Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Seattle

I came here on a Wednesday night for a birthday dinner. It was an impromptu decision after my family realized we had a few coupons for the place. Parking was a little awkward around 6-7, as the closest street parking to the restaurant was full and the next nearest one wasn't free until after 7. Additionally, don't park near the side of the restaurant, as it is privately owned land and your car will be towed. We ended up parking at a free at a lot near the park.

We did not make reservations ahead of time, but when we arrived, the restaurant was sparsely filled and we were given a table right away. It took a little time for our server to arrive and bring beverages, but he was very helpful in advising what to order. Most of the dishes are family style and come in big dishes, each small dish can easily serve 3-5 people depending on how hungry people are. We got a trio de buca, so we got a salad, an entree, and a side dish. We went with a Caesar Salad, spaghetti with meat sauce, and the green beans. We also were feeling a bit hungry so we got a small shrimp Florentine and a small basket of mozarella garlic bread. The salad and bread arrived within 5-10 mins and served as great appetizers. Both were moderately generous portions and easily satisfied our family. The salad was not overdone with dressing and had a nice cheese sprinkling. The bread was crunchy and warm, and the melted mozarella on top was a nice garnish. The melt was just right, but if anything could be melted a little softer.

The main entrees were both delicious. The spaghetti with meat sauce was not too much sauce or flavor. The meat balls were tender and well cooked. The noodles were perfect and had a great texture and taste. The shrmp Florentine was also delicious. The angel hair noodles were soft and had a good texture and the overall flavor was excellent. The shrimp was also cooked very well. The light cheesy flavor also added a nice taste. The green beans were not bad either and not too over buttered and had a nice crunch. My only gripe was that it took a little while for everything to arrive (~15 mins to prepare).

We also had the experience of getting a birthday song from the waitstaff which was enjoyable. We got the gelato for dessert and this too was well made. The three unique flavors, sour Berry, vanilla, and pistachio, were all equally delicious. They had a nice whipped texture and were not overtly sweet.

Overall, I received great service from the staff, found the restaurant cozy and clean, and had a great dining experience. For the value I paid, I think it was more than worth it. I would definitely recommend coming here for a meal with a group and enjoying some tasty food over good...

My partner, my eleven year old daughter, and I went in on a Monday night because our server suggested we return on Mondays for half price spaghetti and meatballs on a previous visit.

From the moment we walked through the door the experience was weird and uncomfortable. There was a person who appeared to be an employee getting off of work standing at the door yelling back at different people in the kitchen. The wait staff and host started joining in as well and it was just really odd that they all thought this was appropriate.

Once seated, we let the server know that we were there for the Monday night spaghetti and meatballs special. She frowned and said “I don’t think we’re doing that anymore.” and then said “what would you like to order” in a hurried way that again felt uncomfortable. I responded that I had checked the website before coming and saw that the special was indeed available. She seemed annoyed and then tried to change the subject by asking if there was anything else we wanted I said we'd like the spaghetti and meatballs please. She huffed, grabbed our menus and stormed off.

When she returned with the plate of spaghetti and 2 meatballs (this is important later), I showed her the page on their website that said the special was still active. She said she would go talk to her manager, but she didn’t think it was going to work. She came back a few minutes later with our check in her hand, saying that she had “discounted her meal due to our request.” Since this was no more than five minutes after our food arrived, we were still eating. By this point we felt more like trespassers thank guests. We did out best to make the most of the evening and got back to eating and enjoying each other‘s company. But then we heard her say loudly to another server around the corner that her table was being difficult and demanding. This experience really soured us and we have no plans to return.

P.S. I can't find a single picture from their site, social media, menu etc. that shows less than...

Sadly, Buca is in decline. It's difficult to watch, as I used to love the old location, with it's quirky maze of tables, and $22 giant bowls of pasta with meat. Today, the new location on Westlake is kind of like New Coke; it's still dressed in red, the name on the outside is the same, but the inside is just not good anymore.

First, the large bowls of pasta are now in the $43 range, and it's still slightly mushy for our American tastes. They stopped serving Italian sodas, changed the desserts so they can be mass-produced more easily (goodbye tiramisu in the bowl), got rid of the free bread with oil & vinegar to dip in, and have forgotten all of the little things that made Buca's slightly ridiculous but charming kitsch.

Little things like light bulbs. The old Buca was kinda dark, but the new one is filled with track lighting that has super bright white LED bulbs, instead of the softer, dim yellow light. There used to be campy Italian music played in the restaurant, but it was eerily silent this Thursday. The food used to arrive fairly quickly, but it took over an hour for us to get fed this time.

We used to take 5-8 people here, spend about $150-180, and have to loosen belt notches while carrying heavy bags of leftovers to our cars. Now, $150 will leave you hungry, empty-handed, and without any alcohol to help you forget how good Buca used to be.

You'll probably see a response from the restaurant listed below with the generic platitudes including "We regret", "Always improving", “Hit our targeted subjects” and so forth. However, it's going to take a serious renaissance movement from corporate to get this place back to its glory days. In the meantime, I'm going to keep looking for a new favorite....