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DucksFan

Joined 2 years ago

Sorry You Have to Work. My girlfriend and I went to Buca di Beppo for a NYE dinner. I've been to the one at Universal CityWalk, so I knew what to expect as far as atmosphere and portion size were concerned.

We waited in the bar area until our table was available. The bartender was polite and wished us a Happy New Year. The hostess called us within the estimated time period and escorted us to our table.

Our server arrived and it was apparent that she didn't want to be working on NYE. She brought a round of waters although my Corona bottle, from the bar, sat empty for the entire meal without an offer for another...I was on the fence about whether to keep drinking there anyway, so it wasn't a big deal.

The food arrived within a reasonable time and both of the entrees were enjoyable. We finished our meal but had to wave down our server since she paid very little attention to our needs. Literally ten minutes later, she arrived with the bill. Eager to progress with our NYE plans, the waitress leisurely returned with my credit card and gave us a weak "thank you". I returned the sentiment by giving her a weak tip.

I don't expect cartwheels and a goodbye kiss but especially during the holidays, a little bit of warmth and attention makes a huge difference in gratuity. I love family-style Italian restaurants so it's disappointing that both of my servers at two separate Buca di Beppos were lacking.

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thatguy6

Joined 4 years ago

Good for big groups. My parents love coming here for there birthdays, and this restaurant is great fro big crowds. The food is served to share. The servers were really friendly and i liked that they take the group through the outside of the kitchen to describe the way they serve the plates. oh the the food here is also incredible. This place is always crowded and i suggest getting a reservation but still be prepared to wait awhile.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Get cozy with friends and family and enjoy an Italian feast at this loved-by-locals restaurant.. In Short
Homesick for your mother's Italian cooking? Grab your appetite and head to this restaurant, where the friendly wait staff will serve up portions of Colosseum-esque proportions, like spaghetti and meatballs loaded with savory tomato sauce and lots of pungent garlic. Dishes center on Southern Italian immigrant fare, and are meant to be shared family-style with a large goblet of wine-to enhance the taste, of course. The ornate décor with walls covered in vintage photos evokes a warm homey feel that welcomes customers to dine among the other families and loyal customers. Buon Appetito!

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laocwoman

Joined 6 years ago

Above Average Chain Restaurant. The food at this location is good, above average for a chain, but the location at Universal City Walk has been the best by far. I have tried multiple locations to compare. The managers here are great but I only know that because I have had MANY experiences that have required their attention (and I do not believe in complaining in a restaurant), so needless to say, the dining experience has left much to be desired. I recommend the Penne with Spicy Sausage and a Large Pepperoni pizza TO GO !!!

The decor is super cool and the ambience works great if you are not there during peak hours where it gets VERY loud and people allow their unbehaved children to run around the rooms. This place is great if you're going with a ton of people or you have friends with monster-children (no one will notice)

Do yourself a favor and visit Gaetano's on Whittier Blvd in La Habra. They are family owned and they come from Italy. THE BEST FOOD EVER! Their prices are even better than Buca's and it's homemade!

Doesn't Recommend

csammy2k

Joined 8 years ago

good food, but not clean. service is great, atmosphere is ok, but our table was really dirty, seats were dirty. the wine was vinegar, but they did replace it for free. food is typical italian food.

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panchamora

Joined 6 years ago

Mediocre Italian food; best decor. Although the food is served in plenty, because it is meant to be shared, my and my boyfriend were able to enjoy a romantic evening...we had made reservations and still waited a while but a waitress came out offering pizza to us in the lobby/entrance...we had a small table though and there was a menu section perfect for us...it had a variety of their pasta selections and it came in twos! we became full quickly but the food was great..

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lilxluckystar

Joined 7 years ago

Pretty Good, Not the Best. The portions are definately plentiful. Their manicotti is DELICIOSO! However, pretty expensive for just 4 manicotti. I think it was like $15 or more for 4 of them. We also got the chicken, broccoli, and bell pepper fettuccini and it was good, plenty of it served, but the pasta seemed a bit dry. Overall, its definately a good place to check out but perhaps I expected too much from this place- everyone I know that has been there has been raving about BDB.

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crt

Joined 8 years ago

Buca's Serves Up Best Neopolitan Style.... We love Buca di Beppo's. And we especially love their Garden Grove location. Have been going there for quite a few years now. Always great food and great service from a great staff. Everything we've ever tried there has been wonderful. But our all time favorite...the pizza! And Bucas serves up the best. It's Neopolitan style. And that means 'thin crust'. And that means the flavor of the 'toppings' are allowed to work their magic! We hate 'deep dish' or 'thick crust' pizza. I mean really, If we wanted that much 'dough' we'd just stick our faces open mouthed in a rounded loaf of sourdough bread. And our favorite pizza? Spicy sausage with mushrooms! Other favs' include the calimari...YUM...and the garlic bread with mozzarella (and those thin slivers of garlic cloves baked on top).

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saiyuki_k

Joined 8 years ago

Amazing dining experience. I would definitely recommend this restaurant anytime your out-of-town friends are in town--the food is in large portions and they have an amazing selection of desserts (yum!) and main courses and appetizers. The service is friendly and the atmosphere is homely and cozy. I've eaten here twice and enjoyed it very much both times. Definitely bring your friends to this restaurant if you can't decide on a place to eat--you can get dressed up or go casual, the restaurant is very laid-back yet neatly decorated with a lot of interesting pictures and feels like you're dining in a small, comfortable Italian restaurant (though it's not small at all). Highly recommended!

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foodielover

Joined 9 years ago

Eat Until You Drop. This is a very popular place near Disneyland. You have to either go early or eat late, otherwise, be prepared to wait. They serve small or large portions and the large portions are huge, enough to feed 4. We had a large order of chicken parmesan & it came with 4 large cutlets with the pasta. The small linguini and clam (canned) was more than enough for all of us. The small salad was enough to feed 3-4. persons. On a second visit, we found the staff at the door taking down names to be rather snotty. A bunch of 20ish year olds who act as if they're on camera or something. Our waiter was nice, he was chatting with another staff member, astonished that another customer had spent almost $300 on dinner (that's nothing - go work at Gary Danko's). Portions are smaller than in past years, but still ample. The fried calamari was excellent, crispy and comes with tenacles and a spicy marinara type sauce. The fetuccine supremo with chicken, broccoli and red bell peppers was also delicious. This chain of over 60 places nationwide is a pleaser when you want large portions and decent but not great food.