Carrabba's Italian Grill — Restaurant in Tampa

Genuinely one of the most disappointing dining experience we have had for a very long time. The only reason I gave this review 2 stars instead of 1 was because today's manger (bless her heart) was trying her absolute best to make our experience at the minimum redeemable. But apart from that steer clear from this carrabas others are better imho.

Let me start this off by saying I hate speaking badly about a place and when I do its because its just extra bad. The whole place must have been prepping for an event because the wait staff was lacking. We were a party of 6 and after ordering appetizers and drinks it took a whole 20 minutes before the manager had to come out and tell us there were not 2 items we ordered. AGAIN the manager was great, and immediately without us protesting told us that she will comp us the appetizers something I absolutely did not expect.

We received our appetizers 15 minutes after that and then waited a whole hour to receive our food. This is 1hr 35 minutes after arrival it was at this point that our waitress was no where to be found and later I say her tending a busy bar. The chicken was hard and cold the fettuccine as well. Thinking it was just my meal I asked around the table and gazed at a group of very unhappy people. 1 of the orders was wrong and on a normal day that is just a simple "hey np mistake happen and onward" but after almost 2hrs we were approaching the time where we needed to leave for other engagements. Thus we couldnt return any of our meals and honestly I was starved.

Again the manager apologized and personally brought out the correct order but alas for not since it was ill prepared. She was so nice (manager) without a peep from our end she picked up on the dissatisfaction and proceeded to comp (again not asked) our kids meal. I appreciate that effort in all my years dining I have never been comped something so I left a tip hopefully for the manager.

And to top it all off, every single person, all 4 adults and 2 kids have been spending the day bloated and nauseous after the experience. We didn't eat anywhere else and as a heavy set man its hard to upset this stomach so clearly the food was as mentioned before ill prepared.

That being said our party will not be returning. We are die-hard carrabas fans but that was...

(Long post) So I called ahead to have our name at the top of the list by the time we got there at 7:15pm. It was my birthday and my boyfriend and my mother and I were going to dinner. When we got there, we had to wait a couple of minutes, which was expected. And then we got seated. The hostess, Antoinette, was very accommodating and apologetic for the wait that we had, and took us to our table. She gave us menus and told us our server would be with us shortly. 15 to 20 minutes later no one had come to our table. But yet our server in our section had gone to two other tables that had been seated after us. So I went to Antoinnette and I told her the situation. She profusely apologized and said she would let our server know as well as the manager. She also took our drink order. Well, our server finally came over and took our food order and the manager came over and apologized and took some things off off the bill. Antoinette came over several times and checked on us to make sure that we were being accommodated. We were sitting right next to the front of house, so it was not far for her to come over to our table. we got our food, and it was very good! Somehow we realized in conversation with Antoinette that we had some things in common. I told her to stop back by when she was free and we could talk a little bit more about it. When she did that, her manager, not the one that was dealing with our bill, called her over to the front of the house at the hostess stand, and told her she was not there to make friends, and that she needed to get back to rolling silverware. It was loud enough for me to hear those words in a crowded and loud restaurant. I was appalled that Antoinette was spoken to like this. It was unprofessional and should not have been done in front of customers. She was doing her job and was making sure that her customers were happy. On the way out I quietly handed her a tip. She is a sweet young girl and should be treated with the highest respect. If I go back to this location, it will only be because of Antoinette. (And...

If you’re looking for a casual Italian dining experience with a touch of elegance, Carrabba’s Italian Grill won’t disappoint. I recently dined there and left satisfied, though not without a few notes.

Atmosphere & Service The ambiance strikes a nice balance between cozy and upscale. Low lighting, warm wooden accents, and an open kitchen make for a welcoming vibe. The staff was attentive and friendly, though service slowed down a bit during the dinner rush.

Food I started with the classic Calamari, which was lightly fried and perfectly crisp, served with marinara sauce that had just the right amount of kick. For the main course, I went with the Chicken Bryan—grilled chicken topped with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and a lemon-basil butter sauce. It was flavorful and well-cooked, though the portion size felt modest compared to the price.

The highlight, though, was the Penne Carrabba—a rich and creamy pasta dish with sautéed mushrooms, peas, and grilled chicken in a parmesan cream sauce. It’s hearty and comforting, the kind of dish that makes you want to curl up on the couch afterward.

For dessert, the Tiramisu was indulgent without being overly sweet, a great way to end the meal.

Final Thoughts Carrabba’s offers a solid Italian-American menu with some standout dishes. While it’s not the most authentic Italian experience, it’s a great spot for a family dinner or casual date night. Go for the pasta, stay for the tiramisu, and maybe skip the peak dinner hours for a more...