Second or third time I've ever been to Buca. Second time at this location. I know some of my buddies aren't too impressed with this chain but it's not a bad place for some good authentic Italian food. Why is it good? Because my Italian friend said so.
The parking lot is pretty small as well as the restaurant itself. When you first walk in, you're greeted by the maitre'D. The waiting area is kind of small with two benches for convenience and comfort. Actually, it's not that the area is small but more cluttered.
All the dishes are available in small and large portions. Small portions are suitable for 3 person parties while the large portions can (supposedly) satisfy 6 people.
Environment: From ceiling to floor, the walls are decorated with Italian decor and pictures of their glory days including "Miss Buca" of several years. The seating areas look antique which correlates well with the rest of the facility.
Waiter:waitresses; not too bad. We ordered a lot if food and that have been the underlying reason for her many visits to our table. Regardless, she did a good job of making sure my buddies were happy and satisfied. Most impressive was the fact that she memorized our entire customized order. No pen and pad. Just memorization.
Food: Started off the night with French bread with wine and vinegar for dipping sauce. Nothing unusual or extraordinary. For appetizer, we ordered the large spicy calamari which is basically the "fried calamari" dish cooked with banana peppers for a nice kick. Slices of roasted banana peppers were used to garnish the fried seafood. Marinara mixed with garlic sauce added the perfect salty taste to complement the spicy and flavorful morsels of squid. For entrees, we had 3 dishes, pizza and two chicken selections. The pizza was a thin crust masterpiece covered with a small layer of fresh tomato sauce and melted cheese. Sausage and roasted tomato were scattered on top of the rectangular shaped pizza. The crust was crunchy on the bottom and slightly chewy on the top. The cheese was perfectly melted so that with each bite, you had to check your chin to make sure no residual cheese remained. Nothing spectacular about the sausage. The first chicken dish was slightly fried and covered in pesto sauce. The chicken was stuffed with mozzarella which oozed out with every bite. YUM! The last chicken dish was unremarkable in every way. Covered with a white cream sauce and capers.
Drinks: diet pepsi (they don't have coke).
Recommendation: EAT!!!