Carrabba's Italian Grill — Restaurant in Florida

On January 20, 2017, I had an experience that I will never forget—one that opened my eyes to the harsh reality of racism and the vulnerability we face as members of marginalized communities. That evening, I went to Carrabba’s for dinner with some friends, hoping to enjoy a simple meal and celebrate our friendship. Little did I know, this outing would turn into a painful reminder of the discrimination that still exists in our society.

As we settled at the bar, I noticed a familiar face—my cleaning lady, Ivy, was there with her friends. I decided to treat her to a bottle of wine, hoping to spread a little joy. However, the moment I engaged with the bartender and the manager, everything changed. Instead of a warm welcome, I was met with hostility. The manager approached me and asked, “What are you doing here?” Initially, I thought he was joking, but his aggressive demeanor quickly shattered that illusion. He insisted I leave, making it clear that I did not belong there.

As I left, bewildered and hurt, I saw police cars outside. I was instructed to put my purse down and raise my hands, unsure of what was happening. The officers were kind, but the situation was surreal. After speaking with the manager who had called them, the officer returned to tell me I was being accused of making noise and causing a disturbance—accusations that were completely unfounded.

The officer expressed her sympathy and urged me to go home. The next day, the owner of Carrabba’s reached out, suggesting I accept a $250 gift card as compensation for my experience. I declined, feeling that no monetary offer could erase the hurt I felt that night. I had been a loyal patron of Carrabba’s, supporting them in my community, every teachers day I would go to Carrabba‘s and bought all my gift cards for the teachers at Audubon Elementary school. I am a local mom. but that loyalty was met with disdain.

This experience has lingered with me, and it’s a feeling I wouldn’t wish on anyone. My son serves in the military, and I pride myself on being a law-abiding citizen who supports local businesses. Yet, on that day, I was made to feel unwelcome in a place I thought was safe.

I urge you to consider this if you’re thinking about dining at Carrabba’s in Merritt Island, especially if you’re a member of the Black community. Racism may not always be visible, but its impact can be profound and lasting. Please think twice before spending your money in a place that may not value you as a customer. We must stand together against discrimination and support establishments that truly embrace inclusivity and respect for all. Your choices matter, and together we can foster a community that values every individual, regardless of their background. PLEASE LISTEN THIS HAS TAKEN YEARS AND I STILL HAVE FEAR OF WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO ME IF OUR GOD BLESSED MERRITT ISLAND OFFICERS WERE UNTRAINED. if you do not believe me please go to the police department and see the report...

Had a disappointing New Years Celebration. Got a medium rare filet for dinner. I didn’t realize that it came with Marsala sauce which I strongly dislike. I never get any sauce on my steaks as it takes away from the steaks for me and I strongly dislike mushrooms. It was not the fault of the server as it was an over sight on my part. Understanding it was our mistake, my fiancé offered to purchase it to take home and they said it would be an $8 upcharge due to the upgraded steak, and we agreed. Then the server came back saying they would not allow us to buy the steak to go, so I told them that I would need a steak without the sauce. So they took the steak and brought another steak back with the sauce but no mushrooms. I explained that I did not like the sauce so they took back the steak again. Then they brought back a steak without anything on it finally. I took one bite of the steak which was very well done and tasted like vinegar. They had been cooking the same steak over and over again instead of simply giving me what I asked for. It really dampened my evening as we offered to buy the MEDIUM RARE steak and I was left dealing with a very overcooked steak that tasted awful. I’ve been to this restaurant before and normally the food is good, but if something goes wrong, I’m now expecting to leave feeling ripped off instead of management finding a reasonable solution. My advice is to avoid the steak. I’m concerned why it tasted so vinegary. The server was nice and put in a tough position. I just wish management had the ability to problem solve in a way that was amicable and fair to everyone. We will not be going back. There’s other places to go...

I never thought I'd go to a Carrabba's restaurant and feel like I was at a Denny's. I'm not sure if staff was having a rough night or if it's actually gone that far downhill. For starters, I was taken to a table that hadn't been wiped down. It had long hair and crumbs sitting all over it, as well as on the seats. When I ordered my house wine, the glass was littered in very obvious lip marks, as if it had only been rinsed out after its last use. After that had been sorted, we proceeded to order our entrées, mine being lamb, that were served on plates with broken pieces missing from them. Thankfully, my waiter was kind enough to give the temperature suggestion of medium because it came out rare. Had I ordered my intended temperature, I probably would have ended up with an uncooked dinner. I most likely won't be back to this particular location from this experience alone. I'm the furthest thing from a Karen, but it's definitely ridiculous to put the clearly competent waiting staff in a position of taking heat from less patient customers due to all other staff not being capable of adequately performing their...