I've been to Buca several times and always hope it will live up to its reputation, but it never seems to. Last night we shared several starters since we weren't too hungry for mains.
Bread knots 5/5 (can't go wrong here, crowd pleaser)
Octopus 3/5 (dry and too spicy)
Eggplant parmigiana w/ burrata 5/5 (sublime)
Fried olives 2/5 (just wrong, too salty)
Lardo and crisp dumplings (bland, and plain lard doesn't belong on any menu)
Lambs brains 5/5 (silky creamy on the inside, crisp and salty on the outside)
Cheese platter 4/5 (tasty but nothing special)
Service was snobby, unhelpful and pretentious. There's really no need for the cold reception. Particularly from servers and hostesses that are making 10 bucks an hour. Get over yourself. Lose the attitude. A real turn off. Ambiance the same. I definitely do not like the vibe or energy of either the big canaverous dark main room nor the smaller, brighter back room for larger groups.