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Buca di Beppo
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
258 S 15th StPhiladelphia, PA 19102
Neighborhoods: Rittenhouse Square, Avenue of the Arts South
(215) 545-2818
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
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
53 reviews for Buca di Beppo
Review Highlights
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"The cheese garlic bread was yummy." In 4 reviews -
"My favorite location by far is the pope room." In 9 reviews -
"It's a really nice place to go with a big group." In 4 reviews
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53 reviews in English
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Review from Jennifer D.
Philadelphia, PA
Updated - 4/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
Very good family style Italian restaurant. I am not all that familiar with this kind of Italian, so it was interesting. Unfortunately, there are only two of us, so there is SO much food. The waiter seemed disappointed because we were not buying as much food as the families around us...but I refuse to buy more food than I'll eat and we were already had that covered.
Truly good food. I just wish there was less of it, believe it or not..but that is just how the restaurant serves...so it's my problem, not theirs. Overall, I'd go again and I'd enjoy it. Leftovers are never a bad thing, either.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/5/2011
Good food family style. Huge portions. For us, cheap. Except for hubby's beer. We ate basic Italian,… Read more »
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Review from Dana Z.
5/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
It's Buca... they're all the same. Over the top decorations, pictures of naked women in the bathroom, Italian music, a giant head of the pope, enormous meatballs...
Figured Buca would be a good place to go on the eve of the Broad Street 10 Miler. Between three of us we split the large spaghetti and meatballs and a large garlic bread. The bread is pretty much crappy. I did have the garlic bread with the cheese once which I remember being a lot better. The spaghetti and oversized meatballs did the job between us. No it wasn't anywhere near the best pasta dish I've had. But we left there stuffed. We even got the rest to go in case we saw a homeless guy on the street. We're thoughtful like that.... ;-)
Anyway, it's been 4 years since my previous visit to Buca di Beppo and will probably be another 4 years till my next one... like some sort of crappy presidential election.
Oh, but it was nice that the waiter was very good about bringing us water. We must have downed like 15 glasses between the 3 of us.Listed in: Carb Up
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Review from Shereen C.
Philadelphia, PA
4/25/2012
Been here a few times, usually with coupons / when too tired to cook. It's kitschy. Food is okay.
Linguine Frutti di Mare: I enjoyed it well enough -- it had a generous amount of seafood. Could use a bit more flavour.
Chicken Saltimbocca: Pretty good. Chicken was nicely fried, not overcooked, and dish was flavourful.
Service is great: waiters seem helpful & enthusiastic when telling you about the place or bringing you bread / olive oil. -
Review from Alfonso L.
CA
4/8/2012 Seated via OpenTable
I actually had never been to this place, a chain restaurant known for gaudy Italian American kitsch and party size platters of food. Well the Philly location was a pretty quiet place when the six of us marched in. I just can't find anything worth jumping up and down about. I mean I get it --it's loud with all the Sinatra and Pacino pics but the food just isn't all that grand.
Sure, the bruschetta was fine, with the chopped tomatoes on top. But I can't recommend ever ordering the rest of the entrees again: a exceedingly sweet chicken marsala, an Aunt-someone-or other chicken dish with sun dried tomatoes that congealed quickly and had little taste; also a rigatoni dish that got gummy and had little flavor. Even the calamari, well, I think it was that --well it was OK but not out of the park fantastic. The wine, a Cabernet, was much too steep ($39) for the low quality of the dishes we had. It's not that we ended up hungry. We just didn't find anything really exceptional. The server tried to make things enjoyable, but we really wouldn't ever revisit this no matter what city we were stuck in across the country. -
Review from Sam C.
Blue Bell, PA
5/3/2012
Not my cup of tea.
The small portions feeds two. The food is just average. My ravioli tasted like it was either frozen and re-heated or dried and then cooked. It didn't taste fresh.
The service was great, our waiter was cute and very informative.
Tip: Bring your friends but share the plates! -
Review from Linda C.
Philadelphia, PA
2/12/2012
I highly recommend Buca Di Beppo. I loved it! Although the decor was rather strange, with intensely Italian and Catholic themes. Besides the decor, I thoroughly enjoyed the food and the environment. It was busy and a little crowded which I like cause people don't listen in on your conversations. The food is served in family style so the portions are huge. No joke. Plenty for everyone, seriously. I had appetizer and an entree and didn't have room for dessert, although I really wished I had room in my stomach.
Make sure you make reservations. It's really crowded and busy.
Overall, I was satisfied completely. -
Review from Dino F.
Easton, PA
5/5/2012
good old fashion Italian food. The portions are large, the food quality and service are good. Get on there mailing list and they will send you loads of coupons for some really great deals. Perfect place to bring the family.
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Review from Nancy P.
12/14/2011
I've been to Buca di Beppo previously and in both cases, I recall too much food. Anyway, this time around, it was my friend's girlfriend's birthday. He had made reservations for the pope table (I've dined at the pope table before and it really creeps me out). But he had made reservations for 7:45 pm and our party was almost all there. They told us that the table wasn't ready yet so I was under the impression it was being cleaned. Little did we know, they had allowed a reservation at 7:15! We waited almost an hour AFTER our reservations for this table. And they acted like they were not at fault! Such BS!
Finally after being seated, we ordered. The server was nice, and it's not his fault anyway. It's the stupid host/manager that booked the table.
The food was okay. There was just too much cheese in all of the dishes. Seriously, it makes you feel like a pig shoveling goop into your mouths. The only dish I really enjoyed was the Chicken Saltimbocca.
As for dessert, we brought in an ice cream cake and asked them to take it out to defrost. Apparently defrost to them meant giving us a ruined melted cake...awesome..
Nothing really was worthy of revisiting Buca. The decor will give you nightmares; it's just that creepy. -
Review from Karen F.
Updated - 12/12/2011
We attended a 7 year old child's birthday party here - 26 kids and about 20 grownups in 2 separate dining areas. Service was amazingly smooth for a party that large and chaotic. All had salad (caesar or classic), bread and baked rigatoni. Kids got to "make their own" pizza" in shifts at the chef's table in the kitchen.
Bucca is not the greatest food - but for a 7 year old's luncheon party it's a neat choice. The kids had a ball. The adults took excedrin.
Sasa and Kyle and our other serves were amazingly patient. Thank you!Listed in: Flam's Faux-talian
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/16/2008
Chain pseudo-Brooklyn-Italian (Immigrant cuisine circa 1954) in whopping huge portions. (Only… Read more »
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Review from Agatha S.
Philadelphia, PA
11/26/2011 10 photos
LOVE LOVE LOVE. I've been here numerous times and I was satisfied and happy every single time.
For appetizer, I've gotten lobster fondutta, cheesy bread florentine, and calamari. All are AMAZING. Entree choices have been baked ziti, spicy chicken rigatoni, penne arrabbiata, and few others that I can't remember but have all been amazing. Their tiramisu dessert isn't bad, however not the best. Their small size feeds up to 3 and they're not kidding. Do not attempt to eat it by yourself, last time I tried, I didn't even make a dent on it. Their large feeds up to six people, but it's best to order 2 different smalls rather than a large for variety.
If you mentioned that it was your first time, they will take you on a tour of their restaurant, including the kitchen! Pretty neat actually.
The service is phenomenal as well. The waiters I've had has been super nice and charming, not to mention cute! I hated an alcoholic drink that I ordered and barely touched it. The waiter noticed and offered to take it back with no charge!
Next time I need my Italian food fix, I'm coming back here. And that craving is just about every week. Definitely love the family/group of friends atmosphere. Only downside? Certain areas of the restaurant has no service, but with good food and good company, who cares right? -
Review from M K.
Denver, CO
2/16/2012
For some reason the minute you stick a chain restaurant into the middle of a city the quality seems to get worse than you'd even normally expect from a chain. The restaurant is cramped--not just how close you are to the people around you but given the low ceilings and narrow hallways--and somehow even more kitschy than Bucas usually are.
We got there toward the end of lunch so it wasn't really that busy. It was slow enough that apparently neither manager was in the building so we couldn't even complain if we wanted to. The waiter that served us tried his best but nothing went right with the kitchen throughout the course of this meal.
We got the fried moz for the appetizer that, aside from the tomato sauce, had ZERO taste. The cheese was completely flavorless and watery and the breading had no flavor except for whatever it soaked up from the canned marinara sauce.
My partner ordered a chicken caesar with the dressing on the side so naturally they served the thing drenched in dressing. I ordered the eggplant parm. The plate came out with a large puddle of red water on the bottom of the plate so that after about a minute the bottom layer of the once-fried eggplant was soggy from soaking up all the watery sauce (which basically tasted like crushed tomatoes).
Since the managers weren't around, the waiter gave us a $5 coupon (which compensated for about half the price of the appetizer) and said he would ask the managers to comp my meal once they got back since it was basically inedible.
Even when the kitchen actually knows wtf it's doing, Buca's food is mediocre at best so when they don't even get the service right, there's really no reason to go to this location at all. -
Review from K. A.
Philadelphia, PA
2/17/2012
Buca is a good reminder that we should not take ourselves (and our culinary aspirations) too seriously. It reminds us that a sense of humor is a good thing to have, and sometimes a casual night out with friends, a little cheap Chianti, and checkered tablecloths can go a long way. Buca is first and foremost "performance art." Filled with cliche Italian memorabilia, pictures of nuns in bumper cars, the Pope, statues of David, and Anita Eckberg in the fountain from La Dolce Vita, the restaurant is built around a singular theme (like, ummmm... Parc!): the American-Italian's vision of the Old Country. It's campy and it's fun. Even if it's a chain, it resonates with a kind of Joie de Vivre (oops, sorry, I'm getting into the French stuff and should keep on Italian theme). OK, La Dolce Vita. Cheap entertanment. Why do I give it one more star than Parc? For honesty. It hits you over the head with it's artifice, unlike Parc which DOES, in fact, take itself seriously. Fellini would love this place.
The food, of course is objectively much better at Parc, but you can have just as much fun here, and the more Chianti you drink, the funnier the pictures on the wall become, and then you can saunter the streets afterward with your friends, arm-in-arm, and be Pavarotti on 15th Street. Let's face it, the food is mediocre, but consistently mediocre. No one said it was haute cuisine (there I go with the FRENCH again!). Kids love it. It's very family-friendly (where can you take 8 little kids after ice-skating?). When I was a kid, I loved to go with my parents to this Longhorn Steakhouse (not around anymore), with campy western theme with Cowgirl waitresses that fired off little cap pistols before ordering, and it gave me so many good memories of loving evenings with my family. It was not fine dining, but fine times. That's how I feel about this place. One basic tenet of Italian dining is that food is something around which people gather, to celebrate just being together. You can do that very comfortably at Buca. -
Review from Filomena I.
Philadelphia, PA
5/3/2011
I'm not a fan of chain restaurants, especially, italian chain restaurants but this one is the exception. This is the second year in a row we've gone to Buca di Beppo after the Philadelphia University fashion show. At first, we were annoyed because there was a 40 minute wait. Several waiters apologized for the inconvenience and began serving appetizers to everyone waiting to be seated. I cannot begin to explain how quickly this act of kindness changed everyone's mood. They didn't give much food but just the fact that they thought of their customers waiting miserably for a table and tried to accomodate everyone made me and my friends very happy.
Once we were seated, our waitress arrived immediately and was very friendly. We ordered the walnut gorgonzola salad and fried calamari as appetizers. The salad served six but, honestly, I could have eaten the entire serving because it was good!We were so hungry, the appetizers were gone within ten minutes. Next, was the entrée and we decided to share a large pizza. Normally, I would have suggested the margherita pizza (my favorite) but my friend insisted we try something different. Ok....let's try something different! So, we ordered the chicken pesto pizza. It wasn't good...IT WAS GREAT!!!! I loved it so much I ate 4 slices!
The evening was topped off with their newest dessert....Colossal Brownie Sundae. It was definitely large and very good but I was a little disappointed because I felt like it was mostly whipped cream and not enough brownies. No big deal because everything else exceeded my expectations! -
Review from Duy N.
North Wales, PA
12/22/2011
The food here was definitely good. I had the seafood platter for appetizer and then for dinner I shared the spaghetti and meat balls and the Prosciutto stuffed chicken. The service here was great and I definitely like the environment they have going on in the restaurant. The hostess even ask if you would like to have a tour of the restaurant's kitchen.
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Review from Vick P.
New Milford, NJ
5/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
The last time I went to Buca was in Pittsburgh in 2005. This time I went because it's around the corner from my girlfriend's apartment, and we were straight up starving. I had a decent experience - nothing special. The cheese garlic bread was yummy. For the entree, we ordered the gnocchi al telefono which was bland, and only edible after I added some salt and crushed red pepper.
The waitress was really nice but we felt rushed and got many cues that we had overstayed our welcome. I understand if the place is really busy but honestly it wasn't. We weren't there for longer than an hour and half the wine room was empty. I'm not sure what that was all about.
I may go back for some cheese garlic bread only because of its proximity but probably not again for any of the pastas. -
Review from Andrea F.
Philadelphia, PA
5/30/2011
Went here for a party and the food was pre-ordered, but still delicious. We were sat in the Pope Room, which if you've ever been here, is quite tchotchke and stereotypically Italian, with pictures of popes lining the walls and a giant bust of the pope in plexiglas right in the center of the table. Gaudy, but charming in a weird way. Also, we had to meander through the kitchen past the cooks to our table, which was surprising. It felt like a scene from Goodfellas.
The caesar salad was really good, the bread and oil were a nice touch, and the chicken parm, raviolis, and sausage penne were hearty, filling, and in big portions. Nothing spectacular, but still decent. Since it was paid for by the head of the party, I can't comment on how good of a deal it was. I can imagine it's a little more expensive than Oilve Garden.
My main qualm is with our waiter, who kept bugging us about exactly how many people were going to be coming. We kept trying to tell him that we were expecting one or two more, but we weren't positive if they were coming. He didn't seem happy. Maybe he needed the empty plates or something.
After the meal and the giant hunks of chocolate cake for dessert, we wanted to stay and drink some more wine and talk so we could digest the food before leaving. That's when the manager visited us to see if our meal was good and after we told him it was delicious, he stood there awkwardly and said, "Well, there's another party waiting." He basically kicked us out. Can't I sit and enjoy myself for a bit? Whatever.
Overall, food was decent and the decor was something to laugh about. -
Review from Autumn E.
10/13/2010
Last time I came here I did the family thing, and it was fantastic, from our salad, entree, dessert. Thank you for the experience, and the bread.
This time we did individual lunches. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find meatballs alone at a restaurant in this city? Well, Buca has a half pounder waiting for you in delicious marinara.
They also have fun drinks and great prices, and even better, get on their email list for promotions all the time, like 10 dollars off 20, free birthday cake, and world pasta day (where you get a free package of pasta and a 10 dollar off coupon for your next visit :) )
It might be a chain, but they treat you well and have hearty food, and charming decor. (Just avoid using the bathroom, because you'll never want to leave.) Also, when you come in, they ask if you've ever been to Buca before, and offer you a tour of the kitchen. Adorable. -
Review from Michelle C.
Philadelphia, PA
11/13/2008
Like Linda Blair in The Exorcist, the power of Christ compels me to write a review of this God-awful place.
I'd passed by Buca di Beppo (both the location in Cherry Hill and the one in center city) several times. Always with a little shudder and the hope that I would never set foot in the restaurant. I can't really explain it, but the tacky sign and other adornments gave me the creeps... and that was just the exterior of the building.
When a group of us decided to go out for a pasta dinner before several friends were set to run the Philly marathon, I thought we were all set for a night of Maggiano's or some other reasonably priced chain with lots of carbs on the menu. Not so. Every Italian restaurant in the city was booked-- with the exception of Buca.
While I can't remember all the various items we ordered, I do remember that the portion sizes were gluttonous and I left feeling nauseous. If ever you find yourself wandering down 15th street on a dark and hungry night, avert your eyes and continue on until you reach a safe haven!Listed in: No Means No!
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Review from MaryAnn Z.
1/27/2010
I can't believe I'm publicly admitting to having gone here.
I can't believe I went here.
I can't believe I'm giving it 4 stars.
Someone should probably punch me in the face.
For the record, I am very anti-going-to-chain-restaurants-in-the-city. How many amazing Italian options do we have?! Enough that this should never have to happen, right?
WRONG. After many adult beverages at a nearby bar, I wanted pasta. But it was too late to go to a liquor store. So my date and I looked at each other, swore we'd never tell anyone, and ducked into Buca di Beppo. And then took buddy photos with the cardboard cutout Danny DeVito in the entrance way.
Anyways, we had some bread, cheapish house chianti, and some sort of delicious pasta dish with spicy Italian sausage and bitey sauce. That pasta was GOOD. I was floored. The amounts of everything were perfect. Especially the wine. The house wine jug had a lot of wine in it. Mmmhmm.
And then, I ate a mediocre cannoli. Regardless, the meal as a whole and the atmosphere, wait staff, wine, pasta, and general willingness to serve us booze without us having to go to the liquor store? I'd definitely go again if stuck in the area, craving noodles, without a liquor store hope. -
Review from Mallory P.
Philadelphia, PA
2/26/2009
You know, I knew it would be bad when I agreed to go, but I went for the thing of it. It's very much a novelty place. Buca di Beppo is not known for their high class cuisine. They're known for their cheesy Italian kitcshy ambiance and their big portions.
The idea behind "family style" restaurants is that you pay more money for the food, but it can be split up between several people. So it evens out. NOT. When I went to Buca di Beppo the other day, there were four of us. We ordered three appetizers and two entrees. You have the choice of small or large for each plate you get. We got small for everything. Beverages included two beers, a glass of wine, and a soda. The bill came to $120. What the hell is that? If we'd all gone to the Olive Garden (similar, but the food is better and the salad is free), it would have been $60. So I don't understand what we paid for.
The salads were okay. But I could make one twice as big for half as much money. I'm not getting coaxed into going here again. -
Review from Ciara S.
Philadelphia, PA
10/20/2010
This has to be the worst Italian restaurant I ever been too. Its downright disgusting. I first went for a friends birthday in December 08. I ordered the sampler which was ok. Then I ordered a pasta with calamari in. Now I had calamari before but they serve the whole body head and all attached EKKK!! so I sent it back and took home Lasagna. That was the worst lasagna I ever tasted in my whole entire life.
Then my job holiday party was there december 09. THE FOOD SUCKS PERIOD! Never ever going BACK!
The tiramisu had so much liquor in it YUCK! -
Review from Nat P.
Philadelphia, PA
8/1/2008
Maybe if I had under developed taste buds like a child, I would have liked this place.
I stopped by for a really late dinner last night with a friend after going to a couple other spots nearby that were full. Bad idea!!
Walking inside, you basically have a visual overload. Too much stuff going on everywhere. If I was stoned it would have freaked me out big time. I have been to many other Italian restaurants, that had the essence of Italy, without literally bringing Italy into the restaurant. Enough on that part.
The place was a ghost town so seats were plentiful. This place can accomodate a large number of people, which is good, because it seems to be a family style restaurant.
The menu has a variety of dishes, which I really didn't focus too much on since most of the dishes on the menu are for families. A small will feed like 2-3 people and large dishes feeds 4+. There is a small section for individual sized dishes, which I ordered from. Nothing was too exciting, so I ordered the spaghetti and meatball.
The drink menu had wines and a few cocktails. The beer list had the usual players, Heineken, Corona etc. Blah Blah.
When we got our dishes, mine was exactly as it said. Spaghetti with "Meatball." One giant meatball on top of pasta. Thrilling. The meatball was so fresh. No taste at all. Not enough salt or pepper could put spice into the sauce or the meatball. I was so "under"-whelmed.
Service was good. Although we were one of the only people in the restaurant at a late hour, our waiter was very pleasant and attentive.
Forgettable food from an unforgettably, visually stimulating restaurant. -
Review from m M.
Philadelphia, PA
11/18/2010
I would have to say that Buca di Beppo has to be one of the best restaurant experiences that I have had in Philadelphia.
The food was served family style and I had the chicken parm... and it was delicious. The food was ready fast, the bread was wonderful, and the overall atmosphere was great.
Although i was reminded at some instances of Olive Garden, I still would have to recommend giving this place a try.
It's great for bringing the kids or going on a romantic dinner date. -
Review from Chrissy R.
Philadelphia, PA
7/8/2008
I've been here a couple times with some of the staff from Fado. It's not fantastic fancy italian food but it's carby goodness and it hits the spot (especially if you've been drinking).
The decorations of this place are insane. Never did I dream seeing a Lazio and AC Milan scarf hanging side by side. -
Review from Daniel D.
Brooklyn, NY
6/21/2007
Hahah. This place is so 'whatever.'
It's like a parody of a chain Italian restaurant.
The portions are ginormious. It's perfect for a bunch of friends to hang out and get a cheap meal, but don't expect to be amazed with delicate flavors, and intricate plating. This is mom's Italian food, served big and fast. -
Review from Hank C.
2/9/2009
This wasn't so bad, in my opinion.
Large groups can come here and try to reserve ahead of time for busier days like Friday and Saturday. They have busts of various popes all over the place. We half-jokingly expected a head like in Futurama or similar to crop up on the table, or some pope's fingernail somewhere to show up.
There was a large group of us, about 15, and we chose the family portion meal - four entrees (2 pastas, eggplant parm, a chicken dish), a couple of appetizers, and a dessert. Plenty of pasta came out, and we had to reorder the chicken, but the dishes were generally hot, came out whenever they were done, and tasted pretty much like your average Italian food for the masses. There's nothing special about the food, but you can eat all you want, and they'll bring out more as you request it. A fun, loud restaurant to bring people if they've never been. House wines weren't horrible, the red wasn't too strong at all, and the waitstaff, though absent for notable chunks of time, pretty much were there whenever the food was being moved to or from the table.
There's parking in a garage nearby but I don't remember what that's called... -
Review from Gordon D.
Philadelphia, PA
8/13/2008
The decor in this place is basically a parody of chain Italian restaurants. Where a normal, reasonably decorated place might have a photo or two of the pope and a few little Italian knick-knacks on shelves Buca seems to have an aversion to having any space unfilled. The walls are covered with hundreds of photos, carvings, paintings, Christmas lights, and basically anything else they can affix to the wall firmly enough to prevent guests from removing it, not that any sane person would want to.
My favorite location by far is the pope room. I am not making this up. They have a room devoted solely to images of, decorations related to, and in the middle of the table a large bust of The Pope. It is so astonishingly over the top that you absolutely must take a look at it, although I'd hesitate to actually eat in it.
As for food, I've always been happy with what I've gotten. It can actually get somewhat expensive if you have, say, less than three or four people, because their portions are so huge you will either explode or be forced to take most of it home in a doggy bag. There are a few dishes I like, such as the lemon chicken, goat-cheese chicken, and garlic bread. Service? No problems here.
As long as you know what you're getting into, Buca is great and great fun. Go for it! -
Review from Susan G.
6/28/2007
When they say family sized plates they arn't lying!
I have a really hard time trying to eat at most "Italian" restaurants. My family is Italian...I'm first generation American...so, I'm pretty spoiled. Mom-mom used to make me the best of everything so a lot of these places just don't do it for me.
Buca...the sauce just isn't right. I mean it's eh, not great not good not yummy...just consumable.
And another thing that drives me crazy....
Here is a question for those of you brought up on REAL Italian food...
How is fried eggplant supposed to be prepared...
a) Tossed in Egg/Flour and then a pan with hot oil to be "fried"
b) Tossed in Egg/Bread Crumbs/Flour then tossed in a pan of hot oil
c) Tossed in something unidentifiable then dropped into a fryer
If you answered a...or in some cases b...you're correct!
However... Buca seems to think that C is the answer....I've got a message for you Buca...You are WRONG! Please correct your test and hand it in agian!
Thank you. That is all. -
Review from Caitlin C.
PA
2/9/2007 1 photo
This is not the place to have a business lunch or take someone to impress them. (Picture Michael from the Office taking everyone out to lunch. This is where they would be.)
This is a kitschy kitsch restaurant in all of it's kitsch glory. But that's why you go! Yes there are plastic grapes hanging from the ceiling, yes there are pictures of the Pope and yes you get a tour of the kitchen before your meal, but you didn't think it was going to be Le Bec-Fin, did you?
Family-sized portions are perfect for sharing. The meatballs are as big as my head, so order wisely. I recommend the garlic bread to start, a huge glass of coke then one pasta dish to share and one meat dish to share.
This is the perfect place to take someone to embarrass them on their birthday. -
Review from Stephanie M.
Medford, MA
7/14/2009
My first experience eating here was a rather unexpected one. Walking around looking for a place to grab some dinner, our friend jumped through the door and made the irrational decision to just eat here. Not knowing what to think we just went along with it. We had never even heard of the place before.
When asked if we'd like to have a tour of the kitchen, my boyfriend of course said yes. While moaning and disagreeing the whole time, we walked around the kitchen and finally got to our seat. I'm definitely a huge sucker for obscene amounts of photographs hanging on the wall. I just love having things to look at.
The meal itself was really quite good. It filled all 3 of us up on a family size portion. Both boys I was with are certainly not of the small variety. The staff was very pleasant and answered all our ridiculous questions.
The second visit was much more planned. Having dinner with my boyfriends mom and her boyfriend wasn't exactly the pivotal point of a visit back to Philadelphia. We decided to try Buca again as the last time was really enjoyable.
Yet again we took the kitchen tour, and his mother and her boyfriend were beyond impressed. She asked far more questions than any one person should ask.
The meal itself was quite terrific, and we were able to order enough of the smaller sizes to give everyone the opportunity to get different things and try it all out. Our waiter was the most charismatic service staff I've pretty much ever had. He answered every question my boys mom could throw at him, and was really courteous as to not disturb us while we enjoyed each course.
The ladies room was very clean, and well kept. There were even photographs displayed all over the walls. And as I mentioned, I'm surely a fan of the over use of photographs.
I'm certainly planning another visit here when I'm back in town. -
Review from Jon L.
PA
1/31/2007
I try to review small businesses rather than chains, but I'm making an exception for Buca. The story is that, the first two or three times I went to Buca I believed I was eating in a one-of-kind chestnut of an Italian restaurant. Perhaps that only proves how ignorant I was back then of the culinary scene, but I also think it says something about the restaurant, and maybe the branch on 15th Street (though I haven't been in any of their other branches.)
For those of you that haven't been to a Buca di Beppo before, the place is family-style Italian-American, which means one entree can feed three or four people. Along those lines, it's a pretty cool place to go with a big group of friends, order three or four entrees, and let everyone try everything.
The walls are bedecked with tons of quirky photographs, which I suppose are mass produced in the "Buca Factory" in South Asia, or wherever it may be, but the decor is still interesting enough to keep you curious throughout your dining experience.
And I definitely dig the food. The kitchen is clean as whistle; I know this because I've taken the kitchen tour several times. In authentic Italian fashion, the cooks make most dishes with an extreme excess of olive oil and garlic. Prosciutto finds its way into a lot of classic dishes, like chicken Parmesan, and the garlic bread -- I don't know if the breads are baked in house but the texture and flavor are on the right side of awesome. The thin crust pizza's are great, too, and if you do decide to go with a big group, you'd be selling yourself short if you didn't work at least one pie into the mix.
So the God honest truth is that Buca Di Beppo (I think it means "Joe's Basement," by the way) is in my heart probably worth more than the three stars I'm giving it. I just couldn't bring myself to give it a four, primarily because no real foodie can give a four to a chain: it just doesn't seem right, especially to the little man. -
Review from Jake P.
PA
2/9/2007
This is very much a "corporate credit card account" meeting spot. Although it's probably the most believable location of these nationwide faux-Italian family eateries, you're in Philly... step your game up.
However, when you need to cater to people who favor this sort of funkless fun, Buca is old faithful. I like the Margharita Pizza and the array of salads. Just don't get too carried away on the entrees.
Hey... it's more authentic (by a .333333 point) than Olive Garden, right?
If restaurants were graded on stereotypes, this would meet the A-List. Instead, it's just a kind of spot that you could bring your suburbia-loving in-laws or whatever have you. -
Review from Boris M.
Philadelphia, PA
1/26/2011
Boris a eat a, salmon with green stuff on it and tasty tomato and pine nuts remind me of pine tree in Old Russia. Also I like to pretend I am Mussolini and eat pasta and dance around and make plans for world domination lol! I order pasta san remo and the salmon for my girlfriend and my mouth. I much enjoy. They give you bread. I walk to da puca de boopoo to pick up food and they have incredible painting of a his holiness the pope a! I close my eyes and say a prayer and then someone say "Hey more on! Get the food and get out!" As I am walking out this man give me the look of death. I cry and run home.
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Review from Jake M.
Brooklyn, NY
4/27/2011
This review would have two stars if I hadn't received such lousy service towards the end.
Buca di Beppo is a perfectly serviceable place close by. Definitely a chain-type place, but nothing awful about it. I went because I received a coupon for a free individual lunch entree. I showed this coupon, made my selection and the waiter, perfectly pleasant at this point, made the order. I had a perfectly fine meal - but I've eaten some truly specatcular Italian food in Philly, so I wouldn't give this place anything above 2.5 stars.
When it came time to pay, the waiter came back and told me that the coupon couldn't be used. He offered very little explanation why and said that he could give me a $5 off coupon, leaving me to pay $7 + tax and tip. I wasn't really into that idea, as I only came to Buca for a free meal. I suspect that he made a mistake in telling me that my meal fell within the parameters of the free coupon, as he wouldn't get specific why I couldn't use it. He said he would speak the manager. He came back and hastily dropped off a check for the meal with an employee discount -- less than the $5 off coupon he was trying to sell me on earlier. I asked him again, why the coupon couldn't be used. He said he would get the manager. Five minutes later, he dropped off the check, with the free meal coupon used, without so much as a smile, thank you or apology for turning such a simple transaction into a fiasco that caused me to sit for an additional 20 minutes at my table.
And yes, I was kind enough to leave him a standard tip after all that, but I can't say that I'm returning to this place, much less recommending it to anyone else. I would hope this isn't the normal service one would expect at Buca di Beppo, but all it takes is one bad service to turn a person off from a place. -
Review from Rachael P.
Cape May, NJ
4/25/2010 1 Check-in Here
Last time I went to this chain was in 2002 in San Fran. I loved it. This time... I am not sure what I loved so much.
The food was decent for the price and the service was fast. But it seemed a little greasy for my tastes and a little bland. Dessert was great!
Overall a good place for a big group to get dinner when they dont want to spend mucho dinero and want it fast. -
Review from Chris V.
Limerick, PA
2/9/2009
Well, I don't even know where to begin with this one. Yesterday I had the displeasure of going to this tacky wannabe "Italian" restaurant. First things first, I was already in a foul mood since my mother decided it would be fun to go see the musical "RENT". I ask the question, "Uh Mom, you know this play is about AIDS right?". Her reply "Really?? Nope didn't know that te-he." So, I give it the old college try and only manage to make it through the first act before I had to leave. The rest of the family stayed and afterwords we decided to meet at this establishment
First things first. We were there about 30 min before there rest of the group. The first thing we notice when we walk in? No one, and I mean no one is there. Not a good sign. We go to the empty bar and have a seat. First, we're the ONLY ones besides waitstaff so you figure the would be prompt with the attention. Uh nope. You know the phrase, never assume cause it makes an ass out of u and me. Anywho after about 10 min. our bearded barback (which, on a side note, it seems all of the waitstaff besides the women had beards....) finally asks what we would like. I order a gin and tonic with a lemon and the lady orders an Iced tea. He gets the drinks to us fairly quickly, but he was a bit puzzled by the $20 I was using to pay. The confusion, it seems, stemmed from the fact that he didn't put in his till. So, after another 10 min, I was able to pay for our drinks. A few moments later our party of 12 arrived and we were seated.
So, the first thing is they walk you through the kitchen. Lamesauce. The waitstaff was sitting at a table in the back and each of them looked at our party with disdain. Not very welcoming at all. Next, we were seated in a room with a large lazy Susan in the middle. In the middle of this contraption was a bust of the Pope. Ok, wierd and creepy doesn't even begin to describe this. On the walls, portraits and pictures of past popes. Just the ambiance I was looking for while I eat. So, our waiter comes by an takes the drink order and our app order. Easy enough. Also says he is going to bring some bread. Long story short, never brought bread, messed up the drinks and messed up the appetizers. On the apps, we ordered fried mozzarella and bruchetta. Only got the mozzarella, which wasn't enough for 12 peeps. Then, about 15 min later they brought out the brushetta. Waiter said the kitchen must have forgotten. Uh, dude, we're the only people here. How the hell could they have fogotten? So, then we order entrees. Which, somehow, came out all together.
The entrees were veal parm that was tough and chewy according to my better half. Bleeech is a good word for that dish in her words. Some chicken and with penne pasta in a pesto sauce with broccoli that I didn't have and some various stuffed pasta. You would think it was enough for 12 people but it wasn't. And since it wasn't, my family started to piss and moan. I had enough.
Between our mildly retarded bartender, our completely inept waiter, and a kitchen that just seemed to stop caring about the food they were preparing, it was all I could take. Before I even took a bite of the garbage that was in front of me, I left. I hadn't eaten anything that day and was absolutely starving, but I just knew this wasn't for me. I told everyone that I just couldn't bring myself to eat this garbage, turned to the girlfriend and said I would wait for her in the car which was on 15th and Chestnut. I have never in my life walked out of a restaruant, but the experience at this joint was enought to make me do so. 35 min later she showed up and basically confirmed what I had already surmised. The food was absolutely horrible. Chewy veal, undercooked penne, and frozen manicotti was her report on the "food". Looks like I made the right choice by not staying. I know I would've had the squirts later on if I did judging by her description of the meal she had just eaten.
Congrats Buca di Beppo. You are my first 1 star review. How you can screw up food as simple as the dishes you serve is beyond me but you managed to do so. I can honestly say that I will never, ever, ever step foot in this establishment again. A word to the wise. Don't go there. It's on 15th st and there are much, much better places to eat. This is a waste of time and money, unless you have a weird Pope fetish. -
Review from John M.
Sicklerville, NJ
6/8/2009
You know what I like about Buca??? Buca doesn't try and pass itself off as a "fancy" Italian restaurant. An Italian chain restaurant would have to pull some amazing recipes out of their ass if they were going to impress an eater from the Philly/NJ/NYC area. We know what really good authentic Italian food taste like. That being said, Buca does not have good authentic, Grandma's recipe Italian food. Buca is a reasonably priced good time waiting to happen. The place is nifty to walk around and laugh at. They have a pope room, complete with John P II bust, which instantly earns an extra star. My girl friend and I have been to Buca several times and we get a kick out of it. I've never taken a big group there, but I certainly would like to. ...i think it would be a blast.
Part of their gimmick is the family style served food....I'm always on the fence as to whether I like this or not. The fact that I may have to knife fight someone for the big piece of chicken is a bit of a downer, but at least you'll feel like you earned it. My g/f and I usually order App, Salad, and the smaller portion dinner. It's kind of misses the mark in that area....Italian family style should always end with that uncomfortably full/I wish someone would wheelbarrow me out of here feeling
Here's the recipe for a good time at Buca:
Bring Friends
Laugh
Fill up on Salad and Bread
Eat too much Food
Contemplate a "Purge"
Waddle Home
Thank John M for his awesome review. -
Review from Cliff C.
Philadelphia, PA
7/15/2008
After the fabled tour of the restaurant which I assume Anthony Bourdain would roll eyes at assuming he thinks of eating at such a place..you shove the pasta on your mouth and there your mind goes....Too sour , i know its Italian but compared to Carrabba's they may be a little bit on the Tomato side of things on sauces , take advice from The Mob guy from The Godfather Peter Clemenza"then you add a pinch of Sugar Mikey"..Anyway with all the memorabilia inside you would mistaken the place as a tourist spot of Roma with a twist of religious artifacts and naughty artifacts we can all safely say Fridays is not only the place which will over do mementos. The Spaghetti and Meatballs was huge on the meatballs my son liked it so I say it passes. The Veal was not as expected , one more thing the staff there were not as happy and enthusiastic as the Carrabba folks are.
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Review from Gabby D.
New York, NY
12/6/2009
Worst. Food. Ever. This is the poor man's Carmines. This restaurant made me realize I can never leave New York, because it's just not the same...anywhere.
Buca di Beppo...we came up with many nicknames for this place during and after....but anyway, the place is ridiculously over-decorated. One room was hardcore Vatican with a bust of the Pope in the middle of the table spinning. Mmmm. Little much. The palce is also hardcore topsy-turvy we had to walk through the kitchen just to get to our table and good luck trying to find the bathroom and then your way back to your table. But let's cut to the food shall we??
Tasteless. Tasteless. Tasteless. So bland. i couldn't add enough salt and pepper to my food. At one point I just gave up. Our guy friends ordered the Chicken Marsala and they were immediately complaining that it tasted like the chicken was soaked in maple syrup. They can be a little dramatic so I tasted it for myself. Ummmm....yup--really?!? Maple Syrup. So sweet! Chicken Marsala is not supposed to be sweet! So they sent it back--yeah we were those people. Our waiter came over and even the manager, who was like "yeaaaahhhh....it is a little sweet." CHICKEN MARSALA IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE SWEET!!! Blech! I guess the best part of the meal was the caesar salad and that even was subpar. We couldn't even get the beers we wanted---our waiter came back 3 different times like "ohh, yeaah--we're out of that...uhhuh we're up to that too...and oh yeah--that one---seems like we don't have that either." Terrible. Terrible. Anyway, some people really love this place, but I'm not willing to give it another try. My stomach didn't recover for a good 4 days afterwards. Mmm. Oh no. Never again. -
Review from kara p.
Philadelphia, PA
3/24/2008
first off, i dont really like Italian food, or food that classifies itself as Italian. I love things that are used in Italian cooking though, but for some reason when prepared together, i am never impressed. unless its pizza. mostly its just too heavy and not very exciting in general.
anyway, we had our work Christmas dinner here. there were like 24 of us or so. we were loud, wild, and most of us were drunk. we were also starving. and i mean super starving bc we're all so broke that we dont really eat often. so if we're eating on the company's dime, you better believe we're going to pig out.
we everything family style which was the best way to do it. we just kept eating for hours, it was really almost disgusting. and everyone kept drinking and drinking. i think they could only get like 2 bottles of house wine on the company's dime, but that didn't stop anyone from ordering more and more. it was also a coworkers birthday so we made the staff bring her out cake and we sang to her. we were the group from hell i assure you. but the staff put up with us fairly well but they def had to kick us out.
the food was the kind of food you eat just to eat and get full, so it did the trick. nothing fancy or memorable. but it was good enough so that i kept eating it.
the restuarant itself is pretty entertaining. lots to look at and see. the bathrooms fucking rule. everything has a theme and tons of pictures to go along with the theme.
i wouldnt go back again with friends or family, but i wouldnt pass up another company dinner here.
