Carrabba’s Italian Grill

My family went to celebrate Father’s Day! The food was very expensive for a small amount of food portions. The service was delayed and our server had no follow up at all. But the food was very flavorful so this was a plus. I use to come to Carrabas years ago and the chicken breast was way bigger than silver dollars they was regular size chicken breast now they are so small. The plate looks like it’s missing something because it’s so empty. I will not be back again. Great bread thou yummy

I mean, I know it’s a chain, but I’m a fan. What makes this one particularly enduring is that it’s located directly next door to Great Explorations Children Museum. So when mom and dad get hungry, the only way to convince the little one that we will come back to the museum after lunch is the fact that we don’t have to get in the car. We literally walk 35 feet and we’re at Carrabba’s.
Although not known as a steakhouse, I’ve always been more impressed with their steaks than steakhouse chains. Pasta is good, the veal is good, and the waitstaff is normally excellent. Again… I know we’re talking about a chain.
If I can’t eat at a locally owned business, I can’t eat at a locally owned business, man. If I’m hungry, I’m hungry. I mean … simple as that. It ain’t about that… I mean it’s… It’s not about that… At all. You know what I’m saying I mean… But it’s…it’s easy … to, to talk about… It’s easy to sum it up when you’re just talking about a chain. We’re sitting in here, and I’m supposed to be the franchise eater, and we in here talking about a chain. I mean, listen, we’re talking about a chain, not a locally owned business, not a locally owned business, not a locally owned business, we talking about a chain. Not a locally owned business. Not, not … Not the locally owned business that I go out there and die for and write reviews about every day like it’s my last. Not the locally owned business, but we’re talking about a chain, man. I mean, how silly is that? … And we talking about a chain. I know I supposed to be at a locally owned business. I know I’m supposed to lead by example… I know that… And I’m not. I’m not shoving it aside, you know, like it don’t mean anything. I know it’s important, I do. I honestly do… But we’re talking about a chain man. What are we talking about? A chain? We’re talking about a chain, man. We’re talking about a chain. We’re talking about a chain. We ain’t talking about the locally owned business. We’re talking about a chain, man. When you come to the restaurant, and you see me eat, you see me eat don’t you? You’ve seen me give everything I’ve got, right? But we’re talking about a chain right now.
Inspired by Allen Iverson’s «Practice» speech.

Consistent. The small plate meatballs are always great as an appetizer. Soup and salad were fresh and good.

I was welcomed like a King. The waitresses really took good care of me. Multiple waitresses were coming and asking me how things are going. The manager also came and asked me if the waitresses are treating me good. The food was also delicious. It’s a good big restaurant. I have heard their aap will be launched soon, so there will be less wait to pay for the meal. People will be able to pay early during their meals. You can also get paged on the app when the table is ready. It will be cool to use it.

My favorite restaurant!!! everything is cooked fresh right off the grill. Very clean– nice atmosphere and great service. I’ve been in here a million times and never had a bad experience always on point. Served with fresh bread, olive oil and Italian herbs before your meal. the chicken Bryan is so good all the way to the lasagna…

I visited this location last week with a friend. There was a bit of a wait but the hostess was pleasant about it. Since we were quoted 20 minutes, we decided to grab some drinks at the bar and the bartenders greeted us promptly and friendly. We were called to our table in only about 10 minutes, a nice surprise. Our server, Shannon, took great care of us. She is so sweet and attentive; she knew what we wanted before we had to ask! We will definitely be back for not only the wonderful food, but for Shannon’s top notch service.

I’ve gotten carry out from here before but never dined here until last Friday. I was pleased to find that the restaurant was so clean and the tables were nicely spaced. The service was awesome too!
We started out the night with the Meatballs & Ricotta and the Calamari. The Calamari was great but I didn’t care for their marinara sauce. I ended up dipping them in the sauce from the meatballs, which was so light and flavorful. For my entrée I had the Shrimp & Scallop Linguine Alla Vodka. It was good but not anything I would order again. I was disappointed they used small shrimp (⁵¹⁄₆₀). I would have rather had less shrimp but a bigger size. The entrée came with a soup or salad so the meal was a pretty good value. I can’t wait to come back and try some of their new plates.

I visit this location at least once per week; I love it! I usually sit at the bar, but when I’ve sat in the dining area it has been just as pleasant.
The service is always on point (Ask for Tiffanie or James!) The food is excellent (Try the Spiedino!) As if that wasn’t enough, their happy hour is one of the best in town– they even have half priced apps at the bar.
I travel quite a bit and this is the best location I’ve been to.

This place is always on point. First time here got the lobster ravioli and it was amazing. The bread is always soft and warm and the service is great the two times I’ve been here. On monday nights they have this awesome pick 3 deal. Pick an app or a dessert, your entrée, and a soup or salad for $ 12. Pretty good deal! Way better than Olive Garden too. It tastes like the real Italian food I make. Second time I got lasagna and their cheesecake which was amazing. My friend got this pasta without mushrooms and they brought her the one with mushrooms. She didn’t care and just picked them off. They felt so bad they comped her whole meal! Perfect date night spot just make sure to get here before the rush.

Brought the bf here as he’d never been and we had a coupon.
It’s generic but acceptable. Had a drink at the bar for our 20 min wait for a table. .which turned out to be a 2 min wait.
Started with the arancini. .very nicely done.
For dinner I had the mezzaluna while he had chicken alfredo.
Both dinners were rather bland and boring. Exactly what u expect from here.
We did get a nice bottle of malbec at a very decent price though.
I’d come back for wine… apps. apps warm bread.
Other then that not much good here.

First time visitors and we enjoyed every part of our meal: fresh crisp salad, steamy hot bread, full bodied lentil sausage soup and last but not least… The tasty and zippy chioppino… we shall be back!

Late Friday dinner because I was craving carrabas. Hadn’t been in a few months but once we sat down and looked at the menu, it was completely new! How nice! Lots of the same classic items were on the menu but alongside plenty of new things to try, the look of the menu was fresher and cleaner. I ended up getting my go to Chicken Bryan which was the best I’ve ever had, there or at any other location. Can’t wait to go back and try some of the new menu items.

Stopped in for lunch on Friday 9÷11÷2015 with my mother in law.
(Negatives are at the end if this review)
We were in a time crunch, and ordered off the lunch special menu.
We mentioned to our server that we were in a bit of a hurry, however this didn’t seem to help the pace of the meal.
Mom had a soup and salad, and she liked both. I had the lunch special pasta with chicken, peas, and Alfredo sauce. Very good…
We both ordered iced tea… that is what will now turn this review a bit negative. The Iced Tea, when you factor tax is over $ 3!
So, a full $ 6+ for 2 iced teas, that couldn’t cost more than $.15 each.
Frustrating. Totally wiped out the «good lunch deal» we thought we were getting.
If I ever go back, I certainly will not order iced tea, and I will make sure that we don’t mention we have somewhere to be (like back at work!) In a timely manner.

Disappointed in the rise in prices compared to the portions. Just received curb side pickup my order was a bit over $ 14 for angel hair pasta and Alfredo and mushrooms in a small container with cold bread and no utensils. Olive Garden now has create your own for $ 9.99 which is huge! Not happy with the quality and prices won’t be returning.

This place reminds me of Olive Garden. The food wasn’t bad but it wasn’t anything special. The prices were good and the salad was fresh. Service was OK but not great. Place was clean. I can’t say I won’t go back but I can’t say I’d be excited to go back.

I returned to this location to celebrate a birthday recently. I tried a new dish recommended to me, the dish was not great and was sent back but this issue was quickly resolved by the waiter. The staff as usual was helpful and friendly and my issue was resolved, i was disappointed in the Pasta Tag Pic Pac with chicken. This dish did not have much body to it flavor wise, way too much pasta and the chicken turned out to be a bit rubbery. I was expecting a much thicker, full flavor sauce. I ended up getting the chicken trio which is one of my favorite dishes to replace it. I also highly recommend the Mahi Wulfe and Tilapia Nocciola these are all excellent.

As always perfect!
Excellent service
Food excellent
Priced right
My favorite restaurant never disappointed

I was here yesterday with my sister and a childhood friend. I’d never been here before and my experience was excellent. I had the wood grilled chicken with mashed potatoes. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and juicy. The potatoes were just as delicious. I have to mention our waitress, Mikel-​La (I’m sure I spelled it wrong, my apologies) was awesome. She went above and beyond with her service and I would recommend anyone ask for her. You will not be disappointed. She seemed to read our minds, because she took care of what we wanted before being asked. I’d say she is the best waitress I’ve had in a long while. You will definitely not be disappointed with the food and service if you come here.

People bang on chains and I have to admit I’m always reluctant with chains but Carrabas has some very authentic tasting dishes. I don’t know if there’s a bunch of chemists working on their recipes but they have seemed to develop a real nice menu without it tasting overly manufactured.
Appetizer wise we always have the calamari. It is nicely seasoned, nicely flash fried with a nice kick. We i also like, and there is no way for me to remember the actual name, risotto balls. I hate peppers but this has «roasted peppers» in it and I do tolerate roasted peppers but more times than not, the term roasted is a lie. Not here, the peppers add a sweet smokie appeal to the appetizer… Really good.
Dinner my wife always gets the chicken bryan and I always get the veal marsala. This is one of very few places that I get a chance to have veal. If I have one complaint it can sometime be a touch oily but otherwise the flavor is great and its always fork tender.
Service at this location is very strange. It is either superb or sub par. There doesn’t seem to be anything in the middle.

I don’t know why people do not like this place that much. The taste of the food here is great. Chicken Bryan over some pasta is really good. They have pretty good portions and decent service. You can also bring your own bottle of wine here with you if you do not like what they have on the menu.
I’m quite surprised at the reviews for this place. I always remember Carrabbas being pretty good and was nervous to go back, considering the low ratings. But I’m appalled to hear it in the same breath as Olive Garden, as some folks on here have uttered.
Its MUCH better quality and freshness than Olive Garden. OG has gotten down right disgusting with their pasta bowls unlimited microwaved nonsense.
I ordered the crispy chicken salad and the salad was extremely fresh, the chicken was properly crispy and not to greasy, and the dressing was light but flavorful. The restuarant has a good aura, and the place was very clean.
Perhaps the reviews are more about the service? I came during lunch hour and we were fine in terms of waiting

I’ve always loved this chain, decided to try this one out. We had the calamari it was delicious. They took the linguine pestcatore off the menu which is my favorite, I went ahead and asked the waitress and she said they could go ahead and make it for me, which was great! I will be coming back just for that reason! My spouse had the steak which had a very nice flavor and canolli for desert, delish.

Well we used to love it here and the last two visits were the absolute worst experiences I have had. I couldn’t be more disappointed with the meals. My first bad experience was raw chicken and while it was handled well I still hesitated coming back… a couple months later we did and another disappointing meal. I ordered the lobster mac and it had not one piece of lobster in it. I said something they said the manager woukd be over never came and then the server brought over a bowl of steamed lobster bits. Ummm really you want me to mix the lobster that has a really bad fishy smell? Yeah no thanks… and no one ever came over that. My husband ordered a double expresso and wasn’t offered sugar. Never coming back here again… what happened to this restaurant is a complete mystery and one I no longer care to find out about. Oh and by the way no offer to comp anything. I paid $ 18 for kraft mac and cheese with smelly fish on the side… stay away from this place.

The food quality and service was great, but for $ 15 spaghetti with meat sauce you only get two meatballs?
What a crock of shit.
Anyway, the server was cool and accommodated with extra meat sauce, so it worked out alright

Always perfect. Just walk in and ask for Shannon. Shannon is everyone’s friend and will treat you like a long lost friend. The atmosphere is pleasing the food is delicious and the service from everyone is great.

Another place I hadn’t been to forever but when unable to decide on a place to eat and finding a $ 10 off coupon we decided why not.
Since we arrived on a Sat night at almost 9:00 the place was emptying out and we were seated promptly with Brian C as our server.
Peroni for him ($ 5.85) and a mini carafe of J Lohr for me (415.30) started the evening off right.
He was obsessed with having the lentil soup so chose that an appetizer ($ 7) while I opted for the arancini ($ 6) The soup was good and spicy although it could have been a lot warmer. The arancini was good, made with sausage in it, so that was different.
For dinner he chose the pork chop marsala with 2 chops ($ 20.50) and the garlic mashed potatoes. I had the prosciutto wrapped pork tenderloin with a fig wine sauce and side of same spuds ($ 13.90)
Both meats were cooked perfectly and we were both extremely happy with the sauces.
Service by Brian was excellent, never overbearing but always there when needed.
Decent enough for corporate America food, I’d go back, I wouldn’t go out of my way for it, nor wait an hour for a table, but given the right time, I wouldn’t hesitate

For some reason this Carrabba’s location was more enjoyable than others. It could be that I was able to park easily, it could be that the kitchen got the food out in a speedy manner, it could be my server was very pleasant but all in all an enjoyable stop with a kitchen open after 9pm.
One thing that constantly amazes me is parents bringing out visibly tired and audibly cranky toddlers to a restaurant at night, it annoys me too when I can’t avoid hearing them wailing. It makes me want to section off a restaurant like in the smoking days to with or without screamers…

My favorite Italian chain restaurant of all time.
I can say definitively that I have never had a bad meal, nor bad service, at any Carrabba’s I’ve visited. What I have had was excellent food, competent and friendly waiters, and great dining experience. I would put Carrabba’s against any other Italian chain restaurant in the game today and would be very confident in whatever I bet on them. They just know how to do it right.
I usually hit this St. Petersburg location before or after a Rays game. The staff they have there could take their skills to any fine restaurant and make some serious money. If you don’t see it on the menu, and you can tell them what is in the dish, they’ll make it for you. The dining room is fairly large, with a full bar on the right hand side with bar seating and flat screen TV’s that usually run ESPN. The bathrooms have classical music playing in them and are spotless. Nice English Lavender soap and thick cloth paper towels. Go peer into the kitchen line (which is visible to the restaurant) and see how clean it is. Everything is made fresh. At any given time, you can ask to see the prep kitchen area and you will see several people in there cleaning and chopping heads of romaine lettuce, vegetables, spices and herbs. No frozen stuff here.
Recently I was there before a Rays game. I asked my waiter how long he had been working for Carrabba’s and how they as a restaurant seem to do so well. His reply: «I’ve been with Carrabba’s for five years. I’ll just say that everyone that works here wants to be here. We know the company and the vision. They pay us very well, treat us well, and in turn, they keep a solid corps of staff here that know how to run the business. I love it here. Some guys have been here since this location opened many years ago. Everyone is very happy and we want you the customer to keep coming back.»
And it sure shows in their service and their plated dishes.
If you haven’t checked this location out, it’s right by Sunken Gardens on 4^th Street. Do yourself a favor and go have a dinner there. If you are a calimari fan, ask for the calimari riccardo. You won’t be sorry. 5 stars for Carrabba’s.

We tried to eat here once. It was crowded and we had a party of 4 people. We waited over 45 minutes in bar. I nursed a drink and asked the young hostess how we were doing. She responded with «Sir, you don’t have to yell!».
Honestly — I did not yell at her. My tone of voice was normal and I am soft-​spoken. I guess that this was some sort of defensive tactic on her part, if I complained about the long wait to management. I wrote a letter to the corporation about this shabby treatment, but never heard back from them.
We always drive by this place and go elsewhere.

I’m usually not a fan of chain dinner restaurants, but this one was pretty damn good. Mozzarella Marinara was pretty amazing, and the fried stuff shells were incredible. Our server, Kat, was very nice, quick and error-​free. Plus they have Peroni on tap, so how could you go wrong? Highly recommended!

Date night perfect so far … so went here for the first time … definitely fast food for the most part good, house red wine … good choice.
we had the stuffed mushrooms which came promptly and were very tasty… I had pasta my honey had steak. Great «family» restaurant. I will take friends their to try it again. Stephaun was my server he did a good job. Not really a romantic setting, we will find our niche for that later.