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Buca Di Beppo
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
300 Main StExton, PA 19341
(610) 524-9939
Announcement
Holy Cannoli, You Graduated! Celebrate at Buca! http://www.bucadibeppo...
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
Sun 11 am - 9 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
17 reviews for Buca Di Beppo
17 reviews in English
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Review from Amanda G.
4/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
I can't bring myself to ever give a chain restaurant four stars, but let's be clear - my rating is indeed more in the way of 3.5-3.75 stars. My experience here was definitely not what I expected, and I was very pleasantly surprised!
Yesterday was my nephew's baptism, and at 3:00 we were supposed to meet for lunch at Buca. Since there were about 50 of us, we all came separately and at staggering times. My husband and I got there on the earlier side, at 2:30, but we were taken to the dining room right away anyway.
Everything was set up nicely and as soon as we were seated we were asked if we wanted drinks. Throughout the day our glasses were always filled, and the empty ones were taken away promptly. Brandy, our main server, was really, really great at making sure that everyone had what they needed.
I really had low expectations for the food. We've eaten at the Buca in the city on a few occasions because they mail out coupons to residents nearby, and each time has just been really blah. But yesterday was different - we had the mixed greens salad and the caesar salad to start. I had a heaping pile of both, and was pretty happy. The dressing on the caesar was a little heavy, but it wasn't unbearable or anything. We also had the chicken limone and the cheese manicotti and I am not kidding when I say that both of them were REALLY GOOD! I wouldn't mind eating either one again.
The best part about the whole thing was the Italian margarita cocktail. I ordered one and four other people tried it and all of them liked it. It didn't take long before they started to order their own...
Overall, this group event worked out really, really well. The food was good, the drinks were flowing, and the servers were really attentive. Couldn't ask for anything more!
(P.S. who doesn't love a creepy Pope room?) -
Review from Teri R.
12/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Not enough staff and poor communication made my visit here odd and very uncomfortable. A friend and I stopped in for a girls' lunch ... some food, wine, and a lot of conversation.
it was a little after noon, on a week day after Christmas. The place was empty -- I doubt they had 3 tables occupied. And when we walked in there was no one at the hostess stand ... for a ridiculously long time (we fidgeted, thought about leaving, wondered briefly if the place was open ... of course it's open, we opened the doors ... and fidgeted some more). Finally a young woman poked her head out from a doorway and asked if we had a reservation.
ummm ... no, do we need one?
"no. but it may be 10 or 15 minutes ... we only have two servers on today and they can only be so busy, you know?"
Well .. we really don't mind sitting at the bar as long as we can have food?
"no. no bartender today -- it would just be one of the waitresses, and the bar is totally of out of their way."
Wow, do I feel welcome now!
It was odd sitting there, in the lobby of an empty restaurant, waiting for a table, but luckily there was much to catch up on, so we decided to hang. We saw no one leave, but 10 minutes later the same chick came out and took us to a table. In a vast sea of unoccupied tables. It all just seemed so off.
Anyway, the rest of the visit was ok. Our server was friendly and happy .. she offered some suggestions about portion sizes and took our drink order. The wine options were more than adequate and the menu was very large, like at most chains. We skipped apps and split a regular size chicken pesto pizza ... the pizza was delish but had so much garlic on it! and it was ninja garlic -- that kind that you can eat and eat and suddenly the whole head sneaks up on you and you are drowning in garlic? I smelled like a vampire hunter for 2 solid days. Not my thing .. garlic should be seen but not heard, so to speak. This garlic was LOUD!!
Overall, it's just not my kind of place, but I do hate most chains, so I have less patience for this kind of thing. I would rather sit at a local neighborhood spot and have a better experience, better food, and less attitude. -
Review from Nuraghe E.
Exton, PA
4/2/2012
first time at buca was about 10 years ago in DC - has been going DOWN - down from then on. Tried it this past weekend and big mistake. the gravy was burnt. Strike three - deported!
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Review from Steve M.
Downingtown, PA
3/7/2012
I am often very critical of suburban chain restuarants, but this one far surpassed my expectations. From the moment we walked in the door, we were treated very nicely by the host. The waitress, Courtney, was also very warm and hospitable. As far as the food goes, no complaints. Family sized big portions, well worth the money. I would say the quality is about on par with the olive garden or caraballas. Overall, I was very impressed with the whole experience. That being said, I wouldnt want to be anywhere near this place on a busy weekend night.
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Review from Alli D.
Coatesville, PA
7/30/2011
If you like burnt spaghetti sauce that all tastes the same, this is your place! Service was attentive but the food sucked! Meatballs(cement balls) were the scariest things I have ever tasted. Atmosphere is what your overpaying for.
Oh, but wait the salad was GREAT!!!!
wont be rushing back anytime soon -
Review from David b.
Downingtown, PA
1/14/2012
This place is decent the food is ok and the portions are HUGE! first time I went I ordered 2 different things crazy amount of food but def. worth it also it can get crowded fast so better be early or your looking a a long wait. May repeat.
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Review from HeeBee G.
NY
2/25/2011
Serves me right for going to a chain restaurant for Italian food.....I sent my little 'ol Italian grandmother spinning in her grave.
But.....I had a coupon (another red flag) and thought what the heck! The place was empty, but the hostess took us allllll the way to the back of the building. The table had crumbs on it. The waiter arrived and I pointed out that the bread dish was dirty. Honest to goodness, he wiped it off with his apron. Should have bolted right then and there.
I ordered "safely"....lasagna. It came out with this gelatinous roof of cheese sitting atop layers of stale meat sauce and rubbery pasta. I sent it back and did not order anything else (too afraid of those urban myths about sending stuff back to the kitchen)
Anyway, I've learned my lesson. If the restaurant owner's name does not end in a vowel, I am not eating Italian food there. -
Review from James W.
Muscogee, GA
2/17/2008
I liked the food, the staff was friendly, and the place's decor is a lot of fun. However, one big complaint - their alcoholic drink prices are pretty over the top. $7 for a glass ($29/Liter) of their house Chianti, which is nothing special, is too much. They also have a variety of specialty drinks for about $8 each. There's not many options for someone who wants a drink with dinner and doesn't want to feel like they're being robbed. Beer options are limited and if I recall overpriced as well. Here's the drink menu to judge for yourself: http://www.bucadibeppo...
One smaller complaint is that their reservations management is clearly optimized for profit, not customer satisfaction. We waited 30+ min for a table among the densely packed downtrodden folks waiting for their reserved table to come up and I couldn't help but wonder what good a reservation was if it required a long wait regardless?
The crowd (and it was very crowded) was lively and fun and once we got to the table we had a decent time. But, I wouldn't have been there had it not been for the gift certificate and I won't be back. -
Review from Ryne D.
1/19/2009
The food comes in two sizes...small (which easily feeds three) and large. From what I experienced, it also comes in two qualities...decent and crap.
We ordered the lasagna and the prosciutto stuffed chicken. The chicken was nice and moist, and had a decent crust on it. The pesto sauce, sadly, added nothing. It literally oozed cheese when I stabbed it with a fork, which is awesome or gross, depending on how much you like oozing cheese.
The lasagna barely qualifies as a pasta dish. It was about 90% cheese...either the mozzarella on top or the ricotta inside. The beef was tasteless, as was the tomato sauce it was sitting in.
We also ended up waiting quite some time to get just a glass of water after being seated and it took a while to get our bill when we were done. Maybe their other dishes can achieve the mediocrity of their chicken, but I won't be back to find out.
Oh, and why are their advertisements in the menu? That's just sad. -
Review from Brian M.
1/9/2010
Buca Di Beppo is the place to go for obscenely large portions of pasta, with small portions of meat incorporated at inflated prices.
The flavor-nothing great, it's hard to screw up boiled pasta, canned sauce and cheese.
Let's face it, pasta is cheap and the folks that run Buca Di Beppo know that. They think if they serve you a pound of pasta you'll be impressed and happily pay $16-20 for what cost them $2 or less to serve. Or perhaps they think the kitschy wall-to-wall photo collection is worth more than $14 in entertainment.
This is not good Italian! PASS! -
Review from John S.
Manheim, PA
7/16/2011
My daughter loves this place...me..not so much. It's just okay. Food is typical Italian fare but is served family style. Meaning if you have 6 people there's usually only 5 pieces of chicken. On the whole it's not a bad place. I enjoy the environment, friends and family but I don't jump to go there.
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Review from Alexa S.
Exton, PA
9/26/2010
This eatery is absolutely horrible. Do NOT eat here. When we called to ask about the price of their pizza, their staff had an attitude. Their food, for the money, is a total rip-off; a margarita pizza is almost 21 dollars, and it barely fed three, when they claimed it was "family size" and could feed "4 to 6". Compared to the 13 dollar large pizza at nearby places like Rino's, this is a waste of money.
When we got the pizza and took it home, it was already lukewarm, and the sauce tasted like it was poured on to paper thin dough straight from the jar. The dough was like a cracker and there was virtually no crust. The pizza itself looked disgusting, and the cheese was almost rubbery. And soon afterward, all of us felt extremely sick from what we ate and we felt fine before - it was mainly because of the supermarket sauce flavor.
I advise you, if you plan to eat on Main Street in Exton, try another restaurant, like Appetites on Main or Peace Pizza. Buca Di Beppo is the biggest waste of money I've ever seen - and worse, their food is awful. You could buy a frozen pizza for 6 dollars and it would have tasted and looked better!!! -
Review from Jessica A.
Schwenksville, PA
5/18/2010
I really liked this place! Not good if you're only going with a small handful of people. My family went out for my brithday -there was 10 of us. We had a great time! Food was delicious, filling, and hot! Definately steps up from your run of the mill italian-pizzeria/family resturants. But not gourmet in any sense. I don't see complaints about prices? This type of resturant is meant for family dining... meaning your $20 portion of pasta and meatballs is meant to serve 3-5. I guess people don't under stand the family portioned meal restuarants? I thought this was obvious.
Oh enjoy the decor, your classic gaudy italian stuff. Just like my distant relatives. Checkered table clothes, raging red walls, photographs and posters, (almost expected to see a plastic covered couch tucked away in a corner somewhere) all sorts of stuff, gives you a lot to look at as you wait for your vats of pasta. -
Review from Chuck H.
Ambler, PA
11/18/2010
I have always had a good lunch at BdB. Service has always been fine and food is served in a very short period of time. Large menu and large portions are the main stay. The antipasto salad is a meal in itself. My favorite is the rigatoni. Its not on lunch menu so I order the small and box up enough for two more lunches. Certainly not a high end but they don't claim to be.
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Review from Will D.
6/19/2010 1 photo
Buca di Beppo is an Italian chain featuring the theme "your Italian family's basement get-together".
I found the food tasty and is served in very large portions. It is very easy to over-order here. I recommend the the carbonara and the apple gorgonzola salad.
Service is friendly and generally capable, as had been my experience at the (now closed) Norristown, PA location.
This particular location includes outdoor seating. -
Review from Alex C.
West Chester, PA
3/31/2009
I have only been here once, but that one time we found a large (I mean large) bug in our salads and simply walked out. You don't go back after something like that.
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Review from Frank M.
West Chester, PA
9/6/2010
Went with a group of friends to celebrate a birthday.. group ordered the shrimp pasta special for $40 and got 3lbs of pasta and about 15 tiny canned shrimp.. also ordered was the sampler.. all the pasta was a rubbery mess.. the pizza was cold and old tasting.. the only semi-edible entre' was spaghetti & meatballs.. as long as you passed on the meatballs.. hands down one of the worst experiences I ever suffered through
