Been here about 3 other times no problems but tonight we had a wait ti E of 75 minutes and asked them at about the 60 minute mark how much longer. Said we were #2 in line. 25 minutes later 3 people were seated before us. Went back up and asked WTF and she said she forgot us , so sorry. Then got our table and our waiter didn't show up for 5 more minutes. Food was great but blah taste in my mouth from the wait and 'being forgot'
(2)
Jason R.
My wife and I decided to go here for dinner on a Friday night because we had a gift card, and we thought the kids would like all the pictures hanging on the walls. I'm not a fan of waiting 45 minutes for a table, but I understand that it was a Friday night. Ironically, not long after we were seated, there was no line at all. Normally, I think of Buca's food as mediocre, but it must have been a really good night. We started off with an order of the bruschetta, which I thought was very well-seasoned. For the main courses, two of the kids got the kids' spaghetti and meatballs, and one of them got the kids' chicken parmigiana. My wife and I shared an order of the spicy chicken rigatoni. The servings the kids got were about the size of a normal adults' portion. I was particularly impressed with the chicken parmigiana because I don't think I could have finished it. All of the food was very tasty, and I really enjoyed the spicy garlic sauce on the rigatoni. I think the thing that earned Buca a fourth star from me was the quality of the service. It was exceptionally good. The drinks always stayed full. The server was very friendly, and one of the head chefs even came out to chat with us for a few minutes. We even received a glass of Red Zinfandel on the house, and it was better than the Cavit Pinot Noir I had gotten or the Sangria my wife had. My son liked it there so much that he asked if he could have his birthday dinner there. We were able to reserve the table in kitchen for it, and, as a foodie, I'm really looking forward to it.
(4)
SaBrina P.
I LOOOOOVE Buca it is my favorite Italian restaurant. I love everything about this place from the home-y feeling to the decor to the delicious food. My favs are definitely the Lasagna and the Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken soooo damn good. The service is great as well we"ve always had a great experience here.
(5)
Tanya and Jason S.
We walked in to be greeted by a really bubbly server. She acted like this was gonna be the best food we ever had. It really wasn't as busy as it should have been for this time of day. We were seated quickly. We also received our drinks in an instant. It took the server FOREVER to take our order. We also had our very young children with us. You would think she would have been a little quicker with all of the craziness from the kids, but whatever. Lol! We finally got our food which I have to say was just average. It was okay food that was a bit over priced. I get that this is a place for family dining, but I really didn't want to consume my day sitting there. I ordered the ravioli pomadaro. It was okay, but could have been hotter. My husband ordered a pepperoni pizza. The crust was good, but overall good not great. My grandparents shared a small spaghetti and meatballs. They also said good not great. I do not believe we will go back. If you are looking for average food this is the place for you.
(3)
Colette W.
Good service, remember to look on-line for coupons and save money on huge portions!
(3)
Rachel P.
Total Disaster. My friend, let's call her Rebecca, decided to have her Birthday Party here a couple of weeks ago. She sent us all a big Facebook invite about 6 weeks in advance for a Girl's Night Out at a restaurant. Two weeks before the big event, she sent us a message confirming that she had made reservations for 25 at Buca Di Beppo. Apparently, Rebecca had called to make reservations. She talked to a sales manager who told her that it had been taken care of and that they were confirmed for that night. Here's what I learned when I got to Buca Di Beppo for my friend's party: 1) That my friend had never made Reservations! OH MY GOD WHAT WERE WE ALL DOING HERE?! 2) Oh no wait, here comes the manager and the sous chef. 3) What? The manager found that Rebecca HAD made reservations?! I thought she never made them according to you all?!!? 4) Oh well, the manager forgot to put them in the system! 5) "We don't have room to accommodate you tonight, but I can call the Arena district and hold down a table. They'll validate your parking and give you all the free appetizers you want. We're all very sorry." So all of us gussied up girls schlepped down to the Arena district's version of Buca Di Beppo all the way from Worthington. This review continues at the page for the Buca Di Beppo in the Arena District....the reveiw of that experience can be found here: yelp.com/biz/buca-di-bep… After all of that awesomeness, Rebecca got called or emailed, I can't remember which, from the manager here in Worthington. She had been wondering who had taken down the reservation. Like Rebecca said, it had been the sales manager. Apparently, they don't have a sales manager. They don't know who took down the reservation. At least they're throwing gift cards at us now. And lastly, Rebecca, dear, I am sorry that this all happened on your birthday. It shouldn't have been like that. You worked so hard to get this whole thing together, but I still think we managed a pretty good time otherwise. Next year in Jerusalem!
(1)
Sabrina L.
I've been to this Buca Di Beppo several times and the most remarkable thing about it is that no matter how many or how few people are in the restaurant the wait is always the same; long. It takes forever to get a seat, get your water, get your order taken-- It verges on the ridiculous. Even when I was just picking up an order it took twenty minutes longer than they quoted me over the phone. That was about the time I swore off this restaurant, and I definitely won't be back. The food is mediocre, and I've made better Italian at home, but there's definitely no complaining about the portion sizes. Their signature salad isn't bad and the meat and peppers compliment it well, but everything else is overly goopy, from the pasta to any chicken dish I've ever tried. I've had better luck at other Bucas so this isn't meant as a review of the chain, just this particular restaurant. If you're craving Italian food and you're in this area you're much better off driving toward Polaris and going to Carfagna's or Marcella's. You'll be glad you did.
(2)
John Q.
Went for an early dinner on a Tuesday night. Made reservations, but still had to wait the obligatory 10 minutes - despite the fact that there were many empty tables throughout the restaurant. Tour through the kitchen ... felt like a canned tourist -- but it was amusing to see the bread baker swearing at the broken over with his now-burnt hand. Food was ok -- nothing that will make you forget Boston's North End or Little Italy in NYC - but that is expected at Buca. Service during our visit was not good. Very long wait to get food out of the kitchen (the kid had his dinner finished by the time our pasta came) and the new waiter we had wouldn't shut up ... ever. Despite it all - we left full and with lunch for the next day. Again, it is never a meal that is going to change you life ... but you have to know that going in.
(2)
Nathan L.
Being from an Italian family, this seemed like the obvious place to go for a recent wedding rehearsal dinner. Everyone probably knows by now that Buca serves these huge family-style portions; it really is kind of silly to go there with only 2 people. Overall, the only good part of our experience was hanging out with the family. The service was questionable at best. For a party that size they really should have had another server or two working the party. Wine glasses were often left empty and there were some serious delays between courses. I wish I could say the food was good but there were very few dishes that came out that were received thumbs up from the fam, and this is not usually a very picky group.
(2)
Meghan H.
Good place that handles large groups well, even without a reservation. As far as good Italian food goes, this is a place to get a fix when you are craving garlic and large portions. The food isn't always the best and the wine list is quite small. If you want a place to embarass a friend on a birthday, though, this is it. Usually they try to get the whole restaurant to sing even if you can't see who the birthday person is. You definitely get the family vibe.
(3)
Stacy K.
This place was horrible! I have been 2 other times and was not terribly impressed, but decided to give it another try since we had been sent a $5 off card for signing up for my e-mail address plus an additional $10 off coupon that said it may be combined for a total of $15 off. We went for my niece's Birthday with two other separate parties. (so three different checks). When we first placed our drink order they were out of flavored iced tea. Then when we placed our food order they were out of soup which our waitress said was only served during lunch hours...we were there at 3:30 which was still lunch according to their menu! It seemed like our server's answer to everything was "unfortunately" __________ fill in the blank! We asked to order the free bread as well and her answer was "unfortunately we only have a limited supply of this and we may be out! Her actual words were (It is usually a "CRAP SHOOT")! My wine glass was empty for about 20 mins before I was asked for a refill, the food was not very good at all, I really just like the atmosphere and the house chianti. At the end when we got our bill we were told that only one coupon per table (we each had one considering we all live in separate households and should be entitled to use them!) Our server argued with us and did not handle the situation very well , never got the manager and she rolled her eyes at my father in-law. Of course we did not leave her a dime for a tip. I believe in tipping for good service or even just alright service! Sorry but nothing about this experience was good nor did anyone there try to fix it! So I am quite happy that she wasted 2 hours waiting on us and and still only making minimum wage. Maybe it will teach her that she needs to be a bit more polite and try to satisfy her customers. We heard the staff talking about us on our way out which in my opinion is very unprofessional! It does not matter what the customer has to say they still need to stay professional to keep the business coming back. DO NOT GO HERE unless you want fair to poor service, and only sub par food!
(1)
Vincent G.
Unfortunately, some of my friends love the food here, but the service is frequently terrible.
(2)
Robert K.
I use to love this place, hut the last three times we were there their service was horrid. It feels like a management issue as they argued, and failed to honor most of our coupons, and elected to argue with us about our complaints. I and others that were with me will not be back. They were also poor and how they poured their wine and we heard their staff talking about it as we left. Do not go here!
(1)
Tina S.
I love this restaurant! Food is always good and it is a family style :) I always get the saltimbocca and I am never disappointed! LOVE IT :)
(5)
Nathan K.
This place was confusing. Maybe my family just isn't that close or maybe we lack something in our genes that mimic traditional Italian expectations of eating, but we don't enjoy sharing our food. The whole family thing is great if you're there with a big party, but only having 3 people there made it almost impossible for us to decide what to eat that all 3 of us would enjoy. It usually ends with someone having to settle for something...which shouldn't happen when you're dining out. The food was excellent, but the concept was a big turn-off. Plus, it's too expensive to fly solo on the menu at this place...and it kind of screws over everyone else you're with who are paying to split the whole family size thing.
(2)
Mallory M.
shocked to see such low reviews! I've been to this location countless times over the years and it continues to be a family favorite! We even had Thanksgiving there one year, without issue. The service is always wonderful, the food is always great, and you there will always be leftovers! The decor aims at authenticity with it's floor to ceiling wacky Italian tchotchkes. Be prepared to be VERY full after your visit!
(5)
Emily L.
I've only come to Buca di Beppo a handful of times and every time I feel really gross and greasy afterwards, which is not how you should feel after a meal. I came here as part of a large party and we sat in the Pope room, which was kind of fun. The food was ok, but nothing special. One dish we had had almost whole cloves of garlic floating around in the sauce. I love garlic, but I don't like that much and I don't like feeling it on my breath for hours after. This would never be my first choice for a meal, but I will come back if I'm with another big group and they choose it.
(2)
Teresa S.
I am really surprised by the low stars this place has. We came here 2 weekends in a row. Once on a Saturday and then on Sunday the next week. Both times we were in the same room,which we really liked and both times our server was Jenny. But, 2 different girls. Just both named Jenny. Both girls were awesome. When we first came in the Hostess asked us if we had reservations. They was only 4 of us.(this was the 2nd week,Sunday). Then she disappeared. Never said ,just a minute, or have a seat I will be right with you. Nothing. When she did come back,she did not take us through the Kitchen and the kids were bummed about that. Because ,you can walk through the Kitchen to see them cooking everything when you come in. It is fun! Anyway, our servers both times were really great! Our food came out in a timely manner. Our drinks were refilled constantly. The food was really good. Of course there is so much of it,we had lots to take with us to go. The kids even got great desserts. I do not know how they fit it all in. Great service and great food, makes this one of my favorite places to go in Worthington. Plus the decor is awesome. Old photos and posters, they are great. Just looking at everything is so much fun. This is a great place for large groups. Clean bathrooms and lots of parking. One thing that is a little confusing is the front door is at the back of the restaurant.
(5)
Ann S.
I'm not heavy handed with the 1 stars but boy did this place deserve less. We walked in and there were 3 people sitting down to wait. We were a little hesitant because we weren't in the mood to wait but wait we did...for the hostess...for 10 minutes. Phones rang and went unanswered. Servers walked by and looked but didn't stop. People came in behind us and left. We were assured by the people waiting that it would be worth it...the people lied. By the time the hostess came out, she said it would be 10 minutes. Um...I have a straight shot back and I see plenty of open tables. We're about to leave when she seats us in a section that had people halfway through their meals and TONS of open tables and no one left as we were waiting which meant we waited for nothing. I was NOT pleased. This was not the first impression they wanted to make on me. I asked about salad dressing, they have two...Italian and Caesar, neither of which I like so I passed on the salad. They only offer one soup as well, wasn't in the mood for tomato basil so skipped that. By this time I was ready to eat my hand. We were sandwiched between the two most annoying tables imaginable while we waited some more for our lasagna and spaghetti and meatball. They finally brought out our bread where the server began griping about how slammed they were. *Looks around* Oh, are those 3 tables too much for you to take sweetheart? The food comes out it was okay but nothing great; certainly nothing I'd return for. The lasagna sauce was overly sweet with nothing to balance it. The spaghetti was mushy and the meatball tasted pre-made (frozen?). I wish we would've checked Yelp before we went here or we wouldn't have bothered. This place will go under within the year unless its few loyal customers are able to keep this location in the black. When it comes down to it, Columbus just does not have good Italian. I feel like I've been everywhere and can't find what suits our palate. I guess if I want to get my mangia on, I'll have to cook it myself.
(1)
Dee C.
I don't know if I'll actually go back to this Buca. I may have to try a different location instead. When I walked in, there was some putrid smell that reminded me of backed up pipes. It was weird, and definitely not appetizing. As we sat in the lobby and waited for the rest of our party, I became nose blind, thankfully. I still have to rate up and give three stars for their amazing mashed potatoes and delicious eggplant parm. The service was also pretty good too. Sangria was very weak -- next time I'll order a real cocktail. Again, the experience was okay, but not wonderful.
(3)
Mirabelle L.
Family style with food in large portion! So make sure that you come hungry or bring lots of people! We had Baked Ziti (wasn't bad but wish there's meat!), shrimp fra divavolo (very yummy, little spicy though), and tiramisu (above average) as dessert to conclude the meal. Overall, the ambience is fun with interesting decors. I'd like to highlight their pasta because I really like how it's chewy! I would say though this place never surprises, it (almost) never disappoints. We had a pretty good time here for dinner.
(4)
Cameron L.
Id prefer to give it 3 1/2 stars, but 3 stars seems to harsh, and four stars is just too many. Being the friendly guy that I am, I'll give them the latter. Here is my take on this massive entree family style place. The service has been good for the 6 or 7 times Ive been there over the years. I even had an issue with a coupon once, and while the waiter couldnt resolve, I asked the manager and he took care of it. So again, no issues with the service. Took a group of ten once, and they did just fine. The decor will keep you busy for hours. Its a lot to soak in, so if your on a bad date or with a group of people that are boring, feast your eyes on the completely covered wall and travel in time, Italian style. Do make a note of how you got to your seat, its an adventure map. The rooms are often separated into smaller ones (I think its cool) so instead being in a giant mess hall with a bunch of strangers, your in a smaller room of strangers. IMPORTANTÉ: The portions are set for 2 1/2 people (small), and then 4-5 people (large). Its safe to say youll mess it up your first visit, and wind up with two full size meals because your ordered a large, because thats what America does. The ordering process is unique, and I like leftovers so this works for me. Here is my rating issue. The food quality is good to ok BUT I cant stop thinking they could cut back on the pre-processed items. I believe they could source more items locally, make them in house and not rely on Gordon's or Sysco. Im sure Buca Corporate cut a deal and so the local Buca itself has little choice in where its food comes from. Call me Ramsay Jr. here, but when you source everything from a food service, your simply assembling food. Id prefer to know that a host of items were homemade since thats how they advertise it: Family style seating and rooms, family pictures on the wall, but processed assembled food coming out of the kitchen?? Then we would see more 4 and 5 star ratings, because they have a great place otherwise. So there it is folks, just another opinion for you to read about. Now Im off to eat my Buca leftovers.
(4)
Shelby G.
The atmosphere of this place was definitely very unique. Lots of cool pictures hanging all throughout the restaurant. We went with a large group and were seated pretty quickly. The waiter was helpful and answered any questions we had since this was our first time going. After ordering the food came within a reasonable amount of time considering the amount of food we had ordered. The portion sizes are very large as it is a family style restaurant. The food itself was subpar from what I had expected given the hype of this restaurant. Our part of the table ordered the baked ziti, chicken Marsala, and the spicy chicken rigatoni. None of us were impressed by the food. The chicken tasted very similar to something you would get at a Chinese restaurant and tasted like something that was mass produced. The ziti was okay but nothing to leave amazing reviews about. And the spicy rigatoni was anything but spicy. Very bland and hardly any chicken to speak of. When the bill can I was surprised to see that it was over $100 for the quality of food that we had just eaten. I definitely will not be returning to this place as personally I have way better food at somewhere like carrabbas or even Olive Garden for a much more reasonable price.
(3)
Tabatha S.
Brought a party of 17 here for a birthday on a Friday night. We had an 8pm reservation and were seated promptly. When our waitress arrived she had a really rough attitude. She wasn't free flowing with the please and thank yous. She kept asking us to move all of our personal items and kept bumping into us HARD as she was maneuvering around the tables. It was honestly just weird. She also had a very rude attitude. At one point when my husband said "excuse me" to get her attention she didn't even turn around she just put her finger behind her back and stick it directly in his face, as to say "wait". Again, just annoying and weird. Our party ordered appetizers and drinks. Around 8:20 we were waiting on a couple who was running late and enjoying our appetizers and drinks. Suddenly she comes over, stands between the two tables and just YELLS "okay so what do we want to do!?" In a very annoyed tone. Then while we discussed if we should wait or not she just left. Now is a good point to say we were never offered bread, we assumed they no longer served it. So we ordered several over priced loaves of garlic bread to share. It was dry and not good. After we spent nearly $30 in subpar bread she brought out the free stuff, which actually tastes good :/ Eventually it became obvious that we did not like her attitude and she acted a little nicer, which is good because we were ready to find a manger before we even got our food. Still, couldn't describe her as pleasant by any means, just tolerable. The food is pricey, but not crazy high if it's really good. But it's not. It's all kind of overly greased up. Would have rather eaten chain food from Olive Garden... But it was okay. Nothing terrible. Decor is fun, atmosphere is good for groups. Our group however, will not be returning. I don't know if I'll ever step foot in a Buca again. My last experience before this wasn't so hot either.
(2)
Jennifer A.
I reserved the "Pope Room" for my birthday on a Saturday evening and brought 12 guests to celebrate "family style" and it was FABULOUS! With 12 people eating family style I took the liberty of picking the dishes ahead of time and having them written out for our server and we asked the only drink menus be brought to the table, that worked out wonderfully and I highly recommend it! The menu serving sizes are generous but fairly correct as to how many people they will serve. We went with 3 different large salads to share (ALL of them were awesome!) for dinner we did the large platters of chicken cabonarra, chicken parm, lasagna, and a large dish of meatballs. We also called ahead and requested the "Celebration cake" which was MASSIVE and delicious! It served 12 adults and we still had half the cake to take home. With the food, drinks, cake, and a good tip it came out to about $25 dollars a person, so it is not cheap but it was delicious and a very special celebration where everyone left feeling pampered and special! ALL of the food was delicious and our family just raved about what a great experience we had and how special they felt. The service was wonderful even for having a large group and in the "Pope Room" we felt like we had the place to ourselves even though the restaurant was quite busy. The was the best birthday party at a restaurant that I have ever experienced!
(5)
Ryan S.
I am Charlie Brown. Bucco is the football. And the majority of various Columbus Best voters is Lucy. Every year Bucco rank high in the surveys. Every year I think I must had missed something there that justifies its high status, as if the voter were saying, " we swear to the bottom of our hearts that we are telling the truth." And every year I go there hoping that for once I will see what the hype is about; I will kick the ball balanced up by Lucy's hand. And every year I take a run at it, come here for dinner, and be giddy that I will finally kick the ball, taste the goodness. And every year the ball is jerked away and I fall flat on my butt. Bucco is simply not as good as its ranking, and I don't know what the sam hell voters see in it, to justify its loft. To be straight, it isn't bad. The bar is just set to high for me to manage my expectations. I have a different dish every year-- it's fair, but I have yet to come upon something that blows me away. This year I had the fettuccine alfredo, small size shared with a date, and we both thought it a little weaker than you can get at other places. I think it ranks with Olive Garden, maybe a notch above. We also added calamari and caesar salad to round out the meal. As with the entree, they too were decent but not great. Pretty much the experience I've had with other meals here. Of course, a major annoyance they only serve family style servings. A design that makes Beppo better for large groups than an intimate twosome. If you take a date here, know before hand that you'll agree on a dish, or someone will be eating something they don't favor. The service here is great though. The decor is nice-- black-in-white photos cover the walks. It has a clean romantic feel--checkerboard table cloth line the booths. If you come at regular dinner times on the weekends-- 6pm or later--you can wait awhile sans reservation. I do like this one over the Arena District store; you trade neighborhood scenery for a shorter wait and better parking. Still, for the price of their family style set, there are better chain italian places in town, IMHO.
(3)
Anna L.
My dad and I had just gotten off the plane, checked into our lodging (which happened to be sharing the same parking lot as Buca di Beppo), so I was like "what the heck, let's not drive and just eat here." Should have just driven somewhere else. If you've been to a Buca di Beppo, you already know you're going to get Italian food, stuff with cheese and magnified to feed your family & the table next to you. Family style is always HUGE here, so I ordered a baked pasta for my dad and I to share. We were stuffed after dinner and the next day. Honestly, ORDERING LESS = BEST here. The waitress we had was super sociable, and I really appreciated that! She made great conversation with us! The lot is big, so don't worry about parking!
(3)
Angel S.
Meh. We had a $10 coupon which is what brought us in. Two of us ordered a small salad, a small spicy rigatoni with chicken, and a meatball. It was definitely enough food for 4, no complaints about the quantity. The salad was pretty good, Apple Gorgonzola. The pasta though....just meh. The chicken in it was dry and tasted of pre-sliced frozen chicken, like the kind you get on a Subway sub. The pasta was al dente, which is good, but it was very inconsistent in texture and temperature from piece to piece. The meatball was fine. Like I said, overall meh. The service was very friendly but for those prices, even with a coupon, I can find better Italian.
(3)
Morgan L.
I ordered take-out here recently and it was pretty good. I ordered the chicken Parmesan, but it was really weird to me that it didn't come with pasta. I'm not sure if I missed that in the description of the food, but all it was, was chicken (no sides) just the marinara sauce that came on top and the melted cheese. Overall, it was good for what it cost. Also, I've visited in person in the past and I love the brownie sundae. It's absolutely amazing. I would come here for dessert before dinner.
(3)
Marc S.
I've been to this location twice, with large groups and oddly enough had the same room and tables both times a year apart. Great friendly, very attentive staff, plenty of parking. With a large group, my last was 15. Someone take the liberty, make a much needed reservation, have a meal plan and order for the group. You can view the menu and price ahead of time on line. Jennifer A had a great tip of requesting drink menu's only for the tables. Then sit back with a cold Peroni on draft as the meal is served like a well detailed catered meal.!!
(5)
Suzanne F.
Haven't been here in ages but it was my kids birthdays and they wanted to come. My husband and I ordered cocktails...we also ordered mozzarella garlic bread and the warm tomato and spinach salad for starters. The garlic bread was just pretty basic but it had lots of cheese on it and that's always good. But whoa the best thing I had all night was the warm tomato and spinach salad which had tomatoes, spinach, candied walnuts, red onions and the warm balsamic vinaigrette did I say YUM! I could of just ate this and I'd of given four stars but...our waitress wasn't very attentive kind of flighty we kept having to ask for refills, more drinks, if we could order, etc. you get the idea. Anyhow, for our main course we ordered the Quatro Al Forno and the kids got the Chicken Limone. Well guess what those brats wouldn't let us try theirs so I can't comment on that item. Ours was well just okay...we had ravioli, two types of cannelloni, and stuffed shells. Nothing to write home about but nothing to complain about either. We happen to like the family style of eating so we have no complaints there either. I find the mish mosh of the decor funny, eclectic and interesting. Yep Im sure we will be going back because the kids love it and really it isn't that bad.
(3)
Billy B.
This used to be one of our favorites. Past few years food has just been average and over priced. They have also removed some of our favorite dishes from the menu. The pizza used to be fantastic. Still a fun experience but not like it used to be.
(3)
Garrett L.
Nice family style restaurant here . simple as that . sure it had good food and what not too but only conflict I personally had was our server was a bit "off" not retaining all the orders we shared him which made one of us go get things from the bar instead cause it took a while but other than that I enjoyed the night .
(3)
Taylor E.
Such a neat place. I waited for about 15 mins for a seat but I never got bored because there are so many things to look at. The kitchen was clean and the cooks were friendly. The server arrived immediately to our table after sitting down. The buca salad is so tasty. I got the baked ziti as an entree. It was too big for two people! But made great leftovers. Honestly, it was a little dry. But you could always ask for extra sauce.
(4)
Jeffrey S.
Our party of 14 was seated at two tables made for 10 because all the large people dining at this fat factory were taking up all of the surface area. Our server was excellent The food was fair at best The atmosphere was fat
(2)
Abby B.
I'm not huge on chain restaurants, but had never tried Buca and since we were in town for the marathon, all I cared about was eating pasta. Family style portions are not my thing, but I shared a small portion with my husband and felt it filled us up (we also ate a lot of bread...carb loading!) The stuffed shells were delicious. I tried some of my mom's baked rigatoni and it was okay - nothing I couldn't duplicate at home. The service was good and the food was good enough for our pre-race carb-loading. I'd go back if it was the only option; otherwise, I'd search for some mom-and-pop joints, where the food is a bit more authentic.
(3)
Ryan G.
The food is excellent! I prefer to come to this location over the downtown location because I hate the hassle of parking and paying for it. You get what you pay for at this place. Big portions and amazing flavors. Our server was very energetic and polite.
(5)
Christopher B.
Despite it being super busy the service was great. Really enjoyed our server. Our food came out in an appropriate time and hot. Atmosphere was much better this time around. Left happy and stuffed. Our experience this time around was much better than our last. Thanks for the great service. Now if only I could make sense of the portions. Many leftovers. ____________________________________
(4)
Charles E.
Lousy service. Didn't make the salad correct..forgot to put on some of the toppings. Didn't refill drinks. Had to ask for refills. Main course was really good.
(3)
Jenn H.
Here on Xmas eve to pick up a carry out order that was promised at a certain time. Order wasn't ready at promised time and I ended up waiting an hour past the promised time. Did I mention that there were 10 hungry people waiting at my house for their Xmas eve dinner? Customer service was horrendous with basically a "nothing we can do about it" attitude. NEVER AGAIN and I will tell friends to stay away!
(1)
Finnegan B.
I guess Buca was bought out by Olive Garden. They kept all the phony nonsense on the walls and kept all of the Buca Signage, but the food is straight up white bread, homogenized box and canned food. It was only a matter of time before their bottom line became more important than quality. When they tried to make it more profitable, the clipped every possible corner they could. It's really a shame, it was really good for years and it seems like it just petered out and became just another standard chain restaurant, reheating items from the freezer. Don't expect their name to save them.
(1)
Shara L.
We decided to hold a surprise birthday party for a dear friend at this location. The food was ok and we had an overall good time until it was time for our checks. It was obvious our waitress was new and so we do not hold her responsible for the actions of her management team, where the big problem was. It was determined that one guest's check was rang incorrectly and during the "attempt" to fix it, she was charged no less than 5 more times. We asked to speak with the manager, who proceeded to be rude to the person we were there to celebrate, who was clearly upset it had taken close to 45 minutes for the manager to even come and apologize. He said the charges would be reversed and continued to be rude to our guest of honor before finally giving everyone $25 gift cards and an additional $50 to the person charged incorrectly. This would have been fine except she used her debit card and, therefore, all charges put holds on the funds until released. What made it worse, they all were NOT reversed, she received two MORE charges totalling more than $80 and had to call her bank to dispute them all. I was told I would also be contacted by the district manager and haven't heard anything. This was over two months ago! Horrible, horrible customer service and experience. I will never go back to this location.
(1)
Linda C.
We had a 6:30 reservation on Christmas Eve. We expected to wait a few minutes, since this is a busy evening, but we weren't seated until 7:30. We ordered immediately-trying to save time. Salad and bread came out by 7:45, but our two entrees didn't arrive until after 9:00. No management in sight at all during our 3 hours. We've been fairly regular customers, but we won't be back.
(1)
Brad S.
Went here last night for a birthday party and had a great time. Everything was amazing, the server was awesome. Highly recommend for any group gathering.
(5)
Xintong L.
Very good food+ fantastic customer service. You don't have to be perfect. The only thing you need is to have a heart and to try. I recommend this place .
(5)
Diane G.
hello. went sun to worthington buc de beppo. we did not a large group of people but, they where not busy. it took us one hour & 15" to get our dinner. pizza was very cold & greasy on the bottom. we had salad, garlic bread, sausage(very good), spaghetti, pasta with chicken, & chicken with wine (very good). all the food was at not hot & only a little warm. server was great..
(3)
Caz O.
I suppose it can be considered good italian food. For the price? It's not that great. Honestly, I would rather go to the OG (Olive Garden) where you get complimentary salad and breadsticks with every meal. At Buca's all you get is some plain bread. They claim their portions are huge, and that their small portions claim to feed at least 2-3 people. We get the manicotti & the small portion is only 4 pieces. If that's ALL you order, that's really not a lot of food. (Unless you gorge yourself on the free bread.) However, Buca's is a pretty good time if you go with a large party & get the Pope room! But if we want a more "authentic" italian meal we hit up the Spaghetti Warehouse.
(2)
Steve W.
This will be my last time at Buca di Beppo. We had a 7:30 pm reservation on Christmas Eve for a large party. The first of our party checked in with the hostess at 7:00 pm in an attempt to ensure things were in order. Long story short, we walked out at 9:15 pm with no hope of being seated anytime soon. In between, we paid for three bottles of wine and exchanged gifts in the packed waiting area. Literally shoulder to shoulder the entire time. We checked a dozen times with restaurant personnel on the status of our table and our perception was that they couldn't have cared less about our situation. They made no attempt to accommodate us. None. They basically ruined Christmas Eve for our family. And there seemed to be a bunch of other large parties experiencing the same thing. How can a restaurant chain be this inept? Thank goodness Danatos Pizza was still open.
(1)
Tory R.
This was only the 3rd time I'd ever beem tp Buca (in the past 10 years). I've only been to the arena district location. I guess I had my expectations set really high before going to this particular location. The experience here was just okay. Something I did like is that you can make your reservations online (via iPhone), which saves time of having to wait when you get there. As for the food, it was definately good. The prices are a bit high though. Buca specializes in large quantaties of food. Most items come in a small or large (which are more family style). I can't say it's better food, compared to Olive Garden or other Italian places. Because I have a gift card, I'll go back and give it another try.
(2)
Bonachella K.
I wish they had an option for a 0 star this restaurant was horrific their sauce was watery their pasta was mushy and their customer service was not friendly and cant seem to take an order correctly. they got the order wrong in 3 different ways I can honestly say this has been the worst restaurant I have gone to I had heard it was bad but I thought it was a chain so it can't be that bad I was wrong do not go here turn around and leave go south to Villa nova. Horrible meatballs. Picture a giant rabbit pellet covered in sause. They were rock hard balls of gray meat. Save yourself and run. Garlic bread was a dehydrated log of old bread.
(1)
Rebecca O.
Buca di Beppo may be a chain restaurant, but it sure doesn't feel like one. The quirky, home-y interior, paired with large portions and good service, makes you feel like you stepped into an Italian family's kitchen. The prices seem intimidating at first, but most entrees can easily feed two people. (So if you want to keep prices reasonable, choose a dinner guest who doesn't mind splitting a pasta bowl with you!) Buca accommodates large parties very well, so it's the perfect spot to celebrate special events.
Peg Bundy once remarked about men "The one thing they are good FOR they're not good AT". As good a description of this Buca di Beppo as any. Buca di Beppo is a smallish chain of "family Italian" restaurants and as such there shouldn't be any misunderstanding as to the experience on offer. You shouldn't expect a place like this to be working for it's third star in the Guide Michelin but rather large portions of edible food at a reasonable price and a good place to take the family. The food is passable. The sausages taste like Sysco's finest, the shrimp is factory fresh and the Caesar salad tends towards large amounts of iceberg lettuce & croutons with globs of Caesar dressing. The pastas are on the thick and gluteny but not unappetizing and, again, one would expect the place to err on the "hearty meal" side of the scale. The Osso Bucco was good as were the fried calamari. One would think that a place stylized as "Family Italian" would handle large groups with aplomb - one would be wrong. Twice, once for sitdown and once for takeout, the service came to a screeching halt once a large party came in. 30 - 40 minutes would pass until I would have get up and fetch a server. Picking up takeout the 7:00 - 7:15 pickup time turned into 7:45. During that time I noted that the last plaque on the wall for top customer service was won in 2003 - that's about the size of it. In both cases the large parties had reserved in advanced (I inquired) meaning that extra help could have been brought in but wasn't. What this place needs is a real Italian grandmother smacking the back of the heads of the 20-something servers saying "Quit-a-jabbering and get-a back to work. Can't you see we gotta customers!" The prices are a bit expensive even taking into account the large portions. If you show with three people bring at least $100. It's a shame because I have many good memories of the Buca di Beppo in Indianapolis when attending the Formula One races. But, until this place raises it's game, it's off my "seal of approval" list.
(2)
Kim F.
Overpriced and underwhelming. We have been here several times and the flavor of the food is never consistent. Sometimes the meatballs scream with flavor and at other times, they are depressingly bland. Disturbingly, each time we have been here, someone from our party has been presented with dirty tableware. Unsanitary and unappealing. I don't think we will ever be back.
(2)
Christiana C.
I would have loved this not to be a meh experience but it was. I guess it all comes with the caveat that I am judgy judgy about Italian food in general. When I end up here, I usually stick with a spaghetti and meatballs or chicken parmesan situation that's harder to mess up. However, a friend of ours ordered pizza all around. It was mushy and wet and kind of gross. I think Buca is best kept to big group parties where someone wants to sit in the Pope room. Get something generic. And maybe drink a lot. Everything else just botches the whole thing up.
(2)
Jared E.
Got a surprise call tonight from some ladies I went to highschool with who were in town visiting. I was just laying around watching football and they asked me to drive over to W-ton and meet them at Buca. I've been to Buca a fair amount of times--and it's always "okay." Tonight was no exception. I met these ladies around 7pm and there was a 1.5 hour wait. Well, lucky for us, there are two tables in the restaurant you don't have to wait for (two hightops) and when we walked into the bar one of them was empty! So, we sat right down. I ordered a Peroni and the ladies sipped on odd looking cocktails that didn't interest me. When I got the Peroni I was disappointed to see it was a draught :-/ because this is one of those beers that is better in a bottle. I don't know why, it just is. To start we got calamari. This was pretty good--not quite as crisp as I like it to be, but still good. Came with some delicious spicy marinara sauce on the side that paired well with it. Next we had a "new salad" from the fall menu. It was spinach, feta, pancetta, onion and some kind of dressing. WOW--this was bad. VERY salty--I mean, we all puckered up and the salt was burning my mouth. To make it worse, the spinach had soaked up all the dressing and the "salad" was a sloppy mess. When the waiter came back we requested a different salad which he switched out at no charge for us. We got the antipasto salad which is great--probably my favorite thing at Buca. Although, antipasto used to have gorgonzola on it, but had feta on it tonight instead--it was still good, but I missed the gorgz! We also had some good garlic-cheese bread that we gobbled up alongside the salad. For dinner we split a small order of one of the fall pastas that was alright. It was supposed to have fried eggplant cubes on top, but when it came out they were missing. This pissed our waiter off who went back to the kitchen to take care of business for us Honestly though, when the eggplant pieces finally came out they were very oily and salty and the pasta was better absent them. Just a warning too: I really like their tiramisu which we didn't have tonight. However, it's very "hot" tasting because it's soaked in rum. I like it, but for some people it's too much. But, if you're a non-drinker or don't like the taste of rum you're best of not getting it. Here's what I think--I've been going to these places for years (never my idea) all around the country. They do BASIC stuff really well. I love their antipasto salad, garlic cheese bread and spaghetti with marinara or meat sauce. That's it. The pastas that they try to make seasonally or with ingredients that are fancy (ie, pancetta, artichokes, weird mushrooms...) are NEVER good in my opinion. This goes for their meats too, except for the chicken parmesean. Don't get me wrong, the food here isn't bad, but stick with basics. Some of the dishes with the fancy items are near the pricy range (I know you get a lot, but quality over quantity is how I roll) and just not worth it. I'd return frequently for antipasto salad, garlic bread and basic spaghetti, lasagna, etc., but nothing fancy. Oh, by the way--the prices are getting pretty expensive here. I was shocked our small order of garlic bread was almost $10...for better value you'd spend just as much money going to Brio for some good Italian food.
(2)
Shannon M.
Bottom line: Go south on High St to Villa nova. You can thank me later. This place is ok. we walked here since we had received a gift card and we had a $10 coupon. We walked in and it was JAMMED. Asked if we had a reservation, which we didn't and they said would be an hour. I do not wait an hour for food, I don't care if it is Rocco DiSpirato in the kitchen. Then she said they had room in the bar. Perfect. We actually like to eat at the bar usually better service and cozier atmosphere. We were right about the atmosphere. The service from Trevor wasn't bad per say but we waited a long time for our salad and simple app. Apple and gorgonzola salad was very tasty. mozerralla and basil was meh. then we waited...waited....waited for our entrees. Trevor was great about coming by to tell us why we were waiting. Large party right before us, blah blah blah. Our entrees arrived and while a nice portion way over priced for what you got. $18 for spaghetti and meatballs??!!! overpriced, overcrowded and overrated.
(2)
Leslie M.
HORRIBLE experience! Went with reservations at 7 pm on Christmas Eve and it's 9 PM and we are still waiting on our food. Cheap Italian food is clearly not worth this redic wait! In addition, way too much of a family place . I make reservations at late times to avoid children but they are EVERYWHERE! Just need out of here as soon as possible! Worst experience at a restaurant EVER!
(1)
Gary K.
FAMILY STYLE Italian food, NOT high-end fancy gourmet... I LOVE ITALIAN FOOD!!!!!! I've heard about this place since I moved here... about how good it is and how good (and huge) the meatballs are, so I've been wanting to try the place for he last 3 months. Then when I read all the reviews about his location, I was a little sad and a little anxious about going there... But I've been to "family style" Italian restaurants before out in California, so I knew a little about what to expect... First, when we arrived, they were telling everyone it was almost an hour wait... fortunately we had reservations!! We were seated within 10 minutes of our time... not bad at all considering how busy they were!! Got a whirlwind tour through the kitchen since we hadn't been there before... more like a run-thru... LOL.. no biggie though - its a kitchen. Our server was over-the-top friendly... I can't stress that enough. A+ for effort, but needs to tone it down a little. As for our food... there was 4 of us, and we ordered an appetizer - a crab dip that was REALLY good!!! And for dinner we ordered Lasagna, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Chicken Limone, and a Spicy Chicken Rigatoni. All of the portions were PLENTY HUGE, and we all got the small portions. We all shared, and I thought everything was very good. The meatballs were huge as I had heard... and very good too!!! Needless to say I was far too full for dessert, but the couple dining with us did get he Cannoli and raved about it!! I know not all the reviews for this place are stellar, which I don't get... If you want fancy, great Italian, with an elegant atmosphere, this is not the place for you. If that's what you want and come here anyway, don't slam the place in your review. THIS IS FAMILY STYLE ITALIAN. Big portions of good food... NOT great food. Know what you're in for before you hod it against them because they didn't meet your high-end expectations.
(4)
Jim G.
So, when asked if I would like garlic bread with a small portion of spaghetti, I said,"Sure!." No, I didn't ask how much more it would cost since it was just garlic bread. The garlic bread was a sub bun cut into eight sections with garlic butter and slightly warmed. The cost? $8.99! So, you now have an idea what to expect when you eat here...$$$$. I was seated promptly and the employees were friendly and courteous. The 'small' portion' of spaghetti could feed 2-3. The 1/2 lb. meatballs were nothing special-meat with a hint of garlic and an aftertaste of fat.
(2)
Flora Z.
I am (was?) a fan of Bucca and I have been to different Buccas several times. I would seriously suggest that you stay away from the Worthington Bucca if you want decent food and service. I went to the one in Worthington twice, and every time it was a disaster. The first time we went there, things could not get any worse: 1) We were told that the delivery truck that supposed to arrive didn't get there so they were out of a lot of ingredients. About half of their menu was not available; 2) Water (wine?) kept falling onto us from the ceiling. We sat under the area that the ceiling is full of wine bottles; 3) Our order got messed up. Our food took 40 minutes to arrive, and when it arrived, it was supposed to belong to another table. It turned out that the waiter didn't even place the order for us!! The second time we were there after our wedding trip and get together with a few friends. I should have known better not to choose this place. This was a big mistake. We have 10 people, so I made a reservation by phone beforehand and ensured that everything was going to be okay. However, when we got there, we waited about 20 minutes before somebody finally led us to the table, and then we got a big surprise: the table they reserved for us can only fit 6!! We were told all larger tables were booked, so we have to sit into two different tables. The waiter probably felt bad, so he kept coming back asking if everything was okay every 10 minutes, which was too much. We got offered free dessert, but the dessert never came.
(1)
Pam B.
Enjoyed a great family gathering at Buca di Beppo yesterday! The food was really good and the service was terrific. We weren't rushed and had fun celebrating several birthdays in our group. Thanks Buca!
(5)
Rob S.
It's a sad day for Buca. We ordered take-out last night, and found out a few things. . . First, they discontinued their Buca Mio (single serving size) for dinner (maybe altogether). Second, they no longer put prosciutto or their garlic bruschetta topping on the chicken Parmesan. That's downright unbelievable. Third, the chicken was burnt (though the manager did grant us a refund). I can no longer recommend Buca until they clean up their act. Their wonderfully garlic-flavored cuisine has been reduced to Stouffer's quality.
(2)
Heather B.
Went today to celebrate a friend's birthday. Didn't even get to eat with them. The greet staff was unorganized and the kitchen was slow. They weren't even busy. We were told the kitchen was behind but shouldn't they be able to accommodate the few people that were in there. The place is huge and seats a bunch of people. I'd hate to see it when they are slammed. It was my first time there so I may go back because I believe in 2nd opportunities. Hope it's better next time.
(3)
Bill A.
I always enjoy the place, the servers and the food. I appreciate the fact that they give you a head's up on not to order too much food. My only challenge is that I want to order too much anyway.
(5)
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Address :60 E Wilson Bridge Rd
Worthington, OH, 43085
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No 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.
Jason Y.
Been here about 3 other times no problems but tonight we had a wait ti E of 75 minutes and asked them at about the 60 minute mark how much longer. Said we were #2 in line. 25 minutes later 3 people were seated before us. Went back up and asked WTF and she said she forgot us , so sorry. Then got our table and our waiter didn't show up for 5 more minutes. Food was great but blah taste in my mouth from the wait and 'being forgot'
(2)Jason R.
My wife and I decided to go here for dinner on a Friday night because we had a gift card, and we thought the kids would like all the pictures hanging on the walls. I'm not a fan of waiting 45 minutes for a table, but I understand that it was a Friday night. Ironically, not long after we were seated, there was no line at all. Normally, I think of Buca's food as mediocre, but it must have been a really good night. We started off with an order of the bruschetta, which I thought was very well-seasoned. For the main courses, two of the kids got the kids' spaghetti and meatballs, and one of them got the kids' chicken parmigiana. My wife and I shared an order of the spicy chicken rigatoni. The servings the kids got were about the size of a normal adults' portion. I was particularly impressed with the chicken parmigiana because I don't think I could have finished it. All of the food was very tasty, and I really enjoyed the spicy garlic sauce on the rigatoni. I think the thing that earned Buca a fourth star from me was the quality of the service. It was exceptionally good. The drinks always stayed full. The server was very friendly, and one of the head chefs even came out to chat with us for a few minutes. We even received a glass of Red Zinfandel on the house, and it was better than the Cavit Pinot Noir I had gotten or the Sangria my wife had. My son liked it there so much that he asked if he could have his birthday dinner there. We were able to reserve the table in kitchen for it, and, as a foodie, I'm really looking forward to it.
(4)SaBrina P.
I LOOOOOVE Buca it is my favorite Italian restaurant. I love everything about this place from the home-y feeling to the decor to the delicious food. My favs are definitely the Lasagna and the Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken soooo damn good. The service is great as well we"ve always had a great experience here.
(5)Tanya and Jason S.
We walked in to be greeted by a really bubbly server. She acted like this was gonna be the best food we ever had. It really wasn't as busy as it should have been for this time of day. We were seated quickly. We also received our drinks in an instant. It took the server FOREVER to take our order. We also had our very young children with us. You would think she would have been a little quicker with all of the craziness from the kids, but whatever. Lol! We finally got our food which I have to say was just average. It was okay food that was a bit over priced. I get that this is a place for family dining, but I really didn't want to consume my day sitting there. I ordered the ravioli pomadaro. It was okay, but could have been hotter. My husband ordered a pepperoni pizza. The crust was good, but overall good not great. My grandparents shared a small spaghetti and meatballs. They also said good not great. I do not believe we will go back. If you are looking for average food this is the place for you.
(3)Colette W.
Good service, remember to look on-line for coupons and save money on huge portions!
(3)Rachel P.
Total Disaster. My friend, let's call her Rebecca, decided to have her Birthday Party here a couple of weeks ago. She sent us all a big Facebook invite about 6 weeks in advance for a Girl's Night Out at a restaurant. Two weeks before the big event, she sent us a message confirming that she had made reservations for 25 at Buca Di Beppo. Apparently, Rebecca had called to make reservations. She talked to a sales manager who told her that it had been taken care of and that they were confirmed for that night. Here's what I learned when I got to Buca Di Beppo for my friend's party: 1) That my friend had never made Reservations! OH MY GOD WHAT WERE WE ALL DOING HERE?! 2) Oh no wait, here comes the manager and the sous chef. 3) What? The manager found that Rebecca HAD made reservations?! I thought she never made them according to you all?!!? 4) Oh well, the manager forgot to put them in the system! 5) "We don't have room to accommodate you tonight, but I can call the Arena district and hold down a table. They'll validate your parking and give you all the free appetizers you want. We're all very sorry." So all of us gussied up girls schlepped down to the Arena district's version of Buca Di Beppo all the way from Worthington. This review continues at the page for the Buca Di Beppo in the Arena District....the reveiw of that experience can be found here: yelp.com/biz/buca-di-bep… After all of that awesomeness, Rebecca got called or emailed, I can't remember which, from the manager here in Worthington. She had been wondering who had taken down the reservation. Like Rebecca said, it had been the sales manager. Apparently, they don't have a sales manager. They don't know who took down the reservation. At least they're throwing gift cards at us now. And lastly, Rebecca, dear, I am sorry that this all happened on your birthday. It shouldn't have been like that. You worked so hard to get this whole thing together, but I still think we managed a pretty good time otherwise. Next year in Jerusalem!
(1)Sabrina L.
I've been to this Buca Di Beppo several times and the most remarkable thing about it is that no matter how many or how few people are in the restaurant the wait is always the same; long. It takes forever to get a seat, get your water, get your order taken-- It verges on the ridiculous. Even when I was just picking up an order it took twenty minutes longer than they quoted me over the phone. That was about the time I swore off this restaurant, and I definitely won't be back. The food is mediocre, and I've made better Italian at home, but there's definitely no complaining about the portion sizes. Their signature salad isn't bad and the meat and peppers compliment it well, but everything else is overly goopy, from the pasta to any chicken dish I've ever tried. I've had better luck at other Bucas so this isn't meant as a review of the chain, just this particular restaurant. If you're craving Italian food and you're in this area you're much better off driving toward Polaris and going to Carfagna's or Marcella's. You'll be glad you did.
(2)John Q.
Went for an early dinner on a Tuesday night. Made reservations, but still had to wait the obligatory 10 minutes - despite the fact that there were many empty tables throughout the restaurant. Tour through the kitchen ... felt like a canned tourist -- but it was amusing to see the bread baker swearing at the broken over with his now-burnt hand. Food was ok -- nothing that will make you forget Boston's North End or Little Italy in NYC - but that is expected at Buca. Service during our visit was not good. Very long wait to get food out of the kitchen (the kid had his dinner finished by the time our pasta came) and the new waiter we had wouldn't shut up ... ever. Despite it all - we left full and with lunch for the next day. Again, it is never a meal that is going to change you life ... but you have to know that going in.
(2)Nathan L.
Being from an Italian family, this seemed like the obvious place to go for a recent wedding rehearsal dinner. Everyone probably knows by now that Buca serves these huge family-style portions; it really is kind of silly to go there with only 2 people. Overall, the only good part of our experience was hanging out with the family. The service was questionable at best. For a party that size they really should have had another server or two working the party. Wine glasses were often left empty and there were some serious delays between courses. I wish I could say the food was good but there were very few dishes that came out that were received thumbs up from the fam, and this is not usually a very picky group.
(2)Meghan H.
Good place that handles large groups well, even without a reservation. As far as good Italian food goes, this is a place to get a fix when you are craving garlic and large portions. The food isn't always the best and the wine list is quite small. If you want a place to embarass a friend on a birthday, though, this is it. Usually they try to get the whole restaurant to sing even if you can't see who the birthday person is. You definitely get the family vibe.
(3)Stacy K.
This place was horrible! I have been 2 other times and was not terribly impressed, but decided to give it another try since we had been sent a $5 off card for signing up for my e-mail address plus an additional $10 off coupon that said it may be combined for a total of $15 off. We went for my niece's Birthday with two other separate parties. (so three different checks). When we first placed our drink order they were out of flavored iced tea. Then when we placed our food order they were out of soup which our waitress said was only served during lunch hours...we were there at 3:30 which was still lunch according to their menu! It seemed like our server's answer to everything was "unfortunately" __________ fill in the blank! We asked to order the free bread as well and her answer was "unfortunately we only have a limited supply of this and we may be out! Her actual words were (It is usually a "CRAP SHOOT")! My wine glass was empty for about 20 mins before I was asked for a refill, the food was not very good at all, I really just like the atmosphere and the house chianti. At the end when we got our bill we were told that only one coupon per table (we each had one considering we all live in separate households and should be entitled to use them!) Our server argued with us and did not handle the situation very well , never got the manager and she rolled her eyes at my father in-law. Of course we did not leave her a dime for a tip. I believe in tipping for good service or even just alright service! Sorry but nothing about this experience was good nor did anyone there try to fix it! So I am quite happy that she wasted 2 hours waiting on us and and still only making minimum wage. Maybe it will teach her that she needs to be a bit more polite and try to satisfy her customers. We heard the staff talking about us on our way out which in my opinion is very unprofessional! It does not matter what the customer has to say they still need to stay professional to keep the business coming back. DO NOT GO HERE unless you want fair to poor service, and only sub par food!
(1)Vincent G.
Unfortunately, some of my friends love the food here, but the service is frequently terrible.
(2)Robert K.
I use to love this place, hut the last three times we were there their service was horrid. It feels like a management issue as they argued, and failed to honor most of our coupons, and elected to argue with us about our complaints. I and others that were with me will not be back. They were also poor and how they poured their wine and we heard their staff talking about it as we left. Do not go here!
(1)Tina S.
I love this restaurant! Food is always good and it is a family style :) I always get the saltimbocca and I am never disappointed! LOVE IT :)
(5)Nathan K.
This place was confusing. Maybe my family just isn't that close or maybe we lack something in our genes that mimic traditional Italian expectations of eating, but we don't enjoy sharing our food. The whole family thing is great if you're there with a big party, but only having 3 people there made it almost impossible for us to decide what to eat that all 3 of us would enjoy. It usually ends with someone having to settle for something...which shouldn't happen when you're dining out. The food was excellent, but the concept was a big turn-off. Plus, it's too expensive to fly solo on the menu at this place...and it kind of screws over everyone else you're with who are paying to split the whole family size thing.
(2)Mallory M.
shocked to see such low reviews! I've been to this location countless times over the years and it continues to be a family favorite! We even had Thanksgiving there one year, without issue. The service is always wonderful, the food is always great, and you there will always be leftovers! The decor aims at authenticity with it's floor to ceiling wacky Italian tchotchkes. Be prepared to be VERY full after your visit!
(5)Emily L.
I've only come to Buca di Beppo a handful of times and every time I feel really gross and greasy afterwards, which is not how you should feel after a meal. I came here as part of a large party and we sat in the Pope room, which was kind of fun. The food was ok, but nothing special. One dish we had had almost whole cloves of garlic floating around in the sauce. I love garlic, but I don't like that much and I don't like feeling it on my breath for hours after. This would never be my first choice for a meal, but I will come back if I'm with another big group and they choose it.
(2)Teresa S.
I am really surprised by the low stars this place has. We came here 2 weekends in a row. Once on a Saturday and then on Sunday the next week. Both times we were in the same room,which we really liked and both times our server was Jenny. But, 2 different girls. Just both named Jenny. Both girls were awesome. When we first came in the Hostess asked us if we had reservations. They was only 4 of us.(this was the 2nd week,Sunday). Then she disappeared. Never said ,just a minute, or have a seat I will be right with you. Nothing. When she did come back,she did not take us through the Kitchen and the kids were bummed about that. Because ,you can walk through the Kitchen to see them cooking everything when you come in. It is fun! Anyway, our servers both times were really great! Our food came out in a timely manner. Our drinks were refilled constantly. The food was really good. Of course there is so much of it,we had lots to take with us to go. The kids even got great desserts. I do not know how they fit it all in. Great service and great food, makes this one of my favorite places to go in Worthington. Plus the decor is awesome. Old photos and posters, they are great. Just looking at everything is so much fun. This is a great place for large groups. Clean bathrooms and lots of parking. One thing that is a little confusing is the front door is at the back of the restaurant.
(5)Ann S.
I'm not heavy handed with the 1 stars but boy did this place deserve less. We walked in and there were 3 people sitting down to wait. We were a little hesitant because we weren't in the mood to wait but wait we did...for the hostess...for 10 minutes. Phones rang and went unanswered. Servers walked by and looked but didn't stop. People came in behind us and left. We were assured by the people waiting that it would be worth it...the people lied. By the time the hostess came out, she said it would be 10 minutes. Um...I have a straight shot back and I see plenty of open tables. We're about to leave when she seats us in a section that had people halfway through their meals and TONS of open tables and no one left as we were waiting which meant we waited for nothing. I was NOT pleased. This was not the first impression they wanted to make on me. I asked about salad dressing, they have two...Italian and Caesar, neither of which I like so I passed on the salad. They only offer one soup as well, wasn't in the mood for tomato basil so skipped that. By this time I was ready to eat my hand. We were sandwiched between the two most annoying tables imaginable while we waited some more for our lasagna and spaghetti and meatball. They finally brought out our bread where the server began griping about how slammed they were. *Looks around* Oh, are those 3 tables too much for you to take sweetheart? The food comes out it was okay but nothing great; certainly nothing I'd return for. The lasagna sauce was overly sweet with nothing to balance it. The spaghetti was mushy and the meatball tasted pre-made (frozen?). I wish we would've checked Yelp before we went here or we wouldn't have bothered. This place will go under within the year unless its few loyal customers are able to keep this location in the black. When it comes down to it, Columbus just does not have good Italian. I feel like I've been everywhere and can't find what suits our palate. I guess if I want to get my mangia on, I'll have to cook it myself.
(1)Dee C.
I don't know if I'll actually go back to this Buca. I may have to try a different location instead. When I walked in, there was some putrid smell that reminded me of backed up pipes. It was weird, and definitely not appetizing. As we sat in the lobby and waited for the rest of our party, I became nose blind, thankfully. I still have to rate up and give three stars for their amazing mashed potatoes and delicious eggplant parm. The service was also pretty good too. Sangria was very weak -- next time I'll order a real cocktail. Again, the experience was okay, but not wonderful.
(3)Mirabelle L.
Family style with food in large portion! So make sure that you come hungry or bring lots of people! We had Baked Ziti (wasn't bad but wish there's meat!), shrimp fra divavolo (very yummy, little spicy though), and tiramisu (above average) as dessert to conclude the meal. Overall, the ambience is fun with interesting decors. I'd like to highlight their pasta because I really like how it's chewy! I would say though this place never surprises, it (almost) never disappoints. We had a pretty good time here for dinner.
(4)Cameron L.
Id prefer to give it 3 1/2 stars, but 3 stars seems to harsh, and four stars is just too many. Being the friendly guy that I am, I'll give them the latter. Here is my take on this massive entree family style place. The service has been good for the 6 or 7 times Ive been there over the years. I even had an issue with a coupon once, and while the waiter couldnt resolve, I asked the manager and he took care of it. So again, no issues with the service. Took a group of ten once, and they did just fine. The decor will keep you busy for hours. Its a lot to soak in, so if your on a bad date or with a group of people that are boring, feast your eyes on the completely covered wall and travel in time, Italian style. Do make a note of how you got to your seat, its an adventure map. The rooms are often separated into smaller ones (I think its cool) so instead being in a giant mess hall with a bunch of strangers, your in a smaller room of strangers. IMPORTANTÉ: The portions are set for 2 1/2 people (small), and then 4-5 people (large). Its safe to say youll mess it up your first visit, and wind up with two full size meals because your ordered a large, because thats what America does. The ordering process is unique, and I like leftovers so this works for me. Here is my rating issue. The food quality is good to ok BUT I cant stop thinking they could cut back on the pre-processed items. I believe they could source more items locally, make them in house and not rely on Gordon's or Sysco. Im sure Buca Corporate cut a deal and so the local Buca itself has little choice in where its food comes from. Call me Ramsay Jr. here, but when you source everything from a food service, your simply assembling food. Id prefer to know that a host of items were homemade since thats how they advertise it: Family style seating and rooms, family pictures on the wall, but processed assembled food coming out of the kitchen?? Then we would see more 4 and 5 star ratings, because they have a great place otherwise. So there it is folks, just another opinion for you to read about. Now Im off to eat my Buca leftovers.
(4)Shelby G.
The atmosphere of this place was definitely very unique. Lots of cool pictures hanging all throughout the restaurant. We went with a large group and were seated pretty quickly. The waiter was helpful and answered any questions we had since this was our first time going. After ordering the food came within a reasonable amount of time considering the amount of food we had ordered. The portion sizes are very large as it is a family style restaurant. The food itself was subpar from what I had expected given the hype of this restaurant. Our part of the table ordered the baked ziti, chicken Marsala, and the spicy chicken rigatoni. None of us were impressed by the food. The chicken tasted very similar to something you would get at a Chinese restaurant and tasted like something that was mass produced. The ziti was okay but nothing to leave amazing reviews about. And the spicy rigatoni was anything but spicy. Very bland and hardly any chicken to speak of. When the bill can I was surprised to see that it was over $100 for the quality of food that we had just eaten. I definitely will not be returning to this place as personally I have way better food at somewhere like carrabbas or even Olive Garden for a much more reasonable price.
(3)Tabatha S.
Brought a party of 17 here for a birthday on a Friday night. We had an 8pm reservation and were seated promptly. When our waitress arrived she had a really rough attitude. She wasn't free flowing with the please and thank yous. She kept asking us to move all of our personal items and kept bumping into us HARD as she was maneuvering around the tables. It was honestly just weird. She also had a very rude attitude. At one point when my husband said "excuse me" to get her attention she didn't even turn around she just put her finger behind her back and stick it directly in his face, as to say "wait". Again, just annoying and weird. Our party ordered appetizers and drinks. Around 8:20 we were waiting on a couple who was running late and enjoying our appetizers and drinks. Suddenly she comes over, stands between the two tables and just YELLS "okay so what do we want to do!?" In a very annoyed tone. Then while we discussed if we should wait or not she just left. Now is a good point to say we were never offered bread, we assumed they no longer served it. So we ordered several over priced loaves of garlic bread to share. It was dry and not good. After we spent nearly $30 in subpar bread she brought out the free stuff, which actually tastes good :/ Eventually it became obvious that we did not like her attitude and she acted a little nicer, which is good because we were ready to find a manger before we even got our food. Still, couldn't describe her as pleasant by any means, just tolerable. The food is pricey, but not crazy high if it's really good. But it's not. It's all kind of overly greased up. Would have rather eaten chain food from Olive Garden... But it was okay. Nothing terrible. Decor is fun, atmosphere is good for groups. Our group however, will not be returning. I don't know if I'll ever step foot in a Buca again. My last experience before this wasn't so hot either.
(2)Jennifer A.
I reserved the "Pope Room" for my birthday on a Saturday evening and brought 12 guests to celebrate "family style" and it was FABULOUS! With 12 people eating family style I took the liberty of picking the dishes ahead of time and having them written out for our server and we asked the only drink menus be brought to the table, that worked out wonderfully and I highly recommend it! The menu serving sizes are generous but fairly correct as to how many people they will serve. We went with 3 different large salads to share (ALL of them were awesome!) for dinner we did the large platters of chicken cabonarra, chicken parm, lasagna, and a large dish of meatballs. We also called ahead and requested the "Celebration cake" which was MASSIVE and delicious! It served 12 adults and we still had half the cake to take home. With the food, drinks, cake, and a good tip it came out to about $25 dollars a person, so it is not cheap but it was delicious and a very special celebration where everyone left feeling pampered and special! ALL of the food was delicious and our family just raved about what a great experience we had and how special they felt. The service was wonderful even for having a large group and in the "Pope Room" we felt like we had the place to ourselves even though the restaurant was quite busy. The was the best birthday party at a restaurant that I have ever experienced!
(5)Ryan S.
I am Charlie Brown. Bucco is the football. And the majority of various Columbus Best voters is Lucy. Every year Bucco rank high in the surveys. Every year I think I must had missed something there that justifies its high status, as if the voter were saying, " we swear to the bottom of our hearts that we are telling the truth." And every year I go there hoping that for once I will see what the hype is about; I will kick the ball balanced up by Lucy's hand. And every year I take a run at it, come here for dinner, and be giddy that I will finally kick the ball, taste the goodness. And every year the ball is jerked away and I fall flat on my butt. Bucco is simply not as good as its ranking, and I don't know what the sam hell voters see in it, to justify its loft. To be straight, it isn't bad. The bar is just set to high for me to manage my expectations. I have a different dish every year-- it's fair, but I have yet to come upon something that blows me away. This year I had the fettuccine alfredo, small size shared with a date, and we both thought it a little weaker than you can get at other places. I think it ranks with Olive Garden, maybe a notch above. We also added calamari and caesar salad to round out the meal. As with the entree, they too were decent but not great. Pretty much the experience I've had with other meals here. Of course, a major annoyance they only serve family style servings. A design that makes Beppo better for large groups than an intimate twosome. If you take a date here, know before hand that you'll agree on a dish, or someone will be eating something they don't favor. The service here is great though. The decor is nice-- black-in-white photos cover the walks. It has a clean romantic feel--checkerboard table cloth line the booths. If you come at regular dinner times on the weekends-- 6pm or later--you can wait awhile sans reservation. I do like this one over the Arena District store; you trade neighborhood scenery for a shorter wait and better parking. Still, for the price of their family style set, there are better chain italian places in town, IMHO.
(3)Anna L.
My dad and I had just gotten off the plane, checked into our lodging (which happened to be sharing the same parking lot as Buca di Beppo), so I was like "what the heck, let's not drive and just eat here." Should have just driven somewhere else. If you've been to a Buca di Beppo, you already know you're going to get Italian food, stuff with cheese and magnified to feed your family & the table next to you. Family style is always HUGE here, so I ordered a baked pasta for my dad and I to share. We were stuffed after dinner and the next day. Honestly, ORDERING LESS = BEST here. The waitress we had was super sociable, and I really appreciated that! She made great conversation with us! The lot is big, so don't worry about parking!
(3)Angel S.
Meh. We had a $10 coupon which is what brought us in. Two of us ordered a small salad, a small spicy rigatoni with chicken, and a meatball. It was definitely enough food for 4, no complaints about the quantity. The salad was pretty good, Apple Gorgonzola. The pasta though....just meh. The chicken in it was dry and tasted of pre-sliced frozen chicken, like the kind you get on a Subway sub. The pasta was al dente, which is good, but it was very inconsistent in texture and temperature from piece to piece. The meatball was fine. Like I said, overall meh. The service was very friendly but for those prices, even with a coupon, I can find better Italian.
(3)Morgan L.
I ordered take-out here recently and it was pretty good. I ordered the chicken Parmesan, but it was really weird to me that it didn't come with pasta. I'm not sure if I missed that in the description of the food, but all it was, was chicken (no sides) just the marinara sauce that came on top and the melted cheese. Overall, it was good for what it cost. Also, I've visited in person in the past and I love the brownie sundae. It's absolutely amazing. I would come here for dessert before dinner.
(3)Marc S.
I've been to this location twice, with large groups and oddly enough had the same room and tables both times a year apart. Great friendly, very attentive staff, plenty of parking. With a large group, my last was 15. Someone take the liberty, make a much needed reservation, have a meal plan and order for the group. You can view the menu and price ahead of time on line. Jennifer A had a great tip of requesting drink menu's only for the tables. Then sit back with a cold Peroni on draft as the meal is served like a well detailed catered meal.!!
(5)Suzanne F.
Haven't been here in ages but it was my kids birthdays and they wanted to come. My husband and I ordered cocktails...we also ordered mozzarella garlic bread and the warm tomato and spinach salad for starters. The garlic bread was just pretty basic but it had lots of cheese on it and that's always good. But whoa the best thing I had all night was the warm tomato and spinach salad which had tomatoes, spinach, candied walnuts, red onions and the warm balsamic vinaigrette did I say YUM! I could of just ate this and I'd of given four stars but...our waitress wasn't very attentive kind of flighty we kept having to ask for refills, more drinks, if we could order, etc. you get the idea. Anyhow, for our main course we ordered the Quatro Al Forno and the kids got the Chicken Limone. Well guess what those brats wouldn't let us try theirs so I can't comment on that item. Ours was well just okay...we had ravioli, two types of cannelloni, and stuffed shells. Nothing to write home about but nothing to complain about either. We happen to like the family style of eating so we have no complaints there either. I find the mish mosh of the decor funny, eclectic and interesting. Yep Im sure we will be going back because the kids love it and really it isn't that bad.
(3)Billy B.
This used to be one of our favorites. Past few years food has just been average and over priced. They have also removed some of our favorite dishes from the menu. The pizza used to be fantastic. Still a fun experience but not like it used to be.
(3)Garrett L.
Nice family style restaurant here . simple as that . sure it had good food and what not too but only conflict I personally had was our server was a bit "off" not retaining all the orders we shared him which made one of us go get things from the bar instead cause it took a while but other than that I enjoyed the night .
(3)Taylor E.
Such a neat place. I waited for about 15 mins for a seat but I never got bored because there are so many things to look at. The kitchen was clean and the cooks were friendly. The server arrived immediately to our table after sitting down. The buca salad is so tasty. I got the baked ziti as an entree. It was too big for two people! But made great leftovers. Honestly, it was a little dry. But you could always ask for extra sauce.
(4)Jeffrey S.
Our party of 14 was seated at two tables made for 10 because all the large people dining at this fat factory were taking up all of the surface area. Our server was excellent The food was fair at best The atmosphere was fat
(2)Abby B.
I'm not huge on chain restaurants, but had never tried Buca and since we were in town for the marathon, all I cared about was eating pasta. Family style portions are not my thing, but I shared a small portion with my husband and felt it filled us up (we also ate a lot of bread...carb loading!) The stuffed shells were delicious. I tried some of my mom's baked rigatoni and it was okay - nothing I couldn't duplicate at home. The service was good and the food was good enough for our pre-race carb-loading. I'd go back if it was the only option; otherwise, I'd search for some mom-and-pop joints, where the food is a bit more authentic.
(3)Ryan G.
The food is excellent! I prefer to come to this location over the downtown location because I hate the hassle of parking and paying for it. You get what you pay for at this place. Big portions and amazing flavors. Our server was very energetic and polite.
(5)Christopher B.
Despite it being super busy the service was great. Really enjoyed our server. Our food came out in an appropriate time and hot. Atmosphere was much better this time around. Left happy and stuffed. Our experience this time around was much better than our last. Thanks for the great service. Now if only I could make sense of the portions. Many leftovers. ____________________________________
(4)Charles E.
Lousy service. Didn't make the salad correct..forgot to put on some of the toppings. Didn't refill drinks. Had to ask for refills. Main course was really good.
(3)Jenn H.
Here on Xmas eve to pick up a carry out order that was promised at a certain time. Order wasn't ready at promised time and I ended up waiting an hour past the promised time. Did I mention that there were 10 hungry people waiting at my house for their Xmas eve dinner? Customer service was horrendous with basically a "nothing we can do about it" attitude. NEVER AGAIN and I will tell friends to stay away!
(1)Finnegan B.
I guess Buca was bought out by Olive Garden. They kept all the phony nonsense on the walls and kept all of the Buca Signage, but the food is straight up white bread, homogenized box and canned food. It was only a matter of time before their bottom line became more important than quality. When they tried to make it more profitable, the clipped every possible corner they could. It's really a shame, it was really good for years and it seems like it just petered out and became just another standard chain restaurant, reheating items from the freezer. Don't expect their name to save them.
(1)Shara L.
We decided to hold a surprise birthday party for a dear friend at this location. The food was ok and we had an overall good time until it was time for our checks. It was obvious our waitress was new and so we do not hold her responsible for the actions of her management team, where the big problem was. It was determined that one guest's check was rang incorrectly and during the "attempt" to fix it, she was charged no less than 5 more times. We asked to speak with the manager, who proceeded to be rude to the person we were there to celebrate, who was clearly upset it had taken close to 45 minutes for the manager to even come and apologize. He said the charges would be reversed and continued to be rude to our guest of honor before finally giving everyone $25 gift cards and an additional $50 to the person charged incorrectly. This would have been fine except she used her debit card and, therefore, all charges put holds on the funds until released. What made it worse, they all were NOT reversed, she received two MORE charges totalling more than $80 and had to call her bank to dispute them all. I was told I would also be contacted by the district manager and haven't heard anything. This was over two months ago! Horrible, horrible customer service and experience. I will never go back to this location.
(1)Linda C.
We had a 6:30 reservation on Christmas Eve. We expected to wait a few minutes, since this is a busy evening, but we weren't seated until 7:30. We ordered immediately-trying to save time. Salad and bread came out by 7:45, but our two entrees didn't arrive until after 9:00. No management in sight at all during our 3 hours. We've been fairly regular customers, but we won't be back.
(1)Brad S.
Went here last night for a birthday party and had a great time. Everything was amazing, the server was awesome. Highly recommend for any group gathering.
(5)Xintong L.
Very good food+ fantastic customer service. You don't have to be perfect. The only thing you need is to have a heart and to try. I recommend this place .
(5)Diane G.
hello. went sun to worthington buc de beppo. we did not a large group of people but, they where not busy. it took us one hour & 15" to get our dinner. pizza was very cold & greasy on the bottom. we had salad, garlic bread, sausage(very good), spaghetti, pasta with chicken, & chicken with wine (very good). all the food was at not hot & only a little warm. server was great..
(3)Caz O.
I suppose it can be considered good italian food. For the price? It's not that great. Honestly, I would rather go to the OG (Olive Garden) where you get complimentary salad and breadsticks with every meal. At Buca's all you get is some plain bread. They claim their portions are huge, and that their small portions claim to feed at least 2-3 people. We get the manicotti & the small portion is only 4 pieces. If that's ALL you order, that's really not a lot of food. (Unless you gorge yourself on the free bread.) However, Buca's is a pretty good time if you go with a large party & get the Pope room! But if we want a more "authentic" italian meal we hit up the Spaghetti Warehouse.
(2)Steve W.
This will be my last time at Buca di Beppo. We had a 7:30 pm reservation on Christmas Eve for a large party. The first of our party checked in with the hostess at 7:00 pm in an attempt to ensure things were in order. Long story short, we walked out at 9:15 pm with no hope of being seated anytime soon. In between, we paid for three bottles of wine and exchanged gifts in the packed waiting area. Literally shoulder to shoulder the entire time. We checked a dozen times with restaurant personnel on the status of our table and our perception was that they couldn't have cared less about our situation. They made no attempt to accommodate us. None. They basically ruined Christmas Eve for our family. And there seemed to be a bunch of other large parties experiencing the same thing. How can a restaurant chain be this inept? Thank goodness Danatos Pizza was still open.
(1)Tory R.
This was only the 3rd time I'd ever beem tp Buca (in the past 10 years). I've only been to the arena district location. I guess I had my expectations set really high before going to this particular location. The experience here was just okay. Something I did like is that you can make your reservations online (via iPhone), which saves time of having to wait when you get there. As for the food, it was definately good. The prices are a bit high though. Buca specializes in large quantaties of food. Most items come in a small or large (which are more family style). I can't say it's better food, compared to Olive Garden or other Italian places. Because I have a gift card, I'll go back and give it another try.
(2)Bonachella K.
I wish they had an option for a 0 star this restaurant was horrific their sauce was watery their pasta was mushy and their customer service was not friendly and cant seem to take an order correctly. they got the order wrong in 3 different ways I can honestly say this has been the worst restaurant I have gone to I had heard it was bad but I thought it was a chain so it can't be that bad I was wrong do not go here turn around and leave go south to Villa nova. Horrible meatballs. Picture a giant rabbit pellet covered in sause. They were rock hard balls of gray meat. Save yourself and run. Garlic bread was a dehydrated log of old bread.
(1)Rebecca O.
Buca di Beppo may be a chain restaurant, but it sure doesn't feel like one. The quirky, home-y interior, paired with large portions and good service, makes you feel like you stepped into an Italian family's kitchen. The prices seem intimidating at first, but most entrees can easily feed two people. (So if you want to keep prices reasonable, choose a dinner guest who doesn't mind splitting a pasta bowl with you!) Buca accommodates large parties very well, so it's the perfect spot to celebrate special events.
(4)Ashley P.
My husband took me here for my birthday. The restaurant is kind of like a little maze walking from room to room. The walls are completely covered with old photos and Italian themed décor. Our server, Jose, was phenomenal. The food was pretty good, and obviously hearty portions since it's family style. The environment was very fun and I got sung to with their own special song since it was my birthday. All in all, a great experience. P.S. If you're a lady, I recommend checking out the bizarre poodle painting in the bathroom.
(4)Thomas L.
Peg Bundy once remarked about men "The one thing they are good FOR they're not good AT". As good a description of this Buca di Beppo as any. Buca di Beppo is a smallish chain of "family Italian" restaurants and as such there shouldn't be any misunderstanding as to the experience on offer. You shouldn't expect a place like this to be working for it's third star in the Guide Michelin but rather large portions of edible food at a reasonable price and a good place to take the family. The food is passable. The sausages taste like Sysco's finest, the shrimp is factory fresh and the Caesar salad tends towards large amounts of iceberg lettuce & croutons with globs of Caesar dressing. The pastas are on the thick and gluteny but not unappetizing and, again, one would expect the place to err on the "hearty meal" side of the scale. The Osso Bucco was good as were the fried calamari. One would think that a place stylized as "Family Italian" would handle large groups with aplomb - one would be wrong. Twice, once for sitdown and once for takeout, the service came to a screeching halt once a large party came in. 30 - 40 minutes would pass until I would have get up and fetch a server. Picking up takeout the 7:00 - 7:15 pickup time turned into 7:45. During that time I noted that the last plaque on the wall for top customer service was won in 2003 - that's about the size of it. In both cases the large parties had reserved in advanced (I inquired) meaning that extra help could have been brought in but wasn't. What this place needs is a real Italian grandmother smacking the back of the heads of the 20-something servers saying "Quit-a-jabbering and get-a back to work. Can't you see we gotta customers!" The prices are a bit expensive even taking into account the large portions. If you show with three people bring at least $100. It's a shame because I have many good memories of the Buca di Beppo in Indianapolis when attending the Formula One races. But, until this place raises it's game, it's off my "seal of approval" list.
(2)Kim F.
Overpriced and underwhelming. We have been here several times and the flavor of the food is never consistent. Sometimes the meatballs scream with flavor and at other times, they are depressingly bland. Disturbingly, each time we have been here, someone from our party has been presented with dirty tableware. Unsanitary and unappealing. I don't think we will ever be back.
(2)Christiana C.
I would have loved this not to be a meh experience but it was. I guess it all comes with the caveat that I am judgy judgy about Italian food in general. When I end up here, I usually stick with a spaghetti and meatballs or chicken parmesan situation that's harder to mess up. However, a friend of ours ordered pizza all around. It was mushy and wet and kind of gross. I think Buca is best kept to big group parties where someone wants to sit in the Pope room. Get something generic. And maybe drink a lot. Everything else just botches the whole thing up.
(2)Jared E.
Got a surprise call tonight from some ladies I went to highschool with who were in town visiting. I was just laying around watching football and they asked me to drive over to W-ton and meet them at Buca. I've been to Buca a fair amount of times--and it's always "okay." Tonight was no exception. I met these ladies around 7pm and there was a 1.5 hour wait. Well, lucky for us, there are two tables in the restaurant you don't have to wait for (two hightops) and when we walked into the bar one of them was empty! So, we sat right down. I ordered a Peroni and the ladies sipped on odd looking cocktails that didn't interest me. When I got the Peroni I was disappointed to see it was a draught :-/ because this is one of those beers that is better in a bottle. I don't know why, it just is. To start we got calamari. This was pretty good--not quite as crisp as I like it to be, but still good. Came with some delicious spicy marinara sauce on the side that paired well with it. Next we had a "new salad" from the fall menu. It was spinach, feta, pancetta, onion and some kind of dressing. WOW--this was bad. VERY salty--I mean, we all puckered up and the salt was burning my mouth. To make it worse, the spinach had soaked up all the dressing and the "salad" was a sloppy mess. When the waiter came back we requested a different salad which he switched out at no charge for us. We got the antipasto salad which is great--probably my favorite thing at Buca. Although, antipasto used to have gorgonzola on it, but had feta on it tonight instead--it was still good, but I missed the gorgz! We also had some good garlic-cheese bread that we gobbled up alongside the salad. For dinner we split a small order of one of the fall pastas that was alright. It was supposed to have fried eggplant cubes on top, but when it came out they were missing. This pissed our waiter off who went back to the kitchen to take care of business for us Honestly though, when the eggplant pieces finally came out they were very oily and salty and the pasta was better absent them. Just a warning too: I really like their tiramisu which we didn't have tonight. However, it's very "hot" tasting because it's soaked in rum. I like it, but for some people it's too much. But, if you're a non-drinker or don't like the taste of rum you're best of not getting it. Here's what I think--I've been going to these places for years (never my idea) all around the country. They do BASIC stuff really well. I love their antipasto salad, garlic cheese bread and spaghetti with marinara or meat sauce. That's it. The pastas that they try to make seasonally or with ingredients that are fancy (ie, pancetta, artichokes, weird mushrooms...) are NEVER good in my opinion. This goes for their meats too, except for the chicken parmesean. Don't get me wrong, the food here isn't bad, but stick with basics. Some of the dishes with the fancy items are near the pricy range (I know you get a lot, but quality over quantity is how I roll) and just not worth it. I'd return frequently for antipasto salad, garlic bread and basic spaghetti, lasagna, etc., but nothing fancy. Oh, by the way--the prices are getting pretty expensive here. I was shocked our small order of garlic bread was almost $10...for better value you'd spend just as much money going to Brio for some good Italian food.
(2)Shannon M.
Bottom line: Go south on High St to Villa nova. You can thank me later. This place is ok. we walked here since we had received a gift card and we had a $10 coupon. We walked in and it was JAMMED. Asked if we had a reservation, which we didn't and they said would be an hour. I do not wait an hour for food, I don't care if it is Rocco DiSpirato in the kitchen. Then she said they had room in the bar. Perfect. We actually like to eat at the bar usually better service and cozier atmosphere. We were right about the atmosphere. The service from Trevor wasn't bad per say but we waited a long time for our salad and simple app. Apple and gorgonzola salad was very tasty. mozerralla and basil was meh. then we waited...waited....waited for our entrees. Trevor was great about coming by to tell us why we were waiting. Large party right before us, blah blah blah. Our entrees arrived and while a nice portion way over priced for what you got. $18 for spaghetti and meatballs??!!! overpriced, overcrowded and overrated.
(2)Leslie M.
HORRIBLE experience! Went with reservations at 7 pm on Christmas Eve and it's 9 PM and we are still waiting on our food. Cheap Italian food is clearly not worth this redic wait! In addition, way too much of a family place . I make reservations at late times to avoid children but they are EVERYWHERE! Just need out of here as soon as possible! Worst experience at a restaurant EVER!
(1)Gary K.
FAMILY STYLE Italian food, NOT high-end fancy gourmet... I LOVE ITALIAN FOOD!!!!!! I've heard about this place since I moved here... about how good it is and how good (and huge) the meatballs are, so I've been wanting to try the place for he last 3 months. Then when I read all the reviews about his location, I was a little sad and a little anxious about going there... But I've been to "family style" Italian restaurants before out in California, so I knew a little about what to expect... First, when we arrived, they were telling everyone it was almost an hour wait... fortunately we had reservations!! We were seated within 10 minutes of our time... not bad at all considering how busy they were!! Got a whirlwind tour through the kitchen since we hadn't been there before... more like a run-thru... LOL.. no biggie though - its a kitchen. Our server was over-the-top friendly... I can't stress that enough. A+ for effort, but needs to tone it down a little. As for our food... there was 4 of us, and we ordered an appetizer - a crab dip that was REALLY good!!! And for dinner we ordered Lasagna, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Chicken Limone, and a Spicy Chicken Rigatoni. All of the portions were PLENTY HUGE, and we all got the small portions. We all shared, and I thought everything was very good. The meatballs were huge as I had heard... and very good too!!! Needless to say I was far too full for dessert, but the couple dining with us did get he Cannoli and raved about it!! I know not all the reviews for this place are stellar, which I don't get... If you want fancy, great Italian, with an elegant atmosphere, this is not the place for you. If that's what you want and come here anyway, don't slam the place in your review. THIS IS FAMILY STYLE ITALIAN. Big portions of good food... NOT great food. Know what you're in for before you hod it against them because they didn't meet your high-end expectations.
(4)Jim G.
So, when asked if I would like garlic bread with a small portion of spaghetti, I said,"Sure!." No, I didn't ask how much more it would cost since it was just garlic bread. The garlic bread was a sub bun cut into eight sections with garlic butter and slightly warmed. The cost? $8.99! So, you now have an idea what to expect when you eat here...$$$$. I was seated promptly and the employees were friendly and courteous. The 'small' portion' of spaghetti could feed 2-3. The 1/2 lb. meatballs were nothing special-meat with a hint of garlic and an aftertaste of fat.
(2)Flora Z.
I am (was?) a fan of Bucca and I have been to different Buccas several times. I would seriously suggest that you stay away from the Worthington Bucca if you want decent food and service. I went to the one in Worthington twice, and every time it was a disaster. The first time we went there, things could not get any worse: 1) We were told that the delivery truck that supposed to arrive didn't get there so they were out of a lot of ingredients. About half of their menu was not available; 2) Water (wine?) kept falling onto us from the ceiling. We sat under the area that the ceiling is full of wine bottles; 3) Our order got messed up. Our food took 40 minutes to arrive, and when it arrived, it was supposed to belong to another table. It turned out that the waiter didn't even place the order for us!! The second time we were there after our wedding trip and get together with a few friends. I should have known better not to choose this place. This was a big mistake. We have 10 people, so I made a reservation by phone beforehand and ensured that everything was going to be okay. However, when we got there, we waited about 20 minutes before somebody finally led us to the table, and then we got a big surprise: the table they reserved for us can only fit 6!! We were told all larger tables were booked, so we have to sit into two different tables. The waiter probably felt bad, so he kept coming back asking if everything was okay every 10 minutes, which was too much. We got offered free dessert, but the dessert never came.
(1)Pam B.
Enjoyed a great family gathering at Buca di Beppo yesterday! The food was really good and the service was terrific. We weren't rushed and had fun celebrating several birthdays in our group. Thanks Buca!
(5)Rob S.
It's a sad day for Buca. We ordered take-out last night, and found out a few things. . . First, they discontinued their Buca Mio (single serving size) for dinner (maybe altogether). Second, they no longer put prosciutto or their garlic bruschetta topping on the chicken Parmesan. That's downright unbelievable. Third, the chicken was burnt (though the manager did grant us a refund). I can no longer recommend Buca until they clean up their act. Their wonderfully garlic-flavored cuisine has been reduced to Stouffer's quality.
(2)Heather B.
Went today to celebrate a friend's birthday. Didn't even get to eat with them. The greet staff was unorganized and the kitchen was slow. They weren't even busy. We were told the kitchen was behind but shouldn't they be able to accommodate the few people that were in there. The place is huge and seats a bunch of people. I'd hate to see it when they are slammed. It was my first time there so I may go back because I believe in 2nd opportunities. Hope it's better next time.
(3)Bill A.
I always enjoy the place, the servers and the food. I appreciate the fact that they give you a head's up on not to order too much food. My only challenge is that I want to order too much anyway.
(5)