Carrabba's Italian Grill — Restaurant in Tallahassee

The Best Dining Experience in Tallahassee

Firstly, I rarely write reviews, so the fact that you are reading this should be an indicator of the impression of the experience which I doubt I will be able to fully capture in words. But, I will try.

My wife and I had a late dinner here tonight, and it was wonderful. The food was good, the service staff were kind, and the event was an experience to remember. Our server, Jon Canada, made the meal into an atmosphere that helped turn my wife and my dinner plan into a date, which is another way of saying that we were flattered at the cordial, attentive manner in which Jon conducted his work. For example, I was unfamiliar with the particularities of the herbs and oil that is brought to you at the beginning of the meal, so I inquired. Jon knowledgeably provided me with the names of the various herbs and spices. Moreover, he asked us if we would like to try it with butter, so we agreed. His enthusiasm coupled with the novelty of the experience provided a light, fun mood that lingered throughout our meal. I decided to complement Jon at the end of our meal, and so he asked if I would be willing to forward the message to the manager. I informed him that I was more than happy.

The manager, Dennis Colon, came out and we had a great conversation. Dennis really knows what he is doing. Like with Jon, numerous things impressed me. Dennis spoke about his passion for helping hire good servers and helping them understand the importance of what they do beyond bringing the food to the table. More than running a business well, Dennis appeared to have vision coupled with, and I use this next phrase deliberately, spirit. Perhaps zeitgeist would get us closer to the mark. What I do know is that Dennis understands the political situation of the country and what it means for businesses, what they have to do to fill the gaps with phenomena like inflation, and what that means for consumers. Worded differently, I was understanding how Dennis saw his role as helping situate corporate demands with providing and translating expectations to his serving staff, and frankly, I have not seen something like this done better.

Dennis hopes to run his own business/restaurant one day. I have no doubt that, conditions permit, his place will thrive.

I also want to mention two crew members who deserve attention. Had I known that I was going to be writing this review, I would have gathered everyone's names. Nevertheless, there was a kind black man working as the host who set the initial tone. We came in at just after 9pm, and most restaurants at this hour do not have such amicable hosts; this man was a good hire. He made us feel welcome with his tone and timbre, wishing us a good meal after seating us. I also want to recognize the young black woman who brought us our drinks and bread. We spoke briefly because I was so surprised at how quickly the initial items came out. She was delightful and eloquently provided me with information as to how the tablet system worked.

The Tallahassee Carrabba's is worth considering if you are looking for a place to dine. Thank you Jon,...

This Carrabba's provided an incredible experience for my spouse and I to enjoy our first meal as a married couple. The owner, Dave, does a very good job in making sure that this location follows as many of the health guidelines as possible to provide a safe and fun meal amidst the pandemic. My spouse and I were wary about dining inside due to health reasons, but upon entering we felt at ease.

We requested to sit somewhere as isolated and far out of the way as possible, and were seated very quickly in an area that satisfied our concerns, despite it being a busy Friday night. They clearly mark which tables are unavailable for seating (as per social distancing guidelines) by covering them with black tablecloths, and there are hand sanitizer bottles/stations available accessibly throughout the restaurant to ensure safety.

Jess offered such incredible quality as our server. She was knowledgeable and friendly, definitely putting us at ease since we were uncomfortable dining in. She followed all the right steps, offering us timely refills on drinks, appetizers, and desserts, making great recommendations. Additional servers and managers were very efficient in running out salads or appetizers when Jess was busy caring for other guests, making the experience seamless and plentiful.

We started off with the caprése and mozzarella burrata. The tomatoes were wonderfully fresh and flavorful, and the seasonings on the burrata were just enough to accentuate the taste of the dish without overpowering it. My spouse picked the eggplant parmesan with a side of grilled asparagus. The eggplant was well-cooked and the asparagus retained some of the texture and smokiness from the grill, easily setting it apart from the other sides. I enjoyed a combination, the Johnny, with a mid-rare steak marsala and upgrading the Chicken Bryan to a Pollo Rosa Maria and a side of parmesan truffle oil fries, paired with a glass of the Gabbiano Chianti. The entire entrée was truly elevated by the flavor profile and mouthfeel of the dry chianti, though the steak, chicken, and fries would have easily stood their own without it. For dessert, we ordered the classic tiramisu, which was as beautiful as it was delectable.

By the time my spouse and I had reached dessert, we could barely take another bite after how satisfying and fulfilling the meal had been, though Jess was right on time to offer us to-go boxes for our leftovers, even providing us with herbs and oil to take home for our own cooking.

As someone who has previously worked at a Carrabba's, even I was not expecting to be as satisfied and impressed with this experience at the Tallahassee Carrabba's. After a long day getting married, this was the perfect way for us to celebrate, and David, Jess, and all of the remaining staff (including chefs and bussers!) were more than qualified to accommodate respectfully and safely. I genuinely look forward to returning there, knowing that I will be able to receive a wonderful meal with impeccable service and the...

I'm trying a new style so I'm not rambling as much. Right ..ummm, I'm going to do a checklist and then I'll summarize at the end. I would like to hear back from you if you like this style or not.

Restaurant name: Carrabba"s

Appearance Traditional Italian slightly dim lighting, but more cozy not dungeon atmosphere. I'd say welcoming.

Greeting host/ess Immediately greeted at the door and seated at a booth. No waiting. Pleasent attitude.

Waitress We had Jack (woman) as our waitress. She was very nice and welcoming. Asked for our drink order and explained the specialty drinks.

Sarah ordered the peach/berry Sangria. I wanted to taste hers so I did my typical water with 2 lemons.

3b. Drinks Drinks arrived. Mine sans lemon. Sarah's was good, but too sweet for me.

Order Sarah ordered chicken Parm. Typical.

I wasnt sure and asked a few questions. Jack encouraged me to try the pasta trio, and I declined, saying I didnt want to pay $30 and she laughed and said, "oh, I understand.". I ordered the Polo Rosa Maria at $26. Jack then volunteered that I could get my beloved Chicken Picata for only $10! The ever miser in me justified this order because its ONLY $10! I'll eat it the next day .

Food arrived Sarah's house salad with creamy Italian dressing arrived. Normal salad gererous proportion. My minestrone soup arrived. Dressing was tart. Soup was good, but needed more liquid. Very tasty.

Coutesy check Jack checked on us a few times. She was always pleasent, didnt act rushed. Marlo, one of the managers came over and checked on us. He asked why we chose Carrabas today. I smirked and Sarah knew what I would say.

I told him the truth. We went to Olive Garden first, but after waiting 10 minutes behind another guest to even see a hostess, we left miffed. I called and complained to Mgr Lydia. She apologized, but I told Marlo we wont be going back for a few months. Mind you, this was 3pm. Not exactly crunch time.

Marlo understood, and we talked about the food. I pointed out that I was still waiting on my lemon. He immediately went to get it. Soon after, Jack brought another plate of lemons, but and most telling did she did not mention the other plate of lemons which I find classy. I wasnt angry. i just enjoy lemon in my water

Other

Marlo invited everyone I know to come give Carrabba's a try. They do catering as well. I told him I have a LOT of friends (meaning my Tallahassee foodies). I told him we give honest reviews and that Lucilla's was the hands down group favorite, but not in everyone's regular budget.

Conclusion

Very pleasent meal. I ordered a shot of limoncello with a lot of ice. So with two drinks and 3 meals total was $87.00. Jack got a $20 tip because she was so pleasent and helpful.

The staff were very pleasant and when we left a nice young man waiter or host opened the doors and thanked...