Carrabba's Italian Grill — Restaurant in Athens-Clarke County Unified Government

My wife & I always visit this restaurant for special occasions in our lives. We went today for her birthday and knew it would be a memorable experience. As soon as we got in the door, the entire staff treated us like royalty. This was even before telling them about her special day out. The manager was super friendly and interfaced with all his customers. He even thanked me for my military service (which is frowned upon in many of today's establishments). Alyssia was our server. She was absolutely fantastic! She was kind, friendly, competent, and attentive to our every need. We never had to look for her; she was the perfect compliment to my wife's birthday lunch at Carrabba's in Athens. She even offered us a complimentary dessert which made my wife very happy. Alyssia reflects great credit on the Carrabba's family of restaurants everywhere. If this were a military evaluation on Alyssia, I would check the block [PROMOTE NOW] without any hesitation. She is that good!! Leadership is evident in this restaurant. Only the best employees are hired to take care of their family of customers. We have been coming back for 17 years!!!

Went back today (Easter Sunday) and the same can be said for this restaurant. The food is spectacular and the employees are top notch...every one of them! You can tell by observing the daily operation. The manager cares about his patrons and ALL employees emulate that same sentiment. Today, Jacob was our server. He was very friendly, caring & competent. One of the best servers I have had in any restaurant...and I am 72 years old. This Carrabba's has never lowered it's standards in the 19 years we have dined here. Next time you go out to dinner here, check out the precision of a "well oiled machine". EVERYONE there is concerned that your dining experience will be the best in your life. They ALL have smiles on their faces and treat all their customers with the exact same care. Thank You & Happy Easter! Sincerely, Philip A. Caterina Command Sergeant Major United States...

Disclaimer: My somewhat low review has everything to do with food allergy attention at this restaurant and nothing to do with anyone treating us poorly or any of the food tasting bad. If I based it on kindness of servers and the taste of the food alone, it would be 4 or even 5 stars.

My husband has Celiac disease, which means he cannot consume even trace amounts of gluten. We spoke to the waitress, and she recommended gluten-free menu items and even told us which ones she enjoyed. There is a disclaimer at the bottom of the menu that warns that the food is prepared in a "common kitchen," so cross contact with allergens is possible. When we asked her about this, she said if we ordered gluten-free pasta, for example, they would make it in a separate pot from the regular pasta, so our food wouldn't be cooked together. My husband ordered the steak with mashed potatoes and the minestrone soup (all marked gluten free) and I ordered the gluten-free pasta with chicken and Alfredo sauce (not thickened with flour, and gluten free also). We shared our plates so we both could try each thing. It was SO tasty and the waitress was super sweet. However, my husband DID have a gluten reaction after we ate here, so we know something happened in the kitchen. We probably won't be back because of this, but the food was honestly very good and the service was great also. If you just have a mild gluten intolerance, I'm sure you would be totally fine, and I even recommend this place. I wish I could rate it higher, but I try to be the voice of celiacs in my reviews as well as just being a regular consumer, and I don't think this place is safe for celiacs. We are not angry (this happens when you eat out as a Celiac, and the menu did warn us), but just disappointed, since our experience was...

Update: We recently ate at Carrabba's again and it was a solid A#1 meal for both my husband and I. The Fettucine Carrabba was simplistically delicious and so filling. And they have the best side house salad of any place we have ever eaten. The Creamy Parmesan salad dressing was very, very good. Kudos Carrabba's in Athens, Ga! The entire meal was worth every red cent.

We placed a pickup order that was $95.12 and paid for it online. They called and said that the dessert, (that cost $10.09), we ordered was not available. So we chose to just have it taken off. I asked if this was a problem because it had already been paid for. She put me on hold and returned, assuring me it would not be charged to our card and there would be no problem. Well it WAS charged to our card and I have made 2 phone calls in an attempt to get it taken care of. I was assured they would look at it and call me back and NEVER did. This is exactly why I hate tipping before the service, because I would have never tipped knowing the service would be like this. In today's economy, not getting a $10.09 dessert that we already paid for, nor getting a refund is just not acceptable. Carrabba's has incredible food, but let's face it...portions are small and the prices are really high, and yet we have been faithful customers...until now. I am beyond ticked off that we still have not gotten resolution for such a simple problem, after making asking ahead of time if it would be a problem AND making two phone calls to resolve it. So I feel like they just ripped us off for...