A diner from Chandler, AZ
Jul 26, 2007
You have got to be kidding me.
Coming from NY, I can tell you that Carrabba's is about as Italian as McDonald' is Irish. Buca Di Beppo does it slightly better, though not by much.
I had some very over-seasoned ravioli during my first visit. Trying to give Carrabba's the benefit of the doubt, I went there a second time, this time ordering spaghetti with meatballs and sausage. The meatballs were half fennel, the Italian sausage had a skin of leather, and the sauce was primarily water. But that was after the fun part.
The waitress started by announcing "I'm in training." She then proceeded to knock a full glass of ice water into my mother-in-laws lap. Then the waitress and her "mentor" took our own napkins and started wiping the mess up, while we all stood around waiting. Hi, there's another table right behind us - the place is practically deserted.
Then it got more fun.
Out came the salads and the soup. My wife had a cup of lettuce and three croutons, while my mother-in-law had only lettuce served to her. I was presented with my soup, which looked tasty. I took one spoonful, and the saltiness was like licking the entire rim of a margarita glass at once. We all tasted it and had the same visceral reaction. I had them take it back, and asked them to check on it before they served it to other people. I never heard a peep about it again.
When the meal was done, I was presented with a bill with no adjustment for either the bad soup or the water incident. All I wanted was some little acknowledgment that there was a slight problem with the meal. I went to the manager and asked that he consider the matter.
When he returned to our table 5 minutes later, he told us he was unaware of the water spilling incident, and he was sorry about that. He then proceeded to ARGUE with me regarding the soup. "Well, I personally taste the soup, and I have a pretty good palate." So, essentially, I and my immediate family are idiots, apparently.
I am so disgusted with this restaurant. I ought to have known better than visit a second time, since my instincts almost always prove correct. If you are a hungry family of 6 and need a quick fix, then maybe you can squeeze a decent meal out of there. Anyone else - please, PLEASE take my advice and stay away.
Coming from NY, I can tell you that Carrabba's is about as Italian as McDonald' is Irish. Buca Di Beppo does it slightly better, though not by much.
I had some very over-seasoned ravioli during my first visit. Trying to give Carrabba's the benefit of the doubt, I went there a second time, this time ordering spaghetti with meatballs and sausage. The meatballs were half fennel, the Italian sausage had a skin of leather, and the sauce was primarily water. But that was after the fun part.
The waitress started by announcing "I'm in training." She then proceeded to knock a full glass of ice water into my mother-in-laws lap. Then the waitress and her "mentor" took our own napkins and started wiping the mess up, while we all stood around waiting. Hi, there's another table right behind us - the place is practically deserted.
Then it got more fun.
Out came the salads and the soup. My wife had a cup of lettuce and three croutons, while my mother-in-law had only lettuce served to her. I was presented with my soup, which looked tasty. I took one spoonful, and the saltiness was like licking the entire rim of a margarita glass at once. We all tasted it and had the same visceral reaction. I had them take it back, and asked them to check on it before they served it to other people. I never heard a peep about it again.
When the meal was done, I was presented with a bill with no adjustment for either the bad soup or the water incident. All I wanted was some little acknowledgment that there was a slight problem with the meal. I went to the manager and asked that he consider the matter.
When he returned to our table 5 minutes later, he told us he was unaware of the water spilling incident, and he was sorry about that. He then proceeded to ARGUE with me regarding the soup. "Well, I personally taste the soup, and I have a pretty good palate." So, essentially, I and my immediate family are idiots, apparently.
I am so disgusted with this restaurant. I ought to have known better than visit a second time, since my instincts almost always prove correct. If you are a hungry family of 6 and need a quick fix, then maybe you can squeeze a decent meal out of there. Anyone else - please, PLEASE take my advice and stay away.
