Turns out it was the $85 dinner from hell... As we walked out after paying, my wife has declared this the "Italian Denny's!"
I WISH I READ THE REVIEWS BEFORE I MADE RESERVATIONS!
Started off strong... Massive potential! Easy reservations were made using Open Table. We found easy parking out front. We really loved the walk through the kitchen to get to the dining room. The old world Italian decor is great.
Super sweet waitress named Ana was the best part of the experience and that's were the amore stops!
We ordered a small family sized spicy chicken rigatoni, a small Margareta pizza and a side of spaghetti and meatballs. It looked so amazing on the menu.
When our food was dropped off, Ana asked if there was anything else she could get us... Um... Yes. Silverware please! There was a grand total of 1 silverware rollup for a party of 4!
For the record, it is too bad the way the item looks on the menu doesn't equal how a dish tastes. Unfortunately what came out was cold pasta and hot chicken for the rigatoni, the Spaghetti and meatballs had very little sauce and the meatball tasted like a bland ball of hamburger meat. The kids liked their pizza so at least our sanity remained in tact. We got a replacement spicy rigatoni... I took 1 bite of the chicken and that was it for me. It grossed me out so I stuck with the pasta and lightly spiced ball of burger. I asked for more sauce and ended up using the entire shaker of grated Parmesan cheese to no avail!
Since you've made it this far, stick around for the highlight: I totally loved the part where Ana asked if one of the kids wanted a refill. She delivered the fancy plastic kid's cup of water sans the lid in one hand and a dirty broom and dust pan in the other. Seriously!!! But wait, there is more... When she realized that she forgot the lid, she came back with the lid in the OPPOSITE hand and the dirty broom and dust pan in the other. At least she has bubbly personality and she was literally drenched in sweat. But she was sweet so she has that going for her!?!?
This was only my second time visiting a Buca di Beppo... I visited one in Orlando 13 years ago and remember it being really good. Must have been nostalgia and great company.
The next time I get a bright idea to eat Italian at a chain restaurant, I'll stick with Maggiano's. Thanks.
Seriously, we are not making this up. Everything in this review is 100% accurate and legit!
Coincidently located on Scottsdale Rd and plenty of parking.