Scott W.

Wanted my monthly Italian take out feast but was repulsed by the $35 price point at Johnny Carino's, I was pleasantly shocked to learn that Buca Di Beppo has recently tailored some of their menu items to suit INDIVIDUAL diners. Alas, the place whose name literally translates into "Joe's Basement" now will feed JUST Guiseppe, er, Joe...instead of the customary groups of 3 to 8 people that their customarily Goliath-sized entrees will satisfy. I opted for their lasagna w/ a side mixed green salad, two pieces garlic bread and an accompaniment of their half-pound meatball. The flavor profiles were earthy, heavily redolent of tomato-dense sauces slowly simmered for several hours. The lasagna features several cheeses including mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan and provolone paired w/ their minced meatball base to produce an unctuous, deeply satisfying bite. Ditto for that meatball, which could double for a MLB baseball (strictly in SIZE not taste!). The salad and garlic bread were both undersized and underwhelming. The bread was served cold and charitably described on the menu as "two pieces" even though it's quite clearly cleared in half, diagonally, from one larger piece of bread. My salad wasn't chilled and some of the lettuce pieces were beginning to wilt. Pro Tip- And this is a universal complaint against the big three national Italian chains of Buca di Beppo, Olive Garden and Johnny Carino's-- Pls STOP dispatching your takeout orders in foil containers, which cause us to hafta reheat our orders in other vessels.

Jessica T.

Ordered the eggplant parmesan and spicy Italian sausage parpadelle. Eggplant was a little too sour/ acidic, but parpadelle dish was amazing! Burst of flavor with just the right amount of spiciness over buttery parpadelle. Definitely have a new favorite here. Friendly service and cozy ambiance. Not too loud so perfect for romantic dinner.

Cristina D.

Family dinner with my brother-in-law was a great time at buca! Our server had the best energy. She was so patient with our large party. We had so much pasta! Bathrooms were very clean.

Angela N.

The thing I love about Buca is that it's always consistent. Friendly service and cozy atmosphere. It's a great spot for larger parties. The portions are huge. I always walk out with leftovers. Some of my favorites are their Chicken Carbonara and Penne Alla Vodka.

Diego S.

This was my first time at Buca di Beppo and here are my thoughts.... It's Mother's Day and it was busy! Thank god for my reservation. A big shout out to the hostess, Layla, she was so nice and was able to get my mother and I to our seats 5 minutes before our reservation time. To me that's a big deal. It's an adorable restaurant, with a lot of personality. Our waiter was Charles. At first, I didn't know where our service with Charles was going to lead to. It felt rushed, BUT I had to take a step back and come to realize that it's Mother's Day and it's Busy. What I appreciated from Charles was transparency on the wait time, how apologetic he was and was attentive by checking in on us. He made great recommendations and we ordered them. I ordered the Spicy Chicken Rigatoni, the Prosciutto stuffed chicken, and the Italian broccoli Romano. They were delicious. Charles was great and they way he handled the crowed was stellar! Lastly, shout out to the chef and cooks for a delicious meal. Way to go! Thank you Buca and Charles for making my Mom feel special on Mothers Day!

Rachelle T.

A pretty good spot for a large social gathering. I came here with family for a wedding dinner celebration. When I first walked in, I was expecting a place a little bit fancier, but to my surprise it was more casual. The smell was very overbearing, it smelled of sweat and cheese, and I understand it could be because of the cheese they use for their dishes. However, it was too much for me. This place is fairly big! It's kind of a maze to get around, but they do have a lot of seating. I actually really enjoyed the food! The salads and garlic bread were my absolute fave! It's tough to come across a good salad. We had family style pastas: spaghetti, alfredo, and I can't remember the other, but my tummy left happy! I enjoyed my time here, just not a place I would go out of my way for a meal. Service was good!

Michael Y.

Buca di Beppo is one of those Italian spots that everyone has seemingly been to. But despite the many locations throughout the Southern California area, I've never been to one of these restaurants up to this point. Looking to give them a try, I decided to check them out on Uber Eats and see what there was to eat. At the time of this review, the restaurant was running a buy one get one free offer for a multitude of their dishes. And so I decided to order their Chicken Parmigiana which was $20.69 at the time of this review. Considering the BOGO price, the two orders I had came out to be about $16 per entree. And considering the size of the dish, it was pretty fair from a price-to-portion ratio. The dish had two items to it: a slab of breaded chicken and spaghetti noodles. The container it came in was pretty large in size, so the dish lasted two to three meals. From a quantity standpoint, you could make this meal last awhile which is why the portion proposition is there. But on the other side of the coin, the food was pretty difficult to eat. Starting with the piece of chicken, the breading was very soggy by the time it got to me. This made the dish as a whole taste very wet and not very appetizing. The breading of the chicken also lacked flavor which was a big letdown. The meat of the chicken appeared to be a condensed chicken patty and made the meat taste dry despite the wetness of the dish. And moving onto the noodles, the dominance of the red sauce left little room for any other flavors to shine through. The noodles tasted overwhelmingly of tomato which created a major imbalance given the texture of the noodles and the chicken it came with. With so many positive reviews coming from others who have tried Buca di Beppo, I would be inclined to try something else the next time I stop by. And while the $16 price tag for a large plate of pasta is an enticing offer from a price to portion perspective, the flavors of the food was a major letdown. But don't let this stop you from giving them a try! I'm sure the other items they have on the menu might move the needle for most people.

Tap D.

This place is known for family style dining and it's not too hard to see why. We held a retirement party here in their private room this week. It was enormous and could've held 50 people easily. There's a another side too that is behind a velvet curtain that can hold another 50! They even have a gorgeous round pope's table that hold parties of 12. The swrvice was great. The manager took me back to the room early and let me decorate and then led the guests through maze to the back room as they came. The server also came to introduce himself and was prompt with drink orders as guests arrived. Everyone was busy mingling and he never rushed us to start eating. The portions were huge on even the most basic set menu we chose. The bread was soft, the salads crispy, and the pastas flavorful. They had a vegetarian entree made for me too, the eggplant parmesean which I had to pack up for later as the ziti was delicious and plentiful. Defintely recommend for large parties! We even had a photographer come in and pose us and take pictures he brought back in to sell to the honoree.

Leticia C.

First time ever eating at a Buca di Beppo and it was a great experience. Went with family on a Sunday evening and for a party of 6, we waited about 10 minutes to be sat. The decor is so cute, retro wall art, photos of celebrities, random Italian Knick knacks. Great vibe. Food was delicious. It is shaeable/family style plates. We ordered the $40 bundle - choice from spaghetti or fettuccine Alfredo and a Caesar salad or mixed greens. We chose the chicken Alfredo and the Caesar. Chefs kiss. Love a goood ceasar. We also ordered the chicken parm (3 pieces) they were hefty size and the trio platter as an appetizier which included calamari, spicy shrimp, and fried mozzarella. Yummm. My little cousin ordered the kids spaghetti and said it was plain. Overall, we had a great time and will definitely be back.

Ian A.

My family and I had a pleasant experience at Buca di Beppo (Claremont). The prices are very competitive; the food portions are gigantic; staff is very charming & accommodating; and its ambiance is welcoming and lovely. If searching for an affordable location to quickly feed a large party, Buca di Beppo (Claremont) fits that niche. Concerning the food, I sincerely enjoyed their pasta's noodles because it tasted fresh and springy. [Important Note: Buca di Beppo (Claremont) serves its food "family style." The "regular" size feeds 3 to 4 people. The "buca big" size feed 5 to 6 people. Be prepared to share.] Unfortunately, the biggest problem with Buca di Beppo (Claremont) is the dishes' flavors. The Fettuccini Alfredo ($34.99 + $7 for chicken) is very bland; its cheese sauce resembles the taste served in prepackaged frozen dinners. The Chicken Marsala ($39.99) also had an unsettling sweetness; it tasted like budget Teriyaki Chicken dripping with thin teriyaki sauce. Its sugary mushrooms tasted like cotton candy. And the Buca Trio Platter ($40.99) was a mess of saltiness, cough-inducing spiciness, and oiliness. I applaud Buca di Beppo (Claremont) for its huge portions and beautiful plating. However, its food is just not tasty nor remarkable. Be prepared to use the table side pepper and salt shakers to alter its taste. My family and I arrived on Saturday (around 5PM). Buca di Beppo (Claremont) is very busy! There were many groups and parties waiting to dine-in. The front hostess immediately helped us, and she quickly wrote down my name. We were seated in four minutes and 48 seconds. As soon as we were seated, we were immediately greeted by our waiter (Vince). Vince is charming, hardworking, and very helpful. Vince brought a jovial smile and a professional attitude to our table. Compared to other locations, Buca di Beppo (Claremont) has amazing staff! Staff moved quickly. We ordered the Buca Trio Platter ($40.99), Fettuccini Alfredo ($34.99) with chicken (additional $7), Chicken Marsala ($39.99), and Colossal Brownie Sundae ($18.99). Vince worked fast. The drinks arrived in two minutes and 20 seconds. The Buca Trio Platter appetizer arrived very quickly after. Vince provided the table with bread. And all the main dishes arrived within 23 minutes. The Buca Trio Platter includes Fried Calamari, Fried Mozzarella, and Spicy Shrimp. The Fried Calamari came extremely salty. The breading is not flaky; rather, its breading is hard despite not being overcooked. Strangely, the Calamari also had a small spicy bite. The Fried Mozzarella had a very weak cheese taste. It arrived soggy and lukewarm. It sat atop very acidic tomato sauce. Unfortunately, the Spicy Shrimp was horrendous. The entire table started gagging and coughing from the unexpected, powerful spice powder in its batter. Our amazing server, Vince, quickly accommodated us; Vince was able to replace the pungent Spicy Shrimp with another serving of Fried Calamari. The complimentary bread came dry and barely warm. Thankfully, the wetness and flavor of the olive oil and balsamic vinegar saved the bread. Concerning the other dishes, the served chicken is tender and moist. And as previously mentioned, I enjoyed the pasta's noodles. It tasted fresh and well-prepared. I also liked how the Fettuccini Alfredo's sauce (despite tasting cheap) had an enjoyable thick consistency; the sauce was not wet and watery. Regarding the Colossal Brownie Sundae, I appreciated the scoops of creamy chocolate ice cream. Unfortunately, the whip cream and brownie bites tasted a little cheap with that prominent artificial sugariness. Regarding ambiance, Buca di Beppo (Claremont) sparkles and attracts. This location's strength is its phenomenal ambiance. The photographs and art murals are visually stunning. Buca di Beppo (Claremont) successfully shares the story of a rich, deep history. What's even more spectacular was the cleanliness! This location is spotless! Maintaining that level of cleanliness with so many decorations is extremely impressive. At times, Buca di Beppo (Claremont) felt like Disneyland. In addition, the location did not play music, so it was easy to speak with family. Also, I enjoyed how the air condition felt very strong (almost refreshingly chilly). Guests always felt comfortable. Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Buca di Beppo (Claremont). Our waiter, Vince, is delightful. The ambiance is gorgeous. And its prices and generous portions are very competitive. Unremarkable flavors aside, I left Buca di Beppo (Claremont) full. Service: 5 out of 5 Ambiance: 5 out of 5 Food's Taste: 2 out of 5