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Carrabba's Italian Grill
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
5 reviews for Carrabba's Italian Grill
Walking into Carrabba's Italian Grill (CIG) is like walking into a bat cave not mattering if it's 4pm or 10pm. You risk colliding into one of the servers who is skillfully juggling five or six plates at every turn. How employees manage to fully function under such lighting -- or lack thereof -- remains a mystery.
That said, for a chain, CIG is not too shabby of an Italian restaurant. The bread basket, which usually dictates the outcome of the meal, with the accompanying dipping oil was quickly inhaled by the four of us and was quickly replenished. The bruschetta was disappointing as slices of bread thoroughly soaked with olive oil was topped with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, olives, and basil that needed Botox injections. Thankfully, my main came soon after making up for the poorly executed appetizer. While I didn't care too much about the dry lumps of mashed potatoes, the hazelnut-crusted trout in a creamy lemon butter sauce was outstanding. Not only was it generous in serving but it was bursting with flavors too. By the time dessert was brought to our table, I was already stuffed to the gills. (Mind you, that was after boxing half of my entree.) Thankfully, CIG offers dessert shooters, a trend I'm not too entirely fond of but do appreciate from time to time. The chocolate coconut mousse, while fluffy, was incredibly rich in taste.
Servers were polite and attentive, although tinged with slight impersonality. Relaxed and rustic in ambiance, diners will feel comfortable arriving dressed down or decked to the nines. Be sure you call ahead as you make your way to CIG. That way, you'll know if you'll be vying with a party of 50 for available seats.
3.45 stars.
Every time I give a chain restaurant a good review, I feel like a low-brow yokel. However, my integrity as a food reviewer is on the line here, and I take my sacred responsibility seriously, so I gave Carrabba's 5 stars because it freakin' deserves it.
But before we get to the 5-star goodness, let me get the bad stuff out of the way. When you walk in the place, you will immediately notice its one flaw: it is so dark that bats, possums, and raccoons would be quite comfortable in there around the clock. Seriously, how the waitstaff navigates without night-vision goggles is beyond me. When I leave the place I feel like assuming a Dracula-esque cower and shielding myself from the sun's spiteful rays. I suggest asking to sit close to the kitchen/grill area, as it gives off more light and is far more suitable to dining. I'm not even kidding.
Once fumbling your way to your table, you'll be provided with bread for dipping in oil with herbs, all of which are wonderful. Next, do yourself a favor and order the soup of the day. I don't care what it is, it will be awesome. I have had the pasta fagioli and the grill-fired tomato basil soup, and they are both completely amazing. And I'm not really a "soup guy" either.
For entrees, you can't really go wrong. Chicken, pasta, steak---it is all good. Anything off the grill is always tasty, and I'm especially fond of the pasta sauces. The delicious sauces remind me of authentic Italian sauces; that is, they are thinner than the heavy, goopy, Americanized sauces you find in a lot of "Italian" restaurants. (This is no Olive Garden.)
I highly recommend Carrabba's to anyone looking for a good Italian dinner. Great food, great service, and (barring some lighting issues) a really pleasant atmosphere.
As far as chain Italian restaurants go, Carrabba's kicks Olive Garden's ass! This is one of my staples for a nice dinner out. The atmosphere is quite nice and the prices are reasonable for what you get. They give you fresh, warm bread to start with, and these delicious spices with olive oil to dip it in. I don't know what spices these are, but mmmmm mmmmm. I could just eat the bread and spices for my meal!
The food itself is delicious. Every entree is freshly cooked, and the kitchen area is open, so you can watch the chefs prepare your meal in their giant wood-burning oven. The serve all types of Italian food - pastas, seafood, chicken, steak. I recommend the chicken and spinach cannelloni. If they don't have something that you like, chances are the chefs will be able to modify the menu to your liking. The only downside is that I always get so full from my dinner, that I haven't yet had a chance to try their desserts - but I'm sure they're fabulous as well. Overall, a great dining experience.
A word of warning though - if you come for dinner anytime after 5pm on a weekend, be prepared to wait a VERY long time! You can do call-ahead seating, but that doesn't cut down th wait time very much.
very poor vegetarian selection, most Italian places are easy for veggies to eat at, not Carrabba's. Carrabba's had two meat free options. I ordered the eggplant, greasy and not much flavor.
Dinner today was good. More than enough food. I had chicken trio. Very good - even reheated the next day (gotta love doggie bags). Didn't get to try deserts - too full.