When was the last time you were in the mood for some Italian food?
I got the opportunity to dine at Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Bowie, MD during happy hour a few days ago and share my honest opinion about my experience there with you all.
Carrabba’s recently started happy hour at their restaurants. During happy hour, customers get appetizers half-off while dining at the bar and $2 – $5 drink specials.
Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Starters
Since it was Monday, my mom ordered from their Amore Monday menu. During Amore Monday, patrons are able to order from a special menu and enjoy three courses starting at $12.99. My mom ordered the Mama Mandola’s Sicilian Chicken Soup, Shrimp and Sea Scallop Spiedino, and for dessert, she opted for the Brulee Ricotta Cheesecake.
I ordered the Mozzarella Marinara which is basically mozzarella sticks served with marinara sauce.
The mozzarella sticks were a bit oily but tasty and we all agreed the marinara sauce was too watery.
The chicken soup was scalding hot. Unfortunately, due to the heat my mom couldn’t enjoy it. By the time it cooled down, we were already half way through our entrees. I did taste the soup, and the broth was good but it had too many carrots in it for my liking and as I mentioned, the temperature prevented me from really enjoying it.
Entrees
I had the Chicken Parmesan with Fettuccine Alfredo and I must say the fettuccine was wonderful. I was really surprised by the taste. Though it could’ve used some more sauce, the flavor was magnificent.
The entree came with 2 chicken parmesan. They were so big I could only eat 1 but in my humble opinion, that’s a good thing. I’d prefer to have too much than too little. For me, the fettuccine alfredo stole the show. When I return, I will definitely order extra fettuccine alfredo to-go.
My niece ordered the Fettucine Carrabba sans mushrooms and peas. She too loved the pasta and agreed that a bit more sauce would have made it a perfect 10.
My mom enjoyed her entree. I heard no complaints.
Desserts
For dessert, as I mentioned previously, my mom ordered the Brulee Ricotta Cheesecake. The cheesecake comes garnished with strawberries and a port wine liquid which, in my niece’s opinion, overpowered the cheesecake. She said, “the cheesecake was really good but half way through it felt like I was eating a strawberry cheesecake.”
Drinks
While Carrabba’s has a wide variety of drinks – wines, martinis, sangrias, juices, beers, and more – we all chose soft drinks. Next time I visit, I will definitely try their Blackberry Sangria and report back.
Service
For some odd reason, wiping down the seats after the table has been cleared is not practiced here. We had to ask the hostess to wipe our seats down and 2 other tables that came in had to wipe the seats off themselves before sitting.
I always believe in tipping well when service is good. I honestly overtipped mistakenly before I left. I get there will be times that I have to remind my waiter of things I requested because they’re serving multiple tables – I get it. What I don’t get is how a waiter can spill my drink on the table, not replace my drink nor come back to clean it up. At one point, I was sitting at the table with a puddle of Sprite in front of me, all napkins on the table are soaked at this point, ice cubes scattered across my side of the table, and an empty glass. Nobody came to clean it up nor was I brought another drink. Yep, it was time to go.
I lowkey want my tip back.
Wifi: free and available though you have to basically give your information away to access it. You must sign in to one of your social media profiles or provide your birthdate and email address to access their wifi. Ummm, that’s new.
Parking: private lot with ample parking
All In All
I would recommend Carrabba’s Italian Grill’s food but their service – at least at the Bowie, MD location – needs some work.
I want to dine at another location and try their pepperoni pizza, Fettucine Weesie sans mushroom, Blackberry Sangria, Sicilian Prickly Pear Margarita, and lasagna.
By the time we were leaving, it was getting really packed. It’s a great atmosphere – friends, family, and coworkers sharing a laugh and catching up with each other.
Check out Carrabba’s Italian Grill online and see if they’re located in your area. If they are, stop in and grab lunch or dinner and come back and tell me all about your dining experience.
Outfit Details: XOXO Romper
2017 Hyundai Santa Fe
How did I get to Carrabba’s? In style of course. If you follow me on Snapchat, then you know I got the opportunity to test drive the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. This isn’t my first go round in a Hyundai as my mom has a Tucson. The Santa Fe is MUCH bigger and has a third folding row in the back. There are also many a/c vents throughout the vehicle so your riders in the back are able to stay cool.
I enjoyed everything about the Santa Fe except having to visit the gas station twice in one week and there not being clear instructions on how to set radio presets. The backup camera feature was a great help and will always be a necessary feature on any vehicle.
Price: The Santa Fe starts at $30,800 and pricing increases based on accessories, paint, and trim.
Read more about the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe and test drive it at a local dealership.
So, tell me, what meal or drink would you try at Carrabba’s?
Note: Though I was hosted by Carrabba’s, all opinions are my own.
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