Carrabba's Italian Grill — Restaurant in Williamsburg

I’m pretty shocked at how this restaurant has decent ratings on google. The food, the service and management were all terrible. I now understand why so many carrabba’s have closed across the country. We stopped in for a Sunday family dinner, and it immediately started off on a weird note. The hostess was confused on how to seat a party of 4 adults and 1 toddler (needing a high chair). She disappeared for a few minutes and then a male hostess greeted us and said he could seat us, and then the original hostess returned and said “oh I guess I can seat them.” We were seated and Bella was our waitress. She never smiled, made eye contact or seemed interested in taking care of us. She made multiple short rude comments and barely took care of us. The reviews I read on here about her being compassionate, kind and going over the top with customer service have to be from family and friends because her personality was similar to a piece of cardboard. My mothers chicken parmesan was burnt, my husband’s chicken parmesan was salty and had no sauce on it, my father’s veal Marsala was bland and served with cold mashed potatoes. Very embarrassing for an “Italian” restaurant, even if it is a chain. The female manager corrected the burnt parmesan and was apologetic. My husband had a side of truffle fries with his food, and never received ketchup (yes, simple and easy ketchup) after multiple requests. He decided to ask the female manager for ketchup, and then he passed Bella (the waitress) and asked her where is his ketchup after much patience and polite requests (it’s so stupid that this is about ketchup), and she said “oh no sir! We’re not doing this!” And we never received ketchup. It was a very strange response to requesting ketchup. The male manager, Austin, then came by with the ketchup and asked us to pay our bill and leave. He stated that my husband “dropped the F bomb 4 times,” and made 4 of his staff cry. First of all my husband never cursed at anyone; he was firm and direct, but never yelled or cursed. Secondly, all of the two staff he interacted with were in the front of the restaurant not crying or showing any emotional reaction. Austin stated he was not there to witness it, but this a family restaurant and we need to leave. My mother asked if she could talk to him about why he and his staff are having this reaction and throwing us out of the restaurant and he snidely responded “absolutely not!” This situation made zero sense. I think Austin is a young, inexperienced manager that needs further training and education on how to interact with GUESTS, and get his ego in check. I will not be surprised when this locations closes like the many others. He was condescending, rude, pompous, and lacked any customer service skills. A good manager goes to a table that is having issues and talks it out to see how it can be rectified. This hot head just reacted over false statements by his staff and made a scene. He’s an embarrassment, along with the food...

Nine months ago I awarded 5 stars. Today Sept 16, 2023, I struggle to give it one star.

What happened?! The manager tried to blame a "Freshman Chef" that just started in the kitchen. If that's true, he should fire the head chef for incompetently managing his staff.

Two of us ordered grilled asparagus, What we got was hideously oversalted woody, thin green stalks. I ordered sauteed spinach, which my dining partner praised, knowing it should take less than 5 minutes to prepare. Twenty minutes later as I was nearly finished with my over-done but reasonably flavorful Veal Marsala, what I was served was soggy, totally unseasoned steamed spinach, dripping with pot water. .

At least it was hot , which is more than can be said for the Penne pasta that was served with the specialty dish salmon to another diner at our table. Worse, the same "Freshman Chef" had dumped a salt box over the salmon. The replacement dish took over half an hour to be served, by which time the rest of us had finished our meals. That dish went home in a carryout box, so I can't judge how well it came off.

My partner's veal picatta was equally overcooked and the sauce was overwhelmed with an excess of capers that she crowded into a corner of the plate. Her grilled spinach, accompanied by abundant slivered almonds was quite tasty, but not enough to rescue the meal.

Even the bar didn't escape the flavor of failure. My dining partner had previously had their Sangria, which was flavorful and fruit-filled, so she ordered a Peach Sangria tonight. This drink, she reported, seemed to consist of white wine with a slice of lemon and half a small frozen strawberry. Talk about cheaping out!

Would it surprise anyone to read that we skipped dessert and left as quickly as we could manage.

My dining partner is a long time resident of Williamsburg and had previously listed Carrabba's as one of her favorites. It's been dropped from her list of recommendations to visitors. And I certainly, a visitor, have no reason ever to return to this place. I'm a better cook!

My advice: Stay away in droves! Warn your friends...

Subject: Commendation for Exceptional Service by Bella

Dear Carrabba’s Team, I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to express my utmost satisfaction with the exceptional service I received during my recent visit to your establishment. Specifically, I would like to commend one of your outstanding team members, Bella.

From the moment I walked in, Bella greeted me with a warm and welcoming smile, setting a positive tone for my dining experience. She went above and beyond by providing detailed information about the lunch specials and offering a thoughtful recommendation, which greatly enhanced my meal selection.

Throughout my lunch, Bella demonstrated a high level of attentiveness, consistently checking in to ensure that I had everything I needed. Her genuine concern for my satisfaction was truly noteworthy, and it contributed significantly to the overall enjoyment of my dining experience.

Bella's professionalism, coupled with her friendly demeanor, made a lasting impression on me, and I can confidently say that she played a crucial role in making my visit memorable. Her excellent service has not only earned my appreciation but also my loyalty. I am pleased to inform you that I intend to request Bella specifically during my future visits to Carrabba’s.

Moreover, I must mention that the food was not only delicious but also served with precision and care. The combination of Bella's outstanding service and the culinary excellence of your kitchen resulted in a wonderful overall experience.

I believe that exceptional service should be acknowledged, and I wanted to take the time to share my positive feedback with you. Please extend my gratitude to Bella for her outstanding efforts, and I hope that Carrabba’s continues to maintain such high standards of service.

Thank you once again for providing an outstanding dining experience, and I look forward to my next visit to...