Buca Di Beppo (CLOSED)

We have eaten here several times, and have been given the tour of the kitchen. The food is really good, and we especially enjoyed the eggplant parmesan although the dish varies a bit depending upon which of the chefs is cooking that night. Nevertheless, the dish has been excellent every time. I hope that the showcased kitchen is really the one that is used because it really enhances the dining experience when one is confident that the preparation area for the food is clean. Thumbs up Buca.

I've already been disappointed by this restaurant before, when they refused to take us without a reservation when they were nearly empty. This time, we made a reservation, and still had to wait 10-15 minutes for a table. Then, our waiter would disappear for 15 minutes at a time, and return reeking of smoke. They were out of the appetizer we wanted, and screwed up our order, bringing a SMALL fettuccine alfredo for 3 people. At that point, it had been an hour and a half, so we didn't complain because we just wanted to eat something. It might have been worth our time if the food had been delicious, but the fried mozzarella was cold and clammy, and the fettuccine was undercooked and the sauce basically tasted like milk that had a parmesan block waved at it. What a dreadful meal; at least it was cheap.

It is a chain but the food's pretty good. Good prices and large portions.

Just like the Olive Garden or Romano's Macaroni Grill. Our city has so many great Italian restaurants that I don't see why people would want to go to a chain outlet. On the bright side, they usually have really good service here.