. If you have multiple sweet teeth, like I do, you're sure to enjoy that one. As for the service, I have yet to have a bad experience. They are generally quick with the dishes and with refills on your drinks. We used their catering service once and the gal that runs it, Gina, was great to work with. She was very helpful and extremely nice to work with. I would highly recommend coming here if you're looking for a good, family-style place. I would also recommend giving Gina a call if you are in need of catering.
(4)Kelly M.
We ate here the night before the Monumental Marathon. We made a reservation and were seated immediately. We were in and out of this place in less than 40 minutes. That's a huge selling point for me since we wanted to get off our feet and to bed early for the main event. We order garlic bread and spaghetti with marinara (boring, but you have to keep it simple the night before a marathon). Everything was served quickly as described and at the right temperature. The pasta was well-done as well.
(5)Brian J.
My wife and I were downtown for a surprise birthday party that would happen later in the evening and decided to stop by Buca's for dinner. We did not call ahead for a reservation. We didn't realize there was a cheerleading event downtown. There was no open seating until after 9pm (a 3 hour wait), but the host told us to check the bar so we did. Luckily there were two seats at the end of the bar so we sat and were entertained by the bartender, Luke, and his barback whose name I cannot recall, but wish I could because both were hilarious to listen to as they worked. Buca's is just really good italian food. If you are familiar with the brand then you know that you walk through the kitchen to get to your table and that most meals are served family style. Buca's has changed portioning a bit as now you can order a small which is easy for two people to split and still bring home leftovers. The large would feed a family of 4-5 people especially if you are ordering any sides like garlic bread which we did...yum! As we looked over the menu, the barback jokingly told us that there's only three bad things on the menu so we had pretty good odds of picking something good. He was correct as we ordered the Chicken Carbonara and it was excellent! We also ordered the garlic bread with cheese. Again, this was very tasty. The food came out fast and the service was prompt and friendly. We finished up with tiramisu for dessert savoring every bite. We took home leftovers for all three items and I'm looking forward to a great Sunday lunch of leftover Buca food. The three food items, two soft drinks, and a 9oz pinot noir came out to ~$55 before tip. The entertainment from our servers was free. This is only the second time I've been to Buca and I hope to return soon. It's a great place to meet friends, have date night, or bring a group. Just remember to book your reservation in advance because there is always something going on in downtown Indy. Better safe than sorry as I almost had to write a food truck review this morning!
(4)Dan B.
I'm a fan of this restaurant for a specific reason. They offer really great food for a large group. This place isn't quite as good for a couple, or even four people. If you have 6 or more, this is great choice, otherwise it can be extremely pricey. My wife and I have very similar taste and can usually decide on a dish to share, which is important here. The food is served "family style" meaning one dish is enough for 3-4 people. We ordered one dish of Ziti and it was enough for 2 meals for each of us. The food is good. Nothing spectacular, but it's really reliable, and i've not had anything terrible here. The dessert is really, really good. The large size adds "wow" factor to the desserts and entrees. In short, either go in knowing you can compromise and eat something good and garlicy, or save this place for a large group and sample a bunch of dishes.
(4)Lane M.
This was my second time eating at a Bucca Di Beppo, and probably my last based on these experiences at different locations. In both cases, the food was quite bland, as if the portion sizes somehow made up for quality with quantity. At the Illinois Street location, I sat in one of the most uncomfortable booth seats I have ever met, seemingly following an obese "food enthusiast" that compressed the stiff springs under the worn vinyl surface with a left-leaning bias. I get that the restaurant is going for a traditional appearance, but this is not an excuse for neglecting investment in your seating. We started with the Chopped Antipasto Salad, which was above average but not spectacular. The Small size that claims to feed at least two people was not a lot of salad for $13. In addition to the above, it was the Ravioli With Meat Sauce that ultimately earned two stars from me. The dish was just not restaurant quality, but more like store-bought ravioli with some faintly seasoned ground beef stirred in. As someone who appreciates flavor, this did not cut it for me, and gave me no reason to come back.
(2)Jodi D.
Hands down the best Italian I've had since I was a kid eating in my Italian grandma's kitchen.
(5)Jennifer C.
I just ate there yesterday with my family. The food and service was wonderful. My only complaint is where we were seated, or around. We were at a table in the bar area. A lot of the staff were talking and clocking in for their shift, and I thought we really didn't need to hear all of them talking.
(5)Ashley M.
I love Bucca di Beppo because you always know what to expect. The food is always on point and I have yet to have bad service. The downtown location is my favorite as the building is so neat. Went there for Mother's Day and my family came away satisfied and full. Being able to share the family style meal is so nice because then you don't have to choose just one thing (which is really helpful with little kids!) Will definitely go back.
(5)Brian B.
Another good chain. The food is consistently good and the atmosphere is fun--great place to go with kids if you are travelling. We've been to the one in Kansas City as well. The pasta at this one was ok, the Pomodoro sauce was ok too but nothing spectacular. There seemed to be a logistical problem in the kitchen this night as the fresh-made bread was not available until the end of the meal (but it was good). There are probably other local Italian restaurants in these cities that offer better value (I know there are in St. Louis), but these are well-located for travellers and fun for families and groups. (I really like the subterranean floorplan and entry through the kitchen, as well as the entertaining decor.)
(3)Steve C.
I have to say I was very disappointed by the service provided by the downtown location of Buca di Beppo. I made a reservation for 8 people on a Friday night at this location. I understood that this was a large party to accommodate so I made the reservation a few weeks ahead of the scheduled date. The Thursday before the dinner was to take place I received a confirmation call from Buca di Beppo. I confirmed with everyone in my party that we were all set to go for dinner on Friday night. Then on Friday AFTERNOON of the schedule dinner I receive a call from Buca di Beppo informing me that they could not accommodate my reservation and that it had been canceled. No other solution was offered. Needless to say I had to scramble to find a restaurant to accommodate such a large party at such a last minute notice. Luckily I was able to get all of us in at the Ratskeller. The environment and food was great.
(1)Andrea G.
I'll start by saying that I may be overly tough on Italian restaurants. There are just so many of them that it really takes something special to get me to return. With that in mind Buca di Beppo can be a great place for families and large groups. Their family style serving means that each dish will serve a number of people and that you'll get to walk away having tried a number of dishes. They are also good for groups on a budget or looking for a quieter place to meet up. Their chopped antipasto salad was good but I wasn't in love with their red sauces and felt that the flavor just wasn't developed. Most dishes were a little bland and over sauced for my taste but none of it was bad.
(2)Andrew C.
If you are in Indianapolis YOU HAVE TO GO HERE. It is so insane, you will see what I mean. Average food, and weak Gin and Tonic, I may have just built up my expectations too high, given that I drove 16 hours straight to get there!
(3)Kerem T.
Maybe I'm being overly critical coming from NJ, where good Italian food is everywhere, but if you are looking for authentic Italian this is NOT where to look. My father and I stopped in here on our first night in Indy because the place was very busy. When we sat down we decided to share the Chicken Glorioso which, according to the menu, is chicken with white wine, Alfredo sauce, artichoke hearts, and sun dried tomatoes. We also got an order of broccoli and an order of spaghetti with marinara sauce. After we placed our order we waited well over 30 minutes before we even saw our server again. To start, EVERYTHING is expensive, family style or not. There's no way I'm paying four bucks for a bread basket. the chicken was BLAND BLAND BLAND with one exception. It was COVERED in hot red pepper flakes (the kind you put on your pizza). It was so bad that it turned the sauce red and left the chicken so spicy that it was all we could taste. The broccoli was no better. It was covered in cheese and was still somehow completely lacking in any flavor at all. The spaghetti was ok, but their "famous" marinara sauce tasted no better than the Ragu they serve in my campus dining hall. All this, with slow service and Bennigans style crap covering the walls. It was clear to me that this place is just a glorified Olive Garden. Avoid this place at all costs. 65 bucks for a bunch of crap Italian is not my idea of a good dinner.
(1)Lisa G.
A nice place to take a bunch of people and feed them filling pasta at a cheap price. Portions are enormous! The decor is gaudy.
(3)John S.
I'm not a negative person at all. Having said that.... The cleanliness and the sanitation in this restaurant is disgusting. I watched a pasta cook dig into a rub of pasta with both hands. Keep in mind... He wasn't wearing any gloves. He also had been scratching his dirty hair. This is all happening in front of the kitchen table that we were seated at. We watched another cook take a piece of calamari off a plate in the window and pop it in his mouth. The restrooms... Wow! They have urine, and poop stains on all the toilets. Trash all over the floor. Toilet paper dispensers coming off the walls. Tile broken. Ceiling tiles falling off. Mold under the kitchen equipment. The dish room can be seen by every guest. It's a disaster. Dish washers yelling and screaming, and cussing. I have children with me. I will never be back. The dingy smell of the restaurant is nauseating.
(1)Meg M.
If you think of Olive Garden as good Italian food, you will like this place too. It doesn't get much less authentic than this, but people in the mid-west don't seem to know the difference between good food and total crap. To top it all off, the service is bad and the decor is just plain frightening! P.S. Do not try the Sangria! It's awful!
(1)Klaus W.
Had the spicy chicken rigatoni for lunch. Not much spice to it really. I wondered why there was so little sauce on the pasta when served. I found it eventually, coagulated at the bottom of the bowl. It wasn't creamy at that point, more paste-like. My guess is that it sat under a heat lamp too long and it all eventualy oozed to the bottom. It didn't taste bad, but wasn't as good as I expected. Not saying I'll never return, but I think I need to try the competition first.
(2)CATHERINE C.
Came here Saturday night with a large group (14) for an 8:45pm reservation. The waiter (I wish I remembered his name) was SUPER friendly and had our whole group pleased. The manager on duty came over a couple times to check on how we were doing and if we were happy. They were more than helpful. The food was good but somewhat standard Italian fare. The restaurant is a bit of a maze and ended up in the kitchen a few times. Would definitely recommend sitting at the Popes table with the large lazy susan that delivered all the food to our guests. Great choice!!
(4)Anna P.
If your an Italian restaurant then at the very least your marinara sauce and meatballs had better be spot on! The marinara tastes like canned tomatoes with no seasoning, and the meatball texture resembles that of my cats food and I bet in a blind taste test you wouldn't taste the difference. The only reason this place gets a star from me is because I must give one!!!
(1)Ann L.
Excellent! Courtney the server was too good to be true. She was amazing. We loved her. I think she's the best server we've ever had when going out. Only downside to this place was the bar -- we waited in the bar while a table was getting ready for us, and the bartender preferred to show off his bottle juggling skills to a woman rather than serve us. We walked out of the bar. I'm also not sure about the safety of the wet floors, and servers and customers being so close -- I feel like I'm going to run into someone's food.
(5)MJ W.
I am giving two stars for our last experience at Buca. Our food was cold when it came out, but so was everyones that day. We had to wait in the kitchen for a while and realized it is freezing in there. No wonder the food was so cold. I think it is a problem with the building. I think Indianapolis has much better italian food options.
(2)Kjirsten K.
This place is horrible. Our last experience was especially bad and we vowed never to return. Despite having a reservation we had to wait 45 minutes for our table. After waiting and waiting we finally checked in again at the podium and it was apparent they had forgotten about us. We were placed in a back room, the service was inattentive, the food was cold, and to top it all off I found a piece of broken plate in my food. This was the worst dining experience I have ever had.
(1)Andrew R.
This place was heavily recommended by my coworker, so while in town for a convention we decided to stop in for dinner. The food was really good, first of all. I had a chicken dish served over a creamy pesto and with a dallop of their homemade marinara on top of each piece. Delicious. We had calimari for an appetizer, which was good but not incredible. The service was friendly and attentive too, which was nice. The downside, however, was the atmosphere. I'm still not sure why, when so many tables were open during our early dinner time frame, we were seated in a room with multiple tables with multiple young kids. Screaming. Laughing. Running about. Two guys in business apparel, really hostess? We should have just sat at the bar.
(4)Donovan M.
I like Buca more than some of my friends. I've always found the food good and abundant, its a nice atmosphere....if you're looking for above avg (but not great) Italian for a decent price (they even have coupons sometimes) then its definitely a decent place to go to.
(4)Stacy J.
It's a great place to take a group (when it isn't too crowded and noisy) at a reasonable price. Food was good and we enjoyed ourselves... atmosphere is nice... wait staff did an average job... so nothing really stood out to me... If I had my druthers and wanted something similar, I'd go to Old Spaghetti factory instead!
(3)Craig R.
My wife and I went here for luncheon a saturday. The place is big and the staff was super friendly. The food comes in huge portions and is ll done. We got the spicy chicken and rigatoni and it was delicious! Prices are not too bad. This place would be good for a group of people that enjoy eating family style. I will return.
(4)Jon A.
This visit to "Buca's," was in the shackles of a sibling's birthday dinner. Going to wherever your sibling chooses is as agonizing as watching a 6 year-old squirm over the choice of go-gurt or Cheez-its for lunch. You just have to do it...I suppose of course it'd be different if your sibling wasn't my sibling. Before going to Buca di Beppo I groveled over the pastiche, over the expected clientele not knowing why it's Sophia Lauren on the wall and not Jessica Alba. Or, why the rear entrance is long and windy. Or, maybe, even, why all the dishes are served "family style." (By the way...is this an appeal for people? Because the party I went with...interestingly enough...a family...all ordered their own items. Is Buca trying to tell us we aren't a family? Buca are you just trying to make us feel bad for not even attempting to order within your rules. In fact! If you do end up going to Buca di Beppo...as a table...I'd recommend ordering all of your own items -- entirely out of spite of this "family style.") I remember my first experience here...ten years ago I sat in the bar section with my Mother and we ordered a bottle of Lambrusco, and the bartender looked just like the Italian Soccer players on the TV. It felt genuine. It felt patient. Maybe the key is that there wasn't food involved. But now...the process is different. All the servers seemed rushed -- having the hurry up & wait mentality of serving a dozen things, then taking a break, so little black sheep items like a glass of wine instead of dessert (like the rest of the table) lagged behind because the server wasn't use to serving someone, err...something that wasn't a table of nine Iowans. I'll admit...I got caught up in the long and windy rear-entrance...I touched my face hoping to feel pockmarks like Ray Liotta's in Goodfellas. But then...when I got to my table that woman on the front of the menu...(it was just like finding out that it was a Sicilian playing the Native American in the Environmental TV commercial of the 1970s). I simply wasn't compelled to eat Italian. That's a big issue for a restaurant that...well...seems Italian, yet the place compelled me more to have a Philly Cheese Steak (which they didn't have). So, case & point...I ordered the "Apple & Walnut Salad." Not very Italian. I was relieved to see it though (like a Farmers Market in a Wal-Mart parking lot)...and it was decent enough...but not Italian. If I had a knee-jerk instinct to have Italian and my only option to go out to dinner was here...I'd rather just wander to the fridge in my Tony Soprano terricloth robe and snack on some pepperoni. Or, I'll wait 'til the State Fair in August and have deep-fried tomatoes. O, and the parking garage was wildly over-priced at $5 for 2 hours? Wow.
(2)Kami L.
I went to Buca as part of a large group. We were treated rudely from the start by the waitstaff and I was given the wrong wine. When I pointed it out she said I had already drank some of it and would have to pay for it! I was so shocked I didn't argue but just sat there in silence throughout the meal. The food was average and the prices were high. I would recommend Maggiano's Little Italy on the northside over them by far. It was painful and I won't be coming back. On a side note, 2 friends of mine have worked there and both have complained about how terrible the management is. Poor attitudes trickle down from the top, so that at least explained something.
(2)Alejandro A.
Had dinner with the wife for our anniversary. Food was great and the environment is casual. The cost was not as price as the other restaurants around.
(4)Henry S.
I had forgotten how great Buca Di Beppo is until I recently came here. Yes there are Buca Di Beppo's in California and we had a friend with us who had never tried it so we stopped in for dinner. The wait was about 30-40 minutes so we made our way into the bar for some drinks. The bar was pretty much empty so we sat down, enjoyed a few drinks and decided to order an appetizer because were starved and had just flown into Indy. We got to talking to the bar tender "Joe" and he gave us a few pointers on places to check out and to eat while in Indy. He was so friendly and fun to talk to. We were seated after about 40 minutes and ordered our meals. We had the chicken stuffed with prosciutto and a sample platter of stuff shells, cannelloni, and penne. Everything was delicious and service was great. Definitely recommend coming here to Buca Di Beppo!
(5)Justin S.
Where do I start? They had shared "family style" dining which made it hard to order if you party doesn't like the same things. Over priced. Calamari was really chewy. We had to send it back. At best calamari was ok, even then. The one good thing was the cheese ravioli in meat sauce. It was supposed to feed four and it did two adults and two small children. Ravioli large 28.99 and calamari small 12.99. Would not go back.
(2)Robert R.
We love this place. We went before the Super Bowl and New Year Eve. This place is amazing. A bit pricey for pasta but we do get a ton of food. Fried motz was to die for! Sampler platter with ravioli, lasagna, and some other pastas is my favorite! Oh, and get at least a couple meatballs!
(5)Melissa F.
We had reservations on a busy night. We were promptly seated. The food was good and the server helpful. We would return again.
(4)Thuy T.
Seems like this location really need to pick up on their customer service. I'm usually really laid back about that department so it has to be pretty bad when I have to rant about it. I went to Buca with a party of 12+ two Saturday night ago for my friend's Birthday dinner. They decided to sat us in the "party" section with two other large parties, one of them with more than 10 kids. At first it wasn't so bad but then it got way out of control. Both of these parties were having a shouting contest, yes grown men and women having a shouting contest with children. The next thing you know they were playing tag because these kids were running all over the place bumming into our table. And it gets even worst when the adults continue to consume more alcohol. We were unable to talk to each other throughout dinner because we literally could not even hear ourselves think. Buca should have done something to control these two parties, I mean come on even the waitresses were complaining about them. After two hours of screaming and horse playing Buca finally asked one of the party to leave. I felt bad for the one couple that got stuck in the same section, they ate and left real fast. On top of the bad company, Buca gave up really bad service as well. Our waitress was never around, every time we needed our waitress I had to wave down another waitress. The food came out quickly for some and forever for the others. It just totally ruined my friend's Birthday dinner. Next time i'm going to Maggiano's!
(2)John J.
This review is for Christmas day since they were open and we had tickets to wicked.The management obviously didnt plan on a large crowd because my server told me they had only 7 servers.It seemed everybody who was attending the 8:00 showing of Wicked was there. I had a 6:15 reservation and was finally seated at 6:45. Food arrived at 7:15 and we basically boxed it up and left as we did not want to be late for the show.Food was just ok,but the host was in shambles with all the mad people.The worst part was that they forgot to give me my open table points!!!!
(2)Rachel P.
I came here as part of a party of 8 and we were seated immediately since we were willing to sit outside. I was the only vegetarian so I was a little worried about doing family style, but luckily everyone could agree on two veggie dishes: the gnocchi (yum) and the baked ziti, which was just alright. The garlic bread was highly garlicky but somehow not as flavorful as I wanted. The caesar salad was pretty tasty. It was decent, but nothing amazing.
(3)Chris B.
We hadn't been to Buca in years and had a great experience at our visit last night with our two young children. There was no wait at 6pm on a Tuesday evening--probably because it's Thanksgiving week. Our waiter was pleasant, good with kids and attentive. We ordered a small spaghetti and the wonderful gorgonzola/apple salad. The spaghetti with TWO HUGE MEATBALLS fed our family of four with some left over! The meatballs were flavorful, tender. The sauce was more of a crushed tomato/olive oil/garlic-type sauce than a thick red sauce. Everyone loved it. The salad was so unique with its cinnamon-glazed walnuts, granny smilth apples and gorgonzola cheese over romaine. The dressing was a zingy, red-wine viniagrette with herbs and onions. Well done. We waited around 15 minutes for our food but gnoshed on rustica bread and olive oil while we waited. You can't beat the decor for a fun game of I Spy with kids.
(4)Maurice S.
The food was very good and plentiful. Good salads and chicken parmesan is great. I like more sauce on pasta though, but the food remained flavorful. The pasta reminds me of the pasta in Italy. The semi-mellow atmosphere and wall art helps create a good environment for family eating and conversation. I recommend checking it out.
(4)Thom N Jennifer H.
A little bit of a letdown, honestly. The food was neither plentiful nor especially good. Our chicken parm was slightly scorched and two smallish chicken breasts rarely feeds three. Our waitress showed promise of good service but didn't follow through. Granted we were late diners but if a restaurant is willing to seat you they should be happy to provide service - good attentive service. For the money paid, we would have been better off at Olive Garden or the Italian restaurant in our hotel. I've had much better experiences at other locations particularly the one in Charlotte, NC. I don't think we will return to this one.
(2)Nichole H.
Buca di Beppo is great if you want a ton of food for your large party. We had 7 for dinner on Friday night, so we popped in there. The food is decent and pretty consistent. We ordered the cheesy garlic bread and the antipasto salad to start. For our main meal we had the Quattro al Forno which is the baked pasta sampler and the Chicken Saltimbocca. The Chicken Saltimbocca is my favorite dish at Buca. Lemon butter, capers, artichoke and prosciutto? Yes please! With 2 bottles and 5 glasses of wine, and 2 beers, the total was $230. Not too bad. Our server was very pleasant and helpful. One tip - if you've got a large party on a Saturday night - make a reservation or you'll be waiting forever.
(3)Alyssa D.
Very good. Great service, the wait staff made you feel comfortable and were really friendly. The food was great. We had the quattro something. It was like a sampler of all the baked, stuffed dishes.
(4)Sarah S.
Buca is a fun place to go if you have a large group. They don't joke about the "family size" stuff. Anything you order will literally be a *ton* of food. I remember coming here with a high school boyfriend before prom, unaware of Buca's MO, and foolishly ordering an entree for each of us. Hah! We had tortellini coming out our ears, and couldn't even really box it up, as we were on our way to a dance. Tragic! The food is fairly good, I think, but the shtick does get a bit old. And the decor is, in my opinion, overwhelming. It's definitely a loud, boisterous place with copious amounts of food, so be prepared for that if you come here. If you're yearning for a quiet, romantic night out with your honey, keep looking.
(3)Chad B.
Absolutely one of my favorite Italian restaurants ever. If you aren't into garlic, do not come here. Yes, the food comes in huge portions. Be prepared that one entree and a side is enough for 2 people normally. This is not someplace to go every week, as it is a bit expensive and kind of a diet killer. I highly recommend this place. Try the garlic mashed potatoes! Amazing.
(5)Kate S.
The only thing this place had going for it was a wonderful waitress. She made what otherwise would have been an expensive and disappointing meal at least palatable. That said, I hope she finds a new place to be an awesome server because this Buca really stinks. The food is mediocre at best and the portions are unfortunately huge. "Family Style" doesn't have to mean "heart attack inducing".
(1)Whitney P.
What a fun and visually entertaining dining experience. When you enter they take you right through the kitchen and down long corridors to the actual dining area . The portions are huge and the food is good and garlicy. I had the chicken saltamboca with a side broccoli. It didn't disappoint.My husband had a mountain of lasagna and I mean a mountain. It was actually the small portion so I can't imagine what the large would have looked like. It's a great family atmosphere. Lots of hustle and bustle.
(3)Chris N.
Went with a large group from work and I had great anticipatory excitement from hearing about this family-style Italian restaurant. The portions are huge and the decorum is truly something to take in. However, I was largely unimpressed with the food. I found the pasta to be lacking seasoning and it was, in a word, bland. The salad was fresh, but the meatballs were HUGE and again not seasoned very well. All-in-all it was a nice place to go with a group from work, but I wouldn't dare go back with my family spending my hard-earned cash.
(2)Olga N.
We just walked by Buca and looked like an interesting place. The food was great and their drinks were different and delicious. The only issue was that the waiter didnt tell us this was a family stylerestaurant where the small portion could feed 3 people. So we each order a plate were we could only eat less than a third. With this in mind the restaurant has great food and good environment. Doesnt feel like a chain restaurant. The entrance through the kitchen took us by surprise but it reminded us of some italian mob movie.
(4)Jared B.
Yes I know, Buca's is chain Italian food. Still, it's done with such gusto that I can't help but be appreciative. The softball sized meatballs on top of spaghetti marinara are delicious, and the booze-soaked tiramisu is what keeps me coming back. The bar is also well stocked and the wine is cheap. I'm not a fan of the salads, since they're authentic (anchovies in the ceasar) which makes vegetable options slim. Bring a large group and you'll go home happy. If there's only one or two of you in your group, you'll have trouble with the family-sized portions.
(4)Toriphil E.
it's a chain. service is hit and miss. it's way over priced. i give it 3 because i always seem to have a good time dispite its flaws
(3)m b.
this place is a joke. was forced to go there while on business, as i knew it would suck based upon several obvious clues. service- shockingly bad. food- bad to average. portions- lame. concept- annoying. terrible chain. there are tons of great choices for italian food in different cities- ny, boston, indy, wherever- so why anyone in a city would choose some cheesy chain italian restaurant is beyond me! it was funny to see the reaction of the various guests at the table- some of them you could tell eat out quite a bit & know what good food is, others you could tell had no idea what a good dining experience is! one girl next to me was rolling her eyes at how bad this place was, whereas the guy next to me was like wow this place is good!! even the drinks managed to suck here! dont go here!! "buca"-pfff- what a joke- please get off of an otherwise pretty good dining scene in the heart of indy.
(1)Tony G.
Went here to get a bite to eat while visiting the Indy area. Food here is served family style which may shock some folks. Don't let the looks of this place scare you, not only is the food good, but the atmosphere and nostalgia is worth the trip. Everything we had was very tasty and full of flavor. This is a nice place to take a group, but if you are looking for a quiet place to have a meal, not the place to go. The place is very busy and bustling with activity. If you come to the Indy area and like Italian food give this place a try !!
(4)Nathan F.
A great, fun place to eat! I would have given them 5 stars, but the procedure to check in with our reservation was extremely confusing. Thankfully, I'm the size of a truck and just pushed past the line to get to the lady with the reservation book. The food was great! My wife and I got the classic spaghetti and meatballs with a Caesar salad and fried mozzarella. The marinara was amazing with the perfect amount of zing! Our server was excited and attentive. The manager, Leo, stopped by and listened to our criticisms and praise. Overall, it was a great place to eat!
(4)Vin R.
Came here as a group of 8 (4 adults and 4 kids) with reservations for 6:45. Entering the restaurant was a little odd as the main entrance takes you through a long tiled hallway and past the kitchen to the maitre'd stand. I actually walked halfway down the hall with kids in tow and then turned around and went back out to the street because I thought we came in through the service entrance. I've only been to one other Buca Di Beppos before and the rest of the restaurant was pretty similar. Low ceilings, dark walls and tons of stuff on the wall, most notably a high number of Sophia Lauren pics. Anyway, we were seated right away and our server took our orders for drinks. We went ahead and put food orders in for the kids with our drinks to avoid a potential hungry, cranky kid problem. The drinks were fine, though it was odd that my wife's first two choices were already sold out (at 7pm?) but she's not too choosey about that stuff. The kids' food was fine and ended up being enjoyed by both the adults and the kids as our food order was significantly delayed... To the point where the kids were finished with their food and were ready to leave. So we ended up canceling the grown ups' orders and getting our check. Kind of a bummer, but the serving sizes are so big, the kids' food ended up being enough for everyone. Our server and the manager apologized profusely, saying the kitchen was inundated with a large volume of orders all at the same time. Indeed, the kitchen did look very busy as we navigated our way out of the restaurant...
(2)Charity P.
We absolutely LOVE this place! Every time we come to Indy we come here. Jose has served us many times and he has never disappointed us. He is wonderful! We met the new chef Michael and was amazed he remembered our names. The food here tastes like real Italian. In fact, even my 9 yr old will eat it. He is very picky about his Italian food. If it doesn't taste like my homemade dishes he won't eat it. The drinks are great too. I ordered a lemon drop martini and was not disappointed. The food is served family style so everyone can enjoy dif things. If you order the dessert ice cream, warning! It's huge!!!!!!
(5)Tyra B.
I am being generous to give 1 star. We arrived at noon on Monday for lunch before heading back to our hometown. We were seated promptly, (in a section with only 2 tables occupied), where we remained, ungreeted, unacknowledged for 20 minutes. At that point, I placed a very courteous phone call to the restaurant. The host that seated us took my call and stated "I will send a manager back to you now." After waiting another 15 minutes, we decided to leave and dine at The Old Spaghetti Factory. Upon departure, the manager and 3 employees were standing in the bar area. We asked for the number to call corporate and we left. The manager was less than interested in our frustration. Horrible service! We will not return to Buca Downtown.
(1)Patrick L.
The portions are ridiculously huge, definitely party sizes and a great place for a large group. You can always tell if a place is good if their traditional spaghetti and meatball is good, and this place is good. Although it's not the best I've had, it's still pretty good. The meatball was huge, and it's not dry. The only thing I didn't like was that the sauce was too liquidy. It's NOT waterdown, just liquidy. Other than that, it was great, and so were the other dishes I tried which includes the Penne San Remo, Chicken & Sausage Ziti, and Cheesy Bread Florentine.
(4)Kristin M.
Went with a group of co-workers for lunch and the portion sizes are *huge*!! Way more than any of us could eat. The Chicken Parmesana was amazing but felt my pasta was a bit over cooked. Service was fair and I'd go back as I see the value for the price!
(4)Joe L.
Always enjoy going here when it's a group of us, always get plenty of food and food is really good.
(4)Jennifer M.
We came here for a nice Italian meal and we were not disappointed. We had the eggplant parmigiana and the broccoli with a carafe of the house Pinot Grigio. It was delicious - the broccoli was cooked perfectly with garlic and hot peppers. The eggplant was wonderful- we ordered the small-since there was 3 of us. Great Meal
(4)Paula S.
We went early on a Saturday night to beat the crowd. Had our 17 month old grandson with us. The food was delicious and piping hot. The staff was attentive and the price was reasonable! A great experience.
(4)Rachael H.
I have determined Buca isn't worth my time or money. After a second rather disappointing visit to this "authentic Italian" restaurant for dinner, I think I would rather just go to Olive Garden if I'm going to pick a chain Italian for my dining choice (if that tells you anything). The first was just with my husband for a nice dinner out. I will hand it to them that the decor, while it is kitschy and a little over done, does make Buca seem cozy and friendly. Their cuisine however is lacking in what I would consider real Italian flair. I am a big seafood fan, especially mussels prepared with linguine, and was looking forward to trying their version. The mussels came with very little marinara and they were quite chewy (as if someone had left them under the lamp too long in the window.) Now, I will say that our server was kind enough to not charge us for this and offered to get me something else to compensate. This made me feel like giving them at least one more try. Last night was round 2 dining with the Buca crew at their downtown location. I was with a much larger group in town for a convention, but we did have reservations. We were seated promptly and our servers seemed attentive. Unfortunately the bar and kitchen staff just didn't have it together. We waited a whole hour for our drinks to come to the table, and the bar-tending crew couldn't just admit they didn't have the ingredients to create the frozen drinks we had asked for. When our food finally arrived (AFTER two other tables who were sat after us got their food first!), the entrees were just okay. The fettuccine alfredo needed some serious pepper to spice it up and the calamari was so overcooked, I couldn't tell if the tentacles were actually squid or dead spiders. Very disappointing indeed. To be fair, our waiter seemed like he was trying his best while under pressure...apologizing for the delays and trying to check on our orders as often as he could. But, the rest of the kitchen staff needs to seriously pull it together if they're ever going to want me to visit this establishment again. In addition, they could have given us some kind of discount for waiting so long for our food AND drinks. My suggestion....if you want family style Italian, it's worth shelling out just a little more for Maggiano's up by the Fashion Mall. The ambiance is better, the food is ALWAYS stellar, and the drinks keep coming....ON TIME!!!
(2)Naser A.
I have tried this place in Pittsburgh over nine years. So I can say this is my "first" experience. The place looks unique, and very authentic Italian resturant. The waitresses are very welcoming and the place is large. Most of their dishes like any italian resturant are sharing plates, and a Small size is good for two people. And Large usually for four people and more. We got their signature salad, the Apple something. It tasted good. It has blue cheese, cinnamon pecan and lettuce. We got breaded chicken with marinated sauce. Overall, the food tastes good, but I feel like it is missing something. I would go again, and probably reserve the place for a big party next time since they have many seating and rooms.
(4)Pascal L.
Run, run very far. There's a new manager, or at least there has been several in the past few months. There is also a new cook. The food will make you gag. Something horrible is going on in here and this place needs help. Used to be one of the best places to eat for a restaurant of its kind in the downtown Indy area.
(1)Linda M.
I decided to join a group of people after an event at Monument Circle. The leader chose this restaurant because of the vicinity and that they take a reservation. Before going, I looked at the online menu and there were only two entrees I would be interested in trying. As I was on their website, I noticed that I could sign up for their e-club. Within 12 hours, I received a coupon for 1 of 3 proposed dishes. I chose the plain Fettuccine Alfredo ($17.99 value). Beware that only one coupon per table. It was unusual to SEE the kitchen before the host station. The walls were too covered with décor. They have a lot of divided rooms that you can get lost returning from the restroom. The walkway to the restroom was slippery. The dishes were in sharable portions of 2 or 4. This ordering make it extremely hard for a group of people who all paid separately. Bad move on the owner!!! I needed to cut thoroughly the complimentary bread as it was mostly cut (down to the crust). Go buy a loaf of bread and see how it is cut! This pasta dish was dry. We got added the cost of the chicken but there were lots of noodles that hid the small portions of chicken. As I was preparing my take-home container, I noticed that the sauce was in the bottom of the bowl but still not a lot of sauce. I noticed that we received someone else's bill. The only thing I can somewhat say positively about this experience is that possible the e-club free pasta (but who want just a huge bowl of dry noodles without a meat). Because I was with a group and it was "easier" on splitting the bill evenly, that I almost paid for the "free" pasta. A TV dinner was much better than my EXPENSIVE experience here.
(1)Brittany M.
Ebony was my server and she was awesome!!! Everything was on time, and we had a great experience!!!
(5)Dan F.
I have had many a great meals in my life and there are so many different eats that it is hard to find a true gem. This is one of them. I was served by Mr. Thomas who explained the menu and its portion sizes. When he said a "small" feeds 2 people - he wasn't kidding. I ordered the Caprese app and it was delicious. I proceeded to get the "small" Quattro al Forno and it was fantastic!!! My coworker got the Lasagna and it was just as equally impressive and tasteful. I will say that I have gotten dessert at many places, primarily the Tiramisu - but I have NEVER seen or tasted anything like what I ate tonight (see picture) and it was SO great - I had to take some home (or rather I could not finish the "small" portion). Great food, service and price for what you get. It really feels like you are eating with and for family here!!
(5)Tom B.
The quality of the food is decent, but my two complaints are fairly simple: 1) The noise. This place is LOUD. 2) The cleanliness factor is a little questionable. It's not necessarily dirty inside, but it's almost getting that way. Buca's main competition is the Old Spaghetti Factory. We prefer the Old Spaghetti Factory.
(2)Traci D.
First off our waiter, Thomas was great! He was full of humor and class :) It's always great to have a good laugh at dinner. Our waiter attended to all of our needs! A+ dude! We used a free coupon for a small alfredo pasta. It was good and the serving size was perfect for my boyfriend and I. The garlic bread was so-so, not much flavor. I suggest using olive oil with it. Thomas asked us if we wanted some so of course we said yes! The atmosphere was great. We went at 4:30 so it was rather quiet.
(5)Tige W.
Management reached out to me to try to make things right. I appreciate their effort and will upgrade to 2 stars for that but unfortunately I don't think they can change quality and taste of food and as I am out of town, I certainly won't be back.
(2)Chris P.
My first visit was a bad experience in regards to slow service. The manager called and emailed to to personally apologize. I decided to give this location a second try, So I'm updating my review after a second visit. This time the food was perfect, service was excellent, fast and friendly and I would definitely recommend this Buca in a heartbeat. The food is to die for!! Enjoy!
(5)Ken B.
Great Italian food is the deal here. Service was great and the environment is one of a kind. I came with a large group and we had a great meal. The food is served family style which may be odd for some folks. I thought it was perfect for our large group because we ordered a bunch of different menu items and got to sample each. The signature pizza was my personal favorite. Trust me, we were all full by the end of the night. The decor is something else. Thousands of pictures litter the walls along with shrines to the Pope, Frank Sinatra and more. It was definitely a different take, but I like the character it added to the place. They had a special booth that was right near the kitchen which gave it the authentic Italian restaurant feel. Next time I'm in town I will be coming back!
(5)Alison S.
Buca Di Beppo is the prime Italian experience for any person of any age or culture. I recently ate there with my roommate and her mother. We ordered the normal spaghetti, with a raspberry vinaigrette salad and some cheesy bread as a side. One thing to keep in mind while ordering their food is that they are a family style restaurant, meaning one order is roughly 2-3 portions. The prices are reasonable for how much you receive, and the food is excellent quality. I would highly recommend Buca to anyone who is craving Italian or trying something new.
(4)Devin H.
Not like it used to be... There doesn't seem to me much flavor like years past. The garlic potatoes were dry and bland... no garlic and no butter. The garlic bread in a basket, What happened to the skillet? Not likely to return... very disappointed. :(
(2)Steven L.
Decent food, although greasy, but ultra dirty restaurant and staff makes you wonder. Eat at your own risk.
(3)Houston F.
Having been to the Columbus, OH location, I had high expectations for this restaurant. Unfortunately, the food fell quite short. I ordered a glass of wine and my girlfriend ordered a 9 oz "quartino". These typically come in a small carafe, but her glass was just very slightly fuller than mine for $5 more. Both glasses had stains on them which is not acceptable for the price. We ordered the Baked Ziti. Instead of a hearty baked dish, it was essentially just pasta with very little sauce. Flavor was lacking in all components and the pasta had a strange texture, as if it was perhaps reheated. Chicken was very dry. Food was served lukewarm. Service was good, but food quality does not come near the price point.
(2)Alyssa D.
This was literally the worst dining experience my party and I have ever had. There were four of us, we waited 45 minutes for a table. We were seated at a broken table, the table leaves were falling on our legs, so we asked to switch tables (a both three feet away). We waited 20 minutes for a waitress to show up (now over an hour), ordered three waters and waited 10 minutes for those to arrive. Ordered an appetizer and out entrees at the same time, the waitress came back ten minutes later and said they were out of it. Fine, we will skip the appetizer. Five minutes after that, she came back and said they were out of the entree we ordered. It was 8pm, and she said she apologized but it is towards the end of the night. If it was the end of the night, why did we wait 45 minutes for a table. At this point, we were so disgusted with the service we up and left. Never will I return to this restaurant. So disappointing.
(1)Charles W.
I have never been for a fan but my marathon partner wanted pasta before our race. There is nothing beyond the traditional Americanized Italian dishes. The food was so-so. The bread was not tasty. The price is okay for the size of the portions.
(2)Tiger A.
I just gave them 5 stars! It might have been that I was really hungry when I ordered 6 different plates for 3 adults & 2 children at a "family style" restaurant. Let's just say there was plenty of leftovers to eat for the next day. Ok the details... Everything was awesome!!! Seriously, EVERYTHING!!! Service included. Never said this before: Gladly paid $232.00 plus tip. Tiger
(5)Jake O.
Pretty good. Foods served family style. Server was great and quick to get us anything we needed. Would like to go back again and try a few different things.
(4)Ron Z.
Love Buca di Beppo, great Italian food and a great atmosphere in the restaurant. We sat in the booth in the kitchen this evening, and thought we'd might be on display, with everyone walking past the booth, but it was a great experience and I was totally impressed for the skill and speed of the kitchen staff. Proms, NRA convention and just being a Friday night makes this booth a great place to people watch.
(5)Maurice C.
Certainly would have given this establishment 4 stars but I was a bit disappointed...I arrive on a Thursday evening along with two friends. As soon as we walked in the door we were asked if we had a reservation. We didn't. We were told the wait would be two hours. The hostess informed us that the table in the kitchen was available. Because we were feeling pretty peckish we decided to sit at the table in the kitchen. This experience was a bit unpleasant as we smells as if we had been cooking in the kitchen all day when we left. To add insult to smell, about 15 tables were available from the time we arrived to the time we departed. On a positive note, the food was absolutely amazing! The portion size was enough to satisfy the largest of appetites for several days. I recommend you be sure to call ahead and arrange a reservation.
(3)Jerry M.
Felt this place was a rip off. All meals start as a serving for at least 2 or more so not for single person on business. Ordered a house Merlot glass of wine and my business associate had the same. We shared one dish of Chicken Saltimbocca $26 (3 chicken breast) and $9 side dish of garlic mashed potatoes. The garlic mashed came out looking like a bowl of thick potato soup. Chicken was tough and dried out. Total bill $63 plus tip for waitress. Waitress did not print an itemized receipts for food and drink so not sure of the cost of house merlot.
(1)Trey M.
When you first enter off the street, you follow a long hallway past the kitchen to the hostess area. It's strange to be able to see the kitchen while you wait for a table, but it adds to the character. Speaking of character, the walls are completely covered with an array of black and white pictures of "Old Italy" and what appears to be Italian family portraits. These pictures and memorabilia help create the Italian atmosphere. When my parents and I arrived, there was a huge line out the door due to a high school band competition in town. However, we were able to bypass the group and were seated in a room with its ceiling covered in wine bottles. Our waitress was friendly and graciously welcomed us and explained how Bucca's dinner offerings were family-style, meaning you order a few dishes to share with your table. We started off by ordering the mozzarella garlic bread and marinara sauce for an appetizer. My dad loved the chunks of fresh tomatoes, and the generous serving of bread allowed us to enjoy it as an appetizer and with our entrees. We ordered a small order (which serves two - three people) of the fettuccine Alfredo with grilled chicken and small order of the shrimp Florentine with garlic shrimp, roma tomatoes and spinach with linguine in a garlic butter sauce. Our food arrived fairly quickly and was absolutely delicious. As for the serving size, the three of us shared both entrees and still had plenty of leftovers. The fettuccine Alfredo need a little more chicken, especially for the $4 charge to add it. If you're looking for Italian food and/or an Italian vibe, definitely check out Buca di Peppo. My parents loved their experience and are excited to come back when they're in town.
(4)Laura V.
Such a disappointing experience from beginning to end: Rude hostesses, seated at a table next to an overflowing trash can, inattentive waitress (zero water glass re-fills). And the food - ugh. The food took forever to come out and when it did, it was bad. My daughter was given plain pasta with nothing on it. The pasta in my dish was undercooked. The garlic bread was cold. I could go on and on. The thing is, I used to really enjoy this place. But I felt like this recent visit was beyond bad. I would never recommend this place. There are much better options in downtown Indy.
(1)Laura C.
Purchased a groupon - cost $8 for $20 worth of food. Three people shared a small chopped salad (great) and a small baked penne pasta (ok). We were satisfied and the service was good. Awkward start, though, for the downtown location - thought the hostess area was when you first walk into the place, when really it's around the corner in the kitchen.
(3)Dennis R.
How can you not like an Italian joint that serves family style?? The food was great, the service was great and we celebrated birthdays with family!! It's irreverent and gaudy decor makes this place even more enjoyable. The food selections are wonderful and we started with great drinks and bread...life is so good in Italy!! Take an afternoon and enjoy the food and hospitality of Buca di Beppo!!
(4)Stephanie R.
Hadn't been to Buca in a long time since there aren't any near home. And I was craving some pasta. Our party of 4 had reservations on a Saturday night and were seated promptly. But the service once seated was incredibly slooow. We ordered 1 salad & 2 pasta dishes that took more than a hour to be delivered. What's more the pasta dishes seem to have slipped in quality and "downsized" considerably. A regular serving of ravioli barely fed my 7 and 12 year old and the meat sauce had huge chunks of "crumbled" ground beef. All the pasta dishes were bland - even the one we got when we ordered something else. But since we'd waited an hour, I didn't dare send it back! Quality has suffered over the years significantly and I won't go back. Bummer. Used to love this place.
(1)