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| - Heading out east with a large tour group, we stopped for dinner at this national chain. Sigh ... t'was the tour company's choice, not mine. Having endured underwhelming meals at Buca locations in Illinois, I was prepared to cringe and shudder.
But this location earned 4 stars because their staff was particularly friendly, accommodating and efficient. In general, Buca is geared towards group dining. Rather than just one large dining room that becomes impossibly noisy when crowded, their restaurants are divided up into a maze of smaller, conversation-friendly rooms. Serving each course family-style is much more expeditious than doling out individually plated meals. Special requests for food substitutions due to allergies, etc. were handled quite well here.
We indulged in generous platters of salad, chicken Parmesan, fettuccine Alfredo, spaghetti with marinara sauce, and cheesecake. Nothing fancy or gourmet here, just straightforward Italian-American comfort food freshly prepared and served piping hot. And this chain's year-round Christmassy décor is ... well, never boring. The photos of nuns driving bumper cars always crack me up.
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