Jason F.
Yelp
The Buca di Beppo legacy still stands strong thanks to their sole location in the Emerald City of Seattle and the Evergreen State of Washington! Located on the corner of Westlake Avenue North and Roy Street in Seattle burgeoning South Lake Union neighborhood, Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant is a long-lasting family-style Italian restaurant that has multiple locations throughout the country. With this location, of which we learned once existed in another area in this same neighborhood generations ago, Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant has stayed and evolved with the region, of which this out-of-towner was so happy that they are still here serving and thriving. For those unfamiliar with the Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant legacy, all you need to know is that they serve their dishes family-style, which an emphasis on the family, thanks to their large portions that parties both big and small can enjoy when dining there. They are also well known for their kitsch for the interior of their restaurant which celebrates everything Italia, from the food to the cinema, to of course being home to the papal state with their signature pope room, of which varies from location to location, where diners dine with a bust of the pope! What brought me here on a chilly autumn evening was the fact that I was in Seattle on business, and when we were staying in a nearby hotel, a colleague who was in the city with me suggested we go out for a late night bite. Of course, with many locations closed or in the process of closing, one of the few restaurants open, or even close to being open was none other than Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant in the South Lake Union neighborhood.
Upon entry, there was no one present, from a host to a bartender, but luckily we would find a server that told us to pick an open booth in their dining room, of which we did. The menu at this location of Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant is separated into categories including Just for Starters, Pizzas, Shareable Sides, Salads & Soups, Entrées, Pastas, Stuffed Pastas, Traditional Pastas, Fresh Breads, Lunch Specials, Shareable Desserts, their Beverage menu, and their special limited time only menu. It was here that my dining mate and I were most intrigued by, as there was a lot of food in their particular special menu, but it was calling our name. With this Epic Famiglia Feast for $49.99 that serves no fewer than four people, we enjoyed a choice of Salad from a mixed green or a Caesar; a choice of Pasta from their Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Fettuccine Alfredo, Ravioli Al Pomodoro, Penne Alla Vodka, or Spaghetti Marinara; and a choice of Entrée between their Shrimp Scampi, Chicken Parmigiana, Chicken Limone, Eggplant Parmigiana, or Chicken Marsala. Although it was a lot of food, we opted to order this meal plan and had no regrets, as we started with their Caesar Salad, which were romaine hearts tossed in their signature Caesar dressing topped with roasted garlic croutons and Parmesan.
For our entrée, we ordered their Chicken Parmigiana, which was topped with their homemade marinara sauce, mozzarella and garnished with parsley, which was paired with their Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, which was a savory homemade meat sauce with a hundred premium ground beef served on a bed of spaghetti pasta. Served a with a side of their Garlic Bread, which is their Italian loaf brushed with garlic-infused olive oil and topped with Parmesan cheese. As I said before, this was a lot of food, as we could have dined on the Caesar Salad and our appetites could have been satiated right then and there, but of course out came the two entrée dishes, and they could not have been paired together more perfectly. Hearty, savory, and dishes served under their "Regular" size, everything tasted so flavorful. I would hate to see what their "Buca Big" size, which serves as many as 5-8 people. Our total bill was $81.66, which was very reasonable considering how much food just two people were able to consume in one setting. Being able to take some of the food back to where we were staying made our visit to the sole Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant location in Seattle even more satisfying. Here's to many more years of success, as Seattle can always use a spot that serves comforting Italian food in a warm, welcoming setting at affordable prices. With the steady flow of tourists visiting for sporting events and cruise vacations, the Emerald City is lucky to have Buca di Beppo continuing to thrive.
