I mean what can i say you cant never go wrong with Italian food ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Baked Rigatoni, Mozzarella Garlic Bread, Chicken Caesar
Rita M.
Literally walking in they way they set each restaurant is amazing there are so many cool things to see and look at or read about. Have been coming here since I was a kid and chain or not they each feel family owned so much effort and care go into making each meal so delicious. I recently tried the pizza and was so happy with the choice there is not an item on the menu that is not worth at least a try. The service makes you was to come back they even have people that come out and do family pictures sometimes.
Jason W.
The food was ok, but the server was great, Valarie was our server and she was super nice.
Laylah G.
I have been to other Buca di Beppo locations, all very casual outings, however this experience was abysmal. I thought Buca di Beppo was supposed to be a tier above Yard House or BJs, yet I think we would've been treated better at those restaurants. Parking was readily available, we had no issue getting to our reservation. We had a large party of 9 people on a Saturday afternoon. My mom scheduled the rez for 8 people at 6pm, then called and asked if we could get something earlier. She said 8-9 people at 5:30, I believe. Now, my mom, as a customer, was definitely annoying with not giving an exact count and trying to change the time day of. However, any experienced host would know to account for the larger number provided. We arrived 30 mins early, as the initial planned activity ended earlier. No worries on our end, we figured we would have to wait we just checked in with the host. The manager at the time, a balding Caucasian male, announced to his host that "we will not be seated early and he's only accounted for 8 of us and he does not care if we fit at the designated table, we will have to make it work." Do not work in hospitality/customer service if you do not have it in you, sir. The half of the party who checked in and was inside the building heard him make these comments!! At first, we were squished into a large booth clearly meant for 6-8 people, when we were 9 with some heavier set people in the group. The server kindly suggested another table set up in another area which we were happy to take. It was really warm in that area of the restaurant and the server was kind, but slow. As soon as our food was in, they over sat her section and it was downhill from there. It took 20 mins just for her to come back to bring the check; we skipped singing happy birthday because we all wanted to leave by then. Food was great as always at Buca but the service here was enough that I'll never come back.
Brian Dillard
We stayed in SoCal for 2 weeks, we ate out for most meals, and this was by far the worst experience we had. The server did not bring drinks for a while, when she did, it was difficult to get refills. She forgot parts of the order, and overcharged us. Ultimately, I would not recommend this to anyone. It was our only bad experience the whole trip, and was one of the most expensive.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Andy L.
Crazy that I've never been to a Buca di Beppo before. First time at the Carlsbad location while on vacation. We ordered the apple salad, garlic bread, lasagna, chicken Alfredo, and tomato soup. Decent food you would expect at a chain restaurant. Great service and ambiance.
Pete S.
i wanted to try buca di beppo. got there on a saturday at 4p for dinner. most employees were not there yet. it took 10 min. to get seated, despite the restaurant being nearly empty. the kitchen got the food out pretty quick; however, the bread and the lasagna was luke warm. the lasagna and the shrimp dish (pasta in a butter garlic coating-cant find it on the menu) lacked flavor. not bad, just lacked. for example, i would use a meat sauce in the lasagna for the extra flavor. the spicy sausage was good. the week before, we ate at N*&K's carlsbad. close in price for the two different meals/restaurants, but N*&K's food was SUPERIOR.
Sam A.
Parking is plenty. Food is on point. Just as expected. I've been to the Mira Mesa location many times this was my first time here. First off we had a reservation I called and asked to move up instead of 6pm could they do 5pm they agreed to 530pm. I advised on the call that our number of group changed from 8 to 9 people. We arrived early and asked if we could be seated earlier they said NO. So we sat around and waited. We entered about 525pm to hear the manager being very rude about our party and not willing to accommodate 9 people only 8. They would seat us and it'll be uncomfortable but that was the best he could do. Clearly doing so loudly and making it clear to our group he was not willing to accommodate. They squeezed us into a 8 people booth. Eventually they came over and offered us a better table. Which we appreciate greatly and I'd be surprised if management even agreed to that. Very unprofessional. We had a nice server Valerie, only issue we had was only seen her for drinks and food. We had a delay in boxes and our bill. Otherwise no complaints about her. Very sweet.
Lieu
Waiter was helpful and friendly. Quiet night there, but food was delicious and plentiful, as advertised. No complaints whatsoever. Go, enjoy, and most likely you will take leftovers home for the next day.
Greg E.
So, first time here, and we definitely enjoyed the experience. We sat in the bar area in a Sun evening, and Matt, our server, was excellent. Loved our punch bowl, and every dish was rich and delish. The portions were perfect for taking home to the 4 kids we we snuck out on Recommend the Trio appetizer and the antipasta salad for sure. Great quiet first-time experience.
Buca is one of my favorite places ever! However, it kind of smells like cat litter in this location. Maybe the carpet needs to be deep cleaned? Not sure I want to go back but it’s the closest one to me so I’m torn. Food was fine it just smells in there.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Baked Ziti
Ava S.
Upon entering the restaurant, I was struck by the welcoming ambiance. Our server, Michael, was exceptional and accommodated our needs. The food was outstanding and the flavors danced on my tongue. Would definitely come back.
Ava Martin
Only 3 stars because of the smell. Our server (Dan) was lovely and the food was delicious, but I can’t begin to explain the smells of the restaurant. There is a fishy odor throughout the restaurant and the upstairs reeks of old pipes. The women’s restroom was unbearable, it made us gag. I’m only posting this in hopes that validating the other reviewers that mention the smell will help them do something about it. Besides that, the restaurant is great and I’d hate for the smell to ruin it for other people.
So first off I want to say the service was great and I had no complaints. We came here because we had a gift card and it was a Tuesday date night. I've been to the location in Mira Mesa once before as well. Anywho, the food is okay, wouldn't call it authentic by any means and i feel the prices are decent for the family portions you get. We order fettuccine alfredo with chicken. $7 more for a few slices of chicken that look very much so defrosted from the freezer. The house bread was tasty with oil & balsamic vinegar which is a must for me so that was honestly better than the pasta. What really made my review only 2 stars was the smell in the restaurant. Kind of a funky, dirty water type smell. Maybe it was the time we went, not sure. But I had to use the bathroom before we left and I was immediately hit with the strongest smell of sewer as soon as i opened the door. It was unbearable and was definitely not from someone's business in the toilet but most likely the drain. I was holding my breath and just barely trying to breathe into the sleeve of my jacket. It was so strong and nauseating. Needless to say we will not be back.
JustCallMeGrace
Always a great time at Buca! The atmosphere is terrific and the food is delicious and plentiful. Huge portions served family style and the menu is varied with something for everyone. We've been going for years and always look forward to our times there. GREAT for celebrations and big gatherings. Rather noisy but it's a fun place so why not!
I mean what can i say you cant never go wrong with Italian food ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Baked Rigatoni, Mozzarella Garlic Bread, Chicken Caesar
Literally walking in they way they set each restaurant is amazing there are so many cool things to see and look at or read about. Have been coming here since I was a kid and chain or not they each feel family owned so much effort and care go into making each meal so delicious. I recently tried the pizza and was so happy with the choice there is not an item on the menu that is not worth at least a try. The service makes you was to come back they even have people that come out and do family pictures sometimes.
The food was ok, but the server was great, Valarie was our server and she was super nice.
I have been to other Buca di Beppo locations, all very casual outings, however this experience was abysmal. I thought Buca di Beppo was supposed to be a tier above Yard House or BJs, yet I think we would've been treated better at those restaurants. Parking was readily available, we had no issue getting to our reservation. We had a large party of 9 people on a Saturday afternoon. My mom scheduled the rez for 8 people at 6pm, then called and asked if we could get something earlier. She said 8-9 people at 5:30, I believe. Now, my mom, as a customer, was definitely annoying with not giving an exact count and trying to change the time day of. However, any experienced host would know to account for the larger number provided. We arrived 30 mins early, as the initial planned activity ended earlier. No worries on our end, we figured we would have to wait we just checked in with the host. The manager at the time, a balding Caucasian male, announced to his host that "we will not be seated early and he's only accounted for 8 of us and he does not care if we fit at the designated table, we will have to make it work." Do not work in hospitality/customer service if you do not have it in you, sir. The half of the party who checked in and was inside the building heard him make these comments!! At first, we were squished into a large booth clearly meant for 6-8 people, when we were 9 with some heavier set people in the group. The server kindly suggested another table set up in another area which we were happy to take. It was really warm in that area of the restaurant and the server was kind, but slow. As soon as our food was in, they over sat her section and it was downhill from there. It took 20 mins just for her to come back to bring the check; we skipped singing happy birthday because we all wanted to leave by then. Food was great as always at Buca but the service here was enough that I'll never come back.
We stayed in SoCal for 2 weeks, we ate out for most meals, and this was by far the worst experience we had. The server did not bring drinks for a while, when she did, it was difficult to get refills. She forgot parts of the order, and overcharged us. Ultimately, I would not recommend this to anyone. It was our only bad experience the whole trip, and was one of the most expensive.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Crazy that I've never been to a Buca di Beppo before. First time at the Carlsbad location while on vacation. We ordered the apple salad, garlic bread, lasagna, chicken Alfredo, and tomato soup. Decent food you would expect at a chain restaurant. Great service and ambiance.
i wanted to try buca di beppo. got there on a saturday at 4p for dinner. most employees were not there yet. it took 10 min. to get seated, despite the restaurant being nearly empty. the kitchen got the food out pretty quick; however, the bread and the lasagna was luke warm. the lasagna and the shrimp dish (pasta in a butter garlic coating-cant find it on the menu) lacked flavor. not bad, just lacked. for example, i would use a meat sauce in the lasagna for the extra flavor. the spicy sausage was good. the week before, we ate at N*&K's carlsbad. close in price for the two different meals/restaurants, but N*&K's food was SUPERIOR.
Parking is plenty. Food is on point. Just as expected. I've been to the Mira Mesa location many times this was my first time here. First off we had a reservation I called and asked to move up instead of 6pm could they do 5pm they agreed to 530pm. I advised on the call that our number of group changed from 8 to 9 people. We arrived early and asked if we could be seated earlier they said NO. So we sat around and waited. We entered about 525pm to hear the manager being very rude about our party and not willing to accommodate 9 people only 8. They would seat us and it'll be uncomfortable but that was the best he could do. Clearly doing so loudly and making it clear to our group he was not willing to accommodate. They squeezed us into a 8 people booth. Eventually they came over and offered us a better table. Which we appreciate greatly and I'd be surprised if management even agreed to that. Very unprofessional. We had a nice server Valerie, only issue we had was only seen her for drinks and food. We had a delay in boxes and our bill. Otherwise no complaints about her. Very sweet.
Waiter was helpful and friendly. Quiet night there, but food was delicious and plentiful, as advertised. No complaints whatsoever. Go, enjoy, and most likely you will take leftovers home for the next day.
So, first time here, and we definitely enjoyed the experience. We sat in the bar area in a Sun evening, and Matt, our server, was excellent. Loved our punch bowl, and every dish was rich and delish. The portions were perfect for taking home to the 4 kids we we snuck out on Recommend the Trio appetizer and the antipasta salad for sure. Great quiet first-time experience.
Restaurantji Recommends
Buca is one of my favorite places ever! However, it kind of smells like cat litter in this location. Maybe the carpet needs to be deep cleaned? Not sure I want to go back but it’s the closest one to me so I’m torn. Food was fine it just smells in there.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Baked Ziti
Upon entering the restaurant, I was struck by the welcoming ambiance. Our server, Michael, was exceptional and accommodated our needs. The food was outstanding and the flavors danced on my tongue. Would definitely come back.
Only 3 stars because of the smell. Our server (Dan) was lovely and the food was delicious, but I can’t begin to explain the smells of the restaurant. There is a fishy odor throughout the restaurant and the upstairs reeks of old pipes. The women’s restroom was unbearable, it made us gag. I’m only posting this in hopes that validating the other reviewers that mention the smell will help them do something about it. Besides that, the restaurant is great and I’d hate for the smell to ruin it for other people.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Garlic Bread, Fettuccine Alfredo
So first off I want to say the service was great and I had no complaints. We came here because we had a gift card and it was a Tuesday date night. I've been to the location in Mira Mesa once before as well. Anywho, the food is okay, wouldn't call it authentic by any means and i feel the prices are decent for the family portions you get. We order fettuccine alfredo with chicken. $7 more for a few slices of chicken that look very much so defrosted from the freezer. The house bread was tasty with oil & balsamic vinegar which is a must for me so that was honestly better than the pasta. What really made my review only 2 stars was the smell in the restaurant. Kind of a funky, dirty water type smell. Maybe it was the time we went, not sure. But I had to use the bathroom before we left and I was immediately hit with the strongest smell of sewer as soon as i opened the door. It was unbearable and was definitely not from someone's business in the toilet but most likely the drain. I was holding my breath and just barely trying to breathe into the sleeve of my jacket. It was so strong and nauseating. Needless to say we will not be back.
Always a great time at Buca! The atmosphere is terrific and the food is delicious and plentiful. Huge portions served family style and the menu is varied with something for everyone. We've been going for years and always look forward to our times there. GREAT for celebrations and big gatherings. Rather noisy but it's a fun place so why not!